《The Frozen Player Returns》 Chapter 1. Prologue

Chapter 1. Prologue

On January 1st, 2019, the world changed. Gates, monsters, system, yers. These new concepts sprang up from nowhere. Those who protect and those who invade. These two powers fought all over the world. 1 year, 2 years, 3 years...5 years. On November 4th, 2024, all yers received a message from the system. [Frost Queen, the final boss for the area Earth, has appeared.] [Upon her defeat, safe zones will be added.] ¡®The final boss! If we just defeat her, we can go back to our normal lives!¡¯ Countless yers were filled with newfound determination, and their hope was rekindled. One day. That was how long it took for hope to be despair. On the day that the Frost Queen walked out of the gate, the southern Pacific froze over with a flick of her wrist. Everyone¡¯s determination froze along with it. There were only five people who remained undeterred. These top yers took a ne to Antarctica. ¡°Let¡¯s catch that Frost Queen.¡± All for the sake of what others thought was impossible. *** Final dungeon, Antarctica. The Queen¡¯s Nest, 2nd floor. The five yers stood in front of the stairs leading to the next floor. A message popped up. [Only one person may go up the stairs.] ¡°Are you fucking kidding me? Aftering all this way?¡± A muscr man stomped the floor with a loud bang as he swore. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that the other four will die here? From the moment they entered the Nest, they were chased by the Frost Queen¡¯s breath. They had to keep climbing to avoid getting frozen by the poisonous breath. In other words, if only one person could ascend, then the remaining four would freeze to death. ¡°... There are only two minutes left until the breath catches up. We have to make a decision,¡± the Great Mage Skaya said as she looked to the others. ¡°I think Specter should go. He has the best chance of killing the Frost Queen.¡± ¡°I could kill her too.¡± ¡°And who would win in a fight between you two? ¡°...Tsk. Touche.¡± The muscr giant raised his hands in surrender. The man wearing a cowboy hat, Gilberto Green nodded in agreement. ¡°I agree. With the exception of Specter, our odds against the Frost Queen aren¡¯t too great.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true.¡± He was right. Rahmadat Kahli had great physical strength, but that wouldn¡¯t be a match for the Frost Queen. If she did as much as breathe or raise her hand, the entire area around her would freeze. It was the same for Tenmei Mio, who was protecting Japan. She and Skaya already had their hands full guarding against the Frost Queen¡¯s approach from the rear. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± The four of them turned to look at Specter. He wore a ck mask. ¡°...Are you sure you won¡¯t regret this?¡± A dry voice spoke from behind the mask. Rahmadat shrugged at his question. ¡°Regret? We probably will. A whole fucking lot. But what can we do? You have the best chance of seeding.¡± ¡°Alright. Then, I¡¯ll kill her before her breath reaches you.¡± ¡°No way. That¡¯s impossible.¡± Tenmei Mio shook her head. ¡°Please don¡¯t rush because of us. Lie in wait until you¡¯re sure you can kill her.¡± ¡°Mio¡¯s right. It¡¯s impossible to kill her in two minutes. If you rush in like that, you¡¯ll actually give her the upper hand.¡± Rahmadat and Skaya chimed in. ¡°You hear that? Don¡¯t be impatient, and kill her properly. That is what you have to do as the one who will go up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about the rest of us, but you can definitely do it.¡± Specter looked at his faithful teammates. If he was the one that was left behind, could he cheer them on so casually? ¡°...¡± He couldn¡¯t. Biting his lip under his mask, he gave a heavy nod. ¡°...I¡¯ll see you again. I promise.¡± His teammatesughed and waved him off, telling him that they understood so he should get going. With that empty promise, Specter ran up the stairs, skipping multiple steps at a time. He didn¡¯t look back; he didn¡¯t even have time for that. Crash! Even when the stair crumbled behind him and he couldn¡¯t hear hisrades¡¯ voices anymore, his eyes remained fixed at the top of the stairs. At that moment, he reached the top¡­ ¡°So you¡¯vee to seek your death.¡± [Frost Queen, the final boss for the area Earth, has appeared.] [Upon her defeat, safe zones will be added.] The Frost Queen sat on a frozen throne in the middle of the room. Her legs were crossed, her demeanor elegant and aloof. But Specter wasn¡¯t fooled by her alluring appearance. The aura that she radiated threatened to freeze everything around her. Shing! The sound of the weapon being drawn seemed to lower the temperature. Specter spoke in a t voice. ¡°Five years.¡± That¡¯s how long it had been since the world changed into something simr to a game. ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡± ¡°End¡­ this?¡± The Frost Queen burst out inughter, covering her lips with her slender fingers. ¡°Ahahaha! You really don¡¯t know anything about this world.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only here to kill you, why would I need to know such things?¡± questioned Seo Jun-Ho. Woooong! Darkness surged around him, and the ice started to turn dark. The best yer in the world, Specter Seo Jun-Ho, opened his mouth. ¡°All I need to confirm is your death and the end of this game.¡± Darkness and ice shed, creating a massive explosion. *** ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡± At the end of a long battle, the Frost Queen let out a violent cough. Herplexion was pale, but a smile teased at the edge of her lips. ¡°I had fun.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±With a sullen voice, an exhausted Seo Jun-Ho swung his broken sword with as much force as he could muster. Slice! The Frost Queen¡¯s head was no different from other living organisms. It was cut through cleanly. At the same time, a message rang in his ears. [Congrattions! Frost Queen, the boss for area Earth has been defeated.] [You have received the title ¡°Bringer of Spring¡±.] [Safe zones have been created on area Earth.] ¡°Phew¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a long breath; it turned white in the cold air. He did it. It had been 5 years since the world became a living hell. He finally enacted revenge on the monsters that stole his normal life. ¡®Mother, Father...¡¯ Thinking of his parents, Seo Jun-Ho looked at the digital clock with nervous eyes. His teeth dug into his lips, bringing a metallic taste to his mouth. ¡°...Shit. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Fight time: 76 hours, 48 minutes, 16 seconds. Hisrades must have been frozen long ago. ¡®I¡­ I couldn¡¯t keep my promise to see you again.¡¯ He looked at the ground in shame and exhaustion. At that moment, a hellhound crawled out from the ground and started chewing at the Frost Queen¡¯s body. Crunch, crunch! After it finished its scrumptious meal, the hellhound spat something out before it disappeared. A nucleus. It was a power source that some of the monsters used. It was also a new energy source that had recently been in the spotlight. ¡®My friends sacrificed themselves¡­¡¯ Roll. With a horrified expression, Seo Jun-Ho reached down to pick it up. ¡°For something like this.¡± But when he picked it up, a dizzying amount of messages appeared. [Warning! You have started to absorb the Frost Queen¡¯s nucleus.] [Absorption percentage 0.001%...] [Because of the cold it radiates, the Frost Queen¡¯s nucleus will cause your stats to drop to level one.] [Strength 217->21] [Stamina 201->24] [Speed 225->26] [Magic 183->18] ¡°What?!¡± Startled, Seo Jun-Ho wanted to drop the nucleus, but it had already started to melt through his skin. Frost started to spread on his skin and he felt his blood flow as his heartbeat slowed. The horrible chill filled his veins and his body. His joints went cold, and his chin shook uncontrobly, causing his teeth to chatter. ¡°This¡­ crazy dungeon¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt his consciousness slip and freeze. *** Someone asked, ¡°Everyone, what¡¯s on November 11th?¡± In the past, they would have answered Pepero Day. But the answer changed in the year 2024. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s the Day of Heroes.¡± ¡°Is that even a question?¡± The Day of Heroes. After 2024, November 11th became the day that the five heroes saved the world. From the middle of October to the beginning of November, tickets to Korea sold like crazy. There was a simple reason. On that one day, the frozen statues of the 5 heroes were put on disy at the Seoul History Museum. ¡°The result of such a world that was overrun with monsters¡­¡± Thousands of people sat in their seats, listening to the suit-d curator on stage. She spoke in Korean, but thanks to the live trantion system, there was no one who couldn¡¯t understand her. ¡°...In 2024, a monster that humanity could not quell appeared.¡± A kindergartener wearing a yellow hat raised their hand and yelled. ¡°The Frost Queen! I heard from my teacher!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Our young friend is smart,¡± the curator said with a smile. ¡°The Frost Queen was a monster that could freeze the southern Pacific with one wave of her hand. While everyone else lost hope, five people had hope in their hearts as they traveled to Antarctica.¡± ¡°The Nest Attack Team?¡± ¡°Right again. These legendary yers achieved the most important thing in history.¡± The lights on the stage flicked off. The curator swallowed as she looked at the audience. She pulled her hand back. The curtain was pulled aside, and five frozen statues stood behind a reinforced ss wall. ¡°Today, we call them the Five Heroes. Please be respectful.¡± Cameras shed all over. The audience was captivated by the statues. Some closed their eyes and said a prayer of thanks. ¡°Thanks to the Five Heroes, the Frost Queen was defeated and numerous safe zones appeared. Additionally¡­¡± As the curatorunched into a deep exnation, the kindergartener pointed, eyes wide. ¡°T-the statue moved!¡± ¡°Oho, I¡¯m sorry. That¡¯s not true.¡± The curator smiled and shook her head. ¡°The temperature behind the wall is regted 24/7 so there won¡¯t be¡­¡± Crack! The curator paused at the peculiar sound and turned around. She cautiously took a step forward to check the statues beyond the wall. The sound hade from the direction of Specter¡¯s mask-wearing statue. She let her gaze linger for a moment, and the statues had been fine for 25 years. ¡°W-well, as I was saying. There wouldn¡¯t be any problems¡­¡± She had barely gotten the words out of her mouth when one of the statues shattered and a person fell to the ground. ¡°Ugh...euh¡­¡± System messages filled his eyes and ears. [Absorption percentage 99.9999%...] [Absorption percentage 100%.] [Congrattions. You havepletely absorbed the Frost Queen¡¯s nucleus.] [You have received the new skill ¡°Frost(EX)¡±.] [Level has been initialized.] ¡®What is¡­ fu¡­ cold¡­¡¯ He slowly raised his gaze, meeting the eyes of a shocked audience. ¡°H-he¡¯s moving?¡± ¡°Holy shit!¡±[1] ¡°He¡¯s alive¡­ Specter is alive! Hey! Someone call a doctor, right now! ¡°Hey! This is front-page stuff. Start writing an article right away! I mean, if they let us! This is big news!¡± In an instant, the audience erupted into a mor of noises. 1. The text is originally in English ? Chapter 2. 25 Years Later (1)

Chapter 2. 25 Years Later (1)

[The legend awakens from his long sleep.] [A modern-day Captain America? The return of the world¡¯s greatest yer - Specter wakes up 25 yearster after defeating the Frost Queen] [Korean yer Association¡¯s press conference: ¡°Specter¡¯s health is our top priority.¡±] [Day of Heroes fundraising breaks record numbers] ¡­.. Tap. Lying on his hospital bed, Seo Jun-Ho folded and put away the newspapers he had been reading. ¡°So...It¡¯s been 25 years.¡± He blinked once and just like that, 25 years had passed. The situation was so ridiculous that he wasn¡¯t particrly shocked or dumbfounded. At first, he wondered if it was something like a hidden-camera prank, but there was too much evidence against that. ¡®My muscles are gone. They¡¯vepletely atrophied.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stared down at his body, dumbfounded. He was so thin that his bones were visible. He had taken a nap, and just like that, the body he trained vigorously for 5 years was gone. ¡°Specter-nim. The President of the yers¡¯ Association hase to see you.¡± Wherever he went, the top doctors of the world spoke to him with both hands sped together.[1] That was the least they could do to show respect to the savior of humanity. Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t ufortable with this, because this was the treatment he had always received. ¡°Is the President someone I know?¡± If he was a stranger, then he would tell them to leave. It hadn¡¯t even been a day since he woke up. He didn¡¯t want to be bothered already. But the doctor said something surprising. ¡°Yes. The President spoke casually and said you were their friend.¡± ¡°Friend¡­? Huh.¡± There weren¡¯t many who he considered a friend. ¡®Well, I suppose I¡¯ll know once we meet.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned to look out into Seoul, as if he was amazed. ¡°I suppose the world really has changed.¡± There were many more skyscrapers, and magic must have been used because the fine dust pollution was gone. More than that, there wasn¡¯t a single gate in Seoul when previously, they had been all over the ce. ¡®It¡¯s...the peaceful world that we wanted.¡¯ Thinking of hisrades, Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and smiled faintly. ¡°...What will I do now?¡± The world had changed when he was 20, and he became a yer and cleared gates. The only thing he knew how to do was to hunt monsters. ¡®I guess I¡¯m unemployed now.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t an unpleasant thought. With an unburdened heart, he pulled off his mask. ¡°Hup!¡± The dumbfounded doctors covered their mouths, swallowing their screams. Who was Specter? Besides his Korean nationality, he had always been a mystical figure whose name, age, and face were unknown. So how could he take off his mask so casually? One of the doctors spoke with a shaky voice. ¡°W-why...why did you take off your mask?¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± Seo Jun-Ho said this as he twirled his trademark mask in his hands. ¡°The world is peaceful now.¡± ¡°Uh...I¡­¡± A shadow crossed over the doctors¡¯ faces. Seo Jun-Ho noticed the shift. ¡°What¡¯s with your reactions?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­¡± The doctors couldn¡¯t say anything. They simply nced at each other. ¡°I¡¯ll exin.¡± As the door opened, a put-together man stepped in. Upon seeing his face, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes went wide. He had a few wrinkles now, but it was a face that he would never forget. ¡°Are...are you Deok-Gu?¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± The doctors turned their heads away as they held back theirughs. ¡°Ahem!¡± The man turned to the doctors, his face slightly red. ¡°I want to speak with him in private.¡± ¡°Yes, President.¡± After the doctors walked out, the President pulled up a chair and took a seat. His eyes started to water. ¡°Jun-Ho, you still look exactly the same.¡± Even after 25 years, his friend Seo Jun-Ho was still exactly the same. He himself was at the age that his skin had started to wrinkle and his stomach started to stick out, but Jun-Ho still looked exactly as he looked when he was younger. But his healthy body had deteriorated to the point that he looked sickeningly skinny. The President bit his lower lip, for some reason, he felt his heart aching. ¡°Wow. That voice. You really are Deok-Gu.¡± It had be rougher with age, but it was the voice of his childhood friend Shim Deok-Gu. Seo Jun-Ho stared with amazement at his friend who had be a middle-aged man. He startedughing as he noticed something. ¡°Hey, look! I told you that M-shape was a sign of balding! You said it wasn¡¯t!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say after¡­!¡± Shim Deok-Gu was choked up in the moment, before letting out a sigh. ¡°Hoo, that¡¯s right¡­ The Seo Jun-Ho I knew had always been like this. What a heartfelt reunion¡­¡± ¡°Did you really expect that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was still gripping his stomach andughing. ¡°25 years...Pfft, it¡¯s been 25 years but there¡¯s still no cure for balding?¡± ¡°...The wigs are good. You can¡¯t tell the difference. I didn¡¯t wear one today because I was in a rush.¡± ¡°Really? Then show me next time.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised.¡± These two really did like to speak of such trivial things. Considering how they were two grown men, they had a lot to talk about as they went from topic to topic without a moment to breathe. Shim Deok-Gu would usually start talking, and Seo Jun-Ho would peel clementines from the basket[2] as he chimed in. A few hours passed just like that. Shim Deok-Gu smiled fondly. ¡°You rascal, you¡¯re still exactly the same.¡± Even after 25 years, the two friends who were born and raised together were still the same. Deok-Gu had actually been nervous on the way to the hospital. He was scared to show Jun-Ho the ¡°adult¡± he had be. But now, they were still talking as freely as before. ¡°You look the same as before too. Though your stomach is sticking out a bit now.¡± ¡°You¡­try getting old.¡± Seeing the awkward expression on Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face, Seo Jun-Ho spoke up. ¡°Now that you¡¯re not so tense anymore, tell me why those doctors reacted like that.¡± ¡°Ah, um.¡± There was no more avoiding the topic. Shim Deok-Gu swallowed. ¡°The moment you guys defeated the Frost Queen, all the yers received the same message.¡± He looked out the window as if recalling the memory. [Congrattions. The Frost Queen has been defeated.] [Safe zones will now appear on the area Earth.] The whole world rejoiced. They didn¡¯t need to fight anymore. They could live peacefully like before. yers and non-yers alike cried tears of joy. But the message didn¡¯t stop there. [A dimension elevator has been unlocked in the Pacific area.] [The 2nd floor Frontier Area has opened.] [The max level in the Frontier will be raised from 80 to 120.] [Stay strong until you reach thest floor.] ¡°What?¡± ¡°Fuck, what kind of shit is this?!¡± ¡°2nd floor? So it doesn¡¯t end with the Frost Queen?¡± People fell into a panic. But there was nothing else they could do. They all thought that it was the end, but it was actually only the beginning. Strong yers, association presidents, and politicians from all over the world held a big conference. During the days it was held, the yers kept receiving the same message. [The only way to stop Earth¡¯s destruction is to go up the floor.] [The only way to stop Earth¡¯s destruction is to go up the floor.] [The only way to stop Earth¡¯s destruction is to go up the floor.] Earth¡¯s destruction. Frightened by the ominous phrase, the people came to a decision. For now, they would send a scouting team to the newly opened 2nd floor. ¡°So?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked this in a low voice. Hearing the anger and dejection in his voice, Shim Deok-Gu carried on. ¡°The 2nd floor was and of opportunity. It had abundant resources, new magic, and new techniques. We were able to harvest a great amount of resources and knowledge from there, and it¡¯s the reason Earth is in such an abundant state today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I wanted to know¡­¡± ¡°There are 10 floors in total.¡± Shim Deok-gu cut him off. ¡°That¡¯s what you wanted to know, right? The dimension elevator has buttons for floors 1 to 10.¡± ¡°So there are only 10 floors¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho rxed a bit. He and his teammates had taken 5 years to clear the first floor to defeat the Frost Queen. ¡®And if it has been 25 years since then¡­¡¯ 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. So they should have at least reached the 7th floor by now. But he didn¡¯t expect even that much. ¡®At the time, excluding me and my teammates, the other yers¡¯ were terrible.¡¯ There had been an immeasurable difference between them and the other yers. That was why only five people went to Antarctica. Anyone else would only be a burden. ¡®And since the difficulty should increase...Then realistically, they probably only reached the 5th floor or so by now.¡¯ Finishing his calctions, Seo Jun-Ho looked back at Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°So what floor are we on right now?¡± ¡°.....¡± Shim Deok-Gu opened and closed his mouth a few times before squeezing his eyes shut. Feeling nervous, Seo Jun-Ho urged him to answer. ¡°Hey...why won¡¯t you say anything?¡± ¡°.....¡± There was a long silence. Shim Deok-Gu let out a long sigh and opened his eyes. ¡°In the past 25 years, all we¡¯ve cleared is the 2nd floor.¡± ¡°.....¡± Upon hearing that, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind went nk. He copsed andy on his fluffy bed and stared at the ceiling. Finally, he spoke again. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been 25 years, 25. How could you only clear the 2nd floor?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to sound like I¡¯m making excuses, but there¡¯s a reason for this.¡± ¡°Hoo, alright.¡± Having sat up, Seo Jun-Ho stared expectantly. ¡°Well, say it. If anything, I¡¯m curious about what kind of stupid reason it is.¡± ¡°The Frost Queen¡¯s nucleus.¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, Seo Jun-Ho started to tremble. Without noticing it, Shim Deok-Gu continued. ¡°The 3rd floor resembles a volcanic region. Most yers can¡¯t even withstand the environment. We decided that it¡¯s impossible tounch an attack and we searched for any possible means to withstand the heat.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an altar where theva originates. If we freeze it with the Frost Queen¡¯s nucleus, the environment will change.¡± ¡°D-did you find it?¡± ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu hung his head and covered his face with his hands. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed. We searched the Nest countless times, but we couldn¡¯t find it.¡± They wouldn¡¯t be able to find it. Seo Jun-Ho had absorbed it after all. ¡°I, uh¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho rolled his neck and stretched his arms. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else you could have done. I guess it was just bad luck.¡± ¡°You...you understand? Even after we wasted all your efforts?¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked touched. ¡®I didn¡¯t notice when we were younger, but...was he always this mature?¡¯ At the same time, the two friends felt embarrassed for judging the other too quickly. The Seo Jun-Ho he knew would have thrown a fit...but he currently had a pure look in his eyes that didn¡¯t help in hiding his guilt. ¡°Everyone makes mistakes. We have to understand each other.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you feel that way.¡± ¡°So if I also make a mistake, you also have to be understanding, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked at Seo Jun-Ho warmly. Quietly avoiding his eyes, Seo Jun-Ho pondered to himself. ¡®Ah...How can I tell him without being scolded a lot?¡¯ 1. This is a sign of respect/hierarchy. ? 2. In Korea, people are often given big baskets of fruits as get-well gifts ? Chapter 3. 25 Years Later (2) They started talking around lunch and continued until Seoul was brightly lit up by the neon lights. Feeling hungry after talking and gossiping for seven hours, Shim Deok-Gu checked the time and spoke. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s already thiste. Aren¡¯t you hungry? Wanna grab something to eat?¡± After debating for a moment, Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Rather than that, I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°A favor? What is it?¡± Deok-Gu asked. ¡°I heard that the Seoul History Museum is super famous,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°.....¡± He meant that he wanted to go visit. Shim Deok-Gu knew why. ¡®This rascal, he misses his teammates.¡¯ Actually, he knew that Seo Jun-Ho would ask about it. He already made preparations beforehand. Even though he acted aloof, he treasured his friends as much as himself. Slide Shim Deok-Gu pulled out a bracelet and ced it on the bed. Seo Jun-Ho blinked. ¡°Wow, technology sure hase a long way. Is this the famous Seoul History Museum?¡± ¡°Very funny. This is Vita. It¡¯s simr to aputer. Live interpretation, calling, inte, maps, payment...You can basically do everything with it.¡± ¡°Interesting. So why are you giving this to me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked while wrapping it around his wrist. Shim Deok-Gu grinned. ¡°I¡¯m going down to the first floor by the stairs. Reporters, politicians, and yers are crowding the area so it¡¯s highly likely that it¡¯ll be bothersome for you if youe out with me.¡± ¡°You can just tell me to take the elevator. Why make it soplicated?¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned. ¡°Ahem. You can make most payments with Vita, but use this if you need cash.¡± Deok-Gu pulled out a big stack of bills. ¡°Hey, this feels kind of weird. I feel like I¡¯m getting allowance from an old man.¡± ¡°Shut up. If you go to the back of the museum, there¡¯s a door with restricted ess.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the password?¡± ¡°I registered your iris.¡± ¡°Hoo, you¡¯ve gotten better at these things.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been 25 years. I wouldn¡¯t be the president if I didn¡¯t improve.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at his friend with a new light. ¡°Come back to the hospital when you¡¯re done. The doctors want to monitor your condition for a while,¡± Deok-Gu said. ¡°Your wish is mymand.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then.¡± Deok-Gu bid his goodbye. ¡°Alright.¡± Shim Deok-Gu stood up to leave. But before he stepped out, he looked back three times. ¡°Why do you keep looking back?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked with a frown. ¡°...Just. I still can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotten weirder with age. Hurry up and leave,¡± he urged. ¡°Haha.¡± Deok-Gu left the room whileughing as Seo Jun-Ho threw a pillow at him. ¡°I should get ready too.¡± He pulled off his patient gown and pulled on his clothes, which had been cleaned. There wasn¡¯t a huge difference in fashion now that he was in 2049. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I was worried that tights or something like that would be popr.¡± Well, it was obvious from looking at both Deok-Gu¡¯s clean suit and the doctors¡¯ gowns that not much had changed. He left his room and got on the elevator to the first floor. Seo Jun-Ho left his hospital room and quickly made his way down to the 1st floor using the elevator. He saw Deok-Gu surrounded by a huge crowd by the stairs. Click! Click! ¡°How is Specter¡¯s health?¡± ¡°Is there anything wrong with him?¡± ¡°Was it really Specter?¡± ¡°Keeping his identity secret is an abuse of power by the yer Association! The world has a right to know!¡± ¡°When will you be holding a press conference?¡± Shim Deok-Gu answered calmly, not looking the least bit nervous. The look on his face was familiar as he answered questions with confidence. He really was a good president. ¡°You rascal. Good job.¡± Seo Jun-Ho left the hospital with a small smile on his face. *** There were numerous taxis at the station in front of the hospital, but their driver¡¯s seats were empty. ¡°What? Did they all go out for dinner?¡± Seo Jun-Ho crouched by the sidewalk, waiting for the drivers to return. A momentter, a sweating businessman ran forward. ¡°Jeez, I have so much to do.¡± He took a seat in one of the empty taxis. Then, it took off. ¡°Huh? I¡¯m sure there wasn¡¯t anyone in the driver¡¯s seat in that taxi just now.¡± Watching the taxi drive off, Seo Jun-Ho inched toward another. He carefully opened the door and took a seat. As soon as he did, an automated voice spoke. ¡ªPlease choose your destination. ¡°Seoul History Museum.¡± ¡ªDeparting. The taxi started to move. ¡°Woah! This is great! I really feel like I¡¯m in the future now.¡± As he looked around with an amazed expression, he spotted a small pamphlet. [After the self-driving taxi wasmercialized 18 years ago, the rate of traffic idents has dropped to 0%...] ¡°0%? Wow, this world is amazing." The car wasfortable to ride in too. Feeling better, Seo Jun-Ho opened the window as he smiled. The cool wind felt good on his face, and he took in the sights of Seoul¡¯s nightscape. The time was 8:20 PM. The streets were filled with office workers in suits and young college students. A street filled with these people had been a rare sight when the gates appeared. ¡®Back then, we never knew when gates or monsters would show up.¡¯ He felt proud as he watched the streets, and the taxi soon arrived at its destination. After he paid with his Vita and got out of the taxi, he was met by arge park built with white stones. The courtyard of the museum was full of couples on dates and families who were out taking walks together. Something caught Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes as he watched the children run around. ¡®Hey, isn¡¯t that my mask?¡¯ The children were wearing stic Specter masks. When he looked around, he found a stand selling them. He stepped closer, feeling curious, and saw a small child pulling on his parent¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Pleaseee! I want it! I want the Specter mask!¡± ¡°Be quiet. I bought you onest time.¡± ¡°Last time was the Skaya mask!¡± ¡°Shush! Stop making a scene.¡± ¡°Pleaseeee!¡± ¡°Then Jin-Ho, you can live here. Mom and Dad are going home.¡± The childy on the ground and began crying, begging for the mask. Feeling a bit conceited, Seo Jun-Ho went up to the seller. ¡°Do the Heroes¡¯ masks sell well?¡± ¡°Of course they do. They¡¯re my most popr product. Especially¡­¡± As if they were telling him a great secret, the seller looked around. ¡°The Great Mage Skaya¡¯s. They¡¯re the most popr,¡± they said in a low voice. ¡°...That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes went wide in surprise, and he looked at the seller with a confused expression. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Specter¡¯s mask sell the best?¡± ¡°Of course not. They are fourth at best.¡± ¡°.....¡± With a sour expression, Seo Jun-Ho looked at the other items that were for sale. The collection of masks wasn¡¯tplete. ¡°Um, well, the other Heroes¡¯ masks have their faces on them, but we don¡¯t know what Specter looks like. All we can do is sell this ck mask...Of course, the kids wouldn¡¯t like them as much.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re cool. The ck masks, I mean.¡± ¡°Well, kids like things that look pretty.¡± ¡°...I would like a mask.¡± Seo Jun-Ho bought four Specter masks and carried them in his arms. ¡°My original mask looked really cool though.¡± He made his way to the back of the museum and found the door. After it scanned his iris, he had the Seoul History Museum all to himself. ¡°Wow, they put these on disy?¡± Inside the museum, there were monster models, hides, and bones, along with the battle gears from the famous yers of the past. Seo Jun-Ho walked around casually. He looked at the disy cases and eventually arrived in front of the morgue. ¡ªIris scan sessful. Door is opening. Creak. As soon as the door opened, white smoke started to flow out. ¡°.....¡± This chill, this feeling. The morgue felt eerily simr to the Frost Queen¡¯s Nest. ¡®I suppose it¡¯s because they wanted to preserve the ice statues¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t feel good about it. It seemed that hisrades couldn¡¯t escape from the Frost Queen¡¯s grasp, even in death. Step step. He reached the center of the morgue and stared hard at the four statues. The Great Mage, Skaya Killnd. The King of Destruction, Rahmadat Kahli. The Gray Envoy, Gilberto Green. The Sky Phoenix, Tenmei Mio.[1] They were hisrades, his reliable friends. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯mte.¡± For him, it was only three days ago when he promised to see themter. But he never imagined that he would only be able to keep his promise in this manner 25 yearster. Thump. Seo Jun-Ho plopped onto the cold ground. ¡°Do you guys know? The world has gotten a lot better. Have you heard of the self-driving taxis?¡± He exined the peace they had brought together. He wasn¡¯t great with words, but he used his hands to exin every single detail. ¡°It¡¯s the peace we dreamed of.¡± Even though it wasn¡¯t true peace, they still saved humanity and the world. ¡°So please¡­¡± ¡®My work is done, right? I can rest now, right?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho pressed his lips together, unable to say the words. Because if he did, he felt like he would be admitting that it was the end. His friends were stuck in time forever in ice, and it seemed like only he was given that time back. ¡°Have a drink.¡± He pulled a bottle of alcohol from his inventory and poured a bit in front of each of his teammates. Drip. Only a little bit for Mio and Skaya, who didn¡¯t drink well. And plenty for the two others. As for the rest, he poured it down his throat. ¡°Keuhhh.¡±[2] Feeling more awake, he put one mask in front of each statue. ¡°Take it with you. I¡¯ve done a lot of good deeds, so they¡¯ll give you the VIP treatment in heaven too.¡± He finished soothing his friends¡¯ spirits. Still feeling some lingering regret, Seo Jun-Ho dusted the ice statues¡¯ shoulders. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go around looking dirty like that.¡± Tap tap. He brushed the dust off their shoulders without a second thought. [Effect of the skill ¡®Frost (EX)¡¯ has been checked.] [The ice seal can be removed with Frost (EX).] [Your base magic stat is absurdly low. Removal failed.] His eyes widened as he read over the three lines. ¡°What?¡± As if he was possessed, Seo Jun-Ho touched the ice statue again. The same message popped up, but his mind was already racing. ¡®I can remove the seal? Me?¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu had said that the ice couldn¡¯t be melted even with the current technology or even with yer skills. But it seemed that he could¡­ ¡°The Frost skill¡­¡± He had acquired the Frost skill from the Frost Queen¡¯s nucleus. ¡°Fuu, haa, fuu, haa.¡± Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Seo Jun-Ho fell into thought. He would have to check his current stats before he did anything else. ¡°Status window.¡± As soon as he muttered the words, a small hologram window appeared. It was one of the abilities the system gave to the yers. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 1 Title: Bringer of Spring Strength: 21 Stamina: 24 Speed: 26 Magic: 18 Frost (EX), Watchguard of Darkness (S), Hunter¡¯s Night (A), Hero¡¯s Mind (A), Weapon Mastery (A), Strong Intuition (B). Original abilities have been drastically reduced. Original abilities will be restored as time passes and as you level up. ¡°.....¡± He nced at the special status section and his eyes started to glow with hope. He had the Frost (EX) skill. ¡®This is the key.¡¯ This was the key to saving his friends. Not only that, but it had skipped right over the S-grade and directly became an EX-grade skill. ¡®Deok-Gu always said that S-grade is the highest.¡¯ If Korea¡¯s yer Association believed that, it probably meant that he was the first to ever have a skill that was higher than S-grade. ¡®But the system said that my magic stat is too low to remove the seal¡­¡¯ He took a closer look at his status window. ¡°Tsk.¡± He dropped from level 80 to level 1, and his stats were depressingly low. But it wouldn¡¯t be that way forever. ¡®I¡¯ll be able to restore them.¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t something that he would be able to do in a day or two. His Strong Intuition skill told him that. ¡°My magic is 18? Is it doing it on purpose?¡± Heughed until his chest hurt, remembering all the times when his low magic stat had gotten in his way. ¡°The magic stat had always been my bane.¡± He tried supplements and magic-boosting items, but his low magic stat had always made things harder for him back then. Eventually, he let out a long, frustrated sigh before he spotted something. ¡°Huh? Bringer of Spring?¡± He recalled that he received this title when he defeated the Frost Queen. He had been a yer for 5 years, but it was the first title he ever received. ¡®When Skaya created magic for the first time, she received the title ¡®Mage¡¯s First Steps¡¯.¡¯ He remembered her boasting about getting 15 extra magic stat points and being able to cast spells much faster than before. ¡®Either way, I think you can only get them from doing near-impossible tasks...Still, I should check the effects.¡¯ ¡°Check title, Bringer of Spring.¡± Woosh. A new section popped up below the status window. 1. Tenmei is her surname ? 2. This is like a noise you let out after you drink ? Chapter 4. 25 Years Later (3) [Bringer of Spring] Grade: S Description: A Title given to the master of the starting floor, the one who has defeated the Frost Queen Effect: Stamina and magic recovery rate increased by 500%. When moving up a Floor, all stats will increase by 30. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho trembled in silence. He read over the Title¡¯s effects several times. ¡®These are the effects?¡¯ He thought that his stats would increase just a bit, like what happened with Skaya. ¡®This is crazy. It¡¯s on apletely different level.¡¯ To be honest, the 500% recovery rate for stamina and magic would be nice to have, but he could live without it. However, the second effect was different. ¡°All stats will increase by 30 every time I move up a Floor¡­¡± In other words, the effect would activate whenever he went up a Floor with the Dimensional Elevator. Assuming that he could reach the 10th Floor, all his stats would increase by at least 270 by then. ¡°Oh my god!¡± Jun-Ho shivered as he pictured his unimaginable stats. When he defeated the Frost Queen, his highest stat had been speed, which was at 225, and his lowest had been magic, which was at 183. ¡®Even then, they were pretty high, but if all my stats are over 270¡­¡¯ His eyes sparkled. 270 was the minimum. If he got a lot of items and leveled up a lot¡­ ¡®And if I can recover my old stats¡­¡¯ He pictured the Frost Queen. She had an enormous amount of magic, and every time she waved her hand, the entirend would freeze over. ¡®I can get that power¡­No, I can get even stronger than that.¡¯ At that level, melting the ice statues would be a piece of cake. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho sorted his thoughts and stared at the four ice statues in front of him. After standing there for a long time, he quietly left the morgue. When he stepped out of the museum, his eyes were filled with a newfound determination. ¡®10th Floor? Easy.¡¯ Was he trying to reach thest floor to save humanity? Or perhaps to save the world? ¡°Bullshit.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew better than everyone else just how selfish he was. He had but one reason to return to being a yer. ¡®I¡¯m going to free my friends from the ice.¡¯ That was all. He buried this promise deep into his heart. *** The next day, Shim Deok-Gu visited him at the hospital. ¡°What?! You¡¯re going back to being a yer?¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyes grew wide in surprise when he heard the unexpected news. Seo Jun-Ho looked up from his hearty seolleongtang.[1] ¡°Why are you so surprised? There¡¯s really nothing that I can do aside from being a yer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just too sudden. Are you really the same guy who alwaysined about wanting to retire?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°I changed my mind.¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded. ¡°Still¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a great idea.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had expected Shim Deok-Gu to wee him with open arms. He put down his spoon. ¡°Why not?¡± he asked. ¡°First, I wish you¡¯d rest a bit. I know how hard you¡¯ve worked because I was next to you the whole time. You¡¯ve done more than enough. Put down the torch, and find something else that you want to do.¡± Nag, nag, nag. All Shim Deok-Gu did was nag. But Seo Jun-Ho knew better than anyone else that his friend only ever did it for his sake. He felt warmth blossoming in his chest and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°What¡¯s the second reason?¡± he asked. ¡°The fiends.¡± ¡°Huh? They came back?¡± ¡°...¡± The silence answered his question. Seo Jun-Ho quickly realized what was going on. ¡°Well, it would be more surprising if they hadn¡¯te back since they¡¯re as tough as cockroaches.¡± Fiends had no interest in clearing Gates or hunting monsters. They used their skills tomit crimes, murder, and inspire terror in society. ¡°The fiends have been causing all sorts of trouble these days,¡± Shim Deok-Gu exined. ¡°How fun. They were too scared to show their faces when I was around.¡± ¡°That was back then.¡± 28 years ago, all the fiends in the world would hide their traces because they were afraid of Seo Jun-Ho and the 5 Heroes. The fiends would hide in the shadows because they knew that they had no ce as long as the Heroes were around. ¡°But things changed after the 2nd Floor opened. We don¡¯t have CCTVs or satellites in Frontier.¡± In other words, they had no means to survey and suppress fiends. Shim Deok-Gu looked squarely at his friend. ¡°The 5 Heroes also disappeared.¡± ¡°They must be having the time of their lives right now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how they¡¯ve kept it in for so long, but they¡¯re getting crazier by the day.¡± The object of their fear was gone. With no one to put them into their own ces by force, the fiends were able to run around and do whatever they wanted. ¡°I think I understand why you don¡¯t want me toe back,¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly nodded as he said this. If Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s words were true, Seo Jun-Ho could die anywhere, at any time. The fiends had been training for 25 years, and he would be nothing but prey in their eyes. ¡°Do they¡­ still hate me that much?¡± He asked carefully. ¡°Do you even need to ask? They were probably the happiest ones to hear about your return because they can kill you now.¡± ¡®Dammit.¡¯ Jun-Ho scrunched his nose. He¡¯d wanted to level upfortably while enjoying the privileges of being a Hero, but now things were moreplicated. ¡°So, that¡¯s why you should just retire. The only way you can go back to being a yer is if you throw away Specter¡¯s mask and name¡­But you have no reason to do that. You¡¯ll be treated like a king wherever you go, and the best yers will be guarding you 24/7.¡± ¡°...The 10th Floor. You see, I have to go there.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Deok-Gu looked utterly confused. By now, the Seo Jun-Ho he knew would have been creating a schedule to collect all the rewards he deserved for saving the world. ¡°Do you have another way to clear the volcanic region on the 3rd Floor?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I told you yesterday. There¡¯s only one solution.¡± ¡°And what if I said I had the solution?¡± ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. His friend wouldn¡¯t joke about a topic like this. Thus, he asked, ¡°Exin it to me. In detail.¡± ¡°You said you were looking for the Frost Queen¡¯s nucleus, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Do you have an idea about where it is?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Slurp. Jun-Ho lifted the y bowl and gulped down the broth before he continued. ¡°Mm, it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Back to our conversation¡­What do you know?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°I ate it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded. ¡°Hey, this isn¡¯t the time to be talking about seolleongtang¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the seolleongtang.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at him. Shim Deok-Gu blinked. ¡°If you¡¯re not talking about the seolleongtang¡­Wait, did you¡­?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t, right? You¡¯re not telling me that you ate the Frost Queen¡¯s nucleus, right?!¡± Shim Deok-Gu stood up, looking like he was about to rip Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stomach open. ¡°Hey,e on!¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, trying to calm him down. ¡°You¡¯re as impatient as always. Hear me out first.¡± ¡°Y-y-you¡­! You really ate it?!¡± Shim Deok-Gu shouted. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not like I ate it because I wanted to. I automatically started to absorb it when I touched it, so what was I supposed to do?¡± Seo Jun-Hoined. ¡°...Ugh, my doctor told me to avoid stress.¡± Shim Deok-Guid his head back and massaged the back of his neck. He spoke a momentter with a haggard look. ¡°You¡¯re not the type of person to say something unnecessary. You do have a solution, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°After I absorbed the nucleus, I got the Frost Skill.¡± ¡°...So you¡¯re saying you can freeze the altar on the 3rd Floor with that?¡± ¡°I can.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was confident. It was an EX-rank Skill, after all. If it didn¡¯t work, even the Frost Queen¡¯s nucleus wouldn¡¯t be enough. ¡°Phew, that¡¯s a relief.¡± Shim Deok-Gu nodded in understanding. He didn¡¯t doubt Seo Jun-Ho at all. After all, thetter had defeated the Frost Queen when everyone else said it would be impossible to do so. If his friend said it was possible, then it was definitely possible. At the same time, he understood why Seo Jun-Ho insisted on returning as a yer. ¡°This is rted to yourrades, right?¡± ¡°No one kept their promise to see me again. I have to wake them up and scold them all.¡± ¡°Is waking them up possible too?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°The System said it¡¯s possible,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. ¡°Really? That¡¯s good news!¡± Deok-Gu gave a wide smile and quickly started to do the calctions. It didn¡¯t take him long to realize what Seo Jun-Ho wanted. ¡°Now that I think about it, the doctors saw your face earlier, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°9 of them saw my face, to be exact,¡± Seo Jun-Ho corrected. ¡°I happen to have a subordinate who can erase memories. We should take safety measures, just in case.¡± Seo Jun-Ho liked talking to Shim Deok-Gu because his friend could read between the lines. ¡°Oh, right. My level was reset, so I¡¯m level 1 right now.¡± ¡°...Your stats too?¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± ¡°Haaa, you always say the bad newsst.¡± Shim Deok-Gu rubbed his aching forehead. He pulled himself together and tried to approach the matter optimistically. ¡°Well, in a way, that¡¯s good news. People will be expecting you to be as strong as before.¡± ¡°They probably couldn¡¯t even imagine Specter being level 1,¡± Seo Jun-Ho agreed. ¡°No one will find out about that for the time being then,¡± Shim Deok-Gu concluded. ¡°You can get me a yer license with your authority, right?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Since the 2nd Floor opened, the Guilds have be stronger than the worldwide yer Associations.¡± ¡°What? You can¡¯t issue licenses anymore?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. When yers test for their license with the Association, people from Guilds will also participate in the evaluation. yers can only get their license if they get approval from the entire panel of judges. Even with my power, I can¡¯t give you a free pass.¡± ¡°Tsk, that¡¯s annoying.¡± ¡°If you think about how chaotic everything was back then, we¡¯vee a long way in establishing proper procedures. In a way, this could be an opportunity,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said with shining eyes. He spoke excitedly. ¡°Think about it. If you want me to fully support you, you need to prove yourself first.¡± ¡°...Oh?¡± In other words, Deok-Gu was telling him to score highest in the examination. If he proved that he was a skillful yer that caught even the Guilds¡¯ eyes, then Shim Deok-Gu could give him unabashed support from the Association. ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t use your Darkness skill. And if possible, keep Frost hidden too,¡± Shim Deok-Gu advised. ¡°I get Darkness, but why Frost?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°The fiends know that the key to clearing the 3rd Floor is a Skill associated with ice. Nothing good wille out of attracting their attention.¡± ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stretched his neck as hey on the hospital bed. ¡°I¡¯m excited¡­What kind of gear should I use for the exam?¡± He couldn¡¯t use his high-grade weapons because of the level and stat requirements, so he had put them away in his inventory. ¡°You can choose your weapon on the day of the examination. All examinees have to use the same equipment, you see.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. ¡°It¡¯ll be refreshing to be evaluated after all that I¡¯ve been through.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too reckless. Anyway, I¡¯ll create a bio for this Seo Jun-Ho character. Birthday, personal history, rtionships¡­ it seems that I¡¯ll be busy for a while.¡± Shim Deok-Gumented. ¡°How long will it take?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°About four days. When do you think you¡¯ll be ready? In a month?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. Jun-Ho looked confused when he heard that. What did he need all that time for? ¡°One week. That¡¯ll be enough.¡± 1. An ox bone soup which is a local dish of Seoul. ? Chapter 5. Back In My Day (1)

Chapter 5. Back In My Day (1)

Seo Jun-Ho sat with his eyes closed and legs crossed inside Hanguk Hospital''s rehabilitation room number 12. Hisrade Rahmadat had taught him that the lotus position could help with magic cirction. ¡®Training my body will take a long time anyway.¡¯ Restoring his body to the way it was during his prime years would take at least a few months. Of course, he couldn¡¯t spend that time focusing solely on his physical state either. So for now, he would train in other aspects that could be improved more immediately. ¡®My magic stat is 18¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t very high. When yers with at least a little bit of talent awakened, their magic stats would be over 20. ¡°Tsk, I went through so much to increase my magic stat back then too.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sulked as he recalled the memories. The day he awakened as a yer was the day he lost his family and swore vengeance. He also received the S-rank skill ¡®Watchguard of Darkness.¡¯ However, the first time he used it properly was six monthster. The reason for this was simple¡­ ¡®This crazy skill consumes a ton of magic.¡¯ Because it was so powerful, he needed just as much magic to use it. So, having a lower magic stat than others, Seo Jun-Ho had to push himself to his limits to ovee his weakness. All his stats increased by 1 when he leveled up, and that was the only way to raise his magic stat right after he became a yer. Thus, he killed monsters upon monsters in order to level up. While other yers would go hunting once, he would go three, five times. And while yers took time to recover when they were injured, he would just put on a bandage and keep hunting. After surviving this hellish life for a few years, Seo Jun-Ho eventually became the best yer in the world. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho pushed his thoughts away and activated his magic power. It began to circte around his body as it started to awaken his magic circuits. ¡®They¡¯re really rusty.¡¯ The circuits had fallen into a deep stasis after not being used for 25 years. People oftenpared magic power to a train, and magic circuits to train tracks. It was only natural for an unused track to be overgrown with weeds, and this was the case with Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic circuits. Magic hadn¡¯t passed through them for a long time and now, there was buildup. Most yers didn¡¯t care about maintaining their circuits because it didn¡¯t affect their ability to use magic. However, Seo Jun-Ho was the type of person that wouldn¡¯t be satisfied unless his circuits were in their best condition. ¡®I don¡¯t have much magic, so I have to use it efficiently.¡¯ One would lose less magic power when their magic ran through clean and clear circuits, which was why Seo Jun-Ho always made sure to take care of them. ¡®I will lose about 30% of the magic I use right now. I can¡¯t use it like this.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gathered the dust-like magic into one area and then spread them out over his worn magic circuits. The magic awoke and rushed through them like an ox. His circuits branched out through his body like roots, and every time magic energy passed by, the impurities would be washed away. When he opened his eyes, three whole hours had passed. His entire body was sticky with sweat. ¡°Hm, good thing I don¡¯t smell.¡± Perhaps it was because he was trapped in the ice, but his body hadn¡¯t collected any waste. It was a good thing too because that meant he could give his full attention to improving his body¡¯s condition. Seo Jun-Ho stood up from his seat and summoned his magic power. Unlike three hours ago, it awakened like a wildfire. ¡°The magic loss rate is about 5% now¡­It¡¯s not as good as it was before, but it¡¯s not bad.¡± This was why he took care of his magic circuits. Seo Jun-Ho gave a satisfied smile and squeezed his hands into fists. He started to summon all the magic power he had to see how far he could push his skill. Shwoooo! Darkness bloomed from his magic, spreading out elegantly like a drop of ink in a pool. Someone who didn¡¯t know better would have surely said it was beautiful. But someone who knew the true nature of this ability would never describe it as such. Darkness was the most wicked, the most violent out of all the elements. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face contorted as he tried to maintain his skill. ¡°Hup, cough! Cough¡­¡± He gasped for breath, unable to hold it in any longer. When he looked up, the darkness had already disappeared. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. ¡®I think this is my limit with the current amount of magic power I have.¡¯ His mind started to race. ¡®In that case¡­How am I supposed to fight in a real battle? What did I even do when I didn¡¯t have enough magic? Ugh, I have so little fucking magic.¡¯ He quickly found the answer as he wracked his memory. ¡®I guess all I can use is blind spots, traps, and brute force.¡¯ All he could do with his tiny amount of magic was block his opponent¡¯s sight or grab at their ankles. ¡®Once I get more magic, I¡¯ll look into the Frost Skill.¡¯ Thanks to the effects of Bringer of Spring, Seo Jun-Ho could actually feel his magic power being replenished. When he recovered all the magic he used, he narrowed his eyes. ¡°I wonder what it¡¯ll be like.¡± He was very curious. Just with his S-rank Watchguard of Darkness, Seo Jun-Ho had been able to rise to the top, but the EX-rank Frost would surely be even stronger. It made him nervous. ¡®...I hope this one won¡¯t consume a ton of magic too.¡¯ Nervous, he closed his eyes. ¡®Like this¡­Or is it like this?¡¯ Both darkness and ice created something out of nothing, so Seo Jun-Ho was able to activate Frost more easily than he expected. Crackle! The ground froze beneath his feet. He grinned. ¡°It doesn¡¯t take up as much as I thought!¡± Of course, it was an EX-rank Skill, so it still consumed a considerable amount of magic power; about the same as Watchguard of Darkness. But this meant that it was more cost-effective. ¡®At this rate¡­I think I¡¯ll be able to use it in battle if I just raise my magic stat a little bit.¡¯ Additionally, he wouldn¡¯t have to spend so much time experimenting with the skill as he did with Watchguard of Darkness. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen the real thing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had battled the Frost Queen for 70 hours straight. In other words, he had studied all the techniques she could use for 70 hours straight. Not only that, but he had experienced their effects as well. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the exam.¡± A wide smile filled his face. *** A week passed quickly. During that time, Seo Jun-Ho trained his body and memorized all the documents that Shim Deok-Gu gave him to catch up on all the things that had happened in the past 25 years. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m all ready.¡± Crack. Crack. He rolled his neck and changed his clothes. Today was the day of his examination as well as his discharge. ¡®Of course, there¡¯ll be a stand-in for me.¡¯ Specter was still officially lying in his hospital bed because the Association had officially judged that he needed at least a few months to recover. ¡°Reveal Specter¡¯s identity!¡± Someone was yelling through a loudspeaker outside the hospital as reporters and protestors bustled about. ¡°Reveal his identity!¡± ¡°What bullshit. I bet they don¡¯t even feel sorry for the patients.¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. To be fair, they wouldn¡¯t be here so early in the morning if they had that muchmon sense. But since he was the subject of theint, he couldn¡¯t really say anything. Seo Jun-Ho got in a taxi and headed to the Korean yer Association building. ¡°They must have a lot of money.¡± The 80-floor building was designed with an elegant curve, and arge crowd of people was already gathered at the entrance. They were all here to register for the yer Licensure Exams. Seo Jun-Ho was already registered, so he didn¡¯t have to wait in line. ¡°Please sit in the waiting room ande in when it¡¯s your turn.¡± An employee instructed. Seo Jun-Ho checked his ticket. Number 75. He would have to wait for a while. The mood in the waiting room was more casual than he expected. The exam didn¡¯t have a limit on the number of people who could pass. Every examinee could pass as long as they were talented enough, so there was no need for them topete with each other. ¡°Hup.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sat down on a chair and crossed his arms. He closed his eyes but kept his ears open. He listened in for information that wouldn¡¯t be on all the formal documents that Shim Deok-Gu gave him. ¡°Did you see the morning news? They finally cleared the ancient Dungeon on the 2nd¡­Heaven¡¯s Breath¡­¡± ¡°I heard that one of the judges today is Shim Deok-Gu himself.¡± ¡°Haa, if I fail again, that¡¯ll be my fourth time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been 2 years since I awakened, but I still haven¡¯t passed the exam. Maybe I¡¯m just not talented.¡± ¡°Does anyone know what weapon we should pick for the highest chance of passing?¡± ¡®There¡¯s nothing too useful.¡¯ Well, they were all people who had yet to be yers. It would have been more surprising if they actually knew something useful. Seo Jun-Ho gave up on gathering information and opened his eyes. Right on time, an announcement was made. - Examinee number 1, pleasee in. A hologram screen appeared in the middle of the waiting room, showing the inside of the testing room. A momentter, it showed the examinee picking a weapon in the armory. ¡®A spear.¡¯ The man looked nervous as he gripped the long spear. But it didn¡¯t matter, because the exam began right away. ¡°Hm.¡± Hologram monsters appeared and charged. The man swung his spear in wide arcs as he approached them, and the monsters took a step back. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s pretty enthusiastic.¡± ¡°The monsters are stepping back because they¡¯re scared.¡± ¡°I¡¯m jealous. I bet number 1 will pass easily.¡± The other applicants admired his movements, but they didn¡¯t know any better. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡®Tsk, that¡¯s not how you¡¯re supposed to use a spear.¡¯ A spear was most efficient when there was a distance maintained between the user and their opponents. The fact that the man was using the spear to close the distance meant that he knew nothing about the weapon. Unsurprisingly, the monsters suddenly charged at him in a do-or-die way. He fell, and the battle concluded. The monsters disappeared, and his face revealed his shock as he received failing marks. ¡®So that¡¯s how they do it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body was already itching. He wondered if killing the hologram monsters would feel like the real thing. *** The judges¡¯ room was set up quite peculiarly. There was a ss window that looked into the testing room, and behind it was a plush sofa where ten people sat. ¡°Hm, this one¡¯s not very good either.¡± ¡°It seems like they didn¡¯t study up on the monsters¡¯ traits and fighting methods.¡± ¡°That should be the bare minimum they should be doing as a yer.¡± ¡°I think we should fail them.¡± The Guilds¡¯ judges began to speak all at once. However, they weren¡¯t as stubborn as usual. They presented their opinions carefully as they observed the reactions of one person. ¡°I agree. This one fails.¡± The Korean yer Association had lost a lot of its power, but Shim Deok-Gu was still the President. The other judges were careful not to offend him. ¡°Send in the next one.¡± At Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s order, an announcement was made, and a new examinee walked into the testing room. The judges squinted as they saw. ¡°Ha¡­There¡¯s always someone that does this.¡± ¡°This is more excessive than usual. A sword, bow, throwing knives, a spear, and even a handgun¡­He really must¡¯ve swept through the armory.¡± ¡°These kids don¡¯t even know anything about weapons.¡± ¡°Well, they think that having more weapons makes them stronger.¡± ¡°Does he think he¡¯s Specter or something?¡± ¡°Seeing how skinny he is, it also looks like he doesn¡¯t know how to take care of himself.¡± Just like they said, the new examinee looked like a Specter copycat. They weren¡¯t umon among novices. Copycats would walk around carrying multiple weapons, trying to imitate the weapons master Specter. ¡°It¡¯s annoying for us, but I can¡¯t imagine how you feel, President.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°Specter is your close friend, but he¡¯s trying to mimic him.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been by the so-called perfect yer¡¯s side for a very long time.¡± ¡°...Well, I suppose. I think this is quite entertaining.¡± Shim Deok-Gu snorted as he looked down at the testing room. ¡®I told you to stand out¡­But this is too much, you bastard.¡¯ The Specter copycat, Seo Jun-Ho, looked around the room in wonder. Chapter 6. Back in My Day (2)

Chapter 6. Back in My Day (2)

- Number 75, pleasee in. ¡®It¡¯s my turn.¡¯ When his name was called, Seo Jun-Ho headed toward the armory connected to the waiting room. Inside, an Association employee was waiting. ¡°Wee, Mr. Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°After you pick a weapon from this room, please go through that door.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around, taking in the weapons on disy. There were martial arts weapons, pistols, bows, and even more umon weapons like halberds. ¡°Is there a limit to how many I can take?¡± he asked. ¡°No. Sometimes, there are even people who take more than two weapons.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked excited as he started to pick up the weapons. First, he found a holster for a Glock-17 and then slung a bow and quiver on his shoulders. He strapped five throwing knives and a dagger to his thigh, and a sword sheath to his waist. Lastly, he picked up a spear. The employee let out a sigh as they watched. ¡°Mr. Seo Jun-Ho, are you nning to take all the weapons?¡± ¡°Is that not allowed?¡± ¡°Haa¡­It is.¡± The employee shook their head. They had seen many examinees like Seo Jun-Ho and knew there was no point in giving advice. They held out a pair of gloves with a resigned expression. ¡°Once you are ready, please put on these gloves.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho stared at the gloves nkly, the employee began to exin. ¡°This is a magic item that lets you interact with the hologram monsters in the testing room.¡± ¡°Woah, that¡¯s pretty cool.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally pulled on the gloves and double-checked his weapons. He looked up. ¡°I¡¯m ready. I can go in now, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Please use this door right here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho walked over to where the employee gestured and opened the door. The testing room was bigger than it looked on screen, and its ceiling, walls, and floor werepletely white. - Mr. Seo Jun-Ho, are you ready? Woosh. He easily spun the spear in his hands and nodded toward the speaker. - The exam will now begin. As soon as the message ended, monsters started to form. ¡®It¡¯s even cooler in person.¡¯ The hologram monsters looked like the real thing. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled in wonder, but he had already finished analyzing his opponents. ¡®Twenty dwarves. It would be pretty difficult for novices.¡¯ That was probably the reason why only 3% of the examinees passed the yer Licensure Exams. Dwarves had an average height of 130 centimeters. They were much smaller than the average man, and they were definitely weaker as well. However, just as the yers knew it, the dwarves themselves were well aware of their physical disadvantage. ¡®Dwarves are clever, and they y dirty.¡¯ What theycked in strength, they made up for with tricks, spite, and tenacity. If you underestimated them like the first examinee, you¡¯d lose your bnce as soon as you let your guard down. And in a real battle, it would be over as soon as you fell to the floor. ¡®They would stab daggers all over their enemies¡¯ bodies.¡± The dwarves looked upon Seo Jun-Ho with hostility, and he grinned back. ¡®Wow, this reminds me of the old days.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was reminded of his past as he looked at the ugly dwarves drooling at him. ¡°The world sure has gotten a lot better. They didn¡¯t have this back then.¡± License exam? Hologram monsters? ¡®We didn¡¯t have any of that.¡¯ If you wanted to be a yer back then, you had to risk your life by going into a Gate. If you survived, you¡¯d get a license, and if you died, not even your corpse would remain. ¡°Back in my day, you actually needed to put in the effort. A lot of it, in fact.¡± Surviving required effort, and so did killing monsters. And even if you worked hard, you could still die if you got unlucky. That was simply how yers lived. As someone who lived through that era, Seo Jun-Ho thought that these hologram monsters were downright ridiculous. ¡®Even though they¡¯re good imitations¡­¡¯ They were still man-made fakes. ¡°They¡¯ll probably attack if I did this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho twisted his back a little, creating a false opening. The dwarves let out a grotesque cry and ran in. ¡®1.5 meters.¡¯ The spear in his hands was about 1.3 meters. Combined with the length of his arm, he could control an area with a radius of 1.5 meters. Of course, the bits of data in front of him wouldn¡¯t know that. ¡°Kieek!¡± ¡°Krrr!¡± The four impatient dwarves rushed over, gripping their daggers in their hands. They jumped toward him, aiming for his head. But just as they were about to reach the peak of their jump¡­ ¡°Hup.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had less muscle than the average adult, but his biceps suddenly flexed. Wooosh! Just as the dwarves were about to hit their target, his spear struck out like a sh of light, piercing through their heads. Before their bodies could fall to the ground, they scattered into geometric shapes before fading. ¡°Krrk?¡± ¡°Kaaak!¡± The dwarves lost their enthusiasm as they saw theirrades fall to the ground. They stopped their approach and scattered. ¡®So the dwarves scatter when faced with a strong opponent¡­They¡¯ve got the details down.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho struck his spear into the ground. ¡°But even if you do that, it won¡¯t do anything.¡± He pulled out the five throwing knives with his left hand and held out the Glock-17 with his right. ¡®Let¡¯s get the ones in the back first.¡¯ Woosh! As the five throwing knives flew out one after another, he fired his Glock. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Five with knives, four with the Glock. Nine dwarves disintegrated in the time that it took to blink. ¡°Kieek.¡± ¡°Krrrk!¡± The seven remaining dwarves backed away, trembling. ¡°Wow, they can even feel fear?¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned as he saw the expressions on their faces. ¡°This is pretty sadistic.¡± This part of the exam tested whether or not a yer could kill cornered monsters. ¡°Here¡¯s your answer.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged off his bow and nocked an arrow. ¡°K-kieeek!¡± The dwarves started to shriek and run away, full of fear. Since they were small and nimble, they were difficult targets for novice archers. ¡®But I have Weapons Mastery (A). And Gilberto taught me how to shoot a bow and a gun.¡¯ Gilberto Green was one of the 5 Heroes, the gunslinger otherwise known as the Gray Envoy. ¡®I can¡¯t let him down.¡¯ As Seo Jun-Ho drew back the bowstring, the dwarves started to run even faster. Despite being holograms, their fear was very realistic. ¡°...¡± He closed one eye and took aim. His body formed a perfect T as he adjusted his position, looking like a picture from a textbook. Woosh! The arrow that had been shot with only a moment¡¯s notice buried itself into the back of the dwarf¡¯s head. The surprising thing was that the dwarf had been running in a zigzag motion. But Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t satisfied yet. He quickly reached for another arrow and nocked it onto the bowstring. Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! He fired three arrows in a row, and three of the dwarves disintegrated. ¡°Phew.¡± With that, Seo Jun-Ho lowered his bow to the ground and ced his hand on the sword¡¯s handle. ¡®This one¡¯s thest one, of course.¡¯ He had fought with the sword for the longest amount of time, and it was thus the weapon he had the most confidence in. ¡°Kiaak!¡± Perhaps the dwarves had realized death was inevitable even if they ran. The remaining three dwarves ran towards him with bloodshot eyes. Stroke, stroke. Even as they got closer, Seo Jun-Ho only caressed his sword and didn¡¯t unsheathe it. He looked 1 meter away and drew an imaginary line on the ground. That was the reach of his sword as well as the dwarves¡¯ ¡®lifeline.¡¯ ¡°Kyaak.¡± ¡°Kraaa!¡± The moment the dwarves crossed their lifeline, Seo Jun-Ho smirked as his fingers wrapped around the sword handle. ¡°You¡¯ve crossed the line.¡± The de shed like lightning. Shing! Slice! With one clean swing, their heads went flying. ¡°So you should die.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skills were undeniably sharp, but as he lowered his sword, he couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated. ¡®My senses have be very dull.¡¯ Obviously, his current skills were iparable to his golden days. And that wasn¡¯t all¡­ ¡°...Ow.¡± His muscles and bones were screaming after he¡¯d pushed them to their limits in such a short amount of time. He couldn¡¯t help but sulk. ¡®I need to train more if I want to go into Gates.¡¯ - P-pass¡­Number 75, Mr. Seo Jun-Ho, you pass. *** ¡°...He¡¯s amazing. I don¡¯t know what else to say.¡± After seeing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s exam, the judges couldn¡¯t hide their excitement. They usually sat back on the sofa looking bored, but the fact they had jumped up and stuck to the window to watch him showed how ted they were. ¡°I was wrong. He¡¯s not merely a Specter copycat.¡± ¡°He had a perfect understanding of his weapon¡¯s reach. Based on how he handled the spear, threw the knives, fired the gun and arrows, and the simple but controlled way he swung his sword¡­He has a deep understanding of weapons.¡± ¡°He also has a bnced physique. Based on appearance, he looks weak, like he doesn¡¯t have enough muscle¡­But I didn¡¯t know that it was possible to move like that at his level.¡± The judges couldn¡¯t stop admiring his skills. But among them, Shim Deok-Gu was the only one that was silent. But he eventually spoke. ¡°Looking at his profile¡­It looks like the only skill he has is Weapons Proficiency. And it¡¯s only D-rank.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°Did you say D-rank?¡± The excitement died quickly as the judges went silent. ¡®It¡¯s not even a sub-skill. If his only skill is D-rank, I don¡¯t know if we want to put that many resources into training him.¡¯ ¡®Hm, so that¡¯s it. Since he only has one skill, he put in an insane amount of effort¡­¡¯ ¡®I see. So he knows how limiting his skill is and has bet everything on this licensure exam.¡¯ ¡®Training him won¡¯t be that cost-effective.¡¯ ¡®I almost fell for it.¡¯ The judges finished doing the calction in their heads. They would have considered scouting him to their Guilds if his skill was at least C-rank, but it was D. Of course, if they invested enough into him and he got lucky, he could be a top-level yer. But Guilds only cared about profit. ¡®If we gamble and win, it would be great¡­But if we lose, it¡¯ll be just as bad.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s no reason to take the harder path.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll admit that he has a greatbat sense, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough for me to bring him in.¡¯ They didn¡¯t necessarily want to take him for themselves, but it would be a waste to give him to another. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know about this, but that was how they felt. Shim Deok-Gu watched quietly, taking a rxed sip of coffee. ¡®If it¡¯s like this, no one willin if we pick him up.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had made asting impression during his exam, which meant that Shim Deok-Gu had a good reason to recruit him. The Guild scouts had decided that he didn¡¯t have enough growth potential, but¡­ ¡®I almost feel bad that we hid his abilities.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was a top-level yer that could control darkness and ice. Not only that, he had a good variety of powerful Skills. Even his Weapons Proficiency (D) was actually Weapons Mastery (A). ¡®I should get the window cleaned when the exam is over.¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu ced down his cup, smiling victoriously. Chapter 7. The Curse of Dawn (1) Scritch scratch. Shim Deok-Gu signed his name on the final document of the day and cleared off his desk. He couldn¡¯t help but smile when he was done with his work for the day. Then, he looked up. ¡°Hehehe. Man, this novel¡¯s hrious.¡± ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face fell as he was brought back to reality. Seo Jun-Ho wasying on his sofa, eating chips and drinking coke while reading a novel. ¡®He¡¯s the most respected yer in the world as well as the most popr role model¡­¡¯ Was it okay for him to act like that? Shim Deok-Gu let out a long sigh and walked over. ¡°What¡¯re you reading?¡± ¡°Huh? The main character¡¯s a priest, but all they do is fight instead of healing.¡± ¡°What a crazy priest.¡± He took a seat on the opposite side and tapped on his Vita. A few documents appeared in the air. ¡°Take a look at this. It¡¯s the stuff you asked me for.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Jun-Ho peeked up from over his book, eyes sparkling. He closed it with a thump and sat up, looking over the hologram documents. ¡°Wow, this is just what I needed. You¡¯re the best,¡± Seo Jun-Ho eximed in excitement. Shim Deok-Gu looked a little repulsed. ¡°Whatever. Why do you need these? You¡¯re not thinking about going into these Gates, are you?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course I am. Why would I make you go through the trouble of getting these if I wasn¡¯t going to go in?¡± Seo Jun-Ho refuted. ¡°What?! But¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu quickly nced through the documents, nervous. They were all about the ¡®Uncleared Gates¡¯ that had been around for the past 25 years. ¡°...You know why no one has ever cleared these Gates, right?¡±[1] ¡°Making a mistake inside a Gate means instant death. Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know that?¡± yers who entered Uncleared Gates wouldn¡¯t even leave corpses behind when they died. ¡°Besides, these are all easy, low-level Gates,¡± SeoJun-Ho added. ¡°Yeah, well, I suppose they don¡¯t have any stars¡­¡± ¡°Stars? What do you mean?¡± Shim Deok-Gu sighed. ¡°Oh, right. It¡¯s a system that was created while you were asleep.¡± He tried to exin it as quickly and concisely as possible. 17 years ago, a single star was given to a Gate if 10,000 yers had died inside it. There had been 14 Gates that received stars. ¡°There haven¡¯t been any Gates that 20,000 people have failed to clear yet, so the highest grade is a 1-star Gate. 11 of them have been cleared so far, and thest three are known as the 3 Great Gates.¡± ¡°Wait, then how many 1-star Gates have I cleared?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. When he was Specter, there had been a couple of Gates where 10,000 or more yers had died inside. They were moremon in countries like China or India, where there was a higher poption. ¡°I¡¯ve cleared three¡­no, was it four?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Officially, Specter has four stars. You understand how difficult 1-star Gates are now, right?¡± Deok-Gu asked. ¡°Yeah. So those are called 1-star Gates now. I could feel that they were different from the moment I walked in.¡± From what Seo Jun-Ho remembered, 1-star Gates had boss monsters that were on an entirely different level. ¡°Wait, if I only have four stars, does that mean that the Frost Queen¡¯s Nest isn¡¯t included in the count?¡± ¡°Of course not. She didn¡¯t kill 10,000 people. You guys were the first people to enter the Gate.¡± Shim Deok-Gu shrugged. ¡°Adding onto that, the strongest yers in the world all have at least one star. They¡¯re called the Nine Heavens.¡± ¡°...What a cheesy name. They¡¯re people, not skies.¡± ¡°Ha, are you jealous?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s jealous?¡± Seo Jun-Ho sulked, but Shim Deok-Gu only found it cute. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re only level 1 right now. Even if they don¡¯t have stars, I think Uncleared Gates will be too much for you.¡± ¡°Deok-Gu. Haven¡¯t you heard the saying?¡± Seo Jun-Ho put on airs, jutted out his chin, and leaned back on the sofa as he cushioned his head. ¡°Form is temporary, but ss is forever.¡± ¡°...Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed saying that?¡± ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s the truth.¡± If Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t think that he could clear a Gate, he wouldn¡¯t attempt it in the first ce. When it came to hunting, he always made logical decisions after analyzing the situation, not letting his emotions sway him. ¡°Why are you so worried? Aren¡¯t the Uncleared Gates troublesome for the Association?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°...They are, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I want to send my friend somewhere dangerous.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± In the time that Seo Jun-Ho had been away, the only thing that Shim Deok-Gu had gained was worry and age. He looked at Shim Deok-Gu and sighed. ¡°Sorry for ruining the heartfelt moment, but I¡¯m going because it¡¯s beneficial for me.¡± ¡°...Beneficial? How so?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°Gates give more EXP as more time passes.¡± Gates that had remained uncleared for years would have a lot of EXP piled up as rewards. ¡°So the only reason you¡¯re going inside Uncleared Gates is that you can level up a little faster?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the fastest way.¡± Seo Jun-Ho corrected. ¡°Can¡¯t you just train safely and clear normal Gates? It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll even take that long with your skills.¡± Shim Deok-Gu argued. ¡°But that¡¯s still not fast enough.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at him with a grave expression. ¡°As long as the fiends are after me, time will never be on my side.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I need to level up as fast as possible.¡± If his identity was revealed, he at least had to have the strength to fight back. ¡®Only yers level 30 and higher can take the Dimensional Elevator and go to the 2nd Floor.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s current goal was to reach level 30 as fast as possible. When he saw how serious Seo Jun-Ho was, Shim Deok-Gu nodded heavily. ¡°...I didn¡¯t think that far. I didn¡¯t know that you were under that kind of pressure.¡± ¡®Actually, it¡¯s not that.¡¯ Frankly, he just wanted to punish the fiends for not knowing their ce. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t bother to correct his friend now that he had finally calmed down. ¡°Then, for your First Gate¡­¡± As Shim Deok-Gu scrolled through the documents, his eye twitched. ¡°Goodness, there¡¯s only one Uncleared Gate that lets in yers at level 1.¡± This Gate had first appeared seven years ago and had killed 142 yers thus far. It was known as the ¡°Novice¡¯s Grave,¡¯ and it only let in level 1 yers. The name of the Gate itself was also ominous. ¡°The Curse of Dawn,¡± Seo Jun-Ho read. He shrugged. ¡°Based on the name, it¡¯ll probably have zombies or something.¡± ¡°Well, you won¡¯t know until you go in. You have to survive until the sun rises in order to clear the Gate,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. ¡°That¡¯s nothing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re so cocky¡­¡± Of course, Seo Jun-Ho had the skills to back it up, so Shim Deok-Gu couldn¡¯t say anything. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card, holding it out to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°This contains your signing bonus.¡± It was the money that Seo Jun-Ho would receive for signing a contract with the yer Association. As soon as Seo Jun-Ho epted it, Shim Deok-Gu revealed a wide grin. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re my subordinate for a year.¡± ¡°Is this funny to you? Do you want to get bossed around by your underling?¡± The signing bonus was 200 million won, and his annual sry was 1.5 billion won. On top of that, he would also receive an incentive to clear Gates and would receive additional pay based on their difficulties. The terms of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s contract were unheard of for a novice. ¡°Oh, right. What do you think about living at the Association for the time being? This building has a residential area for our yers.¡± Shim Deok-Gu suggested. ¡°Sounds good. My safety will be guaranteed here.¡± The Association headquarters had at least a hundred yers milling around at any given time, and the building itself was also protected by a magic barrier. No one in their right mind would even consider attacking it. Seo Jun-Ho considered this and made his decision. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here. You have to get me a good room, though.¡± ¡°I got it. Once you make a name for yourself, I¡¯ll give you an entire floor.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu stood up and picked up a massive box in the corner, struggling to carry it over. He wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded toward the box. ¡°Open it. It¡¯s the gear you¡¯ll be using.¡± ¡°Gear?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened. He immediately opened the box. Inside was an armor set made of his preferred leather. He picked it up. ¡°...It¡¯s light.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ran his nails across the surface and nodded in approval. ¡°And it¡¯s pretty sturdy too. This is a lot better than I expected.¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s Kwon Noya¡¯s work.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Jun-Ho¡¯s jaw dropped. Kwon Noya was the world-famous cksmith that had wielded his hammer only for Specter. ¡°That old man¡¯s still alive? Isn¡¯t he a hundred by now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s 98 this year. It¡¯s been a while since he handed off his workshop to his grandson, but he¡¯s still as healthy as always.¡± ¡°Man, I can¡¯t just ept this. I should go thank him in person.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wanted to leave right away, but Shim Deok-Gu held up his hand to stop him. ¡°You can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°What? Why not?¡± ¡°We have to take all possible measures to ensure your safety,¡± Shim Deok-Gu exined. ¡°...Are you suspicious of Noya?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. After all, he considered Kwon Noya to be his firstrade. ¡°It¡¯s not Noya that I¡¯m suspicious of.¡± Shim Deok-Gu seemed taken aback at the suggestion. He shook his head. ¡°We just need to avoid the eyes of the fiends and the Guilds.¡± ¡°...So they¡¯ve been watching the workshop.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Everyone knows how close Specter and Kwon Noya were.¡± It wasn¡¯t surprising that people had started watching the workshop after Specter had returned. If Seo Jun-Ho made his way to the workshop to meet Kwon Noya, it would only arouse suspicion. After all, there weren¡¯t many people who could meet the cksmith in person. ¡°Hm. That makes sense. If a newbie who has just be a yer goes to Kwon Noya¡¯s workshop¡­Of course, he¡¯d draw attention.¡± ¡°I told Noya about the situation while under the guise of picking up the armor. He understands.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt a little sad that he couldn¡¯t meet the old man right away. Although Kwon Noya kept on grumbling and was stubborn every time they met, Seo Jun-Ho still valued their friendship. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. I¡¯ll just raise my level and meet him another time. Besides¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at his scrawny arms. ¡®That old man nags even more than Deok-Gu.¡¯ If Seo Jun-Ho went to him in this state, he¡¯d never hear the end of it. He smiled and stood up from his seat. ¡°Thanks for the armor. How about my weapon?¡± ¡°We have a lot of useful items in the Association armory, so take whatever you want.¡± Shim Deok-Gu took a sip of coffee before moving on to the most important question. ¡°So when are you nning to go to the Gate?¡± ¡°Originally, I wanted to go right away¡­¡± But he changed his mind after the licensure exam. ¡®I got exhausted after fighting only twenty dwarves.¡¯ A Gate, an Uncleared Gate at that, would be much harder to defeat than twenty dwarves. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste any time, but I have to train myself up,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. How long do you think it¡¯ll take?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°I just need to reach the bare minimum, so¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes to think before he opened them again. ¡°Ten days. I¡¯ll aim for that.¡± The time quickly flew by. *** Cheonman Mountain in Namyangju was just outside of the safe zone. This was why a Gate had appeared there seven years ago. Screech. A self-driving car came to a stop in the parking lot of Cheonman Mountain, which was right next to the Gate. A man who appeared to be in his twenties stepped out of the car. ¡°Is this it?¡± The man was Seo Jun-Ho, who had grown slightly bulkier in the past ten days. He was still scrawny, but his eyes gleamed with a different light than before. In front of him stood a blue oval that was 4-meter tall. ¡®A Gate.¡¯ They were mysterious portals connected to other worlds that were crawling with monsters and riddled with traps. Once you were inside, you couldn¡¯t trust anything. ¡®The only thing you can trust is yourself.¡¯ And in order to trust yourself, you needed the skills to back it up. Seo Jun-Ho knew this better than anyone, so he worked hard to train his body up over the past ten days. ¡®It was insanely difficult.¡¯ From the moment he woke up to the moment he went to sleep, all he did was train. He had even reced his meals with nutritional supplements. In order to maximize his body¡¯s efficiency, there was nothing he could do but train so intensely. Thankfully, his hellish training had paid off. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 1 Title: Bringer of Spring Strength: 25Stamina: 27 Speed: 31 Magic: 18 Though he hadn¡¯t been able to raise his magic stat, he had been able to raise his strength stat from 21 to 25, his stamina from 24 to 26, and his speed from 27 to 31. ¡®It¡¯s better to raise my stats as fast as possible before I get stronger.¡¯ The higher your level and stats got, the harder it became to raise them through training. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± An empty parking lot. A parked self-driving taxi. ¡°Meow.¡± And a stray cat. They were the only witnesses as Seo Jun-Ho entered the Uncleared Gate, . 1. A more literal trantion would be ¡®You understand what it means when a Gate has never been cleared, right?¡¯ but contextually, it made more sense for it to be tranted like this for it to flow with the next sentence. ? Chapter 8. The Curse of Dawn (2)

Chapter 8. The Curse of Dawn (2)

Seo Jun-Ho stepped through the round blue portal and into a different world. Thendscape around him transformed. ¡°Is this a graveyard?¡± He had stepped into another world¡¯s graveyard. From the dirt under his feet to the overgrown trees and weeds, everything looked different from Earth. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. ¡°Hm¡­Haa¡­.Hm¡­Ha¡­¡± The air was heavier than anywhere on Earth. It soothed him. Whenever he breathed in, he felt like every single cell was waking. ¡°...I must be going crazy. I can¡¯t believe I feel refreshed by this ce.¡± He looked around. ¡°Gate information.¡± A hologram window appeared before him, summarizing the details of the Gate. [Curse of Dawn] Required level: Level 1 and lower Party cap: 10 Clear requirement: Survive until the sun rises Difficulty: Average ¡®Hm. I thought the same thing while doing my research, but the requirement isn¡¯t very difficult to meet.¡¯ Surviving until sunrise should be easy. When he looked up at the sky, the sun was already starting to start to set. It wasn¡¯t umon for Gates to have a different flow of time from the outside. ¡°I came right on time. It¡¯s a good thing I did some research beforehand.¡± Even while training, Seo Jun-Ho made sure to research the Gate. He found that the parties who entered in the morning survived the longest. So, he did the same as them. ¡°The parties who came in past noon must¡¯ve had a hard time,¡± he muttered. yers reached level 2 as soon as they cleared their first Gate, but this one required entrants to be level 1. In other words, every yer that had attempted it had never been inside a Gate beforehand. ¡®Ifplete novices entered an unfamiliar environment, and they had to start fighting right away¡­¡¯ It was only natural that they would panic. They would only be able to exert about half of their full power. ¡°I wonder how many there¡¯ll be.¡± But Seo Jun-Ho waspletely prepared. He knew he could give even more than his 100%. *** As the sun set, darkness covered the graveyard entirely. Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the starry night sky, thinking to himself. ¡®I¡¯m getting an ominous feeling.¡¯ He felt an eerie energy spilling from the graveyard. It was the presence of the Undead that caused this. Once you experienced it, you could never forget it. ¡°It feels like my skin is crawling. I hate it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed and looked around the graveyard, guided by the light of the stars, and the moonlight. Just then, the ground began to shake. Crack! Crack! Dozens of hands started to break through the soil. ¡°They¡¯re actually zombies,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said dryly. He unsheathed his sword. The best time to kill them would be now. ¡°Nah. No need toe out. Go back to sleep.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stabbed cleanly through the zombies¡¯ heads as they started to crawl out of the ground. Even though zombies were especially tough, they would die if he injured their brains. ¡®Now that I look at it, there¡¯s actually a lot of them.¡¯ Not only that but the night made it harder to see. yers hated fighting in the dark inside Gates, but there was always an exception to the rule. [Night has fallen. Hunter¡¯s Night (A) has been activated.] [All stats increased by 10%.] [All your senses have been enhanced.] In this case, Seo Jun-Ho was the exception. He could win at any time of day or night, which was why people called him undefeatable. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s better.¡± As his senses sharpened, his sight also improved, and the hazy, moonlit silhouettes became clear outlines of zombies. ¡°Woah, there¡¯s more than I thought.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled as he saw the dozens of corpses begin to surround him. *** A strange party was unfolding in the moonlit graveyard. But instead of music, there was the sound of zombies being cut down, and instead of fireworks, there was the spray of blood. Guoooo! Uooooo! Fighting zombies wasn¡¯t as simple as the movies made it out to be. They moved faster than most adults. ¡®And they don¡¯t care about protecting themselves.¡¯ Zombies didn¡¯t care if their limbs went flying. Because they couldn¡¯t feel pain, all their energy was put into attacking. In other words, they were the worst possible opponents for inexperienced yers. ¡°It¡¯s too bad for you guys. I have a lot of experience for a newbie, you see.¡± Their attacks didn¡¯t even reach Seo Jun-Ho. The only attack pattern they had was charging at their opponent and trying to bite them, so they were no more than moving punching bags to him. ¡°The Association¡¯s sword is better than I thought.¡± sh! Seo Jun-Ho had received a standard-issue sword from the Association, but it was of higher quality than he expected. Thanks to that, he didn¡¯t have to overexert himself trying to cut off the zombies¡¯ heads. Every time moonlight reflected off the de, a zombie¡¯s head would go flying. ¡®There sure are a lot of them.¡¯ So far, he had counted forty of them. Even with his skills, if theypletely surrounded him and didn¡¯t leave any room for him to swing his sword, Seo Jun-Ho would be exposed. ¡®I¡¯ll be dead the moment I¡¯m bitten.¡¯ So, he wouldn¡¯t let them creep up from behind him no matter what. Bang! Bang bang! The moment three zombies approached from behind him, Seo Jun-Ho shot them with a Glock-17 specifically designed for monsters without even turning around. Their heads exploded like water balloons as the bullets ripped through their heads. Guoooo¡­ ¡®It¡¯s a good thing they¡¯re zombies.¡¯ If they were orcs or something stronger, he would need to imbue the bullets with magic to pierce through their hides. But since he was up against rotting corpses, the normal bullets were enough. Even though zombies were the perfect soldiers because they didn¡¯t feel pain or fear, they weren¡¯t perfect weapons. This was why experienced yers weren¡¯t afraid of them. ¡°If you want to be the perfect weapon, you have to be able to kill anything,¡± he remarked. Zombies would lose their advantage when they were up against yers of a certain caliber. Like right now. *** ¡°Phew¡­¡± Jun-Ho nced at his watch. Three hours had passed since the battle started. There were only four corpses that were still moving. ¡°I want to go home and shower, so hurry it up.¡± Guuuuuuh. Perhaps the zombie had understood him, but one of them charged him with a pungent odoring out of its mouth. Seo Jun-Ho wrinkled his nose and held up his hand, firing a bullet into its chin. ¡°Brush your teeth in your next life.¡± Bang! He didn''t even check that it was down before he turned around and swung his sword. Woosh! Guoo¡­ Guh¡­? He cut through two zombies and threw his sword like a knife. It pierced right through thest zombie¡¯s skull, the remaining momentum propelling it into a tree. The zombie twitched a few times before it went still. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Seo Jun-Ho retrieved his sword from the tree, shaking off the blood. He looked around the silent graveyard. It was good that he brought the Glock-17 over because he would have had a harder time otherwise. He had counted over fifty zombies crawling out of the ground during the fight. ¡°...Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt like he¡¯d forgotten something. He shook his head and opened his status window. He saw that he had already leveled up twice, despite not actually having cleared the Gate yet. ¡®I made the right decision toe to an Uncleared Gate.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Is¡­Is anyone there?¡± A weak voice called from somewhere. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell. ¡®A voice?¡¯ It was a female voice, breathing heavily like its owner was about to pass out. Not only that but the speaker was using Korean. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°S-someone¡­? Here! Over here! T-thank you¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho sensed that whoever he was speaking to desperately wanted to live. She called out, her voice was getting weaker and weaker. ¡°Are you down here?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­I¡¯m here¡­¡± The voice came from a tombstone at the edge of the graveyard. ¡°Please wait.¡± Seo Jun-Ho dug through the dirt with his bare hands, revealing a mahogany coffin. ¡°You said you came in here two days ago with your friends?¡± ¡°Yes¡­I thought we could make it big if we conquered an Uncleared Gate¡­Sob.¡± ¡°Goodness, you shouldn¡¯t have been so hasty.¡± Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue, looking on pitifully. ¡°And I can¡¯t hear you very well, so can you shout for me once?¡± ¡°...Why?¡± ¡°Please, just do it.¡± The woman inside the coffin seemed to consider this for a second before she let out a loud cry. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± ¡°That would be enough,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, his face lighting up. ¡°So your head is down here.¡± He pulled out his gun and fired at the bottom of the coffin. Bang! Bang bang bang bang! He emptied the chamber and unsheathed his sword. Something lifted the broken coffin, spilling blood. ¡°Guh¡­How¡­How did you¡­?¡± The wretched monster looked betrayed. After all, it had been killing hundreds of yers over the past seven years and had never once been caught. Seo Jun-Ho pointed his sword at the monster as it cried out in pain. ¡°I don¡¯t trust others very easily. Especially not inside Gates.¡± He pushed his sword through the monster¡¯s head. He snorted as he watched its corpse fall. ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be any survivors inside a Gate anyway.¡± If there was even a single yer remaining in a Gate, it wouldn¡¯t open. The novices that it had killed probably knew that as well. ¡®But sometimes the heart betrays the head.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had begun to doubt after fighting the zombies. ¡®Fifty zombies would definitely be hard to defeat, but it shouldn¡¯t be impossible for a party of ten.¡¯ But the Gate had remained uncleared for seven whole years. It was suspicious. ¡®With a Tricker, it makes more sense.¡¯ Trickers were much stronger than zombies and could even absorb the memories of those it consumed. It had probably picked up Korean from all the Korean yers that had attempted to clear the Gate. ¡°It was pretty clever for a monster. It even hid in the coffin to hide its presence.¡± Of course, that hadn¡¯t mattered this time. System messages appeared with a ring. [All hostile monsters have been killed.] [This is considered as meeting the clear requirements.] [You have cleared Curse of Dawn.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [All stats increased by 2.] [4 magic stats have been restored.] As expected, the Uncleared Gate gave a lot of good rewards. He also recovered some of his lost stats. ¡®So I can regain stats at every 5 levels? It¡¯s not that much¡­¡¯ But it was still something. Seo Jun-Ho was satisfied with the four stat points, especially because he needed to raise his magic stat the most. But his eyes were still sparkling, expecting something more. ¡°That can¡¯t be it for an Uncleared Gate, right?¡± As if to answer his question, additional messages started to appear. Chapter 9. The Curse of Dawn (3) [You have received the skill ¡®Confession of the Dead(C)¡¯ as a clear reward.] [The Gate will automatically disappear in one hour.] ¡°...A skill?¡± Even though it was an Uncleared Gate, Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t expected anything better than a rare-grade item. His guess was wrong, but rather than being disappointed, he broke into a grin. ¡®I got a new skill right away. Isn¡¯t my luck too good?¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t mind being wrong a hundred times if he received a reward like this. He immediately studied the skill¡¯s effect. [Confession of the Dead] Grade: C Effect: Allows you to look into the memories of the target. However, it only works on dead lifeforms. ¡°...It lets me look into the memories of the dead?¡± Like psychometry, it was likely one of the ¡®memory-reading¡¯ skills, but the conditions were much stricter. ¡®So, I can read the memories of the target, but they have to be dead.¡® He could see it being useful to him in the future, but it wasn¡¯t a versatile skill. Suddenly, he realized why the Gate had dropped such a skill. ¡®It¡¯s because of the Tricker.¡® The Tricker was a monster that could steal the memories of a dead target, and Gates was more likely to drop rewards rted to the monsters within it. ¡°I¡¯ll have to do some research to see how I can use it the best.¡± Most importantly, with this, he was starting to acquire new skills that the previous Specter didn¡¯t have. ¡°Will I get stronger than before¡­?¡± He could barely imagine such a future. He looked up at the bright starry night sky with a small smile, craving a cold beer. *** No matter where you go, there would always be people who do the opposite of what you do. Choi Man-Deuk of Namyangju (37, single, male) was one of those people.[1] ¡°Hoho, hiking is great for your health. I don¡¯t know why they won¡¯t let us go up the mountain.¡± After the Gate in Cheonman Mountain appeared, the Association immediately warned the citizens in the area. But it was impossible topletely seal off such arge area. In the end, Choi Man-Deuk, a willful man, managed to avoid the Association and found a path to sneak up the mountain. ¡°Keuhh, the air here is sweet. Sweet, I tell you!¡± Choi Man-Deuk came up at dawn to taste the early-morning air. He wiped the sweat off his face with a towel. He paused at a tree where he could see the Cheonman Gate. ¡®Still, I should be careful about getting too close to the Gate¡­¡¯ Having made his way to the tree, which was his usual turning point, he tilted his head up. ¡°Huh?¡± He stared in the direction of the gate for a moment before craning his neck. ¡°What? The Gate is usually over there...Why can¡¯t I see it?¡± Had it be an Open Gate after being left alone for so long? Choi Man-Deuk spected, a chill suddenly ran up his back. He shook his head to himself. ¡®No way. If it had really be an Open Gate, the Association would have warned us already.¡¯ But then, why couldn¡¯t he see the Gate? Choi Man-Deuk swallowed and slowly made his way to where the Gate had been. His curiosity had gotten the better of him. He looked around frantically as he reached the ce where the Gate was supposed to be. ¡°I-it¡¯s not here?¡± There had been a Gate there yesterday, but now, it waspletely gone. There was only one exnation for this. ¡°the...the Gate has been cleared!¡± Thinking of his reporter friend, Choi Man-Deuk immediately tapped on his Vita. ¡°Hey, Du-chil! How have you been? You¡¯ll have to buy me a drinkter!¡± [2] *** [Breaking news! The so-called Novice¡¯s Grave, the Gate ¡®Curse of Dawn,¡¯ has disappeared overnight.] [Who is the mysterious yer who cleared the Uncleared Gate?] [Rookies from guilds deny any connection.] ~ ¡°Jesus, it¡¯s been noisy ever since that guy showed up,¡± mumbled Shim Deok-Gu with a grin on his face. He was relieved after hearing that the Gate had been cleared. ¡®Not only that, but it¡¯ll be fun to watch those Guild bastards be put on the spot.¡¯ Even for the top Guilds, clearing an Uncleared Gate wasn¡¯t easy. They didn¡¯t want to put their promising rookies in danger, and those of higher levels couldn¡¯t even enter them. ¡°Hm. Jun-Ho. Are you really not gonna reveal yourself?¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked somewhat disappointed as he looked over the articles. He wanted to announce to the world that the mysterious yer was Seo Jun-Ho of the Association, but Seo Jun-Ho himself opposed it. ¡°Be patient. It¡¯s not the right time yet.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s such a waste. If we reveal it, you¡¯ll be famous in no time and your value will go up.¡± [3] ¡°Aigo, you¡¯ve always been weak to these sorts of things.¡± Still, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t get mad at Shim Deok-Gu for it. ¡°Why do you think people buy luxury goods when they¡¯re all mass-produced in the same Chinese factories?¡± ¡°...Because it¡¯s expensive?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Because it¡¯s a luxury item that not everyone can have.¡± ¡°So you want to be a luxury item?¡± Shim Deok-Gu questioned him. ¡°Not just any luxury item.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be like a legendary, limited-edition coboration item that everyone wants but can¡¯t get.¡± ¡°...So you¡¯ll pit them against each other. That¡¯s what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°You get it now.¡± Shim Deok-Gu narrowed his eyes. ¡°You have a bad personality sometimes. Your blood type is S, isn¡¯t it?¡± [4] ¡°Of course not. I won¡¯t be able to drag it out for long anyways.¡± He had already cleared one Uncleared Gate after all. Some perceptive people would definitely catch on and they would most likely think, ¡®Won¡¯t they have to go to another Uncleared Gate?¡¯ Afterward, they would start camping out in front of them. At that time, Seo Jun-Ho and Shim Deok-Gu wouldn¡¯t have to raise a finger and would be able to casually reveal themselves. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be dignified to make a big deal of announcing myself.¡± ¡°...Since when did you care about dignity?¡± Shim Deok-Gu grumbled to himself but he couldn¡¯t deny that it was a good n. It was more effective to let the rumors spread on their own than to im it themselves. ¡°Whatever, I get it. You don¡¯t need anything else, do you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one thing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho waved the schedule in his hand. ¡°There¡¯s only one Uncleared Gate left in the country.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± ¡°From a national standpoint, yes. But after I clear it, I won¡¯t have anywhere else to hunt.¡± Shim Deok-Gu offered, ¡°Hm...How about I look into foreign Gates?¡± ¡°That''s what I¡¯m thinking. They¡¯re a problem for other countries too.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Shim Deok-Gu knew this because he¡¯d been in contact with overseas Associations. ¡®Our country is on the safer side.¡¯ Big countries like China, Russia, or the United States still had a lot of Uncleared Gates. ¡®They want to get rid of them¡­¡¯ And Seo Jun-Ho wanted to clear them¡­ Since they had the same goal, sending him wouldn¡¯t be an issue. Not only that, but he might even receive a hefty sum and establish an international reputation for himself. ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll negotiate the best conditions possible.¡± It was time for him to step in. Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyes sparkled. *** Tremble. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s arm convulsed beneath him. His sweat had formed a puddle on the floor. ¡°Seventy...one¡­¡± He was doing a one-handed handstand while doing slow push-ups. His back was straight and such actions were a great disy of bnce. ¡°Seventy...haa, haa¡­¡± His right arm felt like it would copse under the weight of his entire body but he pushed on. ¡®I have to get past this.¡¯ He had to get past the idea that his mind and body were one. He was well aware that doing so would let him move to the next floor. Thus, Seo Jun-Ho channeled all the strength in his body and pushed against the floor with his right hand. ¡°Uaaaack! Seventy-three!¡± His body screamed as he copsed in exhaustion. His hand trembled at the taste of freedom. At the same time, a wide grin spread across his face. [Strength has increased by 1.] After training for two days and nights, his strength stat had finally increased. It was an exhrating discovery after pushing his body to the limits. ¡°Haa...Haaa¡­¡± He let out a final breath and sat up. He tapped on his Vita as he chugged down a ss of water with his back against the wall. [India¡¯s top rookie was unable to clear it in the past. When will the Uncleared Gate be conquered?!] [Is it okay to leave the Uncleared Gate ¡®Leuf¡¯s Garden¡¯ alone like this?] [The crack is growing bigger. It doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s much time left until itpletely opens. (Pictures inside)] [Breaking! Leuf¡¯s Garden has reached 124 failed attempts. List of all fallen yers...] [Will the yer who cleared the Curse of Dawn challenge Leuf¡¯s Garden? Spotlight piece.] ¡°...Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt strange as he skimmed the articles. Leuf¡¯s Garden. It had first appeared 9 years ago and was Korea¡¯s oldest Uncleared Gate. Both the government and the Association had tried everything they could to try and clear it. The government, the Association, and the Guilds pooled together their funds and offered 1 billion won¡­[5] The prize amount was unheard of. For that reason, many parties had attempted it. For a total of 124 attempts, 124 failures, and 0 sesses. Leuf¡¯s Garden refused to fall into the hands of the humans. ¡®So that¡¯s why they decided to do that. ¡® Seo Jun-Ho continued to read through the articles. In the past, the Korean yer Association dered that there weren¡¯t enough qualified yers to challenge Uncleared Gates. They made a startling decision during a conference. Using the prize money, they hired India¡¯s rising star, Tushar Vishi. ording to what he read, Tushar Vishi¡¯s abilities were amazing. But Seo Jun-Ho was still unconvinced, so he watched a few videos of how Tushar Vishi trained. ¡®He¡¯s good.¡¯ Tushar Vishi¡¯s form was perfect, and he could shoot arrows with amazing speed. ¡®If he had continued to grow like that, he would have surpassed Green.¡® But Vishi failed. And that failure resulted in his death. He was 22 years old with a bright future ahead of him. In the end, not even a trace of him was left behind. ¡°It¡¯s a shame.¡± It was still a sore spot for both Korea and India. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and sorted out his thoughts before he reached for the spear leaned against the wall. ¡°I should bring this.¡± The spear was a cheat weapon that could dominate a battlefield if only a perimeter around the user was established. ¡®The monsters in Leuf¡¯s Garden probably have shield skills and arge attack area.¡¯ A sword wouldn¡¯t have enough reach, and bullets wouldn¡¯t be able to pierce through their hide. ¡°Status window.¡± [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 5 Title: Bringer of Spring Strength: 30Stamina: 31 Speed: 35Magic: 26 Except for magic, all of his stats were now over 30 points. ¡®With these stats, I¡¯m stronger than most people who are level 10.¡® He was likely the strongest level 5 yer in the world right now. The 26 magic stat also let him start using the Frost skill. ¡°It¡¯ll be my first time using it in realbat.¡± What was this feeling? Fear? Anxiety? When Seo Jun-Ho looked into the mirror, he saw none of those things. In fact, he was grinning like a child on Christmas day. 1. Namyangju is a city in Gyeongi Province ? 2. the expression doesn¡¯t trante well into English, but he¡¯s basically saying his friend will owe him for what he¡¯s about to tell him ? 3. ¡°body price¡± aka how much people will pay to hire him ? 4. In Korea people think blood type dictates personality. S as in sadist ? 5. 880k USD ? Chapter 10. Leuf鈥檚 Garden (1) Leuf¡¯s Garden was located in a remote town named Cheokcheon in the Jinbu Township of Pyeongchang County, Gangwon Province. After safe zones had started to appear across the world, Gates had stopped forming in popted areas. Creak. A self-driving taxi stopped in a rural area, and a scowling man stepped out. ¡°Dammit, why do I always have to put up with this bullshit¡­¡± He grumbled while grabbing his camera. The other reporters who had arrived before him waved warmly at him. ¡°Hey, Reporter Jung! You¡¯re here!¡± Jung rubbed his arms as he jogged over to them. ¡°Yeah. Man, it¡¯s cold today too. I can¡¯t believe we have to go through this every day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. There¡¯s no guarantee that the man who cleared the Curse of Dawn will clear Leuf¡¯s Garden.¡± ¡°Of course, there isn¡¯t. The higher-ups just want to release articles before the bigger news outlets do, but since there¡¯s not much of a story, they just send lower-ranking people like us.¡± ¡°Dammit, I¡¯m so tired of this. I just want to make it big and get into one of the major journals.¡± The reporters continued toin endlessly about their superiors. While they were talking, another self-driving taxi came up the unpaved road. ¡°...Huh? Looks like another reporter¡¯sing.¡± ¡°Seems like it. Another poor soul to join us.¡± ¡°Shall we go greet them? We¡¯re all in the same boat, after all.¡± The young man who stepped out of the taxi seemed to be in his mid-twenties. He looked around, saw the Gate, and started walking over. ¡°H-Huh? Is he trying to enter the Gate?¡± ¡°What? Is he crazy? Stop him!¡± The reporters dashed over, cutting him off. The man frowned when they blocked his way. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked the man. ¡°What do you think? Are you really trying to enter the Gate?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± One of the reporters let out a long sigh, clearly annoyed. He gestured with his finger. ¡°Show me.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Show me your yer license.¡± ¡°...Geez, the world¡¯s gone crazy.¡± The man sighed and held out his license, annoyed. ¡°yer¡­Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Wait a second. It¡¯s only been two weeks since he got his license?¡± ¡°Gah, I¡¯m going to go crazy. Hey kid, do you even know what kind of ce you¡¯re trying to go into?¡± ¡°Leuf¡¯s Garden.¡± ¡°So why¡¯re you trying to go in even though you know that?¡± The reporters scoffed as they studied his appearance. His armor seemed very high-quality, but his body seemed even weaker than theirs. ¡®What¡¯s with this scrawny body of his?¡¯ ¡®Is he really a yer?¡¯ ¡®He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s a physical-type yer. Is he a mage?¡¯ ¡®Is he even eating enough?¡¯ They didn¡¯t intend to, but they ignored the man himself. Just then, one of the reporters discovered something while observing him. ¡°Huh? The emblem on his spear¡­ doesn¡¯t that belong to the yer Association?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Are you with the Association?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Ohh, I see,¡± a reporter eximed. He quickly exchanged nces with the other reporters. If they used this skinny-looking man, they could create a scoop that their superiors wanted. They casually turned on their voice recorders and started to talk. ¡°Goodness, you must have a lot on your shoulders despite looking so young.¡± ¡°I bet people look down on you because you¡¯re part of the Association.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said dryly. The reporter patted his shoulder, acting all friendly. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m only saying that because you remind me of my younger brother and I feel bad~ Just think about it. You had to take a taxi from the crack of dawn and came to this ghost town all by yourself just so you can enter a Gate. How can they treat you like this? Right, Reporter Jung?¡± ¡°Gee, they can¡¯t be doing this to you. If you were in a Guild, they¡¯d never treat you like this.¡± ¡°Right? I don¡¯t know what the Association is thinking, sending a kid like this to an Uncleared Gate.¡± ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes darkened as he watched the reporters¡¯ terrible acting. He realized just what kind of article they wanted to write with this terrible acting of theirs. ¡®Seems like they want to write about how the Association coerced a yer to go to an Uncleared Gate.¡¯ Gates were ticking time bombs. If no one entered them for some period of time, they would be Open Gates. Naturally, once they opened, the monsters from inside woulde flowing out to Earth. ¡®Safe zones prevent Gates from being formed, but they don¡¯t provide protection against monsters.¡¯ Uncleared Gates were thorns in the Association¡¯s side since they couldn¡¯t force people to go into those Gates if they didn¡¯t want to. Because of this, tabloid journalists were always promoting conspiracies. ¡®If they can just get some form of proof, they¡¯d be able to print an exclusive news.¡¯ The Guilds would surely rip into the Association if even a rumor came out that the Association was sending the Korean yer poption to their deaths instead of protecting them. ¡®Whether it¡¯s back then or today, these trashy journalists are always creating problems.¡¯ They would push aside facts and push forward sensationalized topics. They didn¡¯t deserve to call themselves journalists. They had no morals or objectivity. Seo Jun-Ho had always refused to acknowledge them as real journalists. He pped away the reporter¡¯s hand off his shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how much you should disgrace yourself as journalists,¡± he grumbled coldly. He hadn¡¯t even entered the Gate yet, but he was already exhausted. Seo Jun-Ho massaged the back of his head. ¡°What? Speak up. Why did the Association send you here?¡± ¡°You keep pleading the Fifth. Am I right in saying that this is because you are facing pressure from the Association?¡± The tactless journalists pushed their mics in his face, trying to provoke a reaction. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t take it any longer, and he scowled. ¡°Hey, fuck off.¡± ¡°...W-what?¡± The reporters blinked, surprised by the sudden profanity. Even high-ranking yers wouldn¡¯t make an enemy out of the press. With a few exceptions, star yers were always created through the media. ¡°W-we reporters are the voices of the people. Did you just tell us to fuck off?¡± ¡°I gave you advice because you reminded me of my younger brother, but this is what I get?¡± ¡°If you keep acting like this, your reputation will be destroyed! Don¡¯t you know that?!¡± The angry reporters red as they yelled at him. To Seo Jun-Ho, their appearance went beyond ridiculous; they were pathetic in his eyes. He lightly summoned his magic energy as he stared at them. ¡°Reporters? I don¡¯t see any reporters around here.¡± As an explosive bloodlust burst from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body, the reporters flinched. His magic stat was uselessly low, but he had the bloodlust of a man who had faced countless life-or-death situations. It was too much to handle for these pigs who simply sat in office chairs all day. ¡®Ugh¡­How can a human¡¯s eyes be so¡­¡¯ ¡®I just wanted to find a scoop. I don¡¯t want to die.¡¯ ¡®Is he crazy?¡¯ The tabloid reporters backed away with their tails tucked between their legs. Seo Jun-Ho still looked thoroughly fed up with them. ¡°You nobodies are pissing me off.¡± Back in the day, no reporter ever dared to spew such nonsense, and none of them arrogantly requested his yer license. The few who crossed the line received worldwide criticism, and the associated journals even closed their doors. ¡®Ah, I miss those days.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was starting from the bottom now. He sighed and stepped right into the Gate. The blue Gate turned red, but the reporters were toote. Their jaws dropped. ¡°...W-what?¡± ¡°The Gate is red¡­He really went in.¡± ¡°Are you serious? He could die, but he didn¡¯t even leave anyst words?¡± Their dumbfoundedness quickly turned into rage. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that rude youngster just left?¡± ¡°That bastard!¡± ¡°This is precisely what we need to tell the citizens. We need to tell them the truth about Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s character!¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t know how to respect his elders¡­Dammit, back in my day¡­¡± The reporters cursed him out for a considerable amount of time until one of them started to pack up. ¡°I¡¯m going home for today.¡± ¡°...Huh? But hyung-nim, aren¡¯t you gonna wait to see if the yeres out of the Gate?¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s necessary? Why? Do you think that bastard will actually clear it?¡± He snorted and looked at the Gate. ¡°That little bastard will die inside anyway. Why would I wait?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­The sess rate of Uncleared Gates is very low.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just low, it¡¯s impossible. The department head won¡¯t say anything either.¡± His words convinced the others. The reporters started to pack their things, getting ready to leave. It was also partly because they were still feeling annoyed by what Seo Jun-Ho had said earlier. ¡°Let¡¯s get some stew at the rest stop over there.¡± ¡°Sounds good. Everyone¡¯s in a bad mood, so let¡¯s get some drinks.¡± The reporters got into their cars, leaving through the bumpy, unpaved road. Thest reporter to get in his car looked back at the Gate. ¡®But what if I leave and he actuallyes out of the Uncleared Gate?¡¯ He considered this for a second. If the so-called Seo Jun-Ho managed to seed, the reporter would never have another chance to interview him. If the yer actually seeded, he would be a famous Super Rookie. The reporter snorted as he let his imagination unfold. ¡°No way. This isn¡¯t a movie.¡±[1] He was absolutely sure that it wouldn¡¯t happen. He got in the car. *** ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± Seo Jun-Ho whispered in admiration as he entered the Leuf¡¯s Garden. Its beauty rivaled the Huntington Library Gardens in America. Therge garden containedrge flowers of every shape and color in full bloom. Jun-Ho scanned the picturesque scene. ¡°Pretty trash.¡± Anyone who didn¡¯t know about Leufs would have quickly refuted his im. How could anyone call these beautiful flowers ¡°trash¡±? But once the sun set, those flowers would be vicious monsters. They were Leufs, creatures hiding under the guise of flowers. Jun-Ho casually swung his spear. ¡°Compared to the spear I used to use¡­It¡¯s really bad.¡± After all, the spear he used to use was a Unique-Grade weapon. Compared to that, the spear he was currently carrying had a crude design, and the center of bnce was slightly off. Even though Seo Jun-Ho had used all kinds of weapons, he simply couldn¡¯t say that this was a decent one. ¡°Well, I do have high standards,¡± he said haughtily. He spun the spear elegantly. After practicing for the past two days, he had gotten used to the weapon¡¯s weight. ¡°Gate information.¡± [Leuf¡¯s Garden] Level requirement: Level 5-10 Party cap: 4 Clear requirement: Defeat all monsters Difficulty: Hard ¡°Hm.¡± The maximum number of people who could enter Leuf¡¯s Garden was four, which was probably why Seo Jun-Ho was the first person to ever go in alone. ¡®Even India¡¯s Super Rookie brought three of his own team members.¡¯ That meant that their teamwork must have been impable in battle. The fact that they still failed meant that there had been some sort of deadly trap. ¡°That would probably be¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned his gaze over the garden. Beyond it was a 3-meter-tall maze made up of winding branches and ivy. ¡®There¡¯s probably some kind of trap hidden there.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho walked down the dirt path, careful not to step on any of the flowers. He sat down on the bench in the middle of the garden. All he needed to do was to wait until the Leufs awakened. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that I bought some e-books.¡± Heid down on the bench and opened the fantasy novel he had downloaded on his Vita. He continued to read until the sun set. 1. The original Korean phrase used here was ¡°This isn¡¯t a novel¡± but it was changed to a moremonly used English phrase. ? Chapter 11. Leuf鈥檚 Garden

Chapter 11. Leuf¡¯s Garden

Seo Jun-Ho watched the sun set and turned off his Vita. He stood up. ¡°Mm, they should being soon.¡± Leufs were monsters that looked like flowers. However, their structure was theplete opposite of normal flowers. Their elegant petals were at their feet while their stems faced upward. Their thick stems twisted around several times to create humanoid shapes. Such were the Leufs. ¡°They look like people on dark nights like these.¡± So, they were nicknamed ¡°flower ghosts.¡± [Night has fallen. Hunter¡¯s Night (A) has been activated.] [All stats increased by 10%.] [All your senses have been sharpened.] As Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s senses sharpened, he closed his eyes and focused on the sounds around him to check the results of his training. Crack. Crack. He heard something twist in the ground. During the day when the sun was out, Leufs hid underground with their petals facing up in order to lure prey. That was why Seo Jun-Ho had been careful not to step on any of the flowers and only took the dirt road. ¡®If you approach a Leuf without a second thought, it¡¯ll catch you with its vines and drag you underground.¡¯ But the night wasn¡¯t any safer. When the moon rose, Leufs would crawl out of the ground to hunt for prey themselves. ¡°Leufs have strong, durable stems, so they have a high defense¡­¡± But they were also slow and had a clear weak point¡ªthe flower at their feet. ¡°There¡¯s only two? Even for a simple greeting, that¡¯s boring.¡± Seo Jun-Ho still had his eyes closed, but his keen senses informed him of what was going on around him. ¡®One on the left, one on the right.¡¯ He grasped their formation and dashed toward them, gripping the top and bottom of the spear¡¯s shaft. Swish! The Leuf swung its arm like a whip toward the charging human. ¡®It¡¯sing.¡¯ As soon as he felt an interruption in the airflow, he buried the spear into the ground and flung himself like a pole vaulter. Woosh! The movement served two purposes. First, he would be able to dodge the Leuf¡¯s attack perfectly, and second¡­ ¡®1.5 meters.¡¯ It let him measure the optimal distance for using a spear. After wasting the attack, the Leuf was nowpletely defenseless. Woosh! Seo Jun-Ho ducked, spinning around like a top as he swept the ground with his spear. Crack! Hended a strong kick on the Leuf, and it stumbled backward. ¡®Now!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho dashed forward and struck its chest with his shoulder, and it fell over with a heavy m. ¡®About two steps behind me¡­¡¯ He stepped back casually as the Leuf¡¯s arms stabbed sharply into the ground in front of his feet like knives. ¡®I¡¯m in pretty good shape today,¡¯ He grinned and changed his grip on the spear, holding it in the middle. At the same time, his magic circuits started to heat up. ¡°I probably won¡¯t be able to control the strength. It¡¯s my first time using it in a real battle, after all.¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, the temperature around him started to drop. Crackle! Frost energy covered his spearpoint, and he opened his eyes. They had finally adjusted to the dark. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho studied his spear. ¡®It looks the same as when the Frost Queen used it.¡¯ Of course, it would look the same. This power belonged to her, after all. ¡°This feels weird.¡± It was impossible to put into words how strange it felt to use the powers of an old enemy that he had fought with his life on the line. ¡®Enough with the feelings. Let¡¯s test out the firepower.¡¯ He had previously used the Frost Skill several times in the training hall, but he had never been able to test it on a real monster. This was the first time that he would test its true power. The Leuf on the ground suddenly shot out its arms. Seo Jun-Ho ducked slightly, barely managing to avoid the attack as it sliced off a few of his hairs. His biceps tensed. ¡°Hup!¡± In the next moment, his spear pierced through the air. He stabbed twice into the Leuf¡¯s feet, into the petals. As soon as the frost energy made contact with the petals, it spread and froze them over. When he struck the frozen petals again, they shattered into dozens of pieces. - ...! The Leuf couldn¡¯t scream, but it writhed in pain, looking like a fish out of water. [You have defeated a Leuf.] ¡°...I killed it? Already?¡± He sounded dissatisfied. Even though he had aimed for its weak point, weren¡¯t Leufs famous for their durability? Did he really kill it with only two strikes? His eyes were cold as he looked down at his spearpoint. ¡®This¡­It¡¯s even better than I expected.¡¯ Freezing the petals before shattering them would be the best way to take care of them. ¡®But I can¡¯t keep using it.¡¯ He had just consumed about a fifth of his magic power in the battle. ¡®Next time, I¡¯ll try using only a little bit of magic.¡¯ It would be less effective, but he would be able to use the technique for longer. Seo Jun-Ho sorted his thoughts and looked toward the remaining Leuf. It approached him slowly, twisting both arms into sharp points. ¡°Dual-wielding? Cool!¡± The Leuf struck out its sharpened arms as if emboldened by the praise. Woosh! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s spear flowed swiftly like water, and he blocked its attack. ng! The Leuf¡¯s weapons were sharper, but Seo Jun-Ho was more skilled with the spear. When it failed to connect, the Leuf pulled back and retreated. But Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t let the chance slip by. His hands slipped down to grip the very bottom of the shaft, and he spun, using the momentum to swing it like a club. Crack! He struck its temples like an ax hitting firewood. ¡°As I thought, it¡¯s sturdy.¡± A person would have died from this attack, but the Leuf simply shook it off. It only seemed to be angered, and it started to swing its sharp stems wildly. ¡®It¡¯s slow.¡¯ No matter how strong Leufs were, a strike to the head could still affect it. It was starting to lose the vigor and speed it disyed earlier. Seo Jun-Ho dodged with a light step andunched a counterattack. He swung his spear again, hitting the same spot on its temples. ¡°You see, flowers die if you break their stems.¡± He hit it once more, swinging even harder. He struck the Leuf¡¯s head several more times. Crack! Crack! Crack! It was too much for the Leuf, and its stem-head was cut off, hanging by a string. [You have defeated a Leuf.] When the battle ended, Seo Jun-Ho looked around. The anxiety started to creep in again. ¡°...Of course. It wouldn¡¯t end with only two of them. It¡¯s an Uncleared Gate, after all.¡± Four new Leufs crawled out of the ground and started to approach him. ¡®It¡¯s a monster wave.¡¯ A monster wave was a phenomenon in which monsters came in continuously like tidal waves. ¡°I wonder how many this one will have.¡± Seo Jun-Ho casually spun his spear in his hands, waiting for the Leufs toe. There still wasn¡¯t a single drop of sweat on his forehead. *** In the darkened garden, dozens of humanoids were chasing someone. ¡®One attack from the left, three behind me, two in front¡­¡¯ They wereing at him from all sides. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face twisted as he watched the attackse in. ¡°Chill out, you bastards!¡± He couldn¡¯t hold his frustration back any longer. He swung his spear with his right hand and held up his left. Crackle! A thick, well-crafted ice shield grew out of his left hand. From above, the Leufs¡¯ attacks rained down like bullets. ng! ng! The ice shield blocked twelve attacks before it shattered into pieces. ¡°Ugh.¡± As the ice shards began to obscure his view, Seo Jun-Ho poured magic into his legs and leaped into the air. This was uncharacteristic of him because he was usually careful with his magic expenditure, but that was how bad things were going for him. Swish! As he flew into the air, a Leuf ambushed him. He quickly tried to dodge its attack, but it grazed his left shoulder and right side. Blood spurted out from his side. ¡°What kind of fucked-up pattern is this?!¡± When the first two Leufs came out, Seo Jun-Ho merely snorted. When four Leufs came out after that, he was grinning. But when eight appeared after the second wave, his mood started to change. ¡®The¡­The number of Leufs isn¡¯t doubling every wave, is it? Nah, that would be overkill.¡¯ Unfortunately, he had been correct. ¡°Dammit, why am I always right about these things?¡± In the fourth wave, there had been sixteen Leufs. When he was trying to catch his breath after defeating them all, 32 Leufs appeared without a moment to spare. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± After fighting for over two hours, his breath had turned rough. If he had neglected his stamina training, he probably wouldn¡¯t have made it this far. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m getting cornered by Leufs, of all things. When I get back, I¡¯m doubling the amount of training.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho pulled himself together and scanned the area. Ironically, as his mental and physical stamina started to approach their limits, his battle instincts and senses seemed to be even sharper, as if they were filling some little cracks in his body. ¡°...Phew.¡± Thanks to that, his idle thoughts vanished, and his concentration sharpened like a de. If it broke for even a second, his head would go flying. ¡®They¡¯reing.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body moved swiftly, taking carefully controlled movements that wouldn¡¯t waste an ounce of stamina. He dodged each attack that rained down on him. Of course, it wasn¡¯t his style to simply keep dodging. Swoosh! He swung his spear with all his speed, strength, and fury. It cut off the heads of four Leufs. ¡°Ugh!¡± Of course, the magic also left his body with the attack, and the resulting shock made his face turn pale. But even with this, there were still fifteen Leufs left. ¡°...I have to keep going.¡± He didn¡¯t have a choice. He had to do this, or he would die. The spear¡¯s shaft was slippery with sweat, but he gripped it tightly. It would take time and a lot of stamina, but he had to kill them all. ¡®If I run away to the hedge maze back there, I¡¯ll probably be able to take a breather¡­¡¯ But he didn¡¯t know what traps were waiting for him there. Not to mention, once he entered the maze, he would have to fight these monsters in a tight space. It would be the optimal battleground for the Leufs, considering that they had high defense and long vines. ¡®I have to end it here no matter what.¡¯ Determined, Seo Jun-Ho let out a sharp breath as he stepped off the ground. ¡°Haa!¡± Two-thirds of his remaining magic power receded like a falling tide. Crackle! He gave up on efficiency, opting to maximize his destructive power. The moonlight glistened on the frozen speartip. ¡®30 second. That¡¯s all I have.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t maintain it any longer than that. Seo Jun-Ho charged forward, without even a moment to think. Slice! The Frost-strengthened spear couldn¡¯t be considered a normal weapon with how sharp it was. It cut through the Leufs like butter. Seo Jun-Ho attacked the enemies that filled his sight. ¡®...They can¡¯t fight while dodging all my attacks.¡¯ The technique was strong enough, but he didn¡¯t have time. He only had 25¡ªno, 24 seconds left. Seo Jun-Ho made a bold decision in the blink of an eye. ¡®Give the flesh to cut the bone.¡¯ He would sacrifice something small in order to reap a greater benefit. Seo Jun-Ho dashed forward, allowing the attacks to hit him as long as they weren¡¯t fatal. Blood poured from his arms, thighs, and back. But during his reckless attacks, he managed to take out nine whole Leufs. ¡°Huff¡­Huff, huff¡­¡± Anyone would have admired his skills, but unfortunately, there was no third party here to watch. Afterpleting this great feat, sweat and blood poured out from all over his body. Crackle. With a trembling hand, Seo Jun-Ho froze his injury. ¡®Hopefully, this will stop me from losing any more blood.¡¯ There were only six Leufs left. His mouth tasted salty with sweat, and his arms and legs trembled relentlessly. But he refused to let go of hope. ¡®I have¡­Bringer of Spring. If I just grit my teeth and get through with it, I can win.¡¯ Bringer of Spring increased his stamina and magic power recovery rate by 500%. As the Leufs approached him from six different directions, Seo Jun-Ho gripped his spear once more. ¡°...Come on.¡± As if they understood his words, the six Leufs attacked. Chapter 12. Leuf鈥檚 Garden (3)

Chapter 12. Leuf¡¯s Garden (3)

The darkness faded. Daybreak washed the garden in holy light. ¡°God¡­I¡¯m fucking tired.¡± The magnificent dawn filled his sight as Seo Jun-Hoy in the flowerbeds. ¡°Hup.¡± He stood up. Using his spear like a cane, he nted his trembling feet into the ground and brushed off the dirt on his butt. He looked around with a tired face. ¡°...If I had messed up, I would¡¯ve joined them.¡± The garden was still dotted with traces of the night¡¯s fierce battle. At that moment, a System message rang in his ears. [You have cleared Leuf¡¯s Garden.] ¡°...Hm.¡± Instead of being happy, Seo Jun-Ho felt suspicious. The clear requirement for this Gate was to defeat all the monsters. Of course, hunting 62 monsters were no easy task. ¡®But not if there were four yers.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t hard for each yer to kill 15 of them. Seo Jun-Ho stroked his chin, locked deep in thought. ¡®I read up on all 186 yers who have entered this Gate in thest nine years.¡¯ They were mostly novices, but India¡¯s super rookie was among them. ¡®Unless the info was inurate, he would¡¯ve been able to kill 40 Leufs all by himself.¡¯ As long as the three others weren¡¯tpletely useless, they definitely would have been able to clear the Gate. ¡°But why did they fail?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was missing something. His eyebrows furrowed. [You have received a blood flower as a clear reward.] [You have leveled up,] [You have leveled up.] [All stats increased by 2.] [5 strength stats have been restored.] [The Gate will automatically copse in one hour.] The new messages crowded his view. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened as he read them. ¡°...Huh?¡± He hadn¡¯t been expecting much from the clear reward, because Gates of this level didn¡¯t usually give anything particrly great. But the blood flower?¡± A grin crept into his face. ¡®I got lucky.¡¯ Blood flowers already had a very low chance of appearing in Gates, and they only bloomed after feeding on peoples¡¯ blood. That was why it was called the blood flower. Seo Jun-Ho had heard rumors about it, but this was the first time he had actually gotten one. ¡°Item information,¡± he muttered, pulling the blood flower out of his inventory. A hologram window appeared. [Blood Flower] Grade: Rare Description: A peculiar nt that bes a special herb upon feeding on human blood. The effect changes depending on the number of petals. Effect: Gain 1 magic stat upon consuming a petal. Seo Jun-Houghed heartily, his face stretching like a Buddha statue. He even felt like he would be willing to talk to those tabloid journalists now. ¡®From what I remember, blood flowers gain one petal per year¡­¡¯ The Gate had first appeared 9 years ago. But the flower only had seven petals. Perhaps it had bloomedte. ¡°I¡¯ll take it. Thank you for the food.¡± Seo Jun-Ho immediately popped it into his mouth. The sickening taste of blood covered his tongue. [Magic has increased by 1.] [Magic has increased by 1.] [Magic¡­] ¡­ Seo Jun-Ho smacked his lips as he finished off the petals. ¡°...It tastes horrible, but I¡¯d eat another one if I could.¡± The reward was more than worth it. ¡°Wait, then my stats¡­Status window.¡± [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 9 Title: Bringer of Spring Strength: 34 Stamina: 35 Speed: 39Magic: 37 Even though he had spent the entire night massacring the Leufs and ended up clearing the Gate, his level only increased by four. This was because leveling up required more EXP the higher one¡¯s level became. ¡®All my stats increased by 4 because I leveled up¡­And I got 7 more magic stats from the blood flower.¡¯ In a single night, his magic stat increased by 11. ¡°I guess I won¡¯t have to worry about my magic power for a while.¡± His next battle would be much easier. Seo Jun-Ho grinned and turned around. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve cleared the Gate¡­Let¡¯s get their cores.¡± He went around the Leufs¡¯ corpses, swiftly collecting their cores and putting them into his inventory. When he finished, he headed toward the maze instead of the exit. Up close, it was much bigger than it was from afar. ¡®Back there, I thought it was only about 3 meters high, but it looks like it¡¯s at least 5.¡¯ The height made it considerably intimidating. It was currently morning, but he wondered how it would have felt if he faced it at night while being chased by Leufs. Seo Jun-Ho was suddenly d that he didn¡¯t make the decision to escape here. Crackle. As Seo Jun-Ho entered the maze, he asionally froze the ground so that he wouldn¡¯t lose his way. The ground was covered in all kinds of weapons and equipment. He quickly scanned them. ¡®That one¡¯s old, that one¡¯s broken¡­Wait, what is that? There¡¯s a flower growing inside the armor.¡¯ None of the equipment caught his eye. As he turned toward a different path, he gasped. ¡°Hm!¡± There, a skeleton was leaning against the wall. Next to it was a notebook and a bow. ¡°...Found it.¡± This was what he had been looking for. Seo Jun-Ho slowly approached the wall, carefully picking up the fallen bow. It was covered in dust, but it was a perfectly intact, high-grade bow. ¡®So this is Tempest Butterfly.¡¯ Tempest Butterfly was named as such because the arrows it fired flew dizzily like a butterfly, and the sharp winds it caused were like a tempest. ¡°It¡¯s not as good as ¡®Final Horizon,¡¯ which was found in some historical ruins on the 2nd Floor¡­But it¡¯s a good bow.¡± Final Horizon was a bow for sniping, and it was said that it could fire an arrow to the end of the horizon. However, it was currently in the hands of a fiend who obsessively collected bows, so Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t really care about it. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the bow for a second and looked up. He realized the identity of the skeleton. ¡°...Tushar Vishi.¡± A rising yer from India. Seo Jun-Ho said a silent prayer for him. ¡°Thank you.¡± If Tushar had felt spiteful enough, he would have ced Tempest Butterfly into his inventory before he died. If he had done that, the rare-grade bow would have disappeared forever. But he didn¡¯t do it¡­ ¡°I suppose the reason for this will be written in this notebook.¡± Seo Jun-Ho carefully opened the old, weathered notebook. The contents were written in neat English. ¡°This is¡­ a journal.¡± Tushar Vishi¡¯s entire story was written inside. *** The entries were written with the date and time. Since Seo Jun-Ho was proficient in English, Japanese, and Hindi, he had no problem reading them. - April 7th, 2044. 12:40 PM. I¡¯ve received a request to clear the Leuf¡¯s Garden in Korea. The reward is unthinkable for a mere level 10 yer like me. People keep telling me to reconsider, but I can¡¯t let this opportunity slip by. - April 23rd, 2044. 4:12 PM. I¡¯m nervous. We¡¯re going into the Leuf¡¯s Garden tomorrow. All my practice arrows hit bulls-eye. I have a good feeling about this. - April 24th, 2044. 11:37 AM. We finally entered the Gate. My teammates are fellowrades who I¡¯ve been fighting with since we were level 1. We scouted our surroundings. It¡¯s so beautiful that it¡¯s hard to believe that we¡¯re inside a Gate. - April 24th, 2044. 8:33 PM. When night fell, flower ghosts came crawling out of the ground. This Gate¡¯s pattern is a monster wave. On the first wave, 8 Leufs came out. We joked andughed as we killed them. But in the second wave, 16 came out. On the third, there were 32. When 64 came out on the fourth wave, we gave up on killing the Leufs and ran away to the maze. If we defeat them all, I hope there won¡¯t be 128 after them. Dammit, this Gate is crazy. - April 25th, 2044. 5:29 AM. The dawn is bright. We somehow survived the first night. The Leufs that were chasing us crawled back into the ground. But one of myrades died because he lost too much blood. ¡­We made him a grave as promised and buried him. I swear; this day is the longest of my life. -April 25th, 2044. 7:12 PM. The sun will set soon. I hope I can write another entry tomorrow. O great Shiva, god of destruction, grant me strength. - April 26th, 2044. 2:48 PM. I copsed as soon as the battle ended. I barely have any feeling in my fingers, so it¡¯s difficult to even lift a pen. We killed the remaining Leufs from the night before. But the fifth wave began after that, and there were 128 Leufs. I¡¯m not exaggerating. There really were 128 of them. We nearly died while fighting, and now there are only 40 left. Once the sun sets, I can even hunt them all by myself. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll be able to leave this ursed Gate. ¡­Wait, there won¡¯t be a sixth wave, right? - April 26th, 2044. 5:02 PM. Fuck! That fucker! One of my teammates was a fiend. How did he manage to trick us? He attacked me from behind. I killed the dirty fiend, but he cut my left palm while we were fighting. I can¡¯t feel my left arm. I can¡¯t lift a bow like this. Mystrade heard themotion. The color left her face when she saw¡­ Now there are only two of us. I¡¯m worried about tonight. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes softened sadly as he read the journal. The next entries were written with unstable handwriting. He could feel the urgency in the ink. - April 26th, 2044. 6:58 PM. I ran without looking back. Myrade was fighting for the two of us because of my injury, but she was eventually killed. Dammit! The tears won¡¯t stop. I¡¯m scared. What do I do? I¡¯m so scared. My entire body is shaking. When I finally stopped, I was faced with a dead end. I also stepped on a trap, and now my leg is bleeding. It¡¯s getting harder to keep my eyes open. I think this will be my grave. ¡­I can hear the Leufsing. They¡¯re getting louder. If someone finds this notebook, please tell our families that we¡¯re sorry¡­ Perhaps the Leufs had taken some time toe because the entry continued. Seo Jun-Ho was able to guess that it had been the case because the handwriting at the bottom was even rougher, and the contents were filled with deeper resentment and anger. There wasn¡¯t even a date and time anymore. - If I survive, I¡¯ll kill all those fucking fiends. They¡¯re the cancer of humanity. O great Shiva, let all those sinners burn in hell. I offer my soul to you. Someone, anyone, take vengeance for this pitiful warrior. After that, the next few pages were filled with nonsensical cursing. But thest page had another change in tone. It seemed to have been written by someone with a clear mind, ready to ept death. The handwriting reverted back to Tushar Vishi¡¯s neat style. - April 27th, 2044. 12:01 AM. I am still alive. I will put down my notebook and pen and lift my bow, even if it¡¯s with my teeth. O goddess of war, O god of archery. Show me the great miracle of the butterfly once more. That was the final entry. ¡°...Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like there had been a miracle.¡± If there had been a miracle, Tushar would still be alive. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s questions were now answered. ¡®The number of Leufs increases depending on how many yers enter the Gate.¡¯ A shiver went down his spine. If he had entered the Gate with three unqualified yers, they would have faced a total of 248 Leufs by the fifth wave. ¡°...Even I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to handle that.¡± Especially if he had to carry three extra yers on his back. ¡®Who knew that the best way to clear this Gate is toe alone?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had been the first person to enter this Gate alone in the past 9 years. After people kept failing, the predecessors were scared and always entered with a full party of four. Seo Jun-Ho calmed himself and stood up. ¡°Hup.¡± He scrolled through his inventory. He always carried a certain item, just in case. ¡°Here it is.¡± Pop! Sshhh. He pulled out a bottle of cheap liquor and poured it over the skeleton. ¡°Hindus believe in reincarnation, right? I hope you were reborn in a nice ce.¡± Seo Jun-Ho said a short prayer for Tushar. After paying his respects, he checked the information on Tempest Butterfly. [Tempest Butterfly] Grade: Rare Force of arrow increased by 250% A fierce wind will be created around the arrow when fired Use requirement: Level 10, 45 strength, 45 speed Even though the world had be like a game, there was no attack stat or anything attached to weapons. As long as younded a good blow to the head or the heart, it would do the job. ¡°...It¡¯s good.¡± The Tempest Butterfly¡¯s effects were great, but Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t express his usual excitement out of respect for Tushar Vishi. ¡®I don¡¯t have enough strength or speed stats, so I won¡¯t be able to use it right away.¡¯ Of course, he could wield it if he wanted to, but since he didn¡¯t meet the usage requirements, the item effects would be null. Seo Jun-Ho looked down at Tushar¡¯s skeleton. His skull was facing the sky as if longing for life. ¡°I¡¯m gonna borrow your bow. It¡¯s not really payment, but I¡¯ll take revenge for you on those fiends. I really hate those bastards too.¡± ck. As if in answer, Tushar¡¯s skull ttered down after years of facing the sky. ¡°...Farewell, India¡¯s young hero.¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned around and left the Gate. Chapter 13. An Oddball Player (1)

Chapter 13. An Oddball yer (1)

[Again? Uncleared Gate ¡°Leuf¡¯s Garden¡¯s¡± disappearance confirmed.] [Online tabloids names yer ¡®Seo Jun-Ho¡¯ as the one who cleared it.] [Just who in the world is yer Seo Jun-Ho?] Shim Deok-Gu nodded slowly as he read the articles. ¡°It¡¯s just like you said. Even though we didn¡¯t say anything, people still figured out that you cleared the Gate.¡± ¡°I told you so,¡± Seo Jun-Ho chided. He wasying down on the sofa of the president¡¯s office. ¡°Wow, this sofa¡¯s reallyfortable¡­Can I eat this chocte?¡± he asked. ¡°...Go ahead,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said with a soft sigh. He continued. ¡°The Indian government has sent their thanks. When Tushar¡¯s family saw the journal you found, they started crying their eyes out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d things worked out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a relief that you were at least able to find a memento¡­Though, it¡¯s a bit of a shame about the other thing.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. Shim Deok-Gu shook his head. His was face full of regret. ¡°Never mind. If I say it, you¡¯ll probably curse me out for being a bad person.¡± ¡°Come on. I already know that you¡¯re a dirty, cheating bastard. I won¡¯t curse you out for that.¡± ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± ¡°So what were you talking about?¡± Seo Jun-Ho pressed. ¡°...You know, Tempest Butterfly. The famous bow that Tushar used. It¡¯s a shame that you didn¡¯t find it,¡± he said reluctantly. ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Nibbling on the chocte, Seo Jun-Ho opened his inventory and rummaged around until he found Tempest Butterfly. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s mouth gaped as he looked back and forth between Seo Jun-Ho and the bow. He scrambled up as he shouted. ¡°You! Y-you¡­!¡± ¡°Geez, you scared me. You¡¯re hurting my ears,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ¡°You bastard! You shouldn''t have kept this hidden! What will you do if this causes diplomatic issuester?¡± Tempest Butterfly had been discovered in a Gate in India. It had been loaned to Tushar Vishi, so it was technically still owned by the government. Seo Jun-Ho nced up at his friend. ¡°I have a friend who¡¯s an expert at taking care of these things, you see.¡± ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± Shim Deok-Gu demanded. ¡°My friend is also very smart.¡± ¡°...Man, I¡¯m going crazy.¡± Shim Deok-Gu copsed on the sofa. In a single instant, it looked like he aged a month. Seo Jun-Ho held out Tempest Butterfly. ¡°Wanna take a look at my bow?¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu hesitated. Tempest Butterfly was a high-grade bow that had been considered a national treasure by the Indian government. It would be weirder if Shim Deok-Gu wasn¡¯t curious. He scratched his wig and carefully took the bow into his hands. He studied it for a long time before he expressed his admiration. ¡°...Wow, this bow really is amazing. I get why it¡¯s a national treasure now.¡± ¡°Right? But I won¡¯t be able to use it much,¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed. ¡°Of course not. We told them that it was destroyed with Tushar Vishi¡¯s inventory,¡± Shim Deok-Gu retorted. ¡°No. The one I¡¯m up against isn¡¯t the Indian government, it¡¯s a fiend.¡± ¡°...A fiend?¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked up. He looked confused for a moment, but he quickly understood. ¡°You mean Kal Signer?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. The Demon Bow Kal Signer was a fiend who obsessively collected bows. ¡®He even left a warning to say that he¡¯d steal Tempest Butterfly. The fiend who went into the Gate with Tushar was probably under orders from Signer too.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t let the fiend find out that he had the bow no matter what. Because Kal Signer would aim his bow at Seo Jun-Ho the moment it was revealed. ¡®He had probably seen the articles by now.¡¯ Officially, Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t discovered Tempest Butterfly. But Kal Signer was obsessed over bows. He would probably be suspicious of the reports. ¡®If he suspects me¡­¡¯ The fiend would probably send fiends to go after him once Seo Jun-Ho entered the final Uncleared Gate in Korea when he reached level 13 or higher. ¡®Just like he did with Tushar Vishi.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stroked Tempest Butterfly in his hands. If things worked out, he would be able to start taking the revenge he promised to Tushar Vishi sooner than he thought. *** Not many people became a celebrity overnight. For the most part, they reacted with the same excitement and joy. But Seo Jun-Ho had already experienced being famous once before, so he wasn¡¯t surprised by his sudden poprity. If anything, he was more annoyed. ¡°...Reporters are here?¡± he muttered. ¡°Yeah! They can no longer deny that you cleared the Uncleared Gate, and they¡¯ve been swarming like flies,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said excitedly. He went over to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s room first thing in the morning. ¡°Reporters¡­Are you sure they aren¡¯t third-rate tabloid journalists like the ones I met in front of the Gate?¡± Seo Jun-Ho doubtfully asked. ¡°No. This time, even the bigpanies came out.¡± Shim Deok-Gu shook his head. ¡°Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wrapped the thick cottonforter around himself. Only his face peeked out. ¡°How about the Guilds?¡± ¡°They¡¯re here too, of course. The Guilds¡¯ recruiters always follow the scent of talents.¡± ¡°...Does that include the Big 6?¡± ¡°Come on. You¡¯re not that big yet,¡± Shim Deok-Gu retorted while shaking his head. The six greatest, most powerful Guilds in the world were known as the Big 6. They were also famous for having extremely high standards. ¡°But if your reputation keeps spreading¡­They¡¯ll start to get interested too,¡± Shim Deok-Gu added. ¡°If I get scouted by the Big 6¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ¡°Then your reputation will skyrocket.¡± Shim Deok-Gu took the words out of his mouth. Seo Jun-Ho smirked. ¡°Geez. I still have a long way to go, but they¡¯re already making a ruckus.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of how big of an impact your actions have had. You¡¯re the yer who conquered two Uncleared Gates, which have been a thorn at the country¡¯s side.¡± Shim Deok-Gu stood up and fixed his tie as he spoke. ¡°Anyway, I wanted to let you know about these as soon as possible, which is why I came in person.¡± ¡°...Just send me a text. A text.¡± ¡°It¡¯s courteous to tell you these things in person,¡± Shim Deok-Gu countered. ¡°Well, waking someone who was sleeping soundly isn¡¯t courteous¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho grumbled. Despite hisints, he had already slept for six hours, so his body had already recovered from all the fatigue. Seo Jun-Ho crawled out of his nket, yawning. ¡°Mm, we should hold a press conference at some point.¡± ¡°Really? What time is good for you?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°Right now.¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded. ¡°...Right now?¡± Shim Deok-Gu stopped, scanning Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s appearance. ¡°Don¡¯t you need some time to wash up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve had enough of acting all high and mighty in front of others as Specter.¡± Even if Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t want to, he always had to put on a mask. As the hero of humanity and the hope of the world, he couldn¡¯t seem weak. ¡°I¡¯m not Specter. I¡¯m Seo Jun-Ho, you know?¡± ¡°...Well, if that¡¯s what you want.¡± Shim Deok-Gu nodded happily. ¡°I know I always say this, but you should live your life doing everything you want.¡± ¡°What if I cause problems doing that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. Shim Deok-Gu directly responded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll kick you out of the Association.¡± ¡°Cheapskate¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned at the joke. He stood up. ¡°You go ahead. I¡¯m just gonna wash my face before I go down,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll set everything up, so juste in the next thirty minutes.¡± When Shim Deok-Gu left, Seo Jun-Ho headed to the bathroom. When he looked in the mirror, he saw that his hair was a rat¡¯s nest. ¡°This is my life¡­¡± When he was Specter, he had to run forward without looking back. He had no reason nor time to look around himself. All Specter needed were monsters to direct his anger at, and hisrades had been the ones to help him restrain his fury. ¡®Be fast, but not rushed. Beposed, but not slow,¡¯ He reminded himself as he finished washing his face. He smoothed out the wrinkles in his pajamas. ¡°Hey, handsome.¡± The Seo Jun-Ho in the mirror didn¡¯t have the overflowing charisma nor the stoicposure of Specter. ¡®But I don¡¯t need that.¡¯ Ever since living as Specter, Seo Jun-Ho had always longed for a carefree life where he didn¡¯t have to care about how others saw him. *** Countless reporters and Guild recruiters were camping out in the Association¡¯s conference room. ¡°His first gate was the Curse of Dawn, and the second was Leuf¡¯s Garden¡­He¡¯s really something else.¡± ¡°People like him appear from time to time. They¡¯re unpredictable and refuse to take the easy way out.¡± ¡°A so-called genius, something like that?¡± Everyone was teeming with anticipation. They were looking at Seo Jun-Ho like a rare jewel. ¡®Even among countless gemstones, there aren¡¯t many that shine on their own.¡¯ ¡®Korea could create another star yer like Kim Woo-Joong or Shin Sung-Hyun.¡¯ ¡®Above all, he¡¯s a hot topic right now.¡¯ ¡®There hasn¡¯t been much to write about 1st-floor yers these days¡­This is good.¡¯ The man of the hour, Seo Jun-Ho himself, appeared exactly thirty minutester. ¡°He¡¯sing!¡± ¡°Take his picture!¡± Click, click! ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± The reporters and recruiters realized after they had frantically clicked their shutters. They realized toote that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s appearance was quite peculiar. ¡®Huh? Why is he wearing that in an official setting?¡¯ ¡®Is that the trend these days?¡¯ ¡®That man¡­Does he actually know that he¡¯s holding a press conference right now?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had stepped into the press conference wearing pajamas, his slippers dragging behind him. To top it off, his hair was a mess. And that wasn¡¯t all¡­ ¡®...Wait, is he really a yer? He looks weaker than me.¡¯ ¡®Is that really the yer who closed two Uncleared Gates?¡¯ ¡®Has there been some sort of mistake? Maybe he was heading to his room to sleep, but came in here by ident¡­¡¯ Clothing aside, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s general appearance was vastly different from what they had expected. They had expected a big, muscr man, or a cold-faced killer. But now that they have seen him, they were rendered speechless. While the whole room was frozen in shock, Seo Jun-Ho took a seat and yawned. He spoke. ¡°Ahem. Hello, I am Seo Jun-Ho. I will be holding the press conference for the next thirty minutes. Who wants to ask the first question?¡± The reporters btedly pulled it together, and their hands shot up. ¡°Please tell us in detail about how you cleared the Gate!¡± ¡°How did you feel before you entered the Gates?¡± ¡°You debuted with an Uncleared Gate. Is there a particr reason for this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho patiently answered each question in order like a teacher handling students. ¡°The Curse of Dawn was a graveyard. As you all know, the clear requirement was to survive until the sun rose¡­¡± As the reporters took down Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s answers, they started writing their articles in real-time. No one said anything, but they were all thinking the same thing. ¡®He sure likes to brag. Even if it¡¯s an Uncleared Gate, I don¡¯t believe that he defeated over 50 zombies¡­¡¯ ¡®Who would believe that a mere level-1 novice defeated that many zombies and even a Tricker, all by himself?¡¯ ¡®Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s probably behind this. He probably came up with stories that the public would like so that Seo Jun-Ho can get his name out there.¡¯ ¡®Well, as long it¡¯s the sensational stuff that people like, it doesn''t really matter.¡¯ Thanks to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expert handling of the conversation, the questions and answers went on. On the contrary, the reporters were the ones who felt like they were on the hot seat. ¡®Is this really his first time doing a press conference? He seems like he¡¯s done this a few times before.¡¯ ¡®Most yers get nervous during their first press conference and stutter a lot¡­He¡¯s better than I thought.¡¯ ¡®He must¡¯ve been born with it. That¡¯s the only way you can exin it.¡¯ That was a big misunderstanding, of course. Seo Jun-Ho had simply sat in this same seat countless times before. But in the end, their misunderstanding ended up being beneficial for him. ¡®A rookie yer who looks sickly at first sight, but has aplished something that no one else has¡­¡¯ ¡®Who has an entric personality that he arrived in a press conference wearing pajamas.¡¯ ¡®This will make for a good story.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll be all set if we just make articles about him for the time being.¡¯ The newspapers had been dry for some time now, but Seo Jun-Ho hade to save the reporters like rain during a drought. Chapter 14. An Oddball Player (2)

Chapter 14. An Oddball yer (2)

Seo Jun-Ho nced at the time. The promised 30 minutes had passed, and the room couldn¡¯t get any more heated. ¡®Nice. Tomorrow¡¯s newspapers will be interesting.¡¯ Seeing the reporters¡¯ eyes sparkle, Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was about time to wrap things up. ¡°I¡¯ll take onest question.¡± At that moment, a reporter raised their hand as if they had been waiting. ¡°Have you decided which Gate you¡¯ll be going to next?¡± ¡°No.¡± The response cut like a knife, but as if he had been expecting it, Seo Jun-Ho added. ¡°There¡¯s one Gate that I really want to go to, but my level isn¡¯t high enough yet.¡± ¡°Your level is too low...Which one are you talking about?¡± As the reporter raised their sses, a faint smile spread across Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lips. ¡°The Eastern Sea Gate.¡± ¡°I see. So it¡¯s the Eastern Sea G...Excuse me?!¡± The reporter let out a piercing scream, but no one could me him. Everyone¡¯s eyes were wide as they stared at Seo Jun-Ho for an answer. Wondering if they heard him wrong, some of them even turned to each other to double-check if they were awake or dreaming. Their reaction was natural. The Eastern Sea Gate was thest Uncleared Gate in Korea. ¡°...Well, if you look at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s other achievements, it¡¯s not so strange.¡± ¡°Yes, definitely. He has already cleared two Uncleared Gates.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of that earlier?¡± ¡°But of course¡­¡± Naturally, their gazes turned to Seo Jun-Ho himself. He looked a little bigger, but he was still as scrawny as always. It didn¡¯t help that he was wearing pajamas and three-stripe slippers instead of some shiny armor. No one would ever think that he was an amazing yer that could enter the Eastern Sea Gate. ¡°So...are you saying that you n to go to other Uncleared Gates once your level is high enough?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s surprising. If you clear the Eastern Sea Gate, you will have cleared three Uncleared Gates. That¡¯s something unheard of.¡± The silent reporter slowly started to speak again. ¡°The Eastern Sea Gate requires a minimum level of 13. It¡¯s one of the most dangerous ces on the 1st floor.¡±[1] ¡°8,715 yers have already failed to clear it. There are even rumors that it¡¯ll soon be dered a 1-star gate.¡± ¡°ording to the information from the Guilds, it¡¯s also likely that there is a Boss Monster inside.¡± ¡°Do you think that you can defeat a Boss Monster?¡± ¡°Personally, I¡¯m wondering whether you¡¯re being unreasonable and ignoring the fact¡­¡­¡± It was only natural that the reporters would react so negatively. ¡®Of course, a Boss Monster is a big deal.¡¯ They were on a different levelpared to normal monsters. They had overwhelming strength and ruled over other monsters as kings. That was a Boss Monster. Looking at the eager reporters, Seo Jun-Houghed. ¡°If I fight a Boss Monster, I¡¯ll win.¡± It was a fitting remark for the title of the ¡®Indifferent King¡¯ from 25 years ago. *** [¡°Boss Monster? I¡¯ll defeat them all¡± yer Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s strangement.] [No one has ever said anything like this before. Is it arrogance or confidence? Hot topic Seo Jun-Ho.] [Seo Jun-Ho confirms again: ¡°I couldn¡¯t find the Tempest after I cleared the Gate.¡±] [Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s next conquest will be carefully selected from a flood ofmission requests.] [When asked who he admires most, Seo Jun-Ho replied with ¡°Specter.¡±] A man sat in the Guild Master¡¯s office as he flipped through the newspapers. He was looking at a photo of a pajama-d Seo Jun-Ho on the fourth page. ¡°...And a picture on the 4th page? That¡¯s amazing for a rookie.¡± The man sitting on the sofa opposite him looked up. ¡°I think it¡¯s clear just how significant the Uncleared Gates are.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard something interesting from the 1st floor. Two of the so-called Big 6 Guilds were from Korea. One was the Silent Moon Guild led by Son Chae-Won, and the other was the Goblin Guild led by Shin Sung-Hyun. The Vice Master of Goblin spoke carefully as he looked at Shin Sung-Hyun sitting in front of him. ¡°If you¡¯re interested, would you like me to contact him?¡± ¡°Hm? No, not yet. He¡¯s still far off from that.¡± With a resolute look, Shin Sung-Hyun continued. ¡°If something extraordinary happens, people will call it a chance or fate. But do you know what they call it when it happens twice?¡± ¡°That...Wouldn¡¯t that be skill?¡± ¡°Precisely. But I disagree with that notion.¡± He held up three fingers. ¡°Three times. I think it has to happen at least three times before you can call it skill.¡± ¡°Three times...I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± The Vice Master bowed his head. He realized what his boss wanted. ¡®Seo Jun-Ho has one more left.¡¯ If he performed another miracle, Seo Jun-Ho would receive an invitation from the Goblin Guild. *** ¡°Pass. Ah, this one too.¡± ¡°Then how about this one?¡± ¡°Hm, not bad but I¡¯m not feeling it. Pass.¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Shim Deok-Gu were in the process of going through a mountain of documents. They were allmissionsbeled ¡®personal request.¡¯ ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the press conference would have this big of an effect. You¡¯re totally hot right now.¡± ¡°Deok-Gu, this is just another day for me.¡± ¡°...Cheeky bastard.¡± Shim Deok-Hu simply gave Seo Jun-Ho a look and shook his head. They were looking for a request that fulfilled 3 conditions. A Gate with good EXP drops. A Gate with an appropriate difficulty. A good reward. Shim Deok-Gu scratched at his wig. ¡°Hm. It¡¯s hard to find amission that fulfills all three of them.¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m fine with giving up on the third one.¡± ¡°Nope. This is your first personalmission. It¡¯ll set a precedent for your prices. Of course, image is important too. The gap between a yer who gets 100 million wonmissions and a yer who gets 1 billion wonmissions is bigger than you think.¡± Right now, Seo Jun-Ho was level 9. He needed to level up four more times before he could enter the Eastern Sea Gate. ¡°Huh?¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyes widened as he read over amission. With an earnest gaze, he handed the paper over to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°How about this?¡± ¡°Let me see.¡± Strangely, the form was filled out by hand. Looking at the neat writing was refreshing to his eyes. But the request was far from refreshing. ¡°Huh. So it¡¯s a request from a father for his daughter with a terminal illness.¡± ¡°The only thing that can cure it is the Cinder Fox¡¯s core.¡± The Cinder Fox. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s brows furrowed at the name. ¡°That¡¯s a name I haven¡¯t heard in a while.¡± ¡°You killed one before, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...Yeah. I almost died.¡± It hadn¡¯t even been half a year since he became a yer. Looking back on it, everything had been fun and games at the time. ¡°Are there still Gates with Cinder Foxes? I only encountered one during all my time as a yer.¡± ¡°Yup. In Korea, no less.¡± Shim Deok-Gu responded.Seo Jun-Ho looked surprised when he heard Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s words. ¡°Really? Why did I not know until now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you were so focused on Uncleared Gates.¡± ¡°It has a Cinder Fox but it¡¯s not Uncleared?¡± ¡°It only appeared 3 months ago so it doesn¡¯t quite meet the requirements.¡± Uncleared Gates had to meet two conditions. One, it had to be at least 6 months old. Two, in that time span, it had to have at least 5 failed attempts. ¡°It¡¯s easier to just show you.¡± Deok-Gu tapped twice on Vita and a disy appeared. [Burning Dunes] Required level: 5-15 Party cap: 30 people Clear condition: Defeat the Cinder Fox. Difficulty: Hard Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled as he read over the description. ¡°This is gonna be harder than the one I caught before.¡± There was a reason that Seo Jun-Ho concluded this way. ¡°The Cinder Fox I caught before required levels 10 through 20 and had a party cap of 50.¡± This time, the requirements were stricter. Shim Deok-Gu shook his head. ¡°Not necessarily.¡± ¡°...Why not?¡± ¡°The standards for yers have gone up. So did item specs.¡± ¡°Their skills have been getting better?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked before he nodded slowly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s probably true. I haven¡¯t seen any yers in action since I¡¯vee back.¡± All he saw so far were the yers from the licensing test. ¡®I wonder how strong they are these days.¡¯ Were they as strong as Shim Deok-Gu suggested? How much stronger had they gotten? ¡°...I¡¯m curious now.¡± He was a first-generation yer. Didn¡¯t that mean that he was everyone¡¯s sunbae?[2] ¡®I want to see how my hubaes are doing.¡¯[3] Seo Jun-Ho waved themission form in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll do this one. I want to see my hubaes.¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yup. Why do you look so happy about it?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know what Shim Deok-Gu was like around others, but his inner feelings were always clear to Seo Jun-Ho. He gave up on making excuses and answered. ¡°I actually know the person who sent themission.¡± ¡°Really? Are you two close?¡± ¡°Not really. I didn¡¯t even know that he sent one.¡± That made sense. Deok-Gu looked shocked when he first saw it. ¡°You know Myungho Group? He¡¯s the CEO.¡± Deok-Gu exined. ¡°Oh? So he¡¯s old man Choi Man-Hyuk¡¯s son?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the second son. Choi Pil-Ho. You probably haven¡¯t met him, but you¡¯ve heard the name, right?¡± ¡°Well...I suppose when he was bragging about his sons.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the form with a new look in his eyes and nodded. ¡°Sounds interesting. Schedule a meeting for me.¡± *** The next day, Seo Jun-Ho made his way to the Association President¡¯s office as Deok-Gu had ordered. ¡®Huh?¡¯ He paused as he opened the door. There was another person in the office aside from Deok-Gu. It was a beautiful woman with shoulder-length ck hair. ¡°Ah, you¡¯vee.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nced at Shim Deok-Gu, and he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you. This is Cha Si-Eun. She will be your manager and secretary starting today.¡± ¡°My name is Cha Si-Eun! Please take care of me!¡± ¡°...Yes, likewise.¡± As he took in her cheerful greeting, Seo Jun-Ho realized what was going on. ¡®I see. She¡¯ll be in charge of my interpersonal work.¡¯ No matter how close he and Deok-Gu were, that was a personal rtionship. If the Association President personally assisted a yer, it would clearly be suspicious. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing that he¡¯s separating his public and private lives.¡¯ Rather than annoyed or sad, Seo Jun-Ho only felt more confident in Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°You have a meeting with the Myungho Group CEO, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, President.¡± The corner of Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s mouth twitched as Seo Jun-Ho switched over to a formal tone. ¡°Ms. Cha Si-Eun over here will escort you. She¡¯s very capable, so you¡¯ll find yourself relying on her in the future.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not that...Thank you for your kind words.¡± Cha Si-Eun looked at Seo Jun-Ho as she responded with a timid voice. ¡°There...There are 32 minutes left until the scheduled meeting time, so we should leave within 6 minutes to make it on time.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go right now,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Ah, alright!¡± Cha Si-Eun¡¯s heels clicked as she escorted him. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting here, expecting good results!¡± Shim Deok-Guughed as he waved from his seat. 1. Literal trantion would be ¡®ce with the highest difficult¡¯ but dangerous sounds better. ? 2. Sunbae basically means senior or ¡®senpai¡¯ ? 3. Hubaes are opposite of sunbaes, so juniors ? Chapter 15. Personal Commission (1)

Chapter 15. Personal Commission (1)

Myungho Group was the reigning number 1pany in Korea for decades. Myungho Guild, Myungho Electronics, Myungho Power, Myungho Manufacturing, Myungho Foundation, and so on¡­ The royal family of the ever-expanding Myungho Group dabbled in every field and had clean tax records while living lives that garnered both respect and envy. ¡°It seemed that they would be happy forever, but then, misfortune struck.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked up from the back seat of a car. Cha Si-Eun sat next to him as she briefed him in a quiet voice; it was as if she was telling him a story. ¡°Misfortune...You mean the daughter?¡± ¡°Yes. President Choi Pil-Ho¡¯s eldest daughter was struck with a terminal illness called ¡®Nine Yin Severance Syndrome¡¯.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a hard one to fix¡­¡± Those who had Nine Yin Severance Syndrome were born with high Yin energy and most of them died young. The only way to treat it was to counteract it by infusing the victim with the opposite Yang energy. The problem was, it was hard to find anything these days with the appropriate amount of Yang energy. ¡°One of the only items that can treat Nine Yin Severance Syndrome is the Cinder Fox¡¯s core. 29 years ago, the world-famous yer Specter-nim hunted the Cinder Fox and proved it true.¡± ¡°Ah...Yeah, well. It¡¯s not that amazing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho scratched his cheek, embarrassed. Cha Si-Eun nced back at him. ¡°Excuse me, why are you embarrassed?¡± ¡°...I¡¯ve admired Specter-nim all my life. I¡¯m just nervous about the fact that I¡¯ll be hunting the same monster as him.¡± He came up with the excuse on the spot. It must have been usible because she continued on without doubting him. ¡°The core that Specter-nim recovered was sold to a rich Frenchman. He sessfully treated his wife with it.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly. He remembered selling the Cinder Fox¡¯s core for a high price. ¡°In conclusion, that is the history pertaining to President Choi Pil-Ho¡¯smissioning you.¡± ¡°It was a nice story. I understand now.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ve also heard that you¡¯re not the first one that Choi Pil-Ho hasmissioned.¡± ¡°But of course. His daughter¡¯s life is on the line. How many were there before me?¡± ¡°7 teams have epted themission and failed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot. Am I the only one going this time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find out once we talk with him.¡± Right on time, the car stopped. Seo Jun-Ho got off and looked up at the Myungho Grouppany building. ¡°It hasn¡¯t changed a bit¡­¡± ¡°Have youe here before?¡± ¡°Yeah. A long time ago.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at Cha Si-Eun with a faint smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± As they approached the 1st floor¡¯s front desk, the receptionist smiled. ¡°How can I help you?¡± Cha Si-Eun reached into her pocket and showed her yer Association identification card. ¡°We¡¯re from the yer Association. We have a meeting scheduled with President Choi Pil-Ho about a personalmission.¡± ¡°Oh, yer Seo Jun-Ho-nim, correct? The elevator is right over the¡­?¡± The receptionist trailed off as a flustered look filled her face. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho could hear loud chatter behind him. ¡®What is it?¡¯ As Seo Jun-Ho turned, a middle-aged man nked by bodyguards was on his way to them. The man held out his hand as his clear eyes sparkled. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯ve been waiting. I am Choi Pil-Ho.¡± Both Seo Jun-Ho and Cha Si-Eun were shocked. Neither of them had expected the President toe all the way down to the 1st floor just to receive them. As Seo Jun-Ho took his hand, he felt something throb in his chest. Perhaps he was sensing the sincere love of a father? ¡°I¡¯m Seo Jun-Ho. It¡¯s an honor to meet you in person.¡± ¡°Haha. You¡¯re a hero who has saved countless citizens by clearing the Uncleared Gates. It should be my honor instead.¡± Choi Pil-Houghed as he said this, but Seo Jun-Ho could feel his eagerness in the way Choi Pil-Ho gripped his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s talk upstairs.¡± They followed him to his office on the top floor and they were greeted by the scent of good coffee. Choi Pil-Ho waited for Seo Jun-Ho to take a sip before he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Considering the Association¡¯s ability to gather information, I imagine that you already heard everything.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my only wish. My daughter...Please help my Sun-Hee.¡± [1] With tears forming at the edge of his eyes, Choi Pil-Ho no longer resembled the nationally-renowned businessman he was. It was the face of a worried father who could no longer hide his sadness. ¡°I heard that you need the core of the Cinder Fox.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finished his coffee with one gulp. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the only method that has been sessful in treating the disease my daughter has.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Since you already seem to know everything, let¡¯s move on to the payment.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°You¡¯re straightforward. I like it. I was thinking...150 billion won.¡± Choi Pil-Ho offered. 150 billion won. [2] Cha Si-Eun¡¯s eyes widened. It was much more than she had expected. She looked to Seo Jun-Ho expectantly with a look that seemed to say, ¡°Hurry up and ept it!¡± ¡°...¡± With his arms crossed, Seo Jun-Ho considered it for a second before shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s right.¡± Choi Pil-Ho let out a low breath and immediately raised the price. ¡°200 billion.¡± ¡°President.¡± ¡°Is that still not enough? Then 250...No, I¡¯ll give you 300 billion. Do you need more?¡± Choi Pil-Ho stared at Seo Jun-Ho, biting his bottom lip hard. Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to raise the price. 100 billion. I¡¯ll take only 100 billion won.¡± ¡°...?¡± Both Choi Pil-Ho and Cha Si-Eun¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Really?¡± Choi Pil-Ho felt that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s price wasn¡¯t high enough. Back then, Specter had sold the core to a Frenchman for exactly 100 billion. But things were different now. Intion was one thing, but the Frenchman had bought the core without knowing if it would work or not. This time, Choi Pil-Ho was buying it with a guarantee. The price of an item went up depending on how badly one wanted it. Actually, the most he paid a team for thismission was 240 billion won. ¡°Yes. 100 billion is more than enough.¡± ¡°Can I ask why?¡± Choi Pil-Ho asked, doubtful. Seo Jun-Ho grinned. ¡°The Frenchman actually offered 500 billion won for the core. He was willing to sell everything if it meant he could save his wife.¡± ¡°...This is the first time I¡¯m hearing this.¡± ¡°Oh, I heard this from President Shim Deok-Gu.¡± ¡°I see.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be strange for Shim Deok-Gu to know the truth of such a story because he was Specter¡¯s close friend. ¡°But Specter refused the offer and sold it for a lower price. Do you know why?¡± After a moment, Choi Pil-Ho shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t y around with the feelings of someone who¡¯s trying to save their family...is what he said.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I agree with Specter-nim. If I took advantage of such a situation to fill my own belly...It wouldn¡¯t feel right.¡± After listening to his story, both Choi Pil-Ho and Cha Si-Eun looked as if they were deep in their thoughts. After a moment, Choi Pil-Ho opened his mouth. ¡°...Phew, I think I should apologize first.¡± He bowed his head and started to exin as Seo Jun-Ho looked on with a curious gaze. ¡°All the others who have epted mymission were only after the money. I had to set a price to Sun-Hee¡¯s life and only looked for expensive hirees.¡± ¡°It must have been hard on you emotionally.¡± Seo Jun-Homented. ¡°Thank you for understanding. You¡¯re the only one who understands the pain that my family has been going through. I apologize once again for thinking that you were like the others.¡± Choi Pil-Ho was extremely touched by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words. That was because no other yer had been this concerned or considerate of him. ¡°Anyways, I think yer Seo Jun-Ho alone will be enough this time.¡± Choi Pil-Ho remarked. ¡°I¡¯m surprised. Are you that confident that I¡¯ll bring back the core?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. Choi Pil-Houghed at the question. ¡°As I get older, the only things that improve with time are my wrinkles and my eye for people.¡± ¡°Thank you for your praise.¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost lunchtime. Shall we dine together?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have to make preparations if I want to defeat the Cinder Fox.¡± Even though he had swiftly rejected the offer, Choi Pil-Ho didn¡¯t seem offended. ¡°Ah, I apologize. Your life is at stake. You should prepare as thoroughly as possible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem. We can dine together next time. When I return with the core, I mean.¡± ¡°I feel better just hearing that. I¡¯ll prepare the best chefs.¡± With a kind smile, Choi Pil-Ho escorted them out. ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡®Because you chose the best person for the job.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho swallowed those words and got in the car. *** ¡°Is that story about Specter-nim true?¡± Cha Si-Eun broke the silence, her eyes sparkling. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe, isn¡¯t it? He had an image for being cold and mechanical¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun shook her head. ¡°Nope. Actually, it makes sense that someone as kind as Specter-nim would do that.¡± ¡°...Is he kind? Specter?¡± ¡°I think so. And after what you said, I¡¯m more certain of it now.¡± Cha Si-Eun closed her eyes as if remembering someone and she gently ced her hands on herp. ¡°Specter-nim probably refused the initial offer because he was thinking of his own family.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Specter-nim watched his parents die right in front of his eyes. It¡¯s probably his biggest regret. So when he saw someone faced with the same situation, he probably didn¡¯t want them to experience the same pain...Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Seo Jun-Ho quietly watched the Han river pass by before he closed his eyes and muttered a reply. ¡°...Perhaps.¡± ¡°Well, no one knows but Specter-nim himself.¡± Cha Si-Eun added. They rode the rest of the way to the Association in silence. 1. yes, Sun-Hee, not Hee-Sun ? 2. Roughly $120 million ? Chapter 16. Personal Commission (2)

Chapter 16. Personal Commission (2)

¡°How was it?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked as soon as Seo Jun-Ho entered his office. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about Cha Si-Eun. Isn¡¯t she great?¡± ¡°We only spent two hours together. How should I know?¡± After a pause, Seo Jun-Ho continued. ¡°...Well, she¡¯s good at giving briefings.¡± ¡°You have no idea. She could work at a conglomeratepany or a famous Guild with her credentials,¡± Deok-Gu said. ¡°Then why is she working at a ce like this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? She really admires Specter. She said that she wanted to work here simply because Specter was here for a while.¡± ¡°What a strange girl.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho muttered to himself, Shim Deok-Gu stood up. ¡°Anyways, she¡¯s good at her job, so make good use of her. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Go where?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°If you want to defeat the Cinder Fox, you need good equipment.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going shopping?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯re going to the Association¡¯s weapons warehouse.¡± ¡°...You cheap bastard.¡± ¡°Hey, there are a lot of great weapons there! Take a look at them before you judge.¡± Shim Deok-Gu led his grumbling friend and started to walk toward the warehouse. ¡°I¡¯ve gone there before. There wasn¡¯t much for me to look at.¡± ¡°Well,st time you didn¡¯t amount to much so you only went to zone 1,¡± Deok-Gu cheekily said. Whirrrr. The back door of zone 1 opened as Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s iris was scanned. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you at least need gear from zone 2 if you¡¯re gonna catch the Cinder Fox?¡± ¡°...Hoo.¡± Now interested, Seo Jun-Ho slowly looked around zone 2. The quality of the equipment was much better than in zone 1. ¡°I can take anything I want?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah. I can exin them to you if you¡¯d like.¡± Deok-Gu offered. ¡°Please. Maybe it¡¯s because it has been a long time, but there''s a lot of unfamiliar stuff here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. Shim Deok-Guughed and grabbed the sword in front of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Do you remember the game we yed in inte cafes after school?¡± Deok-Gu asked. ¡°Yeah. It was League of Gods, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered. ¡°Yeah. Whenever they had big patches, they released new builds and items.¡± ¡°Right. When it came out, we woulde up with strategies and ns.¡± The duoughed as they reminisced. ¡°It¡¯s the same with gear. They have been developing for the past 25 years.¡± Shim Deok-Gu held out the sword to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Take it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took it. It was a high-quality sword, but other than that, it just seemed like a normal sword. But it was much lighter than an ordinary sword. ¡°I¡¯m a little disappointed. It¡¯s nice, but it¡¯s pretty normal.¡± ¡°Infuse it with magic,¡± Deok-Gu said. As soon as he did, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes went wide with surprise. ¡°...What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sword with the highest rate of magic transference. Your old sword couldn¡¯t do this, could it?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± ¡°These other weapons are the same.¡± Shim Deok-Gu excitedly introduced Seo Jun-Ho to the other equipment. ¡°This one releases electricity. You can stun monsters with it.¡± ¡°If you infuse this armor with magic, it creates an energy shield to block the enemy¡¯s attacks.¡± ¡°Oh, did I exin this one? It¡¯s called a magic bomb. It¡¯s super powerful.¡± Shim Deok-Gu paused and nced toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...Hey, what¡¯s with that face? I thought you¡¯d be more excited.¡± After all, Seo Jun-Ho was greedy when it came to items. ¡°I mean, it is impressive...but you said most yers use these sort of things nowadays?¡± ¡°Of course. They¡¯re a lot more efficient than the normal weapons we used to have.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho furrowed his eyebrows and turned back to him. ¡°Then when do they train with them?¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not a yer, so I¡¯m not too sure, but do they really need to train with them? All the newest equipment is at this level.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°Deok-gu. The...Rankers, do they use these things too?¡± ¡°Well, Rankers usually get custom-made gears, so I¡¯m not too sure,¡± Deok-Gu replied. ¡°...¡± Pursing his lips, Seo Jun-Ho thought for a second. ¡®He said that the standards for yers have gone up...I can see that.¡¯ In the past, yers would die miserable deaths because they couldn¡¯t pierce the orcs¡¯ hides. But with these new weapons, an orc¡¯s hide could easily be stabbed through. ¡®But at best, these are mere toys that can only kill normal monsters.¡¯ These weapons couldn¡¯t be used to hunt the ¡®best¡¯ ones. Those predators made even Seo Jun-Ho nervous. These toys wouldn¡¯t even put a scratch on them. He was sure of it. ¡®A yer¡¯s magic will short-circuit in front of such destructive power.¡¯ And what about those fake artifacts that weren¡¯t even worthy of a grade rating? They would simply break and fall apart. ¡°Not only that but the Cinder Fox¡­¡± It was the strongest of its kind, a ¡®Boss Monster.¡¯ Getting a little annoyed at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s long silence, Shim Deok-Gu finally spoke up. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°There''s only one type of monster these toys can defeat.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ced the sword back in its ce and shook his head. ¡°Deok-Gu. Do you know why a yer only encounters weak monsters when their level is low?¡± ¡°...Because they¡¯ll die if they encounter a strong one?¡± ¡°Exactly. This shitty system is really fair about things like that.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and recalled the training he and his fourrades went through. ¡°A yer grows by fighting monsters. That way, they can use the experience and skills they¡¯ve umted to face more powerful monsters.¡± ¡°So, you are thinking that these high-tech weapons won¡¯t work on strong monsters?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why I asked if Rankers use these too.¡± Seo Jun-Ho affirmed. ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu paused to consider this. ¡°You¡¯re right...yers who use these weapons don¡¯t exactly achieve much. But they¡¯re great for Gates and lower-level monsters.¡± Chuckling, Seo Jun-Ho looked around. Something caught his eyes and he walked toward a corner. A longsword was propped up against the wall. Shing! As he pulled it from the sheath, the sound rang across the room. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s also made with new materials, but it doesn¡¯t have any particr features so I decided to simply put it away in the corner.¡± ¡°...The world has be very interesting. Personal growth has been hindered by mere toys.¡± This was probably because the world had be so peaceful. ¡°I¡¯ll take this. I don¡¯t need anything else. Oh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho grabbed a few of the magic bombs. ¡°And these look pretty fun too, so I¡¯ll take some.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s shoulders sagged as he muttered to himself. *** There was a crowd of people gathered in front of the Burning Dunes Gate. They were mostly yers and their families, but there were also reporters waiting for Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of people.¡± Cha Si-Eun fidgeted as Seo Jun-Ho looked outside. She opened her thermos and offered it to him. ¡°It¡¯svender tea. It¡¯s good for concentration as well as easing the body and the mind.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re really prepared.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a secretary after all. I also heard that yers get quite nervous and anxious before entering a Gate¡­¡± She tilted her head as she studied him. ¡°But it¡¯s strange. You don¡¯t seem nervous at all.¡± ¡°...I am, on the inside.¡± Seo Jun-Ho blew on the tea before taking a sip and looked back outside. ¡°It¡¯s good. But I didn¡¯t expect that there would be this many yers.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going in alone. They all want the Cinder Fox¡¯s core.¡± ¡°I heard that Guild members are here too. How many are there?¡± ¡°Counting you, there are a total of 27 yers who will go inside the Gate.¡± They had no idea how many would return. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and got out of the car. As soon he did, he was showered with camera shes and mics. ¡°How do you feel about going inside a Gate with other yers for the first time?¡± ¡°The Cinder Fox is known to be a fickle Boss Monster, how confident are you?¡± ¡°Is it true that you received amission from Myungho Group¡¯s President Choi Pil-Ho?¡± As the reporters crowded him, the other yers snickered. ¡°Wow, you¡¯d think he¡¯s a Ranker or something.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been blowing up even though he¡¯s a rookie. The media are all over him.¡± ¡°That scrawny guy cleared two Uncleared Gates? Were the reports mistaken?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it either. His equipment looks shabby too.¡± ¡°Well...he probably has stuff in his inventory. Do you think he¡¯d clear the Gate with just that?¡± There was a simple reason for their contempt; there were almost no novices who received as much attention as Seo Jun-Ho did. Most yers who weren¡¯t part of famous Guilds couldn¡¯t evennd interviews. Seo Jun-Ho knew this too. ¡®There¡¯s already this many reporters...It¡¯s more than in the past.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the reporters were a representation of his hold on the media. Feeling good about himself, he curled his lip. ¡°Nervous? I feel like I¡¯m out for a walk.¡± ¡°Cinder Fox? I¡¯ll defeat it easily.¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. As soon as the short interviews ended, Cha Si-Eun stepped up. ¡°For the sake of yer Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mental state, we will end the interviews here.¡± The reporters looked disappointed, but it would be rude to pester someone who was about to enter a Gate. As they started to disperse, Cha Si-Eun let out a sigh. ¡°Phew, I didn¡¯t know that there would be this many reporters.¡± ¡°It just shows how interested they are in me.¡± ¡°...¡± Until now, Cha Si-Eun had watched over many yers, but no one else had looked as calm as Seo Jun-Ho was looking right before they entered a Gate. ¡®And he¡¯s only been to two Gates before¡­¡¯ Was he trying to act cool because he was in front of a girl? Cha Si-Eun nced at Seo Jun-Ho before nodding to him. ¡°Please return safely.¡± ¡°Yes. And please make mevender tea again. It was good.¡± As he started to walk toward the other yers, he said something else. ¡°Oh, and you should get up earlier tomorrow.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Get up early¡­?¡± Cha Si-Eun blinked as Seo Jun-Ho turned back toward her. ¡°After today, we¡¯re gonna get a whole lot of personalmission requests. So prepare yourself.¡± 11:28 AM. 27 yers entered the Gate, leaving their family¡¯s cheers and the media¡¯s attention behind. Chapter 17. How Many Tails? (1) The inside of the Burning Dunes Gate was a deste desert. The only sights were the color of the sky and the sand. The yers who didn¡¯t expect a desert environment erupted inints. ¡°Dammit, I wore metal armor and it¡¯s a desert?¡± ¡°Oh no...I didn¡¯t bring a lot of drinking water.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with this sand? My feet keep on sinking. And we¡¯re supposed to fight here¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s crazy hot.¡± There weren¡¯t many people who had been to a desert before. On top of that, they had to fight on the sand. Some of the yers started to panic at the reality and started to curse loudly. ¡°Please lend me your ears!¡± At the voice, all the yers turned. ¡°For now, please gather here.¡± ¡°Who is that bastard?¡± ¡°I dunno. Oh, is he a yer from a Guild?¡± ¡°Huh, a Guild?¡± With uncertain looks on their faces, they gathered around the man who called to them. Three of his teammates were gathered behind him. ¡°Let me introduce myself. I am Cha Min-Woo, a member of Korea¡¯s rank 13 Guild, Cheong-Hae.¡± ¡°C-Cheong-Hae?¡± ¡°What the heck. Cheong-Hae is the Guild that will participate in the attack today?¡± ¡°They¡¯re really good.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the ce that only takes elites?¡± In an instant, their suspicious attitudes changed. Cheong-Hae wasn¡¯t good enough to be part of the Big 6, but it was still a famous and prestigious Guild. ¡°As you all know, there¡¯s not much an individual yer can do in such a big Gate.¡± ¡°Well...That¡¯s true.¡± The yers nodded in agreement. ¡°Because these Gates aren¡¯t meant to be conquered alone. I would like to make a proposal.¡± ¡°A proposal?¡± ¡°100 million won. We will give 100 million won to every yer that follows our orders. Of course, we will also guarantee your safety.¡± [1] ¡°Geez...100 million won, that¡¯s more than I thought.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a small sumpared to the price of the core¡­¡± The yers nced around at each other. They all entered the Gate with the hopes of making it big with the Cinder Fox¡¯s core. There were even those among them who hadn¡¯t even mastered the fundamentals and couldn¡¯t be called actual yers. Usually, when those types of people entered through a Gate, they would always be met with a harsh reality. ¡®Good move.¡¯ The Cheong-Hae Guild really was an elite Guild. They already made a proposal before the yers did anything. ¡®If these yers had sessfullypleted their hunt, then they would refuse the offer, but even if they had seeded, 100 million won would still be too much to give up.¡¯ In other words, they had baited the beginner yers very well. In such a dangerous and deste ce, the guarantee of safety made it a tempting offer. Seo Jun-Ho slowly raised his hand. ¡°Then, how will we divide the reward? The Cinder Fox¡¯s core, I mean.¡± ¡°...Of course, our Guild will take it.¡± With his response, everybody immediately protested.¡°Wait a minute. You can sell the Cinder Fox¡¯s core for however much you want, so how can you keep that for yourself?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right! Even if you give 100 million to everyone here, it would just be 3 billion. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too much?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s right. Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re going too far?¡± Cha Min-Woo frowned when public opinion began turning against him. ¡°Then do you have the confidence to hunt the Cinder Fox without our help?¡± ¡°...¡± They closed their mouths. They had never hunted one before so how could they know? Cha Min-Woo took advantage of the silence and drove the nail in. ¡°Huu, alright then. Those who will join us right now will receive 200 million won. But those that will join uster will only receive 50 million.¡± It was time to choose. Would they follow the Guild yers and receive 200 million won with their safety guaranteed? Or would they go down the dangerous route and attempt to hunt the Cinder Fox on their own with a potential reward of billions? The practical people raised their hands first. ¡°I ept.¡± ¡°So will I. It¡¯ll be hard to fight alone in this heavy armor¡­¡± ¡°Will you give us drinking water too? If so, I¡¯ll join.¡± Those who were unprepared joined next. When others began joining or began showing their intent to join, the remaining people had no choice but to nod. ¡°What, they¡¯re all going over?¡± ¡°Tsk. I wanted to make it big this time, but there¡¯s nothing I can dopared to such a big group.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to settle for 200 million won. That¡¯s also a lot.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll join too.¡± 22 of the 23 yers joined the Cheong-Hae Guild¡¯s group. Cha Min-Woo turned to thest one, Seo Jun-Ho, with a satisfied look. ¡°What will you do?¡± ¡°I...oh.¡± Seo Jun-Ho bent over and tied his shoes tightly before standing back up. He looked to the others. ¡°I¡¯ll go alone.¡± As they watched him disappear in the sand, the other yers started to whisper. ¡°That¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho? I heard he cleared two Uncleared Gates¡­¡± ¡°I guess he¡¯s still greedy for the core.¡± ¡°I wanted to see him fight. It¡¯s a waste.¡± As he listened to the others talk, Cha Min-Woo looked surprised. ¡®That was Seo Jun-Ho? The one who cleared the Curse of Dawn and the Leuf¡¯s Garden?¡¯ Cha Min-Woo had never seen a picture of him, but he heard more than enough rumors so he had been looking forward to meeting Seo Jun-Ho. However, Seo Jun-Ho looked disappointingly shabby and didn¡¯t exude any particr pressure.[2] As if they were thinking the same thing, his teammates spoke up. ¡°As I thought, the rumors exaggerated things.¡± ¡°He¡¯s divine, he¡¯s a genius, h h h...He doesn¡¯t even seem that strong.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not worth your concern, Team Leader.¡± ¡°...What are you saying? I was never concerned about him in the first ce.¡± Cha Min-Woo erased Seo Jun-Ho from his mind and joined the others. *** After escaping from the crowd, Seo Jun-Ho started to climb the dunes without a particr destination in mind. ¡®The Cinder Fox...It¡¯s something between a monster and a mythical creature.¡¯ The Cinder Fox he had defeated in the past had six tails. It could grow up to nine over the course of a thousand years. Once it grew all its tails, it would ascend to the heavens and be the Millenium Fox that would watch over its kind. ¡°The Cinder Fox is stronger the more tails it has¡­¡± And they couldmand Fire Fox soldiers. There was no way to tell how many tails the Cinder Fox had at the moment. Thus, Seo Jun-Ho thought that it would be a good idea to find a scouting spot first. ¡®I have to find a good vantage point.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho climbed a number of dunes before he found a suitable hill. From the top, he could see yers in the distance walking in a line. ¡°I can rx now.¡± The Fire Foxes would find them soon, and then the Cinder Fox would appear. Seo Jun-Ho nned to wait until then. ¡®I¡¯ll make my move after I see how many tails it has. That¡¯s the first thing I need to do.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho conjured some chunks of ice and cooled himself down. He wouldn¡¯t have to wait long since Fire Foxes had good noses. *** A scream reverberated from the front of the formation. ¡°I-it¡¯s a Fire Fox!¡± ¡°How many are there? 30...40...What the hell, there¡¯s at least 50!¡± They were surrounded in an instant, and the yers gulped nervously. Cha Min-Woo calmed them down first. ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Follow the strategy! We have the advantage!¡± The yers came back to their senses and started to move. They pulled out their weapons and readied their skills as they waited for the Fire Foxes to attack. Grr¡­ Khak! The Fire Foxes were at least four times bigger than a normal fox. Dozens of them circled the group. They were smart and soon realized that there were only 26 yers. As such, the 50 clever Foxes rushed at the yers without hesitation. Khaaa! Graaaagh! Cha Min-Woo¡¯s eyes shed. He forcibly stopped the yers who tried to attack and had them wait for the right moment. And the moment the distance between them and the Fire Foxes reached 20 meters¡­ ¡°Now!¡± As soon as he gave themand, some of the yers used their magic. The trap hidden under the sand started to activate. Bzzt! Powerful lines of electricity shot out between each machine. The unsuspecting Foxes fell, a burning scent wafted from their flesh. ¡°It worked!¡± ¡°They fell for it!¡± ¡°Phew, of course, they did.¡± Cha Min-Woo felt satisfied as he saw the way the others looked at him in surprise. He was the one who had set up the formation to be like a martial arts ring. ¡®Methods of hunting have changed from the past.¡¯ Now, it was the age of technology. Things were different from the times when they made weapons by hand and made shabby pitfalls. The researchers at the National Guild of Scientists made weapons that were easy to use. They were the ones that had set the new standards for hunting. ¡®And if I¡¯m this good at using weapons and tactics¡­¡® It was only a matter of time before he achieved the title of a Ranker. Cha Min-Woo had no doubt of this. ¡°We¡¯ve already reduced their numbers by half! The time is now!¡± As the Fire Foxes numbers dwindled to 20, Cha Min-Woo stepped out of the ring and pulled out his weapon. He continued to give orders as he started to hunt the Fire Foxes. It was important to raise his individual level as well as the level of his contribution. Rip! Slice! Like the Cheong-Hae elites that they were, Cha Min-Woo and his teammates hunted faster than the other yers. ¡°And here I thought that the Gate would be hard because of the Cinder Fox...This is nothing.¡± ¡°We made a good choice. It was right to join the Cheong-Hae Guild members.¡± As their fear of death started to fade, their abilities started to shine. Not a single yer was injured, and they easily won the battle. They gathered around Cha Min-Woo. ¡°That was an amazing strategy. You¡¯re like the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang.¡± ¡°After we clear the Gate, your reputation will spread.¡± ¡°They say that even brushing cors is a connection. Would you like to trade numbers?¡±[3] They were looking at Cha Min-Woo like he was a hero. Cha Min-Wooughed as he stopped them. ¡°Now, now, we haven¡¯t won just yet. The most important battle is still ahead of us.¡± ¡°Ah...that¡¯s right. We still have to fight the Cinder Fox.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve already created a strategy for that, correct?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Team Leader Cha, I bet he has already guaranteed our victory.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thankful that you have so much faith in me.¡± Even if he was talking like this Cha Min-Woo was actually very nervous. ¡®After we clear this Gate, I¡¯ll have taken the first step in bing a hero.¡¯ He would have achieved the same thing as the legendary yer Specter. Actually, he would stand out even more if he defeated the Cinder Fox without a single casualty among them. He calmed himself down and realigned the traps. ¡®I was right. It¡¯s best to use thetest technology for weapons and traps.¡¯ Shortly after the group took a water break, a soft sound came from the distance. Sizzle! Sizzle! Growlll! The sound of stepping on sand? No, the sound of burning sand? Even though there wasn¡¯t a monster in sight, the flustered yers stood up and grabbed their weapons. The primal instinct in their DNA was warning them. ¡°T-Team Leader Cha. What is this?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s here.¡± Cha Min-Woo was nervous for a different reason. But he soon calmed himself. A secondter, a great shadow came over them, blocking the sun. ¡°Huh? A shadow¡­?¡± As if on cue, the yers turned and their faces fell. ¡°N-no way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...That¡¯s not the Cinder Fox, is it?¡± It was 20 meters long, and 6 meters tall, with each tail extending 5 meters each. An enormous monster loomed over them like a building. The great Cinder Fox stared down at the corpses of the Fire Foxes beneath it. Its eyes shed like the eyes of a parent who had just lost their children. Its eyes clouded with sorrow. It raised its head toward the sun and howled. Awoooooo¡­! There were no mountains, but the sound of its cry rode the dunes until it echoed in the sky. The yers were lost in their panic and stared up in astonishment. [The Boss Monster of the Burning Dunes, The Cinder Fox, has appeared.] From behind its enormous body, nine tails flickered like thundering clouds.[4] 1. $89,000, forparison, the core is $10m+ ? 2. In webtoons/novels ¡®pressure¡¯ is felt from strong people ? 3. Basically even though they don¡¯t really know each other it counts as a business connection ? 4. The original just says ¡®clouds¡¯ but it doesn¡¯t trante well in english ? Chapter 18: How Many Tails? (2)

Chapter 18: How Many Tails? (2)

The yers stared at the nine swaying tails before them. ¡°...No way. It¡¯s a Nine-tails?¡± ¡°T-this is crazy! Specter was barely able to defeat a Six-tails!¡± ¡°Ah, ah¡­¡± All the yers, including Cha Min-Woo, turned pale. They lost the will to fight just by the sight of it. Such was the nature of a ¡®Boss Monster.¡¯ Even if he was going to die soon, Cha Min-Woo was still an elite. He raised his voice and spoke to the fearful yers. ¡°There¡¯s no ce to run within the Gate. As soon as we turn our backs, we¡¯ll all die!¡± Of course, he hadn¡¯t expected a Nine-tails. But his spirit wasn¡¯t shaken. ¡®It¡¯s still a monster. If we pierce its heart or cut its head, it¡¯ll die.¡¯ Plus, the traps that they had prepared for the Cinder Fox were at least three times stronger than the first wave of traps earlier. ¡°We can do it! Everyone, get it together!¡± He shook them out of their stupor. ¡°Y-yeah. Let¡¯s get it together.¡± ¡°...We¡¯ll die if we try to run. We should at least get in a punch or two.¡± The yers got back into formation. At the same time, the Cinder Fox slowly started toward them. ¡°Now!¡± As soon as he gave themand, the yers activated the trap. Bzzzzzt! The trap activated in the same manner as before. The transmitters were three times as thick, and it boomed like thunder as it activated. It made the Cinder Fox pause. ¡°I-it worked!¡± ¡°The trap worked!¡± ¡°We can do it...We can defeat it!¡± They had hopes that they would be able to write their names in the pages of history. And then they saw it Grrraaahh! The eyes of the Cinder Fox became filled with rage. ¡°......!¡± ¡°G-gah!¡± They lowered their eyes without even knowing. A shiver ran down their spines and goosebumps prickled their skin under the eyes of the predator. The Cinder Fox syed its tails like a fan. The magic it released destroyed the trap in one fell swoop. Crackle! Pop! Boom! The yers started to panic as they looked upon the remains of their trap. ¡°H-how could it break right now?¡± ¡°No!¡± Dozens of Fire Foxes trailed behind the Cinder Fox. Each one held as much magic as a magic user¡¯s ¡®Fireball¡¯ spell. They attacked at once, breaking through the yers¡¯ formations. Crash! m! The sand kicked up into the air, and the yers started to fall, shrieking. ¡°Gaaahh!¡± ¡°Urk, my leg! My leg!¡± ¡°I-I...I can¡¯t see!¡± As battle erupted around him, Cha Min-Woo shouted to the yers. ¡°Where are you going?! Stick to the formation! If we break it, now, we¡¯ll...Ahh!¡± His shoulder was suddenly filled with burning pain. Quickly turning, he saw that it was aze with foxfire. ¡®I didn¡¯t even see iting¡­!¡¯ As soon as he put it out, the skin on his shoulder started to bubble and blister. This was the strength of his enemies. He was arrogant to ever think that he could defeat them. ¡°...What is this?¡± With a dejected look on his face, he let out a lowugh. Weren¡¯t the monsters supposed to be at his level? He shivered. The desert was hot, and the Cinder Fox¡¯s fire only made it hotter. But his chest was starting to feel cold. ¡°......¡± His eyes zed over; his conviction broken. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ ¡°None of our strategies, tactics or hi-tech equipment worked. How¡­¡± How were they supposed to defeat it? How had Specter killed such a monster? He couldn¡¯t find an answer. He looked up at the sky, feeling the heat gather around him. The air above him glowed. The fire fell around the yers like a falling sun. At that moment, he thought to himself. ¡®Ah...This is how I die.¡¯ He had no thought to dodge it, nor did he have any time to process it as the fire hurled toward him. But a clear voice brought him back to reality. ¡°Strategies, tactics, and, what was it, hi-tech equipment? Sure, they¡¯re good.¡± Step, step. A man walked on the hot sand, toward him. He casually stood in front of Cha Min-Woo and looked up. ¡°Do you want to know what you do when youe across a Monster that can¡¯t be defeated by those things?¡± Without knowing, Cha Min-Woo nodded. He didn¡¯t understand why he thought this, but he believed that this man would know the answer. Despite his scrawny body, it felt like Seo Jun-Ho was like a light in the darkness. ¡°It¡¯s simple. yers sought it even when they first appeared. Even after all these years, it¡¯s something that every yer needs.¡± Shing! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword rang as he pulled it from its sheath. ¡°It¡¯s overwhelmingbat ability.¡± ¡°......!¡± Cha Min-Woo¡¯s eyes reflected against Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back. He sliced from the top to the bottom. With a single swing, he cut through a wall of fire. Wooooshhh! It was the Cinder Fox¡¯s strongest attack¡ªCinder Fireball. Seo Jun-Ho lowered his arm with a frown.[1] ¡®Tsk. Still a long way to go.¡¯ It had used a third of his magic in the attack. But the poor soul next to him was still in shock. ¡®But...will this be enough?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked behind him and sighed. First, he had to get the others out of harm¡¯s way. He looked back to the Cinder Fox. ¡°Take the others and run.¡± Already flustered, Cha Min-Woo quickly answered. ¡°Light...I-I mean. Seo Jun-Ho-nim, what about you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned around in confusion as he heard the formality. ¡°I have to fulfill my inherent duty as a yer.¡± ¡°Inherent duty...as a yer?¡± ¡°Why are you asking? Is there anything else I should do?¡± Hunting monsters and clearing Gates. That was the first andst purpose of the yers. Krahhhh! The Cinder Fox directed its fury at the yer that had blocked its attack. Seo Jun-Ho made a face and muttered to himself. ¡°...It¡¯s hot.¡± The air around him was as hot as a sauna. ¡®I thought thisst time too, but this guy sure is hot-blooded.¡¯[2] Cha Min-Woo had snapped back to his senses and gathered the others behind the dunes. After Seo Jun-Ho saw this, he let out a smallugh. ¡°Now that the stragglers are gone¡­¡± He stared into the raging eyes of the Cinder Fox. ¡°You and me, let¡¯s have some fun.¡± Guoohhh! The sand exploded as the Cinder Fox roared. But Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t shaken. He took a step forward. Wooooosh! Dozens of foxfires started to form again above him. ¡°Now that there¡¯s no one here to see¡­¡± He could use his Frost skill as much as he wanted. Crackle! A shield formed before him. It was at least twice as thick as before. With his ice shield in hand, Seo Jun-Ho rushed forward. ng! Wooooosh! He wasn¡¯t quick enough and foxfire rained on the shield, but Seo Jun-Ho gritted his teeth and ran. ¡®I have to close the distance for now.¡¯ Grahhhhk! Still, the human did not stop. The Cinder Fox opened its mouth. It nned to use its strongest attack, Cinder Fireball, once more to stop him by force. Seo Jun-Ho blinked. ¡®It¡¯s taking a long time to charge up. Is it Cinder Fireball again?¡¯ There was a small window of opportunity whenever a powerful attack was used. Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t stupid enough to miss his chance. ¡°Hup!¡± As the Cinder Fox released Cinder Fireball from his mouth, his aching legs pushed him off the ground and over the dunes. ¡®Even if it¡¯s me, if I take a direct hit¡­¡¯ Neither his magic nor his body would be able to take it. Knowing this, Seo Jun-Ho lowered his shield and stepped on top of it. Woooosh! He rode the shield like a board over the sand dunes. Woooosh! The attack grazed over his head. Anyone watching would have felt their heart race from danger, but Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t even blink. Crash! The dune that was hit exploded and dust rained down. Grrr¡­ The Cinder Fox narrowed its eyes. It couldn¡¯t see the human because of the sand. Sniffle. But it could ¡®smell¡¯ it. Woooosh! The Cinder Fox followed the scent and swiped with its front paw. Swooooshh! Its w caught on to something. Its eyes quickly turned violent. That was because it hadn¡¯t caught a human, but a towel drenched in sweat. Seo Jun-Ho emerged out of the dust and leaped into the air, stepping on its nose. The Frost skill sure is nice. As soon as the dust started to kick up, he threw the towel and froze himself. Of course, his scent was erased perfectly since he was frozen. From the very beginning, the Cinder Fox would only have been able to take the bait. Kyaaak! He jumped over its enormous body.[3] ¡®I¡¯m finally here.¡¯ As it turned, its nine tails were perfectly in view. The Cinder Fox was a monster that got stronger the more tails it had. Before the previous Specter had died, he had considered the opposite. ¡®It gets stronger the more tails it has. But what if the number of tails decreased?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho brandished his sword. His past self had seen it himself. He was sure of the results. Crackle! The temperature around him dropped. The sword in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand radiated a cold energy. Crack! As the sword and tail met, they let out a sound like shattering ceramics. The corner of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mouth quirked up as he saw the hundreds of ice shards fall before him. ¡°Last time, I got all burned while cutting each tail one by one¡­¡± Thankfully, there was no need to do that anymore. ¡°Now all I have to do is to freeze and break them.¡± Kyaaack! The Cinder Fox let out a piercing cry as it lost four of its precious tails. 1. Same attack as the webtoon but has a different name from the yers¡¯ Fireball ? 2. He uses the word ¡®burn/hot¡¯, which can also mean wild/full of energy ? 3. Man be jumping like a frog ? Chapter 19. How Many Tails? (3)

Chapter 19. How Many Tails? (3)

The Cinder Fox was the ultimate predator. It didn¡¯t have any natural enemies, nor were there any beings that couldpete with it. In other words, it was the first time that it had felt fear in its 1000 years of life. Krraaaaah! The Cinder Fox¡¯s scream shook the earth as it whipped its head around. The Cinder Fox felt like its anger wouldn¡¯t dissipate until he crushed the tiny human that had dared to wound it. But it wouldn¡¯t make the mistake of rushing in blindly. ¡®As expected.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes squinted into half-moons. The Cinder Fox still had its guard up as it rushed toward him, but he sensed fear in its movements. ¡®Their sole purpose in life is to gain nine tails over a thousand years and be the Millenium Fox.¡¯ It was no wonder that it was scared after losing its tails. After all, one tail would take it 111 long years to grow. ¡®I¡¯m the hunter.¡¯ The one who killed prey. He would use whatever he could in this battle. Once he figured out its weak point, it only got even more defensive. Even if it acknowledged the strength of its hunter, there was nothing that it could do. ¡®I can probably face it in directbat now.¡¯ It would have been impossible to make up for the difference in size and magic a few moments ago. But now that the Cinder Fox only had five tails remaining, the status quo had changed. ¡°Hup!¡± Seo Jun-Ho dashed forward like a bullet. Surprised by the sudden ambush, the Cinder Fox instinctively swiped its paw. Wooooshhh! The air screamed as it split into four directions. That was how big it was. Simply because of its size, it could y with thews of physics. Tap! Seo Jun-Ho twisted midair, stepped on its paw, andunched himself higher. He reached the rear of its body in an instant and swung his sword. Kyraaaaack! Refusing to fall for the same trick again, the Cinder Fox whipped its body around and crouched down to protect its tails. ¡°...You caught me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smirked. The intelligent Cinder Fox was not the type to fall for the same trick twice. Other than its tails, there was another ce where he couldnd an effective blow. Slice! Seo Jun-Ho swung his sword vertically upright, cutting something soft. The Cinder Fox¡¯s left eye. ¡°¡­¡­!!!¡± All living things feel fear after being injured. And that sense of danger could make anyone fall into the phenomenon of tunnel vision. On top of that, the Cinder Fox had just lost an eye. If it was experienced inbat, it would have known to stay calm after receiving a heavy injury. After all, losing your focus was one of the most dangerous things to do during a battle. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t know such simple things.¡± That was how little the Cinder Fox experiencedbat. It never had apetent opponent that could teach it such things. ¡°If you mess up, you¡¯ll be punished.¡± Seo Jun-Ho snuck to the Cinder Fox¡¯s left side. After losing its eye, it had be the perfect blind spot. Swoosh! Slice! He started to make scratches on the Cinder Fox¡¯s hide. Blood started to pour out. Kiiiaaaaaaack! The Cinder Fox finally started to realize. If it let itself get attacked any more than this, it would lose its chance of bing the Millenium Fox and die. Kiack! Kryaaaack! It started to swing its paws frantically and dozens of foxfires started to appear. ¡°Annoying.¡± Even as Seo Jun-Ho stared up at the fire-filled sky, he didn¡¯t say that it was too much. If it was his first time fighting it, he might have given up and run away. But now, it was simply a bit troublesome to deal with. That was all it was. Woosh! Every time he swung his ice sword, the iing foxfires exploded on contact. He didn¡¯t dodge when the Cinder Fox raised its paw again. ¡°Get it together. You¡¯re not a Nine-tails anymore.¡± Slice! With his sharp sword, he stabbed through its paw. It had lost a significant amount of magic from its tails, and its defense had fallen as well. Kack! Krrr! The Cinder Fox started to cough. After taking multiple blows, its body was falling apart. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered hoarsely. Kyaaaaack! The Cinder Fox gave a final struggle. It still had two charges of its Cinder Fireball. It had surpassed its limits and reached a new stage. But¡ª ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡± Riiiip! Bam! Dozens of ice spikes shot from the ground, stabbing the Cinder Fox through. The light in its remaining eye started to fade. - ¡°¡­¡­¡± The Cinder Fox that was powerful enough to topple dozens of yers bowed its head without so much as a final cry. Without magic to power it, its spell disintegrated. ¡°Hoo.¡± This was a skill he had practiced when freezing something from far away, but it was the first time he actually got to test it out. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing that it went as easily as I had expected.¡¯ Usually, Seo Jun-Ho would summon ice weapons by freezing the moisture in the air. But in this kind of environment, it was impossible. He had to have a medium. ¡°...It was hard to make them.¡± He needed arge amount of liquid. That was why he left so many scratches on the Cinder Fox¡¯s body earlier. He wanted to use its blood as the medium. ¡°Phew¡­ Dammit. My body feels like it¡¯s gonna implode.¡± He had pushed his body to its limits and used up all his magic. He just wanted to copse and rest, but it wasn¡¯t over yet. ¡°I¡¯ll finish what I have to do, and then sleep.¡± Step, step. He dragged his feet to the dead Cinder Fox and looked up at its corpse. It really was enormous. Without magic to support them, the ice spikes started to melt. It was a desert, after all. ¡®Is it because it¡¯s an EX-rank skill? The attack power is outstanding.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the attack power. The Frost skill had many uses and was also good for defending. Looking back, he didn¡¯t understand how he had managed to defeat the Frost Queen. ¡°Well, my abilities were different back then.¡± Smug, Seo Jun-Ho sliced through the Cinder Fox¡¯s stomach and stuck his hand in. A momentter, he pulled out an item about the size of a baseball. ¡°Geez, this is gross¡­¡± It was the Cinder Fox¡¯s liver. It looked disgusting in shape and color, but that wasn¡¯t an excuse to not eat it. ¡®If I eat this, all my stats will go up by 5.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho squeezed his eyes shut, emptied his mind, and swallowed the raw liver. It felt like forever until it passed, but he was eventually rewarded. [You have ingested the Cinder Fox¡¯s raw liver.] [All stats +5.] ¡°...Ick.¡± As he gargled his mouth with clean water, the messages popped up. [You have cleared ?Burning Dunes?.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­¡­ [All stats have increased by 4.] [You have regained 3 Strength stats.] [You have regained 2 Speed stats.] [You have received ¡¸Cinder Fox¡¯s Core¡¹ as a reward.] [The Gate will automatically disappear in 1 hour.] ¡°...So it¡¯s really over, right?¡± He checked his inventory for the core, just in case. And then, he fainted. * * * These days, it was hard to be a reporter in Korea, especially one that reported on Gates. That was because they had to stay from the moment the yers entered with no promise of return. It was hard to get up even for a moment because you might miss it when the yers came out. ¡°Please, sunbae-nim.[1] Let this go, just this once.¡± ¡°Not on your life, newbie. This is how society works. Hand over your money.¡± ¡°...Goddammit.¡± That was why reporters tended to work in pairs. They also tended to y games while the yers were in the Gate. Sometimes it was chess, sometimes it was Go, and sometimes, like now, it was poker. ¡°You know, they say being a Gate reporter is hard, but it¡¯s a piece of cake. We just get to y while working.¡± ¡°Bullshit. What¡¯s so great about freezing our asses off? I¡¯d rather work overtime at an office.¡± ¡°Well¡­ The most annoying thing is not knowing when the yers wille out.¡± It had already been two days since the yers entered the Burning Dunes. It was the average amount of time it took to see results, but that also included the duration for failure. Even if they seeded this time, it would probably take at least another day. ¡°Well, we can go home earlier if they fail.¡± As soon as those words left their mouth, the sunbae started scolding them. ¡°Look here, you little bastard. Those people went there for the sake of their country. Don¡¯t be rude.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. It was my mistake.¡± ¡°...Just shuffle.¡± Watching carefully, the hubae[2] slowly started to shuffle the deck. As they started their 85th poker game, the hubae stared with wide eyes over the sunbae¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°...Are you trying out a new poker face or something?¡± ¡°N-no. Sunbae-nim, the Gates turn red when the yers go in, right?¡± ¡°Are you asking because you don¡¯t know? It¡¯s blue before they go in and then red after.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s what I thought, but¡­¡± Hearing the hubae talk nonsense, the sunbae wrinkled his forehead. ¡°Hey. You have a bad hand, don¡¯t you? What are you saying?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­ The color of the Gate changed!¡± ¡°Is that all you cane up with?¡± The sunbae shook his head, disappointed. Suddenly, he shot up. ¡°...Hey, why¡¯s it green?¡± The reporter dropped his cards, dumbfounded. The Gate was neither blue nor red. The green color meant that it had been cleared. ¡°What? Green?¡± ¡°Wait, so they really did it?¡± ¡°The clear time was only 13 hours¡­ They cleared it faster than the previous team failed!¡± ¡°This¡­ This will be a scoop!¡± The reporters on standby emerged from their tents and quickly reached for their cameras. 1. Senpai/Superior. ? 2. Kouhai/Junior ? Chapter 20. Nine Yin Severance Syndrome (1)

Chapter 20. Nine Yin Severance Syndrome (1)

ck! As the red Gate turned green, it made a pleasant sound like a lock unlocking. yers starteding out one at a time. The reporters gulped nervously, clutching their cameras. ¡°The battle must¡¯ve been hard. No one looks like they want to talk.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. The Cinder Fox is something else.¡± Eventually, they couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer and started pulling away uninjured yers and shoving their mics at them. ¡°How many tails did the Cinder Fox have?¡± ¡°Was the inside of the Gate a meadow like it was for Specter?¡± ¡°Who would you say was the MVP in the Gate?¡± The first two questions were answered easily, but the yers all looked towards the Gate when the reporters asked the third question as if on cue. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Their response...does that mean they¡¯re not out yet?¡¯ ¡®Who hasn¡¯te out yet?¡¯ The reporters wracked their heads for an answer. One yer¡¯s voice carried over the rest. ¡° ...Hey, look, he¡¯sing.¡± Simultaneously, all the reporters turned to look. Step, step. A man was slowlying out with someone on his back. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Cha Min-Woo! Cheong-Hae Guild¡¯s Cha Min-Woo!¡± ¡°He¡¯s the younger brother of the Guild Master Cha Won-Woo, right?¡± ¡°They said he led the yers as a group inside the gate.¡± ¡°Yeah. So he¡¯s the MVP this time?¡± The reporters quickly started drafting their articles. If they uploaded faster than the others, they would get more views. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the man on his back Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Really? Why is he carrying him?¡± The reporters seemed disappointed as they looked at Seo Jun-Ho draped over Cha Min-Woo¡¯s back. He already cleared two Uncleared Gates, made a daring statement at his press conference and was the most famous rookie right now. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. It seems that he couldn¡¯t do much this time around.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be helped. The elites in high-ranked guilds have been training since they were children.¡± ¡°He has never received that kind of formal training. You can¡¯tpare him to the elites.¡± The reporters whispered to each other as they waited for Cha Min-Woo. He set Seo Jun-Ho down carefully in an ambnce and went to receive treatment for his own injuries. As soon as the medic gave the sign that they were done, his interview started. Unlike the other yers, he stood behind a podium to answer his questions. That was because the reporters thought that he was the MVP. ¡°They say you led the yers to victory in battle. How do you feel?¡± ¡°I heard that the Cinder Fox had nine tails this time. How difficult was the battle?¡± ¡°Your name is already trending as the number 1 searched keyword. You¡¯ve said in the past that being a hero is your dream, so how do you feel now that you¡¯ve achieved that?¡± Cha Min-Woo blinked as he listened to their questions. He tapped on Vita to check if it was true and frowned. ¡°Goodness¡­¡± He didn¡¯t seem remotely happy. Confused, the reporters continued to ask him questions. ¡°You don¡¯t look happy at all. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Cha Min-Woo paused, looking over his podium to the crowd of reporters. ¡®...So this is what it looks like.¡¯ There were dozens of cameras and faces trained on him. It was a scene usually reserved for the heroes who were being interviewed after sessfully clearing a Gate. He had grown up watching their beaming faces on TV. Maybe it was because of that, but at some point, his dream was to be a hero like Specter. ¡®This may be the perfect chance to achieve my dream.¡¯ Instead, he closed his eyes. He had no thoughts of shamefully iming someone else¡¯s achievements. He could be a star with a light of his own until he became the sun. If he stole someone else¡¯s light, then it would be no different to him shining light as a firecracker¡ªtemporary. ¡®It would be hical.¡¯ Feeling unburdened, Cha Min-Woo opened his eyes. ¡°I shouldn''t be standing here in this spot.¡± The reporters looked confused. ¡°Is he...being modest?¡± ¡°He looks really serious, though.¡± ¡°First Seo Jun-Ho and now this guy...why are the interviewees so cryptic these days?¡± ¡°Leave it. It¡¯s probably trendy or something. Just ask him what he means.¡± The buzzing reporters asked what he meant. Cha Min-Woo answered with a solemn voice, ¡°I did not defeat the Cinder Fox. No, to be exact, I couldn¡¯t defeat it.¡± ¡°.....Huh? What do you mean? Are you saying that all the other yers were lying?¡± ¡°Please think carefully about what they said. Did they say that I was the one that defeated it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The reporters tried to remember, drawing a nk. Not one of the yers had actually mentioned Cha Min-Woo. ¡®But they definitely called him the MVP when he came out¡­¡¯ ¡®...Huh? Wait a second.¡¯ ¡®He didn¡¯te out alone.¡¯ ¡®Then, the MVP of the battle was¡­¡¯ ¡®Seo Jun-Ho?!¡¯ The cogs in their brains slowed, and their hands started moving instead. They had to make both corrections and follow-ups. *** It was all over, and his whole body felt warm; it was as if he was floating in a hot bath. As soon as thefortable feeling started to set in, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes fluttered open. ¡°Oh my?!¡± They settled on Cha Si-Eun, who let out a loud screech. ¡°...My injuries aren¡¯t even that bad. Why are you so surprised? Did you do something?¡± ¡°O-of course not. You just woke up so suddenly.¡± She nced away. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°9:28 AM. You slept for eight hours.¡± ¡°...It seems I was quite tired. Were you here by my side the whole time?¡± ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I came here to the hospital at 6 AM. You told me to get up early.¡± ¡°...Goodness.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked very sorry. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that. I was asleep¡­¡± ¡°But you might have woken up earlier. Oh right, I got bored so I organized yourmission requests, and you were right...there were a lot. I mean, that was before. They¡¯re stilling.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard all morning.¡± As soon as he tried to sit up, Cha Si-Eun scolded him, ¡°The doctor said you overworked yourself. Don¡¯t push yourself and just lie down.¡± ¡°I tend to have trouble staying still, so it¡¯ll actually be harder for me to stay down.¡± He pulled away the troublesome bandages and stood up, blinking. ¡°Huh? Your body...looks alright?¡± His muscles still ached, but he just needed to stretch a bit. He had engaged in a violent battle with the Cinder Fox, but he looked shockingly healthy. Confused, he asked a question, ¡°Did someone feed me an elixir while I was asleep, by any chance?¡± ¡°From what I know, they just gave you some nutrients.¡± ¡°...Then, I wonder what it is.¡± Was the title ¡®Bringer of Spring¡¯ this good? He looked around as he rolled his shoulders. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind it. Which hospital are we at?¡± ¡°Hanguk Hospital. Specter-nim is recuperating here too. It¡¯s Korea¡¯s best hospital.¡± Cha Si-Eun turned and stared at the ceiling. It seemed that she believed that Specter was somewhere upstairs. ¡°Ahem.¡± Feeling a bit embarrassed, Seo Jun-Ho went to the bathroom and changed. As he came out, Cha Si-Eun stood up. ¡°You really don¡¯t need any more rest?¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave a faint smile and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. President Choi Pil-Ho is probably waiting for me.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun pursed her lips as she realized why he was in such a rush. She looked at him with a new look in her eyes. ¡°You still haven¡¯t fully recovered...yet you¡¯re already thinking of others.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a bit stiff. But right now, someone is dying and someone is falling apart from being forced to watch.¡± Choi Pil-Ho probably wanted to sprint here and get the core as fast as he could. But since it wasn¡¯t appropriate, he was probably pacing around as he waited for Seo Jun-Ho to wake up. ¡°I can take a break whenever I want after she¡¯s healed.¡± ¡°...I understand. Then, I¡¯ll escort you.¡± Cha Si-Eun bowed her head without another word as she opened the door and led him to the parking lot. Soon, they arrived at President Choi Pil-Ho¡¯s house. Since Cha Si-Eun contacted him before they arrived, he personally came out all the way to the front gate to meet them. ¡°Is it ok for you to move this quickly? The articles said you were unconscious¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re exaggerating. I was just a little tired and slept for a bit.¡± Seo Jun-Ho spoke with a grin as he looked around therge courtyard. ¡°Actually, I was wondering if it would be presumptuous of me toe so early in the morning.¡± ¡°Of course not. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± As they went into his house, Choi Pil-Ho asked a servant to make coffee. But Seo Jun-Ho refused. ¡°No. Coffee cer. Where is your daughter¡¯s room? I¡¯ll start with the treatment.¡± Choi Pil-Ho¡¯splexion brightened at his words and he led him directly there. A girly on a bed inside the charming, pink room. ¡°Ugh¡­hh¡­..¡± The cold sweat on her forehead, her dry, cracked lips, and her paleplexion told them her state. ¡®...It¡¯s worse than I thought.¡¯ It was admirable how she was able to endure this far. Seo Jun-Ho reached into his inventory to pull out the Cinder Fox¡¯s core, and Choi Pil-Ho took a few steps back. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you. Being close to the core may cause it to burn you.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine...But is it ok to feed her something so hot?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not just going to feed her.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gripped the core in his hand. ¡°President, do you know how the core is used to treat Nine Yin Severance Syndrome?¡± ¡°.....¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t. Even the rich Frenchman had told him that he didn¡¯t know. ¡°I do.¡± Both Choi Pil-Ho and Cha Si-Eun looked surprised at Seo Jun-Ho''s words. ¡°Because President Shim Deok-Gu told me how.¡± ¡°Wait, how does he know how to treat Nine Yin Severance Syndrome¡­?¡± ¡°The one who used it in the past to treat the Frenchman¡¯s wife was Specter.¡± ¡°...Oh!¡± Suddenly, they understood. Shim Deok-Gu was close friends with Specter. Choi Pil-Ho took Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand and squeezed it tightly. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands should have been hot, but the president¡¯s eyes were determined. ¡°...Please take care of my daughter.¡± ¡°Leave it to me. It won¡¯t take too long.¡± Choi Pil-Ho forced himself to pull his hands away and left the room with Cha Si-Eun so Seo Jun-Ho could concentrate. Scrape. Seo Jun-Ho sat down on the chair and took the patient¡¯s hand. Herplexion darkened. ¡®I see. Her magic circuit¡¯s all clogged up.¡¯ She was in a worse state than the one he had treated in the past. ¡®For now, I¡¯ll grind down the core to powder and sprinkle it to melt the circuits down¡­¡¯ As he started to make a n, an unexpected message popped up. [You sensed Intermediate-level Yin energy from the target.] [You can absorb it with the Frost Skill.] [Magic stat will increase upon absorption.] Chapter 21. Nine Yin Severance Syndrome (2) Seo Jun-Ho rubbed his eyes. But the message in front of him didn¡¯t disappear. ¡®In my 25...no, is it my 50 years of life? I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before.¡¯ The Frost skill really was all-powerful in all aspects. ¡®I can even absorb the magic stat.¡¯ It really was the perfect skill. Not even Watchguard of Darkness had let him do anything like this. ¡®No. It¡¯s too early to draw conclusions.¡¯ If the Frost skill could absorb Yin energy from a rare disease like this...It was possible that Watchguard of Darkness could absorb something with a ¡®darkness¡¯ attribute. ¡®Something with a darkness attribute...I¡¯ve never seen anything with it, but I¡¯ll have to do some research.¡¯ This situation wasn¡¯t bad. Actually, it was for the better. ¡®If it¡¯s gonna raise my magic stat, I¡¯m definitely gonna absorb it.¡¯ And if it worked, he would be able to save the Cinder Fox¡¯s core for another time. Seo Jun-Ho slowly closed his eyes and grabbed Choi Sun-Hee¡¯s wrist. He concentrated all his attention on his hands. Shwaaaa. All of the magic in his body pooled into her wrists. ¡®First, let me take a look at her magic cirction.¡¯ He pictured the magic circuits in her head like a drawing. It was much more crowded than an average person¡¯s. The Yin energy had frozen into icicles. ¡®I should do this with one push.¡¯ If he prolonged the treatment, it would be hard on the patient. Crackle! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic pierced through Choi Sun-Hee¡¯s circuits. The icicles cracked and shattered into fragments from the collision of magic. But it wasn¡¯t over yet. ¡®It...looks like a snowball.¡¯ Like a snowball being pushed around in a field, the shards gathered around his magic energy until it started to erge. Seo Jun-Ho switched his attention over and checked on the patient. ¡°...Oh?¡± His face became curious. ¡®This is beyond my expectations.¡¯ In the past, he had used the Cinder Fox¡¯s core to cure Nine Yin Severance Syndrome by using its Yang energy to melt the frozen magic circuits. ¡®Honestly, that wasn¡¯t the best method for the patient.¡¯ The two extremes had continuously shed, and he had to work carefully to cancel them out. They were like little explosions within the patient¡¯s body. It was unimaginably painful, both mentally and physically. But now, it was the opposite. Earlier, Choi Sun-Hee was slightly groaning, but now, she was breathing evenly with a peaceful look on her face. ¡®I¡¯m relieved.¡¯ After making sure she was ok, he no longer felt hesitant and nervous. Seo Jun-Ho grabbed her wrist with both hands as he used both of his hands to absorb the Yin energy. Obviously, this was much faster than using just one hand. ¡°.....¡± Of course, this required his full concentration. Magic circuits required care and focus. If he made the slightest mistake, he wouldn¡¯t know how it would affect her. So he went slowly, keeping his focus as if he were crossing a rope bridge. Drip. A drop of sweat fell from the bridge of his nose onto the bedsheet, and Seo Jun-Ho let out a long sigh. It was finally over. ¡°Phew...I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to do this again.¡± When he nced at the clock, he found that four hours had passed since he started. ¡®Using the core only took about two hours and ten minutesst time¡­¡¯ Perhaps it was because the method was different, but it had taken nearly twice that time. But the sessful results made him proud. ¡°She probably won¡¯t have any side effects either.¡± He had sessfully absorbed all the Yin energy that had spread throughout Cha Sun-Hee¡¯s body. It was good for her, but it was even better for him. [Magic stat has increased by 5.] Finally, his magic stat had gone up by five. ¡°Status card.¡± [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 13 Title: The One Who Opens Spring Strength: 46 Stamina: 44 Speed: 50 Magic: 51 As he took in his stats, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lip curled. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Heughed like a senile old man. There was no helping it. Having been at the top for a long time, he knew that his stats were crazy good. ¡®People tend to deviate slightly from the average stats of their level¡­ But I¡¯m sure that my stats are simr to someone around level 35.¡¯ In other words, there was no one at his level who couldpare to him. On top of that, his magic stat had finally surpassed 50. ¡®Now I can use Watchguard of Darkness properly.¡¯ The skill required a crazy amount of magic. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use it as he used to when he was at his peak, but he would at least be able to use it at the level it was when he had first started out as Specter. As he opened the door and left the room, Choi Pil-Ho stood up from his seat right outside. ¡°T-the treatment¡­¡± Hearing the trembling in his voice, Seo Jun-Ho gave him a bright smile. ¡°It went well. The disease is cured, and there won¡¯t be any side effects either.¡± ¡°.....urk.¡± There was nothing else he needed to say. President Choi Pil-Ho couldn¡¯t form any coherent word. He simply gripped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands as his tears fell. The gratitude spilled from his touch, hitting Seo Jun-Ho like a wave. ¡°Please, go in.¡± ¡°Really...I¡¯m really thank...sniff¡­..¡± Crying like a child, Choi Pil-Ho asked him to wait as he stepped inside. *** Choi Pil-Ho¡¯s estate... Seo Jun-Ho sat on the sofa opposite the President. ¡°Really, truly, thank you,¡± the President said once again. Hisplexion was much brighter after checking on Choi Sun-Hee. ¡°I just did what I had to.¡± ¡°No. Technically speaking, you were only contracted to bring me the core. You could have demanded me to write up a separate contract and reward for the treatment itself.¡± It was true. But Seo Jun-Ho hated the dirty feeling of making money with others¡¯ lives on the line. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot in this short span of time about how I could possibly repay you.¡± Choi Pil-Ho looked up at him with warm, grateful eyes. Seo Jun-Ho nced away, feeling pressured by his gaze. ¡°At first, I considered giving you more money...But I remembered that when we first made the contract, you didn¡¯t seem like the type of person who would want that.¡± ¡°I feel like my finances are stable enough.¡± Seo Jun-Ho already enjoyed luxuries that money both could and couldn¡¯t buy. For him, money was something that was nice to have and something he could always earn if he didn¡¯t. ¡°So I decided. One time.¡± Choi Pil-Ho raised an index finger. ¡°One...time?¡± ¡°If you ever need our help, Myungho Group will do everything in our power to assist you that one time.¡± Only once. It seemed cheap. But Seo Jun-Ho tried to imagine what he could do with their power. ¡®...No, it would be quicker if I considered the opposite.¡¯ Rather than what they could do, it was faster to list what they couldn¡¯t. Myungho Group was Korea¡¯s number 1pany after all. They also had one particr weapon in a specific field. A guild. ¡®The Scarlet Tower.¡¯ The guild whose leader was Choi Pil-Ho¡¯s eldest son. People called it a nation of yers and it was ranked as the 5th guild in Korea. ¡®I¡¯ll be able to call them up as reinforcements when I really need them.¡¯ Overwhelmed by the thoughts of his reward, Seo Jun-Ho bowed his head lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to use it carefully so as to not harm Myungho Group¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°Hahaha, just give me the word. You¡¯re our family¡¯s savior.¡± Choi Pil-Ho gave a generous look. ¡°Then, how about we have a meal together? We missed itst time.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Your secretary shoulde too.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was hungry and didn¡¯t refuse. It was the best meal he had after being freed from the ice. *** Cha Si-Eun wouldn¡¯t stop repeating herself after they returned to the Association. ¡°The doctor said you should rest...At least four days...Don¡¯t do any strenuous exercises...Understand?¡± ¡°I said I got it. But Secretary Cha should go home early today too. You¡¯ve worked hard since early in the morning.¡± ¡°.....Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± As he nodded, her face brightened a bit. ¡°T-then...I¡¯ll go home early and spend some time reading.¡± ¡°You like to read?¡± ¡°The old schrs would say that books hold the secrets of the world.¡± To think that she would voluntarily spend her free time studying; she really was a model student. Shim Deok-Gu kept praising her as an elite, after all. ¡°Then, I hope you enjoy reading.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. And I¡¯ll just say this one more time¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll rest for at least four days and not do any strenuous exercises.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve memorized it. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± nkly, Seo Jun-Ho watched as Cha Si-Eun left with a satisfied look on her face. ¡°...Why does everyone nag me so much?¡± Were the people around him just like that? Or was the problem himself? Seo Jun-Ho shook his head as he went up to the Association¡¯s executive office. ¡°Oh!¡± Shim Deok-Gu eximed when he saw him. He grinned as he patted Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I just got off a call with Choi Pil-Ho. I heard that she made a full recovery. He was really happy.¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t stop smiling.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. My muscles are just a bit sore,¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded. ¡°...Did they give you an elixir or something?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought, but they said that they didn''t.¡± ¡°Your body¡¯s amazing.¡± The two sat down on the sofa as they talked. ¡°The press is a mess right now. They¡¯re calling every few seconds, asking when you¡¯ll be free to give interviews.¡± ¡°Interview¡­? Tsk, that¡¯s annoying. I held a press conference not long ago.¡± ¡°That was for Leuf¡¯s Garden, but this time you defeated the Cinder Fox. Aren¡¯t you starting to realize how great your feats are?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so annoying¡­..¡± When Shim Deok-Gu noticed how serious he was about it, he spoke with a wave of his hand. ¡°Then just ditch it. Just do what you did in the past.¡± ¡°In the past?¡± ¡°Unless it¡¯s really important, don¡¯t do interviews at all¡­..You know, the ¡®mysterious¡¯ concept.¡± Seo Jun-Ho considered this, then nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t go all the way, but I¡¯ll pass this time. They would probably ask really basic, simple questions, and I don¡¯t want to waste my precious time.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Thanks. Oh, and...¡± Seo Jun-Ho took out the Cinder Fox¡¯s core from his inventory. The temperature in the room suddenly shot up, and Shim Deok-Gu frowned as he loosened his tie. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s hot. What is that?¡± he asked. ¡°The Cinder Fox¡¯s core.¡± ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked between Seo Jun-Ho and the core with a confused look. ¡°What? It gave you two?¡± ¡°Hey, the core isn¡¯t a ramen soup packet. It only gave me one.¡±[1] ¡°What? But Choi Pil-Ho¡¯s daughter made a full recovery¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t use the core for that.¡± Crackle. As he activated the Frost skill, the temperature went down again. Shim Deok-Gu looked happy as he tightened his necktie again. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s nice. You¡¯re lucky. You can save money on your electricity bills during the summer.¡± ¡°Pfft! Anyways, I cured Choi Sun-Hee with the Frost skill. I absorbed all the Yin energy from the disease.¡± Shim Deok-Gu tilted his head. ¡°...Is that possible?¡± ¡°Yeah, it worked. It even raised my magic stat.¡± ¡°Damn, you really can use that ability for anything.¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked momentarily bored, but his eyes shed as he realized something. ¡°Hold on. Does that mean that you can absorb items with Yin energy?¡± ¡®Smart dude.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho grinned. He had been thinking the same thing. ¡°Why else would I mention it?¡± ¡°Aha. You want me to find those items for you.¡± Shim Deok-Gu snorted as if annoyed, but he didn¡¯t look mad. ¡°Thanks. There¡¯s a problem, though. The disease¡¯s energy level was only intermediate, and it only raised my magic by five.¡± ¡°Hm. Nine Yin Severance Syndrome is so potent that modern medicine can¡¯t even touch it...but it¡¯s only intermediate-level? That means most items won¡¯t even trigger the message.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more thing.¡± Shim Deok-Gu raised his hands, surrendering to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s continuous demands. ¡°Ah, yes, yes~ Your wish is mymand, Seo Jun-Ho-nim.¡± ¡°I want to know if Watchguard of Darkness is able to absorb things too.¡± ¡°...Of course. It would be good to know.¡± Skills with specific attributes were rare. And Seo Jun-Ho was the only yer who had skills with attributes that were S- and EX-rank. This meant that he had no other choice but to do the research himself. Shim Deok-Gu considered this for a moment before nodding. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll look for items you can use while you go look in the Market.¡± Of course, he wasn¡¯t talking about the neighborhood supermarket. He was talking about the global yer Market. 1. he¡¯s saying that the core doesn¡¯t drop by ident. It sounds funnier in Korean lol ? Chapter 22. Black Market (1) There was nothing that the yer Market didn¡¯t have. It had elixirs, weapons, armor, alchemic materials, skill books, and everything else. You could buy anything as long as you had the money. It was popr even among non-yers as a ce to shop, so it was always full of people. ¡°It looks exactly the same as before.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared up at the entrance, a new feeling filled him up. 29 years ago, Insa-dong¡¯s flea market sold nothing more than spare parts. But now, it had transformed into a yer Market. ¡®Korea only has two branches. Insa-dong and Nampo-dong in Busan.¡¯[1] And today, he was at the Seoul location. The LED sign was much more familiar than the hologram. ¡®The streets are a lot livelier now.¡¯ There had been non-yers in the area in the past, but not as many as there were now. Therge market street was filled with people and couples. Seo Jun-Ho strolled around the loud market, looking at the items on disy. ¡®They have a big assortment.¡¯ There only seemed to be low and intermediate-grade items. ¡®They still keep all the good stuff inside.¡¯ Deeper in, there was the ¡®ck Market.¡¯ You needed a special yer skill to go in. But Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t need to go through all that trouble, he had already been informed by Shim Deok-Gu. ¡®The method of entering the ck Market changes every year, so the old one won¡¯t work.¡¯ All of Korea¡¯s populous cities had theaters and restaurants and there was no reason that a yer¡¯s Market wouldn¡¯t have them either. ¡°Found it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho started inside the theater. Most people were using ticket machines out of convenience, but he headed to the counter. ¡°Wee.¡± The male worker gave him a bright smile as he greeted him. Seo Jun-Ho responded with the passcode that Shim Deok-Gu gave to him. ¡°What¡¯s the worst movie you¡¯re showing?¡± The worker¡¯s smile didn¡¯t falter as he replied, ¡°Actually, all the movies we¡¯re showing right now have good reviews.¡± ¡°Then, can you give me a ticket for the one that¡¯s the soonest and a cup full of ice?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The worker¡¯s face stayed the same as he cooly handed over the ticket and the cup full of ice. ¡®Theater 8, seat G-10.¡¯ As soon as he sat down, themercials stopped and the screen shut off. If he went to the movies often, he would have known that no one paid attention to other people. On top of that, his seat was in the back corner of the theater. The audience held their breaths as the movie started, and Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s seat started to leak a small amount of magic. ¡®It¡¯s working.¡¯ He didn¡¯t resist it. His body disappeared from the theater in an instant without a sound. Too focused on the movie, no one in the audience noticed. *** Transport, or teleport magic, as it was often called, felt simr to when you entered a Gate. But depending on the skill of the user, it could cause motion sickness. ¡®Ugh...Skaya¡¯s teleport magic really is the best.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stood at a street entrance as he tried to soothe his nausea. The passersby gave him asional nces as they passed. They were all people who had the right to enter the ck Market. ¡®Every country has their individual yer Market, but the ck Market is different.¡¯ All the yer Markets of the world were simply ports that lead to here. ¡®This ce...it¡¯s Estonia, I think.¡¯ The ck Market was an underground market located in a European country that was rtively unknown. It was perhaps for that reason that the sky, no, the ceiling was covered in glittering rocks instead of the sun and moon. There were only ten people in the world who knew where this wonderful ce was. ¡®Well, that was long ago, so it has probably changed since then.¡¯ There was only one reason he knew about the ck Market¡¯s entrance. Skaya hadined about the ipetent teleporters and backtracked the magic to find the location so she could teleport herself. That was why he knew where it was. After that, Seo Jun-Ho had never used a Market teleporter. All he had to do was ask Skaya. ¡®The Market owner hated her because of that.¡¯ Of course, he wasn¡¯t being tant about it because he valued his life. After taking in his surroundings, Seo Jun-Ho started moving. The ck Market didn¡¯t have any guides or anyone to help those that entered it. ¡®It will never be a normal shopping center like the yer Market.¡¯ There was a reason why normal people and low-level yers were denied ess. The ck Market was like an independent state in the underworld. There was nomonnguage ormon sense here. ¡®This is a cold and bloodthirsty ce where you can get killed simply for brushing shoulders or looking at someone the wrong way.¡¯ The Market was a ce where you could do anything as long as you had money. The ck Market took that a step further. This was a ce where the administrators would turn a blind eye to murder if you bribed them. But Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s steps were confident. There was a very low chance of running into any yers that were stronger than him. ¡®Most of the good yers went to the 2nd floor. Maybe it¡¯s because the Frontier requires you to be level 30 or higher.¡¯ Most of the yers on Earth were either below level 30 or came down from the 2nd floor because they were unable to handle it. So, with his current stats, he could take on anyone that came at him. ¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stared up at the dpidated sign as he found the store he was looking for. [Ginosha¡¯s Secondhand Store] It was written in English, and the store sold what most people would consider junk or trash. Most yers wouldn¡¯t go in even if they died and came back to life, but it was the perfect ce where Seo Jun-Ho might find the items he was looking for. Creak! The old door shrieked as he entered. The stench of dust filled his nose. ¡°Wee.¡± A shabby blonde man greeted him and looked at his newspaper as he saw Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°.....Oya? Look at that, it¡¯s the Korean celebrity.¡± The newspaper he was reading had a picture of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s picture on the front page. Seon Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have to read it. The article was probably putting him up on a pedestal for defeating the Cinder Fox. The man lit his cigarette and spoke with it between his teeth. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re looking for, I don¡¯t think you can find it here.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a secondhand store?¡± ¡°...Hm. So you came even though you knew that.¡± His forehead wrinkled as he looked around his store. ¡°Well, take a look. There won¡¯t be anything useful, though.¡± ¡°Do you have items with specific attributes?¡± ¡°...That aisle, second shelf.¡± As he made his way over, Seo Jun-Ho nodded at the sight of the mountain of items. ¡®Bingo.¡¯ Items with certain abilities were called ¡®artifacts¡¯ and were often sold at higher prices. But that didn¡¯t mean that all artifacts were useful. Some inflicted curses, and some had such strict requirements that they were practically useless. Those items were left at this store. He looked at the dusty pile, hoping that something would catch his eye. ¡®It¡¯s a gold mine.¡¯ With his back turned towards the worker, the corners of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lip rose. Countless messages were popping up before him. [You sense low-level cold energy from the target.] [You sense low-level yin energy from the target.] [You sense low intermediate-level frost from the target.] ¡­.. The items had been abandoned for decades in the corner of the store, and they cried out to him. Like that, Seo Jun-Ho found eight artifacts with ice attributes. Most of them were just low-levels, but he was lucky and managed to find a low intermediate-level. ¡®With this much, my magic stat should go up at least a bit.¡¯ Holding his items, he went back to the shifty man. He put out his cigarette in an ashtray and spoke. ¡°...What? You¡¯re buying all this?¡± ¡°Can I not?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that...yeah. I should be thanking you.¡± He lowered his head and pulled out a cash register from below the counter. ¡°I¡¯m saying this now, but no matter how much youin that they¡¯re useless, these guys were expensive because they¡¯re artifacts with attributes.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°...I like your attitude.¡± He banged at the register and nced up at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Even the most shabby ones start at 50 million won¡­..And in my opinion, this one can be really good with the right user. It¡¯s worth around 400 million won.¡±[2] ¡°So what¡¯s my total?¡± ¡°1.02 billion won for eight of these¡­..I¡¯ll take off the 20 mils at the end.¡± [3] After seeing the price, Seo Jun-Ho turned around, but it was the worker that got anxious. ¡°W-wait! I¡¯ll take out another 10 million won¡­!¡± The worker¡¯s panicked voice made him stop, but Seo Jun-Ho had already decided. ¡®It¡¯s cheap.¡¯ An elixir that raised your magic stat by 1 started at around 1 billion won. But these eight artifacts were being sold to him at the same price. So he turned around and went back to the store. ¡®I¡¯ll check one more time to see if there are any other ice attribute items, and look for those with darkness attributes while I¡¯m at it.¡¯ He spent 30 more minutes searching, eventually finding two low-level ice items. Unfortunately, there were no items with the darkness attribute. It was extremely rare, after all. When he went back to the counter with the two extra items, there were two more cigarette butts in the ashtray. ¡°Huh? You want to buy those too?¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± ¡°Um¡­That¡¯s¡­¡± The worker pushed the eight items toward him, deep in thought. ¡°1.1 billion won for everything.¡± The worker was only charging 50 million each for the two extra. Nice. He hadn¡¯t nned on haggling, but he wouldn¡¯t refuse a discount. ¡°I¡¯ll buy everything.¡± ¡°Goodness! Celebrities sure are different.¡± The worker hastily rang up the items as if he was afraid that Seo Jun-Ho would change his mind. ¡°Now, then¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho put the items in his inventory and leaned in. ¡°Since I¡¯ve bought this much, won¡¯t you show me?¡± ¡°...What do you mean?¡± As soon as he feigned innocence, Seo Jun-Ho gave an annoyed look as if asking why he bothered to pretend when he already knew about it. ¡°But I heard that there¡¯s another room here where your best artifacts and items that rookies have identally sold to you are kept¡­¡± ¡°...¡± The worker scratched his head as he gave a bleary look. ¡°Dammit. Where¡¯d ya hear that?¡± ¡°Noment.¡± ¡°Geez. So many loose-lipped bastards these days.¡± The worker walked toward the entrance. Clink. He locked the door and flipped the sign to ¡°CLOSED¡± before he lit another cigarette. He jutted his chin. ¡°Follow me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s steps were light as he followed him inside. 1. -dongs are neighborhoods within big cities ? 2. 50m=44k USD, 400m= 350k USD ? 3. around 900k USD ? Chapter 23. Black Market (2) There was a door deep within the store, and beyond it was a neatly organized storage. ¡°This is all the special attribute items we have.¡± Seo Jun-Ho entered the room and looked over the items. ¡®Of course.¡¯ There were lots of great items, but unfortunately, there weren¡¯t any items with the darkness attribute. However, there was one with an ice attribute. ¡®There¡¯s only one.¡¯ A glove radiating a cold aura. He picked it up. As soon as he did, the worker, who had been leaning against the wall with a fresh cigarette, suddenly leaped forward. ¡°Hey, hey, you can¡¯t just touch that!¡± He rushed over and snatched the glove from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand and put it back in its ce. He let out a long sigh, looking like he had just lost 10 years of his life. ¡°It¡¯s a crazy item. It¡¯s cursed, I tell you! It provides a great boost, but sometimes the magic converges and freezes the user¡¯s body. It has already happened three times.¡± ¡°...Let me take a look.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt a pull toward the item. He checked the data. [Glove of the Frost Fairy¡¯s Wrath] Grade: Rare (Curse) Speed +1 Stamina +1 Magic +2 Wrath of the Frost Fairy: asionally freezes the body of the user. Requirements: Level 10, Speed 40, Magic 50 [You sense intermediate-level frost from the target.] [You can purify the item.] ¡®Amazing.¡¯ It was on the same level as the Nine-Yin Severance Syndrome. This meant that it could raise his magic stat by around 5 again. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°How much is this?¡± ¡°...You¡¯re really gonna buy it?¡± The worker licked his lips as he nced toward him. ¡°You probably know from looking at its data, but this would sell for at least around 3 billion won if it were purified by someone skilled.¡± [1] ¡°And its current price?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s annoying to have an item that can harm customers¡­It¡¯s also hard to find someone who can purify it, so I¡¯ll offer 1.8 billion.¡± [2] It was a cheap price to pay for a rare-grade item. Seo Jun-Ho nodded coolly. ¡°Is this all you have? No items with a darkness attribute?¡± ¡°Pfft. Do you think there would be light or darkness items in this kind of ce? They might have some in the 2nd-floor market though.¡± ¡®The 2nd floor. I have to go there sometime.¡¯ After adding the glove to his total, the worker saw him off with a wide grin. ¡°Pleasee again!¡± After leaving, Seo Jun-Ho looked around in the artifact store too. But the yer items started at 1 billion won, even if they were the lowest grade. ¡°So overpriced.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and started toward a bar near the center of the ck Market. It wasn¡¯t because he was hungry. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything else to do. I¡¯ll just go back.¡± A teleporter was required to enter the ck Market, and it was the same for leaving. This bar provided this service. Of course, it also served alcohol like a normal bar and was a ce to buy and sell information. As soon as Seo Jun-Ho entered the bar, the other yers looked up and stared at him. ¡°Hey, that guy¡­..¡± ¡°I think I saw him on the news. Korea¡¯s rising star or something?¡± ¡°I heard he caught the Cinder Fox.¡± ¡°Really? Not bad for a newbie.¡± Their attention and impressions came at him like knives. Seo Jun-Ho ignored them and walked toward the bartender who was cleaning sses. ¡°Information? Drinks? Or¡­..Are you looking to be teleported?¡± ¡°Yes. To the Insa-dong branch in Korea.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait around 10 minutes. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have a drink while I wait. A martini, please.¡± He listened to the chatter around him as he sipped his martini. ¡°The amount I won from gambling this time¡­¡± ¡°Did you hear? No one has seen Kim Woo-Joong of the Nine Heavenstely.¡± ¡°Just how long is the Association gonna hide Specter for?¡± As he listened, Seo Jun-Ho suddenly wrinkled his forehead. ¡°Tsk. The ck Market isn¡¯t like it was in the past. Did you see Seo Jun-Hoe in?¡± ¡°Of course I did. He¡¯s not even level 20 yet, is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s barely over level 10.¡± ¡°Geez, is the Association trying to say that they¡¯re better or something?¡± The chatter was starting to annoy him. Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue. ¡®Tsk. Those insects are already starting to gather.¡¯ A yer¡¯s name was their brand. The more acimed they became, the more expensive they became to hire and the better contracts they got. And of course, they became more famous and would get more admirers. But it was difficult to raise your reputation. Even if you risked your life in Gates, you needed to stand out. Most yers¡¯ names never spread beyond third-rate inte articles. ¡®But there¡¯s one way you can guarantee it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho raised his hand, gesturing toward the bartender. ¡°I want to buy some information.¡± ¡°What kind of information?¡± ¡°Information on those three yers sitting in the booth on the left.¡± ¡°...Understood.¡± The experienced bartender didn¡¯t even nce toward them as they disappeared. Seo Jun-Ho chewed on the olive as he waited for the bugs toe and find him. ¡®The best way to raise your reputation is to win in a fight against a famous yer.¡¯ It was the simplest, most obvious way to signal to others that you were better. Naturally, their conversation started to flow in that direction. ¡°Hm. Is he really that amazing? He looks pretty weak.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t judge a yer by their looks. But¡­.¡± ¡°Clearing a Gate and fighting a yer is different. Is that what you¡¯re trying to say?¡± ¡°Exactly. Fighting a monster and fighting a person is fundamentally different.¡± ¡°Fufu, he¡¯s good prey¡­..What do you think?¡± The two men exchanged looks and stood up to walk toward Seo Jun-Ho. The bartender returned and handed an envelope to Seo Jun-Ho at that moment. ¡°Here is the information you requested. It¡¯ll be 3000 dors.¡± Seo Jun-Ho held out his left hand. ¡°Take another 100. As a tip.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± the bartender responded. Seo Jun-Ho ripped open the envelope and skimmed through the documents. 23, 25, 22. Those were the levels of the men that were headed toward him. The information on their skills and specialties was short, but there was nothing that would be dangerous to him. ¡®They¡¯re just some lowlife thugs.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho quickly covered his mouth to hold back augh. ¡®It almost feels like I nned this myself.¡¯ Those who had experienced infestations knew that pests must be eradicatedpletely from the start. If you missed even one, it would multiply uncontrobly. ¡®They probably think that I¡¯m the best prey.¡¯ Well, their levels were almost twice as high. In a normal situation, they wouldn¡¯t be able to lose even if they wanted to. ¡®It¡¯s a move often used by those who never really achieved anything.¡¯ It was stamping out budding talents, of course. It was a cheap, nasty tactic, but it was effective. Negative attention was still attention, after all. ¡®It¡¯s a different kind of annoyance from the past.¡¯ Back then, there were also many pests who came after him. But they were a little different. They would tter him while scrunching their eyes. ¡®Back then, simply being able to greet me would raise your specs.¡¯ So it was more fun this time. It had been a long time since someone had faced him head-on. ¡®I don¡¯t have anything personal against them¡­¡¯ But it was the same for them. They didn¡¯t have anything specifically against him, but they were picking a fight for their own interests. ¡®Then, I¡¯ll use you too.¡¯ That way, no other pests of this kind woulde after him in the future. Seo Jun-Ho ced his empty ss down with a clink. ¡°Oi.¡± Tap tap. An unfamiliar, coarse hand hit his shoulder, making him feel dirty. ¡°Are you Seo Jun-Ho? I¡¯ve seen you a lot in articles. We¡¯re big fans.¡± ¡°Yeah, I collect scraps of your pictures.¡± The menughed with their teeth bared. They slid into the seats next to him, showering him with unwanted praise. ¡°Actually, we¡¯re really proud of you.¡± ¡°From a sunbae¡¯s perspective, we¡¯re proud of outstanding hubaes like you.¡± ¡°We want to teach our cute little hubae.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled as he listened, nodding. ¡°Sunbaes¡­When did you guys debut?¡± ¡°Huh? Well, I¡¯m the oldest and I debuted 4 years ago¡­..Hey, you guys debuted over 3 years ago, right?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Wow, you guys are experienced.¡± Seo Jun-Ho praised. The men stood up straighter at his admiration. ¡°Ahem. Well, since you mentioned it, it¡¯s thanks to us that you guys can hunt easily.¡± ¡°¡®Of course. It¡¯s because people like us paved the way, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Pffft!¡± Seo Jun-Ho exploded into a fit ofughter. Once he started, he couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Ha...Pft...Ahahaha!¡± He hunched over the table, gripping his stomach as his shoulders shook withughter. The men¡¯s faces darkened. Their voices became low. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be funny, you know?¡± The warm conversation suddenly shifted. Seo Jun-Ho slowly raised his head, wiping the tears from his eyes. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s funny! You paved the way? The 1st generation of yers did.¡± It hadn¡¯t even been 5 years since they debuted. For a 1st-generation yer like Seo Jun-Ho, it sounded ridiculous. The men wouldn¡¯t sit still against a hubae who was now speaking informally and insulting them. They stood up, enraged. ¡°You¡¯re just a stupid kid!¡± ¡°How dare you insult your sunbaes?¡± ¡°We need to teach him a lesson.¡± Even as they stood over him, he wasn¡¯t the least bit scared. In fact, he smiled as he asked them a question. ¡°Do you guys know what the handle of a millstone is called?¡± They responded immediately. ¡°An eoi.¡± ¡°If it falls off while you¡¯re grinding something, you don¡¯t have an eoi.¡± ¡°This situation we¡¯re in? There¡¯s no eoi, you bastard hubae.¡±[3] ¡°.....¡± They looked dumb, but they were smarter than he thought. Seo Jun-Ho stood up with a sullen look on his face, having had his line stolen from him. ¡°Well, your goal was obvious from the beginning. Let¡¯s drop the act.¡± ¡°...You knew?¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t run away? I apud your courage.¡± The men took it in stride, grinning as they surveyed the area. Everyone in the bar was watching. It was what they wanted. The men exchanged looks and spoke loudly. ¡°We just wanted to teach our hubae some things¡­..¡± ¡°But seeing how disrespectful he is, I don¡¯t think we can just let this go with a small lesson.¡± ¡°Remember, you brought this upon yourself.¡± The man who had debuted the longest time ago gestured him over with a finger. ¡°No need to talk. Come here. We¡¯ll show you how great your sunbaes are.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t feel the need to reply. He turned to the bartender who was watching everything unfold. ¡°How much time is left until I can teleport?¡± ¡°...Around 4 minutes.¡± ¡°4 minutes. I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho rolled his shoulders, stretching them out. ¡°That''s more than enough time to y with them.¡± 1. around 2.7m USD ? 2. about 1.6m USD ? 3. ¡®eoi¡¯ is the name of the handle, but when something¡¯s ridiculous (basically a bruh moment), in korean we say ¡®there is no eoi¡¯. ¡®Eoi¡¯ doesn¡¯t really mean anything, it¡¯s just an expression. ? Chapter 24. Black Market (3)

Chapter 24. ck Market (3)

The tables and chairs in the bar were pushed aside, creating a circr space like a makeshift arena. The three men stood smugly as the audience whispered among themselves. ¡°They¡¯re so shameless.¡± ¡°He¡¯s barely over level 10, and they want to use him to get their name out? They¡¯re animals.¡± ¡°Well, if he ends up being weak, that¡¯s just how things work in this world. I don¡¯t particrly feel like helping.¡± ¡°Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s at his peak right now. It¡¯ll be a huge blow for him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why they¡¯re picking a fight. If they win, the media will go crazy.¡± In fact, there were even those that were using their Vita to record them. Seeing this, the three men smiled at each other. ¡®This is going perfectly as nned.¡¯ ¡®What did I say? This guy¡¯s a walking gold mine.¡¯ ¡®After today, we the Gangnam Trio will be famous!¡¯ They were confident because their levels were high. ¡®Since our levels are higher, our stats will be higher too.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s just a novice that has never fought against other people in earnest.¡¯ The first one that stepped up was the level 22 yer. He pointed a spear at Seo Jun-Ho as he spoke. ¡°They call us the Three Reapers of Gangnam. We wield the spear, the sword, and magic with great talent. I am the Life-Severing Spear. You should be honored.¡± ¡°...sigh.¡± He wasn¡¯t the one who should be honored. He had never even heard of such ame-sounding group. Even the onlookers looked at each other in confusion as they asked, ¡°The Three Reapers?¡± ¡°Gangnam?¡± ¡®This will do.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho pulled out a small dagger from his inventory. It was small and thin, about the length of his palm. The Life-Severing Spear wrinkled his eyebrows as he watched. ¡°...Is that your weapon? It¡¯s different from what I saw in the papers. Aren¡¯t you a sword user?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for catching cows. This¡­..¡± ¡°Are you gonna say it¡¯s for catching chickens?¡± Seo Jun-Ho twirled the dagger in his hands as he turned. ¡°No, it¡¯s for killing bugs.¡± ¡°...You bastard!¡± Red-faced, the Life-Severing Spear lunged without warning like a third-rate fighter. ¡°Oh my god!¡± ¡°What a cheat!¡± The audience erupted in disapproval as they held their breath. As they did, the space between the two men shrank from 10 meters to 5. In the blink of an eye, the Life-Severing Spear¡¯s weapon arrived in front of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart. And then¡ª Crash! The Life-Severing Spear rolled onto the floor, screaming in pain. ¡°Gah!¡± He had dropped his weapon and was curled up, dripping with cold sweat. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to swing a spear so obviously¡­..¡± Seo Jun-Ho spoke in a soft voice as he stood over him. Feeling embarrassed, the Life-Severing Spear wanted to scream, but he couldn¡¯t find the energy to do so. ¡°...Well. I¡¯d say you live up to your name.¡± ¡°The bastard, he is too cocky. Well, he¡¯s the Association¡¯s rising star, so there¡¯s that.¡± The Life-Severing Spear¡¯s teammates shook their heads. They still looked confident. ¡®He probably thought that bastard wouldn¡¯t be able to react at all and rushed in.¡¯ ¡®His opening was too big. It¡¯s not hard to flip him over if the opponent is waiting for it.¡¯ They didn¡¯t seem to think that it was a big deal. ¡®This is a lot easier than I thought.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stepped on the Life-Severing-whatever¡¯s back. ¡°Ack! Please...it hurts!¡± As soon as he cried out, his teammates¡¯ faces fell. ¡°Hey, move your foot!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still being so disrespectful to your sunbaes.¡± ¡°I was never respectful in the first ce though? You said you¡¯d teach me, right?¡± As if provoked, the Life-Severing Sword drew his sword. Seo Jun-Ho suddenly recalled what the former had said earlier. ¡®It was that guy. He said killing a monster and a human are fundamentally different.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho knew that all too well. When you fought monsters, you immediately went for the weak points but it was hard to do that with a human, especially if you were a beginner who had never killed before. ¡®But he chose the wrong opponent.¡¯ Unfortunately for the Life-Severing Sword, those words were irrelevant to him. When he was Specter, he had killed a countless number of fiends. ¡°No more ying around. Take out your swords, Seo Jun-Ho.¡± When he held out his dagger, his opponent let out a deep sigh. ¡°It seems that you¡¯re underestimating the Three Reapers of Gangnam because of that guy.¡± He assumed that Seo Jun-Ho had chalked them up to the same level as the Life-Severing Spear. ¡°Don¡¯t regret itter on.¡± ¡°Speak for yourself. Don¡¯t make excuses when you lose.¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded. Neither the Three Reapers of Gangnam nor their descendants would be able to live up to this battle. Whether he knew it or not, the Life-Severing Sword silently charged his sword with magic. Wooong! A faint, thin aura covered the sword. Seeing this, the audience eximed. ¡°Woah! He knows how to use sword ki?¡± ¡°You have to be good at magic to use that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing for his current level.¡± Sword ki was a technique that oveid the sword with magic to enhance its sharpness and durability. If you used it on a knife, it became knife ki, and if you used it on a spear, it became spear ki. Although it wasn¡¯t a sword aura where the ki physically manifested, just being able to use sword ki was enough for you to be considered a powerful person. ¡®Sword ki? Yeah right.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. People who didn¡¯t know better would be impressed, but it was a fake. ¡®He probably saw it once and is trying to imitate the shape.¡¯ There was a reason why sword ki was so impressive. With it, you could cut things that couldn¡¯t be cut and pierce things that couldn¡¯t be pierced. But the Life-Severing Sword¡¯s sword ki was all for show and barely did anything. ¡®The sword is probably more destructive, but its durability is decreasing at this very second.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was bored by the sloppy technique, but the Life-Severing Sword took his expression differently. ¡°Hoo, it¡¯s no surprise that you¡¯d be scared after realizing how much stronger I am. But it¡¯s toote for you.¡± He slowly walked toward Seo Jun-Ho. He thought that he would be able to win if he didn¡¯t give an opening like the Spear had done. But Seo Jun-Ho thought differently. ¡®He¡¯s messing up.¡¯ He had hunted a lot of fiends as Specter, winning consecutive matches against those that were much stronger than the average yers. Some thought that he was able to win because of his incredible weaponry skills or because of his S-rank skills. Of course, those were part of the reason, but there was a bigger factor. ¡®Breath.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was good at stealing his opponents¡¯ breaths. Experts let in and let out an equal amount of breath from the beginning of the battle. But inexperienced fighters couldn¡¯t do that. ¡®Generally, when someone untrained is caught by surprise, they take in arge breath.¡¯ At the very moment that their lungs filled up, their bodies would get stiff. Seo Jun-Ho relished in interrupting his opponent¡¯s breath and creating an opening. ¡®Of course, it doesn¡¯t work on people that are truly good¡­¡¯ But luckily, the one in front of him wasn¡¯t one of those people. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The onlookers were confused. They thought that Seo Jun-Ho had been cornered, but he started approaching the Sword on his own. ¡®Is he giving up?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s like a trapped mouse trying to bite a cat.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s keep watching for now.¡¯ All the anticipation, concern, and confusion were directed at him. Seo Jun-Ho lowered his palm-sized dagger. To novices, his body looked like the perfect target. ¡°You¡¯repletely open!¡± The said novice swung his sword. But right before it could hit his shoulder, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s dagger met the de. Woosh! Instead of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder, the sword stabbed the empty air. The Life-Severing Sword¡¯s face darkened. ¡®¡­He blocked ME? I guess it makes sense that the Spear lost to him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had a better eye and reaction time than he had expected. But in hindsight, this made sense because Seo Jun-Ho was being trained under the Association as their rising star, after all. ¡®But you can¡¯t make up for the difference in level, you cocky bastard.¡¯ He tilted his wrist, showing the side of the de. It cut forward in a straight line. If Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t block or dodge it, it would cut his head clean off. ¡°...I think I¡¯ve indulged you long enough. You¡¯ve crossed the line.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. He had only nned to y around a bit, but his opponent¡¯s attack was filled with murderous intent. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t let them go anymore. Drip drip. There was a sound like water dripping from a faucet. It came from an artery of the Life-Severing Sword. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± With the loud ng from the fallen sword, blood spurted from the Sword¡¯s wrist like a fountain. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s dagger had cut him precisely at his artery. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to hold a sword with that hand anymore. You might be able to hold a spoon though.¡± It was a death sentence for a sword user. The Life-Severing Sword looked down at his trembling hand with a nk look in his eyes. He looked as if he was looking at a hand that did not belong to him. He tried to stop the bleeding with pressure, but his hand wouldn¡¯t stop shaking. ¡°You¡­You¡­!¡± He stood hunched over for a moment before he picked up his sword with his left hand. Dripping blood with a venomous look, he looked terrifying. But Seo Jun-Ho looked at him with pity, not fear. He muttered with a tired voice. ¡°...You came for my life first.¡± His opponent had no right to feel wronged. And there was no need for him to feel guilty. But as he looked at the Sword who looked like he had lost everything, his mouth became filled with a bitter taste. ng! Seo Jun-Ho swiftly dodged the flying sword and kicked the Sword¡¯s knees. As his opponent lost his bnce, Seo Jun-Honded a punch in his stomach. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°You fucking bastard!¡± As the Sword fell, the Life-Severing Mage stepped in. Anyone could see that the Life-Severing Sword had attacked first, but men were blind in their own causes. Woosh! Ance made of magic formed in the air and flew toward Seo Jun-Ho, aiming at his heart. ¡°You guys started it.¡± Even in situations like these, Seo Jun-Ho always felt like he was the bad guy. Seo Jun-Ho pped aside thence with the back of his hand while swinging with his other hand. The dagger stabbed perfectly into his opponent¡¯s stomach. ¡°Gah! Urk!¡± With a gasp as his breathing shallowed, the Mage instinctively reached to pull the dagger out, but Seo Jun-Ho leaned toward his ear. ¡°If you pull that out, you¡¯ll die. Go to the hospital and you can live,¡± he said coldly. The Mage stiffened and let go of the handle, swallowing hard. His previously gone logic had returned and he realized how bleak the situation was for him. ¡®It hasn¡¯t even been a month since he became a yer¡­..Why is the gap so big between us?¡¯ A chill went down his spine. If Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t been merciful, they would all be dead. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡® The fight hadsted a little over 3 minutes, but the result was theplete opposite of what everyone had expected. The Three Reapers of Gangnamid on the floor, groaning. But instead of being appalled, the crowd pped and cheered. ¡°Wow, that was amazing!¡± ¡°He took out three yers whose levels were higher than him!¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t even have to try. He¡¯s just too good.¡± ¡°It seems that a great yer hase out of the Association!¡± ¡°That was so cool, Seo Jun-Ho!¡± After the world had be like a game, this was one of the ways thatmon sense had twisted. Instead of being concerned about the injured, they only cheered and paid attention to the victor. ¡®Yeah, I¡¯m the only normal one. It has only gotten worse after 25 years.¡¯ There were three ways to survive in this crazy world. Go crazy with the rest, suppress all your emotions, or always be in despair. You couldn¡¯t survive if you didn¡¯t choose one. ¡°...Phew.¡± Seo Jun-Ho walked up to the Life-Severing Spear, who was the least injured and crouched down. ¡°Will youe after me for revenge?¡± He asked casually as if he was asking if the Spear was hungry. But the Spear understood instinctively what Seo Jun-Ho meant. If he said yes, he would kill them all right now. Trembling, he bowed his head. ¡°N-no. We will not. W-we won¡¯t even look at your shadow for the rest of our lives¡­¡± ¡°Really? Okay. Have a good life.¡± Satisfied with the answer, Seo Jun-Ho turned around and walked up to the bartender. ¡°Is the teleporter ready?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Lead the way.¡± The teleport was over in an instant, just like when he came. Seo Jun-Honded in a dirty alleyway in Insa-dong. He looked up at the narrow sky. ¡°...I miss my friends.¡± His chest stung again today. No matter how much and how long people resented him, he never got used to that feeling. Chapter 25. The Red Lotus Princess Vroom A ck sedan stopped in front of the Insa-dong market. A woman sat in the back, nibbling on her popsicle. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± She asked her subordinate. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho, Miss.¡± He pushed a hologram video from the passenger seat to the back. ¡°This video was taken only a few minutes ago.¡± She watched it silently. Seo Jun-Ho defeated three yers in a single breath. ¡°Who are those guys?¡± ¡°I looked into it, and they aren¡¯t particrly noteworthy, but they are all over level 20, Miss.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± The video ended, and the woman didn¡¯t seem all that interested. But her subordinate knew immediately. ¡®She¡¯s interested.¡¯ Her voice had quickened up at the end. She only did that when she was amused. ¡°I personally like him because he exceeded our expectations. What do you think, Princess?¡± [1] ¡°Well, he¡¯s not bad.¡± She yed the video again. ¡°I always say this, but anyone can raise their stats as long as they have money. However¡­¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t many yers who have a good pair of eyes like him. Is that what you were going to say?¡± ¡°...Stop finishing my sentences.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± She was annoyed by his joking attitude, but he had seen right through her. She was impressed by how swift Seo Jun-Ho dodged the attacks. A secondter, they pulled up in an alleyway. ¡°Please finish your popsicle quickly. I think he¡¯sing soon.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± She bit into her popsicle before she suddenly turned to the window. ¡°Hey hey, isn¡¯t that him? Right on time, Seo Jun-Ho emerged from the alleyway. People recognized him right away and asked him to take pictures together. ¡°Yes, Miss. Unlike you, he seems pretty popr.¡± ¡°...¡± She stared into the rearview mirror and studied him. ¡°What the? He¡¯s actually useful.¡± She made this conclusion after seeing Seo Jun-Ho in person. He looked weak at first sight because his body was untrained, but the look in his eyes was sharp. It was second to none, not even whenpared to the first-rate yers. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll bring him here, Miss.¡± She shook her head and opened the car door. ¡°I¡¯ll go myself. I feel like I¡¯ll be seeing him around a lot.¡± *** ¡°Chee~se!¡± ¡°Cheese...¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered with a sullen look on his face. As soon as he emerged from the alleyway, people iming to be his fans had gone crazy and swarmed him. ¡°Excuse me, please be considerate of the people in line!¡± ¡°Just how many pictures are you gonna take?¡± ¡°...What? In line?¡± Shocked, Seo Jun-Ho turned around. At some point, dozens of people had lined up behind him. ¡®They¡¯re so civilized!¡¯ In fact, the line was getting longer by the second. If things kept going like this, he wouldn¡¯t be able to go home for hours. A loud rm went off in his head, one he didn¡¯t hear even when he was fighting. Just then¡­ ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho?¡± A soft, beautiful voice cut through the loud noises, clear as day. When he turned around, he saw a petite woman that came up to his chest. She was staring up at him. She looked extremely suspicious with her mask and sunsses, but Seo Jun-Ho was looking at something else. ¡®She¡¯s strong?¡¯ His words weren¡¯t empty. She was the strongest yer he had ever seen after waking up from the ice. ¡®The female yers that were this strong were¡­¡¯ He had already researched and filled his head with information on the famous yers, including Rankers. Thanks to that, he found his answer right away. Short, long wavy red hair, and a burning heat that he felt just by standing near her. There was only one person in the world that had those traits. ¡®The Goblin Guild¡¯s Princess.¡¯ They called her the Red Lotus, a me-user yer from the Goblin Guild. She was actually a Team Leader, but she was more often called the Princess because of her peculiar name. Seo Jun-Ho feigned ignorance. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Sorry, but can we talk inside somewhere? I¡¯m not some suspicious person.¡± She pulled out a business card. [Goblin Guild. Team 2 Leader Gong Ju-Ha.] ¡®I knew it.¡¯ It was as he expected. ¡®Since she¡¯s from the Goblin Guild, they¡¯re probably trying to scout me.¡® He had no thoughts of joining a Guild, but it felt good. After all, it was one of the six strongest Guilds in the world. One of the famous, influential Big 6. ¡®It¡¯s well-known that they make more in a year than a small country¡¯s budget.¡® Seo Jun-Ho feigned a surprised look. ¡°Wow, what business does the Goblin Guild have with me? ¡°Fufu. Let¡¯s go to a cafe and talk over mocha frappino.¡± Of course, he agreed. After all, it was a legitimate reason to escape the photo zone. *** They sat in a private booth in the cafe. Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s subordinate stood guard at the door. She finally took off her mask and sunsses then fanned her face. ¡°Man, I¡¯m sweating. I hate going out. I hate the heat, but I have to wear a disguise on top of that.¡± ¡°...Aren¡¯t you a me-user?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem. I like cool, cold things,¡± sheined. It was hard to believe that Gong Ju-Ha was 23 years old with her baby face. ¡®Is this meek-looking girl really the Goblin Guild¡¯s Princess from the rumors?¡¯ The Goblin Guild¡¯s Princess, or the Red Lotus Princess, was one of the few things that even the fiends were afraid of. But to Seo Jun-Ho, she just looked like a cute girl around his age. ¡°Oh, before we start.¡± Woooing Gong Ju-Ha suddenly used her magic and created an intangible field around them. It was a perfectly soundproof wall. Seo Jun-Ho blinked as he discovered this fact. ¡®Huh? This technique¡­¡¯ It was familiar. Seeing his unreadable expression, Gong Ju-Ha quickly exined. ¡°Ah, sorry if I scared you. It¡¯s a maintenance spell based on Skaya-nim¡¯s theories. It¡¯s just a thin wall that blocks out nearby sounds.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying to learn, but it¡¯s useful, so you should learn itter on.¡± ¡®I know how to do it¡­¡¯ Sipping on her mocha frappino, Gong Ju-Ha got straight to the point. ¡°Would you like to join our Guild?¡± ¡°...All of a sudden?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked dumbfounded. She was inviting him to join the Goblin Guild, one of the Big 6 guilds that all yers dreamed of joining as if she was asking him if he wanted to eat jjajangmyeon[2] for lunch. ¡°The Vice Master wanted to scout you. Of course, they also told me to make the final decision after meeting you in person...But you pass.¡± ¡°In what sense?¡± ¡°Your achievements, for one. It¡¯s not so strange that we¡¯d want you after looking at what you have achieved so far. After all, you¡¯re the Super Rookie.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded in agreement. After all, he had done all that with this kind of oue in mind. No one around his level was building a better career than he was. ¡°And you score higher on my end inbat sense and future potential.¡± ¡°Combat sense¡­..Has the video already started spreading?¡± He had seen quite a few people at the bar filming his fight with the Reapers of Gangnam. Of course, he knew that it would blow up, just not this fast. ¡°I enjoyed it. You¡¯re good at fighting. Is your only skill really D-rank Weapon Proficiency?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The only skill registered on his official profile was D-rank Weapon Proficiency. ¡°That only makes me want you more. Think about it. You only have one D-rank skill, but you¡¯re already at this level, with this career. What if you gained more skills?¡± ¡°Well¡­..Obviously, I¡¯d get stronger.¡± ¡°Whatever you¡¯re thinking of, you¡¯ll get even stronger than that.¡± Her voice was sweet like honey as she smiled and continued to promote her Guild. ¡°If you join our Guild, our skill books will help you. Not only that, but our Gate coordinators will draw up a course for you to help you level up as fast as possible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± He felt sorry for Shim Deok-Gu, but there was a reason that the Guilds were much better than the Association. Just by going off of what she said, joining a Guild was much more beneficial. ¡®Plus, their yearly sry is higher and their incentives are better.¡¯ It was aplete defeat for the Association. ¡°As you know, we are one of the best Guilds in the world. And, we have a lot more information on the 2nd floor than the Association does. It¡¯ll be greatly beneficial for your growth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re worried about the penalty fees for breaking your contract with the Association, we can also pay for that.¡± At this point, most yers would have instantly left the Association and joined the Guild. ¡®Well, if they have this many benefits, it¡¯s no wonder that there are no useful guys left at the Association.¡¯ But no matter how good the benefits were, Seo Jun-Ho had no intentions of joining a Guild. ¡®I¡¯d be rich and famous. But¡­¡¯ A Guild was a ce that valued profit over cost, there was no way it woulde for free. He would surely have to give up an equal amount to what he umted in glory and riches. ¡®Usually, it¡¯s carrying out orders.¡¯ Carrying out tasks assigned by the Guild. This was what most yers spent their time doing. For Seo Jun-Ho, who could only focus on his own growth, the Guild system was like a ball and chain. ¡®I¡¯m happiest with where I¡¯m at now.¡¯ The yer Association was an international organization, so yers were treated like government officials. ¡®Most government officials have to adhere to a strict hierarchy¡­¡¯ But the chief of the Korean Association had his back. Even if he didn¡¯t insert himself into official business, no one wouldin. ¡°What do you think?¡± Even as she asked, Gong Juha thought it was a stupid question. ¡®There¡¯s no way he¡¯d decline.¡¯ They were the Big 6, the Goblin Guild. And she was the Ranker, the Goblin¡¯s Princess. She hade down to the 1st floor briefly and came to recruit him in person. It would be strange if he refused. But Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s answer was unexpected. ¡°I respectfully decline.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, you can speak casually from¡­Eh?¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes went wide, blinking. She pped her hands together and started again. ¡°Um¡­I don¡¯t think you understood what I said.¡± ¡°No, I did. The Goblin Guild has made me an amazing offer.¡± ¡°...So, why?¡± The look on her face was one of utter confusion. She wasn¡¯t even angry, just truly curious. She wanted to hear why in the world he would refuse him. ¡°Do you know the saying ¡®the snake¡¯s head is better than the dragon¡¯s tail¡¯?¡±[3] ¡°Ah, got it,¡± said Gong Ju-Ha. She looked at Seo Jun-Ho with a new light. ¡®He¡¯s more ambitious than I thought.¡¯ The snake¡¯s head was better than the dragon¡¯s tail. She understood. ¡®Well, even if he joined Goblin, he likely wouldn¡¯t be able to reach a high position.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was outstanding, but there were already yers of his level at Goblin. The top yers like Shin Sung-Hyun and Kim Woo-Joong had already established themselves at around Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s level. Though, he did have them beat when it came to Uncleared Gates. ¡®Besides, they have S-rank skills.¡¯ It was incredible how far Seo Jun-Ho hade with just a D-rank skill, but no matter how hard he trained, his limits should be around B-rank. No matter how good he was, there would be a gap between the growth potential of an S-rank skill. He had probably refused the offer because he understood all that. ¡®He¡¯s smart.¡¯ For most people, joining one of the Big 6 was the finish line. They fell into the trap of believing that their world would expand if they just joined one. But thepetition within the Guilds was much fiercer than the outside. After all, the Big 6 was where the elites of the elites gathered. Having be the Team 2 Leader through her hard-earned efforts, Gong Ju-Ha understood him. ¡®Hm. He knows where he stands and is backing out peacefully¡­..How admirable.¡¯ It was a bit of a waste. If she took him in and trained him properly, she thought he would be able to be one of the low-tier Ranker. She asked one more time, looking disappointed. ¡°I¡¯m not usually the nagging type, but I¡¯ll ask one more time. You really won¡¯t join us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°...Well, nothing we can do about it then.¡± It wasn¡¯t like she could force him to join. It would be too disgraceful. Gong Ju-Ha stood up from her seat to leave. ¡°Oh, and I advise you to be careful.¡± ¡°...Are you nning to get revenge on me for refusing?¡± ¡°No no, I may be small but my heart isn¡¯t![4] What do you take me for?¡± She puffed out her cheeks in annoyance before she lowered her voice. ¡°The fiends have suddenly started getting active again, including on the 1st floor.¡± ¡°...The 1st floor?¡± ¡°Yes. There has been a guy called the Skeleton Mage going around different countries and wreaking terror. He¡¯s a headache to deal with. Does he think he¡¯s Hong Gil-Dong[5] or something? Anyways, you should be careful.¡± ¡°Thank you for warning me.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you again sometime. Mr. Snakehead.¡± Gong Ju-Ha quickly left the cafe with her subordinate. Seo Jun-Ho watched her go and slowly closed his eyes. ¡®So the fiends have started moving.¡¯ He felt it. It was an instinct that was carved into his DNA. Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s warning was some sort of sign. ¡®If theye after me...It¡¯ll be because of the Eastern Sea Gate.¡¯ The sleeping rare-grade bow wavered in his inventory. He had already met the requirements to use it. I¡¯ll show them something worthy of its name. The bow that brought storms, Tempest Butterfly. He wanted to witness its glory with his own eyes. 1. If you read the webtoon, you¡¯ll know it¡¯s Gong Ju-Ha. Her nickname is Gongju, which means princess ? 2. Jajangmyeon or jjajangmyeon is a Korean noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang, diced pork, and vegetables. Variants of the dish use seafood, or other meats. ? 3. It¡¯s a Korean idiom meaning that it¡¯s better to be at the top of something than the bottom of something else, even if thetter is better overall ? 4. Meaning that she isn¡¯t a narrow-minded petty person ? 5. Hong Gil-Dong is simr to a Korean Robinhood. During the reign of tyrant Yeonsan-gun, peasant armies rose up throughout the country. One of the most representative was the peasant army led by Hong Gil-Dong. He, dressed as an aristocrat, attacked the government offices with arge number of armed peasants. ? Chapter 26. A Dragon Without a Name (1)

Chapter 26. A Dragon Without a Name (1)

¡°...She warned you about the fiends? Really?¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked at Seo Jun-Ho with a serious expression. ¡°The Goblin Guild has no reason to lie to me. It¡¯s probably true.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had hurried back to the Association and immediately went to visit Shim Deok-Gu to share the information he had gotten from Gong Ju-Ha. ¡°Ugh, the Skeleton Mage...I¡¯ve never heard of him. I knew the Big 6 had a better informationwork than us, but I didn¡¯t know that it was to this extent.¡± The Guilds had information that the Association wouldn¡¯t even catch wind of. This meant that the Guilds¡¯ informationwork was two, or maybe three steps ahead of the Association¡¯s. ¡°Anyways, will you really not regret joining Goblin? Didn¡¯t Gong Ju-Hae in person? Her team is doing great on the 2nd floor.¡± ¡°Nah. I told you. If I join a Guild, I won¡¯t be able to do what I want.¡± ¡°A yer of your level would be able to negotiate the contract.¡± ¡°Do you want me to go?¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face went dark as he sighed. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking that it would be better for you¡­I don¡¯t want to hold you down either.¡± ¡°I was wondering what you were trying to say.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. ¡°If you buy a new knife, you¡¯ll want to take it out. If you take it out, you¡¯ll want to swing it, and if you swing it, you¡¯ll want to cut something. That¡¯s how humans are. If I join a Guild, they¡¯ll use me like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°If I was only after money and glory, I would¡¯ve left without a word¡­But that¡¯s not who I am.¡± His only goal was to save his friends. It was much morefortable for him to stay at the Association than to join a Guild. ¡°...I¡¯m d you said that.¡± Deok-Gu looked touched. He nodded, determined. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s renew our contract in the morning.¡± ¡°All of a sudden?¡± ¡°Your reputation is more than enough. You even received an offer from one of the Big 6.¡± He wrote up a new contract on the spot. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face went sour as he skimmed over it. ¡°...Hey, isn¡¯t this too much? Can you even handle it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re someone who¡¯s wanted by Goblin. This much is a given. Just because we¡¯re frugal doesn''t mean we don¡¯t have money.¡± ¡°But 5 million won for clearing a normal Gate is too much¡­¡± And for Uncleared Gates, it was 15 million won. [1] Even with his previous contract, Seo Jun-Ho made a yearly ie just by clearing one Gate. Combined with the personalmissions he received, he made a lot. ¡°I¡¯ll move your room too so you can take a whole floor.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to get scared. Why are you treating me so well?¡± ¡°I wanted to do this from the beginning, but I couldn¡¯t. But now that you¡¯ve received an offer from the Big 6, there¡¯s no need for me to be discreet.¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked proud as he swiftly signed the contract. ¡°And as for the problem with our informationwork¡­I¡¯ll do my best to close the gap.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be thankful.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finished signing his name and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go to my new room. Which floor should I go to?¡± ¡°77. It has a great view.¡± ¡°I just need to move my stuff. Oh,¡± Seo Jun-Ho stopped at the door and turned around. ¡°Schedule the Eastern Sea Gate conquest a week from now.¡± ¡°You said the fiends are nning something. Aren¡¯t you giving them too much time to prepare?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled. ¡°I have toy the bait.¡± *** [yer Seo Jun-Ho to attempt the Eastern Sea Gate: ¡°The time hase.¡±] [Will Korea be the first safe zone without any Uncleared Gates? The world watches.] [Breaking! Seo Jun-Ho refuses a lucrative deal from Goblin Guild.] [Official statement from Korean yer Association: ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho has renewed his contract and has no thoughts of transferring.¡±] The news of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ns to conquer the Eastern Sea Gate caused a stir. It was something that everyone wanted but had never been achieved. Seo Jun-Ho made the announcement himself. He was a monster that had debuted just over a month ago, and he had already received an offer from the Big 6. The whole world was even watching his every move. ¡°Finally.¡± On the summit of a mountain in the northeastern region of the 2nd floor, a man sat while reading the articles. ¡°Is anyone out there?¡± A voice spoke through the empty air. ¡°You called for me, Signer-nim.¡± Anyone who heard his name would have been rmed. Kal Signer was an executive of a fiend Guild and was an internationally wanted terrorist. ¡°It¡¯s that guy.¡± ¡°I also saw the reports, sir. Is he the human who you suspected that has the Tempest Butterfly?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­It¡¯s a bow that I want very much.¡± Greed rose in Signer¡¯s eyes, then quickly subsided. His subordinate spoke carefully. ¡°But the official statement said that the Tempest was in Tushar Vishi¡¯s inventory.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Signer scoffed. ¡°Obviously, he hid it. He published Tushar Vishi¡¯s journal that said that he was killed by a fiend. Of course, he¡¯d be wary of us.¡± ¡°Then, do you think that he has the Tempest Butterfly, sir?¡± ¡°I have my suspicions, but I don¡¯t have proof.¡± ¡°Shall I go down to the 1st floor?¡± ¡°No. The Association has him surrounded by other yers. There¡¯s no point if we tip them off.¡± Kal Signer rubbed his chin, thinking. ¡°Is there anyone left on the 1st floor that we can use?¡± ¡°Of course. There are always those that are hungry for power. As for those we can use¡­How about the Shadow Brothers? They¡¯re assigned to the Last Vegas auction.¡± ¡°The Shadow Brothers¡­Will the two of them be enough?¡± The subordinate considered this for a second then nodded. ¡°Their skills are more than enough.¡± ¡°Then send them to the Eastern Sea Gate. We don¡¯t need to exin the assignment, do we?¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°I should start my preparations to go.¡± ¡°...Already, sir?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a persistent one.¡± As soon as Kal Signer stood up, he scowled. The traps he had set out a few kilometers away had sensed his enemy. ¡°...Fucking bastard.¡± He gnashed his teeth. He was an archer and fought best with a sizable distance between him and his opponent. But even if he had the range, he didn¡¯t have the guts to fight his pursuer. ¡®I can¡¯t fight one of the Nine Heavens in my current state.¡¯ They were the nine strongest yers and fiends in the world. The one chasing him right now was the Sword Saint, Kim Woo-Joong. Thetter had picked up his trail a few months ago and had persistently chased after him since. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho, was it? He¡¯s a lucky man.¡± If only he wasn¡¯t being chased, he would have gone down to the 1st floor himself. The Association had eyes everywhere, and with the monster called Kim Woo-Joong on his tail, going down to the 1st floor would be suicide. ¡°I shall watch until your luck runs out.¡± Kal Signer licked his dry lips. He looked down at the thick fog of the mountain, then turned around and disappeared. *** ¡°How lucky!¡± Cha Si-Eun eximed. ¡°Did you see this article? The Shadow Brothers are joining the Eastern Sea Gate raid! It¡¯ll be a lot easier!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded. Cha Si-Eun tilted her head. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good or bad thing that they¡¯ve decided to join.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a plus? Of course, they¡¯re not as good as Jun-Ho-nim, but they have great skills and a great career.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. ¡°Really? Please get some information on them for me. I want to judge them myself.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± As she left to prepare the documents, Seo Jun-Ho headed to his fitness training room. It was his own personal room, one of the benefits he gained from the contract. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho started to runps around the big room. Every time he finished ap, he went faster. ¡®Training like this will prevent mistakes in an actual fight.¡¯ It was like training the gears of a car. His muscles would soon be used to the progression. The wheels would go faster, and so would he. Like that, he finished 100ps. ¡°Hah! Hah!¡± His heart pounded and he felt like it was about to explode. His breath was hot and he felt like he couldn¡¯t move a finger. But this was just his warm-up routine. ¡°Phew¡­..¡± Evening out his breath, he started to pull out his magic. ¡®When you use magic, you need to focus.¡¯ If your concentration broke, so did the flow of magic. That was why Seo Jun-Ho liked to train in magic after he exhausted his energy. If he could use it properly in this state, it would get rid of a huge weak point. ¡®It¡¯s an unsophisticated method that Skaya came up with¡­But it¡¯s effective.¡¯ Woosh! Watchguard of Darkness bloomed from the void like a flower. It didn¡¯t have a conscience, but the darkness flowed around him as if it was greeting him. ¡°...Long time no see.¡± In the past, he used it every day and everywhere. It was that reliable, and it had never let him down. ¡®I¡¯ll have to use this guy again in the Gate.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho petted the wavering shadows and tapped on Vita, pulling up information on the Eastern Sea Gate. [Ind of the Forgotten Dragon] Entry requirements: Level 13-25 Party cap: 20 Clear condition: Rout the Nameless Dragon Difficulty: Very hard ¡®Dragon¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gulped. After the Gates appeared, Dragons were no longer just fiction. The yers hade face-to-face with eastern and western dragons as powerful, top-ss monsters.[2] ¡®I¡¯ve fought both of them before.¡¯ They were tricky opponents. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have any flying abilities either, so they were an especially bad match against each other. ¡®There are two ways I can defeat a dragon.¡¯ He could either grab onto its scales and try to fight it in the air, or drag it down to the ground. ¡°Personally, I think the second one is better¡­But it probably won¡¯t work out that way.¡± Dragons were intelligent monsters. If they thought that their opponent was too strong for them, they wouldn¡¯te down from the sky. Of course, this meant that their opponent wouldn¡¯t be able to find an opening to grab onto their scales. Ring! Cha Si-Eun¡¯s files arrived. The Shadow Brothers¡¯ skills and profiles were described in detail. ¡°Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked. ¡®This...I¡¯ll be able to use it.¡¯ As soon as he saw their skills, two strategies popped up in his head. The first was a scenario in which they feigned innocence and pretended to help him with the conquest. ¡°Then we can work together to defeat it.¡± The problemy in the possibility that they would immediatelye after him on purpose. ¡°If that happens, it¡¯ll be annoying to deal with.¡± With the amount of magic he currently had, it would be hard to deal with two fiends and a dragon at the same time. But Seo Jun-Ho had a solution for that. ¡°Inventory.¡± tter! The artifacts he bought from the ck Market tumbled to the ground. 1. ~5k USD, ~13k USD ? 2. There are two different words for eastern/Asian dragons and western/European dragons. The Nameless Dragon is the Asian kind ? Chapter 27. A Dragon Without a Name (2) [Your magic has increased by 1.] [Your magic has increased by 0.5.] [Your magic has increased by 2.] [Your magic has increased by 0.5.] ¡­.. After absorbing 9 ice attribute items, his magic stat had increased by 10. ¡°Hm, now that I¡¯ve absorbed them, they¡¯ve be useless.¡± Without their ice attribute, the artifacts had be normal items. ¡®Well, they¡¯re not the main dishes anyways.¡¯ He looked at the Glove of the Frost Fairy¡¯s Wrath that he had ced aside. Since it was a cursed item, it had intermediate-level frost energy. ¡°Gimme those 5 points!¡± Seo Jun-Ho ced his hand on the glove and started to absorb its energy. The cold sensation he had gotten when he treated Choi Sun-Hee started to set in. It created a new magic as it wove into his own. [Your magic stat has increased by 4.] ¡°Ah¡­¡± He let out a disappointed sigh. He had expected it to increase his magic stat by at least 5, but it seemed that even items of the same grade weren¡¯t all equal. ¡®Well, it makes sense that a disease from a person is stronger than an item.¡¯ Having eaten his fill, Seo Jun-Ho looked once again at the purified glove. [Magic-Infused Glove] Grade: Rare Speed +1 Stamina +1 Magic +2 Use requirements: Level 10, 40 Speed, 50 Magic ¡°Not bad.¡± The curse in the glove had been fully purified. This meant that Seo Jun-Ho could use it now. ¡°It¡¯s evenfortable.¡± The glove fit him perfectly like it was made for him. ¡®With this, I¡¯m ready to take on the Nameless Dragon.¡¯ After absorbing all the magic, his magic stat was now at 67. He could now use other techniques without any reservations. ¡°It¡¯ll be fun.¡± He revealed a wide smile. *** The Eastern Sea Gate was at Ilsan beach in Ulsan. For the people of Ulsan, the beach was one of the few ways to relieve themselves of the hot weather, and the Gate had stolen that. But now, it had be famous for being thest Uncleared Gate in Korea. [1] Ilsan Beach had been empty even during the height of summer, but now it was full of chattering people. The domestic reporters were a given, but there were lots of foreign ones as well. ¡°This shows how much the world is watching.¡± Shim Deok-Gu, the President of the Korean yer Association hade too. Because today might be the day that Korea became the world¡¯s first special safe zone.[2] ¡°Aren¡¯t you nervous?¡± The person he was talking to was none other than Seo Jun-Ho. They were riding in a big Cadic van, the kind that American presidents rode. ¡°...Very nervous.¡± Shim Deok-Gu whirled around, shocked by his answer. Ping! Ping...dun dun dun. Sad music yed as Seo Jun-Ho died in the game. He tossed the console aside as he leaned back in his seat. ¡°Geez! What a crappy game. Howe it shakes so much during the boss fight?¡± ¡°...You were talking about the game?¡± ¡°Huh? Were you talking about that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho jutted his chin toward the beach. He waved his hands and looked at Deok-Gu like he was crazy. ¡°I defeated the Frost Queen. Do you think I¡¯d be scared of a dragon that I don¡¯t even know the name of?¡± Most boss monsters had a distinct name or sobriquet. For example, the Perrin which only appeared once in northern Europe. Or the Kraken from Norway that appeared from the ocean. Even the Cinder Fox he recently fought not too long ago had a name. ¡°Well, it is called the Nameless Dragon¡­If it doesn¡¯t have a name, it¡¯s probably not all that great.¡± ¡°If it was, it would have a name.¡± Seo Jun-Ho spoke casually, but Shim Deok-Gu was uncharacteristically nervous. ¡°Don¡¯t be careless. Don¡¯t forget that almost 9000 people have died trying to defeat it.¡± ¡°I never let my guard down. And while we¡¯re on the topic, a dragon is still a dragon.¡± They were one of the strongest monsters out there. ¡°Dragons aren¡¯t easy opponents for newbies, especially those who don¡¯t know how to hunt a dragon and are unprepared. ¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Shim Deok-Gu grumbled. ¡°The most useless things to worry about are celebrities, rich people, and you.¡± ¡°If you know that, why do you look so nervous?¡± ¡°Just¡­It¡¯s not just monsters you¡¯ll be up against.¡± There were only three people going into the Gate today: Seo Jun-Ho and the Shadow Brothers. ¡°Seeing as how no one else is going in, it¡¯s very likely that they¡¯re fiends.¡± ¡°They¡¯re barely at level 25. I took down three yers who were over level 20 not long ago.¡± ¡°Hey, do you think the Shadow Brothers are that weak?¡± ¡°Well, considering their career, I¡¯d say they¡¯re a little better. Just a bit.¡± ¡°Tsk, your self-confidence is as high as ever l...¡± The Shadow Brothers were revered as heroes back in America, which meant that they had a good, clean career thus far. ¡®They haven¡¯t failed a single one of their 200 plusmissions.¡¯ However, their main business wasn¡¯t clearing Gates. Their specialty was acting as guards, so they were highly sought after. ¡°Both brothers awakened with shadow abilities. What luck.¡± Even if they were blood-rted, it was unlikely for two people to awaken their abilities at the same time, and even more unlikely for them both to obtain skills with certain attributes. Even if that happened by some chance, the possibility of them awakening abilities with the same particr attribute was close to 0%. ¡°It¡¯s like winning the Powerball, buying two more tickets with that money, and then winning again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the Americans love them, saying that they¡¯re brothers with a heroic destiny,¡± Shim Deok-Gu spoke. ¡°Americans love a good hero story.¡± ¡°Yeah. All the Marvel and DCics I read are from there.¡± But if they truly were pawns for the fiends, why did they choose that path? People expected them to be heroes after all. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho drank a soda as he looked out the window. ¡°Huh? They¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Seems like it. Let¡¯s get off too.¡± The car carrying the Shadow Brothers was already parked in the lot. As Deok-Gu and Seo Jun-Ho made their way over, the car door opened and two tall men stepped out. They smiled brightly as they saw him. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m a big fan of yours, Sir Jun-Ho!¡± ¡°Thanks, but I am not a sir. My name is Jun-Ho Seo.¡±[3] As the perfect English spilled from his lips, the surrounding reporters, as well as the Shadow Brothers, looked surprised. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re good at English.¡± ¡°Your pronunciation¡¯s good. Did you study abroad?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just familiar with it. I have a friend from Ennd, you see.¡± That friend of his was an entric youngdy who spent all her time locked in her room to study magic. The Shadow Brothers fist-bumped him andughed heartily. ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s a relief! Vita¡¯s interpretation feature has a slight dy, so we were worried that it might be inconvenient when we go inside¡­But it seems like that won¡¯t be a problem!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so good at English either. You should introduce us to your friend if we ever get the chance.¡± ¡°Well¡­We¡¯ll see.¡± As they introduced each other warmly, the atmosphere around them also lightened. Only Shim Deok-Gu couldn¡¯t enjoy the rxed atmosphere. ¡®Just by looking at them, I¡¯m already starting to doubt myself¡­¡¯ Were they really pretending to be good? If so, Shim Deok-Gu was worried about how things would unfold within the Gate. One of the brothers noticed his stare and turned to him. ¡°Hm? Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I made you ufortable. I was just amazed by the sight of America¡¯s trending heroes.¡± ¡°Oh, well, no need to be sorry about that¡­¡± Once the Shadow Brothers finished exchanging greetings, they started the interview. The reporters didn¡¯t ask any questions about their favorite k-pop stars or their thoughts on kimchi. Instead¡­ ¡°Why did youe here to participate in the raid today? ¡°Uh¡­..Well. I¡¯d say the biggest reason is the man called Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Correct. When we read that he defeated two Uncleared Gates and the Cinder Fox¡­we felt our blood boiling.¡±[4] ¡°You feltpetitive?¡± ¡°Haha, let¡¯s just call it respect.¡± The interview went on for another hour and ended pleasantly. The Shadow Brothers and Seo Jun-Ho then gathered at the shore during their short break. ¡°This is Korea¡¯sst Uncleared Gate, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll give it our all. So that Korea can be a special safe zone.¡±[5] Hearing their encouragement, Seo Jun-Houghed lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve prepared as much as I can.¡± *** When do you think yers were most nervous when challenging a Gate? Some might say it was when they were facing the boss, others might say that it was when their teammates were injured. But most yers were the most nervous when they were about to enter a Gate. After all, they didn¡¯t know what environments, monsters, or traps awaited them inside. This was why they were the most nervous at these moments. ¡®That¡¯s why we thought it would be easy¡­¡¯ The Shadow Brothers had been nning to ambush Seo Jun-Ho as soon as they entered the Gate. But as they stared at his defenseless back, their hands wouldn¡¯t move. ¡®Is it¡­truly an opening?¡¯ He looked careless, but there was an irrationally strong feeling that he would perfectly block their attacks. The two exchanged looks and widened their steps to nk Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Pretty breezy, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I never knew the inside of a Gate would look like this¡­..¡± Currently, they were on a lonely-looking ind. Besides the small forest area in the east, they were surrounded by shorelines. Shwaaaa! The rough, fierce waves hit the beach without rest. ¡°I don¡¯t see a single monster. Where¡¯s the Nameless Dragon?¡± ¡°A dragon¡­I¡¯ve always wanted to fight one.¡± With their arms crossed, the Shadow Brothers looked confident. ¡®Something¡¯s weird.¡¯ The Nameless Dragon didn¡¯t even have a proper sobriquet. But Seo Jun-Ho got a too-familiar feeling in him. ¡®This is the same feeling I get when I enter a 1-star Gate.¡¯ Of course, the Shadow Brothers wouldn¡¯t know. They chattered away as they watched Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s figure, looking for an opening. Wooooooosh! At that moment, a great shadow covered the ind. ¡°Huh? What¡­..¡± ¡°Is it a cloud?¡± As they squinted up to the sky, the Shadow Brothers¡¯ necks craned. ¡°What¡­is that?¡± Above the white clouds, something ck and enormous flickered. ¡°Is it the Nameless Dragon?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ve confirmed its location now. But how are we supposed to hunt something that flies about the clouds?¡± The Shadow Brothers turned to Seo Jun-Ho. He had been standing between the two of them just a moment ago, but he disappeared just now. ¡°W-when did he?¡± ¡°No way! I didn¡¯t even feel his presence!¡± A great cry resonated above the two confused brothers. Guoooohhh! It was 15 meters long, ck, and covered in tumor-like scales. Its fierce red eyes red as the Nameless Dragon finally descended. [The Forgotten Dragon has appeared.] *** In the same moment, the darkness in the eastern forest wavered. Seo Jun-Ho stepped out and looked down at the panicked Shadow Brothers with cold eyes. ¡°Now, show me. If you¡¯re working with the fiends¡­or not.¡± 1. Ulsan is a city in the south of Korea near Busan ? 2. without any Uncleared Gates ? 3. these lines are in English. ? 4. in Korean, this doesn¡¯t always insinuate anger. Usually, it¡¯s just used to denote strong feelings/passion ? 5. safe zone without any uncleared gates ? Chapter 28. A Dragon Without a Name (3)

Chapter 28. A Dragon Without a Name (3)

¡°This bastard¡­Did he figure out that we were nning to attack him?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡± The Shadow Brothers looked around, trying to find Seo Jun-Ho, but their abilities weren¡¯t honed enough to find him in the already-dark forest. ¡°Ugh, then are you saying that he ran away for no reason?¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably nning to use us as bait.¡± ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± The Shadow Brothers never thought that Seo Jun-Ho was testing them. ¡°They call him Korea¡¯s hero or whatever, but he¡¯s just an opportunist.¡± ¡°I keep telling you. There¡¯s no such thing as heroes in this generation.¡± The Shadow Brothers muttered. They came close to each other and stared up at the dragon flying down towards them. Shiver. They got chills just from the dragon getting close. ¡°...I didn¡¯t know that dragons carried this much pressure with them.¡± ¡°Same here. But we can defeat it if we work together.¡± ¡°And what about Seo Jun-ho? The Gate will be cleared if we kill it, and we¡¯ll fail our mission.¡± The older brother Edvar thought to himself for a second beforeing to a decision. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll deal with the dragon while you go after him. He¡¯s probably watching us from the forest over there.¡± ¡°Will you be alright on your own?¡± ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± As he sneered, the shadows cast on the ground slowly started to rise. One, two three¡­Fifteen shadows formed into humanoid shapes, holding spears and swords made from the same shadows. They were formidable soldiers. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me and just kill him. Meet up with me when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Ok, hyung. Be careful.¡± As the younger brother broke away, the Nameless Dragon¡¯s eyes briefly followed. ¡°Over here, you worm!¡± Its attention shifted as Edvarnded an attack on its scales. *** ¡°This rat bastard. Where the hell did he go?¡± Vincent was the younger brother simply because he had been born a little bitter. He looked around, eyes wide. ¡®Goddammit.¡¯ ¡®When was thest time that we messed up like this?¡¯ There was a simple reason that their personalmission sess rate was 100%. They nned their missions meticulously and had the ability to execute them perfectly. Those two things had the perfect synergy, which was why they had never failed before. ¡®How dare he ruin our ns? I won¡¯t kill him gracefully.¡¯ His pride as a professional was hurt, and Vincent gnashed his teeth. But to be honest, he never wanted toe here in the first ce. ¡®It¡¯s hard enough to prepare for the Las Vegas auction¡­I can¡¯t believe that I have to deal with something like this.¡¯ This year¡¯s auction would feature a high-ss magic core from an ancient dungeon on the 2nd floor¡ªHeaven¡¯s Breath. There was no way the Fiend Association would miss out on such an opportunity. If the core fell into their hands, it would serve as another foothold for them. ¡®If there¡¯s an issue with the ns for the auction because of this¡­¡¯ A shiver went down his spine. Even if he and his brother lived, death might be more merciful of an oue for them. Having remembered his current predicament, bloodlust started to trickle into Vincent¡¯s eyes. His bloodshot eyes soon turned red as he started to look around the forest. ¡®I¡¯ll kill him quickly andplete our assignment. ¡® Woosh! His body suddenly disappeared into the ground, only to reappear dozens of meters ahead. This maneuver was called ¡°Shadow Movement.¡± It allowed them to travel through shade and shadow. Of course, it had a limit¡ªthey could only travel 30 meters in one maneuver. ¡°...I can feel him.¡± Vincent arrived deep in the forest, looking up at the dense cover of leaves. He muttered to himself, sensing a subtle magic wavelength behind the tree. He had memorized Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic aura when he fist-bumped him outside the gate, and it was the same as this one. Vincent sneered and quietly started to gather his magic. He moved inconspicuously so his opponent wouldn¡¯t notice. In an instant, the shadows gathered in his hands to form a sharp dagger. He hid it behind his back and shouted, sounding panicked. ¡°Hey, are you there? Hyung¡¯s fighting the dragon right now! We need your help!¡± He had already figured out Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s location and moved closer. He gripped his dagger, intending to kill Seo Jun-Ho in one hit. ¡°Did we do something wrong? We decided that we¡¯d work together. So¡­..¡± Vincent put on a pitiful expression, looking like he was about to cry. Anyone that saw him would feel bad. But as he took one, two, three steps... The moment he reached his destination, his face turned dark and sinister. ¡°...Stop fucking around and die already!¡± Woooosh! Vincent didn¡¯t swing his dagger. There was no need for it. Since he was this deep in the forest, the thick cover of leaves and branches created numerous shadows for him to use. ¡®This is my home ground. He must be crazy.¡¯ The dagger in Vincent¡¯s hand disappeared, reappearing a secondter where he felt Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic. Stab! He felt it. He didn¡¯t wield the dagger himself, but he felt the weight in his hand and the thick sound. Vincentughed in delight and strode over. ¡°So why did you even cause trouble when you¡¯re this weak¡­..¡± Vincent¡¯s face crumbled as he stepped behind the tree to check the corpse. ¡®It¡¯s not a body?¡¯ The daggernded on a doll formed out of condensed darkness. ¡®A trap!¡¯ As he realized this, Vincent expanded his senses with his magic. He was confident that he would be able to find Seo Jun-Ho even with his eyes closed. But¡­he couldn¡¯t feel anything. ¡®What? There¡¯s no way¡­¡¯ As he tried to process his confusion, a voice came from behind him. ¡°So you really were fiends. What a shame.¡± He whipped around to find Seo Jun-Ho leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. He reacted to what Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Hm? I said it in English, so you should understand.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head. ¡°You¡¯re a fiend. Why are you denying it? Fuck that.¡± Vincent trembled. How did he¡­? The only people who knew about this mission were themselves and the person who sent them over. Moreover, the person who sent them was a servant of Kal Signer. Those were the only four people who would and should know, and there was no way that any one of them would let the information leak. ¡®Then that means¡­¡¯ He was bluffing. Vincent shrugged. ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m a fiend?¡± ¡°Aha, so you¡¯re ying dumb? You just tried to kill me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you betrayed us first.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smirked. He found it cute that Vincent was trying to make excuses. It was like watching a child hide under a nket in hide-and-seek, thinking that it was a good hiding spot. ¡°If you get rid of those red eyes first, I¡¯ll consider it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How am I supposed to believe you when you have a fiend¡¯s scarlet eyes?¡± ¡°...¡± Momentarily confused, Vincent bit his bottom lip. ¡®I¡­can¡¯t control it?¡¯ When fiends used demonic energy, their eyes turned red. It was their special trait. Because of it, they trained themselves to control it when they lived among people. Vincent thought that he was good at controlling it. After all, he and his brother had never been suspected during their two years of activity. ¡°It¡¯s hard to control, isn¡¯t it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was right. Vincent looked at him with a furious expression. ¡°Shut up! You don¡¯t seem to understand the situation you¡¯re in¡­Did you think I¡¯d just stand by if you figured out that I was a fiend?¡± he said coldly. ¡°Nope. You would try to kill me to hide the evidence. That¡¯s how you guys operate.¡± The way Seo Jun-Ho spoke was infuriating for Vincent¡¯s ears. ¡°So you do know.¡± Vincent gave up on hiding his identity and let his scarlet eyes glisten with bloodlust. Most yers would have noticed where this was going and braced themselves, but Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t look the least bit fazed. ¡°Aw, are you mad, pal?¡± ¡°Pal? I humored you for a bit¡­and now you¡¯ve forgotten your ce!¡± Demon ns appeared very rarely in Gates, but those who drank the Demon¡¯s blood and survived became those savages known as fiends. Vincent brought out his demonic energy. Seo Jun-Ho stroked his chin and looked upon the demonic energy. He hadn¡¯t seen it in a long time. ¡®Yup, demonic energy is a lot more violent and unrefined than normal magic.¡¯ Just seeing it could cause the opponent to turn into shriveled corpses. Vincent took Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s silence as fear. ¡°Tremble all you want.¡± He gripped his fists. It had been a while since he used all his demonic energy. ¡®Ah¡­..This is the best feeling.¡¯ As if he was on drugs, he felt intoxicated and light as air. Power flowed out of his body like he was a god. He felt like he could crush the likes of Seo Jun-Ho any time he wanted. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you quickly. You¡¯ve pissed me off too much.¡± He had no thoughts of giving Seo Jun-Ho an easy death. Vincent nned on taunting and torturing him until he begged to die. ¡°Let¡¯s get rid of those useless legs first.¡± Vincent summoned three daggers from the shadows and muttered to himself. Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t need those legs anyway when he tortured himter. Finally, Seo Jun-ho uncrossed his arms. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re showing me something interesting, I¡¯ll return the favor.¡± ¡°No need!¡± Woosh! The floating daggers disappeared. They reappeared behind Seo Jun-Ho to cut off his legs... ¡°What?¡± Vincent stared, shocked. In the blink of an eye, Seo Jun-Ho had vanished. ¡®Did I aim wrong? No, there¡¯s no way¡­¡¯ A voice spoke from behind him. ¡°At first, all I could hide was my general presence.¡± He whipped around, only to find Seo Jun-Ho rippling in the darkness at his feet. His ankle, calves, and thighs emerged as if growing from the darkness. ¡°As I got used to it, I could hide my sounds and scent.¡± ¡°What¡­what¡¯s with this energy?¡± Vincent¡¯s whole body started to tremble. The energy surrounding Seo Jun-Ho was definitely not demonic. ¡®What is he saying? And what¡¯s with this intense pressure?¡¯ It was far fiercer and atrocious than anything he had ever encountered. A simple touch gave him a violent sense of foreboding that he would be consumed at any moment. ¡°I erase one part at a time. Presence, sound, scent¡­What woulde next?¡± As Seo Jun-Ho spoke, the rippling darkness beneath him covered every hair on his head. A peaceful silence covered the forest. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s scent, presence, sounds, magic aura¡­Every part of him disappeared. This was Specter¡¯s unique skill that could deceive legions of monsters. Night Walking. ¡°Ha¡­haha?¡± Vincent was left alone in the forest. He let out a dejectedugh. He was fighting an opponent who could hide himself perfectly. ¡®I fucked up.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t his home ground. It was the stage Seo Jun-Ho had chosen so he could go wild. ¡®I¡¯d be crazy to fight him here.¡¯ One word filled his mind. Run. He started to sprint without looking back. Chapter 29. A Dragon Without a Name (4)

Chapter 29. A Dragon Without a Name (4)

¡°Huff, huff!¡± Vincent dashed through the forest as fast as he could, his face white. The thought of an invisible enemy chasing him made his hairs stand on end. ¡°The bastard. He¡¯s good at running away.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stepped quietly. He didn¡¯t n to attack him. ¡®I¡¯ve confirmed that they¡¯re fiends, so it¡¯s a bit of a waste to kill them right now.¡¯ It would be better for him if he used them to kill the Nameless Dragon first. ¡®They¡¯ll be the hunting dogs.¡¯ Of course, he would put them down once they served their use. That was why he didn¡¯t show Vincent his true strength and just scared him a bit. ¡°It¡¯ll be troublesome if he gets too scared.¡± As he watched the hunting dogse together, he also started to prepare for the hunt. *** ¡°Wow, he must¡¯ve been feisty.¡± When the Nameless Dragon momentarily flew up to the clouds after fighting viciously for a bit, Edvar looked to his brother. Vincent was in a terrible state. He was covered from head to toe in dirt and weeds, and his face was pale. ¡°You took care of him, right?¡± ¡°N-no¡­I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± Hearing his brother¡¯s half-hearted answer, Edvar yelled. ¡°What? What do you mean?!¡± ¡°There¡¯s something weird about him! He knew that we were fiends and hid his true strength! I used all my demonic energy, but I couldn¡¯t even sense him, let alone find him!¡± Vincent suspected that Seo Jun-Ho was hiding his true strength. But Edvar, who hadn¡¯t experienced it personally, only spoke coldly. ¡°How did you live, then?¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°If he was truly hiding his strength, why did he let you go?¡± ¡°...¡± Vincent wracked his brain. His brother was right. If Seo Jun-Ho had the strength to kill him, he would have done so when he was separated from his brother. But he let him go and didn¡¯t attack him even once. ¡®I only got dirty because I fell while running¡­¡¯ Vincent¡¯s face twisted as he realized. ¡°So I fell for his bluffs?¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have let you go so easily. Of course, he¡¯d try to take us out one by one.¡± Vincent gritted his teeth and turned back to the forest. ¡°That sly bastard! How dare he trick me, I¡¯ll go back right this instant¡­..¡± ¡°No, now¡¯s not the time for that.¡± Edvar shook his head, looking up to the sky. ¡°It¡¯s actually a good thing that you came. I can¡¯t defeat the Nameless Dragon alone.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s that strong?¡± ¡°Not just that, it¡¯s annoying to deal with. It¡¯s hard tond attacks because it keeps flying.¡± ¡°Then we should try to get on top of it.¡± ¡°Yeah. But its focus is on me, so I couldn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°...So you want me to help?¡± Vincent understood immediately. ¡°Attacks from the ground won¡¯t work. We have to go for its reverse scale.¡± All dragons had a reverse scale as a weak point. Their enormous bodies had a single scale that faced the opposite of the rest. [1] ¡°Then what about Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll corner him with a pincer attack after we kill the Nameless Dragon.¡± ¡°...Alright. Then, you get the dragon¡¯s attention when ites down. I¡¯ll use Shadow Movement to get on its back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± The moment they finalized their n, the Nameless Dragon pierced through the clouds and appeared in their field of vision. Its mouth was opened wide, revealing a concentrated ck energy. When Edvar saw this, his face fell. ¡°Goddammit! It was gathering its breath above the clouds!¡± Guooohhhh! The dark ray in its maw shot at Edvar. ¡°Gah!¡± He barely managed to dodge with Shadow Movement, but his remaining Shadow Soldiers were all destroyed. Edvar coughed up blood. ¡°Hyung!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me¡­Focus!¡± The long shadows on the ground formed into a spear. Edvar gripped it in his hand and got into position to throw a javelin. ¡®The eye! I have to hit the eye.¡¯ The Nameless Dragon was protecting its reverse scale with its entire body. Even if he could attack it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to even scratch it thanks to its natural defense. Wooshhh! As Edvar summoned all his demonic energy, his eyes turned redder. He had tond this attack no matter what it took. The Nameless Dragon muste down lower so that Vincent could ride on top of it. ¡°Hup!¡± He elerated forward on his feet. As he reached the peak of his speed, the spear left his hand. The spear flew straight like aet, only to pivot off its path, hitting the Nameless Dragon in the face. ng! ¡°Ah!¡± Edvar cursed. He missed by an inch. But since the scales on its face were less resilient, the spear had pierced through its scales and was stuck there. Guoooohhhhh! The Nameless Dragon thrashed in pain. It wriggled like an eel on a cutting board, descending lower and lower. It fell from 500 meters in the air to 200. ¡®Just a bit more¡­¡¯ Edvar hoped, but the Nameless Dragon quickly returned to its senses. After receiving a life-threatening attack, it started to go up again. ¡°Dammit, Vincent! Now!¡± Edvar knew instinctively. If it went back up into the sky, it wouldn¡¯te down again. Vincent realized this too. ¡°Help me!¡± He shouted. Edvar lightly stepped with his right foot. Boom! He picked up pieces of shadow and threw them toward the dragon and Vincent. They had a limit of 30 meters, the same as Shadow Movement. Woosh! Wooosh! Vincent used his brother¡¯s shadows to make his way to the Nameless Dragon. Guooohhhhh! As it sensed its enemy approaching, the Nameless Dragon tried to climb higher in the sky, but Vincent was one step ahead. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± He grabbed onto the Nameless Dragon¡¯s scales on its tail. He yelled down to his brother. ¡°I did it!¡± ¡°The reverse scale¡­..It¡¯s near its back¡­..!¡± Edvar¡¯s voice grew fainter by the second. ¡°Kuh!¡± Vincent held onto the scales with his two hands and tightened his knees around its tail. With the way its body squirmed and moved, Vincent felt like he would fall at any moment. ¡®Dammit, I¡¯d rather ride a rollercoaster without a seatbelt than this!¡¯ The Nameless Dragon nced at its back. Realizing that a human was clinging onto its tail, it started to move its body even faster. ¡°Huff, huff¡­..¡± As Vincent gritted his teeth and clung onto its tail, he nced down. Urp! He never experienced motion sickness on nes or boats, but he suddenly felt nauseous. The ind he had been standing on had be as small as an ant. All he was surrounded by was a sea of clouds. ¡®I¡¯m confident that I¡¯ll live, but it¡¯s still scary.¡¯ He gulped and barely kept himself together as he slowly started to move. As he crawled on top of its body, he arrived at its backside. ¡°I found it!¡± His eyes sparkled as he found his target. There was a white scale that stood out among the ck ones, facing the other direction. ¡®The reverse scale.¡¯ The weak point of dragons. Vincent ripped it off without hesitation. Crackle! The Nameless Dragon felt a spark of electricity course through its body. ¡°I did it! I ripped off the reverse scale, so¡­¡± The moment Vincent looked up with gleaming eyes¡­ Woosh! A long, ck spear tore through his shoulder. ¡°Guh¡­?¡± A seasoned yer would have lost their head. But Vincent was a fiend who had some immunity to pain. He quickly gripped the spear and checked the bleeding. ¡®Who? Is it Seo Jun-ho¡­?¡¯ He quickly shook his head. It was impossible. Even if he hid his true strength, they were 5000 meters up in the air where even oxygen was thin. No attack from the ground would be able to hit him. ¡®If it¡¯s not Seo Jun-ho, then¡­¡¯ Vincent looked to the Nameless Dragon, trembling. Guoooohhhh! Eyes shining red, dozens of ck spears had formed near its head. ¡®I¡¯m fucked.¡¯ Vincent turned white and jumped off its back without a second thought. Wooooshh! He heard the sound of the spears following him behind. Vincent summoned the final vestiges of his demonic energy. Shadow Return! The world around him spun, and he rolled onto the ground. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± He vomited blood, and Edvar ran over. ¡°Did you do¡­? Wait, what¡¯s with that injury?¡± Edvar dropped to the ground next to him, and Vincent gripped his arm. ¡°Hyung, we¡­..Urk, we¡¯re fucked!¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°You have to run¡­..¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the Nameless Dragons ripped through the clouds. Kuroouhhhhhhhh! The ck spears shot toward them. *** Seo Jun-Ho watched as the Nameless Dragon raged at the Shadow Brothers from a distance. ¡°You can study for college exams with textbooks, but not hunting¡­..I¡¯m the one who said it, but it¡¯s a famous saying.¡± He had expected this to happen. ¡°Of course, it would react like that if you went for its reverse scale recklessly.¡± It was easy to defeat a dragon if you attacked the reverse scale. This was what rookies who had never fought a dragon before would think. Of course, it was true that the reverse scale was the weak spot for dragons, but just because you found it didn¡¯t mean you could kill the dragon easily just like that. ¡®If you touch the area where the reverse scale is, the dragon will sense danger and be much more vicious.¡¯ There was a reason people often said not to recklessly touch a dragon¡¯s reverse scale. yers that couldn¡¯t take on its rage would be better off not touching the reverse scale at all. ¡®To be honest, I don¡¯t think I can take on a rampaging dragon in my current state.¡¯ But it was a different story if he had ¡®bait¡¯ that would receive the brunt of its wrath. ¡°Don¡¯t die. Keep running until I kill the guy,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered as he pulled back the Tempest¡¯s bowstring. 1. both European/Asian dragons ? Chapter 30. Confession of the Dead (1) An enraged dragon was powerful. ¡°Dammit, hyung!¡± ¡°Shut up! I need to concentrate!¡± It was strong enough to test the brotherly bond between the Shadow Brothers. Edvar and Vincent were covered in sweat as they dodged each ck spear that came every second. ¡®Dammit¡­Do dragons have unlimited magic?¡¯ ¡®This is too much.¡¯ Every time they dodged an attack, they would instinctively look up at the sky. But the number of floating spears wasn''t decreasing at all. Woooooshhh! Every time a spear was thrown, a new one formed in its ce. It was suffocating to watch the enormous wall of ck spears approaching them. ¡®When will this fucking attack end?¡¯ ¡®Will it ever end?¡¯ A person could properly run to the end if they saw a finish line, but the Shadow Brothers ran in circles with no end in sight. All they could do was waste their stamina. ¡®If our attacks could reach it, we could at least fight it out properly¡­¡¯ ¡®Those fucking scales. We can¡¯t even make a dent on them because they¡¯re so hard.¡¯ They ran into a dead end. Just as they started preparing themselves for death¡­ all the color drained from their faces. ¡°.....!¡± ¡°.....! A fearsome storm was approaching from behind. It made their hairs stand on end. ¡®From the back! You¡¯re telling me there¡¯s a new attack pattern?¡¯ ¡®Shit, is this where we die¡­?¡¯ Just as they started to ept their fate¡­ Whoosh! An arrow carried by the fierce winds pierced through the Nameless Dragon¡¯s eye. ¡°!!!¡± It opened its jaws wide, its painful shriek shaking the air around it. Wooshhh! The dragon¡¯s blood spurted like a fountain, raining on the brothers and the earth. They looked at each other, ck-jawed. ¡®Was that¡­¡¯ ¡®Seo Jun-Ho?¡¯ The Shadow Brothers quickly identified the shooter at the same time that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s support arrived. The Shadow Brothers also realized why Seo Jun-Ho was doing this. ¡®Well, it¡¯ll just be harder for him if we die.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s impossible for him to kill it alone.¡¯ Whatever would happen after, the three of them had to work together to fight the Nameless Dragon. They would probably be enemies again after the battle was over, but if they wanted to live, they had to cooperate for now. A new hope burned in the Shadow Brothers¡¯ resigned eyes. They had already given up, but now, they had something to cling to. ¡°Let¡¯s fall back when the opportunity arises.¡± ¡°Of course. Since he¡¯s attacking from that direction, it¡¯s obvious where the Nameless Dragon will turn to.¡± They finished their calctions and started to dodge the ck spears that were falling again. *** ¡°I feel sorry for them¡­..¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered dryly, lowering his bow. After he shot the arrow, the Shadow Brothers became lively once again. He had given them hope. And it wasn¡¯t hard to guess what exactly they were hoping for. ¡°They¡¯re probably waiting for the Nameless Dragon¡¯s aggro to turn to me.¡± But that would never happen. ¡°Look at those hopeful faces, tsk. The lovely rose-colored image you¡¯re seeing¡­ it¡¯s a mirage, not an oasis.¡± In Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s point of view, there was no need for him to draw the dragon¡¯s aggro onto himself as he attacked. From the start, the Shadow Brothers had made the wrong assumption. Unlike what they were thinking, Seo Jun-Ho was confident that he could defeat the Nameless Dragon on his own. Still, pulling the Shadow Brothers in made it easier. ¡®There¡¯s no need to make it harder than it has to be.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho raised the Tempest Butterfly again. He was aiming at neither the Nameless Dragon nor the Shadow Brothers, but at the grey sky. ¡®The scales really are tough. Most attacks won¡¯t break them. Even powerful attacks would only be able to damage the eye. But if I make a big blow¡­¡¯ The Nameless Dragon would change its target. An enemy that could threaten its life was more worth fighting than ants who wouldn¡¯t even dare to attack. ¡°So I have to finish everything in this next attack.¡± It would be better to finish this sooner orter. ¡®A dyed attack.¡¯ Pouring multiple hits into one attack so that it wouldn¡¯t be able to react. It was one of the merits of ranged weapons, unlike melee weapons. Puuuulll Seo Jun-Ho aimed the bow at the sky and poured all his focus into his sight. He blocked out all the sounds around him, forcing himself into a trance. It was as if he was the only person left in the world. As the solitude feeling started to wrap around him, he started to make the necessary calctions. ¡®Damage area confirmed. Arrow trajectory confirmed. I¡¯ll attack at 0.5-second intervals.¡¯ He finished fine-tuning and nced up at his hair blowing in the wind. ¡°Wind speed and wind direction¡­..There¡¯s no need to calcte those.¡± He stared at the bow as he muttered to himself. The Tempest Butterfly was only a rare-grade weapon, and there were many bows that were higher in grade than it. But there was a simple reason as to why it had be a national treasure. ¡®The ability to create a storm.¡¯ Every arrow that was shot from the Tempest Butterfly carried a storm with it. When they were released, they would create a strong air pressure that would rip through all the winds it met. ¡®That¡¯s why the wind speed and direction don¡¯t matter.¡¯ The wind was an age-old enemy for all archers. But once the Tempest Butterfly came into y, its effects on archers disappeared like a ghost. ¡®And that¡¯s why it became a national treasure.¡¯ It was also why the fiend Kal Signer was so interested in the rare-grade bow, Tempest Butterfly. Puuulll Seo Jun-Ho pulled the bowstring as far as it would go, but absurdly enough, there was nothing nocked on its strings. ¡®The Nameless Dragon is a lot bigger than I originally thought, so an arrow won¡¯t work.¡¯ He started to gather his magic, creating an arrow made of darkness on the bow. Actually, it was too big to be called an arrow. ¡°Dark spear.¡± It was a two-meter-long spear with a pointy tip. He didn¡¯t summon it for show. ¡®Darkness is a power that corrupts everything.¡¯ A weapon made of darkness would even ignore the effects of defensive magic. That was why people called it Specter¡¯s strongest spear in the past. Woooooshhhh! Seo Jun-Ho let go of the bowstring without a second thought. A powerful rush of wind pressure struck him, but he didn¡¯t stumble as he repeated the motion. Wooosh! Woooooosh! Wooosh! By the time he shot twenty projectiles, only seven seconds had passed. Each spear had its own trajectory as it shot into the sky. ¡®They¡¯re all going in the right direction.¡¯ A skilled archer knew the oue as soon as they let go of the bowstring. Having perfectlyunched his attack, he remembered his next goal. ¡°I should get going.¡± The hunt had finished with this. Now it was time to catch the hunting dogs. *** ¡®Seo Jun-Ho, that fucker¡­¡¯ ¡®Why isn¡¯t he attacking?¡¯ The Shadow Brothers were starting to panic. After shooting an arrow into the Nameless Dragon¡¯s eye, Seo Jun-Ho stopped attacking. As they started to wonder what was wrong, a voice came from behind them. ¡°Why are you ying some barrage game instead of hunting as I told you to?¡± It was a voice that shouldn¡¯t be here at this moment. The brothers yelped as they whipped around. ¡°You crazy¡­..Why are you here?!¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you supporting us from the back?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the sky and jutted his chin. Naturally, they followed his line of sight. Twenty stars were falling. ¡®¡­Stars? No, wait, they¡¯re spears. ck spears! Is it the Nameless Dragon¡¯s attack?¡¯ ¡®No, those¡­..Those are a little different from the dragon¡¯s spears.¡¯ For the first time since the battle started, the spears fell on the Nameless Dragon instead of the Shadow Brothers. ¡­? The Nameless Dragon turned at the sound of rushing wind that even the Shadow Brothers could hear from their location. Stab! A ck spear pierced through the Nameless Dragon¡¯s body. It didn¡¯t even have time to scream as the spears kepting. They prated through all 15 meters of its body from head to tail, pinning it to the ground. Kiaaaaaaaaahhh! It let out a cry so loud that nearby rocks went flying. It thrashed its body in pain, but the spears kept it pinned to the ground and didn¡¯t let it move. As the Shadow Brothers looked upon the dragon writhing like a bug, they started to tremble. ¡®He defeated the Nameless Dragon so easily? How?! It was so strong!¡¯ ¡®With such a powerful dyed attack? Wasn¡¯t his main weapon a sword?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s weaponry skills were good enough to make them go pale, and they could see that the spears were also filled with a mysterious power. They quickly realized the situation they were in and waved a white g. ¡°Hey, since we fought together, how about we talk it out?¡± ¡°You know that we¡¯re just small fries. Spare us and we¡¯ll tell you our meeting point.¡± It was a pretty good trade and would let Seo Jun-Ho catch bigger fish. But the look in Seo Jun-ho¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t change. ¡°No. I have no thoughts of letting you go. Fuck off.¡± He knew that if he let them go, things would only get more difficult for him in the future. ¡®Even if they try to escape, the Fiend Association won¡¯t just stand idle.¡¯ They would either use telepath or torture to make the brothers spit out everything that had happened in the Gate. ¡®And then the Fiend Association would start to suspect the origin of my powers.¡¯ Killing them would be the most efficient option. Thus, Seo Jun-Ho unsheathed his sword. ¡°You think we¡¯ll go down without a fight?!¡± Vincent cursed as he realized that Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t up for peace talks. Stab! There was a familiar sound. ¡®Huh? This sound¡­¡¯ It was a sound that he heard often. His favorite sound of a heart being stabbed. But this time, it was exceptionally loud. As if it wasing from inside his body instead of out. ¡°...Ah?¡± Before he knew it, he was on his knees, vomiting blood. He felt excruciating pain in his chest. A sharp sword was sticking out through his front side. ¡®When did¡­he?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t process what just happened. ¡°VINCENT! Seo Jun-Ho, you bastard!¡± Edvar¡¯s enraged shout rang in his ears. Vincent barely managed to turn his head as life started to fade from his eyes. Thest thing he saw before he died was Edvar¡¯s head getting cut off by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword. Vincent chuckled as the blood dripped from his lips. ¡®What kind¡­of bullshit¡­¡¯ The fiend Vincent diedfortably and cleanly. ¡°...Am I getting softer? I sent them off too easily.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook the blood off his sword and looked down coldly at the two corpses before him. Killing people always made him feel icky, but if they were fiends, there was no reason for him to feel that way. They had probably already taken hundreds of lives themselves, and that number would only multiply if he let them live. ¡°If there¡¯s an afterlife for the lot of you, you should spend the whole time repenting.¡± Kyaooooo! Seo Jun-Ho slowly walked over to the Nameless Dragon as it thrashed. The overwhelming pain wouldn¡¯t let it gather its magic, even if it was a dragon. In other words, it was defenseless. As he got closer, its bright red eye stared into him. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like it was full of sadness. ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± Seo Jun-Ho started to feel uneasy, but he still raised his sword. Ooong! A ck sword aura covered the de. If the Three Reapers of Gangnam saw this, they would have spat out the orange juice they were drinking. ¡°Goodbye.¡± Seo Jun-Ho got on top of its body and stabbed his sword through its reverse scale. The Nameless Dragon convulsed, and then went still. [You have cleared the Ind of the Forgotten Dragon.] [You have received Dragon Bones (20kg) as a reward.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­.. [All stats increased by 5.] [You have regained 2 magic stats.] [You have regained 2 stamina stats.] [You have regained 2 strength stats.] [The Gate will automatically disappear in 1 hour.] His level had increased by five as a reward for clearing the Gate, but his level went up six times overall. ¡®Hunting other yers gives you EXP too. This is why fiends love PK¡¯[1] Seo Jun-Ho scanned the ind before he moved toward the Shadow Brothers. The surroundings were awfully quiet. ¡°I can finally test this out.¡± The C-grade skill he received for killing the Tricker at the Curse of Dawn: Confession of the Dead. It was a peculiar skill that let him read the memories of the dead. [You have recalled the memories of ¡®Vincent¡¯.] [The confession of the dead has begun.] A windowbeled ¡®Memory Projection¡¯ appeared. 1. yer kill/killing ? Chapter 31. Confession of the Dead (2) ¡°Hoo, so it¡¯s like this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly skimmed through the Memory Projection¡¯s functions. ¡®Fast-forward, reverse, volume controls and screen brightness¡­Huh? There¡¯s a search bar too.¡¯ He let out a sigh of relief. People had massive memories, and it would take him days to find the memories he was looking for. Seo Jun-Ho watched the most recent memory. ¡ª W-why are you doing this to me? ¡ª I-I¡¯ll give you everything! I¡¯ll give you all my money! ¡ª Gah, urk¡­.. Most of the Memory Projection was filled with countless scenes of murder. Seo Jun-Ho furrowed his eyebrows and started to regret his actions. ¡®Shit, it seems that I let them off too easily.¡¯ He clicked his tongue lightly and put ¡®Association¡¯ in the search bar. In the video, the Shadow Brothers were in America, carrying suits to aundromat. A man took their clothes and started to press them as he spoke. ¡ª These are orders from above. Check it. ¡ª Orders? We¡¯re preparing for the Las Vegas auction. ¡ª Why are youining to me? I¡¯m just a messenger, so I don¡¯t know the details. Jim¡¯s Cleaners. Seo Jun-Ho quickly memorized the name. ¡®It¡¯s where they receive their orders¡­So that¡¯s one of the Fiend Association¡¯s rendezvous points.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had caught a big lead. He skimmed through a few other memories, and just as he was nning to shut it off, a mysterious man entered the screen. ¡ª Hoo, they¡¯re brothers? I like the look in their eyes. ¡ª I¡¯ll give you power. ¡ª From now on, they¡¯ll be ssified as 2nd-grade items. Throb. As soon as he heard the man¡¯s voice, his head exploded with pain. ¡°Gah!¡± [The skill grade is too low. You could not recall the memorypletely.] [The skill has been automatically deactivated for the safety of the user.] Seo Jun-Ho massaged his throbbing temples, his face was wrinkled. ¡®Ugh¡­What was that?¡¯ The man who had offered the Shadow Brothers power was obviously a higher-ranking fiend than them. ¡°It would have been nice if I saw his face.¡± It might have been because Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skill grade was too low, but the man¡¯s face was dim as if covered by static. Seo Jun-Ho huffed in frustration and stood up. He looked through Edvar¡¯s memories this time, but the man¡¯s appearance caused the skill to deactivate again. ¡®If I want to see more useful memories, I should raise my skill rank.¡¯ If you used a skill a lot, your level of technique would increase, and your skill rank might also increase as a result. ¡®Of course, depending on the level of talent and effort, there are people who can¡¯t raise a skill rank their entire lives¡­¡¯ But Seo Jun-Ho was extremely talented. He was also a strong-willed person who pushed his body to its limits. He rolled his shoulders and looked at the corpse of the Nameless Dragon. ¡°Now that I look at it, the skill isn¡¯t limited to use on humans.¡± Confession of the Dead let him read the memories of dead ¡°beings,¡± so that meant he could also read the memories of a dragon. Seo Jun-Ho walked over to the Nameless Dragon¡¯s corpse. ¡®To be honest, I am a little curious.¡¯ Why did the dragon look at him with such a sad expression? Of course, Seo Jun-Ho was also curious about its origins. ¡°If the dragon is this strong, it should have had a name too.¡± The Cinder Fox couldn¡¯t even bepared to it. He was only able to kill this dragon that easily because he used the Shadow Brothers as bait. If he hadn¡¯t, he would have sustained injuries. That was how strong this dragon was. ¡°Show me what kind of guy you were.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gently ced his head on the Nameless Dragon¡¯s forehead. Wooosh! Perhaps it was because he¡¯d already done it twice before, but the scene on the screen was familiar. But unlike the brothers, the Nameless Dragon¡¯s Memory Projection consisted only of one short video. ¡°...Huh?¡± As he started to admire the scenes in the video, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face gradually softened. *** The king on the throne had a very sicklyplexion. He coughed up phlegm and looked down at the empty Royal Pce. ¡°Priest,¡± he said solemnly.[1] ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± A Buddhist monk wearing a robe bowed his head to the king. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left.¡± ¡°...I understand.¡± ¡°My death is already decided. I should be more focused on more realistic problems at present.¡± The king slowly got up from his chair and opened a window, looking up at the painted-blue sky. ¡°It has only been 5 years since the long war between the three nations has ended.¡± ¡°Your peoples¡¯ praises reach the sky.¡± ¡°Of course, the people are enjoying this era of peace. But we know that the war is not over yet.¡± ¡°...¡± The king was right. The Great Republic from the north was still waiting for a chance to invade theirnd.[2] They said that an era of peace had begun, but it was as futile as amp in a storm. ¡°I will die soon. Even my peerless generals who once defended thisnd are getting old.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, it is said that river water always flows from above to below. The junior schrs will not smear the names of their ancestors.¡± ¡°Ah, as they should. As they should.¡± The king had a proud expression on his face as he looked up at the floating clouds and closed his eyes. ¡°But talent is not enough. The Great Republic is a nation protected by countless Divine Dragons of departed heroes.¡± [3] ¡°They are simply evil spirits.¡± ¡°But what if they are not?¡± The king¡¯s bright red Kingly robes fluttered as he turned around. ¡°If there really are dragons that protect theirnd, do you think my people and my soldiers will be able to face them?¡± ¡°...¡± The Priest closed his mouth. From his Buddhist perspective, he did not understand the king¡¯s concern. The king looked at him for a second and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°...When I die, cremate my body and release my ashes in the Eastern Sea.¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Please, change your decision, Your Majesty!¡± The Priest¡¯s voice cracked in surprise. The king was supposed to beid to rest with his ancestors in the tomb. Why did he suddenly want to be cremated? But the king spoke firmly with an unbreakable resolution. ¡°I shall be the Guardian Dragon of the Nation and protect this country.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, a dragon is but a dragon. Even though we reside in the human realm, we are no different than the animals below us. Why must you reject reincarnation and carry the karma of an asura?¡±[4] ¡°Priest, I have already experienced all the luxuries the world has to offer. If I lose myself and be a beast, that will be my destiny.¡± *** The Memory Projection zoomed out from the image of theughing king as it ended. Seo Jun-Ho took a second to process this and forced augh. ¡°...Hah?¡± He started to realize who the Nameless Dragon was. ¡®He was the person who called himself the Guardian Dragon of the Nation¡­¡¯ It was a name that anyone in Korea would have heard at least once in their history ss¡ªthe person who brought an end to the Three Kingdoms Era through unification¡ªKing Munmu of Si. ¡°Wow, I never expected this. What just happened?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered to himself as he scratched the back of his head. Then, a new message popped up in front of him. [You have witnessed a portion of history through the Confession of the Dead.] [Your skill proficiency has increased drastically.] ¡®Huh? I didn¡¯t expect this either.¡¯ Today was full of surprises, it seemed. Seo Jun-Ho looked wearily at the Nameless Dragon¡¯s corpse. He killed him, but wasn¡¯t the dragon an ancestor who had protected thisnd from foreign invasion? ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a moment to sort his thoughts. He slowly brought his hands politely together in prayer. ¡°...O King, thisnd is now safe. I bid you a good rest.¡± A white light started to seep from between the Nameless Dragon¡¯s pitch-ck scales. The tumorous scales melted against the light, and a transparent, holy dragon looked down at him from the sky. ¡®Is that...his spirit?¡¯ A soul without a body. He heard a clear voice in his head. ¡ª You prayed...For me...Thank you...I can...Ascend¡­ The dragon looked down at Seo Jun-Ho once more before it pierced through the pitch-ck clouds and ascended above the sky. [You have cleared the hidden mission of the Forgotten Dragon¡¯s Ind, ¡®Dragon¡¯s Ascension¡¯.] [You have received the item ¡®Flute of Tidal Breath¡¯.] [You have received the title ¡®Helper of Ascension¡¯.] [You have leveled up.] [All stats have increased by 1.] [You have regained 3 speed stats.] [You have regained 1 strength stat.] [You have regained 2 stamina stats.] ¡°This was a hidden mission?¡± He even reached level 20 as an additional reward. Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head and let out anotherugh. ¡°...Well, sometimes surprises are good.¡± His perfect clear waspletely different from what he expected, but it wasn¡¯t bad. His eyes lingered on the evening glow against the ocean before he left the Gate. *** ¡°T-the Gate¡¯s color changed! It¡¯s green! They did it!¡± ¡°They¡¯lle out soon! Keep the doctors on standby!¡± ¡°Hey, reporters at the front! Stand behind the line!¡± Ilsan Beach was full ofmotion. The Association had sent a medical team just in case, and they kept them on standby while they blocked the reporters from the front. A man walked out of the Gate and into an air full of anxiety and anticipation. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho! It¡¯s Korea¡¯s yer Seo Jun-Ho!¡± ¡°But why does he look so grim?¡± ¡°Huh? Wait, the Gate is¡­closing?¡± ¡°Then the Shadow Brothers¡­¡± The people fell into chaos. If someone died in the Gate, they expected it to be Seo Jun-Ho. They had never imagined that it would be the Shadow Brothers. Shim Deok-Gu walked up to Seo Jun-Ho with a forlorn expression and patted his shoulder. ¡°...You¡¯ve worked very hard, yer Seo Jun-ho.¡± It was a charged statement. The fact that Seo Jun-Ho came out alone meant that the Shadow Brothers had indeed been fiends. It also meant that he had taken care of them. Click, click! Not knowing the full story, the reporters took two shots of them. A grieving yer who had lost two of his teammates, and the Association President consoling him. It was the perfectposition. A momentter, Seo Jun-Ho was cleared of any major injuries and went up to the interview podium. ¡°...It was an ident.¡± Fat tears spilled from his eyes. It was convincing enough to make Shim Deok-Gu blink from a distance. After spending plenty of time sniffling, Seo Jun-Ho finally continued. ¡°I will not forget the Shadow Brothers and their heroic sacrifice.¡± This was the moment when two fiends were packaged into heroes who had sacrificed themselves for the greater good. 1. the original word was ?? which means Buddist Priest, a title ? 2. Old Korean name for China ? 3. ?? literal trantion: God-dragon ? 4. These are all Buddhist concepts. In Korean Buddhism, an asura is a violet spirit that is always fighting with Sakra, a ruler of one of the heavens. Because the king will not die as a dragon, he will not be reincarnated ? Chapter 32. Nourish Your Mind (1)

Chapter 32. Nourish Your Mind (1)

¡°...What do you think?¡± The subordinate who had been reading Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s interview asked carefully. Kal Signer remained silent for a while before slowly nodding. ¡°I¡¯m sure of one thing. This guy¡¯s luck is damningly good.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had exined the conquest in great detail in his interview. He said he had been greatly shocked when he first went through the Gate. ¡®¡­Well, it makes sense. No one would have guessed that a Gate with a dragon would be formatted as a maze.¡¯ Generally, Gates with dragons wererge, open spaces. But this time, it was a tight, narrow maze. It was something that even Kal Signer himself hadn¡¯t expected. ¡®On top of that, it¡¯s the type that separates them from the beginning...the worst.¡¯ But the Gates that separated the teammates from the start often had a pattern. [I barely managed to escape from the twisting maze¡­That took me about 5 hours. And when I finally got out, there was an open space. And there were the Shadow Brothers¡¯...c-corpses, and a dying dragon. If I¡¯d only gotten out a little earlier¡­sniff, it¡¯s all because I wasn¡¯t strong enough.] Kal Signer¡¯s face contorted even more. As the story became more twisted, the more Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s teary face seemed like a detestable performance. ¡®Hu¡­The most frustrating thing is that it makes sense. Even if he¡¯s strong for barely being over level 10, the Shadow Brothers were stronger and should havee out earlier.¡¯ And this time, the brothers¡¯ superior skill had gotten them killed. They had encountered the Nameless Dragon and fought against it without a moment to prepare. ¡®In the end, it was mutual destruction.¡¯ As ridiculous as it was, the weakest one had emergedst and lived to tell the tale. ¡°He really is lucky.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s my first time seeing someone like this.¡± ¡°Sir, how shall we deal with the Las Vegas auction? It was originally assigned to the Shadow Brothers.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Talk about adding insult to injury. This year¡¯s auction would feature the top-grade magic core, ¡®Heaven¡¯s Breath.¡¯ The Fiend Associations¡¯ executives had directly ordered for it to be retrieved. They had to get it no matter what. ¡°Fuck. The Shadow Brothers were perfect for the job¡­..¡± Kal Signer looked like he had a headache. If he didn¡¯t figure this out, he would be in danger. ¡®I sent the Shadow Brothers to find the Tempest Butterfly¡­it was my own arbitrary decision.¡¯ When he gave themand, he didn¡¯t expect things to get thisplicated. He previously thought that the brothers would be able to kill Seo Jun-Ho easily, but they ended up dying because of the Gate¡¯s unexpected pattern. ¡®If I can¡¯t retrieve Heaven¡¯s Breath because of their absence¡­¡¯ It would be an issue that would even affect his position. Kal Signer seemed to have decided on something as he spoke to his subordinate. ¡°Aren¡¯t the Watchdogsing to the 2nd floor?¡± ¡°Yes, The superior said their skills are wasted on the 1st floor. They were ordered to advance to the 2nd floor. ¡°...Send them the order to postpone it. I¡¯ll leave the Las Vegas auction to them.¡± ¡°Huh? But Signer-nim, their summons¡­¡± The executive who summoned the Watchdogs to the 2nd floor was of higher status than Signer. He was overstepping his authority. In the Fiend Association where the strong ruled, no one would blink an eye even if his head was cut off. But Kal Signer had no other options. ¡°Did you forget? The Fiend Association only cares about results and skill. They might beat me up a few times¡­but that¡¯s better than losing Heaven¡¯s Breath.¡± His subordinate gulped. He made sense. The Watchdogs were the strongest fiends on the 1st floor. ¡®But if they fail¡­¡¯ His boss would definitely die, and he might die too. His shoulders shook as he bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the Watchdogs that they must seed.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t fail. The Watchdogs...It¡¯s a waste for them to be on the 1st floor.¡± The average level out of the three of them was 53. Their level and skills didn¡¯t suit the first floor, so Kal Signer was sure that they would seed. *** ¡°...What¡¯s all this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at the mountains of documents on the desk. Cha Si-Eun poked her head out from behind it. ¡°They¡¯re love calls for Jun-Ho-nim. Personalmission requests.¡± ¡°...Why didn¡¯t you sort them this time?¡± He asked, looking at the enormous pile of documents. She looked tired as she responded. ¡°...I worked hard to organize them.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still this much after you sorted them?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was shocked. Sure, clearing the Eastern Sea Gate was definitely a great achievement. Now, South Korea was the first country in the world without a single Uncleared Gate. The country was even deemed the first Special Safe Zone. ¡°But still, I didn¡¯t expect this much¡­I barely even helped in clearing the Gate.¡± ¡°But in the end, you¡¯re the only one who survived. Luck is also a skill for yers.¡± ¡°...Touche.¡± Slowly nodding, Seo Jun-Ho looked to the mountain of documents in disgust. ¡°So you wanted to show me these because you want me to choose?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve picked out the best ones by taking into consideration themissioner,pensation, and difficulty.¡± ¡°Ugh. I got it.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun took a step toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°W-what is it?¡± She stared closely at him and revealed a look of dissatisfaction. ¡°As I thought, you need to get your hair done. I¡¯ve noticed it for a while, but it¡¯s a lot more obvious in the pictures from yesterday¡¯s press conference. Your hair is too messy right now.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m not a celebrity or anything. Is it really necessary?¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. ¡°Yes!¡± Cha Si-Eun shouted with a determined voice. She tapped on Vita and pulled up a window for reference. It was a list of profiles of the current star yers. Not all of them were as handsome or pretty as celebrities, but it was clear that they were all well-maintained. ¡°Some of them are even doing worse than you, but at least, they don¡¯t look unstylish in their official photos.¡± Cha Si-Eun criticized. ¡°Unstylish¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered sullenly. He picked up the mirror on the desk and looked at his hair. ¡®Yeah, it¡¯s gotten a lot longer.¡¯ It had already been a month since he emerged from the ice. His hair had grown however it wanted and now looked quite messy. ¡°You¡¯re nning to rest today, correct?¡± Cha Si-Eun asked. ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded. ¡°Then please go to the salon on this business card and get a haircut.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took the card and sighed. At times like this, he missed being Specter. ¡®Now I get why my friends alwaysined about makeup.¡¯ Whenever the 5 Heroes held a press conference, he always had to listen to their grumblings. Of course, he always wore his mask and had never got his makeup done before. ¡°Then, you should go home early too.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how much you worked if there¡¯s still so many of them after you sorted them out. Go home for today.¡± Seo Jun-Ho advised. Cha Si-Eun looked the happiest he had ever seen her. ¡°Thank you!¡± She bowed and quickly dashed out of the room, leaving him alone. ¡°Wow, she sure is happy.¡± He reached into a drawer and put on a mask. There were too many people that could recognize him now. *** Seo Jun-Ho studied his freshly-cut hair in the elevator mirror, looking satisfied. ¡°You handsome bastard.¡± If someone heard him, they would definitely call him a narcissist and look at him weirdly, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to deny it. He really did look good with his voluminous ¡®spin swallow perm.¡¯ ¡®Getting a haircut is pretty refreshing.¡¯ In the past, he would go to a nearby hair salon whenever he felt like his hair got too long. The owner was an olddy who was always chewing gum apanied by a dog that had its tail dyed pink. ¡°You take some, you lose some.¡± When he was Specter, no one would recognize him if he simply took off the mask. But now, it was different. He was Korea¡¯s young hero and a rising yer. He had made the country into a Special Safe Zone, and he was just as good as the other star yers. ¡®Well, it¡¯s just annoying for me.¡¯ He grumbled as he sighed and put his mask back on before the elevator opened again. He went out into a crowded street and hailed a taxi to go to a manhwa bang.[1] ¡°It¡¯s nice to relieve stress like this every once in a while.¡± He had done this often when he was Specter. When you lived your whole life training and fighting, you had to breathe every once in a while. Ring! Seo Jun-Ho entered the manhwa bang and started to pick out some novels. ¡®This ce never has any customers. I wonder if they¡¯ll go under.¡¯ This was only his third visit to the ce, but it was easy to guess why that was the case. ¡®There¡¯s a lot of luxurious book cafes these days.¡¯ Those ces were like cafes or restaurants and offered coffee, drinks, and good food. On the other hand, this was a ssic manhwa bang that only offered ramen, frozen dumplings, and fish cake bars.[2] ¡®Well, it¡¯s better for me if there aren¡¯t any customers.¡¯ He pulled off his mask and found himself a spot in a corner. ¡°Huh?¡± He paused. He originally thought that there weren¡¯t any customers, but there was an upant. It was a woman wearing a sloppy gym suit, and there was a hair roll in her windblown hair. She was blowing on the ramen in one hand, but her focus was on the novel in the other. She disyed finesse different from that of a manhwa bang newbie. The woman noticed his presence behind her and nced up. When she saw him, she started coughing as if she were poisoned. ¡°Urk¡­cough, cough!¡± She ced her chopsticks down at the speed of light and hid her face behind the book. The book was enough to cover her entire face, but unfortunately. It was too small. In addition, it was toote. The cat was already out of the bag. ¡°...Secretary Cha?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked awkwardly. 1. ¡®manhwa room¡¯, you pay to sit in a quiet space and read the manhwa/books that they have. Usually quite cheap and often offers snacks/drinks ? 2. ?? - Fish cake bars is basically skewered odeng. ? Chapter 33. Nourish Your Mind (2)

Chapter 33. Nourish Your Mind (2)

¡°.....¡± Cha Si-Eun peeked at Seo Jun-Ho from over her book, perhaps wanting him to leave. She tried to stare at him intensely and even tried narrowing her eyes, all in the hopes that he would leave. ¡°I won¡¯t leave even if you look at me like that.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± At those words, it seemed like she had given up because she lowered the book that was blocking her face. Seeing as how her cheeks were slightly red, she was probably embarrassed. She started to make excuses as if she was caught doing something wrong. ¡°I¡¯m 23 years old. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange for a grown adult to be reading novels.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say it¡¯s strange. I just¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho found this new side of her refreshing. He shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t think the universe our ancestors mentioned is hidden in that book you¡¯re reading,¡± he teased. [1] Just by looking at the title, it was easy to predict the contents of at least the first two volumes. ¡°T-this¡­this is...¡± Cha Si-Eun started to fumble, blushing all the way to her ears. ¡°T-then, what amazing book is Jun-Ho-nim reading?¡± ¡°I, of course...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell. He quickly covered the book. ¡®It¡¯s...evenly matched.¡¯ He was enjoying the story of a priest who went around in a game with a sword. But the title was cliche and he didn¡¯t want to show it to her. ¡°Can¡¯t we call it a tie?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°If you show me the title, sure,¡± Cha Si-Eun replied. He showed her the title with a resigned look on his face, and she burst out inughter. Her voice was silvery and pleasant. ¡°...It¡¯s not that different from mine,¡± she muttered. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho had nothing left to say. He took a seat in the chair across from her. They had both taken critical hits and spent the rest of their time quietly reading their books. Flip flip The only sounds that remained between them were the flipping of pages and the ticking of the clock. ¡°Phew¡­that was good.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finished his novel and stretched his stiff neck. Cha Si-Eun seemed to have finished at the same time and closed her book with a bright, satisfied look on her face. ¡°Did you finish it too?¡± ¡°Yes. It was very good.¡± Cha Si-Eun revealed a bright look. Seo Jun-Ho looked around the shabby manhwa bang. ¡°To be honest, I was a little surprised.¡± ¡°To see me in a ce like this?¡± Cha Si-Eun asked. ¡°Yes. I heard you were an elite. I thought you would be ady far above ces like this.¡± ¡°Most people think that.¡± She stretched and pulled out the hair roll in her hair. ¡°But I like this ce. I can read booksfortably without being bothered by anyone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why manhwa bangs are the best.¡± ¡°E-books on Vita are popr these days, but I like the feeling of flipping pages.¡± ¡°Ah, and the smell of books is nice.¡± ¡°Exactly! And old books have an elegant scent in them like the passage of time itself.¡± They ended up talking for half an hour more, fueled by their mutual love of books. Their short conversation was richer than everything else they had talked about since they first met. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s already thiste...¡± Having realized that it was already past 8, Cha Si-Eun stood up. ¡°I have to get going.¡± ¡°Do you want me to call a taxi for you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°That¡¯s ok. I live right next to here.¡± She pointed at her three-striped slippers before briefly nodding at him in farewell. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Have a safe trip home.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled faintly as he watched her leave in her slippers. ¡°...She must be having a hard time.¡± It was a shame that she couldn¡¯t enjoy herself often because she was living the elite life everyone expected her to live. But that was the life she had chosen herself. ¡®Well, I¡¯m not one to judge.¡¯ She was still a great secretary. In fact, he had a newfound respect for her. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best too.¡± Seo Jun-Ho got up from his seat. He was able to recharge himself today in multiple ways. *** ¡°What? America?¡± Shim Deok-Gu blinked. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of going to the Shadow Brothers¡¯ funeral, are you?¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± The act he had put on for the interview was more than enough. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t want to fake it again at some fiends¡¯ funeral. ¡°My tears are expensive, you know?¡± ¡°Of course. Of course, you wouldn¡¯t¡­Why do you want to go, then?¡± ¡°I found one of the Fiend Associations¡¯ rendezvous points thanks to the Shadow guys.¡± ¡°What?! Really? Where?¡± Seeing how Shim Deok-Gu looked like he wanted to send yers right away, Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be going myself.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m worried¡­..¡± ¡°About me?¡± ¡°No, not you. The fiends. We need to get information from them, but I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll kill them all.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll get the information. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Theundromat he had seen in the Shadow Brothers¡¯ memories wasn¡¯t a dangerous ce. There were only two small-fry fiends there. ¡®If I can¡¯t extract anything useful from them¡­the trail will go cold.¡¯ He prayed that they would have useful information for him. ¡°Well, since you say so, then I¡¯ll stop worrying. Just let me know if you ever need help.¡± He sure was reliable. Shim Deok-Gu changed the subject. ¡°Did you hear? There was a civilian petition on the Blue House* homepage to give you a medal.¡±[2] ¡°Medal? Why?¡± ¡°Korea became the first Special Safe Zone thanks to you.¡± ¡°Geez...¡± Seo Jun-Ho sulked. ¡°The Association can help you get it if you want...what do you think?¡± ¡°Deok-Gu, do you know how many medals Korea has for achievements?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. Shim Deok-Gu was snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head. ¡°Nope. It¡¯s not like it¡¯smon knowledge.¡± ¡°56 in total. How do I know, you ask? Because I received all of them.¡± ¡°...¡± When he was Specter, he had been showered with medals. He had received every medal there was from the famous Grand Order of Mugunghwa to the insignificant Saemaeul Merit because it was forbidden byw to receive two of the same medal.[3] ¡°The highest I can get is probably the 3rd-grade Order of Diplomatic Service Merit. I don¡¯t need it. I already have it.¡± [4] ¡°...Most people would tremble at the thought of getting the 5th-grade Order.¡± ¡°You try getting 50 medals. The ceremony¡¯s he annoying. And.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took out 10 kg of dragon bones from his inventory. Shim Deok-Gu stared at it, dumbfounded. ¡°Bones?¡± ¡°Dragon bones.¡± ¡°...¡± It depended on the individual grades, but 10 kg of dragon bones could easily sell for hundreds of millions of won. ¡°So you got it from killing the Nameless Dragon. But why did you take them out?¡± ¡°This is 10 kilograms. You take half. Give the rest to Kwon Noya andmission him for a sword.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Shim Deok-Gu turned on his Vita and opened a memo, ready to take notes. ¡°Do you have any other specifications? The weight, the length?¡± ¡°Just tell him to make the one I always use. He¡¯ll know.¡± ¡°The old man¡¯s turning 100 tomorrow. Are you sure that he still knows?¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned when he felt Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s worry. ¡°Then tell him this. If he can¡¯t remember that much, he should put down his hammer and start a gamgyul orchard in the countryside.¡±[5] ¡°...It¡¯s not my fault if he adds a suicide bomb to the sword, okay?¡± ¡°Keke.¡± ¡°Anyways, thanks for the dragon bones.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Seo Jun-Ho coolly replied. Seo Jun-Ho went back to his room and flopped onto his bed. He tapped on Vita and sent a message to Secretary Cha. - Secretary Cha, please get me a ticket to Las Vegas for tomorrow. - (an emoticon of a cat saluting) Cha Si-Eun never used emoticons in their conversations before. Seo Jun-Ho felt like this was a sign that they had gotten closer after yesterday. ¡°Now, then...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled as he rifled through his inventory. A momentter, he pulled out a refined bamboo flute. ¡°The Flute of Tidal Breath.¡± It was the ritual flute that rid the whole world of hardships and brought peace. Depending on how it was used, you could have the whole world in your hands. It was such a valuable treasure. He admired the flute with a new glint in his eyes. ¡®It looks cool. Though I won¡¯t know the extent of its abilities until I use it.¡¯ He checked the item data. [Flute of Tidal Breath] Grade: Unique ying the flute will grant one of the following abilities. 1. King¡¯s Army 2. King¡¯s Space 3. King¡¯s Armor This item will break after three uses. (0/3) Use requirements: Level 20. Possession of title ¡®Helper of Ascension¡¯. ¡°...It¡¯s grade is unique.¡± The end of his lip curled up. The item grades that had been discovered so far were normal, magic, rare, unique, and legendary.[6] ¡°It¡¯s the highest-grade item I¡¯ve received since returning.¡± Its abilities weren¡¯t normal either. ¡®They¡¯re probably strong enough topletely turn the tide in a major battle or even a war.¡¯ But he had saved the best forst. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the Title he received from the Nameless Dragon. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 20 Strength: 59 Stamina: 58 Speed: 64 Magic: 82 ¡°Kya~¡± p p p Seo Jun-Ho started pping, overwhelmed with emotion. ¡°This is the first time that my magic stat is higher than all the other stats.¡± It was something he had never imagined to happen to him since he was a magic idiot. ¡®But it¡¯s not like my other stats are low.¡¯ With these stats, he would have no problems hunting on the 2nd floor. Sandalwood is fragrant even as a seed leaf. He was starting to wonder about his future.[7] ¡®At this rate, even the 3rd floor¡­¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t he get stronger than the top yers, the Nine Heavens? ¡°I want to meet them sometime in the future.¡± It had been 25 years since his prime, and he was curious what the strongest yers looked like in this era. Seo Jun-Ho eagerly checked his new title. [Title: Helper of Ascension] Rank: B Information: The Title of the one who helped the Forgotten Dragon ascend and remember its original name. Effect: All stats +3 p p p He pped once again from his bed. ¡°It would be stupid to expect effects of the same level as the ¡®Bringer of Spring.'' This one¡¯s B and that one¡¯s S. I¡¯m still very thankful that it has this much effect.¡± At the rate that he was growing, the day he could use a sword aura wasn¡¯t far off. A sword aura didn¡¯t simply require a high magic stat but also required an understanding of it. His magic stat had been 115 when he understood sword aura and started to use it in the past. ¡®I might be able to get it faster than in the past.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had been nning to rest all day, but he suddenly sat up. ¡°I can¡¯t justy around after seeing this.¡± He had to fine-tune his body with his new stats. A drop of sweat spilled in training was a drop of blood saved on the battlefield. That was one of his favorite mottos. 1. munchkin is a gaming term for an op yer ? 2. Korean equivalent of the White House ? 3. The mugunghwa/rose of Sharon is the national flower of Korea. This medal is only given to Presidents and their spouses. Saemaeul Merit is given to those who make social contributions. ? 4. Second-highest medal after the mugunghwa, one of the highest civilian awards. Has 5 grades (1 being the highest) ? 5. Type of Korean mandarin orange ? 6. Item grade is not the same as skill or power/energy grade ? 7. Idiom meaning ¡®genius/talent disys itself at an early age¡¯ ? Chapter 34. City of Sin (1)

Chapter 34. City of Sin (1)

Las Vegas was called the most mboyant city in the world. Performance, pleasure, and gambling existed 24 hours here in the so-called City of Sin. ¡°Phew¡­ Sin or whatnot, I¡¯m finally here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had been traveling for 12 hours, or 14 if you counted the security checks before he finally stepped into Las Vegas. ¡®Skaya¡­..I really miss you.¡¯ She could teleport anywhere in the world in 1 second. He really missed her at times like these. He let out a sigh and dragged his stiff and exhausted body to check-in at the hotel. When he entered his room, he directly tossed aside his suitcase and opened the curtains wide to look at the city down below. ¡°It really is an amazing city.¡± Las Vegas was famous for having barely any monsters. All the hotels were owned by rich heirs, and they hired yers whenever monsters showed up to protect their assets. ¡°Capitalism is the best here.¡± He heard from a passerby that a huge auction would open in a few days. There were already tons of people on the streets even though the auction was only due to open a few dayster. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m here for¡­..¡± Seo Jun-Ho tapped on Vita and opened the map app. ¡°It¡¯s close.¡± Theundromat from the Shadow Brothers¡¯ memories was on the outskirts of the city. If he ran, he could get there in half an hour. ¡®Let¡¯s not linger. I should wrap this up quickly.¡¯ He put on a baseball cap with a narrow visor from his bag and left his room. *** The inside of theundromat was hot because of the steaming from the iron presses. ¡°Ugh, I feel like I¡¯m dying from the heat.¡± It was also because Las Vegas was in the middle of a desert. ¡°Goddamn! When is the electricianing?¡± The man banged on the remote of the broken air conditioner before throwing it in frustration. ¡°Nothing¡¯s working out these days.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, I wouldn¡¯t be this frustrated if just one thing went well. The Shadow Brothers became dragon food, the weather¡¯s fucking hot, the AC¡¯s broken. And...¡± The bald-headed man who had beenining to his friend trembled as he seemed to have realized something. A shiver went down his spine. ¡°...Dammit, I thought that we would never have to see the Watchdogs again, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡± ¡°Watchdogs? Oh, they¡¯re going instead of the twins?¡± ¡°Yeah, those lunatics.¡± The Watchdogs were famous among the fiends on the 1st floor for their skill and were respected by many. But the bald-headed man was only scared of them. ¡°Lunatics? Have you met them before?¡± ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re actually crazy.¡± He hade to own theundromat because the Watchdogs killed his former boss for no apparent reason. ¡°They said that it has been too long since they¡¯ve smelled blood¡­..¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± The bald man shook his head and sighed. Ring! The door opened and three people walked in. His face fell and he stood up immediately. ¡°W-w-wee.¡± ¡°...The fuck, why¡¯s it so hot in here? Wanna die?¡± The women looked at him hysterically while chewing loudly on a piece of gum. If it was anyone else, he would have told them to try him, but the bald man shivered and bowed his head. ¡°I apologize!¡± ¡°Tsk. Just bring the orders.¡± The bald man went to the supply room and back at a speed unfitting for his size, carrying an envelope. The woman snatched it from his hands and read over the documents. She spat her gum on the floor and her eyes narrowed. ¡°Look at this. The rumors were true.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re really not going to the 2nd floor?¡± ¡°See for yourself.¡± The skinny man next to her looked over the documents and gritted his teeth. He looked at the cold-looking man behind him. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t you think we should send a formalint to the higher-ups? Heaven¡¯s Breath, of all things.¡± ¡°I agree with Bones here for once. Kal Signer isn¡¯t even our direct superior.¡± The boss listened quietly and held out his hand, and the skinny man quickly straightened the documents he had crumpled before giving it to him. ¡°...¡± Woosh! The document burned to ashes in an instant. He looked to the bald man. ¡°Were there any other orders?¡± ¡°N-no, s-sir.¡± ¡°...Let¡¯s go.¡± As he left the store, the skinny man and the delinquent woman followed him. ¡°H-haah¡­..¡± The bald man¡¯s legs buckled, making him fall to the floor. He was covered in sweat. His coworker managed to read the room in time and stayed silent. ¡°Were they...the Watchdogs?¡± he asked carefully. ¡°Yeah. I thought I was gonna die.¡± ¡°Thedy and the man were pretty scary. But the boss seemed like a decent person?¡± ¡°Decent?¡± The bald man looked at him like he was a discarded cigarette butt. ¡°Why on earth do you even have eyes? Are they just there for decoration?¡± ¡°The fuck? Why are you taking it out on me?¡± The bald man held his tongue as he stood up. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how the so-called scary guys were intimidated by their own boss?¡± ¡°...Yeah, they were. I don¡¯t know why, though.¡± To him, those two seemed much stronger than their quiet boss. ¡°I¡¯ll only say this once, so listen carefully.¡± The bald man looked around to double-check that no one else was in the store. ¡°The Watchdogs¡¯ boss is Nazad Hallow of the Nine Heaven¡¯s third disciple.¡± ¡°What? Wait, if he¡¯s Hallow-nim¡¯s student...¡± His coworker¡¯s eyes went wide. He lowered his voice. ¡°Then is that man the one who caused the massacre in Turkey six months ago...Skeleton Mage Arma?¡± ¡°Right. He has a huge international bounty on his head because of it, but no one¡¯s evere close to getting it.¡± ¡°That crazy...¡± He actually looked down on such a man? A chill went up to his neck and he unconsciously touched his throat. ¡°There¡¯s also a rumor that the Watchdogs was originallyprised of five members, but two of them became Arma¡¯s skeletons.¡± ¡°He really is a lunatic. ¡° ¡°Right? He¡¯s a nutjob.¡± One of the most enjoyable things in the world was gossiping behind your superior¡¯s back. The two men whispered to each other when suddenly, the door opened. Their faces turned pale, thinking that the Watchdogs came back. They quickly looked toward the door. ¡°...Phew.¡± ¡°Geez, that timing. I got scared.¡± The two fiends sighed in relief. The person who came in was not one of the Watchdogs, but an Asian man wearing a baseball cap. Annoyed by the sudden entrance, the bald man looked at him in disgust. ¡°Are you here to fix the air conditioner?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s broken?¡± The Asian man spoke fluent English. But that wasn¡¯t strange in America, which was a multiethnic country. The bald man nodded. ¡°I¡¯m about to die from the heat.¡± ¡°I think I can help with that.¡± ¡°You can? How?¡± At that, the stranger held up one hand. The temperature of the store quickly began to fall. ¡°Oooh. It¡¯s cool!¡± ¡°Ah, finally.¡± The two fiendsughed and pped their hands like seals. ¡°You¡¯re amazing!¡± ¡°You are a yer?¡± The man nodded lightly. And the temperature continued to fall. Shiver. The two fiends felt cold all over their bodies and they started to rub their hands together. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Thanks for helping, but the temperature¡¯s too low now. It¡¯s cold.¡± But the man didn¡¯t stop. And the cold only got stronger. tter The cold started to seep into their bones, and their teeth started to chatter. They scowled. ¡°Hey, we said it¡¯s cold enough! There¡¯s no need to make it even colder!¡± ¡°If this is your idea of a joke, stop it while we¡¯re being nice.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled as he lowered his visor even more. ¡°You¡¯re stupid, even for fiends.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°T-this bastard, he knows something!¡± Quickly realizing what was going on, the fiends reached for their weapons, but their bodies wouldn¡¯t listen. As such, Seo Jun-Ho easily defeated them and changed the front door sign to say ¡®CLOSED.¡¯ He looked back at the two frozen fiends and muttered to himself. ¡°It¡¯s kind of like boiling frogs.¡± If you put a frog in a pan of boiling water, it would be startled by the heat and leap out right away. But if you made the water lukewarm and slowly increased the temperature until the water boiled, it wouldn¡¯t try to escape. ¡®Thanks to that, I was able to wrap it up quietly.¡¯ The two fiends were around level 30 each. Seo Jun-Ho still would have won quite easily in directbat, but he was in a city, and the sandwich store next door was also open for business. ¡°Nothing good wille out from causing a ruckus.¡± Truthfully, the broken air conditioner was unexpected, but Seo Jun-Ho had been able to use his wits and make use of the circumstances to his advantage. ¡°Hey, what do you want from us?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll cooperate. We¡¯ll tell you everything we know.¡± Their eyes had gone red at some point. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. The fiends started to panic and they spoke sharply. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to find anything in this store if you kill us.¡± ¡°You need our help. Dead men don¡¯t speak.¡± ¡°...Really? I disagree.¡± ck. Seo Jun-Ho turned off the lights andughed coldly as he approached the two men. ¡°Actually, the dead have a lot to say.¡¯ *** ¡°.....¡± Seo Jun-Ho finished using his skill as he sat on a chair in the supply room. He had plucked all the memories he needed from the two dead fiends and started to sort his thoughts. ¡®They really were just small fries.¡¯ But that didn¡¯t mean that they were weak yers. Theundromat was a front to deliver orders to fiends on the 1st floor. They wouldn¡¯t leave it to just anyone. Crunch, crunch! Dark canines emerged from the floor and chewed on the fiends¡¯ corpses. A momentter, the floor of the supply room became clean with nary a single drop of blood. ¡°The Watchdogs¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly remembered something and quickly tapped on Vita. - Ugh¡­Hello¡­ ¡°Deok-Gu?¡± - Hey, you crazy bastard...It¡¯s 2:30 AM here¡­ ¡°Sorry I woke you up, but I have a favor to ask.¡± -Why, are you in danger? Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s voice suddenly became clear as if he had woken uppletely. ¡°No, but do you know anything about this year¡¯s Las Vegas auction?¡± - Of course. Why are you asking? ¡°I can¡¯t go in without an invitation. Can you get one for me?¡± - Hah, who do you think I am? Shim Deok-Gu sounded slightly offended. - You need an invitation? Just let me know the name of the hotel and the room you¡¯re staying in. Seo Jun-Ho smiled. He really was a reliable backer. Chapter 35. City of Sin (2)

Chapter 35. City of Sin (2)

Knock knock knock! Seo Jun-Ho wasying on the bed watching TV when a courteous knock came from the door. When he opened the door, a gentleman wearing a full suit bowed his head at him. ¡°Hello. I am the general manager of this hotel, Raul Pamalta.¡± ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure?¡± ¡°I havee to deliver a certain item on the behalf of Mister Shim, the Korean yer Association¡¯s president.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The auction invitation. Seo Jun-Ho held out his hand, and the manager smiled as he gestured with his finger. Then, the employees that were waiting behind him appeared with a suit, shoes, and a watch. ¡°Mister Shim said that he¡¯d like you to wear all of this when you go to the auction. Even your shoes, necktie, and watch have all been prepared.¡± The gift was sudden, but it made sense. Considering that the auction was invitation-only, it would only make sense if they had a dress code. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and epted the invitation, and the manager bowed at 90 degrees and disappeared. ¡°Hm, but the fashion¡¯s a little¡­..¡± He couldn¡¯t tell what the material was made of, but the suit had a faint purple hue that screamed ¡®expensive.¡¯ ¡°...Wait, it¡¯s not just the suit. The shoes are made of dragon leather.¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly called Shim Deok-Gu. - Hello? Oh, you got it? ¡°Yeah, just now, but isn¡¯t it too much?¡± - Too much? That¡¯s the bare minimum so that people won¡¯t look down on you. ¡°...I mean, I¡¯m just going to an auction, why would they look down on me?¡± - You¡¯ll understandter. Also, that suit¡¯s made of silk from a silkworm queen. It costs about 1.5 million won per suit. ¡°Wow.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the suit with new eyes. - From now on, if people look down on you, it¡¯ll affect my own image. ¡°What are you saying?¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t understand, but a chuckle came from the other side. - You¡¯ll understandter. ¡°...That¡¯s no fun. Anyways, thanks for the clothes. Do you want me to buy any souvenirs?¡± - Nah. Just get me some liquor from the duty-free shop. ¡°Aight.¡± Seo Jun-Ho hung up and carefully put the clothes in the corner of the room. He checked the date. ¡®The auction opens the day after tomorrow.¡¯ There were only two days left before blood would be spilled all over the city. ¡°...Well, it¡¯s ording to n.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes glinted coldly. *** No city changed as much as Las Vegas from day to night. During the day, it was a busy city like New York, but when night fell, the LED signs of the casinos and clubs glittered, incessantly tempting tourists. Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the brightest building among them. ¡°MGM Grand Hotel.¡± Tomorrow night, the auction would open in the hotel¡¯s Grand Garden Arena. ¡®Mayweather and Pacquiao had their match here. Though kids these days might not know.¡¯[1] Today, he was just nning to check the hotel out. He was wearing a casual suit, and the first thing he noticed when he entered the hotel was the casino. ¡°A casino.¡± He had never been to one before. Obviously, he never went to a casino as a kid, and when he became an adult he was too busy hunting monsters. It piqued his curiosity, but when he got close to the entrance, an rm went off. Right away, a few male yers wearing suits approached him. ¡°Huh? Mr. Seo Jun-Ho?¡± The person at the front recognized him as the former¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡®Do I know that guy?¡¯ Even after seeing his face, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t recognize the man. As he tilted his head to take a closer look, the manughed heartily. ¡°Haha! It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t remember. We didn¡¯t meet for long.¡± ¡°Where did we meet?¡± ¡°Why, we meet at Insa-dong with Princess-nim.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± He eximed, finally realizing who it was. It was the yer that had been escorting Gong Ju-ha. Seo Jun-Ho shook the man¡¯s hand in a friendly gesture. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t recognize you. I¡¯m Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°No worries. I wouldn¡¯t have recognized me either. I¡¯m Ha In-Ho of the Goblin Guild.¡± A princess and a servant, they were a match made in heaven.[2] Ha In-Ho looked around. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that we would meet in a ce like this.¡± ¡°I heard that huge auction is about to happen here, so I came to take a look.¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. Ha In-Ho grinned at that. ¡°Really? Actually, my team came down to the 1st floor because of the auction as well. We received amission from the hosts to act as security.¡± It was the Goblin Guild, after all. At such a big auction, they needed someone with that level of skill and reliability. ¡°Ah, were you thinking of entering the casino?¡± Ha In-Ho asked. ¡°Yes, but the rm went off.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. Ha In-Houghed as he responded. ¡°You may know this, but yers are very different from normal people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°After the world changed, the casino industry suffered huge losses because of yers.¡± ¡°Because they used their physical abilities and special skills to cheat?¡± ¡°Exactly. It started with x-ray vision, then mind reading, then foresight, and et cetera¡­there are so many skills you can use in a casino.¡± Ha In-Ho casually started to lead Seo Jun-Ho somewhere. ¡°So, their solution was to separate casinos for normal people and yers.¡± ¡°So...There¡¯s a casino made specifically for yers?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Bingo. You catch on quick.¡± Ha In-Ho opened arge hardwood door with a ck. At first nce, it didn¡¯t seem much different from the outside, but Seo Jun-Ho quickly realized what was going on. ¡°They¡¯re all yers.¡± The hundreds of people in the room were all yers. ¡°Yes. This is a casino for yers. You¡¯re allowed to use your skills however you wish because the dealers are also yers.¡± ¡°But¡­doesn¡¯t that mean that higher-level yers are at an absolute advantage?¡± A higher level meant higher stats and a better understanding of one¡¯s skills. But Ha In-Ho looked a little embarrassed as he slowly pointed towards somewhere. ¡°That¡¯s¡­not strictly true. The skills you use inbat are quite different from the skills you need in games.¡± ¡°Nooooooo!¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned at the sound. It came from a woman who was holding her head between hands. An elegant frame and wavy red hair. She was someone whom you would never be able to forget despite meeting only once. ¡°...Isn¡¯t she with you?¡± ¡°Our Princess...has no talent for games.¡± Ha In-Ho looked at Gong Ju-Ha with the look of a parent looking at their child that yed games instead of studying. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll be going back to our patrol.¡± Ha In-Ho said to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Thank you for taking me here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. Ha In-Ho waved goodbye, and Seo Jun-Ho started to walk around. ¡®A yer Casino¡­¡¯ He nned to check out what games they had to offer first. Most people would go to a casino to y roulette, slots, barat, poker, ckjack, and so on. But this ce didn¡¯t have those kinds of games. ¡®Rather than a game of chance or wits...it¡¯s gambling based on a yer¡¯s skills.¡¯ It would be more urate to call it a game center than a casino. Though, based on the chips that were being passed around, it was merely another casino. ¡°I-it was definitely number two! Is this a scam?¡± Seo Jun-Ho walked toward Gong Ju-Ha, who was vehemently denying the truth. The scam she was talking about was a game where you had to guess which one out of the three cups contained the ball underneath. ¡°Is it fun?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I already lost 10 million won, do you think I¡¯m having...huh?¡± Gong Ju-Ha instantly recognized him as she turned around. Her expression quickly softened, and her eyes went wide. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s Mr. Snake Head!¡± she eximed. ¡°...It¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up? Did youe all the way here because you wanted to be my subordinate? I¡¯m touched!¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at her with an absurd expression and took a seat. ¡°Ahaha, it¡¯s a joke, a joke. So what brings you here?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked. ¡°I will participate in the auction tomorrow. I had some time so I came to look around the casino, and Mr. Ha In-Ho brought me here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± She pointed at the band on her left arm and shrugged. ¡°Well, let me know if anything happens. I¡¯m the captain of security here.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t bother asking if it was okay for her to gamble during work hours. ¡°Oh, I heard that Korea became a Special Safe Zone thanks to you.¡± ¡°I was lucky. The Shadow Brothers did most of the work.¡± ¡°In this industry, luck is also a skill.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled faintly and nodded. ¡°Thank you. Anyways, is this game hard?¡± ¡°Ugh! Don¡¯t mention that.¡± She sullenly red at the dealer. Having nowhere else to look, he innocently looked at the ground. ¡°His hands are really fast. I heard that he was active on the 2nd floor but retired and became a dealer.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know who he is?¡± ¡°How would I? They¡¯re all wearing masks.¡± Just as she said, all the dealers wore pure white masks and matching gloves. It was easy to tell why. ¡®To hide the dealer¡¯s identities and skills.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho raised his hand, and a waiter brought him chips to trade. He only bought about a million won worth of chips. A chip was equal to a hundred thousand won and he pushed out 10. ¡°You¡¯re going all-in? This guy¡¯s hands are really fast. It would be better to bet higher after you get used to it¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha remarked. ¡°Did you lose 10 million after doing that?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho refuted her with facts. Gong Ju-Ha could only turn away, looking hurt. ¡®She¡¯s sulking.¡¯ But because of that, it was quiet now. ¡°Shall I start?¡± The dealer asked. ¡°Yes.¡± The dealer flipped the cups to show him that the ball was in the middle and started shuffling them. Seo Jun-Ho looked surprised. ¡®¡­He¡¯s super fast.¡¯ The dealer¡¯s hands left afterimages as he mixed the cups. There were only three cups, but it looked like there were six. Tap! The dealer was finally done shuffling the cups. ¡°Please choose.¡± The dealer¡¯s voice was confident. ¡°Oh, I got it.¡± Gong Ju-Ha seemed to have cooled off as the cups were shuffled. She advised Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I think it¡¯s the one on the left. I think I really got it this time. Oh, should I bet now¡­?¡± When she continued to think, Seo Jun-Ho turned to her. ¡°I think it would be best if Team Leader Gong stopped gambling from now on.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t bear to finish the sentence after seeing her innocent face that was tilted to the side. ¡®Because you really suck.¡¯ He picked the cup in the center. Next to him, Gong Ju-Ha muttered that it was the one on the left and Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help butugh. The dealer flipped the cup in the middle to reveal the ball. ¡°Congrattions.¡± The dealer stacked 10 more chips to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s pile and pushed it toward him. Seo Jun-Ho managed to double the amount he had in no time at all. ¡°W-wow! What is this? Is this the so-called beginner¡¯s luck? It really was the middle!¡± Gong Ju-Ha eximed like she was the one that won, and gave her two cents again. ¡°But you should stop. You¡¯re supposed to stop gambling after you win.¡± She looked bitter as she added, ¡°...Of course, I couldn¡¯t stop because I didn¡¯t win.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that sob story?¡± He was about to get up when two new yers sat next to them. ¡°Hey, Bones. Wanna y against me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho watched them from the corner of his eyes and sat back down. ¡®¡­Why are they here?¡¯ He had never met these two before but he ironically knew them better than anyone else. ¡®The Watchdogs.¡¯ He¡¯d seen them in the fiends¡¯ memories. The skinny man and the delinquent woman were sitting right next to him. 1. Boxing match between the two world champions that happened in 2015. The hotel and arena are a real ce ? 2. The characters ¡®Gong Ju¡¯ and ¡®Ha In¡¯ from their names mean princess and servant respectively. ¡®Gong¡¯ and ¡®Ha¡¯ are real surnames ? Chapter 36. Watchdog Hunt (1)

Chapter 36. Watchdog Hunt (1)

¡®They¡¯re only 30 centimeters away.¡¯ Both of them were within his attack range. If he made a surprise attack, he could cut their heads off with a single stroke. ¡®But¡­I don¡¯t have a good excuse to do that.¡¯ He knew that they were fiends, but he¡¯d gotten that information from reading another fiend¡¯s memories. If he killed them, he would have no way to justify his actions and prove that they were fiends. ¡®The best-case scenario would be for them to reveal that they¡¯re fiends themselves¡­¡¯ But that was impossible. They weren¡¯t amateurs who would reveal themselves in a ce with lots of yers; they would most likely rather die than reveal their identities as fiends. ¡®Then the only thing I can do is to make my own ying field.¡¯ Luckily, they didn¡¯t know that he knew who they were. Seo Jun-Ho calmed himself as he turned to Gong Ju-Ha andughed. ¡°Isn¡¯t this fun? I¡¯ll y a few more rounds.¡± ¡°Geez, a gambling addiction is a scary thing¡­¡± Even as he listened to her expressing her concerns about addiction, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t let his attention on the Watchdogs waver. ¡°Shall I start?¡± The two Watchdogs nodded as they pushed forward 10 chips each. At that, Seo Jun-Ho pushed all 20 of his chips forward. ¡°Please begin.¡± ¡°Since there are three people this time, I¡¯ll be using five cups.¡± The dealer began to elegantly shuffle the cups. As he got faster, it began to look like he was shuffling 20 cups instead of five. ¡°Wow, that dealer is no joke.¡± ¡°Who is he? With that level of skill, he was probably famous at his prime.¡± Even onlookers admired his beautiful skills. Tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap! The dealer finished shuffling and looked at the participating yers, waiting for them to choose. ¡°The far right.¡± As soon as Seo Jun-Ho answered, the delinquent woman and the skinny man followed. ¡°The middle.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go with the far right.¡± The dealer flipped the cups. Seo Jun-Ho and the skinny man were right. tter Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at his chips that had increased to 40 in an instant. ¡°Wow. Mr. Snake Head, you have a talent for this. How are you so good?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± Seo Jun-ho trailed off as he reminisced. ¡®Green told me.¡¯ One of the Five Heroes, Gilberto Green. Seo Jun-Ho had been curious while he was learning marksmanship from Gilberto, and asked how he dealt with an enemy that made good fakes or an enemy who moved faster than his eyes could follow. Back then, Gilberto only said one thing. - Watch the substance, not the shell. His advice immensely helped. It was still effective today. ¡®If you look at their stats, Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s are probably higher than the dealer¡¯s stats. But there¡¯s a reason that she can¡¯t win despite that.¡¯ She only watched the shell, or more specifically the cup. On the other hand, Seo Jun-Ho was able to tell which cup the ball was under right away. ¡®The dealer¡¯s ability has nothing to do with speed.¡¯ The afterimages from his movements weren¡¯t created from how fast he was moving. The answer was illusions. They were illusions that the dealer was creating. ¡®If you watch his shoulders, wrists, and cups at the same time, it¡¯s obvious that something¡¯s off.¡¯ The dealer would use the illusory skill after shuffling and changing the cup the ball was under. It really was something of a scam. But if you could see through the trick, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess the answer. ¡®You just have to watch his shoulders. The way his muscles move is the answer.¡¯ It was easy. Seo Jun-Ho just had to watch the dealer¡¯s shoulder muscles and count how many times the dealer¡¯s arms moved, how they moved, and which direction they moved. If he just told Gong Ju-Ha the basics, she wouldn¡¯t lose a single game against this dealer. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we¡¯re done.¡± Seo Jun-Ho organized his chips and nced at the skinny man next to him. ¡®Did he guess it by chance?¡¯ To check that, he yed the game three more times. The delinquent girl didn¡¯t win a single time, but the skinny man and Seo Jun-Ho won all of them. ¡®He¡¯s not just copying my answer.¡¯ In two of the games, the man had answered before him. Obviously, he¡¯d figured out the trick. ¡®This skinny man¡­he¡¯ll be harder to deal with than the woman.¡¯ If possible, he wanted to take one of them out tonight. As such, it was important to evaluate their skills before the battle. As he finished his thought, the dealer got up and spoke sadly. ¡°Please wait a moment. There will be a dealer change.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had won all four of his bets. On top of that, they were all all-ins. His 1 million won had quickly be 16 million. The loss was too great, so the casino had decided to change the dealer. ¡°A-amazing. You made 16 million in five minutes¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked at him in envy. She wasn¡¯t jealous of the money he won, but his skills in games. ¡®Perfect timing.¡¯ ¡°The dealer¡¯s gone, so let me show you something interesting,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said loudly. He reached into his jacket and fumbled around the inner pocket. Of course, there was nothing in it. But when he pulled his hand out, he was holding an icepass. He used his Frost skill in that short amount of time to make it. ¡°Wow, that looks pretty.¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes sparkled as she studied it. The two fiends next to them were also secretly interested. Seo Jun-Ho smiled faintly. ¡°President Shim Deok-Gu lent me this. It¡¯s quite an interesting artifact.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an artifact? Now that you say that, I feel like I can sense magic from it¡­¡± Of course, she would sense magic from it. After all, it was made out of magic. ¡°If you use magic on thispass, it helps you find certain people.¡± ¡°Certain people?¡± ¡°Haha, well there¡¯s no reason that they would be here, but¡­¡± As he spoke, he poured magic into thepass, and the needle started to spin violently. When it finally stopped, Seo Jun-Ho looked up to where it was pointing. ¡°...Huh?¡± Gong Ju-Ha had been staring at the needle, and she blinked. It was pointing to the two people next to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Um, Mr. Snake Head. The needle¡¯s pointing at them.¡± Seo Jun-Ho feigned a shocked expression and pretended to hide it. ¡°Oh, why¡­why is it doing that?¡± He swallowed, his face unreadable. ¡°Team Leader, my stomach hurts, so I¡¯m gonna go to the bathroom¡­¡± ¡°Oh, go ahead.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho got up and waved to Gong Ju-Ha, so did the skinny man. ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom too,¡± said the skinny man to the delinquent woman. ¡°Will it take long?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll be back in 5 minutes,¡± he replied with a firm voice. *** Seo Jun-Ho did not go to the bathroom. He ran out of the hotel like he was being chased, and hid inside a back alley. Blink, blink. It was a dark alleyway, and the only light came from a streemp that blinked asionally. ¡°Huff, huff...¡± To anyone else, it would seem like Seo Jun-Ho was hyperventting. The skinny man that had been following him stepped casually into the same alleyway. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is the bathroom.¡± ¡°....¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at him wordlessly. The skinny man smiled as he spoke. ¡°Your luck is really bad. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± The skinny man judged the man in front of him to be quite unlucky. ¡®An icepass. It¡¯s probably a tool to find fiends.¡¯ He¡¯d never imagined that such an artifact existed. If the needle hadn¡¯t pointed exactly at him and the delinquent woman, he wouldn¡¯t have known what it was. ¡®No one can know who we are for tomorrow¡¯s attack.¡¯ This was why he chased after the man. His bones were visible in his hands as he gripped a sword in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you painlessly.¡± Before he could attack, however, Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the icepass in his hand. It had started to melt, and he tossed it aside without a second thought. As the skinny man watched it shatter on the ground, his forehead wrinkled. ¡®It broke? An artifact broke so easily?¡¯ Artifacts had magic in them and were highly durable. Even if it was the weakest artifact, it wouldn¡¯t break from simply falling to the ground. The look in the skinny man¡¯s eyes changed. ¡°It¡¯s fake¡­In other words, this is a trap.¡± ¡°I thought so while we were gambling earlier, but you catch on pretty quick.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho unsheathed his sword with a shing, the fear on his face disappeared. He now looked like a hunter observing his prey. ¡°How did you know? ¡°Noment.¡± ¡°Is there anyone else who knows who we are?¡± ¡°Noment.¡± ¡°...How much do you know?¡± That was a question worth answering. It would keep him from running away. Seo Jun-Ho gave a lopsided smile. ¡°Hm, well, I know your schedule for tomorrow.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Seeing how Seo Jun-Ho knew about tomorrow¡¯s attack, he couldn¡¯t be allowed to live. The skinny man swung his sword without warning. Woooosh! The sword pierced through the air, aimed at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho barely managed to dodge. His face hardened as he touched his neck. ¡°You dodged that? Not bad.¡± Seo Jun-Ho did his best to dodge, but the man was relentless. At this moment, they both had the same thought in mind. ¡®¡­He¡¯s fast.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s speed was over 60, but it was hard for him to keep up. ¡®But it¡¯s not just a difference in stats.¡¯ Even if the skinny man¡¯s speed stat was over 80, he shouldn¡¯t be this fast. That left one option. ¡®Skill.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stared at the skinny man with a hard look in his eyes. The skinny man tilted his sword and said, ¡°So you¡¯ve figured it out. I¡¯m an eleration skill user, and I have three levels. That was the first one¡­¡± He readied his stance again. ¡°And this one will be the third level.¡± ¡°...Why are you telling me that?¡± ¡°I evaluated you with the first attack. You won¡¯t be able to block this one even if you know it¡¯sing.¡± ¡®Damn, he¡¯s quick on the uptake.¡¯ The skinny man was correct. It would be impossible for Seo Jun-Ho to dodge the third-level attack when he was already having a hard time keeping up with the skinny man¡¯s current speed. Not only that but his opponent¡¯s eyes were starting to turn red. ¡®He¡¯s going to use demonic energy on top of his eleration.¡¯ The skinny man was nning to kill him with the next attack. ¡°Dammit.¡± Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue. ¡®He catches on quickly, and he¡¯s cautious. But once he decides to do something, he doesn¡¯t back out.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho realized after observing the skinny man at the casino and in the alley right now. ¡®There¡¯s no use in dragging this out. Everything will end in the next strike.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes were cold. Each member of the Watchdogs was stronger than he was. If his concentration faltered at all, his head would go flying the next moment. ¡°...Phew.¡± Seo Jun-Ho changed his mind. He took his stance and slowly closed his eyes. He no longer needed his sight for this battle. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to follow me with your eyes, so you chose to close them¡­Not a bad choice.¡± The skinny man stared at his opponent and lowered his stance. He nned to cut through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s windpipe with this attack. ¡®Let¡¯s see, the best ce to aim is...¡¯ Out of all the pressure points on a human body, the best ce to kill with a shortsword were the head and heart. He checked Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stance, and the skinny man¡¯s eyes shed. ¡®There are a lot of openings around his head. I can slice through his neck with a single stroke.¡¯ He made his decision. ¡®I¡¯ll go with the heart.¡¯ It was a cautious decision out of the one in a thousand chance that Seo Jun-Ho had intentionally made this opening. On the off chance that was true, he wouldn¡¯t put himself in danger. ¡°Goodbye.¡± With that, the skinny man pushed off the ground. Tap. When his footsteps rang out¡­ Wooooshh! Darkness seemed to explode from the void and covered the alleyway. It blocked the man¡¯s vision, filling his sight with darkness. ¡°Guh?!¡± He was surprised by the unexpected situation, but he didn¡¯t stop. ¡®A smokescreen won¡¯t change anything.¡¯ He knew where the heart was. Even if his opponent dodged, his opponent still wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with his speed. ¡®I just need to stab the target with my sword.¡¯ He didn¡¯t hesitate, and his sword didn¡¯t waver. The skinny man elerated and swung his sword. Shhhunk! It made a terrifying sound as his sword buried itself into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chest. ¡®As expected.¡¯ The corner of his lip curled up. As expected, his sword was faster. But there was something he had overlooked. Crackle! Seo Jun-Ho never intended to dodge. He knew better than anyone else that he wouldn¡¯t be able to. ¡°I said this before, but you¡¯re too cautious.¡± ¡°....!¡± His caution had been his downfall. Especially because his opponent was someone like Seo Jun-Ho who knew how to engage in psychological warfare. Crackle? That¡¯s not the sound a sword makes when it hits flesh¡­? Realizing that something was wrong, the skinny man quickly dropped his sword and tried to retreat, but Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t so careless as to let him be. Crack! ¡°Kuh?!¡± The man finally realized that his hand and sword were both frozen in ice. Chapter 37. Watchdog Hunt (2)

Chapter 37. Watchdog Hunt (2)

As he tried to forcefully pull his hand away from the ice, a ripping pain came from his hand. ¡°Gaah!¡± But he couldn¡¯t give up here. ¡®I still have my other hand!¡¯ With a fierce look in his eyes, he gripped a dagger in his right hand and rushed toward Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck. But this time, Seo Jun-Ho was a step ahead. He froze his opponent¡¯s arm and swatted his dagger aside. Crack! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword cracked the skinny man¡¯s corbone, then it angled to stab his heart. ¡°Cough!¡± Blood flooded from the man¡¯s mouth. He had been on the brink of death many times before, but he could feel it. ¡®This dirty alley will be my grave.¡¯ There was no human that could live after being stabbed through their heart. Even as he came face-to-face with death, he determined something. ¡®The boss has to know about this.¡¯ He realized that his priority was to report this situation. He quickly dropped his dagger and tapped on Vita. ¡°That won¡¯t work. Why do you think I froze you all the way to the wrist?¡± ¡°...!¡± His wrist was already covered in ice. All he felt at his fingertips was the coldness of the ice. ¡®When did it go wrong?¡¯ It was a fight that should have been a certain victory for him. His opponent was a rookie that couldn¡¯t even keep up with his speed, and he was a seasoned veteran. ¡®The unlucky one¡­It wasn¡¯t him, but me.¡¯ He thought that he was dying simply because his opponent¡¯s luck was good. ¡°But that luck...cough, in front of the boss...¡± The skinny man used thest vestiges of his strength to grip his opponent¡¯s throat. His face looked like an evil spirit as he spat out a final curse. ¡°The boss¡­will send you to hell.¡± ¡°Why would I go there? That¡¯s a ce reserved for bastards like you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt offended and twisted the sword once. ¡°Guh...ack...!¡± The life faded from the skinny man¡¯s eyes as he vomited blood and went limp. Even then, his red eyes didn¡¯t fade. ¡°Anyways, you dirty fiend bastard.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ced his hand on the skinny man¡¯s forehead and muttered to himself. ¡°Just hand over the information.¡± *** A skyscraper hotel looked down at the lively night of Las Vegas. A man and a woman sat on a couch while looking down at the boisterous city. They hadn¡¯t said anything to each other for hours. Tick! The clock on the wall pointed to 4. ¡°...I don¡¯t want to admit it, but that bag of bones is better than me at strategy.¡± The first one to speak was the delinquent woman from the Watchdogs. Her boss, Arma, was sitting next to her with his eyes closed. ¡°He said he¡¯de back in 5 minutes, but it has been 8 hours now.¡± The skinny man always thought of his team first. He had never gone this long without contact before. As such, they gradually realized what this meant. ¡°...He was taken out.¡± He was probably not a person of this world now. The woman¡¯s voice broke as hot tears spilled over. They were always bickering, but they had been teammates for years now. ¡°Fucking idiot. He said he¡¯d be right back.¡± ¡°What did he look like?¡± ¡°He was an Asian male. He spoke in Korean, and he was with Gong Ju-Ha, so it¡¯s likely that he¡¯s a member of the Goblin Guild.¡± Arma didn¡¯t say anything as he tapped on his Vita. Thousands of hologram profiles appeared before him. ¡°This is a picture of all Korean yers in the Las Vegas area right now. See if he¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Just a moment.¡± The delinquent woman quickly scrolled through the profiles. Her eyes moved without a second to rest, but she wasn¡¯t just skimming them. After she looked through the thousands of profiles, the girl was about to say that he wasn¡¯t on the list. ¡°Huh?¡± But she found the face she was looking for on thest page. ¡°T-this fucker!¡± ¡°...Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure! I only saw him a few hours ago. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t recognize him.¡± Arma tilted his head after hearing her confidence. The man she¡¯d pointed to was none other than Seo Jun-Ho. He had been added to the Fiend Association¡¯s most recent database. ¡®But he¡¯s a new yer that debuted barely two months ago.¡¯ Arma didn¡¯t think that it made logical sense for one of his subordinates to be killed by Seo Jun-Ho. But as he looked through the details of his profile, Arma slowly started to suspect him. ¡°There¡¯s something strange about this man. He was recently involved with the Shadow Brothers.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re right! He¡¯s the guy that went into an Uncleared Gate with them.¡± The Shadow Brothers and Seo Jun-Ho went inside the Uncleared Gate together, but the Shadow Brothers never managed to return. And now, this¡­ ¡°From this moment on, I¡¯m designating Seo Jun-Ho as a threat.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The delinquent woman gnashed her teeth as she received the order. ¡°If we ever meet, I¡¯ll definitely kill him.¡± *** The MGM Grand Garden Arena was usually full of excitement for the greatest matches, but today, it was silent. ¡®It¡¯s not even a film festival or anything.¡¯ A long red carpet was spread at the entrance, where actors, directors, celebrities, and yers all over the world gathered. Bees gathered where there were flowers. Reporters from every country were absorbed in their cameras, clicking the shutters. Beep! Beep! Before they stepped onto the red carpet, each person had to go through a thorough inspection that was reminiscent of airport security checkpoints. Seo Jun-Ho was no different. ¡°Excuse me.¡± A member of the Goblin Guild entrusted with security stopped him and held out his hand. ¡°Can I see your invitation?¡± Seo Jun-Ho reached into his jacket and pulled it out. The security guard¡¯s eyes went wide as he opened the envelope and checked its contents. He immediately moved aside and bowed deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for wasting your time.¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t have to go through security?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around at the other people. The security guard nodded. ¡°Yes. You can go in right away.¡± ¡®Did Gong Ju-Ha say something?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head at the security guard¡¯s polite manner and stepped onto the red carpet. The luxury suit, watch, and shoes that Shim Deok-Gu had sent him garnered the attention of the reporters. ¡°Huh? Who¡¯s that man?¡± ¡°Is he a celebrity? He looks handsome.¡± ¡°His proportions are good and he¡¯s slim. He kind of looks like a model.¡± The male reporters couldn¡¯t hide their envy at his suit and shoes, and the female reporters couldn¡¯t hide their interest in his handsome face and proportionate body. Seo Jun-Ho entered the arena with the eyes of the audience following him. The first thing that caught his eye was a bar. ¡®I do need a drink.¡¯ The auction would start tonight and would go on until dawn. Seo Jun-Ho walked over to buy a bottle of water. ¡°Iced tea, with lots of ice. Give me 20 sses, please.¡± Seo Jun-ho blinked as he recognized the girl in front of him. It was Gong Ju-Ha, and today she was wearing a ck suit with her hair in a ponytail. ¡°So we meet again.¡± ¡°Ughh, it¡¯s so hot it¡¯s annoying¡­huh?¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked over at him as she pped her shirt. When she realized who it was, she crossed her arms. ¡°Wow, who¡¯s this? Isn¡¯t this the guy who went to the bathroom and never came back?¡± ¡°...Ah.¡± Now that he thought about it, he had done that. ¡°Did you wait for me?¡± ¡°Are you really asking that right now? I mean, if you start saying something, you have to finish it at the least! I was so curious about the icepass that I waited for two hours! And if I get curious about something, I can¡¯t sleep properly thinking about it. Can you see these dark circles under my eyes?¡± ¡°....I¡¯m sorry.¡± He really did have nothing to say for himself. Seo Jun-Ho quickly bowed his head. Gong Ju-Ha saw the apologetic look on his face and sighed as she uncrossed her arms. ¡°What¡¯s with that? You apologized right away, so I can¡¯t even be mad.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy you something good next time.¡± Seo Jun-Ho added. ¡°...Then, I¡¯ll choose something expensive.¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face softened as she checked the time. She picked up the icebox on the ground. ¡°Hup.¡± ¡°Team Leader Gong, what¡¯s¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a normal icebox. I keep ice cream and drinks in here.¡± She looked toward the entrance of the hall as if it were a strong boss monster. ¡°Mr. Snake Head, you should also prepare yourself. It¡¯s going to be a long battle.¡± ¡°You really do get hot easily.¡± ¡°Very. I think it¡¯s worse because Las Vegas is in the desert.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have some sort of heat resistance because you¡¯re a me-user?¡± ¡°Exactly! Frustratingly enough, my body generates a lot of heat so I¡¯m hot all the time.¡± Gong Ju-Ha said before picking up the icebox. She nodded instead of waving with her hand. ¡°Have fun at the auction. It would be nice if we managed to sit close to each other, but I¡¯m at the front for security reasons.¡± ¡°Yes. Then Team Leader Gong¡­..¡± Seo Jun-Ho spoke sincerely. ¡°I hope you also have a good time.¡± *** ¡°Mmmmm. The icebox~ is my treasure box~¡± Gong Ju-Ha hummed to herself as she sat in her seat. She ced the icebox in front of her. It would help her weather the heat for the next few hours; it really was her treasure box. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so close,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said in admiration. Since her seat was in the very front row, the stage was right below her nose. It was reserved for VIPs, but she was the captain of the security team. ¡®If I¡¯m this close, I can help right away if something happens.¡¯ As she nced around the people near her, she recognized all of them. ¡®The Vice President of America...The President of the French yer Association¡­..Even the Queen of Ennd is here?¡¯ They were all people that had influence over the globe. No matter how much the world changed, the powers at the top remained the same. ¡°Is this my seat?¡± Gong Ju-Ha turned to greet the person next to her. ¡°Huh?¡± Her eyes went wide. ¡°Mr. Snake Head?¡± The person sitting next to her was none other than Seo Jun-Ho. Gong Ju-Ha quickly looked around and looked at him nervously. ¡°Um¡­..you know, these seats are all preassigned, so you can¡¯t just sit anywhere.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this seat A-13? It was written on my invitation.¡± ¡°Huh? Can I see your invitation?¡± Seo Jun-Ho casually handed it over, and Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡®W-what? A VIP ticket? Even I didn¡¯t get one¡­¡¯ Even though she was a famous Ranker yer, she was simply a Team Leader, not a Master or a Vice Master. She was only able to receive a premium ticket, a ticket that was a rank below him. ¡®Wait. Now that I look at him¡­¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha quickly scanned Seo Jun-Ho. His unstylish, messy haircut had been styled by a professional. And with just a nce, she could tell that his clothes and shoes cost at least tens of millions of won. She thought that he looked strangely good today, and she finally realized that it was thanks to his getup. ¡®He only debuted two months ago, but he¡¯s already wearing all that¡­¡¯ A thought quickly came to her mind. ¡°Did you¡­spend all the money you earned at the casino yesterday?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Um, well, your outfit looks really expensive.¡± ¡°Oh, this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at his clothes and grinned. ¡°No. The clothes and watch are from the President. He gave me the invitation too.¡± ¡°Ah¡­I see.¡± The misunderstanding was cleared up, but she was even more impressed. ¡°You must have his full confidence. I didn¡¯t know that President Shim Deok-Gu had appointed you as his new heir.¡± ¡°...Huh? Heir?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked, but Gong Ju-Ha grinned. ¡°You really didn¡¯t know? This isn¡¯t just a normal auction seat. Only powerful people like big Guild Masters can receive a VIP invitation. Other people can¡¯t evene up here¡­The fact that President Shim Deok-Gu easily gave you that invitation means that you¡¯re his proxy. Therefore, he definitely thinks of you as his heir.¡± ¡°...Oh my god.¡± He finally realized what Shim Deok-Gu told him back then. He wondered why he said he needed to protect Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s image at the auction, but he didn¡¯t know that this was the reason behind it. ¡°The Korean yer Association hasn¡¯t had a leading yer in a long time.¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s smile reached her eyes as she looked at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°It seems that the Association President wants to leave his role to you when he retires.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s a big responsibility.¡± Just as he resolved that he would argue with Shim Deok-Gu the moment he returned to Korea, the lights turned off. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s starting.¡± The Auction.[1] The biggest auction in the world was about to begin. 1. This was written in Korean but pronounced directly as it is in English ? Chapter 38. The Auction (1)

Chapter 38. The Auction (1)

A soft spotlight clicked on, and a middle-aged man got onto the stage. The emcee of the global auction was the famous Donny Lochifield. He was famous for being a pleasant, cheerful host, but today his face looked serious. ¡°Even a person as famous as him is nervous.¡± ¡°Well, think about where he is.¡± Today¡¯s auction wasn¡¯t some talk show. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say all the most powerful people in the world were gathered here. People on the inte were even jokingly calling it a ¡®global summit.¡¯ ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I am your host for tonight, Donny Lochifield.¡± He looked a bit nervous, but he was professional. ¡°First, I¡¯ll exin how the auction will work. If you look at your seats, there will be a small remote.¡± ¡°It must be this.¡± Gong Ju-Ha picked up a remote from herrge,fortable seat. ¡°Bidding is simple. Simply press the green button and enter your desired bid.¡± It was an easy system even for those who¡¯d never been to an auction since they didn¡¯t need to know any of the unique gestures for an auction. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all excited, so I won¡¯t keep you waiting. We will now begin the auction. The first item is the sword of the Lion King Richard.¡± As the item was brought onto the stage, it was projected onto arge hologram screen. ¡°Mr. Snake Head, is there anything you want to get today?¡± ¡°Not really. How about you?¡± ¡°Well, me too¡­As you know, I¡¯m not here as a bidder.¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked down at her security armband. She sat up straighter. ¡°I¡¯m a professional, so I have to do my job properly.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think you can say that when you were gambling during working hours¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho replied half-heartedly as he got lost in his thoughts. When he read the memories of the Watchdog in a dark alleyst night, he realized something. ¡®I can¡¯t defeat Arma alone.¡¯ He was impossibly powerful. Seo Jun-Ho originally thought that he would be able to handle Arma alone, but that was a big miscalction. Arma was the third disciple of the King of Corpses Nazad Hallow of the Nine Heavens. ¡®He wouldn¡¯t have any problems if he went to the 2nd floor right now. That¡¯s how strong he is.¡¯ It was because he was a summoner. Summoners¡¯ own levels didn¡¯t matter as much as those of what they summoned. ¡®Thankfully, I know what he summons because I saw the memoriesst night¡­¡¯ But unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the confidence to deal with them alone and realized that he needed backup. ¡®In Las Vegas where I have no connections, the only one who can help me¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned his head slightly to look at Gong Ju-Ha, who was sipping on her iced tea and watching the auction. ¡®¡­Is Gong Juha.¡¯ She was strong enough to defeat Arma. On top of that, she was the official security team leader of the auction, so she should be able to understand his concerns. Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the catalog he was holding. ¡®Five hours until Heaven¡¯s Breathes onto the stage.¡¯ The Watchdogs¡¯ operation would begin then. *** The auction proceeded for five hours without any problems. Seo Jun-Ho was starting to get nervous. ¡°Number 203, congrattions. You have won the Ice Crown.¡± ¡°Who the hell is number 203?¡± ¡°They keep sweeping away all the cold-attribute items.¡± As the other biddersined, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face was stoic. Obviously, he wasn¡¯t number 203. He didn''t have any reason to spend tens of millions of won to buy ice-affiliated artifacts. ¡°Wow, this is fun, this is fun~¡± Number 203 was the naivedy sitting next to him. She smiled brightly as she pressed on her remote. Including the item she had just won, she had sessfully won over seven artifacts. They were all items that helped with fighting the heat. ¡°...Didn¡¯t you say that you were a professional?¡± Seo Jun-Ho struck at a sore spot. ¡°W-well, a real professional...yeah! A real professional has to know how to multitask.¡± It seemed that the requirements for being a professional kept increasing. Gong Ju-Ha cleared her throat as if embarrassed and turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to buy anything?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s something I like, then sure.¡± Seo Jun-ho responded. ¡°You don¡¯t care much about gear?¡± ¡°...I do.¡± He cared a lot, but he also had unreasonably high standards. ¡®There¡¯s nothing that I like here¡¯ He once used the best equipment in the past, so most artifacts wouldn¡¯t catch his eye. The only thing he¡¯d obtained so far was a ne that prevented one from getting sick frequently. When he won it, Gong Ju-Ha had gotten curious. ¡°What¡¯s that? Is it for your girlfriend?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you ask if I have a girlfriend first?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry¡­.then for your mother?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a mother either.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll shut up.¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face went white as she turned away. ¡°This next item has a long story attached to it. Number 84 on the catalog, the Unknown Ball.¡± ¡°Unknown Ball¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attention turned back to the auction. It was a small ball the size of two fists that asionally emanated light. Donny continued his story. ¡°Twenty years ago, this ball was given as a reward for clearing the 2nd floor. But to this day, no one has figured out what it is. No item window pops up with it either. Thinking that it has some incredible hidden power, many people have bought it, but no one has ever been able to figure it out. Its current owner is Count Charlie of Ennd, who intends to sell it. Bidding will start at 50,000 dors.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that ball again.¡± ¡°The auction has been here for 20 years, but no itemes in as frequently as the ball.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s resold so often.¡± ¡°Will someone even buy it? People who know about it wouldn¡¯t.¡± Seo Jun-Ho listened to the murmurs of the audience with one ear, but his eyes were concentrated on the ball. ¡®¡­I have to buy it.¡¯ He didn¡¯t have a solid basis. It wasn¡¯t rare for him to get this feeling. But whenever he felt a hunch like this, he left his decisions to his intuition because it was always right. ¡®It¡¯s probably because of one of my skills, Keen Intuition(B).¡¯ As Seo Jun-Ho raised his remote, Gong Ju-Ha blinked. ¡°Are you...nning to buy the ball?¡± ¡°Yes. I felt a pull.¡± He ignored the confusion on Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face and pressed the button on his remote. ¡°Number 173, going for 52,000 dors.¡± ¡°Number 89, going for 55,000 dors.¡± ¡°Number 114, going for 57,000¡­¡± There were inevitably a few people that were curious among the hundreds of participants. As the race ended, Seo Jun-Ho won the mysterious ball for 150,000 dors. ¡®I¡¯m excited.¡¯ Just what about the ball set off the hunch? The next item was brought onto the stage. ¡°...A lot of you came to Las Vegas to see this very item.¡± Donny gave a knowing smile, and the audience sat up straighter. ¡°It¡¯s finallying out.¡± ¡°Number 85. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t even sleep because I wanted to see it.¡± All around the auction hall, people were swallowing in anticipation. Donny gave an elegant wave of his hand and introduced the item. ¡°Discovered in an ancient dungeon on the 2nd floor, this is the top-grade magic core, Heaven¡¯s Breath.¡± Pah! Dozens of spotlights turned on, shining down on the gem. The audience erupted. ¡°Ohh, that...¡± ¡°Heaven¡¯s Breath!¡± ¡°They say it¡¯s as beautiful as if it was crafted by God himself.¡± Most magic cores were spherical gems. Even the Frost Queen¡¯s core looked like a round sapphire. Heaven¡¯s Breath was in the same shape, sparkling white and gold. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really pretty.¡± It was aesthetically pleasing, but it also reminded one of the sky. Sure, it was pretty, but there were other parts to admire. ¡®...It has an overwhelming amount of magic.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho now understood why there were rumors that it could single-handedly power a city. Such a ridiculously huge amount of magic was packed into a small core. ¡°Team Leader Gong, who discovered the core?¡± ¡°One of the Big 6 Guilds, Labyrinth, got it from an ancient dungeon in the frontier called ¡®Tomb of Mercy.¡¯ They put their lives on the line to clear the dungeon...it was a big risk, big reward operation, but they seeded. They said they¡¯re selling the core to make up for the losses.¡± ¡°How much do you think it¡¯ll go for?¡± ¡°Hm¡­well, that will depend on what¡¯s called, but in my personal opinion¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked around and leaned in close. ¡°It¡¯ll go up to the trillions. These days, people prefer to use magic instead of gas or electricity. The people in the VIP seats are probably bidding with their country¡¯s budgets,¡± she whispered. ¡°...Jesus.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nced around, noticing something that the world leaders didn¡¯t. He quickly pulled himself together. ¡®Heaven¡¯s Breath hase out, so it¡¯ll begin soon.¡¯ The Watchdogs would begin moving. ¡°The magic core crafted by God! Bidding for Heaven¡¯s Breath starts at 1 million dors!¡± Beep- Beep- The hologram screen disyed the bids in real-time. Perhaps to shake off normal bidders, the bid quickly reached 50 million. The audience held their breath in anticipation of who would win. ¡°...?¡± Gong Ju-Ha sensed something and wrinkled her eyebrows as she looked up. Seo Jun-Ho noticed a beatter and stared up at the ceiling. ¡®They¡¯re here.¡¯ Craaaash! The ceiling broke in with a loud roar, but no one in the audience was harmed. ¡®There¡¯s a reason why he¡¯s called the Guardian Knight.¡¯ Ranker Ha In-Ho. In an instant, he had created a magic shield that covered the entire audience. ¡°Who the hell¡­! Wait, what¡¯s that?¡± Gong Ju-Ha stood up abruptly and squinted at the things on top of the shield. ¡°Skeletons?¡± Dozens of skeletons had broken through the ceiling. ¡°Skeletons¡­Is it the Skeleton Mage from the massacre in Turkey?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered gravely. ¡°Skeleton Mage? That could be it!¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes shone as she hissed and tapped on her Vita. ¡°Evacuating the VIPs and the audience is our top priority! Recover the auction items after that. I¡¯m leaving the skeletons to In-Ho. Move!¡± She really was a pro. In an instant, she turned into a charismaticmander on the battlefield. Immediately afterward, she turned to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Mr. Snake Head. If possible, can you lend us your¡­huh?¡± Gong Ju-Ha tilted her head. Seo Jun-Ho, who had been sitting next to her up until a moment ago, had disappeared like a ghost. Chapter 39. The Auction (2)

Chapter 39. The Auction (2)

¡°Right this way!¡± ¡°Please stay in line! We¡¯ll evacuate you all to safety!¡± ¡°Do you know the Guardian Knight Ha In-Ho? He¡¯s fending off the monsters, so you¡¯re all safe!¡± ¡°Please stay in line! Stay in...I said, stay in line!¡± The members of the Goblin Guild tried to calm the panicking people, but it was useless. ng! ng! ¡°Eek!¡± ¡°W-won¡¯t it break?¡± ¡°Let me get out! Get out of the way!¡± ¡°Huh? Stop pushing! Do you know who I am?¡± If you looked up just a little bit, you could see the skeleton soldiers fiercely attacking the shield. Consumed by terror, everyone ignored the orders to stay in line and continued to push those in front of them. ¡°Geez, Vice Team Leader. The people won¡¯t listen to us, what should we do?¡± ¡°Should we bend their ears instead?¡± ¡°...Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± The Vice Team Leader Ha In-Ho clicked his tongue at his teammates¡¯ words as he upheld the magic shield. He looked at the hundreds of people that were pushing each other at the entrance. They were holders of vice and honorary titles, or otherwise extremely powerful. ¡®They say that those who have power fear death the most¡­¡¯ After all, didn¡¯t the first Qin emperor seek an elixir for eternal life and filled his tomb with terracotta warriors? Ha In-Ho couldn¡¯t think of a solution and sighed. Woooosh! As an intense heat spread out, a loud sound was heard from one side of the auction hall as a wall copsed. At the loud noise, the people who regained their senses for a moment turned toward the noise. ¡°It¡¯s gonna take forever to send everyone through those small doors! Direct them this way!¡± Gong Ju-Ha shouted. She didn¡¯t hesitate as she broke through the wall of a building that cost tens of millions to build. ¡°Princess-nim, you can¡¯t just break it like that¡­¡± ¡°Why not? It was a good decision. Nice, Princess-nim!¡± ¡°Alright everyone, see that over there? The exit is much wider and you can evacuate faster. Follow me!¡± Unlike Ha In-Ho, who was embarrassed, the other team members gave the girl a thumbs-up. The audience started to flow out of the auction hall like an outgoing tide through the hole. ¡°They¡¯re not even that strong¡­¡± ng! ng, ng! During that time, the number of skeletons banging on Ha In-Ho¡¯s shield had increased. More kept jumping down from the ceiling. As Ha In-Ho looked up at them, his eyes widened. ¡®There are at least 120 of them, just by looking it.¡¯ Just who was their enemy that they could carry out an attack on this scale? His eyes were still fixed above him when he heard something ¡®suddenly¡¯ pierce through the air toward him. ¡°...What?!¡± He twisted quickly, creating a shield around his body. Ping! A bullet from a sniper rifle pierced right through his shield as blood sprayed into the air. A secondter, there was a sharp pain that overtook all his thoughts. ¡°Guh...Ack!¡± His concentration was broken, and the magic shield dissipated. ck, ck! The skeleton soldiers fell to the floor of the auction hall. ¡°In-Ho!¡± As she heard her precious subordinate cry out in pain, Gong Ju-Ha bit the corner of her lip. It was a habit of hers when she got really mad. ¡°I was gonna stall for time until I could trace the Skeleton Mage¡¯s magic...¡± It was toote. The Goblin Guild¡¯s Princess valued her subordinates highly, and she was furious. Woooosh! As if to represent her fury, mes bloomed around her. With her ck suit and ponytail, the mes suited her perfectly. ¡°Alright.¡± Gong Ju-Ha made a decision and waved her hand lightly, but the attack that it created wasn¡¯t light, to say the least. Whoosh. The soft lighting inside the building suddenly became as bright as day. The fire pierced through the ceilings and shot toward the sky. Sizzle. That was all. In an instant that didn¡¯t seem tost even a second, the skeleton soldiers turned into ashes. The unconscious Ha In-Ho and the stage that held the Heaven¡¯s Breath didn¡¯t even have a scratch on them. Gong Ju-Ha wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead. ¡°...Man, it¡¯s so hot,¡± she muttered. *** On the roof of the Mirage Hotel, 4km away from the Grand Garden Arena. The delinquent woman looked up as the pir of fire dyed the sky red. She spoke to herself in awe. ¡°...Insanity. Is that really the skill of a human? Is it CG? It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± She was far, far away, but cold sweat had already formed on her back. ¡®I heard that Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s skill was the strongest special attribute skill Ruler of mes (S), but¡­¡¯ She had never imagined that it was on that level. What would happen if she fought with a monster at a close distance? She trembled. She didn¡¯t want to think about it. ¡°Phew, it¡¯s a good thing that I¡¯m a sniper.¡± She let out a sigh of relief and adjusted her goggles. Her vision expanded like a telescope. ¡®So that¡¯s Heaven¡¯s Breath.¡¯ Next to it was Ha In-Ho, whom she had taken out. The one who had been protecting the Heaven¡¯s Breath was gone, so there was no more reason to hesitate. ¡°Come here, cutie.¡± As she looked down at Heaven''s Breath, she activated her skill. ¡®Teleport.¡¯ The next instant, she felt something heavy in her hand. ¡°Wow, this is totally my style,¡± she remarked, admiring the beautiful core. A call came from her boss. ¡ªThe item? ¡°Who do you think I am? I have it.¡± ¡ªGood job. Come to Point B right away. ¡°Okay~¡± She hung up and got ready to leave. She patted her rifle and made a wistful face. ¡°...Tsk, Seo Jun-Ho that bastard got away.¡± She had promised to shoot a bullet through his head if she saw him, but that guy was really lucky. ¡°But if he everes to the 2nd floor, someday I¡¯ll¡­huh?¡± The delinquent woman saw something and adjusted her goggles again. Whirrr. Her vision expanded, and she found the face she was looking for. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho!¡± Her exmation was mixed with anger and excitement as she raised her sniper rifle again. ¡°I thought you were a lucky guy, but I take that back.¡± He was running down the street. She didn¡¯t know where he was headed, but he was running really fast. ¡®Tsk, unlucky bastard. If you¡¯re gonna run, why are you running toward here?¡¯ She looked through her scope and aimed at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll make your head explode painlessly with one hit.¡± Her voice seethed with killing intent, and she pulled the trigger without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Boom! A ripping sound rang out on the hotel¡¯s roof. The bullet disappeared then reappeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s nose. ¡°Ufufu, this isn¡¯t a bullet that should be used for a rookie who only debuted two months ago.¡± There was a reason why she could be a sniper for the best corps, the Watchdogs. It was because she was a sniper who could ¡®teleport¡¯ her bullets right in front of her opponents. From her opponent¡¯s perspective, the bullet would pierce through their bodies before they could even hear the bullet ripping through the air. ¡°Go to hell¡­huh?¡± She checked for Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s corpse through the scope, and her eyes narrowed. She had been expecting his corpse, but he was still running down the street. ¡°What? Did I mess up?!¡± She tilted her head, confused, and loaded her rifle one more time. ¡®That¡¯s weird. I¡¯ve never messed up in the past 3 years¡­¡¯ Her sniping sess rate was 100%. She had never failed to defeat an opponent, and she wrote off her first mistake as a coincidence. But this was her real mistake¡­ If she was truly a seasoned sniper, she would have left her spot the moment her bullet missed. ¡°I won¡¯t miss this time.¡± She aimed carefully at Seo Jun-Ho again. At some point, their distance had shrunk to a single kilometer. ¡®Die!¡¯ As she pulled the trigger, she used her Teleport skill once more. The bullet disappeared and once again reappeared right in front of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®I did it properly this time. He can¡¯t dodge that.¡¯ She watched him, reassuring herself. Woosh! He lowered his head and dodged the bullet. ¡°Fuck! How is he doing that?!¡± She saw it with her own eyes. She reeled from her shock and shouted. ¡°He dodged? My bullet? Right in front of him? That easily?¡± It was impossible. Even Ha In-Ho, who was called the Guardian Knight on the 2nd floor, had fallen to her attack. ¡®This is one of those attacks that you can¡¯t block even if you know it¡¯sing¡­you¡¯re telling me that newbie is better than Ha In-Ho?¡¯ It made no logical sense. But she saw it with her own eyes, and it was hard to deny it. As she realized this, the delinquent woman realized that she had been focused on the wrong thing. ¡®Wait, now that I think about it¡­?¡¯ From the very beginning, Seo Jun-Ho had been running toward the building she was on. ¡°...Is he? Dammit!¡± She cursed and quickly put her rifle into her inventory and reached for the Heaven¡¯s Breath on the ground. Crack! A sneakered foot pressed hard into her hand, crushing the bones. ¡°...!¡± She couldn¡¯t even think to scream. From her crushed hand, her veins started to freeze throughout her body. ¡°Huff, huff¡­phew.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulders heaved. He ran so quickly just now that his body was radiating heat. ¡°...I thought I would miss you.¡± He discovered her Teleport skill from the skinny man¡¯s memories, so he had no other choice but to chase her down before she could run away. ¡®Ugh, covering this much distance is hard.¡¯ Shadow Step. It used magic to transport the body through darkness and shade, simr to a magician¡¯s ¡®Blink¡¯ skill. The only problem was that it consumed a ton of magic. ¡°It was a little hard, but the results were good.¡± Shing. Seo Jun-Ho unsheathed his sword. Tonight, he would erase the Watchdogs from this world. *** ¡°It¡¯s hot...I said it¡¯s hot!¡± Wooooosh! Gong Ju-Ha shouted hysterically as she melted another crowd of skeletons. It wasn¡¯t hard to melt the endless amount of skeletons, but the sticky heat bothered her. ¡°Ughh, Ant...Antarctica will be cool, won¡¯t it? All right! When this is over, I¡¯m going on a vacation to the King Sejong Station.¡±[1] She looked like she was about to cry as more skeletons appeared. As she was thinking about how nice it would be to quickly go back to her room and take a cold shower, one of her subordinates dashed over. ¡°Princess-nim!¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an emergency!¡± The subordinate swallowed hard and looked toward the stage as they spoke. ¡°W-we can¡¯t find the Heaven¡¯s Breath!¡± ¡°...What?¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face hardened as she confirmed this. ¡°Didn¡¯t the people in charge take it away?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m sure of it. It disappeared amidst the chaos.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t let a single skeleton get to the stage¡­?¡± They stared at each other nkly. Then another subordinate screamed. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°W-what¡¯s with these guys! They¡¯re strong!¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s forehead wrinkled as she turned her head. ¡°Hey! Stop exaggerating about the skele¡­¡± She trailed off. Earlier, the Skeleton Mage kept sending the same type of skeletons, but now he sent over new ones. ¡°ck skeletons?¡± There were six skeletons whose bones werepletely ck. On top of that, they all had different individual weapons. ¡°Huh? That¡­¡± The subordinates seemed to recognize them. ¡°Why? Do you know the skeleton?¡± ¡°No, not that...but I know some of the gear they¡¯re wearing.¡± ¡°Are they famous?¡± ¡°...Do you remember the incident 3 years ago that sent the 2nd floor into a frenzy?¡± Gong Ju-Ha wracked her brain and responded without hesitation. ¡°The yer Disappearance Case?¡± ¡°Yes. yers that were over level 110 disappeared without a trace. It was really shocking.¡± ¡°Get to the point!¡± At her urgency, her subordinate quickly summed it up. ¡°Their gear matches the ones from the people who disappeared.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Her eyes went wide and she looked again at the ck skeletons. Her teammates averaged at level 75, but they couldn¡¯t make a dent on them. ¡®¡­No, the skeletons are actually winning.¡¯ A chill went down her spine. ¡°You, do you know the missing yers¡¯ skills or fighting styles?¡± she asked her teammate. ¡°Yes. I know them very well since I was in charge of the investigation back then.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Her subordinate understood what she meant and swallowed hard. They bowed their head. ¡°Their skills and fighting styles are exactly the same as the ones who disappeared.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± That meant only one thing. The yers who disappeared back then had turned into undead. 1. Korean research base in Antarctica ? Chapter 40. The Auction (3)

Chapter 40. The Auction (3)

¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes fluttered. He was organizing his thoughts after reading the delinquent woman¡¯s memories. ¡®She¡¯s no different from the bony guy.¡¯ Their knowledge was limited; they basically knew nothing about the Fiend Association. ¡®They talked big about the Watchdogs, but in the end, these guys were expendable too.¡¯ But it was too early to be disappointed. Their boss, Skeleton Mage Arma, was still around. ¡®If it¡¯s that bastard, he must have some good info.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s line of thought was understandable. ¡®He¡¯s the disciple of the King of Corpses, Nazad Hallow of the Nine Heavens.¡¯ Even the ck skeletons attacking the auction hall were gifts from Nazad. ¡°What should I do now?¡± Thanks to the memories, he knew where Arma was at the moment. ¡®Point B¡¯ was their room at the hotel they were staying at. ¡°If I went there directly...I would be crazy.¡± Arma had set upyers andyers of magic traps. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic resistance wasn¡¯t strong enough, and he would die the moment he stepped in. ¡®Magicians.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue, annoyed. Of course, he wasn¡¯t about to let Arma go like this. ¡°If I can¡¯t go in, I should bring him out.¡± He pulled off the Vita from the delinquent woman¡¯s wrist and after easily unlocking it, he sent a message to Arma. ¡ªSome weirdo¡¯s chasing me right now. It doesn¡¯t seem like Seo Jun-Ho or someone from Goblin. ¡ªThe item? ¡ªI still have it. This bastard¡¯s persistent¡­I¡¯ll leave it in an alley next to the hotel. Find our sign. He didn¡¯t send a message asking him to help. ¡®This girl¡¯s not the type to do that.¡¯ The skinny man was the same. They cared more about the team than their own safety. If he sent such a message, Arma would immediately be suspicious. ¡ªOkay. As soon as he received the unsuspecting message, Seo Jun-Ho tossed the Vita to the ground. ¡°Get rid of it.¡± Crunch, crunch! The sound of canine chewing resonated across the roof. *** ¡°...¡± The hotel room was dark. Not a single light was on. Arma waved his hand and the hologram messaging app shut off. He looked down on the city, lost in thought. ¡®Just who is chasing her?¡¯ The only people he could think of were the Goblin Guild and Seo Jun-Ho. But when she said that it was neither of them, things only got moreplicated. ¡®Then there¡¯s a third party that we didn¡¯t expect.¡¯ He was displeased. Like most magicians, Arma wanted all things to fall within his expectations. He let out a light sigh and waved his hand again. The magic circles hidden around the room disappeared like smoke. He also erased his own traces of magic before he left the hotel. He looked around the nearby building until he found a familiar sign. It was a tiny mark that wouldn¡¯t be visible to most. ¡®That way.¡¯ The unique symbol that the Watchdogs used. There weren¡¯t more than 5 people who knew the symbol on both the 1st and 2nd floors. Knowing this, Arma rxed a bit. ¡®I can sense it.¡¯ The feeling got stronger as he entered the alley. A strong magic energy came from a trash can. A simple lid couldn¡¯t mask the strength of a top-grade magic core. Rattle. Arma lifted the lid and lifted the glistening gem. ¡°It¡¯s like ice.¡± It was the first time that Arma was seeing Heaven¡¯s Breath in person. He tilted his head. ¡®Were the rumors exaggerating? It¡¯s not as beautiful as I expected.¡¯ In fact, he felt that it was rough and unrefined. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°But...why is a magic core so cold?¡± Doubt was starting to form in his mind. Crackle! The Heaven¡¯s Breath¡ªno, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ¡®ice bomb¡¯¡ªexploded in his hand. ¡°Keuk?!¡± Even a Ranker¡ªno, even one of the Nine Heavens would have been startled by the surprise attack. Of course, Arma couldn¡¯t dodge it. Even as he let out a painful groan, he began taking in his current situation. ¡®My entire upper body is frozen all the way down my right arm.¡¯ That was all he could analyze. Arma quickly looked around the alleyway. He wasn¡¯t so stupid as to let his guard down because there was already an attack. ¡®They¡¯ll want tond a finishing blow since their ambush seeded.¡¯ He didn¡¯t linger much on how his opponent knew the Watchdogs¡¯ sign. Either his subordinate had betrayed him, or his opponent had a special skill. ¡®What¡¯s important is that the enemy is nearby.¡¯ All he needed to focus on was that soon, he would have to fight for his life. ¡®Where?¡¯ Arma¡¯s eyes started to turn red, and a wicked energy started to swell around him. The demonic energy was miles stronger whenpared to the skinny man and the delinquent girl. ¡®They¡¯re not nearby. Are they watching from a distance?¡¯ He let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, his opponent was cautious. It saved his life. ¡®Even I would have died if I was attacked immediately after an ambush...¡¯ But it was a different story if he was given more time. ¡°Arise,¡± he ordered. Arma bit his lower lip. He had already used six of his best ck skeletons to keep the monster Gong Ju-Ha busy. ¡®I don¡¯t want to waste any more fighting power if I can help it¡­¡¯ But he had no other choice. He originally wanted to go up to the 2nd floor in perfect condition, but this was better than dying. Wooooong! Arma swung his left hand, and his summons quickly rose, the air around them packed with demonic energy. Even a mage from the Magic Tower in the Frontier would be impressed by his casting. ¡°Not bad.¡± Seo Jun-Ho also express his approval as he watched from the side. ¡°...?!¡± Arma¡¯s eyes widened until they couldn¡¯t get any wider. A moment ago, he didn¡¯t sense a single trace of magic or presence. ¡°But how¡­when...?¡± How long had the man been standing behind him? A chill went through his blood, and goosebumps crawled down his back. The right side of his body was paralyzed, while his left hand was casting a summon for his skeletons. In other words, he waspletely defenseless. ¡°I just like to be sure.¡± The Skeleton Mage was twice as strong as him and even had a sobriquet. Seo Jun-Ho stabbed him from behind. ¡°Gah!¡± Blood spilled from Arma¡¯s mouth. Magicians were weakest when they were casting. Seo Jun-Ho had been waiting for this opportunity from the beginning. ¡°Kuh¡­urk.¡± Arma¡¯s head slowly drooped. He could see the tip of the sword that had pierced through his chest. ¡°...¡± It was an injury that one couldn¡¯t survive from unless they had an elixir or a medic. Unfortunately for Arma, he had neither. ¡®A perfect...defeat.¡¯ He was sorrowful. He was supposed to go up to the 2nd floor to meet his master and learn about his vision properly so they could take over the world. He hadn¡¯t even stepped on the ck ground of the 2nd floor yet. ¡®So this is how it ends¡­¡¯ Drip A sorrowful tear slid down his face. ¡°Your¡­..name¡­..?¡± He wanted to know the name of the one who had killed him, at the least. Just who was it? Just who hadpletely toppled his ns and destroyed the Watchdogs? Seo Jun-Ho answered his question with a question. ¡°Have you ever carried out the final wishes of those you killed?¡± ¡°...¡± Arma thought for a second and sneered at himself. ¡°...Do you think I have?¡± ¡°So then why are you asking so cockily? I won¡¯t tell you, you bastard.¡± Seo Jun-Ho roughly drew back his sword. Ssh! Blood burst like a fountain, drenching the wall of the alleyway. ¡°...¡± The Skeleton Mage was an international terrorist who had massacred tens of thousands of citizens in Turkey to create his skeleton army. He had inspired fear in those around him, but today, he died in a cold alleyway. ¡°Phew.¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a deep sigh. He was relieved that it had ended safely, but he also felt dirty. ¡°It¡¯s not even my first time killing fiends...¡± But no matter how many times he saw the messages that popped up after killing them, he never got used to it. [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [All stats increased by 2.] Defeating the three Watchdogs had raised his level by two. His level didn¡¯t increase when he killed the other two but defeating Arma did. ¡®Arma¡¯s level was higher¡­.His skill ranks were also probably higher.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho dismissed his thoughts and looked down at Arma with a cold gaze. ¡°I hope you know something good.¡± As his hand pressed into the back of the Skeleton Mage¡¯s head, new memories started to appear before him. *** ¡ªA summoning skill? Those are rare. The higher-ups will be pleased. ¡ªHoo, it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve seen a 1st-grade item. ¡ªYou should be honored. Nazad Hallow-nim liked your skills. ¡ªFrom now on, you will be the leader of the Watchdogs¡­. ¡ªThe ultimate goal for the Fiend Association is to dominate the tower. You¡¯ll understand the details when youe to the 2nd floor¡­ ¡°Oh, it¡¯s doing it again.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell. [The skill rank is too low. You could not recall the memorypletely.] [The skill has been automatically deactivated for the safety of the user.] The important memories were all locked away. All he could see were fragments. Still, it was a good harvest overall. By now, no countries¡¯ governments or yers Associations knew anything about the fiends more than him. ¡°Geez, they really are scum.¡± The most shocking thing Seo Jun-Ho had found in Arma¡¯s memories was the orphanage. ¡®They use orphans and train them into fiends¡­¡¯ The Fiend Association was running an orphanage for that very sake. It went without saying that those who couldn¡¯t follow the harsh training were tossed aside. The children there weren¡¯t even considered humans. They were referred to and treated as items until they became fiends. ¡®Arma was an orphan.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. He knew that the Fiend Association was scum, but what he previously knew had merely been a drop in a bucket. ¡®I can¡¯t just do nothing after knowing that.¡¯ He nned to talk to Deok-Gu before he took care of it. ¡°And¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho took the ring off the Skeleton Mage¡¯s finger. It was a crude,mon, silver ring. But as Seo Jun-Ho looked at it, he seemed amused. ¡°How interesting.¡± It was from a dungeon in the Frontier Area, the 2nd floor. ¡°Nazad Hallow really seems to value his fiend disciples.¡± The ring¡¯s grade was Unique. Chapter 41. A Gift from Me to You

Chapter 41. A Gift from Me to You

¡°Item data.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew the effects of the item from Arma¡¯s memories, but he wanted to check them with his own eyes. [Aura Buff Ring] Grade: Unique Allies and summons within a 30-meter radius of the user are strengthened with a ¡®Strength Buff.¡® *Strength Buff: All stats +5 Use requirements: Level 25, all stats 60 or higher ¡°Heh¡­..¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but marvel. ¡®I heard the items from the Frontier are good, but¡­¡¯ He hadn¡¯t expected them to be this good. Simply wearing the ring would permanently raise all his stats. The effects were also insanely good for summoners. ¡®It has an area limitation, but it buffs both the user and their summons.¡¯ It was a dream item for summoners. The only thing was that its stat requirements were high rtive to the level requirement. But that wasn¡¯t a problem for him. All of his stats were already over level 60. If he just raised his level by three, he would be able to use this ring whenever he wanted. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± Seo Jun-Ho carefully ced the silver ring into his inventory. On the day he reached level 25, this ring would sit on one of his ten fingers. ¡°The rest of the items are whatever.¡± Arma¡¯s items were mostly rare or higher, but they were all specifically for magicians or summoners. Even though he could sell them on the ck Market, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t really want to. ¡®I¡¯ll make a pretty penny, but it¡¯s not worth raising suspicions.¡¯ He looked down at Arma and started to erase his traces. He erased his fingertips and footprints until he was satisfied. ¡°Perfect.¡± ¡®I learned this from watching Skaya, but I didn¡¯t expect it to help in this way.¡¯ He had just used magic to erase all traces of himself. Even someone with a psychometric skill wouldn¡¯t be able to trace him. It was invented by the Great Mage, after all. *** The next morning, Gong Ju-Ha was staring at her subordinates with sunken eyes. Her dark circles made her look like a panda. ¡°You still¡­still haven¡¯t found it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ughhhh.¡± She sounded like she was about to cry. ¡°Where in the world is the Skeleton Mage guy?¡± As her shoulders drooped, she remembered something from the night before. When she had been fighting the ck skeletons with her teammates, they suddenly crumbled to ashes. ¡°W-what? Are they dead?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Gong Ju-Ha had inferred over her teammates¡¯ confusion with a charismatic voice. ¡°Get it together. They wouldn¡¯t die all of a sudden.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying the Skeleton Mage recalled them on purpose?¡± ¡°Exactly. His original goal was probably to take Heaven''s Breath to a safe ce.¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face darkened. ¡°If we just fought a little longer, I could have found his location¡­¡± Even during the fight, she had been analyzing the magic patterns on the skeletons¡¯ bodies. If she only had a little more time, she could have found his location. ¡®The Skeleton Mage is an enemy, but he¡¯s really smart.¡¯ He had probably taken into ount the time it would have taken her to trace him and cancelled his summons before then. He really was terrifying, ¡°....What time is it?¡± ¡°7 AM.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Gong Ju-Ha sat on the sofa in the hotel lobby and waited, just in case the Skeleton Mage was discovered. She hadn¡¯t slept a wink because she had been on standby. It was the worst form of torture for someone who loved to sleep in. ¡°Princess-nim.¡± ¡°Mmm. Whaaaaaaat.¡± She rubbed her eyes as Ha In-Ho called her out. He stepped close and carefully took out a box. ¡°They said someone left this for you.¡± ¡°...what, a fan?¡± Gong Ju-Ha perked up despite her fatigue. She was a cute, globally-acimed Ranker, which was rare. There were tons of people that liked her. Her fanclub already had 30 million members. ¡°Why do they keep sending me things¡­I made an announcement on my cafe to not send me gifts unless there¡¯s a fan-signing event or something.¡± Even though she said that, she looked very happy. Meanwhile, Ha In-Ho looked serious as he held the box. ¡°But the contents...¡± ¡°...What? Is it something weird?¡± She suddenly looked scared. One time, she had received the skin of a thousand-year-old snake, saying it was good for her skin. She asionally received weird things from her obsessive fans and she was unexpectedly squeamish whenever she received those things. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not anything gross. It¡¯s just surprising.¡± ¡°...What in the world is it?¡± She tilted her head and opened the box. Inside was arge gem. ¡°Huh? This¡­¡± She held up the gem and muttered to herself. ¡°Wow, this is really well-made. It looks exactly the same as the Heaven¡¯s Breath we saw at the auction hall.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the real one. It was just appraised by an auction manager.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes went wide in shock. ¡°It¡¯s the real deal? Didn¡¯t the Skeleton Mage take it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s surprising about it.¡± Ha In-Ho shrugged and held out a post-it. ¡°This was inside the box. Would you like a look?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Gong Ju-Ha read the elegant English script that was written on it. ¡ªDealt with the Skeleton Mage and two fiends. Retrieved Heaven¡¯s Breath. Skeleton Mage in the back alley of XX hotel. From a fan that was passing by. ¡°Oh my god.¡± Her mouth twitched in surprise. ¡°M-my fan took care of everything?¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even do anything...¡± ¡°Does it matter? It was taken care of and we won¡¯t have to pay for damages either.¡± Ha In-Ho let out a sigh of relief. ¡°If we lost it, we would have had to pay an enormous amount.¡± ¡°Man, I¡¯m really grateful¡­can you find out who sent it? I want to thank them in person.¡± ¡°You think I haven¡¯t tried? I checked all over the Skeleton Mage¡¯s corpse.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Your fan is quite amazing. They didn¡¯t leave a single trace. It¡¯s the work of a pro. They¡¯re at least a Ranker, but I haven¡¯t had the slightest idea who it is.¡± ¡°Ah, who is it? I really want to know¡­¡± They put their heads together and started to name Rankers, when a familiar person appeared before them. ¡°Huh? Hey!¡± Gong Ju-Ha recognized him, ring as she called to him. ¡°Heyyy!¡± Stomp! stomp! Gong Ju-Ha walked heavily across the floor just as Seo Jun-Ho turned around. She looked up at him, and he had a refreshing smile. ¡°Good morning,¡± Seo Jun-Ho greeted cheerfully. ¡°Good morning? Good morning~?¡± Gong Ju-Ha crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. ¡°How could you do that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Wow, so you¡¯re pretending you don¡¯t know now? You ran away yesterday!¡± ¡°Ran away? I¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head as he recalled the events of the night before. ¡®Oh, she¡­¡¯ He seemed to have finally realized it. He had moved as fast as he could so he wouldn¡¯t miss the Watchdogs, but to her, it seemed like he ran away. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you run awayst time too? You said that you were going to the bathroom, but¡­you¡¯re a habitual offender!¡± With steaming out of her ears, she was undoubtedly angry. Gong Ju-Ha started nagging him as his sunbae. ¡°Didn¡¯t you watch Spiderman? With great poweres great responsibility! And Sir Specter said that too! yers¡¯ powers exist to protect the citizens.¡±[1] ¡°...I did?¡± ¡°What? Not you, Sir Specter said that.¡± ¡°Oh, Sir¡­Specter.¡± He tried not to cringe andughed awkwardly. ¡®I said that?¡¯ Truthfully, he didn¡¯t remember. From the start, most of his interviews had been scripted. ¡°From now on, if something happens, help people get to safety instead of running away. Okay?¡± ¡°...I understand.¡± Gong Ju-Ha was satisfied after she finished her lecture. She seemed like the type to air things out quickly. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you reflecting on yourself quickly. Oh, and did I tell you?¡± She was waving her post-it, clearly wanting to brag. ¡°No, what is it?¡± ¡°Well, it just so happened that a fan of mine defeated the Skeleton Mage and the fiends and sent Heaven''s Breath to me. Oh, I wonder who has such a talented fan¡­oh wait, it¡¯s me!¡± She looked very pleased. If she had a tail, it would for sure be waving around right now. ¡°In-Ho said that they¡¯re at least a Ranker. I wonder who it is.¡± ¡°...What if they are not a Ranker?¡± ¡°Nope, no way.¡± Gong Ju-Ha shook her forefinger and smiled knowingly as if Seo Jun-Ho still had a lot left to learn. ¡°In-Ho inspected the corpse, but there wasn¡¯t the smallest trace left behind.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t it amazing? In-Ho¡¯s also a Ranker, but he couldn¡¯t find a single clue¡­how amazing of a yer must they be?¡± Now it was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s turn to look pleased. He cleaned the ce up so well that even a Ranker couldn¡¯t find traces of him. ¡°Hm, and seeing how natural their English handwriting is¡­they¡¯re probably an American, right? Let me think of some.¡± ¡°...Is it necessary to seek them out? They¡¯ll reveal themselves when they want to.¡± ¡°R-right? It would be rude of me, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Gong Ju-Ha seemed embarrassed as she carefully put the post-it into her inventory. ¡°So what will you do now, Mr. Snake Head? My work is done, so I¡¯m nning to go back to the 2nd floor as soon as I receive my items.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any reason to stay here now that the auction is over. I¡¯ll be going back to Korea.¡± ¡°You won the weird ball and the ne yesterday, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I came here because they said that I could receive my bids here.¡± ¡°You can go to that desk over there.¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked to the wall, looking a little disappointed. ¡°It¡¯s sad that we have to part like this. I¡¯ll ask one more time, won¡¯t you respectfully join our Guild?¡± ¡°I respectfully decline.¡± ¡°Tch, that stings.¡± Gong Ju-Ha sulked as she held out her right hand for a handshake. ¡°Stay healthy until we meet again. Next time, it¡¯ll be on the 2nd floor.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be long.¡± ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s what they all say. But the pressure starts to build as you level up.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Wow, look at that confidence! Okay, if youe up to the 2nd floor within half a year, I¡¯ll give you a present.¡± ¡°And if I can¡¯t? ¡°Then you¡¯ll grant my wish. Deal?¡± Her wish was pretty obvious. She would tell him to join her Guild. ¡°Noiningter, alright?¡± Of course, he would never grant her wish. Seo Jun-Ho took her small hand and shook it. *** ¡°This is your Unknown Ball and Stamina Regeneration Ne.¡± Seo Jun-Ho received an expensive-looking box from the counter. It opened with a ck, revealing a ball sitting on a soft cloth. ¡®Just what is it?¡¯ He still didn¡¯t know why he wanted this. But whenever Keen Intuition (B) reacted that strongly, there was always a good reason behind it. ¡°There¡¯s no item window either.¡± Seo Jun-Ho studied it carefully before he tried to use magic on it. Vrrrr. It vibrated for a moment, simr to the smartphones they used to use. ¡®But nothing really changed¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and put the ball into his inventory. He was nning to infuse it with magic whenever he got bored. ¡°Something will happen eventually.¡± Only time would tell whether the decision of buying this ball was good or bad. 1. suffix she uses is different and more respectful than ¡®nim¡¯ ? Chapter 42. Kwon Noya (1) Around the time Seo Jun-Ho was on a flight back to Korea, one man was walking to his house on the Frontier, the 2nd floor. ¡°Huh?¡± He picked up a box that was in front of his door. ¡°A teleport delivery¡­from the 1st floor?¡± Teleport deliveries were expensive, but they arrived in only a few hours. ¡®But who sent it?¡¯ He tilted his head. Deliveries across floors, especially teleport deliveries, were expensive for the average person. ¡°I don¡¯t remember ordering anything¡­¡± His forehead wrinkled as he picked up the mysterious package. ¡®Is it a trap from those fiend bastards?¡¯ It was likely. He was currently tracking fiends in secret. He slowly brought up his magic to defend against an explosion and started to open the package. But contrary to his expectations, there was a luxurious box beneath the packaging. ¡°This is¡­¡± His eyes widened as he recognized the seal carved onto the box. How could he not? News of the biggest auction had reached even the 2nd floor. It was the mark of The Auction. He carefully opened the box, only to find a refined ne sitting inside. ¡°Item window.¡± He only got more confused when he saw that it was a rare-grade ne. ¡®Stamina Regeneration Ne¡­just who sent this to me?¡¯ He pondered for a while, but he couldn¡¯t find the answer. There was no one from his family, team, or even his Guild that would send him this sort of present when he lived while wandering around. ¡®Huh? It¡¯s a note.¡¯ He picked up a note in the corner of the box and quickly read over it. ¡ªI hope you¡¯re healthy. I¡¯lle up within half a year. Your uncle. ¡°...¡± He read over it several times and looked up silently at the starry night sky. His eyes were starting to sparkle like the stars. ¡®Half a year¡­so he¡¯s starting to move.¡¯ He was filled with both anticipation and worry. The 2nd floor was apletely ¡®different world¡¯ than the one his uncle knew. But he simply shrugged his shoulders and let out a chuckle. ¡°Geez, just who am I worried about?¡± His name was Arthur Green. He was Gilberto Green¡¯s son and regarded as the 5 Heroes¡¯ nephew. *** Seo Jun-Ho blinked as he emerged from the Incheon Airport gate. Someone he didn¡¯t expect was waiting for him. ¡°W-why are you staring at me like that¡­?¡± Cha Si-Eun muttered as she avoided his gaze. She was wearing a clean suit as always. ¡°Oh, sorry. I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯de all the way to the airport.¡± ¡°...Escorting you when youe back to your home country is also the duty of a secretary.¡± She casually led him to a car. ¡°Do you have anywhere else you¡¯d like to stop by? Or shall we go straight to the Association?¡± She asked as he took a seat. ¡°Go to the Association. And,¡± Seo Jun-Ho rummaged around his bag, pulling out a well-wrapped book. ¡°This is a gift. I didn¡¯t know what I should buy, so I just got a book¡­I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll like it though.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d be grateful for any gift at all¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun smiled softly, but her expression quickly changed when she turned around. There was a ripple in her eyes when theynded on the book Seo Jun-Ho was holding. ¡°W-wait. Did you buy me the fantasy novel that¡¯s getting adapted into a movie in Hollywood, ? The hardcover edition¡­?!¡± ¡°Oh, you know this book? It was thest copy in the bestseller section.¡± ¡°Yes! Of course, I know it!¡± Cha Si-Eun¡¯s mouth was wide agape as she held out her hands politely like she was receiving New Year¡¯s money. She stared at it for a second and cradled it in her arms like it was a treasure while bowing her head. ¡°I tried so hard to get a copy, but I couldn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m d, then.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at Cha Si-Eun and her bright face. ¡°You can read it right now if you want.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­I¡¯m working right now.¡± Her words were admirable, but her eyes betrayed her. ¡°Do you have any forms to do? ¡°I finished them all on the way to the airport¡­¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the problem?¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled and buried himself into the seat. ¡°Have fun reading, and wake me up when we arrive.¡± ¡°....¡± Cha Si-Eun hesitated before she responded in a soft voice. ¡°G-good night¡­¡± A few minutes passed. Seo Jun-Ho fell into a deep sleep, listening to the sound of pages turning.[1] *** ¡°Yo~ Is that Mr. Sherlock?¡± As he entered the office, Shim Deok-Gu gave his warm, signature smile and waved his hand. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face soured. ¡°Sherlock? What are you saying?¡± ¡°Wherever he goes, things happen and terror arises. Much like you.¡± ¡°The hell are you saying¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned as he sat down and pulled out a liquor he bought from the duty-free store. ¡°Here, Balvenie 1975. It¡¯s a present.¡± ¡°You got me something expensive? What do I do? I¡¯m abstaining right now.¡± ¡°Just drink itter then.¡± Seo Jun-Ho continued talking as he watched Shim Deok-Gu happily hold the bottle worth millions of won. ¡°I contacted Arthur on the way here. I told him I¡¯m going up within half a year.¡± ¡°Good. That kid had it hard, but he grew up nicely.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you saw him?¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯te down since going up to the 2nd floor. He said the 1st floor keeps reminding him of his dad¡­¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mouth tasted bitter. He changed the topic. ¡°Oh, and I heard from Gong Ju-Ha¡­she said that the invitation you gave me wasn¡¯t a normal one.¡± ¡°So you heard?¡± Shim Deok-Gu nodded, seemingly unaffected. ¡°It was a warning to show the world how much I care for you.¡± ¡°Ew, gross.¡± ¡°Hehe, that grossness will save you at some point.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was a little embarrassed by the love his friend was showing for him. He was an adult after all, not a child. ¡°Anyways, I have a favor to ask you.¡± ¡°What favor?¡± Shim Deok-Gu replied. ¡°I¡¯m looking for an orphanage.¡± ¡°...Why an orphanage?¡± Shim Deok-Gu tilted his head. He didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Listen carefully to what I¡¯m about to say. It¡¯s pretty heavy.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face turned serious as he started to tell the story. He told Shim Deok-Gu how he acquired the ability to read the memories of the dead. How he was the one who took care of the Watchdogs at the Las Vegas auction. Lastly, he told him about the ce where the fiends trained orphans to turn them into one of them. When he finished, Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face hardened like stone. ¡°...What you said, is that all true?¡± ¡°Yeah. But I don¡¯t know the specific location of the orphanage. The only thing I¡¯m sure of is that it¡¯s not in Korea.¡± ¡°Dammit, those bastards don¡¯t know where to draw the line!¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s breath was rough as he banged his fist on the handle of his chair. That was how shocking the news of the orphanage was. ¡°...Hoo, I promise. I¡¯ll find out everything I can.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± After trying to catch his breath, Shim Deok-Gu uncorked the Balvenie 1975. Seo Jun-Ho looked at him nkly. ¡°I thought you were abstaining?¡± ¡°Shit, whatever! How could I just sit still after hearing all that?¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly activated his Frost skill, and several ice cubes formed in their sses. The two downed their drinks immediately after pouring. ¡°Keuh¡­..¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face wrinkled at the taste of the strong whiskey. He wiped his lips. ¡°Kwon Noya wants to see you.¡± ¡°Noya?¡± ¡°Yeah. You know the sword you asked for before you went to the States? He said it¡¯ll be finished tomorrow and that he wants to give it to you in person. It won¡¯t be suspicious anymore if you guys meet.¡±[2] ¡°...I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ced his ss down and nodded. There was a simple reason he hadn¡¯t been able to meet with Kwon Noya immediately after he awakened from the ice. ¡®I didn¡¯t have anything to my name back then.¡¯ Meanwhile, Kwon Noya was so well-known that he was far above him like a castle wall. But now, things were different. ¡°What do you think? Do you think I¡¯m big enough to meet him?¡± ¡°Well, you have a lot farther to go whenpared to the 2nd floor Rankers¡­But when we look at the 1st floor, you¡¯re doing amazing. Your progress is shocking.¡± The other countries knew that he was over level 15, but there was a reason why he was so famous. ¡°The Uncleared Gates has been a big factor.¡± ¡°Your n worked.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was a rookie yer who only went into Uncleared Gates and in the end, made Korea into a Special Safe Zone. He had aplished things that others never even dreamed of. ¡°You said it¡¯s tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll go in the morning.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going to rest, then.¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. Shim Deok-Gu grinned as he watched his friend leave. ¡°Bastard, he¡¯s all excited to meet Noya since it¡¯s been a while.¡± He rolled his shoulders and drank another ss. He stopped smiling as he called his secretary. ¡°Get me a list of every yer orphanage in the world.¡± There was no way he would do a sloppy job on this. *** As soon as daybreak arrived, Seo Jun-Ho headed toward the Insa-dong yer Market. Deep within the street of workshops was Kwon Noya¡¯s forge. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the workshop with fondness. It hadn¡¯t changed in thest 25 years. ¡®Now that I think about it, Kwon Noya¡¯s grandson must¡¯ve grown a lot.¡¯ He smiled as he thought of him. He was always being scolded to tears by old man Kwon, so Seo Jun-Ho always bought the kid some ice cream. He was so cute, following him around like a puppy and calling him Hero-nim. ¡®He was so timid and weak. I¡¯m curious to see how he¡¯s grown up.¡¯ From what he heard from Shim Deok-Gu, the crybaby had inherited the workshop from Kwon Noya and was now the owner. As he got closer to the workshop, he heard a rhythmic sound. ng! ng! ng! The ringing sounds of the hammer were very sharp and clean. ¡®That crybaby learned properly from the old man.¡¯ As he was about to knock on the door with anticipation, the sounds stopped. ¡°Who is it?¡± The front door opened and hot air billowed out. A 191-cm muscr giant answered the door. He was dressed in work clothes and was holding a hammer as if to prove that he was indeed a cksmith. ¡®Wait. So this is¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho blinked as he looked up at him nkly. ¡®This is Kwon Noya¡¯s grandson?¡¯ He had been cute like a puppy in the past, but after 25 years he became a hellhound. The muscr giant recognized Seo Jun-Ho and quickly weed him inside. ¡°Oh, You¡¯re yer Seo Jun-Ho. The Association told me. Come on in.¡± The workshop was neat and tidy as he went inside. The family had been smiths for generations, and their skill was obviously good. ¡®Noya¡¯s probably upstairs.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked at the stairs. ¡°You rascal, it¡¯s so hard to see your face.¡± A strong, familiar voice came from behind him. As Seo Jun-Ho slowly turned around, a smile crept up his lips when he saw an old man with an overgrown beard and white hair. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Noya.¡± It was the first time he¡¯d seen him in 25 years. 1. the author says ¡°ASMR¡± but I thought it sounded weird lol ? 2. ¡®Noya¡¯ also means old man, but they use it like a name/nickname. ? Chapter 43. Kwon Noya (2) The two stared at each other, neither of them said anything. His grandson Kwon Palmo didn¡¯t know Specter¡¯s face, but Kwon Noya did. He was the one who made Specter¡¯s mask after all.[1] The two didn¡¯t care about appearances and were friends despite their age difference. Kwon Noya looked at Seo Jun-Ho with one eye squinted. ¡°Excuse me¡­have you two met before?¡± Kwon Palmo tilted his head as he asked, but Kwon Noya shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Palmo, fetch a ss of Agarit tea for our guest.¡± ¡°Huh? That precious tea¡­?¡± When Kwon Noya nodded, the giant headed to the kitchen, still stealing nces at Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho grinned as he watched his back get smaller. ¡°He still listens well to his grandfather.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know. When he doesn¡¯t listen, he gets stupidly stubborn.¡± Seo Jun-Ho picked up the sword on the anvil. ¡°But still, he learned well despite crying during all your scoldings. It¡¯s a great sword. The bnce of the weight is perfect.¡± ¡°...Hmph, I still have a lot to teach him.¡± ¡°As always, you¡¯re still terrible withpliments.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled as he walked over to him. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you weing me back? Aren¡¯t you happy that I returned?¡± ¡°Happy?!¡± Kwon Noya had been heavily frowning but his expression quickly became disgusted. But it was only for a moment. His face cleared as he patted Seo Jun-Ho on the shoulder. ¡°...You¡¯ve gone through a lot. ¡°Thanks. You¡¯re still healthy. Your personality also seemed to have gotten softer.¡± ¡°ttery will get you nowhere. Sit for now.¡± Immediately after offering Seo Jun-Ho a seat, Kwon Noya asked a question, his voice grave. ¡°What was the reason?¡± ¡°What am I supposed to answer when you ask me like that?¡± ¡°I heard the summary from Shim Deok-Gu, but I didn¡¯t hear the reason why you decided toe back.¡± ¡°Um, well, seeing is believing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho flicked his finger, and frost crystallized in the air. After staring at it with a piercing stare, Kwon Noya finally spoke. ¡°Is that the Frost Queen¡¯s skill?¡± ¡°Yeah. I got her skill, and now I have a chance to save my teammates.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kwon Noya understood everything. If it was like that, the kindhearted idiot in front of him would return as a yer without a second thought. ¡°So let¡¯s do our best from now on since we have a lifelong contract anyways.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Kwon Noya let out a meaningful sound. ¡°The lifelong contract I signed was with Specter, not some newbie named Seo Jun-ho.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair¡­you¡¯re joking, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho swallowed nervously. Kwon Noya burst out intoughter. ¡°Ahahaha! It¡¯s a joke. I wanted to see that stupid face of yours for once.¡± ¡°What stupid face? I¡¯m very handsome.¡± ¡°Handsome my ass. You just look like a dandy. Our Palmo is the manly, handsome one.¡± ¡°Ohh is that so.¡± Before Kwon Noya started bragging about his grandson, Seo Jun-Ho had to finish his business. ¡°I came because you said the sword is done.¡± ¡°The one you told me to make with dragon bones? It¡¯s finished.¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t it only been five days since Imissioned you?¡± ¡°Hah, have you forgotten?¡± Kwon Noya went over to a shelf in the back and brought back a ck scabbard. ¡°I wield the hammer for you, and you wield the sword for me. That¡¯s the promise we made.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one that said that, right? It¡¯s cringey.¡± ¡°...Ahem, check out the weapon.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took the scabbard into his hands, and his eyes started to sparkle. It was made of dragon bones, and the red symbol of Kwon Noya¡¯s workshop was carved in the middle. ¡°The red and ckbo¡­it¡¯s so cool.¡± ¡°The guy inside is even better,¡± Kwon Noya said, full of confidence. Seo Jun-Ho swallowed and looked at the hilt. It was the same ck as the scabbard and was shaped like a dragon¡¯s head. Filled with anticipation and excitement, Seo Jun-Ho wrapped his hand around it. ¡®¡­It fits my hand perfectly.¡¯ Despite the 25 years that passed, Kwon Noya still remembered his measurements. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chest started to tingle and sour. But before he got all emotional, Seo Jun-Ho unsheathed the sword. Shing! A sharp sound reminiscent to that of the air being cut rang out. The de that came out from the dragon¡¯s mouth captivated him. It was like a work of art, and his jaw dropped as he studied it. As he was doing so, Kwon Noya startedining from behind him. ¡°You rascal, who throws someone a bunch of dragon bones and tells them to make a sword? I had to mix in some other materials.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why it¡¯s so shiny. It wouldn¡¯t be like this if it was just made of bones.¡± ¡°Its durability and magic conductivity is a lot better than if it was just pure bones.¡± ¡°Let me check. Item data.¡± The information popped up in front of him. [ck Dragon Fang] Grade: Unique *Durable weapon: This sword is extremely durable. *Critical injury: Wounds caused by this sword are not easily healed. *Persistent Hunter: If there is blood on the de, its owner¡¯s location can be roughly estimated. Use requirements: Level 23, 60 strength, 60 speed. ¡°...Yes, this is what a sword should be,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, entranced. He was using a random sword from the Association¡¯s storage so far. Most items made by smiths were usually Normal-grade, or Magic-grade if it was made well. But Kwon Noya was one of the most skilled, most famous cksmiths in the world. Perhaps that was why ck Dragon Fang was Unique. ¡°Your skill is as sharp as ever. It¡¯s an amazing sword. A dragon¡¯s fang, I like that.¡± ¡°As sharp as ever? I got even better, you rascal.¡± Kwon Noya smiled. He seemed happy to see Seo Jun-Ho grinning at the sword like a child. ¡°You evil bastard. I was nning on retiring to my room and ying Go, but you¡¯re making me work again.¡± ¡°You? ying Go with your personality? Don¡¯t make meugh. You¡¯re not even that good.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m the same as before? I¡¯m good now!¡± Their bickering eventually led to a Go board being taken out. At that moment, Kwon Palmo came in with an apron, carrying a tea table. ¡°It¡¯s hot, so please be careful.¡± He ced down the teacups and went upstairs after noticing Kwon Noya¡¯s look that asked him to leave them alone. ¡°It¡¯s a rare tea. Don¡¯t spill any.¡± ¡°Geez Noya, you know I¡¯ve had all sorts of expensive teas.¡± But as Seo Jun-Ho blew on the tea and took a sip, his eyes bulged. ¡°W-what is this¡­?¡± ¡°Kukuku, doesn¡¯t your head feel clear? And your eyes too? You want to drink more, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What kind of tea is this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you win.¡± Kwon Noya cackled, and Seo Jun-Ho had to grab a stone. 30 minutester, Kwon Noya picked up the innocent stones and threw them on the ground. ¡°This is a shitty game.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to y Go like that...¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Kwon Noya drained thest of his now-cold tea. ¡°Kid, have you heard of the Second Race?¡± ¡°Monsters with intelligence that are simr to humans? Orcs, elves, banshees¡­those guys?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we called them before, but their standards of intelligence are different on the 2nd floor.¡± Kwon Noya began cing the stones on the Go board to help with the exnation. He pushed the ck stones to one corner of the board. ¡°So, these ck stones are members of the Second Race that yers have hunted in Gates thus far. We still call them monsters.¡± ¡°How about the white ones?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the ones we now call the Second Race.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference between them?¡± ¡°Intelligence.¡± Kwon Noya tapped on his temple. ¡°The ones we now call the Second Race are now all responsive tomunication.¡± ¡°Wait. We canmunicate with orcs?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes were filled with shock. All the orcs he had encountered so far could only screech gibberish. ¡°Orcs are a race with a lot of tribes. There¡¯s not a lot of them that we canmunicate with.¡± ¡°But there are still some out there. But why are you suddenly bringing this up¡­?¡± ¡°You asked me about the tea.¡± Kwon Noya stroked the teacup. ¡°It¡¯s called Agarit tea. The elves cultivated the leaves themselves, and you can¡¯t buy it with money.¡± ¡°...Not even on the 2nd floor?¡± ¡°Who knows. If you make a connection with the elves, you might be able to get some.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was a little disappointed since he liked the tea. ¡°Noya, can I ask you one more question?¡± ¡°Spit it out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier to just show you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finished his sentence and pulled out the ¡®Unknown Ball¡¯ he had won at the auction. Kwon Noya stared at the ball on the Go board and tilted his head. ¡°Hm? It¡¯s an interesting-looking ball.¡± ¡°...So you have no idea what it is either?¡± ¡°You bastard, I¡¯m not some sage from Chamseongdae. Do you think I know everything? But¡­¡±[2] Noya picked up the Unknown Ball and studied it. He eventually nodded. ¡°There¡¯s one thing I know. This ball is Elven.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Hm, it¡¯ll take too long to exin everything so I¡¯ll summarize. I once met an Elven elder.¡± ¡°Wait, so you¡¯ve gone to the 2nd floor before?¡± ¡°Not me. He was the one that came down.¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho never imagined that creatures from the upper floors could ride the Dimension Elevator. The brand-new information truly shocked him this time. ¡°Don¡¯t go around talking about this. It¡¯s top-secret,¡± Noya said. ¡°You know I¡¯m tight-lipped. Tell me more.¡± ¡°The elf, how should I say it¡­gave off an energy that was both mystical and strange. The being in front of me was definitely humanoid, but it was like I was standing in front of water or a nt.¡± Kwon Noya stared at the ball as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s the same feeling I get with this ball.¡± ¡°...An Elven item.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the ball with new eyes. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to find elves on the 1st floor, so go to a dark elves¡¯ forest instead.¡± ¡°Dark elves? Is that necessary?¡± ¡°You tell me. But Elven items that give off the energy of the World Tree can be activated.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a moment to sort his thoughts before he tapped on his Vita, looking for an article. He had seen a relevant article on a flight on the way here. [New Gate in Grantham, Ennd, featured monsters are dark elves. Recruitment open.] ¡°Perfect.¡± He finally decided on the next Gate he¡¯d conquer. 1. Palmo can be read as Mr. Arm ? 2. Oldest surviving astronomical observatory in the world that¡¯s in Korea ? Chapter 44. The Wild Forest (1)

Chapter 44. The Wild Forest (1)

¡°Go. I won¡¯t walk you out.¡± Kwon Noya sent him off with a heartless farewell and didn¡¯t look back as he went upstairs. Kwon Palmo gave a dryugh. ¡°Please don¡¯t feel too bad. He¡¯s just not good at expressing his feelings.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew better than anyone. He smiled back, and Kwon Palmo took out a small pouch. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Agarit tea leaves. He told me to give it to you. He has never treated a new person this well before¡­He must really like you.¡± Part of Kwon Noya¡¯s charm was the way he took care of you despite his grumpy demeanor. ¡°Tell Noya I said thank you.¡± ¡°Alright. And¡­¡± Kwon Palmo¡¯s eyes sparkled, but he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡± Kwon Palmo didn¡¯t add anything to his mysterious words and bowed. His muscles folded as he did so. ¡°Please take care.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head as he left the workshop and looked behind him. ¡®I¡¯ll know soon enough? What?¡¯ He hadn¡¯t said anything else, so there was nothing for Seo Jun-Ho to think of. The only feeling he got was that it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing. *** ¡°Dark elves?¡± Cha Si-Eun had been organizing the documents when she repeated his words in shock. ¡°Yes. Why are you so surprised?¡± ¡°They¡¯re famous monsters. For multiple reasons.¡± She quickly tapped on her Vita and started to read an article. ¡°Dark elves refer to elves who betrayed the World Tree and got drunk on dark power. They go around in tribes, so the lowest difficulty of their Gates is ¡®Hard.¡¯ If you¡¯re lucky, you can find the legendary elixir in their vige.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good summary.¡± ¡°Thank you. Are you thinking of going into the Grantham Gate?¡± ¡°Correct. Do you have any information?¡± ¡°Mm, it¡¯s a little too vague to be called information, but there¡¯s a domestic article about it.¡± Cha Si-Eun projected the article in front of Seo Jun-Ho. [Cheong-hae Guild to participate in Grantham Gate raid.] ¡°Cheong-hae Guild.¡± They were a prestigious Guild that was famous even outside the country. It was also the Guild of Cha Min-Woo, who he met while fighting the Cinder Fox. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Um, I think Cheong-hae is the entirety of the Korean team, but there are also yers from all over the world gathering to participate.¡± ¡°All over the world¡­? Wait. What about the Gate information?¡± All he knew was that you needed to be at least level 20 to enter. ¡°The Gate is called [Wild Forest]. Your level has to be below 35, and the clear condition is defeating the leader of the ck Moss tribe. The party cap is¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun nced at Seo Jun-Ho and smiled nervously. ¡°200.¡± ¡°...Oh my god.¡± Seo Jun-Ho held his head in his hands. A Gate¡¯s conditions were never advantageous for either the yers or the monsters. ¡®The bastard of a system is fair, after all.¡¯ There was a simple reason why the party cap was at 200. ¡®It¡¯s how hard the monsters are to defeat¡­¡¯ Or it could be that the Gate was insanely big and that many monsters would appear. No matter what, it was definitely one of those two. ¡°The Wild Forest.¡± He would prefer it if all he had to do was defeat one strong boss monster. It was impossible to clear a Gate while protecting over 100 yers. *** Drip, drip. Rain fell as if there was a hole in the sky. Two men nibbled on stale bread in a shack halfway up a mountain. ¡°Dammit.¡± The bread was tasteless, and Kal Signer threw it away. He seemed pissed. His subordinate watched him carefully as they also put their bread down. ¡°Nothing¡¯s going the way I want it to.¡± He was furious for he was in a precarious position. The Sword Saint Kim Woo-Joong was still chasing him relentlessly. Nowadays, he was barely able to sleep two hours a day, and that time was still getting shorter. ¡®That monster alone will make me go crazy¡­¡¯ Kal Signer gnashed his teeth. He received news this morning that the Watchdogs had beenpletely annihted and that he had failed in his objective. The Fiend Association was obviously angry, and he had just received an order to return. ¡®This is the worst.¡¯ He didn¡¯t expect the Watchdogs to fail, and he also did not even imagine that the Skeleton Mage would be killed. ¡®Nazad Hallow is famous for treasuring his disciples, and I made him die¡­¡¯ He swallowed. How had things gotten this bad? He looked for someone to direct his anger toward and settled on one man. ¡°...Seo Jun-Ho.¡± He was the starting point of it all and he continued to wreck his ns. Whenever something went wrong, Seo Jun-Ho had always been involved in the mess. ¡®Seo Jun-Ho also participated in the Las Vegas auction.¡¯ He had been there when the Shadow Brothers were killed and the Watchdogs were annihted. It was a rational conclusion. ¡®But the Association won¡¯t think so.¡¯ He had already talked to them, but they didn¡¯t buy it. From a logical point of view, it made no sense that a yer that had debuted only two months ago could defeat all of them. If Kal Signer was on the other side, he would have also snorted at the notion. ¡®They are probably thinking that I¡¯m trying to pin the me on someone else.¡® Just as he was thinking that¡­ Creak. Someone opened the door of the hut and stepped in. ¡°.....! ¡°.....!¡± Neither of them had been able to sense their presence. Kal Signer and his subordinate nervously grabbed their weapons. Rumble! Crash! Thunder shed ominously, and the stranger wearing a magician¡¯s hat stood silently at the door. As soon as they saw who it was, the two dropped their weapons. Sweat started to bead on their foreheads as they got on one knee. ¡®Demonic energy¡­!¡¯ ¡®Their power is like one of the executives¡¯ Supreme Masters!¡¯ The Fiend Association was a group of scums. The only reason why there was a hierarchy was because of the Supreme Masters. They adapted the special traits of the demonic n and looked exactly like them. Being scared of a fiend that was stronger than them was understandable. ¡°...¡± The stranger was silent for a second longer before they turned to Kal Signer. ¡°Are you Kal Signer?¡± ¡°.....Y-yes.¡± He wouldn¡¯t dare lie. The violent energy filled the hut and covered everything. The stranger stared at Kal Signer for a moment before they took off their hat, revealing the face of an elderly man whose face was as cold as ice. He spoke. ¡°I am Nazad Hallow. Even if I don¡¯t say it, you should know the reason why I¡¯vee to you.¡± ¡°.....!¡± ¡°N-Nazad Hallow-nim?¡± Kal Signer¡¯s mind went nk. Did this old mane to avenge his disciple¡¯s death? But Nazad said something else. ¡°I saw your report. I¡¯m intrigued.¡± ¡°...My report?¡± ¡°The one about Seo Jun-Ho.¡± Seo Jun-Ho! Realizing what he was saying, Kal Signer nodded eagerly. ¡°Y-yes. I posted a report about him¡± ¡°If I follow, the rookie named Seo Jun-Ho defeated the Shadow Brothers and the Watchdogs¡­he¡¯s also deeply connected to my disciple¡¯s death. Is that what you meant?¡± ¡°Yes. Seo Jun-Ho is no doubt rted to their deaths.¡± Kal Signer wasn¡¯t actually sure. But if he wanted to survive, he had to insist that Seo Jun-Ho was rted to those incidents. ¡°Hm. But how is that possible? It has barely been two months since that rookie debuted.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Kal Signer¡¯s eyes quickly shifted. He was both powerless and powerful in this situation, but he had the wits befitting of an executive of the Fiend Association. ¡®Nazad Hallow didn¡¯te here to ask me such trivial questions.¡¯ Someone as powerful as Nazad wouldn¡¯t move without a clear goal in mind. Kal Signer realized what it was and slowly raised his head. ¡°If I¡¯m honest, I¡¯m not sure how it¡¯s possible either.¡± ¡°...You don¡¯t know?¡± Nazad Hallow¡¯s eyes were as cold as frost. Magic and Demonic energy mixed into one, gripping Kal Signer by the throat and raising him up. ¡°K-kuh!¡± ¡°Do you think I came all the way here to hear that?¡± ¡°I-I really don¡¯t know. But¡­!¡± Kal Signer was desperate to save himself. ¡°I will¡­capture him¡­and bring him to you!¡± ¡°.....¡± Nazad held him for a moment longer and tapped his cane lightly on the ground. Crash! Kal Signer fell and coughed violently. Nazad leaned in. ¡°I will give you half a year. Find him and bring him to me within that time,¡± he said coldly. ¡°Cough¡­B-but, Nazad-nim, he has to reach level 30 before he cane to the 2nd floor. I can¡¯t do anything about that¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. You are gambling your life to make the impossible, possible.¡± Nazad scattered into dust and disappeared. Shwaaaaa! The hut was once again full of the sound of rain. Kal Signer¡¯s subordinate quickly scrambled to him. ¡°Signer-nim, are you alright?¡± ¡°...Dammit.¡± Kal Signer banged his fist on the floor and bit his lip. ¡°We¡¯ll ditch Kim Woo-Joong and go down to the 1st floor. Find a Pathfinder,¡± he ordered gravely. The Pathfinder would help him go down the Dimension Elevator while avoiding the eyes of the yer Association. *** Drip, drip. An AI carrier followed Seo Jun-Ho as he walked. He entered the room that Cha Si-Eun had booked for him and looked up at the gloomy Grantham sky. ¡°This country¡¯s weather is as bad as ever.¡± Ennd could go through four seasons in one day. When he had arrived at the airport, the sky was bright and the weather was summery, but it had be autumnal in the afternoon. Seo Jun-Ho organized his luggage and checked his schedule first. ¡®The raid is in four days.¡¯ He only came here early to make sure that his body was well-adjusted to the time difference so he could be at peak condition when the raid started. The more experienced a yer was, the more they had to pay attention to their body¡¯s condition before they went into a Gate. ¡°I¡¯ll have to get warmed up in these four days.¡± Most yers spent the days before a raid adjusting their diet and doing light exercise. But in order to bring out the best when he fought, Seo Jun-Ho made a different choice. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a long walk.¡± Before he entered the Wild Forest, he was nning to clear another Gate in the area. Chapter 45. The Wild Forest (2) The morning of the Wild Forest raid was bright. Cha Min-Woo was among the crowd of people that were gathering in front of the Gate, wearing an armband. He scanned the yers and quietly nodded his head. ¡°As expected¡­..¡± ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± His team member asked after hearing the muttering. Cha Min-Woo jutted his chin toward the other yers. ¡°Look at the yers around you. There¡¯s not a single riffraff here.¡± Most yers were no longer considered beginners when they reached around level 25. If you didn¡¯t go around clearing Uncleared Gates like Seo Jun-Ho, you needed to clear at least 20 Gates to reach that level. This also meant that you had to have at least 10 near-death experiences. None of the people today looked inexperienced ¡°Well¡­this Gate only lets in yers between levels 20 and 35.¡± ¡°Their energies are different from the yers we have seen in our country. Their equipment is good too.¡± ¡°We¡¯re on the stage of the world.¡± Cha Min-Woo was strangely restless as he looked around as if looking for something. His team members noticed and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re looking for yer Seo Jun-Ho, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll hurt your neck.¡± ¡°...Leave him alone, he¡¯s excited.¡± Watching Seo Jun-Ho fight the Cinder Fox changed his worldview. ¡®It¡¯s embarrassing to think about how I¡¯ve always taken the easy andfortable paths.¡¯ After that day, Cha Min-Woo started to train himself. He wanted to show Seo Jun-Ho a better version of himself if they met again. ¡°...He¡¯s over there.¡± Cha Min-Woo whispered as he stared to one side. Seo Jun-Ho looked much better thanst time. ¡°But what is he¡­?¡± Cha Min-Woo tilted his head and walked over to Seo Jun-Ho. As he got close, Seo Jun-Ho blinked as he recognized him. ¡°Huh? Are you the one from the Cinder Fox¡­¡± ¡°So, you remember me? Still, let me introduce myself again. I¡¯m Cha Min-Woo of the Cheong-hae Guild.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again. I heard that you helped me after the fight, but I never got to thank you.¡± ¡°I should be the one thanking you. You saved our lives.¡± The team members standing behind him also bowed. ¡°Did you have a problem? Your armor¡­I mean.¡± ¡°Oh, this¡­..?¡± Seo Jun-Houghed bitterly and looked down. The leather armor that Kwon Noya had made for him was now ripped and messy. ¡®I got too greedy.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho let out a small sigh. The idea of going into a Gate to condition himself was good in theory. But he had gotten too excited. ¡®¡­I only should¡¯ve only done one. Two Gates were a little too much.¡¯ During those four days, he cleared two Gates in the area. Thanks to that, he was able to reach level 23 in order to equip ck Dragon Fang, but his armor was reduced to rags in the process. ¡°I warmed up before I came.¡± ¡®¡­What kind of warmup did he do that it ruined his armor?¡¯ Cha Min-Woo doubted him, but he swallowed the question. ¡°Are you really going in with that armor? It looks really dangerous.¡± ¡°There are only 5 minutes left until we go in, so it¡¯s not like I can do anything. It¡¯s fine.¡± That was true. Cha Min-Woo looked disappointed. He didn¡¯t really have any way to help Seo Jun-Ho. Vroom! A motorcycle parked in front of them. ¡°Are you Mr. Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Please sign here. It¡¯s express delivery.¡± After he signed, the driver got off and put down arge carrier, and disappeared. Cha Min-Woo watched from the side. ¡°Did you order new armor by any chance?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t order anything¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head and picked up the carrier. ¡®It¡¯s super heavy.¡¯ He put it down again and pressed a button on the handle. There was the sound of creaking cogs, and it opened. Inside it was beautiful ck armor. ¡°This is¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho stroked the surface, and his suspicion turned into certainty. ¡®I¡¯m sure of it. The armor¡¯s made of dragon bones.¡¯ He picked up the note inside. [This is amissioned item for Association President Shim Deok-Gu. The name of the armor is simply ¡®ck Armor.¡¯ I hope you like it. -Kwon Palmo.] ¡®¡­There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t like it.¡¯ The armor matched Kwon Noya¡¯s ¡®ck Dragon Fang¡¯ perfectly. Who thought that the pair of grandfather and grandson would create such a great set of gear together? Seo Jun-Ho suddenly realized what Kwon Palmo had said at the workshop. ¡®He said that I¡¯d know soon, and here it is¡­Deok-Gu, that rascal.¡¯ He grinned, far from disappointed. Shim Deok-Gu used the dragon bones he gave to him as a gift to gift him armor made from it. It was an unexpected gift, but the timing was perfect. He needed armor now more than ever. ¡°...It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Cha Min-Woo whispered. He was staring at the armor like his soul had left his body. He swallowed. ¡®The quality of this armor is much better than the ones we get from the workshop we have an exclusive contract with.¡¯ Armor made of bones were usually coarse and ufortable when you wore them, but the armor in front of him didn¡¯t give that impression at all. ¡®Even the joints are delicate. They¡¯re made up of smaller bones.¡¯ The technique would be hard to imitate, even for a skilled craftsman. Cha Min-Woo started to get curious. ¡®Which master made this?¡¯ He looked around the carrier, but there wasn¡¯t a single brand logo he recognized. But the word ¡®Kwuan¡¯ was written lightly as if it had been added as an afterthought.[1] ¡°Kwon¡­?¡± He read the name without a second thought, but his eyes went wide as he said it out loud. There were countless cksmiths in the world. But among the Kwon smiths, only two people could make such armor with this level of finesse. ¡°Oh, the Kwon workshop in Andong¡­!¡± The n wasposed of cksmiths for generations and was famous for they were a family of one of the best cksmiths in the world¡ªKwon Noya. As soon as he said that, the faces of the nearby yers changed. ¡°What? That armor is from the Kwon workshop?¡± ¡°No way. I never heard that they made armor for rookies.¡± ¡°There must be a mistake.¡± As the people watched, Seo Jun-Ho carefully raised the ck Armor. He looked down at the carrier to double-check, but there was only one piece of armor. ¡®Armor sets usually have one set for the upper body and one set for the lower body¡­did he leave out thetter because there wasn¡¯t enough time?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was slightly disappointed, but he still put it on. Rattle¡­ The armor expanded like a machine, covering him from head to toe. ¡°O-oh my god! It¡¯s Spread Armor?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s insane¡­only ancient artifacts can do that!¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t many people who can make Spread Armor¡­¡± ¡°Wait, it says ¡®Kwon¡¯ inside the carrier!¡± ¡°What? Then¡­it¡¯s really from Kwon workshop?¡± The people around him collectively gulped. They were looking at the Spread Armor from the Kwon workshop as they instantly gave it a market value. The yers who realized this looked at Seo Jun-Ho with envy. ¡°Hup.¡± Seo Jun-Ho moved his body to test out the armor and smiled. ¡®I like it.¡¯ There was a simple reason why he wore leather armor until now¡ªno matter how much magic he attached to light or medium weight armor, he still found them hard to move in. But the armor that Kwon Palmo made didn¡¯t bother his movement in the slightest. The options are great too. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes were bright as he read the item data. [ck Armor] Grade: Unique Stamina +15 *Lightweight: Magic is attached to make this armor lightweight. *Disruption: This armor can block tracking skills rank C and lower aimed at the user. Use requirements: Level 23, 60 stamina, 60 strength. It was a bitckingpared to Kwon Noya¡¯s sword, but the armor was also Unique-grade. It was the best armor he could get at his level. ¡®And since they¡¯re a set, they¡¯ll be extra efficient.¡¯ Equipment with too few prerequisites usually had limited functions. But if it had too many prerequisites, yers wouldn¡¯t be able to use it. But that didn¡¯t apply to these two items. ¡®This is the perfect synergy that only happens when a yer and a talented cksmith meet.¡¯ The required level of the ck Dragon Fang and ck Armor was low, but the required stats were high. They were made to push Seo Jun-Ho to his limits. This was expected since the items came from an outstanding cksmith. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the Kwon workshop made deals¡­I guess that¡¯s the Association for you.¡± Cha Min-Woo thought that the Kwon workshop made the armor because of the Association. Seo Jun-Ho was an outstanding yer, but the Kwon workshop had never once made deals with newbies. ¡°The President used his power.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled brightly at him and checked the time. It was exactly 11. It was time to go into the Gate. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Seo Jun-Ho,¡± Cha Min-Woo said reluctantly. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Well...is there a party you belong to?¡± ¡°Party?¡± In Gates like the Wild Forest, no one went off on their own. The smallest units they went around in were parties. Seo Jun-Ho should be no different. ¡®The party cap is 200¡­so there will probably be about 1000 monsters.¡¯ In a Gate like this, he also needed some people to watch his back. He could move around on his own, but it would be inefficient. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°T-then, would you like to join our party for this Gate?¡± Cha Min-Woo nervously looked back at his teammates. ¡®The Cheong-hae Guild isn¡¯t a bad option¡­actually, it¡¯s good.¡¯ They were a noble guild with elite members. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t find any reason to refuse their offer as he happily epted it. ¡°Thank you for asking. Let¡¯s do this.¡± 11:02 AM. 200 yers filled the cap and entered the Wild Forest Gate. 1. This is written in English. I¡¯m keeping the romanization as is. ? Chapter 46. The Wild Forest (3)

Chapter 46. The Wild Forest (3)

The WIld Forest was sweltering hot, reminiscent of the Amazon. ¡°Hmph, I wish this ce was a hardwood forest with a more temperate climate¡­¡± One of Cha Min-Woo¡¯s female team membersined. A male team member crouched down and touched the dirt before he replied.[1] ¡°Nothing we can do about it. Looking at the climate, nts, and animals, this is a tropical rainforest.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head and watched as the yers around him dispersed. Some of them were carrying identical metal stakes. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim, we should also start moving.¡± He turned around and saw that Cha Min-Woo was also holding the same thing. Seo Jun-Ho stared at it. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± Cha Min-Woo seemed momentarily confused. The female team member burst out intoughter. ¡°Wow, is it your first time seeing a Terminal? So you have a cute side too.¡± ¡°Seo Mi-Rae. Don¡¯t be rude.¡± Cha Min-Woo held up the metal stake and exined. ¡°It¡¯s probably your first time seeing one in person, but this is a Terminal. When there¡¯s arge-scale raid with lots of yers, all party leaders bring one. Putting it in the ground creates a magicalmunicationwork that you can use.¡± ¡°Hoo.¡± This was something new. ¡°So that¡¯s why people started to go off in different directions right away.¡± He previously wondered about why they had done that. In the past, it had been customary to have a strategy meeting as soon as they went into a Gate. ¡°Yes. A long time ago, they didn¡¯t have this sort of technology, so yers had to move as one body. But now, that¡¯s actually less efficient.¡± Cha Min-Woo shrugged as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled, impressed. ¡°I thought this at thest Gate too, but it seems that Jun-Ho-nim doesn¡¯t really have any interest in thetest equipment.¡± ¡°Hehehe, you¡¯re like an old person.¡± ¡°...N-no way.¡± Seo Jun-Ho cleared his throat and changed the subject. ¡°Anyways, we haven¡¯t introduced ourselves yet. I¡¯m Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Seo Mi-Rae.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Choi Jin-Pyo.¡± Seo Mi-Rae was a cute girl with freckles sprayed across her nose, while Choi Jin-Pyo was a small man with horn-rimmed sses. Cha Min-Woo¡¯s face revealed the fact that he had forgotten to introduce them to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Oh, I forgot the introductions since it has been a while since I¡¯ve been in a party with an outsider. I¡¯ll exin the basics of our skills.¡± ¡°...Is that alright?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes went wide. Keeping your skills under wraps was the norm. ¡°There¡¯s no point in working together if we don¡¯t know anything about each other,¡± Cha Min-Woo continued while pointing at his team members. ¡°Jin-Pyo is a healer. He¡¯s also in charge of videotaping for the team.¡± ¡°Videotaping?¡± ¡°Yes. Normally, parties record everything they do inside a Gate so they can get feedback and improve.¡± ¡°Mm¡­Is it because you always went around alone? You really don¡¯t know anything.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. He¡¯s never cleared a normal Gate.¡± Most yers built experience by going to Gates regardless of their size. Most of them also knew about the Terminals and the videotaping. But Seo Jun-Ho had only learned about hunting through the Inte after his return, and everything still felt unfamiliar for him. There were still a lot of things simr to 25 years ago, but there were many other things that had changed as well. ¡°And we call this energetic kid the spoiler.¡± Cha Min-Woo looked at Seo Mi-Rae and let out a low sigh. ¡°Spoiler?¡± ¡°Yes. You know how there are people who spoil movies or books for no reason?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean.¡± Seo Jun-Ho still looked confused. Cha Min-Wooughed. ¡°It¡¯ll be faster to show you. Seo Mi-Rae.¡± ¡°Mhm, is it this body¡¯s turn? Let me read your fortune~¡±[2] Seo Mi-Rae stepped forward and stared deeply at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®¡­No, she¡¯s not looking at me.¡¯ Her eyes were fixed on him, but he could feel that she was looking at something else. ¡°Hah!¡± A momentter, Seo Mi-Rae let out a sharp breath. There was beaded sweat on her forehead. ¡°Wow, they say there¡¯s nothing to eat at a famous banquet...but this person is theplete opposite.¡±[3] ¡°How was it?¡± Cha Min-Woo asked. She shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s insane at fighting. He killed ten dark elves by himself! I don¡¯t know when, though.¡± ¡°Ha. What did I tell you? He¡¯s an amazing person.¡± Cha Min-Woo spoke as if he was the one who would supposedly kill ten dark elves in the near future. Eventually, he turned to Seo Jun-Ho, who still looked as confused as ever. ¡°She can peek into the future of any object, but she has to tell the target what she sees.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll get badly hurt.¡± ¡°...You can see the future!¡± It was an extremely rare skill. When he was still around as Specter, there had been less than ten people in the world who could see the future. ¡®Then maybe¡­¡¯ Seo Mi-Rae might be able to see when he could achieve his goal and save his friends. But when he was about to ask, she held out her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t try to ask me about your future. I can¡¯t see far, and my foresight is only for reference.¡± ¡°For reference? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll put it simply. If things go as expected, you¡¯ll kill ten dark elves, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. This was the future she had seen. ¡°But if you make up your mind and refuse to fight, what would happen?¡± ¡°...I wouldn¡¯t be able to kill the dark elves.¡± ¡°Bingo! That¡¯s why it¡¯s only for reference. I have to tell the target about their future, but there¡¯s still a high chance that the future would change.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The future she had seen could change at any time. If the target didn¡¯t like what she saw, they could change it. ¡°That¡¯s why I brought her here today. It¡¯d be bad if we get trapped or surrounded.¡± ¡°So in other words, she¡¯s insurance. You¡¯ll use information about the future as a foundation for clearing the Gate.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± The girl had chalked up her skill as simply being a point of reference, but Seo Jun-Ho thought otherwise. ¡®Any skill that lets you look into the future is a cheat.¡¯ He also felt d that he was in this party. With that skill, they could avoid the worst decisions. ¡°All I have are some physical reinforcement skills¡­Jun-Ho-nim, you said your skill is being good with weapons, right?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°The party¡¯s bnce is excellent. I have a good feeling about this.¡± Cha Min-Woo grinned and raised his Terminal. ¡°Let¡¯s start moving too. We¡¯ll make a small camp and set up themunicationwork.¡± *** Beep¡ª Beep¡ª The Terminal beeped twice when it was buried into the ground. Cha Min-Woo¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Phew, it¡¯s installed. Now, let¡¯s test it out¡­..¡± He tapped on his Vita and contacted someone. A hologram disy popped up a momentter, showing a foreigner¡¯s face. ¡ªYo, wassup. You¡¯re still good? ¡°Duh. What about your end?¡± ¡ªWe haven¡¯t run into a single dark elf. We¡¯re in the east.¡± ¡°We¡¯re on the opposite side. The west.¡± ¡ªReally? Nice. Have you reached the end yet? Our map is still open. ¡°Unfortunately, we haven¡¯t run into any walls either.¡± ¡ªHm, really? That means the map is bigger than I thought¡­anyways, contact me if there¡¯s an emergency. ¡°Alright. Good work.¡± Cha Min-Woo hung up and turned to his party. ¡°The situation isn¡¯t bad. I think the other yers are currently setting up camp after spreading out.¡± ¡°Nothing much has changed from the future I¡¯ve seen so far. It¡¯s not bad at all.¡± ¡°I looked around the differentmunities, but not one of them looked like they belonged to the dark elves. It seems that the enemies¡¯ numbers are lower than we expected.¡± ¡°...¡± As Cha Min-Woo spoke with his team members, Seo Jun-Ho was locked deep in thought. ¡®¡­The map is too big.¡¯ The party cap was 200, so understandably, the area would berge. The problem was that it was bigger than he had imagined. ¡®We¡¯ve been moving for five hours now. Same for the party that went east.¡¯ yers moved far faster than normal humans, but even with their advantage, they still hadn¡¯t found the end of the map. ¡®There are 200 yers in this vast area, but we haven¡¯t run into a single dark elf?¡¯ As he opened themunity channel with his Vita, he saw that it was overflowing with spection that the dark elves were scared or in hiding. But Seo Jun-ho thought differently. ¡®Orcs will die if their leader orders it, but dark elves are different.¡¯ They were a prideful species, so they wouldn¡¯t follow their chief¡¯s word as closely as members of other species. Even if they were ordered to stay inside because suspicious humans were snooping around, they would ignore it without a second thought. ¡®So the fact that these prideful elves are following orders¡­means that their leader is that strong.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho sorted out his thoughts and turned to Seo Mi-Rae. ¡°Excuse me. Can you check the future again?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t use my skill too often yet. I¡¯ll have to wait eight hours until I can use it again.¡± ¡°Mm¡­when you saw my future before, you said I killed ten dark elves by myself, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Exactly ten.¡± ¡°Then can you tell me around what time that was?¡± ¡°Um...I¡¯m not sure about the exact time, but it was dark, so it was probably night. We¡¯ll be busy setting up the Terminal, so I think it¡¯s tomorrow.¡± Night. Seo Jun-Ho had expected the answer. He nodded slowly, and the corner of his lip curled up as if he had heard a funny joke. ¡°...How fun.¡± ¡°Huh? What is?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and pulled out a sleeping bag from his inventory. He patted it down on the ground. He wriggled inside and zipped it up. The sunlight was still strong, but it was obvious that he was nning to sleep. ¡°Um¡­are you going to sleep?¡± The healer looked confused. Seo Jun-Ho simply nodded and set an rm. ¡°Yes. With how things are going, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to sleep tonight.¡± ¡°...Wait. Are you saying that the dark elves might make a surprise attack at night?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re asking, I¡¯m sure of it.¡± Cha Min-Woo¡¯s face fell at his answer. He immediately tapped on his Vita and contacted everyone in themunity channel. But when he didn¡¯t receive positive answers, he looked uneasy. ¡°Ahem, I don¡¯t think they really care. They don¡¯t think that those dark elves would listen to orders because they¡¯re a prideful bunch.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a logical reaction. Ignore them and rest up.¡± Seo Jun-Ho put on a sleep mask and muttered to himself. ¡°Hunting, saving people¡­it¡¯s gonna be a busy night.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for his words toe true. Barely five hourster, the ¡®Human Hunt¡¯ began in the dark forest. 1. For rification, CMW is a team leader at Cheong-hae, but SJH has joined his party, a smaller unit. ? 2. Mirae means future ? 3. Korean idiom basically meaning that something loses its value if it bes famous/popr ? Chapter 47. The Wild Forest (4) Crackle, crackle. The forest was covered in darkness. In a clearing, two men sat in front of a bonfire. They were from the Bravo party, which was exploring the southern area of the forest. ¡°Yawn. Sunbae, aren¡¯t you tired?¡± ¡°Sure I am. But we¡¯re on guard duty.¡± ¡°...True.¡± The hubae looked around his other sunbaes. They were all fast asleep. ¡°Looks like the other sunbaes aren¡¯t worried. But if the dark elves happen to make a surprise attack¡­¡± ¡°Surprise attack? Hey, these are dark elves we¡¯re talking about,¡± the sunbae replied while grilling cheese on a stick. ¡°Dark elves gave in to the temptation of power and became corrupted because they nibbled on the branches of the World Tree. They did be powerful, but they were cursed by the Tree and their intellect was taken away. Forget following orders, they can barelymunicate amongst themselves. There¡¯s no way they would be able to act as an army.¡± ¡°...But isn¡¯t it likely that we¡¯ll encounter them at night because we didn¡¯t see them at all during the day?¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s true, they act on their own, so we¡¯ll probably only see one or two at most.¡± ¡°Hm, well, we can handle that much on our own.¡± ¡°Exactly. Don¡¯t get your panties in a twist.¡± At that moment, there was a sound of movement in the thicket. ¡°...Shhh.¡± The sunbae held his finger to his lips and turned toward the sound. ¡ªGrrr. ¡ªKrrr. It sounded like the growl of a dog. Red eyes started to appear in the darkness, staring at them. One, two, three¡­. ¡±S-sunbae-nim.¡± The frightened hubae reached for their weapon, but the sunbae smiled. ¡°Geez, that scared me¡­don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re Woldogs.¡± ¡°...Woldogs?¡± ¡°Yeah, Wolfdogs. We call them Woldogs for short.¡± They rxed and spoke casually. ¡°They get scared easily, so they¡¯re not very dangerous.¡±[1] ¡°Still¡­I¡¯m a little scared because there are so many of them.¡± ¡°How¡¯re you gonna be a yer if you get scared of those tiny things? They¡¯re scared of fire too.¡± They ced the cheese down and made a torch, throwing it into the bushes. ¡°Shoo, shoo. The maknae¡¯s[2] about to cry.¡± ¡°W--who said I¡¯m gonna cry?¡± The sunbaeughed at their cute reaction, and the hubae tilted their head. ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re scared of fire?¡± ¡°Why, can¡¯t trust me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± The hubae¡¯s eyes were wide as they watched the Woldogs¡¯ red eyes get bigger and bigger. They wereing closer. A Woldog emerged from the bush and stepped on the torch. ¡°...¡± The sunbae seemed to have discovered something, and their face paled. ¡°...Wake the others.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Wake the others! Now!¡± They were being surrounded by dark elves. *** Beep¡ª Beep¡ª Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes opened at the sound of the rm. He ripped off his sleeping mask and crawled out of his sleeping bag, surveying the area. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake?¡± Seo Mi-Rae said in a friendly voice. She had made a fire while she was on guard duty. ¡°...What¡¯s the situation like?¡± ¡°Nothing special has happened so far.¡± ¡°How about the other parties?¡± ¡°People on night watches have been posting updates to themunity every thirty minutes. It¡¯s 1:58 right now, so they¡¯ll be popping up again in two minutes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho walked over to the campfire and looked over her hologram screen. ¡®Seems like no one¡¯s been attacked yet.¡¯ Was he mistaken? As he wrinkled his forehead, the clock hit 2. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see.¡± Seo Mi-Rae finished making her report and blinked at the screen. ¡°Huh?¡± No matter how many times she refreshed the page, no new posts appeared. She tilted her head. ¡°That¡¯s strange. Is there a problem with the magicwork¡­?¡± ¡°No,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said tly. Shing. He unsheathed his sword and stared into the dark forest. ¡°They were probably caught by those bastards.¡± ¡°Those bastards¡­?¡± Seo Mi-Rae looked up, but she only saw the forest. Seo Jun-Ho was looking at something she couldn¡¯t see. It was night. Thanks to Hunter¡¯s Night (A), all his stats were up by 10% and all his senses were sharp. ¡®Four legs and red eyes¡­they¡¯re Woldogs.¡¯ Woldogs had high endurance and speed, but most yers underestimated them because they were easily frightened and had lowbat skills. But of course, it was true. Even if they were gathered together, they weren¡¯t dangerous if you just waved a torch around. ¡®But that only applies to wild Woldogs.¡¯ If they were ¡®raised¡¯ by someone else, they became a whole different monster. ¡®They¡¯re like horses.¡¯ Horses were tame and easily frightened by nature, but if they were trained, they could be valiant warhorses. ¡°They¡¯reing.¡± ¡°Coming? What are you¡­¡± Rustle. Before she could finish her sentence, the trees started to shake under a powerful wind. Seo Jun-Ho gripped ck Dragon and nced at her. ¡®This will be ck Dragon¡¯s first meal. I should feed it something better.¡¯ He took a step forward. ¡°Wake Team Leader Cha.¡± ¡°Are you being serious? But I don¡¯t¡­¡± Just as she was about to say, ¡®I don¡¯t see anything¡¯¡­ Woosh! A Woldog leaped out of the forest like a ray of light, swiping its paw toward her face. ¡®¡­Ah?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t move and dumbly stared at the ws that wereing toward her. Seo Mi-Rae yed more of a support role than abat one. Her physique wasn¡¯t enough to dodge an unforeseen attack. sh! But then, a sh of white came down and cut the Woldog in half. The dark elf that was riding it fell into the fire. ¡°Kyaaaaa!¡± The dark elf let out an ugly screech as it burned. It was hard to believe that they were descended from elves, the race famous for its beauty. The dark elf that fell into the fire had flesh that was rotting and decayed from the curse of the World Tree. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­there are ten dark elves left, and nine Woldogs.¡± Seo Jun-Ho scanned the surrounding monsters. ¡°Come and get it. Unless you want me to go to you.¡± ¡°Grrrrr!¡± ¡°Kyak!¡± Did they understand him? The dark elves gripped their weapons and charged at him. ¡®Let¡¯s test out ck Armor.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed as he took out the three dark elves of the vanguard with one slice. He prepared his second strike even before their hot blood could touch the ground. But the dark elf behind him struck first. ng! ng! He felt an itch at his side and his back. ¡°...This is amazing.¡± His lip curled upward. He twisted his body and swung his sword like a bat. sh! Four dark elf heads flew into the air. They were around level 30-35, but they couldn¡¯t take a single hit from him. ¡®Ah, how nostalgic.¡¯ Back then, when his stats became high enough. He never had any trouble dealing with small fries like these. He simply ughtered them. Like right now. ¡°Kya, kayak!¡± ¡°Krr!¡± Eight of theirrades had been killed in an instant. The other dark elves looked at each other in panic. Obviously, there was no camaraderie between them. ¡°I can hear you thinking from here, you bastards.¡± They had instinctively started calcting how they could use the others to survive on their own. Seo Jun-Ho walked slowly towards the elves who were beginning to retreat. One brave dark elf thrust its spear, its eyes full of wickedness. ng! Seo Jun-Ho easily disarmed it. His sword grazed across the spear handle and stabbed its heart. ¡®Two left. Who should I go for?¡¯ He was nning on letting one go. That way, he could use Confession of the Dead without Cha Min-Woo¡¯s party watching. Thankfully, one dark elf recklessly swung its sword and made the decision for him. ¡°Okay, you impertinent bastard. It¡¯ll be you.¡± He cut off its head and shouted angrily. ¡°Dammit, the other one ran away. I¡¯ll go finish it off!¡± Behind him, he heard the sound of dogs crying out. At some point, Cha Min-Woo and Choi Jin-Pyo had woken up and started dealing with the Woldogs. ¡°Not bad.¡± Seo Jun-ho turned around and ran after the dark elf that had gotten away. *** ¡°Mm, yeah,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered as he crouched over the dead dark elf. ¡°The tribal chief is definitely strong.¡± The fact that he was acknowledged by others meant that he had more than enough strength to dominate the entire forest. And it wasn¡¯t just strength that he had. ¡®He knows how to use his head. Heunched simultaneous surprise attacks so we wouldn¡¯t be able to respond properly.¡¯ Most importantly, the bastard could talk. ¡°As soon as the dark elves bit into the World Tree¡¯s branches, their intellect fell¡­¡± But the chief still maintained his full mental capacity. ¡®The bastard¡¯s super smart. He wasn¡¯t some small fry even before he got corrupted.¡¯ That was all the information he got from Confession of the Dead. When Seo Jun-Ho returned to the camp, the fighting was already over. ¡°Hu, Jun-Ho-nim was right. A surprise attack at night...¡± Cha Min-Woo had killed nine Woldogs. He steadied his breath as he exined the situation. ¡°I woke up because I heard shrieking, and you were already fighting. After I got my bearings, I took care of the Woldogs with Jin-Pyo¡­but I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry too.¡± They seemed to be embarrassed because they had been sleeping when the battle started. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be sorry. You guys took care of nine Woldogs.¡± If they hadn¡¯t, Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t have been able to use Confession of the Dead. He had approved of them earlier for that very reason. ¡®At the very least, they won¡¯t hold me down.¡¯ They were actually a little helpful, and that was more than enough. ¡°Anyways, how are the other camps doing?¡± Seo Mi-Rae¡¯s face fell and her shoulders drooped. ¡°...Really bad. Some parties dealt with the ambush well, but most didn¡¯t. I think some parties dispersedpletely to run away.¡± ¡°Then we should hurry.¡± ¡°Hurry to do what?¡± Seo Jun-Ho wiped the blood off his de with a towel before he responded. ¡°To hunt.¡± 1. In Korean ¡®wolfdog¡¯ would be three sybles instead of two ? 2. Maknae means youngest. ? Chapter 48. The Wild Forest (5)

Chapter 48. The Wild Forest (5)

Four people were running through the dark forest. Despite running on uneven ground, they were moving very fast. ¡®...He¡¯s truly amazing.¡¯ Cha Min-Woo thought as he watched Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back. Thetter was at the lead. ¡®It¡¯s a dark forest, and the ground isn¡¯t even t. Yet his form is stable.¡¯ That wasn¡¯t all. Seo Jun-Ho also chose easier paths that the other three could follow. Assessing the environment was an important skill for a yer, and he proved to be exceptional at it. Cha Min-Woo thought that he was like an onion. ¡®Every time I think I understand him, he shows me a new side¡­¡¯ Suddenly, his Vita lit up with a notification. Seo Jun-Ho stopped. ¡°Is it an SOS?¡± ¡°Let me check.¡± Cha Min-Woo¡¯s eyes flickered as he checked the message. He looked up at Seo Jun-Ho and nodded firmly. ¡°It¡¯s an SOS. It came from 2km in the east.¡± ¡°2km isn¡¯t far. Let¡¯s go there first.¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought to himself as he looked for a path. ¡®We have to save as many yers as possible.¡¯ Of course, this wasn¡¯t because he saw himself as some hero. Saving as many yers as possible meant that clearing the Gate would be easier. It was the conclusion he had arrived at after objectively weighing the factors. ¡®Currently, there are 1,000 dark elves in the ck Moss tribe.¡¯ Their numbers were toorge for him to handle on his own. ¡®I¡¯m still human after all.¡¯ He needed to sleep, rest, and eat like any other person. He would need at least ten days to kill 1000 dark elves on his own. ¡®And that¡¯s only if I can use my full power.¡¯ It only applied if he could use Watchguard of Darkness and Frost. Of course, he couldn¡¯t use those skills when he was with Cha Min-Woo¡¯s party, like right now. ¡®So the best way to clear the gate with that handicap¡­¡¯ Was to use the other yers that had entered the Gate with him. This was why Seo Jun-Ho was running so fast through the forest at dawn. ¡®Tonight will be the turning point.¡¯ He thought that the dark elves¡¯ night attack was a double-edged sword. At least 10 elves were sent to attack each of the 52 parties. ¡®So if we kill them all¡­¡¯ They would be able to cut the enemy¡¯s manpower in half overnight. If they could do that, the dark elves would no longer be able to use gueri tactics like they did tonight. They would be worried about the safety of their vige, so they would be unable to use the same tactic as before. ng, ng! The sound of weapons shing came from in front of them. Perhaps it was because it was the early morning, but it was especially loud. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim!¡± ¡°I heard it. I¡¯ll go ahead!¡± When Seo Jun-Ho elerated, he seemed to stretch like taffy. Leaving the three people behind him, he took out a javelin from his inventory. ¡°Ah! S-save me!¡± The first thing he saw as he entered the clearing was a yer pinned beneath a Woldog. The dark elf on top of it raised its sword high. ¡®Good timing.¡¯ He used his running speed to propel his javelin and threw it. Woosh! It whistled through the air with a sound that made it seem like a cannonball. Stab! It pierced through the dark elf¡¯s head, and it fell. - Woof! Woof! Having lost its owner, the Woldog turned around in confusion towards the direction the javelin came from. - Woof? There was a sh of moonlight. It was thest thing it saw. Squelch¡­ Seo Jun-Ho pulled the javelin out of the Woldog¡¯s neck and took in his surroundings. ¡°There are 5 dark elves and 3 Woldogs left.¡± ¡°Uh¡­..uhh?¡± The yer was covered in the blood of both the dark elf and the Woldog, unable to process the situation. Seo Jun-Ho nced down at them and wordlessly ran toward where the other yers were fighting. ¡°Huh? A-a yer!¡± ¡°Backup! They must¡¯vee after seeing the SOS signal from another party!¡± The yers were on the defensive, but their faces brightened. ¡°Kyaaaak!¡± On the other hand, the dark elves¡¯ expressions grew more sinister as their hunt was interrupted. They all turned to Seo Jun-Ho and ignored the other yers. They wanted to take care of the most bothersome one first. ¡°Kreek!¡± Gripping its weapon, the leader threw the spear at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart with all its strength. It was much faster than most yers could throw. ¡°The spear¡¯s speed, aim, and power; they are all good¡­the only problem is the target.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t move. He slowly raised one hand. Right before the spear hit him, he brought his hand down like lightning, breaking the weapon into two. Crack! The dark elf¡¯s eyes widened as it watched its weapon break. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho snatched half of the broken spear from the air and stabbed it through his opponent¡¯s neck. ¡°Your spear is nice.¡± ¡°Kak¡­kaak¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho kicked the elf who couldn¡¯t even breathe in the abdomen and slowly walked forward while drawing his sword. Hesitant, the dark elves instinctively took a step back. They were intimidated by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s strength and confidence. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about us!¡± ¡°This is revenge for ourrades, fuckers!¡± The surviving yers attacked their open backs. The battle ended anti-climactically, and Seo Jun-Ho sheathed his sword. ¡°Party Leader Son?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s me.¡± The man standing in front of the others raised his hand politely. ¡°What are your casualties?¡± ¡°...Two of our members that were on watch died. We woke up because of their screams¡­guh, we just ran away because we were still half-asleep. We lost three more teammates while we were running.¡± A tear spilled over and he bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. He looked angry and resentful. ¡°.....¡± Seo Jun-Ho understood those feelings all too well. The guilt of being unable to save his teammates would now be his shackles. Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly patted him on the shoulder. After crying for a while, the man wiped away his tears with his sleeve. ¡°I didn¡¯t say this earlier, but thank you for helping us.¡± ¡°No need.¡± At that moment, Cha Min-Woo and the others arrived in the clearing. They saw that it was over, and their faces became grim. ¡°We were toote.¡± ¡°Huff, huff¡­I ran as hard as I could¡­¡± Seo Mi-Rae muttered, disappointed. ¡°We¡¯re going east,¡± Seo Jun-Ho spoke up. ¡°East¡­?¡± The party leader of the survivors asked. ¡°Yes. We¡¯re gonna head east and save other yers and hunt the dark elves.¡± The reasoning was simple for this decision. The ck Moss tribe¡¯s stronghold was there. ¡°If you¡¯re willing, we can take down the enemy together. What will you do?¡± ¡°.....¡± They couldn¡¯t even dream of avenging their teammates with only half the party left. But Seo Jun-Ho was offering to avenge them together. The party leader made his choice. Words were unnecessary. He thumped his fist against his chest twice, his eyes full of venom. ¡°Good.¡± That was enough for Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Then you guys should go north.¡± ¡°North? We¡¯re splitting up?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± No matter how fast Seo Jun-Ho moved, it would be impossible for him to cover the whole forest. That was how big the Wild Forest was. ¡®I need parties that will be my hands and feet.¡¯ He needed people to cover the north and west while he went east. Seo Jun-Ho nned to give that role to his newly acquired yers. The yer leader finally spoke. ¡°...We¡¯ve received great assistance from the rising star of Korea.¡± He picked up his fallen helm from the dirt and put it back on and nodded. ¡°So we will follow you. The Blue Whale party will head north.¡± They became Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first hand. *** ¡°Huff¡­huff¡­¡± A man had copsed onto the forest floor. The hot sun was boring down on him through the trees. He could taste rust in his mouth. ¡®I can¡¯t¡­I have to keep going, even if I die¡­¡¯ He had been running for two days now. Hunger and thirst were getting to him, and his trembling legs refused to move. But most importantly, he was poisoned. ¡®Those fucking dark elves. They put poison on their arrowheads.¡¯ He lifted his shirt, checking the flesh at his side that was already ck. Death was right before him. In his poisoned state, it was impossible to outrun the Woldogs, which were quick and had sharp noses. ¡°Dammit¡­¡± Tears started to spill over. He was scared and sorrowful. His team had beenposed of yers that averaged around level 28. If the dark elves had made a frontal attack in daylight, he wouldn¡¯t have been injured like this. ¡°Those dirty, cursed monsters!¡± But the enemy was crafty. They used the cover of darkness to attack their camp at night. If it weren¡¯t for his sunbae¡¯s quick reaction, their entire party would have been annihted. ¨C Woof! Woof woof! At that moment, he heard the cries of Woldogs. ¡®I don¡¯t want to die! I¡¯m too young to die¡­ But he didn¡¯t have the strength to run away. Tears streamed down his face as death approached. With shaky hands, he loaded a bullet into a handgun. ¡°If I have to die now¡­¡± As the maknae of the honorable Bravo party, he had to take a few mutts down with him. As he finished loading the bullet¡­ ¨C Woooof! A Woldog came bounding out of the thicket and bit into his left arm. ¡°Guh¡­¡± Even as he was getting bitten, he raised the gun in his right hand and pulled the trigger. Bang! The sound of a gunshot rang through the forest. ¡°Yes! Guh¡­..¡± The Woldog fell. But just as he was about to celebrate¡­ ¨C Woof! Woof! ¨C Woof! ¨C Wooof! The cries of at least a dozen Woldogs made him go pale. On top of that, the bite he had suffered just now was also deep. ¡®So this is how I die.¡¯ Thest bit of hope in him disappeared like smoke. But suddenly, the Woldogs started to sound more frantic. ¨C Woof! Woooof! ¨C Woooooof! ¡°W-what?¡± He craned his neck, trying to see what was going on. He could hear people nearby. ¡°The gunshot came from here¡­¡± ¡°The Woldogs were chasing someone¡­maybe they are the one we were looking for¡­¡± ¡°Should be around here¡­¡± ¡®People¡­!¡¯ His eyes were wide, but he was too tired to make a sound. He opted to shoot another bullet into the air. Bang! A momentter, the dense bushes were cut down, and a familiar face appeared. ¡°I found him! It¡¯s him! He¡¯s our party¡¯s maknae!¡± ¡°S-sunbae¡­¡± When the man saw the face of his supposedly dead sunbae, he started to sob. ¡°Sniff¡­how did you¡­I thought you were dead¡­kuh¡­¡± ¡°Why the hell would I die? And¡­¡± The sunbae turned, looking at the people that were approaching. It was the sound of dozens of yers approaching. His eyes were fixed on the leader. ¡°The person you should thank is him, not me.¡± ¡°That person¡­who¡­?¡± It was the first time the hubae had seen one person lead so many people inside a Gate. ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho. But people have started calling him by a sobriquet.¡± ¡°Sobriquet¡­? yers on the 1st floor can have one?¡± ¡°Most don¡¯t, but outstanding yers like him should have superb titles.¡± ¡°What do they call him?¡± In only two days, 152 yers had been saved and 436 dark elves had been killed under Seo Jun-Ho¡¯smand. The yers that directly witnessed his achievements had started calling him by another name. ¡°He saves allies and beheads his enemies in his ck armor.¡± The ck Knight. Chapter 49. The Wild Forest (6)

Chapter 49. The Wild Forest (6)

There was arge clearing in the eastern part of the forest. It had transformed into a developed outpost. The two entrances were shabby, but there were wooden fences and four guards on each side. There was arge ze that was reminiscent of a campfire, and there were over 80 yers milling about, eating ate dinner. ¡°Slurp.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was eating cup ramen for dinner. He ate a hearty meal with kimchi he had brought in his inventory and looked around when he finished. ¡®There are 80 people here. And there are 72 yers that are gathering in the north and south.¡¯ 152 in total. It was the same number of yers that were currently inside the Gate. Surprisingly, they had all decided to join him. ¡®But the situation doesn¡¯t look too good.¡¯ 48 people had died on the first night. They¡¯d lost a fourth of their manpower, and it was starting to weigh on the survivors. ¡®¡­It¡¯s good that they¡¯re as angry as they are nervous though.¡¯ They¡¯d lost friends, sunbaes, hubaes, and lovers. The yers who¡¯d lost their loved ones were sharpening the knife of vengeance. Even if he told them tounch a full-scale offensive when morning came, they would probably listen without a word. Seo Jun-Ho calmed himself and organized his thoughts. ¡®Right now, I¡¯m level 24.¡¯ He had killed 78 dark elves and Woldogs up until now, which was less than he had expected because he dispatched other yers to clean them up. On top of that, he hadn¡¯t had time to fight much because he prioritized rescuing other yers. ¡®The remaining number of enemies is around 560.¡¯ All the yers here who had entered through the Gate could easily hunt four dark elves each. But that was only if they went ¡®hunting.¡¯ ¡®Tomorrow will be like a war.¡¯ After he saved thest survivor, the Bravo party¡¯s maknae, Seo Jun-Ho set up the outpost. He hadn¡¯t encountered a dark elf since then. ¡®They¡¯re starting to feel the losses.¡¯ The tribe chief was smart, so he wouldn¡¯t act rashly. He would probably lock down their stronghold and focus on naval forces. The yers had to make the first move. ¡®The problem is¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked at each yer who was eating. They came from all different races, nationalities, Guilds, and parties. Some of them were even nonbatants like Seo Mi-Rae. ¡®Compared to the dark elves who move under their leader¡¯s orders, we just seem like a mob.¡¯ They were obedient for now because they were thirsty for vengeance, but he didn¡¯t know how long that wouldst. This wasn¡¯t the only problem, though. ¡°We have to hurry up and clear this Gate!¡± ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, but we can¡¯t just sacrifice ourselves for one person.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attention turned to the two groups that were arguing. ¡°Dammit¡­we can¡¯t treat this without a medical specialist from a hospital.¡± The Bravo party¡¯s maknae was on the edge of death from being poisoned by the dark elf. Choi Jin-Pyo and other healers tried to help him, but their abilities were useless against the poison. ¡°What are you so scared of? If webine with the other yers, there¡¯ll be 150 of us! 150!¡± ¡°Watch what you¡¯re saying. Who said I was scared?¡± ¡°...Ugh.¡± Seo Jun-Ho facepalmed. They were already disorganized, and now there was even infighting. ¡®It¡¯ll be impossible to lead them and clear the Gate by normal means¡­¡¯ One of the yers watching the arguing noticed him staring. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim, what do you think?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s pros and cons to either option. But¡­¡± As he spoke, dozens of yers looked at him. ¡°If possible, it would be best to clear this Gate quickly.¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± The Bravo party members¡¯ faces brightened, and the other group looked disappointed. Seo Jun-Ho quickly continued. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not simply for the sake of one person.¡± It was the conclusion he hade to after pondering for a long time. He knew howrge the dark elves¡¯ forces were through the memories, but the others didn¡¯t. ¡°First of all, I believe that the number of dark elves left is around the number that attacked us the first night.¡± ¡°...May I ask why you think that?¡± ¡°We thought there would be around 200 at most.¡± ¡°Of course. You probably came to that conclusion after thinking about how dark elves act.¡± They were extremely selfish and individualistic by nature. These yers weren¡¯t beginners, so that had been the first thing they considered. ¡®But we¡¯re not dealing with normal dark elves.¡¯ The leader of the ck Moss tribe was extremely intelligent. His overwhelming power had united the self-centered dark elves. This became apparent from the unexpected attack on the first night. As Seo Jun-Ho exined this, the other yers slowly started to nod. ¡°That makes sense¡­the dark elves in this forest were very different from what I knew about them.¡± ¡°Their coordinated attack means they¡¯re an organized group. As you said, this is likely thanks to their leader.¡± ¡°It reminds me of what Specter said in the past. You can study for college exams with a textbook, but you shouldn¡¯t do that for hunting.¡± ¡°He probably said that with these kinds of situations in mind.¡± ¡°Gates are always unpredictable.¡± The yers quickly started to agree with Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s opinion. Even though he was the lowest level yer, he had shown them the most. ¡®That¡¯s why they say yers only care about performance.¡¯ Just as Seo Jun-Ho was smiling proudly, one of the yers spoke to him. ¡°So assuming that there are 500 elves...how about the Woldogs?¡± ¡°There are no more left.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± The yers blinked, confused by his confidence. He wasn¡¯t some forteller, after all. ¡°Think about thest yer we saved.¡± ¡°Are you talking about our maknae?¡± A member of the Bravo party quietly raised their hand. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°What was chasing them?¡± ¡°Um¡­there were dozens of Woldogs. The dark elves had released them.¡± ¡°Correct. And those Woldogs were just pups.¡± They hadn¡¯t beenrge enough for the dark elves to ride. ¡°The fact that they were using young Woldogs in a pursuit means that they had lost all their fully grown ones during the first attack.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­..¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The yers pped their knees as they finally understood. At the same time, they were also impressed. While they got distracted by the battle, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t miss a single detail. ¡°Right now, the dark elves are probably locking down their stronghold and focusing on naval forces.¡± Seo Jun-Ho spoke without hesitation. ¡°However, if this drags on longer, it won''t be them but us, who''ll be at a disadvantage.¡± He was talking about the chronic problems of yers. ¡°We have limited rations, so we can¡¯t fully rest, or our numbers will dwindle.¡± The enemy numbered over 500. The tribe chief wouldn¡¯t move for now, but that would change once he understood the yers¡¯ situation. ¡°They¡¯re going to keep ambushing us. There probably won¡¯t be any morerge-scale surprise attacks like the first night¡­¡± ¡°But they¡¯ll probably attack us every night with those poisoned arrows and run away.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be more exhausted as the days goes on because we can¡¯t rest¡­¡± ¡°And once they think they can win, they¡¯ll copse on us like water from a waterfall.¡± It was good that these people caught on quickly. They started to understand the situation and what Seo Jun-Ho meant by his words. ¡°That makes sense.¡± ¡°Now that you say that, I think clearing the Gate as quickly as possible would be the best option.¡± As their opinions started to change, the hostility between the yers dissipated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about before. Our lives are also at risk here¡­¡± ¡°No, I apologize. We were thinking too much about ourselves.¡± Seo Jun-Ho changed the subject as the mood became somber. ¡°I¡¯ve sent scout yers to do reconnaissance. It¡¯ll be nice once we have information about their vige.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t worried. ¡®They¡¯ll find it tomorrow morning at thetest.¡¯ He had purposely set up an outpost in the east because it was near the dark elves¡¯ vige. ¡°Rest up, everyone.¡± Having said that, Seo Jun-Ho nced at Seo Mi-Rae, hinting her to follow him. He led her to a quiet area. ¡°Why did you call me away?¡± Seo Mi-Rae tilted her head. ¡°Can you use your foresight skill now?¡± ¡°Um¡­yes. Would you like me to look?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. Having received an answer, Seo Mi-Rae stared at him with her piercing eyes. A momentter, she shook her head in amazement. ¡°Wow, they found the vige! We¡¯re going to fight them tomorrow around lunchtime.¡± ¡°What else?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a ton of them. Like you said, I didn¡¯t see any Woldogs, but there are around 600 dark elves?¡± ¡°And?¡± Tremble ¡°And¡­¡± She shivered and made an exaggerated expression as she hugged her arms. ¡°There¡¯s a dark elf with a gloomy air around him¡­there are five other elves around him that are bigger than the others.¡± He knew about them. ¡®The attendant dark elven knights.¡¯ But this wasn¡¯t what Seo Jun-Ho wanted to know. He already knew this all from reading the dead¡¯s memories. He wanted to know more about his own story. ¡°Andstly¡­¡± She looked at Seo Jun-Ho with suspicion. ¡°You¡¯re using something that looks like it¡¯s made of ice¡­.is it an artifact?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho kept a straight face, but inside, he was disturbed. ¡®¡­Is the leader that strong? Strong enough that I have to use Frost?¡¯ The reason he asked her to look into his future was that he wanted to avoid revealing his Frost skill to the public. ¡°Thank you for your help. Please don¡¯t tell the other yers what you saw.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was locked deep in thought as Seo Mi-Rae walked away. *** As the sun rose, the reconnaissance team returned. There was good news and bad news. ¡°We found the vige!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not very far. It¡¯s about two hours to the east if we walk.¡± ¡°Ooh, the Spoiler was right.¡± That was the good news. ¡°...But their numbers are much bigger than we thought.¡± ¡°We only watched from afar, but there¡¯s at least 500 of them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gonna be a hard battle.¡± That was the bad news. But Seo Jun-Ho had expected this and told the other yers about it earlier, so they weren¡¯t surprised. In fact, they were impressed by Seo Jun-Ho again as his suspicions were confirmed. The yers in the north and south were also starting to gather. ¡°ck cow party, 7 people. Present.¡± ¡°Iron cane party, 4 people. Here.¡± At around lunchtime, all the yers in the Gate had gathered in one area. It was a rare sight to behold. ¡°All the yers in arge-scale Gate, gathered together¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve all been together since we first entered.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s truly amazing. So many people have gathered thanks to one person.¡± They all looked to Seo Jun-Ho, who was in ck armor and was preparing for battle. He had helped them more times than they could count. There were many people who wouldn¡¯t be standing here without him. Ignoring their stares, Seo Jun-Ho twisted his waist and stretched. ¡°Are the preparationsplete?¡± The question was directed at none other than the smiling Cha Min-Woo. He had been the party leader when they first entered, but at some point, he started acting as a sort of deputy. Despite that, he seemed to be enjoying it. ¡°There are three people that are out ofmission. Two nonbatants have been assigned to protect them. Excluding them, all 147 people are here. We¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho spoke, the scouts scattered in all four directions. Seo Jun-Ho followed suit with 100 yers trailing behind him. Chapter 50. The Wild Forest (7)

Chapter 50. The Wild Forest (7)

Humans gathered experience by seeing with their eyes, hearing with their ears, and feeling through their skin. But they were naturally curious creatures. They wanted to know more about the things they couldn¡¯t see, couldn¡¯t hear, and couldn¡¯t feel. That was why they made records. In the past, Seo Jun-Ho had read the journal of someone who had entered an elves¡¯ vige. ¡®The elves¡¯ vige is a vertical structure with the World Tree at its center.¡¯ But dark elves¡¯ viges werepletely different. There were no trees, flowers, or nts at all because they had been abandoned by the World Tree. Their viges didn¡¯t even have a single weed. ¡®Where dark elves reside, all the nts around them would wither and the trees would twist, and the fruit would rot.¡¯ Those were the words of a dark elf who had received the curse of the World Tree. Coming into direct contact with light also gave them a terrible skin disease. ¡®So they ran away to a ce where they could avoid sunlight.¡¯ Underground. Seo Jun-Ho had cleared some underground dark elves¡¯ viges as Specter before. ¡°But¡­this is my first time seeing something like this.¡± Dark elf viges usually had several entrances that led underground. The yers sounded nervous. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Damn. There were a thousand elves living there, so I thought there¡¯d be at least twenty entrances¡­..¡± ¡°Why is there only one entrance?¡± The leader was smart, so there was only one entrance leading down to the ck Moss tribe. ¡°There¡¯s only one entrance, so we won¡¯t be caught from behind¡­¡± But they would have to defeat all the dark elves underground to meet the chief. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face wrinkled as he turned to the stone wall blocking the entrance. There, archers in thick cloaks were standing guard. ¡°50? It won¡¯t be too hard to get in then.¡± 50 dark elves were nothingpared to the number of yers they had. They were starting to bristle in anticipation. ¡°Shall we kill them?¡± ¡°At this distance, I can kill them all without a sound.¡± ¡°Just give us the sign.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had no reason to refuse, so he nodded. The yers activated their skills all at once. A vine sprouted from the top of the entrance and stabbed the dark elves from behind, and the archers fired into their heads and hearts. It took 15 seconds to kill 50 enemies. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stepped out of the forest and entered the clearing. The yers looked around, on guard. ¡°It¡¯s really quiet.¡± ¡°One might think it¡¯s abandoned.¡± There wasn¡¯t even a single ant. ¡°So¡­there are 500 dark elves beneath our feet?¡± Someone whispered. The other yers shivered. ¡°Let¡¯s head in. Two scouts should guard the entrance.¡± Seo Jun-Ho appointed two yers and went inside without hesitation. As he stepped down the stairs and looked around with his torch, he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°...So that¡¯s why they don¡¯t need a lot of entrances.¡± Most dark elves¡¯ underground viges were built like ant holes. But the ck Moss tribe had built it like the Mausoleum of the first Qin Emperor. Far away, around 1 kilometer in front of him, sat a giant dark elf on a throne made of a rotting tree. ¡°That¡¯s the leader.¡± ¡®He¡¯s about 1 kilometer away. It¡¯s not that far. But¡­¡¯ 500 dark elves stood between them like terracotta warriors. All of them were under themand of five dark elven knights, who were much stronger than the dark elves themselves. ¡°Oh¡­!¡± ¡°I thought that the battle would be messy because the ce would be like an ant hole, but it seems that this will be a full-on frontal battle.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never even heard of dark elves making a structure like this.¡± The yers were starting to panic at the unexpected situation. Seo Jun-Ho spoke calmly. ¡°This is a good thing.¡± They looked at him with confused expressions. ¡°I was worried that the dark elves would use their manpower to surround us, but this is an open space without any obstacles.¡± The hall was as straight and as clear as a highway. ¡°We¡¯ll take them head-on. We just need to take out four dark elves per person.¡± Having said that, Seo Jun-Ho looked at the yers with a challenging look in his eyes. It was as if he was asking they didn¡¯t have the confidence to kill even four dark elves. A strange feeling started to bloom in the yers as they saw his arrogant expression. ¡®What¡¯s this? I somehow feel disgusted.¡¯ ¡®What level do you think I am? Do you really think that I can¡¯t take out four elves?¡¯ ¡®Only four? I¡¯ll kill even ten!¡¯ Eagerness and determination rose from deep within their hearts. They wanted to prove their strengths to their savior in the face of his doubt. ¡°Piece of cake! Let¡¯s do this!¡± ¡°Hey, all of you in my party will catch 5 elves. I¡¯ll go over the videos with each of you.¡± ¡°Five? Pfft,me. Those noobs are going for five, so we¡¯ll catch ten each!¡± ¡°Uwooohh!¡± Even though they were all allies, they were all from different parties and Guilds. It was natural that there would bepetition. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t interrupt them. ¡®Am I crazy? Why would I stop them? Of course, I won¡¯t.¡¯ Instead, he stoked their fiery determination and eagerness even higher. ¡°I wonder¡­Do you guys think that there will be elixirs?¡± An elixir was the elves¡¯ panacea that could save a dying person. It was the biggest reason why the yers hade to this Gate. The mention of the elixirs made the yers light up. They were still hungry for revenge. ¡®¡­Yes, elixirs. Ipletely forgot about that.¡¯ ¡®When elixirs are discovered, they¡¯re usually distributed based on the level of contribution¡­¡¯ ¡®Wait, how many dark elves have my party killed so far?¡¯ The yers realized one thing. Rather than all the small bits of contributions they made until now, the only thing that truly mattered was this battle. The parties that contributed the most right in this battle would receive the most elixirs. ¡®Now they¡¯re starting to look useful.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled in satisfaction as he looked at each of the yers¡¯ faces. They looked nervous just a few minutes ago, but now, their eyes were full of venom and bloodlust. There was no need to wait any longer. Shing! Seo Jun-Ho pulled out his sword from the Association and raised it into the air. He didn¡¯t give a battle cry¡ªhe simply sprinted first to the front lines. Slice! He cut off the heads of five dark elves. With his intrepid attack, the battle started. ¡°That¡¯s unfair! How can you just go first?!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, guys!¡± ¡°Uwooooh!¡± A switch flipped, and the yers rushed into the battlefield with their weapons in tow. *** A hundred yers and hundreds more monsters were locked in battle. It was a fierce contest where you couldn¡¯t even spare a nce for yourrades. In the middle of it all, Seo Jun-Ho was enjoying it the most. ¡®Wow, just look at all the exp I¡¯m getting.¡¯ He had the lowest level in the Gate, but he had the highest stats. So while others had to swing their sword two or three times to kill an elf, he only needed one swing. ¡®I have the best sword skills too.¡¯ He was aiming precisely for pressure points and his sword was bloodthirsty. If he aimed it at people, he would certainly be a powerful viin, but his sword only pointed at monsters. Slice! Slice! Perhaps that was why Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t hesitant. If a dark elf came at him with a sword, he would cut down their weapon. If they came at him with a shield, he would cut down their shield. The sword ki imbued in his weapon enabled him to do what was seemingly impossible. ¡®Sword ki? And it looks more perfect than mine.¡¯ ¡®I heard that it hasn¡¯t even been three months since he debuted¡­¡¯ ¡®Is this all because of his natural talent?¡¯ It was a near-perfect sword ki that even made others jealous. Slice! Slice! There wasn¡¯t a single elf that could block Seo Jun-Ho and his deep ck sword aura. Even as the dark elves swarmed him like bugs, he didn¡¯t slow down. Riding the high of the battle, he actually started to get faster. The yers that followed him in the hopes of ying more dark elves started to get exhausted. ¡®When in the world will he start to slow down?¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s not gonna go directly to the tribe chief like this, is he?¡¯ ¡®Dammit, I¡¯m starting to reach my limit¡­¡¯ ¡®Fuck, slow down.¡¯ As their fatigue started to catch up to them, the yers started to fall behind Seo Jun-Ho one by one. ¡°Guh!¡± But Cha Min-Woo continued to follow him with fierce determination. He fought off dark elvesing from all directions while sweating profusely. Seo Jun-Ho stabbed an elf that wasing at him from the left as he spoke. ¡°You¡¯re at your limit. Fall back.¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± Cha Min-Woo swallowed and looked shakily in the direction where the tribe chief was. ¡°Are you nning to get to him by yourself? That¡¯s crazy.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smirked, unconcerned. ¡°You don¡¯t know me well enough yet. I do crazy things quite often.¡± Right¡­He got scolded by Deok-Gu and the others often because of it. ¡°...¡± Cha Min-Woo lost his train of thought and shook his head, defeated. ¡®I knew it was selfish of me to fight by his side or even follow him from behind¡­¡¯ But forget going after him, watching him from afar was already hard enough. ¡®I still have a long way to go.¡¯ He realized that he was at his limit, and he made a promise. ¡°I won¡¯t fall behind next time.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to work harder to do that.¡± ¡°Just wait and see. I¡¯ll train as hard as I can.¡± Cha Min-Woo gave a determined expression and turned around. Seo Jun-Ho watched him disappear with a pleased smile. ¡®I like the look in his eyes. A person with a firm goal will quickly be strong.¡¯ He was already looking forward to the next time they would meet. Seo Jun-Ho turned around and checked his own status. He was at level 24, and his exp bar was around 94% full. Every dark elf gave him 0.25%, so he only had to kill 24 more to reach level 25. ¡°But there¡¯s a faster way.¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned to the ones that were walking toward him. They were about one head taller than the average dark elf. ¡°Since they¡¯re dark elven knights, shouldn¡¯t they give me more exp?¡± There were only five of them in the ck Moss tribe, and all five had surrounded him. ¡°Wow, all five at once? Your leader must think highly of me.¡± Buzzing with excitement, Seo Jun-Ho muttered to himself as he stabbed his sword into the ground. ¡°I should thank him properly.¡± He pulled out a ck sword sheath from his inventory. The item that the one and only Kwon Noya had hammered himself. He pulled out ck Dragon Fang to feed it with the blood of his enemies for the first time. It let out a cry, as if impatient for blood. ¡°Damn, this guy¡¯s impatient.¡± That didn¡¯t mean he hated it though. He was impressed by howpatible they were. ¡°How do you understand your owner so well?¡± Like the sword, he was also desperate and impatient to wield it. Chapter 51. The Black Moss Chief (1)

Chapter 51. The ck Moss Chief (1)

If you asked most people what dark elven knights were, they would just say that they were a little taller than normal dark elves. It was true that that was their only physical difference whenpared to normal dark elves, but Seo Jun-Ho knew all too well that there was more than that. ¡®Before they became corrupted, they were the protectors of the kingdom. Elven knights.¡¯ In elven tradition, a strong tribal sword technique meant more spiritual power. But when the elves became corrupted, their spiritual contracts were canceled. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing for me.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if he could handle spiritual attacks in his current state. But these ¡®knights¡¯ were only good at swordy. ¡°After all, I¡¯ve never seen someone who is better at swordsmanship than me.¡± Shing! On top of that, he had the outstanding ck Dragon Fang and ck Armor. Perhaps that was why he didn¡¯t have an ounce of doubt he would win. ¡°Seems like the stage is set,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. The area around him had emptied out at some point. An arena had been created for him and the five dark elven knights. ¡®Well, even if dark elvesck intellect, they still have their instincts.¡¯ In fact, their primal instincts were sharper than before they became corrupted. Thanks to that, they realized that they would die like nktons in front of a whale if they interfered with the fight. As such, they backed away and left an empty space. Seo Jun-Ho crooked his finger at the dark elven knights. It was a childish gesture, like an unemployed neighborhood hyung calling over the kids that were heading towards a taekwondo school. ¡°Hey,e at me.¡± ¡°...¡± Even though they had thrown their honors away, they were once knights of a kingdom. They growled as they unsheathed their swords from their waists. *** ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been up against elven swordy.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought as he watched the elven knights¡¯ approach. Whether they were orcs, elves, or dwarves, each race had different beliefs, values, and desires. They also had their own principles when it came tobat. ¡®And elves valued¡­¡¯ Moderation and elegance. But that only pertained to normal elves. The dark elves¡¯ swordy was quite different. ¡®Naturally, if you gain power, you¡¯ll want to use it.¡¯ After betraying the World Tree, they received tremendous power. But perhaps that was why they began thinking that elegant movements were restricting. In the end, their sword style deteriorated and became much more primitive. ng! When Seo Jun-Ho narrowly dodged the swords that came at him, the swords hit the ground, the ceiling, and the walls instead, destroying them immediately. ¡®While their sword movements are those of the elves, the way they swung their swords with such immense force was the swordsmanship that belonged to the dark elves.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that one hit could break all his bones. If Seo Jun-Ho allowed one tond, it would be impossible for him to continue the fight. ¡°...Mm.¡± His body shook, but not from fear or anxiety. ¡®When was thest time I¡¯ve felt this much adrenaline?¡¯ Some might call him crazy, but he enjoyed the thrill of danger. ¡°I¡¯m excited! Five times more than usual!¡± He licked his lips as he watched the five knights encircle him. ¡®They¡¯ll be a good first meal for this fellow.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nced down at ck Dragon Fang and prepared to attack. He wasn''t the type to run away or get unterally thrashed. Woooosh! Even though what wasing at him was most definitely a sword, the sound it made was more simr to that of a club. Seo Jun-Ho stepped forward and ducked his head. A sword narrowly missed the back of his head. Slice! A knight¡¯s arm flew into the air. The dark elf let out a sharp cry and started to back away. ¡°No, no. You can¡¯t do that~¡± Stomp! Seo Jun-Ho stepped hard on its foot. ¡°We were ying by your rules earlier. Now it¡¯s my turn.¡± Wooosh. ck Dragon Fang¡¯s burning sword ki stabbed through its stomach, and he swung his arm upward. Riiiip. There was a ripping sound as blood flooded from the knight¡¯s body. ¡°Hm, it¡¯s a little disappointing if this level can already be considered a knight.¡± ck Dragon Fang vibrated in his hand as if agreeing with its owner. ¡®But other than that, I really like this sword.¡¯ He looked down at it with eyes full of affection. Not only did it cut through the dark elven knights¡¯ flesh like tofu but it also ripped through them like paper. ¡°Yes, this is what a sword should be.¡± He hadn¡¯t been dissatisfied with his sword from the Association, but once he wielded ck Dragon Fang, he realized what he was missing out. The ck Dragon Fang was such a great sword that it made his old sword from the Association seem like a shabby club inparison. ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± The knights started to growl. ¡°Huh?¡± At that moment, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell. He had realized that the yers¡¯ situation didn''t look too great. ¡®Well, they¡¯re all around level 30¡­even if they¡¯ve gone on raids before, it¡¯s probably their first time in an all-out war.¡¯ It was impressive that they evensted this long. They were fending off the dark elves so he could fight the knights. Seo Jun-Ho understood the situation, and he knew all too well what he had to do. *** ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Are there any healers avable?! We need support!¡± ¡°Avable? Bullshit! Even if we had ten, we still wouldn¡¯t have enough!¡± While Seo Jun-Ho was fighting the dark elven knights, there was a momentary lull in the fighting of the yers who continuously fought against their enemies. ¡°Dammit, they¡¯re not even that strong¡­..¡± ¡°There¡¯s just too many of them.¡± ¡°Fucking roaches.¡± There was a big difference between one person killing four monsters, ten people killing forty monsters, and a hundred people killing four hundred monsters. The yers who had gone all-out in the beginning realized this toote. ¡°Those bastards are fighting in rotations and taking their sweet time to recover.¡± ¡°Dammit! If we could just take them in a more open area, we could take them all out in an instant!¡± The dark elves were moving around like soldiers of the past. They would change positions to fight the yers. They had already taken out over a hundred dark elves up until now and hadn¡¯t been in much danger, but they were starting to feel the pressure. ¡®If this goes on, we¡¯ll run out of energy first.¡¯ ¡®One shot. We have to push through in one shot so they won¡¯t have time to switch.¡¯ The yers exchanged nces. aaang! ng! There was a loud roar from dozens of meters in front of them, and the dark elves'' movements became strange. ¡°Huh? What? What are they doing? Why are they acting like that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Why are they pushing each other like that? Do they have something up their sleeves?¡± The dark elves had suddenly started pushing at each other as they struggled and tried to make their way forward. Even as they tilted their heads in confusion, the yers cheered. ¡®If there¡¯s an opening, we¡¯ll take it.¡¯ ¡®But I¡¯m a little nervous because we don¡¯t know the reason they¡¯re acting like this.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s going on? They were fighting frustratingly well¡­¡¯ It didn¡¯t take long for their questions to be answered. ng! Bang! The loud noises started to get closer. ¡°W-what¡¯s that sound?¡± ¡°It wasing from far away before¡­¡± But now, it was getting closer. A few minutester, the yers were able to see what on earth was making such a loud noise. Crash! ¡°Hup!¡± Four tall dark elves were carryingrge swords and chasing after Seo Jun-Ho like they were trying to kill him. He nimbly wove his way through, narrowly avoiding them. It was obvious, but every time they missed, they would hit the walls, ceiling, and the ground instead. Boom! Every hit sounded like a bomb had exploded. But that wasn¡¯t all¡­ ¡°Kyaak!¡± The dark elves were starting to act irrationally, not caring if their own allies died or not. Seo Jun-Ho would briefly sh swords with them before slipping into the ranks of the dark elves as if he were mocking them. Slice! Slice! As he dodged the dark elven knights¡¯ brutal attacks, the dark elves¡¯ formations fell apart. In front of them were yers, and behind them were the monster Seo Jun-Ho and the knights that didn¡¯t care about their lives. The dark elves had decided that the yers were the best option to save their lives and had started to blindly rush forward. ¡°That¡­¡± A middle-aged veteran watched with sparkling eyes. He realized why Seo Jun-Ho was fighting so recklessly. ¡°He¡¯s doing that because of us.¡± He had realized that they were struggling and was helping them with the dark elves before there could be casualties. The other yers looked at him in disbelief when they heard his muttering. ¡°No way!¡± ¡°No matter how amazing the ck Knight is, do you think he¡¯d be able to think that through with those monsters behind him?¡± The veteran yer responded with a question of his own. ¡°Then why do you think he¡¯s fighting so inefficiently? Is it because he¡¯s not skilled enough?¡± ¡°...¡± The yers becamepletely silent. They had seen with their own eyes just how outstanding Seo Jun-Ho was. ¡®He was born was born differently from an average yer like me.¡¯ ¡®He might be one of those yers that onlye every hundred years, like Kim Woo-Jong or Shin Sung-hyun.¡¯ ¡®If his skill had been B-grade instead of D-grade¡­things would be vastly different.¡¯ There was no one here who doubted his skill. They started to see his movements in a new light. ¡®He¡¯s intentionally going to ces where the dark elves are concentrated.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s messing up their formation¡­wait, he¡¯s killing dark elves too?¡¯ ¡®¡­If I were him, I would¡¯ve died in an instant.¡¯ It didn¡¯t take long for them to realize that the veteran was right. Their faces became red. ¡®The monsters following him are probably dark elven knights. I¡¯ve never seen them in the publications before.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re much stronger than normal dark elves.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s been paying attention to the backlines while fighting them¡­¡¯ ¡®Just how pathetic did we look for him toe and help us?¡¯ ¡®Damn, this is embarrassing.¡¯ Embarrassment came rushing to the forefront of their thoughts. They were all certified as ¡®pro yers¡¯ by their respective Associations. As such, they had pride and confidence in their skills. ¡°I never thought we were this pathetic that we needed to be watched over by someone else.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not just setting the table, he¡¯s spoonfeeding us.¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t strong enough, but we still have our pride.¡± A fierce fighting spirit was ignited in the yers once more. On top of that, the dark elves were in disarray. ¡®Wow, we really do need a lot of help¡­but this much should be enough.¡¯ Seeing the yers¡¯ determined expressions, Seo Jun-Ho fell back, luring the knights away. There were roughly 400 dark elves left, and he had destroyed their battle linespletely so it would be easy for the yers to hunt them. ¡°If you guys can¡¯t win even after I did all that, you¡¯ll all have to kneel in the hall and do some self-reflection.¡± As he was muttering, a weapon came aiming for his temple with a woosh. The sword came down with a lot of strength. ng! Having blocked it without even looking, Seo Jun-Ho slowly turned around. ¡°Stop fretting. I know you worked hard to chase me around.¡± He was nning on giving them a small reward for their efforts. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you painlessly.¡± Chapter 52. The Black Moss Chief (2)

Chapter 52. The ck Moss Chief (2)

¡°...¡± A dark elf sat on a throne made of a rotting foxglove tree. He rested his chin in his left hand as he watched the battlefield calmly. Hundreds of humans were locked inbat with his forces, but he was only focused on one man. Human¡­ That human was incredible. Even when confronted with five dark elven knights, he did not hesitate. No, it went beyond that. As if he was an adult ying with children, he was leading and using the dark elves to shatter their own allies¡¯ formations. ¡®¡­I can¡¯t watch.¡¯ He closed his eyes. It was painful to see how ugly and beastly the dark elves had be. At one point in time, they had been extremely beautiful and intelligent. ¡®But that is a memory of a forgone time.¡¯ He had been a high elf that led the Azure Moss tribe in a valley on a small branch of the World Tree. High Elf Rodomir. This had been his name during his golden years. Today, he couldn¡¯t bear to think of it any longer. Step, step. At some point, the human had reached him after having taken care of the dark elven knights. ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing a tribe with so many dark elves. You¡¯re like cockroaches.¡± Rodomir pulled himself up from the throne. His face was unpleasant as he gripped his sheathed sword and approached the human. ¡®This time too. He speaks anguage I don¡¯t know but I understand.¡¯ ¡°Do not speak of those cursed beings in front of me,¡± Rodomir said. ¡°You hate cockroaches even though you¡¯re guardians of nature? Oh, is it because you¡¯re a dark elf?¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. His opponent was speaking in Elvish, butnguage barriers didn¡¯t exist in the Gates. It was also the reason why he couldmunicate with intelligent beings like the Frost Queen. Shing! Rodomir unsheathed his sword. ¡°I won¡¯t speak any longer. Raise your sword, human.¡± Rodomir¡¯s physique was simr to Seo Jun-Ho, willowy rather than muscr. Based on his physique, he looked weaker than the dark elven knights. ¡®But he¡¯s strong.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had seen how he fought with Confession of the Dead. He had walked a depraved path after betraying the World Tree, but he wasn¡¯t consumed by his power. The tribe chief Rodomir did not forget his elven sword skills. ¡®I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s good or bad¡­but dark elves are physically stronger than humans.¡¯ And his current opponent was their leader. It was hard to tell how much power was packed into his small body. Seo Jun-Ho waved the tip of his sword. ¡°Come at me.¡± ¡°...Tsk, arrogant human.¡± Rodomir clicked his tongue. Woosh! With a st of air, his de appeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho in an instant. ng! Seo Jun-Ho barely blocked it with his sword as he was forced three steps back. He felt a throbbing pain in his hand that held ck Dragon Fang. ¡®He¡¯s not just fast, he¡¯s strong. And¡­he knows how to breathe well.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had a unique fighting technique of interrupting his opponent''s breathing. Using it, he had taken down countless enemies. But it became apparent that it wouldn¡¯t work on his current opponent. In other words, he had to rely on his physical strength and other skills to defeat him. ¡®I¡¯m starting to get curious. Who is this guy?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho scanned Rodomir¡¯s stance. His back was straight and his shoulders were open. He recognized it. ¡®I¡¯ve seen it in a book. It¡¯s the basic stance in the Elven sword technique, Genia Manus.¡¯ The Elven sword technique was called the Sword of Nature because it drew power from the environment. But that was only when the user was an elf that was loved by nature. For a dark elf that had the strength of neither spirits nor nature, it was a huge detriment. His thoughts were confirmed when they crossed swords. ¡°...So that¡¯s why you changed it.¡± The sword technique his opponent was using originated from Genia Manus, but there were subtle differences. Simply put, it was an original style that yed off the strengths of a dark elf. ¡°How interesting.¡± ¡°Speak with your sword, human.¡± Chaaaa! Rodomir¡¯s attack made a long cut in the ground. He was much more destructive than the dark elven knights. Craaaack! The crack on the ground was like a cliff. "Isn¡¯t this your house?" "It does not matter,¡± Rodomir said coolly. He rushed him with his sword. ng ng ng! Sixteen shes were exchanged in the blink of an eye. ¡®Strange.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head. His opponent was obviously strong and fast, but he didn¡¯t feel the overwhelming strength that he had seen in the memories. ¡®Is it because it was from the perspective of a dark elf?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had taken the lead in all sixteen shes. ¡®If this continues, I can end this in 5 minutes¡­¡¯ Something felt off. Seo Jun-Ho raised his sword, but Rodomir¡¯s eyes were focused on the scene behind him. "Kyaaak!¡± ¡°Krr! Krrrk!¡± All the dark elves dying under the rush of yers were his tribesmen. Rodomir remembered each of their names and faces. ¡®These fools followed their cruel leader until the very end¡­¡¯ Squeeze¡­ Rodomir gripped the sword in his hand. All he wanted to do was to return to those peaceful days and make things right again. But no mortal can undo what they have done. ¡®There¡¯s only one way to make the impossible happen.¡¯ To meet one thousand enemies and defeat them all. That was the ¡®deal¡¯ that he and the creature from the gates of hell had made. ¡®I will not let myself be defeated. Victory is the only option.¡¯ Rodomir knew what Seo Jun-Ho was thinking. He himself knew that he would soon fall if things continued like this. "...To restore the glory of the past!¡± Pitch-ck energy started pouring from Rodomir¡¯s sword. The cave rumbled from the tremendous power. ¡®A sword aura¡­? No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had been watching his movements closely. He shook his head for he could sense magic from the sword, but the flow wasn¡¯t consistent. A sword aura could only bepleted if you understood and controlled your magic perfectly, but the flow of magic from his sword was jagged. "Guh¡­!¡± Rodomir gripped his right wrist with his other hand. Deep red veins crawled up his arms, looking like they would burst at any second. Seo Jun-Ho realized what was happening to him. ¡°Is it a 2nd phase?¡± He muttered. At the same time, his intuition screamed danger. "Guaaaahhh!¡± Rodomir let out a roar and ran toward him. The pressure and energy he emanated were iparable to before. ¡®So this is the case¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho realized instinctively that this was what he had seen in the dark elves¡¯ memories. "Hup!" ck Dragon Fang swiftly blocked his opponent¡¯s attack, but nevertheless, he was thrown into the air. Crash! In an instant, he was embedded into the wall of the underground cave. "Gah¡­..bleh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho fell to the ground and shook his head, trying to get himself together. He spat out the gravel that went into his mouth. There was no time for him to think. aang! Rodomir wouldn¡¯t give him the time to do that. Seo Jun-Ho flung his body to avoid a hit to his chest and when he stood up, a pistol appeared in his left hand. Bang! Bang bang! He fired three bullets. "That¡¯s cheap!¡± Though he said that, Rodomir had cut the three bullets cleanly out of the air and hit the ground once more. ¡®I can¡¯t even stall for time¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho scowled and reflexively swung ck Dragon Fang in time to block Rodomir¡¯s sword. ng! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ck sword ki and Rodomir¡¯s mysterious ck energy - both were shrouded in a ck aura, but it was clear which one was superior. ¡®He¡¯s pushing me back!¡¯ Screech! Seo Jun-Ho heard a grinding sound from his de. It meant that the energy surrounding the opponent''s sword was much sharper and stronger than his. ¡®ck Dragon Fang is a good sword, so I can hold out for now¡­.¡¯ But no matter how good it was, it wouldn''t be able tost long. ¡®I can¡¯t hide my other skills any longer.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t use a sword aura with the amount of magic he currently had. Now was the time to use either Frost or Watchguard of Darkness. ''But so many people are watching¡­'' While Seo Jun-Ho was trying to make up his mind, Rodomir suddenly kicked him. Itnded on his side, making him fly ten meters back. "Kuh¡­cough! Cough!¡± He coughed out blood. ¡®Dammit¡­.¡¯ It was the worst-case scenario. Two of his ribs had been broken with a single kick. ¡®When was thest time this happened?¡¯ He had faced a lot of crucial moments after being awoken from the ice, but this was the first time he had been directly injured. Was it the Frost Queen¡­no, his ribs were fine back then. He pondered as he got back up. ¡°...Dammit.¡± His face fell. The damage was so bad that he could see two Rodomirs. But he couldn¡¯t run away. The yers were still fighting¡­ "Huh¡­..?¡± At that moment, the backs of the yers started to fill his sight. There were leather armor, heavy armor, light armor, and even te armor. It was a rare sight of unity between yers. They stood in front of Seo Jun-Ho like a wall. "You¡¯ve worked hard to fight the monster alone.¡± "Rest for now.¡± "You¡¯ll get a stomach ache if you eat everything alone. Leave some for us.¡± The party leaders and Cha Min-Woo faced Rodomir and the ominous energy that surrounded him. "Don¡¯t, he¡¯s dangerou¡­ugh!" Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face scrunched from the pain on his side. All of a sudden, there was a cool feeling over his wound, and the pain started to fade. "Your ribs are broken. At this level, it''ll take at least 30 minutes for it to heal.¡± He looked to his side and found Choi Jin-Pyo, Cha Min-Woo¡¯s party healer. His hands were at his side, awash in light. "I''ll help too. Then it¡¯ll be 20.¡± ¡°My healing skill is low, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± Two more healers crouched by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s side. The pain started to fade faster. ¡®At this rate, it¡¯ll take 10¡­no, it¡¯ll only take 5 minutes for my bones to stitch back together.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho weakly tried to express his gratitude, but Choi Jin-Pyo waved him off. "Even though we were all the way in the back, we saw everything we needed to.¡± "...What?" "You, fighting alone. Jun-Ho-nim took care of those five monstrous dark elves and pushed back the tribe chief in no time.¡± "It inspired us.¡± "You fought so hard even though it had only been three months since you debuted. We couldn¡¯t just stand by. It would be humiliating.¡± "In the end, well¡­we can help you now after we¡¯ve reduced the dark elves to around a hundred.¡± He liked the look in their eyes. Seo Jun-Ho blushed and scratched his cheek. "Ouch." "Hey, stay still. Stop moving, you¡¯re injured." "...Sorry." Seeing Seo Jun-Ho pout at Choi Jin-Pyo''s nagging, the yers around himughed. It was such a human-like expression. "Then, once we kill that guy¡­..¡± "Yes, the battle will be over.¡± They all looked exhausted, but their eyes shone brightly. But Rodomir wasn¡¯t nning on letting them win. ¡°...¡± Rodomir quietly took in the eighteen yers that formed a wall around him. If they all had the same level of skill as the human from before, it would be a difficult fight. But once he assessed each person, he felt relieved. "Good.¡± The humans in front of him posed no threat to him at all. Chapter 53. The Price of a Gamble (1)

Chapter 53. The Price of a Gamble (1)

This might be obvious, but yers generally had better instincts than normal people. After all, their senses became sharper as they leveled up and gathered experience from Gates. But sometimes, there were things that they could sense even if theycked the level and experience. Like now. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The eighteen yers trembled like school children about to be punished by a teacher. Rodomir, the leader of the ck Moss tribe, was giving off an energy that was so violent and wild that it gave them the chills. ¡®Goddamn, the rookie was able to fight back so I didn¡¯t expect much...but he¡¯s gonna kill us all.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re telling me Seo Jun-Ho fought one-on-one with this beast?¡¯ ¡®Hm...I wonder if we can take him down by taking turns and distracting him with a pincer attack¡­¡¯ They fell deep in thought, and so did Cha Min-Woo. They previously thought that they could handle him when they were watching from afar, but there was an immeasurable gap between their expectations and reality now that they were close enough to hear even his breathing. ¡®Jun-Ho-nim fought so bravely against someone like him?¡¯ They bit their lips. Was it because they were scared? Of course, that was a part of it, but there was another. ¡®...Dammit, what kind of burden did we ce on a three-month-old newbie?¡¯ ¡®Shit, I tried to give him some advice as a sunbae before. How fucking embarrassing.¡¯ ¡®Genius disys itself even in childhood.[1] Seo Jun-Ho is going ces.¡¯ They felt both embarrassed and ashamed. ¡°10 minutes.¡± At that moment, a veteran yer spoke. He was the same one that had realized what Seo Jun-Ho had been doing earlier. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us can defeat him. You guys know that, right?¡± Without realizing it, all the yers there nodded. Perhaps it might be different if the other yers dealing with the rest of the dark elves quickly finished up their fights and joined them, but with just the eighteen of them, it was an impossible feat to defeat such a monster. ¡°So let¡¯s just survive the next ten minutes.¡± ¡°Is there any reason why it¡¯s ten minutes?¡± Cha Min-Woo asked. ¡°I heard from the back lines that Seo Jun-Ho willpletely recover in around ten minutes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s recovery. The yers looked determined when they realized that they just had to hold on for ten minutes. Defeating Rodomir on their own would be impossible, but holding on for ten minutes was much more doable. ¡®Ten minutes¡­¡¯ Cha Min-Woo resolved himself. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t look back; because if he did, Seo Jun-Ho would have seen the fear in his eyes. ¡°We can do it. If it¡¯s just ten minutes, we can hold on¡­¡± he chanted under his breath. ¡°Dodge, you idiot!¡± A yer next to him pushed his shoulder. As he rolled on the floor, he felt the vibrations of the cave in his bones. ¡®An attack!¡¯ Rodomir had made the first move. With a stroke of his sword, the wall formed by eighteen people directly shattered. ¡°Ugh.¡± But thankfully, no one was hurt. Cha Min-Woo gripped his sword. ¡°Thank you for saving me! And I¡¯m sorry!¡± he yelled. ¡°Get it together!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± The eighteen yers all moved in different directions, but they all had the same goal. ¡®That ahjussi said that we just need to hold on for ten minutes, but¡­¡¯ They were putting their lives on the line. It would be unfair if the only thing their opponent lost was time. ¡®He should gamble his life too.¡¯ They had their pride as yers, after all. Neen figures twisted and fought, aiming for each others¡¯ lives. *** Rodomir was starting to feel uneasy. ¡®They were like ants before¡­¡¯ When he assessed them before the battle, he hadn¡¯t been too worried about them. He had been confident that he would be able to kill them all in five minutes at the longest. But as soon as the battle started, things went in an unexpected direction. ¡°You insects!¡± His enemies were relentless. If he tossed one aside; three would go and catch that person, and during that time the rest of them would attack him. ¡°Why...¡± ¡®Why are they fighting so hard?¡¯ Rodomir scowled and paused his attacks, staring at the humans. When he saw the fierce look in their eyes, he realized that these disgraceful pests were trying to hunt him. ¡°Ha...haha...?¡± ¡®The power difference is obvious.¡¯ If they were smart, they should run with their tails tucked between their legs, but they were actually trying to kill him. He felt disappointed in himself when he couldn¡¯t kill them all immediately. ¡®Why do I feel so uneasy and afraid?¡¯ He gripped and ungripped his fist. He hadn¡¯t realized it yet, but he hadn¡¯t been using his full power. Rodomir looked past the yers. ¡®...That human.¡¯ It was because the human that he first crossed swords with was still ring at him from afar as he sat on the ground. The human was starting to recover from his injuries. ¡°Fufu.¡± Rodomirughed. It was funny. ¡®I am a fallen being and had burned my own soul away...yet I¡¯m wary of that human?¡¯ How could it not be funny? But hisughter didn¡¯tst long. The amusement left his face, and his eyes became as cold as ice in the middle of winter. He swung his sword at the yers¡¯ heads again. It was the same trajectory as before, so they reacted the same way, but the results were different. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± A yer screamed as Rodomir cut through his shield and chest. Other yers quickly sent him to the back lines as he gasped for breath. Healers immediately attended to him. ¡°It was the same attack as before though?¡± ¡°...Is he finally starting to get serious?¡± An rm went off in the yers¡¯ heads. When they checked the time, they realized that it had been seven minutes since the battle started. ¡®There are still three minutes left.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ve survived this far. We¡¯ll survive for three minutes more, somehow¡­¡¯ That was what they thought, but it only took three seconds for them to realize that they had been arrogant. Crack! No one could block Rodomir¡¯s strike when he attacked for real. He was like the ruler of the battlefield, controlling it as he pleased. If he wanted to kill something, he killed. If he wanted to destroy something, he destroyed. ¡°Keep going¡­.keep going...¡± The veteran yer whispered hoarsely as he stood back up. His arm was bent the wrong way and it hung pitifully on his side. ¡°Huu, huu.¡± He was a human being who could feel fear. He wasn¡¯t some noble self-sacrificing hero either. But even with that, there was a reason why he still wouldn¡¯t lower his sword. ¡®No one can defeat him except yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t thought that before the battle. Telling his teammates that they only had to survive for ten minutes was meant to be a morale boost. He thought that they would be able to take this one guy down if they joined with the rest of the forces, but¡­ ¡®...that¡¯s not true.¡¯ Rodomir wasn¡¯t just ¡®one guy.¡¯ The real hunt would start when all the other dark elves had been annihted and he was the only one left. He was strong enough to be a one-man army. The veteran yer realized that if the Gate had been a little older, Rodomir would have been the boss monster of a 1-star Gate. ¡®The Association grants a star to a monster with 10,000 yers killed.¡¯ The only reason Rodomir hadn¡¯t received one was that they were the first group to attempt to clear the Gate where he was. The veteran thought that Rodomir was more than strong enough to kill 10,000 yers. ¡°Huff...huff.¡± The only sounds that could be heard were the yers¡¯ harsh breathings. They could sense the despair in each others¡¯ breaths. ¡°Is that all?¡± Rodomir narrowed his eyes. He looked at them in disgust as if they were insects. The look in his eyes only angered the yers, and they used their weapons to prop themselves up. ¡°So you still have some strength left.¡± It didn¡¯t really matter. Whether it took him a hundred or a thousand times to force them on their knees, they would eventually stop getting up. But that time didn¡¯te. ¡°...¡± Rodomir¡¯s eyes narrowed. His eyes were fixed on a certain human that was walking toward him. ¡°You know what they say in movies at times like this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. He finished stretching as if to show that his ribs were fine. ¡°Herees a new challenger!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the 2010s...¡± ¡°Cringe¡­¡± ¡°Jun-Ho-nim, that¡¯s a little...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell. ¡°W-what are you saying? All the movies I¡¯ve seen have lines like that.¡± Was he behind the times? Why was he making a dad joke? Seo Jun-Ho cleared his throat as his face started to turn red. ¡°Forget it. Leave this guy to me and go support the main forces.¡± ¡°Can you really take him on alone?¡± ¡°He¡¯s really strong...¡± They seemed reluctant. Truthfully, Seo Jun-Ho was giving them a reason to retreat. However, they wanted to protect their pride and honor. ¡°Let us fight with you instead.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree. After crossing swords with him, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a monster one person can fight alone.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be your fault if you die while fighting alone.¡± ¡®Why are they like this?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s frustration was starting to show on his face. While he was getting treated, he thought about how he could use his skills without arousing suspicion. The solution was obvious, but the others wouldn¡¯t y long. ¡°There¡¯s no need to ponder.¡± Rodomir gave him his answer. He raised his sword high over his head. ¡°...I¡¯ll just kill you all at once.¡± He swung with all his strength. The force of his strike was like a small explosion. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°yer Seo Jun-ho!¡± Right before Rodomir¡¯s sword swung, Seo Jun-Ho had stabbed him. Tremendous dark energy exploded between them. ¡°Kuh!¡± ¡°W-what?¡± The yers were thrown back and they realized what had happened. A ck dome had formed in front of them. It spread across the clearing as Cha Min-Woo banged on the dome. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim! Are you alright?!¡± A low voice came from the inside. ¡°This...the bastard used...I didn¡¯t do it...trapped...really...¡± ¡°Did he fall for the enemy¡¯s trap?¡± Unable to hold back his frustration, Cha Min-Woo attacked the dome several times to no avail. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± The veteran yer approached Cha Min-Woo and sat cross-legged on the ground. He stared at the dome bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t know who will step out once it¡¯s over...but all we can do now is believe and wait.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡± The yers sat in front of therge dome and waited. *** ¡°What is...this?¡± Rodomir was uncharacteristically disoriented. He looked around the pitch darkness that surrounded him. ¡°This is Curtain of Darkness.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stroked the wall affectionately. ¡°I usually make it to cover a small area to have private conversations, but sometimes, I hold fights in here. Like right now.¡± ¡°...So it¡¯s your skill.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Were you hiding your true strength?¡± Rodomir growled. Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. The darkness around him started to waver, and ice started to form. ¡°Your anger makes me feel like I¡¯m the boss monster,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered as he unsheathed ck Dragon Fang. He tried to imagine it the other way around. If he hadnded a near-fatal wound on a boss monster and it retreated to recover, only toe back with two new skills... ¡°Man, that 2nd phase would be a pain in the ass.¡± Of course, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t feel this way because it wasn¡¯t a situation that he had to deal with. ¡°So this is how bosses feel? How fun¡­¡± Heughed gleefully. 1. The original Korean proverb is ???? ??? ???? ???? which is directly tranted to Sandalwood is fragrant even when it¡¯s a seed leaf. ? Chapter 54. The Price of a Gamble (2)

Chapter 54. The Price of a Gamble (2)

Ever since Seo Jun-Ho acquired his Frost skill, he had always pondered how to use it. ¡®How on earth should I use this?¡¯ At first, he thought of using it to reinforce his equipment. He had fun using Watchguard of Darkness in a simr manner. But it felt like a waste to only use it like that. He kept thinking that there should be a better way to use it. But eventually, he returned to the fighting style he was familiar with the most. ¡®My fighting style is alreadyplete from when I was Specter.¡¯ The world''s elite yers had called him a ¡®Completed yer¡¯ because of how wless Specter¡¯sbat skills were. Even Seo Jun-Ho himself thought that the only thing hecked was magic. ¡®...But I realized that we were wrong while fighting the Frost Queen.¡¯ He had definitely been the victor of that fight, but in retrospect, there were many parts he regretted. ¡®Watchguard of Darkness is the strongest spear.¡¯ No matter how strong the opponent¡¯s armor was, it didn¡¯t matter as long as he couldnd a clean hit. Because of that, he enjoyed fights where he could corner his opponents in one direction. As long as he made a proper hit, the tides of the fight would turn in an instant. ¡®But that didn¡¯t work on opponents at a simr level to me.¡¯ A strong enemy like the Frost Queen wouldn¡¯t just take his hits. She used her powerful Frost skill to block his attacks and even make counterattacks. ¡®Watchguard of Darkness is the best for attacks, but it iscking in the defense department.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought this was his weakness. ¡®So when I got the Frost skill, the first thing that came to mind was defensive reinforcement.¡¯ He tried to increase his overall defense by strengthening his equipment, but unfortunately, the results weren¡¯t that great. ¡®If I cover armor in ice¡­ it¡¯ll naturally be heavy.¡¯¡¯ It did help, but he lost mobility, and the increase in defense wasn¡¯t that good with just the Frost skill. Eventually, Seo Jun-Ho had to make a choice. ¡®Should I give up speed for a resilient body?¡¯ Or... ¡®...Should I raise both my attack and defense but be in more danger?¡¯ With two options in front of him, he was leaning towards one of them more than the other. As someone who was used to walking on a tightrope, he preferred riskier battles. ¡®Since I¡¯ve already received the skill, I should use it to the best of my abilities.¡¯ After a lot of pondering and research, he finally decided on how he would use the Frost skill. It came down to three categories. "The first is the utility." Crackle! The ground beneath them started to freeze over. Rodomir¡¯s eyes went wide when he saw that his ankles were starting to freeze. He lifted his feet. Crack! The ice broke immediately. "You cannot trap me with such petty tricks." "I know." Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t n to bind him. ¡®I just need to distract you.¡¯ The floor had be as slippery as an ice rink. Rodomir would have to use more strength than usual to simply walk. ¡®That¡¯s good enough.¡¯ The icy ground would serve to distract his enemy and slowly eat away at his stamina. ¡®This is the first way I can use the Frost skill¡ªto create an advantageous battlefield.¡¯ The second use was more intuitive. Since it would be too heavy to constantly cover his armor in ice, he just needed to do it whenever he was attacked. ¡®Of course, that means I have to pay extra attention to everything that¡¯s going on¡­¡¯ But he was Specter. This level of fine control was nothing. The final use of the Frost skill was his favorite. Crackle! The air around him froze, creating sharp icicles. "Using the Frost skill to supplement attacks.¡± Truthfully, this was something he had dreamed about since he was Specter. ¡®Watchguard of Darkness can¡¯t do this.¡¯ Well, it was possible, but it was highly inefficient. The darkness was intangible, and though it was possible to make weapons out of it, it consumed too much magic. ¡®Technically, cold energy is intangible too¡­¡¯ But it would be solid as soon as moisture froze. In other words, it was abat skill that he had dreamed of having since he was Specter. ¡°What if a magician wielded a sword or a swordsman wielded magic?¡± It would be the best possible skill for a magic swordsman. From now on, his opponent would have to avoid both his sword and the icicles that woulde flying to them in all directions ¡°...¡± Rodomir quietly watched what was happening. ¡°Darkness and ice...why did you hide such power?¡± ¡°It was something I couldn¡¯t avoid. Besides, didn¡¯t you hide your power as well?¡± Seo Jun-Ho jutted his chin toward the dark energy shrouding Rodomir¡¯s sword. ¡°...My circumstances are different.¡± Rodomir¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t something he could use whenever he wanted. He had to burn his soul away to borrow the strength of a corrupt spirit. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The ck energy surrounding Rodomir¡¯s sword wavered like it was about to explode. It was a violent energy that seemed like it would destroy everything it touched. But Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t back down. ¡®10 minutes...no, maybe 5.¡¯ He quickly calcted in his head the amount of time he would be able to maintain his full power, while also taking into ount his opponent¡¯s abilities. ¡°...¡± A momentter, he made a decision. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll work. 5 minutes should be enough.¡± ¡°...5 minutes? Are you saying that you only need 5 minutes to kill me?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Rodomir snorted at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s casual response. He knew very well that Seo Jun-Ho had been hiding his true power. He had brought him to this strange space, drawing darkness and ice out of thin air. ¡®But to say 5 minutes¡­¡¯ Heposed himself. He thought that Seo Jun-Ho was still gravely underestimating him, but Seo Jun-Ho thought the opposite. ¡®He¡¯s extraordinary. I think he¡¯ll actuallyst five minutes.¡¯ He was amazed to think that his opponent would be able to hold on for so long. Even if he wasn¡¯t as strong as he was in the past, he considered it as him praising Rodomir for being able tost five minutes in a fight against him. ¡°This will be fun.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart started to pound in excitement. Woooing! ck Dragon Fang started to cry out. ck sword ki erupted around it. ¡®It¡¯s impossible for me to use a sword aura with my current level of magic. ¡® But he could produce something close enough. Ssssk! The sword ki suddenly started to tremble. The vibrating energy started to burn like fire. ¡°Hmph! A sword aura...?¡± Rodomir looked slightly surprised for a moment, but then he snorted. ¡°I saw wrong.¡± It was toocking to be called a sword aura. Perfected auras burned fiercer than this. ¡°Do you think you can defeat me in 5 minutes simply because of that sword?¡± "Of course not.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and smiled. ¡°A long time ago¡ªthat is, around 27 or 28 years ago¡ªI was fighting a boss monster called an Ironshell Turtle. Its hides and shell were so thick that I couldn¡¯t even scratch it with sword ki.¡± ¡°...?¡± Rodomir frowned. The human looked like he was in his mid-twenties, so why was he talking about something from 27 years ago? Nevertheless, the tone in his voice was too pure to be a lie, and he had a faint air of nostalgia about him. ¡°At that time, I thought to myself: ¡®this is how I die¡¯. But as death approached, I didn¡¯t want to die, you know? So I thought to myself that I¡¯d have to use a sword aura. But it¡¯s not that easy. It¡¯s not like you can pull it out whenever you want to. Naturally, I failed. In front of me was the Irond Turtle, and behind me was the sea. It still makes me shiver whenever I think about it...¡± Woosh! ck Dragon Fang let out a clear sound as if anticipating its transformation. ¡°So I made this.¡± The darkness around him covered the de, reinforcing the sword with magic. Magic and darkness. The two energies collided. nang! ng! It wasn¡¯t just one sh. They fought like children fighting over a toy. Kuh... Because of that, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic quickly depleted, but it wasn¡¯t for nothing. The magic that had been burning like a candle started to grow. ¡°One day, Rahmadat saw this.¡± Rahmadat Khali, the King of Destruction. The so-called seconding of Shiva, India¡¯s hero, and hisrade. ¡°He said that out of all the misceneous techniques he¡¯s seen in his life...¡± aang! After one more fierce sh, the two prideful energies had reached a truce. ¡°This one is the best.¡± Wooosh! A ck fire burned on ck Dragon Fang, resembling a sword aura. ¡®I can maintain this state for¡­ 10 minutes at most.¡¯ You couldn¡¯tpare it to a sword aura, but it was much stronger and sharper than sword ki. It was a miracle birthed out of Seo Jun-ho¡¯s desperation to live and his ingenious creativity. "Law of Life (±ØËÀ„tÉú)." If you were prepared to die, you would find a way to live. He got the name of his technique from Admiral Yi Sun-Shin¡¯s War Diary.[1] ¡°...¡± When Rodomir saw the sword, he realized that his opponent hadn¡¯t underestimated him after all. ¡°5 minutes.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°Not bad.¡± He regarded him highly. *** ¡°Cough.¡± Blood poured from Rodomir¡¯s mouth. He slowly looked down at the pitch-ck sword that had pierced his heart. It had taken 5 minutes and 2 seconds before his heart was pierced by his opponent. ¡°Really...not bad...¡± The power of the corrupt spirit wasn¡¯t so easily overpowered by the makeshift sword aura. It had been his opponent¡¯s own skills that had decided the oue of the battle. tter. Rodomir ced his sword down and fell on his knees. He had betrayed the World Tree, but he wished to die as the knight of an Elven n. "...Human." He was starting to see light, as bright as the sun in the sky. For someone who was about to die, his eyes were clear and his expression was peaceful. ¡°Anyst words?¡± "...Here." Rodomir tapped his neck with two fingers. He was asking him to end it. Seo Jun-Ho nodded, then rummaged through his inventory. "I¡¯ll do as you ask, so just answer my question.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± Rodomir looked carefully at the item the human was holding. His eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s...Spirit Egg!¡± "Ho?" Rodomir reached out his hand and tried to stroke the precious egg, entranced. "No, no, you¡¯re corrupted. Don¡¯t infect my child.¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly pulled it back and hid it in his jacket. He once again questioned Rodomir, who was looking at him bitterly. "So it¡¯s a Spirit Egg?¡± "...Yes." "Then will a spirit be born from here?¡± Instead of responding, Rodomir ripped off his ne made of rotten wood. "Yes, if you go to a ce with even a trace of the World Tree.¡± He tossed the ne to Seo Jun-Ho. "Take it if you want. It¡¯s weak, but it contains some power from the World Tree.¡± "Well, I won¡¯t say no. Do you have anything else? Elixirs?¡± ¡°...¡± Rodomir looked at him with disgust. ¡°To think that I fell to such a human...¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t, just say no.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re done here.¡± Before he pulled out his sword, he asked one more question. ¡°Oh, how do I hatch it?¡± ¡°...Infuse it with your magic. Then the spirit will recognize you as a friend.¡± "Thanks." "Hmph.¡± Rodomir snorted and closed his eyes. ¡®Please be satisfied with just me¡­.forgive the fools who decided to follow me.¡¯ He mumbled a prayer that would not reach the World Tree. Slice! The sword was pulled from his chest and shed across his neck, thus ending High Elf Rodomir¡¯s life. Seo Jun-Ho nkly stared at the body of the dark elf who had died as a knight. "Now that I think about it, there was one more thing I wanted to ask...but I forgot to.¡± He wondered why he hated cockroaches that much. "Well, it wasn¡¯t that important, anyway.¡± He shrugged and looked down at the Spirit Egg in his hand. 1. The name of the technique is literally this entire phrase but in hanja, so I shortened it. Yi Sun-shin is a famous Korean war general ? Chapter 55. My Spirit is a Little Strange (1)

Chapter 55. My Spirit is a Little Strange (1)

Seo Jun-Ho had encountered numerous spirits during his life. He had hunted violent spirits inside Gates and met spirits that were contracted to other yers. Whether he met them as an ally or an enemy, he always thought the same thing. ¡®They¡¯re so OP.¡¯ Spirits didn¡¯t need magic from yers because they were independent beings. In other words, they could create powerful attacks or shields without consuming a yer¡¯s magic. It was no risk with an insanely high return, and Seo Jun-Ho had always envied yers with contracted spirits. ¡®But now I can contract a spirit of my own?¡¯ Obviously, his heart was pounding. He recalled what he knew about spirits. ¡®Like humans, spirits are attracted to those they are simr to.¡¯ Spirits didn¡¯t make contracts with those who didn¡¯t have the right synergy. So when Seo Jun-Ho found out that the ball he had was a Spirit Egg, he only had one thought. ¡®It¡¯s a dark spirit.¡¯ He had been using Watchguard of Darkness longer than anything else, and it was also the skill he was the most proficient in. ¡°This will be useful.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sensed a faint trace of nature in the wooden ne. ¡®This is...the energy of the World Tree.¡¯ It only contained a trace of it, but it was pure and refreshing. He crushed it in his hand. Crack! The ne was destroyed, releasing the energy inside. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t miss the chance and poured his magic into the glowing ball. Crackle! There came the sound of an egg being cracked. The ball shined so brightly that it temporarily blinded him. ¡°Keugh.¡± But his pain soon turned into happiness. ¡®Just what kind of spirit is it? How strong will it be?¡¯ Calming his pounding heart, Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. ¡°...What?¡± His face fell. *** ¡°Hm, the fight¡¯s taking longer than I thought.¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting nervous. We can¡¯t even see what¡¯s going on in there.¡± The yers muttered to themselves impatiently. They had already taken care of the other dark elves. If the tribe chief Rodomir was defeated, they would seed in clearing the Gate. Suddenly, an announcement appeared before them with a ring. ~ [You have cleared the Wild Forest.] ~ They seeded in clearing the Gate! The yers started to cheer and pump their fists in the air. ¡°What about Jun-Ho-nim?¡± As if responding to Cha Min-Woo¡¯s question, the dark dome dissipated like smoke, revealing a gloomy-looking Seo Jun-Ho from within. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim!¡± ¡°You did it!¡± ¡°Are you hurt anywhere? We should get you treated first!¡± He shook his head at the crowd of people that started to surround him. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°But why do you look so sullen?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho briefly pondered about how he should exin it. ¡°Imagine the disappointment of a child who wanted a cool new toy for Christmas but got school supplies instead.¡± ¡°...?¡± The people around him had no idea what he was saying and looked at him with confused faces. ¡°Hoo, nevermind.¡± He sighed. They wouldn¡¯t be able to understand his feelings. Messages started to appear in front of him. ~ [You have cleared the Wild Forest.] [You have received ¡®Blue Fairy Bracelet¡¯ as a clear reward.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [All stats increased by 3.] [You have recovered 3 magic stats.] [You have recovered 3 strength stats.] [The Gate will automatically copse in one hour.] ~ ¡®Level 27¡­¡¯ He had been level 23 when he entered the Gate, which meant that his level increased by 4. It was only possible because of his crucial role in the conquest, and because he had taken all the EXP from Rodomir for himself. ¡®Three more.¡¯ He was three levels away from being able to go to the 2nd floor. He usually exited the Gates with a triumphant expression, but this time, his footsteps were heavy. ¡®Why did I get that spirit¡­¡¯ Letting out another sigh, Seo Jun-Ho was the first one to step out of the Gate. Thezy night sky of Ennd greeted him. Click! Click! Hundreds of cameras shed, capturing his image. *** [The Wild Forest Gate has been cleared, but there are empty spaces where the lost yers should be.] [Seo Jun-Ho unanimously decided as the MVP for the 5th consecutive time! He is writing history.] [The weakest yer showed the greatest strength. Videos from inside the Gate.] ... It didn¡¯t matter which country it was, Seo Jun-Ho was on the front page of the newspapers all over the world the day after the Wild Forest Gate was cleared. There had been concerns about his participation because he had the lowest level among them, but after he seeded, his reputation started to soar. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho himself was glum as he sat on a ne heading back to Korea. ¡°...What does it matter.¡± You shouldn¡¯t count your chickens before they hatch. He had made the mistake of doing that to his spirit. ¡°Howe my spirit...¡± He let out a sigh as he wiped his face with a washcloth. At that moment, a tiny creature stered itself onto the ne window. He red at the tiny creature looking out the ne window. ¡°The humans here are quite intriguing. They can fly without magic.¡± The little spirit was about the size of his palm, a size that made everything look adorable. It was humanoid, but there was a different reason why Seo Jun-Ho was staring at that adorable little spirit. ¡°...Hey, didn¡¯t I tell you to not talk to me until I finish sorting my thoughts?¡± ¡°How strict. I was simply talking to myself.¡±[1] She looked shockingly simr to someone he knew. More specifically, she looked like the boss monster that had threatened the world 25 years ago. ¡®¡­The Frost Queen.¡¯ If she simply resembled her in appearance, he wouldn¡¯t have reacted this badly. It was all because of what she had said as soon as she emerged from the egg. ~Oya? You¡¯re a familiar face. ¡°Huu...¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out another sigh as he pounded the poor seat with his fist. ¡°Why me¡­ why my spirit¡­.¡± He wanted a cool, strong, dark spirit, but he obtained a frost spirit instead. It was even the one that he had killed himself. ¡°I think I¡¯ve given you enough time to cool off.¡± ¡°I said, don¡¯t talk to me.¡± ¡°Oh, but I was talking to myself.¡± ¡°...¡± Seeing the Frost Queen smirk as she floated in the air made his anger swell. She wore a dress of white and blue with a peculiar helmet that covered her eyes, but he could tell by her smile that she was mocking him. ¡°Okay, fine.¡± After making a decision, Seo Jun-Ho closed the door of his first-ss seat so that no one could eavesdrop. He folded his arms and looked down at the Frost Queen. ¡°Why are you doing this to me? Why were you the one that came out of the spirit egg?¡± ¡°What use is there to ask me? A spirit egg will contain a spirit that is the mostpatible with your magic.¡± ¡°So why you? The spirit mostpatible with me would be a dark spirit.¡± ¡°Fufu.¡± The Frost Queen covered her mouth as sheughed. She folded her legs in the air. ¡°Is it not obvious? Your mostpatible attribute is frost.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke around. I¡¯ve used Watchguard of Darkness for over 5 years. Frost, on the other hand...¡± It had only been a little over three months. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t believe that his mostpatible attribute was frost, not darkness. ¡°Regardless, the fact stands that I was the one that emerged from the spirit egg after you infused it with your magic.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s fucking annoying, but that¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°Then, let me ask you. Will you make a contract with me?¡± ¡°A contract?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face hardened ¡°You...when I think about what you did to me and myrades¡­ and to other people...¡± ¡°What have I done for you to say that?¡± The Frost Queen flew around his head, seemingly confused. ¡°Ha! Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know. You...¡± As he was about to scoff about her deeds, Seo Jun-Ho suddenly paused. ¡®...What did she do again?¡¯ All he knew was that she froze the South Pacific Ocean and froze his friends. The Frost Queen spoke first. ¡°I already said this, but I have not done anything in this world worthy of condemnation.¡± ¡°...You froze the South Pacific.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose I feel sorry to the fish.¡± ¡°And because of that, there was all that abnormal weather...¡± But it hadn¡¯t been that serious because her Gate had been in Antarctica. ¡°...More importantly, you froze me and myrades.¡± Shake, shake. The Frost Queen raised her hands and shook her little head. She looked like a doll. ¡°Are you pretending not to know? I was not the one who froze you, but the power to melt them belongs to me.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°On the contrary, I feel most sorry for myself, whom you killed...¡± He had nothing to say in the face of the facts. Seo Jun-Ho started to shake his head in frustration. ¡°A-anyways...I don¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°Hu, you¡¯re like a child throwing a tantrum.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s thoughts becameplicated as he sat in his seat. ¡®Did she really do nothing wrong?¡¯ As far as he knew, she truly hadn¡¯t done anything sinister. But just to be sure, he opened Vita¡¯s messaging app. [What?] Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s cool reply came. [Deok-Gu, what do you think the Frost Queen did wrong?] [What? What are you asking all of a sudden?] [I¡¯m in a hurry.] [Geez...Obviously, she made the 5 heroes into icicles.] [Anything else?] [I don¡¯t know. Should there be something else?] [...Nevermind. Thanks.] [Why do you ask?] [Later.] Seo Jun-Ho closed the screen and felt the eyes of the spirit on him. The Frost Queen was smirking as if she was saying, ¡®see? I was right.¡¯ ¡°...Fine. Let¡¯s say that you didn¡¯t do anything in the past. But why should I make a contract with you?¡± ¡°I shall be your teacher,¡± she whispered in her sweet voice. ¡°I can teach you how to use my skill, and I can use spiritual energy to help you.¡± ¡°You, teach me? Ha!¡± Seo Jun-Ho scoffed. ¡°You lost to me.¡± He was stronger than her. How could someone weaker than him teach him? But the Frost Queen was unfazed. ¡°Yes, you did win against my weakened form.¡± ¡°...Weakened? Who said you¡¯re selling medicine?¡± [2] ¡°Medicine? Sorry, but I¡¯m not some peddler. I¡¯ve never sold medicine.¡± She shook her head, her voice clear and sonorous. ¡°I am the Queen of the Ice Kingdom Niflheim, the one who controls all the cold in the world. I swear on my own existence that I am not lying.¡± She made an Oath of Existence. It had originated from the mana oaths of magicians. ¡®If they breach a mana oath, magicians will lose all their magic.¡¯ The powerful Frost Queen made the oath by her own choice, so she wouldn¡¯t lie. ¡°...How weakened were you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Perhaps by a hundred times?¡± ¡°A hundred? No way! Swear on yourself again.¡± ¡°...No. If I do it too often, it will lower my dignity as a Queen.¡± She nced at him. ¡°So will you or will you not make a contract with me?¡± ¡°...¡± It made no sense that she only used a hundredth of her true power, but it was true that she had been nerfed. ¡®If she¡¯s three times¡­ no, if she¡¯s only two times as strong as she was then¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t even want to imagine her full strength. But being taught by such a being was a good enough reason to make a contract. She had also be a frost spirit, so she wouldn¡¯t use up magic while being a powerful ally. No matter how he thought about it, it would be a huge mistake to avoid such a contract. ¡°...Fine. Let¡¯s do it.¡± He decided. Seo Jun-ho looked at the Frost Queen coldly. ¡°But I have a condition.¡± ¡°A condition? Speak.¡± ¡°If you put me or the people around me in danger because of your lies or blunders, the contract will be null.¡± ¡°You speak the obvious. A contract with a spirit is a contract of the souls. I would never do that.¡± Sheughed. Seo Jun-Ho scowled at her sickly sweet smile. ¡®I don¡¯t know if this is the right choice¡­¡¯ But for now, he contracted the Frost Queen. 1. She uses a form of ¡®I¡¯ that means that she¡¯s the strongest in a group. ? 2. The word for ¡®weakened¡¯ sounds simr to ¡®pharmacy¡¯. ? Chapter 56. My Spirit is a Little Strange (2)

Chapter 56. My Spirit is a Little Strange (2)

¡°It was an honor to work with you,¡± Cha Min-Woo said as they came out of the Incheon Airport. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say that...but you helped me a lot too.¡± It was the truth. If he hadn¡¯t teamed up with Cha Min-Woo and the other yers, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to clear the Gate. ¡°See you next time!¡± ¡°Make sure you get checked out by an Association healer just in case.¡± Seo Mi-Rae and Choi Jin-Pyo waved, and Cha Min-Woo simply nodded. Seo Jun-Ho turned around and walked toward the woman who was waiting for him. ¡°I wondered if you¡¯de again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the duty of a secretary, remember?¡± Cha Si-Eun shrugged and escorted him. ¡°I was really busy, so I couldn¡¯t get you a souvenir this time.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you went on vacation likest time,¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°It¡¯s enough that you came back safely. Oh, and wee back.¡± ¡°...Thank you.¡± Cha Si-Eun climbed into the car and checked his schedule. ¡°You have a press conference tomorrow at 2 pm. Your schedule is free until then.¡± ¡°Haa, a press conference...¡± He had been swarmed by reporters in front of the Gate before he came home. But he had to do it again? He let out a long, annoyed sigh. ¡°Still, it¡¯s being held for a good reason. Go Korea! Super rookie! Kiya~ cheers!¡± She pretended to take a shot, and Seo Jun-Ho grinned at her antics. He nced at the Frost Queen. ¡®I don¡¯t think other people can see her.¡¯ First Cha Min-Woo, and now Cha Si-Eun. No one ever seemed to notice her. ¡°I can make myself visible if I wish to,¡± she said as if reading his mind. ¡°...Nah, not now.¡± ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± Cha Si-Eun asked. Seo Jun-Ho waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Please send me a list of Gates that I can go to if there are any.¡± ¡°Eek...You¡¯ve just returned, but you¡¯re already searching for your next Gate?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sit around doing nothing.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s okay to do that sometimes...You seem like you¡¯re pushing yourself too much...¡± Despite her nagging, she still sent a list over. The Frost Queen pressed herself against the window, watching the passingndscape with interest and wonder. ¡°So this is how the humans of Earth live¡­ It¡¯s quite different from what I saw from the sky. Things looked much smaller up there.¡± Seo Jun-Ho scrolled through the list of Gates throughout the world. Cha Min-Woo had told him that he and some other yers had talked to each other after they cleared the Gate. They said that if they had failed, the Gate would have be a 1-star Gate. ¡®Gates are given one star if ten thousand yers failed to clear it¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho rested his chin on his hand. The conquest had taught him that he couldn¡¯t clear a 1-star Gate on his own. ¡®But what about now?¡¯ He looked to the naive little Frost Queen, who was marveling at the sights. He didn¡¯t trust her, but she was still a spirit. ¡®Spirits are strong. Insanely strong.¡¯ The spirit users he met before had been powerful in their own ways because of the spirits they had contracted. ¡®I have to check how strong she is as soon as we get back.¡¯ Whenever he got a new power, he had to verify its strength before he used it. He would also have to assess his own abilities while he checked hers. ¡®It seems that I¡¯ll be busy for a while.¡¯ He was a yer, after all. It was natural that he would be thinking about training as soon as he got back. *** Shim Deok-Gu was out on business today, so he wasn¡¯t there to greet Seo Jun-Ho like usual when he came to the Association. Seo Jun-Ho headed straight to the training room. Cha Si-Eun wouldn¡¯t stop nagging him about it, but she couldn¡¯t win against his stubbornness. The Frost Queen scanned the room. ¡°How boring. There¡¯s no one to fight here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s a training room.¡± [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 27 Title: Bringer of Spring, Helper of Ascension Strength: 69 Stamina: 65 Speed: 71 Magic: 92 He wasn¡¯t even level 30 yet, but his magic stat was over 90. It made him smile. ¡®It¡¯s still not my best, though.¡¯ These were his raw stats without ck Armor. ¡°Let¡¯s see how I am at my best,¡± he muttered, equipping the armor. But that wasn¡¯t all. ¡®I got something really useful as a Gate reward.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho opened his inventory and took out a flowery bracelet. [Blue Fairy Bracelet] Grade: Rare Summary: Fairies created this bracelet with Agarit petals. Its user will quickly recover from fatigue. Stamina +5 Magic +3 Stamina regeneration rate +100% Magic regeneration rate +100% A bracelet that increased both stamina and magic, as well as their regeneration speed. ¡®And Bringer of Spring already increases them by 500%...¡¯ If the bracelet was added to the equation, his regeneration rate would increase by 600%. Now, even if he ran as fast as he could for a long time, he wouldn¡¯t get tired. ¡®There¡¯s still one more left.¡¯ His body was overflowing with power, but he wasn¡¯t done yet. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the in silver ring on his palm. ¡°Aura buff ring.¡± Nazad Hallow of the Nine Heavens had given it to his disciple, Skeleton Mage Arma. It raised the stats of allies and summons in a 30-meter radius. Of course, its user was included as well. ¡°Phew...Status window,¡± he whispered. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 27 Title: Bringer of Spring, Helper of Ascension Strength: 74 Stamina: 90 Speed: 76 Magic: 100 He stared at the window. His stats had increased immensely. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded. At his peak condition, his magic stat was finally at 100, and his other stats were also monstrous for his level. ¡®With this, I can clear a 1-star Gate.¡¯ And the one who would guarantee that was none other than the spirit in front of him¡ªthe Frost Queen. ¡°Hmm, you look better than before.¡± She crossed her arms and gave him a look. ¡°I never asked you to assess me. Besides, I want to see your skills.¡± ¡°You know my power better than anyone else.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a spirit right now. Things must be different from before,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, squinting. The Frost Queen twirled a strand of hair around her index finger. ¡°Hmm.¡± She thought to herself for a moment, then nodded. ¡°I understand. You made a contract with me. If I show you how incredible I am, you will treat me properly.¡± The temperature around them started to drop. It felt like his heart was freezing. ¡®...This is what I felt when we entered the Frost Queen¡¯s Nest.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho started to be nervous and swallowed. The Frost Queen slowly raised her hand. ¡°I am not in the mood.¡± Her hand dropped back down. The choking cold suddenly disappeared. ¡°Hey, what¡¯re you doing?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s not that I do not wish to show you.¡± She spun in the air. ¡°It¡¯s just that I do not wish to use my powers at the moment.¡± ¡°Are you kidding...¡± ¡°If I am curious about something, I cannot do anything else. It is in my nature.¡± She cut him off. Seo Jun-Ho let out a long sigh, soothing his anger. ¡°What. Are. You. So. Curious about?¡± he asked politely. ¡°I wish to look around the human world.¡± She flew toward him as she spoke as if she had been waiting for that very question. ¡°Earlier, I saw that the humans¡¯ castles are very tall. Like this.¡± She raised her hands high. ¡°...They¡¯re not castles, they¡¯re buildings.¡± ¡°Regardless, I wish to look around a little more. If you show me around the human world, I will reward you with the good graces of a Queen.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± She said so many words, just to say that she wanted to y. Seo Jun-Ho gripped his head, trying to figure out how he should deal with the spirit. ¡°...If I show you around, you have to show me your skills.¡± ¡°The Queen of the Ice Kingdom Niflheim keeps her promises.¡± ¡°Hoo, fine.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took off ck Armor and put ck Dragon Fang into his inventory. He hadn¡¯t even started training yet, but he was already tired. ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll show you around.¡± He should have realized how stubborn she was back then, and that she would only be satisfied if she got what she wanted. *** ¡°Wow!¡± The Frost Queen flitted around excitedly. Seo Jun-Ho watched dryly while wearing a hat and sunsses. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be excited about...¡± All he saw were skyscrapers and roads full of rush-hour traffic and pedestrians walking by, but everything was intriguing to her. ¡°The castles here are tall and unique. But at that height, I fear that they may be easily toppled by catapults...¡± ¡°Something like that won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Beware. Such careless thinking can bring down a kingdom.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head and kept his mouth shut. But even with that, the Frost Queen kept chattering as they went around without a moment to rest. ¡°I know what that is! It is the carriage we rode in earlier. There is a simr device in my kingdom.¡± ¡°The people here have no patterns in their appearance. Then, how do they discern each other¡¯s status?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all bent over and staring at a strange screen. What kind of curse is this?¡± She was so annoying, he felt like he was going crazy, but he still answered each and every one of her elementary questions. ¡°So tiring...¡± Plop. Seo Jun-Ho sat down on a bench and sighed. The Frost Queen approached him. ¡°Contractor.¡± ¡°What?¡± She pulled at his sleeve, leading him to a pet store. The puppies and kittens were visible from the window. ¡°What are the names of these adorable creatures?¡± ¡°Dog, cat. You don¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°The climate of my kingdom was not one that such frail children could survive in. Can I touch them?¡± ¡°No. Unless you¡¯re gonna buy one.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± The Frost Queen pressed against the window, studying a baby kitten. She looked a bit pitiful with her drooping ears. ¡°Well, you might be able to touch one of the cats on the streets.¡± ¡°A cat on the streets you say?¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re called stray cats. They don¡¯t have owners.¡± ¡°Stray cat...Stray cat...I will not forget their names.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Seo Jun-Ho checked his watch and started back toward the Association. He took a different route from the one they came from, cutting through a residential area. ¡°Hm?¡± Unfortunately, there was an ownerless catying on the street. ¡°It¡¯s a stray cat.¡± The Frost Queen happily flew over. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not like it can see her¡­¡¯ But he was wrong. ¡°Nya?¡± As the cat noticed the Frost Queen, its eyes started to sparkle like it had found a toy. ¡°Nyaa!¡± Thus began their intense chase. ¡°W-why is this child acting as such?!¡± It was probably the first time that she was running for her life thanks to a cat. She quickly escaped to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Nyaong.¡± The cat didn¡¯t want to provoke Seo Jun-Ho and quietly returned to its spot. ¡°What a fierce monster! To think that it hid its savage nature under an attractive mask. I was fooled.¡± She pulled at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hair, upset. ¡°How do you humans keep such fearsome monsters as pets?¡± ¡°That¡¯s...¡± Because they don¡¯t bite humans. You probably seemed like a butterfly because you were flying around. Before he could say that, however, a n hatched in his head. ¡°Huhu. Well, cats cower under the presence of someone strong.¡± He walked over to the cat and gently stroked its head and stomach. It didn¡¯t refuse him and actually purred. The Frost Queen looked shocked. ¡°It¡¯s not attacking...¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m strong.¡± ¡°I-I am also strong.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that...I can¡¯t really judge because I haven¡¯t seen anything...¡± She fell into his trap. She pouted and crossed her arms. ¡°Lead me.¡± ¡°To where?¡± ¡°I shall show you my power in the training room.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seo Jun-Ho suppressed his smile and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± He had figured out how to deal with the powerful Queen. Chapter 57. My Spirit is a Little Strange (3)

Chapter 57. My Spirit is a Little Strange (3)

Seo Jun-Ho sat on a folding chair in the training room. The Frost Queen was staring down at him. ¡°Carve the sight of my power into your mind.¡± ¡°dly.¡± As she summoned her power, the temperature of the room quickly dropped. She spread her small hands. Crackle! Dozens of ice spears shot up from the ground. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t even dream of doing that with his current level of magic. But he only watched more attentively. ¡®This won¡¯t be all.¡¯ He was right. Dozens of ice arrows formed in the air, and a shield also formed near the ceiling. As it fell to the ground, sturdy walls rose. ¡°You could wage a war all by yourself.¡± With this, she could have easily killed 100 dark elves. But his judgment was anticlimactic. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°W-what? Are you suggesting that this is merely ¡®not bad¡¯?¡± Naturally, she started to throw a fit,ining that she was greatly weakened because she had be a spirit. ¡°That¡¯s none of my concern. Even though it might be a bit sloppy, even I can make everything that you just made.¡± ¡°Nonsense! Watch carefully.¡± As she raised her hand, the arrows, spear, and shield appeared in front of him. Seo Jun-Ho inspected them carefully. ¡®The quality is definitely a lot better than what I can make.¡¯ The ice spears and arrows he made were rough imitations, but the Frost Queen¡¯s were different. As if crafted by a master, the arrows and spear were brimming with destructive power. ¡®Each arrow and speartip have three edges.¡¯ If you were hit by one of them, it would be dangerous to pull it out because doing so would only exacerbate your injury. The same was true for the shield. It was designed to disperse impact as much as possible. ¡°The quality of your weapons is much better than mine, but in the end, the enemies will still die if they were stabbed by my arrow or spear.¡± It would be nice to create weapons based on her designs, but Seo Jun-Ho was fine without them too. ¡°and if I focus on improving my designs, I¡¯ll get better at it eventually.¡± He went straight to the point. ¡°What I want from you is something that I can¡¯t do.¡± ¡°...Something you can¡¯t do, you say.¡± The Frost Queen stroked her chin for a moment before slowly drawing out her power again. ¡°Perhaps something like this will do.¡± ¡°What is it? Show me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t expect much, but the spectacle made him knock his chair over. He started to p. ¡°T-that¡¯s it! Yes, that¡¯s what I wanted!¡± *** Shim Deok-Gu finished his business and went to his office. He greeted the man who was using his office like it was his own room. ¡°I¡¯m so busy these days.¡± Deok-Gu sighed. ¡°Did you think that the position of a President would be easy and full of leisure?¡± Shim Deok-Gu raised an eyebrow at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s unenthusiastic answer. ¡°And whose fault is it that I¡¯m busy?¡± ¡°The heck. You¡¯re not gonna say it¡¯s because of me, are you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned. ¡°So you are aware! It is because of you!¡± If an Association yer was doing well, the rest of the Association would naturally get busy. Commissioners from all over the world would send emails, call in, or they might evene in person. When something as important as this happened, Shim Deok-Gu would sometimes go on business trips. These days, he often thought that it would be nice if he had ten bodies. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll try my best not to stand out from now on.¡± ¡°Bastard...¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll stop joking.¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly changed the subject. ¡°Let me ask you something, do you know what the Frost Queen looks like?¡± ¡°What? How would I know?¡± Shim Deok-Gu ced his briefcase down on his desk and hung up his coat. He looked at Seo Jun-Ho with a strange look in his eyes. ¡°Only the 5 Heroes saw her. Actually, you were the only one that went up to the 2nd floor.¡± ¡°...Really? I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stroked his chin and looked to the side. ¡°Then I suppose it won¡¯t be a huge problem.¡± ¡°Problem? What problem?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked to the air at his side. ¡°You can show yourself now.¡± ¡°Who are you talking to...Ahhhhhh!¡± Shim Deok-Gu let out a sudden scream. He had always been scared of ghosts as a child, and now, he had shrunk back all the way to the wall and was pointing a trembling finger. ¡°Hey! N-next to you...¡± ¡°What¡¯s next to me?¡± ¡°A-a girl. A tiny girl...¡± The little ghost girl spoke with pity. ¡°Is that shaking human your friend?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡± ¡°...??¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that...a ghost?¡± ¡°Ghost my ass. You look a lot scarier than her, you know?¡± To be honest, the Frost Queen was beautiful and elegant. Shim Deok-Gu carefully took a seat. Of course, he was still wary. He btedly realized his predicament and blushed. ¡°Hey, anyone would be scared if something like that appeared all of a sudden.¡± ¡°Something like that? Contractor. Did that human just call me a ¡®something¡¯?¡± the little ghost girl asked. ¡°I think so.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. ¡°How bold.¡± She spoke with a cold voice as she forced the temperature to drop. ¡°Stop.¡± Seo Jun-Ho cut her off. ¡°Don¡¯t bother my friend. You remember the conditions of the contract, right?¡± He warned. ¡°...Hmph, if he addresses me like that again, I will not forgive him even if he¡¯s your friend.¡± ¡°Hear that? This is the Queen, and everything in the world is beneath her. Be careful when you speak.¡± ¡°Queen? What kind of queen...¡± Shim Deok-Gu trailed off, his eyes widening. He remembered what Seo Jun-Ho had just asked him. ¡°The...Frost Queen?¡± ¡°Bingo. I knew you¡¯d catch on.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho replied casually, Shim Deok-Gu stood up from his seat again. He loosened his necktie and pushed his hair back as he started pacing around the room while rubbing his forehead. The Frost Queen watched quietly. ¡°Contractor, what is that human doing? He looks unstable.¡± ¡°I dunno, he¡¯s probably trying to process your existence.¡± ¡°I see¡­You did not talk to me for the first two days either.¡± She seemed to have understood and crossed her legs haughtily. Seo Jun-Ho nced at her. ¡°But why do you keep sitting on my shoulder?¡± ¡°I like the view from here. The chair is firm, yet soft andfortable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a chair, it¡¯s my shoulder.¡± ¡°If I say it¡¯s a chair, then it is a chair.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew better than to argue with her and shut his mouth. ¡°Fine. Fine. Fine.¡± Shim Deok-Gu took a seat. He looked at the tiny Frost Queen. ¡°So let me get this straight. That¡¯s...The Frost Queen.¡± ¡°Yes. All the cold in this world...¡± ¡°Simply put, she¡¯s the queen of some well-to-do ice kingdom. That¡¯s what she¡¯s saying.¡± Seo Jun-Ho cut her off. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen looked at her contractor in displeasure. ¡°Then, can you exin how this happened?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked again. ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± He won the egg at the Las Vegas auction. Rodomir helped him hatch it after his defeat. Then, ta-dah! The Frost Queen emerged from the egg. ¡°Hm¡­Well, alright.¡± After listening to the story, Shim Deok-Gu was taking it surprisingly well. ¡°You have the biggest grudge toward her, and you¡¯re fine with it. I¡¯m in no ce to say anything.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be a big help in battle. She¡¯s really strong.¡± ¡°Strong? What¡¯s her spirit ss?¡± ¡°...ss?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes went wide. Shim Deok-Gu looked at him like he should know this. ¡°Lesser, low,mon, high, arch. That¡¯s how spirits are organized based on strength.¡± ¡°How do I figure out her grade then?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Only she herself knows...¡± They both looked at the Frost Queen, but she slowly looked away. Seo Jun-Ho shook his shoulder. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your grade?¡± ¡°Ah...You¡¯re a chair, stop moving around!¡± When Seo Jun-Ho ignored her and continued to move his shoulder, she eventually flew into the air, pouting. She crossed her arms and looked down on the two men. ¡°Listen closely! I was a high and noble being from the moment I was born.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re an arch spirit?¡± ¡°Y-yes...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± When they heard how her voice trembled, it seemed like she lied. Seo Jun-Ho and Shim Deok-Gu stared at her with doubtful eyes. Eventually, she couldn¡¯t endure it anymore as she conjured a snowball and threw it at them. ¡°It¡¯s extremely rude to ask about my ss!¡± It was the first time they had heard of such a rule. The two exchanged nces and nodded. ¡®She¡¯s a lesser spirit, isn¡¯t she?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s at the lowest.¡¯ ¡°I know you¡¯re thinking of disrespectful things!¡± She was smart. Seo Jun-Ho waved her off and changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, she¡¯s strong, so I want my next Gate to be super hard.¡± ¡°Super hard? You¡¯ve only ever done Uncleared Gates and Gates with powerful boss monsters...¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face fell. ¡°Wait, are you talking about a 1-star Gate?¡± ¡°You know I never insist on doing something that I can¡¯t do.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t greedy when it came to Gates. He only attempted those that he knew that he could clear. The only exception had been the Frost Queen¡¯s Nest. ¡°I did see the report. They said that the Wild Forest was a 1-star Gate.¡± ¡°I got a lot stronger after fighting that guy. I can clear a 1-star Gate on my own.¡± ¡°Well, if you say so. There are only three 1-star Gates in the world right now, though.¡± ¡°I already decided where I¡¯m going.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tapped on Vita, and a world map popped up in front of them. ¡°There¡¯s one in South America, one in China...¡± Shim Deok-Gu pointed to the bottom of the map and Seo Jun-Ho zoomed in. Shim Deok-Gu nced at him for a moment and said, ¡°Will you...Be alright?¡± ¡°Is there a reason I wouldn¡¯t be?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked. ¡°Well, you know. Trauma exists...¡± ¡°Nah. Even if I were traumatized, the one who would cause it will be the one right next to me.¡± He tapped on the map. ¡°I already failed once, so this time, I¡¯ll seed,¡± he said confidently. It was an Uncleared Gate near King Sejong Station.[1] The Winter Castle. 1. A Korean research base in Antarctica. ? Chapter 58. The Queen鈥檚 Classroom (1)

Chapter 58. The Queen¡¯s ssroom (1)

After discussing the details of the press conference tomorrow with Shim Deok-Gu, Seo Jun-Ho went back to his apartment on the 77th floor. He grabbed a can of beer from the fridge and a snack before flopping down on his sofa. ¡°Are you not hungry?¡± he asked the Frost Queen, ncing at her. ¡°I am a spirit. Unlike humans, we are higher beings that do not require sustenance,¡± she boasted. ¡°Really? Then I guess I won¡¯t have to spend money on food for you.¡± He took a long swig of beer and started to ask about the things he¡¯d been wondering about. ¡°Tell me everything you know about the Dimension Elevator.¡± Seo Jun-Ho intended to find out all he could about the cause for this horrible game from his former enemy. ¡°I do not know anything.¡± She shook her head as she curtly cut him off. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be difficult...¡± ¡°I really do not know. I swear on my own being.¡± ¡®An Oath of Existence¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Are you kidding me? You had been a Floor Master. How do you not know anything?¡± ¡°Once I forfeited the role, I lost all memories regarding it.¡± ¡°Your memories were erased?¡± ¡°I remember knowing certain things, but my mind goes nk when I try to call upon those memories.¡± ¡°Mm. That¡¯s a waste.¡± It would¡¯ve been nice if she knew why the world changed or had information about the other floors. ¡®The System is more thorough than I thought.¡¯ Who knew that it would go so far as to erase her memories. Of course, it had already done the impossible by connecting Earth to other dimensions. Considering that, it could probably erase memories with the flick of a wrist. Seo Jun-Ho drained thest of his beer and tried to ease his frustration. ¡°Do not be so disappointed. Though the memories you desire have disappeared, my intelligence is so great that it is known throughout othernds. It will be helpful in the days toe.¡± ¡°I sure hope so. Oh, and I heard that spirits don¡¯t use the magic of their contractors. Is that true?¡± ¡°You speak the obvious.¡± ¡°Then how the heck do you use your powers? I don¡¯t sense any magic from you.¡± ¡°Do you really not know?¡± The Frost Queen looked at him like he was being absurd. ¡°Contractor, do you really not feel anything when I use my powers?¡± ¡°Not really?¡± ¡°Haa, you really are quite insensitive...¡± She shook her head. ¡°When a spirit draws power from their contractor, it is from their contractor¡¯s mental strength.¡± ¡°What if I¡¯m mentally drained?¡± ¡°Then I am unable to use the same amount of power as usual. If your mental state is extremely weakened, the contract may even get dissolved.¡± ¡°I see¡­ There¡¯s a penalty, after all.¡± It turned out that spirits weren¡¯t as all-powerful as he previously thought. ¡®Well, if they were able to use that much power without a cost, they would practically be gods.¡¯ Most of his questions had been answered, but Seo Jun-Ho felt like his homework had increased instead. ¡°Then the things you showed me before used up my mental strength?¡± ¡°Of course. You will have to practice a lot before using it in real battle.¡± ¡°Practice¡­ Sounds fun.¡± He¡¯d been looking forward to doing some special training with his new skills. ¡°Look forward to it. You¡¯ll see why people call me a tough cookie.¡± ¡°Do not be so hasty. No matter how extraordinary of a human you are, it will take at least a month.¡± A month? The Frost Queen was underestimating him. He grinned. ¡®Half a month.¡¯ He¡¯d change her mind within that time. *** Click ck click ck. The clicking of heels echoed across the hall on the 77th floor of the yer Association headquarters. Cha Si-Eun walked past the arts being disyed and knocked on the door. ¡®The door¡¯s open.¡¯ Cha Si-Eun entered and looked around the room. ¡®Whenever Ie here, I feel like it would be awkward for me to live here.¡¯ Not only would it be hard to clean, but it was also hard to get to and had an unnecessary number of rooms. She suppressed her thoughts and walked over to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s bedroom. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± The door was open. Seo Jun-Ho was standing in front of a full-length mirror. Cha Si-Eun was shocked when she saw him. ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡®He wore his pajamasst time.¡¯ Thinking of that, she brought a suit over for this very reason, but now, she saw that she had done something unnecessary. ¡°You¡¯re not wearing pajamas today.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only fun when you do it once.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked like a model or actor in his light blue suit. His hair which was usually t was slicked to the side, making him look livelier. ¡®When did his body get so good?¡¯ Cha Si-Eun blinked. When she first met him, he was concerningly skinny, but now, his muscles had be visible and well-defined. ¡°I¡¯m done getting ready. What do you think?¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± She spun him around, then gave two thumbs-up. ¡°Perfect.¡± *** This was the second time Seo Jun-Ho was having an official press conference in Korea. Last time, they used a small conference hall that could only hold about 100 people, but it was different this time. It was arge-scale press conference attended by 500 people. The doors of therge conference hall hadn¡¯t been opened in a long time, but now, they finally opened. ¡°Wow, look at all these people.¡± ¡°There are some big leagues here too.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho after all. You can¡¯t exactlypare him to other rookies. He¡¯s too famous now.¡± ¡°Damn. The editor-in-chief for the yers magazine is here.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s the BBC...They already got the scoop from him two days ago, but they¡¯re here again.¡± The press conference hadn¡¯t even started yet, but the room was already filled with shing cameras and the sound of typing. One could write an entire article just about the different people and groups that were attending. ¡°Haaa, he really is something else. The press conference three months ago wasn¡¯t like this.¡± ¡°What?! You went to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first press conference?¡± ¡°My department head sent me to write something up...But when Iid my eyes on Seo Jun-Ho, I felt it instantly.¡± ¡°Felt what?¡± At some point, other reporters had started to gather around them. The reporter noticed this and cleared their throat before speaking. ¡°He was wearing pajamas, slippers, and his hair was a rat¡¯s nest. At first, I thought he was just some lunatic, but I was wrong.¡± They pointed two fingers at their eyes. ¡°The look in his eyes. He was yawning and all, but the piercing look he had was unforgettable.¡± ¡°Really? He just looked sleepy in the pictures.¡± ¡°No. It was a vigor that you could only feel in person. Like with Kim Woo-Joong or Shin Sung-Hyun.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± They understood. Even when Shin Sung-Hyun or Kim Woo-Joong were just sitting around, theymanded a powerful presence. ¡°So I¡¯ve personally been looking forward to this a lot.¡± The reporter adjusted their sses. ¡°I won¡¯t be surprised if Seo Jun-Ho announces that he¡¯s going to a 1-star Gate.¡± ¡°What? Nah, that¡¯s too much.¡± Someone waved him off. ¡°Even if he¡¯s a super rookie, he¡¯s still a rookie. A newbie.¡± ¡°He only debuted 3 months ago. If he goes in alone, that¡¯s suicide.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying.¡± The reporterughed, embarrassed. ¡°I know what you¡¯re saying, but there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll do that if he isn¡¯t insane.¡± *** ¡°Hey, it¡¯s almost time,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. He was sitting in the waiting room, snacking on crackers. Shim Deok-Gu looked at him in amazement. ¡°You really¡­ Aren¡¯t you nervous?¡± ¡°Not really? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s my first time.¡± Crunch, crunch. Seo Jun-Ho spoke as he continued to eat. ¡°We¡¯re announcing two things today, right?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll do as we discussedst night.¡± Shim Deok-Gu gulped and adjusted his tie. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Cha Si-Eun escorted the two of them out. When they entered the conference room, they were covered in camera shes. Seo Jun-Ho casually took a seat. ¡°The press conference will begin now and willst for 40 minutes.¡± Unlikest time, he wasn¡¯t taking questions from reporters who raised their hands. Reporters had signed up beforehand on a firste first-serve basis. Most of them were ones the Association had expected. As such, a question he had been waiting for came up. ¡°Will you be going to the Cave of Trials?¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly grabbed the mic. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m trying to set a date.¡± ¡°Ooh...!¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a rite of passage for all new yers.¡± ¡°You can only go there once in your life. It¡¯s a waste if you miss it.¡± The reporters nodded in understanding and typed on their keyboards. They had found something good. The Cave of Trials was a Gate in the alpine regions of Tibet. Its rules were different from other Gates. ¡®It¡¯s a Gate that can¡¯t be cleared and you can leave without clearing it.¡¯¡¯ It had first appeared when the world became simr to a game and had been around for close to 30 years now. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to how much yer Seo Jun-Ho will grow after going to the Cave of Trials.¡± ¡°Are you thinking that you¡¯ll reach the 5th level, at the least?¡± ¡°I dunno. We¡¯ll have to see when I get there.¡± The Cave of Trials gave the yer a choice to ¡®go¡¯ or ¡®stop¡¯ whenever they cleared a level. They could leave the Gate if they were satisfied with their rewards, or they could proceed to the next level for a chance at a better reward and the risk of losing everything. ¡®I got to the 9th levelst time.¡¯ He had been level 30 at the time and barely survived the excursion. Still, the things he won had been a huge help in his journey as a yer. ¡°Then have you thought about what Gate you¡¯ll be going to after the Cave of Trials?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded without hesitation. All eyes were on him. The reporters raised their hands from their hologram keyboards so they could write down what he was about to say. ¡°I will be going to the Winter Castle,¡± he said shortly. With those two words, the bustling conference room fell silent. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The reporters couldn¡¯t even type. They weren¡¯t even sure if they heard him right. Even though there was only one Gate in the world called the Winter Castle. It was one of three Uncleared Gates in the world whose difficulty wasbeled as ¡®Brutal.¡¯ ¡°...The Gate in Antarctica.¡± 25 years after the Frost Queen¡¯s defeat, the yers experienced the horrors of Antarctica once more in this 1-star Gate. Chapter 59. The Queen鈥檚 Classroom (2)

Chapter 59. The Queen¡¯s ssroom (2)

[Unbelievable! yer Seo Jun-Ho says his next goal is a 1-star Gate.] [Seo Jun-Ho has created the best career we¡¯ve seen in 10 years. Is it greed or is it confidence?] [Gate experts say it¡¯s ¡°impossible¡± after hearing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s announcement about the Winter Castle.] [Seo Jun-Ho to go to the Cave of Trials! Will he be able to beat Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s record of 9 floors?] Seo Jun-Ho started his morning with a refreshing cup of Agarit tea from old man Kwon. ¡°Mm, it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen peeked at his tea. She seemed to have decided on something and spoke hesitantly. ¡°That tea has a fine aroma. If you so wish, I can take a sip...¡± ¡°No can do. This is an extremely rare tea. If you¡¯re thirsty, drink some water over there.¡± He swatted her away like she was a fly. ¡°...I will not forget this transgression,¡± she said coldly. Afterward, she disappeared into the study. Seo Jun-Ho ignored her and looked at thements under the article. [Isn¡¯t it too early for him to go to the Cave of Trials? What level is Seo Jun-Ho right now?] [Isn¡¯t he around level 25? His stats haven¡¯t been officially publicized so I don¡¯t know.] [Then it would be kind of difficult. Isn¡¯t it best to go to the Cave of Trials at level 30?] [Who knows. The stuff that happens inside isn¡¯t known to outsiders.] ¡°So people still think like this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. There were two requirements in the Cave of Trials. First, you had to be between levels 25 and 30. The second was that you couldn¡¯t reveal anything that happened inside once you emerged. ¡°The second rule is really strict.¡± Of course, the System wouldn¡¯t do something silly like trusting that the yers would act conscientiously. Instead, the system would forbid you from recording or sharing any information about the Cave of Trials, whether it was through speaking, writing, or telepathy. It was a high-level feature that Skaya couldn¡¯t even crack. As such, it was impossible for humans to break through it. ¡®I might be the only one who knows the secret of the Cave of Trials.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had already gone to the Cave of Trials before. He entered at Level 30 as most yers did. ¡®But that would be pointless. It¡¯s better to go in as soon as possible.¡¯ The Cave of Trials gave better rewards based on the hardships the yer overcame, but its difficulty was fixed. ¡®So if you go in when your level is lower, you¡¯ll experience the same things but get better rewards.¡¯ The only person in the world who knew this fact was only himself. Seo Jun-Ho took a sip of tea. ¡®The only problem right now is whether I can go in there again¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t be so sure. No one had ever gone into the Cave of Trials twice. ¡®There are certain conditions.¡¯ Those who possessed rewards from the Cave of Trials couldn¡¯t go in again. That was one of the Cave of Trial¡¯s rules. ¡®But because of the Frost Queen¡¯s nucleus, I lost all the stats I gained at the Cave of Trials.¡¯ If it worked in the way he thought it should, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for him to enter. Still, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal if he couldn¡¯t enter the Cave of Trials. ¡®My stats will recover as long as I keep on leveling up anyway. But if he could go into the Cave of Trials once more, he would get all the rewards he could. ¡°Huh? Where did she go?¡± Seo Jun-Ho put his ss down and stood up to look for the Frost Queen. She appeared from behind the door, peeking out from the side. ¡°...Why did you call for me?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go out to train.¡± ¡°To train?¡± At first, she looked reluctant. But then she smirked as if she thought of something. ¡°Hmph! Now that I think of it, is the Contractor requesting my teachings?¡± ¡°You know how to use Frost better than I do. There¡¯s nothing for me to lose.¡± ¡°To teach you¡­ It means bing your master.¡± She gave a smug smile and sat down on his shoulder. She nodded. ¡°Lead on. As a sovereign, my duties include teaching you thoroughly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your vassal or anything...But I¡¯d be grateful if you taught me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stepped out of the door wearing clothes suitable for exercise. Before he went to the training room, he stopped by the secretary''s office and called for Cha Si-Eun. She put down the documents she had been organizing. ¡°You called for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the training room for a special session. Please take care of everything while I¡¯m there.¡± ¡°Excuse me? How many days are you thinking of staying there?¡± ¡°About half a month.¡± ¡°...Wait. You¡¯re not gonnae out of the training room for half a month?¡± ¡°It has a shower and a sleeping bag, so I can sleep there.¡± ¡°How about food? Shall I send meals?¡± ¡°No. This is good enough.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook a small wooden case. They were pills made of grain, pine needles, prunes, chestnuts, sweet potatoes, and other simr ingredients based on the diet of Shaolin monks. They were ground and made into bead-shaped pills and were the most convenient way to get all the nutrients he needed. ¡®It was expensive because I got it from the ck Market, but there¡¯s a small amount of magic in them too.¡¯ They were the best in keeping his body running. Cha Si-Eun let out a light sigh and nodded. ¡°Understood. For now, I¡¯ll reject all personalmission requests and put allmercial offers, advertisement offers, and sponsorships on hold.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯ll have good results.¡± Cha Si-Eun saw him off, and Seo Jun-Ho headed to the training room. *** ¡°Contractor, you can currently use two different elements.¡± The Frost Queen paced back and forth in front of him with her hands sped behind her back like a drill sergeant. ¡°The first is darkness, and the second is frost, which is the same as mine. Am I wrong?¡± [1] ¡°No, that¡¯s right. But why are you bringing it up?¡± ¡°In order to use elements, you must first understand precisely what that energy is. Let me test you. What do you think darkness is like?¡± ¡°It¡¯s violent and prideful. It disregards others and has a scornful nature.¡± ¡°Hooo, a decent answer. Then what do you think frost is like?¡± ¡°...Cold?¡± ¡°Haaa.¡± She let out a disdainful sigh. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no helping it. It¡¯s only been three months since you¡¯ve started using frost...¡± She muttered to herself. ¡°You could say that the frost element is a jack of all trades. It is more aloof, haughty, and elegant than all other energies.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded in understanding. ¡°I think I know what you¡¯re saying. I have to bnce out the battlefield.¡± ¡°Ah! Good, your head isn¡¯t just for decoration.¡± She pped and spoke cheerfully. ¡°You are correct. Darkness, fire, and wind are all suitable for offense and don¡¯t work too well in defense. Conversely, elements like water and earth are best used for the defensive and are wasted on attacks.¡± Basically, yers who could only use one element were either offensive or defensive in battles while yers who could use two or more elements were all-rounders. ¡°I will teach you how to use the frost element. But before that...¡± The Frost Queen pointed her finger. At hermand, a number of weapons, armor, and shields appeared in the air. ¡°Make duplicates of each one. I shall teach you thereafter.¡± ¡°Huh? Wait. I don¡¯t want to focus on making equipment.¡± He tried to refuse, but the Frost Queen was stubborn. ¡°Those who use the frost element are respected by others and called one-man armies. Do you know why?¡± ¡°...Because they can create all the weapons needed for one.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew that all too well. ¡°I¡¯ve fought them before. It¡¯s annoying to fight enemies who keep on changing and recing their weapons.¡± The Frost Queen had done that as well. The Frost Queen smiled and nodded. ¡°I still recall that battle fondly.¡± ¡°Not me.¡± Back then, he just wanted to quickly defeat her and save his friends. But her shield was stubbornly strong, and her swords and spears were as sharp as they were cold. ¡°If you understand, get to it.¡± She crossed her legs and jutted her chin. ¡°Make them.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes were closed and his face was damp with sweat. Considering that the room was chilly because of his continuous use of the Frost skill, it meant that he was sweating profusely. ¡®This is the handle¡­¡¯ Eyes still closed, he slowly moved his hand. He pictured the Frost Queen¡¯s sword and created a simr one. Crackle! Every time he moved his hand a bit, the moisture in the air would freeze into the shape of a sword. ¡°Phew!¡± He finished the sword and looked nervously up at the Frost Queen. She grinned and held out her hand. ¡°Show me.¡± The sword floated in the air toward her. Whenever she moved her finger, the sword would turn and spin so she could inspect the details. It only took 10 seconds for her to make her decision. ¡°Rejection,¡± she said firmly. Afterward, she shattered his sword. ¡°Ugh, why?¡± Seo Jun-Ho cried out. He already made dozens of attempts. He needed to make a hundred swords, but not a single one had seeded yet. Just like that, half a day had already passed. ¡°The de isn¡¯t sharp enough; it needs to be about five degrees sharper. The center of weight is also a mess.¡± ¡°Dammit.¡± He felt like she was being too strict. It wasn¡¯t like he was gonna be a cksmith or something. Still, he was too prideful to ask her to bex. ¡®I feel like she¡¯s getting back at me for not letting her drink the tea this morning.¡¯ Either way, she had good reasons to reject him. Like she said, his sword wasn¡¯t good enough. ¡®I¡¯ll wipe that grin off her face.¡¯ With a new fire burning inside of him, Seo Jun-Ho started to think about how he could fix this attempt¡¯s mistakes. Meanwhile, the Frost Queen looked at him, deep in thought. ¡®He is¡­ quite a formidable human.¡¯ The weapons she made were national-level weapons that were usually kept in Nilfheim¡¯s royal armory. They often came up in fairytales and legends. It wasn¡¯t something a human could make just by looking at it a few times. ¡®But he can replicate Fragarach¡¯s appearance at 62% with only 34 attempts¡­¡¯[2] She had been nning to tease him a bit before teaching him properly, but now, she wasn¡¯t sure about that anymore. She became curious and wanted to see if he would be able to create the sword, or if he would give up before seeding. ¡®Watching this human grow is also enjoyable.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had been so strong 25 years ago that she couldn¡¯t believe that he was an Earth human. Being weakened had almost destroyed her, but what if someone could inherit her essence? ¡®I¡­ I may be raising a monster.¡¯ She smiled. If that was true, then things would be even more fun. 1. ¡®Frost¡¯ skill is separate from the element. Also, from now on attributes -> elements ? 2. In Irish mythology, Fragarach was the sword of Nuada, the first high king ? Chapter 60. The Queen鈥檚 Classroom (3)

Chapter 60. The Queen¡¯s ssroom (3)

¡°What do you think?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked in a cocksure manner. He had dark circles, but his eyes were bright. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen inspected his sword carefully before slowly nodding. Then she broke it. ¡°W-what?! Why?! It was perfect!¡± He looked at her in disbelief. She responded coolly. ¡°Oh, the sword itself was good. I broke it because I was annoyed.¡± ¡°...¡± Why was she like this? He sank to the floor, still shocked. The Frost Queen covered her mouth and giggled. ¡°You did it, somehow. It simply took...Pffft, it took 152 tries.¡± ¡°I did my best.¡± ¡°I am aware. But it took you 152 attempts to create a single sword. The world isn¡¯t fair.¡± Sheughed as shepleted her vengeance and checked the clock on the wall. ¡°I will give you five hours to sleep.¡± ¡°...Hooo, do I have to make spearster?¡± ¡°No, there will be no more weapon training.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked surprised. ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°As you wished, I shall teach you how to best manage frost.¡± ¡°I¡¯m notining, but why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I am fickle. Bear that in mind.¡± ¡°Is that something to brag about...¡± Exhaustion overtook him as he spoke, and Seo Jun-Ho fell over and started to snore. He had been making swords nonstop for two days, and the fatigue had finally caught up to him. The Frost Queen watched over him and muttered to herself. ¡°He has innate talent and a terrifying work ethic...The world really is unfair.¡± She gestured with her finger, carefully covering his body with the sleeping bag. ¡°...Be even stronger. So that you can protect those that are precious to you.¡± She was speaking from her heart, as someone who hadn¡¯t been able to do so. Unbefitting of her usually-dignified appearance, there was a sad smile on her face. *** Plop, plop. Seo Jun-Ho twitched under the drops of water that fell on his face. ¡®...It¡¯s cold. Is the ceiling leaking?¡¯ He wiped his face and slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake?¡± The Frost Queen was hovering over him, melting a snowball. Seo Jun-Ho suppressed his irritation as he muttered. ¡°...I¡¯m a yer, so my senses are heightened. You could have just told me to wake up,¡± he muttered in annoyance. ¡°I am well aware. I simply wished to sprinkle water on your face.¡± ¡°Seriously, why are you like this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said disdainfully. His back ached as he sat up. He turned to find the sleeping bag next to the wall. ¡°If you saw that I was sleeping, you should¡¯ve brought me the sleeping bag.¡± ¡°Oh my! I didn¡¯t know that we were so close.¡± ¡°Nevermind.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood up and headed to the shower room to clean himself off. He changed into a fresh outfit and drank a bottle of water and ate three pills for breakfast. ¡°So what¡¯re you gonna teach me today?¡± ¡°Speed.¡± ¡°Speed?¡± She nodded at his question. She flicked her wrist, and with a crack, a sword was created in the blink of an eye. ¡°0.28 seconds...I really have been weakened. Now, you make one.¡± He was much slower. ¡°3.85 seconds. Do you know why there is such a difference between you and me?¡± The Frost Queen asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a matter of practice? I started barely three months ago, but you¡¯ve had your whole life.¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded. The Frost Queen shook her head. ¡°That is one factor, but the difference between our methods is the fundamental issue.¡± ¡°What is it then?¡± ¡°Simple.¡± As she pointed her finger, an icicle slowly started to form. ¡°This is how you are using your ability. And this...¡± Crackle. A new icicle was created instantly. Unlike the other one, it had started to form from both ends. ¡°If you freeze it from different directions, it will naturally be faster.¡± ¡°Ah...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho pped his hands. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but she was a good teacher. The demonstration made it much easier for him to understand. ¡®I see. When I freeze things, it goes in one direction.¡¯ When he made a sword, he started with the handle and finished on the de. If he made an arrow, he started with the shaft and finished on the arrowhead. But if he made them at the same time, he would be much faster. ¡°Now that you understand, try it once.¡± ¡°Like this?¡± Crackle! A sword was created in the blink of an eye. ¡°1.29 seconds...¡± Compared to his 3.85 seconds from before, it was much faster. ¡°Not bad. Do not forget what I just taught you.¡± ¡°I should do some extra practice with this. I¡¯ll be concerned with a lot of other things during battle. ¡° He needed to train his muscle memory so that his body would react before his head. ¡°So what else are you gonna teach me?¡± ¡°...I will show this only once, so pay attention.¡± The Frost Queen let out a soft breath. The human was absorbing her techniques like a sponge. She wondered how long it would be until she had nothing left to teach him. It worried her a bit. *** In the secretarial room of the Korean yers Association, the secretaries were chatting after their lunch break. ¡°Haa, I¡¯m jealous of Ms. Si-Eun these days.¡± ¡°Me? Why?¡± Cha Si-Eun asked, surprised. The other secretaries immediately answered. ¡°Your boss is yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t he been doing really well recently?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s also good-looking and well-mannered. I¡¯m so jealous.¡± ¡°I bet Jun-Ho-nim doesn¡¯t call you after hours and make you run errands in the middle of the night.¡± Cha Si-Eun was flustered by the sudden slew of questions. ¡±There are yers who make you go out in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°What are you saying? Of course, there are.¡± ¡°Most of them, in fact.¡± ¡°They order you around for the tiniest things.¡± Cha Si-Eun sipped on her ice coffee as she listened to theirints. ¡®I see. It seems that I have it easy.¡¯ She looked at them in a new light. Of course, that wasn¡¯t exactly the case. They didn¡¯t know that Cha Si-Eun had to answer over 1200 emails and 500 phone calls a day. ¡°I heard a rumor that he¡¯s in the training room right now. How long is he going to stay in there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s about time that hees out.¡± ¡°He¡¯s so tenacious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because he works that hard that he is where he is right now.¡± It had already been two weeks since Seo Jun-Ho entered the training room. Seo Jun-Ho told Cha Si-Eun that it would take him two weeks beforeing out, so she was expecting to see him today. She was correct. Ping. Vita rang. Cha Si-Eun checked her message and stood up abruptly. ¡°Oh my, he¡¯s out!¡± ¡°Who? yer Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°You should go.¡± Cha Si-Eun waved goodbye to the other secretaries and headed to the floor with restaurants. There was no need to look for Seo Jun-Ho. She simply looked to where the people were staring. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim!¡± ¡°Slurp.¡± He had finished a bowl of ramen in the short amount of time it took her to get there. He waved. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Secretary Cha.¡± ¡°Yes, it really has. But...¡± As she saw him, she felt something that she couldn¡¯t describe. ¡®Something¡¯s different.¡¯ But she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on what it was. Except for the fact that his hair had grown out a bit, there wasn¡¯t much of a physical difference. Ah! She realized that the piercing look in his eyes had softened and became like any other person¡¯s eyes. Cha Si-Eun immediately understood what it meant. ¡°Congrattions on your mastery.¡± ¡°Thank you. You have good eyes.¡± He mixed his bibimbap, looking embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s not all that amazing,¡± he muttered. ¡°They say that master fighters check their opponents¡¯ eyes first.¡± This was because most of them had sharp looks in their eyes. When Gong Ju-Ha first met Seo Jun-Ho, she tried to scout him because of that. The eyes were harder to concealpared to other forces and energies. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing that I learned.¡¯ When he had been Specter, he had perfected the concealment of his powers. But the reason his eyes were so bright now was because of the Frost skill. It was so powerful that it made it hard to conceal. ¡®The Frost Queen was super helpful.¡¯ This was old news by now. After he learned to properly handle the Frost element, he had reached another level of mastery. Even though his stats were the same as they were two weeks ago, he was at least 1.5 times stronger now. This was why yers had to continue their training and keep on fine-tuning their skills. ¡°You came at a good time. I was nning to book a ne ticket.¡± ¡°Where to...Oh.¡± In the middle of her sentence, she realized that it was pointless to ask. ¡°To the Tibetan region in China. I¡¯ll book a flight for tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled brightly. His secretary was quite skilled. *** ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around. Mountaintops and teaus filled his vision as far as the eye could see. ¡°This is a beautiful ce. I thought the human world was only filled with peculiar castles.¡± Even the Frost Queen was so impressed she couldn¡¯t help but speak words of praise. The Tibetan teaus, also called the world¡¯s roof, was a peculiar ce that boasted an average elevation of 4,500 meters. It was a ce where prophets hade to seek asceticism, and in the 21st century, it became a popr tourist spot with millions of visitors every year. And 30 years ago, it had be a sacred ce for yers. ¡°Is the Cave of Trials here?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded at the Frost Queen¡¯s question as he answered. ¡°Yeah, we just have to go a little bit further.¡± ¡°Make haste. I want to see it as soon as possible.¡± Seo Jun-Ho let the Frost Queen pull at his hair and started to walk again. He arrived at the Cave of Trials three hourster. The Cave of Trial¡¯s entrance was inside a Tibetan tribe¡¯srge tent, which measured thousands of square meters. ¡°Wee, traveler. My name is Jampa, and I am the caretaker here.¡±[1] He was wearing clothes typical of the Tibetan tribes, and he stuck out his tongue in greeting. It was an unfamiliar and curious gesture, but it was a greeting unique to the Tibetans. ¡®I was so confused when I first saw it.¡¯ The same was true for the Frost Queen. She pulled at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hair and said in confusion. ¡°C-Contractor, that man stuck his tongue out at you. Why did he do that?¡± ¡°Thank you for weing me with the traditional Tibetan greeting.¡± ¡°Ah, so you know.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave her an exnation while talking with Jampa. ¡°The Association contacted me ahead of time. Let me show you to your room.¡± Jampa offered. ¡°No.¡± Seo Jun-Ho held out his bag and shook his head. ¡°Please just put my luggage away.¡± ¡°Then you...?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be going into the Cave of Trials right away.¡± He made sure he was well rested on the ne. In addition, he had already warmed up his body on the hike up the mountain. His body was in its best condition right now. ¡°Hooo, I understand. I will escort you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave his bag to someone else and headed deeper into the tent. Unlike most tents, the walls here were thick and didn¡¯t let in any wind inside. It was alsorge enough to hold hundreds of rooms. ¡°It¡¯s slippery, so please watch your feet.¡± They started down a staircase that led below. As they got deeper and deeper, the walls around them started to change into the walls of a cave. After descending for a long time, they reached a cool, empty cavern. The Gate stood in front of them. ¡°This is the Cave of Trials.¡± It looked exactly the same as thest time he visited the Gate. In fact, he felt nostalgic. ¡°Gate information.¡± [Cave of Trials] Entry requirements: Levels 25-30 Party cap: ¡Þ Clear requirements: ¡Þ Difficulty: ¡Þ The Cave of Trials was known as the most peculiar Gate that had shown up in thest 30 years. There were plenty of Uncleared Gates, but the Cave of Trials couldn¡¯t bepleted by design. It also evaluated each yer on its own terms. [Cave of Trials Rankings] 1. Specter - 9th floor 1. Rahmadat Khali - 9th floor 1. Tenmei Mio - 9th floor ... 1. Wi Cheon-Hak - 9th floor 1. Shin Sung-Hyun - 9th floor 1. Kim Woo-Joong - 9th floor ... The ranking list was full of familiar names. Hisrades and his name were obviously up there, and so were the Nine Heavens. ¡®I thought the record would be beaten after 25 years.¡¯ But he knew better than anyone. Even if you survived the horrors of the 9th floor, it wasn¡¯t easy to move on to the 10th. ¡°We don¡¯t know much about the Gate, so I don¡¯t have much to offer. But...¡± Jampa put his hands together. ¡°May the northeastern winds bless your days toe.¡± ¡°And may you stay unbending against fiercer winds.¡± Seo Jun-Ho returned the gesture in kind. Jampa seemed happy when he returned his tribe¡¯s greeting. Seo Jun-Ho left him behind and entered the Gate. As soon as he entered, a message popped up. [Error.] [Second entry. Clearance is needed from the administrator.] It was a different view from thest time. 1. He refers to SJH as ¡®ascetic¡¯, but it doesn¡¯t trante well ? Chapter 61. The Cave of Trials (1) The floor, walls, and ceiling were all painted gray. It was a bleak expanse. ¡°Contractor, I believe that the Cave of Trials is a ce that disciplines your spirit.¡± ¡°...No, it¡¯s not usually like this,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, knitting his eyebrows. Thest time he had entered, it had been a normal-looking cave. ¡®Looking at the message...I guess a problem urred since this is my second time entering?¡¯ Then what would happen to him? The moment he tilted his head¡­ Riiip! The space ripped open, and a gentleman stepped out. He wore chestnut-brown shoes and a gray frock coat. He wore a top hat reminiscent of an old English gentleman. The brim was wide, so Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t see his face clearly. Tak, tak. He tapped his cane on the ground. ¡°Hello. I am the 1st Floor Administrator, Gray,¡± he said politely. ¡°...1st Floor Administrator? Does that mean you¡¯re Earth¡¯s god?¡± Grayughed lightly at his question and shook his head. ¡°Of course not. I was simply ordered to manage the 1st floor from that being[1]...You can think of me as a civil servant of sorts.¡± ¡°But if you manage the Earth, doesn¡¯t that make you something of a god?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different. I didn¡¯t even know a called Earth existed until about 30 years ago. Additionally, I only manage Gates, monsters, and floors.¡± He cut himself off and smiled brightly. ¡°Anyhow, seeing a familiar face is a small joy.¡± ¡°You know me?¡± ¡°Of course. yer Specter. I¡¯ve been watching you for 30 years. It¡¯ste, but congrattions on your return.¡± ¡°...Thank you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t even know that such a being existed, but the Administrator seemed to know him. It was a strange feeling. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± The Frost Queen suddenly spoke up. ¡°There¡¯s no reason I wouldn¡¯t. You are Nilfheim¡¯s Queen, the sovereign who controls all the cold in the world.¡± ¡°C-contractor...¡± Her voice shook as she pulled on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hair. ¡°Did you hear that? You heard that, right? Even the Floor Administrator knows who I am!¡± ¡°...He knows me too.¡± He ignored her haughtiness and got straight to the point. ¡°So where is this ce?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a virtual space that I created to meet you. There¡¯s a problem, you see.¡± Gray held out his hand, and a thick book appeared in his hand. The book fluttered open on its own, stopping on a certain page. ¡°Mhm, I was right. It says in the record that Specter-nim entered the Cave of Trials 28 years, 7 months, 16 days, 13 hours and 32 minutes ago.¡± Tap. He closed the book. ¡°And those who had received the rewards from the Cave of Trials cannot enter a second time. You are aware of that, am I correct?¡± ¡°Yes. But I¡¯m not Specter anymore. I¡¯m Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°The nature of your existence does not change simply because you have changed your name.¡± ¡°But what if I don¡¯t have the rewards?¡± ¡°...What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean exactly what I said. I don¡¯t have the rewards that I received from the Cave of Trials. Not a single one.¡± He spread his arms as if to prove his point. ¡°Hm?¡± Gray sounded curious. He took off his hat and revealed his narrow, closed eyes. ¡°Let me see...¡± He smiled with his eyes and opened them slightly. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho felt like a bug was crawling across his body. ¡®He¡¯s examining me.¡¯ He felt like a rat being observed by a viper. ¡°...¡± Gray was silent for a moment before he closed his eyes again. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He realized that Seo Jun-Ho was speaking the truth. He put on his hat again and slowly started to tap on the floor with his cane. Tak, tak, tak. ¡°This is quite the predicament. You have once entered the Cave of Trials...Yet you do not currently possess its rewards.¡± ¡°ording to the rules, there¡¯s no reason why I shouldn¡¯t be able to enter.¡± Seo Jun-Ho spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s not wrong. But the decision lies with me as I am the Administrator.¡± He said this politely, but he was warning Seo Jun-Ho to wait until he had made his decision. About a minute passed, and Gray finally stopped tapping his cane. ¡°Hmm. The problem lies in fairness. You¡¯ve already entered the Cave of Trials, so you know what kind of challenges will appear. I think that it¡¯s unfair to other yers.¡± ¡°Difficulty.¡± Seo Jun-Ho spoke up. ¡°Then how about you raise the difficulty to bnce it out?¡± ¡°...You wish to raise the difficulty? Are you sure that you will be able to handle that?¡± ¡°I have to, if that¡¯s the only way I can enter.¡± Seo Jun-Ho confirmed. Gray chuckled at his dry response. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re honest or clever...¡± Heughed for a while and nodded happily. ¡°Understood. You¡¯ve entertained me plenty in the past, so you deserve this level of service.¡± Tak. Gray tapped his cane once more. ¡°With the authority of the 1st Floor Administrator, I will allow Seo Jun-Ho-nim to enter once more. However, I will change the difficulty and the subject of the trials a bit,¡± he dered. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°Then, I hope you have fun.¡± With an elegant farewell, Gray turned to leave, but the Frost Queen interrupted him. ¡°Wait. Can you tell me why I lost my memories?¡± ¡°...Memories, you say.¡± He slightly turned his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But everything happens for a reason. I think it will be okay even if you don¡¯t find them again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking because it¡¯s frustrating.¡± ¡°I cannot say anything about that. I¡¯m busy, so goodbye.¡± Gray turned his head back, and he stepped into another rip in space. The Frost Queen watched him disappear. ¡°...I could not tell what he was thinking.¡± The Frost Queen was annoyed. ¡°He seemed to know you, though. Do you have no memory of him?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s even more frustrating. I cannot recall anything about the Floors.¡± She let out a soft sigh and looked up at him. ¡°Anyway, this still turned out well for you. We didn¡¯t ride the floaty-float here for nothing.¡± The floaty-float she meant was the airne. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that we were able to resolve this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the area around him had changed. They were inside of a cool, humid cave. It looked exactly the same as he remembered. ¡°I heard that there are ten levels. What kind of trials will appear?¡± ¡°Um...I can¡¯t really tell you in detail.¡± Seo Jun-Ho paused, then sighed. ¡°But this Gate has everything you can imagine,¡± he muttered. *** The Cave of Trials was divided into 10 levels. The mechanics were simple. [Level 1: the Magic Trial will begin.] As the System rang, numerous balls formed inside the cavern. They were blue spheres of different sizes. [Please pop the balls using magic.] ¡°This seems too easy. ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s level 1. It¡¯s like a tutorial,¡± Seo Jun-Ho repliedzily with his arms crossed. He pushed his magic outward. Pop! Pop! Pop! The cave soon became filled with loud noises as if balloons were being popped. It only took him 12 seconds to pop all the balls in therge cavern. ¡°Not bad. Of course, I would have been able to do it in less than a second.¡± ¡°Stop bluffing. You lie every time you open your mouth.¡± Seo Jun-Ho snorted. [You have passed the Magic Trial.] [If you wish to continue, please say ¡®Go¡¯. If you wish to stop, please say ¡®Stop¡¯.] [The next level is the Gravity Trial.] Between the Go and Stop, his answer was obviously the former. ¡°Go.¡± [You have selected to challenge the 2nd level. A room where you can rest will be created.] One of the walls shone brightly, and a door appeared. Inside, there were food, drinks, a bed, and a bathroom. ¡°Contractor, you are not nning to rest already, are you?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± He hadn¡¯t even warmed up yet. ¡°Continue to level 2.¡± [Level 2: The Gravity Trial will begin.] At the same time he heard the voice, he groaned out loud. ¡°Keuk...!¡± In this trial, the force of gravity on the body changed every minute. ¡®Right now¡­ It¡¯s a little heavy.¡¯ It was about 5 times the force he usually felt. Like this, the force would change as many as 60 times in an hour. ¡® Last time, itsted for five hours¡­¡¯ Who knew what would happen this time. After 1 minute, his body started to float in the air. ¡°Geez, why does this always happen to me?¡± He floated in the air with a look that made him seem like he was about to vomit until the gravity changed again. ¡°Contractor, you should not pass up this valuable opportunity.¡± ¡°Opportunity?¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what she meant. ¡°There won¡¯t be many times in your life where you will be under such strenuous circumstances.¡± She sounded excited. ¡°You should train.¡± ¡°...In this state? It might look easy, but¡ªGah!¡± The gravity changed again, and Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body fell to the ground with a loud noise. ¡®Eight times stronger!¡® It was hard to even look up, but the Frost Queen was relentless. ¡°A strong bodyes from a strong mind.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me to...Huff, huff.¡± It took much more effort than usual to simply talk. His lungs strained to help him breathe. ¡°Do push-ups or something?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea either.¡± The Frost Queen looked around the cavern. ¡°And once you be ustomed to the weight, you should start running.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡± He thought that she was being unreasonable. ¡°If you¡¯re able to move freely no matter how light or heavy your body is, it will be extremely helpful in the future.¡± ¡°Easier said than done.¡± ¡°I will not force you to do it. I¡¯m simply suggesting a path that you can take to be stronger.¡± Ultimately, it was up to Seo Jun-Ho himself. ¡°...Dammit,¡± he grumbled. Since she had put it like that, he had no choice but to do it. He didn¡¯t want to give up any chance to get stronger simply because he was afraid of being exhausted. ¡°Hnnnn!¡± He put all his strength into his arms and slowly pushed off the ground. His whole body trembled. He couldn¡¯t even go up all the way up. He wanted to let go andy back down. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Even though Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t trust the Frost Queen yet, he learned in the past two weeks that her methods were effective. ¡®I have no choice but to follow.¡® With eyes full of spite, Seo Jun-Ho slowly lowered his body. The level 2 trialsted for 24 hours. *** [You have cleared the Gravity Trial.] [If you wish to continue, please say ¡®Go¡¯. If you wish to stop, please say ¡®Stop¡¯.] [The next level is the Phantom Trial.] Seo Jun-Ho was so tired he couldn¡¯t even speak. Heid on the ground, staring up at the cavern ceiling. ¡°Contractor, you look exhausted.¡± ¡°...¡± He tried to say with his eyes that he was really fucking tired, but he also tried to express his gratitude. ¡®The Cave of Trials rewards the yer based on their efforts.¡¯ The trial hadsted much longer thanst time, and he also managed to train during a trial. The force of gravity returned to normal, and Seo Jun-Ho felt three times lighter than usual. Understandably, the rewards from here would make him even stronger once he left the Cave of Trials. ¡°...Phew.¡± After a long while, he finally stood up. ¡°Contractor, what is the next trial?¡± ¡°...The Phantom Trial.¡± His face was grim. The Phantom Trial gave hallucinations to yers. In the past, he saw his parents. ¡®I fought like crazy to save them from monsters.¡¯ He suffered for half a day until it was finally over. He wasn¡¯t worried about fighting for half a day. Instead, he was worried about something else. ¡°Why are you looking at me? I feel as if you are boring a hole through my head.¡± ¡®I feel like it¡¯s either going to be her or the others this time. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to handle it.¡¯ He had a strong feeling that he would have to fight either the Frost Queen or his four friends. ¡®It would be a lot easier if it were the Frost Queen¡­ But I feel like it¡¯s gonna be my friends.¡¯ Thanks to Keen Intuition (B), he had never been wrong about these things. 1. It¡¯s vague whether it is a person or a whole different entity ? Chapter 62. The Cave of Trials (2) ¡°Ugh...¡± Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes with difficulty. He scratched his head and looked around. ¡°Ah...¡± He huffed out a sound with an extremely hoarse voice as he started to rememberst night. ¡®I came to the break room after finishing the Gravity Trial.¡¯ It had a refrigerator full of food and a bathroom with a shower booth, but he was so exhausted he couldn¡¯t even bother. ¡°Well, at least I made it to the bed somehow.¡± He vaguely remembered copsing at the entrance, but seeing as how he woke up on a bed, it was probably a dream. He looked around and his eyesnded on the Frost Queen. She had wrapped herself in tissue and was fast asleep. She let out even breaths as she slept, and for some reason, she reminded him of a hamster. ¡®Let¡¯s take a shower first.¡¯ He cleaned himself off in the bathroom. It was well-equipped with shampoo, conditioner, and even a toothbrush and toothpaste. When he came out, he found the Frost Queen sitting up, nodding in her sleep. It seemed like she wasn''t fully awake yet. ¡°Are you up?¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to ask...If I slept well...¡±[1] ¡°Do you think I would?¡± Seo Jun-Ho smirked and took out cereal, a banana, and an apple from the refrigerator for breakfast. ¡°Hmmm. Is your body alright?¡± She seemed to be more awake now as she spoke and stretched. ¡°Somewhat. I think I slept for twelve hours.¡± ¡°You are at a healthy age, so I suppose it wasn¡¯t too much of a problem,¡± she muttered, sounding like an old woman. She sat down in her self-designated seat which was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Today will be harder than yesterday.¡± ¡°As it should be. It would be quite boring if the difficulty decreased as the level increased.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stepped out of the break room and spoke. ¡°I wish to continue to the Phantom Trial.¡± [Level 3: The Phantom Trial will now begin.] Woosh! The torches in the cave fizzled out along with the message. When they flickered on again, there were four figures standing in the middle of the cavern. ¡°Oh my. Are those not yourrades?¡± ¡°I knew it...¡± Seo Jun-Ho bit his lower lip and looked around. His formerrades, the four heroes, surrounded him. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho, why did you throw us away?¡± ¡°Did you want to live on by yourself?¡± ¡°You promised toe back...You said we¡¯d meet again...¡± ¡°Traitor. Liar.¡± Their faces were contorted in a way he¡¯d never seen before as insults poured out of their mouths. ¡°Contractor, pay them no mind. They are all...¡± ¡°I know, they¡¯re illusions. I know...¡± Seo Jun-Ho unsheathed his sword with his eyes as cold as ice. ¡°It feels a lot worse than I expected.¡± The illusions cursed him with the same voices, faces, and bodies as his friends. ¡°Those idiots, they sent me up knowing that they would die.¡± The part that made Seo Jun-Ho the most upset was the way that the illusions were denying his friends¡¯ resolve. ¡°I won¡¯t let you insult them like this.¡± ¡°Jun-Ho. If you still think of us as your friends, then you should just die.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so cold here. The Frost Queen¡¯s power is still keeping us frozen.¡± ¡®Jun-Ho. Jun-Ho.¡¯ He wanted to hear those familiar voices again. But he ignored them all. ¡°Contractor, can you defeat them? ¡°Yes. The Cave of Trials does not send you enemies you can¡¯t defeat.¡± They were likely weakened to a state that he could fight them. ¡®There¡¯s no problem then.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gathered his magic. He leaped off the ground and swung ck Dragon Fang. It left a jet-ck afterimage as it felled the illusions. ¡°How could you?!¡± ¡°Gilberto!¡± ¡°I got it!¡± At Skaya¡¯smand, Gilberto fell to the rear and took out an enormous sniper rifle. At the same time, Rahmadat Khali blocked him with hisrge body. ¡®They even got all the details down.¡¯ Their tactics had been based on his memories. ¡®Then that means¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned around. Tenmei Mio would take advantage of the confusion and assassinate him from behind. Her position would always be the same. sh! A katana cut across Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s forehead. If he had been a little slower, his head would have gone flying. ¡®Dammit, the illusions are fucking fast.¡¯ Not only that, but she was using her family¡¯s sword technique, ¡®Tenmei-ryu,¡¯ perfectly. Seo Jun-Ho scowled and kicked her in the stomach. She went flying into the cavern wall. Behind him, he heard a gunshot. ¡®I¡¯ll die if I get hit.¡¯ If he got hit by one of Gilberto¡¯s bullets, it was game over. The bullets were most likely filled with magic that would make them spin and tear up his insides. Crackle! Three ice shields formed around him at the speed of light. But they weren¡¯t as good as the Frost Queen¡¯s. Heyered them together. ¡®And if that¡¯s the Gilberto I know¡­¡¯ Three ice shields wouldn¡¯t be enough to block his shot. He fully expected the bullet, and it came a momentter, ripping through his shields. But it had lost most of its momentum by the time it reached him. sh! Seo Jun-Ho swung ck Dragon Fang, cutting the bullet in half. ¡®And right about now¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho leaped off the ground, sprinting across the cavern wall and toward the ceiling. Ivy shot out from where he previously stood. ¡°The bastard dodged it!¡± ¡°I got him!¡± Rahmadat leaped into the air. His enormous body flew toward him in a straight line, and Seo Jun-Ho frowned. ¡®The illusions and the real thing are the same¡­¡¯ Rahmadat was as unsophisticated as always and had left his back open. ¡°Jun-Ho, you¡¯ve gotten a lot scrawnier!¡± He bellowed and swung a punch at his face. Woosh! The air screamed as his fist came forward. If Seo Jun-Ho took this, he would be knocked out. ¡®We can¡¯t have that.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho made the darkness explode, covering Rahmadat¡¯s sight. ¡°Ha! This is nothing!¡± His fist ripped through the air where Seo Jun-Ho had been. ¡°I always told you, didn¡¯t I? You only ever look forward and leave your back open.¡± He used Shadow Step to travel across the shadows made by the flickering torchlight. He appeared behind Rahmadat. There was no way he¡¯d let him get away. ck Dragon Fang stabbed through Rahmadat¡¯s back. ¡°Keuh!¡± ¡°Rahmadat!¡± ¡°Dammit, support him!¡± Dozens of bullets and fireballs flew below him, and Seo Jun-Ho swung Rahmadat¡¯s body around to use it as a shield. The gruesome sound of tearing flesh filled the air, but Rahmadat onlyughed. ¡°Why are you using others as you please, you bastard?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t leave your back open.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re done using me, pay up!¡± Rahdamat¡¯s broken flesh mended at an unfathomable speed. He ignored the sword in his chest and reached behind him, nning to crush Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skull in his hand. sh! But Seo Jun-Ho pulled out ck Dragon Fang and stepped out of his reach. ¡°Night Walking.¡± He became one with the darkness and melted into the ground to watch over the battlefield. ¡°It¡¯s Night Walking.¡± ¡°...Skaya, please track him.¡± ¡°Stop fretting, Mio. I¡¯m already on my way.¡± Having recovered from all his injuries at some point, Rahmadat tossed aside his blood-drenched shirt as he spoke. ¡°He¡¯s watching and waiting for an opportunity like a rat. Get it together, everyone. Our opponent is Specter.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was annoyed by the way they were talking ¡®realistically.¡¯ At that moment, the Frost Queen spoke. She had been watching quietly the whole time. ¡°That muscle giant seems to have an ability that lets him heal his wounds as well as an overabundance of power.¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why he¡¯s annoying to fight.¡± In order to defeat him, he either had tond multiple hits to make him unable to regenerate or make him use up all his magic. But that was impossible when the others were watching him so closely. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯ll be better to take care of the others first.¡± ¡°An excellent choice. Then who will you kill first?¡± ¡°Gilberto and Mio don¡¯t have good defenses. If I attack them while I¡¯m using Night Walking, I can start by taking one of them down.¡± The problem was Skaya. Most people were generally correct that mages had low defenses. But once they got past a certain point, there was no one else whose defense was stronger than a mage. ¡°Skaya protects her body with sevenyers of magic shields around the clock.¡± Seo Jun-Homented. ¡°What a nuisance. Then, in what order will you take them down?¡± The Frost Queen asked. ¡°I¡¯ll kill Gilberto and freeze Rahmadat¡¯s body at the same time.¡± With his strength, the ice would be broken instantly. But Seo Jun-Ho thought that he could take down the other two during that short amount of time. ¡°It would be nice if I could use Night Walking again¡­.But they won¡¯t give me the opportunity.¡± They weren¡¯t the kind of people who would let him use the same trick twice. ¡°Next time, Skaya will use her magic detection to find me. Even now, she¡¯s tracing me.¡± ¡°Then that skill will be useless.¡± ¡°Yeah, so I¡¯ll have to face them head-on.¡± The time it would take for Rahmadat to break out of his ice and catch him would be 5 seconds. He would have to take out both Gilberto and Mio in order to win. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the Frost Queen. ¡°The thing you showed mest time can distract Skaya and Rahmadat, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but it will consume a sizable amount of your mental power.¡± If his mental energy plummeted in the middle of battle, he would be dizzy and his movements would be sluggish. But Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was worth the risk. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Besides, it¡¯ll be more disadvantageous for me if this drags out.¡± Rahmadat had regeneration, stamina, and destructive power. Skaya had a seemingly endless amount of magic and wisdom. Gilberto had his focus and Mio had herposure. With them as his opponents, a dragged-out battle would be suicide for him. ¡°How many seconds do you think you can buy?¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen pouted and muttered her answer, clearly displeased. ¡°30 seconds...¡± ¡°Are you sure? Even if they¡¯re weakened, they shouldn¡¯t be underestimated.¡± ¡°Sometimes I feel as if you forget who I am.¡± She muttered something about her deste circumstance and slowly raised her hand. She looked up at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Do not worry about me and concentrate on your own role.¡± ¡°Use as much as you want as long as you can hold out for 30 seconds.¡± ¡°dly.¡± The Frost Queen looked forward and held out her hand. ¡°My soldiers! Arise from the cold earth and fell your enemies!¡± ¡°Keuk...!¡± As she cried out, Seo Jun-Ho felt a stinging pain in his head. It was simr to a brain freeze when one ate ice cream too quickly. ¡®But¡­ it¡¯s not too bad.¡¯ Frost energy filled the cavern, and ice golems were created. They looked big enough to overpower Rahmadat. ¡°What are those?¡± ¡°Be careful! Specter is using a new ability!¡± The illusions¡¯ attention turned to the golems, and Seo Jun-Ho took the opportunity tounch his attack. ¡®I can¡¯t do this again.¡¯ Even if they were illusions, he was killing the figures of his friends. He didn¡¯t want to go through this again. ¡°Guh...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho used Night Walking to quietly appear behind Gilberto and stab his heart. The cold feeling seeped into his chest, and Gilberto realized that he was dying. He knew that he didn¡¯t have much time left, so he reached into his waist pocket. ¡®Tch¡­.They got all the unnecessary details down.¡¯ He grabbed the revolver from his belt as blood dripped from his mouth. With thest of his strength, he pushed his body back. ¡°Gah!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back mmed into the cavern wall. Click! He loaded the bullet and pressed the muzzle to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chin. ¡°You won¡¯t¡­ be able to dodge this.¡± Gilberto had always been tenacious. If he was going to go down, he would take his enemy with him. He pulled the trigger. Click! Click! Not a bullet came out... ¡°...?¡± Shocked, Gilbert quickly checked his revolver. There was no way a bullet could leave the revolver when the barrel had frozen over. sh! Seo Jun-Ho took the opportunity to twist his sword inside Gilbert¡¯s chest. ¡°Keuk!¡± Blood poured from Gilberto¡¯s mouth, and his body started to crumble. ¡®I can¡¯t afford to stop.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t give a second nce at the crumbling illusion and held out his hand. Crackle! Frost energy shot out toward Rahmadat, freezing his enormous body. ¡°Let me go, you bastard!!!¡± Rahmadat¡¯s bellow resonated and shook the cave, and the ice covering his body shattered like ice. ¡°That¡¯s crazy...He broke the ice with his roar?¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s face fell. He lowered his stance, preparing to face Rahmadat. ¡°Contractor! Don¡¯t mind him and do what you have to!¡± Four golems attacked Rahmadat and Skaya, slowing them down. ¡°Nice! Just a bit more!¡± Seo Jun-Ho shouted. He quickly turned around when he sensed something ominous. ¡°...¡± Mio stood behind him, gripping her katana. There should not have been any wind in the cave, but her ponytail swayed. ¡®She¡¯s angry.¡¯ She was quiet andposed most of the time, but her anger was terrifying. A wild storm of magic surrounded her. His hair stood on end as he faced her. ¡°This fucking Cave of Trials¡­ are you sure I can defeat them?¡± 1. She uses a very formal/old-fashioned phrase, implying that she¡¯s above SJH in status ? Chapter 63. The Cave of Trials (3)

Chapter 63. The Cave of Trials (3)

The Tenmei n was a family of sword-users embedded deeply into Japan¡¯s history. As the eldest daughter, Mio had mastered their secret technique. She had a natural talent for swordy, and people had called her the High de. ¡®If you challenge her to a swordfight, you¡¯re just asking to be crushed.¡¯ In the past, Seo Jun-Ho had often sparred with her. Out of the 152 fights they had, his current record was 151 losses and 1 win. Except for that one win, he had always ended up in defeat against her. ¡®Of course, that only applies when we only use sword skills.¡¯ If they were allowed to use their other abilities, even Mio herself had acknowledged that Seo Jun-Ho would win. But her current state wasn¡¯t something to take lightly. ¡®It¡¯s my first time seeing Mio this angry.¡¯ Even though she didn¡¯t show it, she treasured her friends. And she had just witnessed Gilberto die in front of her. If the borate ¡®fake¡¯ had copied the ¡®real¡¯ one perfectly, then she should be seething from head to toe. ¡®I¡¯ll have to use that.¡¯ Even if it was dirty and underhanded, there was nothing else he could do. He only had 27 seconds left. Seo Jun-Ho kicked Gilberto¡¯s corpse that was on the floor as if it was a ball. ¡°What a weakling. He fell for such an obvious trap. He was cowardly until his death.¡± ¡°...¡± Mio¡¯s whole body started to shake. ¡°Take that back!¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡± Like a swallow, her body went low to the ground as she sprinted across it. ¡®Actually, one of her ancestors came up with this technique after watching a low-flying swallow.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a technique that anyone could just learn. After all, it ced a tremendous amount of burden on the lower back, so someone had to be both flexible and strong. It was a technique that required an inborn trait rather than effort. ¡®It¡¯s a good technique. But¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was her opponent. He knew her all too well. ¡®Mio¡¯s mentally weak.¡¯ He kicked Gilberto¡¯s corpse to shake her up. ¡®The Swallow Sword is the technique she¡¯s the most confident in. But if she wasn¡¯t an illusion and if she hadn¡¯t been distracted, she would never have used it against me.¡¯ The Swallow Sword was dangerous for one reason. It drew the opponent¡¯s eyes down, and the swallow would cut through them from the top. ¡®But it won¡¯t matter if the opponent already knows how it works.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho dodged her sword with a single sidestep. ¡°Ack...!¡± Did she not expect him to dodge? Flustered, she lost her center of bnce for a split second. But the blundersted for only a second, she was able to readjust her stance in the blink of an eye. ¡®But in a match between two experienced fighters, a moment¡¯s mistake can decide the oue¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho swung his sword downward. ¡®Like right now.¡¯ One stroke. That was all it took for him to cut through Mio¡¯s body. ¡°You...How could you...?¡± Mio tearfully asked him as she copsed to the ground. But he didn¡¯t have time for banter. Seo Jun-Ho ignored her and dashed over to the Frost Queen. ¡°Hurry, hurry! Hurryhurryhurry! Hurry up!¡± The Frost Queen had never lost her elegance or dignity, but now that she was being pushed back, she frantically her hand at him, asking for help. ¡°Good job!¡± Just as he reached her, the Golems shattered. Rahmadat and Skaya were weakened versions of the originals, so the two Golems managed to survive for 30 seconds against them. It would have been impossible without a spirit at the Frost Queen¡¯s level. The Aura Buff ring also came in clutch. ¡°I am ashamed. I had to use some powerful techniques to hold the woman at bay.¡± ¡°No wonder I felt a bit dizzy.¡± It seemed that the Frost Queen had handled Skaya herself instead of leaving her to the golems. Seo Jun-Ho raised his sword toward his two friends; they were looking at him with murderous eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t like those res, so let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡± ¡°dly!¡± Rahmadat charged at him like a boar. ¡°W-Wait a second! You idiot!¡± Skaya let out a frustrated shout as she supported him. ¡®Even though they¡¯re illusions, they¡¯re still bickering with each other.¡¯ Skaya always seemed to be in deep thought. Meanwhile, Rahmadat was someone who seemed like he had no idea how to think at all. As such, the two would always get into a fight at the drop of a hat, and it would usually be about something stupid. ¡®But in battle, they make the bestbination.¡¯ A natural warrior and a natural magician. Their synergy was powerful. There was only one way that Seo Jun-Ho could defeat this powerfulbo. ¡®I have to be a monster like them.¡¯ Wooong! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic circuits started to burn. He circted his magic throughout his body as fast as he could without slowing down. The Frost Queen sensed the powerful flow of magic. ¡°Contractor! Will you slow down?¡± she cried out. ¡°I can¡¯t think about that right now!¡± Adjusting your speed and saving your stamina was all fine and good, but it meant limiting your power. ¡®I can¡¯t hold back if I want to take them down.¡¯ He was lucky to take Gilberto and Mio down. But once they fell, the remaining two left no room for errors. This was the most pivotal moment. ¡®He¡¯sing.¡¯ Reading Rahmadat¡¯s movements, Seo Jun-Ho swung his sword. sh! ck Dragon Fang made a long cut across Rahmadat¡¯s chest. Bright red blood spurted from his wound. An injury like this would have killed anyone instantly, but he only looked amused. ¡°That feels refreshing!¡± Crack! Seo Jun-Ho blocked Rahmadat¡¯s fist as it came flying toward his abdomen with his elbow. Rahmadat¡¯s hand was destroyed, but he ignored even the sound of his bones breaking. ¡°Ahahahaha! Dieee!¡± ¡°You bastard...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t hold out against Rahmadat¡¯s strength and was sent flying back. Skaya¡¯s magic activated at that moment. Three magic circles appeared in the air, chain lightning crackling between them. ¡®Tsk. Even if she¡¯s an illusion, she can actually do triple casting.¡¯ It would be hard for him to continue if he got hit. Seo Jun-Ho quickly made a decision and used Shadow Step. ¡°Sorry, but that won¡¯t work anymore!¡± Seo Jun-Ho reappeared a wide distance away, but new spells attacked him. He let out a shout as two fireballs hit him directly. He barely managed to make ice armor in time, and it alleviated some of the injuries he sustained. Still, his skin was sizzling from the burns. ¡®...Dammit, their reaction times are too fast.¡¯ They were faster than any enemy he had ever faced in recent memory. Rahmadat chased him relentlessly as Skaya used her magic to distract him. Slice! He already cut Rahmadat¡¯s chest fourteen times alone. ¡®But it¡¯s always shallow.¡¯ This meant that Rahmadat was being careful not to let Seo Jun-Ho attack a weak spot. ¡°Hey, are you done already? I could go all day.¡± Rahmadat remained as energetic as always. Seeing that, Seo Jun-Ho sensed that it was time for him to make a choice. It was pointless to keep fighting like this, and it would only be disadvantageous for him if it dragged on. ¡®What shall I give him?¡¯ He would offer his flesh so he could break his opponent¡¯s bones.[1] There were many options to choose from, but Seo Jun-Ho chose the most efficient one. ¡®...I¡¯ll give you my left arm.¡¯ He didn¡¯t dodge Rahmadat¡¯s next punch and raised his left arm to block the strike. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re gonna block me with your flimsy arm?¡± Rahmadat seemed surprised, but his fist didn¡¯t stop. m! His fist smashed through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s left arm. ¡°Urp...¡± Blood poured from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mouth. With no time to rest, Rahmadatnded another direct hit on his chest. Fortunately, Seo Jun-Ho hadyered a few sheets of ice on top of ck Armor, but the forceful punch still made his insides churn. ¡®He¡¯s like a monster...But¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho forced himself together and gripped ck Dragon Fang. ¡®I just need one hit. That¡¯s all.¡¯ He used about half of his remaining magic, explosive darkness poured from him. The shadows covered ck Dragon Fang. Law of Life! Even Rodomir wasn¡¯t able to take this attack. The deadly technique was about to aim at Rahmadat. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten slower.¡± But Rahmadat¡¯s fist was faster. Hended a hit on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chin. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vision started to spin, and the strength in his legs gave out. ¡°Contractor!¡± ¡°Kuh...!¡± But he did not fall. He looked like he would tip over at any second, but his feet remained firmly nted on the ground. The only thing keeping him up was his willpower. ¡°....What the, you managed to take it?¡± Rahmadat looked genuinely surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected this. ¡°As expected of Specter...¡± Stab! ck Dragon Fang stabbed through his chest, interrupting him. ¡°...Too bad. You missed my heart.¡± Rahmadat¡¯s voice was apathetic. He had shifted his body in that instant to protect his heart. Rahmadat looked down at the sword piercing through his chest and grabbed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. ¡°Goodbye. I¡¯ll send you off painlessly.¡± His fingers started to dig into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skull. ¡°Keuk, that¡¯s too bad¡­ It¡¯ll more be painful for you then.¡± ¡°What? What are you...¡± Rahmadat¡¯s face fell when he realized. The energy from Law of Life started to tear him apart from the inside. ¡®I used half of my magic for this one hit.¡¯ If Rahmadat survived this, Seo Jun-Ho would acknowledge his defeat. Of course, he couldn¡¯t possibly survive this. No human could. The real Rahmadat had even praised the technique. As such, a weakened version of him wouldn¡¯t be able to survive through it. The darkness wildly ripped through Rahmadat¡¯s body. ¡°Ugh...¡± He fell to one knee. ¡°Rahmadat!¡± Skaya yelled in shock. She waved her arms, and Seo Jun-Ho was thrust upward like he was being carried by a storm. He promptly fell back down. ¡°Ack!¡± Out of all the ces on his body, his rib suffered the most as it fractured. ¡®Dammit, that¡¯s the same one from the Wild Forest¡­¡¯ Still, he stood up. His breath was shallow and cold sweat was dripping down his face. He knew that he didn¡¯t have much time left. His stamina was running out, and the Frost Queen had also used a good amount of his mental energy. He was at his limit after receiving a critical hit. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he copsed any second now. ¡°Rahmadat! Wake up!¡± No matter how Skaya tried to help him, Rahmadat was dead. The dark energy in Rahmadat¡¯s body was reaching its peak. It exploded out of his body, and blood rained down on the two survivors. 1. ???? - This is a Korean idiom basically meaning to take one step back so he could take two steps forward. ? Chapter 64. The Cave of Trials (4) ¡°...Huh? What...huh?¡± Skaya¡¯s illusion stuttered. She was unable to process what just happened. The mental blow she suffered was advantageous for Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®This is really the end.¡¯ He let out a sharp breath and mustered thest of his strength. His legs were shaky, but for now, they stood firm in supporting him. As he limped toward her, Skaya slowly turned her head. ¡°...I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Her eyes were red as tears of blood poured from her eyes. ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± An immense amount of magic poured into her hands. Even if he was at his peak condition, he couldn¡¯t guarantee that he would be able to easily block it. Seo Jun-Ho knew perfectly well what it was. ¡®So the illusion can also use Destruction Ray.¡¯ The magic folded and condensed, again and again within her hands as it formed into something. It sparkled brilliantly like the universe was in her hands. It looked beautiful, but it was a ray of death that wouldpletely destroy everything it touched. ¡°Contractor. That energy...It seems considerably dangerous.¡± The Frost Queen was worried. Seo Jun-Ho nodded weakly. ¡®I came this far, but I still have to use this.¡¯ If possible, he didn¡¯t want to. If he used it, he would be bedridden for at least two days. ¡°Hup!¡± The magic in his body started to pour out. Unlike before, he didn¡¯t leave behind a single drop. At the same time, his body started to ache as if he had been beaten up by a dozen men. ¡®Fucking burnout.¡¯ The exhaustion from using up all his magic started to set in. But he couldn¡¯t stop there. He continued to pull out his magic, creating a dark energy and condensing it over and over again. A weapon made of darkness slowly formed in his hands. ¡°...Deathscythe.¡± It was also known as the Death God¡¯s Scythe and was made by folding dark energy together. In other words, it was highly inefficient but there was one reason he used this. ¡®Skaya has seven magic shields and her Destruction Ray.¡¯ If he wanted to break through them, he needed an energy that would ¡®ignore¡¯ and ¡®disdain.¡¯ Darkness was the only one that could do that. ¡®This is the best weapon I can make right now.¡¯ One hit was much stronger than Law of Life. Seo Jun-Ho slowly raised the Death God¡¯s Scythe. ¡°Die!¡± Skaya released the Destruction Ray, and Seo Jun-Ho swung the scythe. A violent noise tore through the air as the two energies shed. ¡°...Haa, haa.¡± The final vestiges of his strength left him, and Seo Jun-Ho let go of Deathscythe. It lost its form and dissipated into ck smoke. ¡°I¡¯m really d you¡¯re just an illusion.¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya silently looked down at her chest. Arge cut ran diagonally from her shoulder to her side. Blood started to pour out. ¡®If it was the real Skaya, I wouldn¡¯t be the one left standing.¡¯ Deathscythe was the peak embodiment of the darkness element and was a weapon that destroyed everything equally. The illusion¡¯s Destruction Ray had been forcefully canceled because it had been weaker than Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s technique. If the real Skaya was the one that attacked him, things would have been vastly different. ¡°...¡± Skaya slowly raised her head, sensing her own impending death. She smiled softly as blood poured from her eyes and mouth. ¡°...Jun-Ho, we¡¯ll be waiting.¡± With those words, the illusions in the cavern disappeared. The blood on the ground and the broken walls of the cave disappeared, returning to their original appearance. ¡°Those illusions were dirty to the end. To think that they¡¯d say that.¡± ¡°...They¡¯re smart, like their originals. They know what to say to make me feel like shit.¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered tly. He knew that Skaya¡¯s words were the illusion¡¯sst attempt to make him despair, but it didn¡¯t stop his insides from churning. ¡°Haa¡­.This is really fucking hard.¡± The trial was over, but his current condition wasn¡¯t good. His broken arm and rib had been part of the illusions, so they returned to normal, but the magic and stamina he used were real. Seo Jun-Ho stumbled and leaned against a wall to prevent himself from passing out. ¡°Are you okay? Go to the resting room right now...!¡± ¡°Not yet...Thepletion message hasn¡¯t appeared yet...¡± Thankfully, it appeared right after he said that. [You have cleared the Phantom Trial.] [If you wish to continue, please say ¡®Go¡¯. If you wish to stop, please say ¡®Stop¡¯.] [The next level is the Insomnia Trial.] Of course, he chose ¡®Go.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho quickly spoke. ¡°Hey, Frost...¡± ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna...sleep. So...¡± He waved his hand as if asking for something, then copsed where he stood. The Frost Queen huffed as she looked down at him. ¡°Does he consider me to be his servant?¡± He was such a shameless human. ¡°But I suppose taking care of vassals is the duty of a monarch.¡± She sighed. The Frost Queen rolled up her sleeves and pulled him to the bed,ining the whole time. *** ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes like a patient that had just woken up from a deepa. His stomach rumbled loudly. ¡®Just how long was I asleep?¡¯ He was so hungry that his stomach started to hurt. He immediately went to the refrigerator and began eating. ¡°Phew, I finally feel alive.¡± He finished his meal and checked on the sleeping Frost Queen, then inspected himself. ¡®I really don¡¯t have any injuries.¡¯ The violent battle happened in the space of an illusion, but his body was still stiff. His magic, stamina, and mental energy were drained. ¡°I¡¯m going to rest for today.¡± The good thing about the Cave of Trials was that you didn¡¯t have to rush to finish it. If you were injured, you could stayfortably in the rest room until you were healed. As he rolled back onto the bed, the Frost Queen slowly sat up from her pile of tissues and yawned quietly. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°Yeah. How long was I out?¡± ¡°Around 30 hours.¡± ¡°...Ugh.¡± He slept a lot. ¡°But considering I used Deathscythe, that¡¯s not too bad.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the scythe at the end? It was as fierce as ever.¡± He also used Deathscythe against the Frost Queen. But of course, she hadn¡¯t fallen as easily as Skaya¡¯s illusion. ¡°I thought I¡¯d be out for a solid two whole days, so 30 hours is pretty good. My body doesn¡¯t feel that bad either.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen silently floated over to him and poked his arms and chest with her finger. ¡°Hey! Ow! Why are you doing that?¡± When he shouted unintentionally, she sighed. ¡°Why are you pretending to be okay when your body is in this state?¡± ¡°...If I rest for today, I¡¯ll be all better.¡± He was confident because his stamina and magic recovered rather quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn. Anyway, this Cave of Trials is quite fun in its own way.¡± The Frost Queen took a seat at the edge of the bed. ¡°How many trials are left?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly. But most people think that it stops at level 10.¡± ¡°Level 10...So there are still seven [1] trials left that are as perverse as yesterday¡¯s?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded but he was getting slightly worried. ¡®Gray, the Administrator, said he¡¯d raise the difficulty of the trials and change their contents a bit¡­¡¯ But except for a few trivial things, the trials weren¡¯t very different so far. In the Cave of Trials, the levels would get progressively difficult. ¡®It¡¯s driving me crazy. But I¡¯d rather have the ball drop earlier thanter.¡¯ He was starting to worry because the Cave of Trials was easier than he expected. ¡°How do you feel? You have not seen yourrades in a long time.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. They were just illusions.¡± He suddenly remembered something. ¡°...Well, I¡¯m a bit sad that I didn¡¯t get to meet my parents in the trial,¡± he muttered. They showed up the first time he entered the Phantom Trial. It had been so long since he saw them that he cried. ¡°Your parents? Why would they appear in the Phantom Trials?¡± The Frost Queen asked. ¡°What do you mean why? They¡¯re both dead.¡± Seo Jun-Ho directly responded. The Frost Queen was dumbfounded at his blunt response. ¡°Huh...? Ah, I...I seemed to have made a mistake...¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It was a long time ago.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s a good thing, I suppose.¡± She patted Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder with her small hand. ¡°I lost my parents at a young age too, so I can sympathize.¡± ¡°Really? How old were you?¡± ¡°Six.¡± ¡°...What? That¡¯s worse than me though.¡± He was surprised. He looked at her with pity. ¡°There is no need to look at me so. It had been a long time for me as well.¡± ¡°...Yeah. We¡¯re in the same boat.¡± Oddly enough, he had quite a bit ofmonality with the Frost Queen. At times, it pissed him off, but it was alsoforting sometimes. ¡°What is the next Trial?¡± ¡°...Insomnia.¡± He got dizzy just from just thinking about it. ¡°You have to stay awake for ten days without sleeping.¡± ¡°What? Ten?! What a difficult Trial.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Trial that makes people go mad.¡± Staying up for a day or two was pretty easy. Even non-yers could do that. ¡®But ten days...That¡¯s on a different level.¡¯ You would have to stay awake for 240 hours and give up the most important of the three basic human necessities. ¡°The Guinness World Record for staying awake is eleven days straight.¡± ¡°Ah, they must have been a yer with amazing willpower.¡± ¡°Actually, it was a normal person.¡± Of course, the results of the reckless challenge hadn¡¯t been good. In an interview the next day, the challenger had a noticeably decreased memory retention and attention span. He also confessed to having auditory hallucinations[2] ¡®Since I¡¯m a yer, I didn¡¯t have those kinds of setbacksst time.¡¯ This didn¡¯t mean that the Insomnia Trial was easy. After all, this Trial sent the most number of people back. ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡± ¡°Wait. Has it not been less than an hour since you awakened?¡± ¡°I have to sleep a lot when I can.¡± He had to be as sharp as he could before he stayed up for ten days straight. *** Seo Jun-Ho slept for another 13 hours. His eyes opened a few times, but he forced himself back asleep. ¡°Wow, I feel great.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled. How long had it been since he had taken a break and slept this well? He suddenly stopped with a peculiar look on his face. ¡°Wait¡­.Really, I think it¡¯s been a few years since I had a rest like this.¡± He technically slept in the ice for 25 years, but his body had been so worn out that it didn¡¯t feel refreshing. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve rested this well since thest time I challenged the Cave of Trials.¡± In Gray¡¯s words, it had been 28 years and 7 months. Since then, he hadn¡¯t taken a single day off from hunting and only slept a maximum of 6 hours a day. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes. Everything¡¯s perfect.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded confidently. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He stepped out of the door. ¡°I wish to continue to the 4th level.¡± [Warning: Once the 4th Trial begins, you cannot sleep for ten days.] [Are you sure you want to proceed?] Seo Jun-Ho once again felt that the Gate was too kind to the yers. ¡°But if you¡¯re gonna be this nice, at least lower the difficulty a bit,¡± he grumbled. Afterward, he nodded. ¡°Proceed.¡± [Level 4: The Insomnia Trial will now begin.] Arge hologram timer appeared on the cavern wall. 239:59:59 It depicted the time that Seo Jun-Ho had to stay awake. 1. The raws says 6 trials are left, but he¡¯s only gone through 3 trials so far ? 2. This may be referring to Randy Gardner ? Chapter 65. The Cave of Trials (5)

Chapter 65. The Cave of Trials (5)

¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho had to stay awake for ten days. At first, he didn¡¯t feel much pressure from the ticking clock on the wall, and the first twelve hours or so passed by uneventfully. If he was bored, he¡¯d talk to the Frost Queen. Other than that, he spent time researching his ability. Of course, he didn¡¯t allow himself to move too much. Burning calories would make him tired, and sleep would start to threaten him. ¡°Looks good.¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly stood up. The Frost Queen looked up at him. He had created a pir of ice in the middle of the cavern. ¡°What is that for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna sit on it.¡± He took a couple of steps and easily ran up the side of the ice, hoisting himself onto the pir. ¡°Hup.¡± There was some space left after he took a seat, but it was too small to lean ory down. It was around 22 meters high. ¡®Humans start to get scared of heights after around 11 meters.¡¯ The reason for that was simple. ¡®That height would start to provoke their imaginations.¡¯ Eleven meters was a height where most people could see what was below them in detail. They could estimate how much it would hurt, and where it would hurt the most if they were to fall. ¡®But my sight is better than most people¡¯s.¡¯ Even without enhancement, he could see clearly within 50 meters. But there was a reason why he had made his pir 22 meters high. ¡°If I fall while dozing off...Any higher than 22 meters is dangerous.¡± In other words, he could survive a fall from below that height. ¡°This ce is quite high, though the view from here is dreary.¡± The Frost Queen had followed him up to the pir, but she started to feel dizzy as she looked down to the ground. ¡°Yes, this is quite effective in keeping you awake,¡± she muttered. If he fell, he would be gravely injured. The idea would whip him awake. ¡°Are you not hungry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine for now.¡± His stomach growled as he said this, but he refused to eat. ¡®Hunger is a good way to keep yourself awake.¡¯ When 20 hours passed, his stomach started to grumble even louder as it seemed to be begging for food, but the pain only helped Seo Jun-Ho concentrate even better. The Frost Queen couldn¡¯t take it any longer. ¡°Would it not be better if you ate?¡± She asked carefully. ¡°Just a bit, then...¡± Seo Jun-Ho reached into his inventory and ate one Shaolin pill, along with a single sip of water. ¡°Is that enough to fill your stomach?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t fill my stomach.¡± Being full would lead to him beingfortable, and beingfortable would make him tired. For now, Seo Jun-Ho had to stick to all the strict rules he set for himself. *** ¡°...¡± It had been 72 hours since hest slept, and Seo Jun-Ho barely even talked by now. Before, he would asionally chat with the Frost Queen, but even that had stopped on the fourth day. She didn¡¯t try to talk to him much either because she understood the uphill battle he was fighting. ¡°...If you¡¯re tired, you can sleep,¡± Seo Jun-Ho rasped quietly. The Frost Queen shook her head. ¡°I am a spirit. I do not have the same desires or needs as humans.¡± ¡°Must be nice.¡± He smiled as he said this, but his voice was envious. Tick, tick, tick. The hologram clock on the wall counted down by the second. Seo Jun-Ho shut his eyes tightly when he saw that there were still 188 hours remaining. ¡®This is harder than thest time.¡¯ After all, the human body slowly deteriorated as it aged. yers could maintain their bodies in all sorts of ways, but not even them could stop the ruthless passing of time. Things were different for the Seo Jun-Ho who had gone through the Cave of Trials when he was 22 to the present him who was 25. Seo Jun-Ho yawned. ¡°Wake me up.¡± ¡°Look over here.¡± The Frost Queen pointed her finger. Woosh! A soft, cold snowball hit Seo Jun-Ho square in the face, and the sting woke him right up. He gave her a thumbs up. *** Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulders were hunched as he sat on the pir. His stomach kept grumbling, and hisplexion was sickly. His eyes were sunken, and dark circles were painted underneath them. It might be slightly exaggerating, but he almost looked like a corpse. ¡®Dizzy¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho rubbed his eyes hard. If he got distracted even a little bit, he would copse. 125 hours had passed and there were still 115 hours left, but this was the most crucial part. ¡®Heavy¡­¡¯ He felt like a boulder was filling his head. ¡®I just want to sleep for 10 minutes. No more, no less, just 10 minutes.¡¯ He felt like he¡¯d fall asleep if he closed his eyes for just three seconds. ¡°We can¡¯t have that.¡± He stood up from his seat with great effort and jumped off the pir. Hended on the ground and stumbled over to the break room. ¡°...¡± The plush bed and full refrigerator tempted him greatly, but he gulped and headed to the bathroom instead. He took care of his business and looked up at the shower booth. ¡®If I take a hot shower andy down on the bed¡­¡¯ He would dream the sweetest dreams ever. Just as he raised his hand toward the shower faucet¡­ Bang bang bang! The Frost Queen banged on the bathroom door. ¡°Contractor! You¡¯re not sleeping in there, are you?¡± ¡°...Of course not.¡± He suddenly realized what he was doing. He washed his hands and sshed his face with cold water. It was just a little bit, but he felt more awake now. *** 215:59:59 Seo Jun-Ho stared at the clock, his eyes unfocused. ¡°Hold on for a little longer. There are only 24 hours left.¡± He nodded because he didn¡¯t have the energy to reply, but as time passed, he was starting to be more awake. ¡®I experienced itst time.¡¯ It was often called a state of nirvana. Besides his heavy body and dim vision, he didn¡¯t feel very tired. His stomach had also be quiet at some point, and it felt like the whole world had fallen asleep. In the absolute silence that seemed as if the entire world was asleep, Seo Jun-Ho continued his battle alone. ¡®It¡¯s actually motivating.¡¯ He smiled. While Korean men pledged to live a different life aftering back from their military service, yers pledged to live a different life after they came back from the Cave of Trials. Those who cleared the Cave of Trials, especially those that cleared the Insomnia Trial, returned with a different mindset. ¡®Nothing is impossible¡­ Is what we say.¡¯ The same had happened to Seo Jun-Ho. He thought about the first time he cleared the Cave of Trials up to the 9th level. ¡®I had nothing to be afraid of after that.¡¯ He felt unstoppable, and not just because he was arrogant. He had always been diligent even before he entered the Cave of Trials, but he became even more tenacious after he returned from it. ¡®It¡¯s the same this time as well.¡¯ The Cave of Trials pressured the yers to quit every step of the way, but it rewarded those who persevered. ¡®What were the rewards I got for clearing the 9th level...?¡¯ Because he hadn¡¯t slept, his mind had slowed down. He kept forgetting what he wanted to remember. ¡®Oh, right. I got the ¡®Hero¡¯s Mind¡¯ Skill...¡® It was an A-grade Skill, but that wasn¡¯t all. His stats had all increased by 10. ¡®I¡¯ll reach at least the 9th level again.¡¯ An increase of 10 and an A-grade Skill were invaluable rewards for Seo Jun-Ho who wanted to save his friends as fast as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely...Save you...It won¡¯t be long...¡± He sounded like he was possessed. A faint voice kept filling his ears. ¡°...tor, Contra...Contractor!¡± Jolt! His eyes shot open as if he was hit with lightning. Seo Jun-Ho quickly looked around with a worried look. ¡°D-did I fall asleep?¡± The Frost Queen let out a heavy sigh. ¡°No. Look over there.¡± He looked to where she was pointing. 0:0:0 He hadn¡¯t slept in ten days, but he dreamed about those numbers countless times. Only then did he realize that he had already passed the trial. ¡°...Oh.¡± His husky voice sounded unfamiliar and unpleasant, but heughed. ¡°I won.¡± ¡°Yes, you did.¡± ¡°Staying up like that was no big deal.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, you are right.¡± The Frost Queen spoke to him like she was humoring a child. ¡°Come down now.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho leaped off the ice pir. Normally, he should be able to do this easily, but he was too tired. By the time hended, he was huffing and puffing. ¡°Phew¡­¡± A System message appeared. [You have cleared the Insomnia Trial.] [If you wish to continue, please say ¡®Go¡¯. If you wish to stop, please say ¡®Stop¡¯.] [The next level is the Taste Trial.] It was hardship after hardship. Seo Jun-Ho squeezed his eyes shut when he read it. Things would only get harder from here on out. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t eat, go.¡± *** After the Insomnia Trial, Seo Jun-Ho slept for four days like a hibernating bear. By the end of it, he finally recovered. ¡°I¡¯ve decided. Even if I regress or reincarnate, I¡¯m nevering to the Cave of Trials again.¡± The Frost Queen clicked her tongue at his resolute words. ¡°It must have been considerably difficult.¡± ¡°It drives people crazy. You try staying up for¡­ Well, I guess you wouldn¡¯t understand since you¡¯re a spirit.¡± He shrugged as he spread strawberry jam and butter onto warm bread. ¡°So, what is the next Trial?¡± ¡°...Dammit, why did you bring that up while I¡¯m eating?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face darkened as he chewed on his bread. He grabbed a memo pad on the table and wrote something down. The Frost Queen walked over to it and tilted her head. ¡°...Taste, scent, sound, silence, darkness, void?¡± ¡°The sense trials are waiting for me. That¡¯s what I call them.¡± The five human senses were sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. ¡®But the Cave of Trials doesn¡¯t have a trial for the sense of touch.¡¯ If something like that existed here, then it wouldn¡¯t be a trial. It would be closer to torture. ¡°The sense trials stack too. That¡¯s the hardest part.¡± ¡°They stack? Then, will you have to experience all these trials together in the final one?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be deaf, blind, and unable to smell or taste...It¡¯s enough to ruin a person.¡± ¡°Hm...¡± She held her chin in her hands. ¡°But are you allowed to tell me about these things?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You can talk about the trials inside the Cave, but not outside of it.¡± They were still in the middle of the trials. Of course, unless they were like Seo Jun-Ho and had a spirit, they would have no one to talk to. ¡°It must be hard. But what is the Taste Trial? Does it simply prevent you from tasting?¡± ¡°...If it were that simple, I wouldn''t be this worried.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked teary-eyed as he took a final bite of his toast as if it were hisst meal. ¡°Phew, that was good.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finished his meal and pressed his hands together over his empty te. He prayed that the fullness in his stomach wouldst for a long time. ¡°Once the Taste Trial begins, you can¡¯t eat anything. If you do, it tastes like shit.¡± Shit was putting it lightly. You would taste all the disgusting things of the universe at once, things that would hurt your dignity as a human. ¡°Then can you not simply starve?¡± ¡°...I told you. All the trials from now on will stack.¡± He wrinkled his nose and suddenly looked up as if he had realized something. ¡°Oh, I looked disgusted just now, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°And what of it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see the real thing soon.¡± The Frost Queen pitied him once again. Chapter 66. The Cave of Trials (6) The Taste Trialsted for one day, and Seo Jun-Ho cleared it without a single sip of water. ¡°What a relief. You should go eat in the break room now.¡± He shook his head in response to her thoughtful consideration of him. ¡°No. I have to go right onto the next one.¡± ¡°What...? Why must you go so far?¡± ¡°The food in the break room will also taste like shit.¡± Heughed weakly, looking pitiful with his tearful eyes. He turned away from the Frost Queen and started the Stench Trial. ¡°Urp! Bleegh!¡± The moment it began, Seo Jun-Ho covered his mouth. He only breathed, but the cavern became filled with a stench resembling rotting corpses. No matter how disgusting something smelled, one should get used to the stench after some time, but the Cave of Trials didn¡¯t adhere to suchmon sense. A new revolting smell continuously prated his nose. ¡°Haa, Haa...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯splexion paled. He had starved for a day, and now, he couldn¡¯t even breathe properly. His body was quickly starting to deteriorate. ¡®But...I have to endure¡­¡¯ He bit his lips hard. He had survived the Insomnia Trial, and he had already cleared this Trial once in the past. There was no reason that he couldn¡¯t do it twice. ¡®But why is it so hard?¡¯ Grolll. Seo Jun-Ho rolled on the ground in pain, but he passed the Scent Trial. But his body couldn¡¯t handle it. It was a different kind of pain from the Insomnia Trial. In the Insomnia Trial, he could at least eat and drink if he got too hungry. ¡°...Shouldn¡¯t you eat something?¡± The Frost Queen asked carefully. She looked at him with pity. Just like she said, he had to eat something. He had more muscles than the average person, and he had to absorb more calories to maintain them. ¡®I haven¡¯t had a single drop of water in two days...I feel like I¡¯m going crazy.¡¯ His nose was still filled with a rotten stench, but his survival came first. ¡°Just a bit, then...¡± Seo Jun-Ho walked into the break room and tore a tiny piece of bread. He pondered for a long time, and then carefully put it into his mouth and swallowed without chewing. ¡°Bleeghhh!¡± And he threw it all up. Since he didn¡¯t eat anything, it was mostly gastric fluids. He felt like his own insides wereing up. When he finally stopped vomiting, his eyes were stained with tears. ¡°Huff, huff...This...This is worse than shit.¡± He didn¡¯t even know how to describe it, nor did he believe that such a revolting taste could exist. ¡®But if I don¡¯t eat¡­¡¯ He would die. He may be a strong yer, but if he didn¡¯t eat and didn¡¯t drink, he would die. ¡°Hey, Frost...¡± ¡°Yes, what do you need?¡± She asked carefully. She was scared to piss off Seo Jun-Ho in his current sensitive state. ¡°If you had to eat shit-vored curry or curry-vored shit, which would you rather eat?¡± ¡°I would rather starve.¡± ¡°Starving isn¡¯t an option. You have to choose one.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen fell into a dilemma. She didn¡¯t know if she should prioritize the sanctity of her life or her nutrition. ¡°Then¡­ What would you choose?¡± The Frost Queen asked him instead. ¡°The curry-vored shit. Every time.¡± He spoke with tears in his eyes. He swallowed the bread, trying to swallow his pain and disgust along with it. The tear-soaked bread tasted vile. *** Seo Jun-Ho gulped down a bottle of water. The Frost Queen watched and wrote something down on the memo pad. [Contractor...A-are you alright...?] [Yes. I¡¯m great. How was your day?] [1] There was no energy in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s response. One might say that he was too far gone. [The stench is as bad as always...But I¡¯m starting to get used to the food.] His eyes lit up like a wise old sage. [As long as I can swallow it down, it¡¯s all the same food as it digests. The taste isn¡¯t really important.] [Contractor...You seem like you have given up your dignity as a human.] [It¡¯s alright. Things will return to normal once the Trials are over. I¡¯ve done this before.] Seo Jun-Ho held the pen weakly and let out a sigh. He was in the middle of the Stillness Trial. ¡®The Trials changed.¡¯ In the past, the Sound and Silence Trials hade after the Scent Trial. ¡®I became deaf and mute in this trial.¡¯ But this time, they hadbined to be the Stillness Trial. Because he couldn¡¯t hear or speak, he wasmunicating with the Frost Queen on the memo pad. ¡®Two Trialsbined into one¡­¡¯ His eyes darkened. ¡®Which means that one more Trial will be added at the end.¡¯ It seemed that it was the ¡®change¡¯ that Gray had been referring to. Every time Seo Jun-Ho started a new Trial, he felt himself withering bit by bit. Ironically, he would then be more determined after he cleared one of the trials. ¡®Since I¡¯ve alreadye this far, I¡¯m gonna clear these shitty trials no matter what.¡¯ He gritted his teeth. If he gave up, he couldn¡¯t call himself hardworking. [You have cleared the Stillness Trial.] [If you wish to continue, please say ¡®Go¡¯. If you wish to stop, please say ¡®Stop¡¯.] [The next level is the Darkness Trial.] The Darkness Trial took away your vision. Seo Jun-Ho quickly scribbled on the memo pad. [Do you know what Morse Code is?] *** ¡°...¡± He couldn¡¯t see. He couldn¡¯t hear. He couldn¡¯t speak. And all the while, a repulsive stench filled his nose. Tap tap, ta-ta-tap, taptap? It was smart of him to teach the Frost Queen some morse code. She picked it up quickly. She asked something along the lines of. ¡°Will you eat?¡± Taptaptap. Seo Jun-Ho replied with ¡®just a little.¡¯ This Trial would end in a few hours. ¡®I¡¯ve already slept a lot, so I¡¯m going right into the next one.¡¯ If he remembered correctly, the next one was the ¡®Void¡¯ Trial. He swallowed. ¡®There¡¯s a reason why all yers left the Cave of Trials after the ninth level.¡¯ It was fear. The yers would have lost their sense of sight, sound, scent, taste, as well as their speech. Their bodies and minds were weary at that point. ¡®Void. A state of empty nothingness.¡¯ If you thought about it, the word didn¡¯t mean much, but his past self was still shaken by the idea. ¡®I felt like my entire existence would be erased.¡¯ Truthfully, he still felt that way. Seo Jun-Ho suddenly felt his hand trembling. ¡®Void¡­¡¯ Humans were already powerless without their senses. But if one continued on to the Void Trial in that state... ¡®yers with weak minds will probably be truly erased from existence.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t just being paranoid. The System itself warned them of this. ¡®It preys on the primal fear that we humans cannot escape. But¡­ it¡¯s only the 9th Trial? ¡® Seo Jun-Ho felt the cavern darken even though he couldn¡¯t see. The Administrator Gray hadbined the Sound and Silence Trials into one, which meant that the Void Trial would be the 9th and a new one would appear as the 10th. Seo Jun-Ho started to wonder what the final one would be. [You have cleared the Darkness Trial.] [If you wish to continue, please say ¡®Go¡¯. If you wish to stop, please say ¡®Stop¡¯.] [The 9th Void Trial and the 10th Time Trial will happen concurrently.] ¡®...What?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was shocked. He expected the Void Trial, but he hadn¡¯t expected that the 10th would happen concurrently with it. ¡®This is the first time this has happened. The Time Trial?¡¯ A shiver went down his spine. The Void Trial was already dangerous, but another Trial on top of that? ¡®If...If I mess this up, I¡¯ll be in trouble.¡¯ The System lit up again. [Warning! The Void Trial is not rmended for those with weak minds and bodies, those who are elderly, and those who are pregnant.] [Please cancel if you do not think that you can handle the Trial. Your existence may disappear.] It was a brutal message. Most yers who entered the Cave of Trials were beneath level 30, which meant that they had a lot to lose. The thing that they most feared was death. But the Trial did not simply end with death, it could erase your entire existence. ¡®My younger self would have run away at this point.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho grinned. He thought that his past self, and all the others who gave up after the 9th Trial, were adorably naive. ¡®The Cave of Trials rewards you for how much you struggle.¡¯ The Sense Trials were hard, but they didn¡¯t put your life at risk. ¡®But that¡¯s not the case for the Void Trial.¡¯ High-risk, high-return. Seo Jun-Ho sensed that there was something that could only be gained if he risked his life. ¡®And if it¡¯s concurrent with the Time Trial¡­¡¯ He had an idea of what would happen. ¡®I¡¯ll probably be alone, unable to feel anything at all.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know how long it would take. All he knew was that he would have to see it through to the end. ¡°...¡± He pondered for a long while before he tapped his finger on the ground. He sent a message to the Frost Queen. [I¡¯ll be back.] She tapped on his shoulder. [Do not worry. I will keep waiting here.] For some reason, that encouraged him. Seo Jun-Ho smiled weakly and made his decision. ¡®I will continue.¡¯ [9th level and 10th level, The Void and Time Trials will now begin.] As it began, Seo Jun-Ho started to feel like his consciousness was drifting away. ¡®...Huh?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t feel the Frost Queen¡¯s fingers on his shoulder. He tried to reach out his arm to find her, but he started to forget how to do that. ¡®Wait.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just his arms. As he realized that he could think, he was sure that his head was attached to his body but he forgot how to move it. No, actually, he wasn¡¯t sure that his limbs were all attached to his body. ¡®...I can¡¯t feel anything.¡® If he could describe it with one phrase, it would be ¡®wandering mind.¡¯ He could not see, hear, or feel his magic. In some ways, he was happy because the stench had finally disappeared. ¡®I have to get it together.¡¯ He finally understood why the System gave such a warning. He could not feel anything, and his fears started to creep in. ¡®...I¡¯m alive, right?¡¯ He pushed away those thoughts. His mind started to drift, floating without any sense or purpose. ¡®I am Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho repeated this firmly. He was Seo Jun-Ho. He was Specter. He always won. He would win this Trial too. ¡°...¡± There had been a time when he thought that way. 1. This was written formally and politely, different from how he usually responds to the Frost Queen ? Chapter 67. Breakaway (1)

Chapter 67. Breakaway (1)

One plus one is two. Two plus two is four. Four plus four is eight... Wait, what was I doing just now? ¡­Oh! Addition! I was reviewing the basic arithmetic functions. Hahaha. He felt happy for the first time in a while andughed. He had long forgotten how much time had passed in this space. After he stopped counting the time at 100 days, he started to have a meltdown. Had it been five months? Six? No... Had it been years? There was no way to measure time. He could only guess with such ridiculous methods. Perhaps he was already dead and was floating around in some sort of afterlife. ¡®I thought I¡¯ll go to heaven when I¡¯m dead...I¡¯ve done a lot of good things, after all.¡¯ Heughed on the inside. He was sure he wasughing, but there were tears in his eyes. Of course, he couldn¡¯t actually cry, but he imagined himself sobbing. How did things get so bad? He simply entered the Cave because he wanted to get stronger. Had he been too selfish? He began doubting himself¡ª¡¯Was I not strong enough to handle this?¡¯ Had he truly been mistaken? If he was able to go back, should he run away? He thought for a long time. ¡®...I don¡¯t want that.¡¯ That was his decision. He would pursue power and even if he had to risk his life, he would clear this Trial. But where did that persistent mindset go? All that was left was weakness. ¡®I am Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ He controlled the darkness and was the strongest man that had once stood over the 75 million people in his country. ¡®I am Specter.¡¯ There was nothing he couldn¡¯t defeat. If he wanted to give up, he would kill himself before he could even think of doing it. ¡®If you can¡¯t even do that, don¡¯tin.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho swore to himself that he would find a way out of this shitty ce. Magic, gravity, the past, insomnia, starvation. Scent, sound, sight. He had ovee all those Trials. And yet the Cave of Trials was demanding even more from him. The Void and Time Trials had even beenbined into one. ¡®What do you want me to do? Am I supposed to be a god or something?¡¯ But a human couldn¡¯t be a god and he had been born as a human. ¡®But¡­¡¯ With his effort, he could be something ¡®beyond human.¡¯ After all, someone who could cut the sea with one hand couldn¡¯t be called a human. ¡®Something beyond human.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought that that was what the Cave of Trials wanted from its yers. It wanted the yers to ovee all the things oppressing them and surpass their limits. ¡®I feel like I¡¯ve be a cicada.¡¯ Some species spent close to 20 years underground until they died. They had one chance in their 20 years to shed their skins, for a breakaway. They could be new creatures and fly through the skies. The cicadas who missed their chances died thinking that the ground was the whole world. ¡®I will never die in a shitty ce like this.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho sharpened his will. His reason started to return to him, and so did the feeling of emptiness. Even in this state of suspended eternity, his determination could not be destroyed. ¡®I am Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ He would not fold. The moment he thought this, ayer of himself was shed. ¡®...Ah.¡¯ And his senses started to return to him. Magic. Magic that overflowed in his body, air that filled his lungs. His ear twitched as a drop of water dripped on it from a stctite on the ceiling. ¡°...Phew.¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a breath and slowly opened his eyes. He saw the familiar sight of the cavern once again. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder. ¡°Wee back.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded at the Frost Queen¡¯s voice. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°I stayed right here as I promised.¡± ¡°How much time has passed?¡± ¡°Ten days.¡± ¡°This fucking Cave of Trials. It messed with me.¡± He counted several months, but it had only been ten days? Seo Jun-Ho scoffed and stood up. The Frost Queen looked up at him. ¡°Something has changed within you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not all that amazing. I¡¯ve only shed a singleyer.¡± Seo Jun-Ho unsheathed ck Dragon Fang. The de was silent, without a single sound. ¡®I haven¡¯t eaten for ten days¡­¡¯ But his body was in great condition, and he felt that all the magic in his body was under his control. ¡°My magic loss rate ...¡± He muttered, grinning. After he awakened from the ice, he managed to lower his magic loss rate by 5%, but that had been the limit. He thought it would take some time to lower it to 3% from when he was Specter... ¡®I didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d be able to master magic control like this.¡¯ His magic loss rate was now 0%. This meant that he wouldn¡¯t waste a single drop of magic while using it. He was now equal to the blessed by magic, Great Mage Skaya. ¡°Wait, that means...¡± He pushed his magic into ck Dragon Fang, creating a pitch-ck energy. It burned as strong as a beacon. This was the final stage of swordy that everyone aimed for, a state that could only be reached if you had perfect control of magic. ¡°...A sword aura.¡± Seo Jun-Ho swung the burning, ck de. The thick cave wall was cut through like tofu. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no one left on the 1st floor that can beat me in swordy.¡± Forget the 1st floor, even on the 2nd floor, there were tons of sword users who couldn¡¯t create a sword aura, let alone a sword ki. The Frost Queen sincerely congratted him on his growth. ¡°This looks stronger than the sword aura you used in the past,¡± the Frost Queen said eagerly. ¡°It probably is. I thought it was perfected back then, but it seems like it hadn¡¯t been perfect yet.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sheathed his sword, and messages popped up before him. [You have cleared the Void Trial and the Time Trial.] [Calcting Cave of Trials clear rewards.] ... Last time, the rewards had been calcted immediately, but it took much longer this time. ¡°Is itgging?¡± Seo Jun-Ho hit the message box without thinking, and a new message appeared. [Don¡¯t whine. The rewards are still being calcted. - Administrator Gray.] ¡°...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®The rewards are so good that the Administrator has to calcte them himself?¡¯ He stood there silently, and System messages poured out. [Hero¡¯s Mind (A) has evolved to Hero¡¯s Mind (S).] [You are nowpletely immune to all telepathic abilities below S-rank.] [Keen Intuition (B) has evolved to Keen Intuition (A).] [You have received the Title ¡®Limit Breaker¡¯.] [All stats increased by 20.] [Seriously, congrattions. - Administrator Gray.] ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. ¡®The ranks of my skills increased? Two of them, at that?¡¯ This was the first time this happened to him...No, actually, he never even heard that this happened to anyone else. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing that Hero¡¯s Mind evolved. My mental power gets drained whenever the Frost Queen uses her powers.¡¯ Now, she could use more powerful abilities more often. In short, she was the one that had gotten stronger. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect Keen Intuition to evolve either.¡¯ Even at B-rank, the skill was incredibly useful. But now that it was A, it was practically an intelligence skill. ¡®Not only that, but I also got 20 stat points. That¡¯s twice as much asst time.¡¯ ¡°Ah!¡± He suddenly eximed. [I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re honest or clever¡­] He realized why Administrator Gray had said those words. ¡°The Cave of Trials rewards its yers based on how much they struggle.¡± Understandably, he would receive more rewards than other yers. ¡®So Gray has been watching me since then.¡¯ Of course, Seo Jun-Ho had simply spoken his honest thoughts at the time, but it had turned out for the better. ¡°And a Title...¡± It was his third one now. [Limit Breaker] Rank: A Description: A Title given to those who broke through their limits in the Cave of Trials. Effect: Every time you level up, random stat +1. ¡°...!¡± He was so shocked that his brain short-circuited. Seo Jun-Ho read the effect over and over. ¡°I¡¯m not misreading this, right...?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The Frost Queen peeked over his shoulder and nodded as she read the description. ¡°I believe it simply means what it states.¡± ¡°Right?¡± He pinched his cheek just to make sure he wasn¡¯t dreaming. ¡°...Ow.¡± ¡°Do not worry. You are awake.¡± Only after the Frost Queen confirmed that he wasn¡¯t asleep did he start to feel excited. ¡®A random stat increases by 1 every time I level up?¡¯ If others received 5 stat points when they leveled up, he would receive 6. ¡®And if it keeps stacking¡­ what happens when I reach level 130?¡¯ He would have over 100 bonus stat points. If he reached level 230, it would be more than 200, and if he reached level 330, it would be more than 300. ¡°Amazing...¡± The luck he never had for the past 25 years was starting toe all at once. ¡®I was born in the wrong generation.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded quietly and turned around. A Gate had been created in the middle of the cavern at some point. ¡°Let us go. I am weary of these cavern walls.¡± The Frost Queen urged. ¡°Same here. I think I¡¯m gonna go crazy if I stay here any longer,¡± he muttered, turning to her. *** ¡°Mm.¡± Jampa was watching the Gate today as well. ¡®It has already been a month, but it seems that he still has no thoughts ofing out.¡¯ It was the first time this had happened. Even if someone reached the 9th level, it only took them around two weeks. But it had been over a month since Seo Jun-Ho entered the Gate, yet there was still no news from him. ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ Jampa shook his head, trying to get rid of his darker thoughts. He wasn¡¯t stupid; he had eyes and ears so he knew that it would be a big scandal if Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t emerge from the Cave of the Trials. The disappearance of a world-famous rookie would be unprecedented in the history of the Gate. ¡°Phew¡­ My mind is unsteady.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold underground. Please go back up, Jampa-nim,¡± his subordinate said. He sighed and started up the stairs. Beep¡ª Beep¡ª Beep¡ª A sound started to go off behind him. ¡°What is that sound?¡± ¡°The ranking list! The ranking list is being updated!¡± Jampa hurried back to see it. ¡°Did he finally clear the 9th level?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. I didn¡¯t know that he was on the same level as the Nine Heavens...¡± ¡°Haa, I disagree. He¡¯s not quite up to their standards.¡± Jampa thought about the situation from an objective standpoint. ¡°Kim Woo-Joong and the others only took two weeks to reach the 9th level.¡± ¡°Ah! I didn¡¯t think about that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had taken longer than them, which meant that he was inferior in some way. Still, Jampa pped. ¡°Even with that, he has achieved something amazing. Korea has produced yet another outstanding yer.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed...Huh?¡± A strange look filled their eyes. And as if it were contagious, Jampa¡¯s eyes also widened. The ranking list had changed, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s name wasn¡¯t simply added. [Cave of Trials Rankings] 2. Specter - 9th level 2. Rahmadat Khali - 9th level 2. Tenmei Mio - 9th level ... 2. Wi Cheon-Hak - 9th level 2. Shin Sung-Hyun - 9th level 2. Kim Woojoong - 9th level ... After 30 years, the Cave of Trials rankings finally shifted. All the names went down by one. ¡°Is it possible...?¡± ¡°N-no way...It can¡¯t be.¡± They couldn¡¯t fathom what was happening before them and shook their heads in disbelief. A new name appeared above Specter. [Cave of Trials Ranking] 1. Seo Jun-Ho - 10th level 2. Specter - 9th level ... He had broken through the limits. A new legend was created. Chapter 68. Breakaway (2)

Chapter 68. Breakaway (2)

Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head as he emerged from the Gate. It was because the caretaker Jampa was looking at him as if he was looking at a ghost. ¡°Have you been well?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, y-yes.¡± Jampa responded btedly and nodded eagerly. ¡°I have been as well as always...¡± He shut his mouth, swallowing his question. He wanted to ask if Seo Jun-Ho had truly cleared the 10th floor, or if it was some kind of mistake. But he didn¡¯t think that it was appropriate for him to ask that question to the traveler who had suffered inside the Cave of Trials for an entire month. As such, he brought his hands together and congratted him. ¡°I hope you found what you were looking for in the Cave of Trials.¡± ¡°It was very generous.¡± He grinned and turned to the ranking list. 1. Seo Jun-Ho - 10th level 2. Specter - 9th level To others, it was an incredible feat, but it was different for him. After all, he had broken his own personal record. ¡°I will escort you to your room if you wish to rest.¡± ¡°Alright. But before that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the subordinate standing behind Jampa. ¡°Can I buy those sunsses on your shirt?¡± ¡°Huh? This? If you need it, you can just have it. It¡¯s really cheap...¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Seo Jun-Ho received the sunsses and gave a satisfied look. ¡°I¡¯ll need them soon, you see.¡± *** A massive amount of reporters and cameramen were waiting in front of Incheon Airport¡¯s terminal gate. ¡°Is this the correct terminal gate?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure of it.¡± They were all crowded behind the terminal gate to catch a glimpse of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°People really are unpredictable.¡± ¡°Yeah. A month ago, he was only a world-famous rookie...¡± ¡°That¡¯s incredible in itself, but he¡¯s on apletely different level now.¡± He had been one of the many who seemed to have a bright future ahead of them. But after this incident, the whole world was now watching him¡ªthe previously ¡°only¡± world-famous rookie. ¡°This is the first time that Specter¡¯s record was broken, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Not only that, the record stood for 30 years before it broke.¡± ¡°None of Specter¡¯s other records have been broken yet?¡± This was the first time the legendary yer¡¯s official record was broken. ¡°Most of the yers on the 2nd floor have higher levels and higher stats than Specter...But that doesn¡¯t mean that they broke his records.¡± Anyone could reach a high level as long as they had time and some amount of talent, so the Cave of Trials¡¯ ranking list served as a symbol of Specter¡¯s power. It had been his first official record. Even after 25 years since Specter had died, no one managed to break it. ¡°Damn, who knew that it would be another Korean.¡± ¡°I swear, it¡¯s a conspiracy or something.¡± ¡°When Specter returns, I want to ask him what he thinks about this.¡± ¡°Ooh, that would be fun.¡± A legend of the past vs a rising star. This kind of topic was always popr with the masses. ¡°Hey, he¡¯sing!¡± ¡°Take a picture!¡± The reporters started to scramble. Seo Jun-Ho emerged from the gate, escorted by Association employees. Click! Click! With his shabby sunsses, Seo Jun-Ho scanned the gate and smiled. ¡®Man, this reminds me of the old days.¡¯ Wherever he went, he¡¯d be greeted by fans, cameras, and reporters. Most yers made a face at all the attention, but that wasn¡¯t the case for him. ¡°Hm, there¡¯s less than I expected...¡± ¡°Stop trying to act cool! We have to go!¡± Cha Si-Eun said wearily, trying to guide him away. The Association had sent a fair number of employees, but they weren¡¯t nearly enough to handle the crowd. ¡®I didn¡¯t know that there would be so many people...What if something happens...?¡¯ She felt dizzy thinking about all the things that could go wrong. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho himself looked rxed. He didn¡¯t look the least bit scared of the mob, and he even waved to them from time to time. ¡°Quickly! This way, please!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s slow down a bit. You¡¯re gonna hurt yourself if you trip.¡± He was too rxed. Seo Jun-Ho nodded to himself, feeling satisfied. ¡®Yes, it¡¯s time I start receiving treatment like this.¡¯ Truthfully, he had been able to get around toofortably until now. Earning the title of a ¡°Super Rookie¡± was no easy feat, but it wasn¡¯t enough to rile up the people like this. But once they heard that he managed to beat Specter, everything changed. Close to a thousand people were following him around the airport. ¡®That means my name still holds that much weight.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m gonna live more freely this time.¡¯ He didn¡¯t need to be a symbol of hope and strength again. Thinking of that made him happy. ¡°Secretary Cha, they¡¯ve waited so long to meet me. Can¡¯t I just have a short autograph session?¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to be saying that!¡± She cried. *** ¡°Aww, my little lucky charm~¡± As soon as he entered the office, Shim Deok-Gu ran over to him with a creepy expression on his face. ¡°Fuck off, before I hit you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho snarled. ¡°C-contractor. That human¡¯s eyes are so disturbing.¡± Even the Frost Queen was disturbed. ¡°I agree.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. His eyes had been filled with love, but Shim Deok-Gu could only stop at his friend¡¯s violent rejection. ¡°Geez, is it weird that I want to hug my friend?¡± ¡°You¡¯re acting super creepy. What happened?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, taking a seat on the sofa. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ll understand why I¡¯m acting like this when you see this.¡± Shim Deok-Gu tapped on Vita. A list appeared before them, and Seo Jun-Ho blinked. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A list of donations.¡± There were hundreds of pages of huge donations. ¡°They¡¯ve been trickling in for a few months, but they started flooding in two days ago.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why do you think?¡± Seo Jun-Ho met his eyes and pointed at himself. ¡°Because of me?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re the only reason they¡¯ve been making these donations. They want to make a connection.¡± ¡°...But why? There are tons of good yers on the 2nd floor.¡± He looked confused. Even if he broke Specter¡¯s record, he was still a level 30 newbie. ¡°From their perspective, you¡¯re apletely different item. The yers on the 2nd floor have already gotten all their certificates and awards, and the sponsors can¡¯t just wriggle in. You, on the other hand, are brand-new and unlisted.¡± ¡°...Am I a stock or something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a metaphor. Anyway, if they make a connection to you now, they¡¯ll be able to ask you for favors when you go even higher.¡± ¡°Ahh, so they¡¯re trying to buy my favor,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said tly. Basically, they were saying something like. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a lot of money, so please remember me! Hehe.¡± ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± ¡°How much have you received in total?¡± Shim Deok-Gu shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t even know the exact amount.¡± ¡°...Why not?¡± ¡°How would I? Every time I refresh the page, there¡¯s a new donation in the hundreds of millions.¡± He smiled happily and refreshed the window. ¡°Let¡¯s see, 2 seconds ago, it was 528,582,030 won [1]...Oh, the smaller numbers keep changing so I can¡¯t count it.¡± ¡°Wow, a lot of people sure want to be my friend.¡± ¡°Of course. If you start using social media, you¡¯ll probably get 5 million followers in a day. Do you want to try Youtube? ¡®Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Survival Guide¡¯ or something.¡± ¡°Nah, it''s too much work.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and leaned back into the sofa. He looked to the Frost Queen. ¡°...Why do you have such a disgusting look?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see? I¡¯m too important.¡± ¡°Hah? Listen closely. I am the monarch...¡± ¡°So what¡¯re you gonna do with the money?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, ignoring the Frost Queen¡¯s ramblings. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do you remember the stiptions of the contract?¡± ¡°Yeah. All donations are gonna be split 7 to 3.¡± ¡°Yeah. 70% of all this is yours. Of course, the taxes will be high.¡± ¡°What a waste...¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed. ¡°I used to be exempt from taxes.¡± In the past, the government had exempted him from taxes, begging him not to go to another country. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. ¡°Hm...¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a second, then pointed his finger. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll invest the money into the Association.¡± ¡°...What are you saying?¡± Shim Deok-Gu tilted his head. ¡°I said I¡¯ll invest it into the Association. Recruit some people with the money.¡± ¡°What people? Employees?¡± ¡°No, yers. yers that can work on the 2nd floor. Make them your agents.¡± ¡°Hey, do you know how expensive they are? It would be better to train yers on the 1st floor...¡± ¡°Until when? If you keep this up, the Big 6 and the other Guilds are gonna control the 2nd floor forever.¡± ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu had nothing to say. He scratched his head. ¡°But do you really think that something will change with just one Association...?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯d be stupid not to try it, at least.¡± His voice was full of confidence. ¡°After all, the Korean yer Association has two things no other country has.¡± ¡°Two...? I know one of them is you, but what¡¯s the other one?¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. ¡°Who do you think? It¡¯s Specter.¡± ¡°...?¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyes widened. His face became serious. ¡°You want Specter to enter the Association?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯ll just be a simple working rtionship. But that in itself will be enough.¡± ¡°Of course...It¡¯s more than just ¡®enough¡¯.¡± Specter was practically a religious figure. The reason why there were still living people on Earth was because of him and the Five Heroes. ¡°We¡¯ve gotten hundreds of millions in donations with just your name.¡± How much would they earn with Specter? And what if they could use the money to expand the Association to the 2nd floor? ¡°For now, keep ¡®eming.¡± Seo Jun-Ho crossed his legs andughed. ¡°The donations, I mean.¡± 1. 528 billion 582 million and 30 thousand won ? Chapter 69. Roman Holiday (1)

Chapter 69. Roman Holiday (1)

¡°Now, let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Theughter that was in Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s voice disappeared. The only time that happened was when he had something serious to say and Seo Jun-Ho had an inkling of what he wanted to say. ¡°The orphanage?¡± Shim Deok-Gu nodded gravely. ¡°We don¡¯t know the exact location, but we found a lead.¡± ¡°That was faster than I thought.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was astonished. ¡°We were just lucky. We happened to find something while investigating a bunch of different ces.¡± ¡°An orphanage? Is that a code word?¡± The Frost Queen asked. She had been ying with arge orchid. ¡°No, we¡¯re talking about a literal orphanage.¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined to her how the Fiend Association was using orphanages to train fiends. She snapped the orchid in anger. ¡°Those wicked, impudent humans!¡± ¡°Hey, that orchid¡¯s expensive¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked like he was about to cry, but she was already on a roll. ¡°Lead the way. I will punish those filthy animals.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear about that lead first.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho looked at Shim Deok-Gu expectantly, thetter tapped on Vita. A photograph of a man showed up. He was a foreigner with a kind face who looked like he was in his 30s. ¡°Torres Milo. A level 72 yer who was previously active on the 2nd floor. Abilities unknown. His career was going extremely well when he announced his sudden retirement.¡± ¡°Nothing seems suspicious so far¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t strange for yers to retire even when they were doing well. Sometimes yers had a sudden change of heart, or they became afraid of their future. ¡°Look at the next picture.¡± Beep¡ª It was a picture of Torres walking in front of the Colosseum with two children walking behind him. ¡°An agent who was investigating Rome just so happened to take this picture.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°As far as I knew, Torres never married. But there were kids with him, so I did some digging¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face darkened. ¡°And it turns out that his activities since his retirement arepletely unknown. Even if he tried to erase his records, there¡¯s no way it would be so clean.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a little suspicious.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°Right? Something felt off, so I went even deeper.¡± Shim Deok-Gu pulled out a few documents. They were aption of reports from Rome. ¡°I think he¡¯s been living around Rome for a few years now. But no one knows where he lives or what he does. It seems that he sometimes goes out in public with children, but the important thing is that they¡¯re never the same set of children.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°He¡¯s getting more suspicious the more you tell me about him. But if he¡¯s really the fiend who runs the orphanage, why is he acting so openly?¡± ¡°I wondered the same thing, so I went through crime records from the past few years.¡± Beep¡ª The two men and the spirit stared at the hologram report. ¡°Almost every time he went out into the city, there would be a missing person¡¯s report within a week.¡± ¡°¡­Of course.¡± Seo Jun-Ho instantly realized what that meant. ¡°So he goes out to check for himself if the children are worth using?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I think. Of course, it could be something else.¡± Shim Deok-Gu didn¡¯t sound confident, but Seo Jun-Ho was sure of it. His Keen Intuition was now A-rank, and it was currently screaming that he was right. ¡°How often does he go out?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Once every two months. He should be going out again next week.¡± Shim Deok-Gu responded. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Jun-Ho.¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked at him worriedly. He wanted to stop him, but he couldn¡¯t quite do it. ¡°I know you¡¯re strong. Hell, I probably know better than anyone how strong you are. But it¡¯s really dangerous this time.¡± They didn¡¯t know how many fiends were working at the orphanage. Not to mention that it could be overflowing with children being trained to be fiends. ¡°I don¡¯t expect it to be easy either,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said calmly. ¡°But you know how hard I¡¯ve worked to get rid of them. So when they were wiped out, I didn¡¯t think that they would ever appear again.¡± But the reality was different. When the 5 Heroes died, the fiends had started to crawl out of the shadows again. ¡°I can¡¯t forgive the fiends nor do I want to forgive them. You know why, don¡¯t you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu pursed his lips. He had nothing to say. ¡°If they hadn¡¯t caused trouble, my parents wouldn¡¯t have been killed by monsters.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes were cold. Shim Deok-Gu raised his hands in surrender. ¡°...Tsk. It¡¯s unfair of you to bring up your parents.¡± ¡°Either way, I won¡¯t let them slip away.¡± ¡°What, so you don¡¯t need any extra manpower? You¡¯re gonna take care of everything alone with just the Frost Queen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Frost Queen-nim.¡± She corrected. ¡°...You¡¯re gonna take care of everything alone with Frost Queen-nim?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just an investigation. If he¡¯s not a fiend, I¡¯lle back quietly.¡± ¡°And if he is?¡± ¡°Well, things will get noisy then,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said coolly. He seemed to consider something before speaking carefully. ¡°Also, do you know if there is some sort of technology that has been developed that can turn fiends back to normal?¡± ¡°...There¡¯s none.¡± Shim Deok-Gu knew why he was asking. Heughed bitterly and patted Seo Jun-Ho on the shoulder as if to brush away some of the heavy burdens his friend was carrying. *** Rome was divided up into 15 administrative districts called municipios. Most people gathered in Municipio 1, where the Colosseum was. On the other hand, Municipio 15 was mostly empty because of onerge private property. ¡°It really has been a long time.¡± A man with a dusty hood looked up at the gates surrounding the private property. Because it was in the middle of the day, he could see clearly into the property through the gates. Dozens of children wereughing and ying. Creak. The gate opened, and a priest stepped out. He smiled at the man. ¡°Wee, brother. What brings you...Keuk!¡± The hooded man snarled as he grabbed the priest''s throat. "Call the director." The demonic energy that emanated from his body made the priest tremble in fear. ¡°A-a fiend...I-I apologize, I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± A new voice said. A kind-looking man walked toward them, his hands were sped behind his back. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Demon Bow toe to such a humble ce. If you had informed me ahead of time, we could¡¯ve avoided making such a mistake.¡± Demon Bow, Kal Signer. ¡°Am I not allowed toe here?¡± ¡°Of course not. You are wee at any time.¡± Kal Signer nced at the children. ¡°Life must be pretty boring here.¡± ¡°Haha. After all, we¡¯re not here to have fun. I am working day and night for the sake of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s return.¡± ¡°The Heavenly Demon... Are you sure that you can talk about him in front of the children?¡± Kal Signer was conscious of their vicinity. ¡°Of course. If you don¡¯t believe me¡­¡± Torres pped his hands. Suddenly, the children that had been ying with happy expressions, the child on the slide, the child in the sandbox, and the children ying tag¡ªtheir smiles fell from their faces. Not a single one had an expression on their face as they stared at Kal Signer. ¡°...Disgusting little things.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all training hard so they can be like you.¡± Torres pped again, and the children went back to ying. ¡°Come on in.¡± Therge building was reminiscent of a college dormitory. He led Signer to his office and started to make coffee. ¡°So...What brings you here? I haven¡¯t received any other orders.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here on Association business. I came here to carry out Nazad Hallow¡¯s orders.¡± The director¡¯s eyes widened when he heard the name. He seemed nervous. ¡°H-have I done something wrong¡­?¡± ¡°You must feel guilty about something.¡± Kal Signer snorted and put his legs up on the coffee table. ¡°It¡¯s got nothing to do with you. He ordered me to bring up some no-name to the 2nd floor.¡± It would take some time for him to seed because Seo Jun-Ho had to reach level 30 first. ¡°Just who is it that Nazad-nim would order to bring up¡­¡± ¡°No one important. Do you know someone called Seo Jun-Ho?¡± Even as he asked that question, Signer expected him to say no, but Torres nodded immediately. ¡°Of course I do. He¡¯s the hottest topic on the 1st floor right now.¡± ¡°...What? You know him?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you talking about the Korean yer? He reached 1st ce in the Cave of Trials.¡± ¡°Wait. 1st ce in the Cave of Trials?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Kal Signer frowned. It had been difficult for him toe down to the 1st floor while avoiding the Association. As such, he hadn¡¯t had any time to check the news since he barely made it here with the Pathfinder. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s the only one who¡¯s in the 1st ce.¡± Kal Signer had never been to the Cave of Trials before. Most fiends couldn¡¯t even get close to it because it was maintained by the yer Association, but he thought that he would be able to reach the 9th level if he tried. ¡°Huh? He¡¯s the only one.¡± ¡°What? How is that possible?¡± Signer pulled his feet off the table. He was confused. ¡°He cleared the 10th level and set the record for 1st ce.¡± ¡°...He¡¯s above people like Specter, Rahmadat Khali, and Kim Woo-Joong?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ha...hahaha!¡± Signerughed out in bafflement. ¡°Hasn¡¯t it only been four months since he debuted?¡± ¡°That would be correct.¡± Torres nodded. ¡°Tsk, he got lucky again.¡± Kal Signer was greatly underestimating the other party. He had been watching Seo Jun-Ho for a while now, and he thought that thetter¡¯s luck must have also extended to the Cave of Trials. But this was exactly what Seo Jun-Ho wanted. ¡®He¡¯s a weakling. The Shadow Brothers could¡¯ve easily taken care of him.¡¯ Kal Signer simply thought that Seo Jun-Ho was extremely lucky. That must be the reason why he managed to avoid the Shadow Brothers and the Las Vegas incident. ¡®I wrote in my report that Seo Jun-Ho was deeply connected to the Watchdogs¡¯ deaths...But I don¡¯t believe it myself. It was all the Goblin Guild¡¯s Gong Ju-Ha. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t do anything.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t even level 20 back then. How could he take down the whole team? ¡°Signer-nim, are you expecting to stay here for a while?¡± ¡°Do you have anyints?¡± Kal Signer asked. ¡°No, but¡­¡± ¡°...I owe you one. That monster is wearing me down.¡± The orphanage was the only ce on the 1st floor where he could hide. ¡°This ce will be safe.¡± Kal Signer added. ¡°Well, make yourselffortable. However¡­¡± Torres hesitated. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say it. You¡¯re the director here. I won¡¯t impede on your authority.¡± Kal Signer cut him off. ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± Torres was relieved that the Demon Bow wasn¡¯t here for him. ¡®To think that Nazad Hallow wants Seo Jun-Ho¡­ How unexpected.¡¯ Of course, his thoughts on the matter ended there. It didn¡¯t have anything to do with him. Chapter 70. Roman Holiday (2) During the afternoon when the sun was at its highest in the sky, magic energy wavered in a damp alley. A momentter, the energy shaped into a man. ¡°We¡¯re here. This is Rome.¡± The speaker was a teleporter from the Korean yer Association. He nced behind his shoulder, tilting his head. President Shim Deok-Gu had given him a personal order so he had been nervous, but his task was easier than he imagined. ¡®Who is he?¡¯ It was hard to discern the identity of the man he had escorted because thetter was wearing a baseball cap, a mask, and sunsses. But if he was on a secret mission, he must be a high-leveled yer. ¡°I¡¯ve fulfilled my task. I hope things go well for you.¡± The man simply nodded at his gesture. ¡°I have other assignments, so goodbye¡­¡± The teleporter checked the time and disappeared into the alleyway. All alone, the yer looked around. ¡°So this is Rome.¡± The yer with the baseball cap pressed down low was Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Ho, this city is home to the spirits of many valiant warriors,¡± The Frost Queen said. ¡°You can tell?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was surprised. ¡°To some extent, yes.¡± Having heard the Frost Queen¡¯s evaluation, Seo Jun-Ho emerged from the alley. They only stepped out onto a sidewalk, but they were quickly surrounded by tourists. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the ce Torres always goes to.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sat on a bench as he waited for a few hours at the square with a fountain. Of course, Torres never came. ¡°Do not be disheartened. You cannot expect to be full after your first bite.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not disappointed. In the first ce, he¡¯s supposed toe next week, so there¡¯s no reason I¡¯d see him today.¡± It was enough that Seo Jun-Ho had familiarized himself with the area. ¡°Let¡¯s look for a ce to stay.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood up. At that moment, he felt something brush against his left wrist. ¡®A pickpocket?¡¯ He grabbed the pickpocket¡¯s arm. ¡°Hey! Let me go!¡± The boy looked to be around 15. His shirt and jeans were worn and ripped. He red at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Tourists started to stare at them. ¡°If you don¡¯t let me go right this instant, I¡¯m gonna say you¡¯re kidnapping me.¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯d believe you? Hand it over.¡± Seo Jun-Ho snatched his Vita from the boy¡¯s hand. ¡°Geez, it was a pickpocket?¡± ¡°Tsk tsk...Look at that. It¡¯s not very safe here.¡± ¡°He¡¯s got slippery fingers. How did he steal a Vita?¡± ¡°You be careful too. They¡¯ll steal your nose if you¡¯re not careful.¡± It was amon sight, so the people quickly lost interest. The boy spat on the ground in frustration. ¡°Tch, how unlucky. You seemed like a pushover¡­¡± ¡°Oh my. He has quite the eye for people.¡± The Frost Queen quipped. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nced at the Frost Queen and then back at the boy. ¡°What¡¯re you looking at? Why, you want an apology or something?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m wondering if I should report you to the police.¡± The boy red at him, biting his lower lip. ¡®Is he scared?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head. ¡®He shouldn¡¯t be reacting like this. After all, he¡¯d probably just get a p on the wrist and a scolding from his parents.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho examined him again and nodded slowly. ¡®He¡¯s part of a family.¡¯[1] It wasmon for runaways in Italy and other parts of Europe to pickpocket as a group. They knew their cities inside out. ¡®Not a bad start.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled at his guide. *** Munch munch Seo Jun-Ho leisurely sipped on his coffee. In front of him, the boy was chomping down food like an animal. ¡°Slow down. You¡¯re going to get indigestion.¡± ¡°...¡± The boy was still wary of Seo Jun-Ho, but he slowed down. He finished his fifth te and started to examine him. ¡°What? Do you want more?¡± ¡°Ah, no. I¡¯m full.¡± As he spoke, the boy pocketed the bread one by one. ¡°I have siblings at home...I suddenly remembered them ¡®cause I¡¯m full.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. ¡°You know I have no obligation to them, right?¡± ¡°O-of course. I have some shame.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Seo Jun-Ho raised his hand for a waiter. ¡°Can I help you?¡± asked the waiter. Seo Jun-Ho turned back to the boy. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°F-fifteen. Sixteen, including my older brother.¡± ¡°Sixteen portions of spaghetti and sixteen pieces of butter garlic bread. To-go, please.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± As the waiter walked away, the pickpocket boy bowed his head. ¡°...Thank you.¡± ¡°Look at this. Aren¡¯t you quite the pushover?¡± The Frost Queen teased him. Seo Jun-Ho flicked her off his shoulder. ¡°Do you have a house or parents?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You¡¯re part of a family, right?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± Perhaps it was because it was the first time anyone had shown him kindness in a long time, but the boy answered all his questions. ¡°We¡¯re called the Marco family. The hyungs take care of the others and we live in a barn.¡± ¡°Are your younger siblings blood-rted to you?¡± ¡°No, we all met as runaways, but we¡¯re like a real family.¡± Not bad. If he was affiliated with a ¡®family,¡¯ then he would know a lot about Rome. ¡°What do you think about being my local guide? I¡¯ll pay you in food.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯ve memorized every street and alley in Rome. I promise.¡± The boy nodded vigorously at the thought of warm, delicious food. ¡°Great. But first, I need to see if you¡¯re good enough.¡± ¡°Ask whatever you want,¡± the boy said confidently. ¡°I have a younger brother that I lost a long time ago. I heard that he was in an orphanage in Rome.¡± ¡°Oh, an orphanage¡­¡± He listed off several orphanages, smiling brightly. But it wasn¡¯t what Seo Jun-Ho was looking for. ¡®Those are all orphanages in Rome, but that¡¯s information I could search up online.¡¯ Obviously, Shim Deok-Gu had looked them up online. ¡°I¡¯ve been to all of them. Isn¡¯t there anywhere else?¡± ¡°Um...Those are all the orphanages around here¡­¡± The boy racked his brain, trying to think of something else. ¡°Oh! Maybe he¡¯s in Paradise.¡± ¡°...Paradise?¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head at the strange word. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve never been there myself and I¡¯ve only heard the hyungs talk about it, but I know it exists.¡± ¡°What do they do there?¡± ¡°Um, well, there are a lot of pickpockets like us in Rome. I think there are about six families.¡± The boyunched into his story, using his hands. ¡°Every month, priests go to every family. They tell us they¡¯ll make us clean of sin and take one person to Paradise.¡± ¡°Priests?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think they¡¯re from the Vatican.¡± Vatican City was in Rome, so it was amon sight to see people in priest robes. ¡®So they wouldn¡¯t seem suspicious.¡¯ Things were getting interesting. Seo Jun-Ho asked another question. ¡°What¡¯s good about Paradise?¡± ¡°I heard that you can go to school there, wear clean clothes, and eat three meals a day.¡± ¡°How do they pick the kids that go to Paradise?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. They just choose on the spot.¡± He paused, then muttered quietly. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to go to Paradise.¡± ¡°Why not? It sounds like a great ce.¡± ¡°...The priests are a little scary.¡± The boy shivered. ¡°They look very kind, but...something about them makes me ufortable.¡± ¡°For no reason?¡± Seo Jun-Ho remembered something. ¡®Demonic energy brings out all the fear in people.¡¯ If those priests were fiends with demonic energy, it made sense that the boy felt that way, especially because he had sharp instincts. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t lose him. As such, Seo Jun-Ho called the waiter again. ¡°I would like some pizza two-go. Eight orders.¡± *** ¡°Is that where your family lives?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at a shabby barn. It smelled of horse dung as if there was a farm nearby. ¡°It smells a little bad, but it¡¯s a nice ce.¡± the boy said. ¡°...Well, whatever. Lead the way.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. The boy skipped over to the barn and opened the door, carrying the food. ¡°It¡¯s Max!¡± ¡°Hyung!¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that? Something smells good!¡± ¡°You guys didn¡¯t get to eat anything today, did you? Eat up!¡± ¡®So his name is Max.¡¯ The younger ones surrounded Max, and he grinned as he started to distribute the food. A boy that wasying in the corner stood up. ¡°Max, what is this?¡± ¡°Oh, Marco hyung. This¡­¡± Max looked up at Seo Jun-Ho. He didn¡¯t seem to know how to exin. ¡°I bought it, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°So who are you?¡± Marco growled as he approached him. He seemed to be 19. He looked like an adult among all the children, but to Seo Jun-Ho, he was still a child. ¡°It¡¯s my first time in Rome, so he¡¯s gonna be my local guide. This is the payment.¡± ¡°...Max, is that true?¡± ¡°Yeah. Sorry I didn¡¯t discuss it with you, hyung.¡± Marco looked from Max to Seo Jun-Ho and nodded slowly. ¡°Do what you want. But you, if you do anything to my kids¡­¡± With that cliched warning, Marco stood next to Seo Jun-Ho and watched the children eat. ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna eat? I bought enough for everyone.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat if there are any leftovers after they¡¯re done.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had expected him to be some sort of gangster because he led a group of pickpockets, but Marco was surprisingly pragmatic. ¡°What¡¯re you really looking for? You could¡¯ve hired a professional guide with the money you spent on all that food.¡± He was clever. Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m looking for my little brother. Max said he might be in Paradise, so I want to meet the priests.¡± ¡°...Paradise?¡± Marco nodded. ¡°I see. I understand now.¡± ¡°By any chance, have you ever met any of the kids since they went to Paradise?¡± ¡°No. Sometimes I wonder how they¡¯re doing and ask the priests, and they give me letters from them. They seem to be doing well.¡± ¡°Really? I want to meet them. Do you know when the priests areing again?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky. They¡¯reing in two days.¡± ¡°Two days¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°That¡¯s Sunday,¡± he muttered. He was looking forward to his first Roman holiday. 1. Not a literal family, obviously. It uses the English word ? Chapter 71. Roman Holiday (3)

Chapter 71. Roman Holiday (3)

The moon shone through the barn on the outskirts of Rome. Marco checked the clocked and nged on a pot with a spoon. ¡°Everyone gather! Start counting.¡± ¡°Hyung, can¡¯t we just skip it for tonight? We have a guest¡­¡± Max looked at Seo Jun-Ho and grumbled. ¡°No. It¡¯s part of the rules,¡± Marco said firmly. The children started to gather in front of him. They sat down and shouted their numbers. ¡°One!¡± ¡°Two!¡± ¡­ ¡°Sixteen!¡± Marco nodded approvingly, looking at the children that sat patiently like baby ducks. ¡°Alright, everyone¡¯s here. You know what to do, right?¡± ¡°Take out the nkets!¡± ¡°Wash your face and brush your teeth!¡± ¡°Move quickly.¡± They dispersed in all different directions as he gave the order. Max led the children who were using nkets and old clothing to create bedding. ¡°Hey, Deva! Brush your teeth!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna get cavities. Come here!¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled as he watched Deva run away. The kids didn¡¯t have much, but they weren¡¯t unhappy. ¡°Then¡­¡± He put on his jacket and prepared to leave. ¡°Where are you going thiste?¡± Marco asked. He had been watching him. Seo Jun-Ho smiled and ruffled his hair. ¡°Kids don¡¯t need to know.¡± ¡°...Take your hand off me. I know you¡¯re going to try to pick up girls.¡± With a sullen look, Marco shooed him away. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna bete, be quiet when youe in. Some of them are light sleepers.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡¯ ¡°And why are you wearing a mask and sunsses at night?¡± ¡°Why, do you want to see my face that badly? I¡¯ll show you if you ask nicely.¡¯ ¡°Bastard¡­ fuck off!¡± He made a face and stuck up his middle finger. Seo Jun-Houghed and left for real. The moon was bright and round, and the clouds were thin in the cool night air. Not to mention the horse dung. ¡°It¡¯s the perfect night to cross a wall.¡± Seo Jun-Ho kicked off the ground and headed for the heart of Rome. He leaped over roofs, heading to a certain city. The Vatican. *** Vatican City was an independent country that existed to uphold the Roman Curia. After the Gates appeared and the 2nd floor opened, many religions prevailed, but the Catholic church remained thergest doctrine. ¡°Hm. It¡¯s already thiste¡­¡± A gray-haired man slowly stood up from his seat. He was Pope Francio XII who was once called the ¡®Bell of Heaven.¡¯ He was retired and spent his time as the librarian of the Vatican¡¯s secret archives. His work was simple; all he had to do was make sure that the documents remained undamaged. As the night got darker, he made sure that there was no one left. ¡®I should turn off the lights now.¡¯ Francio flipped the switch, and two shadows appeared against the moonlighting through the window. ¡°I see that we have an uninvited guest,¡± Franco muttered, walking over. The stranger kept his hand in his pocket and didn¡¯t move. ¡°Who are you?¡± Francio adjusted his sses and looked at the intruder again. His eyes widened and he started to tremble. ¡°Y-you are¡­?¡± He could never forget the characteristic ck coat and mask. ¡°Oh, Lord¡­¡± He gripped his cane and hobbled over. ¡°I heard you were under treatment.¡± ¡°My body ached because I wasying down all the time, so I decided to go out more.¡± The man spoke to the former Pope as if he were a friend. Interestingly, Francio seemed happy to see him. ¡°It seems that this old servant¡¯s prayer has reached heaven. I didn¡¯t think that I would see you again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again. I feel sorry, too.¡± ¡°Haha, am I that old?¡± Francio touched the wrinkles on his face. ¡°A long time has passed.¡± ¡°25 years, I think.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s an honor to see you again.¡± Francio bowed respectfully. He wasn¡¯t reserved about his humility; he was only sorry that he couldn¡¯t get on his knees because that was reserved for his God. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed that we are the ones living in the peace that you and the others brought.¡¯ ¡°No need. That¡¯s what we wanted.¡± Specter shrugged and pulled up two chairs. ¡°Take a seat. I came here to ask you something.¡± ¡°Ha, I am an old man of no importance. I don¡¯t know as much as I used to.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll still listen, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Francio sat down. ¡°Do you know about Paradise?¡± ¡°...Paradise, you say?¡± Francio tilted his head. ¡°Are you perhaps asking about the Paradise in the Bible?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the name of a ce. An orphanage of sorts where they raise kids¡­ Have you heard of it?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, no.¡± Franci shook his head. ¡°...I see,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered under his mask. As soon as Max had told him about Paradise, he thought of Francio. ¡®If it really is rted to the Vatican, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t know about it.¡¯ But it became apparent that Francio had no idea about it. Seo Jun-Ho smiled beneath his mask. ¡°Things are getting interesting.¡± Who would be crazy enough to pretend to be priests and kidnap children right under the Vatican¡¯s nose? The only answer was fiends. After all, they had long given up their humanity. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho stood up, so did Francio. ¡°I am sorry I could not be of more help.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ve done more than enough.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Is there anything else that this old man should know?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a second before nodding. ¡°There might be a big fire in Rome in a few days, so keep the fire trucks on standby.¡± *** Marco woke up to the sound of raindrops. He checked to see that his younger siblings were still sleeping. ¡°Huh?¡± He looked around. The man who had gone out to get girls had somehow fallen asleep in between the children. ¡®When did hee in? I¡¯m a pretty light sleeper.¡¯ The man was still wearing his sunsses and mask. Marco clicked his tongue. ¡°Geez. Even if I go crazy, I¡¯m not gonna be that crazy¡­¡± He looked out the window. Seeing the pouring rain, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to work today. After all, there wouldn¡¯t be many tourists milling about. The man next to him yawned as he woke up. Scratching his head, the man sat up. ¡°You wake up early.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°What do you usually do on rainy days?¡± ¡°We just stay at home.¡± ¡°What about food?¡± ¡°We have leftover pizza. We have some leftover oats too, so we can boil them into porridge.¡± ¡°...¡± Oat porridge didn¡¯t sound very appealing. And since it hadn¡¯t been long since he went to the Cave of Trials, Seo Jun-Ho was pretty picky about his food at the moment. ¡°Come out with me.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°The kids will have to eat something when they wake up. Real food, not oat porridge.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re going to buy us food again?¡± ¡°Not for nothing, of course. You¡¯ll have to be my guide for tomorrow.¡± Marco blinked, then quickly pulled on his coat. ¡°Should we go now? Or do you need time to get ready?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muffled augh at his enthusiasm. No matter how he tried to act like an adult, he was still just a kid. *** ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten at a restaurant, but I know the good ces,¡± Marco boasted. ¡°It¡¯s wherever the locals line up. Right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Yup, you got it.¡± Each holding their own umbres, they slowly walked into the city. The streets were quieter because of the rain. ¡°Makgeoli and pajeon are perfect for rainy days¡­¡±[1] ¡°Makgeoli? Pajeon? What are those?¡± Marco asked. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s like an Asian wine and pizza,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. ¡°Lead the way. I¡¯ll follow you.¡± ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Marco said confidently. Seo Jun-Ho followed him from behind and studied him. ¡°Hey, your walking stance is really stable.¡± ¡°...You can see that?¡± Marco turned around, seemingly a bit surprised. ¡°Are you a yer?¡± ¡°Oh, did I not mention it?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t! Ack, now I get it. Max wouldn¡¯t get caught that easily.¡± Marco nodded. ¡°I¡¯m training to be a yer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hard job, you know.¡± ¡°I have to do it.¡± He paused and looked back at the barn where his siblings were sleeping. ¡°We can¡¯t live on pickpocketing forever.¡± ¡°Do you want to be a yer because they make a lot of money?¡± ¡°Rather than that, it¡¯s the only option avable to us,¡± he muttered glumly. ¡°We don¡¯t have an orphanage address or guardians. Who would hire us? We can¡¯t even get part-time jobs.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like being called a thief either. But what can I do when my siblings are starving?¡± It was a world that Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t understand. His life wasn¡¯t easy either, but he had grown up in a good home and lived peacefully until he was in college. ¡°If I be a yer and make a lot of money, I can take care of them all.¡± Marco gripped his hands into fists. ¡°I heard from the priests that Paradise has sses that teach how to be a yer.¡± Marco looked around, and his face became grave. ¡°I¡¯ve only told Max so far, but I''m going to Paradise when the priestse this time.¡± ¡°You are? What about your siblings?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°The priests said that I would only need to train about a month or so at Paradise before I can get my license. Once I get it, I¡¯m going to a Gate right away to make money.¡± Marco responded. The Frost Queen had been listening carefully, and she pped. ¡°Goodness! What amendable child!¡± She patted Marco¡¯s head, moved by his words. ¡°What the heck. My head feels itchy all of a sudden.¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t know what was happening. ¡°And...well, this is just my own greed. But If I be a yer, I can be famous.¡± ¡°You want to be famous?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was surprised. ¡°People look down on me and call me a thief, but if I be a strong yer¡­¡± Marco looked up at the sky, his fists tightening. ¡°One day, I might be respected like Specter-nim.¡± ¡°...Hey, he isn¡¯t dead. Can you not look up at the sky like he¡¯s dead?¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s oceans away, anyway.¡± At some point, they reached a restaurant. ¡°If you go down that alleyway, there¡¯s a restaurant that a lot of locals...huh?¡± Marco¡¯s voice became light. ¡°Is that Anna?¡± ¡°Anna?¡± ¡°Yeah! She was in our family, but she went to Paradise two months ago!¡± He ran toward the girl, grinning. ¡°Hey! Anna!¡± Seo Jun-Ho raised his umbre a bit to look. There was a boy and a girl, and a middle-aged foreigner who was standing with them. Seo Jun-Ho curled his lip when he saw the foreigner¡¯s face. ¡°...Found you.¡± It was Torres Milo. 1. Korean rice wine and scallion pancake. It¡¯s a popr pairing ? Chapter 72. Roman Holiday (4)

Chapter 72. Roman Holiday (4)

¡°Hey! Anna!¡± Torres turned to Anna as he watched Marco run toward them. ¡°Do you know him?¡± ¡°...He¡¯s the leader of the family I was part of.¡± Anna stared at the ground, her voice devoid of life. ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s an important day.¡± Torres clicked his tongue. Then, he looked around and slipped into an alley. ¡°Anna! Anna!¡± Marco called out to her as he followed them. He blinked when he saw Torres smiling brightly. ¡°Who are you and why are you calling out for her?¡± ¡°H-hello! I¡¯m Marco. I¡¯m Anna¡¯s older brother¡­¡± ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re Marco? I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. Isn¡¯t that right, Anna?¡± ¡°...¡± Even at Torres¡¯ question, Anna didn¡¯t look up from the ground. ¡°...She seems a little strange. Is she sick?¡± When Marco asked worriedly, Torres patted Anna¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Of course not. Anna¡¯s just tired because she just woke up. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Haha. Anna, it¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve seen your family, so you should greet him with a smile.¡± ¡°A smile¡­¡± Her empty eyes suddenly filled with life. She grabbed Marco¡¯s hands and jumped up and down as if nothing had happened. ¡°Kyaa! Marco oppa! How long has it been? Two months?¡± ¡°Yeah, how have you been?¡± Marco smiled when he saw the Anna that he knew. ¡°Yup! Paradise is great. The teachers are really nice and the food is really yummy! And can you see how clean my clothes are?¡± ¡°I have eyes, you know! It looks really new. I¡¯m d you¡¯re doing well.¡± Marco¡¯s doubts started to fade away. ¡°Are Max and the others doing okay? Does Pierre still cry a lot?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same as always. Pierre cries a lot because he misses you.¡± ¡°Geez, that crybaby¡­ If only I coulde out more often, I could see them.¡± Marco shook his head. ¡°No. We¡¯re happy as long as you¡¯re happy. I¡¯ll tell the kids that you¡¯re doing well.¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± Torres cut off their conversation. ¡°Marco, did you tell your siblings that you¡¯reing here?¡± ¡°Huh? No. They¡¯re still sleeping.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± Torres¡¯ lip curled upward. He held out his hand to Marco. ¡°In that case¡­¡± ¡°Oh, there you are!¡± Torres quickly pulled his hand back. He wrinkled his nose when he saw a man entering the alley. ¡®Sunsses with a mask and cap?¡¯ The strange man with his facepletely covered walked over to them, holding an umbre. ¡°At least tell me where you¡¯re going. Why¡¯d you run off alone?¡± ¡°Oh...sorry. I was just excited to see Anna.¡± Torres cut in. ¡°And you are¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a tourist. My name¡¯s Sonny. I hired this guy to be my local guide.¡± ¡°Sonny...I see. My name is Torres.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled when he heard the name. ¡®He has guts. He¡¯s telling me his real name.¡¯ He was probably confident that he wouldn¡¯t get caught. Seo Jun-Ho held out his hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Torres.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nice to meet you, Mr. Sonny.¡± After shaking hands, Torres looked down at his hand and then at Seo Jun-Ho as he asked, ¡°Are you a yer? You¡¯ve got quite a grip.¡± ¡°Wow, how did you know? That¡¯s right. I¡¯m actually level 27.¡± Seo Jun-Ho puffed out his chest as if he was boasting. ¡°I see, level 27. You must be an excellent yer.¡± ¡°Yeah, people call me a genius all the time, and¡­ I probably am.¡± ¡°Ah...I see.¡± Torres smiled, but he was snorting on the inside. He had already made his evaluation. ¡®So he¡¯s level 27...I can tell.¡¯ He could kill him with one finger. Just as he was about to stop paying attention¡­ Seo Jun-Ho drew his attention. ¡°Oh, Marco. Is this the person from Paradise?¡± ¡°Yeah. Anna¡¯s doing really well there. It¡¯s a great ce.¡± ¡°...Wait, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re a tourist? How do you know about Paradise?¡± Torres was smiling, but there was suspicion in his eyes. ¡°I heard from this guy. It¡¯s a long story, is that alright?¡± ¡°Please, go ahead.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. ¡°Was it 15 years ago? My one and only little brother...Oh, he¡¯s two years younger than me, but he was a little taller. I was stronger though, so I would always win when we wrestled¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me, can you summarize it?¡± Torres was getting annoyed at his rambling. ¡°Tsk. I was just getting to the good part...Anyways, I believe that my brother is at Paradise.¡± ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be. We don¡¯t have any adult men at the moment.¡± ¡°Probably, but he would¡¯ve been there in the past. You have records, right? I want to take a look.¡± ¡°...¡± They didn¡¯t. All the children that went to the orphanage were either killed or had long be fiends. Torres did the calctions in his head. ¡®This isn¡¯t good.¡¯ If he sent the man back like this, Paradise¡¯s existence might be revealed to the world. People wouldn¡¯t believe orphaned pickpockets, but they might listen to a yer. ¡°...Alright. Let¡¯s go to Paradise together. But may I ask you something first?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t told anyone else about Paradise, have you?¡± ¡°Of course not. No one even knows I¡¯m in Rome.¡± Seo Jun-Ho said what Torres wanted to hear, and he rxed. ¡°Good. I will take you there.¡± ¡°Goodness, weren¡¯t you going somewhere?¡± ¡°...My appointment¡¯s been canceled.¡± He looked at Marco. ¡°You shoulde as well.¡± ¡°Huh? I have to feed the kids though.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see your other younger siblings? It will only take about two hours.¡± ¡°Oh, if it¡¯s only two hours¡­¡± Marco nodded slowly. He wanted to see their faces. ¡°I¡¯ll go. It¡¯s raining, so they¡¯ll just sleep anyway.¡± ¡°Let us be on our way.¡± Torres started to lead them away, and the Frost Queen clicked her tongue. ¡°Contractor, what is your n? I believe that man wishes to kill you and the child.¡± Just as the Frost Queen said, Torres¡¯ intentions were obvious. He was nning to bring them to Paradise and get rid of them there. It was the simplest solution to this conundrum. Seo Jun-Ho waited for Torres to go ahead. ¡°Anyone could have that kind of cold intention,¡± he whispered. That was until¡­ they were hit first. *** ¡°...Wow.¡± Marco marveled at the estate beyond the gate. ¡°Is that Paradise?¡± ¡°Haha, yes. Isn¡¯t it quite big?¡± The yground was full of all sorts of equipment. Slides, see-saws, slides, a ser field, a basketball court. ¡°When it¡¯s not raining, it¡¯s full of kids.¡± ¡°They must love it here.¡± ¡°But of course. This is Paradise, after all.¡± Torres smiled and opened the gate. They passed by the yground and approached arge building. ¡°Wow. Is this where they live?¡± ¡°Living quarters, ssrooms, the cafeteria, and even the baths are here.¡± ¡°Where are my other siblings?¡± ¡°They are in the lecture hall.¡± He turned to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I will show you the records after I show him around.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Right this way.¡± Torres escorted them down the hall as he exined Paradise¡¯s history. ¡°This year is the 20th anniversary of Paradise¡¯s founding.¡± ¡°It must have a deep history.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Paradise has produced many outstanding individuals.¡± ¡°Really? Who?¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly asked. Torres paused at the question; the Frost Queen cackled at the sight. ¡°He looks like a deer caught in headlights. Of course, he cannot tell you. They are all evil fiends, after all.¡± Torresughed awkwardly and continued. ¡°Well, most of them don¡¯t like others to know that they are orphans. I don¡¯t have their permission to reveal their identities.¡± ¡°No need to tell me, then.¡± ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡± Torres bowed to him. As he took the lead again, he looked disgusted. ¡®Dammit, I can¡¯t believe that I had to bow to this insect!¡¯ But his humiliation wouldn¡¯tst for long. He had already ordered his subordinates to check that no one was tailing them once they entered Paradise. If no one was following the two men, he would kill them immediately. ¡°How many children are here?¡± ¡°217.¡± ¡°You remember the exact number?¡± ¡°They are all like my own children.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡®That¡¯s bullshit,¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought. He stopped and looked into the window of the lecture hall. ¡°What are they doing?¡± They stood in two lines, facing each other with sharp weapons. They emanated a strong sense of bloodlust. ¡°Haha, they¡¯re training hard to be yers.¡± ¡°Director!¡± A teacher came running toward them from the opposite end of the hallway and whispered something into Torres¡¯ ear. ¡°It¡¯s all clear. We even searched the warehouses, but he¡¯s alone.¡± ¡°...Is that so?¡± Torres smiled like he had remembered something funny and opened the door to the hall. ¡°Won¡¯t you impart some of your wisdom on the children as a sunbae?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m not that good¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it will help them a lot.¡± ¡°Well, if you say so¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head and nodded. Torres led him inside and pped his hands. ¡°Attention, everyone! Please wee¡­ what was your name?¡± ¡°Sonny.¡± ¡°Please wee Mr. Sonny. He is an active yer, and he¡¯se to teach you some things as your sunbae.¡± He gave a look to the teacher, who quickly escorted the children to the benches. At the same time, dozens of men and women entered through the doors of the lecture rooms, carrying sharp weapons. ¡°...Hey, don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something weird?¡± Marco asked from behind Seo Jun-Ho, gulping. Thetter nced back at him. ¡°As I thought, you¡¯re quick. You¡¯d make a good yer,¡± he muttered. ¡°What?¡± Marco couldn¡¯t quite hear him. One of the teachers slowly walked up to Seo Jun-Ho. His eyes were red as if they would start dripping blood at any second. ¡°F-fuck! H-his eyes are red?!¡± Marco cursed. He quickly shut his mouth after looking around. The 200 children and 30 teachers all had red eyes. ¡°I-if their eyes are red¡­¡± ¡°It means they¡¯re fiends.¡± Torres smiled from his seat in the audience. ¡°You¡¯re unlucky. This wouldn¡¯t have happened if you hadn¡¯t mentioned Paradise in front of me.¡± ¡°...Did you feed the children the demon n¡¯s blood?¡± Torres shrugged, spreading his arms. ¡°What do you think? How else would they be fiends?¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a shaky breath. All these young children had be fiends, and most likely, none of them were willing to be one. ¡°They must have not wanted to be fiends.¡± ¡°Of course not. But once some of them were killed as examples, they were practically begging to drink the demon n¡¯s blood.¡± As if he had remembered something fun, Torres pped his hands andughed with his shoulders shaking. ¡°Oh, you should have been there! It was hrious! They were licking the blood off the ground...Hahahaha! They were so desperate to live.¡± ¡°...Wait, what?¡± With a dumbfounded expression, Marco pushed Seo Jun-Ho aside. He looked to the benches, looking for familiar faces. Anna, Finn, Leo, Shu¡­ ¡°No...no...This can¡¯t be¡­¡± Their faces were lifeless, and their eyes burned red like the others. Marco fell to his knees, crying. ¡°I-I sent them off...I pushed them forward with my own hand¡­¡± Anna cried because she didn¡¯t want to leave her sisters and brothers. Finnined that Max would be the vice-leader if he left. Leo and Shu, the youngest. He had sent them off with his own hands. Marco simply wanted them to be happy. ¡°But...how¡­?¡± How did they be fiends? Why were they staring at him with those red eyes? ¡°Urp...Bleeeghh!¡± He felt sick. He saw stars. After throwing up, Marco slowly picked himself up. ¡°You bastard¡­!¡± Before Seo Jun-Ho could stop him, Marco ran toward Torres but his body flew into the air. One of the teachers had punched him in the stomach. Marco curled up on the floor, vomiting again. ¡°Hahaha! Look at him squirming like an insect!¡± Torres gestured toward Anna. ¡°That¡¯s your brother. What do you think?¡± ¡°...¡± She stared down at the groaning Marco on the floor. ¡°I...do not think of anything.¡± ¡°Kahahahaha! This is hrious!¡± Torresughed until he cried. Bang bang. Marco couldn¡¯t ovee his anger and pounded the ground with his fists. His skin was starting to peel and bleed, but he did not stop. He felt pathetic. He couldn¡¯t even get revenge for his siblings. Despite promising that he would take care of his family, he had forced them toe to such a ce. ¡°You¡­¡± He red up at Torres, eyes full of venom. ¡°Specter-nim will kill you all.¡± ¡°Specter? That¡¯s a name I haven¡¯t heard in a while.¡± Once upon a time, Torres had looked up to Specter. He once shone like a star, and normal yers like himself could never even hope to reach him. ¡°Too much time has passed.¡± 25 years had passed. It was more than enough time for Specter¡¯s glory to fade. ¡°Even if Specter is back, there is no fiend that is afraid of him.¡± It was true. Not even Torres himself was scared. He was level 75 and had gotten stronger as a fiend. He was confident that he could defeat Specter. ¡°You¡­ Once Specter-nimes for you¡­¡± Rather than fear, Marco trembled in frustration. Seo Jun-Ho approached him. ¡°It hurts a lot, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Are you seriously asking me that right now¡­¡± ¡°Once you be a yer, you¡¯ll experience things even more painful than this.¡± Thump. Seo Jun-Ho took off his coat and ced it on top of Marco. ¡°Even if your loved ones die right before your eyes, you have to keep fighting. That is what a yer is.¡± ¡°...?¡± Marco wiped away his tears with his sleeve. But once he started crying, he couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°If you really want to be a yer, then you must raise your sword even before an enemy you cannot defeat.¡± Marco looked at Seo Jun-Ho like he was speaking nonsense. Even if they disregarded the children, the fiends alone numbered over 30. Trying to fight them would be suicide. ¡°You¡¯re telling me to fight them right now?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re a yer, then you must. But you haven¡¯t quite be one yet, so¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho took off his sunsses, mask, and his cap. ¡°I¡¯ll help you out this time.¡± He reached out into the air. Something appeared in his hand. It was a simple ck mask. There were no symbols or words written on it. It was just a simple mask but it was the most famous mask in the world. ¡°All fiends that I encounter will be strangled. ¡± Seo Jun-Ho whispered as he fastened his mask. The darkness around him started to undte. He looked up at the fiends in a final warning. ¡°That way, their corpses will remain.¡± Specter¡¯s voice rang in the lecture hall. Chapter 73. At the Edge of Paradise (1)

Chapter 73. At the Edge of Paradise (1)

Marco blinked nkly. His thoughts jumbled as if there was a system error. ¡®Why is he taking out Specter-nim¡¯s mask? Is he cosying?¡¯ That guy was acting like he was Specter himself. The wavering darkness prowled around him as if in search of prey. ¡®But I thought Specter-nim was recuperating in Korea¡­¡¯ And there was no way he was asid-back as that guy. Specter was a lofty being that was a role model and guide for all yers. ¡®You¡¯re telling me that a man like Specter could sleep on a haystack in a shabby barn with a bunch of orphans?¡¯ Marco slowly shook his head. No matter how much he had underestimated him, he was not like Specter at all. ¡°...It makes no sense.¡± It didn¡¯t make sense. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t make sense. But why did he feel hope blooming in his chest as he stared at the man¡¯s back? The coat suddenly felt heavy on his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m not very smart, so I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on¡­¡± But if he really was Specter¡­ ¡°Please¡­ Please save my siblings!¡± Marco cried, wiping away his tears. Seo Jun-Ho held out his right hand and made the ¡®ok¡¯ sign. *** ¡°...¡± One of Torres¡¯ eyebrows was twitching. It had started when the insect in front of him had pulled out Specter¡¯s mask. ¡°Ha...ahahaha!¡± His face continued to crumple until he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and burst out intoughter. It spread infectiously, and the 30-some fiends startedughing and pping with Seo Jun-Ho in front of them. ¡°Hahaha! Specter? You? Ahahahaha!¡± ¡°Well, it makes sense. His name is Sonny.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± All of them, including Torres, grabbed their stomachs as theyughed. Torres started to fan his face, which had gone red in amusement. ¡°Phew, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve met someone as funny as you.¡± He tapped his chin as he studied Seo Jun-Ho. He was trying to figure out what would be the most entertaining way to take care of him. ¡°Well, he does have the darkness attribute.¡± ¡°I believe that he used it to try to sell himself as Specter.¡± ¡°Right. But what to do?¡± Such tricks wouldn¡¯t work here. Torres crunched on some almonds that he always had with him as he sat with his legs crossed. ¡°For now, break his arms and legs. I¡¯m curious as to what he will say after that.¡± ¡°As tasteful as always, Director.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± It was a good chance to score points with Torres, the leader of Paradise. The fiend who raised his hand swaggered over to Seo Jun-Ho. Even when the fiend was right in front of his nose, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t move. ¡°Look at this bastard. He¡¯s scared out of his mind.¡± The fiend looked back at Torres, snickering. He looked over Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°So you¡¯re Specter? The world-famous Specter?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho did not reply. He stared at him silently. ¡°Wow~ Isn¡¯t this like a movie? If you¡¯re really Specter, my head will go flying in like 5 seconds. Right?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take that long.¡± Seo Jun-Ho coldly spat. ¡°What? You bastard, what are you¡­¡± Beeeep. The fiend thought that he heard a strange noise behind him. ¡®What is that? Where is iting from?¡¯ Before he could finish his thought, he realized that he was flying through the air. ¡®Huh?¡¯ But he wasn¡¯t... He watched as his own body buckled to the floor. ¡®What? How¡­¡¯ How could he see his body? And why was his neck empty? The fiend died before he realized it. ¡°...¡± A heavy silence fell over the lecture hall. Torres scrambled up from the bench. His eyes were suspicious. ¡°...Watchguard of Darkness?¡± The swift, violent movement had made the fiend¡¯s head go flying in an instant. It reminded Torres of when he had watched Specter from a distance long ago. He gulped and quietly lowered his head. ¡®That¡¯s not possible.¡¯ What were the chances that a random yer on the street was Specter? ¡®Impossible. How could this happen¡­?¡¯ Still, Torres made a choice. Whether or not he was Specter, he had to finish this. ¡®He¡¯s a powerful yer.¡¯ He had even managed to fool Torres. When he first assessed him, he had thought that the man was a foolish weakling. But now, even he was nervous. ¡®He might be stronger than me.¡¯ Torres gathered his bearings and tapped on his Vita. Luckily, there was a certain guest staying at Paradise. ¡®Just a few hours ago, I considered him an unwee nuisance¡­¡¯ But things were different now. Torres was grateful that he was here. ¡®The Demon Bow can defeat him.¡¯ Of course, the best-case scenario would be defeating his opponent before Signer came. If he couldn¡¯t even take care of a single intruder, what would the Association think of him? [Pleasee to the lecture hall for a moment. I have something to show you.] It was too early to tell the oue, so he kept the message vague. He kicked hisckeys into action. ¡°What are you guys staring at? Kill him!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± The fiends pulled themselves together and ran toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®This is why fighting fiends is easy.¡¯ They were dirty, brutal, and violent. ¡®If no one orders them to, most of them won¡¯t help or support their allies.¡¯ They preferred to rely on their demonic energy to fight head-on. ¡°Frost, stay out of this one.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me.¡± The Frost Queen smiled and nodded. ¡°If you take this seriously, my turn will note.¡± Whoosh. Heart, lower abdomen, left shoulder, and right thigh. There was even an attack on his Achilles tendon and a spear at the back of his neck. A total of 12 bloodthirsty attacks came from different directions. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t try to dodge or reach for his weapon. Instead, he moved his index finger once. Flick. ¡°Be gentle.¡± The darkness lingering around exploded, taking the form of wolves. They bared their fangs before ripping into the fiends. ¡°...¡± Blood rained around him. The twelve fiends disappeared without leaving even their corpses behind. The only proof that they ever existed was the blood staining the ground. The remaining fiends started to tremble. ¡®H-he only moved his finger once...That was enough to kill them all?¡¯ ¡®He doesn¡¯t even have a single drop of blood on him.¡¯ They started to feel the difference in power. Even though they wanted to run away, they were frozen in ce like they were facing a Boss Monster. ¡°You idiots! Show me what you¡¯re worth! Hunt him like he¡¯s a monster!¡± Torres yelled. In front of them was Specter, and behind them was their violent boss. Trapped in between, they licked their lips. ¡®Dammit, you don¡¯t need to tell us what to do.¡¯ ¡®If we attack all at once, we cannd at least one.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s still a human, after all¡­¡¯ But whoever struck first would die. They knew it in their bones. As such, their feet remained stuck to the ground. ¡®The fiends are the same as always.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t taken a single step since the battle had begun. He crossed his arms and inspected them with a haughty air about him. ¡®If I kill a few of them first, the rest will make their decision.¡¯ But what they didn¡¯t know was that it wouldn¡¯t matter. ¡®Either way, whether they die first or diest, I¡¯ll still kill them all.¡¯ He was going to hunt them down. Seo Jun-Ho stomped on the ground. The dark energy nketed the ground, covering the entire lecture hall. ¡°D-dodge it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let that ck energy touch you!¡± ¡°The darkness attribute ignores defensive skills! Don¡¯t try to block it!¡± Their theory was on-point, and they had the skill to apply it. ¡°Scatter!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to survive like that.¡± ¡°His magic isn¡¯t infinite. Go up!¡± The fiendsunched into the air. Some of them dashed across the wall, while others used their skills to float into the air. It seemed like Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attack had failed. ¡°Hmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho rolled his shoulders as he watched them struggle. After he had ovee his limits in the Cave of Trials, his magic circuits had be like brand-new. ¡®Even if I optimized the flow, I would still lose about 5% of my magic.¡¯ And even as Specter, he could barely reach 2-3%. But now, he lost 0% of his magic. The amount of magic he could use had increased, and he could use it more efficiently. Not a single drop was wasted. With his arms still crossed, Seo Jun-Ho tapped on his forearm. The dark energy covering the ground started to shoot into the air. ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°T-thorns?!¡± The darkness pierced through the fiends like the sharp thorns of a rose. They tried to escape, but it was no use. ¡°Run.¡± Even though his level was lower, his skills were still there. With even more magic at his disposal, he had no problem using his old techniques. The thorns shot out at irregr intervals, and no fiend could escape. They started toe faster and faster, making their bodies fall like dolls. ¡°...¡± Except for Torres, all the fiends were lying on the ground, bleeding and groaning. Shing. Seo Jun-Ho finally unsheathed ck Dragon Fang and approached them. ¡°D-don¡¯te near me!¡± A fiend held out his hands and used his demonic energy. Seo Jun-Ho felt something tighten around his neck. ¡®Telekinesis, probably.¡¯ That was where his interest ended. He silently swung his sword, cutting off that fiend¡¯s hand. ¡°Ahhhh¡­!¡± The fiend gripped his wrist, trying to staunch the bleeding as he tried to crawl away. Seo Jun-Ho approached him slowly and stabbed his sword through his chest. ¡°G-gah¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho did not show him mercy. ¡°It¡¯s too easy to die like that.¡± ck Dragon Fang slowly dug into his heart. His face paled and contorted from the pain. ¡°Guh...huff...K-kill me¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do.¡± He couldn¡¯t endure the pain any longer, and he bent forward, ending his own life. Shaken by the fiend¡¯s violent death, some of the other fiends finished the job themselves. ¡°...Fiend Hunter,¡± Torres muttered vacantly. He remembered the story about Specter killing a hundred fiends without raising a finger. Ever since then, Fiend Hunter had be one of his nicknames. ¡°G-get him! Buy time until the Demon Bow gets here!¡± He shouted to the children. He was starting to get impatient. The 217 children were under his perfect control, and they all stood up. ¡°Sit down while I¡¯m being nice!¡± Seo Jun-Ho hissed. Watchguard of Darkness was much more powerful and vicious than Torres¡¯ demonic energy. They either had to obey Torres¡¯ order or obey their instincts. The consideration was too much for the children, and their eyes rolled back. They started to copse one by one. ¡°Ugh...ah¡­¡± Torres was the only one left in therge lecture room. His face was white. He threw aside his almonds and ran toward the door. Click. As he opened the door, his body was suddenly pulled back. ¡°Gah!¡± He fell to the ground and hurriedly tried to stand up, but his body wouldn¡¯t move. He looked down at his legs in disbelief. ¡°Ah...huh¡­?¡± They weren¡¯t there. In less than a few seconds, his legs had been cut off. He stared down at the stumps of his knees. And an indescribable pain filled him, one beatte. ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± His fists hit the ground and his body rolled. Tears flowed from his scarlet eyes. ¡°Fuck! Why...You son of a bitch!¡± He didn¡¯t understand why he had to go through such pain. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s unfair? You didn¡¯t even do much, but you think I¡¯m being too harsh, don¡¯t you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho whispered. ¡°Keuh¡­¡± He bit his lip and looked down. He was so drunk with pain that he couldn¡¯t even look up at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°But let me ask you. Have you ever once thought about the children whom you forced into bing fiends?¡± ¡°...Yes, yes!¡± Torres nodded his head eagerly. Of course, he was lying, but he thought that he would die if he told the truth. Thankfully, it seemed that he made the right choice. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Specter¡¯s voice suddenly became brighter. He spoke sweetly. ¡°That¡¯s good. You won¡¯t feel bad if you die, then.¡± ¡°What¡­? You fuck¡­!¡± Torres cursed as he held out his two hands to block his sword. But human flesh was soft, while the sword was sharp. The de cut through his palms and pierced through his neck. ¡°Gah...ugh...Save...keuk¡­¡± Blood poured from his mouth. Seo Jun-Ho leaned down and whispered to the dying man. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be lonely. I¡¯ll send all of your friends with you soon.¡± Chapter 74. At the Edge of Paradise (2)

Chapter 74. At the Edge of Paradise (2)

¡°Keuh¡­Kukuku¡­¡± Torres was dying, and yet, he burst out intoughter. He finally stopped breathing afterughing for a long time. ¡®...The fuck? Did he go crazy?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head as stared at him. As if he refused to let go of his life and regrets, Torres¡¯ eyes were still open. ¡°That¡¯s a good look for you. Keep it open even in your death.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wiped the blood off ck Dragon Fang on Torres¡¯ clothes. Then, he held out his hand to Torres¡¯ forehead. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± [The Confession of the Dead has begun.] Seo Jun-Ho gotfortable on the floor as the Memory Projection appeared before him. The Frost Queen tilted her head. ¡°Is this one of the ¡®dramas¡¯ you were talking about?¡± ¡°No¡­ But now that I think about it, this is your first time seeing this, isn¡¯t it?¡± She quickly became interested when he briefly exined the skill. ¡°Oh my! So in other words, this mystical skill allows you to get a glimpse of the dead¡¯s life?¡± ¡°Yeah. I can get a lot of info on the fiends with this. There¡¯s no way that the director of Paradise is the end of the trail.¡± He believed that at the very least, Torres was likely just one of the middle-ranking fish. ¡®I¡¯llb through all your memories and find something useful.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho started the yback from the very beginning. Like everyone else, Torres had adolescent years. ¡®So he didn¡¯t have a good childhood.¡¯ As an adult, Torres worked as a yer, but his skills had their limits. And every time that happened, the seeds of inferiority that were nted deep within him slowly sprouted. ¡°He became a fiend 10 years ago and acted as a spy.¡± ¡°To think that he sold out his ownrades...He is a heartless human.¡± After that, Torres had be involved in big scandals on the 2nd floor. ¡°This bastard was involved in the yer disappearance case and the phantom vige incident?¡± They were some of the biggest scandals to have urred. Torres used his skill to manipte people¡¯s minds and caused confusion in the investigations. ¡°And then he received his position in Paradise as a reward.¡± After building the Fiend Association¡¯s trust in him for 10 years, he had finally be the director of Paradise a few months ago. ¡®What¡¯s something useful I can get from here¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shifted, taking in every little detail from the yback. ¡°So there¡¯s seven of them.¡± That was the number of high executives in the Fiend Association. ¡®But there¡¯s nothing about the President.¡¯ Even though Torres was the director of Paradise, he had no clue about the other members. ¡®How on earth does someone like the director of Paradise not know anything about the other members? Just how big are they?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho started to realize just how cautious the Fiend Association was. After Specter had burned their roots, they had decided to gopletely undercover. All he knew about their hierarchy was that the members received orders from the seven executives. ¡®This isn¡¯t good. There¡¯s less info than I thought.¡¯ On top of that, this useless man didn¡¯t even know where the Association was located. The only thing he knew was that one of the executives was called ¡®Chef.¡¯ ¡°Contractor, in this world, is a ¡®chef¡¯ not a person who cooks?¡± ¡°Yeah, it means the same thing here¡­ this is just a weird nickname.¡± He changed the timestamp to find more clues about ¡®Chef.¡¯ It was the day that Torres had be the director. *** Knock knock. Torres knocked on the director¡¯s office, his face tense. ¡°Come in.¡± Torres entered the room. He bowed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Roxan-nim!¡± ¡°Just call me Chef. Are you Torres?¡± ¡°Yes, Chef! As of today, I am the new director of Paradise!¡± His energetic responses were like that of a new recruit. On the flip side, the man called Roxan was looking out the window with his hands behind his back. ¡°What are your skills?¡± ¡°I can manipte the mind. It¡¯s A-grade.¡± ¡°Really? It sounds delicious.¡± He turned around, but his face wasn¡¯t visible because of the harsh back lighting. ¡°Mmph¡­!¡± Torres knelt as he met Chef¡¯s eyes; he was dripping in cold sweat. Kneeling was something that fiends did when they met another that was much stronger than them. ¡°No need to be so nervous. I just want a taste.¡± Heughed, a small orb floated in front of him. He opened his mouth wide and swallowed it in one gulp. ¡°Mm...What a peculiar taste.¡± He gave a satisfied nod and took out a notebook from the drawer, writing something down. ¡°I wonder what ingredients I need to create such a taste...It may be possible with what I have right now¡­¡± He was deep in thought for a while, but he finally closed the notebook. ¡°I think I¡¯ve found a useful recipe. Thank you for giving me such a good ingredient.¡± ¡°O-of course.¡± ¡°As for yourpensation...Yes. Let me tell you something interesting.¡± He leaned, perched on the windowsill. ¡°Torres. When do you think Paradise was founded?¡± ¡°As far as I know, it was founded around 24 years ago.¡± ¡°Precisely. And do you know why it was made?¡± ¡°Um...Wasn¡¯t it to cultivate powerful fiends?¡± ¡°Pffft, powerful fiends?¡± Chef burst out intoughter as he shook his head. ¡°To make good food, you need fresh and good ingredients. It¡¯s the same for fiends.¡± He tapped on the window with his fingernail. ¡°Look at the children running around. They are talentless rubbish that we found on the streets. Do you think such substandard ingredients can be strong even if we feed them the best demon blood?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t think so.¡± Torres shook his head. ¡°Exactly. They aren¡¯t yers. Even if we feed them the blood, they¡¯ll only be half-rate fiends.¡± He opened a thick book sitting on the desk. ¡°In thest 24 years, Paradise has sessfully created 2,985 fiends. 1,898 were 3rd-grade ones that couldn¡¯t even awaken their abilities, 1,082 were 2nd-grade ones that could do so, and there were only five 1st-grade ones who became notably powerful.¡± ¡°Ah, so one of them was Nazad-nim¡¯s disciple, the Skeleton Mage,¡± Torres said. ¡°Yes. He is the only 1st-grade that was created during the 4 years that I¡¯ve been overseeing Paradise.¡± There was a sense of pride in Chef¡¯s voice. He closed the book. ¡°It seems that we have strayed from our original topic.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still listening.¡± Torres swallowed and perked his ears. His heart pounded at the thought of learning secrets that no other fiends would know. ¡°24 years ago, the fiends that were in hiding went up to the Frontier and created the Association. But they were still cautious. Even though the 5 Heroes were already dead, the fiends were afraid that they coulde back and kill them all. That¡¯s how great Specter¡¯s effect was. Their fear could not be erased in just a year.¡± The fiends had to live every day in fear. At that time, the President of the Fiend Association made a decision after watching the fiends live in fear. ¡°The President decided that we needed power. Undefeatable power, devastating power that could fight against the 5 Heroes even if they returned!¡± At that time, the only thing that all the fiends could remember was one ability. ¡°They had all encountered it before. They had witnessed its overwhelming power with their own eyes.¡± It was the strongest elemental skill used by Specter¡ªthe Watchguard of Darkness. ¡°...W-wait. So Paradise was created to create the second Specter?¡± Torres looked shocked. It was never even in his imagination that Paradise had been created for such a reason. ¡°Pffft, is it that hard to believe? Think about it. What would happen if we managed to obtain even half...No, even a fourth of that power?¡± ¡°...If webined it with demonic energy, that person would be the strongest fiend in history,¡± Torres concluded. ¡°That¡¯s exactly it.¡± Chef pped. ¡°So the fiends worked around the clock. But in the end, the experiments failed. The chance of talentless orphans awakening such a powerful skill is close to 0%. That¡¯s why I came down to the 1st floor. Instead of leaving it to chance, I came to create a Darkness skill myself.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Torres eximed. He remembered Chef¡¯s skill. ¡°So you n to use Perfect Taste (S).¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± Chef¡¯s skill was none other than Perfect Taste (S). He could materialize others¡¯ skills and taste them. If they were F-rank or lower, he could even use them himself. Moreover, he could take the skills that were F-rank andbine them to ¡®cook¡¯ a new skill that was higher in rank. In theory, he could even create an S-rank skill. ¡°But any food has an expiration date.¡± He smacked his lips as if regretted it. ¡°F-rank skills can onlyst two months.¡± Even if he copied them, they would disappear after that time. That was why in order to obtain fresh ingredients, he had to routinely kidnap children every two months. ¡°This ce is truly a paradise for me,¡± he said as he stroked the desk delicately. ¡°It¡¯s hard to find a ce with as many fresh ingredients as we have here.¡± ¡°Then...Since you¡¯re returning to the 2nd floor, does that mean you¡¯ve seeded?¡± Torres asked carefully. Despite being an executive, Chef had already been on the 1st floor for 4 years. It was impossible to guess how many skills he had cooked up during that time. Chef shook his head. ¡°I failed to recreate Watchguard of Darkness. The most simr one was the shadow attribute.¡± ¡°Ah! I did hear that you granted the Shadow Brothers their abilities.¡± ¡°It was still a failure. Compared to Specter¡¯s Skill, they¡¯re no better than trash.¡± He suddenly started tough. ¡°Fufu, it¡¯s simple. I no longer need to waste my time here.¡± ¡°Is that because Specter has returned?¡± ¡°Of course. Rather than trying to create a skill on the 1st floor, it¡¯s much easier to wait on the 2nd floor until hees up.¡± He expected it to be easy to recreate Watchguard of Darkness once he had a taste of it. ¡°Ahhh, I wonder how it¡¯ll taste...I¡¯m already excited.¡± He trembled whilst licking his lips. *** ¡°...Stop skill use.¡± Seo Jun-Ho whispered. He wiped his face with his hands. His thoughts were all jumbled after hearing the truth. ¡®This fucking ce¡­ it was made because of me?¡¯ He felt like a boulder was dropped on his chest. Paradise was created to create a copycat of him? ¡°They made thousands of children into fiends¡­¡± Because of him... ¡°Dammit all!¡± He punched the wall, gritting his teeth. But it didn¡¯t relieve any of his anger. ¡°Contractor...It is not your fault,¡± the Frost Queen gently said. ¡°I still feel like shit.¡± Reality wasn¡¯t always so sweet. And this time, it made his entire mouth go dry. ¡°Once you be a fiend¡­¡± You couldn¡¯t go back. He had discovered this fact while hunting countless fiends in the past, and Shim Deok-Gu had confirmed that it still wasn¡¯t possible to turn a fiend back into a human. ¡®Then all those children¡­ they suffered because of me...The children¡­¡¯ Even if he didn¡¯t want to, he had to end it with his own hands. Chapter 75. At the Edge of Paradise (3)

Chapter 75. At the Edge of Paradise (3)

¡°My siblings...My siblings¡­¡± As Specter chased after Torres to the hall, Marco stood up as if he was possessed. He couldn¡¯t take more than a few steps before he vomited again. ¡°Bleeghh! Ugh¡­¡± Marco was a responsible older brother, but he was still only 19. He was too young to watch dozens of fiends explode like water balloons. ¡°Anna...Shu...Leo...Finn¡­¡± Remembering his younger siblings, Marco struck his trembling legs. He barely managed to stand up, but he slowly started to make his way to the benches, where his siblings had copsed. The sea of blood made the ground slippery, and the stench of iron pricked his nose with every step he took. ¡°Wake up! Anna! Leo!¡± When he made it to the bench, he tried to shake them awake but they remained unconscious. Even though they had be fiends, the children were only level 1. They couldn¡¯t handle Specter¡¯s venomous bloodthirst. ¡°What do I do...What do I do?¡± Just as he was panicking, the doors of the lecture hall opened and he saw Specter walk in. ¡°S-Specter-nim! Over here!¡± Marco waved frantically, and he made his way over. ¡°They¡¯re not waking up. Did they hit their heads too hard?¡± ¡°...Perhaps.¡± ¡°I think we should take them to the hospital as soon as possible. Because the demon blood¡ªshouldn¡¯t we take it out? They¡¯ll go back to normal then¡­¡± He blubbered. Seo Jun-Ho looked down at him. He knew why Marco was acting like this. ¡®...Poor kid.¡¯ Marco already knew that it was toote for his siblings to return. Seo Jun-Ho understood, and he felt sorry for him. ¡°Huh?¡± Marco looked up when Specter started to stroke his head. Specter, a legendary yer that he had always looked up to, was stroking his hair. Marco should have felt happy, but tears formed in his eyes instead. Once he started crying, he couldn¡¯t stop. He begged with a choked voice. ¡°Please...Please save my siblings.¡± But he wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew that no fiend had ever turned back to normal. ¡°They¡¯ve already been thrown away once. They didn¡¯t have many clothes or even food. Ever since they were old enough to think, they had to steal food and run away just so that they wouldn¡¯t die.¡± How could such pitiful kids be fiends? They were children who cried because they couldn¡¯t understand why they didn¡¯t have parents. He couldn¡¯t just let them die when they had never experienced happiness. Marco felt like his chest was being ripped apart from the unfairness of it all. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt bad as he watched Marco sob. He hated fiends, but these children weren¡¯t the fiends he was thinking about. ¡®They did nothing wrong.¡¯ True, some of them had killed before, but that was because they had been under Torres¡¯ control. They wouldn¡¯t even remember their victims. ¡®And it¡¯s all my fault that this happened.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes tightly. He understood how Marco felt. He truly wanted to help him, but he couldn¡¯t because¡­ They were fiends. ¡°I understand how you feel.¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Marco raised his head. There was hope in his red, swollen eyes. ¡°But I still can¡¯t,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said in a resolute voice that shattered Marco¡¯s hope. He knew how cruel it would be to give Marco hope in a situation like this. ¡°Why not? Why can¡¯t you? You heard what he said, they didn¡¯t want to be fiends in the first ce!¡± Marco protested. ¡°Marco. Do you know why society treats fiends so badly?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. Marco couldn¡¯t answer. News and reports had always talked about the crimes and terrorismmitted by fiends. He only thought of them as criminals and most people thought the same. ¡°When a person drinks demon blood, one of two things happen. They either die because they can¡¯t adjust to it, or they be a fiend.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed. The children were starting to stir. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°Ow, my head. Where is this ce?¡± ¡°Sniff sniff¡­ What¡¯s that smell? Blood?¡± The first thing they saw when they woke up was a hall covered in blood. Just like Marco had, they started to vomit. ¡°Urp¡­!¡± ¡°Bleegh!¡± Marco watched them. ¡°Look, they¡¯re just like me. They¡¯re humans.¡± ¡°Yes, humans and fiends aren¡¯t so different. But¡­¡± The childrens¡¯ eyes turned red at the sight of blood. As if attracted by a ma, they started to walk toward the two. ¡°...Oppa?¡± ¡°Hyung¡­¡± Among them were Marco¡¯s siblings. Marco started to run toward them, but Seo Jun-Ho grabbed him. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± ¡°What are you saying? They¡¯re my siblings! Let me go!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho silently held onto him. A momentter, Anna approached them. She shook her head, confused. ¡°Oppa...I think something¡¯s wrong with me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt? Did you get injured?¡± Marco asked. ¡°Oppa...I really like you, but¡­¡± She raised her hands and they started to shake violently as if she was having a nervous breakdown. ¡°Why...Why do I want to kill you?¡± ¡°...!¡± Marco¡¯s mouth dropped in shock and he couldn¡¯t say anything. He looked up at Seo Jun-Ho, trembling. ¡°...Do you get it now? That¡¯s what a fiend is.¡± Characteristically, demons were violent and savage. Once humans drank their blood and became fiends, they would be the same as them. Although they would be able to use the power of the demon ns, they would have the constant, uncontroble urge to kill. ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes held pity as he looked at Anna. She was still a young child. She was still at an age where she needed the warmth and support of a parent. It was unfair that she had to die without even knowing why. ¡°...You understand now, don¡¯t you? Why society rejects and hates fiends so much.¡± ¡°...¡± Instead of responding, Marco squeezed his eyes shut. He understood. ¡®...Because they kill the people that are precious to others.¡¯ Those who became fiends were no longer humans. They were monsters that always wanted to kill, even those that they loved. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer,¡± Seo Jun-Ho warned with a sharp edge to his voice. But the children couldn¡¯t control themselves and continued. He let out a long sigh and just as he grabbed Anna¡¯s wrist to break it, a system message appeared before his eyes. [You sense very low demonic energy from the target.] [Watchguard of Darkness can absorb demonic energy.] [After absorption, magic stat will increase.] ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened. He read over the message several times. ¡®Very low demonic energy? And I can absorb it? This is¡­¡¯ It was the same message that had appeared when he treated Choi Sun-Hee¡¯s Nine Yin Severance Syndrome. His head started to spin. ¡®Impossible. I¡¯ve killed hundreds of fiends, but this has never happened before.¡¯ Had Watchguard of Darkness developed a new ability after 25 years? He didn¡¯t believe that. ¡®If there¡¯s a reason why this is happening¡­¡¯ Then it wasn¡¯t because of him. It was them. ¡®Maybe¡­?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes began to sparkle. He remembered Torres¡¯ memory¡ªthe conversation between him and Chef. - Exactly. They aren¡¯t yers. Even if we feed them the blood, they¡¯ll only be half-rate fiends. Half-rate fiend¡ªthat was what Chef called these children. On top of that, the children hadn¡¯t been yers before they drank the blood of the demon n. In other words, Paradise had taken children who didn¡¯t have any talent and fed them a demon¡¯s blood. ¡®This is it. This is the only difference between them.¡¯ Most of the fiends that Seo Jun-Ho encountered had been yers who were tempted by a stronger power. That was it¡ªthey were yers. ¡°...Specter-nim.¡± Marco bit his lips and raised his head, revealing his tear-stained face. He looked like he had made a decision. ¡°Please...Please let me be the one to end it.¡± Because of his misjudgement, his younger siblings had be fiends. Someone had to deal with them now that they were no longer humans and Marco thought that he should be the one to do it. ¡°...Are you sure? This will follow you for the rest of your life. You won¡¯t ever forget it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll carry the burden and push through. That¡¯s what you told me.¡± Specter had told him that a yer had to keep going even if the people they loved died in front of them. Both Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen patted him on the head. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you.¡± ¡°You should be proud.¡± ¡°...?¡± As he looked down at Marco¡¯s confused face, Seo Jun-Ho felt sure that he would be a great yer. ¡®There aren¡¯t many yers that could cry for others.¡¯ ¡°Too bad. I don¡¯t think you need to carry that heavy burden just yet.¡± Seo Jun-Ho poured his magic into Anna, pushing it into her circuits. ¡®Consume it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho expelled the small amount of demonic energy stuck in her circuits with a single push. Watchguard of Darknesspped up the crumbs. It only took 3 seconds for his magic to travel all throughout Anna¡¯s small body. [Magic increased by 0.05.] The amount of magic he gained was also small. But beneath his mask, Seo Jun-Ho was grinning wide. Anna¡¯s eyes faded back to normal. ¡°Huh?! Anna, your eyes!¡± ¡°You can touch her now. She¡¯s your sister again.¡± ¡°How...Anna! Are you okay?!¡± Anna fell to the ground, and he rushed over to help her. ¡°Oppa¡­? M-my brain feels foggy. My memory¡¯s vague...And I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°You idiot¡­ Thank god...Thank god!¡± ¡°...Ew, why are you crying on me? Give me some space.¡± Seo Jun-Ho watched them fondly. The Frost Queen saw him and cackled. ¡°My goodness, is my contractor weak to children?¡± ¡°...Shut up. I¡¯m not.¡± Seo Jun-Ho snorted. ¡°You are a man with many weaknesses.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m not. I don¡¯t have any weaknesses.¡± ¡°Fufu. So you say.¡± The Frost Queen stuck her tongue out and took her seat on his shoulder. They were smiling. Chapter 76. Turn up the Volume (1)

Chapter 76. Turn up the Volume (1)

¡°...¡± Kal Signer slowly opened his eyes. As an unfamiliar ceiling came into view, he slipped his hand under his pillow. He was looking for the dagger that he would always hide underneath his pillow before he slept. ¡°Ah.¡± He gripped it in his fist as he took in his surroundings. Once he was fully awakened, he remembered that he was on the 1st floor and checked the clock on the table. ¡°...I slept for 17 hours?¡± He muttered in surprise. He couldn¡¯t remember thest time he had been able to sleep deeply like this. His body had been constantly exhausted for the past few months because of Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s pursuit. The chase sapped his energy, and his health had never been great either. ¡®Fucking Kim Woo-Joong. I¡¯ll make you pay for humiliating me.¡¯ He gulped down the ss of water on the table and went to go shower. He was in Paradise¡ªto be more precise, he was in a bunker in the basement of Paradise. It had once been prepared for war and was perfectly isted from the rest of the world. ¡°It¡¯s nice and sturdy.¡± No one would be able to find him, not even a member of the Nine Heavens. Kal Signer took a long shower and came out wearingfortable workout clothes. He checked his Vita. ¡®A message?¡¯ It was from Torres and had been sent six hours ago. Kal Signer¡¯s face twisted as he read the text. [Pleasee to the lecture hall for a moment. I have something to show you.] ¡°...Is that weakling trying to give me an order?¡± He let out a frustrated sigh. It had only been two days since they had agreed to stay incognito and mind each other''s business. Yet here he was, trying to summon him. He couldn¡¯t even be bothered toe to Kal Signer himself and had sent a text message instead. ¡®Did he go crazy?¡¯ Fiends lived under the creed of survival of the fittest. It was a world that was ruled by the strong. Torres may be the director of Paradise, but he was barely level 75. To Signer, who was level 100, he was like a child. ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s annoying...but I¡¯ll see what¡¯s going on.¡± As fiends did, Kal Signer was nning to give him a good beating. He emerged from the bunker with a sour face. The entrance of the bunker was connected to the back of the property. ¡°Hm?¡± Kal Signer stopped as he approached the building. Being the experienced yer that he was, he noticed that something was wrong. His eyes narrowed. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ too loud.¡¯ Just the day before, Paradise had been a quiet ce. The 200 children were under Torres¡¯ control and they didn¡¯t scream or run around. But now, he could hear dozens of people all around the building milling around and talking. Two men started to walk out of the building. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to start on the 1st floor, correct?¡± ¡°Yeah, all the offices are here, so go through all of them before...Huh?¡± They froze as they saw Kal Signer. ¡°You bastard, do your job right! How did a civilian get here?¡± The supervisor hit the other man on the back of the head. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. But that¡¯s odd¡­ I definitely searched thoroughly¡­¡± Having been scolded, the subordinate frowned and waved his hands in a shooing motion. ¡°Hey, ahjussi[1]. Based on your clothes, it looks like you came in identally while jogging, but you can¡¯t just waltz in here.¡± ¡°...Ahjussi?¡± Kal Signer¡¯s eyes were full of fury. He looked around. ¡®What?¡¯ He didn¡¯t understand what was going on. From what he saw, the two men in front of him definitely weren¡¯t fiends. ¡®They¡¯re not even yers. They¡¯re just insects.¡¯ That was when he started to get confused. ¡®How did normal people get into Paradise? Where are the rest of the fiends?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just these two. There were dozens of people running around carrying boxes and files, and they were all normal people. ¡°What the hell is going on here¡­?¡± ¡°Why do you even need to know that ahjussi? Hurry up and go. Leave!¡± ¡®...Should I just kill them all? Bloodlust leaked into his eyes, but he quickly suppressed his anger. ¡®Dammit, if only it weren¡¯t for Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ Right now, he was carrying out Nazad Hallow¡¯s orders. It would be bad for him if he did something that caught people¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going.¡± Kal Signer left Paradise as he emitted a cold vibe. He was leaving with only the clothes on his back. He turned around and muttered to himself. ¡°...What the hell happened while I was asleep?¡± There was no one there to answer his question. *** Seo Jun-Ho sat on a pew at the Vatican Pce. The yers guarding the Vatican kept ncing at him. ¡°...They¡¯re all staring at you,¡± Marco whispered. He squirmed in his seat, ufortable. Seo Jun-Ho turned the page in his newspaper. ¡°Don¡¯t pay them any mind. They¡¯re rightfully expressing their respect,¡± he said nonchntly. ¡°...¡± That¡¯s what he said, but Seo Jun-Ho nced around his surroundings. Just as Marco had said, they were all staring at him in admiration. ¡®It¡¯s worse than before.¡¯ Of course, tons of people had admired him 25 years ago. But now, they practically treated him like someone out of a legend. Everyone would bow their heads as he passed them in the streets. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not a bad thing.¡¯ He hummed to himself. They were currently waiting for the examinations to finish. They would soon find out if the children had truly gone back to normal. ¡°Is it really gonna be alright? My siblings¡­¡± ¡°I told you. They¡¯re not fiends anymore.¡± Unlike Marco, Seo Jun-Ho was sure of it. ¡®I sucked up all the demonic energy from the roots. If they¡¯re still fiends, they might¡¯ve been born with it.¡¯ He had absorbed the demonic energy from all 217 children, raising his magic stat by 21. On top of that, his level had increased by two after he killed all the fiends. ¡°We are done examining them.¡± A priest said as he approached. He drew a cross across his chest, seemingly overjoyed. ¡°Specter-nim has once again given hope to thend! The children are safe!¡± ¡°Wow¡­!¡± ¡°As expected of Specter-nim!¡± Priests, yers, and civilians alike drew crosses across themselves and raised their hands in prayer. Pope Aberson V approached him and bowed his head. ¡°Specter-nim...I sincerely thank you for saving the lives of these littlembs.¡± ¡°Well, someone had to do it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. ¡°...And I am ashamed that it was not us. If it¡¯s alright, may I release this incident to the public to warn others about the fiends?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± It was already in his ns to make an announcement about Specter when he went back to Korea. ¡®It¡¯s not a bad idea to sprinkle some crumbs using the Vatican first.¡¯ He shook the Pope¡¯s wrinkly hand. ¡°Buf if you¡¯re really thankful, can I ask you a favor?¡±[2] ¡°Please, speak.¡± ¡°All the children I brought are orphans. They became scapegoats of crime because they didn¡¯t have guardians.¡± ¡°...¡± The Pope closed his eyes and pressed his lips together tightly. He couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how much pain and fear the children had suffered. ¡°Your enemies are also closer than you think. The Vatican is the holiest ce on earth, and this happened right under your noses. You know the Church isn¡¯t entirely meless, right?¡± ¡°I have nothing to say. With this incident, we¡¯vee to realize how blind we were.¡± ¡°Then take responsibility. The Vatican has the capacity to take care of all the orphans in Rome, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t do all that himself. He nned to entrust the children to the Vatican. Thankfully, the Pope nodded eagerly. ¡°We won¡¯t spare any hands. We¡¯ll make sure the children are properly educated and happy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I need to hear.¡± He felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He patted Marco¡¯s head. ¡°Since you¡¯re now under the care of the Vatican, you won¡¯t have any problems getting a part-time job.¡± ¡°Specter-nim¡­¡± Marco started to tear up. Seo Jun-Ho only smiled. ¡°You say you¡¯re a man, but all you do is cry.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not crying. There¡¯s dust...My eyes sting, that¡¯s all.¡± There must have been a lot of dust because Marco cried for a long time. Both Seo Jun-Ho and the Popeughed. *** When Seo Jun-Ho was ready to leave, the same Association teleporter fromst time approached him. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t recognize youst time!¡± He bowed at a 90-degree angle. ¡°Pffft, I did all that so you wouldn¡¯t.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled. ¡°Oh...yes!¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at Marco. Marco seemed dissatisfied. ¡°...Is it really okay if you leave like this?¡± ¡°It would be a hassle if there were a lot of people. That¡¯s why you were the only one I called here.¡± The only people in the room were the three of them. The Vatican had respected his wishes to leave quietly. ¡°...You¡¯re really weird, Specter-nim. You¡¯re theplete opposite of what I¡¯ve read in books.¡± ¡°Really? What do the books say?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was intrigued. ¡°They say you¡¯re a lot nobler, colder...and they also say that you¡¯re boring,¡± Marco responded. Seo Jun-Ho bent down to meet his height. ¡°This is your second lesson. As a yer, don¡¯t believe everything you read.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Marco¡¯s eyes sparkled. He scratched his neck and bowed deeply. ¡°I saw that this is how people in Korea express their gratitude.¡± ¡°From where did you see that¡­?¡± ¡°Youtube.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was silent. ¡°Once I be a good yer, you¡¯ll be the first person I¡¯ll run to. I¡¯m gonna repay you by bing your apprentice,¡± Marco promised. ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t take apprentices or anything like that.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Marco¡¯s face fell in disappointment at the clear refusal. Seo Jun-Ho ruffled his hair. ¡°I only take teammates. But the standards are a bit high. If you wanna get there, you¡¯ll have to train your ass off.¡± ¡°...¡± Marco¡¯s face brightened as he looked up. He would never be as happy as he was right now after his hero had encouraged him. His heart pounded as he felt happiness well up inside him. ¡°I hope you¡¯re happy. Send my regards to your siblings.¡± Seo Jun-Ho waved. ¡°Yes, please stay healthy!¡± Marco eximed. Seo Jun-Ho and the teleporter disappeared. *** Kal Signer pulled at his hair as he flipped through articles. He finally understood why he had been chased out of Paradise. [Breaking news! Specter¡¯s big revival!] [Specter destroys fiends¡¯ hideout!] [What exactly did Paradise do? Aberson V makes a shocking reveal.] [¡®Fiend Hunter¡¯ Specter is still going strong 25 yearster.] The articles popping up in real-time were all about Specter. He gnashed his teeth. ¡®Dammit, if I wasn¡¯t asleep back then¡­¡¯ The regret hit him like a wave. If he had been able to kill Specter or capture him alive, he might have been promoted and directly became the Eighth Apostle. ¡°Tsk. Why are there so many lucky guys these days?¡± He was referring to Seo Jun-Ho and Specter. Kal Signer was more confident in his abilities than others. He sighed. ¡®Seems like this wasn¡¯t the right time, Specter.¡¯ As he looked down at his ne ticket to Korea, his frustration subsided a bit. ¡°Just you wait. After I kill Seo Jun-Ho...You¡¯ll be next.¡± Kal Signer nned to catch the two rabbits before he went back up to the 2nd floor. 1. This is a Korean word for an older man. ? 2. Specter actually speaks to the pope casually ? Chapter 77. Turn up the Volume (2) The teleporter brought them to Korea¡¯s yer Association in an instant. ¡°We''ve arriv¡ªhuh?!¡± He yelped in surprise. ¡®W-why are there so many people¡­?¡¯ It was no longer the Association he knew. There were people at the entrance, sidewalk, and there were even people looking on from the rooftops across a fourne road. They were all here for one reason. ¡°I-It¡¯s Specter-nim!¡± ¡°Oh my god...It really is him¡­¡± ¡°Thank you foring back!¡± It was to see Specter. By the estimates of the police, there were over 50,000 people gathered in front of the Association. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt touched as he looked at them. He had never imagined that so many people would gather here for him. ¡®...Thank you.¡¯ It was that much more touching because he hadn¡¯t expected it. There was a big difference between hearing that people hadn¡¯t forgotten him and hisrades¡¯ sacrifice and seeing it for himself. ¡°Specter! Specter!¡± ¡°Specter! Specter!¡± Their chants were so loud that they couldn¡¯t be replicated by even the most expensive speakers. It was to the point he felt the vibrations up to his bones which gave him goosebumps.[1] They were all trying to send one message¡ªWe¡¯re d you¡¯re back. And thank you. ¡°...¡± Even therge billboards connected to the buildings were ying videos from his past. Seo Jun-Ho started to feel a bit shy and embarrassed; he lowered his head. When he did, they started to cheer again. ¡°...You really are quite famous.¡± Even the Frost Queen was in awe. ¡°Specter-nim, we will escort you inside.¡± The Association yers nked him. Seo Jun-Ho looked back onest time. ¡®...One day, you guys will see this too. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡¯ He made a promise. He would show his friends the same, heartwarming scene. *** ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± When he entered the waiting room, Shim Deok-Gu stood up as if he had been waiting for him. Seo Jun-Ho took off his mask and flopped down on the sofa. ¡°...Is this your doing?¡± ¡°The people? Nah.¡± Shim Deok-Guughed as if he found that ridiculous. ¡°The police estimates that there are about 52,000 people and counting. Do you think I¡¯m the president or something?¡± Even if he was, it would be impossible to gather so many people in such a short time. ¡°How about the billboards?¡± ¡°Ahem. Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± He must have influenced it a bit because he squared his shoulders proudly, but a momentter, he sighed and looked at his friend. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve known you for so long, you have always been unpredictable.¡± A few hours ago, Seo Jun-Ho had sent him a message, telling him to start preparing for a press conference. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not going to announce your cooperation with the Association this time, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°You told me before you went to Rome that Specter will only have a working rtionship with the Association so that we can build connections, rather than working under us.¡± Shim Deok-Gu confirmed. ¡°I did. But I changed my mind.¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and as if he remembered something, he said, ¡°Deok-Gu, do you remember when you came to my hospital room? You said something to me that day.¡± It had already been four months, but it still felt like yesterday. ¡°You told me that the world is peaceful now. That I don¡¯t need to return because our sacrifice had saved the world. That I should live for myself now.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°But after four months of seeing it myself, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho concluded. At the very least, the fiends hadn¡¯t been this bold 25 years ago when he had been active¡ªit was impossible for them to be this brave back then. ¡°Jun-Ho. That¡¯s because of the 5 Heroes. But their effect is irreceable, and now¡­¡± ¡°I know. The fiends I encountered at Paradise were treating me like a has-been.¡± They were no longer scared of him. They hunted him like a trophy to be won. ¡°Jun-Ho.¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face was solemn. ¡°There is nothing more dangerous than the courage of someone who is weak.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Hepletely agreed with what Shim Deok-Gu said. He had seen all too well how things could end if those with no power sought justice. ¡°But I can¡¯t just stand by any longer.¡± ¡°Why are you so¡­¡± ¡°Paradise.¡± Seo Jun-Ho said darkly. ¡°Do you know why it was made? Haha¡ªIt was made to create the 2nd Specter.¡± ¡°...!¡± Shim Deok-Gu was stunned speechless. ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny? They hated me so much...But they sacrificed thousands of children to create a being simr to me.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°I know that. But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that it started because of me.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re gonna take responsibility?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°Yeah. To be honest, I thought that all I needed to do was to get a little stronger and save my friends.¡± But Paradise hadpletely changed his mind. ¡°But after I thought about it, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough when the fiends are working around the clock.¡± The fiends from the past had been different. Before they did something bad, they would always remember Specter¡¯s face. ¡°Specter always shows up at the sinner¡¯s door. All fiends who meet him die.¡± Such a simple phrase had dissuaded crime, and Specter¡¯s simple existence kept people safe. ¡°...But as you said, you can¡¯t take on the same role as before.¡± ¡°I know. If it¡¯s possible, I don¡¯t want to do this either.¡± If there was someone else to carry the burden, he wouldn¡¯t need to do anything. But no one could. ¡°The Nine Heavens and the Rankers...Their levels and stats are higher than mine back then, but they aren¡¯t stepping forward.¡± Rather, no one could step forward. There was no one as powerful or influential as Specter. ¡°They know that the nail that sticks out gets hammered, so they¡¯re wary.¡± After thinking about it for a long time, Seo Jun-Ho realized that he was the only person who could do this. ¡°My skills may not be enough, but my influence is.¡± The moment he opened his mouth, thousands of yers would listen. And he would make it so that fiends would think twice again before theymitted a crime. ¡°Only Specter can destroy the fiends like this, as he did in the past.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was a person. A selfish person. ¡®Specter is aplete entity. It would be a neat little ending if I retired and all that was left of me remained in history books.¡¯ But he refused to take such an easy path. He would use his name and influence to make people vignt of the fiends again. ¡°...You have made a difficult decision. I will remember your courage.¡± The Frost Queen apuded his bravery. It was easy to be a hero if you had nothing to lose. It was much harder to be a hero when you could lose everything. ¡°...¡± After a long while, Shim Deok-Gu spoke again. ¡°...Once you make an announcement, you won¡¯t be able to take it back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already made my decision.¡± ¡°Every time the fiends incite terror, people will be looking for you. And if you don¡¯t appear the moment they want you to, they¡¯ll curse you.¡± The admired and beloved Specter could do all this in an instant. But Seo Jun-Ho had already made up his mind. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°There will be a dozen, a hundred times more fiends that will be hunting for Specter.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Shim Deok-Gu let out a long sigh and scratched the hair that his stylist had spent so long styling. No matter what he said, he couldn¡¯t change Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind. ¡°You¡¯re as stubborn as a mule¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been like this.¡± Whenever Seo Jun-Ho caused a stir, Shim Deok-Gu had always cleaned up after him. As such, Shim Deok-Gu pped his hands together. ¡°Do whatever you want, you bastard. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Raise the volume. As high as you can.¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded. ¡°Even louder than they are now? Things will get pretty noisy.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled. ¡°Turn it up until my voice reaches the 2nd floor.¡± *** The conference room was packed. They had reduced the number of seats to save as much room as possible, but there was still barely any room to breathe. ¡°Is this the power of Specter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just reporters today. Look over there.¡± The reporters gasped when they saw who was sitting near the front. ¡°A-are those Big 6 Vice Masters and Team Leaders?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the heroes of our generation, but to them, he¡¯s their hero. ¡± ¡°Even the heavy-hitter Rankers are here.¡± The reporters were practically drooling. The conference today was like a buffet. No matter who they wrote about, they would be able to create scoops left and right. ¡°What do you think they¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°I dunno...Don¡¯t you think they¡¯ll be talking about something important though? Like global politics.¡± Unlike the reporters, the yers were cool, especially the Big 6 Team Leaders. ¡°Paradise...I came to see Seo Jun-Ho, but I found something even better,¡± muttered Kiora. She was part of the mercenary Guild, Hallem. The Team Leader of the Goblin Guild replied, ¡°Why are you looking for Mr. Snake Head?¡± ¡°Mr. Snake Head? What are you saying, shorty?¡± Gong Ju-Ha wrinkled her nose at the insult. What made her more frustrated was that Kiora¡¯s body was much more mature than hers. She let out a long sigh, trying to contain her anger, then gave a big smile. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so~ close to Mr. Seo Jun-Ho that I identally called him by his nickname. Unlike you, old woman, we¡¯re really close to each other.¡± ¡°Pffft, seeing how he hasn¡¯t joined Goblin yet, I can tell just what exactly is your rtionship with him.¡± ¡°W-what are you saying? Personal rtionships aren¡¯t rted to affiliations.¡± ¡°Wanna bet? I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll be able to convince Seo Jun-Ho to join Hallem today.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s low!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± The four others watched the two fight as they always did. Even though they were from each of the Big 6 Guilds, they were known to meet quite frequently. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that they went easy on each other when it came topetition and Guild affairs. ¡°Pffft, you¡¯re the one that set the bar that low.¡± Kiora chuckled. ¡°Oh, really? I don¡¯t want to hear that from someone who¡¯s always making news for getting into bar fights.¡± Gong Ju-Ha retorted. ¡°Please be mindful of your positions and shut your mouths.¡± ¡°...¡± Unlike what the reporters expected, these people bickered like children, but they knew when to be quiet. ¡°S-Specter-nim and President Shim Deok-Gu will soon be entering. Please settle down now.¡± ¡°...¡± The look in their eyes changed in anticipation. They were about to meet the living legend, Specter. Though, they originally came down to the 1st floor to meet Seo Jun-Ho, not Specter. ¡®The Super Rookie broke the Cave of Trials record.¡¯ ¡®And he did it with only a single D-rank skill¡­¡¯ ¡®If he can get another one, he¡¯ll grow exponentially.¡¯ He was a perfect, S-grade gemstone. But when they came down, Specter had announced his own press conference, and they were no longer ordered to recruit Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Specter is admired all over the world.¡¯ ¡®If he joins a Guild¡­¡¯ ¡®Our influence will shoot up.¡¯ They all had the same goal. ¡®I-I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ll be seeing Specter-nim in person!¡¯ Except, of course, Gong Ju-Ha. The door clicked open as the live broadcast started. Thousands of eyes stared, waiting. ¡°...¡± A man stepped out, radiating an exceptional presence. Specter. 1. A more literally tranted sentence would be ¡°The shouts were so loud that it made his skin tremble,¡± but since it sounds rather odd in English, it was changed a bit. ? Chapter 78. Turn Up the Volume (3)

Chapter 78. Turn Up the Volume (3)

Camera shutters clicked all around the conference room. But considering how many people were there, it was rtively quiet. ¡°...¡± The people were too busy looking at Specter with their own eyes than through the viewfinder of the camera. He was a living legend, a myth, a hero. Some were even moved to tears. ¡®...He looks exactly the same as he did in the past.¡¯ ¡®So he has truly returned.¡¯ ¡®Has he made a full recovery after a few months?¡¯ ¡®I heard that he slew dozens of fiends in Rome. It seems that was true.¡¯ Every step he took exuded confidence, and his powerful charisma was enough to fill the room. His presence alone was enough topletely capture the attention of the thousands of onlookers. ¡°We will now begin the press conference.¡± Shim Deok-Gu took a seat next to him and spoke into the mic. Even in the past, he had acted as a proxy for Specter during press conferences. ¡®He used to just be a low-ranking employee in the Association¡­¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s the President now, but he¡¯s still acting as a proxy?¡¯ ¡®I heard that they were friends since they were young, but they must be closer than I thought.¡¯ One might expect him to feel some level of envy or difort because of his own position, but Shim Deok-Gu didn¡¯t show any of that at all. ¡°We will be taking a few questions.¡± Shim Deok-Gu announced. ¡°Only a few? Isn¡¯t that too little?¡± ¡°There are so many people¡­¡± There were grumbles throughout the room, but ultimately Shim Deok-Gu and Specter were the ones in charge. Even as theyined, they started to raise their hands. Shim Deok-Gu chose the first person he saw. ¡°Hello. I am Lee Shin-Woo, the editor-in-chief of yers magazine. I¡¯ve always admired you, and it¡¯s such an honor to¡­¡± ¡°Just your question, please.¡± Shim Deok-Gu cut in. The editor quickly shifted, afraid of losing the opportunity. ¡°Many people are curious about Specter-nim¡¯s health. Would I be right to assume that he has recovered to a certain extent, seeing how he appeared in public?¡± The editor wanted Specter to answer, but it was Shim Deok-Gu that did. ¡°He has yet to fully recover, but he¡¯s well enough to start warming up again.¡± The reporters started muttering to each other. ¡°One of the fiends that Specter took care of a few hours ago was Torres Milo.¡± ¡°...What? Torres Milo? Is he the same person that I¡¯m thinking of?¡± ¡°Yeah, the one who used to be a yer. Hisst recorded level was 75.¡± ¡°Wait, so Specter took out a level 75 yer along with dozens of others?¡± ¡°And he says that¡¯s just ¡®warming up¡¯...¡± Everyone here knew how amazing Specter was, but none of them had seen him in action with their own eyes. They only knew of his power from written records and recordings from the past. ¡°We¡¯ll take the next question.¡± ¡°...Specter-nim has been in a frozen state for 25 years. Because of this, many conspiracy theories have been circting. Can you prove that you are truly Specter?¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Is he crazy?¡± Even though others criticized the question, they were curious about how Specter would respond. It was true that conspiracy theories about his return had be popr nowadays. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not sure what kind of evidence will suffice...Can you do it?¡± As Shim Deok-Gu turned to him, Specter silently unsheathed his sword and the reporter flinched. It was a simple, standard Association sword, and he ignited it with jet-ck magic. The look in the yers¡¯ eyes changed. ¡®It¡¯s a sword aura. A perfect one, at that.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re telling me that¡¯s the magic of a person who hasn¡¯t fully recovered? At most, he should be around level 80¡­¡¯ ¡®Are the books incorrect? That¡¯s...That could stand a chance against Kim Woo-Joong.¡¯ ¡®Fuck! His magic loss rate seems lower than mine. What were his circuits like 25 years ago?¡¯ The sword aura looked strong as fire but at the same time, it was as tranquil as ake. The jet-ck energy that seemed like it could ruthlessly cut down any enemy flowed slowly and consistently. His magic was perfectly andpletely under his control. The audience mistakenly thought that his skills were rustier than they were 25 years ago. But now, they wondered; just what exactly was his sword aura like back then? The Big 6 Team Leaders swallowed hard. He was showing that he was, without a doubt, the real Specter. ¡°...Thank you for your response.¡± The reporter who had brought up a hot topic bowed deeply and sat back down. Specter casually sheathed his sword, and the conference continued. ¡°Since Specter-nim has awakened from the ice, does that mean that the other four could awaken as well?¡± ¡°...No one knows. He doesn¡¯t even know how he broke away from the ice himself.¡± Shim Deok-Gu gave the answer that Seo Jun-Ho had told him to give. Who knew what the fiends would do if it became known that he could save his friends? They took a few more questions. He answered the ones he had been expecting, and most of the issues were settled by then. ¡°Now, we will be receiving questions from the yers.¡± Shim Deok-Gu announced. The yers¡¯ hands shot up in the air. The first one that was chosen was Hallem Guild¡¯s Kiora. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you. My question is something of personal interest...Did you know that the Cave of Trials record was broken a while ago?¡± Shim Deok-Gu turned to Seo Jun-Ho and whispered in his ear. ¡°It was a yer named Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?¡± Shim Deok-Gu nodded and responded for Specter. ¡°I am aware.¡± ¡°This is my question. Can you tell us your thoughts on the matter and your opinion on Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Um, I don¡¯t have much to say on that¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked at Seo Jun-Ho. He couldn¡¯t see his expression because of the mask, but he calmly held out his hand. He was asking for the mic. ¡®Finally¡­!¡¯ ¡®This is the first time we¡¯re hearing Specter¡¯s voice in 25 years.¡¯ ¡®Where¡¯s the volume button?¡¯ The reporters quickly adjusted the EQ on their mics to get a clear recording. ¡°...First of all.¡± His soothing voice resonated through the speakers. The audience had only ever heard his voice in old, broken-up recordings, and they were impressed. ¡®So this is what Specter¡¯s voice sounds like.¡¯ ¡®He has a nice voice. He could be a voice actor.¡¯ ¡®I bet he''s handsome too.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho paused, and the audience nodded in understanding. ¡®His feelings must beplicated.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s probably frustrated. He just woke up after a 25-year slumber with his records broken¡­¡¯ But Seo Jun-Ho was thinking about something else. ¡®Mm, how should I portray myself.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be good to look down on himself, but too much praise would garner the attention of the fiends. He decided to keep it simple. ¡°I ran into him a few days ago at the Association.¡± ¡°Oohh¡­¡± ¡°The top yer of the past and the top yer of the present¡­¡± ¡°What is he gonna say?¡± ¡°M-Mr. Snake Head never mentioned that to me...Oh, right, we didn¡¯t exchange contacts.¡± Kiora pressed him. ¡°What did you think?¡± ¡°It made me think of a crouching stance.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°As I thought, he thinks the same way.¡± The yers nodded. He was referring to a crouching start that track athletes went into before they started a race. ¡®So it¡¯s the beginning of a race¡­¡¯ ¡®Considering Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s potential, he¡¯s going to grow exponentially if he ever gets his hands on a skill book.¡¯ ¡®What an apt description.¡¯ The reporters closely observed Spector as he casuallyplimented his hubae. ¡®He¡¯s praising his hubae so casually even though he broke his record¡­¡¯ ¡®Specter truly is as dignified as they say.¡® ¡®If I were him, I wouldn¡¯t be able to praise him so easily.¡¯ He unintentionally caused a misunderstanding, but the press conference continued on to the next question. ¡°I am Benjamin of Labyrinth. Is there a Guild that you are interested in joining?¡± ¡°No. However, I will be maintaining a close rtionship with the Association for a while.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The reporters in the back were in an uproar, but the Big 6 yers nodded coolly. If he wouldn¡¯t join their own Guilds, it was good enough that he didn¡¯t join anyone else¡¯s Guild. ¡°I am Gong Ju-Ha of the Goblin Guild. Hehe, I¡¯m a big fan¡­¡± ¡°...I see,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said begrudgingly. He knew all too well. Every time they met, she would try to preach to him with his own words. ¡°I¡¯ve been deeply interested in the Rome incident. Many people expected you to retire...Aha, I was wondering if this meant that you¡¯re returning to the field. That is what I wanted to ask.¡± It was the question he had been waiting for. ¡°I wanted to retire,¡± he said in a low voice. People listened closely, and they noticed the change in his tone. Seo Jun-Ho looked at Shim Deok-Gu as he spoke. ¡°When I woke up, my friend here told me something. He told me that the sacrifice myrades and I had made turned the world into a peaceful ce. He told me that the world was much better than before.¡± The audience nodded in agreement. The death rates in each country were reaching an all-time low, and the economy was booming. ¡°But after witnessing the tragedy in Paradise, I no longer think that I can retire.¡± He stood up from his seat. ¡°In 24 years, close to 6,000 children were kidnapped by fiends. Most of them died.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°That many¡­?¡± ¡°So no one knew about it?¡± ¡°Of course not. No one cares about the 1st floor anymore.¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t mask the rage in his voice. ¡°Myrades and I trusted the world. We were sure that the fiends would never return again. But that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡± ¡°...¡± The yers were silent. They couldn¡¯t deny his usations. It was true that once a yer reached the 2nd floor, they stopped caring about the 1st floor. ¡°This could have been prevented. If yers, Guilds, and Associations had joined hands, this would not have happened.¡± But they were all too focused on the new resources,nd, and monsters on the 2nd floor. ¡°The present is a result of the past and the cause of the future.¡± This happened because of yourcency and greed¡ªthis was what Specter was telling them. ¡°Therefore, I cannot retire.¡± How could he retire when they caused such a mess? The yers¡¯ reactions were divided. They either bowed their heads in shame or narrowed their eyes in displeasure. But Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t care how they reacted. He would walk the path that he had chosen for himself. ¡°I have one more thing to say about this.¡± He turned to the hundreds of cameras that were pointing at him. The press conference was being live-streamed all around the world. The staff was worried that he would cause a scene, but Shim Deok-Gu signaled them to stand by. ¡®This bastard¡­¡¯ He had always been like this. Once he got started, he would say what he wanted to the end. ¡°This is for the fiends.¡± Specter did not emanate any magic, but his presence alone was overwhelming. The people in the conference room swallowed nervously. ¡°I have returned.¡± He didn¡¯t shout or scream in anger. But his cold, quiet warning made people shiver. ¡®What? He should only be around level 80. My level should definitely be higher¡­¡¯ ¡®I got chills¡­ I almost unsheathed my sword without noticing.¡¯ ¡®The poor fiends. They¡¯ve provoked Specter¡¯s anger.¡¯ The strongest yer had returned after 25 years. At that moment, the reporters unanimously decided what tomorrow¡¯s front page would be. Chapter 79. Proposal (1)

Chapter 79. Proposal (1)

[Legendary hero Specter shows off his powerful charisma. ¡®I have returned¡¯] [Fiends tremble in fear! Specter deres war on criminals.] [The king has returned after 25 years, but how are his skills? A detailed analysis of Specter.] [5 minutes of silence. As Specter said, Guilds, Associations, and yers must reflect.] [Seo Jun-Ho, the rookie who received high praise from Specter.] ¡°Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Hoy on his bed, scratching his stomach as he read over the news. He was looking through all thements. -Can Specter really do it? There are tons of fiends over level 100. ©ºWhat¡¯re you worried about? He can mop them up in his free time. ©ºFree time? lmaoooo all i see is a boomer tryna act tough -Idk about anything else, but i was surprised at how perfect his sword aura was ©ºso true. I wonder how his magic circuits were preserved;; specter is specter after all. ©ºReally? Aren¡¯t sword auras all the same? ©ºThis is why you¡¯re not a Ranker. -Specter was amazing and all, but that¡¯s all in the past. Aren¡¯t there a lot of kids who don¡¯t know him these days? ©ºNah. They teach about the 5 Heroes in elementary school. ©ºim 10 and all my ssmates know about specter ¡°Pffft.¡± Onlinements didn¡¯t fully reflect the public¡¯s opinion, but he could still get a sense of what most people thought by reading them. ¡®They¡¯re d I¡¯m back, but they think I went too far.¡¯ The people were riled up by his announcements, but once their excitement settled, they started to worry that the fiends would start to harm them in retaliation. ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯d be quiet if I didn¡¯t say that.¡± As he closed the window, the Frost Queen snuck up on him. ¡°Contractor! Contractor!¡± ¡°...Ah, geez.¡± He grumbled as he stepped out to the living room, where she was hugging a remote that was as big and as tall as her. ¡°I have finished season 1. Turn on season 2.¡± ¡°...¡± It was his fault for introducing her to dramas yesterday. She stayed up all night watching them. Seo Jun-Ho sighed and spoke. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll show you how to use the remote so do it yourself. Stop waking me up to change it.¡± ¡°I do not know of such things.¡± She turned her head coyly and held out the remote. ¡°And, prepare some tea. My throat is dry.¡± ¡°Am I your servant?¡± ¡°Contractor, please~!¡± The only thing she learned from watching dramas was how to act all cute and innocent. Seo Jun-Ho turned on season 2 and headed to the kitchen. He poured soda into arge cup. ¡°Here, this is tea that modern humans drink.¡± ¡°Hmph, it does not have a refreshing aroma.¡± She sipped her straw unknowingly, and Seo Jun-Ho waited. ¡°Eek!¡± It was the reaction he was looking for. She jumped up from the sofa and pointed at the cup. ¡°C-Contractor! The beverage has attacked me!¡± When Seo Jun-Ho doubled over inughter, she sputtered. ¡°Do notugh! It¡¯s the truth! My mouth still stings!¡± He grabbed the cup and gulped down the soda. ¡°This is called a carbonated drink.¡± ¡°...Carbon?¡± ¡°Aigo, I meant to pour this for myself. I¡¯ll make you a new cup.¡± ¡°...!¡± The Frost Queen finally realized that she had been tricked and stomped across the sofa. She was still mad when he brought over her favorite flower tea. ¡°I will not forget this humiliation¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to watch season 3?¡± ¡°...Hm. Forgiveness is a virtue of a monarch. I shall forget this transgression.¡± She turned away sheepishly and focused on her drama. ¡®Frost Queen. You can no longer order me around.¡¯ The weapons he could use against her were increasing every day. Feeling victorious, Seo Jun-Ho stepped out of the house. ¡°Let¡¯s warm up a bit.¡± There were rumors going around the Association that said he was addicted to training, but he still headed to the hall. ¡®Thanks to the fiends at Paradise, I reached level 29, and my magic stat has also increased quite a bit¡­¡¯ He should be able to start using his old techniques again. As such, he nned to test them out today. But as he entered the elevator, his Vita rang. ¡°Hm?¡± It was a message from Shim Deok-Gu. [Hey Jun-Ho, there are people who want to recruit you.] [Can¡¯t you send them back?] [They¡¯re bigwigs from the Big 6. If you refuse them outright, things will get noisy.] ¡®Big 6¡­¡¯ He understood why Shim Deok-Gu had gone through the trouble of sending a text message. If they were guests from the Big 6, he couldn¡¯t turn them back like he usually did to others. ¡®And he said they were bigwigs.¡¯ The plural meant it wasn¡¯t just one person. Seo Jun-Ho recalled the faces he had seen at the press conference. ¡®Gong Ju-Ha was definitely there.¡¯ There had been five others sitting next to her¡ªthe Team Leaders of each Big 6 Guild. Seo Jun-Ho sensed that they hade to see him yesterday as well. ¡®Ah, so that¡¯s how they came here so quickly¡­¡¯ He had told Shim Deok-Gu to announce the press conference only a few hours before it started. No matter how quickly the Big 6 moved, they wouldn¡¯t be able to send down someone from the 2nd floor within that time. ¡®It would take at least a day.¡¯ As such, their presence at the press conference surprised him. He became even more sure of it after seeing the text. ¡®Their goal was never to see Specter.¡¯ It was to see Seo Jun-Ho. There was no doubt that they hade to recruit him after his stock price had soared. [This is an awkward situation.] [Can¡¯t you just reject them all? What¡¯re they gonna do if I just say that I like the Association?] [Some of them are the type of people to break something if they can¡¯t have it.] [Ah.] Seo Jun-Ho nodded. Those people had always existed. He thought for a second and sent a reply. [I have a good idea, so leave it to me. Get an empty meeting room and lead them there.] [What? You¡¯re going to meet them all at once? What the hell are you going to do?] [I¡¯m going to do what I¡¯m best at.] Seo Jun-Ho pressed ¡®send¡¯ and turned around; there was a smile on his face. *** ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The silence was even heavier than the day before. Kiora had a venomous smile on her face. ¡°That¡¯s weird. I requested a private meeting with Seo Jun-Ho...Why are you guys here?¡± She said, scanning the others. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have anything to worry about.¡± ¡°What are you so confident about?¡± Gong Ju-Ha cut in. ¡°There¡¯s not a single member of Hallem that has received a noble title on the 2nd floor.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t care about titles or territory. That¡¯s why we have more members, connections, and information.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let that go.¡± Heo Jun-Su, the 3rd Team Leader of Virtuous Moon, spoke as he adjusted his sses. ¡°We have a Count and two Barons. Do you really think that a mere mercenary guild can defeat us in terms of connections and information? I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°...What did you just say? ¡®Mere mercenary guild¡¯?¡± Kiora stood up from her seat, charging her magic. Heo Jun-Su did the same. The shing energy between them was about to explode. ck. ¡°Aigo~ Sorry I made you wait.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled as he entered the room. He sat at the head of the table. ¡°Gee, why are you two standing? Have a seat.¡± ¡°...¡± They couldn¡¯t create a bad image in front of the person they were trying to recruit. Kiora and Heo Jun-Su cut off their magic and sat down. Seo Jun-Ho looked over the six people and ced a voice recorder on the table. ¡°First of all, I want to record the contents of today¡¯s meeting. Is anyone against it?¡± ¡°...¡± They exchanged nces. Rankers disliked being recorded, and none of them would have allowed it had it been a private meeting. However, none of them wanted to be the first to speak up. If they had been given more time though, they would have collectively refused. ¡°Ah, thank you for giving me permission.¡± Silence meantpliance. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t miss his chance. He quickly[1] turned on the voice recorder and started to speak. ¡°Now, then...Why have the honorable Team Leaderse to find me?¡± Kiora was the first to speak. She smiled seductively as she spoke. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s to recruit the man that broke the record in the Cave of Trials.¡± ¡°...Anyone else?¡± ¡°We¡¯re all here for the same reason.¡± The Team Leaders nodded. Seo Jun-Ho seemed embarrassed. ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t do that. I have my own circumstances¡­¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s because of the contract fee, right? The Hallem Guild is willing to pay for it.¡± ¡°Stop acting all big. Everyone here ns to do that.¡± Heo Jun-Su snorted. Kiora smiled tightly. ¡°You! Keep insulting me¡­ I dare you to keep going.¡± ¡°You think I won¡¯t?¡± The air in the room soured again, but Seo Jun-Ho banged on the table. ¡°Excuse me. If you two are gonna fight, please fight outside because you¡¯re distracting.¡± ¡°...?¡± The other Team Leaders held back theirughter, but Kiora and Heo Jun-Su narrowed their eyes. Even if they were trying to recruit him, they were High Rankers and Team Leaders of the Big 6. Seo Jun-Ho was a mere newbie, and his arrogance hurt their pride. ¡°Haaa, this is why I didn¡¯t want to negotiate with a newbie. They think they¡¯re all that.¡± ¡°...You should show me respect, as I have done to you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smirked in amusement. ¡°Respect? Do people consider dogfights respectful?¡± ¡°...Dogfights? Ha. Are you saying that to me?¡± ¡°Seo Jun-Ho-ssi. Do not keep crossing the line.¡± Kiora and Heo Jun-Su seemed ready to fight him, and the entire room was tense. Gong Ju-Ha kept fidgeting and signaling at him to stop. But Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t avoid their gazes and pointed firmly to the door.[2] ¡°Yes. If you don¡¯t like it, please leave. I don¡¯t want to give this opportunity to rude people.¡± ¡°...Opportunity?¡± Kiora¡¯s face darkened. They were the ones that were giving him the chance to join the Big 6. It was the biggest opportunity that a 1st floor yer could get. ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something here. The one giving the opportunity isn¡¯t you¡­¡± Thunk. Seo Jun-Ho silently ced a sheathed sword on the table. They looked at it, wondering what it was. But as they came to the realization, the Team Leaders¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°Wait. That sword¡­¡± ¡°Is that the Demon-Beheading Sword?¡± It was the sword that Specter had brought to the Gate in Antarctica. Kwon Noya had spent a month hammering it out, and it was one of his most famous weapons. ¡°You all participated in the press conference, so you should know what¡¯s going on...Specter-nim dered war on the fiends. He is gathering forces to join him when he goes up to the 2nd floor once he recoverspletely. He has appointed me as a scout to find such people.¡± ¡°...!¡± Their eyes popped. Fighting with Specter was the greatest honor one could receive. Not only that but his targets were fiends, a universal representation of evil. They would be fighting ¡®for the sake of justice.¡¯ The Team Leaders quickly did the calctions in their heads. ¡®I did get the feeling that Specter thought highly of Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ ¡®I see¡­ they have a close enough rtionship that Specter feltfortable appointing him as a scout.¡¯ ¡®When Specter defeats the fiends, perhaps he¡¯ll mention that our Guild helped him¡­?¡¯ ¡®The effect will be iparable. The amount of exposure won¡¯t evenpare to the promotions and advertisements we spend astronomical amounts on.¡¯ In this day and age, Specter was the best guaranteed ticket to sess. The six Team Leaders knew that they couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity. Kiora and Heo Jun-Su immediately sat down. ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯m sorry for showing you something unseemly.¡± ¡°My apologies. This will not happen again.¡± They shook nervously. If they had missed the opportunity to work with Specter because of a spur-of-the-moment decision, they would never hear the end of it from their Guilds. They gulped hard. It wasn¡¯t just the two of them though. All six Team Leaders sat on the edge. They were no longer the ones in control of the board. ¡°Now, then¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho put on airs as he spoke. ¡°I will tell you Specter-nim¡¯s terms.¡± He was the best at this¡ªpower-tripping. 1. The original Korean idiom here was ???? ?? ????. I¡¯ve tranted the meaning of it rather than directly tranting it because it would be ¡®roasting beans in lightning.¡¯ ? 2. In Korea, it¡¯s considered rude to make eye contact with someone in a higher position than you. ? Chapter 80. Proposal (2)

Chapter 80. Proposal (2)

¡°There are only three conditions.¡± The six Team Leaders listened closely. ¡°First. The representative will be affiliated with the Association so as not to be biased toward any particr Guild.¡± ¡°Second, the participating Guilds will be dispatched to areas on the 2nd floor where they have a high amount of influence and are able to gather an adequate amount of information.¡± ¡°Third, the participating Guilds will hand over the full extent of information that Specter requests without concealing anything.¡± That was it for Specter¡¯s conditions. The rest would be rewards for beingpliant. ¡°Once Specter receives the information that he requests, he will publicly acknowledge the affiliated Guild¡¯s contribution.¡± The Team Leaders fell deep into thought as they listened. ¡®The contract isn¡¯tplicated.¡¯ ¡®Specter is saying that he will give us legitimacy¡­¡¯ ¡®...In exchange for information.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s too good at this. He¡¯s experienced.¡® They were silent. They had finally realized what Specter was doing. Inst night¡¯s press conference, he had heavily criticized the yers and Guilds. It had only been a day, but most people already agreed with him. ¡®People are mad at the Guilds for keeping their bellies full instead of keeping the fiends in check.¡¯ ¡®Once a controversy like this begins, it goes on for a while.¡® ¡®And the Big 6 will be affected the most as a symbol of the Guilds.¡¯ ¡®He nted the poison and is now offering us the antidote¡­ In the end, he¡¯s the one that¡¯ll profit the most.¡® Specter¡¯s perfect n gave them goosebumps. If one Guild refused his offer, they would be the only one with a negative image. But with their constant state ofpetition, they wouldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡®Damn. I thought that Specter was naive like Kim Woo-Joong¡­¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s good at this. Considering his level of skill and influence¡­ He¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ The Team Leaders all made the same decision. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think that this is something that we can decide on our own.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to discuss this with the Guildmaster.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. This wasn¡¯t something that a mere Team Leader could sign off on. ¡°I look forward to your responses. I have another appointment, so I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± The Team Leaders could do nothing but watch as he casually strutted out of the conference room. When he left, Heo Junsu let out a long sigh. ¡°So much for all our ns.¡±[1] ¡°As long as Specter keeps Seo Jun-Ho as his representative, no one can recruit him.¡± ¡°...Does that mean that Seo Jun-Ho has as much potential as one of the 5 Heroes?¡± ¡°With the way things are unfolding, it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°We already know that Specter-nim has a good eye for people.¡± ¡°The gunslinger, you mean?¡± It was a famous story. Gilberto Green only had D-rank skills.[2]While others brushed him aside, Specter was the only one that had seen his potential. This was why Seo Jun-Ho had piqued their interest even more. ¡°I want him even more now, knowing that Specter has acknowledged him¡­¡± Kiora muttered, her eyes sparkling. Gong Ju-Ha snorted. ¡°There¡¯s no use talking like that. He has rejected all of us.¡± ¡°.....¡± No one could deny that. *** ¡°Mr. Snake Head!¡± ¡°Mr. Snake Headdd!¡± Seo Jun-Ho stopped and turned around. It was a voice he had heard often in Las Vegas. ¡°Team Leader Gong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, ehe.¡± She seemed a little embarrassed, but she congratted him first. ¡°You acted really cool when we parted ways¡­ But this isn¡¯t how I expected us to meet again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Didn¡¯t we agree to meet on the 2nd floor?¡± ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d aplish something so amazing. I bet you¡¯ve been getting a lot of love calls from Guilds.¡± ¡°Well, yes.¡± As soon as the news of him breaking the Cave of Trial¡¯s records spread, he started to receive tons of calls. ¡®I didn¡¯t even know that there were that many Guilds.¡¯ Thanks to that, Cha Si-Eun had gotten a lot busier. He instructed her to reject all offers from Guilds that weren¡¯t part of the Big 6. ¡°I¡¯ve been quite busytely because of it.¡± ¡°Wow, I see.¡± Gong Ju-Ha stared at him expectantly. Mistaking her gaze for something else, Seo Jun-Ho hastily stopped her. ¡°If you¡¯re expecting special treatment because of our personal rtionship¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no! It¡¯s not like that! I wouldn¡¯t want it even if you offered!¡± She quickly shook her head and cleared her throat loudly. ¡°...I was just wondering if you¡¯re close to Specter-nim.¡± ¡°Close? It¡¯s just a business rtionship.¡± ¡°Have you met him in person?¡± ¡°You saw him yesterday, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Not like that, I¡¯m asking if you¡¯ve met him privately.¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment. He saw him every day in the mirror when he brushed his teeth and washed his face, so he supposed he did see him a lot. ¡°Yes, I have.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± She reached into her pocket and pulled out a book. ¡°By any chance, can you get his autograph for me the next time you see him?¡± She looked like a puppy wagging its tail, begging to be fed. He couldn¡¯t refuse. ¡°...I¡¯ll ask him..¡± ¡°Really?! Okay!¡± Her face brightened as she gave a very detailed request. ¡°Please tell him to write ¡®To my precious fan Ju-Ha.¡¯ With a heart, if possible.¡± ¡°Do you think he¡¯d do something so cringey?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re the one that¡¯s writing it! But if Specter-nim doesn¡¯t want to, it can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± She wilted a bit. Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯ll ask. He¡­ Well, I suppose it will depend on how he feels that day.¡± ¡°Yes yes, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± With her missionplete, she started to study Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You¡¯ve grown a lot in thest two months that it¡¯s scary, Mr. Snake Head.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I feel terrible that I couldn¡¯t recruit you back then.¡± ¡°I think it''s a little too early to say that¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s apliment. You haven¡¯t forgotten our bet, have you?¡± ¡°I still have four months left. I¡¯ll go up to the 2nd floor within that time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a present in exchange for the autograph then.¡± She waved and started down the opposite direction of the hallway. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you for the autograph! Tell him I¡¯ll make it my family heirloom!¡± ¡°...You like him that much?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the book that she gave him and chuckled. [Great Figures of Korea - Specter] ¡°She really is obsessed.¡± The book had been published 26 years ago when he was still active as Specter. *** Seo Jun-Ho arrived at the training room and changed into light workout clothes. Before he began, he checked his status window as he stretched. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 29 Title: Bringer of Spring (2 more) Strength: 96 Stamina: 112 Agility: 100Magic: 143 He had a total of three titles including Helper of Ascension and Limit Breaker. The status window only disyed the first one to make it easier to read. ¡®And if I equip ck Armor on top of all this¡­¡¯ His stats would be insanely high. He even wondered if he could match the stats from when he was level 60 with his current level. ¡®But even if it gets that high¡­¡¯ He still wouldn¡¯t be the unstoppable force he was in the past. This was just the beginning. Once he reached the 2nd floor, Seo Jun-Ho would truly be a rookie. That was why he was using his fame to use the Big 6¡¯s resources to gather information. ¡®I¡¯m investing in the Association, but we¡¯ll need time to increase their influence and ability to gather information.¡¯ It was already publicly known that humanity had dominated up to the 2nd floor. But that didn¡¯t mean that every nook and cranny of the 2nd floor had been explored. ¡®I heard that there are a lot of uncovered areas.¡¯ And the yers who had been to the 3rd floor were only a minority. Just as the 2nd floor required you to reach level 30, the 3rd floor had its own requirements. ¡®Until the Association creates a better informationwork, I¡¯ll use the Big 6 to help them grow.¡¯ He didn¡¯t feel guilty for using them. It wasn¡¯t like he was using them for free. In addition, he wasn¡¯t someone who would give them a bad image. ¡°Now, then¡­¡± He pulled on the gloves that were in the corner of the training room. It was the same item he had used while taking the licensure examination, and it let him touch holograms. ¡°Is this how you use it?¡± He connected to the training room¡¯s system and pressed a few buttons. A human-shaped sandbag hologram appeared in the center of the room. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Seo Jun-Honded a straight punch without magic. Bang! The impact reverberated, and the sandbag turned red. To the left of where the head should be, words appeared right away. [Congrattions! 9,523 points!] [An outstanding destructive force!!] ¡°This reminds me of the punch machines they used to have in old arcades.¡± He slowly unraveled his magic, his arms overflowed with power. ¡°Hup!¡± His fist struck the head again with a violent force. Boom! The sound was much louder than before, and the numbers rose. [Congrattions! 101,518 points!] [A score that¡¯s unattainable without magic! You¡¯re a yer, aren¡¯t you?] ¡°Phew¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho let his magic scatter when he saw the score. The punch was more than 10 times more destructive than before. This was the technique he had been using this whole time. He would charge his strikes with magic at certain moments. It allocated magic to a very fine degree, so it was a magic-efficient technique. He often used this technique back then as Specter, when he didn¡¯t have as much magic as he had now. ¡®But there¡¯s a downside to it.¡¯ There was a slight dy when he summoned his magic, and it wasn¡¯t as powerful. ¡®It¡¯s a given. I made the technique to optimize the use of my limited magic.¡¯ So he created another technique to make up for its weaknesses. ¡®Skaya helped me a lot with it.¡¯ They had put their heads together. It was a useless skill if youcked control, focus, or mental willpower. ¡®Booster.¡¯ His circuits started to burn like wildfire, circting throughout his body at high speed. Onep, two, three¡­ His magic didn¡¯t know how to stop. It kept going. ¡°Keuk¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho groaned. His body temperature rose, and he started to drip cold sweat. His magic was circting 13 times faster than usual. This was why he needed fine control, focus, and mental willpower. ¡®The only downside to this skill is that it consumes a lot of magic¡­¡¯ And it made you hot. It would''ve been a wless support skill if it weren¡¯t for those two things. In addition, it only served a single purpose¡ªto strengthen the entire body. When Seo Jun-Ho used this technique, he became a superhuman. No enemy had ever defeated him in this state. ¡°Well, it¡¯s been 25 years since then, so there are probably a lot of people now who can use a simr technique.¡± His body overflowed with power. Seo Jun-Ho tapped on the settings and summoned a full-body mirror. Vigor spilled from his body, and his eyes sparkled like stars. ¡®I¡¯ll have to be careful when using this.¡¯ The person in the mirror was no longer the simple-minded Seo Jun-Ho he had been masquerading as. He had be a dangerous, powerful man. Seo Jun-Ho turned to the hologram sandbag. ¡°I wonder how high the score will be this time.¡± His body flew forward like a ray of light, and his fist made the head explode. The entire quality of the sound was different. It was like the roar of a bomb. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s lip curled when he read the words that appeared. [Congrattions! 215,748 points!] [Are you a Ranker in the Frontier?] In his Booster state, his magic output shot up. Although he had used the same amount of magic as the earlier punch, the destructive force was twice as powerful. Of course, the aftermath was also strong. ¡°Ack, I won¡¯t be able to use this for long.¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly released his magic before his body became even hotter. In the blink of an eye, his body had be as hot as aputer that had been running for a long time without a proper cooler. ¡®I think it¡¯ll take about¡­ One week to tame this technique.¡¯ ¡°If I can pull in the reins of Booster, I¡¯ll go to the Winter Castle.¡± And if things went as expected, it would be thest Gate he would clear on the 1st floor. 1. The Korean idiom used here was ? ?? ?? ?? ???? which is directly tranted to being in the same position as a dog chasing a chicken. It is an idiom in which a dog chases a chicken and just as the dog¡¯s about to catch it, the chicken flies up to the roof and the dog¡¯s left staring at his escaped prey. All the hard work and nothinging out of it. ? 2. It may be a single skill. It¡¯s not rified. ? Chapter 81. Winter Castle (1)

Chapter 81. Winter Castle (1)

¡°Ready!¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked up as the Frost Queen raised her ice g. He was watching the timer. It counted down from 10 and when it read ¡®start,¡¯ an overwhelming force started to radiate from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body. It had been a week since he started, and he could now activate Booster in the blink of an eye. Smash! His foot connected with the abdomen of a sandbag on the opposite side of the room. ¡®Let¡¯s start by dealing with this one¡­¡® His opponents started to fire back. Seo Jun-Ho spun around and crouched down. Phew, phew, phew Dozens ofsers grazed past his head, shot by the hologram sandbags. ¡®If I stay still for too long, my circuits will get clogged.¡¯ He quickly kicked off the wall, dodging the volley ofsers as he tore off the heads of two sandbags with each hand. ¡®AI technology has gotten a lot more advanced.¡¯ Every time he repeated the drill, the sandbags got smarter. ¡°yers these days don¡¯t know how lucky they are. It¡¯s so much easier to train. Back in my day¡­¡± ¡°Contractor! Stop talking like an old man and concentrate!¡± ¡°...I know,¡± he grumbled. His body started to get hotter. He shot across the training room like a ray of light. The sandbags were set to level 100. They were designed for 2nd-floor yers, but they couldn¡¯tnd a scratch on Seo Jun-Ho. Boom! Crack! Crunch! The sound of exploding sandbags filled the room. ¡°Keuk¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face was more serious than usual as he directed his body. ¡®When I use Booster, I really have to focus.¡¯ It was a support spell that strengthened his entire body. If he got distracted for even a moment, his body would be a bullet in the wall. Booster¡¯s special trait was its extreme strength and speed that not even the user could quite control. ¡®Just because your body gets faster doesn¡¯t mean your brain does.¡¯ Those who used Booster had to be smart. If you thought about what you were going to do after you flung your body forward, it would be far toote. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­¡¯ Dozens of sandbags were shootingsers at him, firing in a straight line. ¡®It would be best to start over there.¡¯ He made the decision in a split second. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body radiated heat like a steam engine. As he leaped off the ground, the world around him stretched like taffy. It was like he was looking out the window of a fast-driving car. ¡®It has be a familiar sight.¡¯ After all, he had been training in this room for a week now. He also had all the memories and experiences of using this technique when he was Specter. Boom! It was useless to simply be fast. Seo Jun-Ho used his speed to destroy the sandbags. Just as the burning heat started to permeate through the room, it was over. ¡°Phew.¡± He looked down at the 100th sandbag, which he had split in half. ¡°That took around 28 seconds...Frost, what¡¯s my temperature?¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± She turned the device to face Seo Jun-Ho. It was a little smaller than her body. Beep¡ª ¡°38.9 degrees...That is dangerous.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue. He let the magic running around his circuits disperse before he let himself copse to the ground. Sizzle. As he covered his body with ice, his body temperature started to fall. ¡°I have enough magic, but my body can¡¯t handle it.¡± His current magic stat was 143. It was at the same level as 2nd-floor yers. The only problem was the way Booster overheated his body. ¡®The human body is designed to function best at 37.5 degrees or less.¡¯ It couldn¡¯t fall below 36 or go above 37.5. If it went even slightly above or below, it would break. ¡°Ugh. Even yers can¡¯t do anything about the way they are designed.¡± The longer he used Booster, the hotter his body got. And once it reached 39.5 degrees, the brain would start to overload. ¡°If I can just figure this out, I could use Booster for 5 minutes, not 30 seconds¡­¡± ¡°That is why I gave you a hint. I told you to use the Frost Skill to lower your body''s temperature.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already tried it a few times,¡± Seo Jun-Hoined. Booster was already a hard enough skill when he tried to bnce its threeponents. ¡°If I add the Frost Skill to the mix, I¡¯ll consume more magic and the technique will be moreplicated. It¡¯s not very efficient either.¡± He had already experimented with it a few times, but they all ended up in failure. He had tried using the Frost Skill to cover his body in ice, but it didn¡¯t help with the heat. ¡°The heat it generates is no joke. Even if I cover myself in ice, it quickly melts.¡± It would also lower his focus and fine magic control, so he could easily run himself into walls. ¡°I¡¯ll need a few months at the very least if I want to incorporate it into realbat.¡± ¡°Hm. Is that what you believe?¡± The Frost Queen said cheekily. Seo Jun-Ho frowned. ¡°...You know, something, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course. But I will not tell you.¡± She had always been stubborn about these things. ¡°Indeed, I expect you to be able to master this yourself as my Contractor.¡± ¡°...I won¡¯t ask. You¡¯re too much.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed. ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can do. Even when I was Specter, I couldn¡¯t even use it for longer than 10 minutes¡­¡¯ He had used artifacts and the likes to keep his body temperature low, but they had strict restrictions, so he couldn¡¯t use them at the moment. ¡°Are you done watching your drama?¡± ¡°I watched everything up to season 8. I¡¯m looking for a new drama to watch.¡± ¡°Before you do that, we need to get to work.¡± The week of training ended after he achieved his goal. He had honed Booster to a point where he could use it in a real battle. If he trained any longer, it would only dull his instincts. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t linger and sent a text to Cha Si-Eun. [Secretary Cha, please find a teleporter who¡¯s on duty.] [A teleporter? Are you going somewhere?] [Yes.] [Where are you going, and when? I¡¯ll look into it.] [I¡¯m going to Antarctica tomorrow.] Only two months after he cleared the Wild Forest, he was about to enter another Gate. *** ¡°Brrr...I-it¡¯s cold.¡± The teleporter had foolishly decided to wear only a single coat. His entire body trembled, and white vapor came out of his mouth as he spoke. ¡°What did I say? I told you that you¡¯d need a winter jacket.¡± ¡°I-I-I¡¯m only here to transport you, so I¡¯ll be leaving¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t even breathe properly because his lungs stung from the cold. ¡°T-Then, yer Seo Jun-Ho...I wish you luck in y-your conquest...¡± ¡°I get it, so go back already. You¡¯ll get sick.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at him pitifully and waved at him to leave. The teleporter didn¡¯t look back as he activated his magic and disappeared. ¡°He is a weak man. This is the perfect weather to have a pic.¡± ¡°Sorry, but there¡¯s no one in the right mind on Earth who¡¯d go for a pic in this weather.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tightly zipped up his bulky down jacket. He had even put on a mask and goggles. He had developed a little resistance to the cold thanks to his Frost skill, but Antarctica¡¯s climate couldn¡¯t be handled with just a little resistance. On the other hand, the Frost Queen was looking around like she had returned to her homnd. ¡°Over there! That is where the Gate is.¡± Just as she said, there was a blue portal on a snowy hill in the vast whiteness. Seo Jun-Ho started to walk over there. ¡°At least there¡¯s one good thing thates out of the cold,¡± he muttered. He liked that there weren¡¯t any annoying reporters in front of the Gate. ¡°Gate information.¡± [Winter Castle] Entry requirement: Level 80 or lower Party cap: 30 Clear requirement: Defeat the Lord of the Winter Castle Difficulty: Brutal ¡°So this is one of those three Uncleared Gates.¡± Every 1st and 2nd floor yer had failed to clear the Gate, and it had been granted a single star. ¡°Contractor. Do you need time to prepare yourself?¡± ¡°Nah. I did that when I washed my face this morning.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stepped into the Gate without hesitation. No one was there to watch the world-famous rookie step into the snowy Gate. Wooooshhh! As soon as he entered, his face stung from the bitter cold. ¡°...It is a pleasant northern wind.¡± ¡°What? It blows from the north?¡± Seo Jun-Ho squinted and tightened his cor. The powerful wind blew through the gaps in his jacket. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s cold. Still, I chose well.¡± The reason why this was the best choice as his final Gate on the 1st floor was because of Booster. In the bitter cold, he would be able to use the skill for at least a few seconds longer. ¡°The clear requirement is to defeat the Lord of the Castle...But where¡¯s the castle?¡± The blizzard made the entire world white, limiting his vision, and the snow even came up to his knees. ¡°...Go northwest.¡± The Frost Queen muttered, sitting on his shoulder. Seo Jun-Ho nced at her. ¡®What¡¯s with her?¡¯ Her voice was softer than usual. Even before they entered the Gate, she had suddenly gotten quiet. She didn¡¯t talk much, so Seo Jun-Ho reached the castle in no time. It only took him 30 minutes to walk where she was pointing. As he got closer, the blizzard weakened, and he saw something big and hazy behind it. ¡°I think I can see something.¡± When he took one more step forward, the blizzard disappeared without a trace. ¡°Huh?¡± He turned around, surprised, but the blizzard was still blowing a single step behind him. ¡°Wow, is this a trap? That¡¯s really cool.¡± However, he still couldn¡¯t see the fortress before him very well. It blended in with the whiteness of the snowdrifts. The Frost Queen looked up at the castle and muttered something to herself. ¡°...It really is the Winter Castle,¡± she said faintly. Seo Jun-Ho finally decided to ask. ¡°Hey¡­ Do you know where we are?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± She didn¡¯t deny it. In fact, she looked proud as she straightened her shoulders. ¡°Because this is the country that I used to rule, the Ice Kingdom Niflheim.¡± Chapter 82. Winter Castle (2)

Chapter 82. Winter Castle (2)

Seo Jun-Ho thought that he heard wrong. ¡°Niflheim? Is that kingdom still functioning without its queen?¡± ¡°Impossible¡­¡± The Frost Queen uttered. ¡°Then how do you exin the castle?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at her. She didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she stared at the castle in disbelief. ¡°Can you say something instead of just staring like that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know either! I don¡¯t know, so I cannot answer!¡± Her voice was full of irritation as she crossed her arms. It seemed like she didn¡¯t n on talking any further. ¡°Well, fine. Let¡¯s say that you don¡¯t know why this is here. But you know other things, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...Other things?¡± ¡°Like who the lord of the castle is, how many people are there, secret passageways of the castle, whatever.¡± ¡°Ha? Are you ordering me to tell you our national secrets?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that. Our fates are tied together, aren¡¯t they? Let¡¯s see it through, all the way to the end.¡± ¡°D-disgusting!¡± The Frost Queen flew away and kept a distance from him. She didn¡¯te back until she made him promise not to say such cheesy things again. She seemed to have considered something before she spoke again. ¡°...27,000.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°As far as I remember, the poption of the Winter Castle is 27,000.¡± ¡°What?! That many?¡± ¡°Why are you so surprised? I think it¡¯s quite obvious that a castle of that size would have this many people.¡± ¡°I mean, you¡¯re not wrong, but¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression changed as he looked up at the gigantic Winter Castle. He had never been to a Gate where the enemies numbered over 10,000. ¡°That¡¯s insane. How am I supposed to defeat so many enemies by myself¡­¡± ¡°Contractor, listen to the end. Do you remember the Gate I created?¡± She asked. ¡°The Queen¡¯s Nest? I won¡¯t forget it for the rest of my life.¡± It had been the hardest Gate he had ever conquered. ¡°I originally intended to bring all the knights under mymand.¡± But she had failed to do so. ¡°...All your knights? Then the ones we fought weren¡¯t all of your forces?¡± ¡°They were but a small fraction of my forces. Considering what happened in the past, I wonder if this ce is of a simr circumstance.¡± ¡°So, the Winter Castle might have less forces than we expect?¡± ¡°Yes. Look, the gates are already open.¡± Castle gates were essential to protect the people inside. If there were supposed to be as many people as she imed, they wouldn¡¯t have left it open. ¡°...So there will only be the lord and his guards?¡± ¡°It is impossible to tell. Lord Kis may be the only one inside.¡± ¡°Lord Kis? Who¡¯s that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho questioned the unfamiliar name. ¡°Kis Bremen. A loyal knight of mine, and the lord of the Winter Castle.¡± ¡°What are his abilities?¡± ¡°Swordy. The people called him the Sword of the Empire. He is the most outstanding knight that I have ever known.¡± ¡°Wow...He¡¯s that strong?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was surprised. She had never praised anyone so highly before. ¡°How do Ipare to him?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± To his annoyance, the Frost Queen looked him up and down before she held up an index finger. ¡°What¡¯s with that? You¡¯re not saying that I can onlyst for an hour against him, are you?¡± The Frost Queen shook her head. ¡°...What, then 10 minutes? 1 minute?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked once more. She shook her head again¡ªall his answers were wrong. ¡°He will be able to rip you apart with this single finger. My knight is powerful.¡± ¡°...Hey, that means he¡¯s stronger than you.¡± ¡°How many times must I tell you? I was in an extremely weakened state.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Then I guess I don¡¯t need to worry much. Kis will be weakened too, right?¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen nodded slowly. She couldn¡¯t deny it. ¡°We can only hope that you are right.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± Crunch, crunch. Seo Jun-Ho started to trudge through the knee-deep snow toward the open gates. *** The first thing they saw when they entered the castle was the knights¡¯ quarters. ¡°Knights tend to reside near the castle walls.¡± ¡°So that means the civilians live on the inside.¡± He didn¡¯t let his guard down, but there was no one around. As they walked for a long while,rge estates and buildings filled their sights. They were reminiscent of Medieval French or English architecture. Wooosh. But there was not a single person in sight. Everywhere they turned, they were only met with the cold wind. ¡°...It feels like a tomb,¡± the Frost Queen muttered. The vige, no, the Winter Castle, waspletely deste. ¡°It¡¯s different from what you remember, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Though I¡¯ve onlye here twice¡­¡± She smiled bitterly as she looked around. ¡°Children used to y around that frozen fountain. The wives would sit by them and watch their children with satisfaction.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That restaurant was always filled with people, day and night. The chef was so skilled that I was evenpelled to try his dishes. He was very talented.¡± ¡°Over there! Let¡¯s go over there. Thatrge square was a theater. Wandering minstrels would flock here like it was the northern city and tell stories all day and night.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nced down at the Frost Queen. She seemed excited as she exined everything. ¡®It¡¯s my first time seeing her like this. She¡¯s like a kid.¡¯ ¡®Come to think of it, how old is she?¡¯ As soon as the question popped into mind, she suddenly stopped, her hand dropping to her side. ¡°...Well, they are all but memories now.¡± She seemed to have been pulled back into reality as she looked around the dead city. ¡°Are you okay?¡± As soon as he expressed his concern, her voice perked up as if she had never been sad. ¡°Contractor, you worry too much. I am the queen of the cold who rules over everything. Do you think I would be sullen because of a few old memories?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s exactly how it looks.¡± ¡°It is not!¡± She poked at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Should we go inside that restaurant? We might be able to find some information about the castle.¡± ¡°Oh? That is a good proposition.¡± The Frost Queen agreed. As any yer would, Seo Jun-Ho set out to gather information first. But when they entered the restaurant, their faces fell. ¡°...What is this?¡± It was like an unfinished game. It looked like a quaint building from the outside, but there was nothing inside. Just in case it was only this restaurant, they checked the other buildings but they were all the same. ¡°Geez, this is ridiculous. Even the library didn¡¯t have a single book in it.¡± ¡°It seems that it will be impossible to find information.¡± He expected her to be disappointed, but she was actually smiling when she turned to him. ¡°Still, thank you. I feel better after you tried looking for information for me.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s all useful for clearing the Gate. Can I ask you something in return?¡± ¡°Ask me anything you wish.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering since before. How old are you?¡± The Frost Queen answered with a fist to his face. *** Seo Jun-Ho looked around the inside of the Winter Castle. The ceilings were high, and statues of knights were lined up down the grand hall. A red carpet was rolled out from the entrance to the end. ¡°It looks like a throne room. Isn¡¯t red supposed to be a color for a king?¡± ¡°It differs with each country. In ournd, white is the color of a monarch.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stepped onto the red carpet. There was a thinyer of ice on top of it. ¡°This is called the Knight Road.¡± ¡°Knight Road?¡± He paused. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°The Winter Castle was managed by the strongest knight of the empire, Kis. It was somewhat of a shrine for knights. Those who dreamed of bing a knight; man or woman, would dream ofing to this ce. They believed that if you walked until the end of this path, you would be a great knight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s stupid. It¡¯s not like anyone can walk in here anyway.¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t just a simple rumor.¡± She looked at the door at the end as she spoke. ¡°Those who became a knight would have to enter the Winter Castle for a test.¡± ¡°What kind of test?¡± ¡°They say it''s proof of knighthood. Therge door at the end opens to arge tourney hall where a hundred other knights are waiting. They would have to prove themselves by dueling all of them.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me that now?¡± Seo Jun-Ho realized that this was how the Gate would progress. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad! Is it not enough that I told you before you entered?¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had nothing to say. He stepped up to therge door and stared at it long and hard. ¡°A hundred knights...They should be nerfed too, right?¡± ¡°I do not know. But the rule dictates that the duels are done one at a time. No one can disturb the holy battle.¡± ¡°One by one¡­¡± There was no Gate that he couldn¡¯t conquer. That had been Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s motto when he was still Specter. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do before I enter, I suppose. I just need to defeat a hundred knights, right?¡± ¡°The knights of the Winter Castle and their captain. After you defeat them all, there will be one person left.¡± ¡°Okay, so counting Knight Kissyface, that¡¯s a hundred and one.¡± It was the first time he was challenging a Gate with this kind of format, but he felt a little calmer after learning the rules. He didn¡¯t hesitate and opened the door. Creak. The thick doors opened slowly. ¡®It¡¯s huge.¡¯ Even though the door was within the castle, it opened to the outside. The cold wind howled across therge hall, where a hundred knights stood like statues. Frozen weapons and corpses surrounded them in piles. Seo Jun-Ho noticed the ice that covered them. ¡°Are they alive?¡± ¡°I do not know. I don¡¯t sense any life force from them.¡± At that moment, there was a loud thud as the door closed behind him. The hundred knights started to move in a dignified fashion, dusting the ice off their shoulders. Their eyes shone blue underneath their helmets. Shing! ng! As they unsheathed their weapons, the sound of metal against metal filled the hall. Seo Jun-Ho sensed danger from their sharp bloodlust. ¡°...But why aren¡¯t they attacking?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered as he looked at them. He had unsheathed ck Dragon Fang as well. As if to answer his question, a fully armed knight spoke from the stage. ¡°Knight Horun Simus orders you. Stranger, state your business in this ce.¡± ¡°I came here to¡­¡± He was about to say that he was here to kill Kis Bremen, but the Frost Queen yelped. ¡°Contractor! Proof of knighthood! Say that you came here to prove your knighthood!¡± ¡°...What?¡± He asked, confused. She tugged at his cor. ¡°You have nothing to lose. Just do as I say.¡± ¡°I will ask you once more. State your business. If you do not answer, I will take you for an intruder.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face was doubtful, but he answered anyway. ¡°...I came here to prove my knighthood.¡± As she had said, he had nothing to lose. Chapter 83. Winter Castle (3)

Chapter 83. Winter Castle (3)

¡°...¡± Horun stared silently at Seo Jun-Ho before he sheathed his sword. ¡°At ease!¡± Horun shouted. nk! Shing! The ng of metal sounded again as the knights put away their weapons. ¡°...What the heck?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was astonished. Their killing intent had disappeared instantly. Horun addressed him again. ¡°Wandering knight, step up to the ring and draw your sword.¡± ¡°...¡± nk. The knights parted like the Red Sea, creating a path for him. Seo Jun-Ho slowly walked down the path while keeping his guard up. ¡°One hundred knights will test the honor of your sword. The match will continue until one side lowers their sword and admits defeat.¡± Horun finished his exnation and called for another knight, who stepped up to the stage. ¡°I am Sir Phil.¡± He stated his name calmly and raised his sword. Seo Jun-Ho watched this unfold and whispered to the Frost Queen. ¡°...Hey, is the proof of knighthood always this intense from the start?¡± ¡°It is not exactly an elegant endeavor. It does not fit my tastes¡­¡± She smiled. ¡°But is this not the way of the knights?¡± Knights were passionate people who preferred to speak with their swords. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart started to pound. He gripped his sword, and his lip curled up. ¡°...Sounds fun. So this is how the knights do it.¡± He didn¡¯t hate the way they did things. ¡°Ora!¡± As Phil eximed, Seo Jun-Ho dashed forward. He closed the wide distance in the blink of an eye and swung his jet-ck sword. aang! Phil blocked his strike. ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯ Like the walls of the Winter Castle, he was a sturdy knight. But defense wasn¡¯t his only strong suit. ¡°Hup!¡± Phil swung against him with great force, and Seo Jun-Ho was pushed seven steps back. Phil closed in much faster than he could retreat. ¡®He¡¯s as big as a boulder, but he¡¯s as fast as I am?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho grinned and activated his magic. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that there are a hundred other guys as fun as this one?¡± It was the perfect Gate to end his journey on the 1st floor. The Frost Queen watched excitedly and smiled. ¡°You knights¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t understand them. *** The seventh knight, Rabona, let out a sharp breath as she lowered her sword. There was arge, jagged cut through her helmet and armor. ck Dragon Fang had ripped it apart. ¡°...I admit defeat.¡± ¡°Rabona has been defeated! The Wandering Knight has won once again!¡± ¡°Who will defeat that arrogant knight?¡± ¡°I will challenge him once again!¡± ¡°No, I will¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already been defeated, step aside!¡± Every time Seo Jun-Ho defeated a knight, the frozen tourney hall burned hotter. Their sense ofpetition grew fiercer, and they would quarrel over who got to go next. They wanted to scratch their itch as soon as possible. ¡°...Phew.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took out a water bottle from his inventory and gulped it down. Every knight he had faced so far was strong. ¡®If they were yers, they¡¯d all be at least level 100.¡¯ They didn¡¯t have the superpowers that yers had, but every time Seo Jun-Ho crossed swords with them, he felt that they were more dangerous than yers. ¡®Their bodies are trained and they have magic supports¡­ When ites to basic weaponry skills, they¡¯re several paces ahead of me.¡¯ The only reason he had been able to win so far was because of Watchguard of Darkness. Otherwise, he would never have been able to cut through their sword auras. ¡°I never knew that sword auras had such diverse forms.¡± Currently, Seo Jun-Ho and every other yer used only a single kind of sword aura. ¡®I only use it in the form of a powerful magic force that covers the de.¡¯ When people thought of a sword aura, they usually pictured a brightly burning torch, but the knights¡¯ sword auras werepletely different. ¡°How can there be a sword aura like that?¡± The essence of the technique was simr, but their manifestations were free and unrestricted. One knight had a sword aura that was sharp like a thorn, while a different knight had created one that was long like a spear. ¡®The essence is simr...But they¡¯re stronger than mine.¡¯ Even after seven duels, he still hadn¡¯t found the reason why. So he turned to the Frost Queen and asked if there was a yer System in Niflheim. ¡°What? Why would we have such a thing?¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t have stats or anything like that?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Unlike yers, they couldn¡¯t raise their levels or stats, which meant that there was only one way for them to get stronger. ¡°Then that means that they spent their whole life practicing magic and training their bodies...They must be extremely hardened.¡± ¡°In mynd, that is the standard. You are the one with strange circumstances.¡± ¡°...So is the difference between our sword auras because of the different ways we trained?¡± The Frost Queen nodded. ¡°Contractor, did you receive some sort of enlightenment when you used a sword aura?¡± ¡°Enlightenment? Why would I need that?¡± He looked confused. For him and all the other yers, there was only one thing required to make sword ki or sword aura. ¡®All I need is to be good at handling magic and have a decent amount and understanding of it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had already gathered enough magic some time ago to create a sword aura, and his understanding of magic stemmed from the days when he was Specter. ¡°Do I need enlightenment about swordy, just to use a sword aura?¡± ¡°Well, it is not a requirement to use the technique itself. But if you want to be more efficient, the answer is yes.¡± The Frost Queen turned and looked at the hundred knights. ¡°There is something that we say in mynd. If there are a hundred different knights, they will have a hundred shapes of magic.¡± ¡°...Shapes of magic? Put it in simple terms.¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned. ¡°Have you noticed that all their weapons are different?¡± ¡°Of course. I always thought that knights only used swords and shields...But I guess not.¡± ¡°That is because knights are not defined by the weapon they carry. What defines them is the pride in their hearts.¡± The Frost Queen looked pleased as she looked back at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°They had all found a weapon that they were suitable for and created a sword aura that fits the style of their weapon.¡± ¡°A weapon that they¡¯re suitable for¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. He didn¡¯t know what weapon suited him best. ¡®I¡¯m good at using all of them.¡¯ It would have originally been impossible, but Weapon Mastery(A) made that possible for him. Seo Jun-Ho had never considered which weapon would make him the strongest. ¡®The reason that I use a sword is that I¡¯ve used it the longest¡­ I just prefer it because I¡¯m most used to it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment before he spoke again. ¡°Since I already have a sword aura, will it be hard to be like them?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± The Frost Queen shook her head. ¡°You are like the water bottle. You are filled with transparent water. What would happen if you added something to it?¡± ¡°...The color would change.¡± And he could fill it with whatever he wanted. He could make his sword aura into whatever shape he wanted. He had seen it himself with the knights. Seo Jun-Ho slowly nodded his head. ¡°Let¡¯s make that my goal for this Gate.¡± The Frost Queen was intrigued. ¡°And what would that be?¡± ¡°Making a new sword aura.¡± *** The fourteenth knight, Sergio¡­ Seo Jun-Ho managed to defeat him, but he no longer had the strength to stand. ¡®Why does it feel like the knights are getting stronger every time¡­ ¡® As hey on the ground of the ring, gasping for breath, Horun stepped up to him. ¡°Wandering knight. Will you acknowledge defeat and step aside?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked up at him. Even though the knights were kind and polite, they were inside a Gate. ¡®Will they kill me if I acknowledge defeat?¡¯ Heughed at the thought. It was useless to think like that. ¡®Whether I admit defeat or not, if they alle at me at once¡­¡¯ He would have to fight for his life. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°If I¡¯m allowed to rest, I want to. I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°...Then fall back for today.¡± As Horun raised his hand, the door Seo Jun-Ho hade through opened again. ¡°Wandering knight, the knights of the Winter Castle will always be waiting here.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m touched.¡± He really was. He never thought that he would receive such grace within a Gate. As he left, the door mmed shut behind him. ¡°I¡¯m still alive¡­¡± He muttered as he looked down at his hands. His stamina waspletely spent. All he wanted to do wasy down and rest. ¡®It would be a different story if I were fighting for my life¡­¡¯ But they were simply sparring. He was worried that the knights would turn on him if he killed one of them, so he fought with as little killing intent as possible. ¡®It¡¯s harder to overwhelm them instead of just killing them.¡¯ It was especially so because all the knights were around his level. ¡°Since it¡¯s a castle, there should be a bedroom somewhere, right?¡± ¡°What if all the rooms are empty, as before?¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s no helping it. We¡¯ll make a fire or something.¡± He searched through dozens of bedrooms, but none of them had furniture. ¡°If they¡¯re gonna manifest all of this, they should do it properly. This is all a waste of space.¡± ¡°Just say that you are angry because there¡¯s no bed.¡± Seo Jun-Hoined as he started a fire in the firece. As soon as he slipped into the sleeping bag from his inventory, his fatigue overwhelmed him. ¡°Let¡¯s eat when I get up. I¡¯m too tired.¡± ¡°Contractor¡­¡± Right as he was about to fall asleep, the Frost Queen pulled his hair. ¡°Where will I sleep?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a spirit. You don¡¯t require human necessities anymore, remember?¡± ¡°Even when I was human, sleeping was a pastime that I enjoyed.¡± ¡°...A tissue¡¯s fine, right?¡± Annoyed, he pulled out a crumpled tissue and tossed it to her. She deftly unrolled it and rolled up next to the firece. She stared up at the high ceiling andughed faintly. ¡°I feel happy. This is not the castle that I lived in, but I feel like I¡¯vee home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, his eyes closing. The Frost Queen nced at him to check that he was asleep. She pulled herself out of the tissue and sighed as she sat up. ¡°Haaa, he sleeps so peacefully even within a Gate¡­ He is quite the bumbling contractor.¡± She kept watch the whole night; amidst the cold of the Winter Castle. Chapter 84. Proof of Knighthood

Chapter 84. Proof of Knighthood

Seo Jun-Ho woke up and rubbed his sleepden eyes as he walked over to the window. When he opened it, a cold air billowed through his clothing. ¡°It¡¯s as cold as always outside.¡± He smacked his lips and gathered the snow that had piled on the window frame all night to wash his face. The cold woke him up instantly. For breakfast, he had some canned food and wine from his inventory before he put out the fire. ¡°Shall we go?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± The Frost Queen muttered. She must¡¯ve been sleepy because she kept nodding off as she sat on his shoulder. ¡°What¡¯d you do all night instead of sleeping?¡± ¡°...Night watch.¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± He asked, surprised. He looked sorry. ¡°Ha¡­ You look like you¡¯re sorry. I suppose you¡¯re thankful, then.¡± The Frost Queen seemed satisfied with that and smiled. But Seo Jun-Ho scratched his neck and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not it...I set traps on the door and windows, so there was no need for you to do that.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°Thanks anyway.¡± She was so dumbfounded that she could only open and close her mouth without being able to say anything. Finally, she spoke again. ¡°Then there was no need for me to stand watch¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°W-why didn¡¯t you tell me?!¡± She pulled his hair angrily. ¡°I was tired! I wanted to sleep! I like to sleep!¡± ¡°I mean...Think about it logically. I¡¯ve been going to Gates for a long time. Do you think I would go to sleep without taking the proper precautions?¡± ¡°Haaa¡­¡± She huffed and turned away, pouting. ¡®Now I feel sorry. I should make her a cup of Agarit tea when we go home.¡¯ Like yesterday, he walked down the red carpet of the Knight Road and boldly pushed open the doors. ng! Once again, the knights drew their weapons and gave off their strong killing intents. But when they saw that it was Seo Jun-Ho, they sheathed their weapons. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s the Wandering Knight.¡± ¡°We were waiting.¡± ¡°Come up to the ring! I¡¯ll show you that I¡¯m stronger than yesterday.¡± They were enthusiastic. A familiar figure stepped up to the stage. ¡°Have youe again to prove your knighthood?¡± Horun asked. ¡°Yeah, I guess. Are there any additional conditions, by any chance?¡± ¡°The Knights of the Winter Castle are not cruel to one who is proving their honor.¡± So there weren¡¯t any. Seo Jun-Ho grinned and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you again.¡± ¡°However, we are always growing. We are stronger than yesterday, and tomorrow we will be stronger than today.¡± ¡°...Yeah, whatever.¡± It was a given. Seo Jun-Ho also thought that he could fight better than yesterday. ¡®With repeated fights, I can pick up on my opponents¡¯ patterns.¡¯ He stepped up to the stage, and his first opponent followed. ¡°I am Sir Phil.¡± It was the same knight as yesterday who used a greatsword. ¡®Is the order the same every time?¡¯ In order to check that, he would have to defeat at least seven knights. Seo Jun-Ho stared at Phil with his greatsword before pulling out his own greatsword from his inventory. It was an Association greatsword that was provided to its yers. ¡°Hm? The Wandering Knight has changed his weapon.¡± ¡°He used a different sword yesterday.¡± ¡°Ah! Perhaps he hadn¡¯t used his full power?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ I thought it was strange that such a skilled knight could only use a basic sword aura shape.¡± The Frost Queen yawned as she listened to the knights'' chatter. ¡°Haaa, what¡¯s this? I thought your main weapon was the sword.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let such a precious opportunity pass me by.¡± Thanks to his skill, Seo Jun-Ho was able to use all weapons better than the average person, but this didn¡¯t mean that he was an expert. On the other hand, the knights of the Winter Castle were masters of their weapons. ¡°You should always be ready to learn. One of the key traits of a yer is an open mind.¡± Nothing in the worldsted forever. Even when he was Specter, Seo Jun-Ho was always learning to remain in the number one spot. His habit had remained. ¡°So you n to steal the techniques of my knights. How insolent.¡± ¡°Sharing is caring. They won¡¯t even break a sweat.¡± ¡°...Do as you wish. However¡­¡± The Frost Queen smiled mysteriously at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s brazen demand. ¡°My knights are not so weak. If you wish to steal their techniques, you will have to put in a great effort.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m pretty persistent.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took his starting stance, and Phil gave a small nod. This marked the beginning of the match. ¡®Phil¡¯s greatsword really took me by surprise yesterday¡­¡¯ He recalled yesterday¡¯s duel. Seo Jun-Ho had thought that the greatsword wasn¡¯t so different from a normal sword. ¡®I thought that it had simply exchanged speed for greater power and reach.¡¯ But Phil had used it in apletely different manner than Seo Jun-Ho imagined. The face of the greatsword was two or three times wider than a normal sword, so he had used it for defense as well. ¡®So, Phil uses the greatsword in three different ways.¡¯ First, he used it like a normal sword to attack. Second, he used the face of the sword as a sturdy shield. Andstly¡­ Woooosh! He swung against the face, sting a strong gust against Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®He uses the greatsword like a fan.¡¯ The powerful sword wind hit Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s entire body. He was momentarily blinded, and his hair billowed back. Phil used the distraction to close in on Seo Jun-Ho. As he dashed forward, he spun twice in the air, putting all the extra force into his weapon. ¡®The scariest part of the greatsword is its destructive force.¡¯ It was slow, but it made up for itsck of speed with an unblockable force. ¡°Hup!¡± Phil swung his greatsword down as if he were trying to cleave through a mountain. ng! Seo Jun-Ho blocked it with the face of his own sword. He held it at an angle, absorbing most of the force, but he felt the impact vibrate down to his feet. ¡®This is the best part of a greatsword.¡¯ Even if you blocked an attack, you couldn¡¯t block itpletely, and the fatigue would build up. ¡®I beat him yesterday with a single attack from Watchguard of Darkness, but I can¡¯t do that starting from today.¡¯ If he did, he wouldn¡¯t be able to improve. He wouldn¡¯t take the easy way out until he was able to steal the technique in its entirety. Seo Jun-Ho retreated back, creating distance between them. He swung his greatsword. Wooosh! It created a simr sword wind to the one Phil had just created. ¡°Hooo, is he trying to imitate Phil¡¯s technique?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s a poor attempt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something you can imitate after seeing it once.¡± The knights were harsh in their criticisms. Seo Jun-Ho could copy Phil¡¯s technique all he wanted, but the results were different. ¡°It looks easy...But it¡¯s harder than I thought.¡± It wasn¡¯t hard to create wind. But an unconcentrated sword wind was weak. He couldn¡¯t direct it properly, and Phil¡¯s hair only swayed slightly in the breeze. ¡°What did I say? My knights are not weak.¡± The Frost Queen taunted him. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I didn¡¯t expect to be able to do it in one try.¡± Seo Jun-Ho decided to himself. ¡®It¡¯s okay if the only knight I defeat today is Phil.¡¯ But if he did, it would be after he had perfectly absorbed his skills. Seo Jun-Ho lifted his greatsword again as Phil charged at him like a boar. *** aang! Surprisingly, that was the sound of the sword wind roaring across the ring. ¡°...I don¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s much too quick at learning techniques.¡± ¡°It only took him half a day to perfectly emte Phil¡¯s technique¡­¡± The knights were buzzing with wonder, but Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t think he was amazing. ¡®I started at a different ce than they do.¡¯ Because he had Weapons Mastery (A). Once he got a grasp on the fundamentals of a weapon skill, it wasn¡¯t very hard to execute it. ¡°Contractor, you look like you¡¯re enjoying yourself.¡± ¡°I am. Using a greatsword is fun.¡± Truthfully, he didn¡¯t usually enjoy using a greatsword. The tempo of a fight was swift, so he preferred not to use a slow weapon. ¡®But I might start using it from now on if the situation allows.¡¯ If heyered the already-destructive greatsword with a sword aura, it would be even stronger. Like now. ¡°Hup!¡± He swung the greatsword which was covered in a powerful, jet-ck aura. Phil quickly blocked his arrack, but he couldn¡¯t avoid the force of the strike. ¡°Keuk?!¡± Phil¡¯s body flew 5 meters into the air and he rolled across the ground as he fell. ¡®If this was a real battle, it¡¯d be over.¡¯ If their lives were on the line, he would have been dead the moment he fell to the ground. ¡°...¡± Phil stared at his right arm. It was broken, bent like a doll¡¯s. He stood up and praised Seo Jun-Ho enthusiastically. ¡°What great force. I evenyered my sword aura twice as thick as usual¡­¡± ¡°I was surprised too.¡± It was true. He had been able to rip through his opponent¡¯s formidable sword aura because of the Watchguard of Darkness, but Phil had flown back solely due to the greatsword¡¯s power. ¡®I suppose that the force of the greatsword increases with the strength stat.¡¯ No matter how strong it was as a shield, it could be prated with a powerful hit. Seo Jun-Ho started to admire his greatsword. ¡°Next is I, Lance! Wandering Knight, do you need some time to rest?¡± Seo Jun-Ho watched him step up to the stage as he put away his greatsword in his inventory. ¡°The second one is the same too,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, pulling out a long spear. Lance was surprised when he saw this. ¡°...You¡¯ll steal my techniques too?¡± ¡°Hehehe, sharing is caring.¡± He grinned. *** Seo Jun-Ho had defeated seven knights on his first day, but that number had decreased to two on his second. But as hey in front of the warm firece, Seo Jun-Ho felt satisfied. ¡°This is great. What kind of Gate is so useful?¡± ¡°I do not know. I don¡¯t think the Gate was created for this purpose¡­¡± The Frost Queen sighed. In order to not make the same mistake as the night before, she even made a sleeping cap out of tissues. ¡°Those spear skills were amazing. The weapon was one thing, but his aura was fun.¡± Most spear users only used an aura to lengthen their reach a bit, but Lance was different. ¡®The way he used an aura to make the spearhead like a drill was really interesting, but I was more impressed by the way he used the handle like a whip.¡¯ After all, the appeal of the spear was its chaotic, unpredictable attacks. But when a weapon aura came into y, it made it impossible to read. ¡°You know, I¡¯m really d you¡¯re here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly spoke up. ¡°W-What are you saying¡­¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s cheeks turned red at the sudden confession. ¡°Think about it. If you hadn¡¯t told me about the knighthood test, I would¡¯ve had to fight a hundred of those knights at once.¡± It would¡¯ve been like trying to take 30 level-80 yers at once. ¡°Of course, if I used Watchguard of Darkness and Booster, I would¡¯ve been able to defeat them even if I got injured¡­¡± But he wouldn¡¯t have been able to improve his weapon skills like this. ¡°I feel a little bad saying this, but this is the first time I¡¯ve felt happy about making a contract with you.¡± ¡°...You always add an unnecessary statement!¡± She summoned a snowball and threw it at his face. Chapter 85. The Knight of the Mist (1) It had been four days since he entered the Gate. Seo Jun-Ho strode up confidently to the door of the training ground. He was once more asked the same question he had been asked the past two days. ¡°Have youe again to prove your knighthood?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± If there was something that changed, then it was Phil and Lance¡¯s attitudes. They shook their heads and refused to fight. ¡°Wandering Knight, you have already far surpassed our abilities.¡± ¡°We would be greedy if we continued to fight and hold you back.¡± Yesterday, they had truly surrendered their matches. Perhaps that was why they looked at him with an air of respect. Today, they were only here to watch. ¡°Hooo, how interesting. If this continues as such, you will not even need to unsheathe your sword on the final day. You would be able to fight Sir Kis at your best condition.¡± ¡°...Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect this.¡± While Seo Jun-Ho looked on with a baffled expression, his third opponent, Ticino, stepped up. ¡°Ah, Ticino. He was famous for having a fiery character.¡± The Frost Queen informed him. ¡°I know. I fought him on the first day.¡± Ticino also used a spear like Lance, but this didn¡¯t mean that Seo Jun-Ho had nothing to learn from him. ¡®Lance¡¯s spear and Ticino¡¯s spears arepletely different.¡¯ After fighting them both, it was hard to believe that they used the same weapon. Unlike Lance, whose spear was constantly moving, Ticinonded hard and heavy hits. ¡®If Lance¡¯s spear is like a machine gun, Ticino¡¯s is like a cannon.¡¯ Ticino gripped his spear with both hands and held it between his armpit as he charged. ¡°For the Queen!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, thank you.¡± *** It had been two months since he entered the Gate. It had taken much longer than he had expected, but Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t scared or nervous. On the contrary, his eyes grew brighter as time passed. The only thing that changed was that he was no longer receiving a knight¡¯s acknowledgment every four days. ¡°Do you n to train again today?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nice to learn new techniques everyday, but it¡¯s also important to brush up on things I¡¯ve already learned.¡± His daily life was very simple. He would wake up, eat, fight the knights, practice the techniques, train some more, and sleep. The cycle was never-ending. When he entered the Gate, he had been clean-shaven with neatly trimmed hair, but now, both his hair and beard had grown out quite a bit. The Frost Queen covered her mouth and giggled when she saw him. ¡°Fufu, you look like a castaway.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make you Wilson?¡± Seo Jun-Ho retorted. ¡°I am not a volleyball.¡± ¡°Damn, when did you watch that movie?¡±[1] If it weren¡¯t for the Frost Queen¡¯s constant chatter, he would have quickly grown tired of his current life, no matter how much he could learn. But thanks to her, he was able to continue to learn and train. Exactly three months and two weeks after he had entered the Gate, he finally absorbed all the knights¡¯ weapon techniques. ¡°No wonder he¡¯s the captain. It took me four days to learn Horun¡¯s techniques because it was soplicated.¡± ¡°They say that a single sword can cause ten thousand changes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally received his proof of knighthood. The one hundred knights of the Winter Castle surrendered to him and started to treat him as a full-fledged knight. ¡°My stats also increased a lot after training like crazy for over three months.¡± His stamina had increased by 2, and his strength, agility, and magic had all increased by 1. And that wasn¡¯t everything he had received. [Cold Tolerance] Grade: C Effect: You can tolerate the cold. Humans were adaptable creatures. After he spent three months in the harsh cold of the Winter Castle, he had adapted to the climate and received the skill out of nowhere. ¡°I¡¯m not cold at all anymore.¡± Those weren¡¯t empty words. When he first arrived here, he had to continuously wear his thick padded jacket even after creating arge fire. But now, he felt fine even with a long-sleeved shirt. ¡®I¡¯ve also learned a lot of little tricks.¡¯ He learned how to flex his muscles ever so slightly to fake a strike, how to read his opponent¡¯s next move, and so on. He had also refined many of his other, smaller techniques that couldn¡¯t be shown through text or numbers. ¡°I¡¯ve worked really hard...I wonder what the reward will be.¡± ¡°Contractor, do not be so eager. The strongest enemy is still left.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Sir Kissyface.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded strongly. ¡°Let¡¯s get him today.¡± He had nothing left to gain from the Gate. It was time to fulfill his mission and return to Earth. He was now at his final task. Creak! After being used so many times in the past three months, the door now opened smoothly as if it had been oiled. ¡°The Wandering Knight is here!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone who understands weaponry better than him.¡± ¡°Yup. He¡¯s one of the few men that I acknowledge.¡± ¡°I was called a genius in my hometown, but the world sure is big.¡± The knights approached him with faces full of admiration. Seo Jun-Ho felt a pang in his chest. ¡®Ah, how nice would it be if I could take them back to Earth¡­¡¯ They would have been a huge help in the future, but it was impossible to do that. There was a bitter taste in his mouth as Seo Jun-Ho gave his final farewell. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Phil. Ticino, tone it down a bit. Oh, that technique you taught me was great, Bogus¡­¡± He greeted each and every knight in the Winter Castle. ¡°Wandering Knight, your pride was unshakeable.¡± Captain Horun held out his hand. As Seo Jun-Ho shook it, he smiled for the first time. ¡°May I ask for your name?¡± They had never asked for his name before, only calling him ¡®Wandering Knight.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled happily. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho. That¡¯s my name.¡± ¡°What an interesting name.¡± ¡°Seo Jun-Ho, Seo Jun-Ho...I won¡¯t forget it.¡± ¡°If there should be anyone who asks which knight left the biggest impression on me, I¡¯ll tell them of you.¡± The knights of the Winter Castle smiled as they approached him one by one. Thump. Thump. Thump. Each one patted him on the shoulder. It wasn¡¯t much, but it somehow gave him strength. Horun was thest one. He patted him on the shoulder and held out a metallic emblem in the shape of mist. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It is a token of sorts. It shows that you have proven your knighthood.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gripped the emblem made out of an unknown metal in his hand. He smiled. ¡°Nice. I¡¯m gonna brag about it to my friendster,¡± he muttered. ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m sure they will be proud of you.¡± Horun thumped his shoulder once more and stood to the side. The one hundred knights followed, cutting a path for him to walk. ¡°The one who has proven his knighthood may meet with the Lord of the Castle.¡± ¡°I bet he¡¯ll like you too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s spar again when I get stronger.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly started to walk down the path. He felt strange. ¡°Ha, you must feel something peculiar. Did you not know that such things could happen within a Gate?¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± ¡°Pay attention to your surroundings. There may be other ways to reach your goal.¡± The Frost Queen seemed happy as she lectured him. Perhaps it was because not a single one of her knights had been injured. Seo Jun-Ho arrived at the door and nced behind himself. The knights of the Winter Castle waved as they smiled brightly. ¡°...Thank you,¡± he whispered. He forcefully pushed the frozen doors open. Creaaak! As he entered the room, Seo Jun-Ho drew in a harsh breath. ¡®It¡¯s different.¡¯ The air was so heavy, it felt like his entire body was being weighed down. And the source of this energy was one man sitting in arge throne. ¡°...Frost.¡± At his call, the Frost Queen flew from his shoulder to study the man. ¡°He is Kis Bremen. Niflheim and I¡¯s most powerful knight.¡± ¡°He looks strong, just like you told me.¡± Shing. Kis slowly stood up from his seat and silently unsheathed his sword. ¡®I can feel his hostility.¡¯ The powerful bloodlust he emanated was enough to make his skin tingle. ¡°It seems that Sir Kis is aware that you are a yer.¡± ¡°I agree. He nned to kill me as soon as he saw me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pushed his magic into ck Armor, causing it to unfold and cover him from head to toe. He pulled out a spear from his inventory. Woosh, woosh. He spun it around a few times. ¡°...¡± The moment Kis nced at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s weapon, which made him look away from his figure, Seo Jun-Ho disappeared from his sight. ¡°Hup!¡± In a split second, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s spear divided into eight, aiming at vital points across Kis¡¯s body. They weren¡¯t just mere illusions; they were real spearpoints. ng! Kis easily blocked the attack. ¡®He¡¯s too rxed.¡¯ Determined, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed as he called upon his magic. The darkness wavered and bloomed, covering his spear like a snake. ¡°Contractor! You shouldn¡¯t use such a powerful technique so early¡­¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I can¡¯t afford to go easy on him.¡± The aura wrapped over the spearhead and started to whirl. ¡®It consumes a lot of magic, but this can pierce through anything.¡¯ Kis eyed the spear and wordlessly ignited a grey aura over his sword,pressing it several times. He instinctively sensed that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attack would be dangerous. Seo Jun-Ho watched as he pulled his spear back in preparation. ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯ He was the Lord of the Winter Castle, the Sword of the Niflheim Empire. A weapon aura wouldn¡¯t be enough to hunt a monster like him. ¡°Frost, what¡¯s the time for Booster?¡± ¡°With this temperature, it shouldst for 1 minute and 2 seconds.¡± ¡°1 minute and 2 seconds¡­¡± He took a mental note of the number. ¡°Start counting!¡± he shouted. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s started to give off an explosive magic energy, and his body temperature started to rise. ¡®It¡¯s hot. But I feel full of energy.¡¯ He thrust his spear sharply at Kis. The spearhead burst into sixteen different pieces, flying into the air. He felt certain that Kis wouldn¡¯t be able to block it. ¡°...¡± But that was an arrogant mistake. Kis coolly blocked each projectile. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body locked up at the sight. ¡°Contractor! Get it together!¡± ¡°Shit¡­!¡± He ducked back a beat toote, and he felt his head sting. Seo Jun-Ho wiped the blood from his forehead and bit his lip. The rm bells were going off in his head. He looked down at his spear. The tip had been broken off with a single hit. ¡®I can¡¯t use this.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t estimate how the battle would go anymore. It wasn¡¯t a matter of technique, rather, there was too much of a difference in the quality of their weapons. He tossed the spear aside and unsheathed ck Dragon Fang. ¡°...¡± Kis swung his sword slowly as he stepped forward. Grey mist started to surround his body. It covered the field in an instant, blocking Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vision. ¡°...Ashen Mist. This is Sir Kis¡¯s ability.¡± ¡°What does it do?¡± ¡°All it does is block one¡¯s sight by covering the entire battlefield. However¡­¡± He was the Sword of the Empire, the Knight of the Mist. And the reason he was feared was because of the way he slew his enemies in battle with this very technique. ¡°Take heed, Contractor. You don¡¯t know when or where he will attack you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already watching myself. But¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell. He couldn¡¯t see a single step in front of him. It felt like a tight, solitary cell. Even if he walked forward, all he saw was grey. ¡®My skin feels tingly.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t tell where Kis was, but he could feel him watching from somewhere through the mist. But Seo Jun-Ho was pondering over something more important. ¡®Should I turn off Booster? Or should I keep going?¡¯ Time wasn¡¯t on his side. With every second, his body heated up even more. ¡°Frost, time.¡± ¡°42 seconds, 41 seconds, 40¡­¡± He was running out of time. If Kis waited for 40 more seconds, Seo Jun-Ho would lose all chances of winning. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ He gritted his teeth as he made his decision. The magic that ran through his circuits dispersed back to normal speeds. ¡®Phew, time to cool off.¡¯ He quickly covered ck Armor with ice. He felt his body temperature start to fall bit by bit, but he couldn¡¯t let his guard down. ¡®Where is he? I can¡¯t sense anything at all.¡¯ He waspletely blind, and he couldn¡¯t even sense a trace of magic. As the Frost Queen said, he didn¡¯t know from where or when Kis would attack. Sweat dripped down his face. A single drop dripped down to his chin and fell to the ground with a¡­ Plop! ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt a chill go down his spine. Shing! A sharp sword swung down on his head. 1. This is a reference to the movie Cast Away, starring Tom Hanks. ? Chapter 86. The Knight of the Mist (2)

Chapter 86. The Knight of the Mist (2)

His body reacted first. There was no other way to describe it. Before he could even spare a second to scream or even to think, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body hit the ground. sh! Kis¡¯s sword struck the innocent ground. Seo Jun-Ho took that chance to stand up and activated Booster again. ¡°I won¡¯t miss this time!¡± The moment he kicked off the ground, ck Dragon Fang was already in Kis¡¯s face. ¡°...¡± But Kis was an experienced knight. He dodged the attack by simply tilting his body ever so slightly before digging his knee into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stomach. ¡°Guh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body flew into the air from the force of the strike, and Kis grabbed him by the neck and smashed his head into the ground. ¡°...Keok!¡± Blood poured from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mouth as he coughed. But he couldn¡¯t afford to lose focus. ¡®He¡¯sing again!¡¯ As his eyes flew open, Kis¡¯s steel boots looked like mountains before him. Seo Jun-Ho quickly rolled his body and narrowly dodged. Crunch! The ground shattered into pieces. If he had been even a momentte, that would have been his head. ¡°Dammit¡­¡± Kis didn¡¯t give him a moment to rest. He prepared his next strike. ¡®I can¡¯t be the only one who keeps getting attacked!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho rolled off the ground and ced his hand on the ground. Crackle! A giant ice fang sprouted toward Kis. ¡°...!¡± Kis quickly drew his sword to block, but he couldn¡¯t handle the force. He flew into the air and disappeared into the mist once again. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Phew, somehow...¡± When Seo Jun-Ho thought that he finally had a moment to breathe, a sword pierced through the mist. ¡°Give me a break!¡± Even as heined, Seo Jun-Ho quickly swung his sword. aang! Their des shed, but Seo Jun-Ho was the one that pushed Kis backward. ¡°From this distance...¡± It would be impossible to dodge. Seo Jun-Ho stepped closer and elbowed Kis in the chin. Crunch! The strike was so powerful that it dented Kis¡¯s helmet. For the first time in the entire battle, Kis was staggered. Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t let this chance slip by. He grabbed Kis by the helmet and kneed him in the face. Seo Jun-Ho heard his nose break as blood pooled on the ground. ¡°Contractor! Be careful!¡± He didn¡¯t hear her warning until it was toote. The world spun. ¡®Huh...?¡¯ He only realized what happened when he felt the pain in his legs. Even as he was being beaten up, Kis still managed to kick him. As Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back struck the ground, Kis¡¯s sword came down like lightning. ¡°Hup!¡± Crackle! He quickly created a shield out of ice to block, but the sword cut through it like butter. Kis had aimed for his heart, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shield redirected thetter¡¯s sword to his shoulder. ¡°Gahhh!¡± he screamed. ¡°Contractor!¡± Panicked, the Frost Queen quickly created twenty ice arrows and flung them at Kis. ¡°...¡± Kis quickly dashed backward and calmly cut through each one. The Frost Queen fluttered over to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Keuk...thanks to you.¡± He safely managed to stand and looked down at his left shoulder. He was bleeding a lot, but he didn¡¯t freeze the wound. ¡®Freezing it would be suicide.¡¯ Even if he bled to death, he needed to use both of his arms. There was no way in hell that he would ever be able to defeat Kis with just one arm. ¡°Huuuu...¡± ¡°...¡± The distance between them was barely one meter. If he exaggerated a bit, he could even say that they could feel each other¡¯s breath. They stared at each other as they tried to catch their breaths. ¡®Just once...If I can justnd one good attack, I think I can do it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho considered intentionally creating an opening for his enemy to exploit, but he quickly shook his head. ¡®With his level, it¡¯s too dangerous to give him even the slightest of chances.¡¯ There was a 100% chance that Kis¡¯s strike would be lethal if Seo Jun-Ho gave him an opening. Swish. Kis took two steps back and disappeared back into the mist. Seeing that, Seo Jun-Ho also cloaked his own body in darkness. ¡°Night Walking.¡± Having crossed swords, the two of them were now covering their traces and softened their breaths. Silence fell over the long hall. Wooosh. The only sound was the wooshing of the blizzard outside, which wasing from the crevice of a window. ¡°Contractor, can you not ambush him in this state? Like the way you did in the Cave of Trials.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t. It¡¯s hard to hide my traces from someone as strong as him.¡± If hisrades in the Cave of Trials hadn¡¯t been mere illusions, they would¡¯ve sensed him too. Night Walking was most effective against less experienced opponents, after all. ¡°Ah, that is unfortunate. You only have 24 seconds left for Booster left as well.¡± At her warning, Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth and released Booster. Heat rippled off his body, and his head pounded as if he caught a cold. He quickly leaned against the wall and dug through his inventory for a potion. Glug glug glug He poured it over his wound before drinking the rest of it. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Of course, potions weren¡¯t all-powerful. He didn¡¯t feel any instant change either. He quickly inspected his body. ¡®...It¡¯s the worst possible situation.¡¯ After using Booster consecutively, his body was extremely worn out. The burning sensation in his head wasn¡¯t a good sign either. It meant that his judgment would falter. ¡¯Let¡¯s calm down. If I can¡¯t think straight, I won¡¯t be able to do anything at all.¡¯ He caught his breath and calmed himself before he started to analyze the situation. ¡®The problem is the fucking mist. It¡¯s impossible for me to make the first move.¡¯ Kis was superior in terms of skill, strength, speed, and everything else. But the battle only ever started after Kis¡¯s ambush. ¡°This is bad...I¡¯ve been ying right into the palm of his hand.¡± There was only one way to win. ¡°I¡¯ll turn the tables right back at him.¡± Seo Jun-Ho removed ck Armor and wrapped his shoulder. Despite the pain, his eyes shone with the ferocity of a hunter. *** ¡°...¡± Kis slowly walked through the mist, looking for the yer he had crossed swords with. ¡®He¡¯s hiding his traces from me...Impressive.¡¯ It was a remarkable stealth technique, but that was all it was. ¡®I¡¯m starting to sense his magic.¡¯ He was getting closer. Kis raised his sword and prepared to ambush the yer again. ¡®I caught you.¡¯ He swung his sword at therge mass of magic in front of him. His sword stabbed straight through his opponent¡¯s neck. ¡°...?¡± Kis¡¯s face fell. He felt something off. ¡®It was too easy.¡¯ His opponent didn¡¯t even react. Kis grabbed him and checked his face. ¡®I was tricked.¡¯ The shadow dummy dissipated with a hissing noise as if it wasughing. At the same time, he felt a powerful wave of magic behind him. ¡°...!¡± Kis whipped around. ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡± Seo Jun-Ho unleashed the frost energy. The ground froze over in an instant, trapping Kis¡¯s ankles. ¡®This is nothing¡­¡¯ Kis tried to pull his legs from the ice, but it kept freezing in from all directions. ¡°You didn¡¯t know, did you?¡± Mist was simply a condensed mass of water vapor. Thus, it would be ice if the temperature was lowered. ¡°...!¡± Kis finally realized what he was doing, but it was toote when he raised his sword. He had been too focused on escaping the ice. ¡°I already told you. It¡¯s toote.¡± Crackle! The entire hall froze over in an instant. tter tter The ck mist fell to the ground in hailstones. Seo Jun-Ho took a deep breath. He raised his sword and walked over to Kis, who was trapped in the ice. Craack. It pierced through the thick ice and through his sword. ¡®It¡¯s finally over¡­¡¯ He finally rxed. Crash! Kis broke through the ice and kneed him in the stomach. ¡°Guh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho flew back, rolling on the red carpet that was covered in hailstones. Kis followed him like a sh of lightning, bringing his sword down. ng! Sparks flew as their des met. Seo Jun-Ho had managed to take out a greatsword and block him, but Kis was too strong. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s arm started to give out, and Kis¡¯s sword got closer and closer. ¡®How...How is this possible¡­?!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t believe it. ck Dragon Fang was currently stuck through Kis¡¯s heart. He shouldn¡¯t be able to move, let alone attack with superhuman strength. ¡®Just what...Is he fighting so hard for?¡¯ As his head started to fill with questions, Kis¡¯s strength finally started to fade. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Kis¡¯s sword ttered to the ground as he vomited ck blood. He fell to his knees and fell over to his side. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho unconsciously touched his temple. It stung every time he touched it. If he had been a tenth, no, a hundredth of a secondte, Kis¡¯s sword would have cut through his head. ¡°I really almost kicked the bucket this time¡­¡± Just as he let out a sigh of relief, his vision darkened. Hot blood started to drip down from the crown of his head. ¡°Contractor, are you alright?¡± ¡°Yeah, well...Once I get seen by a healer, it won¡¯t even leave a scar,¡± he said as he took out a fresh potion and poured it over his head. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Relieved, the Frost Queen now looked over to her knight. Kis Bremen was leaning up against the ice, staring at the ceiling. His consciousness was fading. ¡®...I failed.¡¯ Warm tears poured from his eyes, but it wasn¡¯t because he was afraid of death. ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ It was because he failed to protect the monarch he had sworn his loyalty to¡­ because he had lost thest chance to make right of his regrets. ¡°Your Majesty...¡± He looked up at the ceiling with his hand outstretched. ¡°He¡¯s looking for you. Wouldn¡¯t it be good to show yourself, at least?¡± ¡°I do not deserve to do that.¡± The Frost Queen smiled bitterly as she shook her head. ¡°A monarch must protect their people. The knights of the Winter Castle are citizens of Niflheim before they are my knights. And¡­ I failed to protect them.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t understand her. The Frost Queen saw his expression andughed weakly. ¡°Remember this. The righteousness of the weak is nothing but a shout in the silence.¡± ¡°...¡± She had learned this painful lesson in the war. That was all. Chapter 87. Homecoming (1)

Chapter 87. Homing (1)

A Gate message appeared before Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. [You have cleared the Winter Castle.] [You have received the Armory Key as a clear reward.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [5 speed regained.] [2 strength regained.] [2 strength and 1 magic received from Limit Breaker¡¯s effect].] [The Gate will automatically disappear in one hour.] ¡°...This isn¡¯t all, is it?¡± He squinted suspiciously at the message. There was another one below it. [You have cleared the Winter Castle¡¯s hidden quest, ¡®Proof of Knighthood.¡¯] [Weapons Mastery (A) has evolved to Weapons Master (S).] [You will be able to understand the principles and use of any weapon when you hold them.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [2 strength received from Limit Breaker¡¯s effect.] ¡®The rank increased!¡¯¡¯ He clenched his hands into fists. Not long ago, at the Cave of Trials, Hero¡¯s Mind had be S-rank and Keen Intuition had be A-rank. Today, Weapons Mastery¡¯s rank increased to S-rank. ¡°Man...That was so worth it.¡± The reward made up for the three months he had spent in the Gate. Those hard, tedious times had be nothing but memories now. ¡®Limit Breaker¡¯s effect is useful too.¡¯ He received it for oveing the limits of a yer and it increased a random stat by 1 every time he leveled up. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled like an old man as he looked at his status window. The Frost Queen stared at him over his shoulder and gave him a look of disgust when he started tough. ¡°Yourugh is disturbing.¡± The Frost Queen flew backward. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t control it. Any yer would react the same way.¡± That was how great his status window was. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 34 Title: The Bringer of Spring (+2) Strength: 108 Stamina: 119 Speed: 111 Magic: 150 He was barely level 34, but all of his stats were over 100. He couldpete with low Rankers. ¡°The numbers are so beautiful.¡± It reminded him of the times he yed games at PC cafes when he was a student. It had been so satisfying to see his game character¡¯s stats increase one by one. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d be proud if these were just my character¡¯s stats¡­¡± But they were his own. How could he not be happy? ¡°...I understand, so go check the Gate¡¯s rewards.¡± The Frost Queen reminded. ¡°Oh, it was a key or something, right?¡± He reached into his inventory and pulled it out. ¡°An Armory Key¡­¡± ¡°The armory is in the basement of the castle.¡± She quickly checked the time. There were only 58 minutes left until the Gate closed. ¡°I should hurry.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood up and followed the Frost Queen to the basement. When they arrived before arge door, he unlocked it with the Armory Key. Creeaaak. Hundreds of weapons filled his vision the moment it opened. ¡°...Frost, there¡¯s no limit to how many I can take, right?¡± ¡°If my memory serves, there is not.¡± ¡°Then¡­!¡± His mouth spread into a wide grin. [You have entered the Winter Castle¡¯s Armory.] [When a weapon is selected, you will automatically be teleported outside the Armory.] ¡°Ah.¡± His face fell. The Frost Queen cackled at the sight. ¡°Grey, was it? That Administrator must be watching over you still.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that kind of attention from guys,¡± he grumbled. Seo Jun-Ho slowly turned back toward the armory. Worthy of being a sacred ground for knights, the Winter Castle¡¯s armory was full of high-quality weapons. ¡°There isn¡¯t a single one that isn¡¯t a masterpiece.¡± He walked around the armory for 40 minutes, lost in thought. ¡®The best weapon grade is Unique. As long as I choose one of those, it doesn¡¯t actually matter which one it is.¡¯ First, he ruled out a sword. ck Dragon Fang was already a Unique weapon, and there wouldn¡¯t be a sword better than it. ¡°The one I prefer¡­¡± In front of him were a spear and an axe. They were both Unique-grade, so it all came down to preference. ¡°The spear is nice because it lets me maintain a distance from the opponent, but the axe can be used unrestricted¡­¡± He had also enjoyed using the spear when he was Specter. As he pondered, the Frost Queen looked around the armory on her own. ¡°Why are you thinking so hard? You can simply choose a weapon thatbines their merits.¡± ¡°A weapon thatbines¡­ Ah!¡± Realizing something, Seo Jun-Ho whipped around to the corner of the armory. A long halberd was hung on the wall. ¡°I want both, so that¡¯s not bad either.¡± The halberd was also called a barbed spear or an axe-spear. The spear tip wasbined with an axe de, so it contained the best parts of each weapon. It was hard for beginners to use, but he was no beginner. ¡°Thanks for the tip.¡± Seo Jun-Ho expressed his gratitude. The Frost Queen simply nodded in response. Afterward, Seo Jun-Ho spun the halberd in his hands a few times. It shone with an inky light. It had a thick shaft, and a sharp spearhead was attached to one end, along with a heavy axe de. ¡°The length and weight are pretty good.¡± The cool metal felt good under his hands. He made up his mind when he saw the item data. [Cruel Executioner] Grade: Unique *Bleeding: Those who are injured by the weapon will bleed more than usual. *Lightweight: There is magic attached to the weapon that makes it lighter. *Blood Pact: Every time an opponent¡¯s blood stains the weapon, the user¡¯s stamina is recovered. Use requirements: Level 30, 100 strength, 100 speed. ¡°Wow! Blood Pact!¡± Seo Jun-Ho never even expected it. yers usually called Blood Pact the final boss of weapon effects. [Select Cruel Executioner?] Seo Jun-Ho nodded vigorously. ¡°Of course!¡± The magic wavered as it teleported him outside of the armory, but he was grinning like a child. ¡°Is the weapon that great?¡± The Frost Queen asked. ¡°What do you think? The Blood Pact effect is super OP.¡± It would be extremely useful for the majority of his opponents. He would be able to keep fighting them without losing any stamina. ¡°Well, as long as you like it. We should hurry on our way.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho checked the time and started to sprint down the hall. There were only 10 minutes left until the Gate copsed. Considering the time it would take to go back, he was cutting it close. ¡°At least we were not toote.¡± ¡°Yeah...huh?¡± He made it to the front of the Gate just in time, but something caught his eye. A big portrait was hung on the wall of the hall. ¡°Was that always there? I didn¡¯t even notice it when I was fighting Kis.¡± He reached out and touched the painting. The portrait contained a beautiful woman who sat on a chair with her legs crossed. ¡°Wow...She¡¯s really pretty¡­¡± She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She wore a blue dress, and her silky silver hair reached the floor. She held a white scepter in her pale hand, indicating that she was a queen. Her eyes looked down in a prideful stare. Even though it was just a painting, she exuded an aloof, charismatic air that made her feel unapproachable. ¡°Looking at her clothes, she¡¯s probably a queen¡­ Huh? Wait a second.¡± He btedly realized who it was. Seo Jun-Ho slowly shook his head as he looked between the queen in the portrait and the little Frost Queen. ¡°N-no way...That¡¯s not you, is it?¡± ¡°Hmph, it is.¡± The Frost Queen turned around. Seeing how her long ears were red, she must be feeling shy. ¡°Can you take off that weird visor thing just once?¡± ¡°No! Stop saying useless things and just get out!¡± He couldn¡¯t win against her pestering, so he stepped out of the Gate. *** Cha Si-Eun tapped her fingertips nervously against her desk. It was thetest habit she had developed since it had already been three months since her boss, Seo Jun-Ho, had left for one of the 3 Uncleared Gates in the world. Even with the Gates¡¯ time differences ounted for, no one had ever stayed inside one for three months. ¡°Haa¡­¡± She let out another sigh as she read over the new articles. [yer Seo Jun-Ho breaks Guinness World Record for longest time spent in a Gate.] [Will the 3 Uncleared Gates remain untouched forever?!] [Korea¡¯s yer Association President Shim Deok-Gu: ¡°The Gate conquest isn¡¯t over yet.¡±] The Association¡¯s atmosphere wasn¡¯t great these days. They were being harassed byizens that were using them of forcibly sending Seo Jun-Ho to the Winter Castle to boost his reputation. ¡®Why aren¡¯t youing out¡­?¡¯ She gloomily closed the articles. Funnily enough, she had a lot of time on her hands now. ¡®People are so funny.¡¯ As Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s conquest dragged on, the sponsorship proposals and personalmission requests had stoppeding in. She hated how they were all assuming that he had failed. ¡°Why do yers climb the floors for people like this¡­?¡± Cha Si-Eun couldn¡¯t understand. They worked hard to clear Gates and climb floors for these selfish people, but no one ever recognized their efforts. Chime~ At that moment, her Vita rang with a message notification. ¡°Ah.¡± She opened it as quick as lightning. [Sender: Pegasus] ??Enter the best?game?to a world of imagination$$ Register now??for a free 1-month coupon# Come into the @of swords and magic?? ¡°Ugh!¡± Cha Si-Eun angrily shut off the message. Sheid down on her desk, sulking. ¡®I never got a message from him, and all I ever get is spam¡­¡¯ She wondered if she should change her phone number. Chime~ Her Vita rang and notified her again of another message. ¡°Geez¡­¡± She wrinkled her nose and unenthusiastically tapped on her Vita, stillying down. Crash! The other people in the secretary''s office stared at her as her chair fell over. But she was in a daze. With wide eyes, she read the message once again. [Sender: Seo Jun-Ho] - hai secretary cha~ please send me a teleporter. The contents were a bit strange, but he finally sent her a message. Chapter 88. Homecoming (2)

Chapter 88. Homing (2)

Cha Si-Eun stared into the mirror. The thought of meeting her boss after three months made her nervous. ¡°In, out. In, out. Deep breaths.¡± After she calmed herself down, she waited for the teleporter. She chewed her lips as her head filled with all kinds of negative thoughts. ¡®What should I do if that was a message from a hacker?¡¯ The teleporter would probably return alone and yell at her to not pull another prank like this. All her worries disappeared the moment the teleporter returned. A familiar man was with him. ¡°J-Jun-ho-nim!¡± ¡°Oh? Long time no see, Secretary Cha.¡± It had been three months since she saw him, but she couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°What¡¯s this? You look like a castaway who was just rescued.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Really? That¡¯s the second time I¡¯ve heard that.¡± The teleporter had said the same thing. The first thing Cha Si-Eun did was hand him a mug of tea. ¡°Lavender tea, right?¡± she said, ¡°I brewed it just now, so it¡¯s still hot.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked happy as he blew on the steam. ¡°Mm~ I feel like I¡¯m melting. This is really nice.¡± ¡°How are you feeling? Are you hungry? Are you hurt anywhere? I wasn¡¯t sure, so I have a healer on standby¡­¡± ¡°Slow down. Let¡¯s take things one at a time.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned as he took a seat, taking a big gulp of his tea. ¡°First of all, I do need some treatment. The injury isn¡¯t very big though.¡± He was talking about the injuries on his shoulder and the crown of his head that he received from Kis. The healer that Cha Si-Eun had put on standby stepped forward. ¡°I-I will assist you. Please show me where you were injured.¡± ¡°This shoulder and the top of my head.¡± The healer quickly healed him before pouring their magic into him to release his fatigue. ¡°Man, that feels good...Thank you.¡± ¡°Not at all. You¡¯ve worked hard!¡± The healer bowed. He[1] looked at him in admiration. He wasn¡¯t the only one. The others that had been waiting for his return stared at Seo Jun-Ho as well. ¡°Wow¡­ He really cleared one of the 3 Uncleared Gates?¡± ¡°Amazing. I don¡¯t think any yer has pulled off such an achievement since the Nine Heavens.¡± ¡°He¡¯s on a simr level with Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun, but he¡¯s faster. That¡¯s insane.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re both in the Association.¡± Seo Jun-Ho simply sipped his tea, but he didn¡¯t feel all that great. His body and mind were both exhausted from fighting with Kis, but they were treating him like a monkey in a zoo. Cha Si-Eun suddenly grabbed his wrist. ¡°You¡¯re tired, aren¡¯t you? I will escort you home.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah, I wanted an autograph¡­¡± Without even giving them the time to stop her, she quickly rushed Seo Jun-Ho to the elevator. When it was just the two of them, she looked at him apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have been more discrete about your return¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s my fault for being away for so long.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had spent 3 months and 17 days within the Gate, but that tranted to 3 months and 2 days on Earth. ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so energetic,¡± he said, looking at her. She was still gripping tightly to his wrist. ¡°Oh, I-I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡± She quickly pulled away, realizing her mistake. It started to feel a little awkward, so Seo Jun-Ho changed the subject. ¡°How are things in the Association? I have a vague idea¡­ but I want to hear it directly from you.¡± ¡°...Things aren¡¯t great.¡± She looked displeased as she chewed the inside of her cheek. ¡°Multiple conspiracy theories have started to circte since you¡¯re still inside despite it being 3 months since you entered.¡± ¡°People always love rumors.¡± ¡°Sponsorships and personalmission requests have stoppedpletely, and¡­ Haa, it makes me angry just thinking about it. Can you believe it? I got asked if I could refund a sponsorship fee that was already paid. I fought those people tooth and nail.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face hardened for a moment as he considered something. All of a sudden, he nodded. ¡°Alright. Give them what they want.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°Refund all the sponsorship fees for all the people who asked. And we¡¯ll release an article saying that they asked for a refund while I was in the Gate, so we refunded them. We¡¯ll thank them for their sponsorship¡­ Then, we¡¯ll list all their names at the bottom.¡± ¡°...!¡± Cha Si-Eun shivered. She had never even considered such a method of revenge. ¡°So they¡¯ll be publicly screwed...I mean, scorned.¡± ¡°They brought it upon themselves.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. ¡°But they¡¯ll makeints, saying that you¡¯re hurting their reputation¡­¡± ¡°Reputation?¡± He was smiling, but his eyes were sharp. ¡°They had the nerve to do that in the first ce. Weren¡¯t they the ones that hurt my reputation first? How daring would they be toin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Cha Si-Eun nodded. ¡°If anyone ever insults me, bring them to me. If they can still lodge theirints to my face, I¡¯ll acknowledge them,¡± Seo Jun-Ho dered. ¡°Bring in people whoin¡­ I¡¯ll make sure to do that.¡± She wrote down a note in her Vita. The thought of getting revenge made her feel giddy. ¡°How is everything else?¡± ¡°The Guilds have started moving. You know what they say¡ªstrike while the iron¡¯s hot.¡± The Guilds that were jealous of his skills had put out statements that he was too weak to clear the Winter Castle, and that he was too greedy and arrogant. ¡°You¡¯ve noted down all those Guilds, correct?¡± ¡°Yes. I also investigated their Guildmasters and Guild members just in case.¡± ¡°Well done.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave her a thumbs-up. ¡°Please send all those documents to me. I¡¯ll use them of defamation.¡± ¡°Will it be okay? Your reputation may fall if they say you¡¯re abusing your power¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun hesitated. ¡°My reputation? Nothing goodes out of maintaining it.¡± He had already experienced it all before. ¡®When I was Specter, I was the most admired person in the world, but it didn¡¯t help one lick.¡¯ His good reputation had actually weighed him down. Back then, he had to be careful of his every action and watch every word he spoke. ¡°I can¡¯t live like that again¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± When he replied with his usual expression, Cha Si-Eun stared at him. ¡°Junho-nim...Does it not bother you at all?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Those people tried to use you. They lifted you up when you were doing well and mored for your attention, but they threw you away like nothing simply because you didn¡¯te out of the Gate for three months. Doesn¡¯t that make you angry?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± He was already used to such people. ¡®Things are better right now. It was worse when I was Specter.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t for his Hero¡¯s Mind skill, he was sure that he would have some sort of panic disorder at this point. Even with the skill, he was alreadyrgely distrustful of others. ¡°People will swallow if something is sweet and spit it out if it¡¯s bitter. Most people care more about themselves than others and will want more gains than losses. In some ways, they¡¯re the smart ones,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°But¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun looked down at the floor of the elevator. She was astonished by what she heard. ¡°If it were me, I think I¡¯d start to ask myself why I climb the Floors for people like this¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°What? Ahahaha!¡± Seo Jun-Ho burst intoughter as if she had just cracked a joke. ¡°Why¡­ Why are youughing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think that there has been a misunderstanding, Secretary Cha.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± ¡°Yes. A very big one, at that.¡± The elevator opened. Seo Jun-Ho got off first and gestured for her toe forward. They looked out the floor-length window. The view of Seoul¡¯s sunset from the 77th floor was breathtaking. ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± ¡°...Yes, very much so.¡± Cha Si-Eun¡¯s eyes sparkled as she approached the window. She had alreadye here a few times before, but she had never been able to look at the view because she was so busy. ¡°Life is a tragedy when seen in a close-up, but aedy in long-shot. Have you heard that quote before?¡± ¡°Yes. I believe it¡¯s from theedian Charlie Chaplin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She watched as he continued. ¡°When I first heard that, I thought of the streets.¡± ¡°The streets?¡± Cha Si-Eun was baffled. ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tapped on the ss. ¡°When you see it from afar, the world is beautiful. But if you venture into the sea of buildings¡­ There are many problems within. But if you don¡¯t look closely, you would never know.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me.¡± Cha Si-Eun listened carefully. She had a feeling that she was about to obtain the answer to all her questions. ¡°You probably think that I¡¯m a very good and virtuous person, Secretary Cha.¡± ¡°...A lot of people think that. You¡¯ve helped out others so many times,¡± Cha Si-Eun responded. He had saved dozens of people from the Cinder Fox and had minimized casualties in the Wild Forest by rallying the yers together. Many people thought that he was bing a role model for the next generation. After all, it was rare for yers to take care of others, not just themselves. ¡°See? You don¡¯t know because you¡¯re not looking closely.¡± He smiled. ¡°I¡¯m also human. I care the most about myself. Other people are secondary. I only pay attention to the people around me when I know that I can safely clear a Gate. It was probably the same for Specter and the 5 Heroes that you respect so much.¡± Society saw the 5 Heroes¡¯ deaths as divine sacrifices. But Seo Jun-Ho knew better than anyone else that it was far from the truth. There wasn¡¯t an ounce of self-sacrificing desire in any one of them. ¡®We never intended to sacrifice ourselves or anything like that.¡® Mio wielded her sword to honor her family name. Skaya hunted to reach greater heights. Rahmadat faced the Frost Queen because he wanted to fight stronger enemies. Gilberto pulled the trigger because he wanted his son to live in a peaceful world. The same was true for Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®...I entered the Queen¡¯s Nest for the sake of revenge.¡¯ They all had their own reasons for fighting. But the world had considered their lives as mere sacrifices simply because they died. It amused him. ¡°I don¡¯t climb the Floors for other people.¡± He looked her in the eye. ¡°It¡¯s the opposite. I¡¯m climbing because I have my own goals that I want to achieve. It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re disappointed, because that¡¯s simply not true.¡± ¡°...¡± She bit her lip and looked down at the floor for a long time. ¡°Everything you¡¯ve said is right. I should have lived like you¡­¡± She lived a life where she ced so much importance on what other people thought of her. Sheughed and cried at the words and judgment of people who had nothing to do with her. She didn¡¯t know why she was disappointed and doubted herself because of them. She felt so stupid that sheughed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t realize something so obvious. I¡¯ve been living like an idiot.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you have such a clueless side too,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°What was that?¡± The sound ofughter rang from the 77th-floor hallway. 1. The Korean word was genderless, so instead of going with ¡®they¡¯ I went with ¡®he¡¯ so it doesn¡¯t seem like there were multiple healers ? Chapter 89. Homecoming (3)

Chapter 89. Homing (3)

¡°That child¡ªCha Si-Eun, was it?¡ªIt looked as if she had made a decision¡­¡± The Frost Queen muttered, peeking between the crack of the door as it closed. ¡°Well, I¡¯m an inspirational quote machine. She probably felt touched.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s just stop talking.¡± She shook her head and took her regr seat on the sofa. She hugged the remote and looked up at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Haaa, give that to me.¡± He was going to turn on the channel she liked, but she shook her head. ¡°No. I can do this myself, so make some tea.¡± She worked the remote skillfully and switched it onto the drama channel. Seo Jun-Ho stared in awe. She did it so naturally. ¡°...You know how to use the remote?¡± ¡°I am not stupid. Did you think that I would not be able to work a device of this level?¡± ¡°Then why have you made me do it for you this whole time?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s fun,¡± the Frost Queen casually replied. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what to say. She held up her slender finger to her lips. ¡°Be quiet, now. It is time for me to watch my dramas.¡± ¡°...¡± Forget the Agarit tea. He dropped in bitter ginseng into the boiling water and went back to his room. A momentter, the Frost Queen called out. ¡°Contractor! This tea¡­tastes strange. It makes my tongue pucker.¡± ¡°Really? It¡¯s a tea that only nobles on Earth can drink. Do you want something else?¡± ¡°...No. I think the taste is beginning to grow on me.¡± She scrunched her face as she drank the ginseng tea. Now that he had figured her out, the Frost Queen was no longer his opponent. Seo Jun-Ho checked his inbox on Vita. There, the six messages he was waiting for appeared. [This is Silent Moon. We wish to propose¡­] [This is the mercenary guild Hallem.] [The Dokkaebi Guild wishes to inquire with Seo Jun-Ho-nim¡­] [Silver Constetion¡­] [Labyrinth¡­] [Sky Soul wishes¡­] The Big 6 had responded to his proposal with Specter¡¯s name on the line. ¡°Well, I already know what they¡¯re gonna say.¡± Still, he read them out of courtesy. They were full of long-winded rambling, but they all came to the same conclusion. [We will follow Specter-nim.] ¡°Not that they ever had a choice.¡± Back when he got caught up in political conflicts as Specter, he had learned something important. ¡°When I offer a choice, I make it so that they¡¯re forced to choose what I want.¡± It was simple but effective. Seo Jun-Ho smiled, satisfied. Even though it was temporary, he now had the six best informationworks in the palm of his hand. He flopped onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling. ¡°It sure took a while¡­¡± It had been 7 months since he had broken out of the ice. The memories of the time he had spent so far shed through his head. ¡®Zombies, Leufs, Cinder Fox, Nameless Dragon, Watchdogs, Dark Elves, Rome, and now the Winter Castle¡­¡¯ He hadn¡¯t noticed while he was running about, but now that he thought about it, he hade far. His seven months was probably the equivalent of several years of activities for the average yer. ¡°Still, I reached level 34 after seven months¡­ That means I¡¯m going several times faster than in the past.¡± Of course, there was no use inparing those two eras. His previous experience as a yer was immeasurably valuable. ¡®If I want to, I could go to the 2nd floor Frontier as soon as tomorrow¡­¡¯ Of course, whether he could or not, he had no ns to go up anytime soon. Now that he had ess to the Big 6¡¯s information, he needed to organize the data. ¡°First¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho skimmed their emails again. They all spoke proudly of their informationworks. ¡°Just as I thought. Even though they¡¯re all part of the Big 6, they all collect different kinds of information.¡± He divided them into three types. ¡°Hm, I suppose they¡¯re either affiliated with the imperial, noble, or religious factions.¡± There was arge empire in the Frontier called Ruben. Most of the explored areas on the 2nd floor were under its control. Guilds on the scale of the Big 6 were already deeply familiar with the empire. After all, they had worked their way up for 25 years. ¡°Silent Moon and Goblin are affiliated with royalty.¡± They had focused a lot on fostering their rtionship with the imperial family in order to give a positive impression and receive noble titles. As a result, these two Guilds had the most nobles. ¡®And the second is the nobles.¡¯ The empire was ruled by the Emperor, but the power of the nobles couldn¡¯t be disregarded. After all, water drops were small, but a steady trickle of water drops could pierce through a boulder. ¡®Labyrinth and Sky Soul are in the talks with the nobles.¡¯ They had established themselves by absorbing provinces. They had enough authority topete with Goblin and Silent Moon, who were affiliated with the imperial family. ¡°The third is the religious faction. The only Guild affiliated with them is Silver Constetion.¡± There were many religions in the Frontier. Each godmunicated directly with its believers and gave them divine power. ¡®Silver Constetion is building a ce for themselves in the Ruben Empire¡¯s official religion: the Church of the Sun.¡¯ The Church of the Sun was just as powerful as the royalty and nobility. ¡°The three main powers of the Empire keep each other in check¡­¡± Thest Guild was Hallem. They were irrelevant to the others. ¡°They¡¯re a mercenary guild. They already imed a territory and have cultivated it a long time ago.¡± They didn¡¯t even need to worry about vested interest. 25 years after their founding, the mercenary guild was quickly gaining newfound power. ¡®At first, they were easily overlooked¡­¡¯ But now, they had be quite famous and were carrying out their activities all over the Empire. ¡®It might not be of the best quality, but they¡¯ll be the fastest at giving me a variety of information.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho finished organizing his thoughts and closed his eyes. ¡°Hm, then...Let¡¯s give them a test.¡± Which Guild would get him information the fastest? Seo Jun-Ho smiled and wrote up an email. *** Knock knock. Goblin¡¯s Guildmaster, Shin Sung-Hyun, spoke without looking up. ¡°Come in. What¡¯s the matter?¡± His eyes were still fixed on the documents he was working on. ¡°Specter responded.¡± His hand stopped. ¡®After three months?¡¯ It had been three months since they epted his proposal and Specter finally replied. Shin Sung-Hyun finally looked up at the messenger. ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He requested that we gather information about the fiends and send them to him. The time limit is 30 minutes.¡± ¡°An easy request. Send him all the information that¡¯s mid-rank and below.¡± ¡°Understood. But¡­¡± the messenger hesitated before speaking, ¡°I believe that the other Guilds must have received the same request.¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°The messengers of the other Guilds rode in the elevator with me to the 2nd floor.¡± ¡°...¡± The 2nd floor didn¡¯t have Inte, so it couldn¡¯tmunicate directly with the 1st floor. To take care of the issue, each Guild always had members on standby in the Dimensional Elevator. A Messenger¡¯s job was to deliver information between the Floors. ¡°Hm. So that means Specter has requested information from the other Guilds as well.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun had an amused smile on his face as he spun the pen in his hand. ¡®...So he wants us topete.¡¯ It was easy to see why. Specter was most likely concerned about one thing. ¡®He¡¯s probably worried that we¡¯ll cooperate with each other and restrict the information we give him.¡¯ And he was right to be worried. He had given them three months, which was plenty of time for the Guildmasters to meet and discuss. ¡®Makes sense since we decided to give him mid-rank information and below.¡¯ But Specter had sent the request to the Big 6 at the same time. Shin Sung-Hyun could only see one reason why he would do that. ¡®...He already expected that we would be cooperating. So he¡¯s going topare our information.¡¯ Since they had alreadye to an agreement, there wouldn¡¯t be much difference between the information they gave him. Ironically, giving him the same amount and level of information would still reveal what he wanted to see. ¡®If that happens and hepares the information we give him, he¡¯ll be able to see which Guild has the best informationwork.¡¯ But there was another interesting factor that came into y. What if one Guild¡¯s information was far worse than the others? ¡®He¡¯ll most likely kick them out.¡¯ In other words, he would only work with the useful ones. Considering Specter¡¯s previous disy, it wouldn¡¯t be unlike him to do that. ¡°Haaa, really¡­ His arrogance knows no limits.¡± But even if they didn¡¯t want to, they had no other choice but to follow him. As Guilds grew in size, they started to prioritize quality over quantity. The standards for each yer kept growing. ¡®And talented people won¡¯t join Guilds with bad reputations.¡¯ No matter how many benefits they offered, that wouldn¡¯t change. But Specter¡¯s second condition was greatly beneficial for the Guilds. They would easily be able to shake off the smaller Guilds that were always chasing after them. Their Guild¡¯s reputation would improve without them having to spend a single penny. ¡°So¡­ I suppose it turned out for the better.¡± Like the other Big 6 Guildmasters, Shin Sung-Hyun was proud of his informationwork. ¡®Our Guild¡¯swork is one of the best, even among the Big 6.¡¯ If he broke the promise with the other Guilds and gave Specter higher-level information, the others would pale inparison. He wasn¡¯t stupid. ¡®Six Guilds is too many for him to work with.¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun made his decision. If things proceeded as nned, Goblin would be the only Guild that would end up working with Specter. ¡°Give him everything except ssified and top-secret information.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Does that mean that I should give him everything from the lowest to high-rank?¡± ¡°Yes, everything.¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir!¡± As the startled messenger left the room, Shin Sung-Hyun went back to his documents. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips. Chapter 90. Homecoming (4)

Chapter 90. Homing (4)

¡°Wow, impressive,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered as he checked the time. As expected of the big names, all of them had sent him the materials perfectly on time. Seo Jun-Ho checked each one and grinned. ¡°The smart ones always think too much.¡± He sat at the edge of his bed, reading through the six hologram file titles with a satisfied grin. On the Fiend Association - Goblin Power Dynamics in the Ruben Empire - Silent Moon Survey of Cities - Hallem History of Religions - Silver Constetion A Guide for Frontier Monsters - Labyrinth Most Important Families and Nobles - Sky Soul Surprisingly, the information they sent was all about different subjects. But this was within his expectations. ¡°After all, I requested different information from each of them.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. ¡®The Big 6 are the strongest out of the tens of thousands of Guilds that exist.¡¯ Their leaders weren¡¯t stupid; even Seo Jun-Ho knew that much. So he had put himself in their shoes. ¡®It took me longer than I expected to clear the Winter Castle.¡¯ Three months was a long time; it was more than enough time for the Big 6 to meet up ande to an agreement. He was 100% sure that they had decided on the level of information that they would send him. Fortunately, Seo Jun-Ho had taken full advantage of their train of thoughts. ¡°If I make it seem like I¡¯m going to weed out the one who gives me the least useful information, then¡­¡± Those smart executives who were greedy and selfish would naturally think like this¡­ ¡°If I gave Specter the best information, then wouldn¡¯t the rest be kicked out?¡± And thus, these were the results. ¡°Heh, the Guildmasters must be rolling in their graves.¡± It had never been a test in the first ce. He had simply decided that this was the best way to get as much information as possible. Thanks to that, he now had information that couldn¡¯t even be bought. Seo Jun-Ho alsopared them to the Association¡¯s data from Shim Deok-Gu, but the Big 6 was clearly superior. ¡°You guys still have a long way to go.¡± Heughed as he thought about the Big 6 Guildmasters with all this information before him. *** From the next day onward, Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen got right to work. They put all their efforts into their respective assignments. Seo Jun-Ho started to memorize the information he had received while the Frost Queen binged dramas and movies. ¡°...Why does it feel like I¡¯m the only one working?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. The Frost Queen looked up from her kernel of caramel popcorn, which was a little smaller than her fist. ¡°What nonsense.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just ying around while I¡¯m studying.¡± ¡°I am studying as well.¡± Pew! Pew! The Oscar-winning movie Independence Day was ying on the TV. ¡°You¡¯re obviously not.¡± ¡°I am. I¡¯m studying the arts and culture of Earth.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head, rolling his stiff shoulders. Even though he¡¯d spent the entire afternoon studying, the pages didn¡¯t seem to decrease. The number of documents he had were enough to make an encyclopedia. ¡°It¡¯ll take me at least four days to get through all this¡­¡± His mind and body were exhausted, but his heart remained strong. ¡®The Big 6¡¯s informationwork is super impressive.¡¯ He felt sorry for Shim Deok-Gu, but the Association¡¯swork couldn¡¯tpare to the Big 6. He was currently reading about the Power Dynamics in the Ruben Empire. ¡®The difference is clear just from reading about Duke Yulin.¡¯ Even though a Duke was an important figure, the Association only knew his name, status, and duties. On the other hand, Silent Moon¡¯s report included his personality, his rtionships, his family members, his political weaknesses, and even his personal tastes. ¡°We can¡¯tpete with this¡­¡± Seo Jun-Houghed bitterly. It was like watching a child trying topete with an adult. He let out a frustrated sigh and kept reading. ¡®I don¡¯t know about the rest, but I have to memorize everything about the nobles.¡¯ The Frontier was different from Earth. Specter was a hero that saved Earth and Seo Jun-Ho was a rising star, but both would be newbies in the Frontier. ¡°I wonder what kind of ce it¡¯ll be¡­¡± Just thinking about it made him smile. He made a decision. He would go up to the Frontier in ten days. *** Knock knock. There was a knock at the door. Shim Deok-Gu looked up. ¡°Come in.¡± His eyes widened when he saw who it was. Without intending to, he got up from his seat. ¡°Miss Cha Si-Eun? What brings you here?¡± He cocked his head, confused by the sudden visit of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s secretary. The only time she visited the president¡¯s office was the day she was hired. ¡°I had something to tell you.¡± She bowed politely, and Shim Deok-Gu hurriedly led her to a seat. He took out two cans of orange juice from his fridge and sat down on the sofa. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. What do you wish to tell me? Did Seo Jun-Ho send you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Cha Si-Eun shook her head. She reached into her jacket and pulled out an envelope. Shim Deok-Guughed nervously. ¡°I doubt you¡¯re trying to bribe me¡­ Is this what I think it is?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a letter of resignation.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± He cleared his throat and began again. ¡°Please tell me if I or anyone else in the Association has made you unhappy. I¡¯ll try to fix it.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s nothing like that.¡± ¡°Then, is Seo Jun-Ho bothering you¡­?¡± If that was the case, he¡¯d go and strangle him. Cha Si-Eun smiled faintly and shook her head. ¡°No. On the contrary, I feel indebted to him because he always treats me so well.¡± ¡°Then, why?¡± ¡°...Do you happen to remember the first time I came here?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± It had been one of the most memorable days ever since he became President. ¡°I felt like something was broken inside of me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shim Deok-Gu nodded. ¡°I had no goals or aims when I came here.¡± ¡°It was raining a lot that day, wasn¡¯t it? You werepletely drenched. To be frank, I was a little scared of you.¡± The two chuckled amidst their reminiscence. ¡°President, you know how much I respect Specter-nim.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never told you this, but I respect you as much as him.¡± ¡°...I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯m honored.¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked slightly shocked. He was genuinely surprised by her words. ¡°You were the only person that helped me when I was struggling. The only reason I came here was that I wanted to work under you. I always admired how you tried to improve how yers were treated,¡± Cha Si-Eun said. ¡°Haha¡­ I feel embarrassed by all yourpliments.¡± Shim Deok-Gu scratched his neck. Cha Si-Eun smiled and continued. ¡°I had a short conversation with Seo Jun-Ho-nim yesterday. He gave me a lot of good advice, and I feel like someone had hit my head with a hammer.¡± ¡°What in the world did he say?¡± Shim Deok-Gu was astonished. ¡°He spoke with the same confidence and determination as he always does. But¡­ it helped me realize a lot of things. I realized how childish my thinking had been.¡± ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re one of the most mature people I know.¡± Shim Deok-Gu shook his head. ¡°Thank you. Anyway, after I spoke to him, I went home and thought for a long time about what were my motivations back then.¡± Shim Deok-Gu nodded quietly. The sparkle in her eyes was simr to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s. ¡® Those are the eyes of someone who knows what they want and knows where to get it.¡¯ As such, he could only offer her his best wishes. ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯ve finally found your path.¡± ¡°...Thank you,¡± Cha Si-Eun replied. ¡°May I ask what you n to do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really nothing big,¡± she said shyly, staring at her orange juice. ¡°I want to try again, with a different mindset from before.¡± ¡°For yourself, rather than others?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite selfish, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Of course not. Actually, I wish you¡¯d be more selfish.¡± Cha Si-Eun looked grateful as she twisted the ring in her hand. ¡°I wish to work under Jun-Ho-nim until he advances to the 2nd floor. Please keep our conversation a secret.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°And¡­ Can I return this artifact when I resign?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Shim Deok-Gu nodded. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°No. I was always worried because you looked like you were trapped. I¡¯m d that you want to spread your wings again.¡± His words were sincere. Shim Deok-Gu looked at the Magic Sealing Ring on Cha Si-Eun¡¯s finger. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll be hearing about the Schumern Saintess again sooner orter.¡± ¡°...P-please don¡¯t tease me.¡± Several years ago, there had been a famous healer in the Schumern region on the 2nd floor. She had lived her whole life helping others. But when she truly needed aid, no yers or Guilds had answered her call. ¡®They even manipted her so that they could make money.¡¯ The only one that had helped her in earnest had been Shim Deok-Gu. Sadly, he hadn¡¯t even been able to help her properly because the Korean yer Association had no influence on the 2nd floor. ¡®She retired after that, full of betrayal and regret.¡¯ That day, it rained as if the sky had been pierced through. Shim Deok-Gu gave her a big smile and took her letter of resignation. ¡°Congrattions on your return. yer Cha Si-Eun.¡± Chapter 91. Midnight Visitor (1)

Chapter 91. Midnight Visitor (1)

Seo Jun-Ho had been walking to Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s office when he saw Cha Si-Euning out. ¡°Huh? Why are you here?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Ack! J-Jun-Ho-nim?¡± She looked like a deer in the headlights, as if she¡¯d been caught doing something she wasn¡¯t supposed to do. Cha Si-Eun covered her mouth as she huped, while Seo Jun-Ho studied her with narrowed eyes. ¡°...I¡¯m getting deja vu.¡± When he woke up after fighting the Cinder Fox, she had the same expression. ¡®That hospital was really good. I was in great condition when I came to, like I¡¯d taken a panacea or something.¡¯ It was the most thorough treatment he had ever received. He didn¡¯t know the healer, but someone with that level of skill should¡¯ve been famous. Cha Si-Eun cleared her throat. ¡°I was called to help with some documents.¡± ¡°Why would he ask you, though¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho doubted. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure.¡± Cha Si-Eun hesitated. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure this doesn¡¯t happen again,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Um, that¡¯s¡­¡± She squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head. ¡°Alright¡­¡± ¡°Your shift¡¯s already over. You should go home.¡± He saw her off before going into the office. ¡°Hm? Did you leave something¡­ Oh! It¡¯s you!¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face brightened when he saw Seo Jun-Hoing in. ¡°Hey. Why are you ordering around my secretary?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked with narrowed eyes. ¡°What? I haven¡¯t seen you in three months, dude.¡± ¡°Secretary Cha told me that you asked her to help with some documents.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Shim Deok-Gu caught on and nodded. He recalled her request to keep her resignation a secret. ¡°You weren¡¯t pushing her around while I was gone, were you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked again. ¡°No. It was time-sensitive, so I just asked for her help,¡± Shim Deok-Gu responded. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine then.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. Shim Deok-Gu must have been dying to ask him questions because he started asking nonstop. ¡°How was the Gate? Since it took you three months in the real world, was it a lot longer inside?¡± ¡°It was almost four months.¡± ¡°Wow, it must¡¯ve been hard.¡± He could tell because of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shaggy beard and hair. Shim Deok-Gu looked around and asked, ¡°Is the Frost Queen...I mean, is Frost Queen-nim not here today?¡± ¡°She¡¯s watching movies at home,¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded. ¡°...How interesting. She likes to watch TV?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all she ever does. All day.¡± He spoke like a parent and sighed as he tapped his Vita. ¡°I came to say hi, and to give you these.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Shim Deok-Gu studied the six hologram files before him. ¡°History of Religions...Frontier Monsters...Important Families and Nobles¡­?¡± He casually flipped through the files before suddenly realizing what he was looking at. He began to look through the documents faster, and checked all six files before asking, ¡°What the hell is this?¡± ¡°Out of alllll~ the guilds, these are copies of reports from the six amazing, greatest, legendary Guilds.¡± ¡°Wait, this is from the Big 6?! Why did they give you all this?¡± ¡°Huh? Did I not tell you?¡± Thinking back, it seemed like Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t told him about it yet, so he began exining the contract he had made with the Big 6. ¡°...Wow, you sneaky bastard. I bet you¡¯d be able to sell even hand warmers in the desert.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯d sell ice cream in Antarctica too.¡± He jutted his chin toward the hologram. Shim Deok-Gu sighed when he was done skimming them. ¡°I thought that we¡¯d caught up with them, but it turns out that we still have a long way to go.¡± ¡°Well, at least you have a concrete goal. That¡¯ll keep you motivated. How¡¯s the Association doing?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been recruiting yers on the 2nd floor, and we¡¯ve reorganized our information structure.¡± ¡°Good. A different approach could be better. How is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s whatever. Just like most of the other Guilds, we¡¯re raising our strength in the remote areas. Well¡­ All the main cities have been taken over, so it¡¯s a bit of a hindrance.¡± He sounded frustrated; things didn¡¯t seem to be going the way he wanted. ¡°Well, they¡¯ve been at it for 25 years. We can¡¯t catch up in one day.¡± If they wanted to, they would have to achieve something great enough to make up for the lost time. ¡°We could make a big contribution to a war¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. The Empire controls most of the Frontier. It doesn¡¯t have any enemies.¡± ¡°You never know.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. His face was strangely serious as he leaned in. ¡°Deok-Gu. I¡¯m going to the 2nd floor in a week.¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± Shim Deok-Gu swallowed. He knew this would happen since the day his friend woke up and decided to be a yer again. But he still couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit sad. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If I had just managed to expand our influence a bit...We¡¯d be able to support you on the 2nd floor.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done enough for me already.¡± Seo Jun-Ho meant it. If Shim Deok-Gu hadn¡¯t pushed him physically and mentally and hadn¡¯t helped him as much as he had done, it would have been much harder for him to return. ¡°Thanks to you, I have a new reputation and a new yer license. You gave me all that equipment and a t. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to grow this fast if it weren¡¯t for you. Your support was more than I could ever ask for.¡± ¡°Bastard¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s chest tightened. His friend was going to fight in a ce he couldn¡¯t reach. It would be a lonely journey since he didn¡¯t even have his formerrades as they were still frozen solid. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. And if I meet Arthur, I¡¯ll tell him the news.¡± ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Take this.¡± As soon as Gilberto¡¯s one and only son came up, Shim Deok-Gu pulled out a piece of paper. On it was an unfamiliar town and address. ¡°This is where he lives. Go find him and help him out, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oooh, thanks.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took it into his hands. ¡°But¡­ Are you going to go to him as Seo Jun-Ho, or as Specter?¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± It was a good question. The 5 Heroes and Shim Deok-Gu had all cared for Arthur, but he had only been three years old back then. ¡°...He probably won¡¯t even remember my face, right?¡± ¡°If he could, he would¡¯ve contacted you already. You¡¯re always on the news.¡± ¡°True.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the memo. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°Do what you think is best.¡± Their conversation ended there, and Seo Jun-Ho stood. ¡°I¡¯m off. I have to memorize all the information the Big 6 gave me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not seeing you out.¡± Shim Deok-Gu waved his hand. Seo Jun-Ho exited the office and went not to the 77th floor, but down to the 1st floor to buy some energy drinks and onigiri. He would need something to help him get through the night. *** A man sat on the roof of a building as he downed his bread and milk. He wore a thick hoodie as he looked out into the Seoul nightscape. ¡°...¡± To be exact, he was looking at the entrance to the yer Association building, 5 kilometers away. The man with keen eyesight was none other than Kal Signer. ¡°Dammit, I already checked that he left the Gate.¡± Last night, the inte had exploded with the news that Seo Jun-Ho managed to clear the Gate and was now back in the Association. Of course, Kal Signer had been suspicious at first. He questioned whether it was fake but once he saw photographic proof, he became certain. Ever since then, he had been waiting on the roof. ¡®I looked all over while he was gone for three months. This is the best location.¡¯ Once Seo Jun-Ho left the building, he would see hime out almost immediately. ¡°Dammit¡­¡± Kal Signer scowled. He hadn¡¯t been living like a human for thest few months, so he was filthy all over and was carrying with him a horrible stench. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Unlike the Frontier, he couldn¡¯t go about as he pleased, especially in a country with so many CCTVs like Korea. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho¡­ If I can just catch him¡­¡± He would be able to live a luxurious life as a fiend once again. Longing for that life, he waited for Seo Jun-Ho to leave the building. Just as it became night and the temperature had started to drop and just as his skin tingled¡­ ¡°Finally.¡± His eyes filled with joy. He had imagined this scene ying out in his dreams countless times. Seo Jun-Ho. His target stepped out of the building with a mask on. ¡°You can¡¯t fool my eyes with such a weak disguise.¡± He cackled as he leaped off the roof. He started running toward Seo Jun-Ho. *** ¡°That¡¯ll be 19,400 won.¡± ¡°How much are the Sweet ¡®n Sours?¡±[1] ¡°1,000 won.¡± ¡°Geez, intion went up a lot.¡± He bought the candy and walked out of the convenience store. A stray cat near the entrance looked up at him with big eyes, purring. ¡°I didn¡¯t get anything for you.¡± As soon as he said that, it sauntered away into an alley. ¡°Even the cats are smart nowadays.¡± He smiled and turned back toward the Association. Suddenly, he heard a cat¡¯s scream. ¡°...?¡± He turned around and tapped his Vita as he walked toward the alley. He used the shlight app to scan the area. Blood! The cat was trembling on the ground as it bled out. When he ran toward it, he sensed someone''s presence behind him. Shing! He pulled out ck Dragon Fang in an instant and pointed it at the stranger. ¡°Woah, woah, woah, calm down.¡± The man was wearing a thick hood, and his voice was neutral. There was a stench around him, but his movements were light. ¡®He¡¯s a yer. A strong one at that.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. A dark alleyway with a bleeding cat, and a suspicious person that was blocking the way. There was only one reason why this was happening. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Wow, you catch on quick. You¡¯re not like the other newbies.¡± The man chuckled as a blood-red and maroonrge bow appeared in his hands. ¡°Shall we go somewhere more suitable? I don¡¯t think you want to fight here either.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho pulled out a potion from his inventory and poured it on the cat. It didn¡¯t heal itpletely, but the cat purred before running away in the opposite direction. He turned back to the stranger. ¡°Final Horizon. It was originally meant for sniping.¡± ¡°Impressive.¡± The man, Kal Signer, seemed amused. He didn¡¯t think that any 1st floor yer, let alone Seo Jun-Ho, would recognize his weapon. ¡°As the name implies, it¡¯s a Unique-grade bow that can hit a target at the end of the horizon¡­ You must have made a mistake. You can¡¯t create enough distance, and you appeared right in front of your opponent.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯d normally be correct.¡± It would be stupid to do that if the enemy was as strong as he was. But Kal Signer thought that he would be able to beat the likes of Seo Jun-Ho even in closebat. As such, Kal Signer jutted his chin. ¡°You should move while I¡¯m being nice. If you don¡¯t want other people to die, that is.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be good for himself either. It wouldn¡¯t matter if his mission was to kill Seo Jun-Ho, but he was supposed to capture him. ¡°...¡± It was strange that the notorious Kal Signer was making such a proposal. There must be a reason why he couldn¡¯t attack carelessly. ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s inventory hummed as if one of the weapons inside wasughing. ¡®I think I¡¯ll be able to fulfill my promise faster than I thought, Tushar Vishi.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho lowered his sword. ¡°Lead the way. I¡¯ll let you choose your grave.¡± ¡°Hah. Follow me.¡± Kal Signer snorted before dashing forward. Seo Jun-Ho closely followed. 1. Korean candy simr to ¡®Now and Later¡¯ or ¡®hi-chew¡¯ ? Chapter 92. Midnight Visitor (2)

Chapter 92. Midnight Visitor (2)

Seoul glowed with fluorescent lights and flickering signs. Two men were running and leaping across rooftops as the moon shone down upon them. Kal Signer kept looking behind him to make sure Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t trying to escape. ¡®...This is unexpected.¡¯ His face soured as he faced forward again. Seo Jun-Ho was following him much better than he had expected. ¡®I thought I¡¯d need to slow down for him, but I suppose I don¡¯t need to.¡¯ There were two ways this could go. Either he had underestimated him, or Seo Jun-Ho was wearing himself out while trying to keep up. ¡®Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s thetter.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s posture, steps, and even breaths were enough to tell him as much. ¡®Well, he broke Specter¡¯s record after all. He also has a star, which is a prerequisite for joining the Nine Heavens. I shouldn¡¯t let my guard down.¡¯ After clearing the Winter Castle, he had be the only yer on the 1st floor to get a star.[1] But Kal Signer thought that Seo Jun-Ho was foolish for trying to make him nervous. No matter how talented he might be, Seo Jun-Ho would be the one fighting for his life. ¡®The hardware¡¯s good, but his software¡¯scking.¡¯ Dealing with people like him was like taking candy from a baby. After all, he was Kal Signer. He had killed countless yers. He was the infamous Demon Bow. ¡°This is good enough.¡± They had left the city behind for a secluded area about halfway up a mountain.[2] Kal Signer turned around and said, ¡°You¡¯re impressive.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°First of all, you didn¡¯t try to run away and followed me until the end. Second, you didn¡¯t try anything stupid.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I was watching you the whole time to make sure you wouldn¡¯t contact other yers through your Vita.¡± ¡°Were you scared that I¡¯d ring some friends up?¡± ¡°Of course not. I just didn¡¯t want things to be more troublesome.¡± Kal Signer reached into his inventory and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two choices. You can eithere quietly and let me put these magic-blocking cuffs on you or¡­¡± He released a tiny amount of magic from inside his body. Wooosh! A powerful gust blew, kicking up dirt and bending not only the branches but a nearby tree itself. The simple act of releasing magic twisted the area around him. This was the power of a level 100 Ranker. ¡°You¡¯lle with me with your legs cut off, crawling like a dog.¡± ¡°Where are you nning to take me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I don¡¯t need to answer. Choose.¡± Kal Signer stared sharply at Seo Jun-Ho, leaving no room forpromise. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a second and held up three fingers. ¡°I like the third option the best.¡± ¡°There are only two choices. There is no third.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because your brain¡¯s too small to see it.¡± Kal Signer raised an eyebrow, annoyed. He let out a resigned sigh and put the handcuffs away into his inventory. ¡°Humans are so pitiful. They always need sense beaten into them. So what would the third option be?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re in a remote mountain. I¡¯ll just bury you here.¡± ¡°Hmph, your imagination¡¯s quite good.¡± Kal Signer snorted before he began moving his hands. Ffft! In the blink of an eye, six arrows had been fired at Seo Jun-Ho. Kal Signer lowered his bow. He didn¡¯t need to look at the results. ¡®There¡¯s no way he could dodge or block those arrows.¡¯ He opened his inventory again, getting ready to leave. No matter how remote this area was, he had to be careful about letting Seo Jun-Ho scream. But he had been mistaken. His expectations didn¡¯t ur. ng! Seo Jun-Ho had cut every single arrow with ck Dragon Fang. Cut perfectly in half, twelve fragmentsid on the ground. ¡°...!¡± Kal Signer was frozen in shock. He looked down at the broken arrows. ¡°...Well, he does have a star.¡± Before, Kal Signer had thought that Seo Jun-Ho was just a lucky newbie. But that had changed once he met him in person. He was lucky and skilled. That was how Signer had judged him about half an hour ago, but he revised his opinion once more. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s say that it was possible for him to follow me.¡¯ Kal Signer hadn¡¯t been using his full power, so it was possible. But cutting down his arrows was apletely different story. ¡®...Is this possible with luck alone?¡¯ No. No matter how hard he thought about it, it was impossible. Kal Signer shook his head. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Yet the impossible had happened right before his eyes. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± He was so dumbfounded that he started to cackle. ¡°What are you?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask after witnessing such an intriguing event. To his knowledge, no such person could exist. ¡®It hasn¡¯t even been a year since he debuted and¡­ he was able to cut down my arrows? Me, the Demon Bow Kal Signer¡¯s arrows?¡¯ And six of them at that? ¡°Well, I get why you¡¯re confused,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, unconcerned. It probably wouldn¡¯t make sense to him. After all, humans all had the same fundamental limits. They couldn¡¯t fly like birds. They eat when they were hungry. They would die if they didn¡¯t breathe. This wasmon sense¡ªsomething that all humans know. ¡°I probably broke your reality.¡± Kal Signer¡¯s understanding ofmon sense was starting to fall apart. Not just hismon sense, but everyone¡¯smon sense. Everyone knew that a level 30 yer couldn¡¯t defeat a level 100 yer. But right now, that understanding was crumbling like a sandcastle. ¡°What can you do? There are things in this world that surpassmon sense.¡± Seo Jun-Ho patted his chest. ¡°Like me.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Signer let out a short sigh and nodded. ¡°I acknowledge my mistake. You¡¯re talented. You broke Specter¡¯s record and even cleared a 1-star Gate alone. Your skill is great and undeniable.¡± There was probably no one on the 1st floor who was stronger than Seo Jun-Ho. If he went up to the 2nd floor, he would grow even faster. He had the potential to be a High Ranker. And if, by chance, he was stronger than what Kal Signer thought right now¡­ ¡°...Nine Heavens. You could join their ranks and stand shoulder to shoulder with them.¡± Kal Signer didn¡¯t want to admit it, but that was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ¡®potential¡¯ and ¡®possibility.¡¯ ¡®What a waste.¡¯ Kal Signer was truly regretful. In the end, Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t be given the chance to grow and bloom. ¡°If only you hadn¡¯t gone to Las Vegas¡­¡± His bright future would still be in front of him. ¡°This will hurt, but I won¡¯t kill you.¡± With that short warning, Kal Signer released his magic, bringing a powerful gust that blew his hood back and whipped his hair. Woosh! ¡®Is he gonna infuse the arrows with magic?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho raised ck Dragon Fang and his grip tightened. No matter what kind of attack it was, he was ready to receive it. Kal Signer whispered as he drew his bowstring. ¡°Rip him to shreds, darters.¡±[3] Ffft! Twelve arrows flew toward him in the blink of an eye, and Seo Jun-Ho swung his sword to cut them down. Woosh! ¡°...?!¡± The arrows dodged his strikes. They changed directions as if they were alive. Woosh woosh! They swam through the air like fish in the ocean. ¡®I see. Darters...They¡¯re fish arrows?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had to admit that it was an impressive technique. Of course, the arrows weren¡¯t actually alive. ¡®Kal Signer must be controlling them carefully with his magic.¡¯ But Kal Signer drew his bowstring once more. ¡°Wee to my ocean.¡± He fired twelve more arrows. There were now a total of twenty-four arrows in the air. At the same time, Kal Signer¡¯s magic seemed to have be even thicker in the surroundings. ¡®...It¡¯s heavy.¡¯ As Kal Signer¡¯s magic pressed him down, it really seemed like he was in the ocean. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes started to quickly nce around. ¡®Dammit, they¡¯re all over the ce.¡¯ When fighting an archer, you usually only needed to focus on the direction the arrow wasing from and the straight line it followed. But the Demon Bow¡¯s arrows were different. ¡®The arrows are attacking from all directions imaginable.¡¯ Front, back, side, bottom, top. An attack was possible from any direction imaginable by a human. And that wasn¡¯t all. Whoosh! Auras started to spin around each arrowhead. If he was hit in the arm by one arrow, it would rip right through his shoulder. ¡®They¡¯re fast too.¡¯ Woosh! As if a sports car was zooming by, the air screamed every time an arrow zipped through the air. ¡°No matter how beautiful a flower is, it doesn¡¯t matter if it never blooms.¡± It was the same for potential. No matter how talented Seo Jun-Ho was, he was still a mere sprout. ¡°Since I¡¯ve taught you a lesson, I¡¯ll take those legs in exchange.¡± The darters all shot at him at once. ¡®Booster!¡¯ The heat from his body caused the cool mountain air to grow hot and at the same time, Seo Jun-Ho began his sword dance. He moved slower than usual because of the disturbance in his magic. ng, ng. The arrows pushed him and his sword back. But he didn¡¯t let his concentration break and continued to sh at every darter that came at him. ¡®Faster.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho quickly adjusted to the speed of Kal Signer¡¯s attack. Even though the darters were fast, so was his sword. ¡®Not enough. Faster.¡¯ The darters were relentless in their chase, and they wereing at him from ten different directions. ¡°Hup!¡± Seo Jun-Ho threw his body forward and rolled on the ground before hiding behind the nearby trees as he took them out, but he continued to grow faster. ¡®Faster. Faster. Faster.¡¯ His eyes started to glow. He believed that he had reached his peak condition. At that moment¡­ ng! He struck an arrow down. The darter ripped through the mountain and created a small crater when it struck the bottom. The scene looked as if a dragon had collided against the mountain. ¡°...He hit it?¡± Kal Signer scowled. He looked down at his hand. ¡®Am I unconsciously going too easy on him?¡¯ No, that wasn¡¯t it. He was using his full power to try and cut off Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s legs. ¡®Then how?¡¯ He was confused. Seo Jun-Ho was talented, but so was he. Not only that but Kal Signer¡¯s skills had already bloomed. ¡®But...I can¡¯t hit him.¡¯ Usually, the darters would tear through their target like a piranha, but now, they were being cut apart. If his arrows were fish, then Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword was a shark. Now that he got the hang of it, he started to rampage through the arrows. Every time he swung his sword, the darters would fall to the ground in pieces, and Kal Signer couldn¡¯t infuse his magic into broken arrows. ¡®They¡¯re decreasing.¡¯ The fish in the sky were starting to fall, one by one. Kal Signer couldn¡¯t do anything but stare at the sky in a daze until only one was left. Swish! The remaining one was also felled. ¡°...¡± Kal Signer was stunned. He felt as if he had just woken up from a dream, or as if he was drunk and dizzy. ¡°...I see.¡± He eventually nodded at Seo Jun-Ho, who was breathing heavily. ¡°You¡¯re not lucky, nor are you a rookie.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was a yer. On top of that, he wasn¡¯t a yer that Kal Signer could kill whenever he wanted. No, Seo Jun-Ho was a yer that Kal Signer had to risk his life to kill. ¡°...It¡¯s been too long. My senses have dulled.¡± Kal Signer closed his eyes. It had been over half a year since he have had a proper battle because Kim Woo-Joong was chasing him. As a result, his skills had gotten rusty. ¡®But it¡¯s a good thing.¡¯ Fortunately, he realized it before it was toote. Kal Signer decided to let go of all the arrogance and preconception he had against Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...¡± When he opened his eyes again, they burned crimson. Seo Jun-Ho had never seen eyes that were so blood-red. ¡®Is this¡­ the power of the Demon Bow, the symbol of fear on the 2nd floor?¡¯ He swallowed. All the magic within Signer had changed into demonic energy. The feeling made him shiver. ¡®Damn. Was I too arrogant?¡¯ The magic storm had disappeared, but that only made him even more nervous. The wind sounded dangerous, but the truly powerful storms were silent. ¡°You should feel honored.¡± Kal Signer drew Final Horizon. ¡°Storm Dragon¡¯s Arrow.¡± When he let go of the bowstring, a ferocious dragon swallowed the earth around them. 1. He¡¯s talking about how Jun-Ho cleared a 1-star Gate ? 2. In case you don¡¯t know, Korea is very mountainous ? 3. A type of freshwater fish. The hanja literally reads as ¡®arrow fish¡¯ ? Chapter 93. Midnight Visitor (3)

Chapter 93. Midnight Visitor (3)

The first thought that Seo Jun-Ho had when he saw the dragon flying toward him was whether to dodge or not. Kal Signer might not know, but the fact that he even considered it was impressive. ¡®...No, I can¡¯t.¡¯ But Seo Jun-Ho quickly realized that he couldn¡¯t dodge as the Storm Dragon flew closer and closer. ¡®It¡¯s too fast. Even if I move now, I¡¯ll get hit in one of my arms and legs.¡¯ This meant that he had to block the powerful attack. But how? Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, but he already knew the answer. ¡®I¡¯m an idiot.¡¯ He had been too careless. His stats were like a level 100 yer, and after he cleared the Cave of Trials and the Proof of Knighthood, he had gotten too cocky. ¡®Get it together, Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ He was no longer the strongest person in the world, and he wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that. But deep down, he must have been clinging to the glory of the past. ¡®How could I defeat a High Ranker without even using my full strength?¡¯ He already had two skills that no one else had: Watchguard of Darkness and Frost. But he wanted to defeat the Demon Bow without them? ¡®I really have to get it together. I was way too reckless and arrogant.¡¯ He acknowledged his arrogance and felt ashamed for showing such a weak side to a formidable opponent. ¡°...Phew.¡± He looked past the Storm Dragon and stared at the fiend with a dark expression and burning eyes. ¡®He¡¯s trying his best to kill me¡­¡¯ The weaker party between the two had underestimated the stronger one. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at himself. His magic burst out as he raised his hand. His current magic stat was 150. It had been 183 when he was Specter. Since his magic stat was now close to his previous stat as Specter, it was overwhelmingly powerful. ¡°Explode.¡± All the magic within him released at once, creating hundreds of icicles. Craaaaack. It was more than enough to shred Kal Signer¡¯s dragon into pieces. ¡°...?!¡± Signer¡¯s face fell as he felt the heavy surge of magic. Something was wrong. Stab stab. Then hundreds of icicles dug into the dragon¡¯s body before he could even shout. ¡°...Ice?¡± he whispered in a daze, staring up at the spikes floating in the air. He finally processed what had happened. ¡®The Storm Dragon¡¯s Arrow...Exploded? Why is there ice?¡¯ His questions only brought on more questions before he finally arrived at the answer. ¡°...No way. Really?¡± Seo Jun-Ho had been hiding his abilities. There was no other exnation for this. What was more shocking was that Seo Jun-Ho was able to shatter his most powerful technique. ¡°Impossible¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. In the span of an hour, he saw too many things that were impossible. But first, he had toplete his mission. ¡®I have to make use of an archer¡¯s characteristics.¡¯ He felt pathetic, but it would be dangerous to continue to face Seo Jun-Ho directly like this. ¡®I have to put some distance between us.¡¯ Kal Signer turned around and started to run. Seeing the Demon Bow running away from a level 34 newbie would be aedic scene for any other yer. ¡®Is he trying to create distance?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched him flee. It was obvious, but he had no intention of letting Kal Signer go like this. ¡®Archers are harder to deal with when they¡¯re further away.¡¯ It would even be more difficult now that his enemy was the Demon Bow. If he couldn¡¯t reach him in time, he would be sniped after swatting away the arrows. ¡°Curtain of Darkness.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gripped his fist and darkness covered them both. ¡°...!¡± Kal Signer was caught by surprise and whipped around. There was nowhere to run in this world that had been swallowed by darkness. ¡°I can just cut through it!¡± He pulled out a sword from his inventory and infused it with demonic energy before he shed at the curtain. It made a loud ripping sound as if cutting through leather, but it didn¡¯t leave a single scratch. ¡°It¡¯s no use. I didn¡¯t make it easy to escape.¡± Kal Signer turned around at the sound of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice, ring. ¡°Who are you?¡± He could understand the ice skill. In fact, he thought that it was better that way. ¡®It makes more sense that he had been hiding a skill than it being some unexinable power.¡¯ Kal Signer even let out a sigh of relief when Seo Jun-Ho used it because it meant that he had been pushed into a corner. He was confident that he would be able to kill thetter if he could just create distance between them. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Two elements? The ice element was rare enough, but the darkness almost made him yelp in surprise. ¡®The Fiend Association has been trying for decades to create it¡­¡¯ They had even created Paradise to try to reproduce it unsessfully. ¡°Who are you? What are you nning?¡± Kal Signer judged that Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t working alone because it was impossible for one person to have two elemental skills, let alone the fact that one was ice and the other was darkness. Even if the world had to rebuilt again, it was impossible. ¡°I already told you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had told him that there were things in the world that surpassedmon sense and that he was one of them. Despite his words, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t feeling all too happy. ¡°If possible, I just wanted to use Frost.¡± He originally didn¡¯t want to leave any traces of Specter since it was possible that there was a skill that could discover his identity. ¡°But what can I do?¡± He had already revealed his skill. There was only one thing left to do¡ªhe had to kill Kal Signer here. ¡°I can¡¯t let a witness live.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes were cold enough to make even the fiend, who had ovee countless life-or-death situations, shiver. ¡°So you won¡¯t tell me what you are?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only fair. You wouldn¡¯t even tell me where you were going to take me.¡± ¡°...Fine. I¡¯ll make you talk.¡± Kal Signer pulled out a new bow from his inventory. As he drew the string back, dozens of arrows formed, they were filled with demonic energy. ¡°Rain Arrows!¡± Ffft! As they shot into the air, the arrows came down in a downpour, multiplying into the thousands in the blink of an eye. ¡°No matter how fast you are, you can¡¯t dodge the rain.¡± Clothes would be wet even with a sprinkle of rain. The arrows he used weren¡¯t tenacious like the darters, nor were they fierce like the Storm Dragon. They were just normal arrows infused with demonic energy, but there were thousands of them. ¡®He¡¯ll be able to block it if he focuses on defense, but he won¡¯t be able to reach me if he does that.¡¯ In other words, Kal Signer was buying time to prepare for a big attack. ¡®The Storm Dragon''s Arrow didn¡¯t work¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t have a technique that was stronger than that. His next attack would have to be a primitive onught. ¡°Open inventory.¡± Kal Signer¡¯s second nickname was the Collector. Bows, crossbows, ballistas, and even automatic canons filled the air. Every type of arrow-wielding weapon surrounded him, numbering 142 in total. ¡°If I can¡¯t kill you with a technique, I¡¯ll overwhelm you with numbers.¡± Kal Signer steeled himself as his face scrunched in pain. 142 bowstrings were slowly being pulled back. ¡°I¡¯ll finish this with one strike.¡± *** ¡®Shit. How many damned arrows?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he looked up at the sky. Tututututu The sound of the multiplying arrows sounded like rain. ¡®He¡¯s trying to corner me.¡¯ It was obviously a distraction. Kal Signer¡¯s weapons caught Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eye. ¡°So is this how the Collector fights?¡± He sighed, his back was covered in cold sweat. There was no way for him to know what kind of effect each of those weapons had. ¡®The bow that he just used had the ability to multiply its arrows.¡¯ Which meant that there were over a hundred weapons with simr skills he didn¡¯t know of. The best way to deal with this would be to kill Signer before the weapons were fired. ¡°Booster,¡± he whispered. Wooooing. His body was already as hot as coals. If this took too long, his brain would get fried before he could even reach his enemy. ¡®But I don¡¯t have enough time to block all the arrows first.¡¯ Kal Signer had the advantage of time. Seo Jun-Ho had to reach him no matter what. But if he dashed forward without a n, thousands of arrows would pierce through him until he resembled a porcupine. He had to run forward while blocking them at the same time. As soon as he kicked off the ground, he left a mirage behind as he shot forward. Thud thud thud. Immediately, the sound of arrows hitting his head was heard. But they weren¡¯t actually piercing through his head. ¡®Please, hold¡­!¡¯ It was an ice shield. Thousands of arrows fell on his ice shield that he was using to cover his body. Crack! But it started to crack after it received a few dozen arrows filled with demonic energy. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth, but he didn¡¯t let his concentration slip even as he continued to sprint forward. Right as it shattered, he created another shield with his free hand and covered his head with perfect timing so that not a single arrow got through. ¡°You fucking monster!¡± Kal Signer cursed at that. His usually smug face slowly showed unease as Seo Jun-Ho came closer and closer to him. ¡®Dammit, I¡¯m not ready yet¡­¡¯ If he had 10, no, 7 seconds, he would be able to strike, but looking at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s speed, it looked like he would reach him in 5. ¡°Tsk.¡± In the end, Kal Signerpromised. Out of the 142 weapons, he would have to use the 72 that were ready. He felt like his head was about to explode from controlling so much demonic energy, but he closed his eyes and raised his hand. ¡°Die!¡± He had long forgotten about Nazad Hallow¡¯s order to bring Seo Jun-Ho alive. After all, if he went easy on Seo Jun-Ho now, he would die. When the arrows were released, it sounded like an entire army had fired them. They rained down like petals. ¡®Flower Rain.¡¯ It was a technique that covered the entire field with arrows. It looked beautiful from afar, but it looked like hell to its victims.[1] ¡°You can¡¯t block this.¡± All the bows in his collection were Rare and Unique, and they had the effects to match. Fire arrows, illusory arrows, exploding arrows, and even arrows that ignored defense¡­ A single ability was already difficult to deal with, and there were 72 of them. There were hundreds of arrows falling from above and hundreds of arrows with special abilities in the front. It was a catch-22; there was no escape. ¡°Not even your corpse will remain.¡± Kal Signer smiled wickedly. He looked at Seo Jun-Ho, expecting his face to be dark with despair. ¡°...What?¡± His face fell. ¡°Why...Why are you smiling?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was smiling wickedly just like him. He stood straight and readied his body as he looked up at the arrows. His magic wavered and wrapped around him like yarn. ¡®I was waiting for this.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t use the skill carelessly because it consumed so much magic. As such, he hadn¡¯t used it yet in this battle. He waited for the moment when Kal Signer thought that he was dead, and when he let his guard down. ¡°Shadow Step.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body melted into the darkness. 1. Lit. name is ¡®filled sky flower rain¡¯ ? Chapter 94. Midnight Visitor (4)

Chapter 94. Midnight Visitor (4)

Like Teleport, Shadow Step consumed a lot of magic because it allowed him to cross through space. ¡®There is a corrtion between Shadow Step and surprise attacks.¡¯ As with other surprise attacks, it couldn¡¯t be used twice. But on the other hand, that meant that it was extremely effective the first time. ¡®This is my stage.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho and Kal Signer were currently fighting inside the Curtain of Darkness¡ªthe darkness around him gave him plenty of ces to go. ¡®Like right now.¡¯ As Curtain of Darkness started to unravel, Seo Jun-Ho moved and reappeared right behind Kal Signer. He thrust ck Dragon Fang toward his unguarded heart. But Kal Signer sensed his presence and turned around, blocking the attack with his hand. ¡°...!¡± It didn¡¯t pierce through Kal Signer¡¯s heart but cut through his wrist. However, he didn¡¯t scream. In fact, he held out his injured arm toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Does he not know that he was hit?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s reaction was slow. He didn¡¯t expect that there would be any danger because he had already cut off thetter¡¯s hand. ¡°...!¡± But shockingly, a red hand emerged from the stump of the severed arm. ¡°The fucking demon n techniques!¡± Arge, sharp fingertip shredded through the space where Seo Jun-Ho had just been standing. He barely managed to dodge by rolling on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m surprised. I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d be able to make this kind of ambush.¡± Kal Signer stepped away from Curtain of Darkness. He studied his hand on the floor and made a face. ¡°Tsk. It¡¯ll take at least a month for my hand to bepletely restored.¡± In order to be a fiend, you had to drink the blood of a demon. Most fiends drank the demon ns¡¯ blood by diluting it with water. There would be less chance of dying that way, but the amount of power they could acquire was also limited. But asionally, there were those that had nothing to lose and would do anything for power. They would gulp down the pure, undiluted blood of the demons. ¡®And of course, only about two in ten survives.¡¯ Of the few that survived, there was an even smaller amount who werepatible with the blood and wouldn¡¯t experience any side effects. Moreover, those who were chosen could use special skills and techniques from the owner of the blood they drank. ¡°Did you drink the blood of a High Vampire or something?¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Nope. I like sunlight, you see,¡± Kal Signer lightly replied. His weapons aimed at Seo Jun-Ho once more. ¡°Seeing as you didn¡¯t use that teleporting skill from the beginning, I assume that ites with a heavy price.¡± ¡®Clever bastard.¡¯ Kal Signer had skillfully grasped the weakness of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skill. ¡°Ah, and of course, I can¡¯t get closer to that wall of darkness either.¡± Kal Signer took another step back and prepared his demonic energy. ¡°This time, you¡¯ll die for real.¡± ¡°I feel like your attitude has changed a bit? I thought that you were just going to kidnap me.¡± ¡°Of course. If you¡¯ll let me put you in these handcuffs, I¡¯ll spare you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave him the middle finger. ¡°Kekeke.¡± Kal Signerughed as he loaded his weapons. ¡°That¡¯s why you should¡¯ve hit me here,¡± he said, tapping on his chest and neck. ¡°Not my wrist.¡± ¡°Hup!¡± Seo Jun-Ho sprinted toward him. Now that his ambush had failed, there was no other option but to face him directly. ¡°Haaa¡­ It seems that you don¡¯t value your life.¡± Ffft! Woosh! Bang! Arrows, bolts, and other projectiles rained down on Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Focus.¡¯ He had to focus, but it was getting harder to do so as Booster¡¯s time limit approached. ¡®Focus¡­!¡¯ His head felt like it was on fire. If possible, he wanted to cut open his head and pour in cont. ¡°Die!¡± Kal Signer¡¯s scream pierced through his ears. Seo Jun-Ho sliced through an arrow with his sword, but he had already been hit on his left shoulder and twice in his right thigh. Swish! Swish! He sliced through three more arrows and two ballistas, but he was forcibly slowed down as an arrow pierced through his right forearm. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± He gnashed his teeth and ran harder as the two started to get closer. ¡°Die, die, die! I said die!¡± Kal Signer¡¯s voice grew louder as Seo Jun-Ho approached. Why wasn¡¯t he dying? How was he running even after being hit with this downpour of arrows? Even if he was wearing armor, how could he keep moving after getting hit so much? A part of Kal Signer¡¯s mind began to feel unease. ¡®Is he¡­going to break through?¡¯ It was impossible but Kal Signer trembled. He sensed the danger and created a more powerful arrow by condensing his demonic energy. With that, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t get any closer. He could only stand and swing his ck Dragon Fang like a baseball bat. ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­¡± He was out of breath. His breath felt cold against the roof of his mouth as pain shot through his entire body, but he didn¡¯t let go of his sword. The attacks were stilling, after all. Bang! He swung his weapon like a bat to hit a ballista. It flew far away, only to explode as it hit the ground. Swish! He cut through an arrow, and the electricity coursing through it electrocuted him. Puk! An arrow pierced through his stomach. It must have had the ability to ignore defenses because it prated ck Armor like butter. ¡°Ha¡­ Hahaha, that¡¯s right.¡± Kal Signer¡¯s lips twitched into an awkward smile as he felt relieved. Three meters. Seo Jun-Ho fell to his knees, only three meters away from him. ¡°...Are you finally done?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s breath was shallow as he replied, ¡°That¡¯s...a death g...bitch.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sprung forward. With his sword raised, he crossed the distance in an instant. ¡°Kugh!¡± Kal Signer grunted as he held out his left hand, but he used the other to grab Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s throat. There was a loud crack as he broke thetter¡¯s neck. ¡®Finally¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was dead. He had killed him. Kal Signer grinned, full of relief. ¡°That was your wrist, you dumbass.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cold voice echoed in his ear. ¡°Wha¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a sharp ice sword pierced through his heart. ¡°Gah!¡± ck blood spilled from his lips. His hand trembled as he brought his hand to his chest. The blood was warm in his hand, hot enough for it to turn into steam, but all he felt in his body was coldness. He staggered as he grabbed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cor and vomited blood all over him. His eyes were bloodshot with resentment. Bang! Bang! Bang! An automatic ballista fired at Seo Jun-Ho, but he didn¡¯t look away. ¡°Clean it up, Watchguard.¡± The darkness seemed to burn as it formed the shape of wolves. They growled as they bared their teeth and crunched through the weapons. Signer¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Watchguard...of Darkness?¡± Why was it that he hadn¡¯t noticed? How could he not know about the man who had dominated an era and was still recognized as a legend¡ªSpecter? Even with a bloody mouth, he started tough uncontrobly. ¡°Hahaha! Ha! Cough!¡± Even as blood spurted from his lips, he didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Ahahaha! You have the whole world fooled!¡± They had beenpletely fooled. Who would have thought that Seo Jun-Ho and Specter were the same person? ¡°I¡¯m...satisfied¡­¡± He had finally discovered Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s true identity. As his curiosity was satisfied, life quickly started to fade from his eyes, but he needed to know onest thing before he died. ¡°You¡­ What are you nning?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho crouched down and whispered in his ear. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. You¡¯re gonna die soon anyway.¡± Crack! He twisted his hand, and the ice sword shattered inside him, filling Kal Signer with unfathomable pain as his heart was shattered into pieces. His body bent backward like a bow as he started to convulse. His eyes stared at the sky. ¡®My dream¡­¡¯ He wanted to be one of the Heaven, no matter what he took, but he quickly realized that he didn¡¯t have the potential. ¡®I just want to see it onest time¡­¡¯ He wanted to see the star-studded night sky onest time but all he saw was the jet-ck Curtain of Darkness. ¡®There¡¯s¡­ nothing¡­¡¯ Kal Signer closed his eyes. Perhaps this scene was one that best expressed hisst moments. Once upon a time, he wanted to be the Tenth Heaven, and he had done everything possible to achieve his fleeting dream. But it had all been for naught. This was how he met his end. Thud. Kal Signer¡¯s arms went limp, and his head drooped. Seo Jun-Ho held him up, but once he felt Kal Signer growing limp and heavy, he dropped him to the ground. The Demon Bow rolled on the ground of this nameless mountain. Seo Jun-Ho finally released Curtain of Darkness and looked around. ¡°What a mess.¡± Forget andslide, it seemed like a natural disaster had urred. The area around them had beenpletely devastated, enough to change the terrain of thend. He didn¡¯t know if he would be able to erase their tracespletely. ¡°His memories first.¡± He didn¡¯t even have the strength to lift his finger, but Seo Jun-Ho sat down and activated Confession of the Dead. ¡°Shit, it¡¯s doing it again.¡± Most of the memories were locked because the skill rank was too low. He swallowed down his frustration and quickly looked for something useful. ¡ª You¡¯re the Demon Bow? Your skills aremendable. ¡ª From now on, you¡¯ll be in charge of a unit. Kill the hypocrites. ¡ª Mission? I have none. I steal if I want to steal, I kill if I want to kill. ¡ª I will follow you to the depths of hell. ¡ª Bring Seo Jun-Ho to me. After using it a few times, he had been able to look at the highlights and the projections quickly ended. ¡°I got it,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. He had found two useful things in Kal Signer¡¯s memories. First, he had verified the extent and the validity of Goblin¡¯s information since there were quite a few fiends in Kal Signer¡¯s memories. ¡®There aren¡¯t a lot of major fiends in Kal Signer¡¯s memories¡­ but there were many that were in Goblin¡¯s files.¡¯ They better stay quiet. If he ever met one of them, he would kill those scumbags without hesitation. ¡°And I¡¯ve got the location of the Fiend Association.¡± Kal Signer definitely knew where it was since he had been there multiple times. ¡°Tsk, if only the information wasn¡¯t locked¡­¡± Naturally, the information about the exact location was locked, but he was able to deduce the region by looking at the other memories. ¡®Schumern¡­ It¡¯s not a big city.¡¯ It was a small and cheerful city where many people lived, and Kal Signer had gone there whenever he had business with the Fiend Association. Seo Jun-Ho would be able to verify this once he went up to the 2nd floor. Other than that, there wasn¡¯t much else besides tidbits. The only thing that caught Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes was the fact that Kim Woo-Joong had been chasing him for months. ¡®That guy¡¯s really stubborn.¡¯ How could someone who was one of the Nine Heavens spend months chasing one person? ¡°It would be unwise to turn him into an enemy.¡± When he smiled, a message appeared in front of him. [Skill rank has increased from repeated use.] [Confession of the Dead (C) has evolved to Confession of the Dead (B).] ¡°Huh?!¡± He grinned. This meant that he would be able to get more information in the future. He tried to use it on Kal Signer again. [You have already read the target¡¯s memories.] However, he couldn¡¯t use it on thetter anymore. ¡°Can I not use it twice on the same target?¡± He sighed regretfully at this newfound information and turned his attention elsewhere. It was ridiculous, but he leveled up because of the skill rank increase. [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [All stats has increased by 2.] [You have recovered 4 speed stats.] [Stamina has increased by 2 due to Limit Breaker¡¯s effect.] Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the sky, tired. His body was heavy, but he felt exhrated. ¡°...I avenged you, Tushar Vishi.¡± He had finally carried out his promise. Now, he could rest. ¡°As for the cleanup¡­¡± It was impossible to do it alone, so he would probably have to ask Shim Deok-Gu for help. He moved his finger. ¡°Clean up the corpse.¡± Crunch crunch. Fang of Darkness consumed Kal Signer¡¯s body. Not a single drop of blood was left behind. ¡°This is the only spoil¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho picked up arge bow off the ground. It was the only thing that remained. The other weapons were destroyed when Fang of Darkness consumed the automatic weapons. ¡°If I knew this would happen, I would¡¯ve controlled it a little better. Oh, well.¡± He studied the crimson bow. [Final Horizon] Grade: Unique Force of arrow increased by 500% Arrow speed increased by 1000% When the bowstring is pulled all the way, the arrow can be shot to the end of the horizon. Use requirements: Level 40, 130 strength, 130 speed ¡°It¡¯s sturdy. That¡¯s why it didn¡¯t break.¡± He gave a dim smile and slowly stood up. He made his way here by running, but he definitely had to take a taxi back. ¡°Then shall I¡­¡± Just as he started to stagger up, all the hair on his body stood up. ¡°...!¡± His body moved on its own and crouched down. rms went off in his head, sensing something dangerous. He was jittery from the aftermath of the battle, but a powerful force froze him in ce. ¡°Certain scents can¡¯t be concealed no matter how you try.¡± A voice came from beneath the trees. It was that man. Seo Jun-Ho knew that the man was holding him in ce. ¡°Like the stench of fiends, or the Trace Incense.¡± It was a Unique-grade item that could let you find the target it was attached to no matter how far they went. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯de down to Earth. I had to wander for a while because the scent disappeared.¡± As the man ced his hand on the sheath of his sword, his magic pressed harder on Seo Jun-Ho. At that very moment, Seo Jun-Ho felt an immense pressure boring down on him. At the same time, it felt like there was a knife being held to his neck. ¡°...!¡± A figure stepped out from the shadow of the trees. ¡°Is that a disguise? Or an artifact? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± His eyes were emotionless. ¡°You can¡¯t run away this time, Kal Signer.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened. He didn¡¯t expect the man to mistake him for Kal Signer. After all, that man was very famous. ¡®Am I dreaming?¡¯ The man before him had many names. He was a swordmaster, the Vice Master of Silent Moon, and one of three yers who were Counts in the Ruben Empire. ¡°...The Seventh Heaven.¡± He was one of the Nine Heavens, the Sword Saint, Kim Woo-Joong. Chapter 95. Midnight Visitor (5)

Chapter 95. Midnight Visitor (5)

There were three things Seo Jun-Ho could say. 1. Wow! It¡¯s Kim Woo-Joong! 2. What brings you to this humble ce? 3. Um, I think there has been a misunderstanding. He chose the third one. ¡°Um, I¡ª¡± But before he could finish his sentence, he felt a sharp pain on his left cheek. ¡¯Dammit, he cut me.¡¯ He furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to look at the wound, but there was no blood. The cut was so clean that a normal person wouldn¡¯t even notice that it was there. ¡°You tricked mest time with that cunning tongue of yours. I won¡¯t make the same mistake twice.¡± ¡°This is insane.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked dumbfounded. He had almost died while trying to kill Kal Signer, and now he was up against the Sword Saint. Not only that, but the Sword Saint thought that he was a fiend. ¡®So this is how he felt.¡¯ He started to sympathize with Kal Signer¡¯s fear. He couldn¡¯t imagine what it was like to be chased by such a stubborn and terrifying person for months. ¡°I surrender.¡± Seo Jun-Ho immediately put his hands in the air. Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®...How did he move?¡¯ Thest time they met, Kal Signer hadn¡¯t been able to deal with the amount of magic he was exuding, but now he was moving like it was nothing. ¡®Had he gotten stronger since theyst met?¡¯ That was the only exnation. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. It changes nothing.¡¯ He stared down at his opponent coldly and pressed harder with his magic. ¡°It¡¯s not me.¡± ¡°...!¡± Kim Woo-Joong was taken by surprise. He had interrupted him before he could speak. The man continued when he noticed his shock. ¡°I killed Kal Signer.¡± ¡°Lies.¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s face darkened. After fighting against him, he knew that Kal Signer was much weaker than him, but he wasn¡¯t weak enough to be taken out on the 1st floor. ¡°Do you not know who I am?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°...Do you not look at the news?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. He had heard that his face was all over the 2nd floor so what was with this short, firm answer? He sighed and tapped on his Vita to make a call. - What do you want? ¡°Mr. President. I¡¯m in a bit of a bind.¡± - What? What are you¡­ Shim Deok-Gu paused, realizing that Seo Jun-Ho had used formal speech. He started again with a more dignified voice. - What is it, yer Seo Jun-Ho? ¡°I ran into the Sword Saint, but he¡¯s trying to kill me.¡± - What? What bullshit is that¡­ Who would believe that? If they weren¡¯t close friends, Shim Deok-Gu wouldn¡¯t believe him. Still, Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s voice became dignified once again. - If this is a joke, end it here. ¡°It¡¯s not. Please save me.¡± - I understand. Please wait a minute. A silence settled between them as the call ended. And then, Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s own Vita rang. ¡°...¡± His eyebrows furrowed. There weren¡¯t many people who had his number, but one of them was the president of the Korean yer Association. He didn¡¯t break eye contact with Seo Jun-Ho as he received the call. ¡°This is Kim Woo-Joong.¡± - Hello. Is yer Seo Jun-Ho telling the truth?¡± ¡°Oh no, It seems that I¡¯ve made a mistake.¡± - Understood. Pleasee find me whenever you have time. When the call ended, he immediately removed his hand from his sheath and released the magic around him. He walked up to Seo Jun-Ho and bowed at his waist. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I made a mistake.¡± He didn¡¯t try to make any excuses. It was a simple, honest, apology. Seo Jun-Ho was taken by surprise. ¡®He¡¯s very respectable, like me.¡¯ It should¡¯ve been hard for a member of the Nine Heavens to bow like this. After all, this was a world where even the weaker ones strutted around confidently.[1] ¡®He¡¯s giving a genuine apology¡­ He¡¯s a good person.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s apprehension from this misunderstanding quickly dissolved. He wasn¡¯t someone to hold a grudge after receiving such an honest apology. ¡°Well, it was a misunderstanding after all. Your apology is enough.¡± Kim Woo-Joong pulled out a bottle from his inventory. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this would count aspensation, but¡­ can you tilt your head up a bit?¡± When Seo Jun-Ho did as asked, Kim Woo-Joong opened the bottle. ¡°...!¡± A refreshing medicinal scent spilled out of it. Just the smell of the potion relieved his physical and mental fatigue. Plop. Kim Woo-Joong tilted the bottle and poured a single drop on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s forehead. ¡°One drop is enough. It¡¯s an elixir.¡± ¡°...An elixir!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes went wide. An elixir was a legendary potion that could save even a dying person. ¡®A single drop¡­¡¯ A single drop could cure any disease in the world as long as one had the money for it. He was thankful, but it felt like a bit of a waste to use it on such a small cut. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too much? I can just put some ointment on it.¡± ¡°No. I have to take responsibility for my mistake.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re a good person.¡± Anyone who took responsibility like that was admirable. ¡°Just a moment¡­¡± He tapped on his Vita. When Seo Jun-Ho peeked at his screen, he saw that he had looked up his name. ¡°Hm¡­ Ooh¡­ Huh?... Wow.¡± There was a lot of information about Seo Jun-Ho on the Inte, especially on the wikis¡ªit was enough to write a thesis. Kim Woo-Joong skimmed it over before he turned off his Vita. When he looked up, he no longer had the cold look in his eyes. Instead, he was impressed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were such an amazing person.¡± ¡°I still have a long way to go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too modest.¡± He started listing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s aplishments. ¡°Not only did you clear all the Uncleared Gates in the country, but you also beat mine and Specter¡¯s record in the Cave of Trials. You also have a star, just like me, and¡­¡± He looked around sharply. ¡°You killed the Demon Bow all alone. And yet you¡¯re barely over level 30. If I¡¯m being honest¡­ It¡¯s a bit hard to believe.¡± He stared at him right in the eyes, waiting for Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s exnation. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho tapped his chin. ¡®It makes sense that Kim Woo-Joong would be curious.¡¯ After all, a level 30 yer singlehandedly killing the Demon Bow was an unbelievable, unprecedented feat. It was an unheard-of achievement. ¡®But I can¡¯t let him know for free¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho grinned. Kim Woo-Joong was extremely skilled, but he wasn¡¯t perfect. With his straightforward personality, his thoughts could be seen all over his face. As such, Seo Jun-Ho could tell that he was extremely curious. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing for me, though.¡¯ ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t done anything bad, so there¡¯s no need for me to hide it from you.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°However, I have three conditions.¡± He held up his fingers. ¡°Conditions?¡± ¡°I have no reason to hide it from you, but I have no reason to tell you either.¡± ¡°...I agree.¡± Kim Woo-Joong nodded. No matter how curious he was, he couldn¡¯t force Seo Jun-Ho to tell him if he didn¡¯t want to. ¡°First, please im responsibility for killing Kal Signer.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Considering how notorious the fiend was, this achievement would immediatelyunch his career forward. And yet, he was refusing to take such an opportunity. ¡°I don¡¯t want to reveal my abilities; that¡¯s the reason why. As for the second condition, please keep my abilities a secret.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Thest one is simple. Please help me one time when I ask for it.¡± ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s help was like a cheat key. It was basically a get-out-of-jail card. ¡°Hm.¡± Kim Woo-Joong pondered this for a second, weighing the price of the knowledge. His answer was obvious from his expression, though. ¡®He really wants to know.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong was silent for a long time before he spoke again. ¡°I have two conditions of my own.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make my decision after hearing them.¡± ¡°First, I won¡¯t let you go if you killed Kal Signer with an immoral power.¡± ¡°Of course. I can promise you that I didn¡¯t use the power of the demon ns.¡± ¡°The second is simr. When you ask for my help, I will not do anything hical.¡± The conditions were so cute that Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± He smiled. ¡°Does that mean that you¡¯ll ept my three conditions?¡± ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong considered it one more time before he nodded. ¡°I ept. To be honest, I¡¯m dying to know how you did this.¡± ¡°Alright. I take it that our deal is in ce.¡± He pushed out his magic. The Frost skill covered the ground and unveiled its might. Now, there were two people that knew of it¡ªShim Deok-Gu and Kim Woo-Joong. ¡®This is a cheap price to pay for a favor from Kim Woo-Joong.¡¯ It was more important to hide Watchguard of Darkness. He couldn¡¯t hide Frost for the rest of his life, nor did he want to. It was going to be revealed eventually, so he had to make use of the secret while he could. Kim Woo-Joong admired the ice crystals. ¡°...It¡¯s a surprisingly straightforward power. It wasn¡¯t on your profile.¡± yers with elemental skills were the hardest to deal with, especially if you didn¡¯t know about them beforehand. ¡°I now understand how you killed the Demon Bow. This skill would be able topete even against other S-rank elemental¡­ Wait!¡± He seemed to have realized something and turned around to look at Seo Jun-Ho. The pieces of the puzzle fell into ce. He realized why the Korean yer Association was investing so much in him and why the President treated him like his heir. ¡°It¡¯s you. You¡¯re the Association¡¯s secret weapon, the one who¡¯ll seal the heat on the 3rd floor.¡± ¡°Man, I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d think that far.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed. He was smart. ¡°So I¡¯m right.¡± His lingering suspicion of Seo Jun-Ho quickly dissipated, and he smiled. ¡°Please keep your promises.¡± ¡°Of course, I will. I now understand why you gave me those conditions. If the fiends discover your skill, it¡¯ll be troublesome.¡± His eyes shone as if he was looking into the future. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that we¡¯d make it past the 3rd floor¡­ But there was a solution, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still not sure if my skill will be able to withstand the heat.¡± ¡°It will.¡± Kim Woo-Joong said with certainty. Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head at him, and he heard the former speak. ¡°I¡¯ve been to the 3rd floor. It¡¯ll be able to freeze the altar, and then some more.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m d to hear that. But the fiends must not find out.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Kim Woo-Joong looked around and pulled part of his sword out of its sheath. Magic surged across the mountain, causing trees to fall and the ground to crack open. The surrounding terrain was transformed in an instant. Kim Woo-Joong sheathed his sword again as if nothing happened. ¡°I¡¯ve been chasing Kal Signer for several months now. I killed him here about an hour ago.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned and tapped on his Vita. ¡°Can you give me your phone number? I¡¯ll need a way to contact you when I need your help.¡± 1. In Korea, bowing at the waist is a sign of subservience ? Chapter 96. Those Who Meet Must Part (1)

Chapter 96. Those Who Meet Must Part (1)

Ding! Seo Jun-Ho dragged his exhausted body out of the elevator and onto the 77th floor. He was imagining how good his bed would feel after he took a hot shower. As he entered through the entrance, the light turned on automatically. ¡°Ack!¡± He saw something as he was taking off his shoes. It was none other than the Frost Queen staring up at him while carrying a container full of onion-vored popcorn. Munch munch. She spoke as she chewed on a kernel as big as her fist. ¡°Contractor, do you know what time it is?¡± ¡°Huh? I-it¡¯s one in the morning,¡± he said, confused. He hade hometer than expected after talking with Kim Woo-Joong and then meeting up with Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°Did you not say that you would being back soon after meeting a friend?¡± ¡°Well, I was going to¡­ but things happened.¡± He scratched his head. ¡®What¡¯s up with this situation?¡¯ He felt like he was a kid getting scolded by a parent aftering homete. It felt weird, considering that he owned the apartment. ¡°Hmph,e home earlier next time,¡± she ordered, inspecting the sweat and dirt on his body. ¡°You¡¯re a mess. Did something happen?¡± ¡°Yeah. Something big.¡± After taking off his shoes and jacket, he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a cold can of beer. The Frost Queen followed him like a little chick. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I killed Kal Signer.¡± ¡°Kal...Signer? I do not know him. Tell me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a fiend. One who¡¯s a lot stronger than the ones we ran intost time.¡± ¡°How troublesome. All while you were simply trying to meet a friend...¡± ¡°We crossed paths while I was trying to get some food from the convenience store.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed and sat down on the sofa, taking a big swing of beer. ¡°Ahhh, that hits the spot¡­¡± He felt his body rx as he sunk into the plush cushions. He stared up at the ceiling. ¡°Hey, Frost.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The world is vast. There are people that are stronger than we can imagine.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was still in shock after Kim Woo-Joong. ¡®I knew he was strong, but still¡­¡¯ After awakening from the ice, he had met and fought against many yers. He had cleared multiple Gates and had won the respect of everyone as a super rookie. But because of all that, he hadn¡¯t realized just how strong the yers had gotten after 25 years. ¡®The truly powerful ones are on the 2nd floor then?¡¯ He hadn¡¯t imagined that the difference between them would be so big. After being the strongest yer for so long, it was an unfamiliar feeling. Of course, the fact that he was even thinking in this way could be insulting to his opponent. ¡®After all, Kim Woo-Joong has been a yer for twice as long as I have...¡¯ The Sword Saint was 27. Technically Kim Woo-Joong was only a year older than himself, but because Woo-Joong had been active as a yer starting from the age of 17, there was a difference of 10 years in experience. ¡®He¡¯s such a well-rounded person¡­ ¡® Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. He now understood why they were called the Nine Heavens. Once you saw them in person, it all made sense as if someone had shoved the reason why they were the Nine Heavens into his brain. ¡®He has a good character too.¡¯ At first, Kim Woo-Joong seemed cold and distant, but he was surprisingly friendly. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising for one of the Nine Heavens to be arrogant, but he had been kind. He knew how to take responsibility for his mistake and apologize. ¡°That¡¯s not an easy thing to do.¡± It was human nature to boast and be arrogant once they acquired power, authority status, and money. ¡°What are you thinking so deeply about? Tell me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just think I need to try harder.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because things will get harder if I don¡¯t.¡± There were eight people that were as strong as Kim Woo-Joong. It would be nice if they were all good people, but there was a fiend among them who was also his enemy. ¡°Ugh, fucking Nazad Hallow¡­¡± He was Skeleton Mage Arma¡¯s teacher as well as the one who had sent Kal Signer to capture him. He was one of the Nine Heavens. ¡°I have to try harder because a monster has its eyes on me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what was waiting for him in the unknown territory, Frontier, and after meeting Kim Woo-Koong today, both his interest and his anxiety had increased. Truthfully, he felt uneasy. ¡°I¡¯ve done well because I have plenty of experience on the 1st floor, but I¡¯ve never been to the 2nd¡­¡± Would he be able to do it? His shoulders felt heavy from the burden. ¡°Contractor.¡± The Frost Queen patted his head like a teacher who wasforting an elementary student. ¡°Things will go well. You¡¯ve alreadye this far.¡± ¡°What the heck? Why are youforting me?¡± ¡°Because you look like a sad little puppy sitting in the rain,¡± she said frankly. Seo Jun-Ho stared at her beforeughing. ¡°Stop trying to act all cool. You haven¡¯t even washed your hands after eating onion-vored popcorn.¡± He felt his confidence rushing back as if it had never disappeared in the first ce. ¡°Of course, I can do it. Who do you think I am? I¡¯m Seo Jun-Ho the living legend.¡± ¡°Haaa, I shouldn¡¯t have said that. You¡¯re being more arrogant than usual.¡± Despite her words, she still smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Anyway, about that Kal¡­ ah, I forgot his name. That man. Was he that powerful?¡± ¡°No. The one who surprised me was the Sword Saint, Kim Woo-Joong. He was insanely strong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I wasn¡¯t there. I would have been able to judge his worth.¡± ¡°Just so you know, he¡¯s several times stronger than you. He¡¯s the Sword Saint, after all.¡± She smirked arrogantly. It was as if she was saying, ¡®So what if he¡¯s the Sword Saint?¡¯ ¡°You know, I have the power to freeze the entire world¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get started again.¡± He shook his head and finished his beer before he stood up. She scowled. ¡°It¡¯s true! Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± ¡°I do believe you. I¡¯m sure you were so much stronger than the Nine Heavens.¡± He chuckled as he walked to his bedroom after teasing her. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. *** Starting tomorrow, the two of them would have a lot to do. ¡®I have to hurry if I want to win the bet against Gong Ju-Ha.¡¯ The days had been in a blur for some reason and there were only ten days left until the promised date. As such, from the moment he woke up, Seo Jun-Ho sat down at his desk, worked his sleepy eyes, and started studying. Actually, it was more like memorizing all the information about the 2nd floor than studying. When lunchtime rolled around, the Frost Queen appeared before him. She looked extremely exhausted with her hand on her forehead. ¡°Phew, it¡¯s hard work to watch dramas and movies all day.¡± ¡°...Get out.¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t neglect his training either. He spent an hour in the morning and in the evening, sweating and relieving his stress in the training room. After a week, Seo Jun-Ho finally stood up from his desk. ¡°Are you finished?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He tapped his head with a finger. ¡°It¡¯s all in here.¡± ¡°Hmmm, it seems that you are smarter than you appear.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. He put on a coat and stepped out of the house. ¡°Are you not going up?¡± the Frost Queen asked as he pressed ¡®1¡¯ on the elevator. She assumed that he was going to meet Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°No. I need to say goodbye to some people before I go to the 2nd floor.¡± Kwon Noya, Kwon Palmo, Cha Si-Eun, Shim Deok-Gu¡­ and his friends. They were the only people he had to see before going up to the 2nd floor. *** ¡°Woo-Joong. Hey, Woo-Joong.¡± He let out a long sigh. There was only one person in the world who would call him so casually¡ªSon Chae-Won. She was his childhood friend and the Guildmaster of Silent Moon. In other words, she was his boss. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hey, do you remember what your mission was? Did you forget after chasing him around for so long?¡± She was sitting on the mahogany desk of the Guildmaster¡¯s room with a cheerful smile. It had always made him nervous whenever she made that face. ¡°...Of course not.¡± ¡°Right? There¡¯s no way our super elite Sword Saint Kim Woo-Joong would forget, right?¡± She smiled and held out her hand. It seemed like she was asking him to give her something she had lent him. ¡° Where¡¯s Final Horizon?¡± ¡°...¡± The only reason he had chased Kal Signer so long was that one of the nobles wanted the bow. ¡°Say something. You killed him, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯ve seen it all over the news.¡± ¡°Yes, I did. I killed him.¡± ¡°...You don¡¯t have to emphasize that. Who else would kill him besides you?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°But why didn¡¯t you bring back the bow? Was Kal Signer way stronger than you expected?¡± ¡°...¡± That wasn¡¯t it. If he had wanted to, he would have been able to kill him with a wave of his hand or torture him until he spat out everything he knew. But Kim Woo-Joong hadn¡¯t been able to do either of those things. ¡®By the time I got there, he was already¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had already killed Kal Signer before he could. Kim Woo-Joong knew that Seo Jun-Ho had Final Horizon, but he couldn¡¯t just ask thetter to hand it over. ¡®It¡¯s his trophy.¡¯ After all, he hadn¡¯t lifted a finger in killing Kal Signer. Seo Jun-Ho had fought and killed Kal Signer alone. As such, it was his spoil, and it belonged to him alone. ¡°I killed him by ident.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dumbfounded, she looked at him. How could the perfect Kim Woo-Joong make any kind of mistake? Was he injured? ¡°Hey¡­ Are you okay?¡± She looked worried. After all, no matter how important the quest was, he was her friend first and foremost. ¡°I am...¡± ¡°That¡¯s all that matters. As for the quest...It¡¯s a shame, but there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± The quest hade from one of Ruben¡¯s dukes, so if they had seeded, Silent Moon would have left behind the other Big 6 and be the strongest Guild in the empire. But she didn¡¯t linger on what had already happened. ¡°I¡¯ll report to the duke myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s fine. No more apologies, okay?¡± Son Chae-Won chuckled and shook her head. ¡°So what¡¯s the real reason? Don¡¯t give me ame excuse like that.¡± ¡®She didn¡¯t believe me.¡¯ He sighed. He had never been able to lie to Son Chae-Won. She knew him better than his own mother. He thought for a second. He had no intention of breaking his promise with Seo Jun-Ho, but for some reason the thought of that person made himugh. ¡°...What¡¯s with that? I haven¡¯t seen youugh like that in a long time.¡± She sounded bitter. It was the first time in 4 years since she had seen him make such a bright expression. ¡®He looks happier than when he became the Sword Saint.¡¯ Her curiosity made her impatient. ¡°I couldn¡¯t retrieve Final Horizon, but I got something much more valuable.¡± ¡°And what would that be?¡± Kim Woo-Joong looked out the window into the never-ending sky. He smiled. ¡°The future.¡± He could see that man¡¯s face etched in the clouds. Kim Woo-Joong felt as if he was looking at his past self. Chapter 97. Those Who Meet Must Part (2)

Chapter 97. Those Who Meet Must Part (2)

This was the third time Seo Jun-Ho had gone to the yer Market since he¡¯d returned. ¡°It¡¯s always bustling every time Ie here.¡± But that was why he liked it. He woulde whenever he was worried or depressed, and the energy of the bustling people would make him feel better. When he saw people milling about, he felt like he also had to try even harder. ¡°My, this is an interesting ce.¡± It was the first time the Frost Queen hade here. She twirled around, taking in her surroundings. Suddenly, she pulled on his shirt. ¡°Contractor! Contractor! Let¡¯s go over there. There are so many peculiar items.¡± ¡°Magic tea? I wonder how it tastes. Let us retrieve a ss.¡± ¡°Eek! A stray cat! These beasts are everywhere¡­¡± She was very excited. ¡°Hey. You always brag about Niflheim, so why are you so excited about a market?¡± ¡°...It can¡¯t be helped.¡± She was worn out from flying around so much, and she sat down on his shoulder. ¡°I spent most of my life inside the castle.¡± ¡°Huh? Wasn¡¯t it suffocating?¡± ¡°Of course it was. If I had to describe it using your world¡¯snguage...A monarch¡¯s life is 3D.¡± As a queen, she should have been able to do whatever she wanted, but the bitter smile on her face said otherwise. ¡°Leading the kingdom is difficult, dangerous, and dauntless. This is the weight that a leader must carry.¡± ¡°...So that¡¯s why it¡¯s 3D.¡± ¡°You should understand. The more responsibilities you have, the more you must lower yourself.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Of course, he had never been a king or a leader of a country. But he had once carried the expectations of an entire world on his shoulders. ¡°I think I get it. There were a lot of times I felt that back then.¡± Sometimes, he felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe like all his freedom had been snatched away. He had no privacy at all and couldn¡¯t go out in public like he could now, which was why he had spent all his time at home unless he was clearing Gates. ¡®It was unthinkable for me to go out to the convenience store in sweats like I do now.¡¯ His home had been the only ce where he could take off his mask and rx. It had been his only refuge. ¡°Though, I would assume that a monarch would have it much worse than I did.¡± ¡°I have never experienced freedom from the moment I was born. However, I have never once hated my life. I liked dedicating my life to my kingdom and people.¡± He assumed that this was the difference between them. Seo Jun-Ho never wanted to live his life as Specter ever again. ¡°So you were literally born to be a queen.¡± ¡°Fufu, I¡¯ve heard that many times.¡± Sheughed lightly. ¡°But no matter how much you enjoy your life, there are times when you long for things that you cannot have.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve felt that way many times.¡± ¡°I wanted to know what it was like to be carefree. I couldn¡¯t experience it before I died, but I am enjoying my life here on Earth. Living like this is also nice.¡± At some point, they had arrived at the workshop. Seo Jun-Ho knocked on the door, and Kwon Palmo greeted him. ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t yer Seo Jun-Ho!¡± His bulky muscles were drenched in sweat as if he had just put down his hammer. ¡°Wee. You should have called ahead!¡± He grinned, but it was scary enough to make the Frost Queen tremble. ¡°C-contractor. A monster in the city¡­?¡± ¡°Chill, he¡¯s a human.¡± ¡°Did youe to meet Grandfather?¡± ¡°Yes. I came here to say goodbye.¡± ¡°I see.¡± When a yer came to say their farewells, it either meant that they were retiring, or that they were going to the 2nd floor. But there was no way that Seo Jun-Ho, who was currently the best yer on the 1st floor would be retiring. In that case, there was only one reason. ¡°So you¡¯re going to Frontier.¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no need to postpone it any longer.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, I never got to thank you properly for ck Armor. I¡¯m truly grateful. Its defense capabilities are amazing.¡± ¡°Hehe, is that so?¡± Kwon Palmo blushed. ¡°Grandfather is upstairs, so you can head right up. Oh, do you want me to take a look at the armor? If there are a lot of defects, I¡¯ll fix it while you two chat.¡± ¡°Really? I won¡¯t refuse.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. ck Armor had worn out a lot after the fight with Kis Bremen and Kal Signer. Even if Kwon Palmo hadn¡¯t offered himself, he would have asked for it anyway. As such, Seo Jun-Ho ced ck Armor on the table. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Kwon Palmo¡¯s face went pale. He looked at the armor that might as well be rags. ¡°...Who in the world did you fight?¡± ¡°Ehe.¡± There were too many to list them all¡ªdark elf Rodomir, the 4 Heroes¡¯ illusionary forms, the winter knights, Kal Signer, etc. All of them were opponents that were fully capable of killing him at any moment. If it hadn¡¯t been for Kwon Palmo¡¯s ck Armor, he would have died a long time ago. ¡°Hmmm. This will take some time. About six hours, give or take.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you. I¡¯ll be with Noya until then.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a good thing that you came so early. I¡¯ll finish by lunchtime.¡± As Kwon Palmo began his work, Seo Jun-Ho went up the stairs and down a familiar hallway. He knocked on the door. ¡°What?!¡± A voice barked. ¡°Geez, you should be nicer to your only grandson.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue, the door opened. Kwon Noya stared at Seo Jun-Ho who had randomly appeared at his door. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°What¡¯s up? I came to y.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Noya snorted, but he stepped aside to let him in. ¡°What do you want me to make this time?¡± he asked, taking a seat. ¡°I didn¡¯te here for equipment. Though, I did ask Palmo to repair ck Armor.¡± ¡°Hm, if you didn¡¯te here for that¡­ Are you going up?¡± he asked. The two of them knew each other very well. ¡°Bingo.¡± ¡°You sure are fast,¡± Kwon Noya said, amazed. Seo Jun-Ho had only opened his eyes a few months ago, but he had already reached level 30 and was saying that he would be going up to the 2nd floor. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping up with the news. I saw that you¡¯ve been busy.¡± ¡°I have to work hard to save my friends.¡± Kwon Noya¡¯s eyes darkened at those words. He silently brewed a cup of tea and passed it over. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°Definitely,¡± Jun-Ho answered resolutely. If he kept going like this, he would be able to save his friends eventually. ¡°That¡¯s all that matters.¡± Kwon Noya didn¡¯t say anything else as he sipped his tea. He trusted him. ¡°If you get any good materials,e down from time to time. I¡¯ll make you something good.¡± ¡°Of course. Who else would make my weapons?¡± There was no one as skilled as Kwon Noya. ¡°Also, Palmo¡¯s a lot more talented than I thought. ck Armor impressed me.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s good that you liked it,¡± he mumbled. There was no one who didn¡¯t like to brag about their children or their grandchildren. Kwon Noya looked happier to listen topliments about his grandson than about himself. ¡°Is there anything you need? I have a couple of leftover items. They¡¯re only Rare-grade, but they might be useful.¡± Kwon Noya was weak topliments for his grandson. ¡°¡®Only Rare, you say¡­ You better not go around saying things like that.¡± The items were from the Kwon workshop, after all. There had been an uproar when ck Armor had been revealed as well. ¡°Thanks, though. I¡¯ll make good use of this.¡± ¡°I believe in you.¡± Noya stood up and patted him on his shoulder before he hugged him. Even though the old man was much shorter than Seo Jun-Ho, his hug was enough to touch his heart. ¡°I¡¯ll be back. Stay healthy.¡± ¡°I will. Whether youe back alone, or with four others, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± He finally let go and smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just study Go while you¡¯re gone.¡± Seo Jun-Ho returned the smile. ¡°Really? You should give up. You suck at Go.¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± That day, Seo Jun-Ho had to y Go for seven hours straight. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho won every single game. *** Seo Jun-Ho returned to the Association with his newly-fixed ck Armor and headed straight for the secretary''s office and to Cha Si-Eun¡¯s cubicle. She was typing on her keyboard while she was talking on the phone. ¡°Yes, hello? Oh¡­ Do you believe that you¡¯re being defamed? Just a second. What was the name of the guild again? Tiger Moth? That¡¯s a really nice name. Please call us again once you sue us.¡± She hung up and quickly wrote something down on a post-it stuck on her cubicle wall. The Brave Ones Figmore n ¡­ Tiger Moth They were all Guilds that had sponsored Seo Jun-Ho, requested and received refunds, and were subsequently humiliated in public. She had written down the ones that had called toin that they had hurt their reputations. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim told me to bring him all the people that had used him of defamation¡­¡± She finished writing and smiled as she read it over. Seo Jun-Ho looked over her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re doing very well. So those are all the people whoined?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s so ridiculous how¡­ Eek!¡± She yelped adorably in surprise and leaped out of her seat. She covered her reddening face as people started to stare. ¡°W-when did you arrive?¡± ¡°Hm... ¡®Hello? Do you believe that you¡¯re being defamed¡¯? From there.¡± ¡°Ack, so you were here from the very beginning¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re good at talking.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled and plucked the post-it from her cubicle and put it in his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of these guys before I go, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you!¡± She brightened. They had been calling her nonstop. She realized something and tilted her head. ¡°By that, you mean¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the 2nd floor.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem very surprised.¡± It was to be expected. She had expected this to happen and had already turned in her resignation letter as a result. ¡°I hope you find a better boss once I go up,¡± he said softly. She chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll find a boss who¡¯s better than you.¡± In thest few years that she had been a secretary, none of her former bosses had made her quite asfortable as Seo Jun-Ho had done. ¡°I¡¯m honored. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to find a secretary like you either.¡± ¡°Thank you. So did youe here to say goodbye?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I think this is thest time we¡¯ll see each other.¡± He scratched his head before pulling a small frame out of his pocket. ¡°This is a gift.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t remember us taking a picture¡­ Huh? This is¡­?¡± Her eyes widened when she saw its contents, and her hands started to tremble. ¡°J-Jun-Ho-nim, is this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s real. It was made fresh this morning.¡± He smiled and nodded for her to take it. The frame contained a in piece of paper with a single sentence on it. - May you find sess in all that you do. From Specter. It was in and the way it was written seemed unfeeling, but she still clutched it to her chest and even bowed several times. ¡°Thank you so much! Really!¡± It was a bit embarrassing to give his own autograph as a gift, but he had wanted to give it to her nheless. How could he not do this when he knew how much she admired Specter? ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Thanks to her help, he had been able to focus wholly on training and hunting. He chuckled and held out his hand. This was a beautiful farewell. ¡®I probably won¡¯t ever see her again.¡¯ She would remain on Earth while he would have to go up to the 2nd floor. It would be nice if she could continue to be his secretary, but it was impossible. ¡°Secretary Cha¡ªno, Miss Cha Si-Eun. You¡¯ll do well no matter where you go.¡± ¡°You too. I¡¯ll be cheering you on.¡± She watched him leave. ¡°If I ever get the chance¡­¡± She wanted to stand by his side as a teammate, not a secretary. After all, Seo Jun-Ho was the second yer that she respected most. Chapter 98. Those Who Meet Must Part (3)

Chapter 98. Those Who Meet Must Part (3)

Seo Jun-Ho knocked on the door of the president¡¯s office before he entered. As usual, Shim Deok-Gu was sitting on the sofa instead of at his desk. ¡®He looks¡­ different.¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu didn¡¯t have anyone to take care of him, so he always looked frazzled with his wrinkled suit and crooked tie. But today, there wasn¡¯t a single wrinkle on his suit, and his tie was tied properly. It was as if knew that this would be theirst goodbye. ¡°You¡¯re leaving right after?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s no need to drag it out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just like you. I knew you¡¯d do something like this.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho sat down, Shim Deok-Gu smiled as if he remembered something. ¡°It¡¯s been about 7 months since you broke out of the ice, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah. A little more than that, actually.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you this before, but I was really shocked. I thought it was some sick joke.¡± His friend had been frozen in ice for 25 years, so how could he believe it when he was told that his friend had woken up? He had watched the video of Seo Jun-Ho waking up from the ice over and over all day. ¡°But when I saw you at the hospital, I finally believed that you came back.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s when I realized that I returned as well.¡± ¡°...And because of you, thest 7 months have felt like 10 years, you rascal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I gave you a lot of work to do.¡± Shim Deok-Gu chuckled and shook his head. ¡°It made me nostalgic. You know what they say: people get younger the longer they live.¡± ¡°Ew, you sound so old!¡± ¡°Just wait until you¡¯re my age.¡± Physically, the two of them seemed to have a big difference in age. However, they snickered as they started to chat about old memories. From the first time they met in kindergarten, to their elementary school years, to the time when he helped Shim Deok-Gu confess to the girl he liked, to the times when they would sneak out during exam prep sessions to go to PC cafes, to the time they screamed and jumped when they found out that they got into the same university, and finally, to the days when the Gates first appeared and they fought for their lives. They had spent almost their entire lives together. ¡°We talked for too long.¡± ¡°This always happens when I talk to you!¡± It had been three hours since they started talking, and they had be a little worn out. They paused to take a drink of water. At some point, the Frost Queen had gotten bored of their chatter and had fallen asleep on the sofa. ¡°I don¡¯t have much else to say to you. Just keep living like yourself Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Live like myself? What do you mean?¡± ¡°That¡¯s up to you to decide. I¡¯m not you. If I told you, then it¡¯d be a Seo Jun-Ho defined by Shim Deok-Gu.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho snickered. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t regret saying that. I¡¯ll live doing whatever I want and causing all the trouble I want.¡± ¡°As long as it makes you happy¡­¡± They embraced and patted each other¡¯s backs. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help you much on the 2nd floor. The Association¡¯s stronghold is in a remote desert.¡± He quietly took note of the information. ¡°Don¡¯t be. Since you helped me so much on the 1st floor, it¡¯s my turn to help you. And sorry for giving you so much work even till the day I leave. I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°The former sponsors? Don¡¯t worry about them.¡± ¡°And take care of Secretary Cha too. Get her a good boss, if possible.¡± ¡°...You don¡¯t have to worry. And if you can¡¯t find any drinking buddies,e down from time to time. It doesn¡¯t take long toe down.¡± As he spoke, he pulled out arge pouch and ced it on the table. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°The currency of the Ruben Empire. I don¡¯t know about the capital, but you should be able to live in nice estates in most territories with this. It¡¯s a lot of money.¡± ¡°Man, you didn¡¯t have to¡­¡± ¡°What, and make you sleep on the streets? People are gonna say that we¡¯re treating you badly.¡± He felt like a father giving his son an allowance to go study abroad. But of course, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t his son, and the amount was too much to be called an allowance. ¡°If you see Arthur, send my regards.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll contact you from time to time.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± At that moment, the Frost Queen rubbed her eyes as she woke up. She flitted over to Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder and yawned as she waved. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of my Contractor, so do not worry.¡± ¡°Haha. I¡¯ll be counting on you, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s taking care of who now?¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. *** After saying goodbye to Shim Deok-Gu, Seo Jun-Ho headed straight for the Seoul History Museum, entering through the back door likest time to get to the morgue. ¡°You guys are still the same...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the four ice statues and tried to use his skill. [Effect of the skill ¡®Frost (EX)¡¯ has been checked.] [The ice seal can be removed with Frost (EX).] [Your base magic stat is too low. Removal failed.] ¡°I knew it¡­ It¡¯s still too low.¡± Thankfully, there was one good news¡ªthe contents of the message box had changed. ¡®Last time, it said that my base magic stat is ¡°absurdly low¡± but this time it¡¯s telling me that it¡¯s ¡°too low.¡±¡¯ It wasn¡¯t much of a difference, but it was still slightlyforting because it meant that thest 7 months hadn¡¯t been a waste. He nced down at the Frost Queen, but she looked away. ¡°Hm?¡± He moved around to look at her from the other side, but this time, shepletely turned around to avoid his gaze. He squinted. ¡°What¡¯s up? Do you feel guilty or something?¡± ¡°O-of course not¡­¡± Despite her words, her eyes clearly showed how guilty and sorry she felt. Seo Jun-Ho looked back to the statues. ¡°They¡¯re still alive, right?¡± ¡°...Yes. I¡¯m sure of it. But if either of us wishes to remove the seal, we must be much, much stronger.¡± He was relieved when she confirmed that they were still alive. Her words were good enough. As long as they were still alive, he could save them eventually. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°So fast? Do you have nothing else to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say itter.¡± He could say it after he broke them out of the ice while eating and drinking together in a warm room. ¡°Wait a little longer. It won¡¯t be long.¡± He left the morgue with the Frost Queen *** Dimensional Elevator. It was a massive facility that had first appeared after Seo Jun-Ho defeated the Frost Queen 25 years ago in the Pacific. It took them seven hours to get there by ne. ¡°Woah¡­¡± He stepped onto therge, artificial ind. The Dimensional Elevator was in the middle of the ocean, and waves sshed on the shore. The Frost Queen was full of admiration. ¡°To think that they made an ind in the sea¡­ Earth¡¯s technology is greatly admirable.¡± ¡°You can do it too. You froze the entire ocean, after all.¡± ¡°That was more akin to a cier. This looks like a real ind.¡± She was right. The only thing that distinguished it from other inds was the sheer number of yers on it. ¡°...There are so many. Though, they¡¯re all weaker than you are.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen something like this.¡± Recently, the most number of yers he had seen in one ce was at the Wild Forest. At that time, there had been 200 yers but it was iparable to the number of yers on this ind. ¡®There are at least a thousand people here. It reminds me of the old days when a Gate would open in the middle of a city and everyone would have to go out and fight. ¡® The yers milling around were waiting to use the Dimensional Elevator, and everyone who seemed wary of others was most likely affiliated with a Guild or an Association. ¡°I can feel their eyes on you.¡± ¡°Well, I expected as much.¡± Just like the Frost Queen said, he could feel their eyes on him. ¡°Hey, look, that¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s going to Frontier...¡± ¡°...Doesn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯s gonna break the record?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think. The fastest before him were Shin Sung-Hyun and Kim Woo-Joong.¡± ¡°Normal people take at least a few years, but he only took 7 months¡­¡± The people were looking at him with a mix of apprehension, envy, and respect, but he didn¡¯t pay them that much attention as he strode forward. ¡°It looks simpler than I expected...¡± Based on the name, he had expected something grand, but it was nothing more and nothing less than the size of a normal elevator. A yer Association employee was standing in front of it. ¡°Please show me your yer license.¡± The employee checked it and handed it back. ¡°Please make sure to be careful of three things in Frontier.¡± He tapped on the sign in front of the elevator. 1. Nobles 2. Fiends 3. Unfamiliar yers ¡°In Frontier, you must adhere to the customs of the Ruben Empire. The nobles are very powerful, and some of them are quite fickle, so you must not meddle in their affairs. Second, although there are fiends on Earth, they are more dangerous in Frontier. Please be careful. Lastly, the yer Association, unfortunately, does not have much influence on the 2nd floor, so there are yers who¡¯ll take advantage of this to extort, assault, and kill. Please be cautious of other yers.¡± It felt like he was receiving a tutorial for a game. Seo Jun-Ho nodded, and the employee pressed the button to open the elevator. ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho, I wish you luck.¡± ¡°Thank you...¡± When he stepped in, he heard a pleasant voice saying the familiar ¡°the door is now closing¡± from the speaker. The inside of the elevator was a little bigger than what it looked like from the outside. It looked like it could hold about 12 people, and the outside world could even be seen from the inside. ¡°Wow¡­¡± The Frost Queen pressed her hands to the wall and watched. ¡°Contractor, there is something I would like to know.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°How do fiends go to the 2nd floor when the ind is so closely guarded?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the only ce with a Dimensional Elevator.¡± Just like she said, famous fiends wouldn¡¯t be able toe here. Seo Jun-Ho heard that they used the Dimensional Elevators that would appear randomly in the Pacific. ¡°I see...I guess it would be difficult to guard every single Elevator.¡± ¡°The Pacific is sorge. How could they keep an eye out on everything in there?¡± This man-made ind was simply the biggest tform. Looking around, there had to be about thirty Dimensional Elevators, and people kepting in and out of those Elevators. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart pounded as he was filled with anticipation. He was on an Elevator, about to step into a different dimension, a whole new world. ¡°C-Contractor, what shall we do if it goes too fast? I dislike having too much movement¡­¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m excited. The inte says it has things you can¡¯t imagine.¡± ¡°I prefer sights that are familiar.¡± ¡°Stop whining. Let¡¯s go.¡± He held out his hand. The buttons were numbered from 1 to 10, but they were only lit up to 3. He pressed ¡®3¡¯ out of curiosity, but the voice rang once again. [Your level is too low to enter the 3rd floor.] ¡°So you can¡¯t cheat...¡± He expected as much. He pressed the 2nd floor, and the Elevator trembled and shone. Their hearts pounded in anticipation as they waited for it to move. ¡°Hold on tight!¡± ¡°Yes, I am!¡± She gripped his hair hard. [2nd floor. Doors are opening.] [The effect of Bringer of Spring has been activated. All stats increased by 30.] ¡°...?¡± The announcement was repeated. The Frost Queen spoke with uncertainty. ¡°Contractor¡­ Have we arrived?¡± ¡°Seeing how the title effect has activated¡­ But no way.¡± Depending on the user, teleporting even a short distance could cause motion sickness, and this was an Elevator that crossed dimensions, so it should have been no different, but they had felt nothing. How was this possible? ¡°That was¡­ anticlimactic,¡± he muttered, looking around as he stepped out of the Elevator. ¡°Daybreak is looking for new Guild members¡­ Achoo! Join the family!¡± ¡°The adventurer Guild ckfoot is looking for ambitious yers!¡± ¡°Come here for a short tutorial if this is your first time in Frontier!¡± Among the recruiters, there were guards to make sure that no one would stir up trouble. The buildings resembled architecture from the Middle Ages. Most notably, the magic in the air was much more abundant than on Earth. ¡°...I see. This truly is something I have never experienced before.¡± The Frost Queen nodded. Seo Jun-Ho had to agree. He had never seen something like this before. Chapter 99. Frontier (1)

Chapter 99. Frontier (1)

¡°Firebird is recruiting yers with C-rank elemental skills or higher!¡± ¡°Is the 2nd floor intimidating and confusing? Then join Winner!¡± ¡°If you join Twilight right now, we¡¯ll give you a Rare-grade item when you reach level 50!¡± When you took a Dimensional Elevator to Frontier, you would arrive in Starting Square where there were dozens of Guild scouts trying to bait the neers into joining them. Of course, there were no scouts from famous Guilds or the Big 6 here. Most of the Guilds here were small, or Guilds that had just been formed. One such Guild was Big Family, which had been founded 7 years ago. Every day, they sent scouts to Starting Square. ¡°Wow¡­ It looks like more people came up than usual.¡± ¡°Sunbae, isn¡¯t it amazing? So many newbiese up every day.¡± ¡°Nah. Tens of thousands of people register as yers every year.¡± Among them, less than 0.01% would blow up on the news and be famous. Most yers ended up going around to lesser-known Gates to raise their levels. Just as the many people headed to uncharted territories chasing the American Dream in the past, they were now chasing after the Frontier Dream. ¡°You can only seed if you have the skills¡­ yers these days aren¡¯t as good as in the past.¡± ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°I suppose they don¡¯t have enough role models nowadays. Think about it. When yers like Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun were on the rise, they inspired others. For a few years, the yers¡¯ skills increased a lot.¡± ¡°Ah. Do you think someone like them will appear again?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a continuous cycle. Even now¡­¡± He suddenly stopped as he looked across the crowd of people. ¡°Sunbae, is something wrong?¡± He pointed a trembling finger in reply. ¡°Look, that person¡­Isn¡¯t that Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Seo Jun-Ho?¡± The hubae turned to follow his finger. Standing there was a in-looking man who was looking around in awe. ¡°Who is he? He looks pretty shabby.¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t know Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Should I?¡± His sunbae pped the back of his head. ¡°You bastard, I told you to read the news from the 1st floor when you have time!¡± ¡°W-why are you so mad? Who in the world is he?¡± The sunbae looked as if he thought that the way his hubae was rubbing his aching head was pathetic. ¡°He¡¯s the person that made Korea into a Special Safe Zone. He conquered four Uncleared Gates, killed the Cinder Fox by himself, and ranked number 1 in the Cave of Trials. He had just cleared the Winter Castle on his own too, which had been one of the three remaining Uncleared Gates in the world.¡± ¡°Wow¡­Is he even human?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a monster. They call him the Super Rookie on Earth.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± They looked at him with new eyes, as if he was a celebrity only seen on TV. ¡°It would be awesome if we could recruit him to our Guild.¡± ¡°Huh? He still hasn¡¯t joined a Guild with all those achievements?¡± ¡°He¡¯s part of the Korean yer Association. But since they don¡¯t have much influence on the 2nd floor, he¡¯s probably looking for a Guild to join. Now, what do you think would happen if we politely approached him first?¡± ¡°...He would be touched. You¡¯re a genius!¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m your sunbae, after all. But the problem is¡­¡± He scanned the area, seeing the other Guilds¡¯ scouts. As expected, they had also noticed Seo Jun-Ho and were salivating at the thought of having him in their Guild. ¡°There¡¯s too muchpetition. Well, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t stand out.¡± He clicked his tongue and looked at Seo Jun-Ho like he was a toy that he couldn¡¯t have. ¡°The rumors say that his charisma makes him untouchable¡­¡± ¡°Who, that guy?¡± The hubae looked unconvinced. Currently, Seo Jun-Ho had his arms spread as he took deep breaths. ¡°Hmmm, ahhhh¡­ Wow! Frontier¡¯s great! The air is filled with magic.¡± He took in big breaths while grinning like an idiot. ¡°Is he really that amazing? He looks kind of scruffy,¡± the hubae asked again. ¡°Erm, well, what matters is what¡¯s inside. You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s just go up to him...¡± He swallowed and nodded at his hubae¡¯s bold suggestion. ¡°A-alright. We should get to him before the others¡­¡± ¡°Could you move, please?¡± They turned around at the voice. ¡°Hey, the street¡¯s big so just¡­¡± The sunbae frowned, but then he froze when he saw the woman¡¯s red hair. It danced fiercely in the wind as if it had caught fire. ¡°Why are two big guys like you blocking the way? Do you want to get in trouble?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I promise to go on a diet!¡± The two Big Family scouts quickly moved aside. The girl walked by, not paying them any more attention. ¡°Oh, right.¡± She stopped and turned to re at them. ¡°Mr. Snake Head is mine. I was the first one to call dibs.¡± ¡°Excuse¡­me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the one taking him.¡± ¡°O-oh...¡± They weren¡¯t sure what she meant, but the two men nodded eagerly. They wanted to live, after all. *** ¡°Oh, Captain Gong!¡± Seo Jun-Ho waved. Her red hair made her stick out like a sore thumb. She grinned as she skipped over. ¡°Man, what a waste. If you were two dayste, I would¡¯ve won.¡± ¡°Sorry, but I hate losing.¡± ¡°Will you look at that? Looks like they didn¡¯t teach you properly back on Earth.¡± She cleared her throat with a cute sound, but her eyes narrowed as she started to re at him. ¡°You have already broken two rules¡ªbe careful around nobles, be careful around yers.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He looked surprised. ¡°You¡¯re a noble?¡± ¡°Well~ It¡¯s nothing much. I¡¯m just a bar. I don¡¯t even have a territory yet.¡± Despite what she said, she crossed her arms with a smug expression. Seo Jun-Ho suddenly felt pressured topliment her. ¡°You¡¯re amazing.¡± ¡°Nah, as I said, it¡¯s nothing big,¡± she said, waving her hand as she smiled. ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll show you around.¡± She walked to a nearby cafe, but it was empty. ¡°Only nobles and theirpanions cane in here. It¡¯s a good ce to talk.¡± ¡°So I wouldn¡¯t be able toe in here without you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a sip of the coffee that was ced before him. ¡°...Isn¡¯t this just an Americano?¡± ¡°It has been 25 years. Earth food isn¡¯t umon in the Empire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°Hehe. So, what do you think?¡± He looked out beyond the terrace. ¡°It¡¯s so new. It feelspletely different from Earth.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel like you¡¯ve fallen into a fantasy world? It¡¯ll probably take you some time to get used to this ce.¡± She poured four spoonfuls of syrup into her ice coffee and stirred it. ¡°Mr. Snake Head, have you ever thought about what would¡¯ve happened if we couldn¡¯t close the Gates 30 years ago? If we couldn¡¯t defeat all the monsters?¡± ¡°...I dunno. I don¡¯t think that it would have been very pleasant.¡± He had already lived in such a world before. Dozens of Gates opened, and hundreds of monsters hade pouring out. Cities had burned, buildings had crumbled, and the sounds of screams had filled the air. If the whole world had continued to endure such a cmity for a long time, then the human race might have been driven into extinction by now. ¡°It¡¯s terrible just to think about, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. But why did you ask me that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what¡¯s happening here in Frontier.¡± ¡°...!¡± She took arge swig of her iced coffee as Seo Jun-Ho waited for her exnation. ¡°Thousands of years ago, this ce was filled with Gates. But they couldn¡¯t fight off the monsters, and human civilization was destroyed.¡± ¡°It seems quite peaceful now, though.¡± ¡°Because it had been a long time. Frontier doesn¡¯t have a single Gate anymore, but the monsters from the past had survived and bred; their descendants are still alive and in hiding.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unexpected¡­¡± He looked out into the city once more. It was strange to think that this peaceful ce had once been a ce of ruin. ¡°So you know how yers on Earth get rewards by clearing Gates?¡± ¡°Of course...¡± ¡°It¡¯s not much different here. You hunt monsters in the field and explore dungeons¡­But we have something called Quests.¡± ¡°Quests? Like, game quests?¡± ¡°Exactly. If you take requests from people and fulfill them, you¡¯ll receive EXP and rewards.¡± ¡°I see¡­ ¡°It¡¯s the same thing, really. You just need to hunt monsters and clear Quests to level up.¡± ¡°I assume that Quests from people of higher status give better rewards?¡± ¡°Precisely. That¡¯s why everyone¡¯s trying to build rtions with the aristocracy.¡± After that, she started to list off misceneous advice. ¡°Fuwaa¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha finished her coffee. Afterward, she seemed a little nervous as she spoke softly. ¡°So, Mr. Snake Head¡­About the favor that I asked you¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded and reached into his inventory, pulling out the book that he had signed. Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes sparkled as she took it into her hands. ¡°Ahh! Thank you! He even drew hearts?! I love him so much! I¡¯ll treasure this for the rest of my life. Seriously, I¡¯m gonna make this my family heirloom.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m d that you like it so much.¡± He had been so embarrassed while signing it, but it became clear that his embarrassment had been worth it when he saw her reaction. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Gong Ju-Ha quickly reached into her inventory, pulling out something that looked like a letter. ¡°This is your letter. It¡¯s your prize for winning the bet.¡± ¡°...This isn¡¯t a card or something, is it?¡± ¡°Hey, what do you take me for?¡± ¡°Then is it a coupon or¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not!¡± Her face turned red. The envelope was fancy, and when he flipped it over, there was a firework pattern. ¡°So, what is this?¡± ¡°A letter of introduction.¡± ¡°...A letter of introduction?¡± ¡°Yup. It¡¯ll let you dine with Viscount Hosen in Maliva.¡± ¡°A meal with the Viscount?¡± The letter suddenly felt heavy in his hand. If what she said was true, then this was something that most yers couldn¡¯t buy with money. ¡°It¡¯s not something huge. As I said, it¡¯s just one meal with him.¡± She smiled. ¡°Well¡­If Viscount Hosen ends up liking you, you might get a Quest from him.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re just setting the stage for me¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to prove yourself on your own. You¡¯re not even a member of our Guild.¡± ¡°This is more than enough. It¡¯s a much better present than I had expected.¡± He previously thought that he would receive a Rare item or something. He knew from the Las Vegas auction that her pockets were deep, but he didn¡¯t know that they were this deep. ¡®There are many yers who will never get a chance like this.¡¯ He was lucky to receive such a huge opportunity as soon as he arrived in Frontier. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have an expiration date or anything, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a letter, not a carton of milk. You can go there whenever you want.¡± She chewed on a piece of ice as she continued. ¡°So, what will you do now? I¡¯m nning to go and finish a Quest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be raising my level. I¡¯m thinking about going to a ce called Dustang if I have time. I know someone there.¡± Gong Ju-Ha crunched hard on a piece of ice in surprise. She stared at him. ¡°Dustang? Did I hear that right?¡± Chapter 100. Frontier (2)

Chapter 100. Frontier (2)

Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head. Even for the dramatic Gong Ju-Ha, her reaction was unexpected. ¡°You did,¡± he responded. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s where they are? That¡¯s weird, it¡¯s not really a ce where people live¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Gong Ju-Ha crossed her arms as she crunched on the ice. ¡°Because Dustang is a ce for criminals¡­¡± ¡°...A ce for criminals?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s like Paradise, but for criminals. If they hide there, the empire won¡¯t pursue them.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°You can think of it as a dumpster of sorts. If they stay in Dustang, there¡¯s nowhere else for them to go.¡± ¡°I see¡­So they leave the criminals in a single area so they¡¯re easier to take care of.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a notoriously evil ce. There are even rumors that fiends frequently go there.¡± ¡°I see,¡± he muttered. He didn¡¯t know what Arthur was doing there, but he wasn¡¯t really concerned. ¡®Deok-Gu said that he¡¯s strong enough to fend for himself.¡¯ Since Shim Deok-Gu said it himself, it meant that Arthur should be pretty skilled. It didn¡¯t seem like he would be the type to be intimidated by a few criminals. ¡°...You don¡¯t seem very worried?¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s not a kid. He wouldn¡¯t have gone there if he didn¡¯t think that he could handle it.¡± Gong Ju-Ha nodded slowly. ¡°That makes sense.¡± ¡°So, is that all I should know?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I can¡¯t think of anything else, so I should¡¯ve told you all the important things.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll repay you someday.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, and just focus on getting stronger. Go hunt monsters, join dungeon raids, and make sure to get Quests from the Adventurer Guild while you¡¯re in Gilleon.¡± ¡°What should I do if I want to go to another city?¡± ¡°You can walk, hire a coachman, or use a Teleport Gate.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled. He had heard about how convenient the Teleport Gates were in Frontier. They were set up in every city of the Ruben Empire. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of those. Are they nice?¡± ¡°Besides the price, they¡¯re amazing. Once you try it, there¡¯s no going back.¡± ¡°Can I use them too?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± She made an ¡®X¡¯ with her arms over her head. ¡°Teleport Gates are strictly regted by the empire. If you want to use them, you need Rubenian citizenship. ¡°...Am I not a citizen?¡± ¡°Of course not. Check your status window.¡± ¡°Status window.¡± [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 36 Title: Bringer of Spring (+2) Status: Tourist Strength: 140 Stamina: 153 Speed: 147 Magic: 182 The first thing he noticed was his stats. ¡®Seems like the Title ¡®Bringer of Spring¡¯ effect is working properly¡­¡¯ The 30 points of stat increase in all stats made him feel giddy. ¡°Hm?¡± He stared at his status window before blinking. He saw a new section. ¡°Status?¡± ¡°It says you¡¯re a tourist, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°The moment a yer enters Frontier, they are given tourist status for 90 days. If you do enough Quests during that time, the Adventurer Guild will give you a new identification card. Mm¡­ you can think of it as a work visa.¡± ¡°How meticulous.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not as hard as it sounds. If you just stay out of trouble and stay active, you¡¯ll easily be able to get it.¡± ¡°What happens after 90 days?¡± ¡°Your status will change to ¡®illegal alien¡¯ and you¡¯ll be hunted down.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re joking, right?¡± ¡°Do you think I am?¡± She was smiling, but she seemed serious. ¡°Andstly¡­ You really have to be careful of other yers.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not a pushover myself.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re strong, but I just wanted to warn you just in case.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± She dug around in her inventory and pulled out two books and a map. ¡°Here. This is a gift.¡± ¡°The reward for the bet is already more than enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just giving this to you because I want to. You can think of this as a sunbae¡¯s affection for a praiseworthy hubae.¡± She grinned. ¡°This is a Skill Book. You¡¯ll be able to read the Rubeniannguage if you use it. You¡¯ll need it from now on.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this expensive?¡± ¡°I can afford it, so just take it.¡± The timing of this was perfect. He had been nning to buy a map of the empire. He thanked her and immediately activated the skill book before he turned to the next book. ¡°Is this also a skill book?¡± ¡°No, this is a guidebook of sorts. It¡¯s only supposed to be used by Guild members, but I¡¯m making a special exception just for you, Mr. Snake Head.¡± ¡°...Is it really okay to give this to an outsider?¡± Seo Jun-Ho doubted. ¡°Hey, I told you not to worry. When a sunbae gives you a present, you¡¯re just supposed to say ¡®thank you¡¯ and ept it.¡± She smiled as she gave him presents that would be very helpful to him. ¡°I hope you grow a lot.¡± ¡°Am I a tree or something?¡± He looked at her strangely, but he bowed his head. ¡°Anyway, thank you. You¡¯ve helped me out a lot.¡± ¡°Fufu.¡± She stood up. ¡°Oh, right. This should be obvious, but Frontier doesn¡¯t havemunication satellites,¡± she said, tapping her bare left wrist. ¡°So I can¡¯t text and call using my Vita?¡± ¡°Bingo~ But still, you should carry it around. The interpreter feature works perfectly fine.¡± ¡°Does it work with the people here?¡± ¡°Of course. It can trante Rubenian. So if you see someone with a Vita, they¡¯re likely a yer.¡± Technology was amazing. ¡°I see. But if I can¡¯t text or call, how do I contact people?¡± ¡°Your Community feature should¡¯ve been updated.¡± ¡°Community?¡± As he said that, a hologram screen simr to his status window appeared before him. ¡°So it¡¯s like an open forum?¡± ¡°Correct. There are different kinds of boards too. Generally, you can only use it in a city. But if you¡¯re in the same field as others, a regional channel will be created, so you should use that too. This is my username, so please contact me if something ever happens.¡± Gong Ju-Ha put a small memo on the table. It read, ¡°iluvac.¡±[1] Seo Jun-Ho tucked it away and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll contact you in the future.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time today, but I hope you didn¡¯t forget that you promised to treat me to something good.¡± ¡°Of course, I haven¡¯t. It¡¯s the promise I made in Las Vegas.¡± ¡°You better buy me something expensive.¡± They walked out of the cafe together, and she waved at him as she stepped into the crowd. ¡°Work hard!¡± ¡°Yes! Thank you so much!¡± The Frost Queen spoke as they watched her disappear. ¡°How fun. She is like a fox.¡± ¡°A fox? If she were an animal, she¡¯d be a dog or a cat or something.¡± ¡°Haaa, you are ignorant in the ways of women¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°It will only be tiresome for me if I attempt to exin even further. So, what will you do now?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll be in Gilleon for a while, so I need to find a ce to stay.¡± He began walking forward. *** ¡°Wee to Hotel Shangri-La.¡± The doorman greeted him politely and bowed from the waist. Seo Jun-Ho stepped into the extravagant lobby, looked around for a bit, and immediately left. ¡°Hm? Contractor, did you not say that you were looking for lodgings?¡± ¡°Yeah, but that ce isn¡¯t it.¡± The Frost Queen sighed. She liked the elegance and luxuriousness of the hotel. ¡°Well, I suppose you need to be wise with your spending.¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s not about the price.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m new to this city. I barely know anything. So the best ce for me to stay would be somewhere where lots of different peoplee and go.¡± ¡°Ah, but did you not learn anything from the fox girl?¡± ¡°I want up-to-date information that¡¯s not in a book written by a Guild.¡± They soon arrived in front of an inn. It was much less mboyant than the hotel, but it was simr in size. Dewdrop Inn. The skill book he had used earlier allowed him to read the sign. The first floor was a restaurant, and it was noisy with people. ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m telling you, I massacred those Kobolds with this mace!¡± ¡°Did you hear? The Red Sand Bandits have been causing a ruckus near Gilleon.¡± ¡°I feel bad for the lord. It¡¯s a pity that the heir caught such a terrible gue¡­¡± ¡°Those fucking yers. They¡¯re stealing all the Quests from the Adventurer Guild.¡± ¡°Have you heard about the disappearance of the adventurers and yers?¡± As Seo Jun-Ho lingered near the entrance, a waiter approached him. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Just me.¡± He was led to a table in the corner, and the waiter brought him a ss of water and a menu. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t bother reading it. ¡°Please get me the best dish and alcohol here, along with a cup of tea.¡± ¡°That would be mushroom soup withmb steak and Hainal Mountain beer. Is ck tea okay?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°That will be 51 copper.¡± At the waiter¡¯s soft response, Seo Jun-Ho dug through his inventory. ¡®The Ruben Empire¡¯s currency is made up of copper, silver, and gold.¡¯ 100 copper was equal to 1 silver, and 100 silver was equal to 1 gold. ¡®Gong Ju-Ha told me that 1 copper was about 1,000 won.¡¯ So 1 silver was about 100,000 won, and 1 gold was 10,000,000 won. He had received 1,000 gold from Shim Deok-Gu, which meant that he had around 10 billion won. ¡°51, correct?¡± tter. He dropped 51 gold onto the table. The waiter¡¯s jaw dropped, and the entire restaurant went silent. The waiter quickly pulled himself together and covered the gold with his apron. ¡°S-Sir, it¡¯s 51 copper, not gold. You shouldn¡¯t show off gold like this in public spaces.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± he said, nodding casually. He put away the gold into his inventory in a way that was not deliberately slow or fast. ¡°I-I¡¯ll bring you the change.¡± As the waiter walked away with a single gold coin, Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. He could almost hear the people¡¯s heads and eyes turning toward him. ¡°Contractor, were you trying to show off your wealth?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± He smirked and shook his head. ¡°Money attracts flies. Strong flies, at that.¡± He slowly opened his eyes and looked up. Tworge men were blocking the door. The bald man who had been drinking with them walked up to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°It must be him.¡± Seo Jun-Ho decided right there and then that the man would be his informant. 1. Shortened/ng version of ¡°I love air conditioners.¡± ? Chapter 101. Information Gathering (1) ¡°Um, excuse me¡­¡± The waiter shifted nervously as he returned with the change. The man walking up to Seo Jun-Ho was quite famous. His name was Ply, and he was so obsessed with money that people had nicknamed him ¡®Moneybug.¡¯[1] ¡®What should I do?¡¯ In the end, the waiter squeezed his eyes shut and stepped in between them whilstughing nervously. ¡°I-I¡¯ll give you beer on the house, so please don¡¯t act like this here¡­¡± ¡°Move.¡± The muscr man pushed the waiter¡¯s face aside and took the seat in front of Seo Jun-Ho. He was bald and had a long mustache. He looked strong, and Seo Jun-Ho could sense that he actually was strong. ¡®Hm. In yer terms¡­I think he¡¯d be around level 60.¡¯ When Seo Jun-Ho looked up as if asking why he was there, the man scratched his head before speaking, ¡°Hey, rich yer.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at him with interest. ¡°How did you know that I¡¯m a yer?¡± ¡°People from around here usually don¡¯t unt their money like that. Unless they¡¯re nobles I suppose¡­ But you can tell that they¡¯re nobles by their clothes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cut to the chase. My name is Ply, and I¡¯m interested in your money. Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood up and held out his hand to the fallen waiter to help him up. He dusted off his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll eat another time. I have something to attend to.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Ply snickered with hisckeys, thinking that he was an easy catch. They followed Ply out of the restaurant and led Seo Jun-Ho to a dirty back alley. ¡°I thought you wanted to talk. I don¡¯t know if this is the best ce to do that.¡± The familiar, humid stench of an alley filled the air. The menughed as they surrounded him in a circle. ¡°Are you that stupid?¡± ¡°Do you really not know what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°The boss is right. yers are dumb.¡± ¡°I gotta admit, you have guts. You don¡¯t seem scared.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ignored their mocking. ¡°Who here is good at writing? Raise your hand.¡± His voice was so confident that one of the men unwittingly raised his hand. ¡°Alright. You get a free pass.¡± Seo Jun-Ho made a mental note of his face and nodded. Ply fumed. ¡°You stupid bastard, why did you listen to him?! Lower your hand!¡± Once hisckey lowered it, Ply looked nervously at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I don¡¯t like beating around the bush. Hand over your money, and I won¡¯t hurt you. I¡¯ll even make sure that no one in the city will touch you.¡± ¡°How typical.¡± Seo Jun-Ho reached into his inventory and dug around before pulling his hand out. The men looked expectantly at his fingers. ¡°Sorry, but this is all I can give you.¡± He gave them the middle finger. Their faces darkened. A vein popped on Ply¡¯s forehead. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll do this the hard way.¡± He nodded toward hisckeys. ¡°Soon, you¡¯ll understand that there are things more important than money.¡± ¡°Seems like he needs some sense beaten into him...¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take long, boss.¡± They were not just simple street thugs. ¡®They know how to use magic.¡¯ As they cornered him, they used magic to strengthen their legs. When attacking in such a narrow alleyway, it was impossible to dodge or escape. Seo Jun-Ho had been retreating, but all of a sudden, he pulled his right hand out from behind his back and held it up. He hit the head of one of the attacking thugs with the back of his hand. ¡®That¡¯s one...¡¯ As the first flew through the air and struck the nearby wall, another thug attempted to punch him from the side. ¡®He has strengthened his fist with magic. If I actually get hit, a bone or two might probably break.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho caught the thug¡¯s fist in mid-air and into his palm before using his elbow to hit the thug¡¯s chin. The thug let out a bloodcurdling scream as he was hit. His eyes rolled back as he crumpled to the ground. A third thug ran at him with a club. ¡°You bastard!¡± Seo Jun-Ho ducked and hit thetter¡¯s chin with his palm. From afar, it looked like he had just given him a light tap, but it was enough. The third thug fell to the ground facedown. ¡°Huh? This guy¡­¡± Ply started to get nervous when he saw how fast his threeckeys were taken down. But it was toote to turn back now¡­ ¡°Gotcha!¡± Arge, muscr man came in with a kick aimed at the back of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head, but he grabbed the muscr man¡¯s ankle without even looking back and swung thetter¡¯s body around like a bat before hitting the remainingckeys in the head. Bang! The muscr man¡¯s head struck another one that was toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°G-gah¡­!¡± ¡°Ahhh! My head!¡± They gripped their bleeding skulls as they fell and rolled around the dirty ground in pain. ¡°These useless bastards!¡± Ply spat in disdain. But despite what he said, he had already realized a crucial fact. ¡®We shouldn¡¯t have messed with him¡­¡¯ Using only his right hand, Seo Jun-Ho had taken out six of Ply¡¯s subordinates without moving a single step. Ply was also strong enough to take them out, but not like this. ¡®Should I fight to kill¡­?¡¯ He started to grab the handle of the axe at his waist, but he eventually shook his head. Murder was a serious crime in the city, and this guy wasn¡¯t worth it. Plus, even if he used his axe, there was no guarantee that he would be able to sessfully kill this guy. ¡°...Get the others. We¡¯re leaving.¡± He ordered thest man standing before turning around. ¡°Hey, where do you think you¡¯re going? I¡¯ll let it go if youe here, but you¡¯re dead if you try to run away.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice was light but it wasced with a subtle threat. ¡°Goddammit!¡± Ply couldn¡¯t help but curse again when he realized just how badly he had messed up. In the end, he started walking slowly toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Hurry up. 3, 2, 1...¡± He ended up running toward Seo Jun-Ho before the countdown could reach zero. ¡°You¡¯re faster than yourckeys, at least. How about we start with you kneeling?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He knelt without hesitation and looked up at Seo Jun-Ho as if he was waiting for thetter¡¯s order. His obedience was adorable. Seo Jun-Ho smiled and called over theckey that had held his hand up earlier. ¡°Here.¡± He handed him a pen and paper. ¡°Write down everything your boss says.¡± ¡°Everything?¡± ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to? Do you wanna join your friends?¡± ¡°N-not at all! I want to do it!¡± The man gripped the pen in a hurry. Seo Jun-Ho squatted down so that he was at eye level with Ply. ¡°It¡¯s my first time here, so there are a lot of things that I don¡¯t know. I trust that you¡¯ll be able to teach me some things.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a long time, so I know a lot.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s good.¡± He grinned and patted Ply¡¯s head. Plyughed nervously. ¡°W-what kind of information do you want¡­?¡± ¡°Everything.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°Tell me everything you know. I¡¯ll decideter what¡¯s important or not.¡± ¡°S-sir, it would take more than a few hours to tell you everything I know.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head. ¡°If a few hours are not enough, then you can take the whole day. And if that¡¯s not enough either, you can just take the whole week.¡± ¡°...¡± He had really messed up this time. Ply had no choice but to start talking. *** ¡°The steak and soup are pretty good here.¡± ¡°The tea isn¡¯t bad either.¡± It was morning. After warming up a bitst night, Seo Jun-Ho had gone straight to sleep. His breakfast was the meal he had paid for the day before. Ply was sitting at the table next to him and was busy spouting information. ¡°Emily from the general goods store is worried about her stock decreasing.¡± ¡°Harmon, the captain of Gilleon¡¯s city guard has recently gotten into gambling; his debt has been piling up.¡± ¡°The tycoon who has recently set up a shop in the city has a huge surplus¡­¡± Ply¡¯s left eye was dark and bruised. He had gotten it when he tried to escape earlier but Seo Jun-Ho caught him. ¡®Hm. I don¡¯t like that he tried to run away, but he knows more than I expected.¡¯ Ply had more information than Seo Jun-Ho had hoped¡ªinformation that only natives would know, and knowledge that would cost a fortune to get from information guilds. ¡°You know¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho spoke as he chewed on his steak. ¡°You¡¯ve only been talking about things rted to money. I thought that you were famous around here.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s correct. They call me Goldberg or Moneybug.¡±[2] ¡°Why don¡¯t you start telling me about other things? I need information on the nobles around here.¡± Nobles were powerful in the Ruben Empire and if he wanted to establish connections with them, it would be best to get some information about them first. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Ply nced at him before lowering his voice. ¡°Actually, our job involves collecting debts and interest, or gathering protection fees.¡± ¡°What the hell, you guys are loan sharks?¡± Ply cleared his throat. In other words, they would know nothing about monsters or nobles. ¡°So you only know about things rted to money?¡± ¡°Yes, but there is no one else who knows that stuff better than me. I¡¯m one of the 2 Scoundrels of Gilleon, after all.¡± He seemed strangely proud of that. ¡°2 Scoundrels? Who¡¯s the other one?¡± ¡°His name is Haus. He has always been ambitious.¡± ¡°Is he a loan shark too?¡± ¡°No. He manages gambling dens and pubs in the red-light district. He cheats his yers and dilutes his alcohol with water. He¡¯s a horrible person.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, you¡¯re a loan shark.¡± Seo Jun-Ho snorted and lowered his fork. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that he¡¯ll have information about nobles?¡± ¡°Since he also manages private venues for nobles, he¡¯ll definitely know more than I do.¡± ¡°Sounds good. Lead the way.¡± ¡°...Excuse me? To where?¡± ¡°To the gambling den. Lead the way.¡± 1. His name can also be read as ¡®fly¡¯, but I thought that would be too distracting. ? 2. Can be read as Gold Bug. It¡¯s a pun. ? Chapter 102. Information Gathering (2)

Chapter 102. Information Gathering (2)

When afternoon rolled around, Seo Jun-Ho dragged Ply out of Dewdrop Inn. He looked through a thick pile of pages as they walked. He was skimming through the information that Ply had given him. ¡°Moneybug, is there a single person in this city who doesn¡¯t owe you anything?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, dumbfounded. ¡°Ahem, well. As I said, I¡¯m pretty important around these parts¡­There¡¯s no ce that my money can¡¯t reach around here.¡± ¡°This city is a mess.¡± ¡°...¡± Unsurprisingly, Ply didn¡¯t have much information on nobles. But it didn¡¯t mean that he had none. ¡®No matter how poor they are, there wouldn¡¯t be any noble families who would borrow money from a loan shark.¡¯ But shockingly, there were some noble children who would borrow money for luxury goods or for gambling. To conceal their actions from their parents, they would borrow from loan sharks. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you collecting their debts? It¡¯s a lot of money. You could just go to their parents to get your money back.¡± ¡°Why would I? Even a single day¡¯s worth of interest is a lot.¡± ¡°...Are you sure that you¡¯ll be able to get your money back?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ply spoke with the confidence of a professional. ¡°Do you know what nobles value the most? It¡¯s their reputation. The amount I let them borrow is based on what their name is worth.¡± ¡°What if they refuse to pay you back?¡± ¡°A noble¡¯s biggest fear is giving their political rivals an upper hand. If they refuse to pay, I can sell their information, and they¡¯ll be humiliated in social circles.¡± ¡°I¡¯m impressed that you¡¯ve survived this far.¡± ¡°You learn some things when you¡¯re running a sca¡ªI mean, a business.¡±[1] Truthfully, Seo Jun-Ho was a bit impressed. ¡°What surprised me the most is the way that you had all this information memorized.¡± ¡°Despite my appearance, I¡¯ve got a good head on my shoulders.¡± It was true. Ply knew about everyone that had borrowed, was currently borrowing, or would borrow money from him in the future. His knowledge in this field was unmatched. ¡®This guy¡­he¡¯s more useful than I thought.¡¯ He had definitely been worth the effort when Seo Jun-Ho had beaten him up a little. Ply suddenly grew serious. ¡°When you enter the gambling den, you have to be on guard.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Haus has professional gamblers in each of his establishments. They prey on the guests and take everything from them, including the clothes on their backs. Especially that guy named Fivur.[2] When he sits down for a game, he takes everything on the table. Don¡¯t y with him, no matter what.¡± A momentter, Ply ducked behind a wall and pointed at an unassuming building. ¡°That¡¯s the gambling den.¡± ¡°Got it. Go wait at the inn. I don¡¯t want them to think I¡¯m with you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ordered. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He quickly turned to leave. Forget the inn, he would go straight to his office where his subordinates were hiding. ¡°If you¡¯re not there when Ie back¡­¡± But Ply froze in his tracks upon hearing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s following words. ¡°Well, you better be there.¡± ¡°Dammit¡­¡± The likes of Seo Jun-Ho would have no trouble finding their hideout anyway. Moreover, if Seo Jun-Ho simply asked Hauster, Haus would quickly snitch on Ply. As such, Ply turned around and smiled brightly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that. I¡¯ll be waiting at the inn.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled as he scampered away and turned back to the gambling den. Tworge bouncers stopped him at the door. ¡°Your money?¡± ¡°I have more than enough.¡± When he showed off his gold coins, they grinned and thumped his shoulders. ¡°Get out there and win.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the perfect night to make some money. Go on in.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± He smiled and walked by. The gambling den was thick with the stench of alcohol and cigarette smoke. ¡°Ick, what an unpleasant smell.¡± The Frost Queen frowned and covered her nose. Seo Jun-Ho nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell if this is a gambling den or an opium den¡­¡± As he passed through the smoke, he started to see some yers gambling away their money. ¡°Shit! Is the roulette wheel broken?¡± ¡°Tsk, one more time! Another game!¡± ¡°Please, number 3¡­number 3¡­ No! Why do I always lose?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not much different from Earth.¡± The people were ying with magic roulette wheels, cards, and dice. And of course, most of them were cheating. ¡°Yes! A straight!¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy. Looks like Fivur¡¯s gonna take all the money tonight.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ I wish that were me. Should I y a round?¡± ¡°Nah. You can¡¯t y with that amount of chips. Dozens of gold coins move around every game.¡± ¡®Fivur¡­¡¯ It was the man that Ply had mentioned. He walked over to the table where people were starting to gather. ¡°Hahaha! Waiter! Get a ss of wine for everyone in the audience!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Fivur! Fivur!¡± ¡°He sure is intense.¡± The game they were ying was poker. ¡®The perfect game for attracting an audience.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t really have much experience with gambling, other than the bet he had made with Gong Ju-Ha, but he knew the rules thanks to movies and TV shows. ¡°Can I y?¡± he asked as he sat down at an empty seat. ¡°Well, you have a face I haven¡¯t seen. Come join.¡± Fivur grinned. ¡°I just got here yesterday.¡± ¡°And you came to gamble straightaway. Haha, I like your style.¡± Fivur raised his ss. ¡°The stakes are pretty high today. Can you afford it?¡± ¡°Of course...¡± There was quite a lot of money on the table since all the chips scattered on it were worth one gold each. Fivur whistled as Seo Jun-Ho exchanged his gold for a hundred chips. ¡°You must be pretty good at poker. You seem confident.¡± ¡°Not really. After all, gambling is about luck, not skill.¡± Fivurughed. ¡°You¡¯re right. The game¡¯s based on pure luck.¡± He stared greedily at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chips. The dealer shuffled the deck and dealt all the yers a hand. ¡®What a shitty hand.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho knew that he was doomed from the moment he joined the game. He knew that there was no way that he could bluff against professional gamblers, but he still made the decision to gamble. ¡®Help me out...¡¯ He met eyes with the Frost Queen, who was sitting on the game table. ¡®I trust you...¡¯ He was willing to lose some money for now. At least, until she figured out the rules. *** Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°Fold.¡± ¡°Ooooh!¡± ¡°He¡¯s amazing! He folds perfectly every time!¡± ¡°Beginner¡¯s luck, maybe?¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Fivur lose money!¡± Seo Jun-Ho had been ying for about an hour. He had started with 100 chips, but he now had 270. ¡°From the left, high card, high card, one pair¡­Ah! Fivur¡¯s changed his hand again. He has a two-pair now.¡± The Frost Queen floated over the table, reading off the hands. If you knew your opponents¡¯ hands in poker, you couldn¡¯t lose even if you wanted to. ¡°Raise.¡± ¡°Oooh! He seems pretty confident this time!¡± ¡°Does he know something? Or is Lady Luck smiling at him?¡± Seo Jun-Ho won the round with a three-of-a-kind. He now had 350 chips. ¡°...¡± Haus was watching from the second-floor balcony. He waved over a servant. ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s a yer. His skill is amazing.¡± ¡°Skill? You call that skill?¡± Haus scowled. Fivur was a professional gambler who could turn any gambling den upside down. How could some random yer keep winning against him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s too suspicious¡­For now, get all the guys to his table.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Haus gripped the railing, his eyes burned with rage. ¡°How dare he touch my money!¡± *** ¡°C-Contractor!¡± The Frost Queen pointed angrily at the new yers. ¡°They are all cheating. Even the dealer is helping them!¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was unsurprised. He knew this would happen. ¡®They¡¯re a littlete, though.¡¯ He won too much. He now had 347 gold, which was 3.47 million dors or roughly 3.5 billion won. No gambling den would be able to ignore such an amount. ¡®I should get moving too.¡¯ He folded and stood up from his seat. Fivur and the other men looked at him nervously. ¡°L-leaving already?¡± Fivur unwittingly grabbed his sleeve. ¡°H-how about we y a little longer? Look how much you¡¯ve been winning.¡± ¡°I already won a lot. It would be a waste if I lost it again.¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± Fivur started to tremble. If Seo Jun-Ho left like this, he would die. Just then, a manager in a suit interrupted them. ¡°Sir, the owner said that he would like to have a drink with you.¡± The crowd started to murmur and looked at Seo Jun-Ho with envy. ¡°Isn¡¯t the owner one of the 2 Scoundrels of Gilleon?¡± ¡°They say Haus has enough assets topete with Goldberg.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled. ¡°Of course. Lead the way.¡± He followed the manager to the second floor to an extravagantly furnished room. ¡°This is the VIP room. Normally, only nobles are allowed to enter here.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t have to go this far.¡± He smiled. A single man sat on the sofa, ten suited guards were standing behind him. Seo Jun-Ho instantly realized that he was Haus. ¡®He¡¯s about as strong as Moneybug.¡¯ When he stepped forward, Haus started waving a piece of paper. ¡°Name: Seo Jun-Ho. upation: yer. Level is estimated to be in the mid-30s...You¡¯re pretty famous.¡± Unsurprisingly, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t greeted with a warm wee. ¡°Where did you get that?¡± ¡°I asked other yers. They seemed to know a lot about you.¡± Haus smirked as he tapped the table with his finger. ¡°Do you know why I allow yers toe in, even though they have abilities that let them cheat?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I know that I can get that money back.¡± He crossed his legs and took a long sip. ¡°I own the red-light district, which means that I know a lot of nobles. But yers? Of course, there are some strong ones, but they can¡¯t go against the nobles. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho acknowledged it. Just like Haus said, no matter how great he was, it was unwise to get involved with the nobles, and that was why Haus was so confident. ¡°So let me make a deal.¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly spoke up. He ced all his chips on the table, except for the first hundred he had brought with him inside when he first walked into the gambling den. Haus repeatedly blinked. ¡°...What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you back the chips I won. So give me information on the nobles.¡± Dumfounded, Haus stared at him. ¡°Are you messing with me? You won by cheating, and now you want information on the nobles for what was already mine?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad deal. Besides, if you ask for nobles to help, it¡¯lle with a price.¡± Haus gritted his teeth. It was true. Even though it seemed like he had the nobles¡¯ support, he would have to pay them considerably to borrow their power. ¡°You¡¯re sharp. But that¡¯s all you are.¡± He gestured with his finger, and the guards started to walk toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I don¡¯t need the nobles to take money from you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed. Since Haus had connections to the aristocracy, he initially wanted to resolve this as peacefully as possible. If I knew this would happen, I would¡¯ve just used brute force in the first ce.¡¯ He thought of the time he had wasted gambling. ¡°Ahh, my precious time¡­¡± Then, he raised his fist. 1. The Korean word for money lending business is ??? while a business is ??. ? 2. Can also be read as ¡®fever¡¯ or ¡®fibber¡¯. Author is having a lot of fun with names. ? Chapter 103. Information Gathering (3)

Chapter 103. Information Gathering (3)

As the thugs lunged for him, Seo Jun-Ho dodged as quick as lightning, grabbed one by the face, and hurled him back, which broke the marble table on impact. Bang! ¡°Ack!¡± Before he could even hit the ground, Seo Jun-Ho kicked back the sofa, hitting the three guards that were running toward him. They mmed into the wall behind them. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Get him, you idiots!¡± Haus screamed as he looked at them on the floor. He was speechless at how pathetically his guards had been beaten by just one man. ¡°Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho reached down for the fallen chips. He seemed to be studying them between his fingers. As the other thugs came running forward, he threw them out like daggers. Swish! Swish! ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°My eye! My eye!¡± They had simply been hit by chips but they all copsed to the floor. The chips had been infused with magic. ¡°You idiots!¡± Haus kicked a guard that had been hit in the stomach and was crying. He reached inside his jacket. ¡°Stop!¡± Seo Jun-Ho stopped throwing his chips to stare at the weapon in Haus¡¯s hands. ¡°A gun?¡± ¡°Yes, a gun! You yers love to use these.¡± He pointed with his weapon. ¡°I don¡¯t want this either. Hand over your chips and fuck off, and I¡¯ll let you live.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not gonna give me any information?¡± ¡°No!¡± Haus scowled. It seemed like Seo Jun-Ho still couldn¡¯t understand his situation. ¡°Fuck off while I¡¯m being nice!¡± Closing one eye to look through the scope, he aimed it at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. Or rather, he tried to. ¡°What¡­¡± His eyes widened. At the exact moment he blinked, Seo Jun-Ho disappeared like a ghost. ¡°You gotta aim for the head.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice spoke into his ear. He felt the cold metal touching his temple. ¡°H-how¡­¡± Haus slowly turned to face him. Seo Jun-Ho was standing right beside him, holding a revolver. Haus didn¡¯t even see him move. ¡®You¡¯re telling me that he¡¯s only around level 30?!¡¯ Bullshit. He had beaten up tons of yers who had tried to cheat him before, most of whom were above level 50. ¡®Those bastards! They should¡¯ve just told me they don¡¯t know anything.¡¯ Surely, the yers who gave him the information must be lying. Seo Jun-Ho moved like he was at least level 80. ¡°L-let''s think this through, Seo Jun¡ªI mean, Mr. Seo¡­¡± Haus couldn¡¯t help but begin to speak formally and carefully. His face paled with every passing second, and sweat rolled off his body like rain. His entire body was frozen with fear. It felt like that ck gun would take his life away at any moment. As his life started to sh before his eyes, Haus slowly raised his hands. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± He took a hesitant step back, shaking like a leaf. ¡°I-if you pull the trigger, it¡¯ll be a hassle to clean up. Y-you don¡¯t want that, do you?¡± ¡°Do I?¡± Click. Seo Jun-Ho pushed the hammer down, and all of Haus¡¯s hairs stood on end. The clicking of the hammer as it was pulled down was the sound of death approaching. It felt as if the grim reaper was standing just behind him, holding a scythe to his neck. Cold sweat dripped down his neck, and his pupils dted in fear. ¡°P-please¡­¡± Time slowed. He closed his eyes, but all he could see was the scene of the bullet ripping through his head. It felt like his soul was being sucked into the gun that was being pressed against his temple. As the seconds ticked by, his fear only grew, and so did his frustration. ¡®Am I, Haus, going to die here? Like this?¡¯ Once he started imagining his death, he couldn¡¯t stop it. What would happen if he died here? The businesses and establishments he had raised would be thrown down the drain and be public property. All that work¡ªonly for him to die so pathetically? What a waste. Goosebumps pricked his skin. ¡®I want to live. I don¡¯t want to die.¡¯ He realized that he had been living a good life. He ate expensive food, wore expensive clothing, and went to sleep in a luxurious bed. ¡®I-If I give him the information, then maybe¡­¡¯ Maybe he would be able to live. Haus opened his mouth to surrender. ¡°You¡¯ve got guts,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered as he pulled the trigger. Bang! A gunshot rang inside the VIP room. ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­¡± Haus fell over, gasping for breath as the world spun around him. He stared up at the dimming ceiling as tears poured down his cheeks. ¡°Dammit¡­ I was gonna tell you¡­¡± He sobbed. Crunch. He turned his head in surprise when he heard a sharp crunching sound, only to see Seo Jun-Ho crushing a bullet between his fingers. ¡°You should¡¯ve said so earlier.¡± ¡°...?¡± Why was the bullet in his hand? Haus slowly began patting his chest, stomach, neck, and head. There was no blood. ¡®Then¡­ Did he catch the bullet that he shot?¡¯ What the hell was this monster? Haus looked up with fearful eyes at the chuckling Seo Jun-Ho. He had never seen the bulleting, only the darkness of the chamber. He had assumed that he was dead when he heard the shot. And yet here he was, staring at the very bullet that was supposed to be in his head and at the being who had caught it. ¡°Son of a bitch¡­¡± he breathed. ¡°So, can you tell me about the nobles now?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked once more. Haus stared nkly for a second before he nodded frantically. ¡°O-of course!¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho brought Haus back to Dewdrop Inn and led him to his room on the fifth floor, but he stopped at the room next to him. Voices could be heard from the inside. ¡°Do you really expect me to talk all day? Just write down the basic stuff and tell him that¡¯s all I know.¡± ¡°But if we get caught¡­¡± ¡°We won¡¯t. Do you really think that he¡¯s a god or something? And did you forget who your boss is? You¡¯re my subordinate, you bastard.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho mmed the door open, Ply and his subordinate jumped in surprise. Ply¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Y-you¡¯re here. Please knock next time¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a god, but my ears are pretty sharp,¡± Seo Jun-Ho spoke as he stared at Ply ¡°Eek!¡± Ply squeaked as he went white. But Seo Jun-Ho ignored him. ¡°Go in.¡± Haus slowly stepped forward, but he squinted when he saw Ply. ¡°Moneybug? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Haaa. You always act so high and mighty, but you ended up being caught too.¡± ¡°Too?¡± ¡°Yeah. Got something to say?¡± The 2 Scoundrels of Gilleon red at each other, then sighed as the reality of their situation started to sink into their minds. ¡°Do you have any booze?¡± ¡°Yeah, the cheap kind.¡± That night, they shared a drink for the first time in 20 years. Misery lovedpany, after all. *** ¡°...Baroness Khunta likes to arrange flowers. She goes to gatherings every week. The heir of Gilleon¡¯s baron has an incurable disease. He has bought hundreds of medicines and is even looking for a priest, but nothing has worked so far. Viscount Harmod¡¯s children are heavy gamblers. They lose dozens of gold at my establishments every month.¡± The next day, Seo Jun-Ho made Haus spill what he knew. He nodded to himself as hepared Haus¡¯s information to Ply¡¯s. ¡®Mm it¡¯s definitely not as extensive as the documents from the Big 6, but¡­¡¯ They knew important, up-to-date details. No matter how strong they were, the Big 6 wouldn¡¯t have enough time to update their database every time something changed with the residents here. ¡®I got a lot of useful stuff. I have a basic n now.¡¯ He decided to reach level 50 in Gilleon before going to the Canal Mountains, which had powerful monsters that were around level 80. ¡®It¡¯s best to just stay here until then.¡¯ Haus had also heard a valuable piece of informationst week in one of his pubs¡ªthe governor of Gilleon would be holding arge-scale huntingpetition in two weeks. ¡®He said that registration would start in a week.¡¯ It was said that countless Adventurers, mercenaries, and yers would be participating. The goal of the hunt was to wipe out a n of Kobolds in the eastern ins. The best hunter would personally receive a reward from the governor. It was also a good opportunity to catch the attention of the nobles. ¡®It would¡¯ve been a shame if I left Gilleon without knowing this.¡¯ ¡°Good work, everyone.¡± Seo Jun-Ho waved them off. It had been five days since he captured Haus. ¡°...Are we really allowed to go?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not joking, right?¡± The two scoundrels had a look of hope on their faces when they looked at him. They had lost weight and their voices had long be hoarse from days of talking without rest. Seo Jun-Ho grinned. ¡°Why, do you wish I was?¡± ¡°N-not at all!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll gather my stuf¡­ oh, I don¡¯t have anything. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± ¡°Lead a life of virtue. Don¡¯t steal people¡¯s money with loan scams or rigged gambling.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a new person now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make my gambling dens virtuous. I swear...¡± They quickly left the inn, afraid that Seo Jun-Ho would change his mind. The Frost Queen sighed as she watched them leave. ¡°Finally, peace and quiet. I thought that I would die after hearing them talk for a week.¡± ¡°They were pretty rowdy, but at least I got this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho waved the 233-page book in his hand. It was a record of all the information that Ply and Haus had given him. It was basically a guidebook on how to reach level 50 in a week. Chapter 104. Adjustments (1)

Chapter 104. Adjustments (1)

Seo Jun-Ho left the inn early the next morning to head to the Adventurer Guild. On the way, it became obvious why the guild was located in themercial district where plenty of shops lined the road. ¡°Come and take a look! We have lots of great weapons!¡± ¡°Are you an Adventurer? Or a yer? Either way, you probably need potions, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Come take a look at our essories. You can buy them for your partner. There¡¯s a discount if you buy two.¡± The Frost Queen looked around the bustling market like an excited puppy from the top of his head. ¡°Contractor, they are all attracting my attention.¡± ¡°Of course they are. They¡¯re trying to get people to buy things. That way, they¡¯ll be able to ept Quests from Adventurers and earn money at the same time.¡± The Adventurer Guild¡¯s building was 3 stories tall and massive. The entrance disyed their logo¡ªa pair of shoes with wings attached to them. Even though it was still early in the morning, it was already jam-packed with people. ¡°...It¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°I heard that he stayed locked up in an inn all week.¡± ¡°Seeing how he¡¯s here, he¡¯s probably running low on travel expenses¡­¡± None of the Adventurers knew who he was, but the yers recognized him instantly. It would¡¯ve been strange if they couldn¡¯t recognize the star yer from the 1st floor. Seo Jun-Ho was already used to the attention and simply ignored them. ¡°There are a lot of yers here.¡± ¡°None of them are very powerful, I see.¡± The weakest ones were around level 30, and the decent ones were only around level 60. This was probably the reason why Gilleon was called the Starting City. ¡°Contractor, that must be the bulletin board that the octopus mentioned.¡± She pointed toward arge board that was covered in post-it-sized advertisements. People were crowding around it. ¡®That must be what the oct¡­ What Moneybug was talking about.¡¯ The advertisements listed the details of the Quest, along with the rewards. The people debated and deliberated in front of the bulletin for a long time. ¡°Hm¡­ I don¡¯t really want to hunt swamp slimes.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s hot and humid over there.¡± ¡°Then how about the whip wolves? We can make good money off their leathers.¡± ¡°We have to hunt 50, though. It¡¯s not worth the time and effort.¡± ¡°They¡¯re strong, too. We might be the ones that¡¯ll end up being hunted.¡± Seo Jun-Ho skimmed the board and quickly snatched a piece of paper. [Hunt Whip Wolves] Grade: D Description: Kill 50 whip wolves in the western fields of Gilleon. Reward: 3 silver 27 copper, 50 fame. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had two things that most peoplecked¡ª-money and overwhelming strength. ¡®Most yers would take about two days to clear this Quest.¡¯ Whip wolves were level 45 monsters and because they went around in packs, they were famous as difficult opponents. ¡®But I can finish this within half a day.¡¯ The reward didn¡¯t give a lot of money proportional to the effort, but that didn¡¯t matter to him. He had 1,000 gold in his inventory, after all. ¡®Since yers with low fame are limited to one Quest at a time...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t bother looking at the other Quests and immediately went to the western gate. ¡°Contractor, you are shaking too much. Walk slower.¡± The Frost Queen called out from his shoulder. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°I want to reach level 50 before the huntingpetition in ten days. Fly if you don¡¯t like the shaking.¡± The Frost Queen considered this and opted to grab onto his hair. ¡°...I will endure it.¡± He wondered how on Earth she became a queen. *** As soon as he passed through the walls, Seo Jun-Ho started to run. Thendscape quickly fell behind him. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± It was the first time in ten days that he had properly worked his body out. Of course, dealing with Ply and Haus didn¡¯t count. ¡®I can feel that all my stats had indeed risen by 30 points thanks to the Bringer of Spring¡¯s effect.¡¯ His body was overflowing with power. Percentage-wise, his stats had increased by 25% in a single day. ¡®It¡¯s¡­A little hard to control.¡¯ There was a slight disparity between his body and his mind. When he thought that he would only be able to run a certain distance, he would already be much further ahead than his estimates. There was only one way he would be able to close this gap. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll just train.¡± It was to train and practice until he could control his strength as he liked. The hunting ground was about an hour away, but he reached it in ten minutes. ¡°Were you carried on the 1st floor? How did you miss that?¡± ¡°What did you say? Do you know which Guild I¡¯m from?¡± ¡°Hey, why are you trying to steal our kills?¡± Seo Jun-Ho saw a scene of pure chaos which made him unable to hold back hisughter. ¡®This never happens on Earth.¡¯ The only way to hunt was to go into a Gate and once they were inside, kill stealing wouldn¡¯t be a problem since yers would either work alone or as a team. But it was different in Frontier. ¡®Unless it¡¯s a dungeon, monsters roam freely.¡¯ In other words, if someone wanted to, they couldnd the killing blow on a monster that another person had been fighting against. But what exactly would they get? ¡°Shit, we did all the work but they took half the EXP.¡± ¡°Mind your manners next time. I won¡¯t let you go if you do this again.¡± It was the EXP that yers valued the most. ¡°I won¡¯t see that kind of stuff if I go deeper into the forest.¡± Besides, the whip wolfs weren¡¯t in this area. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes lingered on the yers before he left. Their voices started to fade behind him the deeper he went into the forest. ¡°Frost.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Once I am done getting used to my new stats, let¡¯s start having spars, shall we?¡± It had already been a few months since they made the contract, but surprisingly, he had never fought with her just yet ¡®I always fought alone.¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t have a reason to do so. It was just more efficient for him to increase his level as fast as he could on the 1st floor so that he could reach the 2nd floor as soon as possible. ¡®But it¡¯s different now¡­¡¯ Frontier was a dangerous ce, where fiends and monsters roamed freely. ¡°We made a contract, remember? We should make use of it.¡± ¡°Hmm. So in other words, you need my power.¡± She smirked. ¡°Well, I suppose I can help you if you give me good tea every day.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got it backward. You¡¯ll only get good tea if you listen to me every day.¡± ¡°I do not see it that way.¡± ¡°But I do. And if you don¡¯t want to do it, get off my shoulder.¡± ¡°...Very well. A monarch must always keep an open mind.¡± She really didn¡¯t want to get off. At some point, they had gone so deep that sunlight no longer shone through the thick cover of the leaves around them. ¡°Hmm¡­ Whip wolves.¡± His heart started to beat faster. He had gone through many Gates back on Earth, but he had never heard of such a monster. ¡°I hope they¡¯re strong.¡± Anticipation filled his chest as he heard them slinking around. ¡ªGrrrr¡­ ¡ªAwoooooo! 20 wolves surrounded him in an instant. They each had two long tails. ¡°So it¡¯s you guys.¡± He revealed a wide grin before raising Cruel Executioner into the air. *** The sound of whips pping the ground filled the clearing. A smile tugged at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lips as he dodged the attacks. ¡°Isn¡¯t this so cool? Their tails are like whips!¡± ¡°...I suppose that would be the meaning behind their namesakes,¡± the Frost Queen said, unimpressed. Unlike her, Seo Jun-Ho was having the time of his life. ¡®It has been such a long time since I¡¯ve had this much fun with hunting.¡¯ He never had this much fun since he fought with hisrades. He quickly ducked as another tail flung toward him. It struck a tree with enough impact to snap it into two. ¡°I think I know why no one in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild wanted to take this Quest.¡± Even though he was having fun, his situation would be nerve-wracking for most adventurers and yers. ¡°Contractor, why are you taking so long?¡± ¡°I was gonna fool around for a bit, but I changed my mind.¡± The 20 wolves attacked simultaneously with their sharp ws and fangs. He might be able to consistently dodge both attacks, but they had another type of attack. The wolves would swing their tails with enough force to snap a small tree and there would be 20 of such attacksing at him at the same time. ¡°They¡¯re great opponents in helping me adjust with my new stats.¡± He couldn¡¯t let go of such a great opportunity for training. The endless attacks forced him to adapt and were forcing his senses to recover to what they had been originally. ¡°Is it here?¡± He tilted his head and reached out with his hand, catching a whip wolf by its tail. ¡°...You¡¯re already done adjusting?¡± The Frost Queen was impressed. All his stats had gone up by 25 percent, but it had only taken him 20 minutes to get used to his newfound strength. ¡°I¡¯ve had plenty of practice.¡± He wrapped the tail around his hand and swung the wolf into a tree. It fainted with a whimper after hitting therge tree. ¡°Not bad.¡± He grinned and raised his halberd. The wolves started to back away; they weren¡¯t used to humans attacking them, but it was toote. ¡°You should¡¯ve run away earlier.¡± No longer feeling the need to train, Seo Jun-Ho swung his weapon in an arc, cutting off the tails of six wolves with a loud snapping sound. They started to howl in unimaginable pain, but Seo Jun-Ho was already far too used to the sound of monsters wailing in pain. He even hummed as if he was listening to a ssical piece. He was ready; he had sessfully adjusted to this world. Chapter 105. Adjustments (2)

Chapter 105. Adjustments (2)

The Gates on Earth served as barriers, separating those who went in from those who were outside. Frontier was different, it didn¡¯t have any barriers. In other words, you could easily disturb someone¡¯s hunting grounds anywhere you went. However, thend was vast¡­ ¡°It¡¯ll be easy to hide a couple of people here.¡± The party of four,posed of two yers and two Adventurers, sat on a boulder in the dark forest. They were a strange bunch but the reason they were together was even stranger. ¡°It¡¯ll be even easier to hide corpses here.¡± ¡°Who should we kill next?¡± ¡°I dunno. I think the rumors have spread too much around here.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we start moving to another region? I think people are starting to take notice of us.¡± Hunters. The one thing these four had inmon was the rush they felt when taking a life. They didn¡¯t particrly like killing humans; if possible, they wanted to kill monsters. ¡°Tsk, hunting monsters is pretty fun, but they don¡¯t give us any money.¡± ¡°If the Adventurer Guild gave us good Quest rewards in the first ce, we wouldn¡¯t be forced to do this.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s society¡¯s fault that we had to resort to killing people.¡± Once again, they were pathetically ming others for their problems. The four stood up and looked at their leader, the Adventurer Dell. ¡°So what should we do? Leave right away?¡± ¡°Or¡­ How about we leave with a bang?¡± ¡°Tsk. That¡¯s what I want, but we don¡¯t have any good targets.¡± Their average level was 76, which meant they were stronger than the majority of people in Gilleon. Their team was also quite bnced. The two yers were a healer and a mage, and the two Adventurers were a swordsman and an assassin. It was a coincidence that they met, but their partyyout was perfect. This was why they were able to stay on the run for so long. ¡°There have been more city guards on the fieldtely. It¡¯s scary.¡± ¡°Well¡­We did go a little wild.¡± Fifty people had already died in their hands in Gilleon alone. In addition, they were also the culprits of all the missing cases in Gilleon. ¡°Oh, I was roaming the hunting ground a few days ago when I heard a weird rumor¡± At Muto, the healer¡¯s words, the other three turned to look at him. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Muto continued. ¡°They said that Seo Jun-Ho came up to the 2nd floor.¡± ¡°...Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± The two Adventurers looked at him in confusion. Only the mage seemed shocked. ¡°Damn, really? That Seo Jun-Ho? The Super Rookie?¡± ¡°Who is he? Exin.¡± Dell interjected. The mage started to exin. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho is a super famous guy from our world. In terms of pure skill, they say he¡¯s around the same level as Kim Woo-Joong.¡± ¡°...Kim Woo-Joong? The Sword Saint?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Dell shook his head. ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s no way we can kill a monster like him.¡± The mage disagreed. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, he¡¯s still a newbie.¡± The healer, Muto, nodded in agreement. ¡°He should be just a little over level 30. Even if he¡¯s a monster newbie, shouldn''t the four of us be enough to take him on?¡± ¡°...Level 30? You¡¯re sure?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Dell fell deep in thought. Despite being a killer, he valued his own safety more than the thrill. ¡°If he¡¯s only level 30, won¡¯t he be broke? I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll be able to make a decent profit off of him.¡± ¡°Nah. His armor¡¯s really expensive. It¡¯s worth at least a few hundred gold.¡± ¡°What?! A few hundred?¡± ¡°It was made by a super famous cksmith. Even if we have to sell it on the ck market, it¡¯ll go for some tens of gold.¡± A few hundred gold¡­ The four of them gulped. Even if they divided the profits, each person would be getting at least dozens of gold. ¡°With that much¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be enough to live and rx for a few years?¡± ¡°We can go to a big city, get some chicks, and drink expensive wine¡­¡± ¡°Shit, now I¡¯m getting excited. He¡¯s a walking wallet.¡± Greed was already visible in the eyes of the four people. The two yers were especially sure that they would seed. ¡®Even if he¡¯s ranked number 1 in the Cave of Trials¡­¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s still only level 30.¡¯ They were over level 70, and their stats would be significantly higher than him. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, there¡¯s no way we¡¯ll fail.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The four people began roaming their hunting ground around Gilleon. *** ¡°Awoooo¡­¡± A whip wolf whimpered helplessly as it breathed itsst. ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t try to eat people who¡¯re just passing by. You should¡¯ve been nicer.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand and looked around the clearing, which was covered in blood and the corpses of wolves. He reached into his inventory and pulled out a saw. ¡°Time to harvest the leather.¡± He had already been hunting monsters for five years, so the process was familiar to him. ¡°Back in the day, we used to eat monster meat if we ran out of rations inside a Gate.¡± The Frost Queen frowned. ¡°...Do not say such vile things. My appetite will disappear.¡± Ssk, ssk Perhaps because his Weapon Mastery skill had recently reached rank S, Seo Jun-Ho was able to skin the wolves quickly and efficiently ¡°Look at this. Do you see how I didn¡¯t lose any of the hide? This is high-grade stuff.¡± He hummed as he started to collect the leather. He had leveled up twice from killing 54 level-45 whip wolves. ¡°At this rate, I¡¯ll reach level 50 before the ten days are up.¡± Still, he wasn¡¯t as fast as he used to be. Back then, he had traveled the world and hunted monsters that attacked cities. It was only reasonable that he leveled up quickly. ¡°My Fame should increase once I go back and get my rewards.¡± ¡°Didn''t that little fox say that your benefits would increase if you gather more Fame?¡± ¡°Why do you keep calling Captain Gong that? Anyway, yeah.¡± He nodded. yers could get higher-grade Quests the higher their Fame was. Not to mention, nobles generally wouldn¡¯t speak with yers whom they had never heard about. In other words, if yers wanted to interact with nobles, then they had to have at least a high enough Fame. ¡°I only wish they¡¯d give me more than 50 Fame forpleting the Whip Wolf Quest.¡± He would have to do a lot of Quests before his Fame became high enough. ¡°Captain Gong also said that I would have to reach at least 1,000 Fame before I could even talk to a noble¡­¡± This meant that he had to do 19 more Quests simr to today¡¯s Quest. He sighed as he peeled off a hide. ¡°I wish I could catch a criminal or something. If I handed them over to the authorities, I¡¯d get a bunch of Fame.¡± ¡°You seem to think too simply of life.¡± ¡°Just one time¡­¡± The two of them continued to chat as Seo Jun-Ho skinned the wolves. Suddenly, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands stopped. Both of them turned their heads. ¡°Contractor, someone is approaching.¡± ¡°I sensed it too.¡± He scanned the corpses and scratched his head. ¡°Well, I¡¯d also be surprised if I saw this¡­It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± It¡¯s not like he¡¯dmitted a crime. On the contrary, killing the wolves was beneficial for others. He continued to harvest the leather without a care in the world. ¡°I wonder who it is. They keep walking around.¡± ¡°That is also what I sensed,¡± the Frost Queen spoke up. ¡°...What, they just left?¡± ¡°Strange. I expected them toe closer.¡± ¡°Weird.¡± 15 minutester, Seo Jun-Ho sensed a familiar presence. It was the presence of the man who had been wandering around him not too long ago. ¡°Ha, it¡¯s a man.¡± He smiled and scratched his nose. ¡°I knew it. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s a fan.¡± He shook his head. ¡°...Contractor, what made you think of such a thing?¡± ¡°Think about it. If they weren¡¯t a fan, why would they keep stalking me and even bring their friends over?¡± ¡°Hm, I¡¯m not sure. Perhaps they wish to attack you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. It makes no sense.¡± As he felt their approach, he became sure of it. ¡°They¡¯re fans. They¡¯re gonna ask for autographs. Wanna bet on it?¡± *** ¡°You guys know the n, right?¡± Dell whispered. ¡°Yeah.¡± The three others nodded. Muto had discovered Seo Jun-Ho a few minutes ago. ¡°First, I¡¯ll pretend to be his fan. He won¡¯t be that suspicious because I¡¯m also a yer.¡± ¡°How about you try asking for his autograph?¡± ¡°Ooh, good idea. He¡¯ll be perfectly fooled.¡± ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll approach him from behind,¡± said the assassin, Finn as he gripped his dagger. If they surrounded him, it would be a piece of cake. ¡°And then I¡¯ll throw a fireball from a distance¡­¡± ¡°While Finn and I will ambush him. Perfect.¡± Normally, they wouldn¡¯t evene up with a n. But their opponent this time was Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Hey, wait¡­¡± ¡°Is that the smell of blood¡­?¡± As they cut through the thicket, they came into arge clearing full of dozens of wolf corpses. ¡®H-How many are there?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s at least 40¡­No, 50.¡¯ ¡®He killed them all by himself? In one sitting?¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s crazy¡­¡¯ They went pale. Seo Jun-Ho dropped his saw onto the ground as he stood up. ¡°You there. You¡¯ve been following me around for a while now.¡± ¡°...!¡± Their hearts started to beat faster. Dell swallowed nervously, and Finn¡¯s hand crept toward the dagger strapped to his waist. Had he already noticed their purpose? Muto trembled as he spoke, ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m a fan¡­C-can I have your autograph¡­please?¡± He sounded like he was reading out of a textbook. ¡®Idiot!¡¯ ¡®Jesus, who would fall for that?¡¯ ¡®I forgot how bad he is at acting.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho grinned. He smirked, looking to his side where there was nothing. ¡°I suspected as much.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°Do you have a paper and pen? I can take a picture with you too if you have a Vita.¡± ¡°A-an autograph, please.¡± Muto pulled out a paper and pen from his inventory. As Seo Jun-Ho signed his name, Finn slinked behind him, while Dell gripped the handle of his sword. Daniel slowly started to create a fireball. ¡°Mmhm.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho finished the autographs, the Frost Queen burst intoughter. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face immediately went red. Chapter 106. Adjustments (3)

Chapter 106. Adjustments (3)

¡°I-Impossible. They really are fans?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes widened. It appeared that her contractor was correct. She scowled as Seo Jun-Ho gave her a smug look. ¡°Huh?¡± But something was off. While Seo Jun-Ho was signing the autographs, the men were slowly surrounding him. One quietly unsheathed a dagger at his waist, while another grabbed the handle of his sword. A mage was also starting to create a fireball from behind Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Ahahaha!¡± She clutched her stomach as she burst intoughter. They weren¡¯t real fans; they were bandits that were pretending to be fans. ¡°What did I say? Hahahaha!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± The way her contractor blushed was almost cute. ¡°Die, Seo Jun-Ho!¡± A fireball the size of a fist flew toward the back of his head. *** ¡®Ah, that¡¯s life.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho let out a heavy sigh. Frankly, he didn¡¯t necessarily like or dislike fanservice. He didn¡¯t mind taking pictures or signing autographs if his fans asked him. But these men had tried to dispose of his kind, innocent heart. One of them had unsheathed his dagger, and the mage had started to cast a spell. ¡®Did they really think that I wouldn¡¯t notice?¡¯ The fact that they did all this while knowing who he was made him extra annoyed, especially because there were only four of them. How weak did they think he was? ¡°You guys are crazy.¡± The killing intent rolled off his body. They should¡¯ve brought at least forty men if they really wanted to kill him. ¡°Die, Seo Jun-Ho!¡± A sword came for his heart, while a dagger aimed for his back, and a fist-sized fireball flew toward his head. Despite this, his eyes were focused on one person. The one who had first imed to be his fan. ¡°You first.¡± His hand shot out as quick as lightning, gripping Muto¡¯s throat. ¡°Gak!¡± Muto gasped from the sudden pain, but Seo Jun-Ho pulled his hand back just as quickly as he lunged at the former¡¯s throat. There was a loud snap, and Muto¡¯srynx appeared in his palm. ¡°...!¡± Muto¡¯s eyes widened as he tried to scream from the excruciating pain, but no sound came out, other than pathetic rasping. Seo Jun-Ho stared down at him with cold eyes and summoned his magic as ck Armor unfolded across his body. Cling! ng! Finn and Dell¡¯s attacks skidded off the metal. He could¡¯ve dodged them if he wanted to, but he purposefully didn¡¯t do so. ¡®I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll have nightmares about me.¡¯ He turned back to the healer and held out his arm, catching the fireball in his hand. Bang! He squeezed his fist, making it explode into sparks. ¡°H-he made the fireball explode?! With just his fist? What kind of monster¡­?¡± ¡°He got Muto! Fuck!¡± ¡°Dammit! You said he was level 30!¡± Dumbfounded, Daniel, Finn, and Dell quickly tried to create distance between them and Seo Jun-Ho. Thetter nced at them coldly. Crack! He bent down to rip the tail of a whip wolf off. Swoosh. Swoosh. He swung the bone whip at Daniel, the mage who was the closest to him. ¡°Ahh!¡± The bone whip easily ripped through Daniel¡¯s robes and his flesh. His skin started to redden and bleed with scratches, and he looked as if he had been attacked by a wild beast. It didn¡¯t matter even if he tried to run away, because the whip would always find him as if it had eyes. It took less than five seconds for Daniel to be reduced to a bloody mess. Crack! Crack! ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°Daniel!¡± Dell and Finn cursed as they ran to help Daniel, and Dell¡¯s sword aura ignited as he rushed toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Not bad, but¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t nearly enough to deal with him. ¡°Fuck off.¡± Crack! Seo Jun-Ho kicked Dell in the stomach, and thetter flew into a tree before crumpling to the ground. By the time he turned around, Finn had already approached him. ¡®This one isn¡¯t bad for an assassin, but it¡¯s still a hundred years too early for him to be able to assassinate me.¡¯ He ducked to avoid a strike and snatched Finn¡¯s wrist, breaking it in his hand. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Finn screamed in pain. ¡°Finn!¡± Panicked, Dell scrambled up and charged at Seo Jun-Ho. He swung up, down, left, and right, trying to overwhelm him with everything he knew. ¡°How annoying, your style is surprisingly by the book.¡± But what was the point of that if Dell himself wasn¡¯t honorable? Seo Jun-Ho evaded his strikes or blocked them with the back of his hand without taking a single step. As he dodged, he started to break Finn¡¯s fingers one by one. Crack! Crack! And each time, the forest would be filled with another scream. ¡°Ugh! Ha¡­ Please, just let me go¡­¡± Finn¡¯s eyes were bloodshot by the time his fingers and wrists were all broken. His voice had gone hoarse, and he couldn¡¯t even scream anymore. Dell looked at Seo Jun-Ho in amazement as he tried to catch his breath. He had been attacking to kill the entire time, but he hadn¡¯t been able tond a single scratch on thetter so far. ¡®A monster newbie?!¡¯ His opponent had already be a monster. The Hunters had be the hunted. Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t even moved an inch during the entire fight. ¡°So you¡¯re thest one left?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around. Finn, the assassin, was tossed aside like a broken doll with his fingers and wrists broken. Muto, the healer, kept healing his throat, afraid that he would die from blood loss. As for Daniel the mage, there was nothing else to say. He had passed out after being shredded by the whip. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that you attacked me when you¡¯re only at this level¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but think that it was a good thing that he was attacked. If it hadn¡¯t been him, then some yer or Adventurer might¡¯ve been attacked instead. They would have been taken out without even having the time to react if they had been attacked by their group. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like this is your first rodeo¡­ How many people have you killed?¡± ¡°...Fufu, around fifty.¡± Dell grinned wickedly. There was no use in hiding it now. ¡°Weird thing to brag about.¡± Seo Jun-Ho started to swing the bone whip once again. ¡°Only Daniel would be taken out by something like that!¡± Dell gnashed his teeth and swung his sword, aiming for the whip, but it curved away and wrapped around his body. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°Damn¡­ This is a great weapon.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the bone whip in admiration. Truthfully, he didn¡¯t have much experience with whips because he didn¡¯t particrly care for them. Of course, he didn¡¯t know much about using them either. But now, as he held the bone whip in his hand, his head started to fill with ideas. ¡°You¡­ Let me go!¡± Dell yelled as he pulled against his restraints. Seo Jun-Ho looked at him for a moment before speaking, ¡°Fifty people¡­ You¡¯ve killed a lot of people. You¡¯re no different from fiends.¡± He nned on handing them over to the city guards. But before that¡­ ¡®I¡¯m gonna give him what he deserves.¡¯ He pulled the whip back, making Dell fly through the air. Crack! He thrust his elbow into Dell¡¯s face as thetter flew toward him. But it still wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°Gah!¡± Jun-Ho hit him with so much force that both his teeth and nose cracked. ¡°Sorry, I still haven¡¯t let it all out. Let me hit you one more time.¡± He grabbed Dell by the back of his cor and punched the back of his skull. His body spasmed as he copsed. ¡°Will it not be a hassle to take them away in such a state?¡± the Frost Queenmented from beside him. ¡°So what? They deserved this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pondered as he looked at the four unconscious criminals. ¡°I wonder how much Fame I¡¯ll get if I hand them over,¡± he said lightly. *** When the four of them came to, Seo Jun-Ho had already restrained them with the whips and dragged them across the ground behind him. People nervously cleared the way. ¡°Halt!¡± The guards at the western gate raised their spears. The sight of a man dragging four bloody people was enough to make anyone suspicious. ¡°Identify yourself.¡± ¡°Seo Jun-Ho. I¡¯m a yer.¡± He shrugged as he patted the toothless Dell¡¯s head. ¡°I caught the culprits behind the recent disappearances.¡± ¡°...What?¡± The guard¡¯s eyes widened as he inspected the four hostages. The disappearances had been causing quite the headache for the city guardstely. If this man was telling the truth, then¡­ ¡°They tried to kill me while I was hunting. So I captured them.¡± ¡°...We¡¯ll take them to the headquarters to confirm this. Are you willing to testify?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± The guards nked him and escorted him into the gates. Three hourster, Seo Jun-Ho was shaking hands with the captain of the guard, Max. ¡°They confessed. Their statements do line up with the identities of the victims.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d that I was able to be of assistance.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled. ¡°You look quite strapping, and I have no doubt of your skill. What do you think of working as a city guard? If you¡¯re a yer, we can get you citizenship right away.¡± It was a tempting offer, but Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. If he epted, he would have to stay in Gilleon for at least another two years. ¡°I respectfully decline¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame. I¡¯d hate to see your skills go to waste.¡± The captain thumped his shoulder. ¡°Well, if a problem ever arises while you¡¯re here,e find me. I will help you as far as my power allows me.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho bowed, and the captain saluted back. After they parted ways, Seo Jun-Ho started to head toward themercial district. ¡°So, how much Fame did you receive?¡± the Frost Queen asked. Seo Jun-Ho had maintained aposed expression the entire time, but he couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore. Seo Jun-Ho grinned brightly and held up five fingers. Chapter 107. The Veteran鈥檚 Request (1)

Chapter 107. The Veteran¡¯s Request (1)

¡°Excuse me?¡± The Adventurer Guild¡¯s receptionist blinked as they looked quizzically at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Um¡­ As far as I know, this Quest was only epted this morning.¡± He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s correct. I took the Quest for the whip wolves.¡± The receptionist looked even more confused. It was hard to believe that this yer had killed 50 whip wolves in a single day. Seo Jun-Ho could understand the reason why they were confused, but he didn¡¯t say anything else because it could be verified anyway. ¡®They have a System...¡¯ A thousand years ago in Frontier, Gates had appeared, just like they had on Earth. The current poption was descended from the yers who had closed those Gates, and the System had remained all this time. However, it was slightly different from the System used by yers. ¡®It¡¯s said that its functions are greatly limited for them.¡¯ They couldn¡¯t see status windows, use inventories, or joinmunities. They could only use it for two things¡ªto see the levels of monsters and to check the status of Quests. ¡®And even if they could use all the other functions, it¡¯s not like they can awaken unique abilities like the yers¡­¡¯ There were only about one in ten thousand people in Frontier that could awaken Skills. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s true¡­ How in the world did you do it?¡± The receptionist rubbed their eyes and double-checked the hologram window. It was said that Seo Jun-Ho hadpleted the Quest. ¡®The System never lies, so it must be true but¡­¡¯ It seemed like the receptionist still couldn¡¯t believe it. Eventually, Seo Jun-Ho pulled out a couple of the whip wolves¡¯ hides from his inventory and showed them off. The receptionist¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®The quality is top-notch. He didn¡¯t just ughter them. He had the skill to kill them with one, clean, hit.¡¯ The receptionist finally understood how capable this yer was and returned the hide. ¡°Your skills are very impressive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°May I ask your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Seo Jun-Ho¡­ Seo Jun¡­ Huh?¡± The receptionist pped, their eyes widening. ¡°Are you the one that captured the criminals behind the disappearances a couple of hours ago?¡± The rumors had already spread in the time it had taken him to eat a meal. He nodded, slightly embarrassed, and the receptionist looked at him with admiration. ¡°You¡¯re amazing! You have no idea how scared the people have been because of those brutes!¡± ¡°I just did what I had to.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Just a second. I¡¯ll get your rewards.¡± The receptionist handed him 3 silvers and 27 coppers. ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed that you havepleted your Quest.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He put away the money and opened his status window. ¡®As I thought, I gained a lot less EXPpared to Gates.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t surprising. Once you entered a Gate, you couldn¡¯t leave until you cleared it. On the other hand, you were allowed to give up on Quests in Frontier if they felt too dangerous. The difference in the EXP rewards was based on the danger. ¡°Starting tomorrow, we¡¯ll give you personalized Quests if youe to the desk.¡± That was thanks to his Fame, which was currently at 550. ¡®Does that mean I won¡¯t have to fight at the bulletin for a good Quest?¡¯ He had done all these in a day¡¯s work. Seo Jun-Ho gave a wide smile and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll see you again.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you again!¡± As he left the building, Seo Jun-Ho spoke as he looked down at his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s less nerve-wracking than Gates, but I think Quests are more fun because it¡¯s simr to video games. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°I believe that you are having fun simply because you enjoy fighting new monsters.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny that.¡± He had fun fighting the whip wolves. He was excited to find more new monsters in the empire. ¡°Wanna get some snacks?¡± ¡°I wish to have decadent tea.¡± He had gotten used to talking to the Frost Queen while walking around. He had even learned how to speak quietly without moving his mouth much, almost like ventriloquism, so others wouldn¡¯t stare at him with weird gazes. ¡°Hm? Contractor, is that not the urchin?¡± She pointed. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed when he saw who they were. ¡°Please, just this once¡­ I¡¯m begging you. Please help me.¡± The bald Moneybug, Ply, scratched his head. ¡°Ugh¡­ How many times do I have to say this, mister? No, no, no!¡± He opened his mouth to add something angrily, but Seo Jun-Ho hit the back of his head before he could do so. ¡°Who?!¡± Ply jumped when he saw Seo Jun-Ho. He looked up at thetter like he was some sort of a beast. ¡°H-Hyung-nim¡­¡± ¡°Why am I your hyung-nim?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re stronger than me¡­ Wait, why did you hit me?¡± ¡°It has been less than 24 hours since I told you to live an honest life, you bastard. Why are you harassing innocent people again?¡± ¡°Harassing? Me?¡± Ply looked shocked. He thumped his chest with his fist. ¡°You¡¯re making me sad. Why do you think I¡¯m the one bothering him? I¡¯m the victim here.¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nced at the other man. He was middle-aged, and both his hair and beard were greying. However, his body was well-built, and Seo Jun-Ho could sense that the man would be stronger than those who were younger than him. ¡®He has a considerable aura. Was there someone like this in Gilleon?¡¯ He might have been stronger in his youth, but currently, his strength was probably around level 40. ¡°I saw you yelling at him. It¡¯s pretty obvious who¡¯s the victim here. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t judge a book by its cover¡­And the only reason I yelled was that this old man keeps nagging me with an impossible request.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ply scratched his head. He noticed the people starting to stare at the scene. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office for now. This isn¡¯t a good ce to talk.¡± *** Moneybug¡¯s office was muchrger and tidier than Seo Jun-Ho had expected. But then, he suddenly remembered that Ply owned the number one lending business in Gilleon. ¡°Please, sit.¡± Ply took out beverages from a magic fridge that was famous for being expensive and took a seat on the sofa as he introduced the old man. ¡°This person¡¯s name is Hakan. He used to be a mercenary, but he has retired now.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m still active. I never retired.¡± ¡°Stop being so stubborn, will you? You¡¯re old now. Look at yourself¡­ Ah, whatever. Let¡¯s not talk about it.¡± He shook his head. ¡°This is Seo Jun-Ho. He¡¯s a yer. He looks pretty delicate, but he¡¯s slightl¡­ no, he¡¯s very strong.¡± ¡°Stronger than you?¡± Hakan seemed a little surprised. Just based on his appearance, he looked at least ten times weaker than Ply. ¡°Ahem, well, when we fought in the alleyway, I lost by a hair¡¯s breadth.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smirked. They hadn¡¯t even fought because Ply had gotten down on his knees first. ¡°A hair¡¯s breadth¡­ You must be talking about some pretty thick hairs,¡± Seo Jun-Homented. ¡°That¡¯s how it is in Gilleon,¡± Ply casually replied. Then, he pouted. ¡°And hyung-nim, it makes me sad that you¡¯d use me like that. I¡¯m telling you, he¡¯s the one that¡¯s been chasing me around¡­¡± ¡°Chasing you around? You weren¡¯t threatening him for money?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at Hakan, who cleared his throat and nodded. ¡°He¡¯s telling the truth. I¡¯ve been following him around for a bit because I needed a favor.¡± ¡°You hear that? I¡¯m telling you, the old man¡¯s being unreasonable,¡± Plyined. He spoke like a child telling on his friend. ¡°He keeps insisting on going to a Dungeon with that feeble body of his and asking me to help him. Not only that, he even asked if he could borrow my precious money! Okay, fine, let¡¯s say that I¡¯m willing to lend him money, but why would I help him clear a Dungeon?¡± ¡°Dungeon?¡± Seo Jun-Ho perked up. Dungeons were simr to Gates. They were filled with monsters, and sometimes, they would even contain boss monsters. ¡®Materials from boss monsters can bring in big money.¡¯ Of course, this applied to both Earth and Frontier. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy enough to risk my life to¡­ Wait, that¡¯s it!¡± Ply pped his hands together, turning to Hakan. ¡°Mister, how about you go with hyung-nim instead? I can attest to his skill. He¡¯s at least five times stronger than me.¡± ¡°I thought you said you lost by a hair¡¯s breadth.¡± ¡°People in Gilleon have thick hair.¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Gilleon too, you know.¡± ¡°...¡± Ply pretended as if he didn¡¯t hear Hakan¡¯s mutterings and continued. ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you say that there¡¯s only one thing you need from the Dungeon?¡± Hakan nodded. ¡°The Five-Colored Goddess Statue. It¡¯s the only thing I need.¡± ¡°Great. Hyung-nim, isn¡¯t that a decent offer? You¡¯ll be able to get everything in the Dungeon, and if there¡¯s a boss monster there, you¡¯ll get even more.¡± Ply wasn¡¯t wrong. It was more than decent, actually. But Dungeons were dangerous ces. ¡°Do you have any information on the Dungeon?¡± Hakan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s called the Tomb of Shafirim the Phantom Thief. 10 years ago, my wife and I found an ancient text in a Dungeon while we were working as mercenaries. It talked about the Five-Colored Goddess Statue, which could restore anyone to health. We started to look for it that very day. We were 38 at the time, and we thought that it would be our final adventure before we retired¡­¡± All of a sudden, his face darkened. ¡°But one year ago, my wife suddenly copsed. The doctor told us that there was a tumor growing inside her body.¡± ¡°Oh no¡­¡± ¡°It had already spread to her major organs, so surgery was impossible. She told me to leave it be, saying that it was her fate¡­ But I couldn¡¯t.¡± He clenched his fists. ¡°I¡¯ve been digging everywhere to find information about it. It was harder with half the number of hands as before, but I couldn¡¯t stop. The only way I can cure her illness is to find the statue.¡± The Frost Queen sniffled as she listened to his story. ¡°Contractor, let us assist him¡­His circumstances are very tragic¡­¡± ¡°How far have you gone in your research?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I¡¯m done with it. I have even been inside the tomb. But¡­ It¡¯s not a normal tomb. It has be a Dungeon filled with powerful monsters.¡± Hakan bowed his head. ¡°That¡¯s why I need someone strong who can help me. They also need to be somewhat trustworthy so I know they won¡¯t try to steal the statue. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯tmission the Adventurer Guild.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded, understanding. ¡°I suppose you need the money for your wife, then.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll take to clear the Dungeon, so I need someone to take care of her while I¡¯m gone.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a deep breath. Right now, he needed Fame more than Dungeons, boss monsters, treasure, or money. ¡®I¡¯ll get a lot of EXP from clearing the Dungeon, but I don¡¯t know about Fame¡­¡¯ In fact, he might be able to get more Fame if he did Quests in the time it would take him to clear this Dungeon. But he couldn¡¯t not help after hearing the man¡¯s story. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t go back on my word,¡± Seo Jun-Ho coolly said. Hakan¡¯s face brightened. ¡°I-I¡¯d prefer it if we left as soon as possible. My wife is getting worse by the day¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll depart tomorrow at sunrise.¡± ¡°Oh, then I need to find a caretaker¡­¡± Ply interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll find one for you.¡± ¡®This guy. He looks like a shady street urchin, but he can actually be a softie.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho patted Ply¡¯s head. It felt smooth under his hands. Chapter 108. The Veteran鈥檚 Request (2)

Chapter 108. The Veteran¡¯s Request (2)

The next day, Seo Jun-Ho waited on a bench in front of the western gate from dawn till now. He was dressed simrly to the day before when he had gone hunting for the whip wolves. ¡®But my mindset is different¡­¡¯ He was filled with a simr determination when he entered Gates. ording to most yers, Dungeons were on a simr level to Gates, after all. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯mte.¡± Hakan lookedpletely different from yesterday. He had leather armor, a crossbow, and a quiver of arrows were even strapped to his back. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Seo Jun-Ho breathed in the early morning air as they left the gates. ¡°Is Shafirim¡¯s Tomb far from here?¡± ¡°Not very. People never see what¡¯s right under their noses, but it¡¯s just around two hours on foot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not too bad. Do you know what level the monsters are?¡± ¡°...The ones at the entrance were in the 60s. The ones deeper inside could be higher.¡± ¡°What species are they?¡± ¡°Kobolds.¡± Hakan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve heard the rumors, but the hordes of kobolds near Gilleon have been multiplying recently.¡± ¡°I heard.¡± There was even going to be a kobold-hunting contest. ¡°But there was something different about the kobolds that I encountered in the tomb.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Their skin was as red as blood, and they were about twice as big as normal kobolds. If it hadn¡¯t been for their unique appearances, I wouldn¡¯t have recognized them. I thought that they were orcs at first.¡± ¡°Blood kobolds.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded in understanding. They had been mentioned in the monster guide that he had received from Labyrinth. ¡°Not only are they physically powerful, but they also go crazy at the sight of blood¡­ They¡¯re not easy to fight.¡± They wouldn¡¯t even slow down despite their injuries; they were just like zombies. Although they were only level 60, they would be hard to deal with even for yers who were over level 80. ¡°Can we really defeat them with just the two of us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He looked deep into Hakan¡¯s fearful eyes and spoke confidently, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how many there are.¡± Hakan didn¡¯t know why, but he somehow felt reassured after hearing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words. *** ¡°This is the ce.¡± ¡°Geez, this would be hard to find even if you put it on a map.¡± The entrance of Shafirim¡¯s Tomb was hidden within the bushes of a bog. It would¡¯ve been nearly impossible to find if they didn¡¯t know what they were looking for. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± They descended down the stairs, with Seo Jun-Ho naturally taking the front. ¡°I¡¯ll lead the way. It might be dangerous.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll carry the light.¡± As Hakan lit and carried thentern, the area glowed around then. Seo Jun-Ho started to walk down the tunnel. ¡°Rather than a tomb¡­ It¡¯s more like a cave.¡± ¡°It has been quite a while since the kobolds started inhabiting this ce. Their stench is suffocating.¡± ¡°Still, it¡¯s a good thing that it¡¯s spacious here,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, taking out Cruel Executioner. There was more than enough space to swing the halberd around. Since the tunnel only had one path, there wouldn¡¯t be any problems in protecting Hakan either. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not as bad as I expected¡­¡± He trailed off when he spotted a pair of glowing red eyes through the darkness. They were around 20 meters away. ¡°It really isn¡¯t bad. There¡¯s only one.¡± ¡°How strange. There were two of them thest time I came¡­¡± ¡°Maybe the other one went to the bathroom?¡± Seo Jun-Ho raised his halberd. ¡°Wait. Leave this one to me.¡± Hakan carefully ced thentern on the ground and slipped the crossbow off his back. He nocked an arrow into each bowstring and closed one eye as he aimed. The two arrows shot into the darkness, piercing the kobold¡¯s head and heart. It couldn¡¯t even scream. ¡°Wow.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was impressed. ¡°You¡¯re quite skilled with the crossbow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve used it for 30 years. This is the least that I should be able to do.¡± Hakan smiled and picked up thentern again. ¡°We¡¯re off to a good start. Let us proceed.¡± They kept walking until they approached the corpse of the kobold. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s huge. I get why you first thought that it was an orc now.¡± The average kobold was about 130 centimeters tall, but the blood kobold was more than 160 centimeters. In addition, thanks to its prominent muscles, it would really resemble an orc when seen from behind. ¡®Interesting...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho pressed on, eager to fight them. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡± Around five minutester, they entered a clearing. It was quiterge, considering that they were underground. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Hakan raised thentern. The tunnel split off into ten different paths. ¡°I¡¯m not sure which way to go.¡± ¡°We have plenty of time. Let¡¯s go through each one.¡± The moment he spoke, the cavern started to vibrate. The two of them frowned as they looked at the ground. ¡°Did you feel that too?¡± Hakan asked. ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Strange. There has never been an earthquake around these parts¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t an earthquake,¡± Seo Jun-Ho mumbled. He stared into the dark tunnels. Hakan quickly put down thentern and readied his crossbow. ¡°Is it them?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face darkened as the vibrations got stronger. ¡®If it¡¯s vibrating just from their movements, then¡­¡¯ There had to be a lot of them. He turned to Hakan. ¡°Don¡¯t leave my side.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Seo Jun-Ho spun the halberd in his hands and took his ce in the center of the clearing. A momentter, the kobolds came pouring out of one of the tunnels. ¡ªGrrrrr! ¡ªAwooo! Kobolds resembled bipedal dogs, but the blood kobolds had bright red fur and drooled like they were rabid. They were carrying crude weapons with them. ¡°That¡¯s ten¡­n-no, twenty¡­?¡± Hakan started to tremble as they kept pouring out. The kobolds easily numbered over fifty. His jaw dropped. ¡°H-how?¡± He had considered their party to be lucky for only running into one at the entrance, but his celebration had been too hasty.¡± ¡°...Your scent,¡± Seo Jun-Ho whispered. ¡°They must have recognized your scent.¡± Hakan paled. Kobolds had a strong sense of smell because they were dogs, but it had already been a month since he had entered the tomb. As such, he hadn¡¯t expected that they would still remember his scent. He bit his lip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Because of his stupid mistake, he had put a young yer in danger. He wasn¡¯t sure if they would make it out alive anymore, let alone clear the Dungeon. But when Seo Jun-Ho turned to him, his expression remained unyielding. Magic started to pool within him. ¡°Do you remember what I said earlier? It doesn¡¯t matter how many there are.¡± *** Hakan closed his eyes and tried to pull himself together. There was nothing he could say. It had been his own foolish mistake. ¡®Even after spending the past thirty years a mercenary¡­ I¡¯m pathetic.¡¯ From the age of seventeen to his current age of forty-seven, he had lived as a mercenary. As a result of his experience, he had never doubted his veteran status. ¡®But¡­¡¯ He smiled bitterly. Ply had been right. He had only realized it once he stood face-to-face with death. ¡®I¡¯ve gotten old¡­¡¯ He was now too old and too weak to be a mercenary. He didn¡¯t have the sharp intellect and decisiveness that he had when he was younger anymore, and his strength and stamina were also starting to fall. He was the only one who hadn¡¯t realized this. ¡®Sophia, you were right.¡¯ His wife kept insisting that he give up. How could he find the statue on his own when they had so little sess while working together? She had told him that she was okay and that he should give up. But it was easier said than done¡­ ¡®Sophia¡­ I can¡¯t give up.¡¯ He had fallen in love with her ever since they started traveling the Empire together, hunting monsters andpleting Quests. He loved her cute and chubby cheeks, her boyish, lively personality, and the way she could handle his own stoic self. Whenever he dreamed of a life without her, he would wake up in a cold sweat. ¡®I know.¡¯ He heard her groaning in pain in the middle of the night, even when she pulled the nket over her head and buried her head into the pillows to try and muffle her groans so that he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her. ¡®The only thing I can do for her is¡­¡¯ No matter how he thought about it, the only thing he could do for her was to find the Five-Colored Goddess Statue. ¡®Then¡­ ¡® Hakan made his decision, a newfound determination glowed in his eyes. He aimed his crossbow at the rushing kobolds. ¡°Run! I¡¯ll buy time!¡± ¡°...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho whipped around in surprise. They had only known each other for a few hours, but Hakan knew that Seo Jun-Ho was a good man. After all, thetter didn¡¯t me him, and he even stood stubbornly at the front to protect the two of them. Hakan¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°Go back and gather people you can trust. And¡­Clear this Dungeon and give the statue to my wife, Sophia. Please...¡± His voice was old and worn, but it was filled with the fearless resolve of a veteran. ¡®The paths are split here, but the tunnel behind us only has one path. I can buy at least a minute so that he can run.¡¯ ¡°Go! Hurry!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t move an inch. Instead, he seemed to be observing him with interest. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Hakan yelled, and he was starting to panic. Any longer and they would run out of time. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. He felt something break inside him. Seo Jun-Ho was his only hope. Even if he died here, he would die happy knowing that Sophia would be able to recover. ¡°W-why¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned toward the mob of kobolds and raised his halberd. His feet were nted firmly in the ground, and his posture exuded confidence. ¡®Does he have no regard for his own life?¡¯ The blood kobolds were strong. They were twice as big as normal kobolds, and they were smarter and faster than their ordinary counterparts. Most Adventurers or yers would have trouble taking down a single one. ¡°If you want her to get better, bring her the statue yourself. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what your wife would prefer.¡± Jet-ck armor folded out across his body, and his halberd started to pulse with a dark, powerful aura. He swung it high and brought it down on the head of a blood kobold, cutting it cleanly in half as blood and brain matter sttered into the air. A sharp scent filled the air as the warm blood sshed to the ground, and the blood kobolds started to growl. Their eyes started to glow even brighter and they started to drool even more. ¡°C-careful!¡± Hakan yelled and reached out. But Seo Jun-Ho swung his halberd casually, seemingly in no rush. It cut in a crescent arc, leaving a glowing afterimage behind. And then blood rained down the cavern floor¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve already said this twice, why won¡¯t you trust me?¡± He had cut down fifteen blood kobolds with a single strike. Hakan opened his mouth, but no words woulde out. Seo Jun-Ho turned around and grinned. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it doesn¡¯t matter how many there are.¡± Chapter 109. The Veteran鈥檚 Request (3)

Chapter 109. The Veteran¡¯s Request (3)

It wasn¡¯t enough to just say that Seo Jun-Ho was strong. He handled the blood kobolds like he was taking candy from a baby. They were mere ants to him. ¡®He¡¯s strong...¡¯ Hakan couldn¡¯t help but stare. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body moved unpredictably, like a beast¡¯s. Sometimes, his halberd would seem heavy and crude like an axe, but other times it would move swiftly and gracefully like a spear. He killed dozens of blood kobolds in no time. ¡®Two in the front, one on the left, three on the right¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes swept his surroundings, analyzing the battlefield. By the time he processed the information, his body was already moving. Stab! Cruel Executioner shed like lightning, piercing through the hearts of two blood kobolds. He twisted his wrist, swinging to the left and burying the axehead into the ribs of another. Woosh! It didn¡¯t even have time to scream as it died. He kicked his right leg out, hitting one blood kobold in the stomach and causing it to fly back into another. Crash! ¡°Now that¡¯s what I call an InSec kick.¡±[1] He raised the halberd over his head and brought it down, crushing the skulls of two blood kobolds. Crack! ¡°...¡± He looked around. Not even a single blood kobold was left. ¡°You really¡­¡± Hakan trailed off. After working as a mercenary for 30 years, he had met many powerful people, some on a simr level as Seo Jun-Ho. However, all of them had been knights or yers that were around level 80. ¡®Normal standards can¡¯t be applied to him¡­¡¯ asionally, people like him would appear out of nowhere, as if they had fallen from the sky after being blessed by the heavens with unbelievable talent. They were often called geniuses. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho...¡± Hakan stopped his train of thought. All he knew was that this man had saved his life and that he was indebted to him. ¡°Thank you, truly. If it weren¡¯t for you, this ce would have be my grave.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned at Hakan¡¯s sincere gratitude. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to think that way? You¡¯re pretty handy with the crossbow too.¡± ¡°Haha. Thank you for saying that.¡± Hakan shook his head. ¡°But this made me realize that I¡¯m old now. I¡¯m more suitable to live in the safe confines of a city than to be out on the field at my age. Once this is over, I¡¯m going to retire from being a mercenary. And once Sophia is¡­¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho held up his hand. In movies and novels, people who said those things would always die. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to the rest once we¡¯re safely out of the Dungeon.¡± ¡°Goodness, how foolish of me. I was too hasty.¡± It wasn¡¯t over yet, but seeing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skills made Hakan feel like they had already conquered the Dungeon. ¡°Let us be on our way,¡± he said, lifting thentern. There were many different paths, but the two of them were experienced enough that they didn¡¯t need to worry about losing their way. The blood kobolds were no longer a problem either. Every single one that they encountered was cut down by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s halbert. About 40 minutester, their stench had disappeared almostpletely. ¡°I don¡¯t smell them anymore,¡± Hakanmented. ¡°I think most of the blood kobolds in the Dungeon are dead by now,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. He had killed over 80 blood kobolds so far. It would be more surprising if any of them were still alive. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ The blood kobolds¡¯ levels ranged from 60 to 65, so he reached level 40 after killing eighty of them. ¡°Huh? Stop!¡± Hakan called out. Seo Jun-Ho turned around, only to find that Hakan had put thentern down and was groping around the floor. A momentter, there was a loud click, and the floor in front of them copsed. ¡°...A booby trap,¡± Seo Jun-Ho whispered. He swallowed. The hole was three meters deep and was covered in dozens of sharp spikes. It had already imed ten blood kobolds. ¡°That¡¯s a nasty one.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was too shocked to say anything. His unwavering confidence had almost been his downfall this time. ¡®I let my guard down because I couldn¡¯t sense any more kobolds, but¡­¡¯ He hadn¡¯t expected the ce to be bobby trapped. He couldn¡¯t sense the trap with his sharp senses because it wasn¡¯t something that was alive. ¡°Dungeons truly are dangerous. I could¡¯ve gotten seriously injured if it weren¡¯t for you,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said with gratitude. ¡°I understand. But people as strong as you tend to fall for traps more easily. You must never let your guard down inside a Dungeon.¡± No matter how skilled Seo Jun-Ho was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape unscathed from a trap like that. ¡°Whoever designed this tomb is quite despicable. That trap is just foul...¡± Hakan stood back up. ¡°I guess I can finally be useful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I would¡¯ve fallen into quite a pinch without you.¡± ¡°Haha, thank you for saying that. To be honest, finding and dismantling traps is my area of expertise. Would you like me to teach you?¡± he asked. ¡°Is that alright?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled with interest. No matter how high he had risen, there was always something left for him to learn. As Confucius said in the Analects, when three men walk together, there would always be a teacher among them.[2] He nodded and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care, then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not veryplicated. You just need to memorize a few things.¡± Hakan took the lead from then on. He managed to sniff out every trap and disarm them. Seo Jun-Ho would sometimes look over his shoulder and ask him questions. ¡°Now, this is how you disarm this one. You press this button¡­ See how it activates?¡± ¡°So I just need to turn it in this order?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite clever. That¡¯s right, you just need to remember the order.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s knowledge grew, but he didn¡¯t gain a skill. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not that surprising; I can¡¯t always be that lucky.¡¯ Every time Hakan disarmed a trap, it felt like they were a step closer to clearing the Dungeon. When he deactivated the sixteenth one, they found themselves in front of arge door. ¡°Theyid traps until the very end,¡± Hakan muttered. ¡°I supposed they must have considered the psychological aspect too.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s right. Though there¡¯s not much of a point with people like you,¡± Hakan quipped. Hakan originally thought that Seo Jun-Ho only told him that he wanted to learn more about traps from him just to humor him, but the yer had taken his lessons seriously. ¡®I wonder what I could do if I use this knowledge in conjunction with my Frost skill.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was already trying toe up with different ideas on how to utilize his abilities. ¡°The things you taught me today may end up saving my life one day.¡± ¡°Ahaha! I¡¯ll feel honored if that happens.¡± Hakan chuckled as he looked toward the door. The knob was broken, and he sensed that someone else was inside. ¡°...I sense a kobold,¡± Seo Jun-Ho whispered. He could only sense one, but its aura was much more dangerous than the other ones they had encountered so far in this Dungeon. ¡°We need to be careful, so please stay near the entrance.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± As Seo Jun-Ho walked forward, Hakan waited by the door. ¡°Can you give me some light?¡± Hakanplied, washing the room with light and letting it shine down on a tinum coffin. On top of it was the Five-Colored Goddess Statue, which glowed faintly in the dark. ¡°T-the statue!¡± Hakan eximed. Seo Jun-Ho nced toward one of the corners. A pair of bright red eyes stared at him through the darkness. As the figure started to stand, it seemed as if it was growing in real time. ¡°Grrrrrrr¡­¡± The kobold stepped slowly out of the darkness. Hakan gasped as he shone hisntern toward it. ¡°W-What in the world¡­?¡± He trailed off. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s at least 2 meters tall.¡± It was so big that Seo Jun-Ho had to crane his neck to look at it properly. Its body was taut with muscles that seemed like they would explode at any moment. And most disturbingly, its pupils were rolling around... ¡°C-Contractor. Its eyes scare me,¡± the Frost Queen couldn¡¯t help butment. ¡°Yeah. This one must be more rabid than the others.¡± ¡°B-Be careful! It isn¡¯t normal!¡± Hakan called out. He wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°Monster information,¡± Seo Jun-Ho whispered. Just as yers could get information on a Gate on Earth, they could also read a monster¡¯s stats in Frontier. A window appeared¡­ [Blood Kobold Champion Injected with Demonic Energy LV. 83] The monster¡¯s name alone gave him three key points. ¡®Injected with demonic energy¡­?¡¯ This implied that someone else had injected demonic energy into it. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡®I¡¯ll have to look into thatter.¡¯ The rest was intuitive¡­ ¡®Blood Kobold Champion - as expected, it¡¯s a fighter. Since it¡¯s level 83, its stats are probably higher than most level 90 yers.¡¯ It might be a little tedious, but he didn¡¯t feel particrly concerned. As long as he had his weapon aura, he would be able to cut it down eventually. Still, he wouldn¡¯t let himself get careless. ¡®It looks even more rabid than the other ones¡­ I should finish this quickly. Booster.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho raised Cruel Executioner and dashed toward the monster as he activated Booster. His body started to warm up, and a ck aura covered his halberd that he swung toward the Blood Kobold Champion¡¯s head. It took him two seconds for him to reach it. ¡®You won¡¯t even feel it, monster.¡¯ But just as the halberd came down on its head, its pupils stopped moving, focusing on the de of the halberd. Then, it looked at him. ¡®¡­Wait, it saw through my attack?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°S-Seo Jun-Ho!¡± A beastly hand covered his face, filling his nostrils with a stench. 1. Reference to the League of Legends technique with Lee Sin. ? 2. That there is always something to learn from everyone. ? Chapter 110. The Veteran鈥檚 Request (4)

Chapter 110. The Veteran¡¯s Request (4)

Seo-Jun Ho¡¯s body flew upward. ck Armor protected his body, but he could still feel the pain on his face. As his body flew through the air and into a pir in the back, he only had one thought. ¡®It¡¯s fast and strong¡­¡¯ He was someone who had taken down the Casten Kis Bremen as well as the High Ranker fiend Kal Signer, and his confidence had increased as a result. He had thought that no one on the 2nd floor could defeat him, except the High Rankers. ¡®Was I too arrogant?¡¯ The monster in front of him, the Blood Kobold Champion, was powerful. The Frost Queen would probably be mad if he said this, but it was definitely stronger than Kis Bremen. Though, he supposed it wasn¡¯t a fairparison because thetter had been in a weakened state. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho!¡± Hakan¡¯s cry ripped through his thoughts. Boom! He felt a massive impact on his back as he struck a pir. ¡°Ugh.¡± He immediately stood back up and dashed forward without a moment to rest. Crash! The pir copsed behind him. This was the result of the Blood Kobold Champion¡¯s unfettered kick. ¡°What¡¯s with the rush?!¡± ¡°Grr¡­Grrrrrr¡­¡± Demonic energy flowed from its body. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed as he studied it. ¡°Wait, life force?¡± Life force was the inherent energy that every living thing was born with. It was more powerful than any other energy source, but once it was gone, you would die. Even using a tiny amount left heavy side effects. It could make you go insane, disable your body, or even make it impossible to use magic. Magic and demonic energy were merely diluted versions of this tremendous power. ¡®Even those crazy fiends don¡¯t use life force. But it¡¯s using it like it¡¯s nothing¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes furrowed. ¡®A monster like this can¡¯t be natural.¡¯ Nothing like this had ever been recorded in the 25 years, and even the Big 6¡¯s documents didn¡¯t mention anything simr. ¡®Someone made this for a reason¡­¡¯ It was obvious who it was. Since the haughty demonic ns had no interest in experiments like this¡­ ¡®I bet it¡¯s the Fiend Association.¡¯ They were crazy, after all. Those were the same people who had sacrificed thousands of children to try and make a copycat of himself. Seo Jun-Ho had to find out what they were up to. But for now, there were more pressing matters. ¡®I can¡¯t let my guard down.¡¯ He was essentially fighting a 1-star boss monster. He could feel the sheer power of the Blood Kobold Champion¡¯s demonic energy and life force filling the room. ¡®This is gonna be annoying.¡¯ But time was on his side. After all, the monster was burning through years of its life to use that kind of ridiculous power. ¡°Come at me, puppy.¡± He gestured with his finger, and the Blood Kobold Champion rushed over. ¡°Hup!¡± He thrust his halberd forward like a spear to fend it off. But the Blood Kobold Champion had already lost all reason, and it didn¡¯t stop even as the weapon pierced through its abdomen. ¡°What kind of an idiot?!¡± Keeeeeek! Its sharp ws tore across his chest te. He sensed danger as the Blood Kobold Champion moved forward and swung its arms randomly, but Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t the type of person to just sit down and take a beating. ¡°You wanna y dirty? Fine.¡± Seo Jun-Ho dug his heel into the monster¡¯s right foot so that it couldn¡¯t move and pushed the halberd even deeper. Fwoosh! Arge amount of blood started to flow from the wound. He had activated Cruel Executioner¡¯s ¡®Bleeding.¡¯ ¡®But that¡¯s not all¡­¡¯ The Blood Kobold Champion¡¯s blood had thoroughly soaked the de. ¡°Ah, that feels good.¡± Blood Pact had also been activated. Seo Jun-Ho felt his stamina rushing back. And thanks to the effects of Bringer of Spring and the Blue Fairy Bracelet, his stamina, and magic regeneration rate had also increased by 600%. ¡®I can use Blood Pact to the fullest.¡¯ Arge pool of blood was forming around the Blood Kobold Champion¡¯s feet, but the pain only made it attack even more fiercely. Woosh! Woooosh! It was undeniably strong and fast, but all it did was pummel its fists forward like an upset child. Seo Jun-Ho was able to dodge all its attacks by moving his body swiftly like a boxer while reaching into his inventory at the same time. Click. He held up a Glock 17 that had been specifically made for monsters and pulled the trigger without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Of course, normal bullets wouldn¡¯t be able to pierce through its thick hide, so he enhanced them with magic. Boom! The force behind the bullet changed. But that wasn¡¯t all¡­ ¡®Spiral...¡¯ He had used Gunman Gilberto Green¡¯s signature technique. The bullet ripped through the air and started to spin, roaring like the des of a helicopter. Seo Jun-Ho fired seventeen bullets in total, all aimed toward its heart. Bang! Bang! Bang! He fired consecutively, handling the recoil perfectly each time. ¡°It hurts, doesn¡¯t it?¡± They were now close enough to hear each other¡¯s breaths. The seventeen spinning bullets had torn through the Blood Kobold Champion¡¯s hide, and blood started to spill from its chest. ¡®But it¡¯s still not enough¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what the monster was made of, but the seventeen bullets still hadn¡¯t been enough to reach its heart. Still, he considered the attack a sess. ¡°Kiiiiiaaaaak!¡± The Blood Kobold Champion was already half out of its mind, but now it started to thrash even more violently. It wanted to retreat, but Seo Jun-Ho was still holding it down with his foot. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who wanted to y dirty?¡± ¡°Grrrr!¡± The monster growled as it bared its teeth. Despite the open wounds in its abdomen and chest, it could still move as if it wasn¡¯t injured. ¡®It has so much stamina¡­¡¯ But that was to be expected. After all, it was using both demonic energy and life force. Seo Jun-Ho slowly clenched his fists as he stared at it. ¡°The bullets didn¡¯t work.¡± Pow! Hended a magically-enhanced uppercut square in its jaw. ¡°But maybe my fists will¡­¡± The strike had shaken its inner ear, causing it to lose its bnce. Seo Jun-Ho took the chance to pummel it even more. Bam! Bam! The brutal sound of fists hitting flesh rang throughout the room. ¡®Let¡¯s see how much longer youst.¡¯ He concentrated his strikes on just one spot¡ªits chest, which had already been hit with seventeen bullets. All that was left for him to do was to shatter its ribs and crush its heart. ¡°Kiaaaaaaak!¡± Being hit in a ce that was already hurting meant that it would hurt even more. The Blood Kobold Champion doubled over as it tried to protect its heart, but even as it did so, it opened its reeking mouth in an attempt to rip off Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. It seemed like it had finally realized that swinging its fists had no effect. ¡°You want a taste of this? See if you can!¡± Seo Jun-Ho bent backward and spun his body around, using the momentum tond a spinning kick into its nose. ¡°Kiaaaak! Krrrr! Grrrr!¡± The Blood Kobold Champion covered its nose and quickly retreated. Or rather, it tried to¡­ ¡°Have you forgotten already?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s foot was still holding it down. ¡°Grrrr!¡± The Blood Kobold Champion swung its left leg upward to kick him away, but Seo Jun-Ho had been waiting for this moment. ¡®Got you.¡¯ His eyes shed as he blocked the kick with his elbow and rushed forward. Crash! The Blood Kobold Champion lost its bnce and fell onto its back. Seo Jun-Ho jumped on top of it and started the pummeling once more. ¡®Straight, straight, straight, straight!¡¯ Most boxers jabbed with their left hand and hit a straight with their right, but being a yer, Seo Jun-Ho only hit straights with both fists. He continued to punch into the monster¡¯s face and ribs without a moment of rest. Bam! Bam! Bam! The sounds of his assault were barbaric, it was almost as if he was tenderizing meat. ¡°...¡± Eventually, he could no longer hear the Blood Kobold Champion¡¯s ragged breaths. Seo Jun-Ho finally stopped. ¡°Phew¡­¡± He had called it ¡®ying dirty,¡¯ but it had been a one-sided massacre. Even if a monster had an overwhelming amount of demonic energy and life force, it was still a monster in the end. ¡®You can¡¯t defeat a professional monster hunter like me¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was so hot that he could almost see steam rolling off his body from the aftereffects of Booster. Hey down on the floor. Shhhh. The Frost Queen spread a lightyer of frost across his skin to cool him down. ¡°Thanks, Frost.¡± Hakan hurried over and pressed a hand to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s forehead, which made his eyes go wide. He pulled his hand away as if he had been scalded. ¡°Y-You¡¯re burning up! What the hell happened?¡± he asked. ¡°...Don¡¯t worry about it. It happens every time I fight.¡± Hakan didn¡¯t ask any further. yers always had mysterious techniques. ¡°At least, have some cold water,¡± he offered. ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked a little more alive after he guzzled it down. Several congrattory messages popped up in front of him. [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [All stats increased by 3.] [3 strength stats has been recovered.] [3 speed stats has been recovered.] [Strength has increased by 3 because of Limit Breaker¡¯s effect.] ¡®Ooh, three in one.¡¯ He had received significantly more EXP from a single monster than he had from eighty blood kobolds. Considering that you needed more EXP the higher your level got, the EXP he had obtained just now was immense. ¡®But still, it isn¡¯t surprising¡­¡¯ Even a four-person party made up of level 90 yers would have had trouble killing the Blood Kobold Champion. Seo Jun-Ho gave a satisfied smile when he saw his status window, which now read ¡®level 43.¡¯ ¡°Hup!¡± He stood back up and turned his head. His eyesnded on the tinum sarcophagus in the middle of the room. ¡°So that¡¯s the Five-Colored Goddess Statue,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. ¡°...Can I touch it?¡± Hakan asked. ¡°Pfft! Why are you asking me? It¡¯s yours.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shed ck Armor and breathed in the cool, fresh air. Hakan looked like he was barely suppressing a smile as he nodded. ¡°Thank you. Truly, thank you.¡± He approached the tinum sarcophagus and carefully lifted the statue. Feeling refreshed, Seo Jun-Ho picked up Cruel Executioner from the ground and walked over to Hakan. ¡°Besides the Goddess Statue, there are a lot of gemstones and gold. It¡¯s all yours,¡± Hakan said. ¡°Shall we take a look?¡± Seo Jun-Ho went to check his spoils, and he was pleased to find a pile of sparkling gemstones and gold coins. ¡°Just who was Shafirim? His tomb is so fancy.¡± ¡°He was a prolific thief. He designed his tomb himself before he died, actually.¡± ¡°...Impressive.¡± The treasure was easily worth tens of gold. Seo Jun-Ho gulped, excited. ¡°Hm?¡± He tilted his head as something caught his eye. It was a blue rock that shone faintly in the dark. He picked it up. ¡°A rock¡­? Item information.¡± His eyes widened when the window appeared before him. Chapter 111. The Veteran鈥檚 Request (5)

Chapter 111. The Veteran¡¯s Request (5)

[Spirit Crystal] Grade: Rare A snack that spirits enjoy. Increases their strength. The description was short, but it was enough for Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®A Spirit Crystal!¡¯ After creating a contract with Frost, he had done a lot of research on Spirits once he returned to Korea, including research on Spirit Crystals. ¡®It¡¯s an all-powerful stone. Not only is it the Spirits¡¯ favorite snack, but it also makes them stronger.¡¯ Of course, this also meant that it was a favorite among Spirit-users because their power relied on their Spirit¡¯s strength. ¡°Ah, the statue truly does shine in five different colors. I feel healthier just from holding it¡­¡± Hakan was focused on praising the statue, so Seo Jun-Ho took the chance to look down at his shoulder and speak to her. He grinned. ¡°Isn¡¯t this great? You can eat it once we get back.¡± ¡°...¡± For some reason, the Frost Queen had a strange expression on her face. He had expected her to be excited, but she shook her head. ¡°Contractor, I am a queen. Even though I have be a Spirit, how could I eat a rock?¡± she said curtly. ¡°What? It¡¯s good for you though. Just try it.¡± ¡°I refuse. A simple cup of tea is all I need to maintain my health.¡± ¡°...¡± He suddenly felt like a parent with a picky child. *** The two men went straight to Hakan¡¯s house once they returned to the city. ¡°Sophia!¡± he cried. ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Honey?¡± Sophie slowly sat up. She had been bedridden for about a month now. Hakan hugged her. ¡°It¡¯s all over now. I got the Five-Colored Goddess Statue!¡± ¡°How¡­¡± She trailed off. She seemed to have a lot of questions, but she didn¡¯t say anything else and simply patted her husband¡¯s back. Hakan had held back his tears the whole time they were in the Dungeon, but he couldn¡¯t keep it together in front of his wife. He looked nothing like the veteran mercenary Seo Jun-Ho knew as he started to sob in his wife¡¯s arms. ¡°This is nice,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s gross,¡± Ply grumbled as he approached closer. Seo Jun-Ho nced at him. ¡°You used quite a bit of money. I saw that you hired two nurses and even bought expensive medication.¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve never heard the end of it if you guys came back with the Five-Colored Goddess Statue and something had happened to her.¡± He saw Jun-Ho smiling at the couple, which made Ply scratch his bald head. ¡°They fed me a few times when I was young, so I was just repaying the favor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled knowingly as if he had expected the reason. The couple approached him. Hakan¡¯s eyes were red and swollen as he supported Sophia with his arm. ¡°Really¡­ I don¡¯t even know how to thank you,¡± Sophia said. She hugged the statue to her chest and smiled faintly. She had looked sick and wan, but now, the color started to return to her face. ¡°Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. For saving him¡­ and for saving me.¡± Sophia tried to bow, but Seo Jun-Ho stopped her. ¡°No need for all that. Mr. Hakan has already thanked me enough,¡± he said. ¡°But it would bear heavily on my mind if I sent off my savior like this¡­¡± Seo Jun-Houghed as he waved her off. ¡°Really, you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± ¡°Then, could I at least invite you over for a small meal?¡± she asked. ¡°It would be an honor to try your cooking,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. ¡°Hoho, I¡¯ll try my best to get better, then.¡± Hakan looked at Seo Jun-Ho warmly as he held Sophia in his arms. ¡°Thank you again. If it weren¡¯t for you, neither I nor Sophia would have survived,¡± he said. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim, you¡¯re our savior.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯ve thanked me enough.¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought that they might start thanking him again, so he dragged himself and Ply away. They stared at the shabby house from the outside. ¡°Mr. Hakan¡¯s financial situation isn¡¯t great, I assume.¡± ¡°Well¡­They had made a lot of money when they were mercenaries, but he spent it all on medicine for Mrs. Sophia.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± He could still hear their conversation beyond the thin door. ¡°Sophia, I¡¯m going to retire from being a mercenary like you said. I¡¯m gonna try to find a job in the city.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m d. Once I recover, I¡¯ll look for a job as well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still sick. Just focus on getting better. That¡¯s all I want.¡± Ply didn¡¯t appear to have heard them. He looked at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going?¡± he asked. Instead of responding, Seo Jun-Ho pulled out all the treasure he had received from Shafirim¡¯s tomb and handed it over to Ply. Thetter¡¯s eyes went wide as he checked the goods. ¡°Wow¡­ Are you giving this to me?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and looked toward the old house. ¡°Sell it all and use the money to support them. Don¡¯t tell them that I gave these to you.¡± ¡°...It¡¯lle out to at least 20 gold.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot. Anyway, just do your job.¡± 20 gold was around 200 million won, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡®I¡¯ve gotten all that I can from the Dungeon.¡¯ He had leveled up and found 30 gold in addition to the other spoils, along with a Spirit Crystal. ¡°...Can I ask you something?¡± Ply asked. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Why are you taking care of them so much?¡± ¡°No particr reason. They¡¯re good, honest people, so I¡¯m just hoping that things work out for them.¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. ¡°Dammit, I should¡¯ve been a nice person too.¡± ¡°You really should¡¯ve. Oh, and if I catch you embezzling¡­¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry about it. I, Ply, am a master of money,¡± he said giddily. *** When Seo Jun-Ho woke up, he couldn¡¯t see the ceiling. ¡°...What is this?¡± he muttered. Hologram windows blocked his sight. As he squinted to read them, he sat up in his bed. ¡°Is this real?¡± Seo Jun-Ho rubbed his eyes and looked at the messages again. [News of your good deeds for Hakan and Sophia have spread throughout Gilleon.] [The citizens of Gilleon apud your virtuous character. Fame increased by 10.] [Captain Max once again regrets being unable to hire you. Fame increased by 10.] [Emily from the misceneous goods store¡­] [Telsi of the Adventurer Guild¡­] [The merchants of Gilleon¡­] ¡­.. ¡°What in the world¡­?¡± Clearing Shafirim¡¯s tomb with Hakan hadn¡¯t been a Quest, but apparently, his name had spread across Gilleon because of it. Thanks to that, his Fame had increased by 520 overnight. He quickly opened his status window. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 43 Title: Bringer of Spring (+2) Strength : 157 Stamina : 160 Speed: 157 Magic: 189 Fame: 1,070 ¡°...It really went up.¡± He had reached 1000 Fame in a day. ording to Gong Ju-Ha, that was the minimum amount of Fame he needed to even try talking to nobles. Of course, that didn¡¯t guarantee a real conversation. If he tried to seek out a noble in his current state, he would most likely be turned away at the door. ¡®I need a way to meet them in a more natural situation.¡¯ He had already had a n for this. ¡®The kobold huntingpetition.¡¯ If he performed well there, he would have a chance to speak with the city lord when he received his reward. ¡°Things are going way better than I thought.¡± He gave a satisfied smile and got out of his bed. ¡°We don¡¯t need to farm for Fame anymore. I just need to reach level 50 now,¡± he said to the Frost Queen. ¡°Mm, congrats.¡± She had just woken up, and her eyes were still sleepy. ¡°Since you¡¯re up now, how about trying the Spirit Crystal? It¡¯s really good for you if you just have a bite in the morning¡­¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡± She wrapped herself in tissue again and fell back asleep. Seo Jun-Ho red at her stubborn back. He nodded slowly. ¡°If that¡¯s how you¡¯re gonna be¡­¡± He had no other choice but to be petty like her. *** ¡°Fuwa!¡± The Frost Queen shot up. She tended to sleep in, and if Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t wake her up, she would wake up around lunchtime. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Seo Jun-Ho called out from the sofa. He smiled brightly and waved her over. ¡°Come here and eat breakfast.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to! You¡¯re going to tell me to eat the Spirit Crystal again!¡± She gagged. He kept nagging her to eat it since yesterday, going on about how good it was for her and how she should just take a single bite. ¡°Contractor, you are disgustingly stubborn. You should know when to give up¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. I finally realized that I was wrong.¡± He shook his head seriously. Then, he held out a te of strawberry shortcake and a cup of ck tea. ¡°I got you some good tea as an apology, and this cake is from the most famous bakery in the city. Why don¡¯t you have some?¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen was determined not to get out from under her tissue, but she couldn¡¯t help but fly over after hearing what he said. When she saw that it really wasn¡¯t the Spirit Crystal and was simply a slice of cake and tea, she grinned happily. ¡°So you¡¯ve finallye to your senses.¡± ¡°Yup. I really regretted it.¡± ¡°Then, well¡­ There is no reason for me to refuse.¡± She held out her hand, and an ice fork formed in her hand. She took a bite of the cake and a sip of tea. Seo Jun-Ho watched her nervously. ¡°Mmhm!¡± she eximed. ¡°...W-what¡¯s wrong? Is it bad?¡± he asked carefully. She shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s delicious!¡± ¡°...Oh, really?¡± ¡°The cake is so soft, and the strawberries are very fresh. This tea also tastes different from the one I usually have. Where did you buy it?¡± ¡°I just got that from the restaurant on the first floor.¡± ¡°...Really? How strange. The usual tea is not bad either, but it is not usually this delicious.¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter as long as it tastes good, right?¡± ¡°Precisely. I feel energized now thanks to this delicious food.¡± She hummed happily as she finished her meal. There was a victorious smile on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face as he watched her eat. ¡®I always fell for it when I was younger.¡¯ If a child didn¡¯t like eating vegetables, the easiest way to get them to eat vegetables was to sneak them into something like a smoothie or fried rice. The cake and tea she was eating were filled with pulverized Spirit Crystal. ¡°Is it good?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, it is,¡± she responded happily. ¡°Alright, eat up~¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, greatly satisfied. Chapter 112. Special Training (1)

Chapter 112. Special Training (1)

After that, the Frost Queen looked forward to eating her cake and drinking her tea every day. But even then¡­ ¡°Frost, do you want to try the Spirit Crystal?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Ha¡­ How many times must I tell you, Contractor, that I do not want to? I refuse to eat it, no matter what!¡± she eximed. ¡°That can¡¯t be helped, then. Do you want cake and tea again today?¡± ¡°Mhm. You finally understand me.¡± She was still an idiot. One day, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t add the Spirit Crystal to her snacks, just to see what would happen. ¡°...¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating it?¡± He asked. ¡°Some¡­ Something is a little different. What is it?¡± She started to sulk a bit as she stirred her tea with her teaspoon. She stared into her cup and started to ponder what had changed. ¡°How shall I describe it? A delicious aftertaste no longer stimtes my tastebuds.¡± ¡°I see. Do you want to try the Spirit Crystal then?¡± he asked. ¡°Stop it. I told you, I will not eat it.¡± It was ironic, considering that her body was craving the crystal so badly. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t tell her that I¡¯ve been shaving it in, just in case...¡¯ It would take some time for her to finish it, but there was no need to make it harder for himself when she was sopliant. If he told her, she might start sulking and refuse to eat anything at all. On the contrary, he thought to himself that he would need to get more Spirit Crystals in the future. When he peeked at the crystal, he saw that it had shrunk in size whenpared to before. ¡®Well¡­ I¡¯ve already fed her a tenth of it.¡¯ The only problem was that Spirit Crystals were rare, even in Frontier. ¡°Hm, I wonder where I can get more Spirit Crystals?¡± ¡°Contractor, why do you say that when I am not going to eat them?¡± ¡°...You don¡¯t need to know.¡± Just what would he do with the childish queen? He felt like an exasperated parent. During his four days of rest, Seo Jun-Ho looked through themunity forums. The first thing he searched for was any mention of monsters that could use demonic energy¡­ ¡®There¡¯s nothing¡­¡¯ Demonic energy, injection, life force¡­ None of the keywords he tried returned any relevant information. He did, however, find something important. ¡°What the heck, there¡¯s a separate forum for information and another for news?¡± The problem was that they were both locked. He looked through the open forum to look for the reason. ¡°Ah¡­ I need PP, yer Points, to unlock them.¡± You could earn PP by posting on themunity and getting likes and views. It was also possible to sponsor points to another yer. ¡®But why do I need them?¡¯ He quickly found an answer when he looked for it. ¡°An Administrator? So the 2nd floor has one too.¡± Apparently, the Administrator of the 2nd floor would open a ¡®shop¡¯ from time to time where users could spend PP. Perhaps the reason yers wanted PP so badly was because the shop had good items. ¡°Hm, but I can¡¯t just spend all day in themunity forums because I want to get PP.¡± He couldn¡¯t neglect his level. Seo Jun-Ho thought for a second and made a decision. At times like these, it would be the fastest to ask someone else. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s find iluvac.¡± *** ¡°Iced tea is so cold, so refreshing!¡± Ha In-Ho stared at his boss and let out a sigh. She wasying down on the office sofa in broad daylight, singing and praising iced tea. ¡°Princess, aren¡¯t you going to work?¡± he said. Gong Ju-Ha gave a thumbs-up from behind the sofa, like the scene from The Terminator. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, In-ho. I have a talented subordinate, you see,¡± she said. ¡°And that subordinate is tired of it,¡± heined. The rest of the world thought that Gong Ju-Ha was a hard-working, disciplined person, but in reality, she rarely came to the office to work. ¡°You know what? I want to find the best water to tea ratio today.¡± She would do things like these instead of working. After she had fulfilled all her duties as a Captain, she gave the rest of the work to Ha In-Ho andzed around. ¡°Hm?¡± She suddenly sat up on the sofa, and Ha In-Ho tilted his head. He knew that she would never get up, no matter how he nagged her to work. ¡°Did you receive an emergency mission from Master or something?¡± ¡°No, nothing that gross.¡± She quickly opened themunity forums window, and her face brightened. ¡°Fufu¡­Of course. I knew you¡¯d need assistance from my esteemed self.¡± ¡°...What are you saying?¡± Ha In-Ho shook his head and turned his attention away. It wasn¡¯t umon for his entric boss to act like this. On the opposite side of the room, Gong Ju-Ha grinned as she whispered the message out loud. [Sonny: Hello, this is Seo Jun-Ho. Could I speak to you for a second?] Finally, the message she had been waiting for had arrived. [iluvac: My my, if it isn¡¯t Mr. Snake Head. I¡¯m busy with Guild business right now¡­ But it¡¯s okay, I guess.] [Sonny: I¡¯m sorry for bothering you in the middle of work. I was just wondering if I could ask you something.] [iluvac: Of course. What is it? ] [Sonny: I want to get more PP. Is there another way for me to do that other than making posts or leavingments in the forum?] [iluvac: Ah, right. You should start building your stash of PP soon.] She paused for a second before sending another message. [iluvac: Well¡­I think you¡¯d have a good time posting on the video forum, Mr. Snake Head.] [Sonny: Video forum?] [iluvac: Yes. Hunting videos or boss monster raid videos would always have a lot of views. Knowing how to hunt monsters is useful information, after all. The obvious downside is that you have to reveal your skills to an extent, but selling videos for PP is your best bet.] [Sonny: That doesn¡¯t sound bad. I can get PP while I level up too¡­ Thank you.] [iluvac: Is there anything else you want to know?] [Sonny: Yes, there¡¯s one more thing. Have you ever heard about monsters that could use demonic energy?] [iluvac: Monsters that could use demonic energy?] She lifted her head and looked at Ha In-ho. ¡°In-ho! Have you ever heard anything about monsters that can use demonic energy?¡± she shouted. ¡°Monsters that can use demonic energy? That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of that...¡± ¡°Right? Hm, I wonder why Mr. Snake Head asked me about it.¡± She scratched her head and tapped on the keyboard. [iluvac: I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t heard of anything like that.] [Sonny: It¡¯s no problem. I was just curious, which is why I asked. Thank you for your help today.] [iluvac: Of course. You can always message me for things like this.] Gong Ju-Ha left him with a warm reply and closed themunity forums window with a satisfied smile on her face. She looked at Ha In-Ho, who was looking at her with a suspicious expression. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°...Princess, are you dating someone?¡± ¡°D-dating?! Don¡¯t give me that nonsense.¡± Her face flushed red, and she started to wave a fan on her cheeks. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s so hot. It feels hotter now because of the weird thing you said!¡± *** ¡°Hm, seems like Captain Gong doesn¡¯t know anything.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stroked his chin. He thought that she might know something. After all, she was a Team Captain in Goblin, one of the Big 6 Guilds. ¡°Contractor, she may be feigning ignorance whilst hiding information,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°She could be, of course. I trust her, but she¡¯s still a yer, so it¡¯s still possible.¡± He considered the situation. ¡°The first possibility is that the Big 6 has information on such monsters, but they¡¯re keeping it from me on purpose.¡± ¡°Then, there would be nothing that you can do,¡± the Frost Queen answered. ¡°...Right.¡± Just as she said, he couldn¡¯t do anything about the information he didn¡¯t have. As such, he could only hope that thetter was true. ¡°There¡¯s also a possibility that none of the Big 6, Goblin included, have any information about such monsters at all.¡± ¡°The chance is small¡­ But if it is true, the rest of the story is simple.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Frontier had already been unlocked for 25 years. Countless yers and Guilds had already set their feet in the Empire. ¡°So the fact that there is no information on monsters that can use demonic energy means¡­¡± ¡°...That it hadn¡¯t been long since the experiment seeded,¡± the Frost Queen finished. Not even the Fiend Association couldpletely escape the eyes of the Empire and the Guilds. ¡°So that means that information on monsters who can use demonic energy will soon start toe out,¡± Seo Jun-Ho concluded. The Blood Kobold Champion¡¯s strength waspletely disproportionate to its level. He didn¡¯t know what the Fiend Association wanted, but he knew that they had seeded in something. ¡°I suppose there will soon be more monsters like the one fromst time,¡± The Frost Queen said. ¡°This could just be the beginning of something huge.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes started to sparkle. If he tracked monsters who had demonic energy injected into them, he could find clues about the Fiend Association. ¡°You must get stronger,¡± the Frost Queenmented. ¡°That¡¯s a given.¡± There were countless monsters in the world that were stronger than the Blood Kobold Champion. What would happen if they were injected with demonic energy and if they could also use life force on top of that? ¡°I don¡¯t even want to think about it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shivered and stood up. ¡°Sitting around like this is a waste of time. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Go where?¡± ¡°Where do you think?¡± He tapped the window. Gilleon¡¯s walls were visible. ¡°Let¡¯s go hunting.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho went to receive a Quest from the Adventurer Guild. It was a rtively simple Quest¡ªall he needed to do was to catch some swamp slimes and bring their cores over to the Adventurer Guild. Though, since he needed a hundred of them, it was a Quest that would usually be carried out by a party. ¡°I told youst time, didn¡¯t I? I want to try hunting together,¡± he said. ¡°Yes. I am looking forward to it.¡± She nodded excitedly. The Frost Queen hadn¡¯t used her powers in a while, and she usually just watched from the sidelines. ¡°In order to train our teamwork, I first have to understand your powers in detail. Let¡¯s see how long you can fight alone today.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wanted to see what she could do on her own. As long as his mental state stayed intact, she would be able to do more than her own share of fighting. ¡®She almost defeated me before, after all.¡¯ The Frost Queen had already been nerfed back then, so he didn¡¯t have big expectations now that she had be even weaker as a Spirit. ¡°So all I need to do is to catch those swamp slimes on my own?¡± ¡°Yeah. Do you need anything else?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± She seemed to have considered this for a second. Afterward, she grinned as she turned to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Since my power is derived from your mental and emotional state, pull yourself together.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Just as the name implied, swamp slimes resided in swamps. They were eerie monsters that were much stickier than normal slimes, and they would drag people into the swamp as soon as they let their guards down. ¡°Show me your power.¡± Hemanded. ¡°My power?¡± Her lip curled. ¡°Contractor, I have realized that this is the first time that you are watching me hunt.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The only time when he saw her fight was when she helped him fight the illusion of his friends in the Cave of Trials. Shlop. Shlop. The swamp slimes sensed their presence and started to emerge, one by one. ¡°Prepare yourself, and prepare to be impressed.¡± She stayed seated on his shoulder with her legs crossed. She moved her finger. The temperature quickly began to fall. Chapter 113. Special Training (2)

Chapter 113. Special Training (2)

Most inexperienced yers underestimated slimes. In most media such as novels, movies, andics, they were often depicted as cute little monsters. But veteran yers knew better than to do that. No matter how strong they were, they knew to be careful of getting surrounded. ¡°I¡¯ve never been surrounded by slimes before¡­ This feels weird,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, looking over the twelve slimes encircling him. Even though it was for the sake of testing the Frost Queen¡¯s abilities, he felt that it was a little excessive. ¡°Contractor, do not underestimate me,¡± she said carelessly. She pointed her finger. The temperature dropped, freezing the slimes. p! As she brought her hands together, they froze into ice and shattered. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Since slimes were mostly made up of liquid, the Frost Skill was their natural enemy. ¡°This is my power. What do you think?¡± she asked, jutting her chin. She had killed them with the flick of a wrist. Instead of praising her, Seo Jun-Ho onlyined. ¡°What do I think? This is a mess...¡± He let out a soft sigh as he dug through the ice shards that had been slimes mere moments ago. ¡°The Quest said to bring back 100 swamp slime cores, but you shattered them all.¡± ¡°Oh right, the cores¡­¡± The Frost Queen realized her mistake. ¡°Fine, let us proceed to the next area. I shall demonstrate my skills properly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make the cores explode this time.¡± Seo Jun-Ho walked around the swamp, gathering slimes. When he had gathered around twenty, the Frost Queen flicked her finger once again. Crackle! She tried a different mode of attack this time. Ice spikes formed in the air and pierced through the slimes. When ice spikes emerged from their bodies, they all had a core at the tip. ¡°So you extracted the cores instead? Not bad.¡± In the same way that humans needed their hearts, slimes would die if their cores were destroyed. The swamp slimes tried to crawl forward, but they melted into the ground. Seo Jun-Ho nodded as he watched. ¡°You¡¯re much faster at making the spikes than I am, and you have great uracy. But¡­¡± They were too slow. Most yers in Frontier would easily be able to dodge them. He knew why this was the case. ¡°Because you¡¯re a Lesser Spirit¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho started. ¡°An Arch Spirit,¡± she corrected. ¡°...Right. But even if you¡¯re an Arch Spirit, you¡¯re still a Spirit and have gotten a lot slower than your original form.¡± ¡°I-It can¡¯t be helped,¡± she muttered. ¡°Tsk. You got nerfed as soon as you stopped being my enemy and became an ally.¡± When they fought at the Nest, the Frost Queen used her own magic power to use her abilities. Her ice spears were so fast that it was hard to process and dodge them in time. But now, her power was derived from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mental energy. Since the very source of her power had changed, her power output had naturally decreased. ¡°Objectively speaking, I don¡¯t think hurling projectiles is a good fighting style for you right now,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°...I know,¡± the Frost Queen responded despondently. ¡°All I can do right now is support you in battle.¡± All that she could do for him was lower the temperature, freeze the ground, restrain the enemy, or make shields. ¡°Why do you look so down? What you can do is still a tremendous help for me.¡± He didn¡¯t just say that to make her feel better, he was sincere. A Spirit was a reliable ally on the battlefield that he could always trust to assist him. ¡°So, now that we¡¯ve decided that you¡¯ll be a support¡­ How about the ice golems?¡± he asked. The golems she summoned in the Cave of Trials had merely been illusions, but they had been able to block Rahmadat Khali. ¡°I couldn¡¯t get a good lookst time because I was fighting.¡± ¡°They are quite decent,¡± the Frost Queen said coyly. She quietly pped her hands together. The moisture in the air froze in an instant, creating four ice golems. ¡°Wow...¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly walked around the creations. They were much bigger than him; about 250 centimeters tall and at least three times as wide. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that they were so big. They¡¯re pretty intimidating.¡± He also liked that they were made of ice. ¡°They¡¯re perfect tankers,¡± he said. He smiled as he looked up at them. ¡°They were moving pretty swiftlyst time. Do they have a conscience?¡± ¡°They do, but their intelligence is very low.¡± She moved her index finger from side to side, and the golems¡¯ heads turned to follow her finger. ¡°So if we use them in battle, it would be more convenient and efficient if I control them myself. ¡°Ah, so they aren¡¯t autonomous¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho considered this for a second. ¡°What if we trained them? ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ If we did it repetitively, perhaps they will learn. I have never tried, so I do not know the answer.¡± ¡°We can take our time with that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled like a child eyeing a new toy. There was only one reason why he hadn¡¯t been hunting high-level monsters. ¡®No matter how high my stats are, things could get dangerous if there are a lot of them.¡¯ He didn¡¯t have any teammates to watch his back. Even if he tried to find some, it would be troublesome to hide his skills and whatnot. However, things would be different with the golems. ¡°...If we train them up, I think we¡¯ll even be able to drive hunt.¡±[1]Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the ice golems and licked his lips. He turned to the Frost Queen. ¡°Frost, if you¡¯re controlling the golems, would you still be able to give me extra support?¡± ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± She puffed out her chest. ¡°I am the Frost Queen of Niflheim. I am the one who freezes the world. Though I have been reduced to a mere Less¡ªI mean, a mere Arch Spirit, that much is nothing,¡± she said proudly. ¡°...Really? Then prove it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho started to look around for more swamp slimes. *** The things he wanted to know from today¡¯s training session were simple. ¡®How much and how long the Frost Queen can fight on her own.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was greatly satisfied with the results. ¡°Hmm. If you¡¯re controlling four golems¡­ You should still be able to handle two or three level-80 yers on your own,¡± Seo Jun-Ho observed. ¡°I can handle even more of them,¡± she said. ¡°Realistically, you can¡¯t...¡± ¡°No, I can.¡± Her arrogance refused to let her admit it, but it was true. ¡°And you can keep them on the field for about three hours¡­¡± It could be a long or short time, depending on how you looked at it. Seo Jun-Ho massaged his throbbing temples. ¡°We should be able to drive hunt.¡± Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that they could do it right away. ¡®Just like she said, the ice golems are too unintelligent¡­¡¯ Simply put, they weren¡¯t adaptable at all. ¡°It makes me wonder if training them is even possible at all.¡± It would be a shame if it was impossible. If the golems had even a child''s intelligence, the number of different battle techniques they could try would be infinite. ¡°Contractor, that makes a hundred...¡± While he was lost in thought, the Frost Queen had managed to collect a hundred slime cores through ¡®automatic hunting.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho collected the cores and stood up from the rock he was sitting on. ¡°We¡¯ll have a lot to prepare for once we return to the city,¡± he said ¡°Preparations for what? Were you not nning to return to the field tomorrow and focus on raising your level?¡± she asked. ¡°That¡¯s what I had nned¡­ But I changed my mind because your skills were beyond my imagination.¡± Originally, he had nned to focus on the Kobold Hunting Competition. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s goal had been to rank high enough to have a chance to speak with the city lord of Gilleon. He had nned to slowly build their rtionship to eventually get a Quest from him. ¡®But things are different now¡­¡¯ The Frost Queen was unbelievably powerful. Frankly, he had originally doubted that she would be of much help because she was a Lesser Spirit, but he had been gravely mistaken. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have any trouble winning thepetition¡­¡± If that happened, he would easily be able to meet with the city lord. ¡®Actually, I think I¡¯ll be able to skip over the talking stage and get a Quest from him right away.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled as he prepared to head back. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left until thepetition.¡± Before thepetition began, he would have to train the ice golems, learn to fight with the Forst Queen, and reach level 50. Time was of the essence. *** They returned to the Adventurer Guild to fulfill the Quest and receive the rewards¡ªa small amount of money, and 60 Fame. Seo Jun-Ho put the money away and returned to the inn, where he gave the Frost Queen her usual snack. ¡°Contractor! It tastes even better after breaking a sweat.¡± ¡®Actually, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the reason why it tastes even better¡­¡¯ He had put twice the amount of Spirit Crystal shavings because she worked hard today. He watched her nibble happily on her snacks before standing up. ¡°Finish your snack. I¡¯m going to meet someone at the auction house.¡± ¡°Auction house? Do you n to buy something?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m looking for.¡± ¡°Mm, alright. Be careful of the carriages.¡± In other words, she was refusing to apany him. Seo Jun-Ho opened a map of Gilleon and started walking toward the auction house. It was his first time going there, but he had learned about how it worked while studying up on the 2nd floor. ¡°The catalog, please,¡± he said to the manager. They gave it to him without a word. Seo Jun-Ho took a seat on the sofa and quickly started to flip through the thick book. There were two items that he was looking for. ¡®First, Spirit Crystals.¡¯ After seeing the Frost Queen¡¯s power, his desire for Spirit Crystals grew. The more she ate them, the greater chance she had of raising her spirit rank. ¡®She¡¯s already pretty useful as it is, but if she reaches Low, Common, High¡­Or even Arch?¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t be afraid of taking on the likes of Nazad Hallow or even the Nine Heavens. ¡°...I found it,¡± he muttered. There were three Spirit Crystals in the catalog, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell when he saw their prices. ¡°What? Why is it so high?¡± One small rock was 100 gold or 1 billion won. In total, the three rocks were 3 billion won. He could buy an apartment or two in Seoul with that money. ¡°Ha¡­ I didn¡¯t think that I would have to worry about money because I brought a lot with me¡­¡± It turned out that he had basically been feeding the Frost Queen money the whole time. Still, it wasn¡¯t just a meaningless investment. He would get several times the return. ¡°Ugh. Excuse me,¡± he said to the manager. Seo Jun-Ho finished bidding on the three Spirit Crystals and left the auction house, not bothering to look at any other items. He opened the ¡®Guide to Gilleon¡¯ guidebook that Ply had made for him and looked through the directory. ¡°Here it is.¡± He tapped his finger on a name. [Shasha Alkheni] She was one of the people indebted to Ply. An alchemist. 1. It''s forcing a bunch of enemies into a corner, then dealing with them all at once. ? Chapter 114: Special Training (3)

Chapter 114: Special Training (3)

Alchemists. They were people who made special blends with ores, herbs, and monster cores to create potions. Most yers called them ¡®miracle-makers.¡¯ ¡®The history of alchemy in Frontier runs deep. Earth can¡¯t evenpare to it.¡¯ For that very reason, their potions were known to be expensive and high-quality. The only two downsides were that ingredients for potions were very expensive and that alchemists themselves were very rare. All things considered, Seo Jun-Ho was lucky. ¡®To think that Shasha Alkheni was right here.¡¯ It had been pure coincidence that he found out about this. Her name had been written in the directory that Ply, the bald-headed moneylender had made for him. Seo Jun-Ho recalled the information from the directory. ¡®I think it said that she came to Gilleon about a year ago...¡¯ Not even Ply knew why she decided to settle here. But considering that she had to borrow money from him, it was safe to assume that her financial situation wasn¡¯t that great. ¡®This is an opportunity for me.¡¯ He knew her through Sky Soul¡¯s report on, ¡®Most Important Families and Nobles.¡¯ ¡°...The fallen noble, Charlotte Khemyst.¡± Despite having fallen from her status, Sky Soul had put her in the report because her alchemy skills were considerable enough that she caught the attention of the Big 6. ¡®They say that people never see what¡¯s right under their noses¡­¡¯ The report had said that there was no trace of her and that her whereabouts were unknown. Not even Sky Soul had been able to find the alchemist, yet she happened to be a mere 500 meters away from the inn where Seo Jun-Ho was staying. ¡°Is this the ce?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked as he approached a shabby house. Past the fence was a two-story estate. It looked like it had been abandoned for quite some time now. As if to prove this, the yard was full of weed, the fences were rusty, and ivy had covered the walls. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that there was a ce like this in Gilleon.¡± One might think that it was a haunted house and a very old one at that. Seo Jun-Ho rang a worn bell attached to the gate. Ting! Ting! Ting! Instead of a bell, it sounded more like a pair of chopsticks hitting a bowl. ¡°The bell¡¯s broken too? How poor is this woman?¡± It couldn¡¯t be helped. He cupped his hands and yelled. ¡°Miss Shasha Alkheni! Are you home?!¡± There was no reply. However, a curtain on the 2nd floor opened ever so slightly. A woman met his eyes through the window. He smiled brightly, but she wrinkled her nose in disgust and pulled the curtain close. A momentter, the front door opened. She leaned against the doorframe, holding a bottle of alcohol. ¡°And who might you be?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m here in regards to Ply,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. ¡°Dammit, the fucking debt.¡± Shasha scratched her greasy head and gestured toward him. ¡°Come in. That door¡¯s broken anyway.¡± Creak. Just as he said, the gate opened with a simple push. She led him inside andy down on the sofa, gulping down her booze. ¡°Mm¡­ What shall we do? I don¡¯t have any money to pay the interest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I came here for,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, looking around the house. There were cobwebs and dust everywhere. ¡°Actually, I could have your entire debt paid off if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shasha narrowed her eyes as she sat up. She instinctively realized that he wasn¡¯t a debt collector. Seo Jun-Ho looked at her squarely. ¡°Alchemist Charlotte Khemyst, I¡¯vee with a request.¡± ¡°...You know who I am?¡± Even though he knew her identity, she didn¡¯t seem to care that much. ¡°Somewhat. I know that you¡¯re an expert in alchemy.¡± ¡°Indeed. Unfortunately, I¡¯ll have to refuse your request. I¡¯m kinda tired, you see.¡± She emptied the bottle and smacked her lips when she realized that she had emptied it. ¡°Even though you haven¡¯t heard me out yet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious. You¡¯re going to ask me to make some kind of potion, aren¡¯t you?¡± She was smart¡­ Seo Jun-Ho sat down on the dusty sofa on the opposite side of her. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s hear why you¡¯re tired, then.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re pretty funny. Why should I tell that to someone I just met?¡± She scoffed. ¡°I can help you take care of your problems, can''t I?¡± He said slyly, shrugging. Shasha snorted. ¡°Judging by the watch on your wrist¡­You¡¯re a yer?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going around Gilleon, you¡¯re probably only around level 70 at most.¡± ¡°Lower than that...¡± ¡°What the heck, you¡¯re just a baby.¡± She shook her head. ¡°You probably came here to ask for a couple of potions¡­ But I¡¯m tired of making that kind of stuff.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You yers and Guildies all ask for the same thing. The potions you ask for are all simr too.¡± Her face was full of hatred as her shoulders started to tremble. ¡°I really hate that. What do you think we alchemists are? We¡¯re not potion-making machines. What makes us happy is researching syntheses and making new medicines.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°The potion I want will be very different from what most yers ask for. Actually¡­It¡¯s possible that not even you will be able to make it.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m too old to fall for cheap tactics like that,¡± she muttered, crossing her arms defiantly. But Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s confidence didn¡¯t waver. ¡®She¡¯s a true alchemist. It¡¯s a good thing I came to her.¡¯ Like Kwon Noya, she was an artist who had pride in her work. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho knew very well how to handle people like her. ¡°Inventory open.¡± He pulled out an item from the inventory, and Shasha froze. She slowly unfolded her arms and sat up straighter. ¡°...What is that?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s the core of a mystical beast called a Cinder Fox. It¡¯s a tricky ingredient to work with. Not just anyone can use it.¡± He exined. He had originally nned to use the core to cure President Choi Pil-Ho¡¯s daughter, but the yin energy in her body had been absorbed by his Frost skill. Thus, the core ended up in his possession. ¡°I want you to make a potion for me using this core.¡± ¡°...¡± Shasha couldn¡¯t hear him. Her eyes were sparkling, fixed on the Cinder Fox¡¯s core. She turned toward him, but she didn¡¯t pull her gaze away. ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± ¡°I said I want you to make a potion for me using this core. But¡­ If it¡¯s impossible, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°...Did you just say that it¡¯s impossible?¡± She finally turned away from the core and looked straight at him. She scowled with her pretty face. ¡°I don¡¯t usually fall for such cheap tactics, but¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged silently. Shasha red at him and then sighed. ¡°Haaa, fine. I lose this time. Goddammit. I can¡¯t just sit still and do nothing when you show me something like that.¡± The Cinder Fox¡¯s core was already a rare and renowned item on Earth, and this one had belonged to none other than a nine-tailed Cinder Fox that had almost be a Millenium Fox. As such, its intrinsic energy was great. Obviously, as an artist and as an alchemist, Shasha couldn¡¯t let such a material slip from her grasp. She held up her hands in surrender. ¡°Alright. What do you want me to make you?¡± she asked. ¡°This.¡± Tap tap. Seo Jun-Ho tapped his temple with his finger. ¡°I need a potion that will improve my mentality.¡± ¡°...That won¡¯t be easy,¡± she muttered. ¡°You can¡¯t do it?¡± She grinned at the question. ¡°That¡¯s not what I said...¡± She got up from her seat and came back with a thick pair of gloves. She took the core. ¡°You better pay me good money.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll repay all the money you owe to Ply, and I¡¯ll add another 50 gold on top of that,¡± he replied. ¡°Not bad.¡± She opened the door to the basement and called over her shoulder as she stepped down the stairs. ¡°Come back in five days!¡± Five days were more than enough time for him to hit level 50. *** Seo Jun-Ho let out a big sigh as he returned to the inn and saw the Frost Queen. ¡°Zzzz¡­zzzzzz¡­¡± She was done with her cake and tea and had fallen into a deep sleep. ¡°You said Spirits don¡¯t have worldly needs¡­¡± And yet, she loved to sleep. Seo Jun-Ho pulled on her tissue nket. ¡°Get up.¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± She grabbed tightly onto the tissue as if she was cold. But Seo Jun-Ho gave another pull, and she gave in. ¡°Why are you like this¡­ I¡¯m cold¡­¡± She muttered. ¡°You¡¯re going to be the fattest Spirit in the world if you do nothing but eat and sleep.¡± ¡°Haa¡­ Enough with the nagging,¡± sheined. The Frost Queen scratched her head as she sat up and looked at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°So why did you wake me up? Depending on your answer, I may not forgive this transgression.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to go hunting.¡± ¡°Hunting?¡± She looked out the window. The sun was about to set. Not only that, but they had already gone hunting for swamp slimes early in the morning. The revtion seemed to have removed her drowsiness, though. ¡°Contractor, pull yourself together. It is time to sleep when the sun sets,¡± she said seriously. ¡°You already slept a lot, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He started grabbing water bottles and prepared for the hunt. ¡®Gilleon is full of yers.¡¯ If possible, he wanted to avoid them. This was the reason why he was leaving the city at night when most of them would return home. He didn¡¯t want them to know that he left to go hunting. ¡°Phew¡­ It can¡¯t be helped.¡± The Frost Queen stood up and spoke while stretching, ¡°So what time will we return?¡± ¡°Wrong question.¡± He smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll be away for four days. Not just for a few hours...¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Her voice became soft. She seemed like she wanted to ask something, but she didn¡¯t do so in order to preserve her dignity. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have already packed your tea and cakes. It¡¯s in my inventory.¡± ¡°How ridiculous¡­ I was not concerned with such trivial things.¡± Despite saying this, she seemed to have perked up when she heard what Seo Jun-Ho had said. ¡°So what will we be hunting?¡± ¡°Bears.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finished tying his shoes. ¡°We¡¯ll be hunting thunder bears.¡± Chapter 115. The Black Knight Returns (1)

Chapter 115. The ck Knight Returns (1)

Seo Jun-Ho walked confidently out of the gates, but the guard didn¡¯t spare him a single nce because he had masked his presence. ¡°Night Walking¡­ This is quite a convenient technique,¡± shemented. ¡°Yup. If I ever used this for hide-and-seek, no one would be able to beat me.¡± The reason why he went so far as to use Night Walking to leave the city was simple. ¡®Just in case¡­¡¯ For the next four days, he would be camping outside while hunting monsters. ¡®If I run into people like¡­ Was it the Four Verses of Gangnam? It¡¯ll be annoying if I get tangled up with people like them.¡¯ Even fans would be a nuisance. He just wanted to spend his four days focused entirely on hunting. ¡°Listen up, Frost.¡± ¡°I am listening,¡± she replied. ¡°We have three main goals for the next four days.¡± The first goal was to reach level 50. The second was to learn how to match his rhythm with hers. Thest was to gain PP by using themunity forum¡¯s video-recording feature. ¡°Hm? Is it okay to film the Frost skill?¡± ¡°Of course not. When we¡¯re filming, I¡¯m going to hide it and fight alone.¡± He needed the PP because without it, he couldn¡¯t enter the news or information boards. He also needed to prepare for when the Administrator eventually opened their shop. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know how much the items would cost, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a lot of PP ready. ¡°Contractor, is the thunder bears¡¯ habitat far from here?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯ll take about six hours by foot.¡± Crack. Crack. Seo Jun-Ho finished twisting and stretching his body and spoke, ¡°But we¡¯re gonna run to save time...¡± He expected to arrive at his destination in two hours. *** Thunder Bears were level 65 monsters. They were 2 meters tall when they walked around on all fours, but when they stood on their hind legs, they reached approximately 4 meters. There was no other way to describe their physical stature other than ¡®powerful.¡¯ But if all they had were theirrge physiques and tremendous strength, they wouldn¡¯t be called ¡®thunder¡¯ bears. ¡°Grrrrrrr!¡± The thunder bear stood up on its hind legs and let out a bellowing roar. Crackle! Its front paws became filled with electricity. Even children knew that the moment those paws struck something, it would release an electric shock. Boom! Boom! The thunder bear swung its paws as it stepped forward. ¡°Hup.¡± But its opponent dodged easily, and calmly stabbed a sword through its chest. The hide of a thunder bear was very thick, and you had to be careful of shing its thick muscles lest your sword broke upon contact with it. But that didn¡¯t happen this time¡­ The man stabbed through the thunder bear¡¯s chest like it was warm butter. Shoop! As he pulled out his sword after crushing its heart, the thunder bear fell back with a loud m. Seo Jun-Ho grinned as he turned to Frost. She had taken the role of the assistant director, the cameraman, and along with every other role. ¡°How was that? Did you get it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She quietly shook her head. ¡°Look at it yourself.¡± She tapped the hologram window, sending it flying toward Seo Jun-Ho. Thetter tilted his head as yed back his hunting video. - Grrrrrrr! Crackle! Woosh! m! The time it took for the thunder bear to spot him and die was 14 seconds. And if Seo Jun-Ho had rushed at it first, it would have died for a quarter of that time. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho stroked his chin, looking a little lost. ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty clean.¡± ¡°Haaa¡­ Contractor. Is that supposed to be a joke?¡± She pounded her chest in frustration. She had already filmed twenty videos. ¡°Who would watch this kind of video? It¡¯s boring, and it has no emotion. It doesn¡¯t even show how to hunt and kill the thunder bears.¡± ¡°I agree that it¡¯s not fun and that it doesn¡¯t have any emotion, but the methodology is still there.¡± ¡°What? Are you talking about the way you dodged its paws and stabbed its heart?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s no better way to hunt a thunder bear than that.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Aaaahhh!¡± the Frost Queen screamed hysterically. ¡°Why can¡¯t you understand? Why? Why? Contractor, you¡¯re a strong yer, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± ¡°Then, think about it from the perspective of other yers. Do you think they¡¯d be able to dodge the thunder bear¡¯s paws? If they lose their bnce, can they stab it so casually? yers who can use a sword aura wouldn¡¯t even watch your video in the first ce!¡± Everything she said was true. yers mainly came to the video board with two goals in mind. The first was to study how to fight monsters. They wanted to know the attack patterns and weak points of the monsters that they were about to fight. The second, of course, was to just have fun. They looked foredy videos or funny hunting videos. However, creating entertaining videos like those required a level of talent that Seo Jun-Ho totallycked. ¡°Hmmm, what should I do? Will I not be able to make any PP?¡± he asked. ¡°Phew¡­ Forget the videos for now and let us focus on hunting,¡± she suggested. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t protest. He was currently level 43, so he only needed to level up 7 more times to reach 50. He would also have plenty of time to think of video ideas while hunting. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s try to coordinate our movements.¡± The look in his eyes turned sharp. It was the look of a hunter, not an entertainer. ¡°The most important thing is that we think and act as one, no matter the situation.¡± This was very important. After all, what if the Frost Queen made a shield in front of Seo Jun-Ho when he wanted to attack their opponent? ¡°If we don¡¯t know what the other is thinking, working together will only have a negative effect.¡± No matter what kind of situation they faced, they would have to be thinking the same way. If they were able to achieve that, Seo Jun-Ho would be a much more formidable enemy. ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked ¡°I am¡­¡±[1] Just in time, a thunder bear was walking toward them. When it spotted Jun-Ho, it lunged toward him while running on all fours. ¡°I won¡¯t use my sword aura this time.¡± Right now, it didn¡¯t matter how quickly he killed it. ¡°Rooooarrrrr!¡± The thunder bear reached him in the blink of an eye and got up on its hind legs, swinging its paws. Crackle! Seo Jun-Ho ducked, smelling the scent of singed hair. ck Dragon Fang swung like a sh of light, slicing the thunder bear¡¯s achilles. ¡°Grrrr!¡± It bellowed as it fell to one knee, but it didn¡¯t stop swinging. However, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t attempt to dodge, even as its paw filled his vision. Crackle! The ice shield that formed before him blocked the thunder bear¡¯s attack. ¡®Nice assist.¡¯ Still, he wasn¡¯tpletely satisfied. He had expected the Frost Queen to do one more thing. ¡°¡­!¡± The thunder bear¡¯s eyes suddenly went wide. The blood that had been dripping from its achilles had frozen into spikes and stabbed into its back. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Seo Jun-Ho charged at the trembling thunder bear. He stepped off its knee and chest, raising his sword. The de glinted under the moonlight as he thrust it into its mouth. m! It had taken barely 4 seconds to kill a single thunder bear. Of course, he could have done it even faster if he used a sword aura, but he was able to do it without even using any magic. He started to give feedback. ¡°It was really good, from the timing of your shield to the way you froze its blood to make spikes...¡± ¡°Fufu. Of course. I have been using this skill for a long time¡­¡± ¡°How many years has it been?¡± ¡°¡­Regardless of the details, it is not a short amount of time.¡± Even though her powers right now were only at the level of a ¡®Low¡¯ Spirit, her battle instincts had remained as sharp as before. Seo Jun-Ho smiled brightly. ¡®If her spirit rank keeps increasing¡­¡¯ There wouldn¡¯t be many people who would be able to take him on in a fight. Of course, this was something that was only relevant in the far future. He wiped off the blood on his sword andughed. ¡°Let¡¯s try experimenting with a different setup. We need to know how our opinions might differ.¡± ¡°Agreed. This has been unexpectedly fun¡­¡± The Frost Queen hummed from his shoulder. *** It wouldn¡¯t be difficult for a swordmaster to teach basic techniques to a beginner. But no matter how good of a teacher they were, it was impossible to make an inexperienced swordsman understand the essence of the sword. It could only be possible if they had simr standards and a simr level of skill. ¡®I¡¯m really d¡­¡¯ It was a good thing that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s partner was the Frost Queen. Her battle instincts were on nearly the same level as him, and she was also good at analyzing the situation. In other words, she could create the best possible oues without him even needing to say anything. In the time that they hunted twenty thunder bears together, there were only two times in which they had different opinions. ¡°¡­Hey, we¡¯re prettypatible,¡± hemented. ¡°How unpleasant¡­ Though, I won¡¯t deny it.¡± Even though his words grossed her out a bit, the satisfaction from their coordinated movements was electrifyingly satisfying. ¡°Honestly, I think that was more than enough practice for our coordination.¡± Since their teamwork was already perfect, there was no point in any more training. Seo Jun-Ho had reached level 44 during their training. He sat and took a drink. ¡°We finished earlier than I thought. Now, all we need to do is make videos,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°Mm, if we had a strong boss monster, we¡¯d be able to make a super-cool video with it¡­¡± When it came to thunder bears, all he had to do was swing and stab his sword to kill them. It wasn¡¯t easy to make a good video with those creatures. ¡°How about you take a look at the videos that other people have uploaded?¡± ¡°Ooh¡­ That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Seo Jun-Ho opened up themunity forums while leaning against a tree. ¡°Mmmm, the forums are closed.¡± Just as Gong Ju-Ha had said, themunity forums were designed to be used only in a city. Because of this, most of the boards on the hologram window were ck. Except for a few, most of them were locked. ¡°I can ess the video forum and¡­ Huh?¡± Something caught his eye. The ¡®regional channel¡¯ was blinking red. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ He remembered what Gong Ju-Ha had told him. ¡ªWhen you¡¯re out in the field, you¡¯ll have ess to the regional channel, so make sure to make use of that. ¡°Is this not the so-called regional channel?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°I think it is.¡± As soon as he touched it, a voice recording started to y. [Is there anyone here? I¡¯m being chased by thunder bears! Please help me!] The voice sounded panicked as if the speaker was really being chased. At the same time, a signal re lit up in the sky about 200 meters away. ¡°A cry for help¡­¡± he muttered, uninterested. He reached to close the channel. You couldn¡¯t trust yers. That was what everyone in Frontier said. These kinds of things were usually traps that took advantage of kindhearted yers. Suddenly, the Frost Queen pped his hand away. ¡°Contractor! This is it!¡± ¡°Huh? What is?¡± He asked. ¡°Your video! After hearing a cry for help, youe in right on time to save them¡­ You¡¯ll get tons of views. You¡¯ll also get a lot of PP then, won¡¯t you?¡± She seemed confident after having watched a wide assortment of dramas and movies. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think someone would evene here if they don¡¯t have the capacity to run away¡­¡± He was pretty sure that it was a trap. However, the Frost Queen only grinned. ¡°Is that not all the more reason to go? If the request for help actually ends up being a lie¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be able to film a video of catching criminals?¡± He finished. ¡°Either way, it will only benefit you.¡± She exined. Seo Jun-Ho stood up and nodded. ¡°Frost, you¡¯re a genius.¡± He decided to give her a generous helping of Spirit Crystal shavings in her cake and tea once they were done with their hunting. 1. The original Korean sentence is ¡°?? is ready.¡± Which could be directly tranted to I is ready. ? Chapter 116. The Black Knight Returns (2)

Chapter 116. The ck Knight Returns (2)

Seo Jun-Ho dashed through the dark forest. Even though it was dark, he didn¡¯t trip over rocks or run into trees. [Hunter¡¯s Night (A) has been activated.] [All stats increased by 10%.] [Your senses have been sharpened.] This was the main reason why he hunted at night. yers would be swarming around during the day. It was much quieter and more efficient to hunt at night. ¡°Contractor. You should begin filming soon,¡± the Frost Queen said. There was a reason why she said this. ¡®I can sense them.¡¯ He felt the presence of multiple thunder bears in front of him, and they were in arge group of five. He looked up at the signal re, which was beginning to fade. ¡°Record,¡± he whispered. [Recording.] Other than the short message, nothing else happened. It was almost enough to make him wonder if it was even recording properly. The Frost Queen spoke, ¡°Contractor, try to exin the situation to the viewers. Understood?¡± ¡°An exnation¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded to imply that he understood. ¡°There¡¯s a signal re over there. I¡¯m going over,¡± he casually said. *** Four people were madly running through the dark forest. Pompeii could practically taste the forest air in his throat. He slowed to a stop, breathing heavily. ¡°Huff¡­haa¡­¡± He gripped his knees and his back heaved. Pompeii managed to catch his breath and wiped his sweat. ¡°The thunder bears?¡± His teammate, a female scout, replied with panic evident in her voice, ¡°I can feel them getting closer. They¡¯re too persistent!¡± ¡°...¡± They were currently being chased by five thunder bears. It was rare to see them roaming around in packs of five, but Pompeii¡¯s party had failed to even consider the possibility that it could happen. ¡°Let¡¯s light the signal re first. We need help.¡± Thankfully the party leader, Pompeii, quickly pulled himself together and lit the re. Woosh! A purple re lit up the night sky. The scout looked up at the light, looking nervous. ¡°...Will anyonee to help us?¡± ¡°Someone will¡­ Dave¡¯s party said that they¡¯ll be hunting all night to make a quick buck,¡± Pompeii said. Thunder bears were quite popr amongst yers. Not only did they give a lot of EXP, but their paws, hide, and even their dder had a variety of other uses. In other words, thunder bears were basically money. ¡®That¡¯s right, money. We got too greedy.¡¯ It had all started when they went a little deeper into the forest than usual. They had paid the price by running across a pack of thunder bears, and they were still being chased. As far as he knew, there was no way to shake off the chase. Thunder bears were known to be stubborn, and they chased their prey until they killed them. ¡°Dave knows what color our re is. We have also put up a request for help in themunity forums. People shoulde running to us as soon as they see it.¡± yers with simr levels often exchanged information and became friends. Pompeii and Dave¡¯s parties were on good terms. They also knew the colors of each other¡¯s signal res, so that one coulde running over to the other if the other was in trouble. He tried to calm down the scout, who seemed the most nervous among them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. They¡¯lle. Just think about how many times we bought them dinner.¡± ¡°If we have to fight five thunder bears with Dave¡¯s party¡­ Mmmm, it¡¯ll be hard, but we can do it.¡± When hunting thunder bears, yers usually went around in parties of three with their levels averaging level 70. It was possible to take down one bear with just two people, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a third person as a backup. Dave¡¯s party had five people, so they would number nine in total. They would probably be able to barely kill five thunder bears. ¡°...¡± Pompeii¡¯s eyes were fixed on the signal re, which was slowly beginning to fade. He didn¡¯t say it, but he was also nervous. He chewed his lip. His ears pricked up when he heard a voice from the open region channel. - Ah-ah, Pompeii? Can you hear me? ¡°Dave!¡± His face brightened. - I checked the voice channel as soon as I saw your re. But¡­ We¡¯re kind of far. It¡¯s gonna take us at least 15 minutes. ¡°What? 15 minutes?¡± Pompeii¡¯s face fell. ¡°Can¡¯t youe a bit quicker? They¡¯re getting closer as we speak.¡± - No. We can¡¯t just run blindly through a dark forest, you know? And if we run into more thunder bears on the way, it¡¯ll take even longer. ¡°...¡± Pompeii would¡¯ve said the same thing if he were in Dave¡¯s position, but he couldn¡¯t find the words to respond. He started to tremble as he looked up at his teammates. They were also scared. They didn¡¯t need to speak to know what they were thinking. ¡®15 minutes¡­ It¡¯s too long! At our level, we won¡¯t evenst 5 minutes!¡¯ Not only that but their stamina had beenpletely drained while running through the forest. They barely had any energy left to fight the thunder bears even with the help of Dave¡¯s party. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ He squeezed his eyes shut and spoke, ¡°We¡¯ll go toward you guys. It¡¯ll take less time for us to meet up.¡± - Do you remember where we met to give you more rations? ¡°Of course. Should we meet there?¡± - If we meet in the middle, it¡¯ll take about 7 minutes. We¡¯ll try to get there as fast as we can. After he said that, a message popped up, saying that Dave had left the regional channel. ¡°Pompeii,¡± the scout said sharply. ¡°...They¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± His thoughts were a mess. At this rate, even if they managed to meet up with Dave¡¯s party, he wasn¡¯t even sure that they would be able to take out the thunder bears at all. ¡®Have I put them in unnecessary danger?¡¯ Hindsight was 20-20. He felt his desperation mix in with the regret he felt as he raised his spear and shield. ¡°Dave¡¯s party will be waiting seven minutes to the west.¡± There was only one thunder bear blocking the path. ¡°Let¡¯s kill this one and run. Can you do it?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± ¡°This is easier than I thought. It¡¯s what we always do.¡± As soon as he heard their answers, Pompeii covered his body with his shield and dashed forward. His teammates followed behind him. ¡®We can do it.¡¯ They had always been to do it. One time, they even managed to kill one in five seconds when their coordination was really good. ¡°Grrrrrrr!¡± The thunder bear came running as it roared. Woosh! Its paw filled Pompeii¡¯s entire field of vision. ¡®But¡­!¡¯ Pompeii and his entire party were experienced. Being yers over level 70 meant that they had gone through countless trials. ¡°Ugh! I slowed it down!¡± One of the party members used telekinesis to slow its paws. Boom! Pompeii took that chance to hit it with his shield. He avoided its electric-charged ws and struck its forearm to make it swing upward. At that moment, its chest was open. Woosh! Pompeii stabbed it with the spear in his right hand. It connected immediately, but his face fell. ¡®It¡¯s too shallow¡­!¡¯ He didn¡¯t have a high enough understanding of magic to use a weapon aura yet. All he could do was cover his de with a small amount of magic. If he wanted to pierce through the thunder bear¡¯s thick hide and muscles with only that amount of power, he had to aim for its weak points. But after running for so long, his concentration had faltered, and he was a few inches off. He soon felt the consequences of his actions. ¡°Grrrrraaaahhh!¡± Enraged, the thunder bear swiped at him with its other paw. Pompeii quickly raised his shield to protect his head. ng! Bzzzzt! ¡°Ahhh!¡± The thunder bear¡¯s electricity ran through his body, locking his muscles in ce. ¡°Pompeii!¡± The scout cried out. He couldn¡¯t respond to her cry. ng! ng! The thunder bear kept pummeling his shield. Every time it did, his knees would buckle, and his back would bend. His ears were ringing. He could hear his teammates cursing as they attacked the monster with magic. ¡®Just¡­Run¡­.You idiots!¡¯ It would have been better for them to run away while the thunder bear was focused on him ¡®These damned softies!¡¯ Bang! His arm broke, and the shield rolled to the ground. He looked up with his tired eyes, only to see its giant paw approaching. ¡°This is where the signal re had been. There are yers here, but the situation doesn¡¯t look too great.¡± He heard a strange voice. *** Seo Jun-Ho scanned the situation as soon as he stepped into the battlefield. ¡®Five of them. They¡¯re the same presences I felt.¡¯ Seeing the arrangement of yers and the thunder bear, he quickly realized what was going on. ¡®One of them tried to kill it, but he failed. The wound on its chest¡­ What a shame. It was only a few inches off.¡¯ With that, the preparations were over. Now, it was time to put on a show for some PP. ¡°This is where the signal re had been. There are yers here, but the situation doesn¡¯t look too great.¡± Of course, none of them paid him much attention in the midst of their fierce battle. The thunder bear was still swinging its paws, trying to smash Pompeii¡¯s head. The other three were attacking it relentlessly, trying to block its strike. ¡°Let¡¯s go help them.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s entire body started to heat up as he activated Booster almost instantaneously. He lunged forward, kicking the thunder bear square in the wrist. Crackle! The thunder bear was enraged that its attack had been blocked. ¡°Grrrrooooo!¡± It let out a roar, unhinging its pungent maw. Woosh! ck Dragon Fang quickly struck the roof of its mouth. ¡°Thunder bears have thick hides, and their muscles are even thicker. So, if you attack when its mouth is open, you can defeat them quite easily.¡± He nced over at the Frost Queen for approval, but she shook her head. ¡°In my opinion, I think you will get the most amount of views if you simply keep your mouth shut,¡± she said. She should have said that earlier¡­ Seo Jun-Ho rxed and turned around. ¡®I can¡¯t show too much in the video.¡¯ This was his first video, after all. He didn¡¯t even know if it would make him PP or not. He had no intention of showing his full strength. But on the other hand, he didn¡¯t want to appear weak and be looked down upon. ¡®This is hard. I need to find a good bnce.¡¯ He considered this for a second and pulled out a dagger. It almost looked cutepared to the giant thunder bear. ¡°Hmmm, I wonder what would happen if you used a dagger to fight something that big¡­¡± the Frost Queen muttered in interest. ¡°This will be fun. Continue.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, director.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood up and stepped forward, slow and lithe. He walked as if he was going on a walk, not as if he was about to fight four thunder bears. Chapter 117. The Black Knight Returns (3)

Chapter 117. The ck Knight Returns (3)

All yers had different fighting styles. If you gathered 1000 yers, you would get 1000 different fighting styles. If you thought about it, it made sense. There were countless ways to use different weapons and different Skills. ¡®Despite this, there aren¡¯t many fighting styles that use daggers because it¡¯s not very efficient.¡¯ Whenpared to other weapons, the only good thing about daggers was their portability. They didn¡¯t have as much reach or destructive force. As such, daggers were usually used by yers that had assassination-rted skills such as those that involved illusions, concealment, ambushes, etc. There wasn¡¯t much of a point in using a dagger without these specific types of skills. But that was exactly why Seo Jun-Ho had taken it out¡­ ¡®It¡¯ll be more impressive if I kill the thunder bears with this.¡¯ This was the only reason... A bright weapon aura covered the dagger, making it hum. But neither Pompeii nor his teammates were surprised when they saw this. Most yers around level 70 could use a weapon aura. ¡°Grrrooo!¡± The leader of the pack charged at Seo Jun-Ho, crackling with electricity. Seo Jun-Ho held his dagger in a forward grip and moved nearly twice as fast as before, parrying the thunder bear¡¯s paw before stabbing it straight into its chest. Woosh! Immediately afterward, he stabbed its broad wrist, dragging his hand upward. Rrrrip! It sounded like he was ripping through a seam. The thunder bear¡¯s arm started to overflow with blood. The dagger had pierced through its hide, grazed its bone, and cut up to the underside of its shoulder. ¡°Ah.¡± The Frost Queen seemed impressed by the attack. It wasn¡¯t something that anyone could do, after all. ¡°Grrrrrrrrooo!¡± The thunder bear cried out in pain, making the entire forest ring. Thunder bears were known to chase their prey till their prey died, but this one stumbled back and started to run away. ¡®Fat chance¡­¡¯ Woosh! Pwoosh! He attacked it in quick session. His dagger almost seemed as if it was in a rhythm as he stabbed and cut at its entire body. In addition, every ce he struck was a vital point. ¡°Grrrraaaa!¡± The thunder bear desperately tried to attack Seo Jun-Ho as it bled all over, but he didn¡¯t even let it graze his clothes. m! In the end, the thunder bear died standing up, and its body fell backward. The rest of its pack had started to approach with hostility, but they quickly turned around. Even though they were monsters, they could tell that there would only be certain death if they provoked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Contractor, those bears seemed to havee to their senses,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to go to them instead...¡± Seo Jun-Ho kicked off the ground and immediately rushed at the thunder bears that were trying to sneak away. Every time they swung their paws, electricity would crackle. This time, Seo Jun-Ho flipped his dagger to a reverse grip. ¡®I¡¯ve shown off my speed. Now, it¡¯s time to show off my strength.¡¯ He fought like an assassin earlier, but now he was going to fight like a warrior. A video with variety would be more entertaining to viewers, which would give him more PP in return. ng! While swinging his dagger aggressively, it came into contact with the thunder bear¡¯s electric-charged w. Crackle! The current coursed through his body, seizing up his muscles. ¡°I have a friend who¡¯s a musclehead. He never seems to care when something like this happens.¡± Crackle! Seo Jun-Ho activated his magic, forcing his muscles to rx. He gave a powerful swing, cutting off the thunder bear¡¯s w. ¡°...Grro?¡± It started in astonishment at its severed paw. Bzzt. Bzzt. Without its w, the electricity had be much weaker. Its eyes widened in shock. ¡®An opening.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho raised his dagger again, this time aiming for the thunder bear¡¯s neck. It was as thick as a grown man¡¯s thigh, but he cut through it with one slice. m! Bam! Its head flew through the air until it hit the ground, and the body fell afterward. ¡°Contractor, the bears over there are also tunning away.¡± He turned, watching the two remaining thunder bears run away. ¡°Let us let them go. This is enough.¡± He decided. It was just for a test video anyway. Based on how much PP this video earned, he would decide whether or not he would make his videos longer the next time around. ¡°E-Excuse me¡­¡± a voice said hesitantly. As soon as the battle ended, the party members approached Seo Jun-Ho, supporting Pompeii between them. His broken arm hung by his side as he bowed. ¡°Thank you so much. I didn¡¯t think that anyone would actuallye and help us after I left the m¡­ Huh?¡± He tilted his head when he saw Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s armor. It looked very familiar. ¡®This full-body armor¡­¡¯ Even though the moonlight had lit up the forest, the jet-ck armor seemed to be darkness itself. It didn¡¯t seem mass-produced, nor did it also seem like a lower-grade artifact. It was at the very least a Rare-grade armor. Items like this weren¡¯tmon, and Pompeii suddenly remembered seeing it on the headlines. ¡°...The ck Knight?¡± he whispered. Seo Jun-Ho flinched when he heard him. His toes curled whenever he heard the name, and he still couldn¡¯t get used to it. ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°Oh my god!¡± The party members¡¯ eyes became as round as tes. There were countless yers who had taken on the title of ¡®ck Knight¡¯ in the past 30 years, but the only relevant one in recent years was Seo Jun-Ho. It was the Super Rookie, the yer who had kicked off a great career on the 1st floor beforeing to the 2nd floor. Actually, it would be an insult to call him a rookie now that he was already on the 2nd floor. ¡®The ck Knight¡­ That¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho, the one who cleared the Winter Castle.¡¯ ¡®Wasn¡¯t the Gate¡¯s level limit 80?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s the Gate where yers went to and died in after receiving Quests from Frontier.¡¯ After clearing the ruthless Gate all by himself, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s status had shot up to the sky. Tonight, they had been saved by an amazing yer like him. ¡°I-It¡¯s an honor. I¡¯ve been keeping up with the articles. I¡¯ve been cheering you on¡­¡± ¡°Oh! It¡¯s a little bted, but congrattions on reaching rank 1 in the Cave of Trials. And congrattions on clearing the Winter Castle.¡± ¡°Damn, I¡¯m gonna be telling this story for at least the next 20 years.¡± Pompeii remained silent, in contrast to his excited teammates. He seemed to be locked deep in thought. Eventually, he spoke. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since you came to the 2nd floor, correct?¡± he asked. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. ¡°You saved our lives. I can¡¯t let that go unpaid. So I¡¯ve been thinking about what we can give you¡­¡± He nodded decisively. ¡°When we first came up to the 2nd floor, the hardest thing to get was PP. It was easy to get food and lodgings by doing Quests, but PP was an entirely separate issue.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. We can give him our PP.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good idea.¡± The party members opened theirmunity forums window. Seo Jun-Ho stared at them for a second, unsure of what they were doing. A momentter, messages appeared before him. [Anonymous has gifted you 100 PP.] [Anonymous has gifted you 100 PP.] ¡­.. There were four messages and 400 PP in total. ¡°PP will be a big help to you in the beginning.¡± ¡°I wish I could give you more, but we don¡¯t have much either¡­¡± ¡°If you ever start posting on the video forums, I¡¯ll make sure to like them all. I promise.¡± He hadn¡¯t even considered that he would receive PP as thanks. ¡®400PP¡­¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a lot or a little, but he bowed anyway. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect any form of payment, but thank you.¡± ¡°I swear¡­ If everyone was like you, we would have achieved world peace long ago.¡± ¡°We¡¯re staying at a cottage near the edge of Gilleon¡¯s cliffs. If you need help,e find us.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t forget our debt to you, ck Knight.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho asked if they wanted to be escorted, they said that other people were waiting for them and promptly left. The Frost Queen spoke as she watched them leave. ¡°They are good people.¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re just normal¡­They just seem that way because there are so many bad people in this world,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, sitting on the thunder bear¡¯s plush stomach. ¡°Stop recording.¡± [Recording has stopped.] A hologram window appeared before him. It was a video yer simr to the one he saw when using Confession of the Dead. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look,¡± he said. ¡°I wish to watch as well.¡± After they finished watching the short 7-minute video, the Frost Queen shook her head. ¡°You can defeat them quite easily? What nonsense. Others can¡¯t easily do what you can.¡± ¡°Hmmm. Looking back, I do seem a little detached.¡± As he wondered what he should do with the video, a bannerbeled [Edit] caught his eye. When he tapped it, more information appeared. [This feature allows you to make quick and easy edits to your videos. Please state what you would like to change.] ¡°Contractor, do you think that the editor can mute you every time you talk?¡± ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not that easy. No matter how advanced the System is¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked suspiciously at the window and spoke reluctantly, ¡°...Erase my voice from the entire video.¡± [Processing¡­] [Complete.] When they yed it back, the System had really removed his voice. The edit was quite clean. ¡°Oh?!¡± the Frost Queen eximed. Seo Jun-Ho was looking at her with exasperation when she suddenly looked up. ¡°Contractor. Can I be in charge of this video?¡± ¡°What are you nning?¡± ¡°I simply wish to edit the parts I dislike.¡± ¡°Do what you want.¡± He decided to leave it to her. The System seemed to recognize a contracted spirit¡¯s voice and the yer¡¯s the same, so it went smoothly for her. The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes sparkled as she excitedly listed hermands. ¡°Cut this part out. We don¡¯t want people to see you receiving PP from Pompeii¡¯s party.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like where this part starts, so move it up a bit¡­ Yes! You are quite skilled at your job.¡± ¡°Contractor¡¯s movements are too fast here¡­ Add a slow motion effect.¡± One could mistake her for a real director. After editing the video for quite a while, the Frost Queen seemed to have discovered something which made her turn toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...Contractor.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°I wish to put music into the video, but it costs PP¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± he said firmly. He felt like a mother at a toy store. ¡°It¡¯s only a trial video, so we can¡¯t use PP on it.¡± ¡°Aw¡­¡± ¡°But if I think we can make enough PP after this video goes up, I¡¯ll let you start using a little bit starting from the next one,¡± he added when he saw her wilt a bit. ¡°Really? I have a good memory.¡± ¡°So do I. And I never go back on my word.¡± When he looked at the finished product, it was of much higher quality than before. It didn¡¯t contain anyplicated editing techniques, but that made it all the more immersive. It simply highlighted his powerful, elegant movements. [Post video?] ¡°Yeah.¡± [Please add a title to your video.] ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll choose for you,¡± the Frost Queen said, holding her hand up. ¡°Considering your status, the title should be¡­ The ck Knight Returns¡­¡± ¡°No way. The title will be ¡®Test.¡¯¡± [Video has been named ¡®Test¡¯.] ¡°Ugh, why do you do this to me?¡± The Frost Queen started to throw a tantrum, but she was quickly quelled with cake and tea. Right now, Seo Jun-Ho felt like he was taking care of a niece, not a queen. Chapter 118. The Black Knight Returns (4)

Chapter 118. The ck Knight Returns (4)

¡°Huh?¡± Ha In-Ho tilted his head. Like usual, he had been working in his office. As the Vice-Captain of Goblin¡¯s Team 2, he had a lot of reports to go over. There were many different kinds of reports he had toy his eyes on, but he was currently going over documents about new recruits. ¡°¡®It¡¯s fun¡­ So just watch it?¡¯¡± He read aloud the message from a recruiter. They had attached the title of a video. [We probably can¡¯t recruit him, but it¡¯s fun so just watch it lolol it¡¯s dope.] He blinked once and opened the video forum. ¡®It¡¯s just called ¡®Test¡¯... That¡¯s a pretty lukewarm title.¡¯ He was going to type it into the search bar, but Ha In-Ho quickly realized that there was no need for that. Next to the search bar was the aforementioned video. ¡°It¡¯s ranked 8 right now?¡± He clicked on it as if he were possessed and saw that the views and likes were multiplying by the second. ¡®The uploader¡¯s name is¡­ Sonny? I¡¯ve never seen that username before.¡± It was rare for a no-name yer to blow up instantly on the video forum and yet, it had happened. Just how great was the video? Ha In-Ho reached for the y button with interest. ¡°In-Ho, what are you doing?¡± Crunch. Crunch. Gong Ju-Ha entered the room, munching on a bag of spicy potato chips. ¡°...I¡¯m working, of course. I¡¯m on the clock,¡± he said dryly. His current business with potential recruits was originally Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s job. ¡®...But Master pushed it onto me because of Princess¡¯s personality.¡¯ They had been assigned to bring in new members, but Gong Ju-Ha had refused to pick a single one, listing a variety of reasons. - That person sucks at controlling their magic circuits, that one has a scary look in their eyes, that one doesn¡¯t pay enough attention duringbat¡­ In all his years of working with her, Ha In-Ho had only ever seen her acknowledge one rookie. Just one¡­ ¡®Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ He was the only one that had ever met her standards. Of course, even Ha In-Ho had to admit that Gong Ju-Ha had a great eye for people. After all, Seo Jun-Ho seemed to get even stronger by the day. ¡®But the Guild doesn¡¯t want someone as perfect as him¡­¡¯ Of course, it would be great if someone perfect joined the Guild but they were rare and came with a lot ofpetition. Their Guild preferred to pick recruits that were a bitcking, and then they would train them ording to a curriculum. ¡®In the end, Master couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and decided to entrust this to me instead¡­¡¯ It was another instance of how the fact that if she worked a little too hard at her job would be disadvantageous to them all. ¡°Princess, I¡¯m busy. I have to watch a video.¡± ¡°...A video? What video?¡± That piqued her interest. Gong Ju-Ha walked over and tapped his shoulder. ¡°Share your screen with me. I can¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Ha In-Ho adjusted the settings so that she could see his window. ¡°A recruiter sent me this. I think it¡¯s just a funny video or something. It¡¯s ranked 8¡­ Huh? When did it go up to 6?¡± ¡°...¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face turned curious as she listened. It was because she had seen the uploader¡¯s name¡ªSonny. ¡®That¡¯s Mr. Snake Head¡¯s username¡­¡¯ She tapped on Ha In-Ho¡¯s shoulder, impatient. ¡°Hurry up and y it, number 1 servant.¡±[1] ¡°I am not a servant,¡± Ha In-Ho said tly. Truthfully, he wasn¡¯t expecting much. Even if it was aedic video, he would quickly forget it after watching it. ¡°...?¡± However, the beginning of the video was strange. It was from a first-person point of view and was showing someone running through a dark forest. He could tell that they were moving very fast based on how thendscape shed by. And through it all, the person managed to dodge trees and rocks as swiftly as a shadow. Ha In-Ho turned to Gong Ju-Ha. ¡°Princess. I don¡¯t think this is a funny video¡­¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± She held a finger to her lips. Her eyes were glued to the screen. Ha In-Ho gave in and shut his mouth. Tatata. A moonlit forest path came into view, and the person finally stopped. ¡°Are those¡­thunder bears?¡± Ha In-Ho said, shocked. It wasn¡¯t because of the thunder bears, but because of the dire situation. One of the bears was about to crush the skull of a defenseless yer. ¡®And not only that¡­¡¯ To the side, four more thunder bears were charging over. ¡®But there are only four yers¡­ Five, including the person who made this video.¡¯ Considering that most yers who hunted thunder bears were around level 70, they would need a miracle to survive. The man in the back was about to have his head caved in by a thunder bear¡¯s paw. ¡°...?¡± But then, a miracle happened. The uploader rushed in and blocked the thunder bear¡¯s paw. The bear whipped around as its attack was blocked. ¡°Grrrrooooh!¡± It roared in frustration, unhinging its jaw. Woosh! A jet-ck de stabbed upward into its mouth. The sword burrowed into the thunder bear¡¯s skull and pierced through the crown of its head. It took only one second to make the clean assault. ¡®...He¡¯s fast.¡¯ Ha In-Ho unsped his hands and held his chin. ¡®Sonny, was it? He¡¯s super fast. Not only that, the de never wavered, and he also has good uracy.¡¯ The camera slowly panned from the first-person point of view to third-person. ¡°Huh?¡± Ha In-Ho mmed the table as he shot up from his seat. The moonlight forest. The four despairing yers and the four angry thunder bears. Between them stood a single man, covered in jet-ck full-body armor. ¡°That armor¡­¡± He was very familiar with it. After all, it belonged to the ck Knight, otherwise known as Seo Jun-Ho. Ha In-Ho was able to recognize it instantly because he was also familiar with the man himself. At the same moment, he realized why Gong Ju-Ha had been watching so intently the whole time. ¡®Of course¡­ The Princess knows his username.¡¯ After getting over his initial shock, Ha In-Ho sat back down. Then, he stood up again. ¡°Why are you taking out a dagger?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was wielding a dagger instead of his signature sword to fight thunder bears. ¡®Not only that, but his level is¡­¡¯ No matter how fast he leveled up aftering to Frontier, he couldn¡¯t have passed level 50 yet. Ha In-Ho watched in stunned silence, but his concern ended up being unfounded. ¡°...¡± Even if all he had was a measly dagger, Seo Jun-Ho was still Seo Jun-Ho. He ripped apart two thunder bears as if to prove his status. Not only that but he also used twopletely different fighting styles. ¡®So he¡¯s showing off both his speed and strength.¡¯ Ha In-Ho sensed what Jun-Ho was trying to convey through the video, and he was truly impressed. ¡°He¡¯s truly amazing. I think I understand why Sir Specter chose him as a proxy.¡± ¡°...¡± Gong Ju-Ha didn¡¯t say anything. She scrunched her nose. Ha In-Ho looked over at her. ¡°Why are you so quiet? I thought you¡¯d be jumping around and saying ¡®I told you so.¡¯¡± ¡°...I just. I¡¯m a little sad. I don¡¯t think I can call him Mr. Snake Head anymore, you see.¡± She no longer saw Seo Jun-Ho as a ¡®rookie.¡¯ He was now a proper yer, just like her. The video was proof of that. ¡°I wonder if Mr. Sn¡ªI mean, if Mr. Jun-Ho received guidance from Sir Specter.¡± ¡°Huh? Why do you say that?¡± Ha In-Ho asked. ¡°I¡¯ve watched all of Specter¡¯s recordings. The way they handle the dagger is really simr.¡± ¡°Oh,e on. Even if Specter taught Seo Jun-Ho some things, why would he teach him the dagger? Shouldn¡¯t he train him in the sword instead?¡± ¡°...Now that I think about it, you¡¯re right?¡± She shrugged and started to giggle. ¡°It has only been a few days since he asked me how he can earn PP¡­ But I suppose he won¡¯t have to worry about that anymore.¡± The video titled ¡®Test¡¯ was now ranked number 4. *** Woosh! Seo Jun-Ho grabbed the cor of a thunder bear. He swung it around, mming it down. The spikes of ice on the ground pierced right through its heart. Seo Jun-Ho wiped his sweat andplimented the Frost Queen. ¡°Phew, good job.¡± ¡°You do not need to tell me so. I always do a good job.¡± Four days had already passed since they entered the forest of thunder bears, and they had managed to reach their goals. ¡°Out of the three objectives I set¡­¡± They hadpleted two so far. He had reached level 50 and learned how to fight alongside the Frost Queen. Thest thing he needed to do was earn PP, and he was already halfway there. ¡®I already got 400 PP from Pompeii¡¯s party.¡¯ However, he hadn¡¯t checked the performance of the ¡®Test¡¯ video just yet. He had promised the Frost Queen that they would only check it once they were done hunting. ¡°Do you want to eat your snacks first, or do you want to check the results first?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Hm¡­¡± She looked up at the sky, considering this for a second before she spoke, ¡°Let us check the result. I am very curious about it.¡± As she fluttered over and settled on his shoulder, Seo Jun-Ho opened themunity forums and entered the video forum. ¡®The rankings¡­ Not there, of course.¡¯ It had only been a few days since they uploaded it. He touched the hologram window to open his video. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Both the Spirit and the human had the same reaction. Seo Jun-Ho blinked, and the Frost Queen chewed her lip. [Test] Views: 175,985 Likes: 4,870 ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure what this means. Is this a lot, or a little?¡± he asked. ¡°I-I am not quite sure either. The other videos in the forum usually only had a few hundred views¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart started to pound with anticipation. It reminded him of back when he sat in front of the monitor, waiting to hear back from the colleges he had applied for. ¡°Let¡¯s see how much PP it earned¡­¡± Their eyes slowly turned downward. PP earned: 1,760 PP donated: 1,153 2,913 PPbined. Adding the PP he already had, he now had 3,313 PP in total. ¡°Is 3,313 a lot?¡± ¡°Based on the video¡¯s fine performance, I do not think that this is a small amount.¡± Intrigued, Seo Jun-Ho checked thements. Surprisingly, the video had several thousands ofments. ¡°Why are there so many?¡± He couldn¡¯t quell his curiosity and quickly opened thement section. 1. Ha-in (servant) il-ho (number 1) sounds like his name. ? Chapter 119. The Black Knight Returns (5) At first, there were mainlyments expressing different opinions. They were the type ofments you could find on any video¡ªpeople expressing their own thoughts. - Woah, is that the ck Knight Seo Jun-Ho? He really lives up to his name¡­ He has some good moves. - Speed, strength, stamina¡­ All his stats seem pretty high. - He showed off the full potential and range of knifey in just a 7-minute video. He¡¯s a natural. - It¡¯s my first time seeing him in action, and it¡¯s not bad. Seems like reaching number 1 in the Cave of Trials wasn¡¯t just pure luck. - Bastard... He¡¯s so good at fighting¡­ The peaceful stream ofments was interrupted by one yer¡¯s words. - Does anyone know what level he is at? My guess is around level 50. ©¸He was killing those thunder bears like they were goblins but you think he¡¯s only level 50? Are you kidding? Did you mean level 80? ©¸Level 80 lmaooo don¡¯t you know it¡¯s been less than a year since he debuted? ©¸Do you think he experienced a 10x EXP drop event or something? How could he be level 80 at this point? lolol. Suddenly, the steady stream became like an ocean in a storm as the yers started arguing about their guesses of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s level and stats. And that wasn¡¯t the only thing they were fighting about¡­ - What¡¯s so great about this that it¡¯s in the rankings? I bet I could do that. ©¸Post a video and prove it ©¸Why should I? And at the end, it¡¯s pretty obvious that he can¡¯t chase after them because he has used up his stamina. He¡¯s still an amateur. ©¸Dude¡­ Did you even watch the video? He clearly chose to let them go. There was a heated debate on whether his feats weremendable or not. And that still wasn¡¯t all¡­ - Okay, next item~[1] That¡¯s Kwon Noya¡¯s armor. He¡¯s basically cheating. ©¸So can you do the same thing as long as you have the armor? ©¸Yeah, piece of cake. ©¸lollll I¡¯m going insane. When did so many cocky yers join the forum? ©¸For real, we need a level verification system. Block yers under 90 frommenting. The Frost Queen shivered as she watched their battle unfold. ¡°To think that the people of Earth will fight over anything. How undignified.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re anonymous. If you put all the people fighting in a room, no one would be able to say anything.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and closed thement window. However, he was a little angry. ¡°Still, how could they call me an amateur and a cheater¡­¡± He had been proud of the skills he showed off. But seeing the stingyments hurt his pride a bit. ¡°...Frost.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± She asked. ¡°For the next video, the kobold huntingpetition, we have to show them what we are made of properly so that no one will question me anymore.¡± ¡°Hooo, that sounds fun.¡± What kind of video would it be? The Frost Queen bared her teeth as sheughed. *** While Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first video, ¡®Test,¡¯ was blowing up in themunity forums, a cold-looking old man sat on a skull-shaped chair. A younger man approached him and bowed his head. ¡°...Sir Hallow, we¡¯ve found the inn and room number that Seo Jun-Ho is staying at. Shall I bring him in?¡± he spoke as if he could bring Seo Jun-Ho away at any time. But Nazad Hallow slowly shook his head. ¡°The location isn¡¯t good. It¡¯s too dangerous to kidnap him inside the city. At least, for now...¡± Gilleon had so many yers that it was often called the Starting City. Not only that, but its knights were quite formidable as well. ¡°Keep watching him. It won¡¯t be toote if we make a move after he leaves the city.¡± Nazad ordered. ¡°Understood. I saw his video, and his skills are quitemendable. Assigning a level 90 fiend should be enough¡­ But I will also go, just in case...¡± ¡°Take two more,¡± Nazad interrupted. ¡°...So we¡¯ll be moving in a group of four?¡± Surprised, the man looked up. He had watched the video dozens of times and analyzed Seo Jun-Ho, but he wasn¡¯t that strong. ¡°Luck is also a skill. That boy has already escaped death three times.¡± The Shadow Brothers, the Watchdogs, and Kal Signer. He had fought with those wicked fiends, but Seo Jun-Ho had alwayse out on top. ¡°...If only Kim Woo-Joong hadn¡¯t killed Sir Signer, that bastard would¡¯ve been brought over here much earlier,¡± the man muttered and bit his lips with his head bowed once again. Nazad Hallow stared down at the back of his skull with cold eyes. ¡°You seem furious.¡± ¡°...Yes, I am.¡± The man had been Kal Signer¡¯s right-hand man until the end. After it was revealed that Kim Woo-Joong had killed Kal Signer, he hade to Nazad Hallow out of his own free will. Nazad Hallow wanted Seo Jun-Ho, and the man thought that he could exact his revenge on Seo Jun-Ho if he stuck to Nazad Hallow. ¡°Kal Signer must have been a good superior,¡± Hallow stated. ¡°...He was to me.¡± As the man left, Nazad Hallow fell deep into thought. ¡®If he survives once again¡­¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t send anyone else after him. If the same thing happened four times, it obviously meant that Seo Jun-Ho had been saved, not by his luck, but by his skill. Even if he sent stronger fiends, there would be no guarantee that they would seed. ¡®When that timees, I will go myself.¡¯ Of course, if Nazad Hallow wanted to kill Seo Jun-Ho himself, he would have to wait for a considerable amount of time. After all, he couldn¡¯t go into a city where the Big 6 or imperial guards were present. ¡®If I just wait, he¡¯lle to me on his own.¡¯ All yers needed to raise their levels, but most cities with good security didn¡¯t have any monsters over level 100. Eventually, they would have to go to remote areas to hunt high-level monsters, and to ces where the Empire¡¯s eyes and hands couldn¡¯t reach. Once Seo Jun-Ho came to the Ounds, Nazad Hallow would be able to meet him. ¡®If this fails¡­ I¡¯ll have to wait for a long time.¡¯ Nazad Hallow closed his eyes. *** They returned to the inn in Gilleon. Seo Jun-Ho had already paid for his stay so no one would take over his room. ¡°It¡¯s time...¡± Seo Jun-Ho finished washing up and opened themunity forums with a determined look on his face. He was nning to unlock the news and information boards with the PP he had gathered. [Unlock news board?] [Unlock information board?] It cost 20PP to unlock the two forums. Seo Jun-Ho quickly looked over the news board first. [Hallem Guild fights in the Haboro territory war, bringing overwhelming victory.] [Breaking News! Labyrinth Guild clears the Dungeon in Wailing Cave, once again proving their skill.] [Where are they? The Nine Heavens in the Ounds.] [¡°ck Knight¡± Seo Jun-Ho makes a sessful debut with his first video, ¡®Test,¡¯ reaching number 3 in the rankings.] [Starting City Gilleon to hold ¡®Kobold Hunting Competition,¡¯ recruiting participants.] ¡­.. Tons of different articles poured out from the forum. However, whenever he clicked on one, it asked for 1PP. ¡°1PP per article¡­ It¡¯s not as expensive as I thought,¡± Seo Jun-Homented. ¡°Contractor, what does this ¡®subscribe¡¯ button mean?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°Subscribe button? Let me see.¡± As he looked to where she was pointing, he saw that there was an option to subscribe to major news channels. Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly. ¡°Ooh, this isn¡¯t bad.¡± There was a system where he could subscribe to news channels for 30 PP a month and read as many articles as he wanted. ¡®There are only about five major new channels, though¡­¡¯ Obviously, they were all highly influential back on Earth. Seo Jun-Ho casually paid 150PP and subscribed to them all. He had more than enough PP thanks to his video. Seo Jun-Ho immediately started to read. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of fun stuff too.¡± There were articles about the love lives of High Rankers, and about how certain cities were raising taxes, and even tabloids about a yer that had married a noble in Frontier. All the interesting stories he never knew about were condensed into these articles. Of course, there were a lot of stories about Seo Jun-Ho himself as well. ¡®It all makes sense now. I thought that I was just imagining all the stares that I was getting while I was walking around the city¡­¡¯ Apparently, people had been writing about him since the day he came up to Frontier. ¡®The article¡¯s even named ¡°Will the Super Rookie of the 1st floor also rule on the 2nd?¡±¡¯ ¡°The quality of the news is very good. Wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± he asked. The Frost Queen didn¡¯t answer. She must have gotten bored of reading articles because she had wrapped herself in tissues and had fallen asleep. ¡®Should I buy her a proper nket sometime soon?¡¯ Maybe she had started to grow on him a bit. Right now, she looked a bit pitiful, sleeping like a homeless person. Seo Jun-Ho turned back and checked the information board. ¡®This¡­ It really is just an information board.¡¯ It was filled with misceneous information about hunting monsters, Quests, and random tips, but the contents weren¡¯t that high in quality. ¡®It¡¯s less useful than the news board. Though, anyone who gives out good information for free would be an idiot.¡¯ The real useful information was being sold forrge amounts of PP in private transactions. The System acted as a notary, so it protected against most scams. After scrolling through the forums for a bit more, Seo Jun-Ho headed to the city hall. The square was already bustling with yers and Adventurers alike. ¡°Dammit, the line¡¯s not shrinking at all. Why are there so many people?¡± ¡°An article blew up on the news board. There¡¯s a rumor that the prize for the Kobold Hunting Competition is really good.¡± ¡°Not only that but there aren¡¯t many events that¡¯ll give you an opportunity toe face-to-face with a noble.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ If there are this many people, how will I raise my contribution levels?¡± ¡°There are Adventurers here too, not just yers¡­Maybe it would be better to just do a Quest instead?¡± They had all gathered to participate in thepetition. Seo Jun-Ho awkwardly stood in line. ¡®The line is really long. I bet it¡¯ll take at least 5-6 hours to get in.¡¯ Because of therge number of people, more guards were walking around to protect the peace. ¡°Don¡¯t cut the line!¡± ¡°You two! You¡¯ll both be arrested if you fight.¡± Suddenly, Seo Jun-Ho saw a familiar face approaching him. ¡°Hm? Aren¡¯t you yer Seo Jun-ho?¡± ¡°Captain Max?¡± It was the head of Gilleon¡¯s city guards, Max, who also happened to like Seo Jun-Ho a lot. He smiled brightly. ¡°Are you nning to participate in thepetition?¡± ¡°Yes. We can¡¯t just let the kobolds run around forever. They¡¯re a danger to the city.¡± ¡°Mmhm. With your skill, I have no doubt that you¡¯ll be of great help in their extermination.¡± He turned around and gestured for Seo Jun-Ho to follow. ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll rmend you to the person in charge.¡± The yers around him looked at Seo Jun-Ho with envy, but no one protested against the special treatment. After all, having connections in Frontier was considered a skill in itself. 1. The Korean phrase used was ??, which refers to someone who relies solely on items ? Chapter 120. The Kobold Hunting Competition (1)

Chapter 120. The Kobold Hunting Competition (1)

Max led Seo Jun-Ho to an open area behind the city hall, where dozens of yers and Adventurers were gathered. ¡°Commander Phivir.¡± Max walked up to one of the knights and bowed politely. The middle-aged man turned to him. He seemed quite powerful. ¡°Max. How is the situation outside?¡± ¡°There are still many people waiting. At this rate, it¡¯ll take two days for the examinations alone,¡± Max replied. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I only want the best fighters to participate in thepetition.¡± ¡®Only the best? They¡¯re not letting all the applicants join in?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho blinked, and Phivir turned toward him. ¡°And who is this?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s a yer I know.¡± Max nudged Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Greet him. He¡¯s themander of Gilleon¡¯s knights, Sir Phivir,¡± he whispered. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Phivir looked him up and down. He nodded slowly. ¡°You look quite strong. Looking at that watch, you must be a yer¡­ What level are you?¡± he asked. ¡°Level 50.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± He didn¡¯t look down on Seo Jun-Ho because his level was low. On the contrary, Phivir seemed even more impressed because his level was low. ¡°You¡¯re talented.¡± ¡°You tter me.¡± ¡°Did youe because you wish to participate in thepetition?¡± Phivir asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded firmly. ¡°My lord wishes to minimize unnecessary casualties during the hunt. Thus, I have been ordered to choose only those who have proven their skills. Even with Max¡¯s rmendation, you cannot avoid it.¡± ¡°I have no intentions of taking a shortcut. How will you assess my skills?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said confidently. Phivir turned to the stage, where his knights seemed to be standing. ¡°It¡¯s simple. You will spar with one of the knights for three minutes, and I will make the decision.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes turned to the knights. ¡®They¡¯re all pretty strong.¡¯ ¡°All the knights seem quite powerful¡­ Is every knight in Frontier that strong?¡± he asked carefully. ¡°Most of them are. They¡¯re knights, after all.¡± ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t it be pretty easy for them to take out the kobolds on their own?¡± he asked. Phivirughed bitterly and shook his head. ¡°I cannot tell you the exact details¡­ But at the moment, the knights can¡¯t leave their posts for trivial matters. That is why we need the help of yers and Adventurers. Additionally, there are a fair amount of kobolds.¡± Phivir pointed at the chairs under the tent. ¡°Sit there and wait. When your turnes, you will go up to the stage.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t forget to thank Max, who had brought him all the way here. ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink together sometime. I¡¯ll bring a nice bottle of wine.¡± ¡°Rather than wine, I¡¯d rather have you join the guards¡­ Dammit, you¡¯re not gonna change your mind, are you?¡± Maxughed heartily and waved at him to go. Seo Jun-Ho arrived at the waiting area and checked the people around him. ¡®Let¡¯s see how strong they are.¡¯ He gotfortable in his seat and watched the show. ¡°I am the Adventurer Fyx of Melbourne.¡± ¡°I am the knight Weaver.¡± While the Adventurer waspletely d in armor, the knight waspletely unarmed, save for a wooden sword and shield. ¡°Here we go!¡± Fyx raised a long spear and charged at Weaver like a boar, aiming for his stomach. He was fast, but his attack was too simple. Weaver watched indifferently and casually swung his sword to block the strike. ng! The spear flew into the air and fell to the ground. The Adventurer scowled as he felt a prickling pain in his palms as he clenched his hands. ¡°Fail.¡± Fyx picked up his spear and dragged his feet away. People started to whisper¡­ ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t the standards too high?¡± ¡°I think the passing rate has been one every thirty people so far.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ I thought thepetition would be an easy opportunity, but this is intense.¡± The Adventurers and yers were starting to get nervous, and it was showing. There were many more that challenged the knights, but none of them were strong enough. ¡®So this is the standard for Frontier knights¡­It¡¯s quite high.¡¯ In terms of levels, they would be somewhere from level 80 to 85, only about two or three times weaker than the Demon Bow, Kal Signer. ¡®From what I know, Gilleon has thirty knights¡­¡¯ When considering the entire Empire, that meant there were thousands, maybe tens of thousands of these knights. ¡®On the other hand, the average yer in Frontier is level 95.¡¯ Even though 25 years had already passed, the average level rose very slowly. Because of the nature of the job, many yers died early. There were also many who retired once they started to find it more difficult to level up. ¡°Huh?¡± At that moment, after watching all the challengers fail, a man of about thirty stood up on the stage. He was wearing a yellowed martial arts uniform that seemed as if it had once been white. The sleeves and hem were worn and tattered. Seo Jun-Ho watched him with interest. ¡®He has a Vita on his left wrist¡­ So he¡¯s a yer.¡¯ However, he had little to no magic power. If the average yer¡¯s magic capacity was that of a small pond, his was like a dried-up well. The man bowed to the knight. ¡°I am yer Baek Geon-Woo.¡± ¡°...I am the knight Weaver.¡± He finished his introduction and raised his hand to stop the challenger. ¡°You might get seriously injured. Is that really okay with you?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s have a good fight,¡± Baek Geon-Woo said politely. Weaver nodded slowly. As soon as the duel began, Baek Geon-Woo immediately rushed at Weaver. ¡®His movements, speed, and strength aren¡¯t bad, but¡­¡¯ They were too normal. It almost made Seo Jun-Ho wonder how this yer on the 2nd floor could be so normal. However, Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s gaze was piercing. His sharp eyes watched and analyzed every single one of his opponent¡¯s movements, and his body reacted without a moment to rest. It was only for an instant, but he even moved five times faster than Weaver at one point. Woosh! Woosh! Baek Geon-Woo circled the stage, never stopping as he raised his fists. But Weaver¡¯s sturdy shield blocked every single attack, and he couldn¡¯t get in a telling blow. ¡®But still¡­¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo didn¡¯t seem disappointed. In fact, he seemed to have expected it and went right into the next attack. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but Seo Jun-Ho felt a strange feeling pass through him. It was like he was holding back tears. As he watched Baek Geon-Woo and was deep in his thoughts, he started to hear the other yers¡¯ voices. ¡°What the heck, that guy¡¯s still alive?¡± ¡°Well, whenever he disappears hees back with a bang a few monthster.¡± ¡°I heard that he¡¯s training whenever he disappears.¡± ¡°That man was sixteen when he debuted¡­ Wow, I guess it¡¯s his 16th year of being a yer.¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s already thirty-two? What an idiot¡­¡± ¡°Why does he try so hard?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for revenge, isn¡¯t it? His family was murdered by fiends.¡± Fiends. Revenge. Seo Jun-Ho immediately understood the man. ¡®He has lived a hard life.¡¯ Baek Geon-Woocked talent. It was such a simple yet cruel thing. Countless people had despaired at hearing those words. At the same moment, Seo Jun-Ho finally realized why the man had given him such a feeling. ¡®They¡¯re oddly simr.¡¯ Once upon a time, there had been a gunslinger who was looked down upon for having only a D-rank skill. He lost his wife, yet he still wanted to create a peaceful world for his son. In the end, that man had be one of the five strongest yers in the world. ¡®Of course, Gilberto¡¯s a little stronger¡­¡¯ When it came to natural talent, with 10 being the highest, Gilberto would be 2 while Baek Geon-Woo would be about 0.5. ¡°...¡± Weaver blocked each attack and then stabbed Baek Geon-Woo in the stomach. ¡°Gah!¡± He wiped away the spit on his face as he was knocked back, but he got back up and charged at Weaver again as if nothing had happened. Weaver gave an exhausted look and turned to Phivir as if asking what he should do with him. Woosh! Woosh! Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s fists sliced through the air. His strikes were clean, without any unnecessary movements. They would be powerful enough to take out monsters on the 1st¡ªno, 2nd floor. However, it still wasn¡¯t enough to defeat the knight. m! Weaver grabbed Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s wrist and mmed him onto the ground. But as he fell, his eyes shed as he punched Weaver in the face. His willpower impressed everyone that was watching. ¡°...!¡± Weaver twitched as his head was knocked back. He instinctively raised his sword. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Phivir halted their match. He looked silently at Baek Geon-Woo. He considered him for a while before he spoke. ¡°...You could die,¡± he said heavily. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Haaa.¡± Phivir let out a deep sigh and eventually nodded. ¡°In four days,e to the za in front of the city hall before the sun rises.¡± ¡°...Thank you!¡± Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s face brightened, and he quickly walked down the stage. Gripping his fists, he was smiling like he was on top of the world. Seo Jun-Ho passed by him as he got on the stage for his turn. ¡°I am the knight Weaver.¡± ¡°I am yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± He strode over and held out his hand. Weaver frowned at his arrogance and swung his wooden sword. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand weaved across the de like a snake and grabbed Weaver¡¯s neck. ¡°...!¡± Only three seconds had passed since the match had started. ¡°I-I let my guard down¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. You pass.¡± Seo Jun-Ho let go of his neck when Phivir spoke. He bowed. ¡°That¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho for you¡­ Have you seen his video?¡± ¡°Of course. But I think his attack just now was even better.¡± ¡°He probably didn¡¯t use his full power. He¡¯s a genius, after all.¡± Baek Geon-Woo listened in on their conversation as he gulped down cold water. He stared at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Natural talent¡­Is it?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho probably didn¡¯t even know who he was, but Geon-Woo knew him very well. How couldn¡¯t he? Seo Jun-Ho was the Super Rookie that had caused such an uproar on the 1st floor before he came up here in Frontier. Articles had been popping up on the news board since the day he arrived. ¡®...I wonder if he¡¯s even human.¡¯ He smiled weakly and shook his head in regret. Chasing things he couldn¡¯t have would only leave him with a sense of emptiness. As he stared at the ground, he didn¡¯t realize that Seo Jun-Ho was looking at him from the stage. *** On his way back to the inn, Jun-Ho stopped by a toy store and bought a big dollhouse. It was a simple, one-story model, with a fluffy bed inside. The doorbell could even y music and allowed the roof to open and close. The cashier smiled. ¡°Who are you giving this to? You look too young to have a daughter. Is it for your niece?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a second and shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s for a princess that never listens.¡± ¡°Hahaha, so it¡¯s for your daughter. You¡¯re a young father.¡± The dollhouse cost 2 Silvers, or 200,000 won. Seo Jun-Ho grumbled as he put it away in his inventory. The cashier¡¯s smile didn¡¯t fade as they sent him off. ¡°She¡¯ll love it~ Sometimes kids even forget to eat if you buy them one just to y with it.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t eat much in the first ce.¡± Except for cake and tea¡­ Seo Jun-Ho waved and returned to the inn. The Frost Queen had woken up at some point and was in the midst of making a snowman. ¡°...What are you doing?¡± he asked. ¡°Practicing. It is important to continue using it like this, even in everyday life,¡± she said. ¡°I do that too.¡± tter. Seo Jun-Ho created a few ice cubes and filled his cup. He poured in water and drank it down. He watched her y for a bit before retrieving the dollhouse with an embarrassed look on his face. ¡°I, well¡­ I found this on the way home, so you can use it or whatever.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen quietly finished her snowman and patted its head before she scrunched her nose. She slowly stood and flew over to the dollhouse. ¡°Hm¡­ I cannot deny your sincerity, so it can¡¯t be helped,¡± she muttered. As she pressed the doorbell, the music box started ying and the roof opened. ¡°There is no antique furniture, and there¡¯s only one bed¡­ Hm. Though, it does look quitefortable¡­¡± The Frost Queen trailed off and entered the house. A momentter, the music started ying again and the roof closed. Seo Jun-Ho quietly knocked on the door. ¡°How is it? Do you like it? The cashier¡­ I mean, the person who sold this to me said that it¡¯s a really good toy.¡± ¡°...¡± There was no response. Did she not like it? He started to feel disappointed. ¡°Zzzz¡­Zzzz¡­¡± He heard familiar snoring from inside the dollhouse. ¡°....What the heck?¡± She was sleeping soundly. Seo Jun-Ho breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, satisfied. Chapter 121. The Kobold Hunting Competition (2)

Chapter 121. The Kobold Hunting Competition (2)

Seo Jun-Ho rested for two days after that. After eating good food and sleeping soundly on a plush bed, he was able to fully relieve the fatigue that had piled up while hunting in the forest. ¡°Wow, I haven¡¯t felt this great in a while,¡± he eximed. He actually felt like his body was lighter than before. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 50 Title: Bringer of Spring (2+) Strength: 174 Stamina: 174 Speed: 174 Magic: 196 Fame: 1,220 This was the result of hunting thunder bears non-stop for four days straight. He had leveled up seven times, and his stats had also increased significantly. He had even received Fame from clearing a Quest involving thunder bears. ¡°What a coincidence.¡± His strength, stamina, and speed were all at the same number. He turned toward his magic stat, which was nearing 200. ¡®I should go down to the 1st floor soon.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t any particr reason he thought that, other than the fact that Keen Intuition (A) was telling him to. But sometimes, his intuition was more urate than his reason. ¡®For some reason, I think I¡¯ll be able to do it once I hit 200 magic.¡¯ He was talking about saving his friends. He started to get motivated by looking at his status window. ¡®I hope that my intuition will lead me to the right answer again.¡¯ Lla~ At that moment, a whimsical noise filled the room as if someone had waved a magic wand. All of a sudden, the roof of the dollhouse opened. ¡°Haaa.¡± The Frost Queen stretched as she came out. She had finally realized her dream of having her own house. She saw Seo Jun-Ho and greeted him with a tired voice. ¡°Good morning, Contractorrr¡­¡± She yawned. ¡°Good morning to you too.¡± They shared a small breakfast before leaving the inn. ¡°Where are we going today?¡± she asked. ¡°I have some stuff to pick up.¡± He needed to retrieve the potion from Shasha, and then pick up the Spirit Crystals from the auction house. Shasha¡¯s house was the same as it had been five days ago. He pushed aside the rusty gate and walked up to the front door. He knocked. ¡°Shasha!¡± Bang bang! ¡°Shasha!¡± Bang bang! A momentter, the door opened. Shasha had gotten thinner in the past few days, and her eyebags were dark. She met his eyes. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you¡­¡± ¡°...Are you alright? You don¡¯t look so good.¡± ¡°It was really hard¡­¡± She pointed weakly at a table¡ªat a transparent bottle filled with a red liquid. ¡°Is it all done?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, examining the bottle. ¡°It hadn¡¯t been easy to synthesize it, but I¡¯m a genius so I managed¡­ It¡¯s full of nutrients, so you should look forward to it.¡± She exined. ¡°What does it do?¡± ¡°It strengthens your mentality.¡± ¡°And there aren¡¯t any side effects?¡± ¡°Mmhm, Your mental state will be so powerful that you won¡¯t faint even if you¡¯re tortured or something. Something like that.¡± ¡°Nice.¡± It was perfect. Seo Jun-Ho checked the item data. [Mind-strengthening Potion] Grade: Unique A high-grade potion made by a skilled alchemist with only the best ingredients. The description was short and simple. ¡°How do I take it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°You can just drink it. However¡­ The core is so powerful that you probably won¡¯t be able to absorb the whole thing. Probably only 50 to 70% at most. If you think you can¡¯t handle it, don¡¯t get too greedy. It could overheat your brain.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pulled off the stopper and gulped it all down. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The hot potion made his throat sting. It reached his stomach and started to make his entire body heat up. After it condensed into one area, it suddenly reversed and shot up to his head. ¡®It¡¯sing¡­¡¯ Sweat started to pour from his forehead as he received the effects of the potion, and he realized why Shasha had warned him. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s hard to handle.¡¯ The potion¡¯s effects made his head spin, shocking his brain. He felt so hot that he thought his head might explode, but Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t give up. He summoned his magic and made his head cool down. Sssssss. His temples steamed like a pressure cooker. ¡°Hey, hey! It¡¯s too much, so stop¡­¡± Shasha cried out. Just as she reached to wake him up, a chilling sensation made her stop. ¡®W-What is this?¡¯ She felt like someone was pointing a cold de at her, and it made her shiver. She could barely breathe. She couldn¡¯t even move at all. However, the feeling didn¡¯tst for long¡­ ¡°Phew¡­¡± Five minutester, Seo Jun-Ho let out a hot exhale and opened his eyes. As the light met his sharp gaze, he felt it settle. ¡®My head feels clearer...¡¯ There were many things that required mental strength, such as willpower, endurance, decision-making, critical thinking, and confidence. Perhaps that was why he felt like a new person after it had been strengthened. He even felt like his vision had sharpened. ¡°...H-How is it?¡± Despite having been frozen just now, as an alchemist, Shasha immediately checked the effects. Seo Jun-Ho grinned. ¡°It¡¯s great. I feel like I¡¯ve be a new person.¡± ¡°Phew, that¡¯s a relief. I thought you¡¯d gotten too full of yourself and messed things up.¡± She sighed before noticing that the suffocating feeling was gone. ¡®Am I just too sleep-deprived?¡¯ She shrugged. Suddenly, Shasha gasped and held out her hand. ¡°Shoot, I forgot to get my payment first. Give me the money.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not gonna rip you off.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took out 50 gold and ced them on the table. Shasha grinned when she saw the sparkling pile of coins. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Ply myself and pay off your debt as well.¡± He reassured her. ¡°Will you? I¡¯m counting on you, okay?¡± ¡°I already said that I¡¯m not gonna rip you off¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood up from his seat and looked around. ¡°You should hire someone to clean up your house and take care of the property. You¡¯ll get sick if you live in a ce like this.¡± ¡°I should do that.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be back if I need tomission you again.¡± Shasha waved goodbye as he left the estate. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said to the Frost Queen. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to touch someone when they¡¯re absorbing that much energy. You blocked her because of that, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­You got me the house and all¡­¡± she mumbled. She was too embarrassed to admit that she was just being protective of her Contractor. *** He met Ply for the first time in a while to pay off Shasha¡¯s debt. It was only 22 gold, so it wasn¡¯t too much. After that, Seo Jun-Ho went right to the auction house. When he went up to the pick-up counter, the employee got it ready for him. ¡°These are the items that you have sessfully bid on. Three Spirit Crystals.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The crystals were all in different sizes. ¡®I suppose the one I got from the Dungeon was on the bigger side.¡¯ The three Spirit Crystals were about a finger-length smaller than that one. The Frost Queen wrinkled her nose as she stared at them. ¡°Once again, I refuse to eat rocks. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± Despite what she said, she had beenining about the taste of the cake and tea when they didn¡¯t have any Spirit Crystal shavings in them. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t go anywhere else and went right back to the inn. The Kobold Hunting Competition would begin at dawn, so he would have to sleep early. He sat down on the plush sofa and started looking for information about Baek Geon-Woo. The man had caught his interest. ¡®I feel worried about him for some reason.¡¯ There were more articles about him than he initially expected; it was probably because he had been active for so long. [Lone Survivor of a Fiend¡¯s Family Massacre Debuts as a yer.] [For the Sake of Revenge! Baek Geon-Woo Goes Up to the 2nd Floor After Only Five Years Since Debut.] [yer Baek Geon-Woo is Unshakeable Despite Fellow yers Rmending Retirement.] [Is it Really Worth The Effort? Why is Baek Geon-Woo Still the Same As He Was 15 Years Ago?] In the beginning, there had been many people who were rooting for him. But five, ten, fifteen, and after sixteen years. Instead of enthusiastic support, all he received now was pity. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± the Frost Queen asked, emerging from the shower. She flew over, drying her hair with a towel. Seo Jun-Ho exined what he had found about Baek Geon-Woo, whom he met a few days back. ¡°Hm, that man has lived a hard life,¡± shemented. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Frost Queen nodded. ¡°People willugh at those who try and fail. But I would never look down on someone who epts a challenge.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. The ability to be so stubbornly tenacious was amendable talent in itself. There were many people who didn¡¯t know what they wanted to do, and there were even those who wouldn¡¯t try hard in what they were doing. ¡°Effort doesn¡¯t guarantee sess¡­But every sessful person has put in the effort.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. Even if you are born with immense talent, you must still put in the effort,¡± she added. ¡°Then maybe he has been putting his time and energy into the wrong thing,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. ¡°Perhaps¡­ We will not know until we see for ourselves.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± He stroked his chin. ¡°Then, let¡¯s keep watch. Starting tomorrow,¡± he muttered. *** The early morning wind was chilly, but since he had Cold Resistance (C), Seo Jun-Ho arrived at the za with only light outerwear. ¡°There are so many people even though it¡¯s dawn,¡± the Frost Queen observed, admiring the crowd that had gathered. Seo Jun-Ho thought the same. ¡®They only chose those that passed the test¡­ But this many people passed?¡¯ There were at least 500 people here. As he leaned on the wall, Phivir went up to the podium a momentter. ¡°There are 671 people gathered here today. First, let me extend my gratitude to the participants who havee for the sake of Gilleon¡¯s future.¡± ¡°671 people?¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than I expected¡­¡± ¡°Will it be possible to measure contributions with this many people?¡± ¡°Tsk, the mages might snip targets from the rear.¡± Bam! Phivir stomped his foot on the ground and quieted the murmuring audience. ¡°For the past few months, Gilleon¡¯s eastern gate had always been shut tight. It leads to the Hainal Mountains, which those despicable kobolds have been upying as a pack. The lord of the city wished to dispose of them immediately, but it had been too much for the knights alone to handle. They are unable to leave the city at this time. That is why we have requested the aid of you Adventurers, yers, and mercenaries. You have but one objective¡ªto kill the leader of the kobold pack, which is hidden somewhere in the Hainal Mountains.¡± The yers started to mutter at the word ¡®leader.¡¯ ¡°What kind of monster can lead so many kobolds?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a Kobold Champion?¡± ¡°Nah, no way. From what I heard, there are over a thousand of them¡­ A Champion wouldn¡¯t be strong enough. Wouldn¡¯t it be a Kobold Lord?¡± ¡°A Kobold Lord¡­If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯ll be the first time in eight years since we¡¯ve seen one.¡± ording to the official records, thest Kobold Lord had been killed eight years ago. ¡°As you all may know, kobolds are monsters with a clear hierarchy. Your rewards may differ based on how many kobolds of a certain kind you kill.¡± The eyes of the yers and Adventurers sparkled. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho was among them. ¡®I¡¯ll get the best possible oue and meet the city lord.¡¯ Phivir checked the time. ¡°Fall into ranks and march toward the eastern gate! Move out!¡± They started to move¡­ Chapter 122. The Kobold Hunting Competition (3)

Chapter 122. The Kobold Hunting Competition (3)

Creak. The thick chain on the handles of the eastern gate was unwound for the first time in months. This gate had arge moat, which was something that couldn''t be seen from the other gates ¡°Man, I don¡¯t know how long it has been since Ist went through the eastern gate.¡± ¡°I think it has been at least half a year. It was used really often because it¡¯s directly connected to the Hainal Mountains.¡± ¡°Well, people will be able to use it again once we get rid of all those kobolds.¡± It seemed strange to have a moat on only one side of the city walls, but the city lord of Gilleon had ordered it to be built because there had been many monster attacks from the Hainal Mountains throughout history. After the moat was built around the eastern gate, it becamepletely shut off from the northern and southern gates. Thanks to his bold decision, the monsters weren¡¯t able to harm the city even when they came down the mountain. All Gilleon needed to do was to lock the gate. ¡°I heard that the kobolds¡¯ army came all the way down to the hill over there a few months ago.¡± ¡°Damn, that¡¯s scary. So what happened?¡± ¡°What do you mean what happened? The knights killed dozens of them and chased them away.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Kobolds are kobolds.¡± The yers were in high spirits. Kobolds were oftenpared to the likes of goblins, and they were popr prey on the 1st floor as well. ¡°Listen up!¡± Phivir yelled from the turret as he looked at the men gathered below. Bam bam! ¡°This campaign may end up taking days and may seem like a journey without an end. But if you kill those vicious kobolds and return with your heads held high, Gilleon will never forget your service!¡± He thumped the shoulders of the two knights next to him. ¡°These knights of Gilleon, Weaver, and Rhodi, will lead you in this conquest.¡± Most of the participants already knew of the two knights¡¯ skills. They had been tested by them merely a few days ago. Unsurprisingly, no one protested their leadership. ¡®The city of Gilleon is the one hosting this event in the first ce.¡¯ ¡®It wouldn¡¯t make sense for yers or Adventurers to take positions of power.¡¯ ¡®I already expected a knight or two to being with us.¡¯ The sound of weing apuse filled the eastern side. Phivir nodded heavily and said one final sentence. ¡°Godspeed. I pray that you will all return safely.¡± Weaver and Rhodi came down from the turret and took the lead. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll leave you behind if you¡¯re not fast enough, so keep up!¡± At the same time, a message appeared in front of all the yers. [You have been registered for Gilleon¡¯s event - Kobold Hunting Competition.] [You can check your progress with themand ¡°check Contribution.¡±] *** Thirty minutes after crossing the wide moat bridge, they reached the hill that they saw from within the city. ¡°Is this the entrance to the Hainal Mountains?¡± ¡°Dammit, I hate hiking.¡± ¡°Just hold out for a little longer. Hainal Mountain beer is the best, but the prices have shot up since the eastern entrance was blocked.¡± ¡°...Really? I should hold out for the sake of the beer. Only the beer, though.¡± It wasn¡¯t a surprise that none of the participants were tired after a mere half-hour of walking. In fact, their postures and expressions exuded confidence. ¡®Of course, they would be like this...¡¯ Those gathered here were veterans who were confident in their abilities. After all, they had proved themselves with a duel. Not only that, but the target of their conquest were the kobolds, which were low-ranking monsters that they had fought many times before. It would be stranger if they were nervous instead of confident. ¡®But if the kobolds in the mountains are as strong as the blood kobolds fromst time¡­¡¯ Things wouldn¡¯t be easy, no, it would be difficult. As far as they knew, there were at least one thousand kobolds in the Hainal Mountains. ¡®If there are that many of them, there will also be many higher-ranking kobolds.¡¯ Such as the Kobold Champion that Seo Jun-Ho himself had killed. He was starting to worry about the lighthearted atmosphere that had developed among the participants. ¡°Everyone here is much too carefree. Even though the formation was improvised, it does not look like a proper army in any stretch of the imagination,¡± the Frost Queen said disapprovingly. Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly, but only because she was correct. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see once the battle starts.¡± He covered his body with ck Armor. Perhaps it was because the power he exuded was so immense, but the people around him took a step back. ¡°Halt!¡± Weaver finally gave his firstmand two hours after they left Gilleon. The formation was starting to fall apart, and they stopped in the middle of a steep hill. He looked up at the top of the mountain, which was covered with thickets and trees. He unsheathed his sword with a shing. Seeing that, the yers and Adventurers realized what was going on and quickly started to get ready forbat. ¡°I smell them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the stench of kobolds.¡± ¡°The knights¡¯ senses are so much sharper than ours.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had actually been the first one to notice the presence of kobolds. He dug through his inventory. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ This was his first time participating in a campaign like this. As such, he had spent the past few days researching simr events while resting. ¡®I could go all-out from the very beginning and gather as much Contribution as fast as possible. Or¡­ I could start slow so I can avoid the lower-ranking ones holding us in check?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t decide which one was better than the other. After all, when it came to these events, the higher-ranking monsters always came outter on. That was why stronger participants often wouldn¡¯t bother wasting much energy in the beginning. They didn¡¯t want to potentially lose out on points by putting their energy into the lower-ranking monsters, which would hold their Contribution points back. ¡®Okay. I¡¯ll just see how things unfold.¡¯ There was someone he wanted to observe in battle anyways. Seo Jun-Ho made up his mind and pulled out a small shield and dagger. He fastened the shield onto his left wrist, like a watch. ¡°The kobold horde is approaching! Maintain formation!¡± ¡°Here theye!¡± The knights¡¯ angry voices boomed from the vanguard. At that moment, the kobolds hiding in the trees and bushes started toe down the hill. There were so many of them that they looked like ants from a distance. ¡°Just how many are they?¡± ¡°Did all the kobolds in the mountainse all at once?¡± The yers¡¯ faces fell as they started to prepare for battle. Seo Jun-Ho nced over the hill, checking the kobolds. ¡®They¡¯re not blood kobolds.¡¯ The ones rushing toward them were just normal ones; the kind that yers and Adventurers could easily kill. The first people they shed with were the two knights at the front. ¡°And to think you were so quick to run away a few months ago!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Every time the knights swung their swords, they would take out multiple kobolds. They started to climb up the hill, vigorously ughtering the kobolds on their way. ¡°H-hey, the knights are gonna steal all the Contribution points!¡± ¡°Attack!¡± ¡°Shit! The kobolds aren¡¯ting to the back!¡± No one seemed to be intimidated by the prospect of battling the kobolds. Once they saw the opportunity to gain Contribution points, they started to wave their weapons excitedly. ¡°Hahahaha! This is easy!¡± ¡°Only 1 point per kobold? That¡¯s so cheap!¡± ¡°Damn, long-range attackers have an advantage here!¡± While the vanguard fought with the kobolds, Seo Jun-Ho and others in the rearguard were on standby. But soon enough, the kobolds climbed the trees to surround them and attacked them from the side. ¡°Nice!¡± ¡°I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to get any Contribution points, but they came here themselves.¡± ¡°Kieeeek!¡± A kobold swung from a tree and swung a stone ax toward Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. He blocked swiftly with his shield and swung his dagger. Crack! The de tore through the kobold¡¯s chin and skull, killing it instantly. ¡®Something¡¯s up.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed as he scanned the battlefield. Kobolds weren¡¯t exactly known for their bravery and valor. In fact, most people debated whether or not they were more cowardly than goblins. ¡°Aren¡¯t these kobolds acting a little weird? Why are theying here when they know that they¡¯re gonna get killed?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Seeing how boney they look¡­ I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve eaten for days.¡± ¡°Hmph, so they thought we¡¯d be easy prey because we¡¯re in the back? That disgusts me.¡± The participants started to suspect that something was up, but they quickly lost interest. The kobolds were too weak to draw necessary suspicion. After all, if ants were acting a little strangely, humans wouldn¡¯t concern themselves with them. ¡®Oh, right¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho remembered where Baek Geon-Woo was. He turned toward him. Bam! Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s fists cut swiftly through the air. Perhaps it was because his opponents were kobolds, but he seemed much more powerful than he had been during his fight with Weaver. ¡®Really, not bad...¡¯ Of course, the path he had walked on hadn¡¯t been pretty. But he was pretty good even whenpared to the yers whom Seo Jun-Ho had met on the 2nd Floor. Though, it became moreplicated once you considered the fact that it had taken him sixteen years to reach this level. ¡°Kyaaak!¡± Seo Jun-Ho stabbed the throat of an iing kobold without even turning away from Baek Geon-Woo. His eyes were glued to him. ¡°He has a good foundation.¡± Seo un-Ho could tell how much training he went through in sixteen years just from his punches. ¡°...Those fists carry the burden of time,¡± the Frost Queen observed. ¡°They¡¯re slow and unsophisticated, but he puts his heart into every punch. If you got hit, you¡¯d feel it all the way through your bones.¡± Above all, he liked Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s attitude. Even though the kobolds were much weaker than him, he was still putting his full strength into every punch. ¡®He did the same thing during his fight with Weaver. He always uses his full power.¡¯ That was something he could improve on¡­ Seo Jun-Ho grinned and started to swing his dagger even harder. Even if he didn¡¯t help him, Baek Geon-Woo would eventually break down the wall in front of him. Seo Jun-Ho could see in him the same fighting spirit that he had seen in Gilberto long ago. ¡®If I just give him some advice, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be beneficial¡­¡¯ But he would decide whether or not he would help him after watching for a bit longer. Seo Jun-Ho bashed thest kobold¡¯s head with his shield. ¡°...Wait, they¡¯re all dead?¡± ¡°Shit! I only got five of them!¡± ¡°Tsk. I should go to the front and seize the opportunity. The people there are in a much bigger advantage.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. We won¡¯t get any Contribution points in the rearguard.¡± The battle was over. While everyone wasughing and drinking water, Seo Jun-Ho looked concerned as he looked up the mountain. He noticed that there were a few kobolds standing there with their backs to the sun. ¡°Are those¡­ blood kobolds?¡± They were even properly armed, like yers. They looked down on the battlefield, then turned around and left. A few other yers started to whisper as they watched those figures leave. ¡°Hey, did you see that? I didn¡¯t get a good look because of the sun, but there was something up there¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Seo Jun-Ho just say that they were blood kobolds?¡± ¡°Come on, you probably misunderstood. I¡¯ve never heard of blood kobolds being spotted in this area.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t blood kobolds the ones that have been appearing in the Ounds?¡± ¡°Ugh, I have a bad feeling about this. If they really are blood kobolds, I¡¯m dropping out.¡± The two knights watched the mountain, then turned back to the fighters and tried to calm them down. ¡°You all fought well. It was an overwhelming victory!¡± ¡°At this rate, it will only take us a few days¡­ No, we might even be able to kill all the kobold soldiers by tomorrow.¡± They killed 500 kobolds in the first battle without a single casualty. It really was an overwhelming victory. ¡°Contractor,¡± the Frost Queen said in a low voice. ¡°I think something is strange. I get the feeling that they were merely testing our battle capabilities.¡± ¡°...I think so too.¡± The kobolds of this mountain were strange. The blood kobolds he had fought with Hakan a few days ago weren¡¯t nearly this organized. ¡®But just now, they seemed like they were acting on orders¡­¡¯ He suddenly thought of the leader of the dark elves he had encountered on Earth, Rodomir. If the kobolds were being led like a powerful general like him, it would be a possible exnation for the kobolds¡¯ strange movements. ¡®Just who is it?¡¯ Who could possibly organize the unintelligent, cowardly kobolds? He felt like his instincts were whispering to him¡ªDon¡¯t let your guard down. Chapter 123. The Kobold Hunting Competition (4)

Chapter 123. The Kobold Hunting Competition (4)

The group hiked the mountain until nightfall. After the first battle, the kobolds didn¡¯t attack again. The knights Weaver and Rhodi stopped when they discovered arge clearing. ¡°We will set up camp here for tonight!¡± ¡°We will be taking watch in rotations, so finish your supper quickly and get some sleep.¡± They had been moving nonstop since they left the city when the sun rose until sunset. Not only that but they had battled against hundreds of kobolds halfway through. Even though all the participants were veterans, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a little tired. ¡°Phew, I¡¯m starting to wonder if it was worthing here. It¡¯s so tiring¡­¡± ¡°I know, right? I thought I¡¯d be able to gain a lot of levels and EXP.¡± ¡°All we did was walk all day! I should¡¯ve just done a Quest or something.¡± Comints started to spill out everywhere. Tsk, tsk. The Frost Queen clicked her tongue. ¡°Those weaklings. They have so manyints,¡± she said. ¡°They probably didn¡¯t have this in mind when they signed up for thepetition.¡± Frankly, this wasn¡¯t what Seo Jun-Ho had in mind either. But that didn¡¯t mean he was disappointed like the others. The encounter with the blood kobolds had put him on edge. ¡°Contractor, look over there.¡± The Frost Queen tugged on Jun-Ho¡¯s hair and pointed. There, Baek Geon-Woo was sitting at the foot of arge tree, eating riceballs by himself. ¡°The best time to start a conversation is when someone is eating alone,¡± shemented. ¡°You know your stuff...¡± As Seo Jun-Ho strode over, the other yers started to look at him. ¡°Is this seat taken?¡± he asked. As Baek Geon-Woo looked up at him, he started to stand up. Embarrassed, Seo Jun-Ho quickly shook his hands. ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m not asking you to move.¡± ¡°...¡± Baek Geon-Woo stared at him. His eyes were as clear as a creek on a summer¡¯s day. A momentter, he spoke. ¡°No.¡± His voice was in. Baek Geon-Woo turned back to his riceballs and resumed his meal. Seo Jun-Ho immediately sat down beside him. ¡°My name is Seo Jun-Ho,¡± he said, taking out his meal. ¡°...¡± Baek Geon-Woo focused on his meal as if he didn¡¯t hear Seo Jun-Ho speak. He had no desire to get close to other yers. ¡®They only evere approach me for one of two reasons.¡¯ They either wanted to feel a sense of superiority, or they pitied him. It had always been one of those two¡­ ¡®Seo Jun-Ho¡­ The articles and rumors about him didn¡¯t leave a bad impression.¡¯ He was famous for his heroic deeds. He had saved dozens of yers in the Burning Dunes and then pulled yers from a crisis into victory in the Wild Forest. In other words, he would be too self-secure to approach Baek Geon-Woo for his own ego. ¡®Then¡­ Is it pity?¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo didn¡¯t feel any particr emotion about it. If he got mad, he would be the weird one. Even though the sympathy was unsolicited, the people who pitied him never really had bad intentions. But sometimes, that sincere kindness hurt even more. Baek Geon-Woo knew this all too well from his past experiences. That was why he didn¡¯t bother trying to create rtionships with people. However, his impression of Seo Jun-Ho changed when thetter spoke. ¡°Why don¡¯t you use any weapons?¡± ¡°...?¡± Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s hand paused, riceball in hand. He slowly turned to Seo Jun-Ho and stared into thetter¡¯s eyes, trying to understand what was his intention behind the question. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to mock you. I am asking because I¡¯m genuinely curious.¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. Humans were stronger when they fought with tools instead of their bare hands. This had always been true since ancient times. Rocks were stronger than fists, and swords were stronger than rocks. Spears were a good option too. The spear was known as the king of primitive weapons, easy to master yet still mighty. ¡°...¡± Baek Geon-Woo lowered his riceball. He got the feeling that Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t leave him alone until he answered. ¡°It¡¯s rted to my skill, so I cannot tell you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see. I¡¯m sorry for asking.¡± Seo Jun-Ho apologized. He started to eat with an embarrassed expression. They ate in silence. ¡°Ugh, I can¡¯t breathe! This is suffocating!¡± Trapped between the two, the Frost Queen, clutched her throat, trying to breathe. At that moment, Baek Geon-Woo finished his riceballs and stood up before he disappeared. ¡°Phew¡­¡± She let out a deep breath. ¡°That man is quite hard to approach. Unlike you, he is not a pushover.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good. I want to get closer to him,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ¡°May I ask why? I do not quite see the benefit of that.¡± ¡°Just¡­ Instinct? I get the feeling that he¡¯ll get stronger at some point. It would be like an investment.¡± He exined. Of course, he didn¡¯t know when or how much stronger Baek Geon-Woo would get in the future. There had been many times his instincts were wrong, so this could just be a dud. ¡®But¡­¡¯ The most important detail was that they shared the same pain. For that simple reason, Seo Jun-Ho wanted to watch over him. ¡°...Anyway, those fiend bastards. They really don¡¯t know when to stop,¡± Seo Jun-Ho whispered, looking up at the hazy crescent moon. *** Luckily, Seo Jun-Ho got the first watch. He had a suspicion that Weaver had ced him there with his skills in consideration as if telling him to rest up before the big fight tomorrow. Thanks to that, Seo Jun-Ho felt nice and refreshed the next morning. ¡®There was no ambush during the night.¡¯ He had actually been preparing for one. If he were the ruler of the kobolds, he would have seized the chance to attack when most of the group were asleep. ¡®But why didn¡¯t they attack? Did they think the terrain was disadvantageous for them?¡¯ Therge clearing was more advantageous for the group. Even if they managed to sessfully snuck in, the yers could easilyunch a counterattack. ¡°Wake up, everyone! We¡¯ll have a brief breakfast before we start moving again.¡± ¡°Our goal today is to reach the kobolds¡¯ cave at the peak of the Hainal Mountains!¡± The two knights woke the group, loudly banging on their breasttes. ¡°Ow¡­ My muscles ache.¡± ¡°Dammit, my calves hurt. It has been a while since I¡¯ve walked for so long.¡± ¡°Ugh. I was tooid back about this.¡± Everyone was grumbling, but being veterans, they still started preparing to leave without much protest. ¡°Wake up,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said to the Frost Queen. She couldn¡¯t use the fancy dollhouse in the woods, so she had gone back to using tissues as her bedding. ¡°Mhmm¡­ Contractor¡­¡± She thumped her chest as she whined. ¡°I hate being away from home¡­ Hurry up and defeat the kobolds so we can go back¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just one more day. Based on what they said, I think we¡¯ll get to their caveter.¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­Even if there are blood kobolds there, I suppose it won¡¯t be too dangerous,¡± she muttered. ¡°Yup.¡± 671 veteran yers and Adventurers made for a formidable force. As long as they didn¡¯t let their guards down, they wouldn¡¯t be bested in battle. ¡®As long as we don¡¯t let our guards down¡­¡¯ The march began again. As they got closer and closer to the summit, the yers started to be warier and on edge. Befitting as veterans, they were preparing for a battle. ¡°We were worried for nothing. Seems like everyone¡¯s got it together now. I can feel the pressure in the air,¡± the Frost Queen observed. ¡°You¡¯re right. I underestimated them. But I wonder where the kobolds went?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. They hadn¡¯t seen a single kobold from morning to noon. This was his second day of filming, but he hadn¡¯t been able to get anything good. The battle from the day before had been too one-sided. ¡°If we can¡¯t get anything, my PP¡­Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Ho saw something glint from the top of the mountain. There was a sharp sh, like sunlight bouncing off a mirror. ¡®What is that?¡¯ The moment he stopped and the question popped into his head, confused screams started to erupt around him. ¡°W-Woah!¡± ¡°W-what is that?¡± He felt something explode under his feet. Rrrrrrrr! The mountain started to shake violently as if it would copse at any second. ¡°It¡¯s an earthquake!¡± ¡°Dammit, what shitty luck¡­!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you feel something explode underground just now? Is this¡­ a trap?!¡± An earthquake in the mountain was scary enough, but some people quickly realized what would happen next and their faces started to turn pale. ¡°W-we have to get down¡­¡± an Adventurer whispered. From the front lines, Weaver¡¯s face fell and he shouted, ¡°All forces! Descend the mountain! Immediately!¡± Boom! His voice was lost under a loud explosion. The yers¡¯ eyes filled with fear. Rrrrrrrrr! ¡°A-Andslide¡­It¡¯s andslide!¡± ¡°Dammit! How the hell are we supposed to go down aftering all the way here!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t! We have to hold out!¡± ¡°Dig into the ground for cover! That¡¯s the only way!¡± It was like a tsunami onnd. A wave of earth started to flood down toward them at rming speeds. Their forces numbered 671, but that only made it worse. Their screams echoed as they started to trip over themselves and bump shoulders. ¡°Contractor!¡± ¡°...Shit.¡± Seo Jun-Ho bit his bottom lip, hard. He had never even imagined this kind of situation. ¡®You¡¯re telling me that the kobolds have someone capable of organizing this kind of trap?¡¯ No one could have predicted this. Even a yer of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s level needed time to prepare an artificialndslide. ¡®Wait, time to prepare¡­¡¯ He realized that they had been bamboozled. The kobolds in the Hainal Mountains had been quiet for the past few months, but it wasn¡¯t because they were scared. They had been waiting for a moment like this. They had been fully prepared for their campaign. ¡®It¡¯s the same reason why they didn¡¯t ambush us at night.¡¯ There was no need to risk it when they had a more surefire way to win. ¡°Barrier.¡± Woosh! The mages started to activate barriers in preparation for the iing impact. But it made no difference¡­ Crack! From above, the kobold mages had started to cast spells. Four kobold mages could be seen through the continuous rush of dirt, trees, and rocks. Craaaack! Their fireballs exploded on the mages¡¯ barriers, causing them to shatter. ¡°Goddammit! They¡¯re really making me curse!¡± ¡°How did those inferior kobolds manage to outsmart us?¡± ¡°This makes no sense. They y dirty, but they shouldn¡¯t be able to use tactics of this level!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what you should be worried about right now! Everyone gather here!¡± ¡°How the hell is the barrier supposed to block thendslide?! Dig! We have to dig!¡± The yers and Adventurers quickly started to gather into small groups. They started to dig together and crawled inside the holes they made. ¡°I-It¡¯sing!¡± someone shouted. Thendslide swept the frontlines of the group, but most of them had managed to dig into the ground, so only a few of them were swept away. ¡°Contractor! You can¡¯t hide underground!¡± ¡°...I know. That¡¯ll only dy the inevitable.¡± It would take a considerable amount of strength and energy to dig out of the hole even once thendslide passed. In fact, he could even die if he ran out of oxygen. ¡®And most importantly, those guys won¡¯t just stay still¡­¡¯ On the summit, hundreds of blood kobolds were already holding their weapons, ready for battle. Once thendslide passed, they would start to kill those crawling out of the ground. ¡°Contractor!¡± the Frost Queen yelled. Now was the time to make his choice¡­ ¡®There are three options.¡¯ First, he could use Watchguard of Darkness and Shadow Step to avoid the impact. Or, he could use Frost to shield himself from thendslide. However, either option would require him to reveal one of his skills. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho bit down on his lip and decided to go with the final option. Even as he made up his mind, he still wasn¡¯t sure if it was the right choice. ¡°Someone has to remain and stop the blood kobolds¡­¡± Otherwise, their group would be massacred. But no matter how he thought about it, there was only one person who could do that. ¡°...Booster.¡± It was Seo Jun-Ho himself. Chapter 124. The Kobold Hunting Competition (5)

Chapter 124. The Kobold Hunting Competition (5)

Boom! Though the sky was clear, the air rang with something like the sound of thunder as heaps of dirt and boulders the size of houses rolled down. In the face of the mountain¡¯s flood of fury, Seo Jun-Ho seemed as small as a speck of dust. ¡°Phew.¡± He let out a short breath, Cruel Executioner in hand. ¡°Frost, take your time in catching up.¡± He would go ahead¡­ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice faded instantly as he disappeared into the distance. Thendslide started toe down two, or maybe even three times faster as he activated Booster and began scaling the mountain. Crack! The point of his halberd stabbed into a thick boulder. Seo Jun-Ho dug his weight into rocks tounch himself forward to ascend the mountain as if he were pole vaulting. The sky came closer, and the ground disappeared below him. Rrrrr! Below his feet, he saw dirt, rocks, and trees spilling downward like a river. What goes up, muste down, so as he flew through the air, he started to fall toward the ground. ¡°Contractor!¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s worried voice didn¡¯t reach his ears. His attention was on something else. ¡°Focus, Seo Jun-Ho. Focus,¡± he whispered to himself as if in a trance. He sharpened his cognition, perception, judgment, and instincts to their limits, andnded in the flood of earth. Bam! Hended on arge rock. As soon as he stepped on it, he leaped toward a tree that wasing down in front of him. ¡®Where do I go next?¡¯ It was as if he were rock climbing. To be sure, it was a very dangerous kind of rock-climbing where his life was in danger every time he took a new foothold. His eyes were sharp. Both his mental capacity and his vision had expanded, and he could see the entirendslide with one look. He made his decisions in an instant, and he moved just as fast. Woosh! Woosh! He was careful but not slow, bold but not reckless. His feetnded on foothold after foothold. Sometimes it would be a boulder, sometimes a tree, and sometimes, it would be a rock just the size of his palm. ¡°Krrrr¡­¡± A kobold watched Seo Jun-Ho carefully from the summit of the Hainal Mountains. Just like the human nobles, the kobold was adorned with sparkling gems and was at least twice as big as the Blood Kobold Champion that Seo Jun-Ho had defeated before. ¡°Ka! Hu!¡± It pointed at Seo Jun-Ho with its right hand, which was covered with dozens of rings. As it gave an order, the kobold mages nodded and activated their magic. Wooshhhh! Four fireballs flew toward Seo Jun-Ho, one after another. ¡®Magic?¡¯ He quickly twisted his body in mid-air. Hot mes brushed his back as it flew by. ¡®I would¡¯ve been burned without ck Armor.¡¯ Hended safely on a boulder and continued to move, without a moment to think. Boom! A fireball struck the ce he had just been standing at. Woosh! Woosh! Seo Jun-Ho managed to dodge all four fireballs, moving elegantly. However, the kobold mages didn¡¯t stop their assault. Swoosh! He dodged when he could, and boldly cut through the fireballs when he couldn¡¯t. ¡®There¡¯s no end to it.¡¯ His climb was slowed by the kobold mages. Seo Jun-Ho furrowed his eyebrows and let out a spirited cry. ¡°Hup!¡± He started to move faster. As he picked up the speed, he pulled the halberd back. ¡°Kung?¡± ¡°Krrr?¡± ¡°Kukuku.¡± The kobold magesughed as they watched. How could a mere human throw a halberd from over 150 meters away? Their yellow eyes curved into crescents, and they sneered. ¡°Is this funny?¡± Seo Jun-Ho cackled like a demon when he saw. ¡®You won¡¯t beughing soon!¡¯ His biceps swelled as he tightened his grip around the halberd. Seo Jun-Ho ced all his weight into his right arm and ¡®shot¡¯ the weapon. Wooshhhh! The halberd flew forward with a fierce sound, like an unchained beast. The point buried itself into one of the kobold mage¡¯s stomach, killing it instantly. The halberd didn¡¯t lose its momentum as it continued to fly, straight to the kobolds¡¯ leader. ¡°Kah!¡± It pped away the halberd with its ringed hand, and the halberd buried itself into arge tree. The body of the dead kobold mage was still swaying. ¡°Kyaak!¡± ¡°Kraaa!¡± The kobolds screamed far toote. They didn''t imagine that a mere human could kill them from so far away. ¡®They¡¯ve started to panic!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled as he hurried up the remaining distance. ¡®I¡¯m almost there...¡¯ He could see that the blood kobolds were armed and ready for battle. ¡°Hup.¡± Tap. It was finally over. Seo Jun-Honded on solid ground and nced behind him. The mountain that was once full of trees had be barren. He could scarcely believe that he managed to scale thendslide far behind him. ¡°Phew¡­¡± He quickly caught his breath and prepared himself for battle. Scaling a natural disaster was no easy feat, but the battle wasn¡¯t over yet. Things didn¡¯t look too good for him. His opponents would take advantage of his fatigue. ¡°Kyaaaak!¡± ¡°Krrrrr!¡± ¡°Kung! Kaaaah!¡± He had expected it. The blood kobolds started to descend the summit, saliva dripping from their lips. Some were so excited that they even tripped over their own feet. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho silently took out a normal bow and quiver of arrows from his inventory. He wanted to use Tempest or Final Horizon, but he couldn¡¯t because he was recording. Of course, if he felt like his life was in danger, he would stop recording and use those instead. ¡®But for now, this is fine.¡¯ It would be enough. He settled for just one bow. Seo Jun-Ho nocked three arrows and drew back the bowstring. He let go. Woosh! An arrow pierced through a blood kobold¡¯s eye and came out the back of its head. The other two struck the heart and forehead of two others. ¡°Kieeek!¡± ¡°Kaaahh!¡± ¡°Kung!¡± As they shrieked and copsed, the ones behind them fell over. Seo Jun-Ho quickly and calmly fired more arrows. Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! Every time he let go of the bowstring, three blood kobolds would die as if his arrows were cursed to be a hundred percent urate. ¡°...¡± Rrrrr. When the blood kobolds were 30 meters away, he tossed aside the bow and quiver. Instead, he took up arge shield in his left hand and a thick, long spear in his right. He got into position andunched forward. ¡°Kuuuu!¡± ¡°Kaaaaah!¡± There were over seven hundred blood kobolds, covering the Hainal Mountains like ants. A single yer ran toward them, shield andnce in hand. The thick spear easily pierced through the stomachs of seven blood kobolds. When he could fit no more onto the shaft, Seo Jun-Ho threw it away and swung his shield to bash in the heads of the iing blood kobolds. ¡°Kyak! Kyaaa!¡± ¡°Ku! Kung!¡± At this close of a distance, the stench of their saliva seeped through his helmet and prickled his nose. ¡°Hup!¡± Seo Jun-Ho pulled out ck Dragon Fang from his inventory and swung it like a club. As it made contact, the kobolds¡¯ heads exploded like balloons. ¡®Dammit, there¡¯s too many of them.¡¯ Even for Seo Jun-Ho, it would be impossible to kill them all while hiding his abilities. ¡®If only I had Cruel Executioner right now¡­¡¯ He felt a prickle of regret. Blood Pact would have made it much easier to supplement his stamina. As he was locked in thought, a kobold unhinged its jaw, aiming for his head. ¡°Shut your mouth and fuck off!¡± He mmed his elbow into its chin. He covered the shield with an aura and positioned it t before he threw it at the kobolds like a dagger. Woosh! The shield cut through everything it made contact with, including the blood kobolds¡¯ necks, arms, legs, and backs. ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡± His breath became more hot and shallow as sweat poured all over his body. There were so many kobolds¡ªtoo many of them. No matter where he looked, all he could see was the blood-red hue of their skins. ng! Several blood kobolds stabbed his neck. ck Armor had saved him once again. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned toward them and seized the spears by the handles, breaking them in half. He stabbed the blunt end into their faces. He had no time to rest. No matter how many he killed, the kobolds just kepting, wave after wave. To add insult to injury, Booster was also reaching its limit. ¡°Contractor!¡± The Frost Queen called, flying over. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t say anything and simply pointed to the ground. ¡°...I-I understand!¡± She nodded quickly and flew away. *** ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Baek Geon-Woo regained consciousness. He didn¡¯t know what was pressing all over his body, nor did he understand why it was so cold. ¡®Right, thendslide!¡¯ His eyes snapped open as he remembered what happened before he passed out. Right as they were about to approach the peak of the Hainal Mountains, andslide had struck the battalion. He had quickly dug a hole for himself and barely managed to survive. ¡®I have to get out!¡¯ There was so much dirt on top of him that his body could barely move. But as he thrashed, he started to create more space. His teeth chattered. Even though he was underground, he didn¡¯t know why it was so cold. He started to dig furiously at the fear of freezing to death. ¡°Ha!¡± After about five minutes, he could finally see sunlight. BaekGeon-Woo quickly crawled out of the ground, seeing other yers start to emerge. ng! ng! Just then, the nging of weapons echoed from the top of the hills. ¡°There¡¯s a battle? Didn¡¯t everyone get wiped out?¡± Baek Geon-Woo didn¡¯t look away as he quickly started to climb. If there really was a battle happening, he had to get there and meet with the others as fast as possible. ¡°...?¡± But when he arrived, he wasn¡¯t greeted by the battalion. It was a single yer, fighting a solitary battle. ¡°yer¡­ Seo Jun-Ho?¡± He looked a mess. The sides of his armor were tattered, and his helmet was ripped in half. His left arm also appeared to be injured. ¡°Have you been fighting alone this whole time?¡± The summit was covered with 150 corpses of blood kobolds. Baek Geon-Woo trembled as he watched the glorious battle. ¡°yer¡­¡± That was all he was¡ªa yer. A person who hunted monsters and protected the world. ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho!¡± A blood kobold swung its spear at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s open side. m! Baek Geon-Woonded a powerful punch into its chin. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± He could see the fatigue in the bare half of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face. Baek Geon-Woo looked him straight in the eye. ¡°Thank you for holding out. For fighting.¡± ¡°Huff, huff¡­ The others¡­The other yers and Adventurers¡­How are they?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, breathing heavily. ¡°They¡­¡± Baek Geon-Woo cut himself off, closing his mouth. Instead of speaking, he looked back. The people that survived had started to climb up the summit, weapons in hand. Chapter 125. The Kobold Hunting Competition (6)

Chapter 125. The Kobold Hunting Competition (6)

A single yer had waged a massacre. Or rather, a war, based on his ragged state. The battalion members¡¯ eyes widened as they saw him. ¡®...He took out all those kobolds by himself? There must be hundreds of corpses.¡¯ ¡®This is too much¡­ He¡¯s a monster.¡¯ ¡®While I was hiding underground like a cicada, this guy was making a whole movie.¡¯ There was a difference between killing ten kobolds and killing ten kobolds after already having killed a hundred. Of course, thetter was much more difficult. You had to deal with the fatigue of previous battles while taking on more enemies. Seo Jun-Ho had been able to do just that. The reason for it was simple... ¡®Even if I get a lot of Contribution, it¡¯s not worth risking my life.¡¯ ¡®Ah, damn. I hate elitists¡­But this bastard¡¯s pretty cool.¡¯ An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. yers and Adventurers didn¡¯t know when they would die, so they lived by this creed. Of course, there would be ingrates who didn¡¯t repay debts sometimes, but the members of the battalion were different. ¡°Geez, what have those stupid kobolds been doing? They only have one opponent.¡± ¡°I ate so much dirt because of them. Bet I won¡¯t even need to have lunch. Pfft, what the hell? Shit, that was a worm!¡± ¡°Nice, I wanted to try fighting blood kobolds¡­Good timing!¡± They had integrity, and they knew how to repay a debt. ¡°Men!¡± The two knights had survived, and they naturally took the lead, unsheathing their swords. They were the first to charge into battle. ¡°Defeat the enemy!¡± ¡°Chaaaarge!¡± The tide of the battle quickly turned. The battalion had more numbers and they were more skilled than the blood kobolds. As such, the blood kobolds started to back up as the Adventurers and yers charged. They wondered if they had been bamboozled. ¡°...That¡¯s exactly how I felt earlier, you damn mutts,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, grinning. Filled with vigor, the fighters¡¯ swords and spears started to stab through the blood kobolds¡¯ necks and hearts. ¡°Kyaaaak!¡± ¡°Kung! Kung! Kieek!¡± ¡°Krr¡­Krrrr?¡± The blood kobolds started to tremble feebly with fear, and fear gave birth to chaos. They couldn¡¯t block the armed battalion¡¯s charge, and their formation broke apart like straw. Seo Jun-Ho watched, pleased. He turned to Baek Geon-Woo. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m embarrassed to say, but I would¡¯ve been in a pinch if it weren¡¯t for you,¡± he said. ¡°You would¡¯ve been able to react even if I weren¡¯t there.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho studied him, he could see a newfound softness in Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s eyes. The older man looked up to the summit. ¡°You should go.¡± ¡°...Go where?¡± Jun-Ho asked. ¡°To the blood kobolds¡¯ leader. Rhode.¡±[1] His eyes fixed on the kobold covered in riches. ¡°You deserve to fight him first, Seo Jun-Ho.¡± Bam! He punched his fist into his palm and stepped forward. ¡°Leave this ce to me¡­No, leave it to us.¡± Baek Geon-Woo walked slowly at first, but then he started to pick up the pace. He ran at full speed and brought his fist back, mming it into a kobold¡¯s head. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly let out a breath. He turned to the Frost Queen, who was flying over. ¡°Frost.¡± ¡°Is your head alright? I used quite a bit of your mental power to wake those slowpokes[2],¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel anything. I think Shasha¡¯s potion was really good.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho caught his breath, his stamina quickly started toe back, thanks to the effects of Bringer of Spring and the Blue Fairy Bracelet. ¡°Just you wait, Contractor. I will be having some words with you after the battle.¡± She crossed her arms stubbornly, seeming angry in a proper way. She was so mad that she flew on her own instead of sitting on his shoulder. It was probably because he had pushed himself too hard without even discussing it with her beforehand. But Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t see it that way¡­ ¡®I didn¡¯t push myself ¡°that¡± hard¡­¡¯ If it really had been too much, he would have used Tempest or Final Horizon. If that still wasn¡¯t enough, he would have also summoned an army with the Flute of Tidal Breath. Still, since the Frost Queen didn¡¯t know that, her anger was probably justified. ¡°If you say that, I won¡¯t want the battle to end,¡± Seo Jun-Ho mumbled as he slowly started to walk forward. The members of the battalion moved out of the way when they saw him, clearing the way to the enemies¡¯ leader, Rhode. There were still hundreds of blood kobolds left on the battlefield, but their attacks couldn¡¯t evene close to Seo Jun-Ho because the other members would kill them all, pushing themselves to the limits. ¡®...This again. Things never change.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had a faint smile on his face as he started to go faster. The remaining kobold mages had been defeated by the battalion mages, so there was nothing blocking his way. ¡®Kuuuh.¡¯ A shortcut had opened to the giant kobold. The gems adorning its body glistened under the sunlight. As blood dripped from ck Dragon Fang, Seo Jun-Ho gripped his weapon and sprinted straight toward it. *** Rhode slowly reached for its hand. tter. It pulled off the dozens of rings on its fingers and tossed them to the ground. It liked shiny things, but those things would only get in the way in a fight because it couldn¡¯t make a proper fist. ¡°Krrrrr.¡± The humans were strong. It had realized that a few months ago when it led the kobolds to their city, where its subordinates had been cut down by powerful beings. If they didn¡¯t have multiple strong kobolds like itself, it would be hard to kill all the humans. So, they waited quietly in the mountains. They caught and ate human passersby, and waited as they increased their numbers. And then, the moment they had been waiting for had finally arrived. The humans climbed up the mountain, not suspecting a thing, and then the kobolds activated the magic they had prepared months ago. The humans were caught off guard by thendslide and burrowed into the ground like worms. He had nned to send his soldiers to kill them all as they crawled out of the ground and win a great victory, but¡­ ¡°Kah! Hah!¡± But a single human ruined everything. Now, here he was, running toward Rhode while adorned in broken armor. The blood kobold turned its head with a crack and started toward Seo Jun-Ho. Its eyes were aze with fury and hatred. Woosh! Rhode swung its crude fist, grazing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. Despite its size, it was fast. The remaining half of ck Armor¡¯s helmet was ripped off. However, Seo Jun-Ho swung his sword in exchange. Crrrrack! The gems protecting Rhode¡¯s body were forcibly stripped off its body. ¡°Hup!¡± Seo Jun-Ho attacked once more. Ignoring their size difference, he closed the distance between them and twisted his body,nding a back kick on Rhode¡¯s chin. Bam! ¡°Kuh¡­¡± However, Rhode didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°...No reaction? Idiot.¡± With those words, Seo Jun-Ho slid down between Rhode¡¯s legs. ¡®Huh? Is this the right move?¡¯ He¡¯d moved on instinct, but he wasn¡¯t sure if this was right. He simply had a strong feeling that he should do this. Woosh! Thankfully, his instinct had been correct. Rhode reached down to grab his ankles, but Seo Jun-Ho was already rolling on the ground. ¡®I suppose Keen Instinct can even help me in battle now.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stood up and grabbed Rhode¡¯s hair, climbing up its back. Swoosh! From that position, he stabbed ck Dragon Fang into the thick nape of Rhode¡¯s neck. ¡°Kaaaahhhhh!¡± Rhode let out a splitting cry. It had hurt him, but it wasn¡¯t enough to kill. Furious, Rhode thrashed furiously, throwing Seo Jun-Ho off its back. It began to rip off the remaining gems that were covering its body. ng! tter! Once it had gotten rid of all the troublesome jewelry, its rippling muscles became visible. ¡°...Royder, was it?¡± ¡°Kaaaaahh!¡± Royder, or rather, Rhode, spread its arms wide and roared. The ground started to shake. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡®I was wondering how they caused andslide with only four kobold mages¡­¡¯ It turned out that Rhode could use magic too. It wasn¡¯t just normal magic, either¡ªSeo Jun-Ho could sense that it was demonic energy. Crack! In an instant, three walls sprung from the earth, blocking Seo Jun-Ho from both sides and his back. The only opening faced Rhode, who was charging at him headfirst. ¡®He¡¯s a kobold, but he fights like an ogre.¡¯ But that was just a testament to how powerful Rhode was. If those muscled shoulders rammed into Seo Jun-Ho, every bone in his body would undoubtedly break. Seo Jun-Ho checked the sturdiness of the walls with his hands, and he charged toward Rhode to meet him. ¡°Kraaaaaah!¡± Rhode let out a valorous cry right before they made contact. ¡°Hup!¡± Seo Jun-Ho kicked off each wall and leaped over Rhode¡¯s head. Rrrrrip! As he started to fall, Seo Jun-Ho stamped his foot on the handle of ck Dragon Fang, which was still stuck in the nape of Rhode¡¯s neck. ¡°Kaaaaaaah!¡± m! Rhode fell back hard from the force of its charge, and let out the scream that Seo Jun-Ho had been waiting for. Unlike before, it was a fearful cry that signaled its approaching death. The tip of ck Dragon Fang peeked out from the front of its chest. ¡®Now I just have to end this¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho quickly checked his status. His body was still hot, and even though a lot of his stamina had been restored, he still wasn¡¯t in his optimal state. ¡®...3 seconds.¡¯ He decided; that was how long he could maintain Booster. He would have tond a decisive blow within 3 seconds. Seo Jun-Ho went through his inventory. ¡®A spear¡­ There¡¯s not enough space between the walls, so it¡¯s not the best option.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t use any of his weapons from his days as Specter, either. If he did, he would have to delete the video he was currently recording. ¡°So ites down to this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho held a short dagger in his hand. It was the only weapon that he would be able to use to its fullest in this confined space. As his fingers squeezed the handle, heat bloomed across his body. He stumbled as he stood up and charged at Rhode. ¡°Kaaaaah!¡± Rhode swung its hand desperately. As it did, sharp earthen spikes flew up from the ground and from the walls. ¡®That¡¯s nothing...¡¯ Woosh! Woosh! Seo Jun-Ho stepped off the spears as they shot toward him like stairs, closing the distance even faster. ¡°Hup!¡± He stepped on thest earthen spike and flew through the air, holding his dagger in a reverse grip. Rhode crossed its arms in front of itself to protect its body, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s dagger slipped through it like a snake and sunk into its chest. Rhode desperately started to swing its fists, trying to save itself. ¡®His movements are too predictable¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho easily dodged and struck out with his palm. m! Bam! Following the flow of Rhode¡¯s movements, Seo Jun-Ho swiftly diverted his strike, and it struck the wall instead. Ssssszz! Seo Jun-Ho deactivated Booster and took a step forward. He pulled out the dagger buried in Rhode¡¯s chest. ¡°Ku¡­Krrr¡­Krrr¡­!¡± Rhode¡¯s face twisted with indescribable pain. It raised its arms with great difficulty, trying to protect its chest. ¡®An opening!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho moved like a ghost, leaping over Rhode¡¯s head and grabbing onto the handle of ck Dragon Fang, which was still peeking out from the nape of thetter¡¯s neck. Seo Jun-Ho released his magic. ¡°Krrrr!¡± An aura exploded from the de, tearing Rhode up from the inside. ¡°...!¡± Rhode¡¯s mouth fell open, but the pain didn¡¯t even let it scream. A momentter, ck blood started to spill from its eyes, ears, and nose. Its hand fell, but Seo Jun-Ho stabbed its heart one more time, just to be sure. ¡°Phew¡­¡± It was over. Once he realized that, the fatigue he had been holding back came rushing in all at once. The Frost Queen turned to him as he fell to his knees. ¡°...Who told you to go so far?¡± she muttered. Still, she cooled off his body with her skill, worried. Seo Jun-Ho stared at Rhode¡¯s body with hollow eyes. Except for the small part that had crumbled, the earthen wall was hiding him from the eyes of others. ¡°Frost. Go out and stand guard for me.¡± ¡°Stand guard?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t use itst time because Mister Hakan was there¡­¡± Rhode had definitely used demonic energy during their fight. ¡®Someone must have injected Royder with demonic energy, just like the time with the blood kobold champion.¡¯ Now that he thought about it, he wasn¡¯t even able to check the champion¡¯s name. ¡®But it doesn¡¯t matter...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho put his hand on Rhode¡¯s forehead. He didn¡¯t have time. ¡°Hurry,¡± he whispered. A white line began to shine under his palm as Confession of the Dead was activated. 1. This can also be read as ¡®blood kobold lord¡¯, but they call him Lord/Rhode as if it¡¯s a name instead of a title. ? 2. She calls them cicadarvae, which is also ng to refer to someone slow ? Chapter 126. Going to Meet You (1)

Chapter 126. Going to Meet You (1)

It had been a while since Seo Jun-Ho had watched a memory projection. He quickly skimmed through the blood kobold lord¡¯s daily life. ¡®I don¡¯t have much time, so let¡¯s do 3x speed...¡¯ The video sped up. When the blood kobold lord was born, it had been simr to the other blood kobolds, but it grew faster than them. Its body had already resembled a normal blood kobold when it was only a year old, and when it was two years old, it became the strongest warrior of the pack. And when it turned three, it awakened its magic and rose to the position of a lord. The blood kobold strongly believed that it was fated to be a king. ¡®It kept going after that.¡¯ The kobold lord absorbed other packs through invasions and wars, and as time passed they got bigger and bigger. Eventually, they numbered seven hundred blood kobolds and five hundred regr kobolds. He became the ruler of the Hainal Mountains, with an army numbering over a thousand. It had thought that the world was under its feet, but it was wrong. And one day, they found him. ¡®The fiends.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned on the volume of the video. ¡°Is it this guy?¡± ¡°It should be. Unless there are two blood kobold lords in the Hainal Mountains.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get right to it, then.¡± It had taken only one woman and one man to neutralize the entire army in twenty minutes. The kobold lord was currently kneeling at their feet. ¡®They¡¯re definitely stronger than I am right now.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. The two fiends in the video seemed even stronger than Kal Signer. Being at that level, their names and faces would be somewhat public¡­But Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t recognize them at all. Though to be fair, they were both wearing masks that covered their entire face and only their eyes were visible. ¡°Is he some nouveau riche? It¡¯s all shiny,¡± the womanmented. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to chit-chat. Hurry up and feed it the demon jade.¡± The man urged. ¡°Yes, yes~,¡± she said sarcastically, raising a ck gem. ¡®Demon jade? Is that what it¡¯s called?¡¯ The gem seemed to be a form of condensed demonic energy, and it was two fingers big. The woman let out a lowugh and approached the blood kobold lord. ¡°Here, you like gems, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ll put it in your chest so you won¡¯t forget me.¡± She swiftly buried the demon jade into the blood kobold lord¡¯s heart. ¡°Krrrr¡­Kuh! Kung!¡± The sky filled the screen, and the scene shook as if the blood kobold lord had fallen to the ground. The blood kobold lord thrashed in pain. ¡°Kung! Kuuhhh¡­Kuh!¡± The blood kobold lord rolled on the ground as if it were on fire, and it looked down at its chest. Its body trailed with gems, partially covering its sculpted muscles. Above them, ck veins had started to spread, like the roots of a tree. The fiends talked casually as they watched the blood kobold lord thrash in pain. ¡°But why a blood kobold lord? I feel like we skipped a few steps here,¡± the woman said. ¡°After themanders¡¯ meeting, they told us to bring concrete results, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Oh my, why must they be so meddlesome when we do all the dirty work? Do they have a death wish or something?¡± ¡°Watch your mouth. If themanders heard that, you¡¯d be dead.¡± ¡°...Hmph, criticism is unavoidable when you have that much power.¡± ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re just following orders. It¡¯s still nice that it¡¯s easy.¡± Unlike the woman, the man didn¡¯t seem remotely angry. He tapped the blood kobold lord¡¯s head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it hurts anymore, so get up before I tear your heart out,¡± he said calmly. The blood kobold lord panicked and scrambled up. But because it was so big, it ended up looking down on the two fiends. ¡°Ah, my neck hurts¡­¡± the woman muttered, eyes narrowing. The blood kobold lord understood and got down on its knees. The two fiends nodded as they watched. ¡°Looks like the dosage was right,¡± the womanmented. ¡°Hm, there don¡¯t seem to be any side effects either¡­ It recognizes its superiors too, so I¡¯d say that¡¯s a sess.¡± ¡°We¡¯re testing intelligence and military power, right? Do you think this guy will be able to take down Gilleon on its own?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I suppose we won¡¯t know until we try. The higher-ups just want research material anyway. They want to see how monsters perform with the demon jade¡­ That way, they can decide whether or not it¡¯s worth investing in.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± The woman knocked on the blood kobold lord¡¯s head. ¡°You stink, you big dog. Since you live in the Hainal Mountains, you know where Gilleon is, right?¡± The camera shook as the blood kobold lord rolled its eyes in confusion. The woman sighed and stomped on its hand with her high heels. ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°...!¡± It swallowed a cry of pain, whimpering. The woman pointed somewhere. ¡°If you walk that way, there¡¯s a city, okay? That¡¯s Gilleon. Your job is to attack the city and overtake it. There¡¯s no time limit, so you do your best. Understood?¡± As the woman took out a wet wipe for her hand, the man spoke, ¡°Let¡¯s get going. We have to go get the ingredients now.¡± ¡°...Haaa, what in the world is she making? Why do we need to get those sorts of ingredients?¡± The woman sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We just need to follow orders. That¡¯s the easiest path we can take.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. You obedient little fucker~ Must be nice getting all their approval~¡± ¡°You should listen to orders too. You always get in trouble because you don¡¯t listen.¡± The two fiends left, and the video ended. ¡°Hmmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho went through it again, but nothing else in the blood kobold lord¡¯s life was helpful. ¡®Demon jade¡­¡¯ If a monster absorbed such a gem, it would be even more powerful, and it would be able to use demonic energy. ording to the memories, it was still in the testing stages. ¡®But if they get more material about the demon jade to study¡­¡¯ The fiends might be able to train even stronger monsters, maybe even boss monsters, which would have to be hunted in raids by Guilds. ¡°That would be bad¡­¡± Countless people would die. This blood kobold lord had be incredibly intelligent to the point that it was able to n andslide to bury the humans alive. ¡®The only good thing is that they have to wait several months for every experiment.¡¯ It had already been a few months since the blood kobold lord had been given the demon jade. Of course, the fiends could conduct multiple experiments at once, but seeing as there was no news, they couldn¡¯t have done much harm yet. ¡®I have to get stronger as fast as possible.¡¯ He had thought so before, but the fiends were dangerous. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face was stiff as he walked toward the broken wall to step out. ¡°Stop.¡± The Frost Queen, who had been keeping watch, shoved her hand in his face and shook her head. ¡°NG.¡±[1] ¡°...NG?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be dramatic if youe out so inly. Stumble a bit when you step out with sweat pouring down your face. And lean on the wall with your shoulder, if you¡¯d like.¡± Shemanded. ¡°All the sweat has dried up.¡± ¡°Can you not use Booster? Hurry up!¡± She sure had a lot to say today. ¡®Deep breaths¡­ This is all for PP. The PP¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho obeyed the director¡¯s instructions. He went back inside the walls and drenched himself in sweat with Booster. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± He stepped out with great difficulty, gripping the wall. He leaned his shoulder against it like he was in a Hollywood film, and looked up at the ring sun. ¡°The sun¡­ is so bright¡­¡± ¡°Cut!¡± The Frost Queen pped as she yelled, ¡°that was a great shot. I¡¯m impressed.¡± ¡°How was the line?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh¡­ About the sun, you mean? We¡¯ll cut that, of course.¡± She was ruthless. Seo Jun-Ho scoffed. He retrieved Cruel Executioner and started walking down the hill. Below, the battle had already ended. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho,¡± Baek Geon-Woo called as he approached. ¡°You look very tired. Let me lend you my shoulder if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Shoulder¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s surprise showed on his face. When he was Specter, he had been a hero and the hope of all humanity. No matter how tired or hurt he was back then, he could never show his fatigue or pain because he was a hero. If he was tired, the entire world would be on edge. ¡®But now¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gave a tired smile. He felt a bit happy that he could lean on someone¡¯s shoulder when he was worn out. ¡°I¡¯m really happy¡­¡± Baek Geon-Woo stopped in his tracks. ¡°What do you mean¡­ By that?¡± he asked carefully. ¡°I¡¯m just happy that we won.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± Baek Geon-Woo seemed a little warier now. Seo Jun-Ho leaned against Geon-Woo¡¯s shoulder as they walked toward the battalion. Weaver and Rhodi wiped the blood from their swords and approached them. ¡°...yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± They didn¡¯t say anything and simply patted his back. Even though the knights were of much higher status than people like yers and Adventurers, they looked at Seo Jun-Ho with deep respect. ¡°Thanks to your heroic deed, 497 people were saved,¡± ¡°We will submit a detailed report of your outstanding performance to the city lord.¡± ¡°...More people survived than I expected. It¡¯s a relief,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± Weaver¡¯s armor was covered in blood as he scanned the kobold corpses covering the mountain. ¡°Let us return to our city,¡± he whispered. *** Even though it had only taken one day to get there, it took them two days to return. The mountain path had been destroyed by thendslide, and there were multiple people injured, so it only made sense that it had taken them longer toe back. When they arrived at Gilleon, they were greeted by medics. Seo Jun-Ho was resting after receiving basic treatment when Phivir approached him. ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho, you made an overwhelming contribution to thepetition and ced 1st. Soon, the city lord will summon you to award your merits,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. ¡°...Let me thank you once again, in ce of my subordinates.¡± The knights left, and the yers and Adventurers split off to go for drinks. Of course, they didn¡¯t forget to thank Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°We lived thanks to you, sir ck Knight. I personally don¡¯t like yers very much, but I¡¯ll be supporting your work.¡± ¡°Did you film a video again? You should edit and upload it as soon as possible so you can take advantage of the buzz.¡± ¡°...I will repay you one day.¡± ¡°If you evere to the Mad Slide guild house, we¡¯ll treat you like a king.¡± When everyone else left, one man remained. The man looked squarely at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...No matter how I think about it, I¡¯m very d that I participated in thepetition,¡± Baek Geon-Woo said. ¡°Did you level up a lot?¡± ¡°No.¡± Baek Geon-Woo shook his head and smiled, looking up at the darkening sky. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have spent so much time focusing on strengthening my body.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was confused. ¡°You¡¯re a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. From now on, I will focus more on training my mind, not just my body¡­¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t sure if Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s decision was the right one. However, it was the path he had chosen after thinking it over by himself, and Seo Jun-Ho knew that Baek Geon-Woo wouldn¡¯t give up halfway. ¡°This is mymunity ID. Please contact me if you need any help at all.¡± Seo Jun-Ho epted the small post-it and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll contact you. And I¡¯m not just saying this¡­ Baek Geon-Woo, you will be strong.¡± ¡°Hahaha, is that so? I know you have a good eye. I¡¯ll train hard.¡± As Baek Geon-Woo left, the Frost Queen spoke, ¡°Contractor.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Can I scold you now?¡± ¡°...Can¡¯t you wait a little longer? Let me eat and take a shower first.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± She thought for a second and shrugged. ¡°With my endless benevolence, I will show you mercy this time. I shall scold you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± If her benevolence were truly endless, couldn¡¯t she just let him go? Seo Jun-Ho started to walk toward Dewdrop Inn. 1. Stands for ¡°no good¡±. ? Chapter 127. Going To Meet You (2) Swoosh! The curtains that had been blocking every ounce of sunlight were pulled open. Seo Jun-Ho quickly buried his head under the nket to avoid the light, but someone pulled it away. Forcing his eyes that were still heavy with sleepiness open, he begged as he hugged his pillow. ¡°Please¡­ I¡¯m really tired¡­¡± ¡°You had no regard for my tissue nket either. Hmph!¡± Having taken away his nket, the Frost Queen¡¯s lips curled into a victorious smile. Oh, how he regretted it. It was his fault for feeding her the Spirit Crystal shavings and making her stronger¡­ ¡°...Why did you wake me up?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked drowsily. If it was for a stupid reason, he would show her just how scary her contractor could be. However, her reason for waking him up was perfectly reasonable. ¡°I want to edit the video. Give it to me.¡± ¡°...Huh? Sure.¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t refuse when she was offering to earn PP for him. He rubbed his eyes as he sat up. He opened themunity forums window and checked the video data. [Untitled2] Length: 6:58:32 The video from the first day was named ¡®Untitled1,¡¯ and the video from the second day was named ¡®Untitled2.¡¯ Considering thendslide and how long it had taken him to reach the summit¡­ ¡®We probably only have about two hours or less of footage that we can use.¡¯ And once it was edited, the final product would be even shorter. Even though Seo Jun-Ho had already opened the hologram window for her, the Frost Queen didn¡¯t move. He had expected her to disappear like a dog with its toy, but she was absentmindedly staring at him. She started to speak as she tapped on the window, ¡°I have a few things to say to you right now.¡± ¡°...I thought you forgot.¡± ¡°I have a good memory. I never forget everything,¡± she said. ¡°Please make it short,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered as hey down again. She started to ramble. ¡°Contractor, you are no longer the hero you once were. There is no necessity or justification to sacrifice yourself for others. Being self-sacrificial is nice, but you should not forget that there will be others involved in your sacrifice. You must also consider the feelings of those that care for you. If the situation requires that people ask for even the single sacrifice of a hero, it would be better if they humbly epted their fate. Had you been my knight, I would have scolded you relentlessly and stripped you of your title. So from now on, always discuss these matters with me beforehand. Our destinies are intertwined, after all. Do not misunderstand; it is not befitting of a monarch or a hero to be so reckless.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was tired of listening to the same thing over and over. He turned and buried his head into his pillow. ¡°...I was worried,¡± the Frost Queen whispered lowly, letting out a soft sigh. Seo Jun-Ho felt a little guilty at that and peeked up. ¡°Were you very worried?¡± he asked. ¡°Well¡­ If you die, I will be lost. Until I find a new Contractor, that is¡­¡± ¡°Shit, and here I thought¡­¡± His heart was almost touched. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. ¡°You know what would be best for your mental health? Don¡¯t pay attention to celebrities, rich people, andstly, me.¡± The temperature of the room dropped sharply in reaction to the Frost Queen¡¯s anger. Even though he had Cold Resistance (C), it was a little chilly so he reached for the nket. Seo Jun-Ho pulled up the nket she had tossed aside, gripping it with his toes. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful from now on. Okay?¡± ¡°Those words should not be so difficult to say.¡± He squinted at her, nket wrapped around himself. She turned away and flew to the sofa on the opposite side of the room. ¡®She¡¯s really mad¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho opened his inventory and pulled out the cake and tea he had madest night. ¡°You should eat this if you get hungry while working. I¡¯m gonna sleep a bit more.¡± ¡°...Hmph!¡± She sniffed. He gave her onest look before he closed his eyes. ¡®I added more Spirit Crystal shavings than usual because we were so exhausted yesterday¡­¡¯ Well, it didn¡¯t matter much more he added because it would be good for her either way. Seo Jun-Ho used his magic to close the curtains and fell into a deep sleep once more. *** The Frost Queen used one tiny hand to grip the teacup and used the other to edit the video. ¡®The opening should be short and intense.¡¯ She made the bold decision to cut out five hours of footage, and the video began when the battalion approached the hill near the summit of the Hainal Mountains. ¡®And a bird¡¯s-eye view¡­¡¯ The entire battalion fit into the screen as the camera went upward. The scene showed hundreds of people hiking up the Hainal Mountains among the dense forest. Even though it was a simple shot, it was visually pleasing. ¡®And now, the music...¡¯ The Frost Queen paid the required PP and chose a low, somber track. The music was anxiety-provoking, foreshadowing the crisis toe. ¡®From here¡­¡¯ Her eyes sparkled as her hands shuffled around. They said experience was the best teacher, but the Frost Queen had a natural talent for video editing, and she had already sharpened her skills in merely three weeks. ¡°Mmhm, this is fun.¡± After working for hours on end, she took a bite of cake and a sip of tea. And then... Shooooo! Powerful spiritual energy started to wrap around her body. ¡°Huh? Huh? What is this?¡± She opened her mouth to call for Seo Jun-Ho as she struggled. Suddenly, the room became filled with a bright light. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen stared down at her hands. Her fingers had gotten a little longer. Not just her fingers, but her arms and legs had grown too. Actually, her entire body had gotten bigger. She had be about twenty centimeters taller than before. She could probably reach Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s calves if she stood up. ¡°Eek!¡± This was ¡®evolution,¡¯ a feature unique to Spirits. Most Spirits would be celebrating after their evolution, but the Frost Queen squeezed her cheeks and screamed. ¡®T-This can¡¯t be happening!¡¯ She had already made a big deal of it and lied to her Contractor. ¡®I told him I was an Arch Spirit¡­¡¯ But now that she had suddenly grown bigger, her lies would then be revealed. ¡®Make my body small again, you rascal.¡¯ She repeatedly stomped her feet, but she didn¡¯t be smaller. The Frost Queen peeked up from the sofa and looked at her Contractor. He was fast asleep. She started to form a n in her mind. *** ¡°Hnnn.¡± Seo Jun-Ho yawned. He slept a lot. It had been night when he had fallen asleep, but it was dark again when he opened his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll have to adjust my sleep schedule again.¡± He stretched his stiff muscles and got up, looking around the room. ¡°Working in the dark will hurt your eyes...¡± He turned on the magicmp and blinked. The video window was open above the table, but the Frost Queen wasn¡¯t there.[1] ¡®Where¡¯s Frost? Did she go to the bathroom?¡¯ He knocked on the door, but there was no response. As he stepped inside, he heard something shuffling inside the bathtub. ¡°What are you doing there?¡± he asked, squeezing toothpaste onto his toothbrush. He held it between his teeth as he used the mirror to fix his bedhead. And when he peeked inside the tub, he found the Frost Queen sitting inside. Her body was crouched like a pillbug. ¡°Huh?¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t enough to hide from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sharp eyes. ¡°Hey, did you¡­ grow?¡± he asked. ¡°N-no. I am as small as always.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself. You got bigger.¡± He picked up the Frost Queen from behind. ¡°L-let me go! I am the Queen of Niflheim, and I have the power to punish such transgressions¡­¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You¡¯re my Spirit right now.¡± When he set her down, he became sure of it. ¡®Her body grew?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know that it was possible for Spirits to grow physically. Had he fed her too much cake recently? He considered this and shook his head. ¡®Even if that¡¯s true, she couldn¡¯t have grown like this overnight.¡¯ Still, Seo Jun-Ho had been asleep for 25 years before. Just to be sure, he checked the date¡ªexactly one day had passed since he closed his eyesst night. ¡°...You evolved, didn¡¯t you?¡± he asked, squinting. He suddenly remembered what Shim Deok-Gu had told him before. ¡®Lesser, low,mon, high, arch.¡¯ Spirits had five different ranks. Of course, those that were of a higher rank were stronger than Spirits of lower ranks. ¡®Last time she was going off about how she¡¯s so powerful¡ªthat she¡¯s an Arch spirit, but¡­¡¯ As expected, she had been a Lesser spirit. Was she acting like this because she was embarrassed about her lie getting revealed? Seo Jun-Ho grinned and set her down on the ground. He patted her head. ¡°Keep growing like this, okay?¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen looked up at him with a sulky expression on her face. She was as tall as his calves now, so she would probably reach his hips the next time she evolved. ¡°Grade 2 Arch¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I am a grade 2 Arch Spirit. I am the first Spirit to have reached this level.¡± At that, she scuttled from the bathroom, as if afraid that he¡¯d ask more questions. Seo Jun-Ho snorted and finished brushing his teeth. ¡°So all that¡¯s left is Common, High, and Arch? Then she¡¯ll have gone through all five ranks.¡± They were like military ranks. Jun-Ho leaned over the sink andughed silently. *** The day after their little misunderstanding, the attendant of Gilleon¡¯s city lord came to the inn with a carriage. The attendant asked Seo Jun-Ho toe with him to meet the city lord for the awarding ceremony. Seo Jun-Ho changed into neat clothes. ¡°Do you wannae with me? Or do you want to keep working?¡± he asked Frost. She was still editing the video. She had been very quick when she edited the previous video, but this one was taking her quite some time. ¡°I am putting the final touches. I do not wish to interrupt my concentration, so I will stay here.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Leaving her behind, Seo Jun-Ho left the inn and got on the carriage. They started toward the city lord¡¯s estate. The property was very elegant; the white mansion was three stories tall and there was a fountain in the courtyard. ¡®So this is a nobleman¡¯s house...¡¯ He wasn¡¯t nervous. He had lived in much bigger, more elegant estates on Earth. He followed the attendant through the halls, passing by lines of statues and paintings. They stopped in front of a door on the 2nd floor. ¡°Milord, I¡¯vee with yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± - Ah,e in. The attendant opened the door for Seo Jun-Ho and remained outside. Inside, Commander Phivir was in the middle of a conversation with a middle-aged man. Thetter¡¯s clothes were made of expensive fabric befitting of a noble, but it wasn¡¯t over-the-top. ¡°You must be the distinguished yer Seo Jun-Ho?¡± The man greeted. ¡°I¡¯ve heard all about your contributions.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to be modest here. Seo Jun-Ho knew that the man had already taken a liking to him, so it would be better to be straightforward. ¡°I see. Most yers will lower themselves when theye into this room, but you are different from the rest,¡± he said. ¡°I have been watching him since the test,¡± Phivir added, smiling lightly. The nobleman nodded satisfyingly. ¡°I am Baron Vashti, the city lord of Gilleon,¡± he said. ¡°I am yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± Seo Jun-Ho bowed his head politely. Knock knock knock! All of a sudden, someone banged on the door. Vashti¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°What is it? I have a guest.¡± ¡°Baron, the young master¡­ The young master is in a critical condition.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°...!¡± Baron Vashti and Phivir exchanged nces. ¡°P-Please excuse me.¡± The nobleman left the room, face pale. Phivir approached Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°My apologies. This does not seem to be a good time. Would you return for today?¡± ¡°...Commander Phivir, would it be alright if I took a look at the young master?¡± Phivir¡¯s eyes narrowed at the sudden request. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Yes. It might be an illness that only yers know of.¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. ¡°He has already invited countless yers to treat him¡­¡± Phivir sighed. ¡°Keep your distance. That is all I can allow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Having received permission, Seo Jun-Ho followed Phivir out of the room. 1. The second part of the sentence was added for context. ? Chapter 128. Going to Meet You (3)

Chapter 128. Going to Meet You (3)

¡°Simus!¡± Baron Vashti shouted, mming open the door and running into the room. Seo Jun-Ho followed behind him, and his nose twitched. ¡®The smell of herbs¡­¡¯ Like an apothecary, the room was filled with the scent of herbal medicine Baron Vashti watched helplessly as a boy of about 7-year-old whimpered on the bed. ¡°Is that his son?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked Phivir. ¡°So he is. He is Young Master Simus Gilleon. He¡¯s very clever, but¡­¡± Phivir let out a sigh. ¡°H-honey, what can we do for our poor child? Urk¡­¡± a woman asked. ¡°We must be patient. There will be a solution,¡± Vashti said,forting his wife. He turned to a man wearing priests¡¯ robes. ¡°What in the world happened? Didn¡¯t you say that the progression of the disease has stopped?¡± ¡°W-well, he suddenly got a high fever. I tried to use holy power to put the disease in a stasis¡­¡± ¡°Then¡­ Then what am I supposed to do?!¡± Baron Vashti yelled, gripping his fists. The priest bowed his head. From the very beginning, it had been impossible topletely cure Simus¡¯s disease with holy power. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can no longer dy the disease¡¯s progression with my abilities as an emunicated priest alone.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Vashti stumbled in shock, gripping his forehead, and Phivir quickly moved to help him. When he saw that the baron had fainted, he whipped toward the priest. ¡°Brother Hanon! Help the baron!¡± ¡°A-alright, pleasey him down in a nearby bed.¡± As the two men started to leave, Seo Jun-Ho slowly approached Simus. ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho! I told you to keep your distance!¡± Phivir shouted. He was on edge from the current situation. However, Seo Jun-Ho simply held a finger to his lips and walked over to the boy, who was covered in cold sweat. He ced a hand on Simus¡¯s forehead, and it burned like fire. Seo Jun-Ho slowly closed his eyes and concentrated on the sensations beneath his fingers. ¡®...He¡¯s in serious condition.¡¯ All living things had magic in them, from normal people who couldn¡¯t use yer skills to housecats. Simus was no exception. ¡®But it¡¯s all knotted up...¡¯ The magic should have been evenly spread out throughout his body, but it was tangled and knotted. It was no wonder that he was in so much pain. After all, humans were weak beings who felt pain if even just one of their tiny veins were injured. ¡®But that¡¯s not all...¡¯ For some reason, he sensed dark demonic energy in Simus¡¯s body. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Phivir had returned fromying down Vashti, and he roughly pulled away Seo Jun-Ho by the shoulder. He ced himself between Simus and Seo Jun-Ho, ring at thetter. ¡°Do not touch the young master so carelessly. I¡¯ll let you off for a warning because of what you¡¯ve done,¡± he warned. ¡°I sense demonic energy from the young master¡¯s body.¡± ¡°...!¡± Phivir¡¯s eyes darkened as he quickly checked the area. He seemed to consider something when he confirmed that no one else was around. ¡®Is he nning to kill me?¡¯ On Earth, fiends invoked fear and repulsion, but in Frontier, simply mentioning demonic ns was a taboo in itself. It was all because they didn¡¯t have fiends who drank the blood of demonic ns, they had pure-blooded demons. ¡®The Ruben Empire worships the sun.¡¯ The national religion considered the sun to be holy, and those that were associated with demons would be persecuted. That was probably why Vashti had hired an emunicated priest. Nothing good woulde out of other people finding out that Simus had demonic energy in his body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Seo Jun-Ho held up his hands, trying to show Phivir that he didn¡¯t have any hidden intentions. ¡°I don¡¯t n to spread rumors. Actually, I believe that I can help.¡± He exined. ¡°...Help?¡± Phivir asked. His eyebrows furrowed. ¡°I can get rid of the demonic energy in the young master¡¯s body.¡± ¡°Get rid of it? Don¡¯t be foolish. Not even the sun priests could do that.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m a yer.¡± And yers had mysterious powers that made the impossible, possible. Phivir was silent for a moment, trembling. ¡°Dammit! How will you get rid of it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rted to my skill.¡± Shing. Phivir unsheathed his sword. ¡°Try it. But if you do anything foolish, regardless of your status¡­¡± ¡°If I do, cut off my head. Don¡¯t hesitate.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tapped on his neck with his finger. Phivir saw the confidence in his eyes, and he bit his lip. ¡°Ah¡­ It hurts¡­¡± As Simus cried out, Phivir¡¯s face twisted as if he was the one in pain. He jutted his chin. ¡°Do it. Hurry.¡± ¡°Please excuse me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pulled up a chair next to the bed and squeezed Simus¡¯s small hand. It was covered in sweat from the boy¡¯s high fever, but Seo Jun-Ho barely noticed it. The messages he had been waiting for appeared. [You sense low-grade demonic energy from the target.] [Watchguard of Darkness can consume the demonic energy.] [Upon absorption, your magic stat will increase.] The demonic energy he had absorbed from the children at Paradise had been lesser-grade, so that meant this was one level higher. That was probably why Seo Jun-Ho had gotten the feeling that removing the demonic energy wouldn¡¯t be easy. ¡®I¡¯ve absorbed mid-grade yin energy before, but¡­¡¯ Last time had been easy; all he had to do was extract the energy clogging up the magic circuits. But this time the magic was knotted like a ball of string, and he would have to absorb the bits of demonic energy stuck in between the tangles. ¡®If I mess up, Simus might end up in a dangerous position.¡¯ And if that happened, Phivir¡¯s sword woulde flying toward his head. Seo Jun-Ho gulped and slowly pushed Watchguard of Darkness into Simus¡¯s body. ¡®Be careful. Don¡¯t let him get hurt.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure if it heard hismand, but the dark energy shot toward Simus¡¯s magic circuits. ¡®Approach carefully¡­¡¯ Untangling the magic was not within the scope of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s abilities. He had perfect control over his magic, but only his own. ¡®In order to untangle the magic¡­¡¯ They would probably need someone at around the Archmage Skaya Killnd¡¯s level. ¡®Slowly¡­¡¯ Riding the magic circuits, Watchguard of Darkness covered the tangled knot. ¡°Ugh!¡± Simus cried out. Seo Jun-Ho hissed at the same moment. Phivir¡¯s sword started to tremble against Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck. His eyes were wide, unsure if Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s treatment was working or not. ¡®Dammit¡­¡¯ He lowered the sword helplessly to the ground. It would be imprudent to trust in Seo Jun-Ho, whom he had only met a few days ago, but there was no other way. The healers, mages, and emunicated sun priests that they had all hired in secret had failed to help Simus. The only person Phivir could ce his faith in was Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Please¡­ Please take care of him.¡± However, his sincere request failed to reach Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ears. It was all because thetter¡¯s attention was on controlling his magic. ¡®I can¡¯t mess up....¡¯ Simus¡¯s magic just so happened to be coagted near his heart. There were many surrounding veins, and if Seo Jun-Ho made the slightest mistake, he could seriously damage Simus¡¯s heart. Because of this, extracting the demonic energy from the tangled magic was extremely difficult. ¡®Let¡¯s get the ones on the outside first.¡¯ Watchguard of Darkness slowly dispersed and covered the tangled knot of magic. It started to remove the demonic energy on the surface. Rrrrip! The evil energy stuck stubbornly like gum. But once it was removed by force, Simus let out a gasp, and he seemed to appear a little more at ease. ¡®Now for the demonic energy on the inside¡­¡¯ Sweat dripped from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s forehead as Watchguard of Darkness lengthened like sharp fangs. He nned to use the tendrils to pierce the demonic energy. ¡®This is it.¡¯ He had to concentrate. Seo Jun-Ho forced his breath into a shallow rhythm, trying to stop himself from trembling. ¡®Slowly¡­ That¡¯s it!¡¯ The long, sharp tendril dug deep into the tangle, piercing through each fragment of demonic energy. ¡®And pull it out all at once¡­¡¯ Still cautious, Seo Jun-Ho adjusted the tendril to the shape of a hook. He slowly dragged it across to remove all the demonic energy, and Simus¡¯s body temperature returned to normal. [Magic has increased by 0.8.] The task was enough to make his head spin, but he would have to do this at least five more times. ¡°Towel,¡± he muttered. ¡°I can¡¯t hear you. What did you just say?¡± Phivir asked. ¡°I need a towel. The sweat keeps breaking my concentration.¡± ¡°...¡± Phivir stood bewildered for a second, but he reached into his jacket and wiped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face with a handkerchief. ¡°I-is that alright?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± In an instant, the city¡¯s knightmander had turned into a surgery assistant while Seo Jun-Ho continued the operation. *** ¡°Uh¡­¡± Baron Vashti¡¯s eyes fluttered open. As the ceiling came into view, he sat up. ¡°M-milord. The priest said that you must still be careful¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Vashti stood up from the bed, stumbling over to his son¡¯s bedroom. ¡°Honey.¡± His wife, Helena, looked up at him. She was sitting on a chair next to the bed, holding their son¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°How is Simus?¡± he asked. ¡°He has gotten much better, thanks to the yer you brought here.¡± ¡°...yer?¡± Vashti¡¯s eyes widened. What yer was she talking about? ¡°Are you perhaps talking about yer Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He said he finished the first round of Simus¡¯s treatment.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Vashti hadn¡¯t brought Seo Jun-Ho here for that reason. He had simply been nning to reward him for his contributions. ¡®But I ended up being the one receiving the greatest gift of all¡­¡¯ He watched as his cute little son let out light breaths. ¡°Where is the man? I must thank him.¡± ¡°You mean yer Seo Jun-Ho? He returned to his world,¡± Helena said. ¡°...You mean the ce called Earth?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Helena stroked Simus¡¯s hair. ¡°He said that our son isn¡¯tpletely cured yet and that he has onlypleted the first stage of treatment.¡± ¡°T-then how will he do the next one¡­?¡± His wife shook her head. ¡°He said that he can¡¯t attempt it with his level of skill.¡± ¡°Haaa¡­¡± Baron Vashti let out a heavy sigh. ¡°I suppose we must find another healer.¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± ¡°...?¡± Helena smiled softly when she saw his confused expression. ¡°He said that he thinks that one of his friends can cure Simus¡¯s disease¡­He left after saying that he¡¯ll try to bring them over.¡± ¡°Hmmm. If that is the case, we owe him a great debt.¡± Vashti nodded. ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t bring them over, we already owe him a lot.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡± Baron Vashti nodded quietly. He started to think about what he could do to repay the yer. Chapter 129. Going To Meet You (4)

Chapter 129. Going To Meet You (4)

As soon as Shim Deok-Gu received the message, he hurried to his office from the conference room. He shoved the door open. m! ¡°You, you¡­¡± He fumbled upon seeing the man sitting on the sofa. ¡°Yo, what¡¯s up?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was in the middle of eating jjajangmyeon[1]. He looked up and waved his chopsticks. ¡°What happened? You didn¡¯t even contact me,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said, slowly approaching him. ¡°Something urgent came up. I came down to meet a friend.¡± ¡°...You rascal.¡± Shim Deok-Gu rubbed his nose as he sniffled and took a seat on the opposite side of the sofa. He reached for the sauce-covered tangsooyook[2]. ¡°You missed me, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t say it was you.¡± ¡°...What? But you don¡¯t have any other friends besides me, do you?¡± Slurp. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mouth was full of noodles. He chewed and swallowed before he spoke, ¡°I do. I came down to break those icicles.¡± ¡°...!¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyes widened at the mention of the icicles. He double-checked that the door was closed ¡°Icicles¡­ Are you talking about the other Heroes? Are you finally ready?¡± he asked carefully. ¡°Probably. I get the feeling that it¡¯ll work.¡± ¡°Then it will...¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s hands curled into fists. Whenever Seo Jun-Ho got a ¡®feeling,¡¯ he would always be right about it. Shim Deok-Gu looked up at the ceiling, his face emotional. ¡°Finally¡­ The old age of Heroes is over, but you guys will reunite,¡± he whispered. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see...¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned and patted his stomach. ¡°I¡¯m full. Also, there¡¯s something else I need to tell you.¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± ¡°I gathered some information while living in Frontier.¡± He told Shim Deok-Gu about the demon jade and about the monsters that had been forced to absorb it, and then about Baron Vashti¡¯s son. Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyebrows knitted as Seo Jun-Ho finished. ¡°Demon jade¡­ Those fiend bastards must be nning something again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already in progress. I was able to stop them this time, but if it gets bigger...¡±[1] ¡°So you¡¯re saying that we can¡¯t let them start training stronger monsters¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu concluded. ¡°That¡¯s why you should leak some information to the Guilds. I won¡¯t be able to stop the fiends alone anyway, and I want to know if the Guilds already knew what¡¯s happening.¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. ¡°I got it. But if Gilleon¡¯s city lord¡¯s son was caught up in it¡­ Does that mean the demon jade thing can be given to normal citizens in Frontier?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°There were no signs of a demon jade being pushed into Simus¡¯s chest. It¡¯s not like he became a fiend either. So¡­ I think he ingested a smaller version of the demon jade or something like a fragment.¡± ¡°A demon jade fragment¡­ My head hurts. If something like that happens to the nobles or the royal family of the Ruben Empire¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a disaster. A total catastrophe.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finished. Worst-case scenario, the Fiend Association might be able to rule Frontier. Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face was pale as he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll bring this up at the uing global conference.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°Phew, I really wish we could live in a world without fiends¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make your dreame true. Someday.¡± Shim Deok-Gu squinted at those heavy words. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If those guys really wake up¡­ I n to announce that Specter will go up to the 2nd floor.¡± ¡°How about the other Heroes?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you if the others will choose to stay yers or not. At the very least, I¡¯ll be the first to go.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± Just the thought of the 5 Heroes going up to the 2nd floor together made Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s heart race. But neither of them knew what the Heroes themselves would want. Some of them might want to retire. ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t the Frost Queen¡­I mean, didn¡¯t Her Majestye down with you?¡± ¡°I did.¡± A thin hand popped up from behind the sofa and waved. Shim Deok-Gu lowered his voice as he spoke, ¡°...What is she doing over there?¡± ¡°She¡¯s watching the dramas and movies she missed with earphones,¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered. ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. She¡¯s doing all that for me.¡± ¡°For you? What do you mean?¡± Seo Jun-Ho spent 15 seconds exining her great potential as a director. ¡°Damn, she has that sort of talent?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t it cool? Actually, she even evolved yesterday¡­¡± It had been a long time since the two friends had seen each other, and they continued to talk for three hours. After a while, Shim Deok-Gu started to pull at his necktie as if he was getting hot. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t be asking this now, but is it okay for you to take your time? What about Simus?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I absorbed all the demonic energy for now. The problem is his tangled-up magic, but it won¡¯t have a huge impact on his life. For about a month, that is¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. ¡°I see...¡± Seo Jun-Ho started getting ready to leave. ¡°I¡¯m going now.¡± ¡°Are you gonnae back here? Or¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not like I can take them to a hotel or something. My ce is still empty, right?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± ¡°I can just let them stay there for a while.¡± Frost stood up and pulled out the earphones. ¡°Are we moving?¡± ¡°Yeah. Oh right, Deok-Gu.¡± Seo Jun-Ho waved the tablet. ¡°Can you download some dramas and movies on a tablet like this? So I can bring it with me when I go back up.¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be hard. Are ssics okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned to the Frost Queen, and she nodded. ¡°ssic is forever. Keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Yes, I shall prepare them for you.¡± Shim Deok-Gu waved goodbye, and Seo Jun-Ho quietly left the yer Association, avoiding the eyes of others. *** Seo Jun-Ho was back at the Seoul History Museum for the third time. He deftly made his way to the morgue. ¡°...¡± He stared silently at the four frozen figures before he approached them. His mind was racing with different thoughts. As his chest swelled with emotions, the storm in his eyes didn¡¯t calm down until ten minutes had passed. ¡°Contractor¡­¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± The Frost Queen hesitated before she pushed his legs forward. She was trying to tell him to awaken his friend. Seo Jun-Ho swallowed. He didn¡¯t know why he was so nervous. His legs trembled as he took one, two steps forward. ¡°...It sure took a long time,¡± he whispered. It was already 9 months since he opened his eyes in this museum. Depending on how you looked at it, other people might consider this a short time, but to Seo Jun-Ho, it felt like an eternity. He had killed countless monsters and cleared numerous Gates. He had witnessed the peaceful city life he had dreamed of, experienced new things, and met new people. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I did all that alone. It wasn¡¯t fair to you guys.¡± That was why he wanted to show them the same things he had seen. He wanted them to feel the same things he felt¡ªno matter the price. ¡®That¡¯s the reason why I¡¯ve been working so hard this whole time¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s trembling hand reached out in front of him. When he touched Rahmadat, a number of System messages streamed out before him. [Effect of the skill ¡®Frost (EX)¡¯ has been checked.] [The ice seal can be removed with Frost (EX).] [Your base magic stat is high enough to remove the ice seal.] [However, your understanding of the Frost skill is extremely low, so there will be a penalty.] [Upon removing a seal, 70 magic stats will be permanently consumed.] [Upon removal, you will suffer from the effects of Curse of Bitter Cold for one month and all stats will be lowered by 50%.] [Upon removal, you will be unable to remove another ice seal for another 90 days.] [Are you sure you wish to remove the ice seal?] ¡°Dammit...¡± No wonder things had been going too welltely. Seo Jun-Ho let out a frustrated sigh and turned to the Frost Queen. ¡°Why are there so many penalties? What the hell is the Curse of Bitter Cold?¡± ¡°...The Curse of Bitter Cold? Hmmm, you would probably receive a penalty because your understanding of the Frost skill is lower than my own understanding when we fought.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho slouched as he felt a sense of dread weighing on his shoulders. The Frost Queen¡¯s curse still couldn¡¯t be undone, even after 26 years. ¡®...I feel like an idiot. I don¡¯t know if she had been too strong or if I¡¯m just too weak right now.¡¯ He let out a short sigh and gently removed his hand from the ice statue. Even if there were penalties attached, he was still set on removing the seals. He would even be willing to give up all his stats if it meant that he could free his friends. ¡®I¡¯ll lose 70 magic, and all my stats will drop by 50% for a month¡­¡¯ But the most unexpected penalty was also the heaviest. He would have to choose carefully when he removed a seal. ¡®I also have to consider my own growth.¡¯ He was able to remove an ice seal once his magic stat reached 200, but the reason there were such heavy penalties was that his understanding of the Frost skill was too low. ¡®I think that the penalties will lessen if I improve my abilities¡­¡¯ But who should he awaken first? Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head with a frustrated expression on his face. He sat on the ground. ¡°This is so annoying.¡± Frankly speaking, whomever out of the four he chose would end up being a great asset in battle. Of course, they would have to start at level 1 again, but their old abilities would still be present, albeittent. ¡®But as Deok-Gu said, there might be some that might want to retire.¡¯ He quickly did the calctions. ¡®Gilberto¡­ If he hears that Arthur¡¯s in a dangerous region, he¡¯ll do whatever it takes to level up and reach the 2nd floor. As for Mio, if her mindset is still the same, she¡¯ll take the orders of that rich family of hers first and foremost. Rahmadat, I don¡¯t even have to think about it. If he hears that there are stronger monsters and fiends out there, he won¡¯t even listen to me and run off to level up. Skaya? If that magic geek hears that there¡¯s a fantasy world¡­ Ugh, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to control her.¡¯ The fact that Seo Jun-Ho had to evaluate his friends like this at all was frustrating, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. His original ns had already been thrown into the mud. The more helpful someone would be, the faster he would be able to wake the other Heroes, magic be damned. ¡°Alright!¡± After pondering for a long time, Seo Jun-Ho finally made his decision. He stood up and wiped the ice from his butt. ¡°...Contractor, have you made up your mind?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± He had thought it over several times, but there was only one answer. ¡°I feel bad for the others, but¡­¡± He looked at each figure before his eyes settled on one. ¡°Her utility is out of everyone else¡¯s league.¡± Skaya Killnd. She was the Hero born in Ennd. The formidable magic genius, whom even the heavens feared. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone other than Skaya or Rahmadat would be able to cure Simus.¡± But thinking about the journey ahead, her impossibly great firepower would be a big help. ¡®And most of all¡­¡¯ She was convenient to have around. She could do things such as teleport, teleport, and teleport¡­ ¡®Whenever I need hot water or ice, or when the weather is too hot or cold¡­¡¯ If he just asked Skaya for help, everything would be solved. Almost like she was D*raemon¡­ ¡°I choose you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho decided. His hand shot out. [Effect of the skill ¡®Frost (EX)¡¯ has been checked.] [The ice seal can be removed with Frost (EX).] ¡­ [Upon removal, you will be unable to remove another ice seal for another 90 days.] [Are you sure you wish to remove the ice seal?] He was trembling all over. His heart pounded as if it was about to explode. Seo Jun-Ho forcefully suppressed his excitement. ¡°Hand over my friend, you bastard.¡± He called out. [The ice seal has been removed.] [70 magic stats have been permanently consumed.] [You have been afflicted with Curse of Bitter Cold (30 days).] ¡°Ugh.¡± He felt like all the energy had left his body. Crackle. Skaya¡¯s cold prison shattered, and shards of ice shot out. Seo Jun-Ho caught her body and gently ced her on the ground. Then, the Archmage opened her eyes for the first time in 26 years. 1. The second part of the sentence was added for rification ? 1. It''s noodles in ck bean sauce. It''s pretty good ? 2. sweet and sour beef, but it can be pork too ? Chapter 130. Reunion (1)

Chapter 130. Reunion (1)

¡°¡­¡± Skaya didn¡¯t speak a word. Herrge eyes with thick and long eyshes had been staring at the ceiling of the morgue, but they turned to Seo Jun-Ho now. "H-hi?" After 26 years, Seo Jun-Ho finally greeted her foolishly. He heard the voice he had been yearning for a response from. "Hello..." ¡°...¡± He hadn¡¯t dreamt of such a dreary reunion, so what? ¡®Ah.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho silently eximed. Come to think of it, she probably wouldn''t know that this was 26 years in the future. ''I didn''t know either.¡¯ After looking at various articles of the future, at his body with muscle atrophy, and at the city''s scenery¡­ "...What? All the muscles in my body are gone. My abilities too... ridiculous. Just how long has it been?" ¡°¡­¡± Right, she was an archmage. Basically, it meant that her brain worked better than his. Seo Jun-Ho muttered in a voice that seemed to havee from the deepest recesses of his body. "26 years." "¡­26 years?¡± She had to be shocked. Skaya''s lips trembled amidst her stiff look. She looked up at him with clear light blue eyes that were reminiscent of the English sea. She slowly parted her tightly closed lips and spoke with a clear voice. "Cool." "¡­Hmm?" "It''s cool! Has it really been 26 years? Then I... What? What, did I get cryogenically frozen? I wanted to try that at least once!¡± What on earth was wrong with her? Skaya was so excited that she sat up. She had lost most of her muscles, but she was still energetic. "So this must be a part of the future too? Magic has improved too, right? The level of yers too...¡± She looked around excitedly but paused when she found her colleagues still frozen. "¡­Jun-Ho. Now that I think about it, how did I wake up?¡± "It''s a long story. Let''s go elsewhere first." Seo Jun-Ho helped her up and stood up. "Oh, before that, a request." You had to do what you must before moving on. *** After finishing some business, the two went straight to the 77th floor of the Korean yer Association building. In other words, they moved to Seo Jun-Ho''s house. Skaya had been very excited to see the self-driving taxis on the way. "Is this your house? Wow..." Skaya looked around the house and muttered, "Jun-Ho, you really have fallen¡­ Living in such a small house...¡± "...Hey, it''s because I didn''t reveal that I''m Specter.¡± "Oh my, you didn''t reveal it? Why not?" She must have gotten tired from walking because she sat down on the sofa and whined, asking for future food. ¡®Oh, I''m already tired.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho called the building¡¯s restaurant and asked for room service before sighing lightly. Skaya had always been like this. When he first met her, she had been a haughtydy exuding a ton of cold air... ¡®But since we became teammates and opened up with each other, she became like this.¡¯ Skaya was only one year older than him, but she would only sometimes feel like an older sister. Usually, she would be like an immature younger sister¡ªjust like now. ¡®...Was it 3 years?¡¯ He had only actually known her for about three years, but¡­ She felt like an old childhood friend. There were people just like that¡ªpeople whom you could rely on and get along with even if it hadn¡¯t been long since you met them. For Seo Jun-Ho, hisrades were like that. "Jun-Ho! Give me food!" "I just ordered it, you have to wait." Seo Jun-Ho poured a cup of hot tea and approached her. Skaya couldn¡¯t even wait that short moment and had gotten up from the sofa to look down at the panoramic view of Seoul through the ss walls. Seo Jun-Ho handed her the teacup and asked, "What do you think?" ¡°...¡± Having received the warm cup, she was silent for a moment. Seo Jun-Ho sipped the tea, smiling silently. He could fully understand her feelings. He had been like that too when he first opened his eyes and looked down at Seoul from above. "¡­I don¡¯t see any Gate." "It''s the scenery we made. You, me, Rahmadat, Gilberto, and Mio together." "People are just walking on the sidewalk. Without fear." "Since there''s no threat from monsters anymore." ¡°...¡± Briefly caught in sentimentality, a deep smile appeared on Skaya''s lips. The source of that smile must be both pride and joy. ¡®Oh, is she crying?¡¯ When he saw that her eyes were moist, he slightly ducked his head and looked up. "Hey, what are you looking at?" A fist flew in and thumped his chest, but because it was a punch without any muscles behind it, it didn¡¯t hurt that much. "Hmm. Ahem." Turning her back and sorting her feelings, she sat on the sofa again. "So... 26 years have passed?" "Yeah. I woke upst year." "¡­What? Then, are you now...¡± Surprised, Skaya hurriedly trailed off but he knew what she wanted to say. Seo Jun-Ho smiled wickedly and nodded. "That¡¯s right, you are no longer my older sister. We''re the same age." "This! How could that be? You have to count from the year of birth.¡± "I lived another year.¡± "This noona doesn''t acknowledge something like that!" Skaya stubbornly refused to be the same age as him. "We normally talked casually to each other. Do you hate it that much?¡± "Of course. If you be the same age as me, then I can¡¯t say things like ¡®Jun-Ho~ Noona says~¡¯¡± "...I''m saying this because I don''t want to hear that." "I''m saying this because I want to do that." She was so stubborn¡­ Seo Jun-Ho shrugged his shoulders before asking, "Do you remember the Frost Queen?¡± "Do you think I''m a fool? My memory is fine." "...We fought three days and nights. I waste and couldn''t keep my promise with you guys.¡± "You did a good job." ¡°...¡± Skaya gave apliment out of the blue. He thought that she would scold him for beingte, but she reached out and stroked Seo Jun-Ho''s head instead. "You did a good job. We might not have defeated her if it wasn''t for you. So don''t feel guilty." "Uh, uhhh...¡± This was the part. This part of her sometimes made her seem like an older sister. Sometimes she would read his thoughts and feelings and act like an adult. "So how did you defrost? Is it thanks to a new technology they developed?¡± "Maybe it''s faster to see it with your eyes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho injected Frost¡¯s magic into the tea cup he was holding. The steaming teacup cooled in an instant, creating droplets on its surface. ¡°...¡± Skaya muttered as she looked at it while frowning. "It''s not¡­ magic. What is it? A new skill?¡± "Yea, Frost. It''s EX-grade." "EX-grade?!" Skaya put on a startled face. "A grade like that exists now?¡± "Rather than it exists now, I¡¯m probably the first one to have a skill at that grade," Seo Jun-Ho boasted. "Damn, you hog all the good things for yourself. You''re so damn cheap." She continued to grumble. "Then you must have also earned a title. Like the first EX-grade skill holder." "¡­What?" Seo Jun-Ho asked back with a stiff expression without realizing it. Howe he had never thought of that before? "What? Based on your expression, I don''t think you have any... Then did someone else get the first EX-grade skill before you?" "¡­I had always thought that I was the first ever EX-grade skill holder.¡± "I don''t think so. I''ve told you before. If you¡¯re the first to do something achievement worthy, you''ll get a title." After seeding in creating magic for the first time amongst humanity, she earned the title of ¡®The First Step of Magic.¡¯ "I know. I received a title when I killed the Frost Queen. Also when I cleared level 10 in the Cave of Trials...¡± "Huh? The Cave of Trials? Level 10? What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± asked Skaya, with her eyes widened. "Didn¡¯t you only get up to level 9?¡± "I went back in and did it again." "Whaaat? Wasn''t the Cave of Trials a ce where you could go only if your level is under 30? Has it been patched during our 26 years of absence?" "¡­What are you talking about? Check the status window. You¡¯re probably level 1 right now.¡± "Really? Status window." She shook her head while checking her status window. "Huh? It''s not? The Curse of Bitter Cold has reduced my abilities, but it says it will recover naturally in about a month? My level¡¯s still 80." "¡­You''re at level 80 right now?" "Yeah..." Seo Jun-Ho looked at the Frost Queen without realizing it. She was currently sitting next to him without showing herself to Skaya. "What¡¯s going on?¡± he questioned her. "¡­Maybe it''s because you touched my core directly? My breath does not lower the level of the target. It just freezes it." "Then that means¡­ I''m the only one whose level has been reset out of the five?" "¡­I do not know.¡± The Frost Queen turned her head lightly. That being answered, Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes tightly. ''Wow, seriously...¡¯ He had been so happy that he raised nine levels to level 60 during the kobold huntingpetition. But Skaya was level 80? If she recuperated for a month, she would be stronger than he was right now. "Some people just have all the luck¡­¡± "Jun-Ho, who are you talking to?¡± Skaya asked, looking at the empty seat next to Seo Jun-Ho. "Oh, that''s...¡± ¡®Can I show her?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho, who was agonizing for a while, nodded. ¡®Let''s show her¡­¡¯ "Frost." ¡°...¡± Frost raised her head as if to ask ¡®really?¡¯ with her eyes and Seo Jun-Ho nodded heavily in response. Even if no one else knew, hisrades had the right to know of her existence. "Mmmm." The Frost Queen had an awkward expression before appearing From Skaya''s point of view, she appeared from out of nowhere. "Huh? What¡¯s that?" Immediately afterward, Skaya¡¯s eyes went round. "Haaa, that? I am..." The Frost Queen wavered and struggled to open her mouth. "Whaaat~ is this cute kid~?" Seo Jun-Ho had no idea where she got the energy from, but Skaya quickly ran over and hugged the Frost Queen. "Ah, uaah! Contractor! Contractooorrr! Help! Help me!" Skaya rubbed the Frost Queen''s soft cheeks against her cheeks. She acted like an aunt who met her cute niece on a holiday. ¡®Since you¡¯ve sinned, just endure it.¡¯ Whilst Seo Jun-Ho paid her a silent tribute, the Frost Queen looked forlorn, as if she had lost everything. She had the expression of someone that had been betrayed, so Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sorry for her. Skaya, who had conquered the Frost Queen''s cheeks to her heart''s content, slowly raised her head. "Who''s this? You said you woke upst year, so it wouldn''t be your child¡­ Is she Deok-Gu''s kid?¡± "No. Sadly, Deok-Gu is single. Frost is...¡± ¡®How should I exin this? Let''s just scratch my head...¡¯ Tat! The Frost Queen, who had escaped from Skaya''s arms, sat on the sofa in a haughty manner with her legs crossed. But since her legs were short, her feet didn''t even touch the floor. Skaya found it cute and giggled. "Try to be quiet.¡± When the Frost Queen spoke in a solemn voice, Skaya squatted down in front of her with her eyes shining brightly. "Yes, yes. What is it?" "I am... the queen of the ice kingdom of Niflheim and one who freezes the world. And..." Fidget fidget. As if she had never apologized in her entire life, she kept looking at Seo Jun-Ho. "Why are you looking at me?" "Ugh..." Eventually, with her head down, she concluded her words in a way befitting a queen. "The aggressor who attacked your, the Frost Queen." "¡­You''re the Frost Queen?" Skaya''s expression hardened. Seo Jun-Ho thought that she would be angry, but Skaya turned her head toward him. "Jun-Ho, did you fight with such a cute little girl for 76 hours?" "It''s a misunderstanding. She was tall when she was human. She¡¯s in a Spirit state right now. A Low-grade Spirit." "Grade 2 Arch..." "¡­Yes, a grade 2 Arch Spirit..." "The level of spirits must have been reorganized while I was asleep...¡± Skaya thought about something for a moment and asked Seo Jun-Ho. "To sum it up, you have inherited the power of the Frost Queen, right?" "Right, as soon as I won the battle with the Frost Queen and touched her core, I began to inherit the skill of Frost. 25 years passed as I absorbed it, and when I woke up, my level was reset.¡± "¡­You''ve suffered a lot. What about your meeting with the Frost Queen?¡± "It was a coincidence. I got an egg from a Las Vegas auction house, and when I hatched it, she came out." "Huh? A coincidence? Did Frost say that?" Skaya looked at Frost with a meaningful smile. The smile was a bit creepy since it was on such a gaunt face. Flinch. The Frost Queen turned her head slightly. "Are you saying it¡¯s the string of fate...¡± Skaya muttered quietly before speaking to the Frost Queen. "Okay, then don''t you have something to tell me?¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen, who had been silent for a while, uncrossed her legs, got up from her seat, and bowed her head slightly. "I am sorry. I¡­ My greed has done you a great deal of damage¡­" It was a clumsy apology. But Skaya smiled as she reached out and lifted up the timid Frost Queen. "I''m a cool woman, so I''ll ept Frost Queen-nim¡¯s apology. Instead, can you fulfill my desire for researchter?¡± "Well... As a monarch, I am responsible for my own mistakes. I will cooperate as much as I can." The Frost Queen nodded. Seo Jun-Ho let out a soft sigh as he looked at Skaya with her bright smile and the Frost Queen¡¯s awkward expression. ¡®She really got cornered¡­¡¯ He didn''t know why, but the Frost Queen began to seem pitiful. Chapter 131. Reunion (2)

Chapter 131. Reunion (2)

The next day, Seo Jun-Ho ¡®guided¡¯ Skaya to the president''s office of the Association. "This is the president¡¯s office of the Association," Seo Jun-Ho spoke as he escorted her. "You''re a pretty good guide, yer Seo Jun-Ho." "...Thank you for yourpliment." Seo Jun-Ho looked very much like a subordinate as he guided Skaya. The secretaries tilted their heads when they saw him. "Oh my, isn¡¯t that yer Seo Jun-Ho? When did hee down?¡± "I heard he ordered room service yesterday. But I wonder who the beauty next to him is?¡± "Isn¡¯t she a celebrity? I think I''ve seen her somewhere¡­¡± "Come on, there''s no reason for yer Seo Jun-Ho to be so obsequious to a celebrity.¡± "If it¡¯s sky blue hair thates down to her waist and light blue eyes...¡± "That''s precisely Skaya Killnd-nim¡­ That can''t be true, right?¡± "Hohoho, that¡¯s a good joke.¡± The secretaries recalled the characteristics of the archmage and shook their heads as they smiled. Arriving in front of the Association president''s office, Skaya asked in a slightly nervous voice, "Jun-Ho, how do I look?" "You look very thin." "Hey..." Skaya frowned heavily and Seo Jun-Ho narrowed his eyes. "Why are you asking me that all of a sudden? Do you happen to...?¡± "Don''t imagine anything weird. It''s not like that." As far as he knew, Skaya and Shim Deok-Gu had dated for a while in the past. He didn¡¯t know why, but one day, things had gotten cold between the two. It was probably because they broke up. Knock, knock, knock. - Come in. As always, Shim Deok-Gu weed Seo Jun-Ho with a bright smile when they entered the president of the yer Association¡¯s office. He soon turned his head and looked at Skaya. "... It has been a long time. Wee back." "Yes." Skaya ignored Shim Deok-Gu''s smile and answered dryly as she sat on the sofa. Seo Jun-Ho watched this scene with hawk eyes and closed the door while thinking¡­ ¡®Is she still mad?¡¯ Well, if the two had really fought in the past, it would be almost 27 years ago for Shim Deok-Gu, but it would have been very recent for Skaya. Skaya crossed her legs, stared at the shelf where various ques were disyed, and said, "I heard you became the president of the Korean yer Association? Congrattions, you''ve got the career you''ve been hoping for. That''s great." "¡­Yeah, thank you." It was obviously a sarcastic tone, but Shim Deok-Gu smiled casually. He then prepared tea and ced it in front of them. "Skaya returning alone means¡­ There must have been circumstances for that, right?¡± asked Deok-Gu. "Oh, what happened was...¡± Seo Jun-Ho told him about the Curse of Bitter Cold and of Skaya¡¯s situation in a quick and detailed manner. "Penalty, it''s worse than I thought,¡± Shim Deok-Gumented. "Of course, it¡¯s a shame to lose 70 magic stats, but if that can save myrades, I won''t hesitate to do so.¡± "Hmmm, I also think that judgment is right." Shim Deok-Gu nodded slowly before saying, "Realistically, I think this will be able to relieve your burden even more." "Realistically... You''ve always liked that. That word," Skaya smirked as she muttered. Shim Deok-Gu pretended not to hear her and continued, "You said 70 magic stats and 50 percent reduction in all stats for a month, right?" "Yeah." Seo Jun-Ho told him to wait for a moment and then pulled up his status window. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 60 Title: Bringer of Spring (+2) Strength: 198(-99) Stamina: 187(-94) Speed: 184(-92) Magic: 149(-75) Fame: 1,220 He only managed to enjoy being level 60 for a moment. In the end, all his stats had fallen below 100 again. ''Haaa, although it says it''ll be restored in a month...¡¯ It also meant that he had to stay put for a month. When Seo Jun-Ho exined his stats, Shim Deok-Gu nodded, ¡°I think the 2nd floor is too difficult for those stats. Why don''t youe back down after treating Simus?" "...Hmm, so stay on Earth?" "Isn''t it safer than the Frontier? Plus, you can go into a Gate if you want, since the max level limit for Earth¡¯s gates is 80.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t there be a lot of rumors, though?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was a yer who had gone up to the Frontier with the highest expectations. In fact, he had yed an amazing role there. But what if he suddenly came down to the 1st floor and went into Gates? "It''s too dangerous. Anyone with good intuition will find a link between me and Skaya because the timing is simr." "...Well,e to think of it, that''s possible.¡± Shim Deok-Gu thought for a while and suggested another way. ¡°Then, why don''t you be a teacher in the Nest for about a month? I can put you in." "Oh, the ce you talked aboutst time?" The Nest was a ce that trained yers who had awakened at an early age. It was a world-ss yer training academy located in the Pacific Ocean. "Well, it''d be fun to teach kids, but I don¡¯t feel it right now." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. Even if he had reduced stats for a month, he couldn¡¯t just take his hands off and y around. In that time, he had to catch even a single monster, so he could melt the other friends even a minute faster. "Tsk, that''s too bad. Then, what are you going to do?" asked Shim Deok-Gu. "I¡¯ll just have to stay in Gilleon. To be exact, I¡¯ll raise my fame by doing Quests near Gilleon.¡± "That''s not bad¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu turned his head toward Skaya and asked, "Skaya, what are you going to do?¡± "What do you mean?" "You said your level is still the same which means you can go up to Frontier right now.¡± He was asking whether she wanted to retire. Skaya immediately understood what he was hinting at, and quickly put an end to it. "Of course, I''m going to go up. I heard there''s a ce called a magic tower in Frontier. It''ll be very interesting to see new magic." He knew it. Just as greedy people couldn¡¯t pass up profit, Skaya also couldn¡¯t pass up Frontier. Seo Jun-Ho muttered as he sighed, "I think this is also good, too. The original n was to bring her to level 30 within a month and then go up together." "...What? Is reaching level 30 in a month possible?" "Your situation is different from mine." Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. He worked as hard as he could while keeping in mind that the fiends were after him. Naturally, there were many restrictions on his actions, and he couldn¡¯t use 100% of his ability in public Gates. But she was different¡­ ''Because I''m here¡­¡¯ Assuming that he would closely guard her, she would be able to reach level 30 in a month if she went to uncleared Gates day and night. "Well, we don''t have to do that anymore." Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. "Then, when are you going to announce that she''s back? If you''re going to be active anyway, you can''t possibly hide this for long," said Shim Deok-Gu. "Is there a need to drag it out? We can do it today,¡± said Skaya. Shim Deok-Gu nodded. "All right, then let¡¯s move the ice statues of the other Heroes in the museum in advance just in case...¡± "I''ve already done that," Seo Jun-Ho immediately answered and continued, "The moment we announced that another one has woken up, the fiends will think that we can also wake the other Heroes up. There''s no way that they¡¯ll just wait and see. As such, I told Skaya about it as soon as I woke her up." "It was so hard. I had just woken up from sleeping for 26 years, but without even a break, I immediately got taken advantage of¡­¡± Currently, the ice statues of the other Heroes were in a secret ce called Skaya¡¯s Lair. Tak. Seo Jun-Ho took out Specter¡¯s mask from the inventory and said, "Change of ns. Let''s put off Specter¡¯s advance to the Frontier a little bit." "Why all of a sudden?" "We can have a suppressive effect on the Fiends." If two of the 5 Heroes went up to the 2nd floor at once, it would be easier for the fiends to act on Earth. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho would go up to the 2nd floor with her, but the important thing was perception. "Specter is on Earth. The Archmage is at the Frontier." Just that perception could bring a sense of stability to the citizens and pressure to the fiends. "That''s a good idea. Then, I''ll schedule the press conference for the afternoon.¡± "Mmhm..." Seo Jun-Ho looked curiously at Skaya. To be honest, her thin face looked far from healthy. "Is it okay to look so thin? The fiends might look down on you.¡± "Don''t worry about that, Jun-Ho. If I go to the 2nd floor and tear up a few of them, they won''t be able to look down on me." She was really scary. He was really d that they were friends. Seo Jun-Ho trembled and nodded slowly. "All right, then let''s have a press conference right away this afternoon. And..." Seo Jun-Ho sent a photo to Shim Deok-Gu through his Vita. It was a picture of a morgue at the Seoul History Museum, and from the picture, it could be seen that there were only three ice statues remaining. "Let''s also spread this picture." "...You''re trying to lure the fiends, aren''t you?¡± "You have to take advantage of these opportunities to kill them little by little since they don''t usually show themselves." Shim Deok-Gu was struck speechless. It was very like Specter to pay close attention to the details and take all the benefits in this way. "Then, I''ll put some yers near the museum so they don¡¯t get suspicious." "That''s good..." After a rough n had been created in an instant, Seo Jun-Ho got up from his seat. He nned to leave the room in case the two of them wanted to talk about personal things. "Oh, right." At that moment, Shim Deok-Gu approached the desk and handed over a Vita. "From ssic masterpieces to thetest movies, there are tens of thousands of them." "Tens of thousands? When can I watch them all?" Seo Jun-Ho was shocked. "When I am free..." The Frost Queen popped up and snapped up the Vita, hugging it tightly and jubntly. There was no TV in the Frontier, so she made snowmen for fun. But now, she could watch her favorite movies and dramas anywhere and whenever. "But you know you can''t watch it anywhere and anytime, right?¡± "Contractor, aren''t you treating me too much like a child recently? I am older than¡­¡± "Are you old? How old are you?" The Frost Queen simply struck his calf with the Vita. "I am wiser than you. I will only watch when I''m in the room after finishing all the work, so do not worry." "Aigoo, you¡¯re wise~? She¡¯s really driving me crazy," said Skaya as she looked at the Frost Queen, finding her very cute. "Ugh..." The Frost Queen frowned and quickly hid behind Seo Jun-Ho''s leg. After spending the day together yesterday, the phenomenon of Frost avoiding Skaya had already begun to appear. ¡®It''s so chaotic, it¡¯s killing me...¡¯ He only woke up one person, but he couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. When he woke up three more people in the future... ''Well, it had always been loud and chaotic back in the day.¡¯ Even the usually quiet Gilberto and Mio often chattered when they were all together. "It¡¯d be nice if we can get together as soon as possible." Hearing Seo Jun-Ho murmuring, Shim Deok-Gu and Skaya paused. Then, they smiled. "It''ll happen in the near future." "This noona will help you from now on, so don''t worry too much." "...Yeah. I''ve been through a lot over the past year, so let''s see what you got from now on." In the afternoon, a press conference was held with the pretext of an important announcement from Specter. Chapter 132. Reunion (3)

Chapter 132. Reunion (3)

Murmur, murmur. The Korea yer Association''srge hall opened for the first time in four months. Only those who hadpleted strict identification were allowed to enter the conference hall. "Ugh, I didn''t do anything wrong, but I''m shaking." "The security today is especially tight today. I wonder why?¡± Reporters sitting in their assigned seats talked to each other. "By the way, what''s the big announcement? Do you know any sources?¡± "I don''t know either, I didn''t even have time to wash up before I had toe here. Can''t you see my messy hair?" "Same here... I''m d thepany paid for the teleport. I almost missed the scoop." "Specter¡¯s articles always sell out. If they can''t afford that much money, they should give up being the press." Specter had remained silent for four months, but now, he was having a second press conference. There was only one thing that had changed. "¡­Am I the only one who can feel it? I don''t see any small fries today.¡± "I was thinking the same. It seems like only those from high-ranking ces came." "Look at their faces. Only the top 3 mediapanies or guild officials from each country are attending." It hadn¡¯t been like this at Specter¡¯s first press conference. Even the useless and brand new mediapanies attended inrge numbers. But today was different. Only guilds and media organizations with so-called history and heritage were eligible to attend. In other words, it meant that the weight of this conference was greater than the previous one. "I don''t know what kind of article they¡¯re trying to create for them to use so much of their influence like this¡­¡± "They didn''t even separate us by rank like this when they announced his revival.¡± "Hmm, did the four Heroese back?" "Haha, say something that makes sense." "We''ll know the topic soon, and let''s hope for a good quote today." "I''m back. That was the 103rd quote by Specter, right?¡± "Whew¡­ The pay I got for writing that article was pretty good.¡± While there was a little bit of chattering here and there¡­ Boom! The light in the reporters'' eyes suddenly changed as the entrance to the hall was closed. They immediately adjusted their cameras¡¯ aperture and waited for Specter¡¯s appearance. *** "Then I''ll go first," Seo Jun-Ho said, putting on Specter¡¯s mask. Shim Deok-Gu and Skaya, who were waiting together, nodded. "Do a good job," said Shim Deok-Gu. "It''s been 26 years since I came back, so brighten up the atmosphere. Got it?" said Skaya. "Take care of yourself," said the Frost Queen. "Why¡¯re you all nagging?" When Seo Jun-Ho left the waiting room with a smirk, the Frost Queen waved her hand. With earphones in her ears, she quietly began to watch a drama. Being the only two left, there was an awkward air between Shim Deok-Gu and Skaya. "I look pretty healthy today, right?" Skaya looked in the mirror and asked. She had a lively makeup on to hide her gauntness. On top of that, she wore arge robe and hat to hide her body''s figure as much as possible. Thanks to this, it only seemed like her face was just a bit skinnier whenpared to 26 years ago. "Yeah. You don''t look thin." "That''s a relief." Silence again. Skaya asked, ncing at Shim Deok-Gu through the mirror. "Don¡¯t you have something else you want to say to me?" "...Hmm, the whole world will be happy to know you''re back." "What about you?" Despite the sudden question, Shim Deok-Gu nodded skillfully. "Of course, I''m happy. An old friend is back." "...I see. I¡¯m asking since you don¡¯t look so happy." After saying these thorny words, Skaya got up when she heard Specter¡¯s words flowing from the speaker. "It''s about time for the main character to appear. I should get going." "... Good luck. Don''t make trouble." "Am I a kid? And I''ve told you this before, but my IQ is higher than yours. I''ll be back." After Skaya left the waiting room, Shim Deok-Gu stared at the ce she had been for a while before drooping in his chair. He gave a faint sigh and pped his cheeks. "Whew... Let''s get it together, Deok-Gu." It was like this before, but now it was a rtionship that was even more impossible to happen. What was the age difference? There was a saying that the first love was asting memory, but was something that could never seed. "I¡¯m this old but I¡¯m still getting sentimental¡­ It''s ridiculous, really." Smiling bitterly, he noticed someone''s gaze and looked up. Before he knew it, the Frost Queen, who had taken out the earphones from her ears, was looking at him with sparkling eyes. "¡­Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?¡± "Well~, it''s nothing, so don''t worry about it." Shrugging her shoulders, she put the earphones back in her ears and muttered quietly, "It''s fun. Real life drama." *** Once again, Specter¡¯s steps were imposing. A kingly walk that left the viewers in awe. Smoothly arriving at his seat, he picked up the microphone and spoke in a low, heavy voice. "Thank you for attending despite the sudden conference." He continued, picking up the report Shim Deok-Gu had prepared in advance, "Since my first press conference, it has been four months. It has been a long time for some and a short time for others." It was a very long time for Seo Jun-Ho. He attacked the Winter Castle, entered the Frontier, went hunting, and went through the kobold huntingpetition. Even yesterday, he was reunited with an old friend. "Three cases." Tak Specter put down the report and said, "That''s the number of attacks the fiends have caused on Earth in thest four months." "... Just three cases? I heard that it decreased, but it was to this extent?¡± "Haven¡¯t you heard? Since Specter¡¯s press conference, the fiends¡¯ activities have died down.¡± "Ugh... this is Specter¡¯s effect. He¡¯s like a skill that prevents terrorism just by existing." Everyone at the press conference nodded. It was not simply coincidental, because the number of crimes had plummeted since Specter¡¯s appearance. ''The events in Rome were the most shocking of them all.¡¯ ''Since it was astonishing to us as third parties...¡¯ ¡®The fiends had probably really wet their pants that time.¡¯ No one would be afraid of the threat of a toothless tiger. But if the tiger''s teeth and ws turned out to be strong, everyone would make themselves scarce since there weren''t many people in the world who wanted to die early. The Paradise incident in Rome¡ªSpecter had demonstrated his ability again by wiping out dozens of Fiends in the orphanage in the Vatican. Since then, the fiends¡¯ crime rates had plummeted, so it was right to attribute that it was due to Specter. "But the data is like this¡­¡± Specter turned to the next page of the report. He read through the words clearly, "¡­Crime rates on Earth have plummeted. But at the same time, crime rates in the Frontier rose by 37 percent." "Well, the trend seems to be that way." "Since Specter¡¯s on the 1st floor, all the guys who can work on the 2nd floor must have gone up." ¡°John Carter, a social researcher said that unless Specter has two bodies, this problem will remain." People shook their heads and sighed in frustration. In the past, they didn¡¯t have to worry because of the existence of the 5 Heroes on Earth. Back then, the fiends did not have a refuge but it was different now. Why? Wasn''t there a great refuge called the Frontier on the 2nd floor? "For four months... I thought about it, and thought some more about it," Specter slowly uttered in a serious voice. "How nice would it be if I had two bodies... I had this thought many times a day.¡± ¡°...¡± The press conference was silent. Only the sound of Specter breathing came out through the speakers. Soon after, an official of the Silver Constetion Guild, one of the Big 6, raised his hand and asked carefully, "Our guild is absolutely supportive of Specter-nim¡¯s heroic deeds. Did you find an answer to the problem?" "I did." Everyone was surprised when Specter cut him off. Many politicians, guilds, association officials, and social authorities had said that there would be no solution. But he found the answer to the problem? Everyone blinked hard and swallowed their saliva. Since the past, the weight of every word uttered by Specter was heavier than a thousand gold pieces, and he had always been a man of his word. "If I can''t split my body in two, I just need to find someone who has a simr level of ability as me," said Specter. "Oh..." "Hmm¡­ It''s a little vague.¡± There was a look of disappointment on people''s faces. Who didn''t know that? They knew that this was a possible solution but it was exactly because there was no one as capable as Specter that this situation urred. ¡®Even considering the strongest yers in existence known as the Nine Heavens, the ratio between fiends to yers is delicate.¡¯ ''Only the Nine Heavens can stop each other, so they should be excluded from the potential forces in the first ce.¡¯ ''Then we need to find another yer who isparable to Specter in reputation and power....¡¯ ''Unfortunately, there isn''t anyone else like that. There are many yers over level 100, but in fact, over 25 years, we discovered that having just a high level is not the only measure of absolute strength.¡¯ Then, what kind of person did he find that he was so confident? He calmly epted the look of distrust and disappointment toward him and knocked. Knock knock. He knocked on the table a couple of times. "I''m not the type to drag it out." Specter turned his head. Everyone''s gaze followed his to the entrance to the hallway that connected to the waiting room. Squeak, tak, tak, tak! Through the open door came running a woman in a magician¡¯s robe. A woman with distinct light blue eyes and light blue hair flying in the wind. That moment, everyone in the conference room looked at her like they were possessed. "Let me introduce you, myrade and archmage¡­¡± "Don''t steal my line. Ta-da! It''s me! It''s me! Skaya Killnd!" A hero of the past was back. *** [Breaking news! ¡®Skaya Killnd,¡¯ Archmage of the 5 Heroes. Surprise revival after 26 years] [Was Specter just a sign of the 5 Heroes¡¯ revival? The pleasant shock that the interview left us.] [When asked how she came back, the Archmage replied, "Heroes never die."] [On Earth, there¡¯s Specter, and in the Frontier lives the Archmage. A fire at the feet of the Fiends.] [Who''s the next hero you want to wake up? Worldwide vote for fun.] ¡­ In just two hours, the articles literally came ¡®pouring¡¯ out. In addition, as it was a special report from media and guilds trusted by the public, its ripple effect was enormous. Skaya was considered the most friendly out of the 5 Heroes. Posts celebrating her revival filled social media and street banners. The British royal family quickly published an article saying they would return all of her property and belongings that they had stored, and their actions even received public support. But no matter what anyone said, the first people to rise from their seats were the Big 6 Guilds. "Specter wasn''t the end? Are all 5 Heroesing back?¡± "¡­ They are only five, but it is possible for them to shake up the current situation." ¡°We must never turn the 5 Heroes into enemies. At the least, a friendly rtionship needs to be established.¡± "Tell the marketing team and the guild¡¯s strategy office. Figure out how to get close to the 5 Heroes." "... Wait, now that I think of it¡­¡± At that point, it naturally urred to them. About the "contract" they had with Specter. "¡­ This is it." "I originally thought about cooperating just once and taking care of our image." "But if all 5 Heroes came back, that''s a different story." "It won¡¯t be just taking care of our image, but we really might be able to pull out the roots of the fiends." If the fiends¡¯ roots were pulled out, it could go down in history. In addition, the power of the guild''s brand itself could be grown to a levelparable to the 5 Heroes. "¡­ I''m looking forward to it.¡± "The Hero being sent to the Frontier is Skaya Killnd? I wonder what kind of things she¡¯ll show.¡± "First, we will make progress in our rtionship with her. She seems to have a better personality than Specter.¡­ She''s ady of 26 years at most, so it should be easy to appease her." While each of the Big 6 were dreaming about their future ns¡­ "It''s kind of weird to say that it''s a 1st floor mission in this situation. What if we happen to meet Specter?" "Don''t even mention that bastard¡¯s name. He rubbed me the wrong way since a long time ago." The Fiend Association quickly sent two fiends down to the 1st floor. Chapter 133. A Seoul Night (1)

Chapter 133. A Seoul Night (1)

Specter¡¯s press conference was held at 7 PM Korean time. It was 10 PM when the world heard and was excited by the story regarding Specter and the Archmage. At dusk, ten yers of the Association stood around the Seoul History Museum. Their mission was to guard the Seoul History Museum. "I thought I got demoted because I suddenly got told to stand on guard at the museum this afternoon¡­ But it must have been because of the other Heroes, right?¡± "Would it be for anything else? Rather, it¡¯s an honor." "That''s right. We''re protecting the Heroes who will wake upter, like Archmage-nim.¡± "Kuku, we¡¯ll forever be able to use it as a drinking story." The ten yers patrolled around the huge museum in pairs. "When the three Hero-nims wake upter, I''m going to proudly say that I protected them.¡± "That''s funny¡­ What¡¯s this about protecting when it¡¯s just a seven-hour shift¡­¡± Rustle. At that moment, they heard rustling in the garden around the museum. The aura of the two joking yers changed in an instant, and one person shone a light into the bushes while the other put the Vita by his mouth. And in the next second, both of their eyes rolled back and fainted. The transparent space fluctuated, and the two men¡­ were dragged into the bushes. "Whew, that''s annoying. If we were in the Frontier, we could¡¯ve just killed them." "Be patient. yers from the Guilds or the Association send out information if they¡¯re killed or if their Vitas are removed." Of course, it was a function that didn¡¯t work in the Frontier. However, it was a different story in the middle of Seoul. As soon as the news of the two yers¡¯ deaths came out, other yers around them would flock over here. Moreover, thinking of the swarm of reinforcements they would ask for was just troublesome. "Just retrieve the information..." "Yes." The young fiend put his hand on the foreheads of the two yers. Bump, bump. The veins on the yers'' foreheads rose up. The young fiend pricked a vein with a needle and dipped the blood on his tongue. "That''s a relief. There are only eight yers of the Association around here right now and their levels are low." "Any other information?¡± "There¡¯s nothing much. These guys were ordered to stand guard since this afternoon¡­ And apparently the ice sculptures of the Heroes are still inside.¡± "And the locations of Specter and the Archmage?" "I don''t think they know that much either and is there really a need to know? If we go into the morgue, we can finish our business in 30 seconds and run away." "¡­If our opponents are Specter and the Archmage, then there¡¯s no harm in being careful. Do you have a method to enter the museum?¡± "These guys are small fries. I don''t have one. We''ll just have to use force to break through." "Tsk, put them away." The young fiend responded pleasantly to the old fiend¡¯smand with a ¡°yes,¡± and threw the two yers roughly into the bushes. Sssss.[1] At the same time, the bodies of the two fiends turned transparent. It was the ability of the young fiend¡¯s Cloaking Field (B). "I''ve told you again and again, but if you leave my side¡­¡± spoke the young fiend. "It¡¯ll be 12 times, and if I hear it one more time¡­ Shut up before I rip off your mouth," interrupted the old fiend. "Yes..." Unlike the sturdy young man, the old man was short and skinny, but the young man was obedient to him. The two quickly climbed up the museum wall to the roof. "Where''s the morgue?" asked the old fiend. "ording to a map provided by the Fiend Association¡­ It''s over there." There were also two yers on guard on the roof. "Shall we also put them to sleep?¡± suggested the young fiend. "Go ahead." "Yes, then excuse me for a moment...¡± As the young man ran forward, the cloaking was dispelled and the old man''s figure was revealed. "Ah! Intruder!" "I''ll take care of it, so you call first!" The yers from the Association calmly moved ording to the procedure, but as a result, both men failed in their missions. While their gazes were on the old fiend, the young fiend had struck their chins and easily knocked them out. "These guys are idiots." The young fiend sneered. "That¡¯s because only nobodies are on the 1st floor and the Association is where only nobodies join," replied the old fiend. "Tsk, if we were in the Frontier, I would have killed and tasted their blood. It¡¯s a shame, but shall I at least read some memories?¡± "What for? The information that small fries know is limited. Just pave the way." "Yes¡­" Arriving at the spot where the morgue was located, the young fiend stomped his feet lightly. Booooom! The single stomp destroyed the roof they were standing on. "It''s over there.¡± While falling, the young fiend pointed to one side and flew away. The old fiend followed him, stepping in the air with his hands behind his back. "Uh¡­ F**k. The morgue door is made of mithril,¡± noted the young fiend, seemingly embarrassed while looking at the entrance to the morgue. In response, the old fiend stopped holding his hands behind his back and raised his left hand in front of his chest. "Get out of the way." He clenched his tiny, wrinkled hands and hit the mithril door. Craaaaash! Along with a loud roar, the mithril door copsed. "Wow! As expected of a wave master! You''re amazing. If we just pick up a little bit of this, how many gold pieces...¡± the young fiend eximed. "We don''t have time. Let''s get the ice statues first." "Oh, yes," replied the young fiend before entering the morgue with a look of regret. At the same time, his teeth began to chatter¡­ ¡®It, it¡¯s freaking cold.¡¯ It was very cold inside the morgue. A yer active on the 2nd floor could ignore most pain, cold, and heat. Furthermore, was he not a level 107 yer with great achievements even among the fiends? But, it was still too cold for him. It was not an exaggeration. It was so cold that it was hard to even take a step. "Ugh... Cold...¡± If the temperature rose and the ice melted, would all the Heroes wake up? The moment those thoughts crossed his mind, the young fiend touched one of the three ice statues. "Toy, Toys in the¡­ Hand." Toys in the Hand (B). It was a very useful skill to turn things he touched into objects that were small enough to fit in his pocket. "¡­Uggghhhh, I''m going to freeze to¡­ death?¡± The trembling young fiend frowned. The ice statue wasn¡¯t getting smaller. "What are you doing? Stop procrastinating and hurry up!" ''F**king bastard, he never does anything, but keeps giving orders...¡¯ But he held it in because the older fiend was stronger than him. "I, I''ll finish it soon! Hehe." Swallowing his frustration, the young fiend gently replied and touched the ice statue several times. But despite doing it over and over again, Toys in the Hand (B) did not work. "Really, why is it not working¡­?¡± The ability was so effective that it could even be applied to ¡®sleeping creatures.¡¯ Of course, it had to be applicable to the ice statues of the Heroes. "So, why isn¡¯t it working?" The moment he got annoyed and struck the ice statue with his palms, a clear sound reverberated. Crackle! His hands began to freeze. "What¡­?!" "Damn it, it''s a trap!" The old fiend cried out. Rumble! The ice statue turned toward him in an instant. No, rather than an ice statue, it was an ice golem. Meanwhile, the two other ice golems jumped at the young fiend. ''Ice golem? Did the Association have a yer with this ability?¡¯ rm bells rang in his head. Crunch! The young fiend gathered demonic energy, stretched out his fist, and blew the upper body of an ice golem apart. "How dare a mere golem...¡± "Oh, impressive." "It''s nothing, hehe." Perhaps it had be a habit for the young fiend to tter the old man because he groveled without realizing it. But immediately afterward, he frowned. ¡®Wait, why did his voice sound young just now?¡¯ He turned his head to the corner of the morgue. There, a man and a woman were squatting under a nket. "Should I take care of it?" "No, it has only been two days since you woke up. Don''t push yourself. Besides¡­" The man who got up slowly stretched and warmed up. "I have to see how weak I have be.¡± "... Specter!" the young fiend shouted with a pale face when he saw the ck mask. He looked back in a hurry and shouted, "Help, help me! Hey, where did that damn old man go?!¡± He had been subservient this whole time, but the old man had already abandoned him and fled. "One of them ran away. Should I go after him?¡± asked Skaya. "It¡¯s fine. I''ll take care of this one and go after him.¡± The current temperature in the morgue was negative 50 degrees. This was the lowest temperature that Seo Jun-Ho could produce using his Frost skill. Skaya was an expert at magic so she had preemptively cast a spell on herself to block the cold, but their opponents couldn''t do the same. As evidence, the young fiend¡¯s body was shaking, and his movements had obviously be very slow. ''The effect is insanely good¡­ But it also consumes magic power like crazy.¡¯ If his magic stat had been over 200, it would have been different, but now, it was not a skill he could use recklessly. Seo Jun-Ho rushed to his opponent, drawing ck Dragon Fang from its sheath. Slice! It was a single clean sword strike. With his movements slowed down, the young fiend could not avoid the diagonal sword cut. "Damn¡­ Fu¡­¡± ck, ck, ck! A deep and long sword mark was engraved on the fiend¡¯s chest as his teeth chattered from the cold. Hot blood flowed through it, but it froze in an instant and sealed the wound. Skaya got up, shaking out the nket. "That''s weak. Is this the level of the fiends these days? It''s not that different from our time.¡± "The situation is too favorable to us this time. He''s probably a little upset, too." After a short conversation, Seo Jun-Ho lightly shook his hand. Rumble. The ice golems copsed and covered the fiend¡¯s body. ''From what I can tell, the old man who ran away is higher in rank.¡¯ He had also been giving orders to this young man. He had stood far away without entering the morgue and watched the situation with his heightened perception. ''He¡¯s a very proper fiend. He¡¯s got a talent for being underhanded and dishonorable, which are the characteristics of fiends.¡¯ It could be possible to find something valuable if Seo Jun-Ho read his memory. *** Leaving the museum in a hurry, the old fiend hid between the forest of buildings. ¡®Damn it, no wonder the security was sox.¡¯ He had expected traps. However, he had never imagined that it would be Specter and the Archmage themselves. The old fiend felt a chill down his back and shuddered. ''I could feel the extreme cold even outside the morgue. That must be the magic of the Archmage, right?¡¯ With no way to know that it was Seo Jun-Ho''s Frost skill, he bit his lips tightly at the strength of the Archmage. ¡®This needs to be reported. The Archmage hasn''t weakened at all. On the contrary, she has retained her strength from her prime.¡¯ There had been a clear basis for the old fiend to conclude so. ''... It reminded me of a hellish nightmare.¡¯ He had experienced it himself. He had been a yer and a fiend for 28 years. Of course, he had experienced the hellish times ruled by the 5 Heroes. He had watched the history of the Fiend Association from its inception to the present up close. "Second round? Are we going for a second round?" "Assistant Manager Kim, when you drink, it''s definitely coin karaoke, coin karaoke~" "Ayyy, Director-nim, when did you go to a coin karaoke? Virtual reality karaoke is the best these days. Have you ever sung in Antarctica?¡± After passing by drunk office workers, the old fiend entered the men''s restroom in a nearby building. He entered the far end stall, locked the door, sat on the toilet, and tapped on his Vita. Tap, tap, tap, tap. The old fiend began to write a report with his two busy fingers. [Archmage Skaya Killnd has retained her power from her prime. She¡¯s at a level that doesn''t lose out to Specter...] He quickly wrote the report and sent it to the Fiend Association branch on the 1st floor. Squeeeak. Someone opened the restroom door and came in. ¡°¡­¡± He couldn''t hear the sound of hands being washed or someone going inside a stall. Step, step. Squeak, squeak. He was opening the stall doors one by one and was slowly approaching him. Gulp! The old fiend swallowed his saliva, rose from his seat silently and clenched his fist. The person¡¯s footsteps stopped outside the stall. ¡®Now, right outside this stall...¡¯ There was Specter. 1. A disappearing sound. ? Chapter 134. A Seoul Night (2)

Chapter 134. A Seoul Night (2)

An eerie silence ensued. The old fiend contemted dozens of times in that brief moment. ¡®Should I attack first? Or should I wait for him to go away?'' To be honest, he was not confident in winning against Specter. He even had the Archmage with him. Although the fiend¡¯s own level was high, he wasn¡¯t strong enough to overshadow what he had experienced 26 years ago. Perhaps the intense scenes they showed him in the past had turned into a trauma. ¡°¡­¡± There was still no sound from the other side of the stall. There wasn¡¯t even any sign of magic being gathered. ¡®He¡¯s controlling his magic perfectly?¡¯ What kind of posture was Specter in right now? Was he clenching his fists like himself? Or was he preparing to receive the first attack and immediately counterattack? The moment felt as long as eons. In the end, the old fiend couldn¡¯t withstand the heavy atmosphere and his eyes turned ferocious. He was about to strike with his tightly clenched fist¡­ Squeak! "Oh, Director-nim! What are you doing here?¡± "Huuuuh? Uhh¡­ Assistant Manager Kim, I think I''m a little drunk." "Phew, you still have the same habit of opening all the stalls when youe into the restroom drunk. Let''s get out of here.¡± When the two men left the restroom, the old fiend copsed on the toilet. "Hu, huuu...¡± When the tension loosened, the breath he had been suppressing came out. He was so nervous that he had droplets of sweat all over his face. ''All this because of some crazy guy...¡¯ He was angry. But the target of his anger was not the bug called the director just now. ''Damn it. Was I so afraid of Specter?¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but he had no choice but to do so. He didn¡¯t want to deal with Specter even though there was a gap of 40 levels between them. He felt pathetic and it made him even angrier. ¡°¡­¡± The old fiend sat on the toilet for another hour before carefully opening the stall door. There was no one else in the restroom. Ssh. When he washed his face with cold water, the tension was also washed away. "...Tsk." He hadn¡¯t raised his level by killing yers and hunting monsters to feel this small. Holding back his frustration, the old fiend left the building. "3rd round? Are we going for a 3rd round?" "Assistant Manager Kim, after coin karaoke, of course! I''m at home... I got a call from my wife. She says I¡¯m dead if Ie home past midnight." "Oh¡­ Then, please head home." The gazes of a man and a woman stuck to the old fiend as thetter disappeared into the bustling crowd. Waiting on top of a building, Skaya made fun of Seo Jun-Ho. "Specter, your personality has changed~ Back in the day, you would have simply beaten the fiends up to death, regardless of if we were in the city center or not.¡± "¡­I''m not as strong as I used to be. If I don''t overpower him in one go, people will be in danger." The two began jumping over buildings, chasing after the old fiend. *** The old fiend abruptly looked back. The shopping district was packed during the day, but now, not even a single ant wandered about. It was because the only stores open 24 hours a day in the shopping district were convenience stores. ¡®Why am I so nervous?¡¯ The old fiend frowned. It felt like a sticky killing intent wasing up from the tip of his toes. However, there was no sign of an enemy. ¡°¡­¡± There were times when you had to leave your body to your instincts instead of depending on your logical judgment. The old fiend thought that this was one of those moments. Turning around, he began to run at full speed. "Oh, did he notice?" Skaya asked. "No, he just felt it instinctively," replied Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho and Skaya began to move faster. The old fiend was fast, but it was not enough to throw the two off his trail. Whoosh! Whoosh! While running forward, the old fiend changed his mind. ''I shouldn''t go to a deserted ce. I might need a hostage.¡¯ If so, he had to enter the downtown area. The old fiend changed direction and rapidly ran toward the road with shining lights. Seeing the old fiend¡¯s movements, Seo Jun-Ho contemted. ''If I use Shadow Movement, I can catch up at once. But¡­'' With his magic stats greatly reduced, hisbat power would be reduced if he used Shadow Movement since the skill consumed a lot of magic. As if noticing his worries, Skaya opened her mouth first, "As you said, I was going to take it easy today, but since the situation is like this, I''ll help you." "¡­Sorry.¡± "No, this noona is d to see your humanity after a long time." Skaya smiled as her body floated into the air. At the same time, four magic circles were created around her. Considering that most magicians who could use simultaneous casting could only do double casting, seeing Skaya use quadruple casting freely as if breathing was beyondmon sense. ¡®They say you need enoughputational skills to draw 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the air with four different fingers at the same time to do this.¡¯ When a normal magician could cast a spell, Skaya casted four. Simple math dictated that herbat power was four times higher than a normal magician. But the algorithm known as magic was not that simple. "Reverse Gravity, Magic Prison, Detect Force, Lightning Spear." A magician who could do multiple casting could be up to tens of times stronger depending on which magic theybined together. Crackle! A two-meter-long spear of lightning was created behind Skaya. At the same time, the old fiend running at high speed on the road began to ¡®fall¡¯ into the sky. ¡°¡­!¡± Unable to find a ce to step on, the old fiend quickly kicked into the air. Wooooong! A square Magic Prison bound his body tightly. "Keuk?!" On top of his forehead, a red mark symbolizing the tracking magic "Detect Force" was engraved. "¡­Damn it!" In the end, the old man couldn''t find a way to escape and hurriedly raised his demonic energy. The dopo he was wearing pped about and the air around him vibrated.[1] His red eyes reflected the spear of lightning that had illuminated the night sky. "Heup!" Zzzzzt! The old fiend¡¯s fist collided with the Lightning Spear. The spear broke apart like sugar cubes when it collided with the fist that had been strengthened by demonic energy. But this didn¡¯t mean that the old fiend was unscathed. Tingle, tingle. He tried to block as much as possible with demonic energy, but he felt a buzzing feeling as if bugs were crawling all over his body. "Hey, hey!" Watching the scene, Skaya waved cheerfully like a parking agent. In response, Seo Jun-Ho jumped from the rooftop of a building to the road without any doubt. At that moment, a teleport gate created under his feet moved him to another location. ¡°¡­!¡± It was just above the old fiend''s head. Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the panicking old fiend looking up at him. "Nice to meet you, fiend." Seo Jun-Ho covered the fiend¡¯s face with his big palm. "Curtain of Darkness." Hwaaaaa! At the same time, the world turned dark. *** Crash! The old fiend¡¯s back struck the wall of darkness. He hurriedly hurled his fist at Specter. ¡°¡­¡± However, Specter moved his face and stepped back without hesitation. It was dark, but it wasn¡¯t dark enough that they weren¡¯t able to locate each other. ¡®Tsk.¡¯ The old fiend clicked his tongue. This was the situation he wanted to avoid the most. ¡®I got trapped by the Archmage, and now, I¡¯m in a one-on-one situation with Specter...¡¯ The old fiend thought that he might die today. "Since when?¡± "Even before you went to the restroom¡­" "Damn it, you really made a fool out of me.¡± He didn¡¯t expect that Specter had been watching him hide in the restroom for an hour. Feeling humiliated, the old fiend explosively raised his demonic energy. "I don''t n to go down so easily," the old fiend remarked defiantly. "You''re going to die. Easily." "That arrogance... It''s the same as before.¡± "...Hmm?" Seo Jun-Ho asked curiously, ¡°Do you know me?" "I do. 27 years ago, I was at the scene of a fiend massacre in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.¡± "Well, then you''ll have noints about dying today since you have basically lived for 27 years more than you should have.¡± The old fiend prepared himself in silence. Watching closely, Seo Jun-Ho raised his sword. ¡®He''s got a good posture, without any gaps.¡¯ The old fiend never revealed his level, but if he was at the scene of that fiend massacre 27 years ago¡­ He should be at least level 120 by now, as long as he hadn¡¯t been ying around watching TV at home. ¡®This is the first...¡¯ It was the first time Specter faced a fiend who was higher in level than Kal Signer. He was even in a state where his stats were greatly reduced. The old fiend should be enough for Seo Jun-Ho to confirm his currentbat power. Crrr. Crrr. Darkness fluttered under Seo Jun-Ho''s feet and took the shape of a wolf. "Watchguard of Darkness¡­" Bing wary, the old fiend bit his lips. Paaa! The Wolves of Darkness pushed off the floor and rushed out. ¡®But I''m not the same as before either¡­¡¯ Having strengthened his body with demonic energy, the old fiend rapidlyunched fists into the air. Pababak! The Watchguard of Darkness was beaten by the old fiend¡¯s fists and dispersed like smoke. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it; the scattered darkness began to wrap around the old fiend''s body. "Damn it, you bastard!" cursed the old fiend as he snapped the threads of darkness. ¡®Damn, as I thought, it''s impossible to have a drawn out battle with Specter.¡¯ The Watchguard of Darkness was a specialized skill that ate away at the opponent''s stamina, mental strength, and concentration. Specter was also well aware of this fact. Therefore, engaging in a drawn out battle against Specter was no different from receiving a penalty of your own. ''I have to finish it at once.¡¯ However, Specter didn¡¯t give him that chance. Wha-ah! Specter disappeared. The old fiend felt Specter¡¯s presence behind him, and he responded immediately. Boom! The fist strengthened with demonic energy didn¡¯t budge even after colliding with the ck Dragon Fang. ¡®To engage in closebat with me¡­ How arrogant.'' The old fiend¡¯s martial artist pride was deeply hurt. His eyebrows¡¯ flinched and he sent even more fists flying toward his opponent. Pababat! Specter did not even avoid the fists because the dark space of his Curtain of Darkness was his weapon and shield. Wolves of Darkness jumped out from the floor and walls to block the attack on Specter¡¯s behalf and charged at the old fiend. "How long are you going to make a fool out of me?!" shouted the old fiend, enraged. With hands strengthened with demonic energy, the old fiend tore apart the Wolves of Darkness, but they once again wound around the old fiend¡¯s body and obstructed him. "Until you die," Seo Jun-Ho replied and straightened his grip on ck Dragon Fang before charging at the old fiend. The de sliced through space. Slice! The old fiend quickly lowered his head and moved in close to Specter. ''It''s dangerous if I give him space¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho tapped lightly on the floor with the soles of his feet. At that moment, dozens of Fangs of Darkness popped out from the ground, walls, and ceiling, aiming for the old fiend. "Keuk?!" The old fiend hurriedly twisted his body at the unexpected anomalous attack. Thanks to this, he managed to avoid the Fangs of Darkness, but hepletely lost his bnce. ¡®It''s over...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho immediately rushed in, swinging ck Dragon Fang at the old fiend¡¯s heart. But the old fiend was experienced; he showed that the past few decades hadn¡¯t been a waste. Crack! Twisting his body, he gave up his left shoulder instead of his heart. "Uaaak!" Pababat. Kicking the air to retreat away, the old fiend quickly used his right hand to stop the bleeding on his injured shoulder. Then, the blood that was flowing like a waterfall stopped all of a sudden. Biting his lips, the old fiend red at Specter¡¯s expressionless mask. "Kuhu..." Letting out an iprehensibleugh, the old fiend began to concentrate all the demonic energy on his right fist. It gave off such a frightening aura that even Seo Jun-Ho felt a chill down his spine. ¡®What is he nning?¡¯ The first thing Seo Jun-Ho thought was that it would be dangerous to get hit by that fist. But if the old fiend couldn¡¯t hit him with that fist, it would be fine. Now, the old fiend and Specter were more than 10 meters apart, so there was no way he would get hit. During this short battle, Specter had already figured out the old fiend¡¯s speed. ¡®I don''t know what he¡¯s thinking, but... There will be nothing good that¡¯lle out of it if I let him do what he wants.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho immediately gathered his skills. He used Watchguard of Darkness once again to get on the old fiend¡¯s nerves. Then, he utilized his footwork and hid in the darkness. ¡°¡­¡± Tremble. The old fiend''s whole body began to tremble. Blue veins bulged on his right arm and they were swollen as if they would burst at any moment. It was a phenomenon that urred because he was using demonic energy beyond his limits. ''If this attack fails... I''ll probably die.¡¯ A cornered mouse would bite a cat¡ªthat was how this situation looked. The old fiend realized it through the brief battle with Specter. As expected, the Watchguard of Darkness was a fraudulent skill to the point where the word cheat was appropriate to describe it. ¡®But I¡¯m also not that¡­ weak.¡¯ Gyeoksantau, hitting a mountain to hit a cow, was a technique that used his Wave (B) skill to directly hit the opponent through a specific medium. ¡®People who don''t know about my skill always get done in once.¡¯ And if he hit Specter once with a fist with this much strength, he could win. Believing in that, he deliberately fought Specter while hiding his skills. ''I might be able to¡­ capture Specter?¡¯ The corners of the old fiend¡¯s mouth curled up as he closed his eyes. He couldn¡¯t sense Specter, who was now hiding in the darkness. ¡®But¡­¡¯ He had grasped all the space inside the Curtain of Darkness through his Wave skill. Naturally, he could urately identify the direction that Specter was in through the flow of air. ¡®I''m going to wash away the humiliation of 27 years ago with this fist today.¡¯ Opening his eyes wide, the old fiend threw his fist to one side. Booboobooboom! The overwhelming destructive power containing 29 years of demonic energy flew through the air. 1. Dopo is an overcoat in hanbok, a traditional Korean clothing. Also called ¡°taoist robe¡± and worn by male confucian schrs (from wikipedia). ? Chapter 135. A Seoul Night (3)

Chapter 135. A Seoul Night (3)

The old fiend''s wave attack quickly flooded toward Seo Jun-Ho. Crunch! As the wave moved forward while using the air as a medium, fine cracks began to appear on the Curtain of Darkness. The wave attack was a formidable destructive force that damaged the entire space. ¡®...Will it work?¡¯ It might have been a pity for the old fiend, but Seo Jun-Ho did not panic. This was because even in the middle of the short skirmish they had earlier, Seo Jun-Ho also hadn¡¯t revealed all his skills. ''There''s usually only one reason for him to do this¡­¡¯ He had done this because he sought to turn things around with a single shot. People like him were those who would hide their secret weapons and would only use them at important moments to make fools out of their opponents. The old fiend thought that he hadpletely hidden his abilities, but in reality, he had not. ¡®I shouldn''t have said that¡­¡¯ The old fiend thought. During the massacre of fiends in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris 27 years ago, Seo Jun-Ho was someone who had killed the fiends while acting as Specter. For the old fiend, it was a memory akin to a fading picture in a 27-year-old album. But it wasn¡¯t the case for Specter; subtracting the time he spent sleeping in the ice, it had only been about two years for him. ¡®The number of fiends who survived and fled from there is fifty-seven.¡¯ Specter, no, Seo Jun-Ho still remembered all of their skills. ¡®So it was you...¡¯ He was the one who used a mysterious ability called a Wave to send a punch from a long distance. If you were trying to hide a skill till the veryst moment, you had to hide itpletely, because if it was discovered before you could use it, a strategy against it could be made. ''His wave attack is probablying at me right now through the air.¡¯ Then, the way to defend against it was simple. At that moment, Seo Jun-Ho lightly flicked his finger and muttered, ¡°Frost.¡± Crackle. The air froze and four Ice Golems appeared. ''I wish I had more magic and had better mastery over Frost...¡¯ To freeze nitrogen, which ounted for 78 percent of the air, the temperature needed to be lowered to -210 degrees Celsius. His ability fell short at the moment. However, it was sufficient to freeze the water vapor floating in the air. "What, Ice Golem...?¡± The old fiend¡¯s eyes opened wide. Could the Archmage¡¯s magic influence even the inside of this space as well? "No, it''s not. It''s not like that¡­" The old fiend denied it. An idea that was infinitely close to the truth shed through his mind. "It''s not the skill of the Archmage...¡± It was Specter¡¯s skill. He came back after 26 years as an even more ridiculous monster. The moment the old fiend noticed it, his attack smashed through the four Ice Golems and flew toward Specter. ¡®Four Ice Golems are perfect as tankers.¡¯ The old fiend¡¯s attacks had be weaker than ever after smashing through the Ice Golems one after another. Seo Jun-Ho put magic on the back of his hand and swatted away the attack lightly as if chasing away a fly. ¡°¡­¡± A cold silence fell in the Curtain of Darkness. At the same time, the old fiend''s legs began to tremble. The thought that he might die today changed into the confirmation that he would die soon. *** "You''re here?" Skaya warmly greeted as she sat on the railing on the roof of a building. She frowned as she looked at the old fiend''s body on Seo Jun-Ho''s shoulder. "Why are you bringing that here? It''s dirty, dirty." "I have something I have to check. Let''s move ces first. My house will be good." Skaya naturally used teleport magic and the location changed. Plop. Laying the old fiend¡¯s body on the floor, Seo Jun-Ho ced his hand on the old fiend¡¯s forehead. "What are you trying to do?" "You''ll know when you see it. Confession of the Dead." Skaya''s eyes twinkled as the memory video came up. "Is this perhaps...¡± "Yeah, it''s the dead''s memories." "¡­Awesome. Depending on how we use it, it might be possible topletely uproot the fiends.¡± "Yeah, I think so, too." The two crouched down in front of the video window and scanned the old fiend''s memory. Perhaps because the old fiend was a first-generation yer that had debuted over 30 years ago, there was a lot of information to sort through. "Jun-Ho," Skaya remembered all the information meticulously and called him in an uncharacteristically serious voice. "I''ve changed my mind." "What do you mean?" "I was originally going to move with you but I''vee up with a more efficient way." "¡­What is it?" "I hunt the fiends alone and take them to you, then you just extract their memories. How about it? In the meantime, you¡¯ll be able to build up your strength safely. To be honest, when I look at you right now, I feel nervous like a child in a dangerous ce.¡± Skaya had a point. Although it could be said that she was weakened, she was still strong. Butpared to his heyday, Seo Jun-Ho was much weaker, although he thought that he had almost fully narrowed the gap. Unfortunately, the gap widened once again when he removed Skaya from the ice. ''Even if a month goes by and the 50% reduction in stats disappears...¡¯ Theck of magic inbat would likely remain. In fact, even in today''s battle, he didn¡¯t use any skills that consumed a lot of magic. It would have been hard if he hadn¡¯t summoned the Ice Golems with the help of the Frost Queen twice. "But that''s too heavy of a burden for you¡­¡± "No, it¡¯s not that heavy at all," Skaya smirked. "There are two of us here. You can share what you have been carrying by yourself for the past 10 months or so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "Rahmadat, Mio, Gilberto¡­ When all five of us get together again, you can just be the face of the group as you used to be." "Hey, I used to do most of the work in the past. What do you mean, be the face of the group?¡±[1] "What are you saying? You always came shamelessly to me like ¡®Skaya~ Skaya~ Please do this for me, do that for me~¡¯" "Hmmm." Come to think of it, Skaya was so versatile that he had often asked for this and that from her. Gilberto would snatch most of the mobs, and Rahmadat faced the strong monsters alone with a big smile. And for political things¡­ Mio usually solved it using the power of her family. Shim Deok-Gu also helped a lot with problems they couldn¡¯t solve. "...Wait a minute. Was I really just a pretty face?¡± When Seo Jun-Ho asked with a sour look, Skaya rolled on the floorughing. Afterughing for a long time, she wiped away the tears from her eyes and said, "That''s what I''m saying~ Don''t worry, you weren''t that bad." Then, Skaya tapped Seo Jun-Ho''s back with her palm and continued. "Simus? I''ll only heal that son of Gilleon¡¯s city lord, then I''ll go capture the fiends." "But you''re not in a normal state either. Will you be all right by yourself?" "I''m Skaya Killnd. No matter what happens, I can escape by myself. Besides¡­" She spat out a ¡®hu¡¯ and thenughed like a pervert. Afterward, she revealed a very insidious look. "I''ll study new magic here and there and experiment with those magic on the fiends¡­¡± "So that''s your main goal¡­" "Isn''t the proposal wonderful? And you''re supposed to be Seo Jun-Ho for a while anyway." "Mmhmm." Certainly, if Seo Jun-Ho and Skaya Killnd went around together, they were bound to stand out. It would be fine if he wore Specter¡¯s mask like today, but he announced that Specter would be on the 1st floor for a while. "26 years have passed. I¡¯m sure those fiends are no longer small fries; they must be unimaginably strong right now. And like the information I read in the old fiend''s memory today... They have be iparablyrger than before," Skayamented. Four among the Nine Heavens belonged to the Fiend Association, which said a lot. On the other hand, only three yers belonged to the Guilds. The other two were independents who were basically wandering around as rogues. "As we have also read in the memories today, there are four factions inside the Fiend Association," exined Skaya. The leaders of each faction were weaker than the Nine Heavens, but they were presumed to be strong yersparable to the guild masters of the Big 6. Skaya smacked her lips. "Tsk, it would have been nice to know their faces, names, and their exact skills...¡± "I guess it''s because my skill level is still low." "I¡¯m not exactlyining, since I''ve seen where the fiends I can hunt are right now." Skaya stretched and rose from her seat. "I''ll never let my guard down and I¡¯ll definitely contact you if anything happens. That¡¯s fine, right?¡± "¡­Sure." She had always been the type to never listen. However, Seo Jun-Ho nodded because it was Skaya and he knew her strength well. "Then, when are you going to go up to the 2nd floor?" asked Skaya. "Hmmm, I think in about two days? I''m thinking of going to Kwon Noya''s workshop tomorrow." "Oh, that grandpa is still alive?" "Do you want to go with me?" "Later. I don''t think I''ll have enough time since I need to get ready to go upstairs," Skaya responded coolly and went into her room. *** It had been quite a while since the two met, but Kwon Palmo shouldn¡¯t have been rendered speechless like this. After barelying to his senses, he managed to open his mouth and asked, "yer Seo Jun-Ho, what''s this ck lump?" "It''s... It''s the ck Armor." It was the ck Armor that had be a rag in the kobold huntingpetition. The helmet even broke in half. Kwon Palmo asked, touching his forehead. ¡°You¡¯re not perhaps¡­ asking for repairs, are you?¡± "Is it not possible?" "I''ll be honest with you. It''s much better to just make a new one,¡± Kwon Palmo said, tapping the broken ck Armor. "Once it turns into rags like this¡­ Even if it''s repaired, it won¡¯t be as durable as before." Kwon Palmo looked at the ck Armor, turned it around, and added an apology. "And I''m sorry. I thought it wouldn''t get destroyed in most situations, but I was wrong.¡± "No, it''s my fault. On the contrary, the ck Armor saved my life several times." Seo Jun-Ho took out 10 kilograms more of the dragon bones from his inventory. This was the end of the 20-kilogram dragon bones that he had obtained from defeating the Nameless Dragon. "If Mr. Kwon Palmo doesn''t mind, will you make me the ck Armor again?" Kwon Palmo¡¯s eyes opened wide at the unexpected request. "¡­Are you sure you¡¯re ok with me?" "Yes, in fact, I would rather request you to do it.¡± The ck Armor Kwon Palmo had made was the best. It was a great armor that he had never even seen during his days as Specter. That was why it was a state-of-the-art armor thatbined 25 years of new technology. Kwon Palmo smiled faintly at Seo Jun-Ho''s polite request and put his hand on the dragon bones. "All right, but I have a favor to ask you." "What is it?" "Since we''re making a new one, I want to add new features and make it even more perfect.¡± "If that''s the case, I''ll do my best to support you. Do you need any other materials?" "...Could you possibly acquire some mithril?" "Mithril, where could I get such precious ore¡­ Hmm?¡± At that moment, Seo Jun-Ho thought of something and replied with sparkling eyes, "I think I can get that. How much do you need?" "Well¡­ The more, the better, right?¡± "All right. Then, please wait a moment." When Seo Jun-Ho quickly left the workshop, Kwon Palmo scratched his head. "Hmmm, I wonder where he is going to get it from¡­¡± One could not acquire mithril even in the ck market as far as he knew. It was such a rare ore that it was almost certain that it would only be avable when the auction was held next year. "Oh, is he nning to go to the 2nd floor? Then, it''ll take a while.¡± His prediction was wrong. Seo Jun-Ho returned to the workshop after only 20 minutes. 1. Skaya is telling him that he¡¯s just a pretty boy. ? Chapter 136. Just Take It (1)

Chapter 136. Just Take It (1)

The Korean yer Association¡¯s warehouse was empty. The mithril door of the morgue that had been attached untilst night was now in a pile on the floor. Shim Deok-Gu stared at the metal, deep in thought. ¡®Jun-Ho and Skaya said they moved the other Heroes, so¡­¡¯ There was no need to keep the mithril door. But the Seoul History Museum¡¯s morgue was symbolic, so it would remain. ¡°...Should we do it?¡± As Shim Deok-Gu stared at the mithril, the old, ridiculous dream of his popped into his head. He wanted to create a great statue in front of the Association building. Of course, the statue wouldn¡¯t be of him. That would be embarrassing¡­ ¡®We should make a statue of Specter.¡¯ Because he was the greatest yer that had evere out of the Korean yer Association. ¡°Hmmm, with this much, we should be able to make it really big.¡± He smiled, satisfied. Just then, Seo Jun-Ho came rushing in. ¡°Oh, it really is here.¡± ¡°...What¡¯s the asion? Why¡¯re you here?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked, worried that it was something urgent. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing big.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed at the scattered pile of mithril. ¡°Can I have that?¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked at the metal and paused. They were in lumps, and there were a lot of them. ¡®Well, since there¡¯s so much¡­¡¯ He nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Seo Jun-Ho began to hungrily pick up the lumps of mithril like a starved animal. They quickly disappeared inside his inventory. Surprised, Shim Deok-Gu reached out. ¡°Hey, hey¡­ What are you going to do with so much mithril?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, ck Armor was destroyed, so I wanted to make a new set of armor. Kwon Palmo said that it would be nice to have some mithril. Do you need some too?¡± he asked. ¡°... No, why would I?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Then, I¡¯m going back to the Workshop. Thanks, you really saved me.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho smiled brightly and left, Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Well¡­ I suppose it¡¯s better to use the mithril on the real Specter, rather than a statue of one.¡± It would be the more honorable choice for the mithril as well. Shim Deok-Gu spotted the tiny amount of metal left and snorted. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll at least be able to make a figurine.¡± Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to ce it in front of the Association building. ¡®I should probably clean my desk.¡¯ He would disy it in his office. *** ¡°Where did you get all of this?¡± Kwon Palmo¡¯s jaw dropped. It was shocking enough that Seo Jun-Ho had returned in 20 minutes, but he had never imagined that the yer would bring back this much mithril. ¡°Is it not enough?¡± ¡°N-No¡­Not at all. On the contrary¡­¡± The gears started to turn in Kwon Palmo¡¯s head as he stared at the pile of mithril. His original ns dissolved, and he decided toe up with a whole new n. ¡®With this much mithril¡­¡¯ Originally, he nned to strengthen the joints of the armor if Seo Jun-Ho brought a little bit of mithril. The cksmith had expected Seo Jun-Ho to bring 1 kilogram at most. But with this amount, Kwon Palmo could make an entire suit of armor out of mithril. ¡°I should mix it,¡± he said, eyes sparkling. ¡°Huh? Mix what?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Originally, I was nning to remake ck Armor with dragon bones and coat the joints with mithril. But I can do something totally different with this much mithril. I¡¯m going to ground the dragon bones into powder and melt down the mithril to make a new material for your armor.¡± He breathed heavily as if he was excited by the mere idea. ¡°What¡¯s your current level?¡± ¡°60.¡± ¡°... Huh? You¡¯re level 60?¡± Considering that Seo Jun-Ho had only been a level 20 rookie when he received ck Armor, his growth rate was unthinkable. Kwon Palmo had never met a yer who had leveled up so quickly in his life. ¡°Tsk. It¡¯s your fault for applying normal standards to him,¡± Kwon Noya said as he descended the stairs. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Noya.¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to greet people when you visit them, you rascal,¡± the old man grumbled. ¡°But you¡¯re gonna go back up as soon as you finish your business¡­¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Kwon Noya shook his head, unable to tell Jun-Ho that he¡¯d been waiting this whole time. As soon as he discovered the mithril, Kwon Noya¡¯s eyes brightened with a youthful light. ¡°Oooh, mithril¡­It has been decades since I¡¯ve seen this much of it.¡± ¡°Is it hard to acquire mithril these days?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Of course it is. Mithril is extremely rare in the first ce, but people with money and power have been using it to make their own gears throughout the years. As such, it has only be even more coveted.¡± Kwon Noya sat in a chair and nodded toward ck Armor. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re gonna get a whole new set of armor, eh?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be in your grandson¡¯s care.¡± ¡°A-hem.¡± Kwon Noya opened the fan he was holding and started to fan his face. It was a habit of his to do that whenever he was made ufortably aware of his age, and Kwon Palmo knew this. ¡°Grandpa, would you like to make it together?¡± he carefully asked. ¡°Ha, did I say anything? The customer hasn¡¯t even said anything¡­¡± He snorted as if he was offended. But despite what he said, he looked expectantly at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°This old man is so easy to read.¡± The Frost Queen cackled. She was hiding from the cksmiths. ¡®But you¡¯re just as easy to read¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought. He always seemed to attract these kinds of people. Seo Jun-Ho sighed as if it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Noya, are you busy these days?¡± ¡°Busy? Geez. If I openedmissions, I¡¯d be busy for the next ten years,¡± he huffed. ¡°Really? Then I suppose you won¡¯t be able to help out,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°I¡¯m not takingmissions, though.¡± ¡°Then, you aren¡¯t busy?¡± Swoosh. Swoosh. The room became silent save for the sound of the fan. ¡®This is fun.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho decided to stop teasing the old man. He chuckled. ¡°Please help me, Noya.¡± ¡°...Hmph.¡± Usually, Kwon Noya wouldn¡¯t give in right away, but this time he stood up as if he had been waiting for this moment. He walked over to the workbench and studied the dragon bones and mithril. ¡°Do you have a n?¡± ¡°I was nning to mix the two materials for now,¡± answered Kwon Palmo. ¡°I see¡­¡± Kwon Noya looked impressed as if he had been thinking the exact thing. But after a few moments, he barked. ¡°Hey, what¡¯re you doing standing there like an idiot? If you¡¯ve made a decision, you should draw up a design and a n.¡± ¡°Ugh. I¡¯ll do that.¡± Kwon Palmo scratched his head and disappeared. ¡°It¡¯ll take ten days at most,¡± Kwon Noya said. ¡°That¡¯s longer than before,¡± Seo Jun-Homented. ¡°But this one will be iparable to the first version. It¡¯ll still be a Spread armor, of course, but with the mithril, we can have state-of-the-art effects¡­ Mithril has natural magic resistance, and we can make it lightweight¡­¡± Kwon Noya rambled on and on, using jargons that only he knew. He gave a satisfied smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to make a decent one, for once.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t ck Dragon Fang pretty good?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°This one will be even better. Think about how much more will go into it¡­ Of course, it¡¯ll be more.¡± He chuckled. ¡°And I saw the articles. Skaya¡¯s awake now, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°So why hasn¡¯t she visited me yet? I should scold her the next time we meet,¡± Noya muttered, sounding disappointed. ¡°Please let it go this time. We¡¯re going to the 2nd floor, so she has to prepare a lot,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. ¡°Tsk, I¡¯ll let it go because I got to see you. And¡­ Tell her toe here if any of her weapons or armor break.¡± ¡°... I¡¯ll do that.¡± Despite the sharp way that he spoke, Noya obviously cared about her. He scratched his nose awkwardly as he patted Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder. ¡°And¡­ It must¡¯ve been hard. You have really done it this time.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled wordlessly. Those simple words were worth more than any sort of ttery he had received so far. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything praiseworthy yet. There¡¯s still three of them left.¡± ¡°You can do it. Because you¡¯re you.¡± ¡°I can do it. Because I¡¯m me.¡± Knowing that even one person had such unwavering faith in him made Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart swell. And once he freed his remainingrades, that number would increase by three. He closed his eyes, imagining that day. ¡®I¡¯ll save you no matter what.¡¯ One day, he would see it in real life. *** Before the two Heroes left for the Dimensional Elevator, they met together with Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°When will youe back this time?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Contact me if the fiends cause trouble, though. I¡¯lle right away,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Shim Deok-Gu smiled at that and ced a hand over his heart. He turned toward his other friend, looking at her awkwardly. ¡°Good luck. Be safe, and be healthy,¡± he said to Skaya.¡± ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± She asked. ¡°Um, well¡­¡± ¡°Alright. You stay healthy too.¡± She turned away. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Um, okay.¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly waved goodbye and followed her. Once they arrived at the Dimensional Elevator, he confronted her. ¡°Skaya, are you still that mad at Deok-Gu?¡± ¡°Not really...¡± ¡°Then why were you so cold to him?¡± ¡°Your friend keeps pissing me off. Is ¡®be safe¡¯ all he can say? Is he a butler or something? It¡¯s funny. It¡¯s his first time seeing my pretty face in 26 years, but he apparently has nothing he wants to say despite me being gone for so long.¡± She scowled, uncharacteristically cold. One might think that she was the Frost Queen. ¡°Um¡­ Well, don¡¯t take it out on me. You guys should figure it out.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention that idiot again. That bald idiot.¡± ¡°... He¡¯ll be hurt if you call him that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll make sure to say it to his face next time.¡± She was properly pissed. They received a basic inspection likest time before they stepped into the Dimensional Elevator. Seo Jun-Ho looked mischievously over at Skaya. ¡°You¡¯ve probably never experienced anything like the way it feels to go to a different.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± She swallowed in anticipation. She then inspected the Elevator with her signature curiosity befitting that of an Archmage. ¡®She¡¯s probably a lot more excited than I was.¡¯ He nced over and found that the Frost Queen was also watching Skaya with an expectant look. She had decided to hide from the mage. ¡°Now, I expect that she will experience the same overwhelming disappointment that I did.¡± She giggled. ¡°Yup.¡± Skaya pressed the button with a trembling hand as the two of them snickered. And then it was over¡­ [The doors to the 2nd floor are now opening.] Seo Jun-Houghed when he saw Skaya¡¯s frozen face. ¡°Hahaha, how was it? Isn¡¯t it disappointing? Actually, when Frost and I first went up¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing¡­¡± ¡°...What?¡± He hadn¡¯t expected this. Skaya started to inspect each corner of the Elevator excitedly. ¡°Even though we have teleported acrosss and dimensions, there wasn¡¯t a single trace of magic. And there was no motion sickness at all either¡­ Just who was it that made this elevator? I need to meet them¡­I''m sure they¡¯ll be able to teach me a lot more about magic. Maybe it¡¯s a god? Oh, or maybe it¡¯s one of the Administrators you mentioned. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen stared at her, shocked. They had experienced the same thing, so howe she was this excited and they hadn¡¯t felt anything?¡± ¡°I¡­ feel like an idiot,¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally said. ¡°I agree. This is disheartening¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed and stepped out of the elevator. He bowed respectfully. ¡°I will escort you to Baron Vashti¡¯s estate, Skaya-nim.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ yes.¡± Skaya quickly pulled herself together as she noticed all the people staring at her and realized what was going on. She looked thoroughly entertained as she looked down at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Lead the way, yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± She was definitely enjoying this. Chapter 137. Just Take It (2) ¡°...It¡¯s the Archmage.¡± ¡°I suppose Skaya Killnd really was awakened.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ And to think that I saw herst year on the Day of Heroes at the Seoul History Museum.¡± Everyone was staring. A normal person probably would have been intimidated by all the stares, but Seo Jun-Ho and Skaya were at ease after having experienced this many times before. ¡°Right this way.¡± Seo Jun-Ho led her right to the estate without bothering to linger anywhere else. As they walked, Skaya looked around in awe, taking in the new world around her. ¡°This ce is so cool. I can¡¯t quite exin it¡­ But it¡¯s different from Earth,¡± she said. ¡°Everyone says that when they firste here. So did I. The magic in the air itself feels different, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Man, I wonder how much magic has developed in this amazing environment¡­ I¡¯m so curious,¡± she muttered. ¡°If you ever get the time, you should go to the Magic Tower. You¡¯ll definitely find something there.¡± The Ruben Empire¡¯s Magic Tower was a holy ground for mages. Every mage dreamed of acquiring the membership for the tower, but only those who were chosen could enter. ¡°ording to what I read in themunity forums, themander of the imperial knights and the archbishop of the Church of the Sun are just as strong as the Nine Heavens,¡± Seo Jun-Homented. ¡°How did they know? Have they fought before?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°No, people just think that. But they take it as the truth.¡± ¡°That makes sense¡­ Considering how vast the Empire is, it¡¯s not surprising that there are people of that caliber.¡± As they talked, it didn¡¯t take long for them to arrive at the estate. The guard at the gate recognized Seo Jun-Ho and quickly sent word. A momentter, Phivir came running out with a bright smile on his face. ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho. I thought you¡¯d nevere,¡± he eximed. ¡°I apologize for making you wait,¡± he replied. ¡°Is this the person? The one you mentioned, who can cure Young Master Simus¡¯s disease¡­¡± ¡°Yes. She is one of the 5 Heroes from my world, the Archmage Skaya Killnd.¡± ¡°What?¡± Phivir¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°This is Skaya Killnd-nim?!¡± ¡°... Oh, do you know her?¡± ¡°Of course I do! The stories of the 5 Heroes have spread far and wide in our world as well. There are many tales about them, and you could even hear them from traveling troupes who perform ys.¡± He ced a hand on his heart. ¡°It is a great honor to meet Earth¡¯s Archmage. I am the knightmander of Gilleon, Phivir.¡± ¡°My, my, I didn¡¯t know that people from another dimension would know me,¡± Skaya said, grinning happily. ¡®Me neither¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought. ¡°I believe that you are fully capable of releasing Young Master Simus¡¯s magic circuits, just as yer Seo Jun-Ho had said. Please,e in.¡± Phivir hurriedly escorted them inside. Baron Vashti and his wife had already received word, and they were already waiting in the drawing-room. They greeted the two yers excitedly. ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho,¡± Baron Vashti said warmly. He hadn¡¯t forgotten the way Seo Jun-Ho had treated his son¡¯s intense illness. The noble turned toward Skaya. ¡°And this is¡­?¡± ¡°My liege, please do not be shocked. This is one of the 5 Heroes of Earth, Skaya Killnd,¡± Phivir said. ¡°...!¡± ¡°Goodness!¡± Vashti and Helena¡¯s eyes turned as wide as saucers. They had never expected her to be the one toe. The baron looked around, flustered. ¡°My goodness, we¡¯re meeting such a great person, and yet our drawing room is so unseemly¡­¡± ¡°Huh? No, it¡¯s alright. It¡¯s quite cozy in here.¡± Despite Skaya¡¯s status as a civilian, Vashti still spoke formally to her.[1] Not only were her powers widely acimed, but she was also the one who would soon cure his son. ¡°I was not aware that you knew such a great person,¡± the baron said to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I just said that she was a friend for convenience. I only met her for the first time recently to escort her here.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. I did wonder how you would have connections, considering the age difference,¡± Baron Vashti said, nodding. He was well aware that the 5 Heroes had been frozen for 25 years. ¡°Could I see your son?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°Of course¡­¡± When they arrived, Simus was reading a book in his bed. ¡°Simus. This is the person who will treat you.¡± His parents stroked his head lovingly. Simus ced down his book and greeted the two respectfully. ¡°Hello. My name is Simus Gilleon. You are yer Seo Jun-Ho, correct? The one who treated mest time?¡± ¡°Yes, I am¡­¡± ¡°Thank you. I couldn¡¯t thank you because I was unconscious, so it had been weighing on my mind¡­¡± The child was kind and pure, and Skaya and Seo Jun-Ho smiled at that. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else we need to discuss, correct? I¡¯ll begin the treatment right away,¡± Skaya said. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll be in your care,¡± Simus said. Skaya chuckled at that. He spoke like an adult despite his age. She gestured with her finger, and he fell into a deep sleep. Skaya leaned in closer to check his status and nodded. ¡°Yup, this is doable. It¡¯ll take about 20 minutes.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± The couple sniffled as they held onto each other. They had already been through hell after no healer or potion had been able to cure their one and only son. ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting outside.¡± They left so that Skaya could concentrate on her work, and the two yers sat down next to the bed. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s begin.¡± Skaya closed her eyes and ced her hand on Simus¡¯s chest as she started to unravel the knotted magic circuits inside his body. ¡®She¡¯s amazing¡­¡¯ Even though Seo Jun-Ho was also skilled in using magic, he would never be able to catch up with Skaya. It was at times like these when he felt it the most. It wasn¡¯t a matter of effort, but about natural talent. ¡°Phew, I¡¯m done.¡± The treatment was finished, just like that. Seo Jun-Ho checked just in case, and he saw that Simus¡¯s circuits were nowid out neatly as they should be. ¡°Good work,¡± he said. ¡°It feels nice to do something good for the first time in decades.¡± When they left the room and told Baron Vashti that she had seeded, he teared up as they grabbed their hands tightly. ¡°Thank you both. No, thank you.¡±[2] Regardless of their difference in status, Baron Vashti showed his respect to the two people who had saved his son. After that, he escorted them into his study and offered them a cup of tea. He rubbed his thumb on the handle of the teacup as hot steam billowed up before he finally spoke up. ¡°Simus has always wanted to be a mage since he was young. Before he got sick, I was nning to send him to a magic academy in the capital this year¡­¡± He paused. Their teacups filled the room with a fruity aroma. ¡°Archmage, do you think Simus¡­ Do you think he¡¯ll still be able to be a mage?¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya was usually carefree and confident, but when Seo Jun-Ho had first met her, she was merely an entric shut-in who did nothing but research magic. She liked; no, loved magic more than anyone else. She knew what would happen when Simus opened his eyes. Skaya shook her head sadly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s impossible. Even though his magic circuits have returned to normal, he will not be able to use magic for the rest of his life.¡± It wasmon for characters in novels to turn a crisis around into something beneficial and receive some great power once it was over. But reality was different. A crisis was a crisis, and all that was waiting once it passed were the aftereffects. ¡°...Even if we use yers¡¯ skill books or potions to strengthen them?¡± Baron Vashti asked. ¡°Magic circuits aren¡¯t like rubber bands. They¡¯re more like clothing. Once you stretch them out¡­ Well, no matter what kind of detergent or water you use, they won¡¯t go back to the way they were.¡± ¡°...¡± Baron Vashti squeezed his eyes shut. The two of them couldn¡¯t say anything even as his son¡¯s dreams were crushed. They couldn¡¯t give him false hope. ¡°...We haven¡¯t found the culprit left. We don¡¯t know how or why they did something so heinous to Simus. But ording to what yer Seo Jun-Ho had said, they¡¯re probably a fiend, correct?¡± He asked. ¡°The energy in Young Master Simus¡¯s body was definitely demonic energy,¡± Seo Jun-Ho confirmed. ¡°...Phew.¡± The baron closed his eyes, calming himself. ¡°I apologize for my shamelessness, but could I request something of you two?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Please find the fiend who crushed Simus¡¯s dreams and bring them to justice.¡± Neither of them had expected this. As Skaya and Seo Jun-Ho exchanged nces, a message appeared before them. [The Son¡¯s Enemy] Grade: C Description: Find the fiend who poisoned Gilleon¡¯s Young Master Simus and kill them. Reward: 100 gold, 1,000 Fame. ¡®The reward is good, and so is the Fame.¡¯ But surprisingly, the most satisfying part was that their target was a fiend. They already had their eyes set on the criminal who had crushed the dreams of such a kind, innocent child. ¡°I shall ept your request.¡± ¡°So do I...¡± As they nodded, Baron Vashti stood up and walked toward the shelves in the back of the room. He dug through the drawers and pulled something out before he returned. He gave Skaya a pouch, and Seo Jun-Ho a book. ¡°Baron, what is this¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my way of thanking you. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t give you anything else.¡± Skaya realized that the pouch was full of money. But Seo Jun-Ho still didn¡¯t know what the book was. ¡°Item data,¡± he muttered. ~ [Skill Book - Circuit Strengthening, Passive] Grade: B Effect: The user¡¯s magic circuits are permanently strengthened. ~ ¡°Baron, this is¡­¡± He trailed off. Vashti had probably gotten it for Simus. Even if the boy couldn¡¯t use it, Seo Jun-Ho still couldn¡¯t take it. But the baron only shook his head when Jun-Ho looked up. ¡°Just take it.¡± He actually looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. ¡°It is not a spontaneous gift. Simus wanted to give it to you. He said that if it turned out that he could no longer use magic¡­ He wanted to give it to you.¡± And to think that he was so young¡­ The thin book suddenly felt heavy in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to carry out Simus¡¯s dreams in his stead. Please, just take it. Not another word.¡± A long silence passed between them before Jun-Ho finally nodded. *** The air around the two yers had be very different from when they first entered. They were excited earlier, but now their faces were stiff as if they had juste out of a battlefield. ¡°Despite how much time has passed, it seems like fiends are still a bunch of scum,¡± Skaya said. ¡°Yeah. All they do is eat, sleep, andmit crimes,¡± Seo Jun-Ho agreed. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing they haven¡¯t changed,¡± she said coldly. The fiends didn¡¯t deserve her mercy. ¡°Oh, about this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho held up the skill book. ¡°Don¡¯t you need this more than I do? It¡¯s a skill book that strengthens your magic circuits.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Skaya tilted her head. ¡°What are you saying? Isn¡¯t that the skill you need most right now?¡± ¡°Me? Why?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked, confused. Skaya¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°...Wait, are you telling me that you haven¡¯t thought that far?¡± When he looked at her with a quizzical expression, she waved him over. ¡°Follow me. This noona of yours will be giving you a special lesson today.¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll thank me when we¡¯re done. If my estimates are correct, you¡¯ll be at least twice as strong as you are now.¡± ¡°...¡± How in the world could this skill book make him that much stronger? ¡°Hey, wait up! Do you even know where you¡¯re going?¡± Seo Jun-Ho stumbled as he tried to catch up with Skaya. 1. He uses the formal tone with Skaya, unlike the way he speaks to Jun-Ho and Phivir. ? 2. He goes from using a casual tone to a respectful one. ? Chapter 138. Superstar (1)

Chapter 138. Superstar (1)

Skaya and Seo Jun-Ho headed back toward Dewdrop Inn. They didn¡¯t have the luxury of personal training rooms in Frontier like they did back at the Association, and the most private ce they could train was in a guestroom. ¡°Maybe I should buy a mansion with a personal training ground in the future¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ¡°Huh? What was that?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head lightly. He made them a cup of tea and sat down. ¡°So what¡¯s this technique that will make me be at least twice as strong?¡± ¡°First¡­¡± Skaya held out her hand, palm-up. Seo Jun-Ho stared dumbly at it. ¡°...Are you asking me to pay you?¡± he asked. ¡°What are you saying? Give me your hand so I can check something.¡± When he offered his hand to her, Skaya checked his pulse like a doctor. Her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Geez, did you take a potion or something?¡± ¡°A potion? I haven¡¯t taken any since I awakened.¡± Back in the day, the 5 Heroes would be sold every new potion or even receive them for free. After all, the stronger they got, the more people they would be able to save. ¡®Of course, I can only dream about that now since people are too busy caring about their own profits.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho pulled back his hand. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Your magic circuits look a lot sturdier than before. At this level, you shouldn¡¯t be losing any magic power,¡± Skaya exined. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because of the Cave of Trials.¡± After he cleared the 10th floor, his magic loss rate reached 0%, which meant that excess energy no longer leaked out from him. ¡°Good. You¡¯ve met the basic requirements.¡± ¡°Requirements for what?¡± ¡°For the possibility of reaching the next stage.¡± She nodded. ¡°Jun-Ho, did you know that I studied STEM before the Gates started appearing?¡± ¡°Yeah. You were studying engineering, weren¡¯t you?¡± Back then, she had been obsessively studying science instead of magic. Skaya grinned and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Let me exin this to you as Skaya Killnd, the engineering student.¡± She gestured with a finger, pulling up a hologram image of aputer. ¡°Do you remember these? We only use holograms nowadays, but we used to useputers.¡± ¡°Of course I do. I know a bit about them.¡± Like most male high school and college students, Seo Jun-Ho used to have a great interest inputers. ¡°Alright. Then, do you know what PC boosters are? Manufacturers install them in their devices.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± PC boosters, as the name implied, were a feature that boosted a PC¡¯s performance. All you had to do was press the BIOS key to activate it. ¡°But there¡¯s a downside to using boosters,¡± Skaya said. ¡°...Even though it boosts performance, it takes up a lot more energy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Most people don¡¯t know how to Overclock their device, so boosters were ast resort installed by the manufacturers. In other words, it¡¯s not cost-efficient.¡± Thus,puter enthusiasts would turn to the perilous path of overclocking. ¡°When we came up with Booster, we hadputers in mind too,¡± Skaya said. ¡°I think you said something like this back then: ¡®Jun-Ho, if your magic circuits were a little stronger and you just met one more requirement¡­ You¡¯d be able to use a much more efficient technique¡¯.¡± ¡°You sure have a good memory. That¡¯s right! Congrattions, you¡¯ve reached both of those conditions.¡± ¡°...I have?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked. It was easy to see that he had reached the first condition. ¡®When your magic loss rate reaches 0%, your circuits get stronger. And¡­¡¯ He received the skill book for Circuit Strengthening (B) from Baron Vashti. Once he learned the skill, his magic circuits would be much stronger than they were right now. ¡°But you said I reached the second condition as well. What is it?¡± ¡°Hmmm, I suppose you don¡¯t know all that much about Overclocking,¡± Skaya remarked. ¡°I only know the basics. I¡¯m not that big of a nerd.¡± Overclocking allowed you to surpass the limits of the PC and use more energy to optimize performance. In theory, it was simr to Booster, but the effects were vastly different. The more you wanted to increase the clock speed, the lower the voltage you used.[1]This was all Seo Jun-Ho knew about Overclocking. ¡°You only need to know the basics. Do you know what you absolutely need to reach the highest possible processing speed?¡± ¡°...A friend who¡¯s good withputers?¡± ¡°Wrong, you idiot. It¡¯s a cont.¡± ¡°A cont?¡± ¡°Yeah. Overclocking allows you to surpass the limits of the CPU and supply a lot more voltage. This will let you reach maximum performance, but it creates an insane amount of heat. If you can¡¯t contain it, the CPU will die.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s scary.¡± Skaya wasparing his body to aputer. If he wasn¡¯t able to handle the heat, his brain would short-circuit. ¡°Even if you try to use a fan, it¡¯ll keep turning on and off, so you can¡¯t achieve maximum Overclocking,¡± Skaya exined. ¡°So that¡¯s why you need a cont¡­¡± ¡°Right. If you want me to tell you about the options¡­¡± ¡°No, thanks. Let¡¯s get back on track.¡± Skaya looked disappointed as she continued. ¡°You have the Frost skill. I think that¡¯ll work as a cont.¡± ¡°Yeah, I tried that already, but it didn¡¯t work.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°Frost wasn¡¯t even enough to handle the overheating from Booster.¡± ¡°Are you sure? That shouldn¡¯t be the case¡­¡± Skaya chuckled. The Frost Queen, who was sitting next to Jun-Ho, also shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t think deeply enough about these things. What would you have done without your noona?¡± ¡°...We¡¯re the same age now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re funny. Do you call Deok-Gu ¡®hyung,¡¯ then?¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what to say. He quickly changed the subject. ¡°So, how should I use Frost?¡± ¡°I mean exactly what I said. Use it like you would a cont.¡± He still wasn¡¯t sure how he could use a skill for making ice directly as a cont. Seo Jun-Ho furrowed his eyebrows. He looked at Skaya expectantly, but he was starting to get impatient. ¡°First, tell me what you¡¯ve tried with the Frost skill.¡± ¡°I covered my body in ice and lowered the temperature around me.¡± After intense battles, even that was hard. He had to get help from the Frost Queen. ¡°...Is that all?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head. Was there anything else he could have done? Skaya scratched her head. ¡°Listen carefully. There¡¯s no point in using Frost to cool your skin. You should be using that on your enemies, not yourself.¡± ¡°Then, what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°You need to infuse all the magic energy inside of you with Frost¡¯s energy.¡± So he would change the element of his magic energy? Seo Jun-Ho blinked. ¡°No matter how strong my magic circuits are, infusing the energy inside me with an element would be harmful,¡± he said. ¡°Jun-Ho. You still don¡¯t get it.¡± Skaya patted his shoulder. ¡°Overclocking is a race against time.¡± ¡°...¡± To optimize performance while lowering voltage as much as possible¡ªthat was the alpha and omega of Overclocking. ¡°You have to create an energy that your magic circuits can handle while stopping yourself from overheating.¡± It sounded intimidating. Plus, it carried the risk of damaging his magic circuits if he messed up. ¡°...Do I really have to go that far?¡± ¡°The choice is yours, of course. But if you do the calctions, isn¡¯t it the best option?¡± Skaya tapped her temple with her finger. Overclocking was undeniably ludicrous. ¡®If I figure out a way to handle the heat, I should be able to use more magic than usual.¡¯ Booster had already made his strength and speed much higher than normal, but Overclocking would make him even more powerful than that. ¡®...It¡¯s tempting.¡¯ Additionally, there wasn¡¯t a big difference in magic consumption between Overclocking and Booster. The only problem was overheating. But as long as he kept it under his watch, it would be perfect. ¡°Seems like I¡¯ll be busy for a while...¡± Seo Jun-Hoid back on the couch. Skaya took a sip of tea. ¡°It¡¯ll probably only take you a week or two at most.¡± She stood up, getting ready to leave. ¡°...Where are you going?¡± ¡°Me? On a journey.¡± She swung her arms in a jogging motion. ¡°I told you I was nning to go on my own once I finished Simus¡¯s treatment.¡± ¡°...Yeah, but I thought you¡¯d stay for a few more days, at least.¡± ¡°That would be beingzy¡­ The fiends are probably harassing people this very moment,¡± she said. ¡°Do you have enough money?¡± Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Deok-Gu gave me some. And I got some from Baron Vashti, so I¡¯m rich now.¡± Skaya flipped a coin in the air, and Seo Jun-Ho caught it. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A lucky coin. I always have one with me. It¡¯ll protect you from an instance of misfortune.¡± ¡°...I thought you were a mage, not a shaman.¡± ¡°Psssh.¡± Skayaughed and waved. ¡°I¡¯ll do some investigating for Baron Vashti¡¯smission. You¡¯re not in great shape anyway. Take a month off, and start moving when you have recovered. And don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re not in great shape either,¡± Seo Jun-Homented. ¡°But my stats are a lot higher than yours. I¡¯m just slightly weakened. It¡¯s not like all my stats have been reset.¡± Sure enough, there weren¡¯t many fiends right now who would be able to face her. No matter how much time had passed, the 5 Heroes¡¯ stats were still unbelievably high after taking all those potions. ¡®I hope I can recover my stats soon too.¡¯ He still had to regain about 150 more in each stat. His head started to hurt when he thought about how many times he had to level up before he reached his original numbers. The only thing that motivated Seo Jun-Ho was the fact that he would receive more stats per level than others. ¡°Practice Overclocking while I¡¯m gone, but don¡¯t push it. Your noona will take care of all the fiends, so don¡¯t worry,¡± Skaya said. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna go overboard for something like this. I¡¯ll make sure to take my time,¡± he reassured. Skaya looked around. ¡°Ah, what a shame. Seems like our little Frost still hasn¡¯te back from the Spirit World.¡± ¡°...¡± The Spirit World was a lie. The Frost Queen was simply hiding. Even now, she flinched when her name was called and gripped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s pant leg. ¡°It really is a shame. I¡¯m gonna research a way to get into the Spirit World sometime. Maybe I¡¯ll even find a way to locate Spirits.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt the Frost Queen tremble at his feet. ¡°...Please don¡¯t. Spirits deserve privacy too.¡± ¡°Hmph, fine. Let¡¯s take care of the fiends first, and think about it after.¡± Skaya gave Seo Jun-Ho her Community ID and waved before disappearing. ¡°I¡¯m jealous of her Teleport.¡± At least he would be able to use it with her during emergencies, which made him feel at ease. ¡®Knowing Skaya, she¡¯s probably gonna push herself too hard. I¡¯m worried.¡¯ Skaya knew how much Seo Jun-Ho had struggled alone in thest year to save his friends. She probably thought that it was her turn to take the torch and that it was up to her to do all the work so that Seo Jun-Ho could livefortably. Skaya had never forgotten a debt. ¡°...I can¡¯t bring her down.¡± Even though she had told him to rest up while she took out all the fiends on her own, Seo Jun-Ho had no intention of listening. He wanted to level up and restore his stats as fast as possible so that he could stand by her, side-by-side. ¡®And the first step to doing that is Overclocking.¡¯ His eyes zed with determination as he thought about the tough training toe. The Frost Queen crawled onto his shoulder. After she had gotten bigger, she could no longer fit on one shoulder. ¡°Contractor, open themunity window. I wish to edit.¡± ¡°...Didn¡¯t you finish itst time? Don¡¯t we just need to upload now?¡± ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°After returning to Earth, I realized something important after studying the masters. If you give me a few more days, I will create an even greater masterpiece that will please the audiences.¡± ¡®...Masterpiece? Audiences?¡¯ She seemed verymitted to her role as a director. Seo Jun-Ho nodded in resignation and opened the window. While the Frost Queen finished her ¡®masterpiece,¡¯ he would master Overclocking. ¡®I¡¯ll give myself a month.¡¯ Until his body healed¡­ 1. this is how it was written in the raws, but it should be "higher." So this should make Booster exactly the same as CPU Overclocking ? Chapter 139. Superstar (2)

Chapter 139. Superstar (2)

Before he actually started training, Seo Jun-Ho booked another guest room. He pushed all the furniture to one corner to create space. From now on, he would call this ce his ¡®training room.¡¯ ¡°What do you wish for me to do?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you wish for me to guide you along the way, or for me to return to the room and edit the video?¡± ¡°...Just help me get started.¡± The Frost Queen probably already knew about the Overclocking method that Skaya had talked about. She had once told him seriously that there was a good method, but she wouldn¡¯t hold his hand along the way. ¡°Where do you think I should start?¡± ¡°10 percent.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much for a start?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. This meant that he would have to infuse Frost energy into 10% of the magic passing through his circuits. ¡°You have more than enough power to endure it. After you strengthen your circuits, of course.¡± ¡°Strengthen my circuits¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the skill book in his hands. Simus had given it to him after the boy had given up on his dreams of being a mage. ¡°Learn it. That is what the child wants as well,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°I know...¡± Using a skill book wasn¡¯t very hard. When he opened it, a message appeared. ~ [Do you wish to learn ¡®Circuit Strengthening?¡¯] ~ When Seo Jun-Ho nodded, the book disintegrated like ashes and his magic circuits started to evolve. There was only a small impact at first¡­ ¡°Ugh!¡± He cried out. Seo Jun-Ho quickly pulled himself into a lotus position and closed his eyes, preparing for the next shock. The transformation began. The worn pathways were being repaired and the rougher patches were being smoothened out. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ The effects were shocking. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic circuits were inherently weak, and his magic stat was inherently low. Although he would clean his magic circuits every day to make them seem as if they were brand-new, they still remained weak. But now, they truly became brand-new. ¡°...Mmph.¡± It took 30 minutes for the transformation to finish. During that time, the Frost Queen was careful not to breathe too loudly as she covered her nose and mouth while waiting. Even a slight disturbance could cause dire consequences when one¡¯s magic circuits were shifting. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a hot breath after he ran his magic onep around. He slowly opened his eyes and turned to the Frost Queen, smiling. ¡°You¡¯re gonna suffocate yourself. You can take your hands away.¡± ¡°...What makes you think I would worry for you? I was merely stifling a cough,¡± she huffed, lowering her hands primly. ¡°So, how are your circuits?¡± she asked. ¡°They¡¯re stronger now.¡± ¡°Well, of course, they would be. Describe it in more detail.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Oh! It¡¯s like that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho eximed, pping. ¡°Before, they were a 2ne road, but now, there are 4nes.¡± ¡°...So it has an increased magic capacity now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They expanded. Of course, if I fill up all the roads, I¡¯ll be expending more magic than before.¡± However, it still made a significant difference. In case of an emergency, he could use all his power at once and create twice as much destructive force. ¡°Oh my¡­ The skill¡¯s effects are greater than I expected.¡± ¡°I was surprised too. What¡¯s even better is that this isn¡¯t a one-and-done deal.¡± Right now, Circuit Strengthening was B-rank, but he could increase his proficiency in the skill. ¡°If it reached A-rank, I¡¯ll get 8nes¡­ And I suppose I¡¯ll get 16 if I reach S. Do you think this skill has EX-grade too?¡± If so, he would be able to reach 32nes. The Frost Queen clicked her tongue and brought him back to reality. ¡°Impossible. Do not push your luck.¡± She was nagging again, but Seo Jun-Ho was used to it by now. It went in one ear and out the other. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s start for real now,¡± he muttered. When he activated Booster, his magic energy ran through his circuits at a rapid pace. ¡®I can run them at up to 13ps per second.¡¯ But this wasn¡¯t something he could always maintain. It was his hard limit, and at that pace, he would quickly overheat. ¡°With my new magic circuits, Booster should be twice as strong now,¡± hemented. ¡°Be careful. Your body will heat up just as fast.¡± ¡°I know that...¡± Maintaining his lotus position, Seo Jun-Ho slowly closed his eyes once again. ¡®I¡¯ll circte my magic first.¡¯ Onep, twops, threeps¡­ As the magic energy flowed through the circuits, it started to speed up. His body started to flush with heat. ¡®So this is the new Booster.¡¯ He could only run his magic for about 13ps per second around the circuit, but the effects were much greater than before. ¡®Of course, they would be. There¡¯s twice as much magic strengthening my body right now.¡¯ But this didn¡¯t mean he consumed twice as much magic energy. Since he didn¡¯t expel any of it and simply kept them in his circuits, he didn¡¯t lose any magic at all. ¡°Contractor,¡± the Frost Queen prompted. Seo Jun-Ho nodded in understanding. ¡®I¡¯ll infuse 10% of my magic energy¡­¡¯ ¡®With Frost¡­¡¯ As soon as he did, his hair stood on end. ¡°...!¡± Unlike when he covered his body with ice, he felt Frost cooling his magic circuits from the inside, and the temperature dropped instantly. A chill ran down his spine and goosebumps rose from his flesh. ¡®It¡¯s still not enough.¡¯ As soon as the magic energy passed by, the cold disappeared, leaving the sweltering heat behind. Because his magic circuits had twice as much capacity as before, his body had also be even hotter. ¡°Haa!¡± He couldn¡¯t handle it any longer and released Booster. His body was drenched in sweat as if he had juste out of a sauna. ¡°Are you alright?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°I am, but¡­ Wow¡­ I definitely won¡¯t be able to use this on the field until I can handle the heat. Actually, it¡¯ll be dangerous even when I¡¯m training.¡± The heat erupted way too fast. Before, he had been able to use Booster for about 5 minutes, but now, it would be hard to maintain it for even 1 minute. ¡°I think 10 percent is way too little to handle it.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ Then raise it to 15, and increase it by increments of 1 after that.¡± ¡°Increments of 1? Isn¡¯t that too little? If we do 5 percent at a time¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± the Frost Queen said firmly. She was uncharacteristically serious. ¡°Be warned, Contractor. My power is poisonous. You would not have been able to infuse your magic into your circuits if it was in its previous state. If the Frost energy stops the heat but freezes your circuits on the way¡­ You may never be able to use magic again.¡± Seo Jun-Ho swallowed and nodded. For a yer, not being able to use magic was the same thing as a death sentence. ¡°I¡¯ll raise it 1 percent at a time. I promise.¡± ¡°Good.¡± The Frost Queen nodded, finally satisfied. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got the hang of it now, so you can go edit,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°...May I?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± ¡°Ahem. Well, you are not a child, so I trust that you will do well. If something happens, call me. I shalle immediately.¡± She quickly turned around and left as if she was afraid that he would change his mind. This was why he sometimes thought that she was useless¡­ ¡°Phew¡­¡± Now, the real race would begin. Every time he ran a test, he would have to rest for at least an hour to restore his body to its normal temperature and recover his magic. Overclocking was a race against time. Seo Jun-Ho recalled Skaya¡¯s advice and waited. *** The Frost Queen stretched her arms into the air, fists clenched. She looked up at the ceiling and let out a victorious cry. ¡°Yes!¡± The long hours, hardbor, artistic anguish, and thepromises between marketability and quality were finally over. In other words, she was done editing the video. ¡®It has been five days since Contractor started training.¡¯ She had been checking on him at least twice a day to make sure that he was still alive. She felt a bit of pity whenever she saw his gaunt face, but training wasn¡¯t supposed to be easy. ¡°I must tell him this good news.¡± She flew over to the training room, hologram window in hand. As soon as she opened the door, she was hit with an unpleasant heat. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho groaned. ¡°Did you fail again?¡± the Frost Queen asked, looking down at her Contractor. He was twitching as hey on the ground. His voice sounded as tired as his body felt. ¡°Yeah¡­ This is so much harder than I thought¡­¡± ¡°Then, let me tell you two pieces of good news.¡± ¡°Two?¡± Seo Jun-Ho sat up instantly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The first is that I have finally finished editing.¡± ¡°Wow, this one took really long. Congrattions. And thanks¡­¡± He had expected her to say this. ¡°What¡¯s the next one?¡± ¡°The second piece of good news is that I have used all the PP.¡± ¡°Wow! Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Ho squinted. ¡°Wait. You used up all the PP?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you used more than 4,000 points to make this single video?¡± His first video, ¡®Test,¡¯ had been steadily earning PP after the day it was uploaded. So, he had earned over 4,000 PP in total so far. ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face went pale. Sure, he expected this one to do better than ¡®Test,¡¯ but was it really worth 4,000 points? He opened his mouth to tell her off, but the Frost Queen held out her hand and shook her head. ¡°Think about it, Contractor. Would it really be right to scold me right now?¡± ¡°...Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure it is.¡± ¡°I-if the video does not earn ten times as much PP as I spent, then I will leave this industry.¡± ¡°What industry are you talking about¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. He let out a long sigh and nodded slowly. ¡°Fine. Show me the video first. I¡¯ll judge it when I see it.¡± The Frost Queen nervously moved over the window like a child showing their parent a report card. ¡°...Wait, it¡¯s only 35 minutes? That¡¯s a lot shorter than I expected. I thought it would be at least an hour long.¡± ¡°You know nothing, Contractor. Experts say that 35-minute videos are the most popr.¡± ¡°...¡± Well, he couldn¡¯t contradict an expert''s opinion. ¡®This better be good...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho evaluated the video as an objective critic. When 35 minutes passed, he reyed the video, his expression still heavy. The Frost Queen wasn¡¯t sure what that meant, and she kept watching him nervously. Once 35 more minutes had passed, Seo Jun-Ho spoke. ¡°Frost Queen,¡± he said seriously. She swallowed. ¡°W-what is it¡­Mr. Contractor¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at her and broke into a grin. He patted her head. ¡°Be honest. You spent all your time in Niflheim watching ys instead of doing governmental work, right?¡± ¡°No. I excelled at my duties.¡± ¡°Then, why are you so good at video editing? I couldn¡¯t even tell how much time had passed because it was so good.¡± All he could think after watching her video was that it was entertaining. ¡°With this, you¡¯ll definitely gain ten¡­No, twenty times as much PP than you spent.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± She shrugged off the high praise and her confidence was instantly restored. ¡°I am a genius, after all.¡± 30 minutester, her self-proimed debut piece, ¡®Salmon in the mountain,¡¯ was uploaded into the video forum. Chapter 140. Superstar (3)

Chapter 140. Superstar (3)

"Why am I so nervous?" the Frost Queen wondered. "Why are you so nervous?" Seo Jun-Ho remarked. The Frost Queen walked around the training room andined to herself. When she had been the size of a palm, her voice was a little small, but as her body grew bigger, her voice seemed to have gotten bigger. "¡­I don''t know about that, but could you please go be nervous in a room?¡± "No. Won¡¯t I get more nervous if I¡¯m alone?" "Why are you so worried? I saw the video and it came out well. It''ll work out." She was doing that because she was worried about the response to the video. And all day long at that¡­ "If you''re curious, just check it out." "Oh, no. I will check it out with you in 10 minutes." In 10 minutes, the video would have been posted for exactly 24 hours. It seemed the Frost Queen had no intention of letting him train. Eventually, Seo Jun-Ho stood up and asked, ¡°Let me ask while we''re at it. How popr do you want it to be?" ¡°Of course, wouldn¡¯t it be better for it to be ranked number one? That''s the only way it would suit someone like me." "¡­You sure dream big." Not just anyone could be ranked first in the video rankings. No, to be exact, it would be very difficult for a single individual to achieve such a thing. ''In order for an individual to achieve that, one would need the poprity of someone from the Nine Heavens.¡¯ That was how great of a ripple effect was necessary. In fact, all of the top rankings in the past few years had been Guild-level hunts or raids. ¡®There''s no easier way for a Guild to promote themselves than in the video forum.¡¯ This was how the Big 6 and the underdogs who were close behind them advertised themselves to the public. One of the most intuitive means of promoting Guilds in the world was through videos. Targeting stronger monsters and harder dungeons were the most intuitive way to show off your strength. "The top of the video rankings are called the seats of the guilds,¡± Seo Jun-Ho informed. This was because it was always upied by videos of rankers or high rankers sparring or hunting. No matter how much fun one sought, there was only one top priority for yers in Frontier. It was to be strong and survive. To them, the high-quality sparring and hunting videos made them realize many things. Naturally, such videos could only be viewed by paying a lot of PPs, despite that, the views were always high. "ording to the yers Association, as of currently, in the year 2050, the world''s poption is 8.4 billion." In 2019, they announced that the world''s poption would reach 10 billion by 2050. If Gates hadn¡¯t shown up, their prediction could have been correct. "And the number of Frontier yers in thest 26 years is¡­¡± There were 2.7 million people. Of course, not all of them were just acting as ''yers.¡¯ "The number includes reporters, researchers, and other professions that the media raised to level 30 just to send them up to write articles." There were even dead and retired people included in that number. Perhaps because of that, the highest number of views ever recorded on the video forums was the "Giant Hunting" taken 9 years ago by the Goblin Guild. The number of views umted so far was 2.35 million. "I don''t know if everyone''s tired of it these days, but I heard they don''t even look at the video forums anymore. So, it''s impossible to get such views like in the past," exined Seo Jun-Ho. "...Mmhm." The Frost Queen nodded reluctantly. Even when she did a preliminary survey, the number of views on the No. 1 video was only 650,000. "If you go up the ranking in real-time, they say you can easily reach 200,000 views." "That''s right. Thest one we posted also got 190,000 views." Unfortunately, it did not surpass the 200,000 mark, but considering that it was their first video, it was simply amazing. ''This time... We''ll get over 300,000 at worst.¡¯ It wasn''t arrogance, but conviction after having watched the Frost Queen¡¯s video. It felt like watching a movie that could attract 10 million viewers. "S-soon...¡± The Frost Queen who was holding themunity forums window vibrated like a broken machine. Beeeeeep! "Hiiiik!" When a strange sound suddenly came from themunity forums window, the Frost Queen made a panicked sound. Seo Jun-Ho approached her and checked the window. "Hmm? I got a message.¡± It was a message from Skaya, who had left about a week ago. The contents were apanied by a brief link. When he clicked it, it was her personalmunity ount address. "Why did she send this... Wait, what?! 1.4 million followers?¡± Seo Jun-Ho checked again, rubbing his eyes with his hands. It was clear even after looking at it again. Her personalmunity ount had a huge following. "What, this is ridiculous...¡± Even if she was one of the 5 Heroes, she managed to get 1.4 million followers in just a week? For reference, Seo Jun-Ho only had around 7,000 followers. It was thanks to the people who watched ¡®Test¡¯ and followed his ount. "But 1.4 million without doing anything...¡± "Contractor, it does not seem like she did nothing¡­" "What?" Coming to his senses at the Frost Queen¡¯s words, Seo Jun-Ho checked her ount. "¡­What''s all this?" It was full of photos and photos that were full of emotions nheless. With his mouth open in a daze, Seo Jun-Ho checked the most recent post. The photo had a man with a weapon drawn, trying to kill her in the background. "Why is she sticking her tongue out?" Seo Jun-Ho questioned. "Is that not cuter? That''s how you are supposed to do social media," the Frost Queen answered. "... What is all this underneath the picture, ''#FiendHunting'', ''#It¡¯s been 26 years'', ''#Why are you so weak?'', and ''#FiendPortrait''." [1] "Those are hashtags...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the Frost Queen. How did she know about all this? "Contractor, have you ever made your own social media ount?" "No, I haven¡¯t. You never had your own either.¡± "Of course, I do not have my own, but does it not show up often when you watch dramas?" "...It wasn''t in the drama I enjoyed watching." "What was the title of the drama?" "¡¯My name is Samsoon Kim¡¯ and ¡®Secret Garden.¡¯" "Ugh, the generation gap," the Frost Queen shook her head and frowned. "¡­Anyway, it seems like she¡¯s been hunting fiends diligently for the past week." Seo Jun-Ho looked quickly through the uploaded photos and there were six. This meant that she caught almost one fiend a day. ¡®Skaya, isn¡¯t she overdoing it?¡¯ Even though he was worried, his worries melted away when he saw a photo of her happy expression with a dessert. "¡­So she gets PP not from videos, but from photos." Thements were full of praise andpliments. Noonim, I love you. You''re cool. You''re pretty. I''ve always admired you. Teach me magic, etc¡­ There were basically tens of thousands ofments for each photo and more than 100,000 likes. Seeing her great sess, Seo Jun-Ho asked in a subtle voice, "Frost, if I start a social media ount, could I also¡­" "Wake up. There is no way it would work, " said the Frost Queen tly. "If it were Specter perhaps¡­ But¡­ the ck Knight Seo Jun-Ho? No chance." ¡°¡­¡± It was really upsetting for Seo Jun-Ho to know that the Frost Queen had be one step ahead of him when it came to IT unbeknownst to him. "Anyway, I''m jealous...¡± He wrote a message and sent it straight away. - Congrattions. You¡¯ve be a superstar. When he wrote and sent it, an answer came back almost immediately. - Thanks~ And aren¡¯t you also a superstar? - Huh? Me? Well, I¡¯m not Specter right now. - No, no, I mean your video. The responses were really hot I almost burned myself reading thements~ "Superstar¡­? What does she mean?" As Seo Jun-Ho stood blinking and muttering, the Frost Queen shook his sleeve. "Con-Contractor, it''s time¡­" "Oh?" Seo Jun-Ho quickly entered the video forums but he didn''t check the ranking of the video. After all, you¡¯re supposed to save the best forst. "Let''s take a look. I wonder how the audience will react to my debut video,¡± urged the Frost Queen. As he yed the video,ments being posted in real time came up. *** - Oh, Seo Jun-Ho''s new video came out. - Is this the video from the kobold huntingpetition? My friend went there, and he said it was crazy. ©¸They¡¯re just Kobolds, such a fuss lol - Anyway, the title is Salmon in the Mountains? What the heck does that mean? The video began with loudments. The beautiful scenery of the Hainal Mountains and the figures of the battalion were captured together. As background music, Schubert''s piano quintet in A major ¡®The Trout¡¯ was gentlyid. The scene painted a peaceful atmosphere as a whole. - What, what''s with the video? - It was categorized as hunting. Why is the atmosphere so peaceful? lol ©¸The title says salmon, but the song is ¡®The Trout¡¯ lololol ©¸I guess it''s aedy video? It was afortable video that made the viewer feel rxed. The moment everyone smiled and watched the video with a light heart, the ssical melody suddenly cut off. The point of view was naturally changed to Seo Jun-Ho''s first-person point of view. "Oh, ohhh!" "What... What¡¯s this?!" For a moment the ground fluctuated like a suspension bridge. "Everyone! Now! Right Now! Down! The mountain...!¡± The leading knight shouted in a shrill voice. Kwaaaaaa! The voice was buried by the angry sound of the mountain. At the unrealistic situation that seemed basically impossible, the viewers gave a sour response. - ¡­What, andslide? - I see Kobold mages up there. Did they cause this? ©¸No way. They¡¯re just Kobold mages. How can those animalse up with such a strategy...? The genre changed in an instant from wellness and healing to a disaster film. The unconventional pace of development led to an increase in immersion. Boobooboobooom! Even the editing skills were outstanding. The moment when a reddish brown colored tsunami exploded from the ground, the color began to appear from the center in the ck-and-white video. At the same time, time stopped. To be exact, the slow-motion effect made the video y very slowly. - ¡­ - ¡­ The never-endingment window froze for a moment. It meant that the audience was fully immersed at that point in the video. Fear spread like an epidemic across the faces of the battalion. The tsunami engulfed the slow-footed members of the battalion as if it was a hungry pig. Even if they were yers, even if they pushed the boundaries of humanity, in the face of a natural disaster, their efforts would still be in vain. It took only one minute for everyone to realize that. ¡°¡­¡± The ck and white world, and the slow passing of time as if it had stopped. In that quiet and lonely world, only one sound was slowly being amplified. - This is... - The sound of a heart? Thoomp-thoomp, thoomp-thoomp. It was the sound of Seo Jun-Ho''s heart beating. His heart began to beat faster in the face of thendslide. It was also proof that he was also panicking and nervous, but his heartbeat quickly regained its stability and became quiet. His mind control and concentration were worthy of admiration. Then, a beautiful melody yed. - Vivaldi... - Winter from the Four Seasons. That''s the first movement. - It''s a masterpiece. It was a magical melody that made the audience expect something. At the same time, the slowed time began to normalize. "S-save me!" "Barrier!" "Damn it! It''s the kobold mages¡¯ bombardment!" "It''s toote to go down the mountain!" "Dig into the ground and hide!" Screams and shouts broke out from here and there. Just when everyone was feeling despair and fear and just as they were thinking of running away and hiding in the ground¡­ - ?~ ?~ A strong violin solo reminiscent of the cold wind began. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho silently moved, tightly holding his spear. When others went down the mountain, he did the opposite and began to climb the mountain, like a salmon going up the river. - He¡¯s suddenly climbing the mountain? When andslide ising down? - He¡¯s crazy. What''s wrong with him? - ¡­Maybe he¡¯s sacrificing himself? ©¸What do you mean? ©¸Do you see the kobold army that''s all set up up there? Hiding in the ground is just a stopgap. ©¸Wait. So, Seo Jun-Ho sacrificed himself for the battalion? Isn''t that too much? ©¸That''s... I guess we¡¯ll see. Seo Jun-Ho ran headfirst toward the violentndslide. 1. The word for portrait used for #FiendPortrait is a specific type of photo that¡¯s used for the dead/funerals. ? Chapter 141. Superstar (4)

Chapter 141. Superstar (4)

Crash! Seo Jun-Ho rose high after hitting the ground with his spear, then fell on top of thendslide. The point of view was still first person. The video showed both of his eyes moving busily and searching for a way out. It would be hard to stand still or maintain your bnce on top of andslide, but Seo Jun-Ho still managed to climb up. -¡­? - Are there any smarties here? Is that physically possible? ©¸It¡¯s possible. ©¸If you have great reflexes, great athleticism, and great concentration, of course. You''re also probably gonna need some great stats. ©¸Oh, I understand. You''re saying that ordinary people like me can''t do it. The view slowly changed. The first person point of view was appropriate to express Seo Jun-Ho''s current position and feelings, but it also made the viewers dizzy. Boobooboobooboom! From a distance, Seo Jun-Ho was as quick as a flying squirrel. In an instant, he found something to use as a stepping stone and didn¡¯t hesitate to throw himself forward. It was a scene where it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he lost his bnce or stepped wrongly. But while Seo Jun-Ho was performing difficult acrobatics, frightening magic came hurling toward him. - Magic! It''s the kobold mages¡¯ attack! - Oh, he¡¯s screwed¡­ - This is fatal. Those smelly sons of b**ches found the weak spot so well it makes me want to swear. - Seo Jun-Ho''s concentration will also be greatly disrupted. It certainly seemed that such a thing would happen and it seemed that it should, but it didn¡¯t happen. On the contrary, Seo Jun-Ho''s concentration in the face of a crisis had be as sharp as a freshly sharpened sword. He blew up a flying fireball, swatted one away, and dodged another before continuing to climb all the way up. -... -... The people who saw it realized just how fierce he was and that that fierceness was not for himself, but for the sacrifice he made for others. Naturally,ments supporting him began toe up one by one. - Those vile kobold mages, just how long are they gonna keep shooting magic? - Just a little bit more... Just push a little more. - You''re almost there! Don''t lose your focus until the end! - If you go up all the way to the end, I''ll sponsor you some PP! Since ancient times, stories of heroes going through adversity had always been supported by countless people. Tak. Finally, Seo Jun-Ho''s feet stepped on the hard ground of Hainal Mountain¡¯s summit. He had finally climbed up above the seemingly unendingndslide. "Gasp, gasp...¡± The chat window became noisy and stered withments in an instant. However, the camera that showed Seo Jun-Ho breathing roughly, gradually moved away. A single human being and hundreds of blood kobolds that had yet to be caught on camera were shown on the screen. The sight of so many of them on the summit of Hainal Mountain stole the viewers¡¯ breaths. - ¡­There¡¯s still a long way to go before the rest of the battaliones, right? ©¸I don''t know from just the video, but some were swept away byndslides and most of them hid in the ground. ©¸Jesus, then he has to handle that many alone? If I were him, I''d run away. - Don''t worry, everyone. My friend who participated said that he was sessful. ©¸Don¡¯t give spoilers. The violin sound reminiscent of the cold wind gradually faded. There was no more music. Wheeing. Only the sound of the mncholic wind blowing through the summit filled the video. Dududududu! Seo Jun-Ho remained unshaken even in the face of hundreds of blood kobolds. Piing, piing! He began to shoot his bow and eliminated the kobolds in silence. It was such an apuse-worthy archery skill, but it wasn¡¯t enough to deal with so many kobolds. Looking at it from the eyes of a third party, it seemed like his actions were meaningless. ¡°¡­¡± tter, tter. As the kobolds and blood kobolds approached, he abandoned his bow and equipped himself with a shield and a halberd. A lone man charged toward the group of kobolds. Crack! Then, they shed¡­ From then onward, the sounds of the battle became the background music. There were the sounds of a kobold''s skin being sliced, blood spurting, screams, and the sound of Seo Jun-Ho''s armor being destroyed. With the addition of the Frost Queen''s cuts and edits, the intensity of the battle was emphasized several times. - ¡­ - ¡­ It seemed that the people watching the lonely fight had nothing to say. The chat window became silent. Seo Jun-Ho was fighting like crazy and the video was fun¡ªonly these two sentiments lingered in their minds. *** No matter what anyone said, the highlight of the video was the scene in which the battalion joined one by one and opened the way for Seo Jun-Ho. The next was a one-on-one match against the blood kobold lord. Seo Jun-Ho showed off his overwhelming physical prowess in the duel against it. ¡°¡­¡± After finishing off the blood kobold lord, Seo Jun-Ho stumbled out, leaned against an earthen wall, and looked at the bright sun. His exhausted eyes were revealed through the half-split helmet. He seemed like a lonely warrior as he uttered not a single word after the fierce battle. At the same time, the camera slowly began to zoom out. The video showed Seo Jun-Ho being supported by Baek Geon-Woo as the scene slowly faded into ck. When the video ended, there was momentary peace. It was a short video thatsted less than 40 minutes, but the viewers felt like they had watched a movie. People began to converse. - It was fun. - I knew he was good when he fought a thunder bear, but it wasn''t good because of theck of visuals, but this one¡¯s good. - By the way, the producer of the video is Queen? Who the heck is that? Is she a professional video producer that I don''t know about? ©¸I''ve never heard of that name either. ©¸If I can get in touch, I''d like to give her some of my work. I can match however much gold or PP she asks for. - I watched it first without thinking like I was watching a movie, so I¡¯ll have to watch it again to analyze it properly. The outstanding performance of a kind masked man with the heroic spirit of sacrifice. Thements of ¡®Salmon in the Mountains¡¯ featuring such a main character only had favorable reviews. "Frost, let''s check the rankings now." "G-go ahead." The two gulped down their saliva. Their previous video didn¡¯t get a video ranking, only a real-time ranking. Of course, despite that, it received a lot of attention, but that was because the name Seo Jun-Ho had aroused interest. ''That means my name is worth clicking on the video once...¡¯ On top of that, the video itself was great this time. Seo Jun-Ho clicked on the rankings sections with slight expectations. ¡­¡­ 42. Battle of Arran Gorge 43. Salmon in the Mountains 44. Haribu Naval Battle ¡­¡­. "43rd ce! 43rd ce!" ¡°¡­¡± Unlike the surprised Seo Jun-Ho, the Frost Queen looked slightly disappointed. "43rd ce, it''s really amazing. We don''t even belong to a Guild,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said in surprise. "But... Thements were so hot that I was looking forward to it," the Frost Queen replied disappointedly. Both below and above were videos taken by yers or teams belonging to a Guild. Although Seo Jun-Ho was said to have been famous on Earth, his influence wasn¡¯t working in Frontier. "You go up one step at a time like this. You can''t be full on the first bite.¡± "...Well, I have taken care of a kingdom. I do not get influenced by such little things." Feeling better, she sipped her tea. "Mmmm, the tea after getting good results is especially sweet." Wrong. He had just ced more Spirit Crystal shavings than usual. He had done it thinking that if the results of the video weren¡¯t good, she could drink tea and feel better. "By the way, Contractor. How much PP did you earn?" "Hmm? Ah.¡± Having forgotten about it, Seo Jun-Ho btedly opened the information window. [Salmon in the Mountains] Number of views: 624,712 Number of rmendations: 26,973 times Obtained PP: 6,247 Sponsored by PP: 32,500 "Uh¡­¡± "Oh..." He earned 6,247 PP from the views and the people who liked the video sponsored 32,500 PPs. The total was 38,747. "Isn¡¯t this a lot?" "I, I do not know...¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought that he should ask Gong Ju-Ha about thister since he had no idea how much the items in the PP store usually cost. "Anyway, with this much, we won¡¯t have to worry about PP.¡± The ranking would likely go up for a few more days, or it would maintain the status quo. The number of views was expected to rise to at least 800,000 and more donations were also expected in theing days. ''I won''t have to worry about PP prices to get information from now on.¡¯ This was because he had secured enough PP for himself to use. "Good. It feels good to have things working out so well,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said contentedly. There was only one thing to do now. It was toplete the Overclocking training. ¡®When that''s done, let''s leave Gilleon and go to the Canal Mountains.¡¯ It was an area with powerful monsters around level 80. Of course, it was dangerous. As such, it was not a ce where people who valued safety visited very often. ¡®On the contrary, those who are trying to avoid people¡¯s eyes such as the fiends are very active there.¡¯ This was the information he learned after using the skill, ¡®Confession of the Dead,¡¯ on a fiend he captured. Originally, he nned to hunt in the Canal Mountains, but now, he had more work to do there than hunting. ¡®The Canal Mountains has a fiend branch¡­¡¯ It was not a big branch¡ªit was only a small branch of about ten people. ''They''ll probably be good opponents for training. though¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho slowly closed his eyes. The training room became hot in an instant. "¡­He¡¯s working hard.¡± The smiling Frost Queen looked admirably at her Contractor and muttered. *** Ttak, ttak "He¡¯s an interesting fellow," muttered Shin Sung-Hyun, the master of the Goblin Guild, while cutting his nails short. He asked the Vice Master, "That''s him, isn''t it? The one that Specter uses as his agent." "That is correct. I remember all of the Big 6 guilds, including us, digging up his information at the time." "Good. Bring me the data you organized then." "Well, that''s..." the Vice Master trailed off, but spoke at the end with difficulty, "There''s a little bit that¡¯s suspicious." "Suspicious? Which part?" "He grew up in an orphanage, went to school normally, and then became a yer." It was a very ordinary past; there wasn¡¯t anything strange at all. "¡­That''s a little strange.¡± But such an ordinary past did not really fit with a ¡®special¡¯ person like Seo Jun-Ho. "Is it the Association?" "Yes, I think they modified Seo Jun-Ho''s history." Considering where Seo Jun-Ho belonged, it was an easy answer. "Any information about the real thing, other than the fake profile?¡± "¡­I apologize. Shim Deok-Gu, the President of the Association, seems to have covered it up. I have been working with the guild information department, but we have not received even a shred of information about Seo Jun-Ho." Shin Sung-Hyun frowned upon hearing this. The information department of the Goblin Guild, ssified as one of the Big 6, had been mobilized, but nothing came out of it? It made no sense. ¡°President Shim Deok-Gu went through so much trouble to cover up his past?¡± pondered Shin Sung-Hyun. "We believe it was likely at Specter¡¯s request¡­ but yes." "¡­It has been a while since I''ve seen an interesting guy. When we sent Ju-Ha before, he refused to join the Goblin Guild, right?¡± "Yes, he said he wanted to be the head of a snake rather than a dragon''s tail.¡± "The head of a snake¡­ Keuk.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun twisted his mouth andughed. He murmured as he watched Salmon in the Mountain ying on his desk. "He boasts that he¡¯s a dragon with that, but ims to be a snake with his words...¡± Interested, Shin Sung-Hyun opened his mouth. "Did you say he¡¯s close to Ju-Ha?" "She says they¡¯re besties¡­ In other words, they are very close." "Then ask her to invite him over. The next time we tackle a Dungeon should be good.¡± The qualification to take part in a Dungeon raid of the Goblin Guild was a valuable opportunity that could not be bought even with thousands of gold. "Sometimes, things that are hard to see from afar are very noticeable from up close." Tap, tap. Having finished cutting his nails, Shin Sung-Hyun tapped the hologram video with his neatly trimmed fingers. "I hope you¡¯re like that, too, Specter¡¯s agent." Shin Sung-Hyun, one of the Nine Heavens, also called the Controller of Space, softlyughed. Chapter 142. Overclocking (1)

Chapter 142. Overclocking (1)

Another week passed. In the meantime, the number of views for the video steadily increased to 850,000 views. His ranking dropped quickly after hitting a high of 41st ce, but he earned a total of 42,520 PP. "Congrattions. You achieved your goal by a hair''s breadth,¡± mentioned Seo Jun-Ho. "Ha, were you worried? Well, I knew this would happen," the Frost Queen answered. That was funny considering how she asked him several times a day with an anxious expression about what they would do if they didn¡¯t get more than 40,000 PP. And just as the Frost Queen¡¯s mind rxed, Seo Jun-Ho''s Overclocking was also going smoothly. He was now able to maintain Overclocking for at least 30 minutes. "Whew!" He scattered his magic as he exhaled a hot breath and shook his head when he checked his watch. "It''s 42 minutes. 46% isn''t enough to control the overheating caused by Overclocking.¡± "Hey, if itsts 42 minutes, won''t it be enough?" "But there''s still more potential for growth, so there''s no reason to give up.¡± The only drawback was that stabilizing the Overclock took longer than expected. "But wouldn''t it be better than exploding one day?" asked the Frost Queen. "¡­That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± It was not someone else¡¯s body, but his own. It was a professional¡¯s mindset to always stay in top shape. ¡°...!¡± Then, the Frost Queen became stiff as if lightning had struck the top of her head. "What''s wrong?" "Oh, I have a very bad feeling." "Again?" Seo Jun-Ho had seen this reaction from her three times already. At first, he was nervous as well because he thought that a powerful fiend or a monster had appeared. Knock, knock, knock. There was only one instance in which she would react like this. Seo Jun-Ho spoke toward the door of the training room, "It''s open, soe in.¡± "Hi~" It meant that the Skaya radar, which would send a signal if Skaya appeared around her, was working normally. Recently, she visited him every few days, and the reason was simple. "Can you read this guy''s memory? He was pretty strong." "Let''s see...¡± It was to make Seo Jun-Ho read the memory of the fiends she had hunted. Seo Jun-Ho quickly used the ¡®Confession of the Dead¡¯ and shook his head. "¡­It¡¯s a shame but it¡¯s a bust. He''s also at the bottom of the rung." "Really? I was looking forward to it because he was pretty strong." "He must be strong because his level¡¯s 120." "He''s level 120 too? How can there be so many high-level fiends in this world?¡± "It has been a long time. It''s normal that there are so many of them." She flopped down on a bed in a corner, seemingly shocked. Then, she looked around. "But howe I don¡¯t ever see the Frost Queen-nim whenever Ie?" "...Because she has good instincts." "Hmm?" "It''s nothing. Maybe she¡¯s busy in the Spirit World." "Hmm..." At this point, Skaya seemed to have caught on, but what could she do? The Frost Queen made herself transparent in the corner of the room and didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. "By the way, how are you?" asked Skaya. "I''m working on the stabilization. I think it''ll be over 50% soon... I hope it stabilizes at that level." "Take it easy. It has only been about two weeks.¡± "I know¡­" Skaya¡¯splexion became much better in thest two weeks. It seemed that she was eating well as her skinny body had gained some weight. The first thing Seo Jun-Ho felt was relief when he saw that. "...What, you look like a father looking at his grown-up daughter. It''s disgusting." "You don''t have to know¡­" Seo Jun-Ho finally understood why Shim Deok-Gu looked so pleased when thetter looked at him after he had gained some weight and became rtively healthy. "What? I¡¯m leaving, then." "All right, take care as always." "Are you my mom now?" Smirking, Skaya waved lightly and disappeared. The timid Frost Queen would probably stay transparent for another hour even though Skaya had already left. Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door again. Based on the presence, it wasn¡¯t Skaya. "This is a messenger from Baron Vashti. I''m here to invite yer Seo Jun-Ho-nim." "Me? Skaya-nim is not here right now...¡± "Oh, please do not misunderstand. He only invited yer Seo Jun-Ho-nim. He wanted to pay you the reward for the kobold huntingpetition, which had been forgotten since you treated the young master.¡± "Oh." He originally thought that the Circuit Strengthening skill book was his reward, but it seemed that it wasn¡¯t the case. Seo Jun-Ho dressed up and followed him out. When he arrived at the lord''s mansion, there were four people gathered in the living room, Baron Vashti, his wife, Helena, Simus, and Commander Phivir. "Wee." "Pleasee in¡­" Following the couple''s wee with a bright expression, Simus rose from his seat and bowed deeply. "Greetings to my savior." Simus had be healthier than thest time Seo Jun-Ho saw him. But as expected, the magic that Seo Jun-Ho could feel from him was very faint. "How are you feeling?" "Thanks to you, I have gotten a lot better." Simus even showed off, lifting his muscleless arm. "I have a new dream. I will seed my father as a great lord." "...Young Master, you will be a great lord." Simus was young but very kind. He would certainly be a good lord who would take good care of the people in his territory. "Sit over here." At the baron''s suggestion, Seo Jun-Ho sat down in a chair, and the baron spoke again, "I don''t know about you, but I was trying to refrain from contacting you because I heard you were trying to stay in seclusion.¡± "I was training by myself." "Oh, in that small room?" Baron Vashti asked, his eyes wide open. "I should have called you earlier. You can always use the training room in the mansion.¡± "¡­It¡¯s all right." The training room would be crowded with soldiers and knights. It was not a good ce to quietly stabilize Overclock. Then, the Knight Commander Phivir, who had been standing still in the back, opened his mouth. "If you do not mind, I would like to lend you my private training room.¡± "Hmm? Why is that?" the baron asked. "I heard that yers are reluctant to reveal their skills to others. yer Seo Jun-Ho will also probably prefer closed-off ces to train in." "Oh, I did not think that far.¡± There was no reason to refuse, so Seo Jun-Ho bowed his head quickly. "Thank you for your kindness. I''ll use it with care." "Huh-huh, I am d you like it. I don''t know if you heard, but I called you today to pay your reward for your participation in the kobold huntingpetition.¡± "To be honest, I thought I had received all the rewardsst time." "What are you saying? That was the reward for treating Simus." Baron Vashti beckoned and a servant brought something on a tray. It was a small wooden box. "Take a look inside." When Seo Jun-Ho carefully opened the wooden box, a pure and sweet scent filled the living room in an instant. Inside the wooden box was a fruit that looked like a white pomegranate. "Baron, this is...?¡± "It is a Snow Pomegranate that is said to be formed once every 100 years from old trees within the northern snowy area." It was obviously an elixir. It was also the first elixir Seo Jun-Ho had seen since he awakened from the ice. ''And if the scent is this pure and sweet¡­¡¯ They said that someone who had experience knew better than an amateur. Having taken a lot of elixirs before, Seo Jun-Ho instinctively knew that this fruit¡¯s efficacy was definitely not low. "Is it really all right for you to give this to me?" "Of course. Actually, I did not have any intention to give that away, no matter how good someone¡¯s result from thepetition was...¡± But Seo Jun-Ho had been too outstanding¡­ "If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would have been branded as someone ipetent who lost two knights and led hundreds of people to their deaths." It was a terrible nightmare for an image-conscious noble. In other words, Seo Jun-Ho was a lucky charm who even cured the baron¡¯s son. "I thought it would not be a waste to give you the Snow Pomegranate.¡± "¡­Thank you." To be honest, rather than a reward, Seo Jun-Ho felt like he had received a random gift. However, he did not refuse their kindness because getting stronger right now was his number one goal. * * * "This is the ce." After dinner together, Phivir led Seo Jun-Ho to his private training room. ¡®It''s simr in size to the ce I used to use in Korea.¡¯ Of course, it did not have built-in state-of-the-art devices like his personal training room. But it waspletely isted from the outside, and the walls and floors also looked sturdy. "Use it as much as you want. I''ll be training with the new knights." "Thank you." As Phivir patted Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder and disappeared, thetter was left alone in therge training room. "I''m worried that this is going too smoothly...¡± ¡°Contractor, you tend to take things too pessimistically. Just enjoy it." Seo Jun-Ho shrugged at the Frost Queen¡¯s advice. "I''d love to, but my path hasn''t been very smooth." He felt as if fate was controlling him. Whenever he obtained strength, a situation where he needed to use it would appear. ¡®I hope not this time¡­¡¯¡¯ He didn¡¯t know why he always felt his damned intense intuition in such situations. "Huuu, I¡¯m so nervous. I should quickly stabilize Overclock." Seo Jun-Ho sat cross-legged and took out the wooden box he had put in the inventory. When he opened the lid, the training room, which smelled of stale sweat, was quickly covered with a pure and sweet scent. "Oh my, it would be perfect to use as an air freshener," noted the Frost Queen. "I can''t do that. It''s usually different for each elixir, but fruits, roots, and leaves be less effective over time, so you have to use them quickly.¡± Seo Jun-Ho deliberately didn¡¯t eat dessert at the meal just before because he had nned to eat this fruit as soon as he got to the training room. Crunch! When he took a big bite of the fruit, the juices flowed out like water. He ate the Snow Pomegranate meticulously without spilling a drop of its juice. "You ate everything except for the seeds." "It was delicious." A new wave of energy was already in the midst of fluctuating in his stomach. Seo Jun-Ho quickly closed his eyes. As the name suggested, Snow Pomegranate was a medicine found in cold ces. Naturally, a strong chill stirred throughout his body. ''I''m d it''s not yang qi.¡¯[1] Thanks to the Frost skill, Seo Jun-Ho was already good at dealing with yin qi and cold. [2] He did not miss a strand of magic and began to absorb it all into himself. Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes after four hours of absorbing the Snow Pomegranate¡¯s magic. A bright light emerged from his eyes, which illuminated the training room before gradually subsiding. "Whew, as expected, elixirs are the best.¡± All of his stats had increased by ten, and magic alone increased by fifteen. It was so effective that he considered it a superior elixir even among the ones he had taken so far. ''Are all Frontier''s elixirs this effective?¡¯ The Frost Queen approached as Seo Jun-Ho was smacking his lips. "You have definitely gotten stronger." "Really? Status window." [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 60 Title: Bringer of Spring (+2) Strength: 208 (-99) Stamina: 197 (-94) Speed: 194 (-92) Magic: 169 (-75) Fame: 2,720 After another two weeks or so, the Curse of Bitter Cold would be lifted. ''My fame has risen greatly... All my stats are also high.'' There was only one thing that was a shame. His magic, which had been over 200, was reduced to 169. ¡®But seeing what Skaya''s been doingtely...¡¯ He did not regret it at all. He would still not regret it even if she was just messing around in the room next door. "47%, attempting to stabilize," Seo Jun-Ho murmured with his eyes closed. Ten days after that, he finally seeded in stabilizing Overclock. 1. Yang qi is the warm energy usually present in males. ? 2. Yin qi is the opposite of yang qi and is cold and is usually present in females. ? Chapter 143. Overclocking (2)

Chapter 143. Overclocking (2)

Two streams of magic raced like sports cars on a strong and wide magic circuit. The magicpleted a fullp around the magic circuit 24 times per second. An average person would have been unable to handle the heat and would have received arge blow to their brain. However, the calm Seo Jun-Ho was able to maintain his temperature at 37 degrees. "Hmm, does itst about an hour and a half now? Good,"mented Seo Jun-Ho. The stabilization was at 63%. It meant that 63% of the magic running inside his body was frost energy. "It''s like a cont," observed the Frost Queen. "I feel like a humanputer.¡± He could feel great strength in his body. ¡®Rather, I think I''m stronger than before I received the Curse of Bitter Cold.¡¯ In fact, it was inevitable. He was strengthening his body with much more magic and for far longer than when using Booster. "It seems that you are done with everything you had to do in Gilleon," remarked the Frost Queen. "Right, we need to go to the Canal Mountains now." The Curse of Bitter Cold would be lifted in about three more days. After that, there wouldn¡¯t be any reason for him to be afraid of fiends. "Skaya... Are you going to call her over to Teleport?" "No." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. "I¡¯ve rested for far too long thanks to the Curse of Bitter Cold and Overclocking. I¡¯m going to hunt monsters for a few days and make sure I¡¯m adjusted to the feeling of real battle.¡± The battle in Seoul was almost a month ago. His senses had already been raised to their peak, so it was time to make sure that his body had adjusted to its newfound strength. "Let''s stop by the Adventurer''s Guild on the way and take a Quest since we canplete it in another castle."[1] It was about time that he brought his time in Gilleon to a close. "I will definitely catch the man who hurt Young Master Simus." "I believe you. I pray that your future will be full of blessings." Seo Jun-Ho greeted Baron Vashti''s family and stopped by one more ce just before leaving Gilleon. "Allow me to check your yer credentials for a moment." He was obviously very famous around here, but the staff member still thoroughly confirmed his identity. Only after confirming the identification card in many ways and ensuring that it wasn¡¯t forged did the employee smile. "Identification has beenpleted. Here is the item that arrived for yer Seo Jun-Ho." Arge carrier bag was ced on the desk that would suit anyone traveling abroad. It was obvious what was in it. "Can I also send a reply from here?" "Of course¡­" The staff member held out a pen and paper for a letter. Seo Jun-Ho wrote down and expressed his gratitude with utmost sincerity and explicitly said that he would use it well. ¡®I wonder what it¡¯ll look like¡­¡¯ Kwon Noya and Kwon Palmo¡ªthe armor that the two had worked on together to make had finally arrived. Seo Jun-Ho returned to Dewdrop Inn and ced the suitcase on the bed. Click, click. When the lock was released, the carrier split in four directions, revealing a belt. "Contractor, there''s only one belt.¡± "That''s right. Last time, the base equipment was definitely the top of the armor¡­¡± This meant that¡­ "...They must have achieved great things with the Spread armor system," said Seo Jun-Ho. Who would dare to imagine that this small belt would be the armor which would cover his whole body? "But the color is white," observed the Frost Queen. "Hmm, I guess it must have been hard to paint ck because of mithril¡¯s characteristics." Mithril had the disposition to maintain its original form and it was the same with its color. There was no way to make a ck-colored armor out of mithril unless you obtained ck mithril. "It seems the title of the next video will be the White Knight." "Can''t you stop saying knight this, knight that? It''s cringey.¡± Seo Jun-Ho picked up the instruction manual in the carrier. "Hmm? Magic recognition along with¡­ blood recognition?¡± What kind of artifact did those two make? The ck Armor would automatically unfold when it was injected with magic and would wrap around the person¡¯s entire body. The only drawback was that if you lost consciousness, the armor would decouple. But this time, the armor they made solved the shorings. ''The moment it recognizes the user¡¯s blood, the armor deploys¡­¡¯ It meant that even if he lost consciousness during the battle, the armor would remain tightly wrapped around his body. - Try not to break it because it¡¯s a pain to work on. For your information, the name of the armor is White Armor. - Pleasee down anytime it breaks. I''ll fix it for you. Why was it that the grandchild was so different from the grandfather? "Contractor, it seems that those two have bad naming sense." "...Says the one who came up with Salmon in the Mountains." "What did you just say? I heard something about a salmon?¡± "I said I wanted to eat salmon sd,¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded deftly and equipped the belt. Then, he poured some magic into it. Crrrrrrrr. The belt quickly expanded up and down, bing a full-length armor. He was so curious about how these huge metals were hidden in the small belt that he wanted to try taking it apart. "What do you think?" When Seo Jun-Ho asked, the Frost Queen looked nkly at him and nodded, "Well... It is not bad. My standards are a little high, but... Yes, it is not bad." "¡­That''s cool." Walking in front of the mirror, he looked at his reflection. If the ck Armor was the image of a rather heavy knight, the White Armor depicted a futuristic sleek suit. "It''s lighter, but it must be sturdier, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho wondered. "Check the information. Quickly." At her urging, Seo Jun-Ho nodded. "Item identification." [White Armor] Grade: Unique Stamina +30 *Lightweight: This armor has lightweight magic. *Confusion: This armor blocks tracking skills below grade B against the wearer. *Battle-Friendly Design: This armor is designed to facilitate deflection of the opponent¡¯s attacks. Equip Requirement: Level 60, Stamina 100, Strength 100 or higher. ¡°¡­¡± It was a hundred times better than his ck Armor. This armor was lighter and sturdier. In addition, it was also easier to avoid enemy attacks with this. ''The materials are even mithril and dragon bones.¡¯ Both were materials that facilitated better magic flow. In other words, the slight loss of magic that inevitably urred when you wore armor was close to zero with this armor. "¡­When I find some herbs that are good for health, I''ll have to go down and give them some.¡± Kwon Noya, Kwon Palmo, Shim Deok-Gu, Cha Si-Eun. He should take some proper souvenirs with him and give them to the people he was thankful to. ¡®Come to think of it, I didn''t see Secretary Chast time.¡¯ Did she go on a business trip? He recalled the secretary''s office and felt lonely when he remembered her empty seat. ''Well, maybe I''ll go down and ask next time.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho checked out from both rooms and left Gilleon through the northern gate. He didn¡¯t bother to say goodbye to the alchemist, Shasha, the gambling house, loan shark, Ply, and the Hakan couple. If he had business here, he could easilye back through Skaya. Riding on a wooden horse and looking at the distant castle of Gilleon, the Frost Queen spoke, ¡°I think I have grown attached to this ce during our time here." The Frost Queen continued. "I''m going to miss the Dewdrop Inn where I rested." "Take a good look now. You''ll miss it even more when we camp out at night. And how about walking on your own?" "I was raised as a delicate child." "My mom and dad raised me as a delicate child, too.¡± "...Then, when I grow up a little bit more¡­" The dollhouse she was using had be unusable when her body grew. She was so depressed because she only managed to use it for a few days. The Frost Queen¡¯s body had also be too big for her to use tissues as nkets, so Seo Jun-Ho simply bought a children¡¯s sleeping bag for her. "Goodbye, Gilleon...¡± The Frost Queen waved at the castle. *** "Say it again." "¡­The target is out of the castle." "One more time...¡± "Seo Jun-Ho came out to the field through the northern gate." "Finally..." A fiend got up. "What a disgusting fellow he is.¡± He was one of the four fiends, waiting near Gilleon at the behest of Nazad Hallow. They had been waiting for Seo Jun-Ho for nearly a month and a half. However, he never left the castle since hunting thunder bears. ''No, there was just that one time, but...¡¯ At that time, it hadn¡¯t been optimal to hunt him down. It was because he came out through the eastern gate with hundreds of Adventurers and yers for the kobold huntingpetition. The four decided not to overdo it and waited for the moment when he left the castle on his own. ''I was on high alert since I didn''t know which of the other three doors he woulde out from...¡¯ However, the punk did note out at all. Stuck in an inn in Gilleon, he seemed to have no intention ofing out and stopping whatever he was doing. The other fiends were getting exhausted and they started to wonder about what they were doing here. Finally, when the boredom was just about to dominate their whole bodies, Seo Jun-Ho finally came out to the open field today through the northern gate. "What about Skaya Killnd? Three weeks ago, Seo Jun-Ho escorted her to Gilleon." He didn¡¯t think that Skaya and Seo Jun-Ho were close, but just in case. "No problem." "I checked Skaya''smunity ount¡­ She¡¯s in the Oolong Forest, east of the Empire.¡± "That''s far..." Of course, he knew that this distance meant nothing to an archmage. But it did not matter. Before the news could reach her, they just had to kill Seo Jun-Ho and disappear. ¡°We have waited long enough. Let''s not dy any further and start the hunt right away," said Gouf, a fiend who had been Kal Signer''s deputy. The rest of the fiends began to disperse in the formation they had agreed with in advance. Watching them leave, Gouf''s eyes filled with desire for revenge. "It¡¯s finally time to hunt...¡± It was Kim Woo-Joong who killed Kal Signer, but Gouf was miles away from being able to hunt him. As such, he turned his de of revenge to Seo Jun-Ho. *** "It''s finally time to hunt," Seo Jun-Ho said confidently. "How long has it been since the blood kobold lord that I¡¯ve hunted fiends?¡± Surprisingly, what stood in his way were none other than whip wolves. "Oh, that''s too bad. I didn''t get the Whip Wolf quest." "Woof! Woof!" The eight whip wolves surrounding him lowered themselves and prepared to charge. ¡®Come to think of it, the first monster I hunted here in Frontier was a Whip Wolf.¡¯ It felt as if they were connected by fate. Seo Jun-Ho smiled faintly and grabbed the flying tail of a whip wolf. Then, he turned his arm around and wrapped the whip over it before pulling the whip wolf with a tug. "Hmm..." He realized that his strength had be much weaker than before without using Booster and Overclocking. The whimpering whip wolf that had been pulled over was resisting his strength. ¡®Is my strength only around this much?¡¯ After collecting the data he needed, he reeled back and quickly avoided the flying whip wolf¡¯s tailing toward him. ¡®My speed is also only about this much now¡­ It''s slow.'' After checking his strength and speed, he didn¡¯t particrly check on anything else. Woooong! A single line of magic circted through Seo Jun-Ho''s magic circuit. ¡®When I circte just one line of magic, I can keep it at 51% for 40 minutes.¡¯ Of course, the output would be weaker than that of circting two lines. However, he could save so much more magic with just one line. ''Of course...'' The magic consumption was greater than when using Booster since he now had a muchrger magic circuit. "Woof! Whoof!" When Seo Jun-Ho lightly pulled the arm that had grabbed its tail, the whip wolf couldn¡¯t withstand his strength at all and flew over to him almost immediately. Dodging the other tails that attacked him at the same time, he threw a right hook. Crunch! His fist forcefully smashed the face of the whip wolf he had reeled in, Seo Jun-Ho threw it aside before taking out Cruel Executioner. "Something¡¯s a bit off for a while now." ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be because of these whip wolves,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered while looking at the sky filled with dark clouds. 1. Another town ? Chapter 144. Overclocking (3)

Chapter 144. Overclocking (3)

Most fiends were stronger than yers. yers would frown and protest if they heard this, but it was the truth. While yers only learned how to hunt monsters, fiends learned how to hunt both monsters and yers themselves. While yers let their guards down as soon as they left a Gate, fiends would constantly be on edge because their identity could be discovered at any moment. In other words, fiends took their skills to the next level. There was a great difference between a monster hunter and a professional killer. ¡°Considering the target¡¯s current path, he¡¯ll definitely pass through here.¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s there,¡± Gouf muttered, looking up at the small cabin. There were traps around the perimeter that would alert of a monster¡¯s presence. Perhaps it belonged to a hunter. The fiends scanned the area and started to speak. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho has shown a tendency to y hero.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mistake that all overconfident rookies make.¡± ¡°If he sees an injured person, he won¡¯t be able to just pass them by.¡± They had plenty of time to collect information about Seo Jun-Ho in thest month and a half. ¡°We¡¯ll take advantage of that.¡± Gouf jutted his chin. ¡°Nino, Shiso. Hide yourselves and get ready to ambush him.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll attack him first, so get ready to join in.¡± The twins left, and all that remained were Gouf and one other fiend. Thetter¡¯s face was filled with intense emotions, but they disappeared as quickly as they came. ¡°Get in ce,¡± Gouf ordered him. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± As the man left, Gouf studied the road leading up to the cabin with cold eyes. It was unheard of for a fiend to get revenge for their dead superior, but that was how much Kal Signer had meant to him. Thetter had saved Gouf when he was dying in a Gate and granted him great power by making him a fiend. ¡®Seo Jun-Ho¡­¡¯ The yer was only the beginning, not his final target. His final target would be none other than the Sword Saint, Kim Woo-Joong. Compared to him, Seo Jun-Ho was just a small fry. ¡°Signer-nim said you were born with luck.¡± Gouf acknowledged that luck was also a skill. But today was different. He was sure of it. ¡°But today, no amount of luck will save you.¡± *** Seo Jun-Houghed. It had been a while since he had let loose like this. He felt refreshed after stretching his stiff muscles. ¡°I know I lost 50% of my stats¡­¡± But he didn¡¯t feel as if he had gotten any weaker. In fact, he felt like he had gotten stronger, thanks to Overclocking. ¡°Heh, it¡¯s only natural that I¡¯d want to try out a nice weapon.¡± ¡°And you have already done that, several times. Whileughing like a child.¡± The Frost Queen jutted her chin and pointed to the pile of dead whip wolves. ¡°You should test it out properly, not on weaklings like these. Hm¡­ Perhaps fiends will do.¡± ¡°Fiends? How cute.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. ¡°No matter how many of them there are, Frontier is huge. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d run into them in a ce like this.¡± ¡°Contractor, humans are unpredictable.¡± The Frost Queen seemed to have noticed something. ¡°Look, a fiend could be living in the cabin over there.¡± ¡°No way.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the cabin. It was ced near the entrance of the forest. ¡°See those wires on the trees? They¡¯re basic traps to alert you of monsters. The cabin probably belongs to a hunter,¡± he said confidently, calling upon the things that Hakan had taught him. He started to walk toward it, for no other reason than the fact that the path passed through the cabin. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s nose twitched. The Frost Queen gripped his hair. ¡°...Contractor,¡± she said in a low voice. ¡°I smell it too.¡± The smell of blood. As he approached the cabin, he saw the corpse of a middle-aged man next to a stack of firewood. A deep, straight cut ran across his chest, and the blood was still hot and flowing. ¡®A murder?¡¯ There were no CCTVs in Frontier¡¯s field, which meant that these kinds of cases would remain unsolved unless the culprit was caught right away. Seo Jun-Ho stepped closer to the body and studied the wound. ¡°He¡¯s dead. They killed him in one strike.¡± The cut was clean, and there had been no hesitation. Whoever had done this was skilled. ¡°Frost, sweep the area.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± He turned back toward the corpse and activated Confession of the Dead. ¡°...¡± There was no need to look deep into the past. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he looked back to half an hour ago when the man died. He recognized the killer. ¡°...¡± ¡°C-Contractor, I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡± As she watched the yback over his shoulder, her face turned even paler than usual. She almost felt like she had brought this upon him by suggesting it earlier. ¡°...It¡¯s not your fault.¡± The victim was just an ordinary hunter. The man who had killed him was a fiend Seo Jun-Ho had seen in the memories of the fiend that Skaya had brought over to him. The gears started turning. ¡®There are two possibilities.¡¯ Either the killer was merely acting like a fiend and killed the hunter because he felt like it. And the second¡­ ¡°This is a trap,¡± he whispered. As soon as the words left his lips, his temples started ringing, as if Keen Intuition was agreeing with him. Seo Jun-Ho remained expressionless as he started to hear someone running toward him. He looked up. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± It was a handsome young man. His face was covered in sweat as if he had run the whole way, and his shoulders heaved as he tried to catch his breath. ¡°...Did you do this?¡± His face twisted, eyes filled with rage. ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question! Did you do this to him?!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t reply. He held up his hands as he slowly stood up. The man expected him to exin, but he didn¡¯t. Swoosh! ck Dragon Fang pierced through his heart. ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me that? You killed him 10 minutes ago. Are you crazy?¡± The fiend¡¯s acting was impressive. If Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t seen his face in Confession of the Dead, he just might have been fooled. The man stumbled back, staring nkly at the sword in his chest. ¡°How¡­ Did you know?¡± Even though he was about to die, his main concern was that Seo Jun-Ho had seen through his acting. He really was crazy. ¡°How did I know? That¡¯s¡­¡± Swoosh! Seo Jun-Ho swung ck Dragon Fang upwards, cutting his upper body in half. He had no intention of answering the question in the first ce. But for what he had done, the bastard would probably curse him for it. ¡°Contractor.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± As he looked down at the fiend¡¯s corpse, he came to a conclusion. ¡®If this was a random incident, he would¡¯ve run away.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t run away. Instead, the fiend had gone through all the trouble of pretending to be someone else to approach him. This only meant one thing. ¡®They set a trap for me.¡¯ Keen Intuition confirmed his suspicions. But this wasn¡¯t the end¡­ ¡®If I¡¯m their target, he wouldn¡¯t havee alone.¡¯ Even Kal Signer had failed to kill Seo Jun-Ho. Of course, the fiends would definitely think that this was because Kim Woo-Joong had interfered in their fight. But humans were predictable. If 5 people failed to kill him, next time they would send no less than 3. ¡®He¡¯s not the only one who¡¯s trying to kill me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho finished his thoughts and pushed out his magic. It spilled out his body, spreading across the area and ryed information to him. ¡°Dammit.¡± ¡°That idiot! How did he mess up?¡± When the fiends realized that they had been discovered, they no longer tried to hide. ¡°...¡± There were three of them, four if you counted the dead one. ¡®With that number, they should have all bases covered.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho paused as he took in the fiends. There was a very familiar face among them. ¡°Contractor, that man¡­¡± It was Gouf. Kal Signer¡¯s aide and right-hand man. They had been very close with each other, which was umon for fiends. ¡®Gouf¡¯s Skill is Isekai Battlefield.¡¯ As the name implied, it allowed him to create a battlefield in an alternate reality for his fiends and allies. As a trade-off, he would also be transported. It was an annoying skill that was hard to escape from once it was activated. ¡®Gouf would activate his skill and Kal Signer would kill the people inside of it.¡¯ The pair had killed countless yers using this method. Even if he was faced with an army, the skill allowed him to create an advantageous battlefield for himself and hisrades. ¡°Create Isekai Battlefield,¡± Gouf whispered. The cabin and forest disappeared. Seo Jun-Ho looked down and saw sand flying through the hot wind. ¡®So this is how that works¡­¡¯ They had been transported in an instant. The air was dry, and the scorching sun was high above his head. ¡°Shit, it¡¯s a desert map?¡± ¡°I hate the heat,¡± the twinsined. ¡®Gouf has the advantage in here.¡¯ The skill allowed him to adjust stats, topography, weather, and anything else. ¡®I¡¯ve studied his skill in great detail thanks to Kal Signer¡¯s memories¡­¡¯ But he didn¡¯t know what skills the twins had. As such, he activated Overclocking from the outset to the max. Woosh! His body heated up almost instantly, but it quickly subsided as frost energy cooled his body whilst running through two circuitnes. ¡°It¡¯s hot. Let¡¯s finish this up quickly. Hyung, should I go first? Or you?¡± ¡°Go. I went firstst time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The younger of the two, Shiso, rolled his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m ready. Shoot.¡± At his cue, they activated their skills. The whole area became filled with a humming sound, like a cicada¡¯s cry. ¡°Phew, it worked.¡± Tap! Shiso smiledzily as he kicked off a red rock and dashed toward Seo Jun-Ho. Heughed when he saw that the yer hadn¡¯t even noticed that he had made his move. ¡®Earth¡¯s top super rookie? The great ck Knight who broke Specter¡¯s record? Don¡¯t make meugh!¡¯ The twin fiends¡¯ skill was Hyper-Maism. They could push and pull each other like mas; it was such a peculiar technique. ¡®When we push each other, we can get close to the speed of sound,¡¯ It had taken them 3 years of nonstop training to reach this level. A mere rookie that had debuted only a year ago couldn¡¯t possiblye close to their level. Swish. A spike peeked out from Shiso¡¯s sleeve. He gripped it in his hand and aimed it toward Seo Jun-Ho to stab him. ¡®Huh?¡¯ A strange feeling of fear overtook him. ¡®What is this? This feeling¡­¡¯ He felt like he was being stripped naked. His hair stood on end, and goosebumps prickled his skin. ¡°...!¡± Despite his extremely high speed, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes were following him. Chapter 145. Overclocking (4)

Chapter 145. Overclocking (4)

As soon as he was caught in the Isekai Battlefield, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart started to beat faster. ¡°Contractor. Stay alert.¡± The Frost Queen didn¡¯t need to warn him. He was facing fiends. Their power couldn¡¯t even begin topare with the whip wolves. As such, Seo Jun-Ho immediately activated Overclocking. ¡°...¡± He was speechless as Overclocking¡¯s true power flowed through his veins. It would be the first time he used it on proper opponents, and he felt wary of the overflowing power. ¡®Can I¡­ Really use it properly?¡¯ His entire body was hot, but it wasn¡¯t because he was overheating from the technique. It was already being offset by frost energy. ¡®So this is what Overclocking¡¯s true power feels like, without limits.¡¯ The abundance of power made him feel like he could cross the entirend with a single step, and he wondered if he could, or if he was even allowed to use this much power. He felt like an adventurer who had discovered a forbidden, sacred ground. But he didn¡¯t ponder for long. ¡®I have to use it.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t let the fear of the unknown stop him. As soon as he finished sorting his thoughts, Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes and looked to his side. A fiend was running toward him in slow-motion. ¡®He¡¯s fast.¡¯ He understood in his head that the man was moving extremely fast, but his eyes saw him approaching like a caterpir crawling on a leaf. Seo Jun-Ho held out his hand, nning to grab the fiend¡¯s neck. Crack! But he failed. Instead, a bloodcurdling sound rang through the air as the fiend¡¯s head buckled backward¡ªinstant death. ¡°...!¡± One of the fiends cried out, presumably the other twin. At the sound, Seo Jun-Ho was pulled out of his trance. ¡°Nooooo! Shiso! Shisooo!¡± Nino hugged Shiso¡¯s corpse with trembling hands. As soon as he sensed that his younger brother was in danger, he tried to pull his brother¡¯s body back. But he was a moment toote. His brother¡¯s neck was already broken. ¡°...I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Bloodlust poured out from Nino¡¯s deep red eyes. He opened his inventory, summoning dozens ofrge sacks. Shhhh! Their contents filled out, gathering in a ck mass. It was maic sand that he had spent years gathering as a child whilst digging through dirt with a ma. ¡°Die!¡± Nino seemed to have lost himself to the rage. Gouf quickly ran over. ¡°Calm down, Nino!¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up! Do I look calm?!¡± As he yelled, the sand formed into dozens of spears in the air. It was hard for him to control so many of them at once, even with his own maic field. This was something he usually did with Shiso bybining their powers. ¡°You bastard¡­You bastard¡­ You bastard!¡± Nino exploded with rage at his brother¡¯s death. Seo Jun-Ho held a simr resentment for his family¡¯s death. He stared and nodded slowly. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Nino squinted at his sudden words. ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve been worried about young fiends like you. I wonder if they had been forced to be fiends when they¡¯re actually good kids.¡± Seo Jun-Ho never would have thought this way in the past, but his perspective had changed after seeing the children at Paradise go through these things. ¡°But I¡¯m d. You guys are scum, just as I thought.¡± He looked up at the iron spears, muttering to himself, ¡°You people don¡¯t feel anything when you kill, yet you im to fight for yourrades and family. Doesn''t that disgust you?¡± ¡°Are you asking me to apologize for the hunter?¡± ¡°No.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t. Just keep acting like the scum you are.¡± That way, he would have no reservations about killing them. White Armor sensed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic as it pushed outward and unfolded, covering his entire body with hundreds of armor tes in an instant. Gouf squinted as he watched. ¡®What is that? It¡¯s different from what we were told.¡¯ From what he remembered, Seo Jun-Ho was using ck armor from the Kwon Workshop, but it had been destroyed during the kobold huntingpetition. ¡®I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to get a recement set of that level¡­¡¯ But somehow, Seo Jun-Ho was using a sleek set of full-body armor that was far superior to his old one. Gouf could tell how sturdy it was, even from his current distance. ¡°...Nino,¡± he said. Two of hisrades had already died. It didn¡¯t matter if it was pure luck or skill; the result was the same. It was time to go all out. ¡°How long can you use those spears?¡± ¡°...About 10 minutes, if I use my full power.¡± ¡°10 minutes it is.¡± It was a tight window, but Gouf nodded slowly. ¡°We¡¯ll have to win before then.¡± ¡°Do you have a n?¡± Nino asked. ¡°I am a god here. I can distract him in all sorts of ways. I¡¯ll support you.¡± ¡°...Alright. Only support, though. I¡¯ll kill him myself,¡± Nino coldly spat. He sounded sure of himself. As he spoke, the ck spears started to fall from the sky, aiming at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Hmmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at his hand. Under his helmet, his eyes were conflicted. ¡®The only way to test it out is to use it.¡¯ He still didn¡¯t have perfect control over Overclocking. He had to admit that he was nervous about using it in a real battle. It made him hesitate for a second, and Seo Jun-Ho started to consider whether he should only use Booster like he used to, or test out his new power. ¡®Booster alone probably won¡¯t cut it.¡¯ From what he knew, Gouf was a level 100 fiend. As the notorious Kal Signer¡¯s former right-hand man, he also had the skills to prove it. He was a cut abovepared to even the old fiend that Seo Jun-Ho had fought recently. ¡®Alright, one step forward.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho took a step forward, the effects of Overclocking flowing through his body. The wind whistled past his ears as he flung forward. Crash! He broke through a red rock formation. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± He spat out the sand and rock before furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°Contractor, are you alright? You elerated too quickly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m uninjured¡­ But I don¡¯t know if I shouldugh or cry.¡± It was a good thing that Overclocking was far stronger than he thought. But Seo Jun-Ho himself was the problem. ¡®I got myself some amazing hardware¡­ But the software isn¡¯t at the same level.¡¯ In other words, his mind couldn¡¯t keep up with his body. He had actually spent a few days getting his body used to Booster, and the reason he nned to walk all the way to the Canal Mountains was that he wanted time to get used to Overclocking. ¡®Even with my skills, I won¡¯t be able to use Overclocking perfectly the first time around.¡¯ All he could do at the moment was to take the reins and try to ride it out. ¡°...Ptoo! Well, that should be enough for today.¡± Seo Jun-Ho spat the rest of the sand out and took off once again. Shoooooo! He could hear the spears flying behind him. ¡®Let¡¯s get used to this speed first.¡¯ The world around him changed in the time that it took to blink. He was moving close to the speed of sound. ¡°You rat!¡± Nino cursed. He didn¡¯t expect that Seo Jun-Ho could move this fast. Even though his spears could attack at the speed of sound from all different directions in all different shapes, they were clearly being outrun by his opponent. ¡®Does that mean he¡¯s running faster than the speed of sound? Impossible.¡¯ They hadn¡¯t seen anything like that in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s profile, which meant that he hadn¡¯t been investigated properly. ¡°Why is he so fast¡­?!¡± Shoooo! The air screamed as the spears chased after Seo Jun-Ho. He nced behind him and turned at a 90-degree angle, which meant that he had started to adjust to his current speed. ¡°How long will you keep running?!¡± Nino roared. Blood started to spill from his nose. He was pushing himself to his limits by controlling so many spears at once. ¡®His movements are unstable. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s used to his speed yet.¡¯ Gouf carefully observed Seo Jun-Ho. He pped his hands together, and the ground beneath Seo Jun-Ho caved in. Space bent around him, like in Inception. ¡°Shoot.¡± In an instant, the opennd contorted to a rectangr box. Seo Jun-Ho looked up and saw Gouf and Nino looking up to meet his eyes. ¡®He directly got rid of thendscape. My speed must¡¯ve been annoying him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho sucked his teeth and scowled. Even the solid ground beneath him had turned to sand, and he felt his body sinking. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I am a god here,¡± Gouf said triumphantly. He gestured with his finger, and the walls started to close in around Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Shit, if they attack me in this state¡­¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge. ¡°Contractor, you will be serving your head on a tter if you do not do anything.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Seo Jun-Ho unsheathed ck Dragon Fang. He still wasn¡¯t used to Overclocking, and if he let his concentration falter even just a little bit, he would be digging his own grave. ¡®I didn¡¯t know that I¡¯d end up practicing it like this.¡¯ They said real battles were the best ce to train. Seo Jun-Ho gripped ck Dragon Fang tightly and calcted the distance between him and his opponents. ¡°That¡¯s at least a few hundred meters¡­ They¡¯re too far.¡± ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re the best, Gouf!¡± Nino cackled and raised his hand, lining up dozens of iron spears in front of him. ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to run away now, you rat.¡± The spears filled the box they were standing in. As Nino said, there was no space to dodge. ¡°Nino, keep it short. Just kill him,¡± Gouf ordered. ¡°This is for Shiso, you bastard!¡± Zip! The iron spears rained down, sounding like the roar of an engine. As they came down, Seo Jun-Ho kicked off the ground and surged into the air. ¡°Boy, do you even have a n? You are not nning to simply hit them all away, are you?¡± the Frost Queen had to ask. Even though they were shaped like spears, the weapons were made up of maic sand mixed with iron. He couldn¡¯t simply cut through them with his sword. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth without replying. He sharpened his focus to its limit as he watched the spears¡¯ approach. They wereing at the speed of sound, but he was slightly faster than them. At that speed, they met almost in an instant. ¡°Contractor!¡± the Frost Queen cried out. The spears were right in front of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s nose. If they struck him, the magic-enhanced weapons would pierce through his skin like butter. And they would probably pierce through his body and organs, which would most likely hurt. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Woosh! The shadows behind him lunged forward and swallowed him. ¡®Shadow Movement.¡¯ Most of his remaining magic was consumed with this one skill. Crossing that great of a distance with a disturbed focus was a big gamble. Worst-case scenario, he would just use up all his magic. The sudden loss of so much energy made him dizzy. ¡®But as long as I can do this¡­¡¯ He would win. The backs of their heads filled his vision. The fiends were still looking up at where he had been. Chapter 146. A Lead (1)

Chapter 146. A Lead (1)

¡°Did I get him?¡± Nino muttered to himself, looking up. He probably had, considering that his spears had stabbed through from every angle. There would not have been any space for someone to dodge. ¡®But why¡­¡¯ Why couldn¡¯t he see Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s corpse? His eyes narrowed. Just as he was about to say something, all his hair stood on end, his body reacted to the immense amount of bloodlust and magic energy behind him. ¡®Shit!¡¯ The main weakness of his maic field was that he couldn¡¯t sense anything when he was out of charge. Just like now. ¡°Gouf¡­!¡± He cried out for help. ¡°...?!¡± But Gouf said nothing and pushed Nino away. Stab! ck Dragon Fang burrowed through Nino¡¯s chest. ¡°Kal Signer chose his right hand well. As expected of a fiend.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t surprised that Gouf had betrayed therade he had just been fighting with. Or rather, Gouf was only able to do that because he had never considered Nino as his partner in the first ce. Seo Jun-Ho punched Nino¡¯s bloody face. Nino flew to the side and his body rolled over as he died. Watchguard of Darkness was already moving inside his body as Seo Jun-Ho had released it into Nino¡¯s body when he stabbed him. ¡°...What did you just say?¡± Gouf¡¯s face darkened. He hadn¡¯t expected Seo Jun-Ho to say Kal Signer¡¯s name, because that implied that the yer knew of his identity. ¡°Did you already forget about Signer? He saved you from the Cave of the Dead Gate 6 years ago.¡± ¡°...!¡± Gouf¡¯s eyes widened. Even among the fiends, there were only a few people that knew of this. And there was no way they would have run into Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Who told you that?¡± ¡°Signer did,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied, shaking some of the blood off his sword. ¡°His death was pathetic. He got on his knees and begged me to spare him, saying that he would tell me everything he knew.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Impossible.¡± Gouf trembled. The Kal Signer he knew was a proud man. He would have faced death with dignity, not humiliation. ¡°Quit the nonsense ande at me.¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s nonsense?¡± A lowugh came from inside Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s helmet. ¡°How else would I know your name and story if he hadn¡¯t told me himself?¡± ¡°...¡± Gouf¡¯s face contorted with conflict. He refused to believe that his superior would have acted like that, but at the same time, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words were convincing. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this. He never thought of you as arade¡­ No, he never even thought of you as his subordinate. You were just one of his obedientckeys.¡± ¡°You sure talk a lot!¡± Gouf yelled, furious. Seo Jun-Ho had poked a sore spot. Deep down, he had also been wondering if Kal Signer even considered him a brother like Gouf did. ¡®As I thought, he¡¯s insecure.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smirked. He wouldn¡¯t let a fiend die an easy death. He would make it as painful and as cruel as possible. ¡®Kal Signer was always worried about Gouf.¡¯ Unlike how he appeared, Gouf was very emotional. Kal Signer had thought that Gouf would let his anger get the best of him one day. ¡®He was right.¡¯ The Isekai Battlefield faltered, shrinking and trapping him. But Seo Jun-Ho was much faster. ¡®Isekai Battlefield sure is a powerful skill.¡¯ If Gouf hadn¡¯t lost hisposure, Seo Jun-Ho would have been in trouble. The fiend only needed to create a safe area to hide in and snipe Seo Jun-Ho from that safe zone. As such, Seo Jun-Ho taunted him even more. The more Gouf lost his reasoning, the higher Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chance of winning. Pow! Seo Jun-Ho flew like a sh of light and struck Gouf in the face. ¡°...!¡± The force was so powerful that Gouf couldn¡¯t even cry out. He instinctively raised his hands to protect his face. That was his final mistake. If Gouf had tried to counterattack, Seo Jun-Ho would have been forced to fall back. Shing! ck Dragon Fang stabbed through his defenseless chest. ¡°Have fun burning in hell with Signer.¡± ¡°Urgh¡­I¡¯ll¡­ Be waiting¡­¡± ¡°Bullshit. Why would I go there?¡± At this point, Seo Jun-Ho practically had a free pass to heaven. With a twist of his sword, Seo Jun-Ho thoroughly crushed Gouf¡¯s insides before kicking his chest. Gouf''s body fell and slowly sank into the ground, and the world around them started to copse. Seo Jun-Ho blinked against the bright sunlight, and his eyes settled on a familiar cabin. ¡°Jun-Ho!¡± And on a familiar face¡­ ¡°...Skaya? Why are you here?¡± ¡°The lucky coin!¡± Coin? Ah, the coin that she gave him when they parted. ¡°I put a spell on it. It alerts me when the owner gets attacked by demonic energy.¡± ¡°Oh, no wonder.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had been wondering why she gave him a coin. Skaya observed him from top to bottom with a worried face. ¡°Are you okay? How about the fiends? Did you kill them all? Were they strong? How many were there? Should I beat them up for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, I killed them all, and I already beat them all up by myself,¡± he said coolly. Skaya let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Good. I was worried that something went wrong¡­ And I couldn¡¯t get into the space he made¡­¡± ¡°You worry too much. You know who I am. You should¡¯ve been more worried about my opponents.¡± ¡°...Right, I forgot! There¡¯s never any point in worrying about you.¡± Skaya grinned. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the Queen!¡± She discovered the Frost Queen, who was desperately trying to hide behind Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s leg. Skaya¡¯s eyes sparkled as she picked her up. ¡°Hehe! I got you!¡± ¡°...Hey, don¡¯t treat her like a Pokemon.¡± ¡°U-unhand me. As the Queen of Niflheim, I prefer formalities¡­¡± She struggled in Skaya¡¯s grasp. There had been no time for her Skaya radar to go off because they ran into her as soon as they emerged from Gouf¡¯s Isekai Battlefield. ¡°You¡¯re so noisy, go y over there,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, looking around. Thankfully, the fiends had also been expelled from the Isekai Battlefield. ¡°Are you gonna read their memories?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know about the others, but Signer made Gouf do all the busywork.¡± In other words, Gouf must know even more about the Fiend Association than Kal Signer. It was because thetter had always ordered him to do the work Kal Signer himself didn¡¯t want to do. ¡°Please, give me a good lead.¡± No matter how sturdy a house was, it woulde crumbling down if one pir or brick was taken out. A pir¡ªthat was what Seo Jun-Ho was looking for. [Confession of the Dead has been activated.] [Gouf¡¯s memories are being reyed.] As the sun began to set, cold wind blew around the cabin. ¡°...¡± After watching the yback on the side of the road, Seo Jun-Ho slowly stood up. Skaya had joined him at some point, and her eyes shed. ¡°Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± He nodded silently. They had discovered a lead. *** The monsters in the Canal Mountains were at least level 80, so even the most confident yers only went there when they reached at least level 85. It was impossible to predict what would happen on the field, so it wasmon practice to hunt monsters a few levels beneath them. ¡°The Canal Mountains connect to the northernmost mountain range in the continent, the Wailing Mountains.¡± The Canal Mountains were often called the ¡°northern end¡± of the Ruben Empire because no one had ever made it past the Wailing Mountains. Beyond it was an unknown region called ¡®ckfield.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho quickly arrived at the Canal Mountains, thanks to Skaya and the Frost Queen¡¯s help. Even though it was important to adjust to his newfound power, the stuff he had seen in Gouf¡¯s memories was even more important. Skaya and Seo Jun-Ho were currently eating at an inn in Denver, a city in front of the Canal Mountains. They were wearing masks and hats to hide their identities. ¡°What do you think is there that they¡¯ve blocked it off?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Beyond the Wailing Mountains. I¡¯ve heard a lot of things in the past few weeks while I was running around¡­ But no one knows about ckfield.¡± Hundreds of years ago a magic seal had been ced on ckfield by the first Archmage, who had also founded the Magic Tower. ording to ancient texts, the seal must never be removed at all costs. ¡°I dunno. Thend of demons?¡± ¡°...Did Keen Intuition tell you that?¡± ¡°Nope. It¡¯s just a guess.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± Skaya was very interested in ckfield, especially because not even she could ce a magic seal over such a huge area. ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of time to look around eventually. But we have more important things to focus on right now.¡± ¡°Yeah, alright.¡± They had found a big piece of information from Gouf¡¯s memories. ¡®The rendezvous point.¡¯ Members of the Fiend Association were very thorough and organized. ¡®Even on Earth, I could feel that they had be a lot more meticulous than before.¡¯ After suffering such huge losses during the era of the 5 Heroes, they had be even more careful. As such, there weren¡¯t many fiends who could give them leads. Among them were fiends associated with ¡®squadrons,¡¯ their immediate superiors, and the eight executives of the Association. ¡®Kal Signer had a notorious reputation as the Demon Bow, but he was unable to join a Squadron.¡¯ Of course, this wasn¡¯t because of hisck of skill. Squadron leaders simply wanted members that were both strong and obedient. Kal Signer had the habit of going around, doing whatever he wanted, so the more egotistical fiends didn¡¯t want to recruit him. ¡®But there¡¯s always an exception...¡¯ There had been exactly one Squadron leader who wanted to recruit Kal Signer. They hadn¡¯t contacted the stubborn Kal Signer himself but had contacted his right-hand man Gouf instead. ¡®Gouf went to that ce before.¡¯ It hadn¡¯t even been a year since they met, so it had been fairly recent. Seo Jun-Ho had also discovered from the old fiend that the Fiend Association had a branch in the Canal Mountains. When considering these two things, they drew a pretty clear picture. ¡®There will be at least one fiend in a Squadron in the branch.¡¯ Even if that weren¡¯t the case, fiends still came and went there. That was why Seo Jun-Ho and Skaya hade all the way to Denver. ¡°What do you think? Should we go right away? Or do you want to wait it out just to be careful?¡± Skaya asked as Seo Jun-Ho was buttering his bread. ¡°Hmmm.¡± Jun-Ho¡¯s hand stopped. ¡°There are still five days left until the full moon.¡± Their meeting dates had always been the nights of full moons on even-numbered months. Chapter 147. A Lead (2)

Chapter 147. A Lead (2)

¡°Please take care of me,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said seriously. Both he and Skaya were currently inside their room. It took a lot out of him to say that, but Skaya only understood the surface meaning of it. As such, she looked at him in disgust. ¡°You¡¯re a grown adult. What are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought about what I can do during the five days before the full moon,¡± he exined. There were three possible options: hunting monsters, training Overclocking, andstly, training with the ice golems. ¡°And I think getting used to Overclocking will be the most efficient choice.¡± Out of the three, it would allow him to be most prepared for battle. Being able to use Overclocking on a whim wouldpletely change the level of his power. Sadly, hunting while training would make things less efficient. ¡°So, you should hunt for me. While you do that, I¡¯ll work on getting used to Overclocking.¡± He had spent a good amount of time pondering this over. Skaya squinted at him. ¡°...In other words, you want me to carry you?¡± ¡°Yeah. Carry me.¡± ¡®Carrying¡¯ referred to the practice of a high-level yer fighting monsters for lower-level yers. Obviously, it was a good way to level up quickly, but it carried dangerous risks. ¡®yers who level up so easily won¡¯t be able to hold their own.¡¯ But Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t like that. He had already reached level 80 before. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, he was still confident in his abilities. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Skaya stroked her chin, thinking. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell. ¡°Wait, why do you even need to think about it? Are you not going to help me?¡± ¡°Wait a second. I need to think about it.¡± She held up her hand, trying to calm him down before closing her eyes. She opened them a momentter and spoke softly, ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t think I can.¡± ¡°...¡± When Seo Jun-Ho asked her why¡ªher answer was simple. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? When we first nned toe here, we didn¡¯t really think much of it. But things are different now.¡± They had originally nned toe here once they saw from the old fiend¡¯s memories that there was a Fiend Association branch in the area. Seo Jun-Ho understood as much and nodded. Even a few hours ago, he hadn¡¯t really thought much of the Canal Mountains. ¡®I thought that this would be a small branch¡­ Like a little more than ten fiends.¡¯ This was why Seo Jun-Ho had thought that they would make good training targets for him to hunt alone. After all, that was what they had seen in the old fiend¡¯s memories. But when they opened the box, they discovered that things were much bigger than they thought. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to face them head-on like we originally nned,¡± Skaya said. She stretched out her arm and pointed at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°So I have to make preparations for your disguise.¡± ¡°...Disguise?¡± His expression changed. ¡°Wait, so the reason you told me to take Gouf¡¯s clothing¡­¡± ¡°A mage is always prepared. We always have a n B and n C,¡± she said, shrugging. Skaya¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°We don¡¯t know how strong they are yet. If we just barge in and they end up being stronger than us, it¡¯s over. Besides, both of us are weakened right now.¡± There were still three days until the Curse of Bitter Cold was released¡­ It was a little unnerving. ¡°It won¡¯t matter if the full moon rises in five days¡­¡± ¡°But if it rises in four, we¡¯ll have to wait two more months,¡± Seo Jun-Ho finished. They were also relying on the fact that the meeting point would still be the same two months from now. ¡®It has been less than a year since Gouf came here.¡¯ But the meticulous Fiend Association shouldn¡¯t keep using the same meeting points. There was probably a set schedule for changing them. In other words, this could be theirst opportunity to follow a lead. ¡°...We don¡¯t have any other choice,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. So, we¡¯ll try using a disguise first,¡± Skaya concluded. Skaya was quite good at making disguises. She would be able to replicate Gouf¡¯s exact body shape, face, and voice. ¡°I just need to be good at acting,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. ¡°Your main goal will be to assess the fiends¡¯ abilities. If you think we can take them on together¡­¡± ¡°I should give you a signal. Right?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be watching you the whole time, and I¡¯ll put a tracker on you too.¡± After Seo Jun-Ho gave her the signal, it would only take Skaya a second to join him in battle. ¡°So I guess you¡¯ll need four days to make all the potions for my disguise.¡± ¡°Bingo. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t hunt with you,¡± Skaya exined. It was a logical choice. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll just train Overclocking.¡± ¡°Personally, I would rmend that you still go hunting,¡± she spoke up. ¡°Why? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to practice Overclocking?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°With your skills, can¡¯t you do it while hunting?¡± She was right, but only to an extent. ¡°So you¡¯re saying I should raise my level and stats while hunting¡­ All while adjusting to Overclocking?¡± ¡°Even if you spend the whole time focusing on Overclocking, there¡¯s no guarantee that you¡¯ll be able to master it in five days. So it¡¯s better to take the safer route.¡± Again, it was the logical choice. Seo Jun-Ho let out a light sigh and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll leave early tomorrow morning then. And¡­ I¡¯ll return on the evening of the full moon.¡± ¡°Good luck.¡± Skaya grinned and released the magic covering the room. It was a technique to block out sound, like the one that Gong Ju-Ha had once used. Thanks to that, no one had been able to hear a single word of their conversation. ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go far,¡± Skaya said. She was in the room next door, after all. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and waved her away. *** The sun hadn¡¯t risen yet. Seo Jun-Ho breathed in the cold, early morning air as he left Denver. His goal for today was to hunt steel bears, amon type of monster in the Canal Mountains. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± The Frost Queen sat on his shoulders, nodding off. She still wasn¡¯t fully awake. ¡®I¡¯m level 60 right now, so if I really push myself for the next five days¡­¡¯ He could reach level 70. But since he would be hunting while training Overclocking, he couldn¡¯t guarantee it. After leaving at dawn, Seo Jun-Ho finally arrived at the Canal Mountains by 10 AM, the sun was already soaring high in the sky. ¡°...Let¡¯s try to hunt as far as possible from the meeting point.¡± He didn¡¯t want to identally end up running into fiends. Still, there were some yers dotting the edge of the mountains. Some of them watched as he approached. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m hiding my face.¡¯ He was wearing a mask and a hat with a long visor covering his face. It would be hard to recognize him. The watchers quickly lost interest when there was nothing to find. ¡°Contractor, are steel bears strong?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen them before.¡± But considering that they were made of steel, they would probably be tedious to handle. He reckoned that a sword aura was the minimum requirement to be able to injure them. ¡®But I should hold back from taking the easy route and using a sword aura.¡¯ His current level of Overclocking had a clear weakness. ¡®¡­I can¡¯t control it.¡¯ With a single step, he would cross hundreds of meters. It would be nice to use it to run away from a battle, but it wasn¡¯t exactly a fighting skill. ¡®If I can¡¯t fix it, I might not be able to use Overclocking in the uing fight.¡¯ A yer who couldn¡¯t control their abilities was the same as a yer without any abilities¡ªthis was the belief Seo Jun-Ho had held ever since his days as Specter. ¡°Control the speed. Control the speed,¡± Seo Jun-Ho chanted under his breath. His ear twitched. At the same time, the Frost Queen looked up like a meerkat. ¡°A bear.¡± ¡°A steel bear, you mean.¡± It had a peculiar appearance. The bear bounded over on all fours and stood as it discovered Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Grrrrrr!¡± It let out a thunderous roar. It was easily 3 meters tall on its hind legs, and it already had a huge frame like other bears. The biggest problem was that its giant body was made entirely of steel. ¡°It looks like a boss monster,¡± Seo Jun-Homented. Actually, if a monster like that appeared in a Gate on Earth, he was sure that it would be an Uncleared Gate. In addition, there weren¡¯t many yers on Earth who could use a sword aura in the first ce. As such, yers on Earth would find it difficult tond a good blow on it. The ground shook as the steel bear dashed over, waving its paws. Despite its size, it was shockingly fast. ¡®So this is what the monsters in the Canal Mountains are like¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho started to understand why yers were reluctant to hunt here. Even the five ws on each paw were made out of sharp steel. ¡®Its entire body is a weapon.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho quickly unsheathed ck Dragon Fang and blocked it. ng! The leaves shook as the sound of weapons shing filled the air. ¡°It¡¯s so strong¡­!¡± He gnashed his teeth. Even though he had nted his feet firmly in the ground, he was being pushed back. ¡®I can¡¯t win with pure strength. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m Rahmadat. I don¡¯t need to meet it with the same power.¡¯ Onep, twops, threeps¡­ As the magic energy quickly flowed across his entire body, it started to create an explosive power, making all his physical abilities at least twice as strong as before. ¡®As slow as possible. As slow as possible.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho poured all his focus into swinging ck Dragon Fang slowly. But despite his efforts, the steel bear¡¯s enormous upper body was sliced off with a single sh. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s already dead?¡± ¡°So you failed to control your power¡­¡± the Frost Queen muttered. She didn¡¯t seem to like riding on his shoulders during battle, so she had been watching from a distance. She had been carefully observing with her arms crossed from start to finish. And then she suggested a solution, ¡°I believe that you are not yet prepared for battle.¡± ¡°...Then what should I do? I don¡¯t have enough time to hunt monsters and train Overclocking to an eptable level.¡± ¡°If you know that, why are you wasting your time like this?¡± The Frost Queen gestured with her finger, ordering him toe over. ¡°What?¡± As he approached. She flew upward until she was looking down at him. She crossed her legs in the air and spoke. ¡°Will you try using my method?¡± ¡°Huh? Wait. Keen Intuition just went off. I¡¯m nervous.¡± ¡°It will be hard, but it will be just as effective. I swear on my honor.¡± ¡°...Let¡¯s hear it. What should I do?¡± he asked. ¡°Do not be shocked.¡± The Frost Queen flew closer and whispered something in his ear. When she finished, Seo Jun-Ho squinted. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± he gasped. ¡°I do not joke.¡± ¡°Still, that¡¯s¡­¡± He trailed off. Her suggestion was to maintain Overclocking at all times except during battle. It was insane. ¡°Your first priority is to adjust to your new power. If you use Overclocking in normal situations, you will remember the motions to control it. And once you release it when you start hunting the steel bears, you¡¯ll be forced to do more.¡± It sounded incredibly difficult. But despite this¡­ Seo Jun-Ho was intrigued. The Frost Queen¡¯s logic was perfect. ¡®The only problem is that it¡¯ll be hard as hell.¡¯ But in order to be strong, he was willing to do this a hundred, even a thousand times over. ¡°Man, this feels like a scam¡­¡± ¡°Have faith in me. It sounds perfect in theory.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but buy into it. Chapter 148. A Lead (3)

Chapter 148. A Lead (3)

The Frost Queen¡¯s suggestion to maintain Overclocking at all times except during battle had been a challenge since day one. Boom! Craaaash! Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t control his speed and he crashed into arge tree. He looked at the flying flock of birds and sighed. How many times had it been? "The 20th crash...¡± She was counting the number of times he had crashed so far without his consent. "Is this actually even effective?" "Yes, it is. If it does not work, the fault lies with you, not me,¡± said the Frost Queen primly. That was only right. In the end, she had shown him the way, but it was he who had to walk it. "I can''t even walk properly, so I don''t know how I¡¯ll be able to adapt to this in five days¡­¡± "It is said that a journey of thousand miles starts with a step," the Frost Queen encouraged. ¡°¡­¡± She was full of wise sayings. *** Seo Jun-Ho slipped to the ground and shed with ck Dragon Fang. "Kuuuuuuh!" The steel bear roared in fury upon being cut in an unfortunate ce. Finishing up the steel bear that had pressed its legs together tightly due to the pain was as easy as stealing candy from a baby. "Now, start over.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Frost Queen urged as soon as the battle was over. Seo Jun-Ho gave a light sigh and gathered his magic again. With Overclocking, he couldn¡¯t break his concentration even for a second. ''If I get distracted, it''s hard to even walk.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s legs moved as he began to look for his next prey. Whoosh! Whoosh! His body moved so fast that it seemed to leave behind an afterimage. He still could not control his body; however, he had improved greatlypared to back in the morning. "You do not crash into rocks anymore and have gotten better at walking by yourself. Good job, Contractor." "...Stop making fun of me," Seo Jun-Ho replied with a sullen look. He had never turned off Overclocking except for when he hunted and recharged his magic. However, even though he had put in so much effort, it still wasn¡¯t enough. ¡®Every step I take, I go hundreds of meters, and I even broke the Association¡¯s sword that I used as a test...¡¯ Losing control of his body caused stress beyond words. When five hours had passed since he had started training, Seo Jun-Ho had realized that this was not an ability he could adapt to in just five days. Eventually, he chose topromise with reality. "What percentage did you say you are at about now?¡± asked the Frost Queen. "About 15%..." Overclocking¡¯s overall output had been lowered. This was the best option for him since he didn¡¯t have a lot of time on his hands. "Hmm, it is not bad. It is a lot better than Booster," the Frost Queen praised. "Well, I definitely seeded in making my body¡¯s temperature even lower than before. The magic capacity of my magic circuit has also increased." What was the point of increasing the magic circuit¡¯s capacity? ''It''ll be helpful when I¡¯m using Watchguard of Darkness and Frost, but it''s not helpful when I¡¯m using Overclocking.¡¯ Still, when he lowered the output, he was able to regain some control of his body. Right now, every step he took only moved him about 5 meters at most. Like the Frost Queen said, at least, he wasn¡¯t crashing into rocks anymore. ''Of course, there are also some parts that I''m bummed out about.¡¯ Overclocking at 15% of the output no longer brought him into a world faster than sound. It was not only speed but also power. At the maximum output state of Overclocking, Seo Jun-Ho was not afraid of even a steel bear¡¯s strength. But at 15% of the output, he was onlyparable to or slightly below the steel bear in strength. "But I''m d the leveling up is going well..." At this speed, he would be able to hit level 65 in three days. The number of steel bears was not as high as he thought, so the original target of reaching level 70 before the time limit would be difficult to achieve. "Huuu..." Seo Jun-Ho let out a sigh from deep in his lungs. "Contractor, why do you sigh so deeply?" "It¡¯s just, I feel like it¡¯s just one thing after another." Sitting on a rock, Seo Jun-Ho murmured, looking down at the deep mountains. "I thought everything would work out as long as the Overclocking stabilized, but it seems that it hadn¡¯t been the case." "That is just how the world works. Adversityes after adversity, and hardshipes with more hardship," consoled the Frost Queen. "¡­Yeah, that''s how the world works." To be honest, he knew it in his head. But even though he knew of this, and had already experienced it dozens of times, it was still suffocating whenever he encountered it. "Let''s start slowly," muttered Seo Jun-Ho. Even at 15% of Overclocking, he still couldn¡¯t handle himself as he wished. Fine control was still impossible for him during Overclocking. ''This difference is huge. It''ll create a big variable in battle.¡¯ In a battle, a tiny mistake separated victory from defeat. Seo Jun-Ho judged that he would be pushing the envelope if he used Overclocking in real battles at this rate. ¡®I was luckyst time.¡¯ Unfortunately, there was no guarantee that he would be lucky against fiends belonging to a Squadron. He decided that if he couldn¡¯tpletely control Overclocking despite only using 15% of its maximum output, he would rather only use Booster. ''The power and speed of Overclocking are addictive, but¡­¡¯ He reckoned that if he became overwhelmed by that power, he would slowly start to copse from the inside. Seo Jun-Ho had no intention of giving up safety for power that felt pleasant in the heat of the moment. "That is a wise decision." The Frost Queen nodded slowly as if she was having simr concerns. "Contractor, do not be so depressed. You are a wise man, and you are doing well enough now. Even if I do not tell you, you always think ahead and pave your own way." Riding on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head, the Frost Queen suddenlyforted and tapped him on the head. "That which does not kill you makes you stronger..." "¡­ That''s Nietzsche,¡± Seo Jun-Ho murmured with a faint smile. A cool breeze in the mountains cooled his sweat. *** [You have leveled up.] [8 lost stamina stats have been restored.] [10 lost speed stats have been restored.] [With the effect of Limit Breaker, strength has increased by 2 and speed has increased by 3.] Level 65. It was the result of Seo Jun-Ho''s full-fledged training. He reached it on the third day. "I think the higher my level, the more lost stats will be restored when I level.¡± Or perhaps it had increased after Seo Jun-Ho came up to the 2nd floor? He was not sure because he didn¡¯t particrly make a note of it. But there was one thing he was sure of¡ªthe pace he was regaining his old strength was increasing. ''The Curse of Bitter Cold will be lifted in another seven hours or so...¡¯ He was rapidly adapting to Overclocking with 15% output. Of course, there were still areas that clearly showed his inexperience. ¡®But this is enough for real battles...¡¯ He had passed his own strict screening criteria. All he could see now were green lights. "Status window." [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 65 Title: Bring of Spring (2+) Strength: 215 (-99) Stamina: 210 (-94) Speed: 212 (-92) Magic: 169 (-75) Fame: 2,720 Of course, there was one thing he was worried about. It was that the Curse of Bitter Cold would be lifted in the next seven hours. ''It''s good that the curse will be lifted, but then my stats will almost double again...¡¯ He felt burdened about whether he would be able to control Overclocking at 15% of its maximum output when his stats dramatically increased after the Curse of Bitter Cold was lifted. Tug, tug. The Frost Queen pulled Seo Jun-Ho''s hair with a frown. "Contractor, it says all over your face that you feel burdened. Do not worry too much." "Tssp, this must be a disease, an upational disease. It''s a job where you always have to risk your life.¡±[1] That was why he was sensitive to every little thing. Especially since the humans he would meet tomorrow were fiends belonging to a Squadron. Even Skaya was both slightly nervous and excited. "Since we found a lead, I hope we can find something bigger¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered as he watched the sunset falling over the horizon. "Huh? Contractor!" Then, the Frost Queen raised her voice and pulled Seo Jun-Ho''s hair once again. When he looked up with a questioning look she pointed her finger at something without saying a word. "The moon?" The moon she pointed to was brighter and bigger than any other light. And above all, it was round. "¡­A full moon." Seo Jun-Ho got up from his seat with a stiff expression. It was one day earlier than expected. He clicked his tongue at the status window that was still disrupting his view. There were still seven hours before the Curse of Bitter Cold was lifted. *** "Oh, you''re here? You''re just in time." Back at the inn in Denver, Skaya was waiting for Seo Jun-Ho. She quickly put him in a chair, not bothering to exin anything. "There¡¯s no time. Did you see the sky?" asked Skaya urgently. "Yeah, it was a full moon," replied Seo Jun-Ho. "In a few hours, someone will be at the meeting point. You have to be Gouf within that time." Ssh. Skaya shook a medicinal bottle filled with green liquid. "Here, drink this." "¡­What is this?" "Transformation potion. I made it in a hurry, so the duration won¡¯t be that long. I think it''llst about six hours?¡± Seo Jun-Ho gulped down his saliva. Today, he would drink this medicine and meet the fiends disguised as Gouf. The reason why he was doing such a cumbersome job, even though he could easily obtain information through the Confession of the Dead, was simple. "If they really think you''re the real Gouf, they''ll probably take you with them." "¡­To the Fiend Association¡¯s branch." The Fiend Association¡¯s branch was a small branch of only about ten fiends. They had no idea how many people would gather there today, so they had to be careful as much as possible. "And for you...¡± p. Skaya stuck a heinous-looking skeleton sticker to his forearm. "What''s this?" "It''s a sticker that has location tracking magic and simple wiretapping magic. If something happens, this noona will fly over, pronto." "Mmhm, you''re so reliable." Skaya was to be on stand-by at this inn today. Only Seo Jun-Ho would be moving ording to their n. It was all because fiends with sharp instincts might notice her magic. "How was the training for thest three days?¡± "Well¡­ It wasn''t bad. I managed to obtain some things." It was veryckingpared to 100% output, but the 15% output was still superior to Booster. "Just keep one thing in mind, the Curse of Bitter Cold." Skaya requested sincerely. "We have about six hours left... Before that, don''t create a situation where a fight might ur." It was a reasonable request. When Seo Jun-Ho nodded, Skaya tapped him on the shoulder. "Have a safe trip." "Do your best." It was unknown when the battle would begin. Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that she had to be feeling frustrated too. After all, she had no other choice but to patiently wait while fully prepared. Seo Jun-Ho left the inn and casually activated Overclocking at 15% of its maximum output. Stretch. Every time he kicked off the ground, his body seemed to leave behind afterimages. He was definitely faster with Overclockingpared to Booster. "Contractor, I think this is enough?" "Mmhm." Arriving near the deserted Canal Mountains, Seo Jun-Ho poured the medicine Skaya had given him into his mouth. "Ugh, it''s bitter...¡± It was so bad that his face contorted. Crack, crack. At the same time, his bones began to make strange noises. "Uck." Surprised, the Frost Queen distanced herself. About ten minutester, the strange noises calmed down. ¡°Hmmm." Seo Jun-Ho took out a mirror and looked at his face. He slowly nodded. "Perfect." No matter how you looked at it, it was the face of the Gouf whom he had just hunted a few days ago. Even his height had slightly grown. It meant that even Gouf¡¯s skeletal structure had been reproduced. "Contractor, are you confident in your acting skills?" "Of course¡­" Seo Jun-Ho was confident in his acting skills. After all¡­ "I even have his memories." In short, method acting was possible.[2] 1. Tssp is the sound of sucking air in between your teeth. ? 2. Method acting is acting through identifying with, understanding, and experiencing a character''s inner motivation and emotions. - From Wikipedia. ? Chapter 149. A Lead (4) The mountains of Canal Mountains were deep. Naturally, from time to time Adventurers and yers who had climbed the mountain to hunt would miss their chance to go back down. Perhaps due to that, there were small cabins built all over the mountain. They were built in rtively safe ces and were meant for those who had to endure a harsh night¡ªthey were a symbol of hospitability. There was a time when countless Adventurers and yers stayed up all night in the cabin and felt grateful. But that was long ago. The constant expansion of the Ruben Empire drove powerful monsters all the way to the Canal Mountains. As a result, the hunting difficulty of the Canal Mountains had significantly increased, and the number of people using the cabins naturally decreased as a result. tter. ¡°¡­¡± That was the reason why the cabins in the Canal Mountains were now being used as a meeting point for the fiends. When Seo Jun-Ho entered the cabin, there was someone already sitting there. It was a man hugging a sword sheath and wearing a satgat with a wide brim.[1] Seo Jun-Ho sat in the chair opposite him and opened his mouth. "If the contact person hasn''t changed... It has been a long time, Stan. Or are you his recement?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A light sigh came out of the satgat-wearing man, who had been silent for a while. "You''re being careless, Gouf, quite unlike yourself. The secret code should be renewed every month through the Association.¡± "It''s a tough society. Is there really a need between us to exchange secret codes?" Gouf had lived a month and a half near Gilleon to hunt Seo Jun-Ho. As contact from the Fiend Association was lost, he naturally did not know the newly updated code. That was why Seo Jun-Ho was shamelessly improvising to pass through. "What are you doing here all of a sudden?" asked the satgat-wearing man. "Oh, that''s....¡± Quickness was really important from here on. There was no reason for Gouf to visit this ce. In other words, he had to tell a ''reasonable¡¯ lie. "You have ears, so you must have heard it too, right? That I am now under Nazad Hallow-nim." "¡­Ah, I think I know.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had hardly even started talking yet, but Stan nodded. An unexpected look was revealed through the slightly raised satgat. "I didn''t expect Hallow-nim to rmend you for the raid... I guess you''ve been receiving a lot of his trust.¡± "Ah¡­ Well, yes." "Raid? It¡¯s my first time hearing it," said the Frost Queen. Just like the Frost Queen said, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know about the raid either, but he nodded calmly. He had to react as if he knew about it. "Then let''s go." Stan stood up from his seat and flicked his fingers. In response, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t hesitate to put his hand on Stan¡¯s shoulder, and the view around him changed. Stan''s skill ¡®Homing Instinct(C)¡¯ was triggered. It was a skill that allowed him to return to the ce he designated as ¡®home,¡¯ regardless of where he was. The ce where they arrived was the interior of a magnificent and huge mansion. ¡°¡­!¡± At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes trembled. Bustle. It was because dozens of fiends were gathered inside the mansion. Among them, there were fiends Seo Jun-Ho had seen in Gouf''s memory, and some he was seeing for the first time. ''This¡­ is a situation that I didn''t expect.¡¯ There were too many opponents. Looking at Seo Jun-Ho''s slightly nervous face, Stan tapped him on the chest. "Are you nervous?" "What nonsense." Seo Jun-Ho spat out Gouf''s natural speaking mannerism and looked around. ¡°The meeting will begin soon, since you are thest one." As Stan went up to the second floor, gazes from all over the ce were directed at him. Seo Jun-Ho calmly received their gazes as he leaned against the wall, and observed the situation as much as possible. ''Fiends, and each of them is at least level 90.¡¯ There were thirty-one such people excluding himself. Just for what purpose? Just as Seo Jun-Ho frowned, a man apanied by Stan grabbed the railing on the second floor and began to speak. "Everyone''s here...¡± At the same time, the fiends on the first floor bowed to him and showed him courtesy. Following this, Seo Jun-Ho swallowed his saliva. ''It''s him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho knew just by looking at him that he was the strongest man in the mansion. Topare, Seo Jun-Ho thought that guy was about half a step ahead of Kal Signer. In other words, it meant that he was a fiend who belonged to a Squadron. "Hmmm." The man nodded briefly at the polite bow of the fiends and continued. "Good job on gathering here. My name is Wang-Heon. I am from the Pride Squadron." Pride Squadron. Seo Jun-Ho made sure to remember the name and listened well. "You may already know, but the reason why you''re here today is to help me raid a Dungeon." A dungeon! Only then could Seo Jun-Ho understand why there were this many fiends gathered here. "You are all gathered here on the rmendation of the higher-ups. But remember. My orders are absolute in the field, and you''re just tools. If you disobey my orders, I''ll take your life." "Yes..." "Understood." Wang-Heon looked as if it was natural that the fiends had obediently responded to him. Thus, he concluded. "Then, we shall leave in half an hour. Everyone, get ready." After speaking, Wang-Heon turned around and made eye contact with Seo Jun-Ho. "Hmm?" With an expression of surprise, he asked Stan, standing next to him, "Isn''t he Gouf? The one under Kal Signer.¡± "That''s correct." "Why is he here?¡± "He received a rmendation this time, so he will be joining the raid." "Hmm¡­ I remember that he was quite coveted by the leader for his unique skill." His eyes glistened as he looked at Seo Jun-Ho. "Oh, but the problem is...¡± Stan hurriedly whispered something into Wang-Heon¡¯s ear. Wang-Heon''s expression hardened. "He belongs to Hallow-nim... I see." After that, he left without even giving Seo Jun-Ho a single nce. It was well understood why his attitude had suddenly changed. ''Nazad Hallow is a greedy old man.¡¯ Nazad hated it when someone coveted or damaged his stuff. In fact, wasn''t the reason why he was agitated and impatient was that he could not devour Seo Jun-Ho for harming his student Arma? "Hey¡­" Then, three fiends approached Seo Jun-Ho. Since Seo Jun-Ho could recall their faces in Gouf¡¯s memories, Seo Jun-Ho nodded and greeted, "Long time no see." "Kik, yea. I didn''t expect to see your face again." "I thought you were going to fall after Kal Signer died, but you must have been pretty good at climbing up the rope.¡± "Moving from here and there like a bat can also be considered an ability." At the tant sarcasm, Seo Jun-Ho gave them a short sigh and stared. He was not particrly angry, but he was just thinking. ¡®If it were Gouf, how would he have dealt with this situation?¡¯ Thorough Method acting¡ªSeo Jun-Ho recalled Gouf¡¯s life and reflected on Gouf¡¯s personality and manner of speech. Then, he arrived at a conclusion. He warned the fiends with a straight face. "If you say Signer-nim''s name one more time, I''ll personally rip your mouths off." "...Oho, once a master, a master even after death?" "It must be nice to have such a faithful dog.¡± The fiends mocked him to no end, as if he wasn¡¯t a threat, before leaving. "It seems there are people like them anywhere you go." The Frost Queen clicked her tongue. Seo Jun-Ho nodded quietly. There was no difference between a yer and a fiend when it came to arrogance. As the Frost Queen said, there were arrogant people everywhere. ¡®A Dungeon raid, huh.¡¯ It was the first time since clearing ¡®Tomb of Shafirim¡¯ with Hakan. When he checked the house''s clock, it had already been about an hour since he drank the transformation potion. ¡®Five hours...¡¯ This could be a good opportunity to mess up the fiends'' Dungeon raid, and hog all the rewards there. Putting together a dangerous n, Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes sparkled. *** The dungeon was deep in the Canal Mountains. It would take about two hours to travel there. ''In the next two and a half hours...¡¯ The frequency of Seo Jun-Ho checking the Vita on his wrist became more frequent. It was because he was bing more and more nervous. Skaya had said that the effect of the transformation wouldst six hours, but it was most likely not going to be as on point and as urate as if measured by a ruler. "This is the dungeon we discovered." In the depths of a mountain range, there was a rough underground cave with sophisticated doors that didn¡¯t match its surroundings. Tic Tic. Wang-Heon looked back, tapping on the door with his fingernails. "As with door-type Dungeons, we probably won''t be able to get out until the end of the raid." The difference between a door-type Dungeon and an open-type Dungeon was simple. ''The Tomb of Shafirim that I cleared with Hakan was an open-type Dungeon.¡¯ An open-type Dungeon was a Dungeon with an open entrance that allowed you to run away at any time if you found yourself at a disadvantage. In general, the difficulty was significantly lower than that of door-type Dungeons. ''In the first ce, only a few door-type Dungeons are found in a year.¡¯ Simply put, you could say a door-type Dungeon was just like the Gates on Earth since there was a powerful spell on it that usually didn¡¯t allow you toe out until it was cleared. The difference was that there was no ¡®door¡¯ toe back out of in a door-type Dungeon. ¡®Door-type Dungeons can only be challenged by the Big 6 or an equivalentlyrge Guild.¡¯ It was a very rare Dungeon that ordinary yers wouldn¡¯t be able to enter in their entire life. Naturally, the level of the monsters inside would be high, but there were valuable rewards awaiting at the end. It was a typical high-risk, high-return Dungeon. ''The problem is¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked down at his right forearm. More specifically, at the sticker that Skaya had stuck to his forearm. She probably knew all that was going on through the wiretapping magic. ''If need be, I was going to get help from Skaya...¡¯ But entering a door-type Dungeon would make that impossible. After worrying for a while, Seo Jun-Ho hardened his heart. ¡®There''s nothing I can do about it. Let''s proceed.¡¯ In the next few hours, the Curse of Bitter Cold would be lifted. In addition, if it was inside a Dungeon, he wouldn¡¯t have to pay attention to being seen by others. ¡®I think this is for the better. If I use Watchguard of Darkness and Frost, then I won¡¯t be suppressed.¡¯ After doing some mental calctions, he found that he could do it. The only variable was Wang-Heon. Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes shone, looking at the back of Wang-Heon¡¯s head. ¡®It¡¯s imperative to find out what Wang-Heon''s skills are and how strong he is...¡¯ Did Wang-Heon feel his gaze? Turning to Seo Jun-Ho, Wang-Heon opened his mouth with an expressionless face. "We¡¯re entering." Creak! When the door opened, a white light leaked out from the inside. Seo Jun-Ho and the fiends walked into it. His vision, which had been blinded by exposure to the intense light, slowly recovered. "Hmmm?" Seo Jun-Ho recovered his eyesight faster than others with his unique regeneration and looked around. Around him, there were only three fiends. "¡­What¡¯s going on?" "What about the others? Where is Wang-Heon-nim?¡± "Wait, Gouf, that punk. Why is he here...¡± They were the ones who had picked a fight with Seo Jun-Ho in the mansion. The four of them had been moved to a small room. "Aha." When Seo Jun-Ho discovered their situation, the corners of his lips went up. ¡®...How interesting.¡¯ It was certainly interesting. The kind of Gate where yers would be scattered when they entered also existed on Earth. ¡®It¡¯s the same as when I made the Shadow Brothers into heroes.¡¯ It was none other than a maze-type Dungeon. The scattered raid team had to break through the maze, kill monsters, and join the main team. ''Hmm, this changes the story a little.'' Seo Jun-Ho grinned hard as he looked at the still-confused three fiends. Seo Jun-Ho confessed that maze-type Gates had been his favorite ces during his time as Specter. 1. Old conical Korean hat made from reeds. ? Chapter 150. A Lead (5)

Chapter 150. A Lead (5)

"Damn, is this a maze-type Dungeon?" "It seems so, since we got scattered after entering.¡± "Then let''s join up with Wang-Heon-nim first. If we''re with him, we at least won''t have to worry about our lives." The fiends¡¯ trust in Wang-Heon was absolute. "If we get rid of them, we will be able to roughly see that fiend, Wang-Heon¡¯s ability." Seo Jun-Ho nodded at the Frost Queen''s words. But he could not kill them right now¡­ ¡®I need information.¡¯ There was still an absoluteck of information about this dungeon. Howrge was the dungeon, and was it connected to other rooms outside the door? It would be a problem if Seo Jun-Ho hastily disposed of them and identally left a trace, so he had to handle things carefully. Creak. When Seo Jun-Ho opened the door without notice and left, nervous voices were heard from the back. "That, that crazy punk!" "Hey! Talk to us at least once before opening the door!" "Hut, how can those big guys be so cowardly?" said the Frost Queen in derision. "I have no idea," Seo Jun-Ho answered. Seo Jun-Ho ignored their anger and walked out. He looked around and heard the door close behind him. "The wall is quite high." "Yea, it''s a typical maze." There was a small vacant clearing in front of the room, and there was only one road away from it. Up ahead, the road forked in three directions. Seo Jun-Ho walked without saying a word and touched the wall. Watchguard of Darkness silently crept up the wall. After about five minutes, Seo Jun-Ho removed his hand. ¡®The maze is bigger than I thought.¡¯ His expression had be brighter than before. Since the maze was this big, the probability that there would be another fiend nearby was very low. Creak¡­ It was only after Seo Jun-Ho collected basic information that the door opened and the three fiends walked out. With their eyes rolling about, they looked around, and when they realized that they were safe, they growled at Seo Jun-Ho straight away. "Hey!" "Why is that punk so annoying at everything he does?¡± "I didn''t like him even in the past. He just followed that jerk, Kal Signer, and acted all high and mighty all the time.¡± "All high and mighty¡­" Seo Jun-Ho pondered. Seo Jun-Ho read Gouf''s memory, but he didn¡¯t go through everything Gouf went through. It was just a quick look as a third party. But he definitely remembered watching something regarding those guys. ''They were definitely a little bit better than Gouf in terms of skill.¡¯ It was not a big gap, though. The difference was between 10-20% at most. ¡®They looked down on Gouf and insulted him, and when they were caught by Kal Signer, they got beaten up like dogs...¡¯ After that, they didn¡¯t dare to pick a fight anymore even when they ran into Gouf. Maybe the reason they were picking a fightfortably like fish in the water this time was that they knew that Kal Signer wasn¡¯t around anymore. "Contractor, what do you want to do?" "Hmmm," Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment. He took a quick nce behind him. He could only see a dark maze without any presence of people. "Sound likely won¡¯t leak out either... I think it''ll be okay." Of course, the risk was not zero. There could be some fiend with them that had the ability to reveal his crime. ¡®But I can''t worry about everything before making a move.¡¯ That part just had to be left to luck. The best way would be to find out the skills of every fiend who had entered the dungeon before making a move¡­ ¡®I don''t have time¡­¡¯ This was because he had no idea when the transformation would disappear. Whenever you made a decision, you should act boldly. Seo Jun-Ho spread his magic to block the sound around him just in case. "What¡¯s this punk doing?" "¡­Are you trying to pick a fight right now?" Feeling the flow of magic from Seo Jun-Ho''s body, the fiends had an expression of ridiculousness. Then, Seo Jun-Ho found something on the wall behind them and motioned. "Be careful behind you." "Crazy bastard, do you think we¡¯d get caught in such a low-level trick¡­¡± Slice, slice. The sound of scissors filled the space where they stood. The fiends felt an eerie sensation, so they quickly turned around and reacted almost immediately. But one of them was rather unlucky because he was close to the wall. "Aaaahhh!" The two lengthy sickles had split the fiend''s waist into half in an instant. Having lost theirpanion, the fiends became pale and quickly distanced themselves from the wall. "Wall, wall mantis...¡± "Damn it! Why is it the most annoying monster?!" It was a wall mantis. On the wall was the upper body of a pitch ck wall mantis. Slice, slice. The wall mantis snatched the corpse off the floor and disappeared into the wall. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two fiends were shocked and could only remain speechless with their mouths agape. It was as if they were possessed by ghosts. They had heard of wall mantis, but this was the first time they had ever met one in person. In particr, it was a monster that reigned as a symbol of fear in maze-type Gates and Dungeons. ¡®It ended up turning out for the better...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho passed by the two bewildered fiends and headed for the corpse of the fiend. The lower body had been taken away by the wall mantis, but the upper body remained. Seo Jun-Ho could now get information without getting blood on his hands. "...Hey." One of the bewildered fiends came to his senses and stared. "What are you doing?" "If you leave him like this, they''ll smell blood and even more wall mantis wille. I''m going to bury him." ¡°¡­¡± It was true. The two fiends lightly clicked their tongues, turned their backs, and remained on guard against the surrounding walls. As far as Seo Jun-Ho knew, those fiends were like the three musketeers, but when one died, the eyes of the other two seemedpletely devoid of any interest. Seo Jun-Ho quickly dug the ground and secretly looked back as he buried the body in it. "Let¡¯s make him the leader for now¡­¡± "If something happens...¡± They lowered their voices and whispered as they made ns, but Seo Jun-Ho''s advanced hearing heard everything. "They are pathetic," sneered the Frost Queen. "Just leave them alone," Seo Jun-Ho said nonchntly. Seo Jun-Ho used his broad back to secretly block their view and used Confession of the Dead. The fiend''s memory was quickly reproduced. "Oh?" "...Ooh." While watching the video, both Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen couldn¡¯t help but gasp. "You have quite the good luck," praised the Frost Queen. "Yea. I didn''t expect them to have such a skill¡­¡± He discovered the skills of five fiends through the memory projection. Of course, two of them were the idiots back there, one was Wang-Heon, and another was Stan, whose skill Seo Jun-Ho already knew. Thest one was a magician who had always been by Wang-Heon¡¯s side. "The Causality of Death¡­ That magician, he¡¯s got a difficult skill to deal with." "So it is a skill to know how the person you marked died when they died." The way to mark someone was simple¡ªtouching the target was enough. ¡®The number of people he can mark at once is 30.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho frowned because he remembered that when they were entering the Dungeon, the magician had patted the fiends on their shoulders in encouragement. Of course, the magician tapped on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder as well. "Hmmm, I looked carefully at the time, and there had been no changes in the fiends¡¯ expressions.¡± The Frost Queen recalled. "There''s no reason for their expressions to change. It''s not a skill that¡¯ll cause a loss to the target." Rather, it would be weed since they could find the cause of theirrade¡¯s death and get revenge. ¡±If I had killed him, I would have been in big trouble." It would have been like letting the enemy know that there was an enemy inside the Dungeon. It was even more significant since Wang-Heon''s ability was the ''Eye of Insight,¡¯ which was an A-grade skill that could see through the truth in the target¡¯s words and find the best route of attack. "It¡¯s a tricky situation. Contractor, what are you going to do now?" The Frost Queen was worried. "Well, nothing big will really change." Seo Jun-Ho roughly covered the floor with dirt and turned his head. His eyes shone as he looked at the two conspiring fiends. "It''s just that the method will be a little milder." *** "It''s a dangerous ce." "I don''t like you, but we have to work together to get out of this maze." The two fiends spoke bravely as if they had been energized. It seemed that they had cleanly forgotten about the third, who had just died. "¡­Aren¡¯t you guys too indifferent? Your friend is dead." "Hmm? Friend?" The two fiends truly looked like they had no idea what Seo Jun-Ho was talking about. "He died because he was weak andcking, so what?" ¡°Is there a need for us to grieve? Why are you even thinking about that? What else should we do?¡± Well, fiends were normally like this. There was a reason why Kal Signer and Gouf were treated as "mutants" by the fiends. These guys didn¡¯t know loyalty or friendship. Most of them were psychopaths. "¡­Nothing. Let''s go." When Seo Jun-Ho spoke and looked at the maze, the two fiends stared nkly at him. Seo Jun-Ho could feel the unspoken pressure from them, urging him to take the lead. As such, he shrugged and said, "I''ll take the lead, so guard the rear." "Mmhm." "That''s a good idea." The maze¡¯s inside was about one meter wide. It was not that big, but not that narrow. "Contractor, if we suddenly join another group of fiends¡­ Would you not be in trouble?" Seo Jun-Ho smirked at the Frost Queen''s worried voice. It was an unnecessary worry because that was not going to happen. There was a cry of indignation behind his back. "Hey, aren''t you walking too fast?" "Why don''t you walk carefully? Since there are wall mantises, there could be other monsters." "Do you want to take the lead, then?" The fiends became silent once again due to fear. Seo Jun-Ho quickly traveled around the maze. Rather than trying to escape from the maze, he seemed to be looking for something. Slice¡­ Slice¡­ Finally, Seo Jun-Ho heard the quiet sound of scissors. Looking behind him, it seemed that the fiends hadn¡¯t noticed it yet. ¡®Now¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s strong instincts told him the location of the wall mantises. It was on the left. Seo Jun-Ho turned and shouted, "It''s a wall mantis! Stick to the left wall!" "What?" "Again?!" It was only a few minutes ago that they had ignored his words and paid a harsh price. The two fiends clung close to the left wall like it was a reflex. Naturally, Seo Jun-Ho clung to the opposite wall from them. "Huh? Wait a minute." "Why are you there¡­?¡± The moment question marks popped up over the heads of two fiends, the corners of Seo Jun-Ho''s mouth went up. This was because he saw the form of a giant mantis rising from the wall the two fiends were leaning on. Slice! It was a clean one shot, two kills. "...Kkuk!" "Wh-what...¡± Like a top predator, the wall mantis did not make a clumsy mistake. With a single attack, it neatly sliced the waist of the two fiends. As vitality disappeared from the two fiends, their eyes became filled with nothing but emptiness. But before they died, however, there was resentment in their eyes. ¡°They really know how to pretend like they have been wronged when they die even though they had lived a life of eating away at others.¡± The moment Seo Jun-Ho shook his head at the duality of the fiends, the wall mantis picked up the bodies after its hunt and tried to disappear into the wall. "I don¡¯t think so..." Seo Jun-Ho''s hands moved like lightning. Crackle! Snatching the ice dagger created in the air, he instantly sliced the wall mantis in half. "I was going to pretend that I didn''t see it if you attempted to take the lower bodies, but I can¡¯t let you take the upper bodies." Just in case, he had to get a glimpse of their memories. "Using the wall mantis to kill the fiends¡­ You are trying to confuse them." The Frost Queen noticed what Seo Jun-Ho was trying to do. "Yeah, they likely won¡¯t notice anything strange at first." Dying from a wall mantis was a believable story for inexperienced fiends. But if more than half of them were killed by a few wall mantises? Unless they were fools, they should realize that something was wrong by then. "But it¡¯ll be toote by the time they realize it¡­" By the time they thought it waste, it would really be toote. Chapter 151. Maze Hunter (1)

Chapter 151. Maze Hunter (1)

The fiends entered the Dungeon in groups of four, with a total of eight teams. The team that Seo Jun-Ho belonged to was a mess that would have copsed even without him, but the other teams were different. "A wall mantis." "It''s tricky, but it¡¯s not that difficult." "Maintain a distance from the wall. It doesn¡¯t have a presence, so it''s annoying to fight it at such a close distance." "Listen carefully. The sound of scissors is the only way to notice its approach.¡± They were all experienced fiends. All the remaining fiends were those who had more experience and higher levels than the three musketeers Seo Jun-Ho had killed. Therefore, they were vignt. "That''s strange¡­" "We went down a blocked road and came back a little bit, but...¡± "Don''t you think the terrain has changed somewhat?" The atmosphere inside the maze, which was made up of walls of darkness on all sides, was damp and gloomy. In particr, when faced with a blocked road after walking for a long time, curse words naturally came out of the fiends¡¯ mouths. In a word, everyone''s nerves were on edge, and they were very sensitive to changes. Thanks to this, they realized at once that the terrain had changed. "...Why is it blocked here, too? Is it a moving maze?¡± "Damn it, we¡¯re in the heart of a mountain!¡± "A moving maze of wall mantises? It¡¯s the worstbination...¡± Three fiends spat on the floor and got annoyed, but one person disagreed. "I beg to differ..." He was a fiend who had previously entered maze-type Gates and Dungeons. ¡°In the case of moving mazes, the entire maze changes at regr intervals. Moreover, it ismon to be apanied by a thundering, ground-shaking earthquake." "What? Then...¡± "Are you saying this is not a moving maze?" "But this wall definitely didn''t exist before..." The suspicious eyes of four fiends turned to the wall of darkness. Like the other walls of the maze, the walls that reached the ceiling had no special corners. ¡°Gates and Dungeons are ces where unexpected variables can ur. Overconfidence is forbidden.¡± "Yeah, this was definitely not a dead-end, unless we''re all crazy." "Let''s take a look at the remaining road. If that¡¯s also a dead-end... Should we go left this time?" The fiends turned away and took their eyes off the wall of darkness. Rumbling. The wall moved. The funny thing was that the other walls were still, only one wall in the back moved. "What¡­?!" "Damn it, first of all, keep your distance from the wall!" "Run forward!" The fiends stomped the floor and dashed out. The moving speed of the wall was not that fast, so they should be able to reach the fork in the road before the moving wall could reach them. "The road on the right is a dead-end! We went there before!" "Then, the choices are straight ahead and left¡­ Huh?¡± They saw it¡­ Rumbling! Walls of darkness were charging toward them from all four directions. "What? What the hell is this¡­?!¡± "Hey! What''s going on?" "I-I don''t know. I''ve never seen a maze like this before!¡± In the ever-tightening space, through the sounds of the walls approaching, they heard the sound they never wanted to hear. Slice, slice. "Wha¡­ what?! What was that metallic sound?!" "¡­It''s a wall mantis." "It''s not just one." Wall mantises had no lower body. That was the biggest reason why only their upper bodies would stick out of the wall. They were also called wall mantises because they could only move through walls. Rumble! The walls of darkness from all directions had finally trapped the fiends. Only the soft-lighted jewels in the ceiling of the maze shone on them. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Silence fell in the small space as if it was a solitary cell. They didn¡¯t dare to breathe. The fiends were so close that they could even hear each other''s feeble breathing. Just as one was conscious enough about eating popcorn in a silent movie theater, they couldn¡¯t even recklessly swallow their saliva. Slice, slice. And the chilling sound was heard again¡­ Gulp! Eventually, one of the fiends could not withstand the tension and his throat bobbed up and down as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Slicesliceslicesliceslice!! The metal sound began to grow louder and louder. It was proof that the wall mantises were approaching after discovering their prey. The fiends cursed at the unpleasant neurosis-inducing sounds. ¡°Damn it!" "I can¡¯t die yet, I have an unfulfilled dream¡­!¡± "Wall! Break down the wall! We have to get out of here somehow!" The four fiends attacked madly at the walls to try and break them down. The final struggle they showed was quite strong. Kkuuk¡­ However, the wall mantises were eventually able to have their meals. *** Crunch! Wang-Heon lightly flicked his finger and the head of a wall mantis burst open. "Bugs." In twisting mazes like this, even finding the way out was tiring work. Naturally, he felt ufortable because even the wall mantises on the wall were obstructing him. ¡°¡­¡± Turning around, he looked at the magician. The magician¡¯s expression looked rather grave as he stared nkly into the air. "Banjo, is something wrong?" Wang-Heon asked. The magician, Banjo, came to his senses and spoke, "Oh, that''s¡­ There¡¯s a corner that¡¯s a little strange." "A strange corner?" "The fiends who entered this Dungeon with us are above level 90, right?¡± "That''s right¡­" "But why are their levels so... Wait, one more team?¡± Banjo frowned. "Make it understandable. What the hell is going on?" "It is the wall mantises." "Wall mantises?" At some point, Stan and Hicks, the other team members, gathered around Wang-Heon and the magician. Banjo looked back at them and nodded. "Yes, in the current Dungeon... Fiends are being killed by the wall mantises." "I think that¡¯s understandable, though?" "Wall mantises are pretty tricky enemies when you first encounter them, so there being deaths are...¡± Stan and Hicks muttered as if it had been normal. In fact, if it weren¡¯t for Wang-Heon, they would have been injured in their first encounter with the wall mantises too. "Is it very serious?" Wang-Heon asked. Since the usually cautious Banjo had such a grim expression, it likely meant that the issue wasn¡¯t light. "¡­So far, 15 of them have been killed." ¡°¡­!¡± Fifteen people. It meant that about four teams, roughly half of the fiends who had entered the Dungeon, had been killed by the wall mantises. The certainly abnormal numbers made everyone''s expressions turn serious. "Did you find out using the Causality of Death? Is there a possibility that there could be errors mixed in there¡­¡± "No, my skill urately determines the immediate cause of the target''s death." The skill was telling him that the lives of the fiends had certainly been taken by the wall mantises. "What...?!" Banjo''s face twisted all of a sudden because the information his skill was telling him had been updated once again. "Neen, twenty-three... Six people were killed at once!" ¡°¡­¡± It was unbelievable. The surprise attacks of the wall mantises were tricky, but it was definitely not enough for level 90 fiends to be so helpless against it. "¡­There¡¯s a bug in our midst.¡± Wang-Heon''s eyes turned cold. He looked around and spoke, ¡°From now on, no one is allowed to approach. If someone approaches without permission, they¡¯ll die." ¡°¡­!¡± "Yes, yes!" Even if it was an ally, if it was determined that the person posed a risk to their safety, the person would be mercilessly killed. The three gulped at Wang-Heon''s ruthlessness. Receiving their nervous gazes, Wang-Heon ordered, "Hicks, find the survivors. We''ll have to clean up the back before we hunt the boss.¡± "Understood..." Hicks nodded with a glint in his eyes. *** "Ahhhhh!" "Ple-please...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho watched the fiends die from afar and spoke, "With this, it¡¯s twenty-seven. Are we done with the cleanup?¡± "You are lucky. You cleaned up every other team without running into the leader,¡± replied the Frost Queen. "...That¡¯s bad luck. I wanted to get rid of the magician as soon as possible.¡± It was presumed that Stan and the magician were probably with Wang-Heon. "If I had gotten rid of him beforehand, I would have been able to proceed much morefortably than now.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could have been next to Wang-Heon disguised as a fiend by now. He would have beenfortably nning a surprise attack at the critical moment. Craack. "It¡¯s happening again." Seo Jun-Ho had been tapping his twitching facial muscles since earlier. His face kept changing as the end of the transformation¡¯s duration got closer and closer. "The Curse of Bitter Cold will soon be lifted, too," reminded the Frost Queen. "Yeah, there''s only an hour left," replied Seo Jun-Ho. He was nning to make sure he was safe and move only after the curse was lifted. There was no particr need for him to find Wang-Heon and fight with them right now. "Let''s look at their memories first." When Seo Jun-Ho flicked his finger, the Wall of Darkness copsed. In the first ce, it was a wall made up of his power, Watchguard of Darkness. Padadak! Padadak! When the wall was torn down, the wall mantises that had been hiding in it fell to the floor. The wall mantises didn¡¯t have lower bodies, so they struggled to return to the wall as they scraped the floor with their forelimbs. Crunch! Seo Jun-Ho''s heavy feet stepped on their heads one after another and burst them open. He was burning the bridge after crossing it. Now that the hunt for these worthless people was over, these monsters no longer had any use. "Mmmm¡­" Crouching on the floor, Seo Jun-Ho looked through the fiends¡¯ memories. Since all the information they knew was different from each other, there was a lot of information he had to go through. "There are a lot of fiends gathering at the Schumern territory these days. It''s near Dustang where Arthur is, so let''s stop by there." "The Seven Squadrons¡­ These guys only know the existence of the Squadrons, not their members or their leaders." There was nothing big to worry about. He would soon be able to find out when he got rid of Wang-Heon, a member of a Squadron. The Frost Queen on his neck suddenly tapped him on the head like a djembe and urged him. ¡°Contractor, if you have read all the memories, hurry up and get up.¡± [1] "Don''t nag me." Seo Jun-Ho slowly got up and closed his eyes. Maybe three secondster, he muttered, "¡­Is it this way?" His hand went out like a bolt of lightning toward the wall on the right. "Kuuk...?!" Surprisingly, Seo Jun-Ho had ''pulled'' something out of the wall. "Is it an ability to be a painting? I see all kinds of strange skills nowadays." Caught in the neck by Seo Jun-Ho, the fiend, Hicks, looked shocked. ¡®H-how in the hell?¡¯ He had the ability to move along walls, floors, and ceilings freely by turning himself into a painting. It was Hicks¡¯s ¡®Painting¡¯ skill. This skill was unrivaled in espionage and he would rarely be discovered when using it. ¡®When I use my skill, even Wang-Heon-nim couldn''t find me easily¡­¡¯ So how did this kid find out where he was? "So, you''re the third member of Wang-Heon''s team..." Thest fiend teamed up with Stan, the magician, and Wang-Heon. Hicks¡¯s reason for spying on Seo Jun-Ho was simple. ¡®They must have finally realized what''s going on.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smirked because it was already toote to turn it around. In the Dungeon, there were four... No, there were only three fiends left. Snap! Seo Jun-Ho broke Hicks''s neck and read his memory. [There¡¯s a bug in our midst.] [Hicks, find the survivors. We''ll have to clean up the back before we hunt the boss.] [Understood. I should be able to locate him with my Painting skill.] Indeed, Wang-Heon''s judgment was excellent. He made a very selfish judgment without being swayed by personal feelings. "But what will you do now?" muttered Seo Jun-Ho. His choice resulted in the deaths of his men and the reduction of his overall forces. When Seo Jun-Ho was about to smile, he saw another part of the memory. [If Hicks finds the enemy, then it''ll be your turn, Stan.] [No problem. If my ability, Homing Instinct (C), and another ability, Perception Designation (F), are used together...] ¡°...!¡± As soon as he saw that part of the memory, Seo Jun-Ho turned off the memory projection and widened his distance from Hicks''s body. He knew Stan''s skill through Gouf''s memory. Homing Instinct (C). This was a skill that would let him return to the ce he designated as ¡®home.¡¯ However, the problem was that Gouf had only known about this one skill. ¡®Who would have thought that it could be used in such a tricky way?!¡¯ Perception Designation (F). If someone else had gotten it, it would be no different from trash. But from the moment it entered Stan''s hands, it had achieved a greater synergistic effect than most A-grade abilities. ''A skill to freely designate a target for one''s perception.'' In other words, even if it was a human being, Stan could perceive that person as ¡®home¡¯ through this skill. Wooooong. In other words, the Homing Instinct (C) skill could be activated. "What a surprise¡­ The bug¡¯s face is quite familiar." Wang-Heon instantly appeared next to Hicks''s body. He looked at Seo Jun-Ho and grinned as if he was amused. 1. Djembe is a drum yed with bare hands, originating from West Africa. ? Chapter 152. Maze Hunter (2)

Chapter 152. Maze Hunter (2)

"Gouf...? The culprit was Gouf?¡± "This is really unexpected." Stan and Banjo muttered as they appeared from behind Wang-Heon. Their faces were full of surprise as they looked at Seo Jun-Ho. It was a misunderstanding because the effect of the transformation potion hadn¡¯t disappeared just yet. "Contractor, things are not going well." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho agreed without saying a word. It was a three against one situation. In addition, there was Wang-Heon, who was thought to be about half a step above Kal Signer. ''Of course, I''m much stronger than when I fought Kal Signer, but...¡¯ Currently, Seo Jun-Ho was under the Curse of Bitter Cold. He only had tost 50 minutes more, but it was not veryforting in the present situation. And even Overclocking, which could create variables, was still an iplete skill. "...Booster." Seo Jun-Ho''s whole body became filled with magic. However, hot steam did not leak out from his whole body just like before. He had already learned to handle the heat from both Booster and Overclocking. His n to deal with this situation was first, he was going to deal with them with Booster, which he was confident in handling perfectly. ¡®I might have to borrow Frost¡¯s power.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked at the Frost Queen floating in the air. His chemistry with her was reliable enough even after several rounds of hunting. It wasn¡¯t enough to leave his back to her, but it meant that there was a certain amount of ¡®trust.¡¯ between them "What''s the reason?" Wang-Heon asked, unable to understand. "I heard from Stan. You went under Nazad Hallow-nim, right? If you look at it, it''s a lot better position than before¡­ Why did you do this?" Wang-Heon looked at Seo Jun-Ho. When he saw that ¡®Gouf¡¯ kept his mouth closed, he nodded slowly. "You don''t seem to have any intention of answering.¡± Wang-Heon would have to find out for himself. As Wang-Heon walked forward, Stan raised his hand in surprise. "Oh, Wang-Heon-nim, that guy...¡± "It¡¯s fine. Let him enjoy it." As Banjo smiled a little and dismissed Stan¡¯s concern, Stan stepped back, pretending that it couldn¡¯t be helped. But Wang-Heon didn¡¯t step forward to set an example. "Hu." Wang-Heon smiled as he moistened his lips with his tongue. His superior from the Pride Squadron had high praise for Gouf''s skill, "Isekai Battlefield." It was a part that Wang-Heon couldn¡¯t understand, but the opportunity to find more about it had arrived. ¡®That''s not a bad posture¡­¡¯ Wang-Heon''s eyes scanned Gouf. It was a stable standard posture simr to a swordsman, with the sword raised and the upper body slightly bent. ¡®He also looks quick on his feet.¡¯ If it was too hard, it would break. The opponent had his feet rxed so that he could move freely at any time. "Impressive." Wang-Heon smiled brightly. This was why fighting with fiends was fun. Wasn''t Gouf¡¯s posture different from that of the greenhouse flowers and yers who only knew of hunting? "I''ming..." When Wang-Heon uttered a brief warning, Seo Jun-Ho focused all his attention on the enemy in front of him. "Where are you looking?¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho heard Wang-Heon''s voice right next to him. ¡®When did he?!¡¯ Frowning, Seo Jun-Ho urgently raised his ck Dragon Fang and blocked the attack. At the same time, his whole body became covered in White Armor. When Wang-Heon''s fist struck ck Dragon Fang¡¯s de, Seo Jun-Ho was pushed back. Woong! Woong! A tremor so strong ran through his fingertips that Seo Jun-Ho got worried about whether ck Dragon Fang would break or not. ¡°¡­¡± However, there was a line of wrinkles showing discontent on Wang-Heon''s slightly frowned face. This was because he also felt what Seo Jun-Ho felt. "You¡¯re fast." Wang-Heon had nned to hit the unguarded side and break all of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ribs. However, the speed at which his opponent raised his guard was much faster than he had expected. "You can react to my movements... Are you really Gouf?¡± The Gouf that Wang-Heon knew had never been strong enough to receive his blow. It was the same even if they fought in the ''Isekai Battlefield'' where Gouf had the advantage. However, Wang-Heon¡¯s opponent hadn¡¯t even used that ability yet. ''And yet he reflexively blocked my surprise attack...¡¯ Was it a coincidence? While Wang-Heon was at it, he threw out a fist on the other side. This time, Seo Jun-Ho saw the attack. ¡®It''s a heavy fist.¡¯ Wang-Heon''s fist was covered with demonic energy. It was the fist version of sword aura, and thus should be called fist aura. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just normal magic, but an auraposed of fierce demonic energy. That fist was probably more destructive than any attack Seo Jun-Ho had faced so far since his return. ''It''d be dangerous if I get hit with that.¡¯ No matter how good White Armor was, it couldn¡¯t continuously block such attacks. "Contractor, just Booster is not enough...¡± The Frost Queen spoke up. He knew. He knew that it was foolish to use only Booster to fight against Wang-Heon. The fact came crashing down on him. Even if it was iplete, he had to draw on the power of Overclocking. ¡®Overclocking, 15%.¡¯ Right before the fist touched his face, Seo Jun-Ho''s body quickly moved backward as if he had elerated. Whoosh! Wang-Heon''s fist crossed the empty air. "¡­ Indeed, it¡¯s strange.¡± Gouf¡¯s publicly known level was 91. However, his current moves were definitely not something a level 91 could do. ''A lot more than that¡­ Minimum level 100¡­ No, he¡¯s as good as a level 105.¡¯ What was going on? Wang-Heon loosened his fist and repeatedly clenched it again. This was not the only strange thing. ¡®A fiend gets suppressed the moment he meets a stronger fiend.¡¯ It was one of the characteristics of demonic energy. It was the biggest reason why fiends had to follow the rule of the strong. ¡®Demonic energy gives in in the face of stronger demonic energy.¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t to the point that one couldn¡¯t even resist a stronger fiend. If you had the guts to give up your life, you could attack the strong. But of course, even if you fought, your body would be suppressed and you wouldn¡¯t be able to utilize all its power. For that reason, it was said that a strong fiend would never lose to a weak fiend. "Did you hide your skills? No, if you were that ambitious then you wouldn''t even have stayed under Signer." Crack, crack. Wang-Heon warmed up by rolling his neck. "¡­Well, it doesn''t matter. I''ll just find it all out." Dudududu. The air vibrated. Small grains of sand on the floor of the maze began to rise into the air in unison. It was a phenomenon created by Wang-Heon''s overwhelming demonic energy. "...Contractor, it seems that he¡¯s going all-out now." "Yes, unfortunately...." Seo Jun-Ho wanted Wang-Heon to let his guard down a little bit more. But as expected, his enemy wasn¡¯t a fool. ¡®Will I be able tost with only 15% of Overclocking¡¯s maximum power?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips slightly and hinted at the Frost Queen. "If need be¡­ You know, right?" "I will judge and act on my own. Trust me," assured the Frost Queen. The originally three-to-one confrontation became a one-to-one confrontation due to Wang-Heon''s pride. However, there was no reason for Seo Jun-Ho to match his opponent. Seo Jun-Ho rolled lightly on the floor. At the same time, darkness from the ground covered him and Wang-Heon. "Wang-Heon-nim!" "It''s Gouf''s unique skill!" Wrong. This was just the Curtain of Darkness. But Wang-Heon, as well as the other fiends outside who had no idea about how Isekai Battlefield worked, were fooled. "¡­Is this Isekai Battlefield?" He looked around with an uneasy expression. There was no light in the pitch dark space. However, it was not a problem for the two to locate each other. They were not such low-level people who couldn¡¯t see because it was dark. "As you might already know, I be a god in this space," Seo Jun-Ho spoke in a confident tone. It was like how Gouf had talked when Seo Jun-Ho fought him. The reason why he went so far to act was simple. ¡®Just in case.¡¯ Fiends had a variety of skills. They evenbined skills to createpletely different skills. In fact, thebination Stan had shown this time had also surprised him to the point where he felt a chill in his spine. ¡®But Watchguard of Darkness and Frost¡­ I¡¯ll show these skills, but hide them.¡¯ In other words, it was a kind of insurance. From now on, what Seo Jun-Ho was going to show was something that only ¡®Gouf¡¯ could use in the Isekai Battlefield. "Well, I''ve heard of it. I heard you get a weak advantage in this Isekai Battlefield.¡± Wang-Heon snorted quietly and flicked his finger. "Come, I''ve always wondered what kind of advantage you get in this space to make the leader want you." ¡®He wants Gouf? The leader does?¡¯ Now, there was one more memory he had to read. Seo Jun-Ho flicked his finger making a note of it. ¡®Watchguard of Darkness.¡¯ Crrr, crrr¡­ The darkness rising from the bottom of the curtain turned into dozens of wolves. "¡­Wait, you can even use the darkness element in this space?" Wang-Heon looked surprised for the first time since the beginning of the battle. The element that the Fiend Association had been trying to make over the past 25 years was darkness. "I see. So this is the reason why the leader wanted your skill...¡± Wang-Heon, who had realized something, looked disappointed. "You''re lucky. You¡¯re someone who¡¯s not supposed to be killed.¡± "Even though the number of fiends I had indirectly killed in this maze is close to 30?" "It doesn¡¯t matter. As long as you have the power of darkness, the ability to make a second Specter¡­¡± It should be possible. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho had no intention of participating in his n. "Tear him apart." When Seo Jun-Ho flicked his finger again. Dozens of Watchguards of Darkness rushed toward Wang-Heon. "Hmm, it¡¯s certainly annoying to deal with an elemental skill user, but¡­¡± Every time Wang-Heon waved his hand lightly, the wolves burst and tore apart. "That''s all there is to it..." The Watchguard of Darkness was persistent. Even when they burst and tore apart, they charged to the end to tear apart their enemy. The opponent would end up getting tired because it would feel like he was dealing with zombies. ¡®I actually had a lot of fun with this when I was hunting the old fiend not too long ago.¡¯ However, this strategy only worked against a limited number of opponents. It was a method that couldn¡¯t do much damage to a fiend at Wang-Heon''s level. In fact, he wasn¡¯t even showing any sign of exhaustion. It was no more than just exchanging each other''s magic. And it was a loss for Seo Jun-Ho with insufficient magic. "Is it over?" When Seo Jun-Ho''s attack ended, Wang-Heon rushed over this time. At the same time, frozen spears rose from the floor. The Frost Queen had quickly taken over the offense. "Hooo, even the ice element...? This Isekai Battlefield is certainly a coveted skill." However, Wang-Heon avoided all the ice spears while running fast. His red eyes arrived right in front of Seo Jun-Ho''s nose in an instant and they immediately turned ck. Wang-Heon''s skill, ¡®Piercing Eyes (A)¡¯ was triggered. "From now on, all your thoughts and actions will be under my calctions." Seo Jun-Ho swung ck Dragon Fang to shake off Wang-Heon. The very sharp sword flew toward Wang-Heon. But even before the sword could fly, Wang-Heon was ¡®already¡¯ off the sword trajectory. Then, he followed up with an uppercut. ¡®I avoided¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought, tilting his head backward, but then whack! ¡°¡­!¡± He had been struck directly in the chin. His body wobbled like a deted balloon. "Contractor!" The Frost Queen reached out her hands to draw out Seo Jun-Ho''s mental strength. In return, the temperature inside the Curtain of Darkness began to drop. It was cold enough for Wang-Heon to tremble without realizing it. "¡­This isn¡¯t going to work.¡± Wang-Heon felt that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ability was more dangerous than he thought. But he couldn¡¯t just kill him. He had to take him away. Wang-Heon threw out his fist before Seo Jun-Ho could go crazy. Usually, when the caster lost his focus, his ability would disappear. Seo Jun-Ho, who had stumbled onto a wall, looked at the fist flying toward him. ''I can call one time a mistake, but...¡¯ If it happened twice, then it was skill. Seo Jun-Ho, who had already allowed a strike to his chin once, had his pride seriously hurt. With his eyes full of determination, he quickly stepped back. Overclocking¡¯s output momentarily rose to 30%. Koong! Seo Jun-Ho''s body collided with the Curtain of Darkness. He failed to control the output at 30%. But Wang-Heon was surprised by Seo Jun-Ho''s sudden speed. ¡®He''s faster than before?¡¯ No matter if they were inside Isekai Battlefield, could his stats rise so steeply like that? Wang-Heon shook his head. If that was possible, Gouf would have been scouted earlier by the Squadron. "¡­Then, there is only one answer." He concluded that Seo Jun-Ho had borrowed the power of an artifact or had a magic strengthening procedure done on him. "It''s magic?" ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s expression hardened slightly, but it quickly returned to its original state. ¡®Did I get caught acting as Gouf?¡¯ However, Wang-Heon didn¡¯t miss the small change in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression. He noticed that Seo Jun-Ho was flustered through his ¡®Piercing Eyes.¡¯ "You''re unlucky. If I weren¡¯t your opponent, you would have fooled them." Wang-Heon raised his hand slowly. The firm tip of his index finger urately aimed at Seo Jun-Ho. "I''ll tell you something good. The Seven Squadrons is a ce where only the best of the best among the fiends can enter. The average level of the fiends in there is 100. Also...¡± The tips of Wang-Heon¡¯s fingers began to glow dark. "They have at least three skills." Wang-Heon revealed the existence of another skill, ¡®Dispel (A).¡¯ A ray of darkness from his finger quickly extended to Seo Jun-Ho. "Contractor!" ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯ His Keen Intuition (A) shouted out that this was dangerous and told him to avoid it at all costs. Seo Jun-Ho felt a sense of crisis andunched himself out of the way in a hurry. "Keuk!" The ray turned at a right angle and eventually struck him on the shoulder. At the same time... Crack, crack. His skeleton and appearance, which had changed due to the transformation potion, returned to their original states. The sticker containing the wiretapping and location tracking magic melted away, but that wasn¡¯t the end of it. [The Curse of Bitter Cold is resisting Dispel (A).] [The Curse of Bitter Cold¡¯s grade is overwhelmingly higher than Dispel (A).] [Dispel''s power weakens.] [The duration of the Curse of Bitter Cold has been reduced by one hour.] [The duration of the Curse of Bitter Cold has ended.] [All reduced stats have been restored.] "¡­Huh?" Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at the message window that came up in front of his eyes. Wooong. His Keen Intuition (A) shouted awkwardly, saying that it might have been wrong this time. Chapter 153. Maze Hunter (3)

Chapter 153. Maze Hunter (3)

Seo Jun-Ho blinked. The ray of darkness looked dangerous, and it flew fast enough to leave afterimages as it passed by his head. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Who would¡¯ve guessed? His enemy¡¯s skill ended up prematurely releasing the Curse of Bitter Cold. ¡®Status window.¡¯ He checked just in case. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 65 Title: Bringer of Spring (2+) Strength: 215 Stamina: 210 Speed: 212 Magic: 169 Fame: 2,720 He was sure of it. The troublesome curse was finally lifted. His stats had returned to their original numbers, and his body started to overflow with power. ¡®...I didn¡¯t think Wang-Heon would have that type of skill.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was well-aware of Dispel¡¯s effects. It was a famous skill. ¡®It can remove the effects of magic and other powers.¡¯ Wang-Heon¡¯s Skill was also A-grade, which was very high. Despite this, however, it had only managed to shorten the curse by one hour out of 720. ¡®The Curse of Bitter Cold¡­ I was thinking about going to a purification priest or an exorcist next time, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to help.¡¯ Even an A-grade Dispel skill had only staved off one hour. A purification priest or exorcist wouldn¡¯t be able to make a big difference, especially because the efficacy of such skills often decreased the second time it was used. ¡°Contractor. It appears that the effects of the transformation potion have been removed as well.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shocked, Seo Jun-Ho started to touch his face. ¡®Shoot, Dispel removed my disguise too?¡¯ He had put in so much effort to pretend to be Gouf, but he was caught red-handed in such an unexpected way. ¡®This isn¡¯t good¡­¡¯ It was the worst possible situation. Seo Jun-Ho narrowed his eyes as he looked at Wang-Heon. If he had a means of contacting people outside of the Dungeon¡­ ¡®He could bring in some of the best fighters in the Fiend Association.¡¯ This was dangerous. Wang-Heon¡¯s face stiffened slightly as he watched Seo Jun-Ho panic. ¡°...Was that a polymorph spell?¡± Not even Wang-Heon could have expected this situation. He had only had one goal when using Dispel. ¡®He has impossibly high speed and reflexes. I thought he was being buffed by a spell.¡¯ His skill was powerful enough to break artifacts. ¡®I didn¡¯t think it would reveal his true face. Two birds with one stone, I suppose.¡¯ But even though he had discovered his opponent¡¯s true identity, Wang-Heon still didn¡¯t seem satisfied. Seo Jun-Ho slowly stood, watching his lukewarm reaction. ¡®What is it? Why isn¡¯t he attacking?¡¯ He had expected the fiend toe running at him, furious for impersonating Gouf. But Wang-Heon seemed to be lost in thought with his eyebrows knitted. ¡°...This is confusing,¡± he muttered, looking up at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°When your polymorph spell was removed, I automatically thought that you were a spy. I thought you had infiltrated our ranks and pretended to be Gouf to interrupt the Association¡¯s activities. If that were true, it would exin why Kal Signer¡¯s plots against you had failed so many times. It wouldn¡¯t have been hard if you were acting as his subordinate.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°But I know for a fact that you debuted less than a year ago. On the other hand, Gouf has been a fiend for three years already¡­ The timing isn¡¯t right.¡± Wang-Heon rubbed his temples. There was a deep crease on his forehead. ¡°So, I wondered if it were possible for you to have a skill that made him return to level 1. But that can¡¯t be it. Gouf was on the 2nd floor at the time, so it wouldn¡¯t work¡­ and such a skill wouldn¡¯t exist in the first ce¡­¡± Wang-Heon had judged that he would be able to kill Seo Jun-Ho any time he wanted, so the most important thing right now was to figure out who he was. He would decide whether or not to kill the yer afterward. ¡°Contractor. That man has been muttering to himself for some time now. Why is he acting like that?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t know.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head. He didn¡¯t understand either. ¡®Why is he still trying to connect me with Gouf even though the polymorph spell has already been removed?¡¯ Anyone else would have simply considered him as ¡®someone who pretended to be Gouf.¡¯ But Wang-Heon was still trying to figure out the connection between them. ¡°What happened? He has Gouf¡¯s memories, and can even use his skill. But the timing isn¡¯t right¡­¡± ¡°...!¡± As soon as Seo Jun-Ho heard those words, he immediately understood what was going on. ¡®Oh! He still thinks the Curtain of Darkness is part of Gouf¡¯s Isekai Battlefield.¡¯ It made sense now. Seo Jun-Ho had used Confession of the Dead to read Gouf¡¯s memories. Thanks to that, he managed to casually greet Stan and the other fiends. He even knew their secret meeting point. They had had no reason to suspect that he wasn¡¯t a fiend until now. ¡®And I kept lying about Isekai Battlefield earlier¡­¡¯ Wang-Heon simply couldn¡¯t help but be confused after being caught in all the lies and misunderstandings. ¡®If he¡¯s dumb¡­I might be able to fool him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho brightened. But as soon as he did, Wang-Heon looked up at him. ¡°Wait, Gouf¡¯s memories and skills? What if he has a skill that lets him copy another person perfectly? If not, perhaps he has a skill that lets him steal memories¡­¡± ¡°...¡± The fiends associated with the Squadrons were exceptionally smart. Soon, he should discover the truth. ¡°Only the elite can join a Squadron. I have to live up to the name,¡± Wang-Heon said. ¡°Tsk.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sucked his teeth, staring back. ¡°It¡¯s possible. If my hypothesis is correct¡­ It¡¯s possible.¡± He finally seemed satisfied and nodded. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho, I watched your video. You aren¡¯t very skilled, but you were able to y it up with the editing.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Thank you¡­¡± the Frost Queen said shyly. Seo Jun-Ho shot her a disapproving look and raised ck Dragon Fang. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°If my guess is correct, you¡¯re not Gouf.¡± Wang-Heon tapped on the Curtain of Darkness with his fist and summoned his demonic energy. ¡°You told me that this was Isekai Battlefield, but it¡¯s not. Unless the creator dispels it, the Battlefield doesn¡¯t disappear.¡± In that case, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to test its authenticity. Bam! Wang-Heon¡¯s fist flew forward, filled with explosive power. It created arge hole in the Curtain of Darkness. Seeing that, he grinned widely. ¡°As I thought. This isn¡¯t Isekai Battlefield¡­ And you¡¯re just a thief who stole Gouf¡¯s memories. And that probably means that you killed him.¡± His deduction skills were befitting of an elite fiend. Just by finding out Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s true identity, he was able to deduce all these things. Wang-Heon looked at him greedily. ¡°...You¡¯re much more valuable than Gouf.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could control both darkness and ice. If he brought back the yer alive, he would receive a massive reward. ¡®I won¡¯t kill him. But¡­¡¯ Wang-Heon would beat him down enough to bring him to the Fiend Association without a fight. Wang-Heon¡¯s scarlet eyes started to fade back to ck as he activated Piercing Eyes. He rushed forward. ¡®This is your final stand.¡¯ He could read all of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s thoughts and actions. As such, he could always be one step ahead of the former. Whenever Wang-Heon used this skill against weaker opponents, he would basically be invincible. He would dodge 100% of their attacks, while 100% of his own attacks would connect. It was basically a cheat code. ¡®I can see it.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t foolish enough to take the iing hit. ¡®It¡¯sing from the left.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s fist flew toward him, but Wang-Heon casually dodged, avoiding the path of the strike. It missed by several inches. Another attack flew towards him. ¡®His right arm again? I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s stupid, or just stubborn¡­¡¯ Wang-Heon dodged again and let out an unconcerned sigh. ¡®He¡¯s so obvious.¡¯ Despite his sparkling reputation on Earth, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t a genius. He was another fake. ¡®He beat Specter¡¯s record? The new Kim Woo-Joong? Shin Sung-Hyun? It¡¯s all bullshit.¡¯ Thetter two were Wang-Heon¡¯s enemies, but he had acknowledged their skills. They were two people whom he feared the most in the world. But this newbie in front of him had merely been lucky enough to be in the right ce at the right time. ¡®...Sigh, his right arm again?¡¯ He sure was persistent. Wang-Heon clicked his tongue and dodged the path once more. Pak! ¡°...?¡± For the first time, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s fist had grazed his head. Wang-Heon narrowed his eyes. ¡®He grazed me? Did I let my guard down because I already knew the trajectory?¡¯ He had debuted less than a year ago, but he still managed to graze Wang-Heon? The fiend gnashed his teeth, feeling humiliated. He pulled himself together and struck at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck. He could see that Seo Jun-Ho was about to pull his head back to avoid it, so all he needed to do was follow Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s trajectory. ¡°...?!¡± But instead of hitting Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chin, Wang-Heon¡¯s fist hit the air. How? Before he could even answer the question, he saw Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes through his White Armor. They stared at him, coldly. An unexinable chill went down his spine. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho punched again. Like the previous two attacks, he used his right arm. ¡®Again¡­ His right arm again?¡¯ This was lunacy. The way Seo Jun-Ho continued to aim at his face with his right fist wasn¡¯t stubbornness or persistence, it was lunacy. Wang-Heon thought he would be able to dodge the iing attack as he had with the three previous ones. ¡°...!¡± But he was wrong. His vision shook, and he unwittingly stumbled back. He stared at the ground, dumbfounded until he had finally realized what happened. ¡°...You hit me? Me?¡± It was impossible. Didn¡¯t Piercing Eyes (A) tell him the trajectory of the attack? He even used more strength to dodge after he got grazed. But this time, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t just graze him. He hadnded a clean attack on him. Wang-Heon shook his head, refusing to ept this. ¡°Impossible. Am I still being careless?¡± He summoned his demonic energy once more, raising Piercing Eyes (A) to its peak potential to read Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attacks. ¡®From the left¡­¡¯ Bam! His head shook again. And another attack came... ¡®Left again¡­¡¯ Bam! Pain exploded from his cheek, and broken teeth rolled around in his mouth. ¡®This time¡­ He¡¯ll actuallye from the left!¡¯ Bam! Wang-Heon stumbled after three consecutive attacks. He had even tried to guard against thest one, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s fist still pummeled through his defenses. The fiend gripped the wall, staring down at his trembling legs. ¡°Bleck!¡± He spat out blood and looked up with his swollen face. ¡°...All three of your attacks came from the left. I was sure of it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. His voice was void of any emotion. ¡°I only used my right hand to attack. I didn¡¯t use any feints either. I just punched straight through.¡± ¡°B-but how?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± It had merely taken some time for Seo Jun-Ho to adjust to his increased stats after the Curse of Bitter Cold was lifted. Overclocking was also at 15%, so he hadn¡¯t been able to handle it in the beginning. ¡®I think I¡¯m starting to get a sense for it now.¡¯ Even though Wang-Heon could read the trajectory of his attacks, he couldn¡¯t dodge them. The reason for this was simple. ¡°My fist is faster than your eyes.¡± Crack! His fist buried into Wang-Heon¡¯s face with a satisfying crunch. Chapter 154. Maze Hunter (4)

Chapter 154. Maze Hunter (4)

¡®His fist¡­ Is it faster than my eyes?¡¯ Wang-Heon immediately took out a dagger and cut the swollen flesh beneath his left eye. It stung as blood flowed out, but the swelling went down and his vision was restored. ¡®Piercing Eyes allows me to see my opponent¡¯s movements and intentions.¡¯ In other words, it was the same as seeing into the immediate future. But Seo Jun-Ho was fast enough to render his skill useless¡­ ¡°...You¡¯re dangerous,¡± Wang-Heon said. The warning bells finally started to go off in his head. He had thought of Seo Jun-Ho as nothing more than a mere newbie who had debuted less than a year ago, but his opinion of the yer was quickly changing. ¡®If he¡¯s this powerful after merely a year¡­¡¯ The new Kim Woo-Joong? The new Shin Sung-Hyun? It really was bullshit. ¡®He¡¯s way better than either of them.¡¯ Both Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun had been much stronger than other rookies back in their time, but Seo Jun-Ho was already more skilled than a member of a prestigious squadron. ¡®I have to let them know.¡¯ He had to tell the Association that such a monster was growing. Wang-Heon made a choice. Rrrrip! He poured demonic energy into his fist, punching a hole through the Curtain of Darkness. He cried out. ¡°Clear it! Clear the Dungeon! Kill the boss!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Wang-Heon-nim? What are you¡­¡± ¡°Right noooow!¡± He roared, furious. Unnerved, Stan and Banjo nodded and ran out of the maze. ¡°Phew...¡± Wang-Heon let out a sigh of relief as he watched the two fiends run off through the shrinking hole. ¡®That¡¯s one less thing to worry about.¡¯ It might take some time with just the two of them, but it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult for Stan and Banjo to defeat the boss. Now, all he had to do was fight Seo Jun-Ho. But Wang-Heon seemed to have forgotten something... ¡°So you can¡¯t...¡± Jun-Ho let out a lowugh from inside his armor. ¡°What?¡± Wang-Heon demanded. ¡°You don¡¯t have a way to contact someone outside of the Dungeon. That¡¯s why you ordered them to defeat the boss as fast as possible.¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho had immediately grasped the situation the same way Wang-Heon had been able to deduce all the information just from one tip-off. ¡®He doesn¡¯t have a way to contact the outside world.¡¯ This also meant that he had no other way of getting out the information he had gathered about Seo Jun-Ho. If Wang-Heon did have a way, he would have called the other fiends over for a pincer attack. ¡®So he thinks that he can¡¯t defeat me alone.¡¯ It was a little surprising. Seo Jun-Ho had thought that all fiends were selfish, but Wang-Heon seemed to have a deep sense of trust. Well, he would find out everything once he read Wang-Heon¡¯s memories. ¡®I can¡¯t drag this out either.¡¯ If too much time passed, those two might really be able to clear the Dungeon. ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had already finished adjusting to his change in stats. He summoned a tremendous amount of magic and ran toward Wang-Heon. ¡°Hup!¡± Wang-Heon¡¯s fist flew toward him, wavering. ¡®He¡¯s nervous. His body¡¯s all stiff.¡¯ It was an opening for Seo Jun-Ho. He followed Wang-Heon¡¯s fist with cold eyes. He caught it in his hand and mmed the fiend to the ground. Crack! The Frost Queen made an ice coffin in tandem, freezing his limbs. ¡°Ugh!¡± Wang-Heon was caught off-guard. He felt like the ck sword above him coulde down and cut his head off at any moment, like a guillotine. But Seo Jun-Ho merely looked down at him once before he turned around and walked away. ¡®...Why?¡¯ Wang-Heon could still fight, so why did Seo Jun-Ho leave his back open? Was he being careless? Perhaps this was an opportunity. He started to prepare a powerful attack, hoping to overturn the situation. Rrrrip! The ground below him was torn apart, and he started to fall. ¡°Huh?!¡± The sight of wolf-like fangs filled his vision. ¡®Fangs of Darkness¡­ Wolves¡­?¡¯ Wasn¡¯t this¡­? Wang-Heon¡¯s eyes zed red. He looked up. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± The starved fangs feasted on his body. The ceiling closed above him. ¡°A member of the Pride Squadron¡­ His skill was more useful than I thought.¡± Wang-Heon had been a difficult enemy while the Curse of Bitter Cold¡¯s effects were ongoing, which reduced Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stats by 50%. But after it was dispelled, Seo Jun-Ho became confident that he could even defeat someone a full step above Kal Signer, not to mention Wang-Heon who was merely half a step above Kal Signer. Ptoo! A momentter, the ground opened up and spat Wang-Heon¡¯s tattered corpse. ¡°Ugh, disgusting.¡± The Frost Queen wrinkled her nose in disgust, but Seo Jun-Ho merely shrugged, seemingly unbothered. ¡°You gotta do what you gotta do.¡± He held out a hand toward the body. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± [Confession of the Dead has been activated.] [Wang-Heon¡¯s memories are being reyed.] *** ¡°...¡± They said that people who spent a lot of time together would end up resembling each other sooner orter, but this also seemed to apply to Spirits. Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen blinked in unison, crossed their arms, and exhaled. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± As expected, Wang-Heon was quite the catch. ¡°We found a great lead,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°The problem is¡­ We thought we found the tail of a snake, but the body¡¯s much bigger than we expected,¡± the Frost Queen remarked. ¡°Exactly.¡± Seo Jun-Ho narrowed his eyes. He had expected the Seven Squadrons to be a little bigger than the Watchdog Corps, but they were actually much bigger. ¡°They are reminiscent of the yers¡¯ Guilds,¡± the Frost Queen noted. ¡°They had probably modeled it off of the Guild system.¡± But the Seven Squadrons weren¡¯t just like any Guilds. They were at the level of the Guilds ranking immediately below the Big 6. ¡°Of course, the Big 6 are stronger in some ways.¡± The Squadrons had fewer members than the yer Guilds. But it was hard to tell if their individual members would be able to win against each other. ¡®At that level¡­ The victor would be decided based on the skill match-up and how they¡¯re feeling that day.¡¯ Objectively speaking, both sides only harbored monsters. Even Wang-Heon, whom Seo Jun-Ho had considered highly, seemed adorablepared to some of the higher-ranking members of his squadron. Seo Jun-Ho started to sort through the information about the Squadrons that he had retrieved from the fiend¡¯s memories. ¡°Pride, Despair, Wrath, Silence, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth.¡± Each of the Seven Squadrons had the power of a major Guild. ¡°Members within the same Squadron sometimes exchange information¡­ But other than that, there¡¯s not much sense of camaraderie. And like yer Guilds, they barely know anything about the other Squadrons. This is so that they won¡¯t be able to give up much information if they get captured by an enemy.¡± And the reason for the squadrons¡¯ existence was simple. ¡°Each one is a weapon for one of the seven executives of the Fiend Association.¡± Each Squadron Leader was one of the few people who could contact the executives. Not only that, but the Squadrons were more cooperative with each other than the Guilds or the yer Association. ¡°So that¡¯s what separates them from the Guilds,¡± the Frost Queenmented. ¡°They¡¯re all under one organizational structure.¡± This was going to be harder than Seo Jun-Ho had expected. If they were that big, it would take a long time to break them down one by one. ¡®The best-case scenario would be destroying a key piece and having the whole thing tumble down. But that probably won¡¯t happen.¡¯ The Squadrons were organized the way they were precisely to avoid such a disaster. Like a cat with nine lives. ¡°Contractor, I believe that this is a sess. We found more than expected.¡± ¡°Yeah, we got a lot of info about the members of the Pride Squadron.¡± Wang-Heon had known several sunbaes. If Seo Jun-Ho ever ran into them, he would recognize their faces. ¡°Still, I¡¯m a little disappointed. It would¡¯ve been nice if we were able to find out where each Squadron is and what they¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°A Squadron Leader may be in possession of such information,¡± the Frost Queen said. Seo Jun-Ho tapped on the Curtain of Darkness, and it melted downward, disappearing along with Wang-Heon¡¯s corpse. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes started to sparkle as he looked up at the maze. ¡°They really must¡¯ve been in a rush,¡± he muttered as he looked down at the footprints. *** ¡°Stan! Distract it!¡± ¡°Dammit¡­ I get it, so hit it with something strong!¡± Stan ran left, increasing the distance between him and Banjo. A monster chased close behind him. ¡°Kyaaaak!¡± It was the boss monster of the Dungeon, the Wall Mantis Queen. After leaving the maze on Wang-Heon¡¯s orders, the two fiends quickly arrived at the Boss Room. The walls, ground, and ceiling were all covered in darkness. ¡°Dammit, even if our eyes are better than the wall mantis¡¯s¡­¡± Swish. Swish. The Wall Mantis Queen was at least four times as big as a normal wall mantis. Every time it moved, its wings flitted like a shark¡¯s fins. This made it easy to locate, but Stan and Banjo were still on edge. ¡®The exoskeleton is insanely strong! How will we pierce through its armor?¡¯ ¡®It has those spikes on its front legs, and they cut like a Rare-grade sword. If it hits one of us, we¡¯ll be seriously injured.¡¯ That wasn¡¯t all¡­ As it was a boss monster, the Wall Mantis Queen flew off the wall every five minutes and into the open air. ¡°Now that I think about it¡­ It¡¯s not even a wall mantis!¡± Stan¡¯s hairs stood on end as he rushed forward, shouting. Swish. Swish. He could hear the chilling soundsing from above his head. ¡®Shit!¡¯ Stan instinctively used Homing Intuition and was transported to the Boss Room¡¯s entrance. He gulped. From afar, he could see that the enormous Wall Mantis Queen had made its way over to where he had been standing. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t used my skill just now¡­¡¯ Stan stroked his neck and trembled. Even imagining it made a chill run down his back. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ ready!¡± Banjo yelled. Stan¡¯s efforts had paid off. While he had been buying time, Banjo had finished preparing his spell. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Two enormous fireballs zed next to him. Banjo knew how to double-cast. He was a renowned mage, and it was rumored that he would soon enter the Pride Squadron as Wang-Heon¡¯s sessor. ¡°No matter how tough its exterior is, it¡¯s still a bug in the end.¡± He held out his hand as he aimed the fireballs. ¡°Burn.¡± Woooosh! Unexpected for their size, the fireballs flew forward at a high speed, demonstrating Banjo¡¯s talent for magic control. They struck the Wall Mantis Queen¡¯s wings. Kaaa! Kyaaaak! The Wall Mantis Queen shrieked as the fireballs struck her, and she fell to the ground. The fire quickly spread across her body and started to melt both her exoskeleton and her wings. ¡°It worked!¡± Banjo turned toward the Boss Room¡¯s entrance. The Wall Mantis Queen was heavily injured, so he was about to tell Stan that they should finish it up. ¡°...?¡± Banjo frowned. Instead of Stan, all he saw was a strangely posed ice statue. It was in the shape of a human covering its mouth with both hands. ¡®What¡¯s with that weird statue?¡¯ As soon as the question popped into his head, his mouth froze. Crackle. ¡°Mm? Mmph!¡± Taken aback, Banjo frantically tried to pull off the ice. But as soon as he touched it, the cold started to travel up his fingers and down his arms. It was then that he had finally realized... ¡®Oh, that statue¡­¡¯ It was Stan. Seo Jun-Ho approached from behind Banjo¡¯s frozen body with a tired look. ¡°This sucks. I don¡¯t like this skill.¡± ¡°What? I am unamused. Did you not tell me yourself that my power looks convenient?¡± ¡°I did, but that doesn¡¯t mean that it doesn¡¯t make me feel horrible,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied, rubbing his aching temples. It was still too early for him to use such a high-level skill. Even now, he could feel it draining arge amount of his mental power. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t use this too recklessly.¡¯ But since they were in a closed-off space, he had decided to test it out. It was okay if he pushed himself in his current situation. ¡°As for the one and only boss monster¡­¡± The Wall Mantis Queen was still wailing as it crawled on the ground, burning. Seo Jun-Ho gestured with his finger. ¡°Here¡¯s a tip. Always be careful in dark ces,¡± he said lightly. Because you would never know if Specter was hiding or not. Crack! Crack! Dozens of Watchguards of Darkness emerged from the ground and began to feast on the Wall Mantis Queen¡¯s flesh. Chapter 155. Help Is Needed (1)

Chapter 155. Help Is Needed (1)

¡°Frost, do you know what the best feeling is after clearing a Gate?¡± ¡°...When you get greeted by reporters worshiping you?¡± ¡°No. That does feel good, but it¡¯s whatever at this point.¡± But no matter what, there was always one thing that made his heart pound. ¡°It¡¯s when you receive the rewards.¡± Like Gates, Dungeons gave rewards once you cleared them. ¡°This Dungeon is a door-type, too. It¡¯s closed-off.¡± It would give better rewards than typical, open-type Dungeons. Not only that, but this particr Dungeon had a unique maze feature and it even contained high-level monsters. Shick, shick. Seo Jun-Ho rubbed his hands in anticipation and approached the Wall Mantis Queen¡¯s corpse. ¡°...Oh no.¡± His face fell immediately. Her exoskeleton had be soft after being melted by Banjo¡¯s fireballs. ¡®I won¡¯t be able to use this. Tsk, I should¡¯ve just hunted her myself, even though it would''ve been more troublesome.¡¯ He felt a sense of regret as he started to dig around her insides. ¡°Found it.¡± He pulled out his hand, holding a brown orb the size of a baseball. A boss monster of this size was guaranteed to have one of these. The Frost Queen seemed curious. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a core. The core of the Wall Mantis Queen,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. ¡°Hm. I was not aware that monsters carried such items.¡± ¡°Huh? You had one too.¡± ¡°Huh¡­? I did?!¡± The Frost Queen cried out in shock. She started to pat herself down. ¡°W-where is it? Is it that big?¡± ¡°No, yours was on the smaller size. It was about the size of a ping-pong ball.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I do not enjoy this.¡± She seemed slightly disturbed at the notion that her old body had contained a core, and jut out her bottom lip. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much. It has a 95% drop rate among boss monsters,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Even though the Frost Queen had once been a human in her own world, such was the nature of the ¡®Floor rule.¡¯ ¡°...Still, it was not mentioned when the contract was made,¡± she muttered. ¡°Huh? Contract? What contract?¡± ¡°The contract with the Floor Admin¡­ Huh?¡± The Frost Queen tilted her head. ¡°What is this memory? Does it¡­ belong to me?¡± ¡°How should I know?¡± He lifted the Frost Queen from his shoulder so that they were facing each other. ¡°Exin. You said you lost all your memories. You said you didn¡¯t remember anything.¡± ¡°Such was the case¡­ But I feel as if I am starting to recall some things¡­¡± ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t seem to be lying. This meant something was allowing her memories to return. ¡®What about her has changed¡­?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the Frost Queen. She was hanging in his two hands, swinging her legs. She had been a mere 40 centimeters tall before, but he had already adjusted to her new size at some point. ¡°...Wait, is it because of your spirit grade?¡± That was the only difference from back then. She was now a Low Spirit¡­ Or, ording to her, a Grade 2 Arch Spirit. When he pointed this out, she seemed to agree. ¡°It is possible. Now that I have be a Spirit, it makes sense that my memories would gradually return as my grade gets higher¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to eat a lot more Spirit Crystals from now on.¡± ¡°...?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°What are you saying? I have never eaten a spirit crystal¡­ Nor do I n to,¡± she said with a frown. ¡°Oh, I mean¡­ Um, you should eat them from now on. That¡¯s what I meant. You should stop being picky.¡± ¡°Contractor, ¡®picky¡¯ is a term that only applies to food. Why would I eat a rock? I refuse to do so.¡± Or so she thought¡­ Unfortunately for her, there was a solution for everything. Seo Jun-Ho ced her on the ground and crouched down. ¡°So what do you remember? Tell me the details.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± The Frost Queen cupped her chin, deep in thought. She eventually spoke, ¡°After my kingdom was destroyed, I remember meeting a being known as a Floor Administrator.¡± ¡°A Floor Administrator. Was it Grey?¡± ¡°No, it was not a man. I remember that it was a woman¡­¡± ¡°Do you remember anything about her appearance?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I apologize. I do not think my memories have fully returned yet. But¡­ I do not recall being told that I would have a core once I became a boss monster. That¡¯s all I remember at the moment.¡± ¡°...Do you remember anything else about the contract?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I remember being told that I was being given a second chance¡­¡± She kept scrunching her nose in frustration. ¡°Haaa, perhaps I really do need to eat a spirit crystal.¡± Perfect. Seo Jun-Hoforted her as she wilted. ¡°You don¡¯t have to push yourself. Just tell me if you remember anything else, okay?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Dungeons didn¡¯t give out rewards the same way as Gates. While Gate rewards were delivered instantly, Dungeon rewards had to be picked up individually. Seo Jun-Ho entered the treasure room beyond the Boss Room and discovered a box. ¡°Oh, man. My heart¡¯s pounding.¡± It had been a while since he had been this excited. It was the simr feeling he would get as a kid on the way home after buying a new game. As he carefully opened the box, he discovered a single book and a heavy pouch of gold. ¡°This looks like about 100 gold.¡± The equivalent of a million dors, or a billion won. If a party of 30 had entered the Dungeon, each person would have only received about 30 thousand dors, or about 40 million won, so it wasn¡¯t all that much. ¡®But I¡¯m the sole recipient.¡¯ In that case, it was arge amount. Seo Jun-Ho put the gold pouch into his inventory with a tter and looked toward the book with his heart pounding. ¡®It¡¯s a book.¡¯ And 99% of the books that appeared in a Dungeon were skill books. If you got really unlucky, sometimes they would give literature from ancient kingdoms or something, but that wasn¡¯t the case this time. ¡°Item data.¡± He had avoided the 1% chance. [Skill Book - Shadow Wall, Active] Grade: C Effect: Allows the user to move along walls as a shadow for 1 minute. ¡°Ooh!¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Their jaws dropped. Even though it was just a low-grade skill and only had a duration of 1 minute, it was still a useful ability. ¡°In other words, it gives you the unique ability of the wall mantises,¡± Seo Jun-Ho noted. ¡°It would be useful for assassination or for eavesdropping,¡± the Frost Queen remarked. [Do you wish to learn ¡®Shadow Wall?¡¯] ¡°Yes.¡± [You have learned a new skill ¡®Shadow Wall(C)¡¯.] [You possess a higher-grade ability of the same attribute, ¡®Watchguard of Darkness (S)¡¯.] [Skillbining is possible. Allow ¡®Watchguard of Darkness¡¯ to absorb ¡®Shadow Wall¡¯?] ¡°...Huh?¡± Skillbining? Seo Jun-Ho blinked. It was the first time he saw such a message. ¡°Higher-grade ability of the same attribute¡­ Allow Watchguard of Darkness to absorb Shadow Wall? What does this mean?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was confused. It was his first time being in such a situation. The Frost Queen wasn¡¯t part of the yer system either, so she was also staring nkly. The only one that offered an opinion was ¡®Keen Intuition.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s temples vibrated intensely, pulling like arge dog tugging at its owner¡¯s clothes. It told him tobine them. ¡°...Hmmm.¡± Usually, he would have gone along with Keen Intuition without a second thought, but this time, he was torn. ¡®Watchguard of Darkness is my signature skill.¡¯ It was the alpha and omega of Specter and was no different from his very identity. What ifbining the skills made it degrade? Or made it disappear altogether? ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯ Besides, Keen Intuition had been incorrect merely a few hours ago. Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t sure if he could trust it. Vrrrr. His head rang again as if Keen Intuition was telling him that things were different this time. [Would you like an exnation of Skillbining?] ¡°Oh, thank god.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded along to the System¡¯s polite offer. [Unless a unique skill can inherently facilitate Skillbining, there is only one case in which it is possible.] [That is when two skills possessing the same attribute or effect are acquired.] [In the case that Skillbining is selected, the effects of the lower-grade skill will be absorbed into the higher-grade skill.] [The lower-grade skill will disappear, but its associated effects will manifest in the higher-grade skill.] [ording to the effects of the higher-grade skill, the effects of the lower-grade skill may also be strengthened.] ¡°...Hmmm.¡± Both he and the Frost Queen thoroughly read over the exnation several times over. ¡°I get it!¡± The Frost Queen pped her hands together. ¡°Contractor. In other words, if youbine the skills, Shadow Wall (C) will disappear,¡± she exined. ¡°But I¡¯ll still have the ability to travel across walls if I use Watchguard of Darkness.¡± ¡°In the end, you will not lose anything if youbine the skills, correct?¡± ¡°...Now that you say that, yeah.¡± Keen Intuition pushed its opinion again. Its actions were making him nervous¡­ ¡®But it seems like a good choice ording to both the System¡¯s exnation and Frost¡¯s analysis.¡¯ There was nothing to lose bybining them. The line saying, ¡®ording to the effects of the higher-grade skill, the effects of the lower-grade skill may also be strengthened,¡¯ stood out to him. ¡®Watchguard of Darkness is affiliated with darkness, which is known as the most powerful element.¡¯ This fact alone made it a powerful S-grade skill. And if Shadow Wall was consumed by such a skill? ¡®It¡¯ll be nice if it gets strengthened, but it won¡¯t get weakened either.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho made his decision and nodded. ¡°Skillbining¡­ ept.¡± [Skillbining isplete.] This was the only message that appeared. It felt anticlimactic and almost felt pointless. ¡°...I-is that all?¡± The Frost Queen muttered, sounding quite disappointed. But Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s reaction was different. ¡®I can feel it.¡¯ He could feel a new sensation, one that he had been chasing after for thest 26 years. ¡°...Watchguard of Darkness,¡± he whispered. Shadows bloomed from his body. ¡°Isn¡¯t it still the same?¡± the Frost Queen asked. As she said, the effects of the skill were still the same. But only in the beginning. In the next moment, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s flesh and blood melted into darkness and rose into the air. His body had sessfully be a shadow. ¡°...Wow, it works.¡± The ¡®darkness¡¯ flying in the air spoke in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s familiar voice. Wooosh! As he reabsorbed his magic, his body returned to normal. ¡°C-Contractor, are you alright? You became a shadow¡­!¡± ¡°Of course I am. Actually, I¡¯m more than okay¡­¡± he said bashfully, trailing off. ¡°I¡¯m so emotional, I¡¯m tearing up.¡± Even back when he had been the most powerful yer in the world, he had always been thirsting for more. He wanted to bring himself up to the next level. ¡°Back then, I looked for a way to improve Shadow Step.¡± He could hide all his sounds, appearance, traces, and presence¡­ But he wanted to be pure darkness. Only then would Shadow Step be perfected. ¡°But turning my body into a shadow was impossibly hard.¡± Darkness wasn¡¯t liquid like water, gas like wind, or solid like the earth. It was simply a phenomenon. The only way that humans could create it artificially was by removing all surrounding sources of light. ¡°I failed¡­¡± If he wanted to arrive at a certain destination, he had to know the way there. At the very least, he had to know which direction to go. But back then, Seo Jun-Ho knew nothing. ¡°I consulted famous biologists, physicists, particle physicists, and theorists¡­ and even philosophers. I gathered all sorts of schrs into a single lecture room to consult them.¡± About how he could be darkness¡­ At that, all those world-renowned schrs had be like clueless college freshmen. ¡°We couldn¡¯t evene up with a theory, so I gave up¡­ But I didn¡¯t know that I¡¯d get it like this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out an amusedugh. He shouldn¡¯t think like this, but he wished that Shim Deok-Gu would hurry up and contact him. After all, Specter would always be looking for the fiends on the 1st floor. ¡®Ah, I wonder if I could find a fiend hideout on the 1st floor or something.¡¯ All he could think about was how much he wanted to hunt fiends with his newfound ability. Chapter 156. Help Is Needed (2)

Chapter 156. Help Is Needed (2)

Usually, there wouldn¡¯t be much else to do in a Dungeon after getting all the rewards. But before Seo Jun-Ho left, he went back to the maze. ¡°I have to erase my traces.¡± Though Dungeons and Gates were simr, they still had their differences. While Gates disappearedpletely after they were cleared, Dungeons were different. ¡°There are actually people who work as Dungeon cleaners,¡± he said. ¡°Dungeon cleaners¡­? Why would they clean up such a ce? Do they make it into a tourist attraction?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°They¡¯re notactuallycleaning it up. It¡¯s ng.¡± Once the Dungeons were cleared by the main force, they would go around and ¡°clean¡± them by picking up the spoils. After all, Dungeons would sometimes have hidden rewards and items. ¡°They doactualcleaning, too. Sometimes, the Dungeon team misses a few monsters, so the Dungeon cleaners take them out,¡± he added. If the Dungeon monsters weren¡¯tpletely annihted after the first sweep, they would reproduce and create a new pack, effectively re-creating the Dungeon. Of course, the second time around, the Dungeons would be open-types rather than door-types. ¡°I see. So that is why you are erasing your traces.¡± ¡°Yeah. Not only the Dungeon cleaners, but fiends could alsoe here.¡± Like he had done in Las Vegas when he killed Arma, Seo Jun-Ho used the techniques that Skaya had once taught him. He started to erase all signs that he had ever been here. ¡®My skills, my magic, the size and direction of my footprints, even my hairs¡­¡¯ He started to erase anything that could identify him. It took four whole hours until he was done. ¡°Phew,I¡¯m finally done,¡± he muttered. ¡°Zzzz.¡±The work must have been quite boring because the Frost Queen had fallen asleep on his shoulder. ¡®Yup. Perfect. Now I just need to leave,¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought. Leaving the Dungeon wasn¡¯t hard, as there was a portal in the corner of the Boss Room that led to the front entrance. [You have cleared ckwall Maze.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [2 speed stats received from Limit Breaker¡¯s effects.] [14 magic stats have been recovered.] ¡°It gave me a decent amount of EXP too.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had killed a total of thirty fiends inside the Dungeon, but he had only received EXP from four of them. ¡®If I knew this would happen, I would¡¯ve hunted them myself instead of leaving them to the wall mantises.¡¯ 27 of them had been killed by the monsters, not by his own hand. He had gained three levels from killing four fiends, a few wall mantises, and the Wall Mantis Queen. He had also gained two more levels as a Dungeon clear reward. ¡°Status window.¡± [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 70 Title: Bringer of Spring (2+) Strength: 220 Stamina: 218 Speed: 219 Magic: 188 Fame: 2,720 Thanks to that, he reached a round level 70. ¡®I recovered a good amount of magic stats too.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded and started to step toward the Dungeon entrance. Rrrrrr! A roaring construction noise came from the door. He opened it with a creak and stepped out. ¡°...What are you doing?¡± he said tly. Skaya was wearing a welding helmet and drilling the wall with a mysterious device. She looked up. ¡°Oh,Jun-Ho.¡± She stopped the device and lifted the helmet, grinning. ¡°Hey~Seems like it went well?¡± ¡°I told you that you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± He got an overwhelming sense of deja-vu. The same thing happened only a few days ago. ¡°Didn¡¯t you do this when I killed Gouf and the other fiends too?¡± ¡°Yup.I really tried not to worry¡­ But the spells I put on you had been forcefully removed, so I was worried you were in danger,¡± she exined. ¡°It was Dispel. It¡¯s an annoying skill. What is that, anyway?¡± ¡°Oh~This?¡± She held up the drill-shaped object and giggled. ¡°This is a Gate Driller! I made a prototype a long~ time ago to try and enter closed Gates, so I was trying to open the Dungeon with this.¡± ¡°...Looks like it¡¯s going well,¡± he said sarcastically. Was it even possible for a human to open a Gate or Dungeon when it was sealed by the System? Still, he was impressed that she even came up with such a bizarre device to attempt it. Skaya really was on another level. ¡°Yeah¡­ It wasn¡¯t working¡­¡± She wilted. ¡°Were you able to use monitoring magic to hear what was happening inside?¡± he asked. This was important. If she could do it, that means the fiends'' mages could do it as well. ¡°Unfortunately, no. The channel changed as soon as you entered the Dungeon, so I only heard static.¡± ¡°Good¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s too early to let our guard down,¡± she spoke as she knocked on the thick Dungeon door. ¡°If I had more time, I could have developed a spell to automatically tune into the channel of the Dungeon. If the fiends have a genius like me, they¡¯ll be able to do the same thing.¡± This was the first time an independent Dungeon raid of the Fiend Association had failed. ¡°So they¡¯ll be suspicious. They had more than enough manpower to clear the Dungeon, so they¡¯ll suspect that there was some kind of interference,¡± Skaya warned. ¡°...And they¡¯ll start preparing against the intruder.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You probably won¡¯t be able to do this again, but if you ever have to enter a Dungeon with fiends again, you should be more careful.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. Skaya started to look around. ¡°Where¡¯s the Frost Queen? Did she go to the Spirit World again?¡± she asked. ¡°No, she¡¯s sleeping on my shoulder and using my head as a pillow,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. ¡°...She¡¯s sleeping? Even though she¡¯s a Spirit?¡± ¡°I know, right? She¡¯s a really strange Spirit.¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Interesting. She was a human before she became a Spirit, right?Oh,I want to hurry up and study her.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Was she having a nightmare? The Frost Queen¡¯s face scrunched as she gripped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hair tightly. ¡°Were there any useful memories out of the 31 fiends you killed?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s talk about the details somewhere else.¡± ¡°Wait, before that.¡± She pointed out. ¡°Did you clean up properly?¡± ¡°Of course. If you don¡¯t believe me, check for yourself.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s better to be sure. I¡¯ll just double-check.¡± Skaya re-entered the Dungeon and returned about five minutester. She looked at Seo Jun-Ho proudly. ¡°You did well, child. Your master is moved.¡± ¡°I had always been a quick learner¡ªthat¡¯s the key to being powerful.¡± ¡°As your reward, I¡¯ll clean up here.¡± She pped lightly, perfectly erasing their traces from the Dungeon¡¯s entrance. m. As the Dungeon door closed onest time, the two of them arrived at their guestroom in Denver. ¡°Now, talk,¡± Skaya said in a low voice, taking a seat. ¡°Well¡­ Let me begin with the Seven Squadrons.¡± Seo Jun-Ho began to exin. After about ten minutes, Skaya finished sorting through the information and eventually spoke. ¡°In other words, each Squadron has a different goal?¡± ¡°Yeah. Wang-Heon was part of the Pride Squadron, but he didn¡¯t know much about the demon jade,¡± he said. ¡°Then, which Squadron is experimenting with it?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We won¡¯t know until we interrogate a fiend from another Squadron.¡± ¡°Do you know where they are?¡± Seo Jun-Ho unfurled a map of the Frontier continent and pointed at a spot. ¡°Port Lane? It¡¯s a coastal city.¡± ¡°Yeah. In two months¡¯ time, the entire Pride Squadron will meet here for abined mission.¡± ¡°...Abined mission?¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes sparkled. If they were working as a group, this had to be big. Seo Jun-Ho nodded, reading her mind. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be massive. I heard that they¡¯ll be working with the other Squadrons as well.¡± ¡°Wow,the scale is much bigger if they¡¯re all working together,¡± she noted. ¡°We¡¯re not gonna be hunting a small number of fiends.¡± There would at least be dozens of Squadron-affiliated fiends. ¡°And if we¡¯re lucky¡­ We might even get to see a Squadron Leader.¡± ¡°...But will you be alright?¡± Skaya asked carefully, not wanting to offend him. ¡°You lost 70 magic stats because of me. Will you be able to handle them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to recover by then. So, it¡¯s probably gonna be a while until I free another one of our teammates,¡± he said. Seo Jun-Ho still yearned to free his friends, but they were getting closer to the fiends, and he needed to get stronger to keep up. ¡®Even if I free one of them, they¡¯ll need at least a month to be of immediate help in battle.¡¯ Even though the Curse of Bitter Cold would disappear after a month, he would still have to permanently sacrifice his magic stat, so Seo Jun-Ho himself wouldn¡¯t be of much help in the near future afterward. Thus, he made a decision... ¡°I¡¯ll have to reach at least 250 for my magic stat if I want to free one of them. This way, both of us can be of help.¡± ¡°...That doesn¡¯t seem too far off,¡± Skayamented. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m at 188 right now. And Frontier is still full of opportunities.¡± Based on how fast he was currently raising his magic stat, three months was more than enough time for him to reach 250 points in the stat. ¡°Aren¡¯t you starting to get restless too? I¡¯m always the one fighting fiends.¡± ¡°...To be honest, yeah. You¡¯re like the protagonist of a superhero movie, while I¡¯m more like the lead policeman.¡± She was like the police crew who would onlye to deal with the aftermath of a disaster. Seo Jun-Ho could sense that she was a little annoyed by that. Well, it made sense, considering that she was much stronger than him, yet she couldn¡¯t do as much. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s why this mission is for you. The battle at Port Lane will be more intense than you expect.¡± ¡°My my,how did you know that¡¯s what I wanted?¡± Woosh. Bzzt. Shwoo. Crack. Skaya created me, electricity, wind, and rock with her fingers and moved them around, ying with them. ¡°I¡¯ll show them the power of an Archmage. I¡¯ll post a bunch of pictures on themunity too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Oh,I also had something to tell you.¡± She dispelled the magic. ¡°I was contacted by the Guildmaster of Goblin.¡± ¡°...You mean Shin Sung-Hyun of the Nine Heavens?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah. He said there was something he wanted to check and wanted to meet up.¡± ¡°Hmmm.Are you gonna go?¡± ¡°I n to. You told me that the Sword Saint is strong, but you don¡¯t know anything about the other Nine Heavens, right?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°I don¡¯t...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°So, I¡¯ll go check. To see if they¡¯re strong, I mean. And if they are¡­ I¡¯ll see if they¡¯re stronger than me.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± It made Seo Jun-Ho a little nervous. Shin Sung-Hyun was a powerful yer, but he had heard from many people that the man acted like a businessman. ¡®And so does Skaya. People with simr personalities usually end up having really intense psychological battles.¡¯ It would be a meeting of an old hero and one of the Nine Heavens, a present-day hero. Things would probably get heated. ¡°Do you want me toe with you?¡± he asked carefully. Skaya instantly rejected him. ¡°Nah. If I bring you with me, it¡¯ll be more suspicious.¡± ¡°True¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a musclehead like Rahmadat, so why are you even worried? We¡¯re just gonna talk. That¡¯s all.¡± She stood and spoke again, ¡°In two months¡¯ time¡­ I better get ready, too. I¡¯ll text you if I find out anything from Shin Sung-Hyun,¡± she said. ¡°Sounds good. Stay safe.¡± Ring. At that moment, amunity notification sound rang in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ears. He quickly checked it, finding a message. ¡®Who would send me a message¡­?¡¯ Was it iluvac, Captain Gong Ju-Ha? His eyes went wide when he opened the message. ¡°Huh?¡± It was from someone he had never expected, someone hecouldn¡¯thave expected. [Swordpoint: Hello. This is Kim Woo-Joong.][1] [Swordpoint: If possible, could I borrow a bit of your time?] [Swordpoint: I need your help, yer Seo Jun-Ho.] ¡°...The Sword Saint?¡± Why did he contact him? Chapter 157. Help Is Needed (3)

Chapter 157. Help Is Needed (3)

"What? The Sword Saint?! Really? Why?" asked Skaya in surprise. "I don''t know. He wants help," replied Seo Jun-Ho nonchntly, frowning. "Are you sure it¡¯s not an impersonator? Why would the Sword Saint need your help? He needs your help? Not Specter¡¯s help?" "...I know, right? Maybe it¡¯s really an impersonator?" Seo Jun-Ho sent a message for verification. [Sonny: Are you really the Sword Saint?] The reply came back muchter. [Swordpoint: Haha yes.] ¡®Replying like this wouldn¡¯t really prove your identity, though¡­¡¯ As Seo Jun-Ho thought so, one more message arrived. [Swordpoint: (photo)] "...Hey, it''s really him." "Really? How do you know?¡± Skaya asked doubtfully. "He just took a selfie and sent it to me. He even wrote, ¡®It''s me, Kim Woo-Joong¡¯ on it. That''s great handwriting." "If it¡¯s that much, then I guess it must be him." Skaya nodded coolly. "But why does the Sword Saint need your help?¡± "I''ll ask about that right now." Seo Jun-Ho''s fingers quickly tapped on the hologram keyboard. [Sonny: Thank you for confirming. But what do you mean by needing my help?] Again, the answer came after a long time. Why was he too slow? [Swordpoint: If possible, could I tell you in persun?] ¡®Oh, now there¡¯s a typo.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Seo Jun-Ho muttered with frustration, "He''s very slow at typing. I''m dying of frustration. Shouldn¡¯t the Sword Saint be fast?¡± "Typing and reaction speed have nothing to do with each other. You can trust me, an engineering student." "Anyway, I can''t stand this. It would be much faster for us to meet and talk.¡± [Sonny: Where are you right now? I think it would be faster for us to meet and talk. I''ll go over there.] [Swordpoint: Oh, thank you.] [Swordpoint: I''m in Tuna Vige in the Brahms Snowfield.] [Swordpoint: I''ll be waiting.] It took 6 minutes for those 3 lines to arrive. At this point, Seo Jun-Ho was certain. ¡®The first message he sent me was prepared beforehand, then copy-pasted.¡¯ If not, that message shouldn¡¯t have arrived so soon. When Seo Jun-Ho got up from his seat, Skaya prepared her magic. "Where should I send you?¡± "Here¡­" Seo Jun-Ho pointed to the top of the continent on the map in front of them. "It''s not that far from here. In the northernmost part, it''s the Tuna Vige in the Brahms Snowfield." "How are you going toe back?" "I¡¯ll find my own way. You''re going to be busy anyway, right?¡± "That''s true. I''ll text you when I finish talking to Shin Sung-Hyunter.¡± Seo Jun-Ho narrowed his eyes at Skaya. "I advise you, just in case, never emotionally¡­¡± "Aaahhh, naggers are expelled from my room~" His view changed in an instant. Skaya directly teleported him away because she didn''t want to be nagged. Whoosh. The cold wind unique to a snowfield brushed past his face. "Sniffle... Hmmm.¡± As the weather got chilly, the Frost Queen finally opened her eyes. The wetness on his head wasn¡¯t from her drooling, was it? "Contractor¡­ Where are we¡­?¡± "The Brahms Snowfield area. It''s not as cold as I thought." It must be thanks to Cold Tolerance (C) that he had gained clearing the Winter Castle Gate. "Ugh, I am a little cold." "Tell me the truth. You''re not a Spirit of frost, are you?¡± "It-it is because I just woke up. It will be all right in time." The Frost Queen descended from his shoulder and went into the front of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s coat, like a kangaroo cub. Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the top of her head with suspicious eyes while walking. It was a snowy in on all sides, but when he walked along a road sprinkled with soil, a vige appeared. "Hmmm? Are you an Adventurer?" An old guard with a shabby spear sitting weakly on a chair in front of a wooden fence stood up. "Yes, I have an appointment with someone." "I think I know who it is. I was asked for a favor.¡± He pointed to the back. "After walking, go to the big house on the left where the big wooden chicken model is from." "Thank you." When Seo Jun-Ho handed over one silver as a token of gratitude, the guard smiled brightly and thanked him back. Seo Jun-Ho entered the vige and looked around lightly. There were single-story brick houses with long roofs, simr to Korean eaves. "The vige has a good atmosphere. It looks a bit like the houses of the Joseon Dynasty." "I also saw it in a historical drama. It''s a unique feature of snowy and rainy areas since it can be dangerous if they get piled up on the roof." "Hoooh." Her knowledge increased. The Frost Queen looked up and asked, "But Contractor, what do you mean an appointment? Who are you meeting?" "The Sword Saint." "¡­What? When did you make that appointment?" "While you were sleeping..." When Seo Jun-Ho had fought for his life against Kal Signer, the Frost Queen had been watching a drama in her residence. This was why she didn''t see the Sword Saint whom he met right after the battle. "When I told you he was stronger than you, didn¡¯t you say there was no way?" "Even if human beings on Earth are strong, they are still beneath me,¡± the Frost Queen said with pride. "Look carefully this time. His strength is said to have reached the peak in this day and age." "¡­Hmmm, I will have to see if he is stronger than myself." As the guard told him, when Seo Jun-Ho found therge wooden chicken, he saw a big house on the left. As he approached the door, he didn¡¯t even have to knock. "I''ve been waiting¡­" Kim Woo-Joong was walking toward Seo Jun-Ho with a bright smile. "It has been a while." Squeeze. While the two shook hands, the Frost Queen stared openly at Kim Woo-Joong. Observing his every detail, she nodded slowly. ¡°Hmmm, he looks decently strong¡­ His level does not look that low." "Hahaha, thank you for thepliment." ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen froze at the same time. Looking at their reaction, the Sword Saint tilted his head and asked, "Did I make some kind of mistake?" "No, it''s not like that... It''s the first time someone¡¯s ever noticed her." "Oh, I understand. Certainly, it''s not verymon to be able to see Spirits.¡± Kim Woo-Joong gave a pleasant smile. "I was lucky enough to learn how tomunicate with Spirits from the elves." ¡°...¡± "Let''s go inside first and talk.¡± Kim Woo-Joong led the dazed Seo Jun-Ho into the house. "It''s a house I rented temporarily.¡± "It''s nice." Kim Woo-Joong offered Seo Jun-Ho a seat, sat opposite him, and served warm tea. Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s deep eyes nced briefly at Seo Jun-Ho. At that moment, Kim Woo-Joong seemed as if he had remembered something and gave an apology. "Oh, I apologize. It''s a habit of mine to observe people when I see them...¡± "I understand. It''s inevitable if you''re a yer. It''s a kind of an upational disease." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and refused the apology. It was because Seo Jun-Ho was also evaluating the Sword Saint. ''He feels simr to thest time I saw him.¡¯ The fact was ridiculous that a small chuckle escaped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lips. How much stronger had Seo Jun-Ho gotten since that day? His level, as well as his stats, had increased at an insane rate. However, the huge wall known as the Nine Heavens still looked high, to the point where it had be a little annoying. "You are incredible." Kim Woo-Joong admired honestly. "yer Seo Jun-Ho''s growth rate is terrifying." "You''re being too nice." "Haha, I still have a long way to go.¡± A brief greeting was exchanged. Seo Jun-Ho opened his mouth to speak. "I saw the message. I can''t believe you need help¡­ How can I help you?¡± "Well, let me exin." Taking out a map, he pointed to a canyon on the side of the Brahms Snowfield. Seo Jun-Ho pointed at what stood out. "Isn¡¯t that a ce where it''s so cold that not only people but also monsters don''t live there?" "That''s right, but there are people who live in ces like this." "How in the world...¡± "It''s a cave." A Cave? In the canyon famous for its severe cold in the Brahms Snowfield? ''But a cave alone shouldn¡¯t be able to stop the cold.¡¯ When Seo Jun-Ho revealed a look of disbelief, Kim Woo-Joong added further exnation. "It''s the dwarves." ¡°...!¡± Dwarves, like elves and orcs, were a famous race. Even before the world changed, they were familiar beings from novels, movies, and various games. "It''s surprising that the dwarves have been living here... It makes sense though, considering their technology." "Yes. Do you know about the dwarves'' nature?" "I know some basic things." They were a very dexterous species. They were belligerent, alcohol-loving, had a strong ego, and hated being ordered around. They were a fierce species that returned grace with tenfold grace and resentment with tenfold resentment. "Lastly, I understand that the entire tribe moves around on a regr basis." "That''s right. The dwarves have a great migration every 100 years at the earliest and every 500 years at thetest." There was a reason why they were doing this. One was to find a good branch of a mountain range. Second, it was because it took around that much time for sightings of them to start circting. Tap, tap. Kim Woo-Joong tapped on a canyon in the west, quite far from Brahms Snowfield. "Hamel Ice Gorge. This is where the dwarves decided to move to this time." It was time to get to the point. Kim Woo-Joong read Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes and said, "A problem arose here." "A problem¡­?" "The dwarves have built a cave in Hamel Ice Canyon to move into already, but¡­ someone else has moved in." "By someone else, do you mean another guest moved into the dwarves'' cave without permission?" "That''s right, it is really troubling. The situation has be veryplicated." Kim Woo-Joong looked as troubled as a real estate agent ahjussi. "But you can simply just get rid of most monsters, right? Sword Saint?¡± "I was going to, but I couldn¡¯t, so I had to ask you, yer Seo Jun-Ho, for help." "I''d like to hear in more detail." "Have you ever heard of the Ice Witch?" Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. "I''ve never heard of it before." "It''s a kind of Spirit walking around the snowfields. It was originally a banshee-based monster, but after hundreds of years, its power became even stronger and it eventually became something like a boss monster. Now, because of her, the dwarves'' new base has be a Dungeon." "Hmmm... but if you, the Sword Saint, failed, there''s nothing I can do." It was a conclusion Seo Jun-Ho came to after observing Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s ability with his own eyes and skin. However, Kim Woo-Joong refuted his im. "The reason I failed is simple. It was because I couldn¡¯t get close to the Ice Witch." "¡­Was it because of the cold?¡± "That''s right. Have you heard of the heat wave on the 3rd floor? You can think of it as a cold version of that." Seo Jun-Ho had Cold Tolerance (C), but was C-grade resistance enough? ¡®Honestly, I think Team Leader Gong Ju-Ha would be more appropriate than me.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong and Gong Ju-Ha belonged to two differentpetitive Guilds, so the former requesting thetter¡¯s help would be impossible. "The dwarves and I will support you both materially and morally." "The dwarves and the Sword Saint will support me...¡± Then, Frost Queen asked Kim Woo-Joong, "Human, then will we have the ownership of all the rewards thate from the Ice Witch?" "Of course, I hate the act of stealing other people''s achievements." "...Hmmm, I see. And human, speak with honorifics." "I''m sorry if I hurt your feelings¡­ No, I apologize." While Kim Woo-Joong was humoring the nitpicking Frost Queen, Seo Jun-Ho was contemting. It was only once, but it had already been proven that the Sword Saint was a man of his word. ¡®In other words, it''s a request to clear the Dungeon in his ce.¡¯ It was no different from a ¡®personal request¡¯ on Earth. The other party would provide all supplies for the Dungeons. All he had to do was clear the Dungeon. ¡®And an Ice Witch¡­ I have a good feeling.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought that he could greatly increase his magic if it went well. There was no reason for him to refuse. "I will do it." When Seo Jun-Ho reached out his hand, Kim Woo-Joong smiled brightly and held his hand. "Thank you for your decision. Then, let us make our move." "What do you mean by move?" "You should meet the client. They will give you the support." Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes twinkled when he heard the word. A ¡®client,¡¯ and a dwarf at that. This was the first time he was going to see a member of a second race in Frontier. "I''m looking forward to it. To see a dwarf in person¡­¡± "Oh, looking forward...¡± Kim Woo-Joong muttered with an awkward look. "Don''t look forward too much." "What? Why?" "Ahem." Kim Woo-Joong coughed dryly instead. What? Chapter 158. Frozen Spirit (1)

Chapter 158. Frozen Spirit (1)

Kim Woo-Joong must not have had the ability to resist the cold. As he left the house, he wore thick clothes and mufflers, and even goggles, before saying, "It''ll take about two days if you run." "It''s not that far then." Seo Jun-Ho nodded. Kim Woo-Joong smiled faintly when he heard Seo Jun-Ho''s rxed reply. "Then, let us move." Afterimages appeared as they left the vige. Kim Woo-Joong kept ncing behind him even as he moved at a fairly fast pace. It was to be considerate in case Seo Jun-Ho was having a hard time. Rather than thinking that it was difficult, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head was full of thoughts about Overclocking. ¡®Two days. Let''s take this opportunity to practice Overclocking.¡¯ He had managed to roughly get used to using 15% of Overclocking¡¯s maximum output all the time. As expected, techniques werepleted through actual practice and the battle with the fiends in the dungeon had been very helpful. "How is the speed? Is it too fast or too difficult?" "It''s all right. You can speed up a little bit." Kim Woo-Joong''s eyes narrowed into half-moons as Seo Jun-Ho replied calmly without even losing his breath. "As expected, yer Seo Jun-Ho, you are interesting. You are always exceeding my expectations." "Yes...." "I will change the schedule. We''ll be there in a day." Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s speed across the snow became much faster than ever. Not losing out, Seo Jun-Ho also raised his output to 25%. ¡®It''s going to be hard training.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought as he looked at Kim Woo-Joong''s wide back. *** When Seo Jun-Ho and Kim Woo-Joong were traveling to meet the dwarves, a man entered the ¡®ckwall Maze¡¯ Dungeon. After taking a closer look at the entire Dungeon, he burst intoughter and spoke, "Puha, isn¡¯t this interesting? There''s no trace." [Not even one?] "Yes, not at all. The cleaners couldn''t havee in that short period of time, and this is definitely not their handiwork. They erased everything and they have been really meticulous about it." [Any survivors?] "I don''t feel any presence. I don''t know who had done this, but... they are a really interesting bastard. If you erase it this thoroughly, it raises even more suspicion." He continued, scouring the walls and floors of the maze, "There are no footprints, magic, signs of battle, and no hair or blood. It''s a maze-type Dungeon, so I''m sure there were monsters, but¡­ there''s also no trace of that.¡± The man¡¯s expression grew colder. "They erased everything¡ªas if they do not want their identity discovered at all cost." [¡­] The person on the other end of themunication magic conversation stopped speaking. A few momentster, they continued. [Was there a high Ranker yer nearby while the Dungeon was being cleared?] "There''s no one who got caught in ourwork. In the first ce, didn''t we calcte everything before moving?" Fiends were strong. They even had confidence that they would win if they fought with most yers. However, it was clear that they were a weak forcepared to the huge number of yers. Because of this, they had always been very careful. They thoroughly investigated the movements of high Rankers who could always threaten them and established intelligenceworks to ensure they would not encounter high Rankers. [There¡¯s no one? No high Ranker we may have missed?] "Well, except for Kim Woo-Joong and Newje, there¡¯s no one¡­¡± As he trailed off, he suddenly burst into exmation. ¡°Come to think of it, Skaya Killnd. Her whereabouts are also unknown." [Skaya Killnd¡­ She is indeed dangerous.] "Even though she is one of the 5 Heroes, isn''t she a relic of the past? It has already been 26 years, after all." [That is not up to you to judge. Those who have no experience fighting the 5 Heroes are not qualified to judge them.] The man shrugged at the other¡¯s sharp words. "Still, Wang-Heon, that guy, he''s a rookie who had only joined for two years, but he''s not someone who could be beaten up by a run-of-the-mill opponent. Did he really get killed by a granny magician from 26 years ago?¡± [I don''t know. We''ll need to figure out her abilities soon to find out. However, the timing is bad.] The Pride Squadron was currently busy preparing for a big mission. "Busy¡­ Do you mean the Port Lane joint mission with the Despair Squadron?¡± [Always watch your mouth. Birds hear what you say in the daytime, and rats hear what you say during the night.] The man nodded, thinking that his superior was simply being inflexible. "I understand." [Don''t go elsewhere. Go straight back.] "Oh, Leader-nim, I''m not a child... Don''t worry.¡± When themunication magic was cut off, the man looked at the empty maze and muttered, ¡°Just who could it be?" It had been a long time since there had been a yer who could clean up their tracks so thoroughly. Furthermore, it was a talented person who didn¡¯t even get caught in their ''intelligenceworks.¡¯ There were two possibilities. ''An established yer who went off the grid so he wouldn''t get caught in our intelligenceworks.'' Or... ''A powerful rookie yer that we still aren¡¯t tracking with our intelligenceworks yet.'' The man wet his lips with his tongue. It didn¡¯t matter either way. He was sure someone of this caliber would be fun to hunt. He mumbled as he stretched lightly, "Oh, I can''t hold back. My body is so itchy. I''ll catch a few guys on my way back." That day, seven yers in Denver territory were killed by the infamous fiend, ''Colorless Spider.'' *** Seo Jun-Ho''s magic was not infinite. Naturally, he had to rest when he ran out of magic to use for Overclocking. Four times in the past day, he used his ability to make an igloo and rested in it with Kim Woo-Joong. "I hope you aren¡¯t having to take a break too often because of me... I''m sorry," Seo Jun-Ho apologized. "No. I was nning to pass through the snowfields as fast as possible because there''s no way to stop the cold, but with you, even camping out is not that scary.¡± Kim Woo-Joong poured a ss of water into a paper cup and poured magic into it. Boil. Kim Woo-Joong boiled the water instantly and gave it to Seo Jun-Ho. It was a high-level magic control where only the water inside boiled while the paper cup remained cold to the touch. "It''s hot, so be careful." "Thank you¡­" "And your Spirit... Also, be careful." Likewise, Frost received the same paper cup of hot water. She stared at it then reached out. Crackle. The hot water in the cup quickly turned into ice. Just as Kim Woo-Joong showed, there was no effect on the paper cup. ¡®I can do the same thing that yer Kim Woo-Joong did, but... freezing is a little hard.¡¯ It meant that the Frost Queen was still one step higher than him in the ability to handle frost. However, his intelligence seemed to be much higher than hers. Perhaps because she was thirsty, the Frost Queen was about to drink the water, but she soon looked sad. "¡­The water is frozen.¡± "You froze it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed lightly and melted the ice with the hot water in his cup. Kim Woo-Joong watched the two bickering with a faint smile. "Oh,e to think of it...¡± As if something came to mind, Seo Jun-Ho spoke, "What did you mean when you told me not to look forward too much to my first meeting with the dwarves?" "Oh, that... There¡¯s no other meaning. I was just saying that you shouldn¡¯t fantasize too much." "What do you mean?" "For example, what do you think a dwarf looks like?" "Well, of course..." Seo Jun-Ho slowly recalled. Before the Gates appeared, the image of dwarfs drawn in various novels, games, and movies was simple. "They¡¯re aggressive, talkative, dexterous, like beer, heavy drinkers¡­ They are bearded ahjussis that are loyal if you get close to them? "¡­Yes, that''s themon image of the dwarves.¡± "Do you mean that real dwarves are different?" ¡°Hmmm..." After thinking for a while, Kim Woo-Joong revealed a yful look. When Seo Jun-Ho first met him, he had a scary and stiff face, but he really hadn¡¯t expected that Kim Woo-Joong could make such a face. "I don''t think it''ll be fun if I tell you now. You can experience it yourself." As if he wanted to introduce the dwarves as soon as possible, he quickly resumed his steps after their short break. "This is where the White Anvil Dwarves live." "White Anvil? Is that the name of the dwarf kingdom?¡± "Well, to be exact, it''s the name of a tribe, but it doesn''t make much of a difference if you think of it as a nation." Kim Woo-Joong and Seo Jun-Ho were now standing in front of a huge snow mountain. It was a tall snow mountain where you couldn¡¯t even see the peak because of a snowstorm. It was difficult to tell where the dwarves¡¯ residence was. Kim Woo-Joong looked around. "I don''t think there''s anyone... Let''s go in." He bent down suddenly and began to remove the white snow that had covered the ground. Then, Seo Jun-Ho saw a small hole under the ground. At first nce, it could be mistaken for a naturally formed hole. "Looking closely, it looks like a keyhole." "That''s right..." Kim Woo-Joong responded to the Frost Queen''s words. Then, he took a key out of his bosom, and inserted it into the hole. And when he turned the key, rumble! For a moment the earth rumbled. Kirik, Kiririk! Then, Seo Jun-Ho heard the sound of a clock ticking. Boom! The ground where they stood turned upside down in an instant. In the snowy field where Kim Woo-Joong and Seo Jun-Ho once stood, only the sound of the snowstorm lingered. *** Tap, tap. Seo Jun-Ho fell on a soft bed of snow. He shook the snow off his body and discovered that they were currently in a warm cave. "¡­It¡¯s beautiful,¡± the Frost Queen said in awe. "I know," responded Seo Jun-Ho. Exining this location with the word ¡®cave¡¯ was tantamount to disparaging this ce. There was a cave in front that looked like an underground kingdom he had seen in the past myths. "This ce..." "Yes, it¡¯s the residence of the White Anvil Dwarves called, ¡®Del Ice.¡¯" "It¡¯s cool." Kim Woo-Joong led the way for Seo Jun-Ho. The two went down the endless stairs and soon entered a huge square. At the entrance of the square, there were several small children, who came up only to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s waist, sitting on the side. "Contractor, are they dwarves?" "Hmmm..." Seo Jun-Ho looked at their faces. He thought there would only be bearded men, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡®I''m sure everyone had a time when they were cute.¡¯ The little dwarves were cute. The eyes of the young boys and girls looking up at him with wide-eyed eyes were full of innocence. Seo Jun-Ho crouched in front of them with a smile. The children''s eyes changed slightly. They looked wary of him. "Hello, my name is Seo Jun-Ho." He took some candy out of his inventory and held it out to the children. One of the children looked alternatingly between him and the candy, then opened their mouth slowly. A soft, pretty voice came out through their lips. "Hey, Kim Woo-Joong, who is this idiot doing the same thing as you had done before?" "Hohoho, why, isn¡¯t it cute?" ¡°¡­?!¡± Kim Woo-Joong chuckled and approached Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen, who had their mouths opened in a daze. "Keup¡­ I''m sorry. That was too much of a prank, right? It''s a littlete, but I''ll officially introduce you," Kim Woo-Joong said, pointing at the displeased child with his arms crossed. "This is Graham Gouldir-nim, the chief of the White Anvil Dwarves Tribe." "He doesn¡¯t have a mustache and his voice is not husky." "It''s a bias created by the media and fictional books." Kim Woo-Joong whispered, "For your information, he is more than 250 years old." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s 51 years of living thus far was nothing whenpared to 250 years. Seo Jun-Ho pulled back the candy with an awkward look on his face. It was the worst first encounter he had with somebody else. Chapter 159. Frozen Spirit (2)

Chapter 159. Frozen Spirit (2)

"What, it¡¯s a human again?¡± "They¡¯reing frequently these days.¡± "Is he a reliable human?" "Well... Wouldn¡¯t he be trustworthy since Kim Woo-Joong brought him here?¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt like a monkey in a zoo and smiled awkwardly when he saw the dwarves whispering anding out of their houses one by one. "Hey, yer Kim Woo-Joong, I made a big mistake, right?¡± "Don''t worry too much." Heughed softly. "I had the same reaction when I first met him and there was no big problem." "Ahem." Graham, the White Anvil Tribe leader, coughed dryly and sat in front of a huge desk in the center of the square. A few more dwarves, believed to be his closest aides, sat around him. "...Wow," Seo Jun-Ho said in awe. "Ohhhhh, that''s a great creation," the Frost Queen let out words of admiration. The huge desk built in the underground kingdom was a work of art itself. There were columns nearby that looked like those of an ancient temple, but the columns seemed to fit into the scenery naturally without affecting the surrounding buildings. The columns,nd, and even small parts of the desk had elegant designs that showed even on the tiniest details. "It''s a desk that the dwarves use for important meetings. They call it the Desk of Wisdom," exined Kim Woo-Joong. "Is it okay for such a great desk to be in such a public ce?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. "Yes, they believe that nothing should be hidden amongst the dwarves.¡± "¡­They don''t hide anything from each other? It sounds like a pipe dream." "They''re actually making that dreame true." More than a hundred dwarves gathered around therge desk. If Kim Woo-Joong was right, did that mean they all lived without hiding anything from each other? "Humans would never be able to do that even if they died and were reborn,¡± sneered the Frost Queen. "Yeah, I¡¯m a bit¡­ No, I¡¯m so jealous of them," Seo Jun-Ho replied. It was almost impossible for humans who doubted and antagonized each other to never hide anything from each other. ¡®If humans stuck together like this and didn¡¯t hide their feelings from each other¡­¡¯ Then, the many deaths from 26 years ago could have probably been prevented. Seo Jun-Ho sat down with a weak smile. "Wine is the best when you have a meeting." "I should bring wine, too." "Should I get the 100-year-old one today?" The busy dwarves took out wine from their homes and drank with each other. When Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at the scene, Graham snorted. "Why, are you also surprised that dwarves don''t drink beer?" "Yes. Honestly, it''s a little unexpected." "Tsk, tsk. It¡¯s obvious that aged wine tastes much better than beer." "I don''t know why you think we''d like such cheap barley alcohol.¡± "Did you say Northern European mythology? I don''t know why the ancient myth of your world is like that.¡± "They portrayed dwarves as fools.¡± The dwarves grumbled as they sipped wine. Graham asked Kim Woo-Joong, "Kim Woo-Joong, is this really the helper that you said you''d bring?" "That''s right..." "Hmmm. He doesn''t look so reliable to me." Graham looked at Seo Jun-Ho with suspicious eyes. "Kim Woo-Joong, you looked strong from the moment I saw you, but this guy...¡± "Yeah, he looks fragile.¡± "Despite his appearance, he managed to get through the cold snowfields.¡± "Can he really get rid of the Ice Witch¡­?¡± Listening to the negative reviews of the dwarves, Kim Woo-Jooong spoke, "I''m sure he¡¯ll be of help." Graham nodded slowly at Kim Woo-Joong''s affirmation. "If you say so. But... is he a trustworthy human being?" It was a sharp voice with the dignity of the leader guarding his group. The dwarves valued nothing more than themselves. Just by looking at this underground kingdom, it was clear their dexterity was dozens of levels higher than that of humans. It was natural for them to be wary of humans outside. "Yes, I trust him. The secret of the White Anvil Tribe will never leak out." Seo Jun-Ho himself was rather embarrassed. ¡®I appreciate your trust, but... Why the hell?¡¯ This was only the second time Seo Jun-Ho met him. Thest time they met, they had a conversation for hours, but that shouldn¡¯t be enough to figure out a person''s personality. "If something unsavory happens because of yer Seo Jun-Ho... I''ll deal with it directly myself." ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was convinced. He smiled awkwardly. ¡®It''s the liberty of the strong. If something gets messed up, you could take care of it yourself anytime.¡¯ Of course, it was clear that Kim Woo-Joong had goodwill toward Seo Jun-Ho, and wanted to believe in him personally. After all, the only way to clear the 3rd floor for now was with his "Frost" skill. "Hmmm." Graham put down the wine ss and spoke, "Human, what''s your name?" "Oh, excuse me. My name is Seo Jun-Ho." "I am Graham Gouldir. Did you hear why you were called here?" "Yes. You''re requesting the acquisition of the new cave where you''re going to migrate to from the Ice Witch?" Graham nodded silently as he picked up a slice of cheese. After swallowing the cheese, he slowly began to speak, "Have you ever heard of the Forest Elves, Meadow Orcs, and Underground Dwarves?" "I''ve never heard of them before." "¡­You''re green. They are so famous that even a three-year-old child in Frontier knows them." "Tsk, is it ok to leave this important issue of the tribe to such a greenhorn?" "He really doesn''t know anything. It makes me nervous.¡± The dwarves sighed in frustration. Seo Jun-Ho just calmly listened to them. Skill came from action, not from the mouth. Graham raised his hand to silence the dwarves and continued. "There are many people who know what the elves and orcs look like, but not many who know what the dwarves look like." "I think so too." Seo Jun-Ho nodded. Since they lived so deep underground, there wouldn¡¯t be opportunities to run into them. "No matter how old we are, we would still look simr to human children." "So, you can walk around the human world without any suspicion.¡± "Right¡­ There''s no inconvenience except that I can''t buy alcohol with this bloody face." ¡°So why are you moving?¡± "You''re asking an interesting question.¡± Graham tapped on the Desk of Wisdom. "There''s only one thing about the myth of the world over there that¡¯s actually urate about us." "Are you talking about dexterity?" "Yes, we are a race favored by the God of Earth and Creation, the Horn. In terms of dexterity, we are the best on the continent." He spoke in a voice filled with great pride. However, it could not be denied. Next to and behind them¡­ there was the holy city of art that they had created. "Earth energy. Everynd in the world has its own different energy. Us dwarves build huge furnaces in and with good energy to build our kingdoms, and make the necessary weapons and equipment for our survival." Graham looked up with a wistful look. "¡­This ce, Del Ice, is where I was born and raised. Unfortunately, the dwarves of our tribe have used a lot of earth energy, and now the earth energy has be faint. It''s going to take another 50 years to recover." "That''s why you''re moving to a new ce...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded with understanding. ¡°The construction of the new Del Ice ended decades ago. I was just counting the days until we migrated...¡± Graham frowned and let out his frustration. But because his appearance was that of a small boy, he looked very cute. "The Ice Witch. The bloody Banshee that used to wander around the Hamel Ice Canyon ended up settling there." "Can you tell me more about her in detail?" "In detail? Hmmm." Graham sighed lightly, leaned on the back of his seat, and shook his head. "How many times do dwarves encounter monsters out there? We don''t know much about her either." "So I just have to get rid of the Ice Witch?¡± ¡°You also have to guarantee that our new home remains intact. That''s why Kim Woo-Joong failed." Kim Woo-Joong, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke, "I can do it if I get rid of the Ice Witch along with the canyon. However, in that case, the new home of the dwarves would inevitably be damaged.¡± "¡­That''s difficult." He had to eliminate the Ice Witch, without damaging their home. Seo Jun-Ho could see why he had been called in to satisfy these two conditions. "Take these." Graham stacked thick fur clothes, a map, and keys on the desk. "It''s a garment made from the fur of the snow mountain yeti. It should be able to help you withstand the severe cold from the Ice Witch to some extent. Also, that¡¯s a map showing the location of our new home, and the key for opening its door." Graham looked at Seo Jun-Ho. He hesitated for a moment before speaking with difficulty, ¡°Since Kim Woo-Joong is confident in you, you most likely have the ability. I ask of you, please return our new home back to us.¡± To be honest, Seo Jun-Ho wasn''t certain if he could do it. He exchanged nces with the Frost Queen and nodded slowly. "Honestly, I''ve never seen the Ice Witch, so I''m not sure how strong she is or if this is something I can even do. But¡­" Seo Jun-Ho wore the fur clothes and packed the map and the key. "I''ll take it back.¡± He didn''t say that he would try, but that he would ¡®take it back.¡¯ Graham smiled faintly at his confident words, and the other dwarves alsoughed profusely. "This wimp¡¯s feistier than he looks, I like it!" "Hoho, do you want some wine? It''s delicious because it''s 100 years old." "¡­If youe back sessfully,¡± Graham said, fixing his eyes on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s belt, the ''White Armor,¡¯ "I''ll make you a dwarven weapon. For armor... it seems like you already have a guy on the same wavelength." "Can dwarvesmunicate with equipment?¡± Graham got up from his seat and smirked, "Equipment? We talk to all the metals in the world." ¡°Oh¡­" The way he said that just now was a bit like a dwarf. *** After spending the night in Del Ice, Seo Jun-Ho and Kim Woo-Joong went to Hamel Ice Canyon. Amidst the biting cold, Kim Woo-Joong tightened his cor. "yer Seo Jun-Ho, aren''t you cold?" "It''s cold, but I have somewhat of a resistance to it." Seo Jun-Ho didn''t expect that being resistant to cold would end up being so helpful. Whooooosh! Seo Jun-Ho looked at the huge snowstorm before him and said, "So you''re saying the Hamel Ice Gorge is in that snowstorm?¡± "Yes. You can''t see it because of the snowstorm, but I''m sure of it." "It is an artificial snowstorm," the Frost Queen spoke all of a sudden. She pointed her finger at the front and said, "See? The wind in the other ces is rtively less intense, and the snowstorm is only in the direction of the canyon." "That''s true." Seo Jun-Ho nodded, then looked at Kim Woo-Joong. "Thank you for guiding me." "I wish you all good luck." After saying their goodbyes, Seo Jun-Ho moved on ahead. Crunch, crunch. Thigh-high snow engulfed his lower body. He advanced, clearing the snow with his hands as if moving through a bush. As he got a little closer to the snowstorm, he heard someone''s voice. [Don''te, don''te, don''te.] [You''ll die if youe. Don''te, don''te.] [Don''te, don''te¡­ Don''te!] It was an eerie warning from a young girl, something you''d only hear in a horror movie. The Frost Queen was scared and asked, "Contractor, are you sure you¡¯re okay? If you''re scared, it''s okay to go back.¡± "I''m not scared. Is the Queen of Frost perhaps afraid of the Ice Witch?" "...Not at all! Why are you so slow?" Despite grabbing his cor tightly, she was obviously scared. She was simply pretending to be unafraid. ¡®¡­Five, four, three, two, one.¡¯ Counting while walking, Seo Jun-Ho suddenly turned 90 degrees to the right, held the key, and groped for a wall. ck! A momentter, the key went into the groove on the wall and a deep rumble could be heard. A door that had been secretly installed in the canyon opened and the new home of the dwarves emerged. [Dungeon: You have entered the ¡®The Ice Witch¡¯s Castle¡¯] Seo Jun-Ho came out from the snowstorm and arrived at a much warmer ce. He took off his goggles and pulled out a shlight before looking at the dark underground city. "...The atmosphere is intense." It was a dead underground city with not a single ray of light in it. In between the scattered buildings, blue spirits were secretly watching Seo Jun-Ho. Chapter 160. Frozen Spirit (3)

Chapter 160. Frozen Spirit (3)

"¡­They¡¯re vengeful spirits." When Seo Jun-Ho stared at them for a while, the blue spirits slid away behind a building. "They said the Ice Witch is a banshee. Contractor, do you know what kind of an existence a banshee is?" "A crying ghost." Hissss! Seo Jun-Ho lit a Gate-use re and threw it hard toward the ceiling. The re attached itself to the high ceiling and lit up the dead city. "They¡¯re also known as the omens of death," finished Seo Jun-Ho. "That¡¯s right. There''s a saying that if you hear a banshee¡¯s sobbing, you''ll likely die." In truth, a banshee was not a monster. That was why the Frost Queen also asked Seo Jun-Ho if he knew what kind of ¡®existence¡¯ it was. "Normally, those that died an unjust death will be a banshee. And they¡¯ll look for someone who¡¯ll listen to them¡­" If a banshee was lucky enough to find someone who it couldmunicate with, it would ask the person for help. If the person agreed to do the request, the banshee would let go of its lingering feelings in this world and move on. ''In Korean terms, it''s kind of like a virgin man or a maiden ghost.¡¯ Naturally, as time went by, a banshee was likely to be an evil spirit if they didn¡¯t manage to move on. This could happen if they couldn''t find someone to do their request, or even if they did¡­ "They still can¡¯t let go of their regrets and end up being stuck." Kim Woo-Joong said that the banshee here was a spirit that had lived for hundreds of years, so long that it had even be a boss monster. "Fortunately, it''s not a difficult opponent. This kind of opponent suits me well." The Watchguard of Darkness was very good at devouring spiritual bodies. Seo Jun-Ho looked across the city with cold eyes as he went down the stone stairs. Many of the vengeful spirits he had seen a while ago were nowhere to be found by now. "Can you feel it?" asked Seo Jun-Ho. "Do you mean the spirit energy?" the Frost Queen asked back. "Yeah, it''s not just the banshee here. Right now¡­ I feel strong negative energy from the city itself." "So what are you going to do?" "What do you mean, what am I going to do?" Darkness fluctuated around Seo Jun-Ho, who hade all the way down the stairs. "I''m going to destroy them, starting with the ones who appear in front of me. What do you think? Simple, right?¡± "...Contractor, if you cannot think of a n, just say you do not have one." "It is a n. This is said to be a Dungeon, but it¡¯s actually a dwarven city." Seo Jun-Ho clumped the darkness and knocked on the wall of a building. "It means we don''t have to be careful of traps like a normal Dungeon." The opponents were spiritual bodies that could not exert physical force. As such, there was no way they could set up a trap or anything. [Don''te, don''te, don''te! If youe, you''ll die!] A gloomy voice rumbled from inside the city. The sound reverberated throughout the underground city, echoing. [...Come! ¡­Come¡­ Die!] The Frost Queen gulped. She held a spike made of ice in each hand. Seo Jun-Ho looked at her with an astonished expression and asked, "What are you going to do with those? Stab them?¡± "I''ll stab them when they show up!" "I told you the opponents are spiritual bodies." "I''ll imbue it with magic and stab!" "Don''t use my mental strength carelessly." Carrying the very nervous Frost Queen on his shoulder, Seo Jun-Ho moved leisurely. ¡®I was lucky.¡¯ If Kim Woo-Joong had the ability to resist the cold, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t have possibly gotten this chance. ''This is like getting a dwarven weapon for free.¡¯ At best, they were just spirits and a banshee. They were existences that would get erased like ckboard doodles if he used the Watchguard of Darkness. "There they are¡­" Four vengeful spirits were gathered in the new city square of the new Del Ice of the White Anvil tribe and there was a single banshee standing in front and holding them back. "¡­They said she¡¯s hundreds of years old, but she looks much younger than I thought." The Frost Queen was right. The banshee''s appearance made it seem that she was in her early twenties. The banshee was probably maintaining the appearance she had from when she died. [You, human! Why won¡¯t you listen?! I told you not toe!] The banshee, Ice Witch warned with a contorted expression. [Don''te any closer! If youe, you''ll die!] "I''m sorry, but I was asked by the owner of this city to get rid of you." The darkness that rose like smoke from Seo Jun-Ho''s body bloomed like a flower and tainted the air. The clumped darkness spread like a viper and grabbed the banshee''s neck. [Ack! Ahhh¡­!] A spirit didn¡¯t have to breathe¡ªit was the same for a banshee. The reason she was in pain was simple. ''Darkness has the property of ignoring everything and attacking the target directly.¡¯ This concept also applied to spiritual bodies. A spiritual body was vulnerable to attribute-based attacks, but among the attributes, the best was the dark attribute. The banshee was directly injured by the attack. [Ahhh¡­] [Ahhhhh¡­] When the banshee was caught, four blue spirits flocked over to Seo Jun-Ho. However, he didn''t bat an eyelid since they had no offensive power anyway. [Ahhhh!] [Ahhhh¡­] In fact, the vengeful spirits could only try to disturb Seo Jun-Ho by pping their arms, but they didn¡¯t manage to inflict any physical damage at all. Seo Jun-Ho walked over to the banshee, ignoring them. "So why did youe into a perfectly fine house and cause trouble for the owner?¡± It was nothing personal. However, her existence was a horror to the residents of the nearby areas. Whenever the Ice Witch went, there would be severe snowstorms all year round, turning the ce she migrated to into a lifelessnd. Her existence was a nightmare that had been going on for hundreds of years now. [Why... did you... not freeze¡­?] "I''ve had enough of being frozen.¡± Crack! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand was covered with a pitch ck aura as he held the banshee''s face tightly. His knuckles slowly tightened. "Now let go of all the lingering feelings¡­ and ascend at peace, Ice Witch." He had no idea how deep her resentment was that it kept her from ascending after hundreds of years. To be honest, he didn¡¯t even want to know. He didn¡¯t have a single good memory regarding banshees. ''The banshees I met in Gates had always been evil spirits.¡¯ Regardless of what banshees were supposed to be like, banshees were just an enemy to Seo Jun-Ho. They were horrible enemies who had bewitched the party members who entered a Gate together with him and drove them to their deaths. "Goodbye." Cruush. Just before her head could explode, the banshee let out a thin voice. [Oh, Ice... Witch... That''s not¡­ me¡­] "¡­What?" Seo Jun-Ho frowned. Between the fingers clutching the banshee''s face, he could see eyes filled with grievance. ¡°¡­¡± They were just the words of a monster. There was no reason for him to believe her, and if he got rid of her here and went back, the mission would be over. ¡®But if she''s really not the Ice Witch...¡¯ It could be dangerous when the White Anvil tribe migrated here. "Contractor, she doesn''t look like she¡¯s lying." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho hesitated for a while, but he slightly rxed his fingers. He decided to invest a moment to find out the truth. When Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s forceful banishment of her to the heavens up above momentarily stopped, the banshee spoke in an urgent voice. [Th-thank you for believing me. If you ask me anything... I''ll answer¡­] "I don''t need answers, ¡±Seo Jun-Ho responded coldly and continued. "I can just find out for myself." To be honest, he had sensed something fishy, but he had believed that there was no use to confirm his theory¡ªhe could just deal with the banshee and get it over with. "Confession of the Dead." [Confession of the Dead] Grade: B Effect: Allows you to look into the memories of the target. However, it only works on dead lifeforms. The Confession of the Dead began on a body that had already died hundreds of years ago. *** Whooosh. Even the sturdily-built brick house could notpletely keep out the cold of the snowstorm. In front of the firece in the house, three sons and two daughters huddled together to share their bodies¡¯ warmth with each other. "Ugh, it''s cold¡­ Noona¡­" "Unni... When are Mom and Dading? "Waaaah." ¡°Wait just a little longer. Just a little longer." From the wooden floor, they could feel the coldness of the ground. They threw books and fabrics in the house into the firece to keep the fire going, but the temperature kept dropping. Piiik. "N-no." To make matters worse, the fire that provided them with warmth eventually died down. The girl''s eyes were filled with a sense of hopelessness when she looked at the firece full of ck ashes. "It''s cold..." "Unni... I''m sleepy...¡± "No! Don''t fall asleep. Our parents will be back soon. Just hang in there." The girl hugged her younger siblings tightly and whispered. She dressed her younger sibling in her own clothes and animal skins, hoping that even a single extrayer would keep them from freezing, but their bodies had already be as cold as ice. "They said they''d go ask the Ice Witch politely, so it''ll be warm soon. They even took the tiger skin. Do you know how expensive it would be if they sold it on the market? I''m sure even the Ice Witch will be tempted.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The children''s parents were hunters. As hunters selling high-quality wolf, bear, rabbit, and tiger skins, they were a fairly famous couple. Unfortunately, it took only about a month for the peaceful lives of the family to changepletely. "The Ice Witch...¡± Originally, the snowfield where they lived hadn''t been this cold. In fact, they would even feel hot in the morning because of the warm sunlight. However, everything changed since the Ice Witch hade to Hamel Ice Canyon. The temperature had dropped day by day after she had arrived, and eventually the parents had to make a major decision. ¡°We have to move.¡± ¡°...Why don''t we try meeting and asking her once before we move? She could be human too, so she probably won''t just tell us off.¡± ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be able tomunicate with her? She seems suspicious considering she entered this deep canyon on her own.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take the tiger skin we huntedst time. Even if we move, we have to do it after winter. Otherwise, it would be too dangerous for the youngest.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Let''s do that, then.¡± Their parents took the expensive tiger skin and went into the canyon to ask for the Ice Witch¡¯s favor. It had already been 15 days since they went out and the food had already run out. The girl tried to get food with the hunting technique she had learned from her parents, but due to the severe snowstorm, both wild animals and monsters were nowhere to be found. "I want to eat the mushroom soup that Mom made. How about you? You''ll be able to eat it when they get back soon.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "Won''t Dad grill the hind leg of a pig again? You guys always fought to eat that first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "Hey kids, are you sleeping?" ¡°¡­¡± "You''re sleeping, right? You shouldn''t be sleeping¡­ Then just a little¡­ Only sleep for five minutes, okay?¡± The girl began to cry. She could feel it against her skin which had already begun to go numb. But she did not want to face reality so easily, so she kept talking to them. "When our parentse back¡­ If theye back...¡± She spoke that sentence for a long time like a spell as if she was brainwashing herself. How long had it been? - Chirp, chirp, chirp. When the sounds of birds chirping entered her ears, the girl slowly opened her eyes. At the same time, the sound of snow being crushed with each step could be heard outside the door. "Mom? Dad?!" The girl opened her eyes. She carefullyid her sleeping siblings, then staggered over to the front door. "Why are you so... Why did youe sote¡­?¡± Tears flowed nonstop and her cheeks felt hot. The moment she opened the front door with her skinny hands, however, was thest time she had memories as a ''human.¡¯ *** ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen kept their mouths shut. [Ah... Ahhh... Ah¡­] Still in his grasp, the banshee didn¡¯t cry. A spiritual body couldn¡¯t shed tears. When Seo Jun-Ho carefully released her face, she hugged the four blue vengeful spirits and sobbed. Watching the scene, the Frost Queen finally opened her mouth to speak. Her voice was as cold as the first time Seo Jun-Ho had met her in the Nest. "Contractor, the Ice Witch is someone else." "¡­Yeah." "I do not know why, but the Ice Witch was being chased. She needed a stand-in to act as a decoy...¡± "¡­Yeah." "After hurting that girl and her family, the Ice Witch afflicted an ice curse on her." "Yeah." When Seo Jun-Ho slowly turned around and was about to leave quietly, the banshee questioned him. [Where... are you going?] At the question, Seo Jun-Ho stiffened. He turned his head slightly. "To the Ice Witch." A ferocious look was on his face. Chapter 161. Frozen Spirit (4)

Chapter 161. Frozen Spirit (4)

The Dungeon, ¡®Ice Witch¡¯s Castle,¡¯ was an open-type Dungeon, so there was no problem going back out. But there was one thing¡­ [You, you shouldn¡¯t go¡­] A cool energy continued to crash into him from behind because the banshee was chasing after him timidly with the four vengeful spirits. "¡­Poor girl," the Frost Queen looked back and muttered. If a banshee wanted to ascend, she needed someone to listen to her story. ¡®But looking at her, that¡¯s probably impossible.¡¯ The snowstorm around her was so severe that even the Sword Saint didn¡¯t want to get close. "Contractor, I am, of course, angry, but... at times like this, it¡¯s important to make rational decisions. Are you confident?¡± The Ice Witch''s curse on the banshee had been maintaining that level of strength for hundreds of years. This was impossible to do unless the caster was someone at the level of an archmage from a magic tower. But surely, the Ice Witch wasn''t as powerful as someone from a magic tower. ''The reason why the ice curse hasn''t stopped for hundreds of years even though she¡¯s not an expert is simple.¡¯ This was because the Ice Witch was periodically renewing the curse on the banshee. However, there was no human being in the world who could live for hundreds of years. "Be careful, your opponent is an immortal magician,¡± warned the Frost Queen. An immortal magician was also called a lich. The term referred to an undead magician who had received immortality in return for destroying their own soul. Seo Jun-Ho had only taken a glimpse of them in the Frontier''s monster dictionary, but he had never met them in person. Of course, he had no idea how strong a monster who refused to die and devoted itself to magic for hundreds of years could be. "But it doesn''t matter,¡± responded Seo Jun-Ho. It was because he had decided to kill the Ice Witch, that undead skeleton. Hearing Seo Jun-Ho''s frosty voice, the Frost Queen turned her head and looked at the banshee once again. "¡­I''m d the snowstorm is strong." Seo Jun-Ho agreed. The snowstorm brought over by the banshee would hide what was going on inside. *** Hamel Ice Canyon was where the dwarves had built the new ¡®Del Ice.¡¯ Hundreds of years ago, it was where a family had stayed: a hunter couple and their children. And now, it was the site of a nameless lich¡¯s dungeon. Tap, tap. In the dark dungeon, the lich''s skeleton fingers lifted a bottle. tter, tter! Then, another skeleton tied to the wall''s restraint shook in a frenzy. The lich stretched out the bones of her index finger and covered her mouth. - Shhh¡­ You need to remain quiet. Her voice sounded as if it were directly vibrating the air. Since she was a skeleton that could not make a sound due to her physical structure, she spoke using magic. tter, tter! The skeleton''s struggle increased, but the lich still poured medicine on it. Sizzle! Cells and blood covered the entire skeleton, and skin like that of a human was produced at a rapid rate. - Ohhh! The lich eximed, but that was it. The skeleton had started to turn into a human with a hideous appearance, and the only eye generated rolled about randomly. - Is it a failure again? Crack! The lich lightly flicked her finger and killed the existence that was seemingly on the verge of bing human. The lich wrote a report calmly without even sparing it another nce. - Subject #3,189... Failure due tock of ductility. More vitality is needed. With this, the lich had taken a step forward. The lich ordered her goblin subordinates to clean up the dirtyb. She went into her room, sat in a chair, and looked into the empty space with her ck eyes. It was the only thing she did except when she performed her research. - ¡­ Hundreds of years ago, she thought she had escaped the human species and transcended death, but she was mistaken. It was not a blessing of transcendence, but a curse born from greed. Touch, taste, pain¡­ as soon as she had be a lich, she had obtained a body that couldn¡¯t feel. Naturally, even the desire to live had disappeared like smoke when she obtained such a body. What followed was perfect void. Void where she could not feel anything. - I want to be human once again. It wasn¡¯t because she wanted to die. It was to live again, to yearn for something again. It was to breathe, eat, and sleep again. She wanted to be human. - If I seed in this experiment... She would achieve true eternal life. She would be a lich right before death, and be human again when she wanted. She could give up anything for that grand dream. Humanity? It had been a long time since she had thrown that away. - I need more subjects. Go get some. As she muttered, her voice vibrated the air throughout the dungeon. "Kieck?" "Kkirrrr!" Snowfield goblins nodded hastily, packed their weapons, and left the Dungeon to find new humans for their master. Acquiring humans wasn¡¯t difficult at all. They didn¡¯t know why, but there were people who handed over living humans every time they visited. *** [Hey, you.] The banshee chased after him timidly, but she gathered her courage and spoke up. But it wasn¡¯t enough to stop Seo Jun-Ho''s steps. [Hu-human!] ¡°¡­¡± She was a little scared, but she stood in front of Seo Jun-Ho with her arms spread out. He asked with a gruff expression. "What?" [Ar-are you really going to the Ice Witch?] "Yes..." [No! I don''t know about you, but she''s incredibly strong.] Seo Jun-Ho simply looked at the banshee with a nonchnt look. She pursed her lips and muttered in a low voice. [You''ll die if you go.] "I''m not going to die." Seo Jun-Ho bluntly answered and took a step. The banshee screamed, ¡°Kkyaaak!¡± [Y-you absurd human! Don''t just walk through ady''s body!] "The location of the Ice Witch¡¯s dungeon... Was it that way?" Seo Jun-Ho walked up the canyon, tracing the way with his memory. The memory was about the location of the Ice Witch''s Dungeon from the banshee''s memory. "Was it on the left around here?" wondered Seo Jun-Ho. "Is it not the right side?" the Frost Queen argued. As he wandered the road with the Frost Queen, the banshee crept in. [Hey, human.] "What?" [What are you going to do with the Ice Witch?] ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the banshee without saying a word. [Wh-what are you looking at?] "You should ascend." [What?] "You and your siblings. You guys should ascend." They had wandered this world for hundreds of years now. The vengeful spirits that followed her were not banshees. They could have ascended if they wanted to, but they couldn''t because they were worried about their older sister. [¡­] The banshee''s lips opened and shut without a sound for a moment after hearing somethingpletely unexpected. She pondered and slowly opened her mouth to speak. [Are you confident?] "Do you know who I am?" [How would I know that?] "When I appear in my hometown, half a million citizens gather... It''s really crazy." [You''re not telling me to believe that, are you?] Seo Jun-Ho kept his mouth shut. It was hard to exin the concept of the 1st and 2nd floors here. He asked as he looked ahead and walked, "How¡¯s the pain?" [Where you hit me?] "Not that pain." [¡­] The banshee looked down near her heart. There was a strong ice curse nted there. It was a terrible curse that the Ice Witch extended every year. [It doesn''t hurt.] "You''re lying." There was no way it wouldn¡¯t hurt. It was a curse engraved on the soul, and with it causing a snowstorm of this level, it was sure to cause a lot of pain. However, the banshee opened her eyes wide and shook her head. [It really doesn''t hurt. I''m just used to it by now.] ¡°¡­¡± The way she talked as if it really didn¡¯t matter deeply permeated his heart. Seo Jun-Ho quietly swallowed and nodded. "Is that so?" He didn''t even give a little bit of constion as his pace up the canyon became faster. *** "Kirrrk." "Krrkrr." Two snowfield goblins wereing down the canyon while cracking jokes. "Kirik?" Then, a goblin patted the other one on the shoulder. The goblin''s eyes widened as it hurriedly followed the other¡¯s gaze. It was because a rough snowstorm was approaching them. "Kieeck!" The frightened snowfield goblins quickly returned to the Dungeon. - I¡¯m certain I told you to bring humans. The lich murmured, looking down at the back of the prostrated goblins¡¯ heads. - But I don¡¯t see humans. "Kirrr!" "Kyak!" The goblins raised their heads and looked as if they had been wronged. They hurriedly exined the whole story using gestures. The lich¡¯s head tilted to a side as if she had understood what they were saying. - If it''s a snowstorm... Does that mean she''sing? Just why? Whenever that banshee approached the vicinity, the lich would drive her out using pain. Having repeated that for hundreds of years, the banshee had eventually stoppeding about 50 years ago. - Is that so? Did she forget the pain? It was possible, as humans were forgetful creatures. The lich may have lost her soul, but she didn¡¯t have the blessing of forgetfulness. As such, she knew that a banshee was a soul in itself. It was possible for the banshee to forget the pain of the past and challenge the lich¡¯s authority once again. Boooom-! All of a sudden, the Dungeon trembled. - An earthquake? There was no way. There hadn¡¯t been a single earthquake in thest few hundred years. Boooooom-! Once again, the Dungeon shook. The intensity had be even stronger than before. At that point, even the lich could not help but feel uneasy. - Send all the guardians out. Check what''s happening out there! After issuing the order, the lich hurriedly began to gather her research materials. *** Arriving in front of the Dungeon, Seo Jun-Ho looked around. The surrounding was full of the snowstorm caused by the banshee. "¡­Hey, can you adjust the intensity of this snowstorm?" [Only a little bit. But why do you ask that?] "That''s a relief. Listen to what I''m going to say from now on," Seo Jun-Ho calmly said as he looked at the entrance of the dungeon. "Let out the snowstorm as hard as you can." [Uh... Why?] "No one can see what''s going to happen from now on." It was hard for her to understand, but the banshee nodded instinctively. [Oh, all right.] Seo Jun-Ho thought about why she epted it so easily, but he couldn''t figure it out. He had no idea that his voice¡ªno, his entire body emitted a strange energy. [My Lord?] It was simr to what the Lord of the northern region emitted, whom she had seen when she was a child. It was an overwhelming aura that made people bow their heads. But the banshee shook her head. ''Something¡­ something¡¯s different¡­¡¯ It was much, much more powerful and ferocious than that. He wasn¡¯t a very tall man, nor was he full of muscles. But his aura was more intense than anything she had seen in thest few hundred years. [Maybe... more than¡­ the Ice Witch?] The moment she said that without realizing it¡­ Whaaaa! The whitend of Hamel Ice Canyon began to turn ck. The center of the pitch-cknd was none other than Seo Jun-Ho''s two feet. "Crawl out." Seo Jun-Ho murmured and slowly raised his hand. Darkness slowly began to rise from the pitch-ck earth. The moment it rose to a certain height, Seo Jun-Ho flicked his finger. Ttak! Boooom-! At the same time, the darkness fell back to the floor, generating a tremendous echo akin to an earthquake throughout the area. "One." After counting, he did the same thing again. Ttak! Booooom-! "Two." Just before the count of three, the guardians of the Dungeon began toe out of the entrance while holding weapons in their hands. "Kyak!" "Kirrrr!" Goblins, orcs, trolls, and even snowfield wolves came out. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the dozens of monstersing out like a swarm of ants and nonchntly flicked his finger. "Three." Booooom-! Darkness fell, and the monsters were crushed to death like ants. At the same time, the Dungeon couldn¡¯t withstand the impact and finally began to copse. Finally, the existence Seo Jun-Ho was waiting for hade out of the Dungeon. Chapter 162. Frozen Spirit (5)

Chapter 162. Frozen Spirit (5)

What popped out of the Dungeon was a skeleton in a ragged robe. In the arms of the skeleton were research journals that she seemed to have urgently packed. Sasasasak! The research journals were exposed to the intense snowstorm brought over by the banshee, and they were blown away and scattered by the wind. The lich screamed as she looked at the research journals flying away somewhere. - No¡­! My journals! It wasn''t a day or two of effort. For decades and hundreds of years, she had researched alone, rotting away in this dirty Dungeon. Of course, the contents and results of the research were kept intact in her head. But those diaries were the fruit of her effort. The only fruit she had achieved since she had be a lich and lost all feelings. If she seeded in bing a human once again, those journals would have be a precious treasure of the world. - ¡­ The lich nced down at the journals she had held onto until the end. She was now left with only a few pages out of hundreds of years'' worth of writing. She was furious. Blue lights blossomed inside her empty sockets. - Kkrrrr¡­! You¡­ do you know¡­ what you''ve done¡­?! The world sympathized with the lich''s anger. The snowkes that swept through the area became hard and sharp hail. The whole world in sight became Seo Jun-Ho''s enemy. [U-ugh¡­] Face to face with the lich''s anger, the banshee began to tremble. The vengeful spirits hugged around her and patted her, but her trembling didn¡¯t stop. [W-we have to run away¡­] It was an intense trauma and shackle. The Ice Witch had taken everything from her. Parents, younger siblings, life, and even her time after death. She groaned in horror as the pain was deeply etched into her soul. Medically, she was having a seizure simr to what people with PTSD would experience once it was triggered. [Ice Witch¡­ There''s no way we can win¡­] A while ago, she had thought that the man''s aura felt fierce. But the moment she faced the Ice Witch''s explosive anger, that aura seemed like it was nothing. [It''s dangerous... This is the first time¡­] It was the first time she saw the Ice Witch so angry. It meant that the human in front of her had done something monumental. She was starting to get afraid of the consequences. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked back. The banshee was more surprised by the way he ignored the Ice Witch in front of him. [Wh-what are you doing?! You have to look in front of you right now!] "E." [¡­!] The banshee''s eyes widened. It was no wonder since the word that came out of Seo Jun-Ho''s mouth was something she hadn¡¯t heard in hundreds of years. It was her name¡ªa name that seemed blurry even in her own memories. "Don''t be nervous." It was a soft voice, with no violent feelings or anger like the Ice Witch''s. Her whole body stopped shaking, as if it hadn¡¯t been trembling in the first ce. E looked at Seo Jun-Ho nkly. She felt as if she had just experienced something magical. Seo Jun-Ho said with a small smile, "It''s not you who should be afraid." Seo Jun-Ho turned his head forward and looked at the existence who should truly be afraid at this moment. ¡®The shield that protects the weak, the spear that pierces the wicked.'' It sounded corny, but it was a phrase that he had promoted during his Specter days. People would be disappointed to know that, in fact, that sentence had no grand meaning. It was just a phrase spoken to give hope to people¡ªfor the sake of world peace. ¡®If there''s one thing that''s unfortunate¡­¡¯ It was that he, whether as Seo Jun-Ho or as Specter, was a person who always kept his word no matter what. "That''s why you''re ridiculous..." To him, the Ice Witch¡¯s anger that seemed as if it could engulf the entire world looked as ridiculous as a child''s tantrum. He had already faced far more intense anger and resentment than that so many times in the past. "Strong dogs don''t bark." - Not even death will bring you peace! The world fell on him. Hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of sharp hailstones fell toward him. It was such a beautiful sight that he would have been mesmerized by it if he wasn''t the target of the attack. Looking up at the scene together with Seo Jun-Ho, the Frost Queen spoke, "Contractor." "Yeah." "This time¡­ I will do it." "Are you confident?" Frost Queen raised her head proudly and flew into the air. "I am ¡®The One Who Freezes the World.¡¯ I cannot just leave alone an existence who brings destruction using the power of frost." Her words were quite elegant, but the actual intention behind them, much more in and blunt, was made clear by her next words. "I find her displeasing to the eye.¡± The Frost Queen slightly lifted her mask. This was the first time she removed it. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s mouth opened slightly as he looked at her in surprise. Her cool blue eyes shone brightly, like clear sapphire. "Just who are you targeting with this tainted ice?" Seo Jun-Ho could feel that his body had be heavier. As the Frost Queen used his mental strength, he was starting to get exhausted. Hududududuk! Pasasak! Pasasak! The world became noisy. ¡°¡­¡± Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of icicles poured down. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of icicles rose. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the scene without saying a word. ¡®Myriads of shards of ice waltzing.¡¯ Maybe it sounded childish, but whoever saw this scene would have no choice but to express their pure admiration. As the ice collided with ice, the sounds it made sent shivers down one''s spine. "Go. Now," the Frost Queen beckoned, still ring upward. She meant that she would take care of the hail, so in the meantime, he should kill the Ice Witch. "¡­Your eyes are blue." "My eyes are white, stupid Contractor." She knew what he was talking about, but she was ignoring it. Leaving her behind, Seo Jun-Ho slowly walked over to the Ice Witch. - You''re trying to stop this attack? Do you have anything to do with them... No, there''s no reason to be hostile to me... Seo Jun-Ho looked at the Ice Witch speaking gibberish and raised his hand. "Yourst words¡­ I won''t ask." It was onest favor granted to an opponent he thought worthy of being remembered. - Haaa¡­ The lich shook her head. She hadn''t shown all her strength just yet, but they were acting triumphant as if they had already won? It was funny. - Hundreds of years ago, people called me an Ice Witch and feared me. They respected her, but also feared her. - No one understood me. Even her teacher, who had told her that she would be an undead magician beyond death, had not understood her. In fact, it was quite natural, as it was something that shouldn¡¯t be understood. - I''m going to confidently go back and tell them. Who''s right now? Who¡¯s wrong now?! Crackle, crackle! Thousands of frozen soldiers rose up around the lich. They were the elite soldiers of the snowfields, holding swords, spears, and shields. - After having lived for hundreds of years, my magic power is infinite. Do you think I''ll lose to a mere human? "You..." Seo Jun-Ho lightly took a step. As he walked forward, his body slowly began to disappear. No, to be exact, his whole body began to turn into "darkness." "You talk too much." Saaaaak! Seo Jun-Ho hadpletely transformed into darkness itself, flooding the snowfield soldiers. - Kill him! Thousands of soldiers rushed in, wielding swords and spears. Each weapon contained magic and could actually strike the darkness. However, not a single one could touch Seo Jun-Ho. Having turned into darkness, he whirled among them like the wind. Pasasak! The soldiers'' weapons shattered and their arms and legs were broken. - Surround him! Don''t even give him a chance to move! Soldiers gathered to besiege him in a way that was almost impossible to escape from. On top of this, the soldiers built a wall by climbing on top of each other''s backs and heads. It was an operation that could only be done because they were snowfield soldiers who only obeyed orders. This was absolutely impossible for humans. - Got him! Only then did the lich spit out a jubnt voice of joy. The lich didn¡¯t know what skill Seo Jun-Ho was using, but she could see that he had be the darkness and ravaged the soldiers. - It''s a pretty annoying technique, but that''s it for the tricks. The soldiers¡¯ siege was perfect. The mountain of dense soldiers, which could not be escaped from so easily even if he was darkness itself, wasplete. - Hold him still like that! The Ice Witch began to chant a spell. At the same time, all the magic in the area moved over to her. She sucked in the magic power that seemed to be struggling for freedom as if she was a vacuum cleaner. ''A strong bombardment after immobilizing the opponent.'' This was the picture that she had in mind from the time she ordered the soldiers to surround her opponent. However, Seo Jun-Ho''s experience inbat was several notches higher. He was basically looking over her shoulder while she was painting. Woooong! He was currently darkness, but he could feel his hair standing up. It meant his that opponent¡¯s lethal spell was aimed at his head. ¡®It''s time.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho went under the ground. This was the biggest reason why he had spilled the darkness across thend before the battle. ¡®It''s dark.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t see anything in the dark space, but strangely, he felt calm. It was the same as when he had gone through the ''dark ordeal'' in the Cave of Trials. The only difference was that he had his senses this time. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. ¡®It¡¯s the front.¡¯ There was only one thing he remembered. The fact that the Ice Witch was about 27 meters ahead. Seo Jun-Ho flew forward, only focusing on that. Craaaassh! The area where he had been swirled and copsed. An explosion could be heard. - It''s the end of that insect-like human! Everything within the range of my spell will be reduced to nothing! That brutish witch had destroyed everything along with her soldiers. If he had been there, regardless of whether he was darkness or not, he wouldn¡¯t have avoided the disaster. ¡®This is a very consequential story, but¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. Darkness came, but now, he could feel it even if couldn¡¯t see it. ¡®I¡¯m better than you.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho ran out of the darkness and turned his back. The Ice Witch''s empty defenseless skull appeared in his eyes. "That''s all..." Craaaack! A sharp de made of darkness cut through the Ice Witch''s skull like slicing through butter. - Ah? Uh, huh? Like a broken toy, the lich spat out strange sounds. - Senses? It''s back? How? Her head felt cool for the first time in hundreds of years. She was so happy that she tried to p her hands, but for some reason, the distance between her hands was far. It was too far. She wanted to p, but her two hands never met. This was the end of the Ice Witch. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared down at the lich who had been split in half and was starting to disappear. He wasn''t just looking at the skeleton; he was contemting the end of a person who had been dragged along by desire. "Is it over?" With a tired voice, the Frost Queen came and took her ce on his shoulders as if it was natural. Before he knew it, her mask had been covering her face once again. "Yeah." "It was just a trivial skeleton." As the crashing sound of ice that covered the battlefield disappeared, only the sound of drifting snow remained. The snowstorm was also gone. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the banshee approaching him. The banshee stared at the lich, whoy in two pieces, and wept silently for a long time. About 10 minutester, Seo Jun-Ho spoke, "Are you done crying?" "Contractor, how can you be so tactless?" The Frost Queen tugged at his hair and gave him a hint. "It is a gentleman''s duty to pretend that he did not see ady¡¯s tears...¡± "I''m not a gentleman. You can ask Gilberto when you see him." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and continued. ¡°And if I lose my hair, I¡¯d be like Deok-Gu, so don''t pull it.¡± [Pffft!] When Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen squabbled over their usual pet peeves, E burst intoughter. [What¡¯s this? The Ice Witch looked so scary like she was the goddess of snow, but did she really just die¡­ just like this?] "Well, as you can see..." [¡­] E finally looked up and made eye contact with the two. Her moist eyes curled into half-moons. [Thank you so much. Thanks to you two... I''m relieved of my regret.] "Then, you don¡¯t have any more lingering feelings in this world?" [It''s gone. Cleanly.] E looked down at her hand. Her fingertips were slowly turning into specks of light that rose into the sky. "Your parents must have been waiting for you for a long time." [Will they still be waiting for us, I wonder? Will they still remember us?] "They will. That is how parents are...¡± "Yeah, they¡¯ll be waiting.¡± The vengeful spirits, who had been chasing after her, bowed deeply and flew toward the sky. Left alone, E smiled brightly as she looked at the skies up above. [They¡¯re calling me. My parents and siblings!] "Go ahead." [Goodbye, kind human.] Leaving behind a bright smile, E eventually turned into light particles that disappeared into the sky. The snowstorm stopped, and the darkened earth returned to being the white snowfield from before. [You have cleared the hidden quest of the Ice Witch''s Castle Dungeon, "The Banshee Girl¡¯s Wish.¡±] [You have earned the ¡®Lich''s Magic Book¡¯ as a reward.] [You have earned a ¡®Frozen Heart¡¯ reward.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­ [All stats have increased by 6.] [You have recovered 12 lost strength stats.] [Thanks to the Limit Breaker¡¯s effect, your stamina has increased by 3 and magic has increased by 3.] [The sad story of the Ice Witch and the banshee girl has spread throughout the world via word of mouth.] [Your fame has increased by 2,500.] The Frost Queen murmured while staring at the sky, "Will E be happy from now on?" "I don''t know. I have never been to heaven." Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and grinned in response, "Rather, wouldn''t you know better?" "...I do not know about heaven. I do not remember." She shook her head softly and murmured, "I hope she¡¯s happy." Chapter 163. Announcement (1)

Chapter 163. Announcement (1)

"Let''s go back." "No, there''s one thing I need to do before that.¡± "Hmm? What is it?" When asked by the Frost Queen, Seo Jun-Ho fumbled through his memory. - You''re trying to stop this attack? Do you have anything to do with them... No, there''s no reason to be hostile to me... It was because what the Ice Witch had muttered during the battle made him wary. "You probably didn''t hear because you were worried about the battle, but the Ice Witch said something weird." He sat on one knee in the snowfields and rested his hand on the lich''s skull. "Confession of the Dead." The memory projection started ying. He was not interested in the process or the results of her hundreds of years of research. There was only one thing he was interested in and it was who she was referring to as ''them.¡¯ "¡­Found it." He found it. Five years ago, a man visited her with a few subordinates. Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes glittered alone in the dark snow as he watched the projection. *** An uninvited guest came to the lich, the Ice Witch''s Dungeon. Wearing a purple suit and pointed shoes, he introduced himself with an elegant greeting. "Nice to meet you, Ice Witch. My name is Isaac. Isaac Dvor." - I didn''t ask. Get¡­ lost! The lich expressed great hostility toward the man, simr to what she had done with Seo Jun-Ho. It was because the person was an invader who had intruded into her sacredboratory without permission. Isaac stroked his chin while the Ice Witch was gathering her magic. "Hmm, this is difficult. I was only going to have a simple conversation...¡± "You don''t have toe forward. We will beat her up to make her obedient." "That''s right. Isaac-nim¡¯s too good for him to act personally." To his politely bowing men, Isaac shook his head. "Hmm, no. It''s also a good idea to humble someone with such high self-esteem.¡± Pop! In an empty space where there was nothing, a purple rose magically popped out. Isaac sped it gently and shook it. - Are you looking down on me, right now¡­?! The angry Ice Witch let down a shower of hail and spears. "You are also absorbed in the beauty of roses,¡± Isaac spoke. However, roses always hid sharp thorns. One petal, two petals, the petals of the rose began to tear off and fly forward. - ¡­! The world was tinged with rose petals. The deste Dungeon seemed to have been filled with the smell of flowers. But the Ice Witch, who had no senses, couldn''t smell it. The ice spears and hail, which seemed as if they wanted to tear him apart, disappeared, unable to fight off the petals. "Let me introduce myself again." Isaac, who had turned the lich''s Dungeon into a flower garden, spoke, "My name is Isaac Dvor, a magician from the Fiend Association, and I look for monsters like you." His mouth and eyes were elegantly bent in a crescent shape, but his pupils weren¡¯t smiling. "I am the fifth of the Nine Heavens." *** "Ni-nine Heavens!" the Frost Queen screamed in surprise. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t expect that he would be able to see the face of one of the Nine Heavens, Isaac Dvor. There had been rumors about Isaac, but his information had always been the same as Seo Jun-Ho''s, wrapped in secrecy. "Fiends ssified as one of the Nine Heavens don¡¯t have detailed personal information released to the public, in contrast to the yers among the Nine Heavens." "Huh? Wait a minute. Then, why would they choose someone whose face they had no idea of to be a member of the Nine Heavens? "Hmm... That would take long to exin," Seo Jun-Ho muttered. "I have a lot of time. Tell me." The Frost Queen insisted. Since it seemed like it would take a while, Seo Jun-Ho made an igloo. He went inside with the Frost Queen and started talking. "In fact, it hasn''t been that long since the term ¡®Nine Heavens'' was created.¡± "Oh? That is my first time hearing that." "That¡¯s because I never really exined it to you¡­" Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head. Most people in the modern era knew about the Nine Heavens. However, the story that Seo Jun-Ho was about to tell was a secret that only the relevant people knew. "The first time the word Heaven was used... was 11 years ago, by a fiend." When he had thrown his hat into the ring, that fiend had referred to himself with a glorious word¡ªHeaven. "Everyone must have looked at him weirdly..." "Everyone thought he was crazy. Whenever a yer met with him, they would snort." "What happened to them?" "They¡¯re dead." The Frost Queen was dumbfounded. "It was a shocking debut. Although they weren¡¯t a part of the Big 6, they were still members of the four big Guilds below the Big 6, yet he single-handedly killed more than a hundred of them.¡± The report even described the event as a shocking incidentparable to the ones that Specter had stirred. Then, that fiend had said one thing calmly, while standing in a field of blood and corpses. "He said that he was the president of the Fiend Association of the time, seeding his predecessor." That was the appearance of the First Heaven, the Heavenly Demon.[1] "¡­I can predict how things turned out after that. I¡¯m sure the yers didn¡¯t just ept their defeat, no?¡± "Yup, the shocking news made people nervous.¡± Since olden times, the reckless actions of strong fiends had always made people anxious. But it also had a great impact on the yer talent pool that expanded day by day. "As it became an era where the fiends acted as they pleased, parents started to oppose their children bing yers, and most of all, the children themselves were afraid. It became that kind of society." After the Heavenly Demon¡¯s call, fiends had began to flourish all over the 1st and 2nd floors. It was the beginning of the fiends¡¯ era. "That''s why the yers believed they also needed a new symbol." They needed a symbol, a means to confront the Heavenly Demon. In the end, the numerous Guilds and associations came up with the ¡®Second Heaven¡¯ by putting their heads together. "Nweje." He became the ¡®Second Heaven.¡¯ He was actually the best yer of his time, and he also had the strength to match his title. It was said that even the present-day Shin Sung-Hyun and Kim Woo-Joong were a notch below him. "If there was one problem¡­¡± It was that Nweje didn¡¯t wear the noble mask of a hero like Specter. The most important thing to him was himself, not others, and he greatly enjoyed art. He was like the wind that liked to wander around. "In short, he was someone who wasn¡¯t interested in the fight between yers and fiends." Anyway, it was still a fact that the yers had put up a new symbol against the Heavenly Demon. After that, new heavens began to be added one by one. Of course, none of them were small fries. They were all the best yers and fiends of their time. "In the process, superstars like Shin Sung-Hyun and Kim Woo-Joong appeared, and they managed to build the yers¡¯ prestige from the ground up." These two people had be the Sixth and Seventh Heaven, respectively. Without them, even more of the Nine Heaven seats would have been upied by fiends. "But there are still a lot of people who doubt it." Nweje was strong. On his own, he had gone through numerous Dungeons, hunted field boss monsters, and even often beat the fiends he met to death. "But he never gave off as much greatness as the Heavenly Demon." This was why people doubted him, and because of that, they remained nervous even during the times when the Heavenly Demon was incognito. "From now on, everything I say is off the record." "Y-yeah. All right. I won''t go telling anyone." At Seo Jun-Ho''s sincere voice, the Frost Queen nodded. "People had always been always curious. Why did the overwhelming Heavenly Demon go silent?" "I am curious about that, too.¡± "Five years ago, the Heavenly Demon secretly came near the capital of the Ruben Empire along with just a single fiend.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Back then, the capital of the Ruben Empire was a sacred ce forrge Guilds, including the Big 6. Not only that, but there were imperial guards, a huge number of soldiers, and even archmages from the magic tower. "The Big 6 elites noticed his approach and stopped him as tensions heightened." They had even thought of bringing in all the yers nearby through themunity forums. The encirclement waspleted, and even the rogue Nweje participated. "H-he is a bold one. Just what in the world did hee for then? To die?" The Frost Queen asked, sticking her head forward, like a child listening to an old story. "For a duel and proof." In front of hundreds of yers, the Heavenly Demon made a proposition. "To sum it up, he wanted to fight yers before he fully took over his position.¡± "Are you sure he isn¡¯t just a madman?" "He left ''the rest of it'' to the fiend Valencia Citrin, who he brought along with him, and offered a proposition to the yers of the Nine Heavens." He proposed a duel. "S-so? So what happened? Who won?¡± asked the Frost Queen in a fretful voice. "Nweje, Wei Chun-Hak, Shin Sung-Hyun, and Kim Woo-Joong. The Heavenly Demon went up against these four together." When the results came out¡­ "The Heavenly Demon lost. It was the yers¡¯ victory.¡± "Oh, I''m not surprised...¡± "It was by a very tiny margin, though," Seo Jun-Ho interrupted her. "The report said that if the Heavenly Demon had been one level higher, the Heavens on the yers side would have copsed that day." "...Gulp." Gulping a mouthful of saliva, the Frost Queen noticed something strange and asked, "But... you said they won. Why did they not kill the Heavenly Demon?" "Of course, they tried to kill him since it was their right as the victor, but they failed.¡± It was all because he hadn''t been alone; he had been with another fiend. "I told you earlier, didn''t I? The reason why the Heavenly Demon visited was for a duel and proof." "You certainly said that..." "That day, the Heavenly Demon sessfully finished both tasks and left." He had had a duel with the Nine Heaven yers, and his subordinate, Valencia Citrin, had be the Eighth Heaven. "The exhausted Heavens couldn''t stop Valencia from disappearing with the Heavenly Demon." "...Wait, then why didn''t she kill the exhausted Heavens?" "Because the Heavenly Demon told her not to..." Through this secret history, Seo Jun-Ho realized one thing. The Heavenly Demon was a crazily arrogant madman with someone capable of supporting him behind the scenes. ¡°Heughed even while he was bleeding and said one thing¡­¡± He had said that he would give them 6 years. Within those 6 years, they had to be strong enough to stop him. "Then, the reason why the Heavenly Demon is currently inactive is...¡± "The superficial reason is to let his wounds heal from that time, but..." Most people already knew. Wounds? His injuries could have immediately been treated. "He¡¯s going up." Thest stairs on which he could reign as the pinnacle of this world. As soon as the Heavenly Demon climbed the stairs, no one would be able to stop him. "But no one actually knows, right? The Nine Heavens wouldn¡¯t be just ying around,¡± argued the Frost Queen. "Yeah, no one knows that." It was unknown whose time was more valuable, who sweated and bled more, and finally, whose talent was greater. "There''s nothing much I can do right now...¡± This was the reason why Seo Jun-Ho was trying so hard to get stronger. It was to liberate hisrades as soon as possible and topple the Fiend Association. "If it''s anyter, then we¡¯ll really get destroyed without being able to do anything.¡± This time, not at the hands of a Gate or a monster, but at the hands of a single individual. 1. Previously tranted as the Demon King, but after some discussion, we think that since his raw name shares a character with the word, "Nine Heavens." it may end up having some significance in the future, so we decided to change Demon King into Heavenly Demon. ? Chapter 164. Announcement (2)

Chapter 164. Announcement (2)

The Frost Queen nodded slowly. "You know, I have always wondered what made you so impatient. Now, I understand." "There''s another reason. Being weak makes me nervous," replied Seo Jun-Ho. It was like taking off a bulletproof armor and putting on a cotton shirt that had a defense rating of zero. It was kind of an obsession. It had been a long time since he had lived a life exposed to danger. "If it were anyone else, I would tell them that they would fall if they ran at such a speed, and try to stop them from getting hurt... But if it is you, it will be okay." "That''s a tremendous acknowledgment." Seo Jun-Houghed helplessly and took out the "Frozen Heart" from his inventory. "Then, shall I speed up again? Item appraisal." [Frozen Heart] Grade: Rare Description: It is very cold ice in the form of a heart. If you touch it recklessly, your skin maye off. Effect: Increases magic by 15 when consumed. It was a simple exnation. ¡®A rare item that boosts magic by 15.¡¯ The Frost Queen made a fuss. "Oh! Isn¡¯t that a lot? Hurry, hurry, hurry up! Melt it and eat it." "Melt it? That would be a waste¡­" Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue. She wasn''t wrong, of course. Most people would roll their eyes and probably say the same thing. However, the mostmonsensical method wasn''t necessarily the best, much less the best for Seo Jun-Ho. "Frost, you haven''t taken a lot of elixirs before, have you?¡± "...Elixirs? No, I have not." Seo Jun-Ho gave a small smile to the flustered Frost Queen. "I knew it. For elixirs, people who have taken it before know it best." Just as thousand-year-old wild ginseng lost its effect as soon as it was exposed to fire, there would usually be a right way to take elixirs and many wrong ones. Those who believed the exnation of the item as it was were bound to suffer big time. "In short, each elixir has a different method of consumption, and only that method will provide maximum absorption." That was why people called elixirs, ''Giyeon.¡¯[1] Elixirs in the hands of the ignorant and the unaware lost their value so easily that it was simply a massive waste. It also didn¡¯t matter if the person was ignorant in general or not; if they didn''t know the right method, they wouldn¡¯t be able to absorb the elixir¡¯s energy properly. "¡­I did not know. Then, how will you eat this Frozen Heart?" ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether your lips are torn off or your tongue gets frozen, you have to eat it like you would an ice cream.¡± It was a rather ignorant way. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have to do that. "But why would I do that? It¡¯s during times like this when the power of frost should be used." "¡­The power of frost is not meant to be used for this¡­¡± "Don''t believe me, just watch." Seo Jun-Ho immediately ced the Frozen Heart on his palms. "Ugh, it''s cold.¡± He groaned like a person who had entered a hot spring, then he slowly closed his eyes. ¡®The method is the same...¡¯ He just needed to think of when he had treated Choi Sun-Hee, who had suffered from the Nine Yin Severance Syndrome, and when he treated Simus. The magic circuit in both of his hands opened wide. Then, the intense yin energy contained within the Frozen Heart began to flow between the two open circuits in his palms. Shake, shake, shake. It was so cold that it made Seo Jun-Ho''s body tremble despite his Cold Tolerance (C). This energy was a few levels higher than the Nine Yin Severance Syndrome, which had an intermediate level of yin energy. ¡®I-I don¡¯t think I can withstand it.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand the cold in a normal way. But Seo Jun-Ho started to increase Overclocking¡¯s output. Since he was sitting calmly anyway, he didn¡¯t have to worry about controlling that enormous power. Just slightly raising the temperature in his body was enough. ¡°¡­¡± When absorbing the elixir, it was important to circte the magic in the body so that the energy would spread evenly throughout the body. From that point of view, the effects of Overclocking, which circted magic throughout the whole body''s magic circuit dozens of times per second, was excellent. Worrying that she would disturb his trance, the Frost Queen covered her mouth and nose with her hands. But 30 minutester, when Seo Jun-Ho still wasn¡¯t done, she was already in agony. sh-! Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes. The igloo shed with light as his eyes glowed stronger than before. "Puhaaaaah-!¡± Only then did the Frost Queen exhale, gasp, and ask, "H-how did it go?" "...It seems that the normal method to take it really wasn¡¯t the best.¡± The Frost Queen thought for a while as Seo Jun-Ho leaned down and muttered. Since he looked sad, she pondered whether she shouldfort him, or sneer at him for pretending to know what he was talking about. "Well¡­" She patted him with a bitter look. "Well, people don''t always pick the right answer. So how much did your magic increase?¡± "30¡­" "Yes, yes,pared to what you expected... What did you say?!¡± The Frost Queen''s hand abruptly stopped. When she looked closely, a smile was in full bloom on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lowered face. The Frost Queen shook his arm when she saw it. "D-did you not say that the normal method to take it wasn¡¯t the answer?" "Yeah. With the normal method, you¡¯ll only gain 15 points.¡± In other words, he had doubled the efficacy of the Frozen Heart in a way that no one else had done before. Seo Jun-Ho smacked his lips and moistened them with his tongue for no reason before speaking, "Ah, I want to eat a Frozen Heart again." He waved his hand and brought up the message window in front of him. [Your magic has increased by 30.] [The grade of Cold Tolerance (C) has risen to Cold Tolerance (B).] The surroundings became a notch warmer. It was because of the strong magic that was spreading throughout his body. Of course, the fact that Cold Tolerance had risen in grade also was a factor for this warmth. "I gained a lot from this journey." Moreover, this wasn''t the end of it. He hadn¡¯t even touched the main dish yet. "Let''s go and eat the main dish." *** When Seo Jun-Ho returned to Del Ice, the dwarves were waiting with their heads leaned forward in anticipation. They just wanted one answer. Seo Jun-Ho shrugged his shoulders and spoke pleasantly as if he was a real estate agent. "Congrattions! I took a look at your house, and it was very clean. You''ll be able to move in as early as tonight." "Ohhhhh!" "Yes! Great!¡± "What happened to the Ice Witch?¡± "Oh, that''s...¡± It was something they didn¡¯t have to know, but Seo Jun-Ho wanted them to know the story about the Ice Witch they hated all this time. Since the dwarves that gathered looked like boys and girls, he felt like the atmosphere was appropriate for reading them a fairytale from a book. "¡­Hmm." "So she actually has a secret past." "Keuk, such a poor child." "We had no idea at all...¡± The dwarves¡¯ eyes became red as they prayed for the well-being of the girl who had lost her family to the Ice Witch and couldn¡¯t even rest properly after death. "Seo Jun-Ho," Graham, the White Anvil tribe leader, approached with a stiff face. He struck Seo Jun-Ho''s chest, around the heart, with his fist. ¡°¡­?!¡± When Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly in surprise, Graham stuck out his chest. "Come, hit me!" "¡­What?" "It''s a greeting for a friend." Kim Woo-Joong walked out from the back with a small smile. "By tapping on each other''s hearts, you establish a friendship with each other.¡± "Oh¡­" Seo Jun-Ho carefully tapped Graham on the chest. Graham frowned and shouted, "Harder! I can''t feel it!" "¡­Feel what?" "Your soul and sincerity!" Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what Graham meant, but if he wanted something strong¡­ Seo Jun-Ho struck Graham''s chest with his normal strength. It was only then that Graham burst intoughter. "Hahaha! The White Anvil tribe has gained a new friend!" "Is that it? We also regained our lost home!" "The banshee girl was saved, and the Ice Witch has been permanently eradicated!" "It''s a joyous asion in the snowfields!" The quick-witted dwarves quickly entered their respective homes and picked up some things. They brought wine, champagne, and food. "The dwarves celebrate like this when they make new friends. It is their tradition," Kim Woo-Joong exined once more. His gentle storytelling tone made Seo Jun-Ho feel as if he was watching National Geographic. "Bring the cheese!" "Who wants to drink raspberry wine?" "Ohhh, you''re finally uncorking the bottle you''ve been storing away!" "Because it¡¯s going to be a burden when I move! Hahaha!¡± Kim Woo-Joong smiled softly and looked at the excited dwarves. "The dwarves certainly have their own charm. It is different from the elves." "¡­yer Kim Woo-Joong, have you met elves before?" "What? Oh, I happened to meet them by chance." How lucky could he be to bump into elves, who were infamous for being closed off? "Kilkil, is that all? It''s an open fact that the elf princess-nim is crazy about him."[2] A dwarf came up waving a wine ss and teased Kim Woo-Joong, who had put on an embarrassed expression. "It''s just a close rtionship. It¡¯s not like that at all. I also don¡¯t have any intention to do that...¡± "Well, of course, you wouldn¡¯t, you bad guy who makes a woman cry! Oh, of course, since it¡¯s to the miserly elves, it¡¯s fine. Rather, you did well." What? The elf princess liked him and followed him around? Was this guy the main character of a novel? When Seo Jun-Ho stared at him, Kim Woo-Joong felt the former¡¯s gaze and he couldn¡¯t help but dryly cough. "Khmm-khmm, don''t worry too much about it, yer Seo Jun-Ho." "Yes¡­" "Anyway, have you thought about the type of weapon you would ask the dwarves for?" "Oh, that? Of course¡­" Seo Jun-Ho smiled brightly and took out a piece of paper. Kim Woo-Joong was surprised to see something densely written on a sheet of A4 paper. "What¡­ is that?" "A list to ask the dwarves to make. I made it on my way here.¡± "¡­Wait, did you say list?¡± A list was talking about a group of items with the same attributes¡ªthis meant there was more than one weapon being requested. "Yes. Graham never said he would only make one, did he?¡± "That''s... technically true?¡± Seo Jun-Ho gently shook the A4 paper. "Would the proud dwarves of the White Anvil tribe just make one and be done with it?¡± "¡­Hahahaha!" Looking briefly at Seo Jun-Ho, Kim Woo-Joong suddenly burst intoughter. Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s expression looked like Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s statement was really funny to him. "As expected, yer Seo Jun-Ho, you are interesting. I never get bored when you are around. I almost want to be with you all the time." "I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be possible someday..." There was a saying that birds of a feather flock together. If there was a big gap in skills, it would be difficult for both sides. Kim Woo-Joong noticed the deeper meaning of his words and he smiled before nodding. "I will be happily waiting. I hope you can obtain the qualification to go up to the 3rd floor soon.¡± "The 3rd floor..." It was a symbol of humanity and was also a sore spot since it was like a barrier to yers who wanted to grow. "Are you not going to tell me the conditions to enter the 3rd floor?¡± "Even if I want to say it, I cannot. Do you remember the Cave of Trials?" "Oh, I understand." It meant that the secrecy was being enforced by the system. "I can tell you one thing, though.¡± "What?" ¡°The Silent Moon Guild and I... we expect floor masters toe out on every odd floor." Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes sparkled. The final boss on the 1st floor was the Frost Queen, and she had also been the floor master. ¡®For them to expect that such an existence was on every odd floor meant...¡¯ This meant that there was no floor master on the even floors, or at least on the 2nd floor. Then, just what were the conditions to enter the 3rd floor? "How interesting¡­" "It won''t be that difficult for you, yer Seo Jun-Ho. In fact, there are countless people who have obtained the right to enter the 3rd floor.¡± It was just that they couldn¡¯t be active on the 3rd floor. After all, it was a ce whereva popped up all year round and was a ce hostile to life. "I''ll catch up as soon as possible." "Yes, and let me give you one more piece of information." "¡­Information?" "It¡¯s actually a kind of a reward. Didn''t youe all the way here to help with my request? The cost of teleporting here should have been expensive, right?" Well, that really didn¡¯t matter because Skaya had teleported him over here, but it wasn''t like Seo Jun-Ho to refuse when someone was voluntarily giving him benefits. "Do you still have the ¡®Final Horizon¡¯ you gotst time?" "Yes." "Then, you should go and visit Duke Schubert one day." "Duke Schubert!" Seo Jun-Ho was also familiar with this person. No, even the yers on the 1st floor were familiar with him in advance. ''The two great mountains of the empire.'' He was one of the only two dukes among the nobles. Of course, his power was enormous. If you lined up even just the nobles who were following him, it would be enough to fill an elementary school yground. "We were talking about the Final Horizon, so why all of a sudden did you bring up such a great figure?¡± Even with Seo Jun-Ho''s current reputation or poprity, he would be fortunate if he wasn¡¯t directly rejected at the door. Kim Woo-Joong smiled widely at Seo Jun-Ho, who appeared to be doubtful. "Well, wouldn''t it be more interesting to find that out for yourself?" Kim Woo-Joong had given Seo Jun-Ho all the hints. If Seo Jun-Ho had luck on his side, and if he really was a great yer, he would be able to get the best results without missing out on this little clue. 1. Giyeon is like having a fated connection. If you aren¡¯t fated with one, you might end up wasting the elixir in this case. ? 2. ¡®Kilkil¡¯ is a snickering sound. ? Chapter 165. Announcement (3)

Chapter 165. Announcement (3)

While Seo Jun-Ho was talking with Kim Woo-Joong, Graham approached and asked, "Seo Jun-Ho! Have you already decided on what to request from us?" Based on the fact that Graham¡¯s tone of voice was slightly raised, he seemed to be in a good mood. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. "I''m ready." "Oh! Really? Then go ahead and tell me.¡± "Now? Ayy, everyone''s enjoying the festival, so I will tell you tomorrow." "What? Hahahaha!¡° Grahamughed loudly and tapped Seo Jun-Ho''s waist. "Kim Woo-Joong! Please teach him properly about things like this!" "Dwarves think of sweating and making equipment as the highlight of a festival." "Ah, I see." In a word, Seo Jun-Ho''s remarks had almost severed the spirit of the festival. As people gathered here and there and urged him to speak, Seo Jun-Ho took out the paper. "Hmm-hmm, then I will tell you one by one from the beginning." "...Huh? From the beginning? One by one?" The dwarves tilted their heads. However, as Seo Jun-Ho''s words continued past five minutes, everyone seemed to have sobered up as their mouths hung open. "¡­Lastly, please pack a few throwing knives, please. That is all of it." "Ah, no, look here, Seo Jun-Ho." Graham reached out with a bewildered look. "Are you asking me to make them all?" "Can''t I?" "That''s..." It was not that he couldn¡¯t, but it was just annoying. Huh?! Graham barked out augh in disbelief and shook his head. He looked at Kim Woo-Joong and apologized. "I''m sorry, Kim Woo-Joong. I said you would be the one who¡¯ll take advantage of us, but clearly, I was wrong. It¡¯s someone else!¡± "Ayy, I know you guys won¡¯t break from just this." "Why are humans so scary these days? They all used to be stupid in the past." Graham grumbled, turned his back, and shouted, "Are you enjoying the festival?!" "Yeaaah¡­!" "Raspberry wine is the best!" "Then, it''s time for the finale!" Graham raised the hammer, which was on top of the ¡®Desk of Wisdom,¡¯ above his head. "Light up the fire!" "Light up the fire!¡± Graham''s orders spread among the dwarves as they repeated his words. Then, the entire Del Ice turned hot. At the same time, lines engraved on the walls, ceilings, and floors of the cave glowed red. There was only one ce the lines headed toward: a huge furnace that had upied the entire wall on one side of Del Ice. Hwaaaaa-! After the red lines connected, the furnace soon began to emit tremendous heat. "Consider this an honor. You''re one of the few people who have seen Del Ice''s true self." "At the same time, it''s thest breath of this earth." "Yes, after the fire is emitted this time, all the earth energy will be used up and things will be difficult for the time being." Soon after, the dwarves'' roles began to get divided. There were dwarves who went home and came back with an anvil and a hammer. There were dwarves starting to pile up metal in the open space. Lastly, there were even dwarves who spread out a huge blueprint and were having a discussion with each other! As Seo Jun-Ho watched them busily move about, he opened his mouth to speak, ¡°I feel a little strange." "...Right?" Kim Woo-Joong said in a voice of sympathy. Something... Something felt strange. Perhaps because the dwarves all looked like children, it felt like childbor. "Let''s all do our best!" "Shall we shout a chant? Heave!" "Ho!" "Heave!" "Ho!" Bang, bang, bang! Tap, tap! To the chant, the sound of hammering began to be heard throughout Del Ice. "It''s incredible. It¡¯s on apletely different level from the hammer sound you hear in Gilleon''s cksmith shop.¡± At best, one or two cksmiths hammered here and there in Gilleon. But here, there were at least a few dozen hammers working simultaneously. In addition, the hammering was done by dwarves blessed by the God of the Earth. The echoes sounded clean, and they had their own deep rhythm. "It has also been a while since I have seen this,¡± mentioned Kim Woo-Joong. "Is that so?" Since it had been a while it meant that Kim Woo-Joong had also received equipment from the dwarves. Perhaps his famous weapon, the Death Sword, was made by the dwarves. As the two looked at Del Ice¡¯s majestic appearance, a message arrived. "Please wait. I got a message..." "Excuse me for a moment¡­" The two spoke at the same time, then looked at each other with round eyes. Soon, a message window appeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho. [A new announcement has been registered] "¡­An announcement?" "Oh, I knew it." Kim Woo-Joong nodded. "I knew it wouldn¡¯t be a personal message after seeing your reaction, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be an announcement from the system." "Did something big happen? A sudden announcement... It''s the first time I''ve seen this." "Hmm, it is probably not a big issue. I think it may be about the store. Let''s check it out first.¡± An announcement about the store? Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly checked the announcement. [Ugh, I''ll open the store in a week. Come if you want. - Reiji, 2nd floor Administrator] He was right. It seemed that the Administrator was about to open up their store. "...But why is it written like this, though?" "Oh, that is because the personality of the 2nd floor Administrator is kind of...¡± Kim Woo-Joong stopped his words with an awkward expression and changed the subject. "Anyway, do you have enough PP?" "I have a little over 80,000 points." Two videos¡ªwell, specifically, the second video, ¡®Salmon in the Mountains,¡¯ went viral. On the first day alone, he had received over 30,000 PP, so no more words needed to be said. Thanks to the steady PP flow, Seo Jun-Ho''s PP had just passed 80,000. "Hmm, that amount is a little iffy." Kim Woo-Joong gave him a slight hint about the store''s prices. "What?! It''s that expensive?¡± "But they are worth it. These things are really hard to get otherwise." Kim Woo-Joong confessed that he had also bought that day''s elixir from there. "Hmmm, yer Kim Woo-Joong, how do you get PPs?¡± "The Guild takes care of it for me. They take pictures of my hunting and daily life and they upload them as pictures and videos. Then, they would give me a percentage of the PPs earned." "...Isn''t that a rtionship between a celebrity and an agency?" "Guilds are like that these days..." Kim Woo-Joong smiled with some self-deprecation and continued. "Come to think of it, I enjoyed watching your video, too. You did a great job." "Thank you. I thought I had enough PPs thanks to the video, so I''m a little shocked to hear you say it¡¯s not." ¡°Hmmm, but for you, I think there is one way for you to make up for theck of PP." "A way?" Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes sparkled. "Yes, have you unlocked all the features of themunity forums yet?" asked Kim Woo-Joong. "No, just the information boards and news,¡± responded Seo Jun-Ho. "Then, try opening the matching bulletin boardter."[1] "¡­Matching bulletin board?¡± "Yes. It will probably be fun for you. I sometimes go there when I''m bored.¡± Until now, Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t felt the need to unlock other bulletin boards, so he hadn¡¯t opened them. Even if he had made quite a bit of PP, he had no ns to use them recklessly. "I rmend you to open the bulletin boards whenever you have time. They¡¯re very helpful for a yer¡¯s career." "I''ll keep that in mind." Then, Kim Woo-Joong checked the time with the Vita in his left hand and said, "Then, I think I should get going." "Thank you for your help¡­¡± "No, yer Seo Jun-Ho, you worked harder than I did. If it were me, I probably would have just cut down the banshee ande back." Kim Woo-Joong was done saying his farewell in a rather formal way, and he hesitated for a while before saying, ¡°May I speak more casually the next time I see you? We''re not that many years apart, after all." Seo Jun-Ho was almost as old as Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s father, though. But Seo Jun-Ho could only hide his awkwardness and nodded. "That sounds good." "I am looking forward to seeing you again." Kim Woo-Joong nodded. He greeted the dwarves before leaving Del Ice. Seo Jun-Ho was assigned a house along with being told to wait for his request to bepleted. He wondered if the house they had assigned to him would be ufortable because of the dwarves'' height, but he was mistaken. "It''s a relief that there¡¯s a house for Kim Woo-Joong." In a word, it was a residence for guest use. Seo Jun-Ho sat on the sofa and opened themunity window. The Frost Queen stared at it over the top of his head. "Are you going to try the matching bulletin board or whatever it was called?" asked the Frost Queen. "Yeah, I can''t really tell what it is from the name." Based on the name, he thought it could be something like a match or apetition. [Do you want to read the matching bulletin board? 500 PP will be consumed.] "Wow, that¡¯s crazy! Why is it so expensive?" "Contractor, it¡¯s too expensive¡­¡± The Frost Queen clenched his hair with her trembling hands. It was their hard-earned PPs. However, Seo Jun-Ho was determined. "But it can¡¯t be helped. Should I not buy it just because it''s expensive?¡± "Ca-can you not buy it?" "Of course not¡­" When he opened the matching bulletin board with a touch, the Frost Queen made a small groan. ''By the way...'' Seo Jun-Ho''s expression as he was looking through the matching bulletin board turned strange. After a careful examination, he nodded. "This, in a word, is a dueling arena." "¡­A dueling arena?" "Yeah, it''s a system that I experienced several times in games when I was a student.¡± It was a system that matched yers of simr levels to fight with each other. Although it varied slightly from game to game, the rewards were usually about the same. ¡®A winner-takes-all structure.¡¯ This meant that the winner would take everything that was on the line in the duel. "So this is what Kim Woo-Joong meant when he said he used this sometimes." There was no better way to develop a yer¡¯s actual fighting experience than this. ¡®There are even a variety of functions...¡¯ Starting with the ¡°Unknown¡± function that made you anonymous, there was even a function that would give you more PPs when you challenged a higher-level opponent. "Oho. There''s a ranking, too.¡± "Ohhh, does that show who is the strongest among the yers?" asked the Frost Queen. "Of course not. There could be people who only do this for a living." But to begin with, no information was avable from the ranking table. "I¡¯ve never seen any of these names,¡± spoke Seo Jun-Ho, surprised. "It seems that everyone used fake names," mentioned the Frost Queen. "¡­Well, there''s no way anyone would want their identities known." To put it nicely, it was a match and duel, but in the end, it was just a fight. There was no way yers who were extremely reluctant to expose their abilities would leave this matching bulletin board alone, after all, you could be here as an anonymous individual. ''The system is really cunning.¡¯ This part was cleverly thought of. In short, it knew how to acquire PPs very well. "With the Unknown system, 10 points for hiding your appearance, 10 points for each match...¡± Simply repeating one win and one loss didn¡¯t mean you would break even. If you continued to lose, you would be in at least a 20-point deficit per match. "Mmhm. It''s not bad." Kim Woo-Joong had rmended saving at least 200,000 points so Seo Jun-Ho could buy at least one item he wanted. "If my bet is 80,000 points...¡± Seo Jun-Ho touched his chin for a while, then put on a yful smile. A smile full of confidence. 1. these bulletin boards are like specific threads in themunity forums. Like the video forums, AKA video bulletin board. ? Chapter 166. God of Skill (1)

Chapter 166. God of Skill (1)

The name of the battlefield was ¡®Utopia.¡¯ There was an arena on the mountain peak overlooking the clouds. "Kuhuk!" An opponent, whose entire body was covered by a ck silhouette, copsed with a scream. A man was staring down at his opponent, then checked the message that came up in front of his eyes. [You have won.] [You have received 500 points.] [You are being returned to the waiting room.] "Tsk." After being moved to the waiting room that looked like a locker room, the man lightly clicked his tongue. He found that it was harder to get points than he had thought. "I''m the best at my level, but... no one bets a lot." His name is Ryu. He was a man of great confidence in PVPs. He had been more excited when he fought with people than when he caught monsters even when he was on the 1st floor. People were worried that he might be a fiend, but fortunately, he wasn¡¯t interested in that at all. "Ah, why are those over level 70 socking in spirit?" The system matched you up with those who weren¡¯t significantly different from you in level. Since his level was 79, his opponent would always be 3 levels higher or lower than him. The guy he had just destroyed was level 81. Still, he only got 500 points from the fight, so he would obviously get even fewer points from opponents with lower levels. [You have been matched with a new opponent.] "Hmm, I hope I get a proper pushover this time." Ryu earnestly prayed and touched the confirmation button. Then, a brief profile of the other person came up. Name: Unknown#2,751,429 Level: 76 Record: 0 Games 0 Wins 0 Losses 0 Draws Betting: 10,000 points "Oh? Ohhhh...?!¡± Ryu''s butt was subconsciously lifting off the bench he was sitting on. This was a big fish. No, this was not a big fish, but a sperm whale. "At level 76... he¡¯s betting 10,000 points?¡± It was an opportunity that he definitely couldn¡¯t miss. But since the conditions were so good, doubts arose in his mind. "Is this some kind of trap?" Ryu thought for a while then shook his head. The matching was governed by a fair system. In other words, it meant that yer intervention wasn¡¯t allowed. ¡®Rather... It''s highly likely that the other person doesn¡¯t know anything.¡¯ He heard that there were sometimes such people. They were those who didn¡¯t use the matching system until they reached a high level and were using it for the first time. They usually thought they were strong because they had been hunting day and night and leveling up by killing monsters. In a word, they were the most coveted prey for Ryu, who was confident in PVP. [Will you ept the match?] "Hmmm." Ryu pondered for a moment. 10,000 PP were Ryu''s entire fortune from thest three weeks he was stuck in the matching system. At his level, most of his opponents only bet 50 or 70 PP. ''If I lose this time... It''s immediate bankruptcy.¡¯ Fear swarmed in, but Ryu thought of the opposite scenario. ¡®If I win, my points will be over 20,000...!¡¯ A new announcement appeared a while ago¡ªReiji, the 2nd floor Administrator, said she would open up her store once more. "Gulp." It had been five years since Ryu came up to the 2nd floor, and he had visited the Administrator¡¯s store several times during those years. Every time, he saw a lot of items that made his eyes spin and made him drool. But all he could buy were mediocre items. ''Because I didn''t have enough points.¡¯ Useful items there were being sold for at least 10,000 points. If he won this match, he could even purchase a Rare-grade item. ¡®It''s not just that...¡¯ If you were strong, you could also challenge higher-level yers through the challenge system. He heard that winning against them would give him higher points. ¡°¡­¡± After a long period of consideration, Ryu made a decision. ¡®Let''s do it!¡¯ He pressed the ¡®ept¡¯ button. This was because he thought he would regret it if he missed this opportunity. [You have epted the match.] [The name of the battlefield is the ¡®Han River.¡¯] The world changed. In an instant, Ryu found himself standing on the shores of the Han River. ''The Han River... Luck is with me in this important match.¡¯ Ryu grinned when the battlefield he was most confident in was selected. He looked at the summoned opponent before his eyes. There was a ck silhouette, which meant the opponent was using the Unknown system. ¡®Well, it''s a must to hide who you are right now...¡¯ Then, the countdown of 10 seconds began before Ryu''s eyes. In the meantime, the opponent tried clenching his hands foolishly and even tried jumping around. ¡®Kukuku, that''s cute. Such cute actions.¡¯ Ryu made a bitter smile. When he first tried out the matching system, he was exactly like that at level 35¡ªthat was already five years ago. [3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­] The moment the number in front of him became zero and the word "start" came up, Ryu made a dash for his standing still opponent. ¡®It''s going to hurt a little, but you won''t die¡­¡¯ On this battlefield, no matter how deadly the wound you suffered, it wouldn¡¯t kill you thanks to the system¡¯s protection. Of course, if a yer died of a chronic disease such as heart disease, that was a different story. "Haa!" A dagger popped out of Ryu¡¯s sleeve. He rxed his grip as much as he could and swung it as fast as he could. ¡®The matching system is the same as an actual match. In the end, the one who moves for victory first wins.'' It was easy for those who had the upper hand in the first confrontation to win. Since it was a gathering of yers with simr levels, it would quickly be obvious who was more skilled the moment they shed. ¡®Of course, my skills are higher than yours.¡¯ Ryu''s dagger quickly split into sixteen. It was the effect of his skill, ¡®Splitting Sword (B).¡¯ ''It may seem like an illusion at first nce, but...¡¯ Surprisingly, all 16 des were real objects that could prate the opponent. In addition¡­ ¡®On the Han River map, I can use one of my skills, the Blessing of Water (C).¡¯ This was why he thought he was lucky. All his stats would increase by 10 when he was nearby water. Whee-oo! The water from the Han River wrapped itself around him. Pababababa! Ryu¡¯s faster-than-usual dagger easily upied the opponent from six directions. Now, the opponent could only run away behind them to retreat. ¡®Huhu, but this battlefield is not somewhere you can go anywhere you can see.¡¯ This was the biggest difference between beginners and experts. The experts would know that there were areas on the battlefield that were being blocked by an unknown power. It was information that you wouldn¡¯t know if you hadn''t experienced the battlefield several times at the least. If you could move anywhere in sight, the battle would likely never end, since if you were at a disadvantage, you could just keep on running. ''Well, he might have heard this from someone, but...¡¯ If he knew that information, he probably wouldn''t have done something so crazy like betting 10,000 PP from the first match. Pabababak! ''Hmm? But since earlier...¡¯ Ryu frowned. His opponent was avoiding the swords better than he had expected. He was doing it quite easily but by a narrow margin. Boom. Sadly, that fluke was about to end. His opponent''s back struck a transparent wall. "Oh, what''s that?" The other person uttered in a surprised and flustered voice. ¡®Haha, he¡¯s trapped!¡¯ The Han River map had a transparent wall where the convenience store was, so you couldn¡¯t go further in that direction. As if the opponent found the transparent wall interesting, he turned his head and was tapping on the transparent wall. ¡®I¡¯ll enjoy taking your points!¡¯ Ryu''s sword became a notch faster. Like a person that had just stumbled upon a lot of money, a natural smile formed on his mouth. But at that moment, the other person slightly turned his head to the front. ''Huh? He made eye contact...¡¯ It was the first time the opponent had looked him directly in the eye since the battle began. Craaack! And at that moment, Ryu¡¯s head turned sideways. His legs gave way and his body fell forward. The world shook, then he saw the concrete and the apartments in Seoul, the water of the Han River, and the night sky up above. [You have lost.] [10,000 PP will be deducted.] Ryu could read the message urately even amidst his blurry vision. He moved to the waiting room, spitting out curses. "What¡­ was that¡­ damned... bullshit?!" He definitely had luck on his side! He even got his favorite battlefield¡ªthe Han River Map! Ryu revealed a look of grievance. *** "Wow, what a jackpot!" Seo Jun-Ho said in awe. "It is raining money," agreed the Frost Queen. After returning to the waiting room, Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen were amazed. "I just threw a fist and got 10,000 PP." "Why did I spend all that effort to edit videos...?¡± They both expressed their own feelings after the first match. In fact, Seo Jun-Ho didn''t think it would be like this either. "My luck was so good." He hadn¡¯t expected it to be nighttime at the battlefield. Thanks to that, Hunter''s Night (A) effect was activated, increasing all stats by 10% and the sensitivity of his senses. "Well, you probably would not have lost even without the night with your ability." "You give me a lot of praise these days." "Huh? Why are you bringing that up here all of a sudden?" The confused Frost Queen tilted her head. "But at this rate, would it not be possible to collect 200,000 points before the store opens?" "Hmm¡­ It might be possible." It would be possible if he didn¡¯t get unlucky and get matched with a yer like Kim Woo-Joong. Of course, that was unlikely to happen. Seo Jun-Ho had a vague feeling about it when he saw the person he was matched with this time. "It seems like yers with simr levels are matched together." Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. "Well, if that wasn¡¯t the case, there would be no reason why it would be so crowded,¡± the Frost Queen casually replied. One side of the matching bulletin board showed the number of people currently using the system. "There are 270,000 people... It''s even increasing as we speak.¡± "The announcement seems to have served as a catalyst." People who wanted to collect PPs before the Administrator¡¯s store opened were flocking over here like moths. "In short, it''s a God of Skill game."[1] "So, have you gotten the hang of it?" "Of course..." It was only one match, but Seo Jun-Ho had already figured out most of the system. "The battlefield is random and you also can¡¯t go anywhere that¡¯s within sight." Seo Jun-Ho was also slightly surprised when the transparent wall struck his back. "And we can also use the surrounding terrain..." Since the water from the Han River could be used, there must be some other things they could interact with on the other battlefields. "Hoh, you have seen through the same things as myself." "If it¡¯s just this, it¡¯s nothing much.¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s gaze turned to one side. He looked at the red button next to the match button. [Challenge system] It was a system that allowed you to challenge opponents with levels higher than yourself. If you defeated an opponent that was 5 levels higher, you would get 1.1 times more points. If you defeated an opponent that was 10 levels higher, you would get 1.2 times the points as a bonus. "It seems you can only challenge someone 5 levels above you in the beginning." "You have a lot of time. Let''s take our time and go through this slowly." "All right." Before starting the match, Seo Jun-Ho raised the betting amount to the maximum. Currently, the maximum number of PP he could bet was 15,000. If he won, he would earn 16,500 PP. "Let''s properly hit the jackpot." This method cannot be used forever anyway. Time would let everyone know of his existence, and then no one would fight him anymore. [You have been matched with a new opponent.] A new sucker came up with his eyes blinded by the prospect of earning 15,000 PP. 1. Referring to game matches where one side is overwhelmingly dominant over the other. ? Chapter 167. God of Skill (2)

Chapter 167. God of Skill (2)

Tens of thousands of posts appeared on the ¡®First Matching¡¯ board every day, asking simple questions -Title: Um, are there hacks for matching? yers with too much time would click on it without a second thought. The contents of the post itself were simple. - I just had a match, but I¡¯m really confused. It told me I lost as soon as the match started. It sounded impossible, but people grinned as they took the bait. - Oh, you don¡¯t know? That¡¯s because they kicked you at the speed of light. - You identally pressed ¡®forfeit¡¯. -Lolol they¡¯re gonna cry, let¡¯s stop teasing them. OP was just too weak. ©¸I forgot to add my stats, so I edited them in. The revised post showed the author¡¯s records. The yer had participated in 50 matches so far, which were considered rookie numbers. However, considering that they had a win rate of 82%, they were quite the talented newbie with a lot of potential. - What the, you¡¯re not half bad. Look at that win rate. ©¸I still have much to learn, but I¡¯m currently at the Butterfly Valley Guild. ©¸Huh? Isn¡¯t that a really good underdog Guild? Typically, in sports, the term ¡®underdog¡¯ was used negatively. However, when it referred to Guilds, the meaning was quite different. ¡®They can¡¯t beat out the Big 6, but they¡¯re like ferocious dogs, always snapping behind them and waiting for an opportunity to take their ce.¡¯ The author of the post was a part of Butterfly Valley, which was one such Guild. Most yers could only ever dream of getting into one of them. After this was revealed, things started to get weird. yers that were in an underdog Guild were much more influential than typical yers. In other words, the post now had legitimacy. - So, a level 102 yer in an underdog Guild was defeated as soon as the match started? ©¸I couldn¡¯t even react, to be exact. Actually, if I¡¯m being honest, I couldn¡¯t even see what had attacked me. - That¡¯s too much. Is it really a hack? - If that¡¯s true, this would be the first bug since the matching system was added seven years ago. - Well, even if the System is in charge, loopholes are inevitable. Seven years is a long time to go without any bugs. - Now matching is ruined tooo;;; I was wondering why my win rate had reached 25% recently¡­ - That¡¯s on you¡­ As the number of replies on the post shot up, it quickly became the top post. People who used themunity forums before knew that top posts would get a lot more engagement than regr posts. - Huh? What happened? - Wow, I just read over the original post and this is insane. Shouldn¡¯t the Administrator do something about this? - Do we know the nickname and the stats of the hacker? ©¸They didn¡¯t have a nickname yet. Their record¡¯s 13 wins, 0 losses. It was natural for others to speak up once someone broke the silence. The self-proimed sacrificialmbs of the entity started to appear one by one. They would have 14 wins now, instead of 13. - Huh? That happened to me too! A yer with 7 wins and 0 losses did this to me. ?_?;; ©¸Did that yer also use a spear? ©¸Huh? Wasn¡¯t it the guy who used a halberd? - Wow, so I wasn¡¯t the only one this happened to. A few hours ago, I was defeated in the same way by a yer with 10 wins and 0 losses. ©¸Did that yer also use a spear? ©¸They didn¡¯t right? It was the guy who used a halberd, right? I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I? ©¸I¡¯m sorry to but in, but isn¡¯t this the bastard who used a dagger? ©¸Huh? No? It was the one who used a bow, though¡­ ©¸??? The yers were dumbfounded as they looked through thements. Based on what was happening, they could only reach one conclusion. - I-it must be a hack! And there are multiple people using it! - Matching is ruined! Everyone get out while you can if you don¡¯t want to lose your points! - What if we leave System inquiries? Even though we¡¯ve only been receiving automated replies for the past few years. ©¸That¡¯s a good idea. Let¡¯s all try this. yers started to leave angry inquiries one by one. A candle became a small ember, then a me, and then it started to burn like a bonfire. Of course, not all yers who used the matching system leftints. However, even as a portion of the poption, they were causing great frustration for one particr person. *** Seo Jun-Ho was sitting in his guest room at Del Ice instead of the matching system¡¯s waiting room. Across from him, the Frost Queen was eating cake and tea with Spirit Crystal shavings. ¡°You truly are powerful,¡± she said. ¡°Hehehe, of course, I am. I¡¯m the strongest.¡± In the beginning, Seo Jun-Ho had only started to do matches to gain PP, but he found that it was an unexpectedly refreshing stress-relieving activity to do. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it has been since I¡¯ve fought someone without hiding my skills,¡± he said. ¡°It is not something I have seen before. When you fight with fiends, you are always hitting them while getting hit.¡± ¡°Matches are different from hunting.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could check his skills while dueling other yers and fill the gaps he discovered. It wasn¡¯t as efficient as a real fight, but Seo Jun-Ho was getting stronger with every match. Though, of course, the best part was the stress relief. ¡°What¡¯s more, I can¡¯t practice Overclocking like this in real battle.¡± He couldn¡¯t make a single mistake when he was fighting fiends, so he had to pay careful attention to his Overclocking output. It was a very sensitive factor. But in matches? ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter if I mess up a bit. Still, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever lose.¡± Thanks to that, he managed to greatly increase the amount of time he could maintain Overclocking. He felt like he could now use Overclocking at 20% output in battle. Once he fought in a few more matches, he would surely be able to adjust to it. ¡°Hehehe. Frost, the next time we make a video, you won¡¯t have to worry about the copyright fees.¡± ¡°What great news!¡± She rejoiced like a director who had just received arge budget from her boss. ¡°Well, you have 130,000 PP¡­You have gained so much in a short amount of time.¡± ¡°I have about 210,000 PP in total. But it¡¯s still not enough. I want to hit at least 500,000,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Hm. You are already so wealthy, but I am wondering about just how much PP does the person with the highest PP have?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­Probably around ten million at least? It might even be a hundred million?¡± ¡°Haa.¡± She let out a low sigh at the unimaginable number. At the same time, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho. It¡¯s me, Graham,¡± said the person on the other side of the door. ¡°Oh,e in.¡± Graham stepped in and sulked. ¡°You have truly ordered the worst weapons. But there¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°Huh? What problem?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°You know that bracelet? We can¡¯t seem to put in the right magic no matter what we do. You¡¯ll probably need a mage from the Magic Tower.¡± ¡°I know. I already asked an acquaintance to take care of it,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Even though he had be very close with the dwarves over the past few days, he couldn¡¯t introduce Skaya as a friend because she would appear to be closer to Kim Woo-Joong rather than himself. If word of this spread, it would be a headache to deal with. ¡°So if you just make it, I can take care of the magic portion myself,¡± he finished. ¡°Hm¡­ Alright, then.¡± ¡°How are the other weaponsing along?¡± ¡°Like I just said, you only asked for good-for-nothing weapons so it¡¯ll take some more time. Wait four more days,¡± Graham said. It had already been two days since they began forging the weapons. If it would take four more days, that means that it would take about a week to finish even if the entire White Anvil Tribe was working on it. ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from the bastard who gave me this work,¡± Graham grumbled. He left the house, scowling. ¡°Anyhow, just wait a few more days.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± After Graham left, the Frost Queen spoke, ¡°Contractor. Where do you n to use all those mysterious weapons?¡± ¡°They all have their use¡­¡± Ring. ¡°Oh, a message.¡± Well, there weren¡¯t many people who would send him a message. Only Skaya, Gong Ju-Ha, and Kim Woo-Joong¡­ ¡°...It¡¯s not any of them?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked. He had never seen such a message before. [Hey, we need to talk - Reiji] ¡°Reiji?¡± Why did the name sound familiar? Where had he heard it before? He tilted his head as the Frost Queen elegantly took a bite of her cake before shemented, ¡°It is the name of the 2nd floor Administrator.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She was right. The 2nd floor Administrator, Reiji¡ªthat was her name. ¡°Wait, the 2nd floor Administrator is asking me for a private meeting?¡± Of course, this wasn¡¯t the first time Seo Jun-Ho had done this sort of thing. He had met face-to-face with the 1st floor Administrator, Gray, after all. ¡®But that time¡­¡¯ Wasn¡¯t the reason why that meeting happened because he had broken the rules by trying to enter the Cave of Trials twice? No matter how he wracked his brain, he couldn¡¯t think of anything he had done wrong this time. ¡°What? I¡¯m aw-abiding citizen¡­¡± [Ha, really? Law-abiding citizen? You¡¯re funny.] Seo Jun-Ho was suddenly teleported to a strange ce, just like the time with Gray. ¡°So Administrators have such mysterious abilities,¡± the Frost Queenmented. ¡°...They¡¯re amazing abilities,¡± Seo Jun-Ho corrected. Even at his level, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t manage to notice any sign that he was about to be transported. The path he had taken waspletely cked out. ¡°But¡­¡± He looked around. The ce he was in was very different from when he met the 1st floor Administrator. Gray¡¯s space had beenpletely empty and gray, void of any furniture. ¡°Beds? Sofas?¡± However, this ce was filled with countless beds and sofas and was dotted with plush cushions. ¡°Hey.¡± The voice came from the personying on the couch in front of him. She was a healthy-looking female with copper skin. ¡°Um¡­ Reiji-nim?¡± Her eyes were captivating despite being slightly narrowed, but he couldn¡¯t be fooled by appearances. He had to be very careful around her. After all, didn¡¯t her name mean ¡®rage¡¯?[1] She gestured with her fingers. ¡°C¡¯mere.¡± Seo Jun-Ho scrambled over to the couch, and she tilted her head. ¡°Hey, yer.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± She red at him for a second before pulling out one of the tens of thousands of papers that seemed to be stuffing the ground beneath her sofa. - I¡¯m gonna report you. It seems that you¡¯ve hacked the matching system. Did you think an Administrator would ck on their work? Reiji pulled out another paper. - Do your work, Administrator. Why hasn¡¯t the System fired her yet? She pulled out another. - Noona, I¡¯m gonna send you a hundred moreints if you don¡¯t patch the bug. This bastard. Swoosh! She threw up all the papers in the air. Seo Jun-Ho looked up at her as he watched them flutter down. ¡°What are those?¡± he asked. ¡°I wonder. Personally, I think they¡¯re allints I¡¯ve received because of you.¡± She let out a long sigh and sat up, scratching her head. ¡°You can probably tell from my name, but I¡¯m prettyid-back.¡± ¡®...And not angry?¡¯ Wait, did her name mean zy¡¯ and not ¡®rage¡¯?[2] ¡°When I getints, I usually put up an automated response no matter how many I get,¡± she exined. ¡°What a horrible Administrator,¡± the Frost Queen whispered. ¡°But I can¡¯t do that this time. Why? The higher-ups woke me up and told me to make a detailed report. Dammit!¡± That was why she was so angry. Because a mere yer had woken her up. Not only that, but she had also been having a sweet dream about retiring as a civil servant. ¡°So even though it¡¯s annoying, I have to check it out and write a report. So sit tight.¡± As Reiji stared at him for a moment, a hologram window appeared in front of her. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Name is Seo Jun-Ho, country of origin is Korea, birthdate is¡­ Huh? What is this?¡± Her eyes grew wide and then softened. She looked up at Seo Jun-Ho, then back at the window. ¡°Are you really 50 years old? Are you an age regressor? No, that shouldn¡¯t be possible on Earth yet,¡± As she muttered to herself, she continued to read Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s personal information. ¡°Things of note, defeated the Floor Master of the 1st floor 26 years ago¡­ Huh? Wait. So you¡¯re Specter?¡± Her eyes grew wide. What was with her reaction? 1. ¡¯Reiji¡¯ sounds like rage, but we went with a romanization because the Korean word can be read in different ways. ? 2. They are spelled the same. L and R are pronounced very simrly in Korean. ? Chapter 168. God of Skill (3)

Chapter 168. God of Skill (3)

Reiji slowly looked Jun-Ho over, her eyes round. ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re Specter, right? Hm, so this is what you look like.¡± ¡°Gray-nim recognized me right away,¡± he remarked. ¡°So what? I¡¯mzy, so I didn¡¯t feel the need to look up what you look like.¡± She scratched her stomach andid back down, yawning. ¡°I¡¯m probably not the only one, you know.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Not the only Administrator that doesn¡¯t know what you look like. Though, everyone would recognize your name.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± Thest time Specter had been active was 26 years ago. There had been many yers that had appeared since then that were even stronger than him. Now, he was heavily overshadowed by the light of the Nine Heavens. ¡°Yeah, they should. The world only remembers the best.¡± She pointed at him with her index finger. ¡°The first person to defeat a Floor Master and unlock a new floor was you. Specter.¡± Even if 100 years passed instead of 25, his achievement wouldn¡¯t go away. Specter had carved his existence into the world. ¡°Wait a second.¡± Reiji met the Frost Queen¡¯s eyes. ¡°That must mean that the little doll thing on your shoulder is the Frost Queen, right? ¡°L-little? H-how impertinent!¡± ¡°Damn¡­this is fun. Very fun.¡± Hearing her tone, it was hard to believe that she had been hysterically angry mere moments ago. Reiji stood up and held out her right hand, inviting him to shake it. Seo Jun-Ho took it unconsciously, and she shook his arm with tremendous strength. He felt like he would melt under the stare of her zing, enthusiastic eyes. ¡°Specter and the Frost Queen. I don¡¯t know about the other Administrators, but I¡¯ve always believed in you two.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already done it once, haven¡¯t you? Then, that means you can do it twice. Yeah, twice is nothing. You can do it nine more times¡­ Right?¡± She seemed to be more mad than faithful. ¡°Hurry up and clear the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors¡­ All the way up to the 10th, so I can retire. I¡¯ll be rooting for you guys as much as possible.¡± ¡°C-Contractor. This woman¡¯s eyes are scary,¡± The Frost Queen remarked. Seo Jun-Ho agreed. He spoke calmly, ¡°I will do my best.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m just sorry that I can¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°The thought is enough. So, about the report¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ll take care of it. It turns out that there wasn¡¯t actually a need to call you up in the first ce¡­¡± Reiji cut herself off and started to stroke her chin, muttering, ¡°Wait. If I can help you out just a little bit¡­ If that will let me retire even a day earlier¡­¡± She stopped talking to herself and gave an alluring smile. Men would probably fall in love at first sight if they saw it. ¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve made a grave mistake. I can¡¯t be acting like this as a Floor Administrator. It¡¯s too much, right?¡± ¡°Huh? No, well, I wouldn¡¯t call it too much, per se¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t really lost anything except for five minutes of his time. But Reiji shook her head vigorously. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s clearly my fault. I¡¯ve done you wrong. I wasted your precious time, didn¡¯t I? Goodness. I should probablypensate you for that, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± she spoke without fervor as if she were reading from a textbook. She checked something. ¡°Let¡¯s see. So you have 212,714 yer Points right now?¡± She ced an arm around his shoulder. ¡°800,000,¡± she whispered. ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be opening up the shop soon. There are only a few days left, get 800,000 points before then.¡± This meant he only had two days, but he didn¡¯t protest. Because when he turned his head, he saw that her eyes were burning brightly right in front of him. ¡°Don¡¯t you get what I¡¯m saying? Just let mepensate you for my error¡­ So just do as I say while I¡¯m being nice.¡± ¡°...¡± What would it look like if she wasn¡¯t being nice? Seo Jun-Ho swallowed down the question. ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯ He was getting a reward. Not just any reward, but a gift from a Floor Administrator. He should be happy. He really should be happy, but¡­ Why did he feel like he was being ripped off by the neighborhood bully? ¡°...I¡¯ll do my best.¡± All he could do was nod bitterly. *** ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Look at that momentum. They could easily cut through a line of bamboo.¡± ¡°Nah, they¡¯re strong enough to at least split a rock.¡±[1] Guild members were bustling around therge, tidy lounge in Goblin¡¯s Guild House. Gong Ju-Ha entered the room and pulled out a coffee from the vending machine. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± she asked. When they recognized her, the Guild members bowed respectfully. ¡°Hello, Princess.¡± ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°It looks like you grew a bit taller overnight.¡± ¡°Do you want to die?¡± She noogied the member who had broached the sensitive topic and gulped down her coffee. ¡°So what¡¯s going on?¡± As soon as she asked the questions, the Guild members started chattering like baby birds. ¡°You were pretty into matching at some point, weren¡¯t you? You would do it all day.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose. Why do you ask?¡± she asked. ¡°Matching¡¯s been all the rage these days.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are there more people because the Administrator¡¯s shop is opening soon? I already knew that. It always happens.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. A newbie has appeared, but they¡¯re the real thing.¡± Gong Ju-Ha took another swing of her coffee. ¡°So they¡¯re good at fighting? It¡¯s not like they¡¯re the only ones. There are a lot of talented newbies out there,¡± she said, unimpressed. ¡°This one¡¯s different. They¡¯ve been winning continuously with the challenge system.¡± ¡°...The challenge system?¡± She vaguely remembered it. She tilted her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the one where it pairs you with people of a higher level than you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯ve been using it from their very first day, and they even won against a level 120 opponent.¡± ¡°Well, level differences don¡¯t really matter past 100.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re level 76.¡± ¡°Pffft!¡± Ju-Ha spat her coffee out. ¡°A-a level 76 yer won against a level 120 yer?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe, isn¡¯t it?¡± She tilted her head as they made a fuss. ¡°Has something changed since I stopped using matching? Do they give advantages to lower-level participants?¡± ¡°Of course not...¡± ¡°You know how there was the whole issue about there being a bug in the matching system? This guy¡¯s the one responsible for that.¡± ¡°And you know what¡¯s even more surprising? Administrator Reiji posted an announcement herself.¡± ¡°...Reiji? The 2nd floor Administrator?¡± ¡°Yes. Check it.¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes went wide as she opened themunity forums. There was a new announcement post, with a NEW icon attached to its top corner. [Announcement] I checked the notorious yer, but it was their skills, not a bug. So stop sending meints, you bastards. ¡°Wow¡­ It¡¯s real.¡± When it came to the 2nd floor Administrator Reiji, the yers considered it lucky if she opened the Administrator¡¯s shop. She had zy¡± written all over her face, but she actually went so far as to make an announcement this time. ¡°She said it¡¯s their skills, not a bug¡­ That means she investigated it, right?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked. ¡°I believe so. No matter howzy she is, she¡¯s still an Administrator.¡± ¡°...That means the level 76 yer has really defeated a level 120 yer.¡± ¡°And they also have 13 consecutive wins.¡± ¡°It¡¯s 27 wins and 0 losses now, actually.¡± ¡°Even though we don¡¯t know exactly how many points they¡¯ve earned by now, everyone''s jealous.¡± ¡°...¡± Gong Ju-Ha was lost in thought. It wasn¡¯t actually impossible for a level 76 yer to defeat a level 120 yer. Gong Ju-Ha was confident that she could¡¯ve defeated most level 120 yers at level 76. ¡®But I¡¯ve never actually tested it. The Matching system¡¯s pretty new, after all.¡¯ Plus, there was only one day left until the Administrator¡¯s shop opened. yers who regrly participated in Matching would be especially eager to win because it would determine whether or not they could buy the items they wanted. ¡°What weapon do they use?¡± she asked. ¡°Everything,¡± a member replied. ¡°What do you mean, everything?¡± ¡°Apparently, they pretty much use every weapon in the book.¡± ¡°Everyone who¡¯s fought against him says something different.¡± ¡°So far, they¡¯ve used 23 different weapons. They even used a gun, apparently.¡± ¡°...What¡¯s with that?¡± Gong Ju-Ha muttered. This sounded like a true Specter copycat¡­ ¡°Oh my god! What if it really is Specter-nim?¡± She was the only one who had guessed the truth, but the other Guild members shot her down. ¡°Come on, that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°He¡¯s on the 1st floor right now.¡± ¡°And he should at least be level 80. This guy¡¯s level 76.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like he¡¯s the only one who has mastered multiple weapons.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ You¡¯re right.¡± She scratched her head. ¡°I just had a thought. What if Specter-nim¡¯s level was reset to level 1 and he started using the matching system while leveling up?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much, Princess.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t defend you for this.¡± ¡°R-right?¡± Embarrassed, she changed the subject. ¡°Do we know what skills they have?¡± ¡°I think they have a physical enhancement skill.¡± ¡°Physical enhancement¡­ That¡¯s more ordinary than I thought.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll eat those words if you actually fight them yourself,¡± a Guild member said,ughing. Theyid back in the chair. ¡°I¡¯ve actually fought them. That guy¡­ They were pretty good.¡± ¡°They talk as if they won, but this guy lost 20,000 PP.¡± ¡°Hey, I stayed up all night getting them back. The Administrator¡¯s shop is opening tomorrow.¡± ¡°...Is the newbie really that strong?¡± Gong Ju-Ha was unexpectedly interested. Herpetitive spirit as a professional yer was piqued. ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t imagine you losing. But the same is true for this guy. How should I put this¡­ It felt like they had no openings. Simply wless. It took my breath away.¡± ¡°...Hmm.¡± Just how strong was this guy for the Guild members to be saying this? Since they were part of the Big 6, they were elites that Gong Ju-Ha had hand-picked from all over the country. Even after bing professional yers, they were still in the top 0.01%. ¡®These guys have a lot of pride, but they¡¯re praising the newbie so much¡­¡¯ She was starting to get curious about just how strong this opponent was. ¡°What¡¯s that person¡¯s nickname?¡± she asked innocently. 1. The phrase for ¡°momentum¡± ???? is changed by one character to read as ¡°rockslide¡± ???? ? Chapter 169. God of Skill (4)

Chapter 169. God of Skill (4)

Speary relied on the fundamental principles of swiftness and elusiveness. The tip of this spear weaved through the air, drawing patterns resembling heavenly constetions. Any yers watching would¡¯ve pped and cheered at the level of skill they were witnessing.[1] But Seo Jun-Ho kept hispliments brief. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re pretty good with the spear. Now that¡¯s speary.¡± There was more to the spear than simply thrusting it forward from a guard position. It was able to instantly close the gap between the user and their opponent, leaving the opponent with no possibility other than to step back. In other words, the spear could be used to corner one¡¯s opponent. They would have no chance to get close, and would ultimately fall under the spearman''s attacks. This was the proper way to use a spear. ¡°But you still need to take more space. You have too many openings.¡± Bang! As Seo Jun-Ho pulled the trigger, a bullet shot out from his revolver. The spear¡¯s lines of movement filled out like a spiderweb, leaving no visible space for the bullet toe through. But as it approached, the spear somehow seemed to have moved out of the way on its own and created an opening. ¡°...!¡± The spear-user looked down with wide eyes, staring at the hole in their chest. Was it magic? Luck? No, it couldn¡¯t be either. ¡®They read me. They read the trajectory of my spear perfectly.¡¯ Thanks to the Unknown System, the spear-user¡¯s body waspletely cked out, like a suspect in a detectiveic. They looked up, the system only making their eyes visible. They looked at Seo Jun-Ho, conflicted, and then spoke. ¡°...Thank you for teaching me.¡± Fwoo! Seo Jun-Ho blew on the barrel of his gun. ¡°I was worried because yers these days have no determination, but I¡¯m d that there are people like you.¡± ¡®I¡¯m level 120. What would a level 76 newbie know¡­!¡¯ The spear-user scowled, about to bark a retort, but they never got the opportunity. [You have won.] [You have received 88,000 points.] [Returning to the waiting room.] ¡°Mmm.¡± Both Jun-Ho and his opponent were teleported back to their respective waiting rooms. He checked his new bnce, feeling refreshed. ¡°627,000 points¡­ Man. They¡¯re harder to earn than I expected.¡± ¡°If the other yers heard what you said, they would hit your head.¡± The Frost Queen was right. What other yer could gather 550,000 points in merely two days? He had unofficially cheated the matching system. But therein lie the problem. ¡°Tsk. I thought I¡¯d be able to get them all in no time¡­¡± ¡°Not all your opponents are idiots,¡± she said. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s nickname had already spread far and wide across the matching forums. They had even given him numerous nicknames like zero-losses, monster newbie, point predator, bastard, and so on¡­ Perhaps that was why he was no longer able to fight for hours as he had done on his first day. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, kids these days have no spirit. Back in my day, we¡¯d run into battle first and think about the consequences afterward.¡± No one wanted to fight against him. He still needed to fight a few more matches to fulfill the bribe¡ªno, the points that Reiji had ordered him to prepare. ¡°Ugh, I should¡¯ve just let myself lose a few times to adjust the ratio.¡± ¡°What did I say? I told you to do that,¡± the Frost Queen remarked. Seo Jun-Ho had won every battle because he didn¡¯t want to taint the holy score on his status window with a single loss¡­ Though this had eventually be the very thing holding him back. ¡°Ugh. I didn¡¯t think I would get caught, so I even changed my nickname¡­¡± The yers weren¡¯t idiots. There were little to no yers who were level 76 and had zero losses. Now, because of that, his duel would be rejected merely a second as soon as a match was made. ¡°Still, that spear-user just now had a good mindset.¡± ¡°...Is it not the opposite? The ones who still fight you have a few screws loose in their heads,¡± the Frost Queen said. They still fought him, knowing that he was a monster. She just couldn¡¯t understand them. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s impressive. The people who are still epting my matches are fighting me to learn something new. It¡¯s not easy to do that when your opponent is some low-level kid.¡± yers like the spear-user excel no matter what they did. As long as one continued to learn, one would continue to grow. ¡°But Contractor, is it not starting to be a little dangerous?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh¡­¡± He nodded slowly. Right now, he was using the challenge system to challenge level 120 yers. He had no reason not to do so because it gave him bonus points as a reward. However, he hadn¡¯t been matched with someone as strong as one of the Nine Heavens. ¡®The matching system is held to a certain standard.¡¯ So, he would only get matched with yers without a huge difference in statspared to him. But as he continued to get rejected, the ones he got to fight were getting stronger and stronger. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s starting to get a little dangerous for me. I won¡¯t be able to just kill normal yers like before.¡± At this rate, he could even be matched with someone on Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s level. Though, even if he lost, he would only lose 10-20,000 points out of the hundreds of thousands he had¡­ ¡°But I don¡¯t want to lose. It¡¯ll hurt my pride.¡± He would not let that happen, not as long as he was still in the running. Seo Jun-Ho let out a light sigh, muttering with a dejected expression, ¡°Please, someone, anyone, ept my matching request¡­¡± [The opponent has declined to match.] [The opponent has declined to match.] [The opponent has declined to match.] ¡­ And he kept getting rejected as if the System was mocking him. ¡®What should I do? Should I start looking for other ways to earn points?¡¯ There wasn¡¯t much time left until the Administrator¡¯s shop opened. He only had five hours. He started to consider this seriously. [You have been matched with a new opponent.] Name: Heat Hunter Level: 120 Stats: 375 battles, 370 wins, 1 loss, 4 ties Bet: 100,000 PP He had been matched with an opponent. Not only that, but they were a cocky yer who had bet 100,000 PP against him. ¡®100,000 PP! With the challenge system bonus, I should be able to get the remaining 180,000 points once I win.¡¯ With this one battle, he could finally let go of his worries and concerns and stop using the matching system. But the Frost Queen thought differently. ¡°Why are you excited? They will refuse you as soon as they see.¡± ¡°...Right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked disappointed as he pressed ¡®ept.¡¯ [Matching has been epted.] [The name of this battlefield is ¡®Antarctica¡¯.] Thendscape changed. They stood on a cier, surrounded by a freezing cold ocean. The map that had been chosen was Antarctica. ¡°They epted?¡± ¡°...They epted?¡± Both Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen looked confused. ¡®Newbie 76¡¯ had already be a household name. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s someone who came to learn something, like the spear-user from earlier.¡± ¡°They must have a few screws loose, then.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho studied his opponent. Their figure was petite, and their height could only reach his chest. ¡®That¡¯s not a man, right?¡¯ If they were, they would be a boy who hadn¡¯t finished growing. But based on their silhouette, it was more likely that his opponent was a woman. ¡®Well, regardless of gender, they¡¯re still my opponent.¡¯ He thought about what weapon he should show off and settled on the sword. It was a normal sword that could be found at any forge, bearing no distinctive traits. ¡°...¡± He felt his opponent staring at him. A momentter, the countdown appeared in front of the two. ¡°Contractor, do not let your guard down simply because they are petite¡­¡± ¡°No need to worry.¡± His opponent was a veteran that had won 370 out of their 375 matches so far. As such, they were definitely powerful. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t let my guard down at an opponent like this.¡¯ If he lost, he had a lot to lose. 100,000 points were riding on this match. ¡°...¡± The battle began, but his opponent did not move. ¡®Are they trying to read me?¡¯ He got the strong sense that they were evaluating him. ¡°...Then I should show them.¡± The amusement quickly left his face. It seemed like he had be a different person in a mere instant. Shing! The sword let out a cold, vicious scream as it was unsheathed. *** Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s opponent, Heat Hunter, was actually the Team 2 Leader of Goblin Guild, Gong Ju-Ha. ¡®So that¡¯s the rumored Newbie 76.¡¯ She swallowed and hastily checked the information one more time. ¡®They really are level 76¡­ right?¡¯ As they unsheathed their sword, their aura changedpletely. It was as if they had gone from a soft spring breeze to a winter gale. ¡°Impossible,¡± she muttered. Not only that, but she was momentarily overwhelmed by this new energy. ¡®The Guild members weren¡¯t lying.¡¯ They really were a monster. As long as Newbie 76 wasn¡¯t a fiend, she wanted to recruit them if she discovered their identity. ¡®I should take this seriously too.¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha didn¡¯t fit under the typical ssifications of yers, such as swordsmen, mages, and aura-users. Those yers were ssified based on what abilities they had and their preferred fighting style. But Gong Ju-Ha had always been described using a single phrase¡ªme-user. There were definitely yers who were stronger than her, maybe even more of them than she thought. There were also countless yers weaker than her. But Gong Ju-Ha was stronger than every me-user who came before her and was stronger than every me-user who woulde after. No yer could refute that. Crackle! She summoned a me at the tips of her fingers. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know this, because he didn¡¯t pay much attention to these things, but ¡®Heat Hunter¡¯ was also a famous figure in the matching system. The only person with such a petite frame, and such powerful mes was none other than Gong Ju-Ha. She saw her opponent flinch. They had probably realized her identity by now. They must have been pretty shocked as they were even muttering into the air. ¡°...I feel bad.¡± But she had no intention of going easy on them when the match had already started. Fwoosh! mes exploded around her. She would usually whine about how hot it was, but this time she didn¡¯t. She watched him closely, eyes focused. ¡®I¡¯m d that the map¡¯s Antarctica.¡¯ It was her favorite one because it negated the heat her abilities exuded. ¡®They¡¯reing.¡¯ Her opponent pulled themselves together and started to elerate. Their steps were broad, and their feet were wide. ¡®Amazing.¡¯ Veterans like Gong Ju-Ha could evaluate someone else¡¯s skills from that person¡¯s gait alone. And as she watched her opponent approach, she saw just how strong they were. Fwooooah! She raised her mes¡¯ heat and stood on guard when she saw how her opponent was walking. Tadada! As they kicked off the cier, they raised their sword. Gong Ju-Ha squinted. ¡®They¡¯re still trying to face me head-on.¡¯ Had Newbie 76 never fought a yer with an elemental skill before? She felt greatly disappointed. ¡®...That¡¯s such a shame. They justck experience. But I¡¯m not gonna go easy on them just because they made a mistake.¡¯ Even an idiot would not do that on the battlefield. She decided that she would have to teach her hubae a cruel lesson as a sunbae. Fwooosh! The mes fanned, swallowing Newbie 76. ¡°...!¡± As they did, she saw a beautiful streak of light. The air sizzled with white vapor as her mes screamed against the Antarctic cold. The serene de looked like it could freeze everything. 1. The word "principle" (??, ÃîÀí) ismonly used in a murim setting to refer to the ultimate essence of a technique, the absolute fundamentals that allow a technique to be executed perfectly (e.g. the principles of strength, flow, speed, etc.). ? Chapter 170. God of Skill (5)

Chapter 170. God of Skill (5)

As it fell, the steel sword reflected the faded Antarctic sun and the mes that had enveloped thend. It was beautiful. But not the sword itself. ¡®The light¡­¡¯ A long ray of light captured Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes, looking as if it would make the world anew. ¡®It¡¯s pretty.¡¯ This was the first time she admired the beauty of an opponent¡¯s sword. Of course, it wasn¡¯t as beautiful as the sight of the Sword Saint¡¯s de that she had seen from a distance a few years ago. But this sword was falling toward her, which meant that she was that much more captivated than back then. ¡®Wait, it¡¯sing!¡¯ Oh right! She had to dodge! But by the time she realized this, it was toote. Woosh! The sword came down on her head. ¡°...!¡± She felt a tremor go down her spine and spread across her body. And it wasn¡¯t just because of the cold. It was because she knew that the fierce, powerful sword would cut her in half. She knew that this was merely a match and that she wouldn¡¯t get hurt, but her body reacted first. ¡®I¡¯m gonna lose? This pathetically¡­?¡¯ She bit down on her lip. She forced her eyes to stay open for the sake of pride. Woosh! Should she be relieved? The sword stopped. Right in front of her nose. ¡°...Why?¡± she asked, her voice tight. Her opponent didn¡¯t say anything and merely looked at her with unreadable eyes. They pulled back the sword, returning to their original position. ¡®Are they¡­ Giving me another chance? Because I let my guard down? Because it wouldn¡¯t be fun if it ended like this?¡¯ She let out a lowugh. She didn¡¯t like that a level 76 yer had gotten the better of her, but the fact that they were giving her a handicap was even worse. ¡®I am a Team Leader of the Goblin Guild.¡¯ Her actions reflected her Guild, which meant that her mistakes and misconduct would also be attributed to it. ¡®But that¡¯s not what I¡¯m the angriest about.¡¯ She was angry at herself. She had been bedazzled by her opponent¡¯s sword and stood there like an idiot, unable to do anything. Of course, the reason Seo Jun-Ho gave her another chance wasn¡¯t because of stupid pity. ¡°Contractor. You did not let her go just because you know each other, right?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°Of course not. I know how to separate my public and private lives.¡± He merely wanted to take advantage of such a great opportunity. From the moment she created her mes, both he and the Frost Queen realized that they were facing Gong Ju-Ha. Looking at the petite frame of the me user in front of them, they had to be Gong Ju-Ha. ¡°This is an unexpected stroke of luck.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t hate her. If he had to choose, he would actually say that he felt favorable toward her. ¡®But I¡¯ve always wondered how strong the elites of the Big 6 yers are.¡¯ Not only was Gong Ju-Ha a Ranker, but she was also a High Ranker, which only existed among 10,000 yers. She was one of the strongest yers in this era. ¡°I want to see her skills,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. When he went to the Cinder Fox Gate after he broke out of the ice, he had been disappointed in the skills of the modern yers. ¡®I heard that the basic standards for yers had shot up, so I¡¯d been looking forward to it.¡¯ His high expectations had caused him to be even more disappointed. But the yers on the 1st floor were all at the lowest of the pack. Aftering up to the 2nd floor, however, Seo Jun-Ho met many talented yers. Starting with Baek Geon-Woo, the man who had never given up, he also met other talented yers during the kobold huntingpetition. However, he was merely looking forward to their futures. They didn¡¯t meet his standards at the moment. ¡®But she¡¯s different...¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha was already a High Ranker. He thought that her power might satisfy him, so he couldn¡¯t just end it with one blow. ¡°...Show me what you¡¯ve got, Team Leader Gong.¡± Otherwise, there would¡¯ve been no point in sparing her. *** ¡°It was a mistake to spare me,¡± Gong Ju-Ha muttered, tying her hair back with an stic band. Even though it was embarrassing enough that she wanted to bury her head in the snow, the truth was that her opponent had spared her. And on one hand, she was d for it. She wanted to pay them back for showing her the beautiful sight by showing off her skills. ¡°So I¡¯m gonna give it my all.¡± She didn¡¯t really think that she had let her guard down earlier, but she discovered a newfound determination. She wouldn¡¯t arrogantly try to teach them a lesson as a sunbae anymore. ¡®I¡¯m just gonna fight.¡¯ She would consider them as an opponent. She would take ¡®Newbie 76¡¯ as a real enemy. Fwoosh! The wall of mes behind her started to condense. One, two, three, four¡­ In an instant, the mes condensed into thirty fireballs, each one as big as five basketballs. ¡°I¡¯ll show you what real fire looks like.¡± She kicked off the surface of the cier and charged, her feet were light like a squirrel¡¯s. The fireballs followed right behind her like she was a pied piper. ¡®Is she not gonna attack me right away?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho narrowed his eyes. Was she still underestimating him? He shook his head. ¡®No. It¡¯s the opposite.¡¯ Apparently, he had stoked her desire to win. ¡°Hm¡­¡± The Frost Queen nodded as she watched Gong Ju-Ha dash toward Seo Jun-Ho with great vigor. ¡°Good luck, Contractor. I shall support you from all the way over there.¡± Intimidated by Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s determination, the Frost Queen quickly abandoned her Contractor and flew elsewhere. ¡°Geez, you¡¯re throwing me away?¡± He shook his head, exasperated, before watching closely. ¡®Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve never seen her fight before.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t been able to see it in Las Vegas. He had been far away, so all he saw was a great pir of fire shooting into the sky. ¡®I thought she was just a me-user, but her physical abilities are also impressive.¡¯ It made sense. No yer could be a High Ranker just with a single elemental skill. Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s skills were slightly below that of powerful physical-enforcement types. As such, she probably went through hellish training to reach where she was today. ¡°Not bad.¡± With that brief note, Seo Jun-Ho summoned his magic and gripped his sword. At the same time, Gong Ju-Ha reached his vicinity and swung her arm. Fwoosh! Two fireballs came to greet him, flying forward at a fearsome speed. Once he cut through the two condensed fireballs and they fizzled out, Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s small foot came flying. Despite her size, her magic-enhanced strikes could do serious damage. ¡®But she¡¯s not as fast as I expected.¡¯ He snatched her ankle, about to throw her to the ground. But then, he felt something hot near his head. ¡°Hup!¡± He let go and retreated, but Gong Ju-Ha didn¡¯t let him go. She closed the distance, following him like a rabbit chasing a carrot. ¡®Those fireballs are more annoying than I thought.¡¯ Frankly, Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s physical fighting abilities weren¡¯t that outstanding. Among all the yers in the world, she would probably only fall in the top 25% ¡®...But she¡¯s a me-user.¡¯ She was able to ovee the weaknesses of Ruler of mes (S). It wasn¡¯tmon for elemental ability users to have closebat fighting styles, but those who had only had a single goal in mind. ¡®To fight like me.¡¯ Specter had been the one to master that style. In other words, Seo Jun-Ho was both their goal and their guide. Of course, this also meant that he could see every single one of her weak points. ¡®Hm, I suppose it would be okay to teach her a bit.¡¯ He could clearly see all the weaknesses that even Gong Ju-Ha herself couldn¡¯t see as he watched her from the top of the mountain he was standing on as she struggled to climb up and catch up to him. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword started to swing wildly in the air. ¡®I can do this!¡¯ Despite her initial confidence, she noticed that something was off as time passed. Her limbs started to get tangled up. She had only managed to corner him for a second, and now, the scales had tipped back to the way they were at the beginning of the battle. ¡®Huh¡­Huh? This can¡¯t be happening.¡¯ She trembled. There weren¡¯t many people who fought like her, using ever-changing tactics along with elemental abilities. Those who fought someone with her fighting style for the first time shouldn¡¯t be able to even perceive, let alone keep up with the quick changes she was making to her style. ¡®And they¡¯re only level 76...¡¯ Her opponent should have no experience fighting people like her. So why was this happening? Frustratingly enough, Newbie 76 had always made the right moves¡ªthey even made choices that Ju-Ha herself hadn¡¯t considered. ¡°Ow!¡± Her opponentnded a low kick on her ankle, making her small body fly through the air. In her defenseless state, they pushed her face back. ¡°Ack!¡± Gong Ju-Ha cried out as shended ungainly on the ice. She rubbed her aching nose and stood up. With her thoughts still jumbled, she could only ask one question, ¡°How? How can you see all the openings in my attacks¡­¡± She cut herself off instead of admitting her own stupidity. ¡®You idiot, don¡¯t ask something so stupid.¡¯ How? They simply saw through all her attacks. In other words, Newbie 76 had better fighting instinct than she did. It shocked her when she realized this. ¡®...I¡¯ve never felt this way before.¡¯ All her life, she had been praised as a prodigy. Because of that, she had been able to join the Big 6 at a young age and had the honor of bing a Team Leader at the young age of twenty-four. But even she could see how special Newbie 76 was. ¡®This person¡­ They¡¯re not a genius.¡¯ They were a monster. She could feel the massive wall between them, the same one she felt when she saw Shin Sung-Hyun and Kim Woo-Joong, she saw that same thing from a yer who was merely level 76. ¡°...Sigh.¡± The strength left her body as she realized their difference in talent. How had she been at level 76? Well, her skin had been better¡­ Her opponent approached her as she got lost in her thoughts. ¡°You¡¯re strong.¡± Their voice was masked by the Unknown System, and they sounded like an old gentleman. ¡°As expected of the Red Lotus Princess. You are the strongest opponent I¡¯ve encountered in the matching system.¡± ¡°A-ahem.¡± Gong Ju-Ha shrugged her shoulders, seemingly ttered. Even though she was using the Unknown System, she seemed to have no intentions of hiding her identity. Seo Jun-Ho cleared his throat before he spoke again, ¡°Do you know Specter?¡± ¡°How could I not? He¡¯s the yer I admire the most.¡± Her eyes started to sparkle at the mention of his name. ¡°But why are you asking me that in the middle of a battle? Let¡¯s do this. C¡¯mon.¡± ¡°Well, seeing your fighting style, it seems like you¡¯ve gotten a lot of inspiration from him¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Really? You can see that?¡± Well, others might not be able to see it, but it would be weirder if Specter himself couldn¡¯t recognize his own fighting style. Not only that, but her weak points were very simr to the ones he had in the past. ¡®It¡¯s all a part of the journey.¡¯ It was a lonely road, without someone else¡¯s guidance. Not many people had taken the path he took, but the ones who did all went through these growing pains. ¡®But the moment she¡¯s able to ovee her weaknesses¡­¡¯ She would be able to cross the wall and reach a new level. ¡°First of all, I saw seventeen weak points,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°D-do I really have that many¡­?¡± Heunched into a patient exnation as if he was a private tutor. Gong Ju-Ha nodded along like an eager student, taking note of everything he said. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Once he finished the lecture, her jaw dropped. She had been vaguely aware of every aspect he had mentioned. ¡®But I have no idea how he was able to exin why I was doing those things.¡¯ This was priceless advice that not even money could buy. Plus, Newbie 76 was a total stranger, not someone in her Guild. She looked up at her opponent, confused. ¡°Why¡­ Why are you being so nice to me?¡± ¡°Hm, well¡­¡± The biggest reason was that she was a fellow yer. If Seo Jun-Ho wanted to topple the powerful fiends, he need many skilled yers. Other than that, he was familiar with her. However, he couldn¡¯t just tell her these things. ¡®Well, if I had to pick a third reason¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho grinned. He knew that Gong Ju-Ha was a fan of his, but he didn¡¯t expect that he had influenced her fighting style as well. How should he say this? When he saw Gong Ju-Ha, he felt like he was looking at a hubae from the same school¡­ ¡°Because you¡¯re cute?¡± ¡°W-what¡¯re you saying?!¡± Gong Ju-Ha bit her tongue in surprise. Eyes watering, she quickly pressed on the System window. [The opponent has forfeited.] [You have won.] [You have received 180,000 points.] [You will be returned to the waiting room.] ¡°I-I paid you back, alright?!¡± she said, flustered. ¡°...I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough to cover everything I taught you, though?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll pay you back for real sometime!¡± Before she ran away to the waiting room, she looked back to give him a warning. ¡°And once I fix all my mistakes, we¡¯re gonna have a rematch, so watch out! And thank you for the advice!¡± She even bowed politely before she disappeared. Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head as he was left alone on the cier. ¡°Hm. Her face was a little red. Is it because she¡¯s a fire elemental user?¡± he muttered. ¡°Again, with the idiotic talk.¡± ¡°...What do you mean? Why are you insulting me when I just got 800,000 PP?¡± heined. The Frost Queen shook her head and sighed. ¡°Goodness¡­ You would not understand it even if I told you.¡± He really wouldn¡¯t understand it. Chapter 171. The Administrator鈥檚 Shop (1)

Chapter 171. The Administrator¡¯s Shop (1)

¡°Ugh, it¡¯s so tiring to y the sunbae. Tiring, I tell you,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered out of the blue. ¡°What are you saying?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°I¡¯ve already taught around ten people this and that while matching. I yed the role of a sunbae pretty thoroughly.¡± In other words, he was just bragging. There was no need for her to say anything. They said that practice made perfect and that experience was the best teacher, so the Frost Queen casually ignored him and ate her cake and drank her tea. Her face turned cloudy. ¡°...Something is strange. I think the tea and the cake taste dull today¡­¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the time of reckoning...¡± ¡°You make no sense sometimes,¡± shemented. The Frost Queen would probably never know what Seo Jun-Ho had been doing with her food¡ªthis was the price she had to pay for disrespecting him. She spoke again as he looked down at her quietly. ¡°Anyway, you somehow managed to gather all the yer Points in the end.¡± ¡°Yeah, somehow.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled softly as he looked at his points. He had a little over 800,000. Whenever he looked at the number of points he had, he couldn¡¯t keep the smile off his face. It was much more thrilling than the feeling he would get when he collected restaurant coupons as a young man. ¡°The Administrator¡¯s shop will open soon. I think there¡¯s about an hour left.¡± ¡°You can do matching again if you ever need PP again.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ Well, I won¡¯t be able to do it for the time being.¡± Even if he wanted to, no one would fight him. Before he epted the match with Gong Ju-Ha, he had spent an hour getting rejected by other yers. ¡°Oh, now that I think about it¡­¡± He remembered that there was someone he had to contact before the shop opened. Seo Jun-Ho opened the Community forums window. The Frost Queen¡¯s face fell instantly, and she ced her tiny hands on his wrist. ¡°Wait. Stop.¡± She really was like a ghost. Could Spirits be considered a kind of ghost? She looked up at him with a sour face. ¡°I just got the most peculiar feeling. What were you about to do?¡± ¡°Well¡­I was just gonna contact Skayamon real quick¡­¡±[1] ¡°I knew it! There was a reason that chills were crawling down my back and that my hands were sweating!¡± she eximed. Just how scared was she of Skaya? She spoke nervously, ¡°Contractor¡­They say that you should not poke a bear with a stick. Why are you trying to contact her?¡± ¡°I have something to ask of her.¡± To Seo Jun-Ho, Skaya was simply a friend that had always provided him with what he needed, not a bear. He had even prepared a gift for her this time so that she wouldn¡¯tin about it. ¡°Sigh¡­ From now on, always tell me before you contact her,¡± the Frost Queen said, sipping her tea. Seo Jun-Ho got the feeling that she was doing that so she wouldn¡¯t have to look Skaya in the eye. He finally messaged her over Community. Because Del Ice was ssified as a basic city, he could use all the Community functions. [Where are you?] [Oh! My friend! Myrade! My captain! Good timing!] Skaya greeted him very enthusiastically, which in turn made him very nervous. ¡°Why is she acting like this?¡± he muttered. Generally, there were only two reasons she would act like this. The first was when she had invented something super impressive and was drunk on her own greatness and pride. And the other reason would be¡­ ¡°Did someone make her really mad?¡± He hoped that it wasn¡¯t thetter. Seo Jun-Ho tapped nervously on the hologram keyboard. [What happened?] [Let¡¯s meet up first. Where are you? Wow, I sure went far.] ¡°...Wait, how does she know where I am?¡± Had she put some kind of tracker on him without his knowledge? ¡°No, I would¡¯ve noticed if she did such a thing¡­¡± ¡°Why do you keep speaking to yourself? You are ruining the taste of the tea. Teatime should be spent quietly,¡± the Frost Queenined, not knowing what was going on. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know even if I told you. You were sleeping back¡­¡± Wait, she had been sleeping. Seo Jun-Ho whipped around and lifted the Frost Queen. ¡°Eek?!¡± She was still light, but she might be heavy if she evolved one more time. Of course, with Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s strength stats, she would still be as light as a feather. ¡°W-what are you doing?! Let me down this instant! I am the monarch of Niflheim and¡­¡± ¡°Cool. That doesn¡¯t really matter, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°I am very worried! And of course, it matters!¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned her around in his hands as she squirmed, expelling some of his magic. And lo and behold, he found a spell attached to her mask. ¡°...As I thought, it was you¡­¡± ¡°Put me down. And exin what you mean,¡± she demanded. He ced her down and exined the details, ¡°Well, you basically let Skaya know where we are.¡± ¡°You made such a ruckus over something so minute. You would have told her the location anyways.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯spletely different. Because¡­¡± ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Skaya said from behind them. She appeared like a ghost. Instinctively, the Frost Queen sucked in her breath and covered her mouth with her hands. ¡°...I told you, it¡¯s location-tracking magic.¡± ¡°Kyaa! It¡¯s the Frost Queen!¡± Skaya ran over and spun her in the air. Skaya had ced the spell on the Frost Queen when she was sleeping; of course, Skaya would know where thetter was. ¡®What a scary bastard¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought. Skaya wasn¡¯t afraid to use underhanded tactics to get what she wanted. The Frost Queen was so shocked that she wasn¡¯t able to conceal herself. ¡°Y-you can see me?¡± ¡°Yup! You¡¯re as cute and pretty as always! I ced a spell on you when you were sleeping~¡± ¡°How¡­¡± Her face paled as if the world had betrayed her. Her head drooped. ¡®I¡¯ll remove it at some point, if she''s obedient¡­¡¯ ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t juste in here whenever you want. It¡¯s members-only,¡± he said, getting something for Skaya to drink. ¡°Where is this ce? Ooh, this house is really ssy. Can I buy one too?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t¡­¡± Wait, would it be possible when the dwarves moved? It was hard to tell. There were no real-estate agents they could ask. ¡°This is the dwarves¡¯ city,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Ah, dwarves.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re not that surprised.¡± ¡°Huh? I am. Can¡¯t you hear how much faster my heart is beating?¡± ¡°...¡± It was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s fault for expecting her to react like a normal person. ¡®I¡¯d expect nothing less from Skaya Killnd.¡¯ He could only wish that she wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble. ¡°So why did youe here in a hurry?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh! Right!¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes started to burn. ¡°Have you met that nosy dueoksini?¡±[2] ¡°...Dueoksini?¡± Formally known as dueoksin, they were demonic mythical beings that attracted both fear and respect.[3] ¡°Goblin¡¯s leader, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. In the current age, there was only one person with that nickname: the Guildmaster of Goblin and one of the Nine Heavens, Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the Controller of Space?¡± ¡°Ha! People call him that ugly name? He¡¯s only handsome on the outside. It¡¯s cheesy.¡± She stuck out her lower lip. ¡°You look pretty upset. Did things not work out?¡± ¡°Of course not! He even gave me a death threat!¡± ¡°...What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell as his eyebrows knitted. ¡®How dare he threaten my friend!¡¯ Of course, Skaya could be weird at times, so she sometimes had to be reminded to tone it down. But only Seo Jun-Ho was allowed to do that. ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± he asked. ¡°Why would I lie about that?¡± ¡°Tell me what happened, in detail.¡± ¡°Phew. I don¡¯t know where I should even begin. It was all so shocking.¡± Her face was serious as she slowly started to speak. Her story could be summed up in three lines. ¡°I went to meet that bastard. He¡¯s only nice on the outside.¡± ¡°And then he gave me unsolicited advice out of nowhere. He said it seems dangerous to be hunting fiends and taking pictures.¡± ¡°He even ordered me to stop, saying that I¡¯d die if I keep doing it.¡± ¡°...?¡± After hearing the whole thing, Seo Jun-Ho spoke calmly, ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Yeah. He looked me in the eye and said politely, you will die if you keep this up. For real,¡± Skayained. ¡°That¡¯s a little rude. You¡¯re still 25 years older than him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m¡­ hey!¡± Skaya¡¯s face scrunched up, but Seo Jun-Ho simply shook his head and sighed. ¡°I was wondering what the big deal was. What he said was right, so why are you so mad?¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re gonna betray me like this? If Gilberto heard¡­!¡± ¡°He would¡¯ve taken my side¡­¡± ¡°I-if Mio heard¡­¡± ¡°My side¡­¡± ¡°Rahmadat¡­ Never mind, I don¡¯t want that musclehead to take my side.¡± Seo Jun-Ho won. ¡°Anyway, are you calling me a has-been like that busybody?¡± she asked. ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­I¡¯m just saying that what Shin Sung-Hyun said wasn¡¯t wrong.¡± Frankly, Seo Jun-Ho himself had been thinking about those cold, hard facts on his own. Even Skaya herself probably understood it to an extent. That was why she was acting out after getting hit with reality. ¡°I was gonna talk to you and warn you about the same thing.¡± ¡°...About hunting fiends on my own?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± This wouldn¡¯t have been a problem if Skaya had still been one of the top dogs, as she used to be in the past. ¡°After meeting Shin Sung-Hyun, you felt it a bit, right?¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya¡¯s lip jutted out a little more. ¡°The Nine Heavens are strong. They¡¯re stronger than we were back when we were leading the pack,¡± Seo Jun-Ho added. ¡°...If we hadn¡¯t been trapped in the ice, we would have been tens of times stronger than them,¡± Skaya muttered. ¡°Either way, the fact of the matter is that they¡¯re currently stronger than us.¡± Not only that, but there are fiends hiding in Frontier at the same level as them, if not stronger. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with being careful¡ªno, you have to be careful.¡± Skaya would take pictures and upload them onto social media whenever she hunted fiends. In other words, she was broadcasting her location. ¡°What will you do if the Fiend Association leaks false information and ambushes you?¡± ¡°I can just Teleport¡­¡± ¡°Do you really think they wouldn¡¯t prepare for that if they want to kill the Archmage?¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya had nothing to say. Her face was glum. ¡°I miss the old days¡­¡± ¡°And you think I don¡¯t?¡± Losing something was always harder than gaining something. ¡°We¡¯re the weak ones right now. We have toy low and train while we wait for an opportunity,¡± he said. There was even a saying for this. ¡°The reason I kneel is not to submit to the enemy.¡± ¡°...It is to gain momentum?¡± Skaya finished.[4] ¡°Bingo.¡± Skaya was prideful, which was probably why she reacted so badly. ¡°Once you get back to the top, tell Shin Sung-Hyun this...¡± ¡°...Tell him what?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me how to live my life¡­¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± All her anger dissipated as Skaya began to chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m gonna train. And I¡¯m gonna raise my level.¡± So far, she had only leveled up twice after returning, and it was only from hunting fiends. Perhaps her pride as the great Archmage had prevented her from hunting monsters. ¡°It won¡¯t take that long. Because you¡¯re¡­ unfairly talented,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°I was actually thinking about whether or not I should go to the Magic Tower,¡± Skaya added. But based on the look in her eyes, it seemed that she had already made her decision. ¡°Jun-Ho, I want to go to the Magic Tower after the battle at Port Lane.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll support you.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be easy for people who had once stood at the top to bow their heads to someone else. But if they took their time to sharpen their ws, it would be worth it in the end. ¡°When that idiot Rahmadat wakes up, I¡¯m gonna bully him with my power a whole lot. Hehehe.¡± She smiled brightly, happy with simply the thought of it. ¡®I bet it¡¯ll be funny.¡¯ Rahmadat had a huge ego. What face would he make then? Seo Jun-Ho smiled, while Skayaughed. 1. A portmanteau of ¡®Skaya¡¯ and ¡®Doraemon¡¯, referring to the fact that she can provide anything and everything. ? 2. A Korean ghost/demon that is said to crush people¡¯s heads. A severe headache is taken as a symptom of possession/attachment. ? 3. ¡¯Dueoksin¡¯ trantes to ''head-pressing ghost''. Think of ''Dueoksini'' as a derived nickname. ? 4. A famous quote from a Koreanic. ? Chapter 172. The Administrator鈥檚 Store (2)

Chapter 172. The Administrator¡¯s Store (2)

"So?" After a moment of warmth, Skaya asked. "What do you mean, so?" replied Seo Jun-Ho, confused. "You called me first. Doesn¡¯t that mean you had something to ask for? You''ve always been like that." "Ahem." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face became hot as he recalled a little bit of his snobbish past... "As expected, you know me well. Yeah, actually, I have a favor to ask of you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn''t look back. Skaya nodded lightly, as if she knew it would be the case. "So what is it this time?" "The dwarves are making some of my equipment now.¡± "Oh, dwarven equipment!" Skaya''s eyes sparkled. "So?" "There''s a weapon that I was inspired by when I was dealing with a fiendst time." There was only one thing he wanted from her. "When the dwarves make the equipment, I would like you to put some magic on them." "Enchant? It¡¯s not impossible. But it''s a bit of a hassle because it takes a lot of time...¡± Skaya whined in annoyance. But in preparation for cases like this, Seo Jun-Ho had prepared a bait. "If you do me the favor, I''ll give you this.¡± What Seo Jun-Ho took out of his inventory was an old and worn-out booklet. "¡­Trash?" "No. It may look like trash, but it''s not trash at all." This was the Lich''s Magic Book, which he acquired as a reward after defeating the Ice Witch. Skaya''s eyes widened when she heard the exnation. Even the way she looked at the book changed. "¡­A lich? The ones listed as immortal magicians in the monster book?" Magicians were knowledge-seeking beings, but that was putting it nicely. To put it simply, they were a group of people who were terribly curious. Naturally, the magic book left by an immortal magician lich was bound to look attractive in Skaya¡¯s eyes. "I read it a little bit, but honestly, I didn''t know what it was talking about. It''s not that it wasn¡¯t a tough read, because it was in the imperialnguage, but it''s just not my field. I think it will help you to achieve what you want with magic." "I-I want to see it." Skaya opened the book. She read the first few pages before quickly bing immersed in it. At that moment, Seo Jun-Ho snatched the book. "Ah! Why did you give it to me and take it back?!" "If you want to read more, you have to work, right?¡± "Fine, I''ll do it.¡± The contents of the book must have been quite impressive because she agreed. "But doesn''t the book have any bad content? The lich was someone who had experimented on humans." "Huh? It doesn''t have anything like that. It¡¯s just a collection of the lich¡¯s magical achievements and enlightenment during its human days, and what it was going to teach when it became human again." ¡°¡­¡± So the Ice Witch was a lich with a good retirement n. Seo Jun-Ho said, pushing forward the magic book again, "Here, take this and let''s go out and apologize for the break-in." The dwarves were no fools. There was no way they hadn¡¯t installed a single security device in thisrge fortress. They probably already knew that Skaya was inside Del Ice. As Seo Jun-Ho took Skaya out of the house, the dwarves gave him a surprised look. "T-there are more humans." "Only one went in for sure, but two came out¡­ Do humans do asexual reproduction these days?" "Is that why the human poption is growing like the orcs?¡± "That''s ridiculous..." Graham, holding a hammer, shook his head and walked forward. His eyes were full of rebukes as he looked at Seo Jun-Ho. He seemed to know that Skaya had entered the city. "Seo Jun-Ho, I think I need an exnation." "First of all, I apologize, Graham." When Skaya took the hint, she also said ¡®sorry¡¯ awkwardly. Seo Jun-Ho used honorifics regrly in case of any possible offense. "This is the magician that I told you aboutst time, the one who will imbue the magic. But I didn''t expect her to teleport here like this...¡± "Hmm¡­ She must be a high-ranking magician.¡± Graham wasn''t that knowledgeable about magic, but he knew that Teleport was high-ranking magic. "You know that the city of dwarves must be kept as an absolute secret." "Of course. She is tight-lipped, so you won''t have to worry." "I won''t reveal the location of the city of dwarves to anyone else," Skaya said, gathering her magic power. It was a magician¡¯s oath. If broken, the magic of the pledger would disappear like a handful of sand crumbling. Graham seemed to be aware of it, and he wore a bitter expression. "If it''s a magician''s oath... I have no choice but to believe it." He nodded and ordered another dwarf, "Drojan! Bring me that bracelet." After a while, the bracelet Seo Jun-Ho had requested arrived in front of him. It was a customized bracelet that fit his wrist perfectly. "Jun-Ho, could this be¡­¡± "Yes, it''s made of mithril, so it conducts magic power well." This was some of the mithril he had obtained from the door of the Seoul History Museum. That mithril had been used to make the White Armor, but more dragon bone had been used in the armor than expected, so a considerable amount of mithril was left over. All the remaining mithril was handed over to the dwarves this time. "This is really amazing. Whatever kind of magic you put on it, its effect is going to be really great.¡± Skaya looked and admired the bracelet. Usually, if metal was processed and transformed into a form, the natural properties of the metal would be somewhat reduced. But this time, the craftsman was none other than a dwarf. As a race considered to have the best dexterity in the world, there was no need to worry about such things. "So what magic do you want to put in here?¡± "That''s..." Seo Jun-Ho whispered in her ear. Then, she looked back at him with her eyes wide open. "What? Three pieces of magic?" "Can''t I?" "¡­No, I was surprised because it seems like it¡¯ll work.¡± She smiled at Seo Jun-Ho. "You¡¯re still good at using your head." "How long will it take?¡± "You know what kind of magic you asked for, right? It¡¯ll take at least a month." It was such hard work that even an archmage like Skaya had to work for a month. She already looked tired, but what could Seo Jun-Ho do? ¡®A craftsman and a magician are meant to work together.¡¯ The more they worked together, the more they would create. It was an immutable truth that would never change despite the passing of time. *** Skaya remained to ask the dwarves about the fine adjustments. The Frost Queen stared nkly at the floor in the room on her own. "¡­Contractor, it is over for me now,¡± the Frost Queen spoke in a voice as if she had lost half her soul. The dignified appearance she had when Seo Jun-Ho first met her was nowhere to be found¡ªjust where did the Frost Queen of that time go? "Huu, if you listen to me obediently, I''ll erase the magicter.¡± "¡­Really? Will you be able to erase her magic?" "I can just use Watchguard of Darkness to burn away the magic itself.¡± "Haa, that is good to hear. For the first time, I am d that you are my contractor." Seo Jun-Ho suddenly didn''t want to do it. At that time, the message that Seo Jun-Ho had been waiting for came up. [The Administrator¡¯s Store has opened.] [You can request admission through themunity window.] And the next moment, his location changed even before he made the request. "Come on in." He found himself at a store that gave off a sense of hospitality, warmer than one would''ve imagined. At the counter, Reiji propped her chin with her hands with an annoyed expression. "...Uh, I definitely didn''t ask for admission, right?" "Yeah, I called you over." She moved her finger. "I told you to gather the points, didn''t I? Did you bring them? One, two, three... You''ve managed to collect eight." "Yes, I collected 800,000 PP exactly." "I know. I took the trouble to write an announcement to exin the so-called bug, so if you failed to collect it all, you would have already died at my hands.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Would she really do something as troublesome as that? Seo Jun-Ho doubted it. Seo Jun-Ho looked around and asked, "So, what are you trying to sell that you asked me to collect 800,000 PP?¡± Reiji opened her eyes wide at the question as if wondering why he was asking her such a question. "Why are you asking me such a question?" Geez, her mouth and expression were consistent with each other. "Uh... Were you not asking me to collect 800,000 PP because you were going to rmend something to me?" "Don''t get me wrong. I''m the Administrator of the 2nd floor. I¡¯m very fair. I won¡¯t give anyone an advantage because I want to retire early. I¡¯d get in big trouble if my superiors heard that." ¡®Was I wrong?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was certain he was told to collect 800,000 PP because she wanted to rmend something to him. Seo Jun-Ho shut his mouth and looked around. Fortunately, the store wasn''t that big, so the items on disy could be seen. "But is it okay for the store to be this small when there are millions of yers?¡± "Don''t worry. Every store has different items on disy." ¡°Won¡¯t there be someone on the losing end, then?¡± "It doesn''t matter because what¡¯s mostly disyed is personalized for different individuals.¡± It seemed she was doing her work as a real Administrator. Seo Jun-Ho picked up some weapons and armor in front of him and frowned. "Huh...?" He couldn¡¯t inspect the item. When he looked back at Reiji, she smiled. "You can''t inspect the item, can you?¡± "No..." "That''s how it is here. You gotta need to trust your eyes and a little bit of luck." Seo Jun-Ho wondered why she asked him to collect 800,000 PP in the first ce if it was going to be like this. "There¡¯s no time limit for staying in the store, right?" "If I get too annoyed, I''d like to kick you out, but... Unfortunately, there isn''t." Then, it was a relief. Seo Jun-Ho began to check the equipment meticulously. ''The minimum grade of these pieces of equipment is Rare, at the least. They¡¯re definitely good, but...¡¯ They weren¡¯t that attractive to Seo Jun-Ho since the dwarves were already making his equipment. ''And I can also get as many weapons like these as I want in Frontier.¡¯ He heard that the Administrator''s store also sold items that were hard to find outside. Yes, for example, things like the ¡®elixir¡¯ that Kim Woo-Joong had bought from here. "Do you perhaps have elixirs here?" "It''s something that even my store only sells maybe once every five years. And the allocation is random, so you also have to be lucky. And this is the only leading question I¡¯ll allow. I won''t cut you ck next time." Maybe because she was the Administrator, but she was quick-witted. If she didn¡¯t have an elixir, he had to look for simr concoctions or potions. He was sure the store at least had that much. ¡®Is it this way?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho moved toward the wall with a fragrant smell. There were more than a dozen kinds of potions and concoctions. Among them, there was one that caught Seo Jun Ho''s attention. It was a white ginseng that gave off a pure scent. ¡®This is it¡­¡¯ After having consumed hundreds of kinds of potions, his nose reacted to this. The scent was simr to the scent created only by a potion of the highest quality. The price was 300,000 points. Seo Jun-Ho tried to buy it without hesitation. "They say that the scent of the Hundred Years Snowy Root is excellent. But to be honest, its effect is minimal at best. Even the ginseng diggers who have been making potions all their lives get confused by its scent," Reiji mentioned. ¡°...?¡± When Seo Jun-Ho nced back at Reiji, she casually turned over the newspaper and murmured, ¡°These days, newspapers have all kinds ofme information. Who reads this?" ¡°...¡± Was she perhaps helping him? Seo Jun-Ho immediately picked up the red medicine bottle next to him. "Solution of sia. It''s a concoction made of sia flowers that bloom every 300 years, so it''s effective, but there''s one serious side effect. Your whole body will smell really good. Those who drink it will never be able to do a surprise attack or hide for the rest of their lives. Wow, that''s some useless information.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was certain. She was pretending to be reading a newspaper, but she was actually giving him ''information'' about the items. Seo Jun-Ho lowered his head and managed to stop hisughter from bursting out. ¡®What? A fair Floor Administrator? She won¡¯t give anyone an advantage just because she wants to retire early?¡¯ She was doing it well; no, she was a real pro. Was Seo Jun-Ho unhappy about it? ¡®Not at all¡­¡¯ Rather, he was very thankful. Chapter 173. The Administrator鈥檚 Store (3)

Chapter 173. The Administrator¡¯s Store (3)

"The core of Urario. It increases the amount of magic in the body and transforms the magic itself, turning it purer. Well, it doesn''t mean much to people who already have pure magic." "Okrohwan. It''s a potion that clears the mind and body and greatly increases stamina, so if you take one when you get an internal injury, you don¡¯t have to worry. If you want to raise your level right now, then perhaps it¡¯s a good choice?" "Bilbodna¡¯s potion is unlike other potions. It boosts your senses as well as all your stats." Reiji continued to read the ''newspaper.¡¯ Each time, Seo Jun-Ho would smile and give her a thumbs-up. "Why do you keep giving me a thumbs up? Doing that won¡¯t really benefit you. I¡¯m an honest Administrator, so don''t expect anything from me." Reiji was giving off a solid "corrupt official pretending not to notice what was going on" feeling. Did she think she might get caught? Well, this was not the time to think about such things. Seo Jun-Ho focused on the potions in front of him. ¡®All these potions over here have no side effects.¡¯ His first choices, the ¡®Hundred Years Snowy Root¡¯ and the ¡®Solution of sia,¡¯ were in thepartment next to them. All the potions in front of him now were ''top-level'' potions. It meant that no matter what he chose, he wouldn¡¯t be losing out. ''What a vicious store...¡¯ It was easy to be a sucker in this ce because you couldn¡¯t read the item information. In fact, didn''t he almost get tricked even though he had taken potions in the past as if he were eating food and drinks? All the potions that emitted a strong enough fragrance or energy to catch your attention were ¡®busts.¡¯ So, he did not even spare any more nces at the first two potions in the sidepartment. ¡®The real ones are this way.¡¯ For the novices who didn''t know better, they would probably go mad with greed and pick the ¡®busts.¡¯ However, thanks to Reiji''s advice, Seo Jun-Ho had narrowed down the top-level potions to three candidates. [Bilbodna¡¯s Potion.] All stats +10, all sensory sensitivity increases. [Nenkas'' Energy] Magic stat +50. [The Core of Pochiclops.] Magic stat increases by 1 per day for 60 days. ''Hmm...'' The higher the magic, the better it was. Especially in his case, since he had both Watchguard of Darkness and Frost. The higher the magic, the higher the destructive power of each skill would be. ¡®Should I go with Nenkas'' Energy or the Core of Pochiclops, then?¡¯ In actuality, what Seo Jun-Ho coveted the most was the Core of the Pochiclops. Even though it took time, it would give 10 more magic in the end. ¡®The Core of Pochiclops is 700,000 points¡¯ If he bought it, he would have to give up the other potions. ''I''ve made up my mind.'' The moment Seo Jun-Ho resolved his heart and reached out to the core, he heard a hint from behind. "That idiot is really... shouldn¡¯t buy that." Looking back, he could see Reiji muttering while ring at the newspaper with an irritated look on her face. "Weren¡¯t you supposed to be a big shot back in the day? Why can¡¯t you take a hint? Idiot Specter." ¡°...¡± His ear tickled. She wanted him to hear what she was saying, right? "Then, what should I buy?" "Huh? Why are you asking me that? Are you joking?" Shoo, shoo. She waved her hands as if chasing away flies. ''Based on her reaction. Is there a potion that I haven¡¯t found yet?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho blinked and looked around at the potions once again. As expected, there were none. He had already asked about the effects of the 12 ¡®top-level¡¯ potions in front of him. He looked through the cupboard to see if there were any hidden potions, but there were no such things. ''That means¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s gaze turned to one side. These were the potions that he ssified as ¡®busts.¡¯ All of them had side effects and were likely to be bought by beginners. ¡®I heard the effects of the Hundred Years Snowy Root and the Solution of sia earlier.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked around one by one at the other potions. As if they were advertising ¡®I''m a bust,¡¯ there were only things that emitted intense energy and scent. When he stared at Reiji and picked up a wooden box, she read the newspaper with her eyes sparkling. "Thousand Year Earth Root. It¡¯s a potion that can only be made when a wild ginseng buried in the ground endures enormous pressure and high temperatures for a thousand years. You can get a lot of magic when you take it, but since it is a potion representative of yang energy, those who are not prepared can burn to death as soon as they swallow it." It was a potion that had both terrifying effects and side effects. ¡®In short, if you don''t have fire resistance, you¡¯ll die the moment you take it.¡¯ Of course, this looked like something even beginners wouldn¡¯t buy. It looks hot on the surface, and heat was actually being emanated out of it. "...Wait, it''s intense yang energy?" Seo Jun-Ho looked like he had realized something. Was this what she wanted? When he looked back at her in surprise, there was a mocking grin on her face. "Tsk, tsk. Would you be able to use it properly when you¡¯re so dull?¡± He was certain that what she wanted him to get weren¡¯t the side effects-free potions. ''Among the ones with side effects, there should be something I can take.'' Unlike the top-level potions that anyone could take, these were cheaper. This meant he had to use his limited 800,000 points efficiently. Seo Jun-Ho''s hands became busy. At the same time, Reiji''s mouth also became busy. As a result, he checked dozens of different types of potions. ''...I found it.'' Seo Jun-Ho looked at the two wooden boxes in front of him. The sentences that she exined about these potions naturally came to his mind. "The Amitabha Holy Water. It''s a rare potion, and only a single drop of it is formed once every thousand years. So what? It''s a representative potion for yin energy, so if someone who is not prepared takes it, then that person would be ovee by the cold and freeze to death. Well, it would be great if one could take it since it has the ability to transform their body and bring about great improvements." "The Heart of the Darkness Dog. Wow, why the hell would someone put that in the store? It''s a potion that people who don''t have the power of shade or darkness can''t touch at all.¡± These potions could only be taken if you had the property of ice and darkness, which Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Frost and Watchguard of Darkness fulfilled. ''Skills of most grades won''t even be able to do it.¡¯ Even if it was A-grade, it was probably close. In fact, in the case of the Amitabha Holy Water, it was questionable whether he could even take it right now. That was how great the chill emanating from the potion bottle was. "I''m buying it." Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t hesitate to buy the two potions for 400,000 points each. [You have purchased the Amitabha Holy Water.] [You have purchased the Heart of the Darkness Dog.] 800,000 points were deducted. ''That''s why she told me to prepare 800,000 points.¡¯ However, he had tried to buy a strange potion for 700,000 points, so of course she would be frustrated. He would have nothing to say even if he was told that he was stupid. Seo Jun-Ho approached her with an awkward expression. "Thank you." "Huh? What for? Oh, for selling you the items?" She could be an actress. Her acting was getting better with her sly performance of pretending to not know anything. "But can I ask you a question?¡± "What is it?" Seo Jun-Ho looked around the store and asked, "Any yer can use this store, right?" "That''s right." "Does that mean that fiends can use this ce, too?¡± "Of course..." "¡­Why do you leave them as they are?¡± Fiends were the biggest obstacle for yers when climbing the floor. If the ultimate goal of Administrators was to let yers clear the floors, the fiends were clearly people they had to get rid of. "Sorry, but Administrators don''t get involved in yers¡¯ business. No, I should say that we can''t¡­¡± "Why is that?" "That''s the rule." "Rules... Who made those rules?" Reiji smiled and extended her index finger and pointed it toward the ceiling. "The people above." ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at the ceiling. ¡°Are they gods?" "Hmm¡­ that''s a bit of a broad word. Because¡­" p! While talking, she suddenly pped her hands. "Oh, I almost misspoke. I have to go to bed now, so can you get lost?¡± "Wait, could you finish what you were saying¡­!¡± "Nope. I refuse." Thest thing Seo Jun-Ho saw was a smile on Reiji''s lips. The location changed again after that. "Oh, he appeared. Where have you been?" asked the Frost Queen. ¡°...At the Administrator¡¯s store." "Did you get anything useful?" "Yeah." With a slightly nk look, Seo Jun-Ho took out a wooden box containing two drugs. The Frost Queen looked closely at them and shook her head. ¡°It was certainly worth going through all that hard work to collect those points. But¡­" She continued, clearing the wooden box containing the ''Amitabha Holy Water'' to one side. "The yin energy in this is still too massive for you to ept. You will not be able to endure it." "As expected¡­ Even the Ex-grade Frost is still not good enough?¡± "It is not about the grade.¡± The Frost Queen poked him lightly. "Your body is notplete yet." Currently, if you only considered stats, Seo Jun-Ho was on the same level as when he had been Specter in the past. However, even in his Specter days, he would not have been able to take the Amitabha Holy Water. The potion was just that amazing. It was an ancient potion that heaven would only give to those who were prepared. ¡®For potions of this level, it¡¯d be a waste to just absorb the energy.¡¯ This was simr to the case of the ''Frozen Heart'' he had just taken just a while ago. He only took it after absorbing the cold energy with the Frost skill. However, he had only done that because the potion¡¯s strength was ambiguous¡­ ¡®It''s a different story when ites to the Amitabha Holy Water.¡¯ Potions of this caliber were things you would only see once or twice in your life. The moment it was used by a person, the effect was likely to be halved. It was much better to take it safely than to gamble, after all. "It¡¯s a shame, but I can''t help it. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll disappear over time." Seo Jun-Ho swallowed his regret and looked at the wooden box containing the ¡®Heart of the Darkness Dog.¡¯ "I should take this now, then.¡± "I will stand guard for you." When taking a potion, there must be no interference. Since you were taking in a huge amount of energy at once, if you were disturbed and something went wrong, you could be crippled. As the Frost Queen flew toward the entrance, emitting frost, Seo Jun-Ho reached out carefully. ¡®As expected, I can''t just do it.¡¯ The Heart of Darkness Dog was bound in darkness and could not even be touched with bare hands. But when the energy of darkness was wrapped around his fingertips, the heart was lifted so easily that it felt surreal. ¡®The problem is that it has to be the same way when I take it.¡¯ The esophagus, magic circuit, and all parts of the body had to beyered with the Watchguard of Darkness. That way, he would be able to absorb the potionpletely without any loss. ¡®Let''s focus.¡¯ His heart, which was disturbed by the conversation with Reiji, suddenly became calm like a peacefulke. Perhaps because of the Hero¡¯s Mind (S), his concentration was at a monster-like level. Swallow. Seo Jun-Ho carefully swallowed the Heart of the Darkness Dog in one bite. After smoothly passing through his throat, it quickly spread to the veins throughout his whole body. ¡®It''sing...¡¯ The enormous power of darkness possessed by the Heart of the Darkness Dog came hurtling toward him like a huge tsunami. Kwagwagwagwagwa! ¡®Keuk!¡¯ The blood vessels and magic circuits that could not withstand the destructive power screamed. Now, what Seo Jun-Ho had to do was simple. He had to calm these mischievous things that didn¡¯t know where to go. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and focused his mind. One by one, he began to put to sleep the guys who were jumping around like they were going to tear apart his veins. Sometimes he gently soothed them, sometimes he calmed them down by force. "Whew..." When he woke up again, it was five hourster. [You have taken the Heart of the Darkness Dog.] [Your magic stat has increased by 50.] [The affinity for darkness has increased.] The effects were, of course, excellent. Vitality surged all over his body. But that was only for a moment as he noticed something. ¡°Sniff, sniff. Oh, the smell." There was a bad smell all over his body. "High-rank potions are good, but this is the problem." As long as you were a person, no matter how well you had taken care of yourself so far, impurities would still umte in your body. Those were cleaned out and discharged from your body after taking excellent potions. ''To get rid of all the impuritiespletely... I wonder if I need a body transformation?¡¯ Reiji said taking Amitabha Holy Water could achieve that state. Suddenly, his inventory felt heavier. The heaviness was not from the item but from having a strong backer. "Should I take a shower first?" Seo Jun-Ho got up. He noticed that he had be tremendously lighter than before. Chapter 174. Watchguards (1)

Chapter 174. Watchguards (1)

When Seo Jun-Ho came out of the shower, the Frost Queen was sitting on the sofa. She was staring at him as if she were hoping for something... "Thank you for guarding me. Do you want some tea?" "¡­And cake, too. I want to eat mocha vor." ¡®As expected...¡¯ Now he just had to pretend. When he took the snacks out of his inventory, she used a fork and ate the food with relish. "The tea and cake are delicious today. These two are the bestbination on earth. The strange thing about this snack is that it tastes different every time I eat it. It surprises me.¡± ''¡­That just depends on the amount of Spirit Crystal shavings I put in that day.¡¯ The way she looked as she ate her snacks made even Seo Jun-Ho curious about trying some Spirit Crystal shavings for himself. It didn''t taste like anything to him, but it must taste different to her, a Spirit. She liked it a lot when he put in a lot of Spirit Crystal shavings, and on days when he put in less or didn¡¯t put in any at all, she would always reveal a bitter look. "I put in a lot today because it must have been hard for you, suffering from Skaya." "Huh? Put what?" "¡­My sincerity?" "What a joke. There''s no way that adding something to the sacred tea and cake will make it taste different," spoke the Frost Queen, even though she was the one who was addicted to that seasoning. After finishing her tea time with a happy expression, the Frost Queen looked at Seo Jun-Ho. "You have be... a level higher." "A little..." Seo Jun-Ho''s magic had shot up after taking the Heart of the Darkness Dog. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 76 Title: The Bringer of Spring (2+) Strength: 238 Stamina: 227 Speed: 225 Magic: 277 Fame: 3,850 With this, his stats had nowpletely surpassed his Specter days. If someone asked whether he was stronger right now than back then, he would be able to give them a definite answer. ¡®As long as I adapt to my current stats, I would be stronger than I was back then.¡¯ Thanks to this, he strongly believed that he would now have only a few opponents even on the 2nd floor. However... if he woke up another one of his friends, his stats would decrease once again. ''Of course, I¡¯m sure my magic won¡¯t go down by such arge chunk of 70, like it did before.¡¯ This was because his current achievements were much higher than back then. With a greater understanding of the Frost skill, the penalties should be reduced. "Are you going to wake up yourrade again?" "I''m thinking about it." Soon, there would be a big fight in Port Lane. The scale would be huge as two squads from the Fiend Association would be moving together. He had no idea what they were up to, but it wouldn''t be as harmonious as apany team-building activity. He knew for sure that it would be fierce and dangerous. ¡°Whether it would be better to have one more friend with me or if I became even stronger first, I have no idea.¡± "Well, it must be a dilemma. If you are lucky, you might even be able to face their leader." "¡­That¡¯s not good." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skills had exceeded his past self, but his confidence was not as high as back then. It was all because there were so many strong people in the world. ''And there''s no way to know how good their leader is at the moment¡­¡¯ Even by reading the memories of the fiends, he didn¡¯t manage to find out that much. In the end, it meant that the only way to find out was to sh with each other directly. All Seo Jun-Ho could do now was to raise his level as much as possible and improve his physical condition. "Let''s go out." "Where are you going?" "Gotta explore in advance," Seo Jun-Ho said before packing his luggage. Know yourself and know your enemy¡ªthis was not a concept limited to mere information. "I have to at least get a look at the stage where I''ll be fighting. It''s kind of a rehearsal." There was bound to be a difference in fighting ability between fighting in a familiar ce and in a brand new ce. In particr, this was even more important in a battle of masters where small differences determined victory or defeat. "The dwarven equipment are notplete yet," reminded the Frost Queen. "It''s all right. I just need one for now," assured Seo Jun-Ho. As Seo Jun-Ho left the house and went out to the square, Graham, who was discussing a blueprint with Skaya, looked at him. Graham¡¯s eyes narrowed. "You''re light-footed as if you¡¯re going to leave." "You saw correctly. I have to go somewhere." "¡­Is that so? Well, you¡¯re human." Graham nodded and ordered the other dwarves to bring something. Soon, the dwarves came struggling as they carried a huge coffin-like box. Putting his foot on the box, Graham warned Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°It is a destructive weapon. It can go beyond your intentions and take the lives of the innocent." "I will use it with caution." Seo Jun-Ho looked into Graham''s eyes. Graham had a childlike face, but his eyes were as deep and taciturn as that of a wise man. ¡°...Normally, dwarves never make weapons for those who have evil minds." The fact that the White Anvil tribe made Seo Jun-Ho a weapon meant that they believed in Seo Jun-Ho''s heart and personality. "However, a person''s heart is like a white paper, so no matter how clean it is, it can easily get tainted," said Graham. That was true. Nothing was easier to shake than a person''s heart. "That''s why we always install a device when we make weapons," Graham said with a smile. "A device?¡± "Those who have evil in their hearts and are lusting for blood will not be able to use the equipment of the great dwarves." This meant that measures had been taken to prevent the abuse of equipment made with their pride on the line. But there was no way Seo Jun-Ho would go astray. Instead of a hundred colorful words, Seo Jun-Ho looked Graham straight in the eyes and simply said, ¡°Trust me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Graham looked at him for a while before smirking and removing his foot from the box. "¡­Take it. I didn''t know there would be another guy like Kim Woo-Joong," said Graham as he went back to the workshop. "In a few days, the rest of the equipment will be finished." "Thank you." Skaya followed closely Graham''s back and waved lightly. Seo Jun-Ho put the weapon box in the inventory and left Del Ice. *** Ssk, ssk. The sound of a fountain pen racing on paper was heavier than usual. Jang Kyung-Hoon, the Vice Master of the Goblin Guild, felt worries echoing from the same sounds he heard every day. "Do you have any concerns?" ¡°¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun stopped taking notes and shook his head. "Did I get caught?" "It''s the approval documents that we receive together, and first of all, I¡¯m also a yer." With a light sigh, Shin Sung-Hyun pressed his finger against his nose. "I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to call it a worry.¡± "Still, try letting it out. You don''t know if my balding head might be of help.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun smirked at Jang Kyung-Hoon''s self-burn. It would have sounded like an insult if it hade from someone else, but it seemed like a joke when Jang Kyung-Hoon said it. "It sounds like deceit when someone who graduated at the top of their ss from Yale at 15 years old says it.¡± "But even then, I''m ying on the master''s palm.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun felt refreshed thanks to his goodrade and spoke, "I was thinking about the Archmage." "Oh! She was a great woman. She was, say, greater than what was written in the textbook. In many ways." "Did it look like that to you?" "Yes, I thought she would be calm, but she was more energetic than I thought... To be honest, she seemed to be at a higher level than me." "You saw well," Shin Sung-Hyun nodded. "If I had topare, I¡¯d say she is at the same level as Ju-Ha. If they were in a life or death situation against each other¡­ the Archmage would probably prevail." "Huh, I thought the Archmage would be strong, but I didn''t know she would be that strong." Jang Kyung-Hoon¡¯s mouth opened wide in surprise. Wasn''t Skaya Killnd a person of the past? In reality, only two of the five Heroes had returned, but there had always been noise in newspapers and magazines dealing with gossip. "They made a fuss about her being a relic of the past, but¡­ as expected, ss is eternal,¡± said Jang Kyung-Hoon. A person from twenty-six years ago was stronger than Gong Ju-Ha, a High Ranker, despite having just woken up from a long sleep. Jang Kyung-Hoon was at a loss as to whether he should be happy or sad about this. "Although I have only seen the Archmage for a moment, it did not seem like she would be joining any guild.¡± The Big 6 had always been rivals to each other. They had always wanted to take the lead over the other Guilds so they worked hard every day for this purpose. Naturally, they would react sensitively to the possibility of an archmage joining one of the Big 6. But as far as they could see, she wasn''t the kind of person that would go under anyone. "Isn''t it a good thing?" asked Jang Kyung-Hoon. The Big 6 coexisted while having apetitive rtionship at the same time. This was because they had onemon enemy. "We have more power to deal with the fiends now." If the Big 6 hardened their hearts and started a war even though they were at a disadvantage, they would have been called the Big 3 right now instead of the Big 6. The fight between whales would have destroyed the small and medium-sized shrimp-like Guilds. However, the Big 6 refrained from doing such a thing. Rather, they instilled hope in theters, in the underdogs. It was a vain hope that with a little more effort, they would be able to follow in the Big 6¡¯s footsteps. In particr, Shin Sung-Hyun of the Goblin Guild was paying keen attention and investing in the growth of rookies. It was no coincidence that he attempted to contact Seo Jun-Ho before any other Guild in the world. "Skaya Killnd is a strong yer. No one will deny this fact," Shin Sung-Hyun remarked. The Archmage was strong. She was definitely strong. She was strong enough to be considered a High Ranker right now. "But she is a magician and a very famous one at that.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun added. This was her problem. A magician always created unexpected variables to neutralize their opponent. However, Skaya Killnd''s magic was already being used by all magicians like textbooks. ¡°At this rate, she will only be good prey for the fiends.¡± The wall Shin Sung-Hyung felt when he met the Heavenly Demon, the tightening of the blood vessels in his heart, the dry bitterness rising up to his neck¡ªhe didn¡¯t feel any of that from her. "Of course, in the past¡­ 26 years ago, she was definitely a person worthy of beingbeled as an ¡®absolute being.¡¯" Still, if she was given a year or two more to adjust to the modern times, Skaya would inevitably be even stronger. She would be strong enough to threaten one of the Nine Heavens. "To do that, she has to stay alive first." So, he issued a warning in a rather fierce way. The tall pride of the Archmage may have been hurt, but she would have understood what he had meant, as she was a smart person. ''...I''m not sure if she understood me well considering that she was quite angry, but¡­¡¯ With a self-deprecating smile, Shin Sung-Hyun asked Jang Kyung-Hoon, "By the way, did you tell Ju-Ha to invite Seo Jun-Ho sometime?" "Yes, she seemed to like it. I don''t think she has told him about it yet. Since we have plenty of time before our next raid, it seems like she is looking for the right time to bring it up." "There''s no need to rush." Seo Jun-Ho had recently be one of the figures garnering Shin Sung-Hyun''s interest. But a few days ago, another figure simr to Seo Jun-Ho popped up. "How''s the location trackinging along?¡± "Are you talking about Newbie 76?" "Yes." Newbie 76 was a hot newbie who had turned the matching system upside down. He was also a terrifying monster who defeated Gong Ju-Ha. ¡®I didn''t expect such a monster to exist.¡¯ People praised the informationwork of the Big 6 for having reached the sky but considering this situation, they still had a long way to go. There were too many beings who had fallen through the gaps in their informationwork like grains of sand. Shin Sung-Hyun was not happy about it, of course. "Let''s invest a little bit more in the Information Department and Future Strategy Office." "What? But I reorganized and delivered the new budget just four months ago¡­¡± "It''s still not enough." Shin Sung-Hyun thought that these were turbulent times. ¡®Seo Jun-Ho, Newbie 76... People like them are appearing one by one to shake up this stagnant situation.¡¯ On top of that, there was also the return of the 5 Heroes. Thinking about what would happen in the future, Shin Sung-Hyun knew he had to prepare as soon as possible. "It''s going to be fun.¡± Ssk, ssk! The sound of the fountain pen flourishing a signature on a document sounded excited. Chapter 175. Watchguards (2)

Chapter 175. Watchguards (2)

Seo Jun-Ho ran from Del Ice to nearby territories to stretch his restless body. He did not even lose his breath despite traveling a distance that would take 10 days for an average person in half a day. "Not bad." Looking down at his clenched fist, a smile unknowingly appeared on his face. "You are really growing at an outstanding pace. Of course, luck has also been on your side¡­" praised the Frost Queen. "In the end, everything will go back to its rightful ce," responded Seo Jun-Ho. In the first ce, the way up to level 80 was a staircase that Seo Jun-Ho had already stepped on once when he had been Specter. Of course, even if it was a staircase that he had climbed once, it would still be hard to climb it again from the beginning. But having never done it before and having done it once had a bigger difference than you could imagine. "I just need the will to do it the second time around.¡± After all he already knew the ¡®results¡¯ that would be waiting at the end of his efforts. The problem was after level 80. "¡­It''s an unknown area that even I hadn''t stepped onto when I was Specter." "Then I suppose getting to level 80 first must be the priority." "There''s no need to hurry. We have more than a month left until the decisive battle in Port Lane, so we have plenty of time." The most important thing was to improve his form since his stats had risen sharply recently. It meant that it was time to tune up once again. "Getting to level 85 in a month is my primary goal." "...Hmm, just from listening to you, I cannot tell if that is an easy or difficult thing to do." "Getting to level 85? Ayy, that''s not hard even for anyone else." However, it was almost impossible to achieve it in a month. "If you risk your life every time you hunt, anyone can do it," Seo Jun-Ho added. "Contractor, listen to me well. That in itself is not something just anyone can do." "That''s what talent is¡­" It may sound like bragging, but it was a fact that no one could refute and he had enough guts to throw his life around like it was nothing. Whether you had the guts or not was the biggest factor that determined the speed of a yer''s growth. "You can never outrun others if you only use the path that someone hasid for you," Seo Jun-Ho told the Frost Queen as he entered the teleport management office. Then to the magician, "To Port Lane." "Please use gate number 12." When he stepped forward, he arrived at the southern territory, opposite from where he had been, which was in the northern part of the continent. From the moment he stepped out, the smell of the sea assaulted his nose. "It''s the ocean!" the Frost Queen shouted in glee and pointed to the ocean in the distance as she came out of the teleport management office. "Why are you so excited?" "Because it¡¯s the ocean!" "Geez, you''ve seen the ocean with me several times." "...Hmm? The ocean? You and I?" asked the Frost Queen in a startled voice. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t remember seeing the ocean with him. "You saw it through the window in the ne." "...That wasn¡¯t the ocean." No, of course, that was also the ocean, but... It was far from the ocean she wanted. The blue horizon you could see in the distance¡ªwas the ocean for her. The Frost Queen was briefly lost in the lingering imagery. "When I was a child, my father and I went to the ocean with him holding my hand." "He¡¯s a good father." "Of course. That is why I always feel so nostalgic when I see the ocean." The Frost Queen pulled Seo Jun-Ho''s hair as she whined. "Let''s hurry up and go." "¡­Sigh." Port Lane was a typical port city. Ironically, however, there were only a few ships settled in the harbor. "Contractor, shouldn''t there be lots of ships in this big of a port city?" "Yea, but ships don''te to Port Lane very often." "Why?" Speaking of the conditions alone, Port Lane was destined to be the best port city. It was in a great position to settle and distribute goods. "The surrounding currents are a mess." It was easier to think of currents as a road where seawater flowed. The currents near Port Lane were very fierce, causing countless captains to go around the port here. "That¡¯s too bad. If the ocean currents were normal, it could have be the best port city...¡± "Maybe that''s why the fiends have selected this ce since there aren¡¯t a lot of people here." Except for the merchants who came to sell goods viand, no tourists visited Port Lane. This ce was far from a vacation resort. "Let''s take a look around first." Seo Jun-Ho took a big walk around Port Lane. In the process, he heard detailed information from the local residents. "Is it here? It''s really nice." The cliff that Seo Jun-Ho arrived on due to a resident''s tip was to his liking. It was a ce where you could see the panoramic view of Port Lane and the sea in front of it at a nce. "It''s a perfect ce to snipe from." The cliff, called Dragon Rock, actually looked like a dragon''s head. Various thoughts went through Seo Jun-Ho''s head. ''If I use this position¡­ I can make the most of Final Horizon.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t matter whether the fiends were in the ocean or hiding in the city center. This was a ce where lighthouse keepers were active even before lighthouses were built on Port Lane. The advantage was that you could see the ocean and the city center at the same time without obstruction. "It was worthwhile to do preliminary research. Since you found a good ce, you can use it to your advantageter,¡± the Frost Queen cheerfully said. Seo Jun-Ho blinked and asked, ¡°What are you talking about? We can''t use this ce." "¡­Why can''t you use it?" "Listen, the fiends are not idiots. They''re rather smart." Considering the fiends, they would definitely search for an advantage in their operation. Would anyone with a brain just walk past this cliff? "Would they not use this when this ce is telling them that it¡¯s a great ce? What would you do if it were you?" "¡­I think I would use it,¡± the Frost Queen answered honestly. "See? Now, we have to make a n. We need to be prepared in advance for the enemies to upy this cliff." "But around the vige, is there even a ce higher than this cliff?¡± There was only one¡­ "Oh, the lighthouse!" But that was also the wrong answer... Seo Jun-Ho shook his head firmly. "No, that''s too noticeable. It''s also an easy ce to get trapped." The lighthouse at the end of the coast was a perfect ce to be surrounded. If Seo Jun-Ho sniped from a ce like that, the fiends woulde at him like a swarm of locusts in an instant. "I think it''s rather nice over there." Seo Jun-Ho pointed his finger at the tallest building in the city, the clock tower. "Hmm, it is not bad, but... I do not think it¡¯s good if you think about the fiends upying this cliff." "That''s why we came for preliminary research. Every n requires a n B." After speaking, Seo Jun-Ho opened his inventory, took out a shovel, and shoved it into the ground. Afterward, he started rolling up his sleeves. Staring nkly at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s action, the Frost Queen asked, ¡°Contractor, what is that?" "This is a shovel." "I know what that is. I am asking why you are taking it out all of a sudden?¡± "Of course, that¡¯s because I have to dig." Chuck! Seo Jun-Ho exined as he put one leg on the shovel. "Think it over carefully. I sit on the clock tower, and the fiends sit on the cliff. Who¡¯ll be at a disadvantage then?¡± "You..." "That''s right, but that''s not until a month from now at the earliest. What do you think I should do for now?" "¡­Set up a trap?" When the answer he was looking for emerged from the Frost Queen¡¯s mouth, Seo Jun-Ho smiled. "Correct." He nced over at the Dragon Rock and murmured, "As you say, the altitude here is higher than the clock tower. If they really take this location¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho would rather die than see his enemies take a terrain advantage over him. It made him feel like he had lost strategically. As such, what he needed to do from now on was simple. "I''ll crush them under my feet." Even if there was a limit to copsing all of these cliffs, he would still do his best to crush them. Pabababak! As Seo Jun-Ho burst intoughter and dug at a frightening speed, the Frost Queen shivered. "¡­What a scary human being." She was d that he was her contractor. Wait, maybe she shouldn¡¯t be d? *** "It¡¯s done." The construction alone took five days. What Seo Jun-Ho had done so far was simple. First, he had dug, then dug under that, and then dug some more, for two entire days. During thest two days, he had covered thend once more, and there was a free day in the middle. "¡­I did not expect that there would be bombs in the weapon box you received from the dwarves,¡± said the Frost Queen. Seo Jun-Ho corrected her. "They¡¯re not just bombs. They¡¯re special bombs.¡± Each of the bombs was powerful enough to copse the cliff. Seo Jun-Ho nted the bombs in the ground for the rest of the day, like radishes. This was also why Graham had repeatedly told him to use them carefully. "Contractor, did you know that you would have to copse the cliff?" "Huh? How would I have known that? It''s not like I can see the future." "But then how did you prepare the bombs in advance?" "A bomb is powerful. It can be used in any situation." Would he avoid using bombs to fight the fiends without a trap? No, he would still use them. Seo Jun-Ho was preparing for a "war" rather than a "battle" with the fiends. Of course, the fiends would have no idea what wasing for them. "Getting hit by a fist when you¡¯re defenseless hurts the most," Seo Jun-Ho remarked. If you were going to attack anyway, it was better to go all-out. In that sense, a bomb was nothing short of a universal weapon that could be used in more ways than one. "Well, it would definitely hurt since you used them all up." the Frost Queenmented. Seo Jun-Ho seemed as if he had predicted the future, but the answer was the opposite. It was exactly because Seo Jun-Ho had no idea about the future that he used all the bombs to set up a trap. "There''s only this one remote control left." When Seo Jun-Ho threw the remote control in the air and caught it, the Frost Queen¡¯s face turned white. Stretching out a small hand, she floundered and tried to stop him. "C-contractor. B-be careful. What if it explodes¡­?¡± Ssok. Seo Jun-Ho safely stored the remote control in his inventory and got up. Although a great construction project had been carried out, the ce looked no different from before as they had covered it up so well. "Now, let''s just look around the clock tower then go hunting." As soon as Seo Jun-Ho was done storing the shovel back into his inventory and was about to leave, he heard a sound. Ring. A message arrived in front of him. ¡°¡­¡± Looking at it, his gaze became serious. [Shim Deok-Gu, the President of the yers Association has requested an urgent call.] This was a message from Gilleon''s ''Korean yers Association Branch.¡¯ And it was about an urgent call? "Contractor, something must have happened on the 1st floor." "¡­A fiend probably appeared." Seo Jun-Ho quickly cleaned up his surroundings and headed for the teleport gate. ''Unfortunately, it seems that I don''t have any fate with the clock tower today.¡¯ Moving to Gilleon via the teleport management office, he returned to Earth using the Dimensional Elevator. "Wee Jun-Ho-nim, I will take you over." Below was the teleporter from the association who had taken him over to Rome back then. "Did you call me?" "¡­You''re here." Entering the association president''s office, his best friend offered him a seat with a stifferplexion than usual. "Sit down first." "What happened? That¡¯s the first time you sent an urgent call. You scared me." Knowing his friend''s personality better than anyone else, Shim Deok-Gu opened his mouth to speak first rather than offering tea. "Arthur is in danger." ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s eyebrows twitched. Arthur Green was a child left by hisrade Gilberto and a nephew to himself. Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly spoke up, "What''s wrong with Arthur? Is there something going on in Dustang? Is there a problem there?¡± Gong Ju-Ha previously said that Dustang was a very dangerous ce. Therefore, it was a ce where Seo Jun-Ho only nned to visit when his strength had recovered to some extent. "First of all, before I can tell you why Arthur is in danger¡­ There''s one thing I need to exin before that." Shim Deok-Gu always spoke sparingly whenever he talked about Arthur. Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was all because Deok-Gu didn''t know much about Arthur¡­ but it seemed that it wasn¡¯t the case after all. "By any chance..." Shim Deok-Gu ced his palm on his dry face and looked at Seo Jun-Ho with tired eyes. "¡­Have you ever heard of the Watchguards?" Chapter 176. Watchguards (3) "¡­The Watchguards? Are you talking about the Watchguard of Darkness?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. "No, I¡¯m not. I must be out of it. There¡¯s no way you would¡¯ve heard of it," Shim Deok-Gu shook his head and pped his cheeks hard enough that a crisp sound rang. Shim Deok-Gu didn''t show it, but he looked very disoriented. ¡®This side of him doesn''t change with age.¡¯ Rather than urging him, Seo Jun-Ho took some tea leaves out of his inventory without saying a word. He walked in front of the coffee pot and poured two cups of tea using the hot water from the pot. "Drink it. It¡¯ll help you calm down." Shim Deok-Gu drank the agarit tea and calmed down a little before he started speaking. ¡°Thanks, and sorry. I shouldn''t have shown you this side of me." "It¡¯s fine, we''re friends¡­ Don''t rush and exin it to me one at a time." "We¡¯ll talk about the Watchguards first." "Yeah. What the heck is that?" "Watchguards. That¡¯s the official name of an organization." "An organization?" "Yeah, you probably know from hearing the name, but it''s a name inspired by your skill, the Watchguard of Darkness." "Hmm." Seo Jun-Ho folded his arms and made a sullen face. How dare they set up such an organization without his permission. "What''s the organization¡¯s purpose?" "Keeping the fiends in check, continuing on Specter¡¯s will." "What, it''s a good organization, isn''t it?¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho felt that something was strange and frowned. "Wait, but something''s not right. If there are people like that, it wouldn¡¯t have gotten this bad, right?¡± "¡­Because it has only been a few years since it was made." Shim Deok-Gu raised his fingers to make the number 10. "It has been exactly 10 years this year." It was too short to say that they had a history, and it was too old to say that the organization had been just founded. "Who''s the founder?" "Arthur Green." Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes deepened. ''That kid...'' Seo Jun-Ho questioned his friend, ¡°Why didn''t you tell me earlier?" "Arthur requested it because he didn¡¯t want to be a burden to you." "You should have still told me!" Seo Jun-Ho got angry. No uncle would think his nephew was a burden. In particr, Gilberto trusted Seo Jun-Ho to the point of calling him Arthur''s uncle.[1] It meant Gilberto thought of Seo Jun-Ho as a brother. ¡®If there¡¯s something wrong with Arthur when he opens his eyes....¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes tightly. He would be too ashamed to look at Gilberto by then. "I''m sorry. I made the decision when I heard that your level was reset. I decided that¡­ that it would be poison, not medicine to you, and that it would put more pressure on you since you always had the tendency to push yourself too much." "¡­Damn it." In the end, it was all because he wasn¡¯t strong enough. Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips slightly and said, "Keep going." "Ten years ago, at the age of 19, Arthur became the first Watchguard himself and began to track down the fiends." The baby, who had only been three years old and was toddling around when Seo Jun-Ho was still active as Specter, was now a grown-up. ¡°During that time, the Watchguards'' performance wasn¡¯t bad. In fact, they even caught a lot of fiends," exined Shim Deok-Gu. "The fiends must have noticed them too.¡± "Of course. The public doesn''t know of the Watchguards¡¯ existence, but there¡¯s no way the ones being attacked wouldn¡¯t know." "But if theysted 10 years, that¡¯s quite a long time. That''s great." "I helped him directly and indirectly, but for the most part, Arthur did it himself, he led people at a young age." "¡­What amendable kid." Seo Jun-Ho felt proud for a while then spoke once again, "But considering that the fiends are still active seemingly without a scratch even after 10 years of their offensive¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho could make a rough estimate about the Watchguards¡¯ ability. Shim Deok-Gu caught on to exactly what Seo Jun-Ho wanted to ask and brought it up first. "First, Arthur is on the skilled side." "...On the skilled side, you say." It was a very vague description for a yer. It meant he wasn¡¯t without talent, but was infinitely too shabby topare with geniuses. "Thest time we contacted each other was six months ago... At that time, he was level 113.¡± "He got to level 113 in 10 years?" Shim Deok-Gu was definitely right. At that speed, it wasn¡¯t bad among ordinary yers. "But it¡¯s also not that fast..." This meant that Arthur wasn¡¯t good enough to overtake a talented yer. ¡°Instead, I heard that his foundations are solid. He¡¯s not a kid who¡¯ll make silly mistakes." "You heard that? You didn''t raise him yourself?" "¡­I was only able to meet him a few times, I was afraid I¡¯d bring him harm." Shim Deok-Gu hadn¡¯t kept Arthur by his side. He had even reduced his frequency of contacting Arthur in case the fiends became suspicious. "Gilberto was extremely reluctant to let his son''s identity be exposed," reasoned Shim Deok-Gu. "Yeah, you must have hidden him very well in case the fiends stalked him since he¡¯s a very precious child." "¡­I could have done better if I were as strong as you.¡± Shim Deok-Gu smiled self-deprecatingly. If Shim Deok-Gu had overwhelming power, he could have kept Arthur by his side and protected him. But he couldn¡¯t do that because the Association was weak. "From what you¡¯ve said, you have done a great job as an uncle. Why are you ming yourself?¡± Seo Jun-Ho cheered him up. "So what do you mean by Arthur being in danger?" "I told youst time that Arthur was staying in Dustang, right?" "Yeah, I heard from Team Leader Gong Ju-Ha that it''s a very dangerous ce." "It''s a city of all kinds of criminals and fiends from Earth and the Ruben Empire.¡± "¡­A dumpster." Seo Jun-Ho remembered that Gong Ju-Ha referred to it as a dumpster of some sort. "Arthur was in Dustang and was chasing a fiend associated with the management of the Fiend Association." "...Fiend associated with the management? It''s a big fish, then.¡± "Yeah, it was the biggest thing in the history of the Watchguards. Arthur has been after just that one guy for thest three years.¡± He had disyed a frightening tenacity in the chase. "As you know, the Fiend Association very much exists in small groups." "Yup. It''s meaningless if you don''t catch the guy at the top. They can always cut the tail and disappear.¡± That was the biggest reason why the Fiend Association was still around. They kept on only sending out fiends who they deemed simr to consumables. Without a skill simr to Confession of the Dead, it would definitely feel as if you were dealing with an enemy who didn¡¯t have a real form. "But today, Arthur sent me a report, which he has never done before." "A report? To you?" It was a very dangerous and hasty move. It would be different if he made contact using a secret code, but to send a whole report¡­ "Read it first.¡± Shim Deok-Gu put the hologram file in front of Seo Jun-Ho. As soon as Seo Jun-Ho read the title of the file, his eyes became serious. "¡­Gluttony?" At the same time, the silent Frost Queen listed seven words. "Pride, despair, wrath, silence, envy, sloth... gluttony." "Frost Queen, what does that mean?" asked Shim Deok-Gu. "It is the information I read from the memory of a fiend that Contractor dealt with the other day." It was the Seven Squadrons in the Fiend Association. Since the word here was Gluttony, it could be assumed that the Gluttony Squadron existed. "Wait, then the one Arthur was after¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu''splexion turned white. The Association vaguely knew about the Squadrons. But as for how many Squadrons, the names of their members, or if they were even real in the first ce¡ªthese details were unclear to them. He was definitely in a dangerous situation. Arthur had touched one of the reverse scales that the fiends wanted to hide the most. "Even worse¡­" Seo Jun-Ho read a sentence of the report with narrowed eyes. The written sentence was: - I have confirmed that the goal is tomunicate with someone called ''Chef'' on a regr basis. Chef was the fiend who managed ''Paradise'' on Earth and was also called a skill maker. "I told you before, didn''t I? After the Paradise incident." "...The unique guy who eats skills?¡± "Yeah, the guy Arthur is after is someone who''s connected to Chef." This wasn¡¯t just a big fish¡ªit was at least a whale. At the same time, rm bells rang. "¡­This is not at a level that Arthur should touch." Arthur''s level had been 113 half a year ago. Even if he had managed to hit level 120 in half a year, one¡¯s abilities wouldn¡¯t increase greatly in such a short period of time. And that kind of guy was going to mess with an executive of the Fiend Association? "That kid doesn¡¯t know fear!" At this point, Seo Jun-Ho suddenly became scared. Because Shim Deok-Gu had said Arthur was in danger, Seo Jun-Ho had thought that Arthur might have some kind of illness, but it seemed that it was more dangerous than that. "Tell me the point first. What kind of danger is Arthur exposed to? Is Arthur being chased by that guy?" "There''s nothing certain," Shim Deok-Gu said, skimming the hologram file. "Arthur is a thoughtful and careful guy. That¡¯s why he has been doing well for 10 years without getting caught." But for such a person to suddenly act in a dangerous manner by delivering a report instead of a secret code... This meant that he was in a situation where the information had to be handed over. Arthur probably thought he was in danger and handed over the information to someone he could trust. ¡°Contact was lost after the information was delivered. That was an hour and twenty minutes ago." "An hour and twenty minutes¡­¡± "This was the only thing we found after utilizing Frontier''s Korean yer Association branch¡¯s manpower to the maximum." Shim Deok-Gu handed out several pictures. It was of a fairly shabby house. A wall had been torn down, and traces of battle could be seen. "This is Arthur''s house in Dustang. A battle urred and no one knows anything after that." Seo Jun-Ho peeked out of the window. Even though spring wasing to an end, 8 PM in Seoul was still as dark as ever. Seo Jun-Ho rose from his seat and said, "Tell the association members on the 2nd floor to call Skaya right now. Tell her to grab what she¡¯s making with her ande down to the 1st floor." "...Skaya? Why Skaya?" Shim Deok-Gu thought that Seo Jun-Ho would fly straight to Dustang, but he was astonished when he heard Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words. As such, he couldn¡¯t help but ask with his eyes wide open. Seo Jun-Ho replied while straightening out his clothes, "I left something in herir." In herir, there were three ice statues. *** "What the hell is going on? Didn¡¯t I tell you it would take a month? I¡¯ve only done the basics...¡± Skaya was about toin but trailed off when she saw Seo Jun-Ho and Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s expressions. "Okay, I understand that it¡¯s a situation where I shouldn''tin. So what is it?" "Arthur is in danger." Her reaction was quite different from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s, however, as she rolled up her sleeves and spoke with her eyes wide open, "Which punk is it? Just which punk is trying to mess with our cutie?" "Fiends." "Ha, those cockroaches! We should have made sure to wipe them all out 26 years ago!" "Let''s go," Seo Jun-Ho said, putting his hand on her shoulder. Skaya nodded even though Seo Jun-Ho didn''t even say where he was going and for what. "Deok-Gu." Just before she left, she spoke to Shim Deok-Gu who had a gloomy face. "Don¡¯t be so down. He won''t even have a scratch." "¡­Yeah." Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face became less gloomy. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. "I''ll be back." The space was twisted, and a panoramic view of a ce that he had been to a few times appeared in sight. "It''s not something I should be saying, but you should clean up,"mented Seo Jun-Ho. "I don¡¯t want to. I''ve called the cleaningpany a few times, but they said they can''te here." ¡°...¡± If there was a cleaningpany that could visit this ce on their own, Seo Jun-Ho was willing to take over thatpany even if he had to use all his assets since they would be the best group of yers in the world. "But it''s a little cleaner here, isn''t it?" "¡­ Yeah." There was just one clean space without a speck of dust among all kinds of luxury goods, treasures, magic books, and parchment scattered around in Skaya¡¯s dirtyir. It was the ce where three ice statues were standing. 1. Simr to giving someone the title of Godfather. ? Chapter 177. Watchguards (4)

Chapter 177. Watchguards (4)

"We don¡¯t have time, so I''ll exin the situation as fast as I can,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said as he walked toward the ice statues. "Summarize it in one line," Skaya replied. "Arthur was discovered while pursuing a member of Gluttony Squadron. His location and situation are currently unknown.¡± "Thanks for the summary. Then, I guess I won¡¯t even have to ask who you''re going to wake up this time. It¡¯s Gilberto for sure, right?¡± "Of course¡­" Seo Jun-Ho nced at Skaya and asked, "Do you know why?¡± "Huh? Excuse me, and I¡¯m sorry Mr. Specter, but I¡¯m an archmage. I have a very good memory!" She made a slightly sarcastic expression and looked toward Gilberto. "The tattoo on his left forearm is something I inscribed on my own." "...Oh, you remembered?" "Ah, geez!" Skaya and Seo Jun-Ho had no idea about Arthur''s whereabouts and it would be hard to go to Dustang and search for his tracks without a lead. ¡®Fiends are not fools. I''m sure they''ve set up surveince at the site.¡¯ The moment he approached the copsed residence, he would get followed. In fact, he could find Arthur''s position by killing those fiends and then using the Confession of the Dead on them. ''But that¡¯s a stupid idea considering we don''t know what Arthur''s condition is.¡¯ If the fiends¡¯ opponents were Specter and the archmage, there was no way the fiends would miss out on the opportunity. If Arthur was captured by them, the fiends would probably notice that he was Gilberto¡¯s son. ''So, we need a way to find Arthur''s location directly.¡¯ The method Seo Jun-Ho chose here was none other than ¡®Gilberto.¡¯ "His magic tattoo, it''s still working, right?" Seo Jun-Ho asked, nodding his chin while staring at Gilberto sleeping within the ice. "Of course. If there''s any magic left in his body, it''ll work from the moment he wakes up." Skaya said this in a voice full of pride as an archmage. Once upon a time, Gilberto had asked Skaya for a favor. He had asked her to engrave a "location tracking magic" on his body that could track Arthur''s location in real time. "That son-loving fool. At the time, I had been harsh on him asking why he would engrave such a thing¡­ Sorry, Gilberto," reminisced Seo Jun-Ho. "It''s all just in case this happens. It''s called a father''s love. Okay?" Skaya said. Gilberto''s tattoo was the only thing that could pinpoint Arthur''s location in this situation. "Fortunately, I''ve gained quite a bit of magic recently.¡± It was all thanks to the Frozen Heart and the Heart of the Darkness Dog. Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t taken the Amitabha Holy Water just yet, but it was insurance that made him feel secure. "Did you bring the bracelet?¡± "Oh, right." Skaya took a bracelet out of her inventory and looked at him with a crooked eye. "I definitely told you it would take a month, right?¡± "Why would it even take so long just to engrave magic on it? Isn''t the work already done?" "Haa, I keep telling you... Stabilization is the most important thing in this kind of work." "Give it to me." The mithril bracelet she handed over had a magic design that she had engraved on her own. "It looks good." "Are you serious? It''s made of mithril, mithril! The mithril that can¡¯t be obtained right now because there isn¡¯t any!" "What about it?" "That expensive bracelet has unstable magic in it. It¡¯ll probably turn into junk after one use.¡± "Even if that happens, I won''t resent you." "Hey, I''m resenting you right now, though.¡± Life had always been a series of choices. Seo Jun-Ho simply chose the present gain over the high-quality bracelet of the future. "We don''t have time, so let''s hurry up." Knock, knock. Seo Jun-Ho knocked on Gilberto¡¯s ice statue as if he was knocking on a room with people in it. Message windows that he had already seen popped up once again. [Effect of the skill ¡®Frost (EX)¡¯ has been checked.] [The ice seal can be removed with Frost (EX).] [Your base magic stat is high enough to remove the ice seal.] [However, your understanding of the Frost skill is slightly low, so there will be a penalty.] [Upon removing a seal, 30 magic stats will be permanently consumed.] [Upon removal, you will suffer under the effects of Curse of Bitter Cold for 20 days and all stats will be lowered by 50%.] [Upon removal, you will be unable to remove another ice seal for another 90 days.] [Are you sure you wish to remove the ice seal?] "Oh." The penalty was lowerpared to thest time and it was to the point where it wouldn¡¯t even be that noticeable. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but take a look at Skaya. ''I think she was just a hippo... A magic-eating hippo.'' "Why are you looking at me like that? It makes me feel ufortable for some reason.¡± "¡­No. Why would you even be ufortable?¡± It was his fault for not being strong enough. Regardless of whether Skaya slowly red at him or not, Seo Jun-Ho was convinced by the reduced penalty. ¡®If the penalty for waking Gilberto up is this...¡¯ If he worked hard to improve over the next three months, the penalty should be much lower by then. Perhaps the next time he unsealed one of his friends, there wouldn¡¯t be any penalty. "¡­Gilberto." Seo Jun-Ho''s voice trembled ever so slightly. Watching the scene, Skaya rxed her re and showed a nervous look. "You slept a lot. Time to wake up now." [Ice seal has been removed.] [30 magic stats has been permanently consumed.] [You have been inflicted with Curse of Bitter Cold (20 days).] Voooooong! The frost energy emerged from Seo Jun-Ho''s palm toward the ice. The energy spread like a wave in an instant and surrounded the entire ice statue. Craaack. The ice, which seemed like it would never break, broke down helplessly. Despite the thin ice flying in all directions, Seo Jun-Ho walked forward. His friend''s body was still as cold as ice. ¡°...¡± Slowly, the eyes half opened. The moment Gilberto''s shining green eyes captured the world after 26 years, Seo Jun-Ho greeted, "Good morning, Gilberto." "Hello! I¡¯m here, too!" Gilberto¡¯s two old friends weed his return. Gilberto looked up with sleepy eyes, then closed his eyes with a deep sigh. "¡­Huu, these guys are still here to bother me even in my dreams.¡± *** The touching reunion ended there. Seo Jun-Ho and Skaya, who had been treated as an incubus and a subus in an instant, acted relentlessly. "Hey, since you have already woken up, get up! Quickly! My arm hurts." "Gilberto, how long are you going to lie down? He''s toozy." "...Damn it." Gilberto frowned with his eyes closed. It was all because he finally understood that this wasn¡¯t a dream. ¡®It''s reality.¡¯ It was a nightmare-like reality that reminded him of cigarettes even though he had quit smoking a long time ago. He raised his upper body and squeezed out the water from his wet blond hair that came down to his shoulders. Looking around with sharp eyes, he spoke in a serious voice, "Where is this horribly dirty ce?" "It''s myir, you punk." Gilberto was hit by Skaya''s weak punch and he shook his head. "It''s dirtier than I imagined.¡± Like a yer, he first checked his physical condition as soon as he got up. "¡­The Curse of Bitter Cold. It''s going tost a month." He looked at the broken ice pieces on the floor and then at Mio and Rahmadat. "What about those two?" "I can''t pull them out yet." "Not yet, is it?" "I''ll pull them out when the timees, just like you and Skaya." "Hey, don''t talk about pulling us like we¡¯re rewards from a gacha game."[1] When Skaya grumbled, Gilberto noticed something else. Through that short conversation, he realized that Seo Jun-Ho was the one who had created this situation. "¡­I''m d I trusted you," said Gilberto. Seo Jun-Ho, who was like his friend, teacher, and brother, must have seeded in defeating the Floor Master. "You had spoken grandiose words that you were going to cut off the Frost Queen¡¯s head, I believed that...¡± "Hey, hey, hey. Be quiet." Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly closed Gilberto¡¯s mouth while looking at the Frost Queen standing in the back. But the spoken words had already entered her ears. "Ho-oh, so you went around saying you would cut off my head, I see." The Frost Queen gently touched her neck. "You actually did it. Congrattions." At that time, Seo Jun-Ho had cut her neck urately with a half-broken sword. To be honest, it had hurt so much that she wanted to burst into tears¡ªit had hurt very, very much. "Well, the pain didn''tst long...¡± When Frost recalled the bitter memory and pouted, Gilberto asked, "Jun-Ho, who''s that kid?" "Uh..." How was he supposed to exin this? While Seo Jun-Ho was thinking about it, Skaya shouted, "It''s Frost Queen-nim!" ¡°L-let go!" Skaya hugged the Frost Queen and sniffed her hair. "Oh, it smells good. Frost Queen-nim, what shampoo do you use?" "Huh? I use the 1 + 1 product that Contractor bought... No, put me down now!" Gilberto shrugged as he looked at the struggling Frost Queen. "What, is this like a new joke you made while I was asleep?" "No¡­ It''s sad, but it''s true." Gilberto''s expression became weird. Gilberto pointed at the Frost Queen who was awkwardly struggling with her short limbs and asked, "Is she... Is she really the one who once terrorized mankind? That Frost Queen?¡± "Yeah..." The "worst boss" that gave mankind despair quickly degenerated into "that." "Skaya, stop for now and send the Frost Queen over here." She listened well. Skaya put down the Frost Queen and took something out. On the other hand, Frost, who was walking timidly, lowered her head as if she knew what was about to happen. "Gilberto, Frost has something she really wants to tell you." "¡­To me?" "Yeah." Of course, it was time for the second apology. She had also apologized when she first met Skaya. "I... No, certainly I...¡± Skaya tantly took out a DSLR Canon camera and started to film the Frost Queen¡¯s apology. Was she being overly brazen now that she had some sess? "Ugh... You." Frost Queen looked up at Gilberto, who was four or five times bigger than her and spoke. Gilberto¡¯s cold and emotionless eyes akin to that of a sniper¡¯s, calmly looked down at her. "I, I...¡± All of a sudden, Gilberto knelt down on one knee and stroked the Frost Queen''s head. A warm and gentle expression was on his face, which didn¡¯t suit his figure at all. "It''s okay. Kids all grow up making mistakes. Who would¡¯ve thought that the Frost Queen was a small child like you?¡± ¡°...¡± This size wasn¡¯t really her normal size. Gilberto turned his head and scolded Seo Jun-Ho instead. "You are still you. Even though she had been the Floor Master, how could you have thought of cutting off the head of such a cute little child?" "No... When we were fighting, she was an adult about the size of Skaya.¡± "Does that really matter? She''s just a small, vulnerable kid right now.¡± ¡°...¡± What did that have to do with anything? ¡®Ah.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho finally remembered one thing that he had forgotten. "It must have been very scary.¡± "Yes... He suddenly came to the nest where I lived and threatened to cut my head off." "Have you seen such a bad guy before? Don¡¯t worry. I''ll scold Jun-Ho for you." "Thank you, human. Can I call you Gilberto?¡± "Of course..." Gilberto, this guy¡­ Ever since his son was born, he had be the kind of married man who was a hopeless sucker for children. 1. in gacha games, you usually ¡®pull¡¯ characters using real-world money, the original is ¡®take them out,¡¯ but I think it¡¯s funnier this way xD ? Chapter 178. Watchguards (5)

Chapter 178. Watchguards (5)

"...You said 26 years?" Gilberto nkly stared at Seo Jun-Ho. Thetter patted him on the shoulder. "It''s going to be confusing. I was like that at first, and Skaya... Come to think of it, she was fine.¡± "Wait, then Arthur¡­¡± Gilberto¡¯s fist, resting on his knee, trembled. He recalled Arthur, who in contrast to other children, had no choice but to leave the protection of his parents at an early age. "Arthur, yes. The reason I woke you up is because of Arthur." "¡­What does that mean?" "Arthur is in danger." ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought Gilberto would be angry or very excited since he was that much of a sucker for his son. However, Gilberto was much calmer than Seo Jun-Ho thought. Rather, Gilberto asked calmly in a slightly colder and sharper voice than usual. "A little more, more detail." "Arthur seems to have gotten caught while chasing a fiend. He is currently missing. So, I woke you up." "Wait¡­" Gilberto closed his eyes and gathered his magic. The ce where the magic headed was toward the magic tattoo engraved on his left forearm. After a while, his eyelids trembled. "There¡¯s¡­ nothing." Gilberto didn''t feel anything. He couldn¡¯t feel even a speck of Arthur''s presence in the world. Seo Jun-Ho quickly exined in case Gilberto might misunderstand. "It''s no use trying to track where he is right now. Arthur isn''t on Earth." "Isn¡¯t on Earth? Does that mean Arthur¡¯s dead?" The moment Gilberto''s eyes became filled with resentment, Seo Jun-Ho took out a map of the 2nd floor showing the continent of Frontier. "¡­What¡¯s this map?" "The newly opened 2nd floor after killing the Frost Queen. It''s the continent of Frontier." "Frontier? 2nd floor?" ¡°Currently, this world is made up of a total of 10 floors. The Earth is only the 1st floor." "Then..." "Arthur is currently on the 2nd floor." Even though it was Skaya''s location tracking magic, it was impossible to find an existence who was on Frontier, which might be on the other side of the universe or even in apletely different dimension, from Earth. ¡°...¡± Gilberto rose from his seat in silence and pulled out a sniper rifle from his inventory. ck, ck! After breaking it down in an instant, he checked that there were no problems with any of its parts before putting it over his shoulder after assembling it once again. "Let''s go..." He didn¡¯t ask about anything else, such as how many opponents there were, whether they were strong, or even whether they could handle them or not. Nothing mattered to Gilberto right now. "...To where Arthur is." Only the thought of saving his son, Arthur, filled Gilberto¡¯s head. *** "As soon as I go up to the 2nd floor with this mask on, the reporters will be all over me." Seo Jun-Ho said as he shook his Specter mask. Journalists and Guild members wouldn¡¯t be able to stay still if they saw him, and he had also signed a contract with the Big 6. He signed a contract with the Big 6 that he would announce his cooperation with them to the world on the day he went up to the 2nd floor. "Jun-Ho, then isn''t that dangerous? If the fiends see the reporters, they''ll be on guard," asked Gilberto with concern. "Of course, they¡¯ll be on guard, the ones near Dustang won¡¯t be, though," replied Seo Jun-Ho. Those fiends probably never imagined even in their wildest dreams that they would be targeted because they most likely had no idea that Arthur was Gilberto¡¯s son. "From the moment we get out of Gilleon, there¡¯s a high chance we¡¯ll get followed." If the Fiend Association¡¯s ns were in order¡­ "It''s going to be annoying." The fiends couldn¡¯te down to the 1st floor openly. However, it was different the other way around. "Did you say that the fiends of this era are strong?" "The strong ones are strong since it has been 26 years already." The fiends who regarded Specter and the archmage as prey probably wouldn¡¯t be able to control their itching bodies. Especially since it was not even the 1st floor, but the 2nd floor where their front yard was. "We have to rescue Arthur while shaking off the pursuit of other fiends,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. In terms of difficulty alone, it was higher than any other mission since he had awakened from the ice. Seo Jun-Ho even felt sorry for Gilberto, who had just woken up a few hours ago. "¡­The situation isn¡¯t good. You and I even have a debuff called the Curse of Bitter Cold," mentioned Gilberto. "Oh, about that." Seo Jun-Ho lifted the bracelet. It was a mithril bracelet made by the dwarves that Skaya had enchanted. "I''ve prepared some tricks for days like this.¡± "Tricks?¡± Gilberto asked, looking at the bracelet. "Yes, tricks." Click. Seo Jun-Ho put the bracelet on his wrist. The mithril¡¯s luxurious coldness gave a strange sense offort. "When I woke up Skaya and got the Curse of Bitter Cold debuff, I met an interesting fiend." Wang-Heon was a fiend who had the skill, Dispel (A), and he died when he encountered Seo Jun-Ho in the ckwall Maze. "I thought about it the moment I got rid of him. Ah, this Curse of Bitter Cold¡­¡± He thought that he could resolve the curse on his own. As such, he prepared the so-called Dispel Bracelet. "Even with the A-grade Dispel, the Curse of Bitter Cold can only be reduced by an hour." So Seo Jun-Ho thought that the power of the Curse of Bitter Cold couldn¡¯t be lifted by a person¡¯s own power. But what if it was an artifact? "If it''s an artifact that can activate the same magic hundreds or thousands of times in an instant...¡± Perhaps it could be possible then¡­ "Stand back." With Seo Jun-Ho''s warning, three people, including the Frost Queen, stepped back. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho, gathering vast magic, led it toward the bracelet. Woooong. Seo Jun-Ho felt as if his body had be full of power. Although 30 magic stats had disappeared, his magic was nheless like a boundless sea. ¡®This magic¡­¡¯ From now on, he would continuously inject magic into the bracelet to use Dispel magic. There was only one purpose. It was to remove the Curse of Bitter Cold. "Dispel." When Seo Jun-Ho whispered and activated the bracelet, the flow of magic in his body became twisted. "Ugh!" The bracelet began to devour a huge amount of magic. Watching this scene, Skaya bit her lips slightly out of anxiety. "As expected... It wasn¡¯t fully stabilized. The magic flow is unstable." Magic enchantment without proper stabilization was a double-edged sword. It wasn''t certain if it would work properly, and even the amount of magic consumed would be immense. It was a bracelet made of mithril, which had the highest magic conductivity, but Skaya still could not hide her anxiety. [The Curse of Bitter Cold resists Dispel.] [The Curse of Bitter Cold¡¯s rank is overwhelmingly higher than Dispel''s.] [Dispel''s power is weakened.] [The duration of the Curse of Bitter Cold has been reduced by 30 minutes.] [The duration of the Curse of Bitter Cold has been reduced by 30 minutes.] [The duration of the Curse of Bitter Cold has been reduced by 30 minutes.] The amount of time that the duration of the Curse of Bitter Cold decreased every time a single Dispel was used was 30 minutes. ¡®24 hours in a day, and 20 days of the Curse of Bitter Cold¡­¡¯ As many as 960 Dispels needed to be used to cleanly remove the Curse of Bitter Cold. Whether it was possible or impossible was beyond Seo Jun-Ho''s will and ability. ¡®Endure it, please endure it!¡¯ It was a matter of whether this Dispel bracelet made of mithril could withstand it or not. Seo Jun-Ho continued to gather his magic and looked at the bracelet with anxious eyes. ¡®300 times... 320 times... 340 times...'' The bracelet shone every minute and as dozens of Dispels were activated per second. However, as soon as the number of times exceeded 400, the surface began to cken as if it had been scorched. The mithril, the mineral with the highest magic conductivity, could not withstand the magic anymore and began to deform. "Jun-Ho! Stop right there!" Skaya issued a warning. The fact that the appearance of the bracelet began to change meant that the magic enchantment had failed to stabilize. It was inevitable because the work that was originally scheduled for a month had to be forcefully ended after only five days. "¡­Not yet,¡± Seo Jun-Ho gritted his teeth and murmured. He continued to count the number of message windows in front of him. ¡®440¡­ 471¡­ 490¡­¡¯ The number continued to grow. Chiiiiik! ck smoke rose from the bracelet, and the rate of deformation began to elerate. "Ahhh!" Seo Jun-Ho''s expression became distorted. His wrist was exposed to the intense heating from the bracelet. "What a high maintenance Contractor!" Eventually, the Frost Queen, who was watching from afar, reached out. In an instant, Seo Jun-Ho''s wrist was covered with ice which melted immediately, and the cycle repeated. ¡®Frost¡­!¡¯ The Frost Queen helped Seo Jun-Ho. Thanks to this, the burns to his wrist were prevented. In the meantime, Dispel¡¯s activation could be continued. ''Now... the limit...!¡¯ Having endured to the limit, the moment Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes tightly and tried to remove the mithril bracelet¡­ [The duration of the Curse of Bitter Cold has been reduced by 30 minutes.] [The duration of the Curse of Bitter Cold has been reduced by 30 minutes.] [The Curse of Bitter Cold has ended.] [The reduced stats has been restored.] The curse was finally lifted. "Ugh, it''s hot!" Seo Jun-Ho immediately hurled the bracelet away. The bracelet that fell to the floor was burnt ck beyond recognition. One couldn¡¯t even see that it was made of mithril anymore. "Tsk... What a waste.¡± When Skaya clicked her tongue and felt that it was a shame, Seo Jun-Ho murmured while waving his sweaty arms, "The ck edition is not bad either. Besides, it''s mithril.¡± Mithril was also called a ''characteristic memory alloy.¡¯ This was because it had the property of always returning to its original form. "It will be restored in time." Honestly, since it had been scorched this much, it was unknown how long it would take for it to return to its original form. Seo Jun-Ho looked at Gilberto with a sorry expression. "Sorry, I failed to lift your curse." "Don''t mind me. You''re the important one." Gilberto shook his head. Gilberto was very aware of his current situation. ¡®I don''t know if it''s because I woke up after a long sleep... but my mind is still in a daze. My whole body feels like it''s floating in the air.¡¯ Was it because he had been stuck in the ice for a long time? His fingers were a little stiff, too. In this situation, it wasn¡¯t even clear if he could shoot his own specialty sniper well. Therefore, it was more appropriate for Seo Jun-Ho to recover first. Seo Jun-Ho was a man who came back to this world a year earlier than Gilberto, after all. "Two hours," Seo Jun-Ho said firmly, "In that time, we will rescue Arthur ande down to the 1st floor. Does anyone have questions? "No. Gilbe?" "I don''t have any either.¡± Two hours were the golden time in which Seo Jun-Ho believed he could save Arthur. If it went beyond that, there was a high possibility that the fiends would make an organized pursuit against them. "Let''s go, then." As Seo Jun-Ho and Gilberto reached out their hands, Skaya grinned as she grabbed each of their hands. "It has been a long time since we have done this.¡± She used toin a lot, asking if they thought that she was a taxi. But now, this feeling didn¡¯t seem so hateful anymore. *** The Dimensional Elevator installed on an artificial ind somewhere in the Pacific Ocean was narrow, but there was everything that you needed. Of course, it meant that there was even a special elevator for VIPs. As such, this ce was often used by high-ranking officials wanting to move without the people¡¯s prying eyes. ¡°...¡± The eyes of the Association staff members guarding the ce trembled. They had seen many famous people while protecting this ce. High Rankers, masters of Guilds, and even the heads of the Association¡­ But they were certain that those who appeared before them today were not in the same vein as those they had met before. ''That¡¯s crazy, Skaya Killnd-nim¡¯s here too, but...¡¯ ¡®Perhaps that mask is... I didn''t expect to see Specter-nim with my own eyes.¡¯ What they felt was beyond honor and shock. After all, they were receiving legendary heroes they had only seen in textbooks until now. ''But...'' ¡®There''s one more?¡¯ The Association staff members tilted their heads and turned their heads. Just who was the guy walking with Specter and the archmage? No one asked and no one answered. But the moment they saw the blond handsome man casually putting a long sniper rifle over his shoulder as if it was a spear, they immediately recognized him. "D-don''t tell me..." "The Gray Envoy¡­?" He was the strongest sniper in history whose bullets were known to be unavoidable as long as you lived under the same sky as him. The Gray Envoy, Gilberto Green, was back. Chapter 179. Watchguards (6)

Chapter 179. Watchguards (6)

"Ha-ak, ha-ak!" A man let out haggard breaths and ran full steam along the dark forest path. ¡®Left.¡¯ The man threw a dagger even without looking at the enemy''s position. "Ugh!" As soon as the enemy fell with a dagger stuck in his neck, dust rose from the floor. Another enemy who was lying in ambush in the ground popped out. Slice! In an instant, the man took out a dagger from his waist and cut through the enemy''s neck and armpit like a ray of light. ''There''s no end to these small fries.¡¯ The man''s eyes shook violently from side to side. The enemies¡¯ levels were low, but there were simply far too many of them. It was such arge number that he wondered if all of Frontier''s fiends had gathered here. The-like pursuit they had deployed tightened itself around his neck as time went by. "That way!" "Follow me!" ¡®This isn¡¯t good.¡¯ The man veered off the road and climbed recklessly up the rough foot of the mountain. Swooosh! Baaang! The arrows and magic fired from below chilled his blood. ''A little, a little further...¡¯ The moment the haggardly breathing man stepped forward with a tired look¡­ Grab! A hand sticking out of the dark closed around his mouth and dragged him to the ground. ¡®A surprise attack!¡¯ The man tried to gather his magic in an instant and shake off the enemy. "Please stay calm, Leader." ¡°...!¡± A familiar voice stopped him. The man did not rebel, and they went into a narrow pit. Kooong! Falling to the ground, the owner of the voice let out a sigh, "Huu, I just lost ten years of my life. What the hell are you trying to do bringing those things?¡± "Sorry, but I survived thanks to you, River." "Don''t mention it." "There¡¯s no risk of getting discovered here, is there?" "Of course not, this is the house that belongs to only me." The man called River stretched out his arms and introduced his space. It was such an incredibly spacious and neat ce that it was hard to believe that it was built under the forest grounds. This was because the entire ce was connected to River''s skill, ¡®Moving House (B).¡¯ "Let me wash up." "The shower room is inside." The man, Arthur Green entered the shower and closed his eyes under the hot water. ¡®Where did it go wrong?¡¯ Three years¡ªover these three years, Arthur had pursued only one fiend. He had never gone too far, and he had never let his guard down during those times. ¡®But just how did I get found out?¡¯ This couldn¡¯t be a coincidental crime or an ident, because the fiends had deliberately approached Arthur. This morning, he had discovered that the air was cold the moment he had entered his house. ''There were four of them hiding in the house.¡¯ A battle had broken out. It was a big battle on a scale that didn¡¯t happen often even in Dustang, notorious for being a den of criminals. Arthur had killed the four fiends who had been waiting in ambush in his house, then he had run away like crazy. ¡®A chase of more than 12 hours...¡¯ He was exhausted. If River, whom Arthur had ordered to wait here, had made a mistake, Arthur would have died by now. ¡®I''m tired¡­¡¯ After taking a shower, Arthur put on clean clothes and went out to the living room. River was watching the situation outside on the TV in the room. "There¡¯s a lot. There are so many fiends here, so just where are they usually hiding?" "¡­I know, right.¡± On the screen, he could see at least 50 fiends climbing the mountain. River stuck his tongue out in awe as he shook a cold can. "Want a beer?" "Give me one." Chiiik. Arthur drank the cold beer and spoke as he wiped his mouth, "I feel this every time I see it, but this is a reallyfortable skill." "Well, I''m more envious of skills that can help inbat like yours." The pouting River was a slender, short, 23-year-old man. Arthur was also on the slim side, but he had dense muscles all over his body. "Leader, what do you want to do now?" After thinking for a while, Arthur said, "I sent over a report while I was running away.¡± "What? A report? Just who did you send it to!" cried River with a sordid look on his face. Just what kind of report was it? It was the report that Arthur risked his life for over three years to produce. "To Deok-Gu ahjussi." "Oh... The president of the Korean yers Association?" River muttered in an epting voice. "Well, he''s reliable, but...¡± They needed more than a reliable person; they needed someone trustworthy, good, and helpful, right now. ¡°Does the president of the Korean yers Association even have that much power? I have no idea about on Earth, but on Frontier¡­¡± "Well, we shouldn¡¯t expect immediate support," Arthur murmured with a self-deprecating smile. River stared at Arthur and asked, "Can''t you just ask Specter-nim for help?" ¡°¡­¡± Arthur couldn¡¯t answer for a while. He also had a strong urge to do so, but he wasn''t sure. "I can''t¡­" Arthur couldn''t bring himself to say what he thought. ¡®The fiends tracking me right now are too strong. They''re powerful even amongst the inner-rankings of the Fiend Association.¡¯ Arthur wasn''t talking about the small fries climbing the mountain right now. They were nothing more than chess pieces. The asional aura he felt while running away was that of a powerful fiend with a spine-chilling strength. Even his uncle, who had been called the strongest 26 years ago, was probably no match for them since he was still recuperating on the 1st floor. ¡®Uncle will probably take two years¡ªno, one year at most toe up here after his treatment.¡¯ It was a calction he made knowing that his uncle¡¯s talent was the best. In fact, it had taken Shin Sung-Hyun and Kim Woo-Joong that long to establish themselves throughout Frontier. "What about the archmage-nim? Last time I saw, she was doing well catching fiends¡­¡± "Those were only weak fiends who are no different from the ones climbing the mountain right now." Even that information hadn¡¯t been updated recently. She could be facing a bottleneck right now. "What about the other Watchguards?" asked Arthur. "When I checked before I came here, everyone had gathered at the hideout. Everyone is fine except for Leader." "¡­I''m d." Arthur sighed with relief. The Watchguards'' hideout was so secure that it could be called a fortress. There were several security mechanisms installed, making it impossible to enter unless one was an ally. "Can you reach them right now?" "No, the House is not recognized as a city, so it¡¯s impossible to use themunity forums. I can watch videos, though." It meant there was no way to contact someone from here. "By the way, what the heck happened? You even suddenly sent an rm to the Watchguards." "...I was ambushed. There were fiends in my house waiting for me." "Oh my god! You didn''t do anything to get discovered, right?¡± River looked serious for a moment, then opened his mouth carefully. "Leader, perhaps¡­ was the information leaked from inside the Watchguards¡­?¡± "Stop." Arthur interrupted River in a firm voice. No matter how bad the situation was, Arthur didn''t want to doubt hisrades. "The members of the Watchguards are those who can''t live under the same sky as the fiends. They are people who would rather risk their lives than sell their pride. We didn''t even take in those kinds of people in the first ce.¡± "...Sorry. I only said it because that''s all I could think of with my head," River mumbled and trailed off. Arthur didn''t really me him. Arthur had also thought about that for a moment while he was being chased. ''But there¡¯s no way that can be the case...¡¯ They were all family. If he had been caught by the fiends, he would rather die than snitch on them. ¡®Of course, there is still a possibility...'' There could be someone among the fiends with a hypnotic skill. However, not a single Watchguard had failed their missions recently. Naturally, no one had been caught by the enemy, so this possibility was infinitely close to 0%. "W-well, fortunately, I made several entrances before I got here.¡± River delivered good news to reduce the heavy atmosphere. The Moving House (B) could designate up to three outside ces to connect with the front door. "That''s good to hear. Then, let''s go to the ce that¡¯s the farthest away from here." "Okay, if we move around diligently, we''ll be able to get to our hideout in time at dawn.¡± River and Arthur even took stamina potions before leaving the Moving House. They would have to run diligently through the night. *** Those using the Dimensional Elevator for the first time would always be at a loss for words at the movement that seemed to have transported them through the void. But nothing else was important for Gilberto¡ªhe was only worried for his son. The other two also didn¡¯t reveal their usual casual attitudes because of the current situation. "Hmm?" "Ohh! It¡¯s Skaya Killnd-nim?¡± "Please give me your autograph... Wait a minute, next to her is...¡± "Ohhh, it''s Specter-nim¡­!¡± The moment the Dimensional Elevator of Gilleon opened, countless people gathered around the three people. But at the same time, their bodies disappeared in the blink of an eye. The three vanished from the ce using Skaya¡¯s Teleport. "Good job." Seo Jun-Ho checked the articles on themunity forums first. [Specter and the archmage have arrived on the 2nd floor. He''s back on the field.] [Silent Moon Guild and ¡®Specter,¡¯ this cooperation is the beginning of new raids in the future.] [We¡¯ll be together with Specter to keep the fiends in check. The Goblin Guild, the true Noblesse Oblige of this era.] [Labyrinth, with the world''s best equipment, ¡®We''ll spare nothing in support of Specter.¡¯ Cooperation Announcement] ¡­ As expected, the articles came out. Articles poured out from the Big 6 as if they had been waiting, followed by the Korean yer Association. "What do you think?" "Themunity forums exploded as expected." The sand in the hourss began to fall. Just as people showed explosive interest in them, so would the fiends. "Gilberto." "All right..." The three of them began their pursuit of Arthur. The brightly lit tattoo told Gilberto where Arthur was. "It''s quite far, west. 6,200 km.¡± As soon as Gilberto checked the approximate location, the ce changed once again. Skaya asked, "Now?" "Still in the west, but the distance is now 800 km." This ridiculous thing was possible because an archmage was with them. "That''s perfect. Let''s run from here, then." Teleport created arge flow of magic, which could also alert the fiends. In addition, there was nothing good about consuming too much of Skaya''s magic before the battle even started. The two followed him without saying anything, since they instantly understood what Seo Jun-Ho meant. "Gilberto, tell me if you have a hard time running. We¡¯ll go ahead." "No problem at all.¡± Gilberto simply had an indomitable spirit. Even though he had slept within the ice for 26 years, lost his muscles, and wasn¡¯t really in a good condition overall, his eyes were still dazzling. *** "We¡¯re almost there¡­" After running diligently, Arthur and River arrived near the hideout. The Watchguards¡¯ hideout was built in Ound and was quite close to Dustang. "As long as we get to the hideout, there won¡¯t be any problem.¡± Although the organization had been in operation for as long as 10 years, the number of people belonging to the Watchguards was only 30. It was a number that didn¡¯t exceed the number of members a newly-established Guild would have. But as long as he was with them, Arthur was not afraid of anything. ¡®First of all, I''ll have time to lie low and build my strength for a while.¡¯ Arthur initially thought he was strong enough, but he became aware of the reality after today. "We''re here..." As soon as they arrived at the hideout hidden on the cliff of a mountain, River smiled brightly. For the Watchguards, the hideout was like their home. But his smile quickly disappeared, and a confused expression took over his face. "L-Leader¡­" ¡°¡­¡± Arthur let River''s nervous voice pass by his ears as he stood at the door of the hideout as if he had been possessed by something. With keys given only to the Watchguards and severalyers of security that would only open by entering the authorized biometric data and passwords, the door should have been tightly closed as it had always been. ¡®But why is the door open?¡¯ Arthur pushed the door open while asking a question that no one would answer. Squeak. As the door slid open, the strong smell of blood stung his nose. Chapter 180. Father鈥檚 Love (1)

Chapter 180. Father¡¯s Love (1)

Beyond the door was a bloody fog. Recognizing it, River spoke with a serious look, "This is Jang ahjussi''s skill¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± Arthur''s eyes narrowed as he turned his head without saying a word. "Eup! Eup!" "Eup...!" His fellow Watchguards were detained in the spacious central living room of the hideout. Their arms and legs were tied with restraints restricting the use of magic, and their mouths were also blocked with tape. Even in that state, they looked at Arthur and shouted. They wanted Arthur to run away, but Arthur counted them first. ¡®One, two, three...¡¯ There were thirty in total. The first thought that dominated his head was ''relief.¡¯ ¡®I wasn¡¯t toote.¡¯ He could change the oue if he had a chance. It was too early to regret. ¡®But if the number of people tied up is 30...¡¯ The Watchguards had 33 members in total, so excluding himself and River, there was only one left. "Oh, so you''re here." Thest Watchguard slipped out of the kitchen with a beer bottle. Staring at him piercingly, Arthur asked in an eerily calm voice, "What happened, Jang ahjussi?" "Huh? Hmm... I don¡¯t think you¡¯re stupid. Do I have to necessarily exin it to you?¡± The pot-bellied man with a bushy beard scratched his head and shrugged. "It is what it is?¡± Sittingfortably on the living room sofa, he brought the cold beer bottle over to his mouth. "Why bother exining?" "What a waste of time¡­" Strange voices interrupted the conversation and at the same time, two more people walked out from inside the hideout. ¡®Just two people¡­¡¯ But Arthur''s eyes trembled as he looked at them. These fiends made him feel a sense of breathlessness the moment his eyesnded on them. At that moment, he knew that he could not guarantee victory against them. "Why on Earth?!" Arthur''s anger turned to Jang ahjussi, Jang Seon-Ho. "Just why did you betray us?¡± "Huh? Betrayal? Me?" Jang Seon-Ho asked with his eyes wide open, and the fiends around him chuckled andughed. "Betrayal, that''s a fresh word." "Well, as a member of the Pride Squadron, the art of deceiving people is quite useful.¡± "Shut up, you guys¡­" Jang Seon-Ho had alwaysughed happily in front of his grateful family and took good care of them. But now, Jang Seon-Ho uttered a harsh swear word that he had never uttered before with a twisted smile around his mouth. "You called us family, but it must have been family only in words. I can''t believe you didn''t notice this.¡± "What...¡± ¡°The Jang Seon-Ho, who you used to think of as family died long ago. That was a year and a half ago, too.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Arthur''s belly swelled up. Taking a deep breath in, he forgot to breathe out and looked at Jang Seon-Ho with surprised eyes. "The skill he had was useful, but he was sloppy." He sipped his beer and told the past story in a calm voice. "With that ability, he stumbled upon me and even dared toe at me, so I killed him." If the story had simply ended with Jang Seon-Ho''s death, this tragedy wouldn¡¯t even happen in the first ce. "When I killed him, I was envious of his skill.¡± The man gave himself a good tap on the stomach. "This guy''s looks and body are ugly, but his skill is better than the ones I''ve eaten before." "...Eaten?" "Ah, my skill, ''Perfect Person (A)'' can inherit the memory, skill, and appearance of a yer by eating their bodies after killing them. The cooldownsts for months, though." That was the beginning of this story¡ªthe fiend, who had transformed into Jang Seon-Ho, was lucky to gain one interesting piece of information. "That''s when I got to know a group called the Watchguards, and I also got to know of your existence... Arthur Green.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Jang Seon-Ho smiled. "The only child left by the 5 Heroes of the past. We''ve worked very hard to find you, even with the power of the Fiend Association." "You''re very lucky¡­" "Even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while.¡± [1] "Don''t you know that luck is part of one¡¯s skill in this industry?¡± The fiend had immediately reported it to his boss and from then on, he was given a special mission. "To remove the Watchguards from the world and capture Arthur Green alive." That was his mission¡­ "Then, on my way slowly to the Watchguards'' hideout, a very interesting article popped up in the world." Jang Seon-Ho asked in a subtle voice, "Do you know what kind of article it is?" "¡­My god." River in the back covered his mouth with a paleplexion. River knew at once what interesting article the fiend was talking about. "River seems to know about it. Yes, the return of Specter. That interesting article flipped the world.¡± The fiend¡¯s duties were immediately changed from an order to eradicate all of the Watchguards, to sneaking in and assimting with them. ¡°¡­¡± Arthur''s body trembled. If so, it meant that the person he and the Watchguards had treated as family was a fiend who simply pretended to be Jang Seon-Ho. "Eurgh!" Arthur felt like vomiting. It gave him goosebumps to think that he spent timeughing and chatting with a fiend wearing the skin of his family member. ''Even worse...'' The reason why he had done such an exhausting act by his side was also abominable. ¡®To kill my uncle, Specter.¡¯ It was to use Arthur as bait to catch Specter. "The other day, I even heard that the archmage had woken up. It''s a double celebration." Jang Seon-Ho emptied the bottle of beer and slowly got up from his seat. "Two people, Specter and the archmage, are now on the 2nd floor looking for you." "¡­What?" Arthur''s shocked lips quivered. Arthur had wondered when he handed over the report to Shim-ahjussi, but he didn''t expect them to act so fast. "Did you ask them for help while running away? Frankly, this was beyond our expectations." The fiend looked slightly ufortable. ording to the original n, he would have acquired Arthur''s form, and through it, he would threaten Specter. ¡®He''s a proud man, so I didn''t expect him to ask for help from Specter¡­¡¯ It was his owncent judgment, but it didn''t matter too much. Arthur''s form was basically in his hands already. ¡®Nothing will change¡­¡¯ At the same time, demonic energy soared, thickening the blood-colored fog thaty throughout the hideout. The stinging scent of blood became even more intense¡ªit became so thick it would leave anyone in a daze. Arthur momentarily was overwhelmed by Jang ahjussi¡­ No, the fiend imitating Jang Seon-Ho. "It won''t make any difference if you resist now. So let''s make it easier for each other, shall we?" Jang Seon-Ho beckoned as if telling him toe closer. "If youe over here on your own feet, I''ll spare the other Watchguards who are like family to you." ¡°¡­¡± It was a lie. He was a fiend. As such, even if he listened obediently, it was impossible that the fiends would spare the lives of his friends. It was a fact that River and of course, the other Watchguards listening to the conversation knew. "Ueup! Uuuep!" "Ueup! Ueup!" This was why they fiercely shook their heads and shed tears even when they were tied up. "These punks¡­" "Stay still while I¡¯m still being nice." The fiends trampled on their bodies and broke their arms and legs. Seeing his family being trampled on and beaten up, Arthur bit his lips tightly. A strong smell of blood spread through his mouth. After biting his lips so hard that they bled, he slowly opened his mouth to speak, "Everyone." He was the leader of the Watchguards. As the head of the family, he spoke with sincerity. "I''m so sorry." Baang! Arthur drew his revolver like lightning and fire ignited in the barrel of the gun. He had no intentions topromise with fiends. ¡®I''d rather die here than be caught and be a burden to my uncle and aunt.¡¯ That was why he apologized. ¡®I''m sorry for being a weak captain. All of you¡­ please die with this fool here.¡¯ Arthur''s eyes were filled with anger as he was prepared to die. It was anger toward the fiend, who killed his family, Jang Seon-Ho ahjussi, and the main culprit who had created this current situation. "Huu, this is why I don''t like kids. They¡¯re always troublesome.¡± "The orders from above were to just get him alive... It should be fine if he doesn¡¯t have arms and legs." "Yeah, that¡¯ll make it easier for us to take him away. Let''s cut them off." Jang Seon-Ho let out a light sigh and gestured with his hands while easily avoiding the bullet. At the same time, the blood-colored fog spread rapidly. ¡°¡­!¡± It was fast. Arthur was familiar with Jang Seon-Ho''s skill. ''B-grade skill, Blood Fog.¡¯ It was a skill toy a blood-colored fog around the enemies to disturb their sense of smell. In addition, this fog could also be controlled. Jang Seon-Ho had poor battle sense and honestly didn¡¯t use this skill well. Although it was upsetting, the fiend¡¯s battle sense in using this skill was a few steps ahead of the original user. Boooom! The bloody fog came up in a sh, flipping over the walls and floors. Its goal was Arthur''s arms and legs. "L-Leader!" Two fiends strode over to River, who was pacing about while watching the scene. Scared by this, River quickly opened the door of the hideout and disappeared outside. "You''re too slow!" One of the fiends chased after him and opened the closed door, but there was only an empty cliff. "Damn it, you rat!" The fiend who followed after him nodded slowly as he grasped the situation. "Was it Moving House? It¡¯s the skill to connect doors and corridors to one''s home in the void." "I can''t catch him like this!¡± "Whatever, it doesn''t matter if it''s just one guy." The two fiends opened the door again with a grin and tried to go inside the hideout. ¡°¡­!?¡± "What¡¯s this?" It was no longer the Watchguards'' hideout. They could only see the inside of someone else''s house along with a can of beer. *** "Haaa, haaa¡­" Having used his wits to keep the two fiends out of the hideout, River gasped. As a nonbatant, even this was enough for a story to tell at a drinking party for the rest of his life. ''I-I did it!¡¯ However, this wasn¡¯t the time to rx... River returned to the hideout using a different corridor of the Moving House and saw a fierce fight happening inside the hideout. Kang! Kakakang! Bang, bang! "¡­No, maybe it''s not that fierce." Even from River¡¯s perspective, who was not good at fighting, the difference between the two was clear. Unlike Arthur''s constantly distorted face, Jang ahjussi''s face remained calm andposed. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ After a moment''s hesitation, River looked at his boundpanions. The situation would be reversed if only the restraints were released, but he was missing the most important key. The key was probably in Jang Seon-Ho or the other two fiends¡¯ hands. ¡®Fortunately, I don''t have the fiends in my house right now.¡¯ Rather than entering the house where they didn''t know what traps might be lurking, they chose to keep a very close watch from the cliff outside the hideout. ''Then, what I have to do now is¡­¡¯ First, River had to move the Watchguards to a safe ce. That way, Arthur would be able to find a way to escape, rather than engage in an all-out battle. "Shhh, everyone be quiet." ¡°¡­!¡± The eyes of the Watchguards who found River approaching shone brilliantly. They looked at River proudly. This was because they had never imagined that River, who had always been doted on for being the youngest, would aplish such a big thing. "This way, this way." River began to move the Watchguards toward the refrigerator in the kitchen where the nearest door was located. And as soon as he opened the refrigerator door, the inside was once again connected to the Moving House (B). "Hmm?" After a while, Jang Seon-Ho instinctively turned his head when he noticed something awry. The moment his eyesnded on River, who was sneaking away with the Watchguards into the refrigerator, Jang Seon-Ho¡¯s face twisted like the devil¡¯s. "Idiots! That''s why you guys are the pigs of the Gluttony Squadron!" How could they let things get to this point without being able to do anything about River? But on the contrary, Arthur smiled brightly despite his exhaustion. "¡­Well done, River." It was a clear voice, like that of a man who had been relieved of all his burdens. Arthur urged River with a bright expression. "Hurry up and go, you idiot." "¡­I¡¯ll definitelye back for you. I¡¯m not abandoning Leader. I promise," River muttered in tears. Now, River had to find a way to release hisrades'' restraints or find a helper. Squeeeeaak! River watched the blood-red weaponsing toward the refrigerator until the end before he tightly closed his eyes. Tak! The door of the refrigerator closed. 1. The Korean proverb is ¡°?? ???? ??? ?? ?? ???¡± which is directly tranted as ¡®It''s like a cow stepping backward and stepping on a mouse¡¯ and basically means even ipetent people can be lucky once in a while ? Chapter 181. Father鈥檚 Love (2)

Chapter 181. Father¡¯s Love (2)

River''s Moving House (B) was arge space. However, it felt much more cramped than usual, when 31 people entered it. They couldn''t even stand on their own and were lying on the floor like caterpirs. To make matters worse, some Watchguards even groaned. "Ughh¡­ Fiend bastards...¡± "I broke my arm." "My legs are broken." "River, please give me a potion." "Okay, okay, wait a minute...¡± River hurriedly brought a first aid kit and began treating hisrades. He sprayed the potion on the wounds and spilled some into their mouths. In the meantime, hisrades, tied to restraints, provided suggestions. "How about we ask for help from a nearby yers¡¯ Association branch first?" "What are you talking about, those Association guys have no power. River, go to a Guild." "Whether it''s a Guild or the Association, we need to have these restraints released first so that we can help Arthur." River''s thin ears fluttered at the Watchguards'' disagreement. ¡®Should I go to the yers¡¯ Association or to a Guild? Or should I figure out how to release the restraints first?¡¯ The moment River¡¯s eyes were about to spin in confusion, a Watchguard sitting quietly in the corner spoke in a terrifying voice, "¡­The fiend that deserves to be torn apart said that Specter and the archmage havee up to the 2nd floor." As if they had just remembered it, the Watchguards nodded. "Ah!" "Certainly, if it¡¯s them¡­¡± "They should be enough to help Arthur with his current situation." "But there''s a fatal problem.¡± A magician Watchguardpetent enough to be allowed ess to the 4th floor of the magic tower said, "Where the hell is River going to find them?" "Oh¡­" "That''s true." "So, the Association then?" "I said it should be a Guild." While the Watchguards put their heads together and whined for a long time, River muttered out of the blue, "City." "What?" "I need to go to the city.¡± River began to pack up with a firm expression. "Whether I ask the Association or a Guild for help, or find a way to release the restraints, or contact Specter and the archmage¡­ Whatever it is, I have to go to a city first.¡± This was because mostmunity services were activated only in cities. It was the right answer, but the Watchguards expressed concern. "¡­The fiends are probably gathering.¡± "There must be a bunch of enemies outside. Are you sure you''ll be okay alone?" "I¡¯ll be okay," River nodded valiantly. "There''s a method of fighting for nonbatants." River¡¯s Holding Breath (D) and Cat Steps (C) skills greatly helped to erase his presence. Even if the fiends formed an inescapable, it wouldn¡¯t be very difficult to escape from them. "And if ites down to it...¡± Boom! River looked grim as he took a door out of his inventory. "I can run away to the hideout." ¡°...¡± The faces of the Watchguards, who were sending their youngest to the battlefield, were filled with sorry and remorse. The youngest was struggling so hard while they were overwhelmed by the fiends and could only stay lying down. They looked anxiously at River and nodded. "Be careful." "I wish you all the best." "I''ll be back." River stepped out of the door. *** ¡°¡­¡± Jang Seon-Ho was smoking with anguid expression. He shook off the cigarette ash with his left hand and slightly looked up. "I mean... why did you mess with me so recklessly when you knew it wouldn''t work?" "¡­Tweh." Grabbed by the cor in Jang Seon-Ho¡¯s right hand, Arthur spat arrogantly, but his condition wasn¡¯t good. One of his eyelids was bloodshot and swollen, and his left arm was bent. There was a hole in his side to the point where the bone could be seen, and if left alone, he would die of excessive bleeding. "Tsk, I can''t really kill him." Jang Seon-Ho clicked his tongue, wiped the blood off his face, and threw Arthur to the floor. "Ugh..." Over Arthur''s body, struggling in pain¡­ an expensive potion was sprinkled. "Know that you¡¯re lucky. If it weren''t for the orders from above to bring you alive, you would be dead by now." Arthur¡¯s condition was so bad that Jang Seon-Ho didn¡¯t even dare to cut off his limb since he would get in trouble if Arthur suddenly died. After finishing the treatment, Jang Seon-Ho lightly hit Arthur¡¯s forehead. "Oh, I almost forgot.¡± He took a thick string out of his inventory and put it around Arthur¡¯s mouth. "It¡¯ll be troublesome if you bite your tongue." "¡­Ueup!Ueup!" Now that it was impossible to kill himself, Arthur red at Jang Seon-Ho with one eye. However, Jang Seon-Ho simply smiled and shook his head. "Kid, a biting dog never barks." Thud. With Arthur on his shoulder, Jang Seon-Ho opened the hideout¡¯s door and stepped outside. "Oh." "You did a good job.¡± When Jang Seon-Ho saw the two members of the Gluttony Squadron, who had been iparably stupid earlier, anger rose from within him. ¡®Should I just kill them?¡¯ Jang Seon-Ho¡¯s eyes glistened for a moment, and the fiends gulped. Even if they were members of the Gluttony Squadron, there was a difference in skills between themselves and Jang Seon-Ho. "Listen¡­" No matter how heated you became, killing a fiend from another Squadron was crossing the line. Managing to calm his anger, Jang Seon-Ho threw Arthur at them. At the same time, the tattoo on the back of his left hand began to glow blue. It meant thatmunication magic had been activated. The iparably arrogant Jang Seon-Ho spoke with a stiff look as if he was a new recruit. "Yes, Squad Leader." Jang Seon-Ho couldn''t show himself to the other person, but his shoulders shrunk nheless. A stranger''s voice came from the back of his left hand. - The target? "We have secured him. All we have to do is return." - Good. Don''t let your guard down until the end. "Of course¡­" Jang Seon-Ho was oblivious to the operation that had already failed. ¡®I''ve secured Arthur''s form...¡¯ Below the cliff, the fiends, numbering over seventy, looked as small as ants. Most of them were small fries, but there were as many as seven fiends from a Squadron among them. Including the three on the cliff, there were ten Squadron members. This force was enough to easily upy a city if they invaded it. ¡®It¡¯s a shame we lost the Watchguards, but it doesn''t matter.¡¯ No matter how much the trash crawled around, they wouldn''t be able to interfere with the fiends¡¯ activities. "I will see you at the association, Squad Leader." After politely ending the conversation, Jang Seon-Ho spoke, "Let''s go." He jumped down the cliff. *** "How about now?" "¡­We¡¯re close. Very." Gilberto''s eyes shone coldly. Arthur''s position could be felt from the tattoo on his left forearm. "North, 10 kilometers." "We''re here." "¡­Yeah. It seems we''ve arrived.¡± The three people slowed down. Among them, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s aura sense was the most outstanding. "The air stinks,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. The faint stench of demonic energy lingered in the air. Seo Jun-Ho looked around and started giving instructions. "Skaya, connectmunication magic between the three of us." "Wait a moment... It¡¯s done.¡± Skaya instantly castmunication magic on the three of them. As long as her magic permitted it, the three of them would be able to talk as if they were right next to each other, even if they were far away. "Gilberto, take point." "¡­All right." Gilberto wanted to go see Arthur in person, but he held back. His most brilliant moment was when his enemies couldn¡¯t find him. "Let''s go." As Gilberto disappeared in a sh, Seo Jun-Ho and Skaya walked along the road. As they walked toward the mountain, the demonic energy they felt began to grow stronger. Skaya narrowed her eyes. "Can you feel this?" "Yeah." "There are more than I thought." "They''re small fries, though.¡± Having encountered fiends several times since his return, Seo Jun-Ho could feel it. "There are about ten decent ones... The rest are about level 100." "It reminds us of the old days, right?" said Skaya with nostalgia. It was a long time ago... Seo Jun-Ho smirked. "Right, although we¡¯re missing two." "¡­We will all gather eventually. Definitely." As they crossed the ridge, they could finally see the mountain range. At the same time, they could start taking notes of the fiends¡¯ positions. "What do you want to do? Shall we move first?" "No." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. Seo Jun-Ho would have liked to run over and sweep all the fiends, but that role didn¡¯t belong to him. "We should leave it up to the father to start things off. Don''t you think so, Sucker-for-your-son?¡± Gilberto¡¯s answer to the question was simple. - I¡¯m not a sucker for my son. He didn''t say that he wouldn''t start it off himself. *** There was an awkwardness in the fiends¡¯ procession. In fact, it hadn¡¯t been easy for the fiends to cooperate in this way. ''What''s this? It''s so awkward, I¡¯m gonna die.¡¯ ¡®Why is there a group cooperation order all of the sudden? Who the hell is that mess of blood anyway?¡¯ ¡®Those people in the front... Are they associated with the Squadrons? They¡¯re definitely strong.¡¯ The fiends followed after the ten squad members while immersed in their thoughts. Udduk. Jang Seon-Ho stopped walking and smirked. "What is this?" Members of the Gluttony Squadron approached him to gauge why he stopped. It was because they also felt the aura of yers beyond the ridge. The distance was only about one kilometer. "This is River''s magic?" "River?" "It''s one of the Watchguards." "That rat!" Two fiends were particrly angry as they were members of Gluttony Squadron, yet they were tricked by River and were kicked out of the hideout. "Hey, leave that guy to us." "Anyway, the orders were for all the Watchguards except Arthur to be exterminated, right?¡± "¡­There¡¯s nothing bad about that." Jang Seon-Ho nodded slowly. The leader''s order to stay vignt to the end came to Jang Seon-Ho¡¯s mind for a moment, but he shook his head. ¡®I don''t have to worry about a mere River.¡¯ When Jang Seon-Ho, the person in charge of the operation, gave his permission, the two fiends kicked off the ground and disappeared from sight in a sh. "¡­Did you see their movement just now?" "I couldn''t see it..." "That''s the power of the fiends in Squadrons...¡± The fiends gushed with admiration. They were also level 100 fiends and had always been treated as strong beings wherever they went. However, it was different here. The level of the fiends in the Squadrons was so high that they could not even estimate it. "Leave River to those two. We''ll keep going." Jang Seon-Ho smiled and looked back at Arthur. On the shoulders of arge fiend, Arthur twisted and groaned, "Ueup! Ueup!" Tears flowed from his swollen eyes, but it only made Jang Seon-Ho happier. *** Step, step. There was little sound even though he was sprinting on leaves. River gained confidence in that fact. ¡®You can do it. It won''t be long.'' Whenever he thought of the fact that there were many fiends nearby, he felt like his legs would give out. Each time that happened, however, he steeled his heart and worked his legs as hard as he could. ¡®Is Arthur okay? He¡¯s okay, right?¡¯ Arthur would be okay because the fiends¡¯ purpose was to use him to bait Specter out. Of course, the safety of the hostage would be their first priority. ''If I run diligently, I''ll get to the nearest city in two hours.¡¯ In fact, he, a nonbatant, rarely ran as much as he had done today. He didn''t expect that the hard physical training he had done with the advice of the other Watchguards would be helpful at a time like this. ¡®I''m going to train even harder after this ends.¡¯ He decided to start hunting again, which he had given up on in the past because he was afraid. That way, if something like this were to happen again¡ªhe would be able to help Arthur. ¡®Being weak is a sin¡­¡¯ River thought of the words that spread among the yers. The words he thought were a joke seemed to ring especially loud today. ¡®To help the Watchguards who took me in when I was dying and had lost my parents¡­¡¯ He decided to start hunting again. The moment he made up his mind, however, the world around him shook. Chwaaaaaaak! In an instant, blood from his whole body was directed to his head, and a beatter, he felt pain shooting up from his ankle. "Kuhuhu, you rat! Why don''t you use that skill again this time?" "Did you say it was Moving House? Try opening it.¡± The two fiends from the Gluttony Squadron had caught up with River and grabbed River up by his ankle. River struggled with a paleplexion. "L-Let go! You evil punks!" "Cute. It¡¯s almost a shame to kill you." "Honestly, your skill is useful. If it had been our first meeting, I would have suggested you be a fiend.¡± But they couldn¡¯t keep this River guy alive. After all, he was the reason why Jang Seon-Ho was now treating them like idiots after River had tricked them into being kicked out of the hideout. "It''s all because of you..." "It has been a long time since I''ve received such an insult." Demonic energy condensed in the fiend¡¯s hand as he chuckled. At that moment, his hand became a sword sharper than anything. "You don''t mind if I kill him, do you?" "Well, I''llpromise this time. Instead, if there''s anyone to kill next time, I''ll kill them." "All right." After calmly having such a horrifying conversation, one of the fiends slowly reached out to River. Plop. But at that moment, the fiend fell forward all of a sudden. ¡°...?¡± River, who was being held by the fiend, also fell to the floor. His wide open eyes were filled with bewilderment. "Hey, it''s no time for thisme joke. If we''rete, Jang Seon-Ho will nag us again...¡± As soon as the frowning fiend tried to pull his fallenrade¡¯s body off the floor, his expression hardened. ¡®...Wait a minute, this punk¡¯s got a hole in his head.¡¯ There was a big hole in hisrade¡¯s skull. "A bullet?" The first thing that came to his mind was a bullet¡ªfrom a sniper. But the wound was too hideous for it to havee from a bullet because his whole face was simply sunken in. ''This level of destruction is beyond logic unless the bullet¡¯s loaded with magic...¡¯ No, it didn¡¯t make sense. He didn''t hear the sound of gunfire, and he also didn''t hear the bullet¡¯s approach. ¡®I didn''t even feel any magic.¡¯ Then what? Did this guy go crazy and suddenlymitted suicide? The fiend gulped and straightened his back. He started to get wary of River. "Was it you?" "I-It''s not me." When River shook his head and answered stupidly, the fiend began to look around. ¡®Then where? Where is it from?¡¯ Since the victim was right in front of him, there must be a sniper somewhere. But as to where the enemy was, who he was, and what skill was being used, the fiend could not figure anything out. "...Huh?" Plop. Even until the moment when his view flipped upside down, and he turned into a cold, lifeless body, he still couldn¡¯t figure it out. Chapter 182. Father鈥檚 Love (3)

Chapter 182. Father¡¯s Love (3)

Gilberto''s body, which had been dyed gray, returned to its original state. "¡­Whew." A spontaneous sigh came out of his weak body. He had killed two members of the Gluttony Squadron, but his situation wasn¡¯t that good either. He was fighting with a body that had been asleep for 26 years. ''26 years is a long enough time for most machines and things to break down.¡¯ He had even been trapped in an ice statue. Furthermore, it was not ordinary ice, but the ice of the Frost Queen¡ªthat was likely why arge portion of his physical condition was like this. ¡®This is driving me crazy.¡¯ Gilberto closed his eyes for a moment. His closed eyes were throbbing as if they wanted to burst out of their sockets while his whole body was screaming at him. ''... Jun-Ho must have had a hard time, too.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho would have had the same experience. No, he must have felt more deprivation and pain than this, because his level had been reset. But he had eventually gotten through it. In addition to oveing such a hurdle, he was even leading Gilberto and Skaya from the front as usual. ''But since I¡¯m older, I can''t whine, even if it''s embarrassing¡­¡¯ An old memory sprang to Gilberto¡¯s mind. It was about his low days when he had only possessed several D-grade skills and was the so-called ¡®waste collection box.¡¯ It was Seo Jun-Ho who had discovered and trained him after discovering the potential in him when everyone else despised him. ''When this is over... It¡¯s going to get busy.¡¯ There had been times when he was weak, so he knew better than anyone else that you needed strong power to protect yourself and the people around you. Above all, the current fiends were different from the old fiends who simply fell after he fired bullets. Click. Taking the sniper rifle¡¯s stand apart, he rose from his position and spoke, "Gilberto, changing point." - Roger. The voice of his reliable friend arrived in his ear. *** "By now¡­¡± Jang Seon-Ho looked back, feeling the chilly early morning wind. "Your friend must be dead by now.¡± "Uueup! Ueup!" Blood mixed with saliva dripped from Arthur''s mouth, which was biting down on the rope. His bruised, cold eyes were fierce, as if they would shootsers. "The more I look at you, the lowlier you look." Arthur kept barking, even though he had been told that biting dogs wouldn¡¯t bark. ''Yeah, you go ahead and live like that for the rest of your life.¡¯ Jang Seon-Houghed at him to his heart''s content. He would reign over yers like Arthur forever. No matter how hard they tried, no matter how much they struggled, there was a difference in talent between him and them. "But they''re a littlete..." Suddenly realizing that a lot of time had passed, Jang Seon-Ho looked up at the sky. Unlike Earth of the 21st century, Frontier¡¯s dawn was very dark. Especially in the mountains of Ound, far from the city center, you could even see the Milky Way. "And it¡¯s quiet...¡± It was so quiet that it didn¡¯t make sense. Jang Seon-Ho frowned. ¡®Why aren¡¯t the owls crying?¡¯ The owls that had been definitely crying a little while ago suddenly became silent. Feeling something strange, he raised his hand and stopped the fiends. At the same time, he spread the blood fog around. The maximum range of this skill was a radius of 200 meters. ¡®There¡¯s nothing?¡¯ There were no strangers detected within his range. "It''s quiet." "Yeah, even if there are dozens of fiends gathered here¡­ It''s too quiet." Only then did the members of the Gluttony Squadron notice the unusual situation and started bing alert one by one. Then, a scream broke out from behind the group. "Oh, f**k, you scared me!" "T-This bastard¡¯s dead?¡± "Hey! What''s going on over there?!" The Squadron members frowned and pushed through the fiends and moved toward the back. On the ground, there was a dead fiend with arge hole in his chest. "What is this...¡± Jang Seon-Ho immediately red at the fiends around him. "Turn yourself in. Who was it?" "I-it wasn¡¯t me." "Me neither¡­¡± The first thing he suspected was his ally, not his enemy¡ªthat was because he didn¡¯t detect any enemies around him with his senses. ¡®Is it perhaps someone with a stealth skill?¡¯ No, that wouldn¡¯t be it either. No matter how good the stealth was, you were bound to leave a scent and presence behind. It was difficult to say that there was coincidentally an existence that could avoid his senses here. Moreover, if the person was that good in the first ce, there would be no reason for them to do assassinations like this. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Silence fell among the fiends. They were tense and were even holding in their breath. Whiiing. The sound of the cold wind was the only thing that lingered around them. Drop! Then, the second victim was revealed and it was even in front of Jang Seon-Ho. ''¡­So it was a sniper!'' He clearly saw a long, thick bullet smashing through the fiend¡¯s head anding out the back. He opened his mouth wide andmanded, "It''s a long-distance ambush! Everyone, gather your magic and take cover!" At the same time, dozens of fiends scattered. Hiding behindrge trees or rocks, they feared the presence of an unknown enemy. ¡®Where is he? How far is he sniping from?¡¯ Jang Seon-Ho took out his armor from his inventory and protected himself with severalyers of magic. Despite having the most experience, this was his first time dealing with this kind of enemy. ¡®I''ve never experienced this kind of enemy while on my journey to level 115.¡¯ Rather than afraid, he was nervous and excited. He moistened his lips several times with his tongue. The sniper had the ability to kill targets with such fun and grace! When he turned his head, he could see the frightened fiends. ¡®Even the members of the Gluttony Squadron...¡¯ Even the members, who averaged level 105, were nervous and had stiff expressions. It wasn''t even his own skill, but Jang Seon-Ho was delighted at the sight of it. ¡®A skill that makes even Squadron members tremble.¡¯ Wasn''t that simply the best? At that moment, Jang Seon-Ho became determined. ¡®I''ll kill and eat him.¡¯ Licking his lips, Jang Seon-Ho looked forward again. He beckoned to a fiend hiding behind a tree whom he made eye contact with. "You, go out to the side of the road.¡± "Yes... Yes? Me?" "Yeah, you." The fiend looked at the mountain road with trembling eyes. Now that everyone was hiding, what did it mean to go out there? He was not a moron and so there was no way he didn¡¯t know what Jang Seon-Ho meant. "Excuse me... I''m sorry, but if I go out now, I could die...¡± Pop! A swirling bloody fog burst the fiend¡¯s head in an instant. "How dare you talk back to me, arrogant punk!¡± Jang Seon-Ho frowned and pointed at another fiend. "Hey, you! Go out to the side of the road. You can say no if you want." "N-no. I''ll go out!" Even a fool could tell that refusing wasn¡¯t allowed. The moment the fiend nodded and poked his head out from hiding behind the rock¡­ Baaang! His body from the neck upward disappeared and what remained of his body staggered while spewing a fountain of blood. "Hahaha! This is fun! It''s so much fun!¡± Looking at the falling body, Jang Seon-Ho burst intoughter and continued to point at the fiends. "You, this time, go around to the left of that tree and go out to the side of the road." "You, turn to the right of the rock if he dies." Jang Seon-Ho pronounced the men dead with one finger. The fiends wanted to cry, but they couldn''t refuse. The moment they refused, they knew that they would get killed by that devil. ''This is good fun.¡¯ Jang Seon-Ho was enjoying the situation very much. He was presenting the fiends as sacrificialmbs to locate the sniper. This was like a ''game'' for him. ''A fight of brains... I don''t like it that much, but it''s not bad to enjoy it sometimes.¡¯ Nine fiends died in a row, and the remaining fiends were so nervous that they might be pointed out. However, Jang Seon-Ho had already located the sniper. ''Is he to the south? I don''t know what kind of guy you are, but... you''re definitely screwed.¡¯ The moment he was about to kick off the floor and pop out¡­ "How are you feeling? You¡¯re okay? That can''t be true...¡± "As he said, don''t overdo it and take a rest. This noona will sweep them all up for you. Oh, were you an oppa? So what?" One man and one woman walked into the encirclement of the men, having a normal conversation. The fiends exchanged nces. ¡®What¡¯s this? Who are they?¡¯ ¡®Why are you thinking about it? Can''t we just kill them?'' ¡®Oh... That''s right.¡¯ The first ones toe to their senses were the Squadron members of the Gluttony Squadron. The seven members sent signals to Jang Seon-Ho. ¡®They came exactly from the direction where the sniper was.¡¯ ¡®I think one of them is the sniper.¡¯ ¡®If we cut off an arm and leg each then ask them, they''ll probably spill.¡¯ The members who held their heads out for a surprise attack ducked their heads back again at the speed of light. Jang Seon-Ho raised his shoulder with a frown. ''Why, what''s going on?'' ¡®Shit! T-that bastard! Why is he wearing Specter¡¯s mask?¡¯ ¡®What''s with the hair color of the person next to him?¡¯ ¡®Isn''t that the Archmage? It¡¯s not, right? With my eyes, I can see at night as if it were day...¡¯ Unsure about the situation, Jang Seon-Ho peeked out with his head. At the same time, his eyes widened. ¡®Specter and the Archmage?¡¯ He had a feeling that they were not pretending or were fake. Because he felt massive amounts of real aura from the two of them. ''I see. It makes sense if it¡¯s Specter.'' He thought the sniper was Specter. He was once called the ¡®Walking Armory,¡¯ who knew how to handle all weapons at a high level. The two people stopped walking and spoke, "Come out." "The babies are cute. What are the grown-ups doing, hiding there?" Jang Seon-Ho was the first to appear. Then, one by one, the fiends appeared and surrounded the two. "Hahaha, I heard you came up to the 2nd floor. I didn''t expect you to arrive so soon," Jang Seon-Ho said with a rxed smile. Strong in vanity and ostentatiousness, Jang Seon-Ho wanted to show others how he was not scared even against Specter. "¡­You¡¯reughing?" However, as soon as a cold voice came out from underneath Specter¡¯s mask, Jang Seon-Ho''s stiff expression became white, drained of blood. ¡®...Just now, what was that?¡¯ It was momentary, but he had felt a chill in his spine. It was like¡­ like he was a herbivore making eye contact with an angry beast. ¡®So this is Specter?¡¯ Jang Seon-Ho gulped down his saliva. In fact, the biggest reason he hade out from behind cover was that he was confident. ¡®The aura I feel from both of them is strong, but¡­ It''s not at my level.¡¯ That was Jang Seon-Ho¡¯s source of confidence. The two were definitely tigersmanding the mountain, but they were toothless tigers. ¡®These are old tigers who rushed here to save Arthur.¡¯ Moreover, didn¡¯t Jang Seon-Ho even have a hostage here? Momentarily overwhelmed by Specter, he bit his lip in shame and said, ¡°Anyway, I guess I should say it''s an honor to meet you?¡± "Don¡¯t speak informally," Specter scolded. As Specter casually moved his feet, darkness rose. Then, Jang Seon-Ho ordered the fiends with a very nervous look. "B-bring that guy." The big man, who had been carrying Arthur, dragged thetter over. ''¡­Right, I don''t have to be scared. The initiative is on our side.¡¯ Rather, it was a good thing. Didn''t he kidnap Arthur to lure Specter and the Archmage? ''If I take care of this right, I¡¯ll be rewarded by the Fiend Association.¡¯ Even his leader wouldn¡¯t be able to snatch a great achievement of this magnitude. In addition¡­ ''If I could eat Specter¡­?¡¯ If Jang Seon-Ho ate Specter with Perfect Person (A), even his dreaded leader wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore him. What the Fiend Association wanted the most was Specter¡¯s skill, the ¡®Watchguard of Darkness.¡¯ The corners of Jang Seon-Ho¡¯s mouth went up as he received Arthur. He made a sword out of the bloody fog and ced it on Arthur''s neck. "To be honest, I don''t understand. What did you put your trust in when you showed up in front of me? Do you still think you''re the absolute beings of the past?" "Ueup! Ueup!" Arthur struggled in Jang Seon-Ho''s arms. Arthur spoke with his eyes, saying that Specter should not be swayed by them because of him and that these guys were strong, so Specter should just run away. "I know guys like you all too well," Specter slowly spoke. "There had been a lot of you in the past. You¡­ you¡¯re imagining the dreamy days that will unfold if you get rid of me... No, you''re deluding yourself, aren''t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jang Seon-Ho frowned because Specter had struck the nail on the head. He growled as he made the blood fog thicker. "The 5 Heroes think of Arthur Green as their nephew. Is the rumor true? His still-frozen father would love to hear that.¡± "¡­You, are you really confident? If you fail, there¡¯s no going back." Jang Seon-Ho smirked at Specter¡¯s question. "Crazy bastard. I''ve killed hundreds of people so far. I can kill this guy faster than you, no matter what.¡± "If you''re so confident, kill him right now. I don¡¯t even want to look at him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Arthur, listening to the conversation between the two, closed his eyes. He didn''t really me his uncle and aunt. It was ridiculous that two people would risk their lives for him. It would be a great loss to mankind as well. ''But still... thank you foring to save me.'' As he prepared himself for his final moments, the image of his father, who rarely appeared even in his dreams, showed up. He saw his father''s image that had be somewhat hazy in his memory. His father always had a gruff expression, yet he had always been smiling brightly in front of him. "¡­Do you really think I won¡¯t kill him if you say so?!" Arthur''s thought was broken by Jang Seon-Ho''s shouts. Thetter¡¯s dagger slightly dug into Arthur''s neck as blood flowed out. "It''s you who''s at a disadvantage right now! I have a hostage on my side! Get on your knees, now!" "Hmm?" Specter spoke. "You¡¯ve been quite loud for a while now. Who the hell are you talking to?" "What the hell are you talking about¡­ Of course, you...¡± Had Specter be senile? Was Specter having a conversation with himself¡­ The moment Jang Seon-Ho wriggled his eyebrows at the iprehensible situation¡­ ¡®Huh?¡¯ His body was pushed back as if he had been shoved by someone. ¡®Oh shit, I can''t let Arthur go...¡¯ But Arthur''s figure gradually faded away. It became so far that he wouldn¡¯t be able to reach it even if he extended his arms out. Only then did Jang Seon-Ho notice something strange. ¡®Why¡­ is the sky in front of me?¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t this make it seem like he was lying on the floor? In his final moments, he red at the stars in the night sky. ''No way... the sniper... Was it not Specter¡­?¡¯ The moment he remembered that assumption, the final vestiges of his consciousness disappeared. ¡°¡­¡± The fiends were silent at the death of a level 115 fiend of the Pride Squadron. "If you were going to bite anyway, you should have done it quickly," Specter murmured as he made the darkness bloom around him. The answer came if you looked at the size of the darkness surrounding him. It seemed that the old adage was holding true¡ªa barking dog never bites. "Skaya, take care of Arthur." The hostage had been released, so there was no reason for him to hold back any longer. Chapter 183. Father鈥檚 Love (4)

Chapter 183. Father¡¯s Love (4)

"Ah, right!" "Get that punk first!" Greatly shocked by the death of Jang Seon-Ho, who had been in charge of the group, the fiends moved in a hurry. It was because they realized that they would be in trouble if they could not secure Arthur first. "I got him!¡± A member of the Gluttony Squadron flew over like a ray of light. Specter and the archmage were still five steps behind, and she was already behind Arthur. ¡®I won!¡¯ The moment she reached out in triumph¡­ Crack! Her wrist was broken as if she had struck something solid. "Arghhhh!" Retreating, the fiend stared in front of her. ¡®There¡¯s a wall.¡¯ An invisible transparent wall had been ced there. It was obvious who had done it. "Hohehe, howe fiends are still so stupid even after 26 years?" Next to Specter, the archmage sneered at her. "Tsk." "We''ll see about this, Specter!¡± Securing Arthur was now out of the question. epting the situation, the members of the Gluttony Squadron hurriedly left their positions. They were trying to run away using the ordinary fiends as bait. ¡®Jang Seon-Ho, that punk! He got defeated with his eyes open.¡¯ ¡®It makes me angry, but that punk¡¯s ability is a half-step higher than anyone here.¡¯ ¡®It''s not bad to n for the future...¡¯ However, Specter wouldn¡¯t just watch them go. "You¡¯re showing your back to me when I''m your opponent?¡± It certainly seemed that time really had passed. He wouldn''t have dreamt of this before. He smirked and clenched his fist lightly. The darkness that was hovering around was sharpened like an awl. "Bang." As soon as he opened his fist, hundreds of awls shot out at the fiends. Pabababak! Ten ordinary fiends turned into skewers in a sh and died. The members of Gluttony Squadron responded. They hurriedly gathered their magic, turned around, and struck the awls away. "Damn it! Damn it!" "Meeting Specter wasn¡¯t part of the n!" "Who told you to touch my nephew so fearlessly?" Specter moved forward. Each time, there was a trace of darkness on the ground, clearly indicating his existence. "Curtain of Darkness." Hwaaaaak! Darkness stretched out in all directions and enveloped the area. No one would be able to get out of this space from now on, unless they used Teleport. "¡­Damn it, it¡¯s toote to escape." The Gluttony Squadron members quickly grasped the situation. Apparently, Specter wasn¡¯t nning on just letting them go gracefully. "We have to fight." "Yeah, we don''t have to be intimidated just because of his name.¡± "Jang Seon-Ho is not a moron, so why would he stand up to Specter? He did it because he had a chance." There were still more than fifty of them left. What if they joined forces? ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter even if he¡¯s Specter, he would eventually get tired.¡¯ ¡®He still hasn''t recovered all his strength yet.'' ''This might be ourst chance to kill him¡­!¡¯ The fiends were under a great illusion, but that wasn''t unreasonable either. Specter and Seo Jun-Ho had intentionally led the public to believe that Specter was still in the middle of recovering. This was also why he announced that he would note up to the 2nd floor for the time being and would only stay on the 1st floor. The more the fiends looked down on him, the easier it would be to kill them. "It feels a little bad. Right? You and I are being looked down on a lot,"ined Skaya. "It''s because kids these days don''t know anything," said Specter, raising his hand slightly. "If they don''t know, we¡¯ll beat it into them.¡± Dozens of fiends rushed at him all at once as he was raising darkness. Naturally, the fiends¡¯ skills were all different from each other. A dragon of fire covered the sky, a whirlwind came, and growing nt roots came upon him. ¡°¡­¡± Among them, there were even some fiends whose skills were hard to guess. This was especially the case with the Gluttony Squadron members. ''But...'' It was only a fleeting struggle. The moment they met Specter, their fate was fixed in one of two ways. "Take your own life." Or¡­ "Die by my hand." Chwaaaaaak! Specter reached into the overflowing darkness. When he pulled his hand out again, there was a huge ck scythe in his grasp. "Death Scythe." This was an extremely powerful attack, which had cut the Frost Queen¡¯s chest wide open and even killed Skaya in the Cave of Trials. This technique made use of the specific property of the darkness attribute to ignore and destroy all other energy in its way. Chwwaaaak! The scythe was swung sideways. "¡­Ah!" Looking at Specter¡¯s figure from behind, Arthur broke out into a groan without realizing it. For a moment, there was an optical illusion as if the world had been split in half. ''No, is it not¡­ an optical illusion?¡¯ Even though the world was fine, that could not be said about a single one of the fiends charging at Specter. They couldn¡¯t even utter a scream as they split in half and fell, soaking the ground with blood. Hudududuk! The sound of rainwater falling could be heard. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The remaining fiends wore strange expressions that they had never worn before in their lives. It was not fear and it wasn''t a sense of despair either. Fiends weren''t creatures who would feel those one-dimensional emotions when witnessing such a scene. "¡­Just what the hell is that?" Skaya shrugged her shoulders when asked by Arthur. "It''s normal for us, but for the fiends over there... I don''t know. A nightmare?¡± she spoke, covering one of Arthur''s eyes. "And children shouldn¡¯t see things like that. It''s dirty, dirty." ¡°¡­¡± But Arthur had already witnessed everything. ¡®I''m the biggest idiot in the world.¡¯ He had been worried about Specter and the archmage. He originally thought that because 26 years had passed, they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the fiends who had gotten stronger while they were gone. ''...But what is this?'' Dozens of fiends were unable to deal with just two people. No, they wore astonished looks because they couldn''t even deal with a single yer. The hero, 26 yearster, was still strong enough. *** The remaining fiends went mad. They let out a futileugh and killed themselves. The overwhelming fear that came after thinking about many things had paralyzed their sense of reasoning. "Is it over?" Withdrawing the Curtain of Darkness, Specter slowly walked over to Arthur and Skaya. "¡­Oh, even though it¡¯ste, thank you for your help." Arthur clumsily bowed to the two. Thest time he had seen them was at the Seoul History Museum, on November 11 of the year when he hade up to the 2nd floor. As such, it was bound to be a little awkward. p! Skaya spoke, lightly pping him on the back. "Oh my, look at him being awkward just because he has grown up. Just like before, call me auntie... No, just call me noona." "¡­Did I ever say that?¡± "She made you do it," said Specter in a sour voice. ¡°When a child is three years old theirnguage skills develop tremendously and mostmunication bes possible. That''s why she chased you all day, bothering you to call her auntie one more time." "What do you mean bother!Bother! Arthurughed and liked it, too!¡± "Heughed for about five minutes, then he would always cry, so you always got scolded by Gilberto." Back then, Skaya was even banned from approaching Arthur within a 5-meter radius. "¡­So something like that happened,¡± responded Arthur. It was a past Arthur didn''t remember. Well, who remembered things clearly when they were just three years old? "¡­Anyway, you''ve worked hard." Specter hugged Arthur lightly. Arthur smiled faintly even as his whole body throbbed. "It¡¯s thanks to Uncle," Arthur said as he shook the ''Stamina Regeneration Ne'' around his neck. It was an artifact that Seo Jun-Ho had purchased at an auction in Las Vegas and sent over to him. "Hmm, but he¡¯s a littlete." Arthur tilted his head as Specter confirmed something on the Vita and murmured. "Someone else ising?" "Yeah, with your friend...¡± "Oh! River!" Arthur''s face turned pale once again. It was only then that he remembered that two fiends had set out to kill River earlier. "You can feel relieved, relieved! Your friend is safe. He¡¯s probably better off than you.¡± Arthur breathed a sigh of relief at Skaya¡¯s words. "Is there more in your party?" "Hmm?" Specter looked up from his Vita. ¡®I see... This kid didn''t even notice.¡¯ Indeed, the people who were here thought that the sniper was Specter himself. It would have been hard for Arthur, who was taken hostage and was also distracted by his friend¡¯s potential death, to grasp the situation in a calm andposed manner. "There''s one more in the party. I wasn''t the sniper.¡± "Oh¡­ I see.¡± The moment Arthur nodded ever so slowly¡­ "Leader Arthur!" A weing and familiar voice rang in his ears. Turning his head, Arthur saw River running and his face brightened. "River!" "Leeader!" River ran over with a posture that looked like he was ready to throw himself into Arthur¡¯s arms, but when he saw thetter¡¯s terrible appearance, he slowed down. It turned out that Arthur¡¯s condition was even worse than what River had imagined. Dark clouds gathered over River¡¯s face. "¡­I''m sorry, if I was just a bit stronger.¡± "It''s not your fault. You were a big help, really." Arthur raised one of his uninjured hands and patted River on the shoulder. Without River¡¯s wits, all but himself of the Watchguards would have already been killed by the fiends. "You saved the Watchguards." "¡­Really?" "Really." After looking and smiling at each other, Arthur said, "By the way, who saved your life? I should at least say thank you to them." "Huh? You haven¡¯t heard¡­ yet?¡± "Heard? What?" River looked back at Specter and the archmage with an awkward expression. How could he say this himself? ¡°¡­?¡± Arthur tilted his head. But why? Thinking he shouldn¡¯t be more inquisitive, Arthur¡¯s heart began to pound. ¡®What''s wrong with me? Is it the aftereffects of a fiend''s skill?¡¯ The moment he put on a serious look, he heard a sound. Step, step. The sound of high-quality leather shoesing up the mountain path echoed ever so softly. ¡°¡­¡± Arthur slowly turned his head and looked at the ridge where the sound came from. He didn¡¯t know why, but he just felt like he should look over there. Was this caused by something tugging at his soul? He couldn¡¯t understand it. He felt like he had to check the identity of the approaching person no matter what. ¡®A man.¡¯ It was a man. Rather than being slim, he was stick thin with loose dry blond hair tied back. However, the man¡¯s eyes were shining more than anyone else. The man with a long rifle on his shoulder stood in ce. Arthur''s eyes trembled as he looked at the man. The tightly shut lips parted, and a word popped out without him realizing it. "Fa¡­ ther?" Water began to trickle down from his stinging eyes as if a faucet was turned on. "Dad... Is that you?" The moment Arthur asked with a trembling voice, the same smile as his father¡¯s in his now fading memory appeared on the man¡¯s mouth. ¡°¡­!¡± Upon confirming the smile, Arthur ran over to Gilberto, choking back his tears. Gilberto came to meet him. He smiled brightly while hugging his son, and patted him on the back. "I''m sorry. Dad was veryte, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Gilberto consoled. "Uahhh! Ahhhhh!" Three people, including Specter, stared at Arthur with warm eyes, who was sobbing sadly like a child. "¡­I-I''ve never seen Leader cry like that before,¡± said River, flustered. "It has been 26 years since he met his Papa,"mented Skaya. "Even if he pretends to be an adult, he¡¯s still a child," Seo Jun-Ho replied. "¡­But isn''t Arthur older than us now?¡± Skaya raised a question. "Hmm." Specter stroked his jaw. That was a little tricky. Chapter 184. No Turning Back (1)

Chapter 184. No Turning Back (1)

Skaya was originally one year older than Seo Jun-Ho. In theory, since Seo Jun-Ho had returned to the world a year earlier, they were now the same age¡­ Still, she strongly denied it. ''I think I know how Skaya feels now.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was bitterly looking at the touching reunion of the father and son. For Gilberto, it didn''t matter. He was a 30-year-old married man. ¡®Arthur is 29 years old, so he''s only one year older.¡¯ To be honest, it was the right age to call him hyung rather than father, but Gilberto had a face to save anyway. The problem was Seo Jun-Ho himself. Reunited after 26 years, Arthur was older than him and was now the hyung. ''I can''t. I can''t even if I die.'' He raised Arthur like a nephew. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t call Arthur ¡®hyung¡¯ even if he was beaten to death. But his troubles were solved more easily than he thought. "Uncle." Arthur was a young man of the 21st century who knew manners. "¡­For a young man, you really act like a gentleman.¡± "Yes?" "No, nothing." With a satisfied smile around his mouth, Seo Jun-Ho looked at the swollen-eyed Arthur. "So¡­ Did you like the gift I gave to you after a long time?" Seo Jun-Ho asked, pointing at the blond married man with his chin. "Thank you. Really¡­ It''s more valuable than anything else to me," Arthur replied shyly. ¡°Ahem, Ahem¡­" Gilberto tried hard to stop the corners of his mouth from going up. "I heard from Deok-Gu that you made the Watchguards?" asked Seo Jun-Ho. "Yes. I wanted to continue my disappeared uncle''s will...¡± Arthur looked bitterly at the bloodiednd. "It was too much for me." "No, looking at kids these days, it''s great to achieve that much at your age." ¡°...¡± Arthur had something to say, but he held back. Didn¡¯t the 5 Heroes establish the new world order in their 20s? ¡®But... that''s because the 5 Heroes are special.¡¯ Arthur wasn¡¯t such a remarkable person that he couldpare to them and he knew that better than anyone else. Seo Jun-Ho, Skaya, and Gilberto exchanged nces. ¡®Jun-Ho, Arthur seems very depressed?¡¯ Gilberto seemed as if he was asking the others with his gaze. ¡®Yeah, even though he¡¯s not bad to the point that he should look down on himself¡­¡¯ ¡®Don''t harass my son.¡¯ To be honest, Arthur''s skills were superior to his peers of simr age. Now that they were stuck trying to clear the 3rd floor, most yers had chosen to live infort. It wasn¡¯t exactly their fault. There was just no "reason" to risk your life to be strong. ''I know it because I experienced it. Comparing the two generations is meaningless.¡¯ In a way, Seo Jun-Ho and they were also born with the times, unlike now, where you could be infinitelyzy if someone didn¡¯t urge you to do something. They were yers who lived in a generation that had to fight endlessly. "Skaya." When Seo Jun-Ho slightly hinted, Skaya pped and drew their attention. "Come on, kids? Shall we go over there and heal our wounds first?" Seo Jun-Ho turned his head when she took the hint and slipped away. There were dozens of fiends who died here. Seo Jun-Ho approached the remaining upper body of the closest fiend. "The Confession of the Dead." Fiends had work to do even after death. *** [The skill rank is too low. You could not recall the memorypletely.] [The skill has been automatically deactivated for the safety of the user.] It happened again. Seo Jun-Ho blinked and read the message window in front of him. "Grade... Are you saying B-grade isn¡¯t enough?" The Confession of the Dead was now B-grade. Its grade had gone up after reading Kal Signer''s memory. Despite that, essing information about the ¡®leader¡¯ was still impossible. ¡®In that case, does it need to be A-grade?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn''t act hastily because there were corpses all around. When the sun rose in the morning, the first thing that flew over were crows. Seo Jun-Ho walked among the crows like a gue doctor and forced the bodies to confess. When he heard his 63rd confession, he received a message. [Repeated use of the skill has increased the skill¡¯s grade.] [The Confession of the Dead (B) has risen to the Confession of the Dead (A).] [Memory projections will now be automatically saved.] The Confession of the Dead once again rose in grade. An additional skill was even added as it rose to A-grade. ¡®Save?¡¯ Memory projections could now be stored. Seo Jun-Ho was lost in thought for a moment. ¡®Is this a necessary skill?¡¯ His memory was never bad. He remembered the faces of every fiend he saw through the memory projections, and he could also perfectly recall every piece of information. This meant that he didn¡¯t have to save and watch those memory projectionster. ¡®But it''s better than nothing¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho walked to the body of a member of the Gluttony Squadron. "Confession of the Dead." A memory projection came to mind, and he skipped over all the meaningless details. - I''ll make you guys strong. Have you ever heard of the strengthening treatment? - My cooking has never failed. However, 9 out of 10 die from tasting it. - Deputy Chef, these are the new recruits. Take them away. ¡®¡­¡¯ The first thing Seo Jun-Ho saw was the past in the memories of the Gluttony Squadron member. In the memory, he saw a fiend he had seen before. ¡®Chef¡­¡¯ He was an executive of the Fiend Association and was called the Skill Maker. From what Seo Jun-Ho knew, Chef had a unique skill: to manufacture skills himself. "That valuable skill¡­¡± Why did he have to use it in such an evil way? Seo Jun-Ho looked at the memory projection with an annoyed look. The number of fiends in the Gluttony Squadron exceeded 500. ¡®What a crazy number. Other squads¡­ No, it¡¯sparable to mostrge guilds.¡¯ The only reason this was possible was because of Chef¡¯s existence. He forced the fiends to eat the so-called strengthening treatment. In other words, the skill he had created. ¡®Survival rate of 10%.¡¯ 9 out of 10 die from tasting it, but if one survived, they would obtain a stronger skill. Of course,pared to the other squads whose skills were trained from scratch, their skills were bound to be worse off. ¡°So this is why the members of the Gluttony Squadron were weaker than Jang Seon-Ho¡­¡¯ The Gluttony Squadron dealt with the Fiend Association¡¯s troublesome matters using their overwhelming numbers. In short, they had the role of a cleaner who took care of jobs that were too vague for other members toe forward. ¡®The leader¡¯s name is Gdin.¡¯ All Seo Jun-Ho knew about him was his appearance and name. No one had ever seen the leader¡¯s skills based on what Seo Jun-Ho had seen from the memories of the Gluttony Squadron members. ¡®Still, I thought that a squadron member would be a key member of the Fiend Association...¡¯ No, maybe the Gluttony Squadron was just a special case. "Hmm." The memory projections were naturally saved, and now, there was only one fiend left whose memories Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t read just yet. "Jang Seon-Ho." He was the best among the fiends here, and he belonged to the Pride Squadron. When Seo Jun-Ho made him confess, the corners of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mouth slightly rose. ¡®Yeah, this is what I wanted.¡¯ Thanks to his unique skill, Jang Seon-Ho was highly regarded in the Fiend Association. He had even once witnessed Pride¡¯s skills, the leader of the Pride Squadron. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho clenched his fist and opened it without saying anything. To be honest, he was a little shocked. The strength of a leader was higher than he had thought. ¡®If the leader is at that level, the executives will be much stronger, right?¡¯ If that was true, then an executive was a tower that was still too much for Seo Jun-Ho to climb. From the memory projection, the skills of the leader of the Pride Squadron, Pride, were one step higher than the current Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®...I¡¯m also certain that there will be a gap in skills even among the leaders.¡¯ If Seo Jun-Ho was unlucky, Pride¡¯s abilities may be at the bottom among the leaders. When the memory projection ended, the light in Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes became calm. He knew from experience that¡­ ''...The scariest enemy is the one whose power cannot be measured.¡¯ But now, he knew some of the enemy''s power. Of course, what he had done could only be considered scratching at the surface, after all, there were still the leaders of the other Squadrons, the executivesmanding them, and the Heavenly Demon himself. ''It''s still not enough.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn''t shake off the ufortable feeling in his heart. His mind was constantly asking, ¡®why?¡¯ ¡®If Deok-Gu''s data is correct... The Fiend Association is a force that can confront even the world right now.¡¯ But the Fiend Association remained low profile for decades now. Many yers even started to think that their existence wasn¡¯t that important anymore. Whoooong. Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the sky, feeling the chilly deste wind that could only be felt in the mountains. ''Those guys... How have they been suppressing their desires all this time?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was familiar with the fiends. He was confident that he knew them better than anyone else in the world. But¡­ Now, they were unfamiliar. The only fiends he knew in his generation were those faithful to their desires. ¡°¡­¡± The peaceful times¡­ Seo Jun-Ho began to feel uneasy about the current peace. After all, there would always be a calm before the storm. * * * "Oh, he¡¯s here." When Seo Jun-Ho returned, the party weed him. In particr, River and Arthur looked at Seo Jun-Ho with a different lookpared to before after they hade to their senses. ¡°H-Hello. My name is R-River." "Nice to meet you." It had been very difficult for him to greet Seo Jun-Ho. As such, River looked ecstatic as if he had heard the bestpliment in the world when Seo Jun-Ho replied. "It''s because everyone is your fan," Skaya said as she approached and pouted. "What''s up with the name of this group? Watchguards? Descendants of the Archmage¡­ Isn¡¯t something like this better?¡± "I like it. The Watchguards." "Tsk, anyway, I''m going to see Arthur''srades. Apparently, they¡¯re held in restraints." "By Arthur''srades...¡± They were the Watchguards. Seo Jun-Ho turned his head toward Arthur and asked, "Arthur, what''s the level of the Watchguards?" "Uh, um..." Arthur looked slightly apologetic. "There are a lot of nonbatants. There are only ninebatants, including me and I''m the best among them." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho fiddled with his mask and thought for a while. The reason why he asked this question was simple. ¡®The power of the Fiend Association is beyond imagination. It might be hard to deal with them even if I wake up Mio and Rahmadat.¡¯ It was because he needed a strong ally. Of course, he did have a powerful ally, albeit perfunctorily, in the form of the Big 6. They had made a pledge to cooperate with him, after all. ¡®But using me politically is a stronger goal for them. I don''t know how they''ll react when put in front of danger.'' In other words, Shim Deok-Gu was the only ally who would help him without questions orints. ¡®If I don¡¯t have any, I have to make them¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes hidden in the mask began to shine. The Watchguards were worth raising as long as their abilities weren¡¯t too bad. ¡®And it''s a group of people who are hostile to the fiends...¡¯ Most importantly, it was an organization where Arthur, his nephew, was the leader. In other words, even if he worked them hard, there would be no way for them to refuse. "Arthur, I want to see yourrades too," Seo Jun-Ho said in a honey-coated voice. Chapter 185. No Turning Back (2)

Chapter 185. No Turning Back (2)

"You can go in through this door,¡± guided River. "Wow, that''s an amazing skill. Now don''t call me Skayamon. Call him Rivermon instead." [1] The door that River pulled out of his inventory was directly connected to his Moving House (B). Entering the house, the Watchguards looked at Specter with dumbfounded expressions. "¡­Wait, are my eyes working right?¡± ¡°I-isn''t he Specter-nim?" "Sniff, I couldn''t wash up so I smell, oh no!¡± They were all big fans of Specter, so their responses were as expected. However, Skaya''s eyes narrowed as she watched. "¡­It''s been a while since I felt this way," Skaya muttered. It had been a long time since she had felt like a folding screen. "Gasp! T-The archmage, too!?" "Crazy, did she appear by magic?¡± "She¡¯s as good as we heard¡­¡± "I didn''t even feel the flow of magic¡­¡± "I¡¯ve been here from the beginning, though¡­¡± Sighing, Skaya approached them and checked their restraints. "Would you be able to release it for us?¡± Skaya nodded at River''s request. "Well, there''s a lot ofplicated magic at cast here, but...¡± In an instant, she reverse-engineered and disassembled the magic in the restraints and tore them apart. "I''m an archmage." "Wow, thank you!" "I feel a lot better now that I can feel magic.¡± "Anyway, I never expected to see the 5 Heroes with my own eyes...¡± They once again looked at Specter and the archmage, then they saw the man next to Arthur... "If it¡¯s blond hair, then perhaps?" "...No way." "N-no, it could be, since Specter-nim and the archmage-nim are back¡­¡± Gilberto nodded quietly at the oddly anticipating Watchguards. "I am Arthur''s father. Be good friends with my child.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Arthur¡¯s father meant that he was Gilberto Green! The Watchguards were overflowing with emotions as they saw the heroes they had only seen in books here in one ce. "It''s really like a dream...¡± "T-Then, the King of Destruction and the Sky Phoenix¡­?¡± "They''re not here," Arthur answered, and the Watchguards looked at him. The moment they checked their wound-covered leader with a cast on one arm, their excitement subsided and was quickly reced by shame. "¡­I''m sorry, Arthur." "I wasn¡¯t able to help Leader this time, either.¡± "We were more like a burden¡­ Damn it!" "Don''t me yourself. The other party was strong. More than I expected... A lot more." A self-deprecating smile loomed over Arthur''s face. How could he not know their feelings? ¡®I''m just as weak.¡¯ Arthur once again felt something through this incident¡ªbeing weak was a sin. He felt it keenly. ¡®I guess I was just a yer of that caliber after all.¡¯ There was a time when he was full of confidence. He chased after the Squadron member without being caught for three years, so he thought that his skills must have improved. But it turned out that the entire thing had been an illusion all this time. ¡®How am I different from a clown?¡¯ Was this how Truman, the main character of The Truman Show, felt? The emptiness and resentment of being yed at the hands of the fiends settled deep in his heart. ¡°It''s a little hectic." As the Watchguards rose from their seats, River felt like his house was small. He spoke as he opened another entrance, "Shall we go to the hideout and talk? It''s too tight here." The Watchguards nodded at Arthur''s suggestion. Arriving at the Watchguards'' hideout, Skaya pointed to the entrance with a shocked expression. "W-wait, what is this? Who cast this magic?¡± A magician Watchguard raised his hand timidly. "I did it, but..." "Did you perhaps put fingerprint, iris, and biometric data recognition magic?" "That is correct." The magician nodded confidently. He was a magician who had received the privilege to enter the 4th floor of the magic tower. He was proud of his skills. But Skaya lost her mind at his level of security magic. "What, are you living in 2019? If you''re going to do this, why don''t you just call the neighborhood key guy and install a door lock?" The magician''s shoulders shrank at her harsh criticism. Although there had been a spy named Jang Seon-Ho, his security system still didn¡¯t manage to prevent the intrusion of the other fiends. "Everyone else, grab your belongings." At Specter¡¯s order, which wasn¡¯t really an order, the Watchguards rushed to move. Afterward, Specter approached Arthur and asked, "Do you have a hideout somewhere else? We need to shut this ce down since it was discovered.¡± "Uh¡­ There is one on the side of the Wailing Mountains, but..." It was a ce famous for its rugged mountain range, and it was also a ce where people would be hard-pressed to find your corpse if you died. ¡®But it''s not bad for a training camp...¡¯ In fact, it was perfect. "Give the coordinates to Skaya.¡± "Okay..." After a while, the Watchguards came over to the living room with all their luggage. "We''re all ready!" "Let''s see..." Skaya checked their luggage one by one and confirmed no tracking magic was in ce. "They¡¯re clean, so let''s move to the hideout on the side of the Wailing Mountains." "I-I will help you..." When the magician from earlier volunteered to help, Skaya stared at him. "What''s your name?" "My name is Dollerson." "Alright, Dol-Dol. I appreciate your goodwill, but¡­" "It''s not Dol-Dol¡­¡± Skaya ignored what he said, and the moment she pped her hands lightly, the crowd of over 30 was quickly moved to another ce. "I''m morefortable doing it alone." It was not an emotion-inducing scene for Seo Jun-Ho and Gilberto, but it was different for the others. "W-wide Area Teleport¡­!¡± "Herplexion hasn''t changed a bit even after moving over thirty people.¡± "Is this the power of the archmage-nim?" Dol-Dol, no, Dollerson looked at Skaya with trembling eyes. He knew better than anyone that she was amazing. After all, Skaya Killnd, the archmage, was once called the greatest magician on Earth. ¡®But it has been 26 years...¡¯ She had never even been to the magic tower. On the other hand, he had entered the magic tower and trained there painstakingly. Magic meant exploring knowledge that had been in use and established hundreds of years ago. ''But even I can''t use a Wide Area Teleport this cleanly...¡¯ The amount of magic one had didn¡¯t matter. It was a question of how good their magic control was and the depths of their understanding of magic. ¡®I should put more effort into learning¡­¡¯ While Dol-Dol¡¯s desire to learn was ignited, Specter and Gilberto were looking around the new hideout. "It''s bigger than I thought¡­" "The area is well divided¡­¡± The hideout was in better shape than they thought. Specter pointed to a room, slightly poking Gilberto in the ribs. "Take a rest first.¡± "...Take care of the rest for me, then." Gilberto entered the room, and Specter called Skaya, "Take a look at Gilbe." "Yeah, leave it to me." As Skaya followed him into the room, Specter turned his head. ¡°Let''s unpack and rest for a while. You all must be tired.¡± "Oh, thank you." "I will see you in a while, then." Specter looked at the map of the hideout that a Watchguard gave him and thought for a while. The Frost Queen, who had been hiding until now, quietly opened her mouth, "Are you going to train them?" "To a certain extent, yes¡­" "Hmm, I think it is better for you to develop your strength first." "I agree, so I won''t hold on to them long. At most, 15 days?" "¡­If it¡¯s that short, is it any better than not doing it?" "No, that''s plenty." Specter added with a deep smile, "You''ll find out soon enough." *** Knock, Knock. Gilberto answered without even looking at the door, "It''s open." Skaya entered the room, nodded, and looked around. "The room is surprisingly well-organized. You could even stay here for a while." "What''s going on?" When Gilberto asked while basked in cold sweat, Skaya smirked. "It has been a while since I saw you, but you still know how to grumble¡­" Gilberto sat with a nonchnt look while emitting a domineering vibe, but¡­ "It''s obvious to us that you¡¯re overdoing it." Gilberto couldn''t hide it from hisrades who had spent years with him. Gilbertoughed awkwardly and muttered, "Did Jun-Ho notice it?" "He told me toe here first. Well, I would¡¯vee here even if he didn''t tell me.¡± Skaya took a wooden box out of her Inventory and retrieved a syringe from it. "Why did you overdo it as soon as you woke up? I even had to recuperate when I just woke up." "¡­Fiends were harassing Arthur.¡± "That''s why you get called a son-loving fool," Skaya said as she stuck the syringe into his forearm. "So what? It¡¯s a father''s feelings after seeing his son all grown up." ¡°¡­¡± Taking the Sap of Rejuvenation, Gilberto looked down at the floor with a much betterplexion. "He looks like me..." "Well, he looks a little cuter than you." "¡­He has some of his mother¡¯s looks." "Your wife must have been a beauty...¡± Not even the 5 Heroes knew Arthur''s mother. They only heard that she had been an ordinary person instead of a yer and that she had died giving birth to Arthur. Gilberto often spoke of her. "I''m confused, sorry for Arthur, and relieved that I wasn¡¯t toote...¡± After hearing herrade''s honest feelings, Skaya nodded quietly. ¡°You know, I also felt that way when I came back, but I guess 26 years is a long time." It was enough time for plenty of things to change. "Yeah, it''s a long time. It¡¯s enough to¡­ change a person''s body and mind." Gilberto turned his head slightly. Within Skaya''s slightly lowered gaze, there were strange emotions. It was an expression as if she were recalling someone. "Did you have your heart broken?" "No!" Pat! Skaya mercilessly hit the patient on the back and roughly pulled the syringe out. "Ugh." "The treatment¡¯s almost done! Get well on your own now!" When Skaya huffed and puffed out of the room, Gilberto murmured, blinking, ¡°Some things just don¡¯t change¡­¡± Her personality didn¡¯t change even after 26 years. *** Specter went to Arthur''s room. Knock, knock. "Can Ie in for a minute?¡± When he knocked on the door, Arthur, who was sitting on the bed with his head lowered, jumped up to receive him. "Oh,e on in." It still felt awkward. There were times when Arthur called him either Specter or Uncle. "Sit down, sit down..." Seo Jun-Ho told Arthur to sit down, pulled up a chair for himself, and sat down before looking at Arthur. "You look worried." "It''s just... There¡¯s bound to be a lot." Arthur¡¯s faith in himself was broken. He didn¡¯t even know what to do in the future anymore. He was bound to be confused about what to do since he was the leader of a group. "Arthur..." Specter saw through his feelings. He could see Gilberto from 29 years ago in Arthur. "You know what your father, my friend, Gilberto''s nickname is, right?¡± "¡­the Gray Envoy?" "Not that..." "America¡¯s Treasure.¡± "Yes¡­" Gilberto had a wide variety of skills. Therefore, after he had be one of the 5 Heroes, he had received the nickname ¡®America¡¯s Treasure.¡¯ "But he once had a terrible nickname..." "¡­You mean the Trashcan. I personally hate that nickname." Arthur made a grim face at his father¡¯s horrible nickname. At the same time, he looked at Specter. There must be a reason why Specter suddenly brought this up. "The bottom of the bottom. Gilberto entered Gates while enduring the yers'' scorn and contempt." "¡­Why did he go so far?¡± "It''s because of you..." ¡°¡­!¡± Arthur''s eyes shook like a sailboat that met waves. "He had a small life to take responsibility for. And at that time, there wasn''t much legal system in ce for yers to do anything other than hunting." "¡­I didn''t know that." He had no idea why his father lived his life as a yer. Arthur clenched his fists when he heard what Seo Jun-Ho said. "There is no ship in the world that hasn¡¯t met waves. It''s just the difference between being stranded by the waves or oveing the waves." "¡­My father overcame it.¡± "He overcame it bravely. As a result, he was called one of the 5 Heroes and became one of the strongest yers on Earth." Arthur''s head cleared up. Specter, his uncle, was teaching him, using his own father¡¯s story. ''For yers who have something to protect... Does he mean it¡¯s a waste of time to be in a slump?'' Arthur looked up. He had the eyes of someone looking ahead, not behind. "I heard it was Uncle who dug my father out of the mud." "Mmm-mmm, I trained Gilbe." Arthur suddenly stood up, knelt on the floor, and bowed. "Please teach me, too!" "...Hmm? It¡¯ll be hard, though¡­¡± said Specter, crossing his legs. "I''m confident in oveing any training." "Really?" "Yes!" "By the way, why don''t you give that opportunity to yourrades too rather than just bing stronger by yourself?¡± "¡­Are you saying that you will give the other Watchguards a chance to be trained?" "Well, if they don¡¯t want it, it can''t be helped¡­" "No way!" Arthur raised his head and cried out. ¡°I will make each and every one of them listen, even if I have to whip them into it!¡± It was Specter¡¯s teachings. Would there really be an idiot who wouldn¡¯t want a chance that you couldn¡¯t even buy with thousands of gold? Of course, if there was such an idiot, they should be scolded and forced to learn. "Really?" Specter nodded slowly. Beyond the mask, the corners of his mouth were rising. "Just so you know, this is not something I suggested¡­" "Of course, I asked first." "Well, I respect your choice. But if your Dad stops you...¡± "I''ll persuade him." "Good, very good. Perfect." Specter pped with a satisfied look. Everything went as nned. 1. These nicknames arebining their names with Doraemon, a kid¡¯s anime character, that has a 4D front pocket that can produce a bunch of random things. And Doraemon also has the "Anywhere Door," which lets him go anywhere ba dum tss ? Chapter 186. No Turning Back (3)

Chapter 186. No Turning Back (3)

"Annihted?" A man sitting in an upright position like a machine asked with a frown. In response, his subordinate lowered his body and replied, "Yes, Leader. Ten Gluttony Squadron members from the operation and Philip from our Squadron died." Philip was the real name of the fiend who had taken over Jang Seon-Ho¡¯s body with Perfect Person (A). "Hmmm, I warned him over and over again not to let his guard down." The man being addressed as ¡°Leader¡± was named Pride, the Pride Squadron¡¯s leader. He was not angry, because he hadn''t had any expectations in the first ce. After all, without expectations, there wouldn¡¯t be disappointments. "And the perpetrators?" "ording to information from Cheontonggak, it is highly likely that it¡¯s the work of the Archmage and Specter who came up to the 2nd floor at the same time.¡± "¡­Hmm." This was a bit of a surprise. Philip was a pretty skilled fiend and was even level 115. ¡®Well, in this day and age, level itself doesn''t really mean much...¡¯ It had been 26 years since the 2nd floor opened. In the meantime, most yers and fiends had already reached level 120, so it truly didn¡¯t mean much. Being able to bully someone with your level only worked in games nowadays. In reality, no matter how high your level was, you would still die if your head exploded and your heart was pierced. "That''s a big problem," Pride mumbled. Other fiends envied Pride for being a Leader, but he knew the truth¡­ ''If I can''t prove my worth, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for me to be killed at any time.¡¯ This was the Fiend Association. It was a bloody ce where your head could fly if one mistake bothered your boss even after performing well a hundred times before that one mistake. It was a ce where even a direct subordinate that looked like a docile cub could bite your throat at any time. After thinking for a while, Pride spoke, "Contact Gusion." "...Do you mean the Despair Squadron?" "Yeah." "What shall I say?¡± A cooperative operation between the Pride and Despair Squadron would begin in Port Lane, a month and a halfter. ''If even that fails¡­ My life will really be in danger then.¡¯ The association executive he served was a man without blood or tears. "Tell him that I''ll take part in the operation myself." Pride knew that the operation had to seed if he wanted to preserve his life. *** "Wait, do you have time?" Arthur came timidly to Gilberto''s room. So far, Arthur had no idea how to act in front of his father. After all, he hadn''t seen his father since he was very young. "Yeah." The same was true for Gilberto. From his point of view, his son, who only knew how to baby talk just a few days ago, hadpletely grown up. Oveing this disparity between them was a unique and difficult challenge, even for him, who had been through all sorts of hardships. "There''s a good ce to talk¡­" Arthur led Gilberto out of the hideout. The Wailing Mountains were named as such because the rocks that looked like they had been artificially carved seemed like they were wailing. There were countless rows of rocks rising sharply toward the sky throughout the mountain range. "The stars are bright," Gilberto made small talk. The two men sitting on a rock outside the hideout looked up at the sky. The night sky was so clear that one could see the stars. Arthur took a can of beer from his Inventory and politely held it out to his father. "¡­Would you like a drink?¡± "¡­Sounds good." Chiiik. Opening the beer, Gilberto lightly moistened his throat. Watching his father, Arthur''s mouth grew into a calm smile. "You know, I think of that once in a while¡ªwhat would I want to do with my father if he was alive." ¡°¡­¡± Chiiik. Arthur opened his beer and gulped it down. "Keuuh, I wanted to try drinking with you, Father. There were a lot of things I wanted to ask you... I wanted to hear about your old stories since I don''t know much about my childhood." ¡°¡­¡± Gilberto nodded. He also wanted to tell Arthur stories as he grew up. "Take it." Gilberto took a note from his Inventory and handed it over to Arthur. "Is this¡­?" "That¡¯s my diary." ¡°¡­!¡± It was unclear whether Gilberto was getting slightly drunk or was feeling embarrassed, but he looked up at the sky with a slightly flushed face. "Arthur, I''ve used that since before you were born." "¡­Is it okay for you to give me something so precious?" "Why do you think I wrote a diary? I wrote it to show my children when they grew up." Arthur received the diary politely as if he was receiving a top-notch skill book. When he carefully opened the diary, it was written in soft handwriting that was easy for anyone to read. ¡°¡­¡± Reading the diary, Arthur sometimes smirked and sometimes looked sad. But his face turned red when he read the story about his father changing his diaper more than five times a day. "Did I really do this?¡± "Yeah. Arthur, you were such a natural troublemaker." "Ugh¡­" It was quite a shocking and embarrassing story, but he didn''t hate it. It would have been embarrassing if others knew of this, but he wasn¡¯t embarrassed in front of his father. ¡®Is this... what it feels like to be a child?¡¯ This feeling was a first for him. Rather than feeling ufortable when the embarrassing actions he had done were revealed, his heart felt warm instead. ''That''s a relief...'' Looking at his son, Gilberto grinned. It was a relief. To be honest, he was worried that it would be awkward because there wasn¡¯t much of an age difference between the two of them considering how time had basically stopped for him while he was frozen. "Come to think of it, your career as a yer must be longer than mine." "But Father, you may be much stronger.¡± "...Can I ask how you lived your life so far?¡± "Of course. Um... First, when you and the other 5 Heroes couldn''te back...¡± The story between the two continued until the night fell. The two, who stayed up all night, didn¡¯t feel tired at all. It was rather fun for them. It was to the point where Gilberto became worried if it was okay for a father and son tomunicate this well. "Oh, so I asked Uncle yesterday to teach me how to be strong.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Gilberto stared at Arthur with his eyes wide open. "Just now, what did you say?" "I asked Uncle to teach me." "No, just why?!" Gilberto suddenly yelled. ¡°I-I''m sorry. I raised my voice without realizing it¡­¡± "No... I don''t care about that¡­ Why?" Gilberto stared at his son¡¯s innocent face with aplicated look. ¡®Jun-Ho is not only an outstanding person, but he is very efficient in teaching as well.¡¯ He was very efficient. The problem was that it was too efficient. Burrr. Gilberto shivered when he remembered the memories he had of that time. Unaware of Gilberto¡¯s thoughts, Arthur casually said, "I''m rather worried. Uncle is so honest and considerate, what if he holds back while teaching me?¡± "Arthur, let me tell you just one thing¡­" Gilberto ced his hand on Arthur''s shoulder. ¡°Consideration and kindness aren¡¯t always good. Sometimes¡­ they¡¯re worse than any evil out there." Especially when Seo Jun-Ho was the one teaching you¡­ When Gilberto saw Arthur tilting his head in confusion, Gilberto couldn''t help but say one more thing. "If you ask me to stop him now... I''ll help you. I''ll go find him right now and make it as if you never asked him.¡± "No, I will do it." Arthur clenched his fists and said, "I felt it for sure this time. Not only me, but the other Watchguards have to be stronger¡ªweakness is a sin.¡± "Wait, the other Watchguards? Then, all of them?" "Yes, we will all be taught by Uncle. It''s meaningless if I''m the only one who bes stronger." ¡°#$%^&¡± Gilberto buried his face into his hands and eximed a strange sound. He thought he should stop Arthur, but considering the future of both his son and the Watchguards, it wasn¡¯t an easy decision to make. ¡®Jun-Ho''s ss may be harsh, but... I''m sure it''ll help.¡¯ Despite roaming at the bottom for so long, he had eventually became stronger through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s kind lecture and hadter be one of the 5 Heroes. As such, Gilberto trusted Seo Jun-Ho that much. "Arthur, I hope you get through it. At the end of the pain, there will be results." "Of course. Despite how I seem, my body has passed through seven trials in the Cave of Trials, so I''m confident." "...Umm, okay." Do your best¡ªthat was all Gilberto could say. He himself had gone through eight trials in the Cave of Trials. *** "Then, I''ll be back~" The next day, Skaya waved the others goodbye along with Gilberto. Gilberto was still recovering and he also had to receive nerve treatment at a hospital on the 1st floor so he wouldn¡¯t be going with the others. ''And there''ll be a news article...¡¯ The Return of the Third Hero¡ªSpecter and the Watchguards who were waiting for the delightful news article on the 1st floor waved their hands. "Goodbye!¡± ¡°See youter!" "We¡¯ll be strong!" "¡­Yes, I¡¯m sure you will be strong." With a gloomy look, Gilberto hugged Arthur with mixed emotions and then left for Gilleon. ¡®That son-loving fool really takes care of his child until the end...¡¯ Gilberto came to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s roomst night and nagged him a lot. They talked a lot, but to sum it up, Gilberto basically said, ¡°Don''t bully my son.¡± "If someone else heard what he said, they would think I¡¯d bully them while teaching¡­¡± Pouting, Specter turned around. Skaya and Gilberto were gone and they wouldn¡¯t return for 15 days. "Did you all hear from Arthur?¡± "Yes!" "We¡¯re looking forward to it¡­" "It''s such an honor." They all had sparkling eyes. They couldn¡¯t believe they would train under the legendary hero they admired! They even found it hard to sleepst night when Arthur broke the news. "Well then, everyone, take this." Specter handed out a sheet of paper to the 33 Watchguards. "Specter-nim, what''s this?" "Height... Weight... Skills¡­¡± "You can fill in your profile ording to the questions written there," said Specter in a clear voice. He had always been a man of efficiency. ''I''ll use my valuable time efficiently...¡¯ Of course, it would also be a very efficient training for the other side as well. He wouldn¡¯t waste even a minute or a second. "Wait. There''s something weird at the end.¡± "This trainee¡¯s participation in this training is voluntary and Specter-nim is not responsible for any subsequent injuries or trauma...?¡± Everyone wore bitter looks. Some who were quick-witted rolled their eyes and made faces as if something was wrong. ¡®Tsk, this is why smart kids...¡¯ But Specter had something to believe in... "Arthur?" "Yes!" It was because he had their leader in his hands. "Everyone must have felt it from this incident, but we have to move forward. There''s no room forcency. Even if I get seriously injured in this training, as long as I be even stronger¡­" Sssk! Arthur coolly drew his signature on the paper. "It¡¯s just injuries. It doesn''t matter if I get a hundred or a thousand wounds because I want to protect you guys, myrades.¡± Seeing Arthur¡¯s determined and honest eyes, the Watchguards teared up. "Leeader..." "¡­Yes, Arthur is right! Considering our situation, does the difficulty of the training even matter?¡± "Getting stronger is definitely the most important!" "I had always been ashamed of not being helpful to the Watchguards who I think of as my family. I¡¯ll do it!" Sssk. Signatures being signed could be heard everywhere. Specter slowly nodded as he collected the papers. "All right, I''ve got the consent of all thirty-three of you...¡± There was no turning back anymore. No one could give up his ss in the middle of it all. Specter scrutinized the Watchguards¡¯ profiles one by one. ''This guy is a supporter. He¡¯ll just need to improve his stamina...¡¯ ¡®Oh, he has twobat skills? Let''s train him hard.¡¯ ¡®In Arthur''s case, he uses a knife. I can show him various methods with the knife and how to counter it.¡¯ Thirty-three training methods suitable for each individual were created in an instant. "Thank you for readily revealing your skills. We''ll do personalized training for each personter, but first, we¡¯ll start with physical training." "Yes! Specter-nim!" "If you want to give up during training, or if you''re having a hard time, just tell me.¡± "We¡¯re confident in physical training!" "We have no special training methods, so we have been spending all day and night doing physical training.¡± Confidence lurked in the Watchguards'' eyes. They were young people with healthy bodies that wouldn¡¯t get tired even after running for hours! They really were confident in their physical strength. "Well, that''s a relief..." Specter raised his wrist to check his Vita. The current time was 9 AM. "In that case, for the first day, let''s simply run until 10." It could be considered light exercise¡ªall they had to do was run with all their strength for 13 hours. Chapter 187. No Turning Back (4)

Chapter 187. No Turning Back (4)

¡¯Wailing Mountains, was it?¡¯ Specter thought to himself as they continued up the mountain without a moment¡¯s rest. ¡®This mountain is really jagged...¡¯ It was different from any other mountain on Earth; it resembled the mountains in China more than the ones in Korea. Rather than having a sloping trail, it felt more like traversing broken cliffs. ¡®It¡¯s good for stamina training...¡¯ A smile appeared on his face. As an instructor, the more his students suffered, the more he enjoyed it. Specter nced behind himself to check that the Watchguards were following along. They were, for now. ¡®Well, they¡¯re all yers¡­¡¯ If he was being honest, he thought that the nonbatants and mages would have exhausted their energy by now. ¡®I admit it. I underestimated them.¡¯ After all, they were yers on the 2nd floor. They had already passed the first test. ¡®Good.¡¯ He was pleased. This was his first time teaching so many people at once. His only experience consisted of teaching Gilberto. ¡®I can go harder on these guys than I did on him, right?¡¯ While Gilberto had been alone back then, the Watchguards had fellowrades who would support each other along the way. ¡®Everyone seems fine so far, so I should be able to.¡¯ Based on the way they were breathing, he estimated that the mages and the nonbatants would be able to run for about six more hours. ¡°Watch your footing so you don¡¯t get hurt. Follow me.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the Watchguards shouted in unison. Their voices were full of trust and respect for Specter¡ªfor now. *** ¡®Huh?¡¯ Arthur was the first one to notice that something was off as he was following right behind Specter. He checked his Vita. It was currently 10:02 AM, past the time that Specter had promised. ¡®Should I tell him?¡¯ He considered this for a second and shook his head. ¡®No. I could be seen as being impudent, so let¡¯s leave it alone for now.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to seem like a cker from his very first day. Besides, only two minutes had passed over the promised time. His friends were still full of energy, and he didn¡¯t want to interrupt their momentum. But when the hour hand struck 11 AM, the Watchguards started to exchange looks. ¡®Wait, didn¡¯t he say that we¡¯d only run until 10 AM?¡¯ ¡®Did he forget to set an rm? It¡¯s 11:08 already¡­¡¯ ¡®Maybe he just wants to reach that summit. It would be weird to stop halfway up.¡¯ ¡®Yeah. We just need to run until around 12 PM.¡¯ ¡®Just a little longer...¡¯ The Watchguards summoned a little more energy and reached their goal, climbing over the summit. ¡°Fuwah!¡± ¡°The air¡¯s so crisp.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the air a little thin up here?¡± ¡°...Either way, it feels nice to break a sweat. It¡¯s been a while since I worked out.¡± ¡°Ya~hoo!¡± The Watchguards chattered amongst themselves as theyughed like they were on a field trip. Specter looked pleased as he watched them enjoy themselves. ¡®They¡¯re stillughing? Good. That means we can keep going then¡­¡¯ Laughing required energy. When you were really exhausted, to the point that the sky looked fuzzy, you wouldn¡¯t even have the energy to lift the corners of your lips. He wanted to push them to that point. ¡®Everyone should brush against their limits at some points.¡¯ In a real battle, knowing the precise limits of your stamina could determine whether you would live or die. ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re all rested up, let¡¯s keep going.¡± He called out. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± At Specter¡¯s order, the Watchguards got ready to go down. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not that way. It¡¯s over here,¡± Specter said, pointing. ¡°Huh? But we have to go this way to get to Ajit.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time left until we go there,¡± he said, looking up at the sky. ¡°Around ten hours?¡± ¡°...Ten hours?¡± ¡°I told you when we left, didn¡¯t I? We¡¯re just gonna run until 10.¡± The Watchguards went pale as they realized what he meant. ¡®Shit, he didn¡¯t mean that we were running until 10 AM¡­¡¯ ¡®It was 10 PM?!¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t even run for thirteen hours normally, but we¡¯re gonna be hiking the Wailing Mountains for that long¡­?¡¯ ¡®Oh my god!¡¯ They had only run for two hours so far. They still had eleven hours left and weren¡¯t even halfway through, but some of them had already started to feel that they were approaching their limits. Even if they were yers, hiking up the Wailing Mountains for two hours wasn¡¯t easy. Specter said once again, ¡°I already said this beforehand, but if you¡¯re too tired or if you want to give up, just tell me.¡± A few nonbatants raised their hands. ¡°Excuse me, what happens if we give up?¡± ¡°Is there¡­ Is there some kind of punishment?¡± ¡°No. I never punish or abuse my students.¡± Their faces brightened, and some of the Watchguards moved to raise their hands again, but Specter¡¯s cold voice interrupted them. ¡°I just give up on them. It means that their desire to get stronger is only that much. Those who give up shouldn¡¯t participate in my training in the future.¡± ¡°...¡± In other words, the moment you stopped was the moment you gave up Specter as a teacher. His words cleverly poked at the yers¡¯ pride. ¡®You think I¡¯m weak-willed?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, giving up after running only for two hours is a little¡­ Even I think it¡¯s too much.¡¯ ¡®Specter is testing us.¡¯ ¡®He only trains people who truly have the desire to be strong. He¡¯s gonna pick them out and train them for real.¡¯ They misunderstood. But in this case, their misunderstanding became a powerful source of motivation. The Watchguards tied their shoces, their eyes alight. ¡°Is anyone gonna give up?¡± Specter asked. ¡°No!¡± they shouted with confidence. *** Four hours passed. They had been hiking for six hours now. Even Arthur, the best out of the Watchguards, was starting to pant. ¡®If I¡¯m this tired, then the others¡­¡¯ The mages and nonbatants were still moving only out of pure inertia, not because they willed it. Their lungs burned as they ran whilst staring at the ground. They didn¡¯t even have the strength to look up. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± You couldn¡¯t even hear them breathing. They were barely able to breathe in any air, and all they did was repeatedly exhale. They said that when humans exhausted themselves until death, all they were able to do was breathe quietly. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­¡¯ Specter finally looked back and scanned each Wachguard with sharp eyes, checking every detail down to their breathing and the tension of their muscles. ¡®Is this it for the supporters and mages? It¡¯s just as I expected¡­¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be fair to expect rearguard mages and those with nonbat roles to have the same level of stamina as frontline fighters. Even among the 5 Heroes, Skaya had the least stamina. ¡®I should split the group into two now.¡¯ He stopped in a clearing. ¡°Halt.¡± Once their legs stopped after moving solely thanks to inertia, all the Watchguards could think about was sitting down. ¡®Keep it together¡­¡¯ ¡®I came this far, I can¡¯t copse now¡­¡¯ The supporters and mages gnashed their teeth as they tried to endure, but willpower alone wasn¡¯t enough to keep their bodies upright. They fell to the ground, one by one. Their bodies felt veryfortable as if they were in heaven. And once they sat, they wanted toy down, and once theyid down, they would want to sleep. ¡®N-no¡­¡¯ ¡®I have to get up...¡¯ But even as they pounded on their legs with their fists, they showed no sign of moving. It was the first time their bodies refused to listen to them, and they started to panic as Specter approached them. ¡°Are you so exhausted you want to copse?¡± he asked. ¡°N-no!¡± ¡°We can get up. I-if you just give us a moment¡­¡± No matter how much they strained, the Watchguards couldn¡¯t move their legs. They even started to wonder if they would be able to move their legs ever again. ¡°No. You¡¯ve reached your limits.¡± Specter dered as he scanned them. There were twenty-four nonbatants and mages. ¡°Then¡­ Did we fail?¡± ¡°Will you not teach us anymore?¡± They were angry. It was so unfair. Specter could see their feelings in their faces. They had a burning desire to keep going, but their bodies wouldn¡¯t listen. ¡®How cute.¡¯ Of course, Specter knew about this. After all, he had already estimated their limits to about six hours of continuous running. ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯ve all reached your limit and surpassed it.¡± ¡°...?¡± They had already reached their limits thirty minutes beforehand. After that, they had been running on willpower alone. ¡®To be honest, I thought a few of them would give up...¡¯ But this was surprising. They all followed through; not a single one had dropped out. ¡°Rest. Tomorrow, we will be busy again,¡± he said kindly. He asked River to open the Moving House, and personally helped move each Watchguard inside. Now, there were ten people left in the Wailing Mountains. ¡°The nonbatants went on for six hours, so fighters should be able to go for at least twice that long, no?¡± ¡°...Yes, sir.¡± Their voices were low. Twice as long meant they had to run for at least six more hours. It was a ridiculous expectation. Even if the nonbatants and the mages didn¡¯t have as much stamina, the frontline fighters¡¯ stamina wasn¡¯t so high that it was double the nonbatants and mages¡¯ stamina. ¡®It¡¯ll probably be too much for them¡­¡¯ Specter thought. But they had to do it. In his short 26 years of life, the world hadn¡¯t always been kind. ¡®Whether they like it or not, there wille a time when they have to move.¡¯ In order to prepare for that, they had to oil their gears ahead of time. There was a saying that stated that regret is the fastest motivator, but yers knew that this was nonsense. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With Specter at the lead, nine Watchguards started to follow him with glum faces. *** After ten hours, Specter stopped in the middle of the dark hill. Arthur¡¯s head lolled like a zombie¡¯s and bumped against his back. He had been staring at the ground, so he didn¡¯t even realize that they hade to a stop. He fell to the ground with a crash, feeling the same bliss that the nonbatants had experienced earlier. ¡°Does it feel nice?¡± Specter asked the copsed Watchguards, sitting on a nearby rock. ¡°Yes¡­ It does. It¡¯s impossibly nice¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the feeling of surpassing your limits.¡± Today, each Watchguard had reached the limits of their stamina and surpassed it. It was a tough exercise to digest from the very first day. ¡®Sorry. But we don¡¯t have much time...¡¯ Training the Watchguards was important, but Specter himself also needed time to train. He had already decided before all this began that he would only spend two weeks on them. ¡°Since we came all the way here today¡­¡± He pointed, and their eyes followed his hand. ¡°Next time, we should be able to get to the peak of that mountain over there.¡± ¡°...¡± The Watchguards realized something. They already knew it, but it hit them once more. ¡°Your skill will stack like stairs. You¡¯re not gonna reach the top of the mountain in one day or one session.¡± They tried to catch their breath as they listened. Their bodies were heavy, but they also somehow felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. ¡°Whether you have natural talent, good skills, good skill books, or good equipment¡­ It¡¯s still the same. Even though it might help you get stronger even faster, no one is born that way.¡± yers heard this all the time, but the Watchguards had never understood it as much as they did today. ¡°Time is on the side of those who work hard.¡± With that, today¡¯s lesson ended. If the Watchguards learned anything from today¡¯s march, they would start to grow even faster. ¡®There¡¯s no point in just breaking a sweat or quitting once it gets a little tiring...¡¯ Even though Specter¡¯s case was special, he hunted and trained until he wanted to die. He hadn¡¯t gone that far after his return, but he never cked on his training. He had tried his hardest when training with Booster, and when he had fought the knights at the Winter Castle. Even now, he was still trying to maintain Overclocking for 24 hours straight. ¡®We should stop by a nearby city tonight.¡¯ Tomorrow, everyone would be bedridden from muscle soreness. They probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to stand. Of course, that meant they wouldn¡¯t be able to train either. ¡®We can¡¯t have that...¡¯ He needed to buy potions so that the Watchguards wouldn¡¯t be incapacitated when the next day arrived. After such a hard training session, he had to take care of his students. Chapter 188. No Turning Back (5)

Chapter 188. No Turning Back (5)

The morning after the endless march, the Watchguards¡¯ groans filled the base like music. ¡®Ugh¡­My legs are all swollen.¡¯ ¡®My neck is killing me because I kept looking down while running.¡¯ ¡®My back¡­¡¯ The muscle soreness was a given, but some of their muscles were injured, and their energy was still at rock bottom. They werepletely exhausted after a single day of training. A familiar voice called out to them. ¡°Assemble.¡± Specter¡¯s magic-enhanced voice woke them up. Even though the voice was quiet, it seemed to dig into their ears. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Agh¡­¡± They staggered into the hallway like zombies and exchanged looks with haggard faces. ¡®I¡¯m so tired I could die.¡¯ ¡®Me too. But I¡¯m d...¡¯ ¡®...Hehe. Yeah, we¡¯ll probably just learn theory today.¡¯ With their bodies in this state, there was no way they could continue stamina training. Once they gathered in therge living room, Specter approached them. ¡°Is everyone up?¡± he asked. ¡°Yessir¡­¡± ¡°Good morning¡­¡± They saw him in a new light, looking at him like he was a monster. ¡®He hiked the same amount as us yesterday, but he looks perfectly fine.¡¯ ¡®In the final stretch, he even carried down some of the people who were too exhausted¡­¡¯ ¡®Well, I suppose that was the bare minimum to be the strongest in the world back then.¡¯ Specter had a monstrous amount of stamina. At that moment, they started to feel jealous of the energy filling Specter¡¯s muscr body. If the Watchguards had that much energy, they would be able to hunt nonstop. ¡°Alright. Everyone shall drink one of these.¡± He held out a wooden box containing twenty-four medicine bottles. The Watchguards tilted their heads as they gathered in front of him. ¡°What is this...¡± ¡°Sniff. It smells like a potion; it smells pretty smooth¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re potions.¡± Specter nodded. ¡°They¡¯re expensive ones too. They¡¯re five gold each.¡± ¡°F-five gold each?¡± ¡°...Are we allowed to drink something so expensive?¡± The Watchguards swallowed and stared at the potions in the wooden box. Each one cost 50 million won. Even though they had been able to reach the 2nd floor, they never had such an expensive potion. ¡®I should start earning more money as well¡­¡¯ Specter thought. He had received 1,000 gold from Shim Deok-Gu when he first came up to the 2nd floor, but he nned to spend it all on his students, so his wallet would soon be empty. He didn¡¯t want to ask Shim Deok-Gu for more money, either. ¡®Even though we¡¯re friends, I can¡¯t ask him for help every time. He¡¯s already helped me out a lot anyway.¡¯ Now that Specter had finally regained his original strength, it was his turn to pay back his friend. ¡®I should look into how other yers earn money these days.¡¯ He handed out the potions to the Watchguards as their eyes sparkled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You guys worked really hard yesterday, so you deserve it. Drink it all down.¡± ¡°Specter-nim¡­¡± ¡°This is so thoughtful of you¡­ I¡¯m touched.¡± They looked up at him, all choked up. Now, he looked nothing like the devil he had been yesterday when he pushed them forward without even giving them time to breathe. ¡®Yeah. Specter-nim can¡¯t be that evil.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s a worldwide savior and idol. He can¡¯t be that ruthless...¡¯ ¡®He probably realized that yesterday¡¯s training was too harsh.¡¯ ¡®Specter-nim probably felt hurt when he watched us struggle.¡¯ Was that not why he bought these expensive potions for them? The Watchguards drank them down gratefully. As the liquid flowed down their throats, it quickly started to restore the cells within their bodies. They sat down and circted the magic energy in their bodies, and then opened their eyes with a refreshed look on their faces. ¡°All the muscle pains are gone!¡± ¡°Me too. I actually feel even better than yesterday.¡± ¡°Ahaha! I thought my thighs would explode when I sat down on the toilet earlier!¡± Theyughed and smiled as they shared their joy, and even Specter joined in. Of course, he wasughing for a different reason. ¡°Alright, shall we go now?¡± ¡°Yes! Wherever¡­¡± Arthur started to answer enthusiastically, but he stopped, cutting himself off. His yer instinct was warning him of something extremely dangerous. But the die had already been cast¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go. Today, we are stronger than yesterday. Tomorrow we¡¯ll be stronger than today.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The Watchguards seriously started to wonder if the effects of the potion would disappear if they threw it up. *** Exactly one week had passed since the training began. Depending on whom you asked, that could be either a long or a short period of time. For the Watchguards, for instance, it had been the longest week of their lives. ¡°What do you think?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked as he took off his mask in his room, taking a sip of tea. It was night, and his students werepletely knocked out. He was talking to the Frost Queen. She hadn¡¯t been able to speak with him muchtely as she had been hiding. ¡°Personally, I¡¯m very impressed with your training methods.¡± ¡°Right? There¡¯s nothing more effective than this.¡± Of course, his one-week basic stamina course had cost nearly 10 billion won or a thousand gold. When looking at the money, it hardly seemed worth it. ¡°Other than the money, if you look at how much their stamina increased in such a short amount of time, there¡¯s nothing better than this.¡± Naturally, the Watchguards¡¯ stamina had increased very quickly. From the moment they opened their eyes to the moment they went to sleep, all they did was run. Usually, if you pushed yourself hard, you had to wait until your worn muscles recovered before you could start training again. However, Seo Jun-Ho had the power of money. ¡°Now that I think about it, the big Guilds or the Fiend Association¡­ they are probably using this method as well,¡± hemented. ¡°Mmhm. Effort will never betray you. It is good to see.¡± Of course, this method had its downsides too. It was extremely exhausting for those that used it. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t really matter since they won¡¯t actually die,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Besides, I already have a sessful precedent.¡± Gilberto Green had been the first yer he had ever trained, and Gilberto clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of his methods. ¡°I do not know about other things, but I like your teaching methods,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve trained me before, so I know how spartan you are.¡± She was an intense teacher, and he had even passed out once with his eyes open during her training. ¡°But, Contractor, will you only continue to do stamina training?¡± she asked. ¡°Nope. Today was the final day.¡± From tomorrow, they would start battle training. ¡°Considering that you only have two weeks to teach them everything, you are very pressed for time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only gonna teach them the basics.¡± No one in the world could be strong after only two weeks. Seo Jun-Ho nned to merely teach them how to be strong. ¡°It took half a year for Gilberto to perfect the basics.¡± Granted, the Watchguards were of a higher level and had higher stats than Gilberto had had, but that only meant it would be harder for them, because they would have to re-learn everything they already knew. ¡°Where will you go once you finish teaching them?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I suppose I¡¯ll have to hunt around and raise my level first.¡± Currently, Seo Jun-Ho had two goals. The first was to raise his level, and the other was to train his skills. ¡°I¡¯m doing well with my other skills¡­ Frost is the only one I¡¯m still not familiar with.¡± The truth was, he was much morefortable with Watchguard of Darkness, which he had been using for five years. It already felt like an extension of his body. On the other hand, he could feel how wide the distance between himself and Frost was. ¡°I used Frost a lot more on the 1st floor. Tsk.¡± He had barely been able to use it on the 2nd floor because the 2nd floor didn¡¯t have closed Gates. He was always hesitant to use his skill because anyone could find traces of it. ¡°Contractor.¡± The Frost Queen ced down her teacup. There was something she had been thinking about for some time now, and she decided that it was time to say it. ¡°Caution will serve you well, but if you continue like this, you may never be able to use the Frost Skill properly.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his mouth. She was right. ¡°It is only natural that you would have difficulty mastering the skill¡ªthat is howplex it is.¡± Watchguard of Darkness was simr to Frost but different at the same time. They were both elemental skills, but they had different uses. ¡°Before you fight the fiends at Port Lane, allow me to train you once more,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°...Train me,¡± he mumbled. There were things you could only learn by moving forward, but there were also things that you could only learn once you looked back after teaching someone else. ¡®I¡¯m definitely stronger now.¡¯ Even if the world knew that he had the Frost skill, it wouldn¡¯t be dangerous for him. Now, he was strong enough to handle most fiends. ¡®Other than the Squadron Leaders and the executives above them¡­¡¯ But if he kept worrying about them, he would never be able to use his skill. At least, not until he became the strongest person in the world. ¡®Actually, this is a good thing...¡¯ If the Squadron Leaders ambushed him, nothing bad woulde out of it. They would be caught off guard by his counterattack with Watchguard of Darkness. ¡°So, Specter will use darkness, and Seo Jun-Ho will use ice. Is that it?¡± he wondered out loud. It felt like he was ying two different people. He would have to live two different lives as well. ¡°But if I do that, there will be more things I can do.¡± ¡°And you have a good backstory, do you not?¡± ¡°A backstory¡­ Oh, you¡¯re right.¡± She made him realize something again. Seo Jun-Ho was currently acting as Specter¡¯s proxy. If he went up to the 3rd floor, possessing an ice elemental skill, without even knowing how to handle the heat¡­ ¡°Rather than target Specter, the fiends would prefer to target¡­¡± ¡°The inexperienced Seo Jun-Ho,¡± the Frost Queen finished. ¡°Hmmm.¡± He looked at her with an unreadable expression. ¡®Is it because I¡¯ve been feeding her a lot of Spirit Crystal shavings these days? I don¡¯t think she used to be this smart.¡¯ He used to think that all she did was eat cake and drink tea, but she was actually pretty thoughtful. She narrowed her eyes and looked at him, sulking. ¡°Contractor, what are you thinking about?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± ¡°Somehow¡­ I get the feeling that you are surprised by my intelligence.¡± ¡°Do you want some more cake?¡± He was obviously trying to change the subject. The Frost Queen nodded, but she still looked suspicious. ¡°...Tiramisu, please. And a cup of earl grey.¡± It definitely wasn¡¯t because she wanted more snacks. *** Each yer had unique abilities. There wasn¡¯t even an inheritance factor that could be passed from parent to child. The same was true for Arthur. ¡®Telekinesis.¡¯ It was a verymon skill, and it was just as famous. There were also many well-known telekic yers. ¡®But it¡¯s C-grade¡­ It¡¯s a gray area.¡¯ Arthur wasn¡¯t the only one with this issue. Most of the Watchguards, especially thebatants, had low-grade skills. River was a nonbatant, but his B-grade skill was the highest among them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You just need to raise your skill grade,¡± Specter said. ¡°...!¡± Their eyes widened. It was every yer¡¯s dream to raise their skill grade, but most of them failed. Countless yers and schrs presented theories on how to do so, but every single one had been incorrect. ¡®But if it¡¯s Specter-nim¡­¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s the person who raised the grades of Gilberto-nim¡¯s skills.¡¯ ¡®He should have some special methods we can use...¡¯ He looked at the naive hope in their eyes and shot them down. ¡°Before I continue, don¡¯t get your hopes up. I don¡¯t have any special methods.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Arthur spoke up among the slightly-disappointed Watchguards. ¡°What do we have to do to raise our skill grades, then?¡± ¡°You just need a little talent, luck; and a lot of effort.¡± ¡°Talent¡­¡± The yers were aware of how big of a barrier natural talent posed. Those with talent would get into good Guilds, and those without talent would stay on the 1st floor for the rest of their lives. Their very starting points were different. ¡°But all of you made it to the 2nd floor, which is the result of either talent or effort. This means you have at least one of them.¡± That was enough. Specter hadn¡¯t used any particr training methods to raise the grades of Gilberto¡¯s skills. ¡°All you have to do is use your skills until you¡¯re tired of it¡ªuntil it feels like a part of you.¡± He felt the same way when he received the Frost Queen¡¯s special training. Back then, he used the Frost skill until he passed out with his eyes open. His understanding of the skill had drastically improved after that. ¡®Of course, considering how high Frost¡¯s grade is, it¡¯ll take even longer to master¡­¡¯ It had taken him about two and a half years to get to the point where using Watchguard of Darkness felt natural. As an EX-grade skill, it might be even harder to reach that level with Frost. But forget EX-grade, the Watchguards didn¡¯t even have any S or A-grade skills. ¡°If you want to increase your understanding of your skills, you have to use it consistently.¡± He held out his hand, and darkness condensed around it. In an instant, the shadows formed a cudgel, and he swung it around as he spoke, ¡°And of course, the fastest way to do that is in real battle.¡± This required one factor: a strong opponent that could beat you to the brink of death. ¡°Now, you guys will step up and fight me, one at a time.¡± The Watchguards were blessed to have someone to fulfill that role right in front of them. Chapter 189. No Turning Back (6)

Chapter 189. No Turning Back (6)

[Noun] A short, thick stick. Usually used to hit people or livestock. This was the dictionary definition of a cudgel. The Watchguards paused when they saw the weapon in Specter¡¯s hand. ¡®I expected the training curriculum to coverbat training¡­¡¯ ¡®But why a cudgel all of a sudden?¡¯ ¡®...He¡¯s not nning to hit us with that, is he?¡¯ ¡®No way...¡¯ Even though they doubted that he would actually do that, their nervousness showed on their faces. Swoosh! Swoosh! The Watchguards all turned to look in one direction. ¡°W-what? Why are you looking at me?¡± Arthur Green was their leader, as well as the strongest yer in their ranks. He felt pressure along with a sense of betrayal as dozens of pairs of eyes stared at him. They were a close-knit group and even considered each other family. When Arthur had been captured by fiends, they had even been loyal enough not to hand him over to them. ¡®I thought we were close¡­!¡¯ But they turned their backs on him in the face of Specter-nim¡¯s cudgel¡­ ¡®You¡¯re our leader, aren¡¯t you? You should go first.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re also the strongest¡­¡¯ ¡®Captain, you gotta set a good example.¡¯ Arthur eventually stepped forward as his entire body trembled. Swoosh! Swoosh! Specter spoke as he swung his cudgel, ¡°Come at me like you¡¯re gonna kill me. Think of me as your parents¡¯ sworn enemy.¡± ¡°...You want me toe at you with killing intent?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Even with your power, isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± ¡°Dangerous? For me?¡± Specter grinned. At his level, he could easily take down the Watchguards with a single chopstick. The only reason he had made a cudgel out of darkness was to fire them up. But to think that they were worried about him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it and juste.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go slowly...¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if you go fast.¡± Arthur got into position, hesitant. Most yers used a physical weapon as their main damage-dealer, but Arthur didn¡¯t. ¡®My main skill is telekinesis anyway.¡¯ Because of that, he always used a shy weapon to distract his opponent. The more his opponent paid attention to his weapon, the easier it would be for him to use telekinesis. ¡°Here Ie!¡± In an instant, Arthur pulled out his belt. Thwack! It sounded like a paper crane was flying as his belt transformed into a sword. It was a flexible yeon sword made out of steel[1]. ¡°You better be careful!¡± Arthur called out. He took a powerful swing. Swoosh! The yeon sword was thin, light, and flexible. Its trajectory was hard to read because even a slight breeze could knock it off-kilter. ¡®A yeon sword. It¡¯s supposed to draw my eyes to it so he can use his telekinesis.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a bad idea, but it was toomon. Around 80% of telekic yers used a simr strategy. ¡®It only makes the opponent warier, because it¡¯s obvious that there¡¯s gonna be some sort of surprise attack.¡¯ Arthur wasn¡¯t outstanding with the yeon sword either. ¡®It¡¯s too obvious. He¡¯ll probably try to ambush me in the middle of the battle with smaller weapons.¡¯ Not all opponents were stupid. Right now, Specter was ying the role of an enemy that was ruthless, smart, and intelligent. Thwack! He struck the side of the sword with his cudgel. As it bent and flew in toward his face, he cut through the de with his magic-enhanced hand. Slice! ¡°Wha¡­!¡± Taken aback, Arthur tried to retreat to create distance between them, but the cudgel drew a swift arc and struck his side. ¡°Gah!¡± It was powerful enough to knock the breath out of him and make him spit. With no other choice, Arthur used his telekinesis as his body flew through the air. Four throwing knives shot out from beneath his clothes, aiming for Specter¡¯s pressure points. ¡®Just as I expected...¡¯ Battles between yers were usually a strategy game for using their skills. The most important thing was finding out your opponent¡¯s skills while not letting your own be discovered. ¡®But if you just reveal your skill like this¡­¡¯ If you didn¡¯t manage to kill them with the first hit, your chances of winning would go down. Crack! Crack! Specter struck the throwing knives using his cudgel like a baseball bat, and they crumpled to the ground. ¡°10 points for swordy, 10 points for acting, and 20 points for reaction time,¡± he said. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Arthur looked frustrated. Of course, Specter had been able to handle him that easily because he already knew what his skill was. But Arthur already knew that¡­ ¡®This is the same helplessness I felt when I fought the fiend pretending to be Mr. Jang a few days ago¡­¡¯ His opponent hadn¡¯t let his guard down even when he pulled out his revolver as if he knew Arthur had something else hidden up his sleeve. ¡°...What am I supposed to do now?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°Get up,¡± Specter replied. Arthur stood up, stumbling. He had only been hit once, but his side still throbbed. ¡®It didn¡¯t break any bones¡­ So why does it hurt so much?¡¯ It was because the darkness element generally prated through all defenses. Specter was reasonable enough to not break any bones, but the damage the strike inflicted still lingered. Obviously, it would take longer for Arthur to recover. ¡°I don¡¯t mind giving you advice here and there, but I can¡¯t do that for the rest of your life.¡± Specter gestured with his finger. ¡°You have to find your own weaknesses and fix them. All powerful yers must do so.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still a Ranker¡­¡± ¡°Are Rankers these days this weak? It wasn¡¯t like this back in my day¡­¡± Arthur had nothing left to say. He tossed aside his broken sword and took out his revolver. ¡°Can I use a gun?¡± ¡°You can use a missile if you want.¡± ¡°Here Ie!¡± Arthur swiftly kicked off the ground. His movements were shy as he started to run around Specter. The Watchguards watched with wide eyes. ¡°He¡¯s fast!¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me this is all thanks to the effects of a week of basic stamina training?¡± ¡°His lower body strength haspletely evolved¡ªthat¡¯s why he can go so fast.¡± Their observations were correct. Not far off, Arthur himself was experiencing the changes in his body the most. ¡®What the¡­ I¡¯m going super fast.¡¯ It had only been a week. With the use of the expensive potions, he was able to reach this level in a week when it easily should have taken two months. ¡®All we did was run¡­¡¯ They hadn¡¯t done anything else. All they did was run until they threw up, copsed, and fainted. But even with just that, he could feel that he had gotten stronger. Woosh! Arthur started to move even faster. With the newfound strength in his lower body, it wasn¡¯t even hard to change directions. ¡®If I can move like this¡­¡¯ He was sure that he¡¯d be able to easily take out most fiends. ¡®I can feel the difference¡¯. Arthur¡¯s eyes sparkled. He had once wondered if Specter¡¯s training methods were too simple and unrefined, but he didn¡¯t feel that way anymore. ¡®I believe in you...¡¯ Now, he fully believed in Specter¡¯s methods. Even if the training was arduous and painful while it was ongoing, there would be a grand prize waiting at the end. ¡®He said that those who work hard have time on their side.¡¯ This meant that time would always be on Arthur¡¯s side. Because from that moment, he decided that he would never ck on training¡­ m! Specter pushed him over, knocking him out. ¡°Why are you running around in circles like that? Whether you use your pistol or not, you should¡¯ve just attacked me. In a real battle, no one would just stand by and watch.¡± ¡®That¡¯s¡­ true¡­¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s not wrong¡­¡¯ The Watchguards unwittingly nodded along. *** Specter¡¯s battle trainingsted from morning to night. During that time, not a single Watchguard managed to even touch him. ¡°Just how much more skilled is he?¡± ¡°Why are you surprised? Our opponent is Specter-nim.¡± ¡°But still¡­ He was still recovering his strength until just a few weeks ago.¡± ¡°If a tiger gets sick, can a rabbit defeat it?¡± ¡°Well, when you put it like that¡­¡± yers were pure¡­ no, they were prideful. Even if their opponent was a legendary yer, they would still feel bitter if they spent the whole day being beaten up. Defeated, the Watchguards started to go over their matches with serious expressions on their faces. ¡®Why did I get hit? Well, I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯m weak¡­¡¯ ¡®Specter-nim isn¡¯t even going faster than us.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s using the same level of speed and strength as us. I¡¯m sure of it.¡¯ Despite this, they hadn¡¯t even been able to graze him. Why was there such a big difference in skill when they were supposedly equal? The Watchguards looked for the answer as they started analyzing the videos they had recorded. It was their first time analyzing theirbat techniques like this since they had be yers. Most yers had probably never done this either. ¡®My breathing got cut off here. That¡¯s why there was more strain on my body overall.¡¯ ¡®I made too many unnecessary movements here, so I couldn¡¯t even dodge a slow attack.¡¯ ¡®My skill is good for momentarily blocking the opponent¡¯s vision. But a smart opponent will be able to estimate roughly where I am. In that case, it might be better to create distance when I distract them¡­¡¯ It was an unfamiliar experience. It was easy to observe other people and give them tips, but it was hard to be objective with yourself. If it weren¡¯t for Specter, they probably would have never had this sort of experience. This training technique was also systematically used in big Guilds for their newbies. ¡®Looks like everyone learned something¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled under his mask. He swung his cudgel without even looking to the side. Crack! ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°It mighte faster than I thought¡­¡± The day when the evolved Watchguards entered the world, that was. *** One week of basic stamina training. One week of battle training. The training curriculum was unmatched. But when the two weeks ended, the Watchguards¡¯ spirit had changed. ¡®They have better lower-body strength, they have better looks in their eyes, and their stamina has improved.¡¯ As they looked up at Specter, their eyes were filled with boundless faith and respect. His cudgel had hurt, but his beatings hadn¡¯t been senseless. ¡®He only did it so that we could learn...¡¯ ¡®The beatings had a deeper meaning behind them.¡¯ ¡®Maybe he didn¡¯t take in students in the past because he was too soft-hearted to beat them up.¡¯ They misunderstood him greatly, but they couldn¡¯t put down their rose-tinted sses. Even if they saw Specter picking his nose, they would probably think that there was some deep meaning behind it. ¡°Two weeks isn¡¯t a long time, but it¡¯s not short either,¡± Specter spoke as he looked upon the Watchguards lined up in front of him. ¡°Thank you for following me withoutints.¡± The Watchguards sniffled and bit down their lips. It had been hard, but their time and effort had paid off. They had gone through a lot, and their stamina had greatly improved as a result. ¡°But don¡¯t think for a moment that your training is over.¡± Specter looked each of them in the eye. ¡°When I finished training Gilberto with this curriculum, he came back to me half a yearter.¡± ¡°...Half a yearter?¡± ¡°Yes. He kept running until he reached his limits and he also spent a lot of time hunting.¡± The Watchguards swallowed. ¡°After half a year¡­ What happened to my father?¡± Arthur asked, sounding nervous. Specter shrugged. ¡°When he came back to me, the grades of all his skills had increased by one or more.¡± ¡°The grades of all his skills¡­¡± ¡°One or more?!¡± Their jaws dropped. Gilberto hadn¡¯t been some natural genius. He had started at the bottom just like them, or maybe even lower. ¡®I thought I would die after two weeks of this training¡­¡¯ ¡®But he did it for an entire six months. He must have an iron will...¡¯ ¡®yers like the Gray Envoy don¡¯t just appear out of nowhere.¡¯ ¡®He was just a normal yer, and all he did was train himself.¡¯ Hope blossomed in their chests. With a precedent already in ce¡ªmaybe they could also be the protagonist of a story. ¡°But even if we can just run on our own, isn¡¯t it hard to gain battle experience?¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Specter asked. ¡°There are even stronger monsters here than on Earth.¡± ¡°...Then Gilbert-nim trained with monsters?¡± Even though they called it battle training, their lives had never been in danger when they fought Specter. But monsters were different. A small mistake when fighting them could mean death. ¡®He was probably scared.¡¯ Even though they had a lot of experience hunting monsters, they usually fought monsters that were significantly weaker than them. Fighting monsters stronger than you with your life on the line waspletely different. ¡°Are you guys all thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°Of course...¡± ¡°Even if we¡¯re not thinking the same thing, I¡¯ll do as youmand, Captain.¡± Specter hadn¡¯t expected them to react like this. They looked calm, and their eyes were filled with determination. ¡°Specter-nim.¡± Even though the training was over, Arthur still called him ¡®Specter¡¯ instead of ¡®Uncle.¡¯ ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to contact me for a few months. Please exin this to my father.¡± ¡°...You guys are gonna do istion training?¡± Specter¡¯s eyes softened as he looked at the Watchguards. If one person gave up, two or three would follow. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be hard.¡± ¡°But we still have to do it.¡± Arthur looked determined. ¡°I realized that the fiends are much stronger than I thought. We¡¯re just a bunch of little fish in a big pond.¡± ¡°We¡¯re yers. We can¡¯t just live in someone else¡¯s shadow forever.¡± ¡°We have to get stronger.¡± Specterughed out loud for the first time as he looked at them. He was proud of them. The Watchguards looked at him quizzically, not understanding why he wasughing. ¡®If you guys are able to meet my standards once you finish your istion training¡­¡¯ Then, Specter would lead the Watchguards himself. He had never led a team because he didn¡¯t like the hassle of it, but he had never encountered a group of people so hopelessly stubborn either. ¡®I can¡¯t just leave them to die...¡¯ They might just be his first team. 1. A general term for flexible swords that were used in ancient Asia. ? Chapter 190. Sun Swallowing Territory

Chapter 190. Sun Swallowing Territory

¡°What? Istion training?! Who said he could do that?!¡± As hey in his VIP room in Hanguk Hospital, Gilberto seemed like he was about to rip out his IV. ¡°You didn¡¯t encourage him, did you?¡± He looked at Seo Jun-Ho suspiciously, but thetter didn¡¯t waver. Seo Jun-Ho was always prepared. Of course, that meant he knew how to calm Gilberto as well. ¡°Just watch this. It¡¯s a gift from your son.¡± Arthur had asked Seo Jun-Ho to tell Gilberto where he was going, but Gilberto had never been the type to just listen. He was well-known to be a doting father, so they had prepared this for him. [Father, I¡¯m leaving you with this video message¡­] Arthur had recorded a video for him with the Vita. He had realized the limits of his power~ So he wanted to train in istion with hisrades~ And he hoped Gilberto would stay healthy~ Something like that¡­ ¡°I see... Arthur, so this is what you want,¡± Gilberto muttered. He seemed to realize something. As a father, he would never get in the way of his son¡¯s ambitions. ¡°Jun-Ho. Do you think I could catch up to him and scold him if I leave now? If they¡¯re training in istion, I won¡¯t be able to see him for at least a few months.¡± ¡°...¡± Could he? Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face soured, and Gilberto had Skaya on his back. ¡°Come on! Your son said he wanted to get strong. What are you so worried about?¡± ¡°...If he gets stronger, he¡¯ll start fighting stronger foes. It¡¯s dangerous, I¡¯m telling you.¡± ¡°That line of thought is what¡¯s dangerous¡­ What are you gonna do, hold Arthur in your arms for the rest of your life?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I do that?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done. We¡¯ve never really understood each other in the first ce.¡± Frankly, there weren¡¯t many people that understood Skaya. So, Gilberto wasn¡¯t exactly an outlier. ¡°Geez, who would you guys hang out with if you didn¡¯t have me¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°Jun-Ho, aren¡¯t you the weirdest out of the five of us?¡± Gilberto added. ¡°...?¡± It seemed that the minority would always stand out, even if they would typically be considered normal. ¡°Anyway, you won¡¯t be able to see your son for a few months. Good luck.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho watched as Gilberto¡¯s face fell, and opened his newspaper. [The Gray Envoy is the third Hero to return.] [The silent assassin that only leaves bullet holes: Gilberto Green returns.] [Specter, Archmage, and Gray Envoy have defeated seventy fiends on the 2nd floor.] [The world¡¯s guardians are starting to return one by one.] [Sky Soul Guild is preparing for the press conference.] ¡°Well, seems like things are going as I expected,¡± he said. If something happened only once, it was a miracle, but if it happened a second time, people would expect it to keep happening. ¡°How funny. They¡¯re talking as if it¡¯s confirmed that the 5 Heroes will return,¡± Skaya said. ¡°That¡¯s what the press is best at. They take the tiny bit of information they have and make inferences, and then sell it as fact.¡± ¡°They still haven¡¯t changed after all these years,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, clicking his tongue. He started to reminisce after he saw one specific article. ¡°The world¡¯s guardians, you say¡­¡± In the past, that title belonged to the United States. But after the Gates manifested and opened, the country had been overrun with monsters and they lost the title. ¡®And we received it in return¡­¡¯ The world¡¯s guardians, saviors, and heroes. They had simply done what needed to be done, but at some point, people started calling them that. ¡°It reminds me of the past¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ¡°You liked it back then?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I hated it.¡± Pouting, Skaya pulled at the Frost Queen¡¯s cheeks, who was sitting in her arms. ¡°Lemme ger rie ner¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t need money or glory or whatever. I probably wouldn¡¯t have done it if you hadn¡¯t asked me,¡± she said. ¡°...Yeah, we were pretty busy, weren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Pretty busy? That¡¯s all?¡± Skaya scoffed. ¡°Let me tell you, we probably did more than what tens of celebrities would do in a day.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± No matter how busy they were, celebrities could rest while flying to other countries. But when the 5 Heroes were really busy, they would n their day down to the second and teleport to their destinations. ¡°When we were busiest, we would go to like seventy countries in a day¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, yeah. It was so tiring.¡± ¡°No matter how much I wanted to create a peaceful world for my son, it almost wasn¡¯t enough for me to keep going.¡± The three of them looked at each other andughed, thinking of their collective experience. It was a strange feeling, especially for Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®...Who knew I¡¯d ever feel like this.¡¯ He had stayed in this very hospital room when he had awakened. Looking back, he had probably been lonely. ¡®I really don¡¯t know what I would¡¯ve done without Deok-Gu.¡¯ If he was being honest, he wouldn¡¯t have gone back to being a yer if he didn¡¯t know that he could save his friends with the Frost skill. He would¡¯ve spent the rest of his life as Seo Jun-Ho¡ªa quiet, peaceful life in the countryside, where he would sleep all day. ¡®I have to work harder.¡¯ Now, only two of hisrades were left frozen in the ice. Of course, this meant that something else had started poking at his mind. [Sky Soul Guild is preparing for the press conference.] As he stared at the article, Skaya approached him. ¡°That old man is still alive?¡± ¡°...Hey, he¡¯s still Mio¡¯s father. Don¡¯t talk about him like that.¡± ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t like him,¡± Skaya huffed. She had been especially close to Mio. The Big 6 Guild, Sky Soul, had its roots in an aristocratic Japanese n with an extensive history: Tenmei.[1] ¡°What are her asshole brothers up to these days?¡± she asked. ¡°They¡¯re highly-respected High Rankers.¡± ¡°Hmph! They¡¯re just scum that¡¯s jealous of their sister¡¯s talent.¡± ¡°They¡¯re still Mio¡¯s family,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. It was hard to believe considering it was the 21st century, but Mio was an illegitimate child born from a concubine. However, only the 5 Heroes knew about this fact. Officially, she was known as the daughter of Tenmei Yugo, the family leader as well as the Guild Master of Sky Soul. ¡°They¡¯re not in the Nine Heavens, but they¡¯re still powerful.¡± ¡°They must¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger. They were nothing back then,¡± Skaya remarked. ¡°That¡¯s not true. They were some of the strongest yers aside from us.¡± Sky Soul would probably take advantage of Mio when she came back. ¡®If that happens, the delicate bnce of the Big 6 will tip over.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t want that. Dealing with fiends was hard enough, and he didn¡¯t want to have to take care of bickering yers on top of that. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it right now. Just forget it.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true.¡± They could think about it once Mio awakened. ¡°What will you guys do now?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, looking at Skaya and Gilberto. ¡°There¡¯s still a whole month until the Port Lane operation. I was nning to raise my level until then.¡± ¡°Hmm. I want to study up on magic until then. I¡¯ve been putting it off,¡± Skaya replied. ¡°...I should focus on recovering first,¡± Gilberto said. It was a good thing that Seo Jun-Ho had been the only one whose level hadpletely reset. It would have been a real headache if the same thing happened to Gilberto and Skaya. ¡°Two whole Squadrons will be there. It¡¯s a big-scale operation. And I think it would be better for me to get there ahead of time. If I get to Port Ler on, it could seem suspicious.¡± ¡°Then, we¡¯ll meet up in Port Lane a month from now,¡± Skaya concluded. ¡°And I¡¯ll recover as much as I can before then,¡± Gilberto said. They needed some time to themselves because they had different goals. ¡°One month¡­¡± ¡°I hope you get stronger by then, Frost Queen~¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys then.¡± When the door opened, the Frost Queen was the first to run out. *** ¡°...Money?¡± ¡°Yeah, money.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt sorry for Shim Deok-Gu, but this time he went back up to the 2nd floor without meeting his friend. He called two people over to the inn he was staying at. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys experts in money?¡± he asked. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was speaking to a loan shark and a casino owner at the Starting Square: Ply and Haus. After Seo Jun-Ho summoned them out of the blue, Ply and Haus exchanged confused nces. ¡®Dammit, he¡¯d been quiet for a few months¡­¡¯ ¡®Didn¡¯t this bastard leave the city?¡¯ He summoned them like a bolt from the blue. Of course, they had no intention of disobeying him. ¡®That look in his eyes¡­¡¯ ¡®Last time, I couldn¡¯t estimate the limits of his power, but now, it feels like he¡¯s not even human anymore.¡¯ But they didn¡¯t sense anything strange from him. They almost started to wonder if he had lost his power. The people around them started to bustle. Their subordinates were making the patrons nervous. Seo Jun-Ho pointed at them with his steak knife as he spoke, ¡°Get rid of them. They''re making the customers ufortable.¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir!¡± ¡°Wait outside the building¡­ No, wait back at the shop!¡± However, there would always be a few stragglers in such arge group. Two of Haus and Ply¡¯s subordinates stayed behind as the others left. ¡®Hm, I haven¡¯t seen them before.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t seen them thest time he had beaten up their men. They seemed to be around level 100. They stuck out their chins, confident in their strength. ¡°Who is this pretty boy¡­ Hey! What makes you think you can order around hyung-nim like this?!¡± ¡°Sir, just give me the order. I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho silently cut up his steak. He seemed unbothered. He spoke to the bald man and the casino owner, who had both gone pale. ¡°Must we really do this again? Honestly, it¡¯s kind of annoying.¡± ¡°N-not at all!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not teaching the newbies¡­M-my apologies. Please forgive me.¡± They waved their hands desperately, gesturing at their subordinates to leave. ¡°Oh, just a second. Let me answer that question.¡± He slowly lifted the steak knife up at the two subordinates. ¡°...!¡± ¡°...!¡± They were struck with fear, freezing like two frogs faced with a snake. They had never felt such intense bloodlust in their lives. Seo Jun-Ho went back to cutting his steak. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of person I am¡­¡± They stroked their necks as their backs dripped with cold sweat once the threat of death subsided. ¡°You should oversee your subordinates better. Your businesses will go flying if I hear anything bad.¡± ¡°O-Of course. I¡¯ve even lowered my interest rate to a legal amount.¡± ¡°I also stopped rigging the games and became a better man after you taught us.¡± Surprisingly, they were both telling the truth. They had been nning to go at least three months living like that as they were wary of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®I have to scare these guys every once in a while so that they¡¯ll listen.¡¯ Ply and Haus were on the good sidepared to some bad men, but they were still criminals. Seo Jun-Ho popped arge piece of meat into his mouth and spoke, ¡°So, I need some money. Is there any way to make a lot of money while hunting?¡± The two men considered this for a second before replying¡­ ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ohhh, do tell.¡± He looked up at Haus. The man spoke first, ¡°Do you know what Quests are?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m a yer.¡± ¡°Then, have you seen the Bounty Quest that went up a week ago?¡± ¡°...A Bounty Quest? Aren¡¯t bounties only attached to humans?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ply said. ¡°They also attach bounties to dangerous monsters. If someone kills that monster and brings in a body part as proof of that monster¡¯s death, the Adventurer Guild or the affiliated city will pay a bounty.¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± ¡°150 gold.¡± ¡°Woah, 1.5 billion¡­? That¡¯s more than I expected.¡± He was tempted. But Quests like this always had fiercepetition. ¡°There must be a lot ofpetition.¡± ¡°There was, but there isn¡¯t anypetition anymore.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°120 yers and mercenaries have already died thanks to one monster.¡± ¡°...120?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes darkened. It was a simr amount of casualties as an Uncleared Gate on the 1st floor. Not only that, unlike on the 1st floor, people could run away at any time here in Frontier. But the monster still managed to kill 120 people? ¡°Because it¡¯s so strong, no mercenary or yer wants to take up the challenge anymore.¡± ¡°There was a rumor recently that a yer Guild would go on an expedition to challenge it.¡± A bounty and a monster. ¡®Yeah, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve hunted.¡¯ Not fiends or liches, but real monsters. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s interest was piqued. His eyes sparkled like a carnivorous predator. ¡°Tell me more about that Quest.¡± 1. The characters for ¡¯Tenmei¡¯ can be read as ¡®Sky Soul¡¯¡¯ ? Chapter 191. Sun Swallowing Territory (2)

Chapter 191. Sun Swallowing Territory (2)

Seo Jun-Ho used the Teleport Gate at the Magic Tower to get to a town in the west. ¡®They said it would take three months by horse to get there.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t spend that much time just moving from one ce to another. ¡®I always took it for granted. Teleporting is expensive.¡¯ Even teleporting to somewhere nearby was at least a few thousand dors. However, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t very worried even after he spent nearly all his money. ¡®The yer Association pays me well.¡¯ His sry was actuallyparable to what a major Guild would pay their yers. He was paid ording to the exchange rate on the 2nd floor, and he also received money every month. The only problem was that there were still more than two weeks left until his payday. ¡®I need some money to spend before then. But 150 gold is the equivalent of about 1.5 billion won.¡¯ He suddenly stopped walking in the middle of the road. ¡°I can see it.¡± The town was surrounded by a wooden fence that wasn¡¯t very tall. Beyond it was a pair of twin mountains. The tall peaks were in the shape of a beast¡¯s maw seemingly facing each other. At sunset, the sun would nestle precisely between the two peaks. ¡°What a pleasing sight. It really does seem to be swallowing the sun,¡± the Frost Queen said, admiring the view. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± This town was near his Quest target¡ªa wicked monster who had eaten 120 people so far. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Once he entered the town, the first ce Seo Jun-Ho headed to was the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. ¡°Hmm, the Adventurer Guild must differ in size depending on the location,¡± the Frost Queen muttered as they entered. The building was small, and there weren¡¯t many employees. There were only about ten yers and Adventurers in here at the moment. ¡°Well, it shouldn¡¯t affect how the Adventurer Guild functions.¡± Seo Jun-Ho walked over to the Quest bulletin board. Out of the dozens of posters, his eyes were drawn to a single one. [Kill Mutant Troll] Grade: B- Description: Kill the mutant troll that has been terrorizing West Sun. Reward: 150 gold, 600 fame. ¡®A mutant troll¡­ The monster was a troll?¡¯ Trolls were known for their superior stamina recovery rate. Their blood was also often used to make potions. Rrrip! As Seo Jun-Ho ripped off the paper, everyone in the Guild stared at him. ¡°They are watching you with both interest and jealousy. You are quite a famous figure now, considering that you are recognized even in such a remote town,¡± the Frost Queen observed. The Adventurers only nced at him for a moment out of innocent curiosity, while the yers seemed ufortable and annoyed. ¡°That¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho, isn¡¯t he? Specter¡¯s proxy¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard he¡¯s pretty good.¡± ¡°Tsk, he doesn¡¯t understand business ethics.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been here a few days longer than he has¡­¡± Seo Jun-Houghed, not bothering to say anything else. This wasn¡¯t Disnend. When you arrived had nothing to do with the Quests you took. ¡°I am always exasperated by the jealousy of the unskilled¡­¡± ¡°Ignore them.¡± Seo Jun-Ho left the Guild and rummaged around in his Inventory. ¡°I wanted to spend at least one night in an inn¡­¡± ¡°Do you have money?¡± the Frost Queen asked quietly. ¡°I have 1 silver and 22 copper,¡± he said as he pulled out the remainder of his money. It was the equivalent of about 120 thousand won. It was more than enough to spend a night at an inn in a small town like this. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep on the streets, you know.¡± Considering that the inn was in a small town in the countryside, he didn¡¯t expect much. But it was more than enough to shield him from night¡¯s coldness. ¡°Let¡¯s do some research.¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned on the dim magicmp as the sun started to set. He opened up the Community forums. ¡®Let¡¯s look at the oldest articles first.¡¯ He looked up the mutant troll and West Sun. He usually didn¡¯t go through the trouble of doing this, but this monster was especially ferocious. ¡®It has killed 120 people so far. It¡¯s not a normal monster.¡¯ Professional yers would do research before hunting a dangerous monster. [10 gold bounty! An expensive monster appears!] [40 yers and 34 Adventurers massacred in a single day by a monster in West Sun.] [Governor of West Sun raises monster bounty to 50 gold.] [Who will be the one to kill the monster? yers gather at West Sun once more.] ¡­ [Governor of West Sun raises monster bounty to 150 gold. ¡°Please kill it.¡±] [Mercenary Guild ¡®Blue¡¯ leaves for West Sun to clear a Quest.] The articles were ordered by date. Seo Jun-Hobed through each one, scoping for information. ¡®Based on the remnants of battle, the mutant troll is about 4 meters tall. It¡¯s bigger than a normal troll.¡¯ ¡®Considering how long the campaigns go on for, the troll must have an amazing recovery rate.¡¯ ¡®It has already killed 120 people¡­ It must be an expert in fighting humans by now.¡¯ As a highly experienced yer, Seo Jun-Ho was able to deduce important information just by looking through the articles and pictures where the battle happened. ¡°That¡¯s it for the monster.¡± Next, he looked into the governor. ¡®It¡¯s unprecedented for a noble to raise the bounty this much just to protect the citizens.¡¯ That was what the bald Ply had told him¡­ But based on what he saw, the governor had a remarkable reputation among the town¡¯s citizens. ¡°People of all ages adore him? He¡¯s just like me.¡± ¡°...I do not wish to acknowledge that, but this governor must be a great man.¡± West Sun had been a tiny, remote vige that didn¡¯t even have a town chief. However, after the new governor was appointed 10 years ago, the town quickly developed. ¡®It has lower taxes than neighboring towns, it has good amenities, and most of all, it has great public security.¡¯ Thanks to that, there hadn¡¯t been any serious violent crimes in thest 10 years. And as rumors of West Sun spread, the poption even started to increase. ¡°I kind of understand why he put out such a big bounty now.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded in understanding. If the mutant troll was disposed of, then the town would start to grow even more. It might even be a city and receive a Teleport Gate from the Magic Tower. This mutant troll must be a massive headache to the governor even now. ¡®I¡¯ll get rid of it for you¡­¡¯ Apparently, the mutant troll would onlye out when the sun started to set. When the town swallowed the sun¡­ *** The next morning, Seo Jun-Ho received an unexpected visitor. ¡°...The governor?¡± ¡°Yes. He heard that you epted the mutant troll Quest and has invited you to dine with him for breakfast.¡± The governor of the West Sun had sent a servant over to him to invite him for breakfast. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to refuse. You may even be able to find more information about the monster,¡± the Frost Queenmented. Seo Jun-Ho agreed with her and followed the servant. The governor¡¯s estate was unexpectedly big and tidy for a countryside nobleman. ¡®I thought he¡¯d be a simpler man based on what I¡¯ve read¡­¡¯ In the end, nobles were still nobles. The courtyard beyond the gate was huge, but it was filled with animals. ¡°...There sure are a lot of animals. A big variety of them, too,¡± Seo Jun-Ho observed. ¡°The governor loves animals very much. He is very soft-hearted,¡± the servant said. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the different animals as he was escorted to the dining room. It was filled with birdhouses, fish bowls, hamster cages, and the like. ¡°Wee. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± The governor was a delicate-looking man who had a pair of round sses perched on his nose. ¡°I am the governor of West Sun, Favo.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Seo Jun-Ho, a yer.¡± ¡°Please, take your seat.¡± Favo appeared to be vegetarian. His te was piled with vegetables. However, Seo Jun-Ho was presented with a well-grilled steak. ¡°I dislike meat, but you must eat something hearty before you depart for your hunt,¡± he exined. ¡°That¡¯s very considerate of you. Thank you.¡± Favo spoke as they started to eat, ¡°I looked into you a little bit. You¡¯re a great man.¡± ¡°I still have a long way to go.¡± ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re very modest. The legend of Specter and the 5 Heroes is very famous here.¡± His eyes were kind as he looked upon Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°If a man like him has chosen you as his proxy, that means that he saw potential in you.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± As they ate, a variety of cats and dogs approached and started to feed. ¡°You must really like animals,¡± Seo Jun-Homented. ¡°Yes. They are the only thing that brings me such joy.¡± Favo smiled brightly at the mention of animals. When he held out his hands, the dogs walked over and started licking it, tails wagging. ¡°I like animals because they are simple and honest. If I give them love, they return it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also quite famous for being a governor that loves his citizens.¡± ¡°But, of course, they also return the love that I give.¡± Humans were ultimately animals, after all. Seo Jun-Ho wiped his mouth with a napkin as he finished his meal. ¡°Would you be able to tell me anything about the mutant troll?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± Favo stroked his chin. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve only seen the mutant troll on a single asion, from very far away.¡± ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°...I was scared. I had never encountered a monster with such a powerful aura.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you put a 10 gold bounty on its head.¡± ¡°Looking back, I shouldn¡¯t have done so.¡± Favo¡¯s face was full of regret. ¡°I should have ced a bigger bounty from the very beginning. If only I had done that, 120 talented yers and Adventurers wouldn¡¯t have been needlessly sacrificed¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± It was their fault for not judging their skills objectively. Favo stood up and escorted Seo Jun-Ho to the entrance. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to pressure you, but I hope you seed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± He left the estate and walked for a long time before he looked back on the meal he just had with Favo. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked the Frost Queen. ¡°There wasn¡¯t anything particrly strange. I could tell that he truly loves animals as well as his people,¡± the Frost Queen said. Seo Jun-Ho felt the same way. ¡°Ply, that rascal. He kept saying that no perfect governor loves their citizens.¡± If he didn¡¯t suspect others so much, maybe Ply wouldn¡¯t have gone bald. Seo Jun-Ho returned to the inn and rxed as he ate tea and cake. And two hours before the sun started to set, he left the valley, heading toward the Twin Mountains. At the entrance, several yers watched him¡­ ¡°The target has just left the valley.¡± They had but a single order¡­ - Hold him down. No matter what, our Guild will be the ones to kill the mutant troll. ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± Four men followed Seo Jun-Ho with their shining eyes. Chapter 192. Sun Swallowing Territory (3)

Chapter 192. Sun Swallowing Territory (3)

The Blue Guild was a decently sized guild with 40 yers. It had been 10 years since the guild opened, and it had its own history. However, there had never been a time when the guild stood out. "That¡¯s why it should be now¡­" The four guild members chasing Seo Jun-Ho made a firm pledge. ¡°Since the Guild Master was lucky enough to get an A-grade skill book, now is the time for our Guild¡¯s reputation to reach its peak.¡± "When the Guild bes famous, more yers will want to join us...¡± "And there¡¯ll also be more money¡­¡± "And I''m sure people''s gazes toward us will be filled with envy¡­" Most people had no idea that a Guild called the Blue Guild existed in this world. Fortunately, their Guild Master had acquired an A-grade skill book, so it was now time for their medium-sized Guild to make a name for itself. "But are we okay by ourselves? Of course, all we have to do is stall for time, but...¡± "It''s okay. We''re not even going to fight him, just buying time. Can we not even do that?" "We''re over level 95. That''s a piece of cake." A Guild member said in a triumphant voice, "I did a little researchst night, and I noticed that he can¡¯t do us any harm." "Huh? What does that mean?" "It¡¯s because Seo Jun-Ho is famous¡­" Seo Jun-Ho was a promising individual known to the world as Specter¡¯s proxy. "You''ve heard the phrase ''one has to act ording to one''s position,'' right?¡± "That''s....¡± They had heard that phrase so many times that their ears felt like they would grow callous. The other Guild members began to listen to him. ¡°A famous yer like Seo Jun-Ho can never attack others recklessly. Have you ever heard of a yer from the Big 6 going around doing crazy things?" "¡­No?" "I definitely haven¡¯t..." "Me neither..." "Right? They aren¡¯t considered noble for no reason. They have to live a disciplined and principled life." The Big 6 were like that, but what about Specter¡¯s proxy? He probably had to live thinking about the ramifications of every action he would take. "In a word, the moment he makes a mistake, Specter-nim¡¯s face will be ruined. I reckon he must have taken his time thinking about taking this Quest.¡± "Wow, I can''t live like that¡­" "It''s better to live freely; his way of life¡¯s suffocating." The Guild members shook their heads. They became morefortable with what they were about to do. "Anyway, that means as long as we don''t cross the line, Seo Jun-Ho can''t hurt us?" "Well, if he kills us and buries us in a ce like this, no one would know, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s not a fiend, he won¡¯t do something like that.¡± "Yeah, there''s no reason for him to do that." This was why the man was so confident. Of course, this wasn¡¯t the sole reason for his confidence. "In addition, when I looked through some old articles, I noticed that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s basically a bit of a pushover." "That guy?" "He doesn¡¯t look like a pushover at all." "Haha, you think so, right? But no! He''s a very righteous man to the point that he would save people even inside a Gate." Gates were the perfect ce to discover the true nature of humans since it was impossible to find out what was going on inside a Gate from the outside. "If he¡¯s righteous to the extent that he¡¯s willing to save people there, then say no more." "Phew, I was scared because I thought this was a dangerous mission again.¡± "Don''t be afraid, we just have to stall for time." The other Guild members, including the Guildmaster, were already on the summit to hunt for the mutant troll. ¡°Most importantly, we won''t have to face him directly.¡± "Well, stalling for time is simple..." "Yeah, we have this guy with us after all." The eyes of the three turned toward the remaining one. Upon receiving the gazes of hisrades, the Guild member shrugged and nodded. "Don''t worry, everyone. Shall we make it a rxing and enjoyable hike?" *** nce, nce. From on top of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulders, the Frost Queen looked back. While tilting her head, she pulled Seo Jun-Ho''s hair. "Contractor, you¡¯ve noticed them, right?" "Four." Walking silently, Seo Jun-Ho looked back and said, ¡°They¡¯re maintaining a distance of about 200 meters. I wonder what their purpose is?" "Roadway robbery?" "Hmm... That¡¯s a possibility. They''ve been after me since I left town.¡± The Blue Guild members thought they were doing high-quality tracking, but they were just dancing on Seo Jun-Ho''s palm. "What are you going to do?" "There''s no need to worry. I''ll take care of them if they cross the line, otherwise, I¡¯ll leave them be." Someone with an umbre didn¡¯t have to worry about when it would rain. Likewise, those confident in their own skills didn¡¯t have to waste energy worrying about the movements of trash. "What''s more important are those guys...¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s narrowed eyes aimed at the summit. There was a sticky and unpleasant energy from there. It was an energy that Seo Jun-Ho had already felt several times by now. "This... is it perhaps a marble-eating monster?" Seo Jun-Ho nodded at the Frost Queen¡¯s words. The marble-eating monster that she was referring to was a monster imnted with a demon jade. "The energy itself seems simr, but I''m not sure, because there¡¯s a subtle difference.¡± In fact, he felt something was off from the time he received the mutant troll Quest. He knew that fiends were using demon jades to strengthen monsters. "It doesn¡¯t change anything, though¡­" Seo Jun-Ho climbed the mountain to hunt. Whether the monster had been imnted with a demon jade or not, he just had to hunt it. ¡°¡­¡± After climbing the mountain for about 10 minutes, Seo Jun-Ho discovered something strange. "This tree, I think I¡¯ve seen it before." "Certainly, I also remember this tree because it looks strange," agreed the Frost Queen. It was especially memorable because it was a unique type of tree that grew in a Y-shape. The surrounding terrain also felt simr to earlier. ¡°The presence of those people from the back has disappeared." They were by no means powerful enough to hide their presence from Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen. As such, there was one conclusion that could be reached in this situation. "It''s a skill." It wasn¡¯t magic. To deploy illusion magic of this scale, you would need a very high-leveled magician. ''If there was a magician like that around there, there¡¯s no way I wouldn''t have noticed them.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t feel the presence of a magician capable of suchrge-scale illusion magic. Therefore, the current situation was likely to have been created by a yer''s unique skill. "Illusory World." It was quite a rare skill that gave special suggestions or showed illusions to the target. ''Given the situation, did we fall into some kind of illusion barrier?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was quite calm because he had faced skills like this a few times before. "I¡¯m a little surprised that you don''t seem to be confused at all," the Frost Queen mentioned. "I''ve dealt with fiends who had illusion barrier skills in the past. Usually, you just have to find the exit." However, that was a method that you would only use when your opponent''s level was simr to yours. "But if it¡¯s the current me right now...¡± Seo Jun-Ho slightly clenched his fist. The magic gathered at his fist began to cause tremors in the surroundings. "I can just break the barrier itself." Booom! The moment he smashed the Y-shaped tree in front of him, the world shattered like ss beforepletely copsing. "It''s quite a useful skill. Is it B-grade?" An illusion barrier skill was a very difficult and dangerous skill against someone who didn¡¯t know how to handle it. Moreover, monsters would usually be created randomly in the illusory space to exhaust the opponent to death. ''The fact they didn¡¯t do that¡­ Do they not have any intentions of attacking?¡¯ Regardless of the reason, it was a fact that his opponent touched him first. Seo Jun-Ho let out a light sigh then turned and lightly kicked off the ground. *** "¡­What?" "What¡¯s what?¡± What was what? The four Guild members repeated the same words like parrots. The most shocked of them all was the one who used his skill. "H-He shattered my skill just like that?¡± There had been quite a few people who had shattered his skill, the Illusion Field (B). However, Seo Jun-Ho was the first person to emerge from his skill in such a brutish way. "This isn''t something at the level of a rookie, is it?¡± "What kind of rookie in the world can do such a brutish thing... He''s at least a Ranker." "How was he so low-key when he¡¯s that strong?" They realized that Seo Jun-Ho''s abilities, which they had only read about in articles, were much better than they had expected. "Wait a minute¡­" A Guild member frowned. "Where''s Seo Jun-Ho?" "What are you talking about? Over there... Huh?" "I''m sure he was up there just a while ago...¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s figure had disappeared. The moment the Guild members swallowed their saliva as if they were possessed by a ghost, the man they were looking for slowly walked out from behind a tree behind them. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The aura they felt on their backs made them realize that they weren¡¯t his match. ¡®This is the aura of a yer who debuted just a year ago?¡¯ "Damn it! I had a bad feeling when the Master said he''d let us do the easiest job ever...¡¯ The Guild members could only move their eyes. But they knew that from Seo Jun-Ho''s point of view, it would appear that they made the first move against him. "Why did you do this?" The Guild members slowly opened their mouths at Seo Jun-Ho''s cold voice. "Mr. Seo Jun-Ho, right? We didn''t mean to harm you." "Believe us..." "We are the Guild members of the Blue Guild." ¡®Blue Guild?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt like he had heard that Guild somewhere, but he couldn¡¯t remember it. "Has the Blue Guild and I personally interacted before?" "Not that we know of¡­" "So why?" "That¡¯s..." The Blue Guild members'' faces turned red. They knew that the order they received from their Guild Master to stall Seo Jun-Ho¡¯spletion of the Quest was hical. "Oh, I remember now." The Frost Queen suddenly pped her hands. ¡°Have you forgotten what that bald man in Gilleon told you about how a yer Guild¡¯s trying to suppress you?¡± "Ahhh!" Seo Jun-Ho finally remembered. He heard from Ply that the Blue Guild was going out to hunt a mutant troll. "So you¡¯re just disrupting yourpetitors?" When Seo Jun-Ho revealed a look of shock due to how ridiculous the situation was, the Blue Guild members lowered their heads. ¡°We are ashamed¡­" ¡°We are sorry..." Seo Jun-Ho discovered that they really didn¡¯t mean any harm to him. ''It''s detestable, but I can''t me them for that.¡¯ Just as many Guilds and yers on the 1st floorpeted fiercely for a Gate¡¯s bidding rights, it seemed that there were also people on the 2nd floor who interfered with theirpetitors just toplete their Quests first. ¡®It hurts my pride to ask forpensation over something like this.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho lightly sighed and waved his hand, gesturing to them to go away. "You can go now, but be careful next time...¡± - Chi-iiiiik At that time, the walkie-talkie attached to the waist of the one with the illusion barrier skill emitted a noise. - Finn! Finn! Are you down there? "Oh, Vice Master-nim?" Finn¡¯s eyes opened wide when he heard the voiceing from the walkie-talkie. "I''m halfway up the mountain right now." - Emergency! Come up right now! We need to hold back that monster even for a moment! "By monster, do you mean the mutant troll? If it''s Master¡­¡± - Most of the Guild fighters, including Master, were seriously injured! If we keep going like this, we''ll be wiped out! ¡°¡­!¡± The Blue Guild members'' expressions hardened. Excluding them, their almost 40 Guild members had already climbed up the mountain. It was to hunt the monster that was known to have already eaten as many as 120 people so far. ¡®But they¡¯re on the verge of annihtion?¡¯ ''...No way.¡¯ ''Just¡­ Just how strong is the mutant troll?'' While Finn¡¯s mouth opened and closed in shock, someone snatched his walkie-talkie. "Hey you, what¡¯s the detailed description of where you are right now?" Seo Jun-Ho asked, looking at the Twin Mountains with a calm expression. Chapter 193. Sun Swallowing Territory (4)

Chapter 193. Sun Swallowing Territory (4)

"Uwaaack!" Oh Dae-Sik spat out a mouthful of blood. He grabbed his throbbing left side. ''Is the broken rib stabbing my gut?'' Hisplexion quickly darkened. As the Guild Master of the Blue Guild, it was hard to believe the current situation. If it was a dream, he wanted to wake up. ''The whole guild is out here, but we can''t even defeat a single monster.¡¯ He even recently gained an A-grade skill rted to swordsmanship, so he had been confident in fighting anyone. "Magicians! What are you guys doing not holding it down?!¡± "The monster can''t be held down! It¡¯s too strong! It definitely can¡¯t be held down!" "Move the wounded to the back, and when Finnes, he can lock it in an illusion barrier, and we can run away by then!" "Hold on until then!" But they couldn¡¯t hold on anymore¡­ They weren¡¯t confident against that monstrous troll, who had casually withstood the guild members'' onught. "Master¡­ No, Hyung-nim! Are you all right?" asked Vice Master Choi Kyung-Hoon. Choi Kyung-Hoon had always been by Oh Dae-Sik¡¯s side even when they were still on the 1st floor. He hurriedly poured a potion on Oh Dae-Sik¡¯s wound. ''But it doesn¡¯t matter with just potions¡­¡¯ There was no way Oh Dae-Sik wouldn¡¯t know. The injury looked like bruises on the outside, but inside, the broken bones were definitely piercing his internal organs. "What about Finn?" Oh Dae-Sik questioned. "He ising up. I don''t know why, but I think reinforcements are alsoing." "What a funny guy... He should just do what I told him properly¡­ Cough!" After vomiting blood again, Oh Dae-Sik''s face turned darker. He felt that the me of the candle signifying his life was burning out by the minute. His eyes turned toward the mutant troll. "Just what the hell is that guy?" "Is that important? Don''t open your mouth! Your internal injuries will be worse." How foolish, there was something more important than his wounds right now. Oh Dae-Sik shook off the Vice Master¡¯s worries and got up. "Are you crazy? Sit down right now! You really are going to die this time." ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for a long time¡­" It had been fifteen years since Oh Dae-Sik received his yer license. Back then, he was so happy that he jumped about on the spot. After going through his first Gate, however, he started panicking and wondered whether this was really his calling. It was then that he met Choi Kyung-Hoon. "There¡¯s nothing for us to be afraid of if we¡¯re together.¡± "What the hell are you talking about? The times we almost died should be in the hundreds by now¡­¡± Oh Dae-Sik had ovee many hardships with Choi Kyung-Hoon by his side. However, no matter how hard he tried to predict how this current situation would y out, it seemed impossible for them to survive through this predicament this time around. "Take the kids and go down." "If you keep saying nonsense, I''ll knock you out!" "Vice Master, no, Kyung-Hoon. Listen to me." Oh Dae-Sik''s voice became more serious. "That thing¡­ if you keep letting the kids deal with it, they''ll really die." Including him, most of thebatants were already seriously injured. Right now, there were only about 18 people fighting and holding the mutant troll back. ¡®It was too much even for over 20 first-tier fighters. Those kids can never hunt it by themselves.'' It would be the same even if Finn came up. Choi Kyung-Hoon had instilled false hope in the kids. ¡®Finn''s Illusion Field? It won¡¯tst even more than a few seconds against that guy.¡¯ That was how great of a monster it was. It had been a very long time since he felt goosebumps against an enemy since he came up here from the 1st floor. ¡°If that monster was on the 1st floor, the Gate where it resided would have probably received three stars by now.¡± It would have been a monster-like Gate of the same ss as the ¡®Winter Castle Gate,¡¯ which had been cleared a few months ago. "I''ll try my best to stall for time." "¡­Are you serious?¡± Oh Dae-Sik nodded slowly at Choi Kyung-Hoon''s firm question. "Huu, all right. I knew I''d go through this one day if I stayed by your side." Choi Kyung-Hoon let out a big sigh and then stood up with his spear. "The only problem is that I didn''t know that it would be today." "Don''t be stubborn and go down. If you¡¯re not around, who¡¯ll lead the kids?" "Hyung-nim, it¡¯s only you who calls them kids. They''re all professionals over 20 years old, so you don''t have to worry about them." A faint smile formed on Oh Dae-Sik''s mouth as he looked at Choi Kyung-Hoon while thetter wasining. ''I''m sorry and grateful...¡¯ Choi Kyung-Hoon was a man who was going to lie down with Oh Dae-Sik in his grave. If Oh Dae-Sik died and met the King of the Underworld, he would be able to say to the King of the Underworld that he was blessed to have such great people around him. "Everyone, back off!" The Guild members, who had been trying their best all this time, turned their heads at Choi Kyung-Hoon''s shout. "Is Finn here?" "I can''t see him. He''s not here yet." "Why is he telling us to back off...¡± Despite the doubt, the Guild members slowly retreated. They had also realized that they were already at their limits; they couldn¡¯t continue the battle anymore. "We¡¯re going down the mountain at full speed. Don''t even look back." "¡­What?" "And immediately afterward, report what happened here to the yer Association¡­ No, report to the Big 6 that an unbelievably strong monster is living in the Twin Mountains." Only then did the Guild members realize that their Guild Master and Vice Master were preparing to die just to save their lives. "B-But...¡± "Go!" When Oh Dae-Sik raised his magic and shouted, the Guild members bit their lips. "You are not running away. You¡¯re just following orders." He said those lines so that they wouldn¡¯t have a guilty conscience. They felt more at ease, but at the same time, they felt sorry and grief to the point that they found it hard to move. ¡°Damned it! Everyone! Each of us shall carry one injured person on their back!" A veteran Guild member carried an injured person on his back. He understood better than anyone else that surviving was how they could help their Guild Master and Vice Master. He looked at the two people with zing eyes and warned them. "I''ll drop them off in a safe ce ande back. Until then... don''t die. Both of you.¡± "All right. We''ll have hunted this guy by then." "Bring me a bottle of alcohol when youe. Preferably soju." The man who looked at the two people smirking on the verge of death disappeared with the other yers. "¡­Well, what do we do now? They really left.¡± "Why are you asking me that? I definitely tried to stop you." The two men looked up at the mutant troll. The mutant troll didn''t bother to chase the fleeing Guild members. It just looked at the two people walking toward it. "What a strange guy¡­¡± "It gives me the creeps." The mutant troll acted as if it was a ¡®person¡¯. It was their first time dealing with a troll like this. ¡®Especially those eyes...¡¯ Oh Dae-Sik looked into the eyes of the mutant troll. It was an eye that gave a feeling closer to a person than a monster. "I''m in front, you''re behind." "It''s always the same thing. Aren''t you tired of it?" Choi Kyung-Hoon got in position even as heined. ¡®At most, three times...¡¯ Oh Dae-Sik clenched his sword as immense pain burned throughout his body. He could at most swing his sword three times. Even now, he was barely holding on with his mental strength. ¡®After that, I can only leave it to heaven...¡¯ Oh Dae-Sik and Choi Kyung-Hoon kicked off the floor and ran forward. ''It feels good.¡¯ Oh Dae-Sik¡¯s sword shone yellow. It was the essence of his 15 years as a yer. It was a neat and clear sword ki produced by a middle-aged man with ordinary talent. ¡®It''s light.¡¯ Was this the surge of energy one would feel when they were right before death? His body felt lighter than ever. The sword in his hand moved more freely than anything. ¡°¡­!¡± It was to the extent that Choi Kyung-Hoon, who was watching the sword strike from behind, was surprised for a moment. ¡®Did he get enlightenment right at the brink of death?¡¯ It was both impressive and unfortunate. One more day¡­ No, half a day sooner, and things would have been very different. Swoosh! A lightly extended sword quickly sliced at the mutant troll. ''It couldn''t block it. It was so fast that it couldn''t even react!¡¯ Running close to being parallel to the ground, Choi Kyung-Hoon moved up. Being right behind Oh Dae-Sik, he was perfectly in the troll¡¯s blind spot. Crack! An unexpected and strong spear strike pierced the mutant troll¡¯s heart. Choi Kyung-Hoon had a feeling that it went in properly. "It¡¯s ove¡ª" But he couldn¡¯t finish his words... Boooom! The mutant troll¡¯s fist struck him. He hurriedly raised his guard, but his arms bent as easily as straw. ¡®This crazy monster bastard¡­!¡¯ Choi Kyung-Hoon was sent flying through the air before colliding against a tree. He found himself stuck in a tree before vomiting blood. As his eyes became increasingly blurry, he could see the mutant troll casually pulling out the spear in its heart. Thud. After dropping the spear, the mutant troll¡¯s wound healed rather quickly. Trolls were famous for their excellent regenerative power, but it was certainly not to that extent. ¡®It''s truly... a mutant...¡¯ The moment Choi Kyung-Hoon lost consciousness, Oh Dae-Sik sword was about to send his second sword strike. ''You can''t kill it just by stabbing the heart¡­¡¯ You had to decapitate it. Only by separating its head from its body could you say that you killed it. "Heup!" It was a faster, more powerful move than any sword strike he had ever used in his life. aaaang! However, it wasn¡¯t enough. The sword and the creature''s neck collided, but only the sound of metal shing against metal could be heard. ¡®It¡¯s shallow¡­!¡¯ His sword managed to dig into the mutant troll¡¯s neck, but it was only about 5 millimeters. ¡°...¡± His fierce eyes focused on the mutant troll¡¯s calm figure. The next moment, the world turned upside down. "Uwaaaack!" His whole body shook. The broken sword that had fallen right next to him seemed as if it was bidding him farewell. "Master! Vice Master!" Then, a familiar voice rang amidst his dimming consciousness. ¡®Finn...! Did he not meet with the main group?¡¯ He knew that the Guild members would run into Finn as they went down. But the heavens were indifferent, and it seemed that Finn didn¡¯t manage toe across the main group. "Five¡­? Not four people?" There were a total of five people in his sight. Oh Dae-Sik thought of something. ¡®Come to think of it... You said you''d bring reinforcements.¡¯ But no matter how much he looked around, there were only five people in sight. Oh Dae-Sik closed his eyes. ¡®The reinforcement¡¯s only one person?¡¯ It was a meaningless number against this monster. At least 50... No, 100 people should be brought over in order to properly fight, not hunt this monster. "Illusion Field!" When Finn''s cry reverberated, the mutant troll¡¯s eyes became murky. It had fallen into an illusion barrier created by his Illusion Field skill. ¡®But it won''tst long¡­¡¯ It was all because he didn¡¯t use it properly. Instead of hiding before using it, he used it right in front of the monster. Unless the mutant troll was a fool, it would easily deduce that it had fallen into an illusion. "Master! Are you okay?" "Where did all the other Guild members go?¡± While Finn was sweating in an effort to maintain his skill, the three Guild members rushed up and took care of Oh Dae-Sik. "Cough... How¡¯s Kyung-Hoon¡­?¡± "His arms are broken. It¡¯ll be difficult to set his bones back together, but he¡¯s fine. He just fainted." He was relieved when he heard that Choi Kyung-Hoon didn¡¯t suffer any severe injury. Oh Dae-Sik ordered the three Guild members. "Finn''s skill¡­ will be released soon. Take Finn and Kyung-Hoon down the mountain." "What about you, Master?" "Someone needs to hold it back. You''ll be safe if you can at least get to the vige." He didn''t know why, but that mutant troll had always stayed on this mountain. "Uh¡­ But we brought one person as reinforcement.¡± "He''s really strong." "The mutant troll¡¯s not an ordinary monster, you brats." Oh Dae-Sik frowned in frustration. Of course, he had the same thought as them until this morning. However, he realized the moment he faced it himself that the mutant troll wasn¡¯t a monster a normal yer could touch. "And there''s only one person you brought in as reinforcement. With that number...¡± "But he''s yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± "¡­What?" Oh Dae-Sik''s expression turned sour. yer Seo Jun-Ho? "Isn¡¯t he the person I told you to stop froming up the mountain?" Seo Jun-Ho was Specter¡¯s proxy and a promising rookie. Oh Dae-Sik even heard rumors about Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s great feats in the Kobold Hunting Competition held in Gilleon. ''You brats... What are you trying to do¡­ I told you to keep an eye on him, but you brought him up instead!'' This meant that they had also put yer Seo Jun-Ho in danger. As far as Oh Dae-Sik knew, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t even level 100 and was just a chick who had debuted two years ago. Boom! At that moment, the mutant troll stomped its feet out of the blue. "Damn it!" Finn let out a scream. The mutant troll had smashed his Illusion Field apart in the same way as Seo Jun-Ho had done. "What¡­ what a monster!¡± "Even though I used it openly, still...¡± "It shattered it quicker than yer Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°...¡± The mutant troll looked around. After escaping the illusion, it noticed the increased number of humans. But its gaze stopped at one person¡ªthe one who smelled the most dangerous. "This is a little unexpected..." Seo Jun-Ho spoke as he saw the wary mutant troll. The energying from the mutant troll was stronger than any other monster he had ever encountered sinceing up to Frontier. Chapter 194. Sun Swallowing Territory (5)

Chapter 194. Sun Swallowing Territory (5)

¡®Rodomir, the vice-chief of ck Moss, and Kis, the Knight of the Fog.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt the same when he faced those two beings. Of course, the enemy he was about to face wasn¡¯t as hard to deal with as them. ¡®But it''s a big penalty to have a restriction on my skills..." Seo Jun-Ho slowly looked at the mutant troll. He could feel the same thing that Oh Dae-Sik and Choi Kyung-Hoon had felt earlier. ¡°What strange eyes...¡± Even the Frost Queen agreed. Coming down from Seo Jun-Ho''s shoulder, she looked at the mutant troll with an ambiguous expression. "It is definitely a monster that ate the marble, but I feel that it¡¯s more ¡®awake¡¯ rather than being driven by anger and killing intent." "It''s fascinating, but it''s not that important.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a ive from his inventory. [1] When dealing with trolls and their excellent regenerative power, it was better to use a single-edged weapon rather than a sword. Because the ive¡¯s de was shorter than a sword¡¯s, it was more faithful to the act of cutting, and it could transfer power even better than thetter. ¡°¡­¡± The mutant troll slowly raised its fist as it stared calmly at Seo Jun-Ho. And at that moment, its figure disappeared into the ground just like how a magician would disappear on stage. "I-It''s gone!?" "It just moved very fast..." "However, the level difference is so big that our eyes can''t keep up." Finn had never seen the mutant troll¡¯s skills before so when he made a fuss, Oh Dae-Sik and Choi Kyung-Hoon bit their lips and exined. Oh Dae-Sik, the most talented of them, shouted, "Careful! Behind you¡­¡± But before he could finish, the mutant troll¡¯s fist that appeared behind Seo Jun-Ho was already blocked. And it was by none other than Seo Jun-Ho''s palm. ''He blocked it even before the mutant troll¡¯s power was fully transferred to its fist?¡¯ Oh Dae-Sik¡¯s eyes became round. ¡®Was it a fluke?¡¯ Sadly, they found it hard to follow the mutant troll with their eyes. Did it make logical sense to be able to stop such a monster¡¯s attack by a fluke? Feeling an unknown sense of being overwhelmed, Oh Dae-Sik gulped and stared at the battle in silence. He had a strong feeling that he would be more helpful if he stayed quiet during this battle. *** ¡®It''s definitely fast.¡¯ Its attack was also very heavy. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s palm felt numb as if electricity was flowing through it. ¡®I blocked it before its power was fully transferred to its fist, but it¡¯s still this strong?¡¯ If so, being struck with the mutant troll¡¯s entire strength would be dangerous. ¡®I better not get hit...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho came up with a simple solution and retracted his left hand. At the same time, his right hand fell like a thunderbolt. The ive in his hand snapped the mutant troll''s wrist in a sh. ¡°Ah!" In the background, Oh Dae-Sik screamed unconsciously. He had injured the mutant troll earlier, and it was also the reason why he was hit. "Careful! Its regenerative power is iparably higher than that of a regr troll!" ¡®Really...¡¯ Even with a hand missing, the mutant troll still swung its arm at Seo Jun-Ho. And in the time it took for the attack to fly over, its fist had already regenerated. ''That''s a relief.'' Anyone would panic when faced with an opponent like this for the first time, but Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t panicking at all. He had only panicked at first. "I''m d I know a guy whose regeneration power¡¯s greater than this troll." He was a man with a screw loose. In addition, that guy even took pleasure in receiving his enemy''s attack with his bare body. He was none other than Rahmadat Khali. ''And so¡­¡¯ He wasn¡¯t surprised by this level of regeneration. Rather, Seo Jun-Ho lowered his posture and went up close. Hwaaak! The mutant troll¡¯s fist narrowly passed by his ear, but he didn''t blink an eye. ¡®First, I need to check as to what extent this guy can regenerate¡­¡¯ Checking it was simple¡­ He just had to cut it up until he found a part that couldn¡¯t regenerate. Slice, slice! The ive moved so fast that even the moonlight couldn¡¯t keep up. It sometimes moved heroically, in a straight line, and some other times in a beautiful curve. ¡°¡­!¡± The mutant troll began to stagger and stumble thanks to its enemy¡¯s unprecedented speed and difficult attack trajectories. Eventually, it tripped, and while it was falling backward¡­ Slice! Seo Jun-Ho''s ive passed through its throat. Roll. Looking at the mutant troll¡¯s head rolling on the floor, Seo Jun-Ho lightly sighed. "Hmm." The man who had just killed his enemy sounded bored. But as if he realized something, he turned to look at his enemy once again and nodded. "So you can regenerate there too." The mutant troll, whose head was detached from its body as if it were a Duhan, rose up as if nothing had happened.[2] However, its head was regenerating significantly slower than how it regenerated in other areas. ¡®Well, if we disregard the fact that it has a demon jade imnted in it, it''s still a troll in essence; it¡¯s just a monster.¡¯ He had been rude topare Rahmadat, with his Super Regeneration(S) skill, to a mere troll. "Contractor, do you have any bright ideas? If I were you, I would freeze and break it into pieces, but...¡± Frost Queen nced at the Blue Guild members in the back. "There are a lot of eyes for that right now." "It''s a little tricky, but it''s not like there''s no way." The only problem was that it was tricky. ''The regeneration of trolls is not an infinite blessing.'' If they had the ability to create something out of nothing, that ability would be no different from God''s ability. However, the trolls¡¯ regeneration worked at a level that even the general public could understand. ''The trolls¡¯ regeneration requires energy.¡¯ In other words, every time it regenerated, it burned a huge amount of calories. As he saw earlier, important parts like the brain needed more calories. "So I just have to cut it down until it runs out of energy and can''t regenerate anymore." It was simple and barbaric, but it was the most effective way. However, the mutant troll wasn¡¯t a fool. After it realized that its skills were inferior to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s, its posture changed. ''It''s pulling its lower body back¡­¡¯ It was basically telling Seo Jun-Ho that it was going to stick to defense from now on and would try to get used to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s movements first before doing any offense. Sadly, there was one thing the mutant troll had no idea about. ¡®Sorry, but that''s going to be hard against me¡­¡¯ His current Overclocking was only at 15%. However, the maximum amount that he could operate at for a short period of time was 30%. "Well, give it a try.¡± After provoking the mutant troll, Seo Jun-Ho''s wrist slightly twisted. Chwaaaak! At the same time, one of the mutant troll''s arms flew into the sky. The mutant troll frowned and tried to back off. "You have to keep an eye out below you, too¡­¡± Everything below its right knee was already in Seo Jun-Ho''s hands. This was a battle between an adult and a child. Oh Dae-Sik and Choi Kyung-Hoon¡¯s eyes opened wide as they watched the battle. ''¡­Overwhelming power.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s hunting the mutant troll so easily? Like he¡¯s dealing with a kid?'' The monster in front of them was definitely not a weakling. It was the opposite. Wasn''t this the monster that had dealt with the nearly 40 Blue Guild members without moving from one ce? ''¡­It¡¯s different.'' Envy and jealousy were things you only felt when your levels were roughly matched. A sessful venture capitalist in his 20s would receive envy, but Bill Gates would receive respect. ¡®That''s the skill of the man Specter acknowledged.¡¯ ¡®I thought something was different about him from when he first cleared the Cave of Trials perfectly, but...¡¯ It was overwhelming. He was so perfect that there was no room for envy and jealousy to seep in. Even Oh Dae-Sik, who had lived as a yer for 15 years, had to admit it. ¡®He''s a much better yer than I am.¡¯ The mutant troll that had looked so huge a while ago now looked small. It was being overwhelmed by the spirit of a man significantly smaller than itself. "Regenerate." Seo Jun-Ho ordered. This way, he could cut it off again. The mutant troll frowned as if it understood what he said. Crack! New arms and legs sprang out and they were severed; new arms and legs sprung up once again before being sliced off once more. As the mutant troll regenerated the severed parts of its body, it suddenly realized one thing¡ªwhat it was doing was meaningless. ¡°¡­¡± It looked down at its right arm. There was an empty space below the elbow, and it didn''t regenerate the missing part. tter. All of a sudden, the mutant troll picked up the sword of an unknown Blue Guild member on the floor. ¡®A monster is picking up a weapon?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho made a grim expression. Well, what could a cornered and terrified monster not do? "Hmm?" It was then that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression became strange. ''What? Its posture has¡­ be stable?¡¯ It gave off the feeling of a swordsman who had handled swords for a long time. It was better than most sword-wielding yers on the 1st and 2nd floors. ¡®How in the hell?¡¯ That was the first question that crossed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind. How was a monster familiar with that kind of posture? "Contractor, that troll is strange. In my world, trolls did not wield swords." "It''s probably the same in this town." This troll was just special. Seo Jun-Ho aimed his ive at the one-armed swordsman in front of him. ¡®Did it use all the energy that it would have used to regenerate its arm to strengthen its body?¡¯ He could see bulging veins all over the mutant troll¡¯s body. He could now even feel an overwhelming aura that he hadn¡¯t felt before from the mutant troll¡¯s body. Its posture also showed its determination to win with the next strike. "Okay, I''ll be your opponent.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho agreed, the mutant troll kicked off the floor with the strongest force it had used in its entire life. Its body flew toward its opponent at the fastest speed it could muster and its sword was drawn in the most beautiful trajectory. ¡°¡­!¡± Its face was stained with joy. Its face was as bright as that of a navigator who had found his destination. Slice! What followed was an addictively clean sound. ¡°Krrr." The mutant troll fell forward. It stared at Seo Jun-Ho''s indifferent eyes until the end. The arm holding the sword was severed from the shoulder, and both of its legs had disappeared. However, the sound of only one stroke was heard. It showed how quickly and urately its opponent had executed his attack. Seo Jun-Ho approached the dying mutant troll on the floor. "It wasn¡¯t a bad stroke..." It was too much praise for a monster who had harmed more than a hundred people. The mutant troll that had already used up all its power to continuously regenerate earlier had a rather refreshed face. In the final moments of its life, it gazed gloomily at the West Sun territory. "Goodbye, then." Slice! Seo Jun-Ho sliced its throat then sat in front of it and waited for a while. He was going to wait until he waspletely sure that it was dead since it might regenerate again. "What an incredible battle." "I never imagined there would be a monster like that...¡± "How can a monster wield a sword?" The Blue Guild members approached and praised Seo Jun-Ho for his achievement. Their eyes were full of respect. Regardless of his age, they admired his ability. "Thank you very much." In particr, Oh Dae-Sik, who approached with help from the others, bowed his head. "¡­And I''m sorry." Oh Dae-Sik''s way of talking to a yer of his son¡¯s age was polite. He had obstructed Seo Jun-Ho from carrying out the quest, but Seo Jun-Ho had still saved his life. The man was outstandingly strong, yet had the temperament of a gentleman. No matter how big the age difference was, how could he not respect Seo Jun-Ho? "As long as you know, it¡¯s all right," Seo Jun-Ho replied coolly. In fact, by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s standards, Oh Dae-Sik hadn¡¯t crossed the line. ¡®If you had employed a wicked method at me, then it would have been different.¡¯ The tactic he employed could be considered clean based on their level ofpetition. "That must be this guy¡¯s ce." "Maybe we¡¯ll find out why this troll could wield a sword?¡± At Finn¡¯s question, Seo Jun-Ho gave an order very naturally. "Check it out and give me a report on it, then." "Yes!" Choi Kyung-Hoon looked momentarily stunned, but he couldn''t say anything to his savior. "Oh, ohhh?!" "What''s this?!" After a while, the bewildered voices of Guild members rang from inside the cave. "Ugh, is there a new enemy?" The moment Oh Dae-Sik got up with difficulty whilst grabbing his aching ribs, the Guild members rushed out of the cave and cried out. "S-survivors!" "¡­What?" "People are tied up inside the cave! They''re all yers and Adventurers!" "About forty of them!" Everyone looked at each other''s faces at the absurd report. The moment Oh Dae-Sik and Choi Kyung-Hoon entered the cave to check with stiff faces, Seo Jun-Ho turned his head and checked the mutant troll¡¯s body. "What the hell is this guy?" Seo Jun-Ho was originally going to take a look at the mutant troll¡¯s memoriester because the mutant troll had a demon jade imnted in it, but now, curiosity got the better of him and he decided to take a quick look. "Confession of the Dead." A familiar screen popped up above his hand hovering over the mutant troll¡¯s head. The background, surprisingly, was a familiar ce to him. 1. A ive is a single-edged ded weapon with a long handle like a polearm. ? 2. Duhan is an irish mythological creature that¡¯s a headless rider on a horse that carries its head with it. ? Chapter 195. Sun Swallowing Territory (6)

Chapter 195. Sun Swallowing Territory (6)

A mansion on an empty field without a fence¡ªit used to be the shiny official residence of the lord, without any blemishes, unlike now. "Remember, you must not take off your hood no matter what." ¡°¡­¡± Worry settled on the face of Lord Favo, who looked young. The person he was conversing with was a small child reaching his calf at best. "And never eat humans. This is a promise." Favo held out his pinky, and the child stared nkly at it, then hooked its pinky with Favo¡¯s. Then, Favo smiled and stroked the child''s head. "Good, then I''ll help you as much as I can." At first, Favo just felt sorry for it. The troll''s child needed to be breastfed, but the mother had been hunted by Adventurers, and only the little child was left behind to cry. Coincidentally, Favo, the lord of the West Sun, had found the child who had fallen asleep in the cave after exhausting itself from crying. ¡®I couldn''t kill it¡­¡¯ Although it was a high-ranked monster, Favo¡¯s heart was too soft to kill this young monster. But leaving it alone was nothing short of killing. Eventually, Favo closed his eyes tightly, brought in the troll child, and began raising it. "For you to blend into human society, you have to follow some rules..." It included not walking around during the day, always wearing a hood at night, not attacking humans no matter what, and finally, to be a mercenary by training its swordsmanship. "There used to be a time when orcs, elves, and dwarves were treated as monsters." But it was different now¡­ Humans had long acknowledged their intelligence and epted them as a Second Race and neighbors on the continent. Thanks to this, the number of orc and elf mercenaries currently active in the mercenary guilds was significant. "Who knows. Maybe you could be the first troll mercenary?¡± "...Kreung?" "Well, you¡¯ll have to learn diligently to do that." Since then, Favo took care of his territory during the day, and at night, he would be a teacher to teach swords and literature to the troll. Unfortunately, his knowledge of the sword wasn¡¯t so deep, so he received the help of his only right-hand man and knight. ¡°The regenerative power of your species is a great blessing. If you do well, you could be the best knight.¡± Being capable of regenerating a severed body part was great merit for a swordsman. *** One year, two years, five years, ten years¡­ It had already been ten years since Favo had taken over West Sun territory. The little troll child had grown more than 3m after so many years. "¡­It seems that I won¡¯t be able to raise it in my mansion anymore." "The residents who have seen the troll in passing are bing increasingly wary." Haaa. Favo let out a deep sigh. Above all, the troll also felt stuffy in the narrow corner of his house. "¡­You decide. Do you want to go out or not?" When Favo asked, the troll swordsman, ¡®Rnd,¡¯ wrote with a feather pen. ¡®Yes.¡¯ It wrote in the imperialnguage with neat handwriting. Favo¡¯s right-hand man, who was also watching, spoke, "Rnd is stronger than I am now. How about we put in a rmendation at the mercenary guild?¡± "Hmm, I don''t know if they''ll see Rnd for who he is."[1] Rnd hadn''t even attacked a human in 10 years, let alone eaten one. He was a perfectly intelligent being. He even learned the imperialnguage and had a high understanding of swordsmanship. "The only w is that you can''t speak because yournguage skills have deteriorated." It couldn''t be helped because the troll¡¯s atrophied tongue was the problem. Lord Favo thought for a long time, then nodded. "I know someone in the mercenary guild, so I''ll send a letter myself." *** It was a sess. Favo¡¯s acquaintance in the mercenary guild showed great favor toward Rnd''s existence. - A troll who knows how to use a sword. He could immediately be a powerhouse. He might even be a star right away. The acquaintance made a fuss about sending Rnd to take the test as soon as possible. "Congrattions, Rnd." Favo, the knight, and Rnd were all delighted. They happily prepared for the mercenary examination. Favo presented Rnd with new clothes, and the knight gave one of his swords. "If you fail the test, don''t be discouraged. Juste straight back home." Nod. Nodding, Rnd left the West Sun territory at dawn. While he was leaving the vige, he looked back at Favo and the knight several times. The sight of the two smiling and waving their hands was deeply embedded in Rnd''s memory. *** "Is this him?" "Yeah, isn¡¯t it interesting? A troll raised by a person¡­ He can even use swordsmanship.¡± "It''s definitely interesting. He''ll be a good sample.¡± Rnd''s body trembled. Even with the natural regenerative power of a troll, the wound on his body no longer healed. Even though he attacked over and over dozens of times, he couldn¡¯t even brush the cor of the people in front of him. "That''s enough of pretending to be a human, monster." "Bring out the dormant violence in you." The two fiends who were ying with Rnd as if he was a child imnted a demon jade in his body. "How many people do you think he will eat?¡± "Who knows? Being strengthened by the demon jade, I don''t think most yers and Adventurers will be able topete against it." "I think at least a hundred people¡­" "I say 150, then." The fiends¡¯ distasteful bet didn''t even enter Rnd''s ears. Rnd''s body struggled at the terrible pain he had never experienced before in his life. At the same time, the presence and figures of Favo and the knight in his head slowly became blurry. ¡°Khuuuuuuuuaaang!" the red-eyed troll roared. *** "I-It''s a troll! The troll killed a man!" Horrified screams erupted in the streets of the West Sun. It had been just one day since Rnd left for a nearby city to take the mercenary test. ¡°¡­!¡± The ones who were shocked the most were the knight and Favo who came to the scene in a hurry. Rnd had taken off his hood, and in front of him was a bloodied man. The man was not breathing, obviously dead. "Rnd¡­?" For whatever reason, Rnd had grown bigger in a day. "Krrrrr." No intelligence could be found in the troll¡¯s eyes as he looked back at Favo with a huff. He had turned into just a monster. In front of the monster, the knight asked Favo. "¡­Lord, your orders." ¡°¡­¡± Favo had a nk expression. Why did that gentle guymit murder? He wanted to ask him why, at the least, but he couldn¡¯t do such a thing. Dozens of residents had already witnessed the murdermitted by the troll. Regardless of the reason, murder was a clear felony, and the perpetrator was even a monster, not a human being. Biting his lips, Favo raised his voice. "Hunt that monster right now!" It was the order he as the ¡®lord¡¯ had to give. Rnd looked at Favo and the knight with red eyes then fled to the Twin Mountains while being chased by soldiers. *** A reward was posted. Where there were flowers, there were bees. Numerous yers, Adventurers, and mercenaries gathered, coveting the reward. Rnd dealt with them all. In the meantime, his sense of reasoning that flew away thanks to the demon jade¡¯s influence gradually recovered. ¡°¡­¡± He regretted it. Rnd looked down at his hands and sobbed. He realized what he had done, and what he had done to the two people he admired and loved the most. He stabbed himself in the heart to die, but the regenerative power of the trolls was too great¡ªeven dying was difficult. ¡°¡­¡± As such, Rnd waited; he waited until someone strong enough to kill him arrived. Since he came to his senses, he didn¡¯t kill a single human but subdued them instead. But by that time, nearly eighty people had already died at his hands. ¡°¡­¡± The knight, who was his sword teacher, had always said that a knight was an existence who wielded the sword to protect. He also said that killing an opponent without someone to protect would simply make you a monster. ¡°¡­¡± As soon as he remembered that, he threw away the sword. He thought it was the least amount of courtesy he could give his teacher who taught him swordsmanship. And then, he waited for a long time until someone strong enough to kill him arrived. ¡°¡­¡± What a relief¡­ Rnd was relieved the moment he faced Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho was strong. Seo Jun-Ho gave off a smell so dangerous that it was simr to the humans who had fed him the strange marble. He could die now. His life of dishonor and shame was about to end. ¡°¡­¡± Knowing he couldn¡¯t beat his opponent anyway, he made the best move he could with his sword for thest time. That way, his opponent would kill him right there and then without trying to capture him alive. ¡°¡­¡± In the final moments of his life, it was no coincidence that his gaze turned to the West Sun territory. ¡®I''m¡­ sorry...¡¯ He apologized, apologized, and apologized over and over again. Even until the moment he died, his heart was full of guilt toward the two humans. *** ¡°¡­¡± After watching all the memory videos, Seo Jun-Ho slowly got up. The cave was already bustling with activity. "My goodness, there are at least 40 people alive in here...¡± "It¡¯s a relief that we¡¯re not toote...¡± "To be honest, we didn¡¯t do much, did we?¡± "Ahem!" After a while, the Blue Guild members came up from the bottom of the mountain. They came up to rescue people after receiving a call that the mutant troll had been dealt with. "I''ll leave this ce to you." Seo Jun-Ho left the scene to the Blue Guild and quickly went down the mountain. Despite it being sote, Lord Favo weed him. "You are back already¡­ Is there something wrong?" "No, everything has been taken care of. I have dealt with the troll." "Is that so..." Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t miss the sadness that quickly passed through Lord Favo¡¯s eyes. Seo Jun-Ho said, "I saw the diary written by the troll." "¡­Diary?" "Yes, I read it all and burned it." Seo Jun-Ho told Favo why the troll went wild. He told the truth: it wasn¡¯t the troll¡¯s will, but the fiends¡¯ work. ¡°Such, such a thing¡­¡± Favo trembled with his fists clenched. Seo Jun-Ho told Favo that the reason why he was exining this was not just to sate thetter''s curiosity. "If Lord hadn''t taken in the troll, this wouldn¡¯t have happened..." It didn¡¯t matter how good the intentions were, if the results were catastrophic, it wouldn¡¯t be right. "Please remember, consideration, kindness, and tenderness won¡¯t always make the world better." ¡°¡­¡± "I will report this matter to the Empire myself. We can leave the rest to thew." Seo Jun-Ho left the lord¡¯s residence, leaving his words behind. On his way back to the inn, Frost Queen spoke to him, ¡°Contractor, do you have to go this far?" "I have to..." His voice was firm and the Frost Queen looked confused. "It is a little hard for me to understand. A monarch is supposed to take into consideration the injustice and hardship of the people.¡± "From the point of view of a monarch, but I am not a monarch¡­" Seo Jun-Ho also knew better than anyone that this wasn¡¯t Favo''s fault. The ones in the wrong were the fiends. It was a fact that no one could deny. But rather, that was why Seo Jun-Ho wanted to do it like this. "I do not know, but you look so cold today," observed the Frost Queen. Suddenly, she felt that there was a big distance between her and Seo Jun-Ho. This was because Seo Jun-Ho, who always had a warm heart, showed a particrly unfamiliar side of him today. "Once upon a time, there was a yer who made a fire for hisrades who slept suffering in the cold. He was a kind person." ¡°¡­?¡± "But because of the light, the location of the campsite was discovered by monsters, and the party was wiped out. It was such a stupid case that would render anyone speechless once they heard of it. But this means that if you want to do something nice for someone, you have to think carefully. You have to consider if you¡¯re prepared to handle the consequences...¡± This was one of the cold, hard truths Seo Jun-Ho had learned through his past five years as a yer. 1. Now that the troll has a name, I am changing the pronoun from ¡®it¡¯ to ¡®he/him¡¯. ? Chapter 196. Sun Swallowing Territory (7)

Chapter 196. Sun Swallowing Territory (7)

The next day, someone knocked on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s door. "Who is it¡­ Lord Favo?" Seo Jun-Ho looked surprised. Lord Favo was standing in front of the door with an awkward expression. "Is something the matter?" "Having a drink in the morning is a little¡­ Would you give me a cup of tea?" ¡°Pleasee in first...¡± There was no one behind him. Even though he was just the ruler of a small territory in the countryside, he was still a noble who suddenly came here without an attendant. When Seo Jun-Ho brought out the tea, Favo closed his eyes and savored the tea. "Mmhm, it''s delicious. You are quite knowledgeable about tea, too." "I make it quite often." "It seems you have a colleague who likes tea." "Yes, well... So what is it that you came to see me for?" tter Favo put a leather bag on the desk. "It''s the 150 gold I promised to pay." "Did youe all the way here just to give this to me?¡± "There''s that... I also want to grumble a bit, haha." Favoughed helplessly and suddenly lowered his head. "First of all, I was out of itst night. I want to say thank you first.¡± "I don''t think I''ve done anything that deserves a thank you." "That¡¯s not true¡­" Favo''s head shook violently, strongly denying Seo Jun-Ho. "I really didn''t understand. Rnd... I mean, the troll I raised was a really nice kid. He had never been a kid who would hurt people.¡± Favo had believed it with all his heart, but he had clearly witnessed the scene where Rnd hurt people. "I thought the sky was falling. I couldn''t even tell if it was a dream or a reality. Recently, dozens to hundreds of times a day, I wanted to go up the mountain and ask why but I held back with much difficulty." But now, the question had been answered with no doubts. It was all thanks to the man in front of Favo. Seo Jun-Ho told Favo that Rnd had changed because of the infamous fiends. "Thank you very much for telling me the truth." "Do you not have any discontentment towards me?" Seo Jun-Ho had said to Favo¡¯s face that he would report the incident to the Empire. There would probably be a trial for Lord Favo. ¡®He probably feels that it¡¯s unfair.¡¯ Of course, it would be unfair. From his point of view, the presence of fiends and demon jades were like natural disasters that no one could know and prepare for in advance. "I don¡¯t think it was wrong of you to say that you will report to the Empire nor do I think it¡¯s unfair. I''ve been prepared for that since I took Rnd in. I had been determined to take responsibility for whatever happened." If Favo was evil, he would be able to put everything on his knight and use thetter as a scapegoat. But he was too righteous for that. "However, I would like to tell you this." Favo''s gaze became firm. "You said this wouldn¡¯t have happened if I had not taken Rnd in, yes? But even if I went back in time a thousand times, I would still take Rnd in. I have no regrets about that." "Is that so?" "Yes, I was happy thanks to him. I''m not married, but I learned the joy of having a child.¡± At that moment, Seo Jun-Ho realized that the man in front of him hade to him this early in the morning to convey this very message. "And here¡­" Favo held out a piece of paper. "What''s this?" "I mailed it on my way here. The destination is the Empire¡¯s imperial court and it is a request for a trial." ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at him in surprise. "There''s a saying that some of the worst things that humans can imaginee from good intentions." It didn¡¯t matter whether the cause and the intention were good. If the results came out and it was either good or bad, someone had to receive the reward or punishment. This was how society worked. "I will have to take responsibility since I am the lord of the West Sun." The Ruben Empire did not specifically prohibit the breeding of monsters. However, if the people from the Empire were angered due to the monster, the responsibility was ced solely on the owner. This was why the mercenary guild preferred Rnd to take the test. If Rnd seeded, there would have been a new star in the Guild, and if he failed, then they wouldn¡¯t have had to take responsibility. "Rnd killed one of the locals here and more than a hundred people." Favo''s eyes were filled with remorse. "It''s all my fault. That day, if I hadn¡¯t sent him alone...¡± Deep regret over the past bothered Favo every minute. Seo Jun-Ho did not know that, but Favo, who used to be chubby, had lost more than 20 kilograms over the past month. "Do not me yourself too much. Even if you had sent someone with him, it would have been hard for them to beat the fiends." "Is that so?" "And I guess you haven¡¯t heard the news yet..." Favo looked up. "News?" "The number of people Rnd had killed didn¡¯t exceed a hundred." "What? There are definitely a hundred and twenty yers and Adventurers who didn¡¯t manage toe back¡­¡± "40 people were rescued from the cave. Moreover, ording to the rescued people¡¯s testimony, the troll did not eat a single human. Rather, it seemed that he even took care of them so that they wouldn''t die." It was a ridiculous notion considering that the opponent had been a high-ranked monster, and was a troll known for their ferocity. "You did a great job in teaching." "Ha, haha...¡± Favo''s eyes became moist when he heard the unexpected news. - You must never eat humans. This is a promise. It was a precious promise he had made with Rnd on their pinky fingers. Even though Rnd had been deeply influenced by the demon jade to kill, he still kept his promise. As Favo calmed down, Seo Jun-Ho said, "I still haven¡¯t changed the way I think." No matter how good the intentions were, it wasn¡¯t right if the results were bad. Seo''s belief in it was ''absolute.¡¯ It was all because this was natural in the world he had been through. "But if I were to be asked whether I think you deserve to be punished or not, then I don¡¯t think so." Favo gave him a strange look at the remark. "That''s unexpected. I thought yer Seo Jun-Ho hated me and wanted me to be punished." "It''s the other way around." Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. It had been a long time, but the memory of the day was still clear. "Do you know of the existence of Gates?" "I have heard of it. It is a kind of dungeon that appeared on the where the yers live." "That''s a relief. Now, I will tell you amon old story." What came out of his mouth was the same story he told the Frost Queenst night. "That was a sad incident. A good deed that began with good intentions brought disaster¡­¡± "Yes, but did you know? Because of the lights, the party was wiped out, but not all the party members were killed by monsters." One person had managed to survive. Coincidentally, the person who had set the fire had left the campsite during the battle to get help. "It was because he was the fastest. Hisrades let him go. Because the yer who went out to scout at the time was the strongest, they asked him to bring that yer." "¡­Oh no, so he did not make it in time.¡± "That is correct¡­" By the time he returned to the camp with the scout, hisrades had already turned into cold corpses. "But then, isn''t it two yers who survived?" "The yer who started the fire couldn''t ovee his guilt the next day and took his own life." ¡°¡­¡± "That''s when I realized that if you don''t get rid of foolishness cleanly, it¡¯s bound to be a curse that will gnaw at you." Favo shut his mouth tight. He realized that the scout in the story was Seo Jun-Ho. "The yer thought his death was the only way to atone for hisrades." ¡°Is that why you asked me to be brought to justice? So that I do not make such an extreme choice?" In Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes, he and Lord Favo ovepped. The Lord Favo Young he had seen through the memory projection resembled the weak yer in many ways. "On the day of the trial, I will defend you myself." "It may create a problem for your future. The results have alreadye out, and there is definitely something there that I''m not proud of." "Something like that won¡¯t be much of a shackle for me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s voice was firm as he lifted the teacup. "My skills are notcking." *** It was the age of great peace. Numerous trials were held in one day, but not all of them could be brought to the capital. Therefore, there was a ''dispatch judge'' in the imperial court. "Hmm, it is indeed a scenic town." "It would have been better if you came at sunset, but it is too bad." "I will just see that on the way back. I think it''s about time." Two men entered the West Sun town in a luxurious carriage on anguid afternoon. The old man was wearing a judge¡¯s robe, and the young man was his attendant. Looking out the window, the old man said, "Do you know how to easily distinguish between a town that wants to live and a town that doesn¡¯t want to live?" "You have said it more than a hundred times already. You said you would know when you see the faces of the people in the town." "People in a town who have no concerns and worries will have smiles all over their faces like them." The old man looked satisfied. "Did you say that the tax rate here is lower than that of other towns around here?¡± "Yes. It is 4% lower." "That''s a lot more of a difference than I thought...¡± "Not only does the lord have no family, but he doesn''t seem to indulge in luxury either." "Hmm." Nodding his head slowly, the old man looked at the document he was holding. "A monster that was secretly raised by a good lord suddenly killed a resident...¡± "More than a hundred people died when they went to exterminate the monster." "That''s a lot. Too much blood was spilled." Tsk. The old man clicked his tongue. The lord¡¯s character didn¡¯t matter anymore; too many people had died. "It''s going to be difficult. He¡¯ll most likely get a prison sentence.¡± "May the fair God of the Scales, Cassell-nim, be with you." The carriage heading straight to the lord''s mansion stopped. The old man looked at the yard, fixed his monocle, and asked, "I told you to head to the lord''s mansion, so why did youe to the zoo?" "That is indeed the lord''s mansion. The lord apparently really likes animals." "Well, I suppose there''s no way a normal person would raise a monster." The two people got off the carriage and headed to the study under polite guidance from a servant. A trial conducted by a dispatch judge wouldn¡¯t proceed very grandiosely. The fact that a dispatch judge was deployed in the first ce meant that the case was rtively unimportant. If it had been a major issue, the defendant would have been summoned to the capital. "Wee, Viscount Oliver." The two men sitting in the study rose. "I am Viscount Oliver, and I will be heading this trial. Are you the lord of this ce?" "Yes, my name is Favo Limisen." "Then, what about you?" "I am yer Seo Jun-Ho, and I will be attending the trial as awyer." "Hooo, awyer? And a yer at that?¡± Oliver fixed his monocles and looked amused. This was because despite having been in the legal profession for a long time, it wasn¡¯t often that he encountered such cases. "Interesting. Sit down first." Afterward, the attendant took out a gavel and a wooden board onto the desk. Oliver spoke in a casual voice, like a customer in a caf¨¦. "Let¡¯s begin the trial, then." Chapter 197. Sun Swallowing Territory (8)

Chapter 197. Sun Swallowing Territory (8)

"First, Baron Favo will exin his rtionship with the troll.¡± "I took him in 10 years ago and raised him as my son. His name was Rnd." "How did youe to the idea of raising a monster?" "Because him crying sadly after losing his mother didn''t seem very different from humans." "He didn¡¯t look so different from humans?" Viscount Oliver asked his attendant, "Zinu, what kind of existence is a troll?" "Trolls are high-ranked monsters and although they are intelligent, they are treated as monsters and not as Second Race members since they cannotmunicate with humans.¡± At the neat exnation, Oliver once again cast his eyes on Favo. "Did Baron Favo know this beforehand?¡± "I knew that. But while ordinary monsters are aggressive since they are babies, Rnd wasn¡¯t like that." "That''s not for the baron to judge." Oliver''s eyes gave Favo a sharp rebuke. "Don''t forget. All imperial people are His Majesty''s people.¡± "I know." "You made such a dangerous choice even though you knew that? What if the troll showed aggression after he grew up? It would be difficult to stop an adult troll with the troops of this town." "I thoroughly trained him to prevent that from happening." "But didn''t it happen? In the end, it happened...¡± Tap, tap. Viscount Oliver spoke as he tapped on the papers. "One West Sun resident and a hundred and twenty yers and Adventurers have died." "I have an objection." Seo Jun-Ho politely interrupted him. Viscount Oliver looked at him. "Speak." "The total number of people who died at Rnd''s hands is eighty-one." "Hmm?" Viscount Oliver looked at the documents once again and shook his head. "No, no. It clearly says 120 here." ¡°Forty of them were rescued from the cave where Rnd lived." "Hooo, you mean those people survived? That''s a relief.¡± Seo Jun-Ho corrected. "There''s a fault in thenguage. Rather than surviving, Rnd spared them." He then submitted the documents he had prepared beforehand. ¡°The rescued all had simple first-aid done on them and there had been nothing for me to do. This was from a doctor''s statement." "Hmm, so it¡¯s true. But first-aid... Just who did that?" "It was Rnd." At that, not only Viscount Oliver but even his attendant, Zinu¡¯s eyes opened wide. "yer Seo Jun-Ho, are you iming that a troll treated humans?" "That is correct¡­" "The court does not tolerate even a little lie. Now that you have mentioned it, you must have evidence, right?" It took three days for the dispatched judge to arrive. Seo Jun-Ho and Lord Favo didn¡¯t want to waste their precious time. A trial was a stage for those who were prepared. "Of course. I ask to summon a witness in my capacity as awyer." "Witness? Interesting. Let the witness in." Walking into the study were Oh Dae-Sik and an Adventurer who had participated in the mutant troll subjugation. Viscount Oliver asked them some simple questions, "So, did you really get treated by a troll?" "Yes, we were afraid the troll would eat us at first, but then he crushed herbs and put them on us.¡± "Hmm... then Master of the Blue Guild. Did you say that the troll gave you a way out during battle?" "Yes, I have brought a video of the attack. When it was possible to subdue, he didn¡¯t go for the kill.¡± "All right, the witnesses, please go back.¡± Viscount Oliver sent them away and carefully checked the evidence. "Well, there''s something strange about it.¡± Viscount Oliver''s eyes shone. Hepared the list of the rescued with the list of people who received the Quest through the Adventurer Guild. "The rescued are all the ones who recently went to attack. Not a single one of the advance team survived." "Yes, that is definitely a strange part." Seo Jun-Ho readily nodded. Rather, Viscount Oliver tilted his head in confusion. "Judge-nim, why do you think so?¡± "Hmm, would it not be because he became afraid? The more people he kills, the more people woulde searching for him..." "Unfortunately, you are mistaken." Seo Jun-Ho took out a magic crystal ball from his inventory. The magic crystal ball was a device that could record video. This evidence was powerful enough to change the course of the trial. "It¡¯s a magic crystal ball. What''s in it?" "It contains the reason why a troll who never had a problem in 10 years suddenly changed." "The reason why the troll changed?" When Zinu brought the crystal ball over, Viscount Oliver nodded, indicating for it to be yed. Zzzzzk. The light emitted by the crystal ball created a video projection. - Is this him? - Yeah, isn¡¯t it interesting? A troll raised by a person¡­ He can even use swordsmanship. - It¡¯s definitely interesting. He''ll be a good sample. - That''s enough of pretending to be a human, monster. - Bring out the dormant violence in you. The content was straightforward. It was the scene where two fiends imnted a demon jade into Rnd. "Is it a video of the past? Defense attorney, what exactly is this situation?" "Judge-nim, do you know about the existence of fiends?" "Fiends?" He had been in the legal profession all his life, so there was no way he wouldn¡¯t know about them. "They''re horrible people. They are not weed not only on Earth but also in the Empire.¡± "Those horrible people have created something even more horrible. It''s something called a demon jade." "Demon jade? Is it perhaps what was imnted in the troll in the video...¡± "That is correct. It''s a marble filled with condensed demonic energy, and it''s an object that instigates anger and the urge to kill in creatures." ¡°¡­!¡± Viscount Oliver and Zinu''s faces hardened. If Seo Jun-Ho''s words were true, this was a serious matter. "yer Seo Jun-Ho, can you take responsibility for what you say?" "Of course. Actually, I have hunted monsters imnted with demon jades several times by now." Once again, more evidence was submitted. It was two stamped letters. "Gilleon''s mercenary, Hakan¡­ and Gilleon¡¯s Knight Commander, Phivir?¡± "They once hunted monsters that had been eroded by demon jades with me." When Seo Jun-Ho sent a letter in earnest, both Hakan and Phivir dly replied. They even wrote a message saying that they coulde to the town if he needed a witness. They repaid the favor properly. "Rnd is a troll, but he grew up as a human under the care of a human. His dream was to be a mercenary. He wanted to prove that trolls, like other Second Races, were a race that could interact with humans." ¡°¡­¡± "But the troll¡¯s dream was destroyed in vain¡ªall because of the wicked fiends." The evidence submitted by Seo Jun-Ho proved Rnd''s humanity. At the same time, he was also exining the reason why Rnd suddenly attacked people. "He overcame the terrible pain and brainwashing from the demon jade imnted into him and finally regained his humanity. I assure you, this is not something that even an impressive human being can do so easily." "Hmm¡­" "I dare ask Judge-nim. Would the results have been different if that demon jade had been imnted into a human?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It wouldn''t have been much different. No, the damage would have been greater depending on the target. "Rnd harmed dozens of people. That is a clear fact. However, that wasn¡¯t his will. I would like for you to know that after he came to his senses, he cried and grieved until the moment he died." After talking, Seo Jun-Ho sat down. He had said everything he could. ''But it''ll be hard to be found not guilty, since as many as eighty people have died.¡¯ At best, Lord Favo would only receive a reduction of sentence. Favo gave Seo Jun-Ho a grateful look. "Judge-nim, in this case...¡± "Quiet." Viscount Oliver cut off Zinu and was in deep contemtion. Even for him, a veteran judge, this kind of case was difficult to give out a ruling. ¡®Depending on where I as the judge set the standards, the conclusion will be sharply different.¡¯ What would have happened if the fiends hadn''t imnted Rnd with something called a demon jade? Rnd and Favo could have been great individuals who would have the world''s perception of trolls, rather than being sinners. Unfortunately, that possibility had already been destroyed by the fiends. It became a dream that could never happen. ¡®It''s hard¡­¡¯ Viscount Oliver looked at the evidence once again. The evidence they had gathered was pointing to one thing; although Rnd was born a monster, he died as a warm-hearted ¡®human.¡¯ "Lord Favo, answer the question," Viscount Oliver spoke with heaviness, "Do you really think trolls and humans can interact with each other?" "Yes, I believe so." There was no doubt in Lord Favo¡¯s voice and he was full of conviction. "I thought that¡­ Rnd and I could prove it." "Is that so?" Viscount Oliver nodded quietly and picked up the gavel. "I give the judgment of this trial." He dered his words loudly, "As of this moment, the defendant, Baron Favo Limisen, is stripped of his position as the lord of West Sun." Pound, pound, pound! When the ruling was made, Seo Jun-Ho let out a light sigh. Was it too much to keep his position as the lord? At the end of the trial, Viscount Oliver approached them. ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho, that was an impressive defense. Let me make it clear that your words have changed the oue of the trial." He then looked at Baron Favo and continued. "Favo Limisen, if you have the desire, can I rmend you to the Imperial Second Race Exchange Department?¡± "Wait a minute, Judge-nim. That is too harsh on Baron Favo." Seo Jun-Ho protested urgently. It had only been a few days ago since Lord Favo lost Rnd, whom he regarded as his own child. But Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words were interrupted by Baron Favo pulling his sleeve. "No, it is rather a grateful suggestion." Lord Favo nodded with a light smile. "Rnd, that child had often said that he wanted to create a world where trolls could interact with humans." Of course, the dream disappeared before it was realized since Rnd was no longer in this world. "Maybe this is the homework that mischievous kid has ced on me." "Are you sure that''s all right?¡± "They say no parent can win against their children. Rather, for someone like me, being a lord is too heavy of a position." Since Favo had already said so much, there was nothing more Seo Jun-Ho could say. Looking at the peak where Rnd spent hisst moments, Lord Favo said, "To honor the child, I will prove it myself." *** "People will think the circus is moving." Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. Baron Favo packed his bags, saying he would take all the animals he had raised. Thanks to this, the procession of animals preparing for the great migration looked quite ridiculous. "It can''t be helped. It¡¯s not like you can abandon your family," Lord Favo rebutted. It could be seen in Lord Favo¡¯s eyes¡ªhe really loved animals. "Oh, right." Lord Favo took out a key and handed it over to Seo Jun-Ho. "Isn''t this a key?" asked Seo Jun-Ho. "The Sun Swallowing Territory. Isn''t that the West Sun''s nickname?" Baron Favo turned his head. The sunset was so beautiful that it could nail people on the spot. "Have you ever seen the Sun¡¯s Tear?" "The Sun¡¯s Tear?" Seo Jun-Ho searched his memories for a moment then shook his head. "I haven¡¯t." "On the Twin Mountains, the Sun¡¯s Teares out every tens of years at the earliest or hundreds of years at thetest." Seo Jun-Ho listened in silence. "The key will open the vault in my name at Rockford Bank." "What''s in the vault?" "The Sun¡¯s Tear." Baron Favo looked at him with a cool smile. "If it¡¯s someone like you, yer Seo Jun-Ho, who has a warm heart, I believe you will use it well." "May I ask what the Sun¡¯s Tear is?" "Well, I shall not spoil, lest the pleasure of discovery be ruined." Baron Favo climbed onto the carriage with a mischievous smile. "I should be going now.¡± "Wouldn''t it be more convenient for you to leave in the morning?" "There are a lot of animals with me that are nocturnal. It¡¯s better that I¡¯ll be a lot more distracted with them." Baron Favo reached out to the window and held Seo Jun-Ho''s hand tightly. "Thank you again for closing Rnd''s eyes and defending me until the end." "I will visit youter when I have a chance." "I will always wee you. I will have to work on my tea skills for that day." Baron Favo left with a smile. Rumors spread that he had secretly raised a troll, but the town¡¯s residents saw him off in tears. "It is also important to catch ten sinners, but do not wrong a single citizen," recited the Frost Queen. ¡°¡­?¡± "That is what my father, the previous king, said." The corners of her mouth curled up into a refreshing smile. "Looking at your defense, Contractor, you seemed to have the qualifications to be a wise king. I am delighted." "What king? I''m busy just protecting myself.¡± With his back to the sunset, Seo Jun-Ho smiled and looked at the disappearing baron''s procession until itpletely vanished from view. Chapter 198. Goblin (1) ¡°Mm¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a loud yawn as he sat up. His hair was a rat¡¯s nest. ¡®Ugh, I¡¯m so tired.¡¯ He was used to hunting for days straight, but it was his first time defending someone in court. The fatigue had built up while he had been preparing for the trial. As he stretched his sore body, his nose twitched. He sniffed. It smelled pleasantly of toast and bacon. ¡®Is this the food from the inn¡¯s restaurant?¡¯ He decided that he would eat it for breakfast. Seo Jun-Ho licked his lips and stood. His eyes widened when he saw the cooked toast, bacon, and milk on his table. ¡°...What? Is room service included?¡± ¡°I wonder. I did not think it was such a luxurious inn,¡± the Frost Queen said. She was already watching dramas on her tablet. ¡°Then who put this here?¡± He asked. ¡°If it was not the inn and it was not yourself, Contractor, would you not think that it was me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed at her. ¡°...You can cook? You?¡± ¡°Why are you reacting like that? I¡¯m good at cooking. I learned from watching TV, after all.¡± She seemed slightly offended. ¡°Then where did you get the ingredients from?¡± ¡°I bought them from a store. I am not an average Spirit.¡± ¡°Well, you are a self-proimed grade 2 Arch Spirit.¡± Though she had been as small as his finger, a single evolution had made her grow like a tree. Right now, she came up to his knees¡­ ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you too small?¡± Would a store sell items to such a young child? As Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head, the Frost Queen¡¯s lip curled, and sheughed. ¡°Ha. They said I wasmendable for speaking so politely and being so straightforward. They even gave me a cookie for it.¡± ¡°...Yeah, sure. Congrattions.¡± It probably did lookmendable, considering that they thought a five- or six-year-old child hade to get groceries on her own. Seo Jun-Ho sat down in front of the table and carefully picked up a fork. The Frost Queen looked up from her drama and watched him intently. She kept sneaking nces, so she must¡¯ve been quite curious about what he thought. ¡®I¡¯m a little nervous.¡¯ She had lived her whole life as a queen and had never had to lift a finger. It was probably her first time cooking, too. ¡®Plus, she said she learned from watching TV¡­¡¯ He swallowed and slowly bit down on a piece of toast. ¡°...!¡± He was shocked. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s good!¡± ¡°...Hmph.¡± The Frost Queen puffed out her chest proudly. ¡®Well, there¡¯s no way this wouldn¡¯t be good.¡¯ She had spread strawberry jam and butter on the toast. She had also probably bought the bacon at the market, so it would¡¯ve tasted good nheless. ¡°Still, I¡¯m surprised.¡± He admitted. ¡°What is so surprising?¡± ¡°I never expected these kinds of things from you.¡± ¡°...¡± Her face wrinkled like a crumpled piece of tissue. It was unfair, considering how much she had taken care of him whenever he copsed. ¡®I made him breakfast because I was proud of him, but he only knows how to speak nonsense¡­¡¯ She turned her head away, thoroughly annoyed, and went back to her dramas. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho quickly finished his meal and was dabbing his face with a napkin. ¡°Thanks for the meal. It was really good. You¡¯re good at cooking.¡± ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t respond at all, but there was a faint smile on her face. *** They left the inn at noon. Seo Jun-Ho had earned enough money tost him for a while, so he no longer had any business in West Sun. ¡°I wonder what I should do now¡­¡± he muttered as he looked up at the sky. It was a clear day with clouds floating around. It would be so much easier if he were on Earth. He could simply get a list of Gates and choose a ce he wanted to go. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± The yers who had been waiting by the inn started to gather around him. ¡°Oh¡­ Are you all from the Blue Guild?¡± He asked. ¡°I wanted to thank you, however bted. You saved us.¡± ¡°Truly, thank you. If you hadn¡¯te, I don¡¯t know what would¡¯ve happened to us¡­¡± Each person came up and thanked him. ¡°This is a dagger forged by the famous assassin n Ysuki.¡± ¡°These are wrist guards made of high-quality steel. ¡°This is¡­ A fig from Frontier. It¡¯s good for when your blood sugar drops¡­¡± He received a lot of misceneous gifts. Just as his pockets started to be too heavy, Oh Dae-Sik came up to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t stop them because they wanted to thank you, but I hope they¡¯re not too much of a bother¡­¡± ¡°Of course not. Thank you.¡± Dae-Sik smiled warmly and held out his business card. yers in Frontier would write down their phone number on Earth, their Guild¡¯s headquarters address, their Community ID, and so on. ¡°If I ever get the chance, I¡¯d love to hunt with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if I ever find a good hunting ground,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. Even though he hadn¡¯t known them for long, he could tell that the Guild had a good atmosphere. ¡®It¡¯s a people-centered Guild. They¡¯re hard to find these days.¡¯ Because the Guild Master wasn¡¯t overbearing, the Guild naturally had a lighthearted vibe. He thought that it might be nice to hunt with people like them. Of course, he would be able to help them out a bit by then. Like right now¡­ ¡°If you keep filling a jar with water, it will eventually overflow,¡± he said. ¡°...?¡± Oh Dae-Sik blinked at his strange words. But a momentter, he instinctively sensed that he should listen carefully. ¡°It¡¯s already full. Stop trying to fill it up and close the lid.¡± Focusing on ripening the soy sauce inside the jar was enough. Oh Dae-Sik¡¯s achievements would keep increasing, even without the help of new skills, gear, or potions.[1] His face brightened and he bowed to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Please contact me if you ever find a good hunting ground.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled in response. *** Gong Ju-Ha had recently adopted a strange hobby. Every morning, she would absentmindedly stare up at the sky, holding a picture of a cloud. ¡°...¡± She stared up for a long time. But suddenly, her expression changed, as if she had been struck by lightning. ¡°W-Wait! It¡¯s here!¡± She instantly scurried over to the office, waving the picture. ¡°In-Ho! It¡¯s here! The gimlet cloud!¡± She cried. ¡°I still don¡¯t know what¡¯s a gimlet cloud or whatever that is,¡± Ha In-Ho said with a sigh. He couldn¡¯t understand this weird new hobby of hers. ¡°He said that if I invite Mr. Jun-Ho to an expedition on a day when there¡¯s a gimlet cloud, there¡¯s a high chance that he¡¯ll ept.¡± ¡°Wait. Are you telling me that you went to meet the Sage solely for that reason?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®solely?¡¯ You¡¯re too harsh.¡± Gong Ju-Ha carefully ced the picture of the gimlet cloud into her pocket. ¡°Do you know how long it¡¯s been since I¡¯ve worked on him? I called dibs on him first. ¡°Wow¡­ Mr. Jun-Ho? You just call me In-Ho,¡± heined. ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re my servant.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you at least call me your subordinate?¡± When had his life be like this? He let out a heavy sigh and looked back down at his files. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll matter. If I were him, I wouldn¡¯t ept.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°He was appointed as Specter-nim¡¯s proxy. If you were him, why would you ept the offer ande all the way here?¡± In-Ho pointed out. ¡°...But he¡¯s being scouted by Goblin.¡± Ha In-Ho sighed again. She needed a harsh reality check. ¡°Princess, don¡¯t you think Specter-nim is quite amazing?¡± ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll ever get another yer as special as him.¡± ¡°And the Goblin Guild is pretty amazing too, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯re part of the Big 6, and one of our members is even a part of the Nine Heavens. We have the world in our hands.¡± Specter had captivated the whole world back in his time. But Goblin was currently only one part of the Big 6. There was no point inparing the two. ¡°Do you really think we couldpare to him?¡± ¡°But still, isn¡¯t Goblin a little better right now? We have our Guildmaster,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said. Goblin was known for being made up mainly of High Rankers. They only recruited the best of the best. On the other hand, most experts were saying that Specter wasn¡¯t the unrivaled yer he once was. ¡°Specter-nim is amazing, but that was in the past.¡± ¡°Well, go ahead and contact him if you think that. You even said you have the cloud or whatever.¡± ¡°I¡¯m nervous. That old man isn¡¯t always right, you know.¡± ¡°Come on. You shouldn¡¯t underestimate the Sage of the Observatory Tower.¡± The Sage of the Observatory Tower had predicted many campaigns from the fiends and saved a lot of people. He had no desire for fame or earthly desires, so he was famous as an entric individual. ording to the rumors, even the Big 6 Guildmasters sought him out whenever they had a big campaign ahead of them. ¡°No, I¡¯m just saying. I trust him¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha nervously opened the Community forums. The impressive old man had marked today¡¯s date. [iluvac: Mr. Jun-Ho, are you busy?] ¡°Ahh! I sent it!¡± she yelped. It had taken her over a month to send this short message. ¡®Now that I think about it, the only thing we have going on is that I was the first one to approach him.¡¯ After that, they had seen each other once in Las Vegas, and once more when he came up to Frontier. They had actually only met three times before. In other words, it was possible that they weren''t as close as Gong Ju-Ha thought. Ping! ¡°H-He answered.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna check it?¡± ¡°What if he told me to fuck off because he¡¯s busy?¡± ¡°...From what I know, Seo Jun-Ho isn¡¯t that rude.¡± Gong Ju-Ha groaned and carefully checked the message. [Sonny: I was just about to leave town. What¡¯s up?] [iluvac: Oh, nothing¡­Do you want to go to a dungeon together?] [Sonny: A dungeon? I¡¯d love to. But why all of a sudden¡­] [iluvac: Our Guild is nning to challenge a fairly difficult dungeon, so the Guildmaster has invited a number of guests. I thought it would be nice if you coulde if you¡¯re free.] It didn¡¯t take long for a reply toe. [Sonny: Thank you. Where and when is it?] Gong Ju-Ha sent him the details. Her face brightened. ¡°In-Ho! He said he¡¯sing!¡± ¡°...Are you a mossol?¡± Why was she so happy with such a short conversation?[2] ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that?¡± she asked. ¡°...It¡¯s nothing.¡± She was an idiot who only cared about hunting. Gong Ju-Ha didn¡¯t notice the tears and sympathy from Ha In-Ho. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so excited,¡± she mumbled enthusiastically. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°The Guild Master¡¯sing with us this time. Don¡¯t you want to know what he¡¯ll think about Mr. Jun-Ho?¡± she asked. ¡°...Yes, I actually want to,¡± Ha In-Ho replied, nodding. After Seo Jun-Ho had cleared the Cave of Trials, he quickly became the top rookie. However, he still didn¡¯t have any outstanding achievements to live up to the name. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that we¡¯ll be able to see if he¡¯s the real thing this time?¡± Thinking about that, Ha In-Ho was also starting to get excited about the campaign. 1. Jun-Ho specifically refers to a type of ceramic jar most often used to ferment and store food. ? 2. Mossol is someone who¡¯s never dated anyone before, aka perpetually single. ? Chapter 199. Goblin (2) After he left West Sun, Seo Jun-Ho headed to the imperial capital, Leiark. ¡°Wow, wooow!¡± The Frost Queen couldn¡¯t close her mouth as she kept eximing in wonder. She was like a country girl who hade to the city for the first time. ¡®Well, she¡¯s not exaggerating.¡¯ Even Seo Jun-Ho had been momentarily speechless from the imperial capital¡¯s grandeur. Both the tall inner and outer walls had an enormous statue. It was an entire 30 meters tall, and he couldn¡¯t even begin to describe its exquisite artistry. ¡°I-I have never seen such a great city in my life. Not even on TV¡­¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you a queen? Was your ce different?¡± he asked. ¡°...M-My kingdom stood on a cold, barrennd. We were notcking, but we could not build such enormous structures for the safety of the citizens¡­ I-It was not practical¡­¡± ¡°Wipe your drool before you talk.¡± The liveliest city in Frontier that the two had been to so far was Gilleon. But Leiark¡¯s entrance alone made Gilleon look like some remote vige. ¡®The guards at the gates are also very well-trained.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled. He finally understood why the fiends couldn¡¯t just attack the Empire carelessly. ¡®Their standards are extremely high. They¡¯re stronger than most yers.¡¯ The knights merely assigned to guard the city gates would probably be around level 110. He could even sense the great discipline in their magic. The knights protecting the pce and the inner parts of the city would be even more powerful. ¡®Now I understand why all the Big 6 Guilds are panicking because they can¡¯t establish rtions with the Empire.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t simply because they wanted to look good in front of the rulers of thend. It was also because they wanted to side with the powerful. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The Frost Queen eventually closed her mouth, but now, she was sniffing the air. ¡°Contractor, there¡¯s a good smelling from over there,¡± she said. ¡°Is iting from the cafe?¡± he asked. As expected of a cafe in the capital, it had high-quality cakes and bread that weren¡¯t avable in other towns. ¡°Ooh, Contractor! The inside of this bread looks like spiderwebs, but it¡¯s very fluffy.¡± ¡°This tea is amazing! The aroma spreads across your mouth the moment you drink it!¡± The Frost Queen was very excited about trying all these new foods. Soon after, Seo Jun-Ho studied his map and started toward the bank. ¡®He said it was at Rockford Bank.¡¯ As far as Seo Jun-Ho knew, Rockford Bank was apany from Earth established by the Rockford family from Ennd. ¡°How can I help you?¡± the employee asked. ¡°I want to ess a vault,¡± he said. ¡°Please tell me the name of the owner.¡± ¡°Favo Limisen.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look like him.¡± ¡°He gave me permission to ess it.¡± Once he showed the key, the employee nodded. ¡°Please follow me¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho was led to a nondescript room. Inside, there was a single vault. ¡°You must use a spatial skill,¡± hemented. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s correct. Property prices are too high in the capital, so we cannot amodate many vaults.¡± They were using a skill to move the vaults around. ¡°Rockford Bank has the best security in the world, be it on the 1st floor or the 2nd floor. Vaults are stored between spatial dimensions, so they cannot be essed without the skill user who manages it.¡± ¡°What happens if they die?¡± he asked. The employee smiled brightly. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. We¡¯ve prepared for the worst-case scenario, so we have ten skill users in our employment. All of them know where the vaults are located.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Take as much time as you need with the vault.¡± Left alone in the room, Seo Jun-Ho opened the vault with his key. ¡°I expected there to be many items in here, considering that it¡¯s a nobleman¡¯s vault,¡± the Frost Queen remarked. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter. The only thing I am supposed to receive is the Sun¡¯s Tear,¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. Inside therge vault, there was a small, transparent potion bottle. As he picked it up, a glowing, orange liquid swayed inside. ¡°Is this the Sun¡¯s Tear?¡± It was beautiful. The contents did look like they were from the sun, and his eyes followed the liquid whenever it moved. ¡°Contractor, hurry up and check its information,¡± the Frost Queen insisted. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell as he did so. [Sun¡¯s Tear] Grade: Unique Description: A tear that falls from the sun once every few decades. Effect: A liquid that contains the energy of the sun. Grants the user powerful yang energy. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°A potion,¡± the Frost Queen noted. ¡°Yeah. It is, but¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a potion that just anyone could use. ¡®In my case, it¡¯s practically impossible.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho already possessed two elemental abilities. Both darkness and frost were yin energies, not yang. ¡°I think this would be poison for me, not a potion.¡± If only there were someone he knew who could use this¡­ After a moment, two people came to mind. ¡®I think Kim Woo-Joong might be able to use it, and so would Captain Gong Ju-Ha.¡¯ He stirred the bottle lightly and carefully ced it into his inventory. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that I can¡¯t use it, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯lle in handy at some point,¡± he said. After they left the bank, they headed to Leiark¡¯s business district, where Goblin¡¯s base was located. ¡°Mr. Jun-Ho!¡± Gong Ju-Ha eximed. He contacted her ahead of time, so she was waiting for him at the entrance. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Captain Gong.¡± ¡°Wow, really! How many months has it been?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± She didn¡¯t know this, but it had only been about a month since they hadst seen each other. They fought in the matching system after all. ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t seem like she noticed at all.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head as he took her in. ¡°Did you get taller, by chance?¡± ¡°W-What are you saying?¡± As she stuttered, she hooked her left foot behind her right. Unfortunately, since she had two feet, he could still see it. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re wearing high heels¡­¡± Very tall ones, at that. Probably around 15 centimeters or so. He looked at her, slightly disappointed. Gong Ju-Ha avoided his eyes and turned around. ¡°Ce in!¡± She ran inside so quickly that her feet blurred. ¡°Hm, so this is the Goblin Guild¡¯s base. It is quite beautiful,¡± the Frost Queen admired. The both of them took in the grand appearance at a leisurely pace. They had somehow created a traditional Korean-style mansion in the middle of the imperial capital. It was a testament to Goblin¡¯s enormous wealth.[1] ¡®But I noticed something earlier¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could sense an enormous amount of magic from the estate. Was iting from the base itself? Or¡­ ¡®Is iting from someone inside?¡¯ He entered the mansion with an amused expression on his face. Once inside, it resembled Gyeongbokgung Pce. ¡°Contractor, is it required for establishments in the capital to use spatial magic?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°Of course not.¡± Like the bank, this ce was also using spatial magic. However, there was a clear difference between the level of technique. ¡®There¡¯s a huge difference between merely moving vaults around and erging a space.¡¯ Beyond the dozens of buildings was arge pond, and beyond that stood arge pce. ¡°It must be the Guildmaster¡¯s skill.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for the spatial magic user Shin Sung-Hyun, suchrge-scale magic would be impossible. ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s this way!¡± Gong Ju-Ha waved. At some point, she had gotten way too far ahead of them. She was¡­ she was supposed to escort them, right? A sharp-looking man smirked as he approached Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Please excuse her. I think she¡¯s embarrassed that she went through the trouble of wearing high heels.¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Ha In-Ho.¡± The Guardian Knight. He was a famous tanker from Goblin. Seo Jun-Ho smiled when he saw the man. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping up with you in the news. I was so shocked when I heard about the Cave of Trials that I nearly fell over,¡± Ha In-Ho said with a smile. ¡°I just got lucky...¡± ¡°Lucky, you say¡­¡± Ha In-Ho muttered, sounding suspicious. 99.8% of yers in the world challenged the Cave of Trials. Unless there was an exceptional case, most of them would enter it at some point. ¡®Tens of millions of yers have entered the Cave of Trials until now.¡¯ And the man who had been the first to reach the 10th level was standing right before him. But he was saying that he had simply gotten lucky? ¡®How modest of him.¡¯ Or perhaps he was cautious¡­ Ha In-Ho chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a little surprising that the Goblin Guild is having a dungeon campaign open to the public¡­¡± he said. ¡°Oh yes, this is quite rare.¡± ¡°Is there a reason you¡¯re doing this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°To put it simply, it¡¯s simply business.¡± ¡°...Business?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ha In-Ho counted on his fingers. ¡°There are¡­ there are three people that we have invited as guests this time around.¡± ¡°Oh, so I¡¯m not the only one.¡± ¡°The Goblin Guild invites unaffiliated yers every now and then like this,¡± he exined. It was a smart business model. ¡®They can show off the Guild¡¯s base and show off the skills of their members while they clear a high-level dungeon¡­¡¯ And they could pull it off properly¡­ Smaller Guilds, or even other big Guilds wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything like this. This was the power of the Big 6. Seo Jun-Ho started to get curious. ¡°What are the requirements to receive an invitation?¡± ¡°The yer must either have a good reputation that will benefit the Guild or otherwise have outstanding abilities. As long as they meet one of these two requirements, they can be invited.¡± ¡°I see. Who was invited other than me?¡± He asked. ¡°We invited the Schumern Saintess. She came out of retirement a few months ago¡­ But unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t seem like she will participate.¡± Ha In-Ho looked disappointed. ¡°I think there was some kind of emergency in Schumern. I really wanted to meet her personally. It¡¯s a shame.¡± ¡°The Saintess¡­ She must be an amazing person,¡± Seo Jun-Ho noted. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s an incredibly talented healer.¡± To think that there was a yer with such a name. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°And who is the other person?¡± ¡°He calls himself Gasman,¡± Ha In-Ho said. ¡°Gas¡­Man?¡± ¡°Yes. He received an invitation because it was deemed that he would have good synergy with the Princess.¡± ¡°That makes sense¡­¡± After all, gas explosions were extremely destructive. Even now, people still considered Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s Ruler of mes (S) as one of the most powerful offensive skills in existence. And if she had a supporting a yer who could strengthen her mes with gas? ¡®It¡¯s scary.¡¯ To their opponent, theirbination would be the incarnation of fear itself. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked, waiting in front of the pce. She seemed a bit jealous. ¡°Just this and that. Mr. In-Ho exined things to me very well,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Haha, thank you. Then, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± After he left, Gong Ju-Ha led Seo Jun-Ho over and stopped right in front of the pce. ¡°Alright, we can just head right in.¡± ¡°Okay, but¡­ What is this ce?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. It was too big to be his lodgings. ¡°Since you¡¯ve entered his house, shouldn¡¯t you greet the owner first?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Otherwise known as the heart of the Goblin Guild, this is Goblin Pce.¡± A pce where goblins gathered. As Seo Jun-Ho looked up at therge estate, Gong Ju-Ha continued. ¡°Go and meet him. Meeting one of the Nine Heavens is an incredible experience.¡± ¡°...¡± Gong Ju-Ha had no idea that Seo Jun-Ho had met Kim Woo-Joong before. ¡®But I have no reason to refuse¡­¡¯ This would be the second of the Nine Heavens whom Seo Jun-Ho would meet. - Come in. A male voice came from deep within the pce; his voice sounded business-like. He walked down the long hallway and opened the sliding door. Unlike the rest of the pce, the room looked like a modern office. A man was sitting at the desk. The man¡¯s expression seemed cold, but he had an expectant smile on his face. ¡°So I finally get to meet you. I am the Guild Master of Goblin, Shin Sung-Hyun.¡± He stood up and swiftly held out his hand. 1. For reference, traditional Korean mansions are typically made up of several single-floor connecting buildings with a lot of open space. So when they talk about the mansion, it may not necessarily be referring to the inside of the building. ? Chapter 200. Goblin (3)

Chapter 200. Goblin (3)

Seo Jun-Ho had only met one of the Nine Heavens until now. What he thought of Kim Woo-Joong could be summed up with a single sentence. ¡®He¡¯s hard on the outside but soft on the inside.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong had a kind heart but seemed cold and unapproachable to most. He was like a knife. On the other hand, Shin Sung-Hyun¡­ ¡®Hm, how should I say this? He¡¯s like a businessman.¡¯ No, that wasn¡¯t enough to describe him. He had the air of a man of high status, like some second-generation chaebol. He resembled the many politicians whom Seo Jun-Ho had met in the past, but he also seemed like an experienced businessman. ¡®But he¡¯s strong...¡¯ Despite the difference in appearance, both Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun had something inmon: they were powerful. ¡°Mmhm.¡± Jun-Ho let out an unwitting grunt. When he first met Kim Woo-Joong, he wondered if the man was the most powerful yer out of the Nine Heavens. ¡®That¡¯s how shocking he was...¡¯ But now, Shin Sung-Hyun was the second person to shock him like that. ¡®They¡¯re both the same kind of monster.¡¯ They were both powerful. Of course, that was true for all the Nine Heavens. ¡®Kim Woo-Joong isn¡¯t special.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t been able to judge them after only meeting one member, but now that he had met two, he could get a sense of how strong the remaining seven were. ¡®The yers and fiends in the Nine Heavens are incredibly powerful.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was currently stronger than he had been in his prime, and he also thought that he had already recovered most of his battle sense. But if he fought Kim Woo-Joong or Shin Sung-Hyun¡­ ¡®The battle wouldst only 10¡­ No, about 15 seconds?¡¯ There was a huge wall between them and him, even bigger than the city walls of Leiark. But of course, it didn¡¯t mean it was impossible to cross. ¡®I can reach them if I just have more time. With my skills, it¡¯s possible...¡¯ While Seo Jun-Ho was assessing Shin Sung-Hyun, the Guild Master was doing the same to him. ¡®Incredible.¡¯ His eyes immediately went to the calendar on his desk. ¡®It¡¯s been¡­ A little less than a year and a half since he debuted.¡¯ A smooth smile spread across his face. Rather than material items or fame, Sung-Hyun was always seeking out people. ¡°Please, sit,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from Captain Gong.¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°She said that you¡¯d be of great help to me, even if all we did was meet face-to-face.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun softly chuckled. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I thought she was exaggerating, but now, I see that it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Really? You reacted so quietly, I thought that you were disappointed,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°...Of course not.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun paused and reached inside his breast pocket. ¡®A baton?¡¯ It looked like one that an orchestra conductor would use. Swish. He swung it carefully, and the space above his desk wavered. A teacup appeared. ¡°It¡¯s like magic,¡± Seo Jun-Homented. ¡°I hear that a lot.¡± He wiped the baton with a clean cloth as he spoke, ¡°Most spatial skill users have good spatial awareness. Unfortunately, I do not...¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why you use the baton¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Using this makes it easier to control space.¡± As he twisted the baton a bit, the space in front of him swayed slightly. ¡®Yeah. It¡¯s a lot easier to use a baton instead of just using your head and your hands.¡¯ When Seo Jun-Ho first started training with his elemental ability, Watchguard of Darkness, he used a simr method. Actually, most elemental ability users used some sort of instrument in the beginning. ¡®But I¡¯m surprised; I didn¡¯t think a member of the Nine Heavens would still use an aid.¡¯ Of course, this didn¡¯t mean he was unskilled. If the baton made it easier for him to use his skill, then it was only right for him to use it. ¡°First, I¡¯d like to thank you for epting our invitation,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun said. ¡°I should be the one thanking you for allowing me to participate in Goblin¡¯s Dungeon campaign.¡± The Guild Master grinned and held out a pamphlet. ¡°This contains information about the Dungeon we¡¯ll be going to.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho opened the pamphlet and quickly skimmed the contents. ¡°A 1-star Dungeon¡­?¡± ¡°You should already know about the 1-star Gates on the 1st floor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± ¡°Simrly, stars are assigned to Dungeons in Frontier as well,¡± he exined. Seo Jun-Ho was confused. The Goblin Guild had been the first to discover this Dungeon, which meant that no one had ever been inside. ¡°You seem to be curious about the star system.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I just don¡¯t understand how a Dungeon can have a star when no one¡¯s ever attempted it before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. Frontier has things that Earth does not have.¡± What did he mean? ¡°Are you¡­ Referring to empires?¡± ¡°No. Gods.¡± Gods? Seo Jun-Ho blinked as he stared at the Guild Master. ¡°There are many religions in Frontier, but the believers here can actually invoke the powers of the gods they worship,¡± he exined. ¡°Oh yes, I¡¯ve heard of that.¡± ¡°Among them exists a god that canbel the difficulty of a Dungeon. The God of Adventure, Achaea.¡± The 2nd floor was a mystical ce. Such things would be unimaginable on Earth, but here, it was normal. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°So ording to this god, this Dungeon is as dangerous as a 1-star Gate?¡± he asked. ¡°Precisely.¡± The pamphlet suddenly felt heavy in his hand. ¡®It¡¯s a door-type Dungeon, then.¡¯ Once inside, no one could leave until the yers or the enemies were dead, just like a Gate. Seo Jun-Ho had been to a door-type Dungeon once before this. ¡®The Dungeon with wall mantises, when I killed Wang-Heon.¡¯ The boss monster had definitely been dangerous. Of course, he hadn¡¯t actually fought it, so he hadn¡¯t been able to personally experience its power. ¡°When are we leaving?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°In four days. Do you need more time to prepare?¡± ¡°No, four days is enough.¡± He did the math in his head. ¡®We have about three whole weeks until we meet in Port Lane, so that¡¯s more than enough time.¡¯ Even if the Dungeon conqueststed longer than expected, it still wouldn¡¯t take three weeks. At most, Seo Jun-Ho thought it would only take one. ¡°Oh, you also have the participating members listed here,¡± Seo Jun-Ho noted. He was quite impressed with the list. ¡°They¡¯re all level 120 High Rankers. As expected, Goblin¡¯s fighting prowess is second to none.¡± That was all he said. As he nodded in understanding, Shin Sung-Hyun stared with a peculiar expression on his face. ¡°...¡± Shin Sung-Hyun had spoken to the other guest, Gasman, only two hours before. His reaction had been very normal. - Huh? Why are level 120 yers going in? They don¡¯t need any more EXP. His question was understandable because neither he nor Seo Jun-Ho had reached the maximum level just yet. ¡®Only those who had reached it would know. Even if you can¡¯t level up anymore, you have to keep hunting.¡¯ If they didn¡¯t train, they would get rusty. But only those who had reached the summit and experienced it could truly understand, especially because most yers¡¯ goal was to simply reach level 120. ¡®How curious...¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun thought that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s reaction was quite interesting. Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was natural for level 120 yers to join the conquest. One might even think that he had reached the maximum level before. ¡®Well, those with a deeper or more extraordinary mindset tend to see things that others can¡¯t...¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun moved on. He didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it as he held out a pen. ¡°This is a contract. Even though you are a guest, we¡¯ll make sure that you are appropriatelypensated.¡± There weren¡¯t any predatory uses in the contract. When Seo Jun-Ho was done signing, Sung-Hyun held out his hand once more. ¡°Ju-Ha will be escorting you to your lodgings.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll see you in four days.¡± About ten minutes after Seo Jun-Ho left, the Vice Master Jang Kyung-Hoon came in. ¡°...What are you doing?¡± he asked. Shin Sung-Hyun was sitting on the sofa he used to greet guests. He was staring at the pen, an unreadable smile on his face. Jang Kyung-Hoon followed his line of sight. ¡°The tip is blue¡­? Did Ju-Hae by?¡± he asked. Though there were countless blue pens in existence, this pen was special. ¡®Blue¡­¡¯ The nib was normally ck, but the moment an elemental ability user held it, it would turn blue. Shin Sung-Hyun chuckled and ced it down. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear about this.¡± As he thought, it was best to keep someone close if he wanted to know more about them. It was true this time, as well. He was starting to look forward to the Dungeon conquest in four days¡¯ time. ¡°Be thorough with the preparations. You must not leave anything out,¡± he said. ¡°Your wish is mymand.¡± *** ¡°This is where you¡¯ll be staying. Isn¡¯t it impressive?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked. ¡°Yeah...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t just saying that for the sake of it. His building looked over the pond, where lotuses were floating on the water. ¡°Is it really alright for me to stay in such arge section of this ce?¡± he asked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one that decided this. The Guild Master did.¡± ¡°Mr. Shin Sung-Hyun¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha cleared her throat when he said his name. ¡°Um¡­ This was your first time meeting him, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t really had any opportunities to meet him otherwise.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I see¡­You¡¯re already calling him Mr. Shin Sung-Hyun even though you¡¯ve only met him twice¡­¡±[1] ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry if that was rude. I just wasn¡¯t sure what to call him.¡± He apologized right away, but Gong Ju-Ha still looked sour. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you to apologize,¡± she said. ¡°Then what is it?¡± Tap. Gong Ju-Ha ced a hand on her chest. ¡°You¡¯ve met me three times, we text often, we¡¯ve been through hardships together, and we¡¯re quite close.¡± ¡°Close¡­?¡± ¡°A-are we not?¡± She looked shocked. ¡°But you even got Specter-nim to put hearts on his autograph for me.¡± ¡°...¡± Did that mean they were close? Seo Jun-Ho looked away, trying to hide his embarrassment. ¡°Well¡­ yes, I do think we¡¯re quite close.¡± ¡°Phew, I was worried that I was misunderstanding.¡± She let out a sigh of relief. ¡°But you still call me Captain Gong.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it courteous to call you that?¡± ¡°No, no. Isn¡¯t ¡®Mr. Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯ much more casual?¡± ¡°Then, Miss Gong Ju-Ha?¡± ¡°Personally, I think the ¡®Gong¡¯ is a little too formal.¡± ¡°...Miss Ju-Ha.¡± She finally looked satisfied, and that was that. ¡°I like it. To be honest, I¡¯ve always called you Mr. Jun-Ho, and you always called me Captain Gong, so¡­¡± The Frost Queen squinted at her as Gong Ju-Ha mumbled. ¡°...Fox.¡± The temperature around them suddenly dropped. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s cool all of a sudden! What¡¯s that? I love it!¡± It did negative damage¡­ 1. The suffix used here is -ssi, while using his title with -nim (sir, ma¡¯am) would be most appropriate. ? Chapter 201. Goblin (4)

Chapter 201. Goblin (4)

¡°What do you think? This is my favorite path to walk,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said. ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± replied Seo Jun-Ho. They had decided to go on a light walk after eating dinner. They were strolling around the pond in the moonlight, and the air was peaceful. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± A silence hung between them. They didn¡¯t actually have much to talk about. In fact, whenever they spoke, Gong Ju-Ha was always the one who spoke first. ¡°Oh! Do you know anything about the Dungeon we¡¯re going to?¡± she asked, pping. She barely managed to find something to talk about. ¡°Yes. I heard that it¡¯s a 1-star Dungeon.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s Earth¡¯s system. The people here call it something different.¡± ¡°Captain Gong¡­ I mean, Miss Ju-Ha, do you have a lot of experience with Dungeons?¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly asked. ¡°Me?¡± Her eyes went round, and she smiled confidently. ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you?¡± ¡°...Know what?¡± ¡°When I was on the 1st floor, I was always running around. I even did a lot of personalmissions, I¡¯m telling you.¡± Well, considering her level of skill, she would probably be able to clear most Gates by herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about this Dungeon. I¡¯ll protect you if ites down to it.¡± ¡°...Thank you.¡± He felt a little embarrassed. He avoided her gaze and looked up at the sky. ¡°Oh, now that I think about it¡­¡± He remembered that there was something he wanted to ask her. ¡°I saw that you have two losses on your Matching record.¡± ¡°...?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ But how do you know that?¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re pretty famous on the Community forums.¡± ¡°What the heck, you¡¯re not going to say that everyone recognizes me because I¡¯m short, are you?¡± It wasn¡¯t just that. Of course, people would recognize her if she used the fire element on top of that. But Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t tell her the whole truth, so he only told her half. ¡°me users aren¡¯tmon,¡± he said. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true.¡± She moved on without questioning it. ¡°But why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I was just wondering who¡¯d be able to defeat someone as strong as you.¡± Though, Seo Jun-Ho was only curious about the first person she had lost to. He was the second, so he wasn¡¯t curious about that. ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t even.¡± Gong Ju-Ha stuck out her lower lip. ¡°The first person I lost to was that thunderous old man,¡± she muttered. ¡°...Who are you talking about?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know the Thunder God?¡± The Thunder God was a yer whom people had nominated to challenge the Heavenly Demon. Though Specter had been the stronger yer in the world in his day, the Heavenly Demonand the Thunder God held that title right now. It was an aplished fact that the strongest yer was either of them. ¡®Though, people who know better know that the Heavenly Demon is stronger.¡¯ He was jealous that Gong Ju-Ha had gotten the opportunity to spar with him. ¡°How was it?¡± he asked. ¡°How was what?¡± ¡°Fighting the Thunder God. I heard he¡¯s strong.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to say.¡± She sulked. ¡°I¡¯d need to see something to tell. As soon as I activated my mes, heughed and called me the mole cricket of Goblin. Then I lost.¡± ¡°So you didn¡¯t even see his attack?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°...¡± There wasn¡¯t a big difference between their skills at the moment. If they fought with their lives on the line instead of sparring, Seo Jun-Ho would barely be able to win. ¡®But if she didn¡¯t even see his attack¡­¡¯ The rumors of the Thunder God being much more powerful than Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun might just be true. ¡°The second was, well¡­They¡¯re a pretty hot topic these days. I lost to Newbie 76.¡± ¡°Oh, that person¡­¡± She looked at him with a piercing gaze. ¡°What level are you right now?¡± ¡°...Me?¡± He could see the suspicion in her eyes, but he didn¡¯t hesitate to answer. ¡°I¡¯m level 83.¡± He had already surpassed level 76 after ughtering dozens of fiends who were bothering Arthur and killing Rnd in West Sun. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 83 Title: Bringer of Spring (+2) Strength: 249 Stamina: 254 Speed: 235 Magic: 286 Fame: 4,550 Compared to when he had first returned, he had improved a lot. These days, he would look at his status window when he was tired, and he would feel happy about it. It was the same feeling as looking at a bank ount filled with digits to the brim. ¡°You¡¯ve leveled up a lot. I wonder who Newbie 76 is¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha trailed off, looking up at the moon. Seo Jun-Ho only had one thing to say. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I suppose they¡¯re the only ones who know who they are.¡± *** Four days passed at Goblin¡¯s estate. On the day of the conquest, dozens of yers gathered on the stone path. As he took in the scene, Seo Jun-Ho was suddenly struck by old memories. ¡®No matter how much time passes, some things never change.¡¯ As seasoned yers, no one felt anxiety or fear¡­ ¡®It¡¯s excitement.¡¯ It was only possible because they were confident in their abilities and trusted that theirrades would have their backs. The members of Goblin resembled Seo Jun-Ho and the yers he used to team up with. ¡°They¡¯re very energetic. They resemble my knights,¡± the Frost Queen noted. As she said, both the yers and the knights of the Winter Castle were valiant warriors. Their leader spoke, ¡°If everyone¡¯s here, let us depart.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun waved his baton, and space stretched apart. The Guild members started to walk into the rip. ¡°...A construction site?¡± The first thing Seo Jun-Ho did was take in his surroundings. The area was lined with construction equipment and workers. ¡°Did you know that the ground we¡¯re standing on wasn¡¯t always this level?¡± Gong Ju-Ha said, approaching him. She held out a piece of paper. ¡°Forever¡­ Land?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. There was a drawing of an animal character holding hands with children. They were all smiling brightly. It was a flyer for an amusement park. ¡°Fifteen years ago, an amusement park was constructed here. It was called Forever Land,¡± she exined. ¡°Here, you mean?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked and looked around once more. There was nothing around that indicated that an amusement park had once stood here. ¡°Frontier has no electricity, as you know. Obviously, all the attractions were powered with magic.¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked sad as she stared at the t ground. ¡°...They were careless. There was an explosion.¡± When one ride exploded, it created a chain reaction on the other machines, creating a huge disaster. ¡°This ce used to be a basin, and there was a canyon near it¡­ Now, it¡¯s just tnd.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho found it eerie to stand on the ground now. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s enough with the sad stories.¡± She pointed to herself with her thumb. ¡°You have to stay close to me from now on. It¡¯s dangerous inside the Dungeon,¡± she dered. ¡°...Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± The campaign progressed smoothly. The Guild was no stranger to Dungeons. Shin Sung-Hyun took the lead and deftly led them inside. ¡®We¡¯re going in¡­¡¯ The entrance was a staircase leading underground. Along with the medical team, the members who weren¡¯t participating said their goodbyes and wished them luck. ¡°The stairs go for a lot longer than I thought,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡®It¡¯s true.¡¯ As she said, it took them a whole thirty minutes to simply reach the bottom. When Seo Jun-Ho stepped off, he could sense the restlessness in the air. ¡®Let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on.¡¯ He scouted his surroundings calmly, as befitting of a yer. ¡°...The sun?¡± Somehow, the sky and the sun were visible even though they were underground. The scene in front of him looked familiar. ¡®An amusement park.¡¯ Far off, there was an attraction that looked like a rollercoaster. He could hear a peaceful, cheery song spilling out from inside. ¡°Miss Ju-Ha.¡± ¡°Y-yes?¡± she responded after a second. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Things seem pretty chaotic,¡± he said. ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± She scratched her head, trying to figure out how to exin it. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s my first time in this kind of situation too¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean, this kind of situation?¡± ¡°Oh, do you not know the difference between a Gate and Dungeon?¡± She asked. He understood their general differences, but he still didn¡¯t understand why everyone was so confused. ¡°Exin.¡± ¡°Gates, like their name implies, connect to a different world. If you enter a Gate in the middle of Seoul, you could end up in a desert or a tropical rainforest.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°But Dungeons are different. They¡¯re not connected to different worlds, they¡¯re just¡­ Ruins or hunting grounds in a specific region,¡± she said. ¡°I see.¡± In that case, this shouldn¡¯t be possible. They had walked down a staircase to go underground. There shouldn¡¯t be a sky or sun here. ¡°And that song has been ying since earlier¡­ Can you hear it?¡± she said, cupping her ear. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. [A happy~ World of hopes and dreams~ We¡¯ll be together forever~ In Forever Land~] ¡°Forever Land¡­¡± He was still holding the flyer that Gong Ju-Ha had given him only half an hour ago. As Seo Jun-Ho looked up again, he started to feel suspicious. ¡°Is time distorted here?¡± he asked. ¡°...I¡¯m not sure either.¡± A momentter, Gong Ju-Ha left after being summoned by Shin Sung-Hyun. It was 20 minutester when Gong Ju-Ha returned; she wore a serious expression on her face. ¡°For now, I think we¡¯ll continue with the campaign,¡± she said. ¡°Because there¡¯s no other choice,¡± Seo Jun-Ho added. The stairs had already closed behind them. If they wanted to leave, they had no other choice but to clear the Dungeon. ¡°We¡¯ll be in the rearguard,¡± she said. Shin Sung-Hyun would take the lead, and Gong Ju-Ha would protect the rearguard. [Wee~ To our eternal world~] The ticket booths werepletely deserted. Actually, there was no sign of life anywhere, even beyond the entrance. ¡°It¡¯s so bright and merry, but the ce itself feels dead,¡± Gong Ju-Ha remarked. Seo Jun-Ho nodded in agreement. They were surrounded by bright, shing lights and cheerful music, but it was hard to shake the feeling of destion. ¡°...Wait. Just a second.¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face wrinkled as she picked up a tourist guide ced next to the booth. ¡°How to enjoy Forever Land?¡± Seo Jun-Ho grabbed a guide and scanned it. His eyes widened. ¡®So this is how we clear it...¡¯ The guide showed the attractions and exined how to leave the ce. 1. Each person must participate in at least one ride. 2. After taking a ride, it will remain inactive for 24 hours thereafter. 3. Visitors who do not enjoy the ride until the end will die. 4. Visitors who cut in line will also die. 5. When all rides are inactive, Forever Land will close. ¡°Tsk, did a kid write this?¡± One of the yers spat, annoyed. But everyone knew. If they didn¡¯t follow the rules, they would be trapped here forever. Chapter 202. Forever Land (1) One side of the empty food court was converted into a makeshift conference room. The participants were Guild members who were Vice Team Leaders or higher, along with the additional two guests. ¡®They¡¯re pretty good on these things.¡¯ The two guests weren¡¯t being included because they were more powerful or of a higher level than normal Guild members¡ªit was because they were outsiders. They had a chance to voice their dissents if they disagreed with the Guild¡¯s decisions. After all, every yer had the right to prioritize their own life above anything else. ¡°There are twenty-eight,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°Twenty-eight rides in the park.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot,¡± someone said. Shin Sung-Hyun nodded. ¡°We¡¯re lucky.¡± They all understood what he meant. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing that there are enough rides.¡¯ Of course, so did Seo Jun-Ho. Eighty yers had entered the Dungeon. ¡®If any more people joined, we would¡¯ve been in trouble.¡¯ Forever Land¡¯s guide map showed the names, locations, difficulty, and the maximum number of participants for each ride. In other words, there were enough rides for every yer to ride in. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too easy?¡± ¡°All we have to do is stand in line and ride the ride¡­¡± ¡°I feel a little ufortable because this used to be a real amusement park, but other than that, it seems easier than I thought.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even need to cut in line...¡± Even though the Dungeon had a strange theme, Goblin¡¯s members didn¡¯t seem scared at all. ¡®...Is it because of their faith in him?¡¯ They looked at Shin Sung-Hyun with boundless, glowing faith. And as a leader should, he rewarded their loyalty. ¡°There are five rides of the highest difficulty that require one rider. I¡¯ll take care of them.¡± ¡°Oohhh.¡± After he made the first decision, the rest of the assignments went smoothly. Following the Vicemaster Jang Kyung-Hoon, the Team Leaders each chose a ride they were confident they could clear or otherwise simply wanted to experience. Except for one¡­ ¡°Captain Gong. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve mentioned which ride you will take,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun said. ¡°I-I¡¯ll just take anything¡­¡± she said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave you with the four-person haunted house¡­¡± ¡°Eek, no!¡± She immediately refused. Everyone turned to stare at her. ¡°Um¡­ Well¡­It¡¯s not like I¡¯m slightly scared¡­Of ghosts¡­¡± she said in a small voice. ¡°Then how about the safari?¡± ¡°Oh? They have one here? I like animals. I¡¯ll take it!¡± Shin Sung-Hyun turned to Seo Jun-Ho, meeting his eyes. ¡°I know it may be difficult, but will you go with Captain Gong?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for cooperating.¡± After he finished assigning most of the members their own rides, the Guildmaster spoke to them once more. ¡°No matter what happens, do not cut in line or give up halfway through,¡± he said. ¡°Of course not. There¡¯s no reason to, is there?¡± ¡°You all got that, right? Just follow the rules, and we can clear this safely.¡± The yers here were Rankers. They were confident that they wouldn¡¯t bog down the conquest. ¡°We should get going.¡± Gong Ju-Ha grabbed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s arm and stood up. A man and a woman followed them. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to go with you, Princess.¡± ¡°Hullo! You look like a small little sparrow. I¡¯m also on the team!¡±[1] ¡°Hae-Won¡¯s a team member, but who are you?¡± Gong Ju-Ha said, narrowing her eyes at the skinny man. ¡°I¡¯m Gasman.¡± As he spoke, he pulled up his sleeve. There were ck holes in his arms, and they puffed as they released green smoke in unison. ¡°If you ever need gas, just say the word.¡± ¡°...Ooh-kay,¡± she said, sounding a little annoyed. Gasman pulled his sleeves down. ¡°Speaking of safaris, do you like animals, Seo hyung?¡± ¡°...Seo hyung?¡± ¡°Yes, isn¡¯t your surname ¡®Seo,¡¯ Jun-Ho hyung?¡± In the blink of an eye, he became a hyung. ¡°Do you know how old I am?¡± he asked. ¡°C¡¯mon, anyone who¡¯s stronger than you is a hyung in this line of business. Hahaha. I can tell just by looking at you that you¡¯re stronger than me.¡± Gasmanughed heartily. The Frost Queen returned from wandering the park, carrying cotton candy with her. On the other hand, she was holding a teddy bear, which was the mascot of Forever Land. Seo Jun-Ho wondered where she got it from. ¡°That man looks as thin as a stick. I do not think we would get along,¡± she dered. ¡°...Hey, where did you get the cotton candy? Don¡¯t just eat it carelessly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Spirit, do you really think I would die? I want to eat it.¡± As she red at him, Gong Ju-Ha turned toward them. ¡°What did you say?¡± she asked. ¡°...It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Ahhhh!¡± A scream came from above. As the four of them turned to look up, they were stunned into silence. ¡°Kill them! Kill them all!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them get close!¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s hard to move because of the damn safety bar!¡± As the rollercoaster shot by them like a bullet, Seo Jun-Ho finally spoke, ¡°So that¡¯s what it is.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ That¡¯s too much. I hate this¡­!¡± Gong Ju-Ha whined, gripping her head. ¡°Mr. Jun-Ho, weren''t those things crawling on the rollercoaster¡­ animal costumes?¡± ¡°Yes. To be exact, they were the mascots of Forever Land.¡± With the bear at the lead as the main mascot, there had been a variety of animals, including a tiger, rabbit, mouse, and cheetah. They approached the yers by crawling on the rollercoaster. ¡°Eek, we have to fight those things while on a ride¡­?¡± Gong Ju-Ha turned pale, and she looked like she was about to cry. ¡°It¡¯s too much. I am afraid of heights. Nooo¡­¡± ¡°Haha, what¡¯s there to worry about? They¡¯re just dolls, can¡¯t you just burn them all?¡± Gasman suggested. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± It didn¡¯t seem to cheer her up in the slightest. In fact, it seemed like he made it worse. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± As they spoke, the Frost Queen stealthily threw away the plushie. Seeing the rollercoaster made her ufortable. ¡®Sigh.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho calmed himself down. Between all these cowards, the only person he could trust was himself. *** ¡°...You¡¯re sure this is the ce?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked carefully. ¡°Yes. It says so on both the map and on the sign,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. ¡°...Am I the only one who finds it weird?¡± The sign had written on it. ¡°Why would you put ¡®horror¡¯ in front of ¡®safari?¡¯ It¡¯s awkward! It¡¯s weird! And it even says it¡¯s ¡®real!¡¯¡± ¡°It probably means that there are a lot of carnivorous animals. Let¡¯s get in line.¡± Of course, they were the only ones there. ¡°Come on!¡± Gong Ju-Ha protested. It didn¡¯t seem like she would move from her spot, but when the other three got in line, she sniffled and followed. ¡°I¡¯m gonna burn them all¡­I¡¯m gonna burn anything thates close¡­¡± she whispered, unsettling her teammates. ¡°So this is the safari car¡­¡± The SUV had tiger stripes on it and had iron bars fashioned on the windows. The engine turned out to be powered by magic. ¡®Darn it. I don¡¯t know much about this type of stuff.¡¯ Magic engines had been developed while he was still frozen. ¡°Is there anyone who knows anything about magic engines?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Oh, I know a bit.¡± Once Gasman was done checking the engine and confirmed that there weren¡¯t any problems, the four of them got in the car. As the doors of the Real Horror Safari opened, the car moved forward. Jang Hae-Won was the designated driver because she wouldn¡¯t be of much help in battle as a healer. ¡°W-we¡¯re off,¡± she mumbled. Once the car started moving, there was an announcement on the TV inside. [The first area is the Amazon.] ¡°The Amazon¡­¡± ¡°Safaris usually have two main areas, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Amazon River and the Serengeti in,¡± Gasman said, nodding. ¡°What animals appear in the Amazon¡­?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked. Seo Jun-Ho answered. ¡°Anacondas, crocodiles, piranhas¡­¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s not as scary as I thought...¡± ¡°Along with spiders and centipedes,¡± Seo Jun-Ho finished. ¡°Why did you save that for the end?!¡± As Gong Ju-Ha yelped, the car suddenly stopped. ¡°Eek! Why did it stop?!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Princess! The brake jammed, and the engine¡­¡± Jang Hae-Won tried to get the engine going, but the car remained unmoving. ¡°Gasman, didn¡¯t you say there weren¡¯t any problems with the engine?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°T-That¡¯s weird. It was fine when I checked it,¡± he said, flustered. He got out of the car and checked the engine once again. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± It had been as good as new just a few minutes ago. But now, it was rusty as if it had been in use for decades. Seo Jun-Ho took in the dense, tropical air. ¡°I think we¡¯re gonna have to walk.¡± ¡°What?! It said it would take two hours by car!¡± ¡°If we walk¡­¡± It was impossible to tell how many hours it would take until they reached the end. Moreover, they were inside the safari. Who knew how many predators were lurking¡­ ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°Huh? But the entrance is right there¡­¡± Jang Hae-Won pointed, but Gong Ju-Ha shook her head. ¡°Safety rule number 3. Visitors who do not enjoy the ride to the end will die.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Miss Ju-Ha is correct. We can only keep going forward,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. No one knew for sure how the penalties were enforced, but no one wanted to risk their life to find out. ¡°Before we leave, please burn that.¡± He pointed to the pile of brush he had made by cutting up the grass ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re asking me to¡­ But okay.¡± With a flick of her wrist, it set on fire. Seo Jun-Ho stepped over the fire, covering his body with ck smoke. ¡°...What are you doing?¡± ¡°The most dangerous creatures in the jungle aren¡¯t anacondas, crocodiles, spiders, or centipedes.¡± They¡¯re bugs, especially mosquitos. ¡°The smell will make insects stay away. You should all do the same.¡± They seemed uncertain, but the party members obeyed withoutint. Gasman looked at him in awe. ¡°Have you ever been to a jungle, Seo hyung? You seem pretty well-versed in this.¡± ¡°...I haven¡¯t.¡± He had actually been to a lot when he was Specter. He had cleared hundreds of Gates with many different environments. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Gasman took the lead, with Gong Ju-Ha and Jang Hae-Won trailing behind them. They skillfully cut through the thick brush and walked for about ten minutes. All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Ho suddenly held up his fist. ¡®Oh, it¡¯s the signal to pause!¡¯ ¡®Did he sense something?¡¯ ¡®I-I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t feel anything¡­¡¯ The other party members hadn¡¯t noticed anything, but Seo Jun-Ho crouched down and studied the ground. ¡®It looks like something was dragged through here.¡¯ The tracks were thirty centimeters wide, much bigger than a car¡¯s wheels. They were also in a uniform S shape. Only one animal could leave such tracks. ¡®But the biggest problem is¡­¡¯ They stopped at the tree right in front of them. ¡°Get ready to fight.¡± Above them, the half-asleep anaconda opened its yellow eyes. As it moved, a shadow fell on the party. ¡°What is that¡­ Why is it so big¡­?¡± ¡°Are anacondas usually that big?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Sssss! The 70-foot-long giant anaconda flicked its tongue. 1. He speaks with a slight Hamgyong ent, which is used in the northernmost parts of Korea and by Chinese-Korean people living near the border. It is not used in South Korea. ? Chapter 203. Forever Land (2) m! The giant anaconda¡¯s tail struck where the party had been standing. The giant body itself was its weapon. Trees fell to the ground as if they had been hit by an explosion. ¡°Kyaa! Princess!¡± ¡°On it!¡± Gong Ju-Ha had rolled five times across the ground, and she shot up, dirt streaking her face. She held out her hand. Fwoosh! A wave of mes swallowed the giant anaconda. ¡®Did it work?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he waited. It would be ideal if her attack had taken it out. If they continued to run toward their destination, it would take them less than an hour. ¡°Ssss!¡± Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°I-It¡¯s resistant to fire?¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy. Are all anacondas like that?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Obviously, the giant anaconda didn¡¯t manage to escapepletely unharmed. Beneath the tree, there were dozens of molted snake skins. ¡®So it just sheds the skins that got burned?¡¯ It managed to molt in the blink of an eye, which was why it had been able to get away just fine. ¡°Miss Ju-Ha! Can you make your mes stronger?¡± Seo Jun-Ho called out. ¡°Ugh¡­ I can, but is it okay if I set the whole forest on fire?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a little¡­¡± ¡°Kyaa! It¡¯s moving again!¡± As Jang Hae-Won screamed, the giant anaconda flicked its tail again. It sounded like an entire building was copsing as the ground shook. ¡®Despite its size, it¡¯s fast.¡¯ The giant anaconda reached the top of the tree in an instant and started to attack in earnest. It had judged that it could withstand Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s mes. It stretched its mouth open. The giant anaconda was the only animal that could open its mouth up to 180 degrees, and it could even unhinge its jaws to make it wider. ¡°Gasman!¡± ¡°A-Alright! Please excuse me!¡± Gasman grabbed Jang Hae-Won by her waist and moved out of the way. The giant anaconda bit down on therge tree that had been behind them, and it splintered apart. ¡°H-how does a damn snake have such a strong bite¡­¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think of it as a normal animal.¡± Swish. The giant anaconda slithered around them, surrounding the party. ¡°If we get caught, it¡¯s over.¡± The scariest part of an anaconda wasn¡¯t its fangs, but its grip strength. It always used itsrge, powerful body to wrap around its prey until it suffocated and died. Seo Jun-Ho used the time to quickly flip through the safari pamphlet. ¡®If we keep getting swarmed with these kinds of monsters, it¡¯ll be hard to get through them with our current party.¡¯ He found a straight path to Serengeti and shouted as he pointed. ¡°Miss Ju-Ha! You can burn everything toward that direction in a line!¡± ¡°Finally some good news!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help!¡± Gasman pulled up both his sleeves and scattered gas. ¡®He can control the gas on top of releasing it?¡¯ The green smoke pushed toward the anaconda. ¡°Everyone, get back! At least twenty steps!¡± Gong Ju-Ha warned. ¡°Hurry!¡± Jang Hae-Won waved her arms, she had already retreated. Gasman and Seo Jun-Ho ran toward her. Fwoooooosh! ¡°Ugh.¡± Seo Jun-Ho instinctively covered his nose as heat filled his lungs. ¡®So this is the power of a gas explosion.¡¯ It was destructive. Even though they were so far back, the heat was scalding. He swallowed as he imagined what it would be like if he was on the receiving end of this attack. ¡°Ssssss!¡± As an onlooker though, he could see that the giant anaconda was about to die. It writhed in pain and had be noticeably slower when it tried to shed its skin. Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s attack had been too powerful for it to handle. ¡®But it¡¯s still breathing...¡¯ Sensing that its life was in danger, the giant anaconda coiled back the tail that had been surrounding them. It was nowpletely on the defensive. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked like she was in more pain even though she had been the one behind the attack. But it wasn¡¯t the use of her skill that exhausted her¡­ ¡°It¡¯s so¡­ Huff, it¡¯s so hot¡­!¡± She was just bad at handling the heat. ¡®But this isn¡¯t something to ignore¡­¡¯ In the humid rainforest, overheating could be fatal. ¡®I have to step in.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho retrieved Cruel Executioner from his inventory. A halberd would be best to cut through such thick, durable skin. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked like she was melting, and her mes also started to weaken. The wild giant anaconda didn¡¯t miss the opportunity. Swoosh! It uncoiled its tail and swung it toward Gong Ju-Ha like a whip. ¡°Princess! It¡¯s dangerous!¡± As Jang Hae-Won called out, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed and he shouted. ¡°Duck!¡± Gong Ju-Ha was quick to catch on and she hurriedly crouched like a mole. Seo Jun-Ho jumped over her, moving as fast as lightning. Slice! m! Cruel Executioner cut through the tail. It was as thick as a tree trunk. It had gone soft from the heat, so the halberd sliced through it like butter. Ssss! The giant anaconda¡¯s yellow eyes became filled with fear as it sensed that its life was in danger. It didn¡¯t even look back at its tail and started to slither away in the opposite direction. But the Ruler of mes was waiting on the other side. Fwoosh! A wall of red mes blocked its retreat. Ssss--! The anaconda turned, panicking. Slice! A cold de sliced through its neck. It was a clean attack, one that Seo Jun-Ho had put his entire body weight into. ¡°...Phew.¡± ¡°Wow, that was so cool!¡± Gasman eximed. He wasn¡¯t wrong. It was the first time Seo Jun-Ho and Gong Ju-Ha had fought together, but they coordinated better than Seo Jun-Ho had expected. ¡®Is it because she¡¯s part of the Big 6?¡¯ People would either misunderstand his orders or miss the timing¡ªbut she was different. ¡°What, why are you looking at me like that? Do you have a different impression of me now? Hehe.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re like an ahjussi.¡± Seo Jun-Ho put away his weapon and turned. The trees and mud were still smoking, but a clean path was now ahead of them. ¡°Why did you say that I could burn everything in this direction?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked. ¡°This is the direct path to Serengeti,¡± he answered. ¡°Wow, as expected of Seo hyung. So we just need to keep going in this direction to reach the goal?¡± ¡°This is easier than I thought.¡± The moment their faces brightened, the speakers in the trees made an announcement. [The anaconda in the safari, ¡®Konkoni,¡¯ has been killed by poachers.[1] ] [Zookeepers will be dispatched to protect Forever Land¡¯s safety and integrity.] [The original Cheetey will also be dispatched.] ¡°...!¡± ¡°Oh, ...Sniff. I can smell Hae-Won¡¯s hope burning away,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said. Seo Jun-Ho slowly nodded with a deadpan face. ¡°I think they don¡¯t like that we tried to take a shortcut.¡± ¡°But still, isn¡¯t this too unfair?¡± ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re adding manpower just because we killed a monster¡­ It¡¯s not fair.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about this the right way.¡± He had only been thinking about clearing the safari as fast as possible. After all, a yer¡¯s instincts would lead them to think that way. ¡®But it came to bite me in the back.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t a normal Dungeon. It was based on Forever Land, which was an amusement park. ¡°Taking the fastest way out wasn¡¯t the answer.¡± The correct way to enjoy a safari was to take your time looking at the animals. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± ¡°We have no other choice. We¡¯ve already disturbed the ho¡¯s nest,¡± he said. They had already been branded as illegal hunters. ¡°And what¡¯s a Cheetey?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s this guy.¡± Gasman held up the guidebook and pointed to the five stuffed animals happily holding hands. ¡°A teddy bear, a tiger, a cheetah, a mouse, and a rabbit¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, Their names are Beary, Tigery, Cheetey, Mousey, and Rabbity.¡± They were the five mascots of Forever Land.[2] Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°...They look cute, but do you think they¡¯ll be strong?¡± she asked. ¡°They¡¯re the same ones crawling on the rollercoaster earlier. I think they might be weak.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you think the ¡®original¡¯ Cheetey might be different?¡± Gasman pointed out. ¡°There¡¯s no point in pondering,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said as he looked down at the clean path. ¡°We should get moving first.¡± They still had a long way to go. *** ¡°Oh, a crocodile!¡± ¡°Oh, a swarm of piranhas!¡± ¡°Kyaaa! Spiderspiderspiderspider!¡± Hot mes continued to spill out of the humid riverbank. It was because Gong Ju-Ha burned every single monster they came across. ¡®Her attack power is outstanding¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho remarked. Thankfully, the giant anaconda had been the only monster with fire resistance. The crocodiles, piranhas, and even the spiders and centipedes couldn¡¯t handle the heat. Surprisingly, Gong Ju-Ha didn¡¯t fall victim to the heat this time. ¡°Weird, I feel pretty refreshed! Maybe it¡¯s because it has been a while since I went on a run?¡± Of course, it was all thanks to Seo Jun-Ho. He had made a deal with the Frost Queen, promising her a limited-edition cake and tea set. ¡°Ahem, you seem to have been in quite the predicament, so I¡¯m merely helping you. It is not that I was appeased by my personal desire for food.¡± She drastically lowered the temperature around them, and thanks to that, they were able to move faster. ¡°Oh, up there! I see a in!¡± Jang Hae-Won shouted cheerfully. Up ahead, the seemingly-eternal line of trees came to an end, and a yellow savanna came into view. ¡®38 minutes left from here.¡¯ They were going at a good pace, and Serengeti was smaller than the Amazon. ¡®If we can hurry it up, we might even be able to get there in 20.¡¯ The moment they stepped into Serengeti, the climate changed. The sticky, humid air disappeared and was reced by a dry, stuffy heat like they were in a sauna. ¡°It¡¯s not as hot as I thought, though.¡± ¡°The real Serengeti should be super hot, but maybe they couldn¡¯t replicate the climate in a Dungeon.¡± ¡°You should all thank me,¡± the Frost Queen said, puffing her chest. Seo Jun-Ho concentrated his magic into his eyes. ¡®A rhino, a lion, a giraffe, a hippo¡­¡¯ A variety of animals dotted the savanna. But there was something else that caught his eyes¡­ ¡°...There are people.¡± The party ceased their chatter and concentrated, enhancing their eyesight. They nodded. ¡°They¡¯re wearing zookeeper uniforms.¡± ¡°...Do all zookeepers carry around weapons?¡± ¡°Just think about it, Mr. Gasman. Of course they don¡¯t.¡± The zookeepers were steadily closing the distance between them, but there was nowhere to hide in the open in. ¡°They¡¯re closing in on us. Mr. Jun-Ho, what should we do? I vote that we kill them all,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said. Seo Jun-Ho considered this for a moment. ¡®If we kill the zookeepers, they might dispatch more forces.¡¯ But if the party ignored them and ran, they would be instantly discovered. They also had to consider the possibility that they might encounter a giant animal like the anaconda and end up being surrounded. ¡°...I agree. Let¡¯s kill them all,¡± he said. At some point, Gong Ju-Ha had started asking Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s opinion before they took any action. Obviously, she respected his knowledge and judgment. ¡°Gasman. Do it stealthily.¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± This time, Gasman cuffed his pants. Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, I can¡¯t see anything. Are you sure there¡¯s gasing out?¡± ¡°Yes. They probably won¡¯t be able to notice it since it¡¯s colorless and odorless,¡± he exined. ¡°But they¡¯ll definitely feel it¡­¡± The invisible gas slowly approached the zookeepers. After some time, everything would end once Gong Ju-Ha set it off. Tatatata! But at that moment, a strange noise reached Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ears. ¡®Footsteps?¡¯ He squinted. Something in the distance was moving so fast that it was hard for even his enhanced eyes to track. ¡°W-What? My gas is being dispersed¡­¡± Gasman gasped, shocked. ¡°...Dodge!¡± Seo Jun-Ho grabbed Gong Ju-Ha and flew out of the way. But Gasman had been one step toote. Fresh blood stained the grass. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The wound was deep enough that it revealed the bones underneath. As Gasman grasped the wound on his ribs with a contorted face, Jang Hae-Won covered her mouth. ¡°Treat him first!¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Jang Hae-Won hurriedly activated her skill and started to heal him. Seo Jun-Ho looked up with a solemn expression. ¡°I¡¯m the original Cheetey.¡± Thenky cheetah in front of them was standing on two feet like a human, its tail swaying back and forth. ¡°I came to avenge Konkoni.¡± 1. This is a cutesy/childish name, simr to what one might name a pet ? 2. Their names are the first character of the animal + ¡°suni¡± or ¡°dori¡± to make it cutesy. The bear¡¯s (Gomdori) name means teddy bear, but the other animals¡¯ names don¡¯t mean anything specific. ? Chapter 204. Forever Land (3) ¡°The wound¡¯s too deep!¡± Jang Hae-Won cried out with her hands ced on Gasman. She sounded like she was about to cry. That was how bad the wound was and how dangerous the situation was. ¡°Cough! Gah!¡± Every time his chest heaved up and down, Gasman choked and coughed out blood. ¡°...Mr. Jun-Ho.¡± Gong Ju-Ha said. The look in her eyes had changed as she watched them. She spoke in a low voice with her eyes still on Cheetey, ¡°Did you see that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t...¡± Cheetey the Cheetah was one of Forever Land¡¯s mascot¡ªbut this wasn¡¯t some cute animal costume. ¡®This is the original Cheetey.¡¯ It was a humanoid cheetah that was so fast that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes hadn¡¯t been able to register how it moved. It didn¡¯t seem unnatural for Cheetey to be standing on two legs, and they fit right in at Serengeti. Theyzily licked their blood-stained ws. ¡°Gas and fire are an annoying match-up,¡± they muttered, voice full of mischief. Cheetey looked at Gong Ju-Ha. They had been aiming for her from the very beginning. After all, no matter how much gas there was, it was pointless if there was nothing to spark it. ¡®...The human has better eyes than I thought.¡¯ Their attack had failed because Seo Jun-Ho had tackled Gong Ju-Ha away. So, Cheetey had decided that Gasman would be the second-best target. ¡°I didn¡¯t see it,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said honestly. ¡°Let¡¯s move for now. So Hae-Won can focus on healing him,¡± she added. She calmly made the best decision she could in the situation. ¡°But that guy won¡¯t just follow along,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°I know.¡± Gong Ju-Ha summoned her magic and ced her hand on the ground. ¡°So, let¡¯s push them away.¡± Fwoosh! As a great amount of magic energy was released, a wall of fire shot up from the ground. With nowhere else to go, Cheetey retreated away. ¡°Huff, huff¡­ Good.¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked back and met Jang Hae-Won¡¯s eyes. ¡°Princess¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us and focus on healing him. I¡¯m gonna win no matter what.¡± Fwoosh. A multiyered wall of fire appeared around Jang Hae-Won. ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous for them?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s a type of fire that doesn¡¯t spread or go out.¡± Serengeti was much hotter now that it had be a sea of fire. Despite Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s usualints about the heat, her lips were pursed. She pulled her messy hair in a tight ponytail. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She extinguished the wall of fire as they went forward. It was obvious just how much magic the technique was using, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain it for a prolonged period of time. ¡°Do you have a n?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. She shook her head. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to hit someone that fast.¡± Gong Ju-Ha flicked her finger, creating a fireball. It floated near her head like the sun. ¡°But I¡¯ll try¡­¡± ¡°...!¡± One, two, three¡­ She kept creating fireballs until there were a hundred of them in no time. The sight was majestic enough to make even Seo Jun-Ho swallow nervously even though he was her ally. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ amazing.¡± The Frost Queen usually disliked Ju-Ha, but her face was full of shock. ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s still a slow attack.¡± Cheetey snorted, but the mischief had left their voice. There was no way they would be hit, but they would die even if they received just a scratch. ¡°Here I go.¡± The moment Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s hand fell, a hundred fireballs flew into the savanna, each with their own time dy. Boom! Boom! Boom! The sound of explosions came from everywhere around them, turning the ce they were in akin to a battlefield. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes flitted around. ¡®...No. She¡¯s too slow.¡¯ The explosions were powerful, but Cheetey was still too fast. ¡°Keke, are you trying to catch me with these slow attacks? How ridiculousy.¡±[1] Fwoosh. All hundred fireballs had beenunched, but Cheetey remainedpletely uninjured. ¡°...What should I do? They¡¯re too fast. My skill can¡¯t keep up.¡± Ruler of mes was a great skill, but it had one weakness. Actually, all elemental abilities had a shared weakness, except for lightning-affiliated ones. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to hit something that fast.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly nodded. He wasn¡¯t sure if his own skill, Watchguard of Darkness, would be able to do that either. ¡®In this situation, it¡¯s nice to have a mage like Skaya to restrain the enemy for a moment¡­; But unfortunately, no one here had such a convenient skill. Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment, then spoke with a grave voice, ¡°Take care of the zookeepers first. Leave this guy to me.¡± ¡°....You? It¡¯s too dangerous. That guy¡¯s insanely fast,¡± she said, eyes wide. ¡°But we still need to do something about the zookeepers.¡± They had passed by the pair and were heading toward the ce where Gong Ju-Ha had left Jang Hae-Won. If this continued, Gasman and Jang Hae-Won would be in danger. ¡°Keke.¡± Cheeteyughed as they slowly approached the two. ¡°You¡¯re chattering again? No matter what you try, you won¡¯t even be able to graze me.¡± ¡°Mr. Jun-Ho¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time. Go.¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked at him with worried eyes. ¡°...Alright. I¡¯ll be right back, so don¡¯t lose.¡± ¡°Of course...¡± Realizing that she wouldn¡¯t be of any help here, Gong Ju-Ha bit her lip and turned around to leave. As she left, Seo Jun-Ho looked at Cheetey coolly. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to y with me now.¡± ¡°Mm, about that¡­ Why should I?¡± They stroked their chin and grinned. Gong Ju-Ha already had her back turned to them. ¡°That woman trusted you and left her back open. Don¡¯t she look like she¡¯ll just die if I attack her right now?¡± It was a rhetorical question. As soon as they finished speaking, however, Cheetey kicked off the ground and their figure blurred. ¡®Kek. Stupid human.¡¯ Did he think they would y fair? Just as Cheetey wasughing and was about to pass by Seo Jun-Ho, thetter spoke, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? I said it¡¯s time to y with me now.¡± ¡°...!¡± His voice hade from right next to them. ¡®Impossible I¡­I¡¯m running right now!¡¯ This meant their opponent was keeping up with their speed. Cheetey slowly looked up to the left. Crack! Something struck their head, and searing pain blossomed on their face. ¡°...¡± They were now at aplete stop. Cheetey blinked, unable to believe what had just happened. ¡®Did I¡­Did I fall over? Because he attacked me?¡¯ Cheetey stood carefully, grabbing the ground. There was something hot on their face, and they touched their nose. ¡°Blood¡­¡± There was blood on their hand. How long had it been since they hadst bled? ¡°How?¡± They turned and stared at the human, unpanicked. ¡°You¡­ Were you hiding your power?¡± Up until a moment ago, the girl¡¯s aura had been the overwhelmingly powerful one. But now, they weren¡¯t so sure anymore. They didn¡¯t know how to exin it, but something had changed. ¡°I dunno, I just increased my output,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied with a shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.¡± Cheetey¡¯s eyes narrowed and they lowered their stance. They looked at Seo Jun-Ho for a moment before disappearing again. This time, they were much faster. ¡®He caught up to me before because I let my guard down.¡¯ Now, they were running at their maximum speed. They were going so fast that they couldn¡¯t even control it properly. Cheetey nodded as they ran. ¡®He can¡¯t catch up to this. A mere human could never go as fast as a cheetah.¡¯ It was their nature. Cheetahs were born fast, while tigers and bears were born with strong muscles. ¡®Humans are slower than cheetahs and weaker than bears and tigers.¡¯ That was the natural order of things, and it couldn¡¯t be changed. Or so they thought¡­ ¡°...!¡± Something was blocking the way. By the time they realized that they had to dodge, it was toote. Crack! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s knee buried itself into the cheetah¡¯s chin. The pain made their head spin, and Cheetey¡¯s eyes rolled back as they copsed. ¡°You really aren¡¯t a normal monster. Usually, it would end here,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. Cheetey managed to pull themselves together and flipped their body in midair. Using their tail for bnce, theynded safely. But their face was hideous. ¡°Haak, haak¡­!¡± Their jaw had beenpletely shattered, making it impossible for them to speak. Their lips wouldn¡¯t close; and teeth, blood, and saliva dripped out of it. ¡®How dare he!¡¯ Their fur stood on end in fury. All the original Forever Land mascots, including them, were superior to humans. ¡®But how dare a mere human¡­!¡¯ They were so enraged that their body was trembling. If they didn¡¯t rip apart the human with their ws, their head just might explode. ¡®Right this instant!¡¯ But what could they do in this situation? The question actually calmed Cheetey down. ¡®This human is fast.¡¯ They didn¡¯t want to admit it, they would rather die than admit it, but the human in front of them was faster than them¡ªa cheetah. The gears quickly started turning in their head. ¡®What if I just ignore him and kill the girl first?¡¯ No. He would catch up. ¡®I can¡¯t fight him face-on either¡­¡¯ ¡®Even if I order the other animals¡­ Dammit, it¡¯s impossible to catch this human.¡¯ They flipped through dozens of possible solutions, but each one was rejected. ¡®No, no, no, no, no¡­¡¯ Still crouching like an angered cat, Cheetey absentmindedly tapped their paws on the ground, but they couldn¡¯t muster the courage to pour strength into them and just run forward. And then, Cheetey met the human¡¯s eyes. ¡®...What¡¯s with him?¡¯ Why did he look unhappy? His eyes were eerily calm. There was no joy, no interest, or a sense of superiority. He looked as if he already knew the oue¡ªas if he had already been through this hundreds; no, thousands of times. ¡°...¡± The moment they realized this, Cheetey became filled with a newfound fear for the man in front of them. ¡°...It¡¯s over.¡± With that one word, the man leisurely walked away and disappeared from sight. ¡®Is he just letting me go?¡¯ Why wasn¡¯t he attacking? Should they take this chance to ambush him? Or just run away? Cheetey was pulled from their thoughts as they suddenly went stiff. ¡®Why is it hot?¡¯ Their whole body felt as hot as a volcano¡ªas if they had caught on fire. ¡°Haak, haak!¡± Cheetey drooled as he watched the man disappear with red eyes. Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s mes didn¡¯t go out no matter how much he rolled on the ground. And the mes didn¡¯t stop until they had stopped breathing and their bones had turned to ashes. ¡°...Wait, why¡¯s the cheetah suddenly acting like that? It doesn¡¯t look like they''re dodging.¡± ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you just attack them with perfect timing?¡± ¡°O-Of course I did¡­ I¡¯m pretty good at that.¡± Gong Ju-Haughed bashfully; she felt proud of herself despite not knowing anything. Seo Jun-Ho went with the flow andughed along with her. 1. Cheetey ends their sentences with ¡°-tah¡±, as in chee-tah ? Chapter 205. Forever Land (4)

Chapter 205. Forever Land (4)

¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Our Hae-Won is very talented,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said. Just as she said, a healer in the Big 6 was on a different level. Gasman had seemed like he would never recover, but now, he sprung up from his seat. ¡°Haha, were you all worried about me? You¡¯re making me blush.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay. But you shouldn¡¯t push yourself anymore¡­¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry for being a burden.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Jang Hae-Won¡¯s help, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to walk by himself. His pale face also showed that he wouldn¡¯t fully recover anytime soon. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you only need to clear one ride.¡± ¡°I sure am lucky. Thank you.¡± After Cheetey was defeated, there weren¡¯t any more dangerous enemies on the safari. The other animals were too busy running away from the wildfire that Gong Ju-Ha had created. ¡°Wow! We¡¯re here!¡± ¡°I¡¯m still hurting a little, but we made it out safely!¡± ¡°What a relief, Princess! Once they stepped out of the safari, the party started to celebrate. ¡°You made it.¡± The Vice Master, Jang Kyung-Hoon, had been waiting by the entrance. He approached them. ¡°Captain Gong, you¡¯ve aplished something great,¡± he said. ¡®Real Horror Safari!¡¯ had been one of the rides with the highest difficulty. She took it on to fulfill her duty to the Guild. ¡°How are things going here?¡± she asked. ¡°...Well.¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon¡¯s bitter smile answered her question. ¡°How many people have died?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked nervously. Jang Kyung-Hoon sighed. ¡°Four.¡± ¡°F-Four?!¡± They hadn¡¯t been some random Guild members. They had been Rankers from the best Guild in the world. Once they cleared the Dungeon, their deaths were sure to be a hot topic. ¡°There aren¡¯t many attractions left¡­ But there¡¯s one more of the highest difficulty,¡± he said. ¡°How about the Guild Master?¡± ¡°...He hasn¡¯te out of the third ride yet.¡± ¡®He¡¯s already on his third ride?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s jaw dropped. Of course, ¡®Real Horror Safari!¡¯ had been Forever Land¡¯s biggest attraction. The fact that they cleared it within two hours was already impressive. But within that time, Shin Sung-Hyun had already cleared two and was working on his third. ¡®I want to see him fight if I get the chance¡­¡¯ As he swallowed his regret, Jang Kyung-Hoon left them with a warning. ¡°And be careful. The Guild Master said the original mascots are dangerous.¡± ¡°Oh, we know. We ran into one. They were easier to defeat than I thought, though.¡± ¡°...You met one? And you defeated them easily?¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon looked shocked. ¡®The Guild Master said that even Ju-Ha would struggle in a fight against them¡­ Perhaps each one has a different level of strengthpared to the others?¡¯ He checked the pamphlet. ¡°The Guild Master defeated Rabbity and Mousey. How about you?¡± ¡°Cheetey.¡± ¡°So that means only the tiger and bear are left.¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon frowned as he stared at the pamphlet. ¡°My hypothesis was correct. It seems that the original mascots only appear in the attractions of the highest difficulty.¡± ¡°That''s what I thought. We got lucky and defeated them easily, but they were really strong,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said, nodding as she remembered. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been able tond a surprise attack, we would¡¯ve been in big trouble. Right, Mr. Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a relief that you were able to end them like that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°I see. A surprise attack¡­¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon moved on. ¡°So that must mean that the Guild Master is fighting one of the two remaining mascots,¡± he concluded. ¡°Where¡¯s thest attraction with the highest difficulty?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± He turned and pointed to a tent. ¡°It¡¯s called . You can¡¯t really tell what it will be like from the name.¡± ¡°And how many people can enter?¡± ¡°Two.¡± ¡°...¡± Gong Ju-Ha considered this. ¡°Where¡¯s In-Ho?¡± ¡°He¡¯s working on one of the rides with other team members right now.¡± ¡°So there¡¯s no one here to clear it?¡± she asked. ¡°I was nning to wait for the Guild Master, but if he takes too long¡­¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon looked determined. ¡°You and I will go in.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Traveling Troupe of the Sky. Its name didn¡¯t give much insight into what kind of attraction it would be. The Frost Queen made a tempting offer. ¡°Contractor, shall I look inside the tent?¡± At the sound of her voice, Seo Jun-Ho immediately ran to the restroom and checked that no one was around. Afterward, he turned to her. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Yes, me...¡± Whenever she offered to help, she had been very useful. She even assisted him during the poker game at Haus¡¯s casino. ¡°Can you do that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°It is not difficult¡­ Though, I suppose there could be monsters who can see Spirits¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°But would I truly die? I suppose I could be recalled, but that would be it¡­¡± ¡°Then help me...¡± She smirked when she saw how fast he answered. ¡°Contractor. You see, in life¡­¡± ¡°Nothinges for free.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You are very wise.¡± Was it really necessary to go in circles like this just to get some sweets? ¡°So what do you want to eat this time?¡± ¡°While looking around this ce, I saw something called a churro. However, there were no employees and it was not for sale.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy you one next time,¡± he said. Now that she had received a definitive answer, the Frost Queen scuttled out of the bathroom with her short legs. ¡°I shall be back, so wait here.¡± ¡°Come back as fast as you can.¡± The restroom smelled bad. *** She came back around twenty minutester. ¡°What took you so long? I thought something went wrong and I was¡­¡± He trailed off when he saw the cotton candy in both of her hands. ¡°D-Do not misunderstand. This is a different vor fromst time,¡± she said. ¡°...¡± When he narrowed his eyes at her, she cleared her throat and spoke, ¡°Anyway, I looked around the tent quite thoroughly, so listen close.¡± ¡°Sigh, okay. What was inside?¡± ¡°A stage,¡± she said, using her cotton candy to demonstrate. ¡°The audience seats were here, and there was a stage this big. Behind it was a dressing room, and a big bear was sitting there.¡± ¡°...A bear.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression changed. Forever Land¡¯s main mascot¡­ ¡®That must be the original mascot, Beary.¡¯ ¡°What did they look like?¡± ¡°I merely got a quick nce, but¡­¡± Her face turned serious. ¡°They were strong. Stronger than the girl who uses fire.¡± The Frost Queen had a lot of experience. As the Queen of Niflheim, she had gone through countless battles. Her judgment would be urate. ¡°What if she had Jang Kyung-Hoon, the man from earlier with her?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, he seems weaker than that fox.¡± ¡°I noticed that too...¡± Of course, the Vice Master of Goblin was an aplished yer. However, he couldn¡¯tpare to Gong Ju-Ha. ¡®They call him the Wise Man of Goblin.¡¯ In other words, he was something like an advisor. ¡°What if I went with her?¡± ¡°Hmm, if you two worked together, well¡­ I do not know.¡± Though the Frost Queen knew his power better than anyone else, she still couldn¡¯t give a definitive answer. ¡°So we can¡¯t let the two of them go in together,¡± Seo Jun-Ho concluded. ¡°But Contractor, do you think that man will simply let you go in as you please?¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon looked like a stiff man of principle. Not only that, but he also held great pride for Goblin. ¡°He probably wouldn¡¯t want to burden me even more as an outsider,¡± he said. ¡°I was thinking the same thing. What will you do, then?¡± she asked. ¡°What do you think? I¡¯ll make sure that he has no choice but to send me in.¡± Having made up his mind, Seo Jun-Ho stepped out of the bathroom. *** ¡°He¡¯s taking too long...¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon kept nervously checking his watch. It was merely a habit, considering that no one could tell the time inside a Dungeon. All he could tell was that the sun was starting to fall. ¡®This isn¡¯t a normal Dungeon. We don¡¯t know what will happen when the night falls.¡¯ He wanted to clear all the attractions before the night fell, but Shin Sung-Hyun was still inside his third attraction, the Haunted House. Jang Kyung-Hoon swallowed and made his decision. ¡°We have no other choice, Captain Gong.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He looked at her wordlessly. She was shorter and younger than most of the Guild members, but he was once again leaving her with a vital mission. His chest tightened at the thought, but there was nothing they could do. All the other Guild members were upied with other attractions, and they were the only strong yers at present. ¡°I think we have to go inside on our own,¡± he said. ¡°Somehow, I knew this would happen. Let¡¯s go.¡± They started walking toward the line for the Traveling Troupe of the Sky. Jang Kyung-Hoon nagged her like a mom. ¡°You have to pay attention. This ride is at the highest difficulty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the person that cleared the safari. So don¡¯t worry¡­ Huh?¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s reply turned into a question. She hadn¡¯t expected anyone to be there, but someone was waiting for them. ¡°Mr. Jun-Ho? Didn¡¯t you go to the bathroom?¡± ¡°I came back. We have some time, so I was gonna go to another attraction. I think this is thest one.¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon instantly grew pale at his cool answer. ¡°Look here, Seo Jun-Ho! This attraction is at the highest difficulty, and it contains an original mascot!¡± ¡°Mmhm¡­ I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked surprised. Then, he held up his fists. ¡°I¡¯ll try even harder if that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s not the problem here.¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon shook his head, adamant. ¡°This is our Guild¡¯s campaign. I cannot let an outsider take on such a huge burden. Step aside right now.¡± He looked like he would drag Seo Jun-Ho away, but Gong Ju-Ha interrupted. ¡°No.¡± ¡°What? Why¡­¡± ¡°No cutting. Kicking out someone already in the line counts as cutting,¡± she said. ¡°...!¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon turned to Seo Jun-Ho as he suddenly remembered the rules he had forgotten. Had Seo Jun-Ho calcted this and gotten in line earlier? ¡°Oh¡­ right. That was a rule, right? Ipletely forgot about that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°...¡± He was a good actor, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore. ¡®...We¡¯re screwed.¡¯ Jang Kyung-Hoon rubbed his face with his hands. As befitting of the Wise Man of Goblin, the gears in his head quickly started to turn. ¡®Even though he¡¯s very talented, he hasn¡¯t even reached level 100 yet.¡¯ At level 83, it was much too early for him to have reached his full potential. And if he went into this attraction? ¡®There are too many things that could go wrong. And in the worst-case scenario¡­¡¯ Harmful rumors might spread. After all, people were saying that he was the first yer with this much potential since Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun ¡®People love to stir up drama. They might spread rumors that the Guild Master had Seo Jun-Ho killed because he was scared of his potential.¡¯ No matter what, Jang Kyung-Hoon had to stop that. All the glory that Goblin had earned over the years could scatter like dust. ¡®I-I can still fix this.¡¯ Thankfully, the attraction allowed for two people, which meant that someone could go in with Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®I have to go in.¡¯ That way, even if Seo Jun-Ho died, they would be able to avoid the worst oue. If the Vice Master died with him, they would receive sympathy, not outrage. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll go with you then!¡± a pleasant voice eximed. ¡°...?¡± A short yer ran over to Seo Jun-Ho. It was none other than Gong Ju-Ha. Jang Kyung-Hoon stared at her hopelessly. ¡°Captain Gong, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m going into the attraction. Why?¡± Did she really have to ask? ¡®Right, I forgot. Ju-Ha was going to challenge this attraction. I forgot something so obvious.¡¯ Jang Kyung-Hoon let out a chokedugh, havingpletely lost it. Gong Ju-Ha held out her fist toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Yo, it seems like we¡¯re teaming up again.¡± ¡°So it seems¡­¡± ¡°Just trust me. I¡¯ll carry you all the way through.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, bumping her fist with his. Chapter 206. Forever Land (5)

Chapter 206. Forever Land (5)

The tent was dark inside. As their eyes adjusted, an announcement was yed. [Please take your seat.] ¡°We should sit down,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re telling us to sit on the ground. We should sit there, don¡¯t you think?¡± Gong Ju-Ha pointed to the rows of blue, cheap-looking stic chairs. ¡°Let¡¯s do as they say for now. That¡¯s the only way we can progress.¡± Gong Ju-Ha sat in the very front row. He couldn¡¯t tell if she truly wasn¡¯t scared, or if she was pretending. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this make you think of the old days?¡± she asked. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Back in Las Vegas.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Back then, they sat in luxurious couches that couldn¡¯t evenpare to these hard, ufortable chairs. [The show will begin shortly.] With the next announcement, noises started toe from behind them. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t this attraction for two people?¡± Gong Ju-Ha said. Her face fell when she turned around. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened as he did the same. ¡®This is bad.¡¯ The empty seats were nowpletely filled, without a single empty chair. The stuffed animals in the audience started at them ominously. ¡°I-isn¡¯t this a little scary¡­ No, a little creepy?¡± ¡°Just a little.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked calmly back at the stage, but Gong Ju-Ha couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°L-Let¡¯s watch them together! What if they ambush us from behind while we¡¯re both looking at the stage?¡± ¡°If they were gonna ambush us, they would¡¯ve done it already. The non-originals are weak anyway,¡± he said. Funnily enough, the Dungeon¡¯s announcements were always honest. ¡®It¡¯s as if they genuinely want us to enjoy the amusement park.¡¯ Click. The faint yellow light switched off and the curtains on the stage opened just as the ground started to vibrate. ¡°...Mr. Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand now why it¡¯s called Traveling Troupe of the Sky.¡± The seats and the stage started to lift up into the sky like they were riding a drop tower. The tent¡¯s ps disappeared into the wind, and they could see all of Forever Land as the theater was lifted 80 meters off the ground. ¡°Hmmm, it¡¯s too high. We won¡¯t be able to run away,¡± Seo Jun-Ho observed. ¡°Is this really the time to be saying that?!¡± Gong Ju-Ha sounded like she was about to cry. Her fingers were twitching. If she saw any suspicious movements, she would burn everything. [The show has begun.] Oriental music started to y with instruments that sounded like geomungos and gayageums.[1] ¡°Hup!¡± The first one that stepped onto the stage was a face-changing performer. They made silly movements and every time they shook their head, their face somehow changed.[2] ¡°Wow, they must¡¯ve practiced a lot.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ No, wait! Get it together! This is the highest difficulty attraction!¡± After that came a strongman, and then a performer that juggled knives with their eyes closed. They really were like a traveling troupe, and both Seo Jun-Ho and Gong Ju-Ha watched a slew of fun performances. ¡°Guh¡­¡± ¡°Guoh¡­¡± Suddenly, the stuffed animals went wild and started waving their hands. [The most popr performance in the Traveling Troupe of the Sky, Beary¡¯s Execution, is about to begin.] The one they were waiting for stepped onto the stage. ¡®...It really is big.¡¯ The Frost Queen had said as much, but up close, Beary was impossibly huge. Their arm was thrice as thick as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s entire body. ¡°...¡± Beary stepped onto the stage and looked around the audience as if looking for something. [Beary is looking for someone to execute.] ¡°...Yikes, I have a bad feeling about this,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said, frowning. She disappeared like a ghost. Her hunch had been right. ¡°Miss Ju-Ha?¡± She reappeared on the stage. ¡°Huh? Huh?¡± Startled, Gong Ju-Ha instinctively tried to get back to Seo Jun-Ho, but there was a transparent wall between the stage and the audience. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho sprung up, but the hundreds of stuffed animals followed as if warning him of what would happen if he interrupted the show. ¡®We were nning to fight together, but now, it¡¯s a one-on-one match.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho bit his lip. This wasn¡¯t good. He didn¡¯t think Gong Ju-Ha could defeat Beary on her own. Even Gong Ju-Ha herself seemed to have realized that. ¡®...It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ She realized that from the moment she faced Beary on the stage. That giant, fluffy animal was stronger than her. ¡°Haa, haa.¡± She leaned against the wall as she tried to catch her breath. Beary just stood there, staring at her with curiosity, as if studying an ant trapped in a cage. ¡®Don¡¯t be scared, Gong Ju-Ha. You¡¯re the girl who killed Cheetey.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t this a better situation than before? She hadn¡¯t been able to see Cheetey¡¯s movements at all, but the bear obviously looked slow. ¡®My skill was strong enough to kill Cheetey with one hit.¡¯ So as long as her attacknded, she would probably win. Gong Ju-Ha swallowed and watched for an opportunity. The moment Beary made an opening, she would release all her magic power and burn Beary down. ¡®Now, hurry up and move. Show me an opening.¡¯ They stared each other down for about fifteen seconds. Bam! ¡°...?!¡± There was a loud m from the stage, and Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face twisted. She spat blood and doubled over, hugging her stomach in pain. ¡®I got hit? When¡­?¡¯ The bear looked slow, but it was even faster than Cheetey. ¡°Miss Ju-Ha!¡± ¡°Urk, I-I¡¯m okay¡­¡± She stepped hard on the ground, forcing her trembling legs to stand. It hurt so much that she wanted to justy down, but if she gave up here, she would die. ¡®And if I die¡­¡¯ The next victim would be the man behind the transparent wall, Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Don¡¯t. Worry.¡± She slowly held up her hand. Thankfully, the location was good. ¡®We¡¯re floating off of the ground, and there¡¯s nowhere to dodge.¡¯ If her opponent was so fast she couldn¡¯t see it, then¡­ ¡°I just need to burn everything down.¡± Gong Ju-Ha gestured with her finger. An enormous amount of magic power poured out of her and filled the night sky. It was so bright that it looked like it was daytime for a moment. Fwooooosh! Beary couldn¡¯t dodge the mes that filled every inch of the air. ¡°I-I did it.¡± Gong Ju-Ha chuckled as blood dripped down her lips. Ruler of mes had carried her to her current status, and now, it was burning more beautifully and powerfully than it ever had. ¡°...¡± But as she watched, the Frost Queen closed her eyes and hung her head low. She didn¡¯t want to watch what was about to happen. ¡°Huh?¡± A short mutter emerged from Gong Ju-Ha''s lips as a giant paw pierced through the sea of mes. At that moment, she only had one thought. ¡®Wait, I¡­ Am I gonna die?¡¯ She usually boasted of her intelligence, but her mind faltered at this question. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t think of a way out. ¡®This is kinda pathetic...¡¯ If she had known that she would die so helplessly, she wouldn¡¯t have tried so hard. Why had she put in such grueling effort if it was going to end like this? Her eyes brimmed with tears of frustration, reflecting the bear¡¯s magnified paw. It inched forward like it was in slow-motion. ¡°...¡± As she epted her fate, she looked back at thest moment. She gave Seo Jun-Ho an apologetic smile as herst goodbye. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I lost.¡± m! A bone-shattering crash sounded from the stage. ¡°Guoooh!¡± ¡°Uooooh!¡± The stuffed animals cheered, apuding the powerful executioner¡¯s masterpiece. ¡°...¡± But when Beary looked down at their arm, it was twisted several times around like a pretzel. How? Did that girl have some kind of hidden trump card? ¡°...¡± No, it wasn¡¯t the girl. It was the man. ¡°...Huh?¡± Gong Ju-Ha slowly opened her eyes when the pain she expected didn¡¯t follow. ¡°Mr¡­Jun-Ho?¡± she asked meekly. The man in front of her seemed nothing like the Seo Jun-Ho she had seen several times before. It almost felt like she was looking at a different person. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t regret this?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°I won¡¯t¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. He didn¡¯t mean to, but heughed. ¡°Regret it.¡± Actually, he should have done this earlier. He hated seeing the way Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face paled and the bright red blood on her lips. He hated how the bear unfairly tried to make this into a 1v1 fight. But what he hated most was his stupid self and the way he hadn''t acted until thest moment because he was afraid of revealing his abilities. ¡®You idiot. You idiot.¡¯ He had forgotten the most important thing because everyone had always praised him as a hero. ¡®A hero must take action.¡¯ Even if ten thousand people; a million people, or even the whole world were frozen with fear, a hero would still move. Seo Jun-Ho believed in this. ¡®If I had stepped in just a momentter, I would¡¯ve regretted it for the rest of my life.¡¯ He was immensely relieved that he hadn¡¯t lost Gong Ju-Ha or himself. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Beary looked at Seo Jun-Ho with curiosity. They tapped on the wall in front of them to make sure it was still there. It was in perfect shape, so how did he manage to go through it? ¡°Booo!¡± ¡°Guooh!¡± The mascots stood up from their seats and started to shout, booing Seo Jun-Ho for interrupting the sacred execution. ¡°All of you, shut up,¡± he said with a cold, icy voice. Using a powerful Frost Breath, he froze all the stuffed animals at once. This was the power of his EX-grade skill, which surpassed what was thought to be the most powerful grade, the S-grade. ¡°...I knew this would happen eventually,¡± he said. But he hadn¡¯t expected it to happen here and now. ording to his ns, it was supposed to be a long way off. ¡®I thought this would happen at Port Lane at the earliest¡­¡¯ He instantly felt the frustration of his ns crumbling. But fortunately, the person in front of him could take full responsibility for it. *** ¡®What¡­What am I looking at?¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha was confused. Was this a dream? ¡®That¡¯s the same bear as before, right?¡¯ It was indeed the bear that she couldn¡¯t eveny a hand on. So how was Seo Jun-Ho fighting it on equal footing? ¡®No, he actually has the upper hand.¡¯ She had always thought of him as a mysterious person. Ever since she first met him, something about him had pulled her in, but she dismissed it and thought that it was simply because of his potential. ¡®But it wasn¡¯t...¡¯ It was because he was strong¡ªunimaginably strong. yers were attracted to powerful people, after all. ¡°And¡­¡± Above all, it was beautiful. The ice crystals that reflected the moonlight were more beautiful than any jewel. Crackle! Every time Seo Jun-Ho moved his hand, Beary would lose their bnce. This wasn¡¯t a technique that could be performed simply by having a good skill. ¡®He has a scarily good fighting sense.¡¯ He kept doing things that annoyed them. That wasn¡¯t something that could simply be taught. Craaaack! Five minutes after the battle began, Beary could no longer move. All their limbs were frozen. ¡°I-Is it over?¡± ¡°No,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said tly, disappointed. ¡®The thick muscles and hide are natural armor.¡¯ Instead of poking at it with small attacks, he had tond a big hit. ¡®Will it work?¡¯ He nced at Gong Ju-Ha. If just for a second¡­ Beary broke out of the ice prison and struck the ground. Their overwhelming strength made the entire theater tilt. ¡°Kyaaa!¡± The entire theater was frozen at this point, and Gong Ju-Ha started to slide toward Beary. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed. ¡®Perfect timing¡­¡¯ He ran down the nted ground and stretched his hand out toward her. ¡°Grab on!¡± ¡°O-Okay!¡± He pulled her in and hugged her close to his chest so that she wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything. ¡°Winter Fangs.¡± Crackle! Dozens of icicles shot up from the ground. Having poked by them before, Beary ignored the icicles, but it was a mistake. ¡®Darkness pierces through everything.¡¯ Their muscles and hide were nothing for an element as violent and stubborn as darkness. This time, the icicles were covered with darkness. Beary slowly looked down at their body. Dozens of spikes emerged from their chest as if they had be a hedgehog. ¡°M-M-M-Mr. Jun-Ho. This is a bit¡­We¡¯re not that close yet¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I was too focused on the battle.¡± Seo Jun-Ho instantly let her go and gestured with his finger. Paaak! The ice exploded, and Beary shattered into thousands of ice shards, scattering on the stage. Gong Ju-Ha fanned her face. ¡°B-Besides, my parents are a little conservative¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, are you really saying that after just one hug?¡± ¡°Huh? What have you been talking about? I¡¯m saying that the battle¡¯s over.¡± He pointed to the shards that had been Beary just a moment ago, and Gong Ju-Ha flushed red. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can you hit my head really hard? I want to forget what just happened.¡± She knew that this would haunt her for the years toe. 1. Traditional Korean zithers. ? 2. Also known as bian lian, this is a performing art in Chinese opera. ? Chapter 207. Forever Land (6)

Chapter 207. Forever Land (6)

¡°Since when?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked. Despite the vagueness of her question, it wasn¡¯t hard to tell what she was asking about. ¡°It has been some time now,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. ¡°...I¡¯ve never seen anyone fool the whole world like what you have done.¡± People knew him as a yer who only had one D-grade skill, but he was already known to have outstanding potential. It was unfair that he had an elemental skill on top of that. She looked at him bitterly as if faced with an ex-lover. ¡°I suppose that means you want to join Goblin even less now.¡± He hadn¡¯t been pulled in even when she thought he only had a D-grade skill. She thought that she might be able to bring him in if she followed him around, but now, it was impossible. ¡°I won¡¯t join. However, it¡¯s not just the Goblin Guild. No Guild will be able to have me,¡± he said, reassuring her. She had to be satisfied with just that. ¡°What, if you have an ice-type skill¡­ Was that you, back at the safari?¡± ¡°I admit that I did lower the temperature around us a bit,¡± he said. ¡°You are a liar, Contractor. That was my doing.¡± The Frost Queen scowled, but she was a part of his skills anyway. ¡°And Cheetey, too?¡± ¡°Um, well¡­I suppose I helped you out a little bit?¡± ¡°You liar. That was all my doing,¡± the Frost Queen said once again. ¡°Aaahhh!¡± As Gong Ju-Ha screamed, her face turned as red as a tomato. ¡®Just stay by my side. I¡¯ll protect you.¡¯ ¡®Just trust me. I¡¯ll carry you all the way through.¡¯ ¡®O-Of course I did. I¡¯m pretty good at that.¡¯ Why was her memory so good at times like this? ¡®Ugh, I must¡¯ve looked like aplete idiot.¡¯ She thought that she might need to buy more nkets to hide under. ¡°Just kill me now¡­¡± The temperature rose as she got flustered. The frozen seats and stage became a sea of water as if a flood had just passed through. ¡°I-I need to calm down.¡± Everyone had their embarrassing moments. No one was perfect. Though, it could be a problem if there were too many of those moments. ¡°To be honest, I always thought you were special from the very beginning. Call it my feminine instinct.¡± ¡°You have one?¡± ¡°I do! Of course, I didn¡¯t know that you have an elemental skill or even the rare ice-element skill on top of that.¡± She looked at him with interest. ¡°How did you hide it? Didn¡¯t you want to tell people?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t the type of person to go through extra trouble to get attention. Actually, he had enjoyed the past few months because he didn¡¯t receive the excessive attention he used to get. ¡®I suppose things will get noisy soon.¡¯ He let out a light sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t like to be bothered.¡¯ ¡°Well, I don¡¯t me you.¡± Things would get noisy once his skill was revealed. ¡°I want to respect your wishes, but this isn¡¯t something that I can keep to myself,¡± she said. ¡°I know.¡± He nodded. Even though the stage was floating 80 meters off the ground, there were yers down there. Moreover, they were all Rankers or worked with Rankers. They would have seen the way ice formed from out of nowhere and seen the hail fall from the sky. ¡°Anyway, why isn¡¯t the stage going down? It¡¯s over,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said. ¡°Oh, about that¡­¡± The moment he spoke, the stage started to shoot downward like they were riding a drop tower. ¡°I thought this would happen. It didn¡¯t end with killing Beary,¡± he said as the ground came closer and closer. But this Dungeon had underestimated the yers¡ªyers could easily ride an amusement park attraction without safety gears. ¡°...¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s head drooped forward and she was silent. Seo Jun-Ho started shaking her shoulders. ¡°Miss Ju-Ha. Miss Ju-Ha? Oh my god, Miss Ju-Ha?¡± Goblin¡¯s Princess wouldn¡¯t even blink when faced with vicious and powerful monsters, but the amusement park ride made her faint standing up. *** ¡°Captain Gong! Ju-Ha!¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon cried out. He was the first one to run over. He shook her unconscious body and looked at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? Was she hit with a telepathic skill?¡± ¡°Um, well¡­¡± As Seo Jun-Ho took a moment to find the right words, Shin Sung-Hyun approached them. ¡°I think she¡¯s simply unconscious. She has acrophobia,¡± he said as he looked at her. ¡°That¡¯s right. When the stage started to fall, she suddenly fainted¡­¡± ¡°Well, it happens quite often. She¡¯ll wake up once some time passes.¡± With that, Shin Sung-Hyun looked around. They were mostly surrounded by healers who were treating the wounded, but there were also some grief-stricken yers moving corpses covered with white sheets. ¡°...¡± It was a familiar sight. Even though Dungeons and Gates had different names, those who entered them both felt the same feelings, and the aftermath of the battle was also the same. ¡°How many?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Seven.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± he said to himself. That was three more than the previous count. ¡®Miss Ju-Ha will be sad.¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun spoke when he saw the regret on his face. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, the number might have been higher. I promise to reward you for that,¡± he said. ¡°I simply did what was needed.¡± ¡°And rewards should be given when people do what is needed with great proficiency.¡± He turned and looked at the stage with slightly narrowed eyes. ¡°Water¡­¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°The stage and the seats arepletely drenched as if there was a flood.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho started speaking nonchntly, but he stopped. There was something strange about the way Shin Sung-Hyun was looking at the theater. ¡®Why is he looking at it like that?¡¯ His eyes were sharp, like a detective¡¯s, but he had no reason to do that. ¡®Didn¡¯t he see me use my skill?¡¯ They had been 80 meters in the air, which meant that even a normal person with good eyesight would be able to see what happened. Moreover, they were yers. ¡®Now that I think about it, the Guild members aren¡¯t treating me any different.¡¯ At first, he thought that they had been too overwhelmed with the grief of losing theirrades. But seeing Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s reaction, Seo Jun-Ho realized what happened. ¡®They didn¡¯t see it.¡¯ They hadn¡¯t seen something that they should have, and the reasonable assumption to make was that it was because they were in a Dungeon. ¡°You couldn¡¯t see too well, could you?¡± he asked casually, testing the waters. ¡°Yes. When the theater rose up to the sky, it waspletely covered in darkness, and we couldn¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°It was covered in darkness, I said,¡± he repeated. ¡°...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked, looking at him with a confused expression. ¡®Well, either way, he¡¯ll end up finding out about my Frost skill once Ju-Ha gives him a report.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter if they had already seen it or not. ¡°It would be better to hear from Miss Ju-Ha herself,¡± he said, feeling relieved. ¡°I suppose I could do that.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun nodded and started to send out the other Guild members. It seemed that he would publicly reveal Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s rewardter. He had made great contributions despite being a guest, which meant the reward would be something big. ¡°...¡± Once all the other Guild members of Goblin left Forever Land, only the two men were left inside. ¡°What is it that you want to say to me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°...¡± Shin Sung-Hyun silently took out a pen from his inventory. Unlike his usual self, he seemed a little unsettled. ¡°Do you remember this pen?¡± ¡°Yes. I used it to sign the contractst time,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. He specifically remembered it because it seemed much too in of a pen for a Guild Master to use. ¡°This pen is actually an artifact,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun stated. ¡°An artifact?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyebrows knitted as he watched Shin Sung-Hyun let go of it. As the pen floated in the air, the ck nib turned blue. ¡°After you used this pen and left the room, it became like this,¡± he said. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means that you, Seo Jun-Ho, possess an elemental skill,¡± he said smugly. Seo Jun-Ho was dumbfounded. ¡®So there¡¯s an artifact that can do this. I was too careless.¡¯ But that was the end of it¡­ The fact that he was an elemental skill user was no longer a secret because Gong Ju-Ha already knew everything. ¡°So what if I do?¡± ¡°...¡± Sung-Hyun was a little taken aback by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s nonchnt response. He started to exin his hypothesis. ¡°At first, I was amazed. You were a talented yer who appeared out of nowhere. You have an unimpressive skill, and though your body wasn¡¯tpletely trained, you were able to clear the Cave of Trials. It was too suspicious.¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure why it is.¡± ¡°You were a promising yer, and you were on your way to bing one of the best. But your background was too normal¡­ It was as if someone had manufactured it.¡± That part was true. Shim Deok-Gu hadpletely remade his identity as Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Well, people say that some are just naturally gifted. I suppose that¡¯s what I am. I thought I was just a normal person, but I realized that I was much more than that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not humanly possible,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun said firmly. ¡°People consider Kim Woo-Joong and me to be geniuses that onlye around once in a century, but we still made mistakes when we first became yers. However, you never made mistakes. You¡¯re perfect.¡± He clicked the pen again. ¡°So as I kept thinking about it, it came to me.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°A yer with incredible potential that seemed to havee out of nowhere. An elemental skill user. The darkness that covered the stage earlier. Doesn¡¯t another yere to mind?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You may have fooled the world, but you haven¡¯t fooled me.¡± As realization dawned on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face, Shim Sung-Hyun looked at him sharply. ¡°I have always wanted to meet you, Specter.¡± Chapter 208. War for Peace (1)

Chapter 208. War for Peace (1)

"Ah!" The one who was most surprised on the spot was none other than the Frost Queen. Looking around, she rushed off somewhere and came back with popcorn. Crunch! Crunch! The Frost Queen watched the situation while eating popcorn with an interested expression. At that time, Seo Jun-Ho was deep in thought. ¡®How surprising...'' Naturally, he was surprised because of Shin Sung-Hyun''s tremendous reasoning ability. It was shocking in a way. ¡®How the hell can he guess who I am with that kind of reasoning?¡¯ He was speechless because it was so ridiculous, and he even felt a slight sense of shame. Of course, it was true that he was Specter. But wasn''t the way it was inferred a sham? ¡®Keep it up, Keen Intuition (A).¡¯ It was a ''real'' intuition where all the processes in the middle were wrong but it nevertheless produced an urate answer. That was a god-like intuition. ¡®It''s a little scary to think about it that way.¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun''s instinctive sense gave Seo Jun-Ho slight goosebumps. Those ridiculous skills must have put him in the position of the Nine Heavens. ''And he''s really meticulous, too...¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun had never shown that he was suspicious of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s identity. Even after Seo Jun-Ho used the artifact, Shin Sung-Hyun hadn¡¯t shown any changes on the outside. ¡®But as soon as he saw the darkness that covered the theater, he thought he found decisive evidence and asked...¡¯ The ability to thoroughly hide one¡¯s emotions and act for a purpose was also one of the skills required as a yer. ¡®It¡¯s a big relief.¡¯ Currently, Shin Sung-Hyun''s reasoning was too sloppy and because it was sloppy, there was a gap to attack. ''If he''d held it in a little longer...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho sweated. There really wouldn¡¯t have been a way out then. "First of all..." Shin Sung-Hyun''s eyes sparkled when Seo Jun-Ho spoke. Seo Jun-Ho raised his arms above his head and made an X. "Thank you for thinking well of me, but I am not Specter." "Haaa, I thought you would say that." Shin Sung-Hyun didn¡¯t believe him. "Specter was like a wolf who was always alone until he met the other Heroes, but suddenly after his return, I thought it was strange that he would have something like a representative. But what if you are Specter? The questions are suddenly answered." ¡°...¡± That was true. Seo Jun-Ho wrote a script in his head and quickly read it. "I think the timing is a little off." "Timing?" "Yes, I already told Ju-Ha everything. Up there." Seo Jun-Ho pointed to the sky. "By above... Are you saying you told Ju-Ha everything at the Sky Theater?" "Yes, you can ask Ju-Hater." "Then why deny it if you have already told her everything?¡± "It¡¯s because I am really not Specter." "That''s nonsense. With all this evidence, there''s no way out." "I''m sorry, but there''s no need for a way out." Seo Jun-Ho breathed a deep sigh. He frowned before saying, "Please promise me that you will keep all the secrets I am about to tell you." "¡­ If you, yer Seo Jun-Ho, are not Specter, the promise will be kept. I swear in the name of the Nine Heavens and the Goblin Guild." "That¡¯s good enough." Seo Jun-Ho raised his hand lightly and gathered his magic. At the same time, Shin Sung-Hyun''s face began to show anticipation. ¡®Is he finally going to admit it and show me the Watchguard of Darkness?!'' However, the greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment. What came out of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s fingertips was ice, not darkness. "¡­Ice?" Seo Jun-Ho nodded at Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s puzzled look. "This is my skill, Chaser of Frost." The reason for not naming the Frost Skill was simple. All S-grade elemental skills had never been defined by a single word. They had names such as the ¡®Watchguard of Darkness,¡¯ ¡®Ruler of mes,¡¯ ¡®Controller of Space,¡¯ and so on. Still, they would always take the same form. "The Chaser of Frost¡­¡± With a nk expression, Shin Sung-Hyun suddenly said, "Wait, then how do you exin the darkness that covered the Sky Theater?¡± "I think you should ask the Dungeon, not me." "Are you saying¡­ it was the power of the Dungeon?" Shin Sung-Hyun swallowed a groan, but his eyes still hadn¡¯t lost their gleam. He didn¡¯t give up and began persistently questioning Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Then how do you exin your appointment as a representative for Specter? He and you wouldn''t have had any mutual acquaintances beforehand.¡± "Didn''t I already show you?¡± Crack! The ice that fell to the ground broke into pieces. Shin Sung-Hyun''s eyes became wide as he stared at the ice as if he were trying to pierce through it with his gaze. "Is that it? Did I get the order wrong?" As expected, it was good that Shin Sung-Hyun was smart since not many words had to be said to him for him to understand. Shin Sung-Hyun had already begun writing his own new ''hypothesis.¡¯ "yer Specter didn''t meet you after his return...¡± He slowly raised his head and looked at Seo Jun-Ho. "yer Seo Jun-Ho, you took Specter out of the ice sculpture.¡± "That''s right. I rescued him from the ice exactly on November 11th.¡± "I see..." Shin Sung-Hyun nodded slowly. Certainly, there was no loophole in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words, and everything was exined. "Then Skaya Killnd and Gilberto Green were also...¡± "Yes. If I get stronger, I will be able to get the other two out in the near future." "I understand everything..." The reason why Specter used Seo Jun-Ho as his representative was simple. Seo Jun-Ho had rescued him, and he could rescue his friends. ''So that''s why he made Seo Jun-Ho his representative and supported him wholeheartedly.¡¯ The puzzle pieces fit together. It was a perfect logic with no doubt able to prate it. "Whew..." Shin Sung-Hyun breathed a sigh of regret. "It''s a little disappointing. I instinctively thought I was right." "Well, that thing called intuition is sometimes wrong. It¡¯s like that for me as well." Even Keen Intuition was like that¡­ "Then please don''t reveal this conversation anywhere. It is off the record." "Yes..." Shin Sung-Hyun nodded and looked at Seo Jun-Ho with a different look in his eyes than before. "If you take all of the 5 Heroes out of the ice sculpture, will youe to the Goblin Guild then?" Seo Jun-Ho was someone capable of melting the Frost Queen''s ice sculpture. It was possible he possessed an S-grade elemental skill. He would obviously be a necessary figure to raid the 3rd floor. "I''m sorry, but I have no intention of entering a guild. Not just the Goblin Guild, but any other guild." "That is unfortunate. But I''ll always leave the door open, so please knock if you ever change your mind.¡± After the conversation, the two also left the Dungeon. Shin Sung-Hyun immediately headed to the infirmary. It was to meet Gong Ju-Ha, who was being treated there. "What, you¡¯ve already heard it all from Jun-Ho¡­" Gong Ju-Ha nodded as she was being treated for the wound she received from Beary. "That''s right. The Chaser of Frost was a very strong skill." "I see..." This was the end of confirming any potential doubts. Their sighs broke the silence thatsted for a while. "Master, why are you sighing?¡± "¡­It¡¯s nothing. What about you?" "Oh, I... think I need to buy some thick cotton nkets." "Winter is almost over, but a nket?[1]" Shin Sung-Hyun smirked and left the medical office, patting Gong Ju-Ha on the shoulder. ¡®A nket, huh?¡¯ He murmured, reflecting on what had happened today. "Should I buy some, too?" He decided to ask Gong Ju-Ha where to buy someter. *** The Goblin Guild''s Dungeon raid ended with the bitter reality of seven deaths. If it were another guild, it would have made headlines with the title of it being a sessful Dungeon raid. However, they were one of the best guilds and one of the Big 6 as well. The death of seven Guild members became a huge topic of discussion. [Injured Goblin, 7 Guild members die in one Dungeon raid.] [Guild Goblin pays hugepensation to the bereaved families...] [The danger of monsters is confirmed once again, mankind is still in danger.] ¡­ Thud. Shin Sung-Hyun put down the newspaper and ordered, "Take care of the media. Take this opportunity to make sure that those who spread false information are thoroughly stomped down." "Yes, understood." "...And where is yer Seo Jun-Ho?" "I heard he was getting ready to leave." "Tell him to stop by. The reward is ready." "We will have to hurry.¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon left the office in a hurry. Knock, knock. After a while, Seo Jun-Ho visited. "Come on in." When Seo Jun-Ho entered, Shin Sung-Hyun offered a seat and said, "I won''t speak too much. yer Seo Jun-Ho, you¡¯ve made a brilliant contribution as a guest." "I don''t deny it." In this situation, being humble was nothing short of being a fool. "I had been thinking for a long time about what to give you that would be helpful¡­ In the end, I have decided to give this to you." Shin Sung-Hyun held out an envelope. ¡®Is there a check in there or something?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho picked up the envelope and asked, "Can I open it?¡± "Please¡­" Inside the envelope was a letter of rmendation. Seo Jun-Ho showed an expression of understanding. "Is this a letter of rmendation for nobility?" "No, it''s not." "Then what¡­¡± "Have you heard of the Sage of the Observatory Tower?" "The Sage of the Observatory Tower..." Of course, he had heard of the Sage. When he studied modern history in the hospital room shortly after his return, the Sage was someone mentioned all the time. "I''ve heard that the Sage is a yer who understands the nature of things and can predict the future with incredible supernatural power." "That''s right. He doesn''t have any desire for fame and material things." The Sage had no wants. Those who wished for his teachings were subject to his mood on when they would be able to meet him. Even if treasures and rare items were presented, the Sage would remain unmoved. "Including myself, the Six Masters of the Big 6, and the President of the yer Association have to wait a few months just to meet the Sage." "I didn''t expect it to be to that degree." Weren¡¯t they all people whomanded absolute power? Seo Jun-Ho looked at the rmendation letter in awe. "Then perhaps, is this letter of rmendation¡­" "No matter when, if you take that letter of rmendation with you, the Sage will make time for you." ¡°¡­!¡± It was a much more meaningful reward than Seo Jun-Ho had imagined. ''I thought it would just be an elixir or a unique-grade equipment at best.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was happy with the reward. He had wanted to meet the Sage of the Observatory Tower in person, whom he had only ever heard of in stories. "I¡¯ve received something great. Thank you. I''ll use this letter of rmendation well." "I should also thank you. I would have lost more subordinates if it weren''t for you." Shin Sung-Hyun was different from Oh Dae-Sik, the Guild Master of the Blue Guild. If Oh Dae-Sik thought of his Guild members as his family and younger siblings, then Shin Sung-Hyun thoroughly thought of his Guild members as his subordinates. ¡®But no one knows which is more correct...¡¯ Having observed Shin Sung-Hyun for a few days, Seo Jun-Ho knew that Shin Sung-Hyun wasn¡¯t a person who abused low-level people using his position or status. He was the textbook example of a petent boss.¡¯ Although he seemed cold to outsiders, the Goblin Guild members trusted and followed him because he was leading them excluding his personal feelings. ¡®It¡¯s like looking at my past self.¡¯ To be exact, Shin Sung-Hyun looked exactly like Seo Jun-Ho in his former days¡ªof course, his Specter days. By contrast, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s current self was living like Oh Dae-Sik in a way. "I¡¯ll see you next time, then." "Yes, next time." They hoped to see each other on a higher floor next time. However, the two men swallowed back their words and shook hands. 1. refers to Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s misunderstanding in chapter 206, she wanted to bury herself under many nkets to hide from the embarrassment ? Chapter 209. War for Peace (2)

Chapter 209. War for Peace (2)

Early in the morning, as the bright sunlight started to interfere with his sleep, Seo Jun-Ho stared at the status window while lying on his bed. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 88 Title: Bringer of Spring (+2) Strength: 255 Stamina: 260 Speed: 267 Magic: 292 Fame: 4,940 "5 levels...¡± This was the result of clearing Forever Land, which was definitely not full of dreams and hopes. To be honest, Seo Jun-Ho wasn''t very happy with the results. ¡®Maybe it''s because my level is higher so I won¡¯t be able to level up that easily anymore.¡¯ Cheetey and Beary were strong opponents. But his level didn¡¯t rise very much from defeating those guys. "When will I get to level 120?" Phew If other yers saw him sighing deeply, they would probably have a strong desire to whack the back of his head. In fact, Seo Jun-Ho''s growth rate was fast enough to even surprise the Administrator. ''Level 88 isn''t that low, but it feels low.'' This was because level was rtive after all. He might have felt it even more after meeting the two giants, Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun. "But rather than that...¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned his head slightly. Next to the bed, the Frost Queen stood and waited for him fully ready since morning. She was in a dress and had arranged her hair in a way that it would cover her eyes. "Let me ask you this first. Are you going out somewhere?" "Yes..." "Where are you going?" "Contractor, you promised to buy churros. I''m waiting." "Oh¡­" She was right. He definitely made that promise. ¡®I don''t think I said I''d buy it today, but...¡¯ He felt sorry that she stood next to his bed, staring up at him since morning. As such, he decided he should just buy her one. "But I don''t know if there''s a ce around here that sells churros.¡± The ce where they were currently staying was Leiark, the imperial capital. Certainly, the amenities and infrastructure here were so good that they weren¡¯t all that different from Korea. There was a lot of food here and there, and it was a great city where you could enjoy Frontier¡¯s culture. Seo Jun-Ho''s expression brightened as he rummaged through the Community forums. "Here¡¯s one. They say it¡¯s a good restaurant." "Take the lead right now,e on," the Frost Queen urged. "Wait, let me wash up too." When Seo Jun-Ho left the room after quickly getting ready, the Frost Queen followed him. These days, except for certain situations, she was starting to go on errands on her own. "Hooo, this is a churro! Long and sweet! Delicious! Is this not a great snack?" said the Frost Queen, enjoying the churro. "Don''t eat too much. You¡¯ll get fat." "Spirits do not gain weight. And I saw in a drama that the food you enjoy has zero calories." "Do you really believe that?" Sadly, the Frost Queen''s cheeks had recently be slightly, very slightly chubby. The sharp and charismatic look of the past seemed to have been reduced ever so slightly. In general, she had be just a little rounder and cuter. "Cease staring at me." "Oh, this is the reaction thates out when you look at someone who''s gained some weight." "I did not gain weight!" Since she seemed to be under a lot of stress, Seo Jun-Ho decided to stop there. ¡®If she gains more weight, I''ll make her go on a diet.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had no intention of seeing his contracted Spirit be the first obese Spirit of the Spirit world. "Wee¡­" The ce they visited was a luxury liquor store. To continue its trade rtionship after being connected to Earth, the imperial capital of Frontier had also started selling Earth''s alcohol. "Do you have a Frontier edition of Diva Vodka?" asked Seo Jun-Ho. The manager''s eyes shone. "You know your liquor. Pleasee this way." Diva Vodka used to be called the most expensive vodka in the world. It was a vodka considered the ultimate luxury, and it was made by purifying finely ground gemstones, such as diamonds, with a filter. However, new gemstones such as mithril had been added through trade with the Frontier, so the price had increased even further. "How much is it?" "It''s 140 gold." "Mmm." 1.4 billion won was certainly a high price. However, Seo Jun-Ho handed over a pouch of gold without hesitation. "I will pack it with the utmost care." "No, there¡¯s no need for that." Seo Jun-Ho put the single bottle into his Inventory. "I¡¯ll probably get scolded for doing something unnecessary if I have it packaged." "I see..." Leaving the dazed manager behind, Seo Jun-Ho headed to Del Ice. It was the city of dwarves. "Last time, I didn''t even get all the equipment I requested because I came in a hurry.¡± "Oooh, that was certainly the case." All themissioned equipment was probablypleted by now. Those were essential in the uing Battle of Port Lane. "Oh, you''re here, my friend!" The dwarves of Del Ice weed Seo Jun-Ho sincerely. It showed that he had be a full-fledged friend of the dwarves. "Long time no see. Where is Graham?" "He''s over there." "Let''s have a drinkter!" "Please call me anytime." He still couldn¡¯t adapt to the dwarves asking him to have a drink with bright smiles on their baby faces. "You¡¯re here." Graham raised his hand lightly and greeted him. "I ended uping a littleter than expected." "Well, it doesn''t matter. It¡¯s not like the quality of the equipment would go down over time." He pointed to a stack of boxes in the back. "It''s all yours.¡± "Can I ask you to exin the equipment?¡± Graham grinned at Seo Jun-Ho''s request. "If you didn''t let me, I would have been a sad old man.¡± Rubbing his hands like a fly, Graham took arge box and put it on the desk. Click. When he opened the box, a ferocious great sword appeared. Graham stared at it enthusiastically. "I, Geez... When I saw your barbaricmission, I wondered if my eyes had gone bad." "No way..." "It¡¯s 3 meters long with 32 saw-toothed wheels embedded along the body that rotates when injected with magic." Woooong! Graham childishly made the sound of a chainsaw. ¡°He¡¯s a cool guy who will grind everything down from skin to intestines once you''ve managed to make him do the job.¡± "Did you mean cruel guy?" "Haha¡­" Seo Jun-Ho stroked the sawtooth sword with a satisfied expression. "How many kilograms is it?" "1,305 kilograms. I slightly exceeded your request of 1,300 kilograms." Graham asked suspiciously, "But Seo Jun-Ho... Boy, can you even lift this?" Generally, no matter how high a yer''s strength stat was, very few people could handle a 1,300-kilogram sword freely. With just pure strength, it would be really hard. ¡®Besides Rahmadat, there''s probably no yer who can handle it with pure strength.¡¯ In other words, it was essential that one had to have their body strengthened with magic. There was no yer on the 2nd floor who couldn''t do that, but no one could maintain the magic strengthening around the clock like Seo Jun-Ho. "No problem." Woooong! Holding the sawtooth sword as if it was made out of feathers, Seo Jun-Ho cut the air three times. Its heavy weight traveled to his whole body through his fingertips. "Oh, you can really lift it. Your body looked weaker than Kim Woo-Joong...¡± "Would I ask you to make a sword that I couldn''t even lift?" Seo Jun-Ho smiled softly at the surprised Graham. "I like the weight, length, and design." "Keuk. A greatsword has to be heavy to be a greatsword. It should be too heavy for weak men." Of course, Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t have been able to wield this weapon if he didn¡¯t have the habit of keeping Overclocking running at all times. ¡°Then¡­" Graham nodded with his arms crossed and brought the next box over. The box contained a long spear. One would feel a shiver down their spine even if they simply looked at it. "It''s 4 meters long, weighs 270 kilograms, and it''s made of¡­ Ten Thousand Years Old Cold Iron.¡± It was a rare metal that could only be found in the pr region of the upper snowy mountains of Del Ice. Even the White Anvil Dwarves didn''t have more than a few kilograms of the material, and its grade was unique at the least. "Dwarves don''t pack metal when they move. We make them all into something before leaving." The timing was good. Normally, even if Seo Jun-Ho ced an order with Ten Thousand Years Old Cold Iron as the material, they wouldn¡¯t have allowed it. "It looks cool. It''s like seeing a dragon made of ice," praised Seo Jun-Ho. Overall, the spear was shrouded in blue light and the handle had a carving of a dragon¡¯s head. As soon as Seo Jun-Ho tried to pick up the spear, Graham grabbed his wrist first. "Seo Jun-Ho, are you really confident?" "What do you mean by confidence?" "Whew, did you order without knowing anything?" Graham sighed lightly and raised his sleeve. And then a bumpy, muscr arm¡ªno, a child''s soft and thin arm was revealed. "Dwarves are blessed by Horn, the god of earth and cksmithing. We received the qualification to handle all metals, along with exceptional dexterity to produce any building, weapon, armor, and essory." "I know." "But humans are different..." Press. Graham slightly pressed Seo Jun-Ho''s chest with his index finger. "Ten Thousand Years Old Cold Iron is a metal that can only be found in the pr region of the upper snowy mountains, even further up than Del Ice. If ordinary people touched it, their blood would freeze and they would die.¡± "Okay?" He had no idea about that. "So why did you make it for me?" "Because you are a friend. You did us a favor, so we did you a favor, but¡­" Graham''s eyes shone. "I can''t let a friend die. I made it for you, but if you can''t handle it, you can¡¯t take it." The moment Graham tried to close the lid of the weapon box, Seo Jun-Ho stopped him. "I can handle it." "Seo Jun-Ho, you foolish human. A moment''s pride can cloud a bright future." "I agree." Seo Jun-Ho gave Graham no time to stop him and grabbed the spear made of Ten Thousand Years Old Cold Iron. "But I really am confident." "You, you reckless fool...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned as soon as Graham eximed. ''Ugh, it''s definitely cold.¡¯ The coldness ran from his hand holding the spear all the way to his heart, but that was it¡­ [Cold Tolerance (B) Skill resists the cold.] [Frost (EX) skill has forced the cold into submission.] ¡®How dare you show your teeth in front of me? Stay down.¡¯ In a sh, it was suppressed. The spear, which had been blowing out frost as if it wanted to swallow Seo Jun-Ho, suddenly calmed down like a well-tamed beast. ¡°¡­¡± Graham¡¯s eyes opened wide. It was the first time he had made such a face. "Huh, you¡­ Are you really human? To make the Ten Thousand Years Old Cold Iron quiet down like a cat in an instant¡­ And it''s one of the metals that even us blessed dwarves can''t handle so easily...¡± "I was lucky." "Geez, you always say you¡¯re lucky. What about an unlucky dwarf like me? Should I just go and die then?¡± Graham looked at the final box in the back and said, "Do you want me to exin that too?" "It¡¯s fine. That¡¯s not my item, anyway." Seo Jun-Ho said with a gentle smile. "My friend''s going to use it." "Just exin it to your friend well. That also¡­" Graham trembled with a tired expression. "It''s a weapon that can change the map depending on who uses it.¡± "I''ll keep that in mind." Seo Jun-Ho ced the three weapon boxes into his Inventory. Now, the preparations for war were over. "Oh, and this is a little show of my sincerity." "Tsk tsk. Seo Jun-Ho, you really have no idea what friendship is. We¡¯re friends, is there a need for you to bring anything? I don''t like that." Graham, who valued romance, frowned. But when Seo Jun-Ho took out a beautiful vodka bottle from his Inventory, Graham¡¯s expression stiffened. Chapter 210. War for Peace (3)

Chapter 210. War for Peace (3)

A great drinker would recognize good alcohol without opening the bottle¡¯s stopper. Graham was a great drinker. "Is it vodka?" "Diva Vodka, Frontier Edition." "Ahhh, my Horn...¡± Graham closed his eyes and looked for his god. However, he couldn''t bring himself to ask for the alcohol and could only lick his lips while ncing at the bottle. It was all because of what he had said a few seconds ago. ''What did I say that for¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho offered the alcohol to Graham, who looked like a puppy in the rain. "I think things should be clear-cut between friends. If it''s a rtionship where only one side loses out, then that friendship will neverst long." "Ahem, now that you mention it, Seo Jun-Ho, your friendship theory seems rather profound. All right, I''ll take it." Graham reached out with a stern look. As soon as he received the bottle, his expression brightened like a child who had just received a Christmas gift. Of course, he had instantly recovered. "When are you going to move?" "Hmm, probably soon. I''ve done you the favor, and I don''t have any more usable ore here." Graham took a look across Del Ice. "Moreover, thisnd has run out of earth energy and is no longer able to spit out good ore or fire." "It will be restored over time." "Yes, but I won''te back." It probably wouldn¡¯t be until his grandchild, or his grandchild''s children¡¯s generation that they woulde back here. Graham already looked as if he was missing thisnd. "I''ll have a good drink with the other dwarves." "If I make more money, I will bring more alcohol for you." "Kkul-kkul, I''m looking forward to it." [1] Seo Jun-Ho turned his back to Graham and the dwarves, took the three weapons boxes with him, and engraved the st" image of Del Ice into his memory. The next time he visited them, he would meet them at the new Del Ice. "Then, goodbye." "Looking at you packing that many weapons, it seems you¡¯re thinking of going to war... If possible, you¡¯ve got to win." "Of course," Seo Jun-Ho said with a smirk. "How could I lose when you made the weapons?¡± *** There was a tall building that formed a twin wall with Dragon Rock, a rock resembling a dragon. It was a clock tower built in the city center of Port Lane. Tick, tock, tick, tock. Inside the clock tower was arge space. Seo Jun-Ho sat there on a simple chair. "This ce is a little noisy for me. I think I will develop neurosis if I stay in here for too long,¡±ined the Frost Queen. "Really?" Seo Jun-Ho shrugged his shoulders and raised his voice. "That is how this Queen feels, but what about you?¡± "Hmm, I personally like it here because it''s easy to keep up with the rhythm." Seo Jun-Ho took out a can of cold beer from a cooler and threw it toward the back. "Has your body recovered yet?" "There wasn''t enough time to build muscles, so I just recovered my reaction speed," replied the blonde man sitting next to Seo Jun-Ho, Gilberto Green. He wore a casual suit and had his long hair tied roughly in the back again. "Hey, why didn''t you cut your hair? There are so many famous hair salons in Seoul these days." "It''s annoying¡­" "I think it would be more annoying to have your hair like that." Seo Jun-Ho sipped his beer and pointed to a box in the corner of the clock tower. "That''s your item, take it." "My item?" Gilberto blinked and approached the box. ck. The light in Gilberto''s eyes changed after checking the contents inside. "It''s a sniper rifle? But I already...¡± "It''s different. It''s a gun the dwarves made." ¡°¡­!¡± Gilberto looked back at him with a startled look. "Dwarves? Are they the same dwarves I know?" "They should be..." "When did you befriend the dwarves?" "Well, this and that happened.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gestured for him to quickly pick up the weapon. "I personally liked all the weapons I received, but I don''t know what you''ll think.¡± "Hmm." Gilberto reached out carefully and grabbed the sniper rifle. His expression was reced with a worried one. "This is a sniper rifle? It''s so light...¡± "It¡¯s fine as long as the bullet doesn''t shake, right?¡± "I wonder if that¡¯ll be possible with such a light gun." "If you don''t believe it, you can test it." Gilberto walked to the wall of the clock tower, between the clock tower and the clock. In a gap that was only big enough for an adult man''s fist to fit, Gilberto pointed his gun through the gap. "Can you shoot from here?¡± ¡°The clock tower has four sides. The downtown, Dragon Rock, and the sea are all possible angles.¡± "Oh." If someone told him to shoot through it, Seo Jun-Ho had the confidence to do it and hit his target. ''However...'' Click! The moment Gilberto pulled the trigger, his body was lightly pushed back¡ªthe recoil was absolutely enormous. However, the only sound produced when the bullet was fired was the sound of the trigger being pulled. ¡®I can''t do what he does. As soon as the gunshot echoes, the fiends wille running.¡¯ Gilberto, who was used to sniper rifles, made a very subtle expression. "What do you think?" "Good, good... But it¡¯s hard to handle." "It absorbs your magic and increases the rotation and destructive power of the bullet." Since Gilberto could increase the spin of a bullet with his own skill, it was basically ayered amplification. "If it¡¯s used well, it can be used like a cannon, not a sniper rifle." "I had the gun made for that purpose in the first ce." Gilberto looked back at Seo Jun-Ho with a grateful expression. Twenty-six yearster, he still hadn¡¯t regained his form from his prime days, so this was a blessing for him. "Hiik." All of a sudden, the Frost Queen hurriedly hid. The space split and Skaya popped out. She swerved her head and began to look for something. "Oh? That''s weird. I teleported as soon as I felt the Queen." "Hmm, you don''t know, do you? She hates you. That''s why she keeps avoiding you." "Hey, hey, Gilbe!" Seo Jun-Ho was flustered by Gilberto¡¯s heavy fact artillery. Skaya, on the other hand, merely smirked and replied softly, "What are you talking about? Are you jealous of me and the Queen?" "Hmm, is that so? You just don''t want to believe it." "Jun-Ho, as expected, I can''tmunicate with him." ¡®You don''t get along with me either.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stopped the two with a tired face. "We have something importanting up, so stop fighting. Are you guys kids?" "Hmph, he started it first." "You are the one in denial." ''Ah... I miss Deok-Gu.¡¯ This tomboy, Skaya, wouldn¡¯t be this wild in front of Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to exin the strategy. Concentrate." As soon as Seo Jun-Ho said ''concentrate'', Skaya and Gilberto¡¯s expressions turned serious, as if they never fought like children. They revealed the admirable expression of a serious, professional yer. "In about a week, two of the Fiend Association''s Squadrons wille here." "Pride Squadron. I don''t know the other one. Am I remembering it right?¡± "That¡¯s right. I found out from reading the memories of Jang Seon-Ho, one of the fiends I killed while rescuing Arthur." It was certain that the Pride Squadron woulde. But it was still unclear which of the other Squadrons woulde with them. ¡°Their purpose is also unknown. In other words, we will have to make our own judgments when the battle begins.¡± Time would be too tight to discuss and set the order of things with each other. Each of them had to think and make their own judgment. The good thing was that the three of them had good chemistry. "Gilberto will snipe enemies from the clock tower, and Skaya will disrupt them with magic." "What about you?" "I will hide in the city center and the moment the enemy''s goal is revealed, I''ll stop them from aplishing it." The short briefing ended. It was impossible to n a more detailed strategy without knowing the enemy''s goal and the number of people they had. "Then I''ll start installing magic circles in the town today." "Please..." "People keep calling the 5 Heroes a faded relic of the past. I''m going to properly show them what we¡¯re made of.¡± Unlike Skaya, who was burning with energy, Gilberto began to wipe a bullet with a dry cloth. "If this works out well, we''ll be able to pursue the main body of the Fiend Association.¡± This was arge project attended by two Squadrons. There was no way that only small fries would attend. The two nodded silently at Seo Jun-Ho''s words. ¡®A week¡­¡¯ There was only a week left. *** Bee- Beep. Bee-bee-beep. "Where did youe from?" "We are from the Paris and Switzend branches." "So you guys are from every branch of Earth." "Yes." "What about the Seoul branch?" "I got a call from all five branches in Seoul this morning." ¡°¡­¡± There was a man covered in ck bandages all over his body and he exuded a gloomy vibe. Every time he stroked his chin, blue light glistened in his eyes. "But you still failed to find out his whereabouts?" "I-I¡¯m sorry, Shadow-nim.¡± The man called Shadow stared at the huge hologram monitor. "He wasst found in the Pacific Ocean?" "Yes, after killing the people who tried to capture Arthur Green, he returned to Earth with Skaya and Gilberto." "And the possibility that he¡¯s an illusion created by Skaya¡¯s illusion magic?" "I cannot exclude it." "Hmm." The leader of the Darkmoon Pavilion, the information department of the Fiend Association, Shadow, felt even more suspicious. ¡®After returning to Earth, Specter hasn¡¯t moved at all¡­ He¡¯s like a man who doesn''t exist.'' Specter was like a heavy burden. If he moved freely and revealed his whereabouts, Shadow could move the fiends to the other side of the Earth, mirroring Specter¡¯s movements. But Specter wasn¡¯t showing any signs of movement at all. ¡®Even though he died, he''s still a thorn in my side. Is it because he''s a Hero?¡¯ He had already incurred the massive loss of the entire Paradise in Rome because he had ignored Specter. The Fiend Association didn¡¯t want to incur any more losses. As such, there weren¡¯t any ordersing down to the fiends on the 1st floor. "But I can''t believe we can''t find him after searching so thoroughly... Perhaps he¡¯s not on the 1st floor?" "Well, if the Specter who came down with Skaya was really made from her illusion magic, the chances are high." "Tsk, give orders to all the fiends acting independently on the 2nd floor. Search for Specter and all yers who can use simr skills." Shadow knew that this was a ridiculous directive. There was no way it could be possible on the vast Frontier continent. However, as the head of the Darkmoon Pavillion, he had to at least pretend that he was working on something. "Oh, and isn''t Operation Port Lane in two days?" "That is correct. The Pride Squadron with Pride-nim and the Despair Squadron are on the move right now." "Well, there shouldn¡¯t be a need to worry since Pride is with them. It''s just that¡­" Shadow spoke as he looked at the two reports in his hand. "Tell him that a week ago, the Archmage and Gray came up to the 2nd floor." Since then, they had lost track of the two. Shadow was annoyed by this fact. "Shadow-nim, do you think they are headed to Port Lane?¡± "Maybe¡­" "Then shall we provide additional troops?¡± "It''s fine," Shadow spoke in a stern voice. "I''ve already sent them." 1. Kkul-kkul is the sound of chuckling. ? Chapter 211. Two Squadrons (1)

Chapter 211. Two Squadrons (1)

On a usual afternoon in Port Lane, nearly a hundred outsiders entered the town. "Hmm." The man in the lead, with wide shoulders, looked around the town with his hands behind his back. His gaze soon turned to the cliff bordering the town. "That''s a good ce." "I will escort you." After the whole group came up to the ce where the man pointed, they all nodded. From the rock, which looked like a dragon¡¯s head, you could see the town and the sea in front in a single nce. "You have selected a good position." "It is a great position to lead the group." At his subordinate¡¯s ttery, he didn¡¯t even show any happiness and simply gave them orders. "Set up the camp and gather only the Squadron members in the barracks.¡± "Yes!" "Hey, why aren''t you moving? He wants us to set up the camp.¡± Two barracks were set up in an instant as the fiends moved busily. When the leader entered the barracks, seventeen fiends followed him in. "Hmm." The man sitting on a chair installed in the barracks looked forward and saw ten fiends standing in attention with good posture following military discipline. Byparison, the other seven fiends seemed quite leisurely. Tsk. The man clicked his tongue and said, "Did Gu Shi-On mess up his subordinates¡¯ discipline? They¡¯re a mess, starting with their postures.¡± ¡°...¡± The seven fiends¡¯ eyes trembled when they heard their superior curse at them directly to their faces. But they couldn''t growl back as usual. The man who spoke to them sarcastically was Pride, the leader of the Pride Squadron. ¡®He¡¯s someone at the level of Gu Shi-On-nim, the leader of our Despair Squadron...¡¯ ''No one can stand up to him here.¡¯ ¡®It''s best to stand down at times like this.¡¯ Disregarding the fact that they belonged to different Squadrons, the man in front of them was strong. "I am sorry." "We will correct it." As they nced to the side, they also stood at attention Pride then finally nodded contentedly. "Since our Pride Squadron is in charge of this operation, I hope you guys will follow my lead." "¡­Yes." "I understand." In fact, it was an operation led by the Despair Squadron rather than the Pride Squadron, but they couldn''t even say anything. Although the chances of himying hands on them were low, since they were from different Squadrons, they still didn¡¯t want to risk their lives. "You guys know what you have to do today, right?¡± "Yes." "Take it out." The Despair Squadron members hesitated at the order. What he ordered them to take out was something that would be carefully handled even by the Fiend Association. Naturally, it was prohibited for it to be taken outside, and more so for it to be shown. "You guys are too slow." When Pride frowned and showed signs of difort, one of the fiends eventually pulled out a box. It was a small luxurious box like one that would contain a ne. "Hooo..." When Pride checked the contents, his eyes sparkled. Despite being a leader of a Squadron, it was his first time seeing this thing. Handling this was a mission assigned to the Despair Squadron in the first ce. "So this is the demon jade?" It was a murky marble as if it contained all the negative energy and chaos in the world. Ironically, the dirty and disgusting marble constantly shook the onlooker''s heart. "It''s beautiful." The Despair Squadron members freaked out when Pride unknowingly grabbed the demon jade. "Don''t touch it! It''s dangerous!" "Hut." He smirked as he spun the marble. "Did you think I was going to get done in by something of this low quality that only affects monsters?" "T-That''s not it, but... It''s an order from Citrin-nim. We were told not to touch it except when putting it in." ¡°¡­¡± Unlike Gu Shi-On, Valencia Citrin was someone even Pride couldn¡¯t treat recklessly. She was an executive of the Fiend Association and an overwhelming powerhouse of the Nine Heavens. "I was just looking at it for a moment. Just looking." He put the demon jade back in the box, returned it, and asked, "So, what am I supposed to do with this fake demon blood?¡± "Imnt it into a monster and it¡¯s done. But before that, you must suppress the monster." "Suppress..." Pride spun his chair around, crept up the tent of the barracks, and looked at the sea. The monster they were going to subdue today was currently residing in that huge body of water. "Well, that''s why we''re here, so don''t worry." "Thank you for your help." "When is he going to appear?" "In about three hours¡­" "Three hours.¡± Checking his watch, Pride finally got out of his seat. "Fuze." "Yes, Squadron Leader." "Freeze it." "How many hours should I maintain it?" "Five." Pride replied by extending five fingers, "For five hours from now, no one can enter the town without my permission." Conversely, no one could go out either. *** "Hmm?" The mailman Popo tilted his head. He tried to leave the town to deliver a letter to the neighboring town, but funnily enough, it seemed that he couldn''t leave. "What? Did I drink too muchst night?" A transparent wall touched his hand, blocking him from going out. "Hey, Popo. Why aren¡¯t you going out?" "Henson..." When the guard Henson approached and asked, Popo exined. "What? A transparent wall? Haha! Man, you must have drank too muchst night." Hearing the absurd story, Henson approached Popo. But as soon as his rough hand reached over, his expression showed confusion. "What the hell is this?" "That''s what I want to ask. I have a pile of letters to deliver before lunch today." Soon after hearing the news, Port Lane''s security chief approached Port Lane''s Knight Commander. "A transparent wall?" "Yes, Sir Trevor. Here it is." ¡°¡­¡± The Knight Commander Trevor touched the transparent wall and nodded. "This side is also blocked...¡± "Huh? This side too¡­? What do you mean?¡± "The other side is blocked, too. Not only ovend routes but also sea routes are blocked by walls across a certain area. I''m on my way back from checking.¡± "What kind of madman did this?¡± "The important thing now is not who did this," Trevor murmured with a grave look. "Why? The reason why this urred is the key." ¡°...¡± Not only humans but horses and dogs couldn¡¯t go out either. It was also impossible toe over from the other side of the wall. The knight and the guard wore stiff expressions when they realized the seriousness of the situation. "What should we do?¡± "Henson, is the town''s emergency loudspeaker still functioning?" "Of course. If you use the loudspeaker built for monsters or pirate invasion, you can spread your message throughout the town." "Let all the residents know right now to gather in the emergency shelter." ¡°I understand..." Saying so, Trevor ran to the lord''s residence. It was to protect the lord and his family. "Argh!" "Why, why are you doing this?" However, a scream he heard while passing through the alley made him stop. The subordinate knights reached for their swords. "Leader." "We¡¯ll quickly deal with this and go. Come with me." Trevor led the knights and entered the alleyway. There was a frightened mother holding her young daughter in her arms. The man assumed to be the father had his arms extended and was guarding them. ¡®Two opponents.¡¯ He had never seen these men before. They were outsiders. Trevor''s thoughts quickly moved. ¡®I haven¡¯t been told about these guys. Did they arrive today?¡¯ If so, they may be rted to the current situation. Sssss! The knights drew their swords and raised their voices. "Stop moving right now and step away from the resident!" "Ohhh, the knights are here!" "God, thank you...¡± The couple hugged their daughter with a sigh of relief. In the meantime, the knights approached them closely, pointing their swords at the intruders. "No weapons. Put your knees on the ground right now, and put your hands on your head." "We are not responsible for any damage that urs if you fail toply with the order." The two men stayed still until the knights came up very close and then looked at each other. "They say it¡¯s an order." "Sseup, it makes me mad. In the first ce, we got put in some kind of army-like Squadron, and my fiend life got messed up...¡± [1] "What do you want to do?" "What do you mean? Should we just go along with that bullsh*t?¡± As soon as the frowning fiend raised a finger, Trevor shouted, "Get down!" At the same time, Trevor flew over, grabbed the couple, and rolled into the alley. The knights who had always admired him, also reflexively bent down. Then, they raised their heads and simultaneously turned pale. "W-What''s this...¡± The fiend had only raised one finger. But that one light motion neatly cut off all the walls around, as well as the houses. "They avoided this?" "Kekeke. How did you get into the Pride Squadron with this level of skill?" "Shut up. I''m going to do it right this time.¡± The moment the angry fiend tried to raise his finger once again, the sound of a drum exploding resounded. Tooong! "¡­What?" Unable to grasp the situation, the fiend turned his head. But hisrade, who had been giggling a while ago, stuttered. "You, you..." He asked his pale-faced fiendrade. "What''s wrong?" "You, your body...¡± "Body?" As soon as he followed the direction of the other fiend¡¯s finger to his stomach, he was confused. ¡®What is this hole?¡¯ There was a hole big enough to fit a basketball, let alone a fist. This hole had appeared in his stomach. "Sniper?" He looked at the sky with a nk look on his face. No sniping angles could be seen anywhere. There wasn¡¯t even a single gunshot. "What the... hell¡­ Uwaack!¡± The fiend copsed forward, vomiting blood, never to rise again. The eyes of hispanion, who witnessed the situation from next to him, began to tremble. ¡®The Darkmoon Pavillion¡¯s information was correct.¡¯ There was information that the Archmage and the Gray Envoy came up to the Frontier a week ago. They had heard of it a few days ago, too. There was even ament that said the Archmage and the Gray Envoy¡¯s destination was likely to be Port Lane. ¡®The Gray Envoy, he must be the sniper.¡¯ It was a bullet without a sound and without a trace. It was a terrible method of attacking that you could only barely react to when you were constantly on guard. The only person in history that could do such annoying sniping was the Gray Envoy. ¡®But even if it¡¯s the Gray Envoy¡­¡¯ The fiend sped up. He was currently in an alleyway. He began to roam through the alleys at a brisk pace. ''If I move through the alleys with this chaotic movement, it''ll be hard to locate me.¡¯ The fiend thought it was a relief that it wasn''t him who had been attacked first. Thanks to hisrade¡¯s death, he had found the ¡®answer.¡¯ "But..." Tick, tock, tick, tock. The sound of an even second hand was like a metronome that unified Gilberto''s biorhythm. Gilberto gently closed one of his eyes and stopped breathing. ¡®¡­¡¯ Having witnessed the death of hisrade, the fiend ran through the alley without a break. When the opponent realized that there was a sniper, the chances of another sessful sniping would significantly drop. ''You can likely avoid my bullets.¡¯ Click. The sniper rifle fired a bullet with a strong rotational force toward the fiend. Crack! However, the bullet failed to catch up with the fiend¡¯s tremendous speed and pierced the floor of the alley. "Ha, haha! I avoided it!" The fiend was delighted but he did not stop moving. He began to feel thrilled when he discovered that his method worked. ¡®The Gray Envoy? The 5 Heroes aren''t as big of a deal as I thought.¡¯ The moment a twisted smile appeared on his mouth¡­ Crack! The bullet flew out of the floor, dug into his side, and came out of his shoulder. "Ah?" Why had the bullete from there? The fiend fell to the floor, the sense of injustice in his heart did not allow him to close his eyes. "You can avoid my bullets a few times, but¡­" Gilberto was already sitting down, wiping the barrel with a clean cloth. He didn¡¯t even bother looking at the result of his attack. "You can''t avoid it forever." At first, Persistent Pursuit (D) had only been able to chase an enemy 30 meters away. But now, it was one of his prided A-grade skills that could ''forever'' chase a target as long as his magic permitted it. "I only need to hit you once.¡± Even if the opponent avoided it thousands or tens of thousands of times, Gilberto would win as long as he managed to hit his enemy once. Gilberto¡¯s eyes sparkled as he searched for the next target. 1. Sseup is the sound of sucking air between your teeth. ? Chapter 212. Two Squadrons (2)

Chapter 212. Two Squadrons (2)

The Knight Commander Trevor swallowed a mouthful of his saliva and fell into deep contemtion. ¡®What was that just now?¡¯ The power of the two men threatening the family was terrifying. Although it was a peripheral town, they were more powerful than himself, who was the Knight Commander of the town. In addition, there were even two of them. ''But there''s an assassin somewhere in the town who can tear them apart without a sound.¡¯ Something wasn¡¯t right. Something big seemed to be happening in Port Lane, a town that had always been peaceful. ''No, perhaps...¡¯ Trevor had a strong feeling that something bigger still was going to happen. He closed his mouth, put away his sword, and approached the family. "Are you all right?" "K-Knight Commander Trevor...¡± "Can you stand up?" He helped raise the couple up and ordered his subordinates. "Move them to the emergency shelter first." "Understood. What about you, Leader?" Turning his head, Trevor looked at the gloomy dark clouds covering the town, and said, "I have a bad feeling. I''ll save those who haven''t been evacuated." *** ¡°¡­¡± Pride''s eyebrows wriggled with his eyes closed. At the same time, the barrack¡¯s tent opened, and one of the fiends rushed in. "P-Pride-nim! Right now...¡± "Salute first." "S-Sir! I am Astic, the 13th member of the Pride Squadron!" "At ease." Pride dismissed his subordinate''s fuss and opened his eyes gently. "I felt it, too. There''s someone else here.¡± "Yes, and the ones who died weren''t normal fiends. They were our guys from the Pride Squadron." Power was justice andw among the fiends. Being part of a "Squadron" meant being recognized as having greater power. Of course, the power gap between the ¡°normal¡± fiends and the member of a Squadron was massive. Despite that, those two had been easily defeated. "It''s surprising that there are people who can kill a fiend in such a small town, much less those who can kill Squadron members... This is ridiculous." Astic swallowed his saliva. "In my opinion, the information that came from Darkmoon Pavilion a few days ago seems to be correct." "If it''s the Darkmoon Pavilion¡­ Is it regarding the Archmage and the Gray Envoy?" "Yes, they also said to watch out for Specter whose location they couldn¡¯t pinpoint.¡± "Hmm." Pride got up and stepped out of the tent. The sea breeze made his uniform flutter in the wind. "Release them." "What?" "Except for the Despair Squadron members who are necessary to carry out the operation, release all our guys into the town." "You mean...¡± Nod. Pride nodded lightly with a subtle smile. "Even if Specter isn¡¯t here, the Archmage and the Gray Envoy are enough sacrifices to build our achievements." The sticky demonic energy exuding from Pride¡¯s body made the cliff vibrate. The fiend next to him and Astic unconsciously kneeled down and prostrated. With his hands behind his back, Pride muttered as he looked down at the peaceful little port town. "Today, in this town, we shall kill those who used to be the heroes of mankind." *** "What the hell is going on?!" Harveson Ward, the lord of Port Lane, asked as he led his family into the emergency shelter. The knights who saluted him quickly summarized the situation. "Invaders? A transparent wall? Did the Knight Commander Trevor confirm the situation?" "Yes, he did." ¡°¡­¡± Harveson¡¯s brows furrowed deeply. He knew more than anyone else about Knight Commander Trevor¡¯s loyalty to himself. Naturally, he also harbored infinite trust in the Knight Commander. ¡®If he''s doing something this big, it means something extraordinary is going on.¡¯ He looked around the residents gathered in the emergency shelter and said, "How many people have been evacuated here?" "A total of 1,218 people have been evacuated." Port Lane had a total poption of 1,852. This meant that only 65 percent of the residents had been evacuated. Harveson agonized for a while then made a decision. "Knights, listen. Leave the shelter with the minimum number of people to protect it, join Knight Commander Trevor, and bring the remaining residents here safely." Of course, the knights protested. "It is too dangerous¡­" "As swords who swore allegiance to you, we will never leave your side." "That is right. We have to protect you, Lord, here. It was also the Leader¡¯s order." While Harveson was pondering how to get around the stubborn knights, the shelter greatly shook. "Kyaaaa!" "What, what, an earthquake?!" "No... It''s not the ground that shook, it''s the shelter." The shelter shook once again while everyone was shouting. "It doesn''t make sense..." Harveson shook his head. The shelter they were currently in was built with Earth¡¯s technology. "They said it was strong enough that not even tenrge-scale spells could faze it...¡± Vroong, vrooong! Dust fell from the ceiling whenever the shelter vibrated. Residents hugged each other and looked up at the ceiling with anxious eyes. "The vibrations stopped." "Is it over?" The moment they exhaled the breath they had been holding¡­ Booooom! One of the shelter¡¯s walls directly copsed. Three men and women walked through it at the same time. "Why is a shelter built in the countryside so sturdy?" "Look at the brand on the outer wall. It''s a shelter built by the Myungho group." "What? Made in Korea? Then it''s bound to be sturdy." Three men and women entered while chatting and looking around. "Well, we don''t have to determine the order to go first, do we?¡± "No. We can''t leave any evidence anyway." "Don''t worry, just kill them all." The woman with heavy makeup raised her hand. Purple drops formed at the tip of her fingernails and vaporized in an instant. "...Ueup!" "Uwaack!" Soon after, there were voices of anguish. "It''s a deadly poison called nirtine. You''ll never find an antidote. Only when I''m dead will it disappear." She spoke cheerfully with a grin, as an angry Harveson walked forward past the knights. "What the hell are you doing? Treat them now!" "Hmm, for you to speak so authoritatively, are you the lord here?" "Yes, I am Harveson Ward, the Lord of Port Lane." Faced with the imposing self-introduction, the poison woman smirked. "Iya, must be nice to be a noble, eh? But so what? Just think of this as the inevitable and die." "What a heinous...¡± Harveson was slightly taken aback. Usually, you would try to extort what you wanted from your opponent before killing them. But it seemed that they weren¡¯t nning on doing that. ¡®It''s as if... all they want is our lives.¡¯ Unfortunately, that was precisely the case. The fierce poison woman ordered, "Hey, there are knightsing out there. They''ve got magic, so they¡¯ll be able to hang on a little bit. Take care of them." "You''ve been talking like we''re your subordinates for a while." "Leave it alone, it hasn¡¯t been a day or two since she became like that." The fiends shook their heads and walked forward. At first nce, the number of residents gathered at the shelter seemed over a thousand. ¡®With this number, it¡¯s probably the majority of the town''s poption. Most of them will die from this woman''s poison...¡¯ ''It''s hard work, but even if we take care of a couple of knights, it probably won¡¯t make her habits any worse.¡¯[1] When the knights came running with their swords and shields, the fiends shrugged. "Guys who don''t even know their limits...¡± "Ah, there are always people like that wherever you go." They smirked as they used their respective skills. What happened after was the knights in front of them disappearing without leaving even any bones behind¡­ or so they thought. "I agree with that, very much agree. There are too many people like that. It''s annoying." A really irritating voice came from next to them. ¡®An unfamiliar voice!¡¯ ¡®A woman?¡¯ When the two fiends turned their heads with stiff expressions, they saw a woman standing between them. The woman wore fancy robes, unsuitable for this old, gloomy shelter. She was wearing arge witch hat on her little head and her arms were crossed in front of her chest. "But there are people like that next to me¡­¡± The grinning magician''s smile was truly bewitching¡ªmuch more so than the poison woman¡¯s smile. Was it because of that? The fiends, who would have usually attacked with no hesitation, paused for a moment. Their unsightly appearance was theirst. Rumble, crackle! The magic lightning directly prated their heads. When two of her allies died in an instant, the poison woman stepped back. "What, what?!" "A million volts." The woman in the robe turned and slightly lifted her witch hat. "Did you know? There''s a saying in Korea to watch out for lightning as it strikes from the ceiling." "I¡¯m from Korea. And there is no such saying in Korea. You mean out of the blue¡­¡± Rumble! Once again, a lightning bolt came from the ceiling, striking down the poison woman. "Ahem, I know it''s out of the blue. I was just joking. Why did you answer so seriously?" Skaya murmured while feeling embarrassed, fanning her red cheeks with her hands. "Oh, right." After rummaging through her Inventory, she pulled out something big and bulky. Harveson asked in a wary voice, "Who are you?¡± "I''m Skaya Killnd. Don''t be hostile. I¡¯m a nice archmage who¡¯s here to save you all." "Then the thing you''re holding right now... What is that hideous-looking thing?¡± "Oh, this?" Skaya said, wearing a welding mask. "This is a gate driller! It''s a secret weapon that will pierce the transparent walls surrounding the town." Skaya then beckoned to the shelter''s personnel. "Follow me if you want to live." "But inside the town, there are still some residents¡­¡± "Don''t worry." She replied in a soft voice with a hint ofughter. It was a warm voice that made the listeners want to believe in it. "We''re here. So you don''t have to worry anymore.¡± *** Bang! Bang! Gilberto''s eye moved about and every time his eye stopped, his finger would pull the trigger. He continued his tough battle against the town¡¯s fiends as if he were ying a shooting game. ¡®There are too many of them.¡¯ There were too many fiends. Currently, there were about 60 fiends in the town. But unlike the first time, his sniping sess rate wasn¡¯t as high. ''They''ve noticed there''s a sniper.¡¯ Naturally, the fiends had their own countermeasures. ¡®If they try to avoid my bullets, it''ll follow them forever, but...¡¯ Their response was surprisingly simple. It would end if they simply destroyed the bullet. His guided bullets consumed magic. It was too much for him to maintain more than a few dozens of guided bullets at once. Zzzzk. The top of Gilberto''s left hand turned blue. "Jun-Ho, where are you?" [I¡¯m waiting.] ¡°A knight is leading eight residents to the park. And behind them...¡± [There¡¯s a fiend. Bastard.] Gilberto kept real-timemunications with Seo Jun-Ho through Skaya''smunication magic and said, "I¡¯ll continue to disturb and annoy the enemy. Take care of the aftermath." Specter and Rahmadat had always been the vanguards of the 5 Heroes. However, Rahmadat wasn¡¯t here, and even Specter wasn¡¯t with them today. "Seo Jun-Ho." The yer with them today was Seo Jun-Ho. He wasn''t the wielder of Watchguard of Darkness, but the wielder of Frost. 1. Habit of the poison woman ordering them around. ? Chapter 213. Two Squadrons (3)

Chapter 213. Two Squadrons (3)

"This way,e this way!" "Ugh..." Knight Commander Trevor entered the park in Port Lane while supporting the residents. His expression wasn¡¯t so good. ''Someone¡¯s on our tail.¡¯ Three of them were opponents Trevor could catch with his skills. However, he couldn¡¯t even determine the level of thest one. He even had people with him whom he had to protect ¡®It''s not good.¡¯ It was when he passed through the center of the park with worry shown on his face that he heard a voice. "Stop." Unlike the residents who ran to the point of exhaustion, the fiends walked leisurely. In an instant, the four fiends surrounded them and grinned. "There''s actually a decent knight even in this country town. It seems he¡¯s stronger than the three of you?¡± "I can win if we fight." "Well,pared to a Squadron member like me, you guys are pretty much all small fries." The fiend nodded and spoke again, ¡°The damage is getting bigger and bigger. The leader is really upset. You guys could lose your heads.¡± "Leave it to us. We''ll take care of these guys." "We definitely won¡¯t let you down." The three fiends didn¡¯t want to lose their heads, so they burned fiercely with determination. Trevor''s sword pointed at them one after another. ¡®I¡¯d be slightly superior against one, but against two... I can''t guarantee victory.¡¯ There was also no way that thest one would just stand and watch when hisrades were being beaten up. Did such thoughts show on Trevor¡¯s face? The Pride Squadron member waved his hand. "Ahh, don''t worry. I won''t cut in. This is just kind of like a game to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Trevor frowned, but he had no choice. Like it or not, he had to wield his sword to protect the residents in the back. "I''ll go first." One of the fiends stepped forward pompously. If he gained some points with a Squadron member, he might even get extra points during the Squadron promotion exam in the future. ¡®Is heing at me alone?¡¯ Trevor''s eyes showed a little bit of hope. At the same time, a little bit of anger rose in him. He was thankful that they were looking down on him to this extent, but he felt as if his pride as a knight was being trampled on. "Clump the air together like this¡­¡± As the fiend approached Trevor, he clumped the air together with his hands, like a child preparing for a snowball fight. Then he got into position. His movements were as polished as a pitcher in the major leagues, there were no unnecessary movements. "Hmm?" But just before throwing the airball, he noticed something and straightened up. "What are you doing?" When the Pride Squadron member asked with a slightly annoyed look, the fiend pointed to the front. "Um... There''s a person over there...¡± The Squadron member looked at the ce where the fiend was pointing with his eyebrows furrowed. ¡®A person?¡¯ There was a man sitting on a bench in the park. When he sprinkled crumbs with his right hand, seagulls gathered and swarmed his feet. He asked, "Who¡¯s that?" "W-We don''t really...¡± "We didn''t detect any presence. He doesn¡¯t seem to be an ordinary person." "Why haven''t you noticed so far?" It was annoying. It bothered him. He couldn¡¯t stop looking. The biggest problem was that he hadn''t even noticed the man¡¯s existence until the other fiend had pointed at the man. ¡®yer.¡¯ There was zero chance that the man was an ordinary person. In that case, the man was an excellent yer capable of deceiving him. "Huh? Dread-nim. That face... I know that face." One of the fiends nkly standing next to the fiend said with round eyes, "You? How?" "He''s a famous guy. Isn''t that Seo Jun-Ho?" "Ah!" "That''s right. That¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho." The other fiends nodded in response. Dread tilted his head and asked back, "Seo Jun-Ho?" "You know, Specter¡¯s proxy." "Oh?" With that short exnation, he grasped Seo Jun-Ho''s identity and turned his head. His eyes toward Seo Jun-Ho were full of novelty and curiosity. "But why is that guy moving together with the archmage and the Gray Envoy?¡± "T-That, I don''t know...¡± "Well, it''s rather good." Dread straightened his shoulders. He was an elemental skill user and a member of the Pride Squadron at that. ¡®If it¡¯s Specter¡¯s proxy, he should be valuable enough for me to send a report after catching him.¡¯ Of course, it didn¡¯t seem easy. Although Seo Jun-Ho was a rookie who had debuted only two years ago, he was strong enough to deceive Dread¡¯s senses. ''I''ll go all out from the start.¡¯ Dread¡¯s motto was to never lower his guard. He did his best even against a weak enemy. "Um, Dread-nim, then my fight is...¡± "Get lost. I''ve lost interest." The fiend preparing for a battle with Trevor stepped back with an awkward look. ¡°¡­¡± Trevor was simrly bitter. Looking back, he shook his head. ¡®As expected, it''s my first time seeing this face.¡¯ Too many outsiders had entered the city in one day. However, the man Trevor was looking at now was by far the most memorable figure. Squawk, squawk. Squawk, squawk. The mysterious man, leading an army of seagulls, came over and stood next to Trevor. It was strange, but Trevor didn¡¯t feel hostile toward the man even though he was a stranger. ''I don''t understand myself. What if he was with these guys...¡¯ Trevor thought about why he allowed the man toe next to him so easily, but he couldn¡¯t find an answer. "Withdraw." "What?" Trevor¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He was the sharpest sword of this town as the Knight Commander and had sworn allegiance to Lord Harveson. It was the height of rudeness to ask someone of his caliber to step down. "No matter how strong you are, that is an insult to me...¡± "The ce that needs you is back there, not here." "Back there?" When he looked back without realizing it, Trevor flinched. It was only then that the pale-faced residents entered his eyes. "Did you perhaps think that you must fight with your sword if you are a knight?¡± "Not at all..." Putting away his sword, Trevor lowered his head briefly. ¡°I have felt my own shorings. I will try to protect the residents." "It''s good that you understand." Trevor stood in front of the residents like a castle wall. No matter how many fiends there were, they would have to give up an arm and a leg if they wanted to ignore him and kill the residents. "Seo Jun-Ho." Dread spoke, ¡°If you''re Specter¡¯s proxy, then you should know where Specter is. If you tell me, I¡¯ll let you live." "Of course, I know." ¡°¡­!¡± At Seo Jun-Ho''s words, the fiends¡¯ eyes shone. If they could extract information from him, they could receive merit from the Fiend Association and obtain an elixir. "Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, I didn''t say I''d tell you." "You''ll say it even if you don''t want to." Magic came out of Dread''s body. At the same time, the dark clouds over Port Lane began to rumble. ''Rain...'' When Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at the sky, one corner of Dread''s mouth curled up. "Don''t me me. Even eagles do their best to catch an insect.¡± "Did you make the rain?" "Yes, you can be surprised to your heart''s content. It''s probably the first time you''ve ever seen an elemental skill of this magnitude." When Dread lightly extended his hand¡­ Shwaaaaa! Bigger raindrops poured down like torrents. To exaggerate a little, an average person would get bruised if they got hit by these raindrops. "Everyone exposed to this rain is the target of my attack." "Is this the power of a Squadron member...¡± "No, I''ve seen seven Squadron members so far, but... I''ve never seen anyone with a skill like this before.¡± "It seems that someone can¡¯t just stop this with an umbre.¡± It was an overwhelming skill that mesmerized even the other fiends. It clearly revealed why people with elemental skills were revered like gods by some people. ¡®The control is precise, too.¡¯ Dark clouds rained everywhere except in some parts. Those parts probably had fiends in them. In fact, the fiends in front of Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t even get wet. "It''s an amazing ability," praised Seo Jun-Ho. But it meant it was all the more unfortunate. Seo Jun-Ho felt sorry whenever he saw an outstanding fiend, and so, he became even angrier. ¡®If the weak yers who died had this skill...¡¯ Those party members who had entered the Gate with him, and the yers who couldn''t ovee their limitations because their skills were insignificant¡ªif they had such power, how many achievements could they have done? "How much better... How much better could the world have be?¡± "A better world?" Dread smirked. "This is why yers disgust me. You and I just have different views. This is a better world for me." ¡°¡­¡± "A simple and ideal world where power dictates everything, where I can kill anyone at will." As expected, words would never get through to fiends. After initially showing regret, emotions quickly disappeared from Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes. What took its ce was a cold look that intimidated anyone looking at it. Dread gulped without realizing it. ''It''s a familiar look.¡¯ He had seen those eyes from the many powerful figures of the Fiend Association. Those were the eyes of those who didn¡¯t care about human life and treated humans like insects. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s looked exactly like theirs. "Are you... Are you really a yer who debuted just two years ago?" ¡°¡­¡± The voices of those who had given up their humanity sounded the same as those of beasts. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he raised his hand. ''It''s dangerous.'' Despite the light movement, Dread felt an overwhelming sense of crisis as his eyes turned red in response. This red-eye phenomenon urred whenever a fiend used demonic energy. At the same time, the nature of the falling raindrops changed. "Even normal water droplets can pierce rocks." Moreover, raindrops strengthened by a fiend¡¯s demonic energy had the strength to pierce even steel. "Die with tens of thousands of holes in your body." With Dread''s vicious curse, the intensified raindrops fell with a terrible sound. ''It smells like dirt.'' Seo Jun-Ho slightly raised his gaze. The smell of rain in Port Lane was washing away the peculiar fishy smell of the port city. ¡®It''s not bad.¡¯ Hwaaaak! Seo Jun-Ho lowered the hand he had raised. At that moment, the world stopped. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± With eyes wide open, the fiend looked around in an effort to grasp the situation. ¡®No, the world hasn''t stopped.¡¯ Dread shook his head. It was not time, space, or their perception that had stopped. The raindrops that seemed like they wanted to swallow the world, stopped. ''But... how?¡¯ Dread knew how to make the rain pour, but he had no idea how to stop it. "I don¡¯t know how to make it rain, but I know how to stop it." When Seo Jun-Ho spoke, a white breath emerged into the world. Shiver. The fiends began to shiver. ¡®It''s cold...¡¯ ¡®It''s cold all of a sudden. The temperature?¡¯ It was cold. It was so cold that the coldness pierced through their bones. Dread slowly raised his head. When his gaze turned to the dark clouds, he discovered the identity of the skill. ''The dark clouds... froze?¡¯ The raindrops that floated in that space and the dark clouds that poured them out were frozen. It was hard to call it his own skill anymore. "Is it your taste to have tens of thousands of holes?" As Seo Jun-Ho flicked his finger lightly, tens of thousands of frozen raindrops aimed at the fiends. "It''s not my to my personal taste, but I''ll dly do it for you.¡± The frozen world fell on the fiends¡¯ heads. Chapter 214. Two Squadrons (4)

Chapter 214. Two Squadrons (4)

The fiends¡¯ faces stiffened as they nkly looked at the slow-moving frozen world. "Was Seo Jun-Ho an ice elemental skill user?" "That¡¯s nonsense. I''ve never heard of such a report.¡± "Then how can you exin the phenomenon in front of you?" "Damn, how the hell is Darkmoon Pavilion doing their investigations?¡± Shock, anger, resentment, and various emotions swept through them. But it was impatience that came after those feelings. ¡®It''s fine either way. First, we need to avoid it.¡¯ ''But... to where?'' ¡®Is this even the kind of attack that can be avoided?¡¯ The fiends stood in a daze to the point where it seemed appropriate to say that their brains had stopped. Among them, the one who received the biggest shock was definitely Dread. It was the first time in his life that the skill he boasted as the strongest had be a sword aimed at his throat. "Let''s get under the building and piers first!" "Damn, if we had defensive skills at a time like this...¡± "There¡¯s no time to dy!" The fiends scrambled to hide under the buildings or just about anything. The problem was that Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t just have one or two pieces of ice. Pabababa! Babababa! The noises sounded a little sharper than hail and much duller than raindrops as they continuously rang in their ears. At the same time, buildings began to copse from the ceiling. "Damn it, buildings won¡¯t work!" "With that number, it''s also impossible to deflect every single attack...¡± "Hostage! Let''s take a hostage instead!" The fiends opened their eyes wide at Dread''s cry. As he said, if they took hostages, Seo Jun-Ho wouldn''t be able to attack them so easily. Although Trevor was protecting the residents, with his ability, Trevor couldn¡¯t stop them. "Do you really think I''m blind?" Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t allow that to happen even as he leisurely watched the situation. Urururu! Thend was full of water due to the rain. The floors with thin ice on the surface began to rise, forming walls. The fiends who were running over to Trevor and the residents spat out curses. "Damned ice!" "What is this? A maze?¡± "No, this isn¡¯t a maze," Dread said, looking at the wall of high ice that upied the surrounding. If it were a maze, there would have to be a path, but the walls surrounding them had no openings except for up above. "He just locked us up.¡± It was obvious why Seo Jun-Ho had locked them up like this. The reason was falling on them now. "Damn it! Damn it!" "Deflect them! Break them, even if it¡¯s just one!" "There are four people here. We might be able to block it if we try!" "We just have to hang in there until the reinforcements arrive." The fiends¡¯ eyes turned bloodshot. In ast-ditch effort, each of them used their own skills to deflect the falling ice. For the first time in their lives, they understood the meaning of the idiom¡ªpull out all the stops. Wave. But thest-ditch effort didn''t have much meaning. With Seo Jun-Ho''s light gesture, a new round of ice poured on them once again. As time passed, the fiends¡¯ movements began to slow down, and wounds began to appear on their bodies. "Ha¡­ Haaa¡­.¡± "When¡­ are the reinforcements?" The exhausted fiends¡¯ eyes began to get murky. They also instinctively realized it. Unless Seo Jun-Ho let them live, there was no chance of survival. "This is too...¡± Dread looked as if he had been wronged. No matter how hard they knocked them away, no matter how hard they smashed them apart, the number of icicles floating in the sky didn¡¯t decrease at all. He couldn''t even use his skill. Every time he used his skill, he only increased his opponent''s weapons. ¡®I''ve never felt this kind of helplessness in my life.¡¯ Was this how ants felt in front of people? It was the feeling of facing an opponent whom you couldn¡¯t defeat no matter how hard you tried. "This is so unfair¡­¡± Was it okay for there to be such a difference in ability? Wasn''t this something unfair whichpletely denied the efforts he had made so far? After hearing Dread''sint, Seo Jun-Ho raised an eyebrow. "Unfair? That''s the way the world is." Crackle! When Seo Jun-Ho reached out, a spear of ice appeared in his hand. "You know that. The innocent people you''ve killed so far must have thought so, too." The tragedy of others usually seemed small, while one''s tragedy seemed big enough to cover the world. In particr, the fiends¡¯ idea of it¡¯s fine if I do it, wrong if others do it was particrly strong. "That''s disgusting. Very." Seo Jun-Ho took a throwing position and threw the ice spear. The spear shot out like a ray of light, pierced Dread¡¯s abdomen, then inserted itself into the wall of ice. "Ugh!" Blood spurted out of Dread''s mouth like a fountain. However, a yer with demonic energy had a strong body. He was too strong to die just because his stomach was pierced. Staring at Dread who was now stuck on the ice wall with the spear, Seo Jun-Ho said, "Just like how you killed them, you can die." "Why didn''t you aim for the heart?" Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t answer Dread¡¯s question. Fortunately, Dread''s question was quickly answered. Pieces of ice falling from the sky created tens of thousands of holes in his body. "I-I don''t want this kind of death.¡± "If you''re a yer, kill cleanly!" How could Seo Jun-Ho show such mercy? The fiends saw Seo Jun-Ho''s indifferent eyes and bit their lips tightly. "I-I don''t want to die like that.¡± One of the fiends couldn''t ovee the oppressive atmosphere and took his own life. He didn¡¯t have the confidence to bear the pain of being turned into a rag like Dread. "Fu*k...¡± "Why me? Why are you doing this to us?" They decided to just bite the bullet. The two fiends looked up at the slowly approaching ice and took their weapons out. Of course, they didn¡¯t mean to do anotherst-ditch effort to escape, they simply cursed Seo Jun-Ho with devilish faces. "I will curse you! I will curse you even in hell!" "On the day youe to hell, I''ll personally¡­¡± "You talk too much." When Seo Jun-Ho waved his hands, pieces of ice fell like petals and wrapped around their bodies. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The pain made them forget to scream as they fell into a daze. In the torment, the fiends¡¯ consciousnesses turned white. "You are especially fierce today,"mented the Frost Queen. "They were even more hateful today. What right do they have to even feel that it¡¯s unfair?" Seo Jun-Ho snorted and lightly moved his foot. Urururu! When the walls of ice copsed, the first scene he saw was Trevor protecting the residents. He had an indescribable expression. "Hmm, what should I say? You look as if you''ve met an alien." ¡°¡­¡± Trevor¡¯s face showed appreciation, astonishment, admiration¡­ and fear. It had been quite a while since Seo Jun-Ho had seen such a face. Of course, he didn''t feel hurt because he had seen such a face multiple times already. "Go to the shelter. My allies there will lead you." "You..." Trevor tried to find the words to follow up with, but he ended up shutting his mouth. He barely managed to hold it back in case he said anything rude. Instead of talking, he lowered his head. "Thank you. I''ll just say this for now." "Don''t mention it." Trevor looked up. The view was clear since the buildings had copsed. He looked at the sea and expressed his concern. "Just what is going on in this city?¡± "Who knows?" Seo Jun-Ho calmly continued. "There''s only one thing I can tell you. Go to the shelter. It''s the safest ce." It was the best advice Seo Jun-Ho could give right now because he had also never seen anything like that before. - ¡­! He heard a small cry that didn¡¯t belong to a human. The ce where he heard it was located at the end of the sea, where the dark clouds were concentrated. It was a monster so huge that it could be visually identified from a great distance. ''¡­ No, to be exact.'' Seo Jun-Ho frowned and vaguely found something. ¡®It''s not just monsters. They¡¯re fighting with the fiends.¡¯ At that moment, Seo Jun-Ho discovered the fiends¡¯ goal. "So it¡¯s the demon jade." "Demon jade?" Unless the fiends had suddenly be mentally ill as a group, they would never fight for world peace. In that case, there was only one answer. "Contractor, don''t tell me that the fiends are going to... imnt a demon jade into that huge monster and tame it?" The Frost Queen sounded a little afraid. "It''s already a little overwhelming, but if it absorbs the demon jade...¡± "Then it will be a disaster." Seo Jun-Ho had no choice but to stop it before then. "It¡¯d be nice to go to the sea...¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. "You don''t seem to have any thoughts about letting him go." The Frost Queen instantly saw through what he was thinking. It was all because a great deal of energy began radiating from the fiends¡¯ camp above the Dragon Rock. The energy was looking at none other than Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Pride, the leader of Pride Squadron.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned his head and his gaze met Pride¡¯s from 3,000m away. Grin. There was an expression of delight as if Pride had found an interesting toy. Seo Jun-Ho confirmed his opponent who disappeared like a ghost and told Trevor, "Go ahead to the shelter." He wouldn¡¯t be able to afford to protect other people when dealing with such a fiend. *** "S-sir." Sssk. Pride raised his hand and interrupted his subordinate. The members of the Despair Squadron were now out at sea hunting for the demon¡ªLeviathan. Conversely, all the members of the Pride Squadron were infiltrating the town and hunting all the witnesses. In a word, it was only him and his subordinate in the camp. Pride looked at the city with his arms crossed. No, to be exact, he was looking at the sky on one side of the town. "Isn''t it beautiful?" ¡°Pardon?" "I asked, isn''t it beautiful?" The subordinate was taken aback. He was not sure what answer to give here. Normally, he would have been scolded for taking too long to answer, but fortunately, Pride was in a good mood right now. "One of the two skills the Association has been looking for is darkness, and the other is ice.¡± Pride asked, "As far as I know, there are currently five people in the world who can use an ice elemental skill. Is that right?" "Yes, but they are all below D-grade. Even if they died, they wouldn¡¯t be able to show such power." "That means he''s apletely different yer¡­ I think that''s at least A-grade." Pride''s words startled his subordinate. "It is an ice elemental skill, but you¡¯re saying it¡¯s A-grade? At that level, the heat on the 3rd floor...¡± "We''ll have to try it if we want to know, but it should be possible, even if it''s a little hard." Pride slowly nodded. "If I offer it to the colonel, he¡¯ll be very happy.¡± "Are you going to act yourself? Perhaps rather I...¡± "Arthur, he''s the one who killed Dread on the spot. But you''re going to catch him? That¡¯s nonsense." Crack. Pride grinned and stretched by lightly turning his neck and shoulders. "Oh, would you look at this. He must have felt me, too. Our eyes met." "At this distance? Unless he¡¯s someone of at least Leader-nim¡¯s level...¡± "No, I''m sure of it." Pride was certain that he had met his opponent¡¯s gaze. "It has been a long time since I felt this way. My body is itching to fight.¡± Booooom! Pride stomped the ground and shot toward the sky. Chapter 215. Two Squadrons (5)

Chapter 215. Two Squadrons (5)

Boom! Boom! Boom! The sound of a copsing building echoed, and a building really did copse. ¡®What a barbaric fellow.¡¯ Pride jumped off the cliff and hopped toward Seo Jun-Ho, trampling on the rooftops of the buildings. Every building he stepped on subsequently copsed. "What do you think?" asked the Frost Queen. "He probably has a skill that strengthens his muscles or increases his weight,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered as he saw Pride approaching. A building wouldn¡¯t copse just from a person¡¯s weight. Boooom! In the end, Pride managed to appear in front of Seo Jun-Ho and sharply stared at him. "Hmm? Ah... Hmm?" Pride tilted his head and made strange noises. He then touched his chin and asked, "You, aren¡¯t you Seo Jun-Ho? The guy Kal Signer was after." "I guess I¡¯ve be famous, seeing that there''s not a fiend who doesn''t recognize me anymore.¡± "Huh? Huhu... Hahahahaha!" Pride bent backward andughed with his hands on his stomach. "Now I know. Now, I understand why the end of the kids who got involved with you had always been so unpleasant.¡± It was because Seo Jun-Ho was hiding such a skill. It was an elemental skill powerful enough to freeze an entire space in an instant. On top of that, it wasn¡¯t among the fourmon attributes of fire, water, wind, and earth. It was ice. "But you¡¯re unlucky." Pride grinned. With such a coveted and interesting skill in his sight, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s luck had run out. "Wait,e to think of it, you¡¯re Specter¡¯s proxy, right?" To be a leader, you would have to use your head to some extent. The moment Pride connected Seo Jun-Ho and his ice skill, he remembered Specter and hisrades. "Then you must have melted the 5 Heroes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked annoyed. This was why he had hesitated and thought over and over about revealing his skill. He didn''t want to give the fiends any room or clues to dig around. ''But I couldn''t help it...¡¯ The level of fiends he was dealing with had begun to change. It meant it was no longer possible to deal with them using only physical abilities and ordinary skills. He had finally hit the point where he had to use one of his main skills, either darkness or frost. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t it regret when I already made the decision.¡¯ He had to move forward without looking back. Seo Jun-Ho raised his head and faced Pride. "You have a lot of questions." "I have many questions." Pride moved slowly. He walked in a circle with Seo Jun-Ho at the center. "But we will have plenty of time to talk when we get to the Association." "I don''t remember saying I was going." "You will end up going." Pride said, standing in ce. "Because that''s what I decided." "You act recklessly without knowing your own ce, do you hear that a lot?" "Haha, I used to hear that quite a lot.¡± Pride admitted coolly. "But not anymore. I have beaten them all to death.¡± He was very proud when he spoke. A fiend¡¯s mindset waspletely different from that of ordinary people. "Well, I think we''ve probed each other enough. Shall we start?¡± said Pride. As Pride said, they had both probed each other during their short conversation. ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯ Pride was definitely strong. He was stronger than in Jang Seon-Ho''s memory. ¡®This is the power of a squadron leader of the Fiend Association¡­¡¯ But there were existences known as executives in the Fiend Association who could kill fiends like Pride with one finger. Seo Jun-Ho asked, "How does your strength rank in the Fiend Association?" Pride hesitated at the question and stroked his chin. "Hmm¡­¡± It wasn''t an expression of him calcting how strong he was. To exin, he looked like he was thinking about whether to say it or not. "I''ll tell you one thing." Pride made a decision and spoke, "There¡¯s something known as a ranking among you guys, right?" The yer ranking was an interesting system that ced the strength of the top ten thousand people in order. A new ranking was announced every year, and the person who enacted it was the Sage of the Observatory Tower. Even though yers who didn¡¯t make the rankings often denied it and said that the Sage had gone senile, most yers widely epted this ranking system. "Yes.." "There are many foolish yers who believe in that old man of the Observatory Tower who announces it, right?¡± The smirking Pride shook his head. "We¡¯re different. It¡¯s a system where you fight for real and the winner moves up the ranks." It was a method that really suited the fiends. "37th ce." Pride had a proud look. "Out of all the fiends that exist in the world, I am the 37th strongest." ¡°¡­¡± So he was the 37th. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind quickly turned. ¡®Including the Heavenly Demon, seven executives, and seven Squadron leaders, there are only 15 people.¡¯ If so, it meant that there were strong people in the Fiend Association, even if they were not a leader. In addition, it also meant that there were at least 22 of such people in the Fiend Association. ¡®I got good information.¡¯ The rest would be taken out of Pride¡¯s memory after Seo Jun-Ho had gotten rid of him. When Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes changed, Pride smiled lightly with a ¡®ho.¡¯ "You have a good look in your eyes. If you were a fiend, I would have made you one of my Squadron members¡­ Do you have any thoughts of bing a fiend right now?" "Get lost." "That''s harsh." Pride chuckled as he lightly turned his right arm. Boong, boong. For a moment, the wind was split after a scary sound. ¡®It''sing¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho lightly held out his hands. He gently received the pot lid-sized fist approaching him and bent it sideways. "Grappling? Sorry, but it doesn''t work on me." "Tsk¡­" Seo Jun-Ho lightly clicked his tongue. He had no idea what was going on with that body, because even though he was forcing it to turn, it wouldn¡¯t turn. This meant that a huge amount of muscle was supporting Pride¡¯s arm. ¡®That''s too bad. Grappling is the best against a barbaric guy who just believes in strength.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attack failed, but his heart felt lighter. ¡®I''ll just have to fight imagining it¡¯s against Rahmadat.¡¯ The muscr strength of the man called the ''King of Destruction'' was beyond imagination. Of course, grappling didn¡¯t work on him either. ¡®Of course, at that time, I used the Watchguard of Darkness to subdue him¡­¡¯ Now, that would be reced by Frost. Craaackle! Seo Jun-Ho froze the air around him. To be precise, the water in the air was frozen. "Hooo!" Pride was curiously looking at the elemental skill up close, but he suddenly flinched. The ice in the air instantly froze Pride¡¯s body. Of course, that alone was absolutely impossible to constrain his movements. ¡°¡­¡± But one thing had definitely changed... ''My reaction is slow.¡¯ The body would usually immediately perform themanding from the brain, but now, there was a slight dy. To speak inputer terms, it was a kind ofg. Of course, the difference wasn¡¯t that huge. It was only a dy of about 0.01 seconds. ¡®It''s ufortable.¡¯ It was a subtle dy that ordinary people wouldn''t even notice, but it was very ufortable for someone at Pride¡¯s level. "My interest in your little tricks has dimmed." Pride expressed disappointment as his eyes shed red. At the same time¡­ Woong! Keen Intuition alerted Seo Jun-Ho to danger. ¡®What? What changed?¡¯ Nothing had visibly changed. While Seo Jun-Ho was on edge, Pride crouched down. "In the tutorial... Hmm, this should be about right.¡± What Pride lifted from the wet floor was a stone about the size of three people¡¯s heads. He had picked up a huge stone that rolled over when the building copsed, and he slowly threw it up. "A serve pose?" Seo Jun-Ho tensed up. Pride had usually assumed a posemonly used to serve in volleyball. Usually, the next thing that woulde after it was... ¡®A spike!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho slightly twisted his body. He took on a posture that would allow him to avoid the ball and run either left or right whenever he wanted. "Heeeuup!" Paaaaak! Pride''s palm struck the falling stone. Surprisingly, however, the stone stopped in the air and stayed still. Once again, Pride pped the stone with his palm. "Heeeeuuup!" Paaaak! The stone didn¡¯t budge, again. Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes trembled. ¡®What the hell is that?¡¯ Despite his massivebat experience, Seo Jun-Ho couldn''t figure out what kind of skill that was or what Pride was doing. Rather, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s brilliant battle sense shouted at him that this was his chance and that he shouldunch a preemptive strike. ¡®Let¡¯s observe for now...¡¯ In the end, Seo Jun-Ho''s prudence was right. Seeeeeeeh! There was a sound that couldn¡¯t havee from the huge stone. ¡°¡­?!¡± At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho''s left arm reflexively moved forward. Booom! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face distorted when he deflected the flying stone. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt a great deal of pain from his throbbing wrist. He had only deflected a flying stone, but his body still suffered injuries despite being strengthened by Overclocking. ¡°One of my skills is to umte energy in objects and make them burst. When I make the condensed energy explode, it''s amplified several times more than before." Tuk, tuk. Picking up some stones and suspending them in the air, Pride struck them one by one. He struck them quite hard, but the stones didn''t budge. "¡­ You shouldn¡¯t be able to fix the stones in the air just by umting and making them burst,¡± probed Seo Jun-Ho. "That''s a good question, but you have to listen to the end. Didn¡¯t I say it was one of my skills?" Ttak. As soon as Pride flicked his finger, stones shot toward Seo Jun-Ho with various trajectories. Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly avoided them and frowned. "It''s not just umting and making the stored energy burst." "Oh, did you notice?" Pride had a filthy smile. "Yes, I can control the momentum of the objects around me at will." ¡°¡­!¡± Just one of those skills would be tricky to deal with, but Pride actually had two. ¡®Let''s think¡­¡¯ The moment Seo Jun-Ho started thinking about how to deal with that skill, Pride spoke up, "That''s the expression of someone in contemtion." ¡°¡­¡± Pride chuckled. He had a look of superiority as if Seo Jun-Ho was in the palm of his hand. "Sorry, but you don''t have to contemte too much." Pride opened his Inventory and hundreds of balls popped out from the inside. They weren¡¯t big. They were ck balls the size of a tennis ball at best. "Contractor, those balls...?¡± The Frost Queen spoke as she noticed something. Tong, tong, tong, tong. The balls from the Inventory were bouncing on the floor. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what the balls were made of, but they seemed very stic as their bouncing height only lowered after bouncing at least seven times. "You won''t have time to think from now on." Pride lightly stepped forward. Then, the hundreds of balls rose in the air at once and stopped. A corner of Pride¡¯s lips curled up as he shouted, "Fuze!" With the cry, Seo Jun-Ho felt the flow of another fiend¡¯s demonic energy. At the same time, his expression stiffened. ¡®This is.'' Seo Jun-Ho could feel that a transparent wall in the shape of a pentagon had been built around himself and Pride. "Now, do you understand?" Pride asked as he threw and caught a ball. "From now on, your opponent is not me." He threw the ball casually and dered, "These balls will be your opponents, and they won¡¯t stop until you die." Chapter 216. The Queen鈥檚 Second Lesson (1)

Chapter 216. The Queen¡¯s Second Lesson (1)

"Hmm." The only fiend left on the top of Dragon Rock, Fuze, frowned. It was difficult for him to install two Quarantine (B) at once, which was his skill. ''Maybe it''s because it has been a while, but it''s not easy.¡¯ He could only maintain this state for about an hour. But Fuze thought that the second quarantine space would end sooner orter. He was currently maintaining two quarantine spaces. One was the wide-area quarantine that isted the entire Port Lane from the outside world while the other was a small area to help in Pride¡¯s fight. ¡®Leader has never let his guard down against an enemy.¡¯ That was the scary thing about Pride, the leader of the Pride Squadron. Every little thing was calcted. He had always been like that. Betraying his dull-like appearance, he was a man with good brains as well as power. ¡®Even looking at it now, it¡¯s the same. He could rip him apart to death without my skill, but he¡¯s going the safe route.¡¯ Pride had no qualms about using everything he could use. ¡®The opponent may be an elemental skill user, but he wouldn¡¯t lose to a yer in his second year of debut.¡¯ Fuze didn¡¯t sympathize with his opponent. He med him instead. "What did youe butting in for? If you have that much power, you should have just calmly be a fiend.¡± Giving up this life of freedom where you could live as you wanted instead of protecting human rights, it was a foolish and cowardly way of living that he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡®If he wasn''t an ice elemental user, he would have already blown up to death by Leader''s explosive pinballs by now.¡¯ The balls were named pinballs due to the fact that they kept bouncing around. They were Pride¡¯s favorite weapon. The maximum number of balls he could handle at once was astonishingly 1,000 balls. ''Looking at the current situation, it''ll be over soon.¡¯ As he looked at the two men''s duel, Fuze¡¯s expression quickly stiffened. "Hmm¡­?" *** Seo Jun-Ho''s body moved like lightning. His body was constantly moving, and his eyes were moving even faster. He had even raised the output of Overclocking to 50%. ¡®At this level, it¡¯s the same state as when I was ying around with Cheetey¡¯s speed in Forever Land...¡¯ But it was no match for these hundreds of pinballs¡­ ''There are too many balls.¡¯ Every pinball was a weapon of murder and avoiding a ball once didn¡¯t mean it was the end of it. Tung! Tung! This was because the balls would bounce off the transparent walls and woulde to him again from the other side. Unlike the busily moving Seo Jun-Ho, Pride was watching Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s resistance with his arms crossed. "Hmm, you''re working hard.¡± Pride looked very rxed, but in fact he was also fighting hard. This was because he was calcting in his head how to put the hundreds of bouncing balls into a certain orbit. ¡®If I leave him alone, he¡¯ll die on his own. That''d be troublesome.¡¯ Pride''s goal was to take only one or two of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s arms or legs. That level of injury could easily be cured with the potion he always carried around. In addition, there were excellent healers in the Fiend Association. ''My pinballs will wrap around your neck like a noose.¡¯ Pride thought Seo Jun-Ho''s resistance would only be for a short time, since a human¡¯s stamina wasn¡¯t infinite. No matter how good a yer or a fiend was, they couldn¡¯t fight forever. ¡®Someone of my level could fight nonstop for about four days.¡¯ But it was impossible for a yer in his second year to have such stamina and mental power. "Well, unless he''s the reincarnation of Specter," Pride smirked, thinking how ridiculous of a joke that was. How could a man who was still alive, reincarnate? ''Well, the most important thing is that I don''t intend to continue this hunt that long.¡¯ Pride''s demonic energy fluctuated and at the same time¡­ Tuuuung! The pinballs passing by Seo Jun-Ho ignored the rules of motion and stopped, then their paths twisted. "Haa¡­ Haaa¡­" Of course, Seo Jun-Ho was in the ce where the balls were going. Short of breath, he moved like a flying squirrel while continuously using Frost. Crackle! He froze the pinballs flying toward him, but freezing dozens at a time was his limit. ¡®Damn it, the balls are too fast.¡¯ Of course, there was a way to freeze hundreds of balls without having to put up with this hassle. It was to freeze the whole space. Naturally, that would take a tremendous amount of magic. ¡®If I fail to manage my magic properly while dealing with a leader-level fiend¡­ There will be nothing but death for me.¡¯ Even today''s fight wouldn¡¯t end with this. Seo Jun-Ho also had to deal with the fiends who were currently hunting the monster in the sea. Unlike Pride, Seo Jun-Ho had a lot of reasons to manage his stamina and magic properly. "That is not how you use that technique...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was busy and was having a headache, but the Frost Queen next to him suddenly muttered. Annoyed, Seo Jun-Ho snapped back. "What do you want me to do better here? This is my best, so don''t disturb me!" "Hmm¡­ Back in my days, I could freeze not hundreds, but thousands of them." The Frost Queen let out a light sigh and shook her head. "It cannot be helped. It will be troublesome if you die¡­ I will help you just this once." ¡°Help?" "Huuu, I am worried. If I keep helping you out like this, you might develop a bad habit...¡± The Frost Queen murmured seriously like a zealous school parent. Seo Jun-Ho wanted to shout something emotionally, but he was in a bad situation. "No, if you''re going to help me, do it quick." "Contractor? You have to speak politely when you ask someone to do something." "Plese hep me¡­" When Seo Jun-Ho clenched his teeth and spoke, the Frost Queen grinned and slowly took off her blindfold. All of a sudden, hundreds of pinballs in the area froze and fell to the ground. Witnessing this, Seo Jun-Ho was shocked. ¡®It''s not just the whole space being frozen.¡¯ She froze each of Pride¡¯s hundreds of pinballs flying around like crazy after ¡®looking¡¯ at them. Seo Jun-Ho was surprised by the Frost Queen¡¯s monstrous skill. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ At the same time, his briefly dazed mind quickly returned to normal. Although the Frost Queen''s technique would consume his mental strength, the biggest advantage that it had was that it wouldn¡¯t consume his magic. ¡®Fortunately, my mental strength has long surpassed that of a human being.¡¯ Not to mention the S-grade passive skill, ''Hero¡¯s Mind,¡¯ he had also consumed a mental strength potion made from a Cinder Fox¡¯s Core created by the alchemist Shasha Alkheni, who was living in seclusion in Gilleon. He was confident that his current mental strength wouldn¡¯t be inferior even if it waspared to the Nine Heavens. "Huuu, this is how you use this technique. Do you understand?" ¡°¡­¡± But why? Why was he getting heated by that small Spirit¡¯s words even though he had such a tremendous amount of mental strength? "Hey, if you show me once and ask me if I understand, what do you want me to do?¡± Seo Jun-Ho wanted toin more, but he suddenly shut his lips tight. ¡®That''s not how you use a spear.¡¯ ¡®yers these days are problematic. Everyone could do this much during my days.¡¯ ¡®What? You can''t do this? Why?¡¯ Those were all the things he had always said. ¡®It didn¡¯t matter when I did it, but hearing it from others, it makes me mad.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho slightly massaged the back of his neck and said, "Anyway, thanks." "Do not mention it. If I do not save my weak Contractor, who will?" It had been a long time since the Frost Queen had taken an active role. However, shortly afterward, Pride picked up a fallen pinball without saying a word. ¡®It''s frozen.¡¯ It waspletely frozen through to the point that there was no room for any excuses. Normally, Pride would have, of course, thought that his opponent had overdone it. "But it''s different¡­" The moment the hundreds of pinballs were frozen, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face distorted as if he had a headache. But Pride didn''t feel a huge flow of magic. There was one conclusion that Pride came to from those little clues. "Is it a Spirit?" ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho hid his surprise and instead of showing any fluster, he frowned. "A Spirit? What are you talking about?" "Hmph, that''s cute." But Pride was already convinced. He got only one more clue from Seo Jun-Ho''s excellent acting. "What a deceiving performance. You have the makings of a great actor,¡± Pride spoke in a convoluted manner and once again opened his Inventory. "With this level of ability... Is it a Common-grade Spirit?" "W-What are you talking about? I am a Grade 2 Arch Spirit." The Frost Queen shook her head violently and denied it. "Hmm, but it''s strange.¡± Pride tilted his head. "When you used the ice elemental skill earlier, you definitely used magic, but you didn¡¯t use magic just a moment ago." With that, Pride could make two assumptions. "One is that you deceived me by releasing magic for no reason, and the other is...¡± Pride grinned. It was a sweet-looking smile like when Holmes¡¯s seeded in his deduction. "You have an ice elemental skill, and you also have an ice elemental Spirit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes turned cold. ¡®I can¡¯t let him leave alive.¡¯ Pride knew too many things that he shouldn¡¯t know. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vignce against the Fiend Association increased. ''He''s pretty smart and he''s quite powerful. But if he''s only 37th...¡¯ What kind of monsters were there above him? Noticing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stiff expression, the Frost Queen spoke, "Contractor, do you remember when I taught you before?" "The training that kept me from sleeping to embody the same look as Fragarach?" Seo Jun-Ho''s expression stiffened once more, but it was due to a different reason. He really thought that he was going to go crazy back then. ¡®Of course, the effect of the teaching itself was great.¡¯ Since then, using Frost itself had be much smoother, its power had improved, and his control over it had be even more precise. "So you still remember it. Then, let''s start the second lesson right now." "Now? Here¡ªin the middle of battle?" "It''s a training that¡¯s only possible because we are inbat right now." The Frost Queen turned her head and looked at Pride. Once again, hundreds of pinballs popped out of his Inventory. "This time, do not use my strength. Instead, try it yourself." "I don''t have time for that now...¡± "We may nevere across a better environment." ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho certainly agreed with that opinion. They would be hard-pressed to find someone else with simr skills as Pride who could control hundreds of incessantly bouncing balls. "What do I need to do?" "First, look at the big picture," said the Frost Queen, spreading her arms. Her figure from behind was still small, but at that moment, she looked like a Queen epassing the world. "You only look at the trees, not the forest. It is a habit you have probably made when you were still using a destructive power like the Watchguard of Darkness. It is a bad habit that does not go well with Frost.¡± Frost could freeze everything. It could literally freeze everything. Therefore, the user had to look at the world with a bigger-than-usual view. "See clearly what you need to freeze. Measure how much you want to freeze it." "I understand it in my head, but it''s not easy." There was no problem perceiving each pinball one at a time. In fact, by perceiving them, he could freeze dozens of them. "But it''s impossible to perceive hundreds of pinballs as targets at once." "Make it happen, even if it is difficult. Do it right now." "What kind of ridiculous request is that?" "Why do you think it is ridiculous? You are already fully equipped with the ability. You have dynamic visual acuity,putational power, and you¡¯re decent at controlling Frost." Just as she said, Seo Jun-Ho was in a state where he had met all the basic conditions to implement exactly what Frost Queen had done. The Frost Queen pointed her slender finger forward andmanded, "From now on, Contractor, look at the forest, not just the trees." ¡°...¡± Look at the forest, not just the trees? ¡®Honestly, I don''t have a clue what you''re talking about...¡¯ But if he kept learning from this old-fashioned Spirit queen, he would probably be able to do it eventually. Seo Jun-Ho rxed his mind a bit. As he stabilized his mind, his vision expanded and his view expanded. Chapter 217. The Queen鈥檚 Second Lesson (2)

Chapter 217. The Queen¡¯s Second Lesson (2)

When his view expanded, the first thing he saw was hundreds of pinballs. ¡®It''s like a swarm of bees.¡¯ Hundreds of balls trapped in a not-so-wide area looked like a swarm of insects. ¡®I can''t believe she froze all that just by looking at it once...¡¯ This made Seo Jun-Ho realize that the original owner of the Frost skill truly was the Frost Queen. Her level of understanding and control of the skill was higher than his own. ¡®Honestly, I didn''t think I''d be behind when it came to understanding the skill.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was deep in thought as his body worked hard to avoid the balls. ¡®I''ve gotten used to the elemental skill types through the Watchguard of Darkness.¡¯ What did he get used to? He was used to thinking that no one in the world could follow him. Of course, that pride of his was still alive and well. ¡®Is there a yer better at handling the elements than me?¡¯ It was pure curiosity and he didn¡¯t really know the answer. Twenty-six years had passed since he fell asleep, so there could be a handful of them right now. But even if there were, there definitely wouldn¡¯t be a lot of them. He was sure of it since he, Specter, had reached that high of a level. ¡®But why?¡¯ The question appeared here. Even though he was so good at using the Watchguard of Darkness, why was he so clumsy with Frost? ¡®Actually, it¡¯s not quite right to say that I¡¯m clumsy.¡¯ His ability to utilize Frost was not bad in itself. By taking a lesson from the Frost Queen, he quickly learned how to use and control Frost. Furthermore, he had been using Overclocking at all times, so he was also using Frost 24 hours a day to cool himself. ¡®In short, there is no problem with how I use Frost.¡¯ The Frost Queen had also said that he had already met all the conditions. So what was the difference between him and the Frost Queen? Seo Jun-Ho thought that he had to figure that out. ''Tsk, if you''re going to give me homework, give it to me when I have a lot of time.¡¯ He cast a reproachful nce at the Frost Queen. How could she give him a question right now when he was barely holding onto his life. ''I¡¯m sure she gave it because she knows I can do it.¡¯ The Frost Queen whom Seo Jun-Ho knew would never give an impossible task. In that case, there was only one thing for him to do from now on. Crackle! Whenever Seo Jun-Ho''s gaze met a pinball, it froze and crashed to the ground. One, two, three... It was quick; he was freezing them at a rate of ten per second. "Too slow! Did I not tell you to look a little further?" The Frost Queen¡¯s cry shook his ears. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho''s consciousness gradually went even further away from him, but this didn¡¯t mean he was losing his consciousness. ¡®Focus.¡¯ The Frost Queen¡¯s nagging voice started to fade. The noisy pinballs that flew about like insects had also started to be blurry. Every sound was silenced as if he had entered a chamber where singers often recorded their songs. This was what happened when Seo Jun-Ho raised his concentration to the limit. ¡®Focus.¡¯ Crackle! Ten pinballs rushing toward him fell, encased in ice. At the same time, his vision expanded even further. ¡®Don''t let the pinball in front of you draw your attention.¡¯ Just like what the Frost Queen revealed and like how she had done it, he had to look around this space and include all the pinballs in his view. It was certainly not an easy task. After all, he was in a ce filled with weapons of murder. Seo Jun-Ho extended his hand. Craaackle! This time, eleven froze. It was thanks to seeing one more pinball in his expanded field of view. ''It''s still not enough.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes moved even faster. Craaackle! Pinballs were frozen ording to the amount of magic consumed. But the number of frozen pinballs wasn¡¯t enough. ¡®Hmmmm.¡¯ The Frost Queen murmured to herself with her arms crossed while looking at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Was it too early for him to use this technique?¡¯ If he mastered the skill she had shown just now, he would be able to freeze all the pinballs here even with his eyes closed. But to do that, there was a prerequisite. ¡®He needs a higher and wider view.¡¯ It was a 180-degree different view from what Seo Jun-Ho had been using so far. It was different from simply looking far, looking closely, and looking at things moving fast. They were eyes that could read through the entire space from where one stood. The number of people who had be enlightened to this kind of vision didn¡¯t exceed a hundred people, even in her kingdom, Niflheim. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Frost Queen med her own greed and spoke, "Contractor, I am afraid this time it is my mistake...¡± But suddenly, Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes which were spinning in all directions came to a halt. ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t something that could be seen by simply moving your eyes as quickly as you could. Seo Jun-Ho realized it on his own. ¡®Even if I look at one, it''s important to look at it in depth.¡¯ He looked up into the air. It was the same scenery as before. He was starting to get sick of seeing hundreds of balls flying around in all directions. But there was one thing that changed. ¡®Ahh, is it like this?¡¯ The only thing that a person in front of a harsh wave could see was the rising wall of water in front of them. But if you were a person with a high and wide view, if you could see by objectifying space itself, you would be able to see various things aside from the wave¡ªthe blue sky, the sea where the wave was from, the bubbles on the water... ¡®It¡¯s not as much as the Frost Queen¡­ but I can see it a little bit.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stretched his hand upward. If it was an ordinary person, they wouldn¡¯t be able to understand the lesson even if they were shown and taught hundreds of times over. Still, even though he had only heard a few lines, he was enlightened in battle. "You are¡­ Geez...¡± Frost Queen smiled in shock before shaking her head. ¡®As expected, you are overflowing with talent.¡¯ She wanted him to seed, but she only expected him to be enlightened to some extent. However, the Frost Queen had no idea that Seo Jun-Ho had exceeded her expectations. "Huuu." Seo Jun-Ho let out a light sigh but before the sigh ended¡­ Crack! Craack! 40 pieces of ice began to fall from the sky. "That''s too bad. I can''t do it all at once like you¡¯ve done." "Hmph, that''s obvious. You¡¯re still a decade early." She responded with ease, but the Frost Queen had to reassure herself in her heart. A chill came down her spine. ''If he really copied my technique at once...¡¯ Didn¡¯t that mean that he was an uncontroble monster? If that happened, she would instantly lose all her bargaining chips and would be nothing more than a pet Spirit by then. ¡°A Spirit this time again? No, there was definitely a flow of magic this time." Pride looked at the broken ice pieces on the floor. Even if Seo Jun-Ho''s talent was excellent, he was still a rookie within his first two years of being a yer. ¡®No, he''s not a rookie. I didn''t think of him as a rookie from the start.¡¯ If one¡¯s level was high, their stats would also be high, so one would naturally have an advantage. If one debuted early, one could umte a lot of experience, and that would also be an advantage However, no matter how high one¡¯s level was and how early one debuted, death was inevitable if one let down their guard. Therefore, Pride never let his guard down no matter the opponent. ¡®But I still can''t do it in one go?¡¯ It wasn''t like Pride wanted to take Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s life. It was just an arm and a leg. He was only trying to reach the point where Seo Jun-Ho was crippled, so he could be brought to the Fiend Association. But even that was so difficult to do? "Seo Jun-Ho..." He looked at the creature in front of him¡ªat the individual whom he couldn¡¯t understand with hismon sense. ¡®He¡¯s growing even in this battle.¡¯ Pride felt a bigger sense of crisis as he slightly turned his wrist. All of a sudden, the hundreds of pinballs from his Inventory spun like the gxy. The seemingly beautiful balls fell to the ground. "Sorry, but from now on, I''m going to get a little rough." ¡°Tsk." Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue and once again mustered his magic. Crackle! The pinballs crashed into the thick ice shield Seo Jun-Ho had instantly created. Seo Jun-Ho sealed the holes with ice before the pinballs buried in the shield could escape once again. "Pretty tricks¡­¡± Pride murmured with a corner of his mouth curled up. ¡°Even so, the balls are infinite.¡± Taking out new balls from his Inventory, Pride continued his attack. As he said, the pinballs seemed limitless. It didn¡¯t end even if he froze them over and over again. ¡®... Wait, something seems off?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had a question for the first time since the start of the battle. ¡®The skill that he revealed is to control the kic energy of all the surrounding objects.¡¯ But then, shouldn''t he be able to move the ice-covered pinballs too? Moreover, why was it that the number of balls he had taken out so far always seemed simr? A small smile formed around Seo Jun-Ho''s mouth. ¡®That skill has a condition¡­¡¯ Pride''s skill shouldn¡¯t be as omnipotent as he exined. He looked smart in the first ce, so it was a little strange for him to only be 37th in the Fiend Association with that kind of skill. But it would be understandable if Pride had overexaggerated his skill. ''He probably has the skill to control kic energy.¡¯ But it was likely that it had serious conditions that had to be met. If Seo Jun-Ho could figure out what the conditions were, he would be able to achieve victory in this battle. ''Then let''s test it first.¡¯ Craaaackle! Seo Jun-Ho froze the water around him. Balls made from ice the size of a pinball were formed. ''If he can really control all objects, this should also be his weapon.¡¯ Swoooosh! The balls of ice shot out like missiles. "¡­" Pride frowned and shook his hand lightly. The pinballs shot down the balls of ice quite easily. The fallen balls of ice remained unmoving on the floor. "You can''t do it¡­" Seo Jun-Ho found one of the conditions. It was likely that he could only handle objects that were ''ownerless.¡¯ But this wasn¡¯t enough. It was still a threatening skill. There needed to be a fatal disadvantage for the 37th ranking to make sense. "Contractor." The Frost Queen¡¯s voice entered Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ears as she watched the battle. "The number of balls that he can handle is always constant at 512.¡± ¡°Did you count them all?" "It is not counting. I just saw them." She had an astonishing vision. It was also the field of vision that Seo Jun-Ho would need to have in order to fully use Frost in the future. "Hmm?" Seo Jun-Ho discovered something else as he observed Pride. "Frost, do you remember his position when we started the battle?" "Do you think I am a fool? From the beginning, his position...¡± The Frost Queen started to speak, but she suddenly closed her mouth. It was a pretty one-sided battle, but Pride had never moved from where he stood in the past 10 minutes. "It looks a little suspicious to me, how about you?" The Frost Queen smiled at Seo Jun-Ho''s question; she found it quite amusing. "It looks very suspicious to my eyes as well." "Bingo." Pride ''could not move'' while using his skill. Seo Jun-Ho mustered a great deal of magic to prove his hypothesis. "Try shooting this down like what you did before." A block of ice the size of a house flew toward Pride. "You, impudent...¡± Pride¡¯s face distorted by the minute as he looked at the approaching ice. Chapter 218. See You Soon (1)

Chapter 218. See You Soon (1)

¡®Now, what will you do?¡¯ Arge block of ice as big as a cier started inching toward Pride. rmed, he moved his hand, shooting pinballs toward it. They began to tear into the ice like piranhas. ¡®It¡¯s pointless.¡¯ However, it was too massive. No matter how strong the pinballs were, there was no way they could quickly shatter a block of ice the size of a building. ¡°Dammit!¡± The block of ice was chipped away until it was about the size of three people, but it was still dangerous. In the end, Pride chose to dodge. ¡°...¡± He took two steps to the side to avoid the ice, and Seo Jun-Ho smiled. ¡°I told you,¡± he said. ¡°I also pointed out that it was suspicious,¡± the Frost Queen replied. When Pride moved, the pinballs in the air had fallen to the ground. It proved that he could only use his skill if he didn¡¯t move. ¡®No matter how strong a skill is, that kind of restriction is a huge handicap.¡¯ To be honest, his actions had made no sense. Fiends were smart enough to hide their skills no matter what. But Pride hadid it all out in the open, pretending to let his guard down, all for the sake of hiding his skill¡¯s weakness. ¡°Hup¡­phew.¡± Pride¡¯s face went red, unable to hide his anger. He let out a deep breath, calming himself. ¡°You¡¯re better than I thought.¡± Of course, he would be¡ªSeo Jun-Ho was a neer with a lot of experience, after all. It was Pride¡¯s turn to panic. ¡®I wanted to capture him because of his skill¡­¡¯ He had expected it to be a piece of cake, but Seo Jun-Ho resisted more than he thought, and thetter even knew his weakness now. Pride considered this for a moment. ¡®I¡¯ll try one more time.¡¯ And if he still couldn¡¯t capture Seo Jun-Ho¡­ His eyes darkened. ¡®I can just make Fuze keep his mouth shut. No one will ever know that there had been an ice elemental user here.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t go through the trouble of trying to capture Seo Jun-Ho anymore. He would just kill him instead. After all, the dead couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°Again¡­¡± Pride opened his Inventory again, and pinballs came spilling out, but they weren¡¯t as powerful as before. ¡®Vision enhancement.¡¯ Magic filled his eyes, enhancing his vision greatly. Until now, he had enhanced his vision so that he could only see things in the distance like he was looking through a telescope. Now, he was doing the opposite. ¡®I¡¯m not looking into the distance anymore.¡¯ His scope of vision had shrunk. He couldn¡¯t see all the pinballs floating above his head, but he could see about a third of them. Seo Jun-Ho felt his neck itch. ¡®I feel like I could do what the Frost Queen did if I just train a little more¡­¡¯ But at the moment, he couldn¡¯t do it. He was too inexperienced. ¡®It¡¯s too bad.¡¯ Still, he had gained a lot in this battle. If he wanted to, he could immediately shoot down dozens of pinballs, which had seemed impossible at the beginning of this battle. He looked at Pride. ¡®He considered it just now.¡¯ Pride had considered whether to kill him instead of capturing him as he had originally intended. But seeing how Pride was acting, it seemed he would attempt to capture Seo Jun-Ho one more time. ¡®I should end this soon.¡¯ It would be better to end it while his opponent was holding back. ¡°Inventory.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pulled out a long spear reminiscent of a dragon. It glowed with blue light, giving off a cool aura. Pride flinched the moment he saw it. ¡®That weapon¡¯s at least Rare-grade.¡¯ There weren¡¯t many weapons that could put him on edge simply by seeing them. Based on his experiences through the years, he was sure it was at least Rare-grade. ¡°You¡¯re relying on your weapon, is that it?¡± ¡°You sound like an idiot.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt no qualms about using weapons. He was actually proud of how good he was at handling them. ¡®The only reason humans could beat so many predators and take over the world was because they could use weapons.¡¯ He even had the powerful Weapons Mastery (S) skill. ¡°That¡¯s funny. You say that when you¡¯re using hundreds of weapons yourself,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. The pinballs counted as weapons. He struck the bullseye. Pride scowled. ¡°I¡¯ll end this quickly. If I keep talking to you, I won¡¯t be able to hold myself back.¡± ¡°Contractor, do you simply n to entertain his taunts?¡± ¡°Of course not¡­.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho exhaled, the air he was breathing out started to turn white as the temperature dropped. It became cold enough to dampen Pride¡¯s senses, but not Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s, and his focus became as sharp as a knife. ¡°Tch...¡± Pride moved first as he grew nervous. He moved his hand, and hundreds of pinballs shot out like meteors. Their movements were noticeably different from before. ¡®He¡¯s not just trying to stop me from retreating anymore. He¡¯s just attacking sloppily.¡¯ Whatever happened, Pride intended to heavily injure Seo Jun-Ho first, so he was more forceful than before. Ironically, this gave Seo Jun-Ho peace of mind. ¡®You won¡¯t have any regrets.¡¯ At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t go to the afterlife frustrated that he hadn¡¯t tried his best. Seo Jun-Ho shot out like a bolt of lightning, hundreds of pinballs following right behind him. ¡°Hup!¡± When he reached Pride, thetter suddenly opened his Inventory. ¡°C-Contractor! He¡­!¡± As the Frost Queen cried out, 512 more pinballs shot out. In total, there were 1,024 of them. They filled the air until the pinballs created a clear, invisible wall. There was no room to escape. But Seo Jun-Ho was calm as they approached. ¡°I knew it.¡± He had expected this from the beginning. ¡®He¡¯s been lying since the beginning of the battle, using underhanded tricks like this.¡¯ The Frost Queen had also mentioned that he only ever used 512 pinballs at a time. When she said that, Seo Jun-Ho had gotten the feeling that Pride could use more. ¡°You naive little novice. This is how a fiend fights.¡± Pride grinned triumphantly. ¡°Naive? You think I¡¯m naive?¡± In stark contrast to Pride, Seo Jun-Ho had a wicked smile. ¡®I¡¯ll show you naive.¡¯ His focus reached his peak. He waspletely surrounded by 1,024 pinballs with nowhere to dodge, but he still moved. Woosh! He twisted his body elegantly, dodging the pinballs. But he was doing more than that. Crackle! As they grazed him, dozens of pinballs started to freeze. ¡°Ah.¡± The Frost Queen was impressed because he wasn''t just freezing them. ¡°That kind of technique¡­¡± He was making the frozen pinballs into his own weapons as well. Somehow, he was able to do that while dodging a thousand simultaneous attacks. ¡°Impossible!¡± Pride screamed. It didn¡¯t make sense. ¡®You¡¯re saying that¡¯s just talent?¡¯ He had heard the stories. Seo Jun-Ho, the one who cleared all 10 floors of the Cave of Trials. The Korean yer who supposedly had the most potential since Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡®But that¡¯s not it.¡¯ Who would look at him and think he only had potential? He had already bloomed! ¡®He has already reached his full potential.¡¯ It would be unfair if talent truly made that much of a difference. Was it even possible to have such a refined battle sense after merely two years of experience? Pride shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± But he was witnessing this with his own two eyes. He started to tremble as he realized that. ¡®I¡­I have to kill him.¡¯ If he let Seo Jun-Ho go, he had no idea what would happen even a year from now. As such, he had to kill him right now. ¡°Hup!¡± Pride twisted his wrist, and the pinballs started to explode as he activated his second skill, Remote Detonation (C). Thick smoke filled his vision. He tried to enhance his eyesight with demonic energy, but the smoke was so dense he couldn¡¯t see through it. ¡®He should be dead.¡¯ The explosive force of dozens of pinballs was the equivalent explosion of dozens of bombs. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t possibly survive when the explosion happened so close to him. ¡®If he¡¯s still alive, I can finish him off.¡¯ Pride waited for the smoke to clear with a solemn expression. ¡®I see him.¡¯ Beyond the fading smoke was a human figure. Pride immediately shot his pinballs toward it. Crackle! But instead of hitting flesh, he heard them striking ice¡­ ¡®Ice?¡¯ He had struck a block of ice in the shape of a human, and the head had even been severed. ¡®...It¡¯s thick.¡¯ The ice was about fifteen centimeters thick, and there were signs that a human had been encased inside it. ¡®Then¡­!¡¯ Pride quickly released his demonic energy, covering the area. He discovered a dense concentration of magic. ¡°I see you!¡± He lifted his hand, shooting the pinballs to the ceiling as he looked up. But all he saw was a little girl¡­ ¡°It is I.¡± ¡°...?!¡± Rather than being confused, he had a moment of realization. ¡®He wasn¡¯t up there¡­!¡¯ ¡°Down here.¡± Woosh! Seo Jin-Ho¡¯s spear thrust upward through a clear path. ¡°...¡± Pride looked down at the weapon piercing his heart. It had been the perfect trap. Seo Jun-Ho hadpletely concealed his magic and his presence, hiding underground. ¡®And he even sent his Spirit upward¡­¡± It was perfect. But even then, Pride didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Blegh!¡±As he coughed up bright red blood, he fell to one knee. There was only one thought in his head. ¡®Fuze, I have to call Fuze¡­And the others¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t toote yet. He could feel the cold spreading from his heart to his veins, but he wasn¡¯t dead yet. ¡®I can live. I want to live.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the fiend struggling in vain. ¡°Do you want to live?¡± Pride nodded vigorously. ¡°I always ask fiends¡­Have you ever spared someone when they asked for mercy?¡± ¡°...¡± He didn¡¯t answer. However, Pride nodded enthusiastically when he saw Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes grow colder. ¡°Actually, I think I have a few¡­¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± Crackle! An ice flower bloomed. Pride died instantly like a trampled flower. ¡°Geez, fiends always lie when they open their mouths,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. ¡°If you know that, why do you always ask?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen looked at the ground. Her Contractor¡­ wasn¡¯t right in the head. Chapter 219. See You Soon (2)

Chapter 219. See You Soon (2)

¡®What¡­?¡¯ Fuze stared with wide eyes as he watched all his Squadron leader¡¯s pinballs freeze. As they escaped Pride¡¯s control, they bounced off the transparent walls and to the ground. ¡®Impossible.¡¯ At the beginning of the battle, Pride had said that their opponent might have an A-grade ice elemental skill. Fuze had wondered if his captain was overestimating the yer, but now, he nodded slowly. ¡®If he can do that, he could definitely have an A-grade ice elemental skill or higher.¡¯ They had expected this battle to be easy, but it was taking a lot longer than expected. ¡°Kill him! Kill him! Kill that guy!¡± Fuze shouted with mmy hands. Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice reached his ears. He was no longer alone. ¡°He¡¯s dying so disgracefully. I knew he wascking, but I didn¡¯t think it would be this bad.¡± ¡®Who¡­?!¡¯ Fuze immediately turned around. His face turned as pale as a sheet of paper. The man beside him looked short, average, and thin. The only thing that stood out were his eerie, dead-looking eyes. Fuze forced himself to speak as he looked at him. ¡°Gu Shi-On¡­Nim.¡± Gu Shi-On was famous for being the captain of the Despair Squadron, but ording to the n, he wasn¡¯t supposed to be in Port Lane. Fuze spoke carefully, ¡°Why have youe¡­?¡± ¡°Dream on. Do you really think I¡¯de in person to such a disgusting ce that reeks of fish?¡± Gu Shi-On dryly responded. Gu Shi-On looked down at him. ¡°Shadow-nim from the Darkmoon Pavillion ordered me toe. He sent me to help because he can¡¯t trust the Pride Squadron to get the job done.¡± ¡°...Keuk.¡± Fuze¡¯s hands curled into fists. If Pride were here right now, he would have given a witty retort. Gu Shi-On smiled as he saw Fuze¡¯s indignation. ¡°You look like a dog that lost its owner. How amusing.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And even if your owner were here, he wouldn¡¯t be able to bark at me. He has been disciplined a few times for that, you see.¡± Fuze bowed his head, unable to say anything. He knew that if he ever talked back, his punishment wouldn¡¯t end with just death. ¡°Looks like the dog is wiser than the owner. I would have taught you a lesson if you dared to open your mouth.¡± Fuze shivered at the word ¡°lesson.¡± Gu Shi-On looked at him like he was pathetic before turning away. ¡°Who is that guy anyway? Exin.¡± A bit of interest sparked in his dead eyes as he watched Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s an A-grade ice elemental user, ording to Pride-nim¡¯s estimate,¡± he said. ¡°A guy like that doesn¡¯t juste out of nowhere. What else?¡± ¡°...He appeared with the Archmage and the Gray Envoy.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Gu Shi-On looked regretful when he heard the answer. ¡°If I knew this would happen, I would¡¯vee in person¡­¡± His abilities were greatly limited in his clone state. ¡®Well, it should still be enough to take care of the Archmage and the Envoy.¡¯ He didn¡¯t even consider the ice elemental user. ¡®Even if Pride is an idiot, he should be able to kill some no-name yer.¡¯ However, it didn¡¯t take long for Pride to betray his expectations. ¡°C-Captain.¡± The yer was resisting too much. He froze Pride¡¯s pinballs every time, and at some point, he was starting to push Pride back. Fuze looked nervously at Gu Shi-On. ¡°G-Gu Shi-On-nim. I think my captain is in danger.¡± ¡°...?¡± He blinked, looking at Fuze as if asking what he was supposed to do about it. ¡°I-I thought you said the Darkmoon Pavillion sent you here to help us¡­¡± he nervously stammered. ¡°Ah. You misunderstand.¡± Gu Shi-On smirked and shook his head. ¡°Listen carefully. My orders were to help you, so you don¡¯t fail the mission.¡± ¡°...¡± Fuze was confused. Wasn¡¯t that the same? ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand, so I¡¯ll exin. Whether Pride gets killed or not, I know that I can stillplete the mission on my own. There¡¯s no real reason to help him,¡± he added. ¡°T-then¡­¡± ¡°This is good, actually. That idiot has been disgracing the Squadron leaders this whole time.¡± Pride was barely strong enough to be a Squadron leader because his skill had such an obvious weakness. He was actually the weakest out of all the Squadron leaders. ¡°He looks stupid, but he¡¯s as cunning as a fox. I didn¡¯t like that he quickly became a Squadron leader because of that.¡± Pride knew better than anyone the risk associated with his skill, so he treated his subordinates like soldiers and had them protect him. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s dead,¡± Gu Shi-On said a momentter. It wasn¡¯t just a figure of speech anymore. Fuze looked on helplessly like his soul had left his body. Gu Shi-On doubled over and burst intoughter. He wiped away tears when he finally spoke. ¡°That bastard, he actually died!¡± If Pride had been fighting one of the 5 Heroes, his death wouldn¡¯t havee as a surprise, considering they had once been the strongest people alive. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d be killed by some no-name yer?¡± Gu Shi-On looked relieved. ¡°I¡¯m so d he died in a remote ce like this.¡± Gu Shi-On had always been worried that Pride¡¯s ipetence would reflect badly on the Squadron leaders and the Fiend Association as a whole. Pride¡¯s death confirmed his suspicions. ¡°Imagine if he died in some ce like Leiark. The yers would¡¯ve looked down on the Fiend Association.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing he died in a ce like this. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Fuze let out a choked sound as he trembled all over. ¡°...Yes.¡± Squadron members without their leaders were outcasts. If they weren¡¯t taken in by a new Squadron, they would basically be normal fiends. ¡°Hm, he¡¯s more interesting than I thought¡­¡± Gu Shi-On thought for a second and made a decision. ¡°It would be a waste to lose one of them. Let¡¯s just kill them all at once. *** ¡°Contractor, what about his memories?¡± ¡°Later.¡± Seo Jun-Ho hid Pride¡¯s now-frozen body in a building. Once everything was over, he would look for the corpse and use Confession of the Dead. ¡°Our priority right now is to block the fiends at the ocean.¡± Fortunately, the strongest fiend that hade here was Pride. Since he was dead, there wasn¡¯t anyone else left who would give Seo Jun-Ho much trouble. Woosh! ¡°...!¡± Goosebumps pricked his skin. Both Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen looked around, narrowing their eyes. ¡°Contractor, did you not say that he was the strongest fiend?¡± ¡°Yeah. ording to Jang Seon-Ho¡¯s memories, he should¡¯ve been the strongest among them¡­¡± Pride had definitely been the strongest, as the Despair Squadron leader wasn¡¯t participating in this mission. ¡°Then what is this feeling?¡± the Frost Queen asked. Seo Jun-Ho wondered the same thing. He noticed that this feeling of danger wasing from Dragon Rock and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it¡¯s calling to me.¡± It wasn¡¯t just calling. It was clearly a threat. ¡®I bet they¡¯ll destroy the whole city if I don¡¯t go.¡¯ Skaya had evacuated most of the citizens, but there were still more than a thousand citizens left. They were probably scared, hiding in their homes. ¡°Since I¡¯ve been offered an invitation, it would only be polite to ept.¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly started toward the hill. *** Through his scope, Gilberto took aim at the figure near Dragon Rock. The man¡¯s bloodlust was so thick that he didn¡¯t even notice he was being watched. ¡°Jun-Ho, what should I do?¡± [Standby for now. How does the target look?] ¡°He looks younger than I thought, and his body type is average.¡± [Maybe he¡¯s the type that relies more on his skills than physical strength¡­? What about Skaya?] [I just broke through the transparent wall and sent people out. Should we meet up?] [Yeah.] Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s reply came immediately. He wasn¡¯t one to give up an easy fight. [We don¡¯t need to y fair. Let¡¯s get this done as fast as possible and head to the ocean.] [Good idea~] Soon after, Gilberto saw Seo Jun-Ho and Skaya going up the hill through his scope. The four of them were talking to each other, and Skaya used her telepathy to let Gilberto listen in. [You actually came. How obedient. I suppose that¡¯s why they call you Heroes.] [I am the Despair Squadron leader, Gu Shi-On. I enjoyed watching you kill Pride. I wanted to thank you, actually.] [Seeing how an ice elemental user is running around with the 5 Heroes, I suppose you¡¯ll free the remaining two.] [What do you think of joining the Fiend Association? With your abilities, you could be the new Pride Squadron leader right away. You killed Pride, so you¡¯re qualified.] [You don¡¯t want to? Oh, well. Just let me ask you one question. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12. Which number is your favorite?] Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t answer. The fiend shrugged carelessly. [Let¡¯s just go with 1, then. It¡¯s my favorite number, you see.] [Bye, I¡¯ll see you soon. You don¡¯t have to pay me extra for rent.] ¡°...¡± The Despair Squadron leader was speaking nothing but nonsense. Gilberto stopped paying attention to their conversation and took aim at Gu Shi-On¡¯s forehead. He could immediately pull the trigger as soon as the signal was given. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Surprisingly, Gu Shi-On smiled. And then, Seo Jun-Ho disappeared without a trace. ¡°What¡­¡± Skaya¡¯s scream tore through his confusion. [Gil¡­!] Bang! Gilberto¡¯s reaction time was immacte. He pulled the trigger as soon as the sound reached his ears. The bullet shot through the air without a sound or trace and tore straight through his target¡¯s forehead. ¡°...!¡± But Gu Shi-On didn¡¯t even seem annoyed. He simply smiled. ¡°Dammit, that¡¯s not his real body,¡± Gilberto eximed. Gu Shi-On shattered like ss, disappearingpletely¡ªthis meant he had been a clone. ¡°Skaya, what happened to Jun-Ho?!¡± he yelled, uncharacteristically panicked. [Wait.] Skaya said curtly. She used the wind to cut through the remaining fiend¡¯s arms. The attack was full of rage like she was punishing him for the other fiend¡¯s actions. As he screamed and fell to the ground, Skaya looked around and bit her lip. [...I don¡¯t know.] She traced the magic back, but Gu Shi-On skill wasn¡¯t something like Teleport. Seo Jun-Ho had disappeared off the face of the earth without a single trace. ¡°...¡± Gilberto swallowed. He spoke once he had sorted out his thoughts. ¡°Skaya, you can¡¯t just kill off that fiend. We need to get information from him.¡± [Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not mad. I¡¯m totally fine. I wasn¡¯t nning to kill him in the first ce.] She turned away. [...Sorry, I lied just now. I¡¯m really mad.] As the fiend thrashed in pain, Skaya approached him with cold eyes. Chapter 220. See You Soon (3)

Chapter 220. See You Soon (3)

After killing Pride, Seo Jun-Ho waited for Skaya toe. ¡°You actually killed a Squadron leader? The Fiend Association must be pretty weak,¡± she said. Seo Jun-Ho watched her approach with envious eyes as she hummed. ¡°You¡¯re lucky. Whenever I dig deeper into the Fiend Association, it adds another weight on my back.¡± ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t it obvious that I¡¯m happy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my bad for speaking up.¡± It was his fault for trying to have a normal conversation with Skaya Killnd. ¡°Remember this house,¡± he said, pointing to a building with a blue roof. ¡°I put his body in the third room on the first floor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna read his memories after the battle?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± They could still see the beach from here, and the battle was still going strong. Looking at the monsters, it would probablyst a few more hours. They could also feel a powerful force calling for them from Dragon Rock, so they couldn¡¯t just stay here. ¡°If we go to the beach first, they¡¯ll probably destroy the entire city and kill all the citizens.¡± ¡°What a textbook threat. As expected of a fiend,¡± Skaya scoffed. ¡°Yeah.¡± Skaya took note of the shape of the building and the color of its roof before she spoke again, ¡°By the way, why are you asking me to do that? You can juste here yourself after the battle¡¯s over.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what will happen.¡± Whoever was calling to them was incredibly powerful. They would be just as strong as Pride, if not stronger. ¡°I bet they¡¯re a Squadron leader as well. They¡¯re probably the Despair Squadron leader.¡± Jang Seon-Ho¡¯s memories had been incorrect. Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t thought that the Despair Squadron leader would be joining in on this mission. ¡°A yer must always be prepared. If something goes wrong, you¡¯ll have to retrieve the corpse.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. You had always been the most yer-like out of all of us.¡± She shrugged. ¡°So, what abilities does that Squadron leader have?¡± ¡°...Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know.¡± Though Jang Seon-Ho had been a promising fiend, he had spent too long being a Watchguard. In fact, it was an entire two years. During that time, the Fiend Association kept their contact to a minimum while he wlessly masqueraded as yer Jang Seon-Ho. ¡°That was probably why he didn¡¯t know much about the skills of other fiends and Squadron leaders.¡± ¡°Aw, that¡¯s too bad.¡± With that, Skaya casually walked up to the Frost Queen and lifted her. As the Frost Queen thrashed in her arms, Skaya inhaled the smell of her hair. ¡°I¡¯m done charging up. Shall we?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± When they climbed up to Dragon Rock, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed. ¡®It¡¯s that guy...¡¯ Two fiends were standing there, but it was easy to tell which one had called them here. The short fiend had an unwavering,zy smile as he looked at them. It wasn¡¯t like he was giving off a powerful vibe, but he had arge presence. ¡®As Gilbe had said, he doesn¡¯t seem like a physical fighter.¡¯ This meant he had some kind of special skill. The fiend spoke first, ¡°You actually came. How obedient. I suppose that¡¯s why they call you Heroes.¡± ¡°Are you Gu Shi-On?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. Gu Shi-On seemed a little surprised hearing that. There was a dark look on his face for just a second as he looked at the other fiend standing behind him. ¡°Your Squadron leader must¡¯ve sensed my presence and opened his mouth.¡± Gu Shi-On turned back to Seo Jun-Ho and nodded. ¡°Yes. I am the Despair Squadron leader, Gu Shi-On.¡± He smiled brightly as if nothing had happened. ¡°I enjoyed watching you kill Pride. Actually, I want to thank you.¡± ¡®He¡¯s thanking me for killing hisrade¡­¡¯ They were both Squadron leaders as well. This immediately told Seo Jun-Ho something about the Fiend Association¡¯s structure. ¡®As expected, the Fiend Association isn¡¯t a unified group with a singr goal.¡¯ After Seo Jun-Ho had returned, the thing that shocked him most was the existence of the Fiend Association. He couldn¡¯t understand how they came to be. ¡®I always wondered how the fiends coulde together like that.¡¯ But now, he understood. The fiends hadn¡¯t stuck together because they had the same goal; it was for their own safety. ¡®It¡¯s simple, then.¡¯ If they lost theirmon interest, they would go back into hiding, just like in the past. They wouldn¡¯t be able to walk around with their heads held high, wreaking terror and havoc like they were currently doing. Gu Shi-On tilted his head when he saw Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lip tilt up. ¡°Why are you smiling? Well, I suppose it is funny to hear a fiend say ¡®thank you.¡¯ But seeing how an ice elemental user is running around with the 5 Heroes, I suppose you¡¯ll free the remaining two." ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t be able to hide this from anyone, not just from Gu Shi-On or Pride. They already had all the information. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what kind of rtionship he had with the 5 Heroes. ¡®And that¡¯s not a bad thing¡­¡¯ It was actually beneficial. They woulde to the conclusion that Seo Jun-Ho and Specter weren¡¯t the same person. ¡°I freed Specter-nim and awakened the Archmage and the Envoy with his help,¡± he said confidently. He was barking like a cute little puppy because he had the support of the 5 Heroes. Gu Shi-On couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter. ¡°Ha¡­Hehehe¡­ God, you¡¯re adorable.¡± He faced two of the 5 Heroes, but Gu Shi-On wasn¡¯t particrly scared. After seeing the Archmage in person, he became confident. ¡®Even though Specter¡¯s the strongest, he¡¯s probably not so different.¡¯ Perhaps that was why he hadn¡¯te with the others. ¡®He doesn¡¯t want to show us.¡¯ Gu Shi-On was sure that it was because he didn¡¯t want to show off his abilities to sharp-eyed fiends. It must be because once they took off his mask, the fiends would no longer be afraid of him. ¡®This is some good intel.¡¯ Gu Shi-On watched as Seo Jun-Ho stood there stupidly. ¡°What do you think of joining the Fiend Association? With your abilities, you could be the new Pride Squadron leader right away. You killed Pride, so you¡¯re qualified,¡± he proposed. Gu Shi-On liked him, which was why he asked. Of course, it wasn¡¯t merely an extension of goodwill. His intentions were much darker. ¡®If this idiot bes the Pride Squadron leader, it won¡¯t be difficult to control him.¡¯ Unfortunately, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t even bother considering it before he refused. ¡°You don¡¯t want to? Oh, well. Just let me ask you one question. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12. Which number is your favorite?¡± Gu Shi-On asked. ¡®...Is the question rted to his skill?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first thought was this. Some skills had certain terms to be fulfilled before they could be activated. ¡°I¡¯m gonna count. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho remained silent until the end, but Gu Shi-On didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°It¡¯s your fault for not answering, okay?¡± He lifted his hand to them. ¡°Let¡¯s just go with 1, then. It¡¯s my favorite number, you see.¡± He slowly curled his hand, grinning wide. ¡°Bye, I¡¯ll see you soon. You don¡¯t have to pay me extra for rent.¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened slightly. He had been focusing entirely on Gu Shi-On, and a great amount of demonic energy exploded from him. ¡®He¡¯s fast!¡¯ The demonic energy covered him in the blink of an eye, making him a little nauseous. The scenery around him rapidly changed. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Both Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen were speechless. Neither Skaya, Gilbert, nor the fiends were there anymore. The Frost Queen¡¯s hand shot up in the air. ¡°I¡­ I think I know where this is.¡± Her eyes sparkled. She was a huge fan of dramas, after all. ¡°Is this not a goshiwon? I¡¯ve seen it on TV.¡±[1] ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wanted to say no, but he couldn¡¯t do so. The room was a little more than three pyeong. He looked around and nodded. ¡°This is that bastard¡¯s skill.¡±[2] ¡°I suppose the number he gave you has something to do with this, then.¡± ¡°Number¡­¡± He could clearly tell that it didn¡¯t indicate size. It was too big to be one pyeong. ¡°1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12¡­They are not just odd numbers. What kind of rule is it, I wonder?¡± the Frost Queen pondered. ¡°...The length of stay?¡± For the first time in a while, Keen Intuition told him something. Seo Jun-Ho was confident when he spoke. ¡°It would be too obvious if he asked you to choose a month, so he cleverlybeled them as numbers instead. And he probably added the 12 at the end so that you wouldn¡¯t just focus on the odd numbers.¡± ¡°I see¡­Wait, does that mean we will be trapped in this tiny space for a whole month?¡± ¡°Yeah. One second.¡± He tried to open the door, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Boom! He sent a magic-enhanced kick everywhere, but not a single crack appeared on the floor, ceiling, or even the walls. ¡°...This isn¡¯t a normal room.¡± It waspletely indestructible. There weren¡¯t any hidden clues simr to an escape room, so the only way to get out was to wait until the time was up. ¡®There¡¯s just one problem.¡¯ The Frost Queen startedining about how they would have nothing to do for a month, but he was lost in thought. ¡®Why did he give me number 1?¡¯ Did it actually signify the shortest length of stay? Or¡­ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face darkened. *** ¡°Urk¡­ Cough¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Gilberto closed his eyes. ¡®She¡¯s really mad.¡¯ He looked down at the heap of flesh and blood that had once been a fiend. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that Gu Shi-On''s skill is called Goshiwon Landlord (A)?¡± ¡°...I think he¡¯s lying. What kind of skill is that? Let¡¯s torture him a little more.¡± She looked at Fuze with sharp, cat-like eyes. ¡°G-guh¡­Blegh!¡± Fuze vomited blood, but he chuckled. He knew he would die, but all he could do wasugh. ¡°Your friend¡­cough! It¡¯s¡­Over for him¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Do you¡­ really think I¡¯d tell you? Ha!¡± He spat at them. ¡°...¡± Gilberto looked at the bloodstain on his shirt and pulled the trigger, his face expressionless. Bang! Fuze let out another strangled scream as the bullet lodged into his abdomen. ¡°I can kill you painlessly. Since you¡¯re gonna die anyway, shouldn''t it be better for you to die peacefully?¡± Gilberto tossed his long hair and crouched down to Fuze¡¯s height. ¡°Let me ask you again. What did you mean when you said it¡¯s over for him?¡± ¡°...¡± The only part that wasn''t stained by blood were Fuze¡¯s eyes. He trembled. ¡®These bastards¡­They¡¯re too good at this to be called heroes.¡¯ Their carrot-and-stick approach was excellent. From what he had seen so far, he could tell that they were well-trained torturers. ¡°If I wanted to, I could keep you alive for another year just to torture you. Is that what you want?¡± Gilberto¡¯s emotionless voice told him that he wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°...¡± No one would expect loyalty from fiends. Fuze decided to confess so that he could die a painless death, ¡°The goshiwon¡­ Nothing changes in that tiny space.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Timees to a halt. You don¡¯t get hungry¡­cough! And your muscles don¡¯t grow either.¡± In other words, it was a ce where time was suspended. ¡°Gu Shi-On can keep¡­cough! Cough! He can keep someone in a goshiwon for up to a year.¡± ¡°...A year, you say?¡± He felt satisfied as he watched their faces crumble. ¡°Heh, yeah. Though, in reality, only about an hour passes. In¡­ About an hour, Seo Jun-Ho will have gone crazy.¡± There was no one to talk to, no food, no hunger, or any way to check the time. Even a week was enough to drive someone crazy. But Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t be there for just a few days. ¡°He¡¯ll be there for a whole year¡­ Hehehe.Cough! Even if¡­ Even if Seo Jun-Ho returns, he won¡¯t be able to free your teammates.¡± He would be a husk of a man. But that was assuming that he could evene back. ¡°Eighty percent of people that Gu Shi-On had trapped for longer than six months had taken their own lives.¡± Fuze looked forward to seeing a cold corpse appear in an hour and seeing the two Heroes¡¯ despair. But their reaction was totally different from what he had expected¡­ ¡°Geez. That¡¯s all? I thought we¡¯d never be able to get him back¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a year. It shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem.¡± Fuze was shocked by their nonchnt response. ¡°W-what kind of crazy¡­ H-he¡¯ll be there for a year. A whole year!¡± Fuze started to curse them. ¡°He¡¯ll go insane! He¡¯ll bash his head against a wall and kill himself.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± Gilberto loaded a bullet with a click. ¡°You don¡¯t know him.¡± ¡°...What kind of bastard is he then?¡± he asked, defeated. As soon as he did, Gilberto pulled the trigger and sent a bullet through his head. However, he replied to the fiend¡¯s final question. ¡°Whether it''s one year or ten, he¡¯s someone we¡¯ll always believe in.¡± 1. A goshiwon is the cheapest form of living in Korea. They are simr to a boarding house/dormitory, but the rooms are very small and contain only the most basic furniture. ? 2. 1 pyeong is about 1.8 square meters ? Chapter 221. See You Soon (4)

Chapter 221. See You Soon (4)

¡°This skill is more useless than I thought,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, criticizing Gu Shi-On''s skill. All it did was lock him up in a goshiwon. ¡°Back when I did the Cave of Trials, I couldn¡¯t even move my body,¡± he muttered while stretching. ¡°Why do you speak like an old man?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to make a point.¡± Compared to what he had gone through in the Cave of Trials, this was child¡¯s y. ¡°Though, I¡¯ll have to admit that there are some parts that surprised me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around the room, a little excited. ¡®So this is the rumored goshiwon¡­¡¯ It was the smallest room he had ever seen in his 26 years of living. The owner must¡¯ve been a practitioner of minimalism, as there was barely any furniture. Actually, there was only one. ¡®The bed.¡¯ That was it. There was no bathroom, kitchen, terrace, living room, or closet. ¡°Hm.¡± The Frost Queen had been excited at first because she¡¯d only ever seen it on TV, but her excitement had quickly worn off. It onlysted a second, and her eyes darkened when she realized they would have to live here. As a queen, she had never lived in such a cramped space. ¡°This room is very small. It¡¯s smaller than the ce the Association gave you¡­¡± ¡°Hey, that was a penthouse. It¡¯s more than two hundred pyeong.¡± Even his bathroom was a lot bigger than this ce. Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue and sat down at the edge of the bed. ¡°...There¡¯s nothing to do, so I might as well train.¡± ¡°Even in this situation?¡± ¡°Especially because we¡¯re in this situation.¡± He shrugged. ¡°What else could I do in an empty room like this?¡± The only things he could do in such a small space were meditation, yoga, or stretching. It wasn¡¯t quite big enough to do intense exercise. ¡°Hm, it has been a while since you¡¯ve said something admirable. So what kind of training will you do?¡± ¡°Do you know what hometeu is?¡±[1] ¡°Hometeu? T-The British detective that wears a beret?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Holmes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stretched his arms out and sharply inhaled. He ced them on the ground and pushed his body up as straight as a tree. ¡°I meant home training. It¡¯s a type of exercise designed to let people work out at home.¡± ¡°...Is it effective?¡± ¡°Very. For most people, at least.¡± But Seo Jun-Ho was a yer, and his body had been conditioned to its peak. Unless he set his mind to it, it wouldn¡¯t help him at all. ¡°If I do this about three thousand times, I bet even I will be a little worn out.¡± Still doing a handstand, Seo Jun-Ho did a push-up. It would¡¯ve been difficult for an average person, but his breath was as even as a sleeping child¡¯s. ¡°So this will help you?¡± The Frost Queen asked haughtily, watching him with doubtful eyes. ¡°Just you wait. If I start with 3,000 today, I¡¯ll be able to do 3,500 in a week.¡± *** ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen looked deeply disappointed in her Contractor. ¡°...Why isn¡¯t this working?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was locked deep in thought. He had done home training for a whole week at a high intensity that only yers could keep up with. He had expected to see results in a week, but there was nothing. ¡°I think¡­ It is because of this ce we are in,¡± the Frost Queen whispered, looking up at the ceiling of the goshiwon. That was the only possibility. Even she hadbeen impressed by the level of his workouts in the past week. ¡°I was wondering why I couldn¡¯t feel my muscles growing.¡± ¡°You can feel that?¡± ¡°Yeah. They be all squishy, and then they start to itch and burn.¡± ¡°...Hm, I suppose it is possible for you.¡± The Frost Queen continued, looking a little tired. ¡°I suppose that if you do not get hungry and do not experience physiological phenomena, then you cannot build muscles¡­¡± ¡°This sucks.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sulked as he looked around. ¡°In other words, time ispletely frozen here.¡± There was no use in training his stamina here. ¡°I suppose the only kind of training that will help would be mental or skill training.¡± ¡°...It can¡¯t be helped.¡± The Frost Queen cleared her throat. ¡°You should study the Frost skill,¡± she said seriously. ¡°Hm. That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± He nodded. That was the best kind of training he could do here. ¡®If I wanted to, I could also practice with Watchguard of Darkness¡­¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t forget that this space belonged to Gu Shi-On. He might even be able to listen in on their conversations. Seo Jun-Ho exchanged a look with the Frost Queen before she spoke, ¡°But how am I supposed to train? I can basically do everything now.¡± ¡°Huh? Do everything? You? Ha! Don¡¯t make meugh.¡± She covered her mouth as she giggled and looked at him like he was being ridiculous. ¡°Other than using a great of magic power to freeze your opponents, what can you do?¡± ¡°I can make ice spears and ice walls.¡± ¡°My, how impressive. Would you like a star?¡± ¡°...Forget it.¡± He looked a little offended. ¡°You tell me then. What kind of training do you want me to do?¡± ¡°There is only one thing that I desire. I wish for you to use my skill more creatively.¡± ¡°Creatively?¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head. ¡°But all the techniques I¡¯ve learned are from you.¡± She had used those techniques when he fought her at the Queen¡¯s Nest 26 years ago. They had be the foundation of the techniques he was currently using with Frost. ¡°How many more times must I tell you? I was in a weakened state.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. You probably want to think that way.¡± But how could he believe her? Even though it had only been for a little bit, she had been powerful enough to freeze an entire ocean. ¡®And she¡¯s saying that she¡¯d lost most of her powers back then?¡¯ When he saw her using the Frost skill every once in a while, he had to admit that her fine control over magic was exceptional. However, he couldn¡¯t believe her grandiose lies. ¡°Stop lying and bragging. Just give me an answer.¡± ¡°Hmph. Picture your skill.¡± ¡°My skill?¡± He thought of Watchguard of Darkness. ¡°Do you only ever use it to rip your opponents apart?¡± she asked. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I usually do¡­¡± But it wasn¡¯t always the case. Depending on what he was doing, he used it in different ways. ¡®Wait, no. I developed it to the point that I could use it in different situations.¡¯ Night Walking concealed his sounds, scents, and even traces of his existence. Shadow Step enabled him to travel to any shadow he could see. The Curtain of Darkness enabled him to create an isted space his opponents couldn¡¯t see through. He had developed all these techniques to make up for his shorings. ¡®But I could only do that because I had the darkness element.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t quite sure how he was supposed to use the ice element. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can travel across different pieces of ice that I can see.¡± ¡°You speak the obvious.¡± The Frost Queen seemed exasperated. ¡°You need to study more theory instead of working on your skill directly.¡± ¡°Yeah, I also thought of that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho reached into his Inventory and took a stack ofics and novels. ¡°I have movies on Vita too.¡± ¡°...Are you giving up on your training?¡± she asked, disappointed. Seo Jun-Ho smiled and shook his head. ¡°Frost, do you want to know something funny?¡± ¡°Speak...¡± ¡°Once upon a time, Gates started to appear, and yers started to awaken their skills.¡± ¡°It must have been chaotic¡­¡± ¡°It wasplete pandemonium.¡± Because no one knew what to do, they were clumsy with their skills, and many people died as a result. Even many of those who had good skills ended up dying because they didn¡¯t know how to use them. ¡°It sounds ridiculous, but many people started to seek out those in certain upations. Do you know what upation are those?¡± ¡°Hm. Special forces? Boxing champions?¡± ¡°Wrong on both counts. They started to look foric and novel authors, movie directors, and game developers.¡± ¡°...?¡± The Frost Queen tilted her head in confusion. ¡°But why? They are not remotely rted to yers or Gates.¡± ¡°Why not? They had already known about skills even before the world changed.¡± They had toe up with powers their characters would use and thene up with ideas for how they would use them. ¡°And most importantly¡­ They had this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tapped his temple. ¡°Those people have broad imaginations¡­¡± A creative person coulde up with new applications that yers had never even thought of. For that reason, yers sought them out when they felt stuck. ¡°I was one of those people.¡± Seo Jun-Ho waved hisic book. ¡°I got a lot of inspiration fromics, novels, movies, and so on. They actually helped me improve.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡± The Frost Queen was shocked. But after she took a moment to think about it, she nodded. ¡°I see. It must have been quite¡­ No, it must have been very helpful.¡± She had watched a lot of dramas and movies. ¡°I have also seen a few scenes in movies and such that could be applied with my skill.¡± ¡°See?¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled andid down on the bed. ¡°I¡¯m gonna study some theory now. You should rest.¡± ¡°...Contractor, you are actually studying, right?¡± ¡°Yes, of course...¡± ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t look convinced. She understood what he was doing in her head, but seeing him on the bed andughing at aic book felt¡­ ¡®Something¡­ Something does not sit right with me¡­¡¯ It felt like there was a heavy boulder on her heart. Then she realized. ¡®Ah, so this is how the mothers in dramas feel when they watch their children y when they¡¯re supposed to be studying.¡¯ She finally understood why they always looked so annoyed. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The Frost Queen let out a light sigh. ¡®We did not rely on those things back in my day¡­¡¯ They would have a moment of enlightenment while fighting vicious monsters in the mountains, or they could meditate as they fought against the bitter cold in the snowfields on their own. ¡°It¡¯s easy for kids to get stronger nowadays¡­¡± She wished that this had been the case for her. 1. Short for ¡°home training¡±. ? Chapter 222. See You Soon (5)

Chapter 222. See You Soon (5)

Fourteen days into the experience¡­ ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen stared at Seo Jun-Ho. It had been a week since he had gotten out of bed. He wasn¡¯t dead, but he had practically be one with the mattress because he didn¡¯t need to eat or use the bathroom. On the outside, he seemed a little pathetic, but this was proof of his amazing willpower. ¡®A normal person¡­No, even most yers would have lost their minds by now.¡¯ If someone were locked in apletely silent room for about two weeks, they would start to experience auditory and visual hallucinations, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes and ears were still working perfectly fine. [I am a warrior! I won¡¯t die in a ce like this! Hiyaaaa!] [...Hey. Once this cruel war is over, I¡¯m gonna confess to her.] Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes were shifting all around. On his Vita, he was watching a cartoon and a movie on the split screen while his left hand was holding aic, and his right hand was holding a book. ¡®How hectic.¡¯ Even she was taken aback by the intensity, but he had been doing this all week. ¡°Phew.¡± A momentter, Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and rubbed his eyes. Even though yers were superhuman, this was intense, even for him. ¡°Contractor, can you actually absorb the contents if you do that?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah, if I concentrate¡­¡± ¡°I see. Then I bid you luck. You are almost done with them.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s only the case for the movies.¡± The only thing that frustrated him about the goshiwon was that there was no inte. The content he could consume was only limited to the videos, books, andics he had bought and downloaded ahead of time. ¡®Hm, I think I can finish the cartoons and the movies in about two days¡­¡¯ And if he kept reading theics and books at this rate, he could go for another two weeks. ¡°Man, if I knew this would happen, I would¡¯ve just downloaded everything,¡± heined. ¡°How could you have known? Actually¡­¡± The Frost Queen looked at him sideways. ¡°I do not understand why you collected this much content in the first ce.¡± ¡°The same goes for you.¡± Her tablet had a lot more dramas and movies of different genres. However, none of them contained any information that might help him with the Frost skill, so there was no need for him to watch them. ¡°You¡¯re lucky. Even if you take it slow, it can easilyst you until we leave.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m¡­ Ahem, what makes you think that? We are still trapped in this ce.¡± The Frost Queen quickly fixed her expression and denied the truth. ¡°You do not need to worry much either. Once you finish consuming it all, there will not be many days left.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho trailed off. She still firmly believed they would only be trapped in the goshiwon for a month. But he was naturally suspicious of things, so he started to suspect. ¡®I don¡¯t know why, but something bothers me.¡¯ Whenever he was reminded that it was only a month, Keen Intuition ate at him. ¡®What will we do if it¡¯s not actually a month?¡¯ If they were here for longer than a month, then the meaning of the number 1 would change. ¡®Is it¡­ One year?¡¯ If that was the case, he vowed to give Gu Shi-On a violent death once they were out of this ce. ¡®Whether I chose 1 or 12, I still would¡¯ve been trapped here for a year. He cheated!¡¯ He scowled and looked down at the book in his hand. He enjoyed reading them for fun, but not when he was actively trying to learn something. ¡°At this rate, I might lose the only hobby I have left.¡± He let out a light sigh and rubbed his dry eyes. Even though he didn¡¯t need sleep, he felt like the fatigue was starting to pile up for some reason. ¡°That¡¯s enough of a break. I¡¯m going back in.¡± Two new videos started to y, and his eyes started to flit back and forth once more. *** Thirty-two days into the experience... ¡°Hm.¡± Now, he was sure of it. Next to him, the Frost Queen lookedpletely drained. She looked like she wanted to be put out of her misery. ¡°So it wasn¡¯t a month¡­¡± They had been locked up here for thirty-one days, and now, it was the dawn of the 32nd day. Despite that, the door was still closed. ¡°The skillsts for a year.¡± ¡°Nooooooooo!¡± She fell to her knees and wailed, but the look in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes settled. He had half-expected this already. ¡®Still, this sucks.¡¯ He had considered the possibility, but the confirmation still stung him. They would be trapped here for a whole year; they would be trapped in this room that had nothing¡ªnot even white noise. ¡®This skill is scary.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho possessed the Hero¡¯s Mind skill, but he still shook his head. It wouldn¡¯t be very difficult for him to get through this, but not all yers were like him. ¡®I wonder how many people went crazy and ended up taking their own lives here¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine it.¡¯ He bit his lip and looked at the Frost Queen, worried. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be fine, but I¡¯m worried about you.¡± ¡°...Me?¡± She sniffled and looked up. She considered this for a moment and let out a deep sigh. ¡°You do not need to be so concerned. Not only do I have a resilient spirit, but I am also a Spirit.¡± Now that he thought about it, he had never heard of a Spirit that had lost their mind. ¡°More importantly, I still have many dramas and movies¡­¡± She imed to be fine, but she still sounded gloomy. It was understandable. She loved watching shows, but she would probably end up hating them if she was forced to do nothing but watch them for a year. ¡°What will you do now?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what to say. He had already consumed all his cartoons, movies,ics, and books. In other words, he would have to spend the rest of his time doing something else. ¡°I¡¯m gonna do some practical training now.¡± It was time to start practicing all the techniques he had seen in those stories. ¡°Tell me if you ever get stuck. I shall exin it to you nicely.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood up and did a light stretch. ¡°You can use the bed. I won¡¯t need it anymore.¡± ¡°Then where will you sit?¡± ¡°Meditation is usually done sitting on a hard surface.¡± Such as the cold floor of a goshiwon. He assumed the lotus position and closed his eyes, recalling all the different techniques he had seen in the past month. ¡®Now, I just need to test them.¡¯ To see if he could use them. This was the one thing he had to do by himself. It was his skill, after all. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if I need any help.¡± ¡°...Good luck, my Contractor.¡± The Frost Queen held up her two adorable fists in support. *** A hundred days into the experience¡­ ¡°How could you not know such a simple thing? You ignorant Contractor!¡± ¡°How is this simple? It doesn¡¯t even show up in textbooks!¡± Unsurprisingly, they were fighting over the Frost skill. ¡°Hoo, listen carefully and watch closely.¡± Crackle. In an instant, the Frost Queen created Fragarach out of ice. She jutted her chin, gesturing for him to do the same. ¡°That¡¯s easy. You made me make a million of these before,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Crackle. He made the same sword as her. As always, it looked perfect. But now that he looked at it, he noticed one difference between their swords. ¡®The opacity.¡¯ His sword was white and hazy inside, but the Frost Queen¡¯s sword was as clear as ss and had an elegant blue hue. She smiled triumphantly. ¡°Now, try hitting my sword with yours.¡± ¡°Yours is gonna break.¡± ¡°Will it? Give it a swing without using magic.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho gripped his sword and stared at her sword. She was trembling as she held it up. ¡°I¡¯m actually gonna do it, okay? Don¡¯t go crying when it breaks.¡± ¡°T-That will not happen, so hurry up. My arm hurts.¡± He got into position, taking the stance of an expert swordsman. Meanwhile, the Frost Queen looked like a child kneeling in the hallway, raising her arms in punishment.[1] ¡®In that position, there¡¯s no way that sword has any power.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho still looked doubtful. ¡°Hey, Frost. I¡¯m going.¡± Hup! He had spent a hundred days in the goshiwon, but his body and abilities hadn¡¯t deteriorated in the slightest. He closed the distance and struck the Frost Queen¡¯s sword. ¡°Ah!¡± ng! The Frost Queen was knocked backward. However, the one frowning wasn¡¯t her. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword had broken in half, and only the handle remained in his hand. ¡®How?¡¯ His eyebrows knitted; he had no idea how. ¡°Did you see?¡± She had ended up rolling across the ground, but she remained confident in her speech as she spoke with her arms crossed, ¡°This is the difference between us.¡± ¡°Exin...¡± The only reason they had fought in the first ce was that Seo Jun-Ho had been wondering about the transparency of the ice. ¡®Why is my ice always opaque even though we have the same skill?¡¯ With this, he finally understood that opacity was affecting its durability, and it wasn¡¯t just a matter of aesthetics. ¡°It¡¯s because of the air,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°The air?¡± ¡°Hm, perhaps I should put it like this.¡± She exined in a way modern humans might understand. ¡±Your freezer has ice in it, no?¡± ¡°I guess?¡± ¡°How does it look?¡± ¡°It¡¯s opaque...¡± Unlike clear ss, it was very murky. ¡°But when you see frozen puddles in the winter, the ice looks very clear, correct?¡± ¡°Well, I suppose¡­ What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°There is a very simple exnation for this difference.¡± ¡°The air?¡± he asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. If it freezes too fast, the air gets trapped inside, making the structure of the ice uneven.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Finally, he understood why her sword had been stronger than his, even though they were both made of ice. ¡°Let me ask you, then. How do I make sure the air doesn¡¯t get trapped inside?¡± ¡°Simple. Just freeze it slowly.¡± Crackle. She instantly made a spear out of ice. ¡°...Wait, that¡¯s not what you said. You¡¯re still going fast.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. ¡°But it is slow for me. Of course, it must have been impossibly fast to you.¡± The Frost Queen smiled devilishly. ¡°You have plenty of time, either way. How about you try to perfect your ice?¡± ¡°Hm. Perfect it, you say.¡± ¡°Once you can make it like this, you may finally call yourself a novice in the Frost skill,¡± she remarked. They wouldn¡¯t be doing this if it was only a matter of aesthetics.[2] Seo Jun-Ho stroked his chin. ¡°So if I can do that, my ice will be more durable?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a good enough answer?¡± She kicked the broken Fragarach. ¡°If you can do it, you will get stronger. You have a lot of time, anyway.¡± After all, they still had 265 days. 1. Amon punishment for children in Korea is kneeling with their hands held up. It also used to be used in schools. ? 2. While the Korean raws transliterated the word ¡®design¡¯ ???, design also refers to structure and so, we went with a synonym ? Chapter 223. See You Soon (6) A hundred and eighty-two days into the experience¡­ Skaya used the rooftops to travel around downtown. Thendscape blurred behind her. ¡®There¡¯s still a lot¡­¡¯ There was still a lot of scum to clean up in the city. She stopped and looked down, tired. ¡°Shit, it¡¯s the Archmage!¡± ¡°She saw us! Attack!¡± The fiends hiding beneath the building started to attack. Spikes shot toward the roof, and explosions filled the air. ¡°I think we¡ª¡± one of the fiends started. ¡°Finish that sentence, and I¡¯ll rip you apart.¡± At theirrade¡¯s words, they shut up. Through the thick smoke from the explosions, they could still clearly see the figure of a robed mage. ¡°Dammit! She¡¯s still alive!¡± ¡°W-We didn¡¯t kill her, but we must¡¯ve done substantial damage! So¡­!¡± ¡°Sorry to disappoint, but I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± Woosh! Skaya waved her hand, and the smoke was instantly blown away. The wind was then directed toward the fiends. ¡°Curse you¡­Old woman¡­!¡±[1] ¡°O-Old woman? That stings.¡±[2] ¡°...?¡± The fiends squinted, unable to understand what she had just said. ¡°...Do people not say that these days?¡± she mumbled dryly. Her magic grew fiercer as her mood soured. The wind had merely been pushing the fiends back a bit, but its temperament quickly changed. ¡®...!¡¯ ¡®I-it¡¯s so strong.¡¯ The wind started to cut through their clothes and skin. The cuts started to multiply, starting with one, two, three¡­fourfivesixseveneightneneleven¡­ Their blood also started to get swept into the air, and it seemed more lustrous than usual. ¡°I¡¯ll make you regret calling me an old woman.¡± ¡°I-if we apologize, will you spare¡­?¡± ¡°Nonsense. Obviously, you¡¯ll be paying with your life.¡± Then, there was an explosion¡­ Booooom! Skaya blew up the building and the street they were on. She watched as shards of bones fell from the sky. ¡°They¡¯re both dead.¡± After confirming that, she skipped back over to the roof and leaped away. Her magic sensor picked up the traces of more fiends. ¡°Just how many of them are there?¡± she wondered out loud. [There are ten of them left. We¡¯ll be done with the downtown area soon.] ¡°So annoying. I wanted to finish cleaning up everything at the beach before Jun-Ho returned.¡± [We still have thirty minutes left, so do your best.] ¡°Why do you sound so condescending? How many have you killed so far?¡± [Twenty-seven.] ¡°...Just you wait.¡± Skaya had only killed twenty-five so far. She picked up her pace. *** Two hundred and fifty days into the experience¡­ ¡°I brought him in.¡± ¡°Hm, this is the guy?¡± A trembling man was forced down in front of Gu Shi-On. He was the one who hadn¡¯t been able to carry out the Fiend Association¡¯s orders. ¡°Tsk, you should¡¯ve listened from the start. You¡¯re making more work for the both of us.¡± He pped the man¡¯s cheek and summoned his magic. ¡°Spend the next two weeks reflecting on your actions, okay?¡± Gu Shi-On started looking for an empty room for his new tenant. ¡°Hm?¡± His eyes narrowed when he saw a certain room in the goshiwon window. ¡°...Hey.¡± ¡°Yes, Gu Shi-On-nim.¡± The Despair Squadron member bowed politely. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°5:40 PM, sir.¡± ¡°...¡± Gu Shi-On''s face fell. ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure I put Seo Jun-Ho in there exactly at 5.¡¯ In twenty minutes, a year would have passed inside the room. But somehow, Seo Jun-Ho seemed perfectly fine. ¡®Or maybe he isn¡¯t?¡¯ He was talking to himself. Some people could endure for this long every once in a while, and they would go half-crazy and create imaginary people in their heads, as they couldn¡¯t cope with the loneliness. ¡®But other than that¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho seemed much better than he had expected. Gu Shi-On didn¡¯t understand why. ¡®Even though he¡¯s the yer who killed Pride, he should still be a novice.¡¯ Not even veteran yers couldst a year in the goshiwon. Actually, they rarely even survived half a year. They would either go crazy before then, or they would take their own lives. ¡®So why does he look perfectly fine?¡¯ Other than the fact that he was talking to an imaginary friend, Seo Jun-Ho looked perfectly normal. Though the goshiwon stopped any physical changes in the body, the one thing that could change was the look in their eyes. ¡®People can usually push through for a month¡­¡¯ But once they realized they would be trapped inside for a year, not a month, the light in their eyes would disappear. After barely being able to survive a month, they couldn¡¯t cope with the fact that they would have to do it over again eleven more times. ¡®...He makes me nervous. I should order an ambush for him once hees out of the goshiwon.¡¯ Gu Shi-On couldn¡¯t get rid of the lingering feeling of unease in his heart. ¡°Connect me to Port Lane.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The fiend frowned once they connected to the telepathic line with the others. ¡°...Captain, something¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lost all contact with the fiends dispatched to the downtown area. That means¡­¡± It could only mean one of these three things: a high-level mage had destroyed theirmunication line, the fiends themselves had disconnected from the line, or¡­ ¡®If it¡¯s not one of those two, the only possibility is that the ones connected to the line are already dead¡­¡¯ A total of ny-eight fiends had been dispatched to Port Lane. Aside from Pride and his Squadron members, the remaining eighty had been dispatched to the downtown area to kill off all the residents. ¡®But all eighty of them were killed?¡¯ The Squadron member pursed their lips, unable to say anything. No matter what had actually happened, the Fiend Association wouldn¡¯t be pleased. Gu Shi-On red down at the fiend at his feet. ¡°...You get a year.¡± ¡°H-huh? Please¡­Gu Shi-On-nim, please spare me¡­I didn¡¯t do this!¡± The fiend wailed as he was teleported away from this world. However, Gu Shi-On didn¡¯t feel any better. He turned his attention to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s room. ¡°What is this bastard?¡± It bothered him. He had expected Seo Jun-Ho to kill himself, but he was coping with it just fine. ¡®And¡­¡¯ His skill was strong, but it came with several restrictions. One of them was that he couldn¡¯t trap the same person in a room twice. Though, there was an exception. ¡®I can do it if someone consents, but no sane person would do that.¡¯ In other words, this would be the first, and thest time Seo Jun-Ho would be locked up in this room. Gu Shi-On gnashed his teeth. ¡°Call up the Squadron. Tell them to hurry up with the Leviathan.¡± It was already 5:43. There were only seventeen minutes left until Seo Jun-Ho returned. *** Three hundred and sixty-four days into the experience¡­ ¡°...¡± There was nothing in the room. It was free of all noise and disruptions. Seo Jun-Ho was sitting in the lotus position with his eyes closed, locked in a deep meditative state. [You¡­How could you do this to me?!] [Because I love you! I did it for love!] Meanwhile, the Frost Queen was lying on the bed, watching a drama with earphones. ¡°Phew.¡± Just then, Seo Jun-Ho ended his long meditation and slowly opened his eyes. They seemed to glint, briefly lighting up the goshiwon room. ¡°You scared me.¡± The Frost Queen flinched and took out her earphones. ¡°Are you awake, Contractor?¡± ¡°Yeah. I feel like I had just woken up from a deep sleep.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t fall asleep while meditating, did you?¡± she used. ¡°It¡¯s just a figure of speech. I did it properly.¡± He grinned and stood from his seat. He tapped on Vita and nodded. ¡°It has been three hundred and sixty-four days. We¡¯ll be going back in just a few minutes.¡± ¡°This was the longest year of my life.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad, though.¡± He gripped his hands into fists. It was hard to put into words just how much he had learned. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why I feel a bit sad about leaving.¡± He actually wished he could be trapped here for about two or three more years. ¡°Should I ask him to extend my stay for another month?¡± ¡°Contractor, this is not a karaoke ce.¡±[3] ¡°...Yeah, I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± yers¡¯ Skills weren¡¯t all-powerful. Even though the skill had trapped him here for one year, it probably came with various restrictions. ¡®Time probably flows differently here, and he probably can¡¯t use it consecutively.¡¯ It was time to go back now. It had been a while since he had trained like this, and it brought back good memories of the past. However, he couldn¡¯t stay here forever. There were too many people who needed his help, and there were too many pesky fiends out there as well. ¡°I hope¡­ The Port Lane mission isn¡¯t over yet.¡± However, he wasn¡¯t worried about the two friends he had left behind. He trusted them. They weren¡¯t weaklings who needed his help. They wererades who always had his back. ¡°And to be honest, I want to fight.¡± His heart thumped. He wanted to test out his new techniques, the same way someone would test out a new sword. He hadn¡¯t been able to test them out in this tiny goshiwon, but he would be able to test them out in an open area. ¡°Now that I think about it, that bastard told me he¡¯d see me again.¡± He grinned. Gu Shi-On had probably meant to be cocky, as he didn¡¯t think he would actually see Seo Jun-Ho again. ¡®I¡¯m excited to see his face when he sees me again.¡¯ ck! The door to the goshiwon had been locked all year, but now, it finally made a clicking sound. Seo Jun-Ho looked back at the small room, feeling like a weight had lifted off his shoulders. ¡°The room is still as empty as always.¡± ¡°Let us go. I do not wish toe here again.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± He grabbed the doorknob while the Frost Queen stood next to him. He pulled it open. Through the door''s crack, he could see the bright light of the sunset. *** Gilberto frowned. ¡®This is hard...¡¯ He and Skaya had taken out all the fiends who had infiltrated the downtown area. After that, they turned their attention to the fiends at the beach, who were fighting an unrecognizable monster. There were eighteen of them in total. [4] ¡®The Pride and the Despair Squadron, right?¡¯ The fiends were probably part of one of these two Squadrons¡ªthat was probably why he was having difficulty sniping them. ¡®If there were only one or two of them like before, I could just shoot a guided projectile¡­¡¯ However, there were more than ten powerful enemies, and each of their skills managed to block his attacks. As soon as a bullet left his gun, it was rendered useless. ¡®Not even silent bullets or guided bullets are working on them.¡¯ Gilberto checked how much magic power he had left. His expression turned determined. ¡°Skaya, do you hear me?¡± [Yeah, but I¡¯m busy right now! Help me out, at least!] She was upied with using flight magic over the ocean. There were three squadron members that had been assigned to take her down, as they couldn¡¯t abandon the hunt. ¡°I¡¯m gonna start using stronger bullets.¡± [Wait, you can do that? Why do I feel like I haven¡¯t seen them till now?] ¡°...I got a new weapon, you see.¡± Gilberto lowered his sniper rifle and took out the one Seo Jun-Ho had given him. It was as light as the first time he had held it in his hands. But unlike swords or spears, the weight of a gun wasn¡¯t an indicator of its strength. ¡°It¡¯s my first time using it in battle, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have full control over it.¡± But it would be much more useful than just sitting around and doing nothing. ¡°Stand by. I¡¯m saying this again, but it¡¯s my first time using this.¡± He didn¡¯t know just how destructive his attack would be. Gilberto put his eye up to the scope and aimed toward the ocean. At the end of the horizon, the fiends looked like tiny flies. ¡®As for magic power¡­ I¡¯ll put in about eighty-percent.¡¯ Even though it was his first time using this technique, he had to put enough power into the attack. Most of his magic power was instantly poured into the body of the gun. It was enough to make him feel anemic, and his head spun from the side effects. ¡°Ugh.¡± Gilberto pulled himself together. He bit his lip so hard that it bled. His trembling hands eventually stilled. ¡®Gotta keep still¡­¡¯ The only thing moving was his hair in the wind. ¡®And calm my breath...¡¯ It would be a big mistake to assume that a sniper would have a small lung capacity. Gilberto could hold more air in his lungs than most yers. ¡®And standby...¡¯ The gun was trembling ever so slightly, but it soon came to aplete stop. He looked more like a statue than a human being. Gilberto didn¡¯t even blink a single time as he waited. Waiting was his favorite part of sniping. ¡®Take the bait¡­¡¯ He waited very patiently, like a skilled fisherman waiting for fish to bite. Click. He pulled the trigger. The gray bullet drew a smooth arc in the air as it silently flew to the horizon. 1. Lit. ¡°Old monster¡± ? 2. She uses old-fashioned ng ? 3. When you go to a karaoke ce, you can ask to extend your stay whenever you want. ? 4. The raws stated 13, but the numbers in the following chapters didn¡¯t add up, so we took the liberty to change it. ? Chapter 224. White Knight (1)

Chapter 224. White Knight (1)

¡°He fired,¡± one of the fiends suddenly said while battling against the Leviathan. They could tell because they had marked the Gray Envoy earlier after discovering him. ¡°What? Again?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t he ever get tired?¡± ¡°He should¡¯ve already figured out that his attacks won¡¯t work¡­¡± ¡°It must be an old man¡¯s stubbornness or something.¡± The fiends looked unconcerned, ignoring his attack. Still, they didn¡¯t ck on their duties. ¡°The bullet¡¯sing this way.¡± ¡°The bullet has a lot of magic in it. Be careful not to get hit.¡± ¡°That bastard¡­Was he trying to hit us when we were all crowded together?¡± ¡°...How was that idiot ever a Hero?¡± The fiends didn¡¯t even sneer or curse him. They knew it would be impossible for him to hit any of them. ¡®He¡¯s supposed to be a sniper, but he didn¡¯t even consider the speed of the bullet.¡¯ They were currently several kilometers away from Port Lane. Obviously, it would take time for the bullet to reach them. ¡®It''s not like the bullet is flying that fast either.¡¯ It was drawing a slow arc in the air. They would have plenty of time to dodge. ¡®It¡¯s not gonna work.¡¯ The fiends truly thought that the bullet would never hit them. ¡°Pekka, get the bullet like what you did before. We¡¯re almost done here.¡± ¡°Alright. This damned Leviathan¡­ I suppose it¡¯s called a divine beast for a reason.¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying. But that means it¡¯ll be very useful once we feed it a demon jade.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already looking forward to it.¡± The Leviathan of Frontier was quite different from the one in Earthen folklore. It resembled a thin snake, and instead of terrorizing humans, it controlled the weather to protect fishermen. In coastal cities, most households even carried a Leviathan statue. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that you¡¯re a strong monster¡­¡± However, the Despair Squadron was even stronger. Each member had outstanding abilities, and unlike most fiends, they had a lot of experience fighting together. Theirbined attacks were actually wearing the Leviathan down, and it was slowly growing weaker. ¡°Hup.¡± Pekka hoisted his ymore over his shoulder. He intended to slice the speeding bullet in half. ¡®I¡¯ve already done this a few times. I bet I could even do it once with my eyes closed.¡¯ The moment the bullet approached, Pekka swung his weapon and sliced it in half. ¡®Huh?¡¯ His eyes widened, full of confusion. Unlike the ones from before, the bullet fragments gave off an ominous, gray aura. ¡®Something feels off¡­¡¯ The moment suspicion started to creep in his mind, a violent gale enveloped his body. ¡®Wind? Where did it¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t realize what it was even until his death. It was a sonic boom. Simr to what a speeding missile could cause, it left shockwaves in its wake. Woooosh! Everything caught in the explosion was destroyed. It looked like nothing had ever been there, and even the air had been sucked out of the space itself. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The fiends were silent. Pekka hadn¡¯t been the only one caught in the st. Two of the fiends had been standing behind him, trusting that he would take care of the attack, but they had also been swallowed up by the explosion. The sound of someone swallowing could be heard even over the sound of the waves. The fiends were all thinking the same thing. ¡®I¡¯m d that wasn¡¯t me.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m really lucky that Pekka was the one ordered to block it.¡¯ However, they didn¡¯t have time to dwell on theirrades¡¯ deaths. The Leviathan created a giant wave, and it was quickly approaching. ¡°Dammit, it¡¯s that annoying attack again¡­¡± ¡°Well, no matter how big a wave is, we can just dodge it by going higher.¡± The fiends here all had skills that allowed them to fly. The 50-meter wave was akin to a tsunami, but it couldn¡¯t even touch them. At least, it hadn¡¯t been able to touch them until now. ¡°...?¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± The four fiends paled when they tried to fly upward. They looked up and stared desperately at theirrades with red eyes. ¡°H-Help me! My body won¡¯t move!¡± ¡°The Archmage¡­ It¡¯s the Archmage¡¯s doing!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Reverse Gravity!¡± ¡°Hurry up and help!¡± The fiends in the air remained silent as they watched the ones below holding their arms up. ¡®...Help them?¡¯ ¡®Skaya Killnd has probably ced Reverse Gravity all around that area.¡¯ ¡®As soon as I go down, I¡¯ll be caught in it too.¡¯ The fiends were quick-witted, so they quickly came to a decision. All they could do was stare at their formerrades. When the fiends trapped below saw the indifference in their eyes, their outstretched arms started to tremble. ¡°You bastards...¡± Craaaaash! The giant wave came crashing down, and their fragile bodies were torn apart in the brutal attack. It would be impossible to find their corpses in the aftermath. The Leviathan nced to the side. It wasn¡¯t sure why, but there was a human beside it. It seemed that the human was helping it. ¡°Gilbe! I got one more than you!¡± [...] The Leviathan turned its attention back to the remaining fiends and counted. There were still eleven of them left. A deep sense of fatigue settled in its eyes. ¡°Hey, snake.¡± Skaya approached the Leviathan. ¡°I heard what people were saying at the shelter. They begged me toe and help. I heard you¡¯re some kind of guardian deity of the ocean, no?¡± [...] Instead of speaking, the Leviathan spoke with its sharp yellow eyes, telling her to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Skaya nced at the clock. ¡°Our job here is done.¡± [...?] The Leviathan looked at her quizzically, but the girl just looked toward Port Lane. It was about to ask a question, but it decided not to, as its head turned in the same direction. [This¡­] The Leviathan was a guardian deity of the southern sea, but there was a powerful aura that made it shiver from that direction. However, it didn¡¯t give it an ominous feeling. It felt somewhat relieving. The girl acting all friendly had suggested as much. [What is that?] The Leviathan asked. ¡°Hm, how should I put this¡­¡± Skaya considered this for a second, and she pped when the perfect words came to her. ¡°He¡¯s like a protagonist!¡± *** Gilberto pulled away from his scope. His mission was no longer on the beach, but right before him. ¡°The Frost Queen didn¡¯t grow as much as I thought,¡± hemented. ¡°But of course. I must eat and rest well to grow, but I could not sleep or eat cake there.¡± ¡°Um, sure.¡± The Frost Queen didn¡¯t seem very different. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho seemed to havepletely changed. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Gilberto looked at his friend curiously. Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t had this kind of aura when Gilberto met him not too long ago after twenty-six years. ¡®Back then, I was happy to see him. It was just like meeting an old friend.¡¯ It had felt that way, as Seo Jun-Ho had still been the same person he had known. But now, he had be different. ¡®I¡­I don¡¯t know this Jun-Ho.¡¯ The look in his eyes resembled a normal person more than a yer. He didn¡¯t seem to possess any strength or experience. However, that made him feel all the more dangerous¡­ ¡®I know just how much power that guy had.¡¯ But still, Gilberto couldn¡¯t sense anything from Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°If I had met you like this after twenty-six years, I might¡¯ve thought that you were just someone who looked like my friend,¡± he remarked. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned and looked around the clock tower. ¡°Seeing how you¡¯re still holding a sniper rifle, I suppose not much time has passed.¡± ¡°It has been exactly an hour...¡± ¡°An hour¡­ Nice.¡± That was a lot shorter than Seo Jun-Ho had expected. He smiled, relieved. But his smile quickly grew cold as he remembered a certain someone. ¡°Where¡¯s Gu Shi-On?¡± ¡°The one we met was a clone. It¡¯s probably his skill. The body disappeared once I killed him.¡± ¡°He got lucky.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked through the gaps of the tower toward the ocean. ¡°Seems like you guys cleaned up the downtown area. Are they the only ones left?¡± ¡°It seems like it...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, then.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Gilberto stopped him. ¡°The battle¡¯s taking ce in the middle of the ocean. As far as I know, you don¡¯t have any flying-type skills.¡± ¡°Actually, I do. I can turn my body into a shadow and fly around,¡± he replied. After clearing the maze Dungeon with the fiends, the Watchguard of Darkness had been strengthened as a reward. Flying was nothing; he could even melt into the shadows if he wanted. ¡°But you can¡¯t use darkness right now,¡± Gilberto pointed out. ¡°Of course¡­¡± Right now, Seo Jun-Ho could only use Frost in front of others. He patted Gilberto¡¯s shoulders. ¡°But just because they¡¯re fighting at the ocean doesn¡¯t mean I have to fly, does it?¡± ¡°...?¡± Gilberto squinted. He didn¡¯t understand what Seo Jun-Ho was saying. ¡°If you¡¯re not gonna fly¡ªWait.¡± Jun-Houghed. It was rare to see such a look of shock on Gilberto¡¯s face. He waved as he went down the tower. ¡°Just watch, you have good eyes anyway. I bet you¡¯ll be surprised.¡± Leaving Gilberto behind, Seo Jun-Ho started toward Port Lane¡¯s harbor. They stood right in front of the violent waves. ¡°Will you be able to do it?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°Who knows? It¡¯s my first time doing it for real, so I¡¯m not sure.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and leaped into the ocean. But instead of a ssh, there was a loud crackle as the water froze. ¡°...That was easier than I thought.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ced his foot down, and his face lit up in awe. He was literally walking on water. ¡°It is not that difficult of a technique if you understand the principles,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°I like it even more since it doesn¡¯t consume that much magic power.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned and started to walk around some more. Every time he took a step, the ocean''s surface froze below him. The freezing point of water was 0 degrees Celsius, while the average freezing point of seawater was about -2 degrees Celsius. Moreover, there weren¡¯t many prerequisites to do this either. ¡®The higher the salinity of an ocean, the faster the ice melts.¡¯ Oceans with strong warm currents were also much harder to freeze. However, the science behind it didn¡¯t matter. The Frost skill surpassed thews of physics and science. ¡®Even though I¡¯m looking at it with my own two eyes, it¡¯s still hard to believe.¡¯ Dark clouds covered the sky, and the storm waves crashed violently. Even a fisherman who had sailed their whole life wouldn¡¯t go to the ocean on a day like this. ¡°What nice weather...¡± Crackle! But Seo Jun-Ho held an umbre made of ice and slipped his hand into the pocket of his jet-ck coat. His steps were light as he started to cross the ocean looking like he was on a stroll. Chapter 225. White Knight (2)

Chapter 225. White Knight (2)

The fiends were agitated after losing seven allies in an instant. They had no reason or the patience to hide their frustration. [...!] Their attacks grew fiercer, with the Leviathan as their target. The serpent¡¯s blue scales quickly started to cken, losing their ever-bright hue. It could only mean that one of the fiends was using poison. ¡°Binding Chains! Water Shield! Wall!¡± Skaya continuously casted spells. The powerful fiends heading toward her didn¡¯t allow her a moment of rest. ¡®Their attacks are powerful, maybe because of the demonic energy.¡¯ She hadn¡¯t even figured out all their skills yet. They probably still had a few cards up their sleeves. No, she was sure they still had some tricks. It wouldn¡¯t make sense for the Fiend Association¡¯s elite troops to not have any. Woosh! Behind Skaya, a woman with crow wings cut through the wind and charged toward her. ¡°Fire Wall!¡± Fwoosh! A zing wall of fire appeared in front of her. ¡®Since I blocked off the front, she¡¯ll probablye from the side.¡¯ Skaya felt safe enough to turn away from the front. Woosh! There was arge sh as something came through the mes. ¡°Too bad! I have fire resistance!¡± The fiend was an archer and an assassin, but it wouldn¡¯t be satisfying for her to snipe Skaya. She made a frontal attack, gripping a dagger. ¡°¡­?!¡± However, her de didn¡¯t even make a scratch on the Archmage. She looked down at the dagger, which was about three centimeters from Skaya¡¯s skin. ¡°Too bad. I have seven mana shields protecting me around the clock.¡± ¡°W-what¡­¡± ¡°Still, you were the first one to break through one today. Congrats.¡± A celebration wouldn¡¯t beplete without fireworks. As such, Skaya¡¯s lips moved. ¡°Explosion.¡± At hermand, the magic power within her shot through her circuits and exploded outward, creating a beautiful explosion. Bang! The fiend was defenseless as she took the brunt of the powerful direct attack before directly falling into the ocean. ¡®I¡¯ve been too careless.¡¯ Skaya hadn¡¯t expected for there to be a fiend with such high fire resistance. She looked around. ¡®And what¡¯s taking him so long?¡¯ The powerful presence she had sensed from Seo Jun-Ho had disappeared at some point. Honestly, she couldn¡¯t even sense him anymore. ¡°Gilbe, where¡¯s Jun-Ho right now?¡± [He¡¯s headed¡­] ¡°Ow! Ear! My ear¡­!¡± [...Over, right now.] Gilbe replied after having just severed a fiend¡¯s ear with a bullet. ¡°Wait! Now that I think about it, he can¡¯t fly. Did he get a boat or something?¡± Her mouth fell open, appalled. Riding a boat in a ce like this was suicide. ¡®But carrying him while I use Fly is a bit¡­¡¯ She chewed on her fingernails, deep in thought. [...!] The Leviathan wailed again. The thrashing of its enormous body was enough to create huge tidal waves. ¡°Levi!¡± A spear had pierced through its scales, with long chains protruding from the end. ¡°Tie it up with this!¡± ¡°For a monster as strong as the Leviathan, we must imnt the demon jade when it¡¯s exhausted enough.¡± The fiends were reaching the final stage of their hunt. At this rate, the Leviathan might actually fall under their control. ¡°No¡­!¡± When she tried to interfere again, two fiends turned their attention toward her. ¡°You should stay out of this now.¡± ¡°I must say, I¡¯m impressed. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d interrupt us so much, Archmage.¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes were solemn as she faced them. There had never been fiends this powerful in the past. ¡®Jun-Ho, that idiot. What¡¯s taking him so long?¡¯ She spat in frustration, but her face suddenly changed. ¡°Huh? Is that¡­Jun-Ho?¡± As she stared across the ocean, the fiends snorted. ¡°That might¡¯ve worked 26 years ago, but not anymore¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What is that?¡± ¡°...¡± The fiend scowled as they were interrupted by theirrade. ¡°Are you dumb? That¡¯s obviously an illusion. How could you fall for something so obvious?¡± ¡°No, there really is a person down there.¡± The fiend turned at theirrade¡¯s words, and their face grew confused. ¡°...What¡¯s with him?¡± They were currently at sea, meaning the only thing below them was water. ¡°I know it sounds crazy¡­But is that person walking here?¡± ¡°...¡± As they said, it really was crazy. How could someone possibly walk on water? There were skills that allowed people to swim fast, hold their breath for a long time, or even slide across the ocean. But what kind of skill would let someone walk on water? Moreover, the figure seemed rxed as they walked on water. ¡°An ice umbre¡­ A jet-ck coat¡­¡± ¡°Wait, an ice umbre?¡± The fiend¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°They told us on themunication line earlier that Pride was killed by an ice elemental user.¡± They hadn¡¯t had much time to think about Pride¡¯s killer during the battle with the Leviathan, but they knew who it was. ¡°...So that¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°It should be. He¡¯s wanted by the Fiend Association, especially by Nazad Hallow-nim.¡± ¡°I bet we¡¯d get a hefty reward if we brought him back.¡± Although they hadn¡¯t forgotten that he was the same yer who had killed Pride, the look in their eyes changed. ¡®Pride was pretty strong.¡¯ ¡®We weren¡¯t in the same Squadron, but the fact that he became a Squadron leader means that he had proved himself.¡¯ However, the members of the Despair Squadron were confident that they would have been on even ground with Pride if they were to fight him as a team. Actually, they were pretty sure that they could defeat him. The reason they thought this way was thanks to none other than Gu Shi-On. ¡®Our captain had always said something about Pride.¡¯ ¡®He said he wouldn¡¯t have been able to be a Squadron leader in any other group.¡¯ ¡®...So doesn¡¯t that mean he wasn¡¯t that much stronger than me?¡¯ ¡®Even though Seo Jun-Ho killed him¡­ He doesn¡¯t seem all that impressive.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s only been doing this for two years, but we have about forty years ofbined experience.¡¯ However, they were having a huge misunderstanding. The fiends in the Fiend Association weren¡¯t idiots, and they knew that Pride wouldn¡¯t have been able to lead a Squadron if he had been weak. But because of Gu Shi-On''s constantints, they became biased against Pride. Naturally, they weren¡¯t that impressed by Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho finally came to a stop. Fwooosh- Even as the tidal waves crashed and raged, they never touched him. ¡°One¡­¡± He looked up and counted the fiends. ¡°Two, three, four¡­ Eleven? There are only eleven of them left?¡± It was a little disappointing, but this would do. His opponents weren¡¯t weak, and they were part of the Despair Squadron as well. ¡®They should be pretty sturdy, right?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt his heart beating against his chest. He swallowed in anticipation. ¡®I¡¯m excited.¡¯ He could still clearly remember thest time he had felt this way. ¡®That was the first day I used Watchguard of Darkness in battle.¡¯ He had been so excited that he had spent all night tossing and turning. It was a simr feeling to what a middle schooler might experience the night before they bought the newest smartphone model. ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The fiends burst out inughter. Even though it was raining and they were several dozen meters away, they could still clearly see him. ¡°That rascal¡­ He¡¯s trembling all over.¡± ¡°Of course, he¡¯s scared. He has probably never faced this many fiends in his life.¡± ¡°Too bad for him. It¡¯s toote to go back.¡± The fiends started to give off a wild aura as demonic energy shone in their eyes. Their dark energy seemed to make even the raindrops murky. Skaya quickly flew down to him. ¡°Jun-Ho.¡± She looked both pleased and worried. ¡°You changed a lot, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯re cooler now. Though, you¡¯re still not my type.¡± She looked around, but the Frost Queen had already run away. ¡°Fuze told us after we tortured him. You were trapped there for a year, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°...I¡¯m jealous. So that¡¯s how you got strong.¡± She actually did look envious. ¡°You should go in there if you ever get the chance. I''ve learned a lot.¡± Nowadays, yers had no time to reflect on themselves. Well, Gu Shi-On had probably never used his skill for that reason either. ¡°How many do you want?¡± she asked excitedly. Her trustworthy teammate hade, and they could finally crush all the fiends. However, Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°Sorry, but I want you to leave them all to me.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re not even gonna give me one?¡± ¡°I heard from Gilbe that you¡¯ve already killed four of them,¡± he exined. ¡°B-but that was with Reverse Gravity¡­ I haven¡¯t even gotten a taste¡­¡± ¡°I heard that you killed dozens of fiends downtown. Was that not enough?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Skaya wilted. There had barely been any Squadron members there. ¡®If I knew this would happen, I would¡¯ve just given them all to Gilbe¡­¡¯ It felt like she¡¯d given up the main course for mediocre appetizers. ¡°Alright, fine. But if I think you¡¯re in danger, I¡¯m gonna intervene,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho made another ice umbre and held it out to her. He always had a good sense for this kind of thing¡­ ¡°A bit of advice: don¡¯t let your guard down. They¡¯re no weaklings,¡± she warned. ¡°I know.¡± He knew all too well. The Squadron members had been chasing him for so long. Now that he had actuallye across some formidable opponents, he wouldn¡¯t let himself make a mistake. ¡°It might be a little boring this time. Fights are only fun to watch when there¡¯s a back-and-forth.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared up at the sky and looked around. ¡°My neck hurts looking up at them.¡± However, before Skaya could offer help, an ice pir shot out of the ocean, propelling him upward. ¡°...Ha, he must¡¯ve lost itpletely.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t even have a flying skill. How¡¯s he gonna fight up in the air?¡± They also didn¡¯t like that Skaya was just waiting in the back. She didn¡¯t seem like she intended to participate in the battle. ¡°Child. Bring the Archmage and the Envoy if you don¡¯t want to be ripped apart.¡± ¡°A mission is a mission, but we like having strong opponents.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho watched them silently, his heart pounding in anticipation. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t suppress theugh that squeezed out of his lips. ¡°...Heh.¡± He looked crazed and excited. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The fiends¡¯ faces darkened. It was enough to change their initial ns. ¡°You¡¯reughing? Right in front of us?¡± ¡°Sure,ugh while you can.¡± Fiends were selfish by nature. They had no morals and no interest in maintaining thew and order of the world. Everything had to go their way, and they killed anyone they didn¡¯t like. Naturally, they wanted to kill Seo Jun-Ho because they didn¡¯t like him. ¡°Rivero, get rid of the storm clouds.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like you telling me what to do. But you¡¯re right.¡± The fiend in the back, Rivero, took in a deep breath. When he exhaled, a powerful gust tore the clouds apart, and the rain stopped. ¡°We heard that you made good use of Dread¡¯s rain before.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to give you extra weapons.¡± ¡°...You guys are good.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s praise was sincere. They knew how to fight, and they didn¡¯t let their guards down. They had already gotten rid of one of his weapons even before the battle started. ¡°Hup!¡± Rivero inhaled once more. This time, he aimed at Seo Jun-Ho. He didn¡¯t bother saying anything else before attacking. ¡®This was the first big lesson I learned in the goshiwon.¡¯ Now that it was no longer raining, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t need his umbre anymore. The sharp gale approached him, but he was still casually folding up his umbre. ¡°That idiot¡­ What is he doing?¡± Had he not even noticed the attack? Rivero looked disappointed. ¡°He¡¯s already dead.¡± There was nowhere he could go, as he only had one ice pir. It wasn¡¯t like an ice elemental user could fly. It was so easy, but it was enough to dispel Rivero''s malice. ¡°...First.¡± But in that case, who was the owner of the low voiceing from behind him? ¡®Why is there a voiceing from behind me? I¡¯m in the rearguard¡­¡¯ That gave way to another question. ¡®...He disappeared?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was no longer standing on the ice pir. Before his questions could be answered, an umbre made of ice stabbed through his ribs. ¡°Let¡¯s start with seventy percent output.¡± Eleven pairs of eyes stared at the ice pir, but there was no longer any light in Rivero¡¯s eyes. Chapter 226. White Knight (3)

Chapter 226. White Knight (3)

The word ¡®umbre¡¯ came from the Latin ¡®umbra,¡¯ which meant ¡®shadow.¡¯ Regardless of its origin, the point was that umbres weren¡¯t meant to be tools for violence. However, they made surprisingly good weapons. ¡®Especially a long umbre like this one...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the ice umbre he had stabbed between Rivero¡¯s ribs. Because it had all the functions of a real umbre, if he just pressed a button, it would open. Rivero red at him with bloodlust in his eyes as blood poured out of his mouth. ¡°I¡­urgh¡­ I¡¯ll kill¡­¡± Pwoosh! The umbre opened up from inside his body. However, not a single drop of blood spilled on the ground. Seo Jun-Ho had frozen itpletely. ¡°...!¡± The fiends turned around a second toote, and the curses died in their mouths. They exchanged nces as they stared at the clear block of ice reflecting sunlight. ¡®Did you see that?¡¯ ¡®...I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d move that fast.¡¯ ¡®I admit that he¡¯s fast, but he won¡¯t be hard to kill.¡¯ As befitting members of the Despair Squadron, the fiends started to prepare their own counterattacks. The first thing they noticed was how Jun-Ho could move through the air. ¡®He¡¯s not holding himself up in the air.¡¯ ¡®When he leaped off of the pir, he grabbed Rivero¡¯s shoulder.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho himself couldn¡¯t fly, so he used the fiend. Now that Rivero was dead, what would he do next? ¡®He¡¯ll charge forward again, trying to find another one to grab on to.¡¯ The fiends waited, eyes shing red. And just as they had expected, Seo Jun-Ho kicked off of something as he fell toward the sea. It was Rivero¡¯s frozen corpse. Even as he kicked off of it with his entire body weight, it was sturdy enough as a foothold. ¡®He¡¯sing!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s exactly as I thought!¡¯ ¡®I just need to block him once. Just once¡¯. As long as they didn¡¯t fall victim to his ambush, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to throw him into the cold sea. However, there was just one thing they had overlooked. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s speed wasn¡¯t something they could handle after seeing it just once. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ahh!¡± One of the fiends looked down to see the end of an umbre poking out of their chest. It was the perfect surprise attack from behind. They hadn¡¯t even been able to sense Seo Jun-Ho until it was toote. ¡°Dammit, how is he changing directions so fast?¡± ¡°He makes big pieces of ice in the air and kicks off of them. He can control where he goes that way.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t just going to charge at them in a straight line. ¡°Attack him now! Jeff! Grab onto him!¡± ¡°Do it for the Association!¡± ¡°You little¡­ What kind of bullshit¡­¡± Jeff cursed loudly, but he tightly gripped the folding umbre poking straight through his chest. ¡®I¡¯m not doing this because I want to help them.¡¯ He was doing this because he wanted to take Seo Jun-Ho down with him. However, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t going to let him. ¡°Let go of my umbre.¡± Crackle! Jeff¡¯s hands froze over. When Seo Jun-Ho gave his umbre a small tug, his hands broke off. ¡°A-ahh! M-my hands¡­!¡± As they fell off his wrists, not a single drop of blood spilled out. Crackle! Seo Jun-Ho ced a hand on Jeff¡¯s back as he wailed. And in an instant, Jeff became an ice sculpture and fell into the ocean. Seo Jun-Ho stepped off his corpse and shot into the air. ¡®They¡¯re more defensive now.¡¯ The fiends weren¡¯t carelessly leaving their backs open anymore. They had their backs pressed to each other, ensuring that at least one person could block him. ¡®But they¡¯ve made a huge mistake.¡¯ He actually didn¡¯t have to grab onto them. In fact, Seo Jun-Ho nned to take advantage of this misunderstanding. Crackle! He made a small block of ice in the air and stepped off of it before flying toward the fiends. ¡°...¡± Their stares were so sharp that he could feel them. The powerful demonic energy they gave off made his skin tingle. Woosh! Seo Jun-Ho stabbed his ice umbre right into a fiend¡¯s carotid artery. ng! ¡°...?¡± However, the sound it made was different¡ªit was no longer the sound of ice hitting flesh. ¡°Fufu, I got you.¡± The fiend grinned wide andughed. Their neck had turned silver under the umbre. ¡®The skin¡­ Is steel?¡¯ Moreover, it was tough enough to handle his attack. ¡°This is it for you.¡± The fiend kicked Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s abdomen with a steel leg. He quickly blocked it with his umbre, so he managed to avoid a fatal hit, but Seo Jun-Ho doubled over. ¡°You can¡¯t fly without wings, after all.¡± The ten fiendsughed as they watched Seo Jun-Ho fall toward the ocean. Woosh! The wind blew through him, filling his ears with its scream. Jun-Ho looked down at his hands. ¡®My umbre broke.¡¯ It had broken after just one kick. ording to what the Frost Queen had said, her ice would not have broken. ¡®No matter how far I go, the road ahead always seems long.¡¯ He let out a light sigh, and his body stopped in midair. More specifically, he hadnded on a block of ice. ¡®If I got stronger, this too¡­¡¯ Instead of makingrge pieces of ice, he would be able to use shards as small as his palm to walk around in midair. However, before he could do that, he had to make his body as light as a feather. The Frost Queen had given him a lecture on the theory back in the goshiwon, but he had never seeded in actually doing it. ¡°Huh, is he gonna use the same method again?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work twice¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho kicked off of the ice and flew into the air. He deftly created three more pieces of ice and used them as steps to reach the fiends. ¡®As I thought, he¡¯s fast.¡± ¡®But he¡¯s definitely slower than before.¡¯ ¡®Maybe there are constraints to using that incredible speed from before.¡¯ Of course, there were limits. Seo Jun-Ho could only maintain a 70% Overclocking output for thirty minutes at most. ¡®But being that fast all the time isn¡¯t necessarily a good thing.¡¯ There was a famous saying among yers: there were many who were good at elerating, but there weren¡¯t many who were good at deelerating. Seo Jun-Ho strongly agreed with that saying. ¡®If you just keep going fast, fast, fast, your opponent will eventually get used to it.¡¯ If one only relied on speed, one¡¯s attacks would eventually be predictable. And since his current opponents were fiends¡ªthey would be very good at adapting. So, Seo Jun-Ho had chosen to slow down. ¡®Start with 70% and go down to 20%.¡¯ The fiends were carefully studying his every move. Some of them had started to get used to his 70% output. ¡°We definitely have a chance¡­ No, we can definitely catch him.¡± ¡°I suppose the speed from before was just his momentum.¡± As the fiends fell into his trap, Seo Jun-Ho stepped off of the third shard of ice. His figure disappeared among them. ¡°...!¡± ¡°80% output.¡± Though he could currently only maintain it for five minutes at most, it was the highest output he could reach. In addition, Overclocking didn¡¯t just give him enhanced speed. ¡®It improves his stamina, strength, and flexibility as well.¡¯ Bam! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s fist pummeled a fiend, making them explode like a water balloon. Blood fell from the sky like rain. The other fiends pulled themselves together as the warm blood covered them. ¡®He¡­ Got fast?¡¯ ¡®How¡­¡¯ ¡®How did that bastard do it?¡¯ The majority of the fiends were distracted by Seo Jun-Ho, but the quick-witted ones froze. They frantically started to shake off the blood like it was fire. ¡°Heh, this is why the smart ones are more fun.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gestured with his finger. Crackle! The blood on their bodies froze into scarlet icicles. Where blood was on their faces, the ice stabbed through their faces, and where it stained their armors, it pierced through those as well. Aside from three fiends who had been smart enough to shake the blood off of them, all the other fiends instantly died. ¡®I used this technique when I fought the Cinder Fox, too.¡¯ However, back then, he had used all his magic power to create onerge spike made of ice. Now, he could easily create dozens of icicles. ¡®But I still know how limited my power is¡­¡¯ Right now, he could freeze any liquid within eyeshot using the Frost skill, but he couldn¡¯t freeze the blood within someone¡¯s body like what the Frost Queen could do in her prime. ¡°Hm.¡± The steel-skinned fiend was among the three remaining survivors. They cracked their knuckles and nodded. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to act as a shield.¡± ¡°...You?¡± ¡°Nonsense¡­¡± The other two were shocked. They had never seen a fiend who would willingly sacrifice themselves. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t usually do this either. But like you saw before, his attacks can¡¯t hurt me.¡± They tapped on their carotid artery as proof. ¡°My skin is a lot tougher than his ice, so I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Wait, but isn¡¯t steel weak to low temperatures?¡± ¡°As far as I know, it doesn¡¯t break easily as long as it doesn¡¯t go below negative thirty degrees.¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk tsk.¡± Their fellow fiends were intelligent, but the steel-skinned fiend clicked their tongue. ¡°It looks like steel, but my skin is much stronger than normal steel. Negative thirty degrees is nothing.¡± ¡°Makes sense¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll restrain his movements, so just make sure to kill him. You can do that much, right?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± The other two didn¡¯t like their condescending tone, but they nodded along without protest. They knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy to catch Seo Jun-Ho without the steel-skinned fiend¡¯s skill. ¡®They¡¯re taking on all the risk anyways.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯ll be nice if it works, but it¡¯ll be fine if it doesn¡¯t.¡¯ The steel-skinned fiend had drunk the blood of an Inozia¡ªa demon race who could harness the wind. The fiend used the wind to fly toward Seo Jun-Ho at an impressive speed. ¡°Hiyaaa!¡± They gripped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s throat and lifted him into the air. ¡°Why, did you think you were the only one who was fast?¡± ¡°...¡± Jun-Ho looked down at the thick hand encircling his throat. His opponent had already be steel from head to toe. ¡°I heard that steel breaks like straw when it¡¯s cold¡­ Are you sure you can handle it?¡± ¡°Heh. Sorry, but my body¡¯s not made out of normal steel.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes started to glow with a blue light. At the same time, the temperature around them rapidly dropped. ¡°Heh. This is child¡¯s y.¡± The steel hands squeezed harder around Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck. It was a contest to see which would happen first: whether Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck broke first, or the remaining fiends froze first. The first to chicken out would lose. ¡°Haaa!¡± Steel veins popped against the steel face. All of a sudden, the fiend noticed something wrong. ¡®This guy¡­ Why does he look like that?¡¯ From the very beginning, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face had remained expressionless, like he was just an observer watching from the sidelines. ¡®But¡­ I¡¯m crushing your throat.¡¯ So why did he look so calm and unbothered? The fiend¡¯s doubt started to grow. ¡°W-wait.¡± Their heart started to pound. ¡°Kill him! Right now!¡± The fiend called to theirrades. ¡°...¡± However, there was no voice saying that they got it or to just hold on for a bit. There was no response at all. ¡°What are you doing, you idiots¡­¡± The steel-skinned fiend¡¯s face fell as they turned around. No one was there. Ssh! Ssh! The sound of something falling into the ocean could be heard. Seo Jun-Ho spoke, ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of the ocean, but it was raining just a while ago.¡± There was no better ce for him to use his Frost Skill. The two other fiends had instantly died when he pierced them with icicles. ¡°I¡¯ve had my fun, so let¡¯s end it here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho raised his hand and pressed down on the steel arm holding him up by his neck. Crack! It broke like a piece of straw. It was like an adult swatting away the hand of a child. ¡°Ah¡­ Ugh¡­¡± The fiend fell back. It was then that they finally realized. From the very beginning, the man in front of their eyes had considered the eleven members of the Despair Squadron to be nothing but mere ythings. ¡°D-Don''t¡­¡± they begged. The fiend would lose their sense of touch every time they used this skill and transformed their skin into steel. This was why they hadn¡¯t noticed how cold it was. ¡°P-Please, don¡¯t do this...¡± A normal human being would have already died at this temperature. ¡°Bye...¡± Seo Jun-Ho lightly pushed the fiend¡¯s face. Crack! With the sound of a glowstick breaking, the fiend¡¯s head broke off their shoulders. Seo Jun-Ho quickly caught it. ¡°I almost lost the chance to read their memories.¡± The Fiend Association¡¯s Port Lane mission hadpletely failed. On that day, nearly a hundred fiends had lost their lives. Chapter 227. White Knight (4)

Chapter 227. White Knight (4)

Crackle! Seo Jun-Ho created a cier on the ocean tond on. Not long after, he sensed a flow of magic as his teammates arrived using Teleport. ¡°What in the world did you learn in thest year?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. I was really impressed by the way you walked on water,¡± Gilberto remarked. They looked both curious and envious. As they talked for a bit, a giant shadow covered them. [...] The guardian deity of the southern sea, the Leviathan, approached them. It started to speak as the three yers looked at it. [First, let me extend my gratitude.] The beast hadn¡¯t gotten away unscathed. Blood was still flowing out of the many injuries it had sustained from the fiends. ¡°Hey snake, do you want me to heal you? I¡¯m not as good as a priest, but I should be able to help a bit,¡± Skaya offered. [I refuse. I will slumber somewhere deep in the ocean and heal myself.] The Leviathan immediately refused. Perhaps it didn¡¯t want to be even more indebted to mere humans. [I expected them to do this eventually.] ¡°You already knew about the fiends?¡± [Of course. I am aware of human affairs. There are countless monsters in the sky and sea, and they informed me.] The Leviathan closed its eyes tightly, seemingly frustrated. [The thing that angers me most¡­ Is that they came for me first, instead of going to the north, west, or eastern seas.] ¡°Did they think you¡¯d be the easiest to deal with?¡± Gilberto asked. The Leviathan opened one eye and red at him. It was good enough as an answer. The Leviathan quietly changed the subject. [In my seven hundred and twenty-eight years of life, there were not many instances in which I was this deeply infuriated.] ¡°Seven hundred and twenty-eight years?!¡± Skaya eximed. ¡°You¡¯re older than I thought,¡± Gilberto said. Unlike the other two, Seo Jun-Ho simply nodded in understanding. [White Knight, you do not seem surprised.] ¡°I killed a 500-year-old lich not long ago.¡± [Ah, the one who resides in the north. So she is dead.] It seemed that even the monsters had something simr to the Community forums. They seemed to be able to acquire information easier than expected. [...Though this is not enough to repay you for your assistance¡­] ¡°A reward!¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she held out her hands. Her straightforwardness rendered the Leviathan speechless, and it smiled and nodded. [Yes. There is not much I can give you, but use them as you see fit.] Something sparkled in front of them. Skaya tilted her head as she stared. ¡°Are these¡­ scales?¡± [They are scales from my body. They are good for crafting armor, but they also have a high artistic value because of their unique color.] In other words, the Leviathan¡¯s gift was raw materials. [Human, there is something I wish to ask you.] The Leviathan looked at Seo Jun-Ho. [What did you n to do if those fiends gained control over me?] ¡°Huh? Oh.¡± He reached into his Inventory and pulled out a sword with serrated edges. The Leviathan flinched away when it saw therge weapon. ¡°I brought this just in case. They can control monsters with demon jade, so I would have had to tear through your flesh.¡± [...] The Leviathan seemed appalled. It bowed in greeting. [Farewell, humans.] It quickly disappeared into the water. As the waves ovepped, a distant voice could be heard. [Thank you.] *** ¡°Mm!¡± Skaya stretched. It had been a while since she had been able to y around like this. Her face was glowing as if she had taken a health potion. ¡°Killing fiends is the best way to relieve stress. Don¡¯t you think so, Gilbe?¡± ¡°...Well, I suppose it¡¯s nicer than using normal targets.¡± Seo Jun-Ho walked with the two weirdos at his side, looking around. ¡°Here it is.¡± He stopped at a building with a blue roof. This was where he had hidden Pride¡¯s frozen body. He quickly stepped inside and melted the corpse. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± The memory yback appeared before him, and Skaya and Gilbert looked on with interest. ¡°That¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°So this is the memory yback?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m gonna look through his memories real quick.¡± Seo Jun-Ho reached for the body, his hand shaking more than it had during the battle. He hoped he would be able to find some good info this time. The memory yback began. *** ¡°...Say that again,¡± a dark voice said. The people kneeling at his feet quickly jumped in to give him an answer, or rather, an excuse. ¡°The magicmunication line was cut off by all the members on the field.¡± ¡°I think they failed to capture the Leviathan.¡± ¡°...¡± He had already heard the same report several times. The man squeezed his eyes shut andid his head against the headrest. ¡®I¡¯m screwed.¡¯ The man¡¯s name was Gu Shi-On, the leader of one of the two Squadrons that had participated in this mission. There was a simple reason why he hadn¡¯t gone with the other fiends. ¡®Pride. I had too much faith in that idiot.¡¯ Pride had been weaker than him, but he had been a squadron leader nevertheless. Pride had insisted on leading the mission, so Gu Shi-On had stayed behind. ¡®There was no need for two leaders on one battlefield.¡¯ That had been his biggest mistake¡­ Gu Shi-On started to chew on his fingernails. He wanted to shift the me somehow, but there was no one to pin it on because they had all died in Port Lane. ¡®We lost too much.¡¯ Besides the eighty or so other fiends, the Squadron members had been the biggest loss. It wasn¡¯t like they had been weak or ipetent either. Each member of the Pride Squadron and the Despair Squadron possessed good skills in their arsenal. ¡®Eight from Pride, nine from Despair, was it?¡¯ The only good thing was that they hadn¡¯t lost too many Squadron members. Gu Shi-On might be able to use that as an excuse. ¡®...And there¡¯s one other thing I can do. This will be the biggest one.¡¯ As Gu Shi-On raised his hand, the fiends at his feet stood up carefully, clearly afraid that he might trap them in the goshiwon. ¡°This is your new order.¡± ¡°Your wish is ourmand.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll carry it out to the best of our abilities.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need that. I just need to see results.¡± Gu Shi-On¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°Start spreading rumors about Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Rumors¡­ About Seo Jun-Ho?¡± His subordinates tilted their heads. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ice skill had been very impressive, and he had even killed Pride. They had expected Gu Shi-On to order them to gather more information on the yer. Why would they spread rumors about him? ¡®That¡¯s the only way...¡¯ Gu Shi-On''s n was simple. ¡®If he bes even more famous and they acknowledge him as a threat, my punishment will be lighter.¡¯ Ironically, he would have to y up that bastard¡¯s abilities if he wanted to survive. ¡°This mission will be top-secret. Do not report this to anyone else in the Association.¡± ¡°What kind of rumors should we spread?¡± Gu Shi-On scowled at his subordinate¡¯s stupid question. ¡°...y him up as much as possible. Make it so that they¡¯ll consider him a Heroparable to Specter.¡± Gu Shi-On forced himself to calm down. ¡®This is good¡­¡¯ If he ran into Seo Jun-Ho again, he would destroy the yer. The more there were rumors about him, the more praise Gu Shi-On would get once he killed him. ¡®Imend you for surviving in the goshiwon for a year¡­ But you¡¯re too meddlesome, Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ Gu Shi-On closed his eyes. If he kept them open, he might just attack one of his own subordinates. *** It had been a while since Watchguard of Darkness had feasted. Pride¡¯s corpse disappeared without a trace, and Seo Jun-Ho turned around. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°...Hm. It¡¯s hard to tell.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s too early to tell.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Seo Jun-Ho agreed with both of them. As Pride had been a squadron leader, he knew a good amount of information. ¡®But we definitely got lucky this time...¡¯ Or rather, they had seeded thanks to Pride¡¯s vanity. He had led an important mission for the Association, but he hadn¡¯t brought the core members of the Squadrons with him. ¡®He was nning to improve his reputation by participating in the battle himself.¡¯ Thanks to the Fiend Association¡¯s information section, the Darkmoon Pavilion, Pride knew that the 5 Heroes had been nning toe to Port Lane. ¡®It¡¯s no surprise that a fiend would overestimate his skills and let his guard down¡­¡¯ However, they might have been too sessful this time. They had massacred close to a hundred fiends with only the three of them, and none of them even had a single scratch. ¡®They''ll probably be more wary of us¡­¡¯ They might even start to consider Seo Jun-Ho a threat. After all, every fiend who hade across Seo Jun-Ho had been killed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve made up my mind,¡± Skaya said abruptly. ¡°I want to go to the Magic Tower.¡± ¡°...You?¡± ¡°With that attitude?¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Gilberto¡¯s faces fell. It would probably be hard for her to adjust to the strict environment of the Magic Tower with her fiery personality. ¡°Why do you say that? I can get the job done when I need to,¡± she said, uncharacteristically serious. She leaned against the wall. ¡°You said that everyone decent at magic is associated with the Magic Tower.¡± ¡°...Well, people will respect you a lot more if you say you¡¯re a mage from the Magic Tower. But there really are a lot of talented mages there,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. Skaya had improved greatly thest time she went to the Magic Tower. This was another chance for her to recover the abilities she had in the past. ¡°And if you can show off your skills at the Magic Tower¡­¡± ¡°People would start to see the 5 Heroes in a new light, instead of thinking of us as relics of the past,¡± she concluded. ¡°Training, you say.¡± Gilberto nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go join Arthur. I¡¯ll train the Watchguards and do some of my own training in the rugged mountains as well.¡± ¡°...Seems like we¡¯ll all be doing some training,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. This wasn¡¯t bad. ¡®They know all too well that they¡¯ll be overtaken eventually if they only rely on their former glory.¡¯ They were smart. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting to hear from you.¡± ¡°Shall we?¡± Skaya held out her hand. ¡°Where do you guys want to go? Obviously, I¡¯ll be going to the capital. It¡¯s near the Magic Tower, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be going to the Watchguards¡¯ hideout, as I mentioned before,¡± Gilberto said. ¡°Okay. See youter, Gilbe.¡± She sent him off with Teleport. She held out her hand to Seo Jun-Ho next. ¡°How about you? ¡°Oh, I still have something to do, so I¡¯m gonna stay here for a little longer.¡± ¡°Something to do?¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed as he looked over at Dragon Rock in the distance. ¡°I have to start digging again¡­¡± He had missed the timing, so he hadn¡¯t been able to set the bombs off. Now, he had to disarm them. Chapter 228. A Crack (1) [Dwarf Special Bomb] Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t nted just one, but as many as thirty bombs. These devilish things made by the hands of dwarfs could shake not just a battle, but the entire battlefield. "Is it a shame that I didn¡¯t get a chance to use these¡­ Or should I be d that we didn¡¯t have to use these?¡± "Of course, it is thetter. The bombs do not have an expiration date. They can be usedter." The Frost Queen seemed to be proud of Seo Jun-Ho for winning the battle without the help of the bombs. "By the way, when will we be done filling these up again?" Sweaty all over, Seo Jun-Ho mumbled while looking at the ruined hill with his chin on the shovel. He managed to dig up the ground somehow and take out the bombs, but now, just thinking of having to fill the holes up again made him tired. "Hmm?" At that time, his senses began to pick up on people. Bustle. It was none other than the residents of Port Lane who climbed up to Dragon Rock. "Hello?" A middle-aged man in the lead spoke pleasantly, "My name is Harveson, the lord of this city." ''¡­ A noble!'' Seo Jun-Ho quickly straightened his back and assumed good posture. "I am yer Seo Jun-Ho." ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho, yer Seo Jun-Ho...¡± Harveson rolled the name around like candy in his mouth before sping his hands with his head down. It was a movement simr to putting one¡¯s hands together in Buddhism. "Please forgive me. This is the only thing I know of Earth''s etiquette.¡± Raising his head, Harveson seemed to have a lot to say to Seo Jun-Ho. "It has been more than a decade since yers stopped visiting Port Lane." "I know..." It was a fact that Seo Jun-Ho learned while investigating the data on the city. Port Lane was not an attractive hub for the yers. ''Because of the ferocious waterways, they couldn¡¯t even set off a boat easily without an experienced helmsman. Also, it''s not like thend route is that developed either. It''s an ambiguous city for yers.¡¯ As Lord Harveson had said, it had been a while since yers had visited the city. It was by the sea, but it was far from a vacation spot. "When I thought it was the end, I had never imagined we would get help from yers." "Of course, it''s something we should help with. Also, I didn''t do it on my own." "Ah." As if recalling someone, Harveson''s mouth formed a soft line reminiscent of a smile. "The woman who guided us in the shelter was Skaya Killnd, a legendary Hero on Earth. She said she came with Sir Gilberto Green." After a few experiences, Seo Jun-Ho realized that the name of the 5 Heroes was also well-known in the Ruben Empire. "Being with the Heroes, you must also be an extraordinary figure." "I am stillcking, but thank you for thinking so highly of me." Harveson took a step back and beckoned toward the back. "I brought over residents who wanted to thank you... I''ve reduced and reduced the numbers, as we were afraid it would be a nuisance, but there are still a hundred of them.¡± "A hundred people...¡± It was a tremendous amount considering that Port Lane¡¯s poption was only a few thousand. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho thought it was a relief. If thousands of people hade to this hill, he would have had to give up on sleep tonight. The residents approached Seo Jun-Ho and greeted him one by one. "Thank you for saving me, my wife, and my daughter in the park. I will never forget your kindness." "Thanks to yourrades, I was able to meet my mother safely." "No matter where you are and what you do, I will pray for your sess, as well as the sess of your two otherrades." The thanks he received from the residents were direct and sincere. Seo Jun-Ho felt emotional after he was showered repeatedly with words of appreciation. Knight Commander Trevor looked at him quietly as Seo Jun-Ho silently shook hands and exchanged greetings with the residents. ¡®He''s really strong.¡¯ Trevor had seen countless overconfident and unhinged yers. However, Seo Jun-Ho and hisrades were certainly different from those people. ''That is what real strength is¡­¡¯ Those with real strength would be gentle towards the weak, and show strength towards the strong. Those with real strength would stand up to the strong¡¯s persecution, and they would listen to the sobbing of the weak. Trevor''s eyes glistened. It seemed like the dream he had after seeing a strong knight walking through his town as a child was being revived. ¡®You still have a long way to go, Trevor.¡¯ He bowed lightly toward Seo Jun-Ho, vowing to devote himself more to the road of knights in the future. "Please leave the hill alone. We will take care of it." "Yes? But this is something I did...¡± "I''m really ashamed to say this, but the current state of the city is beyond words, and we can''t reward you separately. Please allow me to do something like this for you." At Lord Harveson¡¯s earnest request, Seo Jun-Ho had no choice but to nod bitterly. The work, which would have taken him a full day to do alone, ended in half a day with the dozens of soldiers and knights deployed. ¡°¡­¡± The Frost Queen watched the scene from beginning to end and smiled faintly. ¡°I picked a good contractor." "Hmm? Did you call me?" "Contractor, are you overly self-conscious? I never called you.¡± The Frost Queen shrugged and feigned ignorance. *** A strange rumor began to spread. The rumor started in Port Lane, but it suddenly expanded to the metropolitan area. ¡®yer Seo Jun-Ho is actually an ice elemental skill user.¡¯ ¡®Along with Skaya Killnd and Gilberto Green, they wiped out a hundred fiends.¡¯ ¡®The Fiend Association has suffered a lot of damage, so they have their sights set on those three.¡¯ For a rumor, the details were true. yers on Frontier often brought them up with each other in their parties. "Did you hear that? Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s an ice elemental user." "Huh? That''s nonsense. So he¡¯s been hiding that skill all this time? Just why?" "Who knows? He could have been testing how far he could go without using his skill¡­ Perhaps, he has just recently obtained that skill?" "Those who are destined will be sessful, while those without fate won¡¯t seed even if they try¡­ The heavens are indifferent to us. Why give that skill to someone already sessful?¡± "Do youze around doing nothing all day? Sessful people usually soar through the ceiling, and they have the tendency to keep on doing well." The jungle-like world of yers had no ceilings or floors. "What do you think of this rumor?¡± The rumor entered the ears of the Big 6 leaders before the regr yers. Silent Moon¡¯s information department head answered Son Chae-Won, the Guildmaster of Silent Moon¡¯s question. "I think the credibility is very high. Most of all, isn¡¯t it a rumor from the imperial family?" "Very high¡­? That''s surprising. It has been a long time since you said such words." When she asked with a slightly surprised look, the head of the information department extended two fingers. "There are two parts that make me believe the rumor is true. First, the rumor came from the imperial family. Second, the locals in Port Lane admitted it was true." "Hmm." Son Chae-Won scanned the report again without saying a word. Honestly, she was already convinced it was true when she saw the report. "Yeah, looking at the information, it¡¯s definitely true, but... I asked because it seemed too unrealistic.¡± "It¡¯s definitely true? What part were you sure of, Master?¡± "The Leviathan." Son Chae-Won replied firmly. "East, west, north, south. The monsters protecting the cardinal directions can''t be treated recklessly even in the Ruben Empire. They¡¯re even building a symbiotic rtionship with the monsters. There are also rumors within the imperial court that the Leviathan gave the information to the imperial family." "Oh my, really? Howe I didn''t know?" ¡°For now, it¡¯ll be difficult for our guild¡¯s information department to ess that source. I basically had to empty my wallet to obtain this information.¡± The South Sea Blue Snake¡ªLeviathan, also known as the Blue Snake of the South Sea, had been a helper of the Ruben Empire for hundreds of years. "And an existence like that acknowledged Seo Jun-Ho. It even rated him higher than the Archmage and the Gray Envoy." "That is quite unexpected¡­ I thought yer Seo Jun-Ho would only gain a small amount of benefits this time." "That''s why I didn''t believe it right away. It''s just too out of the blue.¡± The members of the Big 6¡ª no, none of the veteran yers could ignore Seo Jun-Ho anymore. He had proven that he was not only a sparkling star on Earth, but he was also skillful enough for the Frontier. "He already proved it with the thunder bear hunt and in the Kobold Hunting Competition." "So it''s three times in total now with Port Lane¡­?¡± "I don¡¯t know about once or twice, but if it¡¯s three times, then it¡¯s real." "It''s four times...¡± A heavy, deep voice interrupted the conversation. A man had entered the Guildmaster''s office and sat down on the sofa without asking for permission. "Hey, I told you to knock first, didn''t I?" "You must have already felt my presence anyway." "Whew." Son Chae-Won frowned and asked Kim Woo-Joong, her childhood friend and the guild''s headhunter. "¡­So, what do you mean by four times?" "In the dwarf case that had been resolved a while ago, Seo Jun-Ho was the yer I asked for help." "What? No, how... Wait a minute." Son Chae-Won''s thoughts spun quickly. She quickly began to retrace the link between Seo Jun-Ho and Kim Woo-Joong. ¡®Nothing. There has never been a point of contact between Woo-Joong and yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ This meant there had been a point of contact between them that she had no idea about. She pointed out the most iprehensible part of Kim Woo-Joong''s recent activities. "Kal Signer?" ¡°¡­¡± "No way. A guy who wasn¡¯t even at level 30 caught Kal Signer?" When Kim Woo-Joong grinned at Son Chae-Won, she covered her mouth in shock. "Of course¡­" "He''s more amazing than I thought¡­ But why do you like him?" "Because I was the first to notice it," Kim Woo-Joong said proudly. He was the first in the world¡­ no, second after the Association President Shim Deok-Gu, to notice Seo Jun-Ho''s extraordinary talent. "The awl in the pocket is bound to show itself to the world someday.¡±[1] "If what you said is true, it''s not just an awl. Is he carrying a spear in his pocket or something?¡± "Huh." Kim Woo-Joong looked like he understood everything. He had always been called a genius, so he had felt the same way when he had first seen Seo Jun-Ho. ''I couldn''t believe it.¡¯ He couldn''t believe that a yer on the 1st floor had ended Kal Signer¡¯s life. Kal Signer''s level was barely over 100, but he was much stronger than most level 120 fiends. Kal Signer had proven his skills by enduring months of Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s pursuit. "Then that means this is the real thing...¡± "Don''t call it this." "...Since when did we be so close?" "I decided to drop the honorifics the next time I see you." Son Chae-Won looked disgusted at the unusual look on her old childhood friend¡¯s face. "Well, that''s fine. That''s all for the gossip. Now, I''ll exin why I called you." She beckoned the head of the information department, who had been standing like a totem in the corner of the room. "Speak." "Yes..." The light atmosphere earlier had flown away like dust, and a serious atmosphere hovered in the office. The head of the information department gulped and spoke, "We have amission from the imperial family." "What''s the grade?" "S-Grade." "What?" Kim Woo-Joong unknowingly straightened his posture. This was the first time he had seen an S-grademission. "If I remember correctly, there has never been an S-grademission since the 2nd floor opened.¡± "That is correct. This is the first time." "¡­What¡¯s the content?" "I will exin." The head of the information department opened the report. "First, themissioner is the Schumern Saintess. She informed the Church of the Sun about ¡®this¡¯ thing that she discovered, and the church understood the seriousness of the situation and immediately reported it to the imperial family." "Is it a monster?" "¡­It is a littleplicated." She walked to one of the office walls and ced her hand on the map attached to it. Her hand continued to rise until it eventually passed by the Wailing Mountains, the northernmost part of the continent. "Here." The head of the information department¡¯s hand went beyond the Wailing Mountains to an area not even marked on the map. At the same time, Kim Woo-Joong''s expression hardened like stone. "The S-grademission from the imperial family: filling the crack that appeared in ckfield." 1. Idiom for ¡®talent is bound to show itself or be discovered.¡¯ ? Chapter 229. A Crack (2)

Chapter 229. A Crack (2)

The Wailing Mountains that extended north of the Canal Mountains were the end of the northern territories shown on the map of the Ruben Empire. However,nd existed beyond them. It was an area called the ckfield, or the ck Coffin. "Hundreds of years ago, the first archmage to build a Magic Tower on thisnd isted that area with arge-scale magic seal.¡± "What''s there?" "I don''t know. No one knows." "You don¡¯t know? Even with our guild''s information capabilities?" Kim Woo-Joong was slightly surprised. The Silent Moon Guild''s information capabilities were at the top even among the Big 6. "It¡¯s difficult to find out more even with our informationwork. I don''t know why, but the imperial family is also sensitive about this." "Hmm." ording to the ancient book, the future generations were repeatedly warned that the seal should never be released. This was all that had been revealed to the public about ckfield. Everymoner and noble knew about this. "Then is there no other way but to meet and ask the Schumern Saintess?" "Normally, that would be the case. We must know what''s happening before we go to the imperial family." "It sounds as if we can''t meet them right now...¡± "We''re talking about the imperial family. They have already recruited the Schumern Saintess and have ordered the conscription of many guilds, including the Big 6.¡± Conscription¡ªIn exchange for providing convenience to the yers of the guilds in the Ruben Empire, they had the authority to summon the yers in case of emergency and use them as soldiers of the Ruben Empire. On the surface, it was a ¡®request,¡¯ but even children knew that refusing such a request would make one¡¯s future rough. "Just what did the Saintess find that the usually unmoving imperial family has be so active?¡± "It''s an S-grademission. You better focus." Son Chae-Won got up from her seat and grabbed her white coat. With a pipe in her mouth, her eyes looked like those of a lioness about to get into battle. "I guess we¡¯ll find out when we get there." *** Leiark, the Capital of the Ruben Empire¡­ The conference hall was located in one of the many huge pces in the castle. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dozens of yers quietly greeted each other and exchanged information. If a reporter was here, they would have screamed in joy until they copsed. In addition to the Big 6, the masters of the big guilds and some of the Nine Heavens were also present. The conference hall had be a ce where a reporter could receive a ton of year-end bonuses just by taking pictures. "Is Sir Thunder God going to be absent again?" "Since he is not a member of any guild, the imperial family can¡¯t just summon him here." "Hmm." A man with clear eyes lightly nodded as he looked at the faces within the conference hall. ¡°This is definitely an impressive lineup. It¡¯s almost scary at the same time.¡± "Huh? Hyung-nim, you''re so... What are you so afraid of when you¡¯re so powerful?¡± "Don¡¯t be dumb. That''s why it¡¯s even scarier." The light in the older brother''s eyes subsided as he sighed at his immature brother. "This means that the imperial family has decided that this request could only be resolved by gathering these people.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The younger brother finally realized the gravity of the situation, and he btedly showed an ashamed expression. Then, a middle-aged man with burning-red hair approached them. "Hmm, is this your younger brother? There has been a lot of talktely." "It''s been a while¡­" "Well, there hasn¡¯t been a chance for us to meet since the youngins don¡¯t reallye to find me that often." "I''ll visit you next time with good alcohol." "Good." The middle-aged man put on a satisfied smile and looked at the younger brother. His eyes were filled with pride as he looked at his junior. ¡°Cha Min-Woo, the rising star of Cheong-Hae. It must be nice to be young. I''ve heard rumors that you¡¯ve been active without taking a break these days." "T-Thank you. I often hear of the Scarlet Tower Guild that you¡¯re leading, Blood Sword-nim." The Cheong-Hae Guild and the Scarlet Tower Guild were guilds that belonged to the Republic of Korea. They were world-ss guilds. "Hmm, by the way.¡± Blood Sword, Choi Tae-San lowered his voice. "Did you hear that rumor?" "By that rumor... Ah! Are you talking about the rumor regarding yer Seo Jun-Ho?¡± "That''s the one¡­¡± It was a hot topic that yers brought up every time they gathered these days. "I heard he¡¯s an ice elemental user. Do you have any more information?" "I thought the Scarlet Tower''s information was one step ahead of Cheong-Hae...¡± "I don''t deny that, but isn''t your brother somewhat familiar with Seo Jun-Ho?" "Mmm, do you mean Min-Woo?" The Guildmaster of the Cheong-Hae Guild, Cha Won-Woo, had a troubled expression. "I knew he has been in a Gate with yer Seo Jun-Ho, but I am not sure about him being familiar with¡ª¡± "We''re close, really." Cha Min-Woo snorted, and his eyes gleamed. "On top of that, Seo hyung and I cleared the Wild Forest together, guarding each other¡¯s backs." "I heard yer Seo Jun-Ho did everything." "I-I was also a great help. He told me that himself.¡± After quietly listening to the story, Choi Tae-San asked, "How do you feel after seeing him in person?" "He is a giant," Cha Min-Woo immediately answered. "A giant? Is he that tall?" "No, he is about 185cm tall... He is big, but not that big." "Hoh." The word ¡®giant¡¯ could be interpreted differently then. "He''s a big guy... Isn¡¯t he your age?" "He is two years younger than me. But when I met him, I realized that age is just a number in this industry." "Is it to that extent? I really want to meet him.¡± Upon noticing that Choi Tae-San seemed to be in a good mood, Cha Won-Woo asked, "Sir Blood Sword, are you close with Seo Jun-Ho?" "I haven''t met him. But I have a favor I need to repay one day." "Favor¡­? Ah." Cha Won-Woo looked like he understood. Choi Sun-Hee of the Myungho Group, whose Nine Yin Severance Syndrome had been treated by Seo Jun-Ho, was the younger sister of the Scarlet Tower Guild¡¯s Guildmaster, Choi Tae-San. "He''s an eye-catching yer.¡± "It''s a wonder. In a small country called Korea, it¡¯s fascinating how there are always such outstanding yers." "Well, aren¡¯t the people there used topetition since childhood?" "Yes¡ªby the way, Sir Blood Sword, what do you think of this time¡¯s matter?" "You¡¯re referring to ckfield." Choi Tae-San crossed his arms and shook his head. "I don''t know. There¡¯s not one source that knows anything, so I can''t even predict anything either. Do you have any idea?" "It is the same for us. Listening to the conversations earlier, it did not seem like the Big 6 were very certain either.¡± "It¡¯s a big problem. We¡¯re about to fight, and we don''t know anything about the enemy¡­¡± The expressions of the three turned dark. At that moment, the door of the conference hall opened coolly, and an old man in a robe entered. Of course, he wasn¡¯t the emperor, the prince, or the princess. "There are faces here that I haven¡¯t seen in a long time, and there are faces I''ve never seen before." Sitting naturally at the head of the table, he nodded. "My name is Halo Agrim, the head court mage of the Ruben Empire." He was the head court mage! Toward the very high-ranking figure, the yers lowered their heads. "Lift your heads. Let''s start the meeting." As the yers sat down, he took out a magic crystal ball. "It would be faster to look at it than to exin it with a hundred words." When he injected magic into the crystal ball, something like holographic images appeared in the air. The location depicted in the images was an ordinary burial chamber. The body lying there had dried up like a mummy. Not a trace of life force could be felt from the body, and it was no different from a skeleton. [Is this the dead body found near ckfield¡­] [The Schumern Saintess¡¯s treatment has also failed.] [It appears that it has been about a day since it died.] The healers and priests surrounding the corpse looked at the chart containing the patient¡¯s records. All of a sudden, the corpse moved. [Gweeeehk!] The corpse''s chest swelled, and the corpse jumped up before vomiting something. The yers watched the video with narrowed eyes. "Is that¡­ an egg?" "It looks like an insect¡¯s egg, or like a fish egg." "We''ll have to watch more if we want to find out." The corpse in the video staggered and got up. [How can a c-corpse!?] [Undead! It''s definitely an undead!] [Ask the knight outside the door for help first!] The priests and the healers facing the moving corpse were thrown into an uproar. After barely returning to their senses, a few priests chanted holy spells. However, the corpse remained unscathed despite being hit by holy spells. [It''s not an undead!] [Well, then how is a confirmed corpse moving¡ª] [Gwaaaahh!] The corpse snatched the wrist of a nearby female healer. [Ow, it hurts! Let me go!] The healer begged with tears in her eyes as she was dragged by the corpse¡¯s rough grasp. When the priests and the healers were running about wildly¡ª Crack! Crack! [Kyaaaaak!] The corpse directly bit off and ate the healer''s neck. The healer screamed and fainted. The knights ran in, split the corpse in half, and the video ended. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A heavy silence fell upon the conference room. Son Chae-Won of the Silent Moon Guild barely managed to open her mouth to speak, "What was that just now? What... A zombie or vampire? Is it something like that?¡± "No, it¡¯s not." Halo shook his head. "We call it a host.¡± "Host? The host of what?" "Bees." "¡­Bees?" Murmur. The yers looked at each other, and their expressions revealed the situation''s absurdity. Shin Sung-Hyun of the Goblin Guild raised his hand lightly. "As far as I know, bees don''t have the ability to infect other creatures like that." "That¡¯s correct for the usual bees, but they''re different." Halo''s expression distorted. He looked like he was having trouble exining all this. "Originally, those bees are not creatures of this world." "Do you mean they are alien creatures?" "In the first ce, orcs, dwarves, elves, ogres, goblins, kobolds¡­ They weren''t all creatures of this world. They''re from the Gates." "I see..." The yers understood and nodded their heads. If that were the case, the ''bees'' currently isted in ckfield should also be considered from beyond a Gate. "The first archmage discovered their dangers early on. He tried to eradicate their existence... but he failed." "Are they that strong?¡± "Beyond mere strength and weakness, they are tenacious and persistent. They have an extraordinary attachment for the living." Halo shook his head with a tired look. ¡°From now on, every word thates out of this meeting is forbidden to be spoken outside. If this is vited, it will be regarded as a vition of an imperial order. Be prepared to be pursued by the Empire." Gulp. The sound of gulping could be heard everywhere. What on earth was he trying to say that he had to scare them so much? "Their stingers have various effects. There''s an extreme poison that instantly kills the target, and as we saw in the video, there¡¯s also the ability toy eggs in living things and manipte them as hosts." "How atrocious..." "The good thing is that their poption is very small. A hundred at the most." "Thank god¡­" The moment the yers showed a look of relief, Halo continued, "ording to ancient books, it was like that hundreds of years ago." ¡°¡­¡± It had been about four hundred years since the first archmage established ckfield. No one knew how many of those bees were born in the meantime. "In addition, ckfield is not a small area. During these hundreds of years, they must have turned the entire area into their turf. The monsters and creatures beyond the Wailing Mountains should be considered to be under the bees¡¯ control as well." The situation got worse the more Halo spoke. As soon as everyone fell silent, Kim Woo-Joong asked, "Howrge is the crack in ckfield?" "We have dispatched the imperial knights and several thousands of soldiers to block it as much as possible. It''s at the size where an adult man can crawl through on his stomach." "It''s small." "Yes. The bees are three times the size of an adult male, so they can¡¯t cross over it. The man in the video is believed to have crawled into ckfield out of curiosity, and he barely managed to survive." "Then how can we seal the crack?" ¡°¡­¡± Despite having answered all the questions so far, Halo''s mouth was tightly shut this time. He closed his eyes with an expression that looked like the end times had arrived. "I don''t know." ¡°¡­?!¡± "That''s the objective in themission given to all of you. Find a way to stop the crack from spreading, and seal it." Based onmon sense, there was no way there was a method that the imperial family hadn¡¯t done yet. However, there was still one thing they hadn''t done so far. "They''ve done everything but go inside ckfield..." It was going into the unknown. Chapter 230. A Crack (3)

Chapter 230. A Crack (3)

Crack. Some yers in the conference room gnashed their teeth and got angry. ¡®So, isn¡¯t this basically saying that they¡¯re going to use us as a meat shield?¡¯ ¡®It''s obvious what the imperial family is doing.¡¯ ¡®Dirty, foul-ying bastards...¡¯ Meanwhile, experienced yers like the guild masters did not show any emotion on their faces. If they felt any resentment, it was only inside. ¡°They have done everything aside from going inside¡­ Then I guess we will have to go in." Shin Sung-Hyun calmly told them what they wanted to hear. Halo sighed lightly and admitted to it. ¡°Yes. His Majesty wants you, veteran warriors, to explore the inside of ckfield and find a clue to seal the cracks.¡± "Hahahaha!" A slender man burst intoughter. Stealing everyone''s attention, he casually waved one of his hands. "Excuse me. It''s so funny to hear the words, veteran warriors." ¡°Kuhumm. Don¡¯t worry, yer Wei Chun-Hak." "By the way, if you''re going to use everyone here, this will cost you a little. Will that be fine?" The man smiled and rubbed his thumb and index finger. It was a gesture that meant "money" wherever one went in the world. Halo nodded. "Of course, the imperial family certainly has the authority to summon guilds, but it doesn''t mean they can call you over for free. I''m prepared to pay for it as well." "Well, it''s not the kind of thing you can refuse in the first ce. Since we''re going to do it, we should do it in a good mood.¡± The corners of Wei Chun-Hak''s mouth curled up. It was a smile that gave a refreshing feeling to all who saw it. However, Halo did not feelfortable looking at it. He could feel that the yers were deeply dissatisfied. That was why Halo ended the story with a slightly apologetic look. "The size of the crack was mentioned earlier... And as for how many of them there are, there are three of them in total. So I''m thinking of putting three teams together. We''ll start in three days. If you have any yers who can help with thismission, you can invite them as well. The imperial family will pay for their employment." "yers that can be of help¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong, who had kept his mouth shut the whole time, quietly nodded. ¡®I know one person. The right yer for this operation.'' Coincidentally, Shin Sung-Hyun sitting opposite him was also thinking of the same thing. ¡®Fire and ice are the best way to catch bees. If he and Ju-Ha are present, the damage to the guilds can be minimized.¡¯ They weren''t usually that close, but it was a moment when they had agreed on the same thing without realizing it. *** "Heup!" Sweat flowed from Seo Jun-Ho''s body as he hung upside down on an iron bar, doing sit-ups. An average person would have probably revealed an expression distorted from pain, but happiness exuded from his face. "Ah, I''m so happy!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Frost Queen looked at him like a pervert and asked, "Do you like it that much?" "Of course. I was so frustrated because I couldn''t work out in the goshiwon." In the goshiwon, his body couldn¡¯t grow or change, and he also couldn¡¯t sweat no matter how much he moved his body. Furthermore, he couldn¡¯t feel the euphoria of having his muscle grow. "Oh, this is it...¡± Looking at Seo Jun-Ho as he was dying of happiness, the Frost Queen smiled. "Well... I think I know how you feel." The night they returned to the city after the Battle of Port Lane, the Frost Queen ate three cakes and five cups of tea, which was unlike her. It was a binge somewhat unbefitting of a queen''s elegant dignity that she had always emphasized. "Hmm-hmm, there''s definitely joy you can¡¯t feel inside the goshiwon." "¡­No, you went a little extreme. You really will be a pig at this rate.¡± "I definitely will not be a p-pig¡­¡± The word ¡®pig¡¯ made the Frost Queen cringe and shrink nowadays. She seemed concerned with her weight, as the frequency of staring into the mirror every morning seemed to have increased. Bbiriri, bbiriri. It was then when Seo Jun-Ho''s Vita sounded. Coming down from the iron bar, he opened his eyes wide as he checked Vita. "What is this randombination?" As many as three personal messages had been sent to his Vita. Just as he said, it was a very random mixture of messages. [This is Kim Woo-Joong. I''ve heard the rumors. Would you like to do a job together?] [This is Shin Sung Hyun of the Goblin Guild. I''d like to put in a request as a guild member.] [This is a message from Shim Deok-Gu, the President of the Korean yer Association: Please visit Earth as soon as possible.] Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head, nkly looking at the messages. "¡­It makes me a little nervous for some reason." He first chose to meet Shim Deok-Gu to understand the situation. He came down to the 1st floor in no time and visited the Korean yer Association¡¯s building. "Hey, how are you?¡± "Jun-Ho!" It was a face he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. He had be old, so it was a bit disgusting, but the hot embrace between friends could not be¡ª p! ¡°???¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back was met with a p as soon as they met. He touched his stinging back with a dumbfounded look. "What? Am I having a dream where I was pped on the back?. Am I daydreaming?" "I hit you, punk! What the hell were you doing on the 2nd floor?¡± "What do you mean? I was obviously doing what a yer does." Seo Jun-Ho sat in a veryfortable position on the sofa and asked, "So, just what¡¯s going on?" "That¡¯s what I want to ask." Shim Deok-Gu dropped a pile of papers onto the table. "You''ve been contacted by all the world''s leading guilds, not to mention the Big 6.¡± "Me? Why?" "Shouldn''t you exin that?" Shim Deok-Gu hit himself in the chest in frustration and copsed on the sofa, looking like he had aged a year. "I received a report. I heard you''ve improved...¡± "A true gambler hides his cards. I am fifty-percent stronger than before." ¡°I think that''s probably why they contacted us, but I don''t know the detailed reason. They''re making a fuss, asking us to borrow you." "These are all requests to borrow me?" Seo Jun-Ho looked at the files with a surprised look. He quickly looked through a few and everyone wanted him, an ice elemental user. "Hmm." Seo Jun-Ho touched his chin. "Did a war break out on the 2nd floor or something? What''s going on all of a sudden?" "At first, I thought they were asking me to send you in advance to the 3rd floor, but... I don''t think that¡¯s the case." "What''s the evidence?" Tuk. Shim Deok-Gu handed over a new file. This time, there was a thin report consisting of only three pages. "It seems that the results of your spending are finally showing." "What do you mean?" "Our Frontier''s intelligence team is now somewhat usable." As Seo Jun-Ho blinked and read the report, his eyes changed. "The imperial family has made a move? The knights and thousands of soldiers headed for the Wailing Mountains in the North?¡± That wasn¡¯t the end of it¡­ A few dayster, there was a strange phenomenon in which Guildmasters from all over the world had gathered in the capital. "Something happened at the Wailing Mountains, and for that, the yers received amission¡­ That is a situation that we can infer from the clues given to us." "How touching..." In the past, the Korean yer Association had to twiddle their thumbs doing nothing, as it couldn¡¯t even get such information. However, the association grew at a remarkable pace with massive investment and a strong backing known as Specter. "Then let''s take a look at the discerning eyes of the head of the yer Association." Seo Jun-Ho put down the report, and his eyes became sharp. The light in his eyes was not the way to look at a friend, but the way an interviewer would look at applicants. "Tell me what you think. What the hell do you think is going on?¡± "¡­I¡¯m suspicious of ckfield." "ckfield?" Seo Jun-Ho straightened his posture at the unexpected word. "Isn''t that the area beyond the Wailing Mountains that the first archmage had sealed?" ¡°That¡¯s right. It''s actually suspicious that the imperial family sent the knights and soldiers to the Wailing Mountains." There was certainly nothing on the other side of the Wailing Mountains. Didn''t Seo Jun-Ho go there himself? It was an area full of rugged mountains and fierce wild monsters. "...There''s no need to even subjugate monsters, as there are no cities or towns around." "Yeah, the fact they are sending so many soldiers in that ce means there''s a reason to do that.¡± "Are you saying that ckfield is the reason?" Seo Jun-Ho slowly nodded. As soon as he heard Shim Deok-Gu''s story, he felt that it was very close to the truth. "I just got a gut feeling. I think that''s right.¡± "As expected, right?" Shim Deok-Gu, who had been smiling for a while, paused. "Then there¡¯s also why so many guilds want to borrow you.¡± Shim Deok-Gu collected the bunch of papers on the desk, then walked straight to the shredder on one side of the office. "Hey, hey! What are you doing?¡± When Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly stopped Shim Deok-Gu, he shook his stern face side to side. "Jun-Ho, not this. Don''t ever think about getting involved." "Why are you so serious?¡± "Listen, the imperial family has no fools." It was more urate to say that the emperor, the master of the imperial family, and the leader of the Ruben Empire was a smart and scary human being. At first nce, he seemed very generous, as he gave yers a lot of opportunities, but the reality was that he had drawn a thorough line between himself and the yers. He made sure that his rtionship with yers was only in business. "The current Emperor Ruben is a man called the Iron Blood Emperor." "Iron Blood Emperor?" "It means no blood, no tears. You think someone like that doesn¡¯t know how to scheme?¡± If yers were taking part, he would show his sincerity because that was the basis of a business rtionship. "He''s a man who usually tries to do everything on his own. However, this time, he gave up the opportunity without hesitation and handed it over to the yers. What do you think this means?¡± "It shows how dangerous it is..." Seo Jun-Ho was struck with an epiphany. At the same time, two unread messages in his Vita came to mind. ¡®It¡¯s so dangerous that even Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun of the Nine Heavens had to reach out for help.¡¯ It felt really dangerous, but the returns were likely just as great. "And that''s not the only problem¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu gave him a new file. It was five times thicker than the one shown earlier. "What''s that?" "Requests to send you." "What, we saw that earlier, right?¡± "It''s different. It''s not a request to send Seo Jun-Ho, but Specter." "Whew, I''m popr.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho smiled, Shim Deok-Gu looked dumbfounded. "Can you even smile now? I feel like I¡¯m going to explode trying to find a reason to refuse." "Why refuse?" "What?" "I don''t have any intentions of refusing." Seo Jun-Ho smiled brightly. "Let''s hold an auction, it has been a long time.¡± "An auction... Are you perhaps going to do that again?" "The one who offers the most gets the opportunity to join me. It''s simple, right?¡± He took out six out of the hundreds of papers. "But I don''t want to be with people whose skills I don¡¯t even know, so try to get these guys." They were the six most powerful guilds in the world, the Big 6. They were the only ones qualified to join the auction among the hundreds of guilds. Chapter 231. A Crack (4)

Chapter 231. A Crack (4)

There were six guilds on Earth that everyone recognized as the best, and they had six Guild Masters. Those Guild Masters were called the Six Masters: Son Chae-Won of the Silent Moon Guild, Shin Sung-Hyun of the Goblin Guild, Christine Lewis of the Silver Constetion Guild, Shoot of the Labyrinth Guild, Tenmei Yugo of the Sky Soul Guild, and Milphage of the Hallem Guild. What they had done was unprecedented. They usually never took a step off the 2nd floor, but one day, they all went to the 1st floor. They all visited Korea, even though only two of them had any connection with the country. "Is this Specter¡¯s country? It''s my first timeing here in person.¡± Milphage, the Mercenary King, said as he entered the conference room of the Korean yer Association. There were already five guests sitting on chairs in the conference room, but he received no reply. "Tch, you guys are boring. You only live once, so you should have fun." Shaking his head, he munched on the snacks and sandwiches in the room. "Is there no meat here? It doesn''t taste very good." "You animal. If you don''t have the will or the ability to be formal, just sit quietly." Pause. Milphage''s huge hand, which had been constantly taking food into his mouth, stopped in the air. Turning his head quietly, he looked at the old man wearing a yukata with a surprised look. "Hey, I heard there''s a culture of respect for the elderly in the East. I''m sure you¡¯re relying on that, but don¡¯t expect that from me." "Do you even know respect?" "Huh, now, it''s getting fun. Did you go senile in the time I haven¡¯t seen you? Do you want me to massage your shoulders?" Son Chae-Won blocked Milphage from approaching while revealing his teeth like a beast. "Didn''t you hear that if you cause trouble, you''ll be disqualified from the auction?¡± "Why did you tell him that? It was an opportunity to reducepetition." Shin Sung-Hyun, sporting ama-shaped hairstyle, sighed lightly and rebuked Son Chae-Won.[1] She asked back in bewilderment, "Then should we have just let them fight here?" "Can''t we?" "Of course not!" There were only two people who remained silent in the noisy conference room. "Generous Sun God, may you help those youngmbs...¡± ¡°¡­¡± Christine Lewis quietly prayed while Shoot sat silently next to her. The man named Shoot was thin, and he was dressed in a suit with a Guy-Manuel Helmet on his head.[2] The golden helmet¡¯s screen disyed the emoticon (-_-) drawn with LED lights as if to show that he was bored. "Haaa, I wonder how the world would feel if they saw this pathetic scene...¡± The moment Son Chae-Won sat down while pressing her fingers on her throbbing temple¡ª Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the conference room¡¯s door. At the same time, the noises in the conference room instantly disappeared like the room had always been silent. "Hmm, the Korean yer Association has a decent one.¡± Milphage calmly sat down with a look of interest upon sensing the energy behind the door. It was only Shin Sung-Hyun who smiled faintly and skillfully covered his mouth with his fingers. ¡®He¡¯s grown again.¡¯ The man who opened the door and entered the conference room was Seo Jun-Ho. He sat down after a polite bow to the six individuals in the room. ¡®Their eyes are so...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue inwardly. Their gazes felt like thousands of bugs crawling all over his body. They were evaluating him with their eyes. ''I''m not doing it.¡¯ It was only Shin Sung-Hyun who revealed a sly look and showed his hands without evaluating him. "Hoh, he looks so skinny, but how impressive¡­" "This is only his second year...¡± "Khmm." Each of the five Masters came to a conclusion. The value of the product was the best! It was to the point where they thought that it wouldn¡¯t be a waste to pay for him at this auction. "It''s surprising. It¡¯s surprising, but¡­" Thud, thud. Milphage pounded the table with his fist. "I didn''te this far to meet only you." His sharp eyes turned to Seo Jun-Ho. "Where''s Specter?" Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skills had more than satisfied him since he was a rookie who had just recently found sess. However, the biggest reason they came down to the 1st floor was ¡®Specter,¡¯ not him. They wanted to greet Specter, yers-to-yers. "First of all¡­" When Seo Jun-Ho spoke, the atmosphere changed. The chaotic atmosphere became heavy as if the room were a cram school specializing in entrance exams. The eyes of the Six Masters became as clear as those of high school seniors. "There will be no auction for Specter-nim today." "What?" "What do you mean by this?" "¡­I think we¡¯ll need more exnation." "You¡¯ll have to give a convincing reason." The expressions of some who thought they hade in vain became stiff. There was only one reason why they hurriedly came down to the 1st floor¡ªit was to hire Specter. They wanted to minimize the damage their guild would sustain in the S-grademission. Despite that, however, there was actually no auction for Specter? The atmosphere in the room felt like everyone stood on a thin ice sheet, which would seemingly break with one wrong step. Nheless, Seo Jun-Ho continued to speak, undaunted by the atmosphere. "It would be faster to take a look at the video than to tell you a hundred times." When Seo Jun-Ho flicked his finger, the light in the conference room slowly turned off. At the same time, a hologram projector filled one wall. "Specter?¡± Tenmei Yugo¡¯s murmur was right¡ªthe man in the video was Specter. Sitting alone in the dark room wearing a familiar mask, he spoke. [Go together.] It was a short phrase that disappointed their expectations. The video ended with just that. However, Specter¡¯s distinctive low, hoarse voice overflowed with dignity. At the same time, the glint in the eyes of the Six Masters changed. ¡®Go together?¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s not having an auction for himself, but¡­ He¡¯s going to join us?¡¯ ¡®Was the rumor true?¡¯ They quickly reached their own conclusion. Subsequently, the way their eyes looked at Seo Jun-Ho had changed. ¡®Seo Jun-Ho, the ice elemental user.¡¯ ¡®Rumor has it that it was his skill that woke up Specter and hisrades...¡¯ ¡®Given how much Specter cares for him, there¡¯s a very high chance that it¡¯s true.¡¯ The ¡®go together¡¯ Specter had said could only be interpreted as going together with Seo Jun-Ho. It could be a matter of pride that made Specter not go up for auction, but the Six Masters thought otherwise. ¡®He¡¯s trying to protect Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ ¡®If he dies, there will be no way to wake up his two remainingrades forever.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ve been making a mistake on whom we need to persuade.¡¯ It was Seo Jun-Ho, whom Specter held dearly. If they could win Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s favor, it wouldn''t be difficult to develop a rtionship with Specter. After calcting with the abacus in their heads, the Six Masters slowly nodded. The Mercenary King Milphage asked for confirmation, "If my interpretation is correct, then if we hire you, Specter will follow, right?" It was a straightforward way of speaking. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. "That''s right, Specter-nim has dered that he will protect me during thismission. In other words, when you hire me at this auction, I''ll be apanied by Specter-nim.¡± "Hoh..." The Six Masters¡¯ thoughts deepened. In fact, Seo Jun-Ho''s skills were overwhelmingly goodpared to the general ¡®second-year yers.¡¯ ''It''s an incredible skill level to the point it¡¯s iprehensible, but¡­¡¯ ¡®If we look, there are quite a few talented people like him in our guilds.¡¯ ¡®In thismission, Seo Jun-Ho is an existence that would make us feel a little regretful that we are without him, but it¡¯s also fine to not have him around.¡¯ It was like that until a little while ago. However, Specter¡¯s announcement of going together made them change their minds altogether. ¡®In fact, today''s auction is not an auction to hire Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ ¡®It''s an auction to hire a Specter. Seo Jun-Ho is like the bonus prize that follows.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s like the wooden chopsticks included for free when you buy a bento box.¡¯ This also meant that they had to raise a high sum for Specter¡¯s face, and to defeat their five otherpetitors. Thinking of this brought a frown to the Six Masters¡¯ faces. ¡®I can''t even predict how high it''ll go today.¡¯ ''But my wallet is thick. I''m confident that I won''t lose with the Goblin Guild¡¯s wealth.¡¯ ¡®Huhu, I''m the Mercenary King and also the Gold King, and I''ll show them what it means to have money.¡¯ ¡®This is also a battle of pride between the Big 6. Of course, I need to be the final winner.'' The moment the Six Masters became full of confidence, Seo Jun-Ho lifted an index finger. "Once." ¡°¡­?¡± "Everyone in the world knows that all of you are rich and have no time to waste. So just once." There was a subtle smile around his mouth. However, it was a troubling smile that seemed like the devil¡¯s to the onlookers. "We will only bid once. The guild with the highest amount raised will be the winner." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Six Masters'' expressions became more distorted. They were already having a headache, but the method of bidding had just be more difficult. ¡®If it¡¯s like this, the first to go is at a disadvantage.¡¯ ''Of course, we wouldn¡¯t do such a thing, but... it meant that collusion between guilds would be fundamentally prevented.¡¯ ''It''s a thorough and vicious rule.¡¯ ¡®I wonder how much everyone will spend?¡¯ It was a typical psychological battle, and you only had once chance. Furthermore, if the amount the Guildmaster in thest ce wrote was too lowpared to the other guilds, it would be a disgrace to the guild. Just that one rule provoked the Six Masters¡¯ pride to make the decisive move. ¡®Oh, this damned auction.¡¯ This situation was what Seo Jun-Ho had already drawn up in his head. While the masters frowned and wondered what number to write, he smirked. "I will give everyone ten minutes to think about it." Seo Jun-Ho checked his Vita and set the rm. At the same time, the Six Masters'' heads began to work the fastest in recent years. *** "The Silent Moon Guild, 151.1 billion won. The Goblin Guild, 151 billion won. The Silver Constetion Guild, 110 billion won. The Labyrinth Guild, 130 billion won. The Sky Soul Guild, 80 billion won. The Hallem Guild¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho opened thest note and stopped talking for a moment. He found it surprising. ¡®Unlike other guilds, I thought it was the only guild that didn¡¯t build any connection with the imperial family...¡¯ The Hallem Guild gave up the capital, but they attacked all other areas. Hallem was currently Ruben Empire''s strongest and best mercenary group. ¡®But I still thought it was just a mercenary group.¡¯ However, he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this much. Seo Jun-Ho opened the note. ¡°250 billion..." "Mmm." "250 billion you say.¡± Perhaps a little shocked, the faces of the other Masters darkened. Although they were called one of the best guilds in the world, it would still be a burden for them to pay hundreds of billions for a singlemission. "Kuhahaha! It''s no fun to auction with these beggars!¡± The winner of the auction, Milphage, mmed the armrest of his chair in excitement and joy. He seized this opportunity and started teasing Tenmei Yugo. "I knew the Japanese were frugal, but you couldn''t even write 100 billion? Shouldn''t you have some more manners?" "Tsk. What a wild fellow.¡± "Huh? I can''t hear someone who only raised 80 billion.¡± ¡°¡­¡± With a frown, Tenmei Yugo suddenly stood from his seat. "If the auction is over, I''ll be taking my leave. I''ve got a lot of work to do." "Hahahaha! The defeated dog ends up leaving with his tail tucked between his legs. I won''t see you off!" "You..." Tenmei Yugo stared at Milphage for a while before he angrily turned around and left the conference room. The other Masters also rose from their seats one by one. Everyone''s faces were regretful, but Shin Sung-Hyun wore a more stiff look than others. ¡®Everyone thought the Hallem Guild would be able to afford it, as they had never lobbied the imperial family.¡¯ However, he still ended up with a strong sense of defeat in the auction. ''Only 100 million...'' He raised 1 billion more to bid 151 billion won for possible redundancy. However, Son Chae-Won had thought further ahead and spent just 100 million more for a total of 151.1 billion. If the Hallem Guild hadn''t gone crazy with their money, he would have lost Seo Jun-Ho and Specter to the Silent Moon Guild. ¡®Did I lose in a battle of minds?¡¯ Phew¡­ Shin Sung-Hyun suddenly felt exhausted. People onlypared Shin Sung-Hyun and Kim Woo-Joong whenparing Goblin and Silent Moon. However, he thought that Son Chae-Won was more responsible for the reason why the Silent Moon Guild became one of the best guilds. She was a woman who treated Kim Woo-Joong as a mere chess piece. ¡®These tricky guys...¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun lightly clicked his tongue and left. After missing the opportunity to nab both Seo Jun-Ho and Specter, he had to find another way to minimize the damage to his guild. ¡°¡­¡± After a few moments, the Six Masters had left the conference room. Seo Jun-Ho, who had his head lowered the whole time, slowly raised his head. His face full of politeness just a moment ago was now full of pride. "Contractor, you look very happy." "I feel likeughing more than happy." He sat down and tasted the macaroons and champagne in front of him before continuing, "Frost, I started my career as a yer in my 20s. Out of all the people who used to be yers with me at that time¡­¡± He was the only one who treated the Big 6 like toys, even after thirty-one yearster. Knowing that, how could he notugh? "Cheers to 250 billion." "¡­Cheers." A champagne ss and a tea cup lightly clinked. 1. Comma-shaped hairstyle is with your hair down in front that forms a shape of ama. You can also search ¡®koreanma hair¡¯ into google images to get an idea. ? 2. A helmet that looks kinda like a space suit helmet with the see-through ss portion extending all the way up to the middle of the head. ? Chapter 232. Hazing (1)

Chapter 232. Hazing (1)

"2,500 won?" "250 billion." ¡°The billion thates after 1 million won and 100 million won? That billion?¡± "Yea, that''s right." "Uhhhhhh¡­" As Shim Deok-Gu tried to organize this in his head, he groaned with an expression of disbelief. He looked at the little girl drinking tea with a trembling gaze. The girl uttered in a curt voice, "Why are you looking at me? It is rather absurd, but the Contractor is right." "No, but how is that amount possible...¡± Shim Deok-Gu''s eyes shook for a moment when he stopped talking. ¡°Is that money perhaps¡­ a transfer fee?" "Not at all. It¡¯s a one-time employment fee." ¡°That means the Big 6, no, the Hallem Guild came here with a proper n." It was a contract limited to a singlemission, not even a transfer or a seasonal contract. The Hallem Guild had to be seeing something bigger because they spent 250 billion won on it. "I don''t really know. Should I like this, or should I be sad about this?¡± "Of course, you should like it. Why would you be sad?¡± ¡°They burned 250 billion won in one go. The Hallem people are not phnthropists, but they are more thorough than any guild when ites to money. I''m sure they''ll try to get their money back." "Money? Hmm, money...¡± The way for them to recover their money in the ckfieldmission was surprisingly simple. They had to obtain the greatest achievement and be rewarded by the emperor without losing most of the guild''s forces. "They¡¯re probably going to work you, I mean Specter, like crazy." "Hmm? They can¡¯t work him." Seo Jun-Ho dered as he coolly drank orangeade. Shim Deok-Gu looked at him as if he was crazy. "What do you mean they can¡¯t work him? What are you talking about? You sold yourself for 250 billion won." "Seo Jun-Ho got sold, not Specter. They know this part, too.¡± Specter would just be with them. Basically, the auction had been to hire Seo Jun-Ho, not ¡®Specter.¡¯ "Wait a minute, so you aren¡¯t going to¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu turned pale when he noticed what Seo Jun-Ho was trying to do. "Yeah, I don''t have any intentions of being Specter.¡± "Hey, you crazy punk! That''s contract fraud!" "Lower your voice, man. You¡¯re hurting my ears.¡± "You, you¡­ How the hell are you going to deal with the consequences?" "Consequences?" Seo Jun-Ho thought hard, then shrugged his shoulders. "Well, don''t worry. I''m sure I''ll figure something out." "If the Hallem Guild formally files awsuitter, we won¡¯t even have the grounds to defend ourselves." "Bury your worries. I won''t go that far." There was only one way that they would find out that Specter and Seo Jun-Ho were the same people. It was only if Seo Jun-Ho revealed it himself. ''If I¡¯m going to reveal myself, it¡¯ll be when I¡¯m at least at the level of the Nine Heavens.¡¯ They wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to him at that point. Of course, they could annoy him, but¡­ "We can just just throw a few carrots and keep them quiet.¡± It would also be better for the Hallem Guild to have a win-win situation than to be in conflict with Specter. "Isn''t that too optimistic¡­?¡± "That''s why we need to do well. So they won¡¯t feel like we deceived them." Rather, he had to do well enough to make them think that 250 billion won was cheap in exchange for his services. If he were an ordinary person, he would have been squashed t by that pressure, but Seo Jun-Ho was happily chewing on some ice. "Wheeew, I can''t even really hit you...¡± Shim Deok-Gu scowled at his friend smiling in front of his eyes as if Seo Jun-Ho were a viin disguised as his friend. "Hey, don''t worry. If I had sold only Seo Jun-Ho, they could have gotten suspicious. Huh? Why is Specter doing nothing but ying around on the 1st floor? Like that¡­" "That''s..." Shim Deok-Gu could not deny this. In fact, voices of concern about Specter''s health had recently been circting. "Bam! Signing a contract at a time like this! How nice is that?" ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s words were right, so there was nothing more to say. After signing the contract, the Hallem Guild spread the news in a sh. The inte had already been filled with enthusiasts at the thought of hearing about Specter¡¯s performance once more. "And I got money from it, so it''s two birds with one stone." ¡°What if ckfield¡¯s much more dangerous than you think, and you were forced to reveal your identity?¡± "Trust me. The Frost skill is definitely not weaker than the Watchguard of Darkness. It¡¯s even too overwhelming, to the point where it¡¯s bing a problem." He still hadn¡¯t mastered the Frost skill, so he couldn¡¯t use it confidently like he could with the Watchguard of Darkness. However, this also meant that there were still areas where he could improve. "Wheeew, all right. I''ll stop worrying. I''m sure you''ll do well...¡± "This is why I like you¡­" Shim Deok-Gu stopped nagging like a mother. "Then, is there anything else I can help you with?¡± "There is, actually..." "What is it? Just tell me." "Money." Seo Jun-Ho looked serious. "Please exchange all the money that we got this time for gold." "What? All that money?" "Yeah, all of it." In the future, he wouldn¡¯t have time for luxury like buying buildings on Earth. If he needed money, then it would be money from upstairs. However, it would be very difficult for an individual to turn hundreds of billions of won into gold. At times like this, a professional¡¯s help was necessary. "You can do it with your connections, right? Please do me a favor." "Well, you know that ten percent of the deposit is the association¡¯s cut, right?¡± "I know." "If we took out the withholding tax on top of that, the total will onlye out to about¡ª220 billion won more or less." If you converted that money into gold, it would be about 22,000 gold. Having calcted that far, Shim Deok-Gu revealed an envious look. "Hey, with this money, you can live like an emperor without working.¡± "If I were going to live such a pathetic life, I would have already done that in the past." When Seo Jun-Ho got up, Shim Deok-Gu handed him a small note. "Take it." "What''s this?" ¡°It¡¯s a small information organization we built with your investment. It¡¯s a separate organization with no contact with the Korean yer Association. You¡¯re basically like a representative, so you don''t have to ask me from now on, but contact them, and they''ll help you look for information." "Oooh." It was his own information organization. Seo Jun-Ho perused the contents of the note in amazement. [Maliva City, Moonlight] "Moonlight, haha. It sounds like the name of a bar.¡± "It is a bar. As far as I know, they took over a closed shop so they could use it to work right away. They are working there with all sorts of information in hand.¡± ''How interesting.'' Smiling, Seo Jun-Ho put away the note properly. "I''ll definitely visit after this job." "Be careful. No matter if it¡¯s you, it¡¯s an S-grademission, so keep your wits about...¡± Shim Deok-Gu suddenly stopped talking. The man in front of him was a man of iron who had always returned under any circumstances. He had always done so, so he would continue to do so. "Have a safe trip. As usual." "Yeah, I''ll have fun as usual." They bumped fists. *** A tall ck wall stood above the mountain range at the Wailing Mountains in the northernmost part of Frontier. "So, this is ckfield...¡± "Did you say it was arge-scale blockade? I can''t believe only one person made this. It¡¯s hard to believe." "I''m dying to know what the hell he was trying to lock up.¡± There were about three hundred yers standing in front of ckfield. They stood there and observed the wall in awe. Arrivingte at the venue, Seo Jun-Ho was surprised in two ways. ''What an amazing wall. It''s my first time seeing it this close.¡¯ One, the wall had surprised him, so he couldn¡¯t help but appreciate it. And second¡­ ¡®These are the yers from Big 6. Are they the ones at the top of the food chain?¡¯ The level of the yers here was higher than he thought. They were veterans among veterans, emitting pure and sharp auras. ¡®They¡¯re not on the same level as Pride, but they¡¯re about as good as fiends in a Squadron.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked around and saw that there were only a few people whom he would find difficult to deal with. Seo Jun-Ho clenched his fists¡ªhe had realized just then how far he had risen. ''When I had just returned, I was still a long way off.¡¯ He was level 1, his physical condition was rubbish, and his stats were lower than when he had first be a yer. He had been through numerous adversities, relying solely on the experience of having been at the peak of the world. "Look at him..." "Ah, I saw it in an article, but I guess it¡¯s real.¡± "I heard he¡¯s not even level 100 yet¡­ but the Big 6peted to hire him." "I''m going crazy just wondering about how good he must be.¡± The gazes he was receiving were different from those he had received when he was Specter, and when he had just returned from being frozen. ¡®They¡¯re curious about me, Seo Jun-Ho, not Specter.¡¯ They were just purely curious about him. They were surprised and amazed at how great he must be to get here in two years. Their lips twisted with bitter smiles and envy as they looked back on their past days. Seo Jun-Ho did not avoid their various emotions and faced them head-on. ''Mmm, just a few months ago, I would have just smiled and scratched the back of my head in front of the High Rankers, but...¡¯ But now? There was no reason to do so. Step, step. As Seo Jun-Ho walked slowly between the yers who were split on both sides, his body suddenly stopped in ce. There was a mischievous prank that the already stagnant High Rankers did when they saw a rookie on a mission. The tradition of ¡®hazing¡¯. ¡®Pressuring me with magic, interesting.¡¯ He didn¡¯t feel any malice from them. Rather, it felt like they were being careful, afraid of breaking him. ¡®Is this just purely a test with no intention to harm?¡¯ That was fine. He could ept that much. Every time he moved, he could feel the magic weighing on his body. One, two, three... With every step, the intensity grew more intense. It felt as if he had walked into the sea, and the pressure was making his lungs shrink. His shoulders felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets. "How many steps do you think he canst?" "Well... I heard he¡¯s a star among the rookies of the past decade. He should be able to take at least ten steps, then." "I think he can take twenty steps." "Hey, hey, I heard his talent¡¯sparable with yers like Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun. Don¡¯t you think he can take at least fifty steps?¡± "Do you really think that the past is the same as today? Yes, they¡¯re elites of the Big 6, but there are a whopping three hundred High Rankers here. The difficulty of today¡¯s hazing is unprecedented.¡± The betting board wasid down in a sh. At this moment, everyone focused only on one yer, Seo Jun-Ho. With pure curiosity and a little jealousy, they began to pressure him. They wanted to see this innocent and cute rookie surrender, saying that he couldn¡¯t walk anymore. They weren¡¯t just doing this test for fun. They were testing if Seo Jun-Ho could really lend them a hand in case of emergency, and if they could leave their backs to him. Step, step. There was no change in Seo Jun-Ho''s pace throughout. At first, the yers enthusiastic about betting and collecting money, had a look of ¡®oh, that''s pretty good?¡¯ when Seo Jun-Ho took five steps. As soon as he took 10 steps, however, the number of people talking significantly decreased, and their expressions and eyes began to slowly change. "Didn''t they say he''s just in his second year as a yer?" "Are your eyes just for show? Look at his skills. He''s not someone you can gauge based on his number of years as a yer." "I heard he had defeated a hundred fiends in Port Lane not too long ago. That rumor might be true." "Wasn¡¯t it just Gray and the archmage that did all the work?¡± "No, reliable sources say he also did a great job.¡± Footprints continued to linger in the ces Seo Jun-Ho had passed through. After leaving fifteen footprints, he could finally see the Hallem Guild at the end of the line. ¡®They sure are far.¡¯ They may have taken the innermost spot on purpose. No, at this point, he was certain. ''So, you want to see if you''ve wasted your money or not?'' Seo Jun-Ho smirked. Weren¡¯t they customers who knew how to hurt his pride? ¡®I''ll show you, then. I need to increase the customer¡¯s satisfaction so that I don''t get suedter.¡¯ Whenever Seo Jun-Ho moved, the pressure on him increased. It felt like a mountain was on his shoulder. ''This is...'' It seemed like good training material. Seo Jun-Ho clenched his teeth and mustered his magic. No matter what, he wouldn¡¯t dare to do something crazy like facing their magic head on with just his flesh. Twenty-five stepster, he had reached the center of the procession. "Hey, hey, are you serious?" "Are the guys in front pressuring him properly?" "No way. Even though we¡¯re taking it lightly because it¡¯s hazing...¡± Woong, woong. They wanted to deny it, but the fluctuating magic around them told them that thebined pressure was no joke. It was at a level where even they would have to be prepared to endure it. Step, step. However, theirbined magic couldn¡¯t even bring Seo Jun-Ho''s long eyshes down. He walked forward without batting an eye. Gulp. The sound of someone swallowing their own saliva spread as if it were contagious. Finally, Seo Jun-Ho arrived at his employer. "It has been a long time since someone decent has appeared." The Fourth Heaven of the Nine Heavens and a member of the Celestial Dragon Guild, Wei Chun-Hak, spat the cigarette he was mouthing out into the ground as the corners of his mouth curled up. Some yers had smiles on their faces just like him, but most of them felt shivers down their spines as they gawked with stiff faces. "Fifty steps." He had taken the 50th step that no one else had ever taken since Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun. Moreover, the intensity of today¡¯s hazing was even higherpared to the hazing they had been doing in the past. "I was told not to bete for the meeting, so here I am on time." Hearing Seo Jun-Ho''s calm voice, Milphageughed boisterously, revealing his teeth. His eyes stared at Seo Jun-Ho, revealing the strong desire within. "You¡­ Seriously,e to this side. I''ll give you my entire fortune. There were some big expenses, so I only have about 70 trillion won left." "I¡¯m sorry, dear customer, but¡­" Seo Jun-Ho shook his head with a soft smile. "If it''s a recruitment offer, please submit it again after thismission." 70 trillion won? Such an amount would no longer be enough once Seo Jun-Ho left ckfield. Chapter 233. Hazing (2)

Chapter 233. Hazing (2)

"Mmm, hmmm¡­ Tsk." Milphage smacked his lips regretfully after suddenly bursting intoughter. ¡°Hahaha! I see. I must have gotten ahead of myself.¡± In fact, he had instinctively realized it. With what Seo Jun-Ho showed just now, his future wasn¡¯t just bright; it was blinding. ¡®Perhaps...¡¯ It may be premature to judge right now, but the day when this ridiculous newbie would take the position of ¡®Tenth Heaven¡¯ coulde. ¡®No, I''m getting too ahead of myself.¡¯ Calming down his trembling heart, Milphage put his arm around Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Well, thanks, anyway.¡± ¡°Excuse me? What are you suddenly¡­¡± ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°XX, this is ridiculous.¡± ¡°No fun.¡± Several yers around them threw gold coins one by one at Milphage. Milphage snatched them from the air, opened his mouth wide, and spoke while biting the gold coins. "We made a bet about whether you¡¯d be able to make it this far." "Did you bet on a safe arrival?¡± "I told you earlier. I¡¯m an impulsive spender." The Hallem Guild''s mercenariesined at this. "Who knew that our leader who keeps on losing in betting would win here?" "I''m jealous. I''d have earned at least 20 gold...¡± "It''s the first time I''ve ever seen people giving gold coins to a human ATM.¡± "You punks! Who''s a human ATM?!" Milphage introduced the pouting mercenaries one by one after giving each of them a whack on the head. ¡°As you can see, they belong to my mercenary group. Their skills are the best." He introduced quite a few mercenaries, but frankly, only three were memorable. ¡°This is Kiora, the number two of the mercenary group. She¡¯s also one of the few gold-ranked mercenaries in the Empire." "Hi, we''ve met before, haven''t we?¡± Kiora raised her hand and greeted unenthusiastically. Seo Jun-Ho could still remember her face, so he nodded lightly. "We''ve met once before." Seo Jun-Ho first met her when she hade to recruit him to Hallem. He remembered trying to stop her from fighting with a Silent Moon Guild team leader in the conference room. "I didn''t know you were a gold-ranked mercenary. You must be very capable." "It seems deceitful for someone who walked fifty steps in a hazing to say that. Just to be clear, if you hadn''t stopped me that time, Heo Jun-Su¡¯s waist would have folded in half.¡± "Hahaha! Do you know that Jun-Su¡¯s staring at you right now from over there?" ¡°So what if he stares at me? I¡¯ll win, anyway." Kiora then proceeded to have a brief staring contest with a man wearing sses on the other side. "It¡¯s a good thing that I stopped you, then¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered and turned his head. Gardo and Verdo were silver-ranked mercenaries. They were the archer and the healer of the team and were the most memorable along with Kiora. As for the reason why that was the case, it was simple. ¡®Besides Milphage, these three people have the greatest aura.¡¯ The most important thing to consider for a yer''s first impression was their aura. "What''s the n? There hasn¡¯t been any message yet." "Oh, don''t worry. It''s not that important." Milphage''s upper body muscles red up as he waved his hand. "We¡¯re going inside! Kill all the monsters you encounter!" "Hmm." It wasn¡¯t that there wasn¡¯t anything important; there simply wasn¡¯t any strategy. Kiora received Seo Jun-Ho''s uneasy gaze, and she replied with a look that said she understood. "It¡¯s tiring, isn¡¯t it? Just be more understanding. This musclehead¡¯s brain cells are dead." "Uh-huh, Kiora. What do you mean, musclehead? That''s harsh." Milphage scolded her, but Seo Jun-Ho nodded unconsciously. ¡®Full of people like Palmo and Rahmadat...¡¯ First of all, Gardo and Verdo? They had been introduced as an archer and a healer, but their bodies would remind you more of savage warriors. The funny thing was that they weren''t the only ones. ¡®Is more than an hour of weight training per day a requirement for male yers to join the Hallem Guild?¡¯ Fortunately, the female yers were normal. "Forget what he just said. Let me exin the proper operation." Kiora kicked their butts and shoved them away, then began to exin, "The goal of our party is reconnaissance." "Reconnaissance?¡± "It''s an essential mission, so it can''t be left to just anyone. Even more so in a ce like that." Kiora looked at the ck wall as she said that. Certainly, no one knew what kind of monsters were in there or how strong they were. "That''s why we''re going to take the initiative. It¡¯s all because we''re the strongest four in Hallem. And with you, who¡¯s being protected by Specter, there would be nothing to be afraid of. Moreover, you have just proven your skills." "The initiative¡­ That''s not bad." Seo Jun-Ho did not dislike this method. However, that one word alone was enough for him to change his evaluation of the Hallem Guild. ''They¡¯re famous as a tough bunch of people who only sought after money.¡¯ Regardless of the rumors, it was clear that the four people in front of him were willing to sacrifice themselves for the other guild members. Seo Jun-Ho felt like he could understand the underlying personality of the group. ¡®Mercenaries are oftenpared to knights, but the former is often ignored.¡¯ The mercenaries whomitted crimes in exchange for money would be grouped together and cursed at altogether. However, thanks to that, the Hallem Guild members trusted each other like family members and were united as one. The Hallem Guild, the most powerful mercenary group of the Ruben Empire, was probably born that way. "Then, I''d like to ask you a question.¡± When the conversation started to get on track to some extent, Milphage rubbed his hands and looked around. "Where''s Specter? I''d like to say hello before we leave." The impact of the word ¡°Specter¡± had never been small. Even the yers from the other guilds stopped talking and looked their way. "Oh, Specter-nim...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was nervous for the first time since he had arrived here. He had to choose his words carefully here. If he messed up the first step, it would only snowball from there. He brought up the words he had prepared in advance. "Have you heard of the technique called Night Walking?" "Hoh." As if he had heard of it, Milphage nodded. "You¡¯re referring to the legendary concealment technique that hides one¡¯s smell, presence, and even magic power." "Yes." "So, you¡¯re saying he¡¯s already here? I can¡¯t sense him at all." "It''s a technique for that purpose in the first ce." Nod. Milphage looked around and nodded. Other than him, the other yers also heightened their senses and looked for Specter just in case. "Iya, this is unbelievable. I really don''t know... He must be here, right?¡± "I can swear. Specter-nim is here." "Is it really that hard to show his face, at the least?" "As I said, Specter-nim¡¯s purpose is to protect me. He will never show himself unless my life is in danger." "When your life is in danger... Hooh, Is that so?¡± Smiling, Milphage''s lips opened, revealing a row of even teeth. And as soon as Seo Jun-Ho saw his enigmatic smile, he knew that something was wrong. Ting- Ting- Ting- His instincts strongly warned him. ¡®Don''t tell me, even if he¡¯s really a musclehead...¡¯ When his thoughts reached that point, the air in front of him distorted. Milphage¡¯s fist shot out from his hip and went straight to Seo Jun-Ho''s heart. Baaaaang! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The spectators fell into silence. Some couldn¡¯t even swallow their drinks and it spilled out of their mouths. "Hmm, did I do something wrong?" Milphage''s fist was only about a centimeter away from Seo Jun-Ho''s heart. Seo Jun-Ho was fine despite the deadly fist, and it looked as if Milphage hadn¡¯t intended to kill him in the first ce. "I was determined to trick you, so I even made sure to muster a lot of killing intent¡­ Did you see through all my deception?" Milphage looked for the cause of his failure, while retrieving his fist. "Well, that''s what happened. Why don''t you move it now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A sword was ced at Milphage¡¯s neck. The tip of a white sword reflecting sunlight was in the hands of a man with eyes as cold as the winter sea. "¡­Be thankful that I didn''t doubt your intentions." The Sword Saint, Kim Woo-Joong, withdrew his sword with a cold warning. Then, the high tension in the air loosened up as if it hadn¡¯t existed. Of course, there were still some people who couldn¡¯t calm down. ¡®Crazy... I think I barely saw the leader punching, but wasn''t the Sword Saint on the other side of the room?¡¯ ''I didn''t even see him approaching, let alone pulling out his sword.¡¯ ¡®If this were a real battle... the leader''s head would have already fallen to the ground.¡¯ The Hallem Guild''s mercenaries had their hands on their weapons in cold sweat, ready to enter battle in a moment. "Everyone, remove your hands from your weapons if you don''t want to die." Milphage waved his hands and dissuaded his subordinates. When the situation was smoothened out, he apologized to Seo Jun-Ho while scratching the side of his head. "Sorry. I wanted to see Specter with my own eyes, so I overdid it. I scared you, didn¡¯t I?¡± "Yes, a little¡­" Seo Jun-Ho nodded with a puzzled look. He didn''t show it, but he was in a state of great surprise. ¡®I was almost ruined.¡¯ He saw exactly how Milphage punched. However, it had been very hard to pretend he hadn¡¯t seen it. ''It was much faster than I thought. So, my eyes almost followed instinctively.¡¯ Milphage was faster than Pride. Of course, Pride wasn¡¯t an expert in physical strengthening. But even considering that, Milphage''s strength had slightly exceeded Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expected range. If Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t felt Kim Woo-Joong approaching at thest minute, he would have reacted first. ''I¡¯ll have to pay more attention to him...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had no idea if Milphage¡¯s senses were just that good or if he was simply pretending to be dumb. Still, he was dangerous. - Hmm, was I mistaken? Milphage''s murmur after the punch was very meaningful. He might start to suspect that Seo Jun-Ho and Specter were the same person. "Are you okay?" "Oh, yes. Thank you for your help." "Would you like to meet a doctor of our guild? There may be aftereffects." "No, thank you. It''s really not that bad." After Seo Jun-Ho said that he was fine a few times, Kim Woo-Joong finally moved his heavy feet back to where hade from. "Your connections are unexpectedly broad. I can''t believe you knew the Sword Saint.¡± "It just happened¡­¡± "Then, do you perhaps know the Saintess?" "The Saintess?" When Seo Jun-Ho asked, Milphage pointed to one side. There stood a yer wearing a priest''s uniform and a big hood. "Thismission actually started with her report. The imperial family seemed to have entrusted the Silver Constetion Guild with the mission to escort the Schumern Saintess. It''s probably because she¡¯s a yer and is affiliated with the Church of the Sun." "Schumern Saintess...¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought he had heard the name once before, and it was at the Goblin Guild. ¡®A guest like me. We almost entered Forever Land together.¡¯ At that time, he was told that she was absent because she suddenly had urgent business to handle. He didn''t expect to meet her here. "No, unfortunately, we aren¡¯t acquainted." "Really? Makes sense. She also turned her head away." "That kinda hurts." Did their eyes meet? The moment he thought of that, the Saintess turned her head, cold to the point where he thought it was excessive. Of course, the reason why the Schumern Saintess¡ªno, yer Cha Si-Eun turned her head coldly was simple. ''Oh, what do I do? Did I just make eye contact with Jun-Ho-nim?¡­ I''m so embarrassed...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s secretary was still embarrassed to meet him as a yer. Chapter 234. Blackfield (1)

Chapter 234. ckfield (1)

"Well, let''s get ready to go in." Milphage tapped Seo Jun-Ho on the shoulder as if he was sorry for what had happened earlier. "Shameless scoundrel,¡± the Frost Queen remarked. Seo Jun-Ho thought the situation wasn¡¯t that bad. ¡®His suspicions about me have faded, and it''s easy to tell that we''re in a business rtionship.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho pushed the hand off his shoulder with a deliberately ufortable expression. "All right." "Well, tsk...¡± Although Milphage clicked his tongue at Seo Jun-Ho giving him the cold shoulder, he couldn''t say anything because he was guilty. After this small interaction, a group of people arrived, exuding a restrained presence. "Ohh, if it isn¡¯t themander! How long has it been?¡± Milphage greeted. "Hmm, it¡¯s the Hallem mercenaries." A knight softly nodded. He looked very tired, withrge bags under his eyes, but his aura was extraordinary. ¡®What is this monster? I don''t think he loses out at allpared to Mr. Kim Woo-Joong.¡¯ It was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first time meeting such a powerful person among the inhabitants of this world. When Seo Jun-Ho looked at the knight with sparkling eyes, Milphage whispered as if trying to make up for his earlier mistake. "He¡¯s the Commander of the Imperial Knights of the Ruben Empire." ''The Imperial Knight... Commander!'' Surprised, Seo Jun-Ho greeted him politely, "Nice to meet you. I am yer Seo Jun-Ho." "William Forface. But, Seo Jun-Ho...¡± William tilted his head about 30 degrees and looked at Seo Jun-Ho for a moment. "A yer''s name rarely reaches my ears, but I have heard of yours.¡± "Huhu, surprising, isn''t it? It has only been over a year and a half since he debuted," Milphage interjected. "A year and a half... yers grow fast.¡± "That''s true, but he is an exceptional case." Milphage praised Seo Jun-Ho, then asked, "But if you came to see me... Is it almost time?¡± "I''ll exin when everyone gets together." In a moment, the Six Masters gathered near William one by one. After confirming that everyone had gathered, he casually flipped a file and exined, "When the operation begins, the mages will temporarily block the cracks in ckfield." "When you say block it, does that mean we can¡¯t rush out even if there¡¯s an emergency inside?¡± asked Son Chae-Won. ¡°We will open the blockade after confirming your identity. However, the possibility of an infectious disease cannot be ignored, so quarantine is a must." He spoke in a business-like voice without a shred ofpassion. Naturally, the yers'' eyes looking at him weren¡¯t that kind. ¡®It seems everyone is smart.¡¯ Not a single personined or grumbled openly. It was expected as William was a key figure in the empire. He was too big to turn into an enemy just because of a foul mouth. "Well, it''ll be a big problem if a monsteres out from the inside through the crack." "Unless it¡¯s a special case, we won''te out until we find a clue to seal the crack." "Thank you." William closed the file and raised three fingers. "There are three cracks in ckfield. Even though the entrances are different, you will still meet inside." "Is it up to us to decide where we will enter?" "I have already decided," William announced his decision. Sky Soul and Labyrinth. The Silent Moon and Silver Constetion. The Hallem Guild and the Goblin Guild. "Guilds will move in pairs and investigate inside.¡± "Hmm, we¡¯re with the Goblins... Even though they¡¯re punks, their skills aren''t bad." Milphage muttered while caressing his chin. Seo Jun-Ho looked toward the Goblin Guild. There were quite a few wee faces. ¡®Ha In-Ho, Gasman, Healer Jang Hae-Won...¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha was there as well. She had her hands in her pocket and was ying the role of a dignified team leader. When her eyes met with Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s, she smiled once, but she quickly controlled her expression. "If thismission is satisfactorily resolved, His Majesty will not forget your hard work." William finished his speech with a tired look. "I wish you good luck.¡± *** "The Goblin Guild and the Hallem Mercenaries can go into this crack." It felt as if they were being forced into the crack by the soldiers of the empire. When they came in, the magicians outside temporarily blocked the cracks. "Kaak~ Tweh! It makes me so sad that I don¡¯t want to be a yer anymore.¡± "Leader, can we really not do anything about that? We are yers with quite an influence. How can they treat us like this?¡± "What can we do? The other party is the empire. Don''t be so proud. Just focus on what''s in front of you." The huffing mercenaries quickly quelled their anger at the order. As Milphage had said, it wouldn''t make any difference even if they chewed out the people who weren''t even there. They began to talk less and started to analyze their surroundings first. "It''s dark." "However, it''s not like we can''t see at all. It''s because there''s a lot of trees above us. It''s like a jungle.¡± "There are a lot more rocks than trees out here. Does the environment really change this much from passing a single ck wall?¡± "It reminds me of the old days. It feels like I''m in a Gate.¡± "I don''t see anything like beehives?¡± As the mercenaries expressed their feelings, Shin Sung-Hyun of the Goblin Guild suddenly made a stiff expression and flicked his finger. Then, a bundle of vines in the front was cut into chunks, revealing the scenery beyond. "Uh, am I dreaming now?" "¡­ckfield is the area above the Wailing Mountains on the map, right?" "Right. That''s right, but what¡¯s with¡­¡± Hallem''s mercenaries and the Goblin Guild members looked at the scene before them with determined expressions. It was the harmony of civilization and nature. No, to put it correctly, it was the appearance of nature engulfing civilization. "Isn¡¯t that¡­ a building?¡± someone muttered. There was a tall building that could only be seen on Earth. Of course, the architectural style was not as modern as on Earth. In addition, it was covered in green moss, vines, and leaves. It was like a building that had been abandoned for hundreds of years, something you would only see in a science fiction movie. "¡­I feel like I''m visiting the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia.¡± "Considering it¡¯s from you, it¡¯s not a bad metaphor, but that''s a magic tower." Shin Sung-hyun replied with an intrigued look at Milphage''s words. "What do you mean a magic tower? What are you talking about?" "Have you never been to a magic tower?" "Of course not. Why would I go there when I''m not even a mage?" "I have been there because I wanted to see it at least once." There was a tall circr building that looked just like the building in front of them. That was the tower of mages, a magic tower. "Hmm, then is there something wrong with the history books?" Gong Ju-Ha joined the conversation with a puzzled expression. "In general, it is said that the one and only Magic Tower was built by the first archmage." "Who knows? Perhaps, the first archmage tried to build a magic tower here, but they failed for some reason." It was highly likely that it was a magic tower. There was a strong energying out of the tower that they had never experienced before. Not only Shin Sung-Hyun, but even Milphage showed caution while gulping a mouthful of his own saliva. ¡°That''s not the aura of the bees that Halo talked about, is it?¡± "Well, it''s a type of insect, but it''s from beyond a Gate. We shouldn''t jump to conclusions." All of a sudden, Kiora, who had been squatting for a long time, stood up and said, "Most importantly, the ecosystem here is rather unique." She rummaged through the trees and flowers around her with her sword. There were nts and insects that she had never seen before. It was as if they really hade into a Gate. "Did those beese together when they crossed over from a Gate?¡± "After hundreds of years of quarantine, it has be apletely separate ecosystem.¡± After a brief examination, they found no factors that could pose a risk. Amidst an awkward atmosphere, the guild members of Goblin and Hallem began to create a base camp. Shin Sung-Hyun asked, "Do you have any separate ns of your own?" "We do," Milphage said, banging his palm with his fist. ¡°We decided that the five of us will be the scouts, we¡¯ll take advantage of my previous experience in Gates." "It''s a bit simr to our n.¡± There seemed to be a separate team for reconnaissance in the Goblin Guild. At a nce, Gong Ju-Ha and Ha In-Ho were already warming up. "The destination will be the same, so let''s just divide the route. We''ll go to the left." "Hmm, then we¡¯ll take the right?" The distance to the tower was about ten kilometers. It was a short distance that ordinary people could walk in two hours. "We''ll be back in six hours." "That''s reasonable¡­" Shin Sung-Hyun nodded lightly. That would be enough time to figure out what monsters and threats there were. "Let''s go, 250 billion." Milphage fearlessly strode ahead. *** "This is weird." Two hours after the reconnaissance, Milphage voiced everyone''s thoughts. "It''s so weird. There''s nothing, surprisingly enough.¡± It was just as he said. There hadn''t been a single monster in the past two hours. At best, all they found were little bugs crawling on the ground. Even though the forest was so dense, they couldn''t hear the chirping of birds at all. "We¡¯re in trouble," Kiora murmured, biting her lips slightly. In fact, reconnaissance had surprisingly fixed results like mathematics. If you properly responded to a given situation, a clear answer would emerge. However, there was only one answer before them. "I can feel the presence of small animals in the forest. But¡­" Milphage frowned. "Everyone is hiding like mice." There was only one fact to be known here. The creatures in the forest were very afraid of those monsters they called ¡®bees.¡¯ "And we know of at least one more thing,¡± Milphage said, looking at the flowers and trees in the forest. "The bees are probably not peaceful creatures that collect honey." "It probably collects human blood rather than honey. Leader, you saw the victim''s body, too. It was as dry as a mummy," said Verdo the healer as he recalled a body reminiscent of a mummy. "What shall we do, then?¡± asked Milphage, turning around. "We still have about four hours until we have to go back¡­ I think we should at least go near the tower to find out more." "We don''t have to necessarily stick to that time. I think it''d be better to get one more piece of usable information," said Gardo, the archer. Verdo and Kiora nodded in agreement. "Hmm, what do you think about this?" asked Milphage. "I think it''d be better to go a little further as well. We have enough food, and the base camp is in a much safer position than us, so we don''t need to worry about it," Seo Jun-Ho replied. "Good! I like your decisiveness. Let''s continue!" They continued to walk through the forest. They were moving much faster than before because they had realized that there were no bees near the forest from their past two hours of experience. ¡°There! That''s the magic tower.¡± Milphage pushed the vine and looked. "It wasn¡¯t that obvious from afar, but from up close, it''s bigger than I thought." The size and height of the magic tower, which was only a hundred meters away, were considerable. The building¡ªreminiscent of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, had a total of ten floors. "Leader, I can feel a dangerous aura from above." "To be exact, it¡¯s getting stronger as we go up." "Tssp." Kiora licked her dry mouth. They felt a dangerous aura that made them raise their guards up. Then, all of the hair on Seo Jun-Ho''s body stood on end. ''Keep my guard up...? But why?¡¯ The moment he questioned the intense warning from his instincts¡ª "Aaaahhh!" A horrible scream tore through ckfield. The sound came from the front, near the tower. Chapter 235. Blackfield (2)

Chapter 235. ckfield (2)

Running to where they heard the screams, they each hid behind trees and bushes. No one acted rashly. Rather, they watched the situation while holding their breaths as if it were natural. However, the situation had already ended. ''One man sprawled like a corpse. And that thing¡­ Is it a bee?¡¯ Bzzzzzz. A three-meter bee was constantly fluttering its wings. Its appearance was simr to that of a giant Asian ho, and its stinger looked thicker and sharper than any spear. Blood was dripping from its stinger, but the fallen man beneath it wasn¡¯t moving anymore. ''Dead. Probably died instantly when that stinger pierced him.¡¯ Unless they had a special skill, a head-sized hole in their stomach would kill even a yer. Seo Jun-Ho asked in a whisper, "Do you know who that is?" "...Joel of the Labyrinth Guild. His skill lets him be transparent, so he is one of the best at infiltration and information gathering." "I know him personally. He''s a very talented guy... How the hell did he get killed?" Bzzzzzz. The bee continued to hover around the body. "But¡­ something''s odd." Seo Jun-Ho noticed something and frowned. "The blood has dried up, so it had definitely been quite a while since he died. That means...¡± "Then, does that mean the scream we heard just now wasn¡¯t Joel''s?" Milphage¡¯s eyes shone, and he raised a thumb as if they had found a good clue. He spread his magic power like tree roots and began to sense the creatures around him. "Mmm." A heavy groan emanated from his mouth. He couldn''t feel the aura of other yers except for them in the surrounding area. "That''s strange. Then where the hell did that scream¡­?¡± The moment Milphage asked¡ª - Aaaahhh! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The bee''s well-developed jaws opened wide, and a bizarre scream emerged from it. Without a doubt, it was the scream of a ¡®male human.¡¯ - Ahhhhhh! Ahhhhhhh! It seemed like it was calling for someone. It imitated a man and screamed. The shocking sight instantly made Seo Jun-Ho speechless. - Aaaahhh! It roamed around the body, screaming for about thirty minutes. When nothing happened, it took Joel''s body and went inside the tower. Milphage''s dry cough broke the ongoing silence. "That''s ridiculous.¡± "It gave me the creeps" "It''s not just at a level of being smart or stupid." "I''ve never seen such a clever guy since Tricker." Tricker. It was the monster that had given Seo Jun-Ho the Confession of the Dead at the Curse of Dawn Gate. It was rare for a monster to attract others by imitating a person like Tricker. ¡®Trickers only bes problematic if you fall for their tricks, but if you don¡¯t, it''s surprisingly easy to catch them.¡¯ However, that guy was different. It had enough power to kill a High Ranker one-on-one, and it also had that much intelligence. "I¡¯ve had an inkling of this since we heard of the S-grademission, but... this really isn¡¯t going to be easy.¡± Milphage stroked his chin and coolly dered, "Good! Let¡¯s go back for the day. I think it''s dangerous to go any further.¡± "¡­I agree." "Let''s go back ande up with a proper strategy and discuss it with the Goblin Guild." Like a leader, Milphage made good judgments without being greedy. Rather, it was Seo Jun-Ho who felt ufortable. ¡®Milphage''s judgment is excellent, and the bee left. But¡­¡¯ Bzzz! Bzzzz! Why were his instincts still giving him this intense warning? As Seo Jun-Ho was feeling an unknown sense of disharmony, the Frost Queen, who had been silent all this time, asked, "But, Contracter, how did the bee find a yer who was transparent?" "That''s..." Seo Jun-Ho''s words suddenly cut off¡­ Really, how did it find Joel? At the same time, his instincts shed a memory through his mind. "Eusocial..." "Hmm? What did you say?" "Bees are one of the few eusocial species." "What does that have to do¡ª¡± As soon as Milphage spoke, something dripped down on his shoulders. It was a sticky green liquid. He brushed it off with an annoyed expression and looked up. - Kiii. In the upper part of the tree in which they were hiding, there was a palm-sized bee stuck to it like a cicada. "¡­If there are hunting bees, then there may be specialized bees for reconnaissance," Seo Jun-Ho exined with an audible gulp. At that moment... Paaaaaang! A huge spear fell from the sky, piercing through the dense leaves. "Leader!" "Keuk¡­?!" Milphage avoided the attack with superhuman reflexes and rolled a few times on the ground. He looked at the bee that had just left the body in the tower and returned. "Damn it, so that little one acts as the eye, and this one finishes off the target?" "There may be more roles for the bees. Plus¡­" Bzzz! Bzzzz! There were several more giant Asian hos in the sky. "Oh, thank goodness. They aren¡¯ting for us!" Kiora eximed with a smile. Seo Jun-Ho''s face, however, was rather stiff. "¡­It attracted other people like us with its screaming." Now, it was certain that the giant Asian hos were going to the yers they had located. "What? Hearing it like that makes it seem like these guys are smarter than me?¡± Ootcha. Milphage jumped up, shook off the dirt on his clothes, and turned lightly. "Are they? Coming here alone when I¡¯m here, isn¡¯t that dumb?" "I''ll support you from behind." "Huhu, look here, Employee." Crack. Milphage cracked the bones of his fingers by clenching his fists and revealed his teeth as he smiled. "I understand that you want to fight, but hold it in for now. That one dared to make the Mercenary King roll on the ground. I¡¯ll take care of it." "But¡ª" "Don''t worry." Kiora came to the side and dissuaded Seo Jun-Ho. "Leader is a little stupid, but...¡± "You''re fast for a bee!" The bee moved so fast that it left four afterimages in the sky. Once again, thence-like stinger shot toward the charging Milphage. "Not just anyone can have the title of king." Milphage turned his head in an instant and captured the trajectory of the stinger with his eyes. Creeeak! The muscles of his entire body greatly swelled as his hands grasped the stinger. "Heeeup!" Milphage¡¯s waist trembled for a bit before he slowly fell backward. It was quite a rare scene. The three-meter giant Asian ho, which reigned like the king of the sky, was now stuck on the ground like a bug. "Huhu!" Milphage¡¯s eyes glistened with madness as he jumped on top of the bee. He mounted the bee and hit its head indiscriminately. Crack! Craack! Crack! Green brain fluid and blood burst in all directions, and the bee began to disappear from the world. "Huhuhu, how refreshing!" Had a minute passed? Milphage stood up with a satisfied expression, and at his feet was a convulsing mysterious creature. "You''ve heard of our leader''s skill, haven''t you? It''s pretty famous." "Everyone knows of it..." Seo Jun-Ho nodded. Before Milphage won the title of Mercenary King, he was called ¡®Angry Man.¡¯ ¡®For an average yer, anger is a disadvantageous emotion that blurred one¡¯s judgment, but... not for him.'' He was a yer whose physical abilities exponentially increased the angrier he became. Anger to the point of going nuts would only make him even stronger. "If it¡¯s only that much anger... It''s about a normal level of anger. Since we still can¡¯t see the whites of his eyes, it¡¯s not a medium level of anger." "You divided anger into levels?" "Just for convenience. Only we mercenaries call it that. Anger, frenzy, berserk¡­ We divided it like that." "You mean it gets worse than that." Milphage''s battle just now was perfect. ¡®Although it¡¯s not as fancy as an elemental skill, it showed all the advantages of a strengthening skill.¡¯ He had the agility and flexibility to avoid an opponent''s quick attack, as well as the ability to see and destroy them. A strengthening skill was straightforward and simple, but reaching the peak with it relied on the yer¡¯s ability. "I shouldn''t forget this guy, either." Milphage pressed the bee onto the tree with his palm and made it burst. He looked up at the sky and thought for a moment. "We¡¯re going back...¡± It meant that they wouldn¡¯t go and save other yers that the bees had gone for. However, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t find any fault with his decision. ¡®Everyone who came in here has enough ability to protect themselves.¡¯ They had no obligation to save others. In particr, they were mercenaries who had been paid for this work, so his calctions were urate in this regard. "It seems we''ll have a lot to talk about tonight.¡± Unlike when they had left, it took them only twenty minutes to get back to base camp. *** ¡°You''re here..." The camp was already shrouded in heavy air. Seeing Gasman gasping there, the reconnaissance team over there must have had a hard time as well. Shin Sung-Hyun pointed toward the barracks with his chin. "We''ll wait. Take a good rest ande back." "We don''t need to rest. We''ll go right away." Milphage told Seo Jun-Ho to take a rest if he had to, but thetter replied that he was fine. In the end, only a dozen yers entered the barracks. Shin Sung-Hyun asked, "Did you yield any results?" "I did. I''ll tell you in advance, but we''ve discovered a lot." "Isn''t it bothersome?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Milphage shrugged, as he understood what Shin Sung-Hyun meant. "Well, fine. Since I don¡¯t feel like ying mental games, I¡¯ll juste clean. The bees seemed to have fixed roles." "That''s what we found out, too.¡± When Shin Sung-Hyun beckoned someone, a yer whom Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t seen hesitantly came over. He looked like a naive country boy. Milphage observed the boy, crossed his arms, and expressed his doubt. "Who is this? I''ve never seen him before." "This is the mercenary I hired." "A mercenary? Are my eyes wrong? He doesn''t look very strong." "We didn''t hire him for strength. He was a beekeeper before he became a yer.¡± "¡­A beekeeper?" Milphage blinked before bursting into boisterousughter. He understood why Shin Sung-Hyun had hired the boy. "Hahaha! I see! I¡¯m sure there are no other yers who can understand their characteristics better than a beekeeper." "Hmm, I''m Seo Jae-Gil, and I used to be a beekeeper in Jiri Mountain." "Ahh, all right, all right." Milphageughed for a while, then asked, "All right, then I¡¯ll ask you, Beekeeper. How many bees do you think are living in that tower? Hundred? Two hundred?¡± "Considering the situation, I''ll be honest with you¡­ "Honesty is good.¡± "...The one that had been hunting should be a giant Asian ho. And if its nest is in that tower¡­" He extended one of his fingers. "There should be at least two thousand bees per nest." "¡­What if there isn''t just one nest?" "It would be good to assume that each additional nest will add two thousand more bees." ¡°¡­¡± Milphage forgot what he wanted to say as he frowned, revealing hisplicated feelings. "If what you said is true...¡± He clenched and unclenched his fist while recalling the bee he had caught. "Then, the bee I hunted today is just like a handful of sand on a beach.¡± There were at least two thousand of them. Milphage closed his eyes tightly. ¡®There are three of the Nine Heavens here... But even then, I don''t know if it''s possible.¡¯ At the very least, Milphage didn''t have the confidence to handle them with his own mercenaries alone. Chapter 236. Blackfield (3)

Chapter 236. ckfield (3)

Something was off. After the meeting, Seo Jun-Ho sat in a corner of the camp and contemted. ¡®As Milphage had said, the bees¡¯ levels are quite high, and there are thousands of them...?¡¯ The beekeeper added one more thing. He mentioned that his deduction was based on Earth¡¯s bees. However, that wasn''t good news. ¡®If there''s a difference in reproduction speed between Earth''s bees and these guys¡­¡¯ What if it wasn¡¯t slower but iparably faster? What if there were tens of thousands of beasts instead of thousands? The mere thought of it made Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head spin. ¡®More than anything, even I have never experienced something like this before.¡¯ He had dealt with quite a lot of monsters that lived in clusters. However, it was his first time with monsters in such arge cluster. In addition, the levels of monsters living in groups were very low. It was exactly because their levels were low that there were so many of them. "Contractor, you look like you have a lot on your mind." ¡°Since there are enemies of that level on the 2nd floor, I was thinking about what the 3rd floor is like¡­¡± Right. Humans had been tied to the 2nd floor for far too long, but they had to keep climbing to prevent Earth¡¯s destruction. "Second floor, third floor, fourth floor... to the 10th floor." The realization gave Seo Jun-Ho a fright. If they were already struggling on the 2nd floor, wouldn¡¯t clearing the 3rd or 4th floor be just a dream? In the end, Earth could face destruction, and all his efforts in protecting everything he wanted to protect would be in vain. As Seo Jun-Ho''s expression darkened, the Frost Queen sighed. ¡°The biggest problem with you is that you worry too much, too early. Take it easy.¡± "Is that fine?" "That is fine. Do you trust me?¡± "Keuk, where did you learn to speak like an old man?" Seo Jun-Ho ended up smirking. He immediately looked back and said, "Can I help you?¡± "Ah¡­" Gong Ju-Ha had been standing timidly by the tree in the back before she approached Seo Jun-Ho and handed a drink over to him. "Hehe, I missed the timing to talk to you because you were muttering something by yourself. Are you perhaps practicing your rap?" "I can''t rap. I''m just worried about something." "Hmm, what would our newbie have so much to worry about? Why don¡¯t you tell this noona about it?" ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned, but he soon recovered his expression. Gong Ju-Ha may be like this, but she was still a High Ranker with a lot of experience in the world of yers. ¡®It wouldn''t be a bad idea to ask just once.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho seriously confessed his worries. "I can''t imagine how hard it would be to clear the 3rd floor if we are already struggling like this." "Aha, you were worried about the 3rd floor? What a useless worry. It didn¡¯t seem like there was much there," Gong Ju-Ha muttered as she sipped on hertte with a straw. "Nothing much. Why do you speak like you¡¯ve been there?" "I''ve been there.¡± "...Really?" "I risked everything and went there." Seo Jun-Ho looked at her serious face for a while, then spoke, ¡°Let me ask you a question, then." "Go ahead¡­" "What are the conditions for admission to the 3rd floor?" Most members of the Big 6, including the Silent Moon Guild and the Goblin Guild, had tentatively concluded that Floormasters only existed on odd floors, as there was no Floormaster on the 2nd floor. "It''s easy. You said you''ve tried matching, right?" "Yes." "If you win there, you can get matching points and use them to buy a third-floor ticket from the Administrator¡¯s Store when it opens." "¡­A third-floor ticket? Is there such a thing in the Administrator¡¯s Store?" Last time, he didn¡¯t see anything like that, as he had been distracted by the elixirs. "Actually, they weren¡¯t selling it before, but they started selling it a few years ago.¡± "...They weren¡¯t selling it before, but they started selling it a few years ago?" "It seems that you were thinking that the Big 6 are preventing yers from entering the 3rd floor until they¡¯re skilled enough." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned. ¡®Weird. It''s a little different from when I opened the 2nd floor.¡¯ When he and hisrades defeated the Frost Queen, the average level of yers on Earth wasn¡¯t that high. Nevertheless, the system had allowed them entry to the 2nd floor. ¡®However, it purposely blocked ess to the 3rd floor? That means it''s a much more dangerous world than here.'' Fortunately, someone who had been there was sitting next to him. "How was the 3rd floor?" "It was... It was hell." It had definitely been terrible just to imagine it, as Gong Ju-Ha hugged herself and trembled. "Isn''t that different from what you have said before? You said there was nothing much there." "Ah, the monsters there were really nothing special. There were only a handful of weaklings,¡± she spoke as she raised her small fist. "But it''s too warm there. No! It''s not warm, but hot! Hotter than a super-heated sauna!" "So, except for the ce being hot, it''s not really difficult floor?¡± "That''s what I felt. I felt like the monsters there weren¡¯t really that much different from here." "Hmm." His thoughts became moreplicated. ¡®What if the reason why ess to the 3rd floor is limited is that I absorbed the Frost Queen¡¯s nucleus, which made it impossible to clear the 3rd floor?¡¯ That was a decent possibility¡­ ''¡­Then it''s absolutely my fault.¡¯ Perhaps the yers¡¯ overall growth rate had slowed down because of him. "Let''s talk about something more constructive than that. What do you think of those bees?" "The bees?" Several ns were already in Seo Jun-Ho''s head. "I don''t think it''s going to be too hard to clear, honestly." "Hmm, I think so, too. It feels odd to say this, but I''m here¡­" Gong Ju-Ha, who could easily burn off the wings of those bees, shrugged. "Oh,e to think of it...¡± Her eyes sparkled. "I heard you did an outstanding job this time.¡± "I don''t think it''s to the point of being outstanding¡­¡± "No, no, it has spread all over already. You know, I have ears, right?¡± Her ears twitched. "I was so proud of myself. The guy who had always been looking up to me¡­ Well, it felt like that, but you grew up really well." "Thank you. To be honest, I did receive a lot of help from you, Team Leader Gong. It was the same when I first came up to the 2nd floor." "Hmmm, you say that you¡¯re grateful, but you still haven¡¯t bought me a meal even after a year you said you would." "If you want, I could cook cup ramen for you now?" "Just try to bring me cup ramen, and you¡¯ll see. You can''t just throw away precious opportunities like this, you know?" She shook her head and got up. "After this job, I''m going to make you get me something really expensive, delicious, and with big portions.¡± "As much as you want¡­" "Then you should go to bed early because tomorrow will be a busy day.¡± When Gong Ju-Ha left, the Frost Queen said, "Hnng, hasn¡¯t your face be as stupid-looking as usual?" "Really? I think I still look the same." "The same? You looked like you were carrying all the worries of the world, but now, the look on your face makes me want to punch you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her emotions had been fluctuating quite a bit today. Seo Jun-Ho thought he should purchase more Spirit Crystals sooner orter. *** "There are two things that have changed from yesterday." At the base camp in the morning, Milphage stood in front of more than a hundred yers. He raised his index finger and said, "Today, we will work with the Goblin Guild to carry out the n." After the meeting Milphage had with Shin Sung-Hyunst night, they had reached this conclusion. "Well, we''re usuallypetitors, but let''s forget about thepetition here and help each other out." "It''s not just that," said Shin Sung-Hyun. He spoke while looking toward Seo Jae-Gil, the former beekeeper. "ording to yer Seo Jae-Gil, destroying colonies of bees seems to be easier than what we expected." "...The queen bee." Those who were somewhat aware of bees¡¯ social structure started murmuring. "That''s right. When the queen bee dies, the colony bes lost, and they eventually scatter.¡± A yer in the Goblin Guild raised his hand. "Master, isn''t it harder to hunt them if those trapped in that tower are scattered?" ¡°That''s a good question, but that¡¯s not the case for bees." "I''ll exin it to you." Seo Jae-Gil raised his hand and said, "The eusociality of bees is profound. It''s very simr to that of humans, so when war breaks out, the bees will follow the instructions of the queen bee. But what if the queen bee disappeared¡­?¡± "So, you¡¯re saying that they¡¯ll be chaotic when they lose theirmander?" ¡°Some bees will get stuck in their hive, some will try to leave the hive, and some will try to fly away. Overall, the hunting difficulty will be dramatically reduced.¡± The yers nodded; they understood what Seo Jae-Gil was saying. ¡°So, today''s goal is simple. We will approach the tower and join the other guilds." "If we join forces and hunt together, the damage we will sustain would be far less." The other guilds would obviously ept such a proposal. If one refused, they would be politically isted upon leaving this ce. In addition, there was no harm in participating, as they had to make some contributions here to get proper rewards. "Now, a hundred forty-two of the best yers between the Goblin and Hallem Guild¡­" "Let''s go." The number of yers who remained at the base camp was the bare minimum to protect their shelter and food. The rest of the yers began to march to the Magic Tower, following the map they had drawn the previous day. *** "What if we put gas in the tower and burn it all up with my me?" "It''s too dangerous. First, we¡¯ll have to see if those bees are immune to gas. If we mess up, we¡¯ll only make them angry." The n was constantly being revised and supplemented even while on the move. The yers were alert but not nervous. With thebined forces of Goblin and Hallem, they wouldn''t have any trouble even if dozens of bees came at them. "Hoh?" When they arrived at the ridge of the forest where a panoramic view of the Magic Tower could be seen, Milphage¡¯s eyes shone. "I think we''rete today." They could feel the great flow of magicing from the various ces in the forest. Then, the sky near the Magic Tower turned dark. "¡­That''s all bees?" "I feel like I''m looking at a gue of locusts.¡± The bees covering the sky divided into two groups and descended to the ground. The other four guilds had started the battle one step ahead of them. Milphage asked Shin Sung-Hyun, "Now, what do you want to do? Looking at the auras, on the left are Sky Soul and Labyrinth, and on the right Silent Moon and Silver Constetion." "Let''s go to the left," Shin Sung-Hyun replied without even thinking about it. Milphage revealed a content smile. "Huhu, that¡¯s right. I don''t think there''ll be anything to eat if we go to the right." On the right stood the Sword Saint, Kim Woo-Joong, and Wei Chun-Hak of the Celestial Dragon Guild, who was currently with the Silver Constetion Guild. In other words, they would have nothing to do if they went over to the right side. "But..." Milphage''s smiling expression slowly stiffened. It was the same with Shin Sung-Hyun. Their eyes were fixed on the dark sky, which was connected to the Magic Tower. "¡­Aren¡¯t there too many of theming out? When is that going to end?" They could see at least two to three thousand of them. Due to theirrge size, the collective noise the bees were making was very loud as they flew through the skies. Bzzzzzz! Bzzzzz! The noises were reminiscent of dozens of helicopters flying in the air. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ In the midst of these noises, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s instincts sent him a sharp warning, confusing him. ''We''re not the target of those bees.¡¯ In fact, not a single bee was headed their way, so why was it that his instincts kept sending him warnings? ¡®The sess rate of my instincts¡¯ warning has been quite high these days¡­¡¯ This meant an unknown danger was approaching by the minute. Just what the hell was it? The moment Seo Jun-Ho frowned¡ª "Aaaahhh!" A yer looking up at the sky was sucked into the floor. "What, what?!" "Damn it, help him!" The moment nearby yers reached out to save him, Shin Sung-Hyun moved and took out a baton from his pocket. When the end of the baton was aimed at the ground, the space twisted, and the ground was ¡®dismantled.¡¯ The yer who had been sucked into the ground could be seen once more. ¡°¡­!¡± "¡­Ueup!" In that short period of time, the yer''s body had be filled with holes like cheese. Furthermore, the yer¡¯s arms had be blueish and swollen, looking like a monster¡¯s arms. "T-the ground? No way...¡± Witnessing the horrible scene, Seo Jae-Gil hurriedly turned around. A sharp warning screeched out of his mouth. "It''s a digger wasp!" ''A digger wasp?'' Just when Seo Jun-Ho was about to ask¡ª Dudududu! The ground they were standing on began to shake violently. Chapter 237. Blackfield (4)

Chapter 237. ckfield (4)

"T-the ground is shaking!" "Damn, what the hell is this¡­!¡± The ground beneath their legs shook as if there was a major earthquake. People would instinctively try to find their bnce when the ground shook, but all the yers here were veterans. "Be careful not to get dragged under the splitting ground! You¡¯ll die in an instant!" "There''s something underneath!" ¡°Keep your bnce!¡± They calmly assumed the best position to regain their bnce. They lowered their posture and moved their body''s center of mass downward. However, the way they handled the situation calmly was a mistake. - Keeee! - Kieeeee! Pop, pop! Hundreds of stingers popped out of the ground like thorns and began to poke the yers. Even if they were just wasps, the stingers that came out like machine guns were very dangerous. "S-shoot!" "Damn it!" The yers used their own skills to block, break, and dodge the stingers. But not everyone was able to do that. Dozens of people were injured, and two yers died in no time. "Just how many of them are here?" "I don''t know! Just kill them all!" It was a much more advantageous battlefield for the bees. They hid in the ground, indiscriminately attacked, and shook the ground. The yers were attacking while trying to keep their bnce, so their attacks weren¡¯t as urate and as powerful as usual. ¡®I have to step up¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho made up his mind and gathered his magic. Ice energy spread from his feet and permeated the ground. Crackle! A huge ice sheet was created. A thick sheet of ice isted the bees from the yers. Crack, crack, crack! The bees¡¯ stingers were having difficulties prating the ice sheet. "Good job." With someone''s quiet voice, Seo Jun-Ho''s body floated in the air. ¡®Is this Skaya? No¡­ it''spletely different.¡¯ If it were Skaya¡¯s Reverse Gravity, one would feel as if the gravity pressing down on one¡¯s body was now pushing upward, but this felt like space itself was pushing his body away. It was obvious who was doing this. ¡®Shin Sung-Hyun¡­¡¯ Looking around, Seo Jun-Ho was impressed, as he wasn''t the only one floating in the air. Every surviving yer was floating like balloons in the air. ¡®Is this the power of a Heaven?¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun waved his baton and pulled Seo Jae-Gil close. He asked while looking down at the ground dozens of meters below, "¡­yer Seo Jae-Gil, what are those?" "Mmm." Seo Jae-Gil looked at the hundreds of arm-sized bees swarming over the ice. He groaned before saying, "Those are digger wasps. They are the most aggressive bee in the world. Wasps are known for their single, powerful stings, but these guys are especially famous for stinging like machine guns... Their poption is also veryrge because it doesn¡¯t take them long to grow into adults." "Is that so?" There was no emotion on Shin Sung-Hyun''s face. The faint smile that often lingered around his mouth had also disappeared. It was impossible to figure out what he was thinking. ¡®He¡¯s angry.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought he was angry. ¡®I see, the three yers who just died...¡¯ Coincidentally, they were all members of the Goblin Guild. The boss was angry at the death of his subordinates. "These bugs..." Shin Sung-Hyun shook the baton lightly. Craaack! At the same time, the space below began to warp and distort. - Keeeee! - Kiuuuu! The thick ice broke like sorghum straw, and the digger wasps broke into pieces, writhing in pain. Despite being broken in pieces, they still iled about with their antennae and legs, struggling to live. "Ack, that''s gross." "Damn it. I normally don''t like insects..." The moment yers frowned at the disgusting sight, Shin Sung-Hyun''s baton shook once again. Whoooong! Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s neat pomade hair shook violently. ''What a strong energy...!¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun''s spatial skill couldn¡¯t be seen with the naked eye. However, Seo Jun-Ho could instinctively feel that Shin Sung-Hyun''s space was pressing on the world itself. Shaking. The world shook, and his body trembled with it. Seo Jun-Ho didn''t feel particrly afraid, but the overwhelming vibrations intimidated him. ''If you get hit by this directly...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gulped and looked down. Craaaack! It was like pressing down on cans with a hydraulic press machine. The furious space crushed hundreds of digger wasps together with the surrounding trees and stones. "M-master! Are you okay?!" Vice Master Jang Kyung-Hoon voiced his worries. "...I¡¯m fine." Shin Sung-Hyun raised his hand to say he was fine, but it turned out that he had overdone it. As cold sweat slid down his pale face, he slowly sent the yers down. "It''s not good..." Milphage spoke as he stepped on the hard ground that had beenpressed by space. "It seems those bugs have a perfect grasp of our position." "¡­We moved quietly from the camp, but considering that they sent out these digger wasps or whatever, I''m sure¡­" Kiora spoke, raising her sharp eyebrows even more. "What are we going to do now?¡± ¡°Even though our location has been revealed, there''s no reason for us to change the n. However¡­" Milphage turned around and revealed a look of difort. He was staring at where the base camp was. "I''m a little worried about the guys I left behind...¡± There were only about ten yers in the base camp. Both Hallem and Goblin left an equal number of members to protect their food and equipment. If the bugs had started to monitor them from there, they could be targeting the rtively weak base camp. "Send back twenty more," Shin Sung-Hyun said, wiping the sweat off his face with a handkerchief. "¡­Twenty people? I think that''s too much. I''m concerned that the main unit¡¯s power will be diminished." "You still don¡¯t understand, even after the battle just now? It''s not the kind of fight where we¡¯ll have the advantage the more people we have.¡± In fact, arge group could easily be tracked down. Their reaction to ambushes would also be slower, as orders had to be passed down to each individual. "Hmm." Milphage couldn¡¯t find anything to refute, and he eventually sent ten mercenaries back to the base camp. After taking a breather, the group looked toward the Magic Tower again. "¡­It seems pretty dangerous over there, too." "There¡¯s too many of them...¡± Shin Sung-Hyun frowned. The sky was still dark. It meant that the bees were still continuously popping out of the Magic Tower. It was hard to imagine their numbers. "At worst, it should be over four thousand?" "It''s certainly strange. Halo said that hundreds of years ago, there were definitely fewer than a hundred of them." "What did they eat in this space to reproduce like that?" It was impossible to know. The only thing that mattered was to break through them and hunt the one and only ''queen bee.¡¯ ¡®Wait, if our ultimate goal is the queen bee...¡¯ Wasn''t this a considerable opportunity? Seo Jun-Ho approached the two masters and said, "Wouldn''t it be better to just go and hit their main base right now than to join up with another guild?" "¡­Hmm?" Hit the main base? The two men''s expressions became strange after hearing some unexpected words. However, they continued to talk for a bit with a stiff look still on their faces. "What do you think?" "If there are so many bees outside...¡± "Right? Common sense suggests that the tower should be empty.¡± "I don''t know about it being empty, but it should be fewer than when they were in there.¡± The swarm of bees that had colored the sky dark were still pouring down toward the other four guilds. The only group that had targeted Seo Jun-Ho''s group was the digger wasps just now. "If they can hang in there a little longer, we can take out the queen bee and mess up the chain ofmand." ¡°This could be an opportunity that will nevere again.¡± Milphage nodded. It would be impossible to create this kind of situation the moment they joined up with the other four guilds. "Since there''s no way anyone''s going to stay and y bait." The nature of the ckfield hunt was an imperialmission given to the Big 6. Guilds that had yed a bigger role and had achieved greater merits would inevitably receive better rewards. "Of course, killing the queen bee would be the greatest achievement." "If they just thought about it, everyone would want to go inside the tower." As such, the best time to seize achievements was right now. Fortunately, except for themselves, the four other guilds were now cannon fodders. The two masters agreed with Seo Jun-Ho''s proposal. "It''s not bad. No, it''s good." "Hahaha, my mercenary came up with a good n." The two were on the same wavelength, and they agreed with the new n. "yer Seo Jae-Gil." "Yes?" "If there was a queen bee''s room in that tower, where would it be?" "Well¡­" Seo Jae-Gil looked closely at the Magic Tower and nodded. "Usually, the queen¡¯s room is the safest ce in the hive. You have to face many bees to break into it." "Well, then that means¡­¡± Everyone''s gaze went up slightly to the topmost floor of the Magic Tower. It was the ce where the bees¡¯mander¡ªthe queen bee¡ªwas located. "Shin Sung-Hyun, can you use your skill like before and bring us to the top?" "¡­It''s impossible.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun admitted to his inability, which was rare. He had always wanted to show only his strong side since he ascended to be one of the Nine Heavens, but now wasn¡¯t the time to do that. "With a small number like ten people, it might be possible, but it¡¯s impossible to take everyone to the top." "Hmm, it seems that even one of the Nine Heavens isn¡¯t omnipotent." "Quiet. Think of another way." "Even if you say that, there''s only one way. We can''t divide our main force, so we have to break through from the first floor." Once the n was decided, all that remained was a battle against time. "We better kill the queen before the members of the other guilds notice us." "Well, they definitely won¡¯t take it well when they notice." Aftering to an agreement for the first time in a while, the two quickly ended their discussion. "I''m sorry I couldn''t protect you¡­" Shin Sung-Hyun took the Vita of his dead subordinates. The Vitas would return to the arms of the families waiting for the safe return of their son, daughter, brother, or sister. "I''ll make a grave for youter." Shin Sung-Hyun couldn¡¯t make their graves due to time constraints, so he made them float instead. ¡®Is this freezing of space?¡¯ After putting the bodies in a unique space that did not allow any outside intrusion, Shin Sung-Hyun turned around. "Let''s go." Having lost therades they had just eaten breakfast with this morning, fury could be seen within the eyes of the Goblin Guild members. *** "So weak!" Slice! When she charged forward, Kiora¡¯s sword shed and split a wasp into eight pieces. The moment she looked back with a triumphant look on her face¡ª Hwaaaaa! Heat quickly filled the first floor¡¯s hallway as waves of mes inundated the ce in an instant. The wasps and hundreds of their eggs everywhere gave off a savory smell. Gong Ju-ha raised a corner of her mouth as she brushed the sweat from her forehead and said, "Oh my, when do you n on going up? Why are you being so slow and catching them one by one? Did youe here to sightsee?" "¡­You cheap element user." Thepetition between the two guilds intensified upon entering the Magic Tower. But fortunately, it created a positive effect. As they fought even harder to prove that their own guild was more excellent than the other, the number of bee eggs continued to decrease. "At this rate, we¡¯ll soon get to the tenth floor." "Well, that¡¯s if the ones upstairs are simr." The two masters nodded with satisfaction. When they came in, the other guilds were still fighting with the bees outside. "We probably have around thirty minutes before anyone elsees." "That''s enough! Didn¡¯t we only take about two minutes to clean up the first floor?¡± The wasps were helplessly destroyed by Gasman and Gong Ju-Ha¡¯sbination attack. Fortunately, the bees had no me resistance. "Something¡­ Something is wrong." Seo Jae-Gil had a grim look despite the cheers of victory. Shin Sung-Hyun found this to be suspicious and asked, "What do you mean, something¡¯s wrong?" "The proportion of bees in this ce is strange. There are only a few worker bees, and they are mostly wasps and male bees. Typically, a beehive without worker bees will neverst long. Without worker bees, a colony will quickly decline and copse.¡± "Hey, don''t try to understand each and every one of these guys. Even if they look like bees, they¡¯re an alien species, monsters to be exact." Milphage tapped Seo Jae-Gil on the shoulder and took thetter¡¯s words lightly. Shin Sung-Hyun thought for a moment before agreeing. The current situation was too good to point out such a small problem. "But, just in case, let me know if you find anything more that¡¯s strange." "Yes¡­" Apart from Seo Jae-Gil''s worries, the group achieved consecutive victories. ¡®Fast! We¡¯re definitely moving fast!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s face also brightened up. Second floor, third floor, fourth floor... With Gong Ju-Ha in the front, they quickly climbed to the Magic Tower¡¯s sixth floor. "We''ll win by a long shot at this rate! Just trust in me!" A highly excited Gong Ju-Haughed as she stepped on the seventh floor. "Huh...?" At that moment, her face stiffened. Those behind her also felt the strange atmosphere. ¡°¡­¡± The doors of every room in the magic tower were open, but the rooms in this floor had closed doors. The corridor was flooded with green liquid, and the bees¡¯ innards were haphazardly scattered. A pungent smell also pricked at the yers¡¯ noses. Boom! A closed door opened all of a sudden, and a wasp shot out like an arrow. "Ugh...!" Shocked, Gong Ju-Ha hurriedly tried to ignite a me. Wheeeee! However, a long antenna popped out of the room and wrapped around the wasp''s body like a whip. - Keeee! Keeeeee! The bee shook and screamed, but it was dragged into the room by the antennae. ¡°W-what was that?" "¡­Come back." Shin Sung-Hyun sensed danger and ced Gong Ju-Ha behind him. Before they knew it, Milphage had overtaken the mercenaries to take the lead. Munch, crunch. They heard an unpleasant sound as if something were chewing a crab with its shell on. - Burp. The sound of something burping eerily reverberated through the corridor. Chapter 238. Kill the Bee (1) Milphage let out a long sigh. ¡°Right. I knew things were going too well.¡± ¡°...¡± Shin Sung-Hyun silently agreed. He had also thought that the Magic Tower had been too easy to conquer. ¡®Of course, it would have been quite a hassle without Ju-Ha¡­¡¯ But that was all it could have been¡ªan annoyance. With a talented elemental skill user, the conquest had been easy. So easy, in fact, that it hadn¡¯t made sense for themission to be S-grade. But as soon as they stepped onto the seventh floor, his opinion changed. ¡®We should havee here as a small group of elites.¡¯ Whatever was in that room could easily take out arge crowd of talented yers. He couldn¡¯t even catch a glimpse of what it was, but his instinct as a Heaven was warning him of the danger. ¡°How did we not sense it from the lower floors?¡± Milphage wondered. Back at the base camp, they had been able to sense a massive, vicious aura from the tower. But it had disappeared when they entered the tower, which was suspicious. ¡°...I believe it is because this is a magic tower. The mages probably put up powerful barriers between each floor, so they won¡¯t distract each other with their experiments,¡± said Shin Sung-Hyun suggested. ¡°Makes sense.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the enemy in front of us for now.¡± ¡°Right. It seems like it¡¯s a nasty cannibal,¡± Milphage said, staring at the wings and the remains of a bee. Whatever it was, it appeared to have eaten a lot. There were hundreds of dead bees in front of them. ¡°Captain Gong.¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun pointed to the door. ¡°Hit it as hard as you can. I want to see how it reacts.¡± ¡°Alright, then¡­¡± She met Gasman¡¯s eyes, and he nodded. Gasman then pulled up his sleeves, and smoke started to seep from the holes. It nketed the ground and quickly reached the room. Seo Jun-Ho noticed something. ¡°It¡¯s a different color from the smoke before?¡± ¡°It is a sleeping gas. And it¡¯s quite mmable. No matter how strong its willpower is, it should be¡­¡± - Kiiaaaaaaaaa! ¡°Fuck!¡± ¡°Aaahhh!¡± The yers covered their ears at the mutant¡¯s shriek. Some of them started to bleed from their eardrums, while most of them staggered from the shock. ¡°S-shit¡­¡± Milphage cursed as he leaned on the wall. ¡°It has some killer vocal cords.¡± He managed to pull himself together and shook his head. His eyes were filled with confusion. ¡°...?¡± Something was idly standing in front of him. He didn¡¯t know when it arrived there. All he knew was that it appeared just as he recovered. ¡®What is this guy?¡¯ It had a very strange appearance. It was neither human, bee, nor animal. It looked more like abination of them. ¡®A bee¡¯s head and wings¡­With a human torso and a centipede¡¯s legs?¡¯ It looked like someone had mashed its parts together like a doll, and its proportions were off as well. Compared to the enormous wasp head, its human torso was very skinny. Combined with its countless centipede legs, its appearance was very confusing. ¡®But¡­¡¯ That only made him more nervous. Though it looked strange and botched, it gave off a powerful aura. ¡°...¡± Once the yers realized what it was, they froze. They weren¡¯t quite sure what to do. In this kind of situation, attacking recklessly could backfire on them. ¡°Tsk.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun sucked his teeth. He realized that they couldn¡¯t fight in a ce like this. ¡®We¡¯re in a hallway, and there are still dozens of yers who have yet toe up.¡¯ Even if they ran away, they still wouldn¡¯t be able to fight. It would be too easy for the monster to let itself loose. ¡°Go up.¡± The stairs leading to the next floor were on the other side. Without another word, Shin Sung-Hyun walked forward while emitting magic. ¡®Ow.¡¯ ¡®This is¡­ the power of a Heaven?¡¯ The yers trembled as Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s aura pressed down on them. This was the first time they were grateful that he was their ally. If they had to face such a powerful aura on the battlefield, they would simply die from suffocation. The entire floor waspressed. Shin Sung-Hyun used the same attack he had used to tten hundreds of bees earlier. - Kiiii?! However, the mutant managed to endure the attack. Its body merely hunched as if a great weight had been ced on its shoulders. ¡°Insect, follow me to the first floor.¡± The first floor was the reception area, so there were only a few offices there. It would be a much better battleground than here. Shin Sung-Hyun would fight the monster there. If they fought one on one, he was confident that he could squash the bug. ¡°M-Master!¡± Even before Gong Ju-Ha could finish crying out, the floor crumbled, and the monster fell to the lower floor. Shin Sung-Hyun looked back, expressionless. ¡°...Keep going up. If you happen to find something stronger than this bastard, run away and don¡¯t look back.¡± With the terse order, he jumped down therge hole. m! Bam! The sound of floors being forcefully crumbled continuously reverberated. Every time it happened, the monster would cry out in pain, making the tower ring with its cries. ¡°...Master.¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon¡¯s face grew pale. Shin Sung-Hyun was the heart of Goblin. If he were injured even in the slightest, Goblin¡¯s fighting force would weaken as a whole. ¡°What are you standing around for?!¡± Milphage roared. He gnashed his teeth and fumed. ¡®You idiot¡­¡¯ He hadn¡¯t been able to do anything in the face of the mutant. However, Shin Sung-Hyun calmly assessed the situation and dragged the monster to a field where he would have the advantage. It was easy to picture what kind of horrors would have ensued if not for his quick thinking. ¡°Didn''t you hear him? We¡¯re going up.¡± Milphage was furious at his own ipetence. ¡®I didn¡¯t know there would be this big of a difference between us. What kind of Mercenary King am I?¡¯ He had previously thought that the only difference between them would be their skills and that he would have an edge with his experience inpleting so manymissions. However, Milphage had been greatly mistaken. In the midst of danger¡ªat the most important moment¡ªShin Sung-Hyun had reacted better than him. The frustration of it all made smokee out of his ears. ¡°We¡¯ll hurry up and kill the king or queen up there and join Shin Sung-Hyun!¡± He took the lead, trying to recover from his show of ineptitude. He was the first one to step onto the eighth floor. ¡®There¡¯s nothing¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t sense anything simr from the mutant earlier on this floor. Disaster had already befallen this ce, and there was nothing here except the corpses of bees. It was the same as the horrors they had seen on the seventh floor. ¡°That bastard¡­ It ate bugs and eggs whileing down through each floor.¡± He started to understand what was going on. The mutant had realized that the Big 6 were much stronger than it had expected, so it had begun to cannibalize its own. ¡®Was that the queen bee?¡¯ Milphage turned to Seo Jae-Gil. ¡°Hey, former beekeeper. Was the monster from before the queen bee?¡± ¡°Huh? No¡­No, it shouldn¡¯t be.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Its head and its wings were different from a queen bee¡¯s. They actually looked like they were a typical worker bee. And even though queen bees are stronger than other bees¡­ There isn¡¯t that big of a difference. It¡¯s more likely that it was one of the queen bee¡¯s royal guards.¡± That meant that the queen bee was elsewhere, probably on the tenth floor¡­ Milphage looked up at the ceiling and started to run up the stairs. ¡°D-don¡¯t go by yourself!¡± Kiora squawked and followed him up. The ninth floor resembled aboratory. ¡°Ew¡­¡± ¡°Bleghh!¡± The yers with weaker stomachs threw up. It was filled with the corpses of many different kinds of bugs and animals, and the rotten stench stung their noses. There were also strange mutants that looked like they had been the result of crossbreeding, and they hung on hooks from the ceiling like pigs in a butchery. ¡°They must have been trying to evolve and be stronger with this.¡± While trapped, the bees had tried to force themselves to evolve. ¡°...They¡¯re all dead.¡± Milphage nudged each of the hanging mutants. None of them moved. Actually, they were so misshapen that it was hard to picture that they were once alive. ¡°Perhaps the only sessful subject they had made was the one earlier¡­¡± It was also likely that the monster had only been born a day or two ago. It must have started to cannibalize the others as soon as it was born, as it had to be ridden with hunger. ¡°Joel!¡± Kiora yelled. ¡°Its body! It looked like Joel¡¯s! It had scars near the heart!¡± ¡°...Joel from Labyrinth?¡± Milphage asked. ¡°Yeah. He was killed yesterday during reconnaissance and was dragged away. That¡¯s the guy.¡± ¡°...¡± He had no idea how the bees had been able to use such advanced techniques. This ce had been closed off for hundreds of years, and it was too strange to judge it usingmon sense. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the tenth floor.¡± With that, Milphage hurried up the stairs. Kiora rushed to follow, but she was met with his back as he stared nkly. ¡°Boss, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°...¡± Milphage stayed silent. All he could do was stare in horror. ¡°...Hey, former beekeeper.¡± ¡°Y-yes! You called me?¡± Seo Jae-Gil pushed through the crowd from the bottom of the stairs. Milphage held up his thick finger and pointed. ¡°How should I take this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Seo Jae-Gil¡¯s eyes widened as he followed Milphage¡¯s finger. The walls had all been broken down, making the tenth floor seem like onerge room. At the end of it was arge bee as big as a boulder. It had a queen bee¡¯s wings and thorax. ¡°N-no¡­¡± Most importantly, she was dead. The wall behind her was sttered with green sap-like blood, and her body was riddled with holes. It had definitely not been a natural death. ¡°She was obviously killed, but it doesn¡¯t look like this was the work of a yer,¡± Milphage said. Based on the state of her body and the sap, she didn¡¯t die yesterday or two days ago. She had definitely died at least a couple of weeks ago. Seo Jae-Gil gulped. ¡°If she wasn¡¯t killed by a yer, this would be the doing of a worker bee.¡± ¡°A worker bee? They can kill queens?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Jae-Gil nodded. ¡°If they judge that the queen bee cannot carry out her duties anymore, the worker bees willunch a coup d¡¯etat and kill her.¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Milphage¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say so yourself? You said that when a queen bee dies, the colony will lose its hierarchy and that they turn on each other.¡± ¡°Typically, yes. But¡­ It¡¯s different if the worker bees themselves decided tounch a coup d¡¯etat.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°We call this ''supersedure''. When the queen bee dies, the colony will instinctively realize that they have lost their leader. The routine of their life falls apart.¡± ¡°So what do they do?¡± ¡°The older of the worker bees wille together and make a decision.¡± They would choose a new queen based on a vote. Of course, she would only be a nominal queen and wouldn¡¯t be able to carry out all the duties of a queen bee. The colony would still be able to function, but only drones would be born. The colony would inevitably copse.[1] ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. I should have realized that when we saw that the proportions of the colony were off.¡± Seo Jae-Gil bit his lip, looking ashamed. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t just brood by yourself and tell me straight. What does the colony do to survive?¡± He urged. ¡°...They invade other colonies,¡± he said, sounding nervous. ¡°They find another hive, kill the queen, absorb the worker bees, and put them to work.¡± ¡°...¡± Milphage finally understood why a crack had appeared in ckfield. ¡°Those damned insects¡­ Are they trying to enve humans to survive?¡± His face contorted. ¡°So, how do we find the fake queen?¡± ¡°Worker bees who be queens typically work like the others. There is no method to find a fake queen in a horde of worker bees.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Of course, they would still be usually bigger than other worker bees¡­¡± He trailed off. Though there was still daylight outside the window, a heavy shadow had begun to cover the sky as thousands of bees flew around the Magic Tower. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be possible to find the queen among them.¡± ¡°...¡± Milphage mmed his fist into the wall. ¡°Dammit, then there¡¯s nothing we can do?¡± Everyone was silent. They had been too focused on the end goal that they had just realized that they had been going in the wrong direction. Now, they weren¡¯t sure what to do. ¡°First¡­¡± Milphage quickly pulled himself together. He had already acted like an idiot earlier, and once was enough. ¡°We¡¯ll meet up with Shin Sung-Hyun. We¡¯ll think about what we should do next after we kill the mutant bee.¡± ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll tell everyone to start heading down¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Milphage¡¯s biceps swelled, and he punched the ground. Crash! He had created a path for them to go down. ¡°That rascal, he looked pretty cool earlier.¡± Milphage sniffled, looking satisfied. He jumped down the hole he had created. 1. For reference, all worker bees are female but infertile. Drones are male, and they cannot work or create honey. ? Chapter 239. Kill the Bee (2)

Chapter 239. Kill the Bee (2)

Chwaaak! It sounded like sharp ws were tearing through space, and deep w marks actually appeared on the walls. ¡®It¡¯s good at running away.¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun chased his enemy, his face expressionless. He was starting to close in on the mutant. -Kiii! It was moving so fast he could see sixteen afterimages. But Shin Sung-Hyun wasn¡¯t fooled by its shy movements. ¡®Whether it''s ten of them or a hundred, I just need to kill them all.¡¯ The space started to close in on the sixteen figures. But the mutant instinctively moved back and avoided injuries. ¡®It¡¯s strong. It¡¯s really strong.¡¯ It had been a long time since Shin Sung-Hyun had appraised an enemy like this. The mutant had excellent speed, endurance, strength, and even battle instinct. But even though it was born as a perfect monster, it had one definitive weakness. ¡®I wonder how long it has been since it was born.¡¯ Itcked experience. In other words, it had superior hardware, but the software wascking. So, Shin Sung-Hyun was able to treat it like a child. ¡®It¡¯s immature. And honest.¡¯ Its attacks were the same and consistent; it didn¡¯t even use any feints. It made sense, considering that all its attacks were purely instinctive. - Kieee! The mutant looked extremely distraught. It knew that it was much faster and that its attacks were much stronger than Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s, but it couldn¡¯t figure out how Shin Sung-Hyun was dodging every attack. It couldn¡¯t even graze him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun easily sidestepped its attack and waved his baton. At hismand, the space oscited, and the monster¡¯s left arm disappeared without a trace. ¡°All you need to do is disappear; you don¡¯t have to know anything.¡± Crackle! Its physique was so impressive it was horrifying. It regenerated its arm in an instant, and its antenna stretched out like a whip. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to reach me.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun hadn¡¯t taken a single step since the battle started, as he had interrupted every single attack from reaching him. This time was no different. There was a loud sound as its antenna was cut off. What came next were its arms and legs. - Kieeeee! It fell to the ground, writhing as its wings fluttered. Again, its limbs regenerated. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can keep doing that.¡± All he had to do was cut them off faster than they could regenerate. After continuously regenerating its limbs, the mutant eventually started to crawl away. This was the second most terrifying thing it had ever encountered. ¡®It¡¯s getting slower.¡¯ The monster¡¯s regeneration rate had slowed down. In the beginning, it would heal in the time it took to blink, but now, it was taking three to four seconds. -K-Kiiiieee! It cried out as if asking for help, and it tried to fly out of the tower. Bang! -...? However, its head collided against a transparent wall. As long as the master of space was in control, it wouldn¡¯t be able to leave. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing that I came to the tower¡­¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun thought with great relief. Even though it was a mere insect in his eyes, it would be a disaster for the other yers. Not even Milphage and Gong Ju-Ha would be able to able to take it out, even if they worked together. As he fought against this monster, he became even more certain of his opinion. - Kieeeeee! The antenna started to vibrate as it despaired. Its mouth split wide as it let out a high-frequency scream. And at that moment, Shin Sung-Hyun felt something change. ¡®Why is it dark?¡¯ Obviously, the Magic Tower had always been dark on the inside, with the asional sunlight being its only source of light. ¡®...But all the sunlight has been blocked off.¡¯ The reason for this was simple. ¡®The window!¡¯ Crack! The windows on the first floor shattered, and wasps started to pour in. They pushed in like a flood, dying as they rammed their heads into Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s barrier. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Their corpses started to pile up like a mountain. However, they were still going. ¡°Ugh!¡± He scowled. No matter how powerful he was, he couldn¡¯t stop hundreds of bees from engaging in kamikaze attacks. ¡®At this rate¡­ The wall is gonna break!¡¯ The mutant slowly pulled itself up as Shin Sung-Hyun watched helplessly. Even though it had the head of a bee, he distinctively felt it smiling. ¡°You little pest!¡± Infuriated, he waved his baton, attempting to consume its entire body. ng! However, his barrier broke, and the wasps swarmed in, creating their own wall to protect the mutant. ¡°Dammit!¡± He started to tear through the dozens of bees with spatial ws. But his attacks couldn¡¯t reach the mutant. In fact, the bees pouring in outnumbered the ones he was killing. ¡®I can¡¯t see it! Did it leave the tower? I might be in danger.¡¯ He had used too manyrge-scale skills. Even though he was a Heaven, his magic was limited. Not only that, but a skill that could control space inevitably consumed a huge amount of magic. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could kill hundreds or maybe thousands of bees on his own. As such, a rare frown appeared on his face. ¡°Hahaha! Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Someone fell from the sky, tearing through dozens of wasps. The man stood and brushed off the green sap. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m seeing a lot of different sides of you today. Looks like you¡¯re happy to see me,¡± Milphage said. ¡°...Of course not.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun grinned. ¡°You¡¯re a nuisance. Scram.¡± ¡°No can do. I can¡¯t let you take all the credit.¡± Bam! Milphage punched his fists together as veins started to pop on his forehead. ¡°Plus, I¡¯m pretty angry right now.¡± He hadn¡¯t been able to do anything since entering the tower. Sure, he had killed a few wasps, but that wasn¡¯t enough for him to be called the Mercenary King. ¡°The Mercenary King is here!¡± Milphage¡¯s face was flushed red as his muscles swelled in size. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen him go Berserk.¡± ¡°Yeah....¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how he is when he¡¯s angry¡­ He¡¯s strong.¡± yers continued to fall from the hole in hordes. Both Hallem¡¯s mercenaries and Goblin¡¯s yers were falling through the hole. ¡°Master! Are you alright?!¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon cried out. Shin Sung-Hyun held up his hand. ¡°Ah... What happened upstairs?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing. All we found on the tenth floor was the queen bee¡¯s corpse.¡± ¡°...Hm.¡± ¡°I think we should clean up here first.¡± Hundreds of wasps had already swarmed the first floor. If they kepting, there wouldn¡¯t be much space for them to fight. ¡°...Right.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun watched the chaos ensue. He seemed to have remembered something, and his face darkened. As such, he gave an order. ¡°Kill them as fast as possible, and we¡¯ll look for that damned insect.¡± *** ¡°We¡¯re going down too, right?¡± Gong Ju-Ha tugged on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sleeve. Most of the yers had already jumped down to the first floor. There weren¡¯t many of them left on the tenth floor. There was a simple reason for this. ¡®Why isn¡¯t he moving?¡¯ ¡®Hm, Seo hyung had a good instinct back in Forever Land.¡¯ They were all people familiar with Seo Jun-Ho. They knew how good his instincts were, so they would only move at hismand. Though, of course, there was also Gong Ju-Ha, who simply wanted to protect him, as she was worried. ¡°Something¡¯s off¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t get rid of the nagging feeling, mainly because of Keen Intuition. ¡®It won¡¯t stop going off.¡¯ He kept on sensing danger. Unfortunately, the skill was still A-grade, so it wasn¡¯t making it clear what exactly the threat was. All it did was keep on telling him that he was in danger. ¡®But there¡¯s nothing here.¡¯ He had inspected the queen bee to make sure that she was really dead, and she was dead. In fact, as soon as he reached for her head, he even activated Confession of the Dead. ¡®So, what¡¯s the problem?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stroked his chin, trying to figure it out. ¡°I-I¡¯ll be heading to the first floor now.¡± Even though he had once been a beekeeper, Seo Jae-Gil was still a yer. He started toward the first floor to join the fight. Though, of course, he took the stairs instead of stupidly jumping through the hole in the ground. ¡°Wait,¡± Seo Jun-Ho called. ¡°Let me just ask you something. What are the bees¡¯ personalities like?¡± ¡°...Their personalities?¡± His interest seemed to have been piqued. Seo Jae-Gil stopped. ¡°Yes. If this queen was killed, why did they leave her corpse here for weeks instead of taking it away?¡± When humans overthrew a ruler, they would typically erase all traces of the previous monarch before taking their ce. It was their right as the victor. ¡°Hm. Now that you mention it, it¡¯s strange¡­¡± Seo Jae-Gil tilted his head. He thought for a second before speaking, ¡°Bees are much smarter than people think. Their colonies, along with ant colonies, resemble human societies the most out of all animal species. If the ruler makes a mistake, they overthrow them. There are even those who kill the queen to make their own offspring the next ruler. They have a very strict hierarchy.¡± ¡°Hierarchy¡­¡± ¡°If some new force killed the queen¡­Perhaps it left her here to disy its superiority to the other bees?¡± ¡°Superiority, you say.¡± Seo Jun-Ho considered this. ¡°This tower has 10 floors, right?¡± ¡°Yes. We are on the highest floor. We can¡¯t go up any further.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jae-Gil seemed sure of this. But for some reason, Seo Jun-Ho strongly disagreed. ¡®But why? Why don¡¯t I believe it?¡¯ The feeling was so strong that even he was surprised. It didn¡¯t take him long to figure out the reason. ¡°...No, that¡¯s not it.¡± He slowly looked up at the ceiling. There was somece higher up than the tenth floor. Somewhere they hadn¡¯t been able to see from the base camp. The roof¡­ ¡°Really?¡± Seo Jae-Gil caught wind of this and went silent. He realized that Seo Jun-Ho might be correct. Outside the tower, they had sensed an ominous, dangerous presence. But as soon as they entered, it had disappeared without a trace. ¡°I-I¡¯ll bring Shin Sung-Hyun-nim up here right away!¡± As Seo Jae-Gil dashed down the stairs, Seo Jun-Ho stuck his head out the window. ¡®...!¡¯ He quickly pulled away. The simple act of looking out made him nauseous. The vicious energy was making him dizzy. There was definitely something on the tower¡¯s roof. Gong Ju-Ha stuck her head outside, but she felt the same thing. ¡°Mr. Jun-Ho.¡± She gripped his sleeve, her face pale. ¡°I¡¯m telling you right now. You can¡¯t do this.¡± It was too dangerous. She knew that Seo Jun-Ho was a much stronger yer than she had initially thought, but whatever was up there was strong enough to make her think of the Nine Heavens. ¡°...It¡¯s getting stronger by the second,¡± Seo Jun-Ho croaked as his voice trembled. He could feel it. Whatever was up there was still feasting. As time passed, its aura had started to snowball, bing even stronger. Even as he spoke, he could feel it growing stronger. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t fight it, I can at least stop it¡­¡± From growing¡­ As Seo Jun-Ho started out the window again, Gong Ju-Ha grabbed the hem of his shirt. ¡°M-Mr. Jun-Ho, you don¡¯t have to do this!¡± she cried out. ¡°...¡± When he looked back, she really looked like she was about to cry. ¡°Just¡­ Please don¡¯t go. I have a really, really bad feeling about this¡­¡± ¡°...¡± He couldn¡¯t stay here. What if it grew even stronger? Would Shin Sung-Hyun, Kim Woo-Joong, or Wei Chun-Hak be able to stop it? ¡®But what if it refuses to fight and just runs away?¡¯ What if it left the rift? What if it killed hundreds, thousands of yers and innocent people? ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew that he was being too cynical. After all, that was the worst-case scenario. However¡­ ¡®I have already seen that before.¡¯ He had seen unimaginable horrors ur with his own eyes several times over. He had seen thousands, tens of thousands of people running away, sobbing as they were being ripped apart right in front of his eyes. Thump. Thump. The mere thought of that made his heart race. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t think he could let it happen. ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to forgive myself if that happens because I stood down today.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t¡­ Seo Jun-Ho slowly pulled away from Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s grasp. ¡°Thank you for worrying about me.¡± He leaped out, leaving no time for anyone to even tell him to stop. Crackle! The vapor in the air condensed into ice, creating a staircase leading to the roof. Even on his way up, the air grew thicker, and he became increasingly dizzier. Crackle! The Frost Queen froze a few nearby wasps, and they fell. They hadn¡¯t noticed this because thousands of bees were circling the roof. ¡®They weren¡¯t just flying around randomly.¡¯ It might look like that from afar, but now that he was up close, he was sure that the wasps were flying around with the roof at their center. ¡°...¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The moment they stepped onto the roof, the Frost Queen let out a low groan. Even though she had never tried to stop him, she had to speak now. ¡°Contractor. I think the fox was correct. This is¡­ This is too dangerous.¡± ¡°...¡± Across the expansive roof, something was sitting with its legs crossed and back toward him. Crunch. Crunch. It was eating a human being. The leg belonged to a yer. As the wasps flew by, they gently ced down the corpses of yers they had hunted. The monster would pick up the parts and feast on the blood, flesh, and bone, leaving nothing to waste. ¡®...A person?¡¯ From the back, it resembled a human. Though it had the head of a bee, its body didn¡¯t look very different from a human¡¯s body. The only difference was that it had fur simr to a bee. Even its arms and legs looked human, and it had six fingers on each hand. However, these trivial details were inconsequential. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Impossible.¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly shook his head. The creature gradually turned and met his eyes. He felt as if he had discovered something he shouldn''t have on the 2nd floor. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t believe what he was looking at. [You have discovered the boss monster of the Frontier area, Janabi.] [Once defeated, safe zones will appear in Frontier.] An unthinkable message had appeared before him. Chapter 240. Kill the Bee (3)

Chapter 240. Kill the Bee (3)

Clink. Clink. The gears started to turn in his head as his memories came back up. [You have discovered the boss monster of the Earth area, the Frost Queen.] [Once defeated, safe zones will appear on Earth.] The first thing that popped into his head was the time he had first met the Frost Queen 26 years ago. - So you¡¯vee to seek your death. - End¡­ this? - Ahahaha! You really don¡¯t know anything about this world. She had a cold, unfamiliar expression that didn¡¯t resemble the current Frost Queen. ¡®It¡¯s so simr.¡¯ It was the same air, the same message as back then. Even when he was full of rage, the Frost Queen¡¯s aura had been intimidating and burdensome. Every time she breathed, he felt like his entire body would freeze over. However, he had been able to endure it because of his anger. ¡®The Frost Queen was Earth¡¯s Floor Master.¡¯ So¡­ ¡®That¡¯s another Floor Master.¡¯ Frontier¡¯s Floor Master, instead of Earth''s. Clink. Clink. The gears in his head continued to turn regardless of his intentions. - Hurry up and clear the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors¡­ All the way up to the 10th, so I can retire. I¡¯ll be rooting for you guys as much as possible. The 2nd Floor Administrator, Reiji, had encouraged him. He thought that she had merely been pushing him to go up to the 3rd floor as fast as possible. However, that actually hadn¡¯t been the case at all. ¡®The 2nd floor actually had a real Floor Master.¡¯ Clink. Clink. This time, it was a rtively recent memory. - If you win there, you can get matching points and use them to buy a third-floor ticket from the Administrator¡¯s Store when it opens. - Actually, they weren¡¯t selling it before, but they started selling it a few years ago. - It seems that you were thinking that the Big 6 are preventing yers from entering the 3rd floor until they¡¯re skilled enough. He was an idiot. It wasn¡¯t that simple and easy. He had felt that something was off. When he defeated the Frost Queen, the 2nd floor had opened up just like that. He had been very curious as to why the same system had kept the 3rd floor closed off for the past 20 years. ¡®This guy has been around since the beginning...¡¯ The yers simply hadn¡¯t found him yet. ¡®The first Archmage¡­¡¯ He had been involved in this. After all, he was the first one to discover these strange creatures hundreds of years ago, and the only one who had realized how dangerous they were. He was the very mage who had sealed them after judging that humans wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat them. ¡®That¡¯s why no one¡¯s ever discovered them until now.¡¯ People hadn¡¯t paid any attention to ckfield for over 20 years because the emperor had forbidden it. No one¡¯s desire for adventure outweighed his absolute power. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ This was the worst possible situation. It was easy to calcte. ¡®...What would¡¯ve happened if the Frost Queen was able to grow stronger for hundreds of years in Antarctica?¡¯ Not only would she have recovered her original power, but she would also have be even stronger than that. Of course, this scenario was a little different. It definitely wasn¡¯t a good situation, but there were some optimistic parts about it. ¡®It hasn¡¯t been long since was born.¡¯ The queen had been killed merely a few weeks ago. That probably meant that Janabi hadn¡¯t existed before then. ¡®I can¡¯t imagine it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t imagine him following anyone else¡¯s orders. Besides, this was ckfield. ¡®This ce has been frozen in time for hundreds of years. They probably ran out of food a long time ago.¡¯ Though the monsters looked like bees, they didn¡¯t eat honey or royal jelly. They were pure carnivores. Now that he thought about it, there was a simple reason as to why they hadn¡¯t heard any birds in ckfield¡¯s forests. ¡®They ate them all.¡¯ Now that they had run out of things to eat, the bees couldn¡¯t contain their hunger, so they killed their queen and ripped a hole in ckfield to hunt for new prey. - Tchr? The monster in front of him made a strange sound and stared at him. The monster¡¯s head was tilted, and he seemed curious about Seo Jun-Ho. He didn¡¯t understand how his food was still standing perfectly fine and breathing. ¡°Contractor¡­¡± The Frost Queen pulled his sleeve with her small hand. As he looked down in response, she bit her lip as she warned him. ¡°Keep your eyes on your enemy, and do not be shaken.¡± Shaken? Him? Seo Jun-Ho was surprised by her words, but only then did he realize that his entire body was trembling like a leaf. He was careful of every breath he took and every time he blinked. The reason for this was simple. He didn¡¯t want to provoke the monster. Crunch! Janabi chewed on the yer¡¯s bones and slowly stood up. When he stood up straight, he was over 2 meters tall. Seo Jun-Ho gulped. ¡®I have to fight.¡¯ The only reason he came up to the roof was to stop the monster here. He had already expected the monster to be strong. ¡®I knew that, and I still came up here.¡¯ Because he was Specter¡ªSeo Jun-Ho. He was once the strongest yer in the world and a hero worshipped by all. Back then, his surrender meant humanity¡¯s defeat. ¡°Hoo¡­ Hoo!¡± Seo Jun-Ho made himself take forceful breaths. It was a way to provoke Janabi, but it also forced him to shrug off his own weakness. ¡®Alright. I¡¯m ready now.¡¯ Hero¡¯s Mind (S) helped him pull himself together. Then, his concentration greatly increased. The only thing he saw was Janabi. He didn¡¯t even register the other bees. ¡°Let¡¯s fight.¡± His low voice echoed across the expansive roof. His magic circuits started to heat up. Chwak. White Armor, the armor that had been forged with the effort of Kwon Noya and Palmo, covered his body in an instant. - Tchr! Janabi¡¯s head cocked to the side like an owl¡¯s. He appeared to be intrigued by the way the armor had unfolded. Seo Jun-Ho reached into his inventory and took out ck Dragon Fang. It was his favorite sword, as well as the one he had used the longest and practiced with after his return. He would only use it when he had to be at his best. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth. He felt like all his cells were facing toward Janabi. ¡®Good, this is good. It¡¯s making me excited.¡¯ He was in his best condition. This was the most refreshed he had ever felt since his return. As soon as he overcame his fear¡ªshame and humiliation took its ce. ¡®I was scared of a mere insect¡­¡¯ He was enraged at Janabi. - Tchr! Incensed by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s strong hostility, Janabi grabbed the wasp that had ced more food beside him and crushed it with one hand. The king was enraged by the fact that they had allowed his prey to stand in front of him like this. ¡°If you won¡¯t go, I will.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shot forward, his body hunched. As for his Overclocking output¡­ ¡®80%.¡¯ He crossed therge roof in an instant, and his sword tore through the air. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t tell if Janabi couldn¡¯t dodge his attack or if he simply decided not to dodge. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword pierced where Janabi¡¯s heart was supposed to be. ¡®Wait, do bees even have hearts?¡¯ He had realized it toote, like an idiot. Meanwhile, Janabi started to tremble as he stared dumbfounded at the sword in his chest. - Chr? He spread his six fingers as he swiped the green blood with a shaking hand. And a piercing roar tore through the air. - Kiiieeeee! This was pain. Janabi sobbed like a child that had tripped over for the first time. The worked bees that had been buzzing around came to a stop, and they red at Seo Jun-Ho with bloodlust, as he had injured their king. ¡°C-Contractor!¡± ¡°...Sorry. I¡¯ll leave them to you.¡± If Seo Jun-Ho gave them any attention, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to scratch Janabi. He twisted his wrist, trying to slice all the way up to Janabi¡¯s head, but Janabi¡¯s six fingers were already waiting for him. Fwoosh! A jet-ck sword aura covered ck Dragon Fang¡¯s de, and Janabi fumbled to grab it. ¡®He¡¯s trying to block a sword aura with his bare hand? He has to be inexperienced.¡¯ Slice! Janabi¡¯s six fingers flew into the air. ¡®I have to do it now, while he¡¯s still inexperienced! Go for the head!¡¯ Just as the sword was about to reach his face, Janabi opened his mouth wide and bit down on the de with two fangs. - Kiiiii¡­ His anger was rekindled when he saw his fingers twitching on the ground. Crunch! ¡®What¡¯s with his jaw strength?!¡¯ ck Dragon Fang broke in half between Janabi¡¯s teeth. Astonished, Seo Jun-Ho tossed his sword aside and retreated, grabbing a new weapon from his Inventory. Shhhhh! The simple act of retrieving the spear made the temperature drop around them. It was a weapon forged by dwarves and made of Cold Iron, but it was nameless. -...! The moment Seo Jun-Ho pulled out the spear, all the hairs on Janabi¡¯s body stood on end. Although he had been enraptured by pain just a moment before, his six fingers regenerated in an instant. And then, he disappeared. ¡®Is that invisibility¡­ No!¡¯ Arge ice shield formed over Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s left arm and he lowered it to protect his torso. Crack! It shattered in the air as his body was thrown back. Janabi had easily kicked through the thick shield and reached Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s armor. ¡®If White Armor weren¡¯t protecting my entire body, that would have broken my arm.¡¯ Because White Armor was made to be adaptable tobat, it absorbed most of the shock. If it hadn¡¯t, he would have been heavily injured by that attack. ''His attack was still really strong, even though I blocked it properly¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho quickly flipped through the options. Going on the defensive was one option, but it made him picture a boxer being knocked out in the corner of the ring after being cornered. ¡®I can¡¯t just block. I have to attack. I have to interrupt his attacks and hit him with my own.¡¯ It was easy. In theory, yes, it was. Hypothetically, that approach would guarantee victory, and he wouldn¡¯t lose even if he wanted to. However, it wasn¡¯t that simple in reality. No matter how strong someone was, nothing ever went a certain way just because they wished for it. ¡®I can¡¯t read his muscles.¡¯ Though Janabi looked like he was human, he was protected by carapace and fur, so Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t see the way his bones and muscles moved. All he could do was watch the trajectory when Janabi¡¯s attacks came flying in. ¡°Gah!¡± One side of his head started to ring as the Frost Queen summoned ice golems to fight the wasps. Janabi took the opportunity to reach for his neck, nning to rip Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head straight off his body. Seo Jun-Ho swung his spear and tried to cut his hand off, but he failed. Janabi¡¯s regenerated arm had be much stronger than before. ¡®I can freeze them, but I can¡¯t sever them¡­?¡¯ This was bad. Every time Janabi regenerated, his skin would grow tougher and stronger. ng! Seo Jun-Ho was soon pushed into a corner. As he hastily blocked an attack, he started to feel more like a cornered boxer. ¡®Dammit. In the past, I would¡¯ve been able to just use darkness¡¯ defense pration without worrying about anyone seeing.¡¯ ¡­No, wait. Seo Jun-Ho suddenly realized something. ¡®Specter¡¯s protecting me right now!¡¯ He had said that Specter would protect him in ckfield. Since that was the case, he could use Watchguard of Darkness as much as he wanted as long as he made sure he wouldn¡¯t get caught. ¡°...That¡¯s a relief.¡± The moment he realized this, Seo Jun-Ho covered his hands with Frost''s energy. There was a simple way to avoid being seen. During his year at the goshiwon, he had endlessly researched and contemted this technique. ¡°Blind them, Crystal Room.¡± Crackle! A thin structure formed over the roof of the Magic Tower. It resembled a pce, and inside, there were 128 ice mirrors. -... Janabi quickly looked around. He couldn¡¯t sense his prey. - Kiiii¡­ For the first time ever, his eyesight had betrayed him. He could see his reflection in all 128 mirrors. Every time he turned, his reflection turned as well. Up, down, and sideways, all he could see was himself. He got the heavy impression that he was being watched from all sides, and he became agitated. - Tchr. He got the strong feeling that he had to get out of here as soon as possible. Slice! His antenna was cut off. If he hadn¡¯t ducked on instinct, his head would have gone flying. - Kiaaaaaaa! His angry roar echoed and reflected across the mirrors before it faded away. Crack! He punched a mirror, enraged. Crackle! But he had ended up taking the bait, and his arm froze over in an instant. -... Janabi silently severed his arm from the shoulder joint with no hesitation. He was pleased by his new arm, which seemed stronger than thest. - Kii. The next time he saw his prey, he would tear him into pieces. He swore to himself. But when he looked down at his feet, he discovered something. It was a stain. It looked like a small, jet-ck ink blot that had fallen on a piece of paper. But just as it started to draw him in, it covered the entire roof. - Kii?! Not a single ray of light came into this dark ce. Even if he strained his eyes, all he could see were his reflections. - Kyaaaat! As he panicked, Specter¡¯s low, dark voice whispered from beside him. ¡°Curtain of Darkness.¡± As luck would have it, Vita¡¯s clock was pointing to 7:39 PM. [Night has fallen. Hunter¡¯s Night (A) has been activated.] [All stats increased by 10%.] [Your senses have been sharpened.] Chapter 241. Kill the Bee (4)

Chapter 241. Kill the Bee (4)

The man took short steps before he leaped off the ground. He killed a bee in an instant and kicked off from its back to fly into the air. - Kieee! - Chrr, chrr! He took them in before he casually swung his sword in a zigzag motion. There was a loud, satisfying sound as dozens of wasps fell to the ground. The mannded gently and looked up at the sky, expressionless. ¡®There¡¯s no end to this.¡¯ No matter how many he killed, there was no sign that the bees filling the sky were diminishing in number. ¡®It looked like a few hundred of them went to the tower earlier¡­¡¯ He already knew who was in there. The only two Guilds that were free to attack the tower were Goblin and Hallem. ¡®We have to start cleaning up here and enter the tower.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know what was in there. But seeing how there was a powerful auraing from the tower, he assumed that it held the key. ¡°...Hm?¡± He squinted as he stared at the tower, noticing something. ¡®Crystals?¡¯ Something sparkly was raining down from the sky. However, it wasn¡¯t crystals. There was no reason for them to be falling from the sky. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong looked a little higher, and his eyes widened. ¡®Seo Jun-Ho?¡¯ It was the ice elemental user Seo Jun-Ho. He had created a staircase out of ice and was running to the top of the tower. ¡®But why¡­¡¯ It didn¡¯t take long for him to receive an answer. - Kieeeee! Despite the distance, he could feel the powerful cry in his bones. Even though they were so far apart, Kim Woo-Joong felt his soul shake. ¡°Bleghh!¡± ¡°Gah!¡± Several yers started to vomit as it shook their very cores. Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s face fell as he looked around. ¡®What in the world is there¡­?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure of the answer, but he quickly came to a conclusion. Whatever was there, there was no way that Seo Jun-Ho could kill it by himself. ¡®I have to help him.¡¯ Just as he started sprinting toward the tower, the ground started to shake. Rrrrrr! ¡°Dammit! There are bees underground!¡± ¡°What¡­ What kind of monster is this?¡± It was their first time seeing the digger wasps. They had a bizarre appearance, looking like a crossbreed between an insect and an animal. As the fierce monsters attacked, their frontline quickly started to be pushed back. ¡®...What should I do?¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong squinted as he looked up at the tower, eyes shining. Arge shadow had swallowed the roof. His eyes lingered for a second before he turned back to his Guild members, feeling reassured. ¡®I believe in you.¡¯ Specter had entered the battlefield. *** Not just anyone could be called the strongest at any time. When someone truly was the strongest, they stood at the top with nopetition. Slice! So, Specter was the strongest yer. ¡°You can block everything else, but you can¡¯t block this.¡± Slice! Though there were dozens, hundreds of elementals in existence, none of them had the inherent contemptuous nature of darkness, a trait that made it more powerful than all the others. - Kieeeee! Janabi screeched. As he looked down at his regenerated body, there was a quizzical expression on his face. - Kiii? He couldn¡¯t understand. Every time his body regenerated, it would be tougher, stronger, and even more overwhelming than thest. However, his prey didn¡¯t seem to care at all. Seo Jun-Ho would just swing his spear without a second thought. And every time that happened, Janabi¡¯s arms and legs would fall like the dead branches of a tree. - Chrr! It made him distressed. He couldn¡¯t quite understand what was going on, and he felt like it was hurting his reputation as king. ¡®I¡¯m d.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body dissipated like smoke as he easily dodged Janabi¡¯s attack. Night Walking erased all his traces, and he calmly walked toward Janabi. ¡®I¡¯m really, really d.¡¯ The fear Jun-Ho had felt when he first encountered Janabi seemed like so long ago. It hadn¡¯t been long since Janabi was born, so he heavilycked experience. And aside from his impossibly strong regeneration skills, he didn¡¯t really have anything outstanding about him. It wasn¡¯t like he could use an elemental skill like the Frost Queen or had any other superpowers. ¡®There¡¯s only one thing that sets me apart from you.¡¯ It was experience. Seo Jun-Ho was infinitely grateful that he was the first yer Janabi had encountered. ¡®Unfortunately for you, I have more experience fighting yers than you do.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho vowed to kill Janabi. His eyes glinted coldly. -... Janabi started to breathe heavily, and his chest felt tight. He could barely see in this ce, and even then, the space was covered with mirrors from top to bottom, so it only made him dizzy. This situation was maddening enough, but on top of that, his enemy waspletely hidden. -... He couldn¡¯t smell him. He couldn¡¯t hear him. He couldn¡¯t even sense the strange aura that his prey gave off. - Tchrr. At that moment, he finally acknowledged and epted the fact that if things continued like this, the roof could be his grave. -Kiii. And he didn¡¯t want that. He hade to possess the kingly DNA after eating part of the queen, and his instinct didn¡¯t want him to die. ¡®Our race must prosper.¡¯ That simple goal convinced him to keep going. There was only one thing he could do now. - Kirrr! It was to ¡®remember.¡¯ To take the past experiences embedded in his DNA and make them his own. He would master any useful skills from the experiences of the prey that he had eaten today. That was Janabi¡¯s only solution. He stabbed his hand into his forehead. His six fingers started to prod at his brain. - Kii¡­ Kiiii¡­ The pain was indescribable, but Janabi didn¡¯t stop even as he started to drool. He forced the memories and experiences of the yers to resurface. ¡°Goodbye.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s spear stabbed through Janabi¡¯s focused face. He sliced downward, and the darkness-infused de was not met with resistance. Janabi¡¯s body was bisected. ¡®I can¡¯t let my guard down just yet.¡¯ His body was sliced into eight, sixteen, thirty-eight, and sixty-four pieces. Seo Jun-Ho tore him apart into hundreds of pieces. ¡°...¡± He looked nkly down at the pieces of flesh at his feet and frowned. ¡®The message¡­ It isn¡¯t there.¡¯ After he had defeated the Frost Queen, a message immediately appeared. But right now, there was nothing. That could only mean one thing¡­ ¡®He¡¯s not dead.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho invoked the darkness once more and ordered the wolf-shaped shadows. ¡°Clean everything up thoroughly.¡± With that, the wolves dashed toward the pieces of Janabi and started to tear into them. However, their feaststed for only a second. A fang sprouted from a piece of flesh, ripping through a shadow wolf¡¯s neck. ¡°...!¡± The piece of flesh quickly started to grow in size. - Guhhh. It regenerated its body and crawled forward, devouring the other shadows. It slowly stood, and it appeared to have restored its original body. ¡®Something has¡­ changed.¡¯ Firstly, Janabi¡¯s shoulders had be broader. Though Janabi had been small and thin before, his body had be more muscr now. Not only that, but he now had two extra arms on each side. - Kuuuhhh. Janabi gripped his head; it seemed that he still wasn¡¯t fully awake. ¡®If I can even win¡­¡¯ This might be hisst chance to do so. Seo Jun-Ho summoned a great amount of magic, more than he had ever summoned as Specter 26 years ago. ¡°Hup!¡± At the same moment, his chest swelled. With his lungs filled with air, he then exhaled toward Janabi. ¡®Frost Breath!¡¯ Crackle! Everything his breath touched froze into white, Janabi included. Seo Jun-Ho then dashed forward toward Janabi¡¯s crouching figure, his right hand gripping a jet-ck scythe. ¡®I made the Death Scythe bypressing the power thates with its wrathful nature.¡¯ This was one of his three most destructive techniques. ¡®Please, just die with this one¡­!¡¯ He gnashed his teeth and swung as hard as he could in a diagonal line. ¡°...!¡± However, just as the scythe touched the ice, Janabi¡¯s head turned from within it. As soon as Seo Jun-Ho met Janabi¡¯s eyes, he started to panic. ¡®It¡¯s a trap! Should I retreat? Or¡­Should I keep going?¡¯ But it was toote¡­ Even before he could make a decision, his scythe tore into Janabi¡¯s frozen figure. Slice! Janabi¡¯s top half slid off in a diagonal line. Crackle! But as it did, Janabi¡¯s arms broke out of the ice and grabbed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s throat. ¡®So stubborn!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was taken by surprise. But then he realized¡­ ¡®He already knew that he would be dismembered¡­¡¯ And Janabi baited Seo Jun-Ho for this very moment. - Kuuhh! Janabi¡¯s body was regenerated in an instant, and his three fists started to pummel Seo Jun-Ho. Bam! Bam! Bam! Seo Jun-Ho quickly protected his head and maneuvered his body to minimize the damage. However, that wasn¡¯t enough for Janabi. - Kiii! He squeezed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck, making thetter lose his center of gravity. Bam! Janabi sent his fist into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck. ¡®...!¡¯ The force made Seo Jun-Ho reel, and he quickly realized that single attack had fractured his neck. ¡®White Armor¡¯s neck was also destroyed...¡¯ This couldn¡¯t continue... The first thing he had to do was to create distance between them. Before the next attack came, he reached for Janabi¡¯s chest. ¡°Fuck¡­Off!¡± Crackle! Ice poured out of his palms, pushing Janabi out of the Curtain of Darkness. It looked like a frozen hill had appeared on the roof of the tower. - Kikikiki. He became like a pincushion as hundreds of ice shards were stuck in his body, but Janabi wasughing as he stood. After all, he had escaped the nasty Crystal Room and Curtain of Darkness. ¡°Dammit¡­¡± The first thing Seo Jun-Ho did was to create a clone of himself using darkness. He ced it behind him so that it would be safe. ¡®From this moment on, this puppet is Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ Even if someone came up to the roof, they would see Specter fighting Janabi while protecting Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®I can¡¯t let them see that I¡¯m wearing White Armor either.¡¯ Darkness writhed and rose from the ground and started to cover his body. Now, he seemed to be wearing armor made out of thick shadows. Finally, he put on Specter¡¯s mask. ¡°Yes¡­ I suppose Floor Masters aren¡¯t that easy to kill. ¡° - Kishishi. The monster had gathered enough experience in a tiny span of time to trick him. But the bigger problem here was Janabi¡¯s extraordinary regeneration capabilities. If Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t stop it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to kill Janabi. ¡®How can I stop him from regenerating?¡¯ He would have to find out. ¡®I¡¯ll kill him on the cellr level, and if that¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll¡­Huh?¡¯ At that moment, Seo Jun-Ho sensed a familiar aura. ¡°Wow, wowowowowowowow¡­¡± She hade up to the roof with a grim expression on her face, but she became like an idiot when she saw Specter. ¡°S-S-S-S-Specter-nim¡­!¡± It was Gong Ju-Ha. Chapter 242. Kill the Bee (5)

Chapter 242. Kill the Bee (5)

¡°Wait¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho was caught off-guard to the point that he couldn¡¯t even speak. The only thought in his head was ¡®what in the world was she thinking?¡¯ ¡®That idiot! Can she not sense Janabi¡¯s aura?¡¯ He was well aware of how big of a fan she was of Specter, but aside from that, Gong Ju-Ha was still a veteran yer. She would never turn her back to an enemy just to stare at someone else. ¡®So why is she being so reckless¡­¡¯ He started to get a strange feeling, so he immediately moved. ¡®Shadow Movement.¡¯ He melted into the shadow at his feet and appeared behind Gong Ju-Ha. He grabbed her waist and quickly dove away. ¡°Kyaaa!¡± m! Bits of rock flew into the air in the ce where they had been standing, creating a thick cloud of dust. The strike had been so powerful that part of the roof had crumbled. - Kiii. Janabi sounded disappointed. Once Seo Jun-Ho saw Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s lips opening and closing like a goldfish, he realized what was going on. ¡®I see. She can¡¯t sense him at all.¡¯ That meant that Janabi was hiding his aura almostpletely. It made him shiver. Janabi had known nothing before, but now, he understood what it was like to learn. - Kishishi. It was clear who the monster on the roof had learned from. ¡®...It was me.¡¯ Janabi had created a simr technique almost immediately after seeing Seo Jun-Ho use Night Walking just once. ¡®His talent is absolutely outstanding.¡¯ Was it talent, though? Could something like this be described as something as simple as talent? The frustration of it all made his chest feel tight. ¡°S-Specter-nim¡­What¡¯s going on¡­?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked, staring at the broken part of the roof. She still didn¡¯t understand what was happening. Seo Jun-Ho carefully ced her down with one arm. ¡°The enemy is here. He¡¯s hiding his appearance and presence right now,¡± he exined. ¡°...Really? I don¡¯t see anything.¡± She scanned the roof with wide eyes, but she couldn¡¯t see Janabi. ¡°You will only get in the way right now. Go down,¡± he warned her. Though it was true that she would be a distraction, he was more worried than anything else. ¡®It would be crazy to fight Janabi while protecting both the Seo Jun-Ho puppet as well as Ju-Ha. I have to make her go back.¡¯ However, Janabi wouldn¡¯t care about his concerns. - Kishishishi. Janabi stared at her as heughed, his gaze leery. ¡®Should I send her back with Shadow Movement?¡¯ SeoJun-Ho shook his head. It would take a lot of magic power to use it on someone else. In the end, he simply frowned and ced Gong Ju-Ha behind him. ¡°I-if you just tell me where he is, I can provide support! I¡¯m a fire user, so I can help you,¡± she piped up. ¡°Help¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho fell deep into thought. ¡®Yes, Captain Gong¡¯s mes might be able to harm him.¡¯ Fire was often used to counter regenerative abilities. If the cells themselves were burned away, it would be impossible to regenerate. ¡®That¡¯s not a bad idea. But¡­It¡¯s too dangerous.¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha still wasn¡¯t strong enough to take on a Floor Master like Janabi. At least, that was what Seo Jun-Ho thought, based on his own experience of fighting the Frost Queen. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. Go back.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m a yer too, you know.¡± Gong Ju-Ha pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯ve always respected your heroism, and I¡¯ve lived my whole life trying to follow in your steps. I promise I won¡¯t get in the way.¡± ¡°...My heroism, you say.¡± Specter gave a bitter smile. It might seem like heroism to others, but he had only gotten this far through sacrifice. They could only see it as such because they had only seen the results of his actions. He sorted his thoughts and looked around the roof. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t regret this?¡± he asked. ¡°I left all those feelings on the 1st floor.¡± ¡°Good. Do you know how a go board looks?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t¡­¡± she stammered, sounding surprised. ¡°How about chess?¡± ¡°I know a bit. Just a little bit¡­¡± She trailed off. ¡°From this moment on, think of the roof as a chessboard.¡± ¡°A chessboard¡­¡± Her eyes widened, and she quickly scanned the roof tiles. ¡°The horizontal axis is the alphabet, and the vertical axis is in numbers, correct?¡± ¡°The horizontal axis will go from 1A to 10Z, and the vertical one will go from 1 to 260.¡± The roof of the Magic Tower was made up of 260x260 tiles, with the edges being slightly cut off by its round shape. Since the alphabet had 26 letters, going from 1A to 10Z would make up exactly 260 tiles. ¡°I¡¯ve memorized them.¡± ¡°Alright. Then when I give you a tile¡­ Release your mes.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± It was the first time he had seen her be so obedient. With her eyes sparkling, this was the most enthusiastic he had ever seen her since they first met. ¡°7B-129.¡± Gong Ju-Ha didn¡¯t hesitate. She seemed to have actually remembered all the tiles and summoned her mes. Fwoooosh! They shot out straight like a hand, quickly hitting the target. Startled, Janabi twisted out of the way. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me.¡± Dark fangs shout out of the ground and started to gorge on Janabi¡¯s body. ¡°7A-126.¡± ¡°On it!¡± Bam! Fwooosh! A giant pir of mes shot up from the tile, and a sharp cry filled the air. - Kieeeee! Kiiiiiii! This was probably the first time Janabi felt something so hot. ¡°Make it even hotter. Hot enough so that his cells will burn,¡± Seo Jun-Ho requested. ¡°I-I¡¯ll try.¡± As sweat dripped down Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face, the pir exploded. Fwoooosh! It grew bigger and bigger, and it became much stronger than the fire Seo Jun-Ho had seen in Las Vegas. ¡®It¡¯s enough to light up ckfield¡­ She has gotten stronger since then.¡¯ However, his admiration onlysted for a second. Right now, the only thing that mattered was hurting Janabi. - Kiiiiiii! Kiyaaaaa! It was working. However, he could still endure it. Behind the mes, Janabi¡¯s ck silhouette writhed, seemingly trying to escape from the fangs of darkness. However, Seo Jun-Ho had spread them out, stabbing through Janabi¡¯s body several times to keep him more firmly in ce. ¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting him go. We have to end this before he learns something new.¡¯ ¡°Hotter,¡± he urged once again. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Gong Ju-Ha squeezed her eyes shut as she summoned all the magic power in her body and concentrated only on raising the temperature. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ Changing color.¡¯ The mes started to shift through different colors. Though it was a mix of red and yellow before, the roots quickly started to be white. ¡®White fire.¡¯ Even though he was quite a ways away, his armor and skin would have started to melt from the sweltering heat if he wasn¡¯t using magic to protect himself. She couldn¡¯t create blue fire, the hottest type of fire, but this was enough. Janabi¡¯s silhouette started to slow down within those beautiful, violent mes. ¡®I think he has given up on running away. He¡¯s only focusing on regeneration.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho put the nameless spear away into his inventory and walked toward Janabi, holding jet-ck scythes in each hand. ¡®This isn¡¯t a game.¡¯ If it were a game, there wouldn¡¯t be friendly fire, but this was reality. Every time he got closer to the pir of fire, the dangerous heat made him want to fall back. However, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t stop. ¡®I can do this.¡¯ Fwoooosh! The fire burned at the darkness covering his body, trying to ward him away. However, Seo Jun-Ho keptyering his body with shadows as he proceeded to the pir of mes. - Kiii¡­ He was only 5 meters away from Janabi. At this distance, Seo Jun-Ho was sure that he could destroy Janabi on the cellr level. ¡®Let¡¯s finish this before he learns something new and things be even moreplicated.¡¯ He crossed the two scythes, and the muscles in his body swelled as he cut Janabi¡¯s body in an X-shape. However, his hands didn¡¯t stop there. ¡®Make it so that he won¡¯t be able to regenerate again.¡¯ He cut, cut, cut, and kept cutting. His concentration climbed without a limit. Janabi was quickly reduced to the size of dust, but he kept going. Seo Jun-Ho was long past the point of simply cutting Janabi¡¯s flesh¡ªhe was now hunting Janabi down with his aura. ¡°...¡± Finally, Seo Jun-Ho stopped his dance and lowered his hands. The scythes melted through his hands like sand, their job done. ¡°Huff, huff¡­!¡± Gong Ju-Ha was drenched in sweat after exhausting so much magic energy in thest ten minutes. Even as her body started to sway from the anemia, she kept up her mes so she could help. But unfortunately for her, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t pay attention to such trivial things. ¡®Why¡­ Why isn¡¯t it showing up this time either?¡¯ There was no message saying that Janabi had been defeated. At this point, any other yer would have been certain of Janabi¡¯s death. However, Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t be sure, as the message wasn¡¯t there. ¡®Why?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho immediately tried to recall the battle. He started to imagine what he would do to survive if he were Janabi. ¡®He treated me like a teacher and gained skills and experience.¡¯ So, what did Janabi learn? ¡®He would have learned how to bait an opponent. And even though he can¡¯t use mes, he even stole Night Walking.¡¯ However, Night Walking could only be fully used with Watchguard of Darkness. Though Gong Ju-Ha hadn¡¯t been able to sense him after he hid his presence, it wouldn¡¯t work on Seo Jun-Ho or on the Heavens of the Nine Heavens. ¡®What else?¡¯ If Janabi had stolen even more of his techniques, what would he be able to use? ¡°...¡± Keen Intuition alerted him of something. Seo Jun-Ho slowly turned around. Behind him, Gong Ju-Ha was gasping like she was about to faint. And behind her stood the Seo Jun-Ho puppet¡­ ¡°...No.¡± If, by chance, Janabi had learned from this, he could fool his opponent with a clone. - Kishishishi. ¡°Dammit!¡± Seo Jun-Ho shouted, and his body faded like smoke. As his body became the darkness, he started toward Gong Ju-Ha as fast as he could go. ¡®When he broke part of the roof, the dust was thick.¡¯ What if Janabi had made a clone at that time? And what if his real body had fallen to the lower floors through the hole he had created? ¡®He¡¯d go after Captain Gong because her skill is most effective against him!¡¯ She was too far. With his skill, he could reach Gong Ju-Ha in the blink of an eye. But today, it felt like an eternity. An unpleasant sound rang in his ears. He could see Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face through his pounding heart and blurry vision. She was drenched in the sweat she hated so much, and her face was white as a sheet of paper. ¡°...Huh?¡± She slowly looked down at her chest. She could see a scorpion tail with a stinger at the end sprouting up from the floor below. ¡®Why is that¡­¡¯ She didn¡¯t understand why it was poking out of her chest. The flesh around it started to grow hot. ¡®But I don¡¯t like the heat¡­¡¯ She forced her eyes open and looked forward. She had always wanted to meet Specter, and now, he was sprinting toward her as a shadow. ¡®When this is over¡­I wonder¡­ Would he take a picture with me?¡¯ He probably would. She had gone through so much to help him. A small smile appeared on her face at the thought of that. And bright red blood poured out between her smiling lips¡­ ¡°Gong Ju-Ha!!!¡± Someone shouted. For some reason, that voice sounded familiar. ¡®Wait¡­ Darkness¡­ And ice¡­?¡¯ Through the haze, she could see Specter using two elemental skills as he shot something out. ¡®What a weird dream¡­¡¯ And with that, her heavy eyes finally closed. The pir of fire that had once illuminated ckfield disappeared as if it had never been there at all. Chapter 243. Kill the Bee (6)

Chapter 243. Kill the Bee (6)

- Kiii! He did it! As Janabi shot through the floor and onto the roof, heughed with his lips stretched. He now had a scorpion-like stinger protruding from his tailbone. - Kihihi. He looked gleefully at the prey pierced at the end. It had been very annoying for his regeneration skills, but it had lost in the end. -Kihihihihi! Heughed giddily at his victory. Janabi ced Gong Ju-Ha down and pulled out his stinger. His white stinger had started to stain purple from all the blood. - Kihi, kihihihi. Janabi jumped in excitement as he imagined something funny. Once Specter saw how he had overpowered his prey and stabbed it with his stinger, what would his face look like? The stinger was covered in a substance that would put its target to sleep. It seemed to nod like it was a sentient creature. - Tchrr, Wooosh! Its tail flew toward Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s head. Crackle! However, the stinger froze over. At the same moment, the shadows wavered in front of him, creating a humanoid shape. -...! It was Specter. Janabi froze as soon as he was met with Specter¡¯s mask. Obviously, he couldn¡¯t see thetter¡¯s eyes. But somehow, Janabi got the feeling that his opponent¡¯s gaze was piercing his body. He pictured his body being shredded into a thousand pieces. The mere thought of that was enough to make his entire body freeze up. - Kii¡­ Specter¡¯s hands exuded the energy of darkness and ice, one on each side. They instantly pushed into Janabi¡¯s chest. His body flew to the opposite end of the roof, rolling several times on the wet roof. It was covered with the remnants of the ice castle that Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s me pir had melted. ¡°Please, please open your eyes, Gong Ju-Ha.¡± He stared at her silently. She looked like a sleeping doll. Blood was flowing out of therge hole in her chest like a waterfall, and he could see the shreds of her damaged organs. Crackle. He quickly froze her injuries and grit his teeth. ¡°I promise. I won¡¯t let you die. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll save you.¡± Suddenly, Specter realized that he had be worked up. It wasn¡¯t like him. ¡®...Maybe she¡¯s grown on me.¡¯ They had already known each other for over a year. She wasn¡¯t someone he could hate. With the way she exuded positive energy, there weren¡¯t many people in the world who could. ¡®She has helped me out a lot as well.¡¯ But still, these kinds of emotions weren¡¯t befitting of Specter. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± He gently closed his eyes, and the memories started to surface. The reason why he ended up working all alone at some point. The reason why he didn¡¯t have a single teammate before he met the other 5 Heroes. ¡®The people around me always fall into danger.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a matter of bad luck, either. It was because Specter only ever went to dangerous ces. However, he was still human. If he didn¡¯t have to go, if everyone would still be happy if he didn¡¯t go, of course, he wouldn¡¯t want to go to those ces. ¡®...But that had never been a choice.¡¯ In the end, safety and happiness were only ever built on someone else¡¯s sacrifice. And in the past, Specter had built the foundation for everyone else¡¯s happiness with his own sacrifice. ¡®There was no one but me.¡¯ In the past, there were barely any yers strong enough to stand on his level. However, there were weaker ones who followed him. And Specter didn¡¯t hate hardworking people. ¡®It was the worst.¡¯ He would lead them as they went around Gates. Then, his friends, party members, andrades would die. One day, as he was wrapping his formerrades in white and lowering them to the ground, he made a decision. ¡®I won¡¯t make any more.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t make any morerades. He wouldn¡¯t make any more friends. He wouldn¡¯t make any more rtionships at all.¡¯ ¡®I won¡¯t be able to protect them, anyway. And they¡¯ll all die before I do.¡¯ He decided that he would stop getting attached to people. ¡®But why am I acting like an idiot after all this time¡­?¡¯ ¡­He had overestimated himself. After his return, the new world he had encountered seemed so simple, and yes, it was simple. That was why he had forgotten about the feelings that had driven him to make such a decision¡ªabout the mindset and determination that had made him interact with people the way he had always done. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault.¡± He thought that it would be easier to kill Janabi with Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s help. And it was true. She was famous for having the hottest mes in the world, after all. Not only that, but she had even gone beyond her limits while fighting Janabi and created white mes. If that had been Janabi¡¯s real body and not a clone, they actually would have won. ¡®I will repay this debt, no matter what.¡¯ He ced her down carefully onto the ground as if she were a fragile crystal. Her body was covered in ayer of darkness and ayer of ice on top of that. ¡°...¡± Specter slowly stood up and turned around. He looked at Janabi, who was shaking the water off his body like a wet rat. ¡®He¡¯s a Floor Master.¡¯ An impossibly strong monster that would always surpass the expectations of yers. Specter admitted that he had been too idle. Back when he had killed the Frost Queen, he had be a monster himself. He had fought with his life on the line as if his life didn¡¯t matter to him. ¡®But now, I¡­¡¯ Now, he was human. A human who was boundlessly weak. So, he made up his mind once more. ¡®I will be a monster...¡¯ To kill a monster¡­ - Kiiii! Bam! Janabi stomped roughly on the ground. The fact that he had caved momentarily under his prey¡¯s gaze left a big scratch on his ego. He started slow, and then he shot toward Specter. ¡°I¡¯ve only done this once¡­¡± Specter muttered as he stood over Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s body. ¡®I¡¯ve run hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of simtions in my head at the Goshiwon.¡¯ He had invented enemies in his head and tried it several times against them. But even at his peak condition, there was only one time that he was able to use this technique. ¡®This is the strongest attack I can use right now.¡¯ And if he failed, he would die. It was a dangerous double-edged sword. Specter watched as Janabi ran toward him, and then he raised his hand. ¡®I¡¯m putting my life on the line.¡¯ All the magic energy he was using to maintain Overclocking receded like a tide. It felt very refreshing, considering that he had maintained this state ever since he reached a full understanding of the technique, including the year he had spent in the Goshiwon. ¡®Gather every single drop of magic.¡¯ He put all his focus on concentrating the energy. Overclocking had warmed up his magic circuits, and now, they were working even harder than before. As a great amount of magic energy was concentrated, a powerful gust kicked in, making the air vibrate. ¡°...Contractor?¡± The Frost Queen sensed the energy in the middle of fighting the wasps and looked toward the roof. He had never used this technique on an enemy before. This meant Janabi was powerful enough that Seo Jun-Ho had to put his life on the line. ¡°...¡± All she could do was bite down on her lip and silently cheer him on. ¡°I will not allow a single bee to reach you.¡± When the Frost Queen thrust her small body into battle, Janabi was still running across the roof. - Kii? He had sensed it as well. He saw that his prey was using some kind of amazing technique. There was so much magic that it was enough to overwhelm even his kingly body. He wondered what Specter was making with such a great amount of magic energy, but his fear was stronger than his curiosity. - Kii?! Yes, fear. Janabi finally realized what he had felt before. When he had frozen like a mouse in front of a snake, it was because he was fearful of his opponent. - Kii¡­! King. He was the king. He led ten thousand insects, and he would lead his species into prosperity by taking over the world. He couldn¡¯t afford to lose, and he didn¡¯t think he could. Swoosh! Janabi flung his stinger without hesitation. And somehow, it pierced Specter¡¯s torso. - Kii?! Even Janabi was surprised by how defenseless he was, despite being the one who had sent the attack. Specter had been gathering magic, but now, he slowly opened his hand. Ssshhh! There were two overwhelming magic energies¡ªdarkness and ice. There was no way they could mix, but they had folded over and over again to create something in his hand. -...Kii? It was a flower made of ck ice; it was transparent and sparkling. -... Janabi¡¯s eyes filled with confusion. Other than the fact that the two powerful energies had been concentrated down to a small object, he didn¡¯t sense any danger from it at all. He didn¡¯t even sense any destructive energy from the flower. - Kii. It was his victory. He had won. His prey had lost his mind with fear and had done something crazy in his final moments. At least, that was what Janabi thought. ¡°...It¡¯s much more beautiful than I thought.¡± Specter looked down at the flower in his hand. It was much more beautiful than it was in the thousands of simtions he had run through his head. ¡°Moon Eye.¡± The evening primrose¡ªalso known as the moon-watching flower[1] curled up when the sun rose and bloomed once the moon rose. The people who had witnessed it described it as a fairy opening its eyes in the darkness.[2] -... Janabi stared at the fairy, entranced. He couldn¡¯t sense any power from it, but he couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away from it, as it gave off a strange, dreamy aura. He reached up to touch it as if possessed. Fwoosh! The petals scattered. He didn¡¯t know how the small flower could have so many petals, but all Janabi could see were the ck petals. -...! He started to feel a sense of ecstasy. The heart of his ancient ancestors was embedded in his DNA, and it rejoiced. Before their food had gone extinct, they had been indistinguishable from normal bees. Crackle. The jet-ck petals brushed past his skin as they started to cover his body. Every time they did, he felt warm andfortable. He felt extremely tired, and he felt like he would fall asleep. His eyes slowly started to close. ¡°Bleghh!¡± Specter vomited dead, ck blood. The ce where Janabi¡¯s stinger had stabbed him had already turned dark blue. He wiped the blood off his lips and nced toward Janabi, who was covered in ck ice. ¡®Breathe in. Breathe out.¡¯ Moon Eye had exceeded his expectations. In the beginning, he had merely tried to mix Watchguard of Darkness and Frost just for fun. But after having a long conversation with the Frost Queen, he came to learn that it was a much more powerful technique. ¡®Frost, which can freeze anything and everythingyered with Watchguard of Darkness and its scornful power.¡¯ Moon Eye was the result of that. It was a technique that froze his opponent down to their cells and every particle. It didn¡¯t matter how great their regeneration ability was or if they had elemental resistance. They would be entranced by the beautiful, unassuming flower, unable to dodge the attack filled with the scornful power of darkness. [Congrattions! You have defeated the Frontier Area Boss, Janabi.] [You have received the title ¡®Exterminator¡¯.] [Safe zones will now appear in the Frontier Area.] [The 3rd floor Balbortan has opened.] [Please hang on until you reach the final floor.] ¡°Huff¡­Cough, cough.¡± With his magic exhausted, Specter no longer had the strength to maintain his armor of darkness. His dusty White Armor came into view, and he took off the mask. ¡°Hurry¡­¡± He wrapped Janabi¡¯s nucleus with a thick cloth and put it into his Inventory with the mask. ¡®It won¡¯t be good if I touch it and fall into a deep slumber again.¡¯ As blood started to pour from his mouth again, he quickly froze his abdomen. ¡°Hurry¡­Hurry¡­¡± He picked up the princess lying on the ground and stumbled forward. However, he couldn¡¯t go any further than a few steps before he lost his bnce and fell forward. His willpower wasn¡¯t enough to keep him moving, considering that the poison had started to spread throughout his body. ¡®Haa¡­Ha¡­ Every time he blinked, his vision became darker and smaller. Pat pat. Just then, he felt a small hand stroking his bloodsoaked hair. ¡°You did a very, very good job. I am proud of you, Contractor. ¡°Not¡­ the time¡­¡± ¡°Do not fret. I have already¡­¡± The sound of many footsteps filled his ears. And a momentter, he saw someone approach as he lifted his head. ¡°...Move them to my tent immediately. We have to treat them right away.¡± ¡®The Schumern¡­Saintess¡­¡¯ The light was shining down on her back, and she took off her hood. That was thest thing Seo Jun-Ho saw before everything went ck. 1. The Korean word for evening primrose reads as ¡®moon eye flower¡¯, in reference to the fact that it only blooms when it sees the moon. ¡®Moon-watching flower¡¯ is a separate name from ¡®moon eye flower¡¯ and uses a different spelling. ? 2. The evening primrose is bright yellow, so it stands out in the dark. ? Chapter 244. Those Who Stay, Those Who Leave (1)

Chapter 244. Those Who Stay, Those Who Leave (1)

¡°...¡± An unfamiliar ceiling came into view. Every time Seo Jun-Ho blinked, his hazy vision became clearer. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake.¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s face suddenly popped up. Even now, she still looked like a doll. Seo Jun-Ho stared at her for a second, then closed his eyes. ¡°...How many days has it been?¡± he asked. ¡°Seven days. I thought you were dead.¡± ¡°I just woke up, and you¡¯re already being rude¡­¡± he muttered. He noticed how soft the mattress felt under his body. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like a cot in a tent¡­ Where are we?¡± ¡°We are in a city called Denver. You once dined here with Skaya, did you not?¡± ¡°...¡± So they had safely made it out of ckfield. Relieved, Seo Jun-Ho tried to sit up. ¡°Ugh!¡± However, his face contorted as pain shot through his body. It felt like he was being ripped apart. Heid back down. ¡°Pfft, not a chance. The Saintess said that it was a miracle that you were even alive. Because¡­¡± The Frost Queen couldn¡¯t hide her smile as she pressed her finger into his chest. It was enough to make him feel like he was going to die. Seo Jun-Ho screamed. ¡°Fufu, I have defeated you. This is revenge for 26 years ago,¡± the Frost Queen dered. ¡°...¡± Why was she so excited when her Contractor was in so much pain? ¡°And ording to the words of the priest who came in with the Saintess¡­¡± She folded one small finger on each hand, imitating the priest. ¡°Eek, there¡¯s not a single drop of magic in his body! How is he still alive?¡± ¡°Gasp! He has overdosed on poison. How is he still alive?¡± ¡°Wait, he¡¯s not just a typical patient? You¡¯re telling me that he fought¡­ Really? Just how great is his willpower? And how is he still alive? ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked tired. But that soon passed, and he slowly approached the question he had been afraid to ask. ¡°...What about Gong Ju-Ha?¡± ¡°That fox.¡± The Frost Queen let out a light sigh and shook her head. ¡°They say that she is still in aa. But they have sessfully finished treating her, so it should only be a matter of time until she awakens.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± It made sense. They had suffered the same injury after being stabbed through the chest by Janabi¡¯s poisonous stinger. ¡®At least the treatment was sessful.¡¯ His face grew gloomy, but the Frost Queen flicked his forehead. ¡°Ow!¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t even move his arm to rub his forehead. He scowled. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°What do you think? It is punishment for your recklessness.¡± The Frost Queen sulked. ¡°I told you, did I not? Moon Eye is too hard on your body to use right now.¡± ¡°...I know. But I had no other choice.¡± Janabi was strong. To be precise, he was much stronger than Seo Jun-Ho. If he hadn¡¯t gambled with Moon Eye, he would have lost. ¡°To be honest, I had my doubts even when I used it. I wasn¡¯t sure if it would be able to kill him,¡± Jun-Ho admitted. Moon Eye was a technique that required him to use every drop of magic energy within him. After using it, he would have to rest for at least a few weeks because of the burden it put on his body. ¡®And not only that¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and inspected his insides. The first thing he noticed was his magic circuits. ¡°Tch.¡± Usually, they were so well-maintained that they were even shining. But right now, they looked very worn out and had scars all over the ce. This was the consequence of forcefully summoning all his magic power. ¡°...You are human. You are not the main character of aic or movie. You will not receive a power-up at a decisive moment, and you won¡¯t be able to defeat your enemies without consequences,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°I know. I knew that when I did it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled after seeing the ruined state of his body. His reliable muscles had been shredded to pieces, and his great reservoir of magic power had been reduced to a mere puddle. In other words, his body had be trash. ¡°For the time being, you should focus only on resting and stabilizing, at least until your body has recovered somewhat.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not gonna push myself when my body¡¯s like this.¡± To be exact, he didn¡¯t even know what he could do in his current state. Forget grinding; he didn¡¯t even think he could even work as a cashier at the moment. ¡°Oh, right! I just remembered.¡± The Frost Queen pped, recalling something. ¡°Do you know?¡± ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°Do you know who the Schumern Saintess is?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I should thank her. And how would I know who she is?¡± ¡°Fufu, I think you do. Actually, you¡¯ll be in trouble if you don¡¯t.¡± the Frost Queen teased, giggling. ¡°Is she someone I know¡­? If she¡¯s a woman¡­¡± He thought for a second. ¡°Skaya¡­?¡± The Frost Queen stoppedughing, and her face grew serious. ¡°Contractor, I was referring to the Saintess. The Saintess, not a witch or a madwoman.¡±[1] ¡°I just guessed because I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re really saying that I know who the Schumern Saintess is?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked once more. ¡°Well, you will realize once you see her, so I will not tell you for now. You will be shocked.¡± Just as the Frost Queen finished speaking, there was a knock on the door, and two people came in. ¡°W-woah! Y-you¡¯re awake! How are you awake?!¡± the priest cried out. The Saintess calmed him down. ¡°Calm down. I said that he should wake up around today,¡± she said. ¡°But I didn¡¯t know that zombie would wake up today¡­¡± ¡°...Who are you calling a zombie? We¡¯re in front of the patient, so please watch your words.¡± Huh? This voice¡­ Seo Jun-Ho squinted. ¡®What¡¯s this? She sounds really familiar. This cold, firm-toned voice¡­ Where did I hear it?¡¯ As he pondered this, the Saintess approached him. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re the Schumern Saintess-nim¡­Correct?¡± ¡°A-ahem!¡± She cleared her throat, seemingly embarrassed. She furtively looked away and nodded. Unsurprisingly, her aloof yet tender aura was befitting of a saintess. But¡­ ¡®Why is she dressed like that?¡¯ She looked suspicious. Very suspicious. Likest time, she was wearing a white priest robe with a hood over her head. But below it¡­ ¡®Sunsses and a ck mask?¡¯ He didn¡¯t think she was wearing thisst time. As he stared, she covered her face with her hands, even though it was already hidden. ¡°P-please don¡¯t look at me with that piercing gaze.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± She must be sensitive to the eyes of others. Already forgetting that her voice sounded familiar, Seo Jun-Ho asked, ¡°Objectively, what do you think of the state of my body?¡± ¡°Mm, well. You could say¡­ it¡¯splete trash.¡± She didn¡¯t hold back her scathing remarks. And then words started pouring out of her like a waterfall. ¡°Why did you keep fighting until you became like this? There were Heavens of the Nine Heavens there. Did you know that you would have died if I hade just a little bitter? You¡¯re lucky I had been in the area. I don¡¯t know why you always do this to yourself. I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m pretty sure I told you not to push yourself¡­¡± She muttered thest part to herself so Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t hear her, but he was sure of one thing. ¡®She¡¯s very angry at me...¡¯ It was probably because she hadn¡¯t seen a patient in such an extreme state for some time. Heughed bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I had no other choice.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have a choice this time either? Then when will you have a choice?¡± She was absolutely fuming. But all Seo Jun-Ho could do was apologize once again. Either way, she had saved his life. ¡°I promise to repay you someday,¡± he said. ¡°No thanks. You can repay me by not getting injured and living a healthy life.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll start the treatment.¡± Her hands started to glow. As soon as her hands smoothed down his body, he felt like his pain was being washed away. ¡°Wait¡­¡± He was sure he had experienced this refreshing sensation before. He could remember that, at the least. ¡°Saintess-nim, were you working at Hanguk Hospitalst year?¡± ¡°N-no. I¡¯ve never eveeen been near there. Really.¡± She shook her head vigorously. ¡®Yeah, I suppose they did tell me they just gave me some basic nutrients. That¡¯s what Miss Cha Si-Eun said.¡¯ He understood now. ¡°So what happened to themission in the end?¡± he asked. ¡°It was a sess. It was easy after the boss was killed.¡± Without their king, the bees were nothing but mobs. No matter how many of them there were, no matter how strong they were, it didn¡¯t matter as there were three Heavens in ckfield. Working with the elite fighters of the Big 6, they cleaned them up until there wasn¡¯t a single bee left. ¡°And now, they¡¯ve gone to the capital to receive their reward,¡± the Saintess said. ¡°...I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have a strong desire for a reward. In the first ce, the only reason he was able to get into ckfield was that he was a mercenary for Hallem. His contributions would probably be attributed to the guild. ¡°Mr. Milphage sends his thanks,¡± she said. She gave a brief summary of what happened. After finishing off the bees, the Heavens came up to the roof and were shocked by the flower. They couldn¡¯t believe how much destructive force Moon Eye had. They also felt ashamed and med themselves. If they had fought Janabi instead of Seo Jun-Ho and Gong Ju-Ha, the two of them wouldn¡¯t have sustained such injuries. ¡°Mr. Milphage said that even though you contributed to the battle, he would give the corpse to Specter-nim because he did most of the work.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Good. He would need the corpse to use Confession of the Dead on Janabi. ¡°By the way, the body is being held at the yer Association on the 1st floor.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± It was much easier to store it on the 1st floor because the 1st floor didn¡¯t have unpredictable fiends like on the 2nd floor. The Saintess finished her treatment and stood up. ¡°Despite what happened, you, Miss Ju-Ha, and Specter-nim have ushered in a new age.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You¡¯re a very interesting person, you know.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. The way she said it sounded like she had been watching over him for a long time. She let out a lightugh. ¡°Ever since you became a yer, I feel like the strings of destiny have started to unravel.¡± He had been the first one to clear the Cave of Trials after several decades, and his skill had brought Specter and the 5 Heroes back. He had been merely a cog in the machine, but now, he had even opened the 3rd floor. ¡°Please know that there are always those looking out for you and cheering you on.¡± Because of the sunsses and mask, he couldn¡¯t see any part of the suspicious saintess¡¯s face, but his heart felt warm from her support. ¡°Thank you...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± With that, she left the room. Seo Jun-Ho stared up at the ceiling for an hour before he managed to sit up. He got ready to leave. 1. In Korean, saintess, witch, and madwomen all rhyme with each other and sound simr. ? Chapter 245. Those Who Stay, Those Who Leave (2)

Chapter 245. Those Who Stay, Those Who Leave (2)

There were many people gathered at ckfield¡ªor rather, the ce that had been called ckfield until a few days ago. To the imperial schrs, the ecology that had been inessible for hundreds of years was a precious treasure. Of course, other than the citizens of Frontier, there were also yers. They were gathered at the top of the Magic Tower, lost in thought. ¡°Hm.¡± Among them was Shin Sung-Hyun. He stroked his chin. As he scanned the roof again, a movie yed in his head. ¡®The bees¡¯ king was powerful. It had simr abilities to the mutant I had killed.¡¯ Regeneration. And because he was the king, Janabi¡¯s regeneration abilities had to be much stronger. ¡®Ju-Ha¡¯s mes activated twice. Once here, and once over there.¡¯ He looked down at the soot-ckened floor and continued his analysis. ¡®Janabi was hit with two of her attacks¡­¡¯ And Janabi remained unscathed. What had killed him, in the end, was an attack of darkness fused with ice. ¡®That means there are two possibilities.¡¯ Either Janabi¡¯s regeneration skills were powerful enough to withstand Ju-Ha¡¯s mes. ¡®Or¡­¡¯ Sung-Hyun turned his head toward Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s dried bloodstains. ¡®He possessed another ability that allowed him to ambush them in that state.¡¯ There were many possibilities. Invisibility, sensory disruption, division, clones, revival¡­ ¡®It¡¯s also possible that he possessed abination of those abilities.¡¯ That was the only possible exnation. The Gong Ju-Ha he knew was a veteran among veterans, and yet she had left her back open. ¡®The king came up through this hole. After that, someone saved Ju-Ha.¡¯ He took a step back, picturing what happened next. After being stabbed through the chest by the king¡¯s poisonous stinger, the one who had saved her was¡­ ¡®Specter.¡¯ There was a simple reason as to why he thought it was Specter and not Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Whoever it was made it all the way over here. yer Seo Jun-Ho would have been unable to do that.¡¯ His logic was wless. ¡°And then¡­¡± After that came the first crack in his reasoning. The picture in his head grew foggy, like scratched tape. ¡®...Something¡¯s off. I can¡¯t shake this feeling.¡¯ After Specter saved Gong Ju-Ha, Seo Jun-Ho had also been stabbed by the stinger in the same ce they were standing. ¡®Does that mean that Specter used Seo Jun-Ho as a shield? But why?¡¯ There was no reason for him to do that. He needed Seo Jun-Ho no matter what to save hisrades. ¡®If he used him as a shield on purpose, Jun-Ho would not have lent him his power at thest moment.¡¯ The remnants of Moon Eye had yet to melt even after several days had passed. Instead of melting under the sun, the ck ice reflected light like a crystal. ¡®That means¡­ Both Specter and Jun-Ho were defenseless when they activated this technique, and the king aimed for Jun-Ho at that moment. Is that it?¡¯ However, this was where things gotplicated. ¡®The battle was so intense that they had to put their lives on the line. So why did Specter not spill a single drop of blood?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know. At this point, his theory started to go adrift. ¡°Hm.¡± Of course, he could try to fit the pieces together if he wanted to. ording to the records, Specter was the type of person to prioritize killing the enemy over saving his allies. ¡®That would also exin why he couldn¡¯t protect either of them.¡¯ However, Shin Sung-Hyun couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it wasn¡¯t the whole story. ¡®Actually, there¡¯s one possibility that would easily exin everything¡­¡¯ However, he couldn¡¯t even bring himself to say it. ¡°Hm?¡± At that moment, Wei Chun-Hak and Kim Woo-Joong stepped onto the roof. ¡°Are you Heavens that curious about Specter¡¯s skills?¡± Wei Chun-Hak said, chuckling with a cigarette between his teeth. ¡°You also came here because you were curious, did you not?¡± ¡°Yeah, actually. I¡¯m really curious.¡± There wasn¡¯t much to say after he had acknowledged it. Kim Woo-Joong didn¡¯t pay any mind to the other two. He simply stared at the way Moon Eye had scattered, unmoving. ¡°Darkness and ice, together in harmony¡­¡±[1] He closed his eyes and gripped the handle of his sword as he recalled that day. How would he handle this technique if it were aimed at him? The hand on his sword grew mmy. ¡°...It wouldn¡¯t be easy. Currently, Specter¡¯s abilities are almostparable to the Nine Heavens,¡± he said. ¡°Well, he got help from Seo Jun-Ho, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that strong¡­But I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that much weaker than us. He¡¯s probably only half a level or a level[2] below us,¡± Wei Chun-Hak agreed, blowing out smoke. ¡°Of course, if one of us fought the boss monster instead of Specter, the results wouldn¡¯t have been very different.¡± Both Seo Jun-Ho and Gong Ju-Ha had been mortally injured after fighting with Janabi. Wei Chun-Hak also didn¡¯t think that he would have been able to defend both Seo Jun-Ho and Gong Ju-Ha while fighting Janabi. ¡°I suppose a hero is a hero.¡± Twenty-six long years had passed, but the strongest yer of the past could stillpete with the strongest yers of today. ¡°But don¡¯t you think something¡¯s weird?¡± Wei Chun-Hak openly asked what all of them were thinking. ¡°If you look at the traces¡­ Doesn¡¯t it seem like two people fought instead of three?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kim Woo-Joong nodded. ¡°ording to the information that our Guild acquired, Jun-Ho didn¡¯t participate much in the battle.¡± ¡°...Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°He was fighting with the thousands of wasps up there so that Specter could focus wholly on their king.¡± That was a misunderstanding. The one who had fought all those bees was the Frost Queen, not Seo Jun-Ho. However, to those who couldn¡¯t see Spirits, Seo Jun-Ho was the only person who could create golems and control ice. ¡°That makes sense. So that''s why it seems like there were only two fighters¡­ I get it now.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± Crystal Room, the flood of ice, and Moon Eye. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ice skill was used in the battle against Janabi three times. Kim Woo-Joong started walking toward the stairs. ¡°I n to go up. How about you two?¡± After the 2nd floor was cleared, numerous reports came in stating that the 3rd Floor had be much cooler than before. Of course, they would have to freeze the altar to get rid of the heat entirely. However, most veteran yers had a good inventory of items. At the current level, they would be able to handle it with some equipment with heat resistance. ¡°You ask the obvious.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going. In fact, I think I¡¯ve stayed here for too long. I¡¯m tired of it.¡± They had indeed stayed here for too long. After the boss of the 2nd floor¡¯s defeat, many changes arose. In the past, only those with tickets could enter the 3rd floor, and even then, it was impossible to assume normal activities. ¡®But now, any yer level 100 or higher can go up.¡¯ ¡®They say that it¡¯s still hot, but before, it felt like you¡¯d burn alive.¡¯ ¡®As long as I have some level of fire resistance, I can get around up there.¡¯ Though it was also for the sake of expanding their Guilds, they had a duty to reach the 10th floor to save Earth from destruction. As some of the strongest yers and members of the Nine Heavens, they had an even bigger responsibility. ¡°I¡¯ll see you all on the 3rd floor.¡± Kim Woo-Joong turned to leave. ¡°M-master!¡± A member of Goblin approached them, looking pale. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? ¡°Seo Jun-Ho¡­ Seo Jun-Ho has disappeared!¡± ¡°...!¡± Kim Woo-Joong stopped in his steps. He turned around and stared at the Guild member. ¡°What do you mean he disappeared?¡± Sung-Hyun asked calmly. ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I said. He disappeared. He even folded his nket and cleaned up his space.¡± ¡°...Wait.¡± Sung-Hyun opened up the Community window and searched Jun-Ho¡¯s ID. [This yer has blocked all iing messages.] He had covered all his tracks. Shin Sung-Hyun clicked his tongue. ¡°I¡¯m quite sure I was told that he was unable to move.¡± ¡°Yes, all his muscles had gotten ripped apart, so they said it would take at least several months for him to recuperate. He had also used up all his magic power in his circuits, so they said it would take him at least a few weeks to recover it.¡± ¡°How did he run away then¡­ Did he happen to leave a note?¡± ¡°He left a letter to the Princess, but other than that, not really¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun had nned to go to Denver to meet him as soon as they left ckfield, but now his ns were obsolete. Wei Chun-Hak shrugged. He looked at Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Aren¡¯t you pretty close to him? You saved his lifest time¡­ But you don¡¯t seem all that worried.¡± ¡°He is strong. He is not a yer that I will worry for. He must have a n,¡± Kim Woo-Joong replied. ¡°Hm, that sounds a little exaggerated¡­ But seems like that nerd thinks the same. Dammit, am I the only one who didn¡¯t know?¡± He pointed to Shin Sung-Hyun, but he seemed even less affected than Kim Woo-Joong¡ªalmost as if he had expected this. ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t want to face the three of them again. He had a faint smile on his face. ¡®I wonder if he has a guilty conscience or if he truly just left for no reason.¡¯ He was already looking forward to the next time he would meet Seo Jun-Ho. *** ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho panted as hey on the ground like a toppled tree. He didn¡¯t even have the energy to take deep breaths, so he could only take short ones. ¡°...See, did I not tell you not to push yourself? You should have listened and received your treatment.¡± ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head softly. ¡®That would take too long.¡¯ He had opened the way to a new world, and the rest of the world had quickly started to move. Many yers had already left the 2nd floor, seeking new adventures on the 3rd floor. ¡®If I had quietly continued to receive treatment, I would have been toote.¡¯ And he was already behind in the running because of histe start. The fiends and yers would obviously start shing on the 3rd floor. To stop that, he had to restore his health as soon as possible. ¡°I heard that the Schumern Saintess has great healing skills. Would it not have been better to continue receiving treatment from her?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°...No. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s not as good as I thought or if she simply hadn¡¯t healed me to her fullest extent, but if I stay there, it will take at least three or four months before I can fully recover.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was spot-on. The Schumern Saintess, Cha Si-Eun, hadn¡¯t used her full healing capabilities. She had nned to drag out his treatment so that he could take a break and so that she could watch over him for several months. ¡°Hm. Do you have an idea of what you will do?¡± ¡°...I have about three ideas.¡± ¡°Oh my, so you have a n?¡± the Frost Queen asked, jutting her chin. ¡°Then tell me what those ns are.¡± ¡°First, Janabi¡¯s nucleus.¡± After he had killed the Frost Queen and picked up her nucleus, he received the Frost skill. If he absorbed Janabi¡¯s nucleus, he could probably gain one of his abilities. ¡®And it¡¯s likely that I¡¯ll get regeneration¡­¡¯ The problem was that he could fall into a long sleep again if he absorbed it. ¡®So before I do, I want to read his memories first.¡¯ Once he had done so, he might be able to estimate the time frame or find hints. ¡°And the second is the Amitabha Holy Water.¡± The yin energy elixir he had bought from Administrator Reiji¡¯s shop. His second n was to take it and turn over a new leaf, which would give a simr result as the first. ¡°Rejected. Do you really think you can take it with your body in this state? I did not know that you had suicidal tendencies.¡± The Frost Queen immediately tossed aside his second n. It was dangerous to take it even when he was still healthy, so taking it definitely wasn¡¯t a good choice in his current state. ¡°I also thought that the Amitahba Holy Water should be the absolutest resort,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Then what is the third idea?¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly pulled out something from his Inventory. It was a letter. ¡°This is a letter of rmendation from the Guild Master of Goblin, Shin Sung-Hyun.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s for the Sage of the Observatory Tower. They say that he can see the future from where he sits. He might be able to give me a good solution.¡± He would meet with the Sage and find the fastest way to restore his body. ¡®And once I¡¯m fully recovered, I¡¯ll take the Amitabha Holy Water, and after I reach level 100¡­¡¯ He would go up to the 3rd floor. This was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s current n. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He had rested enough. He nced over. There was no need to move his own body even as it moved as arge ice golem carefully lifted his body. ¡°Be careful not to use up all your mental strength before you meet the Sage,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°...I¡¯ll try.¡± The golem continued up the remote mountain path. *** ¡°...Ah.¡± And at that moment, Gong Ju-Ha opened her eyes. 1. ¡¯Harmony¡¯ can also be read as ¡®artificial flower¡¯, to read as ¡°An artificial flower made of darkness and ice¡­¡± ? 2. He¡¯s talking about in general, not using an actual system ? Chapter 246. Those Who Stay, Those Who Leave (3)

Chapter 246. Those Who Stay, Those Who Leave (3)

Ha In-Ho was sitting on a chair next to the bed, scrolling through Community.[1] When he saw his superior staring nkly at him, he immediately stood up. ¡°P-Princess-nim! You¡¯re awake?! Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?!¡± he cried out. ¡°Why are you in heaven?¡± she asked. ¡°Because you¡¯re not dead. Also, I¡¯ve lived a good life. I¡¯m pretty sure I can get into heaven.¡± It was the Ha In-Ho she knew. Gong Ju-Ha grinned. She touched her chest. ¡°Ah, ow¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch the area around the wound. The Saintess said you mustn¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°The Saintess?¡± ¡°Yes. She treated your injuries.¡± The Schumern Saintess. Gong Ju-Ha recalled she had participated in the mission and nodded. ¡°I should repay her in the future. For now, I want to sit, so help me up.¡± ¡°You should just stay lying down for your own safety¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m a patient. I¡¯m in pain, so don¡¯t make me ask twice and just do it.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Ha In-Ho looked like he was about to cry as he very carefully helped her sit up. Once she was sitting, Gong Ju-Ha held out her hand. ¡°Water.¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± Even the simple act of drinking water made her chest sting. Gong Ju-Ha ced the cup down and gave a bitter smile. ¡°How embarrassing. I was trying to act all strong¡­But it seems like it¡¯ll take a while for me to return,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to spend at least two or three months recuperating,¡± Ha In-Ho agreed. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll lose my touch.¡± ¡°...¡± Ha In-Ho couldn¡¯t even deny it. However, Gong Ju-Ha shook her head when she saw his apologetic expression. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad for me. Don¡¯t pity me either. I¡¯ll just think of it as a long vacation, I suppose.¡± Actually, she was grateful that she was still alive. ¡®And that guy was extremely strong...¡¯ Janabi was the most powerful monster she had ever encountered. ¡°Did you guys catch him? The invisible monster, I mean,¡± she said. ¡°You mean the Floor Master? Specter and Seo Jun-Ho finished it off.¡± ¡°Wow, he was a Floor Master?¡± She was shocked, but she slowly started to nod. ¡°I see¡­ No wonder he was so impossibly powerful.¡± ¡°Thanks to you three, the 3rd floor has formally opened. Now, any yer level 100 or higher can go up,¡± Ha In-Ho said. ¡°It¡¯s hot there.¡± ¡°It has gotten a lot coolerpared to before. They say that it¡¯s not hard to resume activities there as long as you have a little bit of fire resistance.¡± ¡°Hm. Then I guess you¡¯ll be going up soon as well.¡± ¡°...¡± Ha In-Ho couldn¡¯t deny it. Even though the team leader was injured, that didn¡¯t mean all the other members could stop working. Actually, they would have to work even harder to make up for the fact that Gong Ju-Ha wouldn¡¯t be there. ¡°Um¡­ How is Mr. Jun-Ho? Were his injuries worse than mine?¡± she asked carefully. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s level was lower than her, so she was worried that something might have gone majorly wrong during the battle. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho¡­¡± How should he say this? Ha In-Ho sighed after trying to find the right words. ¡°He¡¯s alive. And he left you a letter.¡± ¡°...A letter? Geez, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re kids,¡± she muttered, giddy. She didn¡¯t notice Ha In-Ho¡¯s face darken when he saw how relieved she was. ¡°Give it to me. I want to read it.¡± ¡°...¡± Ha In-Ho was conflicted. Obviously, he didn¡¯t know what was written in the letter because he didn¡¯t read it. ¡®I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be anything in there that¡¯ll make her feel sad¡­¡¯ After all, Seo Jun-Ho was Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s favorite yer aside from the Goblin Guild members. After serving her for so long, Ha In-Ho knew at least that much. ¡®But if she hears that he disappeared without a trace and that he¡¯s unreachable¡­¡¯ It might have a great impact on her. That was what he was worried about. When he didn¡¯t move right away, Gong Ju-Ha held out her hand, indifferent. ¡°In-Ho. What did I say earlier?¡± ¡°...That you¡¯re a patient, and that I shouldn¡¯t make you ask twice.¡± ¡°You have a good memory. Now give me the letter.¡± ¡°Whooo.¡± In-Ho let out a light sigh and ultimately opened the drawer next to the bed. After he pulled out the letter, he added one more thing, ¡°Alright, but I will stay with you while you read it.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Gong Ju-Ha nodded cheerfully and immediately ripped the envelope open. The contents fluttered down onto her nket, and she tilted her head. ¡°What is that¡­?¡± The first thing that fell out was two vouchers. Upon closer inspection, she saw that they were vouchers to a famous restaurant in Frontier¡¯s capital, Leiark. Gong Ju-Ha let out a lightugh. ¡®Geez, what kind of guy asks out a girl like this nowadays? How old-fashioned.¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem very manly, but she found it cute. ¡°Huh?¡± A gem tumbled out onto the bed from inside the envelope. It was a red jewel in the shape of a teardrop. She could tell how much yang energy was inside it simply by looking at it. ¡°Princess-nim, that¡¯s¡­¡± Ha In-Ho froze when he realized its value. The elixir was, at the very least Unique-grade.[2] Especially because Gong Ju-Ha was a me user, it was practically priceless for her. ¡°...Where¡¯s Mr. Jun-Ho right now? Can I see him?¡± she asked, her voice fluttering slightly. The wound in her chest hurt a lot, but she felt so happy that she forgot it for just a second. ¡°...¡± ¡®She seems really happy.¡¯ Ha In-Ho could only see it because he had been by her side for so long. His face darkened. If it were possible, he wished that her face would always stay that bright. ¡°Hm? Can I see him or not?¡± she pressed. Ha In-Ho swallowed and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°You cannot...¡± ¡°...Why not?¡± She suddenly grew fearful. Was he in a critical state? Was he hurt? She had thought that Seo Jun-Ho would be in a vaguely better state than she was because he had been able to leave her a letter. ¡°He left¡­¡± So, when Ha In-Ho spoke, she couldn¡¯t quite process what he said. ¡°...What do you mean?¡± she asked. Left? Wasn¡¯t he in the same hospital as her, just in a different room? As she blinked, Ha In-Ho continued, ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I said. He left this one letter and disappeared without a trace.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t get what you are saying,¡± Gong Ju-Ha retorted. She was confused, unable to understand what he was saying. ¡°He left? To go where?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know. As I said, all he left behind was that letter.¡± ¡°...¡± Gong Ju-Ha stared nkly at the two vouchers in her hand. ¡®These restaurant vouchers¡­¡¯ She recalled how he had promised to grab a meal together after the mission. So, why had he just left these vouchers behind without a word? ¡®This is frustrating.¡¯ She wanted to meet him in person and ask him the reason. If she had done something wrong, she would rather be hit once in retaliation and get it over with. ¡°How was he?¡± she asked. ¡°He was much worse than you. They said it would take him at least half a year to recuperate.¡± ¡°...¡± She nodded slowly. ¡°Honestly, I have no idea what he was thinking.¡± However, there was one thing she was sure of¡­ ¡®Mr. Jun-Ho will return.¡¯ He was a natural-born yer. He was unique and unmatched by any other yer she had ever met. Even if he tried to hide his fangs, they would show. ¡°Find me an alchemist. I¡¯m gonna absorb this gem.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had the sharpest fangs she had ever seen, and she knew he woulde back. She was sure of it. ¡®I have to recover too, so I can ask him what these vouchers meant.¡¯ She crumpled them in her hand. If he didn¡¯t give her a satisfactory answer¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll burn you alive¡­¡± At that moment, Seo Jun-Ho felt a shiver go down his spine as hey in the arms of an ice golem. *** Frontier¡¯s Observatory Tower was the oldest astronomical observatory in history. It looked like the Si Dynasty¡¯s Cheomseongdae.[3] It was a hidden location and was hard for most yers to ess, and it used numerous booby traps and guard rotations to keep away outsiders. ¡°What business do you have here?¡± ¡°What business do you have here?¡± Two young monks were standing at the entrance of the manor housing the Observatory Tower, holding brooms. The golem knelt down to one knee to ce Seo Jun-Ho at eye level. He met the eyes of the two monks. ¡°I am a guest. I bring a letter of rmendation.¡± When he held out the letter he had received from Shin Sung-Hyun, the two young monks leaned in together to read it. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± After whispering to each other for a bit, they opened the gate. ¡°You must walk alone from here.¡± ¡°You must walk alone from here.¡± ¡°...¡± Considering Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s current state, it was an impossibly grueling request. However, he nodded without hesitation. ¡°Let me down.¡± ¡°Contractor¡­¡± ¡°Now.¡± The Frost Queen bit her lip and waved her hand. The golem carefully ced him down on the ground and stepped back. m! Seo Jun-Ho lost his bnce and copsed on the spot. ¡°Gah¡­!¡± He felt like his body was being shredded to pieces. His body was so ruined that even breathing brought him pain. However, Seo Jun-Ho forcefully squeezed out his magic. Dipping into the small puddle of energy, he strengthened his legs and stood. ¡°We will escort you.¡± ¡°We will escort you.¡± The two monks stood in front to lead him. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s trembling legs moved very slowly, but they patiently waited for him without batting an eye. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± It took Seo Jun-Ho five steps to pass through the front gate. However, it took him twenty whole minutes to get there. ¡°...Huh?¡± The moment he stepped over the threshold, his painpletely disappeared as if he had never been in pain. ¡°Please wait here.¡± ¡°Please wait here.¡± With their job done, the young monks bowed politely and left. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at his body in awe. ¡®It¡¯s like I¡¯ve been healed¡­But I wasn¡¯t.¡¯ His injuries were still there; it¡¯s just that he couldn¡¯t feel the pain. ¡®Everything feels hazy, like I¡¯m dreaming. Is this the Sage¡¯s space?¡¯ It felt like his body was floating. The ce beyond the gates felt very different from the outside world. There were carps flying through the skies instead of swimming in a pond, and clouds made of flower petals covered the skies. ¡°This is a strange ce,¡± the Frost Queen said. She was right. However, Seo Jun-Ho felt excited looking at all these sights. ¡®The Sage of the Observatory Tower may be a lot more powerful than I thought.¡¯ He was a nonbatant yer, but based on what Seo Jun-Ho had seen so far, the Sage was clearly extraordinary. And he might be able to give Seo Jun-Ho the perfect advice¡­ As Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly up at the sky, a voice came from behind him. ¡°Hm, you came here much faster than I expected.¡± The voice was gentle, and simply hearing it made him feel rxed. Seo Jun-Ho slowly turned around, and there was an elderly man. He had soft white hair that was neatly tied back, and his clothes resembled that of a Daoist immortal.[4] ¡°Contractor, that person¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly. The Sage of the Observatory Tower was respected by yers and was even acknowledged by the Six Masters. And he was blind¡­ 1. To those who might be confused, Community is themunity forums; it¡¯s like a forum where you can create threads, discussions, etc ? 2. The word used for elixir/potion is more akin to ¡®wonder drug,¡¯ but it refers to any consumable item, natural or man-made, that has great effects. It can also be used to refer to potion ingredients. ? 3. Oldest surviving astronomical observatory in Asia and possibly the world. Built in the 7th century. ? 4. The word used (?? ÉñÏÉ) is amon concept in xianxia. ? Chapter 247. Those Who Stay, Those Who Leave (4)

Chapter 247. Those Who Stay, Those Who Leave (4)

The Sage had the characteristic murky eyes of a blind man. He looked at Seo Jun-Ho. A momentter, he let out a deep sigh and looked at him with pity. ¡°You¡¯re much more¡­ To think that such a young child¡­Tsk tsk.¡± He lightly clicked his tongue. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this is rude, but¡­ can you see?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked carefully. The Sage tapped his eyes lightly with his pointer finger, showing that he was blind. ¡°Although I cannot see the world with my eyes, I can see it with my mind¡¯s eye; I can smell it with my nose, and hear it with my ears.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°In short, I have limatized to my blindness, so there is no inconvenience in my everyday life.¡± The Sage was an interesting person. Even though he was standing right in front of Seo Jun-Ho, thetter had this fleeting feeling that he was speaking with a cloud or a mirage. ¡°You said that I came faster than you expected. Does that mean you already knew I wasing?¡± ¡°Hoho, you are quite a wary youngster.¡± He stroked his long beard. He nodded, seemingly unfazed. ¡°I understand. The path that you have been walking is not an easy one. You are merely being cautious.¡± He spoke as if he knew of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s past. Seo Jun-Ho pondered for a long time before asking, ¡°Then what is the path I have been taking?¡± ¡°It is a lonely, self-destructive one,¡± the Sage said firmly. Every time he spoke, Seo Jun-Ho felt like something was prating through his skull. ¡°It is a solitary road that prohibits you from havingrades, friends, or lovers. It is a road in which you trap yourself in a cage and carry the burden of sacrifice whilst generously holding out a hand to others. People call those who travel this path¡ªHeroes.¡± ¡°...¡± Drip. For some unknown reason, a tear dripped down Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cheek. ¡°Contractor?¡± ¡°...Huh? Sorry. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m acting like this.¡± The Sage was an outsider, not one of the 5 Heroes, and he was definitely not Park Deok-Gu. And yet, he had understood and empathized with Seo Jun-Ho, creating a crack in the seal he had ced on his emotions. ¡°I have been watching you for a long time, Specter.¡± When the Sage¡¯s words fell, the area around them changed. They were now sitting on a pavilion overlooking a pond, surrounded by a beautiful garden. ¡°You sought me out because you wished to fix your broken body, did you not?¡± the Sage asked. At this point, Seo Jun-Ho had fully understood why the Six Masters had acknowledged and respected the Sage of the Observatory Tower, even though they were expert yers in their own right. ¡®He truly does see everything.¡¯ Normally, it would feel gross and invasive, but he didn¡¯t feel that way. Seo Jun-Ho felt like he was conversing with nature itself, and he could sense instinctively that the Sage was a nonmalicious being. ¡°That is correct. I wanted to ask your opinion.¡± ¡°Hm. This is difficult.¡± He looked at Jun-Ho, stroking his chin. ¡°You are in a terrible state. This is the cost of defeating the Floor Master of the 2nd floor, Janabi.¡± ¡°Personally, I think I got lucky.¡± ¡°Hoho. To think that you¡¯d consider your current state lucky; you truly are an exemry Hero.¡± The Sage gave a satisfied smile and nodded after considering it for a second. ¡°There are two solutions.¡± ¡°Two?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands unconsciously curled into fists. He once again became sure that seeking out the Sage had been the correct option. ¡°There is a rtively easy path and a rtively hard one.¡± ¡°May I hear both of them?¡± ¡°But of course.¡± The Sage started with the rtively easy one. ¡°Find the Schumern Saintess. If you ask her earnestly¡­ It will take a month¡¯s time for your body to return to a simr state as before.¡± ¡°Only a month¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was shocked. ¡®The Schumern Saintess¡¯s healing abilities are that powerful?¡¯ So, why hadn¡¯t she used them in the first ce? His thoughts started to be muddled. ¡°Forgive my impertinence, but I was receiving treatment from her until a few days ago. I sought you out because I saw no improvement,¡± he said. ¡°Hoho.¡± The Sageughed benevolently without saying anything else. A cool breeze blew through the pavilion, and he sipped on a cup of tea. ¡°I remember. The string of fate always twists and tangles to create various results. A person such as you will have a thick string that splits into many paths. Do not underestimate the power of the connections you have made.¡± ¡°...¡± His answer wasplicated, but Seo Jun-Ho thought he might understand the gist of it. ¡®In other words, the Schumern Saintess has a good reason not to make me recover immediately.¡¯ If he met her again, he would ask her what it was. ¡°If getting treated by the Schumern Saintess is the rtively easy path, what is the hard one?¡± Jun-Ho asked. ¡°It is not merely difficult. It is painful, and you will want to give up immediately. It is a path in which you musty down your pride.¡± ¡°Does that mean it¡¯ll be worth it?¡± ¡°Yes. Because you can be stronger than before.¡± ¡°Stronger than before¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed, and he sat up straight. ¡°Please tell me. What do I need to do?¡± The Sage set down his teacup with a tap. ¡°Find the Thunder God. You need his assistance and guidance.¡± ¡°Can you exin a little more in detail?¡± ¡°He controls electricity and is prolific in removing the turbid, negative energies within a human that naturally builds up over time. Even with your body¡¯s terrible state, your body can be much sturdier and stronger with his help.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho fell into thought, the Sage grinned. ¡°Why, does it hurt the great Specter¡¯s pride to receive another¡¯s help?¡± he asked. ¡°Not really. However¡­¡± ¡®However?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stopped in the middle of his sentence. ¡®...Does it hurt my pride?¡¯ It might be true. Seo Jun-Ho himself had always been talking about how much time had passed, about how he had be a relic of the past. He had said himself that there were many powerful yers and fiends in today¡¯s world. But did he also feel that way deep down? ¡®...¡¯ He knew better than anyone that wasn¡¯t the case. He had always been full of confidence, and though he acknowledged the Nine Heavens¡¯ abilities, he thought that he would surpass them soon enough. He had epted it in his head, but not in his heart¡ªthat his light was old and faded. ¡°Sigh.¡± He became dispirited as he was faced with his own inner thoughts. He felt pathetic and embarrassed as he nodded. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s the case,¡± he admitted. ¡°Hoho, this is why I like smart folks.¡± The Sage let out a lowugh and took a sip of his tea. ¡°If I receive help from the Thunder God and improve my body and also receive his teachings, can I be as powerful as the Nine Heavens?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Even I do not know. Just because a teacher is skilled does not mean it passes on to their student.¡± It was a wise answer to a silly question. Seo Jun-Ho forgot what he was going to say and simply bowed. ¡°Thank you for your guidance,¡± he said. ¡°I did not do anything extraordinary. Even if you did not meet me, you would have eventuallye to the conclusion yourself,¡± the Sage said. ¡°But you truly did help me. I know that nothing in the world is free¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho wondered what would be a good way to repay the Sage for his advice. At the mention of payment, the Sageughed warmly and stood. ¡°Walk with me.¡± The garden beneath the pavilion was very beautiful. There were flowers he couldn¡¯t recognize in full bloom with various colors, and there were butterflies that he had never seen before. ¡°This is a nice ce,¡± Seo Jun-Homented. ¡°It is simply a way for this old man to pretend to be a Taoist hermit.¡±[1] At that, he stopped and stared straight up at the sky. ¡°I am looking up at the sky. I cannot see it, but I would imagine that it is a deep blue.¡± ¡°...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded, and the Sage closed his eyes. ¡°Now, I hear the gentle breeze rustling the leaves. I can smell the aroma of the flowers. And I am breathing in order to live.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wondered what the Sage was trying to say. As he stood there nkly, the Sage turned to him and smiled brightly. ¡°This world has many such things that we can enjoy for free. How could you say something so dispassionate?¡± ¡°Haha...¡± Jun-Ho unwittingly let out augh. He had never met someone who would use such a roundabout way to say that he didn¡¯t have to pay them. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you like free things so much.¡± ¡°Hoho, and they say that you will be bald if you like free things too much. But my head is still full of hair.¡± ¡°Deok-Gu would be upset if he heard that.¡± Theyughed. A momentter, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°Where can I meet the Thunder God?¡± ¡°Go north. He is in a hidden ce in one of the especially perilous Wailing Mountains, where the cries of beasts cannot reach, let alone humans.¡± ¡°Do you think I can get there with my body like this?¡± ¡°If you believe it to be impossible, take the easier path.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. Since the Sage had said it like that, it meant that he would be able to do it. ¡°I¡¯ll give your regards to the Thunder God when I meet him.¡± ¡°Yes, I look forward to the day we meet again.¡± After giving a respectful farewell, Seo Jun-Ho left the garden. A momentter, the young monks ran up toward the sage. ¡°He¡¯s an amazing person!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a great person!¡± They looked very excited. ¡°His soul is very pure. I wish to be like him.¡± ¡°Even though his body is feeble now, he is very powerful. He must have worked very hard.¡± The monks were correct. The Sage nodded in agreement. ¡°It is because he is a Hero. He had saved the world, is saving the world, and will save the world in the future. That is why.¡± People only ever saw the good parts. However, if they saw the other side, they would realize that nothing good wouldst. Such was the case with the Hero Specter, who was loved and respected by many people. ¡°...It seems that you will not be free of the vicious reins of fate yet.¡± The Sage could see tears, pain, and scars filling Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s future. However, he said nothing as he sighed. *** While Seo Jun-Ho was meeting with the Sage of the Observatory Tower, Gong Ju-Ha was tilting her head, and she kept on doing it. ¡°...What is it?¡± Ha In-Ho asked, frowning a little. He was going through documents for Gong Ju-Ha that had been postponed in her absence. ¡°Hey, In-Ho. How many yers in the world do you think have two elemental skills?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Elemental Skills, not elemental abilities through magic? I bet there aren¡¯t even ten people.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± She rested her chin on her fist, lost in thought. ¡°Hey, In-Ho. Can I try summoning a me on your hand?¡± ¡°Did you not take your medication today? Just be honest and say that you want to burn my hand.¡± Though it was easier with weapons and inanimate objects, it was difficult, even for skilled elemental users, to cover another person¡¯s entire body with their element. ¡°Mmm, I thought I was dreaming when I copsed, but the more I think about it, the more vivid it bes¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°What was?¡± ¡°Hey, In-Ho. If someone could use a fire skill on one hand and a wind skill on the other, what would you think?¡± She asked. ¡°I would want to recruit them to our Guild right away. yers who can use two elements are coveted,¡± he answered. They were coveted because they were simply that powerful. Even if they could only use one element, it didn¡¯t matter as elemental skills could reach the highest level. ¡°Hm.¡± Gong Ju-Ha closed her eyes and recalled the memory once more. ¡®Ice on one hand, darkness on the other¡­¡¯ Luckily, she knew two people who could use those exact elements. ¡®Specter-nim and Mr. Jun-Ho¡­¡¯ Did that mean they were the same person? However, they were from different eras. They had also set their own individual records in the Cave of Trials. ¡°Ughhh.¡± This was the problem that had recently been giving her headaches. She spent a long time pondering this again and again before she eventually looked outside the window with a tired expression on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I want to hurry up and meet him so I can ask¡­ Where do you think he is?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know. Keep an eye out for him. He might be somewhere outside the window.¡± ¡°Geez, In-Ho. Say something that makes sense,¡± she barked, looking out toward the Wailing Mountains. 1. This is a murim trope ? Chapter 248. Black Dragon (1)

Chapter 248. ck Dragon (1)

Crunch, crunch. An ice golem would never tire. Had it been ten or fifteen days since they entered the Wailing Mountains? He couldn''t remember how long it had been, but the ice golem was still doing fine. As long as Seo Jun-Ho''s mental strength wasn¡¯t exhausted, it would move silently with him forever. "Ha, ha-a...¡± The problem was Seo Jun-Ho. Forget improving; his condition was deteriorating by the day. "Contractor, are you all right? Do you need anything? Do you want water?¡± Due to this, the Frost Queen was bing increasingly more concerned in recent days. Seo Jun-Ho''s body had be more and more haggard, and his face was as sunken as that of the dead. Without the Hero''s Mind (S), the ice golem would have long been unsummoned, and he would have died as well. "Ugh..." Shiver. Seo Jun-Ho hugged a thick nket. Due to the unbearable cold, he wore thick clothes and covered himself in severalyers of nkets. Nevertheless, a terrible chill prated his bones relentlessly. It was a fatal blow to a patient whose muscles had been wrecked and torn apart. "Ha-a, ha...¡± If a person¡¯s breath were to bepared to a thread, his thread was thin and delicate, as if it were going to break at any moment. "This is not going to work. Stop." The ice golem stopped walking at the Frost Queen''s orders. Currently, they were in an unknown location amidst their climb to the Wailing Mountains. If they turned around now, they would be able to get to Denver in time and meet the Saintess. "Didn''t the Sage say so? If you ask her to treat you, you will recover in about a month." ¡°¡­¡± "Let''s go back. Hmm? Please... Just listen to me once." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head stubbornly even as his body trembled. Just recovering? ¡®That alone¡­ is not enough.'' He had to meet the Thunder God, get treatment, receive guidance, and ovee his previous self. "Cough! Ugh...¡± The reason was simple¡ªone of his biggest delusions was shattered after meeting Janabi. ''It''s been a long time since¡­ the footprints I left had ended...¡¯ He realized that the path he had to walk from now on wasn¡¯t the path he had already walked once. In fact, he had thought about this once when he came up to Frontier. However, it had remained a concept he only thought about in his head without understanding it with his heart. ''From now on...'' It was going to be harder. It was going to be lonely. It might be so exhausting that he would want to cry. However, if he became strong¡­ If he became even stronger¡­ As long as he could grab on to strength such that it would no longer be hard, lonely, or exhausting to the point that he would want to cry¡­ ''I¡¯ll do anything.¡¯ The strength Seo Jun-Ho wanted to obtain was akin to bing an existence who could suppress all fiends on his own and bing every yers¡¯ sanctuary. "Cough! Cough!" With every cough, Seo Jun-Ho could feel his lungs shake, and it was so painful it felt like his guts were about to get torn into shreds. "Why, why do you want to be so strong to that extent? You are already strong enough!" ¡­ At first, I didn¡¯t even have, cough¡ªpeace in mind.¡± It was only because of hisrades that he chose to return as a yer. It was for the few friends whom he could trust his back to. He had decided to lead his trashy body into fighting again to save them. But now, that goal had changed a little. ¡®Precious people...¡¯ It wasn''t just his body that had be weak. His mind had also be very weak. Because of that, he had made a mistake he wouldn''t have made before. He found people precious to him. It wasn¡¯t just one or two people; there were many of them. ''I can''t lose them again.¡¯ He didn''t want to lose the people he valued; he didn''t want to have things taken away from him anymore. The emptiness from the sense of loss had already been imprinted so deep that it had be unforgettable even after a lifetime. "This feeling of not wanting to lose something precious¡­ Cough! Cough! You know it well too." "I, I¡­!¡± The Frost Queen''s voice rose. However, the words got caught in her throat, and she couldn¡¯t spit out the next word. As he said, she knew it well. She had imagined and regretted hundreds of thousands of times what it would have been like if she had a little more power. "¡­I hate you." The Frost Queen bit her lips. To her, the ridiculously stubborn Contractor felt cold and hateful today. "Why don''t you understand? Because of your stubbornness, I may lose someone precious once again...!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho silently looked at the crying Frost Queen, who couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. He was thankful. The proud queen had called him a precious person. What greater honor was there? "I..." The skin on his face was dry, and his lips had shriveled up. However, his eyes were clear as he looked at the Frost Queen. No ugly look could mask his bright eyes. "I definitely won¡¯t die...¡± The Sage of the Observatory Tower had said that this was going to be a difficult path, but he hadn¡¯t said it was impossible. ¡®I can hold out even longer¡­¡¯ He had experienced countless life-and-death situations throughout his entire life. How could being sick and suffering from the coldpare to those harrowing experiences? "Ku..." His dry lips tore, but Seo Jun-Ho had finally raised the corner of his mouth. He smiled despite the blood flowing down his lips. "Not yet; I''m fine." "¡­Remember that I definitely tried to stop you. Countless times. Many, many times." The Frost Queen''s shoulders drooped like a copsed roof. She realized that she could not break her contractor''s stubbornness even if he died. ''I feel like I am always losing to you.¡¯ Sighing lightly, she eventually closed her eyes tightly. "¡­Go ahead." Crunch, cruuunch. The ice golem, which had stopped for a while, began to move once again. But six hourster, the ice golem copsed like a sand castle. Seo Jun-Ho was buried in a snowy mountain path. "Contractor! Contractor! Is there no one there? I don''t care who it is, please...!¡± The crying Frost Queen tried to use her powers with all her might. However, she was just a Spirit, and she would exhaust her contractor¡¯s mental strength with every use of her abilities. If Seo Jun-Ho''s mental strength was exhausted, her powers were silenced. "Uaahhhhhhh¡­" It was about ten minutes after covering Seo Jun-Ho with a nket that the Frost Queen stopped crying. Crisp. Crunch. It was because a man in fur had approached her. "What footprints... No, a person!¡± The man approached Seo Jun-Ho, and he turned pale after checking his condition. "This person... To Master, quick!" The man put Seo Jun-Ho on his shoulder and ran down the mountain path at great speed. "¡­Sniff." The Frost Queen sniffled and quickly followed after him. *** Drip, drip. The incessant sound of dripping water woke Seo Jun-Ho up. Opening his eyes, Seo Jun-Ho stared at the wooden ceiling. "¡­Ah." He felt like he had been asleep for a long time. Yeah, this was exactly how he felt when he returned after being in the ice for twenty-five years. "Ugh." However, his physical condition was different from back then. His current condition was so bad he couldn''t even raise his upper body by himself. ¡®I was definitely heading toward the end of the Wailing Mountains¡­ Then I lost consciousness...¡¯ He couldn''t remember anything after that. ¡®Where am I?¡¯ It was a small single room filled with the strong scent of green tea. Seo Jun-Ho was lying on the floor of the room, which gave off the feeling that it was a grandma''s house in the countryside. ¡®What about Frost?¡¯ He urgently searched for her, but he found her sleeping next to him while drooling. "Frost, get up." "Mmm¡­ Five minutes¡­¡± Rubbing her eyes and tossing her body, the Frost Queen suddenly raised her head as if she had realized something. When she saw Seo Jun-Ho, she quickly put on her mask[1] and said, "Contractor, you are up? Are you awake? Do you remember everything?" ¡°This feels like a repeat of what happened a while ago." It was only recently that he had woken up in Denver''s hospital room. Seo Jun-Houghed dryly and nodded. "My body is still not feeling well, but my mind is surprisingly sound." "It is because he boiled special tea leaves." "Ah, the one that smells like green tea." He followed up with a question. "So, where are we?" "The Thunder God¡¯s house." Seo Jun-Ho was surprised by Frost Queen''s words. "I arrived? I thought I lost consciousness on the way...¡± "You fainted and fell down. If it were not for the luck of his disciple who was on his way back from buying alcohol, you would have died on the snowy mountain path." "¡­I see." Seo Jun-Ho let out a breath of relief. Perhaps, the Sage had foreseen this whole situation. ¡®Perhaps if I had given up in the middle and went back, I might have died.¡¯ He could have missed the Thunder God¡¯s disciple on the path up the mountain. Seo Jun-Ho calmed down his surprised heart and asked, "Where is the Thunder God?" "Well, he is probably out training his disciple. I looked around, and there was nothing here." The Frost Queen spoke grumpily, "There¡¯s just arge open space, a mineral spring to drink water and the house where the disciple and the Thunder God live. That is it." "¡­That¡¯s some intense minimalism." In fact, the interior of the room wasn¡¯t much either. It was simple and small. "Oh, speak of the devil." As soon as Frost Queen spoke, the door burst open without a knock. ¡®He''s the Thunder God¡­?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned his eyes and was surprised when he looked at him. There were many terms to describe him. The Second Heaven, the number 1 ranked yer, the strongest yer, Master of Lightning, etc. Because of that, the image of the Thunder God in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head was clear. ¡®A muscr appearance not appropriate for his age, white mustache and hair like that of God, sharp eyes, strong expression, and beautifully formed wrinkles...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was vaguely imagining an image of a martial artist detached from the world. However, the Thunder God he met was the exact opposite. ¡®He¡¯s thinner than I thought.¡¯ Rather than being muscr, he looked just like a normal, well-trained martial artist. Additionally, his hair and beard was gray, not neat white. Furthermore, his wrinkles were like those of rural vigers. ¡®But his eyes are as I expected...¡¯ The Thunder God had a sharp look in his eyes. Perhaps, it was because of his slender stature, but even that alone made him seem like a cool person. Making eye contact with Seo Jun-Ho, the Thunder God was slightly surprised. "Oh, yer awake?" "Yes, I greet the Thunder God. Please forgive me for greeting you like this." "Well, if yer awake, that''s enough." The Thunder God nodded like it wasn¡¯t a big deal, and he spoke in a dialect. It wasn¡¯t clear whether it was a dialect tranted through the Vita or if it was an actual Korean dialect. The Thunder God beckoned with his hands, "If yer awake now, hurry up and go down." "¡­Yes?" "Are ya deaf? If yer up, go down." Seo Jun-Ho gulped a mouthful of his saliva and asked, "I cannot do that. I came here for help and to learn from you, the Thunder God." The Thunder God snorted, then smiled. "Huh, do I ow¡¯ ya something? Have we met before? Why are ya asking me for help?" "I''m sorry for the sudden visit. But the Sage told me to go find you, the Thunder God¡­¡± ¡°The Sage? The one from the Observatory Tower?" The look in the Thunder God¡¯s eyes changed. After thoroughly looking at Seo Jun-Ho for a while, he scratched his head. "Hmmm, I wanted tofortably live till the end of mah life, but some bothersome work¡®s been handed over to meh...¡± He flopped down next to Seo Jun-Ho with a helpless look. "Ya''ve heard a little about meh, haven''t ya?" ¡°I have heard that you have the power to wield lightning and are also good at treatment." "His lips sure are loose. If it weren¡¯t for mah promise, I would have never epted ya.¡± The Thunder God looked as if he was being forced as he said, "Take off yer clothes." "W-why?" "Don''t ya want to get treatment?" "Do I have to take it off to get treatment?¡± "Of course, ya punk. If I treat ya with mah power, the clothes will get burned anyway. I don''t have extra clothes here." "¡­Then please." As Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly, the Frost Queen grabbed the door and whispered, "C-contractor, I will be out here¡­ Call me when it is done.¡± Tap, tap, tap. The Frost Queen quickly went out the door. 1. imagine a visor that covers only her eyes. Here¡¯s what it looks like from the manwha https://imgur/a/qtYIvGP? Chapter 257. The Thunder God鈥檚 Teachings (1)

Chapter 257. The Thunder God¡¯s Teachings (1)

Seo Jun-Ho had finally identified his new power on thest day of the ten days the Thunder God had given Seo Jun-Ho to do his homework. 1. The power was termed as the power to freeze. 2. The power could slow down the target thates in contact with the Frost energy, and when used to the limit, it could stop movementspletely. 3. When using the power, a huge amount of concentration was required. ¡°Hmm.¡± Staring seriously at his notes, Seo Jun-Ho contemted. "It¡¯s possible to freeze a distant target through the air, but if I want to stop the target there¡­¡± "You will likely need an incredible amount of magic. It might be impossible to use in a real battle," The Frost Queen chimed in. "That''s the problem. It¡¯s almost like a double-edged sword.¡± If he could stop the opponent¡¯s movements and cut their neck, using it would be worthwhile. However, using it would be dangerous unless he were in a situation where he could use it with certainty. "No matter how many times I think about it, I think only the slow-down effect is what I can use normally.¡± "Actually, even that alone is ridiculously strong," responded the Frost Queen. Seo Jun-Ho continued to train in increasing the output of Overclocking. If he could pull out a hundred percent of the output, only a few yers would be able to beat his speed. "And I¡¯ll slow them down, so the gap will widen even further." Of course, it wasn''t as easy as it sounded. Seo Jun-Ho''s current battle style was very difficult to do. First, he had to keep circting magic in the magic circuit throughout his body. As a result, his physical ability would rise dramatically, but it would also be apanied by tremendously high heat. Afterward, he had to restrain the heat with the Frost energy. "In the midst of all that, I have to fight while grasping the enemy''s movements...¡± In addition, a higher level of concentration was required if he were to use the power to freeze. In other words, it was abat style that would be difficult to do for an ordinary person, even if they had five heads. "Sigh." Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t hide his sorrow. ¡®Certainly, the power to freeze is different from the power to disregard.¡¯ The power to disregard did not require additional magic or concentration. From the moment he learned it, he could apply the power to disregard on the darkness element. Simply put, it was a passive skill. ¡®Meanwhile, the power to freeze is like an active skill.¡¯ He could decide when to use it or not, and it was much stronger as well. However, a corresponding amount of magic and concentration would be consumed as a result. "It''s hard to use both, but if I mix and use them properly...¡± "The Heavens we saw before? I think you will be on par with them." "Hu." Seo Jun-Ho felt better as he smiled and nodded. "And on top of that, I''m lucky.¡± Usually, the most helpful thing when it came to training such a demanding skill was real battle. It was important to gain hands-on experience after learning the skill¡¯s basic theories and usage. In that sense, it was a tremendous work of fate that his practice partner was the Thunder God. ''The Thunder God¡¯s attack is probably the fastest of all yers.¡¯ He was a lightning user. His attacks flew at his opponents at the speed of light. "If only I could slow down the lightning perfectly and stop it...¡± "Then it will be hard to find a match for you." Whoosh, whoosh. The Frost Queen had been throwing something in the middle of their conversation since a while ago. Forks, wooden balls, stones, snowballs, and so on¡­ The flying objects slowed down as if they were in a slow-motion film the moment Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes caught them. The scene was created using Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ¡®power to freeze.¡¯ "Ugh!" All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face crumpled as he grabbed his head and sprawled out on the floor. He got a headache simr to a brain freeze one would get when eating ice cream or shaved ice too quickly. He would always get a headache whenever he used his power to freeze too much. "Ehew. You have to be careful and extra careful not to let this happen in a real battle. You will really die." The Frost Queen blinked as she nagged at her patient for a long time. "¡­But you are gradually getting better. You could not even stop a wooden ball on the first day.¡± "A wooden ball? I can handle even ten of those balls quite easily now." Seo Jun-Ho had recovered before he knew it, and he replied as he wiped the sweat off his face. Except for sleeping three hours a day, eating, and bathing, he invested all of his time in practice. It would be more troubling if he couldn¡¯t produce this level of results. "Hmm, today is thest day of the promise with the Thunder God." "It has been ten days. There¡¯ll probably be a test tomorrow.¡± "I see. Then...¡± The Frost Queen tapped the floor in front of her. "Contractor, sit here." When Seo Jun-Ho sat down calmly, The Frost Queen crossed her arms and spoke. "Now, you must have mastered the power. It seemed that you have also gotten quite used to using the Frost energy." "Well, that''s right." "I believe it is okay to take it now." "Take it... Oh, are you saying¡­?" Seo Jun-Ho recalled the elixir lying dormant in his Inventory and nodded. "That¡¯s unexpected. Last time, you told me to take it if I wanted to die.¡± "You werecking in many ways at that time, but I think it will be okay now." He had continuously practiced his usage of the Frost energy inside the goshiwon. After the battle with Janabi, he had even mastered the power to freeze under the Thunder God. At this rate, Seo Jun-Ho could be called a veteran ice user. "Hmm. I see." Seo Jun-Ho took out the Amitabha Holy Water from the Inventory. A ss bottle the size of a lens barrel contained only one drop of transparent liquid. "This is the Amitabha Holy Water formed once in a thousand years...¡± "Didn''t thezy Administrator say so? If you drink it, you could even undergo a body transformation." "Body transformation¡­" Seo Jun-Ho''s body became lighter just by opening the Conception Governing Vessel. He remembered that even his magic stats went up quite a bit on that day as well. ¡®Furthermore, if I also undergo body transformation...¡¯ In old martial arts manga and novels, the body transformation waspared to being reborn as a new person. Even if only half of the novel were true, one¡¯s physical ability, as well as their magic stats, would greatly improve. "Status window." Seo Jun-Ho brought up his status window for the first time in a long time. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 96 Title: Bringer of Spring (+3) Strength: 291 Stamina: 300 Speed: 297 Magic: 351 Fame: 41,780 "Oh¡­" His stats had improved quite a lot since hest saw them. The first thing that caught his eye was definitely his level. ¡®I leveled up a lot in ckfield.¡¯ It was inevitable since he had defeated the Floor Master who gave the most experience in ckfield. Moreover, experience wasn¡¯t the only thing he had received there. ¡®There was a title¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes stared at the title space. After a moment, the newly acquired title appeared. [Exterminator] Grade: A Description: Title given to the person who killed Janabi, Frontier¡¯s Floor Master. Effect: Insects are afraid of you. All stats are increased by 15. ¡®It''s sad every time I see this.¡¯ It was a pity since the title he had received after defeating the Frost Queen was S-grade, and he felt that the battle with Floor Master Janabi was harder than the battle he had with the Frost Queen. ¡®However, my fame has increased tremendously, perhaps because I was the one who defeated Janabi.¡¯ It used to be about 4,000 in the past, but it jumped to about ten times higher. ¡®They said fame is the quantification of my recognition in the Frontier continent.¡¯ It may not be as urate as a game, but it would be helpful as a reference. Since his fame was over 40,000 points, even the imperial family probably knew his name. ¡®And all stats will soon exceed 300.¡¯ If he was lucky, the body transformation might help him pass it today. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho was no longer obsessed with his stats. ¡®Your stats being a little higher doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that you¡¯re stronger. And besides, when you¡¯re around my level¡­¡¯ The battle would be about how well one utilized their skills. No matter how high one¡¯s stats were in the status window, one would die the same if they were sneak attacked. "I''m opening it." Seo Jun-Ho satfortably in the room and took a deep breath. The moment he reached out and opened the bottle cap, a chill that made his skin numb filled the room. ¡®I can''t believe I can still feel the cold even though I have B-grade Cold Tolerance...¡¯ He gulped a mouthful of his own saliva before pouring the Amitabha Holy Water into his mouth. The single drop of elixir went down his throat in the blink of an eye. ¡®¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly closed his eyes and gathered his Frost energy to control the extreme cold energy. ¡®Ugh.¡¯ The Amitabha Holy Water was as cold and haughty as theke water in a snowfield, and it was even more stubborn than an iron cord. It never followed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s guidance, and it only chose the paths Seo Jun-Ho hated for it to roam about. ¡®So arrogant¡­¡¯ The scene was like a scoring officer trying to decide whether this new house was eptable or not. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s pride was nothing to scoff at as well as he was being made a fool of and dragged around by the energy. ''I''ll bring you to your knees no matter what it takes.¡¯ A warfare took ce throughout his body. It was a battle between the Frost energy grabbing the Amitabha Holy Water¡¯s hair and trying to drag it where he wanted it to go versus the Amitabha Holy Water trying to go wherever it wanted while saying, ¡®let go.¡¯ *** "¡­This is taking quite a while." The Frost Queen fluttered around the room with a restless face. It had already been three hours since Seo Jun-Ho had taken the elixir, but he still wasn¡¯t showing any signs of opening his eyes. ¡®Nothing will go wrong, right?¡¯ The Frost Queen''s face was already like white jade, but it became even whiter. She was the one who encouraged him to drink the Amitabha Holy Water, after all. "N-no. It will be fine." Nibble, nibble. She told herself it would be fine, but she had been biting her nails from anxiety. "Huh?" All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Ho''s hair began to shatter with a thud. The Frost Queen covered her mouth as she looked at the ck hair that fell on the floor. ¡®No way. The side effect of the Amitabha Holy Water is¡­ losing your hair?¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu said he was going to Gangnam with his friend, but it seemed that Seo Jun-Ho would also have to go to a Gangnam dermatologist along with Shim Deok-Gu. The moment the Frost Queen looked at Seo Jun-Ho with trembling eyes¡ª Th-th-thud. As if an old cement wall was peeling off, Seo Jun-Ho''s skin fell piece by piece this time. "Wait, this is...¡± When the Frost Queen picked up the pieces, her eyes shone. ''I was mistaken. It was not a side effect!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s body was going through body transformation. It was a perfectly natural phenomenon as his body abandoned the old and took on the new. As soon as the skin pieces fell off, a new piece of skin sprang up from underneath. It was a much smoother and more stic skin than before. "I envy you... No, I am d it is going well." The transformation process alone took about two hours. Just a while ago, the Conception Governing Vessel was opened, and the process cleansed his body, which resulted in an awful smell. But now, an even worse smell filled the room. *** ¡°¡­¡± On the promised day¡­ The Thunder God sat on a rock in the vacant yard early in the morning and waited for Seo Jun-Ho. The Thunder God thought Seo Jun-Ho woulde out to take the test first thing in the morning based on his personality. However, Seo Jun-Ho did note out of the room even when it was already noon. "Geon-Woo." "Yes, Master." "What is that punk doin¡¯ these days?" When the Thunder God pointed at the room with his chin, Baek Geon-Woo shook his head. "I have not seen him in thest few days either. But, I had often run into him at the well every morning...¡± "Hmm." It likely meant Seo Jun-Ho was that immersed in training. "Well, he¡¯lle out if I wait." Half a day passed, and dusk was nigh. Thud. The door opened, and Seo Jun-Ho walked out. ¡°¡­?¡± The Thunder God rubbed his eyes. A crease formed on his forehead as he stared at Seo Jun-Ho as if he wanted to see through thetter with his eyes. "Hmm? Something seems to have changed. Your hair has grown to your waist in just a few days¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite Baek Geon-Woo''s exmation, The Thunder God remained silent. Inside, however, he was at a loss for words. ¡®This is not why I gave ya time¡­¡¯ The Thunder God had just asked him to briefly understand the concept, but he came out havingpleted the entire curriculum. "I guess he really is a genius." The Thunder God didn''t say it simply in the sense of talent. The Seo Jun-Ho that the Thunder God had seen had been working harder than any other yer. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s achievement still wasn¡¯t something that could be achieved with just genius-level talent and hard work. ''Well, he¡¯s pretty loved.¡¯ One also had to be heaven¡¯s beloved, just like the man walking toward him. "You should go over there, too." The Thunder God made even Baek Geon-Woo, who was next to him, move far away. The Seo Jun-Ho, who had fainted like a frog in front of him until just a few days ago, hadpletely disappeared. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ The Thunder God smiled as he looked down at his ever so slightly trembling hand. ¡®Oh, my. He¡¯s at such a level?¡¯ It was a feeling he had never felt before. The Thunder God was ¡®excited¡¯ as a warrior at the thought ofpeting with Seo Jun-Ho. Chapter 250. Black Dragon (3)

Chapter 250. ck Dragon (3)

The Frost Queen was technologically inept. It had taken her half a month to figure out how to ¡®y¡¯ the video stored on the tablet. Of course, when it came to video editing, she was a genius, but that was different since the editing program would edit a video on its own if you just gave it a voicemand. Anyway, the technologically illiterate Frost Queen now had ess to Seo Jun-Ho''s yer Community window. "¡­Can you really watch a video alone?" "Yeah! Was I not the one who yed videos on the tablet?" The reason for her confident voice was unknown, but her chin rose. The very confident Frost Queen raised her hand. In front of the hand, a hologram window dangled. "I''m just saying, just in case¡­ But if you press everything randomly, I might get in trouble." "Do not worry. When have I made things difficult for you?¡± ''Plenty of times...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho simply smiled. "Time for medicine. After today, ya should be able to move yer arms." Just in time, the Thunder God came into the room, and the Frost Queen waved as she went out through the gap in the open door. "I will use it well and give it back! Do not worry!" The Frost Queen, who came giggling out of the room, sat on the wooden porch. ¡°Hmm..." She bragged, but of course, the UI[1] of the tablet and the yer Community window was very different. Matching bulletin board, news bulletin board, video bulletin board, messenger, etc¡­ The Community window had all the functions for the convenience of yers. "Ah, video." Having found what she wanted, the Frost Queen stretched out a small finger and pressed. Since she wasn¡¯t Seo Jun-Ho himself, various system prompts came up. [yer Seo Jun-Ho has temporarily granted Community ess.] [yer Seo Jun-Ho''s Spirit, the Frost Queen has temporarily received the right to use Community.] [Authenticating...] "Huh...?" The Frost Queen''s eyes trembled slightly. She was only told that authority had to be transferred. She wasn¡¯t told that she had to go through identity authentication. ¡°¡­¡± She looked back, and treatment was in full swing in her contractor''s room. ''My contractor is working hard to cure his sick body, so how can I ask about this...¡¯ Her conscience didn¡¯t allow it. In the end, she had to ovee the identity authentication procedures on her own. The Frost Queen slowly began to follow the demands of the Community window. It was like an old man touching a smartphone given by his child for the first time. "Ah, hmm¡­ A picture from the front¡­? Take off your sses, lenses, masks¡­ I should take off my mask, then?¡± "Fingerprints and iris recognition...? Uhh, do I do this? Do I even have fingerprints?¡± "Setting up a question? Where you were born... The name of the school you graduated from... Your first pet?¡± "Prove that you''re not a robot¡­ Choose all the pictures of traffic lights? W-what are traffic lights...¡± The identity authentication procedure was very tricky and difficult. She felt that it was more difficult than the entrance exam for the best academy in Niflheim. ¡®Has Contractor¡­ always solved these difficult problems?¡¯ The Frost Queen couldn¡¯t help but feel that Seo Jun-Ho was amazing. However, she was the Frost Queen of Niflheim. After two hours of struggling, she finallypleted the authentication procedures. Stretch! The Frost Queen stretched her clenched fist high into the sky. She looked like a champion. "Well done, me...¡± All of a sudden, she felt weak and exhausted. However, she couldn''t fall down. Having acquired the right to y, she began to y with the Community window in earnest. "Oh, Contractor has a subscription." She first skimmed through the month-long umted paid news bulletin. [Specter, Seo Jun-Ho, and Gong Ju-Ha''s fantastic trio! Janabi, 2nd floor Floor Master, eliminated.] [The cogs of the world that had stopped have begun to spin once more. The 3rd floor, Balbortan, has totally opened!] [yers whose levels are 100 or higher can climb to the 3rd floor.] [Festival vibes throughout Earth and Frontier. The human race will not be defeated.] [Big 6, ¡®It''s an honor to be at a historical site,¡¯ modest reviews, and ns to attack the 3rd floor.] [The hero of mankind, Specter, suddenly disappears after eliminating Janabi. How far does his mystery go?] [yer Gong Ju-Ha and Seo Jun-Ho are estimated to need more than 20 weeks of treatment.] "Ohh¡­" The Frost Queen was slightly surprised. She had no idea because she was living with Seo Jun-Ho, but for the past month, mankind had literally been in a festive mood. Laughing, talking, eating, drinking... Wherever two or three people gathered, everyone was talking about the 3rd floor. Moreover, their discussion always included Specter, Gong Ju-Ha, and Seo Jun-Ho. ''They really were mentioned a lot.'' Looking around the bulletin board, she was slightly impressed, aspliments for her contractor were incessant. However, the more she read the posts andments, the more her difort umted little by little. ¡®¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t difficult to know why. After all, it was a feeling she had experienced several times. ¡®Gong Ju-Ha and Contractor were on the verge of death, but¡­¡¯ The Big 6 had participated in the attack, and they were doing what they had to do without showing off. So, the Frost Queen disliked the noisy people who weren¡¯t even there. There was even an article about Seo Jun-Ho and Gong Ju-Ha¡ªit stated that it had been confirmed that their treatment wouldst more than twenty weeks. Despite that, there wasn¡¯t much warmth, words of constion, or concern. "What do they mean that mankind will not be defeated¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t humanity that had emerged victorious. The one who won was her contractor, who had entered ckfield with the Big 6. As such, she didn¡¯t like seeing these noisy people because they acted excited as if it was their achievement. "Tsk. Humans who don''t know how to appreciate..." On one hand, she understood their reactions. She had experienced it many times before she became the Queen of Niflheim. For example, the victory of her corps had be the victory of the kingdom. Even when she was seriously injured and groaning on a sickbed, a festival had taken ce along with a band''s performance on the street. ¡®Every world is the same.¡¯ The person who had sacrificed themselves was different from those enjoying the victory. Feeling ufortable for no reason, the Frost Queen exited the news bulletin board. She wanted to y like a child, but as if cold water had been poured on her heart, she didn¡¯t want to y anymore. ¡°¡­¡± The Frost Queen closed her eyes for a moment. ¡®I have been acting too much like a child these days.¡¯ She strongly felt that she shouldn¡¯t be like this. Her contractor was silently moving forward, but she felt like she was regressing. "Okay, let''s practice." She nodded. The main goal was to regain the strong charisma she had when she first met her contractor. ¡®Well, first of all, I need to practice acting with my facial expressions...¡¯ Looking for a mirror, she was in tears. There wasn''t a single clear pond around, let alone a mirror. "Ah." However, beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers. She quickly found a way. ¡®Filming...¡¯ Wasn''t it simple if she just used a video as a mirror? "Hmm, press this...¡± [Do you want to start filming? Yes/No.] "Yes." [Do you want to use the default filter? Yes/No.] "Yes." [Do you want to save to the gallery right after filming the video? Yes/No.] "What, why are there so many? Yesyesyesyesyesyes!" The Frost Queen skipped all the questions that stood in her way. A proud look filled her face. However, she had no idea that¡ª [Live broadcast has started.] ¡ªShe had made a mistake. *** Silence. Nowadays, the yermunity was in a decline. It felt like a storm had ravaged the ce and no repairs had been made ever since. [Oh, I''m bored.] [Is there any fun news these days?] [Rather than looking for fun news here, it¡¯d be more helpful to go out andplete another quest, you know?] [Yea~ Even if I y like this all day, my level and sry are higher than yours~] [He''s a cosu, but he¡¯s talking about sry, lol.] Cosu was short for munity and jobless.¡¯ These people roamed the Community boards from the moment they opened their eyes to the moment they closed them to sleep. This was obvious, but there were only a few decent yers among them. However, there was a certain percentage of them who belonged to the ''press.¡¯ "Oh, hell, my performance is rock bottom these days. Is there really nothing?" This was the case for Himal, the reporter who wrote thement, ¡®Is there any fun news these days?¡¯. About a month ago, Specter¡¯s great performance resulted in the opening of the 3rd floor. As a result, mankind had the busiest month of the past few decades. At first, it was an anonymous bulletin board that was explosively popr, as it was used to find information about the 3rd floor¡­ ¡®The bulletin boards are all dead. They''re all dead.'' Unless they were a nobody, everyone had already gone up to the 3rd floor with a goal. Some had started to speed up their hunting and Quests on the 2nd floor to get to the 3rd floor. Since all these people had been working hard to find a way to leave the 2nd floor, the bulletin boards had be really deste these days. "Should I just ask to be transferred to the 1st floor...¡± Drooped likeundry on his office chair, he listlessly refreshed the Community window. "Hmm?" It was then when a strange notification appeared in his Community window. [Sonny-nim has started a live broadcast.] "Sonny? Who had this nickname again?" Himal began to search his notebook. The yers he was following were only those who usually became headlines. "Oh, what?¡± His eyes opened wide when he discovered the owner of the ID, Sonny. ¡®This, it¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho''s ID?¡¯ However, his mind quickly spun. ¡®Strange. It was confirmed that Seo Jun-Ho needs more than twenty weeks of treatment.¡¯ Not even four weeks had passed since then, let alone twenty weeks. Of course, there was no way that such a person would do a live broadcast. ¡®Ah, maybe he¡¯s trying to do a talk show from the hospital?¡¯ There were people like that sometimes. Those who would do live broadcasts just to enjoy thepany of other yers. ¡®I didn''t think he had that kind of personality. How unexpected.¡¯ Smirking, Himal entered Sonny''s broadcast without thinking. And after a while, he grabbed at his chest. "Ugghhhhh¡­!" The cutest girl in the world, he swore, was there. * * * "Hmm... Was it this?" ¡®Hmph!¡¯ The Frost Queen looked sulky. "No, no. That''s definitely the look of a sulky kid." She was working very hard with her mask off. It was because of her determination to regain her charismatic old self again and to be respected by her contractor once more. "In the end, you have evene to the grave...¡± After practicing hard for about thirty minutes, the Frost Queen eventually seeded in restoring her old expression. Now, she had an expression and eyes that exuded frostiness. But then dust entered her eyes. "Ah, it tickles." Rubbing her eyes with a slightly ufortable look, she noticed something by chance. "Hmm?" At the bottom right of the video, heart-shaped emoticons were popping up like crazy. Anxiety began to climb up her spine. ¡®I don''t know why, but I feel like I shouldn''t press it...¡¯ She felt like she would be happy for the rest of her life if she remained ignorant about the meaning of those hearts. However, it felt ufortable to just ignore those like this. Eventually, she gulped her saliva and slowly reached out. Finally, her finger touched the heart-covered button called ment window.¡¯ 1. UI is user interface. ? Chapter 259. The Thunder God鈥檚 Teachings (3)

Chapter 259. The Thunder God¡¯s Teachings (3)

Seo Jun-Ho''s current magic stat was at 361. This was because all stats had increased by 10 during the process of body transformation. ¡®Magic stat alone is at 361... It''s a figure I could never even imagine before.'' Still, even this many points felt insufficient. The tremendous magic that escaped from Seo Jun-Ho''s body swirled around. "Ha-a." Seo Jun-Ho''s expression became more serious as he let out a steamy breath. The magic flowing from his body immediately transformed into Frost energy, which hovered around him. "This is how you want me to do it, right?¡± "Hmm, it is pretty good for your first time." The Frost Queen nodded and admitted. It may not be visible to others, but it was clearly visible to her. ¡®One-meter radius around Contractor.¡¯ From now on, it would be Seo Jun-Ho''s ¡®domain.¡¯ If he couldn¡¯t hit the target with the power to freeze, he just had to spread the power to freeze around himself. ¡®However, this skill requires a lot of concentration and magic¡­¡¯ The power to freeze devoured those two things horribly. Since it had to be spread out in a wide area, it could not be done with a normal amount of mental strength. Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t even be able to dream of using it without his outstanding Hero¡¯s Mind (S) skill. ¡®I am worried about the future.¡¯ Now, he was able to get by using the power to freeze, as he only had to focus on that. But to use it with Overclocking in a real battle, even having more than twice the magic power wouldn¡¯t be enough. ''No, no. I have too many small worries.¡¯ The Frost Queen tried to shake off her worries. Usually, if one started nitpicking at what wascking, there would be no end to it, so she decided to simply dream of a positive future. If her contractor''s magic power became much greater in the future, it wouldn¡¯t be just a one-meter radius... ''It could eat up a muchrger area. Until then, I will raise him well.¡¯ Just imagining it made her heart full. Looking at her contractor''s growth with pride, the Frost Queen set the pride in her heart aside, then criticized Seo Jun-Ho, "What are you so fascinated by? I do not think you have time to rx and admire it.¡± "Yeah, I know," Seo Jun-Ho replied nkly. He looked around curiously. It was a one-meter radius. ¡®By me, for me, my own space.¡¯ Even the sharp mountain breeze became so slow, like a shy child in this space. He had the illusion that he could deal with anything in this space. However, the Frost Queen was right. The situation wasn¡¯t so good that he could take his time in appreciating it. ¡®What? What kind of crazy magic consumption¡­?¡¯ Even a waterfall was slower than his magic consumption. Seo Jun-Ho was surprised by how fast his magic power was being drained, so he quickly came to his senses. All his senses were focused only on spreading the ''power to freeze'' around him. "Hoh." When the Thunder God noticed Seo Jun-Ho''s change, he let out a soft groan. ¡®The power to slow down the target... Did he perhaps spread it all around him in a wide area?¡¯ The Thunder God swallowed augh and had no choice but to admit¡­ ¡®That¡¯s crazy. Ain¡¯t this guy a real nutcase?¡¯ It was the highest praise. The Thunder God thought that Seo Jun-Ho had to take the test at least two more times to defeat this pattern. ¡®But to think he was able toe up with a solution as soon as he saw it.¡¯ The only way to exin it was simply because he was a genius. No, honestly, he felt that the word genius wasn¡¯t enough. ¡®Oh geez, it¡¯s almost like someone is next to him, telling him the answer right away...¡¯ The Thunder God had gotten the correct answer without realizing it, but unfortunately, the Frost Queen¡¯s existence was unbeknownst to him. "Then shall we test the performance of yer new power?¡± Tap! Tap, tap! The Thunder God''s cane tapped the ground lightly. ¡®It''sing.¡¯ Ruuuuumble! The difficulty rose sharply as more than a dozen thunderbolts poured out. They emerged and wriggled like loaches. Even Seo Jun-Ho got dizzy trying to follow them with his eyes. ¡®There''s nothing to be afraid of.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho calmed down. He focused only on maintaining the power to freeze. ¡®In this domain, I''m invincible.¡¯ He brainwashed himself. For an ordinary person, self-brainwashing was a poison that harmed oneself, but self-brainwashing for a person with skills was a source of confidence. Rumble! The thunderbolts had invaded Seo Jun-Ho''s space. ¡®They¡¯reing in fearlessly.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s domain thoroughly rejected the uninvited guests. As soon as they entered the space, the power to freeze forcibly slowed the thunderbolts down. ''I can do it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked at the thunderbolts as he turned his body. However, problems always arose when they were least expected. ¡®Slow¡­?¡¯ He had neglected Overclocking to focus entirely on the power to freeze. As such, his body was moving much slower than expected. "Ugh!" Thanks to this, Seo Jun-Ho''s body was hit by two thunderbolts and forcibly pushed back. His knees touched the ground as he gripped his chest over his tingling heart. "Wake up, Contractor!" the Frost Queen let out a sharp cry. ¡®Damn, it reminds me of the old days.¡¯ He remembered that he couldn''t even sleep properly under her training. All of a sudden, he felt that this was nothingpared to what he had to go through back then. ¡®I didn''t even know what to do back then...¡¯ Right now, he knew what to do at the very least. He knew what he had to do. He just had to be a bit more focused. ¡°...Hmm?¡± The Thunder God squinted his eyes. After being beaten back by the attack, Seo Jun-Ho''s aura rose instead. ¡®Huh, so he¡¯s that kind of person, too.¡¯ One would meet many types of people upon living up to the Thunder God¡¯s age, but there were bound to be people who were really iprehensible among them all. ¡®Like weirdos who grow faster when in crisis or when they are driven into a corner.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho got up and started walking up to the Thunder God once again. The Thunder God tapped his cane without a word. Tap, ta-ta-tap. The thunderbolts crashed down. However, the thunderbolts seemed to have be powerless to stop the steps of the man walking in silence. ¡°¡­¡± Tap, ta-ta-tap, tap, tap! The cane tapped the dirt more cheerfully and more heavily. Seo Jun-Ho had already surpassed the 50-meter mark. "T-this is...¡± Baek Geon-Woo was shocked as he looked at the yard. Dozens of thunderbolts had engulfed the area, and the scene looked like the end of the world. ¡°¡­¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho was still walking. Even dozens of thunderbolts couldn¡¯t stop his steps. ¡®...Look at his face.¡¯ The Thunder Godughed dryly as he had found it astonishing. In a thunderstorm that would make even High Rankers wet themselves, Seo Jun-Ho had a detached expression as if only he existed in the world. ¡®¡­¡¯ The Thunder God contemted for a moment. It was enough. Not only had Seo Jun-Ho exceeded the passing score, but he had smashed the record itself. But, as a warrior, the Thunder God¡¯s blood was boiling. ''I also have a... desire.¡¯ The corners of his mouth were filled with joy. ¡®Y¡¯ll pass regardless of whether ya can block this or not.¡¯ He knew he was being unfair, but he really wanted to test Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®...Can yer fist reach meh?¡¯ The Thunder God put down his cane. With his hands sped together like a monk, he slowly closed his eyes. ¡®Thunder Dragon Shakes the Heavens.¡¯ It was a scene that no one would believe even if they were told about it. No, it would be good if they didn''t sarcastically ask if you were drunk when you described them this scene. It was because a huge thunderbolt in the shape of a dragon had risen like a mountain and floated around in the sky. The dragon moved with grace and rushed fiercely toward one point. Ruuummmble! - The dragon of thunder shakes the world. Just as its name suggested, it was a technique with enough power to shake the world. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the approaching dragon. ''Dragon...'' As a yer, Seo Jun-Ho had defeated and captured a few fantastic dragons. However, he swore he had never seen or heard of a more intimidating dragon than the dragon he was seeing right now. "He must be crazy, crazy!" The Frost Queen screamed, putting her hands on her cheeks like Macay Culkin. In her opinion, this attack was definitely not something Seo Jun-Ho could handle. Seo Jun-Ho unconsciously opened his mouth and said, "So, this is a Heaven." The person regarded as the representative of all yers had sent an attack with all his soul and mind. It was an attack that literally carried the full strength of the caster¡¯s soul and mind. "Ha, haha." Seo Jun-Houghed. Heughed with joy, not because he had lost all hope. ¡®So there was someone this strong...¡¯ So, there was someone else simr to a deep-rooted tree who wouldn¡¯t budge even if Seo Jun-Ho struck him with all his might. Now, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have to do it all alone and overexert himself. It was ridiculous, but Seo Jun-Ho felt relieved knowing this fact. ''But... that''s a little too much.'' Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes trembled. No, not just his eyes; his entire body was trembling. The power to freeze? It had been quite a while since it disappeared. It was too much to stay sober in the face of a great attack that suppressed even human instinct itself. "Go to sleep." When Seo Jun-Ho''s unconscious figure copsed forward, ice rose from the floor and gently caught him. At the same time, the Frost Queen reached out. ¡®And before Contractor bespletely unconscious.¡¯ She had to give at least a warning to be satisfied. Craaackle! What she created was an ordinary ice wall that didn¡¯t seem special in any way. In fact, this ice wall didn¡¯t have any significant differences from what Seo Jun-Ho had made so far. However¡ª Ruuummmble! The thunder dragon struck the wall and vanished without a trace. ¡°¡­?!¡± The Thunder God¡¯s eyes suddenly opened wide as he shot up from his seat. It was the first time in thest few decades of testing that he had seen such a thing. ¡®Just now¡­?¡¯ He hurriedly canceled the attack when he saw Seo Jun-Ho fall. But just before the thunder dragon scattered, he strongly felt as if someone had forcibly dispersed his attack. It was as if they were telling him that he should never y this kind of trick again. ¡®No... Was I mistaken?¡¯ His serious gaze fell upon Seo Jun-Ho. Thetter¡¯s breathing was even, simr to the breathing of someone who had truly fainted. ¡°¡­¡± Gulp. The Thunder God unwittingly gulped a mouthful of his own saliva and released his clenched fist. The sweat on his palm fell to the floor. "Yeah, I must be mistaken...¡± He shook his head and said to Baek Geon-Woo, "Geon-Woo, put him in the room. Also, buy some chickens. What kind of man falls so easily? Let''s have some chicken soup." "Yes, but Master, yourplexion...¡± "Hey, are ya lookin¡¯ down on me? This much is nothing, so get a move on.¡± "Yes..." Baek Geon-Woo looked worried, but he slowly lowered his head. After carefullyying Seo Jun-Ho in the room, Baek Geon-Woo went down the mountain, but on his way there, he saw the Thunder God slumped on the rock. "Uwaaack!" Out of nowhere, he vomited blood and held his trembling fist firmly with his other hand. The Thunder God led his old body into his room, picked up one of the dozens of bottles, and poured the contents into his mouth. "Ha-a, ha-a¡­¡± He drank the legendary elixir that could apparently even save the dead, but his expression remained unpleasant. "¡­Damn it." The moment he discovered he didn¡¯t have much time left, he had to choose whether to use the rest of his life to heal his body or nt an apple tree for tomorrow.[1] The Thunder God chose to nt an apple tree. ¡®It¡¯s going to be busy from now on.¡¯ His face became rxed andfortable as he closed his eyes. Today, he had confirmed that there was another apple tree growing well aside from the apple tree he had already nted. 1. Invest in the future. ? Chapter 252. Black Dragon (5)

Chapter 252. ck Dragon (5)

"Mmm-mmm." Starting from the first breeze of the morning breeze, Seo Jun-Ho had been warming his body up. As a result of drinking about 200ml of elixirs, the muscles that had been torn to shreds had recovered. "You seem to be in a good mood, Contractor." "I am." Seo Jun-Ho smiled. With what happened this time around, he realized what a blessing it was to be able to move his body freely. "My magic circuit is still a mess, but my body has be better, at the very least.." In fact, his body hadn¡¯t fully recovered just yet. The torn muscles were stuck back together, so he could move his body to a certain extent. However, going into battle was still a pipe dream. ''But it''s enough¡­¡¯ This level of physical condition should be enough to receive treatment from the Thunder God. As he waited for the Thunder God, he warmed his body up. "Oho." When the Thunder God entered the room and saw the scene, he smirked. "Ya look alive." "It is thanks to you. It iste, but thank you." When Seo Jun-Ho bent down like a folding phone, the Thunder God shrugged and beckoned. "Yer makin meh skin crawl. Lah down." "Yes¡­?" ¡°Can''t yeh understand meh? Lah down I sayed." "Oh, lie down."[1] When Seo Jun-Ho hurriedlyid down, the Thunder God felt his pulse. ¡°Hmm." It was definitely much better. Regardless of how much elixir was used, this was only possible because the patient''s natural regeneration rate was high. "Ya want to try openin¡¯ the veins today too?¡± "¡­First, I would like to ask you a question," asked Seo Jun-Ho cautiously. "What exactly do you mean by veins?" "Hmm." People would often panic when others suddenly asked them to exin something they knew very well. However, the Thunder God stroked his beard once, and words poured out like a waterfall as he spoke like an instructor. "Ya have a magic circuit, right?" "Of course. There are no yers¡­ without it, right?¡± "Then, ya remember when that magic circuit was created?" "¡­When was it created?¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned and fell into a dilemma. ¡®Created...? No, a magic circuit isn''t something that gets created all of a sudden.¡¯ Since Gates appeared, people who had received skills were able to use magic. Naturally, they began to study how to use magic effectively. ¡®The concept that came up at that time was the magic circuit.¡¯ It was a concept made while studying how to use the same amount of magic more efficiently. Cars meant to drive on highways were faster than off-road vehicles. "I understand it was created after yers researched it. So¡­ It¡¯s about thirty-one years ago." "Right. Ya know exactly. Then, what do ya think the magic circuit is?" "Uh... It''s a road in the body. A highway that helps magic move more quickly." "How smart. But ya know what?" The Thunder God suddenly stopped talking and began to slowly touch from his head to his navel. "One Hundred Meetings, Wind Pce, Mutism Gate, Great Vertebra, Body Pir, Muscle Spasm, Central Pivot..."[2] They were unfamiliar words that Seo Jun-Ho had never heard in his life. When he stared nkly, the Thunder God smiled. "First time hearing it?¡± "Yes¡­" "It''s the names of the Governing and Conception Vessels that exist in the human body. They¡¯re called channels of human energy since ancient times."[3] "Ah! If it is the Conception Governing Vessel¡­ I think I have heard of it a few times in martial art novels." Seo Jun-Ho pretended to know, and the Thunder God was delighted. "Oh, ya know? Well, that¡¯ll make it easier. The Conception Governing Vessel[4] is definitely a road that magic travels on. It was also discovered and developed hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago. But thirty-one years ago, who would have thought and organized this idea of the past? They were busy catchin¡¯ monsters and protectin¡¯ people. So, they only managed to roughly carve out a single magic channel and called it the magic circuit. That''s the origin of the magic circuit that has been passed on since then." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked awkward. He had no idea about these even though he was someone from thirty-one years ago. "But this magic circuit has one fatal weakness." "Weakness¡­?" The Thunder God nodded. "Upper body, lower body, arms and legs, and head. Only these are connected." ¡°¡­?¡± "Ya have an expression that says, ¡®I don¡¯t know anything~¡¯¡± The Thunder God grinned and suddenly pointed near his armpit. "Now, can ya precisely strengthen this part with magic?" "Armpit? Of course. You just have to focus your magic on that part." "But do ya use the magic circuit in the process?" ¡°¡­¡± It was then that Seo Jun-Ho''s expression turned serious. ¡®The magic circuit starts from the head, prates the upper and lower bodies, and extends to the arms and legs as the Thunder God said.¡¯ In other words, the magic circuit didn¡¯t extend to the armpit. It wasn¡¯t connected to most of the smaller parts of the body, let alone the armpit. "Ya get it? This little difference is what makes a masterpiece." "Then the idea of opening the veins...¡± "Ya can think of it as installin¡¯ additional magic circuits in yer body." "Additional... instation?¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes trembled. If that were possible, he would have done it decades ago. "Tsk. Yer eyes are telling me, ¡®If that were possible, I would have done it immediately. Wake up, Grandpa.¡¯¡± "Oh, no¡­" Startled, Seo Jun-Ho turned his head slightly. "Of course, not everyone can do it. Ya said ya read martial art novels. Don''t you know about openin¡¯ the Conception Governing Vessels?¡± "I know. Those masters put their hands on the main character''s back... Ah!" The corners of the Thunder God¡¯s mouth rose. "Like ya said, I¡¯m a master and y¡¯er the main character.¡± "I did not mean it like that¡­¡± "I''m kidding. Ya understand the concept, right?" Seo Jun-Ho nodded. The opening of veins the Thunder God had been referring to was the opening of the Conception Governing Vessel, which would help the cirction of magic by installing new magic circuits in the body. "It''s gonna hurt like hell." "I can take it." "Don¡¯t scream even if it hurts. You¡¯ll lose energy. And not only ya, but I can get hurt, too." Seo Jun-Ho gulped down his saliva. The countryman in front of him was the first of the Nine Heavens among yers. As such, he was known to be the strongest yer. So, there was no way he was lying. ¡®It''ll probably hurt a lot.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho made up his mind. He was determined not to scream. "I am¡­ ready." "Take off your top, turn around, and sit down." When Seo Jun-Ho lightly took off his top and turned around, a hand was ced on his back. "I''ll start." Buzz. Thunder energy flowed into his back through the hand. At the same time, heavy inhaling could be heard in the room. ¡®Wha, what is this feeling...!¡¯ It felt like tens of thousands of bugs were crawling around inside his body. No, it didn¡¯t feel like the bugs were just crawling around. It felt as if they were eating into his body. ¡®This is the treatment?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho clenched his teeth. He bit so hard that blood came out of his mouth. It was painful to the point that he suspected that the Thunder God was from the Fiend Association. "There, there. Good boy. Hang in there.¡± The Thunder God spoke in a soft voice, like a dentist soothing a child. At the same time, the thunder energy that entered Seo Jun-Ho''s body began to extend into thousands of branches. ''Ugh...!'' It was an unfamiliar experience. The thunder energy went around in every corner of his body, which magic usually couldn¡¯t reach. It was shocking even to Seo Jun-Ho, who had always worked hard to maintain his magic circuit. He had discovered for the first time that so many parts of his body weren¡¯t working. "Tsk. It''s plugged up tight." Lightly clicking his tongue, the Thunder God put more strength in his hand on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back. "It¡¯s going to hurt a little from now on. Hang in there." ¡®From now on? Even now, it¡¯s already...!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s body shook greatly as he bit his teeth tightly, like someone who had just received an electrical shock to the heart. Moreover, it was being done over and over again. ¡®Ughhhh¡­¡¯ Tears welled up in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes as he couldn¡¯t scream while his body trembled. It was so painful that he wanted to scream, but the Thunder God stopped him every time. "Hold it in! If ya scream now, it''ll all be for nothin¡¯. The thunder energy will scatter away." ¡°¡­!¡± As such, Seo Jun-Ho had no choice but to put up with it. He closed his eyes, grit his teeth tightly, and held it in forcefully. Boom! Boom! A boom rang in his ear. It sounded like a tightly blocked dam was being forcefully banged on. "Ha, such stubbornness¡­¡± Clicking his tongue, the Thunder God sent arger amount of thunder energy into Seo Jun-Ho''s body. There was no other way. If they gave up now, the bacsh would injure Seo Jun-Ho. Boooom! Boooom! The bigger clump of thunder energy began to hit the walls with force. Debris would fall in each collision. The debris was the turbid energy and waste umted in Seo Jun-Ho''s body. At the same time, the Thunder God¡¯s eyes shone. ¡®His body is purer than that brat¡¯s¡­¡¯ The process of opening the Conception Governing Vessel took a full week for his one and only disciple. This was because so much waste had umted in his disciple¡¯s body. However, Seo Jun-Ho''s body was different. The parts where the magic circuits were located were pure. The Thunder God could see how thorough Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s upkeep of himself and how meticulously the magic circuit was sharpened. ¡®With a body like this, I think it might even be possible in a day¡­¡¯ The Thunder God contemted. Originally, he was nning on opening up Seo Jun-Ho''s whole body over three days at the least. ''That''s not the best way to do it, though.¡¯ The fundamentals of the vein strengthening technique were to prate through a blocked vein using thunder energy. Since it would forcibly melt and blow up a blocked wall in the veins, it couldn''t be good for the body. As such, the longer the treatment, the worse it was for the body. ¡®But with this body...¡¯ It was possible to open up all veins in just one day, which was today. Such a pure body was something even the Thunder God had never seen in his life. ¡®Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun''s bodies weren''t this pure either.¡¯ Anyone would be envious of this body. The Thunder God hurriedly changed his ns and increased the output of his thunder energy. He had made a decision. He was going to break through all of Seo Jun-Ho''s blocked veins today. "It''s going to hurt even more from now on. Bear with it. Endure no matter what. Please." The Thunder God¡¯s voice had be more serious. Even he hadn¡¯t expected that he would be so serious even though he hade here in a lighthearted manner. Bzzzzt! ¡°¡­!¡± A silent roar swept through the room. It was the sound of Seo Jun-Ho''s soul. "Contractor..." The Frost Queen watched the treatment process, and she shed tears as she could feel the pain in his soul. However, Seo Jun-Ho endured it. ¡®¡­!¡¯ Unfortunately or fortunately, his mind wasn¡¯t in a state to continue thinking, ¡®it hurts.¡¯ There was only onemand in his mind. ¡®You¡­ can¡¯t¡­ scream¡­¡¯ The pain was suppressed to fulfill only that one order. No, that was a lie. In fact, he couldn''t suppress it. No matter how much he suppressed it, the pain poked through and tormented him. ¡®Uggghh...¡¯ The saliva and blood from Seo Jun-Ho''s mouth dripped on the floor. His body felt numb and tingly, and it felt like it wasn¡¯t even his own body anymore. In the midst of that, the pain was still there, and it was very clear. "Almost there. Just a little bit¡­ Just a little more...¡± Gently appeasing Seo Jun-Ho, the Thunder God also sped up. He noticed that Seo Jun-Ho had reached his limit. ¡®Just a little bit¡­ If I hang in there just a little bit...!¡¯ Sweat was pouring from the Thunder God¡¯s forehead like it was raining. He couldn¡¯t even remember how long it had been since he had used so much energy in such a delicate way. ¡®Last one!¡¯ The crouching thunder energy leapt like a thunderbolt and crashed into a tightly closed door. Booooooom! A thunderous boom rang in Seo Jun-Ho''s ear. The pain constantly eroding his mind vanished like a lie. ¡°...¡± Is this how a colorful butterfly felt after aplete metamorphosis? Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. He was busy epting and savoring the new senses he could feel with his new body. "A-are ya a monster?" The Thunder God muttered. He had fallen to the floor. Usually, the patient would be the one on the floor, but today, it was the opposite. The patient was busy exploring the power he had just acquired. It was like seeing an immature child who had just received an excellent toy as a gift. ¡®But still...¡¯ The Thunder God grinned. Now that the basics wereplete, the Thunder God began to look forward to whether he would enjoy teaching this genius more than that disciple of his whom he had taken as his disciple in hister years. 1. Thunder God has a rural dialect/ent, so it¡¯s sometimes hard to understand him. ? 2. Names of acupuncture points. ? 3. Names of extraordinary meridians in acupuncture. ? 4. Vessel located between Conception and Governing Vessels that need to be opened to be able to circte energy (Ki) throughout the body. ? Chapter 261. A New Man (2)

Chapter 261. A New Man (2)

¡°Stamina trainin¡¯,¡± the Thunder God said, looking down at the mountains nketed with darkness. After they had a hearty supper of pickled deodeoks, he had chosen stamina training for their next session. ¡°Understood. I will go prepare.¡± As Baek Geon-Woo bowed and went into his room, Seo Jun-Ho blinked. ¡°Stamina training?¡± ¡°What of it? A healthy body houses a healthy mind. Stamina is the marrow of thend.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho had a dumbfounded expression on his face. He mustered the courage to speak. ¡°If I¡¯m honest, I can only train here for about a month.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°So, what do you want me to do.¡± The Thunder God grinned. ¡°What am I s¡¯posed to do if ya only have a month?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t have much time, so I was hoping that you¡¯d teach me about something a little more profound than stamina training¡­¡± ¡°Ha!¡± The Thunder God burst out inughter, shoulders shaking. Heughed for a long time and wiped away a tear. ¡°Profound teachings are nice. But how am I s¡¯posed to teach someone how to run when he can¡¯t walk? Even Geon-Woo can barely handle the training.¡± ¡°...¡± Couldn¡¯t walk? Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t move on from that statement. His eyebrows furrowed. ¡°...I¡¯ve never thought that I was unable to walk,¡± he said. ¡°The world is vast.¡± the Thunder God said in a serious voice, looking over the dark mountains. ¡°Yes, I s¡¯pose ya can think that y¡¯er the strongest when y¡¯er at that level. But to me, ya look like a frog in a well.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho kept his mouth shut. It would be too harsh to say he could do it if Mr. Geon-Woo could. However, this didn¡¯t slip by the Thunder God. It was as if he had eyes on the back of his head. His lips stretched as he chuckled. ¡°Do ya really think that way?¡± he asked. ¡°...What are you referring to?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I¡¯m askin¡¯ if ya really think you¡¯re better than Geon-Woo.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chided himself for letting his impetuous thoughts show. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I am not looking down on him¡­¡± ¡°I know as much. Then how ¡®bout this?¡± He made a proposal. ¡°If ya beat Geon-Woo in stamina training, I will teach ya about those other things.¡± ¡°...Are you serious?¡± ¡°How absurd. Do I look like I have two mouths?¡± In other words, the Thunder God was saying that there wasn¡¯t any hidden meaning behind what he just said. Seo Jun-Ho took a second to sort his thoughts and nodded slowly. ¡°I ept. I¡¯m also curious about the stamina Mr. Geon-Woo takes so much pride in.¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± The Thunder God said nothing andughed. When Baek Geon-Woo returned, he was wearing arge rucksack like that of a soldier¡¯s. ¡°...Mr. Geon-Woo, what is that?¡± Jun-Ho asked. ¡°It is a bag. You will need one as well.¡± He held out another rucksack, and Jun-Ho carefully picked it up. ¡®Huh?¡¯ It weighed approximately 100 kilograms. He frowned. ¡®Are they¡­¡¯ Were the master and student in on this together? As he looked at them suspiciously, the Thunder-God grinned. ¡°Geon-Woo. How much did ya put in his rucksack?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s his first time doing stamina training, so I made it light.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that to do with ya? Make it the same as y¡¯ers.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Baek Geon-Woo stared at his master with widened eyes. The Thunder God ignored him and pped his forehead before turning to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Oh! Does Mr. Jun-Ho want to receive special treatment ¡®cause it¡¯s his first time? If that¡¯s what he wants, go ahead.¡± The old man seemed properly annoyed that Seo Jun-Ho had underestimated his student. Seo Jun-Ho let out a light sigh and shook his head. ¡°...It¡¯s fine.¡± Based on their conversation, it seemed that Baek Geon-Woo had been considerate when packing Jun-Ho¡¯s rucksack. But if they weren¡¯t on even ground, he couldn¡¯t achieve a fair victory. Seo Jun-Ho handed back his rucksack. ¡°Please pack it the same as yours.¡± ¡°...It¡¯ll be hard since it is your first time,¡± Baek Geon-Woo said. ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± Aftering this far, it was a matter of pride. Seo Jun-Ho hoisted the newly packed rucksack on his shoulders. ¡®It¡¯s about 150 kilograms.¡¯ It was definitely heavy, but he couldn¡¯t feel it at all because he was maintaining a thirty percent Overclocking output. ¡®Mr. Geon-Woo¡­ Seems used to it.¡¯ His rucksack weighed the same as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s. However, his face remained cid, even though he couldn¡¯t use Overclocking. ¡°A¡¯ight, let¡¯s take a look.¡± The Thunder God rubbed his hands and looked around the mountains covered in darkness. Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t sure what he was looking for, but the Thunder God spent a long time looking around before he nodded. ¡°Since I sent it wetst time¡­I should send it thatta way.¡± The Thunder God summoned a thunderbolt and started to walk slowly. After taking a few steps, he hurled it like a javelin. Wooooosh! It shot out like a spear and pierced through the darkness, disappearing into the horizon in no time. ¡®What in the world are we doing?¡¯ Just as the question popped into his head, Baek Geon-Woo started running down the mountain. ¡°...¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯re ya starin¡¯ at?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The Thunder Godughed at his stupid answer. ¡°Bring me the remnants of the thunderbolt.¡± ¡°...The remnants of the thunderbolt? What is that?¡± ¡°Whether it hit a tree, the ground, or a rock, there should be remnants of it, don¡¯tcha think? Bring it to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­¡± The thunderbolt had flown far away to a ce he couldn¡¯t see. All he knew was the direction that it had flown in. ¡®The average man can see about 4.7 kilometers into the distance at ground level.¡¯ However, this wasn¡¯t ground level. It was the highest summit of the Wailing Mountains, with an altitude of ten thousand meters that surpassed even Mount Everest.[1] ¡®At this height, I should be able to see at least¡­¡¯ Three hundred and sixty kilometers into the distance. And considering that the thunderbolt had disappeared past it, it could be 500 or 700 kilometers away. ¡°Just how long will it take for us to bring it back?¡± he asked. ¡°Well, I s¡¯pose it¡¯ll take a few days.¡± The Thunder God shrugged. He pointed at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°No teleportin¡¯ and no ridin¡¯ anythin¡¯. Ya will only use yer body to bring it back.¡± ¡°...¡± So, this was the Thunder God¡¯s stamina training. Seo Jun-Ho could sense that Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s magic had grown quite a distance away from him down below. He bit his lip hard and spoke, ¡°Alright. But if I win, you have to keep your promise!¡± ¡°Kekeke.¡± The Thunder Godughed for a long time as he watched Seo Jun-Ho bound away. As his student and guest disappeared, a stillness settled over his residence for the first time in a long time. ¡°...Things¡¯ll be quiet for the time being.¡± The old man settled on a boulder and closed his eyes. *** Seo Jun-Ho had raised his Overclocking output to fifty percent. [Night has fallen. Hunter¡¯s Night (A) has been activated.] [All stats increased by 10%.] [Your senses have been sharpened.] It was dangerous for most yers to take even a single step into the Wailing Mountains at night. However, Seo Jun-Ho could see the world around him clearly. ¡®My eyesight has definitely gotten better after the body transformation.¡¯ And it had improved even more on top of that with Hunter¡¯s Night. He was even using magic to enhance his sight, so he didn¡¯t really have any trouble seeing. ¡®I think Mr. Geon-Woo has a separate sight-enhancing skill as well¡­¡¯ If they could both see well, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t think he would lose in a contest of speed. Seo Jun-Ho turned to the direction where the thunderbolt had disappeared and ran in a straight line. It didn¡¯t matter if there were rocks or trees in between. If there was something in his way, he simply cut it down with his sword. ¡®Gotcha.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had caught up to Baek Geon-Woo in just five minutes. When he passed him, he could feel Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s heated stare piercing his back. ¡®Like you, I have to win this no matter what.¡¯ He increased his speed by another level and shot down the Wailing Mountains like an arrow. *** ¡°Huff, huff.¡± It was his fifth day in the Wailing Mountains, and Seo Jun-Ho was still running. He was currently somewhere in the central region of the Frontier Empire. He had yet to find any remnants of the thunderbolt. To add insult to injury, his shoulders were starting to grow heavy as well. He had been diligent in emptying his rucksack of water and rations, but the weight of it was starting to loom over his head. ¡®Still¡­ I held out for a long time.¡¯ Four whole days. He had managed to maintain Overclocking for over ny-six hours. But though his magic energy had been spilling out like arge river, he was starting to reach the bottom. He felt bitter regret¡ªan emotion he didn¡¯t experience often. ¡®I¡¯m sore.¡¯ His low magic level wasn¡¯t the only problem. His entire body was screaming, faced with the limit it hadn¡¯t met in a long time. His legs hurt after moving without rest, and his back, arms, and neck were also hurting. His body earnestly kept on begging him to lie down, to take a rest, and it started to eat at his mind. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± However, Jun-Ho didn¡¯t slow down, even though he felt like his heart would explode if he took even one more step. ¡®How long has it been?¡¯ This wasn¡¯t some battle with a monster, where he could fall into serious danger if he let his guard down. This wasn¡¯t a fight with a fiend with his life on the line. But other than his fight with Janabi, when was thest time it had been so tiring? He couldn¡¯t remember. ¡®...The Thunder God was right.¡¯ He had to be the one to fight against his limit and break through it. A frog in a well. He didn¡¯t think there would be any way that term would apply to him, but that phrase loomed over him today. ¡®Stamina and muscles are the same.¡¯ If you wanted to train your muscles, you had to lift heavier weights. You had to raise it higher and higher, fail, try again, and seed before you could strengthen your muscles. The same was true of stamina. Even as your breath grew ragged and you felt like your brain would melt, you had to keep going and going until you could finally improve. Stamina was just that kind of a beast. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s speed slowed considerably. His Overclocking output was also quickly draining like a battery. ¡®Where in the world¡­ Are the remnants of the thunderbolt¡­¡¯ His willpower started to scatter away. Seo Jun-Ho realized the scariest part of this stamina training. ¡®This damned training¡­ It has no end to it.¡¯ Did I actually pass by the remnants like an idiot? How much longer do I have to go? Was this really the right way? What if Mr. Geon-Woo had already found them and had gone back? The questions kept taunting his mind. ¡°Ugh.¡± He let out a hoarse cry from his dry throat. He couldn¡¯t even swallow now. As he gripped his neck, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s legs grew slower. His vision had gone white a long time ago. Seo Jun-Ho had simplye all this way through willpower and the mindset that he couldn¡¯t stop running. ¡°...¡± His knees buckled and hit the ground first before his body fell forward. There was no pleasure in the world that he would trade for this refreshingfort. The heavenly feeling soothed his mind and soul. ¡®Oh, it feels so good¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t know how long it had been since he reached his limit in training. The reward for it wasn¡¯t small, either. [You have gained 1 strength stat.] [You have gained 3 stamina stats.] [You have gained 1 speed stat.] [You have gained 1 magic stat.] The higher your stats were, the harder it was to raise your stats with this kind of training. However, Seo Jun-Ho had done it, and he was overjoyed. Even though he felt like passing out from the fatigue, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lips perked up. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. You¡¯re weak for a youngster.¡± When he gently opened his eyes, an old man looking like a tourist held out a bottle of water. ¡°T-thank¡­Mister¡­¡± ¡°Save it. Drink first.¡± Seo Jun-Ho drained the bottle in an instant, and he began toe back to his senses. The old man looked at Seo Jun-Ho as he pointed. ¡°Did you alsoe to see that?¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°The thunderbolt that came down a few days ago. I wanted to see it once before I die¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t hear what the old man said at the end. He picked up his shaking body, and his face brightened. ¡®...I found it.¡¯ A giant tree was scorched by the thunderbolt. He had finally found the remnants. 1. Mount Everest¡¯s altitude is 8849 meters. ? Chapter 254. Forked Road (1)

Chapter 254. Forked Road (1)

¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho gulped. After fainting in a ridiculous manner due to his carelessness, he renewed his determination. ''I''m going all out from the start.¡¯ Whoosh! Magic swept through his body. Overclocking¡¯s efficiency had increased since the opening of his Conception Governing Vessel. ¡®I think the performance has improved by thirty percentpared to before.¡¯ However, it became that much more of a burdensome ability. Previously, he could raise the output up to eighty percent using Frost, but now, fifty-five percent was the limit. After his whole body''s veins were opened and the paths for magic increased, it was much harder to control the heat from Overclocking. However, the fifty-five percent of today was overwhelmingly stronger than the eighty percent back then whenparing performance. ¡®I¡¯ll make it in one go with technique.¡¯ The distance to the Thunder God was only a hundred meters. If the Thunder God let his guard down, Seo Jun-Ho could arrive in a blink of an eye. "I¡¯m going¡­" Before his words could evene out, Seo Jun-Ho''s figure had already shot forward. Bzzzzzt! As expected, the response was fast. The moment Seo Jun-Ho thought he saw a flower blooming in the clear skies, lightning had already prated his body. ¡®Guh?!¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho did not faint. Unlikest time, his body was strengthened by Overclocking, so he managed to endure the thunderbolt once. ¡®But if I get hit by the same attack one more time...¡¯ He would faint no matter what. Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly moved his legs before the next attack came. No, he tried to move. "Ugh...?!" As if it was paralyzed, his body did not budge. After being struck by lightning, the muscles in his entire body fiercely contracted, which didn¡¯t allow his body to move. ¡®At this rate, the next attack...¡¯ He would be prated! When Seo Jun-Ho thought that and instinctively raised his eyes, a second lightning bolt prated his body. Seo Jun-Ho copsed, rolled several times on the floor, and fainted whilst covered in dirt. ¡°Two meters¡­¡± The Thunder God measured the distance Seo Jun-Ho had traveled and muttered while carrying him. "It''s a great start.¡± *** "Ah!" When Seo Jun-Ho woke up in the room as usual, he jumped up and left the room. It was already his third try. As always, the Thunder God was sitting on the same rock. "Ah, maybe because y¡¯er young, ya have good stamina." "¡­I will try again." "Do what ya want." Seo Jun-Ho stood in front of the Thunder God, but once again, he could not take the step. As soon as he took a step, lightning woulde out. ''¡­It¡¯s too fast.¡¯¡¯ Wasn''t it literally the same speed as light? To avoid that, you also had to move at the speed of light. But despite pushing Overclocking to eighty percent, he still wasn¡¯t able to reach that speed. Now, his maximum output was probably around fifty-five to sixty percent at most. ¡®It''s far.¡¯ At first, the distance of a hundred meters felt short, but now, it felt as far as a thousand kilometers. There was no need to hold back. To be honest, when he first heard the Nine Heavens'' results, he wasn''t excited. ¡®I thought if I used Overclocking, I¡¯d be able to easily reach seventy meters.¡¯ However, that hadn¡¯t been the case. The thunderbolt was much faster and more refined than he thought. Above all, his body always stiffened whenever he got struck by a bolt of lightning, and subsequent hits after that would result in him being pushed back. ''Pheee...'' Seo Jun-Ho shook off the tension with a long breath and circted magic throughout his body. The heat quickly warmed up the area. "Shall I help you?¡± The Frost Queen offered. "No, you must not help me," Seo Jun-Ho said firmly. This was a test to prove one''s ability. Of course, the Frost Queen could be considered a part of his abilities, but he wanted to do it without her help. ''...But what am I supposed to do?¡¯ This time, he pushed himself and increased Overclocking¡¯s output from forty percent to fifty percent. However, it didn''t seem like he would be able to avoid the lightning strikes he wasn¡¯t even able to respond to before, even with a higher Overclocking output. ''Let''s change the n.¡¯ At first, he intended to pierce forward in a straight line, but he had changed his mind. ¡®Even if it¡¯s the Thunder God, he shouldn¡¯t be able to change the trajectory of the lightning after firing it.¡¯ Every skill had its pros and cons. Although lightning was as fast as the speed of light, it would be equally difficult to control. ¡®Then I should run in a zigzag and get out of the lightning¡¯s path as much as possible.¡¯ With shining eyes, Seo Jun-Ho kicked off the floor. ¡®During the first and second challenges, lightning prated my body twice in¡­ 0.012 seconds.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho twisted his body like a ghost following that timing and turned directions. Rumble! He clearly felt the lightning falling behind the top of his head. ¡®That¡¯s the answer!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought his strategy was right, and he changed direction once again. sh! The lightning falling vertically from the sky suddenly bent at a right angle and struck the back of his head. "Arrgggh..." As Seo Jun-Ho was foaming at the mouth, another thunderboltnded on top of his head. Thud. The Thunder God looked down at Seo Jun-Ho, who had fainted once again, and sipped from his bottle of alcohol. ¡°¡­¡± Seven meters. It was the new record that Seo Jun-Ho had set in just his third challenge. *** "Let''s think about it some more." After finallying back to his senses, Seo Jun-Ho raised his upper body. He decided to make ns first rather than recklessly attempting the fourth challenge. Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen attended the meeting. "I am always thinking. You are the only one who hasn¡¯t been thinking," said Frost Queen. "Listen, the Thunder God¡¯s lightning is fast." "It definitely seemed fast.¡± "Normally, it should be considered unavoidable.¡± "But are there not as many as four people who have broken through fifty meters in that grave of thunderbolts?" The people she was referring to were the three Heavens and the disciple of the Thunder God. Seo Jun-Ho recalled the Nine Heavens momentarily. "Yeah, I don''t know about Wei Chun-Hak¡­ but how did the other two break through?¡± Seo Jun-Ho wondered. "Well, I think I know how the master of the Goblin Guild did it.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun, the Master of Space, would have used his skill to move forward by twisting the space the lightning bolts were falling in. "But even with that ridiculous cheat-like ability, he still couldn¡¯t reach the end...¡± "Perhaps in this test, there is a high possibility that the intensity or the number of lightning bolts will increase as you move forward." The two had no idea about it at this point, but the Frost Queen¡¯s reasoning was correct. "Then what should I do...¡± "Actually, during the time you fainted, I have thought about how to attack this." The Frost Queen raised her chin, straightened her back, and put on a front as confidence gushed out of her. "So, what''s the way you have thought of?¡± "Before I speak, perform a ceremony and ept me as your teacher.¡± "It''s annoying, so let''s negotiate with ten cakes." "Twenty." "Fifteen." "¡­Not bad. Instead, I will take the vors I want." "Agreed." At the end of the negotiations, the Frost Queen continued, "So, do you remember when you fought with me?" "It''s still vivid. I won''t forget it even after a lifetime.¡± "That is good. Then think carefully. Did I not stop your attack at that time?" "Ah." Seo Jun-Ho recalled the situation and nodded fiercely. "Yeah. I was very surprised back then. I didn''t expect that my attack would get blocked.¡± The Watchguard of Darkness had the power to ¡®scorn¡¯ which would allow it to disregard defense.[1] It should have been able to easily ignore the opponent''s defenses, but the Frost Queen managed to block his attack every single time. That was why the battlested for three days. ¡°Then what do you think is the reason? Even though the darkness element has the property to scorn." "Hmm¡­ well?" "There are two main reasons." The Frost Queen extended two fingers. "First, there is a difference in rank. Second, due to the nature of the skills.¡± "What do you mean difference in rank¡­? Does Frost Queen-nim mean you can¡¯t be hurt by amoner?¡± "That is not what I meant. What I am referring to is the real rank." "Real rank?" "Hmm, it would be bothersome to exin everything to you, an Earthling. You do not have to know this.¡± "If you''re going to say that, why did you bring it up...¡± Seo Jun-Ho''sints were put to rest when the Frost Queen continued. "Be quiet, Contractor. Look at this." Crackle. Her raised hand froze in an instant. Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly and said, "You froze it using the Frost skill.¡± "That is right. Now try to cut my hand with the Watchguard of Darkness." "¡­But it¡¯ll get cut?¡± "You do not have to worry about that." "Are you sure? It won¡¯t be my fault if you cry from the pain after getting cut." ¡°¡­¡± Come to think of it, since she had be a Spirit; she had never been directly cut by the Watchguard of Darkness. The Frost Queen contemted for a while, then said in a shriveled voice, "T-then cut it gently with a small knife...¡± "Well, if it¡¯s just that¡­" Seo Jun-Ho gathered the darkness and made a small sword the size of a cutting knife, and said, "I''m going to cut." "W-wait!" The Frost Queen turned her head and covered her eyes with her other hand. "I don¡¯t want to watch¡­ I will keep my eyes closed." "Why did you tell me to do this if you¡¯re going to be like that?" Was she just messing around? With a bitter expression, Seo Jun-Ho held out the knife and cut Frost Queen''s hand at once. Screeech! But contrary to his expectations, the ice remained firm. ¡®The power to scorn didn¡¯t work?¡¯ There was a small scratch, but the ice was fine. It was like when he fought with her before. Seo Jun-Ho held her hand and checked around it, then asked with a serious look, "Hey, it''s over. Now open your eyes and exin." "¡­I-is my hand bleeding¡­?¡± "It¡¯s not. What''s going on?¡± Slowly opening her eyes, The Frost Queen checked several times to see if it really wasn''t bleeding, then cleared her throat. "Khmm, did you see, Contractor?" "Yeah. Why did the power to scorn not work?¡± "You''re an elemental user, so you probably thought of this, but each element has its own power." "¡­I have been vaguely thinking about that for a long time." It would have been too good to be true that only the darkness element had a special power. As such, the other elements likely had their own special power. ¡®Although all I know is the power to scorn.¡¯ At this point, it was easy to grasp the answer. "In a word, the Frost skill also has a unique power, and it blocks the power to scorn?¡± "Correct. It is nice that you are quick to understand." "Frost skill is EX-grade, so it is higher than the S-grade Watchguard of Darkness...¡± "You are saying the obvious." "So what is it? Frost skill¡¯s unique power." "To block." Frost Queen said firmly. "I have the power to block through the Frost skill." "¡­Block? I don''t think I¡¯m fully understanding." "You can think of it as blocking all interference from the outside. Simply put, if the Watchguard of Darkness is the strongest spear, the Frost skill is the strongest shield." "The strongest shield...¡± Seo Jun-Ho murmured nkly, then suddenly frowned. "Wait, isn''t something weird? When I fought with Janabi, my ice shield broke like crackers." "¡­Sigh, to master the power of an element, you need skill, understanding, and a fervent heart. How does Contractor not know that?¡± "It''s my first time hearing it, so how can I know...¡± In hindsight, the Watchguard of Darkness also couldn¡¯t cut through all defenses from the beginning. At first, it was only possible to strengthen his offense by simply covering weapons in darkness. ¡®Then I met a turtle boss in a dungeon who could withstand any attack¡­¡¯ On the verge of death, he desperately wished to cut the bloody turtle in half. That was likely the first time he managed to use the power to scorn. "But just because I have it, there is no guarantee that you will have the power to block as well.¡± "What? What are you talking about all of a sudden?" "It means that powers can be different, just as each person''s personality is different." When Seo Jun-Ho seemed like he was having a difficult time understanding, the Frost Queen told him an anecdote, "When I was still a person, I knew a man, a user of darkness, who had mastered the power of the dead." "The power of the dead?¡± "He was a necromancer who had rejected nature''s providence with the power of darkness and raised corpses.¡± "Oh? Then, perhaps I...¡± Tempted, Seo Jun-Ho opened his mouth, but the Frost Queen saw through what he was trying to say and shook her head. "Wake up. The power of an elemental skill is like a vessel made suitable for your soul. Once made, you cannot make another er." "Ah¡­" Seo Jun-Ho seemed regretful as he nodded slowly. "So, you¡¯re saying I could get apletely different power than the power to block." "Of course¡­" "Then will I gain another power even though I already have the power to scorn¡­? Has there been anyone like that before?¡± "What?" The Frost Queen smirked. Her ignorant contractor had just said something refreshing, and she found it cute. "This universe is so vast, so how could there not have been a single person? Well, I have not seen any, though." Come to think of it¡­ The Frost Queen tilted her head and nced at the ceiling. ''If Contractor really awakens the power of Frost, following darkness¡­¡¯ Maybe he would really be the first to do so among the people of Earth. And in addition to going crazy at the word ¡®first,¡¯ perhaps it could greatly stimte the special ¡®existences.¡¯ ¡®Well, nothing will probably happen.¡¯ To lead her stagnant contractor to new heights. Wasn''t that a faithful Spirit''s duty? The Frost Queen smiled at her contractor. 1. The original word used was ?? which usually tranted as scorn, but we added in further details to help exin the properties of this power which is to ignore or disregard defense. ? Chapter 255. Forked Road (2)

Chapter 255. Forked Road (2)

Setting his own ns and goals, Seo Jun-Ho no longer recklessly challenged the test. He just worked on the Frost skill for days on end. Then one day, the Thunder God, who was eating lunch together with him, looked up at the sky and said, "Seems he''ll be back today.¡± "Who... Oh, are you perhaps talking about your disciple?¡± "Yep." "How do you know that?" "Well, I have nothin¡¯ to do but sit and look at the sky... Mah only friend¡¯s the Sage of the Observatory Tower, so I know how to read heaven''s secrets a little bit." "Ooohhh." He was able to read heaven¡¯s secrets. It felt cool because it seemed like a line from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Then, the Thunder God turned his head and asked, "Have ya given up on the test?" "No?" "Then why have ya been yin¡¯ house alone for a few days?¡± "ying house...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the Thunder God, who regarded the process of making various things with the Frost skill, ying house. "I just decided that it wouldn''t make any difference if I challenged you now. Change is needed." "Hmm¡­ Is that right? All right." The Thunder God nodded and got back to eating bibimbap[1], Seo Jun-Ho asked, "By the way, when did you be a yer?" "Meh? Let meh see... It has been around twenty-three years." "Twenty-three years..." Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly. When he was active twenty-six years ago, yers with elemental skills were rare. ''Especially if there was a yer using such powerful lightning, there¡¯s no way I couldn''t have known.¡¯ At that time, every country had given out information about Gates and yers to Specter. It was to score so-called brownie points. "Then you must have experienced the period of the 5 Heroes yourself." "Yep, I yed it on TV every day." The Thunder God looked bitter and nostalgic as if he suddenly remembered those days. Looking at that face, Seo Jun-Ho couldn''t help but ask, "Thunder God, why did you be a yer?¡± In those days, the meaning of bing a yer was quite different from now. Today, one would only have to train for months, take a test, and get a yer''s license. ''There was no such thing as those back then. In the past, you just go into a Gate.¡¯ There was no state-level management or systematic systems. So, it was also a time when people without skills entered Gates without hesitation. ¡®Those were dangerous behaviors.¡¯ When someone without a skill entered a Gate, there was a slim chance of them awakening their skills, as Gates was filled with much more magic than Earth. There were those who wanted power suitable for the new era and those who wanted to protect their families. So many people entered Gates as if they were possessed. ''It would have been nice if they had all be yers...¡¯ Unlike ideals, the reality was cruel. When a hundred entered, eighty would be guests of the underworld and would never return. Moreover, among the twenty survivors, only one or two would awaken. "It''s obvious. Can you be a yer simply from luck?" Smirking, the Thunder God burst intoughter. "I was on the bus home after closin¡¯ the dojo, and on my phone, I saw an article about a terrorist attack." "A terrorist attack... Was it a fiend?¡± "Yeah, but of all ces, it was in mah neighborhood. Do ya believe in intuition?" "I don''t believe in it that much. Mine wasn¡¯t good at guessing it right." Buzzzz... Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Keen Intuition kicked up a fuss. "I felt a chill from my spine, so I called mah wife right away." "Don''t tell me..." "She didn¡¯t pick up. I don''t even remember how I got home from then on." The Thunder God closed his eyes. "When I got to mah apartment in a hurry, the yers from the government had taken over¡­ It was a total mess.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "Well, after losin¡¯ mah wife and daughter like that¡­ I apparently awakened." Seo Jun-Ho''s face turned white. "I shouldn¡¯t have asked...¡± "Huh? It''s fine. Now... It doesn''t matter." It wasn¡¯t okay that it didn¡¯t matter anymore¡­ Seo Jun-Ho swallowed his words. He didn¡¯t know what to say, so he just stayed still. Gulp, gulp. The Thunder God gulped down the rest of the wine in the gourd bottle. "Kuuu, the weather is nice. Ya have some, too." He casually mixed the bibimbap and took a big bite of the well-cooked rice. Seo Jun-Ho could not lift his spoon until the Thunder God left the table after he was done eating. "¡­I shouldn¡¯t have asked." "Do not mind it. Ya did not know before ya asked," the Frost Queen consoled. That was true, but a person¡¯s mind did not work like that. Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head and went over to the well with the bowls. Scrub, scrub. He straightened his back after washing the dishes cleanly. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ His keen senses recognized a maning up the mountain. ¡®Oh, is that the disciple of Thunder God? We''re finally meeting.'' Feeling nervous for some reason, he just stood there and waited for the other person. "Oh? Mr. Seo Jun-Ho!" Upon entering the yard, the person waved happily at Seo Jun-Ho, standing by the well. However, Seo Jun-Ho had a nk expression after seeing the other person¡¯s face. "¡­Mr. Baek Geon-Woo?" Why was he here? *** "I was really surprised then. You were lying on the mountain path and dying." "I am ashamed. And thank you again." ¡°How many times have you thanked me already? Anyone would have acted like me." Baek Geon-Woo smiled nicely and waved his hand. "What an interesting fate," muttered Frost Queen, sitting next to them. She had also never imagined that Baek Geon-Woo was the one who had saved Seo Jun-Ho. This was the first time they had seen him since the Kobold Hunting Competition. "Mr. Baek Geon-Woo, are you really the disciple of the Thunder God?" ¡°I am unworthy, but that is correct.¡± "Since when¡­¡± "I think it has been about four or five years.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a long time.¡± At that time, Seo Jun-Ho looked like he had realized something. ¡®Wait, that ahjussi... He is still alive?¡¯ ¡®Well, even if he disappears, he appears again a few monthster.¡¯ ¡®I heard that he¡¯s holed up training every time he disappears.¡®¡¯ ¡®That ahjussi debuted at the age of sixteen... Wow, this year makes it his sixteenth year of active duty.¡¯ ¡®What? He¡¯s already thirty-two? Have you seen a bigger blockhead¡­?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho recalled the people¡¯s words prior to the Kobold Hunting Competition. ¡®So...¡¯ Who would have thought he was being trained by the Thunder God every time he disappeared in the Wailing Mountains? Seo Jun-Ho apologized with an embarrassed look. "I''m sorry." "Hmm? Why are you apologizing all of a sudden¡­?¡± "Back when we were eating during the subjugation. I meddled and asked why you don''t use weapons. I had no idea you were the Thunder God¡¯s disciple¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face flushed with shame. "No, as I told you back then, I learned a lot from you at that time." Baek Geon-Woo still vividly remembered Seo Jun-Ho silently fighting and protecting people. "And even if I am teacher-nim¡¯s disciple, it doesn¡¯t change anything. I really... I really am weak." "Ayy, you don''t have to be so humble here." "¡­But it¡¯s the truth..." Baek Geon-Woo muttered bitterly and looked down at the palms of his hands. His hands were so callused that they seemed like stone instead of a human¡¯s hands. He struggled until such hands were formed, but his skills remained average. "Anyway, if you have any more advice in the future, please feel free to tell me." "Yes¡­" "Then I''ll go rest now." Baek Geon-Woo got up from his seat and entered the house where his room was located. Seo Jun-Ho watched him and scratched his head. "Come to think of it; I forgot to ask him that." "What?" "Since he¡¯s the Thunder God¡¯s disciple, you know, that." Baek Geon-Woo was a man who passed the test, ¡®Grave of Thunderbolts.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was going to ask how he passed the test when he met him, but the identity of the disciple was so unexpected that he had forgotten about it. "Oh well, I''ll ask himter." From that day on, the three of them began to live together. *** Ten days after the Frost Queen revealed Frost¡¯s power to block to Seo Jun-Ho, thetter went to find the Thunder God. "I want to take the test again from today.¡± "Hoh, has somethin¡¯ changed?" "Unfortunately, it''s the same as before." He felt like he had been hovering around the same spot for ten days. So, Seo Jun-Ho had decided to recreate the same situation as when he had gained the power to disregard. "However, please attack me with the determination to kill me." "...Ah, what are ya going to do if ya really died?" "That¡¯s fine." Seo Jun-Ho realized early on that the Thunder God was being considerate of him. Otherwise, getting hit by a thunderbolt shouldn¡¯t have ended with him just fainting. ¡°¡­¡± The Thunder God stared into Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes for a while, then sighed. "Aigoo, my poor Geon-Woo." It would be fairer if the talented guys tried less and were a little more conceited¡­ The Thunder God got up and gestured with his chin. "Come out." The Thunder God came out to the yard and naturally sat on the rock. Standing at the starting point in front of the wooden floor, Seo Jun-Ho stabilized his breathing. ¡®I''ve been thinking wrong this entire time.¡¯ This test could never be passed by simply avoiding the thunderbolts. ¡®It''s a battle.¡¯ He had to attack so that the Thunder God could not continue his attack. Seo Jun-Ho had to ask to confirm, "Whatever method I use, I just have to get to the front, right?" "¡­Yep." The Thunder God smiled lightly. It was a pleasant smile as if he was looking at a challenger who had finally found a clue to beating him. "Then I''ll start." With Overclocking at fifty-five percent, as soon as the body heat heated up the air, Seo Jun-Ho ran across the floor. Up to this point, it had been the same as before. Activating Overclocking at fifty-five percent, Seo Jun-Ho ran across the ground as soon as the temperature around him rose. Up to this point, it had been the same as before. ¡®First, I''llunch an attack.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s turned at a right angle. Crash! He felt a thunderbolt falling behind the top of his head. Crackle! Dozens of ice spears created in the air flew toward the Thunder God. "Hmm." Rumble! A stream of lightning moved like a river and wiped out the ice spears. ''That''s ridiculous¡­!¡¯ Surprised, Seo Jun-Ho created ice the size of a house over the Thunder God¡¯s head. "Hoh, in a sh...¡± Bzzzzt! While the Thunder God was breaking down the ice, Seo Jun-Ho had surpassed the forty-meter mark. It was then that the Thunder God¡¯s attacks intensified. ¡®Five?!¡¯ Only a single thunderbolt had fallen at a time, but now, it suddenly increased to five. Boom, booooom, booom!! The lightning¡¯s intensity had also be iparably stronger than before. Seo Jun-Ho moved diligently and constantly fired attacks. However, the ice spears disappeared as soon as they flew out. ''This monster...'' His enemy was just sitting still, but Seo Jun-Ho felt powerless. ¡®The difference is this much?¡¯ Of course, the Thunder God was known to be especially strong among the Nine Heavens, but Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t expected him to be this strong. The pressure weighing on his shoulders felt like he was in front of the true God of Thunder. sh! Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly made an ice shield to protect himself. However, the thunderbolt struck the shield, shattered it like it was a cracker, and prated the pit of Seo Jun-Ho''s stomach. "Gasp!" Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s entire body felt as if it had gotten stabbed by a knife. It was his first time feeling this kind of pain. The floor started to get closer. When Seo Jun-Ho unknowingly kneeled, his intuition strongly warned him to dodge. "¡­Ugh!" Seo Jun-Ho barely dodged by throwing himself to the side, and then he grabbed the ground with his hands. Craaaackle! Seo Jun-Ho struggled as he hid in an igloo thick enough to be like an air raid defense bunker. "Damn it, what am I supposed to do to get the power to block?" ¡°Did I not say that you may get a different power?" ¡°If it¡¯s not the power to block, then I won¡¯t be able to bypass the rain of lightning and get through.¡± "Well¡­" The Frost Queen trailed off. At the same time¡ª Crack! The igloo split, and the bright sunlight shone on him. ¡°¡­!¡± When he carelessly looked up, five lightning strikes could be seen falling from the sky. Each lightning bolt had the power to easily tear a person''s body apart. Thump, thump. On the brink of death, Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes to a powerful, brand-new feeling. ''Ah, if it¡¯s now...¡¯ Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t the power to block. Even after thinking about it multiple times, he didn''t think he would be able to ignore and bypass those lightning bolts. But then Seo Jun-Ho bent over and stared at the approaching lightning bolts. "Hmm¡­?!" Witnessing the strange phenomenon, the Thunder God almost stood up without realizing it. 1. Bibimbap is a dish mixing rice, namul (vegetables) and gochujang (red pepper paste). ? Chapter 256. Forked Road (3)

Chapter 256. Forked Road (3)

"Contractor! There are five branches!" the Frost Queen sitting on the wooden floor jumped up and shouted. Even a single one was enough to send Seo Jun-Ho into dreand, but this time, there were five. ¡®Five branches...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s pupils greatly dted. The lightning strikes that filled his view looked like snakes and dragons. ¡®It''s fast.¡¯ It was so fast it was hard to avoid or deflect. The Thunder God¡¯s thunderbolt was a daunting attack that was difficult to even see and follow with his eyes. ¡®I''ll die if I get hit, right?¡¯ Like aputer that had been shut down, his thoughts would be severed, and his mind would plunge into the abyss of the unknown. It would remain there, perhaps, forever. ¡®However, please attack me with the determination to kill me.¡¯ ¡®...Ah, what are ya going to do if ya really died?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s fine.¡¯ Just where did he get that kind of confidence from? He hated the version of himself just a few minutes ago. However, he had also realized that it was meaningless toin about it now. ''¡­If I just had another power.¡¯ Perhaps, this situation would have ended leisurely by now. The Frost Queen said her power was ''block.¡¯ However, he didn''t have to follow in the exact same footsteps she had left behind. ¡®Rather, I need a power that¡¯s just for me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had inherited the Frost Queen¡¯s skill. But before that, he had always been a wanderer on another path and a pioneer of his own path. ¡®The Watchguard of Darkness is the greatest spear.¡¯ Did that mean what he needed was the best shield? Nope. For Seo Jun-Ho, an endless onught was more suitable for him. ''Adding the best shield to the best spear doesn''t make you the best.'' The conflicting styles could even hamper each other. What he required was an ability that would assist him in his reckless battles. ¡®...I need that kind of power.¡¯ Stepping on the brink of death, what Seo Jun-Ho chose was not denial, anger, or eptance but ¡®demand.¡¯ ¡®Give it to me right now.¡¯ Craackle! Seo Jun-Ho''s left hand extended unknowingly and froze the air. At the same time, the five thunderbolts that fell toward him stopped for a moment. "Hmm¡­?!" The Thunder God groaned. He could see with his eyes that the five thunderbolts had really stopped. However, it was just for a moment. ¡®No, has it just been forcibly slowed down¡­?¡¯ Even now, the thunderbolts were advancing slowly like turtles. Seeing that, the Thunder God smiled faintly and muttered, "Did he find it?" The Thunder God was also an elemental user. So, he easily guessed why Seo Jun-Ho had asked him for such an unreasonable request today. And he also guessed that the new ability that Seo Jun-Ho had brought out on the brink of death was likely his power. Bzzzt! Seo Jun-Ho kicked off the floor after avoiding the slow thunderbolt. 50m, 40m, 30m¡­ The distance from the Thunder God narrowed in an instant. ¡®Hmm, what to do?¡¯ The Thunder God agonized for a moment. It was a dilemma whether to let Seo Jun-Ho pass the test or not. "Hmm?" It was then when Seo Jun-Ho passed the 75-meter mark did he and the Thunder God¡¯s gazes collided in the air. The Thunder God¡¯s eyes opened wide as if he had seen something amazing. ¡®...Look at this punk.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze was like a ball of fire. His eyes were honest and aze¡ªonly looking toward his goal. ¡®It has been a long time.¡¯ There were many yers on the 1st floor with such ardent eyes¡ªthere were so many of them. ¡®Those eyes belong to an innocent child who has no idea about the existence of monsters, bad people, and fiends.¡¯ Those people would then fight with their lives on the light against monsters they had only ever heard of or seen on TV. Sooner orter, they woulde to face the reality that not all Earthlings shared the same goal. They would get done in by people suspected of being fiends, and those fiends wouldn¡¯t seem like they were once humans. As such, the deeper a yer¡¯s experience was in this world, the harder it would be for them to maintain such an upright gaze. "Ssp." The Thunder God was curious. ¡®How are his eyes still so clear?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had almost died just a while ago, so there was no way he was unafraid. There were even some rumors that said he had ughtered fiends, so he should know how horrible those fiends were better than anyone else. So, what were those honest and unyielding eyes looking at? ¡¯...¡¯ When the Thunder God found the answer, he lightly tapped the floor with his cane. Ruuumble! Like a bouquet, dozens of thunderbolts fell from the clear skies, forcing Seo Jun-Ho''s body to the ground. ¡°¡­¡± After Seo Jun-Ho fainted without even being able to scream, the Thunder God put him on his shoulder. "If y¡¯re going to keep that look in ywe eyes, this level of skills won¡¯t be enough.¡± He had to be stronger than anyone else. Thunder God carefullyid him down in the room very carefully, as if dealing with a treasure. *** ¡°¡­!¡± The 2nd floor Administrator Reiji was taking a long nap as usual when she jumped up. "Oh, ooohhh!" At this moment, the first human to unlock a second power had appeared. "Seo Jun-Ho." She had her own expectations, but she had no idea he would be this good. If he continued to do well like he was doing right now, it could truly be possible for her to retire within the century. "Wait, I shouldn''t be doing this right now... Should I open the Administrator¡¯s Shop again? I''d like to give him an award because he had done somethingmendable." The moment Reiji rubbed her palm and got busy preparing something, she felt a familiar aura behind her. "Long time no see, Miss Reiji." The voice sounded clean and gentlemanly. When she turned around, she saw a man with half-shut eyes in a gray frock coat. "¡­What is it, Drabby? What are you doing here?"[1] "To celebrate the birth of new possibilities. It''s said that joy is doubled when shared." "You¡¯re exaggerating. Don''t you think it''s too early to toast?¡± Reiji smirked, but she didn''t turn down the ss of wine that Gray handed over to her. "Normally, one is the happiest in a lottery before scratching off the ticket." "Well, since I have a lottery ticket in my hand, I hope it''s a winner." There was a reason why the two Administrators were so excited. "By the way, two powers in a human body... This really is a topic for the universe." "He was talented in the first ce, but absorbing the nucleus of the Frost Queen had also been a big factor. He even inherited her potential.¡± "There would be nothing more to wish for if he just grows up like this." "If¡­ he can continue to grow like this.¡± While having a useless conversation, the two Administrators clinked sses. The confirmation of new possibilities was enough for them today. *** "Ow, my head...¡± Seo Jun-Ho had gotten used to the feeling of waking up from fainting instead of waking up from sleep. The fatigue felt like a hangover, and it was giving him a headache. "What happened?" "Ruuumble!¡± The Frost Queen raised her hands and mimicked the sound of thunder. "Dozens of thunderbolts covering the sky fell on you." "¡­What was the record?" "From what I saw, it was about seventy-nine meters." "That''s too bad. But I managed to get far." It was a huge improvement considering that he had never even crossed ten meters before. "Ah." Seo Jun-Ho btedly recalled why he was able to achieve such a result. "Power!" He had acquired a power. Looking at the Frost Queen, he asked, "What power was it?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me?" The Frost Queen looked up at Seo Jun-Ho with a sulky look. "You must have seen it the best from your position." "Hmm, to be honest, I am also confused.¡± "The lightning definitely stopped, right? I ran after seeing that." "At first, I thought it had stopped, but then after, it fell once again, but slowly." "And?" A power wasn¡¯t as clear and straightforward as a yer''s skill. As such, it wouldn¡¯t be disyed in the status window. However, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t impatient. "Well¡­ I expected to be a little lost. It took me a while to fully understand the power to disregard even after I had obtained it." "Hmm, if you practice, you will eventually know exactly what power it is." "Okay, then today''s goal is eighty meters." After washing himself at the well, Seo Jun-Ho turned his head. Baek Geon-Woo was walking toward him and greeted him weakly, "Good morning." "Yes, Mr. Baek Geon-Woo. Good morning to you as well...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho saw the exhaustion on Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s face and tilted his head. "Don''t you think you should get some more sleep? You look very tired." "Ah, my training schedule has been so tighttely." "Training..." Seo Jun-Ho asked, "Isn''t it hard? That old man looks veryid back, but he is quite spartan-like." "It is endurable." ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t, ¡®it¡¯s doable,¡¯ but ¡®endurable.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought for a while, then seriously advised, "If you''re having a hard time, you should tell him honestly. I don''t think he is the type of person who won¡¯t understand." "I can''t do that." Baek Geon-Woo muttered as if he didn¡¯t care if he could be heard. Afterward, he washed his face and got up. "Thank you for your advice. If I don''t think I can handle it, I''ll make sure to tell him." "Ah, please." Less than a minute after Baek Geon-Woo left, Thunder God came. "Thunder God-nim, I think I can pass the test today...¡± "Take this." The Thunder God casually threw him a small wooden ball. It was a ball the size of a ping pong ball that kids nowadays wouldn¡¯t even y with. "Just practice with that." "Practice...?" "Power." The Thunder God stuck out a finger. "Practice yer power for the next ten days. There''s no test before that.¡± "Yes?! Why all of a sudden¡­?¡± "I can''t be yer opponent forever." This was only natural as he also wanted to pay attention to his disciple Baek Geon-Woo. "But for ten days...¡± "If ya don''t satisfy meh on the test in ten days, then it''s a month''s practice.¡± The Thunder God simply left after saying what he had to say. "Practice..." Looking at the wooden ball, Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly. Originally, he was going to practice through real battle, but now that it was like this, he would have to build it up step by step from the basics. "Building from the basics is also good." Seo Jun-Ho quickly ended his bath and hurried back to his room. *** "Now, let''s get started." The training method itself wasn¡¯t that difficult. "Contractor, can I really throw it?¡± "Throw it! Throw it!" A man and a Spirit sat with their backs on the opposite walls of the small room. The wooden ball from the Thunder God was in the Frost Queen¡¯s hand. "¡­What are you going to do if you get hit in the face?" "It''s all right; I''m not going to die. I won¡¯t say anything, so please just throw it." "Hmm, well, then." The Frost Queen raised her arm and said, "Be prepared!" "Come!" Whoosh. The wooden ball flew precisely toward Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s nose. Seo Jun-Ho focused on the ball until he mustered his magic and gave it his all. Thud The moment he thought the flying wooden ball had stopped in the air¡ª Smack! "Argh!" "A-are you alright? It is not my fault." The suspension was lifted in an instant, and Seo Jun-Ho had to rub his sore nose. "Why did it get undone so fast?" "Did your concentration go down?" "¡­Did it?" Even though it was only for a moment, it was a ridiculous power that had even stopped five bolts of lighting from the Thunder God himself. The Frost Queen even said that the lightning had slowed down to the extent that it had be visible to the naked eye. "But I can''t even stop a single wooden ball.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought the Thunder God wouldn¡¯t give him homework for no reason. Without knowing even the power¡¯s effect, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use it freely in a real battle. "Ten days... That''s just right.¡± It was time to focus on training. Seo Jun-Ho did not intend to waste the precious time the Thunder God gave him. 1. Drabby for Gray being drab. ? Chapter 257. The Thunder God鈥檚 Teachings (1)

Chapter 257. The Thunder God¡¯s Teachings (1)

Seo Jun-Ho had finally identified his new power on thest day of the ten days the Thunder God had given Seo Jun-Ho to do his homework. 1. The power was termed as the power to freeze. 2. The power could slow down the target thates in contact with the Frost energy, and when used to the limit, it could stop movementspletely. 3. When using the power, a huge amount of concentration was required. ¡°Hmm.¡± Staring seriously at his notes, Seo Jun-Ho contemted. "It¡¯s possible to freeze a distant target through the air, but if I want to stop the target there¡­¡± "You will likely need an incredible amount of magic. It might be impossible to use in a real battle," The Frost Queen chimed in. "That''s the problem. It¡¯s almost like a double-edged sword.¡± If he could stop the opponent¡¯s movements and cut their neck, using it would be worthwhile. However, using it would be dangerous unless he were in a situation where he could use it with certainty. "No matter how many times I think about it, I think only the slow-down effect is what I can use normally.¡± "Actually, even that alone is ridiculously strong," responded the Frost Queen. Seo Jun-Ho continued to train in increasing the output of Overclocking. If he could pull out a hundred percent of the output, only a few yers would be able to beat his speed. "And I¡¯ll slow them down, so the gap will widen even further." Of course, it wasn''t as easy as it sounded. Seo Jun-Ho''s current battle style was very difficult to do. First, he had to keep circting magic in the magic circuit throughout his body. As a result, his physical ability would rise dramatically, but it would also be apanied by tremendously high heat. Afterward, he had to restrain the heat with the Frost energy. "In the midst of all that, I have to fight while grasping the enemy''s movements...¡± In addition, a higher level of concentration was required if he were to use the power to freeze. In other words, it was abat style that would be difficult to do for an ordinary person, even if they had five heads. "Sigh." Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t hide his sorrow. ¡®Certainly, the power to freeze is different from the power to disregard.¡¯ The power to disregard did not require additional magic or concentration. From the moment he learned it, he could apply the power to disregard on the darkness element. Simply put, it was a passive skill. ¡®Meanwhile, the power to freeze is like an active skill.¡¯ He could decide when to use it or not, and it was much stronger as well. However, a corresponding amount of magic and concentration would be consumed as a result. "It''s hard to use both, but if I mix and use them properly...¡± "The Heavens we saw before? I think you will be on par with them." "Hu." Seo Jun-Ho felt better as he smiled and nodded. "And on top of that, I''m lucky.¡± Usually, the most helpful thing when it came to training such a demanding skill was real battle. It was important to gain hands-on experience after learning the skill¡¯s basic theories and usage. In that sense, it was a tremendous work of fate that his practice partner was the Thunder God. ''The Thunder God¡¯s attack is probably the fastest of all yers.¡¯ He was a lightning user. His attacks flew at his opponents at the speed of light. "If only I could slow down the lightning perfectly and stop it...¡± "Then it will be hard to find a match for you." Whoosh, whoosh. The Frost Queen had been throwing something in the middle of their conversation since a while ago. Forks, wooden balls, stones, snowballs, and so on¡­ The flying objects slowed down as if they were in a slow-motion film the moment Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes caught them. The scene was created using Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ¡®power to freeze.¡¯ "Ugh!" All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face crumpled as he grabbed his head and sprawled out on the floor. He got a headache simr to a brain freeze one would get when eating ice cream or shaved ice too quickly. He would always get a headache whenever he used his power to freeze too much. "Ehew. You have to be careful and extra careful not to let this happen in a real battle. You will really die." The Frost Queen blinked as she nagged at her patient for a long time. "¡­But you are gradually getting better. You could not even stop a wooden ball on the first day.¡± "A wooden ball? I can handle even ten of those balls quite easily now." Seo Jun-Ho had recovered before he knew it, and he replied as he wiped the sweat off his face. Except for sleeping three hours a day, eating, and bathing, he invested all of his time in practice. It would be more troubling if he couldn¡¯t produce this level of results. "Hmm, today is thest day of the promise with the Thunder God." "It has been ten days. There¡¯ll probably be a test tomorrow.¡± "I see. Then...¡± The Frost Queen tapped the floor in front of her. "Contractor, sit here." When Seo Jun-Ho sat down calmly, The Frost Queen crossed her arms and spoke. "Now, you must have mastered the power. It seemed that you have also gotten quite used to using the Frost energy." "Well, that''s right." "I believe it is okay to take it now." "Take it... Oh, are you saying¡­?" Seo Jun-Ho recalled the elixir lying dormant in his Inventory and nodded. "That¡¯s unexpected. Last time, you told me to take it if I wanted to die.¡± "You werecking in many ways at that time, but I think it will be okay now." He had continuously practiced his usage of the Frost energy inside the goshiwon. After the battle with Janabi, he had even mastered the power to freeze under the Thunder God. At this rate, Seo Jun-Ho could be called a veteran ice user. "Hmm. I see." Seo Jun-Ho took out the Amitabha Holy Water from the Inventory. A ss bottle the size of a lens barrel contained only one drop of transparent liquid. "This is the Amitabha Holy Water formed once in a thousand years...¡± "Didn''t thezy Administrator say so? If you drink it, you could even undergo a body transformation." "Body transformation¡­" Seo Jun-Ho''s body became lighter just by opening the Conception Governing Vessel. He remembered that even his magic stats went up quite a bit on that day as well. ¡®Furthermore, if I also undergo body transformation...¡¯ In old martial arts manga and novels, the body transformation waspared to being reborn as a new person. Even if only half of the novel were true, one¡¯s physical ability, as well as their magic stats, would greatly improve. "Status window." Seo Jun-Ho brought up his status window for the first time in a long time. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 96 Title: Bringer of Spring (+3) Strength: 291 Stamina: 300 Speed: 297 Magic: 351 Fame: 41,780 "Oh¡­" His stats had improved quite a lot since hest saw them. The first thing that caught his eye was definitely his level. ¡®I leveled up a lot in ckfield.¡¯ It was inevitable since he had defeated the Floor Master who gave the most experience in ckfield. Moreover, experience wasn¡¯t the only thing he had received there. ¡®There was a title¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes stared at the title space. After a moment, the newly acquired title appeared. [Exterminator] Grade: A Description: Title given to the person who killed Janabi, Frontier¡¯s Floor Master. Effect: Insects are afraid of you. All stats are increased by 15. ¡®It''s sad every time I see this.¡¯ It was a pity since the title he had received after defeating the Frost Queen was S-grade, and he felt that the battle with Floor Master Janabi was harder than the battle he had with the Frost Queen. ¡®However, my fame has increased tremendously, perhaps because I was the one who defeated Janabi.¡¯ It used to be about 4,000 in the past, but it jumped to about ten times higher. ¡®They said fame is the quantification of my recognition in the Frontier continent.¡¯ It may not be as urate as a game, but it would be helpful as a reference. Since his fame was over 40,000 points, even the imperial family probably knew his name. ¡®And all stats will soon exceed 300.¡¯ If he was lucky, the body transformation might help him pass it today. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho was no longer obsessed with his stats. ¡®Your stats being a little higher doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that you¡¯re stronger. And besides, when you¡¯re around my level¡­¡¯ The battle would be about how well one utilized their skills. No matter how high one¡¯s stats were in the status window, one would die the same if they were sneak attacked. "I''m opening it." Seo Jun-Ho satfortably in the room and took a deep breath. The moment he reached out and opened the bottle cap, a chill that made his skin numb filled the room. ¡®I can''t believe I can still feel the cold even though I have B-grade Cold Tolerance...¡¯ He gulped a mouthful of his own saliva before pouring the Amitabha Holy Water into his mouth. The single drop of elixir went down his throat in the blink of an eye. ¡®¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly closed his eyes and gathered his Frost energy to control the extreme cold energy. ¡®Ugh.¡¯ The Amitabha Holy Water was as cold and haughty as theke water in a snowfield, and it was even more stubborn than an iron cord. It never followed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s guidance, and it only chose the paths Seo Jun-Ho hated for it to roam about. ¡®So arrogant¡­¡¯ The scene was like a scoring officer trying to decide whether this new house was eptable or not. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s pride was nothing to scoff at as well as he was being made a fool of and dragged around by the energy. ''I''ll bring you to your knees no matter what it takes.¡¯ A warfare took ce throughout his body. It was a battle between the Frost energy grabbing the Amitabha Holy Water¡¯s hair and trying to drag it where he wanted it to go versus the Amitabha Holy Water trying to go wherever it wanted while saying, ¡®let go.¡¯ *** "¡­This is taking quite a while." The Frost Queen fluttered around the room with a restless face. It had already been three hours since Seo Jun-Ho had taken the elixir, but he still wasn¡¯t showing any signs of opening his eyes. ¡®Nothing will go wrong, right?¡¯ The Frost Queen''s face was already like white jade, but it became even whiter. She was the one who encouraged him to drink the Amitabha Holy Water, after all. "N-no. It will be fine." Nibble, nibble. She told herself it would be fine, but she had been biting her nails from anxiety. "Huh?" All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Ho''s hair began to shatter with a thud. The Frost Queen covered her mouth as she looked at the ck hair that fell on the floor. ¡®No way. The side effect of the Amitabha Holy Water is¡­ losing your hair?¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu said he was going to Gangnam with his friend, but it seemed that Seo Jun-Ho would also have to go to a Gangnam dermatologist along with Shim Deok-Gu. The moment the Frost Queen looked at Seo Jun-Ho with trembling eyes¡ª Th-th-thud. As if an old cement wall was peeling off, Seo Jun-Ho''s skin fell piece by piece this time. "Wait, this is...¡± When the Frost Queen picked up the pieces, her eyes shone. ''I was mistaken. It was not a side effect!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s body was going through body transformation. It was a perfectly natural phenomenon as his body abandoned the old and took on the new. As soon as the skin pieces fell off, a new piece of skin sprang up from underneath. It was a much smoother and more stic skin than before. "I envy you... No, I am d it is going well." The transformation process alone took about two hours. Just a while ago, the Conception Governing Vessel was opened, and the process cleansed his body, which resulted in an awful smell. But now, an even worse smell filled the room. *** ¡°¡­¡± On the promised day¡­ The Thunder God sat on a rock in the vacant yard early in the morning and waited for Seo Jun-Ho. The Thunder God thought Seo Jun-Ho woulde out to take the test first thing in the morning based on his personality. However, Seo Jun-Ho did note out of the room even when it was already noon. "Geon-Woo." "Yes, Master." "What is that punk doin¡¯ these days?" When the Thunder God pointed at the room with his chin, Baek Geon-Woo shook his head. "I have not seen him in thest few days either. But, I had often run into him at the well every morning...¡± "Hmm." It likely meant Seo Jun-Ho was that immersed in training. "Well, he¡¯lle out if I wait." Half a day passed, and dusk was nigh. Thud. The door opened, and Seo Jun-Ho walked out. ¡°¡­?¡± The Thunder God rubbed his eyes. A crease formed on his forehead as he stared at Seo Jun-Ho as if he wanted to see through thetter with his eyes. "Hmm? Something seems to have changed. Your hair has grown to your waist in just a few days¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite Baek Geon-Woo''s exmation, The Thunder God remained silent. Inside, however, he was at a loss for words. ¡®This is not why I gave ya time¡­¡¯ The Thunder God had just asked him to briefly understand the concept, but he came out havingpleted the entire curriculum. "I guess he really is a genius." The Thunder God didn''t say it simply in the sense of talent. The Seo Jun-Ho that the Thunder God had seen had been working harder than any other yer. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s achievement still wasn¡¯t something that could be achieved with just genius-level talent and hard work. ''Well, he¡¯s pretty loved.¡¯ One also had to be heaven¡¯s beloved, just like the man walking toward him. "You should go over there, too." The Thunder God made even Baek Geon-Woo, who was next to him, move far away. The Seo Jun-Ho, who had fainted like a frog in front of him until just a few days ago, hadpletely disappeared. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ The Thunder God smiled as he looked down at his ever so slightly trembling hand. ¡®Oh, my. He¡¯s at such a level?¡¯ It was a feeling he had never felt before. The Thunder God was ¡®excited¡¯ as a warrior at the thought ofpeting with Seo Jun-Ho. Chapter 258. The Thunder God鈥檚 Teachings (2)

Chapter 258. The Thunder God¡¯s Teachings (2)

Whooosh. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and felt the mountain breeze blowing all over his body. ''¡­It''s different.'' He could feel that something had changed inside him. However, the effect of the body transformation on the magic circuit wasn¡¯tparable to the opening of the Conception Governing Vessel. ¡®I was ake water.¡¯ It was a cleanke with a clear view of thekebed, which gave the illusion it was clean. But now, he knew that the silt at the bottom of theke could make the water muddy. ¡®It''s different now.¡¯ It was a spotless, clean body of water. No matter how much he observed it, he couldn¡¯t feel any waste inside. The scars of glory, which had covered his entire body, had cleanly disappeared. His skin had be clear without any blemishes, and his hair, which had be strong to the roots, grew all the way down to his waist. ¡°Hmm." It was a feeling of being reborn. The Thunder God asked Seo Jun-Ho, who exhaled fresh air. "Whut thuh¡­ Did ya undergo a body transformation or somethin¡¯?" "Hmm? How did you know?¡± "Damn¡­" the Thunder God muttered unconsciously. The Thunder God said it as a joke when he saw Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s long hair, but to think that he had actually done it¡­ ''Was that kind of level actually possible?¡¯ The reason why the Thunder God knew about body transformation was simple. The Heavenly Demon warned the Thunder God that he would achieve that level himself ande for him. [Body Transformation] Grade: S Contents: Title given to the first yer to undergo body transformation. Effect: No waste umtes in the body. All senses have be sensitive. It was a new title that Seo Jun-Ho had just gained. With this, he now had five titles. "¡­First, wash up." "Thank you." Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t reject the offer, and he went over to the well to wash up. He was slightly surprised when he sshed water on his body. ¡®With my new body, has the effectiveness of my skills also increased?¡¯ His Cold Tolerance was still grade B. Before the body transformation, it was a little chilly to wash with water by the well, but now, he waspletely fine. ¡°¡­¡± The Thunder God looked at Seo Jun-Ho standing at the starting point and asked, "Ya ready?" "Yes." "As I''ve said before...¡± "If you are not satisfied with this test, I will practice for another month." It was a voice full of confidence, with no doubt at all. The Thunder God looked at him calmly and turned his head. "Geon-Woo, watch carefully." The Thunder God spoke to Baek Geon-Woo, his disciple who was standing far away. Baek Geon-Woo nodded in a hurry, but he couldn¡¯t understand his master¡¯s words. ¡®I already know that Mr. Seo Jun-Ho''s skills are great...¡¯ Still, the Thunder God had never been someone to talk nonsense. With a determined heart, Baek Geon-Woo looked at the battlefield. Tap, tap. All ready, the Thunder God tapped the ground with his cane. "Come." The test, ''Grave of Thunderbolts'' began. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s movements were quite different from before. ''¡­What¡¯s this.'' Until now, Seo Jun-Ho had always sprinted as soon as the start signal was given. ¡®He¡¯s not¡­ unguarded.¡¯ But now, he was walking slowly as if running was distracting. ¡®Well, then first...¡¯ He decided to take a look at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skills. Tok. The Thunder God dropped a thunderbolt. ¡®It''sing.¡¯ The moment he noticed the sh in the sky, Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes shone. ¡®I can see it. I can see it really well.¡¯ In the past, he could barely catch the end of the thunderbolt with his eyes, but now, it was clearly visible. As soon as Seo Jun-Ho sensed the thunderbolt, he raised his hand and emitted the energy of frost. Crackle! The power to freeze was nowing out naturally. At the same time, the thunderbolt significantly slowed. Now, it was flying at the speed of a bullet. ''This is doable.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho easily avoided the falling thunderbolt, and his eyes were still focused on the skies. ¡®Focus, focus.¡¯ The power to freeze devoured an enormous amount of concentration. As such, Seo Jun-Hopletely gave up on running. He also gave up on strengthening his body with Overclocking. ''This test, I¡¯ll pass it by walking.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t being conceited because he had undergone a body transformation. He simply judged that this method had the highest sess rate. "Hmm." The Thunder God nodded softly. ¡®As expected, talented people really learn fast. He did a good job practicin¡¯.¡¯ It wasmendable. The Thunder God was so proud that he wanted to give Seo Jun-Ho a pat on the head and give him a prize. Of course, the prize he was talking about wasn''t letting him pass the test for free. ¡®It''s the other way around.¡¯ He was going to let out difficult and irregr attacks so that Seo Jun-Ho could gain various experiences. That was the prize that the Thunder God was going to give him. Rumble! ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes suddenly trembled. Putting his head down in a hurry, he reached forward andunched himself sideways. His face was distorted as he skillfully rolled on the ground. ¡®...This is a first.¡¯ It really was the first time. The thunderbolt came not from the ¡®sky¡¯ but from the ¡®floor.¡¯ ¡®I thought thunderbolts only fell from the sky?¡¯ The answer had alreadye out. The Thunder God could produce thunderbolts in ces other than the sky. When Seo Jun-Ho realized that fact, the man titled the Thunder God looked as big as a giant. Didn¡¯t that mean that, so far, the Thunder God had been dealing with Seo Jun-Ho using just one honest pattern? ¡®It''s not just that. We¡¯re also fighting, psychologically.¡¯ What if the Thunder God was the enemy? Seo Jun-Ho could have died, as he was only focused on the sky. ''Besides...'' Since a thunderbolt could soar from the ground, would it be impossible for it to appear from other ces? Seo Jun-Ho imagined a thunderbolt being created at the back of his head. Shudder. Thinking about it, a chill ran down his spine. "Keke." The Thunder Godughed lightly as he looked at Seo Jun-Ho''s flustered face. "It¡¯ll be chaotic, but... it''ll be fun." That was when the Thunder God¡¯s indiscriminate attacks began. Rumble! Rumble! Whenever he heard thunder, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s nerves would tighten. ''What are these attacks¡­?!¡¯ Attacks came at him from every direction. Both Seo Jun-Ho''s body and eyes were busy. ¡®This isn¡¯t something I can handle just by worrying about the front, right, and left.¡¯ It wasmon for thunderbolts to fall from overhead or rise from the ground. However, Seo Jun-Ho was even more confused when thunderbolts came from directions he had never even imagined. For example, when a thunderbolt made next to his head was fired. ¡®Wait,e to think of it, I got to seventy-nine metersst time...¡¯ ncing back, he saw that he had only walked thirty meters so far. Despite that, the thunderbolts attacking him had already be much more vicious. This meant one thing. ¡®Wow.¡¯ This meant that the Thunder God had greatly raised the difficultypared tost time. Seo Jun-Ho red at the old man sitting on the rock for a moment. "Kukuku. Don''t look at meh; look behind ya. There''s a thunderbolt.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho was determined to pass the exam without fail today. His eyes ignited with burning determination. *** "¡­Wow." Baek Geon-Woo, who had been watching the situation from the beginning to the end, opened his mouth without realizing it. He felt like he was witnessing a battle between gods, and he didn¡¯t even dare to intervene. ¡®Seeing Master fighting so sincerely is amazing, but Mr. Seo Jun-Ho fighting back equally is also no joke.¡¯ How the hell could a person do that? He was genuinely surprised. It wasn¡¯t simply because Seo Jun-Ho''s skills were excellent. ¡®People are animals with diverse thoughts and feelings.¡¯ People often acted up when faced with unfair treatment, and people would want to show off upon knowing they were superior. Moreover, people would also want to wield power upon gaining strength. In other words, it was difficult to live while suppressing such primitive desires. ¡®But Mr. Seo Jun-Ho¡­ is different.¡¯ He was treated unfairly, but he neither fought back nor showed off. Rather than using strength to persecute others, he first thought of protecting everyone with that strength. Baek Geon-Woo had always had this feeling since the Kobold Hunting Competition. ¡®He''s like a hero in a story.¡¯ A man gentle on the outside but hard inside was the Seo Jun-Ho whom Baek Geon-Woo had seen. ¡®¡­¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo suddenly looked at his palm. There were calluses from not having skipped a single day of training. These calluses were the evidence of the time and effort he had put in over the past sixteen years. ¡®I don''t have that talent.¡¯ At first, he resented the world. There were times when he had cried all day because he was sad that he had no talent. ¡®...It was a luxury.¡¯ Comining was a luxury to the talentless. Realizing that fact, Baek Geon-Woo made an effort to grind during the time he wanted to resent the world. He didn''t intend to give up. He wanted to find the fiend who had killed his family and get revenge. ¡®I tried.¡¯ He tried like crazy. On rainy days, snowy days, and hot days that made him not want to go outside. He tightened his shoces, went outside to train, and hunted monsters. ¡®¡­¡¯ Long after that, he once again had another epiphany. It was that effort and results were not directly proportional. For things people understood after seeing them once, he would only get the hang of them after seeing them three or four times. ¡®Indeed.¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo nodded slowly. He realized perfectly what his master was trying to say to him. ¡®Was that what he meant by telling me to watch?¡¯ His eyes turned to Seo Jun-Ho again. His view was filled with the man walking forward and resisting the thunderbolts. ''I see. Those are the people I''m going to face in the future.¡¯ They weren¡¯t the small fries he had met so far. In the future, if he lived as the disciple of the Thunder God, they were the lumps of talent he would have to face, even if he hated it. His master had been trying to ask him whether he was okay with that or not. "Hmm." Baek Geon-Woo asked himself a question: am I prepared to face people with more talent than that? ''¡­I am a stronger person than I thought.¡¯ He had an indomitable mind that would not be swayed by any impulse. Baek Geon-Woo was surprised by his own heart, which remained cid even in the face of Seo Jun-Ho''s talent. At the same time, he had also found the answer to the Thunder God¡¯s question. ¡®No matter how great the talent I will face in the future, I will not be defeated.¡¯ The Thunder God sitting on the rock nced at him and smiled. It seemed his disciple had found thest piece of the puzzle he wascking. ¡®Hmm, I''m training you to this extent, so I need to get something back, too.¡¯ The Thunder God was surprisingly a man who held his profits and losses with importance. *** It had already been thirty minutes since Seo Jun-Ho started the test. In the meantime, he had only crossed the 50-meter mark. "Ya walk well. Then how about this?" The murmuring Thunder God changed his attack pattern once again. Ruuummmble! A thunderbolt struck. ¡®This time, it¡¯s overhead¡­¡¯ The moment Seo Jun-Ho reached out and tried to use the power to freeze¡ª Rumble! Rumble! The thunderbolt turned twice in the air and easily avoided the Frost energy. ¡®What?!¡¯ It was toote to avoid it. Craaackle! Seo Jun-Ho instantly created an ice wall and covered his body perfectly. Booooom! The thunderbolt struck the ice wall and shattered it, scattering ice crystals into the air. At that moment, the back of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head tingled. ¡®Behind!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned around and built a wall of ice in the back. Booom! When he saw the ice wall copsing like a sand castle, the rm in his head rang loudly. ¡®Damn, I can''t use the power to freeze if he keeps turning the direction like that.¡¯ So far, the reason why he was able to use the power to freeze against the thunderbolts was simple. It was because the trajectory of the thunderbolts was easy to gauge. Therefore, even the rtively slow Frost energy could slow down the thunderbolt. But now, the thunderbolts were turning madly like a living creature. "Ugh!" Seo Jun-Ho''s legs stopped all of a sudden. He didn''t even have the mind to keep walking forward. He had no way to block all the thunderbolts wriggling toward him from every direction. ¡®How do I use the power to freeze against enemies who can move faster than the Frost energy itself?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho fell into a serious dilemma over the problem the Thunder God had thrown at him. It was then when the Frost Queen watching from behind clicked her tongue. "Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­ The Frost energy is not the Watchguard of Darkness. Do not think about targeting each and every individual thing." "What?" ¡°Winter winds do not blow, aiming only at your body. You are only standing in front of the winter winds, but even then, are you not cold?¡± What kind of nonsense was she talking about? The moment Seo Jun-Ho''s face was about to get distorted, he muttered, ¡°Oh? Come to think of it, that''s true." "I do not like most things about you, but there is one thing I like¡ªyou are quick on the uptake." ¡°Quiet..." As he replied sourly, a vast amount of magic gathered around him. Chapter 259. The Thunder God鈥檚 Teachings (3)

Chapter 259. The Thunder God¡¯s Teachings (3)

Seo Jun-Ho''s current magic stat was at 361. This was because all stats had increased by 10 during the process of body transformation. ¡®Magic stat alone is at 361... It''s a figure I could never even imagine before.'' Still, even this many points felt insufficient. The tremendous magic that escaped from Seo Jun-Ho''s body swirled around. "Ha-a." Seo Jun-Ho''s expression became more serious as he let out a steamy breath. The magic flowing from his body immediately transformed into Frost energy, which hovered around him. "This is how you want me to do it, right?¡± "Hmm, it is pretty good for your first time." The Frost Queen nodded and admitted. It may not be visible to others, but it was clearly visible to her. ¡®One-meter radius around Contractor.¡¯ From now on, it would be Seo Jun-Ho''s ¡®domain.¡¯ If he couldn¡¯t hit the target with the power to freeze, he just had to spread the power to freeze around himself. ¡®However, this skill requires a lot of concentration and magic¡­¡¯ The power to freeze devoured those two things horribly. Since it had to be spread out in a wide area, it could not be done with a normal amount of mental strength. Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t even be able to dream of using it without his outstanding Hero¡¯s Mind (S) skill. ¡®I am worried about the future.¡¯ Now, he was able to get by using the power to freeze, as he only had to focus on that. But to use it with Overclocking in a real battle, even having more than twice the magic power wouldn¡¯t be enough. ''No, no. I have too many small worries.¡¯ The Frost Queen tried to shake off her worries. Usually, if one started nitpicking at what wascking, there would be no end to it, so she decided to simply dream of a positive future. If her contractor''s magic power became much greater in the future, it wouldn¡¯t be just a one-meter radius... ''It could eat up a muchrger area. Until then, I will raise him well.¡¯ Just imagining it made her heart full. Looking at her contractor''s growth with pride, the Frost Queen set the pride in her heart aside, then criticized Seo Jun-Ho, "What are you so fascinated by? I do not think you have time to rx and admire it.¡± "Yeah, I know," Seo Jun-Ho replied nkly. He looked around curiously. It was a one-meter radius. ¡®By me, for me, my own space.¡¯ Even the sharp mountain breeze became so slow, like a shy child in this space. He had the illusion that he could deal with anything in this space. However, the Frost Queen was right. The situation wasn¡¯t so good that he could take his time in appreciating it. ¡®What? What kind of crazy magic consumption¡­?¡¯ Even a waterfall was slower than his magic consumption. Seo Jun-Ho was surprised by how fast his magic power was being drained, so he quickly came to his senses. All his senses were focused only on spreading the ''power to freeze'' around him. "Hoh." When the Thunder God noticed Seo Jun-Ho''s change, he let out a soft groan. ¡®The power to slow down the target... Did he perhaps spread it all around him in a wide area?¡¯ The Thunder God swallowed augh and had no choice but to admit¡­ ¡®That¡¯s crazy. Ain¡¯t this guy a real nutcase?¡¯ It was the highest praise. The Thunder God thought that Seo Jun-Ho had to take the test at least two more times to defeat this pattern. ¡®But to think he was able toe up with a solution as soon as he saw it.¡¯ The only way to exin it was simply because he was a genius. No, honestly, he felt that the word genius wasn¡¯t enough. ¡®Oh geez, it¡¯s almost like someone is next to him, telling him the answer right away...¡¯ The Thunder God had gotten the correct answer without realizing it, but unfortunately, the Frost Queen¡¯s existence was unbeknownst to him. "Then shall we test the performance of yer new power?¡± Tap! Tap, tap! The Thunder God''s cane tapped the ground lightly. ¡®It''sing.¡¯ Ruuuuumble! The difficulty rose sharply as more than a dozen thunderbolts poured out. They emerged and wriggled like loaches. Even Seo Jun-Ho got dizzy trying to follow them with his eyes. ¡®There''s nothing to be afraid of.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho calmed down. He focused only on maintaining the power to freeze. ¡®In this domain, I''m invincible.¡¯ He brainwashed himself. For an ordinary person, self-brainwashing was a poison that harmed oneself, but self-brainwashing for a person with skills was a source of confidence. Rumble! The thunderbolts had invaded Seo Jun-Ho''s space. ¡®They¡¯reing in fearlessly.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s domain thoroughly rejected the uninvited guests. As soon as they entered the space, the power to freeze forcibly slowed the thunderbolts down. ''I can do it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked at the thunderbolts as he turned his body. However, problems always arose when they were least expected. ¡®Slow¡­?¡¯ He had neglected Overclocking to focus entirely on the power to freeze. As such, his body was moving much slower than expected. "Ugh!" Thanks to this, Seo Jun-Ho''s body was hit by two thunderbolts and forcibly pushed back. His knees touched the ground as he gripped his chest over his tingling heart. "Wake up, Contractor!" the Frost Queen let out a sharp cry. ¡®Damn, it reminds me of the old days.¡¯ He remembered that he couldn''t even sleep properly under her training. All of a sudden, he felt that this was nothingpared to what he had to go through back then. ¡®I didn''t even know what to do back then...¡¯ Right now, he knew what to do at the very least. He knew what he had to do. He just had to be a bit more focused. ¡°...Hmm?¡± The Thunder God squinted his eyes. After being beaten back by the attack, Seo Jun-Ho''s aura rose instead. ¡®Huh, so he¡¯s that kind of person, too.¡¯ One would meet many types of people upon living up to the Thunder God¡¯s age, but there were bound to be people who were really iprehensible among them all. ¡®Like weirdos who grow faster when in crisis or when they are driven into a corner.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho got up and started walking up to the Thunder God once again. The Thunder God tapped his cane without a word. Tap, ta-ta-tap. The thunderbolts crashed down. However, the thunderbolts seemed to have be powerless to stop the steps of the man walking in silence. ¡°¡­¡± Tap, ta-ta-tap, tap, tap! The cane tapped the dirt more cheerfully and more heavily. Seo Jun-Ho had already surpassed the 50-meter mark. "T-this is...¡± Baek Geon-Woo was shocked as he looked at the yard. Dozens of thunderbolts had engulfed the area, and the scene looked like the end of the world. ¡°¡­¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho was still walking. Even dozens of thunderbolts couldn¡¯t stop his steps. ¡®...Look at his face.¡¯ The Thunder Godughed dryly as he had found it astonishing. In a thunderstorm that would make even High Rankers wet themselves, Seo Jun-Ho had a detached expression as if only he existed in the world. ¡®¡­¡¯ The Thunder God contemted for a moment. It was enough. Not only had Seo Jun-Ho exceeded the passing score, but he had smashed the record itself. But, as a warrior, the Thunder God¡¯s blood was boiling. ''I also have a... desire.¡¯ The corners of his mouth were filled with joy. ¡®Y¡¯ll pass regardless of whether ya can block this or not.¡¯ He knew he was being unfair, but he really wanted to test Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®...Can yer fist reach meh?¡¯ The Thunder God put down his cane. With his hands sped together like a monk, he slowly closed his eyes. ¡®Thunder Dragon Shakes the Heavens.¡¯ It was a scene that no one would believe even if they were told about it. No, it would be good if they didn''t sarcastically ask if you were drunk when you described them this scene. It was because a huge thunderbolt in the shape of a dragon had risen like a mountain and floated around in the sky. The dragon moved with grace and rushed fiercely toward one point. Ruuummmble! - The dragon of thunder shakes the world. Just as its name suggested, it was a technique with enough power to shake the world. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the approaching dragon. ''Dragon...'' As a yer, Seo Jun-Ho had defeated and captured a few fantastic dragons. However, he swore he had never seen or heard of a more intimidating dragon than the dragon he was seeing right now. "He must be crazy, crazy!" The Frost Queen screamed, putting her hands on her cheeks like Macay Culkin. In her opinion, this attack was definitely not something Seo Jun-Ho could handle. Seo Jun-Ho unconsciously opened his mouth and said, "So, this is a Heaven." The person regarded as the representative of all yers had sent an attack with all his soul and mind. It was an attack that literally carried the full strength of the caster¡¯s soul and mind. "Ha, haha." Seo Jun-Houghed. Heughed with joy, not because he had lost all hope. ¡®So there was someone this strong...¡¯ So, there was someone else simr to a deep-rooted tree who wouldn¡¯t budge even if Seo Jun-Ho struck him with all his might. Now, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have to do it all alone and overexert himself. It was ridiculous, but Seo Jun-Ho felt relieved knowing this fact. ''But... that''s a little too much.'' Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes trembled. No, not just his eyes; his entire body was trembling. The power to freeze? It had been quite a while since it disappeared. It was too much to stay sober in the face of a great attack that suppressed even human instinct itself. "Go to sleep." When Seo Jun-Ho''s unconscious figure copsed forward, ice rose from the floor and gently caught him. At the same time, the Frost Queen reached out. ¡®And before Contractor bespletely unconscious.¡¯ She had to give at least a warning to be satisfied. Craaackle! What she created was an ordinary ice wall that didn¡¯t seem special in any way. In fact, this ice wall didn¡¯t have any significant differences from what Seo Jun-Ho had made so far. However¡ª Ruuummmble! The thunder dragon struck the wall and vanished without a trace. ¡°¡­?!¡± The Thunder God¡¯s eyes suddenly opened wide as he shot up from his seat. It was the first time in thest few decades of testing that he had seen such a thing. ¡®Just now¡­?¡¯ He hurriedly canceled the attack when he saw Seo Jun-Ho fall. But just before the thunder dragon scattered, he strongly felt as if someone had forcibly dispersed his attack. It was as if they were telling him that he should never y this kind of trick again. ¡®No... Was I mistaken?¡¯ His serious gaze fell upon Seo Jun-Ho. Thetter¡¯s breathing was even, simr to the breathing of someone who had truly fainted. ¡°¡­¡± Gulp. The Thunder God unwittingly gulped a mouthful of his own saliva and released his clenched fist. The sweat on his palm fell to the floor. "Yeah, I must be mistaken...¡± He shook his head and said to Baek Geon-Woo, "Geon-Woo, put him in the room. Also, buy some chickens. What kind of man falls so easily? Let''s have some chicken soup." "Yes, but Master, yourplexion...¡± "Hey, are ya lookin¡¯ down on me? This much is nothing, so get a move on.¡± "Yes..." Baek Geon-Woo looked worried, but he slowly lowered his head. After carefullyying Seo Jun-Ho in the room, Baek Geon-Woo went down the mountain, but on his way there, he saw the Thunder God slumped on the rock. "Uwaaack!" Out of nowhere, he vomited blood and held his trembling fist firmly with his other hand. The Thunder God led his old body into his room, picked up one of the dozens of bottles, and poured the contents into his mouth. "Ha-a, ha-a¡­¡± He drank the legendary elixir that could apparently even save the dead, but his expression remained unpleasant. "¡­Damn it." The moment he discovered he didn¡¯t have much time left, he had to choose whether to use the rest of his life to heal his body or nt an apple tree for tomorrow.[1] The Thunder God chose to nt an apple tree. ¡®It¡¯s going to be busy from now on.¡¯ His face became rxed andfortable as he closed his eyes. Today, he had confirmed that there was another apple tree growing well aside from the apple tree he had already nted. 1. Invest in the future. ? Chapter 260. A New Man (1)

Chapter 260. A New Man (1)

¡°...I passed out again.¡± Seo Jun-Ho rubbed his face as he woke, as usual. He could feel the softness of his uncalloused palms. ¡®Oh, right. I went through a body transformation.¡¯ As he realized this, he pulled off his nket and looked down at his body. ¡°Now that I¡¯m looking at it¡­¡± He thought he might have grown a little taller. And overall, his proportions had be better. ¡°Hm.¡± It was his first time feeling a dissonance because his body didn¡¯t seem like his own. Usually, it was best to adapt to physical changes as they came over time, but this wasn¡¯t the case for him. ¡®I suppose I¡¯ll be busy for a while.¡¯ He needed time¡ªtime to adapt to his new body. ¡°I already have a mountain of stuff to do. This will be troublesome,¡± he muttered. He wanted to read Janabi¡¯s memories and free his friends from the ice. However, he could do both of these things whenever he wanted if he just set his mind to it. ¡®The problem is the fiends¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho opened the Community window and scrolled through the news bulletin board with a serious expression on his face. As he thought, there was nothing. There was no news about the fiends, even when he rubbed his eyes. ¡°This is weird.¡± Numerous yers and Guilds went up after the 3rd floor was opened. Everyone had naturally assumed that the fiends would also go up to hone their skills. If that were the case, the fiends and yers would have been unable to avoid conflict. So, everyone had been on edge¡­ But when the time came, their expectations werepletely subverted. ¡°Why isn¡¯t there anything?¡± Seo Jun-Ho wondered. Not a single fiend had been discovered on the 3rd floor so far. No matter how many times he thought about it, he found this suspicious. ¡®Once time passes, the yers will keep leveling up, and there will be a gap in their skill levels¡­¡¯ This wasn¡¯t something the Fiend Association would want, especially because they were already outnumbered. They would have to go up to the 3rd floor no matter what, so why wasn¡¯t there a single peep? ¡®It¡¯s suspicious. I should meet with Deok-Gu soon.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wanted to discuss their individual opinions on the matter, and he had things to care of with Shim Deok-Gu, anyway. He decided to finish his training in one month. ¡®A month should be good. The Big 6 is doing a good job of holding things up.¡¯ ording to the news, they had been on a winning streak. They had already cleared several Dungeons on the 3rd floor and had even found clues about the Floor Master. ¡®They¡¯ve stayed put for too long.¡¯ He had this thought a few times in the past, but the Rankers¡¯ skills weremendable. They must have been quite antsy after being restricted to the 2nd floor for so long. Now that they were free, they were having the time of their lives running around the 3rd floor. ¡°Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finished sorting his thoughts and stood up from his seat. Now that he thought about it, this morning had been quiet. ¡®Oh, now I know¡­¡¯ The Frost Queen was still sleeping in the corner of the room, without a care in the world. ¡°Hey, wake up.¡± Even though he poked her with his finger, her reaction was very different than usual. She didn¡¯tin about wanting five more minutes, and she didn¡¯t try to hide under the covers or escape by rolling away in her nket like a burrito. She lifted the covers slightly and shaded her eyes. Her eyes were drooping with heavy fatigue. ¡°...I am very tired today. Do not bother me.¡± ¡°Huh? Why are you tired? You haven¡¯t even done anything,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said sourly. At that, tears filled her eyes, and she shot straight up. She swung her tiny fists, hitting Seo Jun-Ho over and over again at random. ¡°You think I have not done anything? Do you really?! Because you were injured, I¡­Ugh, you don¡¯t even know anything!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, why are you acting like this?¡± He was pushed into the corner by her onught. It was the first time she had attacked him like this. The Frost Queen breathed heavily as she stared at him coldly for a long time. Then, she slipped back under the covers. ¡°I suppose a stork would never understand the mind of a kingfisher.¡±[1] ¡°Huh? It¡¯s the other way around. A kingfisher can¡¯t understand the mind of a¡­¡± ¡°...W-well, the stork might not understand the kingfisher either! Anyway, I am sleeping in today, so go away!¡± Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head and slowly stood. He didn¡¯t know why, but the Frost Queen was very moody today. ¡®I suppose everyone has those days.¡¯ He nodded and quietly opened the bedroom door. ¡°I¡¯m going to train, then.¡± There was no response, but the nket shifted slightly. *** Several people were standing at the entrance of a dark underground cave illuminated only by glowing crystals. The first one to break the long silence between them was a man. ¡°Today is the day,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, it has been a long time.¡± ¡°A long time? Mr. Charbork, you must be more patient than you seem.¡± ¡°...¡± Charbork didn¡¯t reply. His eyes widened. Something powerful was approaching them, and even the aura was enough to knock the wind out of him. ¡°I sincerely congratte you all for finishing your seclusion training.¡± One of the women among them dropped to one knee, facing the cave. One by one, the others lowered themselves in respect. The crystals bathed the man in soft light. His hair and eyes were snow-white. The woman looked up at him. ¡°Even though you have attained¡­¡± ¡°No, this was my own choice.¡± He shook his head. The man had been born as an albino, but he had gone through a body transformation. Even though his hair should be ck, he had purposefully left his hair and eyes white. Everything seemed to be just as he calcted. ¡®However¡­¡¯ His eyes grew thoughtful. ¡®I did not expect this.¡¯ The System awarded titles to those who were the first to achieve something. However, he did not receive a title for his body transformation. That meant someone other than him had gone through it first. ¡°This will be fun.¡± He grinned, showing teeth. Someone could find him beautiful, but the people in front of him started trembling in their prostrated position. The man watched them and turned to the woman. ¡°Why are you shaking?¡± ¡°...W-well.¡± She swallowed, dripping cold sweat. Suddenly, he leaned his face toward hers. ¡°Are you scared of me?¡± ¡°...!¡± It was a straightforward question, but she was unable to find a way to respond. However, she was saved. ¡°Your joke was too harsh.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± The man turned, looking interested. ¡°Why do you think that, Isaac?¡± ¡°You inspire awe in us, Heavenly Demon. Though we are afraid of you, we respect your strength. Of course, I am scared of you, but I wish to follow in your footsteps with respect. I believe everyone else here feels the same.¡± ¡°You¡¯re as good with words as always.¡± The Heavenly Demon smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll only take one arm for interrupting my conversation without permission.¡± ¡°Thank you for your mercy.¡± Isaac bowed his head and cut off his own arm without hesitation. As the scent of blood slowly started to spread, the Heavenly Demon spoke with his hands sped behind his back, ¡°There are not many of you.¡± ¡°The Chef is doing research to develop the darkness element, as usual. And Nazad Hallow is currently in Ound.¡± The one who answered was a man covered in ck bandages like a mummy. He was Shadow, the head of the Fiend Association¡¯s espionage department, the Darkmoon Pavillion. ¡°And the yers?¡± ¡°Most of them have gone up to the 3rd floor.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± This was the first thing that caught his attention. ¡°The heat of the 3rd floor shouldn¡¯t be easy to handle.¡± ¡°The Floor Master of the 2nd Floor has been killed. It was taken out by the Big 6¡¯s expedition force, which included Specter, Seo Jun-Ho, and Gong Ju-Ha.¡± ¡°The Floor Master¡­They had one here?¡± ¡°They say that it was inside ckfield.¡± ¡°A pity.¡± The Heavenly Demon looked genuinely disappointed. ¡°And this Seo Jun-Ho¡­? Have I heard of him before?¡± ¡°He is a rookie who debuted less than two years ago¡­But there are some things that you should know about him. Please look through the documents I prepared for you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± With that, the Heavenly Demon looked up at the ceiling, which was covered in glowing crystals. ¡°I should¡­ Move on from living underground,¡± he muttered. ¡°Where will you go?¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes curved into crescents at Shadow¡¯s question. He held out his pointer finger, and they expected him to point to the ceiling. ¡°...!¡± ¡°...?¡± But he pointed to the ground instead¡­ ¡°Down.¡± The Heavenly Demon looked delighted. ¡°We will go down.¡± *** ¡°The roots! These roots are the most important part. Ya need to have a good foundation,¡± the Thunder God lectured angrily. As he spoke, he hit Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head with his cane. ¡°Ya little rascal, did I not just say that the roots are the most important parts?¡± ¡°Dammit.¡± ¡°Dammit? Dammit?¡± Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head and jumped up, holding a hoe. ¡°I said I wanted to receive training, so what the heck is this?¡± ¡°What do ya mean? It¡¯s trainin¡¯,¡± the Thunder God immediately said. Seo Jun-Ho held up his other hand, holding arge deodeok.[2] ¡°How is digging up deodeoks training?¡± ¡°Did I tell ya to just dig them? Ya have to dig them carefully, so ya won¡¯t hurt the roots. There¡¯s yer trainin¡¯.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just doing chores!¡± ¡°No!¡± The Thunder God scolded. ¡°The pickled deodeok ya eat every day is dug up from here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ Yes, I feel grateful every time that I get to eat it, but¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho trailed off. He was grateful every time he was given a meal here. However, he was already pressed for time, so he wanted to learn something useful. ¡®...So what the heck is this.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho sniffled. He had been digging up deodeoks for three hours straight, ever since morning. ¡°Look at Geon-Woo. Look at how well he¡¯s digging them withoutint.¡± ¡°...¡± Since he had put it like that, Seo Jun-Ho had nothing to say. Baek Geon-Woo was carefully using the hoe, digging up the herbs with all his heart and soul. ¡°...You said this is training. Then can you exin what exactly we¡¯re training here?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Yer bnce, stamina, and yer concentration. It is a great method that trains all three of these things.¡± ¡°How does that even¡­¡± Just as Seo Jun-Ho was about to refute him, he stopped. ¡®Wait, this is the Thunder God we¡¯re talking about.¡¯ Out of all the yers in the world, he was nearly the strongest.[3] His time was precious. Would he really waste his precious time spouting nonsense like this? ¡®No, he¡¯s not a normal person. Actually¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked around. The hill they were on was steep. Most people would have trouble simply standing on it. ¡®Wait!¡¯ Hepared his deodeoks to Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s. ¡®They¡¯re different.¡¯ Their roots were different. All his deodeoks had some of their roots cut off, but Baek Geon-Woo only had a few that were slightly damaged. If they were to sell them at a wholesale market, Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s deodeoks would receive an A-grade. ¡°I see.¡± The mere act of crouching down on such a steep hill improved one¡¯s sense of bnce. And if they kept digging up deodeoks without rest, it would improve their stamina. Lastly, hoeing them carefully so that their roots wouldn¡¯t get severed would improve concentration. Seo Jun-Ho finally understood the Thunder God¡¯s deep meaning and nodded. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. I understand now.¡± ¡°Hm, impressive.¡± The Thunder God nodded sternly as he stood with his cane. After that, Seo Jun-Ho poured all his focus into digging the deodeoks. ¡®I have to maintain a fixed position and be careful of the angle as well as with the strength of my hand when I dig out each root.¡¯ He became so absorbed that his sharp nose had gotten sunburnt, and he was dripping cold sweat. ¡°Faster! Ya¡¯ll spend all day diggin¡¯ deodeoks at this rate!¡± ¡°Too slow! Even kindergarteners could dig them up at that speed!¡± The Thunder God hit them with rebukes and orders. Three more hours passed, and it became noon. By then, Jun-Ho could finally dig them up perfectly. ¡°Yes!¡± The Thunder God was getting worked up again. ¡°Yer body is not tremblin¡¯ even as ya crouch, and each strike of the hoe is careful. And this deodeok has no ws or damages¡­ It¡¯s perfect!¡± ¡°...I did it.¡± ¡°Good. Very good!¡± The Thunder God patted Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sweat-soaked shoulders. Just then, Baek Geon-Woo stood up, having finished harvesting all the deodeoks into his basket. ¡°Master, I dug them all.¡± ¡°Hm? Y¡¯re already done? Ah, I suppose it went faster with the two of ya. Chores always go faster with more people.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Chores¡­?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± The Thunder God disappeared in a sh. Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at where the former had been standing. He turned to see Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s bitter smile. ¡°Um, this is training¡­right?¡± he asked. ¡°...¡± Should he tell a white lie or go with the dark truth? Baek Geon-Woo closed his eyes as he pondered his decision. However, his hesitation seemed to have be a sufficient answer for Seo Jun-Ho. He looked forlornly at the hillside, which had be a mess. ¡°Why did you work so hard even though it¡¯s not training?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°...If we weren¡¯t able to harvest them fast enough, we would have spent all night digging.¡± Baek Geon-Woo cleared his throat and bowed his head. He ced his basket over his head and disappeared with short and quick steps. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first day of formal training session ended at noon, after doing nothing but harvesting deodeoks. 1. A Korean idiom that means that you can¡¯t understand what others have gone through because everyone¡¯s experiences are different. ? 2. A root herb with medicinal properties. It¡¯s also used to make side dishes in Korea. ? 3. The Heavenly Demon/DK is considered a yer as well ? Chapter 261. A New Man (2)

Chapter 261. A New Man (2)

¡°Stamina trainin¡¯,¡± the Thunder God said, looking down at the mountains nketed with darkness. After they had a hearty supper of pickled deodeoks, he had chosen stamina training for their next session. ¡°Understood. I will go prepare.¡± As Baek Geon-Woo bowed and went into his room, Seo Jun-Ho blinked. ¡°Stamina training?¡± ¡°What of it? A healthy body houses a healthy mind. Stamina is the marrow of thend.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho had a dumbfounded expression on his face. He mustered the courage to speak. ¡°If I¡¯m honest, I can only train here for about a month.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°So, what do you want me to do.¡± The Thunder God grinned. ¡°What am I s¡¯posed to do if ya only have a month?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t have much time, so I was hoping that you¡¯d teach me about something a little more profound than stamina training¡­¡± ¡°Ha!¡± The Thunder God burst out inughter, shoulders shaking. Heughed for a long time and wiped away a tear. ¡°Profound teachings are nice. But how am I s¡¯posed to teach someone how to run when he can¡¯t walk? Even Geon-Woo can barely handle the training.¡± ¡°...¡± Couldn¡¯t walk? Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t move on from that statement. His eyebrows furrowed. ¡°...I¡¯ve never thought that I was unable to walk,¡± he said. ¡°The world is vast.¡± the Thunder God said in a serious voice, looking over the dark mountains. ¡°Yes, I s¡¯pose ya can think that y¡¯er the strongest when y¡¯er at that level. But to me, ya look like a frog in a well.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho kept his mouth shut. It would be too harsh to say he could do it if Mr. Geon-Woo could. However, this didn¡¯t slip by the Thunder God. It was as if he had eyes on the back of his head. His lips stretched as he chuckled. ¡°Do ya really think that way?¡± he asked. ¡°...What are you referring to?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I¡¯m askin¡¯ if ya really think you¡¯re better than Geon-Woo.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chided himself for letting his impetuous thoughts show. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I am not looking down on him¡­¡± ¡°I know as much. Then how ¡®bout this?¡± He made a proposal. ¡°If ya beat Geon-Woo in stamina training, I will teach ya about those other things.¡± ¡°...Are you serious?¡± ¡°How absurd. Do I look like I have two mouths?¡± In other words, the Thunder God was saying that there wasn¡¯t any hidden meaning behind what he just said. Seo Jun-Ho took a second to sort his thoughts and nodded slowly. ¡°I ept. I¡¯m also curious about the stamina Mr. Geon-Woo takes so much pride in.¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± The Thunder God said nothing andughed. When Baek Geon-Woo returned, he was wearing arge rucksack like that of a soldier¡¯s. ¡°...Mr. Geon-Woo, what is that?¡± Jun-Ho asked. ¡°It is a bag. You will need one as well.¡± He held out another rucksack, and Jun-Ho carefully picked it up. ¡®Huh?¡¯ It weighed approximately 100 kilograms. He frowned. ¡®Are they¡­¡¯ Were the master and student in on this together? As he looked at them suspiciously, the Thunder-God grinned. ¡°Geon-Woo. How much did ya put in his rucksack?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s his first time doing stamina training, so I made it light.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that to do with ya? Make it the same as y¡¯ers.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Baek Geon-Woo stared at his master with widened eyes. The Thunder God ignored him and pped his forehead before turning to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Oh! Does Mr. Jun-Ho want to receive special treatment ¡®cause it¡¯s his first time? If that¡¯s what he wants, go ahead.¡± The old man seemed properly annoyed that Seo Jun-Ho had underestimated his student. Seo Jun-Ho let out a light sigh and shook his head. ¡°...It¡¯s fine.¡± Based on their conversation, it seemed that Baek Geon-Woo had been considerate when packing Jun-Ho¡¯s rucksack. But if they weren¡¯t on even ground, he couldn¡¯t achieve a fair victory. Seo Jun-Ho handed back his rucksack. ¡°Please pack it the same as yours.¡± ¡°...It¡¯ll be hard since it is your first time,¡± Baek Geon-Woo said. ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± Aftering this far, it was a matter of pride. Seo Jun-Ho hoisted the newly packed rucksack on his shoulders. ¡®It¡¯s about 150 kilograms.¡¯ It was definitely heavy, but he couldn¡¯t feel it at all because he was maintaining a thirty percent Overclocking output. ¡®Mr. Geon-Woo¡­ Seems used to it.¡¯ His rucksack weighed the same as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s. However, his face remained cid, even though he couldn¡¯t use Overclocking. ¡°A¡¯ight, let¡¯s take a look.¡± The Thunder God rubbed his hands and looked around the mountains covered in darkness. Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t sure what he was looking for, but the Thunder God spent a long time looking around before he nodded. ¡°Since I sent it wetst time¡­I should send it thatta way.¡± The Thunder God summoned a thunderbolt and started to walk slowly. After taking a few steps, he hurled it like a javelin. Wooooosh! It shot out like a spear and pierced through the darkness, disappearing into the horizon in no time. ¡®What in the world are we doing?¡¯ Just as the question popped into his head, Baek Geon-Woo started running down the mountain. ¡°...¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯re ya starin¡¯ at?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The Thunder Godughed at his stupid answer. ¡°Bring me the remnants of the thunderbolt.¡± ¡°...The remnants of the thunderbolt? What is that?¡± ¡°Whether it hit a tree, the ground, or a rock, there should be remnants of it, don¡¯tcha think? Bring it to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­¡± The thunderbolt had flown far away to a ce he couldn¡¯t see. All he knew was the direction that it had flown in. ¡®The average man can see about 4.7 kilometers into the distance at ground level.¡¯ However, this wasn¡¯t ground level. It was the highest summit of the Wailing Mountains, with an altitude of ten thousand meters that surpassed even Mount Everest.[1] ¡®At this height, I should be able to see at least¡­¡¯ Three hundred and sixty kilometers into the distance. And considering that the thunderbolt had disappeared past it, it could be 500 or 700 kilometers away. ¡°Just how long will it take for us to bring it back?¡± he asked. ¡°Well, I s¡¯pose it¡¯ll take a few days.¡± The Thunder God shrugged. He pointed at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°No teleportin¡¯ and no ridin¡¯ anythin¡¯. Ya will only use yer body to bring it back.¡± ¡°...¡± So, this was the Thunder God¡¯s stamina training. Seo Jun-Ho could sense that Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s magic had grown quite a distance away from him down below. He bit his lip hard and spoke, ¡°Alright. But if I win, you have to keep your promise!¡± ¡°Kekeke.¡± The Thunder Godughed for a long time as he watched Seo Jun-Ho bound away. As his student and guest disappeared, a stillness settled over his residence for the first time in a long time. ¡°...Things¡¯ll be quiet for the time being.¡± The old man settled on a boulder and closed his eyes. *** Seo Jun-Ho had raised his Overclocking output to fifty percent. [Night has fallen. Hunter¡¯s Night (A) has been activated.] [All stats increased by 10%.] [Your senses have been sharpened.] It was dangerous for most yers to take even a single step into the Wailing Mountains at night. However, Seo Jun-Ho could see the world around him clearly. ¡®My eyesight has definitely gotten better after the body transformation.¡¯ And it had improved even more on top of that with Hunter¡¯s Night. He was even using magic to enhance his sight, so he didn¡¯t really have any trouble seeing. ¡®I think Mr. Geon-Woo has a separate sight-enhancing skill as well¡­¡¯ If they could both see well, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t think he would lose in a contest of speed. Seo Jun-Ho turned to the direction where the thunderbolt had disappeared and ran in a straight line. It didn¡¯t matter if there were rocks or trees in between. If there was something in his way, he simply cut it down with his sword. ¡®Gotcha.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had caught up to Baek Geon-Woo in just five minutes. When he passed him, he could feel Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s heated stare piercing his back. ¡®Like you, I have to win this no matter what.¡¯ He increased his speed by another level and shot down the Wailing Mountains like an arrow. *** ¡°Huff, huff.¡± It was his fifth day in the Wailing Mountains, and Seo Jun-Ho was still running. He was currently somewhere in the central region of the Frontier Empire. He had yet to find any remnants of the thunderbolt. To add insult to injury, his shoulders were starting to grow heavy as well. He had been diligent in emptying his rucksack of water and rations, but the weight of it was starting to loom over his head. ¡®Still¡­ I held out for a long time.¡¯ Four whole days. He had managed to maintain Overclocking for over ny-six hours. But though his magic energy had been spilling out like arge river, he was starting to reach the bottom. He felt bitter regret¡ªan emotion he didn¡¯t experience often. ¡®I¡¯m sore.¡¯ His low magic level wasn¡¯t the only problem. His entire body was screaming, faced with the limit it hadn¡¯t met in a long time. His legs hurt after moving without rest, and his back, arms, and neck were also hurting. His body earnestly kept on begging him to lie down, to take a rest, and it started to eat at his mind. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± However, Jun-Ho didn¡¯t slow down, even though he felt like his heart would explode if he took even one more step. ¡®How long has it been?¡¯ This wasn¡¯t some battle with a monster, where he could fall into serious danger if he let his guard down. This wasn¡¯t a fight with a fiend with his life on the line. But other than his fight with Janabi, when was thest time it had been so tiring? He couldn¡¯t remember. ¡®...The Thunder God was right.¡¯ He had to be the one to fight against his limit and break through it. A frog in a well. He didn¡¯t think there would be any way that term would apply to him, but that phrase loomed over him today. ¡®Stamina and muscles are the same.¡¯ If you wanted to train your muscles, you had to lift heavier weights. You had to raise it higher and higher, fail, try again, and seed before you could strengthen your muscles. The same was true of stamina. Even as your breath grew ragged and you felt like your brain would melt, you had to keep going and going until you could finally improve. Stamina was just that kind of a beast. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s speed slowed considerably. His Overclocking output was also quickly draining like a battery. ¡®Where in the world¡­ Are the remnants of the thunderbolt¡­¡¯ His willpower started to scatter away. Seo Jun-Ho realized the scariest part of this stamina training. ¡®This damned training¡­ It has no end to it.¡¯ Did I actually pass by the remnants like an idiot? How much longer do I have to go? Was this really the right way? What if Mr. Geon-Woo had already found them and had gone back? The questions kept taunting his mind. ¡°Ugh.¡± He let out a hoarse cry from his dry throat. He couldn¡¯t even swallow now. As he gripped his neck, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s legs grew slower. His vision had gone white a long time ago. Seo Jun-Ho had simplye all this way through willpower and the mindset that he couldn¡¯t stop running. ¡°...¡± His knees buckled and hit the ground first before his body fell forward. There was no pleasure in the world that he would trade for this refreshingfort. The heavenly feeling soothed his mind and soul. ¡®Oh, it feels so good¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t know how long it had been since he reached his limit in training. The reward for it wasn¡¯t small, either. [You have gained 1 strength stat.] [You have gained 3 stamina stats.] [You have gained 1 speed stat.] [You have gained 1 magic stat.] The higher your stats were, the harder it was to raise your stats with this kind of training. However, Seo Jun-Ho had done it, and he was overjoyed. Even though he felt like passing out from the fatigue, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lips perked up. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. You¡¯re weak for a youngster.¡± When he gently opened his eyes, an old man looking like a tourist held out a bottle of water. ¡°T-thank¡­Mister¡­¡± ¡°Save it. Drink first.¡± Seo Jun-Ho drained the bottle in an instant, and he began toe back to his senses. The old man looked at Seo Jun-Ho as he pointed. ¡°Did you alsoe to see that?¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°The thunderbolt that came down a few days ago. I wanted to see it once before I die¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t hear what the old man said at the end. He picked up his shaking body, and his face brightened. ¡®...I found it.¡¯ A giant tree was scorched by the thunderbolt. He had finally found the remnants. 1. Mount Everest¡¯s altitude is 8849 meters. ? Chapter 262. A New Man (3)

Chapter 262. A New Man (3)

There was a huge crowd gathered near the tree that had been struck by lightning. ¡°Please let my son get into the academy this year¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t let my new business fail¡­ ¡°Please let my missing cat Yumi get home safe!¡± They were praying. Seo Jun-Ho had no idea, but the people in Frontier considered ces that had been struck by lightning to be good luck. ¡°...Please let my foolish children get along.¡± The old man that had offered him water also closed his eyes and prayed. At that point, Seo Jun-Ho realized what was going on. ¡®I see. They treat this ce simr to how people on Earth treat meteors.¡¯ He became curious about something and turned to the old man. ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyone approaching the tree?¡± ¡°It ismonw to keep a distance to preserve the site for the next people whoe to pray.¡± Amonw. In other words, a constitutionalw. ¡°...Amazing,¡± Seo Jun-Ho whispered, amazed. It was amazing how all these people were being so considerate to people they didn¡¯t even know. ¡°Well, don¡¯t be too impressed. There are all kinds of people out there,¡± the old man grumbled. ¡°Though there are many people who are considerate of each other, there are thieves who secretly cut off parts of the tree to sell it.¡± ¡°...That makes sense.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly and opened up Community. Click. He took a picture of the people praying toward the burnt-ck tree. This one picture was enough as a remnant of the thunderbolt. ¡°Then, sir, I¡¯ll get going,¡± he said.¡± ¡°Hm? Already? You¡¯re not going to make a wish?¡± ¡°It has already been granted.¡± Soon enough, he would have a small party with his awakenedrades. Seo Jun-Ho bowed once more to the old man and left. *** Four days passed before Seo Jun-Ho met Baek Geon-Woo on the road. Thetter didn¡¯t seem to be in great shape, but his mental state seemed to be sharp. Seo Jun-Ho was the first to see and the first to greet him. ¡°...Oh, Mr. Jun-Ho.¡± The fact that his opponent was already on his way back could only mean one thing. Baek Geon-Wooughed awkwardly and merely congratted him. ¡°As expected, I can¡¯t beat you. Congrattions.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t trying to be modest or humble. He was actually a little surprised. ¡®He¡¯s already here?¡¯ There were things that Baek Geon-Woo couldn¡¯t beat him in with simple effort, willpower, and stamina. Seo Jun-Ho had Overclocking, while Baek Geon-Woo had nothing of the sort. ¡®In the beginning, I ran for five days straight without sleeping¡­¡¯ And he had only beat him by four days? As Seo Jun-Ho stared at him, Baek Geon-Woo copsed onto the ground, sitting. ¡°Could you spare me a bit of your time? I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°...Of course.¡± Baek Geon-Woo let out rough breaths as he gulped down water. He stared at his hands as he spoke, ¡°I was born with an inherently low amount of magic power.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had known that from the moment they first met. He had less magic than even the average yer. ¡°You probably knew, Mr. Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny it.¡± ¡°Then, you will probably be wondering at this point. You used magic energy to get here, so how is the difference between us so small¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho flinched. Both the Thunder God and Baek Geon-Woo could read people¡¯s thoughts so easily. ¡®Why? Have I not been able to keep a straight face?¡¯ Baek Geon-Wooughed feebly as he saw the shock on Jun-Ho¡¯s face. ¡°You do not have to be so serious about it. I merely thought from your perspective.¡± ¡°...This maye off as rude, but I won¡¯t deny that either. I ran as fast as I could for five days without rest.¡± ¡°Mm. And how much of a difference did that make?¡± ¡°After I obtained the remnants of the thunderbolt, I ran for two more days.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Baek Geon-Woo nodded slowly before he spoke, ¡°You passed the thunderbolt test.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I also passed it.¡± ¡°I heard that you were the first one to do so¡­¡± ¡°However, my method wasn¡¯t as impressive as yours, Mr. Jun-Ho.¡± He sneered at himself. ¡°Has Master ever told you about my skill?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°My skill is called Full Predator.[1] It¡¯s a B-grade skill.¡± ¡°B-grade?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho eximed. Even though he knew it was rude, he couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. Most yers with a B-rank skill could stand above the rest. ¡°Yes, the rank is pretty high, so I had high expectations at first. I thought that I would quickly be able to get strong and avenge my family,¡± he exined. ¡°May I ask what kind of effect it has?¡± ¡°It is a skill that allows me to absorb and use someone else¡¯s skill, but only once.¡± ¡°That¡¯s such a¡­ That¡¯s an incredible skill, isn¡¯t it?¡± Based on what he was hearing, it was like a cheat. It meant that Baek Geon-Woo could get any skill he wanted. ¡°...Yes. But the skill lives up to its name.¡± Full Predator. A predator with a full stomach did not hunt or eat. All it did was close its eyes and sleep. ¡°It took ten years simply for it to awaken,¡± Baek Geon-Woo said. He had sensed when the predator opened its eyes and began to search for suitable prey. ¡°Back then, I decided not to eat anything.¡± He only had one chance, so he didn¡¯t want to waste it. ¡°Wait, then¡­¡± ¡°Yes. As you may have guessed, I risked my life to climb the Wailing Mountains back then. That was already five years ago.¡± Without anything else to lean on, the only thing that Baek Geon-Woo had trained in those past ten years was his body. ¡°I almost died a few times whileing up here, but I eventually made it.¡± ¡°Then did you absorb the Thunder God¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I failed.¡± The Thunder God¡¯s skill was publicly known to be S-grade. Full Predator hadn¡¯t been strong enough to digest it. ¡°So, I thought that everything was over¡­¡± Baek Geon-Woo closed his eyes. ¡°But Master began to cry. He said that he had finally found the apple tree.¡± ¡°The apple tree?¡± Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Yes. Master had been looking for a sessor to give everything he had to.¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked. It wasn¡¯t unheard of for yers to leave sessors, such as the Guild Masters of big Guilds or the founders of a unique fighting style. ¡®But yers with elemental skills¡­¡¯ They couldn¡¯t have sessors. Elemental abilities were not something that could simply be taught and learned. ¡°Why did the Thunder God¡­¡± ¡°I do not know if you know this, but Master is not in a good state at the moment,¡± he said, meeting Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. ¡°Five years ago, right before I climbed the Wailing Mountains, Master sustained a major injury.¡± ¡°...From the Heavenly Demon?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± They didn¡¯t know which demon¡¯s blood the Heavenly Demon had drunk, but its unique abilities had started to eat away at the Thunder God. ¡°Back then, Master had two whole elixirs.¡± As the strongest yer in the world, he had worked hard his whole life two retrieve the priceless panaceas. But instead of taking them, he went to seek out a close friend. ¡°After asking the Sage of the Observatory Tower, he learned of two possible solutions.¡± The first was to drink both elixirs. However, it did not guarantee a full recovery. The other option was to not drink them. In this case, he could n his future with certainty. ¡°Did he¡­¡± ¡°Master said it was an easy choice. He said it would obviously be better to bet on the option with a higher probability of sess.¡± After all, he was betting on his life. Not many people would have been able to make the choice with suchposure. ¡°And then, I appeared before him.¡± Baek Geon-Woo might be the only yer in the world that could inherit his thunder energy. ¡°I took Master¡¯s test. The thunderbolt test.¡± Full Predator had been unable to digest all of the Thunder God¡¯s thunder energy. But every time Baek Geon-Woo was struck, the energy had started to build up, little by little. ¡°It took 742 days to pass the test alone.¡± He had only been able to pass after he had built up thunder resistance and Full Predator leveled up to A-grade. ¡°...Your willpower is amazing.¡± ¡°Because the only things I can train are my willpower and stamina.¡± No matter how hard someone tried, something like talent couldn¡¯t be obtained with simple effort. ¡°Then, right now¡­¡± ¡°I am absorbing thunder energy from Master every night,¡± Baek Geon-Woo answered. ¡°You can endure that?¡± ¡°I cannot. My veins and muscles would rip apart every time, and I would copse.¡± The elixirs were then used to heal those injuries. They had made hundreds of bottles by diluting the elixirs with water. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was lost in thought for a second before he spoke, ¡°...Then how much time does the Thunder God have left?¡± He asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but he ns to go down to Earth to recuperate once he¡¯s done handing off all the thunder energy he has to me. After that, he won¡¯t live any longer than ten years.¡± ¡°Ten years, you say.¡± That much was a relief. The Thunder God¡¯s mere existence was a pir that motivated yers to persevere. Baek Geon-Woo grinned. ¡°Did you know that Master seems really happy these days?¡± ¡°These days?¡± Seo Jun-Ho countered bitterly. His only memories of the Thunder God were his taunts and scoldings. ¡°He even told me this¡ªhe thought that he was the only one who had nted an apple tree. He didn¡¯t expect that another one had actually grown naturally.¡± ¡°...He overestimates me.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think he does.¡± Baek Geon-Woo looked at Seo Jun-Ho with sparkling eyes. ¡°Mr. Jun-Ho, you give more hope to people than you think,¡± he assured, squeezing his hands into fists. ¡°Though I am slow, I will follow you diligently. I want to be a hero who protects people and gives them hope, just like you.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. It had been a while since he had met someone so pure-hearted, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed. ¡®Still¡­This isn¡¯t bad.¡¯ Warm sunlight shone on the two men sitting by the road. *** ¡°Hm, you¡¯re here.¡± The Thunder God seemed indifferent when he saw Seo Jun-Ho arrive first. ¡°...I won the bet.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He approached Seo Jun-Ho and thoroughly inspected his muscles with his hands. ¡°How does your body feel?¡± ¡°...Um.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened as he realized something. ¡®It feels natural.¡¯ The stiff feeling he felt after going through the body transformation had disappeared without a trace. This was only possible because his mind, body, and magic energy had been pushed to their limits. ¡°Did you n this from the¡­¡± ¡°Ya fell for it pretty easily ¡®cause ya have so much pride. Son, ya need ta work on that temper of yers.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho watched the Thunder Godugh, he got the feeling that he had been yed. ¡°...Then what were you nning to do if I lost?¡± He asked. ¡°Ya, lose? Don¡¯t be stupid.¡± He snorted. ¡°Y¡¯re like one of those watchamacallits¡ªthose strong ones¡­¡± ¡°High Rankers?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. They wouldn¡¯t be able to handle ya in your current form. Though I dunno ¡®bout those Nine Heaven brats¡­¡± he muttered thest part, then shrugged. ¡°I know how strong y¡¯re and how strong Geon-Woo is. Did ya think I won¡¯t be able to calcte that much?¡± ¡°Geez¡­ You should¡¯ve just told it to me straight¡­¡± ¡°But that¡¯s no fun¡­¡± The Thunder God had been nning to teach him other things once they were done with the stamina training. In other words, it didn¡¯t matter whether he won or lost. The Thunder God watched Jun-Ho¡¯s dejected expression for a while before saying, ¡°Son, do ya know what a simultaneous disy is?¡± ¡°Simultaneous disy?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. It was a term used in games such as Go and Chess, where a high-ranked yer yed against multiple less skilled yers simultaneously. ¡°From now on, y¡¯lle at me with yer full strength. Once Geon-Wooes, y¡¯ll fight me together.¡± ¡°...So we¡¯ll be fighting for real. Until when will we do this?¡± The Thunder God grinned at his question. ¡°Until the day ya go down the mountain.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a long time.¡± ¡°Long? A month will probably pass in the blink of an eye.¡± And the Thunder God was correct. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s nned training period of one month passed in no time at all. 1. ¡¯Full¡¯ as in its stomach is full. There is no hanja, so it could also be read as ¡®Full Glutton.¡¯ ? Chapter 263. Friend (1)

Chapter 263. Friend (1)

¡°...¡± The Thunder God looked straight at the man in front of him. Two months had passed. It was a long time for some, while it was short for others. ¡°Are ya goin¡¯ now?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes. I think I¡¯ve been away for too long,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Other yers were already active on the 3rd floor. If he didn¡¯t want to fall behind, he would have to start picking up his pace. ¡°Hm.¡± The Thunder God looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn¡¯t. ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°...Yes, sir. Please take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Ya rascal, it¡¯s ten years too early for ya to be worryin¡¯ about meh.¡± In thest several weeks that they had spent together, there had been some small changes among the three men. Firstly, Seo Jun-Ho had started to call the Thunder God ¡®sir¡¯. ¡°Be careful on your way down. And contact us if anything happens,¡± Baek Geon-Woo said. ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± Baek Geon-Woo had also started to speak casually to him. Seo Jun-Ho collected all his things and took a moment to look around the residence. It felt like he had only been here for a few days, but he knew that he had stayed here for quite a long time. ¡®That¡¯s probably because I was happy.¡¯ He had trained his body from the ground up after losing everything, and he fought from the moment he woke up to the moment he went to sleep. He didn¡¯t know about other people, but he had fit right in here. ¡°Then, I¡¯m leaving for real now.¡± ¡°...Will yae again if ya get bored?¡± ¡°Yes. Next time Ie here, I¡¯ll bring the alcohol that you like, sir. The expensive kind.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡± The Thunder God and Baek Geon-Woo watched as Seo Jun-Ho walked leisurely away until he became a dot and disappeared into the distance. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± The Thunder God let out a light sigh as Seo Jun-Ho disappeared out of sight. ¡°Why are you sighing? You said you do not like it because it¡¯s bad luck. Are you worried?¡± ¡°...Not at all.¡± The Thunder God gave a faint smile and turned around. ¡°I know that he¡¯ll do well, so why should I? Ya should be worryin¡¯ ¡®bout yerself.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± ¡°Today, we¡¯re gonna get right back into the focus trainin¡¯ that we haven¡¯t been able to do.¡± ¡°I will prepare myself.¡± Though Seo Jun-Ho was gone, their daily lives remained the same¡ªthe same as the sky. *** ¡°Dammit, why can¡¯t we win?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Isn¡¯t he a gunslinger?¡± ¡°And I have physical enhancement abilities, so why can¡¯t I beat him in closebat?¡± ¡°I call bullshit on it being a result of hard work. Isn¡¯t he just a genius?¡± Several people were sprawled out over the training room,ining to each other. ¡°Are you talking behind Gilbe¡¯s back right now?¡± ¡°Can this even be considered that?¡± ¡°Yeah, so what? How many months have we been training? We want to go up to the 3rd floor too, but he won¡¯t let us.¡± ¡°Then it must be your fault for not being trustworthy enough.¡± ¡°What did you say, you bastard?¡± Someone had been saying grating things from earlier. They all turned to the voice, annoyed. ¡°S-S-Spec¡­!¡± ¡°T-t-t¡­¡± ¡°My name isn¡¯t S-s-spec, it¡¯s Specter.¡± He was squatting, having approached them at some point. He stood slowly. ¡°I told you to train hard, but you¡¯re just insulting my friend behind his back.¡± ¡°N-no, Specter-nim. How is that talking behind his back?¡± ¡°We were just making some minor¡­ints about how we¡¯re not making enough progress as we¡¯d like.¡± ¡°To be honest, we¡¯re grateful for the mere fact that Gilberto-nim is training us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Actually, Arthur¡¯s the most frustrated.¡± ¡°...What? Hey. What are you talking about?¡± When faced with something fearsome, it was natural for a friend to be a sacrifice a mere minuteter. Arthur¡¯srades had betrayed and pushed him forward, right under Specter¡¯s nose. ¡°S-Specter-nim. It¡¯s not¡­¡± Arthur¡¯s face was full of fear. He was scared that they would receive that hellish training again. ¡°Well, I get it.¡± Unexpectedly, Specter started to nod slowly. ¡°I understand how you all feel.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes widened. He had expected the bomb to explode. ¡®This is weird. Uncle has never been the understanding type.¡¯ Though several months had passed, the Watchguards could still clearly remember the instructor from hell. So much terror¡­ So much fear¡­ So much pain! ¡°I¡¯m just saying that I think I understand your struggles because I just recently came back from training. Something like that,¡± Specter said. ¡°...You train too?¡± ¡°yers have to train until they retire if they don¡¯t want to fall behind,¡± he answered. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡± ¡°I will bear that in mind.¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t forget it, youzy heads.¡± Specter grinned and looked around. ¡°So, where¡¯s Gilbe?¡± ¡°Break time is almost over, so he should being back soon¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. ¡°Good timing,¡± Specter said to Gilberto. His friend stared in shock when he saw him. *** ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± Gilberto demanded. ¡°What about?¡± ¡°...I heard the rumors.¡± Many rumors had spread after Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s refusal of treatment and subsequent disappearance after his battle with Janabi. Some said that his injuries were light and that he went off to hunt, while others said that he had died. ¡°Do you know how worried I was?¡± ¡°Worried? About me? I¡¯ve told you multiple times in the past that it¡¯s a waste of energy to do that.¡± ¡°Still! You were injured so badly after killing Janabi, and they said it would take at least half a year for you to recover. And you disappeared after that, too. It¡¯s only natural¡ª¡± ¡°I went to train.¡± ¡°Train? Why would you train in that situation¡­¡± ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t just spend half a year recuperating,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, his face serious. ¡°I¡¯ll fill you in on the details once we meet up with Skaya.¡± ¡°...Alright.¡± Gilberto unconsciously ced a pipe between his teeth, then paused. ¡°I should quit smoking too.¡± The pipe broke in half in his hands. The smell of smoke could easily lead monsters and fiends to him, and Gilberto knew that this wasn¡¯t a game anymore. ¡°What are your ns now?¡± he asked Jun-Ho. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to Earth for now,¡± he answered. ¡°Earth?¡± ¡°I want to check out Janabi¡¯s corpse, and the fiends have been acting weird recently. And above all¡­¡± Their eyes met. Gilberto nodded wordlessly. He seemed a bit excited, which was uncharacteristic of him. ¡°We¡¯ll need Skaya.¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s the only one who knows where the Lair is.¡± The Lair where their two remainingrades were hidden. To get there, they would need their tomboyish Archmage. *** The Magic Tower had been founded hundreds of years ago in ckfield by the first Archmage. It was a society of mages that all mages in Frontier dreamed of joining. Alchemy, training, research, and discussion! The Magic Tower was a repository of knowledge that the mages had gathered over hundreds of years. It had ten floors in total. ¡°Sigh, I failed the 3rd-floor entrance exam again.¡± ¡°If you fail one more time, you need to go back to the 1st floor, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna work my butt off the next time I take it. The books on the 1st floor are barely any better than what you can find outside the tower¡­¡± The test of academics andbat! Only those who passed it could receive the right to reside on a higher floor. The Magic Tower was a meticulous, thorough meritocracy. ¡°Yaaaawn!¡± A girl let out a yawn. She had fallen asleep while reading a book and hadn¡¯t even turned the lights off. Her name was Skaya Killnd. She was a newbie among newbies, having entered the tower not even three months ago. However, there weren¡¯t many mages in the tower who could look down on her. ¡°Oh, I think I had a test at 7 PM today¡­¡± After all, she had broken the record for taking the shortest time to reach the 6th floor; she was a so-called ¡°genius mage.¡± Even the Master of the Magic Tower had given her high praise, saying that he had never seen such talent in thest ten years. The girl that everyone envied wiped the drool on her chin with the old book and stood up. ¡°Huh? I got a message?¡± She opened Community, and her eyes sparkled when she saw it. ¡°Oh my! Wow. Who¡¯s this?¡± It was a message from her friend who had gone off the grid for two months. She was so excited to hear from him that she wanted to hit his head right away. ¡°...I should give him a good smack.¡± After she was done packing her bags, she stepped out into the hallway, where another mage recognized her. ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Skaya. Are you going to take your exam?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not gonna take the exam.¡± ¡°...What? Why?¡± The mage was taken aback. She loved to have discussions about magic. The mage was under the impression that she would be able to easily pass the test. ¡°I have to go break my friend¡¯s ttukbaegi.¡±[1] ¡°Ttuk¡­ baegi?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll see youter. See ya.¡± ¡°W-wait! Miss Skaya! Please tell me what a ttukbaegi is!¡± After she left the Magic Tower, it was said that debates on the meaning of ¡°ttukbaegi¡± became popr for a while. *** ¡°Yo, you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Ttukbaegi!¡± As soon as she saw Seo Jun-Ho, she immediately cast a spell. In the past, he would have been barely able to block it with Watchguard of Darkness. ¡®Freeze.¡¯ When Skaya saw that therge hammer had stopped before it hit Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skull, she frowned in disapproval. ¡°Hey, even at my level, my skull would actually break if you hit me with that,¡± he said. ¡°I was nning to break it for real. Because you¡¯re mean.¡± ¡°...Jesus.¡± A shiver went down his spine. Seo Jun-Ho carefully grabbed the handle of the hammer and threw it far, far, away. Skaya squinted. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a few months, but you¡¯ve picked up another weird skill. What was that?¡± ¡°The power to freeze.¡± ¡°Damn you, you spoiled elemental!¡± Even though Gilberto was watching the situation unfold in silence, he had the same thought. Darkness¡¯s ability to break through defenses was ridiculous enough, but Seo Jun-Ho had gained yet another ability. ¡°Let¡¯s talk on the way,¡± Jun-Ho said. ¡°What about your head?¡± ¡°...Can¡¯t you just let me go?¡± ¡°Only if you promise to stay in touch with us from now on.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°Alright. Now hand over the Frost Queen as an apology.¡± ¡°Here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho handed her over without hesitation. He was only able tomit such an atrocious act because she was still sleeping. It was the first time she had slept for over a month. ¡°Nn¡­nn!¡± Even while sleeping, the Frost Queen¡¯s face scrunched as if she was having a nightmare when Skaya hugged her. ¡°Geez, why are you so cute¡­ Look how squishy your cheeks are. But it seems like she isn¡¯t running away today.¡± ¡°She must be hibernating or something,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°I see¡­ Then that means that if I can get her to sleep like this, I can carry her around whenever I want¡­¡± Skaya muttered to herself. Jun-Ho ignored her and took the lead. He was headed toward the Dimensional Elevator. Their destination was Earth. ¡°Hey, Jun-Ho. Where did you train? It seems like you¡¯ve aplished a lot,¡± Gilberto said. ¡°I trained in the highest summit of the Wailing Mountains with the Thunder God.¡± ¡°...Makes sense.¡± Gilberto understood immediately. After all, the Thunder God was considered the strongest yer alive. ¡°Is he strong?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said firmly. ¡°To be honest¡­I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to win against him even if I used Watchguard of Darkness.¡± ¡°What a monster.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s been 25¡­No, it¡¯s been 26 years.¡± Once the three of them arrived on Earth, Skaya¡¯s magic was reced by the president of the Korean yer Association. ¡°Hey, you bastard! Let me break your head in! Just once, please!¡± ¡°...Ugh, I¡¯m getting goosebumps.¡± So that was why people say birds of a feather flock together. It took 30 minutes to simply calm Shim Deok-Gu down after he ran around waving a frying pan, saying he would break Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. ¡°Hoo, hoo.¡± It took a long time for Shim Deok-Gu to catch his breath. After that, he led the three others to a familiar ce. ¡°This is¡­¡± It was the Seoul History Museum. The 5 Heroes had been asleep here merely two years ago. ¡°Janabi¡¯s corpse is being preserved here,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. As he opened the door and stepped into a familiar walk-in freezer, Seo Jun-Ho scowled. Even though it was his first time seeing Janabi in two months, it still felt unpleasant. 1. This is a traditional Korean earthenware pot. It¡¯s a euphemism for head/skull. ? Chapter 264. Friend (2)

Chapter 264. Friend (2)

¡°Is this the guy? The 2nd Floor¡¯s Floor Master?¡± ¡°A humanoid insect¡­The appearance is a little off-putting.¡± Skaya and Gilberto each expressed their thoughts. Shim Deok-Gu had already seen Janabi before, and he spoke, ¡°The hide is tougher than any monster. You should be able to use it to make some gear.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really need equipment,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°What? Then why did you bothering here?¡± ¡°To use Confession of the Dead.¡± ¡°Oh, right. You have that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ced his hand on Janabi¡¯s head, which was covered with frost. [Confession of the Dead has been activated.] [Janabi¡¯s memories are being reyed.] ¡°...?!¡± When the desired video appeared, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face was shocked. ¡®What¡­is this?¡¯ He trembled, eyes transfixed on the long, hard-to-pronounce number in front of him. [00:00:00/36,389,041:00:18] ¡°Thirty-six million three hundred eighty-nine thousand forty-one hours and eighteen seconds¡­?¡± He turned to Skaya. She realized why he was looking at her and responded. ¡°4,154 years.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s insane.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you guys speak in a way that other people can understand?¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. He looked frustrated, unable to follow the flow of their conversation. At that, Seo Jun-Ho tapped the video with his finger. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it, but this little hologram window has 4,154 years¡¯ worth of video content in it.¡± ¡°...What? 4,154 years?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it ridiculous? I feel the same way.¡± As Seo Jun-Ho looked at the video again, the look in his eyes deepened. ¡®As far as I know, Janabi¡¯s only a few weeks old at most.¡¯ He had risen to the rank of king after killing the queen. However, he had thousands of years'' worth of memories¡­ It was clearly a mistake. ¡®...No, wait.¡¯ The gears quickly started to turn in his head. If the ¡®evolution¡¯ he had demonstrated during the battle was rted to his skill, it made sense. ¡°Did he eat the queen¡¯s brain¡­?¡± Of course, there was no point in making hypotheses. What mattered were the results, not the process. At that, Seo Jun-Ho let out a sigh of relief. ¡®That means I really almost died.¡¯ Janabi probably wasn''t able to absorb all the memories. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have acted so naively during the battle. ¡®I suppose not even Janabi could easily amodate all these memories.¡¯ So, he ended up sealing the memories deep within his consciousness. For now, that was what Seo Jun-Ho could deduce. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this, but¡­¡± If he just looked at the results, it wasn¡¯t bad. Actually, this was better. ¡®It¡¯s like I¡¯ve opened Pandora¡¯s box.¡¯ He stared at the video for a second and then turned to the other three. ¡°Are you all ready to watch?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± No one spoke. They had probably realized what it meant to watch this video. ¡°Sigh, what else can we do? Let¡¯s watch it.¡± Shim Deok-Gu was the first to answer, and his face seemed determined as he spoke. This video would show how Janabi¡¯s ancestors hade to migrate to Frontier. It might even contain clues on why Earth had be like this. ¡°I¡¯m ying it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s waiting finger clicked on the y button. *** [32,727,260:00:44/36,389,041:00:18] Bzzz, bzzzzz! The worker bees Seo Jun-Ho had seen in ckfield were working hard, flying around the flower field. They were gathering honey to offer to the queen. [...] The queen was sitting in the highest area, watching over as her people worked. [Krr? Krrrk!] Just then, a worker bee hefting a sack of honey pointed up to the sky. The queen unwittingly turned her head, and she went stiff, like a toy that had run out of battery. A giant red meteor¡­ No, a wall was falling toward them. [K-Krree!] Everyone, run! At the queen¡¯s order, the worker bees scattered in all different directions. The wasps, who hadbat abilities, struck the ¡®wall¡¯ with their stingers, trying to protect her. And then, the courageous wasps were burnt to death¡ªnot even their ashes remained. The worker bees running away met a simr end. And thus, the nameless met its futile end. Beep¡ª The video yed a long beeping noise and changed to a ck screen. ¡®Did the queen die?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho quickly fast-forwarded the video. [Kree?] When the queen opened her eyes again, she was in an unfamiliar ce resembling aboratory. Beyond the ss wall, two men were watching her while conversing. [They¡¯re an extinct protected species?] [Why else would they order us to restore it?] [That¡¯s true¡­ Let¡¯s just put it in a Gate and go home.] The screen went ck again. Once the queen pulled herself together, the first thing she did was hunt. After entering the Gate, she ate,id eggs, and repeated this over and over again. ¡®I see.¡¯ Like this, she created a family again. Later, the Gate opened, and the queen led her bees in search of and with an abundance of food. It was where the Magic Tower was being built. ¡®So this is what happened.¡¯ The bees hadn¡¯t had enough food to eat in the Gate, so they started to viciously devour the mages and workers building the Magic Tower. ¡®And the Archmage gave up the tower and sealed them in ckfield.¡¯ This happened 312 years ago. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Even after the video ended, the four people didn¡¯t speak. The contents had given them much to think about. The first to speak was Seo Jun-Ho, ¡°There isn¡¯t too much we can use here. Their case was too unique.¡± ¡°Yeah. They revived her because they were an extinct protected species and put her in a Gate. That seemed like a special case to me,¡± Gilberto agreed. ¡°That¡¯s definitely the case. The Gates we have cleared kept sending out goblins and orcs until we got tired of them,¡± Skaya said. Still, it wasn¡¯t as if they hadn¡¯t learned anything. ¡°We still got two pieces of information.¡± ¡°The first is that Gates with extinct protected species are from differents.¡± ¡°And I suppose the second is that the ones who manage it look like humans.¡± Yes, humans. The two men who watched the queen from beyond the ss wall definitely looked human. ¡°Just who are they?¡± ¡°No idea. I guess they¡¯re gods or something. We can¡¯t even begin to guess what kind of technology they have,¡± Skaya said. They had revived a dead organism and created a Gate in a different dimension. Even if the world ended and their own was remade, this was impossible with earthly means. ¡°...Hm.¡± Shim Deok-Gu had been quiet the whole time, but he finally spoke, ¡°For now, let¡¯s keep what we saw today a secret. Don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± ¡°That would be good,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. They didn¡¯t have any concrete information to go around telling others. Even if they did, it would only giveizens a good topic to gossip about. ¡°...Let¡¯s go back for now.¡± The four people returned to the yer¡¯s Association. *** Skaya and Gilberto each disappeared to their assigned rooms. However, instead of going to his home in the building, Seo Jun-Ho went to the executive office instead. ¡°You¡¯re here. Sit.¡± Shim Deok-Gu had seemed like he wanted to speak to him before they parted ways, and Seo Jun-Ho understood why he had called him over. ¡°The reason I called you over separately¡­¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s because of the fiends, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Your head¡­ Huh?¡± Deok-Gu looked confused for a second, but he quickly nodded. ¡°My head?¡± ¡°Oh, uh¡­ Yeah! I think there are a lot of people who are after your head.¡± Shim Deok-Gu tapped on his Vita and pulled up a hologram photo. It showed a barrennd with nothing in it. ¡°You¡¯ve heard of Ound before, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s thend where the empire¡¯s power doesn¡¯t reach.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s and with nows and no masters.¡± Shim Deok-Gu swiped to the next photo. It disyed a long line of people. ¡°...What kind of crazy bastards are moving to Ound?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°They¡¯re not moving, but they¡¯re crazy, alright.¡± He zoomed in on the picture, and Seo Jun-Ho squinted. ¡°...Wait, they¡¯re not people?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the so-called undead.¡± The entire line was made up of corpses. Seo Jun-Ho looked at him, waiting for an exnation. ¡°Jun-Ho.¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s voice became somber. ¡°Nazad Hallow has started to make a move.¡± ¡°...¡± The third Heaven Nazad Hallow was a necromancer known as the King of Corpses. ¡°I thought that I should let you know. This is the first time he¡¯s been spotted in several months,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. ¡°...Yeah, I suppose we do have a history.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had killed Nazad¡¯s student Arma in Las Vegas. Moreover, the Aura Buff Ring that Nazad had gifted to his student was currently sitting on his own finger. ¡°You said that Kal Signer had received orders from Nazad Hallow to bring you in.¡± ¡°He must hate me a lot. I wish he liked me more. Hmph.¡± ¡°...Tch.¡± Shim Deok-Gu made a disgusted face and swiped to the next picture. ¡°He¡¯s not the only one.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°On both Earth and Frontier, the fiends have started to hide their movements.¡± ¡°...Impossible. They can do that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face became as serious as Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. They¡¯ve been doing something they¡¯re not supposed to be able to do,¡± he said. ¡°But who would order¡­ Oh.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally realized why Shim Deok-Gu was telling him to be careful. ¡°It¡¯s the Heavenly Demon.¡± ¡°...The six years he promised had passed a few months ago,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. ¡°I think thest time he was seen was about a year ago.¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t been spotted since then, so he must be training.¡± After staying quiet for so long, the fact that the Heavenly Demon had started to move meant that his preparations were finished. ¡°What kind ofrge-scale disaster is he nning?¡± Seo Jun-Ho wondered. ¡°We don¡¯t know, but either way, it won¡¯t be good for us,¡± Deok-Gu said. ¡°Yeah, those bastards have never been good for anything.¡± Shim Deok-Gu considered something before he spoke carefully. ¡°About that. I think it would be best to wake the other two as fast as possible.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to. That¡¯s actually why I came down here,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said casually. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be possible to wake both of them at the same time.¡± ¡°Huh? Was training under the Thunder God still not enough?¡± ¡°Personally, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get the stat penalty anymore from melting the ice.¡± His understanding of the Frost skill had improved so much that it was iparable to when he had freed Gilberto. ¡°But whenever I remove a seal, there¡¯s a cooldown time of 90 days before I can use it again.¡± When he freed Skaya and Gilberto, the stat penalty had decreased, but the 90-day limit remained. ¡°90 days¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu fell deep into thought. He seemed to be thinking about who would be the better option if they could only free one Hero. ¡°Why are you thinking about that? I¡¯ve already decided,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Really? Who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho gestured to Shim Deok-Gu toe closer, and he whispered in thetter¡¯s ear. ¡°...Whoever I want.¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± Shim Deok-Gu angrily brushed off his ear, and Seo Jun-Ho stood up,ughing. ¡°The others should have gotten enough rest by now, so I¡¯ll have to head to Skaya¡¯s Lair soon enough.¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± As Seo Jun-Ho was about to leave to go to the bathroom, Shim Deok-Gu called out to him urgently. ¡°What is it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said with a mischievous smirk. He deliberately tucked his hair behind his ear as well. Shim Deok-Gu was trembling furiously, and he was blushing red all the way down to his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut. ¡°How¡­ Did you¡­ Grow¡­ Your hair¡­ Out.¡± ¡°Oh right, our little Deok-Gu is bald, right?¡± ¡°Hey! Either tell me straight or just leave!¡± ¡°Your hyungnim will tell you,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said as if he were doing him a favor. ¡°Body transformation.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°If you go through a body transformation, you¡¯ll also have luscious locks.¡± Shim Deok-Gu blinked dumbly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the thing we read in murim novels back when we were kids¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s different from what I expected.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I was also the first one to do it.¡± After giving him those tips, Seo Jun-Ho left the room while gripping his stomach inughter. ¡°...¡± Left alone in the room, Shim Deok-Gu slowly closed his eyes. Today, the wig on his head felt heavier than usual. Chapter 265. Friend (3)

Chapter 265. Friend (3)

¡°...Knowing you, I¡¯m not gonna tell you to clean up,¡± Gilberto said as he looked around Skaya¡¯s Lair. ¡°But you should at least live like a human.¡± ¡°This is my house. And this isfortable for me. I suppose you could say it makes me feel rxed.¡± ¡°How strange. It only makes me ufortable.¡± ¡°Ugh, then just leave!¡± Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue and shook his head as he watched the two argue again. ¡°Stop fighting over nothing¡­Both of you,e here.¡± At his beckoning, they stopped bickering and slowly approached him. Standing in front of the two ice statues, they were lost in their memories. Seo Jun-Ho felt especially emotional. ¡®...I¡¯m almost there.¡¯ If he closed his eyes, he could picture the day he had poured alcohol for the four statues like it was yesterday. That was the day he had sworn to be a yer again to save them. ¡®Up until now, I freed exactly half.¡¯ He had freed two out of his fourrades. And today, he would be one step closer to his goal. ¡°Jun-Ho, who will you wake up?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho was silent for a while as he examined the two ice statues. Rahmadat Khali and Tenmei Mio. He took in his two sleeping friends and gave a small nod. He had already decided in his heart. ¡°Mio.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at her for a moment before he continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please wait a little longer.¡± When he turned toward Rahmadat, Skaya looked surprised. ¡°Now that the 3rd floor has opened¡­ Is there any particr reason you¡¯re choosing Rahmadat?¡± she asked. ¡°Of course.¡± He looked at Rahmadat as he spoke, ¡°Skaya. Whates to mind when you think about him?¡± ¡°He looks stupid.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s too subjective.¡± Rahmadat was far better than the credit she had given him. He was a good man, and he was very muscr. If he truly looked stupid, he wouldn¡¯t have been so popr. ¡°Here¡¯s another question. What do you think when you look at Mio?¡± ¡°...Oh.¡± Skaya understood the meaning of his question and nodded. At the same time, Gilberto also had an amused expression on his face. ¡°How did you¡­ I see. Is it because of his skill?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked back and forth between each statue. Mio was in a simr state to the two who had been freed before her. Her body looked fragile, as her muscles had atrophied after going so long without any nutrients. But Rahmadat was different¡­ ¡®His muscles definitely shrank.¡¯ But he had Super Regeneration(S). Even though his body was frozen, his skill was still active. So even though he was trapped in the ice, he still had his giant muscles. ¡°Thus, we can use Rahmadat in battle right away.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Gilberto said. ¡°Yeah, considering how suspicious the fiends have beentely¡­¡± It would be more efficient to free Rahmadat instead of Mio. The two of them nodded in understanding. ¡°Not only that, but this guy¡¯s a tanker.¡± When yers created a party, the first member they would look for wasn¡¯t a skilled warrior, archer, or priest. ¡®They look for tankers.¡¯ Getting a tanker was the top priority, as tankers could block the enemy attacks like a wall. And among the tankers Seo Jun-Ho knew, Rahmadat had been the best tanker in the world. ¡°We don¡¯t need to worry about him dying,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He was a beast that would only die if his heart or brain was inflicted enough damage. Such was Rahmadat Khali¡­ ¡°So, Rahmadat, I choose you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tapped on Rahmadat¡¯s ice statue. [Effect of the skill ¡®Frost (EX)¡¯ has been checked.] [The ice seal can be removed with Frost (EX).] [Your base magic stat is high enough to remove the ice seal.] [Upon removal, you will be unable to remove another ice seal for another 90 days.] [Are you sure you wish to remove the ice seal?] ¡®I knew it.¡¯ A million thoughts filled Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind, but the first thing he felt was pride. ¡®I don¡¯t get a penalty for removing the ice seal anymore.¡¯ When he awakened the two people behind him, he had lost 70 and 30 magic stat points, respectively. Of course, he had never told them about those, as he knew that they would only end up feeling apologetic to him. ¡°Why are you staring like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. When this guy wakes up, just make sure to treat him like usual,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°...Like usual?¡± Gilberto asked. ¡°I¡¯m confident I can do that. Very confident, in fact. Leave it to me,¡± Skaya said. Seeing their strange confidence made Seo Jun-Ho hesitate. He added, ¡°No, I¡¯m not telling you to bully him like usual.¡± ¡°Jun-Ho, what do you take us for?¡± Gilberto protested. ¡°...¡± Seeing how Skaya had grown quiet, it became obvious she was nning to do just that. ¡°Open.¡± When the ice statue received the order, there was a loud cracking sound as arge crack appeared. ¡®Based on what I¡¯ve experienced so far¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho knelt to one knee and lowered his stance. Because Rahmadat would fall forward any time now¡­ ¡°Raaaa!¡± Crash! As the ice statue exploded, the giant let out a loud yell. ¡°Frost Queen! Did you really think you could stop me with only this much ice?! Ahahaha!¡± He puffed out his chest and let out a roaringugh before suddenly looking down. He frowned when he saw Seo Jun-Ho holding his hands out as if trying to catch something. ¡°Huh? What are you doing, Jun-Ho? Why are you holding that stupid pose?¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya approached him from behind. ¡°Hey. Since he looks pretty good, I can bully him like usual, right?¡± she asked carefully. ¡°...¡± Jun-Ho looked at her as though she was pathetic, and she stepped back after saying, ¡°Okay~ sorry¡±. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Of course, Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t expected to have an emotional reunion with the likes of Rahmadat. On the other hand, he hadn¡¯t expected their reunion to go like this either. ¡®Yeah, it¡¯s my fault for expecting something from him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly. Once again, he got the sense that he was the only sane one in this party. ¡°Hm?¡± Rahmadat looked around and blinked. ¡°How strange. This does not seem like the Nest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This is my Lair,¡± Skaya said. ¡°Makes sense. That¡¯s why it¡¯s so messy.¡± Rahmadat turned. ¡°But why are we in Skaya¡¯s Lair and not the Nest?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho swallowed. If he was being honest, he was more nervous about moments like this than he was about waking his friends up. ¡°Rahmadat. Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, and just listen to me.¡± ¡°Sure! I don¡¯t really know what you¡¯re talking about, but say whatever you need to. And stop standing around like constipated puppies.¡± ¡°...A lot of time has passed.¡± ¡°Time?¡± Rahmadat rubbed his chiseled jaw. ¡°Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t know how long I was trapped in the ice¡­ Has it been a few days? A week? A month?¡± ¡°No.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head, looking grave. ¡°It¡¯s been 26 years. 26 years since the day we cleared the Nest.¡± ¡°Pffft, you¡¯ve gotten better at making jokes¡­¡± Rahmadat thought it was a prank at first, but his face fell when he saw Gilberto¡¯s serious face. He knew that Gilberto was too uptight to make those kinds of jokes. ¡°...Mm.¡± Bam! When Rahmadat sat his 2.12m body down, the Lair shook. He crossed his legs and puffed out his chest, closing his eyes. ¡°26 years, you say¡­¡± He was lost in his own thoughts for about ten minutes before he slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Let me ask you something. Was the world destroyed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the opposite. I killed the Frost Queen, and the world has be peaceful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really good.¡± Rahmadat smiled brightly and started to ask all sorts of questions, and the three of them patiently answered each one. ¡°Ahahaha!¡± Rahmadatughed as he pped his knee with his thick hand. ¡°The world¡¯s be fun! To think that there¡¯s another floor. And the Frost Queen became your Spirit? Bahahaha!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn''t buy Rahmadat¡¯sughter. Whenever he was faking it, he had a habit of looking up. ¡°Take this.¡± He handed a small post-it to Rahmadat. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this? An address? ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Joya¡¯s current address. I thought that you should meet her at least once.¡± Joya Vishuta was the name of Rahmadat¡¯s lover 26 years ago. ¡°...¡± He was silent as he reached for the post-it. His hand suddenly stopped in mid-air, and it started to shake uncharacteristically. A variety of emotions filled him as he trembled. Guilt. Regret. And fear. ¡°...Yeah, I was gonna ask you for it anyways. Thanks.¡± Rahmadat took the piece of paper as the air around them became awkward. He stood. ¡°For now¡­¡± He looked at hisrades looking up at him with a cheerful face. ¡°Let¡¯s get some food.¡± *** The hotel restaurant was in a skyscraper looking down the nightscape of Seoul. Rahmadat stuffed his mouth with a medium rare steak as he spoke, ¡°I bet I¡¯ll be busy for a while trying to recover my muscles and catch up on EXP and levels from thest 26 years.¡± ¡°...You just woke up, and you¡¯re already thinking about that?¡± ¡°Hehe, they call me the reincarnation of Shiva. I have to be stronger than everyone else.¡± He gave a spirited reply before remembering to thank Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°And I know this iste, but thanks for getting me out. Though, of course, I don¡¯t like that you took out the nerdy mage and the scrawny gunslinger before me.¡± ¡°...What? Nerdy?¡± ¡°Hey, even I will get offended if you call me scrawny.¡± As Skaya and Gilberto fumed, Rahmadat spoke as he hit his chest, ¡°If you haveints, let¡¯s have a battle of strength like real men!¡± ¡°...You¡¯re saying you¡¯ll fight with your body in that state? Just eat your steak and your ego while you¡¯re at it,¡± Gilberto said.[1] ¡°Yeah. And I¡¯m a mage, you know? I¡¯m not even a man either,¡± Skayained. ¡°Well, you¡¯re more ill-tempered than most men, and you don¡¯t even clean¡ª¡± Gilberto pointed out. ¡°Hold up, Mr. Married Man. Why are you attacking me all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really attacking you. I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡± It was noisy. The number of speakers had only increased from two to three, but it had be louder than a busy market. ¡°...¡± Moreover, Seo Jun-Ho hated noise. It was part of the reason why he had always worked alone. But, how should he say this? ¡®...It feels like home.¡¯ He snorted. Not even he understood why. He had never thought that a day woulde when he would find their quarreling endearing. ¡®Just one more.¡¯ He fixed his eyes on the empty seat at the round table. Once Mio was awake and sitting there, then the picture he wanted would beplete. ¡°Huh?¡± When he looked up, all three of them were staring straight at him. ¡°What. What is it?¡± ¡°I was just wondering why you wereughing, Jun-Ho,¡± said Skaya. ¡°Were you thinking of a funny story? I want to hear it, then,¡± said Rahmadat. ¡°Happiness grows when it is shared,¡± said Gilberto. ¡®...How should I put this.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m so happy that you guys are back that I didn¡¯t even realize I was smiling.¡¯ It was too embarrassing to say. And considering these guys¡¯ personalities, he knew he would be teased about it for years. ¡°It¡¯s something private. Mind your business,¡± he said. ¡°Hm, then it can¡¯t be helped! That was a good meal.¡± Rahmadat stood up. He had eaten over 20 steaks by himself. ¡°Oh right, Nerd. Lemme ask you a favor.¡± ¡°...What¡¯s the asion? You, asking a favor?¡± Skaya said, sounding surprised. Rahmadat scratched the back of his head. He held out a hand, holding a certain post-it. ¡°Take me here. Oh, I should change before I go.¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Oh, sure.¡± Skaya quickly caught on and nodded. She stood up and addressed Seo Jun-Ho and Gilberto, ¡°Then, I¡¯m gonna go with this meatbag¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. Take your time, and be careful on your way back.¡± Skaya and Rahmadat waved, and they disappeared as they teleported away. Gilberto looked down at the Seoul nightscape. He took a sip of beer as he spoke, ¡°She¡¯s married, right?¡± ¡°Her kid is entering college this year.¡± Everyone wanted to be a hero. However, those in that position had to give up on the joys of life. ¡°...A lot of time has passed.¡± ¡°I see.¡± If there was one thing that could be guaranteed with the passage of time, it was that some things would fade away. Neither of the two men said anything as they emptied their cups of booze. 1. He¡¯s basically telling Rahmadat not to get too arrogant, but the phrasing used can also mean ¡°eat¡±. ? Chapter 266. To Break A Hero (1)

Chapter 266. To Break A Hero (1)

¡°What?¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face fell. He was holding arge bottle of champagne and was even wearing a cone party hat in preparation for the congrattions party for Rahmadat¡¯s return. ¡°I see¡­So, he¡¯s noting here right away¡­¡± He took off the hat. ¡°Yeah, I get why he wouldn¡¯t want to hang out with a bald old man.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the reason¡ªprobably,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He shrugged and sat down on the sofa, eating the crackers that Shim Deok-Gu had prepared. ¡°And why are you throwing a party all of a sudden? You should¡¯ve thrown one for Skaya. She would¡¯ve liked it.¡± ¡°A-ahem.¡± Shim Deok-Gu quietly looked away, making an excuse. ¡°It¡¯s just that Rahmadat is the type that likes to eat and drink, so I was gonna throw one for him.¡± ¡°Yeah, he still eats as much as always. That¡¯s why I told you to join us for dinner.¡± ¡°It was a time for you guys to catch up asrades for the first time in a while. Why would I go? I was just being tactful.¡± ¡°...You rascal.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. Even though Shim Deok-Gu didn¡¯t think of himself as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯srade, Seo Jun-Ho still saw him as one. ¡®It would¡¯ve been fine if he came.¡¯ Actually, Shim Deok-Gu was quite close to the 5 Heroes, close enough to be considered a friend. After all, he was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s best friend and Skaya¡¯s former lover. ¡°Well, since things turned out like this, let¡¯s talk business.¡± ¡°...I just got back. Can¡¯t I rest for a bit?¡± Seo Jun-Hoined. ¡°No,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said firmly, like a strict teacher. ¡°I have some important news. It¡¯s hot off the press from the 3rd floor.¡± ¡°...The 3rd floor?¡± Seo Jun-Ho immediately sat up after lying down like a dried fish. ¡°Wow, you guys are in contact with the 3rd Floor?¡± ¡°There are quite a few Association employees who went up there, and more importantly, we¡¯ve been maintaining contact with the Big 6.¡± ¡°Wow~ Our Deok-Gu¡¯s so cool. So what is it? Is it good news?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked quietly with interest. ¡°There¡¯s good news and something that you¡¯ll find fun.¡± ¡°So that means there¡¯s no bad news.¡± ¡°Thankfully. What do you want to hear first?¡± Deok-Gu asked. Jun-Ho considered this for a second before he spoke, ¡°The good news.¡± ¡°I knew you would. The good news is that they¡¯ve already discovered the Floor Master of the 3rd floor.¡± ¡°Already?! I mean, how long have they even been up there?¡± As Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes went wide. Shim Deok-Gu opened a hologram window in the air. It disyed a graph analyzing the power of the monsters on the 3rd floor inparison to yers. ¡°...It¡¯s not even close.¡± ¡°We have been tied up on the 2nd floor for too long. The Nine Heavens and the High Rankers have enthusiastically been grinding on the 3rd floor nonstop.¡± ¡°I mean, I heard the rumors, but¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t expected them to discover the Floor Master already. If that was the case, the next step was obvious. ¡°So, have they decided which Guild would kill it yet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the fun part.¡± Shim Deok-Gu had a mischievous expression on his face. ¡°Hey, Jun-Ho. Who do you think would get to kill the Floor Master?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. If whoever discovered it first wanted to sell the information, they would hold a public auction for it. Or, they might hold duels to decide who gets to join the campaign.¡± ¡°Usually, that¡¯s what would happen. But it¡¯s different this time.¡± ¡°...It sounds like the 3rd floor is a real mess right now.¡± ¡°Well, that depends on who you ask¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu nced down at his watch. [PM 11:59] ¡°It¡¯s almost time,¡± he said. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be faster to show you rather than to exin.¡± Just as he finished speaking, both Seo Jun-Ho and Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s Vitas started to go off, beeping loudly. ¡°I think the articles are out. Take a look.¡± ¡°Articles¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly opened up the Inte. His eyes narrowed. As Shim Deok-Gu had said, there were dozens of articles, and they werebeled ¡®breaking news.¡¯ [Breaking news! Big 6 begins individual campaigns to defeat the 3rd floor Floor Master.] [Will this be the fastest a Floor has ever been cleared?] [yer Association Presidents from multiple countries criticize the current situation. ¡°The Big 6 should not act like this when they are supposed to be role models¡±] [The treasure in front of you makes you blind.[1] The Big 6 finally shows their greed after 26 years.] ¡­ Seo Jun-Ho yed the short video attached to the article. It showed a turtle as big as an ind, and the volcano on its shell hadva leaking out of it. The ones fighting it were the Big 6¡¯s elite yers. They were getting in each other¡¯s ways, each trying to hunt the Floor Master down for themselves. It was total chaos. ¡®...There are Heavens there too?¡¯ In that case, the articles must be telling the truth. Seo Jun-Ho was furious. ¡°Those crazy bastards!¡± ¡°It makes no sense, right?¡± ¡°Forget that; what the hell are they even doing?!¡± ¡°...That¡¯s why I need you to do something.¡± Shim Deok-Gu gestured for Seo Jun-Ho toe closer, and he whispered in thetter¡¯s ear. *** ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon was standing on an unnamed cliff, leisurely watching the Community window. He spoke, ¡°Shadow.¡± ¡°Yes, Chairman.¡± ¡°What do you think defines humans?¡± ¡°...¡± It was a hard question. Shadow wasn¡¯t sure whether he should say his honest opinion or he should say what the Heavenly Demon wanted to hear. ¡°Speak freely,¡± the Heavenly Demon reassured. Only then did Shadow speak, ¡°I believe that it is adaptability.¡± ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°There are no other organisms that can assimte as well as humans. Based on the environment, they can be a demon or an angel. I believe that is the nature of humans.¡± ¡°An interesting thought.¡± The Heavenly Demon nodded. ¡°I think that humans are defined by their innocence.¡± ¡°...Innocence, you say.¡± Shadow was a little surprised. He had expected the Heavenly Demon he knew to answer with something like ¡°violence¡± or ¡°destruction.¡± ¡°After all, naive greed[2] can make one fall deep into the depths of darkness.¡± ¡°Do you speak of the innocence of a child?¡± Shadow asked. ¡°It is a little different, but it will take too long to answer, so I shall leave it at that.¡± The Heavenly Demon closed the article he had been reading. ording to what it said, the Big 6 were blinded by greed and were carrying out individual campaigns against the Floor Master. ¡°This naive kind of greed makes people lose their reason,¡± he concluded. ¡°Even so, the members of the Big 6 are not an unreasonable lot,¡± Shadow said. The article was clearly strange. No matter how he tried to wrap his head around it, he couldn¡¯t see the Big 6 being so ipetent. ¡®If they truly have fallen to the level of beasts¡­¡¯ Shadow slumped. Had the Fiend Association been preparing all this time for the likes of them? He had lost sleep gathering forces and nning missions, but it felt like it had all been in vain. ¡°Does it feel like a waste?¡± The Heavenly Demon saw right through his emotions. ¡°N-no.¡± ¡°I told you to speak freely.¡± ¡°...Truthfully, I am a little¡ªno, I am very disappointed.¡± It would make more sense to rejoice if your enemy was weak. However, Shadow had spent more than ten years tenaciously nning against them, and he felt like it had all been for nothing. He was disappointed that his efforts had gone to waste. ¡°6 years ago, I went to the capital with Valencia,¡± the Heavenly Demon said. ¡°Oh!¡± Shadow eximed. This was a story that had been passed down as a legend in the Fiend Association. The two of them hade back unscathed after defeating the imperial soldiers, three Heavens, and members of the Big 6. ¡°I was disappointed. The yers who had once annihted the fiends were merely at that level.¡± ¡°You are simply too powerful, Chairman.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± He nodded. ¡°It was because I was too powerful. So on that day, I decided to change my methods.¡± ¡°...?¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s original goal had been to be powerful enough so that no one else could ever beat him. That had once been his ideals. ¡°That day, I showed off my great power. But I realized something when I saw the futile anger in their eyes.¡± It wasn¡¯t enough. It was too easy to make someone kneel through force. So, he needed more...[3] ¡°Let us depart.¡± At his order, Shadow gestured with his hand. At that, the tens of thousands of fiends on standby below the cliff started to move. [So neither the yer Association nor I, Specter, will let the Big 6 get away with¡­] The Heavenly Demon closed the Community window. It had been showing the emergency press conference Specter held in regard to the Big 6¡¯s selfish actions. ¡°...Do not disappoint me,¡± he muttered. He turned around and started to walk in the same direction as the fiends. They were headed toward the Starting City Gilleon. The Fiend Association would capture it today. *** ¡°Hm.¡± Rahmadat fixed his eyes on the giant pir at the end of the horizon. ¡°Is that the Dimensional Elevator?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s huge, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°If we can see it so clearly all the way here¡­ Yeah, it definitely is.¡± His heart pounded. He wanted to hurry up and go to the 2nd floor to pummel fiends and new monsters. He felt a strange sort of anticipation as he straightened his clothes. ¡°Do I look okay?¡± he asked. ¡°...Better than usual,¡± Skaya said. ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s good enough.¡± Rahmadat was wearing a suit, and he and Skaya were in an area near the Pacific. This ce was called Nest,[4] also called the yer Cadet Academy. It was a ce that cultivated young yers, those who had awakened their skills at a young age, and those trying to be one. ¡®Your dream came true, Joya.¡¯ Rahmadat¡¯s lover, Joya Vishuta, was also a yer. More precisely, she was a healer. He smiled when he recalled that her dream had been to be a school nurse. ¡°Where¡¯s the infirmary?¡± he asked. ¡°This way.¡± Skaya led the way using the school¡¯s map. They walked for about ten minutes before they came to face a building. ¡°Is it this one?¡± ¡°Yup. But Rahmadat¡­¡± Skaya started carefully. But before she could finish, a beautiful woman opened the door and stepped out of the infirmary. She stretched under the tropical sun. ¡°Joya¡­¡± Rahmadat whispered. The woman he knew hadn¡¯t aged a day, and she looked exactly the same as she had in the past. ¡°Wait!¡± Skaya stopped him before he could step forward. ¡°...That¡¯s not Joya.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Joya¡¯s right¡­¡± The words died in his throat. Behind her, adylike woman stepped out of the infirmary, smiling as she spoke. ¡°I won¡¯t get to see you much once you¡¯re off to college.¡± ¡°Come on, Mom. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to the Frontier. It¡¯s just in Europe.¡± ¡°...Make sure not to skip any meals.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only be able to do that if you give me more allowance¡­ Hehe.¡± The two of them linked arms and slowly walked away. ¡°...This is what it means for time to pass.¡± ¡°...¡± Their today was other people¡¯s tomorrow. Rahmadat looked like he wanted to run after her, but he let out a long sigh. Joya looked happy. If they met, Rahmadat knew that she would probably start crying and bask in his happiness like it was her own. ¡°...Well, there¡¯s no point in doing that. It looks like she got married and has a happy life, so it¡¯s fine,¡± he said. Rahmadat turned around and started toward the path they hade from. Skaya walked by his side. ¡°It¡¯s hard, isn¡¯t it?¡± she said, trying tofort him. ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity¡­ Oh, that was insensitive. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Rahmadat realized what he had done and apologized right away. Skaya had definitely gone through the same thing. ¡°Still, I have always¡ª¡± Just as she was about to say something, a loud explosion rang in their ears, and it sounded as if the world were falling apart. Baaaaam! ¡°...?!¡± ¡°W-what was that?¡± They quickly turned around, and their faces fell. It came from the giant pir in the horizon. ck smoke wasing out of the Dimensional Elevator. 1. A Korean idiom basically warning against the dangers of avarice. ? 2. It doesn¡¯t trante over too well, but it basically describes having greed itself as meless and natural. ? 3. The word for ¡®ideals¡¯ and ¡®more¡¯ are the same. So it could also be read as ¡®he needed to achieve those ideals,¡¯ as in a different one from before. ? 4. This is a romanized word, which is different from the Frost Queen¡¯s nest. ? Chapter 267. To Break A Hero (2)

Chapter 267. To Break A Hero (2)

¡°Oof, it¡¯s a little chilly.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s summer, it¡¯s still night right now.¡± Two guards walked around the city wall. They were assigned to Gilleon¡¯s night patrol. After about an hour, one of them spoke, ¡°Tsk. Sometimes I wonder if there¡¯s a point to our jobs.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°Well, we rarely ever get attacked by monsters anymore. The yers clean them all up.¡± ¡°...Hm.¡± When the yers appeared, they had certainly stopped worrying about monster invasions. The yers were obsessed with getting stronger, and they killed all the monsters for them. Moreover, there weren¡¯t any other empires on the continent that could invade them. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing. It means that the world has be more peaceful.¡± ¡°...Right? Well, I suppose we still have petty thieves rather than monsters.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m grateful for the peace.¡± ¡°Alright. In the spirit of that, I¡¯m gonna recharge a bit. I¡¯m gonna take a quick smoke.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you were aiming for the whole time, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± The guard leaned against the city wall with a cigarette between their teeth. White smoke puffed out of their mouth. The other guard kept their distance and turned away. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I asked, are you done?¡± ¡°...¡± There wasn¡¯t a single word nor the slightest reaction. The guard turned around, sensing that something was wrong. ¡°...!¡± Theirrade¡¯s head had been severed from their body and was rolling across the citadel. ¡°Urp?!¡± The violent sight made them want to vomit. But a momentter, the rms went off in their head. ¡®W-we¡¯re being attacked!¡¯ They had to let the city¡¯s citizens know. With only that one thought in mind, the guard ran to the bell on the wall and began to ring it like mad. ¡°I-It¡¯s an attack! An attaaaaack!¡± Ding- Dong- The bell rang into the night, pulling Gilleon from the quiet throes of sleep. *** The smell of burning buildings, people, and leather rose up all around the city with the smoke. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± ¡°P-please spare me! I¡¯ll do anything!¡± Some naive yers tried to negotiate as they were faced with death, but the Heavenly Demon killed them all as nned, his face expressionless. Gilleon, which had once been praised as the Starting City, was captured by the Fiend Association in only an hour. ¡°Isaac.¡± ¡°Yes, Chairman.¡± Isaac brought both his hands together and bowed respectfully. The arm that he had severed himself had regenerated long ago. ¡°Has there been any contact with the outside?¡± ¡°We have already blocked them all off,¡± Isaac said with a smooth smile. Drinking a gremlin¡¯s blood had allowed him to interrupt the flow of electromaic waves and magic energy in a fixed region. In other words, Gilleon currently could not make contact with anyone outside the walls. ¡°However, I cannot do anything to stop all the yer brats from using Community,¡± he continued. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that,¡± the Heavenly Demon said, scanning the city. There wasn¡¯t a single yer left in Gilleon. He turned around, looking at the boy who was ring like he wanted to kill him. However, the boy did not have the power to do so. All he could do was re at the Heavenly Demon with bloodshot eyes as tears dripped down his face. ¡°What a shame.¡± The Heavenly Demon meant that a weakling¡¯s anger was useless, but he sounded genuine. The boy shouted at that. ¡°...The likes of you¡­ Once Skaya-nim and yer Seo Jun-Hoe¡­¡± His voice was mixed with resentment and fear, and he couldn¡¯t even speak properly. Isaac smiled softly and ordered a nearby fiend. ¡°Cut off that arrogant boy¡¯s tongue.¡± ¡°No, wait.¡± The Heavenly Demon held up a hand to stop them. He slowly approached the boy and crouched down. ¡°What did you say just now?¡± ¡°...Eek!¡± Under his emotionless gaze, the boy couldn¡¯t even open his mouth. Suddenly, Baron Vashti and his wife hugged their son close to them. ¡°Skaya Killnd-nim and yer Seo Jun-Ho. They are great yers that the likes of you cannot evenpare to.¡± When Baron Vashti stared straight at the Heavenly Demon, his eyes were full of unbridled fury. In a single night, his city had been destroyed, and his precious citizens had been brutally massacred. He couldn¡¯t contain his rage. ¡°Mm.¡± The Heavenly Demon slowly nodded and gave an order. ¡°Lock them up.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Isaac understood why the Heavenly Demon didn¡¯t want to kill them right away. ¡®He will show them.¡¯ For these people, Skaya and Seo Jun-Ho were heroes from a fairy tale. There was no point in wasting time exining things to these people over and over. Showing them a hero struggling like an insect just a single time was enough. ¡°I¡¯m going down.¡± After seizing Gilleon, the Heavenly Demon left only the bare minimum of his forces behind before heading to the Dimensional Elevator. ¡°So this is the Dimensional Elevator.¡± It was different from the raggedy, dirty elevator that the fiends had been riding the whole time. It was muchrger and neatly maintained. He rode the Elevator down to Earth by himself. ¡°Wee back to Earth¡­¡± Just as the yer Association employee bowed in greeting, their neck burst like a balloon. The other nearby yers couldn¡¯t understand what just happened, so they just stood there, blinking. ¡°Peace has made you weak.¡± If arade was injured, you had to draw your weapon andunch a counterattack. But these idiots couldn¡¯t even do something so simple. The Heavenly Demon gently waved his hand. Pop! Pop! Pop! He started to walk through the headless corpses, his face expressionless. ¡°Isaac.¡± ¡°Yes, Chairman.¡± The Heavenly Demon turned around. There were dozens of elevators, and hundreds; no, thousands of fiends wereing down every second. ¡°Use Teleport to attack cities across the world.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± As he answered, shouts of glee came from behind them. ¡°Ahaha! It¡¯s Earth! We¡¯re back on Earth!¡± ¡°Heh¡­ Even if you kill people in Frontier, there¡¯s no thrill to it.¡± ¡°New York! Please send me to New York! I really want to attack the Statue of Liberty!¡± The fiends¡¯ evil desires started to pour out after being repressed for a long time. Isaac looked a little concerned as he turned to the Heavenly Demon. ¡°If we let them loose, we will not be able to rein them in.¡± ¡°It does not matter. There¡¯s no need for us to do that.¡± ¡°...Where will you go, Chairman?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I shall find my own way there.¡± He added something else. ¡°Dig out their roots and destroy their minds.¡± ¡°...I will heed your words¡± Isaac left, leading the fiends. The Heavenly Demon took in a deep breath. Haa¡­ ¡®...It is not very different.¡¯ In his memory, Earth¡¯s air had been warm and clean. But now that he was experiencing it in person, he realized that his memory had been romanticized. After all, the familiar smell of blood was still pricking his nose. He waved his hand lightly. The dark red magic energy writhed and attacked the Dimensional Elevator. Baaaaaang! ¡°...¡± The Dimensional Elevator was more fragile than he had expected. However, if the Floor Administrator interfered, it would be repaired in no time. ¡®I do not have much time.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon sped his hands behind his back and briefly considered where he should go. The best yer training academy in the world, Nest? It would be nice to pull out their roots and kill the young talent. Going to the Pentagon in America and massacring politicians wasn¡¯t a bad idea either. ¡®No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯ He shook his thoughts away. None of those things would give him what he wanted. ¡®Yes, that¡¯s the only one.¡¯ South Korea. It was known as thend under Specter¡¯s protection, and even stepping foot there made fiends nervous. St. St. Having decided his destination, the Heavenly Demon stepped through the puddles of blood. *** Twenty-three fiends entered Nest. They were Squadron members, so they were exceptionally powerful. ¡°Kyaaaa!¡± ¡°Everyone go to the main auditorium! Right now!¡± The students couldn¡¯t even say anything, and the only thing their teachers could do was endure the attacks. Bam! The auditorium door shut tightly, and fear was quickly starting to spread through them. ¡°W-what was that? Those monsters.¡± ¡°Not even the teachers were a match for them.¡± ¡°Instructor Newt is dead¡­¡± ¡°Are we all gonna die?¡± The teachers tried to go around and calm the students down, but it was no use. ¡°...Instructor Joya. What do you make of the current situation?¡± asked Elliot Nelson. The old woman was the director of Nest, as well as a retired yer. ¡°Scarlet eyes and ck magic energy. Those are the traits of fiends,¡± Joya Vishuta answered. ¡°As expected¡­¡± She squeezed her eyes shut. She had hoped that her initial assumption was incorrect. ¡°Do you think we can stop them ourselves?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t. It¡¯s not just one or two of them; there were more than twenty¡­ It would be faster if we requested assistance.¡¯ ¡°...I already tried.¡± Elliot bit down on her lip. She looked at the scared students for a moment before she lowered her voice. ¡°Listen to me. Nest is not the only ce where this is happening.¡± ¡°...What do you mean?¡± ¡°Fiends are carrying out terrorist attacks all over the world. Help probably won¡¯te, but if it does, it¡¯lleter than usual.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! The children here are the future of humanity!¡± Joya¡¯s eyes were aze. However, she knew that arguing with the director wouldn¡¯t change anything. Bang! Just then, someone started knocking hard on the door. It was protected by powerful magic, but it was only a matter of time before it broke. After discussing with each other, one of the teachers spoke. ¡°...So that means we need to hold out until help arrives.¡± No one spoke. Their enemies were fiends, monsters who had given up their humanity for power. Moreover, these fiends were especially powerful and had viciously tore through Nest¡¯s strong defenses. ¡°I will go first.¡± The director, Elliot, pulled out a ymore from her Inventory. She had long since put her sword down, but she was still a 1st-generation yer who had fought alongside Specter. ¡°Even though I look like this, I killed quite a few fiend bastards back in my prime.¡± ¡°...I think you¡¯ve told us that a hundred times by now.¡± ¡°Oh, and you fought alongside the 5 Heroes? Yeah, right.¡± ¡°Excuse me! It¡¯s the truth!¡± Elliot scolded, pretending to be angry. The teachersughed weakly when they saw her ridiculous expression, which wasn¡¯t quite suitable for the current situation. ¡°Then, I will go with you.¡± ¡°Me, too.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you have all the glory, Director.¡± Finding their confidence, the teachers supported her and rolled up their sleeves. They were adults before they were yers. It was their duty to protect scared children. ¡°Instructor Joya, stay here and take care of the injured children.¡± ¡°Pardon? But if everyone¡¯s going to fight, I can¡¯t just¡­¡± ¡°...M-mom.¡± Joya''s daughter shook her head and tightly gripped her sleeve. When Joya saw her expression, she couldn''t anything else. Elliot gave a soft smile when she saw that. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to fight to our fullest if we don¡¯t leave at least one adult behind to protect the children.¡± ¡°Director¡­¡± ¡°Then, we shall move.¡¯ The director had a resolute expression on her face as she led the teachers forward, each one with a weapon in hand. The students silently bowed toward them as they passed. Baaaang! Right on cue, the auditorium door was shattered, and twenty fiends swaggered in. The man at the lead scanned the auditorium before he spoke, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡± ¡°I have nothing to say to a dirty fiend.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s too bad.¡± He grinned. He was immediately able to judge the skills of the yers blocking his way. ¡®They¡¯re all trash.¡¯ His name was Lust, the Envy Squadron¡¯s leader. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ He nodded slowly. The young students in the auditorium were fresh yers. They were young sprouts that had yet to bloom. ¡°It¡¯ll be fun to trample them.¡± He grinned, showing teeth. His subordinate stepped forward from behind him, also smiling. ¡°Since this is a school, we should treat it like one. Now, raise your hand if you want to die first.¡± The teachers grit their teeth as he radiated powerful demonic energy. If that was the power of the subordinate, just how strong was their leader? Just as they were about to ept defeat, Elliot mmed her ymore into the auditorium ground with a loud sound. ¡°This old woman will take you on!¡± Though her body was old and frail, her heart was as passionate as a soldier¡¯s. ¡°You piss your pants whenever the 5 Heroes are mentioned. But I once hunted fiends with them.¡± ¡°...¡± Lust¡¯s eyebrow twitched. The subject of the 5 Heroes was still a sore spot for fiends. ¡°Old woman. You shouldn¡¯t have said that if you wanted a peaceful death.¡± ¡°I will not go down quietly. I¡¯ll y dirty and cave your skull in.¡± Elliot got into a fighting stance. ¡®This is it.¡¯ She knew very well that she wouldn¡¯tst a second against the fiend. ¡®But time waits for no one.¡¯ She suddenly recalled the old days. Those days alone were enough to set her heart aze. Those were the glory days when she had gone around catching fiends while following behind the valorant 5 Heroes. The memories and feelings from back then gave her courage. ¡°I am the Greatsword of Chicago! Elliot Nelsooooon!¡± She dashed forward, and her ymore cut through the air. It was much faster than the fiends had expected, and their faces became filled with shock. ¡®Now!¡¯ Though her memories had be hazy with time, her body still remembered. Elliot forced her decrepit body to swing as hard as she could. Just once. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± She stopped. Everyone in the auditorium was silent. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. They¡¯re too strong.¡± The ymore had seemed like it was about to cut the fiends in half, but it fell weakly to the ground. Elliot looked down at the dagger buried into her sr plexus. ¡°You should just act your age.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Bright red blood spilled out of her lips as she fell to the ground. Joya screamed and ran over as fast as she could to treat Elliot¡¯s injuries. The faces of the students and teachers darkened. ¡®Yeeesss, that¡¯s it!¡¯ That hopeless expression when the people of Earth were faced with someone stronger than them. These fiends couldn¡¯t get the same thrill in Frontier. The fiends trembled in excitement. They had been craving it for so long. They wanted to kill more, more, more. They wanted to see more of those despairing faces! Just as they started to be filled with ecstasy, a heavy voice rang in the auditorium. ¡°Who dared to touch my old friend?¡± Chapter 276. The Queen in Anguish (1)

Chapter 276. The Queen in Anguish (1)

The terrorist attacks were quickly put down. It was because the executives of the Fiend Association terrorizing the world suddenly disappeared. Tens of thousands of fiends were left isted, and they faced miserable deaths at the hands of the yers. [Breaking news, The Heavenly Demon died! Specter and the Big 6 deceive the world.] [An unprecedented victory! The Earth is now having a grand festival ?] [Happy event after happy event. Rahmadat Khali is back.] [King of Destruction who protected the Nest says, ¡°My victory, not the victory of mankind.¡±] ¡­ Cafe, school, work, street, drinking¡­ In ces where people gathered, praise for the 5 Heroes and the Big 6 incessantly flowed out. Breathing in the peaceful air after a long time, Seo Jun-Ho was on a bed in a hospital room. "Phew, the burns...¡± Thud! Shim Deok-Gu came to visit the hospital with mandragora juice and clicked his tongue. "So? How was it? I¡¯m going to kill you if you do something like that again.¡± "¡­Why are you nagging as soon as you see me?" "I don''t want to do it either. You better behave well properly, so I don¡¯t have to do it, okay?" Seo Jun-Ho drank the juice with a sulky expression. Since using the second Moon Eye, his body had been very creaky. The bones and organs in his body were in discord. Now it was impossible to even get up without the help of a caregiver. ¡®But I''m d it''s only this much.¡¯ Fortunately, his life wasn¡¯t in as much danger as it was when he first used Moon Eye. It was thanks to the ¡®Bringer of Spring¡¯ title effect of increasing his rate of recovery and the effects of his body transformation. "Master Christine Lewis said you''ll have to rest for a year or so." "She¡¯s a quack." "¡­What nonsense is that toward the best priest of the current times." "I know my body best. It¡¯ll definitely not take a year." Shim Deok-Gu thought Seo Jun-Ho would be very depressed and in despair, but he was doing better than expected. Shim Deok-Gu looked at his entric friend and asked, "Do you have some way?" "Of course. I always have a n.¡± "¡­Ehew," Shim Deok-Gu sighed. The problem was that his n couldn''t always win the sympathy of others. "So what is it then, the n?" "Before that, did you get what I asked for?¡± "Oh, right." Shim Deok-Gu tapped on his Vita and nodded. ¡°I bought it at the auction. What kind of piece of paper goes for eighty billion... It¡¯ll be delivered in two days." "Thank you. If this goes well, I might get up in a week, not a year.¡± "¡­I don''t know whether I should be happy or not because I''m afraid you''ll cause another ident.¡± It had been like that for a long time. This idiot would always get hit, and he would return with injuries whenever he went hunting. He would then quickly shake off his injuries, get up, and go hunting again. ¡®I haven''t felt like this in a while¡­¡¯ It was aplicated feeling where the surrounding people were more nervous than the person involved. Shim Deok-Gu didn''t expect he would feel this feeling for the first time in decades. He looked at his rascal friend as if he was pitiful. "Why are you looking at me like that?¡± "It''s nothing, I¡¯m just watching you because you¡¯re pitiful." "¡­Wow, that hurts me a lot.¡± That was bullcrap; he wasn¡¯t really hurt. Shim Deok-Gu knew that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind wouldn¡¯t budge from something like this. As such, he checked the time and got up. "Then, I have a meeting, so I''m going." "Meeting? The world hase to this point, so what kind of meeting will you have?" "The Earth¡¯s security was broken too easily this time. The prime ministers, presidents, associations, and guilds of each country will gather to talk about future policies. We''ll also have to do something about the Dimensional Elevator. Oh, and...¡± Looking at the oblivious Seo Jun-Ho, he smiled. "Jun-Ho, do you like the Heavens?" *** When Shim Deok-Gu left the room, Seo Jun-Ho was lost in thought. "Heavens¡­?" He had brought upon a situation worthy enough to make anyone speechless. After all, his achievements this time were that great. ¡®Although the reality is that I gambled with my life¡­¡¯ However, in terms of the results alone, he had fought against the Heavenly Demon on his own, and he managed to sever one of thetter¡¯s arms. The Big 6 said they were only able to kill the Heavenly Demon thanks to him. As such, his hospital room now had a mountain of gifts from them. ¡®There''s no choice but for people to bring it up.¡¯ The Nine Heavens were overwhelmingly strong people whose ranks remained the same over the years. However, it was said that people were bringing up the subject this time. ¡®Timing is also appropriate.¡¯ They responded to the terror of the fiends beautifully, but many people still died. There was too much sadness and fear in the world for it to be thoroughly covered with the joy of victory. ''Since the world is currently like this, they need a hero even more.¡¯ The ability he disyed this time was great, and it also raised the status of the yer''s camp. As such, there were many political goals to reassure the confused people of the world. ¡®Now that the Heavenly Demon is dead, the Nine Heavens must have be the Eight Heavens. It''d look good if they filled up the spot with a yer.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho himself had no intention of opposing it. It didn''t really matter even if he was used politically. If even one more person could go to bed morefortably because of him, he would be satisfied. "Hmm?" All of a sudden, something wriggled on the shelf next to his bed. After wriggling for a long time, it groaned and yawned. "Mmm, I had a good night''s sleep." It was the Frost Queen. She wasn¡¯t even a bear, but she had just opened her eyes after hibernating. "What?" She first looked at the mountain of gifts, then at her contractor. Seo Jun-Ho greeted with an awkward look, "H-hi?" As if he had sinned, his eyes were quivering. At the same time, the Frost Queen¡¯s eyes became terrifying. She jumped off the shelf as if she were a detective and climbed onto the bed. "What is all this?" "Ah, ah! Don''t step on me. It really hurts!" She pressed here and there on Seo Jun-Ho''s body, which had almost be like a living corpse. And before Seo Jun-Ho could even answer, she asked in a cold voice, "You used that technique again! You promised not to use it!" "No, I¡­ I had to do it in that situation¡­¡± "Exin. If you cannot make me understand, you...¡± The Frost Queen trailed off, then trembled as she spoke, "Why, why at this time... We will definitely discuss thister!" After speaking, she hurriedly blocked her mouth and hid while holding her breath. At the same time, the hospital room door burst open. "Yoyoyo! My friend!" It was Skaya Kirind who appeared with a noisy greeting, and behind her stood Gilberto and Rahmadat. "Oh, what''s wrong with you? You look really injured." "I''m a patient because I¡¯m injured. You can see it with just a nce.¡± "Hahaha! You''re a patient because you¡¯re injured. That''s true." The hospital room became noisy when these three people arrived at once. Since it was a VIP room, they weren¡¯t being a nuisance to the others in the surroundings, but Seo Jun-Ho''s mind was rapidly being drained. "I''m very tired right now. Don''t talk too much and leave." "Don''t worry!" Rahmadat reassured. Rahmadat took arge piece of meat from his Inventory and strode to the kitchen attached to the hospital room. Seo Jun-Ho asked, "¡­What are you doing?" ¡°I thought it over on my way here. What should I do if my friend is sick?" "No, don''t think about it. Please don''t...¡± "Stamina recovery! Grilling fresh meat is what a true friend does." He was trying to feed a patient a steak out of the blue. Gilberto sighed and said, "Sorry, I tried to stop him, but he didn''t listen. That''s also bear meat hunted from Siberia." ¡°¡­¡± It had only been a minute since these guys came into the room; no, had it been about two minutes? Seo Jun-Ho started to feel dizzy and nauseous. ''No, it feels like they had gotten even worse than before...¡¯ Was it because everyone had been frozen for twenty-six years? It was likepensation for the sentiments they couldn¡¯t express in the meantime. In other words, they had be a notch even harder to control than they used to be. "Oh,e to think of it, I wanted to ask you something," asked Rahmadat as he skillfully cooked steak. "That Heavenly Demon, was he strong?" ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his mouth shut, while Skaya and Gilberto pretended that they weren¡¯t interested, but they focused on Seo Jun-Ho. Even they were quite interested in this topic. "¡­Very. He was the strongest opponent I have ever met in my life.¡± "Sigh, that''s too bad. Since you said that, I would love to have fought him." Rahmadat smacked his lips. It was impossible to fight a dead man. "I heard you and Skaya saved the students in the Nest. Good job." "It was nothing. We wouldn''t have been able to do so if it wasn''t for the note you gave us in the first ce," Rahmadat casually replied, but his back looked droopy today. After exchanging nces with Gilberto for a while, Seo Jun-Ho changed the subject, "Deok-Gu said that the Dimensional Elevator needs to be repaired." "Oh, I''m sure it does. It made a terrible sound when Rahmadat and I were in the Nest.¡± "Hmmm, there was also smoke. The elevator has likely been destroyed," Gilberto said after listening to the story in silence. "¡­The elevator built by the system can also be destroyed. I had no idea." "No one really thought of destroying it..." "But it''s not man-made. How the heck are you going to make the repairs?" "Well, I don''t know about that...¡± The moment Seo Jun-Ho trailed off, a clear voice responded¡ª "You¡¯ll probably need my help." ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The voice belonged to a third party, not to anyone in the room. Skaya, Gilberto, as well as Rahmadat cooking steak immediately responded. "¡­What the heck is this shady guy?" Rahmadat made a one-linement. Both Skaya and Gilberto were being hostile, as it was their first time meeting him. Only Seo Jun-Ho opened his mouth with his eyes wide open. "Gray-nim?" "It has been a long time since I saw you, yer Specter.¡± Wearing a gray suit and a fedora, he was the 1st Floor Administrator, Gray. Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes quivered ever so slightly, as he hadn¡¯t expected a visit from an Administrator. ¡®No, moreover, can an Administrator even roam around like this?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had met two Administrators so far, and he had met them three times in total. However, those meetings had always happened with him being summoned into their space to meet them. "I know what you''re thinking. I don''t usuallye out like this. It could affect the causality...¡± "Causality?" "Oh, let''s pretend you didn''t hear that." Gray waved and took off his hat, revealing his slit eyes. "The order came from above to fix the elevator." "If you say above, do you mean Reiji?" "¡­Much, much higher than her." While he was smiling kindly, Skaya asked, "Do you know him?" "Yeah, it''s Gray-nim, the 1st Floor Administrator.¡± "Administrator¡­?" Her eyes began to sparkle. She was an explorer of magic, so a person involved with the System had to be someone interesting to her. "Do you perhaps need someone to teleport you to the Dimensional Elevator? I can do it for you." "Well, it¡¯s certainly no good in overusing my power in this ce. Then please, yer Skaya Killnd." "I''m following you, too. You look pretty strong. Would you like to go for a round with me when you''re done?" "Haha, no thanks." Rahmadat turned off his magic mana burner and quickly disappeared with the two. The quiet hospital room looked as if a storm had passed. Seo Jun-Ho asked Gilberto for a favor. "¡­Gilbe, can you open the window?¡± "Ah, the smell of meat is certainly strong. Sorry. I should have stopped them froming with me." "No. Who can stop them?¡± "Please get well soon. You''re the only one who can control them," Gilberto asked sincerely. The reason why only Seo Jun-Ho could control them was very simple. "¡­I should. I¡¯ll get well as soon as I can, and set a time soon.¡± A match, more specifically, a match arranged under the guise of reorganizing the rankings. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and began to image train. Chapter 269. To Break A Hero (4)

Chapter 269. To Break A Hero (4)

¡°Come on, what¡¯s with your techniques? Didn¡¯t you buy my book? Watch. With this part¡­¡± While Skaya was hosting a free lesson in one corner of the auditorium, Rahmadat ran into his old lover, Joya Vishuta. ¡°...It¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Yeah! Has it?¡± Rahmadat said coolly. Actually, it didn¡¯t feel like much time had passed for him. It felt like it was only a few days ago when she cried while telling him not to go before he tore her hand away. ¡°Have you been doing well, Joya?¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± Her shoulders slumped, and she looked down. There was nothing else that she could say. While Rahmadat had been trapped in the cold ice, she had lived a good life. ¡®If youpare my pain to yours¡­¡¯ It would be a sin to even say that she had struggled. While she stayed silent, Rahmadat checked his watch. ¡°Oh. Unfortunately, I have to get going. I¡¯m worried about the other ces.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. It was nice to see you.¡± ¡°It was nice to see you, too.¡± Rahmadat grinned and held out hisrge hand. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you next time.¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± She took his hand and slowly shook it. Unlike her wrinkled hand, Rahmadat¡¯s hand was as hard as a rock, like it had always been. ¡°Stay healthy.¡± Rahmadat turned around and raised his head. ¡°Hey, nerd! It¡¯s time to move!¡± ¡°Ugh! Stop calling me that!¡± Joya watched as Rahmadat¡¯s back disappeared like the wind. ¡°Thank you, Rahmadat,¡± she whispered. She could finally send off her former lover after 26 years with no regrets, along with the heavy feeling of guilt in her heart. ¡®I pray that your future is filled only with happiness.¡¯ He had always yed it cool, but she prayed that the kind idiot wouldn¡¯t get hurt. She prayed that he would find someone much more beautiful and better than her and that he would find happiness. Joya prayed with all her heart. *** It was dusk. A man was walking through a shanty town in Seoul. He had been walking aimlessly toward the moon when he suddenly stopped. ¡°...¡± This was a sight that could only be seen in the slums, not in those luxury penthouses. Unlike the lively air in the downtown area, the air in this town was dead. The man silently took in the scene with his own two eyes. ¡°So you were in a ce like this.¡± Isaac Dvor appeared out of thin air, wearing a bottle-green suit. ¡°I have scattered the fiends across the world as you have ordered. They should all be enjoying themselves right now.¡± ¡°What about Nazad and Valencia?¡± ¡°They are carrying out the orders you gave them, Chairman.¡± Everything was going smoothly. The Heavenly Demon studied the impoverishedndscape for a long time before he spoke, ¡°Then, we should also start moving.¡± ¡°Where do you wish to go?¡± ¡®¡°...Somewhere bright. Somewhere very bright, somewhere that has a lot of people.¡± ¡°Hmm~¡± Isaac thought for a second and nodded slowly. ¡°I shall escort you.¡± He lightly pped his hands, and the area around them changed. ¡°Waaaa! Waaaaa!¡± ¡°Baek Du-Gi! Baek Du-Gi!¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, radish![1] Show us what you got!¡± ¡°Make that third-rate batter strike out!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s gooooooo!¡± It was a baseball stadium. Cheers and jeers rang in the air. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ This was Seoul¡¯s Jamsil Baseball Stadium, which had 25,553 seats. A huge audience had gathered, and it was hard to find a single empty seat. It was the top of the ninth inning, and the air was ripe with excitement. ¡°Huh?¡± The first one to notice the two people was the pitcher at the mound. They suddenly appeared right in front of him. ¡®yers?¡¯ In the current day and age, teleportation wasn¡¯t something to be shocked by. However, he hadn¡¯t expected them to interrupt the game. He was the Dusan Panda¡¯s ace, as well as the pitcher for the national team. Baek Du-Gi sighed. ¡°Look here. I¡¯ll give you an autograph after the game is over, so please return to your seats. Alright?¡± They were already losing the game. And these audience members suddenly interrupting the game made his frustration spill over. ¡°Hey¡­ You should listen when someone¡¯s speaking to you¡­¡± The two men had their backs turned, and they ignored him. Baek Du-Gi ced his hand on the white-haired man¡¯s shoulder. Or rather, he tried to¡­ ¡°How dare you try to touch him. Know your ce.¡± ¡°...What? Huh?¡± Baek Du-Gi huffed, confused. The bnce of his body had changed. It was because the left hand he had for 30 years hadpletely disappeared. ¡®It hurts.¡¯ It took his brain about three seconds to process the fact that his hand had been severed. ¡®Ithurtithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurts!¡¯ He let out a piercing scream. ¡°Ahhhh¡­!¡± However, his screams were soon interrupted. Isaac pressed his index finger into Baek Du-Gi¡¯s lips and shook his head vigorously. ¡°Hush. Don¡¯t you know? The Chairman abhors loud noises,¡± he said as if he was sharing some great secret. Satisfied, he let go of the head he was holding. The national ace¡¯s head rolled onto the mound. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The audience was silent. Up until that moment, they had assumed that the two men had been part of some kind of performance. The part-timers selling beer and snacks¡­ The cheerleaders dancing intensely in support... Thementators who should have known better than anyone else what was going on inside the stadium¡­ They all went silent. ¡°Ah, I ask that you please do not scream¡­¡± Isaac requested, pressing his two hands together. ¡°Kyaaaaaa!¡± ¡°A-a murderer! Murderer!¡± ¡°The police¡­Call the police!¡± ¡°No, call the yer Association first!¡± The stadium was instantly thrown into chaos. Everyone pushed, trying to reach the door before anyone else. ¡°You cannot leave,¡± Isaac proimed. Just as he said, no one could leave the baseball stadium. ¡°A-an invisible wall?¡± ¡°What the fuck! Let us go!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push! No, don¡¯t¡­Gahhh!¡± People were dying as they were pushed and trampled on. Isaac grinned as he watched the chaos unfold. ¡°How fun. All I did was block the doors, but they are already killing each other.¡± ¡°...They are pitiful. How are humans so lowly?¡± The Heavenly Demon watched the people with sorrowful eyes. Isaac nced at him and shrugged. ¡®Whenever he has that look on his face, he merely moves on without a second thought.¡¯ It was all an act. Well, he might genuinely feel pity for humans. But¡­ ¡®His actions suggest theplete opposite, so I do not believe so.¡¯ Isaac held back hisughter. ¡°What shall we do now? Should we just kill them all?¡± he asked. ¡°...Hm.¡± The Heavenly Demon stood on the mound with his hands behind his back, watching the scene. The outfielders were running toward the fence, trying to get away from him. People were heading to the basement level, trying to find a different way out. He watched them as he spoke, ¡°Isaac. What do you think a Hero is?¡± ¡°A simple question. They are the same as these impertinent people,¡± he replied immediately. ¡°They employ restraint to understand the trickery of ck magic¡­They are beings that magicians, such as I, hate.¡± ¡°I do not understand what you are saying...¡± The Heavenly Demon gently shook his head and gave him a beautiful smile. ¡°I believe that Heroes are those who nt seeds of hope.¡± ¡°Wow¡­Spoken like a poet. Though, I do suppose that it is those who have fallen into despair who wishes for heroes.¡± ¡°So I have always wondered¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon grinned. He showed his white teeth as if he was delighted by merely imagining it. ¡°If they were forced to choose, would they save countless citizens who need their help? Or¡­ Would they choose to save one precious friend of theirs?¡± ¡°...That¡¯s.¡± Isaac¡¯s face stiffened like a corpse, despite always smiling. He stared at the Heavenly Demon with piercing, emotionless eyes before he quietly pped. ¡°That is a genius idea. Amazing! Thanks to you, my art has reached a higher level.¡± The Heavenly Demon had no idea what Isaac was saying, but he understood that Isaac was very happy. ¡°Now, lead the way so that we may start the game.¡± He nodded lightly. ¡°We will invite the yers first.¡± His feet moved lightly. *** ¡°Dammit!¡± Shim Deok-Gu threw the mouse in his hand. However, the articles being disyed on his monitor were still there. [Breaking news! Fiend appears in Seoul, confronted by yers and police.] [Statue of Liberty in New York falls. Fiend¡¯srge-scale invasion causes panic.] [The yer Associations act as fast as they can, but it¡¯s not enough.] [yer Associations worldwide send out evacuation alerts via text.] ¡­ ¡°The fact that the Dimensional Elevator has been seized means that they have captured Gilleon.¡± Shim Deok-Gu paced around the room with a grave look. The situation was serious as well. The news channels were showing thetest battles between the fiends and yers. The live mosaic censorship wasn¡¯t enough to cover the horrific scenes. ¡°I expected the fiends to make a move, but I didn¡¯t think it would be such arge-scale takeover¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho quietly pressed his Vita. ¡®They¡¯re not answering.¡¯ After heading to Nest, Skaya and Rahmadat became unreachable. The fiends had probably gone there as well. [Breaking news! Two unidentified assants suspected to be fiends attack Jamsil Baseball Stadium¡­] Shim Deok-Gu raised the TV¡¯s volume. The three of them stared at the screen with serious expressions. [All I want is Specter.] The man had white wavy hair that fell to his shoulders and a thin hairline. At first nce, he almost looked like a delicatedy. But if one looked closer, he seemed bigger than Rahmadat as he stood there while giving off a strange aura. ¡°Who is that bastard?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ¡°...Impossible.¡± Shim Deok-Gu shook his head and hurried over to a wall and took off the painting. Behind it was a small safe. ¡°Geez, you¡¯re so old-fashioned.¡± ¡°Shut up! That¡¯s not important right now.¡± The safe scanned his iris and fingerprint. Afterward, he entered a password. The safe didn¡¯t contain sparkling gems or gold. ¡°They¡¯re all documents?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not just any documents. These are top-secret files that only the Korean yer Association¡¯s president can see.¡± Shim Deok-Gu messily scattered those precious documents and crawled around the ground, frantically looking for something. ¡°Here it is!¡± He picked up a photograph and looked up at the TV and then down again. ¡°Shit, I suspected this, but¡­¡± Deok-Gu rarely spoke harshly, but he started to curse. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyebrows furrowed at the sight, and he approached his friend. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡± He carefully took the photograph from Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s trembling hand. It depicted a man and a woman. ¡®This man¡­¡¯ The photograph was quite blurry, but the white, wavy hair was recognizable. ¡°I think it¡¯s him. His hair was a little short back then.¡± ¡°Deok-Gu, who is this man?¡± Gilberto asked. Shim Deok-Gu copsed onto the couch, trembling as he looked up at the two others. ¡°...This is the Chairman of the Fiend Association, with Valencia Citrin.¡± ¡°...¡± They didn¡¯t understand it at first. But as the words repeated several times in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind, his face fell. ¡°The Chairman is the Heavenly Demon, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t think that the bastard himself woulde down. This is so much worse than we had predicted¡­¡± The big shot hade. Moreover, he was currently holding more than 20,000 citizens hostage at the Jamsil Baseball Stadium. ¡°Jun-Ho, you know this is obviously a trap, right? He¡¯s gonna kill you! You can¡¯t go.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the TV. He could see the smiling Heavenly Demon, as well as the thousands of frightened citizens crying. - Specter-nim. Specter-nim. They were chanting his name as if they were praying for him toe. ¡°I...¡± Seo Jun-Ho made a decision and spoke. 1. His name sounds simr to kkakdugi, which is a type of Korean pickled radish. ? Chapter 270. To Break A Hero (5)

Chapter 270. To Break A Hero (5)

¡°I¡¯m going.¡± His voice was firm but stubborn, leaving no room for argument. Click. Click. At that, Gilberto started to assemble his guns and equipment without even verbally agreeing or disagreeing. He disyed his answer and his boundless trust through his actions. ¡°Thanks.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at him gratefully and turned around. His longtime friend looked extremely exhausted as he leaned against his desk, rubbing his face. ¡°...Is there really no other way?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. He was so nervous that his lips felt dry, but he added something before Seo Jun-Ho could even reply, ¡°I think he¡¯ll wait for you for now. So please, take some time ande up with a n¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re too soft.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave a faint smile. His eyes were fixed on the sports channel, which was showing the Heavenly Demon. ¡°That bastard¡¯s a fiend.¡± He wasn¡¯t just any fiend either. He was their leader, and he was able to make even the vicious fiends tremble. ¡®...A guy like that won¡¯t be sloppy.¡¯ [I will give you 15 minutes.] Just as Seo Jun-Ho had expected¡­ The Heavenly Demon looked at the camera and smiled gently. [For every second that you arete, I shall take ten lives.] Ten lives, he said, as if counting objects. Shim Deok-Gu trembled with rage at his astounding choice of words. ¡°...Jun-Ho. No matter how I think about it¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m being summoned.¡± ¡°Yeah, so he can kill you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gently closed his eyes. His sensitive ears could hear their voices. ¡®P-pleasee.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t care about myself, but my daughter¡­¡¯ ¡®I-I¡¯m scared¡­¡¯ ¡®Waaaah! Mommy!¡¯ He could hear their frightened voices. Though they were right at death¡¯s door, they were calling his name desperately. ¡°...Oh,¡± Seo Jun-Ho recalled something. ¡°Do you remember? After I killed some fiends in Harlem back in the states, when CNN interviewed me.¡± ¡°...Why are you bringing that up?¡± Back then, the reporter had asked this¡­ - Do you ever feel pressured by the fact that people always call your name when there¡¯s a crisis? The audience and the cameraman started to grow nervous from the rude, sensitive question. However, Seo Jun-Ho had answered like this. - No. Actually, it makes me happy. -...Happy? - My ears aren¡¯t very good. If they¡¯re all calling for different people, I might not be able to hear them. But if they¡¯re all calling my name, I can hear them better. Don¡¯t you think so? He could hear them. ¡°They¡¯re calling my name.¡± Just like he had said back then, he could hear them loud and clear. They wanted him. Seo Jun-Ho put on the ck mask with reverent hands. The mask was expressionless, unable to portray any kind of emotion. ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu opened his mouth to say something when Specter faced him, but he closed it again. He stared at Specter¡¯s back resentfully, but thetter didn¡¯t mind it as he walked to the window. A cold silence had settled over Seoul, which made it seem like a dead city. ¡°This will likely be recorded as the worst day in the past twenty-six years.¡± Tens of thousands of fiends were massacring people all across the world. It once seemed like this conflict would never happen again, but the fiends had dered war on humans. ¡°The Heavenly Demon probably doesn''t want me to go.¡± After the Frost Queen¡¯s defeat, humanity enjoyed unprecedented peace. Resources became abundant, international rtions improved after they overcame the crisis, and the economy boomed. However, thews of the world required someone to suffer a loss if another profited. ¡®The fiends.¡¯ While humanity was happily enjoying their peace, the fiends had been banished to the 2nd floor, living in humiliation. They only wanted one thing. Revenge! ¡°The fiends had to have be stronger, too. They had to be thinking of their glory days,¡± Specter said. Though time passed, the fiends were still afraid of the 5 Heroes. And the Heavenly Demon probably didn¡¯t like that. He would want the fiends he led to be courageous warriors instead of cowards. ¡®The answer is simple.¡¯ Specter was the leader of the 5 Heroes. All the Heavenly Demon had to do was get rid of him. ¡°For an enemy, he''s pretty smart...¡± It was checkmate. The Heavenly Demon had created the perfect stage for himself. ¡°If I don¡¯t go, he¡¯ll probably say that humanity¡¯s heroes only amount to this.¡± The Heavenly Demon would reject their status as Heroes and frame them as fragile humans. ¡°But if you do go¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu started. ¡°He¡¯ll kill me and win, anyway.¡± ¡°You know, but still¡­!¡± ¡°I do.¡± Specter looked at Shim Deok-Gu. There was no dishonesty in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not some divine, holy warrior. But I¡¯m going because I think I have a chance.¡± ¡°...¡± He wasn¡¯t the type to lie about these things. Shim Deok-Gu was locked in thought for a moment. He grabbed Specter¡¯s shoulders with a serious expression thetter had never seen before. ¡°I don¡¯t usually try to argue with you.¡± ¡°I know...¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything when you said you would go around hunting fiends.¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything when you said you¡¯d go to clear the Queen¡¯s Nest.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m grateful for that¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Actually, that was a lie. Shim Deok-Gu had told Specter off before. ¡­And if he could, he would do it a hundred; no, a thousand times more. He wanted to tell Specter that he wasn¡¯t the only yer in the world. Moreover, he had always wanted to ask why he was always trying to carry the burden by himself. However, Shim Deok-Gu could never bring himself to say those words. Because if he didn¡¯t stand aside, disaster would befall the world. ¡°No matter what happens today, I have something to say. I should have told you this twenty-six years ago.¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyes wavered. He carefully said the words that had been trapped in his throat for the past twenty-six years. ¡°Jun-Ho. You don¡¯t have to carry everything by yourself. The world went along just fine without you.¡± ¡°...You sure are quick to tell me that.¡± Inside the mask, a smile bloomed on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face like a flower. It was a bright expression that melted away the small amount of sorrow. *** The Heavenly Demon was smiling. It had been a while since he had enjoyed waiting so much. ¡°Isaac, how much time has passed?¡± ¡°14 minutes and 2 seconds.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t much time left.¡± He looked up. Dududududu! Several dozen helicopters were flying above the stadium. ¡°If they are too noisy, I will bring them down,¡± Isaac said. The Heavenly Demon shook his head. ¡°Leave them be. The citizens have the right to know.¡± He was sure that Specter wouldn¡¯te. ¡®Life is precious.¡¯ Whether it was the life of a human, a viin, or a hero, everyone valued their own life. Every time the number on the hologram billboard changed, the people fell deeper into despair. ¡°There are only twenty seconds left now. I think you can start to prepare now.¡± Again, Specter would note. [The 15 minutes¡­ Are almost over.] A grave voice reported from above the SDS channel helicopter. The reporter¡¯s face was dark as she spoke into the mike. [Is Specter-nim¡­Noting?] If Specter didn¡¯t appear today, it wouldn¡¯t just be a loss for himself. ¡®It would be a loss for humanity¡­¡¯ The symbol of hope would fall pathetically. And the symbol of despair would rise. Dududududududu! Just then, a helicopter from another channel spotted a strange movement. Everyone inside turned to look when they discovered something. [Captain, what¡¯s wrong?] The pilot sent a hand signal, and the reporter turned her head. Her eyes widened. [S-speak of the devil¡­!] Those who had been to a baseball stadium knew how bright the lights were. They were strong enough to light up the dark night. And a man wearing a ck coat was standing on the roof of the stadium, with his back to the bright lights. [S-Specter! It¡¯s Specter-nim!] Reporters from every country and every channel started to speak with joy in their voices, spilling out like a hymn. ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s lips slowly turned down. ¡°14 minutes and 42 seconds¡­ A shame.¡± He had failed to make the Heroes of Earth into weak cowards. However, he wasn¡¯t disappointed. ¡®Things have be more interesting...¡¯ He was happy. The Heavenly Demon was a 2nd Generation fiend, and he had heard countless rumors about Specter. His heart started to race at the thought of humanity¡¯s Hero straight out of a fairy tale. ¡®I did well to prepare a second n.¡¯ Would the Hero choose the people or his friend? The Heavenly Demon couldn¡¯t contain his excitement, and heughed at what was toe. Swoosh. Specter¡¯s figure disappeared and then reappeared in front of the two fiends. ¡°Isaac.¡± ¡°Yes, Chairman.¡± Isaac bowed and prepared to leave as nned. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°...?¡± Isaac looked around and then pointed to himself. ¡°Did you just give me an order?¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t move.¡± Specter¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t full of admiration. Instead, he had spoken to him indifferently, as if it were a one-sided conversation. ¡°...Ha, haha.¡± Isaac let out a forcedugh. He was filled with a strange feeling. ¡®Who is this lunatic¡­¡¯ No one, not even the Heavens in the Fiend Association, ever dared to give him an order. They knew how powerful he was, after all. ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± Isaac finally understood. The man in front of him was only this bold because he didn¡¯t know how strong Isaac was. ¡®They say that there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity¡­ Yes, I believe it now.¡¯ In that case, he simply had to show him. Isaac took a step forward, and a great amount of demonic energy poured out of him like wildfire. ¡°What will you do now that I moved¡ª¡± Bang! Isaac felt a burning sensation on his face. He tried to process what just happened. ¡®...My face hurts.¡¯ Blood poured out of his nose. ¡°Oh, so¡­¡± The enemy had attacked him. ¡°Isaac.¡± Just as he was about to explode with rage, he felt the pressure of the presence behind him. ¡°He is my prey. Stick to your duties.¡± ¡°Yes, then¡­¡± Isaac red at Specter for a second and then gestured with his finger. ¡°You¡­!¡± Specter shouted. ¡°You should focus on me as well.¡± Watchguard of Darkness had dissipated into the air after shooting out. ¡®Dammit, I missed him.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know if it was for the better or for the worse, but Isaac had disappeared. ¡°Now that we are here, I am much happier than I expected.¡± ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon looked down at his watch with a soft smile on his face. ¡°I believe that it will take some time for the game to begin, so let us warm up before then.¡± ¡®...Game?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have the time to ask what the Heavenly Demon meant as his body started to tremble when the Heavenly Demon unleashed his demonic energy. ¡®This bastard¡­¡¯ He instantly reminded Specter of someone else. ¡®Sir Thunder God¡­¡¯ The Thunder God carried thunder in his body. However, the Heavenly Demon was different. ¡®...Who the hell is this guy?¡¯ He felt like he was facing a malicious force of nature disguised as a human. Usually, he was a being that had to be avoided at all costs. ¡°...¡± Unfortunately, Specter had no other option. Chapter 271. Unbreakable (1)

Chapter 271. Unbreakable (1)

The Heavenly Demon put his hands behind his back and looked around. "Didn''t your friende with you?" "He should be hiding by now." ¡°¡­¡± The one who came was most likely the sniper, Gilberto Green. However, the Heavenly Demon couldn¡¯t feel any sign of him. ¡®He¡¯s good enough to escape my perception... He must have a special ability to hide his presence.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon gave a wide grin. "There must be a rat hole around.¡± When he was done speaking, he nodded lightly. "Come." The Heavenly Demon gave up the first strike. This was something no one would do unless they had absolute confidence in their skills. ¡®Hepletely sees me as trash.¡¯ It was something to be thankful for. Since he had a chance to go first, Specter slowly recovered his breath. He breathed in, exhaled, inhaled, and exhaled. By showing this series of processes, he brought the Heavenly Demon into his rhythm. "...Aren¡¯t youing?" The moment the Heavenly Demon asked a question after being unable to resist the boredom, Specter¡¯s breathing suddenly distorted. Before the Heavenly Demon could even take a breath in, Specter was now holding a heavy spear in his hand. ¡®Quick...¡¯ His figure was very fast as he pushed off the ground. ¡®It''s not enough. Faster.¡¯ He activated Overclocking, and a tremendous amount of magic power raced through the magic circuit in his body. ¡®Raise to the limit in one go.¡¯ He abandoned the preheating process as Overclocking¡¯s output went up to seventy percent in an instant. Perhaps because of that, his body began to feel hot likeva. ¡®My body¡­ it feels like it¡¯s about to explode¡­!¡¯ He wanted to open his mouth and take a mouthful of the cool air to the fullest, but he bit his lips tightly. Persevering with the heat, he elerated once more. "Hoh?" the Heavenly Demon eximed ever so slightly. ¡®He¡¯s fast.¡¯ Specter was young in the Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes. It was known that Specter had only been on the 1st floor so far. ¡®He wouldn''t have had the time to raise his level...¡¯ If so, didn''t that mean that he was at the same level as he was twenty-six years ago? the Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes bent like a half moon. "How fun!" Flutter! The Heavenly Demon casually rotated his body with his feet as the axis, with his hands still behind his back. A pitch ck spear passed through the fluttering white robe. Wiiiiiing! A momentter, the sound of a fighter jet passing by, not a spear, hit his ear. ''It''s off the mark.'' Specter didn''t dwell on what had already happened. As soon as he realized that his attack had failed, he boldly put down the spear. At the same time, a small pistol came out of his coat sleeve. "I''m d you find it fun." ck! The size of the pistol fit his palm, and it wasmonly referred to as a ¡®sawed-off shotgun.¡¯ It was a portable shotgun with a long stock characteristic of the shotgun and a cut barrel. As the gun barrel was cut off, its range was very limited. However, if it was fired right in front of your nose like right now, the destructive power... ¡®...Is no different from actual shotguns.¡¯ Bang! The sound of a small hill copsing rang on the mound. The 12-gauge ammunition fired from the gun exploded and scattered tens of thousands of lead pellets into the air. ¡®Hmm, is it a bullet?¡¯ The Heavenly Demon was a trained warrior, so he wasn¡¯t easily frightened by the sight of a bullet. He was powerful enough to receive a bullet with just his body. ¡®The power to disregard.¡¯ But when the Watchguard of Darkness covered every lead pellet, the story would change by a hundred and eighty degrees. From now on, those hundreds of attacks would ignore all defenses and dig into the Heavenly Demon¡¯s skin. ¡°¡­!¡± For the first time since the battle began, Heavenly Demon undid his hands from behind his back. He flung himself with a slightly flustered look. "Hmm¡­!" The Heavenly Demonnded on the grass a little away, not on the mound. But before he coulde to his senses, the next attack arrived. Thud! An eerie ax de was stuck where he had been standing. It was the hand ax Specter had thrown. "¡­You won¡¯t even give me time to breathe.¡± The Heavenly Demon tried to talk, but Specter was conversing with his body. ¡®I''m going to drive him back.¡¯ His stamina had improved beyond recognition after his body transformation. If there was only one thing that he was better than the Heavenly Demon at right now, it was probably stamina. ¡®I can¡¯t give him even the time to breathe.¡¯ Slither. The darkness that leaked out from Specter colored the floor of the baseball stadium. "It''s very... fun." With a sword in his right hand and a shield in his left hand, Specter rushed in like a diator in a colosseum. Whoosh! Whoosh! A sharp sword was swung at the Heavenly Demon¡¯s vitals. The Heavenly Demon avoided this lightly and suddenly reached out. "Got you." Crash! The Heavenly Demon directly flipped Specter¡¯s body and followed up by trying to step on him. But by that time, Specter had already disappeared into the darkness. ¡°¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon slowly turned his head, and he became wary of all directions. It was very quiet. The tens of thousands of spectators didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. All that could be heard were the propellers of the helicopters. ''He''spletely gone. Did he be one with the darkness?'' The Heavenly Demon grinned. It wasn¡¯t empty talk, but he really did find it fun. He had met many yers with good skills. However, it was rare for someone to be this proficient with their skills. "Now, how else are you going to entertain me?" Swoosh! As soon as he spoke, a figure shot up from the dyed floor. Crash! The Heavenly Demon stomped without dy. Demonic energy rose up ominously and tore the body to pieces. ''A dummy¡­!'' It wasn¡¯t Specter, but a doll he had made out of darkness. Swoosh! This time, the darkness that rose like a whip wrapped around the Heavenly Demon¡¯s legs. The demonic energy rose naturally and cut it into strands. ¡®Petty tricks. What about the real thing?¡¯ The Heavenly Demon hurriedly bent at the waist. The moment he felt a sharp sword brush over his head, a hard shield smacked him in the ribs. "Hmm¡­." The Heavenly Demon was slightly pushed to the side as he scattered the impact using tai chi. At the same time, dozens of spines rose from the floor. Whoosh! The Heavenly Demon frowned; he had just kicked the air, narrowly escaping the attack. ¡®Is it time for a bow?¡¯ Specter had finally reappeared and in his hands was a bow being pulled to its full extent. ''What an annoying way of fighting.¡¯ It was a battle with so much variation, and Specter never continued to fight with just one style. When one was just about to adapt to the battle, Specter would immediately change the tempo. In other words, the initiative of the battle was always with Specter throughout the fight. ¡®Is this why I was told not to let Specter have the first move?¡¯ The Heavenly Demon had read many notes left by other fiends. That was why he gave up the initiative on purpose. It was because what his predecessors said not to do seemed crazy fun to do. ¡®It¡¯s more fun than I thought.¡¯ Really, aside from the momentary ¡®ys¡¯ he had enjoyed, he was having a lot of fun today. "Let''s stop ying around." The moment the arrow left the string, the Heavenly Demon had already arrived in front of Specter. The arrow caught between the Heavenly Demon¡¯s fingers was snapped in half. ¡°¡­!¡± Bewildered, Specter was about to step back¡­ Crack! However, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s demonic energy struck him hard in the ribs. Bloody bruises formed, and his ribs were broken as Specter spat a mouthful of blood. "Uwaaack!" It was just one shot. Specter had been pushing back his opponent all this time, but he couldn¡¯t endure even a single attack from the Heavenly Demon. "That''s too bad." Mind-boggling pain was flooding in by the minute. However, Specter remained standing even as he staggered. ''¡­No, is it because he can¡¯t fall down?'' The Heavenly Demon looked at him with a sad look. "If only you had a little more time.¡± He could have fought well enough for the Heavenly Demon to fight with all his might. "¡­It''s a futile delusion." The Heavenly Demon swallowed his regret. Today, Specter¡¯s blood would stain this ground, and he would die. "Then it''s time to...¡± The Heavenly Demon checked the time on the electronic disy. After ying with Specter for a while, it was time for Specter to y the Heavenly Demon¡¯s game. "Time to start the game." *** ¡°¡­¡± The head of the Korea yers Association, Shim Deok-Gu, was looking at the hologram screen with a detached look in his eyes [Magic barrier A-2 has been destroyed.] [Magic barrier B-17 has been destroyed.] [Magic barrier G-4 has been destroyed.] ¡­ With modern architecture, it was only natural that the buildings where the presidents, prime ministers, and heads of the yers Association were staying were being protected by magic. Dozens of defenses protected them around the clock¡ªunauthorized beings couldn¡¯t even directly teleport in. ¡®Are theying?¡¯ The yers Association''s magic barrier was being breached in real-time. The defenses were being breached so fast that it that would shock and send the mages maintaining and repairing the magic barriers into a dizzy spell. "I''ll have to get ready to wee the guests.¡± Shim Deok-Gu drank an espresso strong enough to leave his tongue numb before he pressed the button under his desk. ck! A wall on one side opened and revealed a long gun. It was a gun named Moby Dick K-30, abination gun with four barrels that could kill even whales. A weapon devised by Kwon Noya and the Ministry of Science and Technology of Korea, it had the effect of forcibly dispersing the opponent''s magic. ¡°¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu started loading the bullets without saying a word. Once he was done loading, he sat in a chair with the gun and waited for someone. [All the magic barriers have been destroyed.] [Warning! Please evacuate.] The moment the security A.I. of the yers Association let out a warning¡ª Crack! The space in front of him opened like a beast''s mouth. "I wonder if a humble man like me is allowed to step into a ce like this...¡± From there, Isaac Dvor walked out with a smile. But before his body could even pass halfway through the portal. Baaang! Three shotgun shells pierced his body. "Ack¡­!" A body was sent flying into a wall after it received an impact that didn¡¯t seem to havee from a bullet. Shim Deok-Gu slowly walked over to Isaac wriggling on the floor. "Anyone who wants to kill someone must also be prepared to die." "W-wait a minute...¡± "Goodbye." Baaang! Once again, the heat had turned the fired gun red. Shim Deok-Gu sighed lightly while looking at the blood-soaked meatball. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter even if they¡¯re a Heaven, if they receive an attack from Moby Dick at this distance¡­¡¯ Death was just a matter of course. Things had gone better than he thought, but the moment he walked back to his seat and drank espresso, he heard a voice. "Was your dream very sweet?" ¡°¡­!¡± As soon as the yful voice tickled his ears, Shim Deok-Gu reached for the gun. However, Isaac had picked it up first. "Wow, you have prepared a scary weapon. I would have been in trouble if I hadn''t prepared for it just in case." He shook his head and acted like he was afraid. "Even if it¡¯s someone like me, it still hurts to get shot unprepared. I might even die.¡± "You, how¡­!¡± "Why, aren¡¯t dreams usually sweet? Dreams allow you to achieve something you can''t achieve in real life.¡± ck. With a big smile, Isaac loaded the Moby Dick. The gun stopped exactly in front of Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face. Thetter could feel the heat from the gun barrel, which hadn¡¯t cooled down just yet, on his face. On the verge of death, Shim Deok-Gu stared at Isaac with his eyes wide open. "Kic, you are braver than I thought," said Isaac as he bent the Moby Dick and mmed it into a trash can. "I''m going to do a simple social experiment from now on." He stole the espresso from the desk and frowned. "Oh, bitter. I''m going to give your friend a bitter option like this coffee." ¡°¡­¡± "Hmm, you look much calmer than I expected.¡± "You. Have you ever thought about how you''ll die?" "No, but I don''t have any intentions of dying." "Careless and arrogant." Shim Deok-Gu red at him and said, "They''ll kill you, Isaac Dvor." ¡°¡­¡± It was an evil curse poured on by a weak, powerless man. However, Isaac Dvor felt a chill in his spine. ¡®What¡¯s this? This feeling...¡¯ The moment he was gripped with an indescribable feeling, a man pulled the trigger on the roof of a building three kilometers away. Chapter 272. Unbreakable (2)

Chapter 272. Unbreakable (2)

People always wanted to be the best. However, Gilberto Green¡¯s wish had always been to be normal. He was an existence that wouldn¡¯t even be considered normal if he didn¡¯t try like crazy. [Sword Saint Mr. Kim Woo-Joong''s skills live up to his name...] [Crimson Princess! What a brilliant battle that fits her nickname.] [Ooohhh! The Silver Constetion Guild has knocked down the twin-headed ogre!] ¡­ Gilberto diligently scrolled through the Community window while he was teaching the Watchguards at the Wailing Mountain. He wanted to understand just how good yers were of this era. And then, he realized once again. ''I still can''t beat them.¡¯ There were too many talented people. They were monsters who could easily go beyond the norm he had longed for. ¡®I was lucky.¡¯ Being next to extraordinary people, even normalcy stood out. He had always considered himself to be someone who had gained too much fame for his level of ability. ¡®Is it because I''m getting older¡­ It''s hard to even keep up now.'' Even though his time had stopped, the time of the world had continued to pass. The number of powerful people he couldn''t even imagine in the past had increased so much. The Isaac Dvor over there was just like them. ¡®You can''t kill him...¡¯ The moment Gilberto saw him through the scope, he became sure of it. No, he was actually thinking that way before he even saw Isaac with his eyes. ¡®He¡¯s at least a mage on the same level or better than Skaya.¡¯ There was no way such a presence wouldn¡¯t havee up with measures against unexpected attacks. In the first ce, if that were the case, Isaac wouldn¡¯t even be in that position today. ¡®If I evaluate my skills rationally, I''m onlyparable to an ordinary Ranker, let alone the Nine Heavens.¡¯ Gun expert Gilberto Green may be strong against monsters, but he wasn¡¯t even a match for the few really strong yers or fiends. He knew this fact better than anyone else. ¡®My role is the cleaner.¡¯ He was a cleaner whose job was to clean up the monsters in the vicinity so that hisrades wouldn¡¯t get tired before they approached their target. That was what Gilberto himself usually thought of as his role. "But my role today is¡­ a little too much for me." Today''s homework was to kill Isaac Dvor or at least put him in a critical condition. To be honest, doing so was close to impossible. However, he still had to do it. ''¡­I didn''t know I''d be using thest one here.'' ck! Gilberto unlocked the sp on the gun. The feeling of his index finger on the trigger was the same as usual. That was inevitable. It was a sensation he had imprinted on his body by shooting hundreds of thousands; no, millions of times. ¡°¡­¡± Gilberto closed his left eye. The world magnified through the scope filled his view. ¡®One more step.¡¯ He held his breath and considered the location, wind direction, wind speed, and everything regarding the target. He fixed his whole body like a stone statue and focused all of his nerves on his right index finger. ¡®Now.¡¯ As soon as the trigger was pulled, the ''special'' bullet spun violently and flew to the target. Gilberto began to prepare for the next attack without even looking at the result of his first attack. *** The windows were cracked open a little bit to aid with the venttion in the Association President''s Office. A small bullet came in through that gap. Toong! Just before the bullet touched Isaac¡¯s temple, a magic barrier rose and blocked it. ''¡­Did I almost die just now?¡¯ Isaac Dvor was in a daze for a while before he looked down on his chest. It was rather fortunate. Now, Isaac had confirmed what the man in front of him was believing in so firmly. "So, Gilberto Green didn''t go to the baseball stadium." ¡°¡­¡± The sniping had failed, but Shim Deok-Gu did not look disappointed. He simply stared at Isaac and said, "Was the coffee I made delicious?" ¡°¡­¡± Isaac felt a chill down his spine. He immediately looked at the espresso ss. ¡®No, it''s not poison.¡¯ He was certain because he had cast a spell on his body that would warn him if he had taken a life-threatening poison. ''Then what the hell was that question...?¡¯ The moment he realized that something was off, Isaac¡¯s throat tightened. "Cough... Cough?!¡± Feeling dizzy, he knelt on one knee. As the ground came closer, a bullet fallen on the floor caught his eye. ''This is...?'' Light purple smoke was rising from the bullet. ¡®¡­No way, Purple Noble Powder?!¡¯ Isaac''s face paled. The poison carried by the purple smoke wouldn¡¯t kill you. The only thing that it took away was ¡®magic power.¡¯ When afflicted by this poison, the magic in one¡¯s body would quickly dissipate in ten minutes. This poison was like a death sentence for a magician whose ability to fight in close proximity was low. ''I¡¯m sure I heard it was all used up in the war with the fiends decades ago!¡¯ He had no idea there was any spare left. Isaac''s paled even more. Only then did he realize the purpose of the coffee. ¡®Bitter!¡¯ It was known that one would taste great bitterness when afflicted with Purple Noble Powder. He had thought the bitter tingly sensation on his tongue until now was because he had drunk the espresso. "No, but how?¡± How did Shim Deok-Gu know that Isaac would drink the coffee? Shim Deok-Gu met Isaac¡¯s trembling eyes and shook a file. "Isaac Dvor. Orphan. A magician from a Scottish traveling theater. That''s a very unique taste. It says you liked espresso since you were young, right?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The information wasplete despite thinking he had erased the traces of his past perfectly. Isaac bit his lips and hesitated for a while. It was a dilemma as to whether he should step down or face the opponent, even with a body that couldn¡¯t use magic. "¡­Tsk." Isaac opened a portal with a distorted face. Perhaps because he had noticed it toote, but more than half the magic in his body had already dispersed. If he hesitated even a little longer here, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to open a portal to run away. ¡®And if my magic is scattered, my magic barrier won''t work.¡¯ In other words, if he got shot, he would surely lose his life. Such an undeniable fact made Isaac withdraw timidly. "¡­You are prepared better than I thought. But don''t think this is the end...¡± "I won''t see you off. Now, get out of my room.¡± Isaac trembled at Shim Deok-Gu''s casual response. Crack! At the same time, he used the vestiges of his magic power to deploy a magic barrier. "¡­I won''t forget this humiliation." Eventually, Isaac was forced to suppress his anger and scramble into the portal. *** ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The quiet baseball stadium became even quieter. To be exact, it was from the moment blood had started to drip down Specter¡¯s mask. The Hero of mankind, regarded as a legend, was being helplessly beaten up by the Heavenly Demon. No one could speak at the shocking scene. No, no one dared to open their mouths. If their feelings as bystanders were like this, then how were Specter¡¯s feelings? "¡­You can do it," a boy muttered in tears. For the child, Specter was a cartoon hero. He grew up watching a cartoon movie where Specter defeated viins. He even bought severalic books about Specter by pestering his parents. "¡­Don''t lose." It wasn''t a very loud voice. Considering the size of the baseball stadium,mon sense would make one think that Specter would not be able to hear the voices from where he was on the mound. However, his head turned slowly. Looking back exactly in the direction of the child, he raised his fist, calming his rough breathing. Sometimes, the meaning could be conveyed even without speaking. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ The child''s face brightened when he received a response from his hero. "Wooooooow!" "C-child!" The emotional child shouted, but his mouth was soon blocked by his mother''s hand. The Heavenly Demon saw it, and he sympathized. "¡­Poor thing." Specter was an existence who couldn¡¯t fall even if he wanted to. "What an empty existence. Being a hero." "Not at all." Specter stretched out his chest and straightened his waist. The Heavenly Demon stared at him. "¡­Just what are you doing that for? You¡¯re not in a condition to be doing that." Specter had several broken ribs. By now, it had to be relentlessly piercing his intestines. It wouldn''t be a level of pain that could be endured from just perseverance. "What the hell are you talking about?" However, Specter went beyond simply enduring pain. "I¡¯mpletely fine." "¡­If you deceive others like that, you will end up deceiving yourself." That end would be nothing but ruin. In exchange for neglecting one''s emotions, the wound would eat away at one''s soul. The Heavenly Demon shook his head, waiting for something. "Are you waiting for Isaac''s call?" ¡°¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon turned his head and looked at Specter. The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes seemed to be asking how he knew. "Give up. Deok-Gu would have already fled to safety." "¡­How did you know?" "It''s obvious. Wasn''t that what you wanted? To tarnish my existence as a relic of the past and make people turn their backs on me." It would dissolve the humans who had united through Specter and raise the spirits of the fiends. From one to ten, it was the flow of the stage the Heavenly Demon had set. And everything had been going ording to n so far. "Too bad for you. Your operation failed. Isaac is noting." ¡°¡­¡± At Specter¡¯s affirmation, the Heavenly Demon looked up at the dark sky with nary a cloud. "Is that so?" He didn''t show his irritation even though things had gone wrong. However, his white eyes had lost their focus and had be cloudier. "There''s no reason to keep you alive, then." ording to his n, Specter would have already died after showing his ugly side till the end. However, if that n failed, it was necessary to kill Specter as miserably as possible. "You sound like you can kill me anytime you wish." "Are you still thinking about fighting back?" the Heavenly Demon spoke in a rxed voice. The night was long, and there was plenty of time. The more Specter struggled, the more the Heavenly Demon could show people how weak Specter was, so there was no reason to refuse. "Inventory open." What Specter took out of his bag was neither a great sword to split a dragon nor a sharp spear to pierce the opponent as soon as the blow connected. It was a flute. It was a spiritual object that had been designated as a national treasure of Si¡ªan early nation established on the Korean Penins. ¡°¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes narrowed at the unusual energy being emitted by the flute, The Flute of Tidal Breath.[1] "What''s that?" "It¡¯s something created to drive away guys like you." The effect of the Flute of Tidal Breath from the previous appraisal was simple. [Flute of Tidal Breath] Grade: Unique ying the flute will grant one of the following abilities. 1. King¡¯s Army 2. King¡¯s Space 3. King¡¯s Armor This item will break after three uses. (0/3) Use requirements: Level 20. Possession of title ¡®Helper of Ascension.¡¯ He could only use one ability for each blow into the flute. Furthermore, it was a ¡®consumable item¡¯ that would be permanently destroyed after blowing it three times. ''Usually, the effects of consumable items are greaterpared to equivalent non-consumable items.¡¯ Additionally, the item¡¯s grade was Unique. Specter lifted his mask slightly and held the flute in his mouth. - Whee ? A clear and fine sound reminiscent of the cool east coast rang out. The sound didn''t end with just one. - Whee ? Bbee~ ? The Flute of Tidal Breath made as many as three sounds and asked. [What effect would you like to use?] Inside the mask, Specter¡¯s eyes staring at the Heavenly Demon coldly shone. "All of them." At the same time, a brilliant light burst out of the Flute of Tidal Breath. 1. The Flute of Tidal Breath is a flute of legend from the ancient Korean kingdom, Si. To the readers who have already forgotten, Jun-Ho got this flute on chapter 31. More info about the flute appeared on chapter 33. So go there if you¡¯re curious xD. ? Chapter 273. Unbreakable (3)

Chapter 273. Unbreakable (3)

Dududududu! The bamboo flute vomited light and soon began to fluctuate wildly. - The Great King''s holy spirit worrying about his country¡­ The Dragon King... The Thieves of the Heaven and Earth¡­ Tame. The low, thick voice from the flute seemed to be chanting a Buddhist prayer. ''This is...?'' After acquiring the Flute of Tidal Breath, Seo Jun-Ho did some research. These sentences were part of a song dedicated to the tomb of King Munmu by the schr, Woo-Hyun. ¡®The king''s soul, which was worried about his country, became a dragon king, and defeated the bandits of heaven and earth.¡¯ At the same time, a system message shed across his mind. [The Flute of Tidal Breath has been yed.] [You have chosen to use all the effects.] [Checking yer Seo Jun-Ho''s power.] [Title, ¡®Helper of Ascension¡¯ has been confirmed.] [The first sound of the Flute of Tidal Breath has used the ability, ¡®King''s Space.¡¯] [Calcting and configuring the space where the user has the highest probability of winning.] [Creating King¡¯s Space, ¡®East Sea, S-Grade.¡¯] ¡®The East Sea¡­?¡¯ The moment his eyes opened, the light from the flute engulfed the world. *** p! p! ¡°¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon slowly looked around at the sound of waves hitting his ears. Not too long ago, he was definitely standing at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. But now, he couldn¡¯t see the fence, the mound, or the crowd that filled the stadium. ¡®Not just vision, but hearing as well?¡¯ Even the noise of the helicopters, which he was thinking about shooting down because they were so noisy, had disappeared. All he could see was the vast sea. Even the ce where he was standing was on a deck¡ªhe was on a ship. ''It''s not a little trick like a simple illusion or hallucination.¡¯ In other words, death here meant actual death. Feeling a little interested, the Heavenly Demon observed the ship carrying him. It was not a small fishing boat that fishermen rode, but a military ship that could carry hundreds of people. "Well, that''s an interesting ability." He spat out his impression with his hands behind him, then raised his head and spoke. On the other side of the gym-wide deck stood Specter. "But this is disappointing..." The Heavenly Demon even overlooked Specter using items, but all he did was change the venue of their fight. His expectations weren¡¯t met. Specter was a long way behind the expectations the Heavenly Demon had been hoping for from the legend of the past. "Did you hope I would get seasick?" ¡°¡­¡± Specter turned his head and looked at the sea. He had alsopleted his own calctions. ''The Flute of Tidal Breath said it¡¯d calcte and create a space where I''m most likely going to win.¡¯ The space that had been created was this ce¡ªthe East Sea. ¡®It''s likely because of the Frost skill.¡¯ Certainly, if he used that skill, his chances of winning would significantly go up. He was also prepared that his identity might get revealed. Not giving his all into the fight against the Heavenly Demon would be arrogance. However, it was not easy to reveal his Frost skill. ''The moment I use the Frost skill, he¡¯ll definitely be wary of my second power.¡¯ The power to freeze was a technique that could only be maximized when the other party was unaware of its existence. As soon as the Heavenly Demon experienced it, he would move with it in mind next time. ¡®So the Frost skill should be used at the most important moment... Like when I can definitely take his life.'' It should be used then¡­ "That''s too bad, too bad.¡± The Heavenly Demon was truly bored. He wanted to try fighting with all the 5 Heroes, including Specter. "But there''s only one...¡± "I don''t remember saying I was alone." ¡°¡­?¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes blinked. Until a little while ago, he definitely couldn''t feel any signs of anyone else around. However, it was different now. Step, step, step. Hundreds of soldiers climbed up from the ship''s basement and filled the deck. However, it wasn''t just them. [The second sound of the Flute of Tidal Breath has used the ability, ''King¡¯s Army.¡¯] [The soldiers'' level and skills are inherited from the user.] [1000 of Si¡¯s naval forces, led by the founder, Kim Yu-Shin, are with you.] [On the S Grade battlefield, East Sea, the soldiers'' abilities are increased by 30%.] As if he had performed magic, other military ships began to appear around him. There were five other ships. "I have no ns to let my guard down against you," said Specter as he stared at the Heavenly Demon with a cold look. He was going to defeat the Heavenly Demon with all his might. That was the only n at the moment. "¡­About a thousand people? It''ll do for a moment of entertainment." Despite being surrounded by a great number of opponents, the Heavenly Demon didn''t bat an eyelid. In fact, it seemed as if he had juste into a cafe with a good atmosphere as he stood there with a satisfied smile. "Move the boats together!" A loud voice broke the momentary silence. At the same time, the soldiers from the surrounding military ships threw chains and built bridges to connect the ships in an instant. ''That man...¡¯ Specter looked at the man walking toward him on the bridge. He was a handsome man in dark green scaly armor. ¡®Kim Yu-Shin.¡¯ The two eyes that looked at Specter were filled with a general''s spirit. He came up to Specter¡¯s side and greeted him with his eyes. "Nice to see you, descendant."[1] Greeting with a slight bow of his head, Kim Yu-Shin raised his hand. Without any rambling oration greeting, he gave an order. "Hit!" ¡°¡­¡± There were no roars that would usually be unleashed when so many people had gathered. With tight lips, the soldiers rushed to the Heavenly Demon with their swords, spears, and shields. Craaaack! Crack! The swords were broken, the shields were crushed, and broken spears flew into the sky. ''He¡¯s impressive...'' Nevertheless, the soldiers persisted in attacking the Heavenly Demon. Like a scene from a zombie movie, they crowded around without giving him an opening to run away. They didn¡¯t stop even when their weapons and shields had disappeared, and even when their limbs were severed. ¡°¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon slightly frowned. He hadn¡¯t expected that the soldiers he thought were ¡®extras¡¯ would be able to inflict pain on him. ¡®Annoying.¡¯ He had no intention of continuing with this dogfight anymore. Lightly striking the ground, the Heavenly Demon rose into the air and stomped on the soldiers'' heads. Pop, bang! Every time his feet touched the soldiers, their heads would explode with the sound of a balloon being popped. ¡®Impressive.¡¯ The soldiers were fighting much better than Specter had expected. If he joined, he would be able to drive the Heavenly Demon back. Specter made a sword of darkness, and the moment he was about to run forward, Kim Yu-Shin grabbed his shoulder to stop him. When Specter looked back, Kim Yu-Shin shook his head silently. "It''s not your turn yet." "¡­This is a great opportunity to drive him into a corner." The Heavenly Demon was currently wandering in the air as if he were ying around. Naturally, his bnce would be more unstablepared to standing on the ground. "You should wait...¡± However, Kim Yu-Shin remained calm despite the death of arge number of his soldiers. "¡­Your soldiers are dying." "Don¡¯t mind that." ¡°¡­¡± Specter frowned deeply. Oh, was he that kind of guy? A superior who used his subordinate''s life as a chess piece. "They''re brave." Kim Yu-Shin slowly continued, "So, don''t judge their choices by your standards." His eyes were on the battle. No, to be exact, he was looking at the faces of the dying soldiers one by one. "¡­Choice?" The soldiers showed no fear even till the moment they died. In fact, they even clung to the Heavenly Demon to force him to make one more movement. "They are weak, and that man is strong." "Do you want me to just watch?¡± "Do you finally understand? That''s right. Just watch." Kim Yu-Shin nodded. "My subordinates are draining his strength. Use them." "¡­Are you telling me to use the lives of a thousand people?¡± "People?" A smirk appeared on Kim Yu-Shin¡¯s mouth. "We appreciate your words, but do you really think we''re living people?" "¡­That''s¡­" Specter didn''t think so. They were the Flute of Tidal Breath¡¯s creations, nothing more. However, Specter couldn''t stay still when he saw them dying in front of his eyes. ¡°We are people whose bones had already be one with the ground. Just think about using us thoroughly." ¡°¡­¡± Specter was lost in thought. If it were him, would he be able to sacrifice himself in a world post-death? "Take it." Kim Yu-Shin handed him a sword. "This is¡­?" "It''s the Blue Dragon Sword." [The third sound of the Flute of Tidal Breath has used the ability, ¡¯King''s Armor.¡¯] [You can temporarily use the ¡®Blue Dragon Sword,¡¯ a sword that purifies all evil.] ¡®The purification of all evil...¡¯ It was true because he could feel the refreshing power winding around his body when he held the handle of the sword with the head of a blue dragon engraved on it. With this sword, he would be able to cut down even the Heavenly Demon¡¯s vigorous demonic energy. "It''s almost my turn.¡± Kim Yu-Shin took a step. There were no more than a hundred people standing on the deck now. In a short time of only about twenty minutes, the Heavenly Demon had killed nearly a thousand people. ¡®That devil bastard.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon never batted an eyelid. In addition, he even looked bored now. Specter bit his lips hard. "At least, we should attack together...¡± "I told you already. Use us till the end. If you want to protect something, strengthen your resolve." He slowly pressed the helmet on his side onto his head. "Then¡­ Win, descendant." After leaving his dreary words, Kim Yu-Shin walked to the Heavenly Demon with a clean iron sword. "There¡¯s still one more left?" With his hands behind his back, the Heavenly Demon crushed the head on his foot. After taking care of all one thousand soldiers, the only oue was that he was starting to pant a little. "¡­Well done," Kim Yu-Shin spoke. "It wasn¡¯t much trouble." "I''m not saying that to you." The dead soldiers quickly turned into smoke and went up into the sky. It was a shabby ending for the brave warriors who protected their hometowns even after death. It was an ending that no one would acknowledge. ''¡­No, there¡¯s at least one.'' Kim Yu-Shin recalled the cute and sentimental descendant behind his back and pulled out his sword. He didn''t say a word, but he charged at the Heavenly Demon. ¡°¡­¡± Specter watched the battle between the two men from beginning to end. Kim Yu-Shin had no intention of winning from the beginning, so he looked like a man who knew he couldn''t win. ¡®So from start to finish...¡¯ He devoted himself to his goal of draining the Heavenly Demon¡¯s strength. "¡­ Hu." The Heavenly Demon pulled out Kim Yu-Shin''s heart and finally took a breath. The unknown general, who had utilized a strange energy instead of magic throughout the entire battle, managed to endure ten minutes in a one-on-one fight against him. "Finally, the distractions are gone." ¡°¡­¡± Only two people were left standing on the five connected ships. The strong soldiers who had filled the entire area until just a while ago had already disappeared into the sky. ''I have definitely received all your wills.¡¯ Drop! It was proven by a drop of sweat falling from the Heavenly Demon¡¯s forehead. It was a meaningful drop that had been obtained in exchange for the sacrifice of as many as a thousand people. ¡°¡­¡± The moment the sheath of the Blue Dragon Sword fell to the floor, a great darkness stretched out and rose from Specter¡¯s body. 1. Kim Yu-Shin is an ancient general as well as the founder and leader of the Si Kingdom¡¯s naval forces, which is why he may be referring to Seo Jun-Ho as a descendant. ? Chapter 274. Unbreakable (4)

Chapter 274. Unbreakable (4)

Specter carved a number into his heart. ¡®One thousand.¡¯ That was how many Si soldiers gave their souls for him. Perhaps they themselves knew best that no matter what, they couldn¡¯t beat the Heavenly Demon. ¡®Their stats were definitely higher than mine, but...¡¯ It wouldn''t have worked. They were figures from a time when there wasn''t even a Gate. They couldn¡¯t use magic. They were just ¡®well-trained soldiers¡¯ who had inherited Seo Jun-Ho''s monstrous stats. ¡°¡­¡± Specter sped the Blue Dragon Sword. ''If you all are watching this battle from heaven, I will do my best to fight so that you won¡¯t think your sacrifice was in vain.¡¯ The huge darkness that seemed to cover the sky began to wrap around Specter¡¯s body. One, two, three times¡­ Layering dozens of times, it looked like dark armor. It wasn''t just a change in appearance. ''This should be good enough to move for a while.¡¯ The dark threads he made in his body were mending and fixing his broken ribs. It was only a temporary treatment, but it could suppress the pain, at the least. "It seems you¡¯re ready.¡± the Heavenly Demon muttered while standing with his hands behind his back. Suddenly, he felt as if he had smelled something disgusting at the tip of his nose. ¡®How horrible.¡¯ How many people had he killed? How could he be so calm even aftermitting such a massacre? Specter couldn''t help but ask, "You¡­ How many sins have youmitted?" "¡­Sins?" The Heavenly Demon opened his eyes wide. He looked as if he had never been asked such a question in his life. He replied with a refreshed look, "This is a very new question¡­ Yeah, by my personal standards...¡± While seriously contemting, he nodded slowly. "I''ve probably¡­ never sinned in my life." "...Shameless bastard." Didn¡¯t that mean that murder wasn¡¯t a crime to him? Specter realized once again. "As expected, you shouldn''t be left alive." "I shouldn''t be left alive. It might be a little sad if that¡¯s true." The corners of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s smiling mouth went up coldly. "Of course¡­" When the Heavenly Demon stepped lightly on the deck, the dark red demonic energy formed hundreds of spears, which aimed at Specter. "...That''s for when you¡¯re even able to kill me." Swoooosh! Hundreds of spears rushed toward Specter. Specter flung himself and rolled on the floor, and he heard the sound of the deck behind him copsing. ''The deck behind me is no more.¡¯ As he pushed off the deck and ran, the Blue Dragon Sword in his hand shone in a bright light. Slice! Slice! The Heavenly Demon¡¯s demonic energy that even the Watchguard of Darkness couldn''t easily catch was casually severed like tofu by the Blue Dragon Sword¡¯s purifying energy. "...What a repulsive weapon,¡± the Heavenly Demon muttered sourly as he once again took a step forward. At the same time, spikes began to pop out of the floor, and spears also began to fly. ''... Damn it.'' The way Specter was moving to avoid and block attacks was spectacr. It felt unreal as if time itself was being fast-forwarded. Specter¡¯s eyes were constantly rotating and putting the world back into view. ¡®Not enough, not enough, not enough...¡¯ There was an absurdck of information to be transmitted to the brain. It felt as if the surrounding space had be his enemy. "You can''t cover the sky with a human¡¯s palm." The Heavenly Demon wasn¡¯t disappointed. He knew Specter wouldn''t be his match in the first ce. ''But... I didn''t know he¡¯d be so desperate.¡¯ What on earth was he doing that for? Specter wielded his limbs frantically and created wolves of darkness to block his attack. As he watched Specter in a daze, Specter seemed like a fighter fighting a war on his own. ''¡­What a fool. Nothing in this world is worth doing that.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon slowly took a step. He wanted to snuff out Specter¡¯s life with his own hands. "Ugh!" Specter was hit by the demonic energy rising from the ground, and he was forced to roll on the deck several times. There was no time for him to show that he was in pain. He sprang up like a spring and frantically swung his sword once again. ¡®There''s no end to it at this rate.¡¯ Specter looked sideways at Heavenly Demon. He had to attack the Heavenly Demon somehow. ''¡­Then is this the only way?'' Specter bit his lips. The dark armor was being quartered in real-time. If it hadn''t been for the armor, he would have already suffered five or six critical injuries. ''Raise the output.¡¯ He was currently using Overclocking at seventy percent of the maximum output. After the body transformation, it was the highest output he could use even after training with the Thunder God. ¡®Faster, even faster.¡¯ Tu-tum, tu-tum. His heart started to beat like crazy. The output was raised to eighty-five percent at once. It was an unknown level that he had never even attempted before. "Ugh?!" Unknowingly, a suppressed scream flowed out of his mouth along with his saliva. He was already having a hard time focusing on the battle, but his mind was trying to go somewhere else. It was all because he could clearly feel the blood vessels in his body. ''It''s hot...!'' Each and every blood vessel was so hot that it seemed like they would melt at any moment. To make matters worse, the pain in his ribs reappeared, perhaps because of the intense movement. ¡®But...¡¯ Certainly, he had be much faster. He could feel it. ¡®Endure the pain. Cover the distance at once!¡¯ Specter raced across the deck wielding a sword. As if escorting him, the dozens of wolves of darkness bit off the Heavenly Demon¡¯s attacks. Specter didn''t stop. He was already on a running train. From now on, the star would be the momentum. It was impossible for a train to turn its steering wheel once it had started to move. Half a breathter, in what could truly be considered an instant, Specter appeared before the Heavenly Demon. sh! Specter¡¯s Blue Dragon Sword reached out toward his heart. ¡°¡­¡± As the Heavenly Demon stared at Specter¡¯s mask, their gazes met in mid-air. The Heavenly Demon seemed to be asking Specter if this was the best he could do. ¡°Ugh¡­?¡± Specter¡¯s eyes shot open. The Blue Dragon Sword stopped just in front of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart, and it wouldn¡¯t go any further. Specter¡¯s wrist was caught. ¡®Please, please...!¡¯ No matter how much strength and magic he put into his trembling hands, it wouldn¡¯t move. It was aplete loss of physical strength. "Your efforts aremendable." The Heavenly Demon extended his palm with his opposite hand. Crush! The dark armor Specter wore vanished. The veins of his entire body burst, and his skin quickly turned red. "If there''s one thing that¡¯s regrettable. It¡¯s that you were no more, no less, just as expected." With an indifferent expression, the Heavenly Demon made a fist and swung mechanically. Specter tried to back off, but unfortunately, his wrist was still in the other party¡¯s hand. He punched out with his other hand and swung his elbow to fight back. "Too slow..." Craack! The Heavenly Demon directly bent Specter¡¯s elbow. "I can''t believe you¡¯re this weak.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A scream was enough to squeeze the air out of anyone¡¯s lungs, and their vision would swim as a result. Specter endured the pain with bloodshot eyes as he kicked upward with his knee. Crack! The Heavenly Demon¡¯s fist smashed his knee. Specter¡¯s leg hung limply in a strange direction while the Heavenly Demon¡¯s fist continued toward his face. ''Ah...'' He felt that if he closed his eyes and let go of the thread tenaciously hanging on to his consciousness, he would be able to sleepfortably. However, Specter opened his eyes wide. He vanquished the devil¡¯s whispers and temptation. Grab! He reached out and held the Heavenly Demon¡¯s shoulders tightly. ''Now... Now''s the only time.¡¯ This opportunity would nevere again. Specter forced his dangling arm up. At the same time, the magic in his body escaped like tide. It was an unfinished technique, but it was the strongest attack he could use. ¡®Moon Eye.¡¯ Once again, a flower appeared in his hand. To make this poor flower bloom, he was prepared to die. ''You won¡¯t be able to avoid this.¡¯ Specter was sure of it. After learning the power to freeze, the Moon Eye evolved. ¡°¡­!¡± The proof of this was the Heavenly Demon¡¯s stiffening look. The flowers in front of him gave off a sense of danger. It was the first time he had caught a whiff of death since the battle began. ¡®Touch him!¡¯ The Moon Eye slowly headed for the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon barely managed to move his eyes and look at it, but when his sightnded on the flower, his face abruptly distorted. Whoosh! The sea breeze blew the petals of the Moon Eye. Hundreds of petals fell on the messy deck that seemed to have turned into a pirate ship. "¡­Ah." A voice barely escaped Specter¡¯s throat. To start the conclusion, the attack was sessful. "¡­Ahh." However, he had failed to kill the Heavenly Demon. Slice! The Heavenly Demon cut off the dead arm covered in ck petals without hesitation. If it had been a little longer, the petals would have covered up the other parts of his body. ¡°¡­¡± Specter bit his lips tightly and closed his eyes. There was a deep sadness on his face. ¡®A handful¡­¡¯ Yeah, just a handful. With just a handful more magic power, he could have tied down the Heavenly Demon for another half a second. With that much more time, the Moon Eye could have frozen his heart. The winner and the loser were decided because he wascking in thest step. "¡­Great job." The Heavenly Demon¡¯s voicecked the humor from before. He nodded slowly with a grave expression. "You¡¯ve entertained me¡­ much more than I expected." The Heavenly Demon was truly moved. The opponent had a much lower level and stats than himself. He had never even imagined that such an enemy could deal this much damage to him. ''No, if...¡¯ If his opponent had a little more magic power. If that unknown ability managed to suppress his body for 0.5... No, if itsted 0.3 more seconds, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t exist in this world anymore to praise Specter. "Ku." The thought made the Heavenly Demonugh¡ªhe had won. ¡®What''s the meaning of this kind of victory¡­¡¯ To be honest, the Heavenly Demon thought he wouldn''t be happy in the slightest bit at all. It was just a light outing that he had taken to give Earth''s garbage a sense of defeat. However, he didn''t expect to feel so much pleasure and a sense of being alive during that casual journey. "You¡¯re really,reallygreat." Maybe that was why? But Heavenly Demon did what he would never do normally. Slice! He gathered his demonic energy and wounded his arm. Drip, drip... The Heavenly Demon thrust his bloodied arm forward and said, "Drink it." ¡°¡­¡± Specter lying on the floor like a dried fish looked up at him with difficulty. "Come with me as a fiend." "¡­Fiends are born from drinking the blood of demons." "The concentration of my blood is particrly high. It''sparable to most lesser demons. If you feel it''s not enough, you can just get the blood of a high-ranking demon and drink itter.¡± "Kic." Specter¡¯s shoulders shook up and down. Heughed at the nonsense. "Are you actually a crazy bastard¡­?¡± How could he make such a suggestion to an enemy who was just fighting for his life just now? Tremble¡­ Specter slowly stood up. Thud! He just realized. A person couldn¡¯t stand up properly when one of their legs was broken. "¡­What a shame." The Heavenly Demon truly thought it was a shame. He had to kill such a brilliant person. Specter was a man the Heavenly Demon himself wanted to recruit as arade, even at the cost of altering his ns. "I¡¯ll just ask one question: is the world worthy enough for a man like you to go this far?" It was a genuine question from his heart. In response, Specter replied without any hesitation, "It is." He suddenly remembered what Shim Deok-Gu said before he came here. - Jun-Ho, you don''t have to carry everything on your own. He knew the meaning of thatverywell. "¡­I think you''re right.¡± "What do you mean?" "I''m a remnant of the past. My time is over.¡± For twenty-five years without Specter''s presence, the world had changed. "Flute of Tidal Breath, deactivate." The world began to fall apart at that order. The blue sky copsed and was reced by the night sky. The intense sunlight began to change quickly to the bright lights of the baseball stadium. The hard deck he felt on his back turned into soft grass. "There are other heroes who have protected the world for twenty-five years without me." If Specter had built the foundation, they were the ones who built a strong castle using his foundation. They protected Earth physically, and mentally, and they createdw and order. They built a solid system to prevent the fiends from invading Earth. ¡°¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon slowly turned his head and looked around. The tens of thousands of spectators in the baseball stadium had disappeared like a lie. Instead, hundreds of unfamiliar figures upied the ground and the stands. "I see." The Heavenly Demon smiled bitterly. There were three Heavens in sight and hundreds of the best yers of the Big 6. ''The news about the raid against the Floor Master on the 3rd floor... Was it a lie for this moment?¡¯ They were bold heroes who had tricked the entire world. With a stiff face, Kim Woo-Joong approached the smiling Heavenly Demon. "Heavenly Demon." As he slowly drew his sword, Kim Woo-Joong dered, "Tonight, let''s put an end to this long war." Chapter 283. Sleepless City (4)

Chapter 283. Sleepless City (4)

Rahmadat¡¯s head rolled toward Jung Hyun. ¡°Toss me toward my body.¡± ¡°Eeeek!¡±Jung Hyun looked like he was about to cry as he looked back and forth between Seo Jun-Ho and Rahmadat¡¯s head. ¡®Well, that¡¯s a normal reaction.¡¯ Jung Hyun had probably never seen someone get their head cut off and still survive. Seo Jun-Ho let out a small sigh and grabbed Rahmadat¡¯s head. ¡°...That hurts, you bastard. You always grab me by the sideburns.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± It was a punishment of sorts, a way of telling him to stop ying around. He tossed it to Rahmadat¡¯s body, which grabbed the head and ced it on top of the neck. ¡°Nice! It¡¯s back on,hehe.¡± In an instant, the area where it connected with the body healed over without a single scar. As he watched it unfold, Jung Hyun looked dumbstruck. ¡°He¡¯s a human like us, right¡­?¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Heishuman, but I don¡¯t know if I should say that he¡¯s like us¡­¡± Rahmadat rolled his neck in different directions, making sure that it was attached properly. ¡°It¡¯s pretty fast. The attack was precise and deep as well,¡± he said. Just like he thought, his opponent was quite strong. Rahmadat grinned, showing his teeth. ¡°This is pretty fun. It¡¯s a good opponent to work on my rehabilitation. ¡°...¡± Rosemary tilted her head and looked down at her hand. It had definitely severed Rahmadat¡¯s head, and up until now, people always died when she did that. But seeing that the man in front of him was perfectly fine, it started to waver. ¡°...¡± Rosemary turned her head and looked at her creator, Piglet. Even though the only thing she had on her face was a mouth, she was somehow able to convey her question of what to do. ¡°What do you mean? Just kill him. Whether it¡¯s a hundred times or a thousand, keep killing him. His regeneration skill won¡¯tst forever.¡± Piglet cackled. ¡°But you, Rosemary, have endless stamina.¡± Rosemary was the result of siphoning the sleep of Maliva¡¯s 20,000 citizens and converting it to energy. As such, she was unstoppable. ¡°Kiik!¡±Rosemaryughed along with her master and hugged one of the trees in the courtyard. There was a ripping sound as she pulled the tree from its roots and threw it at Rahmadat. ¡°Oh?¡± Rahmadat¡¯s eyes glinted, and he took the attack where he stood without even bothering to dodge. ¡°Hup.It is my turn now.¡± He looked around, then wrapped his arms around a huge pir at the entrance of the mansion.¡°Hup!¡± The muscles in his body swelled. His red face and protruding veins showed that he was getting serious. ¡°He¡¯s getting all worked up again¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered to himself. Jung Hyun¡¯s jaw was still on the floor, so Seo Jun-Ho gave him a light hit. ¡°Chief Jung.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Uh?¡± ¡°Chief Jung!¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Jung Hyun barely managed to pull himself together after watching Rahmadat ripping out the building¡¯s pir and roof before waving them around. Seo Jun-Ho ced his hand on the handle of his sword before saying, ¡°We should start moving as well.¡± ¡°Huh?Where¡­¡± ¡°That monster is simply a creation by Piglet¡¯s skill.¡± Most creations like that died along with their masters. Jung Hyun instantly understood, and his eyes brightened. ¡°Of course! So, we should attack Piglet!¡± ¡°Yes. It won¡¯t be easy, though.¡± ¡°Of course not. Even though he looks like that, he¡¯s still a Squadron leader¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and felt around them. He could sense the fiends that had been hiding their presence. ¡°Just as I thought. There¡¯s no way a Squadron leader would go around by himself.¡± ¡°Do you mean that the Squadron members are here, too?¡± ¡°There are forty-eight of them in total.¡± ¡°...!¡± Jung Hyun stared at Seo Jun-Ho, stupefied. The fact that there were forty-eight of them was surprising, but he was much more astonished that Seo Jun-Ho had found them just like that. ¡®How¡­ Has he really only been a yer for two years?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t just being generous. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s leadership, perception, and ability to understand and react to a situation were all on different levels. ¡®I don¡¯t want to admit it¡­ But he¡¯s a lot better than I am.¡¯ Jung Hyun swallowed. He had debuted eight years ago, and he had even climbed to the bottom of the Rankers. However, he was still finding it hard to believe what he was seeing. ¡®...Once he levels up, it¡¯ll only be a matter of time until he gets to the top of the Ranking List.¡¯ People could only enter the Ranking List once they reached the highest level. As such, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t be a part of it. ¡°Pfft,are you aiming for me?¡± All eight of Piglet¡¯s chins jiggled as heughed. ¡®That bastard¡¯s pretty sharp.¡¯ In truth, he was Rosemary¡¯s only weakness. And if he died, the dreams that Rosemary had consumed from others would also disappear. ¡®But the preparation for all this was done years ago.¡¯ Piglet gestured with his hand, and the fiends hidden all across the estate showed themselves one by one. He confidently introduced his Squadron members. ¡°These guys drank mares¡¯ blood along with me. You won¡¯t even be able to touch me.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. The final piece of the puzzle had fallen into ce. ¡®Even if he¡¯s pretty strong, I didn¡¯t think he was much stronger than Pride.¡¯ However, how could one Squadron leader gain control of over 20,000 people? Rationally, Seo Jun-Ho thought it was impossible. ¡®But he had help...¡¯ All forty-eight Squadron members had assisted him. Jung Hyun took out two daggers and lowered his voice, ¡°Jun-Ho-nim, do you have a specific n in mind?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shiing. As the Sword of Ambition quietly slid out of its sheath, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body started to grow hot. ¡®Sixty¡­ Seventy¡­ Seventy-eight percent¡­¡¯ After hitting a record of eighty-five percent while fighting the Heavenly Demon, he was now able to reach seventy-eight percent output pretty easily. ¡®He¡¯s not someone I need a n for.¡¯ After fighting such powerful people in session, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s standards had gone up. Unfortunately for the fiends, it wasn¡¯t merely the result of his haughtiness. ¡°Gah,why is it hot?¡± Jung Hyun huffed as the air suddenly grew hot. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho kicked off the ground and shot forward. Shing! Slice! ¡°...¡± The first person he cut down was a fiend that had been watching him. They didn¡¯t even realize that their head had been severed until they fell to the ground. Slice! ¡°....?¡± The second fiend he killed was someone a little further back. They squinted as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s de reflected the moonlight as they were killed. ¡®Slice!¡¯ ¡°You¡­!¡± ring, the fiend couldn¡¯t even finish their sentence as they became the third sacrificialmb. In the blink of an eye, the Sword of Ambition killed three fiends under the moonlight. ¡°...!¡± Piglet had been lying on the soft sofa, but then he shot up and stood on the pnquin. An indescribable emotion could be seen swirling in his eyes. ¡®...I missed his attack?¡¯ He hadn¡¯t underestimated his enemy. Because Seo Jun-Ho had gotten rid of Pride, Piglet expected him to have mastered the basics. However, the ¡°basic¡± skills that Seo Jun-Ho possessed were much higher than he had imagined. Panicking, he gave an order, ¡°I-I¡¯ll prepare Dream Soul, so buy me some time!¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± The Squadron members looked scared. Their opponent wasn¡¯t someone they could handle just because they wanted to. To them, it felt like they were fighting a ghost. Shing! Shing! Whenever Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s figure disappeared, fiends would fall. Those who tried to use their skills to fight, those who hid, and those who ran away all met the same end. Slice! When twenty fiends had died in this manner, they finally realized something. Every action was futile against Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cruel sword. ¡°P-Piglet-nim!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Piglet squawked and punched his subordinate in the head. While making the magic circle, he was as sensitive as a student before the day of the national college exam. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just need to finish this circle, and then it¡¯ll be okay¡­¡± Piglet¡¯s skill, Magic Circle Design (S), had allowed him to be the leader of the Sloth Squadron. It had never let him down before. Actually, the spell that was stealing the sleep of the citizens of Maliva was the effect of arge high-leveled magic circle. ¡°T-there!¡± Piglet shouted with joy a momentter, drenched in sweat. He barely managed to finish the magic circle. He immediately turned around, then started cursing. ¡°Six? Dammit all! There are only six of you left?¡± He gnashed his teeth. There had been forty-eight members of the Sloth Squadron, but now, only six remained. Actually, at that moment, they were reduced to five. ¡°Everyone stand back!¡± ¡°C-captain!¡± ¡°Finally!¡± The terrified Squadron members ran to him like he was the Messiah. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho was staring at Piglet with an expressionless face while shaking the blood off of his sword. ¡®...What a monster.¡¯ When Piglet met those cold eyes, he subconsciously looked away. The look in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes reminded him of the dead Heavenly Demon. ¡°But this is it for you...¡± The magic circle he had created with his skill was alreadyplete, and it glowed sinisterly under the moonlight. At that, Jung Hyun sensed something off and ran toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim, I have a bad feeling about this.¡± ¡°Yes. I think he¡¯s plotting something.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was wary of the magic circle Piglet had made. He had no idea just what was Piglet¡¯s skill, but it smelled dangerous. ¡°So, step back for a moment and¡­ Chief Jung?¡± ¡°J-Jun-Ho-nim¡­¡± Jung Hyun suddenly went pale and gripped his chest. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t¡­feel so good¡­¡± ¡°Chief Jung! Chief Jung!¡± In an instant, Jung Hyun disappeared like dust in the wind. As he did, the only other thing that happened was that Piglet¡¯s magic circle shed once. ¡°Fufufu.¡± Piglet¡¯s face contorted as he cackled at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I have drunk the blood of a mare. I can snatch others¡¯ dreams away, but I can also give them happy ones.¡± ¡°Where did Chief Jung go?¡± ¡°Who knows? If you want to know¡­¡± The magic circle on the ground shed once more. ¡°Go see for yourself.¡± ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho quickly activated freeze, but the light didn¡¯t stop as it covered him. *** ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly pulled himself together. First, he checked the state of his body. ¡°Huh?¡± He discovered something strange. ¡®...It¡¯s in a horrible state.¡¯ The sturdy muscles covering his body had all disappeared. In addition to that, his line of sight had also be lower. In other words, he had grown shorter. ¡®Is this a curse that gives a physical debuff?¡¯ Eyes sharp, Seo Jun-Ho stood up and looked around. He was in a small room. ¡®And this¡­ This somehow looks simr to Gu Shi-On¡¯s skill.¡¯ However, this room looked extremely familiar. He felt like he had been here a long time ago, and it somehow made him feel homesick. Outside, he could hear the sound of someone doing the dishes. He brought his hand to his waist, but the Sword of Ambition had disappeared, so he poked around the desk. ¡®...Tsk, the only weapon I can use here is a boxcutter.¡¯ Though it was disappointing, Seo Jun-Ho still took it with him and quietly opened the door. If an enemy appeared, he would stab them through the neck. ¡°Da da dum~¡± But all those thoughts disappeared as soon as he saw a woman in the kitchen, the woman was wearing dishwashing gloves. ¡°Ah,you¡¯re awake, dear?¡± She smiled brightly when she saw him. It was because she was his mother¡ªhis mother whom he missed dearly. Chapter 276. The Queen in Anguish (1)

Chapter 276. The Queen in Anguish (1)

The terrorist attacks were quickly put down. It was because the executives of the Fiend Association terrorizing the world suddenly disappeared. Tens of thousands of fiends were left isted, and they faced miserable deaths at the hands of the yers. [Breaking news, The Heavenly Demon died! Specter and the Big 6 deceive the world.] [An unprecedented victory! The Earth is now having a grand festival ?] [Happy event after happy event. Rahmadat Khali is back.] [King of Destruction who protected the Nest says, ¡°My victory, not the victory of mankind.¡±] ¡­ Cafe, school, work, street, drinking¡­ In ces where people gathered, praise for the 5 Heroes and the Big 6 incessantly flowed out. Breathing in the peaceful air after a long time, Seo Jun-Ho was on a bed in a hospital room. "Phew, the burns...¡± Thud! Shim Deok-Gu came to visit the hospital with mandragora juice and clicked his tongue. "So? How was it? I¡¯m going to kill you if you do something like that again.¡± "¡­Why are you nagging as soon as you see me?" "I don''t want to do it either. You better behave well properly, so I don¡¯t have to do it, okay?" Seo Jun-Ho drank the juice with a sulky expression. Since using the second Moon Eye, his body had been very creaky. The bones and organs in his body were in discord. Now it was impossible to even get up without the help of a caregiver. ¡®But I''m d it''s only this much.¡¯ Fortunately, his life wasn¡¯t in as much danger as it was when he first used Moon Eye. It was thanks to the ¡®Bringer of Spring¡¯ title effect of increasing his rate of recovery and the effects of his body transformation. "Master Christine Lewis said you''ll have to rest for a year or so." "She¡¯s a quack." "¡­What nonsense is that toward the best priest of the current times." "I know my body best. It¡¯ll definitely not take a year." Shim Deok-Gu thought Seo Jun-Ho would be very depressed and in despair, but he was doing better than expected. Shim Deok-Gu looked at his entric friend and asked, "Do you have some way?" "Of course. I always have a n.¡± "¡­Ehew," Shim Deok-Gu sighed. The problem was that his n couldn''t always win the sympathy of others. "So what is it then, the n?" "Before that, did you get what I asked for?¡± "Oh, right." Shim Deok-Gu tapped on his Vita and nodded. ¡°I bought it at the auction. What kind of piece of paper goes for eighty billion... It¡¯ll be delivered in two days." "Thank you. If this goes well, I might get up in a week, not a year.¡± "¡­I don''t know whether I should be happy or not because I''m afraid you''ll cause another ident.¡± It had been like that for a long time. This idiot would always get hit, and he would return with injuries whenever he went hunting. He would then quickly shake off his injuries, get up, and go hunting again. ¡®I haven''t felt like this in a while¡­¡¯ It was aplicated feeling where the surrounding people were more nervous than the person involved. Shim Deok-Gu didn''t expect he would feel this feeling for the first time in decades. He looked at his rascal friend as if he was pitiful. "Why are you looking at me like that?¡± "It''s nothing, I¡¯m just watching you because you¡¯re pitiful." "¡­Wow, that hurts me a lot.¡± That was bullcrap; he wasn¡¯t really hurt. Shim Deok-Gu knew that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind wouldn¡¯t budge from something like this. As such, he checked the time and got up. "Then, I have a meeting, so I''m going." "Meeting? The world hase to this point, so what kind of meeting will you have?" "The Earth¡¯s security was broken too easily this time. The prime ministers, presidents, associations, and guilds of each country will gather to talk about future policies. We''ll also have to do something about the Dimensional Elevator. Oh, and...¡± Looking at the oblivious Seo Jun-Ho, he smiled. "Jun-Ho, do you like the Heavens?" *** When Shim Deok-Gu left the room, Seo Jun-Ho was lost in thought. "Heavens¡­?" He had brought upon a situation worthy enough to make anyone speechless. After all, his achievements this time were that great. ¡®Although the reality is that I gambled with my life¡­¡¯ However, in terms of the results alone, he had fought against the Heavenly Demon on his own, and he managed to sever one of thetter¡¯s arms. The Big 6 said they were only able to kill the Heavenly Demon thanks to him. As such, his hospital room now had a mountain of gifts from them. ¡®There''s no choice but for people to bring it up.¡¯ The Nine Heavens were overwhelmingly strong people whose ranks remained the same over the years. However, it was said that people were bringing up the subject this time. ¡®Timing is also appropriate.¡¯ They responded to the terror of the fiends beautifully, but many people still died. There was too much sadness and fear in the world for it to be thoroughly covered with the joy of victory. ''Since the world is currently like this, they need a hero even more.¡¯ The ability he disyed this time was great, and it also raised the status of the yer''s camp. As such, there were many political goals to reassure the confused people of the world. ¡®Now that the Heavenly Demon is dead, the Nine Heavens must have be the Eight Heavens. It''d look good if they filled up the spot with a yer.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho himself had no intention of opposing it. It didn''t really matter even if he was used politically. If even one more person could go to bed morefortably because of him, he would be satisfied. "Hmm?" All of a sudden, something wriggled on the shelf next to his bed. After wriggling for a long time, it groaned and yawned. "Mmm, I had a good night''s sleep." It was the Frost Queen. She wasn¡¯t even a bear, but she had just opened her eyes after hibernating. "What?" She first looked at the mountain of gifts, then at her contractor. Seo Jun-Ho greeted with an awkward look, "H-hi?" As if he had sinned, his eyes were quivering. At the same time, the Frost Queen¡¯s eyes became terrifying. She jumped off the shelf as if she were a detective and climbed onto the bed. "What is all this?" "Ah, ah! Don''t step on me. It really hurts!" She pressed here and there on Seo Jun-Ho''s body, which had almost be like a living corpse. And before Seo Jun-Ho could even answer, she asked in a cold voice, "You used that technique again! You promised not to use it!" "No, I¡­ I had to do it in that situation¡­¡± "Exin. If you cannot make me understand, you...¡± The Frost Queen trailed off, then trembled as she spoke, "Why, why at this time... We will definitely discuss thister!" After speaking, she hurriedly blocked her mouth and hid while holding her breath. At the same time, the hospital room door burst open. "Yoyoyo! My friend!" It was Skaya Kirind who appeared with a noisy greeting, and behind her stood Gilberto and Rahmadat. "Oh, what''s wrong with you? You look really injured." "I''m a patient because I¡¯m injured. You can see it with just a nce.¡± "Hahaha! You''re a patient because you¡¯re injured. That''s true." The hospital room became noisy when these three people arrived at once. Since it was a VIP room, they weren¡¯t being a nuisance to the others in the surroundings, but Seo Jun-Ho''s mind was rapidly being drained. "I''m very tired right now. Don''t talk too much and leave." "Don''t worry!" Rahmadat reassured. Rahmadat took arge piece of meat from his Inventory and strode to the kitchen attached to the hospital room. Seo Jun-Ho asked, "¡­What are you doing?" ¡°I thought it over on my way here. What should I do if my friend is sick?" "No, don''t think about it. Please don''t...¡± "Stamina recovery! Grilling fresh meat is what a true friend does." He was trying to feed a patient a steak out of the blue. Gilberto sighed and said, "Sorry, I tried to stop him, but he didn''t listen. That''s also bear meat hunted from Siberia." ¡°¡­¡± It had only been a minute since these guys came into the room; no, had it been about two minutes? Seo Jun-Ho started to feel dizzy and nauseous. ''No, it feels like they had gotten even worse than before...¡¯ Was it because everyone had been frozen for twenty-six years? It was likepensation for the sentiments they couldn¡¯t express in the meantime. In other words, they had be a notch even harder to control than they used to be. "Oh,e to think of it, I wanted to ask you something," asked Rahmadat as he skillfully cooked steak. "That Heavenly Demon, was he strong?" ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his mouth shut, while Skaya and Gilberto pretended that they weren¡¯t interested, but they focused on Seo Jun-Ho. Even they were quite interested in this topic. "¡­Very. He was the strongest opponent I have ever met in my life.¡± "Sigh, that''s too bad. Since you said that, I would love to have fought him." Rahmadat smacked his lips. It was impossible to fight a dead man. "I heard you and Skaya saved the students in the Nest. Good job." "It was nothing. We wouldn''t have been able to do so if it wasn''t for the note you gave us in the first ce," Rahmadat casually replied, but his back looked droopy today. After exchanging nces with Gilberto for a while, Seo Jun-Ho changed the subject, "Deok-Gu said that the Dimensional Elevator needs to be repaired." "Oh, I''m sure it does. It made a terrible sound when Rahmadat and I were in the Nest.¡± "Hmmm, there was also smoke. The elevator has likely been destroyed," Gilberto said after listening to the story in silence. "¡­The elevator built by the system can also be destroyed. I had no idea." "No one really thought of destroying it..." "But it''s not man-made. How the heck are you going to make the repairs?" "Well, I don''t know about that...¡± The moment Seo Jun-Ho trailed off, a clear voice responded¡ª "You¡¯ll probably need my help." ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The voice belonged to a third party, not to anyone in the room. Skaya, Gilberto, as well as Rahmadat cooking steak immediately responded. "¡­What the heck is this shady guy?" Rahmadat made a one-linement. Both Skaya and Gilberto were being hostile, as it was their first time meeting him. Only Seo Jun-Ho opened his mouth with his eyes wide open. "Gray-nim?" "It has been a long time since I saw you, yer Specter.¡± Wearing a gray suit and a fedora, he was the 1st Floor Administrator, Gray. Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes quivered ever so slightly, as he hadn¡¯t expected a visit from an Administrator. ¡®No, moreover, can an Administrator even roam around like this?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had met two Administrators so far, and he had met them three times in total. However, those meetings had always happened with him being summoned into their space to meet them. "I know what you''re thinking. I don''t usuallye out like this. It could affect the causality...¡± "Causality?" "Oh, let''s pretend you didn''t hear that." Gray waved and took off his hat, revealing his slit eyes. "The order came from above to fix the elevator." "If you say above, do you mean Reiji?" "¡­Much, much higher than her." While he was smiling kindly, Skaya asked, "Do you know him?" "Yeah, it''s Gray-nim, the 1st Floor Administrator.¡± "Administrator¡­?" Her eyes began to sparkle. She was an explorer of magic, so a person involved with the System had to be someone interesting to her. "Do you perhaps need someone to teleport you to the Dimensional Elevator? I can do it for you." "Well, it¡¯s certainly no good in overusing my power in this ce. Then please, yer Skaya Killnd." "I''m following you, too. You look pretty strong. Would you like to go for a round with me when you''re done?" "Haha, no thanks." Rahmadat turned off his magic mana burner and quickly disappeared with the two. The quiet hospital room looked as if a storm had passed. Seo Jun-Ho asked Gilberto for a favor. "¡­Gilbe, can you open the window?¡± "Ah, the smell of meat is certainly strong. Sorry. I should have stopped them froming with me." "No. Who can stop them?¡± "Please get well soon. You''re the only one who can control them," Gilberto asked sincerely. The reason why only Seo Jun-Ho could control them was very simple. "¡­I should. I¡¯ll get well as soon as I can, and set a time soon.¡± A match, more specifically, a match arranged under the guise of reorganizing the rankings. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and began to image train. Chapter 277. The Queen in Anguish (2) Chapter 277. The Queen in Anguish (2) Silence returned to the hospital room after his friends¡¯ departure. What they left behind were precious memories. Gilberto also left, but before leaving, he sliced some apples and put them in a bowl. "It is sweet, sweet." The Frost Queen happily ate the apple slices after having been asleep for a long time. However, her gaze suddenly sharpened, and she started to nag. It seemed that she was very sad that Seo Jun-Ho had broken his promise to her and had arbitrarily used Moon Eye. After nagging for quite a while, she lightly sighed. "Well, I hadn¡¯t been able to care for you as well, so let us leave it at this." ¡®What care¡­¡¯ If someone heard, they might actually think that she was his guardian. However, he didn¡¯t say anything as he didn¡¯t want any more nagging. Seo Jun-Ho dryly responded, "I¡¯m so thankful I could cry.Seriously." "Well... No need for tears¡­ You are too sensitive." The Frost Queen had no idea what sarcasm was, so she continued to enjoy the apples. Seo Jun-Ho then asked, "So why did you sleep for so long this time?" "Hmm...I think it is the aftereffect of using too much power." She patted her shoulder with a small fist as if to relieve her tiredness. "You used too much power¡­ When?" Seo Jun-Ho searched through his memories. He recalled that the Frost Queen had fallen asleep while he was in the middle of the Thunder God¡¯s test. ¡°¡­¡± The Frost Queen suddenly looked upset. She turned her eyes away and hesitatingly spoke, "Why did you not fall down after seeing such a huge attack¡­?¡± "When you fell asleep...Oh,do you mean Sir¡¯s Thunder Dragon Shakes the Heavens? That really was ahugeattack." He had truly been overwhelmed by a technique. Seo Jun-Ho felt like he had faced a natural disaster, not a person. "But why are you asking?" "It¡¯s just that I am still upset by it. Imagine using such a technique against a child who cannot even walk property just yet, would that child be able to receive that technique?¡± "A child who can''t even walk properly...¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered with a sullen look. He thought he had already be much stronger. "If you had my power, you would have easily received that trick." "Khmm.So, when did you use your power?" ¡°¡­¡± Crackle. The Frost Queen made a small piece of ice and held it tightly in her hand. She fiddled with it before saying, "I... I was a little emotional then¡­ I used the power to block...¡± "The power to block?" Obviously, it was her own power to block the interference of all elements. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened as he organized his thoughts. ¡®She was scared that the thunder dragon might overwhelm me, so she protected me just in case?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t believe that it was the hidden reason why this cute little kid had been asleep for over a month. A smile appeared on his lips unknowingly. The Frost Queen blushed to the extent that even her ears turned red. She thenined for no reason. "Hey, why are you smiling?" "No, I''m just proud of you. How did youe up with that?" He wanted to pat her head, but it was impossible with his condition. "I''ll pat you when I get better." "...Hmph.Who would allow you to do that, impertinent Contractor." She refused stubbornly, but her body was honest. In fact, at first, she would turn her head and refuse, saying that he was being impertinent. Recently, however, she would be so rxed and close her eyes whenever her head was being patted like a cat. "Hmm." The Frost Queen put the toothpick down on the te. Next to it were apples that had been beautifully cut in the shape of a rabbit. "What? You can eat more¡­" "Mmhm,apples are sweet and delicious, but...¡± The Frost Queen shook her head lightly. "How should I say this? Savory? A subtle longing that lingers in your mouth after eating it? Itcks that." "¡­Have we ever eaten anything like that?" "I ate it every day. Your tea and cake." Oh,she meant the Spirit Crystal. Seo Jun-Ho looked very sorry. "I can''t make it for you now because my body is like this.¡± "What do you take me for? There is no way I would order a patient to make food." She shook her head and looked at the apple before asking, "More than that, Contractor, if you put what you always put in in this apple, will it taste savory like that?" "¡­What I always put in?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was genuinely surprised because she said it as if she knew the existence of the Spirit Crystal shavings he had been adding to her meals. "Hmm?" The Frost Queen tilted her head with her brand-new mask covering her eyes once more. "Geez.Do you take me for a fool? Did you really think I would not know?" "¡­I thought you wouldn''t know. When did you find out?" "In the Thunder God¡¯s house. I woke up a little early in the morning, and you were making tea with your back turned away." Oh, he got caught back then? Seo Jun-Ho directly admitted with a despondent look. "¡­You¡¯re right. In reality, it¡¯s not that my skills are good but it¡¯s all thanks to the seasoning." However, it was fascinating. Didn¡¯t she make a fuss saying she would never eat Spirit Crystals? "Don''t you find it repulsing?" "At first, a little bit... But it is delicious, so it should not matter. That is what I thought." "I see¡­" As expected, her body was honest. Still, he was relieved. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter how good they are for Frost; I was still tricking her into eating them¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had always been worried that she would cry, raise a fuss, and treat it as if he had betrayed her if he ever got caught. As such, he was d that she hadn¡¯t raised a fuss. The Frost Queen grinned. "The more I know about humans, the greater they seem. To think they would discover something called MSG.¡± ¡°¡­MSG?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked back. Howe MSG had popped up all of a sudden? "Monosodium glutamate, synonymous with seasoning. Is that not the powder you always put in the tea?¡± ¡°...¡± Of course¡­ Seo Jun-Ho stroked his chest and calmed his surprised heart. Now that he thought about it, he had always turned the Spirit Crystals into powder away from the Frost Queen¡¯s eyes. ¡®I put in that powder when I make tea, too¡­¡¯ It would have looked like MSG in her eyes. Seo Jun-Ho asked just in case, "Frost, do you want to try eating a Spirit Crystal? I heard that it¡¯s really good for you..." "Ah,I do not want to. You can eat lots of that rock by yourself.¡± Since the Frost Queen had made it clear once again that she wouldn¡¯t consume a Spirit Crystal, Seo Jun-Ho could do nothing else but to say, "I''ll definitely make your meals for you again when I get better. And since we¡¯re down here on Earth, let''s try going to a restaurant.¡± "That''s good to hear. Get well soon. Get well quick." The Frost Queen revealed a wide smile. It was a childlike, innocent smile that expressed her ignorance over the matter concerning the Spirit Crystals. *** Two dayster, Shim Deok-Gu came to the hospital room with a bag early in the morning. "Jun-Ho, this is what you ordered." "You''re here." Seo Jun-Ho turned his gaze away from the window and looked at Shim Deok-Gu. Thetter used the remote control to raise the bed. "But why do you need this? We even spent 80 billion on it¡­¡± "Do you remember when I caught the Frost Queen and got her nucleus?¡± "Of course. I frantically searched the Nest for 25 years without knowing that you actually ate it." "K-khmm." Seo Jun-Ho still felt sorry whenever he thought about it. Shim Deok-Gu had used his own money to search around the area several times, saying that they had to find the legacy Specter had left behind for mankind. "As always when ites to the nucleus of a monster, appraising the nucleus itself is difficult." The nucleus of a monster was just that¡ªa nucleus filled with magic. It was difficult to figure out its effects even if theappraisal systemgiven to the yers was used. "But an appraisal spell changes the story¡­" An appraisal spell was used whenever you wanted to find the exact or the hidden options of an item. There were some items that the yer''s appraisal system couldn¡¯t properly appraise. "And what you''re holding right now...¡± It was a top-notch appraisal spell sold at 100,000 points at the Administrator''s Store on the 2nd floor. It was a difficult-to-find item, as it had neither the demand nor the supply. "It was easy to get one because there happened to be one in the auction.¡± If he couldn''t buy it at the auction, he would have been forced to ask a Ranker to search the Frontier area for it. If he had to do that, then he wouldn''t have gotten it this early; it would have taken a month or two at the least. "We got lucky...¡± "What?" "No, nothing." Seo Jun-Ho looked at him and said, ¡°Janabi dropped a nucleus when I killed him.¡± "What? Really?" Hearing this news for the first time, Shim Deok-Gu looked around the empty hospital room just in case. "You''re the only one here¡­" "Yes, I was just making sure since someone could have heard...¡± Shim Deok-Gu gulped and took out the appraisal spell from his bag. "Then you''re going to use this appraisal spell to appraise the nucleus." "Right. If I touch it without knowing its effects and identally fall asleep for decades again...¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes trembled as he swallowed his words. He had already slept once for twenty-five years. Once, yes, he could endure once. After all, many of his friends, as well as his acquaintances, were still alive in this day and age. ¡®But if the same thing happens again...¡¯ And if his sleep was going tost for decades again¡­ By the end of it, only a few of those familiar with him would still be alive. Kwon Noya, Shim Deok-Gu, the Thunder God, et cetera¡­ There was a high possibility that he may never see the faces of so many people close to him again. ¡®I might go crazy.¡¯ Perhaps, he might be a madman and run wild. ''¡­Rather, that would be better.¡¯ However, Hero''s Mind (S) wouldn¡¯t tolerate that. It would keep his mind from copsing so that he could live as a human and remain a Hero till the end. Seo Jun-Ho was very much afraid of that. "There''s nothing dumber than repeating the same mistake. This time, I''ll definitely appraise it before even touching it." "Good thinking. Really, good thinking." Shim Deok-Gu nodded in joy. "Then¡­ Open Inventory." A ball from the Inventory rolled on the nket. "Do I just need to appraise this?" "Right..." "Wait a minute." Shim Deok-Gu tore up the appraisal spell. The target was, of course, Janabi¡¯s nucleus. "Ohh, ohhhh!" Shim Deok-Gu eximed in amazement as he wrote down the result on the paper he had prepared. Afterward, he put the paper in front of Seo Jun-Ho. [Janabi¡¯s Nucleus] Grade: Legendary Description: The nucleus that came from killing Janabi, the leader of the Atonic Bees. Effect: Forced sleep for three days when taken. Acquisition of Cell Regeneration (A). "Ohh, ohhhhh!" The same exmation as Shim Deok-Gu came out of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mouth. p, p, p. Shim Deok-Gu pped his hands together with a wide smile before congratting him. "I''m d. You¡¯ll be all right in three days.¡± "Thank you." Seo Jun-Ho was truly grateful. "You''re probably the only one who doesn''t feel greed after seeing this nucleus." "I¡­ Well, I''m not a yer. What''s the point of eating it?" "Your hair will grow again¡­" Shim Deok-Gu''s eyes shook. But after a moment, he gave Seo Jun-Ho''s forehead a whack. "Don¡¯t tease me too much, tease me in moderation!" "Hahaha,sorry. I¡¯ll promise you something instead." Seo Jun-Ho looked up at his friend and promised. "If I find a way to treat hair loss upstairs, even if the Emperor asks for it, I will give it to you first." "I¡¯m grateful to hear that." Smiling, Shim Deok-Gu wrapped Janabi¡¯s nucleus with a thick cloth. Then, he asked Seo Jun-Ho. "Then, Mr. Patient, what''s thest thing you want to say before you go to sleep?" "Don¡¯t say nonsense. Hurry up and give it to me." "See you in three days..." The moment Seo Jun-Ho grabbed it with his palm¡ª Thump, thump! ''Ah...'' His body began to excessively produce hormones. He was lying down like a corpse, but the sense of being ¡®alive¡¯ began to dominate his entire body. Aside from that, his eyelids soon became heavy and his vision was starting to swim as well. ''Three dayster...'' He would get a new skill. Chapter 278. The Queen in Anguish (3) Chapter 278. The Queen in Anguish (3) [Absorption rate is 99.999%...] [Absorption rate is 100%.] [Congrattions, you have fully absorbed Janabi¡¯s nucleus.] [A new skill, ¡®Cell Regeneration (A)¡¯, has been acquired.] The second nucleus absorption was over. As Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes, his friend in a wig waved his hand. "Jun-Ho! Are you awake?" "¡­Three days, right?" "Yeah, it has been exactly seventy-two hours, so don''t worry." That was a relief. Truly a relief. He had already checked the nucleus¡¯s data through the appraisal, but he was nervous since he had gotten burned before. With a sigh of relief, he confirmed the skills he possessed. Frost (EX), Watchguard of Darkness (S), Hunter''s Night (A), Confession of the Dead (A), Hero''s Mind (S), Weapon Mastery (S), Keen Intuition (A), Cell Regeneration (A), Cold Tolerance (B), Circuit Strengthening (B), Thunder Resistance (C) There was certainly a new skill. In fact, he already knew even before he looked at his status window that his body was being healed. ''¡­It''s a fascinating feeling.¡¯ He thought he had an inkling of how Rahmadat normally felt. He couldn¡¯t regenerate as quickly as Rahmadat, but he could feel the cells¡¯ active regeneration. ¡®It¡¯s like an itchy feeling.¡¯ After closing his eyes for a while and feeling the recovery of his body, he said, "At this rate, a week...¡± "A week? Do you think you¡¯ll recover in that time?" "I should recover by then.¡± "¡­Whew,that¡¯s one burden gone." Shim Deok-Gu had been standing all this time, and he was finally able to sit when he heard that. When the Guild Master of Silver Constetion Christine Lewis had sentenced Seo Jun-Ho to a year of recuperation, everything seemed bleak. "The intention''s different, but just think of this as a vacation and have a good rest." "Can I even do that?" Seo Jun-Ho smiled and asked for a favor. "I¡¯ll read the Heavenly Demon¡¯s memory as soon as I get well in a week. Please arrange it for me." ¡°¡­¡± Without knowing that the corner of his smiling friend''s mouth had cracked, Seo Jun-Ho smiled like a fool. "I should be able to get a lot of information about the Fiend Association from his memory. If we know where they''re based, we''ll be able to make a clean sweep of the remnants.¡± This time, he would finish what he couldn¡¯tplete twenty-six years ago. "This time, I¡¯m not going to let a single one of them go." It didn¡¯t matter even if there were fiends hidden under the radar just like before because this time, he had the ¡®Confession of the Dead.¡¯ He was going to hunt, hunt, and hunt the fiends without sparing a single one. ¡®So that even if I were to disappear again, the fiends will never be able to reemerge.¡¯ While Seo Jun-Ho was dreaming of a happy future, Shim Deok-Gu was smiling helplessly as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on him. "The heavens are so funny. Howe we always end up in situations like this?" said Shim Deok-Gu. "What are you talking about?" "We always end up with you being injured to the point that you can¡¯t even move your body, and the healthy me always tells you the bad news in the midst of it all." Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s fists resting on his thighs trembled. He felt like he was going to cry because he felt he was pathetic. ¡®What¡¯s the point of it all if he always has to sacrifice himself to seed?¡¯ Doing such things to seed would only mess things up in the long run¡­ Seo Jun-Ho looked at his friend''s gloomy face and asked in a firm voice, "Bad news?¡± "¡­Whew." He wondered where to start and how to exin. In the end, Shim Deok-Gu moistened his dry lips with his tongue and said in a calm voice, "The Magician of Death ran away with the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body." "Shit." Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and mouth tight. He thought that only harsh words woulde out if he spoke. After being silent for quite a while, he finally spoke, "Give me more details." "On the day the Heavenly Demon fell...¡± After hearing the exnation from Shim Deok-Gu, Seo Jun-Ho still ended up closing his eyes. His thoughts wereplicated as if they were tangled threads. ¡®To think he¡¯d take Heavenly Demon¡¯s dead body¡­ But why? Why did he take it?¡¯ He didn¡¯t think Isaac Dvor had done it due to loyalty. In the first ce, the fiends were the kind of people who could never unite as one. ''Then...'' Seo Jun-Ho''s slightly opened eyes shone. There was no need to think even further, as there were only two reasons why Isaac Dvor had done such a thing. "There¡¯s something he wants to hide and something he wants to acquire." "You thought the same thing as I did." Those two reasons were most likely true. "One is to prevent us from extracting information about the fiends through the Heavenly Demon." "And the other is if they have a skill they can use on the dead, like the Confession of the Dead." Regardless of the reasons, the fiends had achieved both by collecting the dead Heavenly Demon. So could this even be called a victory for the yers? Seo Jun-Ho asked, "How many people were killed in this incident?¡± "¡­It¡¯s being tallied." ¡°¡­¡± Hah. Seo Jun-Ho couldn''t help letting out a dryugh. It had been almost a week since he had be the owner of this bed. Yet, they were still counting the casualties. ¡®How many... Just how many casualties...¡¯ In addition to the casualties, those vicious fiends destroyed many cities, buildings, and economies. ¡®Including the losses invisible to the eye¡­ we can never call this a victory.¡¯ He could see why the media were using the word ¡®victory¡¯ so loudly as if they wanted to brainwash the people. If they hadn¡¯t done so, the people might have been unable to endure it. They had to make people think that the pain and despair would disappear with the dawn and that there was a bright future ahead of them. That way, the people would live today while looking forward to tomorrow. "The great victory, how ridiculous...¡± It was a victory achieved through injuries. The Fiend Association had lost only one leader and tens of thousands of fiends at best, but mankind had to endure indelible wounds and suffering. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s blood was boiling. It was boiling to the point that he wanted to explode. "Five days¡­" Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. From this moment, he was rejecting the vacation. He began to maximize the effect of his new skill, Cell Regeneration (A), by focusing all his senses on it. "I''ll recover in five days." To him, a week felt like too much of a waste. *** "Yo..." Five dayster, Rahmadat came after being called. Entering the hospital room, he leaned against the door and smiled. "Is it okay for a patient to move like that already?" "¡­If you don''t move, your body will go stiff." Whoosh, whoosh. Seo Jun-Ho had one hand on his back while he was doing a handstand with only his index and middle finger. He went down slowly from his handstand then came back up. Warming up only to the point of feeling good, Seo Jun-Ho straightened his posture. "And who are you calling a patient? I¡¯m done being one. It wasn¡¯t fun." On the surface, Specter was still in the hospital due to the aftereffects of his battle with the Heavenly Demon. The reason for this show was simple. ¡®The Heavenly Demon is dead. The Big 6 said they checked and had confirmed it several times.¡¯ As such, there were only three Heavens in the Fiend Association now¡ª The third Heaven, Nazad Hallow. The fifth Heaven, Isaac Dvor. The eighth Heaven, Valencia Citrin. ¡®An injured Specter is a good bait to catch those three.¡¯ If he could use his injuries as bait, he would use it without hesitation. Seo Jun-Ho had decided to take this opportunity to root out the Fiend Association. "Wait a minute. I''ll go change." As Seo Jun-Ho headed to the bathroom with his sportswear, Rahmadat looked around the hospital room. "Hmm?" Then, he found something looking up at him and found it interesting. "Oh,are you perhaps the Frost Queen?" "People with bad manners always seem to call me without the ¡®nim¡¯." "Hahaha.What a funny kid." The Frost Queen was already prepared to leave the hospital room. The backpack on her back contained as many as two sets of ck tea and cake that Seo Jun-Ho had made as soon as he woke up, making it her No. 1 treasure. "All right, if you want it that much, I''ll call you that, Frost Queen-nim. Come closer." "¡­Huh, huh?" The Frost Queen had a rare look of embarrassment. He had definitely put ¡®nim¡¯ at the end, but it sounded a little weird. However, even as she tilted her head like something wasn¡¯t quite right¡­ She still walked in front of him. "Why are you calling me?" "Heave-ho,You''re really the Floor Master of that Nest?" "P-put me down!¡± "You¡¯re very light. Hey, Frost Queen-nim, how much do you weigh?" Being held between Rahmadat''s thick forearm, the Frost Queen struggled in the air. Just in time, Seo Jun-Ho came out of the bathroom after changing his clothes. "Why are you bothering the kid?¡± "I am not a kid!" "Huhu,the way she talks is funny, and even though she¡¯s so small, she¡¯s unafraid.¡± "S-small? Unafraid?" Had there ever been such a humiliating moment while she was the Queen of Niflheim? The Frost Queen¡¯s cheeks puffed out as her body trembled in anger. The moment she was on the verge of bursting with cold ice, Seo Jun-Ho snatched her from Rahmadat''s hand and put her back on the floor. "Stop bothering her. Even if she¡¯s like that, she has been a massive help to me." "Hmm,I see... I''m sure she has the ability. Since she''s the one who had put us through so much trouble." ¡°¡­¡± The angry Frost Queen suddenly became silent and looked at the floor of the hospital room. She would always have nothing to say whenever she heard those words. Seo Jun-Ho bent his knees and looked at the Frost Queen. "Frost, have you apologized to Rahmadat yet?¡± "I have not¡­" "Then you should say something." "Ha...Really, the way you speak...¡± It sounded like Seo Jun-Ho was persuading a kindergartener. Even more annoying than that was that every time the Frost Queen heard that particr tone of voice, she would feel sad and teary-eyed. ¡®Ugh, even though I am older.¡¯ The heavy feelings made her shoulders droop. Afterward, she raised her head. Rahmadat was tall, so she couldn¡¯t just raise her head; she had to raise it almost vertically. "¡­ry." "Hmm?I couldn''t hear you well because you¡¯re far away.¡± Rahmadat lowered his body and smiled, showing his teeth. "Tell me again. I couldn¡¯t hear it.¡± "¡­I am sorry. It was my fault." "Hmm!I got it!" Rahmadat gave a single nod in response. The Frost Queen got more flustered. "Is that¡­ it?" "Hmm?What else do we need to do?" Looking at Rahmadat¡¯s ignorant expression, Seo Jun-Ho smiled softly. "He''s very simple, isn''t he? He had always been like this.¡± "One person apologized for their fault, and the other received the apology. What else do you need?" said Rahamadat. Rahmadat was simple and foolish, but strangely enough, the reason for his actions would often be logical. "Weird humans...¡± She would have nothing to say even if they resented or hated her. Skaya Killnd, Gilberto Green, Rahmadat Khalid, and... even her own contractor. Everyone was so nice that she didn¡¯t know what to say. However, the Frost Queen didn''t hate it. *** "So, what do we have to check today?" "It''s a specification check on my regeneration skill.¡± "Hmm.Come to think of it, I heard from Deok-Gu." Rahmadat, who had been given a rough exnation, grinned. "I heard you got a simr skill as me." "It¡¯s worse than yours." Rahmadat shrugged at Seo Jun-Ho''s affirmation. ¡°In short, you need something as aparison." "Right. I want to see how effective it ispared to your Super Regeneration.¡± After speaking, Seo Jun-Ho grabbed a dagger and drew it across his forearm. Drip! Drip! He didn''t let out even a little groan, even though he had cut deep enough to see the bone. "¡­18.27 seconds." "Well, it''s definitely a little underperforming." Rahmadat tilted his head, and after receiving the dagger thrown by Seo Jun-Ho, he cut his arm directly. "2.58 seconds. The difference is bigger than I thought.¡± "Why is it so slow when it¡¯s A-grade?" Rahmadat looked confused. His Super Regeneration also didn¡¯t start as an S-grade skill. "When I first got my skill, it was also an A-grade skill... I think it was still about ten seconds back then." "Hmm,is this skill a bust?" ¡°But it¡¯s a skill from the Floor Master, so how could it be a bust? Let¡¯s experiment a bit more.¡± While looking at the wound that had healed cleanly, Seo Jun-Ho continued to experiment using various parts of his body. The two men exchanged daggers and cut themselves together for two hours. "¡­Ha,look at this." Seo Jun-Ho revealed a look of interest for the first time since the experiment started. Chapter 279. The Queen in Anguish (4)

Chapter 279. The Queen in Anguish (4)

When the corner of Seo Jun-Ho''s mouth went up, Rahmadat said, "Looking at your twisted mouth... I don''t think it''s a bust.¡± "Be careful what you say. How dare you call the precious Cell Regeneration-nim a bust?¡± On the contrary, it was the cream of the crop. ¡®Well now, let''s see¡­ How do I use it?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked at the hologram window in front of his eyes and was lost in pleasant thought. [You have received a bone fracture injury.] [A lesser bone fracture resistance has been added to the cells.] Suddenly, Janabi came to mind. Thetter was not only able to immediately recover upon being injured, but he had also developed resistance to the injury itself. ¡®The Cell Regeneration skill is the same as his.¡¯ In other words, this skill was evolving the user into a more powerful being the more injuries they sustained. Of course, because it was currently A-grade, it wouldn¡¯t have the same effect as Janabi''s skill. ¡®But in the long run...¡¯ It would clearly produce a much better effect than Rahmadat¡¯s Super Regeneration. Seo Jun-Ho''s gaze turned to Rahmadat. "¡­Why are you smiling?" "Just because. I like it." Seo Jun-Ho grinned and thought. ¡®Above all, Cell Regeneration suits me better than Super Regeneration.¡¯ It was all because Seo Jun-Ho''s fighting style wasn¡¯t as extreme as Rahmadat¡¯s fighting style. In other words, Seo Jun-Ho was not the type to go in aggressively and fight while ignoring wounds. ¡®Even if the recovery is slow, it''s better to develop permanent resistance to wounds.¡¯ Above all, the skill had a part he really liked. "I can grind it.¡± "Construction work? Do you need some emergency money? Do you need me to lend you some?¡± "No, not construction work."[1] Seo Jun-Ho recalled the number of times he had cut himself in the past two hours. "Rahmadat, we had probably... cut ourselves like a hundred times, right?¡± "Yea, we cut the small thoracic and abdominal muscles, the right tibialis anterior, left sartorius muscles, and a few others..." Rahmadat was a man crazy about fitness. The names of muscles ordinary people wouldn''t even know where they were located came out of his mouth one after another. ¡®Those are words that I didn''t really want to know...¡¯ Unfortunately, after being with Rahmadat for so long, Seo Jun-Ho had long memorized those words. "Anyway, that''s right.¡± A hundred wounds for one lesser resistance. Seo Jun-Ho smiled brightly and took out a blunt weapon and a spear from his inventory. "Rahmadat, shall we change our weapons and test again?" *** As soon as the mangled wound recovered, a message popped up. [You have received a crush injury.] [A lesser crush resistance has been added to the cells.] [You have received a stab injury.] [A lesser stab resistance has been added to the cells.] "Bingo." Recovering from the same kind of attack a hundred times would create a lesser resistance to it in the cells. But, what was the effect? Slice, slice. Seo Jun-Ho immediately cut his left forearm with a dagger. "Hmm¡­Indeed." Of course, because it was lesser resistance, he couldstillbe cut. ¡®But I won''t get a paper cut in the future.¡¯ It was just aboutthatlevel. However, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t disappointed. "If the grade goes up... It''s going to be worth seeing.¡± Perhaps, he might truly be an existence that wasn¡¯t even human anymore. He might be a human being who wouldn¡¯t get hurt even after being stabbed. "What, that¡¯s scary. Will I be able to remain human?" It was aplete lie. Rather than being scared, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t stop smiling out of joy. "What is it? Tell me what''s so good, and what¡¯s making you smile. It''s frustrating.¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined to Rahmadat, who was frowning and pping his chest. When he was done exining, Rahmadat¡¯s expression became even more distorted. "¡­What? Compared to that, doesn''t my skill look too shabby for an S-grade?" "Of course, not. Super Regeneration fraudulent skill in its own right." Even if Rahmadat¡¯s head were severed, the head would automatically reattach if it was ced back on his neck. If that wasn¡¯t a fraudulent skill, what would be? But of course, it was normal for someone to think that another person¡¯s skill was better than theirs. "¡­I''m hungry. I''m going to go eat." The jealous Rahmadat walked out of the training room with his drooping shoulders. The Frost Queen had been watching a drama in the corner of the training room all this while, but she hurriedly came up to Seo Jun-Ho after Rahmadat¡¯s departure. "Contractor, is there any chance that with that skill¡­¡± "Yeah. It''ll take a lot of time, but it''ll be possible." With Cell Regeneration, he would be able to gain resistance to Moon Eye by repeatedly using it. "But the Moon Eye¡¯s aftereffects are too great¡­ It will be hard to create resistance right away." "I''ll be in the hospital again if I do it now. For now, the priority is to increase my strength and stamina stats.¡± "Go up the floors diligently, go up." She was right. If he went up to the 3rd floor, his title, ¡®Bringer of Spring,¡¯ would increase all stats by 30 once again. "¡­Now I can see a little." His insides felt like they were going to boil and explode from frustration, but now, they had significantly calmed down. In addition, the foggy road ahead of him was starting to be a bit clearer. *** After training and taking a shower, Seo Jun-Ho returned home. While sitting on a wide leather sofa, a message arrived. "¡­Huh?" When he checked the Vita, there was no message for him. As such, it had to be a Community message. Seo Jun-Ho opened the message box for the first time in a long time and was surprised. "What''s all this?" Shin Sung-Hyun, Kim Woo-Joong, Milphage¡ªthese three yers he was familiar with from the Big 6 had contacted him. [Duokshin: This is Shin Sung-Hyun. How have you been?] [Swordpoint: Hi, this is Kim Woo-Joong¡­ We were supposed to have a talk next time, right? I''m sorry if I misunderstood.] [Mercenary King: Hey, this is Milphage. Where are you right now?] They were all asking about him. Looking at the messages for a while, Seo Jun-Ho was lost in thought. ¡®What''s wrong with them?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a New Year''s greeting, and it wasn¡¯t his birthday either. The answer to his question came quickly. "Oh,I think I know what it is." Shim Deok-Gu said Isaac Dvor fled with the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body. However, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s arm was unretrievable. ''And on that arm, there should be traces of Moon Eye.¡¯ Those who sent him messages had one thing inmon. They had been in ¡®ckfield¡¯ and in the ¡®Heavenly Demon Hunt.¡¯ In other words, they were revealing their doubts about his rtionship with Specter. ¡®There''s a lot of reason to doubt.¡¯ The ability that killed Janabi at that time was known to have been created by Specter and Seo Jun-Ho together. "Then..." The reason they sent the messages was obvious. If he didn¡¯t reply, the thought that he and Specter were the same would weigh more heavily in their minds. It was all because Specter was supposed to be a patient who couldn¡¯t lift even a finger right now. ¡®...It''s not that I don''t trust the Big 6, but if you want to fool the enemy, you have to fool your allies first.¡¯ To effectively eliminate the three Heavens of the Fiend Association, the fewer the people who knew the secret, the better. Aftering to a decision, Seo Jun-Ho turned off the Community window. He didn¡¯t need to reply with a hundred fancy words. "Frost~" When Seo Jun-Ho called her name, she popped her head out of his room. "Why are you calling me? I am binge-watching the dramas I have fallen behind with¡­¡± "Aren''t you hungry? Why don''t we go eat something delicious?¡± "¡­Something delicious?¡± Her pointed ears fluttered like wings. ¡®Those ears aren¡¯t even pping, but they¡¯re fluttering now?¡¯ While Seo Jun-Ho was amazed, the Frost Queen ran into the room and eximed, ¡±I will get ready right away!" *** About a week after the terrorist attacks, the world was now on its way to normalcy, although it wasn¡¯t quite normal just yet. Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen were walking along Apgujeong Street, a fairly busy street. In addition, she was without her mask. "Huh,what¡¯s that? A doll? It¡¯s not? It¡¯s walking?" "Is she a child actor from abroad?" "Kyaa!So¡­ So cute!" "Are you perhaps the child¡¯s father? Can I take a picture of the child? I''m a team leader of a children''s clothingpany...¡± "Oh,a photo, I¡¯m not sure¡­" Those who saw the Frost Queen while walking on the street unknowingly smiled. The Frost Queen was just that cute, pretty, and lovely. However, were their intense reactions nothing but burdensome to her? The always confident Frost Queen was busy hiding behind Seo Jun-Ho''s legs whenever the traffic lights stopped. "Ugh¡­Insolent people. How dare they treat me like a monkey in a zoo." "Well, the meaning of their gazes is a little different. They watch monkeys because they find them cool, but they¡¯re watching you because you¡¯re cute.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Khmm, hmph, ahem! Apliment was enough to bolster her confidence to the point that she woulde out from behind Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s legs whenever she was given apliment. The Frost Queen looked up at Seo Jun-Ho and asked, ¡°But, Contractor, where are we going?¡± "There''s a ce I''ve always wanted to go with you." "A ce you always wanted to go with me?" "Yeah. There are many candies and choctes there, too." "Ohooo,isn¡¯t that a great ce?" The Frost Queen eye¡¯s twinkled. She liked her contractor very much today. ¡®To serve delicious food on his own, howmendable. Most of all, he hasn¡¯t been nagging.¡¯ He would always tell her to brush her teeth, wash her face in the morning, and he would even ask if Spirits could skipundry. His nagging had been getting progressively worse to the point that he was bing more and more like his bald friend. But today, he was very kind since morning. ¡®Hmm¡­ if only theing days would be like today¡­¡¯ The Frost Queen would be willing to pass on a few more techniques to him in the future. A happy smile appeared on her face as she followed Seo Jun-Ho. Arriving in front of a building, the Frost Queen asked with an innocent look, "Contractor, what''s a dentist?" "That''s where we''re going.¡± "Oh,the ce with lots of candies and choctes?" She voluntarily jumped into the store with great excitement. But the air inside was quite different from her imagination. "What, what is this... This¡­" First of all, the ce didn¡¯t give off a delicious smell as she had expected. The only thing that entered her nose was the smell of disinfectants with strong oil-rich substances. In addition, the clerks¡¯ clothes weren¡¯t pretty. "How did youe here?¡± They were dressed in uniforms simr to the nurses at the hospital. The Frost Queen muttered while shaking Seo Jun-Ho''s sleeve, "C-contractor¡­ I think we came to the wrong store...¡± "This is the right ce. I made a reservation under the name of Seo Jun-Ho." "Oh,you have a doctor''s appointment for eleven o''clock." For a moment, the Frost Queen had a nk look on her face as if the world had copsed. Then, a kind nurse approached her and offered her candy. "Little patient, do you want some strawberry candy?¡± "N-nooooooo!¡± Her one-word scream was buried in the ssical music being yed gently from the dental office''s speakers. *** "¡­Traitor." The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes were fierce. The wounds of betrayal she had sustained from the contractor she once trusted were still fresh. "¡­I. I think the most important thing in a mutual contractual rtionship is mutual trust." Like, the belt of faith? However, the belt broke today. "How can you do this to me?" "That''s why I told you to brush your teeth properly normally. You always have tea, coffee, cake, candy, chocte, and coke. How can your teeth not rot and hurt?¡± "It is not rotten! The dentist said my teeth are sturdy!¡± The Frost Queen''s face flushed. She even shed tears because she was sad about having to open her mouth wide to a human being she had never seen before in her life. "That''s why I''m buying you something delicious.¡± "O-of course it is delicious, but¡­!" They weren¡¯t just empty words, itreallywas delicious. What she was currently eating was a 71,000 won per person tteokbokki made at a luxury hotel restaurant.[2]She found it so sweet that its taste had wrapped around her tongue; it wasparable to her contractor¡¯s cake. "...Anyway, I will never forget what happened today. Be prepared." "Forget it, please. I did everything for you.¡± While Seo Jun-Ho wasforting the sulky Frost Queen, inte users who witnessed them walking around spread stories on the Inte. Naturally, the news was transformed into a report, and it entered the ears of the Big 6. "Did he really look normal?" "Yes, he looks uninjured." ¡°¡­¡± Reading all the reports, Shin Sung-Hyun put his hand on his chin. ¡®Seo Jun-Ho¡­ Specter¡­¡¯ In fact, this was something that turned out to be a misunderstanding once before. But this time, there was quite a bit of suspicious evidence, so he tried... ''Well, I think I know how it works.¡¯ The brilliant Shin Sung-Hyun nodded slowly. ¡®Catching Janabi was entirely due to Specter¡¯s contribution.¡¯ It was just that Specter had distributed a little bit of the contribution to Seo Jun-Ho, whom he was backing. ¡®Maybe, Seo Jun-Ho requested Specter to do that in exchange for melting the 5 Heroes¡­¡¯ He didn''t mean to criticize in particr. In this world, getting something with whatever they had was also their ability. "Jang Kyung-Hoon." "Yes, Master." "As of now, we will reduce yer Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s importance by two notches." "¡­I understand." Doing so would inevitably affect Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stock price, which had risen to the highest after killing Janabi. However, Shin Sung-Hyun didn¡¯t want to have the wrong information on his list of people. ¡®...¡¯ But while staring at the report, Shin Sung-Hyun asked, "But what on Earth is this crazy cute-looking exotic child mentioned in this report?¡± "W-well. I don''t know very much about that¡­¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon wasn¡¯t able to acquire a picture, so he could only scratch his head awkwardly at Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s words. Chapter 280. The Sleepless City

Chapter 280. The Sleepless City

Once dawn broke, Seo Jun-Ho got ready to leave. He went over his schedule for the day in his head. ¡®I¡¯ll meet with Noya and get him to check my equipment, and then I can meet with the others and create a n for what¡¯s toe.¡¯ His faithful White Armor had beenpletely destroyed during the battle with Janabi. Because of that, he had to fight the Heavenly Demon while using only the Watchguard of Darkness to protect his body. ¡®But I can¡¯t keep fighting like that.¡¯ Some people say that a master craftsman would never me their tools, but only ignorant ones believe that. The more skilled someone was with a craft, the stricter and pickier they were with their equipment. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here in a while.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was standing in a shabby alleyway near the yer Market. He nced behind him. ¡°...If you¡¯re gonna go in, let¡¯s at least go in together,¡± he said. ¡°Hmph.¡± The Frost Queen crossed her arms and turned her head away in refusal. She had been acting like this sincest night. ¡®She¡¯s still like that even though I bought her royal tteokbokki.¡¯ By the looks of it, he would have to feed her something good today as well. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and knocked on the door of the workshop. ¡°Who is it?!¡± Someone called out. No matter how many times Seo Jun-Ho heard his voice, it was always thunderous. He smiled. ¡°It¡¯s me, Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Oh?!¡± There was a loud noise from inside, and the door soon opened. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Palmo.¡± ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Mr. Jun-Ho!¡± Kwon Noya¡¯s grandson grinned brightly. Not only was Seo Jun-Ho a big customer of theirs, but Palmo was personally a fan of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Come in.¡± He quickly escorted Jun-Ho into a seat. ¡°Grandpa! Grandpa!¡± he shouted. ¡°Geez,it¡¯s still morning, and yet you¡¯re already being so noisy¡­¡± Kwon Noya came down the stairs, clicking his tongue. His eyes went wide, but only for a moment. His face wrinkled when he saw Seo Jun-Ho giving a friendly wave. ¡°Ugh,it¡¯s another insufferable brat¡­¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°What are youughing about?!¡± Noya was probably the only person in the world who would dare to scold Specter like this. He strode toward Seo Jun-Ho and walked around his body, inspecting him. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine, Noya.¡± ¡°...How?¡± he asked. Kwon Noya had read the news. In particr, whenever he read articles about Seo Jun-Ho and Specter, he would always use his reading sses. ¡°You definitely¡­¡± It had only been a week since it had been reported that he would need at least a year to recuperate. The news weighed heavily on his heart and was even interrupting his sleep, but to think that the person in question was standing right in front of him, unscathed¡­ ¡°Ugh!¡± Celebrities, politicians, and Specter were things you absolutely shouldn¡¯t worry about. Kwon Noya recalled that expression and boorishly took a seat. ¡°Palmo, please give us some space.¡± ¡°Yes, Grandpa.¡± Kwon Palmo hesitated, but he soon disappeared. ¡°...Why did youe here today?¡± Kwon Noya asked. ¡°Man, I¡¯m hurt. Do I need to have a reason toe and see you?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t. But you would always have a reason toe here.¡± ¡°A-ahem.¡± Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head and ced the pieces of his belt and sword one by one. Kwon Noya instantly recognized them, and his eyebrows furrowed. ¡®That belt is from White Armor, and those shards¡­ Are from ck Dragon Fang.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had only used the sword for a short amount of time, but now, it ttered onto the table in thousands of pieces. It was impossible to repair. As if possessed, Kwon Noya abruptly grabbed the belt and fashioned it on a mannequin inside the workshop. ¡°Magic power,¡± he ordered to Jun-Ho. ¡°Um,Noya. Before you take a look, there¡¯s something you should¡ª¡± ¡°Just give me some magic!¡± His scolding silenced Seo Jun-Ho, and thetter politely poured magic power into the belt. However, the armor that unfolded¡­ was far from the pure white that it once been. ¡°Tsk tsk, this is crimson armor, not White Armor.¡± The armor still had traces of the battle with Janabi. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s blood and Janabi¡¯s sap had dried over the armor. Moreover, it barely even looked like an armor because of the broken parts. ¡°...¡± Kwon Noya silently stroked White Armor with warm hands, as if to say that it had done well and to rest up. Afterward, he turned around. ¡°I won¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Come on, Noya. Don¡¯t be like that¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it twice. I won¡¯t do it.¡± Kwon Noya firmly shook his head. He had made this decision after inspecting the armor more closely. ¡°...Is it because I¡¯m too careless in using the armor you made for me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I¡¯m too old to carry that kind of immature ego.¡± Kwon Noya bitterly smiled and shook his head. ¡°I could instantly tell from the damage. It was destroyed with just one attack, was it not?¡± ¡°...¡± White Armor had been unable to block a single strike from Janabi¡¯s tail stinger. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s injuries would have been far worse without the armor. He might have even died instantly, without a chance to use Moon Eye. ¡°But White Armor still saved my life. It had been a very good¡ª¡± ¡°Listen, Jun-Ho. Armor that can¡¯t block attacks from the enemy is useless.¡± Kwon Noya called him by his name this time, instead of ¡®brat¡¯ or ¡®rascal.¡¯ That was how strongly he had made his mind up. Seo Jun-Ho bit down on his lip. ¡°But¡ª¡± He trailed off. ¡°But nothing.¡± Kwon Noya slowly closed his eyes. Seo Jun-Ho could see a mix of lingering feelings and relief in Kwon Noya¡¯s wrinkled face. ¡°My armor can no longer protect you. That¡¯s all.¡± Kwon Noya knew that this day would eventuallye. Specter was the best yer, after all. In addition, the level of the enemies he fought was always rising. Of course, Kwon Noya had no idea that day would be today. ¡®It was a long time¡­¡¯ Was it around thirty years? He wondered if he had gone through all those years with only this day in mind. ¡®It¡¯s about time I retire.¡¯ He had decided a long time ago that he would retire once Specter¡ªonce Seo Jun-Ho no longer needed him. Of course, he was also sad. ¡®...You promised.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho should have somehow used it in a better way. Kwon Noya quietly clicked his tongue in regret and slowly opened his eyes as he spoke, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to get it on Earth.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t be able to get the best armor to protect him here on Earth. ¡°But you might be able to get it on the upper floors.¡± An armor like that might exist in an empire built on magic instead of science. Kwon Noya silently stood up and went to a room upstairs. A momentter, he brought down a wooden box. ¡°...What is that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked in a small voice. His chest was pounding. It wasn¡¯t like Kwon Noya was dying or anything, but the fact that he had lost an old friend was weighing heavily on his shoulders. ¡°Take it. I made this decades ago so that today wouldn¡¯t be remembered as a sad day.¡± He carefully opened the box with a click. There was an ordinary iron sword inside. But the moment Seo Jun-Ho saw it, his eyes became as wide as saucers. ¡°This is¡­?¡± He remembered it. It was the first sword he had received from this workshop. When he broke it after a single hunt and came back for repairs, Kwon Noya had been furious. He had told Seo Jun-Ho that his weapon was wasted on a novice like him and to not even dream about getting it repaired. ¡°Do you remember what I did?¡± ¡°...Hmph.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had gone down on his knees and apologized.[1]He had seen how much work Kwon Noya had put into crafting that ordinary sword. ¡°I apologized. I said I¡¯d never recklessly break a sword again.¡± ¡°...¡± That was the day when the rookie yer Seo Jun-Ho was imprinted deep in Kwon Noya¡¯s memory. Since that day, they continued to work together until Kwon Noya became Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s exclusive cksmith. ¡°...I thought you had thrown it away a long time ago, but I suppose you didn¡¯t.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ran his finger down the smooth de. It was an ordinary iron sword without any kind of patterns or designs. But it was so perfectly crafted that it wasparable to even the greatest swords of the previous eras. ¡°Pffft.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled when he saw the Chinese characters engraved on the de. ¡°What does this mean?¡± ¡°...On the day you knelt down and apologized, I saw it in you.¡± Ambition. Kwon Noya had been a middle-aged man who had spent his whole life hammering iron. Seo Jun-Ho had been a youth that hadn¡¯t even lost all his baby fat just yet, but Kwon Noya had seen the zing conviction in his eyes¡ªit was the conviction to kill all the monsters and save the world. Perhaps, that was why he hadn¡¯t been able to throw the sword away and put it in storage instead. Sometime after that, he had taken out the sword and forged it anew to create this Sword of Ambition. ¡°It¡¯s an amazing sword.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be more useful than ck Dragon Fang.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho held the sword and closed his eyes, he could strongly feel just how much Kwon Noya thought about him. ¡®The knowledge he had gained after decades just for me.¡¯ He could feel all that in this one sword. Seo Jun-Ho put it away in his sheath. He hadn¡¯t been able to get a good set of armor today, and he had even lost a friend. However, he was smiling. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard all these years. Rest up, Noya.¡± ¡°You make it sound like I¡¯m gonna die, you rascal,¡± Kwon Noya grumbled. Still, he smiled as well. The best cksmith in the world felt like a weight had been lifted off his back. ¡°Ahem.So, are we gonna y another round of Go again?¡± ¡°You really suck at it, though.¡± ¡°Lies!¡± Kwon Noya lost four more times. *** ¡°He¡¯s retiring? Well, I suppose it¡¯s about time.¡± Shim Deok-Gu nodded, looking a little disappointed. The retirement of a master craftsman like Kwon Noya was sad news. ¡°I think it was the right decision to retire now, especially for his health.¡± ¡°If I manage to find a good health potion from the upper floors, I¡¯m nning to give it to Noya.¡± ¡°Of course, you should. Just think about how much you owe him.¡± After a brief chat, Seo Jun-Ho spoke again, ¡°So, why did you call me out of the blue today?¡± If he had followed his ns, he would have been sparring with his friends right now. Rahmadat had been in low spiritstely because his body still hadn¡¯t fully recovered. ¡°A useful Quest came down from Moonlight,¡± Shim Deok-Gu replied. ¡°Moonlight¡­?Oh,my informationwork?¡± He had created the organization after taking over a bar in Maliva that had gone out of business. ¡°Now that I think about it, I was nning to visit there.¡± ¡°You should go there this time when you have the chance.¡± Shim Deok-Gu opened a hologram window. Seo Jun-Ho read it and tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Something weird has been going on in Maliva.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t this good news?¡± The document disyed a graph showing that Maliva¡¯s businesses had been booming recently. ¡°It means that the city is growing. Why is that weird?¡± ¡°...The reason for the sudden boom is what¡¯s weird,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the new document and squinted. ¡°Yeah¡­This is pretty damn weird.¡± He flipped through a few more reports and nodded. ¡°It says that the city has be sleepless. Is that possible?¡± ¡°Typically, no.¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s no way they could just keep going without any sleep.¡± Apparently, it had been four days since this began. Typically, such nonsensical phenomena could only be caused by one thing. ¡°It¡¯s a skill.¡± ¡°Moonlight thinks that the Fiend Association might be connected to all this,¡± Shim Deok-Gu exined. ¡°The Fiend Association¡­They should be really busy right now, though.¡± ¡°Now that their management is looser, the fiends have been appearing in force.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Right now, the main force of yers resided on the 3rd floor. It wasn¡¯t surprising that a few fiends had escaped the control of the Fiend Association and were causing trouble. ¡°It would be best to go there as soon as possible, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Shim Deok-Gu responded. ¡°I should take Rahmadat with me, then. I¡¯ll help him raise his level on the way,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. With apletely new n in tow, he stood up. ¡°We should figure out the rankster¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho checked his Vita. Rahmadat should be awake by now. And if he was awake, there was only one ce he could be. ¡®The gym.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho started toward the gym without hesitation. Chapter 281. The Sleepless City (2)

Chapter 281. The Sleepless City (2)

The 75th floor of the Korean yer Association building had dozens of personal training rooms. Seo Jun-Ho entered one of them. ¡°...Geez,even theairis heated in here,¡± he remarked. Therge training room was furnished with all kinds of workout equipment. The lights were off, and the only sound that could be heard was the asional panting. ¡°Why is it so dark¡­ Are you a vampire or something?¡± Rahmadat immediately reacted when Seo Jun-Ho turned on the lights. ¡°Hey¡­! Wait, Jun-Ho?¡± He looked toward the door, taking off the towel that had been on his face. Then, he went back to bench-pressing. ¡°Hup! Hup!¡± All the equipment in this gym belonged to Rahmadat and had been flown in from India. They were all made of materials from Gates. Thanks to that, you could use them to have an intense workout unimaginable for normal people. ¡°That looks heavy. How many kilos is that?¡± ¡°Hup¡­Hup¡­!Two thousand!¡± Rahmadat said curtly. His chest heaved, almost looking like it was about to explode. He finished his light set and put away the barbell before standing up. ¡°I¡¯m surprised. To think that you¡¯de to a gym.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you and I have somewhere we need to go together.¡± ¡°...Somewhere we need to go?¡± Rahmadat¡¯s eyes sparkled, and his muscles twitched. However, Seo Jun-Ho quickly cut off his hopes before he could get too excited. ¡°I¡¯m telling you now, we¡¯re not gonna spar. We have some business to take care of on the 2nd floor.¡± ¡°Hm,that¡¯s a shame¡­ The 2nd floor, you say?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you excited? You might even be able to fight some fiends if you do well.¡± ¡°I shall fight them! Let¡¯s go right away.¡± This was why Seo Jun-Ho had decided to look for this guy. While he waited for Rahmadat, he tried to talk to the Frost Queen. ¡°You¡¯re still not talking? I bought you a hotdog on the way back from the workshop.¡± ¡°...¡± She swiftly turned her head away, showing that she was still mad. But¡­ With the ketchup on her face, she didn¡¯t seem intimidating at all. ¡°You have ketchup on your lips.¡± Seo Jun-Ho handed her a tissue, and she turned red all the way to her ears before disappearing off somewhere. ¡°Tsk tsk.When will she grow up¡­?¡± As time went on, she seemed to be more and more like a child. But on some days, she would seem like an adult. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t understand Spirits at all. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Rahmadat returned in no time, and they headed to the artificial ind in the Pacific together. ¡°Seems like the elevators have been perfectly restored,¡± Seo Jun-Homented. ¡°The Administrator of the 1st Floor is quite impressive. Though, I haven¡¯t fought him before.¡± Rahmadat looked around in awe like some country bumpkin. Once the button was pressed, and the elevator started to move, he became tense with anticipation. ¡°So this is the 2nd floor!¡± he eximed, full of excitement. He had only heard about this exotd from others. ¡°...¡± The city was in ruins. The air was gloomy, and people were in the midst of constructing new buildings. ¡°The fiends must have raided this city first, and it¡¯s probably because it¡¯s connected to Earth,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°...Mm.¡± Rahmadat¡¯s face was furrowed, disturbed by what he was seeing. Every street was filled with the citizens of Gilleon, and every citizen¡¯s face was gloomy. ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned toward the adolescent voice and smiled. ¡°Huh?Young master Simus!¡± He didn¡¯t seem to have trouble walking anymore after he had received treatment from both Seo Jun-Ho and Skaya. He bounded over and looked up at Seo Jun-Ho with a bright face. ¡°You were unharmed?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, I suppose¡­ What are you doing in a ce like this?¡± ¡°Reconstruction, of course.¡± Simus scratched his head. Despite his young age, he was helping out with rebuilding the city. ¡°How admirable¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Mother and Father are working much hard than I am.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho patted his head without saying anything. A few of the knights looked like they were about to fly into a rage, but Commander Phivir recognized Seo Jun-Ho, and he reprimanded those knights with a look. ¡°Hehe¡­Where are you going, yer Jun-Ho?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m on my way to Maliva. I have some business there.¡± ¡°Huh?Maliva?¡± Simus¡¯s eyes grew wide, and he turned around. Phivir met his eyes and nodded. ¡°That was one of the cities we lost contact with,¡± he said. ¡°...Lost contact with?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked with interest. ¡°After the city became like this, we sent out requests for help to neighboring provinces,¡± Phivir exined, pointing to one of the carts full of supplies. They were scattered everywhere. ¡°Many of them sent us aid while those that couldn¡¯t send us aid decided to send us workers to help with the reconstruction. However¡­¡± Phivir shook his head. ¡°We received no response from Maliva. Even though our city lord has good rtions with them.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± ¡°Milord thinks that something must have happened¡­ But the knights are thinking otherwise.¡± It made sense. After all, it was often said that the true nature of a rtionship would be revealed during a crisis. ¡°If I have time, I¡¯ll look into that as well,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°We would be grateful. Do you need a carriage?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at Rahmadat. ¡°Do you want to ride one?¡± ¡°No,¡± he stubbornly said before grinning. ¡°Let¡¯s get some fresh air and run there.¡± *** It would take about twenty days on average to go from Gilleon to Maliva by carriage. But Seo Jun-Ho and Rahmadat had shortened it by half. Horses had to take frequent breaks, but they didn¡¯t need as many. This was also possible because they were much faster than horses. ¡°...What do you think?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Hm.Nothing seems strange on the surface,¡± Rahmadat replied. They entered through the gates and took ap around the streets, checking out the situation. They came to only one conclusion: there was nothing suspicious. They stopped by a pub, talking as they quenched their parched throats. ¡°It¡¯s my first time in Frontier, but I can still tell that there¡¯s nothing suspicious about this city,¡± Rahmadat said. ¡°Your eyes are good. I think the same as well.¡± Before the city was destroyed, Maliva hadn¡¯t been very different from Gilleon. In other words, it was so active that it was on the same level as the Starting City. The streets were packed with people, and they were all smiling. ¡°Everyone looks happy¡­ Are you sure there really is a problem here?¡± Rahmadat asked. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know that yet.¡± Seo Jun-Ho watched the sun setting beyond the city walls, and stood. ¡°So, let¡¯s ask.¡± ¡°Ask who?¡± ¡°Moonlight.¡± Rahmadat looked up, but the moon hadn¡¯t risen yet. He tilted his head in confusion. *** Moonlight was a run-down bar. It was on the outskirts of the city and was in a very disadvantageous area for businesses. ¡°I think I understand why they went out of business,¡± Rahmadat said honestly. There were no traces of people in the dark alley, let alone sounds of chatter. Who would go to a bar inside a copsing building? Seo Jun-Ho faced his back toward the dusky moon and knocked on the door. Creaaaak. The door made a strange sound as it creaked open. ¡°Who¡¯sing in at a time like¡ª¡± The bartender looked up, and his expression immediately changed. Heposed himself and escorted them inside. ¡°Please have a seat over there and wait for a bit.¡± He swept the floor with a broom before disappearing. Rahmadat grinned. ¡°He¡¯s pretty useful.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a yer. His level¡¯s probably a lot higher than yours, actually.¡± Seo Jun-Ho leaned against the back of his chair and looked around the bar. The interior was a little old-fashioned. It resembled an underground pub that might appear in an 80s American movie. ¡°The concept is pretty good, though.¡± Part of the roof was made of ss, and blue moonlight poured through it, lighting up the pub. ¡®So that¡¯s why it¡¯s called Moonlight.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho grinned. He liked this ce a lot. A momentter, a man approached their table. He seemed like the general manager. He bowed. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho-nim, and Rahmadat Khali-nim. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to be lying. Several of the other bartenders were watching them enviously. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Rahmadat said. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. What should we call you?¡± ¡°My name is Jung Hyun. Please call me Chief Jung.¡± ¡°Alright, Chief Jung.¡± As the owner of Moonlight, Seo Jun-Ho was smoothly able to give his first order. ¡°I heard that there was a useful Quest here. Please give me the rted materials.¡± ¡°...Understood.¡± Jung Hyun¡¯s eyes sparkled as he bowed deeply. ¡®He¡¯s not your average man.¡¯ As expected of an information broker, he was piecing together information about the owner. Seo Jun-Ho was a star yer who managed to grip the interest of the entire industry even though he had just debuted two years ago. However, Jung Hyun had expected him to have some weak pointspared to others because of his rapid growth. For example, his leadership skills. ¡®But it¡¯s not the case...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s calm, unwavering voice was a tone that belonged to someone who had led people plenty of times before. They only spoke for a moment, but Jung Hyun was already a little impressed. ¡®He has no cracks in his armor.¡¯ It was a given for Rahmadat, but the yer sitting next to him didn¡¯t even have a single crack that could be poked through with a needle. ¡®That¡¯s a relief.¡¯ With such a reliable owner, the quality of the information Moonlight could gather would naturally increase. Jung Hyun hummed as he went through the warehouse and down to the basement. There, dozens of yers were sitting with headphones as they typed some documents. ¡°There is a big outbreak in the western part of the Empire. The causes are unknown. The Church of the Sun¡­¡± ¡°Count Radenche¡¯s legitimate heir has been decided? Give me more details.¡± ¡°This should be 2nd-grade¡­ Wait, why is important information like thisbeled 3rd-grade?¡± They were yers who possessed skills rted to dealing with information. They would gather information through their individual methods, and optimize its credibility and quality. As Jung Hyun walked through the countless desks, he was reminded of a library. He picked up several rolled-up parchments before returning to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You will understand once you read it,¡± he said. The documents were written in the Imperialnguage, but Seo Jun-Ho had no trouble reading them. When he was done, he was silent for a while before speaking, ¡°So, two weeks ago, this phenomenon started without warning?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°There is something I wish to know.¡± Rahmadat raised his hand. ¡°Are the residents of the city unable to fall asleep?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes...¡± ¡°And that includes you all as well?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jung Hyun shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t know why, but yers like us are fine.¡± ¡°...Wait. So, it¡¯s only affecting the natives of Frontier?¡± Seo Jun-Ho interrupted. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Have you spoken with any of the citizens?¡± ¡°Of course. I can feel that they are quite satisfied with the current situation.¡± ¡°Satisfied? Even though they can¡¯t sleep?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked confused. ¡°Though they cannot sleep, they¡¯re not tired. Moreover, they seem to have be even better than usual, physically,¡± Jung Hyun exined. ¡°...Makes sense. That means they can use the time they previously had to spend sleeping into doing whatever they want.¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Rahmadat exchanged looks. This was their first encounter with such a strange phenomenon. ¡°Are there any fiends or yers that have skills rted to sleep?¡± ¡°No. At least, not that we know of.¡± ¡°...¡± Tap tap. SeoJun-Ho tapped his finger on the table as he fell into contemtion. ¡®Something¡¯s missing¡­¡¯ Whenever something like this was orchestrated, someone was bound to profit from it. But right now, there wasn¡¯t really anyone that was getting anything out of the phenomenon other than the citizens. ¡°The citizens aren¡¯t really bothered by it either¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ¡°I can feel that they¡¯re enjoying it, seeing as they now have all the time in the world to devote to their jobs and families, while being perfectly healthy,¡± Jung Hyun said. ¡°In that case, the person who will profit the most out of this is¡­¡± ¡°Since the city is growing, wouldn¡¯t it be the city lord?¡± Rahmadat suggested. Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. ¡°Have you met him before?¡± ¡°My apologies. We still do not have enough influence to be able to meet someone like him¡­¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll go to him.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Jung Hyun carefully opened his mouth. ¡°Forgive my forwardness, but Viscount Hosen doesn¡¯t meet with yers if he can help it.¡± Moonlight had consistently been requesting a meeting with the city lord, but they were rejected each time because Viscount Hosen had a strong sense of pride as a noble. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said as he took out a small letter from his Inventory. ¡°I have a letter of rmendation. I should at least be able to have a meal with him.¡± ¡°H-how did you¡­?¡± ¡°...I got lucky.¡± On the day that Seo Jun-Ho first went up to Frontier, Captain Ju-Ha gave him the letter of rmendation, saying that it was a gift to her junior. ¡®Though, I had no idea that I would have to use it like this.¡¯ Jung Hyun no longer looked shocked. Rather, he nodded. ¡°In that case, could I apany you when you go meet him?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to have an experte with me.¡± ¡°Well, is there any need to wait?¡± Rahmadat shot out of his seat. ¡°Let us go. Right now.¡± The three men started toward Viscount Hosen¡¯s estate. While they walked, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was out of ce. ¡®What a strange feeling.¡¯ He felt like he was walking down the streets of Seoul, not Frontier. It was the first time he had seen so many people milling around at night when it wasn¡¯t even the festival season. ¡®Well, I suppose we¡¯ll find out once we meet him.¡¯ Whether Viscount Hosen was the mastermind or not, he would have more information as the city lord. ¡°...¡± From afar, a pair of eyes watched the three of them walking down the road. ¡°Supernova and the King of Destruction¡­ I should report this.¡± The girl considered this for a second before she started toward the mansion, one step ahead of them. Chapter 282. Sleepless City (3)

Chapter 282. Sleepless City (3)

Chief Jung continued to exin the situation as they walked, perhaps to demonstrate hispetence. ¡°Maliva has a poption of roughly 20,000, making it somewhere between a small and a medium-sized city.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still considered a city even though it only has 20,000 people?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. On Earth, and specifically in South Korea, a settlement with a poption of that size would only be considered a district at best. ¡°It¡¯s easier if you think of it in terms of Europe during the Middle Ages. Back then, a settlement with a poption of 40,000 was considered arge city.¡± ¡°Hm,it makes me ufortable to think that 20,000 people haven¡¯t been able to sleeptely.¡± Rahmadat had a slight frown as he studied the crowds of people filling the streets. Even though something nonsensical was happening, no one was asking any questions. There was definitely something creepy about this if you looked at it closely. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± There were two armored knights standing guard at the entrance of the lord¡¯s mansion. Of course, they stopped the three men. ¡°Halt. It seems like you never get tired, yer.¡± ¡°How many times must you be rejected until you understand?¡± The guards¡¯ eyes narrowed when they saw Chief Jung. He was the yer that had been persistently asking to meet the city lord ever since two weeks ago. ¡°I¡¯vee today with my superior,¡± he said. ¡°Superior?¡± The knights both looked at Rahmadat, and he shrugged. ¡°Not me. Him.¡± Without even confirming his words, Seo Jun-Ho took out the letter of rmendation and handed it over to them. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°This is most definitely a letter of rmendation with Viscount Hosen¡¯s seal.¡± ¡°Please let us inside,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. The knights looked a little flustered. ¡°Come now, yer. Can you return at ater time?¡± ¡°Milord has been terribly sicktely.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t take up too much of his time,¡± Seo Jun-Ho reassured. The knights pursed their lips at his stubbornness and let them pass. With their status, they couldn¡¯t refuse entrance to someone carrying a letter of rmendation from the city lord. As the three of them entered the courtyard, they encountered the butler. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had guests. I shall escort you from here on in.¡± Instead of a stereotypical old man, the butler was a young twenty-year-old man. He led them inside the living room, walking with dignified steps. ¡°The Viscount will be with you shortly.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Jung Hyun sat down. He spoke as soon as the butler left the room, ¡°What a surprise. To think he¡¯s a butler at such a young age¡­¡± ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve noticed?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He simply blinked at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s question. It was Rahmadat whoughed after taking arge gulp of tea. ¡°Hehe,did you not say you invested tens of millions of dors? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth it.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho pursed his lips; he didn¡¯t know what to say. Jung Hyun only looked even more confused at that. At that moment, a small old man entered the room while holding on to the butler¡¯s arm. Seo Jun-Ho stood up immediately and bowed. ¡°I am yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°yer Rahmadat Khali. ¡°I am yer Jung Hyun.¡± ¡°I am¡­ the head of Maliva¡­Viscount Hosen.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard much about you,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Yes¡­I heard that you had a letter of rmendation¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I received it from Captain Gong from the Goblin Guild.¡± ¡°Ah¡­I see¡­¡± Viscount Hosen nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ And why did you want to meet with this old man¡­?¡± ¡°I wanted to ask you a few questions about the recent events that have been happening in Maliva.¡± ¡°Recent events¡­ Are you referring to the status of sleeplessness¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Do you have any suppositions as to what has been happening?¡± ¡°Suppositions¡­ I do not¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stopped, sensing that something was off. Hosen kept talking lethargically, and his eyes kept going in and out of focus. From a nce, he was clearly abnormal. ¡°Then, is that¡­all¡­?¡± ¡°Oh,there¡¯s one more thing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled brightly. ¡°When I told him that I wasing to meet you, the city lord of Gilleon asked me to ry his thanks for the supplies you have provided for their reconstruction. He¡¯ll probably send you another token of his gratitude.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ The supplies, yes¡­ We must help our neighbors.¡± Rahmadat turned to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°...¡± His eyes were cold and sober as he ced down the teacup with a ck. He turned to Jung Hyun, and he could clearly see the unease on thetter¡¯s face. ¡°Chief Jung. Is this your first time witnessing something caused by a fiend?¡± ¡°E-excuse me?¡± ¡°It would be best if you start to get used to it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided.¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, Rahmadat leaped off of the sofa and ripped the butler¡¯s head off in the time it took Jung Hyun to blink once. ¡°W-w-what¡­?¡± Jung Hyun stammered, as his face was sttered with sticky blood. Seo Jun-Ho slowly stood as he spoke. ¡°I asked you earlier if that was all you noticed.¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± ¡°Is the blood warm?¡± ¡°H-huh¡­?¡± Jung Hyun grimaced as he wiped the blood off of his face. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­Blegh!The smell¡­!¡± ¡°It will smell like a corpse. That person hasn¡¯t taken a single breath since we met him.¡± The butler¡¯s lungs had been contracting as if he were breathing, but there wasn¡¯t actually any airing out of his lungs. Part of the reason Seo Jun-Ho hadid the bait was that it was suspicious. After all, Phivir had told him there had been no word from Hosen. ¡®And he fell for it...¡¯ Hosen was still calm. When Seo Jun-Ho looked into his eyes, they looked like they were looking at something behind him, not at him. ¡°So, who is this bastard?¡± ¡°...Kik!¡± Hosen had been solemn the whole time, but now, his lips had literally ripped wide. And blood dripped from the ends of his mouth. ¡°How did¡­ You know¡­?Keke.¡± ¡°What a troublesome skill,¡± Rahmadat said as he observed the butler¡¯s severed head. ¡°As I thought, it¡¯s a corpse. I think the citizens affected by the skill will probably end up like this too.¡± ¡°...Seeing how sloppy they were, I don¡¯t think this is the head honcho.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Toote¡­¡± Hosen started to let out a lowugh. His shoulders started to shake as the three stared at him. ¡°You¡¯re all toote,te,te,te,¡ª¡± Crack! Rahmadat wrapped his thick forearm around Hosen¡¯s neck, making him pass out. ¡°How noisy.¡± He then looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t think he was lying, though.¡± ¡°M-magic¡­ No, it¡¯s demonic energy!¡± Jung Hyun trembled. He was the weakest among them, but the demonic energying from the courtyard was so powerful that even he could feel it. ¡°...What is that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, frowning. Rahmadat Khali was with them, and Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s own skills weremendable as well. Their opponent shouldn¡¯t be an idiot, so they should know this. ¡®But the fact that they¡¯re openly challenging us¡­¡¯ It could only mean that they werethatconfident. Once they exited the mansion, the three men instantly discovered the culprit. ¡°That¡­ How¡­?¡± Jung Hyun froze when he saw the dark creature emanating demonic energy. It was crouched down in the courtyard and was sorge it was impossible to look away from it. Its overwhelming aura was enough to make one tremble simply by being near it. ¡°Is that a monster?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but I know that¡¯s the culprit,¡± Rahmadat said, sounding sure of himself. He had been wondering from the beginning as to what kind of benefit would the perpetrator gain from snatching away the citizens¡¯ ability to sleep. ¡°I think¡­ The fiend drank the blood of a mare[1]and somehowbined that with his skill.¡± ¡°Keke,you¡¯re smarter than I thought. That¡¯s correct.¡± The three of them turned. Next to the crouching creature was a man with a potbelly sitting on a pnquin. Beneath him, several burly men were carrying the pnquin, and they knelt down to lower it. ¡°You¡¯re smarter than you look,¡± he said. ¡°What is this pig?¡± ¡°Ah,well¡­ I am the Squadron Leader of Sloth, Piglet. Does that sound familiar?¡± ¡°A Squadron leader?!¡± Jung Hyun¡¯s jaw dropped. There were some fiends in the Fiend Association who were much stronger than the average fiend. Squadrons were apparently made up of such people. However, it was merely a popr urban legend. ¡®It wasn¡¯t just a rumor?¡¯ The Big 6 had already heard of this information, but Moonlight was too new in the industry to have such information. ¡°And he¡¯s not simply a Squadron member, he¡¯s a Squadron leader¡­¡± As Jung Hyun gnashed his teeth, Rahmadat turned to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Hey, he said he¡¯s a Squadron leader. Have you fought one before?¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve killed one. They aren¡¯t much.¡± Piglet¡¯s scowled at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s nonchnt answer. ¡°The Pride Squadron Leader was a weak bastard who never should have be a leader in the first ce!¡± ¡°He told me he was ranked 37th within the Fiend Association.¡± ¡°Hmph,he even had a big mouth. The political move to promote him to Squadron leader had been quite problematic, as he wasn¡¯t even in the top 10,¡± Piglet said, panting and wiping the sweat off of his forehead with a towel. ¡°Whatever the case, your games end here.¡± When Piglet gestured with his finger, the monster slowly rose. Standing straight, it looked to be about 4 meters tall. ¡°He seems pretty strong, despite how he looks¡­¡± Rahmadat muttered. He didn¡¯t usually acknowledge his opponents like this, but the monster was radiatingthatmuch demonic energy. When looking at just the sheer amount of demonic energy, it seemed to have even more than the great Heavenly Demon. ¡®Considering how pure-hearted he is as well¡­ He¡¯s just a piece of trash that only has his body as his capital.¡¯ However, he was still a threat. Piglet petted the monster while saying, ¡°Oh,isn¡¯t she so pretty?¡± ¡°...Are you crazy?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m being serious. She is a symbol of peace and happiness.¡± The gray monster had neither eyes, nose, nor ears. The only thing on its face was arge mouth. ¡°Look. The people in this town are happy, and I¡¯m getting what I want as well.¡± ¡°...Can it really be called happiness when you forced them to be like this and live a lie?¡± Rahmadat asked. ¡°Why not? They won¡¯t sleep until they die, and until then, they¡¯ll spend plenty of time being happy.¡± ¡°And then they¡¯ll turn undead and live as your minions.¡± ¡°Mm¡­Well, I think it¡¯s a small price to pay for living a quiet, peaceful life.¡± Rahmadat shook his head. It had been 26 years since he had spoken to a fiend, but he still couldn¡¯t understand them. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you along with that ugly monster.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ugly! Do you only care about looks, you asshole?!¡± Piglet squawked as his victimplex kicked in. ¡°She¡¯ll eat, eat, and keep eating people¡¯s dreams¡­ And make me the chairman of the Fiend Association. My little treasure.Hehe.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Rahmadat exchanged looks. ¡®I knew it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had been wondering how the chain ofmand was functioning after the Heavenly Demon¡¯s disappearance. But based on Piglet¡¯s remark, he could infer what was going on. ¡®Like the Warring States Period[2]¡­ It must be something like that.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho took out the Sword of Ambition from his Inventory. But Rahmadat held out his muscr arm and stopped him. ¡°My body¡¯s starting to get itchy, so let me have him.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Ahem.I am one of the 5 Heroes, Rahmadat Khali. Don¡¯t you think my junior should step aside?¡± ¡°...Alright.¡± If Jung Hyun weren¡¯t there with him, Seo Jun-Ho would have never conceded. He clicked his tongue and sheathed his sword again. ¡°Kekeke,not even the three of you will be enough, but you¡¯re gonna take turns? You must be crazy.¡± Piglet¡¯s belly shook before giving out an order, ¡°Now, Rosemary. Kill those lookist scum.¡± ¡°Geez.Its name is weirdly cute considering the way it¡ª¡± Just as Rahmadat grinned, something shot past him. ¡°...Huh?¡± At that, Jung Hyun let out a shrill cry next to Seo Jun-Ho. It felt like deja-vu because he had already experienced this earlier. ¡®But this time¡­¡¯ It was warm. ¡°Rahmadat¡­-nim?¡± Jung Hyun mumbled, wiping off the blood that sttered all over his face. In the time it took to blink, Rosemary had severed Rahmadat¡¯s head, turning his body into a blood fountain. ¡°R-R-Rahmadat-nim!¡± he wailed. ¡°Stop making a fuss.¡± ¡°B-but Jun-Ho-nim, Rahmadat-nim was¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, side-eyeing Jung Hyun. Jung Hyun was still trembling, unable topose himself. ¡°Huh?T-then who¡­¡± ¡°Oi,I told you to stop making a fuss. Toss my head over there,¡± Rahmadat¡¯s head said from the ground, yawning. Chapter 283. Sleepless City (4)

Chapter 283. Sleepless City (4)

Rahmadat¡¯s head rolled toward Jung Hyun. ¡°Toss me toward my body.¡± ¡°Eeeek!¡±Jung Hyun looked like he was about to cry as he looked back and forth between Seo Jun-Ho and Rahmadat¡¯s head. ¡®Well, that¡¯s a normal reaction.¡¯ Jung Hyun had probably never seen someone get their head cut off and still survive. Seo Jun-Ho let out a small sigh and grabbed Rahmadat¡¯s head. ¡°...That hurts, you bastard. You always grab me by the sideburns.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± It was a punishment of sorts, a way of telling him to stop ying around. He tossed it to Rahmadat¡¯s body, which grabbed the head and ced it on top of the neck. ¡°Nice! It¡¯s back on,hehe.¡± In an instant, the area where it connected with the body healed over without a single scar. As he watched it unfold, Jung Hyun looked dumbstruck. ¡°He¡¯s a human like us, right¡­?¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Heishuman, but I don¡¯t know if I should say that he¡¯s like us¡­¡± Rahmadat rolled his neck in different directions, making sure that it was attached properly. ¡°It¡¯s pretty fast. The attack was precise and deep as well,¡± he said. Just like he thought, his opponent was quite strong. Rahmadat grinned, showing his teeth. ¡°This is pretty fun. It¡¯s a good opponent to work on my rehabilitation. ¡°...¡± Rosemary tilted her head and looked down at her hand. It had definitely severed Rahmadat¡¯s head, and up until now, people always died when she did that. But seeing that the man in front of him was perfectly fine, it started to waver. ¡°...¡± Rosemary turned her head and looked at her creator, Piglet. Even though the only thing she had on her face was a mouth, she was somehow able to convey her question of what to do. ¡°What do you mean? Just kill him. Whether it¡¯s a hundred times or a thousand, keep killing him. His regeneration skill won¡¯tst forever.¡± Piglet cackled. ¡°But you, Rosemary, have endless stamina.¡± Rosemary was the result of siphoning the sleep of Maliva¡¯s 20,000 citizens and converting it to energy. As such, she was unstoppable. ¡°Kiik!¡±Rosemaryughed along with her master and hugged one of the trees in the courtyard. There was a ripping sound as she pulled the tree from its roots and threw it at Rahmadat. ¡°Oh?¡± Rahmadat¡¯s eyes glinted, and he took the attack where he stood without even bothering to dodge. ¡°Hup.It is my turn now.¡± He looked around, then wrapped his arms around a huge pir at the entrance of the mansion.¡°Hup!¡± The muscles in his body swelled. His red face and protruding veins showed that he was getting serious. ¡°He¡¯s getting all worked up again¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered to himself. Jung Hyun¡¯s jaw was still on the floor, so Seo Jun-Ho gave him a light hit. ¡°Chief Jung.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Uh?¡± ¡°Chief Jung!¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Jung Hyun barely managed to pull himself together after watching Rahmadat ripping out the building¡¯s pir and roof before waving them around. Seo Jun-Ho ced his hand on the handle of his sword before saying, ¡°We should start moving as well.¡± ¡°Huh?Where¡­¡± ¡°That monster is simply a creation by Piglet¡¯s skill.¡± Most creations like that died along with their masters. Jung Hyun instantly understood, and his eyes brightened. ¡°Of course! So, we should attack Piglet!¡± ¡°Yes. It won¡¯t be easy, though.¡± ¡°Of course not. Even though he looks like that, he¡¯s still a Squadron leader¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and felt around them. He could sense the fiends that had been hiding their presence. ¡°Just as I thought. There¡¯s no way a Squadron leader would go around by himself.¡± ¡°Do you mean that the Squadron members are here, too?¡± ¡°There are forty-eight of them in total.¡± ¡°...!¡± Jung Hyun stared at Seo Jun-Ho, stupefied. The fact that there were forty-eight of them was surprising, but he was much more astonished that Seo Jun-Ho had found them just like that. ¡®How¡­ Has he really only been a yer for two years?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t just being generous. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s leadership, perception, and ability to understand and react to a situation were all on different levels. ¡®I don¡¯t want to admit it¡­ But he¡¯s a lot better than I am.¡¯ Jung Hyun swallowed. He had debuted eight years ago, and he had even climbed to the bottom of the Rankers. However, he was still finding it hard to believe what he was seeing. ¡®...Once he levels up, it¡¯ll only be a matter of time until he gets to the top of the Ranking List.¡¯ People could only enter the Ranking List once they reached the highest level. As such, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t be a part of it. ¡°Pfft,are you aiming for me?¡± All eight of Piglet¡¯s chins jiggled as heughed. ¡®That bastard¡¯s pretty sharp.¡¯ In truth, he was Rosemary¡¯s only weakness. And if he died, the dreams that Rosemary had consumed from others would also disappear. ¡®But the preparation for all this was done years ago.¡¯ Piglet gestured with his hand, and the fiends hidden all across the estate showed themselves one by one. He confidently introduced his Squadron members. ¡°These guys drank mares¡¯ blood along with me. You won¡¯t even be able to touch me.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. The final piece of the puzzle had fallen into ce. ¡®Even if he¡¯s pretty strong, I didn¡¯t think he was much stronger than Pride.¡¯ However, how could one Squadron leader gain control of over 20,000 people? Rationally, Seo Jun-Ho thought it was impossible. ¡®But he had help...¡¯ All forty-eight Squadron members had assisted him. Jung Hyun took out two daggers and lowered his voice, ¡°Jun-Ho-nim, do you have a specific n in mind?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shiing. As the Sword of Ambition quietly slid out of its sheath, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body started to grow hot. ¡®Sixty¡­ Seventy¡­ Seventy-eight percent¡­¡¯ After hitting a record of eighty-five percent while fighting the Heavenly Demon, he was now able to reach seventy-eight percent output pretty easily. ¡®He¡¯s not someone I need a n for.¡¯ After fighting such powerful people in session, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s standards had gone up. Unfortunately for the fiends, it wasn¡¯t merely the result of his haughtiness. ¡°Gah,why is it hot?¡± Jung Hyun huffed as the air suddenly grew hot. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho kicked off the ground and shot forward. Shing! Slice! ¡°...¡± The first person he cut down was a fiend that had been watching him. They didn¡¯t even realize that their head had been severed until they fell to the ground. Slice! ¡°....?¡± The second fiend he killed was someone a little further back. They squinted as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s de reflected the moonlight as they were killed. ¡®Slice!¡¯ ¡°You¡­!¡± ring, the fiend couldn¡¯t even finish their sentence as they became the third sacrificialmb. In the blink of an eye, the Sword of Ambition killed three fiends under the moonlight. ¡°...!¡± Piglet had been lying on the soft sofa, but then he shot up and stood on the pnquin. An indescribable emotion could be seen swirling in his eyes. ¡®...I missed his attack?¡¯ He hadn¡¯t underestimated his enemy. Because Seo Jun-Ho had gotten rid of Pride, Piglet expected him to have mastered the basics. However, the ¡°basic¡± skills that Seo Jun-Ho possessed were much higher than he had imagined. Panicking, he gave an order, ¡°I-I¡¯ll prepare Dream Soul, so buy me some time!¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± The Squadron members looked scared. Their opponent wasn¡¯t someone they could handle just because they wanted to. To them, it felt like they were fighting a ghost. Shing! Shing! Whenever Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s figure disappeared, fiends would fall. Those who tried to use their skills to fight, those who hid, and those who ran away all met the same end. Slice! When twenty fiends had died in this manner, they finally realized something. Every action was futile against Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cruel sword. ¡°P-Piglet-nim!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Piglet squawked and punched his subordinate in the head. While making the magic circle, he was as sensitive as a student before the day of the national college exam. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just need to finish this circle, and then it¡¯ll be okay¡­¡± Piglet¡¯s skill, Magic Circle Design (S), had allowed him to be the leader of the Sloth Squadron. It had never let him down before. Actually, the spell that was stealing the sleep of the citizens of Maliva was the effect of arge high-leveled magic circle. ¡°T-there!¡± Piglet shouted with joy a momentter, drenched in sweat. He barely managed to finish the magic circle. He immediately turned around, then started cursing. ¡°Six? Dammit all! There are only six of you left?¡± He gnashed his teeth. There had been forty-eight members of the Sloth Squadron, but now, only six remained. Actually, at that moment, they were reduced to five. ¡°Everyone stand back!¡± ¡°C-captain!¡± ¡°Finally!¡± The terrified Squadron members ran to him like he was the Messiah. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho was staring at Piglet with an expressionless face while shaking the blood off of his sword. ¡®...What a monster.¡¯ When Piglet met those cold eyes, he subconsciously looked away. The look in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes reminded him of the dead Heavenly Demon. ¡°But this is it for you...¡± The magic circle he had created with his skill was alreadyplete, and it glowed sinisterly under the moonlight. At that, Jung Hyun sensed something off and ran toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim, I have a bad feeling about this.¡± ¡°Yes. I think he¡¯s plotting something.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was wary of the magic circle Piglet had made. He had no idea just what was Piglet¡¯s skill, but it smelled dangerous. ¡°So, step back for a moment and¡­ Chief Jung?¡± ¡°J-Jun-Ho-nim¡­¡± Jung Hyun suddenly went pale and gripped his chest. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t¡­feel so good¡­¡± ¡°Chief Jung! Chief Jung!¡± In an instant, Jung Hyun disappeared like dust in the wind. As he did, the only other thing that happened was that Piglet¡¯s magic circle shed once. ¡°Fufufu.¡± Piglet¡¯s face contorted as he cackled at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I have drunk the blood of a mare. I can snatch others¡¯ dreams away, but I can also give them happy ones.¡± ¡°Where did Chief Jung go?¡± ¡°Who knows? If you want to know¡­¡± The magic circle on the ground shed once more. ¡°Go see for yourself.¡± ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho quickly activated freeze, but the light didn¡¯t stop as it covered him. *** ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly pulled himself together. First, he checked the state of his body. ¡°Huh?¡± He discovered something strange. ¡®...It¡¯s in a horrible state.¡¯ The sturdy muscles covering his body had all disappeared. In addition to that, his line of sight had also be lower. In other words, he had grown shorter. ¡®Is this a curse that gives a physical debuff?¡¯ Eyes sharp, Seo Jun-Ho stood up and looked around. He was in a small room. ¡®And this¡­ This somehow looks simr to Gu Shi-On¡¯s skill.¡¯ However, this room looked extremely familiar. He felt like he had been here a long time ago, and it somehow made him feel homesick. Outside, he could hear the sound of someone doing the dishes. He brought his hand to his waist, but the Sword of Ambition had disappeared, so he poked around the desk. ¡®...Tsk, the only weapon I can use here is a boxcutter.¡¯ Though it was disappointing, Seo Jun-Ho still took it with him and quietly opened the door. If an enemy appeared, he would stab them through the neck. ¡°Da da dum~¡± But all those thoughts disappeared as soon as he saw a woman in the kitchen, the woman was wearing dishwashing gloves. ¡°Ah,you¡¯re awake, dear?¡± She smiled brightly when she saw him. It was because she was his mother¡ªhis mother whom he missed dearly. Chapter 284. Sleepless City (5)

Chapter 284. Sleepless City (5)

Standing there, Seo Jun-Ho paled. He couldn¡¯t form a coherent thought, but his trembling betrayed his feelings. ¡°Hm? Did you have a bad dream, dear? You look so pale¡­¡± His mother reached for his face, looking worried, but Seo Jun-Ho unconsciously took a step back. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ This was an illusion made by a fiend. He decided that he couldn¡¯t let it get close. ¡°...Son?¡± But when he saw how hurt she looked, he couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. Just then, another voice cut through them. ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s going through puberty. He¡¯s neen, you know.¡± Shwap! The voice belonged to his father sitting on the sofa and opening a newspaper. Seo Jun-Ho had closed his eyes and imagined that voice countless times before because he missed it so, so much. ¡°It¡¯s not puberty if he¡¯s neen. Are you not even worried about him? He looks so pale.¡± ¡°...Did you have a nightmare?¡± His father looked up at Seo Jun-Ho as he spoke. Even though he seemed indifferent, Seo Jun-Ho could see how much he cared when he checked on him. m! Seo Jun-Ho closed the door out ofpulsion and copsed on the floor. ¡°Oh...¡± He knew¡ªhe knew that Piglet had orchestrated this with whatever mysterious skill he had. ¡°...¡± But despite that, Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and sobbed silently. He had always wanted to see them. Whenever he was having a hard time, whenever his body and mind were exhausted, he wanted to see them, but he could only see them through pictures. He cried for a long time before he rubbed his reddened eyes. ¡°...This reminds me of the Cave of Trials.¡± When he had gone there as Specter instead of Seo Jun-Ho, he had encountered the illusions of his parents. More precisely, it was a reenactment of the day his parents died. ¡®There were monsters.¡¯ The fiends had forcibly opened a Gate, and the monsters poured out and filled the streets. When he had gone through that trial as Specter, he was forced to relive the day dozens, hundreds of times. ¡®It was a disgusting trial.¡¯ He had barely been able to clear it, after spending half a day fighting against the monsters and hearing his parents¡¯ screams. Obviously, there had been no time for them to catch up. ¡°...¡± So, that was why the shock he felt today was different. It was because his parents were the same as they were in his treasured memories. ¡®Maybe I¡¯m getting old.¡¯ Though he had been disconcerted during the Phantom Trial, he hadn¡¯t cried like this. However, the Phantom Trial happened only a few years since his parents had passed away back then. ¡°Sniff.¡¯ He rubbed his nose and looked around. With his second look, he realized that this had been his room when he was still a high school student. Nothing had changed¡­ ¡°...Why are you crying, Contractor?¡± Oh, there was one thing that changed. It was the presence of the Frost Queen, who was worried about him. ¡°Were there frightening monsters outside? Shall I scold them for you?¡± she asked. ¡°...It¡¯s nothing like that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled weakly. ¡°My parents are outside.¡± ¡°Huh?But your parents are¡­¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re dead. This is probably Piglet¡¯s skill.¡± ¡°So, he is showing you an illusion?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Rather than an illusion¡­¡± He paused, searching for the words. ¡°Yeah. I think it would be more urate to say that he sent me to a moment in my memories.¡± After all, everything was the same as back then. ¡°It must be a daydream,¡± she said. ¡°...It might be,¡± he muttered. When Seo Jun-Ho stood up, the Frost Queen quickly grabbed his sleeve. ¡°I must warn you. Do not fall in too deep. If you do¡­¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ll drown.¡± And he wouldn¡¯t be able to go back to reality. Piglet was probably aiming for that. He would let Jun-Ho dream of the good days so that Jun-Ho would trap himself inside. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°Give me your pinky.¡± ¡°Here. I promise.¡± Jun-Ho crouched down and hooked his pinky around the Frost Queen¡¯s. And then he left the room once more. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we take Jun-Ho to the doctor¡¯s?¡± ¡°...Should we? What time do they open?¡± When he stepped out, his parents were talking in the living room. They looked up. ¡°Are you alright, dear?¡± His mother asked. ¡°Ahem. Tell us if you¡¯re not feeling well. I¡¯ll drive you to the doctor¡¯s.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. I just¡­had a nightmare.¡± His parents looked at each other. ¡°Honey, Jun-Ho must be all grown up now. He¡¯s speaking formally all of a sudden.¡±[1] ¡°...Well. I also started growing up around his age,¡± his father said. ¡°Yeah, right.¡± Now that he thought about it, he called them ¡®Mom¡¯ and ¡®Dad¡¯ at this time. Seo Jun-Ho smiled and rubbed his belly. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, let¡¯s eat!¡± His mother pulled him to the dining table, where a bowl of doenjang[2]stew was waiting. The boiling stew smelled nostalgic. ¡°Thank you for the food.¡± As he took a bite of stew with his trembling hand, his eyes welled up with tears. ¡°Honey¡­ are you crying?¡± ¡°N-no. It¡¯s just¡­¡± He quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve and smiled awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ really good.¡± It wasreally,really good. It wasn¡¯t just a normal dish anymore. This doenjang stew tasted like the best food in the world because he thought he would never be able to eat this again. As he devoured his food, his parents exchanged looks, seemingly concerned. ¡°Honey, did you put some kind of drug in the food today?¡± his father asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Right? It tastes the same as always¡­¡± Despite their confusion, they watched their son with warm eyes as he wolfed down his food. ¡°...That was a good meal.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ced down his spoon after eating three bowls of rice, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ll do the dishes.¡± ¡°Goodness, you¡¯re acting very strange today.¡± ¡°Well, there are days like this¡­¡± He shooed his parents away to the living room and was now standing alone in the kitchen. ¡®I don¡¯t know why I never did this for them when it¡¯s nothing.¡¯ Hindsight was 20/20. He had no idea how precious they were when he was still with them. And when Seo Jun-Ho realized it, it was toote. ¡®Okay, next.¡¯ After washing the dishes, Seo Jun-Ho massaged their shoulders. He had only done this for their birthdays when he was still in elementary school. Their muscles were as hard as rocks. ¡°Really, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡± ¡°Haha,stopining. It¡¯s nice.¡± His parentsughed and happily epted Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cute antics. Their reactions encouraged him, so Seo Jun-Ho acted as endearing as possible. He called for them over and over, like he had always wanted to do. Unfortunately, happy moments always flew by. After waking up in the morning, it was about time to sleep once again. ¡°...¡± Keen Intuition alerted him, telling him that it was time to go home. ¡°Do you want to sleep with me tonight, dear?¡± his mother asked. ¡°Then what about me, honey¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Houghed silently when he saw his father¡¯s long face. There was bitterness in his smile. ¡®...I suppose it¡¯s a shame.¡¯ If he didn¡¯t have Hero¡¯s Mind, would he have chosen to stay here? Would he have thrown everything away so that he could relive these happy moments? ¡®I might have.¡¯ He might have made that decision. Assuming that this dream would continue, he would feel even moremitted to saving the world after saving his parents. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen was correct. This was merely a daydream. A hopeless, fatal dream. Seo Jun-Ho bowed to his parents; they had beenughing and talking for a long time. ¡°I was really happy today.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± They stopped abruptly and stared at him in a daze. ¡°Where are you going, dear?¡± ¡°Why would you go out in the middle of the night¡­?¡± ¡°I have to go.¡± He had really been happy. He had been able totruly¡®...Rest well.¡¯ Crack! Crack! With the sharp sound of their necks breaking, a rupture appeared in the space. The walls, ceiling, and floor crumbled around him. Seo Jun-Ho felt like he was falling with no end in sight. ¡°...¡± And with that, he was back. *** ¡°Ahahahaha!That¡¯s not all, is it? Try harder!¡± Rahmadat was having the time of his life beating Rosemary with his fists. The spell was released upon the deaths of almost all Sloth Squadron members, and the residents of Maliva fell asleep, weakening Rosemary. ¡°Dammit, dammit!¡± Piglet chewed his fingernails nervously. ¡®At this rate, I think¡­ Rosemary is going to lose.¡¯ He looked at Dream Soul. If he trapped Rahmadat in a dream, he would be able to buy time. ¡®But there¡¯s a fatal downside to this¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho and that idiot would find it hard to break out of the dream with their mental capacity. After all, Dream Soul was a dream that trapped people in the happiest era of their lives. However, the Five Heroes had different mindsets. ¡®And seeing how this guy is acting¡­ I have no idea why, but I feel like he¡¯ll be able to break out of it right away.¡¯ If someone managed to escape, Piglet would receive a huge bacsh. ¡®I don¡¯t know about those two, but sending Rahmadat is too big of a gamble¡­¡¯ Piglet pondered for a long time, biting his thick lip. Rosemary¡¯s regeneration couldn¡¯t keep up with Rahmadat¡¯s destructive attacks. If this continued, he was sure that Rahmadat wouldpletely destroy her sooner orter. ¡°No!¡± Rosemary was his strongest weapon. She would make him the chairman of the Fiend Association. ¡®I¡¯ll buy some time first, and then go through the city myself to steal their dreams.¡¯ Now that he had a n, Piglet was about to send Rahmadat into a dream. ¡°Guh?!¡± However, a dizzying pain shot through his organs. ¡°Gah! Guh!¡±He rolled around like a pig in mud and fell to the bottom of the pnquin. When the pain subsided, he wiped all the spit off of his mouth. ¡®This pain¡­¡¯ Had someone escaped the spell? Just as a terrifying thought crept in, a t, cold voice spoke into his ear. ¡°Repeat after me.¡± When Piglet whipped around, he started to tremble. ¡°W-what?¡± A long-haired man stood under the cold moonlight. He slowly lifted his bowed head. His eyes were red between his matted hair. The man¡ªSeo Jun-Ho¡ªspoke once more, ¡°Repeat after me: I¡¯m dead.¡± ¡°What are you¡­Urp!¡±Piglet¡¯s hands shot out, clutching at his neck. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s bloodlust was powerful enough to choke him. Piglet started trembling when he saw Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes full of killing intent. ¡°I told you to repeat after me: I¡¯m dead,¡± Seo Jun-Ho growled in a low voice. Then, he slowly walked toward Piglet. Chapter 285. Sleepless City (6)

Chapter 285. Sleepless City (6)

Piglet¡¯s chubby face grew bleary. ¡®...He¡¯s a dangerous bastard.¡¯ While Seo Jun-Ho was walking toward him with long strides, Piglet felt an indescribable sense of danger. However, he was still a Squadron leader. He had climbed to the position despite the cutthroat nature of the Fiend Association. The pieces of his ns were already falling neatly into ce. ¡®Thankfully, this isn¡¯t a bad lineup.¡¯ The first thing he considered was the skills of the remaining Squadron members. If there was one good thing about this unfortunate oue, it was that the membersplemented each other. ¡°Samuel, shoot your spiderwebs!¡± One of the fiends nodded at Piglet¡¯smand. Fwoosh! Spiderwebs shot out of his sleeves like lighting and flew toward Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho swung his sword, but instead of snapping, the threads wrapped around him and his weapon like chains. ¡°This is the steel thread from a spider that resides only in Frontier¡¯s jungles. Trust me, you don¡¯t want to move,¡± Samuel said triumphantly as he wound the threads tighter. Piglet didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°Gn, Jayden, Kim, Tomomi!¡± It was only their names that had been called out, but the members knew what to do. Vrrr! The ground vibrated as an earth golem stood up behind Seo Jun-Ho. It hugged him from behind. At the same time, dozens of foxfires[1]formed in the air, and green smoke started to snake around his feet as well. To top it off, the smoke also gave him a status debuff. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s pupils dted at the sudden change. All he could see was pitch-ck. In the blink of an eye, they had executed their coordinated attack. Piglet finally started to rx. ¡®Hooo, the heat of the moment made me nervous. Still, he¡¯s acting like a 2-year-old newbie.¡¯ If Piglet had been in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoes, he would have dodged the threads instead of trying to cut them. Rashly taking on the opponent¡¯s attack without even knowing their skills was a stupid move. ¡°Don¡¯t drag it out. Just kill him.¡± Piglet sentenced Seo Jun-Ho to death without hesitation. But at that moment, Seo Jun-Ho slowly raised his head. ¡°Mmm.¡±He breathed in. ¡°...Disgusting.¡± The fiends¡¯ stench always made his nose sting. They killed as casually as eating, and they gave off a heavy scent of blood that couldn¡¯t be washed away. This was especially true for those who unted their demonic energy like this. ¡°You first.¡± Crackle! His Frost skill activated, targeting the man who had tightly wrapped Seo Jun-Ho and his body in threads. ¡°W-what?!¡± Samuel watched as his two hands were instantly frozen. ¡®Did he¡­ Let himself get caught on purpose?¡¯ But by the time the thought crossed his mind, he was already dead. The only thing that remained of the man named Samuel was an ice statue resembling him. ¡°Hurry up and kill him!¡± Fwoosh! Dozens of fireballs shot toward Seo Jun-Ho. At the same time, the earth golem¡¯s arms tightened around his waist, trying to crush him. ¡°...Hoo.¡±White smoke blew out of his mouth. And then everything stopped¡­ It was an unbelievable sight, as it looked like time itself had stopped. Piglet couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. His eyes shifted back and forth. The foxfires had stopped their assault, and the golem crushing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body froze. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho casually raised his hand and removed the golem¡¯s arms trapping him. ¡°That¡¯s two.¡± Crackle! As Seo Jun-Ho elegantly stamped his foot, Gn froze over; he died on the spot. ¡®My sight is starting toe back.¡¯ It appeared that the one he just killed was the one who had ced the status debuff on him. As his sight gradually returned, he could finally see the fiends gripped in fear. ¡°A-ahh!¡± Tomomi summoned more foxfires and hurled them at him before running away without looking back. Crackle! A spike of ice shot out from the ground and pierced through her stomach. Meanwhile, the golem¡¯s summoner¡ªJayden¡ªhad been running away in the opposite direction. His head also froze over where he stood. ¡®Oh right, this smoke.¡¯ When Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the green smoke covering the ground, a message appeared before him. [Your cells have been destroyed due to Poisoning.] [Your cells have gained the lowest-level poison resistance.] ¡®Makes sense.¡¯ It appeared that the smoke was poisonous. But thanks to the effects of Cell Regeneration (A), his cells were revived, and he even gained poison resistance. ¡°A-a monster¡­¡± Kim looked terrified. Seo Jun-Ho was still walking toward her, despite his rotting legs. ¡°That¡¯s five.¡± Seo Jun-Ho created an ice spear in his hand and hurled it. ¡°Ugh¡­Yeah, right!¡± Kim took off the thick shield on her back and deflected the ice spear at an angle. ¡®There!¡¯ Because its trajectory was interrupted, the spear fell to the dirt. However, Kim noticed that both her arms had frozen over. ¡°But I blocked it¡­ Didn¡¯t I?¡± What kind of crazy skill was this? When Kim looked up helplessly, a sword came down like a sh of lightning. Slice! With her head severed, her body crumbled like a sandcastle. ¡°...Ha.¡± Now the only one left, Piglet couldn¡¯t help but let out a chokedugh after witnessing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s abilities. ¡®Were we¡­ were we the ones caught in a spiderweb?¡¯ He initially thought that they had caught Seo Jun-Ho in their tightly coordinated attack. But now that the cards were out, the tables had turned. The bloodlust Seo Jun-Ho was giving off felt as restrictive as a spiderweb. And Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s righteous anger was choking Piglet. He impatiently squawked. ¡°Dammit! Rosemary!¡± ¡°Hm? Oh¡­Are you talking about this guy?¡± Rahmadat answered. He was standing a short distance away, holding up Rosemary¡¯s head. When the residents of Maliva fell asleep, she became no match for him. ¡°...Impossible.¡± The entirety of the Sloth Squadron couldn¡¯t take out three measly yers? The sidekick hadn¡¯t even done anything at all. ¡®I can¡¯t die like this.¡¯ As soon as Piglet met Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cold eyes, his body started to tremble. Seo Jun-Ho had an indifferent look as if he were looking at a dead man walking. ¡®There¡¯s no other choice. I¡¯ll use it.¡¯ The look in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes changed when Piglet pulled out a book from his inventory. Fwoosh! It was because Seo Jun-Ho could see sevenplete magic circles. ¡°Dammit! You should be honored that I¡¯m using this on the likes of you!¡± The time and money Piglet had put into this were enough to buy a whole city. It was so invaluable that he normally never even considered using it. It was reserved as ast resort. ¡®No matter how strong your mentality is¡­¡¯ If Seo Jun-Ho was trapped in a dream created from a sevenyered magic circle, there was no way he would be able to escape. Tak! Piglet shut the book, and it quickly disintegrated into ck ash. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ Now, he just had to get rid of Rahmadat. Then, he would emerge victorious. With that tidy ending in mind, he turned around. But the sound of familiar footsteps made him turn back around. ¡°...What? That¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Piglet¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. He was sure that he had activated the seven magic circles at once. The spell was sure to corrupt and destroy the sanity of anyone caught in it. After all, it would show them seven horrific nightmares that were even worse than death. ¡®EvenIdon¡¯t know if I could survive a threeyered circle.¡¯ And Seo Jun-Ho was trapped in a sevenyered one. The deeper he wandered through the dreams, the more he would lose his grip on reality. ¡®Maybe he has lost his mind and his body is moving on its own?¡¯ It asionally happened. Sometimes, the bodies would move unconsciously, as their owners overcame the limits of their willpower. ¡®Then¡­ I should end it myself.¡¯ Piglet retrieved a crossbow from his inventory and aimed at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s forehead. Zing! The bolt flew through the air, only to be cut in half by Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Y-you¡­! How are you still¡­?!¡± Slice! Seo Jun-Ho immediately rushed in and cut off Piglet¡¯s tongue. ¡®He¡¯s crazy!¡¯ Rather than the pain, Piglet¡¯s body was trembling more from fear. He remembered a time when he had stumbled upon the elite fighters of a demon n and watched them from a distance. ¡®Why¡­ Why can I feel it from him?¡¯ Piglet could sense the aura of the truly strong, and it was an aura that couldn¡¯t be replicated just because someone had made a few escapes from death here and there. And it wasing from the 2-year-old yer in front of him. Crackle! ¡°...?!¡± Piglet let out a soundless scream. His body had started to freeze slowly, very slowly from the tips of his toes. ¡°Guhhhh!¡± His heartbeat began to slow down. ¡°Uh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± It was cold. It was so, so cold. The biting cold bore into his bones like he was standing outside naked on a wintry day. ¡°...¡± Piglet died the world¡¯s coldest death just like that, with his eyes still ring. ¡°I always say this, but you¡¯re too nice,¡± Rahmadat said as he stepped closer. ¡°You sent him off so easily.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s merely because I don¡¯t want to stoop to their level.¡± ¡°You¡¯re way more uptight than you look. You could have just let me do it for you.¡± ¡°You know that I don¡¯t like it when you drag it out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but he made you cry.¡± Cry? Seo Jun-Ho unwittingly swiped his eyes with his arm. He stared at the dampened sleeve, and then looked back down at Piglet. ¡°Son of a bitch. I don¡¯t ever want to see that again.¡± Even if Hero¡¯s Mind had be EX-grade by then, he still had no idea if he would be able to survive through it again. Rahmadat patted his friend¡¯s shoulder wordlessly. He didn¡¯t know what kind of dream this dead swine had shown Seo Jun-Ho, but if it was enough to make the great Specter sob like this¡­ ¡®Past, present, future¡­ Maybe he showed him all of them.¡¯ Death wasn¡¯t a strong enough punishment. After Rahmadat consoled Seo Jun-Ho for a while, something fell from the sky with a loud thump. ¡°...¡± It was Jung Hyun. He lookedpletely out of it. ¡°I suppose we will need some more time. For both you and this guy here,¡± Rahmadat muttered, checking on their conditions. *** ¡°I don¡¯t know how I can ever repay you¡­¡± Viscount Hosen squeezed Rahmadat¡¯s hands,pletely beside himself. The fiends had stolen the residents¡¯ sleep and put them under hypnosis. But now, they had all returned to their normal selves. ¡°Hm.I¡¯m sorry, too. Ipletely ruined your courtyard¡­¡± ¡°Not at all. I¡¯ll take care of it myself, of course. You saved my life, after all.¡± The legend of the 5 Heroes was known far and wide even across Frontier. Hosen had the utmost faith in Rahmadat. ¡°It¡¯s truly an honor to meet one of the Heroes.¡± ¡°Sure. If something happens again, call me.¡± Holding a heavy pouch in each hand, Rahmadat soon headed back to the inn. He stepped into the room where Seo Jun-Ho was staying and ced them down next to the bed. ¡°You can have all the money. Being able to unwind like that was more than enough for me.¡± ¡°...Do what you want.¡± Four days had passed since that night. During that time, Seo Jun-Ho slept like he was dead, but now, he had somewhat recovered. ¡°Are you alright, Contractor? Shall I make you some porridge? How about that?¡± the Frost Queen asked. She had put in a lot of effort to take care of him. She had seen all the dreams he had gone through, so it was only natural that she did. ¡°What are you nning to do now?¡± Rahmadat asked. Seo Jun-Ho noticed that Rahmadat was still standing, and he realized that Rahmadat was going to leave. ¡°...I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m nning to rest for a few more days,¡± he said. ¡°Mm,I was nning to go to a Dungeon soon because I heard something from Moonlight. How about it? Wannae?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. Rahmadat nodded coolly. ¡°I¡¯ll go by myself then. Anyway, I have to get on with the farming if I want to close the distance between our levels.¡± ¡°Have fun.¡± After sending him off, Seo Jun-Ho checked his status window. He had leveled up four whole times after killing dozens of fiends. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 100 Title: Bringer of Spring (+4 more) Strength: 336 Stamina: 317 Speed: 339 Magic: 370 Fame: 61,942 Sure enough, he would recover more stats the more he leveled up. This time around, his strength had increased by 27, while his speed had increased by 27 as well. On top of that, his magic stat had increased by four additional points thanks to Limit Breaker. ¡°...¡± He was now level 100; he had fulfilled the baseline requirement to enter the 3rd floor. However, Seo Jun-Ho closed his status window and silently looked out the window. The news of the overwhelming victory at Maliva was making headlines in Community. ¡°The world never changes, whether it was back then or now,¡± hemented. ¡°...Such is the nature of the road you travel,¡± the Frost Queen muttered, sipping her tea. After winning a battle, heroes needed but a single bottle of medicine to heal their wounds rather than a hundred praises. ¡®If there is a God, I wish to meet them just once.¡¯ She wanted to ask them why they made her Contractor suffer like this. Chapter 286. The Two Masters (1)

Chapter 286. The Two Masters (1)

¡°Wow, the weather¡¯s great today! Frost, do you want to go out?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked cheerfully as he swiftly opened the curtains. He had significantly recovered after resting for about five days. ¡°Hm.¡± The Frost Queen stared straight up at Seo Jun-Ho and shook her head. ¡°...Contractor, you¡¯re having mood swings.¡± ¡°Yeah, right. I just feel better now, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°You were deeply depressed up until yesterday, and you suddenly feel great? That is what they call bipr disorder¡­¡±[1] ¡°Why are you saying I¡¯m mentally ill all of a sudden? If you keep saying that, you won¡¯t get any snacks for today,¡± he warned. The Frost Queen shut her mouth. She looked away, grumbling to herself, ¡°You always threaten me with snacks whenever I do something¡­ It is not as if I cannot live without snacks¡­¡± ¡°What was that? I can¡¯t hear you.¡± ¡°I said nothing. I wish for a strawberry cake today.¡± After medicating her cake with Spirit Crystal shavings once again, Seo Jun-Ho took off his apron. ¡®I should buy more Spirit Crystals soon,¡¯he thought. And that wasn¡¯t all that he needed to buy.¡®I need armor, too.¡¯ Piglet was only thetest incident. Seo Jun-Ho had been lucky that the fiend only possessed telepathic abilities. If Piglet had some sort of physical enhancement skill, he might have been in trouble. ¡°Oh,I should read his memories, too,¡± he realized. His original n had been to look at them with Rahmadat after the battle, but he had been too mentally exhausted. Today was the first time he felt functional in a while, and the things he needed to do had already piled up like a mountain. ¡°Did I put it here?Oh,I did.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took out the ice statue he had thrown into his Inventory. And with a hammer and chisel, he began to crack the ice. ng! ng! ng! ¡°I just need his head, right?¡± After all, Confession of the Dead only required him to ce his hand on the head of his target to activate. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± A hologram yback window appeared before him. He settled down on his bed and watched it with potato chips and coke. ¡°...Hmm.¡± He was looking out for any information about the skills of each Squadron leader, the location of the Fiend Association, and what was going on with them. ¡°The location¡­¡± Frankly, it would be hard for him to get in. To get there, you had to go to a specific region in Ound and meet the person in charge. It would be hard to get through if you weren¡¯t a fiend. ¡®But it might be possible with Skaya¡¯s help.¡¯ After all, he had once managed to disguise himself as Gouf and slip through the cracks with her assistance. However, the security of the Fiend Association¡¯s headquarters was bound to be much more thorough, so he wasn¡¯t sure that it would work. ¡°And there are still four Squadron leaders¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho had killed Pride and Piglet, while Rahmadat and Skaya killed the Envy Squadron leader, Lust, down on Earth. ¡®Still, Piglet was ranked pretty high.¡¯ In the Fiend Association, he had been all the way up in 15th ce. Piglet also vaguely knew the skills of the other Squadron leaders. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter, I can defeat them all if I ever run into them.¡¯ After fighting Piglet this time around, Seo Jun-Ho became more confident about the fact that the Fiend Association¡¯s Squadron leaders had no chance against him. ¡®They would have to be at least be an executive for them to have a chance against me.¡¯ There were a total of seven executives in the Fiend Association. They were so powerful they couldn¡¯t be touched even if one of them was attacked by several Squadron leaders at the same time. ¡®And there are three Heavens among them.¡¯ Thank the heavens that the Heavenly Demon was already dead. If he had lived longer, he would have caused plenty of problems for him. ¡°What are they doing now?¡± Seo Jun-Ho wondered. ording to Piglet¡¯s memories, the Fiend Association was unstable at the moment. The ship had lost its captain, and no one was at the steering wheel. ¡°What in the world are they thinking?¡± he muttered as he closed the window. Did none of the seven executives have a thirst for power? ¡®But even if that¡¯s the case, their direct subordinates are running wild¡­ But, they¡¯re just letting them do what they want?¡¯ He just couldn¡¯t figure out their line of thinking. The Frost Queen chimed in; she had been watching the yback next to him. ¡°Hm,something smells strange.¡± ¡°...Is it the smell of the cake you just ate?¡± ¡°No! What I mean is that they are suspicious.¡± The Frost Queen pped his arm and continued, ¡°If a leader disappears, the hierarchy and those in it be unstable. Such as those Squadron leaders.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right...¡± ¡°Those in the lower ranks are acting out like that, but their superiors haven¡¯t lifted even a single finger. This can only mean one thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, sitting up straight. ¡°...It means that the new leader has already been decided,¡± she concluded. ¡°That quickly?¡± ¡°The Fiend Association should have someone only second to the Heavenly Demon. They would have seized power right away.¡± ¡°Then why are they letting the Squadron leaders do as they please?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Fresh wine should be stored in a new barrel. Do you know of this saying?¡± ¡°...I see.¡± That meant they were still choosing who to kick out to have a fresh start. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. The Frost Queen¡¯s reasoning made sense. ¡°That means we don¡¯t have any time to fool around,¡± he said. The Fiend Association looked totally chaotic from the outside, but somewhere in the shadows, they were preparing to transform anew. ¡®Something smells dangerous.¡¯ His instinct told him that things would be much more dangerous and vicious than before. ¡°We should also get moving...¡± For some reason, Seo Jun-Ho felt like he was being shooed out. He packed his bags in no time and headed to the auction house. ¡°Do you have something you want to buy here?Ah,is it armor?¡± The Frost Queen babbled, sticking to him like gum on a shoe. However, Seo Jun-Ho was a professional spirit-user now. He knew how to effectively deal with her. ¡°Just this and that.Huh?Look, they¡¯re selling cotton candy over there.¡± ¡°Cotton candy?!¡± The Frost Queen licked her lips and swallowed. Seo Jun-Ho got the sense that she wanted some, but she didn¡¯t want to act on it outright because of her pride as a queen. ¡°It has been a while since we¡¯vee to the market, so you should get some snacks. Here, take some pocket money.¡± ¡°Really?! Thank you so much, Contractor!¡± She took the money and ran excitedly over to the man at the cotton candy stall. Seo Jun-Ho took the chance to quickly buy Spirit Crystals. He had to pay a premium because he was paying the asking price instead of bidding for it. Still, it was more important to get it as quickly as possible. Seo Jun-Ho grinned when he looked at the pouch full of Spirit Crystals. ¡°Nice. With this much¡­¡± It would easilyst him for at least two months. As soon as he put the pouch into his Inventory, the Frost Queen scampered toward him, waving her arms. She had a stick of blue cotton candy in one hand, and red on the other. ¡°Cotton candyyy!¡± she eximed. ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s very sweet.¡± For some reason, he felt proud as he watched her giggle. After that, Jun-Ho headed to a brewery. ¡°30 barrels of this, please.¡± ¡°...Do you mean 30 bottles?¡± ¡°No, barrels.¡± It had been a while since there had been such a customer, so the manager gave him twoplimentary bottles of their finest liquor. Seo Jun-Ho put them all away in his Inventory and headed to the dwarves¡¯ city, Del Ice. ¡°It has been a while, my friend!¡± The chief of the White Anvil Tribe, Graham greeted him with a gruff smile. Seo Jun-Ho smiled as well. ¡°Have you been well?¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­Just take a look around.¡± After migrating, the new Del Ice changed a lot. The city had once been cold and dead, but now, it was warm and full of life. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Jun-Ho said. ¡°Hehe,it is all thanks to you chasing the ice witch away.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like it was for free.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took out the beer from his Inventory and presented it to him. ¡°I bought these on the way here. I heard that you like Earth-style beer.¡± ¡°Hm,Kim Woo-Joong must have told you,¡± Graham said, drooling over the 30 barrels of beer. He called over the other dwarves. ¡°Drink as much as you want!¡± ¡°Thank you, Seo Jun-Ho!¡± ¡°Our human friend!¡± The dwarves cheered. They brought snacks from each of their houses for the festivities. Graham looked pleased as he watched them. He gestured at Seo Jun-Ho to sit. ¡°So, do you like the equipment I gave you?¡± ¡°Yes, very much so.¡± He especially liked using the spear made of Cold Iron, though he had yet to use the sawtooth sword. ¡°I came back here to ask for another selfish favor.¡± ¡°Hm,a favor? What is it?¡± ¡°The armor you sawst time got destroyed.¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk¡­You should have been more careful.¡± Graham clicked his tongue, recalling how fine White Armor had been. ¡°So, I came here to see if I could get a new set of armor.¡± ¡°Hm?What about the cksmith who made that armor?¡± ¡°Well¡­ He said that with his level of skill, he can¡¯t make something that¡¯ll protect me anymore.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took out the Sword of Ambition and showed it to Graham. ¡°Thest thing he gave me was this sword he worked on for decades. Now, he has retired.¡± ¡°Give it.¡± Graham took the Sword of Ambition and inspected it from top to bottom. ¡°Hm¡­You said he¡¯s human?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes. He is human.¡± ¡°And he does not have any dwarven blood?¡± ¡°...If he did, Palmo wouldn¡¯t havee out looking like that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, thinking of the cksmith¡¯s mountainous build. ¡°Hm?Well, in any case, you are saying that he does not have any dwarven blood.¡± Cling. Graham looked amused as he flicked the de. ¡°Humans live such short lives¡­ Yet, he managed to put his soul into his work¡­ Just how old is he?¡± ¡°Uh¡­I think he¡¯s turning 100 this year.¡± Any other person would have retired decades ago and spent time with their grandchildren at that age. ¡°Personally, I¡¯m relieved that he retired. He¡¯s old, yet he¡¯s always working so hard¡­¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk.¡± Graham clicked his tongue again. He gave Seo Jun-Ho a sidelong look, seeming a little reproachful. ¡°Your poor friend. Even if you are not the most social person I know, I did not know you were this tactless.¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a saying among cksmiths. We hammer iron before we be of age.[2]The same should be true of this human.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Kwon Noya was the 17th Patriarch of the historical Kwon n, a famous family of cksmiths. While other children yed with toys, Kwon Noya had to have been ying with a hammer and metal. ¡°We want to die before the forge fire, just as we lived. That is what all cksmiths wish for.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Did you somehow think that he was happy to retire?¡± Graham asked. ¡°Yes¡­¡± He thought so. Kwon Noya was old so Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was a good choice to retire now that he had an excuse to do so. However, he had never considered how Noya felt when he decided to retire. ¡°Tsk, tsk.If you do not believe it, go ask him yourself. Actually, let us go together.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes grew wide as Graham stood up. ¡°What are you staring at? I said, we should go meet him together,¡± he said. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew that it was possible for those from Frontier to go down to Earth. After all, Kwon Noya had told him he had met an elf from there. But as far as he knew, the process was pretty fickle. ¡®...Well, does it matter?¡¯ If that ended up being a problem, he had his secret weapon, Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°Are you actually going down?¡± ¡°Yes. You said you needed a new set of armor, did you not? It has been decades since I have met such a skilled human cksmith, so I wish to take this chance to speak with him. He is also a cksmith from another, so it will be an interesting meeting.¡± The impatient dwarf told him to wait for a moment as he began to pack his equipment. Next to them, the Frost Queen quietly ate her cotton candy. ¡°It¡¯s yummy,¡± she muttered. Chapter 287. The Two Masters (2)

Chapter 287. The Two Masters (2)

¡°...¡± Kwon Noya red with a piercing gaze. He was lost in thought for a long time before he carefully raised his hand. ck! There was a sharp sound. And then, an announcer¡¯s voice read out his move. [Small point below the star point.][1] ¡°...What? No, that¡¯s not it. I put it beside it!¡± Flustered, Kwon Noya clicked the ¡°undo¡± button on the hologram window over and over again. [You have requested to undo a move.] [Your request has been rejected.] [You have requested to undo a move.] [Your request has been rejected.] ¡°Look at this bastard¡­?¡± Kwon Noya¡¯s face started to redden. He had let them undo their move twice before! To top it off, the chatting window appeared before his reddened face. [Go Genius: lolololol you¡¯re really bad. If you¡¯ve yed for 30 years I¡¯ve yed for 100 lolol] ¡°Dammit!¡± They were referring to his ID, ¡®30 Years of Go¡¯. Kwon Noya immediately wanted to shoot back, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know how to use the chatting feature. All he knew was how to y, and his grandson had taught him. [Go Genius: Thanks for the points lolol victory is sweet~] His opponent teased him all the way to the end of the game. However, Kwon Noya was madder about the fact that he couldn¡¯t say a single thing to his opponent than losing the match. ¡°If I didn¡¯t mess up, I would¡¯ve won by a point and a half!¡± There was no point inining. Defeated, Kwon Noya closed the window and went downstairs. ng! ng! ng! His grandson was hammering away, as usual. Kwon Noya sneaked up from behind him. ¡®Hm, not bad.¡¯ Kwon Palmo¡¯s hammering skills were now first-rate. He was still far from meeting Kwon Noya¡¯s standards, but no one would look down on him. Kwon Noya observed his grandson for a long time before he spoke, ¡°You rascal, you have to hammer harder on this part. Once you start something, see to it until the end.¡± ¡°...Sigh.Grandfather.¡± Kwon Palmo frowned and stopped hammering. He wiped his sweat-drenched face with a towel. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t lecture me while I¡¯m working.¡± ¡°Ahem,you kept hammering it strangely. I always tell you¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it myself.Myself.Why are you so interested when you have already retired?¡± ¡°...Sseup.You dunce.¡± Kwon Noya sucked his teeth and went out back to the small yard behind the workshop. It was a small yard, only a little more than 5 pyeong.[2]. He came here often when he wanted to take a break from work. ¡°...Tsk, tsk.What a mess.¡± It had already been two weeks since he put down the hammer. Meanwhile, the area had be overgrown with weeds because he hadn¡¯te out even once. ¡°That brat. He should have taken care of these things.¡± Kwon Noya bent down and started to pull out the weeds. He stopped. There were weeds in his hands now instead of a hammer, but it didn¡¯t seem all that strange. ¡®...I¡¯m retired.¡¯ Yes, he was. But the reality of it still hadn¡¯t sunk in yet. ¡®But my old body is still strong.¡¯ He had been holding a hammer for over 90 years now. Just because he woke up one day and wanted to put it down didn¡¯t mean that he could. Buttely, his grandson had been openly treating him like a frail old man. ¡®...No, this might be the normal thing to do.¡¯ Any other person would have started to live this kind of life decades ago. Most of the smiths that had started around the time he did were already either dead or retired. ¡°...¡± Kwon Noyaughed bitterly. He had a feeling that he wasn¡¯t so different from the weeds in his hand. ¡°If I can¡¯t, then you should live.¡± He scattered the weeds across the ground and stood up. At that moment, he heard the ground rumble as his grandson ran over. ¡°Grandfather! Grandfather!¡± ¡°I can hear you, you bastard!¡± It was like Kwon Palmo had never started to treat him differently. His voice was cheerful as he responded to his grandson¡¯s cries. Kwon Noya¡¯s mouth puckered and gave his grandson a curious look. ¡°What¡¯s all the ruckus?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a customer!¡± ¡°A customer?¡± Kwon Noyabed through his memories for a moment before he spoke, ¡°Did I not tell you that you¡¯d be handling all the customers from now on?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. yer Seo Jun-Ho is here.¡± ¡°...That brat?¡± He had disappeared all excited with the Sword of Ambition. So, why was he here? Actually, now that he thought about it, it wasn¡¯t unlike Seo Jun-Ho to do that. After all, he didn¡¯t even try to stop him from retiring, despite having done so much for him. ¡°Where is that troublemaker?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m a troublemaker, but I¡¯m right here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked up and waved his hand. Kwon Noya was about to smile, happy to see him, but he quickly fixed his expression. ¡°What¡¯s the asion? You¡¯d usually go months without contact after going up,¡± he said curtly. ¡°I brought a customer who wants to meet you.¡± ¡°...Meetme?¡± His eyebrows furrowed as someone walked out from behind Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s legs. At first, he thought it was the Frost Queen fromst time. ¡®But she¡­ she was a girl, wasn¡¯t she? And she was smaller than that.¡¯ The child standing beside Seo Jun-Ho was clearly a boy. ¡°Who is that child?¡± Noya asked with his hands sped behind his back ¡°Ahem.You are the smith who created White Armor and the Sword of Ambition, are you not?¡± The child¡¯s voice was surprisingly mature. Kwon Noya frowned. ¡°So it seems. But you should watch your mouth, boy.¡±[3] ¡°Ah,do you value age and manners so much?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Kwon Noya saw Seo Jun-Ho shaking his head, but he pretended that he didn¡¯t see it. ¡°In the east, there is a principle that states the younger should give precedence to the elder.[4]It means that an adult stands over a child in a hierarchy.¡± ¡°...A wise principle.¡± Kwon Noya felt a strange unease when he saw the little boy grin. *** ¡°Hoho,you are quite skilled with the hammer for a human, younger brother.¡± ¡°...I am nothingpared to you, hyungnim[5]¡­ You are blessed by Mother Earth.¡± It was an amusing scene. Kwon Noya clearly looked older, but he was speaking so politely to the child. In fact, Kwon Palmo had gotten himself kicked out because he kept onughing, while Seo Jun-Ho also had to actively suppress his smile. ¡°...Why didn¡¯t you mention the kind of valuable customer he is?¡± Kwon Noya scolded Seo Jun-Ho. Kwon Noya was asking why Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t told him that Graham was a dwarf from the beginning and made him suffer through the humiliation. ¡°That¡¯s why I shook my head at you.¡± ¡°Hey! How was I supposed to get that?! You have a mouth, so use it!¡± Seeing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s grin really pissed him off. ¡°Haha.Do you hate speaking formally to me that much, brother?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it...¡± ¡°I feel a bit sad. Though I look like this, I should be at least 300 years older than you¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Kwon Noya¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°I apologize for acting arrogant.¡± ¡°Not at all. Now, let us get into the main order of business.¡± ¡°...And that would be?¡± Graham pointed at Jun-Ho. ¡°You are aware that he needs a new set of armor, correct?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, he asked me to make one and I declined.¡± ¡°And why did you do that?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Kwon Noya stopped. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know the reason, but he was a little embarrassed to say it in front of Seo Jun-Ho himself. ¡°Go ahead. Speak freely before me.¡± ¡°...¡± Why did he suddenly feel like he was a young man in the military again? Kwon Noya forced augh as he spoke, ¡°I just¡­ I just thought my level of skill would only weigh him down. And I was so angry I could not bring myself to lift my hammer.¡± ¡°Noya, I¡¯ve never¡ª¡± ¡°Jun-Ho, you stay quiet.¡± Graham held up his hand and cut him off. He then looked at Noya and said with warm eyes, ¡°Continue, brother.¡± ¡°...I personally think that cksmiths should not weld for their own satisfaction.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± the dwarf asked. Kwon Noya was quiet. Why? Why couldn¡¯t they? ¡®Well, if I kept giving Jun-Ho my creations for my own self-satisfaction¡­¡¯ Someday, Seo Jun-Ho might return as a cold corpse. The ipetent old man¡¯s greed might cause the death of someone precious to him. Graham seemed to have seen right through him and said, ¡°That is because your skills arecking.¡± Kwon Noya immediately scowled. Even though Graham was a dwarf blessed by Mother Earth, Kwon Noya didn¡¯t like that Graham was looking down on the skills he had cultivated his whole life. ¡°Why are you angry? You retired because you knew this better than anyone else, no?¡± ¡°...¡± It angered him, but Graham was correct. Kwon Noya had realized his ipetence, and he put down the hammer as a result. ¡°It¡¯s somewhat pathetic.¡± Graham chuckled and ced down his cup of tea. ¡°Thank you for the tea. Let us return, Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Surprised, Seo Jun-Ho stared at Noya and Graham. ¡°You¡¯re leaving just like that?¡± If this was how it was going to end, then there had been no point ining down from the beginning. Graham pulled on his coat. ¡°Not even I can say much to help a cksmith who has reached their limits. But if one has realized their limits but gave up without even attempting to ovee them, how could one call themselves a cksmith? They did not even deserve to stand in front of the forge.¡± ¡°...!¡± Noya¡¯s entire body flinched. The harsh criticism instantly woke him up. ¡®I¡­Gave up?¡¯ No. He hadn¡¯t. He had simply let go of his greed. He had stopped his old man¡¯s stubbornness for the sake of the young Jun-Ho¡¯s future. And that was all. But¡­ Why did Graham¡¯s words make him feel empty inside? ¡®Did I try?¡¯ On the day Seo Jun-Ho awkwardly handed over the broken White Armor and ck Dragon Fang to him, Kwon Noya decided to retire on the spot. At the time, he felt bitter and frustrated, but the sense of freedom he felt was even greater. His role was over. He thought that he had worked long and hard enough. ¡®Did I¡­ Even try?¡¯ He hadn¡¯t even tried to repair the equipment. He hadn¡¯t told Seo Jun-Ho to give him some time. If he had, the stupid man would have believed him and waited until the end, even if he seemed uneasy on the outside. ¡®Perhaps¡­ Perhaps I did give up.¡¯ Kwon Noya slowly closed his eyes as he realized just how empty and lethargic his entire body felt. ¡®I didn¡¯t even light the fire.¡¯ Kwon Noya had always been telling his grandson to finish whatever he started. It was also the motto of the Kwon n. ¡®...So that¡¯s what it meant.¡¯ He was ashamed that he still hadn¡¯t realized this in a hundred years. However, Kwon Noya would never make the same mistake twice. With a determined look, he stood up. ¡°Wait for me.¡± ¡°...¡± Graham looked over his shoulder just as he was about to walk out the door. But Kwon Noya was looking at Seo Jun-Ho, not at the dwarf. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you when the time wille, but wait for me until I am skilled enough to create your armor.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho revealed a wide smile. He hadn¡¯t even received his armor yet, but he already felt protected. ¡°Of course, I will.¡± ¡°It seems that you have finallye to your senses,¡± Graham said. ¡°I apologize for my unseemliness, Graham.¡± ¡°Not to worry. You are only a hundred years old, but you are wiser than some who are two or three hundred years old working under me.¡± Graham¡¯s eyes sparkled as he sat back down. ¡°Then, let us start discussing the construction.¡± ¡°...The construction of what?¡± ¡°What else? We will have to make his armor together. Let us discuss how we will make it.¡± Although Graham said that they would work together, it would actually be no different from a lesson. A private lesson by the chief of the White Anvil Tribe, blessed by Mother Earth. It was an opportunity money couldn¡¯t buy¡ªor perhaps¡ªthis was fate. Kwon Noya¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Palmo! Bring me my hammer!¡± For the first time in ten days, Kwon Noya¡¯s voice sounded energetic. Chapter 288. Sky Monster (1)

Chapter 288. Sky Monster (1)

"I see! If you tap it like that, you can reduce the damage to the metal.¡± It was learning and teaching. "Rather, you can make this area thin and smooth...¡± "If we make this a little bit more fluid for an aerodynamic design...¡± And the ensuing discussion alone took two full days... "Seo Jun-Ho,e here," Graham called out. When Seo Jun-Ho went over, a concept art was pushed forward to him. "Ohh¡­" It was full-body armor with a sleek design reminiscent of a sports car. Seo Jun-Ho stared at it with sparkling eyes and asked, "Is this it? My new armor?¡± "Right, but I''m not done with teaching yet.¡± Graham nced at Kwon Noya and continued, "It won''t be until a week or so before he gets to a level where we can work on it together." "A week..." "In the meantime, you get the materials." "Materials?" Come to think of it, Seo Jun-Ho wondered what kind of mineral this armor would be made of. "What should I get?" "Serium." "Seri¡­ um?¡± He had never heard of such material. It was alsopletely different from what Seo Jun-Ho thought. "That''s unexpected. I thought you''d use Cold Iron like for the spear you madest time.¡± "At first, I was going to make it with Cold Iron, but..." Graham pouted. "I changed my mind after hearing this guy." "From Kwon Noya?¡± "There is a clear limit to the Cold Iron." A clear limit? When Seo Jun-Ho looked confused, Graham exined, "Cold Iron could give a weapon or armor extreme properties, but that''s all." "¡­ Is Serium different?" "It''s different. I''m thinking of taking your Frost skill to the next level." Seo Jun-Ho was certainly interested. ¡®In other words, it¡¯s only going to have the ice element if it¡¯s made with Cold Iron, but¡­¡¯ If made with Serium, it would strengthen the Frost skill itself. A piece of equipment that made you stronger would always excite yers. "I''ll be right back. Do I just ask for Serium from Del Ice?" ¡°They don¡¯t have it there. Find Duke Schubert. It''s a metal that can only be found in his territory." "Duke Schubert...¡± He was one of the only two dukes of the Ruben Empire. Seo Jun-Ho was familiar with the duke¡¯s name, as he was so famous. However, that could also be why Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face darkened. "If it¡¯s a duke, yers can¡¯t just go meet them." In the first ce, a yer couldn¡¯t meet even a baron¡ªthe lowest level of the aristocracy at will¡ªunless they had a letter of rmendation. "Hmm?That''s weird. I believe Kim Woo-Joong said you should be able to meet him." "What? What do you mean...¡± As he trailed off, Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes suddenly widened. A conversation from the past popped up in his mind. ¡°Do you still have the ¡®Final Horizon¡¯ you gotst time?¡± "Yes." "Then, you should go and visit Duke Schubert one day." It was a conversation with Kim Woo-Joong at Del Ice. "Oh,I actually forgot about it.¡± ¡°So, can you do it?¡± "Probably..." "We need a lot, so bring as much as you can. It''s as expensive as mithril, but¡­ you have a lot of money, anyway." With that said, Graham and Kwon Noya put their heads together again and continued their discussion. ¡®Duke Schubert¡­¡¯ It was a journey for the creation of his own armor. Seo Jun-Ho moved without saying a word. *** The Schubert Dukedom had the secondrgest castle in the Ruben Empire after the capital. Perhaps because of that, the entrance to the duke''s residence was surrounded by a high fence with no end in sight. "Stop, yer." The knight blocking the front door stopped him. As expected of a knight of the duke''s family, the knight¡¯s aura was out of the ordinary. ¡®The knight of Maliva I saw a while ago...¡¯ This knight of the duke¡¯s family was strong enough to kill that knight in three seconds. Ifpared to a yer, although Seo Jun-Ho had never seen one, he thought the knight would be around level 160. "A letter of rmendation, or an appointment. Do you have either?" "I do not." "Then go back. You can''t go any further," the knight then said without blinking. It was his job to give these notifications dozens or hundreds of times a day. "Final Horizon." ¡°¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho told the frowning knight. "Please ry this to the duke: do you want to see Final Horizon?" "What kind of nonsense is that?" "He will know if you tell him." Seo Jun-Ho calmly continued, "I have never made a separate appointment with the duke, but he will likely want to see me." "Ha¡­What a load of crap. Do you really think you''re the first one to say stuff like that? Go home." The knight mustered his magic; he clearly didn¡¯t want to listen anymore. As the atmosphere turned for the worse, his fellow knights approached one by one and surrounded Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®There¡¯s no need for me to fight.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stepped back, raising his hands. "I made it clear. What happenster won¡¯t be my responsibility.¡± "Leave." At the order, Seo Jun-Ho turned his back to the residence and walked away. "As expected, it''s not easy to meet a duke." "What are we going to do now, Contractor¡­?¡± At the Frost Queen¡¯s murmur, the corners of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lips rose. "Even if he can¡¯t hear, wouldn¡¯t he be able to see?¡± "¡­What are you saying?¡± A question mark floated over her head. *** Duke Schubert''s schedule was jam-packed. The schedule was divided by the minutes, and he never went around alone. He was always apanied by bodyguards consisting of knights and mages, and he always had advisors. Today was the same. "What''s next on the schedule?" "It is a meeting concerning Raman Vige. The fields were destroyedst night, and seven residents were killed." "¡­Is it him again?" Duke Schubert¡¯s body was pretty well-maintained despite being over fifty years old. While walking down the hallway, his gruff face hardened. "This is difficult. What did the hired ones say?" "They said if he doesn''te down, there''s nothing they can do¡­.¡± When the surroundings became quiet¡ª Crash! Something broke through the window of the hall and made a mess of the hall. "An ambush!" "Protect the duke!" In an instant, the knights scattered and made a defensive line. The mages activated their magic and kept an eye out. ¡°¡­¡± The slightly surprised Duke Schubert slowly opened his mouth as if nothing had happened. "Stay back." "But it is dangerous...¡± "Investigate outside. Find the perpetrator." "Yes!" Withdrawing his guards, the duke slowly walked to the hallway¡¯s wall and pulled out an arrow. "Arrow..." It was an ordinary arrow, with no traces of magic on it. Turning around, he looked out through the broken window. "¡­From where?" The duke''s eyes narrowed. Ironically, the arrow had flown from the back of the residence. In other words, it was a cliff. It meant that one couldn''t just shoot an arrow from there even if they wanted to. ''No, if you really wanted to shoot...¡¯ When he approached the window, Duke Schubert¡¯s fierce gazended somewhere. In the distance, a mountain peak about five kilometers away came into view. "Don''t tell me it¡¯s there...¡± Duke Schubert immediately shook his head. ''No, that''s ridiculous. For that to be possible, you need Final Horizon, at the least¡­¡® Wait, Final Horizon? With widened eyes, Duke Schubert looked at the advisors. "Send a man to the entrance post of the mansion right now." "Yes, what should I order him to do?" "Among the recent visitors, find out if anyone has uttered the words ¡®Final Horizon¡¯." "Understood." Duke Schubert looked at the arrow in his hand with hope. *** "Here you are!¡± The hotel buffet became noisy. Seo Jun-Ho was eating, and he acknowledged the visitor by slightly lowering his head. "Hello again." "Haaa¡­I thought you had left already. Do you know how much we searched for you?" "Well, you told me to get lost." "I didn''t say it like that¡­ Anyway, I apologize for that." The knight bowed his head. ¡°I misunderstood. There are just so many people out there willing to try and meet the duke...¡± "Well, I understand. To be honest, you are only working hard at your job." "Thank you for your understanding.¡± "Then let''s go.¡± "¡­What?" "Didn''t youe to pick me up?" "T-that''s right. Let''s go..." As the knight took the lead, the Frost Queen looked like she was about to cry when she previously had a bright smile while holding a bowl of food. "But¡­ I haven¡¯t even taken a bite yet¡­¡± "Let¡¯s go first, I''ll feed you till your stomach explodes when we¡¯re done.¡± "Sigh...¡± The two put down their bowls and followed the knight to Duke Schubert''s residence. As Seo Jun-Ho entered the living room, the duke rose from his seat. "Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Duke Schubert Laffin." "I am yer Seo Jun-Ho. First of all, I apologize for my rudeness." Seo Jun-Ho bowed his head. The way he had introduced himself with an arrow was indeed a little extreme and rude. "Hmm,you''re a well-mannered yer. I''ll take that apology. Take a seat." As Seo Jun-Ho sat, Duke Schubert suddenly thought of something. "By the way, Seo Jun-Ho, Seo Jun-Ho, Seo Jun-Ho...¡± It was definitely a name he had heard somewhere. After thinking for a while, he recalled the name. "Was it perhaps you who defeated the fiends in Port Lane and rescued the guardian deity of the South Sea?" "It''s an honor to be recognized by you." He was referring to Seo Jun-Ho saving the Leviathan. "I''m d to meet a young hero. You asked if I wanted to see Final Horizon, right?¡± "Yes." "I want to see it. Very much." Duke Schubert was an honest man. No, he just seemed like someone who disliked wasting time. "I think we fit quite well." Seo Jun-Ho smiled. Seo Jun-Ho was that kind of person as well. When he moved a bow from his Inventory onto the table, the duke''s eyes shone. "Is this the Final Horizon?" "Yes." "How can I trust you?¡± "Don¡¯t you need the strength of this bow, anyway? You can just try it out." "That¡¯s true.¡± When the duke reached for the bow, Seo Jun-Ho gently put his hand on the bow to block him. "¡­What is the meaning of this?" "First of all, I do not know why you need this.¡± There was a moment of fluster on the duke''s face when Seo Jun-Ho said that. "Are you saying that you didn''t get this bow for me because you knew about the situation?" "That¡¯s right." "Hmm." The duke withdrew his hand and nodded. "Let me put it in a nutshell. Do you know a monster called Telgia?" "I have never heard of it." "It''s the name of a giant bird flying over the clouds. It was first discovered two hundred years ago. It doesn¡¯t harm people and until recently, it was treated as a holy bird to the extent that some people would pray on the day it was seen." Until recently? If so, it meant that it had recently changed. "It''s already been over a year since Telgia suddenly went crazy.¡± Telgia descended and began to destroy everything as well as kill the inhabitants of various settlements. "My territory has suffered loss beyond description. It''s literally a sky monster of catastrophe. Aside from destroying fields, viges, and cities, it also eats the inhabitants." "¡­So you needed this bow to catch it.¡± "That''s right." The duke nodded. "With this bow, we should be able to drag it down to the ground." ¡°¡­¡± After thinking for a while, Seo Jun-Ho dly removed his hand. "All right, I understand the situation. So now, could I talk to you about the rental fee?" "¡­Rental? You''re not selling the bow?" "You would not need this anymore after capturing Telgia, yes?" "That''s true." "If so, it is not necessary for you to buy the bow for a huge sum. Rather, you can just give me a rental fee." "How much do you want?" "I would like it if you gave me a mineral called Serium rather than money," Seo Jun-Ho responded with a big smile, "If you provide me with plenty of it, Telgia or whatever¡­ I will take care of it." Favorite Chapter 289. Sky Monster (2)

Chapter 289. Sky Monster (2)

The duke lightly sighed. ¡°Phew,I appreciate your suggestion, but we have already hired people to hunt Telgia a year ago." "Then it can''t be helped. They must be pretty skilled." "¡­It''s my kid and his friends.¡± Seo Jun-Ho immediately understood. "It seems they need fame.¡± "They all graduated from the Imperial Academy with excellent grades. They¡¯re getting closer to the age where they¡¯ll take seats in society. Before that, I think they want to have a decent achievement under their belts." Duke Schubert started to look a little different, from a fastidious negotiator to a troubled father. "But they don''t have that much practical experience, so I''m always nervous in one corner of my mind¡­" After contemting for a while Duke Schubert added, "How about this? I heard you yed a big part in ckfield.¡± "Yes, well..." "You¡¯ll be much superior in terms of experience. Keep an eye on them." "But if they are the children of nobles, I will not be able to give advice or anything..." "I''ll make sure to give you a high enough position for you to do that, and I''ll give you a hundred kilograms of Serium as well." ¡®A hundred kilograms!¡¯ In Graham''s words, Serium was an expensive mineralparable to mithril. ¡®If he gives me a hundred kilograms... Isn¡¯t that worth more than 10 billion?¡¯ Graham even told him to bring as much as he could. Everything progressed rather quickly as they came to an understanding. Seo Jun-Ho lowered his head as he pushed the bow toward the duke. "I look forward to your cooperation." "I look forward to your cooperation as well, yer." The deal was made. *** "Please make yourself at home." The attendant showed him a magnificent room. At a nce, there were expensive paintings, ceramics, vases, furniture¡­ And it wasparable to the rooms he often used during his Specter days. "It seems that he¡¯s determined to support me." "There is no parent who can win over their child. In addition, Telgia has been getting the better of them for more than a year now.¡± "¡­Yeah, a year." He roughly took off his coat and threw it on the bed before saying, "Frost, do you remember the demon jade?" "Demon jade, demon jade¡­Ah!The Blood Kobold Lord?" "Yeah." Among the seven Squadrons of the Fiend Association, the job of the Squadron of Despair led by Gu-Shi-On was to imnt ¡®demon jade¡¯ into monsters. "If absorbed, the monster''s power bes dramatically stronger." In return, the monster would lose reason and run rampant. The blood kobold and the Blood Kobold Lord that Seo Jun-Ho had hunted were like that. "No matter how much I think about it, I think it has something to do with Telgia." "Since it has suddenly be violent, then there¡¯s a high chance that it¡¯s the case." "Not bad." If they had been able to imnt a demon jade in Telgia, even though it often flew over the clouds, a decently-powerful fiend from the Squadron of Despair had to have done it. ¡®If I catch their trail and trace them back... I¡¯ll be able to reach Gu-Shi-On.¡¯ The Fiend Association was currently in chaos, as no one was in control. It was top priority to break the neck of the leaders before they caused any incidents. "Let''s go, then." "¡­But we just came in, though?" "I should meet the hunter making their father''s heart anxious." They were the academy''s top graduates, who would soon be sewn into various positions in the Ruben Empire. If they were better than he was expecting, then he wouldn¡¯t have to lend a hand in the hunt. ¡®In that case, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to get along with each other.¡¯ But if they didn¡¯t meet his expectations... "Then, well, they¡¯ll be at odds with me." Seo Jun-Ho was a very thorough and demanding man when it came to hunting. *** The hunting group was using an entirely separate building as their quarters. It was all because if Telgia showed up, they would be able to immediately make a move¡­ "But..." As soon as he opened the door of the mansion, Seo Jun-Ho frowned. "No wonder I had a bad feeling about this from the start." The strong smell of alcohol pierced his nose. While he was walking inside with a look of disapproval, he heard voices. "¡­I worked my ass off to graduate from the academy, and they¡¯re telling me to go to the Eastern Desert? Does that even make any sense?" "Oh my,Count Haron must be too strict." "Hyung-nim, you have to hold it in." There were three males and two females huddled in the living room. Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes quickly scanned the living room. Their weapons were randomly ced on the walls and on the floor, and so were their armors. ¡®Oho.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho revealed a vain smile. At this moment, the rtionship between him and the group was established. Bang, bang! When he hit the wall with his fist, attention was drawn at once. "¡­What''s going on? I told them not to let anyone in unless we¡¯re being summoned.¡± "Telgia has appeared. Everyone, get ready for battle." "What, what?!" At that one sentence, the five men and women began to move in a hurry with expressions of confusion. Bowls were broken, and alcohol was spilled as the bottles were knocked over. "Kyak!My spear! Where did I put my spear?" "It''s over there! More than that, help me put on my armor!" "The arrow box is here, but... who moved my bow?" It was truly spectacr. Seo Jun-Ho stood with crossed arms, and next to him was the Frost Queen standing with her arms crossed as well. "They are really just ying around." "Yeah, I guess it''s because they''re kids, but they''re really good¡ªreally good at ying." Seo Jun-Ho checked his Vita. The time it took them to get ready for battle was... "4 minutes and 12 seconds." The knight in a silver full te mail asked, "Where is it? Where¡¯s Telgia?!" "It went up again." "¡­What?" Seo Jun-Ho stared at the man¡¯s foolish expression and said, "4 minutes and 12 seconds. It went up while you put on your armor and grabbed your weapons." "You..." The face of the knight without his helmet was stiff. Everyone then realized that they had been fooled. "What are you trying to do?" "That¡¯s what I''d like to ask. What are you doing? Did youe here to have a group pic?¡± "We''re just waiting for Telgia toe down, so we can hunt it." "Oh,really? It looked like you guys were just ying." "Wait, wait." A handsome man, who appeared to be a mage, walked out with a smile and stopped the knight. "Who are you, by the way?¡± "yer Seo Jun-Ho, the general manager of the Telgia hunt." "Hmm...The general manager?¡± The knight received the mage''s gaze and frowned. "I didn''t hear that from my father.¡± "I suppose so. It was decided today.¡± Duke Schubert¡¯s son was the knight. When Seo Jun-Ho took out the letter of appointment their mouths closed tightly. ¡°I heard everyone was an alumnus of the Imperial Academy, so I was looking forward to our meeting, but¡­¡± They were a mess. However, It wasn''t because they had poor skills. ''It''s rather surprising. They seem to be decently usable in battle despite being young.¡¯ They were in their early 20s, but their levels were around that of High Rankers. However, Seo Jun-Ho was referring to their state of mind. "Even if goblinse rushing in, I don''t think you guys will be able to stop them." "Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too harsh?" The female warrior holding the spear frowned, but Seo Jun-Ho ignored her and gestured to the archer. "Take it." The archer smiled as he stared at the bow Seo Jun-Ho had extended. "I''m sorry, but I only use custom-made bows." "It''s the Final Horizon, you don''t want to use it?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Everyone''s eyes opened wide. "This is¡­ the Final Horizon?" The moment the excited archer reached out, Seo Jun-Ho withdrew his hand. "What, why? Why did you take it away?¡± "I''ll tell you in advance, but this is mine. I''m just renting it out." "What? Just sell it to me. If it¡¯s money, I can give any...¡± "I have a lot of money, too." "Ugh..." The archer bit his lips and nodded with difficulty. "But we can use it until we catch Telgia, right?" "Of course..." Receiving the box, the archer inspected it with a happy expression. "Ooohhh,indeed, it is a famous bow. I can''t wait to pull it.¡± It was a Unique-grade bow, and it was said that an arrow could be shot to the end of the horizon once it was pulled above a certain force. As such, an archer would naturally want to pull the bow. "And from now on, alcohol is prohibited in the residence. We¡¯re going to start training in the gym in the morning.¡± "What?" The knight frowned at once. "This is my home." "If you want to pose as Duke Schubert''s son, leave. This building is an amodation provided for hunters who gathered to catch Telgia." ¡°¡­¡± The knight closed his mouth. He simply red at Seo Jun-Ho. "I hope your skills are as good as your talking skills.¡± "Both are good, so don''t worry." When the conversation ended, Seo Jun-Ho left the residence. He didn''t forget to ask the servant to throw all the alcohol away. "Huh?Is your room not this way?" "Seeing them, I think I should get ready as well." Telgia was said toe down once a month and destroy the duchy. Thest time it came down was 20 days ago, so it was time for it toe down again soon. "What are you preparing?" "There is something I need.¡± His steps led to the duke''s office. *** Seo Jun-Ho would stamp his seal every morning in the separate residence where the noble children gathered. "¡­Why are youing here every day?" As if he was ufortable, the knight asked in a displeased voice while swinging a sword in the gym. "Duke Schubert told me. He said he was worried about you lot and asked me to keep an eye on you people." ¡°We don¡¯t need surveince and protection; we¡¯re past that age.¡± The knight coldly replied and began to wield the sword again. ¡®How cute¡­¡¯ Kids around the age of 20 were usually like this. They felt they had be adults and were old enough to feel like their parents were meddling in their business. ¡®The partyposition is not bad.¡¯ Seeing that there was no awkwardness between them, it seemed that they were a group that had always been together since their academy days. The three men of the group were the knight, the archer, and the mage. And the two women were the spearwoman and the healing mage. "If you''re bored, do you want to spar?" Whenever he had time, the knight would ask Seo Jun-Ho to sh swords. It appeared that he wanted to humiliate Seo Jun-Ho in front of his friends. However, the adult Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t get caught in such a cheap provocation. "No. We''ll get scolded by the duke." "¡­Hmm,you must not be confident." The knight clicked his tongue and continued his training with his friends again. After Seo Jun-Ho was assigned to the role of general and monitoring manager, their ying around time had gotten eradicated. ¡®Well, they have been living together for a year, but they still haven''t been able to achieve any results, so it¡¯s expected that they¡¯re in low spirits. And it¡¯s also because they''re kids...'' But now, they had ¡®Final Horizon¡¯. So, they were determined to sessfully hunt Telgia this time. "Hmm." While they were training, Seo Jun-Ho studied by reading materials. The material was the ¡®hunting log¡¯ the group had recorded over the year. ¡®Seeing this, it seems that they weren¡¯t just ying around.¡¯ It could be because they were the children of nobles representing the empire, but their abilities were pretty good. The neatly organized log also detailed Telgia''s characteristics and the course of the day''s battles. "Telgia, Telgia... It¡¯s quite a tough monster to catch." It could cause a storm. Moreover, it was difficult to stand with both legs on the ground when exposed to fierce winds. ¡®Even when attacked, it flies away above the clouds to catch its breath.¡¯ This was Telgia¡¯s most difficult habit to deal with when it came to catching it. ¡®It¡¯s also the reason why the method of piercing its wings first using ¡®Final Horizon¡¯ was suggested.¡¯ "It''s impossible to attack an enemy above the clouds." Whenever Telgia descended to cause havoc and kidnap residents, they would have a two to three-second window to deal enormous damage to it so that it wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. ¡®How would I hunt it?¡¯ He had been spending the past few days running simtions in his head, but then it suddenly appeared. Swooooosh! The clouds were forcibly scattered to the side, and a huge shadow was cast on the gym. It quickly flew toward the vige beyond the castle. "It''s Telgia!" "Get ready! Let''s end its life today!" "Hurry, before people get hurt!" After getting ready in the blink of an eye, they rode their respective horses and hurried after Telgia. They looked a hundred and eighty degrees different from a few days ago when it took them 4 minutes and 12 seconds to get ready. "Now, they look a bit like hunters." Seo Jun-Ho smiled as he got on a wagon. He then said to the coachman, "Let us depart, too." Chapter 290. Sky Monster (3)

Chapter 290. Sky Monster (3)

"Come,e, it''s cheap! Cheap fresh fish from Port Lane!" "We sell pineapples pickled in sugar and honey! It''s tasty!" The market was crowded with people as usual. It was a lively ce with people happily doing business and customers purchasing goods and necessities. Swoosh! But all of a sudden, the sun disappeared as a dark shadow was cast over them. Their faces quickly changed colors. "T-Telgia! Telgia has appeared!" "Damn it, honey! This way!" "Uwaaaaa!Moooom!" "Where the hell is this kid''s mother?!" The order was disrupted in an instant and screams could be heard from everywhere. Clip-clop, clip-clop! The noble children appeared in a timely manner. They raised their voices and controlled the crowd. "Don''t panic!" "Move to the underground shelter in an orderly manner! Walk to the right!" "Let the children, the elderly, and the women evacuate first!" The order was established once more in the crowded market, and the evacuation of residents sped up. "¡­Damn it." Duke Schubert¡¯s son, Wagner, bit his lips. He didn''t really like looking at the terrified faces of the residents. ''Telgia, I''ll catch you.¡¯ His zing eyes red at the sky. This mission was something he had started as a way to gain experience, but now, it wasn¡¯t just to gain experience anymore. ¡®I will inherit this territory.¡¯ And Telgia was an enemy harming the residents he was supposed to protect. As such, he had enough reason to hate Telgia. ''¡­ I''ve shown a pathetic side of myself in recent months.¡¯ Telgia was a wall to him, no¡ªTelgia was also a wall to his fellow noble children. It was a wall that remained standing despite their efforts over the year. They had half given up because they thought they couldn''t catch Telgia no matter what they did. ¡®But today is different...¡¯ Because they had Final Horizon. The reason why they repeatedly lost to Telgia was that they couldn''t suppress its air supremacy. ¡®You won''t be able to escape this time.¡¯ But then the archer Damian frowned... "Something''s weird, why is it alreadying down?¡± "What?" Wagner''s expression stiffened as he looked at the sky. As Damian said, Telgia''s body was already halfway down the clouds. ''No way. Is it not aiming at the wheat fields and farms outside the castle as usual?¡¯ Over the past year, Telgia had only targeted the city center twice. Since then, it only targeted the ces outside the castle. "It¡¯sing down!" When the spearwoman shouted, a bunch of thoughts rattled Wagner''s head. But he eventually made a decision and said, "Get ready to rip off one of its wings!¡± "Got it!" Damian skimmed through the surrounding buildings, then skillfully climbed over a wall to reach a roof. Clip-clop, clip-clop. Arriving one stepter than them, Seo Jun-Ho asked as he got off the wagon, "Was Telgia such a huge bird?" "Yes. Actually, I¡¯m still not used to its size¡­" the coachman muttered with an awkward expression. Telgia''s body was covered with dark brown feathers, and its wingspan alone looked to be about thirty meters long. The Frost Queen was also surprised by the incredible size of the bird. "It''s big,verybig. But it¡¯s shorter than I thought..." Creak! Then, Telgia opened its beak. [Kyaaaaak!!!] Everyone covered their ears when a shrill cry reverberated from the sky. ¡®Interesting¡­¡¯ Its scream could create a gust of wind. The corner of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mouth curled up as he was meeting a monster that wasverymonster-like for the first time in a while. Unfortunately for him, it wasn¡¯t his turn to make a move. "Damian,e on!" "I''m doing it!¡± At the urging of the spearwoman, Damian slowly pulled the bowstring. What was nocked on the bow was simr in thickness and length to a spear rather than an arrow. ¡®Wing, wing, wing.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter whether it was left or right. If he could just tear one wing apart, they could drag Telgia down to the ground. ¡®Now.¡¯ Booom! The arrow flew, bursting through the air as the sound of a drum being pounded echoed throughout. The arrow shot forward in a straight line. But before it could pierce Telgia¡¯s wings¡ª Whip. Telgia rolled its eyes and looked at the arrow before twisting its body as if it were an acrobat doing their maneuver. "That¡¯s crazy! It dodged that?!¡± "It¡¯s that flexible despite being that big?" They were baffled by Telgia''s never-seen-before ability. "¡­Damn it, this makes it more troublesome.¡± Damien bit his lip hard. Their n was to use ¡®Final Horizon¡¯ to take Telgia''s air supremacy away and fight it on the ground. "But we only made it angry¡­" ¡°It¡¯sing down!" Telgia folded its wings and began to fall toward them at a frightening speed. "Damian! Why aren¡¯t youing down?!" "¡­It¡¯s too embarrassing. How can I go down?¡± He thought he could catch it as long as he had Final Horizon. In fact, if he could ¡®hit¡¯ it, his thoughts would be a reality, not just a mere delusion. As such, he quietly pulled the bowstring once more. Twiing! Twiing! Twiing! The arrows flew one after another, but Telgia dodged them all with quick movements that betrayed its size. "Damn that bird head!" Damien vented his anger and was about to put down his bow in a fit of anger. "Wait." A soft palm was pressing on his shoulder. ¡®¡­yer?¡¯ Damian frowned when he looked back. It was the guy who suddenly appeared a few days ago and said that he was their general manager. "What are you doing? Move your hand.¡± "If you shoot now, it''ll dodge again." ¡°¡­¡± Damian was speechless and closed his lips tightly. He turned his head upward and asked, "¡­Then when should I shoot?" "Wait until I give you the signal." Swoooooosh! Telgia was still furiously descending toward them even at this moment. And it seemed like its huge talons would snatch him up at any moment. "H-hey¡­" "No. Wait." "Just how long do you want me to wait?" Damian started trembling. Now, he could feel already the wind pressure being created by Telgia¡¯s descent. ''...I''m going to die at this rate.¡¯ Damian''s trembling eyes met Telgia''s red eyes. Just as the fear of death gripped his heart while was facing Telgia¡¯s fury¡ª "You''ve endured it well." The palm gently pulled his shoulders along with a faintugh. Then a huge arrow left the bowstring, tearing the air apart. Craaack! Telgia was quick, but it could not escape an arrow fired right in front of its eyes. [Kyaaaak!!!] The arrow pierced its side and the pain disrupted the talons aimed at Damian. Cruuunch! Telgianded on the building next to them, and it brought several buildings down with it as it fell. "The Final Horizon¡¯s unique effect increases the force of the arrow by five times." "¡­What?" "It¡¯s fine if you don''t understand." Seo Jun-Ho tapped Damian on the shoulder. "But you manage to get in a shot. Is this perhaps the first time?" "Yes..." Damian nodded unconsciously. Although he had borrowed the power of the weapon, it was still the first time he had inflicted a fatal wound on Telgia with his own hands. "Good job, Damian!" Wagner burst into a roar of joy as he pulled out his great sword. "Vincent! Ne! Won-Ho, I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡± "Of course, Magic Shield!" ¡°Bestow holy blessings upon your sheep!" A magic shield covered Wagner¡¯s body, and his body began to overflow with energy. ¡°Kill it before ites to its senses!" Wagner ran out, holding the great sword high. Telgia''s thick neck, as it staggered up, came into full view. Wagner ran over with his great sword held up high. As Telgia struggled to stand up, its neck became visible. ''Yes, that''s the neck.¡¯ It was a ce he had always wanted to cut a hundred, even a thousand times, but his sword had simply been too far away to reach it. But now, it was possible. His sword could touch it¡ªhe could cut it. "Die!" A clean stroke he had been honing since he began to wield the sword unfolded. [Kyaaaak!!!] Sensing the danger to its life, Telgia spread its wings and created gusts of wind. Slice! "Ugh?!¡± The gusts of wind pushed Wagner''s body back. As a result, the wound on Telgia''s neck was shallow. It was only half as deep as it should be. However, Wagner wasn¡¯t discouraged. "I''m not alone..." "Let me borrow your back!" The spearwoman Aria ran from behind, stepped on his back, and kicked off of him into the air. As if her body had be a spear itself, she charged at Telgia on the floor. Stab! A spear imbued with magic pierced Telgia''s chest. "It went in cleanly!" But just as her expression brightened¡ª Whoooooooosh! A gust of wind drove her body into the wall of the next building. "Ugh!" The spearwoman¡¯s face distorted with pain as her arm broke upon impact. "Aria!" Furious, Vincentunched fireballs at Telgia. Telgia hurriedly pped its wings and tried to leave. "I''ll never let you go!" Grab! Wagner grabbed its foot. At the same time, Telgia''s body floated into the air. "W-Wagner?!¡± "It''s too dangerous! Come down!" Hisrades shouted with paleplexions. However, Telgia ascended ten meters each time it pped its wings. "Damian! Can you somehow aim for its wings?¡± "¡­Damn it, that bastard¡¯s too sly!" Telgia was clever. What it cared about the most in this situation was none other than the archer and the mage. Whenever they looked like they were going to attack, it would move its legs and use Wagner as a shield. "You idiot! You¡¯re just getting in the way! Come down!" "But¡­!" Wagner bit his lip tightly. He had fought against Telgia numerous times over the year, but he had never been in a more advantageous situation than today. ¡®If we miss today''s opportunity, we may never catch it again.¡¯ He definitely couldn¡¯t give up. Today would be thest time he would look at the terrified faces of the residents. Wagner gritted his teeth and began to stab Telgia in the body with his great sword in one hand. Stab, stab, stab! "Die, die, die, die!" [¡­] Telgia looked at him as if it were looking at a bug. For such arge monster, an injury like that was no more than a little prick. As it climbed above a certain altitude, Telgia raised its opposite foot without hesitation. "Wagner!" "Let go now! Please!" "I¡¯ll¡­ never let go¡­!¡± He imbued his sword with magic and stabbed it toward Telgia¡¯s stomach. Craaack! The steel-like talon clenched him tightly. "Ahhhk!" Crunch! The full te mail was directly crushed, and he felt extreme pain. It was so painful his mind went nk for a moment. ¡®Ah¡­?¡¯ The world around him was spinning when he came to his senses. At the same time, his ears went deaf. ''Now, I¡¯m...'' He was falling. With his nk gaze, he could see Telgia staring at him while pping its wings. "No..." Even when he reached out, Telgia was only getting farther and farther away. ¡®In the end, will I just fail like this?¡¯ Could he really not catch it with his own hands? Were they going to fail even after giving it a serious wound with Final Horizon? ''¡­Damn it.'' Rather than due to the pain, tears flowed from sorrow. He suddenly recalled the struggle he had been through while trying to catch Telgia over the past year. "Ah." At that moment, he realized that the ground wasing closer and closer. ¡®Come to think of it, Vincent can''t use gravity magic.¡¯ At best, Vincent could cast a shield, but it was impossible for it to withstand this much impact. ''Father, I''m sorry.'' Wooosh! Wagner closed his eyes tightly, but the pain didn¡¯t arrive. ¡®What?¡¯ When he slowly opened his eyes, the ground was only ten centimeters away from his face. Reaching out to the ground in surprise, he looked at Vincent with a puzzled expression as hey on the floor. "You¡­ When did you learn gravity magic?" "What? I didn''t learn it. Didn¡¯t you use something like an artifact?¡± They looked at each other''s faces with their eyes wide open. Seo Jun-Ho, who had been on the roof of a building until then, opened his mouth. "Is your turn over?" "¡­What?" "You can thank me for saving youter. Right now, I''m asking if your turn is over.¡± ¡®...Did he save me?¡¯ Wagner hesitated for a moment and looked up at the sky. Telgia had already flown high and was pping its wings from up there. Based on the pattern so far, it would stop here for today and run away. "The turns all over. No one can do anything about it as long as it''s up to that height.¡± "Well¡­ I don''t think so." Seo Jun-Ho reached his hand out to Damian. "What?" When Damian ced his hand on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand with a dumb look on his face, Seo Jun-Ho looked at the former as though he was pitiful before speaking like a surgeon about to perform surgery. "Give it to me, the Final Horizon." Chapter 291. Sky Monster (4)

Chapter 291. Sky Monster (4)

Holding Final Horizon in his hand, Seo Jun-Ho ced ''something'' on the bowstring. It was what he asked from Duke Schubert a few days ago. "Wait, what the hell is that...¡± Damian didn¡¯t know what to say as his mouth repeatedly opened and closed. It was no wonder as the yer in front of him hadn¡¯t put on an ordinary arrow on the bowstring. No, it was something that couldn¡¯t really be called an arrow. "¡­You''re kidding, right? You''re seriously going to shoot that and try to hit it with that? It won''t even reach it." "If it¡¯s Final Horizon, it will..." What Seo Jun-Ho put on the bowstring was not an arrow but a ¡®harpoon¡¯. And behind it was a chain of excessive length. "Don''t tell me you''re going to do something crazy like shoot that through it and go up the chain to fight?" "I''ve never said anything crazy, but you''ve got it right." That was the second hunting method Seo Jun-Ho had prepared. ¡®It''s an operation in case we fail to bring Telgia down to the ground.¡¯ Back then, Seo Jun-Ho still hadn¡¯t seen Telgia with his eyes, which meant he had no idea of its size. ¡®If it''s bigger than I thought...¡¯ He judged that he couldn¡¯t stop its flight with most arrows or spears. That was why he had changed his mind. If they couldn¡¯t bring it down, then they just had to go up over there. "¡­You¡¯re crazy. You''re out of your mind. You''re going to have an aerial battle with a monster that can call on the storm?" That was crazy talk. Fighting it in the sky was more than just giving it the home advantage. "Quiet. You¡¯re distracting me." Seo Jun-Ho muttered and ceased breathing. The strong wind incessantly ruffled his hair. ¡°¡­¡± The Final Horizon could ignore the effects of any wind, but a hurricane was different. He had to shoot while calcting both the trajectory and the intensity of the wind so that his attack could reach his target. ''Honestly, I was a little worried because it has been a while...¡¯ A corner of Seo Jun-Ho''s mouth went up. It could be because of his Weapon Mastery (S), but the bow felt like his favorite weapon. ¡®Now.¡¯ Whoosh! When the bowstring was released, the harpoon with chains rushed toward the sky. The Final Horizon¡¯s ability was simple. ¡®To make the arrow fly all the way to the horizon¡¯s end¡­¡¯ On top of that, the speed of the arrow would increase by a thousand percent, while the force of the arrow would increase by five hundred percent. The harpoon flew to Telgia in a blink of an eye. [¡­] It looked down at the harpoon. It easily avoided the huge arrow Damian had shot at this distance, so there was no reason why it couldn''t avoid the heavier and slower harpoon. [Kyak?!] But in the end, it couldn''t escape the harpoon. It wasn¡¯t able to move its body even though Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t used the power to freeze. ¡®That takes too much magic.¡¯ From the roof, he would have to use nearly half of his magic to stop Telgia just below the clouds. Considering the following battle, it was a clear overinvestment. ¡®So, what I came up with as the next best thing is...¡¯ It was none other than an ice golem. If it was the highest flying bird, its vignce for things above its head would be somewhat loose. And his prediction ended up being correct. [Kyaaaak?!] Telgia was firmly seized by four ice golems that had fallen from above its head. As a result, the sharp harpoon was able to prate even deeper into Telgia''s chest. ¡®It has been a while since she was so useful.¡¯ It had also been a long time since the tired-looking Frost Queen looked so proud. With this level of performance, he was willing to buy her an expensive cake after the battle. "H-he really managed to hit it?" Damian muttered, dumbfounded. ¡®It''s not just that the uracy was high.¡¯ Summoning the ice golem at the perfect timing to limit Telgia''s movements was a godly move. ''It¡¯s honestly my loss. He¡¯s thoroughly prepared. How far ahead is this guy thinking when he fights?¡¯ Damian conceded. It was the only way for him to move forward. "Khmm¡­Not bad. It''s something worth learning from a fellow archer.¡± "No..." "What?" "I''m not an archer." Seo Jun-Ho stuffed the bow into his Inventory and grabbed the chain. [Kyaaaak!] The burning pain made Telgia scream as it flew even higher. As Telgia rose, the chain connected to it began to rise as well. The same was also true with Seo Jun-Ho holding on to the chain. "H-hey!" Damian called out to him with a bewildered look, but Seo Jun-Ho''s figure quickly became a dot and disappeared. He blinked and muttered, "¡­What are you if not an archer?" *** Whooosh! ¡®Today, I have to make sure to keep on changing,¡¯Seo Jun-Ho thought as he felt the wind hitting his face hard. Today, he was going to be an archer, swordsman, spearman, and sniper. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to hunt down his opponent that roamed the sky like it was its bedroom. ¡®Let''s focus.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho focused on the current situation with his eyes open. This hunt would end in failure as soon as his concentration was disrupted. And it was most likely that... "¡­It''s damn high." It was most likely that the failure would result in irreversible consequences. When he looked at the ground, which had be as small as his finger now, his hand holding on to the chain unconsciously tightened. [Kyaaak!] The giant bird seemed like it disliked the human flying in the sky with it. As a result, it flew faster, prated the clouds, and finally entered the realm above the clouds. "¡­Ha!" Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho eximed. The realm above the clouds where the bright sun could be seen unobstructed was beautiful beyond words. [Kyaaak!] "If we weren¡¯t in this situation, I would have enjoyed it properly." Seo Jun-Ho lightly clicked his tongue, grabbed the chain with one hand, and focused. ¡®Overclocking, seventy-five percent.¡¯ When his body warmed up, he started torunon the air. The reason why he could do such a thing was simple. Craaackle! He froze the air and created an ice tform with every step he took. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ He hadn¡¯t taken more than a few steps just yet, but his head was already aching. To say it was a headache was an understatement, rather, he felt like his brain was being overworked. "Damn it!" To make matters worse, the wind had be violent. Telgia mustered a storm and sent it over to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®It''sing.¡¯ If he entered the storm¡¯s sphere of influence, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on to the chain. After all, it was impossible to resist natural disasters with human bodies. Seo Jun-Ho let go of his hands as it wouldn¡¯t be enough even if he strongly grasped the chain with both hands. "Heup!" Holding on to the chain with his two thighs, he opened his Inventory. And what he pulled out was a bow. ''Tempest Butterfly.¡¯ It was a bow considered to be India''s national treasure. "Storms, do you really think you''re the only one who can cause it?" Shake! Telgia began to shake its body like crazy. Naturally, Seo Jun-Ho''s body hanging upside down from the chain shook up and down as well. ¡®Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho increased his concentration. Within the spinning world, he quietly stared at his goal, the storm. ¡®The target will be destroyed.¡¯ What he was trying to do was create another storm within the storm and offset it. However, it was practically impossible to do something which was difficult to do even on the ground under these bad conditions. ¡®Impossible...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho grinned. After ruminating over it a few times, ¡®impossible¡¯ seemed to be doable. Whooooosh! The sound of the storm deafened his ears. But even while his body was shaking violently, his waist remained straight. That was the only way he could send the arrow exactly where he wanted it to go. ¡®Now.¡¯ Twing! Leaving the bowstring, the arrow flew toward the storm. An ordinary arrow would have been caught in the storm and disappeared without a trace, but he was holding Tempest Butterfly. Kal Signer hadn¡¯t been anxious to obtain this bow for no reason. ¡®I got it.¡¯ Booooooom! In the storm created by Telgia, another storm began to stir. The two storms faced and growled at each other before disappearing without a trace. [Kya?] Telgia blinked its eyes. It had no idea that the human could even get rid of the storm it had created. Seo Jun-Ho took advantage of Telgia''s moment of panic and began to run on the air once again. "Heup!" When he arrived just below Telgia¡¯s chest, hepletely let go of the chain and stepped on the foothold. Rising high, Seo Jun-Ho stretched out his hand. ¡®Please!¡¯ He felt something soft at his fingertips. Seo Jun-Ho held it tightly without hesitation. Thud! "Gasp, gasp." After grabbing Telgia''s fur and safely settling on its back, Seo Jun-Ho breathed roughly. He felt dizzy because he didn''t want to imagine what would have happened if he wasn¡¯t able to get on its back. "It''s been a long time since I felt like this.¡± He felt alive as adrenaline coursed throughout his body. It was a kind of joy he could only obtain from fighting monsters. "Let''s slowly bring this to a close." Once again, he opened his Inventory and took out a huge sword. ¡®Sawtooth Sword.¡¯ The greatsword weighed 1,305 kilograms. The great monster-ying weapon made by the dwarves had finally appeared. Stab! Seo Jun-Ho thrust the serrated sword into Telgia''s back without hesitation. - It¡¯s 3 meters long with 32 saw-toothed wheels embedded along the body that rotates when injected with magic. The words Graham told him lingered in his ears, and he began to inject magic into the sword. - Oh, and if you can, don''t open your eyes wide when you use it. - Why? - It''s just... It''s not a very rmended sight. At this moment, Seo Jun-Ho fully understood the meaning of Graham''s words. Tatatatata! The wheels started to dig out Telgia¡¯s flesh. It was not very pleasant to see blood and flesh sshing like back-flowing toilet water. [Kyak! Kyaaaaaak!!] The screaming Telgia began to shake its body like crazy. It felt pain, no, intense pain that it had never experienced before in its life. Since it couldn¡¯t even speak, it expressed the pain it felt with its whole body. ¡®I''m going to push it in like this.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho grabbed Telgia''s feathers with one hand and began to push the Sawtooth Sword with the other. As the wound opened, Telgia''s struggle became even more intense. ¡®It¡¯s at its limit now.¡¯ Telgia had lost too much blood. It was about time for its mind to go hazy. "Let''s end it." Seo Jun-Ho let go of the Sawtooth Sword and started running on Telgia¡¯s back. With an outstretched hand, he pulled a long spear out of his Inventory. ¡®I should give this one a name, too.¡¯ It was a spear made with Ten Thousand Years Cold Iron that would freeze everything it woulde in contact with. He still hadn¡¯t given it a name, so he had been calling it the nameless spear. "¡­It''s bothersome, so let''s just go with Cold Spear." Woong! The Cold Spear cried. Regardless, Seo Jun-Ho lifted the spear high and aimed at the target. ¡®Telgia.¡¯ It looked around with a fearful look. However, the bird''s body structure made it impossible for it to look at Seo Jun-Ho on its back. The only thing the sky monster could do as the scent of death engulfed it was to shake its body vigorously. "Goodbye, monster." Crack! Using both hands, Seo Jun-Ho''s Cold Spear dug into Telgia''s skull like tofu. At the same time, the deafening wind that had been blowing disappeared, and a gentle breeze simr to a spring breeze began to blow. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho sat on top of the slowly falling Telgia and looked at the beautiful scenery for a while. Chapter 292. Polluted World (1)

Chapter 292. Polluted World (1)

It was only allowed a moment to admire the beautiful sky. After all, a dead monster could not beat its wings. Telgia¡¯s corpse slowly started to fall to the ground. ¡°First¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho pierced the clouds and quickly scanned the ground. ¡®It¡¯ll be dangerous if it falls toward the city. There might still be some people who couldn¡¯t evacuate.¡¯ It would be a catastrophe if they were crushed by Telgia. ¡®It should be better over there¡­¡¯ He made his decision and twisted the spear piercing through Telgia¡¯s head. As his center of gravity changed, their trajectory shifted greatly. ¡®This should be enough. We¡¯ll fall toward the wheat field outside the city.¡¯ The wheat field was still empty because early spring was still too cold to nt spring wheat. Swoooooooo! His body started to fall even faster thanks to gravity. Seo Jun-Ho squeezed the spear, unblinking. ¡®I only have one chance. I have to match the timing well.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to die in such a stupid way after killing Telgia so heroically. ¡®Now...¡¯ They were roughly two hundred meters above the ground. Seo Jun-Ho let go of the spear and used Freeze on his body. As he started to feel like he was floating, Telgia¡¯s body continued to plunge to the ground. ¡®And¡­!¡¯ Still floating in the air, Seo Jun-Ho held out his hand and froze the water vapor, creating a long sheet of ice. Crash! ¡°Ow!¡± Seo Jun-Ho fell on top of it and started to go down the ice like a slide. ¡®Gently. I have to make it as gentle as possible.¡¯ He held out his hands, adjusted the incline of the slide, andnded safely on the ground. ¡°Perfect.¡± He stepped onto the ground, looking satisfied. He walked toward Telgia, who had fallen first. There was something he had to do before people started to gather. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± Telgia¡¯s memories shot out instantly. Seo Jun-Ho was only looking for one thing. ¡®Was it imnted with a demon jade? If that¡¯s the case, I have to look for some information.¡¯ The video yback began. *** Telgia was an aloof bird that loved to fly. During the day, it liked to fly toward the moon. At night, it enjoyed traveling beneath the moonlight. It had spent hundreds of years flying without hurting anyone. But its life was flipped upside down in a single morning. ¡°Tch.Everything¡¯s pissing me off.¡± ¡°My apologies.¡± The man that had tied Telgia up and forcefully imnted it with a demon jade frowned. ¡°Why must I help with something the Despair Squadron should be doing? What is Gu Shi-On doing?¡± ¡°My understanding is that he is carrying out separate orders from a superior.¡± ¡°...Tch.¡± The only superior of a Squadron leader was an executive. Refusing to join in on one of their campaigns could lead to your head being cut off. With nothing else to say, the man forced his anger down. ¡°Thank you for helping us even though you¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying, so don¡¯t call me again for this kind of stuff.¡± ¡°Yes, Gdin-nim.¡± The Despair Squadron members frowned as soon as Gdin left. ¡°He¡¯s so fucking condescending just because he helped us with one little thing.¡± ¡°He¡¯s still a Squadron leader, though. His pride might have gotten hurt. He had toe out to clean up another squadron¡¯s business, after all.¡± ¡°Tch.No offense, but what does the Gluttony Squadron usually do for the Association? All they do is shut themselves up at Paradise in Ound to do experiments.¡± ¡°They imnt demonic energy in the citizens, too.¡± ¡°Hey,e on. The Despair Squadron still does the most work out in the field.¡± The sight of the two Squadron members conversing was the final scene before Telgia¡¯s memories were cut off. Afterward, all that was left were the memories of a monstrous bird that had lost all reason. ¡°...There was more useful information than I thought.¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly sorted through his findings. ¡®The Gluttony Squadron regrly goes around imnting demonic energy in ordinary people.¡¯ It naturally made him think of a certain person. ¡®Simus.¡¯ He was the son of Gilleon¡¯s city lord, and he had nearly died after his body was filled with demonic energy. If it weren¡¯t for Seo Jun-Ho and Skaya, he may no longer be of this world. ¡®I also received a quest from his father.¡¯ A quest worth a hundred gold. He had begged him to take revenge on the fiend who made his son that way. ¡®One of the Gluttony Squadron members did that to Simus.¡¯ Gluttony Squadron member, Gluttony Squadron member¡­ Seo Jun-Ho turned the words over in his head, and his eyes grew cold. ¡®And¡­I think I heard something that I can¡¯t just overlook.¡¯ Paradise. He was sure that it was the name of the orphanage in Rome. They kidnapped children and made them drink the blood of demonic races, forcefully turning them into fiends. It was an inhumane ce. ¡®...So that means there¡¯s a ce like that here as well.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s clenched fists started to shake. The fiends weren¡¯t stupid. They usually wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake twice. ¡®I already infiltrated it once, so the security of this new Paradise should be a lot more thorough.¡¯ The new Paradise was somewhere in Ound. If he wanted to find his way there, he had to prepare himself. Just as he was lost in thought, he heard the sound of hooves. He watched the nobles¡¯ children approach on horseback. ¡°...¡± ¡°You¡­really killed it.¡± They looked a little disappointed when they saw that Telgia was dead. It made sense. After all, the game they had been chasing for the past year was killed by another person. Wagner stood by Telgia¡¯s corpse for a long time, staring down at it. He bowed. ¡°Thank you, truly. I thank you on behalf of the whole city.¡± He lifted his head and hesitated before continuing, ¡°And please forgive the discourtesy I have shown you.¡± ¡°...Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho spoke as he pulled out the spear and sword stuck in Telgia¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I¡¯ll forgive you if you buy me lunch.¡± He was also strongly craving a hot bath. *** Duke Schubert called for him after he was done with his bath. Duke Schubert looked brighter than he had ever before. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°Because it was amission¡­¡± ¡°Yes. And I should reward you for fulfilling it.¡± He rang the servant bell, and two knights entered the room carrying arge chest. ¡°Take a look. This is exactly a hundred kilograms of Serium.¡± Jun-Ho opened the chest and checked the mineral. ¡®I see...¡¯ He thought he finally understood why Graham and Kwon Noya had told him to bring this material. He instinctively felt drawn to it. The mineral emanated a cold air, and it felt somehow familiar. ¡®I¡¯m looking forward to this.¡¯ He wondered what kind of armor they would make out of this mineral. Seo Jun-Ho grinned and put it away into his Inventory. ¡°Thank you. I almost wonder if my actions were worth as much.¡± ¡°Then, give it back...¡± ¡°Um¡­I said that for the sake of courtesy.¡± ¡°I was joking.¡± Duke Schubert chuckled. He didn¡¯t look like the type of person to make jokes. As such, he had to be in areallygood mood today. ¡°Are you leaving?¡± ¡°I should...¡± ¡°Do you have any thoughts of bing a knight?¡± If he became a knight, he would at the very least belong to the family and at most to the empire. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t like the stuffiness of it and instantly declined. ¡°I see¡­¡± The duke didn¡¯t seem very disappointed. He had merely asked just in case, but he didn¡¯t think Seo Jun-Ho would ept his offer. ¡°If I ever need your help again¡­¡± ¡°I have an information guild called Moonlight in Maliva. Please send yourmissions there.¡± ¡°Moonlight in Maliva¡­ I understand.¡± After promoting his small business, Seo Jun-Ho bid farewell and headed to the Teleport Gate. ¡°Where would you like to go?¡± ¡°Gilleon.¡± It was time to go back to Earth. *** ¡°How did you¡­¡± Graham and Kwon Noya were speechless when they saw just how much Serium he had brought with him back. They did tell him to bring as much as possible, but they had never imagined he would bring this much. Kwon Noya erupted intoughter. ¡°What did I say? I told you we didn¡¯t need to n to spread it thin.¡± ¡°...I never would have thought he would bring such an abundant amount. We must re-do the blueprints.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave a small smile and turned to Graham. ¡°I tried out the saw-toothed sword. It was really nice.¡± ¡°That is good to hear. There is nothing else you would need to catch monsters if you have that.¡± ¡°I agree.Oh,and I even gave this one a name.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took out the spear made of cold iron from his inventory. He grinned. ¡°Ah,a name. Tell me, what is it?¡± ¡°Cold Spear.¡±[1] ¡°...A what spear?¡± ¡°Cold Spear.¡± Cold Spear vibrated. Seo Jun-Ho felt it react under his hand and smiled slyly. ¡°I think it likes it, too. Every time I call it that, it responds like this.¡± ¡°No¡­That¡¯s not it.¡± As a dwarf blessed by the God of the Earth, Graham could hear the voices of the soil and metal. He pped his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s disgusted¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hear the voice of metal, but it¡¯s obviously acting like that because it¡¯s angry, you brat,¡± Kwon Noya scoffed. Seo Jun-Ho blinked and looked at Cold Spear. ¡°...Why? Does it not like the name?¡± ¡°Must you ask? You have always been terrible at naming things, Contractor.¡± Even the Frost Queen joined in. Seo Jun-Ho frowned, having no other choice but to give in. ¡°Then, well¡­I suppose I¡¯ll visit a fortune teller[2]and give it a proper name.¡± Cold Spear vibrated again as if relieved. ¡°When will the armor be done?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°A month¡­ No, it may take as long as two months.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long time¡­¡± ¡°Seo Jun-Ho. That is how valuable the armor is,¡± Graham announced confidently. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t do anything but nod. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Will you wait here?¡± Graham asked. ¡°It¡¯s too long for me to do that.¡± ¡°Then take your time¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± After leaving the workshop, Seo Jun-Ho went to look for Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°I saw that you have aplished something again,¡± his friend said. ¡°It was nothing. All I did was catch a bird.¡± ¡°And that one bird had been causing Duke Schubert a headache for a year now.¡± Shim Deok-Gu chuckled and swiped the hologram article over to him. ¡°The 3rd floor was cleared this morning.¡± ¡°...That was fast.¡± Seo Jun-Ho skimmed through the articles. [Silent Moon defeats Phanactos, the 3rd Floor¡¯s Floor Master.] [Sword Saint Kim Woo-Joong decides to take a 4-week break to recuperate from his injuries from the Floor Master.] [The Big 6 Guilds head right to the 4th floor.] [Humanity is finally free of the shackles of the 2nd floor! Onward.] ¡­ ¡°...What do the experts think?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. It was a random question, but Shim Deok-Gu answered in tandem. ¡°They predict that we¡¯ll reach the 5th floor by the end of next year,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s really fast¡­¡± ¡°It just goes to show how long we had been stuck on the 2nd floor.¡± It was because the yers had grown far stronger than their former level 120 limit. ¡°When are you nning to go to the 3rd floor?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°I¡¯m nning to go there for a bit soon enough,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°...¡¯A bit¡¯?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m nning to stop by the 3rd floor before going to Ound in Frontier,¡± he exined. ¡°Ound? Why are you going to such a dangerous ce?¡± ¡°Do you remember Paradise?¡± ¡°The orphanage in Rome?¡± ¡°They made another one in Ound.¡± A new Paradise managed by the Chef himself. Considering what they had done in the Paradise in Rome, it was clear what they were doing right now. ¡°They¡¯re probably doing all sorts of inhumane things,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°It would be dangerous to go alone, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to contact the others, and if they¡¯re not busy, I¡¯m nning to go with them.¡± As for the 3rd floor, Seo Jun-Ho wanted to go there because he had the S-grade Title ¡®Bringer of Spring.'' As soon as he entered the 3rd floor, all his stats would increase by 30. ¡®I¡¯m going to a dangerous ce after all, so I need to be prepared.¡¯ It would also be nice to go sightseeing on the 3rd floor. Seo Jun-Ho finished his ss of orange juice and stood. ¡°I¡¯ll be back, then.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going to the 3rd floornow?You think it¡¯s a reading room or something?¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to drag it out, is there?¡± Seo Jun-Ho countered. Aside from his title, there was another reason why he had to go up to the 3rd floor. ¡°You said that the temperature would go down if I froze the altar, didn¡¯t you?¡± To make the 3rd floor essible to all, he had to get rid of its hellish heat. Chapter 293. Polluted World (2)

Chapter 293. Polluted World (2)

The Dimensional Elevators were located in the Pacific. There, Seo Jun-Ho stared at the ten buttons before him. ¡®It goes from 1 to 10.¡¯ When he first rode an Elevator, only 1 and 2 were lit up, but now, the buttons were lit from 1 up to the 3rd floor. And this meant his level was too low to go to the 4th floor. Seo Jun-Ho pressed the ¡®3¡¯ button. ¡®I¡¯m not nervous like I was when I went up to the 2nd floor.¡¯He had gotten used to riding the Dimensional Elevators by now. And more importantly, he felt at ease. He felt like he was simply going on an excursion because the advance party had already cleared the floor. [This is the 3rd Floor. The door is opening.] [Bringer of Spring¡¯s effect has been activated. All stats increased by 30.] Nice.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands lightly clenched. With this, his highest stat¡ªmagic power¡ªwas now beyond 400, and all his other stats were over 350. ¡®When ites to pure stats, there won¡¯t be many people who canpete with me.¡¯ The Nine Heavens might be the only ones who couldpete with him in that department. ¡®No, they¡¯re the Eight Heavens now.¡¯ He had heard that there was an ongoing conference about whether Specter should be selected as a new Heaven or not. ording to Shim Deok-Gu, there was a high chance that he would get selected. It was the best way to show the world that the yers were now in charge, rather than the Fiend Association. ¡°Hm.¡± He took in Balbortan¡¯sndscape after sorting through his thoughts and checking the message. ¡°Woah.¡± When he had heard Gong Ju-Ha talk about it, he had been wondering if it was really possible for there to be such a hellishnd. But now that he was here in person, it wasn¡¯t as bad as she had described. ¡®It¡¯s quiet.¡¯ His first impression of Balbortan was that it was a very, very quiet ce. However, that didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t many people. Since this is where the Dimensional Elevators were located, there was arge floating poption. ¡®But it¡¯s not noisy. It just goes to show that there are only professionals here.¡¯ In Frontier, there were Guild scouts trying to recruit newbies. But here, there were no such people, no matter where he looked. ¡®Yeah, there aren¡¯t many yers at the moment who can explore this ce alone.¡¯ And if there were, that probably meant they had no desire to join a group. ¡®And as expected¡­ They look familiar.¡¯ Even with a single nce, he could see countless familiar Rankers. They looked a little ufortable as they silently went about their business. ¡°Oh.¡± A momentter, Seo Jun-Ho understood why they looked that way. It had only been a few minutes since he had arrived, but his skin was already starting to peel and blister. Of course, he could buy some fire-resistant equipment if he wanted to, but he purposely didn¡¯t do so. ¡®At times like this, you should build up your resistance.¡¯ [You have received a Burn injury.] [Your cells have acquired the lowest-level Burn Resistance.] [You have received a Heat injury.] [Your cells have acquired the lowest-level Heat Resistance.] ¡°Hehe.¡± His ugly, blistered skin quickly returned to its original state. And that wasn¡¯t all¡­ [Burn Resistance and Heat Resistance havebined to form Fire Resistance.] ¡°Wow.¡± The simr attributes even automaticallybined to create a third form of resistance. The more he learned about Cell Regeneration, the greater it seemed to be. The Frost Queen stared and let out a light sigh as Seo Jun-Houghed like an idiot. ¡°...I am not sure whether you are putting you are putting your skill to good use, or if you are merely simple-minded.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the former, of course. Are you okay though? I thought you¡¯d hate the heat.¡± ¡°Hm.Strangely enough, I am not ufortable. Actually, I feel quite at ease,¡± she said, fanning her face as if she was warm. ¡°However, I do not very much like sweating.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll fix that soon enough.¡± Now that he had received the effect of Bringer of Spring, Seo Jun-Ho had fulfilled his first objective ining to the 3rd floor. ¡®Now, I have to find the altar.¡¯ Lowering the heat was his second and final goal. Seo Jun-Ho grabbed a nearby Ranker as he was passing by. He was a physical enhancement type yer, the American Ranker Harley Jackson. ¡°Excuse me, can I ask you a question?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Huh?¡± Jackson turned his head. He looked him up and down, and his eyes grew round. However, it was only for a moment. He then nodded, seemingly used to this kind of situation. ¡°Damn, you have Fire Resistance? I¡¯m so jealous,¡± Jackson remarked. He was sweating profusely. He pursed his lips and tilted his head. ¡°So? What do you want to know?¡± ¡°I heard there was an altar here. Where is it?¡± ¡°The altar?¡± Jackson¡¯s face grew hazy. ¡°Even if you have Fire Resistance, you shouldn¡¯t be able to make it to the altar with your current setup¡­¡± ¡°Please...¡± ¡°Well, I suppose you should know what you¡¯re doing.¡± Jackson pointed. ¡°If you walk that way for about ten minutes, you¡¯ll encounter the altar. You¡¯ll know when you get there.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°And don¡¯t die. If I hear that you die, you¡¯re going to haunt my dreams.¡± And just as they were about to part ways, Jackson tossed Seo Jun-Ho a set of leather armor. ¡°You¡¯re wearing normal clothing, right? It¡¯s going to burn up before you can even get close to the altar.¡± ¡°Thank you. I should pay you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have a lot of money. Just take it. I already bought a better set to wear.¡± Jackson waved and left coolly. Seo Jun-Ho watched him leave, then started in the direction Jackson had pointed him toward. Jackson was right. ¡®It¡¯s getting hotter.¡¯ It was all because there was a hugevake reminiscent of an ocean. Theva boiled continuously, foaming with bubbles. ¡°Is that the altar?¡± Seo Jun-Ho wondered. There was only one path through thevake leading to the very center of it, where a building stood. It was clearly an altar. ¡®Hm.¡¯ Fwoosh! As he got closer, the sweltering heat struck his face. It felt like he was entering a hot sauna; however, a sauna couldn¡¯t evenpare to this level of heat. ¡°It¡¯s melting,¡± he said. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. His skin and clothing were actually melting. Seo Jun-Ho retreated back for a moment and donned the armor Jackson had given him. ¡®It¡¯s fire-resistant. Though, it¡¯s not impressive.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t enough to prevent him from burning alive if he went near the altar. Seo Jun-Ho walked around thevake, testing the heat. ¡°No matter how you look at it, I think I¡¯ll need at least low-level or mid-level Fire Resistance to get close to the altar¡­¡± He thought for a moment, wondering whether he should go to the lower floors to obtain high-grade fire-resistant equipment, or if he should train his resistance here. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked the Frost Queen. ¡°...Will you do what I suggest?¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re gonna say we should go down because it¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°Then why bother asking?!¡± ¡®Because it¡¯s fun¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stroked his chin, lost in thought. ¡®...Should I just take this opportunity to raise my Fire Resistance all the way?¡¯ Either way, he would have to go around Balbortan after cleaning up Paradise on the 2nd floor. Considering this, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to train his Fire Resistance ahead of time. ¡®And there¡¯s something I¡¯m personally curious about, too¡­¡¯ Cell Regeneration would give him the lowest-level resistance if he received the same attack a hundred times. ¡®Then how about low-level resistance?¡¯ If he was lucky, it could still be the same after a hundred times, but if he was unlucky¡­ It might be a thousand. And if he wanted to reach mid-level, high-level, and all the way to the highest-level resistance¡­ ¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be able to get that far with just natural regeneration.¡¯ In other words, he had to start preparing with his future in mind. Seo Jun-Ho made his decision and walked forward. The heat of the boilingvake weed him. ¡°Mmm.¡± His healthy hair instantly caught on fire, and his entire body started to melt like a chocte bar on a summer¡¯s day. His clothes burned as well, of course, as they had no Fire Resistance. He endured the pain and sat down in a lotus position. ¡®Ugh, wow¡­ even breathing hurts.¡¯ Every time he took in a breath, it felt like his lungs were set ame. If it weren¡¯t for Cell Regeneration, this would have been unimaginably dangerous. However, Jun-Ho waited patiently until his Fire Resistance got even stronger. ¡®Pain that doesn¡¯t kill me will only make me stronger.¡¯ And Seo Jun-Ho won the waiting game. [Fire Resistance has increased to low-level.] Earlier, the zing heat felt like it would consume him whole, but now, it felt just a little stuffy. At that, his eyes opened.¡®8 minutes, 20 seconds.¡¯ While he was enduring the pain with his eyes closed, he had been counting the seconds. 8 minutes and 20 seconds was exactly 500 seconds. ¡®My body regenerates once every second.¡¯ In that case, he could assume that low-level resistance could be reached after receiving the same injury 500 times. ¡®At this rate, if I want to reach mid-level resistance¡­ He may have to receive the same injury 1000 times. Woosh! Suddenly, Seo Jun-Ho pulled off his leather armor and tossed it aside. ¡°A-are you crazy?!¡± the Frost Queen eximed in shock. There was no way he was going the right way. ¡°Have you lost your sense of direction from the heat? The altar is that way!¡± ¡°I know.¡± Even then, he walked toward theva, rather than toward the altar. ¡°If you know, why are you going there¡­?¡± ¡°I need to reach mid-level resistance.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. His head was full of hair again. He dipped the tips of his toes into the boilingva. ¡°Oh,isn¡¯t it hot?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°Of course it is. It¡¯sva.¡± It was insanely hot, but he could endure it. Seo Jun-Ho smiled brightly and jumped into theva. *** He was bald again. As soon as he jumped into theva, his hair melted away. He emerged after a considerable amount of time. ¡°16 minutes, 40 seconds¡­¡± When Seo Jun-Ho stepped onto the ground, his body was perfectly spotless, with nary a single blister. [Fire Resistance has increased to mid-level.] His assumption had been correct. He had to regenerate 1000 times to reach mid-levelresistance. ¡®High-levelor highest-level¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine.¡¯ He had a strong feeling that he had to regenerate 10,000 times to reach high-levelresistance. If he just put his mind to it, he would only have to endure it for a little less than 3 hours. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t think he could unlock high-levelresistance here. ¡°...It feels cool now.¡± When he first came near the altar, it was so hot he felt like he would die, but now, it felt refreshing. Even if he dipped his hands and feet in theva, they melted very slowly. Of course, the rate of regeneration was also very slow. ¡®Unless there¡¯s somewhere even hotter than this ce, I can¡¯t even dream of reaching high-levelFire Resistance.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho swallowed his disappointment. He turned, feeling the stare of a certain someone. ¡°...Why are you looking at me like that?¡± The Frost Queen was staring at him with a disappointed look on her face and had gone so far as to lift her mask. ¡°Well, I gave up because you would not listen.¡± How had shee across such a strange Contractor? The Frost Queen sighed after muttering to herself. She then walked over to him. ¡°Are you done now?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡± The two followed the singr path to the middle of thevake, where the altar was located. ¡°Deok-Gu said that freezing it would get rid of the heat on the 3rd floor,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°On what grounds?¡± ¡°He said the Sage of the Observatory Tower prophesied it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and stared at the wavering jet-ck me on top of the altar. It gave off a strange heat. ¡°...Wait. I have a bad feeling about this, and it¡¯s not just the heat,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. He squinted. The me was giving off a great amount of demonic energy along with a small amount of heat. ¡®Why is there demonic energy here?¡¯ He slowly raised his hand as the question came to mind. Ice created by his imposing magic power instantly enveloped the me. As it did, the me was startled and started to spew immense heat. ¡°...!¡± The heat was so overwhelming that it was too much even for mid-levelFire Resistance to endure. As she watched from the sidelines, the Frost Queen quickly covered Jun-Ho¡¯s body in ice to protect him. ¡°Keep going, Contractor! Do not stop, no matter what!¡± ¡®I know!¡¯ Keen Intuition warned him that the demonic fire would consume him the moment he stopped. ¡®Dammit, how is it so resistant?¡¯ Even though he was using the EX-grade Frost skill, he couldn¡¯t put the me out quickly. In addition, he felt like it would slip through the cracks and swallow him whole if he let his guard down even a little bit. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± Sweat fell from his body like rain as forty minutes passed in the elemental tug-of-war. The me finally disappeared just as he was about to run out of magic energy. And when it did, the temperature started to drop. [You have purified the Hellfire.] [The Genesis me is pleased.] ¡°...Genesis me?¡± he wondered. What was that? Just as he tilted his head, thendscape around him quickly started to transform. ¡®What?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was confused. This had already happened to him before. Twice, at that. ¡°The Administrator?¡± he whispered. Just as the words left his mouth, all the hairs on his body stood on end, and the breath was knocked out of him. He hadn¡¯t felt such overwhelming pressure even when he met Gray or Reiji. He slowly turned around, and his face stiffened. Chapter 294. Polluted World (3)

Chapter 294. Polluted World (3)

There was an enormous being. It was so big Seo Jun-Ho had to crane his neck all the way back to take in its full form. It was made up of fire and was continuously burning. ¡°...Come closer, one who has destroyed the Hellfire.¡± The dignified voice came from afar. Seo Jun-Ho unwittingly stepped forward, looking confused. ¡®I¡¯m shaking? Me?¡¯ He was a yer who had ovee countless hardships and adversities and fought against countless monsters and yers who were unimaginably strong. However, he could swear that this was the first time his body was shaking so uncontrobly. ¡°Do not be so shocked. Your soul is simply afraid because you have encountered someone of such high status,¡± the giant said warmly. Seo Jun-Ho approached him, relieved. ¡°...Are you the 3rd floor Administrator?¡± ¡°Administrator, you say. Indeed, that is one of my responsibilities.¡± The giant nodded and formally introduced himself. ¡°I am the Spirit King Ignis, the one who shepherds all the mes in every world and every dimension.¡± ¡°Spirit King¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho started to tremble violently. ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯ It was a being he had heard of only in books. There was no guarantee that the Frost Queen would ever be an Arch Spirit, but the Spirit King surpassed even that and was something of a god to the spirits. ¡°I apologize for not recognizing you,¡± he said. ¡°Pay no mind. Simrly, I would not be able to differentiate human kings,¡± Ignis said, understanding. ¡°I called you here today to express my thanks.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­Are you talking about the way I put out the Hellfire?¡± ¡°Indeed. What you have aplished today is no small feat.¡± Ignis¡¯s voice grew warmer. ¡°This is the first time a yer has purified a world polluted with demons.¡± ¡°Polluted with demons?¡± It was something Seo Jun-Ho had never even considered. He stared nkly. Ignis let out a low groan ¡°Yes. The Hellfire. It was an error of sorts.¡± ¡°If it was an error, can¡¯t you just fix it?¡± ¡°If only I could. They are formidable and with many cunning tricks.¡± ¡°...I see. Did the demonse in through cracks that an Administrator can¡¯t touch?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Oh?¡± The mes on Ignis¡¯s body pped energetically, showing that he was very pleased. ¡°Your astute nature makes you easy to talk to, human. You are correct. The ursed demons are always finding cracks in the System and creating errors in it. For example¡­¡± ¡°Fiends.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± His mes fluttered again. The Frost Queen felt somewhat proud as she watched from the sidelines. ¡°I do not know about other things, but our Contractor is indeed astute.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know when she started to call him ¡®our¡¯[1]Contractor. ¡°As you said, fiends and demons are one type of error in the Floors,¡± said Ignis. ¡°To be honest, I have always wondered about how fiends were created,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Demons had never appeared in front of humans. They had never even appeared in Gates on Earth. However, the fiends existed because they had encountered demons and drank their blood. ¡®...I¡¯ve always wondered about this contradiction. I couldn¡¯t find anything even with Confession of the Dead.¡¯ Most fiends and Squadron Leaders became fiends by drinking demon blood provided by the Fiend Association. ¡°As you suggested, they are skilled in slipping through the cracks in the System. Each demon n has a different method of creating new descendants, so I cannot exin all of them. However, I would say the most universal method would be sneaking into Gates and distributing their blood,¡± Ignis said. Seo Jun-Ho had entered hundreds, thousands of Gates, but he had never encountered a demon before. ¡®I suppose it is no small risk for even the demons to trespass into a Gate.¡¯ That would mean they only appeared before those who were hopeless so they would be guaranteed to be the demon¡¯s descendant. ¡°Can¡¯t you just kill all the demons?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°...Overseeing a world is not such a simple task. Massive amounts of information areing and going at all times, so it is very difficult to track down the demons who are in hiding.¡± ¡°So, they¡¯re like cockroaches¡­¡± ¡°A fineparison. Simrly, once we catch wind of them and turn on the lights, they would have already concealed themselves,¡± Ignis said, sinking in his chair. ¡°Nevertheless, now that you have purified the Hellfire, yers will now be able to advance to the Balbortan area.¡± ¡°What a relief...¡± ¡°Considering the size of your contribution, I believe I should be able to grant you a small favor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes started to sparkle. He wouldn¡¯t turn down an offer of help from the Spirit King. ¡°...Then, I have something to ask of you.¡± ¡°As long as it is reasonable, I will happily¡­ Wait, why are you taking off your armor?¡± Ignis asked, surprised. Seo Jun-Houghed awkwardly. ¡°Please burn me.¡± *** ¡°...¡± Ignis¡¯s fiery figure looked down at the human before him. For a while, he was lost in mes and his thoughts. ¡®It is the first time I have encountered such a human.¡¯ He knew that Seo Jun-Ho was a unique yer, but he didn¡¯t know it was to this extent. After all, he even dared to ask the Spirit King to burn him. If Ignis released a serious amount of power, Seo Jun-Ho would disappear into ash, unable to even scream. ¡®But¡­ In the end, he received a great reward.¡¯ Ignis was friendly to Seo Jun-Ho, and the yer knew that. As such, this was the result¡­ [Fire Resistance has increased to high-level.] [Fire Resistance has increased to the highest-level.] [You have received a new skill: Fire Immunity (S).] Fwoosh. The mes receded from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body, and he started to grab his clothes. His scorched skin and burnt hair quickly regenerated. [Fire Immunity] Grade: S Effect: You have full immunity to fire. ¡°Nice.¡± Thanks to the Spirit King¡¯s special treatment, he even received the Fire Immunity skill. And it was even S-grade. Because it was a skill rather than a mere cellr resistance, the effects were far greater and more impressive. ¡®I already have Cold Tolerance and Thunder Resistance. Is this my third resistance-type skill? It took me longer to get it than I thought.¡¯ Inparison, Cold Tolerance seemed pathetic. When he first received it at the Winter Castle Gate, it had merely been C-grade. He finally understood why it took so much longer for him to receive resistant-type skills for thunder and fire. ¡®It¡¯s possible for humans to tolerate the cold, but they have absolutely no resistance to thunder or fire.¡¯ This was his favorite reward from the ones he had received aftering to the 3rd floor, as it was a skill he didn¡¯t even expect to receive. ¡°With that skill, you should be able to meander around the Balbortan Area quite easily,¡± Ignis said. ¡°Probably. Most of the monsters on the 3rd floor use fire, too.¡± ¡°S-grade Fire Immunity is indeed a great skill, but do not rely on it too much,¡± Ignis advised. ¡°Of course.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. Ignis could even burn him to death right here and now if he wanted to, regardless of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s S-grade Fire Immunity skill and his highest-level cellr Fire Resistance. ¡°...In particr, be careful of the demons who created the Hellfire. Their mes are dangerous,¡± Ignis warned. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll ever run into them?¡± ¡°You will. As long as you keep advancing through the floors, you will. And¡ª¡± Ignis paused. Seo Jun-Ho had snuffed out the Hellfire. The demons would probably be hellbent on taking revenge. ¡°Be stronger. There is nothing more I can tell you right now.¡± ¡°I will heed your words.¡± With that, Ignis nced at the Frost Queen. ¡°And you¡­¡± The fire giant had a faint smile on his face as he waved his hand. ¡°I will happily be watching over you two.¡± With that, the scenery around them changed. *** It felt like waking up from a dream. ¡°...That wasn¡¯t actually a dream, was it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho checked his skills and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank goodness. It wasn¡¯t a dream.¡± Then, a message popped up, confirming that this was indeed reality, not a dream. [You have received Title ¡®Demons¡¯ Foe¡¯] And even a new title? Seo Jun-Ho checked the information, feeling uneasy. [Demons¡¯ Foe] Grade: C Description: A Title given to the first yer who destroys a demon¡¯s curse. Effect: Demon¡¯s Bane ¡°Huh?¡± However, the effect of the title was very vague. This was the first time he couldn¡¯t understand the effects of a title or a skill. As he pondered, the Frost Queen suddenly eximed. ¡°Wow!Contractor! The temperature has certainly gone down.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± Now that she mentioned it, it did feel like that. Seo Jun-Ho scrolled through the articles that were popping up in Community. [The average temperature of 3rd floor Balbortan has gone down to 35¡ãC. What happened?!] [Shin Sung-Hyun of Goblin remarks, ¡°We must keep watch for a few days, but it is now possible to go around Balbortan with no fire-resistant gear.] [Can we finally climb the floors in earnest? yers are preparing to go up on a great scale.] ¡­ The articles were uploaded between two days and a few minutes ago. ¡°It¡¯s already been two days? I had no idea. I guess I was too distracted by the heat,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. But thanks to that, he now had another resistance-type skill and even a new title effect. He was very pleased. ¡°Since we¡¯re done here, let¡¯s start heading down.¡± He woulde back here soon enough. Seo Jun-Ho rode a Dimensional Elevator and soon arrived on the 2nd floor. The first thing he did was contact his friends. [Sonny: I¡¯m going to catch some fiends. Raise your hand if you want toe.] He immediately received a response. [Skaya: I can¡¯t go because I have an exam at the Magic Tower this week. Rahmadat¡¯s gone to a Dungeon.] [Arthur¡¯s Dad: I have time. The kids¡¯ training period is over.] Unfortunately, it seemed Skaya and Rahmadat were busy. [Sonny: I¡¯ll go to you, then.] Gilberto told him that the Watchguards were done with their training and that they had gone up to the 3rd floor. Thanks to that, Gilberto had nothing else to do. Seo Jun-Ho headed to the Wailing Mountains to meet him. ¡®Maybe I should meet up with the old man on the way.¡¯ He remembered his promise to bring him alcohol sometime, so he sent the Thunder God a message. However, despite waiting for a long time, there was no reply. ¡°Oh,now that I think about it¡­¡± He recalled the Thunder God¡¯s personality and typed on the hologram keyboard once more. *** ¡°Excuse me, Master,¡± Baek Geon-Woo called as he read the message. He was cleaning up his simple breakfast. ¡°Why¡¯re ya callin¡¯ me.¡± ¡°Do you check your Community messages?¡± ¡°Ah,the texting thing? D¡¯ya think I would?¡± The Thunder God chuckled and shook his head. Baek Geon-Woo looked like he expected as much. ¡°Jun-Ho contacted me. He said he said hello, but you didn¡¯t reply.¡± ¡°Huh?Jun-Ho?¡± He quietly sat up and opened his Community window. ¡°Ahem¡­ hm¡­How do I do this?¡± ¡°Shall I help you?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± With his permission, Baek Geon-Woo opened his message inbox. He started to sweat profusely. ¡®The Six Masters, High Rankers, presidents and prime ministers from different countries, and even famous CEOs¡­¡¯ Their messages had piled up like a mountain. Needless to say, the Thunder God hadn¡¯t read a single one of them. Baek Geon-Woo felt a newfound sense of awe at how great of a yer his master was. He quickly found Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s message and opened it. ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± After he read the message, the Thunder God let out a lightugh. ¡°He said he¡¯s bringin¡¯ some booze¡­ Tell him to get some traditional liquor.¡± ¡°Understood. When should I tell him toe?¡± ¡°Hm,in two months?¡± ¡°...Come on, why are you telling him toe sote?¡± The Thunder God chuckled as he stood. ¡°In two months¡¯ time, I won¡¯t have anything left to teach ya. Don¡¯tcha think that would be a good time to share a drink?¡± Two months¡­ Baek Geon-Woo stared nkly at his master and nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Chapter 295. Outland (1)

Chapter 295. Ound (1)

¡°...You want me toe in two months?¡± Seo Jun-Ho read the message and muttered in disappointment. He had been nning to improve his Thunder Resistance upon visiting the Thunder God. ¡®Well, at least I raised it to C-grade thest time I trained with him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho expected that he would easily be able to raise his Thunder Resistance to B-grade with the old man¡¯s help. Additionally, his cells would also be thunder-resistant with the effects of Cell Regeneration. ¡°I¡¯ll just do it next time. I¡¯m not in a rush anyway.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pondered what liquor he should bring as he headed over to the Watchguards¡¯ hideout. ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Gilberto said. He was sitting on the sofa, concentrating on typing something into a hologram window. ¡°Yeah. What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sending a message to Arthur. Rmendations for this month¡¯s meal ns.¡± ¡°...Hey, Arthur¡¯s not a kid. Do you really need to do that?¡± ¡°It brings me ease of mind. And Arthurisstill a kid.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had never seen someone so smitten with their son. He scoffed. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you do it for me?¡± ¡°...¡± Gilberto nced at him and looked back to the screen. ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯re a grown adult.¡± ¡°Look here, mister. In terms of age, Arthur¡¯s older than me.¡± ¡°...¡± Gilberto pretended not to hear that and continued typing. He soon changed the topic. ¡°Are you nning to keep growing your hair out like that?¡± ¡°Oh,well¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho deted, ruffling his long, silky hair with his fingers, heined, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve tried to cut it a few times. But whether I use scissors or a sword, Cell Regeneration grows it back.¡± ¡°Pfft.I guess you won¡¯t be able to go to a barbershop anymore.¡± ¡°If I used Freeze to cut it, it won¡¯t grow back,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Watchguard of Darkness (S) should be able to negate the effects of Cell Regeneration (A) quite easily. ¡°I¡¯ll cut it when I want to.¡± ¡°You mean after a breakup?¡± Gilberto asked. ¡°Don¡¯t jinx me like that. I wish you¡¯d treat me at least half as well as you treat your son,¡± Seo Jun-Ho grumbled. ¡°Now, shall we get going?¡± ¡°Sure. I just sent the message, too. It has been a really long time since it¡¯s just the two of¡ªoh.¡± Gilberto suddenly realized his mistake and stopped. He looked down at the sulking Frost Queen. ¡°My apologies. There are three of us.¡± ¡°...Well, I suppose it is your first time. I forgive your transgression,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you. This old man will be careful next time.¡± The Frost Queen epted his apology and left the hideout, saying that she would wait outside. Gilberto smiled and approached Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s side. ¡°She¡¯s a good kid. She¡¯s as innocent as a child.¡± ¡°...She¡¯s probably older than all of us 5 Heroesbined.¡± ¡°So what? What matters is that she¡¯s a child right now.¡± ¡°Oh,I see,¡± Seo Jun-Ho sarcastically replied. It was his fault for trying to challenge him. Gilberto had a soft spot for children, and he believed that they could do no wrong. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t think you told me the details yet. Where are we going?¡± ¡°Ound.¡± Seo Jun-Ho summoned the darkness and neatly erased any evidence that anyone had ever lived here. ¡°We¡¯re going to Ound.¡± To the unknown world, not even the empire could reach¡­ *** ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon sat in his chair while expressionlessly sipping a cup of tea. Seeing that one sleeve was empty, it appeared that he still hadn¡¯t fully recovered from his injuries. Just then, the man sitting on the other side of him spoke, ¡°What of the mission?¡± ¡°I seeded.¡± ¡°Hm,I suppose even idiots like you have some use.¡± Despite the harsh insult, the Heavenly Demon did not react because the other man had a horn on his forehead. He was a demon. And that was the main reason he was speaking informally to the Heavenly Demon while thetter was using a respectful tone. ¡°Did you bring what you promised?¡± the fiend asked. ¡°...I don¡¯t like you. I don¡¯t know why he favors you so much.¡± ¡°That is unnecessary. I fulfilled the mission, so please give me what you promised.¡± The demon then grabbed the Heavenly Demon¡¯s head with his giant hand. He growled while looking down at the Heavenly Demon. However, the Heavenly Demon didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°Look here, you rude human. Let me give you two pieces of advice.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If you want to live a long life, fix that fucking tone of yours first. Your tongue will be the death of you. And if you¡¯re standing in front of someone stronger than you, bow your head. Do you understand?¡± ¡°...I will heed your words.¡± ¡°Sigh.Why did they make me deal with a human¡­¡± The demon sighed and pulled back his hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two bottles the size of his fingers. ¡°He sent these himself as a reward for your work. Be grateful as you drink.¡± ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon received the bottles and tilted his head back, swallowing its contents all at once. Thump! Thump! ¡°Ugh.¡±The moment it entered his mouth, a powerful sensation quickly traveled from the tip of his tongue all the way to his brain. It was only a few drops of blood, but the ecstasy it granted him was greater than any drug or drink. ¡°Phew.¡±A momentter, he pulled himself together and immediately restored his arm. The action used up some of the blood he had just consumed, but there was still some power. The abundance of energy flowing through his body was proof of that. ¡°Good.¡± There was a rare smile on the Heavenly Demon¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯re you smiling for?¡± The demon crossed his arms. The fiend slowly turned to him and stared. The demon scowled as he met his eyes. ¡°What¡¯re you staring at?¡± ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon lifted his hand without answering. In an instant, he summoned a powerful demonic energy to suppress the other. ¡°You crazy bastard!¡± The demon shot up from his seat in surprise. ¡®He dare ambush me? A mere human?¡¯ No, this was a good thing. This way, he could kill the human without any reservations. ¡®I¡¯ve never liked him.¡¯ The demon had always felt that way whenever he saw him. Whenever he saw the Heavenly Demon¡¯s white, dead eyes, he would always get filled with this foul feeling. Crack! He swiftly swung his fist toward the human¡¯s face¡­ ¡°Guh¡­?¡±Blood poured from the demon¡¯s mouth as he let out a broken cry. His chest felt cold. ¡°...¡± When he looked down, there was a hole in his chest. ¡°I have always wondered what a lesser demon¡¯s heart tastes like.¡± ¡°...What?¡± The demon trembled. The human was holding his heart. ¡°...You son of a bitch!¡± Furious, the demon mustered his power. His ten ws shot out like knives and swung toward the Heavenly Demon¡¯s neck. Slice! However, the human was a beat faster. His own hand severed the demon¡¯s head first. The demon¡¯s head depicted an expression of pain and fury as it rolled on the ground. ¡°...That¡¯s why you need to bow your head before someone stronger than you,¡± the Heavenly Demon muttered. He chewed on the demon¡¯s heart. ¡°Mm¡­¡± It didn¡¯t taste very good. However, this was expected because the blood he had just drunk came from a demon far above in the rankings than this one. ¡°So, this is what it tastes like,¡± he remarked. There was one other thing he had learned from this experience. ¡®This means that I¡¯m stronger than a lesser demon.¡¯ Like the Fiend Association, the demons followed a hierarchy based on who was strongest. In other words, the higher-ranked demons were stronger and had more concentrated blood. ¡®It is practically an elixir for a fiend like me.¡¯ It was no different from an immortality potion. Someone knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± the Heavenly Demon said without even looking. Shadow entered the room cautiously. He saw the blood scattered on the floor simr to a scene from a horror movie. ¡°Clean it up,¡± he ordered his subordinates. ¡°Take care of the remains as you see fit. It is of no use to me.¡± ¡°Thank you for your generosity.¡± Shadow bowed immediately. He pondered for a long time before he gathered the courage to speak, ¡°But¡­ Is it really alright for you to do this? If the Archduke finds out¡­¡± ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon stared at him and didn¡¯t reply. Sweat started to drip from Shadow¡¯s face. Whenever the Heavenly Demon directly stared at someone¡¯s face like this, it meant he was in a bad mood. ¡°The demons cannot throw us away first,¡± he whispered. ¡®I¡­ I don¡¯t think I can ask why.¡¯ Shadow really wanted to ask, but he held it in. His life was more important than satisfying his curiosity. However, this told him that his ce with the Heavenly Demon was secure. ¡°I will follow your orders.¡± As always, the Heavenly Demon did not reply. Instead, he asked his own question. ¡°How is the Association faring?¡± ¡°It has never been this chaotic. While the executives know you are alive, the Squadron Leaders are locked in a struggle for power within the Association now that their master has disappeared,¡± Shadow exined. ¡°...How fun.¡± The Heavenly Demon let out a smallugh. How could he not? As soon as their master left, the dogs were trying to take his ce. ¡°Shadow. Why do you think the Fiend Association exists?¡± ¡°...To take in the fiends rejected by the world, and to keep the yers in check¡­¡± ¡°Incorrect.¡± The Heavenly Demon said in an amused voice. ¡°The reason for the Fiend Association¡¯s continuous existence is not so grandiose.¡± He showed Shadow his newly-created arm. ¡°It is like this arm. Even if it is cut off, it makes little difference. I can simply make another one. It is just an entity to carry out my every order.¡± ¡°...¡± Shadow was sweating hard. He had never thought that the Heavenly Demon would think of the Fiend Association in such a way. ¡®He considers fiends as expendable resources.¡¯ He finally understood why they hadunched that invasion on the 1st floor. Many fiends died in vain back then. ¡°I alone am enough to keep the yers in line. If I need servants, all I need are the executives.¡± Shadow felt a great sense of relief inside. He swore that he had never been so happy to be an executive of the Fiend Association. ¡°Locate the yers,¡± the Heavenly Demon suddenly ordered. ¡°The yers¡­You mean on each floor?¡± ¡°Correct. I cannot make the same mistake twice.¡± He was talking about the way he had been tricked by the yers¡¯ movements this time around. ¡°Locate the Big 6 as well as the Rankers. Send fiends to the upper floors.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Failing once had made the Heavenly Demon stronger and more cautious. After giving his orders, he closed his eyes and was lost in his own thoughts for a long time, pondering what would be the best possible revenge for the ones who had killed him. Chapter 296. Outland (2)

Chapter 296. Ound (2)

On the far west of the Ruben Empire, there was a barrennd unaffected by its influence called Ound. ¡°Mm,there are more people than I expected,¡± the Frost Queen remarked. ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re still at the entrance,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Seo Jun-Ho, Frost, and Gilberto had just entered Dustang. It was an infamous city that was apparently swimming with criminals. It didn¡¯t even have a Teleport Gate. As such, it took them two days just to get here. ¡°If we take a carriage from here, we could reach the Great Western Wall in four days,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined to Gilberto. The Ound region was beyond the Wall. Gilberto suddenly looked around. ¡°So this is Dustang¡­ Is this where Arthur lived?¡± ¡°Yeah. This is the ce.¡± Gilberto¡¯s eyes drooped a little as he looked around the street. As a father, he would never want his child to live in a city like this. In fact, he would have begged Arthur to stay far away from this ce. ¡°...¡± Gilberto scanned the street. There were rookies walking down the road, emanating a strong stench of blood. There were people on the ground in every alleyway, and they were either drunk from alcohol or high from drugs. ¡°...It doesn¡¯t look very safe here. Is the city lord not doing anything?¡± ¡°Forget about safety; he even ran away to live in a different city,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. The city lord had given up on overseeing Dustang. And seeing how he hadn¡¯t been punished by the emperor, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he had received permission to do so. In the first ce, this wasn¡¯t a city someone could run just because they wanted to. ¡®Captain Gong said this ce was a dumpster.¡¯ Now that he was here in person, those words resonated with him. Even if a few people desperately tried to restore order here, this wasn¡¯t a ce where such actions could be done. ¡°I was wondering why you suddenly made a soundproof barrier. I suppose that¡¯s the reason,¡± Gilberto said. ¡°There could be fiends around, so watch your mouth.¡± The three of them entered a nearby inn. They casually sat down at a table in the restaurant. The two men ordered beers while they ordered warm milk for Frost. Gilberto held his face in his hands. ¡°...I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know that Arthur once lived in such an ugly ce.¡± ¡°I told you. He¡¯s not the kid you used to know. He¡¯s a grown adult and a respectable yer.¡± ¡°...¡± All parents wanted their children to grow up wearing nice clothes and only seeing the good things in the world. As such, Gilberto smiled bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should me myself or be proud of Arthur for growing up well.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t me yourself. You¡¯re making even me feel bad,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°...How do you think I would feel if you say that?¡± added the Frost Queen. Perhaps it was because they had been living together for a while, but Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen both had simr glum looks on their faces. Gilberto seemed to feel a little better after seeing their reactions and shrugged. ¡°You two have nothing to be sorry about. Arthur has grown into a good man; I¡¯ll just leave it at that. Anyway¡­¡± He scanned the restaurant. ¡°Why are there so many yers here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have been wondering the same thing since earlier.¡± As Gilberto said, there were many yers here. And it wasn¡¯t just the restaurant. Ever since they set foot in the city, they had noticed a lot more yers than the city was known for. ¡°Did a war break out near here?¡± Gilberto asked. ¡°I¡¯ll ask,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied smoothly. He tapped his Vita, and the answer came quickly. [JH: I actually made a separate report on this matter. I¡¯ll send it over right away.] A file soon arrived from Moonlight¡¯s Chief Jung. [Title: Higher Level] ¡®Higher Level¡­?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho skimmed the report, and his face fell. He slid it over to Gilberto. ¡°Read this.¡± Gilberto¡¯s longshes lowered for a moment as he read it. He then returned the hologram window as if he had no idea of the issue. ¡°It¡¯s amon rumor. But I think I understand why they¡¯re all swarming here like bees.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s only a rumor?¡± ¡°Jun-Ho, you don¡¯t sound like yourself. You don¡¯t actually believe this ridiculous rumor, do you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± He had a faint, ambivalent smile on his face. ¡°There were many rumors like this back in our day, too,¡± Gilberto added. ¡°Mm,that¡¯s true, but to think that they¡¯re still floating around in this day and age¡­¡± He looked back to the report. ording to the rumors, a certain merchant group had appeared in Ound. They were selling a potion called Higher Level. ¡°They say that if you take it, your skill grade will increase, or you¡¯ll actually gain a new skill.¡± ¡°Ridiculous.¡± Gilberto crossed his arms and shook his head. However, Seo Jun-Ho disagreed. ¡°Really? I think the rumors are true.¡± Gilberto frowned a bit at that. After all, Seo Jun-Ho had always been incorrect about these things before despite having Keen Intuition. ¡°Why do you think so? Is it your Intuition?¡± ¡°No, my Intuition isn¡¯t telling me anything. Just think about the current situation.¡± Floors were being cleared left and right. They had cleared the 2nd floor after being stuck for 26 years and cleared the 3rd floor soon afterward. ¡°When I read a reportst time, it said that 470,000 yers havee up to the 2nd floor. How many do you think went up to the 3rd?¡± ¡°...100,000?¡± ¡°Wrong. Less than 20,000.¡± Ny-six percent of the yers who hade up to the 2nd floor couldn¡¯t make it to the 3rd floor and were stuck here. ¡°Of course, there are other things to consider.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed at himself. ¡°Those were the numbers before I got rid of the heat on the 3rd floor.¡± The day after he destroyed the Hellfire, the number of yers on the 3rd floor exponentially increased. Moonlight¡¯s initial estimate was around 200,000. ¡°But the 3rd floor was quickly cleared, so the 20,000 yers who had been on the 3rd floor before¡­¡± ¡°They probably went up to the 4th floor. And those people should be the elites.¡± ¡°Bingo. But the majority of yers still haven¡¯t left the 2nd floor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pushed his two fists together, then pulled them apart. ¡°And the yers on the 2nd floor are split into two groups.¡± There were newbies who had juste up to the 2nd floor and veterans who had been here for at least a few years. ¡°Now, this is the problem¡ªhow do you think the veterans are feeling right now?¡± he asked. Just a few months ago, they were 2nd-floor yers, along with the Heavens. However, the world drastically changed. Now, the strong ones were ying on the upper floors. ¡°...They must be nervous and impatient. They must be doubting themselves,¡± Gilberto muttered in understanding. He had also experienced those feelings in the past. ¡°So, what are you trying to say?¡± he calmly asked. He was tired of going in circles. Seo Jun-Ho finally got to the point. ¡°I know some people who are extremely talented at slipping through those cracks.¡± Gilberto¡¯s eyes darkened. He knew what type of people Seo Jun-Ho was referring to. ¡°...Fiends.¡± ¡°Correct. Now, I should tell you what¡¯s going on.¡± He then exined why he had brought Gilberto over to such a barren city. ¡°Paradise, you say¡­¡± Gilberto closed his eyes for a moment, lost in thought. He nodded slowly. ¡°I see. The rumors seem different considering it¡¯s the Chef and Paradise.¡± ¡°Right?¡± The Fiend Association was in a state of inner conflict. The seven¡ªno, there were only four Squadron Leaders certainly aiming to be an executive or the Chairman of the Fiend Association. ¡°The Gluttony Squadron won¡¯t just stay put. Coincidentally, their Paradise is located somewhere in Ound¡­¡± ¡°And all these people in Dustang are also headed to Ound to buy that potion.¡± It made perfect sense. On top of that, Seo Jun-Ho had already been to Paradise before in Rome. ¡®Though the Chef had already retreated and there were only traces of his involvement¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had read Director Torres¡¯ memories. ording to those memories, the Chef was also called ¡®the Skill Maker.¡¯ ¡°He can make andbine skills,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. If he was overseeing this Paradise himself, the meaning behind the rumors would change. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he¡¯s an executive?¡± Gilberto asked. ¡°He is. He¡¯s a Fiend Association executive.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, we might be able to take out the Gluttony Squadron, their Squadron leader Gdin, and the Chef all at once.¡± Their deaths would inflict major damage to the Fiend Association and elerate their copse. ¡°So, we need to look deeper into these rumors,¡± Seo Jun-Ho concluded. ¡°...We should. If we can find those merchants, we should be able to locate Paradise as well.¡± Gilberto finished his beer in one gulp and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± As soon as he left, the Frost Queen turned to Jun-Ho. ¡°Contractor, where is the man going?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°I actually don¡¯t know. But there¡¯s one thing I know...¡± When Gilberto came back, he would have information about the rumors. A lot of it, at that. *** ¡°Let¡¯s get moving,¡± Gilberto said as soon as he returned. They rented a carriage and left the city. ¡°It would be faster to run, so why did we rent a carriage?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°We can¡¯t run there. If we broadcast that we¡¯reing, they won¡¯t want to meet with us.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s not like this is a school hallway or something,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. It was ridiculous because they couldn¡¯t even run. ¡°So, where did you get the info?¡± ¡°From a yer. From a guy who bought and took Higher Level two days ago.¡± ¡°...Wait, it¡¯s actually true? It¡¯s not just a rumor to bait yers?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, surprised. He did think the rumors were true, but only to the extent that there truly was a merchant group in Ound. He didn¡¯t think that the Higher Level potion actually existed. ¡°Apparently, the grade of his skill went from C to B.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. He couldn¡¯t make sense of this. ¡°What the heck is their goal?¡± Had the fiends be desperate for money that they started selling potions? Impossible. They had to have some sort of objective for them to hide their identity and go so far as to spread rumors to herd yers. ¡®But they let the yers go just like that after buying the potion¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho fell into deep contemtion. As he did, the sun started to descend from the top of the sky. ¡°It¡¯s night,¡± Gilberto muttered, looking up at the moon. He released the soundproof barrier and opened the window. ¡°I want to change our destination,¡± he said to the coachman. ¡°Where would you like to go?¡± ¡°Upstairs.¡± ¡°...¡± ck, ck. With that one word, the coachman silently tugged on the reins. He turned the heads of the horses pulling the carriage and changed directions. Gilberto closed the window with a click. ¡°What was that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked usingly. ¡°What else would it be? I simply gave him the password to take us to the merchants.¡± ¡°Wait, wait. Then that means¡­The coachman is in on this too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. After looking around for a little bit, I realized that Dustang is already a nest for fiends. They have eyes and ears everywhere.¡± ¡°...We¡¯re going there so openly? There¡¯s no way they wouldn¡¯t recognize our faces.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it was even easier.¡± Gilberto grinned. He took out his gun and started to repair it. ¡°A useless yer from 26 years ago. A man whom everyone considers a has-been. That¡¯s me.¡± ¡°...¡± Just as Gilberto said, the carriage swiftly headed toward its destination as if it were carrying a very nice present. And it moved just like Santa us¡¯ sleigh. Favorite Chapter 297. Outland (3)

Chapter 297. Ound (3)

The carriage gradually slowed until it stopped. The coachman knocked on the door. ¡°Please get off,[1]sirs,¡± he said with a smooth voice. Instead of getting off, the two men expanded their magic power and scanned their immediate surroundings. ¡®I don¡¯t sense anyone waiting to ambush us.¡¯ It would have been a different story if there were a fiend specializing in stealth, but if there were, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Intuition would have warned him. As such, he nodded, and Gilberto opened the carriage door. They were in a dark forest, and there wasn¡¯t even a proper path. ¡®I don¡¯t sense any traces of people at all. They don¡¯t use this ce often.¡¯ There was no way that this was their main trading post. Gilberto stared at the coachman before he spoke, ¡°This is quite a remote area. Is the merchant on their way here?¡± ¡°Yes. Please wait a moment.¡± Reins in hand, the coachman politely brought his hands together and bowed his head. At that, Gilberto turned and looked around the forest. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Just then, he made a ¡®V¡¯ with his fingers and quickly tapped his thigh twice. With the coachman¡¯s back turned, the only one who saw it was Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed. It was a hand signal they often used 26 years ago. It basically meant that the person in question was lying. ¡®In other words, the merchant isn¡¯ting this way.¡¯ That meant the Fiend Association had no intention of selling them the potion. Seo Jun-Ho sighed. ¡°In any case, I don¡¯t think they seem to think of you as a has-been.¡± ¡°...Even though I deserve it.¡± Gilberto didn¡¯t sigh. His gun did it for him instead. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Just as the word left the coachman¡¯s mouth, he touched his chest. Somehow, red had started to bloom on his white shirt. His chest was suddenly prated with neither sound nor sign. As the coachman fell, Gilberto¡¯s revolver let out a white puff of smoke. ¡°I must have underestimated myself,¡± he muttered, holstering his revolver on his hip. ¡°It seems like they don¡¯t want to meet us. Should we go back?¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned and walked over to the corpse. Sure enough, the coachman¡¯s eyes were burning red. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ced his hand on the coachman¡¯s forehead and quickly read through thetter¡¯s memories. ¡°Paradise is closer than I thought,¡± he said. ¡°They were most likely nning to buy time here while trying to figure out what we¡¯re up to,¡± Gilberto concluded. ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly turned his head, looking at the overgrown trees nketed in the still darkness. ¡°It¡¯s adorable. They¡¯re trying to hunt us.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s now or then, the fiends really seem to hate us.¡± ¡°I hate them even more, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°...¡± Gilberto looked into the forest. ¡°So, what will we do? Shall we go back?¡± The fiends had covered the forest in a finely woven Heaven¡¯s Net to catch them. If they went back just like this, the fiends probably wouldn¡¯t bother to chase after them, but either way, they would have to fight the fiends at some point. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you always ask questions with the most obvious answers,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied, unsheathing the Sword of Ambition. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Paradise isn¡¯t far.¡± With those words, the two figures disappeared into the dark forest. *** A Heaven¡¯s Net was a that covered both the sky and the ground. It was a barrier made up of individual people as its strands. Once you stepped into its coverage, you wouldn¡¯te out alive. It was a technique that was so difficult to coordinate, the fiends had only used it five times throughout their entire history. ¡®But this one¡¯s pretty sloppy,¡¯Seo Jun-Ho thought. He had ripped apart two Heaven¡¯s Nets before. This one emanated apletely different aura from the ones he had to suffer through when he was Specter. ¡®Is it because I¡¯m a lot stronger than I was back then?¡¯ He thought about it for a moment, but that wasn¡¯t it. This one was looser and less dense than before. Back then, he could sense that his life was in danger every time he took a step. However, this one waspletely different. ¡®The standards for fiends have certainly gone up from the past. So that means¡­¡¯ This was a difference in strategy. There was once a time when all the fiends in the world had put their heads together to create a Heaven¡¯s Net just to kill one man. This one couldn¡¯t evenpare to that. ¡°Their predecessors were a lot better,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. He darted into the dark forest. He wouldn¡¯t even dream of doing that in the previous Heaven¡¯s Net he had experienced, but right now, there was something he was sure of. ¡®This Net will easily snap.¡¯ The evidence was right in front of him. ¡°What¡­!¡± The fiend hiding in the branches let out a surprised cry. ¡°Back then, none of them screamed until the moment of death.¡± He stabbed the fiend¡¯s chest in an instant and looked for his next target. After a single strand of the snapped, there was an immediate response. Around him, the started to wriggle. ¡®It¡¯s gonna be a long night.¡¯ For his enemies, it would be. *** Dozens of fiends were gathered in a clearing near the outskirts of the forest. There was a man sitting on the stump of a fallen tree. ¡°The coachman is dead,¡± he said, looking at the others. ¡°...¡± The fiends¡¯ faces darkened. The coachman had been escorting none other than Gilberto Green and Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°And those two bastards¡­¡± The leader paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°They just came into the forest.¡± He could feel it. In addition to being a giant, a Heaven¡¯s Net was also a kind of systematic data center. If a single strand snapped, a signal would be sent to those around them. And the leader could also control each and every strand. ¡°We¡¯ll kill them tonight.¡± Normally, he wouldn¡¯t be this confident. Their opponents were one of the 5 Heroes, and the other was the Rising Star Seo Jun-Ho. But today, the fiends had an ample amount of time. The coachman had bought them time by dragging the carriage around in circles in Ound. ¡°Once this Heaven¡¯s Net isplete, not even a Heaven can escape.¡± This wasn¡¯t just some overconfident, thoughtlessment. This was what the great Heavenly Demon himself had said. ¡®And Gilberto Green¡­¡¯The leader¡¯s eyes burned with fury. On the day of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s death, Gilberto had taken a massive role in interrupting their mission. ¡®You¡¯ll get very special treatment.¡¯ The man¡¯s name was Gdin. He was the Squadron Leader of the Gluttony Squadron and Paradise¡¯s sous chef. There was only one person above him, while there were many below him. ¡°Protect me. Don¡¯t let a single ant get close,¡± he ordered. Gdin closed his eyes and let out a twisted groan. At first, it was a cry of pain, but eventually, it became a moan of pleasure. ¡®Ahh.¡¯ Though his eyes were closed, he could sense everything thanks to his skill, Mind Knot (A). ¡®I can feel it. I can feel it.¡¯ He had tied all the minds of the fiends into one to create a new kind of Heaven¡¯s Net. He had discarded the older, more worn-out version to create this new technique himself. ¡®342.¡¯ He was currently sensing that many fiends. Of course, as theirmander, he could also send out individualmands toward them. ¡®I am a god in the Heaven¡¯s Net.¡¯ No one could refute that. Not a single insect could escape his sights. ¡®Now, let¡¯s start cooking.¡¯ Gdin waited patiently. Soon enough, a strand was severed. ¡®Number 275.¡¯ At the same time, the sight he saw changed. ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡¯ Through the eyes of the dying fiend, he saw Seo Jun-Ho. It was definitely him. ¡®Alright. Let¡¯s surround the area around 275.¡¯ The feeling was electrifying. With just a thought, hundreds of fiends immediately moved ording to his will. ¡®It¡¯s as easy as eating cold soup.¡¯[2] Now that he had located Seo Jun-Ho, it was only a matter of time before thetter was killed. Now, all that was left was Gilberto Green. Or so he thought¡­ ¡®Huh?¡¯ Gdin¡¯s eyebrow twitched. He was sure he had sent twenty strands¡ªno, fiends toward 275 to surround Seo Jun-Ho. But¡­ ¡®They were all severed?¡¯ No, that was impossible. Had he killed all twenty of them by himself in merely three minutes? Gdin couldn¡¯tprehend it. However, he came to a conclusion.¡®I see. Gilberto Green is supporting him from the back.¡¯That was what he thought.¡®Those idiots. Are they nning to move together despite being trapped in a Heaven¡¯s Net?¡¯ The best thing to do when caught in a Heaven¡¯s Net was to scatter in different directions so that the pursuing forces would be forced to split. Gdin grinned.¡®Well, I suppose it¡¯s a given that he wouldn¡¯t know. It¡¯s not like he has ever encountered a Heaven¡¯s Net of this size.¡¯ Excluding the Heaven¡¯s Net once made for Specter, the Nets hadn¡¯t been used much throughout history. He knew that Gilberto Green had to have heard the stories and knew how a Heaven¡¯s Net worked, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡®Everyone, go to 176¡¯s location.¡¯ The forest shifted greatly. Every fiend started to move at Gdin¡¯s order. And just then¡­ ¡®...Wait, everyone stop.¡¯Gdin¡¯s face fell after giving the hasty order.¡®219 was taken out?¡¯ 219 was in theplete opposite direction as 176. Even if Gilberto Green was the best sniper, this was still a forest.¡®It¡¯s impossible to snipe someone that far unless the bullet didn¡¯te there.Unless the bullet was moving in different directions, it¡¯s impossible to snipe someone from that distance.¡¯ Gdin¡¯s head started to spin.¡®That means¡­Gilberto was moving separately from the very beginning?¡¯ No, that didn¡¯t make sense either. If that were true, it meant Seo Jun-Ho had taken out over twenty fiends in merely three minutes. ¡®What¡­what the hell is going on?¡¯ Gdin quickly looked through the eyes of the dead fiends. However, all he saw was gray TV static. ¡°What¡­¡± Gdin muttered unconsciously. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± His was being pulled apart by both of his prey. *** Seo Jun-Ho dashed through the forest. Suddenly, he threw his dagger toward the ground, killing the fiend that had been lying in ambush. He then sent out a silver thread from within his sleeve. ¡°Gah!¡±It wrapped around the neck of a fiend hiding in the trees. Seo Jun-Ho used the branch as a pulley, cutting off the fiend¡¯s airways. ¡°This is more useful than I thought,¡± he remarked. This was the thread of a Steel Spider, which had been used by the fiend he fought in Maliva. It was incredibly durable, so it could be used in many ways; what he had done just now was an example. ¡°My Intuition¡¯s spot-on too.¡± Vrrr. Keen Intuition vibrated. It had been telling him the location of the fiends. ¡°But¡­ They call this a Heaven¡¯s Net? I bet the fiends who died back then are crying in the afterlife.¡± This couldn¡¯t be considered a Heaven¡¯s Net. It was merely a poor imitation of one. ¡°Though, I do think I know why they changed it.¡± The Heaven¡¯s Net technique was created solely to kill Specter. Obviously, they couldn¡¯t make it that powerful for other yers. And that was probably the reason why changed it. ¡®If there¡¯s one condemnable thing about it¡­ it¡¯s the speed.¡¯ In the beginning, the fiends had been very spread out. However, every time he killed one, the speed at which they started surrounding him was increasing at an impossible rate. ¡®This speed makes no sense¡­ It¡¯s not like someone¡¯s controlling the Heaven¡¯s Net either.¡¯ Excited, Keen Intuition rang in his temples. Why was it going off all of a sudden? ¡°Tch,they¡¯reing again.¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a low sigh. Even though he had already killed sixty fiends, they just on kepting. ¡®I don¡¯t know about the rest, but there¡¯s one thing it has inmon with a true Heaven¡¯s Net.¡¯ And it was the fact that there was no end to the enemies. Even though this was merely an imitation of one, there had to be at least 200 fiends in the. ¡®How long will it take the two of us to destroy it?¡¯Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue. All of a sudden, something caught his eye. His eyes met the gaze of the floating about Frost Queen in the air. ¡°Yes?¡± As soon as she spoke, he pped his hands together while staring at her. ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot. Why didn¡¯t I use my precious weapon?¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s voice grew small. For some reason, she felt greatly disturbed. Chapter 298. Outland (4)

Chapter 298. Ound (4)

Gdin calmly started to make his move like a chess yer who had considered all possible situations. ¡®Number 185 go to where 207 was killed.¡¯ ¡®219, keep a small distance and follow him.¡¯ ¡®320 and 44, make a wide berth around them and hit Seo Jun-Ho from behind.¡¯ He was themander of the battlefield. Gdin tormented Seo Jun-Ho nonstop. And that wasn¡¯t all¡­ ¡®I found you.¡¯ Using the locations of the dead fiends, he located Gilberto Green. ¡®You rat. It took up a good amount of manpower to find you.¡¯ Gdin had been mistaken when he thought that Gilberto couldn¡¯t snipe, as they were in a forest. After all, Gilberto wasn¡¯t some rookie who would be hindered by such obstacles. ¡®Did I underestimate the 5 Heroes too much? I suppose I should apologize to his corpseter.¡¯ Gdin smiled wickedly and watched over the battle. Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t been able to move a single step away for a while. Gilberto started to turn his attention to the fiends who had surrounded him like clouds after he was found. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Gdin slowly opened his eyes. Sweat dripped from his body like rain. Processing the information and emotions of hundreds of people at once was no easy task. ¡°Bring it here,¡± he ordered. As soon as the words left his mouth, his subordinates brought him ice, along with a cold drink. After taking a small break, Gdin returned to the battlefield once more. ¡®Let¡¯s wrap things up.¡¯ As Mind Knot (A) activated again, all the thoughts and information flooded into his head. ¡°Tch.¡± He clicked his tongue as they did. He had started out with 342 soldiers, but they had somehow decreased to 228. ¡®They killed 114 of them in such a short amount of time?¡¯ They were his enemies, but he couldn¡¯t help butmend them for doing so much damage within his newly perfected Heaven¡¯s Net. ¡®What shall I do? The Chef will be pleased if I bring them alive¡­¡¯He thought for a second, then shook his head.¡®It¡¯s too dangerous. They¡¯re too powerful. The moment I let my guard down, they¡¯ll kill me first.¡¯ Unfortunately, he had to kill them when the opportunity arrived. Gdin made up his mind and started to pull his tighter. ¡®Checkmate. Even if the god of wares in and helps them, they won¡¯t be able to escape this.¡¯He had all the information on the battlefield in the palm of his hand, and his opponents were mice caught in a trap. It was reasonable to be sure of his victory. ¡°I suppose the 5 Heroes and the Rising Star are only at this level,¡± he remarked. The battle wasn¡¯t very satisfying. It was dull, as it ended before his interest was even piqued. ¡®Though, it might be a little fun if I hunt a Heaven.¡¯ Perhaps one of the beasts like Kim Woo-Joong or Shin Sung-Hyun¡­ Gdin was imagining what it would be like if he were fighting one of them instead. ¡°Huh?¡± All of a sudden, a fiend¡¯s signal disappeared. If that were all that happened, it wouldn¡¯t be so strange, but Gdin frowned.¡®Wait, this area¡­ Neither Jun-Ho nor Gilberto should be able to reach it.¡¯ Unless the fiend suffered a heart attack, there was no reason why they were dead. Gdin felt a sense of foreboding. ¡°...!¡± The strands in that area were severed one after another. ¡®Do they have another ally?!¡¯ No, that was impossible. The coachman had definitely only brought two people with him. Moreover, Gdin himself had checked several times to see if someone else was following them. ¡®...Dammit. Nothing will change, though.¡¯ If there was another one, he only had to kill them, too. Feeling good about himself, Gdin spread his again to try and catch his trapped opponents. ¡®98, go to where 101 was killed.¡¯ ¡®222 and 300, go to the same ce and team up with him.¡¯ ¡®147, use magic to create a wall so that the bastard can¡¯t help Jun-Ho or Gilberto.¡¯ He made his decisions at a moment¡¯s notice and sent his orders without hesitation. After all, he had never made a wrong decision before. ¡°Huh?¡± But just then, someone else was killed in apletely different location. ¡®...Do they have more than one person for backup?¡¯ Just when? Just how had they followed them? Frustrated, Gdin sent fiends in that direction. ¡®No one¡¯s there?¡¯However, the only things in either location were corpses still spilling warm blood. He couldn¡¯t see a single trace of the culprit.¡®...Impossible. You¡¯re telling me that they knew I would surround them like this?¡¯ Gdin waspletely dumbfounded. He felt like he was dealing with a ghost. But as the fiends kept dying, he was reminded of the harsh reality. ¡°Those crazy bastards¡­¡± Gdin cursed. He feltpletely powerless as if both his hands and feet were severed. This meant he was losing in this game of wits. ¡®They¡¯re winning so easily? Against me, Gdin?¡¯ He had always liked to shake things up on the battlefield as themander, but now, his pride withered. ¡°Who¡­¡± He opened his crimson eyes and stared into the dark forest. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± *** The dawn¡¯s white mist nketed the dark forest, and there were two fiends were dashing through it. They were number 98 and 222. ¡°We can meet up with 300 over there.¡± ¡°Okay. Say, had the forest always been this foggy?¡± For a moment, neither of them could speak. Even though they were in a forest in the middle of the night, it was strange for there to be mist cold enough to send a shiver down their spines. ¡°Hey.¡± Sensing that something was off, 98 was about to warn the other to be careful. Crackle! A strange sound came from the side. 98 reflexively turned toward the noise, and their eyes widened. 222 had frozen over, but they were still in a running posture. ¡®If I break it¡­ Can I save them?¡¯ No, they couldn¡¯t be saved. The light had already faded from 222¡¯s eyes. They died as soon as they froze over. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± 98 unconsciously took a step back. All of a sudden, something from behind them snatched them up by the neck. ¡°Guh?!¡±The fiend saw a golem lifting them up into the air. It was a giant golem made of azure, white ice. The fiend could feel themselves freezing over from where the golem had grabbed them. ¡°...!¡± Their vocal cords froze, and the only sound that came out of their mouth was their breathing. 98 had noiselessly followed after their partner into theherworld. ¡°How annoying¡­¡± the Frost Queen muttered. She was sitting on a nearby branch, controlling the ice golem. ¡°I am tired and hungry.¡± She was having a heavy craving for sweets, perhaps because it had been a while since she fought. Frankly, there hadn¡¯t been many times when she had to join in on the battle like this after establishing a contract with Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®That is why I enjoyed it¡­¡¯ But now, it seemed that her Contractor was starting to employ her in battles for real. And it meant that her happy days were over; all that awaited her was suffering. She let out a long sigh and moved her finger slightly. The golem fell apart with a crumbling noise and disappeared into the mist. A momentter, 300 appeared. They were supposed to meet up with 98 and 222. ¡°...They¡¯re dead.¡± The fiend thoroughly searched the area for a good amount of time; however, they couldn¡¯t find any trace of the ice golem. ¡°Hup.¡±The Frost Queen jumped off of the branch and casually walked past the fiend. As she did, she tapped her hand once on the fiend¡¯s thigh, and thetter started to freeze. ¡°I will ask Contractor for cake as soon as the battle is over,¡± she decided. If she was being honest, she was often asking for cake. But today, she more than deserved it. ¡°I will ask for three of them¡­¡± she muttered, her face resolute. She was being as elusive as Hong Gildong.[1]After all, she deserved at least that much. *** The fiends were apprehensive. ¡®It¡¯s one guy. It¡¯s just one guy.¡¯ ¡®If we all charge him at once¡­¡¯ They had surrounded just one enemy, but they couldn¡¯t move recklessly. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna attack?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked tly. He spun the spear in his left hand. ¡°If not, then I¡¯ll attack first.¡± The spear spun as it flew through the air. ¡°Gah!¡±A fiend twisted their waist, barely dodging the weapon. Slice! A jet-ck sword aura followed, cutting off his head. ¡®Behind me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho knew that a spell wasing from behind him, but he didn¡¯t bother to turn around. Crackle! Arge and thick wall made of ice blocked the attack. The fiends¡¯ eyes glinted. ¡®That idiot, he blocked off his only escape route himself!¡¯ ¡®This is our chance.¡¯ Every fiend quickly charged at Seo Jun-Ho, and their attacks flew toward him at the speed of light. However, as the attacks flew, an azure light filled Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. ¡®Freeze.¡¯ Every fiend and every attacking toward him slowed down. ¡°...?!¡± ¡°I¡­can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°...How?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword then severed the heads of the dumbstruck fiends. Whenever he used this power, no one could block even a single strike of his. The power¡¯s only w was that it consumed a lot of magic power, but right now, magic power wasn¡¯t a huge issue for him. After all, the energy circting within him was as boundless as the ocean. Slice! Slice! Seo Jun-Ho severed the heads of the fiends as if they were scarecrows made of straws. ¡°Hm.¡± In an instant, he killed four fiends and quietly pulled back his sword and spear. ¡®Their leader is very good.¡¯ Gdin knew from the beginning that the Squadron members couldn¡¯t keep up with his level of skill. That was why he kept jabbing at Seo Jun-Ho like this, sending only four to five fiends at a time. ¡®He¡¯s trying to drain my stamina.¡¯ The trap was set, and he would be captured as soon as he used up his energy. It was like using hunting dogs to rip the enemy¡¯s throat apart, rather than using one¡¯s own power to deal with the enemy. ¡®And there are a lot more enemies than I had expected. If I fought carelessly, things would have gotten troublesome.¡¯ Sending Frost out into the battlefield had been aplete game changer. If it weren¡¯t for her, he would have had no idea how many more hours he would have to fight. ¡®The tide of the battle has changed.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho inhaled. He could feel it on his skin. ¡®So, it¡¯s beginning to fall apart...¡¯ The rope wrapped tightly around his neck was starting to loosen. At this point, he was confident that he could easily tear it all apart. ¡°Now, then¡­¡± The area around him was littered with corpses. He walked up to the smartest-looking one. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes glinted as he read his memories. ¡°Gdin¡­You¡¯re over there, aren¡¯t you?¡± The was starting to loosen, and he had even discovered their leader¡¯s location. There was no more reason to waste energy going in circles with the enemy. He withdrew the saw-toothed sword from his Inventory and kicked off of the ground into a sprint, trying to force his way out of the. As he did, dozens of hidden fiends came pouring out like a swarm of bees. ¡°Hup¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho kept moving while swinging his sword. Full of magic, the sword gave a deep hum as Seo Jun-Ho twisted his body. Swords, spears, shields, armor, trees, flesh, and bones¡­The saw-toothed sword cut through everything it met without a single exception. And Gdin was the most astounded by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s impossible speed as thetter approached him. ¡°H-how is this possible?!¡± The ghost on the battlefield had distracted him for a brief moment, but during that time, Seo Jun-Ho had escaped his trap. ¡®No¡­He didn¡¯t just escape.¡¯ Astonished, thick beads of sweat dripped from Gdin¡¯s forehead. He was filled with an indescribable emotion as he instinctively opened his eyes wide. He stared into the dark forest while trembling. Chapter 299. Outland (5)

Chapter 299. Ound (5)

In a misty forest deep in the night, a hot pursuit was ongoing. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Gilberto Green¡¯s ponytail swung as he ran. He took out a syringe from his vest and injected it into his arm, but he was still frowning. ¡®...I¡¯m already at myst potion.¡¯ Funnily enough, what was running through his veins right now were potions rather than blood. He had injected too many potions into himself today. ¡®Right now, there are five of them chasing behind me.¡¯ And that was after he had taken out the majority of them. In the beginning, there had been a whopping thirty fiends after him. ¡®They¡¯reing at me recklessly. They probably think that they can kill me easily if they just close the distance, as I¡¯m a sniper.¡¯ The most infuriating part was that they were correct. After all, his specialty was sniping from so far away that he wouldn¡¯t normally be visible. ¡°...!¡± Just then, something caught his eye, and he suddenly slipped to the ground. As a flickeringnce made of mes grazed by him, he pulled the trigger with a bang. ¡°Ack!¡± With a final cry, the body of a mage hiding in the trees fell down. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡±Breathing harshly, Gilberto sneered at himself. ¡®I did so much stamina training so that I wouldn¡¯t hold back myrades¡­¡¯ But after twenty-six years, all his efforts had fizzled away, and he had to start his journey all over again. With that in mind, he had a newfound admiration for Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°This won¡¯t do.¡± Gilberto made a decision. Even if he kept running, there was no way he would be able to shake them off. With that said, he still couldn¡¯t take out four fiends in his current state, as he was exhausted. ¡®I¡¯ll use my trump card.¡¯Gilberto¡¯s eyes shed, and he put away his sniper rifle into his Inventory before pulling out a white revolver. ¡®I really didn¡¯t want to use this if I didn¡¯t have to¡­¡¯ He let out a deep sigh. Gilberto stood up when he sensed his enemies approaching him from all four directions. ¡°Are you tired of running now?¡± ¡°You son of a bitch. You really made us work.¡± The fiends had no reason to censor themselves after Gilberto had put them through such trouble. ¡°...You all speak so rudely. I¡¯m d Arthur doesn¡¯t have people like you around him.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± As they teemed with bloodlust, the fiends quickly scanned the area. ¡®He looks like an idiot, but he¡¯s one of the famous 5 Heroes.¡¯ ¡®He was waiting for us here¡­¡¯ ¡®Did hey a trap nearby?¡¯ Instead of rushing in, they waited for something. A momentter, one of them spoke. ¡°I¡¯m done checking. There aren¡¯t any traps,¡± the fiend announced. Only then did the fiends smile wickedly. ¡°Geez.So you¡¯re saying he actually stopped because he ran out of stamina?¡± ¡°I was nervous for no reason. I thought he had set up some huge trap or something.¡± ¡°What did I say? He¡¯s the only one of the 5 Heroes with a well-known weakness.¡± Gilberto¡¯s weakness: if his location was discovered and he had to switch into closebat, his fighting prowess would be greatly decreased. ¡®Well, it¡¯s good for me if you let your guard down.¡¯ Gilbertoughed as the fiends taunted him. ¡°...Hey, why¡¯s the bastardughing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really pissed. Let¡¯s just kill him.¡± The attacks flew toward him all at once. Gilberto swiftly rolled away and hid behind a tree. ¡°The world has be so cruel. I can¡¯t evenugh in peace anymore.¡± He pulled out something from his breast pocket. ¡®Badge.¡¯ Needless to say, he hadn¡¯t been carrying it around merely to show it off. He pressed the button in the middle of the badge and threw it. Click! Bababam! The Badge shattered into hundreds of pieces, which were suspended in the air. ¡°Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­¡±Gilberto forcibly evened his breathing and darted out from behind the tree. He took the hits he could handle instead of dodging them. ¡°Keuk!¡± Something dug into his shoulder, and his ankle was cut so deep the bone was visible. However, he didn¡¯t even pay attention to the dagger lodged in his side and pressing on his lungs. ¡®Concentrate. Concentrate, Gilberto Green.¡¯ He raised his left arm, using it to block a spear. His face contorted with pain, but even then, he didn¡¯t close his eyes. After all, a sniper¡¯s eyes were their life. ¡®The Repeating Covenant Revolver.¡¯That was the name of the gun in his hand. It was actually a Unique-grade gun, and Seo Jun-Ho had bought it for around seven billion won and had given it to him as a gift. ¡®This gun drains the user¡¯s magic power, mental energy, and willpower to create a bullet.¡¯ Every time it made contact with an inanimate object instead of a living creature, it would ricochet in the opposite direction. And whenever that happened, the bullet¡¯s destructive power, prative force, and speed would increase exactly twofold. ¡®Two years.¡¯ After Seo Jun-Ho gave him this gun, Gilberto spent two years devoting at least twelve hours of his day practicing with it. It was because of the great effort he had put in that he could make such a presumptuous assumption. ¡®Other than me, there is no one else in the world who can use this bad-tempered gun.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho with his Weapon Mastery (S), even said that he couldn¡¯t use the weapon while he was exhausted. Such was the level of this revolver. There was only one reason why Gilberto had decided to tame the weapon, endure many sleepless nights, and spill tears of exertion. It was for a situation like this; he had to be prepared for a situation where he couldn¡¯t snipe his enemies down. ¡®I want to tell something to my past self...¡¯ It had been a while since he paid attention to the physical pain. His eyes were fixed on the hundreds of shards floating in the air, sparkling like stars. What he had to do right now was to make the stars converge toward a single path. ¡®I want to tell myself that the effort I had put in wasn¡¯t in vain, even 26 yearster.¡¯ The pure white bullet shone. Every time the ball of light ricocheted off of one of the hundreds of shards, it grew more and more ferocious. ¡°What the hell is he aiming¡­¡± A fiend started, watching the bullet of light fly randomly. However, before he could finish his sentence, his body exploded. It was a very grotesque scene, especially considering that he was merely struck with a bullet the size of a fingernail. ¡°Even though using it is tedious, it sure lives up to its name.¡± The Repeating Covenant Revolver¡¯s bullet grew stronger with every ricochet, and it had always vowed to bring him a solid victory. Like right now¡­ Babababam! Light. It was light. Gilberto didn¡¯t get to see how his bullet took the fiends out. All he could do was make a guess by looking at their shredded corpses. ¡°Really, it¡¯s a damn fast bullet¡­¡± he muttered as his body gave out. He leaned against a tree.¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± He had lost too much blood. And he had no more potions left. ¡®But a potion¡­ There is one right there¡­¡¯ Gilberto¡¯s eyes started to droop. With great effort, he reached for the potion bottle attached to a dead fiend¡¯s belt. However, his hand couldn¡¯t reach the distant bottle. ¡°...Hm.¡± As his consciousness slowly began to slip, he heard a familiar, haughty voice. ¡°I think I should be allowed to ask for ten.¡± *** If you asked veteran yers if they would rather hunt a fiend, a yer, or a monster, ten out of ten times, they would choose to hunt a monster. Fighting a person was justthatphysically and mentally exhausting. However, fiends were different. They much preferred hunting yers over monsters. Once they had gotten a taste of it, they would never be satisfied, so they make it their life¡¯s pursuit. ¡®Yes, I¡¯m definitely the hunter¡­I have to be¡­¡¯ Gdin¡¯s pupils dted. He was watching a scene he hadn¡¯t pictured at all. ¡°W-wind¡­!¡± Crack! The wind elemental¡¯s neck broke. His subordinate could summon a gale that could shake a wide area if they concentrated, but they died in vain without being able to summon so much as a breeze. ¡®No¡­No¡­¡¯ Gdin shook his head in disbelief; he couldn¡¯t believe this reality. This was wrongpletely wrong. Ever since he became a fiend, and especially after bing the Gluttony Squadron Leader, he had never experienced such a battle. He was always tucked away as theirmander, near his strong subordinates. ¡°Where is Gdin?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked as he took hold of the fiend¡¯s throat. His face was cold. ¡°Guh¡­.keok¡­¡± Even after breaking out of the Heaven¡¯s Net anding all the way to where Gdin was supposed to be, Seo Jun-Ho still couldn¡¯t see thetter. When the fiend didn¡¯t answer, an icicle formed in the air and stabbed through the fiend¡¯s thigh. ¡°I asked you where Gdin is.¡± ¡°Kuh¡­ugh¡­I-I am Gdin,¡± the fiend said, cackling. Of course, he was neither Gdin nor did he say this out of loyalty. Mind Knot had merely forced him to answer like this. ¡°...Is that so?¡± Crunch! There was a disgusting sound, like stepping on a cicada. The fiend¡¯s face was caved in, and he died on the spot. Unlike the fiend¡¯s crushed face, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face was clean, without a single blemish. With an indifferent expression, he wiped the blood on his hand onto the dead fiend¡¯s clothing. ¡®...Fuck.¡¯ Gdin swallowed a harsh curse. The Gluttony Squadron members that made up the Heaven¡¯s Net were certainly weak. They only became stronger because the Chef often gave his dishes to anyone with potential. Still, they were mere expendable tools. However, the fiends around here were different. ¡®They¡¯re strong, even amongst the honor guard of other Squadrons¡­¡¯ There had been thirty of them. And thirty members of his honor guard couldn¡¯t kill just a single yer. If it were a close call, Gdin wouldn¡¯t have witnessed what he had just seen; however, they had beenpletely crushed. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m still hidden.¡¯Gdin let out a sigh of relief and red fiercely at Jun-Ho.¡®He¡¯s a monster[1]wearing a human¡¯s face.¡¯ He judged Seo Jun-Ho like so. Actually, Seo Jun-Ho had killed an unexpected a hundred and fifty fiends while trying to break out of the Heaven¡¯s Net. High levels, decent equipment, and diverse skills¡­ He had put them all to shame, and he wasn¡¯t even breathing hard. ¡®It can¡¯t just end like this...¡¯ Gdin wanted to just stay here as quiet as a mouse until the storm passed. ¡®...The Chef won¡¯t forgive me if I do that.¡¯ Gdin looked like he wanted to cry. He knew very well that if the Chef marked him, he would meet a fate far worse than death. ¡®I have to kill him no matter what. Only then will it have been worth it.¡¯ His hands grew mmy around his spear, and he felt a chill on the back of his neck. To be honest, he was scared, but it wasn¡¯t like he had no confidence. ¡®The Chef has bestowed me with many skills.¡¯ Chameleon¡¯s Skin (A) was a skill that allowed him to hide by blending into his surroundings. Seo Jun-Ho still hadn¡¯t found him thanks to this skill. ¡®And he should be thinking that Gdin is already dead...¡¯ In addition, he had probably let his guard down already, as the battle had just ended. ¡®Slowly. If I¡¯m impatient, I¡¯ll ruin it.¡¯Gdin slowly approached Seo Jun-Ho. Midnight Visitor (A) silenced his footsteps.¡®Everything is in ce.¡¯ His eyes weren¡¯t red at the moment. With this monstrous bastard as his opponent, Gdin was sure that Seo Jun-Ho would instantly notice him if he mustered his demonic energy. ¡®No matter how strong he is, he¡¯s still human¡ªa human.¡¯ He was outstanding, but he wouldn¡¯t be on the level of a Heaven. Gdin heard that even the Heavenly Demon died when his heart was pierced. And he had revered the Heavenly Demon as a god. As such, it was only natural that a mere human would die if their head or heart were pierced. ¡®And you¡¯re no exception¡­¡¯ Gdin aimed his spear at the back of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head like a poisonous snake. ¡®Quick and concise.¡¯He ran a simtion several times in his head. The moment he struck out with his spear, he would infuse it with demonic energy. At the same time, another one of his skills, Quicken (A), would quadruple the speed of his weapon. He was sure of the oue, so there was no need to hesitate. Gdin¡¯s spear shot out. ¡°...?!¡± Crackle! A wall of ice shot up from the ground, blocking his attack. ¡°Dammit all!¡± he cursed. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s reaction speed was inhuman. Unless Seo Jun-Ho had been bracing himself for a surprise attack, it had to be impossible for him to react that fast. ¡°That was pretty good, Gdin.¡± When the wall cracked, the fiend could finally see Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cold face. ¡°You hid your demonic energy, made no sound, carefully aimed for my head, and you even used your subordinate as a decoy. You did great.¡± ¡°H-how did you¡­¡± Gdin trembled. He had no idea that Seo Jun-Ho had used Confession of the Dead to read the memories of the dead fiends he had encountered. ¡°You only made one mistake today.¡± ¡°...And what was it?¡± Gdin choked, instinctively knowing that he was about to die. ¡°You didn¡¯t run away after seeing me.¡± ¡°Shit, you¡­!¡± Crack! Before he could finish his resentful curse, an icicle pierced his heart. Chapter 300. The Saint of the Empire

Chapter 300. The Saint of the Empire

Seo Jun-Ho had just killed Gdin, but he didn¡¯t have time to leisurely read Gdin¡¯s memories. Now that he was all wrapped up here, he had to go help Gilberto. However, he soon discovered that he didn¡¯t need to do that. Bam! Bam! An ice golem entered the clearing with a weighty noise. It slowly lowered Gilberto from its arms to the ground. ¡°Gilbe!¡± Seo Jun-Ho was startled by how bad he looked and ran over. ¡°...My head is ringing. Please lower your voice,¡± said a sickly-looking Gilberto. ¡°You¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho scanned Gilberto¡¯s body. Thetter looked more like a ragdoll than a human. ¡°Cough!Those fiend bastards, they should carry around more potions¡­¡± ¡°Gimme a sec. I have plenty of potions.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had stopped using potions after obtaining Cell Regeneration, so he had arge surplus. He took out ten potion bottles and poured them all over Gilberto¡¯s body. ¡°That feels a lot better...¡± ¡°Why do you still look exhausted even though I just poured all these potions on you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I used the Covenant Revolver.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho immediately understood. The Repeating Covenant Revolver was not an easy weapon to use. It was a beast that greedily drained the vitality, mental energy, and magic power of the one who pulled the trigger. ¡®If he had to resort to using that¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could guess the basics of what had happened, even without Gilberto exining it. He looked apologetic, not knowing what to do. ¡®I didn¡¯t think that they could push him so far into a corner.¡¯ If he knew, he wouldn¡¯t have even bothered to ask him toe here with him. Seo Jun-Ho suddenly remembered how Gilberto had to suffer for days after using the Repeating Covenant Revolver. ¡®The gun always gave him so much trouble he even said he wouldn¡¯t use it if he could help it from then on.¡¯ But this time, hecouldn¡¯thelp it; he had no other choice but to use the Revolver. And it made Seo Jun-Ho feel even more apologetic. He felt like everything was his fault. ¡®I didn¡¯t think far enough. Gilbe still hasn¡¯t recovered enough to live up to how he had been during his prime¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was suddenly stricken with fear when he realized that Gilberto could have died here. ¡®I should keep my distance from him for some time.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t any better than what had happened with Gong Ju-Ha. Even though Seo Jun-Ho had been determined to cut people off so that those around him wouldn¡¯t get hurt, he had gotten his friend injured this time. ¡®I was toocent. We¡¯re not the 5 Heroes of the past.¡¯ His teammates still needed more time. Just as how Seo Jun-Ho himself had taken over a year to surpass himself from his heyday. Just as he was thinking that, Gilberto¡¯s face went stiff. ¡°Hey, Seo Jun-Ho.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was scared. Gilberto only ever used his full name whenever he was mad. Even as he let out a low groan, Gilberto forced himself to sit up. He looked at Jun-Ho and raised his eyebrow slightly. ¡°Do you not even think of me as your teammate anymore?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Seo Jun-Ho btedly realized his mistake. This guy had a talent for seeing through people. ¡°I respect you as a yer, but there has always been something I didn¡¯t like about you,¡± Gilberto said harshly. ¡°You always think things out by yourself and make decisions by yourself, too. Especially when ites to your rtionships.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho kept his mouth shut and listened. Frankly, he couldn¡¯t retort. ¡°I¡¯ve always told you this. People don¡¯t get hurt because they get close to you.¡± ¡°But today¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, things just happened to turn out like this, that¡¯s all. No one¡¯s ming you because it¡¯s not your fault.¡± Gilberto pointed to his clearly protruding ankle bone and to his side. ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s your fault that I ended up like this? Do you really think that this happened because you brought along a weakling with you?¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not what I was thinking...¡± ¡°How does it feel? I came to that conclusion by myself and made the decision for you.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was lost in thought for a moment. Eventually, he spoke, ¡°Wow, that feels really shitty.¡± The other had pushed his own conclusion onto him, and the need to correct the former made Seo Jun-Ho feel frustrated. ¡°All the people you¡¯ve cut off until now probably felt even worse.¡± ¡°Hey,e on. I didn¡¯t cut them off¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho started, frowning. But now that he thought about it more, Gilberto wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. ¡°...Ididcut them off.¡± It was only natural that they would have thought that way. Gilberto¡¯s face finally rxed. ¡°As long as you know that now.¡± ¡°Thank you. I think you¡¯ve opened my eyes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to tell you this for 26 years, but we were too busy back then¡­¡± Gilberto had been nning to have a proper conversation with him after returning from the Frost Queen¡¯s Nest, but he had no way of knowing what would happen back then. ¡°Anyway, go reconsider your rtionships with the people around you. No doubt you¡¯ve been maintaining a distance with even the people you¡¯ve met after your return. Just like before.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡±Seo Jun-Ho cleared his throat. Gilberto had hit the bullseye. ¡°...I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough for now.¡± Gilberto chuckled. He had spoken so logically, and it could be because he was a father. ¡°For real though, why are you so beat up?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°...Back then, I could shoot two bullets with the Covenant Revolver. But no one is immune to the effects of time.¡± ¡®Geez, he¡¯s speaking like an old man.¡¯Seo Jun-Ho snorted, but he couldn¡¯t refute Gilberto¡¯s words. Gilberto would really have to put his back into it to make up for the past 26 years. ¡®Just like what I had done...¡¯ And the same was true for Rahmadat as well, not just Gilberto. Even though their instincts and battle sense would have remained, their body and their stamina wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up. ¡®These two need a little more time.¡¯ Of course, Skaya never needed stamina or strength in the first ce, so she was out of the picture. Seo Jun-Ho stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go look through his memories, then.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Just then, Frost stepped forward. She was just an observer at the back until now. Her steps were so confident, Seo Jun-Ho had to briefly wonder whether he had borrowed money from her or something. ¡°I killed forty-two fiends in this battle,¡± she announced. ¡°Ooh,nice.¡± ¡°And I saved one of your few friends¡¯ life.¡± At that moment, Seo Jun-Ho realized what she wanted. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you.¡± ¡°As a reward¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯d treat you. Do you really think I wouldn¡¯t be able to do that much after you saved this guy? Really, thank you.¡± ¡°If you have anything you want to eat, I¡¯ll also buy it for you,¡± Gilberto added. Hearing such words from both of them made the Frost Queen¡¯s ears prick up. However, she cleared her throat after realizing how undignified she was acting. ¡°I suppose¡­ if you so wish,¡± she said prudishly, taking a step back. The two men turned their heads and tried not tough. ¡°I¡¯m gonna read his memories for real now,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He stepped in front of Gdin¡¯s corpse. ¡°The Gluttony Squadron Leader, Gdin. Seeing how many times I¡¯ve heard his name being mentioned¡­¡± ¡°He must know a lot,¡± Gilberto concluded. The three of them sat in the clearing and carefully analyzed Gdin¡¯s memory yback. He certainlydidhave a lot of information. And that meant¡­ ¡°Tch,I¡¯m d he died. That son of a bitch.¡± Gdin was so evil it was enough to make Gilberto curse. They had seenthatmany grotesque scenes in his memories. ¡°I cannot believe only one person had done those¡ªmany things. It would have been hard to believe it if you hadn¡¯t shown me this.¡± ¡°...Yeah,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said ruefully. ¡°Man, if I knew he was like this, I wouldn¡¯t have killed him so graciously.¡± Why did he always regret itafterkilling them? He swallowed his regrets and moved on to the two main pieces of information he had obtained from Gdin¡¯s memories. The first was that the fiend had injected many others with demonic energy. The case he was most familiar with was Gilleon¡¯s city lord¡¯s son, Simus. ¡°They forcefully infuse people with demonic energy, then im to have treated them so they can use the people around the victim¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°It¡¯s dirty but effective. They can¡¯t go around talking about what had happened because the patient¡¯s body contains demonic energy,¡± Gilberto added. The Ruben Empire was sensitive about the topic of demons, so possessing demonic energy was a crime in itself. And that had happened to Simus. His father, Baron Vashti, had even secretly hired an emunicated priest, as he was afraid of rumors. ¡°They¡¯re even handing out medicine that can make the symptoms disappear, but only for a set amount of time.¡± ¡°That way, they can slowly and carefully transform those people into their attack dogs,¡± Seo Jun-Ho concluded. ¡°...So, I suppose the problem is that many nobles higher than Simus are victims as well,¡± Gilberto said. One corner of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mouth lifted into a sneer. His face radiated a harsh coldness. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d expect nothing less from a fiend.¡± They were rotten to the core, using inhumane methods to push people to the edge. All they had to do was use the people¡¯s pure-hearted desires of wanting to save their friends, family, and lovers. ¡°So, is there a cure for these people?¡± Gilberto asked. ¡°There is.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was sure of it. He had already seen it being demonstrated at the Paradise on the 1st floor, as well as with Simus. ¡°Watchguard of Darkness. That guy¡¯s actually a big glutton.¡± The skill could absorb demonic energy from a normal person¡¯s body, and it wasn¡¯t harmful to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®The demonic energy gets converted to magic energy for me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho rewound the video again to double-check. Gdin had injected demonic energy into a total of forty-seven key figures in the Ruben Empire. ¡®And they¡¯re all of high status¡­¡¯ After injecting Simus with demonic energy, they probably wanted to do something in Gilleon, where the Dimensional Elevators were located. ¡°I can cure these people. Though, it¡¯ll take some time,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Phew,that¡¯s good to hear.¡± The second big piece of information was about Paradise. ¡°These bastards are doing such vile things there, just like what they had done on the 1st floor.¡± In fact, their methods had advanced and improved. On the 1st floor, they had gathered orphans and forced them to be fiends, but here, they had been doing it to the people of the empire. In addition, they were also in the middle of experimenting with those who could use magic, like knights, mercenaries, and mages. ¡®And they have been kidnapping yers to steal their useful skills.¡¯¡¯ Of course, the bait they had used was none other than ¡°Higher Level¡±. ¡°I¡¯m taking the carriage back to the city right away. We can¡¯t move that many people with just the two of us.¡± Just as Gilberto had said, there were currently dozens of yers and over a hundred Imperial civilians trapped at Paradise. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be waiting at Paradise.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± Even though the potions had barely stopped the bleeding, Gilberto still left in a hurry with the carriage. ¡°Then, shall we go?¡± Seo Jun-Ho activated Overclocking and ran for twenty minutes straight without rest. There was a stark white building hidden in the forest, resembling a mental hospital. It was none other than Paradise. ¡°That¡¯s Paradise.¡± ¡°Hm,this ce reeks of death. The lost souls are crying out. How pitiful,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°You can see those kinds of things, too?¡± ¡°...No, I cannot, actually. I was simply imagining them. But they truly are pitiful...¡± She had to have seen some sort of weird meme again. ¡°No iPad for a week.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± The Frost Queen eximed. Seo Jun-Ho turned his back to her and entered Paradise. It was as sterile as a semiconductor factory. The walls, ceilings, hallways, and floor were all white. ¡°These bastards sure like the color white despite what they do,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. A few people at the corner of the end of the hall were hastily packing up. ¡°Hey! What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the orders to evacuate right away?¡± ¡°Hurry up and get the files¡ª¡± Just as they were about to change the subject, the fiends noticed something amiss. ¡°...Wait, who are you with?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am? I should work harder,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said dryly. He then started running down the hall. His sword, covered with a jet-ck sword aura, quickly severed the heads of the three fiends. ¡°I¡¯m with the Korean yer Association. Name¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho.¡± Seo Jun-Ho read the memories of each scattered body and slowly nodded. ¡®The news of the Gluttony Squadron¡¯s loss in the forest has already spread.¡¯ The ones who informed the others were the 76 fiends who had managed to run away from the Heaven¡¯s Nest. That was why the fiends at Paradise were in the middle of packing up to run away. ¡°They couldn¡¯t have gone far.¡± There was a cold smile on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face. He had made a promise to himself¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake twice. No fiend would escape this ce alive. ¡°...I¡¯m gonna keep my promise.¡± A few hourster when the moon rose, all 437 members of the Gluttony Squadron at Paradise were reduced to a pile of corpses. And not a single one was spared. Chapter 301. The Saint of the Empire (2)

Chapter 301. The Saint of the Empire (2)

After creating a bloodbath, Seo Jun-Ho went back to Paradise and began to rescue the imprisoned yers. ¡°Sob¡­I thought I was going to die here¡­¡± ¡°Thank you so much. Thank you¡­!¡± ¡°P-please help me out, too!¡± The people who had been recently kidnapped were in aparatively better state than the others. At the very least, they could all use human speech. The issue was with those¡ªthose who had been here for a long time. ¡°Eu¡­Grrr¡­¡± ¡°Kaaaak!¡± They were restrained on their beds, with dozens of needles piercing their skin. They all had red eyes, and part of their bodies had transformed to resemble a monster¡¯s. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ They hadn¡¯t just been fed demon¡¯s blood. Just like the way the fiends imnted demon jade in monsters, these were the remnants of a human experiment trying to fuse yers and monsters into one. ¡°What would you like me to do?¡± he asked respectfully after removing their bindings. ¡°Guuuooo.¡± The yers had been subjected to human experiments by the fiends and even had their skills extracted. They couldn¡¯t even speak like humans anymore, but thankfully their intelligence remained intact. ¡°...I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho unsheathed his sword, looking conflicted. There was a mixture of sadness and gratefulness as tears fell down the monsters¡¯ faces, ¡®A lot of blood was spilled today.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t even time for the blood on his de to dry. As the air around him grew heavy, the healthier survivors hesitantly approached him. ¡°Um¡­We will bury them.¡± ¡°You rescued us and even gave us food, so this is the least we can do.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll be counting on you, then,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. They dug a hole on the grounds of Paradise and began to bury the yers who had chosen to die as humans. Seo Jun-Ho watched them for a bit and silently headed up to the upper floor. ¡®The people of the empire should be up here.¡¯ He did ap around the floor and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I did see this in Gdin¡¯s memories, but¡­¡± The nobles were in a lot better shapepared to the yers, as they didn¡¯t be fiends even after drinking demon¡¯s blood. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Instead, they were suffering from pain worse than death. Their broken screams ringing across the entire floor were proof of that. ¡°I should hurry.¡± Seo Jun-Ho rushed over. *** ording to Gdin¡¯s memories, they had recently captured over a hundred people of the empire. However, when Seo Jun-Ho arrived, only thirty-two of them were still breathing. ¡°Phew¡­¡± [Magic power increased by 0.1.] [Magic power increased by 0.4.] [Magic power increased by 0.2.] ¡­ For two hours, Seo Jun-Ho worked busily to save them. He seeded without a single casualty. Thanks to that, the survivors fell asleep with peaceful faces for the first time in a long time. ¡°...Today was exhausting.¡± Seo Jun-Ho slumped into a chair, looking tired. The day started with a battle, and then there was a chase, massacre, rescue, and even treatment¡­ It had been a while since he thought about the old days like he did tonight. ¡°I must be getting old. Back then, this was my everyday life, but now, I¡¯m already tired.¡± ¡°You would be a monster if you werenottired after everything. You did well today. Very well, indeed.¡± The Frost Queen was usually stingy with herpliments, but evenshegave him two thumbs up. ¡°There¡¯s still some time until Gilberto gets here¡­¡± The yers seemed to have finished burying the others, and now, they were carrying the empire¡¯s people down the stairs. As they did, a few people approached Seo Jun-Ho and gave him something. ¡°Um¡­This is my Guild¡¯s business card. Please contact me in the future. I won¡¯t forget what you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°If you evere to the States, please contact me ahead of time. The Association will give you the best of service.¡± The yers started to thank him after btedly pulling themselves together. ¡°I will¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned his back on their kind, respectful gazes and went up to the uppermost floor. His destination was the Chef¡¯s office, which was located there. The door opened with a creak, revealing a tidy kitchen. ¡°Contractor. Why is this person using a kitchen interior in his office?¡± ¡°...He¡¯s the real deal.¡± This was true lunacy, one that couldn¡¯t be imitated by those only half-mad. Seo Jun-Ho marveled as he slowly began to search the office. There was only one thing he was looking for in this room. ¡®Higher Level.¡¯ The bait that had caught the yers and the citizens of the empire. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t believe it existed before reading Gdin¡¯s memories.¡® I thought it was a scam to lure yers and people who wanted to be stronger¡­¡¯ However, he was mistaken. ¡°I didn¡¯t think this actually existed.¡± ¡°But it is such an amazing item¡­ Shouldn¡¯t the fiends have taken them all already?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. The potions the Chef had released to the market thus far were all of the lowest grades. ¡°At best, it raised an F-grade skill to D-grade or created a new F-grade skill. It was only at that level.¡± Still, even that was an incredible item enough to shake up the market. However, the Chef didn¡¯t want money. He wanted to create the highest dish. ¡°The Chef was ordered by the Heavenly Demon to wlessly recreate my¡ªSpecter¡¯s¡ªskill.¡± ¡°But the Heavenly Demon is dead¡­¡± The Frost Queen pointed out. ¡°Well, the Chef has already spent over ten years researching this, so I guess it felt like a waste to just abandon it.¡± The Chef had attempted to create Watchguard of Darkness bybining various skills, but he failed every time. So, he created Higher Level as the second-best solution. ¡°How is that the second-best solution?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°Well¡­ Before I met you, I fought two fiends called the Shadow Brothers at the Eastern Sea Gate.¡± They had received shadow elemental skills from the Chef. ¡°But the Chef called them failures.¡± Compared to Watchguard of Darkness, their shadow-based skills were extremely weak. The Chef had to havee to a conclusion after continuous failures. ¡°If he couldn¡¯t make the perfect darkness-based skill, he would try to use the shadow element once more, even though he had already considered them failures in the past.¡± ¡°Hmm,so he was trying to force the shadow element to reach a higher level.¡± ¡°Everyone knows that Watchguard of Darkness is S-grade. That was his goal,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. If you told a yer that there was a potion that could raise a skill from A-grade to S, they would point at you andugh. ¡°But¡­ He managed to do it,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡± Though others may not know, Gdin knew of a specific potion that the Chef had recently made. ¡°A Higher Level of the highest grade can raise an A-grade skill to S-grade.¡± If it were offered at an auction, the bids would easily be in the billions. ¡°Ah,so¡­¡± ¡°I was hoping that there might be at least one here,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Of course, there was a high probability that there wasn¡¯t any of that potion here. If it was such an incredible potion, the Chef had to be carrying it on his person around the clock. ¡®But he may have stored one of them in a safe ce.¡¯ And that safe ce was none other than a hidden safe. Click. Click Click. Seo Jun-Ho turned the gas burners in the correct order, and the wall opened to reveal a safe. He was very lucky that Gdin had seen the Chef take out the safe before. ¡°But what will you do now?¡± the Frost Queen asked. Obviously, Gdin had no idea of the password. ¡°ording to the video, this safe scans his body, fingerprint, and iris, does it not?¡± ¡°Of course, it does.¡± If even one of the three were missing, the safe would disappear into an artificial space the Chef owned. Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue. ¡°Hm,how should I do this?¡± The cake was right in front of him, but he couldn¡¯t eat it. It was more frustrating than if there was no cake at all. ¡°Do you think Freeze would work?¡± ¡°Yeah, itdoesignore the attributes of the target¡­ But the demonic energy protecting the safe is too powerful.¡± ¡°Still, you should try it. ¡®Just do it¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Where did you hear¡ªnever mind. That¡¯s not important right now.¡¯ As she said, if Freeze didn¡¯t work, he wouldn¡¯t be able to open the safe at all. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands became enveloped in a jet-ck energy as he took hold of the safe. As he did, three messages appeared before him. [Body scan failed.] [Fingerprint scan failed.] [Retinal scan failed.] ¡°Dammit!¡± He watched as demonic energy exploded, about to swallow the safe. [The effects of Demons¡¯ Foe have been activated.] [Demon¡¯s Bane has suppressed the demonic energy.] ¡°...Huh?¡± A pure energy poured out of his body, preventing the demonic energy froming any closer. ¡°Contractor! Hurry! The box!¡± the Frost Queen urged. And as if he were possessed, Seo Jun-Ho reached out and ripped off the safe¡¯s door, which resulted in three items falling out of the safe. ¡°A money pouch¡­ And two wooden boxes?¡± Just as he caught them, the demonic energy inched closer and engulfed the safe. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared without a trace. Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at the space where the safe had been. ¡°I see. Demon¡¯s Bane has the power to suppress demonic energy,¡± the Frost Queen remarked. ¡°Wait¡­ this is so sudden.¡± The effects were simr to the Blue Dragon Sword, which he had used to fight the Heavenly Demon. ¡®Oh, now that I think about it, I think it was described as a sword that purifies all evil.¡¯ How had he forgotten that? He looked dejected, but the Frost Queen tugged at his sleeve. ¡°Contractor, open the box and let us see what is inside. I am very curious.¡± ¡°Just a second.¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly evaluated the wooden box. ¡°Item information.¡± [Higher Level] Grade: Unique Effect: Raises an A-grade skill to an S-grade skill. [Higher Level] Grade: Rare Effect: Raises a C-grade skill to a B-grade skill. ¡°Oh! Ohhh!¡± ¡°Wahhh!¡± Both the human and the Spirit screamed as they hugged each other. ¡°Contractor, you are a genius! How did you know that these would be here?!¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t! But they really were here!¡± He collected the items and erased his traces from the room whilst in a daze. ¡°You are quite thorough,¡± the Frost Queenmented. ¡°I have to be. Once this is over, the Chef will definitely return to Paradise.¡± ¡°I am sure he will. After all, he left those items in the safe.¡± And when he saw that the safe in his space had been stripped clean, he would surely go on a rampage. ¡°What a shame. If I knew this would happen, I would¡¯ve left a note in the safe.¡± ¡°A note? What would you have written?¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned, feeling the weight of the wooden boxes in his pockets. ¡°Toe find me if he had anyints.¡± *** Gilberto brought back the knights of Dustang instead of yers. He had decided that he shouldn¡¯t bring with him yers from a city where he had no idea who was a fiend and who wasn¡¯t. ¡°Things worked out well, thanks to you,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I think I should be the one saying that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. ¡°Zzz¡­¡±The Frost Queen had started to doze off like a baby chick as soon as they mounted the carriage. Now, she was asleep. Seo Jun-Ho covered her with her nket and took out a wooden box. ¡°Here, take this?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Higher Level.¡± Gilberto stiffened. ¡°...I can¡¯t ept this.¡± ¡°No, take it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Listen, I already got my own Higher Level, and it¡¯s a lot better than yours.¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that you did all the work today.¡± ¡°Hm,that¡¯s weird. I¡¯m pretty sure I got scolded a few hours ago for not listening to other people¡¯s opinions and making decisions by myself.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You really helped me a lot today. You deserve this.¡± ¡°I would still rather have you take it.¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s not like that. This is a potion that raises a C-grade skill to B-grade. But the only C-grade Skill I have right now is Thunder Resistance,¡± he reasoned. Even if he raised the rank of a resistance-type skill, he still wouldn¡¯t get to use it often. Meanwhile, Gilberto had plenty of useful C-grade skills. ¡°See? Don¡¯t you think you should take it now?¡± ¡°...¡± Gilberto hesitated for a moment before letting out a long sigh and taking the box. ¡°When ites to you, I have always been on the receiving end of things.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Dunno,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said coolly. He closed his eyes. He was too shy to thank Gilberto again for his hurtful but critical advice. Chapter 302. The Saint of the Empire (3)

Chapter 302. The Saint of the Empire (3)

Once it was over, Seo Jun-Ho slept for two days straight. The innkeeper even knocked on his door because they thought it was suspicious how he wasn¡¯ting out of his room. Seo Jun-Hobed through his frazzled hair and gave a big yawn.¡°Mm.Why am I still tired after sleeping so much?¡± ¡°Indeed, that is the devious nature of sleep. I, too, am always cautious of avoiding the phenomenon.¡± ¡°...You try to avoid it?¡± ¡°But of course. Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s nothing. Keep doing that, then.¡± His stomach rumbled. Now that he was awake, his hunger caught up to him all at once. He went down to the restaurant on the 1st floor and ordered a generous amount of food before wolfing it all down. ¡°Ah,I finally feel alive.¡± After finishing his meal, he checked the message from Gilberto on the way to his room. ¡°He said he got there safely.¡± ¡°It is good to hear,¡± the Frost Queen said. Gilberto had gone ahead to Earth to receive treatment for his injuries. ¡°When I have time, I should give him a visit,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Indeed, you should. Come to think of it, the child with the sword is also hospitalized at the moment, correct?¡± ¡°Sword¡­? Oh! You mean the Sword Saint?¡± Seo Jun-Ho recalled seeing articles saying that Kim Woo-Joong got injured while fighting the 3rd floor¡¯s Floor Master. He had received a lot of help from the man, so it would be rude to ignore his predicament. ¡°Once I go back down to Earth, I guess I should make my hospital rounds.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sat in front of the table and ced a wooden box on top of it. As he did, the Frost Queen casually sat down on the other side. ¡°I¡¯m going to use this today¡­ And I have four choices.¡± ¡°Keen Intuition, Hunter¡¯s Night, Confession of the Dead, and Cell Regeneration, correct?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wanted to discuss with her which of his skills he should raise the grade first. ¡°For now, let¡¯s leave out Confession of the Dead and Hunter¡¯s Night.¡± ¡°I agree with the notion.¡± Those two skills were out of the running from the very beginning. Frankly, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t feel any real sense of dissatisfaction with Confession of the Dead. Even if its grade increased, he didn¡¯t expect a dramatic difference. The same was true for Hunter¡¯s Night. By nature, it was a skill that could only be used at night, so it had an obvious limitation. ¡°Certainly, their potential is lower than the other skills,¡± the Frost Queen added. ¡°That only leaves two, then. To be honest, my first thought was choosing Cell Regeneration,¡± Seo Jun-Ho admitted. Though the skill was rtively new, it was very useful, as befitting of an A-grade skill. If it became S-grade, Seo Jun-Ho even thought that it would be able topete with Rahmadat¡¯s Super Regeneration. ¡°But¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a long sigh. Vrrr! Vrrr! The problem was Keen Intuition¡­ Ever since he discovered the wooden box at Paradise, Keen Intuition had been screaming for it. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest¡­ I just want to make the decision as soon as possible. I feel like my head is being crushed.¡± ¡°I-I will do my best.¡± Vrrr! The bastard was crying out again. It was like a child promising to be good while begging for a toy. ¡°Ugh.Honestly, raising Keen Intuition¡¯s grade wouldn¡¯t be that bad either.¡± He removed his personal feelings and approached the issue from an objective point of view. ¡°The Heaven¡¯s Net reminded me how convenient of a skill it had always been.¡± Keen Intuition informed him of things his five senses or instincts failed to notice. It was even more effective whenever he was at a crossroads. ¡°The number of times Keen Intuition has led me down the wrong path has beenveryfew. But¡­¡± What if when he raised its grade the only change was that Keen Intuition would help him find his enemies better? By then, his regret wouldn¡¯t matter for it would already be toote. Vrrr! Keen Intuition rung in his temples again. ¡°It¡¯s going off again. Where is that confidence evening from¡­¡± If any other skill were begging like this, he would have chosen Cell Regeneration without a second thought. ¡®But this confuses me. I don¡¯t know if Keen Intuition wants Higher Level because it wants to get stronger¡­¡¯ Or if it was telling him the correct choice... ¡°So, it is like that.¡± The Frost Queen banged on the desk. ¡°If you wish to see immediate, tangible growth, you should choose Cell Regeneration. ¡°And if I trust Keen Intuition, I should go with it?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The Frost Queen crossed her arms and fell deep into thought. She had a habit of sometimes scrunching the bridge of her nose whenever she was thinking about something. It didn¡¯t take her long to make her decision, though. ¡°I have thought long and hard, and I believe that raising the grade of Keen Intuition would not be a bad choice.¡± ¡°...Be honest with me. You just chose randomly, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought he heard her mutter,¡°know-it-all¡±while she was making her decision. When he looked at her as if she were suspicious, she banged on the table, looking upset. ¡°No! I have suitable reasons!¡± ¡°Tell me what those suitable reasons are, then.¡± The Frost Queen gulped and started. ¡°Consider this. What effects would there be if you raised the grade of Cell Regeneration?¡± ¡°The regeneration rate would get faster¡­and I suppose the requirements to acquire cellr resistance would be lowered too.¡± ¡°I think so as well. Then, what of Keen Intuition?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t answer right away. If he knew how Keen Intuition would evolve, then there would have been no reason to ponder this much in the first ce. ¡°Then let us consider the past. When did you acquire Keen Intuition?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. I got the skill right after I got Watchguard of Darkness.¡± ¡°And what was its grade back then?¡± ¡°D-grade.¡± Going from C, B, A¡­That meant that its grade had increased a total of three times. Seo Jun-Ho dug through his memories of the past. ¡°I think I first got it¡­ about half a year after my debut as a yer.¡± The reason the skill was created was simple. Every day without exception, Seo Jun-Ho went into Gates to hunt monsters without consideration for his own life. ¡°Naturally, my instincts sharpened.¡± What could he do to survive? What would be the most efficient way to kill the enemy? Where should he run away if he wanted to live? Every moment, he asked himself these questions and ruminated over their answers. ¡°And then it just suddenly appeared one day.¡± A skill that would answer his own questions. Of course, when it was D-grade, it was very unreliable. ¡°If I asked a question, it would only answer once every ten questions,¡± he exined. As its grade increased, so did its frequency and uracy. ¡®Even though I always joke that it¡¯s useless¡­¡¯When the time to make a decision came, the first thing he sought was Keen Intuition. If its answer had ever led to a major loss during a moment of crisis, he would not be breathing right now. ¡°After listening to you, I am even more inclined to choose Keen Intuition,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°The path you must take will require more than a sturdy body.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true.¡± Seo Jun-Ho found himself nodding along. If he walked through a path of thorns, he was bound to be pricked. He would bleed and hurt. ¡®If I raise Cell Regeneration¡¯s grade, the cuts from the thorns will heal faster¡­¡¯ However, if he raised Keen Intuition¡¯s grade, he could avoid being pricked altogether. When he thought about it like that, his head cleared up. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve made my decision.¡± Seo Jun-Ho opened the wooden box and took out the little potion bottle. ¡®A potion made by the Chef himself with his skill.¡¯ When he chugged it, two messages appeared. [You have consumed a Unique-grade Higher Level.] [You can raise the grade of one of the skills you possess.] Four choices appeared, and Seo Jun-Ho pressed Keen Intuition without hesitation. And then¡­ [Keen Intuition (A) has evolved into Keen Intuition (S)] Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. The Frost Queen seemed very nervous. ¡°W-what changed? Did you feel a drastic shift? Do you see the world with new eyes?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his mouth, then frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think anything changed.¡± *** What had changed? He wasted a whole day trying to figure out what part of the skill had improved. ¡°Um¡­I do not know,¡± the Frost Queen said. She realized what was going on and hid under her covers after saying that. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Now that he was left alone, the feelings of emptiness and nervousness crept in. ¡®What on earth changed?¡¯ He spent the entire afternoon trying to figure it out, but he couldn¡¯t find an answer. Though, he did understand why¡­ ¡®Keen Intuition isn¡¯t a skill that activates whenever it wants.¡¯ It only activated when he had to make a decision or if there was danger lurking nearby. Other than that, he didn¡¯t really have any other use for it. ¡°Tsk.Does that mean I have to wait?¡± he wondered. Even if he wanted to be thrown into danger, it wasn¡¯t like he could just run off to the Fiend Association right this moment. For now, all he could do was be patient and wait. ¡®Besides that, I feel like this guy has be quieter.¡¯ Keen Intuition had always been ringing before, but now, it was quiet. Strangely enough, that made him trust it even more. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll find out what¡¯s changed when I¡¯m in danger.¡± He brushed himself off and stood up. He ripped off the nket where the Frost Queen had dozed off underneath. She raised her visor slightly. ¡°Why are you bothering me again¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°To where?¡± ¡°Gilleon.¡± He had to tell Baron Vashti that he had sessfully avenged Simus. And that wasn¡¯t all... ¡®Nobles all over the Empire were injected with demonic energy¡­¡¯ He had to get a move on if he wanted to help them. *** ¡°Is that true?¡± Baron Vashti looked like he was about to jump in joy. He gave Seo Jun-Ho the promised 100 gold and took his hand. ¡°Thank you so much¡­ Truly.¡± The yer had not only saved his only son, but he had also gone as far as to avenge him. On top of that, he had even recently saved Vashti¡¯s friend, the city lord of Maliva. ¡°I am truly fortunate to have met you,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m also d to have met you, thanks to the young master,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. ¡°Hahaha! Oh,you¡­Let¡¯s not dally around like this and talk over a meal.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I think I¡¯ll have to dine with you another time.¡± ¡°Hm?Do you have an important appointment?¡± ¡°Oh,well¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho purposefully dragged out his words, and Vashti gave him the response he wanted. ¡°Does something trouble you? If so, tell me. For you, I will do whatever I can to help.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­To be honest, I recently discovered that arge number of people have the same illness Simus had,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. ¡°Same as¡­ Simus?¡± Baron Vashti stiffened. This meant he discovered others who had been injected with demonic energy. ¡°After what happened to Simus, I suspected as much¡­ I suppose my hunch was correct.¡± ¡°So, I would be very grateful if you helped me.¡± ¡°And what would that be? Just say the word.¡± ¡°Do you happen to be closely involved in politics?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. The baron looked dejected. ¡°I apologize. I wouldn¡¯t say that I ampletely uninvolved, but I do not have much power.¡± ¡°Hm,then could you just write a letter for me?¡± ¡°A letter?¡± ¡°Yes. I want you to notarize a statement saying that I treated Young Master Simus.¡± ¡°Notarize, you say¡­¡± This was a sensitive topic. It would cause trouble for them if rumors spread that Simus once possessed demonic energy. However, the baron only debated it for a second before coolly saying, ¡°So I shall. It is not like you will be doing anything bad. You¡¯re going to save people, after all.¡± ¡°Thank you for your courageous decision.¡± ¡°How many do you need?¡± Baron Vashti asked. ¡°I think just one will be fine,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°...Will that be enough?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± If Baron Vashti didn¡¯t have much political power, Seo Jun-Ho simply had to find someone with that power. With a sealed letter in hand, he left Gilleon soon after. The next ce he was headed toward was none other than the imperial capital, Leiark. Chapter 303. The Saint of the Empire (4)

Chapter 303. The Saint of the Empire (4)

¡®It¡¯s certainly impressive,¡¯Seo Jun-Ho thought as he admired the sights. He had visited the imperial capital several times before, but this was his first timeing so close to the imperial pce. Covered intricately in white and gold, the pce gave off a mysterious sense of grandeur. ¡°This is quite a fine pce. The knights are also considerably strong,¡± the Frost Queen said. Seo Jun-Ho silently nodded in agreement. The knights guarding the entrance were stronger than any other knight he had ever encountered in different territories. In fact, he wanted to see their skills in action if he ever got the chance. ¡®But today¡¯s not the day¡­¡¯ Just like that, he started toward the business sector of the downtown area connected to the pce. There was a giant 3-story building on a 3-way crossroad downtown. He was heading there today. ¡°Crest Bank.¡± It was the biggest bank in the Empire, serving the highest number of customers. The person he needed to meet there was the president of the bank. Seo Jun-Ho stepped inside and took a ticket. When it was his turn, he sat down at the counter. ¡°How can I help you?¡± The employee asked. ¡°I wanted to deposit some money,¡± he replied. ¡°Do you have a safe registered under your name?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll help you set up a safe first.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded and took out a money pouch from his Inventory. It made a heavy sound on the table, making the employee swallow. ¡°Um¡­Excuse me, but how much did you want to deposit¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little more than 200 gold.¡± ¡°Goodness!¡± It was made up of the 100 gold he had received from Baron Vashti, along with some of the gold he always carried around with him. The employee stood up, flustered. ¡°Um¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll need to bring my superior.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± A momentter, a sharp-looking man approached him, wearing a tidy, luxurious-looking suit. ¡°My name is Phillip, and I am the branch manager of Crest. Please, follow me.¡± He led them straight to his office. As Seo Jun-Ho sat down, the employee ced a cup of expensive tea in front of him. He took a sip. ¡°Is the president not here?¡± he asked abruptly. ¡°...Pardon?¡± Phillip blinked, looking at him like he was crazy. The president wasn¡¯t just some employee, and he had no reason toe to the bank every day. ¡°The president is working from home.¡± ¡°I see. But you at least have a crystal ball I can use tomunicate with him, correct? This is the Leiark branch, after all.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re not here to make a deposit.¡± Phillip¡¯s eyes narrowed. He kept asking specific questions that a normal customer would never ask, and it made him wary. ¡°No, I¡¯m not, to be honest. Are you his son?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, looking at the namete on his desk. ¡®Phillip Crest¡¯. Anyone could tell that he was connected to the business by blood. ¡°Leave.¡± ¡°Please listen to what I have to see.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll call the guards,¡± he said coldly. Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. ¡°Will you listen if I tell you I¡¯m from Paradise?¡± ¡°What?¡± At that, Phillip¡¯s face crumpled like paper. ¡°You bastards¡­How dare youe here¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re more temperamental than you look,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked, giving a rxed smile. He tapped on his Vita, and a few photos popped up into the air. ¡°Take a look at these first before we talk.¡± Still on his guard, Phillip quickly skimmed through the photos. ¡°...What is this?¡± ¡°This is what was formerly known as Paradise.¡± ¡°...!¡± Phillip¡¯s eyes widened, and he stared at him. ¡°There¡¯s not a single one of those rats left. I killed all the fiends there, you see,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°My name is Seo Jun-Ho. I am a yer.¡± ¡°Seo Jun-Ho?¡± Phillip¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°One second.¡± He stood up and walked over to his desk. He began to dig through the pile of documents. Shortly after, he found something and returned to his seat. ¡°By chance, are you the same Seo Jun-Ho who rescued yers and imperial citizens from Ound a few days ago?¡± he asked. ¡°What a relief. I¡¯m d the rumors that have already spread all the way here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave a soft smile. Phillip thought for a second and reluctantly bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡­ No, I apologize for doubting you.¡±[1] ¡°I¡¯m the one at fault for mentioning Paradise so suddenly. I understand.¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho had no other choice but to do so because he thought it would take too long if they had a leisurely conversation. ¡°I found an interesting file while cleaning up Paradise. It had a list of all the people who have been injected with demonic energy.¡± He made that up on the spot, as he couldn¡¯t tell Phillip about Confession of the Dead. After rxing for a brief moment, Phillip¡¯s expression hardened again. ¡°...What do you want?¡±[2] ¡°Geez,you¡¯re so impatient¡­Do you usually switch between informal and formal speech just like that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Shut up and tell me what you want. Is it money after all?¡± Well, it made sense that Phillip thought that he might havee here to threaten him if he had the list in his hand. ¡°I can cure your mother.¡± Phillip froze. He looked like he was about to lose it, but now, he started to tremble. The president of Crest Bank¡¯s wife, his mother, was currently bedridden. ¡°I know that she is in a lot of pain because of the demonic energy in her body. I can help you,¡± Seo Jun-Ho assured. ¡°...Why should I trust you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho dug through his jacket and held out a letter to him. ¡°This was written by Baron Vashti¡¯s own hand. You see the seal stamped there, right?¡± ¡°...¡± Phillip epted the letter and studied it all over. He swallowed. Having managed his family¡¯s bank from a young age, he knew all the imperial nobles¡¯ seals by heart. ¡®This isn¡¯t forged. It¡¯s the real thing.¡¯ Phillip looked up with hope, waiting for Seo Jun-Ho to exin the letter. ¡°Take a look.¡± ¡°...¡± He carefully opened the letter and skimmed through it. Every time his eyes skipped down a line, his hands gripping the paper would tremble. ¡°¡ªize.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°I deeply apologize!¡± Phillip jumped up and bowed at his hip at a 90-degree angle. ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize such a distinguished man and have made an unthinkable mistake¡­ Please forgive me, I beg of you.¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Geez. Phillip looked well put together, but his personality had no middle ground. Seo Jun-Ho waved him off. ¡°It¡¯s fine, so take a seat.¡± ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± Phillip sat down, looking nervous. He politely put his knees together. If the yer ended up changing his mind because of Phillip¡¯s harsh personality, he would put his forehead to the ground. ¡°First of all, do you have what I asked for before?¡± ¡°What you asked for¡­Oh!The crystal ball!¡± He nodded vigorously and brought over a magic crystal ball from his drawer. ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°Seeing how you reacted, I¡¯m afraid your father may react in a simr manner, so please tell him yourself.¡± ¡°Oh,yes¡­¡± Phillip blushed, embarrassed. He activated the magic crystal ball. A momentter, a face appeared inside, and he quickly exined the whole story. [Did you double-check Baron Vashti¡¯s seal?] ¡°Of course. What do you take me for¡­¡± [I worry for you because you are stillcking. You did not act rudely because of that frisky personality of yours again, did you?] ¡°W-well¡­¡± As Phillip panicked, Seo Jun-Ho turned the crystal ball around. ¡°Hello. I am the yer Seo Jun-Ho. Your son wasn¡¯t rude to me, so you can put your heart at ease.¡± [...Ahem. If that¡¯s the case, I am d. My name is Lenny Crest. Is what I heard true? Can you cure my wife?] ¡°Yes, I can.¡± The middle-aged man swallowed from across the crystal ball when he heard his confident, unwavering voice. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, I would like to treat her as fast as possible,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. [Is there a particr reason¡­?] ¡°Well, you don¡¯t think that Simus and your wife are the only victims, do you?¡± [Ah¡­!] Lenny grunted. He seemed to have realized something all at once. [But of course¡­ So, we are the first¡ª] ¡°If the treatment goes well, would you be able to grant me an audience with the others?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. [...] Lenny considered this for a moment and slowly nodded. [I have a principle to never divulge the information of my customers to outsiders, but I must make an exception in this case.] ¡°On the contrary, I think they¡¯ll be thankful.¡± [Even on the minuscule chance that they all decide to remove their money from my bank, I will not resent it.] ¡°You¡¯re straightforward. I like it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood up. ¡°So, where am I going?¡± *** ¡°Right this way.¡± Philip escorted him politely, like a diplomat escorting a president. The two of them stepped out of the Teleport Gate and boarded the finest coach that had been waiting for them and headed to the estate. Count Lenny was waiting at the entrance, along with a few guards. ¡°Wee. You must be tired after such a long journey. Shall I escort you to a ce to rest?¡± ¡°...No, it only took 20 minutes to get here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked between Phillip and Lenny¡¯s faces before letting out a lightugh. ¡®These people are really bad at maintaining their expressions.¡¯ They looked like puppies drenched in rain, probably because they wanted him to treat Lenny¡¯s wife as soon as possible. It had been a good move for them to have established a bank rather than to be involved in politics. ¡°No, I¡¯ll check on your wife right away. If everything looks alright, I will start the treatment immediately.¡± ¡°W-will you?¡± ¡°Right this way!¡± The hallways they led him down resembled a pce. The room they entered was filled with the soft scent of herbs. ¡°Let me check her pulse.¡± She was asleep, and her face was ashen. Seo Jun-Ho gently grabbed her wrist. Once he poured in a small amount of his own magic energy, he clearly saw see her condition inside. [You sense low-grade demonic energy from the target.] [Watchguard of Darkness can consume the demonic energy.] [Upon absorption, your magic stat will increase.] ¡®The grade of the demonic energy is the same as what Simus had, and she looks okay overall.¡¯ It was because the demonic energy had been in Simus for a long time. On the other hand, it hadn¡¯t been that long since Lenny¡¯s wife was injected with demonic energy. ¡°I will begin the treatment immediately. I need to concentrate, so I need everyone to step out of the room.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was confident that he could treat this level of demonic energy within an hour at most. After kicking out the others, he immediately released the Watchguards of Darkness into her body. ¡®Devour it all. Don¡¯t leave a single drop of demonic energy.¡¯ The loyal Watchguards followed their master¡¯s orders and began to hunt down the demonic energy. Seo Jun-Ho blinked as they did. ¡®Is it because of Demon¡¯s Bane¡¯s power? They¡¯re consuming the demonic energy abnormally faster than before.¡¯ Though he had initially estimated that it would take an hour to finish the treatment, surprisingly, it ended in just twenty minutes. Moreover, there were only a few droplets of sweat on his forehead, whereas with Simus, his entire body was drenched with sweat once he was done with the treatment. ¡°Phew¡­¡±When he got the message stating that his magic stat had slightly increased, the woman¡¯s ashen face finally looked better. Phillip and Lenny were pacing along the hallway. When he opened the door and stepped out, they came running at once. ¡°W-why did you step out already? Did something go wrong?¡± ¡°No. The patient held out better than I thought, so the treatment was easy. It was a sess.¡± ¡°Is it true?¡± Grinning brightly, they entered the room and checked on her condition. Just as they did, she opened her eyes with difficulty. Count Lenny exchanged a few words with her and returned to Seo Jun-Ho. Thetter watched him with interest. ¡®...How interesting.¡¯ When he returned, there was no sign of the man who had been worried over his wife. Now, his face was full of the charisma befitting of the president of the biggest bank in the empire. ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho. You have fulfilled your promise remarkably. Now, it is my turn to keep my promise,¡± the count spoke as he led him to his office. ¡°Let us go. I will help you get an audience with anyone you wish.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re not going to ask who?¡± When Count Lenny turned around, he seemed amused by his words. ¡°I expect those you want to meet are at least of noble status. Moreover, they are probably of such high status that Baron Vashti could not easily help you meet them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exactly right.¡± ¡°Then, there should be no problems,¡± he replied firmly. ¡°As long as they are a noble of Ruben, even if it is the prime minister, I can grant you an audience.¡± Chapter 304. The Saint of the Empire (5)

Chapter 304. The Saint of the Empire (5)

Three weeks after Seo Jun-Ho cured Countess Crest, strange rumors began to circte around the empire. They said a yer was going around meeting high-ranking nobles one by one. Of course, the rumor reached the royal pce as well. ¡°...¡± The king¡¯s pce was as big as a stadium. The sunlight permeating and reflecting from either side was blinding. However, unlike how it appeared, the air was heavy. The one who evoked this was none other than the robust, middle-aged man sitting on the throne. His bright, golden eyes shone like real gold. He spoke with a bored voice, ¡°It has been some time since you requested an audience first.¡± Prime Minister Rashlynn bowed his head. ¡°There has been a strange rumor circting recently, so I made haste to request an audience.¡± ¡°A rumor?¡± ¡°Yes. They say that a yer has been having secretive meetings with each high-ranking noble.¡± ¡°If it were a mere rumor, you would not have reported this to me.¡± Gauss¡¯s gaze slowly lowered from the air to the bowed back of the prime minister. It meant that he was interested. ¡°Tell me more.¡± ¡°...First, the informants in our cab dug deeper and found the rumor to be true.¡± ¡°How interesting. Tell me, what nobles did the yer meet with?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Not certain of his own information, the prime minister looked nervous. ¡°He started with Baron Vashti of Gilleon, then Baron Favo after his probation was lifted and he was reinstated to West Sun¡­¡± ¡°This is meaningless. Only tell me the names of the ones who are at least of count status.¡± ¡°Understood. The ones who are counts or higher would be¡­Count Crest, Count Ravon, Count Smitri, Marquis Richter, Marquis Venosha, and¡­even his audience with Duke Schubert has been verified.¡± ¡°...Hm.¡± Gauss¡¯s eyes shined. The people the prime minister had just named weren¡¯t just any nobles. ¡°They are those with power in the business, financial, and military sectors, are they not?¡± ¡°...That is correct.¡± ¡°How fun. Who is this yer?¡± ¡°His name is Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Seo Jun-Ho¡­ Seo Jun-Ho¡­ Is he perchance the yer that the Leviathan had mentioned?¡± ¡°Yes. I recall that the South Sea Blue Snake himself gave word to the throne of the yer¡¯s contributions.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Gauss tapped on the throne with his finger. He thought he finally understood why the prime minister came here to report this. ¡°So, we do not know what intentions he has in going around and meeting nobles.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°If so, there is a very easy way to find out.¡± ¡°What would that be?¡± ¡°Bring him to me. Once I meet him in person, we will know everything.¡± ¡°I will heed yourmand.¡± The prime minister bowed. *** ¡°The man you will be meeting today is Count Evian. He is the head of the department that oversees the empire¡¯s waterways¡­¡± These days, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s everyday life was monotonous. He would eat breakfast with Count Lenny, who would tell him about the noble they were meeting that day while they dined. Then, they would head out to the respective territory, cure the patient, ande home. ¡°ording to what you said, this should be thest patient,¡± Count Lenny said. ¡°Yes.¡± Today, he was meeting the final noble who had been injected with demonic energy ording to Gdin¡¯s memories. Count Lenny let out a bittersweet sigh. ¡°I suppose this will also be ourst breakfast together.¡± ¡°These past three weeks felt like just a day.¡± ¡°You were just that busy. If it weren¡¯t for you, the empire would have been yed for fools by those dirty fiends.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a miracle that we were able to prevent them from doing so ahead of time,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He was astounded when he went around treating those nobles. It was all because the nobles involved had power in many different fields. ¡®It disgusts me just to think about it.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like the fiends had done those because they had nothing better to do.¡® If the Heavenly Demon were alive¡­ He would have gone after the Ruben Empire after Earth.¡¯ And once he took action, those who had been injected with demonic energy would have to choose between their family and the empire. It would have been the hardest decision ever. ¡®The entire empire would have fallen into total chaos.¡¯ This wouldn¡¯t be a good thing for yers either. If the Empire were engulfed in war, they wouldn¡¯t be able tofortably hunt. ¡°Oh,now that I think about it, I heard that Count Evian could not bear to wait and hired a priest separately.¡± ¡°A priest?¡± ¡°Yes. Apparently, she is also a yer.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. This was a sensitive topic, so he wouldn¡¯t have been able to hire a priest from the Church of the Sun. Seo Jun-Ho was sure that he had hired a yer priest with tight lips. ¡°She is a well-known yer, one that even I have heard of,¡± Count Lenny remarked. ¡°She¡¯s that famous?¡± ¡°You should know her too. She is a woman by the name of the Schumern Saintess.¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho blinked. *** Count Evian let out a small sigh. He treasured his daughter above anything else and watching her suffer made him feel like his heart was being ripped apart. ¡°I think this is as far as we can go today. Your daughter¡¯s stamina¡­¡± ¡°Sigh¡­Good work. Still, she does look much better,¡± Count Evian said weakly. ¡°I will see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes. Then, I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± The priest bowed politely. She let out a small sigh as soon as she stepped out of the room. ¡®I didn¡¯t think that it would be this hard to treat even with my skill.¡¯ She pitied the patient. She should be running around and ying at that age rather than being bedridden. The priest studied her slender hands. ¡®A full recovery is impossible.¡¯ Her skill was called Breath of Restoration (A). It was why people called her a saintess, though the title was an exaggeration. However, her skill wasn¡¯t very effective in this case. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ She started to feel gloomy again. Then, she sighed and returned to her quarters. Two yers dressed in priest robes were waiting there, standing at the entrance. ¡°Wee back, Saintess.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired. Please get out of the way.¡± Though her voice was cold, the yers smiled gently and opened the door for her. ¡°Rest well.¡± She shed her stuffy saintess robes and changed into a sloppy-looking tracksuit. Then, she flung herself onto the bed and happily rolled around in the sheets while hugging a plushie and savoring the moment. A short while after, she slowly opened her eyes. ¡®They¡¯ve been starting to make me feel ufortable these days, but is it just in my head?¡¯ The yers in front of her door were associated with Silver Constetion, which was one of the Big 6. She happened to meet them after the battle at ckfield, but these days, the kindness they were showing her felt ufortable. ¡°I definitely told them that I refuse¡­¡± she muttered. Silver Constetion was the very first Guild that sought her out after she returned to the field. Obviously, this was because they wanted to scout her, but she had politely refused their offer. However, when they asked for her help in the ckfield campaign, she couldn¡¯t refuse. ¡®The conditions weren¡¯t bad, but there¡¯s one big issue.¡¯ During the expedition, she discovered that her former boss would be participating as well. And she knew that she had made the correct choice. After all, if she had refused their proposal, Seo Jun-Ho would have been dead right now. ¡°...He¡¯s so high maintenance.¡± The Schumern Saintess, Cha Si-Eun, sighed and took out a book from her Inventory. It was called , and Seo Jun-Ho had given it to her in person as soon as he returned from Las Vegas. She had already binged-read it twelve times. The story itself was entertaining, but whenever she read this novel, she would remember the advice he had given her. - I only pay attention to the people around me when I know that I can safely clear a Gate. - I don¡¯t climb the floors for other people. She had been living her whole life while clinging to the thoughts and opinions of people whose identities she didn¡¯t even know. On that day; however, she felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She had seen the nightscape of the city from the 77th floor many times before, but it lookedpletely unfamiliar to her after that. It felt as if she was seeing it for the first time. ¡®My savior.¡¯ She was nning to reveal her identity the next time she saw him. ¡°Ugh,this is so embarrassing.¡± She blushed all the way down to the back of her neck. She quickly opened her book. ¡°...I¡¯m just gonna read this again.¡± She started her thirteenth binge-read and read without paying attention to the time. ¡°Mm.¡± After about two hours passed, she started to feel stuffy and stepped out again, wearing her saintess robes. ¡°Where are you going?¡± one of the yers asked. ¡°I feel stuffy, so I was going to take a walk through the flower garden.¡± ¡°We will go with you.¡± ¡°No. I need time to think alone, so please don¡¯t follow me,¡± she said firmly. She walked around the flower garden and sat on a bench. Aftering to the estate, she woulde here whenever her heart felttoostifled for her to read. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s not as good as a manhwa bang[1]¡­ But these ces are nice every once in a while.¡¯ As soon as she opened her book, she heard the sound of two people walking over. ¡°...Geez.I told you not to follow me!¡± she eximed, ring at the corner of the garden. She decided to give them a stern lecture this time around. Two people emerged. ¡°She oftenes here to read. Though it¡¯s written in the Earthennguage, I believe it is a scripture or otherwise contains profound teachings. She should be somewhere around here.¡± One of them was the familiar Count Evian, but she waspletely astounded when she saw the man who was with him. ¡°Oh!There she is.¡± As Count Evian looked at her brightly, she pulled her hood down the fastest she had ever done in her life. ¡°Hoho.Have a good conversation.¡± Count Evian¡¯s face had been gaunt even up to this morning, but now, he was beaming. However, what was even more surprising was the man walking with him. ¡°So, we meet again.¡± It was Seo Jun-Ho. Her former boss approached her with a smile. ¡°May I sit next to you?¡± ¡°Oh¡­Sure¡­¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took his seat and studied the strange Saintess, who was hiding like a pillbug. ¡®She¡­ covers her face a lot.¡¯ Well, shehadbeen wearing sunsses and a mask thest time he saw her. She thoroughly showed him that she wouldn¡¯t show her face. ¡®...But what¡¯s she up to?¡¯ The Frost Queen was standing in front of him, wearing an amused expression. She asked for popcorn, but Seo Jun-Ho casually ignored her, yet she onlyughed in response. ¡®Now that I think about it¡­¡¯ The Frost Queen had definitely said that the Schumern Saintess was someone that he knew. Last time, when he asked her if the Schumern Saintess was Skaya, the Frost Queen had scolded him harshly. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry I ran awayst time,¡± Seo Jun-Ho apologized. At that, the Saintess looked at him in the corner of her eyes and sat up straight. However, it seemed that she still didn¡¯t want to look at him, as she was facing theplete opposite direction. ¡°Ahem¡­How could you run away when we¡¯re acquainted?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it at the time. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to spend a few months quietly receiving treatment.¡± ¡°Again, you say you couldn¡¯t help it¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Anyway, did youe all the way here just to apologize to me?¡± She asked. ¡°No. I came here to treat Count Evian¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± She turned to him in surprise but she turned away three times as quickly. ¡°H-how can you¡ªyou don¡¯t have a healing skill, though.¡± ¡°...How are you so sure of that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked with brows raised. ¡°W-well¡­ Just by looking at you, I can clearly tell that you¡¯rebat-oriented, not the healing-oriented type.¡± ¡°...Well, things happened.¡± With that, the conversation between them ended. ¡®I wanted to ask her a lot of questions when we met¡­ But I don¡¯t think I should.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like he could just blurt out,¡°do you know me?¡± Just then, something on the bench caught Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. ¡°Huh?That book¡­¡± He picked it up. She had to have read it countless times by now, as the pages had already turned yellow. ¡°The Youngest Son of the Gates. Do you like this book as well?¡± ¡°...¡± The Saintess was silent for a moment, but she let out a heavy sigh in resignation and sat up. ¡°Yes, I like it. Very much so.¡± ¡°Wow,what a coincidence. I actually bought this for an acquaintance of mine as a gift,¡± he said. ¡°...What kind of person were they?¡± She almost sounded concerned. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t hesitate to answer. ¡°My former secretary.Oh,now that I think about it, I heard that she quit¡ª¡± His face turned serious as he seemed to be pondering over something before he grinned. ¡°She must have earned a lot of money. She¡¯s actually a little clumsy, so I worry about her.¡± ¡°...You must worry about her often.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really, these days. She¡¯s probably doing well on her own. She¡¯s actually pretty sharp, so¡­¡± Suddenly, Seo Jun-Ho felt a heavy set of eyes on him and whipped around. ¡°My book. Hand it over.¡± She snatched the book from him, leered, and then left, just like that. ¡°What¡¯s with her¡­ how rude,¡± he remarked. ¡°Hmph,you of all people are speaking on rudeness? How ridiculous,¡± the Frost Queen said, crossing her arms. She had watched all of that unfold in real-time. ¡°You were much ruder than she was. Believe my words.¡± ¡°...What did I even do?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, aggrieved. Chapter 305. The Saint of the Empire (6)

Chapter 305. The Saint of the Empire (6)

When Cha Si-Eun left the flower garden, the two shadows watching her followed. They spoke in hushed tones. ¡°If my eyes haven¡¯t deceived me, I think that was Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard that he was in Dustang even up until a few weeks ago. I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s here.¡± ¡°...Anyway, now we have more things to pay attention to,¡± one of them muttered. His partner looked amused. ¡°You¡¯re not worried about him, are you?¡± ¡°Bullshit. Carrying out the client¡¯s orders is our first priority. There¡¯s no need to put ourselves in danger.¡± ¡°Hmph.That sounds boring, but you¡¯re right.¡± As soon as they entered the building, Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. He was still sitting alone on the bench in the garden. ¡°Hm.¡± He felt someone watching them when he was talking with the Saintess. They didn¡¯t seem to have any malicious or murderous intent, so he let them be. However, they disappeared along with the Saintess. ¡®That means they¡¯re watching the Saintess, not me.¡¯ He eavesdropped just in case, and their words confirmed that he wasn¡¯t the one being watched. ¡®They probably didn¡¯t know that I could overhear their conversation from this distance.¡¯ Right now, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s senses were sharpened thanks to the effects of Hunter¡¯s Night. On top of that, his senses had improved after his body transformation, so listening to a conversation from dozens of meters away wasn¡¯t very hard. ¡°They said that their first priority is to carry out their client¡¯s orders¡­¡± His eyes furrowed a little. This was the creed favored by contract yers who killed for money. ¡°But something is strange. They would not have been able to get past the Count¡¯s estate guards so easily,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°...What if they¡¯re not outsiders?¡± Seo Jun-Ho suggested. Count Evian had told him that there were currently four yers at his estate. Two of them were him and the Saintess, of course, and the other two were yers from Silver Constetion who came to assist her. ¡°...If that is the case, something is wrong. Very wrong,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°Right?¡± The Saintess that he had been speaking to just a few moments ago was being targeted by someone. However, when Seo Jun-Ho realized this, he actually felt somewhat relieved instead of uneasy. ¡°I wanted to pay her back for what she has done for me. Seems like I might be able to do that sooner than expected.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood and returned to his room. As he did, the magic power in his body unraveled like a spool of string, enveloping the entire estate with each thread. He did this inconspicuously so that no one would notice. *** Cha Si-Eun copsed onto her bed when she returned to her room. She stared nkly at the window, where the moonlight was peeking in. ¡°...I wanted to say so many things to him when we met again,¡± she muttered. She wanted to tell him that she was worried when he left all of a sudden. She wanted to tell him off for not being able to recognize her even after hearing her voice twice. She wanted to ask him why his hair was long and if he had fully recovered by now. ¡®I bet he¡¯ll be shocked when he finds out I¡¯m the Saintess.¡¯ She could clearly picture his shocked face, demanding how this was possible. She wanted to see that face when they met again, but to her, his appearance was too sudden. ¡®I swear I¡¯ll tell him tomorrow¡­¡¯ She felt disappointed in multiple ways. Just as she was about to change into her pajamas, she received a message. She nonchntly checked the sender¡¯s name, and the look in her eyes instantly changed when she saw the message. ¡°The information guild!¡± She jumped up from her bed with her heart pounding. A few months ago, she had spent the tens of thousands of dors she had been saving saved until then andmissioned an information guild. Their results had finally arrived. She chewed her lower lip a bit. ¡®...I don¡¯t want to remember it.¡¯ However, she had to remember it for the same reasons. After all, this was the incident that made the Schumern Saintess retire. Cha Si-Eun slowly closed her eyes. It had already been a long time, but she could still clearly picture that face. ¡®Hye-Joo unnie.¡¯ She was like a real sister to her. She was a resolute and courageous woman with a mysterious charisma that attracted people. Cha Si-Eun was naive when she first came up to the 2nd floor, and she had fallen for all kinds of scams. At the time, she was constantly on edge. Cheon Hye-Joo was the one who healed her scars with her unique manner of speech and her warm smile. They lived together in an underground basement apartment. They were a shabby duo who were too embarrassed to even tell others that they were a party. But every night, they would talk about their dreams of bing a top-notch party or founding a Guild second to only the Big 6. Cha Si-Eun both envied her and idolized her. Though she was good at doing whatever was assigned to her, people had always told Cha Si-Eun that she was bad at expressing her emotions. In her eyes, Cheon Hye-Joo was like a protagonist in a fairy tale, a superhuman who could achieve anything and everything. ¡®But she wasn¡¯t¡­¡¯ One day, she told Si-Eun that she had to take care of something quick, but she returned on the brink of death. No matter how much Cha Si-Eun poured her skill into her, she showed no signs of recovering. ¡®She didn¡¯t receive those injuries from a monster. There¡¯s no way.¡¯ She had healed hundreds of people; of course, she could recognize the many types of injuries. Cheon Hye-Joo was stabbed by a sharp dagger; she didn¡¯t get injured by a monster¡¯s ws. Moreover, she was poisoned. However, Cheon Hye-Joo herself told her that she had been attacked by a monster after pushing herself too hard. ¡®...I lost my mind and ran around like crazy, asking people for a medicine that was good for poison.¡¯ She contacted yers, Guilds, and nobles whom the two of them assisted often. She sent out a message to every single one of them and even sought them out in person if they were nearby. Cha Si-Eun gripped her nket as she trembled in rage while recalling those times. No one¡ªnot a single person¡ªhelped her. ¡®Those liars.¡¯ Kim Tae-Soo, a leader of his own party always bbed about how he would repay her for the things she had done for him. Adrian, a rising star at the time ¡­ The city lord, who had invited her to dine together several times before to thank her for voluntarily treating the citizens. Countless others turned her away, no matter how much she begged. ¡°...¡± Back then, she found it impossible. She felt as if the world was ying a trick on her. However, when she returned home,pletely dejected, there was someone waiting at the door. ¡®I¡¯m grateful for him.¡¯ It took some time for the news to reach President Shim Deok-Gu, and when it did, he scraped together some medicine and sent over a person. Cha Si-Eun bowed several times and quickly went to treat Cheon Hye-Joo, but at that point, it was toote. ¡±...Phew.¡± It had been a while since she recalled the past. Cha Si-Eun closed her bloodshot eyes. Her unnie was like a gorgeous flower, constantly surrounded by others, but just like that, she died forsakenly in a damp basement. ¡°Hup, haa¡­¡±Cha Si-Eun eased her breath. After taking a few breaths, she managed to find the courage to face the past. ¡®Jun-Ho-nim, I¡¯ll be strong.¡¯ She would walk straight down the path of believing in herself just like he had told her. She opened the file with a trembling hand and slowly started to read its contents. The more she read, the colder her eyes became. ¡°...Inventory.¡± A file folder appeared in her hand. When she worked with Silver Constetion during the ckfield incident, she had asked for these documents instead of mary payment. ¡®Because I thought that the Big 6 would have better information than most information guilds.¡¯ But from her memories, the files she had received from Silver Constetion before were slightly different from the ones she had received just now. ¡®That¡¯s why I secretlymissioned another information guild¡­¡¯ Afterparing the two, she became sure of it. She looked coldly at the door and bit her lower lip. ¡®...I think I understand why Unnie told me off.¡¯ She thought she finally knew why Cheon Hye-Joo wouldn¡¯t reveal who injured her. Silver Constetion was a renowned Guild back then, and they were still a celebrated Guild even now. And the top Guild was involved in the incident. ¡®I have to leave.¡¯ She started packing her bags in a hurry. With the Big 6¡¯s capabilities, they had to be watching her every move. The two people assigned to her weren¡¯t here to assist her; they were here to watch her. She was sure of it. ¡°Huppp, haaa.¡± She had no time to say goodbye to Count Evian. ¡®I have to go to Earth.¡¯ The safest home she could think of was the Korean yer Association. She had connections there, and the Big 6 wouldn¡¯t be able to follow her recklessly. On the 2nd floor, it wasn¡¯t very hard to kill someone and cover it up. When she snuck out of the apartment, two shadows naturally followed her. ¡°...They¡¯re moving faster than I expected.¡± After the two figures left, one more cold shadow lifted its head. *** ¡°I want to go to Gilleon.¡± Cha Si-Eun arrived at the Teleport Gate and quickly held out the fare and her ID. However, the mage in charge observed her closely and shook their head. ¡°Your ID is too old. If you want to it reissued, pleasee back tomorrow.¡± ¡°What? I used it toe here just a few days¡ª¡± She shut her mouth, cutting herself off. The mage was staring at the ground, but she sensed from the look in their eyes that the wheels had started turning. ¡®Silver Constetion¡­They¡¯re this powerful?¡¯ To think that they could even block her from using the empire¡¯s Teleport Gates. However, the Guild had always been the nobles¡¯ and the Church¡¯s dog, so this was to be expected. She chided her own stupidity and snatched up her money and her ID before she left the building. ¡®If I can¡¯t use the Teleport Gate¡­¡¯ The best option would be to hire a yer with a teleportation Skill. However, it wasn¡¯t like they would just fall from the sky. ¡®A carriage is dangerous, too.¡¯ They had bribed the mage in charge of the Gate, so they could easily bribe a single coachman. She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Silver Constetion had bribed the entire town. She swiftly ran over to the West Gate and stepped out. ¡®There¡¯s a river in the west. There should be fishing boats out at this time.¡¯ Evian¡¯s territory had a giant river that couldn¡¯t be crossed by human means. If she got lucky and managed to get a boat, it would be easy to escape the two people keeping tabs on her. Thankfully, there were several fishing boats anchored at the boat. She approached the fishermen and held up her money pouch. ¡°Let me buy those boats. I¡¯ll pay you ten gold for each.¡± That was 10,000 dors for one fishing boat made of splintered wood. The fishermen¡¯s eyes grew wide, and they nodded. Cha Si-Eun bought all of their boats and flipped all of them over to sink them, except for one. Then, she climbed onto the one remaining boat and raised the sail. ¡®Now they won¡¯t be able to follow me so easily.¡¯ The sail was pulled taut by the night wind, which pushed the boat forward. She let out a sigh of relief as she watched the fishermen grow smaller and smaller. Woosh! The wind started to blow harder. ¡°Kyaa!¡± Realizing that something was wrong, Cha Si-Eun immediately looked up at the sail. The wind forced the current backward, and the boat started to move in the opposite direction at an incredible speed. Chapter 306. The Saint of the Empire (7)

Chapter 306. The Saint of the Empire (7)

The boat Cha Si-Eun was on shook violently. ¡®Wind? One of them is a wind elemental user?¡¯ She hunched her body close to the damp ground and bit her lower lip. She had just realized that the two yers keeping tabs on her had thoroughly concealed their skills. And it meant that they were prepared to kill her at any time in case she ran away. ¡°...¡± The boat started to settle after shaking like an amusement park ride, and Cha Si-Eun slowly stood up. All she could see with her naked eyes was the pitch-ck water. ¡°If you were going to run away, you should have gone somewhere far. You should¡¯ve at least let us have some fun with hunting you down.¡± The ck water split and two people emerged from below. They didn¡¯t seem to be holding their breath underwater, likely due to therge, transparent air bubble covering them. ¡°...Were you nning to do this from the very beginning?¡± she asked as she looked up at the two figures, pressing down the anger in her voice. ¡°Not really. We were originally only ordered to watch you, so we didn¡¯t know it would end up like this either.¡± ¡®That means¡­¡¯ They were going to kill her before she could spread rumors, as she had already discovered the truth. At that moment, she realized that the two people were no longer wearing their priest robes. ¡°You two are not even part of Silver Constetion,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s right. But does that matter at this point? We weremissioned by them anyway.¡± ¡°Oi,you shouldn¡¯t leak the client¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I said their name myself, so it¡¯s okay. Plus, we¡¯re going to kill her soon enough.¡± He spoke as if Cha Si-Eun¡¯s death was already decided. His partner was about to lecture him, but his partner shut his mouth. The yer wasn¡¯t wrong, after all. ¡°We feel bad as well, we have to kill someone so pretty, after all.¡± Shing! The hood she was wearing was cut off, revealing her face. ¡°Wow~You look like an actress.¡± ¡°Hurry up and kill her. We¡¯ll have a lot of work to do when we get back if we want to make it look like a suicide.¡± ¡°Ah,really, what a waste¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun lightly touched her grazed cheek with her hand. ¡®An invisible attack.¡¯ She had no idea what kind of technique he had used to conceal it. But considering the way he had changed the direction of the wind earlier and that they were breathing underwater, she assumed that he was a highly skilled wind elemental user. Her shoulders started to shake as she stood there, stiff. ¡®...¡¯ Nonbatants didn¡¯t have much offensive power. It was at times like this that she greatly resented herck ofbat skills. People often regarded healers as nobility, but in a world run by the powerful, the weak were still weak in the end. Without sturdy walls to protect her, she couldn¡¯tin even if something as bitter as this happened to her. She knew this even back then. ¡®That¡¯s why I wanted to make one for myself¡­ An iron fortress of my own.¡¯ She wanted to chase her dreams with the people she had opened her heart to, but she failed. ¡®But still, I won¡¯t die so pathetically.¡¯ She bit her lip hard. A heavy mace appeared in her hand. ¡°Look at that. The littledy has more spunk than she seems.¡± ¡°Are you nning to break our heads in with that? Do you even have the strength to wield it?¡± The two assassins taunted her. Of course, they knew that a cornered mouse would bite a cat. ¡°But what should we do¡­ We¡¯re tigers, not cats.¡± They were in the same family as cats, but the difference in their power was iparable. However, Cha Si-Eun seemed to have epted the challenge as she took a running stance. Her bloodshot eyes looked like they would spill tears at any moment, but they didn¡¯t. Instead, her eyes red at the two assassins with the intent to kill. ¡°...Woah.¡± Even though they were stronger than her, they felt a chill go down their spines. ¡®Hm, did we underestimate her too much? She¡¯s still a 2nd floor yer. We can¡¯t let our guards down.¡¯ ¡®They say that a woman¡¯s vengeance can make it snow in the summer¡­¡¯[1] And behold, it reallywassnowing right now. ¡°Huh?Wait.¡± They stopped. No, there was no way it was actually snowing. It was the peak of spring when the cherry blossoms were blooming The four seasons were distinct in Frontier, and this was Evian, not some territory in the north. How could snow be falling? ¡®Something¡¯s weird about this.¡¯ When they realized it, the thick snowkes turned into sharp spikes and stabbed them. ¡°Hup!¡±The wind elemental user narrowly managed to push them aside. They immediately eyed Cha Si-Eun, but seeing the way she was blinking, they realized that she wasn¡¯t the cause of this. ¡®An outsider is interfering.¡¯ ¡®I still don¡¯t sense anyone. Where the hell are they?¡¯ They looked around the pitch-ck water surrounding them. Crackle. The sound of something being sh-frozen could be heard in the barren river. ¡°You guys were faster than I thought.¡± Unlike the two idiots, Cha Si-Eun discovered where the voice wasing from as soon as she heard it. She held out her arms toward the dark riverside, trembling nervously. ¡°...Breath of Restoration.¡± The bright energy in her hands lit up the area, revealing a man leisurely walking across a frozen path to the three others. ¡°...Seo Jun-Ho,¡± the two assassins snarled. They hadn¡¯t expected him to be here. The air around them changed instantly. ¡°This has nothing to do with you. Just keep going where you¡¯re headed instead of causing trouble,¡± they warned. ¡°Why does it not?¡± He slowly turned his head and looked at Cha Si-Eun. She looked like she was at a loss for words. ¡°...I¡¯m actually a pretty selfish guy, so I don¡¯t really get involved in others¡¯ fights.¡± Such was the cold-hearted world of yers. After all, they would rarely have a reason or desire to interfere. ¡°But there are exceptions,¡± he said. When it came to ¡°his people,¡± he was determined to fight the whole world to protect them. ¡®I never would have thought the Saintess was Secretary Cha.¡¯ He was bbergasted after seeing her face from afar. He had never imagined that she would even be a yer, let alone a famous one like the Schumern Saintess. It was all because he hadn¡¯t sensed any magic from her in the past. ¡®And on another hand, I feel a little bitter¡­¡¯ He gave a self-deprecating smile. ¡°If I had given you more reason to trust me¡­You would have sought me out if you were struggling or if you were scared. I thought I was trustworthy enough.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun muttered as she looked down into the pitch-ck waters of the river. Wrong¡ªshe just didn¡¯t like causing trouble for others. She didn¡¯t want to be a weakling who had to ask others for help, she wanted to confidently face the world as her own yer. She wanted to tell him that she was able toe this far thanks to his advice. But as she trailed off, the wind elemental user summoned a vicious gale and pressed Seo Jun-Ho back. ¡°I don¡¯t like saying the same thing thrice. Leave while I¡¯m being nice.¡± ¡°What if I say no?¡± ¡°If you want to make an enemy out of Rock Blood, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Rock Blood? Seo Jun-Ho turned his head. He had never heard of such a ridiculously-named organization. However, Cha Si-Eun seemed to recognize the name, and her face immediately grew white. ¡°Do you know them?¡± Jun-Ho asked. ¡°T-they¡¯re the most famous assassin¡¯s guild who kills people for money. They¡¯re so big, they even have arge building in Seoul¡­¡± ¡°So they¡¯re trash¡­¡± A rock would never bleed. If there were blood on a rock, that meant that it belonged to someone who dared to cross them. Seo Jun-Ho snorted at the vicious yetical naming sense. ¡°I haven¡¯t been paying much attention because I have been cleaning up the fiends, but it seems that the fiends are not the only problem.¡± How had things be like this? The past had been more romantic. All of humanity had one collective goal, and it was an era of glory whence they stood against monsters as one. ¡°I miss the old days¡­¡± ¡°...You sound like an old man,¡± the Frost Queen mocked. Even so, he let out a long sigh. He finally understood why elderly people often grumbled that they didn¡¯t live this long just to witness such things. ¡°...So, you¡¯re not going to leave?¡± the assassin asked with sharp eyes. ¡°Secretary Cha¡ªwait, you¡¯re not a secretary anymore, so¡­ Miss Si-Eun.¡± ¡°...Yes?¡± she said, surprised. She had countless conversations with him at the yer Association, but she had never heard him use such a cold voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you couldn¡¯t trust me until now.¡± Now that he thought about it, she knew very well how human he was. After his return, she had seen him injured many times. ¡®And the same was true during the situation with Janabi¡­ That was probably why.¡¯ The reason why she couldn¡¯t readily ask for his help was probably that she didn¡¯t think he wasthatstrong. Her kindness, which bordered idiocy, made her not want to drag him into her problems and get hurt as well. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can be a strong fortress like you want,¡± he said. Cha Si-Eun¡¯s eyes grew wide. He used the word ¡°fortress¡± as if he had read her thoughts. ¡°But, if you ever need to rest¡­ I can at least be a fence for you.¡± ¡°...¡± Cha Si-Eun opened and shut her mouth a few times. Her eyes grew hot, and she eventually squeezed them shut. He always seemed to find her to offer her another path whenever she was pondering over something. ¡®Thank you¡­¡¯ The tears she had been holding back spilled over as she opened her eyes. She bit her lip and nodded. ¡°I¡­ I still have a long, long way to go¡­ But could I hide behind that fence?¡± Seo Jun-Ho fixed his eyes on the two assassins and grinned. The answer was simple. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°...You don¡¯t seem like the obedient type,¡± one of them said. It seemed like Seo Jun-Ho had no intentions of backing out. He exchanged nces with his partner. ¡®He¡¯s an unexpected factor, but¡­¡¯ ¡®Seems like we¡¯ll be pretty busy tonight...¡¯ At that, the two assassins vanishedpletely. ¡®...Invisibility?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho scanned the dark river. No, this wasn¡¯t simple concealment. ¡®It¡¯s simr to Night Walking. They can hide their presence itself.¡¯ Suddenly, a sharp, twisting sound cut through the quiet riverwaters as if the air were being ripped apart. Seo Jun-Ho turned his body. ¡°Wind! One of them can control the wind! And they can go in the water, too!¡± Cha Si-Eun shouted. ¡°I see.¡± He couldn¡¯t see his enemies, and he had to endure invisible attacks on top of that. However, Seo Jun-Ho actually had a small smile on his face. ¡®This is the best.¡¯ He recently ate a very delicious potion. Well, he wasn¡¯t actually sure if it wasdeliciousjust yet. ¡®This bastard¡­ It hasn¡¯t done anything ever since then, so I¡¯m not sure.¡¯ However, in a situation like this, where his five senses were useless, it would have to start working if it had a conscience. ¡®Get to work, Intuition,¡¯he started chanting to himself. Chapter 307. The Saint of the Empire (8)

Chapter 307. The Saint of the Empire (8)

There was an idiom that originated from King Zhuang, one of the Five Hegemons of the ancient Spring and Autumn period in China: ¡®A bird does not fly nor sing for three years¡¯.[1] King Zhuang spent three years indulging in pleasure, neglecting his governmental duties. A loyal subject sought and admonished him, asking what use there was in a bird that did not fly nor sing for three years. To this, King Zhuang answered: ¡®Because it spent three years gathering its strength, it will cut through the sky with a single flight, and in the same way, it will shake the world with a single song.¡¯ The very next day, King Zhuang decided it was time and purged every single disloyal subject that he had been keeping tabs on for the past three years. Through this, he brought peace to thend, and he was known as a wise king for the days toe.[2] Keen Intuition was a skill that liked to procrastinate and do as it pleased, but now, it was a dignified S-grade skill. In other words, it stood on the same level as Watchguard of Darkness and Weapons Mastery, so Seo Jun-Ho trusted it. ¡®My kid iszy, but he¡¯s good at it when he puts his mind to it.¡¯ Swooooosh! As a sharp noise pierced through the air around him, Seo Jun-Ho quickly leaped into action. However, he couldn¡¯t dodge every single attack when he couldn¡¯t see any of them. Small cuts started to appear all over his body. ¡®It¡¯s taking more time to warm up than I expected.¡¯ Thanks to his Cellr Regeneration skill, the cuts closed easily after some time passed. However, he couldn¡¯t keep on dodging these attacks forever. ¡®If you don¡¯t get started soon, I¡¯m going to be mad.¡¯ Just as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed, a feeling came to him. Vrrr. ¡°There we go.¡± He turned his body just like that and ducked his head. ¡®...Nice.¡¯ This was the first time he had dodged the des of wind wlessly. Just then, he started to get a peculiar feeling. ¡®Can I really call this intuition?¡¯ Up until this point, Keen Intuition¡¯s mechanisms were simple. At most, all it did was warn him that something dangerous might being his way from a certain direction. However, the Intuition just now¡­ ¡®I¡¯ve never had one myself, but I think this is what foresight must feel like.¡¯ There was a certainty to his predictions about the direction, trajectory, and timing of each attack. It was on a different level from the one-dimensional A-grade Keen Intuition, which only told him the direction where something wasing from. He felt strangely excited about his new toy. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. He couldn¡¯t sense the enemies¡¯ attacks with his five senses anyway. ¡®I see¡­¡¯ His surroundings were already dim, and closing his eyes plunged him intoplete darkness. However, Seo Jun-Ho actually felt an even greater freedom than when his eyes were open. ¡®...I can see it.¡¯ He could clearly see and sense the attacksing from all four directions as if he were astral-projecting. Seo Jun-Ho slowly started to move as if he was going on a stroll. Just that was enough to prevent the des of wind from grazing even his clothing. ¡®I feel like I¡¯ve be a god in this space.¡¯ A dangerous thought came to him. He arrogantly wondered if he would be virtually invincible if he used Freeze on top of this. Vrrr. Keen Intuition rang loudly. ¡®Is it telling me not to get full of myself?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho snickered. It seemed to be giving him a scathing criticism. As he dodged hundreds of attacks by the dark riverside, the assassins started to scowl. ¡°That bastard¡¯s dodging our attacks. Completely wlessly, at that.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t believe it.¡± The wind elemental user shook his head. He was one of five special-ss assassins even in Rock Blood. He possessed the S-grade skill ¡®des of Wind¡¯. ¡°No one has ever managed to dodge ourbined attacks before.¡± ¡°Up until now, that is.¡± His partner, whom he went around with as a duo, also had an extraordinary ability. He could erase all traces, appearances, and even the smells of everything he covered with his magic power. Disappearing Existence (A) was the best possible support skill. ¡°But the Blood Lord always tells us to believe what we see, no matter how hard it is to take in.¡± ¡°...Shit.¡± The wind elemental user¡¯s face contorted as he swore. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that¡¯s a small fence?¡± If that were the case, most High Rankers wouldn¡¯t even be considered sandcastles. He fell into thought for a second before speaking, ¡°Still, it would be a waste to give up like this.¡± ¡°Just ept it. He has already dodged hundreds of our attacks. This isn¡¯t just luck, it¡¯s an impressive level of skill.¡± ¡°No, what I¡¯m saying is that we don¡¯t necessarily need to fight that guy. Let¡¯s just kill Cha Si-Eun and scram.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s not a bad choice.¡± The two assassins felt that there was no need for them to risk dealing with Seo Jun-Ho. After all, he was a monster who could easily dodge theirbined attack that no one had ever been able to escape from before. ¡°Let¡¯s make it a big one and make a break for it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get ready.¡± As a great amount of magic energy started to pour out of the wind elemental user¡¯s body, his partner ced his hand on his shoulder, making all traces of his magic disappear. ¡°...Hm.¡± Just then, Seo Jun-Ho started to feel a strange sense of unease from where he stood on the river. ¡®Their attacks stopped?¡¯ His opponents¡¯ skills had the power to push him back in one direction. They should be trying to take advantage of that and propel the battle forward, but their attacks suddenly stopped as if their battle just now was a lie. ¡®That means¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho kicked off of the ice and mounted the fishing boat. But when he did, the boat didn¡¯t even move at all, let alone wobble. It was as if he were a speck of dust. ¡°Why are you suddenly¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun¡¯s eyes went wide. She was about to ask him why he came here when a giant whirlpool appeared in the pitch-ck water and began to pull in everything close by. Including the fishing boat where they stood¡­. ¡°Hold on tight!¡± Seo Jun-Ho wrapped his arm around Cha Si-Eun¡¯s waist and leaped into the air. Crackle! At the same time, the boat shattered like a piece of toffee, and he watched as it was sucked into the whirlpool. ¡®It would¡¯ve been dangerous if I was just a second toote.¡¯ He froze the moisture in the air and used them as footholds. He looked down. ¡°They! Might! Be! Hiding! Underwater! They! Did that! Before!¡± Cha Si-Eun called out punctually. ¡®Underwater? I see...¡¯ If a wind elemental skill were trained to its peak, breathing underwater wouldn¡¯t be hard at all. Seo Jun-Ho summoned his magic power. It raged like an ocean, iparable to the overflowing river beneath his feet. ¡°That¡¯s good, then.¡± Vrrr! Keen Intuition rang just in time. Seo Jun-Ho still couldn¡¯t see his enemies, but he could sense their location with confidence. ¡®They might be able to dodge a half-assed attack.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t let that happen because he had to protect Cha Si-Eun while fighting. ¡®I¡¯ll end it in one go.¡¯ The temperature around them dropped as Frost¡¯s energy raged. If his enemies were hiding beneath the river, it would actually be easier for him to take care of them. ¡®I can just freeze it all the way through.¡¯ Shwaaa! The magic asleep inside of him was unleashed into the world. And his cold eyes ordered the energy. ¡®Freeze it all.¡¯ Crackle! The whirlpool raging in the river froze, retaining its spiral shape. There was no need to say what happened below the surface. ¡°...Phew.¡± Freezing a part of a river all the way to the riverbed was no easy task, even for Seo Jun-Ho. He stumbled when the dizziness hit him, and he quickly stepped down onto the frozen surface of the river. ¡°A-are you okay?¡± Cha Si-Eun asked. When she saw his haggard face, she immediately activated Breath of Restoration. As soon as the mystical light nketed his body, Seo Jun-Ho unconsciously closed his eyes. ¡®Ah¡­This feels so nice.¡¯ His magic circuits were shocked by the way he suddenly pulled out a massive amount of magic, but they became silent soon enough. Seo Jun-Ho left his body to thefortable sensation and slowly opened his eyes. ¡°You were the one who healed me when I passed out after killing the Cinder Wolf, right?¡± ¡°...You looked like you were suffering.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯ste, thank you for healing me back then.¡± He smiled brightly and slowly pulled himself up. The length and width of the area he froze were around thirty meters. But because he had frozen the water all the way to the riverbed, he only had about thirty percent of his magic energy left. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ truly amazing,¡± Cha Si-Eun said with genuine admiration. She knew he had an ice elemental skill. ¡®But¡­¡¯ The sight before her made her eyes flutter. The frozen whirlpool was so beautiful, it seemed like arge piece of art. The man who had created this great spectacle stared at the sight instead of acting haughty. ¡°They¡¯re dead, just like that.¡± He couldn¡¯t see his enemies this time around either, but he knew that they were dead. ¡°How do you know that when you can¡¯t even see them?¡± Cha Si-Eun asked. ¡°Well¡­ It was a cheap trick.¡± - That is rude. ¡°Haha,really?¡± Cha Si-Eun blinked at his remark. ¡°Pardon? What were you referring to?¡± ¡°Well, you just¡­Oh,wait¡­¡± He looked down at the Frost Queen, but she was admiring the frozen whirlpool with a pleased look on her face and her hands sped behind her back. She seemed a little proud as if she were looking at something her child had made. ¡®Wait, Frost wasn¡¯t the one who said that? Then who was it?¡¯ Just as the confusion settled in, the voice rang again, along with a familiar vibration in his temples. Vrrr. - You speak so flippantly. Let us speak again in the future. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s jaw dropped when he realized where the voice wasing from. ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Keen Intuition had gained a voice. *** When they returned to the estate, the two yers found people looking for them everywhere. ¡°I found Seo Jun-Ho-nim and Cha Si-Eun-nim!¡± ¡°Immediately inform milord that the two are safe.¡± The knights let out a sigh of relief. They had been searching the estate thoroughly, worried that something might have happened to the two of them. Count Evian had called for Seo Jun-Ho because he had something to tell him, but he was shockled to discover that all the yers in his estate had suddenly disappeared. ¡°Haaa¡­ Huff¡­I thought you all had packed up and left without a word because you cured my daughter,¡± the Count said. ¡°We would never do that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said with a bashful smile. ¡°But why were looking for me in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Listen to me, and save your surprise.¡± Count Evian swallowed and looked him straight in the eye. ¡°The Sun of the Empire himself has summoned you.¡± ¡°The Sun¡­of the Empire?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked, and his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°If I am correct, there is only one person in the whole of the vast Empire that uses such a grandiose name¡­ Is that right?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Count Evian nodded heavily. ¡°His Majesty the Emperor is looking for you.¡± Everything was so sudden. First, Keen Intuition¡¯s dignified voice in the middle of battle, and now, a summon from the Emperor? He kept getting hit with these things one after another. Seo Jun-Ho let out a small sigh. ¡°When should I go to the pce?¡± ¡°In four days¡¯ time. You were ordered to go to the imperial pce at noon.¡± ¡®Four days, the pce¡­ That¡¯s not bad.¡¯ Once he went down to Earth after visiting the pce, it would be just about time to wake Mio up. ¡°Understood¡­¡± ¡°Rest well, then.¡± Once Count Evian left, Cha Si-Eun spoke cautiously, ¡°Is there something wrong? To think that the Emperor would summon a yer. As far as I know, this is the first time this has happened.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what it¡¯s about either¡­ But I don¡¯t recall ever doing something wrong, so I¡¯ll be okay,¡± he replied. Seo Jun-Ho escorted her back to her room. ¡°You worked really hard today. You must have been in shock, so rest up.¡± ¡°I did nothing. Like always, you¡ª¡± Cha Si-Eun trailed off and bowed her head. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care from now on.¡± ¡°Likewise. Seems like we ended up scouting each other, in a way¡­I¡¯ll be in your care as well.¡± They shook hands. Theyughed as they met each other¡¯s eyes. They weren¡¯t worried about their future. Though they would be ying different roles, they had fought alongside each other before, and theirbined power was great. ¡°I-I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, then.¡± Cha Si-Eun gave him another small bow even as she closed her door. Seo Jun-Ho returned to his room. He sat down on a chair instead of going to his bed. ¡°Contractor, are you not going to sleep?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°I need some time to talk.¡± ¡°Oh¡­But I am starting to grow weary¡­ Can we talk tomorrow instead¡­?¡± ¡°You can go to sleep.¡± Frost rubbed her eyes at his words. ¡°If I go to sleep, who will you be speaking to?¡± Seo Jun-Ho tapped on his temple. ¡°With this guy.¡± ¡°...I am very concerned for you, Contractor. You must have received some mental damage.¡± She looked at him with pity when he indicated that he would be talking to himself, then left. Seo Jun-Ho was left alone, but he didn¡¯t care. He slowly closed his eyes. ¡®Are you sleeping?¡¯ Chapter 308. Those Who Meet Must Part, And Those Who Part Will Meet Again (1)

Chapter 308. Those Who Meet Must Part, And Those Who Part Will Meet Again (1)

There was no answer. ¡®I guess he¡¯s asleep¡­ Good night.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho frowned and was about to stand. - Sit down. I am awake. The voice he had been waiting for rang in his head. - Seo Jun-Ho¡­ Indeed, it seems that I can finally speak to you. The voice resembled that of an adult man¡¯s and was very dignified.[1] ¡®You make it sound like you¡¯ve known me for a long time,¡¯Seo Jun-Ho said. - Because I truly have watched you for a long time. I also fought alongside you. ¡®That means¡­ Just as I thought, you¡¯re Keen Intuition, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ - That is correct. Seo Jun-Ho had suspected as much. The voice in his head was indeed Keen Intuition, just as he had expected. ¡®Seeing as you can suddenly speak now, does that mean you gained an ego when you became S-rank recently?¡¯ - No. I have long since developed a conscience, ever since you gained the skill called Keen Intuition. ¡°What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered; his eyes opened wide in surprise. It had already been 29 years since he gained the skill. - I also heard you every single time you belittled me. ¡°A-ahem.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt a sting in his conscience. He quickly changed the subject. ¡°Then, was the reason you weren¡¯t working at the beginning of the battle some kind of revenge?¡± - No. I was simply busy. ¡°Busy with what?¡± - It took some time for me to adjust and process the broad, newfound sensations that came with raising my rank. So he had been working hard on his own for the past few weeks to adjust to the new power. ¡°It feels nice to be able tomunicate with you. It¡¯s been pretty frustrating up until now,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. - The feeling is mutual. You would not understand how frustrating it was to watch you suffer like an idiot even after I warned you. ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s forget about the trivial things, and just tell me what you can do now.¡± - Before I exin that, you must first grasp an understanding of my existence. Keen Intuition continued¡­ - First, I am an entirely separate existence from your five senses. ¡°...What do you mean?¡± - To be precise, your senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. They all exist within you. In other words, internal sense. Seo Jun-Ho frowned. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re an external sense?¡± - Indeed. Ibine the information from your five senses and give you information that you would never be able to find otherwise. I believe humans call this¡ª ¡°A sixth sense.¡± -Phew,I am once again grateful that we are able tomunicate. So, Keen Intuition was apletely separate sense. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho already knew that considering how many years he had been using the skill now. ¡°Skip what I already know, and just tell me what you can do,¡± he insisted. - Well¡­ Ever since you raised my rank, I have be the best skill you possess. ¡°Hm?Is that so?¡± Seo Jun-Ho sounded unconvinced. Of course, he knew how amazing a skill Keen Intuition was. Even during the battle just a few hours ago, he grasped the trajectory of each attack and informed him. It was like a cheat key. ¡°But I have Watchguard of Darkness and Frost.¡± - Hmph. Be warned, I can help you more than those skills can. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t hold back from questioning the resolute tone. ¡°I¡¯m just asking because I¡¯m curious. What in the world makes you believe that?¡± - Those skills do not think of you as deeply as I do. Seo Jun-Ho swallowed at the sudden confession. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not interested in a formless, shapeless entity¡­ Let alone a man.¡± -Sigh¡­ Keen Intuition sighed; he sounded like he was repressing his anger. - It is exactly as I say. Those two are indeed outstanding skills, but they have not watched over you for as long as I have. ¡°In terms of time, I¡¯ve had Watchguard of Darkness longer than I¡¯ve had you.¡± - Let me repeat myself. I am a sense that exists outside of your five senses. While your other senses were asleep for 25 years¡­ I was awake the whole time. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mouth opened and closed. The shock was visible on his face. Even though 25 years had passed, it had only felt like a moment for him. When he opened his eyes, those years had already passed. ¡®But¡­ He simply endured all that?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wondered what that felt like¡ªbeing trapped in an ice statue for 26 years without being able to move. ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡± As far as he knew, Keen Intuition was an entity that could experience emotions, seeing how he had bristled when Seo Jun-Ho cursed him for being useless. And this very entity had waited for 25 years without being able to speak to anyone. - Do not misunderstand my words. I am not a separate living being, I am simply one of your senses. Save your worries, and just focus on how you can use me best. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. ¡°What did you do while I was asleep for 25 years?¡± - I did not do much. Every year on November 11th, I saw countless tourists. We were normally locked up, so I heard the footsteps and conversations of those in the museum. But you still remained unconscious, so I grew bored and began to review your past battles. Studying, studying, and more studying. - And you still did not wake, so I began to prepare for future battles using all the information I had gathered as a foundation. Preparation, preparation, and more preparation. Even though it had seemed impossible for Seo Jun-Ho to wake up, Keen Intuition had spent the whole time pondering how to help Seo Jun-Ho if he ever entered the battlefield once more. - Have faith in me. I cannot guarantee this for an attack I have never seen, but I will never fall for the same attack twice. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was silent. He had always considered Keen Intuition simply as an rm of sorts that alerted him of danger. ¡®But this guy¡­¡¯ He had been there whenever Seo Jun-Ho entered a Gate and fought monsters with his life on the line. He had been there whenever he floundered after falling for the fiends¡¯ trap once again. He had been there as he faced countless adversaries and sufferings while others called him a Hero. And he was still here, even after Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s return. As if he were his partner¡­ ¡°...I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t know. And it¡¯ste, but thank you for everything up until now.¡± - You are quite a strange human, showing emotion for your Skill. Keen Intuition let out a smallugh. ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you in the future too.¡± - I will try to be of assistance to you. Like that, his first conversation with Keen Intuition ended. *** Seo Jun-Ho woke up early in the morning and took out two ice statues from his Inventory. They contained the two assassins he had killed the night before. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face grew pale when he read their memories. ¡®Silver Constetion¡­ And a Team Leader at that. That¡¯s no trivial position.¡¯ His name was Choi Hyun-Min. He was Team 2¡¯s leader and hadmissioned the assassin¡¯s guild to survey and kill Cha Si-Eun. ¡®I should ask her about this.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had to know why they were targeting her so he could assist her. He met with Cha Si-Eun, and she gave him a general idea of the situation. ¡°...That must have been hard. Thank you for telling me,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I believe that it is something you should know.¡± She had been speaking formally, like when she was still his secretary. But now that it was the morning after, she didn¡¯t seem to know how she should speak to him. ¡°Um,you can just speakfortably. Don¡¯t feel pressured.¡± ¡°...Alright, I will try to gradually fix the way I speak.¡± Seo Jun-Hopared the two files she gave him and nodded. ¡°First of all, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any doubt that Silver Constetion was the one that intervened.¡± But there was one other thing he had to know. ¡°Have you ever heard of someone named Choi Hyun-Min?¡± ¡°Choi Hyun-Min¡­? No, I¡¯ve never heard that name before.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± That means Cheon Hye-Joo¡¯s murder hadn¡¯t been a crime of passion. Seo Jun-Ho handed back the documents to Cha Si-Eun. ¡°I¡¯ll look into this part myself.¡± ¡°Thank you...¡± ¡°I already told Count Evian what happened. He¡¯ll escort you to Gilleon¡¯s Elevators.¡± ¡°Are you saying that I should wait on Earth?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes. Do you have something else you have to do here, by chance?¡± ¡°No.¡± Cha Si-Eun shook her head. ¡°I should buy a bottle of the President¡¯s favorite liquor on my way back,¡± she added. ¡°I see now why he was always going on about how great of an employee you are.¡± The two of them let out a smallugh and said their goodbyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting down there,¡± Cha Si-Eun said. ¡°I¡¯ll also be going down by the end of the week. I¡¯ll see you then.¡± After seeing her off, Seo Jun-Ho prepared to leave. There wasn¡¯t really any reason to stay here any longer. ¡°Are you going to the capital?¡± Count Evian asked. ¡°I have to. I can¡¯t bete for my meeting with His Majesty.¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± The count nodded and gestured down the hallway. As he did, a girl around Frost¡¯s height waddled over and bowed deeply. ¡°T-thank you for curing me!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how I could possibly repay you. Will you allow me to do so?¡± He wanted to reward Seo Jun-Ho, be it with money or anything else. However, Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°No. Seeing your daughter¡¯s smile is reward enough.¡± Of course, it was a lie. An outright lie. However, Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t just receive money or items as a reward from one of the empire¡¯s powerful nobles. ¡°Then, I hope you stay healthy until we meet again.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Count Eviant stared straight at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back as he left. He really didn¡¯t ask for anything. ¡°Well, I suppose heisthe saint of the Empire¡­¡± He began to think about how he could help the yer. And the count wasn¡¯t the only one doing that. The nobles who received help from Seo Jun-Ho were all pondering over the same question. *** When he arrived at the capital, Seo Jun-Ho found a ce to stay before walking around the market and buying the things he needed. Most of these ¡®necessities¡¯ were snacks for Frost. ¡°This tastes quite peculiar, and that tastes quite interesting. As expected of the nation¡¯s capital,¡± she remarked, hugging the specialties of the capital in one hand. She then looked up. ¡°But Contractor, what did you meanst night when you said you needed to speak? I fell asleep because I was tired and it was troublesome.¡± ¡°Oh,that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho spoke as they entered his room, shrugging off his jacket. ¡°You know Keen Intuition? My skill, I mean.¡± ¡°Indeed I do. Youined that it was pointless to feed it the potion and that it went to waste.¡± ¡°H-hey, I never said that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho flinched and hurriedly changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, now that I raised his rank, I can speak to him now.¡± ¡°Speak to him? So, it gained an ego, it seems.¡± ¡°Um¡­Well, he said he¡¯s had an ego long ago.¡± ¡°And how long has it been?¡± ¡°26 years.¡± ¡°26 years?Ha,so he is a small child.¡± The Frost Queen smirked and began to organize her snacks. As she did, Keen Intuition spoke. -Youare the child. ¡°...?¡± She paused. The Frost Queen looked up and stared straight at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°What¡­ did you just say to me¡­?¡± ¡°T-that wasn¡¯t me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly waved his hands, panicking. He looked puzzled. ¡®Wait, Frost can hear what Intuition says?¡¯ - Why would it be otherwise? Spirits are tied to your soul. ¡°This voice¡­ This isn¡¯t the Contractor¡¯s voice¡­¡± she muttered, scrunching her nose. ¡°I will allow your rudeness to slide this once because my mercy is plentiful, so be careful from now on.¡± - Don¡¯t make meugh. Do you think I would be scared of a Spirit who does nothing but gorge on snacks?¡± ¡°H-how impudent! How dare you insult me like this.¡± - Did I say anything false? I do not believe so. ¡°Contractooorrr! Just listen to the way that skill speaks. How could he be so rude?¡± After Keen Intuition kept on hitting her with cold, hard facts, the Frost Queen eventually ran over to Seo Jun-Ho. Thetter patted her head while she was looking all resentful. ¡®Why are my skills so high-maintenance?¡¯he wondered. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know the answer. Chapter 309. Those Who Meet Must Part, And Those Who Part Will Meet Again (2)

Chapter 309. Those Who Meet Must Part, And Those Who Part Will Meet Again (2)

On the day of his meeting with the emperor, someone knocked on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s door at exactly 7 AM sharp. ¡°You are the yer Seo Jun-Ho, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re ready, pleasee with me.¡± The attendant from the pce bowed their head politely and escorted him to the coach. It was a disciplined movement, which was neither servile nor rude. The coach smoothly departed without any problems and headed straight for the imperial pce. ¡®So, this is the imperial pce.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked outside the window as they passed through the giant white pce¡¯s front gate. The architecture held hundreds of years of history, and Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help the way his chest tightened in amazement. The coach spent another thirty minutes just winding around within the gates before it stopped. ¡°We have arrived.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stepped down onto the ground and started walking down a long hallway, led by the attendant. ¡°When you enter the throne room, bow your head and walk forward. Your steps must be even, and you should not walk quickly nor slowly.¡± There were more things he had to keep in mind than he had expected. ¡°Do not show any sharp items, even by ident. Your head will immediately be cut off.¡± He even received a frightening warning. Seo Jun-Ho nodded, looking a little grim. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Then, you may go in.¡± The attendant looked to the guards at the front, and they slowly pushed open therge door. ¡°Enter.¡± A voice came from the end of the 100-meter-long room. At that, Keen Intuition cautioned him. - There is a monster inside. However, Keen Intuition didn¡¯t need to tell him that. The moment he stepped into the room, Seo Jun-Ho was overwhelmed with anxiety. ¡®Somehow¡­ It feels like I¡¯m willingly stepping into a monster¡¯sir.¡¯ He bowed his head and started to walk forward with determined steps. He kept his pace even without walking too quickly or slowly. Every time he took a step forward, the pressure on him grew stronger. ¡®Insanity.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t shocked because there were tons of soldiers waiting inside the throne room. It was actually the opposite. ¡®You¡¯re telling me¡­ This energy ising from just one person?¡¯ When he was walking down the hallway, he thought that there might be a small army waiting inside. But now that he was here, he realized that this powerful aura came from just one person. He chewed on his lip. ¡®Was the empire this powerful? Not even the Heavenly Demon gave off an aura of this level.¡¯ Other than that¡­ This person was so powerful it was meaningless to even try to make aparison. Seo Jun-Ho walked all the way up to the stairs and respectfully dropped to one knee. ¡°The yer Seo Jun-Ho hase to answer His Majesty¡¯s call.¡± ¡°Indeed. You are Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Lift your head.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gulped and slowly looked up. On the dais, there was a man sitting in a seat more befitting of a god than a king.[1] ¡®He¡¯s a lot younger than I thought.¡¯ The emperor only seemed to be in his mid-40s at most. He didn¡¯t seem all too powerful, but his eyes were deep and sharp, as befitting of someone ruling over a great empire. ¡®And¡­¡¯ A knight and an old man donning schrly robes were standing a few steps below the throne. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes fixed on the knight. ¡®It¡¯s them.¡¯ The knight looked expressionless, like a machine, and they only seemed to be in their early 30s at most. If this were a photograph, Seo Jun-Ho would have thought that they were a family leader with some high-ranking government position. Gauss van Ruben turned to the knight. ¡°Enough, Hart.¡± ¡°...My apologies, Your Majesty.¡± The red-headed knight bowed. As they did, Seo Jun-Ho felt the pressure disappear instantly. It was as if it had never been there at all. ¡®Sweat? I was sweating?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho swallowed as he realized this btedly. ¡°...Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°Mm.¡± The emperor replied tersely and skipped the formalities. He immediately got to the point. ¡°I heard that you rid the nobles of the demonic energy within their bodies. Is that true?¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s entire body flinched. It wasn¡¯t like he had done anything wrong, but there was a simple reason behind his surprise. ¡®Does that mean¡­ The pce knew that the nobles had been forcibly injected with demonic energy?¡¯ Every noble he met had kept the information under a very tight lid. In fact, no one knew other than the family members of the afflicted. If Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t quickly read Gdin¡¯s memories, he couldn¡¯t have found the afflicted nobles. ¡®How in the¡­¡¯ It was rare for him to be so dumbfounded. The prime minister finally broke his silence. ¡°No one can escape the eyes and ears of the Sun.¡± ¡°...¡± He meant the eyes and the ears of the emperor. Seo Jun-Ho considered this for a moment before he spoke, ¡°Yes¡­You are indeed correct. I cured them.¡± ¡°Then, let me ask you a question,¡± the emperor saidnguidly. ¡°Are you a fiend?¡± ¡°...I think I finally understand why you have summoned me here,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied calmly. Even he knew how suspicious it looked. ¡®A yer appears out of nowhere and picks out the nobles with demonic energy and goes to cure them¡­¡¯ It was understandable that others might suspect he was secretly a fiend who approached the nobles to gain their trust. ¡°What can I do to prove myself?¡± ¡°Prime Minister.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The old man dressed as a schr slowly walked down the dais. He reached into his breast and pulled out a parchment the size of a palm. He held it out to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± ¡°This is a page ripped from the Book of Truth, which has been passed down the royal family for generations.¡± So, he was probably saying that he could check the validity of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ims. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the parchment in awe. ¡°How do I use it?¡± he asked. ¡°Infuse it with your magic, and dere that you are not a fiend.¡± When he did so, the densely-packed text on the parchment started to glow brightly. ¡°I¡ªyer Seo Jun-Ho¡ªam not a fiend. Additionally, I am one of the people who abhor fiends the most.¡± When he finished, the text suddenly stopped growing with a sh. Confused, Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at the parchment. ¡°...Hm.¡± The emperor seemed indifferent as he spoke, ¡°There is no need to be surprised. Your words have proven true.¡± ¡°...That means I passed?¡± ¡°If you were to have spoken a lie, your flesh and bones would have been ripped apart on the spot. So, I believe your words to be true.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho shivered when he pictured that. ¡°So he has proven that he is not a fiend¡­ Prime Minister.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°This yer has finally resolved a problem that has been guing me for some time now, a problem I did not know how to handle.¡± ¡°Indeed. A thousand, ten thousand words of praise would not be enough to thank him.¡± ¡°Hm.Nevertheless, he is not a child, so I do not believe he would be satisfied with mere words of praise.¡± The emperor seemed to have decided something for himself and leaned forward a bit. ¡°Now that you have proven you are not a fiend, I shall pay you a reward instead of a punishment.¡± ¡®A reward!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°I will grant you one wish in my name.¡± ¡°By a wish, you mean¡­?¡± ¡°If you so wish, I could give you a mountain of gold, the best artifacts, or even a noble title or territory. Tell me what you desire, without concealment.¡± ¡°...Can you really grant me any wish I want?¡± The emperor nodded. ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll tell you what my wish is right this moment.¡± The emperor looked amused when he saw Seo Jun-Ho speak without hesitation. ¡°You have already decided? It would behoove you to consider this carefully. You only have one wish, after all.¡± ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve always wanted if someone ever offered to grant me a wish,¡± he exined. ¡°Interesting. And what wish would that be?¡± ¡°The fiends.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked straight into his eyes as he spoke, without wavering at all. ¡°Please kill all the fiends on thisnd.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°H-how dare!¡± The prime minister eximed, eyes wide. The yer in front of him was basically asking the emperor to start a war. ¡°Quiet.¡± The emperor raised his hand, and the prime minister stopped just as he was about to say something. ¡°I said that I would grant his wish, and he has stated it. Would you make me out to be a liar?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­ I would not dare.¡± As Rashlynn trailed off, the emperor turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Will you not regret your decision? No one would me you if you wished for something that will benefit you.¡± ¡°I will not. That is something I had been nning to do with my own hand, but now that I have found an easier and faster solution, there is no need for me to take it back.¡± ¡°...¡± The emperor studied Jun-Ho¡¯s unwavering eyes for a long time. His lip eventually curled. ¡°Heh¡­ Hehe, ahahaha!¡± As he burst into a fit ofughter, the prime minister looked at him with panic. ¡°Y-Your Majesty. You should maintain your dignity before an outsider¡ª¡± ¡°How unfair of you. How could I hold back myughter in such an amusing situation?¡± With that, the emperor stood up from his seat. He was of tall stature, about 180 centimeters tall, and he was covered in well-defined muscles. ¡°Rest assured, I will grant your wish¡± ¡°I am grateful.¡± ¡°Now, be on your way.¡± Seo Jun-Ho bowed once more at the emperor¡¯s order. He slowly walked out of the throne room, following the etiquette. Now, only three people were left in the room. ¡°Will it truly be alright?¡± the prime minister asked carefully. ¡°Indeed it will. Do you still take me for the inexperienced child I once was?¡± the emperor said, chuckling. The prime minister shook his head. ¡°...Forgive me. I made a slip of a tongue, as I have be more angsty as I grew older.¡± ¡°Though I understand your unease, your worries are too excessive¡­¡± the emperor muttered as he closed his eyes, recalling the past. Thirty years ago, he had suddenly be the emperor at a very young age. He had a lot of political enemies back then. His authority was unstable when he suddenly ascended to the throne, so he hatched a cunning n to survive. ¡°I have used them well for the past 26 years. It is about time that I put those dogs down since they have outlived their usefulness,¡± he said. The fiends had been causing trouble all throughout the kingdom, and he ordered them to be pushed out to Ound. Of course, the mission was assigned to none other than his enemies waiting for a chance to steal the throne. By the time they returned afterpleting the mission, the clever emperor had already finished building his own pce. ¡°Prime Minister.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Summon the army.¡± ¡°How great will the scale be?¡± ¡°Hm.The longer it takes for me to grant his wish, the more he will be suspicious of my abilities.¡± He pointed with his index finger. ¡°One week. Clean up all the fiends in thisnd within one week.¡± *** After he returned to the inn, Seo Jun-Ho shared what had happened at the pce with the Frost Queen. ¡°You did well¡ªyou did very well. I suppose your rivalry with those ursed fiends will end here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that¡­ I heard that there were quite a few that had already ran away to the 3rd and 4th floors,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. Though, of course, the majority of the fiends were still on the 2nd floor. Once the emperor purged them all, the Fiend Association would virtually be done for. ¡°Phew¡­¡±Seo Jun-Ho sat down and leaned against the back of his chair. Now that the reality of it was hitting him, it actually seemed a little anticlimactic. ¡°I thought we would have to go through this cycle of evil forever¡­ And to think that it could have been resolved so easily.¡± ¡°You have worked hard,¡± the Frost Queen said. It had already been nearly thirty years since he began warring with the fiends. He had never been able to pull them out by the roots and had regretted starting it so many times without being able to end it. ¡®But now it¡¯s over.¡¯ His strife with the fiends would finallye to an end. And it would be spurred by none other than the Emperor of the Ruben Empire. Seo Jun-Ho himself could take care of the remnants. ¡°As long as we sessfully handle the ones on the 1st floorter, the demons¡¯ power will never spread again.¡± ¡°Does it feel bittersweet?¡± ¡°No. It just feels really fucking sweet. But¡­ I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because it¡¯s not going to end by my own hand, but I still can¡¯t quite believe it, so I feel a little uneasy.¡± ¡°Still, you must believe. The captain of the guard alone was so powerful the Heavenly Demonpletely pales inparison.¡± ¡°...Yeah. I should,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, closing his eyes. Even though his fight against the fiends was about to conclude, he knew very well that his journey wasn¡¯t over yet. ¡®I should be able to wake Mio in a few days, too.¡¯ The five of them would finally stand together again. He thought that he would never be able to see that day again, but now, he only had to wait a few days. ¡®They say that those who part will meet again.¡¯[2] Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes with a big smile on his face. For the first time in a very long time, he would return home with good news. Chapter 310. Those Who Meet Must Part, And Those Who Part Will Meet Again (3)

Chapter 310. Those Who Meet Must Part, And Those Who Part Will Meet Again (3)

Seo Jun-Ho felt as light as a feather on his way to meet Shim Deok-Gu. Even he was surprised by it. In fact, he wondered if his body and mind had ever felt this light before. ¡°What¡¯s the asion? You came here without contacting me,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said, a little surprised. Seo Jun-Ho was normally bad at staying in contact, often saying that he was too busy, but he had suddenlye down. ¡°Contacting you? Didn¡¯t Secretary Cha¡­ I mean, didn¡¯t Miss Si-Eun tell you?¡± ¡°I thought she was just saying that as a formality.¡± Shim Deok-Gu opened the refrigerator and poured Seo Jun-Ho a cup of orange juice. ¡°I would like a Yakult. With a straw,¡± the Frost Queen ordered. ¡°...Your wish is mymand.¡± He handed her the drink and squinted at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Seeing how quickly you came back down¡­ Did you cause trouble again?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a child? I don¡¯t go around causing trouble all the time.¡± ¡°Forget it, then. Actually, I already heard the basics of your current situation.¡± He sipped on his coffee and continued, ¡°There have been rumors all over the ce saying that you¡¯ve been running all over the empire, meeting with nobles. Is it rted to that?¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gestured him forward with his finger and grinned. ¡°Deok-Gu. My friend.¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving me chills, you rascal. Why are you beating around the bush so much?¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly in agreement. It was over. And it had taken nearly taken thirty years for him to be able to say that short, simple phrase. ¡°Wow, and now you¡¯re just smiling to yourself?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m happy¡­¡± ¡°...Funny bastard. Seeing how you¡¯re acting, it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯ve caused trouble. So, what is it?¡± Shim Deok-Gu said with a little bit of curiosity. Seo Jun-Ho exined everything to him. While he was telling the story, Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s expression kept on changing. ¡°So, for my wish, I asked him to kill all the fiends,¡± Seo Jun-Ho concluded. ¡°...Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not trying to prank me, are you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a smallugh. Shim Deok-Gu looked like he would kill him if he were lying. ¡°I swear on my life that I¡¯m telling the truth. When have I ever joked about something like this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. ¡°You never have¡­ But¡­ It¡¯s just so hard to believe.¡± Shim Deok-Gu snorted and melted into the sofa as if all the energy had left his body. ¡°I never thought you¡¯d be able to use the Iron Blood Emperor.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think it was that hard.¡± ¡°Are you serious? No one has ever been able to do that in thest 26 years.¡± It was difficult to make the emperor indebted to you. Actually, quite frankly, it was nearly impossible because he was a man who wanted nothing. He owned everything in abundance, and he could do anything he wanted. ¡°...But if the emperor makes a move, the Fiend Association ispletely done for,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t tell from his overjoyed face whether he wasughing or crying. ¡°So this long war¡­ is trulying to an end.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still hard to believe, isn¡¯t it? I actually feel the same way.¡± ¡°Once the fiends are exterminated, and crime rates plummet¡­ Even then, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to believe it until a month or two after.¡± The two of them exchanged looks and snickered. ¡°Oh, just a moment,¡± Shim Deok-Gu remembered something and opened the calendar in his Vita. ¡°Hm¡­Seems like we¡¯ll be able to make it just in time.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°There¡¯s going to be an event at the Association in four days¡¯ time.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°You,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said, looking straight at Jun-Ho. ¡°Officially, Specter is still hospitalized. But we¡¯re going to announce that he will be taking a seat in the Nine Heavens since the Heavenly Demon left one open. There¡¯s going to be all sorts of famous yers and Guildies, including the Thunder God-nim.¡± ¡°Oh,so they went through with it.¡± ¡°I think it would be good to announce the news about the fiends then, too.¡± Shim Deok-Gu couldn¡¯t hide the smile on his face when he imagined it unfolding. ¡°You¡¯re going to give the world a new wave of hope.¡± ¡°The Fiend Association is going to disappear without a trace, and the yers will have a new Heaven¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a moment to picture it in his head and nodded. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just ¡®not bad¡¯. Especially these days, when everyone feels so uneasy.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Did something happen again?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. He had been busy curing the nobles in the past few weeks, so he wasn¡¯t very aware of the current events. ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t you look at Community?¡± ¡°I was busy taking care of the nobles, you see.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face grew grave as he began to speak. ¡°You know that yers have gone up to the 4th floor, right?¡± ¡°I do. Weren¡¯t most of them part of the Big 6 or other big Guilds?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Not many solo yers went up to the 4th floor. Most of them are in a Guild,¡± Shim Deok-Gu exined. ¡°Did something happen to them? Is the 4th floor too hard?¡± ¡°I wish we could know. Unfortunately, they¡¯ve cut off contact.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I say. We¡¯ve lost all contact with the advance parties. Community doesn¡¯t work, obviously, and not a single yer has returned from the 4th floor.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho swallowed. No matter how difficult the floor could be, those were powerful yers who knew their body¡¯s limits and when they should retreat. ¡®On top of that, both Shin Sung-Hyun and Wei Chun-Hak are on the 4th floor at the moment.¡¯ Had the two Heavens been killed without even a struggle? ¡®That¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no way that the difficulty would suddenly shoot up that high.¡¯ Moreover, the 3rd floor was cleared at an unprecedented speed. This meant that with their current overpowered strength, the yers should be able to take care of the 4th floor as well. ¡°So, there¡¯s something up with the floor itself,¡± Seo Jun-Ho concluded. ¡°The yer Association thinks so as well. There are a total of 32,810 yers currently on the 4th floor. There¡¯s no way that all of them died there.¡± The advance party was made up of the most elite yers in the world. If they had beenpletely wiped out, they would have no future. So, they came up with another hypothesis. ¡°I wonder if the 4th floor is a different type of Floor.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Maybe you can¡¯t move up or down until you defeat the Floor Master.¡± A shiver went down Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s spine when he heard that. It was because of none other than the fiends. ¡°If they flocked to the 4th floor as soon as it opened¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, they couldn¡¯t have taken anything with them up there.¡± Shim Deok-Gu let out a sigh of relief. ¡°To be honest, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been most worried about these days. But you¡¯ve put my worries to rest just in time.¡± It couldn¡¯t be described as anything other than luck. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll start getting busy again¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°The minimum level for entering the 4th floor is 150. Yeah, you¡¯ll be busy.¡± It wasn¡¯t just Seo Jun-Ho. Hisrades also had to reach level 150. ¡°It¡¯ll be fun,¡± he said. He had spent most of his time alone ever since he returned. He stood. ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to visit the hospital.¡± ¡°Alright. You¡¯ve worked really hard,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said as he walked him out the door. He patted Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Now that I think about it, isn¡¯t it about time for you to wake Mio up?¡± ¡°It is,¡± he replied, ncing at his Vita. ¡°In two days, the 90-day cooldown will be over. I¡¯m going to wake her right away.¡± ¡°...So you guys will be five again. My heart is pounding.¡± Seo Jun-Ho snickered. But even though he was acting cool, he was even more nervous than anyone else. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± He waved and headed to the hospital. After sending off his friend, Shim Deok-Gu sat back down. Just as he was about to tackle the mountain of documents, he was interrupted. ¡°Give me one more Yakult. With a straw.¡± ¡°...?¡± He jumped when he saw the Frost Queen sitting all alone on the sofa. ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you going to follow Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°...Why not?¡± ¡°If he is visiting Gilberto, it is likely that I will see Skaya.¡± If she were going to get her cheeks squeezed, she would rather just sit and drink in the cool office, even if it was boring. ¡°Yakult,¡± she demanded. *** ¡°Skaya¡¯s going to meet up with us tomorrow, and Rahmadat said he¡¯sing right down tonight,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°That¡¯s good news.¡± Gilberto¡¯s hospital room was dreary, especially so because he had never been very talkative or expressive. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to join us by then, right?¡± ¡°I could join you even now. The only reason I¡¯m lying down is that the doctor would throw a fit otherwise.¡± ¡°That¡¯s settled, then.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gathered his belongings and stood up. Gilberto¡¯s eyes were full of warmth when he looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry and thank you. For taking care of the mess that we made.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. When you¡¯re traveling, the one who wakes up the earliest is supposed to make breakfast.¡± Simrly, the first one to escape from the ice had to hunt the fiends. Gilberto let out a smallugh. ¡°That sure is something you would say.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself, and I¡¯ll see you in two days.¡± Once he stepped out of the hospital room, Jun-Ho didn¡¯t go right back to the yer Association. ¡°He should be at this hospital too¡­¡± The Sword Saint, Kim Woo-Joong had helped him out a lot before, and Seo Jun-Ho knew he was staying in the same hospital. He asked a nurse and was immediately escorted to his room. Knock knock. - Come in. Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes widened when he saw Seo Jun-Ho step in. He was in the middle of slicing an apple for himself. ¡°M-Mr¡­ Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t expect me, did you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head. He approached him and pointed to the chair next to the bed. ¡°Can I sit here for a bit?¡± ¡°Of course...¡± ¡°What kind of patient cuts fruit for himself so pitifully?¡± He teased. ¡°...The hospital food tastes bad.¡± ¡°Oh,that¡¯s true.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had eaten plenty of hospital food before, so he nodded in agreement. ¡°Give it to me.¡± His hands started to move elegantly once he received the knife. Kim Woo-Joong devoured the apple slices. ¡°...Ahem.¡± Frankly, it was a little awkward. Other than the few times they had met before, they weren¡¯t exactly close. ¡°You can speakfortably,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°...May I?¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes sparkled a little, and he nodded. ¡°Alright. We¡¯re only one or two years apart, so let us both speakfortably.¡±[1] ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The conversation fizzled out. They were both too scared to speak casually. Seo Jun-Ho had cut the apple into different animal shapes without even thinking about it. Perhaps it was because of Weapons Mastery, but he carved out a rabbit, butterfly, swan, tiger, and even a dragon without breaking a sweat. ¡°It¡¯s good¡­¡±[2]Kim Woo-Joong muttered, chewing on the apple slices. *** ¡°Hm.¡± The Thunder God looked up at the sky as he stood on the cliff with his hands behind his back. A momentter, he sensed someone behind him. ¡°The preparations areplete, Master.¡± The Thunder God turned at his words and let out a smallugh. He had given Baek Geon-Woo everything he had. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that thetter had be as strong as him. ¡®All I¡¯ve given him is a snowball and a goalpost.¡¯ From now on, Baek Geon-Woo would have to start rolling and rolling the small snowball. Once it was as big as a mountain, he would be the Thunder God. ¡°...Geon-Woo. It must¡¯ve been hard spendin¡¯ thest few years doin¡¯ nothing but training in the mountains with this old man.¡± ¡°Not at all. It was the most valuable time of my life.¡± It wasn¡¯t just ttery. He truly meant it. Knowing this, the Thunder God couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter. ¡°The only one who has ever had expectations of me and pushed me¡ªsaying that I could be strong¡ªis you, Master.¡± A tear fell down his face. Whenever the Thunder God gave him a hard time, it made him think of his dead parents. ¡°Why¡¯s a big kid like ya cryin¡¯?¡± he scolded. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± Baek Geon-Woo wiped away his tears and spoke. ¡°Master, I¡¯ll ask you one more time. Will youe down with me?¡± ¡°Listen, ya rascal. I¡¯vee to take a likin¡¯ to this ce, and I¡¯m going to go down in a few dayster anyway.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with¡ª¡± ¡°Hush! Hurry up and go before it rains!¡± The Thunder God said, leering at him. Baek Geon-Woo had no other choice but to bow his head. ¡°...I will see you on Earth, then.¡± ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ll see ya in two days.¡± The student had to force his feet to move before he started down the mountain. And even then, he still looked back a few times, with lingering feelings. ¡°Tsk, tsk. He¡¯s such a softie,¡± the Thunder God said with a small sigh. He wondered if Baek Geon-Woo would survive in such a perilous world when he had such a kind heart. He sighed again and silently looked up at the sky. He watched the dark clouds gather. ¡°Geez,and the sky looks like a devil too¡­¡± He clicked his tongue and returned to his abode. He had stayed in this house in the mountains for a few years now. It wasn¡¯t much, but he thought it looked quite nice, probably because he had taken a liking to it. ¡°...¡± The Thunder God entered his room and changed his clothes. He took off the worn acolyte robes he always wore and changed into another set of robes that looked as clean as new. After that, he stepped out onto the grounds and sat down on a rock. As if he were waiting for someone¡­ Plip, plip¡­Shwaaaa! Time passed, and fat raindrops started to fall as if a hole was torn in the sky. ¡®He should have gone down the mountain by now.¡¯ Just as he began to feel relieved, he heard footsteps. Though they were even, the sharp sounds they produced were frightening. The Thunder God silently stared at the man who had climbed up the slope and entered his property. ¡°It has been a while, Thunder God.¡± ¡°...I thought you were dead.¡± ¡°I have returned. From hell, that is.¡± As the Thunder God stood, he slowly gathered his magic energy, warming his body. He looked around and let out a small snort. ¡°Heh,seems like you¡¯re still scared of this old man even aftering back from hell. Seeing how many troops you¡¯ve brought.¡± ¡°Be at ease. I will be the only one fighting you.¡± The man let out a softugh and tied back his long, white hair. ¡°I have recently learned something important. Sometimes, this world is too dangerous to walk around alone.¡± ¡°...¡± The Thunder God silently expanded his senses. He sensed no more than thirty people. However, some of their auras were familiar. ¡®Nazad Hallow, Valencia Citrin, Isaac Dvor¡­¡¯ They were all powerful yers who were part of the Nine Heavens. He grinned wide with excitement. ¡®What a relief. Thank heavens that I sent him down first.¡¯ Crackle. Sparks jumped at his fingertips. Thankfully, the sky hadn¡¯t abandoned him. The rainwater sshing at his feet would enhance his power and help him greatly. ¡°Come,¡± the Heavenly Demon said solemnly. The Thunder God did not refuse. Chapter 311. Those Who Meet Must Part, And Those Who Part Will Meet Again (4)

Chapter 311. Those Who Meet Must Part, And Those Who Part Will Meet Again (4)

¡°...While I was cutting them down, I realized that I still have a long way to go.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded and looked outside the window. The night was already crawling in like a spider. ¡®We talked for a lot longer than I had expected.¡¯ In the beginning, he had been nning to leave right away. He wasn¡¯t confident that he could maintain a conversation through the awkwardness. But when they started talking about hunting and swordy, the look in the Sword Saint¡¯s eyes changed. ¡®It¡¯s surprising. He¡¯s good at talking when it¡¯s about something he likes.¡¯ The man of few words actually ended up being quite the chatterbox. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t think he would end up hearing even the story about how Kim Woo-Joong bested the 3rd Floor Master, Phanactos. ¡°Goodness, what kind of pairing is this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Kim Woo-Joong both turned to the entrance of the hospital room. A girl had entered without knocking, and she approached them, looking amused. ¡°I didn¡¯t think anyone would pay you a hospital visit,¡± she said. ¡°Do you really think that I¡­ don¡¯t have any friends?¡± Kim Woo-Joong nced at Seo Jun-Ho, gauging his reaction as he spoke. He seemed to be worried that thetter might get offended. ¡°The Sword Saint has helped me out a lot before. Of course, I shoulde to visit,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He stood up and started to get ready to leave. As he did, the girl in front of him watched him with interest. ¡®This person is¡­ the strategist, who contributed most to defeating Phanactos.¡¯ She was the Guild Master of Silent Moon, Son Chae-Won. Seo Jun-Ho was aware that she was Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s friend and had known him since he was young. ¡°Leaving already? I¡¯m sorry if you feel like I¡¯m kicking you out¡­¡± she said. ¡°Not at all. I was nning to leave soon because it¡¯ste and the Sword Saint must be tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not tired, though¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong muttered from behind him. However, Seo Jun-Ho pretended as if he didn¡¯t hear him because he suspected that he might have to sleep over if he stayed here any longer. ¡°Alright, then. I hope you get along with Woo-Joong in the future, too.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt like he was talking to a friend¡¯s mother. He said his goodbyes to both of them and stepped out of the room. As soon as he left, Son Chae-Won looked at her childhood friend and snickered. ¡°Lucky you, Woo-Joong. The man you said was the future came all the way here to visit you.¡± ¡°...I said that so long ago. How do you still remember that?¡± he said, a little embarrassed. Son Chae-Won pressed him again. ¡°Right. So, what do you like about him? His past or his future?¡± ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong considered this for a moment and silently looked out the window. He watched Seo Jun-Ho get into a self-driving taxi as he spoke, ¡°Who knows.¡± In the beginning, Seo Jun-Ho''s future had definitely been more noteworthy. But as time passed, Kim Woo-Joong was starting to get an idea about Seo Jun-Ho''s past. But none of that mattered now¡­ Kim Woo-Joong watched as the taxi grew smaller. ¡°...The present is the most important.¡± A mysterious smile appeared on his face. *** Seo Jun-Ho entered the room, scratching his scraggly hair. ¡°Who wants coffee?¡± Gilberto asked. ¡°Me!Meeee! Me me me me me me!¡± ¡°One for me, as well.¡± Both Skaya and Rahmadat answered. Seo Jun-Ho rubbed his eyes as he was met with the hectic scene. ¡°Me too¡­Yawn,please.¡± ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Gilberto said. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s home was very lively first thing in the morning. They were all buzzing with excitement, perhaps like children on the night before a field trip. ¡®...Look at these rascals.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled. He wasn¡¯t at all thrown off by their behavior. In fact, he knew better than anyone else what they were feeling. ¡°There¡¯s still about an hour left. What¡¯s the rush?¡± he said. Today, they would wake their finalrade, who also happened to be a sleepyhead. As the one who was the closest to her, Skaya was especially energetic that it couldn¡¯t even bepared to her usual self. ¡°Hi, Your Highness! Do you want coffee?¡± ¡°...Coffee is too bitter. Give me coffee milk. The triangr-shaped one.¡± Actually, the Frost Queen even seemed a little disappointed that Skaya didn¡¯te running to greet her. ¡°This reminds me of the old days,¡± Gilberto said, sipping on his coffee. ¡°Yeah. When one of us waste, the four others would drink tea while we waited.¡± ¡°Well, the members are different this time. Mio always came early, and Skaya was always thete one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. You werete sometimes, too.¡± Rahmadat and Skaya were arguing again. And Gilberto hung back and watched over them in amusement. ¡®It¡¯s a familiar sight.¡¯ Whenever this scene unfolded before him, Mio would sneak up to him and mutter,¡°they never seem to get tired.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was happy. These trivial, insignificant moments were priceless. The sunlighting through the window felt warmer and softer than usual. This might have been the first time since he was an elementary student that he didn¡¯t have anything to worry or be anxious about. Seo Jun-Ho stood by the window and looked down across the peaceful streets. A momentter, he spoke, ¡°...Let¡¯s go.¡± With just those two words, the three others set down their half-empty cups and gathered around Skaya. And the moment they ced their hands on her shoulders, the view around them changed. ¡°I see that you still haven¡¯t cleaned up,¡± Rahmadat observed. ¡°I told you. She would never,¡± Gilberto said. ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you,y off in my Lair.¡± They chattered as they walked forward. When they reached the lone ice statue, they all shut up. The three turned and fixed their eyes on Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...¡± They watched him walk forward, step by step. Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t been this nervous when he fought Janabi or even the Frost Queen. But when his friends nodded silently in support, he found the courage to hold out his hand. [Effect of the skill ¡®Frost (EX)¡¯ has been checked.] [The ice seal can be removed with Frost (EX).] [Your base magic stat is high enough to remove the ice seal.] [Your understanding of the Frost Skill is outstanding. You will not receive a penalty.] [Are you sure you wish to remove the ice seal?] ¡°...¡± The time and memories flew past him. It wasn¡¯t just the 2 years¡¯ worth of memories from when he returned. They were much older, from 26 years ago. They flickered through his mind like a refreshing breeze. Those memories were precious because they had all been together. Mio¡¯s eyes were closed as shey asleep. Seo Jun-Ho took her in and slowly spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for too long. It¡¯s time toe home.¡± He grabbed the ice without hesitation. Crackle! The shards of ice shattered crisply, pushing out the slender girl. Seo Jun-Ho caught her as she fell forward and quickly turned around. ¡°She needs toy¡ª¡± Just as he was about to ask them to make space for her to lie down, he snorted. At some point, Skaya had already prepared her bed, and she patted it. ¡°The mattress in this thing is amazing! Bring her here!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a nket as well.¡± ¡°I also brought a heater just in case.¡± ¡°Geez,you guys are like overprotective parents,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. However, he understood their actions. Mio was two years younger than him and was the youngest among the 5 Heroes. He carefully ced her down on the bed. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Mio made a noise in her sleep. Her eyebrows remained furrowed. Finally, her longshes slowly lifted. Her pure eyes sparkled like gems. ¡°Kyaaaa!¡± Immediately, she screamed. She quickly pulled the nket with her into the corner of the bed as she looked at each of the four crouched people. ¡°W-w-w-what is it?¡± she stammered. ¡°...Oh.¡± Only then did Seo Jun-Ho realize his mistake. There was no way she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the first thing she saw when she woke were four people crowding around her. ¡°No, wait, I definitely¡ª¡± As her face grew confused, Skaya¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Why did you sleep in for so long? Get up. We have to go clear the Nest,¡± she said. ¡°The Nest¡­ You cannot go there!¡± she eximed, shocked. Just as she was about to say something, Seo Jun-Ho hit Skaya on her head. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Why are you ying such a mean joke on her when she literally just woke up?¡± he scolded. ¡°S-sorry¡­ But this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I thought it would be a waste if I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Skaya wilted. Seo Jun-Ho passed by her and approached Mio. ¡°Mio.¡± ¡°Jun-Ho-nim?¡±[1]She was clearly still in shock. This made Seo Jun-Ho re at Skaya again. ¡°Sigh¡­I¡¯m sorry. I should have warned her not to joke around beforehand,¡± he apologized. ¡°I still do not understand what is going on¡­¡± Mio looked around nervously and bit her lip. ¡°I see... This horrible ce must be¡­ the afterlife.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my Lair! I know it looks gross, but it¡¯s my Lair! You¡¯re still alive!¡± Skaya shouted from behind, feeling aggrieved. Rahmadat held her back and looked at Seo Jun-Ho expectantly, waiting for him to continue. ¡°Mio, what¡¯s thest thing you remember?¡± ¡°...The Nest. Only one person was allowed to go up, and we voted to send you.¡± Thankfully, there didn¡¯t seem to be any problems with her memory. Seo Jun-Ho pulled up a chair and sat down. He gently started to exin the situation. ¡°So¡­ 26 years have passed since then?¡± Mio¡¯s asked again, eyes wide. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Um¡­I do not think you would do something like that, but if this is some kind of joke¡ª¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Just as he thought, it was hard for her to believe him right away. Seo Jun-Ho turned around and gestured at Skaya. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Skayamon.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± She summoned her magic and teleported them somewhere else while holding onto the four others. They were now on the top floor of Namsan Tower in Seoul. The entire city was visible from up there, and they saw people having fun. Parents holding their children¡¯s hands on an excursion¡­ Couples holding hands as they enjoyed their date¡­ And even joggers training their stamina... ¡°...¡± Mio walked forward without a word. She gripped the railing and took in the view, trembling. She couldn¡¯t see a single Gate in the city. Everywhere, people were smiling happily, and the freshly-bloomed cherry blossoms were beautiful. ¡°...We used to talk about this in the past,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said as they were all captivated by the peaceful sight. ¡°We talked about how if we worked our asses off, the world would someday be peaceful. We talked about how we might be able to bring a world where families could go on outings and children could go to school.¡± The pessimists thought that such a future would nevere. Those years were filled with so much hopelessness they didn¡¯t dare dream of a future like this. The Gates kept appearing without end, and monsters constantly terrorized people. ¡°But look...¡± In the end, the day hade. Winter passed, and spring came. The wilted flower had bloomed beautifully. ¡°Ever since I returned, I have always wanted to share this sight with you guys.¡± He wanted to show them the peace they had created with their own hands. At that, Mio melted into tears. Seo Jun-Ho patted her shoulder. ¡°Wee back, Mio.¡± It was a bright spring day. And it made them feel like this happiness wouldst forever. Chapter 312. Those Who Meet Must Part, And Those Who Part Will Meet Again (5)

Chapter 312. Those Who Meet Must Part, And Those Who Part Will Meet Again (5)

The Heavenly Demon looked down at the ground with a bored expression. ¡°G-gueh¡­¡±The Thunder God threw up blood. It was hard to describe the horrible state he was in. His two legs were severed, and his two arms were also cut off from the shoulder. ¡°...¡± However, his body still writhed, refusing to give up. He was trying to stand up and keep fighting. The Heavenly Demon watched the spectacle as he sat on a rock. ¡°Justy down. You have fought very well,¡± he advised. The sky couldn¡¯t make a tiny strand of thunder, let alone a roaring dragon of lightning. ¡°You have lost too much blood as well.¡± However, the Thunder God¡¯s internal injuries were the worst. The injuries he had received 6 years ago had been ticking time bombs, and as the battle intensified, they had quickly started to eat away at his vitality. ¡°...¡± The Thunder God could barely hold on even in the beginning, and with such a handicap, he had never been a match for the Heavenly Demon. While the Heavenly Demon had be even stronger in the past 6 years, the Thunder God was in a weakened state. ¡°All humans be old, sick, and weak in the end¡­ Though, someone as powerful as you may be described as something other than human.¡± They were such ephemeral creatures. The Heavenly Demon looked down at the Thunder God regretfully. ¡°You refused me thest time I offered, but what about now?¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Hehehe¡­¡± Heughed uncannily. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Tellin¡¯ me¡­ To drink¡­ The dirty demons¡¯ blood?¡± ¡°Are you not afraid of death? You can be young again. You can even regain the power of your prime days.¡± ¡°Forget it¡­ Never¡­¡± The Thunder God was not afraid of death, nor did he have any desire to live beyond the providence of nature. ¡°I suppose that this is the limit, even for you.¡± ¡°Kehehe¡­Ya sure talk a lot¡­ For a stupid kid¡­ Who¡¯s afraid of an old man like me¡­¡± ¡°You misunderstand me greatly. On the contrary, I merely offered you an opportunity.¡± The Heavenly Demon had given the yers plenty of time to be powerful. However, the most powerful among them had be weak after only a short amount of time. ¡°Be¡­ afraid. Not of an old man like me¡­ But their ws¡­ Will rip you apart.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± A few people came to mind. ¡°Shin Sung-Hyun and Kim Woo-Joong¡­are you referring to those people?¡± ¡°Ha, haha!¡± Even as he bled, the Thunder God didn¡¯t stopughing even though there wasn¡¯t anything funny. It disturbed the Heavenly Demon. ¡°...Why are youughing?¡± ¡°Their ws¡­ are already against your neck¡­and ya haven¡¯t even noticed¡­ are you a dumbass?¡± ws? Against his neck? The Heavenly Demon thought for a second and spoke again, ¡°Are you referring to your student?¡± ¡°Oh,Geon-Woo¡­My Geon-Woo¡­ He is magnificent¡­¡± A soft smile spread on the Thunder God¡¯s face. There were many times that he felt angry and frustrated because of the student he raised in histter years. However, he was still happy. Baek Geon-Woo still had a long way to go, but when the time came, he would spread his wings and take to the sky. ¡®I won¡¯t be able to see that¡­¡¯ He had wanted to tell Baek Geon-Woo that he was proud of him and thank him for following him better than he had expected, but he had held back earlier because Baek Geon-Woo might sense that something was wrong. Now, he realized that he should have told him anyway. The Thunder God swallowed a bitterugh and continued. ¡°You¡­ Know nothing¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon didn¡¯t know that Baek Geon-Woo wasn¡¯t the only weapon that he had prepared. He didn¡¯t know that the Thunder God had a second student who was even sharper than the one he had raised for years. ¡®Course, I dunno if that rascal thinks of me as his master¡­¡¯ Now that he thought about it, the kid had promised to buy him a drink. And there were things he wanted to tell him as well. The Thunder God blinked his eyes. His consciousness was starting to fade. ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon stared down at his barely-breathing figure. Even if he asked any more questions, he would no longer be able to answer. ¡°How boring.¡± When he stood, all the Fiend Association executives kneeled. ¡°Where shall we escort you?¡± ¡°Where¡­ Where to, indeed¡­¡± the Heavenly Demon muttered, looking across the Wailing Mountains. There was nowhere to go. The emperor had unsheathed his sword, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers had marched to Ound. Their predecessors had once escaped here after being chased out of Earth, and now they had finally lost their second home. ¡®We won¡¯t be able to take them.¡¯ Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t powerful enough to face the emperor¡¯s sword just yet. That meant the fiends would no longer be able to stay on the 2nd floor. ¡°...Then, I suppose the question is once again a matter of up or down.¡± He already knew the answer. ¡°We will go up.¡± He would cultivate his power as he ascended the floors. He would gather an insurmountable amount of power and destroy everything humanity had built. ¡°...Just like the way you lot destroyed our base.¡± The Heavenly Demon turned around. Dozens of fiends followed behind him like shadows. *** The Korean yer Association was full of people since morning. ¡°What about the others?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°They¡¯re picking out clothes and getting their makeup done. Rahmadat said he doesn¡¯t care about that stuff and went to work out,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. There were three big announcements that the Korean yer Association would make today. The first, of course, was Mio¡¯s return. ¡°For the second one, you¡¯ll have to go up to the podium yourself. You¡¯re the main character today,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. ¡°I know. It¡¯s about the fall of the Fiend Association, right?¡± Though the emperor was currently hunting the fiends, rumors had already spread to an extent. No one knew why he was suddenly making a move; however, that would be revealed today. And the final announcement was about Specter¡¯s official membership into the Nine Heavens. Compared to the first two, this one was expected to be less heavy. ¡°Specter is supposed to be staying at the hospital for a while longer, anyway.¡± The main reason why Seo Jun-Ho was currently hiding his identity was the fiends. He had internally been bracing himself to reveal his identity once he became as powerful as a Heaven. However, the Heavenly Demon was dead and the Fiend Association had crumbled. As such, he no longer had a reason to keep his identity secret, but he also no longer had a reason to bother revealing it. ¡°You know I¡¯m not the type that likes attention,¡± he said. He liked his life as Seo Jun-Ho a hundred times more than his life as Specter. He was liberated from the constant stares, and could now go around freely, which would have been impossible as Specter. ¡°It¡¯s a hard-earned freedom. I don¡¯t really want to go back to living such a suffocating life,¡± he exined. ¡°That¡¯s a good decision. I think that¡¯s better, too,¡± Deok-Gu agreed. Specter¡¯s existence as a symbol was enough. A new hero named Seo Jun-Ho had already been born, after all. ¡°Time sure flies. I feel like it has only been a few days since I visited you in the hospital.¡± Shim Deok-Gu recalled how lonely his friend had seemed, looking out that window. ¡°You looked so pitiful, like a dog in the rain. It¡¯s such a miracle that you were able to gather them all.¡± ¡°I can only say this in hindsight, but it was really hard.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot. Though, of course, you¡¯ll go through even more in the future.¡± ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you at least tell me to rest up on days like this?¡± Shim Deok-Guughed as heined. He checked his Vita. ¡°Hm?They said there¡¯s someone named Baek Geon-Woo looking for you at the front desk. Is that the Thunder God¡¯s disciple?¡± ¡°He¡¯s here! I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Seo Jun-Ho walked out in a hurry, but he came back in to take the traditional liquor he had bought. It was a unique Korean liquor with only a few bottles in existence. It had been difficult to acquire, but he had managed to find it to drink with the Thunder God when they met again. ¡°Geon-Woo hyung!¡± Seo Jun-Ho ran up to the desk, grinning as he greeted Baek Geon-Woo. Thetter gently smiled. ¡°It¡¯s hard to get used to crowded ces like this¡­after living in the mountains for so long.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it soon enough. How about the old man?¡±[1] ¡°Um¡­¡± Baek Geon-Woo had a peculiar look on his face. ¡°Well, he said he¡¯de here in time¡­ But when I asked at the Elevators, they said he still hadn¡¯te down.¡± ¡°Huh?He definitely said he would participate, though. He said he would officially announce you as his disciple.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s taking him so long that I¡¯m actually a little worried.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nced at the time. There were still about seven hours before the ceremony began. ¡°I¡¯ll bring him, then.¡± ¡°Huh?All the way from the Wailing Mountains? If that¡¯s the case, I should go instead.¡± ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m faster, too.¡± Unable to refute him, Baek Geon-Woo smiled bashfully. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, then.¡± ¡°Get some rest while I¡¯m gone.¡± Just as he was about to leave the yer Association, Cha Si-Eun called after him. ¡°Wait, Jun-Ho-nim! Where are you going?¡± ¡°I have something quick to take care of on the 2nd floor.¡± ¡°Excuse me? But you have to change, get your makeup done, and rehearse.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take long. If I¡¯m fast, I¡¯ll be back within an hour.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still tight¡ª¡± ¡°Please prepare my clothes and makeup so I can deal with them as soon as I return.¡± After putting Cha Si-Eun¡¯s mind at ease, Seo Jun-Ho immediately headed to the Elevators in the Pacific. His heart started to pound for a different reason from when he woke Mio up. ¡®I bet he¡¯ll be shocked.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had boasted about how he would pull out the fiends from the roots when he came down from the mountains. It hadn¡¯t been that long since he emerged from the Wailing Mountains, and the Fiend Association was already destroyed. He would probably be shocked. The thought of receiving high praise when the old man was so stingy withpliments made himugh. ¡°To Denver, please.¡± He took the Teleport Gate to the city near the Wailing Mountains and summoned his magic power. He kicked off of the ground while raising Overclocking¡¯s output to seventy-eight percent, and he felt pretty good as he started dashing up the mountain like a flying squirrel. ¡®I missed this road.¡¯ Back then, he traversed this mountain path every morning with Baek Geon-Woo. When they reached the top, the old man would be waiting in the yard with breakfast waiting on the table. ¡®His deodeok bibimbap was good.¡¯ The training had been difficult, but now, those times had be precious memories. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t hold in the small smile that kept appearing on his face and went even faster. ¡°Phew.¡±Hended on the highest peak with a light exhale, and a familiar slope came into view. Just beyond it was the familiar yard and house. ¡°...!¡± Just then, his smiling face slowly crumbled. The stench of blood pricking his nose made him stop. ¡®Why is there a scent of blood¡­?¡¯ His face fell. He ran up the hill as if he were possessed. There was a pile of flesh and blood next to the rock the Thunder God had always used to rx. When Seo Jun-Ho saw this scene, his pupils dted, and he trembled. ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°...¡± There was no response. ¡°Sir¡­!¡± He sprinted to the Thunder God and embraced him. The first thing Seo Jun-Ho did was check the Thunder God¡¯s breathing. ¡®He¡¯s still breathing!¡¯ The moment he realized it, he opened his Inventory. ¡®Please¡­ Please¡­!¡¯ He grabbed as many potions as he could hold and poured them all over the Thunder God¡¯s body like they were water. He didn¡¯t hold back and used dozens of bottles. Only then did the Thunder God open his eyes with great effort. ¡°Ptoo¡­!¡± ¡°S-sir, are you awake?¡± ¡°...Hey, y¡¯re gonna drown me.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled when he saw the Thunder God chuckle. Seo Jun-Ho helped him up. There was nothing where his arms and legs should have been. ¡°What is¡­ How¡­ Who¡­ Why?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho yelled as his emotions surged. He quickly draped the Thunder God onto his back. ¡°Let¡¯s go down right away. I know a talented priest. She can¡ª¡± ¡°Jun-Ho.¡± The Thunder God slowly shook his head. His breath started to pick up. ¡°I know my body. Sit ¡®ere, and let¡¯s talk.¡± He could already see the light. In his mind, he was already at the moment before the sun started to set, when sunlight was the strongest. ¡°...You can live. You won¡¯t die! If we go down quickly and get you treated¡­!¡± ¡°Jun-Ho. Are ya just gonna send me off like this?¡± When the Thunder God looked at Seo Jun-Ho, the former¡¯s eyes were as clear as ever. The Thunder God was breathing sharply, but the warmth in his voice had returned. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho bit down his lips, hard. He knew all too well what the Thunder God meant, as he had experienced it countless times. ¡°...Who was it?¡± ¡°Who else?¡± The Thunder God didn¡¯t lie. Even if he told Seo Jun-Ho not to avenge him, the idiot in front of him would do it anyway. In that case, what he had to give his student now was realistic advice. ¡°That bastard¡¯s a monster. A monster. Don¡¯t rush in recklessly. Y¡¯re no match for him yet.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Raise yer level as much as ya can¡­ And make good use of that Overclocking or whatever it¡¯s called¡­ and train yer Frost skill¡­¡± He gave him the same lectures he had always done. ¡°Ya have a tendency ta rely too much on magic power. It¡¯s a bad habit, so fix it.¡± ¡°Question everything ya see, hear, and feel. Ya know how good you are and have an abundance of experience, so you tend to trust yourself blindly.¡± ¡°Always think ahead, and keep growing. yers will have to grow stronger¡­ If ya settle for less, it¡¯s over.¡± It was the same nagging as always. Even though it stung, the Thunder God¡¯s voice was thick with thoughtfulness and worry. And it made Seo Jun-Ho even sadder. ¡°...Sniff.¡± The Fiend Association was dead. He had awakened all hisrades as he had always imagined in his dreams. He had thought that the rest of his days would be filled with happiness. However, he had been mistaken. ¡°Ugh¡­ Sniff¡­¡± ¡°...¡± The Thunder God felt a deep sense of regret. If he had but one arm left, he would have been able to silently stroke the idiot¡¯s hair. ¡°Please¡­ Please don¡¯t die¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho begged as the tears fell. This was the first yer who had ever guided him, the first yer he had ever considered his teacher. ¡°...Cough! Blegh!¡± The Thunder God vomited ck, dead blood. He didn¡¯t have much time left. Realizing this, Seo Jun-Ho swallowed down the rest of his tears and stayed quiet. He had to listen carefully to thest words the Thunder God would impart in this world. ¡°Hehe¡­Shutting up after crying like that¡­ what a selfish child.¡±[2] The Thunder God had to be in a lot of pain, but he forced his trembling lips into a bright smile. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t cry. Don¡¯t ya know? If yaugh, so will the rest of the world¡­ But if ya cry, they¡¯ll just make fun of ya¡­¡± It didn¡¯t make Seo Jun-Ho feel better at all. The tears blurring his vision were eventually absorbed instead of falling down. He bit down on his lips with rage, tasting the sharp blood oozing out of them. The Thunder Godughed weakly as he watched his student. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­ that humanity¡¯s hero was such a crybaby.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Keke,why so surprised¡­there is nothing¡­that yer master doesn¡¯t know.¡± His old friend, the Sage of the Observatory Tower, had asked him a favor a long time ago: to take a young man as his student withoutint if the young man gave him the Sage¡¯s name. When the Thunder God asked why, the Sage smiled sadly and said only one thing. - He willbine the past with the present and connect the present to the future. He is the same child who will be there in the final moments of the thunder, when it can cry no longer. When Seo Jun-Ho hade to him and mentioned the Sage, the Thunder God had realized that he was Specter, and that he was the one who would be at the Thunder God¡¯s deathbed. ¡°I¡¯ve always¡­ had a lot of things I wanted to say to ya if we met¡­¡± His voice started to grow weaker and weaker. His time was almost up. ¡°To thank ya¡­ that I¡¯ve always respected ya¡­ that it must have been hard for a little thing like ya, but it was admirable how ya soldiered on¡­ And¡­¡± He was really, really sorry for wanting to say this. However, he wanted to tell Seo Jun-Ho not to give up on humanity and to keep being strong. ¡°Lastly¡­ My Geon-Woo¡­Take care of ¡®im.¡± With that, thest bit of lingering life faded from his eyes. ¡°No¡­. No!¡± The tears Seo Jun-Ho had been holding back punched out of him. He hugged the Thunder God¡¯s corpse, which was now as light as a feather as he cried for a long time. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho could only bear to ce him down after he cried until his mind turned fuzzy. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll take a short look.¡± He held out his hand and checked the Thunder God¡¯s memories. His eyes narrowed as he watched his final struggle closely. - How unfortunate. If you were but ten years younger, you would have made a fine opponent. - As you grew older, your body has be heavier and your attacks have be lighter. - Disappointing. I did not expect that there would not be a huge difference between you and Specter, whom I met on Earth. The Thunder God knew that he would die from the very beginning. The internal injuries he had received from the Heavenly Demon back then were just that bad. ¡®And yet you said you would easily live for another twenty years.¡¯ The Thunder God was such a liar. Even if nothing happened, he would have died within a year. And because he knew that, he fought even more fiercely without a care for his body. He fought so that he could take at least one of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s arms, or even just a finger. - You are like an insect. The Heavenly Demon knew that he would win, and taunted the Thunder God to the end. He didn¡¯t even fight properly, and heughed as he severed each of the Thunder God¡¯s limbs. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho knelt there for a long time. He eventually got up and started to dig a holerge enough for exactly one person. The Thunder God¡¯s body was so light it was hard to believe that it belonged to a human. Seo Jun-Ho carefully ced him inside and covered him with dirt. He made a tombstone out of the rock in the yard and ced it on the mound. Then, he ced the liquor in front of it. ¡°...I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took out a dagger and swiftly cut off his long hair with Watchguard of Darkness. It scattered all over the ground. ¡°Please let me postpone our drink for the day Ie back with the Heavenly Demon¡¯s head.¡± His voice was so sharp it sounded like it could cut. Seo Jun-Ho swore his vengeance and sat in front of the grave for a long time before he disappeared. *** ¡°Where in the world is he? What is he doing?¡± Cha Si-Eun paced back and forth. She wasn¡¯t even a secretary anymore, but she had volunteered to help. She kept checking the time. ¡®I¡¯m sure he said he¡¯d return within an hour if he were fast.¡¯ In the end, Seo Jun-Ho still hadn¡¯t returned even after his turn passed. In that case, he had to show his face at the least. She let out a small sigh as she paced at the front desk. Suddenly, the person she had been waiting for entered the building. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim!¡± She was about to tell him off firmly, but she stopped. ¡®Jun-Ho-nim¡­?¡¯ She had never seen such an expression on his face before. He looked like he was frozen in rage. Seo Jun-Ho nced at her. ¡°Are they still going?¡± he asked directly. ¡°Oh, um¡­Your turn has already passed, so they¡¯re currently announcing Specter-nim¡¯s entrance to the Nine Heavens¡­¡± ¡°Good...¡± And then, she saw¡­ Seo Jun-Ho passed by her without care and put on a familiar mask. ¡°But Specter-nim is unfortunately still recuperating at¡ª¡± Bang! President Deok-Gu¡¯s words were cut off, and all eyes turned to the noisy entrance. ¡°Huh?That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Specter? Isn¡¯t that Specter?¡± ¡°I thought he was still recuperating at the hospital?¡± ¡°Is it a stand-in? Or a surprise appearance?¡± ¡°There¡¯s blood on his clothes¡­¡± ¡°Just take pictures for now! This is a scoop!¡± Specter didn¡¯t even spare them a nce as the reporters gathered like clouds. He silently walked up to the stage. ¡°You¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked at his friend, worried. He didn¡¯t know what had changed within Seo Jun-Ho in the past few hours, but to be honest, he wanted to tell him off for the choice he was about to make. ¡®...This is the freedom you¡¯ve always wanted.¡¯ Even just a few hours ago, he had been grinning brightly, saying how he didn¡¯t want to give up this freedom. Now that he was about to give it up with his own hands, what did he feel right now? ¡®I can¡¯t even dare to make a guess. But if this is truly what you want¡­¡¯ Looking conflicted, Shim Deok-Gu closed his eyes and stepped to the side. Things were differentpared to the days when he was still powerless. ¡®I¡¯ll support you so I can give you even the smallest bit of freedom.¡¯ Specter caught the dumb and honest look on Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face and slowly walked up the stage. He could see the eyes following him. The hundreds of yers, reporters, and Guild members. But right now, he didn¡¯t meet any of their gazes. ¡°...This is for the Heavenly Demon.¡± He spoke with his uniquely powerful voice, which gave people no other choice but to listen. It was filled with an unusual rage. ¡®Wait, isn¡¯t the Heavenly Demon dead?¡¯ ¡®So what the heck is he doing?¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s so much I want to ask, but I can¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®But one thing¡¯s for sure¡­¡¯ No one spoke. They all instinctively held their breaths. They were scared of catching Specter''s eyes. They were scared they would end up as the target of his cold fury. ¡°I am here.¡± Specter looked at the hundreds of cameras and lights pointing at him and spoke once more. ¡°I am Specter, the one you have been looking for all this time.¡± Specter¡ªNo, Seo Jun-Ho took off his mask. His eyes glinted coldly. ¡°This is me.¡± *** - This is me. The scene was broadcast live all over the world. It spread to the 2nd and 3rd floors in an instant as well, through Community. News outlets reported the unprecedented news nonstop. And each of the Big 6 started to create a new n for this unexpected situation. ¡°We must keep him in line. The moment they take the lead, we¡¯ll be pushed to the side. Just like in the past.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll cooperate with them. We can¡¯t lose to them a second time.¡± Some didn¡¯t want to lose the crown, while others weed the return of the 5 Heroes. The gears started to turn as they came up with ns for their survival. ¡°...¡± As he walked through theva region, the Heavenly Demon slowly stroked his neck. ¡°I see. You were those ws.¡± His shoulders shook as heughed. He turned his head with a satisfied look. ¡°I shall ept your proposal.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve given it enough thought?¡± ¡°But of course. This vicious wolf has its ws on my throat, so I have no choice but to prepare in kind.¡± ¡°I shall escort you to your master.¡± The Heavenly Demon followed the horned, winged demons. - End of Season 1 - *Author¡¯s Note* Hello, this is Jerry M. Frozen yer¡¯s Return! Frozen yer¡¯s Return season 1 is finally over TT It¡¯s been a little more than 8 months since I startedst year on July 30th. I have been working hard since then. It makes me think that it was only possible because of all your generous support hehe There are some parts I feel unsatisfied with¡­Because looking back, I know that I can write it better. I especially feel that way about the parts I rushed while trying to meet deadlines. The main plot point of FPR season 1 was supposed to be about the 5 Heroes¡¯ return. But to think that it took 312 chapters just for all of them to gather¡­Thinking about how many loose ends there are makes me dizzy. In season 2, I n to write about a number of Guilds, including the Big 6, a proper conflict with the demons, and about going up the Floors. Of course, I suppose our Jun-Ho¡¯s personal goal would be to avenge Grandpa Thunder God TT The 4th Floor, 5th Floor, 6th Floor¡­Floors with diverse, unique characteristics will be introduced, and I expect that things will start to unfold faster than in season 1, where we spent 300 chapters just on the 1st and 2nd Floors. I¡¯m already excited about writing these new Floors! Just who made the Floors, and why do they need to climb them¡­?! (Not me, but among the characters) I will be taking a short break ande back on May 11th with a new cover after season 2 is finished being approved. Along with the unofficial illustration of the Frost Queen that you all like so much, other illustrations are also being prepared. I can¡¯t speak about the webtoon in detail, but it¡¯s going very smoothly, so I ask that you be patient. Thank you so, so much for loving . I hope you also love when ites out next month! To all the supportive readers who leave replies and reviews and even send fanart, thank you so much! I¡¯m always grateful. I¡¯ll see you next month! Chapter 313. 90 Days (1)

Chapter 313. 90 Days (1)

The warm sunlight peeked into the executive office. Shim Deok-Gu sat in his seat, skimming through documents with sharp eyes. [4 Months With No Word From the 4th Floor Advance Party. Fear and Worry Growing.] [yer Associations Worldwide Restricting Entrance to the 4th Floor? Frustration Against the Associations Grow.] [Wei Chun-Hak, the Only Person Who Has Returned From the 4th Floor, Currently Resting in South Korea.] [57 Guilds From All Over the World Form A Transnational Coalition Called ¡®Climb¡¯] [Climb States, ¡®We Are Using An Alternative Strategy to Focus Solely On Climbing Floors Without Any Political Conflict¡¯] ¡­ Shim Deok-Gu let out a small sigh. He hadn¡¯t even eaten anything for lunch, but just reading the articles made him feel full. ¡®Climb. I bet they came together to keep Jun-Ho and the 5 Heroes¡¯ power in check.¡¯ If that weren¡¯t the case, there should have been no reason to create such an international alliance. On top of that, they were being openly hostile to the yer Associations. ¡®So, you im that you¡¯ll take a distinct approach and focus only on climbing floors without letting politics get in the way.¡¯ It seemed as if they had used the yer Associations¡¯ political squabbles as an excuse to establish Climb. ¡®That can¡¯t be true. It can¡¯t be, but¡­others will think otherwise.¡¯ They had already released the hounds. With just that, Climb had basically met their goal. ¡®And¡­ Who¡¯s fanning the mes?¡¯ The fire wouldn¡¯t growrger if it were just left alone. There was definitely someone making it grow. ¡®I¡¯m sure that the culprit is one of the Big 6. It could even be all of them.¡¯ If they valued the Guilds¡¯ power over clearing the floors, there was no way they would want to hand the baton over to the 5 Heroes. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± As he was trying to ease his troubled mind, Vita rang. It was his secretary. - The guest has arrived. ¡°Please bring her in.¡± - Understood. Shim Deok-Gu took on a stoic face as usual as if he had never been nervous at all. He couldn¡¯t show her any weakness. ¡®If I let my guard down, I¡¯ll be devoured. I can¡¯t underestimate her just because she¡¯s young.¡¯ The source of his heavy anxiety entered the room shortly, escorted in by the secretary. ¡°Have you been well, President?¡± ¡°I have, Master Chae-Won.¡± She was Son Chae-Won, the Guild Master of Silent Moon. She grinned widely, showing her straight teeth. Shim Deok-Gu gestured at her to sit. After she was seated, she took a sip of her tea before she spoke, ¡°I apologize for taking up your time with such a sudden request. You¡¯re a busy man.¡± Sure enough, requesting a meeting the morning of was very rude. Because of her, Shim Deok-Gu hadn¡¯t even been able to eat, as he was busy running and taking care of other businesses. However, Shim Deok-Gu knew that she wasn¡¯t the type of person to do this without a good reason, so he didn¡¯t raise a fuss over it. ¡°Time sure has been flying this year. It¡¯s already May¡­and I feel like I haven¡¯t even done anything,¡± she said. ¡°Really? It may just be that you have been working too hard to notice.¡± There was a secondary meaning to his words. Son Chae-Won realized what he was saying and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m telling you ahead of time, but it wasn¡¯t us. We have no rtion to that ridiculous group,¡± she assured straightforwardly. ¡°Hm.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s quite the opposite, actually.¡± ¡°The opposite?¡± ¡°Silent Moon wees the return of the 5 Heroes. They are powerful yers and will make for reliable allies when we climb floors in the future,¡± she said. Shim Deok-Gu studied her silently. It was hard to tell if she was being truthful. The woman was just barely over 28 now. Her eyes sparkled with confidence, as befitting of her personality. ¡°Besides, do you think they would be so shabby if I orchestrated it?¡± She pointed out. ¡°...That¡¯s true.¡± Shim Deok-Gu couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Climb¡¯s creation had been rushed. If Son Chae-Won truly were the one behind it, it would have been moreplete. ¡°I will believe you for now. So, what brings you here today?¡± ¡°Our Vice Master has made a full recovery.¡± ¡°Oh, the Sword Saint? Congrattions. That¡¯s a relief.¡± Even as he congratted her, the gears were turning in his head. She wouldn¡¯t havee here for no reason, just to hear a word of congrattion. ¡®The Sword Saint was discharged. That means¡­¡¯ He would start moving soon. Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyes shed when he realized something, and Son Chae-Won looked at him like she had expected it. ¡°I like that you¡¯re quick-witted, President,¡± she said. ¡°...I do hear that often.¡± Though, it was usually from his friend who always caused trouble. ¡°But if my ears do not deceive me, I think you¡¯re trying to say that you want to get ready to clear the 4th floor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± A great number of yers had gone up to the 4th Floor to clear it. Among them, there were a good amount of Guild members from Silent Moon as well. Son Chae-Won likely wanted to send a second party as soon as possible, as she was worried about them. ¡°But we decided to close ess to the 4th floor during the global meeting, did we not?¡± Shim Deok-Gu pointed out. ¡°We did indeed.¡± Ten days prior, a worldwide conference had been held with short notice. The Guilds and yer Associations were present of course, along with a great number of politicians, foreign kinds, presidents, and prime ministers. They met and gathered for just one reason. ¡®He¡¯s the only one who¡¯s ever returned from the 4th Floor.¡¯ It was because the Fourth Heaven, Wei Chun-Hak, had returned. He had leisurely lit a cigar as the whole world watched. ¡°Hoo,it¡¯s hell up there right now.¡± ording to the information he gave, there were only two ways for yers toe back down from the 4th Floor. ¡°Either someone clears thest Quest, or you find a Save Point for yourself.¡± Wei Chun-Hak exined that he was the very first one among the advance party to reach a Save Point, and he was able to use it toe back down. Of course, the conference room was thrown into chaos. ¡°That means all of them are stuck on the 4th floor until it gets cleared?¡± ¡°It sounds dangerous. If any surviving fiends hear of this¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to keep things quiet. We should keep this a secret from the public.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t they point fingers and call us ipetent?¡± ¡°You think insults matter right now? The safety of the world is on the line.¡± ¡°...The good thing is that ¡®that man¡¯ is currently running all around the field.¡± In the end, they decided to restrict ess to the 4th floor until they could find a good solution. ¡°So, why do you want to clear the 4th Floor all of a sudden? What¡¯s your line of thought?¡± Deok-Gu asked. ¡°Wei Chun-Hak came to me. Or rather, he went to Woo-Joongie,¡±[1]Son Chae-Won exined. ¡°The Sword Saint, you mean?¡± ¡°Yes. Chun-Hak said that the 4th floor needs yers who are especially skilled. He proposed an alliance.¡± So that meant he had gone to the Sword Saint to scout thetter. ¡®Then, if the Guild Master Son Chae-Won came all the way here¡­¡¯ This meant she came to scout another yer. Realizing this, Shim Deok-Gu spoke. ¡°So you came here for Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And to use your words, I¡¯m a busy person.¡± She was too busy to have the time to personally seek out each of the 5 Heroes. ¡°So, I went looking for Specter-nim, who can lead them.¡± ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu momentarily fell into thought. ¡°The 5 Heroes clearing the 4th Floor¡­That¡¯s not a bad proposal at all. For both the Association and them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you caught on. So, around when will he be done with his work?¡± ¡°He should¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu turned to look out the bright window. ¡°Be done by today.¡± *** Shwaaaa! Rain poured down on an abandoned factory in New York. Three people were inside, avoiding the rain. They looked miserable. ¡®We couldn¡¯t even find a single ce to stay to avoid the rain.¡¯ ¡®...We look all pathetic because of one lunatic.¡¯ The Fiend Associaton had fallen. Three whole months ago, in fact. The empire had swung its spear and created a mountain of corpses out of fiends. Some fiends barely escaped with their life and hastily ran away to Earth. They thought that if they hid in the shadows, among the humans, there would be no way for them to be discovered. ¡®But we were wrong...¡¯ They had no idea howheknew, but their opponent had started hunting down each surviving fiend, one by one, in order. They might end up being his next prey¡­ ¡°...!¡± ¡°...!¡± All three of them started to tremble. Their eyes slowly moved to look at one part of the factory as if they were possessed. ¡°...¡± Someone was sitting on the couch. His face was expressionless, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. ¡°...Spec, Ter¡­¡± The fiends let out a sound close to a whimper. The man wasn¡¯t wearing a mask, but they still called him Specter. This was one of the biggest changes that had urred in the past 90 days. And he spoke in an indifferent voice, ¡°Despair Squadron Leader Gu Shi-On, Wrath Squadron Leader Aira, and Silence Squadron Leader Jillio.¡± At that, Gu Shi-On cried out. ¡°T-there are more of us left! More than you think! If you spare us, I can tell you¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Specter slowly shook his head and cut him off. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me.¡± Their memories would have more information anyway. Gu Shi-On¡¯s face twisted when he heard his indifferent voice. ¡°...Son of a bitch!¡± He was unable to ovee the fear making his breathing uneven. He prepared to use his skill. His opponent would be trapped in a goshiwon for an hour. Though, of course, he would have to hold out for at least a few years. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen that before.¡± The darkness raged more intensely, and Gu Shi-On¡¯s head went flying before he could even use his magic. ¡°A-ahhh!¡± Jillio ran away without looking back upon witnessing Gu Shi-On¡¯s death. They were of simr strength and were both powerful. His head was also severed as if it had never been there at all. ¡°...Ha, haha.Shit, I can¡¯t believe this.¡± Aira burst into a fit of crazedughter. The other two were as strong as she was, but they had been crushed like bugs. Now, she was the only one left¡ªshe was all alone. The Fiend Association had once wreaked terror on the whole world, and she was the only one left. ¡®They threw us away, but I suppose that son of a bitch and the executives are still out there¡­¡¯ Aside from them, she was probably the only fiend left. Aira stared at Specter with empty eyes. ¡°Do you know how many people you¡¯ve killed in thest 90 days?¡± she asked. ¡°Zero.¡± ¡°You crazy fucker. When everything is over and done, do you really think they¡¯ll call a monster like you a Hero?¡± Specter stared down at her and lifted his hand. Her head rolled on the ground, facing him. Her eyes were still open, and they were looking at him as if they demanded an answer. ¡°...¡± This had to be done anyway. Specter was merely the one who had taken the responsibility. It didn¡¯t matter if people pointed fingers at him. What mattered was that there were no more fiends in this world. They couldn¡¯t make anyone cry anymore. ¡°...And that¡¯s enough,¡± he muttered darkly. He read the trio¡¯s memories and nodded. ¡®There¡¯s none left.¡¯ The fiends and the Fiend Association were bothpletely gone now, and it wasn¡¯t just a figure of speech. He had truly killed them all in the past ny days. However, not even the final Squadron Leaders knew where the Heavenly Demon and the executives were headed. ¡®The Heavenly Demon¡­¡¯ Along with the seven executives following him¡­ ¡°That¡¯s eight in total.¡± He couldn¡¯t rest until all of them were dead. Seo Jun-Ho coldly stared at the floor of the factory before he slowly stood up and left. Shwaaaaa! The cold raindrops fell like a waterfall. It was very cold, but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough to cool the seething rage he had been carrying for the past three months. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the sky and closed his eyes. Crash! He had been missing that sound. Chapter 314. 90 Days (2)

Chapter 314. 90 Days (2)

Seo Jun-Ho walked confidently over to the executive office. This was one of the few good things he had gotten out of revealing his identity: he could casually walk over to the office whenever he wanted without giving any notice. ¡°One ss of orange juice please,¡± he said. ¡°...I think you¡¯re on the wrong floor. This isn¡¯t the cafeteria,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. ¡°Come on, just give me one,¡± heined. Shim Deok-Gu sighed at his friend and handed him a ss of orange juice. He watched as Seo Jun-Ho gulped down the orange juice. ¡®...Is he alright?¡¯ On the other hand, he didn¡¯t look any different than usual, so Shim Deok-Gu wondered if his worries were for naught. Seo Jun-Ho saw him stroking his chin and frowned. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? Is this your first time seeing a hot guy?¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± However, Shim Deok-Guwasa little jealous of the fact that Body Transformation had given him clear, glowing skin and flowing hair¡­ Shim Deok-Gu shook his head and pulled himself together before changing the subject. ¡°The people are happy.¡± ¡°Mm,that hits the spot.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wiped his mouth and nodded. ¡°Of course they are. Would they be unhappy after I killed all the fiends for them?¡± ¡°But your methods were too extreme. Things aren¡¯t the same as they were 26 years ago,¡± Shim Deok-Gumented. Some of the fiends had quietly surrendered, raising a white g because they were scared of being chased by Specter. ¡°If you believed them, you¡¯re dumb,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Jun-Ho, not everyone is like us.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho killed the fiends who had surrendered without mercy, people started to criticize him. Some human rights activists were saying it was unnecessary to go that far against the scattered troops who no longer wanted to fight. ¡°Human rights activists areing together and saying that you¡¯re too cruel. There are likely people egging them on, too.¡± ¡°Human rights activists? They¡¯re a ridiculous bunch. They couldn¡¯t say a word when the fiends were going around killing people because they were too scared, but seems like they think I¡¯m a pushover.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was grinning brightly, but Shim Deok-Gu didn¡¯t buy it. ¡°You¡¯re really mad.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see how much I¡¯m smiling?¡± ¡°How long do you think I¡¯ve known you?¡± ¡°Geez,you always catch on too quickly.¡± Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue. His face grew somewhat cold. ¡°Still, my opinion remains unchanged. There¡¯s too much to get done to pay attention to all those voices.¡± ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu agreed. However, he was still worried that the wave of criticism was too big topletely ignore. ¡°Ugh. Once again, I have to do all the work. I¡¯ll try to save your image through the Association. We can make some kind of documentary series about your past achievements,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. ¡°Good idea. And why¡¯d you call me here?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. He hade running straight to the executive office because he had received an urgent summons. He still hadn¡¯t even gotten to stop by his room. ¡°Master Son Chae-Won stopped by,¡± he exined. ¡°The Guild Master of Silent Moon? Why?¡± ¡°She said that Wei Chun-Hak spoke with her.¡± ¡°Geez,is this some kind of ry race?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Shim Deok-Gu grinned and opened a hologram file. It was a registry. A yer registry. Seo Jun-Ho quickly skimmed through the tens of pages. ¡°...I think I recognize a lot of these names,¡± he said. ¡°You should. It only contains the most powerful yers on the 1st and 2nd floors,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. ¡°So, what do you expect me to do with this?¡± ¡°We¡¯re making a second expedition party to send to the 4th floor.¡± At that, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes glinted sharply. ¡°You¡¯re not nning to send everyone listed here, are you?¡± ¡°Of course not. We can¡¯t exclude the possibility that the Heavenly Demon wille back down to the 1st floor,¡± he assured. The Heavenly Demon and the seven executives he had disappeared with were the sole enemies humanity was currently wary against. ¡°We¡¯re nning to send five yers,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. ¡°Five¡­? Only five?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked dumbfounded. The registry had thousands of yers listed, but they were only going to send five of them? ¡°Wei Chun-Hak said that the 4th floor needs a few yers who are more powerful than most.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at Shim Deok-Gu questioningly as if he was asking the point of showing him this list. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that even if you five are gone, the world won¡¯t go up in mes. We have these people, after all.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho momentarily looked back at the registry and eventually said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll take Miss Cha Si-Eun with us too, then.¡± ¡°Huh?Will she be able to keep up with your pace?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°We¡¯ll see...¡± Shim Deok-Gu seemed to have realized what he meant. ¡°So, bringing her with you will be a test for her.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I personally want to check too,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Deok-Gu asked. If things went as nned¡­ Seo Jun-Ho swallowed his words. ¡°I¡¯ll exinter. And don¡¯t worry about her too much.¡± For the past three months, Cha Si-Eun had been working hard to hunt alongside the other Heroes. The fact that she could do that meant she had the basic skills to do so, at the least. ¡®But that¡¯s different¡­¡¯ Whether or not they could trust her to watch their backs during a battle was an entirely different question. If she didn¡¯t have the ability to understand all five of them, they wouldn¡¯t be able to trust her. Seo Jun-Ho was momentarily lost in his thoughts before he spoke¡­ ¡°When are we leaving again?¡± *** Click. It had been a while since Seo Jun-Ho was home. ¡®I think it¡¯s been about two weeks¡­¡¯ While he was taking off his jacket, looking a bit tired, something near the opposite wall peeked out. It was the Frost Queen. ¡°...You¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face rxed. He approached her, and the first thing he did was pinch her cheeks. ¡°Hm¡­Seems like you¡¯ve been portioning your snacks well. Good job.¡± ¡°O-of course?¡± ¡°Then, what are you hiding behind your back?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± She pressed her back against the wall, hiding her hands. Seeing how her eyes were flickering like candles, it was definitely food. ¡°I thought today¡¯s snack time is over?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°I-it is not a snack.¡± ¡°Then, give it to me.¡± ¡°Stop right there! Even if you are my Contractor, that is impudent of you. Are you using me of something?¡± ¡°Yeah. Definitely.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± She wilted and quietly held out her two hands. They were holding a pack of jellies. ¡°So, itwasa snack¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen then stared at the ground with a guilty look. He returned the jellies to her. ¡°You¡¯ll get cavities if you eat too much, so don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°I am not a child, and my teeth are healthy¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to go back to the dentist, then?¡± ¡°I am sorry. Forgive me,¡± she hurriedly said. Seo Jun-Ho went to the bathroom and took a shower. The Frost Queen looked up when he came back; she was sitting on the sofa, chewing on jellies. ¡°I saw the reports. Is it finished?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah. There are still a few of those bastards left¡­ But for now, it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Contractor. Really, well done,¡± she praised. Her expression was that of a kind, benevolent ruler. It was unbefitting of a child¡¯s face. ¡°...¡± It would have been morepelling if her face wasn¡¯t full of gummy worms. Seo Jun-Ho ran a towel through his hair as he spoke, ¡°We¡¯re nning to go up to the 4th floor soon.¡± ¡°I see. Have a safe trip,¡± she said, raising the volume of her drama with the remote. ¡°What are you saying? You¡¯reing with us.¡± She looked at him, shocked. ¡°What? I am?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re my Spirit.¡± ¡°B-but¡­ I did not go with you when you hunted the fiends,¡± she protested. ¡°It was morefortable for me to do it alone for multiple reasons,¡± he countered. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The Frost Queen looked disappointed. She had truly be a homebody after spending three months rolling around at home¡ªa baby homebody. ¡°You have to start doing some work too,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°...I will not let your words slide. You speak as if all I had been doing were eating and ying.¡± ¡°Am I wrong?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. He thought she would stick out her lip and pout again. However, she gave a sly smile instead. She told him to wait, and she eventually came out of her room carrying something. ¡°This is¡­¡± When she held it out confidently, Seo Jun-Ho looked shocked. ¡®A diary? This is the first time I¡¯ve seen one since elementary school.¡¯[1] He then patted her head. ¡°I see, so you kept a diary. Good job.¡± ¡°H-How rude! I asked the President for an empty notebook, and he gave me this!¡± She fumed and pushed out the journal. ¡°What is important is the contents, so read it.¡± Unable to refuse, Seo Jun-Ho opened it and turned to the first page. [March 2nd, 2050. Weather: Slitely Slightly cloudy.][2] [Title: Chocte vor, strawberry vor, banana vor. Entry: As soon as I opened my eyes today, I went to the kitchen¡­] ¡°Huh?S-stop for a moment!¡± The Frost Queen realized that something was wrong and snatched her diary back. She was flushed red all the way to her ears. ¡°...I gave you the wrong one. Wait here.¡± She strode back to her room and went out carrying a diary that looked the same. ¡°This is what I intended to show you.¡± ¡°I want to read more of the other one, though.¡± ¡°How impertinent. Are you saying that you dare wish to intrude on a queen¡¯s personal life?¡± she responded. ¡®The entries were about food, though.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and opened the new diary. When he did, his face stiffened. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ It was a Skill Book. Or more precisely, this was a valuable notebook where the Frost Queen had written and organized her abilities. ¡°I shall tell you of other techniques in the future,¡± she said. ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell me all of them now?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°...I do not remember the others well so that would be difficult.¡± The Frost Queen shook her head firmly and aimed her remote like a sword. ¡°In addition, it will take a long time to master even one of these techniques. You are quite greedy, Contractor.¡± ¡°Like Spirit, like Contractor, I suppose...¡± ¡°What nonsense. I have no ounce of greed. I am a person with integrity.¡± ¡°Chocte vor, strawberry vor, banana vor¡ª¡± ¡°Aaahhh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho returned to his room after teasing the Frost Queen to his heart¡¯s content. *** The next day, Seo Jun-Ho invited his friends over to his ce. The first one to arrive was surprisingly Rahmadat. ¡°What¡¯s the asion? I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d arrive on time, as an Indian person.¡± ¡°Haha,are you being racist as soon as you see me? Besides, you ugly Koreans are notorious for beingte as well,¡± Rahmadat teased. However, he kept looking like he wanted to say something, but he simply scratched his head rather than say it. ¡°What is it? You look like a constipated dog. Just tell me. Were you going to insult me, was that it?¡± ¡°No. Just¡­¡± Rahmadat pursed his lips and looked apologetic. ¡°I am sorry. I feel like we dumped it all onto you when we should have done it together.¡± ¡°Geez,is that all? I said I wanted to do it that way. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Seo Jun-Ho assured. When he first announced that he would hunt down the fiends, his friends insisted on helping. However, Seo Jun-Ho refused their offer. It was all because he strongly wanted to take revenge with his own hands, and his friends¡¯ growth was important as well. ¡®If we¡¯re going to keep climbing the floors together, they have to reach my level, at the least.¡¯ Mio¡¯s training was especially urgent because it hadn¡¯t been long since she awakened. As such, Seo Jun-Ho had told his friends that he would hunt the fiends himself and that they should just focus on leveling up. ¡°Since you said that, I understand.¡± Rahmadat looked at him gratefully and lightly thumped his chest. ¡°How about the Frost kid?¡± ¡°She¡¯s hiding because Skaya¡¯sing,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. Soon enough, the entrance started to get noisy. ¡°Ughhh,I¡¯m so freaking tired after doing nothing but hunting,¡± Skayained. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you not to push yourself,¡± Gilberto advised. ¡°All you do is sit in the back and shoot a gun. You don¡¯t know what kind of pain this noona is going through.¡± ¡°...You do the same, just with magic. And I am older than you¡­¡± Skaya and Gilberto bickered. From behind them, Mio carefully stepped inside with a ¡°please excuse me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho got up to greet them with a long sigh. ¡°You guys are so noisy as usual.¡± Despite the insult; however, there was a gentle smile on his face. He met the eyes of each of his friends. ¡°Let¡¯s start getting back into it...¡± It was about time they continued their journey from twenty-six years ago. Chapter 315. 90 Days (3)

Chapter 315. 90 Days (3)

Seo Jun-Ho looked at each of his friends sitting on the sofa before speaking, ¡°There are a total of 25,000 yers who went up to the 4th Floor. Every single one of them is a Ranker, and it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say they are the most elite yers of the current era.¡± His friends had questioning looks on their faces, wondering why he brought this up so randomly when they didn¡¯t even ask. Seo Jun-Ho continued, unbothered. ¡°The Association has officially requested that we clear the 4th floor.¡± At that, their expressions changed drastically. They didn¡¯t seem scared or nervous. In fact, they looked excited. ¡°I can finally get a workout. I was getting tired of pummeling weak monsters, so good timing,¡± Rahmadat said. ¡°And I¡¯ll be able to try some new magic experiments,¡± Skaya added. ¡°...¡± Gilberto didn¡¯t say anything and simply curled his hands into fists. Two months ago, Arthur and the Watchguards had gone up to the 4th floor. Only Mio looked still. ¡°Seeing how you suddenly brought this up, does that mean new information hase in?¡± ¡°I heard a few things from Wei Chun-Hak, the only one who has managed toe down from there.¡± Seo Jun-Ho held up two fingers. ¡°First of all, there are two ways toe back down. Either you go to a Save Point, or the floor getspletely cleared.¡± ¡°It is like the videogames we used to y when we were younger,¡± Gilberto observed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Wei Chun-Hak described it like that.¡± Rahmadat crossed his arms. ¡°Then, what are the requirements to clear the game?¡± he asked. ¡°Clearing the final Quest. I think it¡¯ll entail killing the final boss.¡± ¡°Hehe,it truly is like a game.¡± Rahmadat scratched his face, looking excited. ¡°Me, me. There¡¯s something I want to know. Let me ask a question,¡± Skaya said, hand shooting into the air. ¡°So, is Wei Chun-Hak the only person who has reached a Save Point in the past four months?¡± ¡°Not exactly. He said Shin Sung-Hyun arrived at a simr Save Point around the time he did.¡± There probably had been some circumstances that prevented Shin Sung-Hyun froming back down. ¡°Hm,so that means it¡¯s not so difficult that the Heavens can¡¯t clear it.¡± ¡°At the very least, reaching a Save Point shouldn¡¯t be that hard. This fucking System¡­It doesn¡¯t expect you to do the impossible.¡± Even if the sky fell down, the System would create a hole you could use to escape. ¡°One more question. Are we five the only ones who are going up to clear it?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°The six of us. I¡¯m thinking of bringing Miss Cha Si-Eun, too.¡± ¡°Oh, good!¡± Skaya was pleased, as she was close to her. However, Gilberto looked unconvinced. ¡°Will it be alright? It may be difficult for a healer to keep up with us.¡± ¡°This will test if she can. I¡¯ve always felt bad for relying on Skaya¡¯s healing magic too,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. Though Skaya¡¯s magic skills were certainly impressive, she wasn¡¯t better than an A-grade healing skill. Magic power wasn¡¯t an unlimited resource either, so Seo Jun-Ho always felt sorry that Skaya had to carry such arge burden. ¡°I¡¯ve hunted with the healerdy a few times before. I¡¯m in favor. She was very good.¡± Rahmadat was more careful about these things than anyone else, but he acknowledged her skills. No one else really had any reservations about her joining them either. It was just as Seo Jun-Ho expected. ¡®Even in the past, we never really rejected people.¡¯ It was simply that there weren¡¯t many people skilled enough to keep up with them. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving in four days. During that time, pack your bags and get ready,¡± he said. ¡°I could actually leave right now if needed, but¡­¡± Rahmadat stood up and grinned. ¡°But these weaklings will need more time, so I shall generously allow it.¡± As soon as the meeting ended, Rahmadat said his body was already starting to itch, so he left to go work out. And once Gilberto and Skaya left for the cafeteria to go eat, things felt a little awkward, ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Now that he thought about it, Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t spoken with Mio alone after she returned. ¡®Shoot, I haven¡¯t paid her enough attention.¡¯ Of course, he had his reasons. The Thunder God had died almost immediately after she woke up, after all. Then, Seo Jun-Ho made the decision to go hunt the fiends, so he simply didn¡¯t have the time to do so. ¡®But I bet she was really disappointed about it.¡¯ Other than the first day, he hadn¡¯t even been able to say a simple ¡°wee back¡± to her. ¡°Mm.¡± Mio took a sip of the green tea he made with her eyes closed. She rolled it around her mouth, savoring the taste. And then she slowly opened her eyes and smiled gently. ¡°It is the same as always. You brewed the tea for too long, so it tastes bitter.¡± ¡°...Really? I thought I¡¯d gotten a lot better.¡± ¡°Next time, I will teach you once more.¡± As the sole daughter of a prestigious family with a rich history, there was nothing she couldn¡¯t do. Seo Jun-Ho was envious, but there were just as many times when he felt bad for her. ¡®A prestigious family¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho recalled her family. ¡°Mio, after you returned¡­¡± he started carefully. ¡°I have not gone,¡± she replied, sensing what he was about to ask. She looked down at the meless cup of tea andughed weakly. ¡°Nor do I think they want to see me much.¡± ¡°...That can¡¯t be. You¡¯re their only daughter, after all.¡± He said so, but Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t actually believe in his own words. ¡®That man would do that and more.¡¯ From what he remembered, the patriarch of the Tenmei n did not have any blood or tears. He considered everything as either a profit or a loss. But frankly, Seo Jun-Ho was more surprised that he hadn¡¯t contacted her after all this time. ¡®If they show a touching reunion between father and daughter, it would improve the public image of the family and the Guild¡­ But he hasn¡¯t actually contacted her?¡¯ In the past, he would have used her in every way possible to profit as much as he could. Considering that, Seo Jun-Ho wondered if that man had changed as a person. ¡°He might be feeling sorry for what he did to you,¡± he said. ¡°To me? That man? Wow, I¡¯m tearing up. Your humor has improved greatly.¡± Mio shook her head as if the very prospect itself was ridiculous. ¡°He¡¯s still your father. He might have realized what he did wrong after he lost you.¡± ¡°...¡± Mio didn¡¯t answer him. She simply took a long sip of tea with her eyes closed. ¡°...This is bitter. Very much so.¡± *** [You have arrived at a Save Point.] ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡±Gong Ju-Ha wiped off the fat droplets of sweat. ¡°Hot, it¡¯s so hot. In-Ho, it¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t get close to me. I will also get hot,¡± he said resentfully, putting a distance between them. Gong Ju-Ha looked at her subordinate with reproach. ¡°So ungrateful, even though I raised you¡­¡±[1] ¡°My parents were the ones who raised me.¡± Gong Ju-Ha wouldn¡¯t hate him if he weren¡¯t so witty, but because he was witty, she hated him even more. She fanned her face with her hand. ¡°Ugh,at least we¡¯re around¡­ halfway there.¡± ¡°The Save Point may not be the halfway point. There may be ten of them¡ª¡± There was suddenly bloodlust aimed at him after Ha In-Ho made his pragmatic remark, and he quickly closed his mouth. When he turned. He saw that his 161 cm tall (her words) boss was ring at him with murderous intent. ¡°Wow, my dear In-Ho is lucky for being such a realist. You¡¯re so smart. And I¡¯m the dumb one, right?¡± ¡°...Not at all.¡± While Gong Ju-Ha was nagging him, a subordinate approached them. ¡°Princess, Master is looking for you.¡± ¡°Hey, I told you not to call me Princess here,¡± she said, ring adorably at the subordinate. Because the Guild members were constantly calling her that, someone truly thought she was a foreign princess. ¡°Then¡­ Gong Juh-nim.¡±[2] ¡°Don¡¯t mess up the pronunciation like that!¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve delivered Master¡¯s message~¡± He ran awayughing after teasing his boss. ¡°Fucking¡ª¡± She wanted to burn his hair off, but since he was bald, she decided to let it slide just this once. Gong Ju-Ha straightened her clothes and followed the path they were on until they reached Shin Sung-Hyun. There was arge map at his temporary lodgings, and he was staring at it intently. ¡°You called for me, Master?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said, turning. He got to the point. ¡°I heard that you arrived at a Save Point.¡± ¡°I did, just now.¡± ¡°Good. Then, you should go down to the 1st floor.¡± ¡°...Me?¡± Gong Ju-Ha blinked. If they waited for just a week or two, Vice Master Jang Kyung-Hoon would also arrive at a Save Point, so why should she go now? ¡°I¡¯m curious about the outside world. And worried that the fiends may have seized the opportunity tomit nefarious deeds,¡± he exined. ¡°Didn¡¯t Wei Chun-Hak say he would tell you in detail?¡± She asked. ¡°Certainly, he isn¡¯t the type of man who would lie about that¡­ But he isn¡¯t one of my people.¡± If he omitted any of the information he was supposed to ry to the 1st floor or to them, they would have no one to me except themselves for being yed for fools. ¡°I have to protect the Guild members here, so the only person I can send down right now is you,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun said. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha nodded. However, she didn¡¯t look very excited. ¡°I¡¯ll go. But to be honest, I don¡¯t think much has changed down there.¡± ¡°Many things can change in the span of four months.¡± ¡°Come on, it¡¯s four months, not ten years. What could possibly change?¡± She waved him off,ughing. ¡°Don¡¯t get your expectations too high. Things are probably the same, the same as always.¡± *** There was no need for her to pack before going down. Whether it be Earth or Frontier, she had estates and vis she could stay in. She was rich, after all. ¡°When will you return?¡± Ha In-Ho asked. ¡°Master told me to keep an eye out for things for about four or five days.¡± ¡°Four or five days¡­¡± Ha In-Ho side-eyed her. ¡°Then I suppose you¡¯ll go to the Association?¡± ¡°...Probably? The President will want to see me.¡± ¡°Then that means you may be able to see Mr. Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°...¡± Now that Ha In-Ho mentioned it, he was right. Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face grew cloudy. She still had the crumpled restaurant coupons and the gem he had left behind. ¡®I want to ask him when I see him¡­¡¯ She wanted to ask her why he hadn¡¯t kept his promise and why he ran away after only leaving those things. If he feltthatufortable with having a meal with her¡­ ¡°I¡¯m getting mad again just remembering it¡­ I¡¯m going to burn him when I see him¡­¡± ¡°...You cannot do that.¡± Gong Ju-Ha epted his insistent discouragement and pulled out a strange-looking crystal. She shattered it and spoke, ¡°Return to Earth.¡± *** ¡°Mm~¡± Gong Ju-Ha took in a deep breath. The air smelled mildly dirty. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± As she had expected, Earth¡ªspecifically Seoul hadn¡¯t changed at all. ¡®The tteokbokki restaurant and the bakery I always go to are still there too¡­¡¯ There was no change at all. Still, it felt nice to be back on Earth for the first time in a while. ¡°Goblin Guildpany building.¡± She took a self-driving taxi to her destination. As soon as she stepped inside, the receptionists¡¯ eyes widened, and they shot up from their seats. ¡°Captain Ju-Ha!¡± ¡°Hi, how¡¯ve you been?¡± They waved cheerfully and fussed around her. ¡°You¡¯ve returned!¡± ¡°Because Master kept nagging me. Nothing much happened while I was gone, right?¡± She said this as a formality. That was all. Just as someone would say ¡°It has been a while, how have you been?¡± However, their reaction was theplete opposite of what she had expected. ¡°Nothing much? The world has changed!¡± ¡°So many things have happened.¡± ¡°Many decisions have been made, ones not even Master would have the power to decide!¡± ¡°You came at the perfect time. You should go up to your office for now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll contact the secretary''s office. They¡¯ll tell you everything that you missed.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± This wasn¡¯t what she wanted. She hade down thinking it would be a vacation, but there was already so much work to do as soon as she arrived. ¡°What is it? Just what has changed so drastically while I was gone?¡± she asked with a long face. When the employees exined, her eyes grew sorge they bulged. ¡°...What? Say that one more time.¡± Chapter 316. 90 Days (4)

Chapter 316. 90 Days (4)

¡°The Thunder God has passed away.¡± Gong Ju-Ha hadn¡¯t heard wrongly. Her body swayed a bit. She narrowly avoided falling over by grabbing onto a desk, but her head was spinning as she felt sick. She squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°...How?¡± she asked, She couldn¡¯t say with confidence that they were close, but she had met him many times in official settings. He had a warmth to him that put people at ease. As the hero of this age, she had no other choice but to look up to him. ¡°It was the Heavenly Demon. Everyone thought he was dead, but he was still alive.¡± ¡°...¡± The news was a great shock. She hadn¡¯t been there when the Heavenly Demon was killed, but her Guild Master had definitely told her that the Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart had been pierced through. ¡®As long as he¡¯s human, it would have guaranteed his death.¡¯ Maybe that meant that the Heavenly Demon had already be something beyond human. She had a short look of anguish on her face before she opened her eyes. ¡°...Where was he buried?¡± she asked. ¡°His grave is on the 2nd Floor, but they set up an incense altar in the Hall of Heroes. The address is¡­¡± As soon as the receptionist wrote down the address for her on a piece of paper, she turned around. ¡°I need to go visit.¡± ¡°But Princess, the other news¡­¡± ¡°Later. Tell meter.¡± The receptionist watched as she quickly disappeared. ¡°...There¡¯s something that you would¡¯ve enjoyed hearing,¡± they finished. *** In arge conference room, tens of people were seated around a round table. ¡°Why did you gather us here today?¡± someone asked. At the question, countless pairs of eyes turned. They were all staring at two people. One of them spoke, ¡°Soon, the Korean yer Association will join hands with Silent Moon and go up to clear the 4th floor.¡± ¡°Geez,and how long ago did they close ess to the 4th floor?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just stand idle.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The man nodded. ¡°After all, our organization Climb was founded to climb the floors without any disruptions.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°No disruptions¡­ It always makes me happy hearing that.¡± The people¡ªthe 57 Guild Masters who made up Climb all smiled. There was no idiot here who didn¡¯t know how they could make use of this piece of information. ¡°We¡¯ll have a good pretest.¡± ¡°A yer Association and a Guild from the same country will try to break the agreement made at the global conference¡­¡± ¡°We should start by emphasizing the exact circumstances and tarnish their honor.¡± If they ended up entering the 4th floor, Climb could use the same excuse to do the same thing. ¡°Once we¡¯re in, there will be nothing to worry about.¡± This was a grave misunderstanding, but the other Guild Masters nodded along as if it were a given. ¡°Of course. With all of us cooperating, we can interrupt the 5 Heroes¡¯ activities.¡± ¡°Not only that, but we can also steal credit from them.¡± They weren¡¯t deluding themselves because they were crazy. There was a good reason for their faith. It was thanks to two people sitting at the round table. ¡°Two Big 6 Guild Masters will be on our side, so who would dare try to deny us?¡± ¡°I guarantee that the 5 Heroes will not be able to make any sort of contributions on the 4th floor. They will merely be humiliated.¡± Fifty-sevenrge Guilds and 2 beastly Big 6 Guilds were uniting to bury them, so how could the pathetic Heroes endure it? ¡°Artifacts of the past are most appealing when they¡¯re disyed at a museum.¡± Once the meeting ended, the Guild Masters disappeared into thin air. After all, they were merely holograms from the very beginning. Once everyone disappeared, the only ones left were the two Big 6 Guild Masters. An old man wearing traditional Japanese clothing faced the other person. ¡°...Truly, it still feels strange. I never expected to do something like this with you.¡± ¡°...¡± The other had stayed silent throughout the entire meeting. They were wearing a sharp suit and a slender helmet that covered their entire head. The face blinked with LED lights and disyed an emoticon. [^_^] ¡°You are the same as ever. Shoot, I have never been able to understand you.¡± [>_0] ¡°...I will take my leave.¡± [B.Y.E] Once the old man¡¯s hologram faded, the LED turned off, which made the helmet go dark. *** The Hall of Heroes in Seoul had incense altars set up for yers who had made great contributions. But unfortunately, there weren¡¯t many visitors. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was staring at a picture frame. It was covered in white flowers, and the old man in the picture was smiling warmly at something. ¡®Kid, you need to smile more. Why is a youngster like you so worried all the time?¡¯ Was it because it had rained a few days ago? Seo Jun-Ho felt like he could hear the Thunder God¡¯s nagging. ¡°...Then why were you smiling all the time?¡± Seo Jun-Ho ced a flower in front of the smiling old man, who didn¡¯t give him an answer. Even though this was the incense altar of the greatest hero of the era, there weren¡¯t many flowers, let alone burning incense. Seo Jun-Ho continued speaking, feeling like the elder might be lonely. ¡°...Geon-Woo hyung has disappeared. He won¡¯t return my calls,¡± he said, lighting an incense stick. When the Thunder God¡¯s death was revealed, Baek Geon-Woo had taken it the hardest. He had gone white, muttering ¡°no, that¡¯s impossible¡± as he left the auditorium. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what he was doing now, as he couldn¡¯t contact him. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep looking for him. Because that was your final wish.¡± Seo Jun-Ho also exined his future ns. ¡°And I¡¯m going to resume climbing the floors soon.¡± Hisrades had found traces of the Heavenly Demon while hunting on the 3rd floor, but they hadn¡¯t found anything else. However, there could be traces of him on the 4th floor as well. ¡°I¡¯ll find him and avenge¡ª¡± ¡°Mr. Jun-Ho?¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned when he heard a voice calling from behind. His eyes became a little bigger. He had known that there was someone walking toward him, but¡­ ¡°Captain Gong?¡± He hadn¡¯t expected it to be her. He panicked for a moment, unsure of what expression he should have when he greeted her. But at the same moment, she smoothly approached him, looking worried. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°Before I went to the 4th floor, I heard that you had been training with the Thunder God.¡± No one would be indifferent in the face of their master¡¯s death. Seo Jun-Ho rxed when he saw the concern in her eyes. ¡°...Somehow. It¡¯s already been three months.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look okay, though? You look so pale and haggard,¡± she said. ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s because I suddenly ran into someone I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± she asked, pointing a slender finger at herself. A momentter, she wrinkled her nose a little. ¡°Oh,right. Now that I think about it, you did something mean to me.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, just stay here right here. Don¡¯t go anywhere,¡± she warned sharply. She went to pay her respects to the Thunder God beforeing back. ¡°Nothing?¡± she asked. ¡°...What do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you have nothing to say to me?¡± Of course, he had something to say. There was so much he wanted to say to her. Seo Jun-Ho scratched the back of his head. ¡®Seeing how she has returned from the 4th floor¡­ I bet she already knows everything.¡¯ That he was the Specter she admired so much... A few memories flickered through his head. ¡®Ididlie to her a few times about my identity.¡¯ And he had even given her his autograph while pretending that Specter was another person. He had done the same thing when they fought Janabi, too. ¡®Maybe she¡¯s mad that I made her look stupid.¡¯ Seeing her wide eyes demanding an answer, he realized that he should apologize first. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Hmph.If you knew you were in the wrong, why did you do it in the first ce?¡± ¡°I was¡­ Just shy.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± She crossed her arms and studied his face. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t really seem like he was lying. ¡®Geez, why would you feel shy about that?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had been seriously injured while fighting Janabi. Perhaps he felt embarrassed as a man for showing her his weakness. Gong Ju-Ha understood that very well. ¡®But¡­ It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the fragile type.¡¯ She was ranked 3rd in the Goblin Guild, which was one of the Big 6. Evenpared to all the yers in the world, she was powerful. She grinned.¡®Wait, that¡¯s kind of cute.¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha hit his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s fine. That¡¯s understandable. I¡¯ve heard that men are sensitive about those kinds of things.¡± ¡°...Men?¡± ¡°Yes. Because it was a side of you you didn¡¯t want to show, something like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had no desire to go around pronouncing he was Specter. The two of them were talking about different things, but the conversation was surprisingly going smoothly. ¡°Just tell me. What were you doing while I was up on the 4th floor?¡± she asked. ¡°Huh?Did you not hear the news?¡± ¡°I was in a rush to get here, so I didn¡¯t hear much.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded in understanding. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been working to exterminate the Fiend Association for the past three months.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She stopped, eyes going wide. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ I understand that you hate fiends, but isn¡¯t that too dangerous? You barely survived,¡± she said. ¡°Not really. I was never in real danger. It just took a long time, but I ended up killing all of them either way,¡± he exined. ¡°Wait. You actually got rid of the Fiend Association?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded before continuing, ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t do it all by myself. The emperor helped greatly.¡± ¡°A-ha.¡± This time, Gong Ju-Ha nodded. ¡®So, it was Ruben¡¯s Emperor who destroyed the Fiend Association.¡¯ And as for the fiends on Earth, the yer Associations and Guilds would have helped him. Seo Jun-Ho himself¡­ He had probably killed around a few hundred fiends at most. ¡°Still, that¡¯s amazing,¡± she said. ¡°Finding them was annoying, but the fighting itself was simple. Thest ones I killed were three Squadron leaders, and I caught them all at once¡­¡± As he told her the story, Gong Ju-Ha looked at him with amusement and a knowing expression. Seo Jun-Ho realized this btedly and narrowed his eyes. ¡°What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Nothing~ Nothing at all.¡± Gong Ju-Ha held back herughter. She found it cute that he was putting on airs to try to impress her. ¡®Pfft, three squadron leaders at once¡­¡¯ Of course, she knew that Seo Jun-Ho had the Frost skill, and she knew he was powerful. However, the Fiend Association¡¯s Squadron leaders were so powerful that even Gong Ju-Ha would have trouble taking on more than two. ¡°...I don¡¯t want to talk about this anymore. Tell me about the 4th floor.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Just as she was about to start speaking, a few yers approached them and bowed. They had been watching them from afar for quite some time now. ¡°H-hello, Specter-nim!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always looked up to you ever since I was little!¡± ¡°I-if it¡¯s not too much, could you take a picture with us and give us autographs¡­?¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Gong Ju-Ha blinked. She lowered her voice. ¡°Mr. Jun-Ho. Why are those people calling you Specter-nim?¡± ¡°...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at her like it was obvious. Both of them looked momentarily confused at each other. ¡°Wait¡­ Didn¡¯t you hear about me before you came?¡± ¡°I only heard about the Thunder God.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at her nk face and covered his face with his hand. He spoke a momentter, looking exhausted. ¡°I¡¯m him.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually Specter.¡± ¡°Come on, that makes no sense. Why do you look so serious about a joke?¡± Gong Ju-Ha waved him off, grinning. However, her face slowly crumbled. ¡°...I-it¡¯s a joke, right?¡± ¡°Um...¡± Seeing was believing. Seo Jun-Ho sighed and casually lifted a finger. Chapter 317. 90 Days (5)

Chapter 317. 90 Days (5)

Darkness bloomed at his fingertips like a small flickering me. ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s mouth fell a little as she stared. It was the same thing Specter had used when they fought Janabi. It was a vicious element, the mere sight of which sent a shiver down her spine. This was Watchguard of Darkness, which was often regarded as the most powerful elemental skill in human history. ¡°It¡¯s Watchguard of Darkness!¡± ¡°Wow¡­ I never thought I¡¯d be able to see it up close.¡± ¡°Can I take a picture?¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s soul didn¡¯t return to her body until Seo Jun-Ho returned from giving the yers autographs and pictures. ¡®If Mr. Jun-Ho is Specter-nim, and Specter-nim is Mr. Jun-Ho¡­¡¯ Everything that had happened between them passed through her head like a panorama. At this, she grew as red as a beet. ¡®Oh, oh no¡­¡¯ It hadn¡¯t been on purpose, but she had fangirled over him in front of the very man himself. Gong Ju-Ha was so embarrassed she wanted to go hide in a ditch. Then, she remembered something else, and she looked like she was about to cry. ¡°W-wait. Then the autograph you gave me¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment. With an awkward look, he nodded. ¡°The autograph¡­ You mean the one where you asked me to write ¡®To my precious fan Ju-Ha?¡¯?¡± Gong Ju-Ha bowed stiffly, like a robot. ¡°Goodbye. I am going to depart from this world, so please don¡¯t look for me. Have a good life.¡± Just as she was about to run away in the opposite direction, Seo Jun-Ho easily grabbed her by the cor. ¡°L-let me go!¡± she eximed. ¡°I can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Then let me at least find a ditch!¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled at her serious request. ¡°Calm down for now,¡± he said. ¡°Do Ilookcalm? Obviously, I talked about how much I like you to your face, and all this time, I have been acting like a sunbae¡­¡± She had exined this and that about the industry, trying to teach him. She definitely seemed pathetic, right? ¡®And¡­¡¯ He had saved her life while they were fighting Janabi. Seo Jun-Ho had even been seriously injured in the battle. ¡®Then that means¡­¡¯ It was very likely that he was injured while trying to save her. This wasn¡¯t true, but right now, she felt like everything was her fault. Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, and she stared at the ground while biting hard on her lip. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± he asked. ¡°Because of me, Janabi¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it at all. It waspletely unrted to you,¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly said, trying to clear the misunderstanding before it got even worse. The injuries he had sustained truly had nothing to do with her. He had left himself open on purpose to effectively use Moon Eye. ¡°On the contrary, you helped a lot, Captain Gong,¡± he assured. He finally let go of her cor. ¡°25 years¡­ It has been a long time. Naturally, I felt a gap.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could have navigated through Earth on his own with his past experience, but that wasn¡¯t the case for Frontier. If she hadn¡¯t helped him, he was sure that it would have taken longer for him to adjust. ¡°...Really?¡± ¡°Specter does not lie.¡± That was true. Gong Ju-Ha unconsciously nodded. The human heart was temperamental like that. Gong Ju-Ha had felt so guilty she wanted to die, but now that he told her that she had been of help, she became happy. ¡®I must be an idiot¡­¡¯ Even though Gong Ju-Ha tried to hold herself back, her lips still twitched. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho had to put in great effort to stop himself fromughing. ¡®Man, Frost should have been here to see this.¡¯ How was Gong Ju-Ha a fox? She was more like a puppy. If she had a tail, it would have been waving back and forth like a helicopter propeller right now. ¡°So, don¡¯t feel so ufortable,¡± Seo Jun-Ho concluded. ¡°...I¡¯ll do my best,¡± she said. Her very answer was her trying her best. Specter had been her idol and hero all her life, after all. It was only natural that she was finding it hard to process the fact that she had treated such a figure so casually and the fact that she had acted as an industry sunbae in front of him. ¡°Then,um,well, I¡¯ll see you next time,¡± she said politely before scampering away. Seo Jun-Ho watched as she disappeared. He didn¡¯t really feel offended by her behavior, as he had encountered plenty of people in the past 90 days who had trouble speaking to him. ¡®I have already epted it.¡¯ Every choice had a consequence. He knew that. He knew that, but¡­ ¡®It¡¯s just a little¡­¡¯ He felt bitter when he thought about how it might not be possible for him tough casually with her again. He smiled wryly and turned, heading out to where he had to go. He was hoping that someday¡ªshe would speak casually with him again¡ªjust like before. *** ¡°Everyone¡¯s so busy first thing in the morning,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said tly. He was all dressed up in a suit. At that, Shim Deok-Gu told him off. ¡°You should be busy too. So, why aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Because I can just step out wearing a mask.¡± The reason things were so hectic was that the yer Association was about to hold a press conference where they would make an official statement. Of course, the topic was about how they would go up to the 4th floor. So, aside from Seo Jun-Ho, the 4 Heroes were busy getting ready. ¡°Everyone knows your face already, so why would you go out wearing a mask?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°Business ethics, I suppose. If I do makeup on top of everything else, actors will go out of business.¡± ¡°What bullshit.¡± Seo Jun-Ho snorted. ¡°How are things on that front?¡± ¡°That front¡­Oh,you mean Climb?¡± Shim Deok-Gu waved it off. ¡°They probably already know everything we¡¯re going to announce today.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll try to shoot us down, won¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Clearly. It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯ll try to pile on and insist that they go to the 4th floor, too.¡± ¡°Hm,could we stop them?¡± ¡°With what justification?¡± They would obviously try to use the 5 Heroes of acting snobbish thanks to their poprity. ¡°They im that they made the organization to focus solely on climbing the floors without regard for politics. If they push the story, the public will obviously start thinking that something¡¯s off,¡± Shim Deok-Gu exined. Why would the yer Association try to stop people who simply wanted to clear the 4th floor? Were they truly asking elite yers to make a one-sided sacrifice to raise the 5 Heroes up? Those ignorant of the details would think like that. ¡°Seems like things are the same as always,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Of course. Even if 260 or even 2,600 years had passed instead of 26, it¡¯ll probably still be the same.¡± There would always be people jealous of those who had more, no matter the country or era. The people at the top had to bear the weight of appeasing them. ¡°Why are you so conflicted?¡± Rahmadat asked as he approached, wearing a suit. ¡°Can we not just do as we did in the past?¡± ¡°Things are simr¡­ But still different.¡± Shim Deok-Gu let out a small sigh. ¡°Nowadays, people don¡¯t live with the stress of their lives being in danger every single day.¡± ¡°Hmph.So, in other words, they¡¯re spoiled.¡± ¡°Compared to the days when all we wanted to do was survive, yes.¡± During difficult times, someone skilled and charismatic enough would be a hero, but in peaceful eras, they would be seen as self-centered mavericks. ¡°Climb will probably want to push that image, so I¡¯m just saying that you guys should be careful.¡± As Shim Deok-Gu warned, Seo Jun-Ho looked around. There was a woman in the VIP room getting her makeup done like the rest of them. ¡°What do you need?¡± she asked, meeting his eyes. ¡°You were my secretary, but we¡¯re teammates now. I feel ufortable by how formally you speak, so I¡¯m not sure what to do,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Time will fix that,¡± Cha Si-Eun said firmly. She was a hardcore fan of Specter on the same level as Gong Ju-Ha. Ever since his identity had been revealed, she had always been courteous to him. ¡°Still, it¡¯s too much. One would think I¡¯m a president or something.¡± ¡°Specter-nim, you are even more incredible than a president.¡± ¡°...¡± That was true. As he kept his mouth shut, he could feel everyone staring straight at him. *** The reporters kept fiddling with their cameras. They didn¡¯t have the sharp eyes they did at most press conferences. Rather, they were filled with excitement, as if they were children opening presents on Christmas day. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be able to photograph the first time the 5 Heroes spoke at an official press conference.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor. I¡¯m going to tell this story to my kids.¡± ¡°But why do you think they suddenly decided to hold a press conference at this time?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it just be a simple showcase? They¡¯ll probably just say that they¡¯ve returned and that they¡¯ll be in our care and answer a few questions. That¡¯ll be it.¡± The news outlets were obviously watching closely today, but so were the Guilds. The 5 Heroes were nearly on the same level as the Big 6, and quite possibly even higher. ¡°They¡¯reing!¡± One of the reporters cried out as five men and women walked out. As they did, the room was filled with the countless sounds of camera shutters and shing lights. No one was dumb enough to shout or cheer. Even those who detested the 5 Heroes at least took this moment to take in their return. ¡°Hello,¡± Mio said. Though her voice sounded stiff at first, it became smoother the more you listened. As the educated daughter of a prestigious family, she was skilled at speaking in these kinds of settings. ¡°Thus, we will be resuming our journey, which has been put on hold for 26 years and 7 months.¡± ¡°Resume your journey?¡± ¡°Wait, does that mean the 5 Heroes will climb the floors together once more?¡± ¡°This is a scoop!¡± Countless reporters and yers frantically typed on their hologram keyboards, spreading the news. Meanwhile, the impatient reporters¡¯ hands shot into the air to ask questions. ¡°Hang Seung-Hoon, local news reporter for yer Today. A few days ago at the global conference, the decision was made to restrict ess to the 4th Floor. Considering this, what do you really mean when you say you¡¯re going to resume your journey?¡± ¡°What do we really mean?¡± Rahmadat frowned. ¡°There¡¯s nothing like that. Is it so strange that we will be climbing floors like yers?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s not strange¡­ But it can be seen as ignoring the decision of the conference¡ª¡± Just as things started to heat up a bit, Gilberto expertly cut them off. ¡°If we were to state a reason, it would be that we were asked to do this.¡± ¡°Asked? By whom?¡± ¡°Wei Chun-Hak of the Nine Heavens, along with Silent Moon, the Sword Saint Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s Guild.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Finally, the reporters eximed when the pieces fell into ce. ¡®So, Wei Chun-Hak has allied with the 5 Heroes and Silent Moon to get more firepower.¡¯ ¡®They were specifically chosen by the yer who has had the most sess on the 4th floor.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s likely because he¡¯s certain that the 4th floor will be cleared faster if he brings them with him. As such, there¡¯s no reason to stop them.¡¯ Just then, Silent Moon and Celestial Dragon, Wei Chun-Hak¡¯s Guild, released statements that they would go up to the 4th floor with the 5 Heroes. ¡®Things are going as expected¡­¡¯ There were people from Climb mixed into the crowd, and they nodded. This situation wasn¡¯t bad for them either. They raised their hands and began their assault. ¡°But even considering the status of the 5 Heroes and Silent Moon, wouldn¡¯t it be right to officially submit a request to the World Congress and receive approval first?¡± ¡°Setting a precedent of ignoring rules and regtions wouldn¡¯t be wise.¡± ¡°In addition, if the 5 Heroes are allowed to go up but the other yers are still prohibited from going up, how will you handle their feelings of deprivation?" Those words were reasonable. They were questions Climb had prepared to injure their honor. ¡°What? Feelings of deprivation?¡± Just as Rahmadat scowled and started to reach for the mic, Specter held up his hand and stopped him. Everyone was shocked when he picked up the mic in Rahmadat¡¯s stead. It was because the former Specter had been famous for never saying a word even in press conferences. ¡®Hm. With the mask, he really doesn¡¯t seem like Seo Ju-Ho.¡¯ ¡®I never would have guessed that the ruffian who came shuffling out in slippers would end up being Specter-nim.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯ll probably show us a new Specter.¡¯ The taciturn Specter versus the spontaneous Seo Jun-Ho. They wondered which side Specter would show. As the anticipation grew like a balloon, Specter spoke¡­ Chapter 318. Another World (1)

Chapter 318. Another World (1)

¡°Did you just say that we, the 5 Heroes, are disregarding rules and regtions?¡± Specter asked, staring straight at the ones who asked such a question, the ones sent by Climb. They nodded, even as they shrank back. ¡°Are you denying it?¡± ¡°Of course I am. Strongly, in fact. If I¡¯m being honest, I¡¯m a little offended, too,¡± he said, looking displeased. At that, everyone stared at him intently. Shim Deok-Gu also didn¡¯t look very pleased because he was nervous. ¡®What are you going to say, you bastard? Just follow the n¡­¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu had clearly told him not to let himself be provoked.¡®If he makes a single slip of a tongue here, he could turn the entire world against him.¡¯ In other words, all the glory that the 5 Heroes had umted so far could crumble like a sandcastle. However, Shim Deok-Gu trusted that his friend wasn¡¯t an idiot. ¡°Twenty-eight years ago, there was a Gate in Izmir, Turkey¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho started. It was notorious since it had already racked up 17 failed clear attempts. At the time, the mayor of Izmir decided that it would be impossible to clear the Gate with his power. So, he invited the coveted 5 Heroes. ¡°But we could not enter the Gate...¡± The government had blocked them from entering the country, afraid that Turkey¡¯s ipetence would make it be theughingstock of the world. As such, Turkey¡¯s government received harsh criticism, andter, a bill was passed to the World Congress. ¡°They proposed that the 5 Heroes would have the right to attempt any Gate as they saw fit.¡± They wouldn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s permission to enter a Gate anymore. It was an unprecedented privilege. After Specter was done speaking, Climb¡¯s spokesperson shot their hand in the air. ¡°Just a second. As far as I know, there was a prerequisite to exercise that right. Am I correct?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯tpermissionto enter any Gate, it only lets you enter Uncleared Gates deemed impossible to clear, correct?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Specter said coolly. His opponents¡¯ eyes shed and seized the opportunity. ¡°I believe that your request is entirely unreasonable.¡± ¡°Even though progress has been slow on the 4th floor, it hasn¡¯t been deemed as impossible to clear so far.¡± ¡°To bebeled as an Uncleared Gate, don¡¯t they have to meet two requirements?¡± ¡°...¡± They were correct. In most cases, for a Gate to be judged as an Uncleared Gate, a Gate had to be at least six months old with 14 failed clear attempts. With one exception¡­ ¡°Though all five of us received the right to enter any Gate, they granted a special privilege only for me,¡± Specter said. ¡°...?¡± There was anotherponent? Their faces revealed confusion. They had never heard of this before. ¡°I, Specter, hereby dere that the 4th Floor is at a difficulty that makes it impossible to clear, and I will forcefully intervene,¡± he announced inly. ¡°...!¡± It sounded like thunder had reverberated throughout the room. No one in Climb had ever predicted this scenario. ¡®Wait, does that mean Specter¡¯s additional special privilege is¡­¡¯ ¡®He can dere a Gate to be impossible to clear whenever he wants?¡¯ ¡®This is insanity. The meeting was held by representatives from each country, but they actually gave him such an outrageous privilege?¡¯ ¡®Those lunatics!¡¯ This was hard to understand for those who didn¡¯t grow up in that era. After all, that was an enormous power too much for one person to possess. He could dere any Gate he wanted to be Uncleared, and he didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s permission to enter it. This made absolutely no sense in the current era, where the rights to enter Gates were sold for tens of thousands of dors. ¡®He yed us for fools.¡¯ ¡®This¡­This is dangerous.¡¯ ¡®Even if we go right now and file a suit to get rid of that policy, it would take at least a few weeks to process. In that time, they¡¯ll have already gone to the 4th floor.¡¯ ¡®We can¡¯t let them be the only ones to go. At the very least, we have to make sure a Climb member gets in as well.¡¯ Flustered, every single person associated with Climb raised their hands. ¡°So, in the end, aren¡¯t you saying that only the 5 Heroes will go up?¡± ¡°As Rahmadat-nim said earlier, yers exist to clear floors.¡± ¡°Other yers also have the right to enter the 4th floor.¡± ¡°You should give other yers an equal opportunity, so they don¡¯t feel left out.¡± ¡°Oh,of course.¡± Specter didn¡¯t get mad. In fact, he nodded eagerly. ¡°I nned to mention this anyway, so good timing. As you said, we are yers. We do not consider nationality, age, or sex. As long as you are a yer with the determination and skills to clear floors, you are wee. But ording to Mr. Wei Chun-Hak, who has been to the 4th floor, the 4th floor is very dangerous. I cannot just sit by and watch as yers throw themselves in harm¡¯s way. So, starting today, we will be holding a yer selection exam for four days. yers will face me or one of myrades in one-on-onebat, and all those whost for five minutes or more will join our party.¡± ¡°...¡± He had forced them into a corner. The members of Climb grew pale. They never thought that he would use their argument about the yers¡¯ purpose against them. ¡®Unskilled yers have always been seen as liabilities in a party.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re telling us to forget it if we¡¯re not skilled enough to handle one of them.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re using Climb¡¯s mission of focusing only on the floors against us.¡¯ If Climb didn¡¯t participate in the selection exam, their very existence would be called into question. However, even if they participated, none of them thought they could take on one of those monsters. And in the end, they would be mocked by the world for being so insistent when they weren¡¯t even that skilled. ¡®...It¡¯s a checkmate.¡¯ Unlike the members of Climb, whose faces grew dark, the reporters were looking at him earnestly. ¡®If he¡¯s too stiff, he¡¯ll break easily, but something flexible can¡¯t also be strong...¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s saying that they won¡¯t leave anyone behind.¡¯ Specter left a strong impression on the global spectators and received their eager support. It was very considerate of him to include anyone in the party without question, as long as they were just skilled enough. As such, they apuded him *** As promised, the selection exam was held for four days. However, there was something Seo Jun-Ho hadpletely failed to consider. ¡°Damn you, Seo Jun-Ho!¡± Skaya eximed. ¡°...Don¡¯t do something like this again without giving us prior notice,¡± Gilberto said, ¡°Sorry.¡± He had never thought that so many people woulde. ¡°I was just trying to embarrass Climb a bit, and I didn¡¯t think there would be many applicants as well¡­¡± The problem was that they had underestimated the 5 Heroes. And this was an opportunity to spar with these legends. Even if they didn¡¯t want to go up to the 4th floor, sparring with them was every yer¡¯s dream. ¡®We have close to 130,000 applicants.¡¯ And that was only counting the ones who had applied as soon as the server went up. Of course, it was impossible to ept every single yer, considering the time they had. In the end, they selected a thousand yers with the highest levels and carried out the exam. Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the paper with the results and grinned. ¡®...This should be enough. With this, they won¡¯t curse us for going alone.¡¯ They had a sweeping 1,000 wins. On top of that, not a single duelsted more than 30 seconds. *** The next day, he received an invitation from a familiar face. Kwon Noya had contacted him. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± As soon as Seo Jun-Ho entered the workshop, Kwon Noya nced at him and silently patted him on the shoulder. ¡°...You¡¯ve done well.¡± His words weren¡¯t much at all, but they made Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart warm. He chuckled. ¡°Thank you. Where¡¯s the gear?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s inside.¡± Kwon Noya escorted him. ¡°We finished it for quite some time now, but its owner kept ignoring my calls,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte...¡± ¡°Should you not apologize to me, too?¡± The dwarf chief, Graham, suddenly came into view. He was sitting on the sofa inside the room. His childish face frowned. ¡°I have been unable to return to my vige because I had been waiting to give this to you; it has been three months now,¡± he said without remorse. ¡°Again, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°...Ahem.Friends need not bow to each other as such.¡± Graham waved Seo Jun-Ho off and came over, carrying a chest much bigger than him with ease. He ced it on the desk. ¡°It was difficult work, but it was enjoyable in its own way. And the results were top-notch.¡± ¡°...True, but I¡¯ll die before you can ask me to make something like this again,¡± Kwon Noya said. The two best cksmiths Seo Jun-Ho knew had both agreed that it was difficult work, but the results were stunning. ¡°May I open it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°It is crying to meet the master it has been waiting a long time for. Go ahead.¡± With his heart pounding away, Seo Jun-Ho opened the chest. Simr to its predecessor White Armor, it was in the shape of a belt. The color was slightly transparent white, like ice. ¡°Item data.¡± [Midnight Sun] Grade: Unique Stamina +50 *Immortality: This armor cannot be destroyed. *Disruption: This armor protects the user from all tracking skills below A-grade. *Lightweight: This armor contains magic that makes it lightweight. *Ice Augmentation: When an ice elemental skill is used while this armor is equipped, the effects are amplified. Use requirements: Level 130, Magic Verification. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the description like he was possessed. He turned. ¡°Why is it called Midnight Sun?¡±[1] ¡°...Because you¡¯re always hiding in the darkness. I thought your armor should be the opposite,¡± Kwon Noya exined. ¡°I tried to contest him, but I could not win against his stubbornness,¡± Graham added. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled softly. The midnight sun was a phenomenon in which the sun didn¡¯t set when nighttime came, so the day remained. ¡®I got scolded.¡¯ It was a form of reprimand. Kwon Noya was both advising and warning him to keep shining and not let the wickedness of his enemies corrupt him. ¡°Why? There¡¯s that saying: when you look into the void, the void looks back at you,¡± Graham said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I only look at the void so I can kill it.¡± ¡°The same is true for them...¡± ¡°Well, they might be staring at me because I¡¯m handsome.¡± Kwon Noya was at a loss for words. He clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk,what did I say? There¡¯s no point in worrying about this rascal.¡± ¡°If you do not worry for a friend when they are in pain, what makes you any different from a stranger?¡± Graham asked. The two cksmiths had be very close in the meantime. Seo Jun-Ho looked at them before equipping the belt. As soon as he poured in his magic power, the belt vibrated gently. Thwack! With the Kwon Workshop¡¯s unique spread armor system, his entire body was instantly covered in armor. ¡°...It¡¯s light. Like a feather.¡± Moreover, he didn¡¯t feel any significant differences between Midnight Sun and White Armor no matter how he moved his joints. ¡°It¡¯s something we added...¡± ¡°Optimizing the unique traits of Serium was what we focused on the most.¡± Serium was a rare metal that raised cold-rted abilities to another level. Seo Jun-Ho held out his hand toward the water cup on the desk. He was just trying to gently freeze the water, but he inadvertently froze the entire cup, making it shatter. He squinted. ¡°...Are the effects usually this good?¡± He felt like the strength of his Frost skill had improved by nearly a hundred and fifty percent. ¡°Serium is a difficult metal to work on. So, it¡¯s usually used to make something like a ne or ring.¡± However, they had created a set of full-body armor out of that very metal. If their skills hadn¡¯t been up to par, the unique traits of Serium would have beenpletely lost. ¡®With this¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkled as he stared at the shattered cup. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to progress through a certain technique the Frost Queen had written down in her diary. Chapter 319. Another World (2)

Chapter 319. Another World (2)

¡°Is everyone ready? ¡°Hehe,I¡¯ve been ready for quite some time now,¡± Rahmadat said. Seo Jun-Ho looked around at the five others like a mother hen. There wasn¡¯t much to worry about because all of them were always thoroughly prepared. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go, Skaya,¡± he said. ¡°Okay¡­¡± They arrived at the Dimensional Elevators with her Wide Area Teleport to find someone waiting for them. ¡°Oh.¡± Wei Chun-Hak quickly put out his cigarette. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I am Wei Chun-Hak of Celestial Dragon.¡± ¡°...Is that a joke?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°That¡¯s unfair. I was merely showing courtesy to someone I¡¯ve never met before,¡± he said, feigning innocence. ¡°The yer I metst time was Seo Jun-Ho, but you are the savior of the world.¡± ¡°...It makes me ufortable, so please just treat me the same way you used to.¡± ¡°Well, if you say so, I won¡¯t refuse.¡± While Wei Chun-Hak was greeting the others, Seo Jun-Ho was looking at someone else. He greeted him after some hesitation. ¡°It has been a while,¡± he said. ¡°Yes¡­ indeed,¡±[1]the Sword Saint said. The way he spoke was peculiar as if he didn¡¯t know how he should treat Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly. He thought they had gotten quite close after he visited Kim Woo-Joong at the hospital and talked with him about all sorts of things. He didn¡¯t expect that even the simple act of greeting each other had be so awkward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I lied to you,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho.[2] ¡°Not at all. If I were you, I¡¯d have done the same thing, so don¡¯t worry about it¡­ please.¡± From a distance, Mio watched them talk. ¡°Isn¡¯t the Sword Saint a Korean person? He cannot speak very well,¡± she said to Skaya. ¡°Neither is really good with words, but yes, they¡¯re both Korean,¡± Skaya confirmed. Seo Jun-Ho flushed red when he heard theirments and cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem.Let¡¯s get down to business. What is the first thing we need to do when we arrive on the 4th floor?¡± ¡°The 4th floor begins with a Quest and will end with a Quest. You¡¯ll be crazy busy, especially when it¡¯s your first time,¡± Wei Chun-Hak replied. ¡°Sounds fun,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, looking determined. At that, Wei Chun-Hak smiled strangely and stepped up to the elevator. ¡°There¡¯s only one keyword you should remember for the 4th floor. Survival.¡± ¡°...Survival?¡± ¡°There are a lot of annoying things about it¡ªsomany¡­¡± Wei Chun-Hak shuddered a bit at the mere thought of it. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The elevator quickly arrived on the 4th floor. When it did, a message popped up in front of Seo Jun-Ho. [This is the 4th Floor. The door is opening.] [Bringer of Spring¡¯s effect has been activated. All stats increased by 30.] This was already the third time he had received the effects of Bringer of Spring. Seo Jun-Ho checked his status window. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 152 Title: Bringer of Spring (+4) Strength: 578 Stamina: 568 Speed: 580 Magic: 604 ¡®High¡¯ wasn¡¯t even enough to describe the numbers. He had spent thest three months hunting only fiends, which had allowed his level to keep going up. ¡®Thanks to that, I got back all my sealed stats back, too.¡¯ Thus, he had finally fully inherited his legacy from 26 years ago. ¡®With this¡­¡¯ When he fought the Heavenly Demon at the baseball stadium, his stats had only been in the 300s. But now, they had reached nearly twice the amount. ¡®The day I kill you isn¡¯t too far off.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes glinted coldly. Another message appeared in front of him [You have entered Another World.] [You have received a Quest.] ¡°Quest?¡± ¡°What is this?¡± They bustled when they saw the message before them. Seo Jun-Ho looked at Chun-Hak expectantly, waiting for an exnation. ¡°I told you. The 4th floor is made entirely of Quests,¡± he said. ¡°How many Quests must we clear until we reach a Save Point?¡± ¡°Fifteen.¡± ¡°Only fifteen?¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned. Chun-Hakughed weakly. ¡°I should¡¯ve gone upter, too. When I first arrived here, I had to fight monsters nonstop. There was no leeway to carry out the Quests.¡± ¡°So does that mean there are no more monsters left?¡± ¡°Not exactly. Butpared to when I came here, there¡¯s basically nothing.¡± The party stepped off of the Dimensional Elevator and looked around before they started to speak excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s a city?¡± ¡°The standard of civilization seems simr to Earth¡¯s.¡± ¡°I see a few skyscrapers, too. And is that a department store over there?¡± While the others looked around, Seo Jun-Ho looked up. The gray sky looked uncharacteristically gloomy. Wei Chun-Hak checked the time. ¡°Yikes.Let¡¯s get moving before the sun sets,¡± he said hurriedly. ¡°What happens when the sun sets?¡± ¡°When night falls, those bastardse.¡± ¡°Those bastards?¡± When they looked at him for an answer, Wei Chun-Hak seemed like he didn¡¯t even want to exin it. ¡°The cockroaches,¡± he replied. *** ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of my own Quest, so I¡¯m only going to spend the first night with you guys and exin the basics before I leave,¡± Wei Chun-Hak said. ¡°Understood,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He felt a sense of danger when they entered the city. ¡®...I don¡¯t see any people.¡¯ Was this how everything would feel if everyone vanished one day? He looked at the street, which was clean but empty. ¡°Where did all the residents go?¡± he asked. ¡°...They¡¯re probably all dead.¡± The party members froze and stared at Wei Chun-Hak in shock. ¡°The city looks very big. But they¡¯re all dead?¡± ¡°Yeah. Ever since we first came here, the city has beenpletely empty.¡± They arrived at a convenience store, and Wei Chun-Hak began grabbing a few familiar-looking packs of cigarettes. Gilberto watched him. ¡°The convenience store is fully stocked. Is there a reason why you all haven¡¯t taken all these items?¡± ¡°Of course not. We empty them out every day. It¡¯s just that it initializes every day.¡± ¡°Initializes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little hard to put into words¡­ You¡¯ll understand when you see it in a few hours anyway.¡± This time, Skaya spoke up¡­ ¡°Where are the other yers?¡± she asked. ¡°This city is too out in the open, so it¡¯s not a good location. They have all gone to different cities,¡± Wei Chun-Hak exined. ¡°...¡± The party fell into deep contemtion. Since earlier, Wei Chun-Hak had been checking the time every minute as if they were racing against time. ¡®Wei Chun-Hak is a Heaven. He¡¯s not weak at all.¡¯ It felt strange to see him in such a rush. Eventually, Rahmadat couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity anymore. ¡°Hey. Are you rushing because you¡¯re scared of the cockroaches you mentioned earlier?¡± he asked. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not exactly scared of them. They¡¯re just annoying.¡± ¡°If they are merely cockroaches, you can simply kill them.¡± ¡°Yeah, killing them¡¯s the easy part.¡± Wei Chun-Hak grinned as if Rahmadat knew nothing. ¡°Since you brought it up, let me ask you a question. What¡¯s the greatest number of monsters our dear 5 Heroes have killed in a day?¡± ¡°...I dunno, I suppose it¡¯s about five hundred.¡± The other Heroes nodded. Those were the times when they killed the monsters that came pouring out of several Gates that had been forcibly opened. Even the 5 Heroes didn¡¯t have experience killing monsters in the thousands in such a short period of time. ¡°Five hundred, you say¡­¡± Wei Chun-Hak gave a mysterious smile. ¡°Then, you¡¯ll get to break that record today.¡± ¡°Hm?Earlier, didn¡¯t you say you cleaned out most of the monsters in the area?¡± ¡°We did. If we hadn¡¯t, we wouldn¡¯t have the time to rx like this.¡± Wei Chun-Hak shivered when he remembered his first day here. That day, the yers had scattered all over the city without knowing anything. That nightmare of a night came all of a sudden, and hundreds of veteran yers had died in vain. ¡°We fought from sundown to sunrise. We fell asleep when we got too exhausted, but when he woke up again, the fucking sun was setting again.¡± They had spent over a month going through that hellish routine before they had time to spare for the Quests. The mere act of talking about it made Wei Chun-Hak tired. He started walking faster. ¡°So, where are we going?¡± Skaya asked as he crossed the street. Wei Chun-Hak looked up at the tallest building as he spoke, ¡°A fancy restaurant.¡± *** ¡°Wow, the view¡¯s great!¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty. It would have been better if the sky were blue, though.¡± They couldn¡¯t stop staring and admiring the cityscape after they arrived at the skyscraper¡¯s lounge. The city was awash in the light of the sunset, and they couldn¡¯t see a single insect. ¡°...It reminds me of the old days,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. The cities looked exactly like this after the Gates suddenly appeared, and monsters started spilling out of them. Actually, it had been worse. ¡®You could see signs of destruction all over.¡¯ Meanwhile, this city looked much too clean for a ce that had been the ground zero of a battle for over a month. ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the ¡®initialization,¡¯ as he called it.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho turned, Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes grew wide, and he looked back down at the city. ¡°Yo...¡±[3] ¡°Um,you don¡¯t have to keep adding ¡®yo¡¯ to the end of your sentences. You can just speakfortably like you used to.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll do that once I get used to it.¡± This time, Seo Jun-Ho still heard a quiet ¡®-yo¡¯. The eight of them didn¡¯t get to admire the view for long. Wei Chun-Hak confirmed that the sun had set and swallowed. ¡°You should all thank me,¡± he said. ¡°What are you saying all of a sudden?¡± ¡°This ss doesn¡¯t let you see through it from the outside. So, it won¡¯t be easy for them to find us.¡± He tapped on the ss and stared into the distance. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, you would have had to fight those bastards from your very first day.¡± ¡°¡®Those bastards¡¯?¡± Rahmadat asked, sounding like he had discovered something. He squinted. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything because it¡¯s dark¡­huh?¡± The streetlights started to illuminate the dark city one by one. However, the streets remained pitch-ck. ¡°God almighty¡­¡± The first one to notice was Gilberto, as he had the sharpest eyes. And then, the other party members¡¯ faces started to fall. They were somewhere between ck and brown. Something shiny and hard was reflecting the light of the streetmps. ¡®Urp.¡¯ Cha Si-Eun had a weak stomach, and she unconsciously took a step back. The city¡¯s streets were wriggling. Or rather, something covering the streets was moving¡­ ¡°You¡¯re not telling me those are all¡­¡± ¡°Cockroaches.¡± Wei Chun-Hak shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re the only monsters on the 4th floor.¡± *** He turned off all the lights and spoke in a hushed voice. ¡°They¡¯re not normal cockroaches. Their exoskeletons can take three strikes from a sword aura, and their pincers are so strong they can crush steel armor.¡± ¡°Then, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to kill them if you can use a sword aura.¡± ¡°Of course. But even veteran yers can¡¯t use a sword aura for hours at a time.¡± At best, they could only maintain it for about two hours. The party members finally started to vaguely understand how arduous the advanced party¡¯s battle had been on their first day. ¡°Is there anything else we should know?¡± ¡°There are monsters that we call special entities. They¡¯re evolved...¡± ¡°Evolved?¡± ¡°Exactly. The most powerful special entity that I have encountered so far was a cockroach that looked like a human.¡± ¡°...!¡± The girls shivered when they pictured it. ¡°They¡¯re freaky cockroaches who mimic the appearance of tigers, bears, eagles, and so on.¡± ¡°God, I hate this.¡± ¡°...We can¡¯t go back, right?¡± ¡°You can, once you reach a Save Point.¡± Wei Chun-Hak shrugged. He gave them a piece of advice. ¡°Once you finish the initial Quests, it would be best to leave this city as soon as possible. You¡¯ll get nothing out of staying here.¡± Once the rooster crowed, and the sun rose, the cockroaches scattered and disappeared. The buildings, traffic lights, and streets that they had destroyed started to rebuild themselves as if time was flowing backward. ¡°Every day at 6 am, the city neatly initializes itself like that.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho bit down on his lip. The city was clean as if it was denying that anything had ever happened. However, in his eyes, it had be the dirtiest thing he had ever seen. Chapter 320. Another World (3)

Chapter 320. Another World (3)

Even though the party wasn¡¯t able to sleep at all, they weren¡¯t the type of people to get tired after staying up for just one night. ¡°Let¡¯s all wash up for now and meet up at the restaurant,¡± Wei Chun-Hak said as he handed out the hotel key cards he had brought from the first floor. The guest rooms had been tidily cleaned up with the initialization, and they smelled nice. Shwaaa! ¡°...No problems with the water either.¡± The water pressure was strong. Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the showerhead and frowned. For a city that had no one running it, the amenities worked surprisingly well. ¡®And it has already been a few months.¡¯ He didn¡¯t understand the ¡®initialization¡¯ system that happened every day at 6 AM on a logical system either. ¡®There¡¯s a lot to learn.¡¯ When he finished showering and returned to the restaurant, he could hear some activity from the kitchen. ¡°Is someone cooking in there?¡± he asked Gilberto, who was making coffee. Gilberto¡¯s face grew dark, and he nodded. ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho caught his meaning and quickly took out gun-bbang from his Inventory.[1]¡°This will be my breakfast for today.¡± As soon as he said that, Mio suddenly poked her head out of the kitchen. ¡°Jun-Ho. I am making breakfast.¡± ¡°...Sorry, I feel a little nauseous after witnessing that sightst night. I¡¯m just gonna eat this for today.¡± Mio looked a little regretful before she disappeared. Seo Jun-Ho then let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I forgot because it has been a while.¡± ¡°It reminds me of the old days,¡± Gilberto remarked. Mio¡¯s cooking tasted fatal. Because of that, Gilberto and Seo Jun-Ho always took turns cooking inside Gates. ¡°I should also be careful from now on so that she won¡¯t get to enter the kitchen,¡± Gilberto said with determination. Behind him, the other party members poured in. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, I¡¯m hungry.Huh?Is someone cooking? Gimme food~¡± Skaya sang. ¡°I am also a little hungry,¡± Rahmadat said. As soon as they took their seats, Mio came out of the kitchen with scary timing, carrying tes. Skaya stiffened when she saw. ¡°...Why are youing out of there?¡± ¡°I prepared breakfast.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I was the first toe here.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Skaya, you sometimes ask nonsensical questions.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Mio ignored Skaya¡¯s confusion and put down the tes. On top of them sat pleasant-looking, freshly-cooked pancakes. Wei Chun-Hak, Cha Si-Eun, and Kim Woo-Joong all picked up the forks, not knowing any better. ¡°I never thought that I would be able to try the Sky Phoenix¡¯s cooking.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cook next time.¡± ¡°Thank you for the food.¡± Mio nodded once, looking proud. She looked at Rahmadat and Skaya. ¡°And you two?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not eating it. Your cooking tastes bad,¡± Rahmadat said. At his cutting remark, all their forks froze in the air. ¡°That is false. I have be much better at cooking. It is the truth,¡± Mio said, quickly denying it. ¡°Forget it. Jun-Ho, give me some of your gun-bbang.¡± Mio looked at Skaya, hurt by the stubborn refusal. Mio looked as sad as an abandoned puppy, and Skaya wavered at that sight. ¡®N-no, I can¡¯t¡­¡¯She knew better than anyone else that she would regret it if she ate these pancakes. However, she didn¡¯t want to offend her adorable, lovely friend. In the end, she picked up a fork with a trembling hand. ¡°I should¡­ eat.¡± Skaya stared down at the te. The pancakes smelled nice with maple syrup poured over them, and they also looked pretty good from the outside. ¡®Yeah. Mio¡¯s cooking might have actually improved.¡¯ And pancakes were easy to make. All you had to do was make sure the dough was cooked well. They looked so good on the outside, so they shouldn¡¯t taste that bad. After all, it was difficult to make pancakes taste bad. As everyone watched, Skaya swallowed a piece of a pancake with a terrified look. ¡°Mm¨J!¡± She couldn¡¯t suppress the sound she had just made. It was all because Skaya realized that the pancakes were undercooked. ¡°How is it?¡± Mio asked, looking very nervous. Rahmadat snorted. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell just from her face? I¡¯m pretty sure it tastes bad.¡± ¡°...Please be quiet. I will not cook for you anymore.¡± ¡°I would be grateful if you did.¡± Mio gave him a sharp look and turned to Skaya. Thetter forcibly swallowed the squishy batter and gave her a thumbs-up with great effort. ¡°I-it¡¯s good.¡± The party was full of liars. *** After breakfast, four party members looked half-dead, as if they had eaten a poisonous mushroom. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a new assassination technique¡­ No, I don¡¯t think the 5 Heroes would target me¡­ Then why¡­?¡± ¡°Mr. Chun-Hak.¡± Seo Jun-Ho called while the other was muttering to himself. ¡°I need to leave¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Chun-Hak?¡± Wei Chun-Hak managed to pull himself together and turned toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°W-what is it?¡± ¡°What do we need to do to clear the so-called Quests?¡± At the mention of this, Wei Chun-Hak looked a little more alive. ¡°For that, you just need to say ¡®Quest Window¡¯.¡± ¡°Quest Window?¡± The words had barely left his mouth when a blue, semi-transparent window appeared before him. [First Quest] Requirements: Collect 10 marbles. ¡°It says I need to collect marbles,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Those marbles will be the most important part of all the Quests you¡¯ll do,¡± Wei Chun-Hak exined. ¡°What do we do once we collect them?¡± ¡°There are machines called marble vending machines around the city¡­ Actually, it would just be faster to show you in person.¡± Wei Chun-Hak stood up and gestured with his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk together.¡± While everyone followed him out of the restaurant, Seo Jun-Ho remained behind. ¡°Why aren¡¯t youing out?¡± he asked the invisible Frost Queen. ¡°...Hmph.¡± Sitting on a chair, the Frost Queen smiled kindly and shook her head. ¡°I am quite alright, so I hope you and your friends have a safe trip.¡± ¡°Huh?What are you saying? You¡¯reing too.¡± ¡°I said, I am quite alright.¡± Why was she suddenly acting like this? The Frost Queen gripped the armrests of her chair, showing that she had no intention of letting go no matter what. ¡°Are you¡­ Are you acting like this because of the cockroaches?¡± The Frost Queen flinched; she had just disyed a very obvious reaction to the mention of them. ¡°W-what are you intending to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re acting like this because you¡¯re scared of the cockroaches.¡± ¡°I am¡­ not a child¡­ They are insignificant creatures¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t even hide the great fear on her face. The Frost Queen looked at Seo Jun-Ho with a pitiful look, her eyes gleaming with anxiety. ¡°Contractor. May I stay here just for today? Just one day,¡± she said honestly. Seo Jun-Ho lightly patted her head. ¡°Nope. Come here, right now.¡± She had no other choice. *** The eight of them walked down the wide street. Wei Chun-Hak slung his jacket over his shoulder and led them. ¡°Marbles are hidden all over the city. There¡¯s no pattern to it. For example¡­¡± He suddenly bent down and reached into the beverage vending machine. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± They watched him doubtfully, but he was grinning when he stood back up. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m telling you, the marbles are actually hidden in ces like this.¡± He held out his dust-covered hand, showing off three brilliant marbles. So, it turned out that hehadn¡¯tbeen digging for change. ¡°All the marbles give off a tiny amount of magic energy, so concentrate as you walk around.¡± ¡°So, they are not very difficult to find.¡± ¡°I think Skaya will have it the easiest.¡± Unsurprisingly, she eagerly reached into her Inventory and pulled out something resembling a vacuum cleaner. ¡°With the Magic Detector 4.0, this will be a piece of cake!¡± ¡°...So, once we gather the marbles, how do we use them?¡± Kim Woo-Joong asked. ¡°Good question. Everyone, follow me.¡± Wei Chun-Hak led them into an alleyway and stopped in front of a white vending machine. ¡°This is the marble vending machine.¡± ¡°So, you put in marbles instead of money?¡± ¡°Yup. Every time you put in 100 marbles, you¡¯ll get a random potion, skill book, or a piece of gear. There are broken vending machines too, so be careful. If you put your marbles in one, you won¡¯t get them back.¡± Their eyes grew hazy. After all, Wei Chun-Hak¡¯s words meant you would be stronger the more marbles you collected. ¡°Then, as long as you collect a lot of marbles, you¡¯ll keep getting stronger?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, no. Every yer can only get ten rewards at most.¡± It was a vague number. They couldn¡¯t tell if ten was a lot or a little. ¡°Are there any other uses for the marbles other than the vending machines?¡± ¡°No. At the least, we haven¡¯t been able to find another way to use it in the two months that we have been here.¡± Wei Chun-Hak¡¯s face grew a little concerned. ¡°Now that I¡¯m about to leave, I¡¯m getting worried about you guys. There were 20,000 yers living here before¡­ But once I leave, there¡¯ll only be seven of you.¡± ¡°Well, shouldn¡¯t it be fine as long as we don¡¯t go out at night?¡± ¡°Not exactly. They crawl around during the day too, in dark buildings and sewers.¡± In other words, unless they were somewhere bright, their safety wasn¡¯t guaranteed. ¡°Well, with the members you have, I guess I don¡¯t need to worry. For the first five Quests, all you¡¯ll need to do is collect marbles. After everyone is done using those vending machines ten times upon collecting a thousand of those marbles, let¡¯s meet up at the next city.¡± Wei Chun-Hak waved casually. ¡°I have my own Quest I need to finish, so I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± ¡°Thank you for helping us.¡± ¡°It was nothing. If you really want to repay me, hurry up and meet me at the front lines and help me out.¡± After the party members said their farewells, Wei Chun-Hak disappeared at the end of the street with a cigarette between his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m gonna get going now to look for marbles.¡± ¡°It might be dangerous, so it would be best to split into teams.¡± ¡°Good idea. Then us girls will move together.¡± With Mio and Cha Si-Eun in tow, Skaya disappeared in the direction of the department store. ¡°Rahmadat, youe with me,¡± Gilberto said. ¡°If you want¡­¡± Gilberto was being considerate of Kim Woo-Joong, who didn¡¯t know any of the others. After the two parties left, Seo Jun-Ho spoke, ¡°Shall we go too?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho sensed magic pouring out of Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s body. It swiftly flooded the streets. ¡°Found it.¡± Kim Woo-Joong shuffled around here and there and quickly found five marbles. Seo Jun-Ho watched Kim Woo-Joong do his own thing, and before he could do the same as Kim Woo-Joong, he was interrupted. - The chopstick container on the second table in the knife noodle restaurant to the left piques my interest. A rough voice suddenly spoke in his head. ¡®Oh, right, I have this guy.¡¯ It was Keen Intuition. He hadn¡¯t said a single word in the past three months, so Seo Jun-Ho hadpletely forgotten about him. ¡®You were so quiet, I thought you were dead.¡¯ - Back then, you did not encounter any situations that required my intervention. The knife noodle restaurant was unlocked. Seo Jun-Ho stepped in and rummaged around the specified chopstick container and found seven marbles at once. He stared at the marbles in his hand. ¡®Hey, how many times can you do this?¡¯ Keen Intuition¡¯s answer was as dependable as ever. - I can do this all day. Chapter 321. Another World (4)

Chapter 321. Another World (4)

Vrrr. ¡°Shall I go to Jongro~ Shall I go to Myeongdong¡­Huh?¡±[1] Holding the noisy vacuum cleaner, Skaya suddenly stopped on the street and tilted her head. She had spotted a familiar face nearby. ¡®It¡¯s the Sword Saint.¡¯ He was standing still in the middle of the street with his eyes closed. At first, she thought he was pushing out his magic to look for marbles, but that wasn¡¯t it. Skaya didn¡¯t sense a single drop of magic energy around him. ¡°...!¡± Just then, Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes opened as fast as lightning. He walked into the nearby knife noodle restaurant and rummaged around. Shortly after, he came trudging out with empty hands. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Skaya asked him. ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joongpletely avoided the question and asked a question of his own. ¡°...Weren¡¯t you at the department store? Why are you using a vacuum cleaner on the streets?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a vacuum cleaner.¡± It was the Magic Detector 4.0. ¡°This little genius alone found 70 marbles today. I went off on my own because it¡¯s so efficient.¡± With her exnation finished, Skaya asked him again, ¡°So, what was that weird thing you did just now?¡± Kim Woo-Joong squirmed when she pressed him and eventually caved. ¡°Hmm¡­ Ah, a-ha¡­So, Jun-Ho found marbles using that method?¡± Skaya asked. As soon as he told him the story, she knew that it was probably Keen Intuition. ¡®But had Keen Intuition always been that good?¡¯ ording to what Kim Woo-Joong had told her, Skaya thought that the skill would find Seo Jun-Ho more marbles than the Magic Detector 4.0. She stared nkly at her vacuum cleaner before making a decision. ¡°I¡¯m going to make the 5.0 tonight at the hotel.¡± ¡°...¡± Vrrr¡­ The Magic Detector made a sorrowful sound in her hand. *** - Break the floor tile in the third row. ¡°Ooh,fifteen marbles.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned in joy. He was collecting marbles without a hitch. ¡°This is so convenient.¡± - I told you that I would be of more assistance than that child. ¡°...By ¡®that child,¡¯ you are not referring to the Queen of the great kingdom of Niflheim, are you?¡± The Frost Queen had been trailing behind Seo Jun-Ho in silence. Her face grew cold. If she were an adult, the look on her face would have been very intimidating, but since she had the appearance of a child right now, it was just cute. ¡°Stop it. Why can¡¯t you guys go one minute without bickering?¡± Seo Jun-Ho scolded them with a sigh. The Frost Queen looked at him with great bitterness. ¡°Why are you looking at me? That rude little¡­¡±[2] ¡°Be nice¡­¡± ¡°The mannerless skill started it first.¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help that he couldn¡¯t see Keen Intuition, so he was scolding Frost who hecouldsee. He sighed and sat on the toilet, counting the marbles he had collected so far. ¡®125. That was really fast.¡¯ Even taking into ount the fact that he had nopetitors, he was still very fast in collecting marbles. ¡°I¡¯ve cleared the second Quest, too.¡± After the first Quest, which required him to collect ten marbles, the next one required him to collect a hundred. And now, it was time to clear the third Quest. [Third Quest] Requirements: Use a marble vending machine 1 time. If he continued with this pace, he would be able to go over to the next city within a week. ¡°Now, now, stop it. Stop fighting, and tell me where I need to go next.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood up and exited the bathroom. - Above you! Just as Keen Intuition warned him urgently, the ceiling caved in and three giant bugs fell through. Thanks to Keen Intuition, Seo Jun-Ho was a beat early and had already unsheathed his sword. Slice! The jet-ck sword aura covering the Sword of Ambition cut straight through one of the cockroaches in the blink of an eye. ¡°Kieee!¡± ¡°...¡± The other two prepared to counterattack, but just as Seo Jun-Ho turned toward them, they suddenly froze like toys that had run out of battery. ¡°...?¡± Were they trying to make him let down his guard? Seo Jun-Ho eyes narrowed. He had no idea what was going on. And then, apletely unexpected message appeared before him. [The effects of Title ¡®Exterminator¡¯ has been activated.] [Bugs are afraid of you.] It hadn¡¯t been some sort of battle tactic. The two cockroaches had merely frozen up in fear upon seeing their natural predator. Their antennae shivered finely, as if they were praying for him to pass by. ¡°Exterminator?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. This was the Title he had received after defeating Janabi. At the time, he had been pretty salty, thinking that it had such a useless effect. ¡®But it actually works on the cockroaches on the 4th floor?¡¯ Because the description mentioned ¡®bugs,¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought that it would only apply to the tiny ones like flies and mosquitoes. He never thought it would work on a cockroach that looked big enough to eat a cow. The cockroaches stood as still as statues, and Seo Jun-Ho severed their heads in a sh simr to lightning. They died without even resisting. ¡°...¡± As he looked down at the dead monsters, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face grew unclear. ¡®This is¡­ A good thing, right?¡¯ As long as the Title was effective, he would have no reason to fear the monsters on the 4th floor. ¡®Let¡¯s read their memories for now.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho approached a bug covered in green fluid and held out his hand. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± His hand shone brightly, and a message appeared. [The skill has failed to activate.] ¡°...?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at his hand.¡®It failed?¡¯ It didn¡¯t say that he couldn¡¯t read the memories in detail because his skill rank was too low. This was the first time the skill itself had failed to activate. Just to be sure, he tried to use it on the other two. [The skill has failed to activate.] [The skill has failed to activate.] ¡°...¡± At that, his face turned grave. ¡®Why in the world can¡¯t I use it?¡¯ His mind quickly came up with two possible exnations. The first exnation was that the bugs weren¡¯t living creatures. Confession of the Dead was a skill that only let him look at the memories of living creatures. ¡®And second¡­ Their memories have been erased.¡¯ If that were the case, it made sense that the skill would fail to activate. After all, there were no memories to look at. ¡°...¡± However, there could be another exnation he hadn¡¯t even thought of at all. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chest grew tight with frustration. ¡°Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s nothing more to see here,¡± he said. ¡°...¡± When the Frost Queen didn¡¯t reply, he turned around and scratched his cheek. ¡®Man, I guess the cockroaches weren¡¯t the only ones who had met their natural enemy.¡¯ The Frozen Queen had also went stiff, as if she were a toy that had run out of battery. *** Seo Jun-Ho returned to the hotel before sunset. The other party members were already gathered in the lobby and were betting on who had gathered the most marbles. ¡°Ehem.¡± Skaya looked more haughty than usual. She looked at Seo Jun-Ho nervously. ¡°...How many did you get?¡± ¡°214.¡± ¡°Dammit! If I used the 5.0, I would have beaten you!¡± Still looking angry, she told them that she had gathered 155. ¡°Now, I feel depressed¡­¡± ¡°Why are you so upset that you lost?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Skaya said, letting out a long sigh. ¡°There was a vending machine in front of that school over there.¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw them all over the ce.¡± ¡°I happened to be passing by, so I put in the marbles I collected today.¡± The vending machine required a hundred marbles per use. They all looked at her eagerly, afraid that they would miss a single word. ¡°So what did you get? A skill? Stat points?¡± ¡°...Nothing.¡± ¡°Nothing came out?¡± ¡°Yeah, it was one of the broken vending machines Wei Chun-Hak had mentioned.¡± Skaya looked like she was about to cry. ¡°Now, I¡¯ve lost one of my chances.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I can only use the marble vending machines nine more times. Why should it count when it was bugged?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Vending machines that ate marbles without giving out any rewards. They wouldn¡¯t be there for no reason at all. ¡°Since you have already lost a chance, can you try using it nine more times?¡± Seo Jun-Ho proposed. ¡°Do you wanna die? Do you want to eat Mio¡¯s cooking tomorrow?¡± ¡°...?¡± They ignored Mio¡¯s confused face and continued the conversation. ¡°I found forty-nine.¡± ¡°Rahmadat and I collected about sixty each. With our current pace, I think it would take us about two weeks to collect a thousand.¡± Aside from Cha Si-Eun, who had found the least number of marbles, their numbers didn¡¯t differ much. ¡°I¡¯ll lend you the Magic Detector 4.0 tomorrow,¡± Skaya said to Cha Si-Eun. ¡°What about you, unnie?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine since I¡¯m gonna make the 5.0 tonight.¡± If Skaya lended the Magic Detector to the other party members, they would be even faster in gathering marbles. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to tell you all,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He told them about Exterminator. ¡°So, the cockroaches couldn¡¯t even move? -yo?[3]¡± Kim Woo-Joong asked. ¡°Yes. They were all frozen up.¡± The look in their eyes changed. They recalled the myriads of cockroaches they had seen covering the city on their first night. If Seo Jun-Ho was telling the truth, they could hunt them easily and level up. ¡°It may be too early to say for sure. Test it out a few more times while you¡¯re collecting marbles,¡± Gilberto advised coolly. If the results were the same as today, they would no longer need to hide at night. They would spend the day collecting marbles and spend the night collecting EXP. *** It seemed that Keen Intuition had some sort of trick up his sleeve. After finding 214 marbles on the first day, he found a whopping 150 on the second day before it was even noon. ¡°That¡¯s 364,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. With this, he could use the vending machine three times. He looked around for the machines to fulfill the third Quest. ¡®Now that I want to use them, I can¡¯t find any...¡¯ He continued walking down the street and finally came across a vending machine. ¡°Oh,but this is¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around. After going running around all over to find marbles, he had somehow ended up in front of a school. This was the broken vending machine Skaya had mentionedst night. Strangely enough, itdidcapture his attention, but he didn¡¯t really want to use it himself. - Wait. Try using that vending machine. ¡°...Weren¡¯t you listeningst night? It¡¯s broken.¡± - I am well aware. However¡­However, I sense something. As always, Keen Intuition¡¯s advice had no basis. ¡®All he does is tell me what he senses. But¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stroked his chin. Just as monkeys sometimes fell off trees, there were times when Keen Intuition was incorrect. ¡®Actually, some of the ces he told me to go to yesterday didn¡¯t have any marbles.¡¯ Despite those moments, Keen Intuition¡¯s probability of sess was still high, but that didn¡¯t mean Seo Jun-Ho could trust him a hundred percent and follow him blindly. ¡°You¡¯re saying that you sense something special about that vending machine, right?¡± - Of course; however, the decision lies in you. All Keen Intuition did was expand Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s options. He never forced them onto him. ¡®Putting my marbles in there knowing that it¡¯s a broken vending machine¡­ That¡¯s not an easy decision to make.¡¯ Wei Chun-Hak had warned them to immediately go to another vending machine if they came across a broken one. Out of the 20,000 yers, not a single one had gotten anything out of those broken vending machines. ¡°...Let me think about it a bit more.¡± He couldn¡¯t make a decision right away, on the spot. He didn¡¯t see any reason to go as far as giving up a guaranteed profit from another machine. ¡°And this is a school.¡± Seo Jun-Ho studied the vast grounds of the high school. ¡®A school that big should have an underground parking lot.¡¯[4] His goal for today wasn¡¯t just to collect marbles. It was also important for him to test the effects of Exterminator a few more times just to make sure it was working. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Must we do this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you cake back at the hotel.¡± ¡°...¡± He could hear the Frost Queen quietly trailing behind him. Chapter 322. Another World (5)

Chapter 322. Another World (5)

Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t understand this world¡¯snguage, so he couldn¡¯t read the name of the school. However, there was something he knew¡­ ¡°This was a very prestigious academy,¡± he observed. ¡°And how do you know that?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°I can tell just by looking at the schoolyard.¡± Seeing the neatly-cut grass covering the yard like a ser field, there was nothing else he needed to know. ¡®And¡­¡¯ As he had expected, the entrance to the underground parking lot was next to the building. It showed that a lot of people had worked here. ¡°But none of that matters. Let¡¯s go,¡± he said. The parking lot was rtively dark, but he could still see in front of him. He saw something crawling quickly through the shadowy corners. And it didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that they were cockroaches. ¡°Eek!¡±Frost let out an unpleasant shriek and curled. She stared into the dark areas of the parking lot with eyes filled with fear. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Watch carefully.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gently patted her shoulder and calmed her down. ¡°They¡¯re just quietly looking at us. They won¡¯te at us, I promise.¡± ¡°...Is it because of your Title, Contractor?¡± ¡°Probably¡­¡± Even though he stepped closer toward them, the cockroaches didn¡¯t move a muscle. They were in a defenseless state with their backs turned to him, but they still didn¡¯t move. It meant that Exterminator¡¯s effect was working well. ¡®Makes sense. Cockroaches aren¡¯t beneficial insects.¡¯ He clenched his fists and slowly mustered his magic power. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see how well my skills work on them and see if they have any specific weak points.¡± He used Watchguard of Darkness, the Frost skill, and all sorts of weapons. Once he was done with a variety of experiments, Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡®Thankfully, all of my skills work well.¡¯ Watchguard of Darkness¡¯ power to disregard cut right through their hard exoskeleton like tofu. And if he killed them after freezing them with Frost, the end result wasn¡¯t that gross. - Open the glovebox in that white Jeep. He also collected as many marbles as he could. He already had 620 of them. Seo Jun-Ho pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°Let¡¯s head back early today.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± the Frost Queen said, delighted. Because he kept on getting so much EXP, she thought that her Contractor would go wild and hunt for a long time. ¡°I¡¯m done experimenting, so there¡¯s no real need to waste my energy right now.¡± Moreover, the true hunt would take begin at night. He would recover as much stamina as possible before then¡­ ¡°I¡¯m gonna do the homework you gave me.¡± And work on a new technique¡­ *** Cha Si-Eun dragged her feet into the hotel, clearly exhausted. Skaya was in the middle of remodeling the Magic Detector 5.0 in the lobby. She waved. ¡°Hey, girl! Didja try out the Magic Detector 4.0?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to you, I collected many marbles.¡± It wasn¡¯t ttery. Yesterday, she couldn¡¯t even find fifty marbles after working herself so hard, but today, she had found over a hundred marbles. ¡°Fufu,there¡¯s a reason why Jun-Ho calls me Skayamon. Let me know if it somehow breaks.¡± ¡°I will...¡± ¡°You must be tired from running around. Go upstairs and rest.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± Cha Si-Eun brightly said. However, unlike what she said, she immediately went to the hotel¡¯s gym. ¡®I have no time to rest if I want to be at least a little helpful.¡¯ Cha Si-Eun knew better than anyone else that her skills were the most subpar among the seven yers in the city. ¡®So, I have to be the one who works the hardest. I can¡¯t drag them down no matter what¡­¡¯ Of course, there was a clear limit in terms of strength for nonbatants. However, at the very least, she wanted to avoid an ident in a moment of crisis where she couldn¡¯t move because shecked stamina. And that was why she dragged her exhausted body to the gym to do some stamina training. ¡°Huff, huff...¡±Once her entire body was drenched in sweat from running, Cha Si-Eun finally left the gym. However, Cha Si-Eun suddenly froze. Seo Jun-Ho was sitting on the sofa in the lounge in front of the gym,pletely absorbed. ¡°Tooo¡­ Tooooo¡­It¡¯s not working.¡± He was holding a giant horn made of ice. It resembled an instrument, but the only sound that came out of it was the whistling air. ¡°What¡­ are you doing?¡± Cha Si-Eun asked as she entered the lounge. Seo Jun-Ho looked embarrassed. ¡°There¡¯s no sound¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a wind instrument that looks like that before.¡± It resembled a french horn, but it was much bigger. It was so big that¡ªin fact¡ªshe wasn¡¯t even sure that it could produce sound from the vocal cords and lung capacity of a human. ¡°Canit even produce sound?¡± Cha Si-Eun asked. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve seen it produce sound.¡± The Frost Queen had even demonstrated it, so that much was definite. ¡°But why are you suddenly trying to learn an instrument?¡± ¡°To be precise, I¡¯m not learning an instrument but working on a new technique.¡± What did those two have to do with each other? Cha Si-Eun blinked. She pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°As far as I know, wind instruments do not produce sound just by using a lot of air.¡± ¡°Then, how do they do it?¡± ¡°You have to maintain a consistent amount of air. Picture it as gathering the air before you push it out.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked surprised. ¡°You even know how to y an instrument?¡± ¡°...I¡¯ve studied the mechanisms before. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a few more tooting noises and nodded. ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to get the hang of it, thanks to your advice. Thank you.¡± ¡°Not at all. You would have figured it out even without my advice.¡± Cha Si-Eun smiled warmly and bowed her head before she left the lounge. She was brimming with joy from being able to help such a great man. ¡°...Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho narrowed his eyes at the Frost Queen sitting next to him. All she did was create the instrument before handing it over to him. She hadn¡¯t taught him any tricks like what Cha Si-Eun had done. ¡°A good teacher knows how to wait until their student finds the answer themselves. The Saintess is not a good teacher,¡± the Frost Queen replied. However, she looked as if she was sulking. ¡®I have not been able to demonstrate my majesty in recent memory, so I nned to teach him after showing off a few more times¡­¡¯ However, she did not expect that an intruder would appear. ¡°...Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The Frost Queen had a hint of a smile on her face. ¡°You arezing around again. Get back to practice,¡± she urged. *** Once the sun started to set at the end of the horizon, the party members gathered in the lobby. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Gilberto asked with concern. Seo Jun-Ho grinned. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m telling you, I already tested it a few times.¡± ¡°But this is your first time fighting dozens; no, hundreds of them, so you never know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I need to do this.¡± Ever since Arthur was born, Gilberto would start nagging at the drop of a hat. Seo Jun-Ho was finally done in his preparations to step out. ¡°I¡¯ll watch you. If something goes wrong, I¡¯ll go get you, so don¡¯t worry too much,¡± Skaya said. Even if Gilberto¡¯s worries came true and his Title couldn¡¯t hold off hundreds of cockroaches, Skaya could reliably pull him out, so there was no reason to be concerned. ¡°If the results are good today, we¡¯ll start a hunting party tomorrow,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Over 20,000 yers had barely managed to clean up the city after a month. What could a mere seven yers do? ¡°Please be careful.¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned his back to their worried faces and stepped out into the street by himself. The glow of the sunset was gradually swallowed by the night sky. [Night has fallen. Hunter¡¯s Night (A) has been activated.] [All stats increased by 10%.] [Your senses have been sharpened.] Night fell, and the street lights turned on one by one. Something was crawling out from every corner of the city. They covered the streets in an instant, creating a giant wave. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands squeezed the hilt of his sword. ¡°...¡± The raging wave of insects suddenly came to a stop. There were at least hundreds of cockroaches, but they all held their breaths when they sensed their natural enemy. The party members marveled at the sight as they watched through the hotel windows. ¡°They really stopped!¡± ¡°Seems like the effect is working properly¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m itching all over. Can¡¯t we just start hunting tonight?¡± ¡°No. We decided to go hunting after gathering marbles tomorrow and using the vending machines, remember?¡± ¡°Jun-Ho-nim truly is legendary¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho cleanly cut through the wall of insects and walked deeper into the streets. *** Slice! Seo Jun-Ho frowned, seemingly frustrated. ¡°This is nice and all, but it¡¯s kind of annoying how they don¡¯t even move because they¡¯re frozen in fear.¡± It felt like giant walls had been erected. So, whenever he cut through the cockroaches, he either had to take the long way around or trudge through the green discharge. - Look inside the sewer. It was already dawn. ording to the n, he was supposed to be back at the hotel already, but Seo Jun-Ho had pushed himself a bit. ¡®But thanks to that¡­¡¯ He pulled out four marbles from the bottom of the sewer. There was a small smile on his face. ¡°I got them all.¡± Seo Jun-Ho managed to collect the required 1,000 marbles in just four days. None of the 20,000 yers before him had done such an achievement. ¡®Now that I am done collecting them all, I should soon decide on how I will use them.¡¯ He pondered the question as he made his way back to the hotel, wondering whether he should gamble on the broken vending machine as per Keen Intuition¡¯s suggestion or if he should just take the safe route. ¡°Intuition. Do you still feel the same way? - Of course. On the contrary, I have be more assured as time passed. There is something about those broken vending machines. There wasn¡¯t a hint of hesitation in Keen Intuition¡¯s voice, and with that, Seo Jun-Ho finally made his decision. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you, then.¡± - Really? But even if you do not receive a good oue¡­ ¡°I won¡¯t me you for it. This is my own choice.¡± If that happened, his trust in Keen Intuition would naturally decrease. Having made up his mind, Seo Jun-Ho sought out the vending machine in front of the school. It was sitting on the dark street, lit up by the streemp. ¡°Inventory.¡± He retrieved a pouch packed with marbles. He counted a hundred and inserted them into the machine. [You have inserted 100 marbles.] [Nothing happened.] [Vending machine uses 9/10.] This was exactly as Skaya had described. However, he immediately put in another hundred. [You have inserted 100 marbles.] [Nothing happened.] [Vending machine uses 8/10.] [Vending machine uses 7/10.] [Vending machine uses 6/10.] ¡­ Nine hundred of the marbles Seo Jun-Ho had worked so hard to collect vanished in an instant. And he still didn¡¯t receive any reward. ¡®Did I miscalcte?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho hesitated only for a moment. He shook his head and inserted thest hundred marbles. [You have inserted 100 marbles.] Thud! He heard something fall. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed, and he quickly picked up the item and studied it. ¡°This is¡­¡± He had received a book. Maybe it was a Skill Book? However, his face soon revealed his doubts. It wasdefinitelynot a Skill Book. [¡ö¡ö¡¯s Diary] The item data didn¡¯t give tell him the grade, description, or effects. All he could tell was that this empty notebook was someone¡¯s diary. Wondering if it had any special abilities, Seo Jun-Ho took out a pen and wrote down a random sentence. [Die, Heavenly Demon.] But once the words were written down, they scattered like sand. ¡°...A diary you can¡¯t write in.¡± How in the world would he use it? ¡°Intuition, can you tell me anything about this?¡± - My apologies. Even I do not know. ¡°I burned through a thousand marbles for a diary I can¡¯t even use,¡± heined. There was a bitter taste in his mouth. Seo Jun-Ho tossed the diary into his Inventory and returned to the hotel. Chapter 323. Death Diary (1)

Chapter 323. Death Diary (1)

As soon as Seo Jun-Ho returned to the hotel, the others flocked around him. ¡°What the hell were you doing? It¡¯s dawn already!¡± ¡°Are you hurt anywhere? If so, let me heal you before anything else!¡± ¡°Is Community broken for you? Why weren¡¯t you answering?¡± They scolded him for a long time. However, he didn¡¯t exactly hate it, as they were worried about him. He let out a small chuckle. ¡°Why are youughing? Is this a joke to you?¡± Gilberto chided. Seo Jun-Ho dismissed him with anotherugh. ¡°The experiment was a sess.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s good to hear, I suppose.¡± ¡°Yes! Then, we should be able to really quickly clear the 4th floor!¡± ¡°Can we go right up to the 5th floor? We¡¯re already halfway there.¡± Their faces were giddy, excited for the hopeful future. Seo Jun-Ho watched them for a moment before he pped his hands together to get their attention. ¡°Let¡¯s rest until morning. We¡¯ll start hunting tomorrow night after everyone¡¯s done collecting their marbles.¡± They all returned to their rooms, hoping to reserve their stamina for tomorrow. ¡°Oh,Skaya. Can we talk for a moment?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took out the diary from his Inventory and showed it to her. Considering how much she knew about magic and artifacts, she might be able to find out what this was used for. ¡°Can you check this and tell me what this does?¡± ¡°An artifact appraisal? Sure. I¡¯ve done it hundreds of times at the Magic Tower, so it¡¯s not difficult.¡± Skaya inspected the diary all over. ¡°Where and when did you get this?¡± she asked. ¡°Just now. I got it from the broken vending machine you mentioned.¡¯ ¡°Whaaat?¡± Skaya frowned. She whipped her head up. ¡°That¡¯s weird. Why did you get one but not me? I didn¡¯t get anything.¡± ¡°It only came out after I put in a thousand marbles.¡± ¡°Athousand?¡± Skaya¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re crazy. You tried it even though I clearly told you it was broken?¡± ¡°I got a feeling that I should...¡± ¡°...Well, I suppose the five of usdohave a few screws loose.¡± ¡°Why are you including me? I¡¯m extremely normal,¡± Seo Jun-Ho protested, feeling wronged. However, Skaya wasn¡¯t convinced in the least. ¡°That¡¯s just whatyouthink.¡± ¡°...Forget it. Just do the appraisal.¡± ¡°I got it, so stop whining. Give me a moment.¡± Skaya closed her eyes and slowly mustered her magic energy. It spread out in a wide area and transformed into dense threads simr to a spiderweb. The threads then touched the diary. ¡°Ow!¡± A spark shed, and the diary fell to the ground. ¡°What was that? Are you okay?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, shocked. ¡°Ugh,shit¡­ Who do you think you are?¡± Skaya rubbed her stinging hand on her forearm, ring at the diary with narrowed eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I was trying to analyze the type of spells it possessed, but it rejected me.Verystrongly, at that.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho also looked at the diary. It meant that the magic it contained far surpassed Skaya¡¯s own skills¡ªso much so that it didn¡¯t even let her take a cursory nce at it. ¡°Interesting. I wonder what kind of bloke made this.¡± Skaya opened the diary in her hands again. ¡°Did you try writing something on it?¡± ¡°Yeah. But as soon as I finished the sentence, it disappeared.¡± ¡°Give me a pen.¡± Skaya took Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s pen and quickly scrawled something down. - Frost is adorable. Frost always follows me around. She follows me like a little duckling. The Frost Queen froze as she watched what Skaya was writing. Her body trembled, and she muttered that Skaya was a liar. ¡°Oh,it really does disappear.¡± Just like before, the words on the page vanished. Skaya remained indifferent. ¡°I didn¡¯t sense any oscitions in magic energy when the words disappeared. Really, what is this?¡± Skaya then handed it back to Seo Jun-Ho, who put it away. Thetter could only swallow his frustration. Skaya watched him inly. ¡°I want to try it, too,¡± she dered. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to put nine hundred more marbles into that vending machine tomorrow and get my own diary. It looks like it¡¯s worth researching.¡± ¡°Whatever you want.¡± After all, it was ultimately up to her to decide on how to use her marbles. *** The next day, Seo Jun-Ho spent all his time locked up in the lounge, practicing his instrument. Since he had already collected a thousand marbles, he didn¡¯t need to get any more of them. - Toooo. Tooo¡­ Taaaa! ¡°Oh!¡± For a very short moment, a sound was produced. Seo Jun-Ho turned, looking proud, but the Frost Queen only looked at him with pity. ¡°Why do you feel so aplished when you could not even maintain the sound for more than a mere second?¡± ¡°What¡¯s important is that I went from nothing to something. The first blow is half the battle, you know.¡± ¡°...Your optimism ismendable. Continue.¡± Seo Jun-Ho then continued to practice with enthusiasm until Skaya came to him, looking very annoyed. ¡°Why do you look so pissed today?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Because of this¡­¡± Skaya piled a bunch of items on the table. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked as he inspected each item. There were eight orbs, along with one box. [Stamina Orb] Grade: Rare Effect: Increases stamina by 5. [Magic Orb] Grade: Rare Effect: Increases magic power by 5. [Surprise Box] Grade: C Effect: Summons a box that surprises the user. Seo Jun-Ho seemed to understand. ¡°So, you used the vending machine. But didn¡¯t you say you were going to try to get a diary?¡± ¡°...Yeah, I used the broken vending machine.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I put my marbles into the broken vending machine in front of the school, but I got these kinds of stuff instead.¡± These rewards were from the broken vending machine? Seo Jun-Ho took another look at them. ¡°But¡­ These are just items thate out of normal vending machines,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. I think the broken vending machine became a normal one.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment. ¡°Other than yers, doesn¡¯t everything reset at 6 AM?¡± he muttered. ¡°I guess vending machines are also excluded,¡± Skaya said. ¡°Hm.¡± So, the broken vending machine had be a normal one after it dispensed the diary. As if to say that it had finished its job¡­ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and stood up. The sun was setting outside the window. *** Dududududu! The party members were a little nervous when they heard a loud noise filling the streets. However, just like yesterday, once the cockroaches were a fixed distance away, they were frozen like machines. ¡°Now that I am looking at them up close, it¡¯s quite amazing.¡± ¡°So all bugs are afraid of you, not just cockroaches?¡± ¡°Hey, Jun-Ho. Wanna start a business with me once we go back to Earth? Let¡¯s make a bug repent with your blood.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Rahmadat clicked his tongue and rolled his shoulders as he looked up at the insects that had piled up like a mountain. ¡°Looks like we have no choice but to kill all the bugs in the city and raise our levels.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a sewage treatment nt in the east. Let¡¯s go there once we kill off all the ones on the ground.¡± ¡°A sewage treatment nt?¡± The advance party hadn¡¯t been able to explore it. More specifically, they saw no need to do so. After all, they didn¡¯t have to go there to find marbles. Moreover, the entire ce reeked as well. ¡®Since it¡¯s darker and more humid there, there should be more cockroaches, too.¡¯ But with the ¡®Exterminator¡¯ cheat key, they had no reason to be scared. ¡°Let¡¯s think about it after we kill every cockroach on the ground.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Rahmadat was the first to rush forward, and he swung his fist without any hesitation. The wind generated by the force of his strike made a vicious sound as it cut right through the cockroaches. Each de of wind was infused with an aura.[1] ¡°His fighting is as unsophisticated as always,¡± Skayamented as she clicked her tongue. She began to prepare arge-scale spell while Gilberto infused his bullets with magic and shot down the cockroaches one by one. ¡®What about Mio?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned his head to look for her. He hadn¡¯t seen her on the battlefield even once since she emerged from the ice. ¡®There she is¡­¡¯ She was with Kim Woo-Joong. More specifically, Kim Woo-Joong was watching her earnestly from behind. ¡®So itdoesbother him.¡¯ His nickname, Sword Saint, had been one of Mio¡¯s titles. ¡°...¡± At that distance, Mio could easily sense Kim Woo-Joong, but she didn¡¯t bother to look back at him. Seemingly indifferent, she gripped the hilt of her sword and smoothly unsheathed it. Shing! Her slender body burst forward with the sharp style of the swift sword.[2]When the de reflected moonlight, it resembled a bright cherry blossom blooming in the spring. Sometimes, it would flutter lonesomely like autumn leaves. ¡®She¡¯s the same as always...¡¯ The movements of her sword were as immacte and beautiful as always, without any unnecessary elements. Once upon a time, Seo Jun-Ho was mesmerized by her sword and practiced endlessly to try and copy her¡­ And it took him six whole months until he realized that her skills were at a level that couldn¡¯t be replicated. ¡®I have never devoted myself to one weapon like what she had been doing...¡¯ Of course, thanks to Weapon Mastery (S), he could use any weapon he wanted. However, he could not bepared to true masters like Mio, who had trained with only the sword for as long as she could remember. ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong silently joined her in battle as if Mio¡¯s sword had inspired him. ¡®Miss Si-Eun is working hard to heal the others.¡¯ They were doing good. Seo Jun-Ho smiled and tapped into his magic energy. *** ¡°...¡± A creature was sitting inside the biggest room of an elegant red building, resting with its eyes closed. Just then, its ¡®antennae¡¯ started to vibrate. ¡°Hm?¡± Sensing trouble, it entered into the hivemind, flipping through the eyes of hundreds; no, thousands of cockroaches. ¡®Not here¡­ And not here either.¡¯ It needed to find where this one-sided massacre was happening. After peeking all around the hivemind, it finally discovered something. ¡°Hm.¡± They were humans¡ªor rather, humans from another world called yers. And there were only seven of them. ¡®Those mere seven yers¡­ They killed ten thousand cockroaches?¡¯ After leading a tedious life, his[3]interest was finally piqued. He quietly watched the bloodbath ur in real time. And as time passed, his face uncannily darkened. ¡®This¡­Thisis dangerous. It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ He was watching one lone yer. The man instilled a primal fear in the cockroaches, and he was one of the other few special entities who could kill all the cockroaches. ¡°Perhaps he is my natural enemy...¡± Indeed, it was about time that he found one. Chichichik. His mandibles clicked, making a sound akin to humanughter. And then, the creature stood upright. He was easily over five meters tall. He flexed his back, spreading four pairs of wings. *** ¡°There isn¡¯t much at the treatment nt either,¡± Rahmadatmented. ¡°That¡¯s because we have a cheat key. From now on, I¡¯ll call you Jun-Homon,¡± Skaya said. The two chattered andughed. The party had finished killing all the cockroaches downtown and entered the sewage treatment nt at around dawn. ¡°There aren¡¯t that many times when I leveled up more than ten times in one day,¡± Gilberto said. ¡°This is my first time,¡± Kim Woo-Joong said. Evenhesounded a little excited despite his usual reservedness. ¡°Let¡¯s just think of this floor as a vacation spot,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Mio gave a small nod, and he could see that she was happy as well. - W-w-what? What is this? How do I analyze¡­ Just then, Keen Intuition muttered. This was the first time he acted like this, and it concerned Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Hey. What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡± - It shouldn¡¯t be me who should worry about¡­ ¡°...!¡± ¡°...!¡± Everyone¡¯s hair stood on end. A shiver ran down their spines, and their faces fell. ¡°Something¡­ Something¡¯sing!¡± ¡°Dammit, this isn¡¯t a good ce to fight!¡± ¡°Everyone get out of the way!¡± Rahmadat shooed them away and punched the ceiling. He pierced a hole that would lead them straight above ground. They quickly made their way up, but their faces filled with dismay. The sky and the ground were covered with an impossible number of cockroaches. And ¡®special entities¡¯ resembling bears, tigers, eagles, whales, and other animals caught their eyes. ¡°But¡­ Chun-Hak definitely said that the first city does not have special entities, didn¡¯t he?¡± Something had gone very,verywrong. Chapter 324. Death Diary (2)

Chapter 324. Death Diary (2)

¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± Ragged breaths spilled out of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lips, along with ck, dead blood. He scanned his surroundings as his eyes flickered like the me of a candle. ¡®How¡­¡¯ How had this happened? Things had been peaceful. Even the trivial things made them happy, and they had beenughing joyfully. How? Why? Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice quivered. ¡°Skaya. Open your eyes. Deok-Gu secretly told me to take good care of you.¡± ¡°Gilberto, you have to go see Arthur. He must be waiting for his dad. Why aren¡¯t you getting up?¡± ¡°Mio¡­ It hasn¡¯t even been that long since you came back¡­ Are you leaving again?¡± ¡°...¡± Cha Si-Eun and Kim Woo-Joong weren¡¯t breathing as well. And they did not respond to his calls. As his hands trembled, a sick wave of nausea welled up within him. This was different from the Cave of Trials. Back then, he had killed his friends with his own hands, but they had merely been illusions. However, that wasn¡¯t the case this time. ¡°...¡± He was scared. It wasn¡¯t simply because death was inching toward him. His friends had gone through so much, and they finally had their happiness in their grasp, but they died such a futile death. The sight of their corpses terrified him. - Get it together! Whether you lift your sword or run away, just get up! Keen Intuition¡¯s words woke him up like a ssh of cold water. And once again, it hit him again that this gruesome situation was real. He couldn¡¯t bear the sight of it and closed his eyes. ¡®...We started off well.¡¯ They had killed millions of cockroaches after fighting night and day for several days. They fought nonstop, with no leeway to sleep, eat, or even take a sip of water. Despite the hysterical battle, they had gotten close to victory. And it was only possible because the seven of them were powerful. ¡°Impressive. You¡¯re still breathing.¡± This creature was the one who had quashed their futile hopes of winning. It was a cockroach with an impossibly strong exoskeleton covering his muscr body like armor. The effects of Exterminator didn¡¯t work on the monsters he led. ¡°You will be worth experimenting on,¡± he said, lifting Rahmadat. The yer had been reduced to a tattered rag. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes and slowly stood up. He red at the creature as if looks could kill. ¡°Put down¡­ My friend.¡± ¡°Hm?You¡¯re still breathing?¡± The monsterughed and looked around. ¡°To be honest, I was surprised. Even though you are my natural enemy, I did not expect a group of merely seven to be able to kill hundreds of thousands of cockroaches. You somehow even managed to cut off all my wings.¡± ¡°...I told you to put him down.¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t discovered you through the hivemind early on, I might have been the one who is dead right now.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gripped the broken Sword of Ambition and charged. ¡°I said! Put him down!¡± ng! Even though a sword aura was covering the de like a nket, it couldn¡¯t pierce through the creature¡¯s hard exoskeleton. The monster¡¯s antennae gently brushed against Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face. ¡°So this is what you look like¡­¡± At that, the thumping of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart suddenly stopped. The creature had just ripped out his heart. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Contractor! Get up! Don¡¯t die! That¡¯s an order!¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s wails rang in his ears. ¡°I should once again be grateful that I discovered you early.¡± He was the leader of the cockroaches, a self-proimed revolutionary of evolution, the mad insect Erebo. ¡°Goodbye, my predator.¡± Crack! Seo Jun-Ho watched as a giant foot crushed him, and as his neck was shattered, the pain overtook his body. And then, everything went ck¡­ Light suddenly filled his vision, making him dizzy. Seo Jun-Ho staggered. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Hm?Are you okay?¡± Someone steadied him, and Seo Jun-Ho pped their hands away on instinct. He registered that it was Wei Chun-Hak, who looked embarrassed. ¡°I apologize if you don¡¯t like being touched. It was by reflex,¡± he said. ¡°Hey, he just helped you. Why are you so sensitive?¡± Skaya was there, too, and she scolded him. Seo Jun-Ho trembled. ¡®...What is this?¡¯ He quickly scanned his surroundings. He saw Mio, Rahmadat, Gilberto¡­ Cha Si-Eun and Kim Woo-Joong as well. They all looked perfectly fine, and they were staring in his direction, wondering what was going on. ¡®No. No...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. They had all died. Rahmadat¡¯s body was even taken away to be raw materials to experiment on, and Seo Jun-Ho himself had died as well. In fact, he could still vividly recall the pain. ¡®That was all just a dream?¡¯ That couldn¡¯t be. Actually, the current scene was much more likely to be a dream. ¡®...Did that bastard do something?¡¯ Maybe that bastard had collected his body and extracted only his brain. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t hide his confusion as he slowly backed away. ¡°Contractor?¡± Even the Frost Queen looked at him like he was acting strange. Wei Chun-Hak looked out the window. ¡°Oh,it¡¯s starting.¡± The dawn faded, and the bright sun rose. The cockroaches hastily retreated to the darkness, and the initialization process started again. However, Seo Jun-Ho had already seen it a few times. ¡°Every day at 6 am, the city neatly initializes itself like that.¡± ¡°...¡± It was exactly the same. He was sure that Wei Chun-Hak had said those exact same words on their first day. *** ¡°Let¡¯s all wash up for now and meet up at the restaurant,¡± Wei Chun-Hak said as he handed out the hotel key cards he had brought from the first floor. The guest rooms had been tidily cleaned up with the initialization, and they smelled nice. Shwaaa! ¡°...No problems with the water either,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He had said the same thingst time. He left the shower on and stared at the mirror. ¡°Did I go crazy?¡± His reflection didn¡¯t answer. All it disyed was the confusion and fear in his eyes. ¡°...If this is a dream, they should just wake me up already rather than giving me false hope.¡± Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head and sorted his thoughts. ¡®I¡¯m sure I died. There¡¯s no doubt about it.¡¯ His heart had been ripped out, and in the end, Erebo stomped on his neck, killing him instantly. Not even Cell Regeneration (A) could ever make him recover from it. ¡®Then, what is this?¡¯ Had all those vivid experiences been a dream? Had it been some kind of precognitive dream? Yeah, itwasstrange that such arge number of cockroaches had attacked them. ¡°...¡± His thoughts were all over the ce. In the end, he didn¡¯t even take a proper shower before leaving the bathroom. The Frost Queen was sitting at the suite¡¯s business desk, writing something down with fervor. ¡°...What are you doing?¡± ¡°I am writing my diary.¡± ¡°Oh,like the strawberry, banana¡­¡± Wait, a diary? Seo Jun-Ho suddenly remembered something and quickly dug through his Inventory. ¡°...¡± His face fell when he managed to retrieve a familiar book. ¡®Why is this here?¡¯ If that had all been a dream, he should not have this diary. But on the other hand, if itweren¡¯ta dream, he wouldn¡¯t be standing here right now. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Just as confusion started to overtake him, Keen Intuition interrupted him with advice. - Hm? Open it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. There¡¯s nothing written inside.¡± - Just open it first. Keen Intuition¡¯s stubbornness made him open the diary. ¡°There, see? Look, there¡¯s nothing in¡ª¡± He trailed off. He was sure that the diary was empty with nothing written in it, but now, the first page was filled with cramped text. He started reading it as if were possessed. [#1] Wei Chun-Hak gave us a basic rundown and left the city. Him leaving was a big loss for us, but I have good news. The Title I got from killing Janabi, ¡®Exterminator¡¯... ¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t understand. How did this bastard Erebo find us? Death took me away as I cried tears of blood, still without knowing anything. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand covered his mouth. The diary entry was so shocking that he had to grab the wall to keep himself from copsing. ¡®Yes¡­ It definitely happened like this.¡¯ He had collected a thousand marbles. He used them on the broken vending machine and obtained the diary. Not even Archmage Skaya could analyze the mysterious artifact. In the end, they had gone out to hunt without ever finding out what it was. They hunted all the cockroaches on the ground and at the sewage treatment nt. And then, an army led by Erebo consisting of millions of cockroaches ambushed them. ¡®Then, that means¡­¡¯ Impossible¡­ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s legs gave out, his tailbone hitting the floor. ¡®That wasn¡¯t just a dream.¡¯ They had definitely happened in real life. But for some unknown reason¡ªfor some unknown reason¡ªhe returned to the past after he died. ¡®Wait, when I returned¡­¡¯ It was the time of initialization. His eyebrows furrowed. ¡°The initialization¡­ I see...¡± That time was probably a Save Point. Wei Chun-Hak had gone to the next Save Point, but that hadn¡¯t been the case for Seo Jun-Ho. That was likely why he returned at the time when he witnessed the initialization process for the first time. ¡°So, I can cheat¡­ Death.¡± It wasn¡¯texactlycheating death because he had actually died. He was just starting over from the beginning. ¡®Either way, this is good.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes glinted sharply, and he hunched over the diary to closely read the entry a few more times. ¡®I¡¯m sure the reason will be in here. The reason why Erebo suddenly came to kill me.¡¯ However, even after reading it a few times, he couldn¡¯t find any clues. The diary only talked about the key events. ¡°Wait¡­¡± He hastily arranged himself into the lotus position. He closed his eyes and dug through his memories. He got the feeling that it was the only ce where he could find the answer rather than in the diary. It was difficult to recall everything that had happened in the past few days, but his efforts paid off. [If I hadn¡¯t discovered you through the hivemind early on, I might have been the one who is dead right now.] [I should once again be grateful that I discovered you early.] [Goodbye, my predator.] Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. Erebo had called him a predator and said that he had found Seo Jun-Ho through the hivemind. ¡®What the hell is a hivemind?¡¯ He had no idea... In the end, Seo Jun-Ho could only leave the room after ruminating for a long time. *** ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Skaya asked. She looked a bit sour in her pajamas. Of course, she was annoyed, as she had alreadyid down to sleep, but someone started knocking at her door like a madman. ¡°I have something important to ask you. Can Ie in for a bit?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you know that a girl and a guy shouldn¡¯t be alone in a room? Wait for me at the restaurant.¡± This was urgent, but this British girl was concerned about that? But she was right, so Seo Jun-Ho went to the restaurant and waited. Shortly afterward, Skaya appeared after changing out of her pajamas. ¡°What is it?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°Just read this diary.¡± ¡°...You¡¯ve picked up a pretty weird hobby since Ist saw you.¡± What kind of person showed their diary to others? Skaya gave him a sidelong look, seemingly a little disturbed. ¡°Can¡¯t you just hurry up and read it so we can talk?¡± ¡°Whatever...¡± Skaya grinned when she finished reading the first page closely. ¡°You used to worry that you¡¯ll be unemployed after clearing the floors, but I don¡¯t think you need to worry anymore. You should write a novel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a novel.¡± ¡°Maybe someone from a mental hospital could write a better one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking either.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked more serious than he had ever seemed. ¡°Help me. If we don¡¯t do anything, all of us will die in two days.¡± Chapter 325. Death Diary (3)

Chapter 325. Death Diary (3)

Skaya was quiet for a long time after Seo Jun-Ho told his story. Eventually, she finally spoke, ¡°Okay, if this is some kind of prank or a hidden-camera thing, tell me right now. I¡¯llugh.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at her deadpan without saying anything. Sometimes, his face would get his point across better than any words. ¡°Hey, why are you staring at me like that? You¡¯re starting to convince me!¡± Skaya scratched her head. ¡°So¡­ We¡¯ve already died once, and you¡¯vee back to the past, right?¡± she rified. ¡°Exactly...¡± ¡°And this isn¡¯t something you wrote.¡± ¡°Do you want to try it?¡± He held out the pen to Skaya, and she wrote something down in the diary. [If you confess now that this is a joke, I¡¯ll only hit you once¡­ No, I¡¯ll only hit you three times and let you go.] Seo Jun-Ho looked a little surprised when he saw what she wrote. ¡°This ispletely different from what you wrotest time.¡± ¡°What did I write?¡± Skaya asked ¡°You said Frost is super cute and that she only follows you around. Something like that,¡± he said. ¡°Seems like I must¡¯ve been pretty rxed. I¡¯m jealous.¡± Skaya sighed. ¡°...It¡¯s probably because of thew of cause and effect.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It refers to the rtionship between a cause and an oue. Have you ever watched a movie about time travel?¡± ¡°Yeah, some of the famous ones. LikeThe Butterfly EffectandInterster.¡± ¡°Then, it should be pretty easy to understand. The reason why I wrote down something different in this timeline is that you showed me the diary entry. That didn¡¯t happenst time,¡± she exined. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He thought he understood it as he said, ¡°So, in other words, every time I change something, the oue bes different?¡± ¡°Yup. That¡¯s why you should try to follow the original events as closely as possible and just fix up the parts where you messed up,¡± Skaya advised. ¡°But what about the things that had already changed?¡± he asked. For example, Skaya herself¡­ Skaya caught the look in her eyes and immediately came up with a solution. ¡°Write it down.¡± ¡°Write what?¡± ¡°Write down everything I¡¯m supposed to do and everywhere I¡¯m supposed to go.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know all that?¡± he protested. ¡°You can just write down the basics of what you remember. I can figure out the details,¡± Skaya said. ¡°I see...¡± Skaya was smart. Just by looking at what she was supposed to do, Skaya would be able to infer the reasons behind her actions, as well as her line of thinking when she did those things. ¡°Mm,well, on the first day, you used the Magic Detector 4.0¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho started. ¡°And I heard you ran into the Sword Saint on the streets. After that, you started making the 5.0 in the hotel lobby and gave the 4.0 to Miss Si-Eun¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho told her all the important incidents he could remember. ¡°Good, good, this is more than enough,¡± Skaya said, writing everything down on a memo pad. ¡°Now then, we need to learn more about this diary¡­¡± ¡°You failedst time. You said you were prohibited from entering.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words made Skaya¡¯s face shine with curiosity, and she held out her hand again. A short momentter, she was repelled by a powerful force. Skaya nodded slowly. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Unlikest time, it appeared that her pride hadn¡¯t been wounded. ¡°This diary inherently contains the power to manipte time. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to it.¡± Just by telling Skaya what the diary was, her actions and way of thinkingpletely changed. ¡®I suppose I¡¯ll have to pay attention to all these things from now on.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was suddenly overtaken by a powerful wave of fatigue, and he rubbed his eyes. ¡°What do you think? What should I do from here?¡± he asked. ¡°Let me ask you something first. Was that Erebo guy that powerful?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and recalled their battle with the bastard. He yed about ten simtions in his head before he opened his eyes. ¡°Yes, he really is strong. But he¡¯s not undefeatable.¡± If the seven of them fought him while they were in good condition, they could even win. ¡°There¡¯s just one problem. That guy¡¯s smart. He¡¯s very meticulous, and he always thinks before he acts,¡± Seo Jun-Ho added. Erebo didn¡¯t enter the battlefield while their stamina was being drained as they fought against the cockroaches throughout the week. All Erebo did was periodically appear and vanish as he watched the battle unfold from a distance. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the exact number, but we killed at least a million cockroaches in a week,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. At the end of the fierce battle, their physical and mental energy had been exhausted, and that was when Erebo entered the battlefield. ¡°He¡¯s intelligent and cautious for an insect¡­ There¡¯s only one solution, then,¡± Skaya decided. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s clear the Quests here as soon as we can and go to the next city.¡± ¡°The next city¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly. There were over 30,000 yers there. They were the most elite warriors in the world and could easily take care of hundreds of thousands of cockroaches. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me to keep the effects of the Exterminator Titlepletely under wraps,¡± he said. ¡°Since we don¡¯t know what exactly is that ¡®hivemind¡¯ of his, we should avoid any shy movements,¡± Skaya agreed. ¡°...That¡¯s not as hard as I thought.¡± Had Seo Jun-Ho beenplicating it for himself? The solution Skaya proposed seemed a lot easier than to do than he had expected. ¡°And there¡¯s something you need to make sure to remember. If you¡¯re about to die again, gather as much information as possible. Especially about the hivemind,¡± Skaya requested. ¡°...Are you telling me to have a conversation with that bastard?¡± ¡°If you can, yeah. It¡¯s fine if you only learn the little things, too. They¡¯ll eventually add up and help us. And if you happen to get sent back to the past again, don¡¯t tell me about the diary.¡± Skaya¡¯s second request was shocking. ¡°What? Why not? Honestly, you¡¯ve helped me a ton already,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°It¡¯s best to minimize changes in the timeline. Even if you tell me about this, I won¡¯t be able to give you a better solution.¡± ¡°Even if I find out something new?¡± ¡°Jun-Ho, you¡¯re pretty smart yourself. With this much, you should be able to pretty well, even on your own,¡± Skaya said. Her voice was full of unwavering faith. But perhaps that still wasn¡¯t enough, as she fell into deep thought once again. ¡°Well, if you absolutely can¡¯t do it by yourself, you cane to me.¡± ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to go through the process of convincing you again.¡± ¡°...Thatispretty inefficient, isn¡¯t it?¡± Skaya frowned slightly as she considered something. A momentter, she gestured him forward. ¡°Come here.¡± When he leaned in, she whispered something in his ear. Seo Jun-Ho eximed in surprise. ¡°What?! You¡ª¡± ¡°Ugh,don¡¯t say it!¡± Her face had gone red with anger. Skaya looked away. ¡°Anyway, if you tell me that, I¡¯ll believe you no matter what. I have never told that to anyone before.¡± ¡°...Haha.¡± Now that he knew a secret of hers, Seo Jun-Houghed weakly and nodded. *** The next day, Wei Chun-Hak left the city again. And once more, the party split up to look for marbles. - The chopstick container on the second table in the knife noodle restaurant to the left piques my interest. Seo Jun-Ho followed Keen Intuition¡¯s guidance and steadily gathered marbles. He got the feeling that if he got too absorbed in finding them, he might create another ripple. ¡°214.¡± Of course, he collected the exact same number of marbles he had collected on the first day back then, as he had closely followed the same route as before. But as soon as he returned to the hotel, Skaya quietly pulled him aside. ¡°...Something¡¯s changed,¡± she said. ¡°What? But I haven¡¯t done anything different yet,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think the broken vending machine is broken anymore. Look at this.¡± She showed him an orb. ¡°I put a hundred marbles in the machine in front of the school, but I got a reward instead.¡± ¡°So the broken vending machine is still working even though we¡¯vee back to the past.¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned. If they could get another diary from the vending machine, things could have be easier. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you guys gonna eat dinner?¡± Rahmadat called. The little changes were starting to pile up. Rahmadat hadn¡¯t done thatst time, either. ¡°...Let¡¯s go for now. There aren¡¯t any big changes yet, after all,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, forcing himself to look calm. The next morning, Seo Jun-Ho finally gathered a thousand marbles. He went to the vending machine near the school once again. [You have inserted 100 marbles.] [Nothing happened.] [Vending machine uses 0/10.] ¡°I knew it...¡± Since he had the diary, the System didn¡¯t let him use the vending machines again. ¡®I knew this would happen, but I¡¯m still disappointed.¡¯ He had been hoping to use items to be stronger as a backup n if he ever found himself in a pinch. If he could get stronger without any limits, he would be able to kill the army of cockroaches by himself. ¡®There¡¯s a lot I need to figure out.¡¯ Skaya didn¡¯t seem to know anything about the hivemind. However, if he could figure it out, their journey would be easier. Seo Jun-Ho let out a long sigh and returned to the hotel. *** Paaa- Paam! ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen stared at Seo Jun-Ho, looking a little surprised. ¡°Have you ever yed a simr type of instrument in the past?¡± she asked. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho internally realized his mistake and nodded awkwardly. ¡°Just for a little bit, with a different teacher.¡± ¡°I see...¡± The Frost Queen primly muttered something about wanting to reestablish her majesty and how her Contractor had yed too well against her expectations. ¡®I do not know what kind of teacher he had, but they taught him the basics quite well,¡¯she thought. However, she looked a little sulky at the thought of it. ¡°...Why did you say that you were not going to hunt?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I said. I don¡¯t feel very well, you see.¡± ¡°That is not true...¡± ¡°No, it is¡­¡± If he hunted cockroaches with them, the other party members would inevitably end up discovering the effects of Exterminator. So, after brainstorming with Skaya, the two of them decided that he shouldn¡¯t go hunting at all. ¡®I can just take my time and clear the Quests during the day. It¡¯ll be advantageous for us if we just clear this city quietly.¡¯ While everyone had left that night to go hunting, Seo Jun-Ho practiced his instrument as he looked out the window. And just like that, a month passed¡­ *** Other than Jun-Ho, the party members had grown stronger thanks to the vending machines. However, their nightly hunts always exhausted them. Whenever Seo Jun-Ho saw how quiet they were due to fatigue, he felt guilty. ¡®Yeah, it really did take thirty thousand yers a whole month to clean this ce up¡­¡¯ Cha Si-Eun was skillfully supporting the party, but she didn¡¯t kill many cockroaches herself. The true fighting force consisted of the rest of the 5 Heroes, as well as the Sword Saint Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°...The 12th Quest has to be carried out at night, but there are too many cockroaches for us to do that,¡± Rahmadat said, looking at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Jun-Ho, are you still not feeling well?¡± ¡°...Yeah, seems that way.¡± ¡°Hey, Saintess. Have you taken a look at him?¡± ¡°I even tried healing him a few times. We still haven¡¯t found the cause.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡±Rahmadat clicked his tongue. Everyone knew that Seo Jun-Ho was lying. ¡°...¡± However, all Seo Jun-Ho could do was quietly endure their resentful looks. After all, this was the only way to save everyone. When night fell, and the party members left the hotel to go hunting, the Frost Queen spoke, ¡°Why are you going so far as to lie just to avoid hunting?¡± ¡°Really¡ªit¡¯s really because I don¡¯t feel well.¡± Seo Jun-Ho continued to practice his instrument in a gloomy mood. The only good thing was that he had be pretty good at producing a sound in the past month. ¡°I¡¯m gonna stop here for today¡­¡± He wrapped up his practice at around dawn and was about to step out of the lounge when the entire building started to shake. There was a loud, strange booming sound from the lower floor. ¡°What is it?!¡± He rushed down, but the lobby was already in chaos. ¡°Dammit! We pushed ourselves too hard because we thought we¡¯d never be able to clear the Quest¡­¡± ¡°They surrounded us. We barely managed to escape!¡± ¡°We have no other choice but to hold out until morning!¡± Skaya sealed the entrance with magic, and the rest of the party started to attack the cockroaches as they swarmed in. Seo Jun-Ho started to tremble violently. ¡®You¡¯re going to try to hold out until morning?¡¯ That would be impossible¡­ Sure enough, once the entrance was sealed, the cockroaches climbed up the outer walls and started to flood in from above. ¡®Dammit!¡¯ Just as they were about to reach Seo Jun-Ho, they froze like statues. Once again, Exterminator¡¯s effects were activated. *** Inside a red, elegant building, Erebo shot up from his seat. ¡®The new yers. I haven¡¯t been paying much attention to them because their numbers are small¡­¡¯ And he had even managed to skillfully surround them with thousands of cockroaches today. Erebo was greatly interested in humans, and he had been nning to watch their final moments through the hivemind. ¡°...This one is dangerous.¡± Upon discovering his natural enemy; however, Erebo immediately spread his wings. Chapter 326. Death Diary (4)

Chapter 326. Death Diary (4)

¡®What should I do?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho trembled as he stared at the cockroaches. They were frozen like stone statues. ¡®Are we still safe? Or¡­ Is heing?¡¯ He didn¡¯t have an immediate answer. The party members looked up from the entrance and started speaking. ¡°...What¡¯s with those guys?¡± ¡°They suddenly stopped moving. Shall we kill them?¡± ¡°How strange. This has never happened before.¡± Still on guard, they slowly stepped back toward Seo Jun-Ho. Rahmadat strode forward with a solemn look. ¡°Hey, does this have something to do with how you¡¯ve been bluffing about being sick?¡± Rahmadat asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t hold back the sigh he let out. He had put in so much effort to prevent something like this from happening, but in the end, nothing had changed. He pondered for a long time before gathering their attention. ¡°Since it hase to this, let me tell you all what happened.¡± He exined his situation as fast as possible. ¡°So, in a few hours, Erebo may appear, leading his army.¡± ¡°...If you¡¯re telling the truth, isn¡¯t it more likely that hewon¡¯tappear?¡± ¡°Yeah. We haven¡¯t killed off all the cockroaches yet, and we haven¡¯t even gone to the sewage treatment nt, either.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be so sure,¡± Skaya said, stepping forward. ¡°Because there have been drastic changes from the future Jun-Ho had experienced before. Back then, we killed a lot of cockroaches in one day, but this time, we consistently killed a lot of them over the course of a month.¡± At the moment, no one could say for sure what would happen because they had no idea what the hivemind was. Rahmadat crossed his arms, deep in thought. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Rahmadat said. It was a genuine, honest apology, not just for show. ¡°You¡¯ve been fighting a lonely battle all by yourself. I didn¡¯t even know that, and yet for a moment, I thought you had lost your courage. Forgive me.¡± Gilberto, Mio, and Cha Si-Eun apologized as well. ¡°Ahem.¡±Only Kim Woo-Joong looked confident as if he was saying that he had never med Seo Jun-Ho in the first ce. It made sense, seeing how this kind of misstep tended to hurt more the closer you were. ¡°No,Ishould be the one apologizing for lying to you all,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, sounding stunned. His chest grew warm. Even though he had never said it out loud, he felt quite sad and guilty for the past month whenever he saw the way they looked at him. ¡°But more importantly, there¡¯s something I want to ask you guys now that I¡¯ve shared all this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho then asked them for their opinions on what to do. Two heads, or in this case, seven heads, were better than one, so a good idea was bound toe out of them. ¡°Hm.Instead ofplicating things, can¡¯t you just ask that Chinese guy to bring all the yers from the other city here?¡± Rahmadat suggested. ¡°Mr. Chun-Hak, you mean?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± All the party members took a moment to consider this. Skaya was the first to speak up. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty simple n, but other than the fact that it¡¯syouridea, it¡¯s not bad. We can take that Erebo guy by surprise.¡± ¡°Skaya, do you think it¡¯ll work?¡± ¡°Yeah, but if we¡¯re talking about details, we should hide the other yers all throughout the city instead of keeping them out in the open. Then, when Erebo appears again, we can take him all at once.¡± The pieces were starting toe together. ¡®With just the seven of us, we killed several million cockroaches and even ripped off that bastard¡¯s wings.¡¯ If they had the support of thirty thousand yers on top of that, Erebo would die no matter what. ¡°...The more I think about it, the better it sounds. Why didn¡¯t I think of this earlier?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ¡°Heh.¡± Rahmadat gave Skaya a smug look and smirked. Usually, they would have had another big quarrel, but thetter let it go this time. ¡°The best-case scenario would be ending it here, but if I go back again, I¡¯ll try it out.¡± ¡°...¡± Mio spoke after staying silent the whole time. ¡°No, wewillend it here. I swear it.¡± ¡°Oh,of course, we¡¯ll try out best to do that. I didn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m giving up.¡± After all, no one here wanted to die. Moreover, it was highly likely that Mio was greatly attached to her life, considering that it hadn¡¯t been long since she emerged from the¡­ ¡°If this keeps repeating, you won¡¯t be able to hold out for long, Jun-Ho,¡± Mio said. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t say anything when he saw the concern in her eyes. He chewed his lip a few times before awkwardlyughing. *** ¡°...The sun is rising.¡± ¡°We can rx a bit now.¡± As the party members watched the sunrise, the tension loosened a little. However, Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°I told you guys. We fought him for a week.¡± ¡°Strange. But these cockroaches cannot move around during the day, correct?¡± Cha Si-Eun asked, sensing that something was off. ¡°They¡¯re weakened by sunlight, but it¡¯s not that they can¡¯t go out at all,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. Besides, even the weakest of the cockroaches Erebo personally led were immune to the effects of sunlight. ¡°They could fight during the day because¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho shut his mouth and stood up, staring out the window. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no need for me to exin.¡± Arge shadow fell over them, and it was a figure with a peculiar shape. With the hotel at the center, only the area around them had gone dark. ¡°T-the sky!¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Wait, are those all¡­Cockroaches?¡± The sunlight was beingpletely blocked by a giant, jet-ck circle made up of tens¡ªno, hundreds of thousands of cockroaches. It was a stunning sight. ¡®It¡¯s starting again.¡¯ No matter how many times they tried to get rid of it, the giant shadow kept on regenerating. It was a battle tactic consisting of a sea of bugs. Just witnessing such a sight on the battlefield would fill anyone with a newfound sense of fatigue, and their breaths would be knocked out of them. ¡°Get ready.¡± A bright white armor unfolded across Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body. The midnight sun was a phenomenon where the sun stayed up, preventing the arrival of the night. However, the current situation was theplete opposite. Seo Jun-Ho could only let out a weakugh. *** Seo Jun-Ho watched as the army of cockroaches marched forward. At that, he gathered his magic power. ¡®There¡¯s something I learned fromst time.¡¯ He learned that Midnight Sun was outstanding in battle, especially when it came to strengthening ice elemental skills. And it was all thanks to the special properties of Serium, the material used to create the armor. ¡°Freeze,¡± he ordered, squeezing his fist. Crackle! The streets and the buildings below them froze. However, he remained dissatisfied as he wielded his magic once more. des of darkness broke the ground and the outer walls like icebreakers as they shot out. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The party was captivated by the sight of the incredible massacre. More specifically, excluding the 5 Heroes, Cha Si-Eun and Kim Woo-Joong looked stupefied. ¡®The legends¡­ They¡¯re true!¡¯ ¡®So, this is his true power.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong couldn¡¯t help but gulp. He wasn¡¯t sure about one-on-one fights, but Seo Jun-Ho was practically a god against so many enemies. Kim Woo-Joong immediately thought of two people who might be on a simr level as Seo Jun-Ho: one was Shin Sung-Hyun, and the other was thete Thunder God. ¡®I¡¯m d we¡¯re allies, but¡­¡¯ A newfound sense of fear crawled into his heart. It was all because Kim Woo-Joong had realized that they had already died once, even though they had this much firepower. ¡®This will be a long battle...¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong unsheathed his sword. *** ¡°Huff, huff.¡±Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s breaths were filled with heavy despair. He was confident that they had fought much¡ªmuch better than the previous time. Actually, Erebo had been wary of them, and he hadn¡¯t entered the battlefield until ten days had passed. ¡°You are strong, my enemy¡­¡± Erebo muttered as he dropped the pieces of Rahmadat¡¯s heart. Last time, he had taken Rahmadat¡¯s body with him to experiment on, but this time he didn¡¯t do so. It was more like he couldn¡¯t afford to do so. ¡°There was only one time when I was pushed into a corner like this,¡± Erebo said. For a moment, he couldn¡¯t speak, perhaps because of the shock. The lower half of his body had been severed, but he seemed unconcerned for his life. ¡°I did not know there were others who could hurt me other than them¡­¡± ¡°Cough! Ptoo!¡±Seo Jun-Ho spat ck, dead blood. Midnight Sun was no longer effective because he had lost his magic power long ago. - If you¡¯re about to die again, gather as much information as possible. Especially about the hivemind. - It¡¯s fine if you only learn the little things, too. They¡¯ll eventually add up and help us. Skaya¡¯s words rang in his head. Deep down, he didn¡¯t want to talk to Erebo. After all, thetter was an enemy who had killed his friends. However, he had to talk to him¡ªhe had to do it so that their deaths would not be in vain. Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth and squeezed the words out. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± That piqued Erebo¡¯s interest. His beady insect eyes stared at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Why do you wish to know when you¡¯re dying?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die without knowing anything.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re not lying.¡± Seo Jun-Ho froze. ¡®He even has the ability to tell if someone¡¯s telling the truth or not?¡¯ Ereboughed. ¡°Are you surprised? That a mere insect was blessed with such a skill?¡± ¡°...¡± rm bells went off in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. This was dangerous,verydangerous. If he ever misspoken, Erebo might discover the diary. ¡°It seems youaresurprised. Your face has gone pale.¡± Erebo gave a satisfied smile before he continued, ¡°Predator, have you ever heard of the World Tree?¡± World Tree? He had never heard of that. This was the first time¡ª ¡®No, wait.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s brows furrowed. Something crossed his mind. - Take it if you want. It¡¯s weak, but it contains some power from the World Tree. ¡®Huh?¡¯ High Elf Rodomir. He had been the boss monster of the Wild Forest Gate in Ennd, and he died at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand. Rodomir had noticed his Spirit Egg and said those words as he ripped off his ne and offered it to him. ¡®And¡­¡¯ - It¡¯s my first time seeing a tribe with so many dark elves. You¡¯re like cockroaches. - Do not speak of those cursed beings in front of me! When Seo Jun-Ho mentioned cockroaches, Rodomir¡¯s reaction was full of hatred. In spite of himself, he looked up at Erebo and spoke, ¡°Did you¡­¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Erebo grinned cheerfully and unhinged his jaw. His tongue wriggled like a worm. ¡°I ate the World Tree and the elves protecting her as their mother!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Just remembering her makes me want to eat her again! She was without a doubt the finest delicacy I had ever had while traversings.¡± Seo Jun-Ho trembled as he gulped. He was now certain that this insect had eaten the World Tree of all things. ¡°She tasted delicious, but her abilities were even finer. She helped me evolve to another stage.¡± Erebo nodded. He had introduced himself as a revolutionary of evolution. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s all thanks to her that I can now distinguish lies. And I can also connect and control those of the same species." The pieces had fallen into ce all at once¡­ ¡°So, the hivemind you mentioned¡­ It''s the cockroaches.¡± At that, Seo Jun-Ho finally realized why Confession of the Dead wouldn¡¯t work on them. ¡®This fucking lunatic. He forcefully disposed of their intellect.¡¯ It was all to prevent them from carrying a single thought¡ªso that they could do nothing but deftly carry out his orders. Just like the way one could issue anymand they wanted into aputer, Erebo had turned them into empty shells. ¡°...Wait. How strange. I have never spoken of the hivemind.¡± Erebo turned his head like an owl and stared straight at Seo Jun-Ho. His empty bug eyes gave the yer goosebumps. Seo Jun-Ho squeezed his trembling hands into fists. ¡®This is still enough.¡¯ He had collected all the important clues. - Get it together! You have to move! ¡°Enemyyyyy!Where did you hear thatwooooord?!¡± Erebo crawled forward like a lunatic to capture him. But before he could reach Seo Jun-Ho, the yer pushed the broken half of the Sword of Ambition through his heart. ¡°...See youter, you pest.¡± All his questions had been answered. Chapter 327. One Person (1)

Chapter 327. One Person (1)

Even as Seo Jun-Ho stumbled from dizziness, he scanned his surroundings. He was met with a familiar setting, familiar faces, and a familiar scene. ¡®I¡­ went back again.¡¯ The first thing he felt was a strong sense of relief. He had killed himself with his own hands because he thought Erebo wouldn¡¯t let him die if he was captured, but he wasn¡¯t certain if he would go back to the past again. ¡°Hm?Are you okay?¡± Someone caught his trembling body. It was probably Wei Chun-Hak. Seo Jun-Ho let Wei Chun-Hak catch him instead of pping his arms away likest time. ¡°You don¡¯t look too good. You must really hate bugs,¡± Wei Chun-Hak said, sounding concerned. ¡°...I kind of¡ªno, Ireallydo,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, his face pale. He waved the man away to signal that he was fine. Wei Chun-Hak stepped back and did a double-take when he looked out the window. ¡°Goodness, it has already started.¡± Wei Chun-Hak quickly made his way to the front and said, ¡°Every day at 6 am, the city neatly initializes itself like that.¡± After that, he handed out the hotel room keys. As the party members began to disperse, Seo Jun-Ho called for Skaya. ¡°What is it?¡± Skaya asked, sounding annoyed. She felt gross after seeing the cockroaches and wanted to take a shower as soon as possible. ¡°Skaya, do you know anything about the World Tree?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°The World Tree? The entity that elves worship?¡± ¡°Yeah. If you know anything, can you tell me in as much detail as possible?¡± ¡°I dunno¡­ All I know is the stuff from the Magic Tower¡¯s library.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough for me.¡± Skaya took a moment to recollect the contents of the books she read before saying, ¡°You know how there used to be Gates in Frontier a very long time ago? ording to the legends, the elves crossed over from them. It¡¯s said that the World Tree handed down her powers and her wisdom to them, and the elves attended to her as both their mother and God.¡± ¡°What kind of powers and wisdom did they receive? ¡°The ones we know about are the ability to discern lives and hear her voice in their heads once or twice in their lifetimes.¡± ¡°...¡± Those were the same as Erebo¡¯s abilities, which allowed him to ess the hivemind and detect lies. The only difference was that the World Tree had used those powers to enrich the lives of the elves, while that bastard of an insect used them to turn his subordinates into toys. ¡®That means he wasn¡¯t lying about eating the World Tree¡­¡¯ Now that it was confirmed, Seo Jun-Ho went back to his room and stepped into the bathroom. Shwaaa! As he stood under the rousing downpour of cold water, he made a decision. ¡®We¡¯ll do this as quickly as possible. I¡¯ll follow Rahmadat¡¯s n.¡¯ To kill Erebo, they had to clear the Quests. It would be standard procedure to continue unlocking new regions and get stronger until they reached him. ¡°But I¡¯m different¡­¡± In this game, Seo Jun-Ho was a wild card. He was the one and only person who could lure Erebo out of his stationary position in thest region. ¡®If I do that, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have to go back again.¡¯ After he was done, Seo Jun-Ho checked the diary. [#2] This time, I tried apletely different tactic. I didn¡¯t hunt at all and never revealed the effects of Exterminator. It hurt to see myrades lose faith in me during the process¡­ ¡­ ¡­ I was wrong. Even though I took a different path, the results ended up being the same. However, I found out what the hivemind is, as well as Erebo¡¯s secret. The strategy that Rahmadat proposed might be the only way to escape this hell. Likest time, everything he had gone through was written in a short summary. ¡®Last time it said 1, but this one says 2,¡¯Seo Jun-Ho fell into deep thought. As he had expected, this diary was most certainly a record of each time he died. ¡°The 1st attempt and the 2nd attempt. I suppose that¡¯s how it¡¯s beingbeled.¡± The first entry left the bottom half of the page empty, but the second entry went all the way to the next page. ¡°So each life will fill up each page.¡± In that case, the number of pages left was the number of extra lives he had remaining, so Seo Jun-Ho counted the pages in the diary. ¡°That¡¯s 365.¡± He got the feeling that it was simr to a diary on Earth that allowed one to use just one diary for a whole year. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a lot!¡± There were still 363 pages left. He could still go back to the past 363 more times. ¡°Status window.¡± He quickly scanned the window. This time, he looked disappointed. ¡®So the stat points were reset.¡¯ In his second life, Skaya had given him one of her stat point orbs, telling him to check if stat points would remain the same, just in case he went back to the past again. ¡°...Yeah, I suppose it was greedy of me to expect that.¡± Getting a near-unlimited number of chances was already a huge blessing. He shook aside his disappointment and stepped out of the bathroom. The Frost Queen was definitely done writing her diary entries because she was using the tablet to catch up on dramas. ¡°Having fun?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Yes. Very much so.¡± Seo Jun-Ho envied her because she could afford to be so carefree. He gently pet her head as if she was a cat. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen looked up and stared intently at his hand. ¡°What is this? How presumptuous of you.¡± ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m just proud of you.¡± He suddenly remembered the way she bawled, begging him not to die. With how prim and proper she acted all the time, he didn¡¯t expect she would be so torn up over his death. ¡°I should live a long life, for your sake,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ¡°...What nonsense is that? You are strange, Contractor.¡± The Frost Queen gave him a sullen stare as if he were some old man she couldn¡¯t understand. *** Once the whole party was gathered, Seo Jun-Ho shared with them his current situation. There was only one reason he quickly exined to them without hesitation. ¡°So¡­ Are you telling me to go to the next city and bring the yers from there?¡± Chun-Hak asked. ¡°Exactly,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. The n couldn¡¯t be carried out without Wei Chun-Hak¡¯s assistance. Seo Jun-Ho had to tell him the situation before thetter left and asked for help. ¡°Hm.¡± After listening to his story, Wei Chun-Hak was locked deep in thought. However, he soon stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it, then.¡± ¡°...Do you not doubt me?¡± ¡°I know that Specter wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this.¡± Wei Chun-Hak grinned, shing his teeth. He told them he would be back within a week and left the city. ¡°All right. In the meantime, we¡¯ll collect marbles and use the vending machines.¡± Of course, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t go hunting this time as well. Needless to say, the party didn¡¯t push their luck like they had done the second time around. They collected marbles during the day, and at night, they gave up on the potential EXP they could have earned, though they found it was a shame. Instead of hunting, they hid at the hotel. ¡°Everything will be over once Wei Chun-Hakes back.¡± A week soon passed¡­ *** ¡°They¡¯reing!¡± Seo Jun-Ho watched the yers fill the streets from the sky lounge. His hands clenched into fists. Wei Chun-Hak had brought them over just as he had promised. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Hey, there¡¯re fewer than I thought.¡± ¡°That doesnotlook like thirty thousand people.¡± Currently, there were over thirty-five thousand yers on the 4th Floor. But the yers who entered the city only seemed to number a little more than five thousand. Seo Jun-Ho ran over to Shin Sung-Hyun, Wei Chun-Hak, and Milphage, standing at the forefront. ¡°What happened? Are you sure this is everyone?¡± ¡°...¡± Sung-Hyun looked liked his pride was hurt. He closed his eyes in response. Wei Chun-Hak stiffly lit a cigarette maybe because he had nothing to say or perhaps he didn¡¯t want to talk. ¡°What happened?Oh,my apologies; I have to speak formally now, right?[1]¡± Milphage scoffed. ¡°It has already been five months since we came here. Other than a few idiots, everyone has gone down through the Save Points.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± Most of the yers had decided there was nothing more to do here and went back to Earth. They mighte back up after preparing for it, but that wasn¡¯t the case right now. ¡°Of course, there are those who stayed behind. About¡ªeighteen thousand, I would say.¡± ¡°Then, howe you only brought this many people?¡± If eighteen thousand yers hade here, Seo Jun-Ho would have no need to worry about anything, but five thousand¡ªIt was a lot less than he had expected. ¡°Fear and checks, I suppose.¡± After quietly watching from the back, Kim Woo-Joong spoke. He seemed to be correct because Milphage actually looked embarrassed. ¡°Well, as the Sword Saint said, most stayed behind because they were scared, but some of those Guildies¡­¡± Milphage paused before saying with a resigned look, ¡°They said that it¡¯s more polite to ask a favor in person.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked dumbfounded. He had only done it this way because he wasn¡¯t in a position where he could go there himself. ¡®Let¡¯s say that we can¡¯t force people toe if they¡¯re scared. But thetter group¡­¡¯ Just as Kim Woo-Joong said, this was an outright power y against him. He didn¡¯t mindpeting for power. But right now? In the current situation? When they could potentially clear the 4th Floor? Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t understand it at all. ¡°Sky Soul. The Sky Soul Guild was there, weren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°...Those words are from Tenmei Ryo.¡± ¡°Did you tell him that Mio, his younger sister was here?¡± ¡°Chun-Hak did. Three or four times¡­¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Seo Jun-Ho scoffed in spite of himself. He closed his eyes for fear that the fury they contained would be directed at innocent people. ¡®That family¡­ They still haven¡¯t got it together.¡¯ They had already lost a child once, and after losing a second one, Seo Jun-Ho thought that they had woken up by now. Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes and turned around, ncing at Mio. She met his eyes, looking bitter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°...Why areyouapologizing?¡± Seeing that only made Seo Jun-Ho even more furious. He gnashed his teeth. ¡°So, how many are there in total?¡± ¡°5,281. It took us some time to gather the solo yers willing to join us.¡± Still, that wasn¡¯t a small amount. Actually, if they had this many, they could definitely kill Erebo. ¡®Butpared to having twenty thousand yers¡­¡¯ There would be a lot more casualties. Seo Jun-Ho had to put in great effort to hold back the curses at the tip of his tongue. *** ¡°...¡± From a mountain peak far, far away from the battlefield, Erebo watched seven men and women. It had already been ten days since he sent his army after discovering his ¡®natural enemy,¡¯ and he could see how their physical and mental energy depleted every second. ¡®It¡¯s about time to make a move.¡¯ As soon as that man entered the field, the tide of the battle turned around. The man¡¯s enemies were powerful enough that normal cockroaches or special entities could only hope to defeat them. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Would he be able to take on Erebo once his physical and mental energy was exhausted? That would be impossible. And Erebo made his decision based on that. And he was correct¡­ ¡°Guh!¡±Kim Woo-Joong raised his de and narrowly managed to block Erebo¡¯s kick. Even though it was but a single strike, his limbs wouldn¡¯t stop shaking. ¡°You lot are pitiful.¡± It was a blessing that the monster had discovered his natural enemy early on. He energetically cornered the seven people. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s breathing was ragged. At some point, the sun had set, and the streetmps started to light up one by one. ¡®He fell right into our trap.¡¯ Everything was going as nned. Seo Jun-Ho squeezed out the magic energy he had been reserving for the past ten days. As he did, 128 ice mirrors appeared in the air and trapped Erebo. ¡°Blind him, Crystal Room.¡± ¡°...What are you trying to do, capture me?¡± ¡°Well, what do people usually do after catching a bug?¡± When Jun-Ho gestured with his finger, Skaya erected a pir of light in the air. ¡°They spray it with insecticide.¡± *** Erebo finally stopped wriggling and stilled. The yers watched in silence. They had killed the boss, but no one dared to celebrate. ¡°Hyung! Hyung! Please, open your eyes, hyung! ¡°Healer! We need a healer! Please, help our Master!¡± ¡°Shit! I should have just listened to you. I should have gone back to Earth¡­¡± It hade with a cost. A very expensive one, at that. Erebo had summoned even more cockroaches after being pushed into a corner. Countless cockroaches poured into the city, creating a special kind of hell. At Specter¡¯smand, the yers united and fought for two more days. ¡°...¡± Whenever Seo Jun-Ho fought alongside others, it would always leave a bitter taste in his mouth. Seo Jun-Ho made sure to go as far as burning Erebo¡¯s corpse. As he stared at the ck ashes, a limping Kim Woo-Joong approached him. ¡°It¡¯s finally over,¡± he said. ¡°It is,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. He suddenly sensed something strange and looked up at Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Hey, you just spoke casually.[2]¡± ¡°...I didn¡¯t. Yo.[3]¡± ¡°How long are you going to keep that up? We promised to be friends at the hospital, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong ran his hand through his hair, which was drenched with green slime. ¡°...You¡¯re right. Maybe I should. To be honest, it has been a little ufortable.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve done that in the first ce.[4]¡± They chuckled together. ¡°This Floor is pretty slow, though,¡± Kim Woo-Joong said, looking refreshed. ¡°Hm?What do you mean?¡± ¡°The clear message. With both Janabi and Phanactos, it appeared as soon as we killed them.¡± ¡°...¡± The smile slowly vanished from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face. He was right. Where was it?¡± ¡®...No, wait.¡¯ Instinctively, something came into mind, and Seo Jun-Ho unknowingly muttered, ¡°When this guy appeared, did we receive a message that we encountered a Floor Master?¡± Seo Jun-Ho could see how Kim Woo-Joong responded with a shake of his head as thetter said something with an incredulous expression. However, the words never reached Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ears, as he started to fade away. Beeeeep. A loud beeping noise woke him up. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell when he realized what he was looking at. ¡°Once you finish the initial Quests, it would be best to leave this city as soon as possible. You¡¯ll get nothing out of staying here.¡± Why? His head flooded with questions as he tried his best to process everything. Wei Chun-Hak continued on with his script, undeterred. ¡°Every day at 6 am, the city neatly initializes itself like that.¡± ¡®Why?¡¯ Chapter 328. One Person (2)

Chapter 328. One Person (2)

At the hotel¡¯s sky lounge, Seo Jun-Ho zoned out as he watched the initialization process. ¡®Just now, what¡­ Why? Why did Ie back again?¡¯ Each question brought up another one, filling his head. He gripped his skull, as he felt as if it were overheating. He could not believe his eyes. ¡®I don¡¯t even know why. This has never happened before.¡¯ The yers had killed Erebo together. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho had already realized that Erebo may not be the Floor Master. But what did that have to do with being sent back to the past? ¡®I only get sent back to the past when I die, don¡¯t I?¡¯ Was there another trigger he was unaware of? He realized what he had done wrong. ¡®I was too impatient.¡¯ He had grown impatient after returning twice, which was his downfall. He should have used Confession of the Dead after killing Erebo to confirm things. ¡®I was too focused on the endgame and ended up rushing like an idiot just to kill him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t think he would make this kind of mistake. Seo Jun-Ho squeezed his eyes shut and started walking to his hotel room like a programmed robot. Shwaaaa. He started to sort his thoughts under the cold downpour of water. ¡®Yeah. When Erebo appeared, I didn¡¯t get the message that should have appeared.¡¯ When he faced the Frost Queen and Janabi, he received a message saying that he had encountered the Floor Master. However, that wasn¡¯t the case with Erebo. ¡®Does that mean he¡¯s not the Floor Master of the 4th Floor?¡¯ On the one in million chance that was true, it was hard to connect it to his return. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Perhaps something had killed him instantly? That, he could understand. ¡®But I can¡¯t be sure.¡¯It would be too much of a waste to try apletely different method simply because that was a possibility. Rahmadat¡¯s n was the only way to kill Erebo, after all. ¡°...¡± He gently closed his eyes and made a decision. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again.¡± Using the same method. *** ¡°So¡­ Are you telling me to go to the next city and bring the yers from there?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Chun-Hak fell deep into thought, but he eventually said that he would do it. ¡°And there¡¯s one more thing you should keep in mind,¡± Seo Jun-Ho started. ¡°There is?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nced at Mio and exined the views of Sky Soul. ¡°If they happen to refuse, tell them this. If they do not fight with us, things will get ugly the next time we see each other.¡± ¡°Woah.I knew that you guys don¡¯t get along, but¡­ can I really say that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± On top of that, Seo Jun-Ho also sent a message to Shin Sung-Hyun and Milphage, asking them to stop the yers nning on going back down through the Save Points. ¡®The more yers we have, the fewer sacrifices there will be.¡¯ Wei Chun-Hak left the city, but Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t share everything with his party members. ¡®It would be better not to tell them that I came back, even though we managed to kill Erebo.¡¯ There was no need to make even more changes to the timeline. *** ¡°Wow.¡± The Frost Queen pped loudly like a seal. ¡°So you trulyhavePshhh¡­Toooo¡­ He produced a simr sound to the one he had made on his first day. ¡°Do I really have to practice like this?¡± ¡°You must,¡± Frost said firmly. ¡°Once you are able to maintain the sound until your final breath, then you will be done with this atst.¡± ¡°Well, if you say so¡­ I trust you, I suppose.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯tin and practiced his instrument in silence. After being heavily injured by Moon Eye, his faith in her teachings greatly increased. ¡®Now that I think about it¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho paused for a moment. Even though his stat points were reset, his memories were perfectly intact. In other words, in the process of repeating these attempts, his techniques would improve over time. ¡°I should practice other stuff in my free time, too.¡± Even though it was the same amount of time, spending it productively would still help him in the future. ¡®Let¡¯s just think of it as a long-term investment.¡¯ Yes, that was what it was. *** As expected, Seo Jun-Ho easily fixed the mistakes he had madest time. Wei Chun-Hak brought back a lot more yers this time around. ¡°I was surprised. As soon as I told them that Specter had returned and was looking for yers to help him clear the Floor¡­ The yers gathered like a swarm of bees.¡± ¡°Your timing was good. If you hadn¡¯t contacted us through Community, thousands of them would have returned to Earth already.¡± There were 12,854 of them. It was more than double the original 5,281. ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Arthur!¡± In Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s previous return, Arthur and the Watchguards had gone back to earth, but this time, they managed to join the party. Gilberto pulled his son into a strong hug and patted Arthur¡¯s back. ¡°Everything¡¯s okay now. I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho watched them quietly, then turned to Wei Chun-Hak. ¡°Is Sky Soul not here?¡± ¡°I even told them what you asked me to tell them, but they only snorted.¡± However, Wei Chun-Hak didn¡¯t seem to care that much. Shin Sung-Hyun also didn¡¯t look as displeased as he had lookedst time. ¡°Ease your worries, Specter. Our numbers are more than enough.¡± After all, they had more than ten thousand of the most elite yers in the world. *** Erebo wriggled, then stilled. Previously, Seo Jun-Ho instantly rxed at this moment, but this time, he didn¡¯t dare to rx. On the contrary, he even raised his guard up and sharply scanned the area. ¡®Someone could be targeting me.¡¯ It could be the Floor Master hiding somewhere around here, or it could be a yer harboring a grudge against him. ¡®Let¡¯s check him first.¡¯Seo Jun-Ho used Night Walking, which erased the entirety of his presence. Hidden from the others, he ced his hand on Erebo¡¯s head. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± ¡®Please work¡­ Please, anything.¡¯ Perhaps his desperation was heard because a familiar message popped up. [Confession of the Dead has been activated.] [An error has #$&red.] ¡°...What¡¯s up with this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, perplexed. This was the first time he saw a glitch in the System messages. However, it didn¡¯t end there¡­ The memory projection suddenly started ying on its own. asionally, it would be pixted, speed up by several times, or be muted. [Not enough. Not enough. With this, it¡¯ll take forever to @#(hbn! F2$#?s¡­] [If I want to reach them, I have to be much, much stronger than I am right n@#39Qf¡­] [A dol#$Y? I just thought of a good idea.] ¡­ Crackle! The yback continued despite the glitchy screen, but it eventually stopped. [An unknown error has urred. The skill has been deactivated.] [Checking System error code.] [The Administrator $#*(y~kf please wait¡­wait¡­for¡­] ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho gulped. He waited for a long time, but there was not a single word from the Administrator. ¡°This is insane.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had no clue why this was happening. The only good thing was that a few of his questions had been answered, and he quickly sifted through his thought. ¡®First of all, the guy we killed is without a doubt Erebo.¡¯ And hewasthe Floor Master. However, there was something they had misunderstood. ¡®Clever bastard. The bug we fought wasn¡¯t his real body.¡¯ Indeed, Seo Jun-Ho felt that something was off a few times now. Erebo wasn¡¯t weak, but he didn¡¯t have that unique, overwhelming pressure the Frost Queen and Janabi had given off when he faced them. ¡®So it¡¯s because he usually goes around using the body of a special entity.¡¯ This pest was truly, truly crazy. His cautiousness wasn¡¯t just prudence¡ªit bordered on insanity. ¡°His real body is at the final city.¡± No yer had reached that ce just yet. If Seo Jun-Ho went there, his questions would be answered. ¡®But¡­¡¯ He still hadn¡¯t figured out why he was being sent back to the past. And it was even weirder how a lot more time had passed since Erebo died whenpared to the previous timeline, but he was still here. Gyaaaa! ¡°S-Sword Saint!¡± Suddenly, a scream pierced through the battlefield. Seo Jun-Ho turned. ¡°...Huh?¡± Time seemed to have slowed down to a crawl as Kim Woo-Joong stumbled forward. His knees hit the ground, and he looked utterly perplexed. However, the confusion instantly vanished from his face as blood started pouring from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. ¡°What happened?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly dispelled Night Walking and caught him. The female yer next to him shook her head. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either. He just suddenly¡­ suddenly started bleeding a lot, and¡ª¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic power instantly shot out and covered the battlefield. ¡®Who was it? Who the hell was it?¡¯ There was nothing. No matter how he searched, he couldn¡¯t find anything. There was not a single suspicious person in thisrge city. ¡®Then, who¡­¡¯ Who did this, and how? The violent shaking in his arms eventually slowed down. ¡°...Woo-Joong?¡± he asked nervously. There was no answer. Seo Jun-Ho held Kim Woo-Joong with a vacant look in his eyes. All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Ho realized something. ¡®So it was this.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong died the same way Seo Jun-Ho died on his fourth time around, and thetter¡¯s face grew dejected. ¡®But why did it kill Woo-Joong instead of me?¡¯ Even the battle remained more or less the same, and his participation this time also wasn¡¯t so different from how he participated in the previous battle. The only thing that changed was what happenedafterthe battle¡­ Seo Jun-Ho froze as soon as the thought hit him. ¡®Was it¡­ because of Night Walking?¡¯ If this was some kind of powerful curse from the real Erebo in the final city, the target should have been Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®But Night Walking concealed my presence¡­¡¯ Did Erebo kill Kim Woo-Joong because he couldn¡¯t find Seo Jun-Ho? ¡°...Shit.¡± Regardless, the Sword Saint¡¯s death was a massive loss. Moreover, the former died in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stead. Guilt and pain washed over Seo Jun-Ho knowing that he was supposed to die instead of Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Contractor?¡± The Frost Queen quickly grabbed his sleeve, sensing that something was off about him. Unlike her usual voice, she sounded dead serious. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Really, I¡¯m okay, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Surprisingly, Seo Jun-Ho reassured her. ¡°I still have more than three hundred chances, so it¡¯s not a problem. I can just start over again.¡± ¡°...What? You¡­!¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s face contorted. Before she could say anything else, Seo Jun-Ho stabbed the Sword of Ambition through his heart. His friends, Cha Si-Eun, Kim Woo-Joong, Shin Sung-Hyun, Wei Chun-Hak, Milphage¡­ And the yers¡­ They were all captured in his fading vision, and as they did, he promised. ¡®Unlike how I have been doing things, I won¡¯t give up on anyone anymore.¡¯ He could do it. With the blessing of his extra lives, there was no need to sacrifice anyone at all. Seo Jun-Ho truly believed that he could do it. Chapter 329. One Person (3)

Chapter 329. One Person (3)

¡®...What a relief.¡¯ As soon as Seo Jun-Ho saw the others gathered at the sky lounge, he felt at ease. Kim Woo-Joong had died just a moment ago, covered in blood, but now, he was looking out the window with his signature chic expression. ¡°Every day at 6 am, the city neatly initializes itself like that.¡± Once Wei Chun-Hak finished exining, everyone went to their rooms. However, Seo Jun-Ho remained in the restaurant to sort out his own thoughts. ¡®Now that I know that there¡¯s no point in killing Erebo, I have to clear the Quests. So I can kill that bastard waiting in the final city.¡¯ However, Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t in a situation where he could hunt as he pleased. If Erebo happened to discover the effects of Exterminator, the events of the 1st and 2nd regressions would repeat. But did that mean he should just stand by and do nothing? No, he had to find a solution somehow. ¡°..tor¡ªContractor!¡± After sorting his thoughts out for a long while, the Frost Queen tugged on his sleeve, trying to catch his attention. ¡°Brew me a cup of tea.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Ho paused. In his previous regressions, she had never directly asked him to brew a single cup of tea. ¡®Makes sense. She does like to drink tea as she looks down at the city.¡¯ This change had probably urred because he didn¡¯t directly go to his room. ¡®Skaya did say the Butterfly Effect will ur if I do something different¡­ Well, whatever. It probably doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ All he had to do was brew her a cup of tea, so there should be no drastic change. Seo Jun-Ho told her to wait for a moment before he went to the kitchen. ¡®It would be better to tell the party about my regression, right?¡¯ Originally, he had tried to minimize the changes to learn what the hivemind was, but now that he knew about the hivemind as well as some information about Erebo¡¯s real body, it would be more convenient to get the others¡¯ help. Ssh! ¡°...Oh.¡± Seo Jun-Ho paused. He had been distracted by his thoughts while brewing the tea that he had identally poured all the Spirit Crystal powder he had in possession into it. ¡®Shoot, this is all I had left.¡¯ Maybe he should just regress again. He was seriously considering it when the Frost Queen called from the other room. ¡°Tea!¡± The Frost Queen demanded. ¡°...I¡¯ming, I¡¯ming.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. It would be a waste to regress for just a Spirit Crystal. ¡°One cup of tea,ing up.¡± ¡°Thank you greatly.¡± She smiled softly and sipped the tea. But then, she suddenly revealed a look of surprise. ¡°Oh?It tastes very good today!¡± ¡°Oh¡­Maybe it¡¯s because I used different tea leaves.¡± He couldn¡¯t afford to tell her that he had identally put in a ton of Spirit Crystal shavings, so he lied to her. Not knowing any better, the Frost Queen brightly smiled. ¡°From now on, use these tea leaves every day.¡± ¡°Sorry. That was thest of it. We can¡¯t get more of it here.¡± ¡°A¡­¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s face instantly fell, and she started to take small sips of the tea to make itst as long as possible. ¡°Come to my room when you¡¯re done drinking,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He went back first to take a shower and change. Knock knock. A very shy knock could be heard from the door. ¡®Looks like Frost is here.¡¯ He opened the door without hesitation, but his eyes went wide because of what he saw. The person standing in the hallway wasn¡¯t Frost, but a silver-haired girl who looked like was in eighth grade or so. She was wearing the uniform of a hotel employee, but it was too big for her that it looked like she had borrowed her older sister¡¯s clothing. ¡°...Who are you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho growled in a low voice. There was no one else in the hotel except for the party members, and this had been consistently true in his previous regressions. ¡®Is this some new situation? Is she an enemy?¡¯ He kept his guard up high. However, just as he started to stir his magic power, the uniformed girl¡¯s face turned helpless, and she spoke with a familiar voice that sounded as fine as jade. ¡°A-after I drank the tea, I suddenly grew¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Grew? What grew? When he frowned, the Frost Queen looked hurt. ¡°...You do not recognize me anymore simply because I grew a little?¡± ¡°I[1]?¡± He only knew one person who referred to herself with such a haughty title. When Seo Jun-Ho looked at her with disbelief, she turned her head. ¡°...I hate you.¡± Was it really¡­ ¡°Um,excuse me¡­Are you the Frost Queen[2]?¡± he asked doubtfully. She nodded with her small face. ¡®Holy shit.¡¯He almost cursed out loud.¡®Wait, is this the Butterfly Effect?¡¯ He knew that any small actions could create unexpected changes, but wasn¡¯t this too much of a change? ¡®Yeah, I suppose it has been a while since she evolved into a Low Spirit¡­¡¯ However, he had never imagined that she would evolve like this just because of one random mistake. ¡°Juste in first...¡± The Frost Queen entered the room and quietly sat on the chair. Amazingly, her feet couldpletely touch the ground. ¡°Contractor. My feet can touch the ground now, even when I am sitting on a chair.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ That¡¯s good.¡± He looked at her for a moment. ¡°Anything else? Has anything changed now that you have be a Common Spirit? Like getting your memories back or something.¡± ¡°W-what nonsense is that? I have ascended t-to be a Grade 3 Arch Spirit.¡± So she was still going with that concept? Seo Jun-Ho just nodded along. ¡°Anyway, did anything change?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Hm¡­¡± The Frost Queen tilted her head, seemingly uncertain. ¡°I am not certain about my memories, but I do feel as if I have grown a little stronger.¡± Well, yeah. It would be weirder if shehadn¡¯tgrown stronger. After all, she had gone from being a Low Spirit to a Common Spirit. ¡°Oh!¡± Just then, a thought crossed his mind. ¡®That means she can¡¯t wear the clothes I bought her.¡¯ He still had a lot of pretty, brand-new clothes from the summer collection¡­ Just as he was wallowing in his disappointment, a message he had never seen before appeared before his eyes. [The Manager of the 4th Floor Administrative Team is requesting a meeting with you.] ¡®...Not an Administrator, but the Manager of the Administrative Team? What¡¯s with that?¡¯ From the Frost Queen¡¯s evolution to the Manager¡¯s invitation¡ªthings were starting to getplicated as incidents he hadn¡¯t encountered in his previous regressions happened one after another. ¡®I¡¯ll just check it out for now. If something goes wrong, I can just return to the past anyway.¡¯ He made up his mind and nodded. ¡°I ept.¡± The area around him changed, and he found himself in a nice-looking reception area. ¡°Oh,you¡¯re here!¡± A man stood up from his seat. He was wearing a suit, and he looked like a normal office worker. He gave Seo Jun-Ho his signature business smile and held out a business card. [4th Floor Administrative Team, Manager Han Jun-Min.] ¡°Han Jun-Min? Are you Korean?¡± Seo Jun-Ho had to ask after reading it. ¡°Huh? Hahaha!Of course not. I am from the Aeon Empire.¡± ¡°The Aeon Empire¡­?¡± ¡°You can simply think of me as an alien,¡± he said, bringing his hands together as if he was asking for Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s understanding. ¡°I have anxiously been waiting for you ever since you entered the 4th Floor, Mr. Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. I have been sending requests to meet you face-to-face, but the higher-ups wouldn¡¯t give me permission. It was frustrating.¡± Manager Han looked at Frost. ¡°But the Frost Queen¡¯s evolution was a good pretext. It¡¯s bted, but congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± the Frost Queen responded before the two of them sat down. ¡°Would you like something to drink? Perhaps an orange juice for you and her favorite Spirit Crystal for the queen?¡± Manager Han asked. ¡°...I do not eat such things.¡± ¡°Ahem!I¡¯m fine, too.¡± Seo Jun-Ho cleared his throat. ¡°To be honest, I have never been in a situation like this, so I¡¯m a bit flustered.¡± ¡°I understand. Very much so,¡± Manager Han said, looking a little apologetic. ¡°But the reason I brought you here like this is that I have something to give you.¡± ¡°Something to give me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked puzzled. Someone working for the System wanted to give something to a yer? This had never happened up until the 3rd Floor. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s because a major problem has urred on Another World, which is the Floor you yers are currently on.¡± ¡°And that would mean¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be straightforward. Currently, we cannot administer the System on the 4th Floor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Now that I think about it, I got a message saying that there was a system error in my previous regression.¡¯He remembered seeing the letters getting all jumbled up, and there was an error with Confession of the Dead as well. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°The Administrator has gone missing?¡± ¡°What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave him a look. Then, who was this Han Jun-Min? ¡°I am¡ªRight. In Earth''s terms, I am a low-level government worker. I have neither authority nor responsibilities because the Floor Administrator usually manages everything." ¡°Then, when will they return?¡± ¡°...¡± Manager Han shook his head. ¡°She cannot return with her own power, and it is possible that¡­ she will soon cease to exist.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s jaw dropped. He was shocked. He had never imagined that even Administrators could die despite their almighty power. ¡°Wait, then shouldn¡¯t you at least bring in a new Administrator?¡± ¡°Indeed. The higher-ups know the gravity of the situation as well, so they¡¯re looking into instating a new Administrator.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no problem, then.¡± ¡°The issue is that the passage of time is very different for thempared to the people of Earth.¡± The passage of time? When Seo Jun-Ho blinked, Manager Han let out a heavy sigh. ¡°In other words, it may be decades or centuries until a new Administrator is brought in.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was taken over by feelings of shock, disbelief, and rage. ¡°Then, what would be of us?¡± he demanded. They had climbed over mountains of corpses and endured so much suffering just to get here. What was the point of all that, then? Manager Han saw the rage in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes, so he hurriedly said, ¡°That¡¯s why I brought you here.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Right before the Administrator disappeared, she left something behind for you.¡± ¡°...Forme?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re hoping that it is some drastic measure that will help us ovee this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked perplexed. Why did it have to be him? ¡®Some Heavens came up here before me.¡¯ Why had she chosen to give the item to him, specifically? ¡°What kind of item is it?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The only one who can see it is you.¡± Manager Han reached into his breast pocket and carefully pulled out a marble. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ It was one of the marbles from the first city. He had been collecting them until he grew sick of it. Seo Jun-Ho held out his hand and grabbed it. As soon as he did, a message appeared before him. [Checking authorization¡­] [Identification for yer Seo Jun-Hoplete] [You have received permission to open the message.] [Open?] ¡°Yes.¡± When he gave the word, he started hearing a voice in his head. It was a gentle, motherly voice. His tired mind and body seemed to rx just from hearing it. - ...I am sorry, child. She said, sounding woeful. Why were her first words an apology? Despite his confusion, tears prickled his eyes. The voice sounded so sorrowful because the apology was so ardent. ¡®Why am I¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was hit with a wave of emotions he couldn¡¯t describe, and his heart grew turbulent. However, the voice continued. - This is something only you can do. - You are the only one who can do this, the only one who will not break. - I am sorry. I am so, so sorry. The voice stopped there. Before Seo Jun-Ho could even ask anything, a dizzying number of alerts appeared before him. [The 1st Quest has changed.] [The 2nd Quest has changed.] [The 3rd Quest has changed.] ¡­ ¡­ Every yer would receive the same quest chain upon entering the 4th floor, and Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t an exception. However, his quests suddenly changed. When he read the description, his face grew pale. ¡°W-what is¡­¡± Flustered, Seo Jun-Ho turned to Manager Han. ¡°What is this? Just who left this message?!¡± he demanded. ¡°H-huh?I told you, did I not? It is from the currently missing Administrator of Another World.¡± Manager Han made a ¡®calm down¡¯ gesture with his hands before saying, ¡°The message is from the tree of wisdom that watches over all things¡ªThe World Tree.¡± Chapter 330. One Person (4)

Chapter 330. One Person (4)

Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes.¡®I see¡­ So the World Tree is the Administrator of the 4th Floor.¡¯ The ¡®finest delicacy¡¯ Erebo had kept bragging about had been the World Tree. If the Administrator had died just like that, it would be understandable why the System errors had appeared. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to know,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Please, ask away. I¡¯ll assist you as best as I can.¡± Manager Han nodded. ¡°Can I really defeat something not even a Floor Administrator could?¡± Gray from the 1st Floor. Reiji from the 2nd. Ignis from the 3rd. They all gave off an aura that proved they were powerful beings. He thought the 4th Floor¡¯s Administrator would definitely be at least as powerful as them. ¡®If Erebo really did eat the World Tree¡­¡¯ Didn¡¯t that mean the 4th Floor Master was as strong as a Floor Administrator? That wasn¡¯t something just one yer could handle. ¡°Oh,I should exin that to you.¡± Manager Han stroked his chin and thought for a moment. ¡°First of all, it¡¯s true that all Floor Administrators are those who have reached transcendence.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I cannot exin in detail, but all you need to know is that they are amazing beings.¡± Jun-Ho nodded hesitantly. ¡°Please continue.¡± ¡°Yes. But more importantly, all Transcendents have different levels of offensive power. For example, among yers, every yer¡¯s fighting power will be different even if they¡¯re all level 100. Correct?¡± ¡°I think I understand now.¡± If there were a level 100 elemental user, a level 100 physical-enhancement type, and a level 100 healer, there would be a clear difference in fighting power between them, even though they were all at the same level. ¡°The World Tree is known as the tree of wisdom. She created the elves and became the God they worshipped, which was the main reason she was able to be a transcended constetion.¡± ¡°...So in other words, she doesn¡¯t have much fighting power?¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t just weak; she has nobat capability at all. Zero. Zilch. It¡¯s because she¡¯s a tree.¡± Manager Han continued. ¡°Of course, that didn¡¯t mean her defenses are weak. Moreover, the high elves have always been protecting her.¡± Despite that, Erebo still managed to eat her. ¡°So they got through her defenses.¡± ¡°...Yes. Erebo¡¯s army of cockroaches killed the elves¡¯ mother.¡± Manager Han let out a heavy sigh and tugged at his tie, feeling stuffy. ¡°Now, let me ask you a question. Just what did the World Tree leave you?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment, wondering if he could tell this man about the diary. - It should be alright. I do not sense anything bad. Keen Intuition advised him quietly. The former¡¯s predictions were pretty urate these days, so Jun-Ho quickly made his decision. ¡°She changed my Quests.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re okay with it, may I ask about the changes?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± As soon as Seo Jun-Ho gave him permission, a semi-transparent window appeared before Manager Han. He skimmed through it, and his face went pale. ¡°Oh, my freaking¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked at his reaction. The only thing Seo Jun-Ho could see just now was the description of the first Quest. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, how is a single yer supposed to¡ªhas she gone senile?¡± He looked up at the yer, trembling. ¡°I simply cannot understand. No matter how powerful of a human you are, it is impossible to aplish all of these at once. Has she left you anything else?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho then retrieved the diary from his Inventory and showed it to him. ¡°Hm,this book is made from the roots of the World Tree. It seems that her ns were quite thorough.¡± Manager Han had been acting all businesslike, but now, he looked at Seo Jun-Ho with pity. ¡°Are you¡­ Are you truly okay with this? It will be painful.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do even if I¡¯m not okay with it,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied, calmly putting away the diary. ¡°If I don¡¯t do this, we¡¯ll have to wait decades or centuries doing nothing anyway.¡± ¡°I will try to expedite it as much as possible,¡± Manager Han said like a true government worker. However, Jun-Ho could already tell the oue. After all, Manger Han didn¡¯t look convincing. ¡°I believe that there¡¯s a reason why the World Tree left this to me,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Manager Han nodded. ¡°Because there is none other like you, Seo Jun-Ho.¡± Even as the fated enemy of Erebo, he was the only one whose mind wouldn¡¯t shatter. ¡®...He won¡¯t break.¡¯ Manager Han sneered at himself. Just because something didn¡¯t break after a major blow didn¡¯t mean there was no damage at all. ¡®More precisely, he simply CAN¡¯T break.¡¯ His sanity would twist, bend, and suffer. Even if Seo Jun-Ho himself wanted to break, he simply wouldn¡¯t be able to. This was likely why the World Tree had chosen him. ¡°Don¡¯t lose heart...¡± That was all Manager Han could say at the moment. *** ¡°Quest window,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, having returned to his room. [First Quest] Requirements: Maintain 95% Overclocking output for one hour. The look in his eyes deepened while he was staring at the description. ¡®Before this, all you had to do to fulfill the First Quest was to simply collect ten marbles.¡¯ Now, it had changed into a more personal task¡ªone that only he could do. ¡°Ny-five percent...¡± Frost had grown a lot taller, so she could see the Quest¡¯s content herself, which were disyed about as high as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ribs. ¡°How much is the highest output you can use right now?¡± ¡°Ny-two percent¡­¡± ¡°Then, there is not much left to do!¡± She said, face growing bright. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression remained dark. ¡°Even now, I can¡¯t maintain a ny-two percent output. I can only hold it for about two to three seconds at the longest.¡± Moreover, Overclocking was a technique that would overload his body. ¡°Even when you overclock aputer, it¡¯s hard to go above even 0.1% over a certain threshold¡­¡± By increasing the output by just 0.1%, all sorts of bugs would appear, the heat would fail to regte, and the parts would break. Besides, they were dealing with a human body. ¡®To be fair, my body is nearly superhuman right now¡­¡¯ However, he knew that it wasn¡¯t something he could aplish in a day or two. Carving his body out would require at least several months. ¡®And there¡¯s a bigger problem here as well.¡¯ This was only the first Quest. His shoulders grew heavy just from the thought of how even more difficult missions awaited him. But of course, this wasn¡¯tallthat bad¡­ ¡®yers who enter the 4th Floor have to clear a total of thirty Quests.¡¯ However, the modified Quests the World Tree had given him were only five¡ªfive. ¡®Five Quests of this caliber¡­¡¯ Based on the content of the first Quest, it seemed that it would take him at least three months to clear a single Quest. ¡®Since there¡¯s five, that¡¯s fifteen months. If I¡¯m being generous, I guess it would take about a year and a half.¡¯ And he still had 361 pages left in the diary¡­ A journey of a thousand miles began with a single step. ¡®If I just keep walking, I¡¯ll reach my destination.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed the Quest window, and his eyes glinted harshly. *** That evening, Seo Jun-Ho shared his circumstances with the party. He asked them to move on to the next city while he practiced his Overclocking. ¡®Training is important, but it would be good to get as much information about our opponents as possible.¡¯ He asked them to send him all the information they learned through the Community messaging system. ¡°Phew.I can finally catch my breath.¡± When night fell, Seo Jun-Ho returned to his room and sat down, opening the diary. He read the entire thing again from the very beginning, trying to find anything he missed. While he was doing that, the Frost Queen was watching dramas on the tablet. All of a sudden, she tilted her head. ¡°Contractor! Contractor!¡± She waved him over while her eyes were fixed on the screen. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Come over here. Hurry.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho approached her, the Frost Queen looked at him with innocent eyes. ¡°How did this couple get a baby after going into the room? They are not even married.¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you learn this when you were a queen?¡± ¡°What nonsense! Along with court etiquette, I studied a myriad of subjects. I know everything!¡± Was sex education excluded? Had the ministers babied her so much that they didn¡¯t teach her about that at all? ¡°Um,how do people have babies in yournd?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked carefully. ¡°When a man and woman who love each other get married and live together, a wyvern brings them a child.¡± Of course, that wasn¡¯t true. Seo Jun-Ho brought his hand to his forehead, and the Frost Queen seemed to have realized something. ¡°Goodness me¡­ Then, how do the people of Earth have children? You do not have wyverns.¡± ¡°Storks¡­ On Earth, storks bring people babies.¡± ¡°Ah,it is truly a mystical bird.¡± With her curiosity satisfied, the Frost Queen smiled and went back to watching her drama. ¡®I should put content restrictions on the tabletter, just in case.¡¯ He would do it no matter what¡­ *** ¡°Breathe in.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was sitting in the middle of the empty aerobics room in the hotel. As he breathed slowly, the Frost Queen walked around him. ¡°Breathe out.¡± ¡°Hoo¡­¡± ¡°When you are ready, begin.¡± Up until now, he had always worked on increasing his Overclocking output by himself. But after going beyond ny percent, he desperately needed her help. If he couldn¡¯t regte the heat, he would directly die, so her help was a type of insurance. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and meditated. After undergoing Body Transformation, his body became like an exquisite device, and it became as marvelous as a small gxy. The eight well-cleanednes of his magic circuits radiated this refreshing feeling he felt like there was a hole in his chest where the wind was passing through. And then, he mustered his magic. ¡®I¡¯ll run ap of magic power infused with Frost energy around my body.¡¯ The energy ran through all his circuits, which enhanced his physical abilities. ¡®This superhuman strength can break a whole mound of boulders.¡¯ When he squeezed his hands into fists, he felt a wave of confidence. He felt like he could take on the whole world by himself. In this state, he could easily cut through rock or steel using a sword even without Sword Aura. ¡®This is the power of Overclocking at eighty-five percent output.¡¯ It was the highest output he could maintain over an extended period of time. ¡®Make the energy run even faster...¡¯ The magic power circting within his body started to speed up. It ran tenps per second, then eleven, then twelve¡ªthe energy started speeding through his circuits with no holds barred. ¡°Keuk.¡±Seo Jun-Ho grunted, and he could smell the scent of burning flesh. His insides had started burning. Not even the Frost-infused energy could lower the heat a hundred percent. ¡®Ny-two percent...¡¯ Thump. Thump. When he started to feel his pulse reverberate, Keen Intuition cut in with a warning. - Stop it, you lunatic! He felt like his body was about to pop like a balloon. In the end, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t endure it any longer and let the magic scatter. ¡°Contractor!¡± The Frost Queen rushed forward and grabbed his shoulder. She started pouring freezing energy into his body. And just as Seo Jun-Ho felt relieved that she was there to help him¡ª ¡°Bleeghh!¡± He threw up charred tissues of his burnt organs. He gripped his chest from the intense pain and writhed for a long while. ¡°It is still this bad even though I helped him?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s face grew concerned as she watched her writhing Contractor. Chapter 331. One Person (5)

Chapter 331. One Person (5)

¡°Ptoo!¡±Seo Jun-Ho spat the charred tissues of his organs. He felt his body recover ever so slowly thanks to Cell Regeneration (A). ¡®My internal organs were damaged. Maybe it¡¯s from the sudden deluge of magic energy.¡¯ The intense storm of magic had urred inside of him rather than outside, so it had grazed past his organs. To protect them, he had to obtain suitable ¡®resistance.¡¯ ¡°Contractor, would you like some water? Rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so bad that I need to rest,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. His face was pale as he re-assumed the lotus position. Compared to all the countless thorny paths he had walked so far, this was actually quite on the easier side. ¡°This is good, actually.¡± He thought that the World Tree had given him very suitable Quests. ¡®After all, she gave me what I need most.¡¯ Time. He had recently gone through rapid growth, with his stats increasing by twice their original number. However, if someone asked him if he could use all of that power, the answer would obviously be ¡®no.¡¯ ¡®Because I didn¡¯t have time to adjust to all that strength.¡¯ Right now, he was going through a type of growing pains. He was nning to take his time and slowly adapt to his power, and the World Tree had coincidentally given him time to do just that. ¡®I understand why they call her the tree of wisdom now.¡¯ It was as if she had looked into the future and arranged all these for him. He actually felt a little touched by what she had done. Seo Jun-Ho slowly closed his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s take it one firm step at a time.¡± He still had 361 chances left. He ¡®only¡¯ had toplete five Quests during those chances. Seo Jun-Ho leisurely made up his mind. ¡®Even if I steel myself ahead of time, it¡¯s not like any new shortcuts are going to appear.¡¯ He believed in himself. He believed in the man the World Tree believed in. ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡± Magic started to speed through his ragged circuits once more. *** A month and a halfter, the party was done with their ten Quests and said their farewells to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°We¡¯ll gather information for you in the next city.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll contact you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t skip meals, and make sure you¡¯re eating well.¡± ¡°Please do not push yourself too hard.¡± ¡°...Bye.¡± He watched their backs disappear in a daze before returning to the training room. As he stared at the empty room, he felt a sense of emptiness for some reason. It felt like he had juste home from a vacation to return to his cold, empty house by himself. ¡°Do you feel lonely?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°Not really. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll be much different from what I have done until now.¡± The only time he had been able to speak with them was during mealtimes anyway. Aside from those times, he poured all his time into sharpening his Overclocking. And now, he reaped the fruits of hisbor. [You have been injured by magic.] [Your cells have acquired the lowest-level Magic Resistance.] [Magic Resistance has increased to low-level.] [Magic Resistance has increased to mid-level.] [Magic Resistance has increased to high-level.] Magic Resistance¡­ Thanks to that, no matter how much he used Overclocking, his organs didn¡¯t get torn apart. ¡°Let¡¯s just practice.¡± He pushed aside his mncholy and gathered his magic energy. Seventy percent¡­ Eighty percent¡­ Ny percent¡­ Even when his output shot up to ny-two percent in an instant, he was able to maintain it with no trouble. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± He let out a small exhale as the output started to stabilize. His goal for today was toplete the first Quest. ¡®I can reach ny-five percent output, but it doesn¡¯tst that long.¡¯ However, he stumbled upon a wall when trying to maintain it for an hour. It was already his second week being stuck at maintaining it for ten minutes, so he ended up deciding to just be extra stubborn. ¡®I¡¯ll get help from Midnight Sun.¡¯ The armor enhanced ice-based abilities. Thus, it would strengthen the Frost-infused energy in his circuits. As such, it would certainly be more effective at cooling down the heat created from Overclocking running at ny-five percent output. ¡°Reconsider this. It will be dangerous,¡± said the Frost Queen. ¡°Thest time you said that, my Magic Resistance all the way up to high-level, so it¡¯ll be fine.¡± The Frost Queen was worried about the exceptional ice-enhancing effects of the armor. ¡°That power cannot be controlled, so it will be even more dangerous¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else I can do, so I¡¯ll just have to risk it.¡± With all his preparationsplete, Seo Jun-Ho touched Midnight Sun with his magic power, and the white armor covered his body. Just in case, he made a request to the Frost Queen. ¡°On the off chance that I end up being a cripple, don¡¯t hesitate and just kill me off.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen didn¡¯t reply. Rather, she gave him a cold stare and turned her head. But before Seo Jun-Ho could even say anything else, his face darkened. ¡®It¡¯sing.¡¯ Fwoooosh! Just as Midnight Sun¡¯s enhancement effect activated, the magic running through his circuits became much colder. ¡®...Ugh!¡¯ An intense cold grazed through his body. At this point, it felt like cooling down the heat was the least of his problems. He felt like his whole body would freeze over at any moment. Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly summoned an even greater amount of magic energy, heating up his circuits. With the magic running through his body a hundred times a second, his body actually vibrated. ¡®I-I have to hold on¡­¡¯ A tug-of-war between the untamed heat and cold began. As the Frost Queen watched, her face grew shocked, and she uncrossed her arms. ¡°Contractor, are you alright?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was already in a state where he couldn¡¯t even respond. He had already jumped on the back of a raging tiger. If he let go of the reins now, the uncontrolled magic would definitely snap and bacsh. ¡®And then I¡¯ll die...¡¯ As cold sweat started to drip down his body, Seo Jun-Ho remained steadfast, holding onto his determination. ¡®No looking back. I¡¯ll go all the way to the end.¡¯ Ny-three percent¡­ Ny-four percent¡­ Ny-five percent¡­ The output continued to increase, and it eventually reached ny-five percent. His body repeatedly cycled through hot and cold. He would sweat, and then his sweat would freeze over and over again. ¡®J-just a little more!¡¯ Every time the magic energy made ap through his circuits, the shadow of death loomed closer and closer. However, Jun-Ho won over the pressure and started pushing out even more magic as if he couldn¡¯t stop doing it. Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump! Scarily, his heart started to pound like it had gone haywire. Most people wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out any longer at this point, but Seo Jun-Ho was different. ¡®This is the turning point.¡¯ If he could just stabilize and maintain his current state, he felt like he could keep it going for an hour. By then, the first Quest would beplete, and he could go on to the next. ¡®But what about after?¡¯ If he decided on his limit right now and stepped back once he reached it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to perfect his technique by reaching a hundred percent output. If he didn¡¯t do it right now, he strongly felt that he wouldn¡¯t be able to reach it again. ¡®Go big or go home.¡¯ As he endured the excruciating pain, his lips curled up. He wasn¡¯t thinking about the pain any longer, which surprised even himself. ¡®From the very beginning¡­ There was only one path.¡¯ Having made up his mind, a storm started within him once more. The magic energy sped through him senselessly at several hundredps per second, and his body started to burn with heat so powerful even the enhanced frost energy struggled to hold it down. ¡®...!¡¯ Hot and cold breaths alternated out of his parted lips. In the face of the nonstop outbursts of magic and pain, even his tenacious willpower started to waver. His body quivered. Blood started to drip between his gritted teeth. ¡®I-I can¡¯t¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t go any longer. He squeezed his eyes shut, about to ept his loss. [Magic Resistance has increased to the highest-level.] Fwooosh! Amazingly, the energies inside his body felt as if they had made peace and settled down to equilibrium. And that was when Seo Jun-Ho realized it¡­ ¡®Oh, this is¡­¡¯ A hundred percent Overclocking output. This was the peak of Overclocking he had been dreaming of achieving. His eyes shed open, and there seemed to be a small gxy within his pupils. ¡°How pretty, they¡¯re like gems¡­¡± the Frost Queen muttered. Just as she did, the stars started to fade. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s power was still there. ¡°...¡± He forcefully squeezed his hand into a fist, and the pressurized air exploded and shattered a mirror on the wall. ¡°Eek!¡±Startled, the Frost Queen covered her head and crouched. The mirror¡¯s sudden destruction had scared her. Seo Jun-Hoforted her and stood up before checking his body. ¡®...It feels different from Body Transformation.¡¯ Back then, it felt cool and refreshing as if he were in a new body. This was different. His confidence was overflowing as if there was something immovable and sturdy within him. ¡®The output is at a hundred percent, but it¡¯s shockingly stable.¡¯ His magic energy wasn¡¯t osciting uncontrobly. Now, it felt like it was just flowing through his circuits like a cid river, indifferent to the world. ¡°This feels pretty nice.¡± When he was cleaning up the broken shards of the mirror with the Frost Queen, a System message appeared. [You havepleted the First Quest.] [The Second Quest has been revealed.] He tapped on the window and skimmed through the text. [Second Quest] Requirements: Use the vending machines and reach 500 in all stats. ¡°Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked. All his stats were already over 500, though? The System realized it a second toote, but it quickly sent another message. [You havepleted the Second Quest.] [The Third Quest has been revealed.] ¡®I guess the World Tree doesn¡¯t knoweverything.¡¯ To be fair, it was difficult to find an individual yer in this day and age with an average stat of 500 points. When Seo Jun-Ho saw the third Quest, he froze. [Third Quest] Requirements: Destroy Erebo¡¯s hivemind by yourself. ¡°What? How are you supposed to achieve this?!¡± the Frost Queen eximed, reading over his shoulder. ¡°The World Tree is insane!¡± she said over and over. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face grew contemtive. ¡®Is it possible?¡¯ He tried to look at it objectively with his current state. Certainly,pared to his previous limit of eighty-five percent, an Overclocking output of a hundred percent gave him extraordinary power. But that was all¡­ ¡®I¡¯ve definitely grown stronger, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve gained some almighty power that can shake the world.¡¯ His body had just be even stronger than before. In his current state, he couldn¡¯t even conceive the idea of defeating Erebo by himself. Moreover, if he wanted to kill Erebo, he also had to fight Erebo¡¯s army of cockroaches. ¡°...¡± His heart wavered. He checked the contents of the second Quest once more. ¡®Reach 500 in all stats¡­¡¯ He slowly closed his eyes. The World Tree had never asked him to do something impossible, based on the first and the second Quest, at the least. ¡®That means I should be able toplete the third Quest¡­¡¯ If the World Tree was the tree of wisdom and could truly watch over all things, she would definitely only give him Quests his current self could handle. ¡®That probably means I can kill Erebo by myself once I have fully adjusted to my new stats.¡¯ Once he did, he should be able to use them and breeze through the battle. Seo Jun-Ho quietly thought to himself. ¡®How many times will it take?¡¯ A hundred times? Two hundred? It was also possible that she gave him 365 chances for this Quest alone. If that was the case, he was going to fail more than 300 times. ¡°I¡¯ll just give it a try.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± In a joyful mood, he made a lot of delicious food with the Frost Queen that night. He made the food she wanted, and they rxed together by watching dramas. ¡°Today was very entertaining. I wish that every day would be like today,¡± she remarked. ¡°I¡¯ll hang out with you next time.¡± Once he died, the Frost Queen¡¯s memories would all disappear. The only person who would remember this day would be him. ¡®Rather than fighting Erebo, it¡¯ll be harder to fight against the loneliness.¡¯ But he would emerge victorious¡­ Just like always¡­ When the Frost Queen started nodding off, Seo Jun-Ho went over and sat on the sofa. He drank a strong cup of coffee to wake himself up before running dozens¡ªno, hundreds of simtions in his mind. ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know if he could kill all the bugs in this city by himself, and he didn¡¯t know if he could destroy Erebo¡¯s hivemind afterward. He couldn¡¯t get a good grasp of how many lives he would have to use up to seed. ¡°Zzz¡­¡± As the Frost Queen started snoring next to him, Seo Jun-Ho was immersed in his own thoughts for a long time. Favorite Chapter 332. One Person (6)

Chapter 332. One Person (6)

Seo Jun-Ho stood on the roof of the hotel and looked down at the city. ¡°Contractor, do you think the Quest is truly telling you to defeat Erebo by yourself?¡± ¡°It should be...¡± He recalled the requirements of the third Quest.¡®Destroy Erebo¡¯s hivemind by yourself.¡¯ The hivemind referred to the puppets Erebo controlled, as in the cockroaches. However, it definitely wasn¡¯t just referring to the normal ones. ¡®The thirty Quests decreased to five. The first and the second quests were difficult.¡¯ It would make no sense for the third Quest to suddenly tell him to just kill one bug. ¡®My friends and I already killed him a few times. The World Tree is asking me to kill Erebo by myself.¡¯ Atst, the whole city was nketed in darkness, and another ck mass started pouring in. ¡°Night Walking.¡± This was a technique that concealed all his traces and his presence using Watchguard of Darkness. Unless the other side had an exceptional skill for detecting magic, no one would be able to sense him. ¡°Let¡¯s start by warming up.¡± Dudududu! As usual, the cockroaches tangled into each other and flooded into the streets. ¡°Ew.¡± The Frost Queen looked very disgusted. ¡°Are you going to go down to fight them?¡± she asked. ¡°No,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He retrieved two bows from his Inventory: Tempest Butterfly and Final Horizon. ¡°There¡¯s no need to overexert myself this early.¡± He was nning to hunt the cockroaches safely from the rooftop and use the effects of Exterminator at ater point. Tempest Butterfly¡¯s bowstring creaked as he pulled it taut as if it was about to snap. ¡®Where have they gathered the most?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho spotted the area and let go of the arrow without hesitation. Fwoooosh! Filled with condensed magic energy, the arrow flew out swiftly and destroyed the cockroaches. ¡®And the Quest¡­¡¯ As he had expected, it was still ongoing. His suspicions turned into certainty. ¡°Contractor. Did you not say that those insects cannot be harmed without at least the use of a sword aura?¡± Frost asked. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°...Then, how did they break so easily with a mere arrow?¡± ¡°The arrows I shoot are stronger than a standard sword aura, you see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and continued to snipe them. The cockroaches skittered all over as they tried to dodge the attacks from the sky, but they were at a loss because they had no idea of their enemy¡¯s location. ¡°This is fun. It¡¯s good stress relief,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. ¡°I disagree. I dislike it because it is revolting,¡± the Frost Queen covered her eyes, unable to watch. Seo Jun-Ho continued to do nothing but shoot arrows until he met his goal of three hours. By then, he stopped. ¡°I knew it. I knew it would take about three hours,¡± he muttered while squinting. He could see the special entities flying in from outside the city. ¡®Erebo will start sensing that something¡¯s off after about three hours.¡¯ Erebo had definitely essed the hivemind earlier than that, but he wouldn¡¯t have been able to find Seo Jun-Ho because it was impossible to do so with a normal cockroach¡¯s senses. ¡°So, he sent the special entities. There are¡­ about twenty-two, I believe.¡± Was Erebo himself noting? Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡®I can¡¯t exclude the possibility that he sent them ahead and that Erebo himself is already on his way.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment. Then, he lowered Tempest Butterfly and picked Final Horizon up. He could easily pull the bowstring back thanks to his 600 points in Strength. ¡®Even Ihave never shot so many arrows before.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wondered how far he could go. Afterward, he shot an arrow at a cockroach resembling an eagle flying in from the distance. Boom! It sounded like he had fired a canon. The air around them quivered as the arrow shot out like aser. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was momentarily speechless when he saw the aftermath. A few of the monsters flying into the city were destroyed without a trace. ¡®If I had used this on Telgia, I could have taken it out with one shot.¡¯ Feeling confident now, Seo Jun-Ho pulled back the bowstring once more and shot down a few more special entities. ¡°Huh?¡± His eyes glinted. Obviously, the special entities were making their way toward the hotel, but the cockroaches roaming the streets were starting toe this way as well. ¡®Well, I suppose it¡¯s not like they¡¯re stupid.¡¯ They probably hadn¡¯t noticed him yet, even at this point. However, they had to have finally realized where the arrows wereing from. As such, Seo Jun-Ho put the two bows away and retrieved a spear. ¡°Now that I think about it, I was going to give this guy a name, but I forgot to,¡± he remarked. ¡°Hm?Was it not called Cold Spear?¡± asked the Frost Queen. ¡°Well, ording to Graham, it doesn¡¯t like that name. So I told him I¡¯d re-name it.¡± Of course, he hadn¡¯t been able to go to a fortune teller because he was so busy. The Frost Queen stared at Cold Spear. ¡°Then, may I give it a name?¡± ¡°You?¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at her in disbelief. He suddenly remembered the title of the video he had made in the past: ¡®Salmon in the Mountain.¡¯ ¡°But you¡¯re bad at naming things¡­¡± ¡°Do you really think I would be as bad as you when you named it Cold Spear?!¡± The Frost Queen fumed. She then crossed her arms and watched the stream of cockroaches rushing toward them. She thought for a long while, and when cold sweat started to drip down her face, she finally spoke, ¡°What about¡­ P-Pain of Creation¡­¡±[1] ¡°It¡¯s too bad, but let¡¯s just name it another time.¡± Now, wasn¡¯t the time to leisurelye up with names. ¡®They¡¯reing.¡¯ The special entities that could fly came in like fighter jets. As soon as they did, Seo Jun-Ho leaped off of the roof. ¡®I¡¯ll break through them in one go.¡¯ A great amount of magic power pooled into Cold Spear in his hand. Just like that, he pierced it right through one of their heads. ¡®And directly to the next one.¡¯ He froze the vapor in the air and jumped across them like steps before cutting through more monsters. ¡°Frost, let¡¯s go down!¡± he yelled afternding on the hotel roof. Keen Intuition was telling him that Erebo was getting closer and closer to him. ¡®I have to kill as many cockroaches as possible before that bastard gets here.¡¯ He sprinted down the side of the building and started his descent. He swung his spear erratically at the hordes of insects crawling up the hotel. Cold Spear had the ability to freeze the enemy with just a graze. The dead cockroaches became lumps of ice, and they inflicted coteral damage on their allies as they fell and shattered. ¡®It¡¯s not enough...¡¯ Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t enough. Since he usually fought them in a party of seven, their numbers weren¡¯t decreasing as much as he initially expected now that he was fighting them alone. ¡®I suppose this is Night Walking¡¯s limit.¡¯ In the end, Seo Jun-Ho judged that he couldn¡¯t maintain it any longer and released his concealed state. When he did, the cockroaches swarming the outer walls froze like broken machines. ¡®Hup!¡¯ He put Cold Spear away and gathered his magic energy before swinging an enormous scythe made of condensed darkness across the wall. Slice! With a deafening sound, the corpses of the cockroaches started falling down. ¡°Frost!¡± he yelled afternding on the ground. ¡°Y-yes!¡± The Frost Queen summoned twenty ice golems. And with her eyes squeezed shut, she started attacking the disgusting cockroaches. ¡°I-Icy Fist!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho already knew it, but he became sure of it once more¡ªhe couldn¡¯t let the Frost Queen name the spear. With Seo Jun-Ho, the Frost Queen, and the golems, the cockroaches quickly decreased in numbers. ¡®Dammit. Even with this, it¡¯s way too little.¡¯ He gnashed his teeth a little. They had already killed approximately more than three thousand insects. However, there were still thousands more left in the city. ¡®And¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned his head. In the distance, he saw a familiar monster flying in, leading an army of cockroaches. ¡®Erebo.¡¯ He was moving much faster than Seo Jun-Ho had expected. ¡®It took about forty minutes. Did he move earlier because I used Night Walking this time?¡¯ Erebo wasn¡¯t with an enormous army simr to what apanied him the previous time, but that was probably because he was in a rush. The gears quickly started to turn Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. ¡®Then, that means the number of cockroaches I have to kill is¡­¡¯ Around fifteen thousand, along with Erebo¡¯s clone. As Erebo approached, the cockroaches broke out of Exterminator¡¯s effects one by one. And as always, Erebo didn¡¯t enter the battlefield right away. He observed the battlefield from a distance. ¡°Hooo.¡±When the cockroaches finally managed to pull themselves together, they rushed in once again. Seo Jun-Ho mustered his magic. For the first time in this battle, he activated Overclocking with a hundred percent output. ¡°...¡± His body felt as light as air. At the same time, he felt full, as if he were holding all the power in the world. It was a contradictory feeling. Seo Jun-Ho gently extended his palm toward the rush of cockroaches. ¡°Fuck off!¡± Bang! He sent them flying toward the neighboring building with just a small wave of his hand. Afterward, he retrieved the Sword of Ambition from his Inventory. As soon as he unsheathed it, a jet-ck aura covered the de. ¡®There¡¯s no way Erebo will enter the battlefield until I run out of stamina.¡¯ However, it also meant that he didn¡¯t have to worry about Erebo until then. Seo Jun-Ho steeled himself. ¡®It¡¯s fine. Anyway, I¡¯m not really thinking I can do all this in one try.¡¯ His goal for this regression was to get a grasp of Erebo¡¯s state and his responses. And to try out the techniques he had only been imagining so far to his heart¡¯s content. ¡°So there¡¯s no need to drag this out¡­¡± With his heart set, an enormous amount of magic started pouring out from his body. ¡°I-impossible! How could a mere human do this?!¡± Erebo eximed. The aura was so fierce it shocked him. Seo Jun-Ho condensed the energy more and more. ¡®This is my first time using this technique, but¡­¡¯ He wanted to know just how effective it was, so he wanted to try it out at least once. This was also why he had practiced the Frost Queen¡¯s instrument nonstop throughout his regressions. ¡®First, breathe in.¡¯ He imagined pulling in the oxygen running through the blood in his veins, deep within his lungs. His chest swelled as he took a deep breath. ¡®Second. Spit it out.¡¯ He infused his breath with the magic energy and released it from his lips. ¡°Hooooo!¡± The white breath shot out and spread into the air. Every building, being, and street it touched froze over without exception. ¡°That was quite exceptional, considering it was your first attempt.¡± It was so powerful even the Frost Queen acknowledged it. Seo Jun-Ho watched as his breath swirled around the city, freezing the cockroaches. ¡®How ironic...¡¯ Once upon a time, he had hated and resented this skill. It was none other than the power that froze his friends, the Queen¡¯s Breath. ¡°Actually, maybe it should be called King¡¯s Breath now,¡± he remarked. When he walked out into the pale, frozen streets, the surviving cockroaches ambushed him. ¡®Shit. I don¡¯t think I can use it more than once.¡¯ He felt like all the energy had left his body. Considering that it was this bad, even though his Overclocking was at a hundred percent output, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use it in his normal state. Seo Jun-Ho swung his sword and spear until both his physical and mental energy reached rock bottom. From the very beginning, it was nearly impossible for just one person to kill so many enemies. His sword shattered, and when he used up all his magic energy, his knees buckled to the ground. ¡°You¡­ I simply cannot believe that a human like you exists.¡± Erebo shook his head as he entered the battlefield. Even as he studied Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s near-copsed state, fear was visible on his face. ¡°It is as if you were created just to put me down.¡± It was unlike him, but Erebo didn¡¯t ramble on and on about his luck or whatever. ¡°Die.¡± He ripped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart out as if he couldn¡¯t stand thetter¡¯s presence for even a moment longer. ¡°Cough!¡±Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s blood flowed backward, and he threw it up. Still, he smiled. When he lifted his head and looked up at Erebo, the ends of his lips curled up into a smile. ¡®I have a chance.¡¯ He was confident that he would be able to fulfill this near-impossible Quest one day and break Erebo¡¯s neck once he refined his techniques and became capable of maximizing his stats. ¡°So¡­ just you wait.¡± He would do this tens¡ªno, hundreds of times. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Until¡­ I kill you!¡± *** With a vigorous shout, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body fell forward. As always, the Frost Queen sat next to him, spilling fat tears. This time; however, she didn¡¯t beg him not to die. Perhaps because he had grown more than usual. ¡°Contractor. Don¡¯t lose heart.¡± She only gave him words of support while smoothing his hair out. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes slowly closed as he muttered, ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll make you evolve again.¡± ¡°You will not get so lucky every time. Do not concern yourself with me.¡± The now-familiar shadow of death loomed over him. However, he still couldn¡¯t hold backughing after hearing her words. ¡°You¡­ You evolved because I fed you the Spirit Crystal.¡± Like an idiot, she still had no idea. If he fed her that much Spirit Crystal shavings, he was sure she would evolve the next time as well. Fwoosh! Seo Jun-Ho was prepared, so he managed to instinctively bnce himself. When he slowly opened his eyes, he saw the familiar faces he had been missing. Wei Chun-Hak, Kim Woo-Joong, Rahmadat, Gilberto, Mio, Skaya, Cha Si-Eun, and¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± And a silver-haired middle-school girl. There was a forlorn look on her face as if she had just learned a horrible family secret. Chapter 333. That Which Cannot Break (1)

Chapter 333. That Which Cannot Break (1)

Seo Jun-Ho paused and dug through his memories. ¡®Had she always been regressing with me?¡¯ No¡­ The Frost Queen he had always seen in this scene was small and cute. She was in her pre-evolution state, and she had no idea about the regressions as well. ¡®So that means this is the first time she came back with me¡­¡¯ To be fair, the 5th regressiondidhave many changes. The Frost Queen had evolved, they met the Manager of the Administrative Team, and he could now activate Overclocking at a hundred percent output. ¡®This should be connected to her evolution...¡¯ He recalled the words of the Spirit King of Fire, Ignis. ¡°The souls of a Spirit and their Contractor are intertwined.¡± ¡®So, does that mean our connection grew stronger after she evolved?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho sighed. Now that there was someone he could share his memories with, his loneliness was bound to be more endurable, so he should be ted by it. But right now, he couldn¡¯t afford to be happy. ¡®I should have kept my mouth shut.¡¯ When he was dying, why did he tell her about the Spirit Crystal of all things? ¡®And even if I die again, she¡¯ll stay the same. There¡¯s no solution.¡¯ While he was sighing over and over, Wei Chun-Hak distributed the hotel key cards. ¡°Let¡¯s all wash up for now and meet up at the restaurant.¡± Once the party members left, Seo Jun-Ho carefully approached the Frost Queen. ¡°Hey¡­¡± He rubbed her shoulder, trying to gauge her reaction, but when she turned her head, there was a nk expression on her face. Her cold eyes felt like they were piercing his soul. ¡°Contractor, be honest with me. Did you truly feed me that rock?¡± ¡®Ummm.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho let out a small grunt. To be honest, he thought that he might be able to cover it up if he lied. If he told her he said that just to tease her, she would probably let it go. ¡®But I shouldn¡¯t do that¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho knew he shouldn¡¯t lie in a situation like this. After all, she was hisrade, just like his friends. He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I did.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen looked like she was pped in the face. It seemed that she truly felt betrayed because her eyes welled up with tears. She then poked his chest with her finger several times. ¡°Really, what is wrong with you? You tricked me into eating a Spirit Crystal? Do you really think I made a contract with you for you to dothat?I even told you I didn¡¯t want to eat it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt guilty and stood still as he quietly epted his punishment. After venting her anger for a long time, the Frost Queen squeezed her hands into fists and trembled with rage. ¡°Ugh!I won¡¯t forget this!¡± Then, she stomped out of the restaurant, fuming. As he watched her disappear, Seo Jun-Ho let out a heavy sigh. ¡°I¡¯m screwed¡­¡± How would he solve this? He could only think of one person whom he could talk with about this. *** ¡°You said Frost is really pissed at you?¡± Gilberto leaned against a window and took a sip of his coffee. He gave a soft smile and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you did welling to me. That was very smart of you. Despite how I look, I¡¯m a father after all.¡± ¡°So, what do you think I need to do so she won¡¯t be mad anymore?¡± ¡°Hm.Well, first¡­¡± Gilberto suddenly stopped. He thought for a moment, and his face quickly fell as he muttered, ¡°...All I know is how to change diapers.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Gilberto got trapped in the ice when Arthur was still a newborn baby, and he was all grown up when Gilberto came back. Of course, he would have no idea how to raise a child. Seo Jun-Ho sighed and stood up. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t havee to you. I¡¯ll go talk to Skaya.¡± ¡°W-wait! I¡¯m sure I¡¯m better than her. Just trust me this once.¡± Gilberto¡¯s eyes furrowed. He was still a father, so he didn¡¯t like to hear he was worse than Skaya. ¡°Then, tell me. Frost is really pissed at me; how should I handle this?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she likes cake and tea?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not going to eat anything I give her,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said glumly as he sat back down. Since the matter about putting Spirit Crystal shavings into her cake and tea had gotten out of the bag, there was no way she would eat any food he gave her now. ¡°I think we¡¯re doing this in the wrong order. First, tell me the whole story about what happened.¡± ¡°Well, you see¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined the events of the 5th regression. After he was done with the whole story, Gilberto frowned. ¡°A countless number of regressions, you say¡­ You¡¯ve gotten yourself tangled up in something quite troublesome again, Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the fifth time you¡¯ve said that to me, so forget it. Just give me advice about Frost.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Gilberto shrugged and took a sip of his lukewarm coffee. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about it. Just wait for a week¡ªjust one week.¡± ¡°What will change after that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t understand. Gilberto grinned. ¡°Who knows? You¡¯ll see by then.¡± *** ¡°Contractor is a liar. I can¡¯t trust him¡­ H-He¡¯s evil!¡± The Frost Queen fumed as she stomped around the hallway while spitting out the worst insults she could remember. After stomping around for a long time, she fanned her face with her hand. ¡®I am thirsty.¡¯At times like this, drinking a cool beverage would be heavenly. She licked her lips.¡®...The fried rice and lemonade Contractor made were delicious.¡¯ No, this was wrong. The Frost Queen shook her head. ¡°Seeing how delicious they were, I am certain that he also ced that rock in them.¡± The Frost Queen gulped and made her way to the cafeteria. She dug around the fridge, but all she found were coffee beans and raw ingredients. There were no yummy beverages. ¡°All they have is C and Sprite, I see¡­¡± She sighed as she looked at the sodas inside. She didn¡¯t like the way carbonated beverages stung her throat, so she didn¡¯t drink them often. ¡®I prefer well-brewed tea.¡¯She recalled the others.¡®That girl Mio certainly looks like she would be good at brewing tea¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, she still hadn¡¯t apologized for freezing her yet, so she couldn¡¯t just shamelessly go up to Mio and ask her to brew some tea. ¡®Rahmadat doesn¡¯t look like he knows anything about tea.¡¯ Then, she recalled what Gilberto and Skaya often drank. ¡°...No. I still do not want to go to that girl.¡± Skaya had damaged her dignity as a queen. The Frost Queen shook her head. In the end, she took out a can of Sprite and gulped it down. ¡°Ack,it stings.¡± This was why she often drank carbonated beverages only when she was eating chicken, pizza, or hamburgers. The Frost Queen stared at the can, unsatisfied. *** ¡°What? The queen evolved?¡± Skaya whipped around. ¡°How much has she grown?¡± ¡°She looks like she¡¯s around 12 or so. She¡¯s all grown up now.¡± The Frost Queen was no longer the Frost who would sit on his head nor the Frost who toddled around like a kindergartener. Now, there was only the Frost Queen who was as frightfully furious as a girl going through puberty. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know that?¡± Skaya wondered. ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s always invisible in front of you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t tell her that it was because the Frost Queen found her to be very annoying to deal with. ¡°I dunno. Sheeasilygets embarrassed, after all,¡± he responded. ¡°I see. So, did you bring her up so you could brag?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°Of course not. Do you remember what I said when everyone was there?¡± ¡°About all the regressions?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± As always, Seo Jun-Ho gathered the party members and exined his situation. ¡°Now, I have to raise my Overclocking output again.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t keep it when youe back to the past?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t have Magic Resistance at the moment.¡± Whenever he regressed, he wouldn¡¯t get to keep his new skills, stats, and levels. And there was one more thing¡­ ¡®...I don¡¯t have the Spirit Crystal powder either.¡¯The powder he had used in the 5th regression had disappeared without a trace. It seemed that it hadn¡¯t reset because the Frost Queen had already used it to evolve to the next stage. ¡®It¡¯s like the marbles.¡¯ Simrly, after using the broken vending machine, he hadn¡¯t been able to use the working ones even when he went back to the past. He wasn¡¯t sure what those two had inmon yet, but he didn¡¯t have time to investigate them in depth. ¡°I¡¯ve already done it once, so it¡¯ll probably take a lot less time thanst time. However, I have to start training now.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me to take care of Frost while you¡¯re doing that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you. But don¡¯t bother her too much.¡± ¡°Just trust me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at her doubtfully. When he eventually left, Skaya grinned. *** ¡°I am thirsty,¡± the Frost Queen muttered as she sat crouched down in the hallway. It had already been a week since she drank the Contractor¡¯s ck tea. She even tried making the tea by herself, but it had been bitter and astringent. ¡°I wish to drink tea. Good tea.¡± She had even considered returning to her Contractor under the guise of forgiving him, but she didn¡¯t want to hurt her pride. In the end, she had decided to simply acquire a new servant. ¡°It has been some time since I saw you, Skaya Killi¡ª¡± ¡°Frooooost!I missedyouuuuu!¡± ¡°D-do not touch me! Step back!¡± She barely managed to remove Skaya, who had rushed over and stuck to her like gum. The Frost Queen cleared her throat. ¡°Ahem. Have you been well?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Skaya replied, beaming, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a little sister, so I¡¯m really happy.¡± The Frost Queen wasn¡¯t sure why Skaya was treating her like one, but that wasn¡¯t important to her right now. ¡°I am here as a guest today, so make me a cup of tea.¡± ¡°O-of course.¡± Skaya was afraid that the Frost Queen would leave, so she rushed to make some tea. ¡°You like ck tea, right? These are the finest tea leaves the royal family of Frontier drinks.¡± ¡°Ooh¡­¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she took a sip, full of anticipation. However, her face instantly fell. ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong? Is it bad?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t it...¡± The tea her Contractor made tasted much more vibrant and delicate. Yes, it was as if it were cleansing her very soul¡­ ¡°Is this truly the best tea leaves?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah. It was super expensive¡­ Does it taste weird?¡± Skaya took a sip of her own tea and tilted her head as she muttered a few times, ¡°That¡¯s weird. It tastes good to me.¡± The Frost Queen watched and thought,¡®It seems that this is not a matter of the brewer¡¯s talent.¡¯ She then gently closed her eyes and fell into thought. The difference here was most likely because her cake and tea had beenced with a Spirit Crystal. ¡®I am currently a Spirit. I do not necessarily have to eat or drink anything.¡¯ In addition, she didn¡¯t even need to sleep. In that case, couldn¡¯t she just live the rest of her life like this? Her thoughts stopped there because she was hit with a realization. ¡®I cannot!¡¯ *** ¡°Hooo...¡± It was easy for someone to find their way down a path they had already taken. Seo Jun-Ho believed in this phrase ever since he awakened from the ice and was forced to start from Level 1. ¡°I must be a genius,¡± he remarked. It had only been a week, but he had already obtained high-level Magic Resistance, and he could even already stabilize Overclocking at ny-five percent output. ¡®It¡¯s not as hard as before...¡¯ It came to him naturally, like eating. If he kept going like this, it would only be a matter of time until he once again reached a hundred percent Overclocking output. ¡®I have to hurry and reach it as soon as possible. Then, I¡¯ll start hunting as soon as the party leaves the city.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and recalled his battle with the cockroaches from the previous regression. ¡®If I had escaped through the intersection, their siege would have loosened.¡¯ ¡®It might have been better to use Moon Eye at the end rather than King¡¯s Breath.¡¯ ¡®Going straight for Erebo instead of hunting the cockroaches should also be an option.¡¯ Dozens of new strategies and approaches crowded his head. The only thing left to do now was to personally go through each one and find better solutions. ¡®In some ways¡­ This might be even worse than the Cave of Trials.¡¯ However, he wasn¡¯t worried about it. He had Hero¡¯s Mind (S), so his mind wouldn¡¯t break even if he had to repeat the same thing hundreds of times. ¡®And that¡¯s not all¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes from his meditation. There was a polite knock, and someone carefully opened the door before sticking their head in. Seo Jun-Ho stood up and smiled brightly. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± The wandering spirit who had run away for a week would also y a part in keeping him sane¡ªthe Frost Queen. And just like that, Seo Jun-Ho died a hundred more times. Favorite Chapter 334. That Which Cannot Break (2)

Chapter 334. That Which Cannot Break (2)

~ 15th Regression Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s confidence was finally starting to grow. He was regressing with the Frost Queen, who had grown stronger as well. It took him less and less time to reach a hundred percent Overclocking output. And he was starting to learn Erebo¡¯s patterns, which gave him more hope than he had expected. ¡°How in the world did you¡­¡± Erebo¡¯s voice trembled. He didn¡¯t understand how a human could ughter his army of cockroaches by himself and fight for four days straight. ¡°I am afraid. Very much so. It is such a blessing that I met you early on.¡± Erebo¡¯s rants were getting shorter, and he started to take less time to cut off Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head, which also boosted thetter¡¯s confidence. ¡°He¡¯s getting more and more scared of me with each regression.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. ¡°That is proof that you are going down the correct path,¡± Frost said. Both of them thought so. Slowly but surely, they were going forward one step at a time. He was getting so strong to the point that even Erebo was scared of him. However, no one told them that Seo Jun-Ho would have to die a few more times until he reached the finish line. ~ 35th Regression This was when the fatigue was starting to pile on ever so slightly. However, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t lose his confidence. Actually, this was when all the confidence he had built up over time reached its peak. ¡°Guaaah!¡±Erebo¡¯s left arm flew into the air, and he quickly retreated. Every movement he made was filled with fear and confusion. It was only natural because his mysterious ¡®natural enemy¡¯ had stood against his army all alone and even injured Erebo himself. Moreover, this was his first time meeting Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Are you¡­ some god ofbat?¡± asked Erebo. The man blocked every one of Erebo¡¯s attacks, but all his own strikes were sessful. If he wasn¡¯t a god, what was he? Seo Jun-Houghed, exhausted. Nowadays, his face was always tired. ¡°If you¡¯re my opponent, that might be the case.¡± ¡°What are you¡ª¡± Erebo didn¡¯t understand. So, he simply spread his wings and took off into the sky. ¡°This is the third time already¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. He wouldn¡¯t make any mistakes this time. Wrenching out thest of his magic energy, he threw his sword and cut Erebo¡¯s body in half. Fwump. When Seo Jun-Ho saw the long, lower half of Erebo¡¯s body on the ground, he felt reassured. ¡®Geez, I finally got him.¡¯ Up until now, each regression was about a month-long on average. Nearly three years had passed already, and it seemed like it would never end. Now, he finally had a chance to end it all. ¡°U-ugh!¡± However, even though he only had his upper body left, Erebo writhed in pain and stood firm as he flew into the air. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t even have the energy to be mad. All he did was stare at the cockroaches rushing toward him. ¡°Let¡¯s do this again¡­¡± he muttered with an empty voice. He prayed that the next regression would truly be thest. ~ 60th Regression ¡°Every day at 6 am, the city neatly initializes itself like that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly felt out of ce. He was watching the same scene he would see in every regression, but a scary thought urred to him. In a daze, he received his hotel room key card from Wei Chun-Hak and went to the bathroom in his room. Like a robot, he turned on the faucet. ¡°...¡± He stood frozen under the shower booth, letting the water drip over him. His body trembled ever so slightly. ¡®Something¡¯s wrong with me.¡¯ Little by little, he was no longer starting to see his one and only friends as humans. With each repeat, he would always see them doing the same things, so he was starting to see them as machines. ¡®I¡¯m lonely...¡¯ He felt a wave of loneliness. It felt like he was the only person left in the world. He turned up the heat until it was boiling hot to the extent that a normal person would be scalded. However, thanks to Fire Immunity (S), not even water that hot could warm his body up. ¡®I have to kill that bastard Erebo.¡¯ For the first time, he realized that he would only seed in the third Quest if he killed Erebo before his mind shattered. Killing Erebo after his mind shattered meant there would be no going back for him. Seo Jun-Ho finished his shower and stared into the mirror. ¡°...¡± Now that he had returned to the past, his body should be in peak condition. However, there was a reason that they called the eyes windows to the soul, and they told him the truth. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I know until now¡­ No, was I just pretending I didn¡¯t know?¡¯ The man in the mirror was tired. After all, he had died dozens of times in a short period of time when most people would only ever die once. ¡°Just a little more. Just hold on a little longer.¡± Now, eradicating the army of cockroaches was a piece of cake. Fighting Erebo was still as difficult as always, but he won more than he lost with a win rate of sixty percent. ¡®If I can just kill him before he runs away, I can break this curse.¡¯ That day woulde. He knew it woulde. ~ 100th Regression Seo Jun-Ho took the hotel room key card from Wei Chun-Hak like a robot. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said as soon as he went to his room. The Frost Queen stared at him, confused. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have made you evolve that time. I was wrong.¡± ¡°You say that very often these days,¡± shemented. ¡°It¡¯s because I mean it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes in regret. If someone had to endure the pain of this endless curse, he should only be the one to go through it. ¡®I¡¯m fine because I have Hero¡¯s Mind.¡¯ To be honest, it was extremely difficult, but he could barely get by without breaking. However, that wasn¡¯t the case with the Frost Queen. When she evolved, she started regressing with him, and she had to watch him die a hundred times. ¡°Are you actually okay?¡± he asked her. ¡°Oh,you.¡± The Frost Queen smiled bitterly and waved him off. ¡°I have watched hundreds, even thousands of loved ones die in my past life. Truly, I feel unaffected.¡± ¡°...¡± Liar. There was no way that was true. These days, the Frost Queen¡¯s face was very simr to that of the tired man in the mirror. ¡°We can¡¯t go on like this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho made a decision. ¡°We need a break.¡± ¡°...Do you really think we have the time to waste?¡± ¡°I have only been running forward this whole time. We gained a lot, but we lost some things as well. We have to acknowledge that.¡± If they ended up sacrificing their sanity just toplete the third Quest, there was no way they could still continue their journey. ¡®There¡¯s no way we canplete the fourth Quest if we have gone insane by then.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought that this was theirst chance. His mind was still intact, and he still had a bit of his heart left. They just had to take a break and rx. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for Hero¡¯s Mind, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to reach even ten¡ªno, even five regressions.¡¯ However, even Hero¡¯s Mind had its limits. If he kept this up, he would lose his mind sooner orter. Even now, Keen Intuition was still yelling at him, saying that Seo Jun-Ho was at his limit and that it would be foolish to march on. ¡°So, how do you suggest we rest?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°I feel bad for the others, but we¡¯re walking out in this regression.¡± This meant Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t do anything even if the others ended up dying. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you think it¡¯s selfish. This time, let¡¯s only think about ourselves.¡± ¡°...Are you serious?¡± ¡°I am. Rest as much as you want. Watch dramas, eat good food, and take naps.¡± For over eight years, he had forced himself to keep going without resting for even a second, telling himself that he only had to go a little longer. However, it wasn¡¯t like he was just working the whole time; he still had to endure the pain of death over and over. During that time, there were many times when he could feel the weight boring down on his shoulders. Now, it was time for them to slow down, just for a bit. ¡°First, let¡¯s eat something good. Let¡¯s start with that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He turned to the Frost Queen with tired eyes. ¡°Tell me everything you want to eat. I¡¯ll make it.¡± ¡°...Everything?¡± ¡°Anything and everything¡­¡± ¡°I actually will, you know¡­?¡± ¡°I said you can tell me.¡± The Frost Queen thought for a moment, unsure if she could actually do that. ¡°Then, I would like to eat spaghetti with tomato sauce,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°And lemon cake and cranberry scones. Along with the tea you brew.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot.¡± ¡°Please?¡± The Frost Queen looked at him with puppy eyes. Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t give me that look from now on.¡± It was cheating. *** He made spaghetti and baked the cake and scones well. He conveniently obtained the missing ingredients from a bakery in the area. ¡°Mm~That¡¯s the taste!¡± The Frost Queen swung her legs and let out a happy sound for the first time in years. After she ate the spaghetti, she ate the lemon cake, unable to hide her delight. ¡°I love it!¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Yes! Isn¡¯t this what you humans call an amusement park?¡± ¡°No¡­ But if you like it that much, sure.¡± Seeing the joy on her face, Seo Jun-Ho could finally rx for the first time. ¡°What will you do to rx, Contractor?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. In thest battle, I saw a sauna nearby, so I¡¯m nning to go there.¡± ¡°Then, may I go to the ice cream shop in the department store over there?¡± ¡°I told you. Do everything you want to do.¡± They went all out to have fun. This was also the first regression that was still going on even after more than two and a half months. ¡°They said that a lot of yers returned to the second city,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°How fascinating. I did not see any people passing by.¡± ¡°Maybe they can go straight to the second city with a specificmand?¡± ¡°Are they making any progress with the conquest?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I think the front lines are fighting at their peak by now.¡± ¡°Goodness, everyone is so busy. I feel sorry.¡± They chatted over a game of Go. Seo Jun-Ho made the board, as well as the stones, and he taught her how to y. ¡°You¡¯re starting to get better. I bet Noya would like that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. ¡°I have always been pretty intelligent.¡± ¡®Humans aren¡¯t robots.¡¯ This was something Seo Jun-Ho had been feeling a lot these days. Actually, even machines would break if you left them on for too long. As such, the fact that a mere human had gone nonstop for eight years without breaking was actually fascinating. ¡°I have Hero¡¯s Mind, but it seems that Spirits have pretty strong minds, too,¡± he said. ¡°It is not Spirits that are so terrific; it is I.¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± Neither of them said it, but they both knew that the leisurely life they were enjoying woulde to an end sooner orter. They knew that they would have to continue on the Quest again. ¡°I won,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°...Next time, I will win.¡± They cleaned up the Go board and headed up to the sky lounge. They made a pizza and ate it. The Frost Queen looked down at the blinding morning of the city and spoke, ¡°Contractor.¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± ¡°This has been a joyful time.¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned and looked at her. There was a bright smile on her face, and she truly seemed happy. ¡°This has been the happiest time as far as I can remember¡­¡± ¡°Did you rest well?¡± ¡°But of course. On the contrary, my body has grown itchy, and I have actually been wishing to start moving.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve been reincarnated as a person rather than a Spirit.¡± Because the Frost Queen was acting in the exact same way yers would act. Seo Jun-Houghed softly and nodded. He finally felt like his racing heart had settled a lot. Now, his mind felt as clean as a stainless mirror. After enduring so many hardships, frustration, and failures, his stormy mind felt like it had turned cid and wiped clean. ¡°Next time we feel sad after failing, let¡¯s rest again,¡± he said. ¡°Are you an idiot, Contractor? You cannot consider failure a possibility.¡± As they reached the end of their vacation, someone stepped onto the neatly initialized street. ¡°...It¡¯s hot.¡± The small girl wiped off the droplets of sweat dripping between her bright red hair. Chapter 335. That Which Cannot Break (3)

Chapter 335. That Which Cannot Break (3)

¡°...Phew.¡± Seo Jun-Ho entered the aerobics room for the first time in months and unwinded his stiff body. ¡®It feels nice to move around after a long time.¡¯ For the time being, he would have to live in this room. Since he had spent this regression doing nothing but ying around, he hadn¡¯t even raised his Overclocking output. ¡®And what¡¯s more¡­¡¯The look in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes deepened. He had received a message from his friends a few hours ago. ¡®After two and a half months, a war has broken out.¡¯ The cockroaches hadunched arge-scale attack against the yers. Forget Quests; it seemed they had been spending each day struggling to stop the monsters. ¡°Maybe I should die.¡± Somehow, he got the feeling that it was toote for this regression, too. Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment and shook his head.¡® Still, I can¡¯t just uselessly waste the pages like that.¡¯ To kill Erebo¡¯s body once and for all, he had to look for more information, no matter how small. It was all because even though he had fought that clever bastard more than a hundred times, Erebo always showed him new patterns. ¡°Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes suddenly grew wide. He had spread his senses across the hotel, and just now, he felt that someone had walked in. ¡®And that magic wavelength somehow seems familiar¡­¡¯ He went right to the lobby. Indeed, a familiar face was looking around. ¡°Captain Ju-Ha?¡± ¡°H-hello¡­¡± she greeted him hesitantly, looking awkward. ¡°Wow, it has been so long!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face was absolutely delighted as he approached her. She was a new face in his repetitive, tiresome life, and he hadn¡¯t seen her in eight years. Gong Ju-Ha looked a little flustered. ¡°A-aren¡¯t you a little too enthusiastic? It hasn¡¯t even been three months yet.¡± ¡°Oh,right.¡± Seo Jun-Houghed bitterly. Three months, she said. To her, itreallywas only a short length of time. He led Gong Ju-Ha to a sofa in the lobby. ¡°Um¡­¡± She sat down and tilted her head. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head as well. ¡°N-no. It¡¯s not like that.¡± Gong Ju-Ha hurriedly waved her hands and fell into thought. ¡®Did he lose weight? Or did he gain weight? No, it¡¯s nothing like that¡­I feel like the air around him has changed a lot.¡¯ To be frank, Seo Jun-Ho had always been strange since she first met him. He was very mature for his age, and she instantly saw that he had the experience of a veteran. Back then, she had no idea why he was like that, but she recently learned why. ¡®It¡¯s probably because he¡¯s Specter.¡¯ However, his aura had drastically changed again from back then. ¡®Something¡­ Something¡¯s different.¡¯ Was it experience? No, rather, Seo Jun-Ho was giving off an aura different from what a human could give off. ¡®It¡¯s almost like¡­¡¯ A boss monster. Yes, his aura was so cold she thought that Janabi would have be like this if Janabi¡¯s violent nature had fully developed. Even though Seo Jun-Ho was just sitting there quietly, his presence was so overwhelming it took her breath away. ¡®...¡¯ In other words, he felt unfamiliar to her. Gong Ju-Ha felt a strange sense of loss as if someone hadpletely stolen away the person she had known so well. With effort, she shook her head and said, ¡°I came here to escort you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re aware of the war that recently broke out on the 4th Floor, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it, yes. About the cockroaches resolving to annihte the yers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So I came here to find you, Jun¡ªSpecter, in the hopes that you would lend us your strength.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly nodded. ¡®This is a new event.¡¯ He had neversted for more than two and a half months in his previous regressions, and this would likely be the first and thest time he wouldst this long. ¡°Unfortunately, I think that would be difficult.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked baffled. ¡°Do you have something to do here or something like that?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He thought for a moment before continuing. ¡°It would be easier just to exin.¡± He told her about his current situation. The longer he spoke, the more Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face fell. ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡± she said after he managed to somehow suppress her shock. Seo Jun-Ho looked at her vacantly and nodded. ¡°I am. I even took a long rest this time, and I was even able to find peace of mind. I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± ¡°Perfectly fine?¡± Gong Ju-Ha trembled as she stared at him. He¡¯d looked tired from the moment she saw him, and his now-emotionless face bothered her. She¡¯d simply thought that he was tired, but that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡®No. You don¡¯t look fine at all.¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha gulped before asking in a shaky voice, ¡°How many times have you regressed so far¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho kept his mouth shut. He didn¡¯t want to tell her. He didn¡¯t want to worry her. However, those stubborn eyes stared at him with obstinance, and he eventually gave in. ¡°This is my 106th try.¡± ¡°...Oh my god.¡± Gong Ju-Ha covered her mouth. He hadn¡¯t just died two or three times but 105 times? ¡®What if it were me?¡¯ She suddenly felt dizzy. When she imagined it, she felt as if she were being enveloped by this dark energy, and vertigo threatened to overtake her body. ¡°...¡± What should she say to him? Should she apologize? Should shefort him? Encourage him? After a long time, Gong Ju-Ha finally spoke. Her voice sounded slightly hoarse after trying to keep her silence for a while. ¡°...I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°I appreciate it, but you can¡¯t.¡± Seo Jun-Ho bitterly smiled. ¡°The Quest requires me to destroy Erebo¡¯s hivemind by myself. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I have to help.¡± As befitting of her position as Goblin¡¯s 2nd Team Leader, she asked him a stinging question, ¡°Have you ever tried to clear it with someone else¡¯s help?¡± ¡°...¡± He hadn¡¯t tried that before. The Quest said he had to do it by himself after all. ¡°You said you have to destroy Erebo¡¯s hivemind by yourself. Doesn¡¯t that mean it doesn¡¯t matter who kills the rest of the cockroaches?¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen nodded quietly from her seat next to him. Actually, she made a simr suggestion before. ¡®And I refused...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho opposed it¡ªhe vehemently opposed it. However, the Frost Queen didn¡¯t insist on it because she knew why Seo Jun-Ho refused her suggestion. ¡®You are afraid, Contractor.¡¯ Whenever he fought Erebo with someone else, they would always die. Sometimes it was just one person, but most of the time, it was everyone. And it had be some sort of trauma. In the end, he resolved to clear the Quest by himself. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho fell into thought again. For sure, things would be a lot easier with Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s help. ¡®I won¡¯t have to expend nearly as much physical, magical, or mental energy to defeat the cockroaches.¡¯ In other words, when the time to fight Erebo arrived, he would be in much better shape. Erebo had always been getting away by the skin of his own teeth, so Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chances of sess should dramatically improve with Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s help. He had no reason to refuse her offer as well. After all, if he failed, he could just go back in time and save her. ¡®The memory will probably haunt me for a long time¡­¡¯ But it was okay¡­ As long as he had Hero¡¯s Mind, he would not break. Seo Jun-Ho made a decision. ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± *** ¡°Now that I¡¯m actually about to do it, I¡¯m feeling a bit nervous,¡± said Gong Ju-Ha. She was standing at the intersection, and the sun was setting above them. Seo Jun-Ho nced at her. ¡°Are you truly okay with this n?¡± ¡°I told you, I am. Why did you say that as If I¡¯m about to walk to the gallows or something?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, then. They¡¯reing.¡± Dudududu! When the sun set, countless cockroaches started flooding the intersection. ¡°Ugh,I can never get used to these little pests no matter how often I see them,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said with a disgusted expression before turning to Seo Jun-Ho onest time, ¡°Please seed.¡± ¡°Yes. And don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°I told you not to worry so much. Even though I look like this¡­¡± Fwooosh! She ignited a giant me, which fought against the darkness. ¡°I¡¯m pretty strong, you see.¡± Gong Ju-Ha tied her hair back with an stic band and raised her hands. The vicious sea of mes moved as if spurred by themand of an orchestra conductor. The wall of fire and the wall of cockroaches collided, and a sizzling smell instantly filled the streets. Seo Jun-Ho stood still as he watched the one-sided massacre. Eventually, he quietly departed. ¡®Night Walking.¡¯ Tonight, he would only kill one cockroach. *** ¡°Hm?¡± Erebo sat inside a scarlet pce and tilted his head. ¡®Why is that crazy witch here? She¡¯s alone, too.¡¯ She was a powerful yer, and she was among the top ten yers giving him a headache. The me elemental user was in a remote city, destroying his cockroaches all by herself. ¡®This is suspicious. It has to be a trap.¡¯ Erebo¡¯s wariness shot up, and his vision moved through all the cockroaches in the city. The first ces he checked were the insides of buildings and the city¡¯s outskirts to see if this was bait to lure him in. However, he soon learned that this wasn¡¯t the case. ¡®There is no one¡­ The city truly is empty.¡¯ So, what was that girl fighting there all alone? Why? For what reason? Erebo couldn¡¯t understand it, but for now, he stood up from his seat. ¡®It would be a waste to hastily throw away an opportunity like this.¡¯ Anyway, there was no way he would enter the battlefield until he was certain of his victory. After all, that was one of the rules he had set for his survival. ¡®If this girl truly is making a mistake, this opportunity will note twice.¡¯ Protecting the hivemind from the me elemental user had always been one of his nuisances. If he could just get rid of her, he would instantly emerge victorious from this war. As such, Erebo spread his wings and took off into the sky. *** ¡°She fights well.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was standing on the roof of a building on the outskirts of the city. However, even from this distance, he could see how much of an upper hand she had. He got the feeling that she might actually be one of the strongest elemental users among the yers. ¡°Well, she is not as skilled as I am, but that child ismendable,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°I think she¡¯s stronger than you, actually¡­¡± ¡°Sigh.If you had met me when I was in my prime, the fear wouldn¡¯t have allowed you to look into my eyes.¡± The Frost Queen sighed and watched the battle for a little longer before she spoke, ¡°How long do you think that vixen willst?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± If he was being honest, he thought that she would only be able tost for an hour or two more. Just by looking at the fight, he could tell that her fighting style drained a great amount of magic power. ¡®But that will still be enough¡­¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha didn¡¯t have to kill all the cockroaches in the city. All she had to do was hold out until he killed Erebo. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and waited. He had spread his magic all over the city, and he was lying in wait for his prey. And now¡­ ¡®...He¡¯sing.¡¯ Leading an enormous amount of insects, Erebo appeared in the sky. ¡°As I thought, he retreated by himself. What a shameless pest.¡± ¡°He has always acted as such.¡± Erebo released the cockroaches into the battlefield and went off somewhere as usual. Normally, the distraction formed by the cockroaches would have made Seo Jun-Ho fail to locate Erebo. But now, it was different. ¡®I can sense him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had spread a delicate magic trap resembling a spiderweb. And through it, he could sense where Erebo was heading in real time. ¡°Ha,so that¡¯s where he has been hiding the whole time?¡± Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue. So that was why he had never been able to find him. Erebo was currently hiding at the bottom of the river that ran through the city. He was likely watching the battlefield through the hivemind. ¡°Seems like he¡¯s a rat rather than a cockroach.¡± Seo Jun-Ho coldly smiled. He then melted into the darkness and disappeared. Chapter 336. That Which Cannot Break (4)

Chapter 336. That Which Cannot Break (4)

Bang! Fwooosh! Leaving behind the pirs of mes in the city, Seo Jun-Ho dashed toward the river. ¡®This time, I¡¯ll seed no matter what.¡¯ The most persistent enemy Seo Jun-Ho had ever faced wasn¡¯t the Frost Queen, Janabi, or even that damned Heavenly Demon. ¡®It¡¯s this bastard. This fucking bastard¡­¡¯ It was Erebo. Seo Jun-Ho had fought this bastard for the longest time, and Erebo was a wall he couldn¡¯t cross alone. But now, it was time to ovee it. ¡°...¡± The long river ran through the city, and there was arge bridge straddling it. Seo Jun-Ho stepped onto the bridge and closed his eyes. The thread of magic, which was like a fine spiderweb told him where Erebo was located. ¡®He¡¯ll never see the sneak attacking.¡¯ Right now, Seo Jun-Ho and Erebo were about five hundred meters apart. Seo Jun-Ho wanted to go closer, but he resisted the urge. ¡®This is the limit. If I go any closer, there¡¯s a big possibility that he¡¯ll notice I¡¯m hiding.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t just stupidly throw away this long-awaited opportunity. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands fidgeted as he contemted. ¡®I want to greet him with a strong attack. I wonder what kind of gift I should give him.¡¯ He looked at the dark river water with clear eyes. He had made up his mind. ¡®Let¡¯s start by freezing it first.¡¯ Having made his decision, Seo Jun-Ho immediately summoned his magic energy. But then, another thought came to mind. ¡®Moon Eye will probably be too much.¡¯ With the current amount of magic he had, he could use Moon Eye once without repercussions. If he ever used it twice in one day, then, well, his body would be destroyed like the first time he used Moon Eye. ¡®But Moon Eye should be used as a final blow.¡¯ It was a technique he had developed topletely destroy the enemy with one hit. Moon Eye was that great, but it wasn¡¯t exactly almighty. ¡®It would be a waste to use Moon Eye right now.A very big one.¡¯ He would use it without hesitation if it would instantly kill Erebo. However, Moon Eye wasn¡¯t strong enough to do that considering there was a distance of five hundred meters between them. Moreover, his opponent was sitting at the bottom of a river. ¡®Killing him with one shot of Moon Eye from here? Not a chance.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho knew because Erebo was the enemy he had fought the most and fought the longest. Then, should he just freeze the river water? No, simply freezing it wouldn¡¯t do too much damage to Erebo. ¡®...Moon Eye¡¯s effects are really enticing.¡¯ While it froze the target, it had a ruinous power that destroyed each and every cell of the enemy. In that case, there existed a perfect technique for this situation. Seo Jun-Ho slowly raised his hands. If Moon Eye was an attack that required him to pour his entire soul into it, this was a minor version minus the disadvantage of Moon Eye. ¡®Bloom.¡¯ Between each of his fingers, a total of eight flowers bloomed. Compared to Moon Eye, they were ridiculously small and insignificant. However, the power overflowing from each flower and each stem was undeniable. ¡°This is a garden for smaller things.¡± Seo Jun-Ho spread his fingers like petals. When he did, the little primroses they were holding floated away. They rode the winds and flew off like dandelion seeds. Seo Jun-Ho watched, then snapped his fingers. Snap! As the sound resonated, the eight flowers quietly sank into the surface of the river. ¡°This is my ¡®hello¡¯ to you.¡± He hoped Erebo would like it. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lips curved into a vicious smile. *** ¡°...¡± Erebo was sitting in the deepest part of the dark river. He couldn¡¯t breathe underwater, but someone as powerful as him could easily hold his breath for a few hours. ¡®This girl fights as well as always. It annoys me.¡¯ Erebo observed the battle through the hivemind. Gong Ju-Ha fought well, and she was strong. This was Erebo¡¯s judgment of Gong Ju-Ha. ¡®It is almost as if¡ªno, I would not say she is strong enough to be my natural enemy, but she has the upper hand against my natural defenses.¡¯ The cockroaches¡¯ exoskeletons were harder than most armor. They were so tough they could withstand any other type of damage, but unfortunately, they would melt easily under high heat. ¡®But I can already see the end¡­¡¯ Erebo was sure of it. After all, humans didn¡¯t have an unlimited supply of magic energy. Actually, this girl would soon reach her limits. ¡®It may have been different with those beings, but because these are insignificant humans¡­¡¯They had no chance of defeating him. Even now, he was growing stronger while digesting the World Tree.¡®I thought that support troops would being without a doubt, but I guess no one¡¯sing¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand it. If backup truly wasn¡¯ting, then why was she fighting such a lonely battle in a ce like this? ¡®Heh. Perhaps she has gone mad.¡¯ His lower mandible opened as heughed, releasing a few bubbles that rose upward. But before they could even rise to the top, something faster came down. ¡®...?!¡¯ Erebo¡¯s antennae stood on end. This only happened whenever his instinct warned him that his life was in danger. ¡®What, what is¡ª¡¯ He had no time to react at all. Those ¡®things¡¯ pierced him. ¡®Guahhh!¡¯ He thrashed wildly as he screamed. ¡®A-an ambush?¡¯ Just who was it? Where were they? No, that wasn¡¯t important right now. ¡®This attack is dangerous.¡¯ The moment he realized this, he cut off his left arm and right leg without hesitation. The ces affected by Moon Eye were already starting to undergo necrosis on a cellr level. ¡®I have to go up.¡¯ Erebo was starting to grow impatient. If his opponent kept using attacks like this, he would die without even being able to lift a finger. ¡®What?!¡¯ However, something shocked him. The river water above him had frozen over. ¡®H-how did this¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t notice it at all; however, it wasn¡¯t because he had let his guard down. ¡®It was too fast.¡¯ The river water was frozen so fast it escaped his perception. Had there been someone like that among the humans? No, was his opponent even human in the first ce? ¡®Let¡¯s retreat for now.¡¯ Erebo made a decision and raised his right hand toward the surface, magic power then condensed in his palm, and he sent it out. Shwaaaaa! A giant pir of water pierced the air, reaching for the sky. ¡°I think he likes his present. He likes it so much that he wants to die.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gently held out his hand from where he was waiting on the bridge. Fat water droplets hit his body as if there were a downpour. However, he didn¡¯t even blink when he retrieved a spear from his Inventory. ¡°Guaaah!¡± And finally, the insect he had been waiting for had flown out of the river. ¡°...¡± Erebo¡¯s antennae stood on end. This time, he had reacted a moment toote as well. ¡°So this is how it is...¡± An unfamiliar voice came from behind him. Erebo wanted to turn around, but he couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°Guh¡­Ugh¡­¡± It was because a spear was lodged in his chest. And at some point, it had frozen him solid. ¡°I have always been wondering about something. It¡¯s almost like a delusion, actually.¡± Erebo¡¯s antennae started trembling. The man¡¯s voice was so soft it felt like it was melting in his ear. And just as the man¡¯s voice reached his ears, Erebo also heard the man roughly pulling out the spear. ¡°I have been wondering about who would emerge victorious if I fought you with my mental, physical, and magical energy unexpended.¡± ¡®W-what are you talking about? Who are you? Why are you even wondering about such a thing? I have never met a bastard like you¡­¡¯ Erebo had a lot to say, but he couldn¡¯t move a single sound since his mouth had frozen over. His senses stood on end. Even though he couldn¡¯t see it, he could feel it. Something heavy was falling down on his head. ¡®N-no!¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even scream. ¡°Die.¡± Slice! And Erebo¡¯s body was swiftly cut into two. ¡°And to think that it could have been this easy the whole time...¡± A heavy shard of darkness shot out from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword. It raged as it started to consume Erebo¡¯s whole body without leaving a single trace. ¡®And I¡¯ll use Night Walking¡­¡¯ Dududududu! The thick water droplets were still falling from the sky, and they dripped into the river. He was still alive. ¡®Did I seed?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. This was the first time he had killed Erebo and avoided his curse. ¡®And¡­¡¯ ording to his sharp senses, Gong Ju-Ha was still okay. Even though she was huffing and puffing, he could still feel her fighting hard downtown. ¡°Contractor, you have finally done it,¡± the Frost Queen said. She looked very pleased. ¡°...Yeah.¡± After he spoke, a few messages appeared before him. [You havepleted the third Quest.] [A new Save Point has been created.] ¡°Mm.¡± He nodded. The other yers were designed to receive a Save Point after they cleared fifteen of the total thirty Quests. ¡®So I guess I get one afterpleting three out of five.¡¯ It reallywasover. He had finally killed that disgusting monster. ¡®Finally, my routine will finally change.¡¯ He closed his eyes. For eight years, he had lived the same life with the same people, the same training, and the same battles. The years had caused his emotions to wither. ¡®I should start practicing again.¡¯ Even though it had been eight years for him, it had only been two and a half months for his friends. Now, he had to start remembering and practicing the way he used to speak,ugh, and chatter. ¡°Still, this is nice.¡± If he worked hard, he should be able to achieve that in eight days rather than eight years, right? A new message appeared. [The 4th Quest has been revealed.] [The 5th Quest has been revealed.] ¡°Hm?¡± This was the first time that two Quests had been revealed at once. [Fourth Quest] Requirements: Win the war in the second city. [Fifth Quest] Requirements: Kill Erebo Thest two Quests had been revealed. ¡®As I thought, thest Quest is defeating Erebo.¡¯However, the Fourth Quest was a little unexpected. Win the war in the second city?¡®Is this talking about the war my friends and Ju-Ha mentioned?¡¯ He had already heard a few times about the cockroach armyunching a siege against the yers. But to be honest, even though he had heard about it, he had never paid much attention because it wouldn¡¯t matter if he couldn¡¯t kill Erebo. ¡®But I should start paying a little more attention from now on.¡¯ Now, it was his own business rather than others. ¡°Contractor, let us make haste. I think that little fox is at her limit,¡± the Frost Queen said, worried. Seo Jun-Houghed. ¡°It¡¯s fine. If she dies, we can just go back to¡ªoh, can we not do that anymore because of the Save Point? We should hurry, then.¡± ¡°...¡± As Seo Jun-Ho rushed back to the city, the Frost Queen looked at him with pity. ¡°...How are we supposed to fix that?¡± *** ¡°...¡± Gong Ju-Ha waved her hand. The me she created incinerated dozens of cockroaches. ¡®There¡¯s no end to it.¡¯ It was her first time killing so many cockroaches by herself. Even though she kept killing and killing them, they just kepting. Plus, the special entities that would asionally participate were particrly difficult to kill. ¡°Ugh.¡± How many hours had it been already? Four? Five? It had been one hour since Erebo brought in a new horde of cockroaches, so it had probably been around five hours. ¡®Specter¡­¡¯ A little while ago, she had sensed a huge spike in magic near the river. As such, she was hoping that there would soon be good news. ¡®Huff. Huff.¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s legs buckled. The cockroaches weren¡¯t decreasing. In fact, she wasn¡¯t sure if she was imagining it, but why did they seem like they were actually increasing? ¡®My mental, physical and magical energy¡­¡¯ They had reached rock bottom long ago. Now, all she could do was exhale roughly with great effort. ¡°You fought well.¡± But just then, a low, strong voice reached her ears. Seo Jun-Ho caught her just as she was about to copse, and then he raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± He used King¡¯s Breath. And with just a single breath, the thousands of remaining cockroaches froze into ice. Seo Jun-Ho smiled at Ju-Ha. She managed to hold out for five whole hours. ¡°I don¡¯t think Isted that long when I first fought them. You¡¯re amazing.¡± ¡°...And Erebo?¡± ¡°I killed him. Thanks to you.¡± What a relief¡­ Gong Ju-Ha settled on the ground and gulped down potions. Seo Jun-Ho noticed that her left arm was missing. ¡°How did you lose your arm?¡± he asked. ¡°I was hit with a special entity. An alligator one.¡± Seo Jun-Ho directed an empty gaze at her and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Still, I¡¯m d you¡¯re still alive. Because of the Save Point, I can¡¯t go back anymore, you see.¡± ¡®...d?¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha trembled furiously. However, it wasn¡¯t because she was offended that he wasn¡¯t worried about her. ¡®...He¡¯s changed.¡¯ Was this really the same man who had screamed and run at her when she was stabbed? Was this really the same soft-hearted person who couldn¡¯t look her in the eye because of guilt? ¡°...¡± Gong Ju-Ha gulped when she realized it¡ªthe man before her eyes was missing something big. Chapter 337. That Which Cannot Break (5)

Chapter 337. That Which Cannot Break (5)

¡°Hm. Hmm.¡± The Frost Queen grunted, and she was deeply frowning. She had been uncertain, but now, she was a hundred percent sure. ¡®This is an emergency. Contractor is broken.¡¯ This was an obvious result. Death was the biggest shock a person¡¯s brain could ever receive. Since he had died over a hundred times, it would actually be strange if he was fine. ¡®To be frank, I believed he would be fine because he has Hero¡¯s Mind.¡¯ But even though it was an S-rank skill, apparently it wasn¡¯t a perfect skill. The Frost Queen looked at Seo Jun-Ho with pity. ¡®Poor Contractor. How will I fix him?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho himself had no idea that he was broken. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have said something like that to the little fox. The Frost Queen knew exactly how he was inside. ¡®He is dead on every level except physical.¡¯ However, that didn¡¯t really mean that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s personality had changed drastically. He was righteous, he cared about his friends, and he was trying to clear the Floors as best as he could just like always. There was just one thing hecked: the ability to empathize. ¡®Because he has died so many times, he has started to view everything else as trivial.¡¯ Once, Seo Jun-Ho had told her that he was scared¡ªscared at he would start looking at his friends as if they were NPCs in a game rather than humans. What did she say to him back then? ¡®Since you know that, can you not simply stop? ...I believe that is what I said.¡¯ She was a stupid, stupid idiot. She hit her head in regret. It hurt. ¡°Eek. Ugh.¡± Eventually, she came to a conclusion. The only solution was to interfere until her Contractor broke even more. *** They decided to leave for the second city the next morning after spending a day resting. Gong Ju-Ha wasying on the plush sofa in the cafeteria. ¡°...¡± She silently fell into thought as she drank iced tea from the refrigerator. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s current mental state was unstable, like a ticking time bomb. She wanted to help him. If she could, she wanted to get rid of the bomb altogether. There wasn¡¯t a deep reason for this. Seo Jun-Ho was a hero she had always been looking up to, and at one point, he had been a hubae she supported. ¡®But it¡¯s impossible to do it alone¡­¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha didn¡¯t think she would be able to fully understand and give advice to a man who had died over a hundred times. ¡°Ugh.¡± What would Ha In-Ho do in this situation? He was the most quick-witted person she knew, and he was also the most logical one. She recalled how he usually spoke. ¡®Princess, please turn the socks you washed inside out.¡¯ ¡®And please separate the darks and lights¡­¡¯ ¡®I won¡¯t chide you for drinking iced tea, but can you at least throw away the cup, please?¡¯ ¡®Please don¡¯te close to me if you¡¯re over 28 degrees Celcius. It¡¯s hot.¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha blinked. ¡®...What¡¯s with that? It¡¯s not really helpful; it just pisses me off.[1]¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha sighed and stroked the stump of her shoulder. Her heart felt just as heavy as the weight she felt from losing her arm. ¡°Hello...¡± Just then, someone spoke from next to her. ¡°...!¡± Dumbfounded, Gong Ju-Ha shot up from her seat. ¡®I didn¡¯t even sense their approach?¡¯ Moreover, the voice belonged to a girl. She thought she was alone in the hotel with Specter, but now, a third party had appeared. She felt a chill deep inside, simr to how the temperature suddenly dropped around her. ¡®Oh, that feels nice¡ªwait, no!¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha scanned the speaker with sharp eyes. The other party was a pretty foreign little girl with fair skin. Gong Ju-Ha swallowed and started to panic. ¡®Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t even have my Vita¡­¡¯ She lost it when the cockroach took her arm. In other words, she didn¡¯t have any means ofnguage interpretation. Gong Ju-Ha trembled and hesitantly opened her mouth to ask in English, ¡°W-who are you?¡± ¡°Use thenguage you arefortable with,¡± the girl said in fluent Korean. Gong Ju-Ha let out a sigh of relief. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean she let her guard down. ¡°Who are you? Why is a kid like you at this hotel¡­¡± ¡°I believe that this will take some time to exin, so sit and let me tell you the story.¡± The little girl looked much younger than Gong Ju-Ha herself, yet the way she spoke informally to her didn¡¯t offend her[2], strangely enough. Perhaps it was because she got the sense that this girl was once a ruler her whole life. As Gong Ju-Ha sat down, the girl spoke with confidence, ¡°Little fox, I believe we must do something together.¡± ¡°...Why should I?¡± If some suspicious, unfamiliar kid suddenly came up to them and said this, how many would actuallyply? The Frost Queen smirked at her predictable question. ¡°Looking at your expression, I suppose I cannot simply convince you with words, as I expected.¡± That was why she had made ample preparations for this. She scanned their surroundings and slipped something out of the backpack she was wearing. And just in case someone came in, she whispered quietly, ¡°If you help me, I shall give you this.¡± ¡°T-this is¡­?¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes went wide when she saw what the girl was holding. She then looked at the girl, unsure if she was serious, but thetter gave the haughtiest smile possible. ¡°This is my treasure.¡± It was a small piece of paper that said ¡®Cake coupon x10¡¯. *** While they were resting, Seo Jun-Ho trained his Overclocking. Now, he would have to fight Erebo¡¯s true body, so he had to prepare as thoroughly as possible. ¡°Phew.¡±He stood up. He had stayed up the whole night. When he did, the Frost Queen also stood up from where she was sitting in the corner and ran toward him. She then held out a cup of water. ¡°You have worked hard, my Contractor. You did very well.¡± ¡°...¡± What was this? He stared at her dubiously. ¡°What is it? You know that I don¡¯t have Spirit Crystals.¡± ¡°I see. So you don¡¯t...¡± ¡°Hey¡­ Why are you speaking differently?¡± ¡°I see¡­[3]So you believe that my manner of speech has changed.¡± ¡°...¡± After hearing it a few more times, it annoyed him a bit. Seo Jun-Ho stared at her and frowned, and the Frost Queen let out a long sigh. She then took out a notebook from her bag and wrote an ¡®X¡¯ next to something. ¡°Number 1¡­ I see¡­ It had no effect¡­¡± After that, the Frost Queen left the training room, muttering something about a strategy meeting. Really, why was she acting like this? *** ¡°Sniff,Specter!¡± The next day, Gong Ju-Ha suddenly started sobbing while they were eating breakfast at the restaurant. ¡°I¡¯m so sad. I think it¡¯s because I lost my arm.Sniff,I¡¯m so sad.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Of course, it would be inconvenient to lose an arm. Seo Jun-Ho nodded bitterly. ¡°If the Save Point hadn¡¯t been created, I could have fixed it for you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about anything else? Like, about my feelings or something.¡± ¡°Worried¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment, and his spoon froze. Now that he thought about it, he didn¡¯t think he ever felt worried about her. As such, his brows furrowed. ¡®Why not?¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha was someone pretty important to him. But he was so unconcerned about her that it came as a surprise to him. Moreover, his heart didn¡¯t react at all when he heard that she had lost her arm. ¡®Hm.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t sure why¡­ For some reason, his mind grew restless, and he ced down his spoon before standing up. ¡°Enjoy your meal. I¡¯ll meet you downstairs.¡± Once he left, Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes sparkled as she muttered, ¡°I think that actually had an effect¡­¡± ¡°Despite your poor acting, I agree,¡± The Frost Queen said, squaring her shoulders. *** ¡°And so, because the queen now understood the heart of the people, she acquitted the charges,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said. ¡°What a heartwarming story¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, nodding. While they headed to the next city, Gong Ju-Ha told him a number of stories. Overall, they were¡­ the types of stories kids would like? They were full of emotions and moral lessons. ¡°Isn¡¯t that amazing? Someone as high as a queen actually understood a lowly farmer.¡± ¡°Mm,is that really so impressive?¡± ¡°Very much so. In that world, the social hierarchy is very strict, is it not?¡± the Frost Queen said while nodding eagerly with a pleased look. Why didshelook like that? After hearing the story, Seo Jun-Ho thought for a bit. ¡®She understood their hearts¡­¡¯ To be honest, he didn¡¯t understand their reaction. Why was that so amazing? Inherently, rulers had a duty to be fair and just to their people. ¡®And, understanding someone else is something anyone can do¡­¡¯ Even Seo Jun-Ho would do that at any moment if the situation called for it. He didn¡¯t know about anyone else, but he was also someone who always naturally ended up being worshipped by others. ¡°Oh,there¡¯s the city,¡± he said, pointing at a giant settlement in the distance. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a city. It looks like there are outer walls, too,¡± he said with admiration. ¡°The yers made it, you see. As you know, the war has reached its peak,¡± said Gong Ju-Ha. It was difficult to stop the cockroaches that descended upon the city every night. So, the yers used the time they had during the morning and day to build walls all around the city. ¡°We¡¯re lucky that we have an intermediate-level Spirit user who can control earth,¡± Gong Ju-Ha added. ¡°An intermediate-level Spirit user¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho nced at Frost. He could arguably be considered an Intermediate-level Spirit user as well. ¡®Now that she mentioned them, I want to meet them.¡¯ He would be able to hear this and that about Spirits, and he also wanted to check if their Spirit was big and strong like the Frost Queen. ¡°I should go meet them when I have the chance,¡± he remarked. ¡°I¡¯ll help you with that,¡± Gong Ju-Ha promised. *** A huge ruckus ensued when news of Specter¡¯s arrival spread throughout the city. ¡°You¡¯re saying Seo Jun-Ho isactuallySpecter?¡± ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? It made huge waves on Earth.¡± ¡°He fooled the whole world.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s naturally talented after all. He even took the Thunder God¡¯s seat as the Second Heaven.¡± Even yers who would have normally been jealous weed him with open arms. It was a given, considering that everyst powerful yer was necessary. ¡°Yo, Jun-Ho~ You scampered away without even a word to your noona. What were you doing, and why did you juste here?¡± Skaya said. ¡°She¡¯s right. You said you were lethargic, but you didn¡¯t say anything else. Why the hell did you do that?¡± Rahmadat asked. ¡°Jun-Ho, I would like to know as well,¡± Mio added. ¡°Well, you know. I had my reasons.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly when his friends approached him. He hadn¡¯t told them about the regressions this time because he truly wanted to take a break with the Frost Queen from the very beginning. ¡®Still, it¡¯s nice to see them since it has been a while.¡¯ They weren¡¯t acting like machines like usual. Now that they were showing new reactions in a new ce, he felt like they were hisrealfriends. ¡°Uncle!¡± Arthur ran up to him with Gilberto and greeted him in joy. The Watchguards were also with them. However, three or four of them were missing. ¡°I don¡¯t see a few people, including River.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. At that, Arthur and the Watchguards¡¯ faces darkened. ¡°They passed away. They fell to the special entities.¡± ¡°Oh,no.¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned. If they had died a week ago, he might not be able to save them. He patted Arthur¡¯s shoulders. ¡°They¡¯re in a better ce now.¡± ¡°...Thank you,¡± Arthur revealed a resolute look. Just then, another group of yers approached them. ¡°Ju-Ha.¡± ¡°Master!¡± Shin Sung-Hyun was wearing a suit. When he saw Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s missing arm, his face fell. ¡°What happened to your arm?¡± ¡°Oh,this¡­I¡¯m sorry. I let my guard down, so.¡± ¡°...¡± Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s eyes furrowed. Looking at the stump, he saw signs of cauterization. ¡°I had to keep fighting, but the blood just wouldn¡¯t stop,¡± she exined. ¡°Why not? You¡¯re smart. Why did you fight so recklessly when you couldn¡¯t handle it?¡± Gong Ju-Ha shut her mouth. If she revealed the reason, she would have to tell him everything about Specter¡¯s situation. After watching the conversation unfold, Seo Jun-Ho stepped in and said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°Specter,¡± Sung-Hyun said politely. He couldn¡¯t speak to him casually like he used to. After all, Seo Jun-Ho was no longer the super rookie; he was the savior of humanity, Specter. ¡°Captain Gong fought well. To be honest, it¡¯s a miracle that she even survived.¡± ¡°...Why did such an intense battle ur?¡± ¡°It was all so I could kill Erebo¡¯s clone.¡± ¡°His clone? What do you mean?¡± After Seo Jun-Ho was done exining, the yers around them couldn¡¯t hide their surprise. ¡°Ohhh,so that was the guy who appeared every now and then to ughter yers?¡± ¡°...Shit. No wonder he was that strong; it turns out he¡¯s actually Erebo¡¯s clone..¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you killed him. He was strong. As expected of Specter.¡± Amidst the others¡¯ cheers and apuse, Shin Sung-Hyun held back his words. He understood the situation, but he didn¡¯t like the way how Specter had basically said that they should be grateful for Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s survival. ¡®...Has he always been this kind of person?¡¯ Thest time Shin Sung-Hyun saw him, Seo Jun-Ho was polite. Moreover, he seemed like he cared more about Gong Ju-Ha. If that had merely been a mask¡­ Shin Sung-Hyun would be a little¡ªno, he would beverydisappointed. ¡°Let us return,¡± said Shin Sung-Hyun. If he stayed here any longer, he felt like he would start losing the respect he always had for Specter. As such, Shin Sung-Hyun hurriedly left with his party. Chapter 338. Misunderstandings and Prejudice (1)

Chapter 338. Misunderstandings and Prejudice (1)

¡°You will be using this apartment, Jun-Ho-nim. There are three-panel windows installed, so it provides soundproofing, and because it¡¯s facing south, a lot of sunlightes in¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun was in charge of escorting him, and she exined each feature like a real estate agent. The apartment was on the 15th floor. Seo Jun-Ho scanned the rooms and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s perfect for living alone.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. It is in a good area, as well. There is a convenience store, gym, and a swimming pool five minutes away from here¡­¡± She talked about some of the things in the area. ¡°And¡­ the other Heroes also live close by.¡± ¡°Really? How close?¡± The moment he asked the question, there was a banging sound from the wall, and he heard Rahmadat yell in a muffled voice, ¡°Can you hear me?!¡± The apartment reallydidhave good soundproofing. ¡°...They are your neighbors.¡± ¡°Looks like Skaya set up a magic barrier. I like it,¡± he said. Seo Jun-Ho stepped onto the terrace and looked down at the city. yers were walking around in twos and threes. They were talking and eating amongst each other, and it was a peaceful sight. ¡°How are things these days?¡± he asked. ¡°To be frank, they¡¯re not very good.¡± Cha Si-Eun¡¯s face darkened. Recently, the cockroaches¡¯ attacks had been especially fierce and intense. ¡°The number of special entities has been increasing exponentially, so the number of casualties has also been on an upward trend. There have also been more deserters, so to speak, those who returned to Earth.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± This definitely wasn¡¯t good. The number of cockroaches was increasing to no end, but the number of yers on the 4th Floor was fairly limited. He thought for a moment before he asked, ¡°Are there any documents that show the statistics and such for the battles and casualties?¡± ¡°I prepared them ahead of time.¡± Cha Si-Eun reached into her Inventory and retrieved a thick file folder. Seo Jun-Ho let out a forcedugh when he saw, dumbfounded. ¡°You¡¯re the same as always. You¡¯re still the Korean yer Association¡¯s ace secretary.¡± ¡°I-I wouldn¡¯t go that far. Please stop it.¡± ¡°Are we in the Joseon Era?[1]¡± Cha Si-Eun bowed her head, a little shy. ¡°I¡¯m staying in the room at the end of the hallway, so please message me at any time if you need anything.¡± ¡°Oh,about that.¡± Cha Si-Eun turned her head at the sound of his voice. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± ¡°Actually, never mind. It¡¯s nothing.¡± After tilting her head in confusion, Cha Si-Eun eventually left. The Frost Queen turned to Seo Jun-Ho and asked, ¡°What were you about to say?¡± ¡°Oh,you know. I was gonna tell her that she¡¯s myrade now, not my secretary, so she doesn¡¯t always need to be on standby like that.¡± ¡°Why did you not say that?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes furrowed a bit. ¡®Because it¡¯s impossible to clear the fourth and fifth Quest in one go¡­¡¯ His first priority in this regression was to watch how the situation would unfold. So, he thought that it would be convenient to use Cha Si-Eun as his secretary this time. ¡®Use?¡¯ Was it normal to say that about people? Something was bothering him, but he wasn¡¯t sure what it was. In the end, he never figured out what it was. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°Forget about it. It¡¯s nothing.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t step into the battlefield in the next few days. Actually, he didn¡¯t even leave his house. Instead, he carefully went over the entire thick pile of documents. ¡®It has everything that has happened since even before I even entered the 4th Floor.¡¯ He memorized everything inside it. At the same time, he was frustrated. ¡®The war is going worse than I thought¡­¡¯ It was especially because the number of special entities had increased tremendously from just over a month ago, which made him consider something. ¡®If I could just start from the beginning, I would have just died.¡¯ However, since the Save Point was created, he likely wouldn¡¯t be able to do that. Of course, he wasn¡¯tpletely sure of it. In the end, he had to win amidst the grim situation. ¡®The problem is¡­ the numbers just don¡¯t add up no matter how many times I run it in a calctor.¡¯ He wanted to save as many yers as possible. He wanted to clear the Floors without sacrificing anyone. However, because the Save Point was already set, he wouldn¡¯t be able to save the yers who had already died. ¡®I¡¯d like to go up to the next Floor with the entire current fighting force intact¡­¡¯ But as always, the cockroaches were an obstacle to achieving that. How could they go to the next city and kill Erebo if they couldn¡¯t even cut down the cockroach army? ¡®It¡¯s impossible.¡¯ He knew that it would be impossible to seed using normal methods. Even if he attempted it a hundred times, he would lose every single time. He thought for a long time¡­ All of a sudden, a message appeared in his Community window. [Cha Si-Eun: There will be a strategy meeting in two hours. Will you be joining?] A strategy meeting. The yers would gather periodically and discuss their ns. Because all the yers currently on the 4th Floor were from all different groups, a strategy meeting was very important to unify their thoughts. ¡®ording to the records, there are usually political shes during these meetings.¡¯ They said that men were blind to their own causes. Everyone wanted to arrange things in a way that their subordinates and the yers they cared about would be safe. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to watch once.¡¯ He gave her a brief reply. [Sonny: Yes.] *** The meeting ce didn¡¯t look like much on the outside. Arge tent had been set up in an empty area in the park, and that was all. Inside, all they had were things like water, desks, and chairs. ¡®I think the capacity would be around¡­ a hundred yers.¡¯ One wouldn¡¯t even be able to participate unless they were a leader in a major Guild or party. Seo Jun-Ho was starting to understand why there were increasingly more deserters. ¡°Yawn.You¡¯re here?¡± Rahmadat yawned and waved a big hand in greeting. When Seo Jun-Ho sat down next to his friends, he felt all eyes falling on him. ¡°Looks like Specter¡¯s joining us.¡± ¡°Hey, you should still add the ¡®nim¡¯[2]at the end. Be respectful.¡± ¡°Respect him, my ass. Why would I respect some guy who holed up in his house to y the past few days?¡± ¡°Had he fought, ra would have lived.¡± Humans were intelligent, so they thought a lot. With their boundless imagination, many of them also got caught in the what-ifs. In short, humans were especially good at ming others. ¡°Those bastards¡­¡± Rahmadat¡¯s eyes narrowed, but Seo Jun-Ho chided him. ¡°Leave them be. It¡¯s not like this is the first time I¡¯ve heard something like that.¡± It had been a while since he was looked at with such disgust, and he almost weed it. Plus, not everyone was ming him. ¡°Since he¡¯s at the meeting today, that means he¡¯s going to start fighting, right?¡± ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have some time to catch our breaths for now.¡± ¡°But do you think he¡¯s actually as strong as the rumors say?¡± ¡°If Seo Jun-Ho and Specter are one, that means he can use two elements. He should be strong.¡± ¡°And he even killed Erebo¡¯s clone in the first city.¡± They were excited. There was a dim feeling of anticipation in their thoughts. They thought that if Specter¡ªif the legendary hero stepped in¡ªhe could do something about all this. Back then, Seo Jun-Ho was scared of the fact that he would have to carry all this on his back every time, but now, he had long gotten used to it. ¡®There are a lot of familiar faces, too.¡¯ There was the Goblin Guild of course, but Wei Chun-Hak and Kim-Woo-Joong were also here. So was Milphage, along with the majority of the Heavens and members of the Big 6. Looking at them reignited the feeling that they were truly humanity¡¯s finest. ¡®And¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes settled on one man. Coincidentally, he was also looking at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Tenmei Ryo.¡¯ He was Mio¡¯s second oldest brother, as well as the second son of the Tenmei family. Seo Jun-Ho had heard that he was leading the Sky Soul Guild on the 4th Floor. ¡®And he also fucked me over before.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could still remember as clear as day how Tenmei Ryo didn¡¯t send support troops until the very end. When he smirked and nodded at him, Tenmei Ryo scowled and whipped his head away. ¡°Let us begin the strategy meeting,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun said in his signature calm voice. Thus, the meeting began. Unsurprisingly, the first order of business was the arrangement of the troops. ¡°Our Guild has been in charge of the eastern wall for a week, so switch us out to the rearguard.¡± ¡°Ahem,well, since you guys have already fought there, wouldn¡¯t it be better to keep doing so? You have experience now, no?¡± ¡°What? Look here, you son of a bitch! We lose more than ten people every day!¡± It had only been five minutes since the meeting started, but the yers were already cursing at each other. Of course, they were moody and sensitive, considering how everybody¡¯s lives were on the line. ¡°Are all meetings like this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked in a low voice. ¡°Eh?No. Actually, it¡¯s going smoother than usual today. Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re here,¡± Skaya replied. She gave an amused smile and blew a bubble with her gum. The meeting continued for a long time before they finally made a decision. ¡°We shall arrange the troops as originally nned by taking turns. Because the Pris Guild defended the eastern wall for a week, they should go to the northern wall, and since the Proto Guild was at the southern wall, which is rtively easier¡ª¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Just then, someone spoke, sounding dumbfounded, ¡°I don¡¯t see Proto¡¯s Guild Master.¡± ¡°Are they not in the meeting?¡± As the yers started to murmur, Shin Sung-Hyun realized that something was off and scanned the tent. ¡°Is the Guild Master not here? Or any other members of Proto?¡± he asked. ¡°...¡± Silence fell over them, and the yers¡¯ faces contorted. The quick-witted ones left the tent and came back a momentter, red-faced. ¡°Goddammit! Those fuckers made a break for it!¡± ¡°...Looks like they gathered EXP in the easiest front and ran away because they knew they would be assigned to the most difficult area.¡± ¡°Those dirty fucking roaches!¡± Shin Sung-Hyun and the rest of the Guild Masters let out a long sigh. They weren¡¯t idiots, after all. ¡®...I don¡¯t think we can go on like this.¡¯ It was because they were at their limits. The yers were all part of different nationalities, races, and groups. It would naturally be difficult for them to be one, but they managed to do so. Of course, the trust and connections they had with each other were weak. ¡®The only thing holding us together was trust¡­ And now it has been broken.¡¯ Their sense of kinship as yers existed because they all had the same goal, and they wanted to stand together at the very end to seed. But now that one of them had betrayed them, it was hard to trust anyone else. Shin Sung-Hyun closed his eyes. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ Before night fell tonight, the yers would all pack up and go back to Earth. After all, all of them had reached the Save Point by now. And from now on, no yer would attempt to clear the 4th Floor again for at least a few years. ¡°I see no need to stay here any longer.¡± The first one to leave was Sky Soul¡¯s Tenmei Ryo. He left the tent, leading his people. After that, the other yers also started to leave one by one without any hesitation. Everyone knew¡ªthey knew that they had failed. ¡°Tch.So this is how it ends.¡± Rahmadat clicked his tongue. ¡°What should we do?¡± he asked. ¡°What do you think? We should leave as well,¡± Gilberto said, sounding grim. Only one person remained. It was Seo Jun-Ho, and he was lost in thought. ¡®I see. If Ie to the second city without doing anything, I suppose this is what happens.¡¯ This was the bad ending. They failed to clear the Floor, and everyone left. However, something came to his mind. ¡®But there were times when I actually seeded when I thought I had failed.¡¯ Just like the way that resting with the Frost Queen had unexpectedly been the right answer, this may be the only way to clear the 4th Floor without any sacrifices. ¡°Aren¡¯t youing?¡± Skaya interrupted. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°You guys go ahead. I have something I need to check, so I¡¯m gonna stay here.¡± ¡°What bullshit is that, you crazy boy. You have to leave before the sun sets, you know.¡± ¡°Sigh.Fine. Everyone sit down.¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined the situation with the diary to his friends. ¡°So, this time I want to stay behind by myself and try it out. Like gueri warfare, in a sense.¡± He finished with a dim smile, but no one else was smiling. ¡°Hey, Jun-Ho. Do you actually think you can seed if you do this?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°Oh,it¡¯s basically impossible of course. But you never know, right?¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that you¡¯re going to do this expecting to die?¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly nodded. ¡°I told you before, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯ll be fine even if I die. I¡¯ll go back to the past anyway, and that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone silently held back their groans. Mio was the only one who let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Jun-Ho, how many times have you regressed so far?¡± ¡°105 times.¡± Mio bit her lower lip hard as she asked, ¡°Have you told us about the regressions before?¡± ¡°Plenty of times.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say anything then?¡± Seo Jun-Ho dug through his memories. Yes, he was sure that she had warned him about something. - If this keeps repeating, you won¡¯t be able to hold out for long, Jun-Ho. ¡°You told me that I wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out for long, but you were worried for nothing. I¡¯m still perfectly fine, you see.¡± ¡°No...¡± Mio shook her head. ¡°Jun-Ho, you¡¯re not fine at all right now.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho forgot what he was about to say, and he suddenly looked around. Skaya, Gilberto, Rahmadat, Mio, and even Cha Si-Eun were looking at him with sad eyes as if he was crazy. ¡®I¡¯m the weird one?¡¯ He trembled ever so slightly. He trusted his friends. If this was what they were saying, they could be right. But just what was wrong with him, and how? The embarrassment started to melt into fear. [Hero¡¯s Mind (S) has sensed that the yer is experiencing extreme fear.] [Hero¡¯s Mind (S) has forcibly stabilized the yer¡¯s mind.] ¡°Phew.¡±Seo Jun-Ho let out a small sigh and grinned. ¡°Really, it¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m fine.¡± Despite their frozen faces, he felt perfectlyfortable. Chapter 339. Misunderstandings and Prejudice (2)

Chapter 339. Misunderstandings and Prejudice (2)

After Seo Jun-Ho went back, the four Heroes and Cha Si-Eun remained in the strategy meeting tent, and a heavy air settled between them. ¡°Okay.¡± Skaya pped her hands together, trying to forcefully uplift the mood. ¡°Let¡¯s begin our first ¡®How do we fix that idiot?¡¯ meeting.¡± Rahmadat raised his hand first. ¡°You¡¯re making me nervous, raising your hand and all. What is it?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°You know how Koreans have that saying about how pain is the best teacher?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re suggesting that we beat Jun-Ho up?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he wake up if we did that?¡± Aside from Rahmadat, everyone shook their heads. ¡°Okay, no one agrees, right? Rejected! Does anyone have a better idea?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°...Coincidentally, I read a good book a while ago that should help in a situation like this,¡± Gilberto said confidently. ¡°What did it say?¡± ¡°It said that the best thing to do when someone is led astray is to list all their mistakes one by one and to make them realize their own mistakes. Moreover, it said that violence isn¡¯t a very good method.¡± ¡°Were you reading parenting books again?¡± ¡°...Why does that matter?¡± Aside from Gilberto, everyone shook their heads. ¡°Does no one have a better proposal?¡± ¡°...!¡± Everyone whipped their heads around when they heard a voiceing from the supposedly empty seat next to them. A little girl was sitting there, arms crossed with an unimpressed look. Skaya stared nkly at her, and her eyes went wide. ¡°Wait, are you¡­ Frost? Are you Frost?¡± ¡°Indeed, it is I.¡± Frost had been cute and tiny, but now, she had grown up. Rahmadat looked at her doubtfully. ¡°Hey, kid. By chance, can you go back to the past with Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°I am not a ¡®kid.¡¯ But yes, that is correct.¡± She thought for a second before bowing her head deeply. ¡°...Please fix my Contractor.¡± ¡°We want that, too. But it didn¡¯t seem like Jun-Ho himself even knows there¡¯s something off with him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the weirdest part.¡± Rahmadat frowned. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he have Hero¡¯s Mind? I even heard that it became S-grade.¡± ¡°He¡¯s in that statebecausehe has the skill. Otherwise, he would have gone crazy long ago.¡± Dying 105 times was much too high of a number for a human to endure without any consequences. ¡°Indeed. Each death has been eating away at Contractor¡¯s emotions, little by little.¡± ¡°His emotions? This is serious,¡± Gilberto said. Mio carefully opened her mouth after listening quietly the whole time. ¡°...I propose that we use the Mania Snake Poison.¡± ¡°What?¡± Their faces paled. Cha Si-Eun stared at them and asked cautiously, ¡°Um,what is the Mania Snake Poison?¡± ¡°As the name suggests, it is poison.¡± Mio reached into her Inventory and pulled out a small medicine bottle made of wood. ¡°It is typically used for torture. Ingestion causes the brain to amplify one¡¯s senses and emotions beyond limits.¡± ¡°The limits?¡± ¡°Yes. The human brain has safety measures in ce.¡± So that a person wouldn¡¯t go crazy if they experienced too many emotions or sensations at the same time. And the Mania Snake Poison destroyed those safety measures. ¡°I once saw someone ingest the poison. Just like its namesake, they writhed like a snake,¡± Gilberto said. All senses would be sharpened to their peak. The sensation of one¡¯s clothes on one¡¯s skin or even the breeze would cause pain. ¡°It doesn¡¯t just amplify the senses; it amplifies emotions, too.¡± Victims would feel ten times more depressed, ten times more pain, and ten times angrier. ¡°It¡¯s a cold-hearted method, but it has the potential to revive Jun-Ho¡¯s dulled emotions.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still too risky¡­¡± Skaya remarked. She fell into thought. They would certainly be able to temporarily revive Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s dead emotions if they used the poison. But it would be apanied by unimaginable pain. ¡°If we used it incorrectly and Jun-Ho ends up being even more broken, it¡¯ll be over.¡± If he kept going back to the past with that pain, there would be nothing he could do. ¡°Then what do you suggest that we do?¡± ¡°We should make a new version of the poison.¡± Skaya stood from her seat. ¡°I¡¯ll analyze theponents and reverse engineer it to make it less risky.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have enough time for that, too.¡± ¡°Now, why¡¯s that?¡± Skaya frowned. ¡°I¡¯m Skaya Killnd.¡± She had invented the art of magic and was the first genius mage on Earth. She snatched the bottle up. ¡°For something like this, three hours will be more than enough.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho walked on his own around the city. Everyone had left. He rode a swing at a yground by himself, sat down at a convenience store, and ate ice cream. ¡°...¡± The city was so quiet that the squeaking of a mouse couldn¡¯t even be heard. Once again, he could feel that strange feeling of emptiness that asionally came to him. ¡®I have to get it together.¡¯If he failed, everything would truly be over. He still had more than 250 chances left, so he should take his time to figure things out. ¡°Contractor!¡± The Frost Queen waved from afar and came running. She held out a can of a sports drink. ¡°Drink this. Right now.¡± Good timing. His throat was feeling dry. The Frost Queen stared intently at him as he gulped the beverage down. ¡°How is it?¡± she asked. ¡°What do you think? It tastes the same as always.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± She looked at the empty Pocari Sweat can in her hand and looked glum. ¡°It has a Mania Snake Potion in it,¡± said a voice. Seo Jun-Ho turned around without getting up from the bench. His friends and Cha Si-Eun had somehow arrived behind him. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°We put a version of Mania Snake Potion in the drink you just drank.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. As far as he knew, Mania Snake Potion was used by the Tenmei n for the purpose of torture. And they fed him that? Skaya stepped forward and diffused the situation. ¡°We had no other choice but to do it to bring your emotions back.¡± ¡°Who says I don¡¯t have emotions?¡± ¡°Except you, everyone.¡± Skaya looked at him with a tired smile. Seo Jun-Ho looked around. Rahmadat, Gilberto, Mio, Cha Si-Eun, and even the Frost Queen were nodding. ¡°Contractor, you have lost your emotions throughout the cycle of death,¡± she said. ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s wrong with you guys? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m fine.¡± The Frost Queen shook her head. ¡°The Contractor I know would not say that he is relieved to someone sad over losing an arm.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°And he would not ponder about how to use apanion he used to respect.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart pounded. Somehow, he felt his chest twisting up. ¡®...Ugh, it hurts.¡¯ It hurt. He gripped his chest because his heart ached, but he didn¡¯t feel any better. At that, he finally realized. - Still, I¡¯m d you¡¯re still alive. Because of the Save Point, I can¡¯t go back anymore, you see. - It would be convenient to use Cha Si-Eun as a secretary this time. He had said those words¡­ He had thought of those things¡­ Seo Jun-Ho started trembling. ¡®...I shouldn¡¯t have done any of that.¡¯ His heart was as dry as a desert, but a small ripple went through it. At that moment, Seo Jun-Ho genuinely realized. ¡®...Something¡¯s wrong with me.¡¯ And he suddenly felt suspicious. ¡®What about Hero¡¯s Mind? What the hell was it doing that I became like this?¡¯ ¡°Event Log,¡± he hurriedly said while panicking. A long list of messages appeared before him. He skimmed through them, and his eyes darkened. ¡­ [Hero¡¯s Mind (S) has sensed that the yer is experiencing extreme fear.] [Hero¡¯s Mind (S) has forcibly stabilized the yer¡¯s mind.] He had found it. He finally knew why he hadn¡¯t realized what was wrong with him until now. ¡®This bastard was doing whatever it wanted. It forcefully stabilized me, so I wouldn¡¯t break.¡¯ But in this case, it ended up being a double-edged sword. If it weren¡¯t for his friends¡¯ interference, he would have never realized what he had done wrong. If he had gone on to the fourth and fifth Quest in such a terrible condition¡­ ¡®Even if I seeded¡­¡¯ He would have severed his rtionships with everyone around him. Just thinking about it sent a shiver down his spine. ¡®I owe them big time¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. This hadn¡¯t always been the case, actually. At the very least, he had been fine until the 60th¡ªno, until about the 65th regression. Back then, he always talked with his friends and looked for better solutions with them. ¡®But all of them failed...¡¯ He failed to kill Erebo¡¯s clone, and he had to carry the responsibility and knowledge all by himself. He grew more and more exhausted, but his friends would always say the same things, like robots. At that point, he had thought to himself. ¡®If it¡¯s going to be like this, I¡¯ll just do it by myself.¡¯ But now, he finally realized it for the first time. ¡®The only reason I was able to go on until the 60th regression without any problems was all because of my friends.¡¯ Humans were much weaker than most people thought. They didn¡¯t have what it took to carry all the weight by themselves. They needed others to help them. After realizing this, Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes, and they looked as clear as ever. He looked at his friends with those bright eyes and spoke, ¡°...Please help me.¡± *** ¡°Unfortunately, you won¡¯t be able to do it on this regression.¡± Skaya carefully pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s toote to fight with the others after killing Erebo¡¯s clone.¡± ¡°Skaya¡¯s right. Even before you arrived, the yers¡¯ morale was already too low.¡± ¡°The bigger issue is that the cockroaches started to be stronger a month ago.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth a little. ¡°...I have no other choice because I can¡¯t go back to the beginning anymore.¡± ¡°What would that mean?¡± Cha Si-Eun asked, eyes wide. Seo Jun-Ho exined his current situation. ¡°What? The Save Point was changed?¡± ¡°It happened after I killed Erebo¡¯s clone.¡± ¡°Hm.Wait a moment. This is something I didn¡¯t expect¡­ Let me think of some solutions.¡± While Skaya was deep in her thoughts, Gilberto asked, ¡°Don¡¯t most games have at least three save slots?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So even if you make the wrong choice, you can just go back to the previous save file.¡± ¡°Does the diary have a feature like that?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, pulling out the diary. Actually, he had been wondering about the same thing. ¡®But the diary doesn¡¯t have anything written about choosing a Save Point.¡¯ He had opened the book once as he was dying. However, he still went back to the same point. Gilberto looked through the diary for a long time before he sighed. ¡°So let¡¯s assume that there¡¯s only one save slot. Is it a system that wipes out the previous data no matter what? If that¡¯s the case, then this is the worst-case scenario.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Skaya finally emerged from her thoughts and inspected the diary all over before asking, ¡°Can¡¯t you just rip the diary?¡± ¡°What are you saying? Why would I do that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho retorted, shocked. ¡°Oh,let me rephrase that.¡± She tapped on the 105th page with a long finger. ¡°If we assume that each page is a saved file, the most recent page would contain thetest data.¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡ªWait, are you saying¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes went wide when he realized what Skaya was trying to say. ¡°I see. Maybe that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°The possibility¡¯s pretty big¡­¡± ¡°I believe that would be a good method as well.¡± Only Rahmadat looked confused, as he didn¡¯t know much about games. ¡°What the heck are you guys talking about? Exin it so I can understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took the diary back and ripped out the 105th page without hesitation. ¡°If she¡¯s correct, when I die, I¡¯ll go back to¡ª¡± ¡°The beginning of the 104th regression, not after he killed Erebo,¡± Skaya concluded. Because Seo Jun-Ho had just erased the Save Point. ¡°Oh, wow.¡± Rahmadat finally understood. He was about to say something else when an intense aura bore down on them. ¡°...!¡± ¡°...!¡± They looked out the window. At some point, night had fallen. ¡°Does the second city have a special entity this strong?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°N-no. There hasn¡¯t been anything this strong¡­¡± Skaya muttered, dumbstruck. She quickly ran out of the apartment. She stared at the fortress wall from the hallway and gripped her forehead. ¡°Oh¡­my god.¡± They could see a giant insect, and the insect had an enormous tree on his back. Seo Jun-Ho followed after her, and a message appeared before him. [You have discovered the boss monster of Another World, Erebo.] [Once defeated, safe zones will appear in the Another World area.] ¡°Erebo¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a small groan. Indeed, it was already toote. Erebo had finally consumed most of the World Tree, and with the power he gained, it was now about time that he attacked the city. - Partner. Keen Intuition spoke. He hadn¡¯t said muchtely. -I never thought that I would say this to you¡­ ¡°Why, do you have any good ideas?¡± - No. Keen Intuition sighed. - Kill yourself right this instant. I have a very bad feeling. ¡°...?¡± No. No matter the situation, this was a precious opportunity to gather data about therealErebo. Why would he immediately kill himself without even trying to fight Erebo? However, when Keen Intuition spoke again, Seo Jun-Ho had no other choice but to take out a dagger. - I have a strong feeling that you will not be able to regress again if you die at his hand. ¡°...Shit.¡± He cursed under his breath. Chapter 340. Misunderstandings and Prejudice (3)

Chapter 340. Misunderstandings and Prejudice (3)

Away in the distance, a dark mass was slowly swaying as it approached. ¡®...Is that Erebo¡¯s real body?¡¯ The insect had the upper part of the World Tree fused into his back, and every time he moved, the eggs growing all over his body would hatch dozens of newborn special entities. Bang! Baaang! Every step the insect took sent goosebumps across Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skin. It sent a chill down his spine, and his breathing couldn¡¯t help but grow ragged. ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯ He gave off a powerful aura that Seo Jun-Ho had never felt before in his whole life. Erebo could likely do this because he had devoured the World Tree, a Transcendent. ¡°Ugh,my head hurts. How are we supposed to kill something like that¡ªwait, what are you doing?¡± Skaya asked, surprised. She had noticed that Seo Jun-Ho was about to stab his own heart. ¡°Keen Intuition is telling me that I probably won¡¯t be able to regress again if that guy kills me.¡± ¡°...Comeon.Holy fucking shit, this is gonna be hard as hell,¡± Skaya cursed, gnashing her teeth a little, ¡°You can¡¯t die yet, though.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said you¡¯ve never met his true self before. You¡¯re gonna need information about him if we¡¯re going to clear this Floor, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°But I told you, I won¡¯t be able to regress if he kills¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho trailed off as his eyes went wide. He btedly realized what Skaya was trying to say. ¡°It has been a while since you¡¯ve had a good idea, nerd.¡± Rahmadat grinned wide, showing his teeth. He rolled his shoulders and started stretching before muttering quietly, almost to himself, ¡°You have to fight alone again starting tomorrow, so leave this one to us just this once¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll gather as much information about him as we can, and we¡¯re going to hand it over to you, so don¡¯t worry and just run away.¡± ¡°I will do my best to assist the Heroes.¡± Rahmadat, Gilberto, and even Cha Si-Eun were telling him to run away. They wouldy down their lives to get information and send it to him. As such, he should run away. ¡°I should use everything I have been saving up until now, too,¡± Skaya remarked. She sighed and snapped her fingers. A giant hexagram manifested over the city. At that, hundreds of insects crawling over the city walls exploded. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to hold out for long,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe around thirty minutes? Run away as far as possible until then. I¡¯ll write out the stuff and send it to you.¡± ¡°...¡± The dagger seemed like it would pierce Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chest at any moment, but it slowly retracted. He couldn¡¯t waste their sacrifice. Above all, he absolutely needed information about Erebo if he wanted to clear the 4th Floor. Seo Jun-Ho met each of his friends¡¯ eyes and forced his heavy lips apart. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡®Please die in my stead.¡¯ It was a cruel request, but they simply smiled cheerfully, like idiots. *** Seo Jun-Ho received a message 30 minutes and 7 secondster. ¡°Contractor, hurry!¡± Ice shot out from the Frost Queen¡¯s hands, freezing the cockroaches. While she fought, Seo Jun-Ho quickly looked through the message. ¡®There it is.¡¯ His friends hadid down their lives to obtain information about Erebo¡¯s real body. He stared at the message with heated eyes.
  1. Erebo¡¯s exoskeleton is extremely tough. Not even magic nor a sword aura could put a dent in it.
  2. The World Tree got smaller over time, which means he¡¯s still digesting it.
  3. Two very powerful ¡®special entities¡¯ are protecting his head (likely protecting his weak spot).
The message contained nothing but three lines, and his friends, along with Cha Si-Eun had to die in vain for these lines. ¡°...I won¡¯t forget your sacrifice.¡± Seo Jun-Ho read the text over and over again,mitting it to memory. Afterward, he hurriedly raised his dagger. ¡°Contractor!¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho whipped around. In the distance, something was approaching him at breakneck speed. ¡®Erebo can¡¯t move that fast considering his size.¡¯ There were two monsters approaching him. Keen Intuition quickly warned him. - They¡¯re the two special entities protecting Erebo¡¯s head! If they kill you¡­ He would most likely be unable to regress. Without even a moment¡¯s hesitation, Seo Jun-Ho stabbed his own chest. ¡®There.¡¯ When he sensed the familiar sensation of a sharp de piercing into his heart, relief washed over him. ¡°...!¡± However, just as he felt relieved, the special entities pulled the dagger out. At some point, they had reached him all the way here. ¡®What? Why are they taking it out?¡¯ He stared with confusion at the humanoid insects in front of him. Fwoosh! The other special entity approached him from behind and drenched his body with a cold liquid. ¡°This is¡­¡± It was a healing potion, and he quickly recovered at an insane rate. They weren¡¯t going to let him die. ¡®Shit, I have to dieright now!¡¯ In a panic, Seo Jun-Ho tried to slice his neck with his hand, but the hand itself was severed. At an impossible speed, at that¡­ ¡®Fuck, now that I think about it, I didn¡¯t reach a hundred percent Overclocking output in this regression.¡¯ His arms and legs were quickly bound, and the monsters picked him up before they started to fly somewhere. Watchguard of Darkness surged from his body and tore the restraints apart. He fell to the ground, and what he had done bought him enough time to scream... ¡°Froooost!¡± ¡°Forgive me!¡± Slice! His head flew into the air, and his consciousness quickly faded... ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed open, and he quickly scanned his surroundings. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± He was currently floating in the air. More urately, he was floating above the river. ¡°Huh? Huh?¡± The Frost Queen looked around, deeply flustered. They appeared to have returned to the newly-created Save Point instead of the hotel in the first city. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised.¡± Seo Jun-Ho calmly retrieved the diary from his Inventory. [#104] [#106] ¡®As I thought...¡¯ The 105th page didn¡¯t regenerate. However, he had failed to consider the creation of a new saved data for the 106th regression. ¡°Ah!A new saved data was created for the 106th regression¡­ That surprised me...¡± ¡°If I die one more time, I¡¯ll start over at the hotel.¡± After ripping out the 106th page, Seo Jun-Ho quickly stabbed his chest. - W-wait! Keen Intuition quickly called out, but the de had already reached Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart. ¡®...Well, I suppose I can just hear what he had to say after I regress again.¡¯ Once again, his consciousness drowned in darkness. *** ¡°Every day at 6 am, the city neatly initializes itself like that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt a weird sense of deja-vu. It was the same sense of deja-vu he felt whenever he went through this same situation again. He rubbed his eyes.¡®I¡¯m tired.¡¯ He was surprised by his own thought.¡®I¡¯m¡­ tired?¡¯ Just how long had it been since he let his emotions get the better of him andined? Once the rest of the party went down to their own respective rooms, he snorted and approached the Frost Queen. ¡°Hm?Contractor, you look happy today, unlike usual,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re right. I wonder¡­ Did I die in a satisfying way or something? Right, how had he died? Seo Jun-Ho opened the diary. [#104] Once again, I just barely missed Erebo. If I fight him with my mental, physical, and magical energy intact, I think I could easily finish him off. I have to find a way to do that. ¡°Geez,what¡¯s with that? It¡¯s the same as usual.¡± However, why did he feel so refreshed today? He was even having all these emotional thoughts he usually wouldn¡¯t have. ¡°Huh?¡± Just then, Seo Jun-Ho noticed something, and he tilted his head. ¡®The diary¡­ was ripped?¡¯ After the 104th page, the next two pages were torn. Seo Jun-Ho turned pale and he quickly counted the number of remaining pages. ¡°...Holy shit.¡± He was right. The number of pages left in the diary had actually decreased by two. ¡®Why are they torn?¡¯ He turned his head, looking shell-shocked. ¡°Frost, did you rip these out by chance?¡± ¡°Do you believe me to be mad? Why would I?¡± ¡°...Right? No sane person would rip this perfectly good diary,¡± he agreed. Moreover, he usually kept the diary safely in his Inventory. In other words, the only person who could have ripped the diary was himself. ¡®But I didn¡¯t do that...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho fell deep into thought. Eventually, he realized that he needed someone else¡¯s advice. ¡°At times like this¡­ Skaya is the only person I can ask.¡± ¡°It annoys me, but I agree that she is the only person you can talk to,¡± the Frost Queen said, as she thought of the same thing. Seo Jun-Ho quickly found his way to Skaya and showed her the diary. ¡°You used to worry that you¡¯ll be unemployed after clearing the floors, but I don¡¯t think you need to worry anymore. You should write a novel,¡± Skaya remarked. ¡°It¡¯s not a novel.¡± ¡°Maybe someone from a mental hospital could write a better one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking either.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pped his forehead. Now that he thought about it, she always reacted like this if he went to her first before telling the rest of the party about the regressions. In that case, there was no reason to keep going around in circles like this. ¡°I¡¯ve always had this conversation with you before,¡± he said. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± ¡°Back then, you told me a secret, and you told me to tell you this next time if you won¡¯t believe me.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Skaya snorted and leaned against the door of her room. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bite. Tell me, then. What amazing secret did the previous Skaya tell you?¡± ¡°You still like Deok-Gu.¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°That¡¯s not true. Why would I like that bald old man? Don¡¯t just guess randomly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. You definitely said that to me. You said you¡¯d find a youthening potion while climbing the Floors and force Deok-Gu to drink it and¡ªMmph! Mmph!¡± ¡°A-a-are you crazy? Why are you saying that here?!¡± Skaya quickly covered his mouth in a panic and looked around the hallway just in case someone else heard him. Bang! She then mmed Seo Jun-Ho against the wall and growled like a cat. ¡°Be honest with your noona. Who did you hear that from?¡± ¡°Puah!I told you. You told me yourself.¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya chewed on her lower lip. Indeed, it was something she had been keeping only to herself. She had never told anyone else about it. ¡°Sigh,fine. I¡¯ll believe you about the regression thing.¡± After that, it didn¡¯t take long¡­ ¡°So, in other words, you¡¯ve died 104 times and this is your 105th regression, but the next two pages have been ripped out?¡± she rified. ¡°Yeah. This is the first time something like this happened.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised that your mind is still intact.¡± Skaya pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s thanks to Hero¡¯s Mind. I¡¯ve always had a pretty strong mind, you see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be narcissistic.¡± Skaya thought for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s possible¡­ That you actually did rip it out yourself.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Okay, look. The 105th and 106th regressions should appear on the pages that had been ripped out, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°I think you already went through them.¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned. ¡°What? But I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You did, you just don¡¯t remember.¡± Skaya exined in a way that he could understand. ¡°If we assume that each page contains saved data, the most recent page would contain thetest data.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­Wait. Then that means¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a theory, but I think something irreversible happened in the 105th and 106th regressions. And to fix it, you decided to rip out the diary pages and go back.Hm,I think it was a smart solution, actually. Maybe I gave you that advice in the future.¡± So he had ripped out a page to delete the saved data. That could have happened¡­ ¡°But just what kind of problem did I encounter that I decided to rip out the pages?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s obvious. A Save Point was created in the worst-case scenario. Wouldn¡¯t that be it?¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Skaya was pissing him off, but she was still the Archmage. No one could beat her in a battle of intelligence. ¡°Wait, so the fact that I don¡¯t remember the 105th and 106th regressions means¡­¡± ¡°That all the data is erased if you rip out a page, including your memories,¡± she concluded. ¡°Shit.¡± Seo Jun-Ho groaned quietly. If a Save Point had been created, it likely meant that he had killed Erebo¡¯s clone. ¡®If I knew how to kill him, things would go more smoothly.¡¯ He clicked his tongue and nodded. ¡°Still, what a relief. I¡¯m relieved that I know that I managed to kill him in this regression and the next.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be able to do what you have been doing?¡± Skaya pointed out. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. In my previous regression, I almost killed Erebo, you see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pounded on his chest, full of confidence. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to kill him for real this time. As I thought, I was going in the right direction.¡± ¡®Just you wait, Erebo!¡¯ But after dying 50 more times, Seo Jun-Ho finally realized that something was wrong. Chapter 341. My Path (1)

Chapter 341. My Path (1)

Seo Jun-Ho returned to his room andid down on his back. And when his eyes closed, countless scenes passed through his head. ¡®Erebo, Erebo, and Erebo again. I see that bastard¡¯s face whenever I closed my eyes.¡¯ One might think he was deeply in love with Erebo. ¡°Fuwah.¡±Then, the Frost Queen flopped onto the bed with a tired face, looking like the whole weight of the world was on her shoulders. Seo Jun-Ho nced at her and said, ¡°Hey, I just realized something.¡± ¡°...And that would be?¡± He had gone through 50 more regressions after the 50th one. And he seeded 0 times. The nagging feeling that he would be able to do it after going just a little longer didn¡¯t go away, yet he never actually managed to do it. ¡®I should¡¯ve known from the beginning.¡¯ With every regression, all his stats were reset, too. If he kept failing on the same task despite being in peak condition, that meant it was an impossible endeavor to begin with. ¡®I have no other choice but to let go.¡¯ He let out a small sigh and acknowledged his defeat. ¡°...You were right; I guess Ican¡¯tkill his clone without anyone¡¯s help,¡± Seo Jun-Ho admitted. He didn¡¯t want to watch his loved ones die. It was difficult. That was why he wanted to do this by himself. If he failed, he could just brush himself off and get back up. He wouldn¡¯t have to carry the guilt of ying a part in someone¡¯s death. ¡°Have you at least realized your stubbornness in doing this alone?¡± The Frost Queen rolled over and narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°You have fine friends, do you not? Let them carry some of the weight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The Frost Queen had told him over and over¡ªthere was a limit to what he could do on his own, so they should try asking someone for help in the next regression. However, Seo Jun-Ho kept telling her that he would try just one more time, like a gambling addict. And now, here he was¡­ ¡°Let them carry some of the weight when you still have people to support you. If you continue to be so stubborn, you will eventually end up alone. No matter how much you cry then, it will not matter.¡± ¡°Are you speaking from experience?¡± ¡°I am not sure. I do not remember¡­¡± she muttered, looking away. ¡°But more importantly, do you really believe you killed Erebo in the 106th regression? I am very curious.¡± ¡°...¡± She was obviously trying to change the subject, but to be honest, Seo Jun-Ho wondered about that too. Just what had he done in the 106th regression? ¡°It¡¯s actually possible that I didn¡¯t kill his clone. Maybe I just went crazy and ripped out the pages.¡± ¡°Indeed, that is also a possibility.¡± The Frost Queen side-eyed him and said, ¡°Recently, you have been¡ªhow shall I put this¡­ I am worried about you for a different reason than before.¡± ¡°What? What about me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, surprised. Recently, he had been feeling really good. He was perfectly fine. ¡®I don¡¯t even feel impatient even though I keep failing.¡¯ Before the 105th regression, the repeating deaths and failures hadpletely drained his soul. Every time he failed, he grew more and more depressed to the point that even he got worried about himself. But recently, he started to feel more rxed. He was sure that he had done something to fix himself in the 106th regression. The Frost Queen wrinkled her nose. ¡°You cry too often these days. Are you a child?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho bit his lower lip. She was right. ¡°I¡¯m worried about that too. It¡¯s like my emotions just overtake me sometimes. Most of the time, I can¡¯t control them very well.¡± He hadn¡¯t been like this before. As the strongest yer, he was very skilled at regting his emotions. ¡®But I can¡¯t seem to do that these days.¡¯ He was extremely sensitive and seemed as pitifully fragile as a flower that would crumble with just one touch. - You often have difficulty controlling your emotions. Seeing how Keen Intuition was speaking up despite being quiet most of the time, he really had to be in poor condition. ¡°Still, I must admit that this is better than your previous self,¡± the Frost Queen added. ¡°Previous self?¡± ¡°I am referring to the time before your 105th regression. Truthfully, I felt as if I were walking on eggshells every day.¡± She let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Back then, you seemed like you were broken somewhere.¡± ¡°I did?¡± ¡°Yes. Compared to back then, you seem far more human right now, so it is nice to see. Though, it¡¯s annoying that you keep crying.¡± Just what had the Seo Jun-Ho of the 105th and 106th regressions done to himself? - You should pay more heed to how you control your emotions. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± - I am your sixth sense, partner. Needless to say, I am influenced by your emotions. If you continue to let your emotions run astray like this, it will be more difficult for me to ry information in a clear, cool-headed manner. ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re having trouble these days because I¡¯m too emotional? Something like that?¡± Hearing Keen Intuition say it like that, Seo Jun-Ho was starting to get sad again. His eyes grew teary, and the Frost Queen skillfully pulled out a tissue and held it out to him. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Contractor.¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± He wiped his eyes. Now that he thought about it, something was definitely weird about this. He sat right up. ¡°This is too much. I have to talk to someone.¡± Who should he talk to, then? He had already decided. The Frost Queen and Seo Jun-Ho looked at each other seriously and nodded. *** ¡°Hey, I heard you¡¯re going to feed Deok-Gu a youthening potion and have a second, beautiful romance with him, you lovebird.¡± ¡°What, wha¡ªwhat?¡± Skaya¡¯s face grew beet red. She tried to cover his mouth, but Seo Jun-Ho dodged her skillfully. ¡°Help me out,¡± he said. He exined the situation to her in a hushed voice. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you can¡¯t regte your emotions right now?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°Yeah. More urately, my emotions are shooting up too easily.¡± He grew teary at trivial things, and if he grew even a little mad, he would feel like breaking something. ¡°Hm.Unfortunately, I can¡¯t really help you with that.¡± ¡°Because I have Hero¡¯s Mind?¡± ¡°Yup, yup. That skill is much stronger than most spells that can meddle with emotions.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt sad again hearing that he couldn¡¯t do anything. His face grew glum. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Then, there was something else I wanted to talk about¡­¡± ¡°You have another favor to ask?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He wiped the gloominess off of his face and spoke, ¡°Let¡¯s start making a spell starting today.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s doable. How big¡¯s the scope?¡± Seo Jun-Ho tapped on the desk. ¡°This whole city.¡± *** Everything was finally ready. Seo Jun-Ho reached a hundred percent Overclocking output in three weeks, and the rest of the party headed to the next city. The spell that could cover the whole city was also ready. ¡°Truthfully, I was surprised.Yo.[1]¡± After everyone else left, only two yers remained. One of them was Kim Woo-Joong, who was staring straight at Seo Jun-Ho with a look of amusement. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would ask me for a favor like this, you see.¡± The Seo Jun-Ho, whom Kim Woo-Joong knew, always did everything by himself. This was the case with Janabi, as well as with the Heavenly Demon. It waspletely understandable to ask for help, but he always tried to carry everything alone. ¡®But recently, something about him changed.¡¯ He would suddenly tear up when eating, saying that the food tastedtoogood. There were also other things that would make Seo Jun-Ho show a shabby side of him Kim Woo-Joong had never seen before. ¡®It may be a side effect of the regressions.¡¯ He had heard that Seo Jun-Ho had already gone through 155 regressions. In other words, he had already died 155 times and was on his 156th try. Kim Woo-Joong looked at the hero with pity. ¡®I see. Perhaps he is exaggerating his emotions on purpose so that his ego will not copse.¡¯ He was impressed. Kim Woo-Joong wondered if he would be able to handle it so nonchntly like that if he died over a hundred times. ¡°I promise you. I won¡¯t fail the duty you¡¯ve assigned me today.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled brightly. *** Erebo appeared as nned. After all, Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t be able to kill Erebo if thetter didn¡¯t appear at all. ¡°What is¡­!¡± The hexagram lit up in the night sky and released a downpour of magic. It was a destructive spell that brought ruin to the whole city, let alone the cockroaches. ¡®He must have gone mad.¡¯ Erebo stepped off of the crumbling buildings and watched the man kill the cockroaches while gnashing his teeth. No human had ever drawn his attention so elegantly. ¡®And his skills are dangerous.¡¯ The man was a disciple of the sword, and he easily cut through thousands of cockroaches all by himself. He gave off a clearly dangerous aura. ¡°Autumn Wind.¡± The autumn wind cut through their souls. Slice! The wall of cockroaches was instantly shattered into thousands of pieces. Erebo thought quietly to himself as he watched. ¡®...If I interfere now, there is more to lose than to gain.¡¯ He would stand back until his opponent¡¯s physical, mental, and magical energy werepletely drained. Having made his decision, he started sinking deep into the river. But just as he did, Seo Jun-Ho smiled silently from therge bridge. ¡®Only two¡­ Only two people helped me.¡¯ Skaya supported him with magic, and he had left the cockroach army to the Sword Saint. With that said, this endless battle with Erebo finally seemed to being to an end. ¡®I have no other choice but to admit it, then.¡¯ He had to admit that his attitude was outdated, stubborn, and arrogant. Seo Jun-Ho slowly closed his eyes and gathered his magic power. ¡®This is a garden for smaller things.¡¯ Eight flowers floated down to the surface of the river. And then, Erebo shot out of the water like a frog jumping out of boiling water. ¡°Guaaah!¡± ¡°Inventory.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gripped a glowing white spear in his hands. It was made of cold steel and was giving off a vicious aura. And then, just as his Overclocking output reached a hundred percent, his body shed forward, leaving an afterimage. ¡°...!¡± Erebo¡¯s felt something wrong. He could feel it in his chest. He looked down, and his face distorted. ¡®There was¡­ another one!¡¯ Erebo¡¯s mind was screaming at him to run away, but the spear in his chest expanded like a pufferfish, releasing spikes of ice. ¡°Haaa.¡±Seo Jun-Ho let out a small sigh. The main reason he hadn¡¯t been able to defeat Erebo so far was that Erebo would always run away. ¡®If I happened to miss him, he wouldn¡¯t fight me one-on-one again.¡¯ However, today was different. Because he wouldn¡¯t miss¡­ Slice! He swung his sword without mercy and severed Erebo¡¯s head. And then, Watchguard of Darkness devoured every part of Erebo, from his exoskeleton to his wings. Andstly, Night Walking¡­ [You havepleted the third Quest.] [A new Save Point has been created.] [The 4th Quest has been revealed.] [The 5th Quest has been revealed.] ¡°...Phew.¡± He had done it. The satisfaction of victory washed over him. This was undeniably the best result. Seo Jun-Ho suddenly thought.¡®Did I also seed in the 106th regression because I used a method like this?¡¯ No one could tell him the answer. However, Keen Intuitionmented on it. - In the end, you found your own path. No one was hurt and no one was sacrificed. Seo Jun-Ho realized that he had chosen the correct path, so heughed like a maniac. It had been a long time since he did that. ¡°Whether youugh or cry, please just choose one.¡± The Frost Queen busied herself with handing him tissues. Chapter 342. My Path (2) Chapter 342. My Path (2) After killing Erebo¡¯s clone, Seo Jun-Ho soon went back to Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Hm?¡± Kim Woo-Joong realized that the other man was staring at his left arm. ¡°Is there something on my arm?¡± he asked quizzically. ¡°No, nothing like that¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head at the question. Why was he staring at it again? He couldn¡¯t understand it himself as he replied, ¡°I guess it just drew my gaze. I don¡¯t know why, though.¡± ¡°You have an unexpectedly wishy-washy side. -Yo.¡± Kim Woo-Joong shrugged and looked up at the dark sky. ¡°The cockroaches in the area retreated when Erebo died. Shall we go rest at the hotel and depart tomorrow morning?¡± he asked. ¡°No. Let¡¯s go right away.¡± Seo Jun-Ho led the way and exined the effects of his Exterminator Title. ¡°Insects are afraid of you? What an interesting Title. Did you happen to¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, I obtained it after I killed Janabi from the 2nd floor.¡± ¡°It seems that all the Floor Masters are quite homogenous. I received something simr, too.¡± Now that he thought about it, Kim Woo-Joong was part of Silent Moon, which was the Guild that killed the 3rd Floor Master. Seo Jun-Ho had heard that Woo-Joong had dealt the final blow to the boss. ¡°Are you talking about Phanactos?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes. I received a Title called Cutter of mes. It has a fire resistance effect.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at his profile. Kim Woo-Joong sensed his gaze and awkwardly rubbed his chin before asking, ¡°Did I happen to draw your gaze again?¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m just impressed.¡± Most yers were very stingy about sharing their skills with others. It wasn¡¯t rare for today¡¯s ally to be tomorrow¡¯s enemy, so they would naturally avoid sharing information about themselves. ¡°Are you sure you can just tell me like that?¡± ¡°...Oh.¡± Kim Woo-Joong kept walking, staring ahead. He looked like he understood. ¡°Well, wouldn¡¯t it be unfair if you were the only one who shared?¡± In Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s opinion, what he shared wasn¡¯t all that sensitive anyway. Though, of course, if he were talking to someone other than Seo Jun-Ho, he wouldn¡¯t have shared any information, even if it was less relevant than what he had just shared. ¡®Wow, he¡¯s so honest.¡¯ Usually, those who were honest and kind wouldn¡¯t survive long in this field of work. However, that didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t exceptions. ¡®I¡¯m here, too.¡¯ His hubae was just like him. Seo Jun-Ho looked at him, eyes full of pride. *** The two of them arrived at the second city just around daybreak. ¡°Specter and the Sword Saint are here!¡± ¡°Two more of the Heavens are joining us? Is this a dream?¡± ¡°Wait. Does that mean there are four Heavens just in this small city?¡± ¡°This really is humanity¡¯s strongest fighting force.¡± ¡°At this rate, don¡¯t you think killing the 4th Floor Master is going to be a piece of cake now?¡± The city was so bustling it felt like there was a festival. The 5 Heroes had recently joined them, yet their fighting power had already increased by a lot, even though Specter wasn¡¯t with the other Heroes. ¡°Wee back¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± His party members weed him back. Just then, he spotted a familiar face. ¡°Uncle!¡± ¡°Arthur.¡± Seo Jun-Ho spread his arms wide, but Arthur shook his head firmly. ¡°Oh, um. On the outside, we don¡¯t have much of an age difference, so¡­¡± ¡°...¡± In the past, Arthur used to crawl into his arms and hug him tight. ¡®Well, I suppose he was in for a shock, too.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t known that Seo Jun-Ho and Specter were the same person, just like everyone else. Even when Specter trained himst time, the Hero always wore a mask, so he was even more in the dark. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, River,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°How have you been? I was shocked when I heard the news.¡± River¡¯s eyes sparkled when he looked up at him. In the back, the other Watchguards whispered to each other. ¡°Hey, hand over the money. You said you were sure he was going to be ugly.¡± ¡°Dammit. With that face, why did he go around wearing that silly mask?¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really understand either.¡± ¡°...¡± The mask was cool though¡­ Feeling offended, Seo Jun-Ho became gloomy again. ¡°Let me show you your ce for now. You should unpack first,¡± Cha Si-Eun suggested. ¡°Shall I?¡± He headed over to his new ce, escorted by his former secretary. The apartment was around 2000 square feet, and it was much nicer than he had expected. Moreover, he liked that all his neighbors were his friends. ¡°Oh, and do you happen to have records about the battles and casualties?¡± he asked her. ¡°I prepared them ahead of time,¡± Cha SI-Eun said. Seo Jun-Ho was once again impressed with her meticulousness. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem. You must be tired, so rest up.¡± Once she left, the Frost Queen headed off to the room she imed for herself to watch dramas. Seo Jun-Ho was then left alone in the living room, and he read through the documents intently. ¡®There aren¡¯t many casualties.¡¯ The situation was looking good, based on the recent zero percent death rate. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho dug through his memories. ¡®I only know the future up until a month from now on.¡¯ The longest he had stayed at the first city was two months. Thanks to that, he had a basic idea of what would happen here. ¡®There are some things people had asked me to fix if I happen to go back to the past.¡¯ The peace in the city would shatter sooner orter. If he were correct, it would only take three weeks for it to crumble. ¡®Arge-scale attack will begin, with very powerful special entities apanying the cockroaches.¡¯ Dozens of people would die each day, and distrust amongst the yers would surge. They would need all hands on deck to clear the 4th Floor. If possible, Seo Jun-Ho wanted to drag this positive atmosphere out. ¡®And to do that¡­¡¯ He peeled off thest page in the pile of documents. *** [Cockroach Cave Expedition Team Recruitment] ¡°I can¡¯t ignore the cockroach cave.¡± It was a giant cave that had been discovered about a day¡¯s journey away from the second city. It was assumed to be one of the cockroaches¡¯ spawning grounds. ¡®Every yer who goes to scout that ce dies. No one hase back alive so far.¡¯ Actually, this was one of the reasons why the yers started to get suspicious of each other. Most of the yers who died there were either unaffiliated with any group or were from Guilds without much influence. ¡®After an exploration team of 80 yers was annihted, deserters started to appear¡­¡¯ The situation should improve, even if they only prevented the future deserters from deserting. ¡°Seems like they¡¯re leaving in two days.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the recruitment ad and stood up. *** ¡°Um, Master¡­¡± At Jang Kyung-Hoon¡¯s words, Shin Sung-Hyun waved him over with resignation. ¡°Sigh. Bring it here¡­¡± Bam! Another mountain of documents was piled onto his desk. He hadn¡¯t even gone through all the previous documents. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect this.¡¯ Right now, he was no different from the city¡¯s administrator. He hadn¡¯t formally received the title, but secretly, everyone agreed that he was the city¡¯s administrator. He had the glory of one of the Six Masters, and he was also a Heaven. Moreover, there was no one else more suitable to be an administrator in this city. ¡°Jang Kyung-Hoon...¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun nced at the documents before closing his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Why is there so much to do in such a small city?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because though the city is small, the poption is not,¡± replied Jang Kyung-Hoon. There were currently more than 30,000 yers living in the second city. This was because the ones who returned to Earth had started toe back to raise their levels. ¡°I suppose the good thing is that they are still prohibiting new yers from entering the 4th floor.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± The city was overcrowded, and everyone¡¯s main concern was food. Even though the city would initialize every morning, they still had to thoroughly n things out to feed 30,000 people three meals a day. Unfortunately, the truth was that there had been frequent spats over food before Shin Sung-Hyun took the reins. ¡°Have you brought the list of recruits for the cockroach cave expedition?¡± asked Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°Oh, about that¡­ We closed applications yesterday, but we received an additional applicant.¡± ¡°Reject them. If we make an exception once, people will expect it the next time.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun held up his hand. His biggest concern was such precedents would end up bing prevalent. He was already annoyed enough by how much he had to clean up after the others, so he didn¡¯t have the time to listen to those kinds ofints. ¡°But, um¡­ The applicant is Specter.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun froze. He thought for a moment before gesturing with his hand again. ¡°The list.¡± ¡°Yes. Here you go.¡± His eyes furrowed when he looked at the list of the expedition recruits. ¡°What a mess.¡± ¡°They may not live up to your standards, Master, but they are all veterans. As you can see¡ª¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡± To him, the list of yers looked more like a mob. Jang Kyung-Hoon was right, they were all strong individuals, but that was all. ¡®There¡¯s a big possibility that they will all be annihted if they unexpectedlye across a dangerous situation.¡¯ ¡°Does anyone in the Guild have spare some time on their hands?¡± he asked. ¡°Um¡­ The Vice Captain of the 2nd team, Ha In-Ho.¡± ¡®Indeed, Ha In-Ho has the skills to lead them properly. But the problem is¡­¡¯ It was very likely that these yers would have their own different thoughts. Even if they epted Ha In-Ho, they would think that the Goblin Guild was trying to steal their glory. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Specter applied?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°ept him.¡± Specter was currently affiliated with the Korean yer Association. He was fair, unlike all these self-motivated Guilds. ¡®Above all, no fool would refuse to let Specter lead them.¡¯ The Hero was still a star whom countless yers respected. On top of that, he had already revealed a few months ago back on Earth that he was Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®That caused a ruckus on the 4th Floor for some time as well.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t been a yer for so long, but he was still a rising star that left a deep impression on everyone. Additionally, his abundant experience made him a trustworthy candidate. If Shin Sung-Hyun selected him as the expedition leader, there shouldn¡¯t be anyints. ¡°Ask him to meet me in the evening.¡± *** ¡°A favor?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Yes. Before then, could you take a look at the expedition team members?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun handed him a list of names. Seo Jun-Ho looked through them, and he immediately realized what was missing, so he nodded. ¡°They have no leader.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s lip curled up. ¡°Would you be willing to lead them?¡± ¡°I have no reason to refuse.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had no intention of going through some meaningless back-and-forth. The reason he had applied to be in the expedition force in the first ce was to protect the yers. Having the authority to control them as a group would actually make it much easier for him to do what he wanted. ¡°I¡¯m relieved. If you had refused, I would have assigned this to Mr. In-Ho instead.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded as if he had no idea, but he knew the truth. He knew that the expedition team wouldn¡¯t ept Ha In-Ho as their leader. ¡®Actually, with his level of skill, the team wouldn¡¯t fall apart.¡¯ Even though the team was called an expedition team, these yers were from all different groups. If no one gave them orders in a moment of crisis, they would be nothing but a ragtag group. ¡°And this could be pointless, but you do not have to hold back,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun revealed a soft smile. ¡°Humans are surprisingly intelligent. They tend to not believe things unless they see it with their own eyes.¡± This was even more true for the yers who hade up to the 4th Floor. They had great pride in themselves, but they also had the strength to back it up. Seo Jun-Ho realized what Shin Sung-Hyun meant and snorted. ¡°...I¡¯m Specter, you know.¡± ¡°Of course, I believe that. However, I do not know about the others.¡± In short, Shin Sung-Hyun was saying that not all the expedition team members would respect him, even though he was Specter. ¡°Somehow, I feel as if I¡¯ve been trying to prove myself my whole life...¡± ¡°I have only ever read about it, but it seems that such is the lonely life of a hero.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun chuckled and gently bowed his head. ¡°Andstly, I sincerely congratte you on your return.¡± This was the biggest gesture of respect the head of a Big 6 Guild could show. Chapter 343. The Cockroach Cave (1) Chapter 343. The Cockroach Cave (1) Two dayster, nearly eighty yers gathered in front of the southern wall of the city. Like the veterans they were, there wasn¡¯t much bustle. All they did was give their equipment a final inspection while they waited for the announcement. Some of the ones who knew each other were gathered in twos and threes, conversing with each other. ¡°Looks like there are some pretty strong people here.¡± ¡°Yeah, I see Elder Phantom Sword and One-Eyed Blood Spear.¡± ¡°I¡¯m personally looking forward to seeing the Sword of Gangneung[1] in action.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Me.¡± The air of the expedition team was pretty good. The mere fact they had all gathered here already made them feel reassured. At the very least, there wasn¡¯t anyone who would drag them down. ¡°But who do you think is going to be the expedition leader?¡± ¡°An expedition leader? Bullshit. We¡¯re just doing a short survey. Everyone can just do their own thing.¡± ¡°I heard a rumor that the Guardian Knight is joining us, actually.¡± ¡°Ha In-Ho? Yeah, I admit that he¡¯s really strong¡­ But I don¡¯t want to be a pawn for the Goblin Guild.¡± The yers here were from different Guilds and parties, ranging from one to five from each group. Moreover, they were all egotistical and prideful of their skills. Of course, they naturally wouldn¡¯t want to receive orders from another person. ¡°If some loser steps up and tries to act like a leader, I¡¯m gonna bash their head in.¡± ¡°You think he can bash the Guardian Knight¡¯s head in?¡± ¡°Come on. I¡¯m the Sword of Gangneung.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m saying I¡¯ve never heard of¡ª¡± Deep inside, even if a show of force was necessary, everyone was ready to reject anyone¡¯s orders if they didn¡¯t like them. But just then¡­ ¡°Thank you for your patience¡­¡± The Vice Master of Goblin, Jang Kyung-Hoon, had arrived. ¡°We will carry out a final count before departure.¡± He counted up the eighty yers and nodded. ¡°I shall hand out the rations, then. This is four days¡¯ worth.¡± He handed out a pack of snacks, chocte, water, and other things to each person. The yers put them away into their own Inventory and stared at him expectantly. ¡°May we leave now?¡± ¡°Oh, before then, let me introduce the person who will lead this expedition team.¡± ¡°...Sigh, the rumors were true?¡± They looked at him with annoyance, but Jang Kyung-Hoon spoke firmly, ¡°If you have anyints, tell him yourself.¡± He then turned his head, and everyone looked in the same direction. ¡°Huh? Is that¡­ Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t we have to call him Specter now?¡± Their faces either became puzzled or strangely excited. Seo Jun-Ho silently epted their stares and stepped forward. He scanned the expedition forces¡¯ faces. ¡®They all look a little intimidated like usual, but no one looks hostile.¡¯ Funnily enough, he felt a strange sense of relief. No matter how much time had passed, he was still Specter. As such, if some person swaggered up and challenged his authority as their leader, he would feel very offended. ¡®But it doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯ll keep their heads down and listen to everything I say.¡¯ Still, they didn¡¯t look like they doubted him. Instead, they looked pretty excited. Why wouldn¡¯t they be? If they went on a campaign with Specter, they could spend their whole lives telling that story. However, they were also looking at him with a kind of curiosity. They wondered if he really were as strong as the rumors said and if they could even trust him with their lives. ¡®If that¡¯s what they want, I¡¯ll show them, then¡­¡¯ A picture painted a thousand words. But just as Seo Jun-Ho started looking for a target, a man carefully walked up to him. ¡°I greet the legendary Hero. I am known as Elder Phantom Sword, as excessive as a title that may be.¡± The man had a thin, sheathed sword, and he put his fist into his hand in a Chinese-style greeting. No matter how strong someone was, no one could escape the passage of time. The man was an old man. His back was slightly hunched, and he was skinnier than the others. ¡®Wow.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t look down on him because of his physical features. After all, the old man¡¯s eyes were very sharp as they looked at him. ¡°My name is Seo Jun-Ho. What business does a veteran like you have with me?¡± ¡°If you would allow it, I would like the honor of sparring with you. This is a dream I have been carrying my whole life.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took in the man¡¯s body. ¡®Seeing the callouses on his hand, it seems like he¡¯s left-handed. And that sword of his¡­¡¯ Even to others, the sword looked so natural on him that it seemed like a part of his body. This old man had likely trained with the sword for his whole life. ¡®He¡¯s very skilled. The perfect opponent to show off my abilities.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho knew very well what the expedition team wanted right now. It would easily be resolved if he just showed them what they wanted, so he had no reason to refuse. ¡°I ept.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded coolly, and Elder Phantom Sword¡¯s face brightened to the point that it seemed like all the wrinkles in his face had momentarily disappeared. ¡°Then, I shall take my stance right¡ª¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Just then, a very muscr young man walked out from behind. Compared to the old man, his shoulders were broader, and his muscles were even bulkier. He was wearing an eyepatch with a violet spear hoisted over his shoulder. His entire being exuded confidence. ¡°I¡¯m Kang Shin-Woo, the One-Eyed Blood Spear. Will you give me a chance, too?¡± The old man¡¯s eyes narrowed at the appearance of another challenger. ¡°Look here, youngster. I asked him first.¡± ¡°Look here, elder. I don¡¯t recall anyone saying that this would be firste, first served.¡± ¡°Hohoho. How rude of you. You are very daring.¡± Elder Phantom Sword stroked his beard. Fwoosh! A sharp aura spilled off of him. ¡°If you apologize, I will give you a chance to step aside.¡± However, Kang Shin-Woo only seemed to have gotten more worked up by the warning because he took a step forward. ¡°Tsk, tsk. So you insist on being punished.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see who ends up being punished in the end.¡± He grinned, and a vicious energy unraveled from him like a spool. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°...!¡± Both Elder Phantom Sword and One-Eyed Blood Spear¡ªno, every yer who had gathered here couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps back when they felt a dangerous energy dig into their skulls. Of course, Elder Phantom Sword and One-Eyed Blood Spear received the biggest shock because they were closest. ¡®What is this terrifying magic energy¡­ Is this trulying from just one person?¡¯ ¡®...Ugh, shit. I was actually scared for a moment? Me?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho calmly took in their fearful looks. He sped his hands behind his back. ¡°Why are you fighting in front of me? You¡¯re making me feel embarrassed.¡± His meaning was simple. Since the other two weren¡¯t being polite, there was no point in him being polite either. The two of them could barely even open their mouths. Seo Jun-Ho looked at them and said, ¡°Juste at me together. Wouldn¡¯t that work?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Kang Shin-Woo started, but he shut his mouth when he met Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cold eyes. ¡°Why, is that still not enough?¡± The magic energy felt like it was crushing his whole body. The young man barely managed to resist it as he shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ do that¡­¡± ¡®This bastard¡¯s still being rude.[2]¡¯ Was this another side effect of his inability to handle his emotions? Kang Shin-Woo was speaking in a very trivial manner. Seo Jun-Ho would usually let it go, but now, it was starting to piss him off a little. He looked at his Vita. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to attack? We don¡¯t have all day.¡± At his provocation, Elder Phantom Sword and One-Eyed Blood Spear exchanged nces. They were both famous yers, so for them to team up against a single yer hurt their pride. However, if they meekly stepped down at this point, there was no doubt that all sorts of rumors about them would start to spread. The two fighters raised their weapons and slowly surrounded Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Unsheathe your sword,¡± the old man warned. Seo Jun-Ho smirked. ¡°Thank you for your concern, but I don¡¯t think you should worry about me.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± As soon as the words left Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mouth, sweat instantly started to drip from the duo¡¯s foreheads like rain. ¡®Good god, I cannot believe this. Even though his back is turned, I cannot see a single opening.¡¯ ¡®...What¡¯s with this monster?¡¯ Their opponent wasn¡¯t even holding a weapon, and his hands were even sped behind his back. However, they were the ones who felt intimidated instead. ¡°Dammit!¡± Kang Shin-Woo was the first one to move. He found it hard to endure the heaviness boring down on him, which made him feel as if he were suffocating. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nced at the spear flying toward him and unfolded his index finger. ¡®ck Ball.¡¯ A jet-ck ball about the size of a ping-pong ball condensed at the tip of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s finger. The sight of it alone was intimidating. ¡®Is that the rumored Watchguard of Darkness?¡¯ Kang Shin-Woo¡¯s body brimmed with energy. He even used magic to temporarily reinforce his body and focused everything on the tip of his spear. ¡®I¡¯ll break it instantly.¡¯ His weapon pierced the air as if it were a sh of light. ¡®Ah!¡¯ Kang Shin-Woo had a good feeling about this. Those who trained with a weapon for a very long time could rarely perform a perfect strike. It happened when their stance, breath, movement, distance to the enemy, and magic aligned just right, and every weapon user would feel an immense thrill fromnding the perfect strike. ¡®How lucky!¡¯ Kang Shin-Woo¡¯s single eye shed with euphoria. With this, he might be able tond a hit on the legendary Specter. However, Seo Jun-Ho had been carefully watching his spear from the very beginning. ¡®He¡¯s good.¡¯ For a 20-something-year-old, Kang Shin-Woo¡¯s speary was very impressive. If he continued to devote himself to the spear like this, Seo Jun-Ho could see that he may be an even greater master of the spear. ¡®That¡¯s why I have to be even harsher.¡¯ It was all the more reason to show Kang Shin-Woo that his pride was unfounded. Swoosh! Seo Jun-Ho coolly spun his finger, and the ck ball followed, flying toward Kang Shin-Woo. ¡°I just have to get rid of that tiny ball!¡± Kang Shin-Woo was right. The ck ball wasn¡¯t actually all that durable, and it would crumble easier than expected with just one attack. In the first ce, it was made of darkness[3], so it was inevitable. ¡®But they won¡¯t be able to do that¡­¡¯ The ball suddenly divided. In an instant, the ball split into dozens, then into hundreds of balls, which blocked Kang Shin-Woo¡¯s vision. ¡®What a simple trick. That ball didn¡¯t actually multiply.¡¯ The ball was just moving too fast for his eyes to follow. Kang Shin-Woo poured magic into his one eye, but it widened in shock. ¡°They¡¯re real, actually...¡± Hundreds of ck balls shot into his body. ¡°Gaaah!¡± He screamed and was subsequently thrown back. ¡®Elder Phantom Sword, was it?¡¯ An elderly man with his phantom-like sword. Indeed, Seo Jun-Ho understood from his eerie strike why he had received such a nickname. ¡®That¡¯s why it¡¯s even more disappointing.¡¯ It was a fine sword. And if he steeled himself and poured everything into it, it would be even greater. ¡®He would have been better if he were younger.¡¯ People would lose more as they grew older, and the more they lost, the warier they became. If Elder Phantom Sword had been a younger man full of fire and vigor, even Seo Jun-Ho would have had to take him pretty seriously. ¡®But he¡¯s too careful¡­¡¯ The old man only swung his sword in a manner that would guarantee his own safety with a way out. Seo Jun-Ho had no thoughts of being defeated by such a weapon. ng! A ck ball struck the t side of the sword, and the mere shock of it tore Elder Phantom Sword¡¯s hand. ¡°Gaaah!¡± He stared as his sword fell to the ground in vain. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands were still sped behind his back as he asked sharply, ¡°If you were younger, would you have let go of the sword that easily?¡± ¡°...¡± The man trembled slightly. For the past few years, he could feel that his skills weren¡¯t improving. Neither he nor anyone else could find why. But at this moment, he finally realized something¡ªhe seemed like a frog that had finally escaped from a well. ¡®Was I¡­ Just settling?¡¯ Elder Phantom Sword closed his eyes and thought for a long time. Eventually, he opened them. A healer quickly rushed over and started treating his hand, and he bowed his head at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Thank you for your guidance.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing impressive.¡± Sometimes, you had to look at things from a birds-eye perspective to see the things right in front of you. ¡°Alright then. We will depart in two hours.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave his order, and no oneined. 1. A city on the east coast of Korea. ? 2. Kang Shin-Woo has been speaking informally this whole time, including to the old man. ? 3. Jun-Ho once mentioned that the weakness of Watchguard of Darkness is that it has great offensive power but isn¡¯t good for defense. ? Chapter 344. The Cockroach Cave (2) Chapter 344. The Cockroach Cave (2) ¡°Open the gate!¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon shouted. At that, the giant earthen wall split open miraculously. Seo Jun-Ho had already seen it when he came to the city, but the sight was still very impressive. ¡°Ah, so that is also the work of a Spirit user?¡± Even the Frost Queen¡¯s eyes sparkled with interest. The giant wall opened so smoothly. There was a simple reason for this. ¡®They have a deep understanding of the mechanics of the wall¡¯s movements.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nced at the hinge of the structure while passing by. From what he heard, the person who made this was an intermediate-level Spirit user apanied by an earth Spirit. ¡®I should meet with them once Ie back.¡¯ He still hadn¡¯t met a Spirit user after taking in the Frost Queen, so it would be nice to meet another one to exchange information with. The expedition team was quiet as they departed, but they were only able to move at a swift rate for a single day. *** [You have entered Erebo¡¯s domain.] [The effectiveness of the title Exterminator has drastically decreased.] Seo Jun-Ho silently lifted his hand and dismissed the hologram window. ¡®Erebo¡¯s domain¡­¡¯ Indeed, when he had fought with Erebo¡¯s clone, the cockroaches continued to resist the effects of Exterminator until he died. The only thing Exterminator did was slow them down a little bit. That was all. ¡®It¡¯s only the beginning, but we¡¯re already having problems.¡¯ Originally, he was nning to use Exterminator as his main strategy to go through the cave as safely as possible. However, his ns had already gone to the dogs. ¡°...¡± Had he imagined it? He suddenly looked up and saw that even the sky looked gray and gloomy. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break. Drink some water.¡± They had to push through with their strict schedule all day, and all the members could finally sit to catch their breath and quench their thirst. Seo Jun-Ho stared up at the man offering him a drink. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. It was Elder Phantom Sword. Even though Seo Jun-Ho had humiliated him just a day before, he always stuck close to him. ¡°Is there something you want to say about what happened yesterday?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°N-not at all.¡± The old man shook his head, looking a little nervous. ¡°I simply¡­ want to watch over in the closest distance possible, even if it is only for a short period of time.¡± ¡°Wow. Do you not resent me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho would understand if someone narrow-minded would hold a grudge against him after that. However, the old man looked absolutely astonished as he shook his head. ¡°Resent you? That would be absurd.¡± He looked down at his sheathed sword. ¡°I am already sixty-one years old. I became a yer at the ripe old age of forty-two. It has already been twenty years since then, and I did not even realize how much time had passed.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s legs folded in a little. He was surprised by how long Elder Phantom Sword had been in the field. ¡°Even before I became a yer, I saw you all over the television and the newspapers. You are the world¡¯s Hero.¡± Elder Phantom Sword¡¯s eyes fluttered shut, lost in his memories. ¡°Many people became yers after seeing how much joy your achievements brought because they wanted to make others happy as well. I am one of them.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally understood the kind of person the old man was. ¡®He¡¯s just another one of my fans.¡¯ Decades ago, this was something he had experienced all the time. However, this was the first time he met a fan in a long time, and he felt deeply moved by their meeting, more than usual. ¡°Your words were very urate, Specter. I took pride in the fact that I seemed the most youthful out of others my age, but after yesterday, I realized that my thoughts were incorrect.¡± Not many yers would choose to change once they realized their ws. It was even more true if they took pride in their skills. Seo Jun-Ho sipped his drink and said, ¡°Your mindset is strong. You will get stronger in the future.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± The old man looked emotional. Seo Jun-Ho looked at him and nodded. After what happened yesterday, Kang Shin-Woo lookedpletely drained. The sight of someone as arrogant as him looking depressed was almost pitiful. ¡°That kid will also find motivation once enough time passes. Though he is a bit of a bastard, he shouldn¡¯t be a bad person.¡± ¡°I hope so...¡± Seo Jun-Ho got up and looked around, looking for someone. From afar, someone caught his eye and swiftly made his way over. ¡°My name is Miller. I¡¯m the leader of the Miller party, who discovered the cockroach cave,¡± said the man. From now on, he would be in charge of guiding the way. Before they left, Seo Jun-Ho took a walk with Miller and asked a few questions, ¡°I read the report, but I¡¯d like to hear directly from you. What was the cave like?¡± ¡°...To be honest, it¡¯s a ce I don¡¯t want to go back to.¡± Miller was slightly trembling as he said, ¡°How should I put this? Instinctively, I felt like I shouldn¡¯t go back in.¡± The human instinct was stronger than most people thought. If Miller felt that way, it was probably the right decision to make. ¡°Overall, approximately how big was it?¡± ¡°Um¡­ It wasn¡¯t that big. It was only about the size of that hill over there.¡± Miller pointed. It certainly didn¡¯t seem very big. If he were telling the truth, Seo Jun-Ho got the feeling that this expedition would quicklye to an end and be in vain. ¡®But that can¡¯t be true¡­¡¯ There had to be something there... Otherwise, an 80-person team wouldn¡¯t have beenpletely annihted. The party was prepared. As such, Seo Jun-Ho turned to them. ¡°Miller, lead the way.¡± It was time to depart for the cockroach cave. *** The inside of the cave was dark and humid. In other words, it was a ce cockroaches loved. ¡°Eek¡­¡± ¡°Damn. No matter how many times I see them, I just can¡¯t get used to them.¡± Their faces wrinkled when they saw the corpses of cockroaches scattered at the entrance. As humans, they felt an instinctive sense of disgust just by looking at them. - Sasasak! - Shoop! They heard something quickly approaching them from the wide entrance of the cave, and hundreds of cockroaches appeared shortly afterward. The yers¡¯ faces fell, and they started cursing. ¡°Shit! I¡¯m gonna throw up everything I ate during the break!¡± ¡°Kill them all! Burn them!¡± In the blink of an eye, they took battle-ready stances, and the yers eradicated the cockroaches without much difficulty. ¡®They fight better than I thought.¡¯ As Seo Jun-Ho watched them, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a small sense of pride. All of them were ying their own part, and this was what the 5 Heroes wanted so much, decades ago. ¡°We¡¯ve killed them all.¡± They had been fighting these cockroaches for a pretty long time now, so they had long learned how to kill them. ¡®All eighty members can either use a weapon aura, or they have skills simr to one.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho finally understood why Shin Sung-Hyun had chosen them as elite fighters. After winning a swift, overwhelming victory, their confidence naturally increased. ¡°This is easier than I thought¡­¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re supposed to explore their cave, I was a little nervous, but maybe it was for nothing.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because we only havebatants, but this is easier than when we were fighting them in the city.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t want to lose this momentum either, so he led them deeper. - Sasasak! - Shoop! ¡°They¡¯reing again.¡± ¡°Just how many of them are in here?¡± Jun-Ho¡¯s eyebrows knitted. ¡®Wait, something¡¯s different¡­¡¯ These cockroaches were different from any other he had ever seen. They were slower, and the lower halves of their bodies were ergened as if they were about to explode. ¡°Stop for a moment.¡± He instinctively sensed that something was wrong and stopped the party from attacking. Then, he stepped forward. ¡®Freeze.¡¯ The cockroaches froze just like that, and then he released a shower of icicles onto them without mercy. He added ayer of darkness at the icicles¡¯ tips, so the icicles easily ripped through the cockroaches¡¯ exoskeletons. As expected, they fell from the attack. ¡®They¡¯re too weak... Was I wrong?¡¯ He frowned¡­ Baaang! The cockroaches¡¯ stomachs expanded, and they exploded one by one. The explosions were so powerful the cave itself trembled, and even though Seo Jun-Ho was standing far away, he was still stupefied by the scene. ¡°...What the fuck? You¡¯re telling me there are exploding cockroaches?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before¡­¡± ¡°If they had exploded right in front of us¡­¡± The party members gulped as cold sweat started dripping down their bodies. If Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t stopped them, they would have fought these monsters the same way they fought the previous horde of cockroaches. ¡®If we had been closer to the explosions and received a direct hit, could we have survived it?¡¯ They couldn¡¯t have survived it¡­ The yers ran the scenario through their heads, and they grew pale when they realized that they had nearly stumbled upon death. ¡°T-thank you, Specter, sir.¡± ¡°You saved us. Exploding cockroaches¡­ I never imagined that.¡± The yers barely managed to pull themselves together as they started thanking him one by one. Seo Jun-Ho nodded in response, but his face remained taut. ¡®Even I have never seen cockroaches like those despite all my regressions.¡¯ He hade across dozens of various special entities. However, most of them were cockroaches that resembled animals. They weren¡¯t anything like those exploding cockroaches. ¡®I think I finally know why the expedition forces were always annihted every time they came here.¡¯ There was something here. He looked back at the party members, who seemed to have calmed down. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± *** The deeper they went, the stranger the types of cockroaches they encountered became. Once they finished off the fourth horde, the yers confirmed something. ¡°These bastards¡­ They¡¯re using weapons now.¡± ¡°Right? I¡¯m not the only one who thought of that, right?¡± After the exploding cockroaches, there were ones that shot out spikes like machine guns. The ones they had just killed were monsters that used missiles. However, the yers seemed even more bewildered than scared. ¡°How in the world is this possible?¡± ¡°If you think about it, it is possible, considering that there are cockroaches that look like elephants and crocodiles.¡± ¡°I have never really thought about it until now, but how the hell are special entities created?¡± No one could answer because no one knew¡­ Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment. ¡®The special entities¡­ There¡¯s no way they exist naturally. That bastard Erebo is probably creating them.¡¯ He was a monster that had eaten the 4th Floor Administrator, the World Tree. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he could make the cockroaches evolve. ¡®And this cave¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stared into the depths of the dark cave. They saw more and more cockroaches of different types as they went deeper into the cave. And this could only mean one thing¡­ ¡®This ce belongs to Erebo, so it means that it¡¯s really important.¡¯ Putting powerful forces to guard an important area was a very basic battle strategy. When Seo Jun-Ho thought about it, he started to feel impatient. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡± ¡°...Specter, can¡¯t we just rest a little longer?¡± ¡°I used a potion, but my wound hasn¡¯t closed yet¡­¡± Normally, Seo Jun-Ho would have readily allowed it. But now, it was different. ¡°The fact that there are so many new types of cockroaches means that this ce is extremely important to them.¡± They were doing heavy damage to the cockroaches right here and now. Would Erebo be in the dark about what they were doing when he had the hivemind? ¡®Of course not¡­¡¯ The cockroach army could already be on its way. At this point, they only had two options: get out or go deeper. And Seo Jun-Ho chose thetter option... ¡®Even if I die, I have to gather information no matter how small.¡¯ Of course, the best-case scenario would be his survival. Seo Jun-Ho sighed and looked at the party members as they stood up. ¡°From now on, you all better be on guard.¡± But not even thirty minutes after saying that, the expedition force was thrown into disarray. Chapter 345. The Cockroach Cave (3) Chapter 345. The Cockroach Cave (3) ¡°The path is starting to get more narrow,¡± Miller said, dragging his gloved hands across the cavern walls. Just like he said, the path was getting narrower the deeper they went. Near the entrance, there had been enough space for ten young, well-built men to stand shoulder-to-shoulder. But now, there was only enough room for five. They couldn¡¯t even guess how much narrower it would get further on. ¡°...How would you like us to line up?¡± Miller asked carefully. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t even think before speaking, ¡°I¡¯ll stand at the vanguard.¡± In a confined space like this, the most dangerous positions were the vanguard and the rearguard. However, the front line was more dangerous than thetter, so Seo Jun-Ho decided that he would take that. ¡°yers with ranged fighting styles should be in the middle and the back, and as for the rearguard¡­¡± He scanned the party, and his eyes settled on two people. ¡°Elder Phantom Sword and One-Eyed Blood Spear. I¡¯ll leave it to you two.¡± ¡°It would be my honor.¡± ¡°I understand...¡± There was no one else better for this role than the people he had personally sparred with and judged as skilled. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down no matter what.¡± Once the expedition team reorganized themselves into this arrangement, they started moving again. At some point, they stopped talking. Instead of conversing with each other, they sharpened their focus even further. ¡®Huh?¡¯ After moving in silence for twenty minutes, Seo Jun-Ho held up his hand and stopped the party. He crouched down and carefully studied the ground and the wall. ¡®...The surface is slightly nted.¡¯ This was proof that the cave led downward, not upward. ¡®The cave may be bigger than I thought.¡¯ Like Miller had said, the cave didn¡¯t look extremely big from the outside. But seeing how the cave lead deeper and deeper underground, it was now a different story. ¡°Miller,¡± Seo Jun-Ho called out. The yer had a detection skill, but when received no answer, he turned around and couldn¡¯t see Miller, so he asked, ¡°Where did Miller go?¡± ¡°He was always next to you, Specter¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Wait. I don¡¯t see him. Where did he go?¡± ¡°H-he was here just a moment ago.¡± A yer had suddenly disappeared, and he had been following right behind them. ¡®How did I not notice?¡¯ It made no sense. From the moment they entered the cave, Seo Jun-Ho had spread out his sensory field. He could sense every single party member¡¯s breathing and all of their minute movements. Considering this, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell in an instant. ¡°Count the number of yers. Right now.¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on up there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He suddenly asked us to conduct a head count.¡± The party members bustled as they counted, and they grew pale and turned to Seo Jun-Ho with fearful eyes. ¡°T-there are a total of¡­ fifty-seven.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was sure that there had been eighty members aside from him. They left no dead or injured behind, so they should still be aplete group of eighty. ¡®Twenty-three yers disappeared?¡¯ The bigger issue was that he didn¡¯t notice when they disappeared. Seo Jun-Ho bit his lower lip. ¡®It¡¯s definitely not a mind control skill¡­¡¯ The reason he knew was simple. If it were that sort of skill, Hero¡¯s Mind would have resisted it. ¡®Of course, I can¡¯tpletely exclude it.¡¯ The Gluttony Squadron Leader had consumed the blood of a mare and trapped him in a hallucination. However, those situations were extremely rare. As such, there could only be one possibility. ¡®It¡¯s most likely arge-scale hallucination from an illusion skill.¡¯ If their opponent had a skill that could interrupt their cognition all throughout the cave, it made sense. Hero¡¯s Mind only blocked mental attacks and prevented his mind from crumbling. ¡®Is this also the work of the cockroaches?¡¯ Something was off. Up until now, the only special traits the special entities had were that they were being big and strong. Most of them only had physical enhancement abilities. ¡®But the monsters we¡¯ve encountered inside this cave¡­¡¯ They each had their own special, unique features. They could explode, or they were carrying guns and missiles. This ce was a spawning ground for cockroaches, but not those ordinary ones. ¡°W-what should we do?¡± asked the party members. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment. However, his answer remained the same. ¡°We¡¯ll keep going. Even if they retreated, more members could disappear on their way back. Moreover, even if they managed to make their way out of the cave safely, they wouldn¡¯t be able to save the yers who had already disappeared. ¡®At the very least, I have to find the source of this illusion and find the missing members.¡¯ His feet started to feel itchy. ¡°From now on, we will be going a little faster.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Then, should we send more fighting power to the front?¡± asked a yer whose name he still hadn¡¯t heard. ¡°No, just¡­ Put all your energy into running,¡± replied Seo Jun-Ho. *** ¡°Kyaaak!¡± ¡°Kiii!¡± Another horde of special entities appeared, but Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t care about what abilities they had or how strong they were. Fwoosh! A giant mass of darkness fell from the ceiling and crushed the monsters. The monsters weren¡¯t spared even one second to process what was going on before they were crushed. ¡®Faster. Faster.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had decided to go all-out. He was moving sharply and swiftly. He had already encountered five mobs of special entities in the past thirty minutes, and every time, the battle ended within one second. And atst, he arrived at the end of the cave. However, the only thing there was a vast, empty cavern the size of a stadium. ¡°Contractor.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t answer. All he did was stare at the clearing. ¡®Goodness.¡¯ The Frost Queen understood his distress, and she let out a small sigh as she looked at his back. When they entered the cave, there had been eighty members of the expedition team trailing behind him. Now, not a single one of them was left. ¡®He must be in great shock.¡¯ As the number of yers steadily decreased, the members started reacting in their own ways. Some cried, saying they didn¡¯t want to disappear, there were others who implored them to find the truth and avenge them, and finally, there were those who gave up on everything and fell to the ground on their own. Seo Jun-Ho should have been able to hear their voices, but he kept running without stopping a single time. ¡®You¡­ Is it because you are disappointed in yourself?¡¯ The Frost Queen looked at him with pity and patted his arm tenderly. ¡°This is not your fault¡­ Everyone, including I, know that it is not.¡± At that, Seo Jun-Ho finally tore his eyes away from the cavern wall. ¡°Huh? What did you just say?¡± ¡°...That it is not your fault.¡± ¡°Of course, I know that. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± He pointed with his index finger. ¡°More importantly, can¡¯t you see that?¡± ¡°That?¡± The Frost Queen turned. All she saw was the earthen wall of the cavern. Her face turned even more sympathetic. ¡°Oh, you poor child¡­You poor thing¡­ are you seeing the faces of the missing members now?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied, shaking his head. ¡°I see a door.¡± ¡°A door?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a big metal door about five meters tall. If you can¡¯t see it, that probably means¡­¡± ¡°I see. It has to be being concealed by some powerful sorcery.¡± What a relief. Her contractor hadn¡¯t lost his mind after all. ¡°Why can I not see it?¡± The Frost Queen muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It could be because of Hero¡¯s Mind. And if that¡¯s not the case¡­¡± Someone could be inviting Seo Jun-Ho into it. The Frost Queen started to feel uneasy. ¡°Contractor, will you go in perchance?¡± ¡°I have to.¡± Seo Jun-Ho immediately nodded. ¡°Though it had only been for a short while, those people were my responsibility.¡± The other yers had acknowledged him as their leader. They had given him their faith, so he would never betray them. Seo Jun-Ho approached the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Be careful...¡± All alone, The Frost Queen sat down on the cold, earthen floor and prepared herself. If something went wrong, they would go back to the past. ¡°Then, I shall give you words of reassurance.¡± With how often his emotions overflowed these days, her contractor would surely be sad and cry his eyes out again. What could she say to cheer him up? She carefully started to pick her words out. *** Once Seo Jun-Ho passed through therge metal door, he stumbled upon a small, clean, white space. He didn¡¯t feel any magic energy fluctuation, so he wasn¡¯t teleported here. ¡®All they did is carve out the cave walls until they werepletely t, and then they painted it over in white.¡¯ It very much resembled a mental hospital or a researchboratory. - Kodi mungafune chiyani chamasana? - Malizani ntchito. He heard a strange conversation happening somewhere up ahead and slowly walked forward. He passed through a very long hallway and entered arge space. ¡®...Aboratory?¡¯ There were nearly a hundredrge ss chambers arranged in a line. They were filled with a green liquid and held a variety of animals, and each one had dozens of electrodes attached to them. Humanoid, bipedal creatures wearing long, white gowns were researching something in front of them. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho gently summoned his magic power. ¡°N, Ndithandizeni!¡± The cockroaches were startled when they saw him and started running away. But that wasn¡¯t enough to escape the darkness Seo Jun-Ho wielded. It cut their bodies in half, and the researchers started crawling away, trying to escape with their lives. ¡°...Clean them up.¡± In the shape of wolves, Watchguard of Darkness devoured the monsters. While they were doing that, Seo Jun-Ho promptly made his way to the next room. ¡®Is this an armory?¡¯ No. More urately, this was anotherboratory. However, the chambers contained weapons they were studying rather than animals. ¡°Die, you pests.¡± Seo Jun-Ho killed all the researchers and scanned the weapons. He guessed that they had brought them over here from the city. ¡®Did they make special entities by studying these items?¡¯ He saw man-made bombs, missiles, machine guns, and other weapons sprawled all across the table. He stepped on their corpses and made his way over to the next room. ¡°Ah.¡± In that ce, there wasn¡¯t arge group of researchers. There was only one cockroach standing there. He was wearing ab gown, and he had an enormous head. The cockroach turned. ¡°So we finally meet again.¡± Again? There was only one monster in the world who would say that. ¡°Erebo...¡± ¡°Keke, what a strange feeling to see you in another body.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Seo Jun-Ho demanded, ring at him. There was a yer strapped onto a machine in front of Erebo. There were dozens of needles poked into his head, and for some reason, the yer wasughing hysterically. ¡°Oh, this?¡± Erebo¡¯s other body lifted a slender hand and pulled out a needle from the yer¡¯s head. The man was still hystericallyughing as he spoke and rambled about Earth¡¯s history, ¡°Humans cleared the 1st floor 27 years ago, and currently¡­¡± Erebo grinned. ¡°I have been studying your world.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It is a by the name of Earth. It is part of a sr system and has a satellite moon. A beautiful, azure orbiting a star. From what I have heard, it seems like an extremely¡­ fine. It even has a human poption of ten billion[1].¡± It was hard to describe the disgusting yet ufortable feeling that washed over Seo Jun-Ho. However, he couldn¡¯t help but abruptly ask. ¡°Why are you studying it?¡± Erebo rubbed his hands together as if he had been waiting for that question. ¡°Why do you think? I am done cleaning up here, so shouldn¡¯t I move to my next destination soon?¡± Erebo¡¯s mandibles clicked as he cackled. Seo Jun-Ho looked at him with cold, chilling eyes. 1. Remember, this takes ce decades ahead of our current time. ? Chapter 346. The Cockroach Cave (4) Chapter 346. The Cockroach Cave (4) Every person had at least one thing they valued¡ªit could be their family, friends, honor, money, or pride. And Seo Jun-Ho knew well what he valued. ¡®Family, friends, and¡­¡¯ The world his friends and him had been protecting and the world histeradesid down their lives to protect. The monster in front of him had just said that he would invade that very world. He was clearly threatening what they valued. ¡®How dare he?¡¯ Just who was he talking to? Seo Jun-Ho put in great effort to cool down the burning fury filling his veins. In the past, he had confidence in his ability to regte his emotions, but these days, there had been many times when he was furious. ¡®...He pisses me off.¡¯ Erebo started sharing his extravagant ns, ignorant of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s feelings. ¡°I heard from the humans I took prisoner that it only took 350,000 years after the first humans on your, the homo sapiens, appeared for the poption to reach one billion.[1] Is that right?¡± Erebo snorted. ¡°When I first heard of this, I thought that the breeding rate of your species is very slow, but I was wrong.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Though it took 350,000 years for your poption to reach one billion, it only took 200 years for the poption to reach eight billion!¡± And then from there, it had taken only a little more than twenty-five years for them to reach 10 billion. ¡°Human, do you know why your rate of reproduction became so high?¡± Seo Jun-Ho only stared at him coldly, but Erebo simply shrugged before speaking, ¡°You humans enjoyed an era of peace after World War Two ended. Other than a few petty trifles between countries, the fear of dying in war had be non-existent. That¡¯s the reason.¡± Erebo dragged a finger across the needles in the man¡¯s head as if he were ying the piano. ¡°From there, I came to a conclusion. The humans of your are the finest specimens, considering that your reproduction rate is the fastest of any species if your stomachs are simply full.¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°So what, you say?¡± Erebo tilted his head. ¡°When you humans see something you like, you would want to touch it, and then you would want to have it. Is that not so?¡± ¡°So you want the human race?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that. The humans of your are very special.¡± Erebo nodded. ¡°What entices me the most is that there are countless beings like you with mysterious abilities.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so naive. Do you really think yers would follow an alien like you?¡± ¡°Even if they do not want to, they will have to.¡± Erebo tapped his own head this time. ¡°I am the one who captured and ate the World Tree, who has the power of a god. I am absorbing more and more of her power and wisdom with every passing day as well. If I use that power¡­ Who knows, I may be a god myself.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought about it, and he realized that it was possible. Even now, Erebo could still control the hivemind as usual. Seo Jun-Ho became as still as a statue. Erebo pondered something before he spoke again, ¡°Human, though it was merely a clone, you still killed me. Therefore, I wish to make you an offer.¡± ¡°An offer?¡± ¡°Indeed. Swear your loyalty and ept me as your master. If you do so, I will give you an infinite amount of power.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared intently at Erebo without saying anything. Erebo continued. ¡°Do not reject me so quickly. My invasion of Earth will be beneficial to humans as well. ¡°Beneficial to us?¡± ¡°Yes. Humans cannot be controlled by merews or ideas. The more threatened they feel, the stronger they will rebel and try to escape control as if they were baring their hidden fangs.¡± ¡°You seem to understand us pretty well.¡± ¡°But everything will change with me in control. They will be a part of my hivemind, and I will be able to control thempletely.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face darkened. ¡°And why would that be beneficial to humans?¡± ¡°Hm? Do you truly not know? If they be one with me, it means that they will be a part of the great Erebo without exerting any kind of effort. It is a great honor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy¡­ You¡¯re crazy¡­¡± Honestly, Seo Jun-Ho was shocked. Erebo was rambling about such ridiculous bullshit that he wondered if he was even hearing thetter properly. ¡®But¡­ the scary part of this lunatic¡¯s ns is that it could actually seed.¡¯ Seeing how he could currently control the cockroaches, humans wouldn¡¯t be so different. Once they became his hivemind, they would likely be like puppets, unable to carry any memories or thoughts. ¡°If I manage to invade Earth sessfully, I will leave its maintenance to you,¡± Erebo added. ¡°Maintenance¡­?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a tempting offer? All the jewels and money in the world, beautiful women,nd, and nations will be yours.¡± Seo Jun-Ho snorted. The money would have long lost its value, and those women wouldn¡¯t love him. They wouldn¡¯t be human anymore. There was nothing about this proposal that interested him. ¡®I should wrap up this conversation soon.¡¯ ording to Erebo, he was still growing stronger by the second. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what kinds of amazing wisdom and powers the World Tree possessed, but simply based on the diary that she left him, there was no doubt that her power rivaled a god¡¯s. ¡®Once he finishes absorbing it all¡­¡¯ - It will not be good. Keen Intuition spoke. - Partner, the World Tree created your diary. If that creaturepletely absorbs the World Tree, there is arge possibility that he will discover how to destroy the diary. Seo Jun-Ho slowly nodded. He had been thinking about the exact same thing. ¡°Hey, pest, there¡¯s something I want to ask.¡± ¡°Such a rude title. However, I shall listen to what you have to say.¡± Erebo seemed fascinated by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words, and he seemed interested in what Seo Jun-Ho was about to say ¡°If the World Tree was a god-like being like you said, how did you win beat her?¡± he asked. ¡°Simple. There was only one reason she lost.¡± Erebo grinned, and it made Seo Jun-Ho feel disgusted. ¡°She respected the elves too much as living beings. If she had controlled them like what I am doing with the hivemind, I would have been the one who lost.¡± ¡°...Is it fun to live like that?¡± It was an innocent question. However, it seemedpletely perplexing to Erebo. ¡°What a strange man. What is the intention behind your question?¡± ¡°I asked you if it¡¯s actually fun to be alone and rule over a species with neither memories nor emotions.¡± Erebo blinked and then scoffed. ¡°Human, do you eat food, drink water, and sleep for fun?¡± ¡°...Ah, I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly. He hadn¡¯t been able to understand Erebo even after dying at thetter¡¯s hands a hundred times, but now, he was starting to understand thetter. ¡®He just has apletely different way of thinking.¡¯ Conquest and pige came as naturally as breathing. This was the same as asking a person a question as ridiculous as why they breathed. ¡°You should give me an answer soon. Will you ept my offer?¡± ¡°No. But let me make my own proposal...¡± ¡°Hm, what would that be?¡± ¡°Let go of the World Tree right now and kill yourself. Then, I¡¯ll eat you and allow you to be part of me.¡± ¡°What kind of lunacy¡ª¡± ¡°See? That¡¯s how the world works. You find it romantic if you do it, but not if others do.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled coldly. ¡°Just wait until Ie to you after getting stronger, you pest.¡± ¡°You¡­ human. Do you truly intend to challenge me, a god?¡± ¡°You¡¯re no god by my standards.¡± Even if Erebo was a god of insects or something, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°And if you are, I guess I¡¯ll just try my hand at killing a god.¡± ¡°Guh?!¡± Erebo suddenly grasped his head. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t block the de from cutting through his enormous head with his current strength. ¡°Human! You dare¡­ Even if they were mere clones¡­Twice, you¡­ dared to kill meee?!¡± Erebo¡¯s body slowly copsed. Just in case, Seo Jun-Ho tried to use Confession of the Dead, but it didn¡¯t activate. ¡°Heh. Hehe.¡± Seo Jun-Ho hoisted the prisoner onto his shoulder and quickly left the ce. *** ¡°Ugh! Dammit!¡± ¡°They keep crawling out with no end. They¡¯re like¡­ cockroaches.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk. If you have the energy to do that, run faster instead!¡± The party members were still trying to retreat. Even they had no idea how they got here. They blinked once, and they suddenly fell behind the party and arrived here. ¡®We¡¯re probably deep underground in the Cockroach Cave.¡¯ ¡®This is a cockroach spawning ground.¡¯ From what they could see, there were thousands¡ªno, tens of thousands of insects covering the floor all the way up to the ceiling. The expedition team was trying to run away while avoiding the special entities, which were slowly increasing in numbers. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Specter here yet?!¡± ¡°What if he¡­ managed to resist this weird spell?¡± ¡°Dammit! Then we can¡¯t count on him as backup?¡± Despair flooded their faces. But just then, two men stepped forward. ¡°Elder Phantom Sword¡­?¡± someone muttered. ¡°He gave me the responsibility of a rearguard, so go ahead and don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Elder Phantom Sword said curtly. He nced behind his shoulder. ¡°Youngster. Don¡¯t be so stubborn like me and just go.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. He also asked me to do the same thing.¡± If no one sacrificed themselves, they could all get wiped out. Elder Phantom Sword and One-Eyed Blood Spear had stepped forward as sacrificialmbs. The yers were hesitant. ¡°Can we actually go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about us, but if we leave them behind, there¡¯s a hundred percent chance that they¡¯ll die¡­¡± ¡°You know what, fuck it!¡± The yers were all considering the same thing. They squeezed their eyes shut and approached the two men. ¡°This¡¯ll be a piece of cake! Let¡¯s do this together! The Sword of Gangneung[2] shall join you!¡± ¡°You two are the strongest members of the expedition team. You really want us to run away?¡± ¡°Yeah, if we fight together, we¡¯ll all have a better chance of survival.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± The old man initially thought that this world was heartless. However, he didn¡¯t expect to see something so heartwarming in a situation like this. He hid his surprise and turned to One-Eyed Blood Spear. ¡°Are you sure you will not regret this?¡± ¡°What, you mean fighting here until I die? Probably. Unlike you[3], I have a promising life ahead of me.¡± ¡°Then, why are you staying behind? You should run away, even if it is by yourself. No one would me you.¡± Kang Shin-Woo, the One-Eyed Blood Spear, snorted. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t want to be thought of as a coward for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°How honorable...¡± However, it made the young man even more pitiful. The old man smiled bitterly and slowly unsheathed his sword. ¡°Keep fighting. If you do, we might be able to survive,¡± he said. Kang Shin-Woo looked at him, squinting. ¡°What, you got a good strategy or something, old man?¡± ¡°No. But I have someone reliable¡­¡± The reason Specter was still respected as a Hero even after decades wasn¡¯t just because he was strong. ¡°That man never gave up on those who followed him, even until the end,¡± the old man said. ¡°...But that¡¯s just the kind of epic tale they tell in children¡¯s books,¡± Kang Shin-Woo muttered. Ever since he was young, he had been raised reading picture books filled with the legends of Specter. ¡°Do you really think he¡¯de here on his own will? He¡¯d have to be crazy to do that. He doesn¡¯t even know if we¡¯re dead or alive.¡± ¡°He wille.¡± The old man had no doubt that Specter would. He had faith in Specter as someone who had been watching the hero ever since his glory days. ¡°...Really? To be honest, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Kang Shin-Woo pushed away the fear flooding in and gripped the shaft of his spear so hard it looked like it would break. ¡°If he doese, I hope hees before I die.¡± When Kang Shin-Woo¡¯s words fell, the cockroaches unleashed hundreds of missiles, which flew toward the party. ¡°I¡¯m d...¡± A familiar voice rang in their ears before the missiles could approach them. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I ran here.¡± Fwoosh! A mass of darkness flew through the air and instantly melted into the shape of a human. ¡°Specter!¡± ¡°Damn, I knew you¡¯de!¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for that! Behind! Look behind you!¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned his back while listening to the members'' bustle and gently held out his hand. A giant field of darkness spread over the air like a nket and swallowed the missiles and cockroaches. It swiftly crumpled like paper, growing as small as a speck of dust until it disappeared just like that. ¡°...Haa.¡± Shin-Woo sighed as he watched. He would already be drenched with sweat after killing just a few cockroaches, but Specter had just instantly killed an impossible number of monsters without even breaking a sweat. ¡°You guys seem unimpressed. Should I havee a littleter?¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°No, you came right on time. Hoho, this old man had the nerve to step forward, but my legs are trembling¡­¡± Elder Phantom Sword said coyly. Seo Jun-Ho looked at him. And before the yers could make a tragic melodrama out of this, he pped his hands together and spoke, ¡°Imand you as the leader of the expedition. Destroy the eggs in this spawning ground.¡± If they destroyed the tens of thousands of eggs here ahead of time, they would have an advantage over the cockroaches in the battleter on. And the order he gave was even more useful than he had expected. [The Fourth Quest has beenpleted.] ¡°...Huh?¡± The fourth Quest was to win the war in the second city. However, if there were no soldiers to send into battle in the first ce, a war couldn¡¯t take ce at all. ¡®Ah, is this what Sun Tzu meant?¡¯ To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles was not the acme of skill¡ªit was to subdue the enemy without fighting. ¡°Report.¡± ¡°Yes, sir! Twenty-one wounded. Zero casualties and no one was critically injured. 824 cockroaches were killed. 385,291 cockroach eggs were destroyed!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lip curled up to one side when he heard that. They had won by andslide. 1. Although google says otherwise, we have stuck with the numbers that the author wrote ? 2. Gangneung is a city in the province of Gangwon. He speaks with a slight Gangwon dialect, which is also spoken in parts of North Korea. ? 3. He uses a very umon second-person pronoun which is a respectful way of addressing someone who is either the same rank or lower rank than the speaker. So he¡¯s technically being respectful, but still arrogant. His general manner of speech is still informal and therefore disrespectful to someone older than him. ? Chapter 347. 17 Years (1) Chapter 347. 17 Years (1) After destroying Erebo¡¯s spawning ground, the expedition team returned to the city two dayster in the morning. Only ten minutes after the reports of their actions were sent, Seo Jun-Ho was summoned. Shin Sung-Hyun seemed very apologetic, and his voice reflected his feelings. ¡°You must be tired. I¡¯m very sorry, but I think some of the numbers on the report are incorrect.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the yer he had brought with him just in case. The party had been able to count the number of eggs they destroyed thanks to the yer¡¯s unique sub-skill called Recordkeeping (B). ¡°Please tell Mr. David over here which parts you think are incorrect. He has all the records from the beginning up until the end of the expedition,¡± he said. ¡°Alright. Mr. David?¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir!¡± David was nervous in the presence of two Heavens, and his voice sounded tense. ¡°I think the number of insect eggs destroyed is incorrect in this report. How many were there exactly?¡± ¡°385,291, sir!¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°3. 8. 5. 2. 9. 1. Sir!¡± Unsurprisingly, Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s face grew shocked, and so did Jang Kyun-Hoon, who was standing next to the former. Their eyes thennded on Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Oh, that wasn¡¯t an error. That¡¯s the correct number.¡± ¡°...Hah?¡± ¡°The cockroaches¡¯ spawning ground had been a base camp for their war against yers.¡± ¡°Hah...¡± Countless thoughts and feelings popped into his head, but all Shin Sung-Hyun could do was let out a forcedugh. ¡°You never fail to surprise me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡± ¡°So this wasn¡¯t an error, you say. It¡¯s such an absurd number that it¡¯s hard to believe¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun stood up with a look of excitement. ¡°You¡¯ve done us a great honor. To think that you killed nearly 400,000 cockroaches¡­ You¡¯ve brought us an unbelievable and great victory.¡± ¡°That is not all, Master,¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon said, sounding impressed. He read the report closely. ¡°Within the spawning grounds, there was aboratory where special entities were created. Specter rescued twelve yers those heathens had taken as prisoners. If 400,000 cockroaches, including those special entities, invaded this city¡­¡± ¡°It would have been chaos...¡± Countless yers would have died. Thankfully, they avoided such a massacre. Sung-Hyun let out a sigh of relief. ¡°If I may be frank, I only expected you to minimize the number of casualties¡­¡± However, the Hero had achieved something even greater, something that Shin Sung-Hyun didn¡¯t even dare try to quantify. The cockroaches already had more resources than the yers, but even the monsters knew how big of a difference 400,000 more soldiers would make. ¡°No wonder the cockroaches did not attack the city for the first timest night.¡± It was definitive proof that the Floor Master had been thrown into confusion after losing his troops. Shin Sung-Hyun thought for a moment and spoke, ¡°Vice Master.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Release an article on Community right at this moment.¡± ¡°What should it be about?¡± ¡°In detail, write about the expedition team¡¯s achievements.¡± The 4th floor¡¯s Community was separated from the other Floors. In other words, the only ones who would be able to see the report were yers on the 4th floor. There was a simple reason Shin Sung-Hyun was giving such an order out of the blue. ¡°This will be the best news to raise the yers¡¯ morale. They have be tired without realizing it. In addition, inform them that the rations our Guild has been saving will be shared for today¡¯s lunch.¡± Food and drinks on top of the exciting news of their great victory. Shin Sung-Hyun truly was the leader of arge Guild. ¡°Give the expedition members the highest seat of honor possible. We will serve them with the city¡¯s finest food.¡± ¡°Now that you say that, I¡¯m starting to get excited. I promise I¡¯ll be there,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Now that he thought about it, it had already been a few years since he ate any gourmet food made by someone else. As such, he drooled at the thought of it. While he was drooling, the Goblin Guild released a post on the Community forums. *** ¡°Hey, hey, did you guys see what they posted on Community?¡± ¡°Why, was there something interesting?¡± ¡°Of course. Listen, they said the expedition team destroyed 400,000 cockroach eggs, led by Specter.¡± ¡°Come on, even if it¡¯s him, 400,000 is a little¡­ I guess he likes to bluff a bit.¡± ¡°I thought the same thing, but I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s true. You didn¡¯t check the video forums either? I swear, it took off ten years of my life.¡± With nothing better to do, the yers chattered about the expedition team¡¯s achievements. The expedition team had destroyed 400,000 cockroach eggs and saved twelve prisoners, and throughout that, no one was critically injured, let alone killed. Honestly, it was hard to believe that such an overwhelming victory had urred if one could only read it. So, a video was uploaded, and it proved the expedition team¡¯s achievements. [Break them! Break them all!] [Once they¡¯re all destroyed, set them on fire! Jenbu Shatsu[1]!] [Ahahaha! I¡¯m the 4th Floor¡¯s Cesco[2]!] The video showed dozens of yers destroying eggs like mad. The videos were full of visuals and noises enough to make a man¡¯s knees weak. The uploader was someone named Sonny. Most people already knew that it was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ID. ¡°Wow. How did you think this up in that situation?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, sounding impressed. The one who hade up with the idea was the Frost Queen rather than Keen Intuition. The Frost Queen crossed her arms and shrugged. ¡°Heh. This is but a trivial matter. It is now clear who is more helpful to you, Contractor.¡± - How foolish. Even if you achieve something small like this a hundred times, it pales inparison to saving his life even once. ¡°I am not a fool.¡± These days, the Frost Queen and Keen Intuition¡¯s signature move was to appeal for Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s approval whenever they did something good, no matter what it was. Internally, Seo Jun-Ho wanted to let them bicker on their own, but Keen Intuition was living in his head, so he couldn¡¯t afford to do that. ¡°Contractor, have you earned a lot of PP?¡± ¡°Yeah. But I don¡¯t know when the 2nd Floor Administrator¡¯s Store will open again,¡± he replied. Fortunately, most of the items sold in the Administrator¡¯s Store were excellent items, so the more money he had, the better it would be for him. [Egg Breaker] Views: 26,438 Likes: 8,973 PP earned: 2,643 Donated PP: 152,800 ¡°I¡¯ve earned more than 150,000 PP already,¡± he remarked. Compared to the number of views the video had, the number of donated PP he earned was much higher. Since their lives had been at stake, it seemed they were expressing their gratitude to him this way. ¡®It¡¯s not like there are much better things to do on the 4th floor either.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled with a pleased look as he watched his PP steadily increase. ¡°Anyway, good job. I¡¯ll give you a cake coupon¡ªoh, wait, I guess you wouldn¡¯t need that because you already have a lot.¡± He suddenly remembered that he had given her a 10x cake coupon. On top of that, it wasn¡¯t like he could buy her a decent cake here anyway. ¡°Huh?! That is absolutely absurd!¡± The Frost Queen jumped up and down in excitement. ¡°The more cake there is, the better! Don¡¯t you know that phrase?¡±[3] ¡°I don¡¯t, actually. And I already gave you a 10x cake coupon.¡± ¡°Oh, I gave that to some¡ªhuh?¡± The Frost Queen tilted her head. ¡°Who did I give it to?¡± ¡°You gave the cake coupon to someone else? Don¡¯t make meugh.¡± ¡°...Hm.¡± Indeed, if she had given her most treasured possession to someone else, she would have clearly remembered the identity of the one whom she bestowed it upon. As such, the Frost Queen nodded slowly. ¡°It must have been a dream. Anyway, give me the cake coupon. Give me lots.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wrote a 10x cake coupon on the spot and thought that on the day she used them all up, he should take her to the dentist again. *** ¡°And then Elder Phantom Sword said this: ¡®He wille.¡¯ Man~ I actually believed that as well.¡± ¡°Bullshit. You said he would nevere unless he were dragged there.¡± ¡°W-when did I ever¡­¡± Everyone at the Goblin Guild¡¯s banquet was merry, and their stomachs were full. Additionally, the expedition team came together again. Two days was a short period of time, but they fought while having each other¡¯s backs. Seo Jun-Ho quietly ate his food and enjoyed the atmosphere. ¡®This is nice¡­¡¯ Things were so rxed it was hard to believe that this ce would soon be a battlefield again. ¡®We may not see those disgusting cockroaches for a while.¡¯ He held back a bitter smile. It was because he knew why Erebo had unexpectedly tried to win him over at the spawning ground. ¡®Even that bastard knows that I¡¯ll destroy all the eggs if I remain his enemy.¡¯ Erebo probably couldn¡¯t digest the World Tree at the moment because he felt so nauseous by his losses. Enjoying the banquet, Seo Jun-Ho turned his back to theughing, chattering expedition members and went up to the roof of the skyscraper. From there, there was a clear view that went beyond the city walls. ¡®I can feel it.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t felt it before, but he could now feel a strong killing intenting from one direction, and it was being directed at a certain someone. He knew that he was the target, so he chuckled and raised his middle finger in that direction. ¡°What¡¯s with you? Why are youughing all by yourself? If there¡¯s something funny, share it with me,¡± a friendly voice said as a girl made her way onto the roof. ¡°Miss Ju-Ha.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Sheughed easily like a puppy and held out a canned beverage to him. ¡°It¡¯s been a very long time since this happened.¡± ¡°Since what?¡± ¡°Just. Since everyone hase together and shared the same feelings as one.¡± She watched the yers on the streets. They were gathered in twos and threes and were talking to one another. ¡°...You truly are amazing, Specter. I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯llpletely change the vibe here, even though it had only been a few days since you arrived.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t recall the mood being particrly bad,¡± he said. He arrived here on his fifth week of being on the 4th floor. The cockroach¡¯s assault hadn¡¯t begun just yet, so the atmosphere had been very peaceful and bright. ¡°That¡¯s different. Everyone was smiling, but they were all faking it.¡± It made sense. The advance party had already been here for more than five months, close to half a year. Just when would they clear the 4th floor? Those who felt the uncertainty of that question couldn¡¯t smile so naively. ¡°Talking like this during a campaign makes me think of the old days when we were at ckfield,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said. ¡°You gave me a drink back then, too.¡± ¡°Oh god, thinking about that time still makes me¡­¡± A small shudder ran through her. ¡°In the past, I used to think your actions and your sacrificial mindset was really cool. Every day, I thought to myself that I wanted to be that kind of yer.¡± ¡°Is that not the case anymore?¡± ¡°Just... Even just by watching from the sidelines, I realized just how painful and sad that path is.¡± She peeked at him from the corner of her eye before speaking carefully, ¡°I hope that you¡¯ll also start to live a little more selfishly, Specter¡ªno, Jun-Ho. For your own sake.¡± ¡°Selfishly, you say¡­¡± It was aplicated matter. To be honest, Seo Jun-Ho knew that he wasn¡¯t a saint. He had been shoved into certain situations and then into the limelight before he eventually started wearing the mask of a Hero. Seo Jun-Ho smiled dryly and nodded. ¡°Well, since this advice ising from Miss ¡®my precious fan Ju-Ha ?¡¯, so I¡¯ll try to do that.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± At the reminder of her embarrassing past, Gong Ju-Ha quickly changed the subject. ¡°W-wow. This feels great. I feel like it won¡¯t be long until the 4th Floor is cleared, actually.¡± ¡°Hm, well, hearing you say that makes me feel very nervous.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. He had seen how terrible her instinct was at the Vegas casino. ¡°Hey. my intuition¡¯s great. Are you looking down on a woman¡¯s instinct?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s that good, why didn¡¯t you have a single clue about my secret?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s different¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s head stooped like a turtle¡¯s. ¡®Now that I think about it, I have one more secret I¡¯m keeping from her.¡¯ He still hadn¡¯t revealed that he was the rising star Newbie 76 in the 2nd floor¡¯s Matching system. He was the one who crushed her in battle. ording to Moonlight¡¯s information, most yers and Guilds were investing a lot of resources to dig up Newbie 76¡¯s identity. ¡®I¡¯ll save it whenever I want to tease her.¡¯ He smiled quietly. Both the Frost Queen and Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s reactions were funny to behold, so it was fun to tease¡ª ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face suddenly fell. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°...Your instinct was correct, Miss Ju-Ha.¡± Thump. Thump. His heart started to beat faster, and the blood flowing through his veins automatically flowed faster as well. His body was starting to warm up in preparation for the battle that was soon toe. ¡°T-this is¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha sensed the energy a beatter, and her face grew pale in response. As the sun slowly fell, a giant tree at the end of the horizon was growing bigger. ¡®No.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t growing. It only looked like that because the ¡®tree¡¯ was attached to someone¡¯s back, and he wasing closer. [You have discovered the boss monster of the Another World area, Erebo.] [Once defeated, safe zones will appear on Another World.] The simple act of peeping at the silhouette in the far distance made Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hairs stand on end. ¡®He¡¯s definitely really mad about the destruction of his spawning grounds.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands squeezed into fists at the sight of Erebo. ¡®He has finally¡­ He has finally appeared before me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho died 154 times by Erebo¡¯s hand. And even though he couldn¡¯t remember those regressions,bined with the 105th and 106th regressions, he had died a total of 156 times to Erebo. Therefore, there were only 209 pages left in his diary. ¡®I¡¯ll kill that bastard by then.¡¯ If he couldn¡¯t do it in one try, he would do it by the tenth try. If he couldn¡¯t do it in ten tries, he would do it by the hundredth try. If he couldn¡¯t do it in a hundred tries, he would do it by the two hundredth try. ¡®I¡¯ll kill him no matter what, and I¡¯ll escape the chains of this damned hell.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s true feelings were as such. 1. From the Chinese phrase È«²¿É±ËÀ (Qu¨¢nb¨´ Sh¨¡s¨«), which means ¡°kill them all¡±. It¡¯s now a gaming phrase and was poprized by professional League of Legends yer CloudTemr. ? 2. The biggest extermination/pest controlpany in Korea. ? 3. This is a riff on the phrase ¡°the more the better/merrier¡±. In Korean, the phrase is deo-deo-ik-seon, but she says keh-keh-ik-seon, and keh-ik means ¡®cake¡¯. ? Chapter 348. 17 Years (2) Chapter 348. 17 Years (2) ¡°Dammit! I knew things were going too well today!¡± ¡°Gather your weapons right this moment and gather the Guild members! ¡°Gather the party members!¡± The yers had been enjoying the festival, but a crisis suddenly appeared at the camp. The happiness turned into intense fear because of Erebo and his cockroach army¡¯s approach. Shin Sung-Hyun meandered around the city in turmoil and quickly sent amand. ¡°Summon the 1st and 2nd Teams right away and send them on standby to the eastern city wall. That¡¯s where the bastards are marching toward.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon said. ¡°Teams 3 and 4 will provide rearguard support and be responsible for the yers¡¯ safety.¡± ¡°I will deliver your orders right away.¡± They werecking a lot of manpower. Shin Sung-Hyun was giving orders as stoically as always, but inside, he felt a sense of dread. ¡®Why are they attacking us so suddenly? I thought he was more cautious, but it seems that¡¯s not the case.¡¯ He was certain that they had properly pissed off Floor Master Erebo by destroying his spawning grounds. He quickly worked the abacus in his head. ¡®Can we do it?¡¯ The Guild Master of the Goblin Guild wasn¡¯t sure if they could defeat that monster even if all the yers in the city came together and fought as one. Even if they managed to seed, the price they would have to pay would definitely be expensive. ¡®We need strong yers.¡¯ At times like this, one powerful fighter was worth more than ten normal yers, even more than usual. ¡°Find the Sword Saint, Wei Chun-Hak, and Tenmei Ryo right this moment. We¡¯ll join together with Silent Moon, Celestial Dragon, and Sky Soul and move out,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about Celestial Dragon, but Silent Moon and Sky Soul may decide to move independently¡­¡± Jang Kyung-Hoon said. ¡°They will not do that. Those two are smart.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun always treated Kim Woo-Joong as his rival, but the Sword Saintcked multiple aspects to lead a Guild. After all, he was a natural-born warrior. However, he wasn¡¯t dumb. ¡®He also probably knows that we won¡¯t be able to do this if we don¡¯t work together.¡¯ He was even less worried about the bright and smart Wei Chun-Hak. The only one he was worried about was the Sky Soul Guild. ¡®The crucial question is what that old roon will do.¡¯ Shing Sung-Hyun started to feel impatient. ¡°Tenmei Ryo. Find that man first.¡± *** The Chinese Celestial Dragon Guild was upying a four-way intersection in the city and was confronting another mob of people. Wei Chun-Hak¡¯s snake eyes were always brazen, but they had be vicious in a way no one had ever seen before. ¡°Where are you going at a time like this?¡± he demanded. ¡°You can¡¯t tell?¡± The members of Sky Soul, led by Tenmei Ryo, were standing on the other side. The Guild Master looked at the giant tree on the other side of the city wall and smirked. ¡°You truly intend to fight something like that? It makes me wonder if you¡¯ve hit your head.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t kill it now, humanity won¡¯t be able to dream of clearing the 4th floor in the next ten years.¡± ¡°Ten years¡­ That¡¯s not so bad.¡± This was Tenmei Ryo¡¯s true opinion. His Guild was already part of the Big 6, and he didn¡¯t think it would be a bad idea to keep maintaining the status quo. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad?¡± Wei Chun-Hak¡¯s face contorted like a crumpled pack of cigarettes. ¡°Where is your integrity as a yer?!¡± ¡°What? Integrity? Hahahaha!¡± Tenmei Ryoughed for a long time before looking at Wei Chun-Hak as if he was reminiscing. ¡°You¡¯re still young and naive. I feel like I am looking at my younger self. I had such integrity decades ago. Back then, I firmly believed that was the right thing¡ªthat yers were meant to use their powers to save people, clear Gates and Floors.¡± ¡°I know that...¡± Tenmei Ryo wasn¡¯t on the level of the 5 Heroes, but he was still regarded as a great yer. He was also the same person who had achieved something great by heightening the name of the Tenmei n and their Guild. ¡°Decades ago, I witnessed the deaths of countless yers with such integrity. And then I realized something¡­¡± His face had an air of superiority, like a sage that had reached enlightenment. ¡°I realized, ¡®Ah, a yer¡¯s integrity is worth less than dirt¡¯.¡± ¡°What nonsense is that?¡± ¡°Think about it. It has been decades since then, but do the people still remember any yers from back then aside from the 5 Heroes? No! Those who had thrown their lives away like useless pieces of straw for the sake of the people and this world have already been forgotten!¡± he bellowed. Tenmei Ryo then cleared his throat. ¡°So stop ying pretend and ept reality.¡± ¡°...¡± Wei Chun-Hak gave the elderly warrior a deadly re. ¡°I respected you greatly, Tenmei Ryo. But now, I¡¯ll consider you dead.¡±[1] ¡°Heh, you¡¯re not even speaking formally to me. See, all you Chinese bastards are uncouth¡­¡± Tenmei Ryo shook his head. ¡°Do as you wish. Let us depart.¡± Just as Tenmei Ryo took a step, the members of Celestial Dragon blocked his path and gave off a nefarious aura. ¡°You¡¯re actually going to do this?¡± ¡°Let me go...¡± Wei Chun-Hak looked at him like he was a disgusting insect. ¡°There is nothing more dangerous on a battlefield than an ally you cannot trust.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart. Then, good luck.¡± Tenmei Ryo smirked. Just as he brushed past Wei Chun-Hak, thetter spoke in a hushed voice. ¡°You¡¯re not taking your younger sister? Tenmei Mio?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll survive on her own ande back, I suppose. Even if she doesn¡¯t want to, it doesn¡¯t matter since she never wanted toe back.¡± Tenmei Ryo clicked his tongue and led the members of Sky Soul away to return back to Earth. Wei Chun-Hak stared at their backs and put a cigar between his teeth and lit it. ¡°How shitty¡­¡± Even if they survived this battle, he felt like he would have a lot to do afterward. *** ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way now. I think my members will be worried!¡± Gong Ju-Ha eximed. ¡°Be careful.¡± Gong Ju-Ha paused just as she was about to leave the roof. ¡°...You should be the one who should be careful. Don¡¯t get hurt trying to save someone again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Gong Ju-Haughed lightly, then rushed off the roof. A momentter, five familiar auras came up. ¡°Jun-Ho!¡± His friends and Cha Si-Eun opened the door to the roof and stepped forward. They looked at him without saying anything. Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Gilberto, be on standby with the Watchguards. Skaya, did you prepare what I asked you for?¡± ¡°The big wide-area spell, you mean? We can use it whenever we want.¡± ¡°Good job. Miss Si-Eun, please protect the people at the city walls. As for Rahmadat and Mio, you two¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes looked past the city walls and fixed on the World Tree. ¡°You¡¯ll go there with me.¡± *** Bang¡­! Baaaang¡­! Erebo moved forward on four limbs. There was no longer any part of him that resembled an insect. ¡°Wow, he really is enormous. I bet it¡¯ll make a booming sound if we hit him,¡± Rahmadatmented. ¡°He is big and powerful¡­¡± Mio pointed out. Perhaps it was because he was carrying the World Tree on his back, but Erebo was covered in an exoskeleton that looked as sturdy as a tree¡¯s bark. It made one think of the Korean mythical creature, the aspidochelone, which apparently carried a mountain on its back.[2] Baaang¡­! Every time Erebo took a step, the ground would vibrate and shake. At the same time, he also gave off an overwhelming energy that shook them to the core. The yers on top of the city walls gulped. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Dammit, how are we supposed to kill something like that?¡± ¡°Now that we see it up close, I¡¯m sure of it. We can¡¯t defeat it with our Guild¡¯s power.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too bad, but we need to think of our futures.¡± The first ones to make the decision to leave were the Guild Masters. Their decision carried the lives of countless Guild members, and they chose their safety over this conquest. ¡°The Sentinel Guild will give up on the Erebo conquest. We will return to Earth.¡± ¡°The Sichuan Guild shall retreat...¡± One by one, the yers tapped on their hologram windows. In an instant, they became pirs of light and surged into the sky. Rahmadat clicked his tongue as he watched. ¡°Tch, they have no integrity. They¡¯re just going back.¡± ¡°I cannot me them. Our enemy is that powerful,¡± Mio said tersely. She looked around. Naturally, the parties started to leave after the Guilds. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this thing. When I say heave, you say ho! Heave!¡±[3] ¡°Forget it; I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll make it out alive¡­¡± ¡°Still, the 5 Heroes are here, and we have three of the Big 6 and four whole Heavens. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s worth a try?¡± ¡°Actually, Sky Soul went down earlier at the za.¡± ¡°What? Shit. I¡¯ll give them a piece of my mind.¡± Shoop! Just as one of their party members turned into a pir of light and disappeared, the remaining members blinked. ¡°Um, excuse me¡­ Simon? Did your friend just leave?¡± ¡°Man, that little bastard. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll bring him right back.¡± ¡°Those little shits ran away!¡± A crowd of hundreds¡ªno, thousands of pirs of light flew from the ground to the sky. Seo Jun-Ho felt bitter as he watched. ¡®Is this payback?¡¯ Winning before the battle even started. Erebo was giving him a taste of his own medicine using the same method Seo Jun-Ho had used back in the cockroach cave. ¡°They¡¯re so bulky on the outside, but their hearts are tiny¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°Do you have a n?¡± the Frost Queen asked, frowning. ¡°For now, I¡¯m gonna leave the cockroach army to the yers over here.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And then, the four of us will stop Erebo. That¡¯s my n.¡± There was a reason Seo Jun-Ho was nning to follow such a reckless strategy. ¡®There are four major energies that caught my attention.¡¯ One was pure. It was likely the remnants of the World Tree, which Erebo had yet to fully absorb. ¡®And the other one is most definitely Erebo¡­¡¯ The remaining two weren¡¯t as great as the first two, but they couldn¡¯t be ignored. ¡°They¡¯re probably special entities.¡± ¡°Those energies are definitely strong,¡± Mio said. ¡°Hm. The moment they enter the battlefield, most yers will die without being able to lift a finger,¡± Rahmadat said. If the yers¡¯ morale fell even further, the number of deserters would increase exponentially. If that happened, they truly wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything but wait for their defeat. ¡°But don¡¯t worry too much. We have a secret weapon, too,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°A secret weapon?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°We have one?¡± Rahmadat added. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m hearing of this.¡± Mio pointed out. Of course, the Frost Quen had no idea about it, but neither did Rahmadat nor Mio. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t drag it out any longer. ¡°Our shut-in Archmage worked very hard.¡± Shwaaa! The dark night sky shone red, illuminated by a giant hexagram. It was a huge magic circle, and Skaya had been working on it nonstop ever since she stepped into the city. ¡°Hah, that nerd was always napping every time I saw her. When did she have the time to make something like this?¡± ¡°Mages are always like that.¡± The magic circle had been storing giant boulders in the sky ahead of time, and they started falling on their targets. They elerated as they fell and rained down mercilessly on the cockroach army and even Erebo. - Guooooo! Erebo¡¯s enormous body tipped slightly, and he let out a lion¡¯s roar. Fwooosh! A powerful gale sped across the battlefield, grazing everyone. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho squinted his eyes against the intense wind. He had discovered something. ¡°They¡¯reing.¡± Two humanoid special entities, one ck and one white, were flying toward them at breakneck speeds. 1. Chun-Hak was speaking to him in the highest form of speech, most likely because he looked up to Ryo and because thetter is significantly older. But now he¡¯s speaking in his normal manner, as he does with SJH and co. ? 2. A giant turtle whose back resembles an ind¡¯s. There are several different versions of this from different myths and cultures, and the Korean version has a mountain range on its back. ? 3. This phrase doesn¡¯t have an exact equivalent, but it¡¯s used in any kind of physical challenge, not justbor, that requires a lot of effort in order to lift spirits. ? Chapter 349. 17 Years (3) Chapter 349. 17 Years (3) Bang! Baaang! Every time the special entities¡¯ feet hit the ground, broken pieces of earth would fly into the air. Their bodies seemed to stretch like rubber bands, appearing before the three of them in an instant. Mio watched them quietly, and her face grew shocked. ¡°The white one¡­ looks like a woman.¡± As she said, the white special entity resembled a human woman. Meanwhile, the ck special entity looked like a man with huge biceps. ¡°Huh. Their appearance really grosses me out,¡± Rahmadat remarked. ¡°Don¡¯t let their appearances shake you,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He observed the two special entities. ¡®They¡¯re fast.¡¯ If they seemed fast even to him, how would they seem to other yers? Even though those on the 4th floor were veteran yers, it would still be hard for them to keep up with those monsters¡¯ movements. ¡®Now that I¡¯m seeing them up close, I¡¯m sure of it now. We can¡¯t let them reach the city.¡¯ Unless Kim Woo-Joong, Shin Sung-Hyun, Wei Chun-Hak, and other powerful yers somehow quickly joined together to fight the monsters, a huge catastrophe was inevitable. Seo Jun-Ho stirred his magic energy as he said, ¡°From now on, we¡¯ll call the ck one ck and the white one White.¡± ¡°I like that. It¡¯s easy to remember,¡± Rahmadatmented. The three of them were now ready for battle, and an overwhelming amount of magic energy poured out of them. The special entities were flying at them at what seemed like the speed of light, but they suddenly slowed down. Paaah! They came to aplete stop ten-something meters away, and their antennae twitched suspiciously. ¡®Are they¡­ exchanging signals or something?¡¯ This meant they were intelligent enough to exchange opinions. Seo Jun-Ho stepped forward without hesitation. ¡°Jun-Ho!¡± Mio cried out. She was worried about his defenseless state. Rahmadat grinned, showing teeth. ¡°He¡¯s not the one you should be worried about.¡± Before he even finished his sentence, the white one¡¯s hand shot out and reached for Jun-Ho¡¯s throat. ¡®I see. Is that it?¡¯ Their judgment and decision-making speed were decent, and they were skilled enough not to miss an opening if they found one. However¡­ ¡®They¡¯re simr to Janabi.¡¯ Compared to their hardware, their software, or their battle experience, in other words, was insufficient. Crack! Seo Jun-Ho broke White¡¯s wrist and unsheathed the Sword of Ambition. Slice! He stabbed White¡¯s heart, but she casually severed her injured hand and jumped back. ¡°Their anatomy is different from a human¡¯s. They don¡¯t have a heart.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. ¡°That means we must aim for their heads,¡± Mio concluded. White looked at ck in a daze with her antennae twitching. At that moment, a red line appeared between them, connecting the two. ¡®A line of magic? What kind of technique is that?¡¯ Bang! Bang! As if to say that he wouldn¡¯t give them time to think about it, ck confidently stepped forward. ¡°Ooh, I like the confidence. You must be pretty good. Leave that guy to me.¡± Rahmadat stepped forward as well, looking pleased. Without further ado, he swung his fist. ck crossed his arms into an X-shape and protected his head. Crack! Rahmadat broke right through his crossed arms and struck ck¡¯s chin, making his head spin. ¡°Ahahaha! You¡¯re not dead? You¡¯re pretty sturdy!¡± Rahmadat lowered his stance and started swinging his arms and legs in earnest. Bam! Babam! Bam! ck iled as he received the one-sided attack, but White stopped[1] and simply watched. ¡®Something¡¯s off...¡¯ No matter how little their experience in battle was, they were still special entities Erebo had created. As such, why was White just standing there and watching as herrade was being pummeled? ¡®They¡¯re even less intelligent than normal cockroaches.¡¯ However, there was no way the crafty Erebo would have given power to such halfwits. ¡°Jun-Ho¡­ something is strange,¡± Mio said. ¡°I was just thinking the same thing.¡± Just as he started to feel a sense of foreboding, there was a loud crack akin to a boulder striking another boulder. Seo Jun-Ho quickly turned around and saw that Rahmadat¡¯s head was turned. ¡°Ptoo!¡± Rahmadat spat a mouthful of bloody saliva and scowled. ¡°Did you get careless?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°No, well¡­ I think his movements are a little¡­¡± Rahmadat was at a loss for words. ck kicked his stomach, and Rahmadat was sent flying backward. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Mio were astonished. ck was moving fast¡ªhe was moving so fast even Seo Jun-Ho missed his movements for just a moment. ¡°Ugh, ptoo! Shiiiit!¡± Rahmadat stumbled to his feet like a zombie. ¡°I¡¯m sure of it. This bastard gets stronger over time.¡± At that, Seo Jun-Ho looked at the line connecting White and ck. ¡®It¡¯s yellow...¡¯ He was sure it had been orange just a moment ago when Rahmadat had excitedly punched ck. First, it had been red, and then it became orange, then yellow. Naturally, Seo Jun-Ho thought of the rainbow. ¡°I think they get stronger every time that line changes color,¡± he concluded. ¡°A rainbow line¡­ Brahams and Jennifer?¡± Mio said. ¡°Do you know them?¡± Mio shook her head. ¡°I am not acquainted with them, but they¡¯re famous yers and a married couple. While fighting cockroaches, Jennifer was dragged away by them, and Brahams went off the deep end and chased after them. I heard that neither of them managed toe back.¡± Had Erebo captured them and turned them into special entities? ¡°What are their skills?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°It is the same...¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about? Mio¡¯s smooth forehead wrinkled. ¡°When we arrived at the city, people called them the miracle couple. Because it is rare enough for two yers to awaken the same skill, but the stars aligned, and they even got to marry each other.¡± ¡°Wait, then that means¡­¡± ¡°Yes. That magic rope is not one-sided. It strengthens them both.¡± These two special entities would be stronger as time passed. In addition, Erebo had bestowed power upon them, so they were far stronger than when they were humans. Seo Jun-Ho started to feel rushed. ¡®The yers¡¯ auras in the city are quickly disappearing¡­¡¯ This meant that more and more of them were being killed by the cockroaches, or more and more of them were returning to Earth. - Guoooooo! Moreover, Erebo was also a problem. It seemed that Skaya couldn¡¯t hold down Erebo¡¯s real body on her own because Erebo hadpletely absorbed the troublesome magic circle in the sky, and he was now marching toward the city once again. ¡®Dammit, what should i do?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth and pondered. ¡°Go, Jun-Ho¡­¡± Mio interrupted, cing her hand on the sheath of her sword. ¡°What? But if I go¡ª¡± ¡°Goodness, don¡¯t tell me you think that we will be defeated?¡± ¡°...¡± Rahmadat and Mio were strong enough, so they didn¡¯t need his help. Despite knowing that; however, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s feet didn¡¯t readily move. It was all because he felt like he would be throwing them away if he moved. ¡°I heard the news¡ªthe news that my fool of an older brother led his Guild members back to Earth,¡± Mio said. Her long eyshes slightly fluttered downward as she weaklyughed. ¡°If you happen to regress again, please tell me that right away.¡± ¡°What will change if I do?¡± ¡°I will stop him.¡± Mio looked at the city. ¡°If possible, I do not wish to sh with my one and only family. But to protect my friends, I will.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded quietly. ¡°I promise. I promise I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°That puts my mind at ease,¡± Mio replied with a bright smile and unsheathed her katana. As Seo Jun-Ho watched her walk forward under the cold moonlight, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands squeezed into fists. ¡®I¡¯ll trust them.¡¯ Even if the three of them fought those two monsters together, it would still take them some time to defeat those monsters. In the meantime, Erebo would have already reached the city and massacred the yers. Seo Jun-Ho greatly hoped that Rahmadat and Mio would win as he started sprinting toward Erebo¡¯s real body. *** Bang! Baang! Erebo¡¯s footsteps were heavy, and he was so enormous it seemed that no one would ever be able to stop him. - Hm? However, one man made him pause. He was standing all alone on the deste twone road in the desert, holding a single spear, waiting for Erebo. - So it is a human. How happy I am to see one, however naive you are.¡± Erebo stopped and slowly lowered his head. Unlike the other parts of his body, it was the only ce that wasn¡¯tpletely covered with tree bark. - My condolences. You have lost even before you had a proper fight. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly closed his eyes. They were fading. Just twelve hours before, there had been thirty thousand magic signatures filling the city to the brim, but now, there weren¡¯t even a thousand of them left. ¡®There¡¯s just one reason we failed.¡¯ There were many powerful yers, including Kim Woo-Joong, Shin Sung-Hyun, Wei Chun-Hak, and Gong Ju-Ha. But one man could not defeat a hundred. They had lost because too many yers had retreated. ¡®It seems like they¡¯re still holding out just fine¡­¡¯ However, they couldn¡¯t do anything else other than holding out. He couldn¡¯t count on them toe and help him. - You dared tomit the sin of standing against a god. You will pay with your life. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s breath was knocked out of him when Erebo released his energy. The same thing had happened when he was far off in the city, but now, it was right under his nose. His hands holding the spear trembled violently. ¡®Guh, why am I trembling against a monster?¡¯ Seo Jun-Houghed. This desperate situation was noughing matter, but heughed even more cheerfully. - Yourugh is fake and twisted. Baang! Erebo stomped one of his feet into the ground, and when he did, a de-like gale shot toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Frost!¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± She had been on standby, and the Frost Queen lifted her two hands in response. The iing gale was frozen, and an ice pir shot out of the ground where Seo Jun-Ho was standing. - ... Erebo¡¯srge, wicked eyes could see that the ice pir was tens of meters tall. Seo Jun-Ho met his eyes and pulled back the spear in his hand in a typical javelin-throwing stance. ¡®One shot, one kill.¡¯ He split all the magic energy in his body into two. One half was infused with Watchguard of Darkness, and the rest was infused with Frost. ¡®Andbine them!¡¯ The principle was simr to Moon Eye. However, Moon Eye was a technique that maintained a ratio of energies his body could handle. This technique didn¡¯t involve such a thing. ¡®It¡¯s fine if my body can¡¯t handle it.¡¯ If he could just kill the bastard with this move, he would willinglyugh even if his body was broken. He pushed all the energy he had into the tip of his spear. - ...! Just like how Erebo¡¯s magic energy had stolen his breath, Erebo flinched at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s aura as well. - S-something of this caliber¡­ What a shame! What a shame! If Erbo made a special entity out of a dead organism, then that dead organism¡¯s performance would be less than one-tenth the original. Erebo let out a small sigh. The horns on his forehead started to run rampant with the same energy he was exuding. ¡°Die.¡± Seo Jun-Ho hurled his spear. A powerful beam shot out of Erebo¡¯s forehead and flew toward him, but his spear cut right through it and buried itself into Erebo¡¯s skull. - ...! Erebo let out a vicious roar that rang throughout thend. As the mountain of a monster writhed and danced in pain, the earth shook and the night clouds dissipated. ¡°Contractor!¡± The Frost Queen summoned ice golems, which caught Seo Jun-Ho in mid-air. She looked panicked as she said, ¡°It was a critical blow, but it was too shallow. It did not kill him!¡± ¡°...Dammit.¡± After wailing and cursing while rolling on the ground, Erebo shot up just then. - Humaaaaaan! He let out a resonating lion¡¯s roar, and just like that, it uprooted trees and shattered the windows of the buildings in the city. Erebo had no intentions of forgiving the human who had made him experience such intense pain. - So you dared to attack me in the very end! I should not have been so merciful! Enraged, Erebo released all his magic energy without dy. - Un mill¨®n de espinas![2] Thorns shot out of the enormous monster and rained down on the earth down below. ¡°W-what an unfathomable¡­¡± The Frost Queen trembled as she watched with a stupefied look. ¡°Contractor!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood up. He had used up all his magic power, and he didn¡¯t have an ounce of strength left in him, but still he stood. And he lifted his sword. ¡®Erebo, is this all you can do?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stood upright and narrowed his eyes at the flying thorns with his sword in hand. ¡®There are one million thorns.¡¯ He tried to cut through the iing thorns, but it wasn¡¯t an attack he could handle without any magic energy. A thorn pierced through his abdomen, and it was quickly followed by another thorn that pierced through his shoulder. ¡°Bleghhh¡­!¡± He spat blood because the thorns had punctured both of his thighs and the side of his torso. The Frost Queen bit down hard on her lower lip as she stared at the bleeding and impaled Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...Contractor¡­¡± - You little insect. You will never be able to defeat me, human. Was it because of Erebo¡¯s chilling promation? Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body grew as cold as ice. Seo Jun-Ho lifted his head with great effort and asked, ¡°If¡­I fought you one more time¡­ What do you think would happen?¡± - That will never happen, but the results would be the same. ¡°And then¡­ If I fought you again after that?¡± - It would be the same. ¡°And if I fought you again and again?¡± - That is a meaningless presumption. Even if you fought me a few, tens, hundreds of times, the result will always be the same. ¡°Do you¡­ really think so?¡± Why did Erebo suddenly feel nervous? Why couldn¡¯t he answer readily? ¡°...Heh.¡± It was ironic, but the dying Seo Jun-Ho was the one who wasughing, even though he was dying. Erebo watched the human die, full of disgust. ¡®...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho settled somewhere deep down in his consciousness. The ringing in his ears grew louder, and his eyes felt heavy. Once more, he carved a resolution into his soul. ¡®I will kill you.¡¯ This was the ambitious promise he had made when he entered the 4th floor thirteen years ago. 1. The literal phrase was ¡®let go of his hand¡¯ but we tranted the meaning instead ? 2. This is what was written in the raws. Spanish for ¡®one million thorns¡¯ ? Chapter 350. 17 Years (4)

Chapter 350. 17 Years (4)

Seo Jun-Ho was in a ce he had never seen before. ¡®...A forest?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a well-maintained garden, nor was it a park constructed ording to a blueprint. It was just a forest. There were overgrown weeds and flowers that bloomed as they pleased everywhere, and they were in their natural state. Seo Jun-Ho looked around. After the Frost Queen became a Common Spirit, she started regressing with him, but he couldn¡¯t see her around. ¡®Is this one of Erebo¡¯s abilities?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho carefully watched his surroundings and slowly walked forward. A pleasant breeze brushed against his skin, and the petals swayed, guiding him in one direction. After walking down the path for a long time, Seo Jun-Ho eventually came to a stop. ¡°This is¡­¡± There was a wall. It was a giant wall, and it reminded him of the Great Wall of China. However, Jun-Ho instinctively knew that it wasn¡¯t actually a wall. ¡®That¡¯s a tree...¡¯ No matter how he looked around, all he could see was one side of the tree. The tree was extremely big that he couldn¡¯t even begin to estimate its actual size. He was captivated by the tree as he admired it with his own eyes. A momentter, he heard an unfamiliar female voice. - yer Seo Jun-Ho. The moment he heard her voice, a single tear dripped down his cheek. ¡®...Why am I crying?¡¯ It was unfamiliar, but the voice was both benevolent and tender, and it pulled at his heartstrings. Flustered, he quickly wiped his eyes. ¡°Are you the World Tree?¡± he asked. - Indeed I am. Atst, we can finally speak in person. The giant tree¡¯s leaves swayed gently as if weing him. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t seem to care much because he quicklyunched his questions. ¡°What is this ce? And how are we talking? You should have been eaten by Erebo.¡± - This is a space in my consciousness. I am still being absorbed by Erebo, but because you have mortally wounded him, we can afford to speak. As it turned out, he hadn¡¯t used up all his magic and stabbed Erebo¡¯s skull in vain. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring me all the way here just to say hi, did you?¡± - Of course not. yer Seo Jun-Ho, I am going to return your memories to you. ¡°My memories?¡± - Yes. Your memories of the 105th and 106th regression. ¡°Why now¡­?¡± - The time you will need it wille. And you will have to gain control of your unfettered emotions. Seo Jun-Ho nodded bitterly. ¡°Okay, I got it. I¡¯ll admit that myck of control over my emotions has been getting in the way.¡± - Oh no. The World Tree¡¯s voice grew hasty. - We do not have much time left. I must let you go now. ¡°Already¡­Keuk?!¡±He suddenly was hit with a skull-shattering pain as unfamiliar memories poured into his head. - Always remember¡­Only you can save the world¡­Please, do not give¡­ Her voice gradually grew smaller. *** The first thing Seo Jun-Ho heard after regressing once again wasn¡¯t Wei Chun-Hak¡¯s voice as usual. - In the end, you found your own way. It was Keen Intuition¡¯s voice. ¡®...Oh, right. A Save Point was created after I killed Erebo¡¯s clone.¡¯ He stood right up and started sorting through his tangled thoughts. ¡®I see...¡¯ His memories of the 105th and 106th regressions hadpletely returned. He remembered just how horrible his condition was and how much effort the Frost Queen and his friends had put into saving him. He finally remembered everything. ¡®Maybe Mania Snake Poison was the reason I couldn¡¯t control my emotions.¡¯ Every time he regressed thanks to the diary, all his stats would reset, but not his memories and emotions. However, when he ripped out the pages of the 105th and 106th regressions, his memories were erased, so only his emotions remained. ¡°So you¡¯ve defeated him,¡± Kim Woo-Joong said after they met back up. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared straight at Kim Woo-Joong. ¡®I see. So the reason I unconsciously looked at the Sword Saint¡¯s arm in the previous regression was because of that.¡¯ In any case, it seemed that he had vaguely remembered how Gong Ju-Ha lost her arm. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Kim Woo-Joong asked. ¡°Not at all. Let¡¯s go right away without taking a break,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You seem impatient. Did something happen?¡± ¡°Of course, something happened. You see, I¡¯ve just regressed after dying once. I was stabbed through here, here, and here.¡± ¡°Oh¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Jun-Ho said as he walked. Suddenly, he turned to look at Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Wait. If you¡¯re that sorry, could you do me a favor? *** As soon as he arrived at the second city, Seo Jun-Ho convened with his friends. He shared the events of the previous regression and started looking for solutions to the problematic areas from before. ¡°So you¡¯re saying our first priority is to prevent yers from retreating,¡± Gilberto mused. ¡°Yeah. For now, I¡¯ll leave the Sky Soul Guild to¡­ Mio. That¡¯s what you wanted.¡± ¡°Thank you, Jun-Ho.¡± Mio bowed her head a bit. Because she herself had made the request, she instantly understood what it meant. ¡°I will prevent the Sky Soul Guild from leaving no matter what.¡± ¡°I trust you. Today, I¡¯m going to leave for the cockroach cave right away,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Will you be alright on your own?¡± Rahmadat pointed out. ¡°I never said I would go alone.¡± Though the members of the expedition team were quite skilled, it would still take longer if their party were big. ¡®And Erebo gets stronger over time.¡¯ It was best to destroy the cockroach eggs as soon as possible. Ultimately, the difficulty of his battle with Erebo would depend on how much he could reduce the time it took to draw thetter out. ¡°If you¡¯re not going alone¡­ who are you nning to bring with you?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to make a formal request to the Goblin Guild to bring Miss Ju-Ha and Gasman with me.¡± With their skills, they could destroy 400,000 cockroach eggs in an instant. ¡°And you¡¯reing, too...¡± ¡°Eh?Me?¡± Skaya pointed at herself. ¡°We can¡¯t waste two days getting there and back.¡± ¡°So in other words, you¡¯re going to use me as a taxi again?¡± Skaya was busy preparing the wide-area spell, and she had sagging eye bags. However, she didn¡¯t refuse because she knew that Seo Jun-Ho was suffering far more than her. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll get ready¡­¡± ¡°What about us? What should we do?¡± Gilberto asked while quietly looking at Rahmadat and Cha Si-Eun. The two were sitting next to him. ¡°I¡¯ve alsoe up with things you guys can do.¡± He never had any intention of letting them rx. He immediately started exining, ¡°Spread a rumor so that at least fewer people would run away when Ereboes.¡± ¡°Nice. I¡¯m good at that,¡± Gilberto said. ¡°I s¡¯pose the two of us can help Gilberto,¡± Rahmadat said. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you guys.¡± Without a minute or even a second to spare, Seo Jun-Ho left as soon as they were finished. *** ¡°A-awaaa¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha squeaked. ¡°Captain, please get it together!¡± Gasman eximed. ¡°B-but the eggs are so disgusting!¡± It only took two hours for Seo Jun-Ho, Gong Ju-Ha, and Gasman to destroy all the eggs in the cockroach cave. He hade to this cave once before, so Seo Jun-Ho immediately made his way to the end of the cave before cutting off the head of Erebo¡¯s new body. ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Skaya.¡± After killing Erebo¡¯s clone in the first city, Kim Woo-Joong and Seo Jun-Ho arrived at the next city at midnight. And they finished cleaning up the cockroach cave before daybreak. ¡®This is the best possible scenario. Everything is going perfectly so far.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could definitely see that he had changed for the better, not for the worse. ¡®I¡¯m regting my emotions wlessly.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t hopeless and apathetic, nor was he teary with excessive emotions. He felt like he was inplete control of himself. This kind of confidence would also be very important to have on the battlefield. ¡®In other words, I¡¯m in peak condition.¡¯ However, just because he was feeling good didn¡¯t mean he was guaranteed to win against Erebo. After all, his preparations were still iplete. ¡°I will be back,¡± Mio said. ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°...Jun-Ho, you promised you would not interfere.¡± ¡°I promise I won¡¯t. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s even a point in doing that anyway.¡± When the sun rose, Mio took a single katana and made her way to where Sky Soul was staying In the midst of their breakfast, the Guild members¡¯ eyes fixed on her. ¡°I-it¡¯s the 5 Heroes!¡± ¡°Why are they here?¡± There was no hostility in their voices. They simply looked amazed, as if they were meeting celebrities. ¡°Mio, what¡¯s your n?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked in a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry and just watch. You will know soon enough,¡± she reassured. Mio went up to the receptionist at the desk. ¡°I believe my older brother is here,¡± she said. ¡°Your older brother¡­?¡± ¡°What¡¯s all thismotion?¡± Just in time, Tenmei Ryo came down to the first floor. When he saw Mio, his face instantly darkened. ¡°...Tch.It¡¯s only morning. How arrogant.¡± That was all he had to say after seeing his younger sister for the first time in decades. Tenmei Ryo then approached her. ¡°You have been obedient and quiet this whole time, so what brings you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to take control of the Sky Soul Guild on the 4th floor.¡± ¡°Hah?¡± Tenmei Ryo seemed to be at a loss for words, but he eventually shook his head. ¡°You must have gone crazy. You¡¯re not even a part of Sky Soul.¡± It was true. Sky Soul was created after the 5 Heroes fought the Frost Queen, more specifically, when the Frontier area was unlocked. ¡°I am aware. However, I do not believe that the traditions of the Tenmei n have changed in the meantime.¡± ¡°Traditions? Do you mean¡­¡± Mio nodded. ¡°When there is a conflict within the family, it is to be resolved with the de. Was that not the way of our n?¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Haha!¡± Tenmei Ryo gave a forcedugh. This was the first time they had met in decades, but all she wanted was a duel. ¡°So, are you saying that you wish to fight me and take my authority?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± ¡°Mio. My sister. It has been 27 years. Do you truly think that you are still stronger than me?¡± Mio answered with her unwavering eyes. ¡°I see...¡± All the lingering hesitation disappeared from Tenmei Ryo¡¯s face. He took out a sword from his Inventory. ¡°If you remember the ways of our family, you should also remember that you may lose your life.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go that far.¡± ¡°Let us see how long that confidencests. Follow me.¡± Tenmei Ryo led the way, and Mio followed behind him. ¡°W-will this be okay? Though Tenmei Ryo is not one of the Nine Heavens, he¡¯s a High Ranker. The Sage of the Astrologers¡¯ Tower has consistently named him as one of the top 100 fighters,¡± Cha Si-Eun said. She hade over to watch. ¡°So I¡¯ve heard. Looks like he¡¯s all grown up.¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t really worried. He thought to himself as he followed them.¡®All martial arts ns like the Tenmei family all have their own fighting styles passed down through each generation.¡¯ The Tenmei n¡¯s techniques had been around from the time of their ancestors and were refined through each generation. Their techniques were now imbued with magic energy, and they boasted incredible power. Moreover, the Tenmei n had been a powerful family even before the era of magic thanks to their sword techniques. ¡®In the old days, people would invent fighting styles with the intention of using motifs based on animals or nature.¡¯ Their ancestors had chosen a natural motif¡ªthe sky.[1]The sky was everywhere, and no one could escape the sky because it embraced everything. ¡®There are two main fighting styles passed down only to the direct descendants of the Tenmei n.¡¯ The Red Sun Style took after the most powerful source of light in the sky, the sun, and it would be passed down to the sons who would lead the family. Meanwhile, the Blue Moon Style took after the pale, lofty moonlight, and it would be passed down to the daughters, who would be married off to other families. This was a longstanding tradition of the Tenmei n, and it had been around since the Edo period. ¡®And the Blue Moon Style can never beat the Red Sun Style.¡¯ This was a note left by the founder of the Tenmei n and the inventor of these two styles in the book where the techniques were recorded. His words had been true, so for hundreds of years, no one doubted him. But that blind faith was destroyed by one person¡­ ¡®By our Mio¡­¡¯ At the age of six, she defeated her older brothers, who had trained with the sword for many years more than she had. Mio was an extraordinary genius. If her father and the Tenmei family leader, Tenmei Yugo were open-minded, he would have taught her the Red Sun Style and made her the sessor of the n. ¡®But he didn¡¯t¡­¡¯ He was a conservative man who ced the family tradition above anything else. This was why Seo Jun-Ho hated him. ¡®He¡¯s so cold-hearted that he decided it would be better for her to be gone rather than change the ways of the n.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho remembered how Tenmei Yugo kept shoving her into dangerous situations. ¡°Watch the fight closely,¡± he said as he watched Mio step into the schoolyard. ¡°Then, you¡¯ll understand why they call her Sky Soul¡¯s executioner.¡± Chapter 351. 17 Years (5)

Chapter 351. 17 Years (5)

Tenmei Ryo smoothly wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword with Mio as the target of his de. His stance was masterful simr to what one would see in a textbook. He held that position and was as still as a statue. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be able to watch this duel in person.¡± ¡°One of the 5 Heroes from the past versus one of the top 100 fighters in the present. Who do you think is stronger?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think the Sun Sword would win? The fighting style itself already has the upper hand¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m bored anyway.This seems entertaining.¡± yers gathered in twos and threes and took a spot in the schoolyard. Perhaps the news had spread on the Community forums as well since it had be a major event with thousands of spectators. ¡°Their level of focus is amazing.¡± ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re taking a long time reading[1]each other.¡± Reading an opponent was something master fighters did before a fight. With just their sight, hearing, smell, and instinct, they would grasp their opponent¡¯s capabilities. But that was what people often said to make it seem fancy. In simpler terms, they just stared each other down. The members of Sky Soul tilted their heads. Tenmei Ryo was usually arrogant, but now, he was finding it difficult to make a move. ¡°The captain doesn¡¯t seem like himself today.¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s taking really deep breaths.¡± ¡°Wait, I think his hands are shaking as well. Do you think he¡¯s nervous?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Since his opponent is his little sister, he¡¯s probably concentrating so that he won¡¯t hurt her.¡± They were idiots. They were idiots who knew nothing. Tenmei Ryo internally cursed his subordinates. ¡®You lot know nothing.¡¯ He had to put in great effort to calm down the surge of excitement in his heart. The others didn¡¯t know just how long he had been waiting for this moment. Frankly, he thought that he would never have the opportunity to fight her again. After all, he cared a lot about his reputation, so he couldn¡¯t provoke his younger sister. ¡®I am finally fighting you¡­ again.¡¯ He stared at the girl in front of him. To others, she was the former Sword Saint or the Sky Phoenix. To others, she was an idol. To others, she was a Hero. But for Tenmei Ryo, she was a barrier. ¡®...The first andst barrier I have ever encountered.¡¯ Tenmei Ryo slowly closed his eyes. He suddenly remembered that day, and it was as clear as yesterday to him. His younger sister had followed them to the training grounds, saying that she wanted to watch her brothers train. Holding a sword for the first time, she knocked her two older brothers down with a cheerful smile. ¡®That was the most humiliating day of my life.¡¯ She had never even learned any sword techniques, yet she defeated two swordsmen with instinctive movements alone. After that, all the brotherly love Tenmei Ryo had for Mio dissipated. He and his brother had always been revered as some of the most talented swordsmen, but he could never escape the humiliating nightmare of that day. Actually, even though decades had passed since then, he would still asionally dream about that day. ¡®I tried so hard to erase you.¡¯ He didn¡¯t pay her any attention and tried to erase her very existence from his life. However, he failed. Tenmei Mio became a world-renowned hero, and even though the three men tried to ignore it, it still haunted them. ¡®...I was miserable.¡¯ He was ashamed of himself for feeling envious of his little sister. He used those emotions as a driving force to train like a madman, but no matter how much effort he put into it, he could never cross the barrier of natural talent. And so, he despaired. ¡®I will wash all those emotions away today.¡¯ His hands slowly started to grip tighter around the hilt of his sword. There was no doubt in his mind¡ªhe would win. ¡®I won¡¯t lose.¡¯ After Mio was trapped in the ice, he trained every single day without fail for the past 27 years and eventually surpassed his older brother. He trusted his experience, and the design of his sword style gave him an advantage, too. ¡®I know how to break through every single Blue Moon Style technique.¡¯ In other words, he would win even though he didn¡¯t know what she would do. Rationally, there was no way he could lose. ¡°Come,¡± Tenmei Ryo said. ¡°...¡± Mio nodded softly and lowered her stance. The tension reached its peak. In the silence, only the sound of the breeze blowing through them could be heard. -ang! Their swords shed. ¡°W-woah!¡± ¡°Holy shit. Are you sure she was trapped in ice for 26 years?¡± The onlookers let out small gasps. Mio¡¯s movements were unimaginably fast. ¡®She¡¯s a genius. A true genius.¡¯One of the onlookers, Seo Jun-Ho, nodded slowly. There was only one reason he always called her a genius. ¡®Be. Cause. She¡¯s. w. Less.¡¯ Normally, when yers leveled up, raised their stats, or equipped nice gear, there would be an immediate sense of disharmony. Their mind and body would feel a disparity between them and their newly obtained stats. ¡®That¡¯s something that not even I have been able to ovee.¡¯ However, Mio was an exception. It didn¡¯t matter if her stats increased or decreased because she was born with the natural ability to bring her body to the optimal state. And it was something not even most other geniuses could achieve, even if they trained. ¡®It¡¯s a terrifying talent.¡¯ - ang! Mio¡¯s de seemed to embroider the air. Every time their des shed, sparks would fly like blooming flowers. ¡°...Heh.¡± Tenmei Ryo let out a lowugh as he pushed aside each of her strikes. ¡®I see it. I can see it! This is different from the past.¡¯ He could clearly see the path of each of her strikes. No matter how fast the attacks were and no matter how much they tried to take him by surprise, as long as he knew how to counter them, he couldn¡¯t be hit. ¡°You¡¯re lucky. Since so many eyes are watching, you will not lose your life,¡± he said. ¡°...¡± Fwooosh! Tenmei Ryo¡¯s magic power surged around him like wildfire. ¡®I can¡¯t kill her or cut off a limb anyway.¡¯ Those who didn¡¯t know where Mio stood in their n would definitely say that he was too cruel. So, he quickly chose a different direction. He chose to use this situation as a tool to raise his honor. ¡®I¡¯ll finish it in an instant.¡¯ The Red Sun Style heated up the entire schoolyard. ¡°Hm,so this is the Tenmei n¡¯s sword technique. The Red Sun Style, was it?¡± ¡°Even if they don¡¯t have an elemental skill¡­ The heat rivals that of a real fire.¡± ¡°I can finally see why they¡¯re known as the greatest n of swordsmen.¡± The scariest part of the Red Sun Style was the way it overwhelmed the opponent while they were facing it. Like the actual sun, the opponent¡¯s vision would grow dim, and they would find it hard to breathe. ng! Mio blocked Tenmei Ryo¡¯s strike and momentarily retreated. Then, she disappeared like a ghost. ¡®Impressive.¡¯Tenmei Ryo¡¯s eyes narrowed. She didn¡¯t actually disappear. Rather, she lowered her stance so low that she reached the ground. ¡®The Blue Moon Style¡¯s second technique. The Sword of the Swallow.¡¯ It was a fine technique. The Sword of the Swallow¡¯s killing power was great, and if used on an opponent who didn¡¯t know any better, it would guarantee victory. ¡®But I am the second son of the Tenmei n.¡¯ He knew every single technique Mio had. Tenmei Ryo slightly slid one of his feet back and readied himself for the next strike. ¡®She¡¯sing.¡¯ Pah! Mio kicked off of the dirt and charged him, almost seeming like she was sliding on the ground. She applied the technique in an extremely natural way it seemed like flowing water. ¡®...!¡¯ She was fast. It was just for a moment, but she was so fast her figure flickered. ¡®You fool. Pull yourself together.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t lose just because he let his guard down. Tenmei Ryo sharpened his focus and read the trajectory of her sword before quickly swinging his de. The Sword of the Swallow was a technique that drew the opponent¡¯s eyes to the ground while the actual attack woulde from above. ¡®Her technique is impressive¡­ But that is all.¡¯ Tenmei Ryo already knew how to counter it. He used the Red Sun Style¡¯s third technique, Bowing Cloud, and his lips started to curl up as he grasped his guaranteed victory. ¡°...?!¡± But they were increasing... He was sure the swallow only had one beak, but they were increasing until they became two, three, four¡­ ¡®I-is the technique supposed to be like this?¡¯ Tenmei Ryo turned deathly pale as he hurriedly swung his sword in a panic. His de shone as red as the sun as it cut each swallow down. But even as he did, the one who grew impatient was him. ¡®What is this? What in the world is this?¡¯ The sun was the greatest source of light in the sky. By nature, if a swallow flew too close to the sun, biologically, it would inevitably melt. However, the swallow seemed like it was about to consume the sun. ¡°Damn!¡± Tenmei Ryo cursed angrily and concentrated an enormous amount of magic energy into his body. ¡°H-holy shit.¡± ¡°I knew the Sun Sword would win!¡± The sun split the crowd of swallows. He was called the Sun Sword because every time his de shed, an opponent would die. ¡®Do you really think that you can beat me with speed?¡¯ ng! ng! Tenmei Ryo¡¯s sword vigorously cut through each swallow. ¡®I won. This is my victory.¡¯ Once again, he felt assured of his victory, and his lips curled up once more. ¡°Sword of the Swallow, Eight Trigrams.¡± However, Mio started moving like an acrobat. The Swallow¡¯s stance was difficult to maintain, but she was still swinging her sword without a single w. ¡°...!¡± And then, Tenmei Ryo was faced with swallowsing in from eight directions.[2] ¡°Ugh!¡± He swung his scarlet sword madly and cut through each swallow once again. Rriiip! However, Mio had already cut a long line through his upper garment. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone in the schoolyard was still. The audience couldn¡¯t tell if the match had ended or if it was still ongoing. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ not bleeding.¡± ¡°She went easy on him. She precisely cut only his clothes without touching his skin.¡± ¡°What happens in situations like this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. If he doesn¡¯t acknowledge his loss¡­ they¡¯ll probably keep going, right?¡± While the others chattered, Tenmei Ryo was frozen with confusion. ¡®...She cut me?Me?¡¯ No¡­ No, that couldn¡¯t be it. That was impossible. That couldn¡¯t happen. ¡®I was countering every single technique of the Blue Moon Style. I was breaking through each one.¡¯ He acknowledged her skills. He had never seen someone who could use the Sword of the Swallow in such a masterful way. But still, he had lost. And there was only one reason for his defeat. ¡®My skills still aren¡¯t¡ª¡¯ He held himself back. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to finish the sentence to himself. The moment he acknowledged that, his whole world woulde crashing down. ¡°...¡± He suddenly looked down at his hand holding the sword. After decades of being covered with callouses, they had taken over his whole palm. He didn¡¯t have these callouses when he was younger¡ªwhen he first lost to his younger sister. ¡®...Even though so much time has passed, I still cannot reach her.¡¯ Tenmei Ryo¡¯s chest grew tight, and his body became so heavy it felt like he was drowning. He gnashed his teeth amidst the misery, but he was aware of the eyes around him, so he forced himself to smile. ¡°Sister, that was a finepetition.¡± ¡°Please give me full authority over the Sky Soul Guild.¡± ¡°Though I lost by a mere hair, but this match¡ª¡± ¡°Please give me full authority over the Sky Soul Guild.¡± ¡°It was the finest one I have had in recent memory¡­¡± ¡°Please give me full authority over the Sky Soul Guild.¡± ¡°...¡± Geez, he was still talking¡­ Tenmei Ryo pushed down the heavy sense of self-doubt and nodded. ¡°...Alright. Do as you wish.¡± With so many people watching, he couldn¡¯t go back on his word like a coward. He shortly handed over the reins to the Vice Captain of his team and ran back to Earth with a face riddled with exhaustion. As soon as it was over, Mio ran over to Seo Jun-Ho and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? You did not need to worry, Jun-Ho. They will no longer be a problem.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave her a slow p. ¡°Wow, our maknae sure is the best.¡± ¡°The best¡­?¡± she muttered. Mio smiled warmly. It was the brightest smile Seo Jun-Ho had ever seen from her since she broke out of the ice. *** ¡°The preparations areplete¡­¡± Seo Jun-Hopleted the preparations for the battle earlier than expected, and he headed over to the city wall. ¡®We stopped Sky Soul¡¯s retreat, and they were why yers started to leave.¡¯ On top of that, they had finished spreading the news thanks to Gilberto. There wasn¡¯t much to the rumors. All they said was that Erebo might attack tonight, so people should steel themselves, and that he was really strong, but they have a secret weapon, so people shouldn¡¯t worry too much about taking out the cockroaches and the special entities. The rumors were basically like that. ¡®And I asked the Sword Saint to help us take out ck and White.¡¯ This way, Seo Jun-Ho could focus solely on Erebo. ¡°...Contractor. Allow me to make but one request,¡± The Frost Queen suddenly said with her arms crossed. ¡°If it¡¯s about cake, then no.¡± ¡°Oh,please! Do you truly believe I would ask for cake in a situation like this?¡± ¡®¡­Yeah.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Then, what is it?¡± The Frost Queen looked straight at him with a serious face. ¡°No matter how many times you die from now on, do not change. This is an order. I¡­ I am afraid of you changing.¡± ¡°...Why are you worried about that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho snorted. Truthfully, there had been a time when he had given up on everything after dying over and over again. ¡®But I won¡¯t run away anymore¡­¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t give up on those who were precious to him, and he wouldn¡¯t lose himself anymore. Seo Jun-Ho watched the tree grow bigger and bigger on the horizon. ¡°I¡¯m the only Seo Jun-Ho standing here right now.¡± ¡°What nonsense is that? Are you saying that there is another Seo Jun-Ho somewhere?¡± ¡°No,e on. It¡¯s just a metaphor.¡± The current Seo Jun-Ho was the Seo Jun-Ho who had gone through every suffering and emerged triumphant. He was the only Seo Jun-Ho here. ¡®There¡¯s just one more thing left to do.¡¯ If he looked back, he could see all his former selves, copsed with countless injuries for the sake of bringing him here. He could feel their feelings, see their memories, and feel their pain. And he was the ¡®final¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho who was carrying everything. He stood before Erebo. - How happy I am to see one, however naive you are. So it is a human. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Good to see you, Erebo.¡± With Midnight Sun covering his body, Jun-Ho gripped the so-called Cold Spear in his hands. ¡°Hey, Cold Spear. After we get back to Earth, I¡¯ll take you to a fortune teller and give you areallycool name.¡± Upon hearing that, the cold the spear was giving off seemed to have grown stronger. Chapter 352. 17 Years (6) Chapter 352. 17 Years (6) Unlikest time, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t recklessly muster his magic energy. ¡®I can¡¯t take an explosive approach and use up all my energy from the very beginning.¡¯ He already knew just what kind of attack Erebo would use whenever he received major damage and became enraged. As such, Seo Jun-Ho had to conserve his magic to survive the barrage of one million thorns. ¡®And I have only one skill that doesn¡¯t use magic energy.¡¯ He turned to the Frost Queen and fixed his eyes on her. ¡°Frost.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You can use as much of my mental energy as you want. Give him a big blow.¡± ¡°I shall,¡± she said, ring at Erebo with narrowed eyes. After going through countless regressions, her hatred of him had naturally piled up. ¡°If I am being honest, I have always wanted to give him a hard beating.¡± An ominous amount of energy poured off her small body. - Hm¡­? A Spirit! You are a Spirit? Erebo shouted. He could now see her after absorbing enough of the World Tree. ¡°You vulgar thing. I shall personally offer you a chance.¡± The Frost Queen gave a small stomp on the ground, and her eyes grew as cold as ice. ¡°Cease your impertinent remarks and pay your respects to the Queen of Niflheim.¡± ¡°...!¡± Crackle! Arge sheet of ice sprouted from her foot and shot out toward Erebo. The closer it got to Erebo, the taller and wider it became. When it arrived right under Erebo¡¯s nose, it had practically be a mountain made of ice. - Guahhh! Erebo screamed as he was hit by the giant mountain of ice. He went flying and even started freezing over. However, Seo Jun-Ho was the most surprised. ¡®W-woah.¡¯ Was she really the loser Frost Queen that he knew? He extended his hand and stroked his temple at the same time. ¡®My head doesn¡¯t even hurt.¡¯ The Frost Queen used his mental energy rather than his magic energy. As such, he always tried not to use her in battle if possible. The more she used her powers, the more his head started to hurt, which would make him unable to concentrate. ¡®But¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t feel anything at all. He couldn¡¯t feel his focus slipping, and his head didn¡¯t feel like it was about to split. His mind felt as clear as always. ¡°Is it because you¡¯ve be a Common Spirit?¡± ¡°Indeed, it is because¡ªwait. Yes, because I have be a Grade 3 Arch Spirit, I am now able to make use of your mental energy more efficiently. However, more than that¡­¡± The Frost Queen looked at him warmly. ¡°It was you who changed.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. What change? ¡°Contractor. What do you think is the most dangerous mental shock an organism can receive?¡± ¡°Mental shock?¡± A few things came to his mind: heartbreak, fear, loneliness, loss, and¡­ ¡°...And death.¡± ¡°Indeed, it is death. You have died hundreds of times, but you overcame the shock and stood back up, did you not?¡± Yes, it made sense. In short, his mind had grown stronger after experiencing death hundreds of times. ¡°Then, how many times can you use something like that without hurting me?¡± he asked. ¡°I am not sure. But based on my current assessment¡­ I believe I can do about three more attacks of a simr scale.¡± Three more¡­ ¡®That¡¯s more than enough.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gripped the shaft of his spear tightly. ¡°Then what are you doing? Give him a hard beating.¡± ¡°I like that strategy.¡± Erebo groaned as he writhed on the ground. With great difficulty, he tried to stand back up. Since the World Tree was on his back, heid on his stomach rather than on his back. The Frost Queen haughtily snapped her fingers. ¡°Destroy my enemies. Queen¡¯s Lance.¡±[1] Crackle! Hundreds ofnces were created above her head. They were the same ones ancient calvaries used to pierce their enemies while charging on horseback. Thences slowly rotated before flying out. ¡®I can¡¯t make Frost do all the work.¡¯ While she attacked, Seo Jun-Ho started to warm himself up until he reached a hundred percent Overclocking output. He charged at Erebo with everything he had and held nothing back. - You¡­You¡­How dare you lowly things attack meeee! It was a rare moment in which the insect was spouting bullshit.[2] However, he didn¡¯t stop there. -Mil espinas[3]! A thousand thorns shot out from his body and flew toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Only a thousand? Looks like he hasn¡¯t been hit enough yet.¡¯ With his magic-enhanced eyes, he quickly scanned the scene. ¡®I can see their trajectories.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t slow down. Gritting his teeth, he started to elerate. Slice! ¡®Cut them down.¡¯ Slice! Slice! ¡®Cut all of them down.¡¯ The spear in his left hand would move over to his right from time to time and vice versa. His movements were captivating. He aggressively dodged the ones he couldn¡¯t hit away, and he didn¡¯t bother dodging the ones he couldn¡¯t dodge. - H-how?! To Erebo, humans were like tiny insects. That was all they were. He knew that they were feeble creatures who would die without struggling if he stepped on them. However, the very same creature was actually fighting him with the intention of killing him. - Ha. Hahaha. Hahahahaha! Erebo couldn¡¯t help butugh. Simr to how a human might feel if an ant were trying to kill them, heughed without stopping. ¡°Cease yourughter and shut your mouth. You¡¯ll grow on me,¡± the Frost Queen sarcastically warned. - ...! With that, a giantnce flew toward his abdomen. Erebo hastily summoned his magic power and created tens of enormous walls to shield himself. They were stronger than most fortress walls, and he cackled at her. - Ignorant Spirit. Do you really think that I would fall for the same trick twice? ¡°Ignorant cockroach. Don¡¯t you know?¡± The Frost Queen smirked before saying, ¡°My Contractor is Specter.¡± Fwooosh! When her words fell, a curtain of darkness pervaded the air like magic, and it wrapped around the giantnces. ¡°This may hurt a little¡ªno, a lot.¡± The power to scorn, activate¡­ Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen¡¯s joint attack ripped through the defensive walls like they were paper until it reached Erebo. - Guahhhhh! Erebo roared like a lion while facing the sky. The clouds covering the moonlight dissipated. ¡°...Heh.¡± With a satisfied smile, the Frost Queen sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you have time to scream.¡± The Frost Queen had predicted it. The thorns attacking Seo Jun-Ho slowed down just a bit while Erebo was howling at the sky. ¡®There it is!¡¯ He spotted an opening. He slipped out of the thicket of thorns and climbed onto Erebo¡¯s stomach. ¡°It¡¯s your turn, Cold Spear.¡± He nced at the spear before thrusting it into Erebo¡¯s stomach, causing Erebo¡¯s upper body to shoot up. Rrrrip! When Seo Jun-Ho pierced the hide of Erebo¡¯s stomach, Cold Spear started to freeze the monster. - Gahhh! It hurts! It hurts! I said it hurts!!! I¡¯m going crazy!!! Erebo¡¯s body iled like mad. Every time he moved, Seo Jun-Ho would sway this way and that way, and he looked like he would fall over anytime soon. ¡®...¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho was practically in a trance at this point. He held on as Erebo thrashed violently. Somehow, he managed to climb until he could see Erebo¡¯s head, and he finally pulled Cold Spear out from Erebo¡¯s body. - Ugh, ugh, gah¡­! Erebo sounded like he was choking. As his body twitched, he fixed his eyes on Seo Jun-Ho. - Y-you¡­What are you trying to do¡­? His stomach was as big as a human body, and now, it had a long cut running from the top all the way to the bottom. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the line of ice that had frozen all the way down to Erebo¡¯s feet and crouched. ¡°...Watchguard of Darkness.¡± Darkness pooled in his hands, and he moved it onto the ice. The azure sheet unwittingly became jet-ck, and Erebo¡¯s eyes widened because he could recognize the feeling it gave off. - T-that¡¯s¡­! That is what you used when you killed my clone! ¡°You just noticed? Do you have PTSD or something?¡± He infused the long line of ice with darkness, transforming it into his desired form. ¡®It works the same way as Moon Eye.¡¯ Moon Eye was just one single flower, so what should he call this one? He couldn¡¯te up with a name for Cold Spear to save his life, but this one¡¯s name came to him quite easily. ¡°Path of Flowers.¡± Crackle! A long path of flowers bloomed from thin air, and they fell like cold snowkes. - Guuaaah! The attack consumed almost all of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic at once. However, it was incredibly powerful. ¡°This attack will tear you apart, cell by cell.¡± In an instant, Erebo¡¯s stomach was dyed ck as the ice and darkness in his body quickly spread necrosed his cells. - I-impossible¡­I absorbed the World Tree¡¯s powers! My regeneration rate should be near invincible! ¡°Well, this destroys your cells, and those cells are the ones that let you regenerate, so how can you survive this?¡± - T-this¡­Is unfair! ¡°Sue me.¡± In response, Erebo squawked, and magic gushed out of him. - Partner! Something big ising. Keen Intuition warned. Seo Jun-Ho immediately kicked off of Erebo¡¯s stomach and retreated. Anyway, he had already fulfilled his role. ¡°You did well,¡± said the Frost Queen. ¡°You, too.¡± They took a second to stare at Erebo writhing in pain. ¡°Contractor. Even if this is a power thatbines Watchguard of Darkness and Frost and destroys his very cells simr to what Moon Eye does, it will still take several hours to destroy a body as big as his.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Surprisingly, it turned out that everything up until now was just an appetizer. Now, it was finally time for the main dish. ¡°Will you be able to handle those one million thorns?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°...Then what do you know?¡± Whatever. How was he supposed to know when he hadn¡¯t done things like this before? Seo Jun-Ho peeked behind his shoulder. ¡®The battle with the cockroach army¡­ It will also take four or five more hours.¡¯ When he looked at the other side, he sensed intense tempestuous energy. ¡®And it¡¯ll take at least two hours to kill ck and White.¡¯ In other words, it would be at least two hours until he could receive backup. In the next two hours, he had to fight on his own. It was his final mission. ¡°...May you bloom like a winter tree.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It is a nt that blooms miraculously, even in Niflheim¡¯s harsh weather.¡± The Frost Queen hoped that her contractor would have that very miraculous power. As she blessed him, Erebo pulled himself together and turned over. - Guh, krrr¡­krrrrrrr¡­ He let out a weird sound that resembled aggingputer. Necrosed tissues fell piece by piece from his stomach. - I-I will not die like this¡­How dare you¡­Do you even know who I am, ah?! If I kill you and eat you¡­! Thorns emerged from his crumbling body. Like a peacock showing off his feathers, they shot out and flew into the night sky. - You will die under these million thorns! It wasing¡­ Seo Jun-Ho retrieved Sawtooth Sword from his Inventory. ¡°...No thanks. It hurts, you know?¡± he muttered under his breath. 1. Interestingly, she uses a different first pronoun than she usually does. It is reserved specifically for rulers and monarchs. The one she typically uses is lessmon and used for female royalty (including princesses) and for female masters in murim/wuxia. ? 2. This is a pun. The literal meaning of the word for bullshit/nonsense means ¡®dog noises/sounds¡¯ ? 3. Means one thousand thorns. ? Chapter 353. 17 Years (7)

Chapter 353. 17 Years (7)

One million thorns spread out in an arc as if they were about to consume the earth. Seo Jun-Ho took in the beautiful sight. It was almost artistic. He downed a potion. ¡°Two hours...¡± He could feel the rise of the magic power within him, thanks to the magic recovery potion Skaya had rushed to make. - Partner. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it.¡± He sensed it through instinct rather than with Keen Intuition¡¯s help. These two hours would be the longest two hours of his life. Seo Jun-Ho raised his sword. Magic pooled into the de, and the teeth rotated. ¡°You versus me.¡± The one with stronger abilities would win. *** Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vision was filled with red thorns, concealing the moonlight, sky, and the earth from his sight. There was only one thing he could see¡­ ¡®Thorns.¡¯ And there was only one thing he could do... ¡®Wield my sword.¡¯ Slice! Seo Jun-Ho swung his sword incessantly. However, it wasn¡¯t like he had emptied his mind and was working on autopilot. He couldn¡¯t afford to do that. ¡®Faster. Stronger. More effective.¡¯ Every time he swung his sword, it was as if he was testing the limits of his concentration. His head felt hotter than any other part of his body. However, his brain was more active than ever. ¡®Swing vertically twice and then two steps to the left. And then step diagonally to the right¡­¡¯ His mind raced as he calcted the path of each and every thorn flying toward him. ¡®Cut this one. That one¡­ I can¡¯t cut it.¡¯ If he couldn¡¯t block a thorn, he would simply give up, undaunted. Instead, he would concentrate on the next one. A barrage of thorns he couldn¡¯t dodge struck him. If it weren¡¯t for Midnight Sun, he would have instantly died. Immortality: This armor cannot be destroyed. ¡®Thank you, Noya. Thank you, Graham.¡¯ Full of gratitude for the two cksmiths, he swung his sword again. Even as he stumbled back, he tried his best to cut down at least a thorn. Swoosh! ng! Swoosh! For every three thorns he cut down, he would be hit by one. Though Midnight Sun couldn¡¯t be destroyed, maintaining that effect required the use of magic. ¡®Every time I get hit, I can feel my magic being drained.¡¯ He wanted to curse in frustration, but he didn¡¯t have any mental energy to spare, even for something as simple as that. After all, he was already doing three things at once. The first one was calction¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll use my sight, hearing, touch, and all my other senses to calcte the path of every single thorn.¡¯ The second was moving¡­ ¡®Moving in the most optimal way to cut down a thorn.¡¯ And thest was memorization¡­ ¡®So that I can block the thorns I couldn¡¯t block in the next regression.¡¯ However, despite his best efforts, Erebo was getting farther and farther away from him. It was all because every time he blocked or was hit by a thorn, he would be pushed back. ng! ¡°Ugh!¡± In the end, Seo Jun-Ho fell to his knees after cutting a hundred thousand thorns. - ... Erebo didn¡¯t even say anything. All he wanted to do was kill the human as fast as possible. Slice! Seo Jun-Ho did the work for him. *** 10 times¡­ 20 times¡­ 50 times¡­ 100 times. He kept fighting the same battle against Erebo. However, it never got old at all, or rather, itcouldn¡¯tget old. ¡°...Where will the next onee from again?¡± ¡°Are you speaking of the 740,425th thorn?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It came diagonally from the right, flying in at approximately 1 o¡¯clock. It struck your left knee.¡± ¡°Oh,right.¡± Over and over, he studied the thorns and fought. His memory was much better than most people¡¯s, but he couldn¡¯t be called a genius. As such, the Frost Queen had be much more helpful than ever. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you¡¯re smarter than me,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Heh,I am indeed intelligent. I was the youngest student ever to enter and graduate from the imperial academy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the 20th time you¡¯ve said that.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± The more regressions they went through, the easier the battle against Erebo became. The reason was simple¡­ ¡®I¡¯m getting better.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho originally thought that his progress would teau as he went through more regressions. However, that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡®I¡¯m umting more experience, and my swordy is bing more borate.¡¯ On top of that, his mental energy was growing as well, which made the Frost Queen stronger in turn. Meanwhile, Erebo¡­ ¡®He never changes.¡¯ The monster couldn¡¯t change or grow stronger because he was trapped in time. Thanks to that, Seo Jun-Ho even almost killed him on his 187th try. ¡®Number 944,485.¡¯ The one million thorns covered the sky, but most of them fell to the ground like feathers. ¡°Is this my limit¡­?¡± Growing impatient, Erebo started to use different attack patterns on him. Seo Jun-Ho knew it would take at least three more regressions to learn all of them. Even though Seo Jun-Ho had always been the loser, Erebo was the one growing more impatient. And on their 194th battle¡­ ¡°...Oh?¡± Seo Jun-Ho realized what had changed about him. It wasn¡¯t some dramatic change like getting more stat points or his skill increasing in grade. ¡°What is this feeling?¡± His heart was calm, like a cidke. He watched as Erebo approached him from the distance while giving off an amazing amount of energy. ¡°...¡± He wasn¡¯t nervous or shaken. ¡®Why? I¡¯m not just being arrogant, am I?¡¯ As he swung his sword endlessly, the answer suddenly popped into his head. ¡°Oh,I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly and looked around. There were more than one million thorns broken and scattered at his feet. However, what was even more surprising was that his body didn¡¯t feel tired at all. In the previous regression, he had been gasping for breath in the second half of the battle, and he fought purely on spite. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at his hands. He felt like he could perfectly control every single one of his senses, and perhaps even his cells. ¡®I¡¯ve definitelye a long way.¡¯ Right before he came up to the 4th floor, he had been hunting fiends like mad. As he cut them down ruthlessly, his level rose steeply, and thanks to that, he recovered all the stats he had lost when he was frozen in the past. ¡®On top of that, my stats rose when I entered the 4th floor thanks to the effects of Bringer of Spring.¡¯ His stats had doubled in a short amount of time, and he started regressing without any time to adjust to those stats. Afterward, he reached a hundred Overclocking output, but it didn¡¯t really matter since he still couldn¡¯t make proper use of all his stats. ¡°Am I finally done?¡± After fighting for his life for 300 regressions, his body finally reached a perfect equilibrium. And that was also why he was certain that he would win today. ¡®It feels strange.¡¯ Even as he breathed, he felt like he was using the oxygen optimally. ¡°This is amazing.¡± While Seo Jun-Ho reveled in the incredible feeling, Erebo was panicking after all his thorns were cut down. - Wait. Wait. Wait. Even with that big head of his, Erebo still couldn¡¯t make sense of the situation. - Where did all my thorns go? ¡°I cut them all down.¡± - I-is this a dream? ¡°...Yes, it is,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. It was the dream Seo Jun-Ho had for seventeen years¡ªthis endless, horrible nightmare. ¡°It¡¯s about time for us to wake up from this long dream. For our sake.¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly walked forward. - ...D-don¡¯te any closer. It was a paradoxical sight. Erebo was as big as a mountain, but he was backing up when a tiny little human started approaching him. ¡°Are you scared of me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. - Scared? Impossible! I am no different from a god¡­ And I¡­ Erebo¡¯s giant body was trembling. He didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it, but he was scared. The puny human had not only severely injured him, but he had also calmly cut down a million thorns. Erebo was scared. ¡°Anyst words?¡± - ...Are you truly human? Seo Jun-Ho smirked and looked at Frost. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°You are indeed a human, Contractor. You are the most humane, prolific human of all.¡± ¡°You heard her.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lip curled up, and he lifted his hand. ¡°We both hated this fight, so let¡¯s not meet again.¡± A flower bloomed in his hand. He held the stem, and it started spinning. ¡°When you¡¯re fighting a monster, you have to be careful not to be a monster yourself¡­ or something like that.¡± However, this was a world where one couldn¡¯t survive without bing a monster. ¡°...You know, it wouldn¡¯t be that bad to be a monster.¡± He threw the flower. - A-ah¡­Ahhh¡­ Erebo was covered in petals, and his body froze over just like that. He looked fine on the outside, but with the destruction of all the cells in his body, necrosis should havepletely devoured his insides. ¡°Congrattions. How do you feel?¡± asked the Frost Queen. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He felt like he was in a haze. He had spent seventeen years on the 4th Floor just for this very moment. ¡®Seventeen years¡­¡¯ Perhaps it was thanks to Hero¡¯s Mind, but it didn¡¯t feel that long. He approached Erebo¡¯s corpse. ¡°There¡¯s a core.¡± ¡°Do not touch it recklessly.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He carefully picked it up with tongs and put it in his Inventory. Afterward, a flood of messages appeared in front of him. [Congrattions! You have defeated the Another World Area Boss Monster, Erebo.] [You have received the title ¡®One Who Perseveres¡¯.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­ [All stats has increased by 12.] [Safe zones will not appear in the Another World area.] Was that really it? Seo Jun-Ho still couldn¡¯t settle down. But after one, five, and then ten minutes... ¡°I guess it really is over¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered nkly. However, before his feeble voice could be carried off into the wind, the scenery around him distorted. ¡°Contractor, this is¡­¡± ¡°I recognize this forest.¡± He hade here before, exactly once. He wracked his brain, trying to find the memory rted to this ce as he walked forward. ¡°Oh!¡± At the end of the path was a tree. As always, it was sorge that it was hard to estimate its size. However, something had changed. ¡®What energy¡­!¡¯ It was life force. Just by approaching it, he felt blood rushing back to his skin, and he could feel overflowing energy brewing within him. He trembled under the World Tree¡¯s overflowing life force. - Thank you, yer Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...It¡¯s over, right?¡± - Indeed it is. ¡°I¡¯m not going to regress again or something, am I?¡± - Of course not. You have already sessfully cleared the 4th floor. The intense anxiety he had been enduring from when he killed Erebo was finally released. He couldn¡¯t help but fall to the ground, and he covered his face with both his hands. ¡°Sigh,I¡¯m sorry. I suddenly felt relieved¡­¡± - I understand. You fought, endured, and won better than I expected. Therefore¡­ The tender voice seemed to wrap around him soothingly. - Therefore, you can now cry all you want. ¡°What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho wondered if his ears had failed him. Why would he cry? It was finally over, so it was time for a big celebration. However, a smooth, small hand patted his head. ¡°Just cry, Contractor.¡± It was the Frost Queen. ¡°No, why would I even¡ª¡± Before he could even finish his sentence, hot tears welled up and spilled down his cheeks. They were so thick that they felt heavy as they poured endlessly from his eyes. As he blinked and watched the soil grow damp, Seo Jun-Ho finally realized. ¡°Hic¡­ Hic¡­¡± It had been so¡ªso hard. He kept running without end, and he ran fast enough that he passed by his feelings without even realizing what they were. He felt a strange sense of peace under the World Tree¡¯s voice and the Frost Queen¡¯s gentle pats. He let go and cried for a long time. ¡°Contractor, your eyes are red and swollen. You look ugly now.¡± ¡°...Shut up,¡± he said sullenly while wiping his red eyes with his sleeve. After crying for a long time, embarrassment started to set in. ¡®Dammit, why did I even cry?¡¯ At that, he heard a small voice. - Crying is not a sin. I hope you be more honest with yourself and face your feelings. ¡°...You¡¯re the main reason I cried, you know.¡± - I am aware. That is why I will always be sorry and be grateful to you. A pool of light descended from the sky andnded in front of him. - Please ept this. Aside from your reward for clearing the Floor, this is something I am giving to you personally. ¡°What is it?¡± It was a small wooden box. He tried to open it, but he couldn¡¯t. - When you are at the lowest, the most painful point in your life, and when you regret something so much that you want to die, use this. ¡°Yeah, so what is it?¡± - It would be no fun if I told you now, wouldn¡¯t it? Wow¡­ However, it only made Seo Jun-Ho more stubborn, but no matter how hard he tried to open it, it simply wouldn¡¯t open. In the end, Seo Jun-Ho admitted defeat and put it away in his Inventory. ¡°Oh, right. What will happen to you now?¡± - I am on my way back to my home, which has now been liberated from Erebo. ¡°You sure are fast. What will happen to the 4th Floor then?¡± - Of course, I n to continue my role as its Administrator. ¡°Is there still a need for an Administrator when all the cockroaches are gone now?¡± - Fufu. Sheughed softly. ¡°You will soon know why. Just as she finished speaking, Seo Jun-Ho suddenly noticed that his surroundings were fading. - I pray that you will protect the heart you have right now and will remain unchanging. Her voice started to fade as well, but it was still full of affection. - The hero of humanity, my savior, Specter. I bless your days toe. [You have received the title ¡®World Tree¡¯s Savior¡¯.] He had returned to the 4th floor. Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Wha¡ªwhat? What are these?¡± Hundreds of messages appeared before his eyes, rendering him dizzy. Chapter 354. The Conquest Bible (1)

Chapter 354. The Conquest Bible (1)

Seo Jun-Ho was at a loss for words. Every time he tried to speak, new messages would pop up and interrupt him. He shut his mouth for good and started reading the messages one by one. [yer Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s score has been calcted.] [Clear time: 17 years, 2 months, 13 days, 12 hours, 52 seconds.] [Number ofmon cockroaches killed: 2,157,139.] [Number of special entities killed: 63,840.] ¡­ [Achievement unlocked: 350 deaths.] [Achievement unlocked: Defeating Floor Master ¡®Erebo¡¯ solo.] [Achievement unlocked: Reviving the World Tree.] [Your total score rating is EX.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­ [All stats increased by 26.] [9 Strength stats, 5 Stamina stats, 7 Speed stats, and 5 Magic stats have been received from Limit Breaker¡¯s effect.] [Hero¡¯s Mind (S) rank has increased to Hero¡¯s Mind (EX).] [Your cells have acquired the lowest-level Death Resistance.] [Your cells have acquired the highest-level Prating Wound Resistance.] [The 5th Floor, Neo-City Area has been unlocked.] [yer level cap has increased from 210 to 250 in Neo-City.] [¡®Seo Jun-Ho difficulty¡¯ has been added to the 4th Floor, Another World area.] He just kept on reading and reading. There were so many messages that he couldn¡¯t read them all at once. He looked through the log and checked the messages several times. ¡°I see¡­¡± He had always been wondering why it was so difficult for yers to get stronger on the 4th floorpared to the other floors. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect that the rewards are calcted based on one¡¯s actions until the end.¡¯ The first thing that caught his eye was obviously Hero¡¯s Mind. Its grade had increased all the way to EX, just like Frost. ¡®It seems that this is my second EX skill.¡¯ Honestly, he wasn¡¯t very excited about it. In fact, he knew that it would happen. ¡°This is the least they could do after what I had to go through.¡± Even with Hero¡¯s Mind (S), his mind had almost beenpletely torn apart. The next thing that caught his interest was the resistance he had received thanks to Cellr Regeneration. ¡®I understand getting the Prating Wound Resistance after being pierced by so many thorns. But¡­¡¯ The lowest-level Death Resistance? He squinted at the message and asked the Frost Queen, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I do not know. Perhaps it means that you will revive if you die once?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I think that¡¯s too good to be true.¡± The other types of lowest-level resistance weren¡¯t that great. In the case of Burn Resistance, all it did was give him a 1st-degree burn when it should have been a 2nd-degree burn. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have high expectations.¡¯The greater your expectations, the greater the disappointment. Since it was only the lowest-level resistance, it would be better not to expect too much from it. He snapped his fingers. ¡°Check Title.¡± A thick booklet appeared, and two pages were shining. They were the Titles he had received for clearing the 4th floor. [One Who Perseveres] Grade: S Description: A Title given to the one who kills the 4th Floor Master, Erebo. Effect: Your stat increases the longer a battle goes on. [World Tree¡¯s Savior] Grade: S Description: A Title given to the one favored by the World Tree. Effect: Nature is on your side. Jun-Ho stroked his chin and thought. ¡®It¡¯s a little¡­ vague.¡¯ They were the same rank as ¡®Bringer of Spring.¡¯ ¡®Bringer of Spring increases all my stats by 40 whenever I enter a new floor.¡¯ However, Titles didn¡¯t seem all that great even though they should be on the same level as Bringer of Spring. ¡°Still, isn¡¯t it good that your stat increases the longer you fight?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°It¡¯ll only be effective when I fight someone stronger than me.¡± ¡°That is true¡­ Considering your current level of strength, most of your opponents would be killed in an instant.¡± The ¡®World Tree¡¯s Savior¡¯ Title was even more difficult to understand. ¡°Geez,that tree¡­¡± After making him go through hell and back, nature would now be on his side? That was all? ¡°What does it even mean?¡± he muttered vacantly. ¡°It says that nature is on your side, Contractor.¡± ¡°Yeah, so what does it mean?¡± Seo Jun-Ho had no clue. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d ask if I knew the answer?¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and sighed. ¡°And what the hell is this embarrassing thing¡­¡± [¡®Seo Jun-Ho difficulty¡¯ has been added to the 4th Floor, Another World area.] He felt nervous when he saw how his name had be a difficulty level. ¡°Perhaps those who attempt that difficulty level will go through the same trials as you?¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°The same as me?¡± That meant every yer would get a diary that would allow them to regress. He snorted and waved his hand. ¡°Come on, that¡¯s ridiculous. I was able to get through it because I had Hero¡¯s Mind, but¡­¡± Could other yers survive? If her hypothesis were correct, things would soon be chaotic. Scritch scritch. Seo Jun-Ho heard strange noisesing from next to him and turned. The Frost Queen was eagerly writing something down. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°...Preparing for my business.¡± ¡°You do not need to know.¡± The Frost Queen looked at him coyly. ¡°I envy you, Contractor. After all, you have a Spirit like me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting. I envy you, too. Because youdon¡¯thave a Spirit like yourself,¡± he teased. Seo Jun-Ho turned, taking in Erebo¡¯s giant corpse. ¡°Now that I think about it, there¡¯s one more prize I need to collect.¡± A special prize for no one but himself: reading Erebo¡¯s memories. Sep Jun-Ho leaped onto Erebo¡¯s enormous body and got down on one knee. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± [Confession of the Dead has been activated.] [Please close your eyes to see the memories more clearly.] ¡®This is¡­¡¯ It was the same message that appeared when he killed the Nameless Dragon of the Eastern Sea, so he immediately closed his eyes. Krrrr. The sound of an old-fashioned film strip being unraveled could be heard, and the yback started ying in his head. *** He couldn¡¯t see anything. He couldn¡¯t hear anything. m! He was pushed down onto his knees. As pain ran through him, whatever was covering his head was removed. Erebo looked around nervously, trembling. - Nothing.[1] There was a vast emptiness. There were no stars, nos, and not even anymon meteorites. ¡°W-w-why did you kidnap¡­¡± he stuttered. ¡°Cockroach. Know your ce and shut your mouth,¡± the horned being whispered to him with indifference, ¡°The Archduke[2]has brought you here for a special opportunity, so you should be careful even in your thoughts.¡± The horned being disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Erebo slowly looked up. ¡®...!¡¯ The thoughts in his head disappeared. The shock was so great that he felt like his very existence was beingpletely erased. ¡°I permit you to bow your head. If you keep looking at me, your soul will perish.¡± He gasped and choked. Erebo immediately dug his forehead into the ground as his entire body trembled. ¡®He¡¯s a Transcendent, at the very least.¡¯ Erebo had met a few Transcendents before, and they were all monsters. However, he knew that whatever was in front of him was on an entirely different levelpared to those Transcendents. ¡°Let me ask you. I heard that your gluttony is infinite. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes?¡± ¡°I am asking if you can truly eat anything if you were to be given the opportunity.¡± Erebo nodded frantically. Instinctively, he knew that his entire being would be erased if he didn¡¯t answer positively. ¡°Not bad.¡± His voice was still t. ¡°Cockroach, I shall allow you to eat the World Tree.¡± ¡°T-the World Tree!¡± Erebo¡¯s eyes grew wide as they stared at the ground. The World Tree, otherwise known as the Tree of Wisdom, was an entity that was receiving special attention from the empire. He had always wanted to eat her, but the security around her was too thorough and tight, so he never dared to attempt it. ¡°If I ever managed to eat the World Tree¡­ what should I do afterward?¡± ¡°Live however you¡¯d like.¡± For the first time, the Transcendent smiled faintly. ¡°Even if you do nothing, someone will find you.¡± ¡°...¡± Erebo couldn¡¯t understand it. He had no clue of the Transcendent¡¯s motives in letting him eat the World Tree. However, he knew that he would die if he didn¡¯t follow those orders. As such, Erebo¡¯s answer had already been decided from the very beginning. ¡°I will do my very best.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes and stared at the window of the yback. ¡®This is the only memory.¡¯ It was the only memory that he could see, and it was Erebo¡¯s meeting with an entity called the ¡®Archduke.¡¯ ¡°Contractor, are you alright?¡± The Frost Queen asked, handing him a wet wipe. Seo Jun-Ho started sweating profusely while watching the memory. ¡°When did I¡­ Thanks.¡± He realized that his back had grown damp as he used the cold tissue to wipe his face. It woke him right up. It had been less than an hour since he realized that he had grown stronger after killing Erebo. ¡®But¡­ What was that guy?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like he was the one facing the Archduke face-to-face. Actually, he didn¡¯t even get to see the Archduke¡¯s face. All he knew was that ¡®something¡¯ existed beyond a memory. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Jun-Ho looked down at his trembling fists. While he was watching the yback, his hands had unconsciously squeezed into fists. With effort, he managed to open his hands, and sweat dripped out of them. ¡°Do you think he was a demon?¡± ¡°Since his subordinate had horns, I believe so.¡± The demons. The progenitor of the fiends. ¡®As time went on, the number of demons appearing in Gates had decreased, but it used to be really bad.¡¯ Demons would force themselves into Gates and entice yers to drink their blood, turning them into fiends. However, that was all Seo Jun-Ho knew about demons. He didn¡¯t know how strong they were or why they were even turning people into fiends. ¡°...I really hate this.¡± He let out a long sigh. Simr to how he faced fiends in the past, he got the feeling that he would end up facing demons in the future. ¡®All I can do is hope that I¡¯m wrong.¡¯Seo Jun-Ho had almost never stood down from a challenge, but he prayed that his gut feeling was wrong this time. After all, he couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine fighting something like that. ¡°Everything will work out, Contractor.¡± ¡°I hope so...¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly got up with the Frost Queen¡¯s help. He watched as a myriad of stars fell from the sky. [The 4th Floor, Another World Season 1 has ended.] [In 1 minute, all yers will be forcibly sent back to Earth.] [Item ¡®Jun-Ho¡¯s Diary¡¯ will no longer exist.] The message told him that it was over. *** ¡°...¡± The Transcendent¡¯s eyes slowly fluttered open. As he looked into the empty universe, his eyes sparkled with the smallest bit of interest. ¡°I see¡­¡± He sensed that Erebo had just been killed. And he knew the ¡®guest¡¯ who killed Erebo. ¡°They make for an interesting pair.¡± Specter and the Frost Queen¡­ He smiled dimly. ¡°Though, they are far too weak for them to be the ones meant to stop me.¡± However, if this was the System¡¯s choice, all he could do was follow. He thought of the white-haired human that he had collected and stored somewhere. ¡°An interesting pair...¡± He closed his eyes once more. And then, the universe was soon covered in darkness, as if it had always been enveloped in it. Chapter 355. The Conquest Bible (2) Chapter 355. The Conquest Bible (2) Currently, there was no upation that could rece a yer. No matter how popr a singer or an actor was, yers climbed up the floors with the survival of humanity on the line. So if there was breaking news about them, celebrities were tossed aside. Like today¡­ [Breaking news! 4th Floor Another World Cleared.] [Seo Jun-Ho of the Korean yer Association Kills 4th Floor Boss ¡®Erebo¡¯ Alone.] [Is This the Re-emergence of Specter¡¯s Past Glory? Big 6 Feeling Nervous About Their ce.] [All Information About Another World¡¯s Season 1 Released.] [The 4th Floor Has Been Cleared, but yers Still Seem Frustrated. Why?] Stories about the past Heroes always caught people¡¯s attention. This was especially true for the yers who had returned to their family¡¯s arms after going missing for a few months. ¡°What a touching reunion! Look how tightly this yer is hugging his wife after being on the 4th floor for six months!¡± ¡°This is like a reunion of a family separated by war[1]! You can¡¯t help but tear up.¡± Airports all over the world became overloaded. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho was already sitting on a living room sofa, holding a celebration. ¡®I saw that person die in my 185th regression¡­ But they lived this time. I¡¯m d.¡¯ As he quietly watched the TV, he felt a sense of pride that only he could understand. ¡°Hehe, you guys should¡¯ve seen how that ck bastard ran away at the end,¡± Rahmadat mused. ¡°You guys got to fight in a quiet, empty space. There were so many cockroaches in the city,¡± Skayained. ¡°I thought my shoulders would break from sniping so much. There were so many special entities¡­¡± Gilberto muttered. ¡°I have healed more than a hundred people today¡­ I think my magic has beenpletely exhausted,¡± Cha Si-Eun said. Okay, maybe he wasn¡¯t watching the TV quietly after all. Seo Jun-Ho sighed as he watched them chatter. ¡°That¡¯s nice and all, but can¡¯t we just rest in peace today?¡± ¡°Never! Whenever we clear a Gate or Floor, weugh, talk, and party! That¡¯s always been our tradition!¡± Skaya eximed. ¡°Tradition, my ass. That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of that,¡± he said, snorting. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he disliked this. ¡®...It¡¯s nice.¡¯ Actually, he was so happy he couldn¡¯t describe it. He was stuck for much longer on the 4th Floor than the others, so he especially appreciated these small moments. ¡®I wonder where Frost went, though.¡¯ The Frost Queen said that there was something she had to do and scampered to her room. He hadn¡¯t seen her since. [Breaking news. All Cockroaches Have Disappeared, Each Country Reports¡­] ¡°What?¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes went wide as she stared at the TV. ¡°T-they said all the cockroaches disappeared.¡± ¡°Hm? Why¡¯re you so surprised? We killed all of them, remember?¡± ¡°Not on the 4th Floor, but on Earth.¡± Only then did everyone turn to the TV. ¡°Ooh, it¡¯s true. They said all the cockroaches in the world disappeared at the same time the 4th Floor was cleared.¡± ¡°Is that another clear reward? That¡¯s cool.¡± Actually, for the past few hours, the people of Earth were affected by the disappearance of cockroaches the most. Even though the 4th Floor had been cleared, they hadn¡¯t actually experienced it themselves. However, the cockroaches¡¯ disappearance was pure happiness to them. ¡°What a ridiculous reward.¡± Seo Jun-Ho snorted and sipped his wine. ¡°Jun-Ho, there was something I wished to ask,¡± Mio said. When he nced up, he could see that she was holding a bottle of banana-vored makgeoli[2]. She was weak to alcohol, so there was already a slight flush on her face. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What is the ¡®Seo Jun-Ho difficulty¡¯? ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°How strange. Seo Jun-Ho does not know what the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty is,¡± she said. With their interests piqued, the rest of the party looked at him and started talking. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be the same level of difficulty as what you experienced?¡± Gilberto asked. ¡°Even if not, it probably involves regressing,¡± Skaya added. ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t thought about it¡­¡± When he thought about other yers going down the same path, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a vague sense of pity. ¡°Most people wouldn¡¯t be able to survive with their minds intact. Wouldn¡¯t there be a problem of safety?¡± ¡°Well, the System has never done anything that dangerous and oundish.¡± ¡°Jun-Ho.¡± Gilberto looked up from the nightscape from his seat at the window. ¡°How long had you been there?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was quiet for a moment. He could feel everyone staring at him. ¡®This is a sticky situation.¡¯ He swirled his wine ss and considered whether it would be better to tell them the truth or lie for the sake of their own well-being. ¡°If you still think of us as yourrades, tell us the truth.¡± But when he saw Gilberto¡¯s stern, paternal eyes, Seo Jun-Ho had no other choice but to admit defeat. ¡°You got me beat. It was seventeen years.¡± ¡°...How many years?¡± ¡°Seventeen.¡± ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind. Do you really think you¡¯re a 30-year Bantine whiskey or something? Why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier?!¡± Skaya scolded sharply, immediately tapping on her Vita. ¡°Hello? This is the mental hospital, right? Are you still epting new patients? Well, you see, I wanted to get my friend evaluated to see if he has any mental problems¡­ Hello? Hello?!¡± ¡°If there are no mental hospitals in Korea, let us go to Japan. I know a good hospital,¡± Mio said. ¡°Miss Mio, Korea and Japan don¡¯t have much of a time difference¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun said. ¡°O-oh, you¡¯re right. Then what shall we do?¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a long sigh as he watched them chatter. ¡°Everyone, calm down for now and listen to what I have to say.¡± He eased his friends and slowly said, ¡°Sigh, okay. Since it¡¯se to this, I¡¯ll just tell you everything.¡± He started telling them his story between sips of wine. How he ended up killing Erebo. What he did leading up to that, and how he passed through the many crises he had to go through. Once he was finished, it was already morning. ¡°So, I really do think I¡¯m okay right now.¡± He broke, but he had pulled himself back together. Seo Jun-Ho thought that he had be a stronger person because of that ordeal. ¡®I couldn¡¯t have done it if I were alone.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t for his friends, they would still be stuck on the 4th Floor. Even if they managed to clear it, it would have been a painful victory with many sacrifices. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for you guys.¡± Despite the sincerity in his words, the others couldn¡¯t hide the guilt on their faces. [Breaking news.] ¡°Geez, don¡¯t they have anything better to talk about?¡± Rahmadat scowled, taking out his frustration on the TV. [Several yers Who Attempted the Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty Share Their Experiences For the First Time.] ¡°...!¡± It really was breaking news. The party stared at the TV intensely. *** When the 4th Floor was cleared, the yers who had been fighting the cockroaches burst into celebration. ¡°It¡¯s finally over!¡± ¡°God, these fucking cockroaches were so gross! I¡¯m gonna buy a ton of Cesco stock once I go back to Earth.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I didn¡¯t level up as much as I expected, though.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even get to finish the Quests yet. What happens now?¡± The yers thought that the end hade all of a sudden. After all, there were many people who were still in the middle of the Quests. ¡°What the hell? My final rank is only E?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Mine is F. Are they for real?¡± ¡°Just what are the standards?¡± If they had caught a lot of cockroaches, it should have been reflected in their scores. But apparently, they couldn¡¯t get a good score just because of that. Since they vanquished a lot of cockroaches, it should have been reflected in their scores. But apparently, they couldn¡¯t get a decent score just because they killed a lot of cockroaches. ¡°...¡± Even Shin Sung-Hyun squinted. He had killed hundreds of thousands of cockroaches. ¡®My rank is only B?¡¯ He was one of the first people to enter the 4th Floor, and he had probably killed the most cockroaches. However, he was only given a B Grade. He had even unlocked the achievement ¡®City Commander,¡¯ but it didn¡¯t matter. Since his grade was low, the additional rewards he received were naturally close to nothing. Honestly, he didn¡¯t even really need them. ¡°I suffered for months, but I only leveled up thirty times?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore. Hey, System! Come out! I have business with you!¡± The yers couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated. They had killed at least hundreds, if not thousands of cockroaches. They worked hard toplete the Quests without doing anything that should have lowered their scores. Upon seeing their final scores, though, they were furious. ¡°And what¡¯s with that ranking list?¡± If everyone had received simr scores, they wouldn¡¯t have said anything. However, there was one line on Another World¡¯s ranking list that made them even more furious. 1. Seo Jun-Ho - EX 2. Shin Sung-Hyun - B 3. Wei Chun-Hak - C ¡­ There was a huge difference between the 1st and 2nd rankings. Moreover, it had only been less than two months since Seo Jun-Ho entered the 4th Floor. Naturally, the other yers couldn¡¯t even begin to wrap their heads around it. ¡°This is so unfair. Is the System giving him special treatment because he used to be a Hero?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t just that. He entered the 4th Floor wayter than Shin Sung-Hyun, so how is that possible?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take this anymore. I¡¯m going to go see for myself what he did to receive an EX grade.¡± The impatient ones went back up to the 4th Floor, not even a day after they went back down to Earth. They wanted to attempt the ¡®Seo Jun-Ho difficulty¡¯ for themselves. And they came back down only a few hourster with pale faces... ¡°Why do you look like that?¡± ¡°What was the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty actually like?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so different about it? Hurry up and tell us.¡± Under the barrage of questions, the yers couldn¡¯t do anything but scratch their heads and say the same thing. ¡°Well, um¡­ After going through all that, I think the EX grade is well deserved.¡± ¡°After what I saw, I realized just how much of a great achievement Master Specter had achieved.¡± Of course, their attitudes changed instantly. Stories about the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty started popping up all over. ¡°Wait, so what you¡¯re saying is that you do it from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s perspective, and you have to clear the Floor alone?¡± ¡°The only good thing is that the monsters were weaker to match my level.¡± ¡°Plus, they gave you all kinds of support skills, so you don¡¯t go crazy.¡± ¡°...Wait. Then Specter actually went through that impossible difficulty?¡± Thanks to that, the animosity aimed at Specter onlysted for a day. A discussion board for the ¡®Seo Jun-Ho¡¯ difficulty was even created in Community. - I mean, even considering that we start off with the 5 Heroes and the Sword Saint as ourrades, this is way too hard. - Yeah. Especially because we can¡¯t get rid of this fucking Exterminator Skill. Erebo came and killed me while I was killing cockroaches. - Fr lol I was panicking and then he started spewing some bs about being his ¡®natural enemy¡¯. Then my head went flying;; - Has anyone tried Mio¡¯s food, though? Am I the only one who thought it was bad? - You don¡¯t know anything. Mio has taken all sorts of lessons since she was young, so there¡¯s nothing she can¡¯t do. - Back to the original topic. I think there¡¯s some hidden route. This is impossible to do normally. Seeing the reactions on the TV and Community, Seo Jun-Ho and the others¡¯ eyes grew wide. The first one to speak was Gilberto. ¡°This is bad. Now the rest of the world knows about Mio¡¯s cooking.¡± ¡°It is but a groundless rumor. You all said it was good,¡± Mio said. ¡°...¡± Skaya avoided Mio¡¯s eyes and changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, seems like our theory on the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty was correct.¡± ¡°So the yers take on Jun-Ho¡¯s perspective and clear the Floor.¡± ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t we start off by getting the diary?¡± The party members started discussing it with hushed voices. ¡°I¡¯m asking just in case, but you guys aren¡¯t going to attempt it, are you?¡± he asked carefully. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± They all stared at him. Rahmadat crossed his arms. ¡°Jun-Ho, weren¡¯t you the one who said that you became really strong after clearing the 4th Floor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ True. I gained seventeen years of experience, and I leveled up a ton.¡± ¡°Then have you ever thought about what our rtionship would be if we all go up to the 5th Floor like this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Are you trying to say that I¡¯d abandon you guys? Just because there¡¯s a difference in strength?¡± ¡°...You don¡¯t have to be so defensive.¡± Gilberto let out a small sigh. ¡°There was something you told me a long time ago while you were training me. You told me never to stop training so that I can always have your back as a reliable sniper.¡± ¡°Gilbe, that¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to keep carrying me just because we¡¯re friends or because we used to be teammates.¡± ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho shut his mouth. He had a very strong sense of pride, but so did his friends. ¡®Was I¡­ only thinking of myself?¡¯ Because he had suffered through it himself, he didn¡¯t want his friends to go through the same thing. But now, he realized that his thoughts had been selfish. ¡®I didn¡¯t consider how they¡¯d feel left behind.¡¯ Comrades had to have each other¡¯s backs. All five of them agreed on that. ¡°We¡¯d basically be thieves if we expect rewards after not doing anything.¡± ¡°You spent seventeen long years there, but to us, it was only two months. Less than that, actually.¡± ¡°If we want to keep fighting together, we have to close the gap between you and us.¡± Even though they had almost lost each other after their fight with the Frost Queen, they wouldn¡¯t let it happen this time. ¡°Because we made a promise...¡± A promise to clear the Floors together and an oath to trust each other. Seo Jun-Ho scoffed. ¡°...You guys sound so cheesy right now.¡± He didn¡¯t want to ept it, but he understood their feelings. He would have done the same thing if the roles were reversed. ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± Leaving those words, Seo Jun-Ho left the living room. He didn¡¯t give them any kind of useless encouragement, like telling them to stay strong or that they could do it. It was all because he trusted them. ¡°Look how embarrassed the kid is.¡± Rahmadat snorted and turned to the rest of the party members. ¡°I¡¯m nning to go up right away. What will you guys¡­¡± Just then, there was a click as the door opened. They all turned, thinking that Seoo Jun-Ho had returned, but they could only blink thanks to what they saw. ¡°What, it¡¯s the shortie?¡± The Frost Queen stepped into the room, looking a little tired. She had spent the whole day confined in her room. She copsed onto the couch and said absentmindedly, ¡°I happened to hear your conversation. You all intend to attempt the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Hm, it will be difficult¡­The path that Contractor took was not an easy one¡­¡± ¡°Hey, kid. What are you trying to say?¡± Rahmadat directly asked. The Frost Queen tapped on her tablet, and a hologram window appeared. ¡°This is a guide to clearing the 4th Floor. Would you like to buy it? Because you lot are my Contractor¡¯s friends, I shall sell these to you at a discounted price of 300 PP, no further discounts.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was on his way to meet Shim Deok-Gu for the first time in a while, and he blinked. [You have been gifted 300 PP.] [You have been gifted 300 PP.] [You have been gifted 300 PP.] ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s going on? A bug?¡± 1. This phrase is often specifically used for families that were separated by the Korean war. They were scattered all over the world due to the diaspora. There were also many families that became split between the North and South, and the two countries have since organized several cross-border reunions. ? 2. Makgeoli is very weak, typically around 6-9% alcohol by volume. ? Chapter 356. The Conquest Bible (3) Chapter 356. The Conquest Bible (3) When Seo Jun-Ho entered the executive office, Shim Deok-Gu was in the middle of a hologram call. He met Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes and waved. ¡®You¡¯re here? Just give me a second.¡¯ ¡®Take your time.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho mouthed. He sat down and took a closer look at Shim Deok-Gu. Shim Deok-Gu seemed happy to see him, unlike usual. ¡®Well, I suppose it¡¯s not really ¡®unlike usual¡¯ for him.¡¯ For Shim Deok-Gu, it had only been a month or two at most since hest saw Seo Jun-Ho, but Seo Jun-Ho was gone for so long that he started to forget even his parents¡¯ faces. Shim Deok-Gu finished his call shortly after and loosened his tie as he walked over to the fridge. ¡°Sigh. I swear, the amount of work I have to do is endless. Is this how yers feel when they hunt monsters?¡± ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s simr¡­¡± ¡°So what do you want? Shall we have a beer to celebrate?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Okay, orange juice it is.¡± ¡°Actually, can you make me a cup of coffee?¡± Shim Deok-Gu froze with the bottle of orange juice in hand. He had prepared it specifically for his friend. ¡°Coffee? Did I hear that right?¡± ¡°Yeah, coffee. Make it as bitter as possible.¡± ¡°You¡­ Your tastes have changed.¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked displeased as he walked over to the coffee machine. ¡°What¡¯s with you? You¡¯ve always hated bitter stuff.¡± ¡°Well, anyone¡¯s tastes can change.¡± It had been a matter of efficiency and survival. His focus had started to wear down with the repeated regressions, so he had no other choice but to start drinking caffeine to help him concentrate a bit more. ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu squinted and silently made the coffee. He walked back over afterward. ¡°I want to ask about this, but you¡¯re not gonna tell me, are you? You¡¯re such a secretive bastard.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment. Of course, all his friends and even Cha Si-Eun knew what happened. As such, Shim Deok-Gu would eventually find out at some point anyway. ¡®I guess it would be better to tell him now instead of making him feel left out then.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho took a sip of his coffee and said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Really? For what reason?¡± ¡°Aside from you, the others already know.¡± ¡°Geez, that makes me feel offended. Why was I thest one?¡± The 50-year-old man with M-pattern baldness was jealous, and that made Seo Jun-Ho grin. ¡°I spent a little longer on the 4th Floor than the others did. I was pulled into a horrible situation.¡± ¡°¡®A little longer¡¯?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked, putting sugar cubes into his own cup of coffee. ¡°Why, how long were you there?¡± ¡°17 years, 2 months, 13 days, 12 hours, and 52 seconds.¡± ¡°Pfffft!¡± Deok-Gu spat out the hot coffee he was drinking. A curtain of darkness casually popped up to protect Seo Jun-Ho before dissipating. ¡°Seeing your face¡­ You¡¯re not lying. If you¡¯re this good at acting, you should win the Best Male Actor for this year.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s the truth. But look¡ªta-dah! I came back like this, perfectly intact.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that bullshit.¡± The resentment on Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face was clear, but it wasn¡¯t because he hated Seo Jun-Ho. He was simply worried, and it genuinely hurt him to hear that. ¡°Stop lecturing me with your face. Come on! Not even my mom was that bad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s funny. I remember when you were seven, and you came over to my house to get salt because you wet the bed and¡ª¡± ¡°Ahhhh! Shut up!¡± Seo Jun-Ho covered his ears, trying to stamp out the memory. He changed the subject. ¡°R-right, it¡¯s time for the news to air. Let¡¯s watch some TV.¡± ¡°...Which channel was it on again?¡± Shim Deok-Gu yed along as if nothing had happened. He then turned on the TV. [The international yer organization Climb gives Specter high praise for his contribution with a positive response¡­] Shim Deok-Gu snorted as he watched. ¡°Those lunatics. Who¡¯s praising who?¡± ¡°Clever bastards.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled. They were like children acting cute. ¡°On that topic, have you found the mastermind behind this?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah. Apparently, Sky Soul and Labyrinth hold most of the power.¡± ¡°Sky Soul, I understand because that family abhors me¡­ But why Labyrinth?¡± he wondered. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho was a strongpetition that threatened their power. However, he didn¡¯t understand why Labyrinth was that hostile toward him. ¡°That¡¯s weird. It¡¯s not like we have a history or anything.¡± ¡°Well, you did y them for fools when you dragged all of the Big 6 into an auction.¡± Shim Deok-Gu pointed out. ¡°Come on. I did it fairly to all of them. They¡¯re still holding a grudge over something that petty?¡± Shim Deok-Gu shook his head at his friend¡¯s shamelessness before moving on. ¡°Anyway, even if we don¡¯t know the reason, the reality is that they¡¯re a hostile force.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t understand¡­What¡¯s the Guild Master like? Shoot, was it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho took out the pile of documents he had spent hours studying after his return. [Mr. Shoot] Gender: Unknown Age: Unknown Nationality: Unknown Race: Unknown Skills: Unknown ¡°Look. There¡¯s nothing on the materials I received.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. ¡°Because we don¡¯t know anything,¡± Shim Deok-Gu responded, and he continued in a serious voice, ¡°They¡¯re a scary person. They¡¯ve kept all their personal information under wraps for decades.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ Is that possible?¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head. ¡°If someone could even get a strand of hair, they could analyze it¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s scary.¡± Every time Shoot appeared somewhere, they would clean up all traces of their appearance before leaving. ¡°Most people shouldn¡¯t be able to hide so thoroughly for over twenty years.¡± ¡°What a weird guy. Even worse, they don¡¯t like me¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. Did that mean Shoot was someone he knew? He dug through his memories. ¡°Let¡¯s see. If they¡¯re someone that I¡¯ve humiliated before¡­¡± ¡°They would be impossible to find.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He had humiliated so many people that he would never be able to narrow it down. Twenty-seven years ago, if anyone got in his way while clearing Gates, even just a little bit, he would remove thempletely. ¡°For now, just keep looking into it for me,¡± he said. ¡°I probably won¡¯t be able to find anything, but sure,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. He watched as Seo Jun-Ho stood up and asked, ¡°Then, what are you nning to do now? I think you should¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu eventually continued after thinking about it for a moment. ¡°Forget saving humanity or whatever. You need to take a break.¡± ¡°Wow, can the President of the Korean yer Association even say that? You should lecture me more,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Actually, the previous Korean yer Association president would have lectured him more. Seo Jun-Ho hated it, so he left the Association. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just go to you if a problem arises. You have a lot of money to spend anyway,¡± said Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Really? Then you should start working instead.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grabbed his stomach andughed. He waved and grabbed his coffee before stepping out of the office. ¡°I was already nning to take a short break, actually. If you need me to run any errands, just call me,¡± he said from the doorway. ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said, smiling. As soon as the door closed, Shim Deok-Gu sat down with a face full of mixed emotions. ¡°Tsk. Why does that bastard always choose to suffer by himself?¡± He turned his head and looked at the minifridge on the other side of the room in a daze. It was filled with orange juice, but he couldn¡¯t take them out just yet. Someday¡ªonce everything was over¡ªhe thought Seo Jun-Ho would want juice, not coffee. *** By the time Seo Jun-Ho returned to his apartment, his friends had already left. There was only the Frost Queen, waiting at the entrance like a puppy. ¡°Contractor! Contractor, hurry! Over here. Come over here. Here. Immediately,¡± she insisted. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± She took his hand and led him to the sofa. And as soon as he sat down, she held out her small hand to him. ¡°What, you want pocket money? I don¡¯t have a lot of cash¡­¡± ¡°No. Allow me to use your Community window for a little while,¡± she demanded. ¡°Why?¡± The first thing Seo Jun-Ho felt was suspicion. He had let her use it once in the past, not knowing any better, and then she started a live broadcast. ¡°What, you want to livestream again?¡± ¡°H-how many times do I have to tell you that it was an ident?¡± It did make sense. The Frost Queen alwaysughed, yed, and even napped in front of the screen. As such, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s curiosity was piqued when she denied it. ¡°Then why do you want to use it? Convince me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho crossed his arms and puffed his chest. He looked as obstinate and stubborn as a moai. ¡°...Ah, whatever. You sadden me. It was because I wished to make you earn PP.¡± The Frost Queen stuck out her lip like a beak and sagged her shoulders. Seo Jun-Ho wondered if he was too harsh, so he carefully spoke, ¡°Um, PP, you say? For me? Give me the details.¡± ¡°The 4th Floor implemented the new Seo Jun-Ho difficulty, correct?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. They didn¡¯t even ask for my permission. Do you think I¡¯d win if I sued the System for viting my portrait rights?¡± ¡°No. More importantly, look at this.¡± The Frost queen held up the ¡®Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty Guide¡¯. ¡°Huh? This is¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly skimmed through the hundreds of pages. Most of the information about his skills was excluded. ¡®Wow, it¡¯s pretty thorough.¡¯ He still had many skills and titles unrevealed to the world. The Frost Queen had obviously made this guide with that in mind. The writing was also impressive. He knew that it was just a record of what he had been through, but reading the guide actually made him tear up. ¡°Did I say all these dark things, though?¡± he asked. ¡°That is called artistic freedom, Contractor.¡± Okay then¡­ ¡°This is well-made. So what were you nning to do with this again?¡± ¡°Sell it to the yers.¡± ¡°Sell it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at her with admiring eyes. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you. But from what I¡¯ve heard, you have three attempts to clear the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty. So who would buy this? They¡¯ll eventually figure it out on their own after fighting Erebo a few times.¡± However, there was something that he had overlooked. Most yers valued time more than they valued money. Moreover, they would rather take the safe route rather than figure it out the hard way simr to what he had done. This time, The Frost Queen was the one who crossed her arms before saying, ¡°All your friends bought it for 300PP.¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why I gained 1,800 PP earlier.¡± If those guys bought it, there was no way that other yers wouldn¡¯t buy it. He gently uncrossed his arms. Now, he seemed to have be more flexible, more like the Heundeul Bawi on Seoraksan Mountain[1] rather than a moai. ¡°Oh, and it will be sold in two separate volumes,¡± said the Frost Quen. She held out a thinner holographic pamphlet. Seo Jun-Ho read through it and tilted his head. ¡°It contains the same stuff. What¡¯s different about it?¡± ¡°I have split the contents of one book into two.¡± ¡°Why bother?¡± ¡°Sigh. How do you know so little about economics?¡± The Frost Queen shook her head before exining, ¡°If you split them into different products and sell them separately, your profit will be twice as much.¡± ¡°Come on, isn¡¯t that a scam?¡± ¡°It is not a scam, but a business. Additionally, this is a market that you can monopolize.¡± Now that she said that, it did make sense. ¡°However, I sold theplete volume to your friends, so worry not,¡± she reassured. ¡°Thanks for that¡­¡± ¡°I believe 30,000 PP would be a good price,¡± she continued. ¡°30,000?!¡± Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°What lunatic would buy it at that price?¡± ¡°Why would they not? Think about your consumer base.¡± They were all veteran yers who had entered the 4th Floor. To them, 30,000 PP was actually affordable. ¡°Those who n to attempt the 4th Floor in the future would buy this guide as well.¡± ¡°So, even if I only sell a hundred of these¡­¡± 3,000,000. He would make 3,000,000 PP. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s jaw dropped, making the Frost Queenugh. ¡°Heh, you believe there will only be a hundred purchases?¡± She expected to sell at least 30,000 copies. ¡®Because more than 30,000 yers entered the 4th Floor.¡¯ Moreover, there were many people who hadn¡¯t been able to enter because of the World Congress¡¯ decision to bar entry. Once they attempted the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty and inevitably failed¡­ ¡°They will not be able to resist buying it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho uploaded the guide to Community¡¯s marketce, and the Frost Queen gave him some advice. ¡°Give them a discounted price of 50,000 PP if they buy both volumes.¡± ¡°Nice! Where did you learn all this?¡± ¡°From home shopping channels.¡± She shrugged a few times. However, the guide that the Frost Queen made became a sensation that they could have never imagined. 1. Third tallest mountain in Korea. The Heundeul Bawi is arge rock there. It shakes when people push it but never falls. ? Chapter 357. The Conquest Bible (4) Chapter 357. The Conquest Bible (4) ¡°Is there anything good?¡± Ted Song yawned. He spent most of his free time on the Community forums, and they had the same meaningless content as always. - I want to buy a property in Frontier for 120 gold. I need recs for cities that are nice to live in. - I¡¯ve spent years looking into this stuff, and I rmend Mallon. The taxes are cheap, and the residents are nice. -Ooh, thanks. Did you also buy a property in Mallon? - I don¡¯t have a property! - ??? ¡°Heh, what are these idiots saying?¡± Tedy down on the couch and scrolled through the posts without end. Once he got bored of the anonymous chatting board, he moved on to the video section. ¡°I¡¯m starting to get bored of this stuff, too¡­¡± He suddenly felt an intense wave of regret and closed his eyes. ¡°I swear, this is it. After today, I¡¯m gonna stop using Community.¡± If he only spent his time hunting or training rather than scrolling through Community, he could have been strong enough to be a part of the Big 6 by now. ¡®I¡¯m quitting for real this time.¡¯ He was determined this time. He hurriedly scrolled through Community as ast hurrah. And when he opened the trading board... ¡°Hm?¡± There was a hot entry with zero sales that had been posted as soon as he opened the forum. It caught his eye. [Guide for the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty for sale.] ¡°Tsk. It¡¯s obviously clickbait.¡± It was a bad attempt, but he still clicked on it out of curiosity. His jaw dropped when he saw the description of the item as well as the price. ¡°You¡¯re crazy. 30,000 PP per book? And it¡¯s even split up into two parts? What kind of lunatic would do this?!¡± Was this what people meant when they talked about monsters created by capitalism? Ted scowled. However, just as he was about to click out of it, his eyes were drawn to the poster¡¯s username for some reason ¡°Huh.¡± He thought long and hard, and his eyes went wide when he realized. ¡°Sonny¡­ That¡¯s Specter¡¯s username, isn¡¯t it?¡± No, it could be a duplicate name, so he had to look through their post history. [Test] [Salmon in the mountain] [Deleted livestream] There were only three posts¡­ Ted was now sure of it. ¡®I-It really is Specter!¡¯ Seeing how many views and likes the videos had, this definitely wasn¡¯t a fake ount. ¡®Wait. Then is this guide legit too?¡¯ He looked at it with new eyes. Obviously, 30,000 PP was not a small amount, but he could still afford it. ¡°And there¡¯s a 10,000 PP discount if I buy both of them at once?¡± It was a low blow! However, Ted was already checking out. [Warning! Do not distribute illegally or share with others.] ¡°Duh.¡± As soon as he paid therge sum, two pamphlets immediately appeared in his Inventory. ¡°...¡± Ted started reading the first volume with a worried, fearful look. However, after ten minutes of reading through it, his eyes sparkled. ¡°This is real.¡± He had only taken a cursory nce, but he knew it wasn¡¯t fake. And the best tip it gave was the ¡®diary,¡¯ which yers had to acquire at the very beginning. ¡°Endless regressions¡­ Who knew the 4th Floor had such a secret?¡± His heart started pounding. The book had re-ignited the adventurous spirit he once lost. Ted Song soon made a text post on Community. [What are you guys doing? Didn¡¯t you see Specter¡¯s new post?] *** Seo Jun-Ho woke up. Actually, to be precise, he actually hadn¡¯t been able to sleep at all. [¡®Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty Guide¡¯ has been sold. You have received 50,000PP.] [¡®Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty Guide¡¯ has been sold. You have received 30,000PP.] [¡®Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty Guide¡¯ has been sold. You have received 50,000PP.] [¡®Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty Guide¡¯ has been sold. You have received 50,000PP.] ¡­ ¡°Geez, what is this?¡± he muttered in exhaustion. He forced his heavy eyes open. He became wide awake as soon as he saw the hologram messages in front of him. ¡°Really, what is this?¡± Every second, dozens of messages would appear. He stared nkly at them. ¡°Am I hallucinating because I couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± He did the mental calctions and realized that he had gained at least several million PP in the past few seconds. After considering it, Seo Jun-Ho carefully opened his mouth. ¡°Check PP.¡± [User Seo Jun-Ho currently has 22,470,450 yer Points.] ¡°...¡± He rubbed his eyes. The number didn¡¯t change. He rubbed his eyes again. The number still didn¡¯t change. ¡°Froooooost!¡± he screamed. - Uweh?! In the other room, The Frost Queen was shocked out of her sleep. A momentter, she entered his room, dragging a teddy bear behind her while rubbing her eyes. ¡°Why are you yelling¡­? I was enjoying my sleep¡­¡± ¡°Take a look at this first.¡± Seo Jun-Ho waved at her to hurry up, and he showed her his PP. She took a cursory nce and¡­ She rubbed her eyes. The number didn¡¯t change. She rubbed her eyes again. The number still didn¡¯t change. ¡°Contractooooor!¡± she screamed. ¡°Froooooost!¡± The human and the Spirit hugged each other and started dancing with joy. ¡°I-I-I told you. I told you! I told you this would work.¡± ¡°Of course, I have always believed you. I have always believed in your words. I have always believed you, Your Majesty[1]!¡± While they were in the middle of embarrassing themselves amidst their excitement, the sales kept going up. ¡°We¡¯ve already surpassed 30 million PP. At this rate, I¡¯ll reach a hundred million!¡± ¡°Ha, I am a legend¡­¡± They watched the PP window intently as if they were watching a bitcoin graph shooting up. [Notice: There is a problem with the trading forum, and it will be closed. We apologize for any inconvenience.] The trading forum disappeared... ¡°Huh? What the hell? Why is it doing this?!¡± ¡°I-it must be a bug, Contractor. We¡¯re in trouble!¡± They had already gained 35,770,450PP at this point. If it had stayed up for even ten minutes more, they could have surpassed fifty million, but the entire forum itself had been removed. ¡°Come on, how is this fair?¡± ¡°Sue them! Let us sue them, Contractor.¡± With fire in their eyes, the two of them started looking up ways to sue the System. ¡°You¡¯ve put me in quite the predicament.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked up when he heard the familiar voice. It had been a while since hest heard that voice. Somehow, their surroundings had changed as well. They suddenly found themselves in a white, empty space. They weren¡¯t in the bedroom anymore. ¡°Mr. Gray!¡± ¡°1st Floor Administrator!¡± ¡°It has been a while, Specter. And the Frost Queen.¡± Gray removed his gray fedora. The man with snake-like eyes had a faint smile on his face. Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen startedining to him about how they were wronged. ¡°Listen. We were selling an item¡­¡± ¡°Hear my words. The announcement suddenly appeared just like that, and then the forum disappeared, just like that¡­¡± ¡°I am aware of the situation. I am the one who temporarily disabled the trading forum.¡± So it was him? Rage filled their eyes. Gray didn¡¯t say anything and simply bowed at his hip. ¡°First, let me apologize. Not even the System predicted that something like this would ever ur.¡± ¡°¡®Something like this¡¯? What do you mean?¡± ¡°One yer receiving hundreds of thousands of PP in a short amount of time.¡± ¡°Is there a problem with that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said icily. Flustered, Gray tried to soothe him. ¡°Of course, you did not do anything that broke the rules. However, because you have so many points¡­ By any chance, would you be willing to take down the product?¡± he asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Even if a prophet came down to Earth and asked him to take it down, Seo Jun-Ho would refuse. Gray was always smiley, but now, he looked a little nervous as he scratched his head. ¡°In that case, I will report this to my superiors and wait for their decision.¡± ¡°What¡¯ll happen to the trading forum?¡± Seo Jun-Ho demanded. ¡°It will likely stay closed until they make their decision¡­¡± ¡°What will you do about the profit I would lose in the meantime?¡± ¡°W-well¡­¡± Obviously, a single Administrator didn¡¯t have the authority to make decisions on something like this. Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen exchanged nces. ¡®He¡¯s a pushover.¡¯ ¡®He is indeed a pushover.¡¯ If they yed their cards well, they would probably be able to rip him off a bit more. Seo Jun-Ho sorted his thoughts. But just as he was about to speak, the space contorted, and a bronze-skinned woman came out. ¡°Come on! I was sleeping. This is so annoying.¡± ¡°R-Reiji!¡± Gray said cheerfully. And with that, Seo Jun-Ho lost the chance to rip him off. After all, Reiji was quick-witted and scary. ¡°Hey.¡± Sure enough, she stared daggers at him. ¡°Yes, Reiji-nim.¡± ¡°I helped you out to lessen my workload, not for you to stab me in the back.¡± ¡°Stab you¡­?¡± ¡°Haaa.¡± Reiji let out a loud yawn. It seemed that she had been sleeping. ¡°For now, you won¡¯t be able to sell any more guides. That¡¯s what the higher-ups decided.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± ¡°Stop throwing a tantrum. We¡¯re gonna reward you in return.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Seo Jun-Ho mped his mouth shut under Reiji¡¯s sharp re. ¡°I will be opening the Administrator¡¯s Store soon, even though I wasn¡¯t originally nning to do so. It¡¯s all because of you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my reward?¡± It was very disappointing, considering that he had lost the chance to gain a hundred million PP. However, Reiji wasn¡¯t finished just yet. ¡°You¡¯re funny. You collected all that PP, but what were you gonna use it for?¡± ¡°Well, the Administrator¡¯s Store¡­¡± ¡°And what if I don¡¯t open it?¡± ¡°...¡± It would be extremely dirty and petty of her to do that, but in reality, PP would be worthless if she stopped opening the Administrator¡¯s Store. Then, all it could be used for would be editing videos or for transactions within the forums. ¡°I was going to open the Store next year at the earliest, but I¡¯m gonna open it now just because of you.¡± Reiji continued shortly. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not all. You¡¯ll be the first one that¡¯ll have ess.¡± ¡°The first one?¡± ¡°For you humans, it¡¯s simr to VIPs at a department store. They get to go in earlier before it actually opens.¡± ¡°Ohh.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. Even if he had a hundred million PP, the System could decide to be as unfair as it wanted to be. Reiji was the one who decided the order of those who could enter, which meant that she could put himst, leaving him with no useful items to buy. ¡®If I think about it like that, early ess is a pretty great reward.¡¯ On top of that, he already had 35 million PP. With that amount, he could buy most potions like they were sold wholesale. Another perk was that he could obtain those items sooner rather than a yearter. ¡®ept it. ept it. ept it. ept it.¡¯ The Frost Queen tried to send him a telepathic message through her eyes, and Seo Jun-Ho eventually nodded. ¡°I understand. Since both of you had asked me for it, I suppose I can¡¯t be selfish and think of only myself.¡± ¡°Phew. Thank you for making a difficult decision.¡± ¡°Fuck that. Now I have to work because of this little squirt. Hmph.¡± Reiji clicked her tongue and once again split the space with a snap of her fingers. ¡°The Administrator¡¯s Store will open in ten days. And after a week, you¡¯ll have early ess.¡± ¡°How can I ess it?¡± ¡°Use this.¡± Reiji tossed him a small business card. It simply said ¡®entry ticket¡¯. ¡°I will see you in one week.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m gonna go clean the Store now.¡± After Reiji left, Gray was all smiley again. ¡°I¡¯m d that we were able to sort that out.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen sighed as they looked at Gray. If Reiji hadn¡¯te, they probably could have pushed him into giving them something more. ¡°Hm. I wonder if I have a cold.¡± Gray shivered slightly as he felt a sudden wave of cold. He thumped his cane on the ground. ¡°Well then. I hope that you two continue to keep working hard for the sake of humanity.¡± In a sh, they returned to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s bedroom. They stared nkly at the PP window. Meanwhile, there were people who were even more disappointed, and they shared theirints on the forum. - I was gonna buy the Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty Guide, so why did the trading forum suddenly disappear? Come on! - Anyone selling their copy? I¡¯ll pay twice the price once I check it¡¯s real. - Would anyone be willing to make a copy and share it? I¡¯ll pay a lot with gold, dors, or PP. Theinants were the yers who had missed the opportunity to buy the Guide. 1. Jun-Ho usually speaks to her casually, but with each sentence, his speech bes more formal. ? Chapter 358. The Conquest Bible (5) Chapter 358. The Conquest Bible (5) 59 yers were gathered in a hologram conference room. ¡°We are gathered here today because of yesterday¡¯s events,¡± announced a harsh voice. The eyes of the other yers darkened. The ¡®yesterday¡¯s events¡¯ referred to the incident known as the ¡®13 minutes in the middle of the night,¡¯ and it was still a hot topic. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Specter had such a talent for business.¡± ¡°It really does seem like he deserves the title of the world¡¯s greatest.¡± ¡°Are you siding with him right now?¡± ¡°Come on now. I¡¯m just saying.¡± ¡°Everyone be quiet.¡± In an instant, Tenmei Yugo grabbed hold of the meeting that was about to fall apart. ¡°Did anyone here obtain a copy of the Guide?¡± Everyone was silent. However, one person hesitantly raised their hand. ¡°I-I bought it out of curiosity because 50,000 PP isn¡¯t that much for me.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Tenmei Yugo looked pleased. He nodded. ¡°It is good that we have at least one person who managed to secure a copy.¡± ¡°Then, the reason we¡¯re all gathered here today¡­¡± ¡°Indeed. We will make a copy of the Guide and distribute it to all yers associated with Climb.¡± ¡°Ooh!¡± All the Guild Masters nodded. However, one person¡ªthe owner of the Guide¡ªseemed irked. ¡°It appears that Cube¡¯s Master does not want this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ But there was a warning.¡± ¡°A warning?¡± ¡°When I bought the Guide, there was a warning that said not to make illegal copies or to share it with others.¡± ¡°Pfft¡­ Ahahaha!¡± ¡°Kekeke.¡± The other Guild Masters couldn¡¯t hold back theirughter. ¡°Would you look at that? I bet Cube¡¯s Master is the type to make hand signals when walking down a pedestrian crossing.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a pure-hearted role model.¡± Brigg, Cube¡¯s Guild Master, turned red from the others¡¯ mocking. He pulled out two pamphlets. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I wouldn¡¯t do it; I¡¯m just saying that there was a warning.¡± ¡°Is that the Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty Guide.¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Tenmei Yugo gestured him forward. ¡°Make a copy and bring it here.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Brigg made a hologram document and started copying down the contents of the two pamphlets. He created two more Guides. And as the others watched, they started smiling. ¡®With only two books, we can share all the information with thousands of yers.¡¯ ¡®As I thought, it was a good idea to join Climb.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re lucky.¡¯ Officially, there were 57 Guilds in Climb. But in reality, Labyrinth and Sky Soul were also part of it, which meant that they had a great deal of power. There were more than three thousand yers affiliated with Climb. As a rough estimate, Seo Jun-Ho would make a loss of around nine million PP. ¡°Hm?¡± Just then, Tenmei Yugo¡¯s eyes furrowed when he opened the new copy of the Guide. His obstinate eyes fixed on Brigg. ¡°Is this a joke?¡± ¡°Pardon? What do you¡­¡± Tenmei Yugo tossed him the Guide. There was nothing written inside in either the first or second volume. When Brigg saw that, his face grew white. ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe I made such a mistake¡­I will do it again.¡± He immediately grabbed the original copy, and his eyes went wide. ¡°W-what? That wasn¡¯t a mistake! My copy¡¯s empty too!¡± Brigg showed the nk Guide to prove it. They had once been densely packed with letters, but now, there were only nk white pages. He then grew frustrated. ¡°What did I say?! You can¡¯t copy or share it illegally¡­!¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Tenmei Yugo avoided Brigg¡¯s eyes. He no longer had anything to say. ¡°That cunning boy. I supposed he has learned tricks like this as time passed.¡± He never expected that Seo Jun-Ho would include a mechanic that would erase both the original and the copy if someone attempted to reproduce the original. On top of that, they couldn¡¯t even me Seo Jun-Ho. After all, they had basically shot themselves in the foot by doing something the original author clearly told them not to do. ¡°Ugh, and I can¡¯t even buy another copy anymore¡­¡± Brigg seemed like he was about to cry after he lost his Guide. ¡°Um, what should we do now?¡± asked the other Guild Masters. ¡°Hm.¡± Tenmei Yugo thought for a moment. ¡°We will all go our own ways and look for a way to obtain the Guide.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that. Even though it says that reproduction is illegal, it should be fine if someone memorizes it and writes it down on paper.¡± With that, Tenmei Yugo¡¯s hologram disappeared. The others Guild Masters took it as their cue to leave, and they disappeared as if fleeing. In the end, there were only two people left in the conference room. ¡°...¡± Brigg was just about to disconnect, but he felt a sense of pressure when Shoot stared straight at him. ¡°I, um, is there anything else you¡¯d like to say to me?¡± An emoticon popped up on the Labyrinth Guild Master¡¯s LED helmet. [???-???] It was heartfelt encouragement. *** A white-haired man was watching theva flow like a river. Someone approached him, and they gave off an aura of satisfaction. ¡°Hey, Sky Horse. What are you looking at?¡± ¡°...My name is not Sky Horse[1]. It is written with the characters for ¡®demon¡¯ and ¡®sky¡¯ to mean ¡®sky of demons¡¯.¡± ¡°Such a lofty name should be given to the likes of the Archduke. A little greenhorn like you has no right to use it.¡± The Heavenly Demon couldn¡¯t refute those words, even if he wanted to. He smiled bitterly, and the demon asked him once more. ¡°I asked you what you¡¯re looking at.¡± ¡°I am watching theva.¡± ¡°Hm, what¡¯s so interesting about that? I find it boring,¡± the demon said tly. Once the Heavenly Demon turned, he got a full view of the demon. The demon had horns on his head and a tail protruding from his rear. A High demon like him had two horns. ¡°Will we be fighting again today?¡± ¡°No. Today I¡¯vee to ry the Archduke¡¯s orders.¡± The demon¡¯s tail flicked back and forth. ¡°He said that we will have to start moving soon.¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°Does that mean the 4th Floor has already been cleared?¡± ¡°Yeah. Apparently, that so-called Specter cleared it.¡± The Heavenly Demon chuckled. ¡°I knew he would. He is special.¡± ¡°As special as you?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± The Heavenly Demon only gave a vague answer before he changed the subject. ¡°So the Archduke wishes us to prepare ording to ¡®that¡¯ n?¡± ¡°Yes. But we need more time because you lot destroyed the door before it could be finished.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± ¡°Forget it. What¡¯s done is done, and we will be done soon enough.¡± The demon turned as he spoke, ¡°Once the Door Between Worlds opens, the Cmity will begin. However, the yers are progressing through the Floors too quickly.¡± ¡°I will slow them down,¡± the Heavenly Demon said. The demon¡¯s lip curled. It was the answer he wanted to hear. ¡°I will be able to slow the yers down with a few of my subordinates.¡± ¡°Would it be possible for only a few of you?¡± the demon questioned. ¡°You know how skilled they are.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± The demon merely nodded. He neither agreed nor disagreed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you all. But make sure you don¡¯t mess up.¡± ¡°I will heed your words.¡± Once the demon disappeared, the Heavenly Demon casually snapped his fingers, instantly summoning the seven other executives. ¡°You summoned us.¡± The Heavenly Demon looked at each person before him. It had already been more than five months since they came to the Underworld. And they had only been doing one thing since they arrived. ¡®Fighting.¡¯ They killed and killed all over again. And there was only one thing they could gain from it. ¡®Power.¡¯ They drank the blood of the demons they killed and honed their strength. As such, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s status had grown to the extent that Common demons couldn¡¯t afford to disrespect him. ¡°We have to start moving soon,¡± he said. He then closed his eyes and smiled as if he was imagining something pleasant. ¡°I will assign your duties.¡± To prepare for the uing era of darkness, they had to interrupt the yers¡¯ progress. ¡°Nazad Hallow.¡± ¡°...¡± The elderly man¡¯s eyes glinted under his robes as he looked up at the Heavenly Demon. ¡°Destabilize the yers.¡± The elderly man shivered. Was it fear? No, everyone here knew that he wasn¡¯t capable of such a feeling. ¡°I like it,¡± Nazad Hallow said. He couldn¡¯t hide his joy as he turned. ¡°I will enjoy myself.¡± ¡°I look forward to it,¡± said the Heavenly Demon. His words were genuine. ¡®Nazad Hallow has the most power out of all the executives.¡¯ Isaac Dvor and Valencia Citrin were strong, but they couldn¡¯t even dare topare themselves to Nazad¡¯s influence. After all, he had a whole army at his disposal. ¡®Though, he is too proud¡­¡¯ Nazad Hallow was the only fiend the Heavenly Demon respected somewhat. The only reason the arrogant Heavenly Demon was letting things slide was that Nazad¡¯s power was truly amazing. ¡°Charbork, Butcher, Shadow. You will also initiate each of your duties.¡± ¡°Your wish is mymand.¡± ¡°I will not disappoint you.¡± The Heavenly Demon watched the executives disappear like the wind and turned back to the river ofva once more. He meditated once again while staring at the endless current. ¡®Soon, we will have a rematch.¡¯ The thought of Seo Jun-Ho alone made his left arm ache. There was no reason he should feel any pain because he hadpletely recovered, but the feeling never left him. He gave a hollowugh as always and gently pressed on his arm. ¡®I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡¯ *** ¡°Ugh, what a waste. The System suspended sales?¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. He had summoned Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen early in the morning. ¡°Isn¡¯t it so unfair? I worked so hard to write it that I did not even eat a cake for a day,¡± sheined. ¡°Um. Anyway, we have actually received a certain request from many publications,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. After just listening all this while, Seo Jun-Ho finally spoke, ¡°What? They want us to hand over the Guide?¡± ¡°Yeah. And if you don¡¯t want to sell it, do you really think you¡¯d be able to distribute it just to the members of the Korean yer Association?¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment. Gray and Reiji had only been concerned about therge amount of PP he possessed. If it weren¡¯t for that, they wouldn¡¯t have stopped him from handing out the Guide. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me. I trust that you¡¯ll take care of the whole process.¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll partner with a trustworthypany and try it out.¡± He then sorted through his documents. ¡°Now that I think about it, I suppose that the ones who bought your Guide are already going through the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty right now.¡± ¡°Probably. But¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face grew hazy. ¡°I think not many will seed.¡± ¡°Huh? The difficulty is adjusted to match each yer, and they even have the Guide. Why not?¡± ¡°Even if they know how to do it, you can¡¯t clear it with an ordinary level of determination or mental strength,¡± he exined. ¡°Huh. If you put it that way, I guess only Rankers who are around the level of the Nine Heavens would be able to clear it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. If they weren¡¯t a Heaven, or as strong as one¡­ ¡°If someone is just thatmitted[2] for whatever reason, I suppose they could do it.¡± *** No one was allowed to sell, copy, or share the Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty Guide anymore. As such, less than a thousand copies existed in the world. And those who were lucky enough to obtain it immediately went to the 4th Floor to attempt the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty. ¡°...¡± Like this man... The vending machine spat something out with a tter. He carefully opened the book. [OO¡¯s Diary] The diary would let him regress 365 times. It was an item he could only dream of obtaining until now. ¡°Regressions¡­¡± The man tightly gripped the diary in his hand. He desperately wanted the ability to regress. ¡°...¡± He shook the thoughts out of his mind and continued on his journey. The 4th Floor only truly began once he obtained the diary. The cockroaches flowed out endlessly, and no matter what he tried, Erebo¡¯s clone wouldn¡¯t die. ¡®This is insanely difficult.¡¯ Even if he followed the Guide and chose all the correct routes, all he did was follow behind Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s footsteps. He died over and over again. ¡®...He really is amazing.¡¯ The more he regressed, the greater his respect for Specter became. At the same time, he felt a bitter sense of sympathy. ¡®Seventeen years, was it?¡¯ The man wondered how Seo Jun-Ho felt while he was trapped in this endless prison of time for that long. If he failed, there were no consequences. He could go back to Earth and attempt to clear this difficult level once again. However, that hadn¡¯t been the case for Seo Jun-Ho. He had to have been scared. He might have even cried, but in the end, he prevailed through this hell. ¡®You were walking down such a painful path all this while.¡¯ The man closed his eyes. He had only ever known Seo Jun-Ho as a happy person because he was always smiling. He could have never guessed that behind that smile, Seo Jun-Ho was suffering from a pain that gnawed away at his blood, flesh, and soul. ¡°...¡± He finally understood his master¡¯s words. He had told him that Seo Jun-Ho was the loneliest and saddest person in the world. ¡®He told me to stand by Jun-Ho¡¯s side and give him strength.¡¯ The man felt ashamed. Despite many years of constant failure, Seo Jun-Ho kept trying. In contrast, what had he been doing this whole time? He despaired. He raged. And he despaired again at his ipetence. All he had done so far was run away. He was scared, and he felt like the pressure would crush him. It was all because he thought that an ordinary man like him could never rece his master. ¡®But you¡¯ve taught me this...¡¯ Finally, he understood that heroes weren¡¯t born out of sheer luck¡ªthey were created through hard work and perseverance. He slowly opened his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll keep trying until I seed. If I can¡¯t do it in a few years, I¡¯ll keep going for a few decades.¡± It was all so that he could stand proudly by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s side as a fellow disciple[3]. And for his master, whom he knew was watching over him from the heavens. ¡°What is your name, predator?¡± Erebo asked. He gathered his thunder energy. ¡°Baek Geon-Woo. My name is Baek Geon-Woo.¡± Bzzzzt! As the thunder scattered the clouds, the sky seemed to beughing in a refreshing way that prated his very soul. 1. The hanja characters for ¡®horse¡¯ and ¡®demon¡¯ sound the same, so the meaning isn¡¯t always interpreted correctly unless there¡¯s an exnation. ? 2. The meaning is actually closer to desperate, but it has a different connotation. ? 3. The specific term here is a Buddhist term referring to the student that came before the subject, suggesting that he is supposed to have some level of seniority over Jun-Ho. ? Chapter 359. The Player Slaughterer (1) Chapter 359. The yer ughterer (1) Seo Jun-Ho watched the ocean waves ovepping gently as he swung on a hammock. ¡°Man, this is nice.¡± He was currently at a private beach in Bali, one of the best vacation spots in the world. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m actually going to be able to rx for the first time in a long time.¡¯ His eyes closed on their own. The warm sunlight felt pleasant as it shone on him. The sound of the waves was so refreshing it felt like it was reaching his very soul. His mind and body automatically rxed. Everything on his vacation was perfect. ¡°...¡± He looked up at the beautiful, cloudless sky and muttered, ¡°Status window.¡± [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 195 Title: Bringer of Spring (+4 more) Strength: 635 Stamina: 619 Speed: 633 Magic: 657 ¡°Hm.¡± His stats were over 600. It felt like forever since he thought that he hadn¡¯t grown stronger on the 4th Floor. When his score was calcted, and he received all his rewards at once, his level increased by 38. In total, he had leveled up 43 times on the 4th Floor alone. ¡°Ugh, so annoying.¡± However, even though anyone would have been jealous of his stats, he couldn¡¯t stay happy for long. ¡®When will I have the time to adjust to all this?¡¯ To make full use of all those stats, he had to work just as hard. ¡®And that¡¯s not all. When I go up to the 5th Floor, all my stats will increase by 30 again.¡¯ He could feel that all the annoying things he had to do were starting to pile up. Seo Jun-Ho closed his status window and closed his eyes. ¡®Ugh, whatever. I¡¯ll just leave it alone for now.¡¯ Right now, he was on vacation. He didn¡¯t want to think about these trifling matters as much as possible. Still, there were some things that could help him. ¡®I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something in the Administrator¡¯s Store I can use.¡¯ He fervently prayed that there was something in the Administrator¡¯s Store that would help him ovee all this. ¡°Contractor! Contractor!¡± The Frost Queen ran over. She was wearing scuba goggles and had a flower-patterned tube around her waist. She was even wearing flippers, seemingly prepared for a pool party. ¡°Why are you not swimming?!¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯m older, I prefer to justy here and rest,¡± he said, burying himself deeper into the hammock. The Frost Queen squinted at him. ¡°You are starting to sound more and more like an ahjussi.¡± ¡°Yeah, right. What kind of ahjussi is as youthful as¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly lost his train of thought and stopped. Now that he thought about it, his birthday was June 6th, 1999. Naturally, a question came to him. ¡®Am I an ahjussi?¡¯ Certainly, he would be turning 52 in a few days. But if he included the time he had spent in the Cave of Trials, the goshiwon, and the 4th Floor¡­[1] ¡®Oh my god.¡¯ He felt like he had just opened Pandora¡¯s box. He instantly sat up. ¡°F-Frost.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°Do I seem like an ahjussi?¡± He gave her his most refreshing, youthful smile. The Frost Queen stared at his ovepensating expression. ¡°No. You are like a child. You are always causing trouble, and you do not listen to me.¡± ¡°Phew, that¡¯s a relief. I¡¯m still young.¡± Just as he was letting out a sigh of relief, his Vita rang. ¡°...¡± He squinted and slowly stepped out of the hammock. ¡°Unfortunately, I think our vacation ends here.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll have to look into the details, but it¡¯s not good¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered while looking at the message on his Vita. [Seven yers and twenty civilians were killed. Pleasee back as soon as possible.] *** At once, Seo Jun-Ho rushed back to Korea, and he went to Shim Deok-Gu first. ¡°...You¡¯re here.¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked haggard, like he hadn¡¯t slept. And the sight made Seo Jun-Ho feel bad. After all, his face was still bright and glossy after rxing and resting a lot. ¡°What in the world happened?¡± ¡°Take a look at this first.¡± Shim Deok-Gu passed over a hologram photo. It showed several corpses hung on hooks from their upper or lower bodies, like pigs in a butcher¡¯s shop. ¡°Holy shit. What do we know about the killer?¡± ¡°...This is the signature modus operandi of the yer ughterer.¡± ¡°yer ughterer?¡± ¡°Yeah. It might be a copycat, but this is the same method the Butcher uses.¡± The Butcher would put the yers he killed on disy like they were pieces of meat. He was an executive of the Fiend Association, and he instilled fear in the hearts of yers. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes grew cold. How dare he? He couldn¡¯t endure running around while incognito that he wanted to start a killing spree on Earth? The Butcher was clearly trying to provoke him. ¡°This picture doesn¡¯t look like it was taken in Korean. Where is this?¡± ¡°Baghdad.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. Even though the world was in a golden age of science and magic, the nation¡¯s public safety wasn¡¯t as secure as Korea''s because they didn¡¯t have many CCTVs. ¡°Clever bastard. If he carefully hides, we won¡¯t be able to find him,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...¡± Indeed, if the Butcher decided to run around the area with Baghdad at the center, it would be hard to catch him, especially because he was just one man, not many. ¡°What are the other yer Associations and Guilds doing in response?¡± ¡°For now, the yer Association has decided to stop any outsiders from going in or out.¡± It was their immediate response. With that, the Butcher wouldn¡¯t be able to leave Baghdad through any conventional means. But of course, that was only in theory¡­ ¡°Realistically, a restriction like that won¡¯t work on someone as strong as an executive.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. ¡°He also chose a great spot. From there, he could go to Europe, Africa, China, Russia, or anywhere else.¡± Even centuries ago, Baghdad was a merchant city famous as the center of the world. It was an advantageous location, as it was sitting in the middle of Europe, Asia, and Africa. ¡°And most members of the Big 6 can¡¯t be dispatched right now,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. ¡°As you know, it¡¯s because of¡­¡± ¡°The 4th Floor.¡± They should all be running wild right now, trying to clear the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty in Another World. ¡°Then, there¡¯s no point in discussing this anymore. Get me a Teleporter.¡± ¡°...¡± Concern andplicated emotions passed through Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Will you be okay by yourself?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just one executive, so it should be fine.¡± Even if the Butcher was strong, he couldn¡¯t be any stronger than Erebo. ¡°It¡¯s could be a trap as well, considering how unclear the Heavenly Demon and the executives¡¯ whereabouts have been so far. You should know that,¡± Shim Deok-Gu warned. ¡°...¡± Shm Deok-Gu was right. There weren¡¯t any traces of them on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Floors. ¡°If there¡¯s more than one of them, it¡¯s very likely that it¡¯s a trap to kill you.¡± ¡°So you think I should let it go?¡± Even at this very moment, the Butcher could be stalking his new prey. The entire world was trembling in fear, not just the residents of Baghdad. ¡°That¡¯s what they want.¡± The Fiend Association had put in a lot of effort to sow distrust and make the yer Associations, Guilds, and yers helpless. ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu closed his eyes. He thought for a moment and made his decision. ¡°Fine. But I¡¯m going to dispatch a squadron of Association yers, too.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me. I¡¯m going to be moving on my own, though.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°Have I ever let you down before?¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned and left the room. There was a man waiting outside for him. He was the Teleporter who had helped Seo Jun-Ho several times before. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to serve you again,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re acquainted, aren¡¯t we? I¡¯d love to catch up, but I¡¯m in a rush.¡± ¡°I am aware.¡± The teleporter nodded gravely and carefully held out his hand. ¡°Where should I take you?¡± ¡°To¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered him and took his hand. As soon as he did, there was a great fluctuation of magic, and the two men disappeared. *** Baghdad. It was a beautiful ce that was also known as the Garden of God, and it was also the setting of One Thousand and One Nights. It was a unique ce outfitted with both modern and historical buildings. Usually, it was full of tourists, but right now, the streets were void of any people.[2] ¡°Omar! Pass!¡± ¡°Woah! Block it!¡± A group of children was ying ser in a quiet street. Their mothers approached them and mercilessly hit their backs. ¡°I told you not to y outside!¡± ¡°Why won¡¯t you listen? I told you it¡¯s dangerous!¡± They snatched their children up, looking fearful as they rushed to their homes. The streets werepletely still. Seo Jun-Ho took the sight in from the top of the building the Korean yer Association had provided, and he said, ¡°Everyone is frozen with fear.¡± ¡°It cannot be helped. A sinister killer is active in this area.¡± The Frost Queen crossed her arms. ¡°Can you feel it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He felt it as soon as they entered Baghdad. ¡®That bastard¡¯s stronger than I thought.¡¯ The Butcher¡¯s magic power was spread all over the city like a spiderweb. In other words, they would have been in big trouble if they had directly teleported here. ¡°It was a prudent choice,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°That¡¯s the basics of the basics. You know how many fiends I¡¯ve killed before, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t immediately teleport to Baghdad. He went to Fallujah, which was an hour away by car, and he walked all the way here while concealing his presence. ¡®The other yers are hiding as well, but¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Even Seo Jun-Ho could sense several yers located all around the city. As such, his opponent could probably sense them as well. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he starts hunting tonight or maybe even right now if he wants to start earlier.¡¯ Another thing to consider was that the Butcher was aplete psychopath, and he didn¡¯t care if he was killing yers or civilians. Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the city, keeping his guard up. The time quietly passed by, and night soon fell. [Night has fallen. Hunter¡¯s Night (A) has been activated.] [All stats increased by 10%.] [Your senses have been sharpened.] Using his enhanced senses, Seo Jun-Ho carefully observed. ¡®Let¡¯s trace back his magic.¡¯ It was a technique Skaya had taught him. His skills weren¡¯t that impressive with it, but he could at least find someone¡¯s approximate location. ¡®He¡¯s north.¡¯ And Seo Jun-Ho was in the eastern part of the city. The Butcher wasn¡¯t far off. Using Night Walking, he hid his traces and jumped out the window. ¡°...¡± The night was pitch-ck, and there weren¡¯t many buildings with their lights on. The city was like a ghost town, and it waspletely silent as everyone held their breaths. Just as he started to dart through the city, a brilliant firework went off in the night sky. Booom! ¡°It¡¯s red! Contractor, the signal!¡± The members of the Korean yer Association used a red re to signal that they had encountered an enemy. However, Jun-Ho¡¯s face darkened as he stared. The firecracker had gone off in theplete opposite direction, the south. ¡°Does he have some kind of teleportation skill?¡± he muttered before quickly making his way to the south. Booooom! Boom! Boom! Fireworks started going off with no end in sight, and the horizon looked as if there was an ongoing festival. Seo Jun-Ho stopped and looked up at the night sky, and his eyes widened. ¡°...What?¡± North, east, south, and west. Fireworks were blooming all over Baghdad. 1. For those curious, if you exclude the time he was frozen, his mental age is still around the mid tote forties. Physically, he is around thirty. ? 2. I¡¯m not sure where the nicknamees from, but it may be a reference to the hanging gardens of Babylonia, which were located in present-day Iraq. ? Chapter 360. The Player Slaughterer (2) Chapter 360. The yer ughterer (2) As Jun-Ho watched the endless fireworks disy, he felt a strange sense of deja vu. ¡°Something¡¯s off.¡± At first, he thought the Butcher was merely distracting them. But ording to the records, he wasn¡¯t the type of person to use these kinds of tricks. ¡®He¡¯s extremely arrogant, violent, and confident in his skills.¡¯ If this wasn¡¯t just a trick, it could only mean one thing. ¡®A skill.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wondered if it were some kind of cloning ability. Otherwise, to move around different ces at the same time would be an impossible feat. ¡®Though, it would be a different story if he has a skill simr to Nazad Hallow¡¯s army of corpses¡­¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho would have definitely noticed if someone that strong had used magic. Thus, at the very least, Nazad Hallow wasn¡¯t in this city. ¡°Contractor!¡± The Frost Queen called with wide eyes. She sensed something. Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly. ¡®As I thought, it¡¯s a skill that lets him clone¡ªno, divide¡­ Wait, they¡¯re multiplying?¡¯ Demonic energy spilled out from all over the city. There had been nothing earlier, but the ce was suddenly teeming with demonic energy. ¡®This is¡­ dangerous.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was one of the strongest yers, but he wasn¡¯t a god. He couldn¡¯t stop ten different people in ten different ces. He made haste, and his feet started moving faster on their own. ¡®Found him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho unsheathed his sword as soon as he discovered the man whom he thought was the yer ughterer. ¡°What?¡± Eerily, the fiend slit his own throat the moment he sensed him. As Seo Jun-Ho watched the fiend scatter into dust, he became sure of it. ¡®They can function physically, but they have no substance.¡¯ He scanned the area. The concentrated demonic energy had stained the spot where the clone disappeared. However, the yer ughterer had never used this kind of skill in the past. He immediately came to a conclusion. ¡®This is an innate power from a demon race.¡¯ When chosen fiends drank the blood of a demon, they could use the inherent skills of that demon¡¯s race. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face darkened. ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡± The powers of demons were stronger than the skills of yers on average. As he pondered, another ¡®yer ughterer¡¯ approached him from behind. ¡°Geez, you¡¯re more impatient than what I¡¯ve heard,¡± he said. ¡°...¡± The fiend left openings all over as if he wasn¡¯t afraid to die. ¡°Yes. I am the Butcher, ughterer of yers.¡± A vicious smile spread on his face. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know, but I have waited a long time for this. I heard that you were the one who killed all my subordinates.¡± ¡°Oh, did youe here to avenge them?¡± Seo Jun-Ho snorted. ¡°If you cared about them so much, then you should havee out back then. But you just ran away like a coward.¡± The Butcher¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°...You can talk as much as you¡¯d like while you still have the energy.¡± ¡°If you came here for revenge, stop hiding and juste at me. I¡¯ll kill you as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no use in provoking me. I only came here to carry out orders.¡± The Butcher looked around the city and mused, ¡°I heard that Baghdad¡¯s current poption is around 8 million.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. Based on what he had experienced, it was always bad news when a fiend mentioned the poption of a specific city or country. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious? How do you think the world would look at the savior of humanity if all these people happened to die in just one day?¡± ¡°You really think you can do that?¡± ¡°Who knows? I¡¯ll have to check for myself.¡± The Butcher let out a smallugh and drew a red line across his neck. ¡°Yes. I will check.¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes as the Butcher¡¯s head fell to the ground. At some point, the number of entities he could sense had reached¡­ around a hundred. ¡®Just how many clones can he make?¡¯ He pushed aside his apprehension and started sprinting to the closest presence. *** Several yers witnessed the same sight while Seo Jun-Ho was watching the beautiful fireworks disy. Han Seok-Ho, a member of the Korean yer Association, was one of them. ¡°What happened? All unitse in!¡± He yelled into his Vita, trying to figure out what was going on. And when he did, a barrage of signals from all over flooded the main channel. [Bzzt There¡¯s more than one¡­!] [The higher-ups were wro¡ªBzzt.] [Bzzt, The yer ughterer spotted! En route to the road in the south!] [What are you saying? He has been appearing and disappearing around the fortress in the north!] [What? What are you guys¡ªBzzt! West, he¡¯s west!] The agents were sharing conflicting information. From there, it was up to each individual to choose what to do. Confused, Han Seok-Ho¡¯s eyebrows knitted ¡®There are two possibilities.¡¯ Either the Butcher had hacked into their radio channel to sow confusion, or he had some kind of cloning ability. Thetter was more likely. ¡°This is H. Rendezvous in the south,¡± he said. He hurried and cut across the alleyway. ¡°...¡± Bzzt. Bzzzt. The old streemp tried its best to light up, but it could only flicker. Its light was only enough to let him see the outlines of the figures in the darkness of the alleyway. He gulped and slowly gathered his magic. Bzzt. Bzzt. He could see something humanoid past the flickering lights. ¡®Is it the Butcher?¡¯ Han Seok-Ho thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡®This isn¡¯t the south, north, or west.¡¯ He was somewhere east. In other words, it was not one of the areas where the Butcher had been spotted. He slowly pressed his hands together. ¡°I am a Korean yer, Han Seok-Ho. Show yourself.¡± ¡°...¡± There was no answer. Actually, whatever it was ceased their swaying and stretched their shoulders. The movements seemed like they belonged to a beast rather than a human. ¡°I¡¯ll ask once more. Show yourself. If you don¡¯t answer or if you move, I will attack,¡± he said, reciting from the manual. He squinted at his target. There was no answer this time either. ¡°I warned you.¡± They had ignored his warnings twice. ording to the policies of the Korean yer Association, the target would then be ssified as an enemy. Han Seok-Ho separated his hands a little, and he pped them forcefully. ¡®Shock Wave.¡¯ The condensed waves rode the air as they shot out. It was impossible to dodge this attack in such a small alleyway. Kwaaaaa! A fierce tempest enveloped the street. Han Seok-Ho squinted against the flying dust and slowly opened his eyes. Bzzt. Bzzzt. The alley under the flickering streemp had been ruined, but there was no one else. ¡°...!¡± Then where were they? Cold, damp sweat started to soak his back. ¡°Heh.¡± He heard someoneugh, dripping with bloodlust. It came from right behind him. ¡®I-I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ His life started to sh before his eyes. However, the temperature around him suddenly dropped. ¡°Oh?¡± And behind him, he heard a vaguely annoyed voice. When Han Seok-Ho slowly turned his head, he saw that his enemy was standing stiffly, and a giant icicle was lodged in his enemy¡¯s chest. ¡°It¡¯s the yer ughterer.¡± It was a familiar baritone voice. It was a voice he had heard from the TV a few times now¡ªa voice he couldn¡¯t help but trust. ¡®I-it¡¯s Specter!¡¯ He looked delighted as Seo Jun-Ho slowly stepped into the alleyway. However, he didn¡¯t even nce at Han Seok-Ho as he cautiously stared at the Butcher. ¡°You¡ª¡± The fiend tried to say something, but Seo Jun-Ho cut him off. Crackle! The icicle shattered, and it burst inside of him. When he died, he vanished into dust. ¡°Wait, what happened to the body?¡± Han Seok-Ho said with wide eyes. Seo Jun-Ho turned to him. ¡°Are you affiliated with the Korean Association?¡± ¡°Y-yes. My name is Han Seok-Ho, and I¡¯m part of the field team.¡¯ ¡°Are you connected to the shared channel?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Good. Then, tell this to everyone right now.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the dark night sky before whispering, ¡°Take as many citizens as possible and leave the city.¡± *** ¡°...¡± The Butcher was sittingfortably somewhere in Baghdad. His eyes were closed, and the smile on his lips kept getting wider. ¡°Heh.¡± His clones massacred people with no end and with no concern over whether they were yers or civilians. The corpses were cruelly hung on hooks and disyed all over. ¡°Ah.¡± He could feel it. Everyone¡¯s fear of him was growing stronger and stronger, which made his strength grow limitlessly. ¡®The more you fear me, the sooner your destruction will be.¡¯ Up until now, the Butcher had mainly used guerri tactics for assassination, but actually, he liked to fight in a ce like this the most. ¡®On arge field...¡¯ Trapping his targets in arge area like an entire city would make him even stronger as time went on. It was all because the people would be more afraid of him when they realized that they were trapped. ¡°I should get started...¡± He activated the equipment he had bought. They were drone cameras, and they flew all over Baghdad. Kill cams. The Butcher spread those violent videos all over the world. ¡°Hehe.¡± It was the best way to increase everyone¡¯s fear of him as soon as possible. ¡®The Heavenly Demon told me not to underestimate Specter.¡¯ Deep down, he wanted to fight Specter right now, but he couldn¡¯t afford to fail this mission. Now that there were only the executives left in the Fiend Association, it was important that they did everything right in order to rebuild the Fiend Association. ¡®I should stop killing civilians soon.¡¯ After all, fear didn¡¯t require direct experience. Just because he killed more civilians didn¡¯t mean that he would sow more fear. ¡®I¡¯ll let them run around until the sun rises. And then, I¡¯ll absorb them all and kill him.¡¯ He patiently waited for the time toe. *** ¡°Stick to yourne! Don¡¯t cut in line!¡± ¡°If there¡¯s more space, take some of the people who are on foot!¡± ¡°What kind of bastard is looting the convenience store at a time like this?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho had told them to leave as well, but the Korean Association agents rescued civilians until the sun rose. Thankfully, the Butcher hadn¡¯t attacked in the past few hours. ¡°...¡± While the agents were panicking, Seo Jun-Ho killed the 409th clone and watched it disappear into dust. ¡®When will this end?¡¯ He ran around Baghdad, killing clone after clone, but they were multiplying much faster than the rate he was killing them. ¡®There are already over three thousand of them.¡¯ However, he wondered about one thing: why were they not attacking civilians anymore? Instead of attacking, they started to gather in one ce. ¡°Contractor, I believe the Butcher has truly started to gather his clones,¡± said the Frost Queen. ¡°...¡± He nodded without saying anything. ¡®It¡¯s Al-Kadhimiya Mosque.¡¯ It was one of Baghdad¡¯s biggest and most beautiful mosques. Right now, three thousand of the Butcher¡¯s clones were starting to gather there. ¡°...It¡¯s morning.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the horizon. As the sun started rising to greet the new day, the blessing of Hunter¡¯s Night (A) faded. And at that very moment, the three thousand clones vanished like ghosts. Chapter 361. The Player Slaughterer (3) Chapter 361. The yer ughterer (3) ¡°What a sight.¡± The Butcher was entranced when he saw the number of clones filling the mosque to the brim. There were 3,748 in total. That was almost the same amount as all the clones he had ever made in his life. ¡®Unfortunately, this is the end.¡¯ The clones had stopped increasing in number an hour ago. His innate ability belonged to manticores, but it seemed that this was the maximum number of clones he could make. ¡®Still, if I absorb all of them¡­ Mm.¡¯ He licked his lips and looked up at the sun peeking up from the horizon. ¡°Come to me,¡± he whispered. Shaaaa. The 3,748 clones dissipated into smoke, filling the mosque with a hazy mist. The Butcher gently waved his hands, bringing in the abundant smoke to inhale through his mouth, nose, and ears. ¡°Gah!¡± He convulsed and gnashed his teeth. Blue veins protruded all over his body, and sweat dripped from him like a downpour. After ten minutes of that, the Butcher let out a smooth, light breath. ¡°Haaaa.¡± His blood-red eyes were half closed, and he slowly raised his hand. ¡°...¡± He waved it through the air. Baaam! The mosque¡¯s floor cracked, creating a straight line that sliced through several other buildings ahead of it. ¡°Ha, haha¡­Gahahaha!¡± The Butcher grabbed his stomach andughed at the top of his voice. He looked down at his hand with great excitement. ¡®Yes, power. This is the power I wanted.¡¯ This incredible power would let him stand against the whole world, just like his master, the Heavenly Demon. ¡°...What a shame.¡± He felt a deep sense of disappointment. If he could hold onto this power forever, they wouldn¡¯t even need to make a second Fiend Association. ¡®I can only maintain it for about a day.¡¯ However, even though it was disappointing, it was more than enough for the job. Kim Woo-Joong? Shin Sung-Hyun? No matter who he faced, he was confident that he could take them down quite easily. The Butcher slowly closed his eyes. ¡®A good opponent ising. Just in time.¡¯ A powerful presence was quickly approaching him. ¡®Specter.¡¯ If that bastard hadn¡¯t kept destroying his clones, the Butcher would have been able to make his move much earlier. ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡± He made a swift swipe through the air in the direction where Seo Jun-Ho wasing from. ¡°So die.¡± *** As Seo Jun-Ho dashed to the mosque, his temples suddenly rang, warning him that his life was in danger. ¡°...!¡± He unsheathed his sword on reflex and struck the mysterious force. ¡°Ahh! W-what was that?¡± The Frost Queen eximed with surprise. She noticed it a second toote. Seo Jun-Ho looked down at his tingling hand with amusement. ¡°This is pretty excessive for just a greeting.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could sense that the Butcher was still at the mosque, even after thetter created so many clones. It was about two kilometers away from his current location. The fiend had merely sent his demonic energy out, but even at that distance, it was strong enough to stop Seo Jun-Ho in his tracks. ¡°Seeing as how I can¡¯t sense those thousands of clones anymore, it looks like he has absorbed them,¡± he said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be dangerous?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± However, if all Seo Jun-Ho wanted was to be safe, he wouldn¡¯t havee here in the first ce. And if he ran away now, the entire city of Baghdad would be in danger. ¡®No. The surrounding cities and countries might receive an attack as well.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s job was to make sure that the Butcher couldn¡¯t take a single step away from here. As such, he continued on his journey to the mosque. When Seo Jun-Ho arrived at the mosque, he felt an incredible amount of demonic energy. ¡®Compared to the Heavenly Demon¡¯s power fromst time¡­ The Butcher is about two levels below that.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was a little nervous. Though he had killed the Squadron Leaders before, this was his first time facing an Executive of the Fiend Association. On top of that, the Butcher had already built up a notorious reputation as ¡®the yer ughterer¡¯. ¡°...¡± The fiend was waiting for him in the middle of the vast mosque. ¡°Wow.¡± The Butcher was impressed when he saw Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®That¡¯s the hero of humanity, Specter. He really is strong.¡¯ Specter wielded apletely different energy than the one he felt from his clones with their dull senses. At the same time, the Butcher was relieved. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t absorbed 3,748 clones, I could have been the one in danger.¡¯ Finally, he understood why the Heavenly Demon spoke of Specter so highly. However, aside from that, there wasn¡¯t really any other reason. It was simply because Seo Jun-Ho was a ¡®special¡¯ person. ¡°To think that someone so young is so powerful¡­ How old are you again?¡± ¡°Shut it, you dirty fiend,¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡ªapparently 27 years old in his own words¡ªsnapped. He was still going through an identity crisis about his true age. ¡°Pffft. I¡¯ll be generous and let it slide. A barking dog never bites, after all.¡± Usually, the Butcher would instantly kill someone who dared to say something like that to him. But right now, he was feeling merciful. He didn¡¯t need to concern himself with the words of a dead man walking. ¡°The Heavenly Demon misses you very much. I should gift your head to him as a souvenir.¡± ¡°Who said I¡¯ll give it to you?¡± ¡°Your will does not matter. I¡¯ll take what I want.¡± Such was the mindset of a fiend who abided by thew of the jungle. The Butcher reached into his Inventory and retrieved his weapons. His favorite tools to use whenever he killed people had always been a hook on a chain and a short cleaver. ¡°Anyst words?¡± he asked. ¡°Where is the Heavenly Demon?¡± The Butcher thought for a moment, but he kept his mouth shut. Even though Seo Jun-Ho was about to die, there was no need to tell him something like that. ¡°Why won¡¯t you say it? I asked you about the location of that cowardly bastard who ran away because he was scared of me.¡± ¡°...¡± The Butcher frowned at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s provocation. The Heavenly Demon was someone who was somewhat respected even in the Underworld. Despite the enormous power the Butcher had right now, he still wouldn¡¯t dare try to fight his idol. ¡°You aren¡¯t cute anymore. You should watch your mouth from now on.¡± Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue. The Butcher¡¯s lips weren¡¯t so loose after all. ¡®Looks like I won¡¯t be able to get any more information. I¡¯ll just use Confession of the Dead once it¡¯s over.¡¯ He opened his Inventory as well. Just as he started pondering which weapon to use, a dormant weapon started to vibrate furiously, as if it was scolding him for not taking it to a fortune teller. It was the spear as azure and white as ice. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho quietly retrieved the Sword of Ambition and said, ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± ¡°Really? I like your spunk.¡± The Butcher smirked and started swinging his chain. ¡°Oh, my bad. I wasn¡¯t talking to you.¡± ¡°He was speaking to me.¡± Crackle! In an instant, the Frost Queen froze the mosque¡¯s floor. ¡°...!¡± No matter how skilled a yer was, they needed time to adjust if the battleground suddenly changed. ¡®Time to adjust to the new environment.¡¯ However, someone was moving around freely, and it was the one who changed the battleground. Chisss! Midnight Sun covered Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s whole body, and he made ¡®climbing irons¡¯ made of ice at the sole of his shoes. ¡°...The only thing you can do is use petty tricks like this?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try out these ¡®petty tricks¡¯?¡± ¡°Hup!¡± The Butcher let go of his spinning chain, swiftly throwing the hook. It was covered with severalyers of powerful demonic energy, and it struck the ground. Bang! Bang! Bang! ¡®Idiot.¡¯ It felt like he was destroying a construction site with a wrecking ball rather than nullifying the tactic. Seo Jun-Ho dodged each strike and forcefully kicked off of the ground. His climbing irons dug into the ice with a crackle. ¡°...!¡± He suddenly flew toward the Butcher like a bullet with his sword raised. Shiiiing! The Butcher quickly raised his cleaver and blocked the attack, but the ice under his feet made him slide all the way back. ¡°Ugh!¡± He dug his cleaver into the ground in an effort to regain his bnce, but the grand tower of icicles in the air started falling on top of him. The Butcher grinned with bloodlust and cried out. ¡°Hah!¡± The icicles shattered like ss when the sound waves infused with demonic energy swept past them. He watched as the ice crystals scattered into the air. ¡°So, is this how you fight?¡± asked the Butcher. As the fiend slowly got to his feet, there was a small amount of joy and a great amount of disappointment in his eyes. His opponent¡¯s tactics weren¡¯t bad, and the way Specter used the slippery surface was pretty effective. Most yers would have instantly died from this attack. ¡®But he¡¯s still a human¡­¡¯ It felt like there was a difference between their weight ss. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s tricks could easily be taken apart by someone with more magic power or demonic energy. ¡®His fighting style is simr to mine.¡¯ To be precise, Specter¡¯s fighting style was like his fighting style before he absorbed his clones. After all, the Butcher was the type to n and direct every single move in battle. ¡®But that doesn¡¯t matter...¡¯ It seemed cute in the face of absolute power. ¡°It seems that you haven¡¯t experienced this one before, so I will show you.¡± The Butcher tossed his cleaver aside. Holding his hook in one hand, he started gathering his demonic energy. Vrrrr! The demonic energy was so powerful that the air itself trembled. The strong vibrations shook the mosque. ¡°This is what real power looks like. It can¡¯t be ovee with techniques.¡± ¡°...!¡± The Butcher threw his hook, and it flew toward Seo Jun-Ho. However, it wasn¡¯t just one hook. The demonic energy made it multiply, filling Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vision. ¡°One two three four¡ªno, impossible! There are a thousand hooks!¡± The Frost Queen eximed sarcastically. ¡°Only a thousand?¡± Seo Jun-Houghed weakly when he recalled those hellish days in Another World. ¡°Sorry, if you want to defeat me, you¡¯ll need a million more.¡± Slice! His sword danced elegantly. Every time it swung, the hooks infused with demonic energy fell to the ground in vain, one by one. ¡°...He blocked them all?¡± The Butcher couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡®I thought he was the type to resort to petty tricks because he wasn¡¯t skillful enough to win in a head-to-head battle?¡¯ Specter¡¯s fighting style wasn¡¯t the same as him? The Butcher felt a deep sense of betrayal. Swoosh! Seo Jun-Ho caught the final hook with his hand and squeezed it hard. ¡°Ha¡­ Okay. So that¡¯s what it is¡­¡± The Butcher had been bamboozled. Specter was different from him. He wasn¡¯t just a tactician¡ªhe seemed very confident in a head-to-head fight as well. ¡®But you chose the wrong opponent¡­¡¯ The Butcher had absorbed 3,748 clones. He knew that the only ones who could overwhelm him with pure strength were the Heavenly Demon and Charbork. ¡°You¡¯ll soon resent yourself for getting so carried away.¡± The muscles in the Butcher¡¯s arms swelled as he swung his hook. ¡°Hup!¡± Bang! Bang! He broke through the ice and burrowed his feet into the ground as he started pulling as hard as he could. ¡°What?¡± On the other side, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes went wide as he looked down at the hook in his hand. He looked like he didn¡¯t know what was going on. ¡°Hup! Hup!¡± The Butcher pulled the chain so hard that veins popped on his forehead. However, the hook didn¡¯t budge even an inch from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand. Rather than in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand, it felt as if it were anchored on the ground. ¡®Is he ying with me?¡¯ No, the Butcher was expending too much energy for it to be a mere prank. The Frost Queen observed the fiend for a moment before asking, ¡°Contractor, are you using your full strength?¡± ¡°Um¡­ No.¡± It did require effort to hold, but he wasn¡¯t using his full power. ¡®I know that my stats had increased a lot after I cleared the 4th Floor, but it shouldn¡¯t be to this extent¡­¡¯ ¡°Status window,¡± he whispered, confused. He started trembling. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 195 Title: Bringer of Spring (+4 more) Strength: 695 (+60) Stamina: 649(+30) Speed: 633 Magic: 657 Two of his stats were much higher than they should be. His Strength and Stamina had increased tremendously. ¡®How¡­Wait, is it¡­?¡¯ He quickly checked his message log. ¡­ [Title ¡®One Who Perseveres (S)¡¯ has been activated. Strength increased by 30.] [Title ¡®One Who Perseveres (S)¡¯ has been activated. Strength increased by 30.] [Title ¡®One Who Perseveres (S)¡¯ has been activated. Stamina increased by 30.] ¡­ ¡®One Who Perseveres!¡¯ It was the Title he had received after killing the 4th Floor Master Erebo. Seo Jun-Ho knew that the Title would increase his stats the longer a battle went on. ¡®But I thought it would only increase them by a few points. I never thought it would give me so many points.¡¯ ording to the log, it seemed that his stats would increase approximately once every three hours. The stats were likely chosen at random, but even with that, its effects were still top-notch. It seemed that it didn¡¯t receive the S-Grade rating in vain. ¡®Wait, then¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho watched as the Butcher pulled as hard as he could on the chain, and the scene looked like they were ying tug-of-war. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes curved into crescents upon seeing that. ¡°Cute.¡± He seemed like a cat who had discovered a fun toy. Chapter 362. The Player Slaughterer (4) Chapter 362. The yer ughterer (4) The Butcher felt like he was dreaming. ¡®What? This is impossible.¡¯ Every fiend knew that Specter was strong, and the idiots who thought otherwise had died long ago. The Executives of the Fiend Association especially knew better than anyone how strong he was because the Heavenly Demon had personally told them about it after he fought Specter himself. ¡®But¡­ His skill level is way too different from what the Heavenly Demon described.¡¯ With the Butcher¡¯s current power, he should be able to throw Specter around like a child ying with a toy before killing him. And that was why he had been so rxed all this time. ¡®W-why is this happening?¡¯ The gears in his head quickly turned. There was only one thing that he suspected as the cause¡ªtime. The Heavenly Demon fought Seo Jun-Ho five months ago. ¡®But it has only been five months.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter how much rage Specter poured into his training; it was impossible for him to be twice as strong as he was in just five months. Moreover, the Butcher was currently using the power of a manticore. He had absorbed 3,748 clones. Even if it was temporary, it raised his strength stat all the way to 570. ¡°But how¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re cute¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho smirked and tugged gently on the hook, and the Butcher¡¯s feet were pulled right out of the ground like radishes. As his body was dragged across the ground, he felt a swell of humiliation, frustration, and rage. Because right now, he looked no different from a child being beaten by an adult. ¡°Fuck!¡± In the end, the Butcher¡¯s pride made him let go of the chain so he wouldn¡¯t get humiliated even further. ¡°You bastard, you hid your power when you fought the Heavenly Demon¡­¡± No, that was impossible. Back then, Specter was on the brink of death while fighting the Heavenly Demon. ¡®Then does that mean that he actually became two times stronger from then?¡¯ The Butcher couldn¡¯t believe it, but the cold reality forced him to do so. Btedly, fear filled his eyes, and rm bells started going off in his head. ¡®I have to tell them.¡¯ No matter what, he had to tell the Heavenly Demon and the other Executives that Specter was on a level that was far beyond their own expectations. He had to tell them that Specter had already reached a simr level of strength as their leader, the Heavenly Demon. ¡®If I just manage to get out of the mosque, I can take people as hostages and return safely¡­¡¯ ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s toote,¡± Specter whispered. As soon as he saw fear filling the Butcher¡¯s eyes, he became sure of his victory. ¡®He¡¯s probably thinking about running away because fiends never change.¡¯ However, that wouldn¡¯t happen. And it was all because his opponent was Specter. Fwoosh! A Curtain of Darkness spread over the air and trapped the two of them inside. ¡°Now you won¡¯t be able to run away.¡± ¡°...!¡± Specter had seen right through him. The Butcher gnashed his teeth and quickly moved the right hand he had been keeping behind his back, releasing an explosion of demonic energy toward Jun-Ho. ¡®There!¡¯ Thick, blood-red smoke bloomed. It was one of the manticore¡¯s powers, and it instilled fear in the target, weakening them. But when the smoke faded, all he saw was an indifferent-looking Seo Jun-Ho. [Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) has protected you from a mental attack.] ¡°...¡± He looked indifferent, without a hint of fear in his eyes. The Butcher gnashed his teeth. ¡®I may die here.¡¯ He had always hunted yers as his prey. They were weak beings that he could kill whenever he wanted. ¡°I am the yer ughterer.¡± Demonic magic poured out of him and created thousands of weapons, surrounding the two of them. ¡°They call me a walking armory.¡± He had used every weapon in existence to butcher yers, and it was all because he was always looking for more painful and entertaining ways to kill his prey. ¡°I¡¯ll ughter you.¡± With his heart set, he charged at Seo Jun-Ho with a dagger in his left hand and a spear in his right. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho swung his sword and easily cut through both of them. However, even though his weapons had just been destroyed, the Butcher¡¯s attack was not yet over. The Butcher retreated a step backward and snatched new weapons from the ones floating in the air. ¡®I see...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was a little impressed. It was an extremely inefficient technique, but it was effective at instantly bolstering the tempo of the battle so that it would quickly reach its peak. There were tens of attacks every second, and each one was carried out by a different weapon. Unless the receiver of the attacks was extremely knowledgeable about the special properties of many weapons, they were bound to mess up. ¡®This is a present for showing me something interesting.¡¯ Just as the iing halberd was about to pierce him, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body turned into a shadow and flew forward. ¡°...!¡± The Butcher¡¯s eyes went wide. Seo Jun-Ho had be intangible¡ªa great feat that no other yer had ever achieved before. ¡°Y-you monster!¡± the Butcher yelped, panicking. All of a sudden, arge palm appeared before his eyes. It quickly grabbed his skull and buried the back of his head into the ground. ¡°...!¡± The pain didn¡¯t let him scream. After painstakingly opening his eyes, he saw a fist. Crack! His head broke through the mosque¡¯s stone floor and was forcefully buried in the ground. ¡°U-Ughn.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty sturdy.¡± Seo Jun-Ho indifferently pointed out. He started punching the Butcher¡¯s face like a machine. After a while, the Butcher¡¯s body slightly convulsed before going limp. It was an unfitting, futile death for someone who had once instilled fear in the streets of the world as the so-called yer ughterer. [The battle has ended. The stat points gained from ¡®One Who Perseveres have vanished.] Seo Jun-Ho checked his status window and saw that the stats he had gained from the Title¡¯s effect were gone. ¡®I guess I have to build them back up every battle.¡¯ The effect was practically cheating in a long battle like today¡¯s battle. But other than that, it was hard to say whether it was effective in short battles or not. He had to look more into it to use it effectively. ¡°Contractor, check his memories first,¡± the Frost Queen suggested. ¡°Oh¡­¡± he muttered, ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± The memory yback appeared, showing him the Heavenly Demon and the Executives¡¯ location. His eyebrows furrowed. ¡°They¡¯re in the Underworld?¡± It was where the demons dwelled. Seo Jun-Ho finally knew where the Heavenly Demon was located, but it wasn¡¯t like he could go there even if he wanted to. ¡®So that¡¯s where he was hiding¡­¡¯ They weren¡¯t just staying quiet. The Heavenly Demon and the Executives were growing stronger so fast in the Underworld as if it was natural. ¡®The Butcher was strong, too.¡¯ If Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t gotten a lot stronger since he fought the Heavenly Demon, today¡¯s fight would have been extremely difficult. ¡°The demons are strong, too,¡± he observed. ¡°If Common demons are that strong, imagine how strong High and Arch demons are¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes for a bit. He did some image training based on the memories that the Butcher had collected over the course of his life. ¡®Lesser and Low demons are no match for me¡­¡¯ And Common demons were about half as strong as him. However, a High demon belonged to apletely different standard. ¡®They can destroy a mountain with just a flick of their hand.¡¯ And if they just had the time and motivation, they could even destroy Earth. Seo Jun-Ho started wondering if a human being could even be that strong no matter how much they leveled up and grew stronger. ¡°...¡± As he looked up at the fiercely burning sun, he lifted his left hand and spoke into his Vita. ¡°This is Specter. Missionplete.¡± *** [A Night of Terror. ¡®yer ughterer¡¯ Returns, Killed By Specter] [A Tragic Victory. 392 Civilians and 7 Korean Association yers Killed in Baghdad.] [President Shim Deok-Gu of the Korean yer Association Warns That Fiends Are Still a Threat] [Prime Minister of Iraq, Imoham Abdul Bows to Specter in Gratitude] ¡­ It had been four days since he fought the Butcher. In the meantime, Seo Jun-Ho had to catch up with all the many errands he had forgotten all this while. ¡°Ugh, this is why being a Hero is so annoying,¡± heined. ¡°Who told you to be one?¡± the Frost Queen said sarcastically. ¡°...Are you just gonna keep watching shows, though? Aren¡¯t you ashamed at all?¡± Seo Jun-Ho grumbled, directing his frustration at her. Eventually, Seo Jun-Ho made his way to the training room. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you rest a little?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°Huh? I was resting for thest four days.¡± ¡°...That was resting?¡± She frowned. She considered ¡¯resting¡¯ to be nothing but eating cake or napping. ¡°Then you should have rejected all those interviews and rested properly.¡± ¡°Easier said than done¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed. The world wanted a Hero. More precisely, they wanted a strong Hero who would always emerge victorious. ¡°I already know what kind of rumors would spread if I just waved them off after fighting the Butcher because I waszy.¡± There were many people who didn¡¯t like him, so he had to be extra careful with his actions all the time. It was best not to give them anything that they could use to criticize him. ¡°Hoo. Hoo.¡± Seo Jun-Ho did a light warmup. He leveled up once while fighting the Butcher, and he felt a sense of urgency to adjust to his new stats as soon as possible. ¡®After seeing how strong the demons are, I have no time to just sit around and rest.¡¯ He ran several hundredps in hisrge personal training room, and it was only then that he finally felt his body warming up a bit. Right after that, he sat in the lotus position and started doing image training. ¡®Janabi, the Heavenly Demon, Erebo, the Butcher¡­¡¯ He lined up the strongest enemies he had fought in his head. He ran dozens, hundreds of battle simtions with them. ¡°Ugh.¡± He took a shower when he was finally done training, but Seo Jun-Ho still looked uneasy. ¡®The Heavenly Demon bothers me.¡¯ While running battle simtions against him, Seo Jun-Ho won over and over again. However, it was against the Heavenly Demon from five months ago. ¡®That guy wasn¡¯t just sitting around while I was growing stronger.¡¯ He wished that he knew precisely how strong the Heavenly Demon was, but the Butcher¡¯s memories didn¡¯t have that kind of information. ¡°Hm. Is image training actually effective?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°Yup.¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned to her. While he had been training, she had been watching him while eating gummy worms. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to train? You just recently evolved, too.¡± ¡°Train? Me?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes grew round like buttons, and she giggled. ¡°Even if I train, I will not be able to use those techniques properly, so why would I?¡± ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t use them properly?¡± ¡°Your mind will not be able to endure them.¡± The Frost Queen coyly smiled. ¡°If I froze the entire world, do you really think that your mind will be able to take it?¡± ¡°There you go again, making those ridiculous bluffs.¡± ¡°Sigh, they are no bluffs. It is the truth.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head as always and checked the time. ¡°We should get going.¡± ¡°Is it time?¡± The Frost Queen made haste to finish her gummy worms. It had been a week since then. As Reiji had promised, the Administrator¡¯s Store should now be open for business. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± As soon as Seo Jun-Ho ripped his entry ticket, they were instantly transported. ¡°Huh?¡± He looked around, surprised. The Administrator¡¯s Store had expanded to about twice the sizepared tost time. ¡°Did you guys do renovations?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, sirrr. Because of you, you son of a bitch,¡± Reiji growled from the counter. The dark circles under her eyes sagged about an inch downward. ¡°If the size is simr to thest time, you''ll easily empty everything out.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Unable to deny it, Seo Jun-Ho chuckled sheepishly and looked around. The items here had already caught his eyes. ¡®The item¡¯s data can¡¯t be seen here.¡¯ In the first ce, the offered products were made up of any and all items each person might need. Choosing the best item for oneself was another crucial skill a yer should have. ¡°You don¡¯t have a catalog or anything, right?¡± he asked. ¡°Do you think we do?¡± Reiji snorted. Last time, she had rmended two potions that were good for him, but she had no intentions of doing that this time. ¡®This disgusting little bastard. I let him go because he bribed me so I would have less work. But now, he¡¯s making me work more?¡¯ Reiji stared daggers at his nape and checked the clock. ¡°Be quick and get out.¡± ¡°Oh, it won¡¯t take long this time.¡± ¡°...Why do you seem so confident? That¡¯s suspicious¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho softly smiled and slowly closed his eyes before speaking in his head. ¡®Intuition, are you awake?¡¯ Chapter 363. How That Man Became Powerful (1) Chapter 363. How That Man Became Powerful (1) Keen Intuition was like a highly cautious stray cat. Sometimes, he wouldn¡¯t reply when Seo Jun-Ho called, but he would take the initiative to speak sometimes. ¡®Are you sleeping? If you¡¯re not, just answer me. I¡­I¡¯m going to wait until you answer me.¡¯ - Don¡¯t say something so creepy. Keen Intuition replied, sounding frustrated. His voice wasyered with annoyance. - Partner, are you trying to work me on something trivial again? ¡®It¡¯s not trivial! It¡¯s important!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s life itself could change depending on what he obtained from the Administrator¡¯s Store this time. It was a precious opportunity. ¡®It¡¯s nothing difficult. Just take a look around and pick a few for me.¡¯ - Sigh. I will say this now: I am not a god. ¡®I know.¡¯ Even if Seo Jun-Ho bought an item that Keen Intuition picked out, he knew that it could be a miss. ¡®However, I could pick a miss as well.¡¯ As such, it was clearly more advantageous for Keen Intuition to pick the items. - Hm. Let us begin over there. Keen Intuition ordered in a much softer voice. ¡®Yes, sir.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes and started running all over the shop with reverent steps. Reiji watched, holding her chin up with one hand. ¡°Sir, what do you think of this one? No? Then I shall put it back.¡± ¡°Sir, this potion is giving off a brilliant light. Should I buy it and tell it off?¡± ¡°Hm. So you¡¯re not sure about this one?¡± ¡°You have another idea? What is it?¡± He kept picking up and putting down items, all while muttering to himself. Reiji clicked her tongue. ¡°Has he lost his mind?¡± asionally, there would be people like him. It wasn¡¯t a figure of speech nor an exaggeration. There really were yers who had gone crazy after reaching their limits. ¡®No, but he¡¯s a Hero¡­ His mind should be tough.¡¯ Reiji looked at him suspiciously. Suddenly, Seo Jun-Ho met her eyes, making her scowl. ¡°What are you looking at, you little shit?¡± Normally, Seo Jun-Ho would have turned red and looked away, but this time, he didn¡¯t do that. He walked up to the register with confident steps. Reiji lifted her chin from her hand and asked, ¡°What is it? You¡¯re already done choosing?¡± ¡°Yes. This, please.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ced down a sleeping bag thatpletely erased one¡¯s fatigue and cleared one¡¯s mind whenever one slept in it. ¡°It¡¯s 100,000 points. Anyints?¡± ¡°No.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was down 100,000 points. But he still had 30,560,000 points left. ¡®A sleeping bag? Seeing that makes me tired, too.¡¯ Reiji couldn¡¯t help but yawn. For the past few days, she had been working on the renovations and went to different dimensions ands to obtain items for her Store. As such, she really hadn¡¯t been able to get a good night¡¯s sleep recently. ¡®I¡¯m gonna take a nap once I¡¯ve sent him off.¡¯ Reiji¡¯s train of thought was interrupted by a pping sound. Seo Jun-Ho unfurled his sleeping bag in front of therge counter and wriggled inside, eventually looking like a caterpir. Reiji stared nkly at him and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± She burst intoughter and pulled her hair up. ¡°Why, are you tired? Do you want me to make you sleep forever?¡± ¡°No, thank you. Since I have a lot of points and there are a lot of items for me to peruse, so I want to take my time.¡¯ ¡°...Take your time? How much time are you talking about?¡± Seo Jun-Ho met her nervous eyes and smiled mischievously. ¡°Who knows? I¡¯d say at least a week¡­ Perhaps a few months if it¡¯s going to take a long time.¡± ¡°Areyoufuckingcrazy?!¡± Reiji screamed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine. Were you just about to attack your customer?¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s all because you just spouted some bullshit!¡± ¡°What¡¯s bullshit about it?¡± The Administrator¡¯s Store had no time limits. In other words, it was all up to the visiting yer to decide how long they would stay there. ¡°I think I have a good amount of rations in my Inventory, too. I¡¯m going to look around for a long time¡ªa looong time.¡± ¡°...¡± All Reiji could do was open and close her mouth. ¡®Is this son of a bitch acting like this because he knows?¡¯ Administrators seemed like gods to yers, but they had a number of restrictions ced on them. The Administrator¡¯s Store also had such restrictions. [When a customer enters, you have to focus solely on assisting them.] The Administrator¡¯s Store had such a restriction, but honestly, Reiji never really paid much attention to it. It was all because there should have been no lunatic who would dare to challenge her like this. ¡°God, my head.¡± Reiji was suddenly struck with a splitting headache as she gripped her head. She red at Seo Jun-Ho lying in the sleeping bag, still looking at her with innocent eyes. ¡°The great World Tree told me that Administrators cannot harm yers.¡± ¡°That fucking tree¡ª¡± ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s no problem here, is there?¡± ¡°Do whatever you want,¡± Reiji said bluntly, crossing her arms. ¡®I can¡¯t let him get to me.¡¯ She had to stay firm so that she could hammer in the fact in his brain that this kind of bullshit wouldn¡¯t work on her. And since Seo Jun-Ho was a human, he would only screw around for a few days at most. ¡®You¡¯re cute. Look at you underestimating your noona.¡¯ Confident, Reiji snorted. It was impressive how Seo Jun-Ho even thought of challenging her, but ultimately, she would be the winner. That was what she thought... *** Click click click¡­ Fwoosh! The magic burner energetically ignited a fire. Seo Jun-Ho ced a pot on top of it and poured in water from a water bottle. Today, he was nning to have ramen for breakfast. ¡°...¡± Reiji watched him in a daze. However, Seo Jun-Ho seemed like he didn¡¯t notice or cared. He looked at himself in a hand mirror, observing his stubble. ¡°Oh, I should shave,¡± he muttered. It had already been two months since he entered the Administrator¡¯s Store. In the beginning, Reiji often yelled at him, asking him when he would leave. Now, she had be more subdued. Frankly, Seo Jun-Ho had no intention of leaving because he knew that time passed much slower inside the Administrator¡¯s Store. - I suggested it, but you¡¯re pretty cruel. ¡®I thought this was what you wanted me to do. Unless it¡¯s all the way, I wouldn¡¯t have even tried doing this.¡¯ Now that he hade all the way here, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t stand down anymore. He wouldn¡¯t move a single muscle until she gave him a catalog of rmended items. ¡°Hey¡­¡± As soon as he cracked an egg into his ramen, Reiji spoke for the first time in a week. ¡°Yes, Reiji-nim.¡± ¡°You¡­You¡­ Sigh.¡± Reiji let out a long sigh and scratched her head. ¡°I heard that you cleared the 4th Floor.¡± ¡°I did...¡± ¡°How long did it take you to clear it?¡± Slurp! Seo Jun-Ho swallowed the chewy noodles. ¡°Seventeen years.¡± ¡°...¡± He watched as the light faded from Reiji¡¯s eyes. Eventually, she nodded and muttered, ¡°You fucking bastard. You should have told me that from the start.¡± Thwack! Something struck Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face. He picked it up. The thick book was none other than an item catalog. ¡°R-Reiji-nim!¡± ¡°Shut it, you lunatic! Don¡¯t say my name!¡± Reiji stomped, fuming. Her dark circles sagged heavily from theck of sleep. ¡°Take it and get the fuck out of here in three hours! Got that?!¡± ¡°I will do my best!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Reiji couldn¡¯t hold back her anger, but Seo Jun-Ho had already turned his back toward her. He cleaned up his ramen and checked the catalog. ¡®Let¡¯s start with the consumables.¡¯ His eyes flew to the list of Skill Books and skimmed the section. He didn¡¯t particrly want a new skill right now. ¡®But I have a lot of money and a lot of time.¡¯ Reiji had told him to fuck off in three hours, he didn¡¯t actually have to listen to her. He slowly, thoroughly read through the skills and their effects. ¡®What I need the most right now¡­¡¯ He needed a skill that would allow him to maximize the great number of stat points he was obtaining. Unfortunately, there was no Skill Book with such an effect. ¡®What about potions and herbs, then?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed brightly as he skimmed through the particr category. ¡®Found it.¡¯ He quickly read through the description. [Vermillion Fruit] Grade: S Effect: Upon consumption, your body will always be in peak condition. When stat points are obtained, there will be no need for adjustment. Price: 13,000,000 PP Thirteen million was an insane price. However, seeing the description of the item he would get in exchange, Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was fair. ¡®It¡¯s hard to put a price on it.¡¯ He closely studied the red peach. It provided an unmatched advantage for master warriors, whose lives depended on the state of their bodies whenever they fought. On top of that, it had the effect of eliminating the adjustment period when his stats were raised, something he desperately wanted. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m getting this.¡± Now that he had found what he wanted the most, Seo Jun-Ho continued on without a hitch. ¡°This, this, this, and this. This one¡¯s pretty good, too.¡± He started filling his cart with consumable potions, fruits, and herbs. ¡®Now that¡¯s what you call retail therapy.¡¯ His cart was starting to overflow, but he still had six million PP left in his wallet. All of a sudden, Keen Intuition eximed. - P-Partner! ¡°Yeah?¡± - Over there! Take a look over there. ¡°Here?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked and looked down at the catalog. [Soul Collector] Grade: A Effect: Collects souls. Price: 5,800,000 PP. It was expensive. That was the first thought he had when he saw the Skill Book. It was only A-grade, but it had a simr price as most S-grade Skills. ¡°This? You¡¯re sure of it?¡± - I am getting the feeling that this is what you need right now. ¡°Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head. Keen Intuition had the exact same personality as him. As such, Keen Intuition usually didn¡¯t speak in absolutes. ¡®But he¡¯s being so insistent¡­¡¯ This meant Keen Intuition was just that confident. ¡°Okay. This will be thest one, then.¡± His economical shopping trip came to an end. He approached the counter and saw Reiji nodding off. ¡°You¡¯re getting everything in your cart, right?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°If you ask for a return, refund, or exchange after this, I¡¯m gonna kill you for real.¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± The amount of PP he had in possession made him feel like a billionaire, but now it all came pouring out. Just as he started to feel regret, the items he had just bought flooded his Inventory. ¡°Have a good day.¡± ¡°Hey, you. I won¡¯t forget this.¡± There was deep, deep hatred in Reiji¡¯s two eyes. Such was the price of making her an enemy when all she liked to do was rx and rest. ¡®This isn¡¯t good.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t let this bridge burn here. As such, he hurriedly opened his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be misunderstood. You know why I did all this, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± Reiji squinted with suspicion. ¡°What bullshit are you talking about?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ You didn¡¯t know? I did all this so that I could clear the Floors as fast as possible. I desperately want to rest as well, and I¡¯m only holding on right now thanks to my incredible willpower.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed. ¡°You told mest time that you¡¯d help me so long as I can make you retire as soon as possible.¡± ¡°You crazy bastard. You dyed my retirement by two months. Do you really think I¡¯d believe you?¡± ¡°In exchange for those two months, I will climb the Floorspletely within twenty years.¡± Reiji¡¯s ears perked up, oveing her apathy. She thought for a moment. Her arms were crossed like a deadbolt, but she unfolded them. ¡°...Twenty years? Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Specter. The same Specter who has already cleared the 4th Floor.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Indeed, Specter led the humans up to the 5th Floor after being stuck on the 2nd Floor until his return. ¡®I suppose he¡¯s pretty fast.¡¯ The reason Reiji had supported him so earnestly from the beginning was that she had seen that spark of potential. Just as she started to feel convinced, Seo Jun-Ho put on a sad face. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m a little hurt. I thought we were on the same page, but you confiscated my PP and didn¡¯t give me any hints about the items. I thought you wanted the Floors to be cleared as fast as possible.¡± ¡°Come on, I do. But my hands are tied. Administrators have more restrictions than you think¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho sulked as he listened to her clumsy excuse. ¡°Then, you¡¯re going to help me for sure next time, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t say something like that so flippantly, or I¡¯ll be in trouble,¡± she said, growing red with embarrassment. Seo Jun-Ho fixed his eyes on her without moving. Perhaps it was because she was tired, but she felt pressured under his gaze. Eventually, she gave a very small nod. ¡°Sounds good.¡± Seo Jun-Ho held back his wide grin. Reiji was starting to get a strange feeling, so she hurriedly waved him away and muttered, ¡°Whatever, just fuck off now, will you?¡± In an instant, his surroundings distorted. The empty shelves of the Store disappeared, and he found himself in his penthouse. He checked the time and saw that only about 13 seconds had passed. ¡°Ah, Contractor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled triumphantly at her as if he were a hero returning home. ¡°I¡¯m back in business.¡± *** While Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen enjoyed their reunion after their thirteen seconds of parting, Reiji started cleaning her Store so she could close for the day. ¡°Ugh, that little shit!¡± The magic burner and the pot full of bloated strands of noodles were sprawled on the ground. She considered going to Seo Jun-Ho and giving him a proper beating as punishment, but she managed to hold herself back. ¡°...Twenty years. If you hadn¡¯t promised to let me retire in twenty years, you would have been a dead man.¡± As always, she burned with the desire to retire. Reiji crouched and cleaned up the dirty pot. Chapter 364. How That Man Became Powerful (2) Chapter 364. How That Man Became Powerful (2) ¡°Hurry, hurry up. Tell me at once,¡± said the Frost Queen. She was sittingfortably on the couch as she drummed on the table with her hands. She wanted to see what Seo Jun-Ho had bought from the Administrator¡¯s Store. ¡°Okay, just give me a second.¡± He started taking out items from his Inventory one by one. ¡°The Millenium Fleeceflower, Ril Trache¡¯s Tears, Innards of a Rainbow Eel, Purifying Oil, Ginseng Doll¡­¡± This time, he bought a total of 24 items. Simr to the ¡®Amitabha Holy Water¡¯ and the ¡®Heart of the Darkness Dog,¡¯ most of them were single-use. ¡°That¡¯s why I was able to get them for cheap.¡± Of course, they didn¡¯t cost him much. The pure scents of the potions, fruits, and herbs filled the room. ¡°Mm¡­ My head already feels clear just from the scent,¡± the Frost Queenmented. ¡°Right? And that¡¯s not all¡­¡± He took out the main course, along with the Soul Collector Skill Book. ¡°Apparently, this peach makes it so that my body will always be in peak condition.¡± ¡°That is something you have been searching for a long time. And what of this book?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He had no idea. He had bought it impulsively simply because Keen Intuition urged him to buy it. ¡°I actually have no idea. I bought it because Intuition told me to,¡± he confessed. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes grew cold. ¡°Tell me how much it was.¡± ¡°5.8 million points.¡± ¡°How expensive.¡± She let out a small sigh. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho took out another item. ¡°Oh, right, I also bought¡ª¡± ¡°What is it this time?!¡± The Frost Queen turned to look at his hand with an annoyed expression. However, Seo Jun-Ho was holding a cake that looked very sweet and appetizing. ¡°This was a slice of cake from some empire¡¯s banquet, I think. It was 30,000 points.¡± ¡°...Mm.¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes started sparkling, but she quicklyposed herself and cleared her throat before saying, ¡°Ahem. So you were quite frugal with your money.¡± ¡°Do you want to eat cake first?¡± ¡°And some ck tea...¡± After their incredible tea time, they headed to the training room. *** ¡°The president asked me to deliver this.¡± ¡°Thank you. Please let him know that I received it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir! It would be an honor!¡± After receiving the package in his training room, Seo Jun-Ho immediately ripped off the wrapping. Inside, there was a single magic scroll. ¡°That little rascal. He kept whining about how he wouldn¡¯t be able to get it, but look how easy it was for him.¡± This was the highest quality item data scroll, one of the few remaining on Earth. There was only one reason he had asked Shim Deok-Gu to get this for him. ¡®I should check it now.¡¯ He had never taken out Erebo¡¯s core from his Inventory because he was afraid that he would unknowingly absorb it and fall asleep for a few more decades. ¡°Alright, here we go.¡± The core fell out of the Inventory and onto the nket he had prepared. ¡°Hooo.¡± Based on his previous two experiences of absorbing a core, he assumed that there were two types of cores. ¡®Either it has a long absorption period with great effect, or it has a short absorption time, but the effect won¡¯t be that good.¡¯ It had taken him twenty-five whole years to absorb the Frost Queen¡¯s core. Meanwhile, it only took him three days two absorb Janabi¡¯s core. ¡®And the two skills I got matched the time it took.¡¯ Cell Regeneration (A) wasn¡¯t a bad Skill, but one couldn¡¯t even begin topare it to Frost (EX). Seo Jun-Ho looked at the scroll nervously. ¡°Do not expect much,¡± the Frost Queen said, already pessimistic. ¡°The more you expect, the greater your disappointment. If you do not expect much, then you will not be disappointed.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that negative attitude?¡± He looked at the foggy light emanating from the core and squeezed his eyes shut as he ripped the scroll. ¡°Please, please be S-grade!¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk. Do you really think that S-grade skills are easy toe by? Back in my day¡ª¡± Light suddenly burst from the scroll and covered the core. [Erebo¡¯s Core] Grade: Legendary Description: The core left by Erebo, the devourer of the World Tree. Effect: Forced sleep for two months when taken. Acquisition of Cloning (S). ¡°H-how?!¡± The Frost Queen eximed, astonished. She lowered his expectations because her Contractor was anticipating something too good to be true, but he had actually been right. ¡°I told you! I told you!¡± ¡°Impossible¡­¡± She stared at Seo Jun-Ho in a daze as thetterughed like an idiot. S-grade skills were rare. In fact, less than one percent of yers had an S-grade skill. ¡°How do you have such luck?¡± The Frost Queen muttered. With this, her Contractor now had as many as seven skills S-grade or above. Moreover, two of them were EX-grade. It was hard to believe. ¡°Still, it¡¯s annoying that I¡¯ll have to be asleep for two months.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Who knew what the Fiend Association executives could achieve in two months? Two months was too long. ¡°Hm.¡± Just as Seo Jun-Ho started pondering, Keen Intuition muttered to him in a strange voice. - Partner. ¡°Yeah?¡± - Pspspsps. ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± Seo Jun-Ho listened to him speak without interrupting. In the end, Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head and took out the ¡®main course¡¯ from his Inventory. His eyes went wide afterward. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re right.¡± *** ¡°Phew, I¡¯m done.¡± After taking out the trash¡ªthe ramen¡ªand doing the dishes¡ªthe pot and the magic burner¡ªReiji wiped the sweat off of her brows with the back of her hand. She was azy person by nature, but she was diligent when it came to her assigned duties. ¡°I can finally sleep.¡± The opening date of the Administrator¡¯s Store hadn¡¯t even been revealed to the yers just yet. As such, she had more than enough time to take a long nap. ¡®I had to do so much work because of the shit that bastard pulled.¡¯ She was nning to rest for about three months before preparing for the Store¡¯s real opening and posting an announcement about it. Click. Reiji turned off the lights of the Store. She was about to head to her dwelling, but then¡ª [You have received a request for an exchange.] [You have received a request for a refund.] [You have received a request for a return.] ¡°What is wrong with that son of a bitch?!¡± Reiji¡¯s eyes sharply gleamed, and she looked like she wanted to kill someone. ¡®I¡¯ve been ying nice because he¡¯s a kid, but does he actually think he¡¯s better than me?¡¯ There was a clear reason behind her rage: only one bastard would send these requests. ¡°No. I can¡¯t hold back any longer.¡± She had enough. Reiji cracked her knuckles and stretched her hands, emanating bloodlust. A human fell from beside her. Of course, it was Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Oh, Reiji-nim!¡± He was smiling brightly. At that, Reiji squeezed her hands into fists. ¡°Grit your incisors, canines, premrs, and mrs if you don¡¯t want them to break.¡± ¡°W-wait, time out! Please don¡¯t hit me!¡± Seo Jun-Ho pleaded. He fell to the ground and grabbed her ankle. Reiji could only look at the ceiling and sigh. ¡°Hooo. Let go of me while I¡¯m asking nicely. Just because you¡¯re doing this doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not going to hit you.¡± ¡°P-please hear me out first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hear you out after I hit you a few times. I told you that I¡¯d kill you if you asked for an exchange, refund, or return, did I not?!¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t need any of those!¡± Reiji¡¯s fist stopped in midair before it could break Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skull. ¡°What? Then, what were those requests you sent me?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho started sweating as he looked up at her. Reiji looked like a rakshasa.[1] It all started with the conversation he had with Keen Intuition a few minutes ago. - Can you simply not absorb this so-called core at the Administrator¡¯s Store? ¡°I wish I could, but how am I supposed to get there? I don¡¯t have an entry ticket anymore.¡± - Unlikest time, Reiji threatened to kill you if you requested an exchange, refund, or return. ¡°Oh¡­¡± He was right. She didn¡¯t give him that warningst time. - My instinct is screaming at me that this is exactly because of ¡®that¡¯ item you bought. ¡°The main course?¡± Seo Jun-Ho checked the item in his Inventory, and his eyes went wide. It had cost thirteen million PP, and perhaps that was why he could directly send an ¡®exchange, refund, or return¡¯ request to the Administrator. ¡°So¡­¡± Reiji held her forehead when Seo Jun-Ho was done exining his side. ¡°You wish to eat that core here because time flows differently here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No,¡± Reiji didn¡¯t even blink as she said, ¡°I¡¯m tired. The only thing keeping me awake is my desire to beat you.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll lend you my sleeping bag.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled sheepishly as he stealthily unfurled the sleeping bag. ¡°If you allow me to absorb the core here, I¡¯ll help you clean up the Store once I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°...Clean up the Store?¡± Reiji crossed her arms and considered it. Certainly, cleaning up the Store by putting all items ording to the appropriate categories andbels was an extremely annoying chore. ¡®And even though it¡¯ll be a little inconvenient, I can still sleep.¡¯[2] She didn¡¯t like that she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep in her own fluffy bed, but the sleeping bag Seo Jun-Ho bought here should be pretty good as well, considering that it cost 100,000 PP. ¡®And it¡¯ll be nice for him to owe me a favor...¡¯ After doing her own calctions, Reiji nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep behind the counter then. Do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep for about three months. Once you wake up, make sure to clean up each section.¡± ¡°Just leave it to me.¡± Absorbing the core would take Seo Jun-Ho two months. And even though he had to clean up the storefront, less than a minute would have passed in Earth¡¯s time once he was done with everything. In delight, he retrieved Erebo¡¯s core from his Inventory. ¡°Good night, then.¡± ¡°...Sure.¡± Once he noticed Reiji¡¯s breathing slowing down from within the sleeping bag, Seo Jun-Ho curled his fingers around the core. *** [Absorption rate 99.9999%...] [Absorption rate 100%.] [Congrattions. You havepletely absorbed Erebo¡¯s core.] [You have obtained the new skill ¡®Cloning (S)¡¯.] Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes. As he slowly registered his surroundings, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling. ¡®Where am¡ªOh, right, I was at the Administrator¡¯s Store.¡¯ As he gradually began to wake, he could feel the new Skill settle within him. [Cloning] Grade: S Effect: Consume magic energy to create clones. Clones can only possess up to 70% of your stats. ¡®Up to 70%.¡¯ Without further ado, Seo Jun-Ho activated the Cloning. The sensation was strange as if something had slipped out of his body. ¡°...¡± A new ¡®Seo Jun-Ho¡¯ was created before him. It was a very peculiar feeling. ¡®But for some reason, it¡¯s not a bad feeling.¡¯ It was said that most people would feel a deep sense of hatred whenever they saw someone who looked like them. The urban legend of doppelgangers was even derived from the fact. However, it was different with a clone. ¡®It just feels really cool.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt a deep sense of faith that his clone wouldn¡¯t betray him no matter what. This was probably the greatest advantage of Cloning. ¡°What should I call you?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Dunno. Call me whatever you want. You¡¯re the original anyway.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. His clone spoke exactly in the same manner as him. He wondered if this was what it felt like to have a brother. ¡°I¡¯m going to a fortune teller soon. I¡¯ll ask them.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, whatever you wish.¡± However, it seemed there was a fundamental difference in their personalities. Seo Jun-Ho was assertive, while his clone was a bit more submissive. It was also a little rude. ¡°You¡¯re funny. Rude? We¡¯re the same person,¡± said the clone. ¡°You can read my thoughts?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not reading your thoughts. I¡¯m you. That¡¯s all.¡± He looked at Seo Jun-Ho condescendingly. ¡°If I had to exin, I¡¯d say that I¡¯m a little freer. I¡¯m you, but without a facade.¡± ¡°Weird. I¡¯m pretty sure everyone knows me as a sincere and authentic man.¡± ¡°There¡¯s your facade again.¡± The clone smirked. After that, he started doing push-ups. After doing around three hundred reps, he fell to the floor in exhaustion. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m tired. I think your skill can do about fifty minutes of work.¡± ¡°I see. Is it because of my skill proficiency?¡± His clones could use up to 70% of his stats, but they couldn¡¯t use that much from the very beginning. Seo Jun-Ho had to train them diligently and raise their limits. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll use a bit more magic to make you.¡± ¡°Sure. And can you make more clones?¡± It was a very good question. ¡°Ooh, I¡¯ll test that right now.¡± Seo Jun-Ho activated the skill once again, but the original clone disappeared, and another one was created. ¡°Looks like you can only make one,¡± said the new clone. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± They both had an identical look of disappointment on their faces. Shortly afterward, Seo Jun-Ho stood up. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s clean up before Reiji-nim wakes up.¡± ¡°You¡¯re actually going to do that?¡± ¡°That was what I promised.¡± ¡°That wuh wuht I pwomised,¡± mocked the clone. Still, he followed behind Seo Jun-Ho without any otherints. This ce was technically a store, but it looked more like a distribution center. Seo Jun-Ho sped his hands behind his back once they arrived at where they should start cleaning. ¡°Alright. Start cleaning,¡± he ordered. ¡°...?¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me like an idiot?¡± ¡°We¡¯re the same person¡­ Wait, you aren¡¯t gonna work?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be the manager.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The clone grumbled, but he started cleaning up without saying anything else. As time passed, Seo Jun-Ho saw that the clone¡¯s movements were bing more and more fluid. ¡®Once he¡¯s done cleaning the store¡­ I think he¡¯ll be able to use about 20% of my power by then,¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought to himself. He leisurely took a sip of coffee as he sat and observed his clone. 1. A Hindu demon. ? 2. Despite the previous rule, I believe she¡¯s allowed to rest now because she¡¯s assisting Jun-Ho by allowing him to sleep. ? Chapter 365. How That Man Became Powerful (3) Chapter 365. How That Man Became Powerful (3) Ten days passed, and while his clone worked nonstop, Seo Jun-Hozed around and ate the consumable items he had bought whenever he got hungry. ¡°There are only six of them left.¡± Out of the 24 consumables he had bought, he had already taken 18 so far. And out of the six left, there were five he wasn¡¯t nning to eat. He had bought them as gifts for his friends. ¡®This one¡¯s for Gilbe, this one¡¯s for Mio, this one¡¯s for Skaya, and these are for Rahmadat and Miss Si-Eun.¡¯ Combined, they cost less than 3 million PPbined, but the items would seem priceless to them. ¡®I think they¡¯ll all be happy.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked like a pleased father. He started to get hungry and pulled out his final consumable. ¡°The main course.¡± He had been saving this forst because it looked the most delicious. He stared for a moment at the appetizing peach and opened his mouth wide. Crunch. Crunch. Once he finished the delicious peach, he could feel his body changing. ¡°Woah. This is¡­¡± He felt like all the hairs on his body were standing on end. He only ever got this feeling whenever his body was in peak condition. Usually, he had to spend at least a month preparing himself before he could reach peak performance. ¡°...But just from eating one fruit, my body will be in this state at all times.¡± It was a little anticlimactic, but Seo Jun-Ho immediately got up and started stretching. ¡®I¡¯ve consumed 19 items, but with this, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll even need to take time to adjust to the changes.¡¯ This was the power of the item that cost 13 million PP. He checked his status window. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 196 Title: Bringer of Spring (+7) Strength: 677 Stamina: 685 Speed: 693 Magic: 717 After consuming the items, all his stats had increased by a total of 225 points. ¡®With this, I think I¡¯d be able to take on three Butchers and win.¡¯ His body was itching to train. He didn¡¯t have to spend time adapting to his stats whenever they increased, but he still had to train. ¡®It¡¯s simple.¡¯ The more he trained, the more efficiently he could use his body. He sorted through his thoughts and shook his head. He watched his clone run around and clean up the items in the Store. It had already been ten days since his clone started. ¡®The clone is more important. I really like this skill.¡¯ He kept the skill active the whole time, and the more he used it, the more he came to like it. First of all, he didn¡¯t have to givemands out loud. ¡®Hey, that¡¯s the wrong area. Put it in D-32.¡¯ ¡®Do it yourself then.¡¯ Moreover, the telepathic link between them wasn¡¯t one-way. If he concentrated, he could also read his clone¡¯s thoughts. ¡°His movements have gotten a lot better, too.¡± In the beginning, his clone had only been able to use about 2% of his power, but now, his clone could use 16% of his capacity. Although his clone¡¯s growth was slower than Seo Jun-Ho had expected, he could see that it would be worth it to train his clone. ¡°Train? Train who?! Just forget you have Cloning, and don¡¯t summon me!¡±[1] ¡°Never.¡± How could he not summon his clone when it was so convenient? He even thought that it would be nice to start using this guy whenever he needed to do something bothersome. ¡°That¡¯s some bullshit you¡¯re talking about!¡± his clone yelled as he worked. He was practically foaming at the mouth. Seo Jun-Ho shrugged it off and began to sort through the things he had learned about his clone. He and his clone could share their thoughts. Upon skill deactivation, he would absorb all the memories, feelings, and experiences of his clone. With the current capacity of his magic power, he could maintain a clone for about two weeks max. The duration would decrease if he used the clone in battle. Seo Jun-Ho was satisfied. He liked Erebo¡¯s Cloning much better than the Cell Regeneration he had obtained from Janabi. ¡°Huff. Huff.¡± He also thought it cute that his clone often huffed and puffed while working because of theck of stamina and strength. ¡°You¡¯re fucking ridiculous. You enjoy watching yourself suffer?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t usually look in the mirror that often anyway.¡± Now that he was looking at himself from an outsider¡¯s point of view, he really was handsome. ¡°You¡¯re crazy¡­You¡¯re crazy¡­¡± The clone shook his head and approached him. ¡°Hey, Original. I¡¯m done with this, so just let me rest now.¡± ¡°Sure. Release.¡± When his clone disappeared, his clone¡¯s experiences and feelings vividly passed through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. It took about a minute for him to absorb it all. ¡®Um, maybe I was a little too hard on him.¡¯ Seeing what he had done from the clone¡¯s perspective, Seo Jun-Ho got the sense that he was acting a bit rude. He did onest inspection of the neatly organized store and then went to Reiji. ¡°Reiji-nim. Reiji-nim.¡± ¡°Eugh, what.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done cleaning the store.¡± ¡°...Then fuck off.¡± She waved him off, but Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t leave. ¡°What, you want me to praise you or something?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled sheepishly. ¡°Please give me back my sleeping bag.¡± ¡°...¡± *** ¡°Eh?¡± The Frost Queen tilted her head when her Contractor returned after under a minute. ¡°Contractor, there is arge lump on your head.¡± ¡°Ow¡­¡± In the end, Reiji said, ¡°look at this little shit,¡± and hit him. Fortunately, he got his sleeping bag back. ¡°Did you absorb the core?¡± ¡°Yeah. The Cloning Skill I got is really good. Wanna see?¡± ¡°Um.¡± The Frost Queen was usually full of curiosity, and she would have nodded immediately, but she looked greatly disturbed this time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t want to see it?¡± ¡°Looook. What if a second Contractor starts harassing me too? That is what I am afraid of.¡± Seo Jun-Ho burst intoughter at her adorable reaction. ¡°W-why are youughing?! This is a serious matter.¡± ¡°Come on, that¡¯s so cute.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± In the end, they decided that he would show her the clone next time. ¡°Did you consume all your items?¡± The Frost Queen asked. ¡°Yeah. How did you know?¡± ¡°Your aura has changed somewhat.¡± True masters often walked around with their energy concealed. The same was true for Seo Jun-Ho. At a nce, he seemed like a totally ordinary person. Even strong yers would find it difficult to gauge Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ability. ¡°What will you do now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m nning to go to the 2nd Floor,¡± he said. ¡°The 2nd Floor? Are you referring to Frontier?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes went wide. It had been a very long time since she thought of that ce. ¡°Did you have any other business to take care of there?¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. This time, he was going there for his training. ¡°There¡¯s someone I want to try fighting in a sparring.¡± Hart. The overwhelmingly powerful knight protecting the emperor. ¡°He¡¯s the strongest person I know,¡± he exined. Hart was even stronger than the Heavenly Demon thest time Seo Jun-Ho saw him. In other words, if Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t defeat Hart, he wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat the current Heavenly Demon either. ¡°But would they allow you to duel him so easily? Hart is a close affiliate of the emperor, after all.¡± The Frost Queen pointed out. ¡°I just have to try.¡± He packed a few things and soon headed to the 2nd Floor. *** It had been a long time since he came to Gilleon. Now, it was almost done being rebuilt. ¡°Humans are amazing. This city was in ruins not too long ago,¡± the Frost Queen admired. ¡°Yeah. Humans really are amazing.¡± The same Gilleon that had fallen at the hands of the Fiend Association was now bustling with people as it had always been in the past. They persevered through pain and sorrow, and this was made possible by their hopes and dreams. ¡°It¡¯s a nice sight to see.¡± He smiled warmly, and they started toward the capital. He expected the knights to block the entrance of the pce, but they actually gave Seo Jun-Ho a respectful salute once they saw him. ¡°Specter-nim.¡± ¡°I shall ry a message.¡± He had known this before, but the people of Frontier really did love the legend of the 5 Heroes. Perhaps it was because the legend involved stopping the invasion of the Gates, which the others had failed to do. ¡°Allow me to escort you inside.¡± Even though he didn¡¯t say why he was there or who he was here to see, the attendant led him somewhere. They walked for a long time, going deep into the pce. Eventually, he started hearing shouts and noises of battle. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°This is where the pce guard trains. And this is the training hall where the royal knights hone their skills.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the attendant with a shocked expression. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± ¡°His Majesty left a message. He said that if Specteres, it is surely because he is seeking Sir Hart. So, we were instructed to escort you here.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was deeply impressed. The emperor was truly deserving of his title. ¡°Come.¡± A group training session was in full swing. From the dais, the baby-faced Hart was giving orders to young and middle-aged men. It was a strange sight. ¡°The knight order is one. Repeat.¡± ¡°The knight order!¡± ¡°Is one!¡± ¡°You are not the only one who is exhausted. Yourrades are exhausted as well. Do notin.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°We have a guest, so we will end here. At rest.¡± The knights were breathing heavily, but even then, they sat down with perfect posture to rest. Hart looked at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°yer, what business do you have here?¡± ¡°...¡± A quiet breeze made Hart¡¯s red hair flutter. Seo Jun-Ho was hit with the aura of a powerful man. ¡®He really is impressive.¡¯ Back when Seo Jun-Ho was still active on the 2nd Floor, it was impossible for him to even respond to Hart¡¯s words. Right now, Seo Jun-Ho realized just how much stronger he had be. Back then, he could only vaguely assume that Hart was extremely powerful, and Seo Jun-Ho even started sweating all over by simply standing under Hart¡¯s gaze. ¡®But now?¡¯ Now, he could see it. He could see just how high Hart stood. He could see why the powerful Heavenly Demon had been unable to invade the empire. Seo Jun-Ho looked him straight in the eye. ¡°I wish to fight you.¡± A very faint amused smile momentarily appeared on Hart¡¯s brusque face. ¡°Follow me.¡± *** Hart¡¯s personal training room was huge. However, he passed right by it until they actually left the castle. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. Hart halted his steps and turned around. ¡°You said you wished to duel, did you not?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°The pce is much too small for us to fight in, and it would also be too dangerous.¡± Seo Jun-Ho realized right there and then that Hart wouldn¡¯t hold back against him. They used a Teleport Gate and made their way to a wide, vibrant meadow in the east. ¡°Allow me to ask a question,¡± Hart said as he started putting on his armor piece by piece. ¡°What do you wish to gain from this duel?¡± ¡°To see my potential.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Hart nodded. ¡°There will be but one rule. Neither will stop until the opponent surrenders. Do you ept?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Thene.¡± The breeze blowing through therge meadow halted. The fierce, powerful aura that had been pressuring Seo Jun-Ho vanished. ¡®I feel giddy.¡¯ However, it made him even more nervous. Naturally, a hidden enemy was more nerve-wracking than a visible one. He unsheathed the Sword of Ambition and activated Midnight Sun. ¡®If I can¡¯t defeat Hart, I won¡¯t be able to defeat the Heavenly Demon either.¡¯ Even if his current stats weren¡¯t higher than Hart¡¯s, they definitely weren¡¯t lower. So if he was toppled here, it simply meant that he still had to get even better. ¡®If I win this, I¡¯ll go up to the 5th Floor.¡¯ He resolved to do that so as soon as he came up to the 2nd Floor. It was all because Hart was the only person who could challenge his power. ¡°I ask that you excuse me for my actions.¡± ¡°Do whatever you want. I have all the time in the world.¡± The meadow had always been devoid of people. However, the first battle that ever took ce therested for two days and two nights. 1. The word for ¡®train¡¯ also means ¡®raise¡¯ or ¡®keep¡¯, usually in the context of children or pets, which is why the clone feels insulted. ? Chapter 366. How That Man Became Powerful (4) Chapter 366. How That Man Became Powerful (4) tter! The man took heavy breaths as he copsed to the ground of the meadow. ¡°Your body is like that of a monster¡¯s. I cannot defeat you.¡± He was the Sword of the Empire, themander of the royal knights, Hart. His precious armor was fragmented all over. ¡°Congrattions, yer. It is your victory.¡± Despite his genuine word of congrattions, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t look pleased when he looked down at the knight. He felt an indescribable sense of emptiness. ¡°Even though you won the duel, you still lost,¡± the Frost Queen said inly. ¡®She¡¯s right.¡¯ He still lost. Her contradictory statement was true. ¡®If my stats weren¡¯t this much higher than Sir Hart¡¯s, I would have lost.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was frustrated. Hart studied Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face before sitting up and drinking a few potions. ¡°That is not the face of a victor.¡± ¡°...It was a shameful victory. That¡¯s what I think.¡± ¡°This was a battle, was it not? There are no shameful victories nor rational losses.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew that. No matter how it was put, winning was winning and losing was losing. Still, didn¡¯t feel particrly good about this victory. ¡°You should be confident. You are strong,¡± said Hart. ¡°If this were a real battle, would I still have won?¡± ¡°...¡± Hart didn¡¯t open his mouth to answer the question, but it didn¡¯t matter. Theck of answers was enough. ¡°yer. You are still young, and you are growing quite fast. You do not need to be impatient.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can say if it¡¯s fast.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly. ¡°Even though I look like this, I¡¯m much older than you think.¡± ¡°How amusing.¡± Hart chuckled. He took out a clean cloth and started wiping his sword. ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Those who are skilled always assume that no one else has ever walked the path that they have walked on.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what to say. He thought for a moment before carefully asking, ¡°May I ask how old you are?¡± ¡°I am well over a hundred years old.¡± ¡°...!¡± Impossible. With that face? Seo Jun-Ho unconsciously looked at the Frost Queen. She was always boasting and bluffing that she was much older than him, but now, he realized that she could be telling the truth. ¡°Why are you looking at me? It is unpleasant.¡± ¡°Well, are you also¡ª¡± ¡°If you say one more word, I will cut you in half.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± He quickly apologized and turned back to Hart. ¡°How is that possible?¡± The knight cleaned his sword, seemingly unbothered as he spoke, ¡°The more time passed, the more my skills improved. One day, I reached an epiphany and became young again.¡± ¡°What kind of epiphany was it?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Hart put down his now-dirty cloth and stood with his glowing, freshly-sharpened sword. His eyes were looking toward somewhere at the azure meadow. ¡°There... there used to be a small mountain there.¡± It seemed random, but Seo Jun-Ho calmly turned to look at where he was gesturing. However, the meadow seemed endless. There were no signs of anything resembling a mountain. ¡°The underlying veins of minerals were depleted, so it became useless.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Of course, His Majesty did not think anything of the mountain either, so he made a frivolous jest. He asked me if I could cut through such a mountain with my power.¡± Hart raised his sword, and a cool breeze started to blow. ¡®No way.¡¯ Just as the disbelief started to show on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face, every sound ceased. It was a bizarre feeling as if someone had pressed the ¡®stop¡¯ button on the world. He got the feeling that he also shouldn¡¯t move or make a sound. A beatter, the sunlight shining down on them suddenly faded. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°G-grass! It¡¯s grass!¡± The Frost Queen eximed. The grass covering the meadow flew through the air and covered the sky. Seo Jun-Ho was rendered speechless by the impossible sight. ¡°Well, it was something of this nature. It has been some time since I have done this, so it is a little unrefined.¡± Seo Jun-Ho whipped around, agitated. Hart was seemingly asking why Seo Jun-Ho was looking at him like that. ¡°With that kind of power, why did you let me win?!¡± ¡°Let you win? Me?¡± The knight shook his head. ¡°You are the rightful winner. Do not deny the obvious truth.¡± ¡°No, but¡­ You cut down a mountain!¡± ¡°And what of it?¡± ¡°If you can cut down a mountain, shouldn¡¯t you easily be able to defeat someone like me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho waspletely convinced that Hart had lost on purpose. ¡°Calm yourself first. Breathe in, breathe out. One more time. Good.¡± Hart calmed him down. Once he made sure that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s breathing was even again, he spoke, ¡°Allow me to answer your previous question. If this were a real battle, I do not know what the oue would have been.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can be honest.¡± ¡°I am not being modest. I truly do not know.¡± The knight shook his head. ¡°I am most certainly strong. It is likely that I am stronger than anyone you have ever met.¡± He was right. However, even though Seo Jun-Ho had always known that Sir Hart was stronger than the Heavenly Demon from five months ago, his opinion had changed. ¡®With his power, I think he can beat even the current Heavenly Demon.¡¯ No matter how strong a yer was, could one actually defeat someone who could cut through a mountain? ¡°But you are also stronger than anyone I have ever met. My words are sincere.¡± He even said that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body was like that of a monster. There wasn¡¯t an inkling of dishonesty in his statement. ¡°Anything solid is bound to break. However, I could not break your body in the end.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had the blessing bestowed upon yers: stat points. His stats were much higher than Hart¡¯s, so he did not break under the knight¡¯s attacks. ¡°May I give an honest assessment?¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°First, your body is in peak condition. It is in a better state than any knight I have ever seen in my life. It is not simply because your level is high. It is a sign that you have stayed faithful in honing your fundamentals.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave a small nod. He was happy to receive Sir Hart¡¯s recognition. ¡®That¡¯s one of the things I pay the most attention to.¡¯ Ever since he became a yer, he had been consistent in working hard to hone the basics. Even the Thunder God emphasized this point. ¡°However, no matter what you do, you cannot reach the top if all you have is strong fundamentals.¡± After all, the basics were still the basics. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°What do I need to do now in order to get stronger?¡± ¡°Whether it be with a sword or a spear, train in an undefeated fighting style.¡± ¡°Fighting style¡­¡± ¡°I will use these techniques as an example. You have seen them several times.¡± Hart swung his sword elegantly. Seo Jun-Ho instantly recognized it. ¡°That¡¯s the attack I was never able to block.¡± ¡°Do you know why you couldn¡¯t block it?¡± Hart¡¯s sword wasn¡¯t moving so fast that Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t follow it. However, he was still unable to block it even a single time. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I don¡¯t know. I always thought I deflected it.¡± ¡°That is because this technique is based upon the principles of ¡®transformation¡¯. This is why high-level weapon techniques are so formidable.¡± The knight gazed into the horizon. Every time the wind blew, the weeds would sway like waves in an ocean. ¡°A thousand years ago, my ancestors were unable to prevent the invasion of the Gates. They met a different fate than Earth did.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Orcs, ogres, trolls, elves¡­ They became even stronger than humans. As such, my ancestors started researching ways to ovee the inherent biological differences between species to survive.¡± Thanks to their efforts, they were able to develop sword techniques. ¡°And that was not the only result. They also managed to develop techniques in spears, magic, spiritual arts, and so on. After developing all sorts of theories in magic and weaponry, the golden age began.¡± Once the people of Frontier refined their techniques and overcame the inherent biological differences between species, they started ruling the continent once more. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho reflected deeply on himself. He had never thought it necessary to buy those books about swordy, speary, or anything else and to learn those techniques because he had Weapon Mastery (S). No matter what weapon he used, he would be more skilled at it than most experts. ¡®From the very beginning, I thought Watchguard of Darkness and Frost were the most important parts of my fighting style.¡¯ However, against someone as strong as Hart, elemental skills weren¡¯t all-powerful. They were powerful weapons against an enemy of Hart¡¯s caliber, but they couldn¡¯t act as powerful shields. ¡®I didn¡¯t even notice, but I was focusing only on the things I¡¯m already good at.¡¯ When Seo Jun-Ho became a yer, he was ambitious. However, after he gained more magic energy and started using Watchguard of Darkness, his ambitions started to fade. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have stopped there.¡¯ If he wanted to stand at the top, he had to train Watchguard of Darkness, Frost, and his weaponry skills without leaving a single one out. Seo Jun-Ho felt like the thick clouds in his head had dissipated. ¡°Thank you for your wisdom. I think I finally know what I need to do to be even stronger.¡± ¡°I am d to be of assistance.¡± ¡°By chance, do you happen to have a rmendation for what kind of sword technique I should train in?¡± Hart shook his head. ¡°I heard that you yers can go up the Floors and that the enemies go stronger the higher you go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, it is not necessary for you to find one here because there could be an even greater technique on the upper Floors.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they be hard to learn?¡± ¡°No,¡± Hart said immediately, ¡°I do not sense that you have ever fully devoted yourself to learning a specific sword style. I believe that you used the basic techniques by relying on your instinct, so no matter what school you choose, you will master it quickly.¡± A fabric would stain based on the dye used. Sir Hart was afraid that an inadequate style would tarnish Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s perfectly trained body. ¡°Swear that you will choose a good school to train in.¡± ¡°I will.¡± That was all the feedback Hart had to give from their duel. Seo Jun-Ho started taking out food from his Inventory and started preparing their meals. ¡°But aside from swordy, I can still improve my fighting skills. Right?¡± ¡°Certainly. Considering the good condition your body is in, there are countless ways to use it.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since I reached this level.¡± Originally, Seo Jun-Ho would have had to fine-tune his movements. However, thanks to the peach he bought from the Administrator¡¯s Store, he could simply skip over that step. Now, all he had to do was ponder and experiment to find the best way to make use of his powerful body. ¡®I knew it was a good idea toe to Sir Hart. Even when I fight him with my full power, he doesn¡¯t even blink.¡¯ After all, Sir Hart was someone who had cut down a mountain. No matter what Seo Jun-Ho did, he wouldn¡¯t be able to incapacitate Sir Hart. ¡®So, I have to learn as much as I can from him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho would absorb as much knowledge as he could about battle sense, movements, and split-second decisions from the knight. ¡®And¡­¡¯ He also had to practice fighting with the Frost Queen and his clone. Originally, Seo Jun-Ho nned to immediately go up to the 5th Floor once he defeated Hart, but his mind changed after realizing where he stood. ¡®I still have a long way to go.¡¯ It seemed there would always be another star to reach out for. Seo Jun-Ho gave Hart a piercing stare once the knight was done enjoying the meal he made. ¡°Why are you looking at me with such a disturbing gaze?¡± ¡°Well, since you¡¯re done eating, I was wondering if we could start round 2.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing this again?¡± Hart didn¡¯t really look like he wanted to. However, Hart was eventually forced to give up by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s puppy eyes as he let out a long sigh. ¡°It cannot be helped. Now that I know where your skills lie, I will also fight a little more¡ªHm?¡± Hart squinted when he saw that there was another Seo Jun-Ho standing next to the original one. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did you put some kind of hallucinogen in the food?¡± ¡°No. This is my clone.¡± ¡°And this is the original. He¡¯s a real phony.¡± ¡°...¡± Hart stared at the two Seo Jun-Hos for a moment before looking longingly at the seat he had been sitting on. Honestly, he would rather cut down another mountain. Chapter 367. Teacher Darkness (1) Chapter 367. Teacher Darkness (1) Hart''s pupils scoured the dark meadow. ''Left and behind.'' The slightly wobbly swordpletely blocked those two directions. At that moment, the morning dew on the meadow¡¯s grass became sharp daggers that flew toward him. ¡®Even a timeg attack? Amazing.'' Hart couldn¡¯t afford to let his guard down even for a moment. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s way of fighting was vicious because it seemed topletely drain the opponent¡¯s soul. "Slope." Hart¡¯s swirling sword aura drew diagonally. Swooosh! His attack tore through space and found the left arm of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s clone. "Ah! Fuck! My arm!" "Endure it!" "I won¡¯t endure it! I can''t endure it! This hurts like hell!" The clone continued crying, but he didn¡¯t stop swinging his sword. ¡®The clone¡¯s body is definitely worse than the main body.¡¯ Of course, the main body was wearing an outstanding armor called Midnight Sun, and the level of the clone was definitely worse as well. But despite that, the clone gave Seo Jun-Ho an unreal tactical advantage ¡®The clone can share his thoughts with the original in real-time.¡¯ The clone was tricky and unpleasant to deal with. The clone was also attacking from directions Hart didn¡¯t want to receive an attack from. ¡®And one more¡­¡¯ Craaaack! Hart kicked off of the ground to retreat as he quickly deflected the shards of ice flying toward him. ¡®This little devil keeps looking for openings to use and attack me.¡¯ The battle lulled for a moment, and Hartughed dryly. Since he was capable of pushing him to this extent, wasn''t he stronger than a few knight divisions of the Empire? ¡®I can''t believe this is just one person''s power. How frightening.'' Furthermore, the severed arm of the clone started regenerating as well. Craaack! The ground shook, and huge ice walls rising from the floor blocked Hart''s back and cut off his path of retreat. Hart¡¯s eyes narrowed. "I think you¡¯re making a mistake." If one¡¯s back was blocked, then the attacks could onlye from the front. "Oh, that''s not a mistake." "It''s not a mistake, but a killer move. Be careful." ¡°¡­?!¡± Thousands of thorns formed all over the ice wall like icicles, and the entire wall started to close around Hart like a venus flytrap. "How ridiculous!" The spirit managed to do something that even an archmage from the Magic Tower would find difficult to do. Slice! Hart focused and forcibly cut the wall down. Looking at the rubble, Hart withdrew his sword. "Let¡¯s stop here." "No, Teacher Ha! You have only been beating me so far. I haven¡¯t really won yet, so can''t we do it a bit more? Just three more days." ¡°¡­¡± The clone revealed an earnest look, and Hart looked at Seo Jun-Ho. "Is this your real intention?" "N-no way. You go back inside.¡± "Wow! Am I the only bad guy? You have the same thoughts¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho recalled his clone and frowned. There was pain shooting up his left arm. ¡®Ugh. But it''s not something I can''t endure.¡¯ Shouldn¡¯t that clone punk be ashamed for screaming when it was only this much? Seo Jun-Ho looked around the ruined meadow and asked, "I¡¯m undefeated now, am I?" "I may have heard you wrongly." Hart picked his ear. "Can you say it again?" "I can beat anyone now, right?" "Oh, I can hear you well now.¡± Seo Jun-Ho revealed an apologetic smile. "I¡¯m sorry if I took too much of your vacation, Sir Hart." "Why did you do it when you knew it?" "Uh¡­¡± Hart smiled as he looked at the flustered Seo Jun-Ho. "It''s a joke." "Ah, ahahaha!" The quickest way to get close to a knight was to sh swords. Seo Jun-Ho had a total of five battles with Hart, and it took them nine days toplete all five battles. "In the end, I couldn¡¯t beat you perfectly." "If you keep working hard like you are doing right now, that day wille sooner orter." Even after several days and nights, Sir Hart did not show any signs of exhaustion. Hart¡¯s resilience and perseverance were simr to a model knight¡¯s. Having packed up his gear, Hart prepared to leave. "I''m going to go straight back to His Majesty. Want to go with me?" "No, I don¡¯t have a reason to stop by the capital.¡± "It''s goodbye here, then.¡± "Thank you. For many things..." "Me, too. I had fun." Splitting up with Seo Jun-Ho, Sir Hart immediately returned to the capital. After filling out the return application form, he hurriedly headed to the audience room when he heard that Emperor Gauss was looking for him. "Hart, how was your vacation?" "I appreciate Your Majesty¡¯s concern, I have returned safe and sound." "Good, how was it then?" Hart bowed his head slightly. "I apologize, but I didn¡¯t quite grasp Your Majesty¡¯s question." "You know, that Specter. Earth¡¯s Hero, the main character of the legendary 5 Heroes. How did it feel to sh swords with him?" ¡°¡­¡± Hart reflected on his short vacation and said, "He is strong. He is very strong." "¡­Unexpected. How unexpected. I didn¡¯t expect such high praise toe from your mouth.¡± Emperor Gauss expected that Hart would only say something along the lines of Specter simply being useful at best, but he was surprised by Hart¡¯s revtion. "Your Majesty, your subject has a sin to confess." "Tell me." Hart slowly raised his hands. The knight¡¯s arms, which had remained steady in front of Seo Jun-Ho until the end, were now shaking incessantly. "I did not want to show weakness in front of a junior, so I pushed myself a bit too much until the end." "Huh. He¡¯s strong to the extent of making you do such a thing?" "I am ashamed." "No. Rather, I''m d to confirm that your fighting spirit is still alive. Take a good rest for a few days." Gauss smiled lightly and muttered, "Anyway, how surprising. I didn''t think Specter would be that strong.¡± "He certainly wasn''t that strongst time." "So, you¡¯re saying he grew so much in that short time?" "Yes, and he will continue to grow." "Hmm." Gauss wondered, resting his chin on his hand. "I wonder. Just what drives a human being to get so strong?" Looking at the contemting emperor, Hart spoke, "May I speak?" "The problem is that you don¡¯t speak even when I tell you to. If it¡¯s your words, it will always be wee. Tell me.¡± With his eyes closed, Hart recalled the shameless yer who had taken away all his vacation time. As he said, the yer would continue to get stronger. Hart couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how huge of an existence Seo Jun-Ho would be eventually. ¡®The driving force behind his growth...¡¯ It was probably the same feeling the ancestors of thisnd used as their driving force a thousand years ago. "I believe he is trying to save his world.¡± "So he¡¯s trying to save the world on the path of copse." Emperor Gauss smirked, seemingly intrigued. "So, he¡¯s a Hero." "Yes, he¡¯s a Hero." The two smiled as they recalled one man. *** Seo Jun-Ho returned to Earth and got off the Dimensional Elevator. He managed to resist pressing the button to the 5th floor. ¡®I have to sort out some of my affairs on Earth before I go.¡¯ As he got off on an artificial ind in the Pacific Ocean he had already visited dozens of times, he saw the association yers. He nodded one by one to those who made eye contact with him, but there was something strange. ¡®What, what¡¯s going on?¡¯ Every look in people''s eyes showed sadness and sorrow. In addition... "We are always rooting for you, Specter-nim." "Please don''t overdo it. You''ve done well enough so far." "These are potatoes my grandmother sent from the countryside, and it''s delicious. Please boil and eat it." "Oh, yes¡­ Thank you." Seo Jun-Ho felt burdened for no reason, and he hurriedly ran away to the Korean yer Association building as if he were being chased. However, those he met on the way were also afflicted with the same strange condition. "Hey, hey, Deok-Gu! I had a really strange experience on my way¡­¡± "Jun-Ho." Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly entered the association president''s office. Upon seeing that Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyes were red as he was looking at him, he asked, "Frost, did I go crazy?¡± "No. The people on Earth right now are weird." "Right?" Hearing the conversation between the two, Shim Deok-Gu waved his hand. "Never mind,e and sit here." "Are you going to eat me if I get closer?" "You think I¡¯m a monster?" "You¡¯re scarier than monsters right now." Seo Jun-Ho sat down and asked with a sullen expression, "Just what is it? People are treating me strangely.¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t treating you strangely.¡± Shim Deok-Gu skillfully sent a few hologram articles into the air. [The story of a man carrying the world, ¡®The Loneliness of the 4th Floor¡¯. A bestseller for two weeks.] [The world cried! The heartbreaking story of a man¡¯s 17 years of loneliness. Impossible to read without shedding tears. He was alone.] [Specter¡¯s attack on the 4th Floor. 1 million copies sold in 10 days! The third round of printing is confirmed! Publisher KW screams in joy.] [The Loneliness of the 4th Floor Movie Adaptation Confirmed! The megaphone is in the hands of Hollywood director Michael Bakery.] ¡­ "Huh? What is this?" The Loneliness of the 4th Floor. It was such an embarrassing title it made Seo Jun-Ho cringe. "Deok-Gu, is this talking about the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty guide?" "Ah, yes," Deok-Gu responded. Seo Jun-Ho sighed deeply. "Whooo, all right. All right, fine. I give up. But what kind of idiot came up with this title?¡± ¡°Me¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face and saw a slightly hurt expression. Seo Jun-Ho scratched his neck for no reason. "Uh, well, now that I¡¯m looking at it again, I don''t think it''s bad. It¡¯s a good name." "Thanks..." Seo Jun-Ho quickly changed the subject. "What''s up with the sales volume?" He expected that it would sell tens of thousands at most, but more than a million copies were sold. And another round of printing was even about to start? "Oh, we didn''t expect that either. The readership is wider than I initially thought." "Yeah, but why is that?" The guide was a strategy book the Frost Queen made for the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty on the 4th Floor. As such, it was made for the yers who wanted to beat the 4th Floor. In a broader sense, it meant there was no need to read it unless one was a yer who wanted to beat the 4th Floor. "We didn¡¯t expect so many civilians to like it." "Why do they like it?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a priceless behind-the-scenes story of a hero.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had always been a hero fighting on the front lines, but the public didn¡¯t really know exactly the kind of person Seo Jun-Ho was. As such, it was only natural that the people were curious about him. "The people had always been curious about you, and The Loneliness of the 4th Floor satisfied their curiosity.¡± The book contained all of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s days on the 4th Floor ording to what the Frost Queen could remember. It depicted the hardships he faced. How the relentless loop and passage of time shattered him, and how he eventually conquered the Floor. "The book has to be pretty touching, then." People around the world realized that¡ªin the end¡ªthe hero of mankind was still a 27-year-old young man. They didn¡¯t have that much of an idea of how heavy the burden he was carrying on his shoulders as he silently climbed the Floors. And that was why Seo Jun-Ho received many affectionate gazes upon returning to Earth. "Ridiculous." Seo Jun-Ho actually snorted. "Why go around sympathizing with a person who¡¯s fine?" "Don''t think too badly of it. Thanks to it, Climb can''t even speak anymore." "Well, I like that part." "Anyway, where did you even go? What have you been doing?" Seo Jun-Ho told Shim Deok-Gu about the duel he had with Sir Hart on the 2nd Floor. Shim Deok-Gu listened to it with interest before asking, "By the way, a clone? What''s that?" "There is a cute version of the Contractor." "Wait, you think he¡¯s cute? Are you out of your mind?" Seo Jun-Ho looked at the Frost Queen, astonished. She thought that unpredictable punk was cute? "I think he¡¯s fine? He''s honest with his feelings. He doesn''t pretend to be an adult like you.¡± "What do you mean I¡¯m pretending to be an adult? I¡¯m an adult.¡± Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue at the Frost Queen¡¯s words. Shim Deok-Gu listening to the conversation asked, "When did you get that skill?" "Where do you think? I got it after beating Erebo.¡± "Hmm. An unpretentious version of you. Honestly, I think it''ll be fun to meet him." "Oh, is that so? Then experience it yourself." Seo Jun-Ho flicked his finger, and the clone appeared. "Oooh, he looks just like you." "Well, he''s my clone." "Oh, it''s Deok-Gu." The clone looked around as if he was familiar with Shim Deok-Gu, but he suddenly reached out with his hand. "Wow, this wig looks so nice. Technology really is scary these days.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu stared at his stolen wig and turned to Seo Jun-Ho. "Okay, it''s not fun at all. Thank you for always acting like an adult." "That''s a relief. It seems I have one normal person around me." Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. *** "So, you''re now going up to the 5th Floor?" "Yeah, I''m going up." Seo Jun-Ho nodded. Shim Deok-Gu had already postponed a few requests to interview from many newspapers and magazines. "I''ll reject everything." "Thank you." He was a yer, not a celebrity. He appreciated the public interest and support, but he didn''t want to be swayed by it. "I have to meet them before I go, but it''s a little difficult." "Hmm. Everyone is targeting the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty on the 4th Floor." The sooner his friends received and took the consumable elixirs he had prepared for them, the better. Unless they had a special talent like Mio, they would have to limatize to their increased stats. All of a sudden, the clone wandering around the room while drinking orange juice said, "Original, can¡¯t you just go up to the 4th Floor and meet your friends there?¡± "Didn''t you hear? They''re in the middle of the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty level." The Seo Jun-Ho difficulty level was a hardcode mode with only three opportunities to ovee the trials without interference. "What if you just asked the World Tree?" "Say something that makes sense next time. There¡¯s no way that¡¯s¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho stopped. He wasn¡¯t really sure whether it would work or not. "Hmm." After thinking for a while, he got up from his seat. "Deok-Gu, keep an eye on him.¡± "Are you going to the 4th Floor?" "Yeah, I think it''s fine to just check." If it were possible, he would be able to give his friends a little help. The clone smiled and waved his hand. "Have a safe trip, Original." "Don''t make trouble. I¡¯m warning you." "Hey, I just don¡¯t put on an act like you, but the rest is the same as you. Don''t worry." ¡°¡­¡± The clone sounded trustworthy, but why was Seo Jun-Ho so nervous about leaving him alone? "If you have time, go to a fortune teller and get yourself a new name with Cold Spear." "Honestly, going to a fortune teller sounds exhausting, can''t you just call it Cold Spear?" "No. I promised to give it a new name after beating Erebo.¡± Seo Jun-Ho retrieved Cold Spear from his Inventory and asked doubtfully, "You can do it, right?¡± "Hmm, all right. Leave it to me." The Cold Spear trembled under the clone¡¯s gaze. Somehow, it felt like a weirdo had caught it. Chapter 368. Teacher Darkness (2) Chapter 368. Teacher Darkness (2) Seo Jun-Ho returned to the artificial ind in the pacific a few hourster and boarded the Dimensional Elevator. He pressed the button for the 4th Floor, Another World. When the door opened, the sight of a familiar forest weed him. "Uh." He thought he would arrive at the first city, but a forest appeared out of nowhere. However, he knew where he was. ¡®Forest of the World Tree.¡¯ Walking along the road, a huge tree appeared. - yer Seo Jun Ho. This is an early reunion. The lush leaves swayed cheerfully. "Have you been well?¡± - Thanks to you. What brings you here today? "That¡¯s..." Seo Jun-Ho asked, scratching his cheek. "Is there a way for me to meet the yers challenging the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty level?¡± - You mean you want to interfere with their challenge? "Should it be called interference? I just want to deliver something." The World Tree was silent for a moment as if she was pondering something deeply. - If you perhaps clear it for them or¡­ "No, I definitely won¡¯t do that," Seo Jun-Ho said firmly. His friends, who were currently challenging the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty level, wanted to grow and be even stronger. Seo Jun-Ho had no intention of ruining their path to growth. "I just have a few things to deliver to my friends, and I want to be a proper talking partner to them.¡± When he was clearing the 4th Floor, solitude was what he found the most painful. Above all, repeating the same conversation with someone over and over again didn¡¯t feel nice at all. - That much is not a problem. "Oh, really?¡± - Yes. Think of it as a reward for being the first person to clear the floor. Tens of thousands of cards manifested in front of Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes. Each card had a yer''s name and picture attached to it. - Who do you want to meet? "Oh, first of all, Gilberto and Skaya. Rahmadat and Mio... Miss Cha Si-Eun. Oh, while I¡¯m at it, should I meet Mr. Kim Woo-Joong?¡± He plucked the cards depicting the images of the people he wanted to meet at least once. In the end, he ended up with dozens of cards in his hands. - yer Seo Jun-Ho, are you going to meet them all? "It ended up being quite a lot." - You''re a very affectionate person. Seo Jun-Ho felt embarrassed for no reason as he said, "It won''t take too long." - Go ahead. He tapped on Gilberto''s card. *** Seo Jun-Ho left for Another World, leaving his clone with a task to go to a fortune teller. ¡°¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu sat while looking at someone warily. It was the Frost Queen. He had no idea why, but even though her contractor had already left, she didn¡¯t go out with him. She decided to stay here. She was even making a snowman on the expensive mahogany table. "Come over here." "Y-yes?" "I am feeling peckish." Ah. Only then did Shim Deok-Gu realize that she was looking for a butler to buy her a snack. He tried his best to stifle hisughter after finding the Frost Queen cute. "What do you want to eat, my queen?" he asked. "Rmend me something.¡± "What''s famous around here¡ªoh! Do you like ice cream?¡± "Yes. But the Contractor told me not to eat ice cream when he isn¡¯t around." One could easily get a stomachache by carelessly eating ice cream. "I think he said that because he was afraid you would get a stomachache from eating too much, but it¡¯s okay since I¡¯m here," Shim Deok-Gu made a perfect deduction. "Hmm." The Frost Queen had only been looking at the snowman, but she finally turned her head and looked at Shim Deok-Gu. "How admirable." "T-thank you." After receiving the Frost Queen¡¯s praise, Shim Deok-Gu tapped on his Vita. "I would like to treat you to something you haven¡¯t eaten before. Have you tried fried ice cream before?" "What? Fried ice cream?" Frost Queen frowned and harshly rebuked. "Setting the contractor aside, but are you also treating me as a fool?¡± "What?" "Ice cream is a cold snack, and aren¡¯t fried dishes hot food you boil in oil and blow whoo, whoo on it to eat? I know what fried dishes are!" The Frost Queen thought that Shim Deok-Gu was making fun of her. In hermon sense, fried ice cream was a snack that couldn''t possibly exist. "You know¡­ I finally know that fried dinosaurs aren¡¯t actually fried dinosaurs." "No, but there really is a snack called fried ice cream." "What nonsense! If you put ice cream in boiling oil, it will melt!" The furious Frost Queen folded her arms and crossed her legs. She even turned her head away. Shim Deok-Gu started sweating amidst the awkwardness. ¡®Jun-Ho, what kind of battle have you been fighting?¡¯ He urgently tapped on his Vita and connected the phone somewhere. "I-I''m sorry to ask while you¡¯re working, but could you buy me a snack? I have to treat an important guest." Eventually, he managed to bring the snack after asking a Teleporter for a favor. "Frost Queen-nim, This is a dessert called fried ice cream." ¡°¡­¡± nce. Frost Queen looked at the te on the table. "It just looks like a fried dish." "But if you use a knife to split it and look inside¡ªI will show it to you myself." "No, I will cut it myself!" The Frost Queen raised her hand and took a knife and fork before splitting the fried ice cream with sparkling eyes. Her eyes sparkled like jewels when she saw the cross-section of vani ice cream stuffed inside. "Wow, it''s really fried ice cream." "Try it. You will like it." "Hmmm." Elegantly cutting the fried ice cream into small pieces with a fork and knife, the Frost Queen ced a piece into her mouth and quivered. "Yum, it''s delicious." "Eat slowly. You won¡¯t get a stomachache that way." "I will do that." The Frost Queen enjoyed the snack, and Shim Deok-Gu smiled softly at that. He couldn¡¯t help but think that he had just gotten a glimpse of how Seo Jun-Ho usually felt when dealing with the Frost Queen. *** [Myeongdong Fortune Teller] Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s clone looked at the sign and tapped Cold Spear wrapped in cloth. "Let''s go." An elderly fortune teller greeted him as he entered. "How can I help you?" "I''m here to get a name for me and this one.¡± "Hmm, do you want a change of name? Then, the date of birth over here, hmm? Wait a minute, aren''t you Specter-nim?" "I often hear that we look alike." "You look exactly like him¡­¡± Tilting his head, the fortune teller received several pieces of information. Then, he wrote two letters on a white drawing paper. "Excellent Jun, seed Sik. How about Jun-Sik?" "It''s a bit old-fashioned. What does it mean?" "It refers to a person with the ability to nt a small seedling and make it grow." "Huh? The meaning is strangely good." Since the Original was Seo, his name would then be Seo Jun-Sik. Seo Jun-Sik. Seo Jun-Sik. Muttering it to himself, the clone revealed an ugly look. ¡®It''s so damn tacky.¡¯ Fortunately, only the Original would call him using such a name, so it didn¡¯t really matter to him. "Let¡¯s just go with that. What about him?" "Is it for the spear¡¯s name? There are certainly many yers whoe here to name their favorite weapons." "This isn¡¯t really my favorite weapon, but please name it anyway." The fortune teller pondered for a long time before saying, "The Rae for the sound of singing, Ang for ck-Naped oriole, and spear. How about the Raeang Spear?" "Do you ever refresh your stock of names by any chance? The names are so bad." Wooong! The Cold Spear didn''t like it either. "Please make another one." "Then, Moun for frost, in Korean Frosty¡ª" "Something else." "Then Spear of Clean Soul. What about Spear of Clean Soul?" "Mister, be honest with me. You don¡¯t want to name it, right?" The fortune teller gave dozens of names, but the Cold Spear remained unmoved. "Phew,posing is truly troublesome. Let¡¯s take a break." While the exhausted fortune teller was in the bathroom, Seo Jun-Sik warned the Cold Spear. "Hey, I think he''s a quack.¡± Wooong. "But I don¡¯t want to go anywhere else because it¡¯s annoying¡­¡± Woong? "So if you don''t like the next name, just give up and be Cold Spear." Wooong... It seemed Cold Spear had also calmly epted its fate as if it felt that it would be bad to remain stubborn. Bang! However, the fortune teller suddenly flung the door open and eximed excitedly, "Hey! I came up with a really great name while I was peeing!¡± "What the hell, gross. What is it?" "It has the power to freeze everything, and its thin body is reminiscent of a dragon, so its name should be White Dragon!" "Wow, that sounds great. Are its eyes blue as well?¡±[1] Even elementary students coulde up with such a name. However, it seemed that Cold Spear had a different opinion. Wooong! It reacted differently from before. Seo Jun-Sik''s expression stiffened. "Did you perhaps¡­ like that name?" Wooong! "Look at that! Isn¡¯t your spear saying that it likes it, too?" "How ridiculous.¡± Cold Spear or White Dragon¡­ Weren''t they roughly the same? If they knew this would happen, they should have just named it Icy Spear and ended the quest for a name right there and then. ''Well, it¡¯s fine since it likes it¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik shrugged and got up while holding White Dragon. He felt like he had finally finished his homework, so his steps were light on the way back. *** Gilberto Green quietly opened his diary. [#148] I have no idea how much time had passed outside, but I already died 147 times. The system protected my mind whenever I died, but I could already feel my mind slowly falling to the bottom. "What should I do?" He had already read the guide the Frost Queen had made thousands of times. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t get past the ''million thorns''. ''I took care of Erebo¡¯s clone in the first city with the Repeating Covenant Revolver.¡¯ The second city''s cockroach cave wasn''t that difficult either. It was all because the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty level matched the yer¡¯s level. However, it wasn¡¯t the case for the skill of Erebo''s main body, a million thorns. ¡®It didn¡¯t take my level into ount at all.¡¯ This was the same as what Seo Jun-Ho had experienced. It felt like the skill was saying that he should feel the same despair Seo Jun-Ho had to go through. Suddenly, he wondered how far his friends had gone through the difficulty level by now. ¡®Everyone must be working hard on figuring out how to get past these thorns.¡¯ He was sure he was the only pathetic one sprawled out without even looking for a method to win. As a deep sense of shame enveloped his body, the umted fatigue weighed on his shoulders. In the end, Gilberto closed his eyes. "It''s hard." ¡®Should I just give up and leave even if it means throwing away one of the three chances?¡¯ The Seo Jun-Ho difficulty was so hard that such thoughts crossed his mind. "Yeah, it looks like it''s really hard." ¡°¡­!¡± It was a familiar voice. Gilberto¡¯s eyes fluttered open at the voice that shouldn¡¯t be here. The revolver, which he gripped reflexively, immediately aimed at the other person¡¯s forehead. "How mean. Are you going to shoot me?" ¡°¡­¡± Gilberto''s eyes quivered violently. Had he finally gone crazy? Should he abandon his foolishness and leave? Seo Jun-Ho shrugged while looking at Gilberto. "I asked the World Tree toe in for a while. I thought I''d be your talking buddy." "That means¡­" "I''m not a ghost, and you''re not crazy." Seo Jun-Ho sat next to Gilberto and looked outside. "It has been a long time since I sat on these walls and saw this scenery." "I didn¡¯t expect that you spent so much time here.¡± "At some point, I actually stopped sitting here." Perhaps he stopped sitting here when he started frantically looking for a solution to beat Erebo¡¯s million thorns. "It''s hard, isn¡¯t it? Getting past the thorns, I mean.¡± "I can¡¯t really say. I¡¯m¡­¡± Gilberto thought for a while before confessing his feelings. "I don''t think I¡¯ll ever be able to get past this section for the rest of my life." "Why do you think so?¡± "There are a million thorns¡ªa million." He created magic bullets and shot them out as fast as a machine gun, but he ran out of magic before he could destroy all one million thorns. He even used his most powerful skill with the Repeating Covenant Revolver, but he only managed to destroy 400,000 thorns. "I tried everything I could, but I failed." "It''s bound to fail." Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly. "Those thorns aren¡¯t something that can be ovee just by pouring in everything you have." They were thorns only those who had ovee their limitations and achieved something new could ovee. "The Repeating Covenant Revolver¡­ What¡¯s the highest number of bounces you¡¯ve done with it so far?¡± "My record¡¯s 300 bounces, but I only managed to pierce 400,000 thorns." "Wow, 300 bounces? But it didn''t work?¡± Although he said 300 bounces, the revolver''s bullet couldn¡¯t be controlled after it was fired. In other words, Gilberto managed to keep track of the bullet¡¯s trajectory until it bounced 300 times. "Then bounce it 500 times," Seo Jun-Ho said coolly, "If that''s not enough? Then bounce it a thousand times." "Is that a joke¡­¡± "Of course, I''m not just talking in vain." Seo Jun-Ho calmly looked at Gilberto. Gilberto could see the trust and encouragement contained within Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes, forcing him to close his mouth. "Do it for real. I still need a sniper who will watch my back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gilberto was silent for a while. In the end, he lightly sighed and pressed his sheriff''s hat down. "You bastard." "It''s all for you." Seo Jun-Ho chuckled and handed over a small wooden box. "This is an elixir I bought at the Administrator¡¯s Store. It''s a gift." Gilberto opened it and saw a cold ginseng inside. Gilberto chewed it without hesitation and said, "Thanks. I''ll pay you back." "Sure." It was a dry reply appropriate for a dry thanks. 1. Referencing the Blue Eyes White Dragon from Yu-Gi-Oh. ? Chapter 369. Teacher Darkness (3) Chapter 369. Teacher Darkness (3) A white-haired man was looking down the night street of Neo City on the 5th floor. A man in a purple suit approached him. "I received a call from Shadow. Butcher was killed." "I see¡­" Despite the grim news, the white-haired man¡¯s eyes looking at the night view did not show even an ounce of regret or disappointment. "Specter¡¯s growth is frightening. Apparently, Butcher did notst even a day." "That¡¯s why I tipped him off in advance that Specter was special." But since Butcher still ended up dying, it meant that Butcher himself wasn¡¯t skilled enough. It also meant that Butcher hadn¡¯t been worthy of his interest. "Shouldn''t we call in Nazad and the rest of them?¡± "Why?" "He died like a dog, but wouldn¡¯t it still be a waste?" "¡­A waste?" The Heavenly Demon finally turned his head. His calm face seemed to ask why he should care about their death. "No, my tongue slipped.¡± Isaac Dvor smiled. Facing the Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes which appeared to be endless pits, Isaac shuddered. ''Ah, yes. My master had always been this kind of man.¡¯ He confirmed it once again. The Heavenly Demon had never been the type to regret. Perhaps even if Isaac Dvor died right now, the Heavenly Demon wouldn¡¯t even produce the faintest reaction on his face. It was all because he had always been like that. "Shadow says he''s moving today.¡± "Is that so?" "Yes, I don''t think he¡¯s going to fail since he said he will be using the Medusa¡¯s poison you gave him." The Medusa''s poison? An assassination was bound to seed once that was used. "That''s too bad. I wanted to fight him again.¡± It was the first time the Heavenly Demon felt regretful about someone¡¯s death. As the feeling dragged on, it soon turned to irritation. "Tsk, let''s go." "Where would you like to go?" The Heavenly Demon turned around and replied, ¡°I heard the fiends own a sect here. Let¡¯s go there and take a look.¡± "With pleasure." Three of his seven executives followed behind him. *** "Kneel before overwhelming power!" A million thorns shot out of Erebo''s body. However, all Gilberto could see was empty space rather than the horns. He was staring at a thousand badge pieces shining brilliantly like stars. ¡°¡­¡± His eyes and brain started to get busy. He had to find a way to connect them all together. "Have you gone crazy with fear? You aren¡¯t even moving.¡± At Erebo¡¯s sarcastic voice, the thorns grew closer. Budump, budump. Gilberto slowly got impatient, and his vision narrowed as a result. "Damn it!¡± Gilberto cursed after hastily pulling the trigger. In the end, he could only bounce the bullet 400 times, let alone 1,000 times. Pierce! Gilberto couldn¡¯t get used to the sensation of being pierced by a million thorns, no matter how many times he had gone through it by now. It was still extremely painful even though the system had already diluted it. ¡®Compared to what Jun-Ho went through, this is nothing.¡¯ [#211] Gilberto didn¡¯t even waste a second. He looked at the thousand badge pieces scattered in the air and studied them without even sleeping properly. ''No one knows me better than I do.¡¯ Therefore, he was certain. He was sure that he couldn¡¯t bounce a single bullet on a thousand badge pieces with his own talent. ¡®With the ssic method, that¡¯s for sure.¡¯ However, would the method really matter? Shouldn¡¯t reaching the goal be more important than the method used to reach it? Gilberto decided to give up on his calctions and started changing his ways. ''Grade. I have no choice but to raise my skills¡¯ grade.¡¯ He had a lot of skills. However, he only had four useful skills when it came to shooting. 1. Object Transparency (B) turned his bullets transparent. 2. Mute (A)pletely suppressed the sound of his sniping. 3. Curve Ball (C) allowed him to bend his bullets in mid-air. 4. Hawkeye (B) allowed him to identify and acquire information about objects tens of kilometers away. Gilberto chose to focus on two skills. ¡®Curve Ball and Hawkeye. I¡¯ll raise the grades of these two.¡¯ There was only one reason why he always let fate decide the end of his battles whenever he fired the Repeating Covenant Revolver: the bullet it fired was so fast he couldn¡¯t even see it. ¡®I was hoping that someday, I would be able to raise the grades of these skills.¡¯ Unfortunately, just because he wanted to raise the grades of his skills didn¡¯t mean he could raise them that easily. ''It reminds me of the old days...¡¯ Back then, Seo Jun-Ho worked him like a dog, and he had be a dog. It was such a difficult time that it was the number one memory he didn¡¯t want to remember at all. But now, he was trying to repeat those hellish days on his own. ''I have always been on the receiving end when ites to him.¡¯ ¡®I''ll help you. I''ll really help you next time¡­¡¯ Such words had only remained as promises in his heart. The friend who took him out of the trash can had always been walking a few steps ahead of him. He had always been doing well, even without Gilberto. ¡®It''s my turn.¡¯ Determined, Gilberto started focusing on training both skills. The number of his regressions piled up. The system was protecting his mind, but it only made sure that he wouldn¡¯t lose his mind. [For the yer''s mental health, it is rmended that you stop the challenge.] [For the yer''s mental health, it is rmended that you stop the challenge.] [For the yer''s mental health, it is rmended that you stop the challenge.] ¡­ He ignored the countless messages and continued the challenge. - Shouldn¡¯t we stop him? The World Tree asked. While sitting in the Forest of the World Tree¡¯s special seat, Seo Jun-Ho watched Gilberto¡¯s regressions. He shook his head at the World Tree¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s the path he chose. The only thing I should do is to trust and wait for him rather than stop him.¡± - You are a stricter teacher than I thought. Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly and clenched his fist. ¡®You can do it, Gilberto.¡¯ *** "Phew." Shim Deok-Gu loosened his tie and groaned. Now that The Loneliness of the 4th Floor was gaining worldwide poprity, love calls for Seo Jun-Ho kept oning. ¡°Am I the president of the Korean yer Association or the president of an entertainment agency?¡± The scene outside was pretty routine. People leaving for work filled the streets, and some were about to go drinking with their colleagues and friends. Regardless of the difficulty of his work, such a sight always cheered Shim Deok-Gu up. ck. Shim Deok-Gu turned when he heard the door being opened. "Oh, is it Jun-Ho?" "No, it''s not." "¡­What? Oh, it¡¯s the clone." Seo Jun-Sik hung Cold Spear¡ªno, White Dragon, on the wall. Afterward, he turned to Shim Deok-Gu and asked, "Your reaction is strangely awkward. Do I make you feel ufortable?" "Maybe a little. It''s my first time dealing with a clone." "Well, I guess that¡¯s possible." Seo Jun-Sik readily nodded and asked, "But isn''t it time for you to get off work?" "I always drink coffee and get off work. Did youe here for something?" "No. The Original told me not to cause any trouble and stay next to you." At that, Shim Deok-Gu smiled without saying anything. ¡®I see, so that¡¯s what he meant.¡¯ He was wondering what the Frost Queen meant when she said he was cute. He was definitely a little cute. He had never seen Seo Jun-Ho being obedient except when he was young. Thinking like that, his awkwardness toward the clone somewhat transformed into friendliness. "That punk Jun-Ho doesn''t even eat with me because he says it¡¯s bothersome, but how about we go out for dinner?" "I don''t want to go out and eat either because it¡¯s bothersome." The frown on Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s face was just like Seo Jun-Ho''s. However, Seo Jun-Sik stood up whileining. "But it can''t be helped. The Original told me to stick next to you." "Wear a mask and sunsses. It''ll be hard to go around with that face.¡± "Is there a good sushi ce nearby?" "I know one ce." "Oh, let''s eat sushi then. Hot fried udon, too." As the two men left the building after putting on a simple disguise, a group protected them from a distance. From the roof of a nearby building, a man muttered. "Are they the elites of the Korean yer Association?" ¡®Can I do it?¡¯ The man, Shadow, contemted. He was currently following the orders of the Heavenly Demon to cause confusion among the yers. Of course, the goal was Seo Jun-Ho. His death would definitely cause the most confusion. ¡®I''ve already figured out his skills.¡¯ He watched the fight between Specter and the Chef, Butcher, with his Shadow Eye. As such, he reached a conclusion. ¡®In a face-to-face confrontation, I¡¯ll lose, but if I try to assassinate him, the probability of sess is over ny percent.¡¯ He was confident because of Medusa¡¯s Poison. It was a rare poison that turned the entire body of the afflicted into stone as soon as it was administered. Resuscitation was impossible because it had no antidote. Having made up his mind, Shadow closed his eyes. ¡®Heavenly Demon, it was an honor to have served you.¡¯ Dozens of yers were guarding Seo Jun-Ho and Shim Deok-Gu. It was impossible to leave unscathed after assassinating his target. ¡®I¡¯ll gain more than I¡¯ll lose as long as I can drag Specter down to hell with me.¡¯ After a while, Shadow entered the Japanese restaurant where Seo Jun-Ho and Shim Deok-Gu were located. yers were guarding both the entrance and the back door, but as expected, they couldn¡¯t detect his presence. ¡®Fools.¡¯ Walking past them, he followed the employee he kept in mind. "The special assorted sushi and fried udon are here!" Click. He stuck behind the waiter and entered the room Seo Jun-Ho was using. "Enjoy your meal." "Thank you for the food." The moment the employee left and when Seo Jun-Ho picked up his chopsticks¡ª ¡®His vignce will be at the lowest¡­ now!'' Shadow undid his stealth and stuck out a syringe. Push! The needle reinforced with demonic energy easily prated Seo Jun-Ho''s skin. "Huh?" The poison quickly spread. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body started turning into stone, and he looked up at Shadow with a dumbfounded look. ''I love that stupid face¡­¡¯ As the fiend who assassinated a hero of mankind. His name was bound to be recorded in history. Shadow smiled in satisfaction. "Come down from this stage with me, Seo Jun-Ho." "Goddamned it." Seo Jun-Ho cursed, and before hepletely turned into stone, he muttered in a wronged voice, "But, I''m Jun-Sik¡­¡± "What? Jun-Sik?" Who was Jun-Sik? Unfortunately, the petrified Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t answer. "J-Jun-Sik!" Shim Deok-Gu shouted with a distorted look. At that, the smile on Shadow¡¯s face faded. "Wait, who¡¯s Jun-Sik?" But what he received in response was a sword rather than the answer he was looking for. The Elite yers quickly raided the room and sliced his throat open. ''Ugh, in life... I have no regrets.¡¯ Shadow managed to send a message to the Heavenly Demon before he died. [May your wishese true] [Picture.] The picture depicted the petrified Seo Jun-Ho. *** "Huh?" Seo Jun-Ho blinked upon absorbing his clone¡¯s memories. The leaves fanning him paused. - What''s wrong? "No, it''s...¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied with a bitter look. ¡°My clone died." - Oh no. "He was poisoned to death as well." Seo Jun-Ho absorbed the memories and experienced the pain his clone, Seo Jun-Sik, had experienced just before dying. It didn¡¯t hurt that much for Seo Jun-Ho. After all, he died hundreds of times on the 4th Floor. There was a different issue. "No, what''s wrong with his name?" ¡®I will have to say that name a lot in the future, so what¡¯s up with the name Jun-Sik¡­?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly tried to use Cloning. [Your clone has died and cannot be summoned.] [The clone can be summoned after 72 hours.] ¡®So there''s a penalty...¡¯ Whenever the clone died, it could only be summoned after three full days. After learning something new, Seo Jun-Ho traced Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s memories about the assassin. ¡®I¡¯m familiar with that face¡­¡¯ To be exact, he had seen that face in Butcher¡¯s memory. The assassin was Shadow, an executive of the Fiend Association and the head of the Darkmoon Pavillion. He was a fiend specializing in assassination. ¡°Hmm." Seo Jun-Ho pondered for a while in his seat before muttering, "How lucky..." Chapter 370. Neo City (1) Chapter 370. Neo City (1) ¡°Don¡¯t even say anything. I really thought I was gonna have a heart attack,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. He exined his feelings, ¡°I was about to eat, but then I saw someone standing behind Jun-Sik.¡± ¡°You must¡¯ve been startled.¡± ¡°Of course I was! And he even turned into stone. At that moment, I even wondered if I was dreaming.¡± Shim Deok-Gu grew pale as if he was still being haunted by the memory. ¡°What about the body?¡± ¡°Oh, right, Confession of the Dead.¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There was the whole thing with the Heavenly Demon, so I just got rid of it on the spot. ¡°Hm¡­ It¡¯s a bit of a waste, but it can¡¯t be helped. You made a good decision.¡± This was a hundred, a thousand times better than Shadowing back to life because of his impressive stealth skills. ¡®Though, I would have been able to sense his presence.¡¯ But even then, his clone couldn¡¯t have done the same. After all, his clone would have already died by then. ¡°Are you done with your business on the 4th Floor?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked. ¡°Yeah. I just had short conversations with them.¡± His friends were shedding blood, sweat, and tears in their training to get even stronger. ¡°Then, when are you nning to go up to the 5th Floor?¡± ¡°In three days.¡± He had already been wondering about what he should do, but the assassination attempt made it clear. ¡®It¡¯s too dangerous to leave Earth without leaving any measures in ce.¡¯ After three days, he would be able to use his Cloning once again. Unless he left Seo Jun-Sik behind, he wouldn¡¯t feel at peace. ¡°Even if Jun-Sik gets taken out, I¡¯ll get his memories, at the very least,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°But you saidst time that you guys could share thoughts all the time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because my skill proficiency is too low or because it¡¯s too far, but I couldn¡¯t hear him from the 4th Floor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably because it¡¯s too far,¡± Shim Deok-Gu agreed. They didn¡¯t even know where Another World was in the universe. ¡°Will you really be fine, though?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Needless to say, the 5th Floor will be teeming with all sorts of tedious enemies. What if you need Jun-Sik?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. If I ever need him, I can just recall him.¡± Seo Jun-Ho decided to spend the next three days preparing to enter the 5th Floor. *** Three days passed in the blink of an eye. When Seo Jun-Ho summoned Seo Jun-Sik again¡­ He looked very upset and annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m upset and annoyed.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Listen. I wasn¡¯t able to eat a single piece of sushi that day.¡± ¡°...Wow.¡± How was that more upsetting than being petrified? Seo Jun-Ho stared at Seo Jun-Sik as if thetter was a fascinating specimen before changing the subject. ¡°Well, anyway, you know what you have to do, right?¡± ¡°In short, watch over Earth carefully while raising my proficiency.¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± ording to Butcher¡¯s memories, there were a total of four executives targeting the yers. ¡°Butcher got fucked, and that son of a bitch Shadow got fucked. So there are only two left, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. That leaves Colonel Charbork and Nazad Hallow.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°And Nazad Hallow is especially dangerous. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Of course I do. You guys have a history, too.¡± Seo Jun-Ho killed Nazad¡¯s disciple Arma and even took the ¡®Aura Buff Ring¡¯ Nazad gave to his disciple as a gift, so it was only natural that the fiend hated him. ¡°Those two are too strong for me to handle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I wish your proficiency were just a bit higher.¡± Seo Jun-Sik could use up to seventy percent of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stats. Unfortunately, his proficiency was too low, so he could only use thirty-five percent of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stats. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure this will be resolved in time,¡± Seo Jun-Sik said coolly. However, his face grew very serious. ¡°And Original, you should be careful as well. The Heavenly Demon probably gave the executives those orders to¡ª¡± ¡°Slow me down.¡± They both agreed on the possibility that Seo Jun-Ho might encounter the Heavenly Demon on the 5th Floor. ¡°I¡¯m telling you not to push yourself too hard. Got it? Anyway, my limit is only around two weeks.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered. Seo Jun-Sik had his own reservoir of magic energy upon being summoned. If he didn¡¯t use any of it, he could stay outside for two weeks. ¡°I¡¯lle back before then to check in on things,¡± added Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Cool. Bring me a Melona when youe back.¡± Leaving Seo Jun-Sik behind, Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen headed over to the Dimensional Elevators. ¡°Hoo. This part is always nerve-wracking,¡± he said. ¡°And exciting,¡± the Frost Queen remarked. Entering a new Floor meant entering a new world. And there, a yer could find their new self. ¡°And that means I can get even stronger. Let¡¯s go!¡± He finally pressed the button to the 5th Floor, something he had been anticipating for a long time. Shwaaa! The sound of a flushing toilet filled his ears. ¡°Ew! What a stench,¡± The Frost Queen yelped. She held her nose with a scrunched face. Seo Jun-Ho did the same. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on. ¡®What? I definitely pressed the 5th Floor button on the Elevator.¡¯ Right now, they were standing in the stall of a dirty bathroom. However, this wasn¡¯t just some random ce. [This is the 5th Floor.] [Bringer of Spring¡¯s effect has been activated. All stats increased by 30.] ¡­ ording to the system log, they were most certainly on the 5th Floor. Creak. Once they stepped out of the bathroom, they entered a rowdy bar. ¡°Pour some more!¡± ¡°Drink! Drink!¡± ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you be quiet while drinking?! You little lumps of scrap metal!¡± Both Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen nkly observed the happenings in the bar with wide eyes. ¡°C-Contractor. This ce is strange.¡± ¡°...¡± She was right. Was it because of the atmosphere of the noisy bar? No, no matter where one went in the world, all bars were noisy. There was something else that was off. ¡°Hey, gimme a battery if you have a spare. I can¡¯t see out of my left eye.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. Why don¡¯t you pay me back for the batteries you borrowed from me first?¡± ¡°Dammit. You want me to pay for them? I don¡¯t have a lot of free credits left.¡± Prosthetic legs? Prosthetic hands? Prosthetic eyes? No, if that were all, the two of them wouldn¡¯t stand there agape. ¡°They¡¯re made up of machines. Contractor.¡± In other words, they were cyborgs. Unless this was the most elite cosy convention in the world, every person in the bar had to be a cyborg straight out of a sci-fi movie. ¡°Hm?¡± Just then, a few cyborgs nced at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Hey, is that guy a pureblood human?¡± ¡°Yeah, right. Do you really think there are any of them left in this heartless world?¡± ¡°Of course there are. Most of the people at the center are purebloods.¡± ¡°Ha. Even then, they wouldn¡¯te to some dirty back-alley ce like this. He probably got a skin procedure.¡± ¡®The attention is going to get annoying,¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought. He took the Frost Queen with him and left the bar before going into a dirty alleyway littered with trash. He looked up at the sky. ¡°...¡± There were cars flying through the sky, and there were eye-catching neon signs shing in all sorts of colors. Holographic dancers were also dancing about beneath the night sky. [Wee to Neo City!] There was even an airship flying through the air with a banner. It was a sight Seo Jun-Ho could have never expected. ¡®What is this? I thought all the Floors were all connected to worlds that are vaguely fantasy-themed.¡¯ This was true of the monsters that came out of Earth¡¯s Gates, Frontier on the 2nd Floor, and the 3rd Floorva region, Balbortan. The 4th Floor, Another World, was the only Floor with cities simr to Earth, but he didn¡¯t really get to appreciate it in detail because of the overwhelming number of cockroaches he had to face. ¡°I see. I see.¡± The Frost Queen nodded slowly. ¡°This world is of science fiction, specifically of the cyberpunk genre.¡± ¡°...Woah, how do you know all that?¡± ¡°I have seen it in dramas and movies. Typically, the dark secret of these kinds of ces lies in the fact that their government is run by AI.¡± Just as she said, Neo City did seem to have a cyberpunk aesthetic. ¡°Huh?¡± But that wasn¡¯t the most shocking piece of news to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°How am I supposed to go around here?¡± ¡°Indeed, I do not sense a single thread of magic energy in the air.¡± Magic energy was one of the natural forces of the world. However, he couldn¡¯t sense a single trace of it here. ¡®If that¡¯s how it is, I won¡¯t be able to recover any magic energy that I¡¯ll end up using.¡¯ He would have no other choice but to go down to recharge. Seo Jun-Ho let out a small sigh, but his eyebrows suddenly furrowed. ¡°...Wait. It¡¯s notpletely devoid of magic.¡± Two mighty-looking cyborgs were approaching him. The magnificent engraving of this ce¡¯s national flower was on their arms and chest. They looked like Dyson vacuum cleaners, and red light emanated from their heads, simr to a barcode scanner. - Target has a great amount of energy. Neo City identification code scan failed. - Imperial Bounty Hunter Seo Jun-Ho identified. Criminal record: 0. No issues identified. The cyborgs disappeared after muttering something while making mechanical whirring sounds. ¡°Wow, I thought cyborgs only existed in the minds of Earthen imagination,¡± whispered the Frost Queen with wide eyes. ¡°So did I, ten minutes ago.¡± He had never thought that the 5th Floor would be like this. Seo Jun-Ho felt this great need for information, and the feeling was stronger than on any other Floor. ¡°Information. First, we have to obtain information¡± The first thing he did was thoroughly read the system log, just in case he missed any messages. ¡®I knew it.¡¯ Sure enough, he had missed a few messages. [This is the 5th Floor.] [Bringer of Spring¡¯s effect has been activated. All stats increased by 30.] [In this city, you will be working as a bounty hunter.] [Find the Floor Master and defeat them to proceed to the next Floor.] [You have received 100 field credits.] [You can read, write, and speak in Neo City¡¯snguage.] So, he was a ¡®bounty hunter¡¯ here. If he took those words at face value, he should be hunting down criminals with bounties on their heads. ¡°Find the Floor Master and defeat them. The method for clearing this Floor is simpler than I had expected.¡± The Frost Queen pointed out. ¡°Who knows? Let¡¯s ask around while we¡¯re at it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly leaped off of the ground andnded on the roof of the building where the bar was located. He couldn¡¯t see the entire city from here, but he could estimate the size. ¡®I think it¡¯s about as big as Yeoido.¡¯ Compared to Frontier, it was insanely small, but if the Floor Master was hiding here, it would be difficult to find them. ¡°Contractor, perhaps there is some kind of information guild here, as with Frontier.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± Seo Jun-Ho went back into the bar and approached a table where three cyborg men were sitting. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I just became a bounty hunter for this city, but I don¡¯t know a lot of things. Can you tell me where I can get some information?¡± ¡°Hm. That shouldn¡¯t be difficult, but¡­¡± the cyborg man in question rubbed his prosthetic fingers together, signaling for money. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll offer three credits. Otherwise, I¡¯ll just go to another table.¡± ¡°One per person, is it? Not bad.¡± The cyborg chuckled and held out his hand. ¡°You know that everyone pays upfront here, right?¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He was sure the System gave him 100 credits, but he had no idea how to ess them. The cyborg men¡¯s faces darkened when they saw him flounder. ¡°Hey, were you trying to fool us?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I have credits, but I don¡¯t know how to take them out.¡± ¡°What a bumpkin...¡± ¡°Did your mommy from your home give you some pocket money so you wouldn¡¯t starve?¡± The cyborgs continued to talk. ¡°All right, where are your credits stored?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s this one.¡± Seo Jun-Ho showed them the Vita wrapped around his left arm. ¡°Geez, what era is this from?¡± ¡°Other than the fact that it¡¯s an outdated piece of junk, it does look well-preserved.¡± ¡°Moving on. Hold that over my palm.¡± Once Seo Jun-Ho moved his Vita over, a hologram window appeared. [Pay 3 credits?] The cyborgs nodded and revealed satisfied smiles afterward. ¡°So you weren¡¯t a scammer after all. Now you know how to trade credits, right?¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded. He was genuinely grateful. ¡°So, where should I go if I want information?¡± he asked. The three cyborgs answered in unison, almost as if they had nned it. ¡°The Murim Alliance, of course.¡± Chapter 371. Neo City (2) Chapter 371. Neo City (2) The Murim Alliance. The name made Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrow. ¡®The Murim Alliance?¡¯ That was the name of an organization featured in the martial arts novels Seo Jun-Ho used to read a lot as a student. It definitely didn¡¯t fit in a world like this one, where human bodies were fused withyers of machinery. ¡°More precisely, the Murim Alliance¡¯s walk-in information division has the second most information in the city.¡± ¡°The second? Then, where¡¯s the first?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Hey, hey!¡± The man yelped, surprised. He lowered his voice as if he were worried that someone might hear him. ¡°It¡¯s the imperial pce, of course. But civilians like us can¡¯t just waltz in there.¡± The Murim Alliance, and now an imperial pce? Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly. ¡°I get it. Do you also know if the Murim Alliance teaches swordy?¡± ¡°Of course they do. But you¡¯ll need this.¡± He touched the tips of his thumb and index finger to form the shape of a coin. ¡°As long as you have enough credits, you can learn any third-rate style used by peasants to one of the Ten Great Families¡¯ most powerful techniques.¡± ¡®A sword style.¡¯ It had only been a few days since Sir Hart advised him to learn the finest sword fighting style. This city just might be the best ce to learn one. ¡°All right, then. So where is the Murim Alliance?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s the second tallest building in the city. It¡¯s the headquarters of the Murim Corporation, aka the Murim Alliance.¡± ¡°Thanks for the info.¡± His business here was done. However, just as he was about to leave, he was interrupted. ¡°Hey, bumpkin, let me give you onest piece of advice.¡± The man¡¯s rusty robot arm creaked as he put a cigarette between his teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t get too sucked into the mor of this city.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± After that loaded warning, Seo Jun-Ho stepped out of the bar. The first thing he saw was an expensive-looking sedan parked in the alleyway. ¡°I have been waiting for you, bounty hunter Seo Jun-Ho,¡± an elderly man said. He was wearing white robes. Seo Jun-Ho stared at him. ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t tell if this man was also part machine because the man¡¯s robes were too loose, but Seo Jun-Ho could clearly sense magic energy from the man¡¯s body. From what he could sense right now, he estimated that this old man was a powerful fighter only a step or two below the Butcher. ¡°Do you know me?¡± Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Of course I do. Allow me to introduce myself.¡± A hologram business card slowly floated over toward him. [Special Director of the Murim Corporation, Kongtong Sect Leader Hyun-Baek.][1] ¡°Wow, you¡¯re a great man. But why did someone like youe looking for me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Ah, allow me to exin.¡± The old manughed heartily. ¡°We were the ones who invited you from Earth, Young Hero.¡±[2] Seo Jun-Ho froze. This was unprecedented in his years of experience climbing up the Floors. ¡°This is new. It could be beneficial to humor him,¡± the Frost Queen said. Seo Jun-Ho looked at her and nodded. ¡°Please lead the way.¡± The three of them got into a sedan and galloped smoothly through the air. *** Unlike its modern-looking exterior, the interior of the Murim Alliance¡¯s building was decorated in an oriental style. Hyun-Baek led him to his office. ¡°This tea is called baihao yinzhen.[3] Though, I do not know if it will fit the taste of a youngster like you.¡± ¡°Fortunately, I enjoy it.¡± ¡°Hoho, it has been some time since I met a youngster who is educated in the way of tea.¡± Director Hyun-Baek looked pleased. ¡°I am aware that you have many questions right now.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny it.¡± ¡°Then where shall I begin¡­¡± He stroked his long beard and eventually spoke. ¡°First, allow me to tell you about this city.¡± ¡°I was curious about that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wanted to know how such a weird ce came to be. ¡°...Hm.¡± Hyun-Baek smiled bitterly as he looked out the window and into the beautiful nightscape. ¡°Seven hundred years ago, this country used to be a beautiful ce.¡± ¡°It had been filled with neigong, and it was a ce that valued camaraderie and chivalry. It was a great empire covered with azure seas and emerald mountains.[4]¡± ¡°However, disaster came in the time it took to blink.¡± Meteors fell from the sky, and the world burned. ¡°Mountains, oceans,nd, life¡­Everything was destroyed.¡± As nature itself was devastated, the abundant energy also faded. All they had left was a tiny piece ofndparable to just a fist. ¡°While we despaired, the Aeon Empire offered us salvation.¡± ¡°The Aeon Empire?¡± ¡°It is thergest empire in the universe.¡± Hyun-Baek let out a small sigh. ¡°And this, ZY-410, was turned into their military base.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Hm. In simple terms, we were made into a vassal state, and in return, they supplied us with technology and aid.¡± And the Aeon Empire hired the destitute martial artists as mercenaries. ¡°During the same period, they built a city.¡± And that was how Neo City came to be... ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to know,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said after hearing about the city¡¯s simple history. ¡°Ask, and I shall answer.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t sense any magic energy here at all. Does that mean that those without it innately can¡¯t be martial artists?¡± ¡°Ha! A fine question. This goes to the heart of the issue.¡± Hyun-Baek nodded. ¡°As I have said, this has already died once.¡± Vrrr. Three hologram chips appeared before his eyes. ¡°The Aeon Empire expected this and gave us three chips in assistance.¡± ¡°Chips?¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned his head, and the holograms floated over toward him. ¡°The first chip is one that only His Majesty the Emperor can use: the System Chip. It possesses the omnipotent power to control everything in this city.¡± ¡°That¡¯s incredible.¡± If someone wanted to, they could wreak havoc throughout the entire city with that kind of power. ¡°What is the second chip?¡± ¡°It is the Sect Record Chip, which contains information on all the fighting styles that existed in our former country.¡± ¡°...Every single one?¡± ¡°Indeed. With this, even the methods that were developed by ns that no longer exist can be restored. It can only be used by the world¡¯s current leaders.¡± ¡°This one¡¯s also incredible.¡± A record of every sect¡¯s fighting techniques. This one chip had too much power. At this point, he couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°Then just what kind of power does thest chip possess?¡± ¡°Neigong.¡± Director Hyun-Baek chuckled. ¡°In order to cultivate new warriors, they need neigong to use. Therefore, the Aeon Empire gifted us with a chip containing an immense amount of neigong.¡± ¡°Still, how much magic power could one chip actually hold¡­¡± ¡°It is the neigong of three thousand gapja.¡±[5] Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head. ¡°Is that a lot?¡± ¡°One gapja is the equivalent of neigong cultivated by a martial artist of average skill over 60 years.¡± ¡°Then, three thousand gapja is¡­¡± It equated to the neigong umted by an average martial artist over 180,000 years. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°That¡¯s an unbelievable amount.¡± ¡°His Majesty has distinguished martial artists into third-grade, second-grade, first-grade, high-grade, and transcendent. This decides the amount of neigong they can obtain.¡± ¡°That is wise of him¡­¡± ¡°Hoo.¡± Director Hyun-Baek suddenly let out a sigh. ¡°However, seven hundred years have already passed. Our repository is constantly being drained, and we can¡¯t keep up with it.¡± Director Hyun-Baek was right. Even if the chip contained an incredible amount resulting in three thousand gapja of magic power, it was still a limited resource. In other words, if they couldn¡¯t fill it back up, it would eventually run out. ¡°However, a few years ago, a strange rumor began to spread throughout the city,¡± the old man said. ¡°What kind of rumor?¡± ¡°Out of the three chips, it was rumored that the Neigong Chip was originallyposed of two chips.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too random?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked unconvinced. After all, humans often clung to optimism after being pushed into a corner. ¡°The Murim Alliance originally had the same opinion as yours.¡± Director Hyun-Baek lowered his voice. ¡°However, due to recent events, there are doubts that it wasn¡¯t just a rumor, after all.¡± ¡°Did something special happen?¡± ¡°Indeed. Have you heard of the Demonic Cult?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of them.¡± Of course, he had been hearing the Fiend Association¡¯s name back then until he felt like his ears would grow callused. ¡°They¡¯re a mercenary business. A few years ago, they were established in the slums of the eastern outskirts. Their foundation is the use of illegal martial arts that are efficient in killing, and they rapidly gained power as a result.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t the Murim Alliance just keep them in check?¡± ¡°We have attempted it several times, but each one ended in failure.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes furrowed. ¡°That¡¯s weird. Shouldn¡¯t the Alliance have a great advantage because they possess the majority of martial art styles and martial artists?¡± ¡°Your words are correct.¡± ¡°So how can they block the elite fighters from the Murim Alliance?¡± ¡°I exined it previously. That is why there are some growing doubts about the rumor¡¯s legitimacy.¡± ¡°Wait, does that mean the fourth chip¡­¡± ¡°It is not in the hands of the Demonic Cult. That is what we currently believe¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Has the government done anything yet?¡± ¡°Government? Ah, you speak of the administrative offices. That is another problem.¡± Director Hyun-Baek let out a small sigh. ¡°From the olden days, the pce and the Murim Alliance have maintained a policy of non-aggression whilst limiting contact as much as possible. However, whenever his people were harmed, His Majesty had always summoned his troops to establish order. Unfortunately, His Majesty is currently bedridden with an illness.¡± ¡°And he doesn¡¯t have some kind of stand-in who can carry that out in his ce?¡± ¡°Perhaps it is because he once wielded omnipotent power, but he does not...¡± ¡°Hm.¡± In other words, things were still aplete mess. It would be dangerous if the Demonic Cult obtained the Neigong Chip like the Murim Alliance expected. ¡°Are the illegal styles stronger than the martial arts of the Alliance?¡± ¡°We cannot urately estimate their power, but illegal styles can be cultivated much faster. Arge reason why young fighters join the Demonic Sect is that they can be strong within a short period of time.¡± So there was some mysterious factor that made them strong very quickly. Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly. ¡°So, for what reason have you invited us Earthlings into this?¡± ¡°Bounty hunter¡ªno, yer Seo Jun-Ho. I implore you, please subdue the members of the Demonic Cult and reveal the truth of the fourth chip.¡± ¡®So this is the main quest of the 5th Floor...¡¯ They had to work as a bounty hunter and investigate the fourth chip¡­ Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment and eventually spoke, ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask.¡± ¡°Ask, and I shall answer.¡± ¡°Do you happen to know anything about the Floor Master?¡± ¡°The Floor Master? What is that?¡± ¡°I wanted to ask if there¡¯s some kind of great enemy that is threatening the world.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Director Hyun-Baek thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°I do not know. The only answer thates to mind is the CEO of the Demonic Cult, the Heavenly Demon.¡± ¡°The Heavenly Demon?¡± ¡°He is the very person who founded the Demonic Cult several years ago.¡± ¡°Several years¡­ Is it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. He knew. He knew that it wasn¡¯t possible for that CEO and the fiend to be the same person. Still, just hearing the name ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ made Seo Jun-Ho clench his fists hard. ¡°Thank you. Truly, thank you. There are already some hunters from Earth who are carrying out the same mission, so I rmend that you work together.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew that there were yers that hade up to the 5th Floor before him. However, he didn¡¯t really have any thoughts about working with them. ¡°I prefer to work alone.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and asked. ¡°If I use up all my magic energy¡­ That is, my neigong, how can I replenish it?¡± ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°I hear that Earthlings use something called Vita instead of chips imnted in their bodies. Come here.¡± Hyun-Baek held out his left hand, and a momentter, a hologram window appeared [Bounty Mission] Target: Lightning Scythe Level: First-grade martial artist Last known location: Crime: Killed seven martial artists affiliated with the Murim Alliance. Reward: 1,500 credits The information involved nothing but a blurry face and a figure. It also looked like it had been captured on CCTV. The man in the photo was covered in blood with a crooked smile. 1. The hanja of his name means ¡°wise and sure¡±. ? 2. He refers to Jun-Ho in a second-person term that is used for young martial artists who have already made a name for themselves. The young hero here is used simrly to young master ? 3. A Chinese white tea. It is the most expensive and prized variety of white tea in the world. ? 4. 1. Neigong is internal body energy, which is the source of power for martial artists in wuxia. 2. The characters for ¡®camaraderie¡¯ and ¡®chivalry¡¯ make up the word ¡®wuxia¡¯. ? 5. A gapja is a sexagenary cycle, a cycle of sixty years that was historically used to record time in China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. ? Chapter 372. Neo City (3) Chapter 372. Neo City (3) Just as Seo Jun-Ho stepped out of the Murim Alliance¡¯s building, the Heavenly Demon was standing on the highest floor of the Demonic Cult Corporation¡¯s building in the eastern area of Neo City. ¡°G-guh.¡± Something writhed at his feet. A hot, red liquid spilled over dented lumps of metal and scratched screws. With his hands sped behind his back, the Heavenly Demon checked his own dress. ¡°...¡± He hadn¡¯t expected this. The only reason he had entered the Demonic Cult¡¯s headquarters was because of a burning curiosity. Frankly, he didn¡¯t expect that the Demonic Cult¡¯s own Heavenly Demon would be remotely strong. However, his opponent had surpassed his expectations. ¡°You are strong.¡± The cyborg was so skilled that he had cut off the Heavenly Demon¡¯s hair and ripped his clothes into shreds. Dumbfounded, the fiend snorted. ¡°Just where did you acquire this magic power?¡± he asked. The cyborg in front of him had so much power that it dared to rival his own. If the cyborg hadn¡¯t been that strong, the victor would have been decided long ago. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°...Go to hell.¡± The sect leader¡¯s hateful eyes met his own. Click! The door opened, and hundreds of martial artists appeared. ¡°Sect Leader!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an intruder! Summon all the warriors who are away!¡± ¡°You fools. All of you, run¡­¡± The sect leader tried to order his subordinates with the remaining upper half of his body, but his voice didn¡¯t reach their roused ears. ¡°Wow, they all look pretty energetic and vicious. Shall I get rid of them?¡± Isaac Dvor asked slyly. The Heavenly Demon nodded. ¡°Kill them.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°There are only four of them! Don¡¯t get intimidated!¡± ¡°Do you know where this is?! Curse you, Murim Alliance bastards!¡± The martial artists ran in with their robot arms and legs, as well as their neigong spread out in the air. Isaac Dvor was the only one who faced them. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I used this skill. It¡¯s pretty fun to use.¡± His then eyes curved into crescents. At the same moment, his demonic energy unraveled into the air like yarn. ¡°...?!¡± ¡°W-what is this?¡± The martial artists were frozen right in their running positions and started copsing like electrocuted fish. As they fell, they still had no idea what happened. ¡°It is the innate ability in my blood. It¡¯s just like magic, no?¡± His gremlins¡¯ blood allowed him to freeze all electronic devices. It wasn¡¯t much fun to use unless he was in a ce like Earth, which was full of devices. Isaac had thought that he wouldn¡¯t have any use for this skill in the future, but who could have known that a ce like this existed? Isaac licked his lips. ¡°This is a beautiful city. It¡¯s almost like it was made just for me,¡± he said, mocking the cyborgs convulsing on the ground. He then pulled out a knife especially made for the use of ck magic and started killing the martial artists one by one. It was such a futile, pathetic death for these warriors, who were all at least first-grade. The Heavenly Demon turned his head. ¡°Your magic. Would you like to tell me about it now?¡± ¡°So haughty. You¡¯ll never learn its secrets,¡± said the sect leader. ¡°Hm.¡± It seemed that it would take longer than expected to extract the information. However, the Heavenly Demon only smiled. ¡°You should be grateful. I happen to have a lot of time to spare.¡± Savage demonic energy covered his palm and slowly stretched toward the sect leader. ¡°I¡¯ll humor you, then,¡± said the sect leader *** ¡°What is the matter?¡± the Frost Queen asked. Seo Jun-Ho was staring into somewhere. He slowly shook his head. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± The martial artists had just happened to catch his eyes. It seemed that they were all gathering somewhere. ¡°Anyway, what do you think? About the eastern region, I mean.¡± ¡°Ugh. I thought that the bar and the alleyway that we encountered in the very beginning were the filthiest ces in the world.¡± ¡°Me, too.¡± However, they said that it could always be worse. There was vomit all over the ground, and there was a strange smell in the air. Moreover, the street was teeming with beggars who were trying to sleep under their rags. ¡°These are Neo City¡¯s slums. The Fallen Star District, I think it was called.¡± It was a ce where shining hopes had fallen. Its residents couldn¡¯t even dream. It was the only ce of refuge for those who had been pushed all the way to the edge. ¡°This is an ideal ce for a criminal to hide in,¡± the Frost Queenmented. ¡°Yup.¡± Compared to the central area where the Murim Alliance was located, the public order was aplete mess here. ording to what Seo Jun-Ho had heard, government forces rarely patrolled this area. ¡°First, let¡¯s go to the location where he wasst spotted,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Just as they started to go deeper into the Fallen Star District, Frost spoke, ¡°Contractor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho followed her eyes. ¡°A long, long time ago¡­¡± a woman spoke, sitting between two children. It seemed that she hadn¡¯t even received the mechanization procedure, and her left arm was missing as well. ¡°There was a time when you only needed to look up to see twinkling stars filling the sky like sand on a beach.¡± ¡°Noona, what¡¯s a beach?¡± ¡°I heard that it¡¯s like a soft bed that¡¯s next to the sea.¡± ¡°What does the sea look like?¡± ¡°T-there¡¯s a ton of water.¡± ¡°Then, is it a bathroom?¡± The children couldn¡¯t even understand the words, but their eyes sparkled as they waited for her to continue speaking. ¡°Ahem. However, the demons attacked this, and they stole the stars, along with our dreams.¡± ¡°Ohhh.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think they could have stolen ours. It¡¯s not like we were born hundreds of years ago.¡± ¡°No. They stole your dreams, too.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Those thieving bastards.¡± The woman looked upon the children affectionately as they stomped their feet. She revealed a soft smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. During that period, His Majesty the Emperor unsheathed the legendary sword, the Sky¡¯s Will. He found our dreams and brought them back.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he bring back the stars?¡± ¡°W-well¡­ He couldn¡¯t carry them back because they were too heavy.¡± The woman was growing flustered as the children became more and more lively. ¡°Anyway, His Majesty said he would wield the Sky¡¯s Will if his people became worn out once again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°So, we must all hang on to the precious dreams His Majesty had brought back for us and work hard.¡± Once Seo Jun-Ho started moving again, the Frost Queen scurried behind him to follow. ¡°Contractor, Contractor. She said that the Sky¡¯s Will had the power to pierce the sky.¡± ¡°You believe that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at her with a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s just a typical fairy tale they tell children. Every ce has them.¡± ¡°Even if the story was made for children, is it not admirable? To the sky!¡± She made swords out of ice, and they floated in the air. ¡°I also liked the idea that he would unsheathe his sword once more if his people grew weary once again. He is a true ruler.¡± ¡°Well, if he¡¯s going to use it anyway, he should use it before his people got exhausted.¡± They had only been here for a few hours, but Seo Jun-Ho could tell that Neo City was very bizarre. The people were divided into two groups that were like water and oil. Those who had money and those whocked it. Those who were weak and those who were strong. The structure of this society couldn¡¯t possibly be changed in just a few years. ¡°You asionally show that pessimistic side of yourself. Are you going through puberty?¡± asked the Frost Queen. ¡°You¡¯re the one going through puberty¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ¡°Ah, whatever.¡± The Frost Queen shrugged. ¡°What we must take away from that story is the message of never losing hope.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± To be fair, the story of the 5 Heroes gave strength to many people. This wasn¡¯t very different from their story. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at a particr dark alleyway in the slums. ¡®This is where the Lightning Scythe wasst seen.¡¯ He spotted an old CCTV attached to the wall. That was likely the camera that had taken the Lightning Scythe¡¯s picture. ¡°So if it was taken from there¡­ He should be around here.¡± Hepared it to the wanted picture and confirmed that this was indeed the ce. Seo Jun-Ho scanned the walls and the ground. ¡®There was a fight here.¡¯ The smell of oil and blood was still there, and they prickled his nose. His target had won the fight and quickly left the area, but he had been unable to hide all his traces. ¡°Let¡¯s move,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He had to track the man down before he lost the tracks. He started following the scent of the dried blood and oil. After going around for half an hour, he arrived at a ce where all the traces hadpletely disappeared. - Partner. Keen Intuition¡¯s voice rang in his ears. - That house over there. I am getting a feeling. ¡°Are you sure?¡± - It is a feeling. That was good enough. Seo Jun-Ho unsheathed his sword and inspected the worn-down house. ¡°The doors are locked, and so are the windows.¡± ¡°What will you do?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°There¡¯s a solution to everything.¡± Perhaps it was because the house was old, but he could see cracks all over it. That was enough. ¡®Darken.¡¯ His figure wavered like a candle me and melted into the shadows. He slipped through a small gap in an instant and turned back into human form. - What an unbelievable skill. Seo Jun-Ho agreed. He looked around and saw that he was inside a bathroom. He raised his guard and slowly opened the door. Creeeeak. ¡°...!¡± He met the eyes of a scared child sitting in the living room. He was about to tell the child that he wasn¡¯t a bad person when¡ª ¡°@#$%^&*!¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± A strange mechanical sound echoed, and a thick arm snatched the child up. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®So he¡¯s the Lightning Scythe. The same man in the photo.¡¯ There was a bandage wrapped around his side, and it was stained red. The oil and blood had coagted into one. Seo Jun-Ho leveled his sword. ¡°Let go of the child.¡± ¡°@$%^&$#!¡± However, the Lightning Scythe squeezed his arm tighter. The slender boy looked like he would be crushed at any moment. ¡°Let go!¡± At that, Seo Jun-Ho rushed in without a second thought. Bzzt! Bzzzzt! Sparks flew from the scythe as it buried itself into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder. ng! ¡°...!¡± However, it sounded like the de struck an ice statue rather than human flesh. It took the Lightning Scythe by surprise, and he retreated. Seo Jun-Ho took the opportunity to grab the kid and ced him down on the ground. ¡°I knew it. No matter where you go, a fiend is a fiend. You all need to disappear.¡± ¡°&^%!¡± The cyborg¡¯s entire body had already been reced with machinery aside from his head and torso. Electricity gathered from all over his body and enveloped his weapon, making it glow in the dark room. He swung the scythe with great vigor, aiming for Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck. ¡°...!¡± However, his face soon grew shocked. No idiot would face a weapon coursing with electricity head-on. Even if they blocked the attack, the electricity would conduct through their weapon and paralyze their entire body. However, his opponent blocked the scythe with a sword without a care in the world. ¡°...It doesn¡¯t even sting.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had been struck with real, powerful lightning thousands of times before. He wasn¡¯t afraid of electricity from a mere machine. ¡°Die, fiend.¡± Darkness burst like mes and covered the Sword of Ambition. Carrying with it a jet-ck sword aura, the de cut through both the scythe and the cyborg in a diagonal line. ng! The smell of blood mixed with oil wafted from the fallen cyborg. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the fallen cyborg for a moment before approaching the body. Seo Jun-Ho then held out his hand and muttered, ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± [Skill activation unsessful.] Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes furrowed. ¡®What?¡¯ Even though most of the Lightning Scythe''s body was made of machinery, he should still be a human being. Seo Jun-Ho knew of only one possible reason why Confession of the Dead failed to activate. ¡°...¡± Confession of the Dead would fail to activate if the target was being used as someone else¡¯s puppet, just like with the cockroaches in Erebo¡¯s hivemind. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked at the fallen cyborg. Chapter 373. Neo City (4) Chapter 373. Neo City (4) Seo Jun-Ho put away the cyborg¡¯s corpse in his Inventory and waited until the child woke up. ¡°Uhn¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°Eek!¡± The boy¡¯s eyes widened at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Hyung is a good person.¡± ¡°...¡± The child stared at Seo Jun-Ho for a second before asking carefully, ¡°If you¡¯re a good person, does that mean you¡¯re part of the Murim Alliance?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the child with interest. The kid looked like he was about five years old at most. It would only be natural for him to be screaming with fear, but instead, he bravely asked him a question. ¡°I¡¯m not part of the Alliance, but they requested me to do something. We¡¯re basically coborators.¡± ¡°...¡± The child didn¡¯t seem to understand, so Seo Jun-Ho added, ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that I¡¯m on the same side as them.¡± ¡°Ohhh.¡± At that, the child¡¯s face brightened. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, giving the boy a piece of candy. ¡°Dong-Chil.¡± ¡°Okay, Dong-Chil. Can you tell me how that guy from earlier came in here?¡± A small shudder ran through the boy¡¯s body. He raised his hand and pointed to the entrance. ¡°I was sleeping when I heard the door open. When I opened my eyes, he was looking down at me.¡± ¡°You must have been really scared.¡± ¡°Yes. I was going to scream, but he covered my mouth. And he started saying something.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I couldn¡¯t understand it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. The cyborg had also spouted gibberish when Seo Jun-Ho faced him earlier. ¡®It¡¯s possible that his vocal cords were also reced with machinery, and it malfunctioned.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stood up and inspected the front door. Just as he hadn¡¯t been able to open the door from the outside, there was no sign of forced entry. ¡®Hm, maybe the door is also electronic, and the Lightning Scythe used some kind of hacking program.¡¯ The Lightning Scythe was probably nning to hide in here to lick his wounds before eventually running away. Seo Jun-Ho turned back to the boy. ¡°Do you live here alone? Where are your parents?¡± The boy¡¯s face darkened. ¡°My mom is in heaven.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What about your dad?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a martial artist working for the Murim Alliance. But he¡¯s always busy catching bad guys, so he onlyes home about three times a week.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at Dong-Chil with pity. ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll take you to your dad.¡± ¡°He said not to leave the house.¡± ¡°Then do you want to sleep here alone?¡± ¡°...¡± The boy looked nkly at the empty room and stood up. ¡°I-I wanna go with you.¡± He was a precocious child, but a child was still a child. Holding a big piece of candy in one hand and Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand in the other, the boy left the house with the yer. *** It had only been a few hours since Seo Jun-Ho arrived at the Murim Alliance headquarters, but he had already gotten a good look at the chaos here. It was crowded with martial artists, but there were even a good amount of yers. ¡°Go wait. You¡¯ll gain nothing from irritating the higher-ups.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°I told you. Go wait until the Alliance Leader gives orders.¡± ¡°...I will heed yourmand.¡± The man who received the order had a sharp aura about him. He led his subordinates away and disappeared. Director Hyun-Baek let out a long sigh. He spotted a young man enter the room out of the corner of his eye. ¡°Why are you here?¡± It was the yer Seo Jun-Ho. He had only left a few hours ago to chase his target, but he had alreadye back. In fact, he came back with a child in hand¡ªa child Director Hyun-Baek had never seen before. ¡°And who is this child?¡± ¡°This is Dong-Chil. Dong-Chil, say hi.¡± ¡°Hello¡­¡± ¡°Please, just answer my question¡­¡± Director Hyun-Baek pleaded. Seo Jun-Ho sat the boy down on a nearby sofa and exined what had happened. ¡°Ah, I see. That could have been disastrous. You did well for bringing him here,¡± the old man said. Director Hyun-Baek¡¯s subordinates brought them sweet senbei[1] on his orders, and he spoke to his subordinates. ¡°It seems that this boy¡¯s father is affiliated with the Alliance, so go look for him and bring his child to him. We should grant him a few days of rest as well.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± With arge pile of snacks in his arms, Dong-Chil waved his hand cheerfully and disappeared. Director Hyun-Baek watched as Dong-Chil left and turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho again. ¡°Tonight, you saved the lives of two people.¡± ¡°Two?¡± ¡°If his father had lost his only remaining family, a young child at that, he would have be nothing but a shell of a man. Once again, I thank you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho scratched his cheek at Director Hyun-Baek¡¯s repeated expression of gratitude and changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s going on? Everyone seems to be busy.¡± ¡°You noticed?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all running around with such pale faces. It would be harder not to notice.¡± ¡°...Sigh. It is because of the Demonic Cult.¡± The Demonic Cult. They were located in the eastern region of Neo City, and the Murim Alliance believed that they were in possession of the fourth chip. ¡°Is there some kind of incident ?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Indeed there was. A few hours ago, the fiends in the city gathered at their headquarters.¡±[2] ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that today wasn¡¯t the anniversary of their founding or something?¡± ¡°You are correct. That is why it has be chaotic here.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t know why they gathered?¡± ¡°If we knew, we wouldn¡¯t be so apprehensive.¡± Director Hyun-Baek sighed again, and the wrinkles on his face deepened. ¡°I worry that things will unfold simr to the old Great War of Good and Evil.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be...¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. If such arge-scale war were to ur in such a small city, everything would be destroyed. ¡°I pray that it would be the case, but the paranoia of an old man cannot help it.¡± ¡°I pray that it would be the case as well. Oh, and this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho retrieved the Lightning Scythe¡¯s body. Director Hyun-Baek stared at it with admiration. ¡°Ho, you are a fine swordsman.¡± He pictured their fight. ¡®I didn¡¯t know that he was strong.¡¯ Director Hyun-Baek muttered to himself. Based on the injuries on the cyborg¡¯s body, it seemed that he hadn¡¯t even been able tond a counterattack, despite being a first-grade martial artist who could generate a current of 50,000 volts. ¡®Then the yer is at least as strong as a first¡­No, a high-grade martial artist.¡¯ Director Hyun-Baek¡¯s newfound admiration showed in his eyes. ¡°You must be tired because you have just returned, but may I shamelessly give you another request?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Would you be willing to survey the eastern region? I would feel uneasy assigning this mission to a member of the Alliance on the off chance that it provokes the Demonic Cult.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°It will not be difficult. You simply need to inspect the area around the Demonic Cult¡¯s headquarters and get an idea of what is going on there.¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too difficult. I¡¯ll do it. ¡°Thank you. As this is a personal request, I shall pay you in advance.¡± Director Hyun-Baek paid Jun-Ho 1,500 credits for the bounty and 1,000 for his ownmission. After receiving 2,500 credits in total, Seo Jun-Ho left the building with a smile. ¡°So, what are your thoughts?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet,¡± he said. The smile disappeared from his face as he thought about what the director had said. - Tonight, you saved the lives of two people. - If his father had lost his only remaining family, a young child at that, he would have be nothing but a shell of a man. Once again, I thank you. Obviously, it was something positive. Actually, his chest warmed up when he heard those words, and he felt a sense of duty and pride. ¡°But I never told him that Dong-Chil¡¯s mother is dead.¡± Why had Director Hyun-Baek referred to the child as ¡®his father¡¯s only remaining family¡¯ so confidently? Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lips curled up as he muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll do as he orders for now.¡± It was all so that Director Hyun-Baek woulde to trust him even more. *** The area where the Demonic Cult¡¯s base was located had a different air from the slums. The streets were tense like a string pulled tight on a guitar. ¡°Contractor. Something keepsing out of the building.¡± Just as the Frost Queen said, dozens ofrge trailers were rolling out of the building. ¡°What might be in those trucks?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had no idea, so he would go there to find out. Seo Jun-Ho concealed his presence with Night Walking and climbed on top of the backmost trailer. Arranged in one line, the trucks started heading out of the city rather than deeper into the city. ¡°We have to follow them.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had heard that the air outside the city was thinner, but he couldn¡¯t just stop here. A thick gate opened, and they passed through a long tunnel. Once they were out, thendscape becamepletely different. The magnificent cityscape was far behind them, and all they could see was andfill filled with a mountain of machine parts and scrap metal. Thud! Thud! The trucks emptied their containers and left swiftly. ¡°Contractor, this is¡­¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was still as he studied the contents the trucks had dispensed. Robot arms, robot legs, robot torsos, robot heads¡­If you put them all together, they could make a human being. And there were countless parts, which would easily amount to one thousand cyborgs. ¡°Was there an inner conflict within the Demonic Cult?¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Even if you¡¯re right, how could a thousand of them be killed in just one night?¡± Not even the Fiend Association would do something like that, and they were known for their brutality. Seo Jun-Ho climbed up the mountain of machine parts and knelt down to one knee. ¡°...¡± He spotted the resolute fate of a middle-aged man. His eyes were still open even in death. Seo Jun-Ho had to wonder what had made him so vengeful. He ced his hand on top of the head. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± The skill didn¡¯t work on the Lightning Scythe, but it worked this time. ¡°Talk.¡± He wanted to know the target of his vengeance. *** Crackle. Crackle. The memory yback was pixted like it was being yed from a scratched tape. It was also very short. All he could see was the ground covered with the bodies of hundreds of martial artists. ¡®They were all his subordinates.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart throbbed. He could sense the heartwrenching pain of the man as he screamed. - This is entertaining. I feel like I have be a god. A man wearing a purple suit weaved through them as he killed them like they were toys. The man looked familiar to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Isn¡¯t that Isaac Dvor?¡¯ The shock of it onlysted for a moment as an idea passed through his mind. ¡®Wait. If that guy is here right now¡­¡¯ Someone else¡¯s voice interrupted Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s train of thought. - The beta Chip contained three thousand gapja of neigong. I see. So this was the secret of his limitless magic power. Thump. Thump. Seo Jun-Ho stopped breathing as his heart started madly beating against his chest. He didn¡¯t adjust the yback speed, but the video seemed to have slowed down in his eyes. Seo Jun-Ho was awfully familiar with that voice. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ How could he not? Why wouldn¡¯t he? The voice belonged to the man he wanted to see in his dreams so that he could kill him several times. The cyborg managed to lift his head. A white-haired man came into view, and he was holding a small chip. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho saw red. The white-haired man turned his head, and their eyes finally met. The white-haired man smiled. - I will make good use of this. His smile was as warm as an angel¡¯s smile, and that was the final scene in the memory yback. *** Seo Jun-Ho sat without moving for a few minutes. Whenever he thought that he had already pulled himself together, the memory yback would rey in his head from the very beginning. - I will make good use of this. It was him. Seo Jun-Ho was sure of it. He had a handsome face that didn¡¯t match his bloody hands. His voice sounded as arrogant as ever, like the whole world was beneath him. He was the Heavenly Demon. ¡°...I found you.¡± The Thunder God¡¯s sworn enemy. Seo Jun-Ho looked up and stared at the transparent force field covering Neo City. Right now, the man he had been looking for so long was somewhere in there. ¡°Contractor. Do not be rash.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he said calmly as he stood. Seo Jun-Ho had no intention of being reckless. ¡°I can¡¯t waste this one-in-a-million opportunity.¡± He wouldn¡¯t show his ws until the moment he knew he could kill the Heavenly Demon for good. It was all so that the Heavenly Demon wouldn¡¯t be able to run away and resurrect likest time. In that case, there was something he had to confirm. ¡®Does he actually have the Neigong Chip with three thousand gapja?¡¯ If that were the case, Seo Jun-Ho would have absolutely no chance of winning. His head became filled with many possibilities as he bit his lip. - How unseemly! How impudent! Remove your foot at once! All of a sudden, a youthful voice came from below him. 1. rice crackers ? 2. It should be noted that the term ¡®fiend¡¯ trantes literally to ¡®demon human¡¯ or ¡®evil human¡¯ and thus shares a character with ¡®demonic cult¡¯. ? Chapter 374. The Small Heavenly Demon (1) Chapter 374. The Small Heavenly Demon (1) The Frost Queen crouched and stared at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s foot with confusion. ¡°Contractor, your foot is speaking.¡± ¡°Sorry to disappoint, but my feet can¡¯t talk.¡± Once he stepped back, the youthful robotic voice sounded much clearer. - Why are you standing there like an idiot? Since you have moved your foot, hurry up and take me out! Seo Jun-Ho gestured at the Frost Queen with his hand. ¡°Frost, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± - You, stop right there! I said stop! E-excuse me! Please stop![1] The grumbling voice had be desperate, and it made Seo Jun-Ho stop. The Frost Queen sulked. ¡°It is a bother. I think it will talk a lot, too.¡± Seo Jun-Ho resisted the urge to say, ¡®don¡¯t you talk a lot as well?¡¯ and turned around. ¡°Let¡¯s hear what it has to say first. I think it¡¯s a survivor from the Demonic Cult.¡± He couldn¡¯t just leave them here. He dug through the machine parts, and eventually, he found the owner of the voice. ¡°A ball?¡± It was exactly the size of a basketball. No more, no less. The robot ball had a hard and cold surface. The LED face blinked and red at Seo Jun-Ho. - `¡Ð¡ä ¡°It is ring at you. What an amusing toy.¡± When the Frost Queen giggled in amusement, the ball turned to her. - How impudent. How dare you refer to me as a toy? ¡°Wow, that¡¯s fascinating. It talks exactly like someone I know.¡± ¡°I-I am not as rude as this thing¡­.¡± Rules for thee but not for me. Blushing a little, the Frost Queen lifted the ball into the air with her hands. - How dare you! Let go of me at once! ¡°Speak. Who are you?¡± - This is a warning. ce me down politely, or you will regret it.[2] The Frost Queen frowned. ¡°Contractor, the manner of its speech disturbs me.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, it¡¯s pretty annoying whenever people talk like that.¡± ¡°?¡± The Frost Queen looked at him with narrowed eyes. Then, she started shaking the ball up and down. - D-do not shake me! My brain will be shaken! ¡°You are incorrect. Your brain is fastened securely within this ball.¡± - You savage woman! ¡°...¡± Savage woman? The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes grew cold, and she shook the ball even faster. - U-urp¡­! The machine couldn¡¯t throw up, but the Frost Queen stopped shaking it when it started quivering. ¡°Huff. Huff. Contractor, this lump of metal is needlessly heavy. My arms are aching,¡± sheined. ¡°Your arms would hurt even if you shook a stic bottle that hard.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took the ball from her. ¡°That¡¯s enough joking around. Who are you?¡± - J-just a moment¡­I feel unwell¡­ Tap tap. Seo Jun-Ho patted its back, and the ball seemed to recover. - Phew. You asked me who I am? ¡°Yeah.¡± Seo Jun-Ho seemed uninterested. The look in his eyes implied that he would just break the machine if it weren¡¯t of much significance. It startled the ball, and it answered immediately. - I-I am the Small Heavenly Demon. ¡°Small Heavenly Demon?¡± - ... The LED face turned to the side and looked at the dead Heavenly Demon with regret. - The man over there is my father. ¡°Makes sense.¡± So that was why its name was ¡®Small Heavenly Demon¡¯. The ball turned back to Jun-Ho. - Would you close my father¡¯s eyes? Please. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed the Heavenly Demon¡¯s vengeful eyes. - ( ?? ???? ) The Small Heavenly Demon looked at its father with sorrow. - Thank you. It said genuinely. ¡°In return, can I ask you something?¡± - I will allow it. ¡°His body was part machine, but he was still human. So why are you¡­ a ball?¡± he asked. - ... The Small Heavenly Demon closed its eyes, seemingly pondering something. However, its voice sounded bitter when it answered. - I am sorry, but I will not answer that. It would be better for you not to know. The Frost Queen and Seo Jun-Ho exchanged looks. ¡®This¡­¡¯ ¡®Has a story behind it...¡¯ They were curious, but they had a strong feeling that if they asked, they would get tangled in something troublesome. ¡®Sorry.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho decided to let it go. He decided to ask about the ¡®Beta Neigong Chip¡¯ instead. - Partner. Personally, I very much wish to listen to his story. ¡°Look here, inner voice. The Contractor has to focus on his vengeance. Do not involve him in your own affairs.¡±[3] - What a strange woman. Who are you speaking to? - Just go home and eat cake. The adults are talking. The spirit, the intuition, and the robot ball prattled on at each other. It was total chaos. Seo Jun-Ho started to feel dizzy, so he quickly made a decision. ¡°Enough! If Intuition is so adamant about it, we should listen to it.¡± He gently rocked the Small Heavenly Demon. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your story is, but just tell me without holding back. We¡¯re the only ones here anyway. - You may regret it. ¡°If I do, that¡¯s on me.¡± - What a fool¡­ He scoffed. The Small Heavenly Demon went silent for a moment before telling its story. *** They[4] were cursed. They wondered if it was the curse of a god envious of their great talent. ¡°Is there nothing we can do?¡± ¡°No. If we wish to treat this disease, we would have to rece their veins, their heart, their bones, their intestines¡ªwe would have to rece everything in their body.¡± Another dead end. The finest doctor in the Demonic Cult had just pronounced a death sentence. The Heavenly Demon felt like a stake was being buried into his chest. ¡°Leave.¡± ¡°By your will.¡± Once the doctor left, he looked down at his one and only child. ¡°...Did you hear that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You can no longer use martial arts.¡± ¡°It is not over yet,¡± the Small Heavenly Demon snapped. ¡°Did you not hear the doctor? It will be possible if we rece everything in my body.¡± ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon looked at his stubborn child. ¡°You know better than anyone else that it is not possible with mere cyborg technology.¡± This was not a problem that could be resolved by simply recing a few parts of the body with machinery. They had to give the Small Heavenly Demon new veins, a new heart, and new bones. It was a massive procedure that was impossible even with Neo City¡¯s technology. ¡°It would only be possible to attempt this in the Aeon Empire. And even then, 99 out of 100 patients would die.¡± ¡°Then I just have to survive.¡± ¡°I heard that even those who survived are suffering side effects.¡± ¡°Why do you keep insisting that I give up?¡± The Small Heavenly Demon felt a wretched sense of betrayal. They looked at their father with resentment. ¡°Father, you were the one who said that you wished to change this city and this world.¡± ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon wordlessly turned away. Outside the window, there was a city full of holograms and neon signs of all different colors. ¡°My heart has not changed.¡± This city was rotten. It was rotten and decaying, and it was beyond the point of no return. ¡°This city devours all those who dream.¡± A small minority monopolized wealth and themunity. They enjoyed the highest level of medical technology, and they could even cheat death. ¡°It has already been one hundred years since west had hope.¡± In other words, this city had continuously devolved over thest century. Taxes were still shooting up to no end. The people with no affinity for martial arts had no other choice but to turn their bodies into machines so they would notbor themselves to death. And even then, their debts were still stacking up. They would have to spend their whole lives working to pay off their debts until they died. ¡°This is all because of the emperor.¡± The ruler who was supposed to watch over his people had gone mad. A non-aggression pact between the Murim Alliance and the Imperial Pce? Bullshit. He was holding the Murim Alliance in his hands and wasmitting all sorts of heinous acts. ¡°It is difficult to cut off a rotting limb.¡± It was difficult, but someone had to do it. The Heavenly Demon made the decision to break through the sky himself rather than wait for inevitable destruction. And he had a skill that allowed him to dare to have such a dream. ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± People thought that the Small Heavenly Demon had a weak constitution because they resembled their mother, but that was only half the story. ¡°Your mother and I only passed onto you the weakest parts of ourselves.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say that.¡± The Small Heavenly Demon¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°I will get the surgery. I will be healthy and change the world with you, Father.¡± ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon was proud, and he was thankful to the Small Heavenly Demon. However, there was no parent in the world who would urge their child to die for their own dreams. ¡°Your father will change the city,¡± he assured. ¡°...I know that your chronic illness worsens by the day.¡± The Small Heavenly Demon wasn¡¯t an idiot. In the same way that this city couldn¡¯t be treated because it was rotten to the core, his father¡¯s illness had also already progressed to the point of no return. ¡°Father, your dream is not yours alone.¡± It was also the dream of the hundreds of millions of Neo City citizens. They had always been dreaming of a city where anyone could shape their own future and carry hope in their hearts. ¡°Please, let me help you achieve your dream.¡± ¡°...¡± No parent could win against their child. And the Heavenly Demon was a father. *** ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face was dark when the story ended. And The Frost Queen was actually crying. ¡°Sniff, I am sorry. I was not aware that you were in such a pitiful situation, and I shook you like that¡­¡± - Ahem. A person of virtue generously forgives others¡¯ transgressions, so don¡¯t cry. If you do, then I will also¡­Sniff. Their emotions welled up, and the Small Heavenly Demon also started crying. While the two of them were bawling, Seo Jun-Ho was sorting through his thoughts. ¡®So, the Small Heavenly Demon¡¯s body is currently in the Aeon Empire.¡¯ It would be delivered if the procedure was sessful. If it failed, well¡ªthe Small Heavenly Demon would have to spend the rest of their life in that ball. ¡®Even though everyone kept talking about the Aeon Empire, I couldn¡¯t really get a good grasp of it¡­ But now, I understand.¡¯ The Aeon Empire had miraculous medical technology and were able to move the Small Heavenly Demon¡¯s soul into the ball to minimize the stress on their body. ¡®Who knew such incredible technology existed?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wondered if the Aeon Empire could even produce clones. ¡°So, ording to you, the Murim Alliance and the emperor are the bad guys,¡± he said. - It is a matter of perspective. All they do is sacrifice the people so that they can live in luxury. The majority of the people were sacrificing their lives so that the minority could livefortably. ¡°Do you know more secrets about the Murim Alliance? Something rted to their bounty missions?¡± - I don¡¯t know, but it seems that they are issued regrly. It is only natural that there are so many criminals in such a cruel world. ¡°Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho suspected that the Murim Alliance had a secret that was connected to his target. He could feel it instinctively. Unfortunately, his intuition had a high batting rate. ¡°Yeah, something smells fishy,¡± he admitted. However, he couldn¡¯t justbel them as evil just from the Small Heavenly Demon¡¯s story. As such, Seo Jun-Ho decided to melt into the city and experience the people¡¯s suffering himself. ¡®I will have to be prepared to kill the Heavenly Demon and the executives anyway.¡¯ For the time being, his first priority was to hide and get a grasp on the situation. ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s one more thing I want to ask,¡± he said. - Speak. ¡°It¡¯s about the Beta Neigong Chip.¡± - ...! The Small Heavenly Demon¡¯s LED face flickered in panic. - W-where did you hear¡­ ¡°I read part of your father¡¯s memories.¡± - I did not know that such a ghastly martial arts technique existed. Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly martial arts. ¡°I just need to know one thing. Is it real?¡± he asked. - ...It no doubt exists. ¡°Then where the hell did you guys find it?¡± The Small Heavenly Demon sighed. - It was nothing short of a coincidence. My father was at the imperial library, frustrated with the corruption of the world. Out of sheer luck, he found the Chip. ¡°Wait. The imperial library?¡± - Were you not aware? Before my father founded the Demonic Cult, he was a soldier affiliated with the Imperial Pce. He observed corruption right before his eyes and realized that the city was rotten. They said people would never see what was right under their noses. However, Seo Jun-Ho had never expected that such an item would be at the imperial library. - Do you believe my story?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly turned to the city. He had to face that city if he wanted to know if the Small Heavenly Demon was telling the truth. ¡®And I should start to get ready.¡¯ If his own Heavenly Demon truly had the Beta Neigong Chip containing three thousand gapja of neigong, he couldn¡¯t possibly win by ordinary means. ¡®And the fastest way to increase my chance of winning¡­¡¯ It would be using the ¡®Alpha Neigong Chip¡¯ shared by the Imperial Pce and the Murim Alliance. ¡®To do that, I have to check if what he said was true.¡¯ If he ever came to the same conclusion as the Small Heavenly Demon, he would steal the Alpha Neigong Chip without hesitation. ¡°Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t asked you for your name yet,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. - Are you not aware ofmon courtesy? In these situations, it is polite to give your name first. ¡°Hey, the way you talk sounds really familiar. Anyway, my name is Seo Jun-Ho. Seo. Jun. Ho. Got it? - Seo Jun-Ho¡­ The Small Heavenly Demon repeated the name a few times and spoke hesitantly. - M-my name is Wisoso. Do not forget my name. Soso¡ªto shine brilliantly.[5] Seo Jun-Ho smiled warmly. ¡°It¡¯s a fine name.¡± 1. It goes from speaking like it¡¯s better than Seo Jun-Ho and Frost to speaking respectfully. ? 2. It uses the same elevated pronoun as Frost to refer to itself. ? 3. The term she calls him by has no English equivalent, but it refers to inner evil thoughts/desires. ? 4. Previously, ¡®it¡¯ was used for the Small Heavenly Demon, but since the demon is humanized now, we have gone with singr ¡®they¡¯ as the gender is not revealed yet. ? 5. ¡¯So¡¯ (ÕÑ) means ¡®bright¡¯ and ¡®to shine¡¯. It also means ¡®to reveal¡¯ or ¡®to shine a light upon¡¯. ¡¯Wi¡¯ (Ðl) means ¡®to protect¡¯. Wisoso¡¯s name is likely meant to be interpreted as ¡®to protect a brilliant light¡¯ or ¡®guardian of a brilliant light¡¯ ? Chapter 375. The Small Heavenly Demon (2) Chapter 375. The Small Heavenly Demon (2) - Wait! Wisoso cried out from The Frost Queen¡¯s arms just as they were about to leave thendfill. - I have exined who I am, but you two have not revealed your identities just yet. ¡°My identity? I¡¯m Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°And I am the Frost Queen.¡± - I am not asking for your names. I wish to know, um, your upations or the like¡­ Wisoso started alternatingly between Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen. For Wisoso, they didn¡¯t seem like bad people on the surface. ¡°Hm. How should I put this.¡± ¡°First, I am the Queen of Niflheim. Currently, I am a spirit.¡± - Q-queen? A spirit? Wisoso muttered. They had no idea what a spirit was, but they knew the word ¡®queen¡¯. - I do not know which Niflheim is located on, but you are royalty. I understand now. Even though she looked youthful, the demon had noticed that she was radiating with elegance. It finally made sense. ¡°Look here. I have revealed my status, but you are still impolite. Try again,¡± she ordered.[1] - Was I? Sorry. The Frost Queen shook the demon and said, ¡°Again!¡± - F-forgive me. Please stop. ¡°Hmph.¡± Finally, the Frost Queen revealed a satisfied smile. She patted the Small Heavenly Demon in her arms. ¡°You are an intelligent piece of metal. From now on, you should behave like so.¡± - ¡­ The Small Heavenly Demon sparked as if they were trying to intimidate. Wisoso bounced over to Seo Jun-Ho, who had been quiet the whole time. - Then who are you? Are you the queen¡¯s personal guard? ¡°No, I¡¯m her master,¡± he said tly. ¡°That is false!¡± The Frost Queen said insistently. ¡°You must make it clear. Contractor, you are not my master.¡± ¡°Then are you my master?¡± ¡°...Oh, I can be your master?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± At that, she wilted, and her shoulders slumped. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m the gap, and she¡¯s the eul, in an 8:2 ratio.¡±[2] - Would that mean you are someone who is capable of standing over a queen? Wisoso¡¯s LED eyes trembled. If that were true, they couldn¡¯t carelessly stay with this man. - Then, where are we going now?[3] Wisoso asked politely. ¡°A ce where I can observe the fiends who massacred the Demonic Cult as well as gain the trust of the Murim Alliance,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. - Such an extraordinary ce exists? ¡°Of course it does¡­¡± ¡°There is but one location.¡± Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen turned their heads at the same time. Despite being tens of kilometers away, the second-highest building in Neo City was still clearly visible. ¡°We¡¯re going to the Murim Alliance.¡± *** A person, a spirit, a robot, and an instinct entered the Murim Alliance headquarters. When they saw Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face, the martial artists immediately led him to Director Hyun-Baek. ¡°Though this is only the second time, you always seem two be two or three steps ahead of me,¡± the old man said. ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sat down and started telling him what happened. He told him about the tens of trucks that poured out of the Demonic Cult¡¯s base and all the machine parts they had dumped into andfill. Director Hyun-Baek¡¯s darkened in an instant as he listened. He then pulled up a few hologram photos. ¡°Did you see any of these people?¡± he asked. ¡°Hm. One second.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked carefully at each photo. He already knew that all of them were dead, but that was only because he had read the memories of the Demonic Cult¡¯s Heavenly Demon. If he became too confident, it was very likely that the director would find him suspicious. ¡°I saw this person. And this one. Hm¡­ I don¡¯t think I saw this one.¡± ¡°A-again! Take another look. Did you truly see this man?¡± ¡°Despite what I look, I have a pretty good memory, so I¡¯m sure of it.¡± ¡°I did not mean to seem like I doubted you. I apologize if I offended you,¡± Director Hyun-Baek muttered. He looked disturbed, trying to deduce what was going on. After all, Seo Jun-Ho had just told him that he had seen the corpse of the Demonic Cult¡¯s Heavenly Demon with his own two eyes. ¡°My apologies. I will be right back.¡± Director Hyun-Baek left in a hurry and returned after an hour. His face looked grave as he said to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°We have searched thendfill you mentioned. It was all true.¡± ¡°I told you I have a pretty good memory,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. ¡°Allow me to restate that I confirmed the matter not because I do not trust you. It is because this is a very serious matter.¡± Director Hyun-Baek continued. ¡°Stand up. We have somewhere to go together.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked as he followed the old man out into the hallway. ¡°Young Hero Seo, listen closely. The man you saw earlier was the Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult.¡± ¡°Woah, really?¡± Seo Jun-Ho eximed, pretending to be shocked. ¡°Wait, then if he was at thendfill¡­¡± ¡°I believe that a great storm passed over the Demonic Cultst night,¡± Director Hyun-Baek nodded. ¡°But isn¡¯t this good news for us?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. He used the word ¡®us¡¯ on purpose, but Director Hyun-Baek didn¡¯t notice the change and simply shook his head. ¡°I do not know. I do not know if this was simply the result of an insurrection from the inside or if it was the interference of a new party.¡± ¡°So neither possibility is good,¡± he concluded. ¡°Indeed. Hmm.¡± He absentmindedly stroked his beard. ¡°Right now, we will be entering an Alliance conference.¡± ¡°An Alliance conference?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°It is a meeting that can only the Alliance Leader can convene. Only those who are ranked as an executive director or higher may participate,¡± Director Hyun-Baek exined. ¡°In that case, why am I¡ª¡± ¡°You were the first witness, were you not? I ask that you give your testimony.¡± The hallway was quiet. Not even the loud bustling of the city could prate this ce. The door creaked as Seo Jun-Ho entered the conference room. His eyes shed. ¡®Thirty-three. There aren¡¯t as many as I thought.¡¯ They all gave off mighty auras, and they all wore loose, flowing clothing, which was likely to hide their mechanical parts. ¡®Hiding one¡¯s mechanical parts should be considered important in this world¡­¡¯ It was simr to the way yers hid their skills. Out of the thirty-four martial artists, including Director Hyun-Baek, there were only eleven people who caught Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attention. ¡®The sect leaders of the Ten Great Families.¡¯ That was ten. And thest one was a tall man sitting at the seat of honor. He was a fragile-looking old man who seemed like a schr. He was the Alliance Leader. ¡®He¡¯s dangerous. That old man smells dangerous.¡¯ On the outside, he looked like he didn¡¯t even have the strength to lift a spoon. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t sense any kind of energy from him. ¡®He¡¯s at least on the same level as me.¡¯ However, it was clear that the fragile-looking old man was on a level where he could hide his power to seem like a normal person. Seo Jun-Ho secretly red his aura in the hopes that he would seem like an immature novice in their eyes. ¡°I greet the Alliance Leader,¡± Director Hyun-Baek said in the direction of the fragile-looking old man. ¡°Come hither, Director Hyun-Baek. And¡­¡± The fragile-looking old man turned to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Is this child the one who fulfilled two missions in the span of several hours?¡± ¡°Indeed. This is Young Hero Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Hmm, that is surprising. You barely seem to be twenty years of age.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled cheerfully. ¡°I¡¯ll be twenty-seven this year.¡± ¡°So you are older than you seem. Hohoho.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was actually closer to thirty. The Alliance Leader nodded and chuckled. ¡°I am the Alliance Leader, Namgung Jincheon.¡±[4] ¡°I am Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Despite the circumstances, I apologize for summoning you on short notice. Let us continue our order of business. Would you exin what you saw?¡± ¡°Of course. I was in the eastern area¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined in as much detail as he could. Once he finished, the conference room became unsettled. ¡°There is no need to doubt him. His story aligns with the ck Tortoise Unit¡¯s report.¡± ¡°I believe someone attacked the Demonic Cult. Their purpose is clear, and that is¡ª¡± ¡°Watch yourself. You¡¯re too loose-lipped.¡± ¡°Everyone quiet.¡± Namgung Jincheon silenced the room. ¡°You said that you followed the trucks that came out of the Demonic Cult¡¯s base. Would you exin that part in more detail?¡± ¡®He¡¯s sharp.¡¯ The Alliance Leader had been listening to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s story like a good-humored grandfather, but his sharp wits had caught on to something. At the Alliance Leader¡¯s words, Seo Jun-Ho smiled. He had told the whole story in one go on purpose for this very reason. ¡°Oh, well, they say saying is believing, so I will simply show you.¡± With that, Seo Jun-Ho disappeared. He had just used Night Walking. ¡°Hm¡­!¡± ¡°Wait, where did you go?¡± The conference room started to grow noisy. However, eleven of them seemed interested. ¡°I see. That is an impressive concealment technique.¡± ¡°I believe it would be impossible for someone to detect him unless they are about as skilled as us.¡± ¡°I suppose this is what it would be like if the legendary phantom thief existed.¡± They praised him, and the Alliance Leader nodded. ¡°That is enough.¡± Seo Jun-Ho reappeared, and the Alliance Leader continued. ¡°This is unexpected. Are all yers like you?¡± ¡°It is embarrassing to admit, but I¡¯m actually a pretty outstanding yer.¡± ¡°Indeed, it would be impossible for all of you to be so powerful.¡± The Alliance Leader chuckled. ¡°Thank you for your story. Have you found lodgings yet?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a ce.¡± ¡°Would you like to stay with the Alliance?¡± The executive directors seemed startled by the Alliance Leader¡¯s straightforward suggestion. However, considering the level of skill Seo Jun-Ho had just disyed, it wasn¡¯t an unprecedented suggestion. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to let him stay as a guest and have him do them favors every now and then. ¡°If you would ept me, I would be honored.¡± ¡°Hoho. I thank you for humoring this old man.¡± Namgung Jincheon called for one of his men and assigned him as an escort. ¡°Take him to our best rooms.¡± ¡°I will heed yourmand.¡± ¡°Young Hero Seo Jun-Ho, was it? I will contact you at ater date.¡± ¡°I will be waiting.¡± Once the yer left the room, all eyes turned to the Alliance Leader. However, he paid no heed to their stares as he tapped on the table with one finger. ¡°Director Hyun-Baek,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, Alliance Leader.¡± ¡°I will assign you to the surveince of the child you brought here.¡± ¡°Surveince¡­?¡± Director Hyun-Baek looked confused. Unless Seo Jun-Ho was mad, he should have no reason to betray the Murim Alliance. ¡°Tsk, tsk. You are unobservant. With that ability of his, he would be able to enter ssified areas without any obstacles.¡± ¡°Oh! You are worried that he will steal information.¡± ¡°There is nothing to lose from being cautious.¡± ¡°What threat level should we treat him as?¡± Namgung Jincheon replied immediately without even considering it. ¡°Sky.¡± ¡°S-sky¡­!¡± Sky was the highest threat level. With that order, Director Hyun-Baek had to look at Seo Jun-Ho with renewed eyes. ¡®Now that I consider it, Alliance Leader is correct. Actually, this is just right.¡¯ The yer possessed an ability that could escape the notice of anyone other than the sect leaders of the Ten Great Families and the Alliance Leader himself. If he wanted to, he could walk around the building like it was his own residence or be simr to a submarine in the vast ocean. ¡°We will watch him carefully at all times.¡± ¡°I will leave that to you.¡± With that sorted out, the Alliance Leader scanned the room. ¡°As you all know, the Demonic Cult has fallen.¡± There was no need to exin any further. He tapped on the table. ¡°Bring the Fourth Chip to me. No matter what it takes.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s room was extravagant. It could evenpete with the finest 7-star hotels in the world. ¡°Rest well.¡± With that, his escort left. Just as Seo Jun-Ho was about to go and admire the beautiful view of Neo City, he was interrupted by a noise. Bzzzt! ¡°Ow!¡± The Frost Queen yelped. Wisoso sparked in her arms and fumed. - Are you crazy?! ¡°What do you mean?¡± - Since you have such an amazing technique, you should have kept it a secret no matter what! ¡°Keep it a secret?¡± Seo Jun-Ho smirked and said, ¡°You need to learn how to read people.¡± If he had lied there, the Alliance Leader would have definitely noticed it. After all, Keen Intuition had sternly warned him about it. ¡°It¡¯s better to gain their trust.¡± Humans had a natural tendency to believe in what they saw, heard, and experienced themselves. That was why he purposely revealed Night Walking to them. - Hoo. You really know nothing. Let me tell you this. As soon as you step out of this room, they will be watching you around the clock. ¡°Yeah, probably.¡± He had already predicted that they would be watching his every move. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the closed door. ¡®They¡¯re more cautious than I expected. There are three hiding in the walls in the hallway and two on the roof.¡¯ Their auras were very faint. Even most High Rankers wouldn¡¯t be able to sense their magic power no matter how hard they concentrated. - Hoo. Had I warned you earlier, this would not have happened¡­ ¡°Frost, is she mad about something?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I believe she is concerned that your movements will be limited because you will be under constant observation¡± ¡°Hey, bouncy ball. Let me tell you something.¡± Seo Jun-Ho held up three fingers. ¡°Do you worry about the emperor?¡± - Are you mad? The only people who would worry about him are those who have nothing else to be concerned with. ¡°What about the rich people? - There is a saying that wealthy families will live for at least three more generations even if they fall into ruin. There is no reason to worry about those people. ¡°Then, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± - Why is that the final conclusion¡­? ¡°It¡¯s a universal rule,¡± he exined. Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t sure who had defined it, but it was a universal fact. No one should worry about Specter. ¡°And I only showed them a small part of my skills,¡± he added. - Even if that is the truth, you will be unable to use the technique you showed earlier. ¡°Says who?¡± He slowly closed his eyes. When he did, a flood of new memories started flowing in. Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes and asked, ¡°Are you ready, Sik?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m ready, Ho,¡± Seo Jun-Sik confidently replied with arms crossed. 1. Wisoso has been speaking down on them this whole time. ? 2. These are termsmonly used in contracts. The ¡®gap¡¯ is the party that benefits the most, while the ¡®eul¡¯ is the opposite. These terms can also be used to signify a difference in status and/or power. ? 3. Wisoso switched to using a respectful way of speaking. ? 4. Namgung is the name shared by six Korean ns. Out of the six, the Hamyeol Namgung n has roots in Chinese royalty. Several of its members were distinguished as politicians and high-ranking military officers in ancient Korea. Jincheon is the term used to mark someone¡¯s moniker or title as an aplished martial artist, but it is directly attached to his name. ? Chapter 376. The Small Heavenly Demon (3) Chapter 376. The Small Heavenly Demon (3) - ?? ?? o ?? ?? Wisoso could have never imagined this! The Small Heavenly Demon couldn¡¯t process the fact that there were two Seo Jun-Ho standing in front of them. - W-w-what is this? - You are Young Hero Seo, but you are also Young Hero Seo¡­ - Are my eyes broken? Is it time for me to get my parts reced? Of course, the Frost Queen had already experienced this before, so she casually raised her hand. ¡°Hi, Jun-Sik. ¡°Hey, Frost.¡± Simr to how Seo Jun-Ho absorbed his clone¡¯s memories, Seo Jun-Sik also obtained the former¡¯s memories whenever he was summoned. ¡°So, you want me to go and investigate the Murim Alliance, right?¡± he said. ¡°Yeah. Especially to see if there¡¯s something suspicious¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho immediately cut himself off. ¡®Wait, can I even trust him to gather info when he¡¯s so restless? That makes me nervous.¡¯ ¡®Hey, dumbass. I can hear everything. We share thoughts, remember?¡¯ ¡®If this guy messes up, I¡¯ll also be affected.¡¯ ¡®Huh? Can¡¯t you hear me?¡¯ ¡®In that case, would it be better to leave him here and go by myself?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re a shithead, Original.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho flicked Seo Jun-Sik hard on the forehead. ¡°...Yeah, I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± said the clone. He smiled bitterly, and his eyes drooped in sadness. ¡°I wanted to sneak around the Alliance, too, but yeah, I shouldn¡¯t probably do that.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re gonna act all sad, at least be honest about it.¡± ¡°Dammit.¡± Instantly, Seo Jun-Sik scowled. He slumped onto the couch, sulking. ¡°Ugh, whatever. I want to do it, so just let me.¡± ¡°Yeah. You should go.¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected answer, and he asked, ¡°Uh¡­ Why did you suddenly change your mind?¡± ¡°The Alliance Leader is watching me right now. I have to consider the one in a million chance that we get caught,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. If he were the one who went spying and got caught, everything would be over. ¡°But you¡¯re different...¡± Seo Jun-Ho could summon him back at any time. On top of that, since they shared thoughts at all times, it was a much safer approach. ¡°Man, what is this? I suddenly don¡¯t want to do it. I feel like you¡¯re using me as a meat shield,¡±ined Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°I¡¯m not using you as a meat shield. No one is thinking that way.¡± ¡°...¡± However, Seo Jun-Sik pouted and muttered, ¡°I can hear all your thoughts, you know¡­¡± *** As soon as Seo Jun-Ho opened the door to the hallway, the auras on the roof and in the walls sharpened ever so slightly. ¡°Is there anything you need?¡± a servant asked as they approached him. ¡°I¡¯d like to eat. Do I have to go somewhere to dine?¡± he asked. ¡°If you wish, we will bring your meal to your room.¡± Their customer service was more ster than most hotels. ¡°Then, please bring me one serving. Oh, do you also have dessert?¡± ¡°Of course...¡± While Seo Jun-Ho chatted with the servant, Seo Jun-Sik activated Night Walking and slipped out through the ajar door. Once Seo Jun-Ho was back inside, he closed his eyes and concentrated on feeling Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s senses. ¡®He¡¯s doing better than I thought.¡¯ After activating Night Walking, Seo Jun-Sik immediately lowered his body temperature with the Frost skill. There was only one reason he was doing this. ¡®It¡¯s all so that the thermal cameras won¡¯t detect him,¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Sik seemed to be excited by the idea of spying, so he even put a ck mask on his face. Now, all Seo Jun-Ho had to do was wait until Seo Jun-Sik found something interesting. While Seo Jun-Sik was out, Seo Jun-Ho dug through the memories he had absorbed from the former. ¡®I see. So this is how things on Earth are right now.¡¯ The yers who attempted the Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty on the 4th Floor finally started returning one by one. Of course, they were the ones who had to drop out after using up all of their three attempts. Still, they obtained massive growth despite dropping out. ¡®Because time flows differently there.¡¯ Though they had spent months or years on the 4th Floor, in reality, only about a few weeks had passed. It was a great, unique opportunity that allowed them to grow stronger depending on the effort they put in. ¡®It¡¯ll take more time for those guys toe down.¡¯ His friends and the Nine Heavens wouldn¡¯te down for another few months. Seo Jun-Ho sorted through his thoughts. ¡®Before theye up to the 5th Floor, I have to set things up at some level.¡¯ When the food arrived, he shared it with Frost. ¡°How is it?¡± he asked. ¡°It is decent. This flower cake, in particr, is delicious,¡± she replied as she nibbled on it. Once they were done with their satisfying meal, the Frost Queen took Wisoso and started ying with thetter. Just then, Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s voice came through. ¡®Hey, Original. Where should I start?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment. The Murim Alliance¡¯s library? The cab, where they stored important information? Perhaps at the separate buildings where the alliance¡¯s martial artists resided? However, Seo Jun-Ho responded, ¡®The Alliance Leader¡¯s residence.¡¯ *** ¡®Impressive.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik roamed around the Murim Alliance. To be honest, the first ce that he had been nning on checking was the library. ¡®But we¡¯re starting off with the leader¡¯s quarters. He¡¯s got guts.¡¯ Of course, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intentions were pretty obvious to him. ¡®Yeah. If we don¡¯t take this chance, we might never get the opportunity again.¡¯ Right now, Namgung Jincheon was still at the Alliance conference. This could be their only chance to dig through his quarters. ¡®It¡¯s daring. As expected of my Original.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik confidently strode up to the entrance. ¡®The guards are strong, too.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t for Night Walking, there was no way he would be able to get past the martial artists standing guard. ¡®Even the security measures are really tight.¡¯ Past the guards, there was a keypad that required an iris scan, a fingerprint scan, and an identification code. However, Seo Jun-Sik easily bypassed them by bing darkness itself. ¡®Damn, this is really fun¡­ Huh?¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik was astonished upon entering the residence. It was all because there was nothing inside. ¡®Is this that popr trend? Minimalism or something?¡¯ No. Even minimalists would have at least one chair in this pce-like residence. Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes narrowed. He started walking around. There was arge hallway, sitting area, room, and kitchen. There was no trace of any furniture or any person in any of them. ¡®...¡¯ His face turned very grave. He opened the door to the Alliance Leader¡¯s bedroom. No, it couldn¡¯t be called a bedroom. It was filled with stacks of ancient books. ¡®Does he not sleep? There¡¯s no bed either.¡¯ Every person had to sleep. yers who stood at the boundary of bing superhuman could go a long time without sleeping, but if they didn¡¯t sleep at all, their brains would regress. ¡®...But it would be different for a machine.¡¯ If Namgung Jincheon was a robot from head to toe, it would exin why he didn¡¯t have to sleep. ¡®Hey, Jun-Sik. Look around to see if you can find his diary or some records of his recent orders.¡¯ At that, Seo Jun-Sik started moving ording to Original¡¯smand. ¡®Diary, diary¡­ How many of these are there?¡¯ He started reading the books one by one. ¡®Not this, not this either¡­¡¯ He had already gone through dozens of history books alone. ¡°Geez, did he want to be a historian when he was younger?¡± Otherwise, why did he have so many old history books in his bedroom and nothing else? However, someone unexpectedly answered him. ¡°No, I did not.¡± ¡°...!¡± Crack! At that moment, a hand seized Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s neck and mmed him into the ground. ¡°It seems a rat has snuck in here.¡± The voice sounded rxed and amiable. Seo Jun-Sik turned and was met with the face of Alliance Leader Namgung Jincheon. ¡®Gah!¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s body twisted as he tried to escape Namgung Jincheon¡¯s grasp. ¡°You still haven¡¯t noticed?¡± Just as the Alliance Leader spoke, a beastly cry escaped from Jun-Sik¡¯s lips. ¡°Guh¡­ Ahhh!¡± Somehow, all the tendons in his arms and legs had been severed. He flopped down and started convulsing in the hands of the old man as if he were a puppet. ¡°Hm. Are you not the one I was thinking of? You seem much weaker.¡± He slowly reached forward to take off the mask. Fwoosh! Just as he pulled off the mask, Namgung Jincheon¡¯s eyes furrowed. ¡°...¡± The man had disappeared. The blood, body, and even the mask that were just on the ground had disappeared without a trace. ¡°So it¡¯s a ghost rather than a rat,¡± he whispered as he swept his gaze across his scattered books. *** m! Dozens of martial artists stormed into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s room. Their weapons were raised, and they were ready to strike at any time. ¡°Search.¡± A man carrying with him a vicious aura ordered. At that, his men scattered and started searching all over the room. Click! Just then, all their eyes turned to one ce. ¡°Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Ho stepped out of his bathroom. He was wearing a gown and was ruffling his wet hair with a towel. He looked around the guestroom and frowned. ¡°What is this? Why did you barge into my room without permission?¡± ¡°...¡± Their leader scanned Seo Jun-Ho. More precisely, he looked closely at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skin and hands. ¡®He has been in the water for quite some time.¡¯ The yer had to have been in the tub for a long time because the tips of his fingers were all wrinkled. Considering that they had stormed his room within a minute after receiving the Alliance Leader¡¯s orders, he couldn¡¯t be the culprit. As such, the leader lowered his weapon and said, ¡°Forgive my rudeness. My name is Hwang Bo-Hyuk, and I am the leader of the Blue Dragon Unit.¡± ¡°That is a very impressive title. But why are you here when you have such a high rank?¡± ¡°A thief has entered the building. The Alliance Leader ordered us to search the rooms in case they harmed one of our guests.¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked deeply disturbed. ¡°A thief? I should take good care of my belongings.¡± ¡°Yes. Please be careful.¡± ¡°And please do send the Alliance Leader my gratitude for being so considerate.¡± ¡°I will¡­¡± With a nod, Hwang Bo-Hyuk ordered his men to leave. He scanned the room onest time before he left. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes grew cold as he looked at the closed door. ¡°As expected, you were the first one they suspected, Contractor.¡± The Frost Queen pointed out. - Did I not say that this exact thing would happen? ¡°Why are you speaking casually?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. - I said I knew this would happen, sir. ¡°But now, we¡¯ve quelled their suspicions.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. - Sigh. That is because you do not know what kind of person the Alliance Leader is... ¡°What kind of person is he, then?¡± - He is an extraordinary genius that has sat in his position for 57 generations with a pure-blooded human body. He is also famous for his stubbornness. If he suspects you once, he is unlikely to stop suspecting you. ¡°...¡± A pure-blood? A pure human? Seo Jun-Ho grinned. ¡°Something smells fishy.¡± ¡°I-I said that I would bathe once you returned. Must you shame me so?¡± The Frost Queen scampered to the bath, misunderstanding himpletely. ¡°Geez, what is she talking about?¡± - Then, did you intend to say that I stink? Indeed, I was just in a garbagendfill¡­ ¡°Now, what are you talking about?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said with frustration. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the Alliance Leader. Alliance Leader Namgung Jincheon. I¡¯m saying that he¡¯s suspicious.¡± - Hm? Why are you saying that all of a sudden? ¡°Listen closely.¡± Seo Jun-Ho told him everything Seo Jun-Sik had seen and sensed. - Then, certainly¡­You may be correct! After hearing what happened, Wisoso spun in ce like they were nodding. Seo Jun-Ho stroked his chin as he vocalized his thoughts. ¡°There¡¯s just one thing that bothers me.¡± - What is it? I shall listen. ¡°I get that he¡¯s hiding something. But what¡¯s the secret?¡± Considering that his residence had no furniture at all, Seo Jun-Ho was sure that his body wasn¡¯t purely human. If someone as powerful as the old man were a human just like himself, he would have to sleep on a good quality bed for the sake of his health. ¡°And all Jun-Sik found was a bunch of history books in his room. He¡¯s just some freak obsessed with history,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. - Hm? I have a different conclusion. ¡°What do you mean?" - Wait. Did you truly not consider this? -¡¾?¥Ø??¡¿ Jun-Ho stared at Wisoso in total confusion. - Those books. Don¡¯t you think that they could all be diaries rather than books? Chapter 377. The Small Heavenly Demon (4) Chapter 377. The Small Heavenly Demon (4) All those historical records were diaries? The Small Heavenly Demon¡¯s idea was extremely novel, and it left Seo Jun-Ho speechless. It wasn¡¯t because he thought it was ridiculous, though. It was simply too shocking. ¡°Hey, bouncy ball. Do you even know what you¡¯re implying?¡± - Indeed I do. -It means that the Alliance leader has been fooling the whole world for 700 years now. ¡°...Is that possible with the technology here?¡± - It is possible. Though, it is just barely possible. ¡°Expand on that.¡± Wisoso thought for a moment before continuing. - First, he would need an immense amount of money and authority. ¡°If he¡¯s the very first Alliance Leader from when Neo City was first founded, he should have all that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. - If he was able to fake his death and was elected as the Alliance Leader in a new body¡­ He would need an assistant. ¡°In other words, you¡¯re saying that he can¡¯t do something like this by himself.¡± - Realistically, it would be difficult. There is definitely someone helping them. Ten possible candidates popped up in Jun-Ho¡¯s head. ¡°The Sect Leaders of the Ten Great Families.¡± - Not all of them would be on the Alliance Leader¡¯s side. ¡°How are you so sure? - The fewer the participants, the better. Not only did it lower the chance of their secret being leaked, but they would also get a bigger cut of the rewards. - And¡­ I think my opinions are starting to change a little bit. ¡°What do you mean?¡± - I told youst time. The current members of the Imperial Pce and the Murim Alliance have been feasting on the flesh and blood of the city in tandem. For them, the lives of the people here have no value. Seo Jun-Ho clearly remembered it. However, what did that have to do with¡ª ¡°Oh!¡± Jun-Ho eximed upon realizing it. ¡°Yeah, that doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± - Indeed. This is an important thing to consider. If the Murim Alliance Leader had been living for over seven hundred years now, it either meant that the emperor of each generation had allowed it or the emperor himself was 700 years old. - If neither is true, the Alliance Leader has to bemitting all those heinous acts on his own. ¡°...¡± For the time being, this was all spection. However, the gears started turning in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. ¡°If the Alliance Leader really is some monster over 700 years old, what is his ultimate goal? What do you think?¡± - To obtain the first chip. The number one popped up on Wisoso¡¯s LED face. - So that he can collect all four chips in Neo City and be invincible. ¡°The first chip¡­¡± The two Neigong Chips each contained three thousand gapja of neigong. The Murim Alliance¡¯s Sect Record Chip contained records of every single type of martial arts. And the System Chip could control everything in Neo City. Seo Jun-Ho gasped. ¡°If one person gains possession of all four chips¡­¡± He could see it already. They would be the greatest martial artist, possessing three thousand gapja of neigong and the ability to use every type of martial art. They would be omniscient, unable to age or die. ¡°...They could be a god.¡± That was what it was... - Yes. It is likely that his ultimate goal is to be the god of this world. ¡°Let¡¯s hold our horses,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, standing up. This was all still spection. ¡°We need undeniable evidence to confirm all these.¡± Evidence that the Alliance Leader really was 700 years old. ¡°...¡± And right now, there was only one ce where that evidence could be. Jun-Ho looked out the window. He fixed his eyes on the tallest skyscraper in the heart of Neo City. ¡°The Imperial Pce.¡± They would find the answer there. *** ¡°Leader, yer Seo Jun-Ho has left the guest room.¡± ¡°Has he left the building?¡± ¡°Yes. He left a note saying that he wants to go sightseeing. Shall we send people to tail him?¡± ¡°Why put in the effort when you cannot chase a shadow? Leave him be.¡± ¡°Are you going to just let him go like that?¡± Namgung Jincheon turned to his subordinate and revealed a sly look. ¡°It would be unwise to draw suspicion. And¡­¡± He trailed off and stepped forward to face therge ss window. He knew that Seo Jun-Ho would never be able to interfere with his ns, no matter where the yer went. ¡°Even if he causes a ruckus somewhere else, he will still stay within the confines of the city.¡± He looked down at the city with an amused look. *** ¡°E-Eek¡­¡± The dirty smell of tears, snot, and filth filled the room. However, the Heavenly Demon looked unbothered. He didn¡¯t even blink as he spoke, ¡°Can you break the lock?¡± ¡°Y-Yes. B-But it will take some time.¡± ¡°How long?¡± ¡°At least five¡­ no, seven years¡­¡± ¡°An endless amount of time.¡± The fiend stood. There was a rare expression of frustration on his face. ¡°Isaac, bring in all the engineers right now.¡± Isaac Dvor snapped his fingers, opening the tightly shut door. Tens of cyborgs entered the room, muttering to each other. Their eyes furrowed when they caught a whiff of the stench. ¡°Shit, what kind of stink¡­¡± ¡°Did someone piss and shit in here? Urp!¡± As they started retching, the engineers noticed the pile in the corner of the room. It was a small mountain of corpses and machine parts. ¡°Urrp!¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Shit¡­¡± If it were only a pile of machine parts, they wouldn¡¯t be so disgusted and fearful. However, the human corpses themselves had been ripped apart like someone had scavenged them for spare parts. While the engineers were shell-shocked, Isaac projected a blueprint onto a hologram. ¡°Okay, everyone. Listen up!¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°The structure of it looks like a chip. I had no idea that someone could make such a dense,plicated chip¡­¡± ¡°Good Lord¡­¡± The engineers were fixated on the picture. ¡°How much time will it take you to unlock the chip?¡± Isaac asked. ¡°...¡± The engineers exchanged nces. They finally understood why the engineers that had already gone in for their interview had ended up killed and shoved into the corner. ¡°Isaac.¡± ¡°Yes, milord.¡± ¡°Cut off one of their arms if they do not answer.¡± ¡°Your wish is mymand.¡± What a madman! The terrified engineers thought the same. ¡°I will ask once more. How much time will you need?¡± Isaac asked once again. ¡°F-Four years!¡± ¡°Five years!¡± ¡°If everyone here works together¡­ Three, no, two years!¡± ¡°If we really push ourselves, we could even do it in a year and a half.¡± To survive, the engineers brought down the number to its absolute lowest, like they were in a bidding war. Only then did the Heavenly Demon seem satisfied. ¡°Isaac. Why is it that humans are only ever obedient once they suffer the consequences?¡± ¡°Indeed. They are pitiful creatures.¡± Isaac smiled warmly. He understood the underlying meaning. ¡°Okay, folks. We will give you exactly half a year. Please unlock the chip by that time.¡± ¡°...What? Half a year?!¡± ¡°Impossible! It won¡¯t be possible even if we work ourselves to death!¡± ¡°Is that so? Would it truly be impossible if you worked yourselves to your deaths?¡± Isaac chuckled. As he did, a thick, vicious bloodlust enveloped the engineers. Their instincts screamed that they would die a horrible death if they said yes. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Once all of them fell into silence, Isaac turned to the Heavenly Demon. ¡°I believe half a year will be their limit.¡± ¡°Half a year, you say.¡± It wasn¡¯t ideal, but he could tolerate it, considering that the crazy engineers from earlier had pitched ten, fifteen years. ¡°Continue with the project, then.¡± ¡°Yes, milord.¡± Isaac led the engineers to somece underground. ¡°Chef,¡± the Heavenly Demon said. ¡°Yes, my liege.¡± ¡°I presume the events ofst night have started to spread across the city, correct?¡± ¡°But of course. I can also sense that the dogs of the so-called Murim Alliance havee close to the site and started investigating.¡± ¡°That is troublesome.¡± He had to protect the Fourth Chip for the next six months. It was a daunting task for three people other than him to handle. ¡°Put out a notice that we are selecting new martial artists.¡± ¡°...Do you n to create new fiends?¡± ¡°If you give them demon¡¯s blood and train them rigorously in the Demonic Cult¡¯s martial arts, we will obtain some useful sacrificialmbs.¡± ¡°A wise decision.¡± The Chef grinned from ear to ear. This was the perfect opportunity for him to test the new theory he had learned in the Underworld. ¡°Half a year, is it?¡± The wait would be exhausting. However, the Heavenly Demon still closed his eyes. *** The Imperial Pce was located on a clean street. There wasn¡¯t a single filth. It was a wless street. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt a strange sense of deja-vu upon seeing it. - Hey. Do you truly n to enter the pce? ¡°I have to because I need more information on the Alliance Leader,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. - But¡­ Wisoso held back. The Small Heavenly Demon knew that the yer had an amazing concealment technique, but the martial artists of the Imperial Pce were stronger than even the seasoned troops of the Murim Alliance. - Young Hero Seo, do you know of the Jinyiwei?[1] ¡°Jinyiwei? What¡¯s that?¡± - Their formal title is the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Simply put, they are the emperor¡¯s personal guards. Each member is skilled and powerful enough to be a sect leader. They are the most powerful military organization amongst all the neighboring gxies. ¡°Really? That¡¯s news to me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned. ¡°Wait, could the Alliance Leader still do whatever he wants with a group like that here? Our theory bes much weaker in that case.¡± - It is possible that they were dissolved. Thest time they were seen was thirty years ago. It oveps with the time period when the emperor fell ill. ¡°What do you think? Did Namgung Jincheon do that?¡± - I do not know. But no matter how powerful he is, he would not have been able to fight and defeat the Jinyiwei in a head-to-head battle. ¡°They¡¯re that strong?¡± Even though Seo Jun-Ho only had a small taste of what Seo Jun-Sik had experienced, he knew that the Alliance Leader was strong. Very strong. It was only natural, considering that he was possibly a 700-year-old ancient beast. In addition, he knew how to use every form of martial arts and possessed a colossal amount of neigong. - ording to the rumors, every member of the Jinyiwei is supposed to be a transcendent martial artist. ¡°Transcendent?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. That was Director Hyun-Baek¡¯s level. However, even though they were in the same category, there was an enormous difference in skill between them. ¡®Even though I¡¯m also considered a transcendent warrior on this, I¡¯m no match for Director Hyun-Baek.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho silently looked at the Imperial Pce. If he and Wisoso¡¯s conjecture were incorrect, they couldn¡¯t go in there. ¡®But what if we¡¯re right?¡¯ What if the Alliance Leader was actually over 700 years old? And what if the emperor was truly bedridden and wasting away? In that case, Seo Jun-Ho would have to take proper measures before the Alliance Leader could obtain all four chips. - Wait, you¡¯re actually considering it? You could die! Wisoso yelled in frustration. The Frost Queen pped the ball a few times. ¡°The Small Heavenly Demon gets angry often. We must hit it a few times to calm it down.¡± - Ow! Ow! Don¡¯t hit me¡­Please! ¡°And you. It has not been long since you met us, so you know very little about my Contractor.¡± The Frost Queen smiled warmly and turned to stare at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back while he was contemting. ¡°He is indeed a fool. But you simply cannot me him.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had always been choosing the paths everyone had dissuaded him from choosing. Whenever he was presented with the choice of blissful ignorance or the cold truth, he would choose the truth every time. - Why is he going so far? Wisoso couldn¡¯t understand it. In the past centuries, the only person who stood up for those who were suffering was their father. Many powerful warriors from others hade here before, but they had never fought for the civilians of Neo City. Why would they do that when they had nothing to gain from doing so? ¡°I wonder the same. Why does he go so far?¡± After pondering for a long time, Seo Jun-Ho truly started walking toward the Imperial Pce. Wisoso stared at him. - That man. What did you say his upation was on Earth? The Frost Queenughed for a long time at Wisoso¡¯s question. ¡°He is a Hero. He is a Hero who never turns away from a thorny path.¡± 1. The imperial secret police of the Ming dynasty. They started out as a group of the emperor¡¯s personal bodyguards. ? Chapter 378. Black Moon (1) Chapter 378. ck Moon (1) A Hero. A Hero would never turn away from a thorny path. Seo Jun-Ho looked around. ¡®It¡¯s clean.¡¯ The same was true with the street the building was on, but the inside of the pce was even cleaner. It was as if not a single speck of dust was allowed to be there. [Clean up, clean up, cleanly, cleanly.] [Clean up, clean up, cleanly, cleanly.] The cleaning robots were cleaning the first floor while moving in a straight line. Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at the sight and looked around. ¡®Why are there only robots?¡¯ There wasn¡¯t even a shadow of a person here. He got a strange feeling as he climbed up the stairs to the next floor. He went up, up, and up, but it was all the same. [Command protocol confirmed. Eliminate criminals. Eliminate criminals.] He saw the pce¡¯s public safety robot, which he had seen in an alleyway when he first came to Neo City. They were police robots that went all around the city, arresting those who ignored traffic signs. There were also medical robots that worked at hospitals to treat people. ¡®Holy shit.¡¯ The entire building was teeming with robots. At the very least, there weren¡¯t any people up until the 70th floor. ¡°Contractor. Something¡ªsomething about this is strange¡­¡± the Frost Queen whispered as she tightly hugged Wisoso. ¡°Wisoso,¡± Seo Jun-Ho called out. - What is it? Their reply came a moment toote, which meant that the Small Heavely Demon was stunned as well. ¡°Is the pce a ce that only has robots?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. - No. Not at all. The records from only three years ago showed that there were a great number of employees assisting His Majesty the Emperor. ¡°You said your father worked at the pce. Did he tell you anything in particr?¡± - No. Those working at the pce will explode the moment they try to tell someone insider information. ¡°Hm.¡± One thing was for sure: the citizens of Neo City had no idea of the changes in the pce. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. How could no one be aware that the pce has changed?¡± he wondered. - That is likely due to the special characteristics of the pce. Seo Jun-Ho stared at Wisoso quizzically. - The pce does not allow normal civilians toe in at all. And even those that are of high status can only enter the building after making a request for an audience. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that no one has requested an audience with His Majesty for the past three years?¡± - That¡¯s not it. His Majesty would send the Alliance Leader in his ce every time, using his poor health as an excuse. It had already been three years since the peoplest saw the emperor with their own eyes. He hadn¡¯t shown himself a single time thereafter, but no one suspected anything. ¡°The Alliance Leader did something.¡± - I could be incorrect. Regardless of the presence of the Jinyiwei, the pce may have already fallen into his hands. Wisoso admitted. ¡°But didn¡¯t you say earlier that not even the Alliance leader can take on the Jinyiwei head-on?¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. - I did not know that things were like this. If the Jinyiwei were here, the pce would not have been reduced to such a state. ¡°...I suppose all we can do is go up and check.¡± The pce was a skyscraper with 99 floors in total. Once Seo Jun-Ho reached the 98th floor, he finally started to sense something. ¡®Magic energy.¡¯ It was powerful, and it likely belonged to someone of a ¡®transcendent¡¯ status. ¡®So they made it so that the magic couldn¡¯t be sensed from the lower floors.¡¯ It was clever. No matter how careful someone was when they came out, it would be toote to run away by the time they realized it. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho had no intentions of running away. ¡°I thought you were one of the Jinyiwei, but I suppose not.¡± At the other side of the hallway stood a very skinny, middle-aged man holding a staff. ¡°Wisoso, do you know who that guy is? I remember seeing him at the Alliance meeting,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. - Indeed, I do. He is the poorest man in the gxy, Yoo Joo-Wan. He is the Beggar Sect¡¯s Leader. Jun-Ho scoffed when he saw his clothes. ¡°He¡¯s a beggar? I¡¯ve never seen a beggar with such clear skin.¡± - His clothes are also made of a luxury material only found on the Cottonsilver. I also like that fabric. Yoo Joo-Wan spoke as they slowly approached. ¡°As I thought, you were the little rat scurrying through the Alliance Leader¡¯s quarters, Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Actually, it was Jun-Sik.¡± Geez, why did everyone always get it mixed up? And why was it such a big deal? Yoo Joo-Wan blinked and then spoke, ¡°Your feeble excuses are for naught.¡± As he spoke, he quickly scanned Seo Jun-Ho. The Alliance Leader had said that he cut off all the yer¡¯s limbs in an instant, but the man before him looked far too healthy to be injured. ¡®It seems that he has some kind of healing ability.¡¯ He was probably fooling around because he was relying on his healing ability, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before he realized that it wouldn¡¯t matter. All Yoo Joo-Wan needed to do was kill Seo Jun-Ho before he could even think about healing himself. Swoosh! Swoosh! Yoo Joo-Wan swung his staff. ¡°You ran away to look for a safe ce, but you met me instead. Your luck is pitiful.¡± ¡°Wrong again.¡± Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t fled to look for a ce where he would be safe. On the contrary, he hade to this ce willingly, even though he knew it could be the most dangerous ce to be. ¡°But even though you¡¯re wrong, it looks like my choice was the right one.¡± Now, he was sure that an important member of the Alliance Member was here. ¡°About Alliance Leader Namgung Jincheon. Did that old beast decide to live for hundreds of years just because he wanted to be the emperor?¡± ¡°...¡± Of course, Yoo Joo-Wan didn¡¯t speak. His facial muscles didn¡¯t twitch, either. Seo Jun-Ho grinned at that. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you feign ignorance.¡± ¡°I do not know what nonsense you are spewing. The Alliance Leader, living for centuries? Have you gone mad?¡± ¡°If you really have no idea what I¡¯m talking about, then you would have frowned or looked confused.¡± What kind of person wouldn¡¯t even blink when they learned that their superior was hundreds of years old? ¡°You must have been practicing in the mirror.¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Yoo Joo-Wan let out a cry that tore through the air. He raised his staff, aiming at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°The Alliance Leader was wrong this time. I cannot let you live. You will die here,¡± he whispered coldly. ¡°That¡¯s the third time. Wrong again.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled as he took out White Dragon. ¡°You¡¯re not strong enough to kill me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a child who knows nothing of this world. Do you know why martial artists turn their bodies into machines?¡± Shik. Yoo Joo-Wan¡¯s luxurious robes flowed down like silk, revealing the eight robot arms installed on his torso. ¡°It is to obtain power that allows you to do the impossible.¡± ¡°Ten arms? Are you an octopus or something?¡± ¡°Contractor, octopi have eight arms. It is squids that have ten appendages.¡± ¡°I guess he¡¯s a squid, then.¡± Yoo Joo-Wan¡¯s face contorted. For some reason, beingpared to a squid pissed him off. ¡°I will ughter you using the Gxy Staff Technique.¡± ¡°Geez, why do you keep putting ¡®gxy¡¯ in front of everything?¡± Did he think he was cool? Seo Jun-Ho smirked. ¡°Okay, then this spear will now be Gxy ck Dragon.¡± Vrrr?! The spear believed him, and it seemed like it wanted to jump with joy. ¡°Hey, it was obviously a joke.¡± This wasn¡¯t a good look. Vrr¡­ White Dragon wilted, and the cold air it gave off weakened. ¡°That¡¯s enough joking around.¡± Each of the ten hands held a staff and took a stance. ¡°I will take my time demonstrating the great futility of trying to fight ten transcendent martial artists at once.¡± Swoosh! Yoo Joo-Wan dashed down the hallway, and his arms moved like lightning. ¡®Dyed attacks.¡¯ This was an offensive technique that Seo Jun-Ho had also studied while training with Seo Jun-Sik. As he expected, the ten staffs swung at Seo Jun-Ho at different intervals. ¡°Hup!¡± Seo Jun-Ho struck them aside, wielding White Dragon as weightlessly as if it were a cloud. ¡°Impressive!¡± Seeing his opponent handle the attack better than he expected made things even more exciting for Yoo Joo-Wan. The air around him changed. ¡°Can you take this one, too?!¡± The movement of the staffs suddenly changed. Earlier, they were only focusing on speed, but now, some of them grew heavy, some of them grew more elegant, and some of them changed in a variety of ways. It really did feel like Seo Jun-Ho was fighting ten martial artists at once. ¡®Hm.¡¯ At that, his hands moved busily even as it felt like his head was spinning. It was because he didn¡¯t have the ¡®best fighting style¡¯ that Hart had mentioned on the 2nd Floor. Pow! The attacks he couldn¡¯t block started to injure him. ¡°Ahahahaha! Did you intend to stand against the Alliance Leader with only this level of skill? You are a fool! A fool!¡± ¡°...Look how riled up that fucking beggar is.¡± ng! Seo Jun-Ho buried White Dragon into the ground, creating a wall of ice. He spat out the blood pooling in his mouth. ¡°Ice? Can you use the techniques of the North Sea¡¯s Ice Pce?¡± ¡°I swear, this guy never gets anything right.¡± Regardless of his useless chatter, Seo Jun-Ho had already reached his intended goal. ¡®So this is the power of a transcendent Sect Leader of one of the Ten Great Families. Thanks for the info.¡¯ This was more than enough. Seo Jun-Ho put White Dragon away. ¡°You¡¯re throwing away your weapon? Have you decided to surrender?¡± ¡°No. I just don¡¯t think I need this anymore.¡± At some point, a chain made of shadows had reced the spear in his hand. ¡°...?!¡± Yoo Joo-Wan sensed that something was off and looked down at his feet. He felt a great force pulling at his ankle and saw that the chain was tied around him. ¡®When?¡¯ He reached down to remove the chain without even giving himself the time to finish the question. ¡°What?¡± There was strong pressure pulling on his ankle, but when he tried to touch the chain with his hand, his hand passed through it as if the chain was a lie. ¡°Sorcery! You¡¯re using sorcery like a coward!¡± Yoo Joo-Wan yelled at the strange sight. ¡°Says the guy who has ten arms.¡± Several ck balls appeared before Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°ck Ball.¡± He snapped with his fingers, and they shot out like arrows, aiming for Yoo Joo-Wan. However, the pathetic attack made Yoo Joo-Wan scoff. ¡°Is that all you have?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The balls started multiplying. ¡®I-Impossible.¡¯ While he was hitting them aside over and over, he eventually noticed that they had proliferated to number in the hundreds. He didn¡¯t even have space to dodge or hit them aside in the small hallway. In the end, the ck balls started exploiting his openings. ¡°Gah!¡± Every time he was hit, his bones would get crushed, making him freeze from the unimaginable pain. Yoo Joo-Wan knew that he couldn¡¯t just stand there and take it. He couldn¡¯t get hit by even more balls. Clink. Clink. Seo Jun-Ho started pulling on the chain in his hand. As he did, the distance between him and the Yoo Joo-Wan started to shrink. ¡°The robot imnts really are impressive,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. The technology allowed normal people to reach levels of power that they could have never reached otherwise. However, that was the end of it. ¡°But even if my arms and legs were cut off, I will never do such a thing.¡± ¡°Ridiculous! Sorcery is all you can use! Sorcery!¡± Yoo Joo-Wan roared, spitting blood as he tried to block the ck balls. However, his bark was stronger than his bite. Clink. Clink. By the time he reached Seo Jun-Ho, Yoo Joo-Wan had already been reduced to a lump of flesh and blood. He fell to the ground as his knees copsed, and small spasms ran through him. ¡°I-If you¡­ kill me¡­ the Alliance won¡¯t let¡­¡± He warned. Slice! Seo Jun-Ho cut off Yoo Joo-Wan¡¯s head with the edge of his magic-enhanced hand. ¡°Yeah, they won¡¯t let me get away with it. But if I were scared of them, I wouldn¡¯t have set out to do this in the first ce.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at Yoo Joo-Wan¡¯s corpse with cold eyes and made thetter confess. ¡®I see.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s assumptions were correct. The Alliance Leader had a total of four people assisting him, and he was aiming to be the god of this world. ¡®Many of his memories have either been sealed or locked away.¡¯ It was proof that the Alliance Leader didn¡¯t fully trust even those working for him. If that weren¡¯t the case, then he wouldn¡¯t periodically erase their memories. ¡°So he was watching me¡­¡± The final memory Seo Jun-Ho saw was Namgung Jincheon sitting at his seat of honor. His eyes were closed, closely watching the battle that was happening tens of kilometers away from him. It was likely that he had done this by hacking into the chip installed in Yoo Joo-Wan¡¯s head. ¡®I guess he knows about Watchguard of Darkness and Frost now, then.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know much about his enemy, but his enemy knew about him. He was at a heavy disadvantage. ¡°It could be possible that this man was stationed here as bait to test the strength of those who dare to trespass into the Imperial Pce,¡± said the Frost Queen. ¡°That¡¯s so dirty.¡± Yoo Joo-Wan had served the Alliance Leader as his vassal for centuries, but the former was thrown away like he was nothing in the end. ¡°It¡¯s only right for scum like him to die.¡± Leaving the corpse of the poorest man in the gxy behind, Seo Jun-Ho climbed up to the top floor of the Imperial Pce. Chapter 379. Black Moon (2) Chapter 379. ck Moon (2) ¡°...¡± Namgung Jincheon¡¯s eyes fluttered as he stood as still as stone. As he started walking, he spoke with a regal voice infused with magic power. ¡°The beggar has fallen.¡± The message was ryed to his remaining three aplices in real time. They took a moment to sort their own thoughts before they responded. - Will you eliminate him? - I will throw a cordon around the pce. - We will do everything you wish. Despite the fact that the powerful, transcendent martial artist Yoo Joo-Wan had been killed, they weren¡¯t panicking at all. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s fighting power surpassed their expectations because they had never thought that Yoo Joo-Wan would be defeated. Still, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t be stronger than Namgung Jincheon. ¡°A simple cordon around the pce will not be enough.¡± The Alliance Leader shook his head. ¡°Cordon the bathroom the yers are using as an entry point to Neo City.¡± - ...! - That is a keen insight. - So you intend to prevent him from retreating. Namgung Jincheon owned all the neigong in the city, so a yer couldn¡¯t possibly defeat him no matter how strong they were. ¡®At least, until now.¡¯ The Demonic Cult had been causing him trouble with their Beta Neigong Chip. So now, he couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°We will be able to clear away all the troublemakers at once.¡± - What do you mean¡­? ¡°From this moment on, I dere yer Seo Jun-Ho as an official enemy of the Murim Alliance.¡± - An official enemy! His subordinates were surprised by his unwavering decision. Namgung Jincheon had always been careful about setting up justifications for himself, so it wasn¡¯t like him to do this. - On what grounds? ¡°Seo Jun-Ho is currently with the Small Heavenly Demon, Wisoso. We will associate him with the Demonic Cult and create a good opportunity to take them both down at once.¡± - Yes, we are truly lucky. The three martial artists were delighted. They had made meticulous ns to make out the Demonic Cult as ¡®the bad guys¡¯. If they carried out the ns, the Demonic Cult would be branded as evil by the public. Their reputation would never be able to recover. ¡®And Seo Jun-Ho is a yer working with the Small Heavenly Demon, who will carry the reputation all by themself.¡¯ Even if they pronounced Seo Jun-Ho an official enemy of the Murim Alliance, no one would really point fingers at them. - Will a cordon be enough? If Seo Jun-Ho attempts to learn ¡®that¡¯... One of them asked carefully. ¡°There will be no problems,¡± Namgung Jincheon said after thinking for a moment. He had already cut his ties to that ill-fated rtionship 700 years ago. Even if someone who could use those martial arts emerged, he would still be the victor. ¡®No one in this city can defeat me.¡¯ Namgung Jincheon opened his diary and started writing another entry. *** The top floor of the Imperial Pce held the throne room designed to the peak of extravagance. It was adorned with all kinds of decorations that sparkled like stars. But because there was no trace of people, it seemed strange and dreary. ¡°Contractor, why was that beggar guarding the stairs?¡± asked the Frost Queen. ¡°Dunno.¡± Even though he had made the dead man confess, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t find what he had been protecting among his memories. However, Seo Jun-Ho had a strong feeling that he was protecting something. - Perhaps it is about time that I step in. ¡°What are you saying, you lump of metal?¡± retorted the Frost Queen. However, Wisoso didn¡¯t back down. - Queen of an unknown nation. This will make you stop looking down on me. Wisoso boasted. Blue light flooded their LED eyes. The light from their eyes scanned the room. - There. There is a space behind the throne. Seo Jun-Ho was surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected anything at all. ¡°Wow. You really are more useful than Frost.¡± ¡°I-I am helpful¡­!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Every once in a while¡ªevery once in a long while¡ªthey would be helpful. Seo Jun-Ho started carrying Wisoso rather than the Frost Queen. It seemed that her status had fallen. ¡°Behind the throne, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a close look at the drawing of the dragon there, and he instantly got a feeling. ¡°I think it¡¯s here.¡± He pressed on the dragon¡¯s eye. The wall split open, and a new room was revealed. ¡°This ce¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho was stupefied by its enormous size. However, his shock onlysted for a moment. When Seo Jun-Ho stepped inside, the door behind him closed on its own. ¡°C-C-Contractor.¡± - Y-Y-Young Hero. ¡°You¡¯re a spirit, and you¡¯re a robot. Why are you afraid of the dark?¡± He consoled them, but he couldn¡¯t understand them at all. ¡°Wisoso, turn on your light.¡± - Oh, right. I¡¯m a machine. At that, a bright light shot out from Wisoso¡¯s eyes and lit up the space in front of them. ¡°The Murim Alliance was here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had been hoping that he was the first one to discover this ce, but it seemed he hadn¡¯t given the Murim Alliance enough credit. There were devices and equipment all over the room stamped with their symbol. - Oh, Young Hero Seo! Look over there! Wisoso eximed, looking up ahead. There was a set of stairs rusted with time. At the top, there was a skeleton and a booklet. ¡°What is this?¡± The first thing that Seo Jun-Ho thought was that this was a trap. ¡®There are signs that the Murim Alliance has already been here a few times. But a book like that is still here?¡¯ Anyone could see that the book was both expensive and suspicious. ¡°Be careful, Contractor.¡± ¡°Intuition is telling me that it¡¯s okay.¡± He slowly walked up the stairs. ¡°A skeleton and a booklet. What¡¯s with this random pairing?¡± It was likely that the skeleton was once His Majesty the Emperor. Seo Jun-Ho doubtfully reached his hand out. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± *** The holy sunlight poured through between the window panes of the throne room. There was a martial artist kneeling on the ground. ¡°I beg of you, Your Majesty!¡± eximed the martial artist. ¡°Your voice is as loud as always. Are you taking some kind of supplement?¡± A sly voice responded. It belonged to His Majesty the Emperor. He stood up from the throne and slowly made his way down the stairs. ¡°Everyone knows you are the most powerful warrior. So why do you refuse, General?¡± ¡°...¡± The man was quiet. The emperor crouched down and lifted the general¡¯s lowly bowed head. ¡°General, do you dislike the idea of being my sword?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± On the contrary, he wanted to be His Majesty¡¯s sword more than anything else. He was the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guard¡ªthe Jinyiwei. He was the emperor¡¯s sword and shadow, a man of great influence everyone envied. However, His Majesty had never attempted to revive their division since it had been destroyed. ¡°Your Majesty. There is no need to make this difficult. Please, just allow me.¡± ¡°Allow you? Oh, allow you to kill Jincheon?¡± His Majesty the Emperorughed and sprawled on the ground like some hillbilly boy. ¡°Your Majestyyyy! Please, maintain your dignity!¡± ¡°No, you please maintain your dignity~¡± He said teasingly. ¡°General. You are strong.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You are strong enough to kill Jincheon. Even I know that.¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡± ¡°But are you certain that you can slice his throat without damaging the city? If you are, then I will give you permission.¡± The general couldn¡¯t answer the emperor¡¯s cutting question. He had already run battle simtions in his head several times. He knew better than anyone else that Namgung Jincheon wasn¡¯t someone he could defeat only with a few attacks. Once he fell silent, the emperor smiled bitterly. ¡°This city is a flower that managed to bloom in the midst of ruins. It is the final hope the central district has left behind.¡± If the general fought Namgung Jincheon, the city would have to suffer. ¡°If the monsters were to fight, the ones who suffer would be the people. And a significant amount of neigong in the Chip will be absorbed as well.¡± It would destroy the future of the central district¡ªnow known as Neo City. The man knew that much. He knew. He knew very well. ¡°But¡­¡± Why did the emperor have toy down his life for this? He couldn¡¯t say it out loud because he was all choked up. ¡°General, you did not believe back then either, correct?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You did not believe that this destend would be like this. I know¡­¡± ¡°Back then, I was just being realistic.¡± ¡°Indeed. Realistically, it seemed impossible. But we were sessful beyond imagination. So, I wish you would trust me this time, too.¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± The faint smile and the warmth on the emperor¡¯s face suddenly disappeared. When he spoke once more, it was with the regality of a ruler. ¡°General Cheon-Gwang, lift your head and ept mymand.¡±[1] ¡°I will heed yourmand.¡± He lifted his head. ¡°General Cheon-Gwang, I hereby appoint you as the head of the Jinyiwei. May you stay true to the duties I leave you.¡± The emperor gave his order with a face stained with both joy and sadness. ¡°...I will do as youmand with my body and all my conviction and soul.¡± That day, the first and final emperor of Neo City disappeared from the world. It was all so that Namgung Jincheon would never try to steal his power again. *** ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. All the pieces had finally fallen into ce. Wisoso probably thought the same thing, wrapped in his arms. - I-I did not even know¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not just you. No one knew.¡± The Frost Queen dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief. ¡°What a fine¡ªfine ruler. I feel like I must learn from him.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The Emperor of Neo City had ended his own life. He knew that Namgung Jincheon wanted the ¡®System Chip,¡¯ and he knew that there was no realistic way to stop him. ¡°But I had no idea that he would be an AI himself.¡± This was one of the secrets of Neo City. For the past 700 years, only one emperor had reigned over thisnd. He was the very same emperor that became a machine in order to avoid fighting Namgung Jincheon. ¡°Geez, I don¡¯t even know what to say,¡± Seo Jun-Ho remarked. The emperor had certainly seeded. For the past 700 years, Namgung Jincheon ceaselessly attempted to hack the System Chip, but it remained safe. Unfortunately, the city was still destined for destruction. Now, the herald of its destruction was only one step away from gathering all the ¡®First Chips¡¯. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the skeleton once again. He originally thought that it belonged to His Majesty the Emperor, but he was wrong. ¡°That¡¯s General Cheon-Gwang.¡± Until the moment of his death, he had served as the emperor¡¯s sword and shadow. ¡®And this book¡­¡¯ It contained all the martial arts he had used throughout his life. Seo Jun-Ho reached out and picked up the book. Clearly, there was only one reason why such an amazing book was still here. [Target is confirmed to be a ¡®Pureblood¡¯.] [General Cheon-Gwang¡¯s trial is now beginning.] [Fight the warriors within the data and survive until the end.] All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s surroundings changed. He found himself in a huge fighting arena with clear views of the vast sky. A single pir of light descended in front of him. [Your first opponent is Yi-Hyul of the Jinyiwei.] Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the baby-faced young man. He took out the Sword of Ambition from his Inventory. ¡°I¡¯ll finish your mission,¡± he muttered. He had made such a decision because he finally knew who was good and who was bad. *** - Y¡¯all, did you see the news? - Yupyup wtf is happening? - Why is Seo Jun-Ho being targeted by the Murim Alliance?! - Well, they said he¡¯s been going around with a ball called the Small Heavenly Demon. - The barriers throughout the city have been strongly reinforced. Many areas have been cordoned off as well. The Community forums were in an uproar. Earth¡¯s Hero, Seo Jun-Ho, had just been branded as the Murim Alliance¡¯s official enemy. The yers weren¡¯t the only ones who heard the news. ¡°This is a fun development. What do you think?¡± asked Isaac Dvor. ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon chuckled. ¡°Indeed. He has never failed to entertain me.¡± The boring six months he would have to spend had just be a bit more exciting. 1. There is no hanja, but it likely means something like ¡®heavenly light¡¯ or ¡®heavenly brilliance¡¯. ? Chapter 380. Black Moon (3) Chapter 380. ck Moon (3) The news of Seo Jun-Ho being chased and branded as an enemy of the Murim Alliance soon reached Earth. Of course, the first people to find out was Climb. ¡°What do you make of this?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s not bad.¡± The Guild Master of Sky Soul, Tenmei Yugo, had no intention of letting this opportunity slide. ¡®It is as if the stars have aligned.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t made this decision just from reading a few articles. There were about a hundred members of Climb on the 5th Floor right now, and he had also read all their individual records and reports. ¡®The Small Heavenly Demon Wisoso, is it?¡¯ Wisoso was an evil criminal who used illegal techniques to grow strong quickly and was the heir of the Demonic Cult. Tenmei Yugo instantly knew how he would use this information ¡®It creates a fine picture. This could be ourst chance.¡¯ Right now, countless yers were attempting to clear the ¡®Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty¡¯. The pesky 5 Heroes and even the Nine Heavens weren¡¯t here. ¡°We have to do it quick. Time is of the essence.¡± Having made up his mind, Tenmei Yugo immediately seized the news outlets. [Specter Joins Hands with Fiends on the 5th Floor. Why?] [Organization Climb Maintains an Unchanging Position. ¡®Our Only Goal Is to Climb up the Floors¡¯] [Has He Gone Evil, or Is It a Misunderstanding? Murim Alliance on the 5th Floor Brands Seo Jun-Ho as Public Enemy.] ¡­ Tenmei Yugo stopped at that. He didn¡¯t outright rip into Seo Jun-Ho or purposefully tear him down. All he did was nt the seed of doubt. ¡®This should be enough.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had a lot of allies, but he also had a lot of enemies. Those who couldn¡¯t recklessly act hostile to him would ept this situation differently. ¡®Because there¡¯s a pretext for this.¡¯ The Murim Alliance invited yers to the 5th Floor, but they had branded Specter as a public enemy. They also offered an incredible, eye-boggling reward. - 1,000,000 credits. Along with three A-Grade martial arts skill books. Every time a yerpleted a bounty, they would only receive somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 credits. However, the Murim Alliance was offering a reward that was a hundred times higher for Seo Jun-Ho. And the credits were only part of it. With the martial arts skill books, the reward was even more tantalizing. ¡°Dispatch the Guild members attempting the Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty to the 5th Floor once they are finished.¡± ¡°Understood. Is our goal to capture him dead or alive?¡± Tenmei Yugo gave his subordinate a scrutinizing look. ¡°Are you mad? Even if he will die soon, he is still Specter. Though he is our enemy, he is the greatest yer in all of Earth¡¯s history. Do you really think that one of us can defeat him head-on?¡± Not long ago, the espionage department at the Sky Soul Guild released an interesting report called . It wasn¡¯t merely based on levels. The rankings were decided based on abination of physical strength, mental ability, and the ability to synthesize all their strengths. ¡®ording to the report, his current power rivals that of the Thunder God at his prime.¡¯ As embarrassing as it was to admit it, the Sky Soul Guild couldn¡¯t hunt such a monster at their current level. As such, Tenmei Yugo decided to switch tactics. ¡°Contact the so-called Murim Alliance and ask them if we can assist them in any manner,¡± he ordered. Even if they did the right thing, in the end, whoever captured Seo Jun-Ho would receive widespread scrutiny from the public. No matter how good Sky Soul¡¯s reputation was, if they became known as the Guild who led the charge against Specter, the savior of the world, they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape condemnation. ¡°There is no need to take on the role of the viin. We will simply give them a small amount of assistance. That is all.¡± This way, they would be able to pull out at any time, even if things went wrong. Tenmei Yugo revealed a satisfied smile, and he started contacting the members of Climb. *** Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first opponent, Yi-Hyul, was a man who moved as swiftly as the wind. Every time he swung his two swords, a sharp gust would fly out. It was so strong that it made Seo Jun-Ho stagger. ¡®His skills are amazing.¡¯ Even with Keen Intuition¡¯s assistance, it was hard to predict the trajectory of Yi-Hyul¡¯s attacks. Like the wind, his des moved unpredictably, but they were still moving ording to his will ng! As metal met metal, Seo Jun-Ho bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered. Crackle! Yi-Hyul¡¯s limbs instantly froze over. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t fight like a proper martial artist.¡± ¡°...¡± Yi-Hyul¡¯s hologram didn¡¯t say a single word as he trembled like a leaf. And a momentter, his next opponent appeared. ¡®He¡¯s tough.¡¯ If Yi-Hyul was the wind, Kwon-Mok was built like arge tree. He was like a tree with deep roots. He couldn¡¯t be toppled easily. ¡®All these powerful fighters were once part of Jinyiwei? Just how did they fall?¡¯ The so-called poorest man in the gxy, Yoo Joo-Wan, wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold a candle to a single one of them. And Seo Jun-Ho fought against nine of them. ¡°...¡± Needless to say, his magic power couldn¡¯t recover. Seo Jun-Ho felt like he was just drawing water from a jar with no means of refilling it. ¡®But what¡¯s the point of this?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. He didn¡¯t know the answer. Perhaps General Cheon-Gwang simply didn¡¯t want a weakling to learn his martial arts techniques. If that weren¡¯t the case, there should have been no reason for so many powerful enemies to keeping out. [Your tenth opponent is Dahn Chung-Ha of the Jinyiwei.] ¡°Another one¡­¡± The man radiated an aura that clearly said, ¡®I¡¯m strong¡¯. Seo Jun-Ho steeled himself as he narrowed his eyes at his opponent. ¡®I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll end at some point.¡¯ Believing that to be true, he lifted his sword, none the wiser. *** [Your seventy-ninth opponent is Chung-Kang of the Jinyiwei.] Seo Jun-Ho was panting heavily. Normally, his sword aura would envelop the sword he was holding like wildfire, but it had been reduced to a pathetic phantom-like manifestation. ¡®Is this a trap? Perhaps the general never intended to pass on his martial arts to someone in the first ce¡­¡¯ He wondered if all of this was just some sort of bait to reel in Namgung Jincheon. So far, he had defeated 78 members of the Jinyiwei. It was an amazing feat. They were one-on-one duels, but he had toppled tens of transcendent martial artists in one sitting. ¡°Huff. Huff.¡± However, it seemed like there wasn¡¯t any end to it. On the contrary, a new opponent would instantly pop up every time he defeated one. It felt like they had been waiting for their turn the whole time. While Seo Jun-Ho tried his best to wring out the scant magic power he had remaining, his opponents poured in all their energy. The winner was obvious if this battle dragged on. ¡®Let¡¯s just give up.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve tried hard enough.¡¯ ¡®If I keep going, my life would be in danger.¡¯ His weak resolve cried out to him. He had stopped Overclocking long ago. Once he defeated this martial artist, he probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to use his sword aura anymore. He chided himself. ¡®Maybe I bit off more than I could chew.¡¯ He had wasted so much magic power aftering up to the 5th Floor. He fought the Lightning Scythe, summoned Jun-Sik, and dueled Yoo Joo-Wan on top of that. ¡®I may have gotten careless.¡¯ He thought that his well of magic power was endless, like an ocean that would never run dry. But what was this? Reality hit him. His power only went this far. He was just an insignificant human, and he was about to run out of magic after defeating the many members of Jinyiwei. ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure I used even more magic when I fought Frost. And I was fine.¡¯ The regret was starting to set, but it was already toote. ¡°Hup!¡± He was interrupted by the swing of Chung-Kang¡¯s spear, which was infused with a great amount of magic. At this point, Seo Jun-Ho could no longer use Overclocking at maximum output, nor could he use an impressive sword aura. He had nothing left but his body. ¡°...Hoo.¡± His body trembled ever so slightly as he gasped for breath. His arms, legs, and body moved very nimbly as if he was dancing. ¡°K-Keok.¡± Chung-Kang¡¯s spear slipped, and Seo Jun-Ho moved as deftly as water as he thrust his sword toward Chung-Kang¡¯s heart. [Your eightieth opponent is Pa-Goon of the Jinyiwei.] Yet another opponent appeared. Seo Jun-Ho raised his sword. His sword swayed and trembled as if there were weights attached at the bottom of the hilt. ¡°...¡± Pa-Goon studied Seo Jun-Ho for a moment before rushing toward thetter. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. This wasn¡¯t some virtual reality game. These holograms would create real injuries and make him feel real pain whenever their attacksnded on him. If he died here, he would likely die for real. ¡®I always knew that I would die someday.¡¯ However, he had never thought that he would die right here and right now and in such a pathetic manner at that! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed open again, and he raised his left arm. His opponent¡¯s dagger pierced his arm, and it wanted to continue toward his face. ¡°Geuhhhh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s arm kept getting pushed back. This was the difference between someone with magic energy and someone who had already exhausted their magic energy. Crack! ¡°...!¡± Pa-Goon¡¯s eyes furrowed. Seo Jun-Ho had just bitten the back of his hand. At the same time, gravity pulled Pa-Goon down, forcing him to sprawl on the ground. ¡°Hah! Hah!¡± Seo Jun-Ho used his good elbow to bash Pa-Goon¡¯s face in. His body kept moving like it had a mind of its own. His eyes stung, and his vision was hazy as sweat dripped into his eyes. ¡®...When was thest time?¡¯ When was thest time he had fought a raw physical fight with all his magic exhausted? ¡°Uhp. Urrp.¡± As he dry-heaved from exhaustion, a new message appeared before him. [Your eighty-first opponent is Masuk of the Jinyiwei.] He really couldn¡¯t fight anymore. His mind was only intact because of Hero¡¯s Mind (EX). His body was the problem. His ursed body. ¡®Move. Move.¡¯ Krrr. Krrr. Masuk¡¯s ymore came closer and closer as it dragged across the ground. He had to get up. He had to get up. Seo Jun-Ho believed that will had always dominated the body. However, he was only half right. Mere willpower couldn¡¯tpletely drive an utterly exhausted body. ¡°...¡± Masuk¡¯s sword stopped. He stared at the man forcing himself up and trying to curl his hands into fists. ¡°This is impossible.¡± For the first time, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s opponent spoke, ¡°Your stamina and magic energy should have run out long ago. Your willpower can only take you so far.¡± Then, how? What was fueling him to keep getting up? ¡®...¡¯ Masuk struck Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face with the hilt of his sword. The sound of bone being shattered echoed, and Seo Jun-Ho fell to the ground, writhing like a bug. ¡°You are powerless.¡± The sense of powerlessness should have long overwhelmed him. He should be hearing voices in the back of his head telling him that it would be better to just die. Shif! ¡°...¡± Masuk looked down. The challenger still¡ªhe still wasn¡¯t willing to give up as he grabbed onto Masuk¡¯s ankle. Hecked the strength to actually grab Masuk¡¯s ankle, so his hand was merely brushing against Masuk¡¯s foot, but it still showed his desire to keep fighting. ¡°...¡± A profound emotion washed over Masuk. ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯ Was it regret because he hadn¡¯t been able to fight like this? No, he had fought with all he had until his final breath. He knew that he had nothing to be ashamed of or regretful about. ¡®It¡¯s admiration.¡¯ Along with shock and pride, as well as respect for a true martial artist. Masuk waved his hand. When he did, the sky and the arena started to scatter because they would no longer serve any use. After putting him through eighty-one trials, General Cheon-Gwang finally spoke to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Congrattions, challenger.¡± Those words were told to his sessor¡ªthe one who would carry out his will. *** Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. An unfamiliar ceiling¡­ ¡°Contractor! Open your eyes! Open your eyes!¡± - Shall I shock him more?! Will he open his eyes, then?! Even before he could register his surroundings, Seo Jun-Ho felt heat on his cheeks and tingling all over his body. ¡°Wake up! Wake up!¡± Fwap. Fwap. He thought he could hear the noise of waves ovepping, but it actually came from the Frost Queen repeatedly pping him. At that, he also realized why his body was tingling. Wisoso, the damned robot, was electrocuting him. ¡°Oh, he opened his eyes!¡± - We did it, Queen! ¡°...Ugh.¡± Just then, a ridiculous message appeared before his eyes. [You have received a blunt force injury.] [Your cells have acquired the lowest-level Blunt Force Resistance.] ¡°Jesus.¡± Just how many ps did the Frost Queen deliver on him? This level of resistance only emerged after receiving the same injury a hundred times. As such, Seo Jun-Ho red at her. In response, the Frost Queen pulled her hand back and turned away. ¡°It is no fault of mine. You were the one who wouldn¡¯t wake up.¡± - I, too, only wished for your awakening. Seo Jun-Ho rubbed his stinging cheek and asked, ¡°...What happened? Did I fail?¡± ¡°Fail? I do not know what you mean. You fell unconscious as soon as you picked up the book.¡± Really? Was everything just a dream? He looked vacantly down at the book in his hand. And then, the message he had been waiting for appeared. [You have passed General Cheon-Gwang¡¯s test.] [You have obtained the martial arts skill book for ¡®ck Moon¡¯.] He felt his hand pulse with energy as he held the precious book. He finally knew what character trait Cheon-Gwang had been looking for in his sessor. ¡®Someone who doesn¡¯t give up...¡¯ Someone who could establish hope in the midst of destruction... Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lip curled up. ¡°That¡¯s definitely me.¡± Chapter 381. Public Enemy of Murim (1) Chapter 381. Public Enemy of Murim (1) - Ugh, Queen. I am tired. "Wait a little longer." The Frost Queen spoke as she stood on Wisoso and looked out the window. Shended on the floor a momentter with a sigh. "There are a lot of martial artists on the empire¡¯s side. I think there are at least a thousand people.¡± "The future was set the moment Yoo Joo-Wan was killed.¡± Seo Jun-Ho slightly lowered the blind curtain and looked at the Murim Alliance building in the distance. There was no need to read Namgung Jincheon¡¯s thoughts, who was on the top floor of the Murim Alliance building. "They¡¯re obviously trying to stop and kill me. Still, they probably won¡¯t be able to get inside." Namgung Jincheon still wanted the citizens to believe that His Majesty the Emperor was still alive. What would happen if the martial artists forcefully entered the Imperial Pce? They would inevitably start asking questions if that were to happen. "Thanks to you, I gained some time.¡± There would be no problem holding out for a while. However, Seo Jun-Ho knew that he would eventually fall into a disadvantage. ¡®The grows thicker and thicker by the day.¡¯ This was a battle of resources where Seo Jun-Ho was at a disadvantage. It was all because one couldn¡¯t recover their magic naturally in Neo City. "Contractor, how much magic do you still have?" "About seventy-eight percent left..." It was still plenty. Seo Jun-Ho was d that the trial was carried out in his mind. "I''ll learn Cheon-Gwang¡¯s martial arts here and try to break through that Heaven¡¯s Net somehow." "Are you prepared?" Facing the Frost Queen''s unwavering eyes, Seo Jun-Ho closed his mouth tightly. As he said earlier, he would try to somehow break the after learning ck Moon. However, the Frost Queen was asking about the process. ¡®She¡¯s asking whether I can kill innocent people or not.¡¯ Technically, they were also victims since they believed that Namgung Jincheon and the Murim Alliance were protectors of justice. Of course, those who were a part of it would believe that justice was simply being enforced. ¡®Can I cut those people down?¡¯ He had no idea. Looking at his face from the side, Frost Queen sighed deeply. "Of course, you still can¡¯t make a decision. I can see what kind of decision you will make, but it is going to be a tough road." "I''ll do my best.¡± With that, Seo Jun-Ho turned around and looked down at the book he was holding. ck Moon Martial Art. ¡®What kind of martial art is it?¡¯ Was this book the high-level weapon technique Sir Hart had told him to learn? Seo Jun-Ho took a deep breath and opened the book. He saw an empty space when it opened. "Huh? Shoot." Seo Jun-Ho seemed hesitant because what was inside was a chip the size of a finger. He had no idea that Cheon-Gwang, who was looking for the Purebloods, would leave a martial arts book in the form of a chip. ¡®No, considering the current era, it makes sense. What do I do with this, though?'' As Seo Jun-Ho stared at the chip with a troubled look on his face, Wisoso spoke. - Huh, it''s a recording chip. "Do you know how to use this?" - More or less. As Wisoso spoke proudly, a small groove formed on their body. - I am thetest machine ball model that can recognize chips as well as hack them. "Ooohhh." The heavy ball could be used like that? Delighted, Seo Jun-Ho immediately put the chip in. Bee, bee, beep. Wisoso''s eyes suddenly turned golden, and a hologram appeared before their eyes. "Huk." The Frost Queen flinched. The hologram was General Cheon-Gwang. - ¡­ Cheon-Gwang looked at them with dry eyes and spoke. - ck Moon Martial Art is a martial art made to change the world. "Contractor, I think it is impossible to converse." "Yeah. It''s just like an inte lecture. He only recorded the contents of the martial art." Seo Jun-Ho started to concentrate on Cheon-Gwang''s words. ck Moon Martial Art was a very difficult martial art to learn, after all. ¡®It''s so different from what I thought.¡¯ Sir Hart said the reason why high-level martial arts were scary was because of their martial skills. However, Cheon-Gwang¡¯s teaching was the opposite. - This martial art is a martial art made to change the world. - The day youplete this, you will no longer be bound by anyws of the world, let alone martial skills. - ck Moon Martial Art is divided into three stages. - First, empty yourself. - Second, break away from the conventional world. - Third, be one and shine. - Remember, the first step in changing the world begins with changing yourself. It was difficult. The exnation itself was simple, but the implied meaning wasplicated and hard toprehend. "What? That¡¯s it?" Seo Jun-Ho thought Cheon-Gwang would at least teach him martial skills since it was a martial art skill book. However, it ended up like taking a philosophy ss. "Frost, did you understand it?¡± "No, I do not know martial arts very well. I am having a headache." In this regard, even the knowledgeable Frost Queen shook her head. - Hmm, even I cannot say anything. It is too difficult. "Even you..." Even Wisoso, who should be the sharpest among them when it came to martial arts, raised the white g. In the end, the only way left was to interpret it himself. - Sit down and lead your neigong to where I am leading mine. Cheon-Gwang then taught him how to operate the ¡®ck Moon Heart Method¡¯. Fortunately, Seo Jun-Ho could do that. ¡°¡­¡± However, he could only do it. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shock grew the more he learned about the ck Moon Heart Method. ¡®Was I such an ignorant man?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had just realized that the way he was making his magic run through his magic circuits was actually an inefficient method of doing so. However, he couldn¡¯t really be med because he had no other method to do so until now. ¡®There were other heart methods in Frontier, but they were secret techniques akin to heirlooms in respectable households.¡¯ Regardless of how much money one offered or how much debt those families owed, they would never share those heirlooms with someone else. After all, those heirlooms were the best treasures only avable to the head of every household. ''It''s hard, but it''s worth learning¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt himself turning cold from the sweat. What he was doing was basically breaking the habit that he had been doing until now. Of course, he couldn''t immediately adapt to it, so his magic would often get lost in the magic circuits and wander around. "I''m going crazy." Seo Jun-Ho sighed in frustration. "Contractor, are you having a hard time?¡± "I feel like I''m going to die.¡± How should he exin the hardship he was experiencing? Seo Jun-Ho pondered about it for a while before saying, "I''ve been breathing through my nose all my life, but this martial art is teaching me to breathe in through my mouth and out through my nose.¡± "Like this? Heup, heup." The Frost Queen tried a few times. Eventually, she frowned and quit. "I will just breathe through my nose." "It''s hard, isn''t it?" He said it was hard, but it was actually a lot harder than that. One could actually live breathing like that if one really tried, but one would eventually switch to automatic breathing once they forgot that they were supposed to breathe in through their mouth and out through their nose. ¡®For the time being, I should focus only on the heart method.¡¯ It was more correct to say that that was the only thing he could do. Seo Jun-Ho opened his Inventory and checked his food. ¡®If I eat sparingly, It¡¯llst a week.¡¯ Just a week. Still, he would have to go out after about five days. After all, he couldn¡¯t really just eat all the food he had and leave. ¡®Five days.¡¯ He had to learn the heart method in five days. As such, Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and focused with all his might. *** "He¡¯s holding out pretty well¡­" The sect leader of Volcanic Wave, Kwak Won-San, shuddered. He was a longtime subordinate and a reliable helper of Namgung Jincheon. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t really a fan of the imperial family. "I have always said it, but you really have the tendency to worry too much.¡± Namgung Jincheonughed and scolded him. Five days had already passed, but Seo Jun-Ho was still not moving as if he had built his own nest in the Imperial Pce. "Isn''t it a big problem if he ends up learning Cheon-Gwang¡¯s martial arts?" "I already told youst time.¡± Namgung Jincheon turned his head. "It won''t happen, but it doesn''t matter even if he does. It''s annoying, but we don¡¯t have to be afraid of it. The martial arts I havepleted is iparably stronger than that trivial thing.¡± "Still¡­" ¡°¡­¡± Namgung Jincheon¡¯s eyes narrowed, and Kwak Won-San closed his mouth at that. The words he couldn''t say hovered in his mind. ''Hundreds of years ago, Cheon-Gwang''s martial arts is strong. The Alliance Leader fought him before and ended up almost dying.¡¯ The Alliance Leader judged that it was burdensome to face Cheon-Gwang head-on. As the years passed, Cheon-Gwang eventually died, as Namgung Jincheon expected. It was all because one couldn¡¯t defy death regardless of the level of their martial arts. It was a part of nature, after all. ''¡­Yes, let''s believe.'' Namgung Jincheon would soon be the god of this city, and he had been chosen by such a being. "Anyway, what happened regarding Earth?" "Oh, it worked out better than I thought." Kwak Won-san grinned. "We received the support of about four hundred yers from an organization called Climb." "What''s the price?" "None. The organization we met from Climb was a Guild called Sky Soul, and they said that we don¡¯t have to pay a price as long as their identities do not get leaked.¡± "Hmm." Namgung Jincheon nodded. He had already made a rough deduction of the situation. He mumbled while arranging orchids. "It seems that the tallest tree really catches the most wind no matter what." Seo Jun-Ho had already been identified. Information about him had long been gathered as well. He was a Hero of Earth. A legendary yer who had saved the world. He had countless admirers, but he also had many enemies. ¡®That is the destiny of the outstanding.¡¯ Namgung Jincheon thought he could understand Seo Jun-Ho a bit. "It seems that he¡¯s too kind because he spared such enemies¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps he spared them because it¡¯s bothersome to clean them up?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know." Namgung Jincheon smiled faintly. Those at the summit could do practically everything they wanted, but he actually dared to spare his enemies? ¡®He¡¯s too soft.¡¯ Namgung Jincheon spoke, "Have you finished arranging the support yers?" "No, I was just about to do it." "Send them all to the pub." "...The pub?¡± Kwak Won-san frowned. The support yers had high levels, but they were weaker than the Murim Alliance¡¯s elites. "They won''t be able to stop Seo Jun-Ho." "It''s fine." Namgung Jincheon was sure of it. Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t be able to cut those yers down. ¡®If he cuts them down¡­¡¯ Namgung Jincheon revealed a strange smile. ¡®It¡¯ll still be fun.¡¯ A hero''s fall to depravity had always been a fun spectacle to watch. *** "Contractor, let¡¯s eat." The Frost Queen brought the food she had piled up in one corner of the room and held them out to him. Seo Jun-Ho then ate the dry food. "Do not worry. I do not know well either, but I know it is hard to learn martial arts in a short time.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled weakly at the Frost Queen¡¯s constion. In the end, he wasn¡¯t able to learn the ck Moon Heart Method in just five days. ¡®I had no idea that it would be this hard.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t slept in the past five days, and he only circted his magic. In this world, he did something called Qi cirction. He was talented, so he had some achievements in it, but that was it. ¡®The effectiveness of the ck Moon Heart Method is supreme.¡¯ Based on his experience, he thought it deserved at least an A-grade rating. The issue was that he couldn¡¯t continuously use it. ''Cheon-Gwang said it as well. Using the ck Moon Heart Method should be as natural as breathing.¡¯ Unfortunately, even the smallest distraction would ruin his Qi cirction through the heart method. In fact, it was even difficult for him to walk while using the ck Moon Heart Method, let alone using it in the middle of a fight. Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue. ¡®Unfortunately, we¡¯ve run out of food, so we have to move.¡¯ He shook off his lingering feelings and stood up. He frowned as he looked out through the window. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ He thought that the would be stronger over time, but the number of people involved in the had decreased. The had also be looserpared to five days ago, and it seemed as if the was telling him to hurry up and leave. "Hmm, that is suspicious," said the Frost Queen while standing on Wisoso. "It''s definitely suspicious," replied Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho could use Night Walking and scour the city. It meant that he could go anywhere aside from the Murim Alliance. ¡®They¡¯re not going to block me?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t see the sect leaders of the Ten Great Families whom he had seen at the conference the Alliance Leader had thrown. Most of those surrounding the imperial pce were first-grade martial artists. Of course, there were hundreds of them, so they couldn¡¯t be trifled with. However, Seo Jun-Ho had Night Walking. "Perhaps he thinks that you cannot maintain your Night Walking for very long?" "If it¡¯s like that, then I would be d, but...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t think that Namgung Jincheon was that naive and sloppy. He thought about it for a moment before moving downstairs. "Contractor, have you decided on your destination?" "First, let¡¯s take a look around the pub area." If the opponent were not a fool, he would have certainly ced the sect leaders there. "If I see a gap, I''ll go downstairs through there.¡± "What if you cannot find any gaps?" "In that case¡­¡± He would have no choice but to live the life of a fugitive. Seo Jun-Ho activated Cloning. "Jun-Sik, I¡¯ll leave it to you." "You always call me when you ask me for things like this, but you don''t even buy me food when I¡¯m done." Seo Jun-Sik pouted his lips. However, he still stretched his neck and said, "But since the Original is asking, I can¡¯t help it. Who else could do this other than me?" Seo Jun-Sik kicked the imperial pce¡¯s door open, and hundreds of pairs of eyes were immediately drawn to his body. Seo Jun-Sik grabbed one of his legs with a scornful look and wriggled his eyebrows. "What? Is it your first time seeing someone so handsome?" ¡°My god..." Seo Jun-Ho had told Seo Jun-Sik to attract their attention, not to kick up such a fuss. The Frost Queen held her belly andughed. ¡°Who cares? As long as it works.¡± "Yeah, it¡¯s definitely effective.¡± Hundreds of martial artists started chasing after Seo Jun-Sik with fire in their eyes. Chapter 382. Public Enemy of Murim (2) Chapter 382. Public Enemy of Murim (2) "Hu, ha, hu, ho!" Seo Jun-Sik ran as hard as he could. "Catch him!" "Go that way!" "He¡¯s quick! Close off his retreat!" Whips, traps, weapons, and arrows flew toward him from all sides. To make matters worse, hundreds of first-grade martial artists were flocking in as well. Seo Jun-Sik looked over at them and thought seriously. ¡®I-I have never had this much fun before...¡¯ As if he were being chased by zombies, the adrenaline rush made him feel iparably exhrated. Of course, the reason why he could have such a light-hearted thought was that he was rxed in both body and mind. ¡®I can''t believe these people are first-grade martial artists. The future of the Murim Alliance is dark.¡¯ He could only exert about forty percent of the Original¡¯s strength. Nevertheless, he was confident that he could knock all these guys down if he willed. ¡®Or maybe not¡­¡¯ He could be a hundred percent sure about it if his magic were full. The obstacle called insufficient magic made such a feat hard to achieve. ''Well, then, what to do?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t just go to the pub with these guys hanging on to him like fruits. The pub would surely have troops stationed there as well, so he couldn''t waste all his magic here. "All right, let''s just get rid of half of them." Having made up his mind, Seo Jun-Sik''s movements changed. The gentle rabbit running around inside the became a wolf in the blink of an eye. "Oh, this is a lion." "¡­It''s a tiger, you punk." Watching from afar, Seo Jun-Ho muttered with a frown. Apparently, the only difference between Seo Jun-Sik and Seo Jun-Ho was that thetter was a bit more honest with everything, but why did it seem like Seo Jun-Sik was dumber than him? ¡®Do you only get forty percent of my intelligence?¡¯ ¡®What? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik snorted and tilted his head slightly to avoid a flying sword. From that posture, he lifted his knee and struck the swordsman¡¯s hand before snatching the same swordsman¡¯s sword in mid-air. As soon as the swordnded in his hand, the atmosphere changed. The experienced swordsman was no longer smiling while looking at Seo Jun-Sik. "Hmm, there will not be much to worry about," remarked the Frost Queen. "I wasn''t even worried. Whose clone do you think he is?¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. It was his proud clone. Seo Jun-Sik unterally started beating up the first-grade martial artists of the Murim Alliance. "Ugh! He''s strong!" "I can''t believe a sex maniac humiliated me like this!¡± "What?" Seo Jun-Sik was casually beating them up with one punch each person, but he suddenly stopped. He pointed his finger at his face and blinked his big eyes before saying, "I''m a sex maniac?" "You shameless and abominable fellow, are you still going to deny it?!" "No¡ªNamgung Jincheon, really, that punk!¡± Seo Jun-Sik could still ept being branded as the public enemy of the Murim Alliance as well as being chased by the martial artists of the Murim Alliance. However, wasn¡¯t there a line that shouldn¡¯t be crossed no matter what? Seo Jun-Sik looked as if he had been wronged, and the martial artists gritted their teeth at the sight. "Your acting skills are top-notch!" "Evidence hase out that you have joined hands with the Small Heavenly Demon, Wisoso, and raped maidens in the southern area!" "What bullshit are you talking about?!" shouted Seo Jun-Sik. "That¡¯s not true, I have never even¡ª" "Shut up, you sex maniac!" Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s burned once again as he deflected the weapons flying at him from all directions. Naturally, he started beating them up again. The Frost Queen and Wisoso''s eyes turned to Seo Jun-Ho. - Hmmhmm. Young Hero Seo, it is not really your fault. "Hmmhmm. You were busy saving the world," added Frost Queen. Seo Jun-Ho smiled brightly at their ambiguous constion and closed his eyes. ¡®Seo Jun-Sik. You¡¯ll have to face the wall with your hands up for ten hours once you¡¯re back.¡¯ *** There was a man in a ck suit in a shady pub. He definitely looked out of ce. The man d in ck asked, "Where¡¯s Specter?" "Well, he has already torn half of the Murim Alliance''s Heaven¡¯s Net." "Oh, really?" The Guild Master of Rock Blood was a Guild affiliated with Climb. Blood Lord, who was also known as Earth¡¯s greatest assassin, smirked upon receiving the report. "I don''t know if I should be grateful or think that he¡¯s stupid.¡± "Stupid?¡± "Of course. You said he¡¯s tearing through the Murim Alliance¡¯s Heaven¡¯s Net, right?" "Yes¡­" The number of martial artists surrounding the capital was 700. He should have knocked out at least 300 of them by now. ¡®Considering Specter¡¯s personality, he probably couldn''t even kill them.¡¯ He probably just knocked them out. Blood Lord asked once again to confirm. "There were no casualties among them, right?" "How did you¡ªyes, that is correct. They simply lost consciousness." "Hu." Blood Lord had done his research on Specter to the point that he started getting tired of hearing Specter¡¯s name, so there was no way he could be wrong. ¡®And there¡¯s only one reason why I have been doing my research.¡¯ It was all so that he wouldn¡¯t fail when the chance to assassinate Specter arrived. ¡®Besides, I have a beef to settle with him.¡¯ He had lost two special assassins in the hands of Specter during the request to assassinate Cha Si-Eun. The death of the S-grade wind elemental user was especially painful. As such, he wasn¡¯t here for petty revenge. ¡®Eye for an eye, blood for blood.¡¯ It was the creed of the assassin guild, Rock Blood. As Blood Lord¡¯s eyes shone while he was deep in his thoughts, a subordinate spoke up, ¡°By the way, Blood Lord-nim." "What is it?" "I don''t know if we should say this, but why does the Murim Alliance trust us so much?" "What do you mean?" "They only dispatched ten martial artists here to assist us. They¡¯re all mediocre as well." Blood Lord thought about it for a moment before answering, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure that old snake Tenmei Yugo manipted them well." Otherwise, there would be no exnation. If they had no faith in Blood Lord, then the Murim Alliance would have sent their strongest group, the Four Divine Beasts, and the elites of the Ten Great Families. "Oh, and Blood Lord-nim." "What else?" Blood Lord asked, annoyed. "All our agents, even those in the middle of carrying out requests, are here, but will we really be able to handle Specter?¡± "Hmm." Honestly, Blood Lord had thought about it as well Based on his estimates, Specter¡¯s current level was on par with that of the Thunder God during his prime. "The odds are even." "Mm¡­!" The subordinate''s face darkened. He couldn¡¯t help but think that today could be the end of Rock Blood, the greatest assassin guild on Earth. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet¡­" Blood Lord grinned. He looked at the yers in the pub and continued. "I''m saying the odds would be fifty-fifty if we step up alone." "Then..." "Yeah." The yers in the pub were all Rankers, and they were those who would attack Specter as long as they would gain something from it. ¡®There will be no problems¡­¡¯ Even if the Thunder God were here along with Specter, they would still die. Blood Lord revealed an evil grin and chuckled. "Hehe, hehehe.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho looked at theughing Blood Lord as if he was a fool. "Contractor, he¡¯s weird." "Sseup, it¡¯s not good to look at people like them.¡± Seo Jun-Ho covered the Frost Queen''s eyes with his palm and headed toward the bathroom. ¡®It¡¯s a little different from what I expected, but it should be fine.¡¯. Seo Jun-Sik was still drawing everyone¡¯s attention in the city. If he managed to go downstairs just like this, Namgung Jincheon¡¯s chase would have been in vain. ''... Did I think too highly of him?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was nervous because Namgung Jincheon was an old monster who had lived for hundreds of years. He couldn¡¯t help but think that the sect leaders of the Ten Great Families were hiding in the pub. ''He must have thought that I wouldn¡¯t be able to kill yers.¡¯ So what? All Seo Jun-Ho had to do was avoid them. Seo Jun-Ho entered the bathroom with a victorious smile. The toilet stalls in this pub acted simrly to dimensional elevators. Seo Jun-Ho opened the door of one of the stalls. ¡°¡­?¡± A fist-sized ball on top of the toilet was captured in his eyes. It was a ball filled with ominous energy, and it was shing red. - Partner! Magic! Use your magic to protect yourself! Keen Intuition¡¯s warning echoed in his mind. Booommm! A massive explosion then engulfed the entire building. *** - Alliance Leader, the flowers have bloomed. "Is that so?" Back at the headquarters of the Murim Alliance in the middle of Neo City, Namgung Jincheon was writing a diary entry. When he heard the report, he calmly said, "Send out an article." - Yes. With that, Namgung Jincheon finished his diary entry¡­ [Public Enemy of Murim, Seo Jun-Ho kills hundreds of yers for his own survival.] Namgung Jincheon became certain once again. He was sure that everything was still going ording to n. *** Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s senses started returning one by one. Diiiinnnng. His sense of hearing returned first, and his ears were filled with an obnoxiously loud ringing sound. Then, his sense of touch returned. He could finally feel his arms and legs making contact with the floor. ''Damn it...'' However, the world around him was still spinning. He was obviously lying on the floor, but intense vertigo made him feel as though he were on a rollercoaster. "Uu, uwaaack!" Blood gushed out of his mouth as if he a faucet was turned on. He could even see pieces of his organs. ¡®That¡¯s not good.¡¯ He managed to protect himself using magic before the bomb exploded. He was quick to cover himself with magic, but the explosion was a beat faster. "Ugghh¡­¡± His whole body ached as if he had been beaten ck and blue. He wanted to faint due to the severe pain, but Hero''s Mind (EX) refused to allow it. "Ugh¡­ Ugh." Seo Jun-Ho moved while groaning. He looked around. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Fuck. That fucking bastard!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t control his emotions and cursed. First of all, the pub had disappeared without a trace, and there was a mountain of corpses as well as blood flowing like a river. "Namgung Jincheon, you crazy bastard¡­!¡± The number of yers gathered here was just under 400. Even if they had bad feelings toward him, they were still yers of Earth. In other words, they were precious beings who were supposed to climb up the floors to prevent the destruction of Earth. However, Namgung Jincheon made all that precious manpower explode just to capture him. ''Damn it...'' Seo Jun-Ho limped. He managed to get up somehow. He could see a bone sticking out of his left elbow. He staggered along while putting pressure on the wound. ''First of all, I have to get out of here.¡¯ He put Wisoso in his Inventory at thest minute. It was fortunate that the system judged it as a machine rather than a living being. Even the Frost Queen had disappeared without a trace. It seemed that she had been recalled to the Spirit World. ¡®The forces of the Murim Alliance are definitely rushing toward here right now.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho knew that with his current condition, it would be difficult for him to deal with even one of the sect leaders of the Ten Great Families. ¡®Damn it, damn it...¡¯ - Partner, partner! It¡¯s all over once you close your eyes! Wake up! Keen Intuition kept waking him up, but his eyes felt heavy. ''Blood, I lost too much blood...¡¯ He was experiencing the effects of hemorrhagic shock. Hero¡¯s Mind had been doing a great job in making sure that his consciousness wouldn¡¯t fade, but even Hero¡¯s Mind had its limit. Thud! Seo Jun-Ho fell t, and the world in front of him turned on its side. "There he is!" "It¡¯s the public enemy of Murim, Seo Jun-Ho!" "Get him!¡± He could hear the martial artists running over here. Was this the end? Exhausted and in distress, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes started to close. However, he suddenly felt as if he were floating. He looked and saw that someone was carrying him. ¡®Jun-Sik?¡¯ No, they weren¡¯t Seo Jun-Sik. He blinked a few times, but his vision was bing hazier by the second because his mind was shutting down. Still, he managed to catch a glimpse of the one carrying him away. ¡°You, why¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t hear an answer. Chapter 383. Public Enemy of Murim (3) Chapter 383. Public Enemy of Murim (3) The martial artists surrounded the man who was carefully holding Seo Jun-Ho. They were different from the clumsy martial artists Seo Jun-Sik was dealing with in the capital. In the Four Divine Beasts, the number of members per unit was only fifty. However, they were the best strike force of the Murim Alliance. ¡°...¡± The man nced at the two hundred martial artists surrounding him. Four of them came forward and pressed him. "I am Hwang Bo-Hyuk, the leader of the Blue Dragon Unit. That person is the public enemy of Murim, Seo Jun-Ho. He will be handled by the alliance from now on." "If you refuse, we will have no choice but to think that you are his aplice." "Make a wise choice¡­" The man shook his head. Hwang Bo-Hyukr¡¯s eyebrows wriggled. "You will help the public enemy of Murim? So you do not mind being considered on his side.¡± "Since you demand punishment, it can¡¯t be helped." The unit leaders pulled out their weapons and ordered, "Attack!" "He is an enemy protecting the public enemy of Murim, who has harmed hundreds of lives! Don''t hesitate!" The martial artists charged at the man with sword ki. The man nced at them and gently moved one foot. As the man¡¯s Inventory opened, hundreds of cold weapons fell to the floor. ¡®Weapons?¡¯ ¡®Foolish. Does he think such a cheap method can stall for time?" The martial artists snorted and swung their weapons. ¡°¡­!¡± "W-what!" Hundreds of weapons rose like living creatures and started dancing. These weapons covered with sword ki were more than enough to deal with hundreds of martial artists. "Is this sorcery?!" "They aren¡¯t that fast! Spread out and push¡­!¡± The martial artist who was yelling flew back as if he had been hit by a dump truck. A yer would have noticed at once that the man¡¯s skill was an absolutely umon level of ¡®telekinesis¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± The man looked down at Seo Jun-Ho, whose body temperature was gradually dropping. Treatment was urgently needed. No matter how useful his skill was in battles against a crowd of enemies, this was the 5th Floor. His skill had a clear limit because he couldn¡¯t recover his magic here. "Uaaak!" "U-ugh¡­¡± In the face of the brutal attacks, martial artists fell one by one in a spray of blood. He was different from Seo Jun-Ho. The man didn¡¯t discriminate between those who simply followed orders and those giving out those orders. For him, both sides were the same. "What is this shitty situation?!" After witnessing the death of their subordinates, the unit leaders rushed forward with burning eyes. ¡°...¡± It was dangerous to let them get close. As such, the man stomped, and hundreds of weapons gathered together to form a huge ring. "Weapon Hell.¡± The ring spun like a merry-go-round. At first, it spun rather slowly, but it spun faster and faster until it was fast enough to scare just about anyone. Whoooong! The spinning ring shrieked as it tore everything that made contact with it into pieces. It wasn¡¯t strange since the ring was big and sharp. "Damn it, retreat!" "Don''t approach!" "It''ll be a meaningless death!" The unit leaders had no choice but to step back with their subordinates. ''Inventory, teleport scroll.'' After confirming their retreat, the man bit the magic scroll. He turned his head and tore it apart. "U-unit Leader!" "...Damn it." The ring that created hell was quickly dismantled and sucked into the man''s Inventory. And without a trace, the man and Seo Jun-Ho disappeared from the battlefield. Caught by surprise, the unit leaders bit their lips. In their lives, they had dealt with all kinds of strange attacks from martial artists, but the man just now was unprecedented. "Whooo, that¡¯s unfortunate.¡± "Send a request to the alliance for additional support. We have to capture the public enemy of Murim." "Don''t forget to submit the description of the man we saw just now." Neo City''s best strike force, the Four Divine Beasts, wasposed of two hundred martial artists. However, a single battle resulted in forty-seven deaths among their ranks. *** Rattle, rattle. Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes at the sound of bowls shing. He could see a damp, mossy cave ceiling. ''I''m certain...¡¯ After a moment''s recollection, he sat up. "Keuk!" The wound in his abdomen split open, and blood permeated the tightly wrapped bandage. Enduring the bitter pain by gritting his teeth, he looked around. ¡®Where am I?¡¯ He had clearly been driven to the brink of death by Namgung Jincheon¡¯s scheme. After barely managing toe to his senses, he had instinctively tried to get away. ¡®And then I copsed¡­¡¯ Howe he woke up in a cave? His memory in between was nk. He felt like he had seen something he shouldn''t forget. ¡®What was it?¡¯ He frowned and browsed his memory for a while. Ssh, ssh. He then heard someone approaching him. ''Inventory.'' He took out White Dragon and prepared just in case. Peek. A helmet popped out. It was a Guy-Manuel Helmet. - Hi. Despite the wee greeting, the light in Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes dimmed. "Yes, I remember now." He finally remembered the one who saved him at thest moment and why he was so flustered upon seeing him. Seo Jun-Ho asked without lowering his guard, "Why did you save me?" He was part of a group of yers against Seo Jun-Ho and the Guild Master of the Labyrinth Guild, one of the two people behind Climb. "Answer me, Mr. Shoot." It was Mr. Shoot. In response, Shoot awkwardly disyed words on his LED panel. - Hehe;; haha¡­ "Don''t think about avoiding it. I know that Labyrinth is behind Climb along with Sky Soul." - (; ?_?) Shoot pretended as if he didn¡¯t hear Seo Jun-Ho. He left the food table in the air and ran away. The table that floated over to Seo Jun-Ho had porridge made with care. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes narrowed. He couldn''t figure out why Shoot was doing this kind of favor for him. ''Mr. Shoot, a mysterious man.¡¯ He was an unknown man whose information had never been leaked. As such, Seo Jun-Ho found it even more surprising why such an enigmatic man had helped him. ¡®Was his skill a kind of telekinesis?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but frown when he thought about the reason why Shoot easily revealed his skill. There was a note next to the bowl of porridge. - If you don''t eat the porridge quickly, it will get cold. But it is just a natural phenomenon. ¡°¡­¡± What? Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t lift his spoon, and Keen Intuition spoke. - I think it''s fine. I don¡¯t feel any danger from it. "Really?" - But that guy¡­ I feel like you know him. "I know that person?" asked Seo Jun-Ho in surprise while holding the spoon. He wasn¡¯t familiar with any telekinesis users. - I feel like that, but I''m not sure. "What the heck?" ¡®Why are you so useless?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t say those words out loud as his stomach growled. ¡®Let''s eat first.¡¯ He scooped up the porridge and ate it, and the smell of savory rice filled his mouth. "It''s tasty..." The food was better than he thought. Seo Jun-Ho quickly emptied the bowl of porridge and checked his condition. ¡®What a mess.¡¯ Namgung Jincheon had prepared such a nasty bomb. The bomb he had prepared was so strong it demolished an entire building. It was almost a miracle that Seo Jun-Ho was still alive despite taking a direct hit from such a bomb. ''If Keen Intuition¡¯s warning were a bitte...¡¯ The mere thought of it made him dizzy. He would have definitely disappeared without a trace. Bted regret settled in Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes. ¡®I forgot because I was wearing a mask in Murim.¡¯ Neo City was a city that used technology much more futuristic than Earth. Of course, the power of weapons such as bombs would easily exceed an Earthling¡¯s expectations. In addition, Seo Jun-Ho realized one more thing. ¡®Namgung Jincheon, he really only has one step left." There were some rules in this city. For example, coffins and Murim went hand in hand. In that context, it was stated that the only ones who could handle firearms were the imperial family. But this time, the taboo was broken. ¡®Namgung Jincheon has approached the System Chip.¡¯ Fortunately, the System Chip¡¯s security hadn¡¯t beenpletely breached just yet. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be holding his breath and hiding like this. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho clenched his fist at his helplessness. The wound on his left arm healed thanks to Cell Regeneration. However, it seemed like it would take two more days to heal all his abdominal wounds. ¡®The most important thing is magic...¡¯ He gathered as much magic as he could to protect himself from the bomb. He even put up several walls of ice. As a result, his magic plummeted to only six percent out of a hundred. His future looked bleak. There were still more than two weeks left until he received more field credits. He only had around five hundred field credits remaining, so his situation was dire. "Ah." Realizing something btedly, Seo Jun-Ho opened his Inventory and took out Wisoso. - Uh, Uuuh! - (????????¦ä??????? ) The frightened Wisoso opened their eyes cautiously upon being shaken. - Huh? Young Hero Seo? "Yes, it''s me." - What about that explosion? What about the Queen? He couldn''t summon the Frost Queen right now. ¡®I don''t have enough magic.¡¯ Once summoned, she would have to use his mental strength. She would have been a huge help in that fight if it weren¡¯t for the explosion sending her back to the Spirit World. - Wait, let me check our location first. Wisoso essed the Inte, checked something, and then spun around. - Oh, my god. This is outside the city! "¡­What?" - Do you still remember thendfill where west met? This ce is a lot farther from the city than thendfill. Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes quivered. There was a simple reason why there were no people living outside Neo City. It was all because of a terrible gas outside the walls all year round. ¡®Is this why?¡¯ Could it be that Shoot brought him here to abandon him since he had no more magic? ¡®Then the porridge just now...¡¯ Thest supper? Feeling a sense of urgency, Seo Jun-Ho jumped up from his seat. But contrary to his expectations, Shoot slowly approached him with a big box floating behind him. - Self-istion. "What?" Seo Jun-Ho looked at the box on the floor. He saw that it contained water, rations, and oxygen masks. "Why are you helping me?" - Same path. ¡°We¡¯re walking on the same path?¡± Shoot fixed his clothes and opened his system window. [5th floor, Neo City''s Dimensional Elevator has been destroyed.] [A Dimensional Elevator has been randomly installed.] Shoot shared the location of the new Dimensional Elevator with Seo Jun-Ho. After getting ready to leave, Shoot looked at Seo Jun-Ho onest time. - IT''S LATE BUT WELCOME BACK. MY HERO. After showing that sentence, Shoot tore a magic scroll and disappeared. Seo Jun-Ho seemed dissatisfied as he stared at the empty ce where Shoot had been standing. "What the hell is with that guy?" Seo Jun-Ho thought he was an enemy, but he suddenly saved him. Seo Jun-Ho thought they would have a war of nerves, but didn¡¯t he act like an obedient subordinate? And what did he say before he disappeared? ¡®What does he mean by my hero?¡¯ When he recalled those cringey words, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but think that Shoot could truly be someone he was familiar with in the past. ¡®I have a few guesses, but they couldn¡¯t have possibly saved me from that ce.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head and tightened the bandage on his abdomen. Once the wound healed, Seo Jun-Ho decided to devote himself to training. If he were to return to the city just like this, the Murim Alliance would simply capture him. There was only one way to turn the tables. ¡®I have to get stronger here.¡¯ ck Moon Martial Arts. He had to master it no matter what. With his eyes closed, Seo Jun-Ho reflected on Cheon-Gwang¡¯s teachings. Chapter 384. Public Enemy of Murim (4) Chapter 384. Public Enemy of Murim (4) Shoot came down to Earth using the Dimensional Elevator. The artificial ind in the Pacific Ocean was unprecedentedly full of people. "Get in line!" "Please show us your yer license!" "Hey, don''t you know who I am?¡± "I know. But I must ask you to identify yourself." A security yer even approached Shoot, who came out of the elevator. He asked with a slightly awkward look, "Wee, Mr. Shoot. Excuse me, but could you show me your yer''s license?" They would have usually let him pass after just a single look at his helmet, but the inspection was tighter than expected. The man who confirmed Shoot''s license nodded. "Thank you for your cooperation, and wee back to your home." - Thanks. As he walked out of the checkpoint, his subordinate teleporter approached. "Hello, Master." Shoot nodded and headed to the Labyrinth¡¯s headquarters in Silicon Valley. Entering his office, he immediately used his Vita to ess the Inte. [Seo Jun-Ho ran away after killing hundreds of yers. Where is he now?] [World yers Association, ¡®Still investigating the situation¡¯. The end of ipetence.] [Strengthening security checks at the Dimensional Elevators. Unprecedented.] [The bereaved families protest in front of the yers Association. ¡®Fair punishment for the murderer!¡¯] ... Sure enough, articles about the incident could be seen everywhere. It had already been two days since he rescued Seo Jun-Ho. R-r-r-r-ing! Shoot received a hologram video call request from the secretary''s office. - Master, the Guild Master of Sky Soul requested a private meeting with you. What should I do? The time hade. With a nod, the screen immediately switched. Depicted on the screen was Tenmei Yugo. - You seem to be busy these days. Have you heard? - Yes, yes. - It''s pathetic. I didn''t expect to lose half of the forces we sowed. - ¡­ Shoot did not answer. It meant that he wanted Tenmei Yugo to stop beating around the bush and bring up his business. - I called you because I wanted to ask you something. I got an interesting piece of news. Did you know? Two days ago, Seo Jun-Ho was rescued by a man with a helmet. - ¡Ñ¨y¡Ñ?¨y Shoot revealed an expression as if he had never heard of it. - I''ll ask you seriously. Are you the one who rescued Seo Jun-Ho? Shoot was silent for a moment, and then he replied in Japanese. - Who knows? The 5th floor is a cyberpunk world, a helmet like mine would be a dime a dozen. Isn''t that a leap? - I see. I asked, just in case. Just to be sure. Tenmei Yugo nodded slowly, with a unique ¡®I know everything¡¯ smile on his lips. - All right. I''m done with my business, so have a good rest. I''m sure you¡¯re tired from your travels. The call ended, but Shoot looked at the dim screen without saying a word. ¡®Is it as expected?¡¯ Tenmei Yugo used the word ¡®travels,¡¯ which meant that he knew about how Shoot had used the Dimensional Elevator. Shoot had deduced what happened and moved ordingly. However, the Sky Soul Guild wasn¡¯t a Guild full of fools, so there was no way they wouldn''t have noticed Shoot¡¯s movements. ¡®It''s too bad. It''s not time to show my fangs yet.¡¯ The timing was too bad. He went up to the 5th floor just in case something really happened. However, he didn¡¯t expect that Namgung Jincheon would actually try to kill Seo Jun-Ho with the yers. ¡®Is this the end of the y?¡¯ They had an alliance with Sky Soul, but it would be dissolved from now on. From today, he would be at odds with them in everything. ¡®I don''t think it¡¯ll matter.¡¯ He had no regrets. He had already severed those feelings twenty-seven years ago. He would never make the same mistake again. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Shoot closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time. How could he save Seo Jun-Ho? ¡®I can''t do it alone.¡¯ The issue was magic, if he had taken a bit longer to rescue Seo Jun-Ho, then they would have been stuck there, helpless. During that short period of time against the Four Divine Beasts, he had used thirty percent of his total magic. In that case, who should he bring to his side to increase his chances of sess? ¡®There¡¯s no need to worry.¡¯ There was only one answer. Shoot got up and used his Vita. - My apologies for calling you back so soon, but let me ask you for one more favor. "Of course. What is the destination?" When the teleporter asked, five letters appeared on his face. - KOREA. *** Wisoso rolled to check the box and clicked their tongue upon seeing what was inside. - Geez. That funny-looking head, Shoot, was careless. "What about Shoot?" - Look at the food in the bag. The box was packed with bottled water and rations. - The rations taste bad. "It''d be nice if the food were delicious, but I don¡¯t really expect anything in this situation." Seo Jun-Ho liked Shoot¡¯s consideration. Hundreds of low-volume rations were much better than a few delicious meals. "Even during my time. I couldn''t even eat these because there were none.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could still remember how he would pick up leaves and start eating them whenever he ran out of food inside Gates after something went awry. Of course, he knew that leaves had no nutritional value. However, his stomach ached so much that he ate anything to fill it. - You actually had such a sad story? "Yea, so this is a feast for me." Crunch, crunch. Seo Jun-Ho chewed the hard rations and swallowed them gently with water in his mouth. It was only the size of a finger, but it was a type of food that made him feel full just by eating one. ¡®Well, let''s get started.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho crossed his legs and sat. He devoted himself to training with the heart method Whoo. His magic ran along his magic circuits. Rather than going around in a circle, its pathing had changed. ¡®In even more detail, ording to Cheon-Gwang¡¯s rules.¡¯ He followed the milestones Cheon-Gwang left behind and guided his magic through those milestones. He could feel his magic efficiency increasing. However, the issuey in the final section of the ck Moon Heart Method. ck! The sports car called magic suddenly turned upside down. "Cough! Cough!" Seo Jun-Ho''s brows narrowed as he let out rough breaths. The final section of the ck Moon Heart Method was the stage of collecting all the magic spread throughout his body into the dantian. It was a path that had been troubling him for quite a while now. ¡®Just what''s the problem?¡¯ As if he had struck a speed bump, the flow of magic snapped, suffocating him. He could properly execute the other parts of the heart method, but he was having trouble with this section. ¡®At first, I thought it was all because I still haven¡¯t gotten used to it...¡¯ But after hundreds of tries, that thought copsed like a sandcastle. ¡®Is there something wrong with the phrase Cheon-Gwang taught me?¡¯ Whenever he got lost, Seo Jun-Ho would look at Cheon-Gwang¡¯s hologram through Wisoso. Cheon-Gwang always spoke with the same posture, the same expression, and the same tone. - This martial art is a martial art made to change the world. Seo Jun-Ho memorized everything Cheon-Gwang had said without missing a single word. However, the result remained unchanging. Seo Jun-Ho was starting to get impatient. "¡­Why isn¡¯t it working?" While he was stuck doing nothing but trying to ovee the final section of the heart method, Namgung Jincheon had to be moving even closer to his goal. As such, Seo Jun-Ho knew that he couldn¡¯t dilly-dally here. "Again." Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. Once again, his magic moved around his body. *** "The requests for interviews are endless." "The press is still sending reporters over to us, but it will be too reckless to answer them." "The bereaved families have set up camp in front of the building and are protesting. I don¡¯t think that we will be able to send them away peacefully." "Whew..." Listening to the report, Shim Deok-Gu kneaded his throbbing forehead. Every piece of news was making things harder for him. In addition, he also had no idea what the exact situation was like. ¡®There¡¯s only one thing I know.'' Seo Jun-Ho was definitely not the kind of person to do such a thing. Unfortunately, all he could do was trust his friend. "Keep rejecting the interviews, please. As for the protestors, don¡¯t touch them." "I understand." The association staff member quickly left the conference room. Shim Deok-Gu could see the staff member¡¯s fatigue from their drooping shoulders. ''The staff are shaken as well.¡¯ They didn¡¯t really know Seo Jun-Ho as well as he did. They knew him through the media, so they believed in the media¡¯s depiction of him so far, and they respected him. However, the media was now denouncing Specter. Specter was now being depicted as a viin, so it was only natural for their faith to get shaken. Fortunately, the staff members had faith in Shim Deok-Gu, so they were still here. ¡®Whew, how should I resolve this?¡¯ Even Seo Jun-Ho''s condition was unclear. He had no idea whether Seo Jun-Ho was alive or if he was seriously injured. He hadn¡¯t heard from Seo Jun-Ho since he went missing. - President. Shim Deok-Gu opened his eyes upon receiving a phone call from the secretary¡¯s office. "What''s going on?" - We have a visitor. "I believe I told you to turn down all those who are looking for me for the time being." - Well, he said that he has to see you, President. The visitor is the Guild Master of the Labyrinth Guild... The Guild Master of Labyrinth? Mr. Shoot? Shim Deok-Gu frowned. ¡®He¡¯s one of the two people behind Climb.¡¯ So why was he here? Shim Deok-Gu thought about it for a while before saying, "Send him up to my office." - I understand. Shim Deok-Gu waited for a while, and the secretary eventually knocked on the door. The person who came through the open door was a man wearing a neat suit and a Guy-Manuel helmet. It was Mr. Shoot. "I''m Shim Deok-Gu, President of the Korean yer Association." - Hello. The two shook hands, and Shim Deok-Gu asked as soon as he sat down. "Yes, so why did you want to see me? If it''s a trivial reason, I''ll send you back right away." Shim Deok-Gu remained unfazed even in front of one of the Six Masters. Shoot remained silent for a while before taking a device out of his pocket and aiming it at a few corners in the office. "Wait, what are you doing?¡± - Wiretaps, checking the CCTV. "There''s no such thing in my room." Shim Deok-Gu''s boasting wasn¡¯t just mere boasting since the device didn¡¯t let out a signal. Confirming that, Shoot got to the point. - Seo Jun-Ho is alive. ¡°¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu''s eyes turned sharp. "You¡¯re telling me to believe that?" - I know it''s hard to believe because I¡¯m one of the forces behind Climb. "Why did you even bring it up, then?" - Because I saved him. ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu closed his mouth. He recalled the report Moonlight had sent over to him. - Specter-nim was rescued from the scene after the explosion. The rescuer is an unidentified man wearing a helmet. The first one who came to his mind when he heard the rescuer¡¯s description was Shoot. However, Shoot had no reason to rescue Seo Jun-Ho. The Murim Alliance would have killed Seo Jun-Ho if he had been left alone. In that case, why did Shoot rescue Seo Jun-Ho? - Evidence. Shoot tapped on his Vita to show a picture of Seo Jun-Ho eating porridge in a cave. At that, Shim Deok-Gu clenched his fists tightly. ¡®So you were alive!¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu didn¡¯t think that Seo Jun-Ho was dead, but he also didn¡¯t think that he would look fine. After all, the bomb was strong enough to kill hundreds of yers, and it exploded directly in front of Seo Jun-Ho. "What do you want?" - Cooperation. "Cooperation?" Shim Deok-Gu''s eyes narrowed. He thought Shoot would take Seo Jun-Ho hostage and threaten him, but Shoot actually asked for cooperation from out of nowhere. Shim Deok-Gu thought for a while and said, "I would like to express my gratitude to you as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s friend and as the President of the Korean yer Association for saving Jun-Ho. But what is the cooperation for? In addition, we don¡¯t even know each other." A suspicious ally was more dangerous than an enemy one could see. - ¡­ Mr. Shoot did not say anything. Since Shim Deok-Gu didn¡¯t know him, then he would just tell him more about himself. Psshhh. Smoke rushed out from the helmet, and the sound of rushing wind could be heard as if the helmet was depressurized. The helmet came off. Finally, Shoot¡¯s face, which had remained hidden for decades, was revealed. A calm yet rough voice emerged from his lips. "Long time no see." ¡°¡­?¡± Shim Deok-Gu stared at Shoot¡¯s face for a moment, and his expression gradually became dyed with shock. "My god..." Shim Deok-Gu started trembling. He was so overwhelmed by the reveal that even his head started trembling. Shim Deok-Gu nodded. The man in front of him was undoubtedly an ally. Chapter 385. Sandcastle (1) Chapter 385. Sandcastle (1) Whoosh! The heaven and the earth became filled with terrible heat. A great fire had swept past the ce, leaving nothing but the remnants of what had been a bug. "Ugh, it''s hot." Gong Ju-Ha cried and collected the mes. She then hurriedly retrieved a bottle of cold water from her Inventory. Whooosh! As she cooled down, the message she had always wanted to see finally popped up. [Calcting yer Gong Ju-Ha''s score.] [Clear time: 2 years, 3 months, 3 days, 5 hours, 12 seconds.] [Number of normal cockroaches killed: 82,751.] [Number of special cockroaches killed: 813.] ¡­ [Your overall grade is ¡®A¡¯.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­ [All stats have increased by 9.] [Congrattions, you have cleared the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty level.] [You cannot enter the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty level again.] "I won¡¯te back even if you beg me!" Gong Ju-Ha lifted her clenched fists. "I''m awaaaaake!" Excited by the fact, she rolled up and danced like a pill bug. When she realized what she was doing, she became a bit embarrassed beforeughing for the first time in a long time. She had spent two years and three months clearing the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty of Another World. It was nothingpared to how much time Seo Jun-Ho had spent. ¡®Mr. Jun-Ho, are you really human?¡¯ How the hell did he spend seventeen years here? Gong Ju-Ha thought about how she would write him a long letter saying that he was amazing when she got back. ¡®Well, and maybe¡­ we can eat together?'' He couldn¡¯t say no. If he refused again, she would burn his hair off. ¡®Two years and three months. Perhaps I cleared it this fast because the difficulty level significantly dropped ording to my level.¡¯ The Erebo she had faced before emitted an energy several times stronger energy than the Erebo had killed just now. "It''s a little sad to think that." She could have done better. However, when she thought about how she would finally leave Another World, she became filled withplex emotions. Still, if someone were to ask her if she wanted to try it again, she would p their face instead of giving a reply. sh! ¡®Ugh, it¡¯s too bright.¡¯ She could feel herself moving with the intense light. When she lifted her long eyshes once again, she saw an elevator door in front of her. [You have arrived on the 1st Floor. The door is opening.] ¡®Ice tea! Patbingsu! Watermelon punch!¡¯[1] Gong Ju-Ha, who ran out of the door excitedly, tilted her head. ¡®What''s up with the crowd?¡¯ Was there a rumor that she was about toe back down to Earth? That couldn¡¯t be. As she snooped near the crowded checkpoint for no reason, a security guard approached her. "We will help you with the inspection over here." "Oh, yes." Gong Ju-Ha straightened her back, opened her eyes wide, and looked at the security guard. People would usually recognize her and let her pass whenever she did that. "Sigh..." However, the employee sighed deeply and reached out his hand. "Excuse me, you have to give me your yer''s license to start the inspection." "Uh, oh¡­ Here." Gong Ju-Ha hurriedly searched her Inventory and held out her license with both hands. Embarrassment oozed out of her wrinkled shoulders and reddened face. "Now, raise your hands and walk this way slowly. Huh? Hold on, stop." The employee found something and lifted his Vita with a serious look on his face. "This is a B-13 checkpoint! I repeat. This is a B-13 checkpoint. A suspicious person has been found. Requesting support, over." "I-I¡¯m suspicious? I''m not a suspicious girl at all!¡± Gong Ju-Ha protested, aggrieved. However, the security guard took out his weapon and widened his distance from her. "I warn you, if you move, I''ll attack you." Gong Ju-Ha had always been a good listener. She waited with a tearful face and stood stiff as ice, and a group of people soon came running. "What''s going on?" "Ah, senior. She''s a little weird." The security guard handed the license over to his senior. "Wait. Isn''t she Gong Ju-Ha-nim?¡± "I''m a member of her fan club." "What mistake did our princessmit that she has to raise her hands?¡± Gong Ju-Ha was the team leader of Goblin''s second team. She was a High Ranker among the High Rankers, and she was one of the world''s most popr stars since her debut. However, the security guard, who seemed new here, shouted boldly, "I think she¡¯s an imposter! The license says she''s 161 cm tall, but when she passed through the checkpoint, she was only 156.8 cm tall¡ª¡± "Stop, stop! Stop right there." The senior tapped the new employee on the shoulder and spoke heavily. Afterward, everyone¡¯s face became solemn. The senior employee slowly approached Gong Ju-Ha and returned the license with a bitter smile. "You can just go. It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re rooting for you. Cheer up." ¡®What''s okay? What are you rooting for? What do you mean, cheer up?¡¯ ''I''m not cheering up at all...¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha, who looked like a martyr who had just lost her country, staggered away. She found a bench outside and calmed her frightened heart by watching the passing clouds. Then, she retrieved her Vita and posted a question in the Community forums. [Guys, why is the security so strict on the artificial ind where the dimensional elevator is located?] In the blink of an eye, her post received a lot ofments. - It''s all because of Seo Jun Ho. - Yeah, security was tightened after that ¡®incident¡¯. - Come to think of it, it has already been a month since that ¡®incident¡¯. Gong Ju-Ha tilted her head. ¡®What incident are they talking about?¡¯ She wriggled her fingers as she looked through thements. - Excuse me, what is that incident? I don''t really know. - If you don''t know, you have to research. - You just need to open the search box and look through the posts from a month ago. That¡¯s it. - Why do you have no idea? Perhaps you just got out of prison? - Don''t look down on prisons. You can hear news of the outside world from prisons these days. - How do you know that? "Damn, I have fingers, too.¡± They could have just told her directly instead of being so annoying. She grumbled through the articles of the past month. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face grew stiff as she read through the articles. She jumped up from her seat and was about to call someone. "Ju-Ha-nim?" Two yers with the Korean yer Association badge on their chests approached her. "What is it? I''m busy right now." "The Association President is looking for you. Could you spare a moment?" ¡°¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha thought for a moment before nodding away. "Lead the way." *** Arriving at the association building with the teleporter, Gong Ju-Ha entered the elevator. From the windows of the elevator, she could see a crowd gathered in front of the building. "Who are they?¡± "The protesters. They¡¯re made up of the bereaved families of the yers who died on the 5th floor." They firmly believed that Seo Jun-Ho had killed their rtives. They had already been protesting for a month, but there was nothing they could do. "Come this way, please.¡± The teleporter led her to a floor she had never visited before. It was a conference room that should have been off-limits to outsiders. Upon entering, Gong Ju-Ha''s eyelids trembled ever so slightly. ¡®These people...¡¯ She knew every single one of them. In fact, she knew some of them too well. "Please sit over there." Gong Ju-Ha sat down with a puzzled expression and asked, "Master, what happened?" "I¡¯ll tell you the detailster," Shin Sung-Hyun muttered. "I think everyone is here.¡± The President of the Korean yer Association, Shim Deok-Gu, standing at the head of the table looked around and spoke, "Well, then. Let''s begin the briefing for the Specter rescue operation." Gong Ju-Ha''s eyes widened. *** Aside from Shim Deok-Gu, who was rubbing his nose, most of the yers left after the meeting. "Are you okay?" asked Arthur while extending a can of coffee toward Shim Deok-Gu. Shim Deok-Gu''s workload was unimaginably brutal over the past thirty days. "Thank you. Honestly, I¡¯m not okay, but I have to be.¡± After all, the guy who wasn¡¯t really fine was definitely alone right now. Shim Deok-Gu turned his head and asked, "What do you think of the n?¡± "Hmm." After a moment of silence, Skaya spoke, "The outline is not bad, but it has a few prerequisites to be sessful.¡± "What are those?" "The person who told you about Jun-Ho''s survival and location. Are you sure you can count on him?¡± Rahmadat, Gilberto Green, and Arthur turned to Shim Deok-Gu. Shim Deok-Gu nodded upon receiving their gazes. "You can trust him," he said. "Then why are you hiding his identity?¡± Gilberto asked. If he was really trustworthy, why was Shim Deok-Gu hiding his identity from them? "There''s anotherplicated reason for that¡­ You''ll find out more about itter." "Hmm. We trust you, but we don''t won¡¯t blindly trust your source. We don¡¯t even know his name," said Rahmadat. Shim Deok-Gu smiled self-deprecatingly at Rahmadat''s words. He checked the time on his Vita and looked out the window. ¡®Is it soon?¡¯ He remembered a man who was likely now across the sea in Japan. *** Aomori, Japan. In the forest of a rugged mountainous area, there was a household of swordsmen boasting hundreds of years of history. "My lord, thedy is here." ¡°¡­¡± Tenmei Yugo slowly opened his eyes upon hearing the servant. "Send her in." Tenmei Mio came through the open door. Tenmei Yugo frowned upon seeing her. "I believe I told you to follow the house¡¯s rules whenever you¡¯re here.¡± Following the spirit of their ancestors, it was the family''s rule to wear only traditional Japanese clothes at home. However, Mio was wearing abat outfit only yers would wear. "I¡¯m leaving as soon as I¡¯m done listening." "I told you that whenever you¡¯re in Rome, you will have to obey thews of Rome." "Oh! I will when I go to Rome." "You¡¯ve really learned how to speak nonsense after so many years of not seeing you.¡± Tenmei Yugo clicked his tongue. "I heard what happened on the 4th Floor. You fought Ryo in a duel and took overmand?¡± "Yes, I couldn''t kill everyone there, after all.¡± "It seems that you really know how to use the house¡¯s rules." Tenmei Yugo sneered and said bluntly, "I''ll have you do just one thing. It''s something on the 2nd Floor." "I''m busy." "What?" Unable to bear it, Tenmei Yugo''s eyebrows twitched. "Will it kill you to listen to my words calmly?! Take after your older brothers!" "Do you really think that I don''t know why you''re giving me that order?" He certainly did it on purpose. He didn¡¯t want her to go up to the 5th Floor. Whooo. Tenmei Yugo sighed. "He''s a criminal. Why are you protecting him?" "Jun-Ho would never do something like what they are saying because he hates crime.¡± "So everyone on the 5th Floor is lying?" "Yes." "I''m going crazy." On one hand, Tenmei Yugo found it ridiculous, but on the other hand, he felt envious. If Mio had given him that kind of trust, he wouldn¡¯t have had to settle as one of the Big 6. ''She has definitely changed. She doesn¡¯t listen anymore, even if I yell.¡¯ Back then, Mio always cried and listened whenever he was harsh toward her. Now that she had grown up, though, she wouldn¡¯t listen anymore. As such, Tenmei Yugo decided to change his strategy. "Ibuki will definitely love how you¡¯ve changed." ¡°¡­¡± Mio bit her lips. ¡°He would always be restless whenever we quarreled. If he were alive, we wouldn''t have to fight¡ª¡± "Stop." Mio sprang up from her seat. "Don''t call me for something like this again." "It''s His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s request. If you refuse, the family''s position will be shaken. Ibuki wouldn''t want that to happen." ¡°¡­¡± "I will soon pass away. To pass on an unwavering castle to your inadequate brothers, I have to establish the family¡¯s prestige. That is why I am asking you to do this." Tenmei Yugo looked up at Mio pitifully. Mio''s face gradually distorted as she looked at him. Tenmei Yugo had be old. Her scary and self-righteous father had be old after twenty-seven years. ¡®I''m the fool for being hopeful.¡¯ What did she even expect? Could a father and daughter''s conversation for the first time in twenty-seven years be like this? Mio felt as if there was a hole in her heart. Eventually, she muttered indifferently. "This is thest time." "Thank you, thank you so much.¡± "Be healthy." Tenmei Yugo smiled softly at Mio as she ran out. Mio had always been a child who was soft and weak against affection. Perhaps she would never turn down any of his requests until he died. *** Depressed, Mio crouched down by the pond and looked at the carp swimming in the pond. She was about to forget him, but he came to her mind once again¡ªTenmei Ibuki¡ªthe youngest of the family¡¯s three sons. He was Mio¡¯s cute younger brother who had always followed her everywhere. ¡®¡­¡¯ He was the kindest child in the family who would have grown up great if it weren''t for the mistake of that day. The reason why she had always epted her family¡¯s tyrannical requests was Mio¡¯s form of atonement for him. "Ibuki¡­" She cried silently with her head down. A man was looking at her from a distance, and a servant spoke to interrupt him. "Is something wrong? My lord is waiting inside." - ¡­ The man shook his head and walked down the hallway. He eventually arrived in the room where Mio had been just a while ago. "Honestly, I''m a little surprised." Tennmei Yugo said, "I didn''t think you''de to me." - We have to clear up the misunderstanding. - We¡¯re in an alliance, right? - (^^) Mr. Shoot cheekily put up a bright emoticon. 1. Patbingsu is shaved ice with red beans and condensed milk. ? Chapter 386. Sandcastle (2)

Chapter 386. Sandcastle (2)

The eyes of the man on the sofa were closed. He was meditating to make sure his heart would always be away from distraction. Tap, tap, tap! Something kept flying into his head. ¡°¡­¡± He slowly opened his dark obsidian-like eyes, and they were full of dissatisfaction. Upon receiving that look, Son Chae-Won replied, "Woo-Joong, Kim Woo-Joong." "First, don''t throw popcorn at me." Kim Woo-Joong shook the popcorn off his hair and warned her seriously. "Second, I can''t forgive the onion-vored ones, especially because the powder gets on me." "What should I do? I think I¡¯ll throw them again to you because it¡¯s funny how you¡¯re trying to stand your ground in front of me." Son Chae-Won smirked and put popcorn in her mouth as she continued. "And why is our guild¡¯s ace so angry?" ¡°¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong closed his mouth tightly, and Son Chae-Won''s eyes became round. "What, are you upset because you got hit by popcorn a little bit?" "I''m not upset about that, no. I''m not upset in the first ce," he murmured, turning away his frowning face. "¡­People are being too much.¡± "Ah,I see. You''re like this because of Specter-nim." "The path he has been taking is the path of noble sacrifice. How can people do that to him?¡± "Why? I''m actually rather impressed. It seems that people will curse you less as long as you¡¯re a hero of mankind." "Less?" Kim Woo-Joong''s eyebrows twitched. "Are you saying that because you have no idea that there are 981 new maliciousments on the major portal articles just today?" "No, I didn''t know. You... you counted all of them?¡± Just how much free time did he spend browsing the Inte? Son Chae-Won continued with an incredulous look. "Well, first of all, the people cursing at Specter right now can be divided into three categories.¡± She extended three fingers. "One is journalists. Either they have been bribed, or they¡¯re writing provocative articles to earn money.¡± "The second is the bereaved family?" "That''s right. Those who had just lost their families will naturally be unable to think straight.¡± Kim Woo-Joong understood. However, there were simply too many articles attacking Specter. "What''s thest one?" "What do you think? They''re just haters." Son Chae-Won shrugged and said, "Think of it like this. How will people react if you or Shin Sung-Hyun are rumored to have killed hundreds of yers?" ¡°¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong thought calmly. "I don''t know. Maybe people will curse at me like this." "That¡¯s obvious. But you''ll get a lot more, a lot more and worse curses than what Specter-nim is receiving right now.¡± People had always been envious of the members of the Big 6. Envy would be yearning and respect once the person in question matured, but it could easily be a twisted kind of jealousy with a bit of maniption. "Specter-nim is a hero who saved mankind many times before, so people are holding back their judgment." The world would always curse one for a single mistake even if one had done things well hundreds of times before. In addition, Specter was used of killing hundreds of people. Son Chae-Won truly couldn¡¯t help but admire Specter¡¯s influence on the world. ¡°¡­¡± Upon seeing that Kim Woo-Joong still looked grumpy, she lightly soothed him by saying, "Woo-Joong, humans are emotional animals." People easily sympathized with others, and they were easily influenced by emotions. As such, emotions were double-edged swords. "The ones leading the protests are the bereaved families." The bereaved families needed a subject for their resentment rather than the truth. The Murim Alliance and Climb took advantage of that and gave them what they needed. ¡°Shim Deok-Gu responded well. He didn¡¯t carelessly touch the beehive." "A beehive..." Kim Woo-Joong nodded slightly. "The public opinion would have been worse if Shim Deok-Gu responded strongly to the protestors." However, Kim Woo-Joong still felt that what the bereaved families were doing was too much. Unfortunately, people tend to extend their hands to the weak. "Yes, and it is exactly what the enemy wants." Shim Deok-Gu urately grasped the opponent''s plot, so he endured for a month. The people out there had started portraying his friend as a murderer and viin, but he persevered. "A month is a long time.¡± It was long enough for people to stop caring about what wasn¡¯t their business. At the same time, it was long enough for the bereaved families to recover their minds to some extent. "Have you heard about today¡¯s n? The n is pretty great, so you don¡¯t have to worry that much about it." "In that case, I won¡¯t worry, but¡­" Kim Woo-Joong started. He didn¡¯t really like what was going on. "It makes me think of a sand castle,¡± he said. How many times had Specter saved the world? He sparked hope in the dark days of the Gates. He killed the Frost Queen, who terrorized everyone. He killed Janabi to announce a new beginning and wiped out the Fiend Association from thend. He even decided to abandon his life to save the citizens by confronting the Heavenly Demon, and he also endured seventeen years of regression to eventually kill Erebo. "He has been walking on that kind of path." However, Specter¡¯s achievements were being ignored for over a month now, at least on the Inte. It didn¡¯t matter whether those opinions came from those who had been bribed or those haters who united under the banner of envy and jealousy, Kim Woo-Joong didn¡¯t like what they were doing at all. "¡­He¡¯ll be hurt if hees backter and sees those things on the Inte.¡± ¡°Um,are you his mother? Why are you worried about that?¡± "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m his mom." "Hmm?" ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong opened and closed his lips a few times. However, he closed his eyes again, unable to speak. ¡®Considering he came all the way to visit me in the hospital back then...¡¯ He was a friend, right? Maybe they were friends. *** Shim Deok-Gu thought that public opinion should be reversed before anything else. ¡®I can''t show him this kind of scene when hees down after being rescued.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had always been on a difficult path. He could get deeply disappointed after being criticized by those whom he had been protecting with all his heart and body. ''I won''t let him see such a thing no matter what.¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu, who was looking down at the outside of the building with cold eyes, checked the time. 3 PM. The hour hand had just pointed at 6 AM GMT. "It should have started by now.¡± Articles were indiscriminately uploaded to web portals around the world. All the articles were rted to Seo Jun-Ho. However, the contents of the article illuminated apletely different aspect than before. [New York yers reporter Dan Choke and 2,138 others. Bribery worth hundreds of millions of won from Sky Soul Guild.] [Sky Soul Guild, suspected of viting the Gate monopolyw.] [World yer Association. Subpoena issued to Sky Soul Guild for special threat.] [The second son of the Sky Soul Guild, Tenmei Ryo''s power tripping and assault video.] ¡­ The corners of Shim Deok-Gu''s mouth went up. These were the fangs. They were sharp fangs that would plunge into the neck of the Sky Soul Guild at once. ¡®I¡¯m d we aren¡¯t Mr. Shoot¡¯s enemy¡­¡¯ Shoot had opened Pandora''s box, and it contained all manner of evil he had secretly collected over the past decades. By now, the Sky Soul Guild should have received the sudden one-two punch, and they were definitely going mad. "They''ll likely prepare counter articles along with a wave of counterattack." ¡®Do it¡­ You have to do it no matter what.¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu smiled fiercely and prayed. *** "What kind of mess is this?!¡± Tenmei Yugo hollered with disapproval. The leaders of the Sky Soul Guild gathered in the conference room of his home and had their heads lowered without saying a word. "Ryo!" "Yes, yes, Father." Tenmei Ryo jumped up like a spring and immediately bowed his head. p! He was pped in the face, but he quickly straightened back up as if nothing happened. "Just how do you handle things normally that such a video got leaked?" "I am sorry, I will have it deleted somehow..." "Delete? You¡¯ll have it deleted somehow?" Tenmei Yugo poked Tenmei Ryo in the chest. Such action was more humiliating than getting beaten up because Tenmei Yugo was basically trampling on his pride. ¡°You¡¯re going to delete the video that hundreds of millions of people had definitely seen by now? For what? To show everyone that you¡¯re guilty?¡± ¡°I was short-sighted¡­¡± Tenmei Ryo trembled with his mouth shut. It wasn¡¯t just because he was humiliated in front of many people at the old age of 40. It was also because he was worried that he might not be able to inherit the inheritance due to this incident. Tenmei Yugo warned. "If this brings the power of the family and the guild to the ground, I want you to know that it will be over for you as well." "Yes..." The conference room was silent. No one even dared to breathe because they didn''t want to go against Tenmei Yugo. It was obvious that Tenmei Yugo had firmly dominated the family and the guilds of Japan with his imposing bearing over the past few decades. "Tell me what we can do." ¡°¡­¡± The executives only looked at each other without saying anything, so Tenmei Yugo mmed his hand into the desk. "Are you all deaf? Have you all forgotten how to speak?!¡± "I-it is not like there is no way out." The frightened executives started expressing their opinions one by one. After a few hours, Tenmei Yugo''s anger subsided somewhat. "So, we should only apologize for the small things, then hide. As for the rest, we pretend that we¡¯re innocent?" "Yes. The controversy over the second young master''s power trip will fade after a few years of hiding." "And during that time, we can recover our image by revealing our volunteer work through media outlets." "At the same time, we should use Seo Jun-Ho even more as a murderer to distract the people." "Hmm." Tenmei Yugo was lost in thought. Dozens of people had put their heads together, but there was still no way to escape from this ambush unscathed. ¡®Throw away what should be thrown, and take only what is necessary.¡¯ As always, Tenmei Yugo made a reasonable judgment. "Ryo." "Y-yes, Father." "I''ll set a date for the conference. You will have to apologize for your mistakes and hide." "Father... ¡° Tenmei Ryo looked as if he was about to cry. He knew that with Tenmei Yugo¡¯s personality, thetter would surely abandon him if he couldn¡¯t make aeback. "Why do you look like you''re about to cry when you haven¡¯t done anything good? Did I create this mess?!Huh?!" Ryo bit his lip at Tenmei Yugo¡¯s roar and lowered his head. "¡­I will follow your advice." "Of course, you should." His younger brother had just been abandoned like an old shoe, but the eldest son, Tenmei Oga, didn¡¯t even bat an eye as he said, "I will prepare a rebuttal article." "Do you really think that something half-assed will work?¡± "I will go to the 5th Floor." "Why there?" When Tenmei Yugo showed interest, Tenmei Oga expressed his confidence. "I n to meet with the Murim Alliance to gather evidence. Evidence from there will be even more convincing." "Hmm." It wasn¡¯t a bad idea. The Murim Alliance had also lost hundreds of martial artists, so they should cooperate that much. "I''ll give you two days. Go ahead." "Yes." When the meeting ended, Tenmei Oga secretly went up to the 5th Floor through the Sky Soul Guild¡¯s exclusive Dimensional Elevator. Tenmei Yugo sat down and gnashed his teeth while looking at the updated articles. "Fucking pigs. How dare they bite their master?" He memorized the media characters and celebrities tearing the Sky Soul Guild apart. ¡®The great Sky Soul won''t fall down from this much rain and wind.¡¯ It had always been the case for hundreds of years now. They had persevered through any kind of repression and eventually won. Tenmei Yugo''s eyes glistened with killing intent. ¡®Once this typhoon passes and Sky Soul stands tall once again.¡¯ They would have to face his anger head-on. Chapter 387. Sandcastle (3) Chapter 387. Sandcastle (3) Aftering up to the 5th Floor, Tenmei Oga headed straight to the Murim Alliance. He asked for a private meeting with Namgung Jincheon, but he couldn''t get a meeting with thetter right away. "Hey, how long do I have to wait?" "Wait, and I will let you know." It had been five hours of receiving the same answer from the martial artist. Sitting around waiting for the other person''s permission was a struggle. It was even more painful for him because he had always been the one who gave others permission to meet him. "I will guide you in." After nine hours, he was finally granted permission to meet Namgung Jincheon. Entering the room, Tenmei Oga bowed his head lightly. ¡®Is he the head of the Murim Alliance?¡¯ Namgung Jincheon turned out to be an old man giving off a strange feeling. Simr to a stone on the road, not a single strand of energy could be felt from him. Namgung Jincheon said, "So, you''re from Earth?" "Yes, I am Tenmei Oga, the Vice Guild Master of the Sky Soul Guild." "I see." Namgung Jincheon seemed indifferent. It was Tenmei Oga¡¯s first time being treated this badly, but he couldn¡¯t express his displeasure here. "Alliance Leader, there has been an unsavory incident, but we do not resent the Murim Alliance." "Hoh.¡± Namgung Jincheon looked surprised. He thought Tenmei Oga came here to ask forpensation for thete yers. "It was an ident. It was also an ident caused by a vicious terrorist." ¡°¡­¡± Namgung Jincheon stared at Tenmei Oga as if he wanted thetter to continue. "Let me put it bluntly. Neo City''s technology is far ahead of us." Neo City¡¯s technology was so advanced that aparison with Earth would make anyone feel bad. Tenmei Oga wanted to take advantage of Neo City¡¯s technology. "It shouldn¡¯t be hard to create a fabrication video with Neo City¡¯s technology, right?" Video fabrication. Namgung Jincheon smirked for the first time since the conversation started. "You must hate him a lot.¡± "I thought you feel the same way, considering how you handled the situation.¡± "I won''t deny it." Seo Jun-Ho was a thorn in Namgung Jincheon¡¯s side. Seo Jun-Ho was not only aware of his ambition, but he could have also learned Cheon-Gwang¡¯s martial arts. ¡®I''m not afraid of him, but it would be easier to deal with him before he gets any more annoying.¡¯ In addition, securing the Small Heavenly Demon Wisoso was one of Namgung Jincheon¡¯s motives. It had been a month since he released martial artists and had them search all over the city, but they still couldn¡¯t find any traces of Seo Jun-Ho. As such, Namgung Jincheon concluded that Seo Jun-Ho had already fled outside the city. "He¡¯s probably hiding outside the city, but he will not be able tost very long." "Outside the city?" Tenmei Oga showed interest. "I know it''s not a human-friendly environment, but¡­" "If he stays here, he¡¯ll die, so he has no choice but to go out." In addition, one couldn¡¯t naturally recover their magic in Neo City. It had already been a month since Seo Jun-Ho started living outside the city where dangerous gas circted. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ It was an opportunity. Tenmei Oga agonized over something before speaking, "Alliance Leader, do you have any ns on doing a search outside the city?" "I have, but why are you asking me that all of a sudden?" "I think I can be of some help." Tenmei Oga grinned. It just so happened that the Sky Soul Guild had a yer with the innate talent of finding people. *** Tenmei Oga proudly returned to his family, holding the fabricated video he had asked for. With the heat turned up, the Sky Soul Guild hurriedly started a public opinion battle. [The second son of the Tenmei family bows his head and apologizes. ¡®I am sorry to the public who must have been disappointed by this.¡¯] [Sky Soul Guild, ¡®Our internal audit reveals that all other rumors are groundless. Strict punishment will be handed down to those who spread rumors.¡¯] [The Sky Soul Guild rebounds? The giant''s counterattack!] [Announcement of the Japanese yer Association¡¯s position, denies charges of ¡®Sky Soul Guild viting the Monopoly Law.''] ¡­ Theizens started to go crazy once again once the articles were released. It was simr to how adding oil to embers would make them burn fiercely once more. - I don''t know who to trust anymore. - I''ll put it in neutral gear and wait. - No, but why didn''t they apologize for trying to bury Specter-nim by bribing reporters? - Ah, haha, the Sky Soul Guild said their own people made audits and that they didn¡¯t do anything wrong! - Haha, how can they apologize when they didn''t do anything wrong? Hahaha. In everyone¡¯s eyes, the Sky Soul Guild wasn¡¯t really doing anything other than denying everything that had been thrown at them. Their actions attracted ridicule from many people, and even their past mistakes were exhumed to use against them. - Wasn¡¯t the Sky Soul Guild embroiled in a simr controversy before? - Yea, yea, it was noisy for a while because they bribed the Japanese yer Association. - What? So they¡¯re trash? How are they still active normally? - They bribed everyone and apologized, then wrote ten letters of apology, haha. - Ah, lol, if they bribed everyone, then there''s nothing you can do. - It''s eptable if you wrote ten letters of apology, lol. The public generally believed in Seo Jun-Ho. They would naturally believe in the savior of mankind more than a conglomerate. - Honestly, I have always believed in Specter-nim. He¡¯s not that kind of person. - Sir... But then why did you make a fuss about Specter a week ago and write, ¡®are you a sociopath?¡¯ - I''m a retired member of that side. Those who had posted maliciousments on the Inte were busy erasing the traces of what they had done out of embarrassment. Meanwhile, a video clip was released on the official social media ount of the Sky Soul Guild. - What¡¯s this? It looks like it¡¯s from a CCTV screen. - What''s up with the resolution? The image quality of the video was so high it looked like one was looking at the scene with their own eyes. After a while, Seo Jun-Ho was seen silently installing a bomb with an indifferent look. - Huh? - Why is he on there? The screen was then switched, and hundreds of Climb yers were seenughing and chatting happily. sh! A sh of light swallowed buildings, and main roads, along with the peaceful yers. The video ended with an exnation from the Sky Soul Guild. [We aren¡¯t happy about releasing this video.] [However, we think that we have a duty to face the truth as one of the Big 6.] [We are sorry for the recent controversy, but we have never lied.] People were slightly shaken by the unfair exnation that seemed to be sincere. - That¡¯s obviously fabricated. - The quality looks clearer than your face. What fabrication? Lol. - Hey, I was the one who left earlier, and I was right. He''s a bad guy. - No, even if that video is true, shouldn''t we listen to his side? - Yeah, yeah, I don''t think he would cause a one-sided massacre for no reason. - One really can¡¯t change the minds of those Specter fanatics. Why don''t you write a novel saying that the Murim Alliance and Sky Soul fabricated that video to bury a single yer? Hahaha. The inte literally exploded. There was a war between those who wanted to take a bite out of a world-renowned yer and those who believed in the image Seo Jun-Ho had shown the world so far. All of a sudden, a video was also posted on the official ount of the Korean yer Association. - What¡¯s this? - Wait, this isn''t a CCTV. Someone took it on a camera. In the video clip, there was a big explosion. It was blurry, but one could still make out the shocking scene of corpses piling up like mountains. In the video, Seo Jun-Ho could be seen trying to get out of the explosion¡¯s ground zero despite his severe injuries. - What? The content is totally different from the video before. - Did he perhaps set up the bomb and deliberately get swept up in the explosion? - I''m sorry, but Specter-nim¡¯s intelligence level is different from yours. - I''m sorry, but I have an IQ of 990.^^ - Is your name TOEIC?[1] The whole world was puzzled. Two videos were uploaded over a short period of time, and the contents werepletely opposite. - In conclusion... - The Sky Soul Guild and Korean yer Association. One of them has to be lying. The people''s inquisitive eyesnded on the two organizations. *** "What happened?!" Tenmei Yugo''s face turned red. The situation became strange after Tenmei Oga¡¯s announcement that he had evidence to bury Seo Jun-Ho. "I am sorry, but I also did not expect such a video from the association." At Tenmei Oga''s excuse, Tenmei Yugo closed his eyes and kneaded his throbbing forehead. He also had no idea that the Korean yer Association had such a video, so he couldn¡¯t really me his child. ¡®Shim Deok-Gu, you sly fox.¡¯ If Shim Deok-Gu had released that video earlier, they wouldn¡¯t have posted a fabricated video. ''He got me. I walked into the trap he set.¡¯ Tenmei Yugo was simply trying to ruin Specter¡¯s image. However, he suddenly realized that between the Sky Soul Guild and the Korean yer Association, one of them would have to fall into the abyss. Unfortunately, the gazes of the people toward the Sky Soul Guild were bing colder and colder by the minute. "Fuck! The two videos were basically posted at the same time, but why do they only believe in their video?" ¡°¡­¡± Tenmei Oga closed his mouth tight. In front of his angry father, he couldn''t say that Specter had more credibility than they did. "I spent thirty years raising this guild." Despite all those years, the people favored Specter rather than the Sky Soul Guild. Tenmei Yugo was not only angry at that fact but resentful as well. ¡®Fucking pigs. They¡¯re a bunch of cowards who only know how to idolize heroes.¡¯ When there were no Five Heroes, including Seo Jun-Ho, who was protecting them? Wasn''t it the Nine Heavens and the Big 6? But they dare stab a knife in their back like this? Who had been protecting them when the 5 Heroes were still frozen? Weren¡¯t they being protected by the Big 6 and the Nine Heavens? Since they knew that, why did they stab them with knives? ¡®We have to win, no matter what.¡¯ Driven to the edge of a cliff, Tenmei Yugo''s eyes became filled with malice. "Were you not lying when you told me about what you discussed with the Murim Alliance¡¯s leader?¡± "Ah, yes. They¡¯re going to search outside the city tomorrow." ¡°¡­¡± Tenmei Yugo seriously pondered it. His next decision would decide victory or defeat. Huge droplets of sweat flowed down his forehead. Ten minutes passed, which felt more like an hour, and he finally made a decision. "Go up to the 5th Floor with those who are tight-lipped." Gulp. Tenmei Oga''s eyes trembled. His father was basically telling him to kill Seo Jun-Ho before Seo Jun-Ho could return and reveal the truth. "Father, if you cross that river, you will never be able toe back." "Oga!" Tenmei Yugo pulled his son''s hair. He put their foreheads together and stared at each other. "Get a grip. Do you really think that we can still retreat?" ¡°¡­¡± Tenmei Oga couldn¡¯t answer it. However, they could still retreat. It was just that they would have to pay a price too huge for them to swallow. They would have to give up everything they had built under the name of Sky Soul in the past few decades. "Son, be resolute. If you don''t get your act together here, the Tenmei Family will copse along with the Sky Soul Guild. If you want to inherit everything from me, you have to prove your ability." Inherit¡­ It had always been a seductive magical word for Tenmei Oga. As such, he only agonized about it for a moment before nodding heavily. "I will not let you down..." 1. An English proficiency test for non-native speakers. ? Chapter 388. Sandcastle (4) Chapter 388. Sandcastle (4) Fifteen days ago, Seo Jun-Ho had to face another short farewell. It was the ball in his hand. The LED on Wisoso''s face was dim. - I''m sorry. Young Hero Seo. "What for? Rather, I''m sorry." - I hope you achieve what you want. "Sleep tight." - I will¡­ do... The LED turned off. Even if it contained the soul of a person, a machine was a machine. Since the battery had run out, it couldn''t work properly. ¡®Then, what will happen to Wisoso¡¯s soul in the meantime?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought as he lifted the cold machine ball. He felt sorry for them for being locked up in a cold prison until the battery was charged. ¡®I''ll charge you as soon as I can.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho vowed, put the ball in his Inventory, and opened a box. There were still many rations and bottled water inside of it. Crunch, crunch. Hunger was easily filled with every meal, but there were things that would never get filled here. ''ck Moon Martial Arts.'' It had been a month since he started, but he was still stuck in a bottleneck. He even had no idea what was wrong, not to mention what to do. ¡®I only have around four percent of magic remaining¡­¡¯ It was just a handful. It was thest handful of magic he left just in case something happened. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. The world around him was plunged into darkness, but a campfire burned in his heart. Cheon-Gwang walked in front of him and sat down. As always, Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡®What is the ck Moon Martial Arts?¡¯ - ck Moon Martial Art is a martial art made to change the world. ¡®I know that. I have heard that hundreds of times.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho even failed to even learn the ck Moon Heart Method, much less change the world. - Didn''t I tell you? Empty yourself. ¡¯How exactly do I do that?¡¯ - It means not clinging to meaningless things. Just like what you are doing right now. ¡®It''s not as easy as it sounds.¡¯ Topletely empty oneself was a state that even an old saint like Buddha achieved only after decades. These days, Seo Jun-Ho felt like he was standing in front of a massive wall. ''It''s not my first time facing a wall. I have crossed a lot of walls to get where I am right now.¡¯ However, this wall was high. It was so high he even felt like he couldn''t get over it. Crackle, crackle. Staring at the campfire, Cheon-Gwang spoke. - It feels like a wall because you''re looking at it with displeasure. ¡®What the heck does that mean?'' - The wall has always been there, it has always been standing there from the beginning. His eyes were on Seo Jun-Ho. - Empty yourself. He left the same words as always and disappeared. Whenever Seo Jun-Ho did image training like this, he would always feel like he was wandering through a thick fog. In addition, no one was with him to ensure that he was on the right track. ¡®¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho continued to empty himself with his eyes closed. *** Tenmei Oga came up to the 5th Floor with twenty yers, who were extremely loyal to the family. Wearing gas masks so they could be active outside, Tenmei Oga left the city with the elites of his family and the Murim Alliance. Kwak Won-San, the Sect Leader of Volcanic Wave, who was looking down at them from the top floor of the Murim Alliance¡¯s building, asked, "Alliance Leader, is there a reason you let a small fry like him join?" "There''s nothing bad about it. The Earthlings have interesting abilities." Namgung Jincheon turned his head and asked, "Have you looked into what I asked?" "Yes.¡± Kwak Won-San revealed the data in the form of holograms. "First of all, the man upying the Demonic Cult building refers to himself as the Heavenly Demon." "That''s interesting. Is he the Heavenly Demon because he killed the Heavenly Demon?" Namgung Jincheon was staring at the picture of a young man with long white hair taken from the roof of the Demonic Cult¡¯s building. "What''s their mission, and where did theye from?¡± "I am sorry. I still haven¡¯t fully grasped their mission." Kwak Won-San apologized and manifested additional data in the air. ¡°However, I found a picture of them when they first appeared in the city." A total of four people were captured on the CCTV. There were males and females, including the white-haired man from earlier. ¡°So they¡¯re yers..." "Yes. They came from the pub where the elevator was previously located." "So only four people took over the Demonic Cult?" Namgung Jincheon was slightly surprised. The reason he hadn''t touched the Demonic Cult so far was simple. He thought such a mammoth undertaking would be bloodier than he could ever expect. "As you know, there are thousands of Demonic Cult members who have been strengthened in a short period of time by using illegally modified martial arts." "There were about a thousand people thrown in thendfill.¡± "I think they have absorbed the rest." "¡­How?" Namgung Jincheon frowned. There was only one reason why the existing Demonic Cult members followed had been following thete Heavenly Demon. ''Because you can get strong quickly and easily.¡¯ It was all because thete Heavenly Demon advocated the use of illegally modified martial arts based on the ¡®Beta Neigong Chip¡¯. In that case, why were those who joined the Demonic Cult in pursuit of strength serving a new master even though the means for them to be even stronger had disappeared? "There¡¯s a high chance that he is just an ordinary yer.¡± "Yes. Come to think of it, I think the Earthlings should know. I will ask the child from the Sky Soul Guild when he returns." Namgung Jincheon nodded and looked at the other materials. "And this?" "This is a summary the city code interpreters had put together on their disappearance." "It seems that they werest seen in the eastern area." "That is correct. There are a few people who have seen them enter the Demonic Cult building." "Is it because of the neigong chip?" "Yes. I think they¡¯re trying to unlock the chip." "Ku." Namgung Jincheon smirked. Kwak Won-San found it strange and asked carefully, "Are you not worried? If the new Heavenly Demon unlocks the chip, things will go awry." "That''s not going to happen." He was sure of it because he had already unlocked the Alpha Neigong Chip, and it took him 397 years to do so. ¡°It took me so long to break through the security measures of the chip that His Majesty and I shared. The chip couldn¡¯t possibly be unlocked by mere engineers.¡± "Then, why is he trying to unlock it?" "Because he thinks that he can do it¡­" However, there was no way he would seed. The closer one got to the central code, the more they would despair in the face of the Aeon Empire¡¯s technological prowess. In short, the new Heavenly Demon was working in vain. Namgung Jincheon said, "Wisoso. That child is the key." "Wisoso...?" "The security on the first chip can''t be breached with such nonsense. Only those authorized can use it." Thete Heavenly Demon had the authority to use it. It was very likely that he only managed to foster thousands of Demonic Cult members in a short period of time because of the authority he possessed. ¡®I¡¯m sure he only believes in his child the most, no one else.¡¯ While the new Heavenly Demon was working in vain, Namgung Jincheon would secure Wisoso. If things went as nned, he would soon get the second neigong chip. ¡®When that dayes...¡¯ He would use the six thousand gapja of neigong to break through the security of the System Chip and be a god. He would be an overwhelmingly powerful god no one could possibly resist. "By the way, would it be okay with ten transcendent masters? Seo Jun-Ho even defeated Beggar." Yoo Joo-Wan was weaker than them, but he was pretty capable in the Murim Alliance. The transcendent martial artists participating in the search party outside of the city were weaker than Yoo Joo-Wan. "He spent a month outside. He should have run out of neigong by now. He also won¡¯t be able tost long without a gas mask," Namgung Jincheon spoke, confident of his victory, "Let me watch the live feed. I''d like to see how he dies." "Understood." Kwak Won-San contacted the transcendent martial artists out of the city. Riiiiing. A few momentster, a huge hologram screen disyed the search party¡¯s situation in real-time. *** ¡®¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho worked hard to empty himself for fifteen days. Sitting cross-legged, he didn''t take a sip of water or move. It was all to forget everything and empty everything. He had been reduced to skin and bones, simr to a sick patient, but his incredibly sharp senses betrayed his appearance. Tingling. He sensed something. ¡®Sixty-one. Twelve kilometers west.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. He could already feel the approaching energies. It was unfortunate because he felt that he could have reached it if he were given just a bit more time. "Whew." Seo Jun-Ho sighed and fell while trying to get up. His legs, which moved for the first time in fifteen days, didn¡¯t move ording to his will. ¡®I emptied myself because he told me to, but what the heck is this?'' Seo Jun-Ho smiled in vain and staggered to the box. Crunch, crunch. He ate the rations and slowly drank water. - Partner. ¡®I know.¡¯ Was it because his senses were sensitive? He could feel the murderous aura of those approaching him. The disgusting aura from some of them even made him feel like vomiting. - Partner. It''s impossible for you to deal with them, considering your current condition. ''I know...¡¯ Unfortunately, there was nowhere to run. Mr. Shoot left Seo Jun-Ho here and didn¡¯te back even once. Moreover, the enemies seemed like they knew his location because they were moving at a very fast pace in a beeline toward him. ¡®They have someone with a tracking-type skill. In other words, there are yers among them.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho left the damp cave while sticking close to the wall. He covered his eyes upon seeing sunlight for the first time in over a month. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t get dazzled by the sunlight because the sky was covered with gray gas. "Intuition." - Why are you calling? "Am I going to die here?" - ¡­ Keen Intuition didn''t answer. After all, Keen Intuition couldn¡¯t predict the future. - Survive somehow. As always¡­ "Keuk, you speak like it''s someone else''s business." Seo Jun-Ho retrieved White Dragon from his Inventory. As he gulped down his remaining recovery potions, he could feel his strength returning just a bit. Still, he had no idea if he could even deal with them, considering the handful of magic he had left. "I can see familiar faces, too." Seo Jun-Ho looked at the faces of those surrounding him. Among them, he saw a face he wouldn¡¯t be able to forget. "What brings you all this far?" "I came all the way here for a reason," said Tenmei Oga, pulling out his sword. It was him. He was the one emitting that disgusting and murderous aura. ¡®What the hell happened on Earth?¡¯ Just what happened on Earth that Tenmei Oga ran out of patience and decided toe here just to kill him? Seo Jun-Ho looked at his enemy¡¯s forces. ¡¯Twenty-one yers and forty-one Murim Alliance martial artists.¡¯ There were ten transcendent martial artists. The rest were all high-grade martial artists. "Aren¡¯t you going to give me a warning this time?" Surrender and drop your weapon. If they told him something like that, then Seo Jun-Ho was willing to pretend that he was giving up. They were outside the city, so one could see anyone¡¯s eyes because of the gas masks. Seo Jun-Ho spoke, "Intuition." - Why are you calling me again? "Do you want to do something crazy with me?" - Hmm. Keen Intuition answered coolly. - Why do you have to ask? That¡¯s what you always do, there¡¯s nothing new about it. "Good answer.¡± He had to beat all these people with his battered body and survive. Imagining it alone made his hand holding White Dragon tremble ever so slightly. Was he trembling because of the pressure, or was he trembling because he was afraid of death? Seo Jun-Ho smiled, seemingly relieved. ¡®Like a fool. I was told to empty myself, but here I am filling it again.¡¯ He banished even his fear of death. "Your spirit ismendable, and you truly deserve to be called a Hero.¡± The search party¡¯s captain finally gave the order. "Kill him!" Chapter 389. Sandcastle (5)

Chapter 389. Sandcastle (5)

Hostility and killing intent poured out to overwhelm Seo Jun-Ho. It was just the right amount to make his blood go cold. Seo Jun-Ho coldly stared at the martial artists running toward him. "Grease World." "The Obelisk of Speed." "Poetry of Pain and Curse." To start, the Sky Soul Guild members used their skills to support the martial artists. Keen Intuition spoke in rapid fire. - Partner, the floor is slippery like oil. ¡®Got it.¡¯ Tiny ice spikes stuck out of the soles of his shoes to counter the slippery floor. - And since that obelisk was summoned, the enemies'' speed has gone up a level. ¡®Got it.¡¯ There was no advice regarding the third skill. [The Hero''s Mind (EX) perfectly resists the ¡®Poetry of Pain and Curse.¡¯] Because it was unnecessary¡­ ¡°Uwaack!" The curse failed, and a yer copsed from the bacsh. What an idiot. "M-Mr. Oga. Mind-type skills don¡¯t work on him!" "Keep trying." "Yes? Based on the fact that the Poetry of Pain and Curse was resisted, it is at least an S-grade defense-type skill." "Still, do it." Tenmei Oga¡¯smand was firm. He didn¡¯t rx as he stared at the wounded beast in front of him. "He is Specter. If you let your guard down, you¡¯ll get hurt.¡± Specter still possessed the same overwhelming aura he had decades ago. The Specter in Tenmei Oga¡¯s memories was a living and breathing god. ¡®I can only hope that his legend ends today.¡¯ Tenmei Oga prayed earnestly. *** Swing! White Dragon deflected dozens of swords flying toward Seo Jun-Ho. He looked around and found it. ¡®A gap.¡¯ He rushed like a thunderstorm, severing the hands of two martial artists in the blink of an eye. The blood pouring down their stumps seemed simr to heavy raindrops. Without any hesitation, Seo Jun-Ho rushed forward once more. "Stop him!" "Block his movements!" Eight martial artists blocked him. ng! Seo Jun-Ho had swung White Dragon at the martial artists, but they managed to block it. At that, the martial artists¡¯ faces brightened. ¡®He¡¯s done for!¡¯ ¡®I can''t believe he just charged in like a fool.¡¯ Eight versus one. The former had plenty of neigong to use, while thetter only had a handful of neigong left to use. The martial artists were sure of their victory. They could already imagine the scene of them hitting away Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s spear and thrusting their swords into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chest. ¡°¡­?¡± However, it didn¡¯t move. Bewildered, the martial artists¡¯ pupils shook. "This is a Pureblood?" ''No way. We¡¯re cyborgs!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s as heavy as a mountain!¡¯ A mechanical body allowed one to exert several times to dozens of times stronger power than an ordinary body. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s pair of cold eyes seemed to be asking them if this was all they could do. - Partner. ¡®I know¡­¡¯ ¡°Whew.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was regretful. He rushed in, acting like a fool with all his heart and soul. ''Only eight people took the bait¡­ Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue briefly and gathered his strength. Crack! The eight swords blocking White Dragon were pushed back, and cracks started to appear on the surface of their swords. "W-what?" "That''s ridiculous! How can a weapon not even covered in sword ki¡ª¡± It wasmon knowledge that ordinary weapons could never deal with weapons covered in sword ki. However, White Dragon wasn¡¯t an ordinary weapon. It was a spear made from Cold Iron¡ªa mineral ten millennia old. It had also endured the forging process of the dwarves. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho gathered his strength with all his might, and his muscles swole under the influence of his 707 points in Strength. His muscles swelled up like balloons to the point that his clothes couldn¡¯t hide them anymore. Screeeech! White Dragon''s ws swept past the martial artists and killed them instantly. - Partner! Behind the bodies! Dozens of swords pierced the bodies of the martial artists and made a beeline for him. ¡®Tsk.¡¯ He had overestimated them. It was foolish of him to think that these guys would respect theirrades¡¯ corpses. They actually did not give even an ounce of consideration to their allies, who died in the blink of an eye. ang! Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly swung his spear and deflected the swords. However, two martial artists took advantage of the resulting gap. ¡®¡­¡¯ A spearman would be at a disadvantage if the enemy managed to approach them beyond the spear¡¯s reach. By then, the spear would lose its value as a weapon. Seo Jun-Ho knew that better than anyone else, so he abandoned his spear without any regrets and jumped forward. "Hmmph!" Seo Jun-Ho narrowed the gap between him and an approaching swordsman, and he could feel thetter trembling through the tip of thetter¡¯s sword. ¡®That¡¯s not enough.¡¯ A sword without conviction wouldn¡¯t be able to bring him down. Seo Jun-Ho grabbed the swordsman¡¯s neck and squeezed. "Arrgh! Agggh!" The cold barrel of a gun touched the forehead of the struggling martial artist. Bang! The martial artist¡¯s head exploded like a watermelon, and blood sprayed everywhere, momentarily obscuring his vision. ¡®Damn it, I can''t see. Where is he? He eventually found the other martial artist through his blurry eyes. ¡®Huh?¡¯ There was a fist approaching him. Crunch! Seo Jun-Ho took the punch and used the force behind it to twirl and stab a retreating martial artist¡¯s chest. "Got you!" There was a perfectly timed ambush from behind. "What?!" However, the eyes of the ambushing swordsman grew wide. He had just thrust his sword at Seo Jun-Ho, but thetter was suddenly standing on the t side of his sword. Slice! Seo Jun-Ho chopped off the swordsman¡¯s head with the Sword of Ambition he had retrieved from his Inventory. The swordsman¡¯s head had long been reced by machinery, so it flew up, and Seo Jun-Ho twirled to kick it away like a ball. Boom! "Ugh!" Another ambusher met a miserable fate with his chest caved in. With that, Seo Jun-Ho''s hair finally fell down, obscuring his vision. The first encountersted for a mere 5.72 seconds. In that short period of time, twelve were killed, while three were incapacitated. ¡°¡­¡± The other martial artists stopped abruptly. They weren¡¯t familiar with such a wild and barbaric way of fighting. "Stand back." "He¡¯s not someone you guys can handle." "Haha, I wanted to just spectatefortably, but the heavens aren¡¯t helping me.¡± The ten transcendent martial artistsfortably watching from the back finally entered the battlefield. Pushing back the martial artists behind them, they encircled Seo Jun-Ho. There was a hermit-looking old man with long eyebrows and whiskers among the transcendent martial artists. "You¡¯re an enemy, but I have topliment your great physique. I had no idea the human body could reach such a level.¡± "You look beautiful, but ultimately, you¡¯re nothing but a flower in season," said a woman in a rough voice. Her arms and legs had all been reced by silver machines. ¡°If you want to maintain your strength in the future, it¡¯s best if you be a cyborg." "The future, I see¡­" Seo Jun-Ho smiled. He found it amusing how these guys who had purposely severed their potential to look like trash cans were talking about the future. "What¡¯s funny?" The woman directed a murderous re at him. Keen Intuition warned. - Partner, stall for as much time as you can. At this point, you have nothing to rely on but One Who Perseveres. The title One Who Perseveres increased a random stat by 30 points. However, there was one problem. ¡®It only gives me a stat increase every three hours¡­¡¯ It was an ability he shouldn¡¯t rely on in desperate situations. However, Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly because he knew¡ªhe knew that even though he shouldn¡¯t rely on One Who Perseveres, he had to do so. *** "He¡¯s severely injured.¡± Kwak Won-San said upon seeing Seo Jun-Ho on the screen. Seo Jun-Ho looked very differentpared to when he entered the Murim Alliance a month ago. "It seems that he hasn¡¯t been eating well. He had to have been eating rations at best.¡± Rations could soothe hunger and make you feel full, they weren¡¯t designed to be nutritious. Namgung Jincheon had his hand on his chin as he watched the battle unfold. ¡®As expected¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn''t use neigong. Even on the screen, he could see that it wasn¡¯t just a choice. Seo Jun-Ho simply couldn¡¯t use it. "But for a guy with no neigong, he''s pretty quick." Kwak Won-San revealed an intrigued smile. "Hoh,I didn''t know that such a body would have that much power." Kwak Won-San pped his hands in admiration. ¡°¡­¡± However, Kwak Won-San''s expression grew stiffer, and he spoke less as the battle progressed. It was inevitable. The high-grade martial artists, who were considered one of the best of the Murim Alliance, exploded like balloons. ¡®What a savage beast.¡¯ He killed the martial artists like he was a wolf that had been released in a rabbit¡¯s cage. Seo Jun-Ho knew exactly how to kill people efficiently. "He¡¯s dangerous." "Does this mean that he has no issues dealing with high-grade martial artists even without any neigong?¡± Namgung Jincheon casually pointed out. ''But they probably won¡¯t lose¡­¡¯ The ten guests he sent there were far less skilled than the sect leaders, but they were still useful transcendent martial artists. ¡®There is one thing that separates a martial artist of the transcendent from the high-grade level.¡¯ The difference was whether or not they could use aura. He looked at the aura of the ten martial artists surrounding Seo Jun-Ho. ''It''s over.'' Regardless of how great a magic weapon was, there was no way it would be able to withstand sword aura. Soon, Seo Jun-Ho would be a corpse. It was only natural and inevitable. ¡°¡­?¡± However, it did not happen. Seo Jun-Ho survived the barrage of attacks by narrowly avoiding them. ¡®No way. Can he win?¡¯ Could he actually deal with ten transcendent martial artists despite his severe injuries? Namgung Jincheon unknowingly sat bolt upright. Crunch! A spear prated Fox Rakshasa¡¯s heart after she left a long whip mark on Seo Jun-Ho''s back. King Geumgang, who broke all of Seo Jun-Ho''s left ribs, died with both of his eyes plucked out of their sockets. Seo Jun-Ho dealt more damage than he received. ¡®He''s vicious.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body was abnormal. He had many broken bones, and he had many cuts and injuries of various types, yet the light in his eyes still burned as fiercely as ever. ¡°¡­¡± Namgung Jincheon and Kwak Won-San unknowingly stopped talking. The man on the screen disyed a fighting prowess that was so incredible and overwhelming that it rendered them speechless. *** Drip, drip, drip! Seo Jun-Ho''s left arm was severed. In return, he seized his opponent''s heart. "Uwaaack!" The slippery floor made it difficult for him to find his bnce. However, the floor was slippery not because of a yer''s skill but because of the blood and fat from the martial artists he had killed. "Y-you monster¡­" One of the transcendent martial artists murmured while trembling. They couldn¡¯t have expected that a single individual would be able to send seven of them to the afterlife. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho managed to raise his head and counted the number of the remaining martial artists with indifferent eyes. Twenty-one. He fought like crazy, but there were still twenty-one enemies, including the three transcendent martial artists. ¡®Why can''t I recover?¡¯ ¡®Oh, right. I don''t have magic.¡¯ He had already used the handful of mana he had remaining to stop the bleeding from his severed arm. As such, he had exhausted his magic reservoir. ¡®Is it the second time?¡¯ This was the first time he received such injuries since he used Moon Eye to catch Janabi. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vision swam and he started staggering under the effects of mana exhaustion. ¡®No, I can''t¡­¡¯ He could faint, but he had to kill all of his enemies before fainting. At the thought, Seo Jun-Ho moved his legs, and he staggered toward the remaining enemies. Perhaps it was just an auditory hallucination, but he felt like he could hear Cheon-Gwang¡¯s voice. - Empty yourself. Seo Jun-Ho chuckled hollowly. He looked to the side with a face that seemed like it was saying, ¡®this guy¡¯s starting again.¡¯ ''I am empty. Completely empty.¡¯ - Empty yourself. ''What else should I empty here?¡¯ He squeezed the final grain of magic he had no idea he still had, along with his misceneous thoughts. Now, he had nothing left to empty. He felt like an empty shell, and it made him feel unprecedented solitude. - ¡­ Cheon-Gwang walking next to him looked up at the sky. - Remember, the first step to changing the world is changing yourself. Seo Jun-Ho raised his weapon. No, did he raise it? His vision was still swimming, and he still felt numb all over, so he had no idea what he was doing. Booom! He quivered intensely. His knees touched the greasy floor. He had already copsed, yet his enemies were afraid to rush in recklessly. - Partner... Keen Intuition seemed sad as he muttered. He wanted to scream at Seo Jun-Ho to get up, but he already knew that Seo Jun-Ho had already reached his limits. - One Hundred Meetings, Wind Pool, Water Moon, Liangmen¡­ Cheon-Gwang muttered the mantra for the ck Moon Heart Method. Seo Jun-Ho unconsciously recited the ck Moon Heart Method¡¯s mantra despite having no magic. But just before he couldpletely recite the mantra, the wall that had always been blocking him appeared once again. Cheon-Gwang stared at the wall and asked. - What are you going to do? ¡®¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes, and he chuckled dryly. After emptying even the ¡®thought¡¯ of learning the ck Moon Heart Method, he could finally look at the wall without prejudice. ¡®This is¡­ a wall.¡¯ - It had always been a wall. It was just standing there. It had never stood in his way. ¡®I was wrong. No one had asked me to break or cross this wall.¡¯ Standing in front of the wall, Seo Jun-Ho swept across with a soft touch and turned slowly. Then, the wall that blocked the front became a reliable castle that protected his back. A great realization passed through the top of his head. - Break free from the fixed nature of the world. ''I see. I finally understand.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho changed the ck Moon Heart Method¡¯s mantra as he wished. If he had been stubbornly trying to fill his body with magic, this time, he opened all the ki points of his body. There was no longer a boundary between the inside and the outside. Cheon-Gwang asked. - What are you trying to do by changing the mantra as you wish? ¡®Emptiness has to be filled.But I do not have to refill this tiny body to use magic.¡¯ - ¡­ Cheon-Gwang smiled for the first time. - That''s the answer, yer. After tearing down the small cage he had trapped himself in, the entire world became his own skies. An immense amount of magic poured into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body, but he didn¡¯t make it his own. ¡®Just borrowing it for a while...¡¯ Vitality returned to his exhausted body, and even his severed arm regenerated in the blink of an eye. As he watched Seo Jun-Ho, Cheon-Gwang slowly turned into powder and dispersed. - You know the only thing you have left to do, right? ''Of course...'' Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed with sharpness. ¡®There¡¯s only one thing left for him to do¡­¡¯ It was time for him to shine. Chapter 390. Sandcastle (6) Chapter 390. Sandcastle (6) Seo Jun-Ho''s gaze ignored the flustered martial artists and stared at the message in front of him. - This martial art is a martial art made to change the world. Whaaaa! All of a sudden, he was struck with a memory exining the meaning of those words. ''This is...'' It was the great battle of His Majesty the Emperor he had seen in Cheon-Gwang¡¯s memories. Just in time, the emperor who wasing down the stairs ordered. "General, make a martial art." In response, Cheon-Gwang kneeled and bowed his head. "Your Majesty, if you need any martial arts, please instruct the head of the Murim Alliance, Namgung Jincheon. He owns the Sect Record Chip containing all the martial arts in the world." "¡­I can''t ask him to do it." The emperor approached the window and looked down at the city being constructed before muttering, "It has to be a martial art that will remain unknown to him for the rest of his life." Cheon-Gwang raised his head carefully. "I am sorry, but what kind of martial art does Your Majesty need?" "A martial art that will change the world." Cheon-Gwang was at a loss for words upon hearing the emperor¡¯s ambitious words. "General, think about it. Think about the world we lost.¡± Right now, it was a world that existed only in their dreams. It was a world where nature thrived, and it was a world of endless neigong floating in the air. Remembering those times, Cheon-Gwang¡¯s eyes turned dim. He thought that the young emperor still couldn¡¯t let go of the splendid past. "Your Majesty..." "General, I want a world where everyone can dream and achieve what they want." "Does Your Majesty mean that our current world is not that kind of world?" "Mmm." The emperor smiled bitterly. Everyone dreamed of a brighter tomorrow. However, there was a powerful man trying to devour all their dreams, and he was in charge of the Murim Alliance. If he were to tell Cheon-Gwang about that man, Cheon-Gwang would surely kick up a fuss and say that he would chop off the head of that man. ¡®Unfortunately, General, you still aren¡¯t Namgung Jincheon¡¯s match.¡¯ Namgung Jincheon was a master of all martial arts. A monster among monsters and a genius among geniuses. The emperor came to that conclusion after much consideration. Cheon-Gwang didn¡¯t need to produce results immediately. "I will sow the seeds, and someone will harvest the fruits following my will." It was all to create a world that wouldn¡¯t be under the influence of a monster. It was all for a world full of neigong and where people could feel nature to their heart¡¯s content. It was all so that everyone would be able to sleep with smiles as well as dream of hope and tomorrow. The emperor smiled and turned to look at Cheon-Gwang. "General, would you like to change the world with me?" Cheon-Gwang memorized the emperor¡¯s barely visible figure as thetter stood beneath the dark skies, waiting for the bright and full moon to illuminate the world once again. And that was how the ck Moon Martial Art was born. *** Seo Jun-Ho thought. ¡®It was a great n.¡¯ They could have been satisfied with everything because they were in the position to enjoy everything this world could offer, but they weren¡¯t satisfied. For a better tomorrow for the people, they gave up theirfortable lives and walked the path of martyrdom. "You guys are pretty cool." Seo Jun-Ho had just harvested the fruits from the seeds they had sowed. In that case, what he had to do for them was obvious. "Your will, I will follow it¡­" Seo Jun-Ho read the ck Moon Heart Method¡¯s details. [ck Moon Heart Method] Grade: S Effect: When used, you can borrow the surrounding magic. The exnation was simple and straightforward. However, the implications were great. ¡®I don¡¯t have even a grain of magic in my body right now, but I can borrow the magic floating in the surroundings.¡¯ This was his current condition. Of course, there was no naturally urring magic on the 5th Floor, so the magic he was currently using only came from one source. ¡®Whenever a martial artist dies, their magic would scatter into the atmosphere, but I could absorb those magic and use it.¡¯ Neigong from the neigong chips would return to the chip upon the individual¡¯s demise, but the neigong Seo Jun-Ho would absorb would not return to the chip. "Interesting¡­" Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and gathered the magic floating around him. Sensing the movement of neigong, the eyes of the Death Poison King, a transcendent martial artist, opened. His mechanical eyes emitted a blue light as they looked at Seo Jun-Ho. "T-there¡¯s no way¡­" His eyes widened, seemingly wanting to deny reality. - 21,575 - 26,721 - 38,498 - 57,142 - 71,973 Seo Jun-Ho''s neigong level was rising. When the fight started earlier, Seo Jun-Ho barely had any neigong, but now, he had almost two gapjas worth of neigong. "How... How is that possible when you¡¯re a Pureblood?¡± "You wouldn''t know even if I told you." With a finger-sized chip as their cage, they would never understand it. "Shall we start again, then?¡± The surrounding temperature dropped sharply, and the magic in the surroundings warmed him up as he circted magic ording to the ck Moon Heart Method. ¡®Overclocking, maximum output.¡¯ He had long gotten used to using Overclocking at a hundred percent output, but he could clearly feel that he had gotten faster than before. It felt like using the ck Moon Heart Method to circte magic was akin to changing his engine to the engine of the fastest supercar out there. "That¡¯s sorceeerrryyy!¡± The Death Poison King was still staring at where Seo Jun-Ho was standing. Slice! Even after his head was cut¡­ ¡®This is the best.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had just killed the Death Poison King in the blink of an eye. He stared at his closed hand and opened it. He was overflowing with power to the point that he became unafraid of anything. The darkness gathered around him and took the form of wolves. "I-it¡¯s the Watchguard of Darkness!" "Damn it all! Run away if you want to live!" A Sky Soul Guild member fled while screaming. It was only natural because they were aware of Watchguard of Darkness¡¯ notoriety. However, Tenmei Oga shook his head. "Ahhhh!" "S-save me...!¡± It was suicide to turn one¡¯s back to Specter. Had they not learned anything from the copse of the Fiend Association? A group of wolves made quick work of the martial artists and the Sky Soul Guild members. ¡°¡­¡± Tenmei Oga looked around the battlefield. Sixty people hade, but now, only Specter and he were breathing. "Things have be very unfortunate.¡± He tried to start a conversation. It wasn''t over until it was over. "It must be unfortunate that you couldn''t kill me." "I won''t deny it," said Tenmei Oga with a nod. "Seo Jun-Ho. I''ll ask you directly. Spare my life.¡± "¡­What?" "You can take me as a hostage and demand anything from the Sky Soul Guild or my family." ¡°Ha, why would I?" "If you kill me, Mio will be very sad," Oga replied confidently. Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes quivered. He lowered his head and started trembling. ¡®Did he take the bait?¡¯ ¡®Will I survive this?¡¯ Just as Tenmei Oga was starting to anticipate a positive response¡ª "Ahahahaha!" Seo Jun-Houghed like crazy. "What''s... funny?" "Ah, damn, that hurts my pride. How can I endure this?" Seo Jun-Ho wiped the tears off of his eyelids and said, "It''s definitely more than ten. Perhaps about thirteen times?¡± "What do you mean?" "It¡¯s the number of times Mio had apologized to me and said that I could kill you all without worrying about her." "T-that''s ridiculous. That child wouldn¡¯t¡­" Tenmei Oga stammered. "You don''t think so? Why?" Seo Jun-Ho approached him with a gentle smile. "Her dad and brothers are always worried about being unable to take advantage of her, so why do you think she wouldn¡¯t say that to me?¡± "If that''s true, then I should already be¡ªugh!" Seo Jun-Ho grabbed Tenmei Oga by his neck and muttered with cold eyes, "I have always let it slide. You¡¯re Mio''s family, so I¡¯m sure she will suffer inside even if she said that it¡¯s okay for me to beat you to death. She¡¯s that kind and affectionate, after all." The members of the Tenmei Family knew that. They knew it, which was why Tenmei Oga was acting like this. It was all because they thought that he wouldn''t kill them. "You shouldn''t have treated her like that." Mio didn¡¯t want grandeur. All she wanted was to get along with her family, simr to how they had been when she was still young. "You used her pure heart to fatten yourselves up.¡± After the 5 Heroes were frozen, the Tenmei Family established the Sky Soul Guild, and they quickly expanded to be one of the Big 6 because Tenmei Mio, a Hero of the world, belonged to their family. "But why can¡¯t you be satisfied?! Why did you keep on taking advantage of her? Just why?!" "Urgh¡­ I-if you kill me, my father won''t stay still." "Oh, really?" Seo Jun-Ho smiled coldly. "That was yourst chance, and you wasted it.¡± He had never been afraid of the Tenmei Family or the Sky Soul Guild. If they didn¡¯t repent and kept on antagonizing him, then he would sweep them clean. "W-wait! What I just said was a little misunderstanding¡­!¡± At Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s killing intent, Tenmei Oga hurriedly opened his mouth, but there was no way for him to take back what he had already said. "Suffer the same pain your sister had to go through." Craackle! Seo Jun-Ho stared indifferently at the frozen Tenmei Oga before leaving. *** Craack! Namgung Jincheon unknowingly broke the armrests of his chair. "B-ck Moon Heart Method...¡± Kwak Won-San''s voice trembled as he looked at the screen. He didn''t expect the resurrection of that cursed martial art. "How interesting...¡± Namgung Jincheon looked at Seo Jun-Ho with zing eyes. "So, he wasn''t bluffing?" In addition to surviving that desperate situation, he even turned the table around. At that, Namgung Jincheon revealed a distorted smile and muttered, "Cheon-Gwang, it has been hundreds of years since you became a ghost, but you¡¯re still bothering me." He still hadn¡¯t even found the remnants of the Jinyiwei Cheon-Gwang had concealed. Namgung Jincheon stretched his left arm out and rolled up his sleeves. the skin on his left arm cracked, and three chips popped out. Gulp. Kwok Won-San unknowingly gulped at the sight. ¡®The first chip!¡¯ Namgung Jincheon took out the System Chip and inserted it into his forehead. At the same time, his eyes turned red. "A-Alliance Leader, are you perhaps¡­" "It''s all over anyway, so there is no reason to hold back." He tried to take it easy until the end, but Seo Jun-Ho had thoroughly provoked him. ¡°Retrieving the Demonic Cult¡¯s neigong chip will only be a matter of time once I have retrieved Wisoso after killing Seo Jun-Ho.¡± He sprang up from his seat. "Move, my soldiers." At that, the martial artists inside the Murim Alliance building stopped walking. Messages that they couldn''t understand filled their eyes¡­ [Body controls has been transferred to Chief Administrator, ¡®Namgung Jincheon.¡¯] [Autopilot engaged.] "What, whaaaat?!" "What? My body is moving on its own!" "Damn it! Someone please stop this!" An irresistible voice echoed in the ears of the bewildered martial artists. - Kill Seo Jun-Ho. At that, tens of thousands of martial artists abandoned what they were doing and started running run out of the city. Upon seeing that, Kwak Won-San expressed his concern. "I-is this really okay? You seem a little worked up." "It¡¯s his fault for testing my patience." Namgung Jincheon had been waiting for seven hundred years, but he lost his mind when he saw how the resurrected ck Moon Heart Method stole his neigong. "I own every thread of neigong in this city." He was just punishing a thief. Namgung Jincheon¡¯s anger started to abate, but¡­ Swoosh! Outside the window, a pir of light fell from the other side of the city. "That¡¯s¡­" It was a phenomenon that appeared whenever yers came up to the city through the brand-new Dimensional Elevator. Kwak Won-San said, "Someone else must havee up again." "It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll just kill them if they get in the way." Namgung Jincheon could feel a deep sense of liberation. He couldn¡¯t help but think that he should have done this earlier. Upon revealing his hidden agenda, he felt refreshed, like he was floating in space. Swoosh! However, another pir of light fell from the sky. ¡®They¡¯re starting to get annoying¡­¡¯ Namgung Jincheon frowned and was about to take a sip of his tea. "A-Alliance Leader!" He suddenly heard Kwak Won-San shouting in a trembling voice. He was looking out the window Namgung Jincheon had turned his back toward. "What''s the fuss?" Namgung Jincheon turned around and stiffened. Ten, twenty, dozens, the pirs of light multiplied to hundreds before he realized it. Each and every one of those pirs of light was a yer arriving on the 5th Floor. "What the hell is this?!" Namgung Jincheon was stupefied as he rushed over to the terrace and grabbed the railing. It was his first time seeing thousands of columns of light descending on Neo City, and the scene looked as if there were thousands of falling stars. Chapter 391. Sandcastle (7)

Chapter 391. Sandcastle (7)

Thousands of columns of light fell like a cluster of stars from the night sky. yers walked out of the pirs with one purpose in mind. "So this is the 5th Floor?" "It''s a much more colorful ce than I heard.¡± Equipped with armor and their own weapons, they were ready for battle. "Princess, is this really okay?" Gasman asked with a slightly concerned look. "What is?" "Well, everyone¡¯s attitude seems like we¡¯ll be involved in a war." The goal of this operation was to rescue Seo Jun-Ho, not to wipe out the 5th Floor. However, the aura of the yers around him made it seem like they were ready to raze the 5th Floor down to the ground. Gasman seemed worried as he said, "What if the Murim Alliance sees us and thinks that we¡¯re enemies?" "You''re saying all sorts of strange things.¡± Ha In-Ho put hisrge shield on the floor. He was wearing the same expression that Gasman was worried about. "Listen carefully, Gasman. We are here to wage war." "Whaaat?!" "War, if necessary." Gasman looked at Gong Ju-Ha as if he was asking for confirmation. "You¡¯re right." Gong Ju-Ha nodded slightly and looked at the tall building of the Murim Alliance. "They have touched something they shouldn''t have touched.¡± They had insulted a Hero of Earth. These ignorant ones had attacked and even tried to take their Hero¡¯s life. Anyone would get angry to see even their pets being harmed by a stranger, but these people had messed with the world''s greatest hero. "He wouldn¡¯t do that for no reason." In short, the answer was one of the two. Either it was Specter¡¯s fault or the Murim Alliance¡¯s fault. However, Specter had always walked the path of righteousness. He had even sacrificed himself whenever necessary. "The people here know that." Gong Ju-Ha nced behind her. The thousands of people here were all top yers who had managed to clear the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty level of Another World. These people had seen the lonely and bitter path that Seo Jun-Ho had always been walking on his own. They had seen it for themselves in Another World, which was why they had gathered here, furious at the evil Murim Alliance. "Who dares to insult our hero?¡± Those words came out of the mouth of Red Tower¡¯s Guild Master, Choi Han-Young. Choi Han-Young was the brother of Choi Sun-Hee, the youngest daughter of the Myungho Group, whom Seo Jun-Ho treated in the past. "Our Red Tower and Myungho will never forget his kindness." The fifth-ranked Guild of the Republic of Korea had mobilized to repay Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s kindness at the time, and it wasn''t just them. "I personally don''t know Specter very well, but..." the Guild Master of the Cheong-Hae Guild, Cha Won-Woo, said, "My brother believes in him." Seo Jun-Ho had saved Cha Min-Woo inside the Cinder Fox Gate. Cha Won-Woo had always thought that he had a debt to repay Specter. He had never forgotten Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s grace in saving his brother, whom he was proud of. "I''m here to repay my brother''s debt." "It''s the same for us.¡± "I, the Sword of Gangneung, also have a debt to repay from the cockroach cave." From the long-term rtionships he had established with people to the fleeting encounter he had with some, the small seeds Seo Jun-Ho had unknowingly sowed had already matured unbeknownst to him. "I can still remember it..." Everyone could still remember it, and it led to this result. No one had forced them, but 8,752 yers had gathered here on their own. "It''s time to repay his kindness!" "Honestly, I think I will never get the chance to pay him back if I don¡¯t do it now. He has always been doing well on his own." "And that¡¯s exactly why we have to take advantage of this opportunity!" "Hahahaha!" A total of thirty thousand yers had already climbed up the 5th Floor, but they could never bepared to these yers who had gathered here with onemon goal afterpleting the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty in Another World. "I don''t think you''re wrong.¡± Son Chae-Won seemed emotional as she revealed a refreshing smile and said, "A castle, I think that''s right." ¡°¡­?¡± Kim Woo-Joong looked at her, seemingly confused. Couldn¡¯t she see the determined yers in front of her? "Of course, I''m not talking about a small, weak sandcastle." Son Chae-Won was talking about a castle made of earth. Many people built it over time, and it was bigger and stronger than any other castle out there. "Perhaps we can never keep up with Specter-nim when ites to this." ¡°¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong looked at the yers without saying anything. Could he make so many yers follow him blindly with nothing but faith? "I see¡­" He decided to admit it. "I can¡¯t do it." In the first ce, he wasn''t interested in that at all. As such, Kim Woo-Joong became concerned about the expressions of certain people. ¡®Chae-Won looks like she''s letting go of something.¡¯ Then, what about Shin Sung-Hyun? He seemed to be in deep contemtion. ¡®Impressive¡­¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun was witnessing such an amazing scene, so could it be that he was still thinking that he could still surpass Specter, albeit in a different manner? "Not bad¡­¡± When Seo Jun-Ho started running to get ahead of them once again, Kim Woo-Joong and Son Chae-Won would have to run as fast as they could so that they wouldn¡¯t fall behind. "Oooohhh!This ce is so much more exciting and better than I thought!¡± said a high-pitched voice, kicking up a fuss. "Hey, dummy. You should think about saving Jun-Ho first before having fun¡ªhmm?Is that a gym?" "Arthur, stand as far away as you can from these idiots. It¡¯s really embarrassing to stand next to them." ¡°¡­¡± There were five Heroes minus two. Even the Saintess Cha Si-Eun arrived with her head lowered shyly. With this, every yer who was part of the rescue operation finally arrived on the 5th Floor. "Shall we get started, then? Eye in the Sky." Skaya gently sent something flying, and it quickly rose above the clouds. "Huh?" Skaya tilted her head. Rahmadat asked curiously, "What¡¯s wrong?" "Wait, I think something¡¯s wrong with my spell." At that, she concentrated on the Eye in the Sky. After realizing that there was nothing wrong with her spell, her expression turned grim. "You know, I think we have to pick up the pace a bit." "What''s going on?" Shin Sung-Hyun asked. "91,740 lifeforms with magic are quickly leaving the eastern wall of Neo City.¡± "Did you say east?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s neat eyebrows were furrowed. Shim Deok-Gu had said that Seo Jun-Ho was hidden by a reliable individual east of Neo City. "Will we get there on time even if we run?" "That¡¯s why we have to hurry...¡± Shin Sung-Hyun retrieved a small baton from his pocket and said, ¡°We should be able to catch up to their tails at the very least." *** Seo Jun-Ho, who was walking outside the city, suddenly frowned. "What¡¯s going on?" For a brief moment, he thought that his senses had gone awry. - Partner, their numbers are¡­ "Hmm.If even you reacted to it, then my senses should be fine." Keen Intuition had detected tens of thousands of lifeforms harboring magic. They were making a beeline for Seo Jun-Ho, so it was difficult to say that he was mistaken when he sensed their approach. "Namgung Jincheon, are you not going to hide anymore?" Seo Jun-Ho had no idea what Namgung Jincheon had done, but he instinctively felt that all this was thetter¡¯s doing. ''What should I do?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked like he was struggling to make a decision. - This is a bad situation. "Yeah." He didn¡¯tck magic. He had no idea how long it wouldst, but the ck Moon Heart Method was still active, so he didn¡¯tck magic. ¡®The problem is oxygen.¡¯ There was ack of oxygen outside the city because of the dangerous gas, and it was slowly tightening a noose around Seo Jun-Ho''s neck. ¡®Do I have to run to the cave where I was?¡¯ At the least, while he was there, he was safe from gas. - No, you should face them head-on and carve a path from there. Seo Jun-Ho was surprised to hear Keen Intuition¡¯s words. - Why are you so surprised? "Well, your advice has always been for my safety." - I would tell you that if we were in that kind of situation, but this is different. His partner was in peak condition, and Keen Intuition strongly suggested that Seo Jun-Ho should face them head-on and carve a path from there. "If you¡¯re sure about it, then it¡¯s fine.¡± Seo Jun-Ho flicked his finger. His magic converged to form the shape of a person. "Mmmm." The Frost Queen felt the floor. "Ugh¡­the floor is hard." "So you were sleeping?." Seo Jun-Ho smiled. The Frost Queen seemed ufortable as she opened her sleepy eyes and looked around. "My bed¡­ Where did it go?" "Who knows? This is not the Spirit World." "T-that voice¡­ Is that you, Contractor?" said the Frost Queen with quivering eyes. Then, she immediately denied what she had been doing up until now. "I wasn¡¯t sleeping. I just took a nap.¡± "Wipe the drool off of your face first.¡± "Sssp." Her shoulders drooped as she wiped the corner of her mouth with her sleeves. "Hmm." In fact, she hadn¡¯t really done anything wrong. The Frost Queen looked like she was still in shock after being caught in that explosion. "Did it hurt?" "It hurt a little, but after blowing on the wounds and rubbing medicine on them, they weren¡¯t painful anymore." "Well done." Seo Jun-Ho smirked and stared up ahead. "Then, get ready. The enemies are on the way." "Enemies?" "Yea. Fight hard and prove your worth." "Leave it to me.¡± The Frost Queen, still in her pajamas, stood akimbo and stared up ahead. "I am annoyed today, so I will show you my grandeur.¡± It was the first time that she had been away from her contractor for more than a day, and she was annoyed because she had been forcefully separated from him. ¡®There''s no cake in the Spirit World. Those evil jerks...'' The Frost Queen¡¯s face was briefly engulfed with fury as she stared up ahead. Rumble! Countless martial artists could be seen running through the wilderness, leaving a sandstorm in their wake. "¡­There are a bit more of them than I thought," said the Frost Queen. "Oh, you¡¯re not confident?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. The Frost Queen looked up at him, seemingly sulking. "I have said this over and over again, but I am the one¡ª¡± "Who freezes the world. I am the Queen of Niflheim, and I am very strong." Seo Jun-Ho grinned and teased. At that, the Frost Queen punched him with her soft fists. "You¡¯re acting more like Jun-Sik." "Hey, there are some things you can say, but there are things you shouldn¡¯t say at all," said Seo Jun-Ho as if he was resentful. He flicked his finger once again. He had to call Seo Jun-Sik for a fight like this. "I don¡¯t want to, I can¡¯t¡­ I don''t want to do it." Seo Jun-Sik immediately refused to fight as soon as he was summoned. Seo Jun-Ho looked at him incredulously and asked, "Hey. I haven''t even said anything yet, what are you talking about?¡± "I already know what you want me to do..." Seo Jun-Sik clicked his tongue when he saw the martial artists on the horizon. "See? Look at this. I knew this would happen¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik sighed deeply and lowered his head. He eventually looked up and asked, "You''re going to make me do it even if I say no, right?¡± "Yep." "Damn it all." With a look of resignation, Seo Jun-Sik opened his own copy of Inventory and retrieved his own copy of White Dragon before standing next to Seo Jun-Ho. "Original, just how many of them are there? I think there are probably tens of thousands of them." "Who knows?¡± With Seo Jun-Sik on his left and the Frost Queen on his right, Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. He knew that these two were reliable when it came to fights. "Do we even need to know that?" he said. ¡®Since the both of you are with me¡­¡¯Of course, he didn¡¯t bother to say that out loud. Chapter 392. Three-Way War (1) Chapter 392. Three-Way War (1) ¡®What should I do?¡¯ All Seo Jun-Ho could do was open and close his hands into fists. He watched the martial arts pour in like a flood and thought to himself, ¡®Should I freeze them all in one go with King¡¯s Breath, or should I cut through them with Death Scythe?¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter whether he chose King¡¯s Breath or Death Scythe, he would be able to kill hundreds of them in the blink of an eye. ¡°Huh?¡± Wrinkles appeared on the Frost Queen¡¯s smooth forehead as she stared at something. ¡°Contractor, those people¡­ why are they crying?¡± ¡°What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho squinted and expanded his vision until the martial artists all the way over there looked like they were right below his nose. ¡®Oh no!¡¯ They were crying. ¡°M-my body is moving on its own.¡± ¡°Dammit! Why is this happening?¡± ¡°Please, someone, make it stop!¡± The martial artists did everything they could to regain control of their bodies as tears streamed down their faces. Seo Jun-Sik didn¡¯t look surprised as he muttered, ¡°Tsk, tsk. This is obviously Namgung Jincheon¡¯s doing.¡± With part of the Neigong Chip and the System Chip in his possession, this was possible. ¡°Contractor, what will you do?¡± The Frost Queen asked, worried. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was lost in thought. Whenever he was faced with enemies who were simply running in to kill him, he always killed them without a second thought. ¡®But¡­¡¯ As Seo Jun-Sik had said, these people had lost control of their bodies to Namgung Jincheon. In other words, they were victims. ¡®That dirty bastard¡­¡¯ These people were respected and admired by the people of Neo City. They were their righteous guardians. They were proud of their job and devoted everything they had to punish evil in the city. ¡®They never had a clue that Namgung Jincheon was tricking them.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked down at his hand. Could he kill these innocent people with his own hands? ¡°Hey, Original. Just think about it objectively,¡± Seo Jun-Sik advised, his voice t. ¡°If you create a path by killing them, you¡¯ll definitely be able to get into the city. But if you don¡¯t¡­ You might not be able to.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Unlike the cyborg martial artists, a Pureblood like him would die if he couldn¡¯t reach the city. If the toxic gas entered his lungs, it would be apanied by unimaginable pain. ¡®I¡¯ll be able to hold out somewhat thanks to Cell Regeneration, but it¡¯ll be really painful.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. He knew. He knew that it was idiotic to even consider whether to take the easy,fortable path or the difficult, troublesome one. ¡®But¡­¡¯ The difficult, troublesome path meant saving the lives of tens of thousands of people. ¡®His Majesty and Cheon-Gwang wanted to create a world where the people could dream and hope of tomorrow.¡¯ Even if Seo Jun-Ho reached the city and created such a world, what was the point If there was no one left to dream? ¡®Man. This is gonna be really hard. And annoying.¡¯ He made up his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll only suppress them.¡± He thought that Seo Jun-Sik and the Frost Queen wouldpletely oppose his idea, but they grinned, contrary to his expectations. ¡®Yeah, I knew Original would say that.¡¯ ¡®Making people worry about him is his specialty, after all.¡¯ ¡°Stupid Original.¡± ¡°Idiot Contractor.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked greatly offended. *** ¡°S-Sir.¡± Kwak Won-San was shifting left and right. Namgung Jincheon had basically ruined his own ns due to anger. And to add insult to injury, thousands of yers had just arrived as reinforcements. Not only that, every one of them seemed to be at least a high-grade martial artist, so Kwak Won-San couldn¡¯t help but be shaken. ¡°...There is no need to make a fuss,¡± said Namgung Jincheon as he looked down at the window. ¡°Either way, I had to fight him eventually.¡± ¡°No, but the original n was for this to happen after you absorbed all six thousand gapja of neigong! That¡¯s why I warned you several times to restrain¡­¡± He started with fiery vigor. However, he immediately stopped when he felt the air around him tighten. He trembled in fear after being exposed to Namgung Jincheon¡¯s murderous re. He looked up and saw that Namgung Jincheon¡¯s eyes were full of bloodlust. ¡°Sect Leader, I do not understand why you think you can speak to me like so.¡± ¡°F-Forgive me.¡± Overwhelmed by the bloodlust, Kwak Won-San lowered himself. The Alliance Leader sucked his teeth as he pondered something. ¡°It cannot be helped. It is a little too soon, but we have no other choice but to carry out the n.¡± ¡°What n?¡± ¡°We will dispatch the Immortal Army.¡± ¡°T-The Immortal Army?!¡± Kwak Won-San couldn¡¯t stop himself from looking up in shock. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have enough neigong to dispatch them yet.¡± ¡°Their overall power will be less than we originally nned, but there should be no major problems.¡± ¡°Hm. But we will still need at least two hours in order to assemble them.¡± ¡°It will take six.¡± He stroked his beard. He would have bought them time by sending out the martial artists, but he sent them away with orders to kill Seo Jun-Ho.¡°There is no other option. It is my hasty decision that led to this, so I shall buy time myself.¡± ¡°You intend to go to the battlefield yourself?¡± Kwak Won-San¡¯s eyes went wide. Namgung Jincheon had always sent out his subordinates because he didn¡¯t like going to the battlefield himself. ¡°Until now, there was no need for me to step forward. But that is not the case anymore.¡± Efficiency was most important right now. He gave another order. ¡°While I hold the yers back, send Danyang and Heosu to Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho has learned the ck Moon Martial Art, so it is best to dispose of him as quickly as possible.¡±[1] ¡°Ah. With the two of them, we will most certainly be able to kill Seo Jun-Ho.¡± Aside from the Alliance leader, those two were the strongest fighters on this. ¡°Be on your way. Prepare to awaken the Immortal Army.¡± ¡°Your wish is mymand.¡± Kwak Won-San hurried out of the room, and Namgung Jincheon started at the ce where the former had been standing with cold eyes. ¡°Tsk. I left him alive for too long simply because he is useful.¡± And he had also supplied Kwak Won-San with a great amount of neigong over hundreds of years. However, he would outlive his usefulness by tonight. ¡®I will kill Seo Jun-Ho with the Immortal Army and the Demonic Cult while we¡¯re at it.¡¯ After obtaining the Beta Neigong Chip from the Demonic Cult, his lofty ns would seed. He would naturally be the ruler of Neo-City, and he would also possess all the neigong on the lower Floors. That was his ultimate goal¡­ ¡®If things turn out as nned, there will no more reason for me to fear the demons and the Transcendents.¡¯ Even if an outsider tried to invade, he would have nothing to fear. Namgung Jincheon stared out the window, and his figure melted to the ground. *** The Conductor of Space, Shin Sung-Hyun, spent a long time with his eyes closed. He seemed to beposing something in the spatial dimension. ¡°It¡¯s done. Everyone, stay five steps away from me,¡± he warned. They shuffled back obediently. He swung his baton with vigor. Crackle! A fissure appeared out of thin air, creating arge hole. Beyond the hole were the backs of the martial artists ahead of them. Skaya¡¯s jaw dropped, and she was surprised as she asked, ¡°W-what? Did you just connect us to another location?¡± ¡°It is thanks to the training I received on the 4th Floor.¡± More precisely, he had created this new technique while challenging the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty of Another World. ¡°Hey¡­This isn¡¯t just a projection, right? Can we cross over, too?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°Of course. If we couldn¡¯t cross over to the other side, I wouldn¡¯t have made it in the first ce.¡± ¡°No way! Even I can¡¯t do this!¡± squawked Skaya. However, Shin Sung-Hyun wiped the sweat gathering on his brow and shouted, ¡°Hurry and go! I can¡¯t hold it for long.¡± ¡°So this is what you meant when you said we¡¯d catch them by their tails.¡± Rahmadat grinned. He was the first one to cross over through the portal. ¡°Ahahaha! I¡¯m first!¡± The process was simple. He crossed over like he was walking through a normal door and arrived at the target location. He turned around and stroked his chin. ¡°This is pretty cool. Skaya, this is a lot more convenient than your Teleport.¡± ¡°Then use that instead from now on!¡± she said angrily. But just as she was about to cross over, a ghastly chill ran through her, raising goosebumps on her skin. ¡®There¡¯s something dangerous¡­?¡¯ She sensed danger and summoned her magic as she dodged. ¡°Ah. You have good reflexes, girl,¡± an old man muttered dryly from beside her. He was holding an arm behind his back. It was Skaya¡¯s arm, and he tossed it to the ground without a care. ¡°...!¡± The yers held their breaths. They couldn¡¯t sense the old man before he arrived, and they also didn¡¯t see him move. By the time they registered his presence, he had already pierced through Skaya¡¯s sevenyered Defensive Shield and cut her arm off. ¡°Skaya!¡± Gilberto screamed with fury. He quickly equipped his sniper rifle and aimed it at their opponent. However, he couldn¡¯t see him through the scope anymore, even though the old man was supposed to be there. ¡°A gun with live ammunition? What an outdated relic.¡± Just as the warm, amused voice reached Gilberto¡¯s ears, his rifle shattered. ¡°Father!¡± Shocked, Arthur quickly used Telekinesis to pull Gilberto back. The ground he had been standing on shattered into pieces. ¡°Ah, are you his son? He raised you well.¡± If Arthur hadn¡¯t pulled him back, the sniper would have shattered as well with his rifle. The yers gulped. It hadn¡¯t been long since he appeared, but the old man¡¯s shocking power made the yers freeze up. ¡®He¡¯ll kill us if we make the first move.¡¯ ¡®But¡­ He¡¯ll kill us even if we don¡¯t.'' ¡®Just what are we supposed to do in a situation like this?¡¯ This waspletely different from the time they had faced Erebo on the 4th Floor. Erebo hadn¡¯t even been this strong, and they had insurance with them in the form of regression upon dying. ¡°It seems that the yers of Earth are quite taciturn. I like that you are quiet.¡± Heughed warmly and raised his hand. They were frozen with fear at the sight of him. There was no need to prolong this battle. He would kill them all with one blow. ng! Just then, his hand was blocked by a powerful strike of a sword. ¡°Hm?¡± Namgung Jincheon squinted. It seemed that there was someone notable among the yers other than Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®He has a great amount of neigong. I can absorb it once I kill him.¡¯ The swordsman who blocked him spoke, ¡°Hurry¡­¡± Just from one strike, he knew that the old man before him was a monster with an astronomical amount of magic energy. ¡®I can¡¯t win.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong knew that he could only buy time. It was a pathetic, painful truth. However, Kim Woo-Joong grit his teeth. ¡°Hurry. Heal the Archmage and rescue Specter!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll do it!¡± Cha Si-Eun broke out of her shock and immediately ran over to Skaya to heal her. ¡°Hup. I¡¯ll stay here too.¡± Rahmadat crossed through the portal once more and casually took his ce next to Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s side. ¡°You look like you need a sturdy tanker to take his attacks.¡± ¡°My skills are menial, but I will assist you,¡± Ha In-Ho muttered as he stepped up. It was clear from his expression that he was under immense pressure. ¡°Hah. You children sure know how to make someoneugh.¡± Namgung Jincheon smiled from ear to ear and lifted his hand. ¡°Now then. Come at me, yers.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll split into two groups! The main force will stay here, and the mobile troops will go and rescue Specter!¡± Shin Sung-Hyun nimbly gave his orders. When he did, the yers started crossing over through the portal. ¡°Kyaa! M-Master? Why?!¡± Gong Ju-Ha cried out as she was thrown to the other side. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you to lead them, Captain Gong.¡± ¡°B-But¡­!¡± The rip in space was growing smaller and smaller. Once it closedpletely, Shin Sung-Hyun prayed. He prayed that it wouldn¡¯t be toote by the time they came back here. 1. Heosu can mean scarecrow or puppet. ? Chapter 393. Three-Way War (2)

Chapter 393. Three-Way War (2)

The qi covering Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s spear shot out like a bee stinger. He kept his eyes fixed on his target and spun the shaft to change the direction of his weapon, tripping the martial artist. ¡°A-Ahhh!¡± The martial artist looked up at Jun-Ho, fearing for his life. However, the yer only crushed the machine portions of his arms and legs with precision, disabling him. ¡°W-Why?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± he replied coolly. He turned. A girl dominating the battlefield caught his eye. ¡°Be grateful for my boundless mercy. You will thank me for the rest of your life.¡° When they first met, the Frost Queen had been a fairy about the size of Jun-Ho¡¯s palm, but now, she had grown into the size of a middle schooler. Every time she waved her her hand slightly, cold air would condense and freeze the martial artists. ¡°You will not die. Though, it may take several hours to melt.¡± ¡°You¡¯re enjoying this too much.¡± He grinned, and his feet moved lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t let yourself be defeated by her. Rip them apart.¡± Tens of wolves viciously scattered across the battlefield and started destroying the cyborgs¡¯ machine parts. The wolves seemed like they were alive, but Seo Jun-Ho was actually carefully tailoring each attack for each martial artist. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of martial artists were toppled, but not a single one lost their life. It was only then that they realized¡­ ¡°T-Thank you. Truly, thank you for saving me!¡± ¡°The Alliance said you were a dirty criminal, but they were mistaken.¡± ¡°...I was not in control, but I apologize for attacking you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. You guys didn¡¯t do anything wrong. And I¡¯m not a criminal...¡± If there was anything they did wrong, it was choosing the wrong person to follow. However, it wasn¡¯t like they had a choice. The martial artists kept running toward him, and Seo Jun-Ho toppled them one by one. Suddenly, he looked in the direction of the city. ¡®What is that? The magic gathering near the city has been getting stronger and stronger for quite a while now.¡¯ It meant there was a battle taking ce there, but just who would kick up a fuss in the city? Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment.¡®Did Namgung Jincheon suddenly get the urge to attack the Demonic Cult?¡¯ It was possible. If he obtained the Beta Neigong Chip, he wouldn¡¯t have to be afraid of anything. ¡°Geuk!¡±All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face distorted in pain, and he gripped his chest. There was a fierce and sharp pain in his chest as if water had filled his lungs. ¡®It should be because of the toxic gas...¡¯ He had already obtained low-level Gas Resistance with Cell Regeneration, the pain was still there. ¡®It¡¯s bothering me.¡¯ Thankfully, the pain would only hit him every ten minutes or so. However, if he were to spend thirty or so more minutes here, he would feel that pain constantly. Seo Jun-Sik suddenly called out as if he read his mind. ¡°Hey! Original¡ªhey, let go! Hey, if you¡¯re sorry, let go! You¡¯re pulling down my pants!¡± He pulled up his sagging pants and forced the martial artists around him aside before making his way to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Just go.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Use Night Walking and go to the city. I¡¯m telling you, just throw me away like you always do.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess we¡¯re surrounded. You¡¯ll have to sacrifice yourself,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. It was a baiting tactic. They were trying to distract him with one side of the army so he couldn¡¯t defend against the other.[1] ¡°You¡¯re just throwing me away. Is it really that serious?¡± Seo Jun-Sik blinked, confused. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho added up the numbers in his head. ¡®I¡¯m sure that there aren¡¯t many people here who can sense me while I¡¯m using Night Walking.¡¯ If Seo Jun-Sik could just distract them well, it wouldn¡¯t be that difficult to escape from here. This would also allow them to block off the tens of thousands of martial artists from the city, so it was a good strategic choice. Seo Jun-Ho promptly nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go with that.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡­ You should refuse at least once to be polite.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think our rtionship calls for that.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Sik wrinkled his nose as if he had eaten something sour. Seo Jun-Ho patted his shoulder as darkness enveloped him. ¡°I¡¯m going. Distract them for me.¡± ¡°Hey,uh¡ª¡± Before Seo Jun-Sik could even finish, Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen had already disappeared from the battlefield Needless to say, the martial artists started swarming toward him like wasps. ¡°Dammit. If it¡¯s gonna be like this, I should have asked him for a sushi coupon or something like he does for Frost,¡± Seo Jun-Sik muttered while pouting. *** ¡°Hurry!¡± Gong Ju-Ha sped through the forest, forgetting all about the heat. ¡®Faster. Faster. Faster, Ju-Ha.¡¯ From the city they left behind, she sensed that the vibrations of magic were growing stronger and stronger. It meant that the battle was getting vicious as time went on. ¡®We have to get back before it¡¯s toote¡­¡¯ They had to save Specter, return to the city with him, join with the main force, and kill that monster. That was the only thought running through Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s head. ¡°Huh?¡± The yers at the lead suddenly stopped. ¡°What is it? Why did you stop?¡± ¡°Inspect the magic signature in front of us.¡± ¡°Magic?¡± Gong Ju-Ha tilted her head. She closed her eyes and expanded her senses. There were tens of thousands of martial artists, so it was hard to tell the individual footprints apart. ¡®But there¡¯s a big one. It¡¯s not one of those weak candlelight mes, it¡¯s like a burning torch.¡¯ She could feel it. She could feel the great amount of magic zing, not like a torch, but like the sun. ¡°Wait¡­ There are two?¡± She could sense two people on her right. They seemed powerful. They had an enormous amount of magic energy, even more than her. ¡®Then, is Specter the one on the other side?¡¯ She could feel a magic footprint on her right. It wasparatively weak to the other two. It was likely that he was in such a weakened state because he had spent so much time outside of the city. ¡°I think the two stronger ones are enemies. Let¡¯s meet up with Specter first.¡± ¡°A wise decision. Let¡¯s do that.¡± The party started moving to the left, where Seo Jun-Sik was located. At the very same moment, there was a face-off happening on the other side. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the two men blocking his way, still using Night Walking. ¡°We almost missed him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a petty ability befitting of a thief. But we already knew about it.¡± They also knew that Seo Jun-Sik was a clone. ¡°Who are you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed after revealing himself. ¡°Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. I am the Kunlun Sect Leader, Danyang.¡± ¡°And I am the Wudang Sect Leader, Heosu.¡± Danyang and Heosu. The Frost Queen stared at them and whispered, ¡°Contractor. Their energies¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I can feel it.¡± They had an enormous amount of magic power. It was so much magic that Seo Jun-Ho found it confusing why Namgung Jincheon even gave them that much despite his greed. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed a little. ¡®If it were just one of them, I could win quite easily, but since there are two of them¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t be sure. After all, the victor could be decided in an instant against martial artists of their level. ¡°There is no need to continue our conversation.¡± Danyang and Heosu unsheathed their own sword. ¡®Kunlun and Wudang, was it?¡¯ He recalled what Wisoso had told him about their special characteristics. - They and the Volcanic Wave Sect are known as the two greatest swordsmen ns. Like the Kunlun Mountain that once stood in the central districts, their swordy is sharp, strong, and fast. - Their ns are filled with pretentious fools, but their martial arts are greatly formidable. They emphasize the principle of flow over the principle of strength.[2] In short, one was speedy, and the other was hard to prate. ¡®What an annoyingbination.¡¯ Thump! All of a sudden, the pain struck him again, making him feel like his chest was being twisted into a pretzel. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes fluttered, and he barely managed to hide the pain. ¡°...Frost, we¡¯ll make this as short as possible,¡± he said. If he got caught here for too long, Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s sacrifice would be all for naught. ¡°I will provide support.¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s voice faded into the wind. ¡®There¡¯s no need to drag this out.¡¯ He unleashed the great amount of magic he had umted with the ck Moon Heart Method. ¡®Minor Moon Eye.¡¯ A garden meant for weaker targets. Hundreds of petals bloomed in the air, dying the forest ck. ¡°Hm.¡± Danyang¡¯s eyes narrowed. He hadn¡¯t expected such power. ¡°Haha.Rx.¡± Heosu chuckled. He stepped forward and said, ¡°Indeed, your attacks are powerful, as expected of the ck Moon Martial Art user, but I don¡¯t think you know...¡± Heosu lifted his sword and slowly draw a circle in the air. One, two, three times¡­ It wasn¡¯t intimidating at all. ¡®I¡¯ll break through with one go.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho waved his hand slightly, and the jet-ck ice petals shot forward to cover Heosu. ¡°...That your attacks are very powerful, Young Hero, but they are not enough to injure a master like me.¡± The flower petals struck the circles Heosu had drawn in the air, and the petals started to scatter. Some of them futilely surged to the sky, while some fell to the ground. ¡°Have you heard of the Yin-Yang de?¡± ¡°...It redirects the trajectory of an attack.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s not all.¡± Heosu grinned and suddenly dashed toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°By mastering the principle of flow, one can deflect every attack in the world.¡± ¡°Contractor! Duck!¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly lowered himself, and a giant wall of ice shot out from the ground, sending tremors everywhere. It was so thick and tall that it pierced through the clouds. ¡®This bastard. When did he acquire such power¡­?¡¯ However, Heosu¡¯s surprise was only momentary. The scattered flower petals dissolved, unable to pierce through the ice. ¡°I would like to see if that so-called Yin-Yang can handle this...¡± The Frost Queen lightly snapped her fingers, and the wall of ice slowly moved forward. ¡°D-Dammit¡­!¡± Heosu cursed from the other side, flustered. Groooo! All of a sudden, a dragon¡¯s roar reverberated, and the wall of ice shattered into thousands of pieces as Danyang surged into the air. ¡°This is my n¡¯s ultimate technique, Dragon-Piercing Death Strike.¡± It was a sword technique that could ughter even a dragon flying above the sky. It was that sharp and fast. ¡®But he made a mistake...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed. He stirred his magic power and summoned spears made of darkness and filled with scorn. It was a powerful technique that could destroy the target on a cellr level. ¡®My attack rains down from the sky. He has no means of dodging it.¡¯And the troublesome Heosu was still on the ground, unable to change the trajectory of the attack. Seo Jun-Ho released the spears without a second thought. Saaaaa! They flew out, easily breaking the sound barrier. However, just as they were about to pierce Danyang, Danyang finally moved. ¡°What?¡± Danyang gracefully moved in midair¡ªalmost as if he had footholds in the air. He gently fluttered to the ground. ¡°It seems that you are unaware of my sect¡¯s technique, the High Principle of the Sky Dragon.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought that he had seen something like that a few times in the wuxia novels he was reading as a student.¡®I think it¡¯s the ability to move your body in midair.¡¯ He initially thought that it was just some unimpressive technique, but after witnessing it himself, he came to the conclusion that it was pretty annoying to deal with. ¡°Contractor. These men¡­They are not fools drunk on magic.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho bit his lip. Honestly, he thought that they would only be about as strong as Yoo Joo-Wan, considering that they were Sect Leaders under Namgung Jincheon. ¡®But they¡¯re on apletely different level¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho watched the two masters with his sword hanging at his side, and his eyes eventually settled withposure. ¡°Seems like this will take longer than we thought...¡± If Seo Jun-Ho tried to make haste, he could end up being devoured. *** Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s party finally approached the ce where the fighting was the most intense. ¡°Over there! He¡¯s over there!¡± A familiar backside. A single man was fending off tens of thousands of martial artists all by himself. The majestic sight awed her. ¡®You always¡­¡¯ She always¡ªalways wanted to tell him, and she resolved herself to do so after clearing the Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty. ¡®Thank you...¡¯ She also felt sorry that she was ignorant about how hard he had been working all this time, even though she had been calling herself his fan. No matter what, she wanted to tell him. ¡°Everyone! Protect Specter!¡± ¡°Let the Healer help him first!¡± Gong Ju-Ha ran to Specter faster than anyone else, and her chest grew tight as she teared up when she saw his weary and exhausted face. ¡°Specter-nim¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha bit her lip. She was about to say something, but she was interrupted. Specter exhaled lightly and nced at her. ¡°Woah,it¡¯s Ju-Ha. I think I¡¯m about to die because I¡¯m starting to hallucinate.¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked, stunned. He had clearly called her ¡®Ju-Ha¡¯.[3] ¡®W-W-W-What? What? Why did he drop the honorifics?¡¯ Flustered, Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face flushed. *** Shim Deok-Gu was at the executive office of the Korean yer Association. As he sorted through the n to take the Sky Soul Guild down, he suddenly looked up. ¡°Oh,now that I think about it¡­¡± He had forgotten to tell them about Seo Jun-Sik. He blinked a few times and chuckled. ¡®Well, I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be that much of a problem.¡¯ Chapter 394. Three-Way War (3)

Chapter 394. Three-Way War (3)

Cha Si-Eun was stupefied. A part of it was because of the old man who suddenly appeared, but most of it was because of how Skaya Killnd was acting. ¡®I¡¯ve always thought she was over-expressive.¡¯ However, Skaya didn¡¯t let out a single cry even after her arm was cut off. In fact, she picked her own severed arm up and calmly asked Cha Si-Eun to reattach it. Cha Si-Eun felt strange. This was the first time she saw Skaya acting like this. ¡°I-It may hurt a little,¡± she warned. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Just do it as fast as you can.¡± Skaya¡¯s cold eyes were fixed on Namgung Jincheon, who was attacking the yers. She had alreadye up with dozens of spells, and she discarded each and every one of them after running simtions in her head. ¡®How do you kill something like that?¡¯ Actually, it hurt. Her shoulder hurt so much that she wanted to cry. However, she did not wail¡ªrather¡ªshe couldn¡¯t do that. It was a burden she had to endure as a Hero. ¡®We can¡¯t cry.¡¯ If they were to show weakness in front of the yers, the yers'' morale would drop. That was why they always had to be calm. No matter how hurt or sad they were, they had to act dignified as if nothing was going on. ¡®But it hurts...¡¯ That was why she would make him pay¡ªa hundredfold. ¡°Si-Eun, hurry.¡± ¡°I will heal you as fast as I can.¡± As Cha Si-Eun unleashed her magic, Skaya¡¯s arm quickly started to reattach to the stump. Meanwhile, Skaya took in every piece of information from the battlefield and carved it into her head. ¡°There are so many interesting abilities,¡± Namgung Jincheon remarked. Ever since the battle started, he had only been using his left hand. Everyone else thought he was arrogant, but that one hand managed to stand head-to-head with 8,722 yers. ¡®How does such a monster exist?¡¯ ¡®It feels like we¡¯ll never defeat him.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d see someone like Erebo again...¡¯ The yers used their own skills to trap Namgung Jincheon. They were so coordinated that none of the Nine Heavens, or even Specter, would be able to escape the attacks. However, Namgung Jincheon took the brunt of each skill. He didn¡¯t even use any tricks or techniques¡ªall he used was his own brute strength. ¡°Seeing so many varieties of skills makes me feel like I havee to a marketce.¡± He had such an immense amount of magic power that it was impossible to even measure it. The yers were trembling under his presence. However, the yers pushed their fear aside and fought with all they had. ¡°Torsion.¡± Fwooosh! Shin Sung-Hyun swung his baton hard, and space itself copsed. It consumed a ton of magic power, but it was a ghastly attack that created a cage of distorted space. ¡°Hm?¡± Leaving only that single word behind, Namgung Jincheon was pulled into the rift in space. At the same moment, blood started to drip from Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s eyes, nose, and ears. He still hadn¡¯t mastered this technique, so the trade-off was high. ¡°I-It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°I knew the Nine Heavens could do it! The Conductor of Space, everyone!¡± ¡°Healers! Help the Guild Master!¡± ¡°No matter how strong he is, no one cane back after being sucked into a rift in space¡ª¡± Rrriiip! The yers were stupefied. The space ripped open like the jaws of a monster, and an old man quietly stepped out of it. It was a surreal sight. ¡°There was nothing in that space even though I was invited as a guest. It was drab, so I came out.¡± ¡°What? I-Impossible.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun shook violently. He thought that the technique would be invincible once he mastered it, but it had been ripped apart merely with magic power. ¡°Hm¡­Is it something like this?¡± All Namgung Jincheon did was release his magic, but the immense power made even the Rankers choke on their breath. His magic tore through space, and tens of yers were sucked into the resulting rift. ¡°Hm.You have taught me something quite interesting.¡± Namgung Jincheon revealed a smooth smile. He then cut the flow of magic, and the rift closed. The yers who managed to stand their ground stared at him hopelessly. ¡®We¡­ Have to beat this guy? How?¡¯ ¡®This is absolute madness.¡¯ ¡®How are we supposed to kill a monster not even one of the Nine Heavens can hurt?¡¯ The thought of losing filled the heads of the eight thousand yers here. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Cha Si-Eun shouted. Skaya squeezed both hands into fists. It hurt a little, but it was bearable. ¡°Thanks.¡± She tossed her robes aside. They were getting in the way. She strode toward the battlefield, which hade to a lull. Every time she took a step, a magic circle would appear in each hand. ¡°Reverse Gravity, eightyers.¡± Namgung Jincheon flew into the air as if someone had snatched him up. ¡®Hm? She moved me?¡¯ Currently, neigong was covering his entire body, so every kind of attack should bounce off of him. As such, his eyes widened just a bit in surprise. This was unprecedented. Skaya pointed her index finger precisely at him. ¡°Magic Missile.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± The people around her groaned. None of these powerful magic techniques worked on their enemy, so why was she using something like Magic Missle? It was a basic spell even mages on the 1st Floor could learn. However, her resolute eyes remained fixed on Namgung Jincheon as she uttered, ¡°A hundred and twenty-eightyers.¡± The spell quietly drew a straight line through the air as it flew through the space between Neo City¡¯s ground and its sky. ¡°...!¡± Namgung Jincheon¡¯s eyes widened. In spite of himself, he used both hands for the first time throughout the battle to block the attack. Boooom! Even though he managed to block it, the shock of it made all the clouds in the sky dissipate. ¡°Use your hands, you cocky bastard.¡± ¡°...¡± Namgung Jincheon¡¯s eyes darkened at Skaya¡¯s provocation. He looked down at his arm. The artificial skin he was wearing had vanished, and the metal underneath gave off a cold sheen. ¡°...It has been a long time since I saw what lies beneath my skin.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you everything that¡¯s inside you. Just wait.¡± ¡°I shall respectfully decline.¡± Namgung Jincheon steadied himself and slowly ¡®walked down¡¯ from the air. It was a curious sight, appearing as if he were walking down a flight of stairs. ¡°I have lost interest,¡± he said, looking bored. However, there was a cold fury in his voice. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you think you provoked him a little too much?¡± Rahmadat asked reproachfully, scratching his head. ¡°You always act all smart, but you always cause trouble at the important moments.¡± ¡°...But he ripped my arm off,¡± Skayained, pouting. She started toyer her magic circles once more. ¡°Plus, if we want to win, we have no other choice but to hit him with everything we¡¯ve got while we¡¯re in good condition.¡± ¡°That, I agree with...¡± With just one attack from Skaya, the doubt in the yers¡¯ minds disappeared. ¡®Wait, I think we can actually win.¡¯ ¡®If the Archmage is that strong, well, I bet the other Heroes and the Nine Heavens have some tricks up their sleeves.¡¯ ¡®And¡­¡¯ ¡®There are more than eight thousand of us.¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s quick wit allowed him to catch wind of the sudden shift. ¡°He¡¯s not invincible! He¡¯s human, just like us!¡± ¡°Get into position! Attack with precision, and don¡¯t stop!¡± ¡°He¡¯ll get exhausted at some point!¡± ¡°The Nine Heavens and the 5 Heroes are with us!¡± ¡°Hooahhhh!¡± Namgung Jincheon clicked his tongue. He was so close, but now, he had to start all over again just because of a crazy woman. ¡®How irritating.¡¯He felt exhausted. However, the neigong surged around him, and each strand had its own target. ¡°Death shall be the price you people will have to pay for disrupting a god.¡± Without saying anything, he lowered his hand. The condensed neigong started falling from the sky like shooting stars. *** Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s eyes were round as she stared at Specter. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why am I still hallucinating?¡± Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head before reaching out to grab her cheeks. ¡°Her cheeks feel squishy. She reallydoesseem like a real person.¡± ¡°I ahm a reaw pershon,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said. Specter¡ªno, Seo Jun-Ho was surprised. ¡°W-Why are you here?¡± ¡°I cay here to shave you.¡± ¡°Wow!You guys made a rescue party?¡± ¡°Yesh.¡± Seo Jun-Sik finally pulled himself together and let go of her mochi-soft cheeks. ¡°That was my bad. Sorry.¡±[1] ¡°Ahem.It¡¯s all right.¡± She cleared her throat. Unable to hide her embarrassment, she turned to the martial artists instead. ¡°Are they bothering you? Should I get rid of them all?¡± ¡°Oh,no. Original told me to save them.¡± ¡°...Original?¡± ¡°We¡¯re busy right now, so I¡¯ll exinter. Anyway, you can¡¯t kill them, so just make it so that they can¡¯t fight.¡± Gong Ju-Ha wasn¡¯t quite sure what was going on, but Specter¡¯s words were enough. She nodded and said, ¡°That won¡¯t be difficult.¡± She stared straight at the iing martial artists. Bang! Ba-bang! Bang! Their machine arms and legs flew into the air on their own. ¡°Woah!What is that sorcery? How the hell did you do that?¡± Seo Jun-Sik asked, shocked. ¡°It¡¯s a technique I developed while fighting Erebo. I concentrate my elemental skill on my eyes, and I inflict heat on the target with them. I call it, Fiery Eyes!¡±[2] ¡°It¡¯s a good technique, but the name sucks.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s cheeks grew red, and she hastily retorted, ¡°It¡¯s just a temporary name, so I can just change itter.¡± ¡°Youreallyshould. It really,reallysucks. I bet the technique would get mad if it heard that name.¡± ¡°...¡± It was the name she had settled on after two whole months on the 4th floor. She pursed her lips and grabbed Specter¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Anyway, we don¡¯t have time for this. The yers are holding back a monster in the city.¡± ¡°A monster?¡± ¡°He¡¯s an old man, but he¡¯s really strong. We have to hurry.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s face fell. ¡°There are yers in the city? How many of them?! And does that guy have a beard that goes down to his chest and ck and white robes?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± The sudden vigor intimidated her, and she started fumbling over her words as she said, ¡°W-Well, there are more than eight thousand yers there¡­¡± ¡°That crazy bastard.¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s face crumpled like paper. It seemed that the yers were currently fighting Namgung Jincheon¡ªan old monster with an immense amount of neigong and mastery over every martial art. ¡®That¡¯s scary enough, but that¡¯s not even all of it.¡¯ He had partially broken through the seal on the System Chip. In other words, he could use every banned weapon of Neo City. ¡®If that son of a bitch unleashed another bomb next to the eight thousand yers¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s face grew pale. ¡°Move! We¡¯re moving out now!¡± ¡°Yes, sir! The city¡¯s this way!¡± ¡°No, not there.¡± He turned his head to where his original body was located and said, ¡°We can¡¯t go without that guy.¡± Chapter 395. Three-Way War (4) Chapter 395. Three-Way War (4) ¡°Contractor, I¡¯ll take care of this side, so take out the other one first!¡± The Frost Queen called out while she was fighting Heosu. ¡®Faster. Faster¡­¡¯ ng! ng! ng! With the Sword of Ambition in his hand, Seo Jun-Ho attacked Danyang like a tempest. ¡®Overclocking maximum output.¡¯ As Seo Jun-Ho attacked Danyang in session, his figure disappeared like a ghost. He was so fast that even Danyang was surprised despite the fact that he had been right under his nose. ¡°...You are fast. But that is all you are,¡± said Danyang. Immediately afterward, his eyes and shoulders split open, revealing hundreds of cameras that scanned everything around him. [Activating area scan.] [Hostile detected.] [Activating automatic counterattack.] [Dragon-Piercing Death Strike form 2, Dragon-Killing Cut.] aang! The sound of metal shing against metal rang out, and an explosion of fire easily blocked the attack closing in on Danyang¡¯s neck. ¡®Holy shit. He blocked that?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth and red at Danyang. However, thetter simply smiled at Seo Jun-Ho snarkily. At that, Seo Jun-Ho retreated, creating space. Danyang dusted off his robes. ¡°A Pureblood will never be able to defeat a seasoned cyborg martial artist.¡± ¡°...¡± None of the cyborg martial artists whom Seo Jun-Ho hade across so far were as strong as this bastard. To be precise, they were actually sometimes easier to fight because of their machine parts. ¡®But this guy¡¯s different¡­¡¯ With the help of an AI, he easily fended every attacking his way. Moreover, the mechanical parts of his body allowed him to casually wield speed and strength that would otherwise be impossible for an old man to disy. ¡®I guess this is the power of technology.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had already used half of the magic power he had absorbed through the ck Moon Heart Method. He had to recharge, but the only way he could do that was to kill these two. ¡°Hm, now that I think about it, you havested longer outside the city than I had expected, considering that you are a Pureblood.¡± ¡°Really? I could do it for days, though.¡± He gave a short, confident answer, but Seo Jun-Ho could feel it. The interval between the attack of pain in his lungs was growing shorter, and the thought of it made him feel impatient. ¡®Dammit. The longer this goes on, the more disadvantageous this will be for me.¡¯ Neither of the two seasoned martial artists had many openings he could exploit. ¡®If I want to break out of this stalemate, I need a new tactic.¡¯ What kind of strategy could he use, then? An illusion? Or one of his Skills? ¡®Think¡­¡¯ The gears started turning in his head. - Hey, Original! Can you hear me?! A voice that sounded exactly like him echoed in his head. It was Seo Jun-Sik. - I¡¯m busy. - You think you¡¯re the only one? Seo Jun-Sik said, sounding like he was choking up. However, he quickly got to the point. - Anyway, we¡¯re on our way to you. -What? Don¡¯te here. There were tens of thousands of martial artists following that guy. In addition, they were under Namgung Jincheon¡¯s control, so they couldn¡¯t even kill them. He was already having a hard time recovering his magic, so if Seo Jun-Sik came here to stir things up, the situation could quickly get out of hand. - Hey, don¡¯t worry about it. I have a reliable backup force with me. - Backup? What do you even¡­ Just as he was about to ask, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes went wide. Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s thoughts were flowing into his head in real time. - I see... There it was. The new strategy. It took him a great amount of effort to hold back his smile. He then pleaded with Seo Jun-Sik. - Jun-Sik, hurry up. - Geez, I know. *** The elegant neb spilled down across the sky. The Heavenly Demon quietly watched the battle taking ce outside the window. ¡°What a beautiful fight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an incredible amount of magic power. To be frank, I would not want to face him as an opponent,¡± Isaac Dvor fussed with his body trembling. The Heavenly Demon looked straight at him. ¡°...Is there something you¡¯d like to say?¡± Isaac asked. ¡°How far along are they in breaking into the Beta Neigong Chip?¡± ¡°They have done basically nothing.¡± It had already been a month, but they still hadn¡¯t made even a single crack in the code. ¡°If I recall correctly, they said they could break it in half a year when they first started.¡± ¡°They certainly did. But in my opinion, they won¡¯t be able to do so.¡± Isaac smiled amiably and continued. ¡°Shall we throw them all to the dogs?¡± ¡°That would be a fitting price to pay for their sins. Do it.¡± The Heavenly Demon nodded. He then looked outside the window, silently and ceaselessly, as if he were a child staring at a toy being disyed behind it. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Isaac realized what his master wanted as he said, ¡°I will bring it to you.¡± The Heavenly Demon nodded. ¡°I am looking forward to it. *** ¡®They¡¯re getting closer.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could sense their approach, and he started toy out his n. ¡®Let¡¯s start big.¡¯ He mustered every single drop of magic he had like he had nothing to lose. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Wariness clouded Danyang¡¯s eyes. His opponent didn¡¯t seem like the type to use neigong so recklessly. So much neigong had gathered that it looked like there was a storm in front of him. ¡°Frost!¡± Seo Jun-Ho shouted, and she hurriedly ran over as Seo Jun-Ho said, ¡°Hey, you can use that thing before again, right?¡± ¡°The ¡®thing¡¯... Are you referring to the ice?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The Frost Queen considered it for a moment with an unconvinced look before saying, ¡°If I use it one more time, your head will start hurting.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡± ¡°And as long as that man Danyang is here, the result will be the same.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯ll be different this time,¡± he said confidently. Danyang and Heosu approached them.¡± ¡°Hehe, I was looking forward to meeting you, girl, but is that all you have to show us?¡± ¡°You must be reaching your limits, seeing how you¡¯re trying to end the fight as soon as possible.¡± Well, they weren¡¯t wrong. Whenever he breathed, his lungs would scream in unimaginable pain. ¡°Frost¡­¡± ¡°...You truly wish for me to do it?¡± ¡°Yeah. Do it.¡± At themand, the Frost Queen crouched and buried her hand into the ground. ¡°Arise! Freezing Hill!¡± Crackle! A giant mountain of ice shot up from nowhere, but Danyang merely snorted at the sight. ¡°This again?¡± ¡°It seems like these children are not very intelligent.¡± Danyang immediately kicked off of the ground as neigong ran through his artificial veins. ¡°Dragon-Percing Death Strike!¡± 7th Form: Dragon Hunter. With an elegant swing of his sword, he cut through the ice with ease, even though it was harder than most rocks. ¡®I wasn¡¯t sure, but I was right.¡¯ Danyang smiled viciously. It was a patheticst-ditch effort. However, the moment he shattered the ice into thousands of pieces, he noticed something wrong. ¡®...Hm?¡¯ He was sure that he had cut through hard ice, but something else was falling from the sky. ¡°Water?¡± It fell from the sky like a waterfall. He was already drenched, but it kept pouring down. ¡°H-How?!¡± Heosu eximed, looking up from the ground. His eyes went wide. On the other side of the ice, there was a group of several yers. ¡®Support troops! Was that not his final move?¡¯ He thought that they had cornered the yer. He thought that the yer had gotten so intimidated by their skills that he had pointlessly released his neigong. ¡®It was a smokescreen!¡¯ It turned out to be a distraction to draw Danyang and Heosu¡¯s eyes away from the trap. As a result, a red-haired yer managed to sneak up and melt the ice. ¡°Nice assist, Captain Gong.¡± ¡°I-Is this all right? And why are there two of you? W-Who¡¯s the real one?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll exinter.¡± The magic-infused water droplets scattered were under Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s control. ¡°Ah!¡± Flustered, Heosu quickly used Yon-Yang de, trying to redirect the trajectory of the water droplets falling down from the sky. ¡°That won¡¯t work...¡± No matter how fast a person could move, it was impossible for them to dodge the rain. The amount of water that drenched Heosu¡¯s robes far exceeded the amount of water he managed to avoid. Seo Jun-Ho gave a small pull with his finger. ¡°Freeze.¡± Crackle! The rain froze over, as well as the water covering Danyang and Heosu. ¡°Dammit! Unbelievable! This is sorcery!¡± Danyang hopped through the air like a crane, but he instantly froze as well. ¡°These bastards always say that when they lose,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered with a snort, ¡°And what was it called again? The High Principle of the Sky Dragon?¡± As he jeered, dozens of elegant spears made of darkness appeared. ¡°You should use it again...¡± If he could do it, sure... Shwaaaa! The spears went flying. This time, they struck their targets. ¡°Gah¡­!¡± Dozens of spears pierced Danyang, and he stopped breathing. ¡°N-No, no!¡± Heosu immediately panicked upon seeing the demise of his partner, and he mustered his neigong like mad as he tried to melt the prison of ice. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t working. Arge shadow loomed over his head. ¡°Oh, stars above¡­¡± He despaired while looking up at the sky. Crackle! The frozen waterfall fell on him, crushing his body. ¡°ck Moon Heart Method.¡± Seo Jun-Ho breathed in the way he had learned, and the martial artists¡¯ neigong replenished his magic. ¡°Your n was totally cool, Ho.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Sik.¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Seo Jun-Sik bumped fists. Gong Ju-Ha stared nkly at them. ¡°There¡¯s a Specter-nim next to Specter-nim¡­ And a Mr. Jun-Ho next to a Mr. Jun-Ho¡­¡± ¡°Eh? It¡¯s not Mr. Jun-Ho and Mr. Jun-Ho. It¡¯s Mr. Jun-Sik,¡± Seo Jun-Sik corrected, eyes wide. Gong Ju-Ha was bewildered. ¡°M-Mr. Jun-Sik? Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Who do you think? I¡¯m Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s clone¡ªSeo Jun-Sik.¡± ¡°...Clone?¡± ¡°To put it simply, I made him with my skill,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined while ruffling Seo Ju-Sik¡¯s hair.[1] ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s face went red upon realizing it. She almost kicked up a fuss earlier when Seo Jun-Sik had called her ¡®Ju-Ha¡¯ because it made her think that he thought of her as someone more than just a friend. ¡°Why are you here, Miss Ju-Ha?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll exin.¡± Seo Jun-Sik simply shared his memories with Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°There are over eight thousand yers here?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face darkened. He was thankful, but the situation was worse than he had expected. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have time to chat like this, then.¡± In addition, his lungs had been screaming in pain for a while now. ¡°Yes, we should hurry back to the city¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha trailed off and tilted her head. There was a very pretty girl staring at her dryly with her arms crossed. ¡°Um, who is this little girl?¡± ¡°I am not a little girl. How rude.¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eye twitched slightly. She puffed out her chest and started. ¡°I will only say this one, so listen closely. I am¡ª¡± ¡°She¡¯s just my spirit,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said firmly, cutting her off. The Frost Queen stomped her feet. ¡°Hey, I want to introduce myself, too!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that.¡± The yers were fighting Namgung Jincheon. They had to hurry. *** ¡°They are tenacious,¡± Namgung Jincheon muttered to himself as he looked down at the copsed yers. Many of them sustained severe injuries and died, but what mattered was the fact that they were still standing their ground even after several hours. ¡®So this is what yers are like...¡¯ They were more persistent and disruptive than he thought. Crack! He broke Rahmadat¡¯s neck in his hand. ¡°M-Mr. Rahmadat!¡± Golden light glowed on Cha Si-Eun¡¯s fingers and under thebined power of Breath of Restoration (S) and Super Regeneration (S), his neck healed in the blink of an eye. Rahmadat¡¯s thick hands wrapped around Namgung Jincheon¡¯s neck in response. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± ¡°Heh, tired? What¡¯s that?¡± The old man was growing weary. The immortal monster in front of him had already been taking all his attacks for hours. Even if he cut off Rahmadat¡¯s arms and legs or even severed his body in half, Rahmadat managed to survive such injuries somehow. Crack! ¡°Ack!¡± Namgung Jincheon folded Rahmadat¡¯s body in half and carelessly tossed him forward. ¡°Huff. Huff.¡± He spat on the ground, taking in the yers. The useful little insects, the ones the others called the Nine Heavens and the Big 6, still hadn¡¯t lost their fighting spirit. ¡®Should I kill them all?¡¯ No. Even though they were annoying, he couldn¡¯t kill them. There were so many useful bodies here. He had to treat them with a little more care so he could make them a part of his Immortal Army. - Sir, this is Kwak Won-San. The Immortal Army is ready to attack. ¡°Finally.¡± He let out a deep sigh. If he wanted to, he could have killed them all long ago, but he ended up spending too much time toying with the ones he wanted. - Send them over immediately. I shall return. - Understood. Soon enough, the Immortal Army would open their eyes and emerge from underground to defeat the yers. They would capture the useful yers and ughter the useless ones. ¡°You should have killed me...¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°Hold your ground!¡± Namgung Jincheon sent onest powerful wave of energy and left the battlefield without hesitation. When he returned to his quarters, Kwak Won-San had already prepared his tea. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Namgung Jincheon drank the tea with one gulp and sat down. ¡°Ah, how refreshing. Turn on the video.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± The Immortal Army. It was an invincible force he had fostered for hundreds of years. He was excited to see them on the battlefield for the first time. - Bzzzt. However, the video and the equipment suddenly turned off. Just as he was about to ask what was going on, he sensed something wrong. ¡®My voice¡­ It¡¯s noting out?¡¯ What in the world? Had he fought for too long? Perhaps Kwak Won-San put poison in his tea? However, his suspicion dissipated when he saw Kwak Won-San¡¯s head rolling on the floor. ¡°I love this ce, you know?¡± Isaac Dvor stepped forward with a friendly smile while wiping the blood off of his hands with a handkerchief. ¡°It¡¯s full of idiots who have reced their bodies with machinery. How could I not?¡± ¡°Guh, uhhhh¡­¡± Namgung Jincheon red at Isaac with a fury so intense it seemed like he would explode. It didn¡¯t really matter if Namgung Jincheon had thousands of gapja of neigong. After all, Namgung Jincheon¡¯s heart, his brain, and everything else in his body were made of machinery, so there was nothing he could do in front of a gremlin¡¯s ability. ¡°Hm. I sense something on this side.¡± Smash! Issac Dvor tore through Namgung Jincheon¡¯s left arm, and he grinned upon discovering the two chips beneath it. ¡°There are two of them¡­¡± Isaac thought for a moment and only took one. ¡°You see, the Heavenly Demon only ordered me to bring the Neigong Chip.¡± At that, he tossed his handkerchief at Namgung Jincheon. Kwak Won-San¡¯s blood drenched the handkerchief. By the time the handkerchiefnded on Namgung Jincheon¡¯s face, the Magician of Death had already disappeared without a trace. 1. Jun-Ho speaks formally, Jun-Sik speaks casually. ? Chapter 396. Martial God (1)

Chapter 396. Martial God (1)

Bzzzzt! Bzzt! Sparks flew from the wires that had been ripped out. The Alliance Leader was silent as the sound of sparks filled his ears. Exactly ten minutes after Isaac Dvor left... [...System recovery 97%plete.] [...System recovery 98%plete.] [...System recovery 99%plete.] [System Restoreplete.] Huff! Huff¡± Life returned to Namgung Jincheon¡¯s eyes for the first time since the Alpha Neigong Chip was stolen from him. He had beenying there like a dead fish. As he gasped for breath, a mix of shock and fury filled his face. ¡®It was a damn EMP!¡¯ There was one thing cyborgs feared the most. It was an electromaic pulse that could render them into a piece of scrap metal. Namgung Jincheon knew that, so he implemented anti-EMP systems all throughout the Alliance building. ¡°Damn it all¡­¡± However, that system had been overpowered in a single attack. That could only mean one thing¡­ ¡®It¡¯s the clown who works for the Heavenly Demon.¡¯ The EMP he had used was justthatpowerful. ¡®I¡¯ll think up countermeasures for the EMPter.¡¯ Impatient, he quickly circted his neigong. A few momentster, he started trembling like a leaf. Because it was gone¡­ The thousands of gapja worth of neigong should be pulsing through his artificial veins, but it had disappeared without a trace. He opened his eyes, feeling deeply forlorn and dejected. ¡°...It¡¯s over?¡± he asked. Was it actually all over? Could he even ept the reality of the matter? ¡°No¡­¡± The answer left his lips before he could even think. He couldn¡¯t ept the truth. He couldn¡¯t... ¡°I won¡¯t ept this. It can¡¯t be. It can¡¯t be. It can¡¯t be,¡± he said with a hollowugh. ¡°No, no, nononononononono.¡± He rambled like a madman for a long time, but his face suddenly turned grave. ¡°I spent seven hundred years on this.¡± He had been running for seven hundred years with only one goal in mind, and he wassoclose to reaching it. He was only one step away from breaking the seal on the System Chip. ¡°It was right in front of me. It would have all been mine!¡± Ahhhhhh! Even though there wasn¡¯t a drop of neigong in the old man¡¯s voice, his fit of rage made the room shake. However, none of his men were here to help him. There wasn¡¯t even anyone to hear him scream. All four of his assistants had dead, and Namgung Jincheon himself had chased the martial artists out of the city. ¡®But it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not¡ªit¡¯s not over yet.¡¯ His eyes zed with vengeance. Foolish man. His brilliant mind was still intact despite all the time that had passed. If he were going to give up on enlightening the worldnow,he never would have started this in the first ce. ¡°Give it to me.¡± He ripped the neigong chip out of Kwak Won-Son¡¯s corpse and absorbed it. ¡®It¡¯s not enough.¡¯ Compared to the boundless neigong he had before, this was a mere speck of dust. In fact, the tiny amount of neigong made him even more thirsty for power. ¡®It¡¯s not enough, it¡¯s not enough, it¡¯s not enough! I have to get it back. I have to get my neigong back.¡¯ Because it belonged to him¡ªthe Neigong Chip was his right. Namgung Jincheon closed his eyes and activated the Sect Record Chip. ¡®Entry number 759, Double Mind.¡¯ As the name suggested, it separated his mind and his conscience into two. Another Namgung Jincheon appeared in his head, and they had a serious conversation about the current situation. ¡®Let¡¯s think about a solution.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll have to get our neigong back first. What is our n?¡¯ ¡®I do not know if it was carelessness or indifference, but he left the System Chip and the Sect Record Chip behind.¡¯ ¡®Yes. They should hold the answer.¡¯ ¡®We must also prepare for that clown¡¯s EMP.¡¯ It was no different from having two heads, so he came to a conclusion twice as fast as usual. Soon enough, Namgung Jincheon found the answer. ¡®I rmend using entry 982 in the Sect Record Chip. The Great Law of the Absorbing Star.¡¯ ¡®Yes, I suppose that¡¯s all we can do. I concur.¡¯ It was a forbidden technique that allowed one to suck neigong from their target. If someone learned that he even learned that skill, he would be marked as an official enemy of the Murim Alliance. However, it didn¡¯t matter... ¡®Because we will soon be Murim..¡¯ ¡®Because we will soon be Murim...¡¯ He gave amand to the Immortal Army. - Attack the yers, but do not kill them under any circumstances. Capture them alive. - Especially the ones they call the Nine Heavens and the members of the Big 6. - You may cut off their limbs. If he used the Great Law of the Absorbing Star, he could absorb the neigong from the yers and recover a portion of his power. ¡®But even if we collected enough neigong, we have to find a way to take care of that man.¡¯ ¡®He only managed to disable us because we were not aware of his abilities. If we simply take adequate preparations, we can do everything.¡¯ ¡®Wait, are you referring to¡­?¡¯ ¡®Yes...¡¯ Namgung Jincheon looked down at his wretched body. It was an old, outdated frame he had been using for hundreds of years. ¡®We must go to the Sky Dragon Armory.¡¯ ¡®Indeed.¡¯ It was the Alliance Leader¡¯s personal armory, where all his magic weapons were stored. The marvelous, shy weapons tempted him, but he ignored them all and went to the final room. It was a secret armory only the Murim Alliance Leader could enter. [ess authorization verified.] [Wee, Alliance Leader.] Creak! The door opened, revealing a two-meter-tall artificial body with dozens of thick cords attached to it. It had an exquisite finish of gold and red. It was a beautiful, daunting robot. ¡®It is as beautiful as always.¡¯ ¡®Indeed. I have thought about using it thousands¡ªno, tens of thousands of times before.¡¯ He stroked the sparkling robot with his remaining hand, and his eyes were full of wonder. ¡®But will it be all right? Our authority over the System Chip still isn¡¯t enough for us to use this.¡¯ ¡®An EMP will be able to threaten me as long as I am in this frame.¡¯ The robot in front of him was a custom-made frame for the founding emperor of the Aeon Empire. [Model Emperor-001] As far as he knew, it was the most powerful artificial frame in this city. He had always been drooling at the thought of using it, there was just one reason why he hadn¡¯t been able to use it. ¡®It is a huge gamble. We do not know if the knowledge we have umted over the past seven hundred years will transfer over to the new body.¡¯ ¡®I am aware. If things do not go well, we could lose all our memories and be a nk te.¡¯ That was why he wanted to be a god without borrowing the strength of Model Emperor-001. After discovering the existence of a powerful-enough EMP; however, Namgung Jincheon had nowhere else to turn. He ripped off his back and pulled out a long cord. He sat next to the artificial frame. ¡®Let us begin.¡¯ As he looked at the robot, his eyes glistened with unquenchable greed. *** The Heavenly Demon turned away from the window and looked behind his shoulder. ¡°My liege, I have brought the Alpha Neigong Chip as you wished.¡± ¡°Good work,¡± he said dryly. He cut straight through his forearm with his nail. As blood started to drip down, Isaac Dvor hurried over and caught it in a wine ss. ¡°Goodness, your blood is precious¡­ You do not need to give me so much.¡± ¡°You seem to enjoy lying,¡± he said coldly. ¡°That makes me sad. There is no one who is as devoted to you as I am.¡± ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon was silent. Indeed, Isaac¡¯s loyalty ran very deep, but it was only because he had something to gain from it. ¡°Drink.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Isaac gently lifted his chin and drank the blood. ¡®...!¡¯ Ah, this was it. The ecstasy ran through him. It felt like it was stimting all his cells. He finished the ss in one gulp and smacked his lips, looking bummed. The Heavenly Demon stared intently at the Alpha and Beta Neigong Chips. ¡°So. How can I use these so-called Chips?¡± ¡°There are two options.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°The first option is to imnt machinery into your body.¡± With that, he would have a ce to insert the chips, which would subsequently give him a boundless amount of magic. ¡°And the other?¡± ¡°Destroy it.¡± Isaac¡¯s lips curled up into a smile. He knew that his master wouldnever,ever imnt machinery into his body. ¡®Because he is a very distrustful individual¡­¡¯ The Heavenly Demon likely considered it an unfavorable choice because it would be a weakness that could be exploited. As Isaac had expected, his master chose the second option. ¡°If I destroy the Neigong Chip, the neigong within it would be released into the world, correct?¡± ¡°Yes. But this option has a great risk attached to it.¡± The Heavenly Demon nodded slowly. ¡°I suppose it depends on my ability to absorb magic.¡± This was the perfect option for him. He had the blood of a Mimic. They were frivolous demons greedy for treasures, and they often tricked explorers to devour them. ¡®But they do not know their ce. Their greed knows no bounds.¡¯ Even if they were full, they would still thirst for more. As such, the power the Heavenly Demon could umte knew was essentially limitless. It was true back then, and it was still true even now. ¡°I shall go to the Cultivation Room.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Isaac elegantly knelt on one knee before asking, ¡°Then, what shall we do in the meantime?¡± ¡°Stop them,¡± the Heavenly Demon said curtly. It was all so that not a single ant could approach him. *** Namgung Jincheon had already retreated, but there was a dark and gloomy air surrounding the yers. ¡°Sniff!¡± ¡°Dammit. If I had reacted just a little¡ªjust alittlefaster¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I swear, I¡¯ll avenge you.¡± There were too many people for them to mourn today. They fought Namgung Jincheon for a mere few hours, but 129 yers died as a result. ¡°...¡± Arthur bit his lips as he watched. He had no idea why his heart felt like it was sinking like a rock when he didn¡¯t even know any of the yers who died. Moreover, he had seen countless yers die in the past, but his heart had never felt this heavy. ¡°You have to get used to it,¡± Gilberto said. ¡°Father¡­¡± Arthur turned to him. He wanted to ask¡ªhe wanted to ask Gilberto how it felt to get used to something like this. The weight on Arthur¡¯s heart made it feel like his entire being was sinking deeper and deeper into the darkness. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder about how his father felt upon witnessing such scenes hundreds of times over the many years of his life. He wanted to ask, but he couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°They¡¯re heartless,¡± Gilberto whispered, looking up at the sky. Too much blood had been spilled tonight, and it was a sorrowful night. ¡°We have far too little time to mourn the dead.¡± Earlier, he thought that the shining object in the sky was a star. However, as it came closer and closer to them, he realized that they were thousands of humanoid robots. Click. Gilberto loaded a bullet into his rifle. ¡°I have a feeling that tonight will be a long night,¡± he muttered. A bullet ripped through the city at daybreak, marking the start of the second battle. Chapter 397. Martial God (2)

Chapter 397. Martial God (2)

While the rescue party¡¯s mages were preparing the teleport spell, Gong Ju-Ha stood quietly and kept ncing over at Seo Jun-Sik. She was like a teenage girl who was at a meetup with her favorite idol. ¡®They look the exact same.¡¯ Well, he was a clone. That was a given. If she had to say, the only difference between the two was their hairstyles. Unlike Seo Jun-Ho, the owner of the body, Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s hair was slicked back. ¡°Originaaaal.¡± Seo Jun-Sik crouched down into a squat. His face scrunched into a pout. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It hurts. I¡¯ve been finding it hard to breathe for a while now.¡± ¡°How many times have you said that already? Just hold on for a little more. You¡¯ll be fine once we make it into the city. Seo Jun-Ho patted Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s shoulder while he was sulking. His eyes met Ju-Ha¡¯s. ¡°Captain Gong, is there something you¡¯d like to say?¡± ¡°N-No! Not at all.¡± She shook her head vigorously. Her voice dropped to a mutter. ¡°It¡¯s just kind of fascinating. I can¡¯t believe there are two Specters¡­¡± ¡°Hmph.We look the same, but I¡¯m different from this guy,¡± Seo Jun-Sik said, groaning as if he were a patient. ¡°How so?¡± she asked. ¡°First of all, unlike this guy, I¡¯m authentic.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t believe him. It¡¯s just all nonsense,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, quickly cutting in to correct him. ¡°That¡¯s what he said to me, too, so I believed him at first. But now that I¡¯ve been with him for a while, I realized that not only is he not authentic, but he¡¯s also shameless, tactless, andcksmon sense.¡±[1] ¡°Wow. That¡¯s so harsh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, and you know it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not. The only thing I got from you is authenticity. I¡¯m totally authentic.¡± Gong Ju-Ha nodded as she watched the two of them bicker. ¡®I guess he wouldn¡¯t get bored even when he¡¯s by himself.¡¯ She had been using a handheld fan to cool off, but she suddenly felt like cold air was nketing her body. She blinked and muttered, ¡°Ah,that feels good¡­Where¡¯s iting from, though?¡± It wasn¡¯ting from the fan. Gong Ju-Ha looked around, trying to find its source, and her eyes settled on a girl.¡®She¡¯s definitely Mr. Jun-Ho¡¯s Spirit.¡¯ The young, foreign-looking girl was sitting apart from the rest of the party on a dirty rock, but there was an elegant, regal arrogant air about her that Gong Ju-Ha couldn¡¯t put into words. When she met Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s spirit a few minutes ago, her first thought was¡®Phew, I¡¯m taller¡¯. She started liking her because she assumed Spirits couldn¡¯t grow taller. ¡°Why are you smiling at me like a fool?¡± the Frost Queen asked, sounding taciturn. Her arms were crossed, her legs were crossed, and even her chin was jutting out slightly. Her bodynguage clearly indicated that she didn¡¯t want anyone approaching her at all. ¡®Aw.¡¯Gong Ju-Ha had wanted to get closer to her by taking care of her like an unnie, but for some reason, she felt like the Frost Queen didn¡¯t like her. She wavered, unable to find anything to say. Finally, she said something, ¡°W-Would you like to eat a snack with me?¡± ¡°...A snack, you say?¡± Oh my God. Even Gong Ju-Ha herself felt self-conscious when she said that. This was their first time meeting. Share a snack? She probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to get close to kindergarteners with that. ¡°P-Please pretend you didn¡¯t hear that¡­¡± ¡°Hmph.I already heard you, so could I pretend I did not?¡± Surprisingly, it was effective. The Frost Queen hadn¡¯t had a single snack ever sinceing up to the 5th floor. She thought for a second and decided to pretend like she was giving in as she turned her head and said, ¡°Show me. This¡­snack.¡± ¡°Oh,okay!¡± Gong Ju-Ha scurried forward and sat next to her. Seo Jun-Ho and Seo Jun-Sik were still fighting while the two of them shared a snack. ¡°Come on, just take it back. I¡¯m telling you, Idohave shame,mon sense, and tact.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± It seemed like their bickering would nevere to an end. Suddenly, Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes lit up when he remembered something. ¡°Oh,right! The free sushi coupon!¡± ¡°The what coupon?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, frowning. He had only humored Seo Jun-Sik up until now out of obligation. He had heard about the cake coupon countless times, but what the hell was this sushi coupon? ¡°Give me a sushi coupon like the cake coupon you give Frost.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a fully grown man. Sushi coupon, my ass!¡± ¡°Come ooonnn! I want one, tooo! Give it to meeeee!¡± Seo Jun-Sik started throwing a tantrum like a child, and the members of the rescue team quietly turned around. They couldn¡¯tugh at him to his face, so they turned around to hold theirughter in. ¡®Goddammit.¡¯Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t believe Seo Jun-Sik was acting like this in his face. His cheeks burned as he covered his clone¡¯s mouth. ¡°Hey, hey, I¡¯ll give it to you, so be quiet.¡± ¡°Puwah!Really? You¡¯ll really give it to me?¡± ¡°Yeah. In fact, I¡¯ll give you enough to make your stomach literally explode,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said spitefully. Seo Jun-Sik nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut then.¡± Their lively break didn¡¯tst long. The mages were finally done with the teleport spell. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take us all the way to the city entrance, but it¡¯ll take us somewhere close by!¡± Crackle! A giant teleport gate appeared, and Seo Jun-Ho rose from his seat. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± *** m! Rahmadat was thrown to the grown with a booming sound. ¡°Ugh,ptoo!¡±He spat out the concrete dust in his mouth. When he stood up, three robots ran over to him. ¡°God, these annoying little¡­¡± ¡°Explosion!¡± Bang! There was a giant explosion that covered the entire street, sending the robots flying. Skaya walked up from behind him. ¡°Oh, my. Should I not have stepped in?¡± ¡°...No. Thanks.¡± Rahmadat rolled his aching shoulders a few times and squinted through the smoke left by the explosion before muttering, ¡°These bastards are a headache.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± After Namgung Jincheon disappeared, an army of armored robots appeared. Unlike the cyborg martial artists, whose bodies were still part human, these robots were a hundred percent machines. Their exteriors were strong enough to endure sword ki. ¡°On top of that, they¡¯re using those weird martial arts. That means they¡¯re intelligent,¡± Skaya finished. ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here¡­¡± Creak. Creak. Three robots slowly stepped out from the smoke. The robots had lost their limbs from the explosion. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what the real problem is...¡± Machine parts popped out of the many manholes dotting the street and attached themselves to the robots. Whenever they were damaged, their parts would be reced with new ones, allowing them to re-enter the battle immediately. That was what made the Immortal Army so terrifying¡­ ¡°In some ways, they¡¯re even more disgusting than the cockroaches on the 4th floor.¡± ¡°Yeah, those guys would die if we just broke their bodies.¡± However, it was very difficult to kill these robots. The only way to stop them from reviving was to break through their heads, which was the toughest part of their bodies, and destroy the chip inside. ¡°It¡¯s like fighting thousands of you,¡± Skaya mused. ¡°Hm.That¡¯s a pretty nasty picture,¡± Rahmadat muttered. He suddenly punched through a building next to them. When his hand came out, it was holding a robot by the neck as if he had just plucked a carrot from the ground. ¡°Wow, how¡¯d you know it was there? We can¡¯t even sense magic energy from them,¡± Skaya said. ¡°I heard the footsteps.¡± ¡°You¡¯re like an animal.¡± The Immortal Army¡¯s unbreakable bodies and regenerative abilities were terrifying, but the scariest part was that the yers couldn¡¯t sense magic from them. ¡°Hey, Rahmadat, doesn¡¯t something feel off?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°...¡± Rahmadat nodded. He had been sensing the same thing since earlier. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t think these guys are trying to kill me.¡± ¡°You noticed it too, right? I keep getting the feeling that they¡¯re trying to capture me.¡± Just what in the world were they going to do with the yers after capturing them?¡± Rahmadat scratched his head. ¡°Ugh,thinking about it gives me a headache. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll end at some point if I just keep destroying them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a beast.¡± They both lifted their hands. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Yuppers.¡± With that, they started moving to save the yers who had fallen into danger. *** ¡°So this is what it looks like outside the city.¡± ¡°Is this your first time seeing it?¡± ¡°Yes. Have you seen it before, Director?¡± ¡°...If I am honest, I have only seen it a few times, too,¡± muttered Hyun-Baek, a director of the Murim Alliance as well as the Sect Leader of the Kongtong Sect. The city was covered in all sorts of neon signs and lights, so much so that it was hard to see the stars. However, beyond all the light pollution, the night sky was filled with countless shining stars. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± the director said. ¡°Yes, it is, though there¡¯s a horrible toxic gas around.¡± ¡°But since we have filters, I think it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea toe out once in a while to look at the stars.¡± ¡°Hoho.That would be nice.¡± Director Hyun-Baek chuckled as he looked up at the twinkling stars. However, his eyes were filled with concern, unlike his smiling face. ¡®Young Hero Seo was not an enemy of the Alliance.¡¯Hyun-Baek had already noticed that something was off when Seo Jun-Ho was suddenly dered an enemy of the alliance. It was all because the Seo Jun-Ho he had met didn¡¯t seem like the type of person to do such things. ¡®That means that someone created a rumor about him from the inside.¡¯ There was an idiom that went ¡®cutting the grass and pulling out the roots¡¯. It referred to the act of destroying the very source of the problem. ¡®Considering that the Alliance was so shaken by him, there is no doubt that the mastermind is a high-ranking personnel of the Alliance.¡¯ However, if someone could make a fool out of the Alliance, it meant the individual in question could shake their foundation as well. The Murim Alliance was meant to be a free-roaming police force that protected innocent civilians and punished wicked criminals. ¡®I must go to the Alliance Leader as soon as we return.¡¯ He closed his eyes and started sorting his thoughts. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°D-Director Hyun-Baek.¡± However, the martial artists were suddenly thrown into amotion, and it spread like waves until everyone started muttering to themselves. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked the martial artist next to him, opening his eyes. ¡°T-There! Look at the sky!¡± There were countless stars sitting in the night sky like jewels. And among them, there was a figure that wasing down toward them. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Of course, he knew what it was. It was the custom-made frame the Aeon Empire had created solely for the Emperor. It was a frame created for the Emperor, and it belonged solely to the Emperor. ¡°I thought he was on his sickbed because he was ill!¡± ¡°It¡¯s His Majesty the Emperor!¡± ¡°His Majesty himself hase to rescue us!¡± ¡°Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!¡± The martial artists rejoiced with tears streaming down their faces. ¡°...¡± The ¡®Emperor¡¯ watched them quietly. Afterward, he went down to them while emanating a golden light. ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡­¡± Director Hyun-Baek¡¯s voice trembled. Neo City was a very futuristic city, but its political system was extremely outdated. They were an autocracy, and the Emperor held all the power. As such, Director Hyun-Baek couldn¡¯t help but get emotional to see how the Emperor himself wasing down to save his people. ¡°...¡± The Emperor benevolently lifted his hand without a word. Director Hyun-Baek gathered the final vestiges of his energy and managed to raise his remaining right arm. ¡®Oh, Your Majesty!¡¯ However, he never managed to reach the Emperor. The Emperor¡¯s hand brushed passed his and settled on his abdomen. ¡°Your Majesty¡­?¡± Director Hyun-Baek said uneasily. Suddenly, his eyes went wide. ¡°K-Keok¡­?!¡± In an instant, his neigong disappeared, and many warning messages appeared before his eyes. [Warning! You do not have enough neigong. The filter has been deactivated.] [Warning! Toxins have entered your body. Please put on a filter as soon as possible.] He couldn¡¯t breathe. Just now, he could breathe like it was nothing, thanks to the filter. But now, his face was rapidly turning blue. He was sure that he had read about this ursed forbidden art at the library. It allowed one to snatch all the neigong from someone else¡¯s body. ¡°This is¡ªguh!This is the Great Law of the Absorbing Star!¡± ¡°T-The Great Law?¡± ¡°Wait, why is His Majesty using a forbidden technique¡­?¡± ¡°Your Majesty! What is this?!¡± The martial artists lost themselves and started shouting one by one. They couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. ¡°Do not despair, Director Hyun-Baek,¡± the Emperor whispered in a gentle voice. ¡°You are simply returning something you borrowed.¡± ¡°...!¡± Director Hyun-Baek¡¯s face twisted, and veins popped on his face. The unique manner of speech belonged to the man who he¡¯d served for decades. ¡°Y-You bastard¡­ Namgung¡­!¡± Before he could even finish his sentence, his face wrinkled like a mummy, and the machine parts of his body started rusting. ¡°Hm.¡± The Emperor¡ªno, Namgung Jincheon smiled contently upon seeing tens of thousands of martial artsying there like bugs. ¡°With this, I should be able to replenish a portion of my power.¡± Chapter 398. Martial God (3)

Chapter 398. Martial God (3)

Bang! Bam! Loud explosions kept filling their ears as if there was an ongoing air raid. One of the members of Specter¡¯s rescue party chewed on his lip. ¡°Just how¡­ How did it turn into a battlefield so fast?!¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. When we left, it wasn¡¯t like this,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said with a stupefied look. Like the other yer said, the city was a battlefield. Nothing more, nothing less. To make matters worse, Seo Jun-Ho and Seo Jun-Sik weren¡¯t in good shape either. ¡®They¡¯ve been exposed to the toxic gas for too long.¡¯ All their healer could do was slow down the spread of the poison. Their lungs and innards were already poisoned. That was why Seo Jun-Sik was being carried on a yer¡¯s back¡ªhe couldn¡¯t even walk on his own anymore. ¡®We¡¯ll need a healer who¡¯s much more skilled, considering their current state.¡¯ Thankfully, she knew a person with such skills. ¡®The Saintess. Miss Cha Si-Eun.¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha rapidly typed on her Vita. [Princess! You¡¯ve returned!] [In-Ho, I¡¯m in a rush right now. Tell me where the Saintess is right now!] [Oh, no. He must not be in good shape. The Saintess is currently near the twin buildings in the west.] ¡°Give me a second! Gong Ju-Ha ran forward and hopped up the building¡¯s walls like a rabbit until she reached the roof. ¡®The twin buildings in the west¡­ I can¡¯t see them from here.¡¯ Eventually, she found the twin buildings and her eyes darkened. It was too far. They were in the east¡ªthey were on the opposite side. Gong Ju-Ha returned to the party and shook her head. ¡°We have no other choice but to simply run all the way to the west.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry!¡± ¡°If we run as fast as we can, we should be able to arrive in thirty minutes!¡± The party members¡¯ minds started to grow urgent. However, just as they turned a corner, dozens of robots started approaching them. Creak. Creak. ¡°Dammit. What are these bastards?¡± ¡°...Leave them to me. Go,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said, tying her hair into a ponytail. ¡°Captain Gong, are you saying you can take all of them by yourself? Shouldn¡¯t more of us stay behind?¡± ¡°If too many people stay behind, their conditions could get even worse,¡± she shot back. There wasn¡¯t anything they could do about it. But just as they were about to leave, the streemp in the alleyway bent like taffy, blocking the robots from getting to them. ¡°This way! Hurry!¡± A youthful-looking yer waved to them from the other side. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re¡­¡± The other yers didn¡¯t know him, but Gong Ju-Ha did. She had seen him in a conference room at the Korean yer Association. ¡®Arthur Green.¡¯ He was the son of Mr. Gilberto, who was a member of the 5 Heroes. He was no doubt an ally. ¡°Follow him! He¡¯s on our side!¡± she yelled. By the time the robots broke through the streemp, not even a single ant could be seen. ¡°...¡± *** ¡°A moving house? What an amazing skill.¡± ¡°Heh. Thank you.¡± The party was able to reach the western side in an instant and meet up with Cha Si-En thanks to River¡¯s Moving House. ¡°Miss Si-Eun, please just heal them both for now. Don¡¯t ask questions for now,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said. ¡°...I-I understand.¡± She really wanted to ask why there were two Seo Jun-Hos. However, she quickly ced her hand on each of their foreheads and started healing them both. Fwoosh! A bright light spread from their foreheads and ran all throughout their bodies. In an instant, their poisoned organs were healed, and the color returned to their faces. ¡°Kaff! Kaff!¡± Seo Jun-Sik coughed and sat straight up. ¡°Goddammit, that hurt as much as getting heartburn from chicken.¡± ¡°...¡± Meanwhile, Jun-Ho calmly stood up and peeked outside the door of the infirmary. Bang! Bam! All throughout the city, the yers were fighting the Immortal Army. Who was losing, then? The yers or the Army? Unfortunately, it was neither of them. ¡°Waah! Waaaah!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, baby.¡± ¡°...Sigh. We hadn¡¯t even paid off our mortgage yet. What are we supposed to do now?¡± ¡°Still, we¡¯re lucky that they are protecting us. The Earthlings, was it?¡± The citizens were the ones who were losing the most. They were forced out onto the streets once the buildings started copsing from the crossfire. When great forces collided, the weak would always suffer the most. ¡°Tsk.¡± Seo Jun-Sik looked over Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder and clicked his tongue. He could feel everything his original could feel. ¡°Hey, Jun-Sik.¡± ¡°Yeah. Yeah?¡± ¡°You¡¯re all better now, right?¡± ¡°Yup, yup.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Too many people had suffered, and too many people had been sacrificed to save them. It was about time for them to repay those people. ¡°Specter-nim. It was only for a short amount of time, but it was an honor to serve you.¡± ¡°We will return to battle as well.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked into the eyes of each of the yers who brought him here. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± ¡°A-Ahem. I¡¯m a little embarrassed.¡± ¡°I never thought the savior of humanity would thank me. I¡¯m gonna brag about that once we go back.¡± ¡°On the contrary, we should be the ones thanking you. You created a world where people didn¡¯t have to live in fear.¡± A world where people didn¡¯t have to live in fear¡­ A crying child caught Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. ¡°We¡¯re still a long way off.¡± He suddenly remembered the Emperor¡¯s words. ¡°I want a world where everyone can dream and achieve what they want.¡± That was the world he wanted to create. But right now, things were the exact opposite. ¡®Namgung Jincheon¡­¡¯ No matter how he thought about it, and no matter how much he thought about it, there was only one answer. ¡®You must die.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes became cid. *** ¡°Ugh, dammit!¡± A yer cursed as his sword broke in half. He had been worried because he still hadn¡¯t gotten used to using a sword aura just yet, but he had never thought that it would be this bad. ¡®I¡¯m gonna die.¡¯ The spear ripped through the air, aiming for his head. However, it never reached him. ¡°...Huff. Huff.¡± The robot froze in ce. A bullet had pierced its head, shattering the chip. Click. Gilberto loaded another bullet. ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± he said, not bothering to turn around. ¡°Yeah. Sorry, I¡¯mte,¡± said a familiar voice. A small smile filled Gilberto¡¯s face at his friend¡¯s return. ¡°...It¡¯s not like this is the first time you¡¯ve done something like that. All that matters is that you got back safely. Bang! He sniped another robot. ¡°Do you want me to exin them to you?¡± ¡°I got the gist of it from Miss Si-Eun. She said that they¡¯re even more dogged than the cockroaches.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. They¡¯re damnable creatures.¡± Gilberto turned around, putting down his rifle. ¡°So, what do you need me to do?¡± As always, he was ready to follow whatever Seo Jun-Ho suggested. Seo Jun-Ho grinned. ¡°Gilbe, you¡¯re good with a bow, aren¡¯t you?¡± *** The Guild Master of Red Tower, Choi Han-Young, was pushed back. His eyes were crinkled because his pride was hurt. ¡®...They¡¯re strong.¡¯ The Immortal Army they were fighting right now was by no means weak. Each robot was as strong, or even 1.5 times as strong as an individual yer on the 5th floor. ¡®We can¡¯t sense magic from them as well, and they just keeping because they don¡¯t get tired like us.¡¯ Perhaps that was why the yers felt so overwhelmed. Because they knew that if they didn¡¯t precisely destroy the chips in their heads, the battle would drag out forever. ¡®So, it¡¯s really a question of which happens first. Either the yers will run out of stamina, or we have to kill them all before then¡­¡¯ Things were bad. The yers were exhausted from the fight with Namgung Jincheon. They didn¡¯t manage to get a proper break because they had to fight the Immortal Army immediately afterward. ¡®If we¡¯d just had half a day¡ªno, even five hours to rest¡­¡¯ They wouldn¡¯t be breathing so hard, and they wouldn¡¯t be so exhausted. ¡°Guh!¡± He kept getting pushed back by the robot¡¯s longsword. It was a mere difference in strength. When he nced around, he saw that Cha Min-Woo from the Cheong-Hae Guild wasn¡¯t doing much better. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re struggling too, eh?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t even have the energy to talk. But if you do¡­¡± ng! Cha Min-Woo charged at the robot as fast as lightning, knocking it over. He ripped off its head and pulled out the chip. ¡°Hoo. Save your strength so you can take down at least one more.¡± Whenever they killed one robot, twenty more would pour down from the sky. ¡°Guild Master.¡± ¡°Are we not going to retreat?¡± ¡°The situation is too dire.¡± ¡°...¡± Choi Han-Young wordlessly looked up at the sky. His eyes were full of fatigue, and his breathing had long grown ragged. ¡®What would you do, Hero?¡¯ Currently, they were fighting in the east. ¡°N-Noona¡­¡± ¡°Hush! Be quiet. We can¡¯t bother them.¡± The houses in the slums were dpidated, but now, they had beenpletely destroyed, forcing many adults and children onto the streets. ¡®If we retreat now, they will die.¡¯ They had already seen it a few times. They didn¡¯t know why, but the robots never killed yers. ¡®But they hold no regard for the citizens here¡­¡¯ The robots killed anyone else who appeared in their line of sight¡ªas if the citizens here were worthless. ¡®Sure, I don¡¯t have any personal connection with them.¡¯ Actually, he wasn¡¯t sure if he could call them human in the first ce, considering that parts of their bodies had long been reced with machinery. In other words, he had nothing inmon with them. ¡®But...¡¯ He knew that the 5 Heroes would protect them. Even if they could livefortably, the 5 Heroes would risk their lives to fight for the weak. They had shown everyone how the powerful should use their power. ¡®You taught me this. So I will follow¡­¡¯ Choi Han-Young parried a robot¡¯s ymore and cut off both its arms. Slice! He cut off the bastard¡¯s head and raised it up high in the air. ¡°Uwaaaaah! Hold on for a little longer! Reinforcements wille once they¡¯re done cleaning up!¡± It was just for show. They were deluding themselves into believing that they would survive if they just held out and that other yers woulde to help them. ¡°...¡± However, it actually happened. Just as the yers exhausted all their mental and physical energy and were about to give up¡­ ¡°You fought well.¡± The reinforcements arrived¡­ The yers cheered at the sight of him. ¡°T-The Nine Heavens! It¡¯s Kim Woo-Joong of the Nine Heavens!¡± ¡°The Sword Saint of Silent Moon hase to help us!¡± ¡°yer Kim Woo-Joong will fight with us!¡± They looked at him with eyes full of belief. Still, Kim Woo-Joong wordlessly swung his sword. The yers had been fighting the robots on their own, and the robots seemed extremely powerful in front of the other yers, but they couldn¡¯t even withstand three strikes from the Sword Saint. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s weird. I definitely heard that this side needed help.¡± Another ally! The yers¡¯ heads turned to the other side. And the man standing there was none other than Specter himself. ¡°S-S-Specter! Specter-nim has returned!¡± ¡°The rescue team seeded!¡± ¡°We have two of the Nine Heavens here!¡± ¡°Kill these bastards!¡± Once their morale was boosted, the yers¡¯ movements changed. Earlier, they had been fighting with the belief that they would never be able to turn the tides no matter how hard they fought, but now, even if they didn¡¯t manage to do so¡ªeven if they didn¡¯t seedpletely, they knew that there were people here to support them. The knowledge made all the difference. ¡°Ah.¡± Kim Woo-Joong noticed Seo Jun-Ho, expecting to see thetter¡¯s eyes filled with the same brilliance as always. He suddenly stopped. Something was different. Seo Jun-Ho had always been an approachable person, but he still drew a clear line. ¡®But now¡­¡¯ He was different. He didn¡¯t know why Seo Jun-Ho had a change of heart, but his hair was slicked back, and the line was no longer there. To put it harshly, he looked a little bit like an endearing idiot. ¡®If I take this opportunity¡­¡¯ Shouldn¡¯t he be able to speak to him naturally like they were friends? Kim Woo-Joong kicked the robot he was fighting in the knee and pped its head with the back of his hand as it doubled over. ¡°Goodness, I didn¡¯t think that the head would go flying so far with just a p of my hand. I never even considered it.¡± Kim Woo-Joong smoothly made his way toward Seo Jun-Ho and made a surprised face. ¡°Wait, Seo Jun-Ho? When did you return? -yo?¡±[1] His subtle pronunciation was perfect. At that, Specter whirled around. He stared at Kim Woo-Joong and spoke. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t really like being called Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s face and eyes were as expressionless as always. ng! Bang! Crrrang! He crushed the robots¡¯ heads over and over. Nonstop¡­ 1. Woo-Joong says the formal parts of the sentence very quietly, like he¡¯s testing the waters. Lol. ? Chapter 399. Martial God (4) Chapter 399. Martial God (4) ¡®I messed up,¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong thought. He had been too hasty. Even if the two of them thought of each other as friends, people were supposed to build their rtionship over the course of two to three years before they started speaking casually to each other. He realized that he had been too impatient.[1] Krrr. Krr. Krrr. Seo Jun-Sik stared, watching Kim Woo-Joong crush the robots with his bare hands. ¡°Um, you already destroyed that robot¡¯s chip. You¡¯re gonna crush him into powder.¡±[2] ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong hated this. The air hadn¡¯t felt this stuffy even when he was fighting Namgung Jincheon¡­ ¡®Oh.¡¯ A lightbulb went off in his head as a ridiculous thought crossed his mind. He walked over confidently. He tapped on his Vita and showed him the body cam. ¡°What is this? Why are you showing me this all of a sudden?¡± Seo Jun-Sik asked. ¡°Listen closely.¡± ¡°Wait, Seo Jun-Ho? When did you return? -yo?¡± His words were clear. ¡°I didn¡¯t speak casually to you,¡± Kim Woo-Joong said confidently¡ªno, a little fiercely.[3] So what? The thought was clearly written across Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s face. He stared at Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Yah[4],e on. It doesn¡¯t really matter how we talk to each other¡­¡± ¡®Yah?¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes sparkled quietly. ¡®I see...¡¯ Clearly, it was a little too early and awkward to speak to each other on a first-name basis. This probably meant that they wouldpromise for the time being by calling each other ¡®yah¡¯.[5] There was a small smile on Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s face as he nodded. He looked like he understood. ¡°...¡± However, Seo Jun-Sik looked weirded out when he saw the expression on Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s. ¡®This guy has always been kinda weird. I bet he¡¯s misunderstanding something again¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik thought about it for a second and shrugged. It wasn¡¯t his problem. *** Isaac Dvor watched what was happening behind the window from the Heavenly Demon corporation building. His eyes curved into crescents. His eyes were fixed on Seo Jun-Ho, who was saying something to Kim Woo-Joong. He had seen on the news that Seo Jun-Ho had be a public enemy of the Murim Alliance, but it felt different to see that he was still alive with his own eyes. ¡®Just how do you think he survived?¡¯[6] Had Shadow betrayed them? Isaac immediately reached into his breast pocket and took out his cards, spreading them around in the air. He picked a few and shook his head. ¡°Hm. I am certain that Mr. Shadow is dead.¡± His lifeline had been cut offpletely. It confirmed that he was no longer of this world. If that was the case, just why did he report ¡®Assassination sessful¡¯ before he died? ¡®Perhaps one of the yers had a skill that could revive him?¡¯ This was the most likely theory. It was possible that someone had a simr skill to him. ¡®I have only heard about him in name, but perhaps it is the Skill of the Eighth Heaven, Yuri Alekseyev.¡¯ Isaac looked out the window and pondered for a long while. Either way, the die was already cast, and it was now up to him to decide what to do. ¡®And I don¡¯t believe the Heavenly Demon has broken into the chip just yet.¡¯ It had already been about an hour since the Heavenly Demon entered the cultivation room, but there hadn¡¯t been an explosion of magic. It meant the contents of the chip were that incredible. ¡®Shall I inform the Heavenly Demon that Seo Jun-Ho is right next to him, or shall I not?¡¯ Heughed without a sound as he weighed the scales, thinking about which one would be more entertaining. At that moment, a woman approached him. She emanated a very sharp aura as a warning. ¡°Don¡¯t tell him.¡± ¡°...I have not decided on anything yet.¡± ¡°Knowing you, you were definitely going to tell him,¡± Valencia Citrin said, staring straight at his face. ¡°In general, I think you¡¯re a pretty goodrade. But I cannot give you my trust because you have a tendency to prioritize your own entertainment over the team.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hurt. I trust you, Miss Cia,¡± Isaac said, looking sad. He let out a long sigh. ¡°If I try to go and tell him, will you attack me with that aura of yours?¡± ¡°Yes, because that¡¯s the right choice.¡± Isaac¡¯s smiling face met Valencia¡¯s expressionless eyes. A momentter, Isaac gave in and raised the white g. ¡°Hm. Seeing as how you are willing to go that far, I will not inform the Heavenly Demon.¡± ¡°Thanks. You made the right decision. Leave him be so he can absorb the magic energy in the chip. Anyway, it won¡¯t be toote to take care of them once he¡¯s done absorbing it.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ Do you truly think it won¡¯t be toote?¡± ¡°5 Heroes, Nine Heavens, the savior of humanity, whatever. At the end of the day, those are just names.¡± Valencia looked out the window coldly as she watched the idiotic Specter. ¡°What¡¯s more, the Heavenly Demon has already defeated him once. He has grown stronger since then, and he is growing stronger even at this very moment. He will not lose.¡± ¡°I see¡­ You actually have such faith in him.¡± Isaac grinned. At some point, the scale had tipped to the other side. ¡®Now that I think about it, this could be a fun option as well.¡¯ Valencia believed in the Heavenly Demon this much. And if he fought Seo Jun-Ho after absorbing that incredible amount of magic¡­ What would happen? Isaac couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter. He got too curious about it. ¡°The Heavenly Demon ordered us to prevent anyone from approaching him, so I suppose we¡¯ll have to dispatch the fiends, right?¡± ¡°...¡± Valencia paused, then nodded. The yers and robots were already fighting near the building. If they just so happened to be hit, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s training could get interrupted. ¡°They should sweep this area clean,¡± she agreed. ¡°Good. Then, let us set out the little ones.¡± Isaac wondered what amusing sight the cyborg fiends would show him. His heart thumped with anticipation. *** While Seo Jun-Sik joined forces with Kim Woo-Joong in the eastern area, Seo Jun-Ho was heading toward a fiercer battlefield with Gilberto. ¡®The central district.¡¯ The Alliance headquarters was located there, and it was also the ce that had the most robots of the Immortal Army. He took out a certain ball from his Inventory. He infused it with magic, and the LED lights instantly lit up. - ?(???o???)? - I am alive again! - I feel as if I have awakened from a deep sleep. I feel great. Wisoso¡¯s energy waspletely restored. The Small Heavenly Demon spun around and looked at Seo Jun-Ho. Their LED lights shed and became even brighter. - Ah, Young Hero Seo. Seeing how bright your face looks, it seems that you have ascended to a higher stage. ¡°Yeah, I suppose.¡± - Thank you for not forgetting me and reviving¡ªAh! Baaaam! The giant building right next to them copsed, startling Wisoso. - W-Wait. Are we not in the city? What is the meaning of this? ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s a battlefield.¡± Wisoso suddenly grew quiet. They was at a loss for words when they saw the yers fighting the Immortal Army. ¡°Actually, I want to ask you. Do you know what these annoying bastards are?¡± - O-Oh my god¡­ Vrrr. Vrrrrr. Wisoso shook ther head vigorously, unable to believe their eyes. - N-N-Namgung Jincheon, you scoundrel! This is a line that never should have been crossed! Wisoso said furiously. ¡°A line that shouldn¡¯t have been crossed? What are you talking about?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. Wisoso turned and stared straight at him. - Look closely at that robot! Can you see the purple light it¡¯s giving off? Sure enough, there was a beautiful violet glow around it. - That only appears when the Phantom of the Violet Sunset is used! It is only passed down to the Huashan Sect Leaders! ¡°Then are you saying that guy¡¯s the Huashan Sect Leader?¡± - Absurd! The current Huashan Sect Leader is their greatest swordsman Kwak Won-San. But that robot is using the Lady Sword, which was said to be mastered by the 18th Sect Leader, Ha Yeon.[7] Seo Jun-Ho and Gilberto¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°Namgung Jincheon made those robots out of dead people?¡± - ...Yes. Wisoso sounded a little scared. - Its movement is as smooth as water and grass in the wind. It is not something that can simply be programmed with data. If that were possible, why would martial artists even train? Such movement could only be achieved by martial artists who had trained with their swords for hundreds, thousands of days. Wisoso¡¯s LED eyes shut tightly. - That is Ha Yeon herself. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Neither of them could speak. If Wisoso''s words were true, that meant Namgung Jincheon had taken away the dead¡¯s right to rest. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that he stole brains from corpses and converted them into data to put into those robots.¡± - Indeed. I¡¯m looking around right now, and I am certain that all of them were elite fighters or previous Sect Leaders of the Murim Alliance. They finally understood why the Immortal Army was so powerful. The robots were warriors that had previously dominated their era, and they were on the battlefield right now. ¡°Gilbe. You said that there are at least a few thousand of them, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°That¡¯s our estimation¡­¡± This meant Namgung Jincheon had spent at least a few centuries creating this army. - Urp. Wisoso had a weak stomach, so they couldn¡¯t help but retch. The Small Heavenly Demon¡¯s stomach turned at the thought that their father could be out there on the battlefield after being thrown away in andfill. ¡°Wisoso.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°I think we should let them rest as they deserve. But I¡¯ll need your help for that.¡± - I-I will do whatever I can to assist you. ¡°Whenever they break, metal parts would fly out of nowhere to repair them.¡± Wherever they came from, as long as the stockpile of parts remained, this battle would go on for a very, very long time. ¡°Do you have any idea where those parts areing from?¡± - ...There is one ce. Considering how Namgung Jincheon trusted no one, there was no way he would hide something like that in the Murim Alliance. At the same time, he wouldn¡¯t have hidden it somewhere too far away. The answer was simple, then. There was a building where entrance was forbidden for anyone. It was the symbol of the city. - The Imperial Pce. The stockpile should be beneath it. ¡°I see¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked up. He could vaguely see the pce in the distance. - But how in the world will you destroy it? It will require an incredible amount of neigong. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not gonna use an ounce of magic.¡± Gilberto ran past Seo Jun-Ho and scaled the wall of the building like a nimble panther to reach the roof. His eyes fixed on the pce, and his vision suddenly expanded. ¡®Eagle Eye.¡¯ He could see the regal pce up close now. The building was the symbol of Neo City, where a criminal could never go unpunished. ¡°Jun-Ho, if I do this¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just do it,¡± he said firmly. Gilberto let out a small sigh. Then, he pulled back the bowstring of the weapon his friend had lent to him. ¡®Final Horizon.¡¯ With his skills, he could hit it from here. - Beep. - Beeeeep. The Immortal robots flying around them noticed what Gilberto was trying to do, and they immediately flew down to interrupt. ¡°Don¡¯t bother him. You¡¯ll break his concentration.¡± Darkness and ice struck out, piercing their heads. Bam! ng! The robots exploded in midair, filling Gilberto¡¯s vision like fireworks. However, the explosions didn¡¯t distract him. He was still concentrating. ¡®Think like a sniper.¡¯ He analyzed the wind¡¯s speed and direction along with the movements of the thousands of robots in the air. And then, he found a line that pierced through it all. ¡®...Gotcha.¡¯ One side of his lip curled up. Bababang! He shot ten arrows at the same time, but only one of them made a sound. ¡®I¡¯m getting old. I don¡¯t think I can do this often.¡¯ His hands burned, and his overworked muscles were screaming. However, that made it all the more satisfying. He jumped down from the roof and went back to Seo Jun-Ho without even checking the results. ¡°Good work.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t ask about it, either. The confident smile on Gilberto¡¯s face was all the answer he needed. ¡°Jun-Ho, where did you get those things you put on the tips of the arrows?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh, those?¡± Seo Jun-Ho dug through his memories and smiled warmly. ¡°I got it from my friends.¡± He got them from his friends residing in the snowy mountains of Frontier¡ªhis short friends with dexterous hands. ¡°They¡¯re really well-made, so cover your ears.¡± When they covered their ears, a loud explosion tore through the air. The ten Dwarf Special Bombs destroyed the Imperial Pce, and it sounded as if heaven and earth had collided. 1. This isn¡¯t true. Some people start speaking casually from the get-go, especially if they¡¯re close in age. There just has to be a mutual agreement. ? 2. Jun-Sik speaks casually to him. ? 3. He¡¯s speaking in a way that¡¯s somewhere in between formal and casual, erring on the casual side. Also, you¡¯re only supposed to call someone by their first name without honorifics if you¡¯re close to them and if you¡¯re close in age. ? 4. This term is hard to trante; it¡¯s a second-person pronoun that¡¯s typically used when you¡¯re annoyed/angry at someone, but it can also be used in other contexts. ? 5. It should be noted that using ¡®yah¡¯ is much more casual than calling someone by their first name and, therefore much ruder to use if you¡¯re not close to someone. In fact, even if you speak casually to someone, you¡¯re not supposed to use them if they¡¯re older than you. ? 6. The style of speech indicates that he¡¯s speaking to someone. ? 7. In wuxia, this is a sword paired with the Gentleman¡¯s sword, and both are said to be the greatest swords in the world. ? Chapter 400. Martial God (5) Chapter 400. Martial God (5) A sound simr to andslide could be heard reverberating through the air. However, everyone in the city remained silent at the copsing skyscraper. It was none other than the Imperial Pce, the tallest skyscraper of Neo City, which was taller than the clouds up above. The noises were because of its copse. ¡®Damn, that¡¯s impressive.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the building. The area around the pce sank as well. ¡®With this¡­¡¯ The stockpile that was supposedly underneath the pce should have been destroyed. ¡°I think we should check just in case,¡± Gilberto said casually. He looked as if he hadn¡¯t just razed a literal skyscraper to the ground. ¡°That¡¯s easy enough.¡± There was someone nearby that would make a pretty good scene. ¡°Ahahaha! Where are you going?!¡± Rahmadat kicked off of the side of a building and flew into the air. His thick hand reached out and wrapped around a robot¡¯s ankle. ¡°I gotcha, ya little rascal!¡± He spun its body a few times and threw it like a shotput. Baboom! It ripped through a building and was buried in concrete. - Beep. Beeeeep. Its body squeaked as it tried to stand up. However, Rahmadat quickly appeared next to it and kicked it like a ser ball. ng! Its body was cut in half. The upper halfunched into the air, and it was struck by Rahmadat¡¯s massive, waiting fist. ¡°Hup!¡± Krra-aang! The robot let out a pitiful sound like a sigh as it smoked andy broken on the ground. ¡°Oh, no.¡± Gilberto¡¯s eyes furrowed as he watched. Fresh robot arms and legs were flying out of the manhole on the street. ¡®I just destroyed the pce, so how? Did I make a mistake?¡¯ Just as he started to grow nervous, Seo Jun-Ho patted him on the shoulder and smiled. ¡°Gilbe, take a closer look.¡± ¡°...A closer look?¡± Gilberto turned around and saw Rahmadat snatching the new machine parts from the air. ¡°Geez, look at these stupid parts,¡± Rahmadatmuttered. There was one arm and one leg. That was all. However, the robot he had just beaten up needed far more parts than that. ¡°You see? It¡¯s starting to have an effect,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I see. So these are just some of the few leftover parts.¡± The Immortal Army was immortal no more. ¡°They stopped regenerating!¡± ¡°We only have to kill them once now!¡± ¡°They have be no different from us!¡± ¡°Aim for the chips in their heads! This is the perfect chance to cull them!¡± The rope that had been tightening around the yers¡¯ necks fell off. This was a ray of hope in the midst of their long, uphill battle all throughout the city. ¡°I knew it.¡± Gilberto looked at Seo Jun-Ho with confidence. This guy had always made Gilberto expect something from him in times of crisis, and it had always made Gilberto feel pressured. ¡®But what else can I do?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had this penchant for turning the tides of the battle like magic. In that case, how could Gilberto not expect something from him? Seo Jun-Ho felt his stare. He turned away and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not like I did this myself. You had the biggest role this time.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, though.¡± Gilberto grinned and held out Final Horizon. ¡°Huh? You can use it for a bit longer. Actually, I can even lend it to you for a while.¡± ¡°No thanks. I prefer guns over bows.¡± The sensation of the cool iron always calmed him down. The stockpile of machine parts was destroyed, but there were still many robots left. *** ¡°...!¡± Namgung Jincheon whipped around. His intelligencework informed him that the Imperial Pce had been destroyed. ¡°My Immortal Army¡­¡± Without their constant replenishment of parts, the Immortal Army would be no different from a normal army. Of course, each individual soldier was strong, but he knew that their immortality was the attribute that made them all the more terrifying. ¡®Which bastard did this?¡¯ Which bastard had seen through it? ¡®Wait¡­¡¯ A young man¡¯s face popped up in his head. He was the first one who caught wind of his goal. The arrogant young man who had mastered Cheon-Gwang¡¯s martial arts. ¡®Seo Jun-Ho. You again.¡¯ He could no longer stand around and watch him skip around. Because he was getting nervous... ¡®He¡¯s unpredictable.¡¯ He was scared of what the yer could do if he just let him be. ¡®It seems that I must make my move soon.¡¯ There was a mountain of dposing machine parts and corpses behind him.[1] Up until a mere few hours ago, they had been the loyal martial artists who were at his beck and call. Namgung Jincheon was aware of that, but he didn¡¯t even blink as he dealt with them. ¡®Seo Jun-Ho¡­¡¯ Namgung Jincheon stared in the direction where Seo Jun-Ho was located and jumped into the air. Upon jumping into the air, a cloud of gas emitting a faint golden light quietly started moving toward the city. *** The Frost Queen held out Wisoso in front of her with her two hands. ¡°Wisoso, use Thunder!¡± - ...B-Bzzt! Crackle! The electrical current Wisoso released stopped the robots for a very short moment. Their attack was far too insignificant to affect the battle, and their LED eyes drooped upon realizing that. - ( ?? ???? ) - Frost Queen, I believe my attack was somewhat meaningless¡­ ¡°Clearly. However, it was just something I wanted to try once.¡± The Frost Queenughed cheerfully and shook Wisoso in her hands. ¡°Soso, Soso. Do you happen to know Thunder Shock? Or Double Team?¡± - ...What are those? ¡°Never mind.¡± The Frost Queen enjoyed ying with Wisoso while fighting. However, that wasn¡¯t all she was doing. - Beep. Be-beep. -Beep. Beep. Beep. They were clearly attracting a lot of attention from the robots. The Frost Queen scanned the dozens of approaching robots with narrowed eyes. ¡°Hmph. I haven¡¯t had much time to entertain myself. How dare these mere machines try to interrupt me?¡± These arrogant fools. With a small gesture of her finger, the robots froze over. She looked at the yers, who were too stunned to speak. ¡°Though this is less than what my Contractor can do, I assume that you all can finish the job if I do this much for you.¡± ¡°O-Of course¡­¡± ¡°Then go. Go finish it.¡± After saving dozens of yers, the Frost Queen turned a corner and started toward another destination. ¡°Wisoso, you will use Thunderbolt next time.¡± - Please, just tell me what it is. ¡°Can you not use it? What about Iron Tail? Oh, considering your entire body is made of metal, I am not sure if that would be possible.¡± - Come on, just tell me.[2] ¡°Do not speak to me like that.¡± *** The scales started to tip toward the yers¡¯ side as time went on. No matter how strong the Immortal Army was, they weren¡¯t strong enough to defeat the Nine Heavens and the elite fighters of the Big 6 after theypleted Another World¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho difficulty. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho flipped his sweat-drenched hair aside. He was fighting the robots like no other because he was capable of turning hundreds of them into pieces of scrap metal at once. ¡®I¡¯ve definitely gotten stronger.¡¯ However, before he could feel proud of himself, he felt loathing. ¡®Ugh, yeah. If I didn¡¯t manage to get stronger after going through all that, I would have just killed myself.¡¯ After diligently destroying the robots, they somehow reached the end of the battle. In addition, explosions could no longer be heard throughout the city. ¡°Is it over?¡± he muttered. ¡°Bingo. You¡¯re right,¡± Skaya said. yers started gathering around them. She closed her eyes. ¡°ording to Eye in the Sky, there isn¡¯t a single trace of the Immortal Army left.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°But the city is inplete ruins. We managed to minimize civilian casualties, but I can¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t expect this to happen.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wondered when it started. At some point, he started counting casualties instead of celebrating whenever a battle ended. ¡°How many yers?¡± ¡°...Thirty-seven.¡± He had heard that 129 yers were killed while fighting Namgung Jincheon. The Immortal Army killed an additional thirty-seven yers. ¡®166 yers died. Just to save me.¡¯ His heart and shoulders felt heavier. They had a bright future ahead of them because of their potential. But now, he would have to carry the weight of their deaths on his back. The yers around him were silent. Perhaps they could sense his feelings. ¡°Kugh.¡± At that moment, the Guild Master of Red Tower, Choi Han-Young, stepped forward with a Guild member supporting him. His breathing was shallow, and the bandages wrapped around his ribs were soaked in blood. ¡°Specter. No, yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked into Choi Han-Young¡¯s eyes without wavering. He had long gotten used to this. This wouldn¡¯t be the first time he was condemned after a battle. Choi Han-Young took a moment to catch his breath. When he spoke, he sounded furious. ¡°Just what do you take us for?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at him silently. He wasn¡¯t sure what Choi Han-Young was trying to say. ¡°Hooo.¡± Choi Han-Young panted a few more times before he took in a deep breath. When he did, the blood on his bandages grew darker. Seo Jun-Ho reached out in surprise. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re bleeding¡­¡± ¡°Hear me, yers!¡± He yelled in a booming voice that was loud enough to rival Rahmadat¡¯s voice. Everyone grew silent. ¡°If you didn¡¯te here out of your own will, raise your hand.¡± A deafening silence nketed the crowd. At some point, the thousands of yers had gathered around here. They watched while sitting on the ruins of the buildings, leaning against walls, or listening from the rooftops. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± However, not a single one of them raised their hand. Choi Han-Young spoke again. ¡°If you thought this ce would be safe, raise your hand.¡± No one raised their hand this time as well¡­ ¡°If you think your friends orrades died because of Specter, raise your hand.¡± Not this time, either¡­ ¡°Last question. If you me Specter, raise your hand.¡± No one¡ªnot a single one of them raised their hand. ¡°...¡± Choi Han-Young quietly turned to Seo Jun-Ho. He looked as if he was asking Seo Jun-Ho if it was a good enough answer. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho had always been leading people and taking responsibility for them. He had always been wondering if things would have been different if he had been a little faster¡ªa little stronger. He had always been regretting the things and the people he couldn¡¯t protect rather than thinking about the things he had done so far. As such, Seo Jun-Ho had always felt guilty and ashamed. ¡®I did. I did, but¡­¡¯ Right now, Choi Han-Young was telling him that he didn¡¯t need to feel that way¡ªthat there had never been a need to feel that way in the first ce. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho squeezed his eyes shut. He had been mistaken. He thought they were the same weak people whom he used to lead in the past. ¡®I was stupid and arrogant.¡¯ They weren¡¯t mere followers who could only trail behind Seo Jun-Ho or Specter. They were yers¡­ They had their own opinions, made their own judgements, and they humbly epted the consequences of their actions. ¡°I¡¯m sor¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho started. However, the Frost Queen shook his head next to him. ¡°Contractor, I believe there is something better you could say.¡± Something better¡­ He flipped through a dictionary in his head and smiled. He slowly opened his eyes and lifted his once-heavy head. ¡°...Thank you.¡± Foring here, for saving him. And for telling him it wasn¡¯t his fault... He was truly grateful. For some reason, he felt embarrassed after that disy of vulnerability. ¡°Aw, Jun-Ho¡¯s face is red.¡± ¡°That guy actually gets embarrassed pretty easily. Tsk, it¡¯s unmanly.¡± ¡°Really? Even when I was still his secretary, I admired those parts of him because it made him seem very human.¡± The war was over, and everyone was smiling. Countless people crowded around him. ¡°I thought I trained a great deal on the 4th floor, but I can finally see that I still have a long way to go before I can catch up to you.¡± ¡°Mr. Jun-Ho, you should be careful. Our master doesn¡¯t like to lose, you see.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m d that you are a source of motivation for others.¡± ¡°Hey, In-Ho. Why are you looking at me while saying that? What, do you want to be the team leader?¡± ¡°Ahem. Noment.¡± ¡°Wow. Do you see this guy, Master?¡± With that, Gong Ju-Ha, Ha In-Ho, and Shin Sung-Hyun left. ¡°I¡¯ll have to tell my younger brother about what happened here today. He has been working really hard because he wants to reach the 3rd Floor, you see. He¡¯ll be really happy to hear this.¡± Cha Won-Woo from the Cheong-Hae Guild left as well. Everyone he knew came up to him, and they all said that they were d he was safe. ¡°Ahem. Hem.¡± Thest person who approached him was the Sword Saint, Kim Woo-Joong. He smiled warmly and said, ¡°Yah. You did good today.¡±[3] ¡°...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked. What? 1. The word for ¡®dpose¡¯ can also mean rust/corrode. ? 2. Wisoso goes from speaking formally to speaking casually. ? 3. Can also be read as ¡®I enjoyed today.¡¯ ? Chapter 401. Martial God (6) Chapter 401. Martial God (6) Yah. People who were very good friends sometimes used that word instead of calling each other by their names. ¡®That¡¯s why it¡¯s even weirder,¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought. He and the Sword Saint weren¡¯t really that close yet. Of course, there was a time on the 4th Floor when they became friendly to the extent that they started speaking casually with each other. However, it was in a timeline that no longer existed. ¡®So, this Woo-Joong should be speaking formally to me, or in that weird way¡­¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong would even use a strange manner of speech sometimes, like when he asked Seo Jun-Ho back then. ¡°Have you eaten? yo?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Kim Woo-Joong stared at each other nkly. Skaya couldn¡¯t bear to watch. ¡°Why are they so awkward and antsy?¡± ¡°I agree with your words. This is a very rare urrence.¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s my pretty little queen! Aw, you agree with your unnie? Look at you~¡± ¡°G-Go away! Just because I agree with you does not mean I wish to get close to you! You are not my ¡®unnie¡¯ either!¡± Even when it started to grow noisy around the two men, they continued staring at each other without blinking. Kim Woo-Joong seemed like he finally realized something as he said, ¡°By chance, did I do something wrong? yo?¡± There we go¡­ ¡°Well, that¡¯s not it¡­ Could you wait for a second? There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to check.¡±[1] He smiled at Kim Woo-Joong when he saw how nervous thetter was. He closed his eyes. ¡®Seo Jun-Sik. Tell me where you are.¡¯ ¡®W-Why are you looking for me? What is it?¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s voice sounded small and frantic. He sounded like a kid who had just been caught going to a PC bang after he told his mom that he was going to study. ¡®Come here. Now.¡¯ ¡®...What if I say no?¡¯ ¡®You won¡¯t get a sushi exchange coupon for two years.¡¯ ¡®Look at that! You said you¡¯d give it to me! Geez, you¡¯re making me so sad. And pissed.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s voice was full of emotion and defiance. ¡®Oh, I¡¯m just that unfair and petty, aren¡¯t I?!¡¯ ¡®So, you¡¯re not gonnae?¡¯ ¡®Ugh! Just give me a second!¡¯ Look at that, so obedient. Maybe it was because he was a clone... Seo Jun-Ho gently opened his eyes and saw arge throng of people. In front of them was a man who was leading them like the pied piper. ¡°Wow, look at you, you big shot.¡± It was Seo Jun-Sik. He looked annoyed by all the people gathering around him like clouds. ¡°Hey, back off a bit. I¡¯m a busy man. I¡¯m telling you, I need to go because that damned Original called me.¡± ¡°What? A date? Are you gonna take me to a Japanese restaurant? Oh, a musical? No thanks.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even Seo Jun-Ho. I¡¯m Seo Jun-Sik. It¡¯s a name that cost 58,000 won at the fortune-teller¡¯s shop in Myungdong.¡± People were still crowding around him. For some reason, it seemed like he was attracting more people than his Original. ¡°Ooh! What¡¯s that? Jun-Ho! Someone who looks exactly like you ising here,¡± Skaya mused. ¡°Hm. The energy I sense from his is much weaker than Jun-Ho¡¯s, though,¡± Rahmadat said. ¡°His personality seems different as well. Jun-Ho isn¡¯t thatid-back,¡± Gilbertomented. ¡°Two Jun-Ho¡¯s¡­ Am I dreaming?¡± Cha Si-Eun asked out loud. This was their first time seeing Seo Jun-Sik. His friends stared alternatingly between the two of them with wide eyes. Skaya thoroughly inspected Seo Jun-Sik with schrly curiosity alight in her eyes as she asked, ¡°Is this a doppelganger?¡± ¡°Hey, even if you¡¯re the one saying it, I¡¯ll feel bad if youpare me to such a lowly monster,¡± Seo Jun-Sik said, pouting. He put an arm around Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m this guy¡¯s one and only clone. My name is Seo Jun-Sik.¡± ¡°Clone?¡± Everyone looked at Seo Jun-Ho for an answer. ¡°I just happened to learn that kind of skill,¡± he said, looking disgusted by Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°I¡¯m jealous. If I could make a clone like you, I¡¯d be able to research magic twice as fast.¡± ¡°A clone, you say? It has always been a childhood dream of mine to have one.¡± ¡°On top of that, he seems intelligent, rather than just being a mere physical copy. He can speak all on his own, too.¡± Cha Si-Eun pointed out. ¡°Smart, my ass!¡± If Seo Jun-Sik were smart, then the whole world was filled with schrs. Seo Jun-Ho let out a small sigh. He pushed Seo Jun-Sik toward Kim Woo-Joong and asked thetter, ¡°By chance, did you encounter this guy?¡± ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong froze like a broken robot. Seo Jun-Sik waved his hand. ¡°Yah, we meet again.¡± ¡°I knew it was you!¡± Seo Jun-Ho grabbed him by the shoulders and started shaking him around. ¡°Urp, you¡¯re making me diz¡ªUgh!¡± Seo Jun-Sik yelled. His eyes were brimming with tears at this point. ¡°Hey! What did I do wrong?! You wanted to start speaking casually to him, too!¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my decision to make.¡± ¡°...Geez, I was helping you because it was getting annoying!¡± Sulking, Seo Jun-Sik melted into the peoples¡¯ shadows. ¡°That little¡­!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kim Woo-Joong slowly nodded. He finally understood. He finally understood where the understanding started and what he did wrong. ¡°Please forgive me for being rude,¡± he apologized, straight to the point.[2] ¡°No, you have nothing to apologize for¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho pped his forehead. Just look at this. The Sword Saint probably felt bitter for having to apologize in front of so many people. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho made a decision. He scratched the back of his head and said, ¡°This is kind of ridiculous, so it would be a little embarrassing to go back to the main question, right?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kim Woo-Joong slowly lifted his head. Seo Jun-Ho looked a little self-conscious as he muttered, ¡°...Yah, you were pretty good out there, too.¡± Kim Woo-Joong finally smiled with relief or perhaps satisfaction. *** After the healers were done treating the injured, the rest of the yers started rxing on their own. As Seo Jun-Ho watched them do whatever they wanted, Shin Sung-Hyun approached him. ¡°What is our next course of action?¡± asked Shin Sung-Hyun. The next course of action? The answer was simple. After seeing the yers¡¯ passion and determination, Seo Jun-Ho decided that he would no longer treat them like children. ¡°We¡¯ll end it,¡± he said, turning toward Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°I won¡¯t go down until we kill that monster, Namgung Jincheon.¡± ¡°I understand. You¡¯re worried for the civilians as well,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun said, nodding in agreement. Suddenly, he blinked. ¡®Huh? Gold light?¡¯ Specks of brilliant golden light started clumping and falling from the sky like snow. The yers started looking up one by one, entranced by the light''s beauty and holiness. - Partner! Behind you! An enemy! ¡®...What?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s blood turned cold. It was all because he didn¡¯t notice anything until Keen Intuition warned him. ¡°What an entertaining conversation.¡± A familiar voice reached his ears. It came from the robot that suddenly appeared before his eyes. ¡°W-What is this?!¡± ¡°When did this bastard get here?¡± ¡°Everyone, draw your weapons! Get ready for battle!!!¡± The yers noticed the robot toote, but they quickly created distance between them. A moment ago, they had been cheerful and rxed as if they were on a pic, but in an instant, they were thrown into chaos. The robot scanned the yers and spoke, ¡°You wish to kill me. But do you have the ability to do so?¡± ¡°Me? Are you¡­¡± ¡°Namgung Jincheon?¡± He lookedpletely different. As Seo Jun-Ho stared at him, rm bells started ringing in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. ¡®He¡¯s dangerous. I can¡¯t sense any magic from him.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even sense his presence. This meant Namgung Jincheon had obtained a power that was a level above his Immortal Army. ¡°Everyone, be care¡ª¡± Before he could even finish his warning, a grief-stricken yer charged at Namgung Jincheon. ¡°You son of a bitch! You killed Minju!¡± A powerful sword aura covered the yer¡¯s weapon like a me. It was a formidable de that had cut through even the robots of the Immortal Army. However, Namgung Jincheon simply stared and slowly extended his hand toward it, drawing a circle. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± It was Heosu¡¯s Yin-Yang de. ¡°Huh? Ahh!¡± Before the yer could even react, his sword went flying into the air. And as his eyes followed his sword, a cold, golden hand gripped his face viciously. ¡°Thanks for the meal.¡± Shaaaa! In an instant, all the life drained from his body, and he started dangling from Namgung Jincheon¡¯s hand like a mummy. ¡°Hm, this neigong is insignificant.¡± Namgung Jincheon sucked his teeth as if he had lost his appetite. He tossed the corpse aside like it was nothing. When the yers saw that, a fire started burning in their eyes. ¡°You fucking bastard!¡± ¡°Die!¡± ¡°Me, die? Really, now¡­¡± Namgung Jincheon let out a low chuckle. ¡°I do not even know if I can still die in this state.¡± ¡°Shut up! I¡¯ll show you!¡± Vines sprouted from the ground. Telekinesis and other forms of binding magic restrained him. ¡°Hm?¡± He blinked as he looked down at himself. There were countless wounds covering his chest, and he stared at them while standing still. ¡°...¡± Eventually, he started trembling. ¡°...Heh. Hu. Hehehe.¡±[3] He looked like a porcupine with all the weapons sticking out of him. He lowered his head and started whimpering. However, it didn¡¯t take long for the yers to realize that he was actuallyughing. ¡°Heh, heh, ahahaha! So it¡¯s true! I can see that I cannot die anymore.¡± A wide grin spread across his face as he looked up. ¡°The Geumgang n¡¯s Diamond Buddha is much more useful than I had expected.¡± It was a martial art technique that strengthened one¡¯s body to its peak, and it would enable anyone to withstand any attack. ¡°You gave me such a pleasant surprise, so allow me to give you a piece of advice.¡± There wasn¡¯t a single scratch left on his body. All of a sudden, Namgung Jincheon¡¯s arm split open. Fwoosh! In the blink of an eye, smoke emerged from it and filled the air. ¡°You should observe your opponent first before you strike.¡± ¡°G-gah!¡± ¡°Bleghh!¡± ¡°U-Urp! Blegh!¡± The approaching yers stumbled backward while vomiting blood. They gripped their chests as they started to feel as if their bodies were burning. Their faces started turning ck and blue. ¡°This is the Sichuan Sect¡¯s Fivefold Life-Draining Poison. It is a substance made of five of the deadliest poisons.¡± ¡°It¡¯s poison?¡± ¡°Healers! Heal the afflicted! Hurry up!¡± ¡°Fufu, I told you. It¡¯s made of five of the deadliest poisons,¡± Namgung Jincheon said with confidence. The healers who were dispatched grew pale and shook their heads. ¡®They¡¯re dead?¡¯ The attackers had been a group of yers who were the finest of their guilds. But they actually died in less than ten seconds after being poisoned? And in such a futile way at that? The yers¡¯ shoulders grew heavy as great hopelessness set in. They just couldn¡¯t believe it... ¡°...¡± They were good people. They fought for a cause, and they never wavered in the face of death just to defend their beliefs. Visionaries like them were difficult to find in this day and age. ¡®So why?¡¯ If there was a god, Seo Jun-Ho wanted to ask them. He wanted to ask them why they had to take these yers away so soon. He wanted to ask why they couldn¡¯t at least wait until the enemy was defeated. The yers had been talking andughing just a few minutes ago, but their corpses were now piling up in front of him. ¡°Tsk, tsk. You were wrong, too.¡± Namgung Jincheon watched as the yers despaired. ¡°Your attachment to mercy, loyalty, and all those personal feelings. Those emotions are what¡¯s holding you back from ascending.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at him with cold pity. ¡°And yet you¡¯re still stuck in a tin can seven hundred years after throwing them all away.¡± ¡°Curse you! It is not a tin can!¡± Namgung Jincheon yelled. He lifted his golden hands as if he was going to hold up the sky. ¡°This body of mine is unbreakable and sacred. My heart has also ascended to be divine, and I pray that each of my actions will be remembered as that of a god¡¯s¡­¡± he whispered to himself, looking heavily intoxicated on something. ¡°I will be the Martial God.¡± [You have discovered the boss monster of the Neo City area, Martial God Namgung Jincheon.] [Once defeated, safe zones will appear on Neo City.] 1. Seo Jun-Ho speaks formally to him. ? 2. He¡¯s speaking formally now. ? 3. Can be read either as longughs or as sniffling sounds. ? Chapter 402. Return of the Moon (1)

Chapter 402. Return of the Moon (1)

There was a madman who was calling himself a god. Even more annoying was that the madman was capable enough to call himself a god. "I''ll show you the true meaning of divinity." Martial God Namgung Jincheon released neigong-like threads. It wasn¡¯t pure energy simr to what the neigong chip had. The energy contained resentment, anger, envy, jealousy, depression, despair¡­ It was an energy that seemed like it contained all the negative emotions in the world, and it was disgusting enough to confuse one¡¯s mind. It was one of the main characteristics of neigong when it turned demonic under the effects of the cursed Great Law of the Absorbing Star. "Ueup." "Oh, my god..." The existence of such hideous magic would make anyone feel instinctively disgusted. "Kukuku. How weak." Namgung Jincheonughed. He seemed like he was having fun when he saw the frowns on the yers¡¯ faces. He sighed quietly as he looked all over his body. "Really, it''s a pity. I actually did not realize that I had something so good all this time. It didn¡¯t make sense. Why was I so afraid?" He should have abandoned the old and worn-out frame he had been using for such a long time. Simr to how a caterpir would shed its shell to be a colorful butterfly, he became light not only in body and mind but also in soul. With this frame, he was confident that he would be able to beat anyone. - Oh, my god. Wisoso gaped while in the Frost Queen¡¯s arms. - That''s... That''s definitely His Majesty¡¯s frame! "What? Tell me in detail." - If my eyes aren¡¯t broken, then I should be right. That''s the most powerful artificial frame the Aeon Empire made for Neo City¡¯s founding emperor! Namgung Jincheon''s eyes turned to Wisoso. "You have a pretty decent eye, Heavenly Demon¡¯s daughter.[1]" - Shut up! Don''t speak my father¡¯s name with that filthy mouth of yours! It was the first time they saw Wisoso disy such anger. The Frost Queen tried to calm Wisoso down before speaking, "Contractor, is it possible?" "I don''t know. He¡¯s a damned bastard, but his ability is real." In fact, Namgung Jincheon could probably beat the thousands of yers here. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have taken showed up. ¡®ording to His Majesty, he isn¡¯t just a lucky idiot.¡¯ He was a martial arts genius who could freely use all the martial arts contained in the Sect Record Chip. He was a true genius¡ªa hideous genius. Wasn''t he simply the strongest and worst enemy one could ever encounter? "He¡¯s such a pain in the ass¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun walked over to Seo Jun-Ho. He chewed his lips and muttered in a low voice that made him sound like he was talking to himself. ¡°I''m ashamed to say this, but my attacks won¡¯t be able to reach him.¡± He had already confirmed the truth with the fight against Namgung Jincheon earlier. It could have just been a difference in talent or a difference inpatibility. However, it had long be pretty clear that most of the yers, including him, were no match for Namgung Jincheon. ''The chances of winning are lower than zero because he has be even stronger.¡¯ Furthermore, the yers were exhausted from fighting all day. ''The best decision to do here is none other than...'' It was to run downstairs while preserving as much of their forces as possible. Considering the future attempt at clearing the floor again, they couldn¡¯t lose their finest yers here in vain. ¡®I don''t like running away, but it''s a step back to take two steps forward.¡¯ It was the most efficient choice they could make. Shin Sung-Hyun looked like he was convincing himself before muttering, "I will count to three and build a maze of space in the area to stall for time. Let¡¯s retreat while the maze is active.¡± "Do that." At the positive answer, Shin Sung-Hyun suddenly felt something strange while holding his baton. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words sounded like he was telling them to do that by themselves. Looking sideways, Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes were fixed on Namgung Jincheon. His eyes remained unwavering¡ªthe mark of a true warrior. "Specter-nim. Are you not going to retreat?" "I won¡¯t¡­" "Please think of the future! Someone like you shouldn¡¯t die in a ce like this." "Don''t worry. I won¡¯t stay here to die." Shin Sung-Hyun started to get flustered. He wanted to ask if Seo Jun-Ho had gone crazy and if he was confident that he could beat that monster. ¡®There¡¯s no need to take risks. Rationally, we should conserve our forces and retreat, then n for the next attempt.¡¯ He persuaded Seo Jun-Ho once more. "Humanity needs a nexus. A nexus that will bring every yer to rally toward them and move forward. It¡¯s upsetting for me to admit this, but I¡¯m not good enough. Aside from you and the 5 Heroes, no one is qualified yet.¡± It was true. He wanted to y to be one of humanity¡¯s nexuses, but he failed. After the 5 Heroes, the only existence that could take on that role was the Thunder God. ¡®But he has already passed on.¡¯ That was why he had to save Specter here at all costs. ''I became sure of it when I came up here.¡¯ Earth still needed a pir called Specter, and the yers who would stand behind him could do bigger things. ¡®But he should know that better than anyone else...¡¯ In that case, why was Specter being so stubborn, then? Was it because he wanted to win? Did he not want to run with his tail between his legs because of his pride? Shin Sung-Hyun''s eyebrows wriggled in frustration. He opened his lips, and a harsh voice that seemed to be scratching his vocal cords came out of his mouth as he spoke frankly, "The yers are exhausted and injured. We were in peak condition earlier, but we still couldn¡¯t stop Namgung Jincheon. Now, he hase back even stronger. We¡¯re at an absolute disadvantage!" ¡°¡­¡± "Please think carefully! It¡¯s just once. It¡¯s shameful, yes, but it will be just this once. It¡¯s a choice that will save more people. The yers here just have to go down, train more to be stronger, and then we will bring more yers up to get rid of that guy. It¡¯s not that difficult, right?" At that, Seo Jun-Ho finally turned to look at Shin Sung-Hyun. "Once?" "Yes, just once!" "Then, I''ll ask you this..." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s righteous eyes seemed to prate not only Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s mind but also his heart. "Is it the first time for you to retreat like this?" ¡°¡­!¡± Shin Sung-Hyun was at a loss for words. His head hurriedly told him to answer ¡®of course not,¡¯ but his lips couldn''t move. ''It¡¯s not my first time¡­¡¯ He had always been a man of efficiency. If there were several paths, he would consider the pros and cons so that he could choose the best way to maximize the gains while minimizing the damage. However, he wasn¡¯t reckless. This meant that he never pursued a path that would lead him to the best gains if he were to lose a lot from it as well. "Just once¡­ The scariest thing one can ever experience is experiencing that once." Someone who had already ran away once could run away again. Why? It was all because the option of running away was already carved in their mind. "Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to be one of the pirs of the world? A Hero?" ¡°¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun kept his mouth shut. He was afraid that if he said yes¡ªSeo Jun-Ho would say that he didn¡¯t deserve to be a Hero. ¡°The next time you find yourself looking for that ¡®once¡¯ again. I want you to remember today¡ªthis moment.¡± With that, Seo Jun-Ho started walking forward. Shin Sung-Hyun took in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s wide and reliable back, and he gasped when he once again confirmed that a Hero spoke with their back rather than their mouth. ¡®Is it this kind of feeling¡­¡¯ He had always been wondering why and how mankind could blindly trust and follow one person. ''Now I know...¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun felt like he finally discovered the reason after seeing Specter¡¯s wide and reliable back. Specter¡¯s back gave off this sensation that would make anyone feel relieved at the mere sight of it during a crisis. It had to be the reason for their faith and trust in him. ¡®Did I always run away whenever I had to choose between retreating and fighting?¡¯ Had he covered it up with the wrapping paper called efficiency and rationality? Upon realizing how shameful he had been, Shin Sung-Hyun was ashamed of himself. ¡°¡­¡± While walking, Seo Jun-Ho stared up ahead and asked, "You said that we¡¯re at an absolute disadvantage, right?" "I''m pretty smart myself." Shin Sung-Hyun stood next to Seo Jun-Ho and answered in a blunt voice. "And it¡¯s probably because I¡¯m smart that I¡¯m quick on the uptake and quickly follow what I¡¯ve learned." Shin Sung-Hyun only took a few steps, but he felt as if his field of vision had be wider. In fact, the things he couldn¡¯t see before started to appear in his eyes. ¡®Citizens.¡¯ The citizens of Neo City were scared of Namgung Jincheon¡¯s aura, and they were running away. If the yers retreated downstairs, it would be difficult to guarantee their survival. ¡®Going downstairs¡­¡¯ There was also no rule that prohibited Namgung Jincheon from going downstairs. If he visited Earth while in his current state, the yers would truly have nowhere to retreat. ''To think that he immediately thought of all these...¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun smirked. The pressure of knowing that he would have to face such a monster melted like snow. ¡®I knew it. I can''t beat him.¡¯ He could finally see the difference between himself and Specter. To close the gap between them, he would have to chase after him diligently. "If you keep trying, you will achieve it one day," said Seo Jun-Ho. At that, Shin Sung-Hyun swung his baton with a refreshed look. Fast is Largo. ¡®It has to be slow, broad, and heavy¡­¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun slowed space down and turned it as heavy as a mountain, which bored down on Namgung Jincheon. "Mmm!" Namgung Jincheon''s posture was slightly disturbed by the weight of the space around him. ¡®Damn it, is this my limit?¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun was disappointed. "My junior said that he¡¯s going to do something noteworthy, and I can¡¯t just stand around and do nothing as the senior, right?¡± Archmage Skaya Killnd finally cast the dozens of magic circles she had drawn on the side. "Gravity, thirty-twoyers." Booom! Thebined weight of gravity and space finally forced Namgung Jincheon''s left knee to touch the ground. "Great!" Shin Sung-Hyun heard Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice, but just as thetter¡¯s voice reached his ears. Seo Jun-Ho was already standing in front of Namgung Jincheon. ¡®He¡¯s fast!¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun found Seo Jun-Ho fast, and so did Namgung Jincheon. ¡®Has he¡­ has he always been that fast?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was much faster than Namgung Jincheon¡¯s expectations. However, he wasn''t too worried about it. ¡®Ghost Step, Sky Prison Step, Seven Star Quick Step...¡¯ Dozens of footwork techniques came to his mind. They were all footwork techniques that he thought he could use to catch up to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s speed. ¡®But I don''t have to use any of those...¡¯ Namgung Jincheon had already shaken off the gravity and space boring down on him, but he simply stood there rather than retreating to avoid the iing attack. There was one reason why he didn¡¯t even think about avoiding the attack. ¡®I''ll just use Diamond Buddha to fend off the attack, then devour all his neigong at once.¡¯ Layers of dense neigong immediately surrounded Namgung Jincheon like barriers. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cold gaze still pierced through all those barriers to reach him. ¡°The same goes for you,¡± Seo Jun-Ho coldly spat, ¡°You should observe your opponent first before you strike.¡± It was a weapon created bypressing the darkness of the Watchguard of Darkness to its limits, and it was even stronger than Moon Eye when it came to destroying the opponent¡¯s defenses. ¡®Death Scythe.¡¯ A pitch-ck scythe made of darkness sliced through Namgung Jincheon¡¯s defenses. 1. Wisoso''s gender has been pretty unclear until now, but so we went with singr they to keep with the faithful to the raws, but now that it¡¯s clear, Wisoso¡¯s pronoun will be she/her. Thank you for your understanding. ? Chapter 403. Return of the Moon (2)

Chapter 403. Return of the Moon (2)

Namgung Jincheon''s gaze slowly moved down. There was a long oblique wound drawn on the shoulder, and it only meant one thing. ''¡­I was cut? My divine body?'' He couldn¡¯t believe it. Wasn¡¯t the Diamond Buddha the peak of external ki techniques? How did it get cut like it was nothing but a rag? However, Namgung Jincheon wasn¡¯t the only one who was shocked. ¡®I didn¡¯t manage to kill him? Even though he had his guard down?¡¯ The power of scornpletely the opponent''s defenses. The Death Scythe was a weapon born from the amalgamation of that power. ¡®I thought it was possible to kill him with a single stroke, so I gave it my all from the start...¡¯ However, he failed. The Diamond Buddha was pierced, but Namgung Jincheon was tougher than he expected. "I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a dangerous trick up your sleeve." ¡®Damn it.¡¯ It was a miscalction. If Seo Jun-Ho had known that he wouldn¡¯t be able to kill Namgung Jincheon in one blow, then he shouldn¡¯t have made thetter raise his guard up like this. Seo Jun-Ho started regretting his actions, but it was already toote. "Then, you should be dealt with appropriately." Namgung Jincheon¡¯s aura abruptly changed. Earlier, his aura was exaggerated as if he was trying to show off his prowess, but now, it was the opposite. ¡®It¡¯s tiny, withdrawn, but sharp¡­ It was dangerous¡ªNamgung Jincheon¡¯s aura became even more ¡®efficient¡¯ in killing people. - Partner! Retreat! Taaat! Seo Jun-Ho flew back as soon as he heard the warning. At the same time, he could feel something warm on his nape. ¡®Blood?¡¯ A chilling sensation came up his spine. If he had been a beatte in his retreat, his head would have gone flying rather than receiving just a shallow wound. "I wanted to savor the joy of being a god for a bit more, but you have poured a bucket of cold water over my excitement, so you will have to die for it." "¡­You¡¯re still making a fuss about being a god?" Seo Jun-Ho was annoyed as he stopped the bleeding on his wound. "Making a fuss?¡± Namgung Jincheon smiled. ¡°Is that what you think I have been doing all this time?" Namgung Jincheon raised his left hand quietly. "If you can¡¯t believe it, then see it for yourself. Witness the power of a god." Snap! Namgung Jincheon snapped his fingers. It was loud, but nothing seemed to be happening afterward. "What the heck? He was talking like he was going to do something amazing,¡± grumbled Skaya. A huge shadow was suddenly cast over her, and her eyes widened when she saw what was going on up above. ¡°Uh? What the¡­?¡± East, West, South, and North¡­ From thendfills outside the city, countless mechanical parts rose high into the sky. It was a magnificent sight, as if there were four huge mechanical bridges between heaven and earth. "What is that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at it. All of a sudden, Director Hyun-Baek¡¯s words came to mind. ¡°The System Chip possesses the omnipotent power to control everything in this city.¡± ¡®Really? No way.¡¯ He thought it was just a chip that managed the overall matters of the city. He felt that it wasn¡¯t as good as the Sect Record Chip and the Neigong Chips, so he didn''t pay it much mind. However, he had been mistaken. ¡®The omnipotent power to control everything in the city. So this is what you meant by that¡­¡¯ He could finally understand it. Among the first chips, he should have been the wariest about the System Chip. He had no idea that a single chip would be able to shake thews of the world. "Now, do you understand? Do you finally understand why I have always wanted to be in this position and why was it that I was so impatient about breaking through the System Chip¡¯s security?¡± It was all because of this. He wanted to obtain this incredibly abnormal power. "I am a god in this city. The seven hundred years I spent hadn¡¯t been in vain.¡± Namgung Jincheon smiled slyly and added, "It¡¯s about time I give my first decree inmemoration of bing a god.¡± Snap! He snapped his fingers once more. "Remove all yers from thisnd." Kukukukuku! There was a huge mechanical parts factory in the sky, and it started dropping finished products to the ground, one after another. Boom, boom, boom! Most of the robots were destroyed, unable to endure the impact. However, the yers couldn''tugh at the ridiculous sight. "How many¡­ Just how many robots¡­?" "Damn it, we have been dealing with robots all day, and we have to deal with more robots again!¡± The factory dropped hundreds of thousands of robots, but only a small portion of them survived the fall to the ground. Unfortunately for the yers, a small portion was still tens of thousands of robots. nk! nk! nk! The robots that managed to survive the fall started rushing at the yers. "Take up your weapons! We have nowhere to escape as long as they¡¯re around!" "They¡¯re so weak they can¡¯t bepared to the Immortal Army! Their numbers are their only strength, so don¡¯t be afraid!" The two armies shed once again. However, the scale was tilted to one side. It wasn¡¯t really a surprise, considering that the enemies were untiring, and their numbers were overwhelmingly huge. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s two trembling eyes scanned the city. Aaaah! Ah! Aaaah! The only things he could hear were groans of despair, far from the sound ofughter earlier. - Partner! In front! Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips. He retrieved the Sword of Ambition from his Inventory and swung it forward. Crack! However, the Sword of Ambition was destroyed in a single blow. The Sword of Ambition shattered into dozens of splinters, and a sharp splinter even scratched Seo Jun-Ho''s face. "Take out a new weapon. I''ll be waiting." When Seo Jun-Ho saw Namgung Jincheon¡¯s rxed expression, his heart burned with impatience. ¡®To reverse this situation at once... there¡¯s no other way but to kill him.¡¯ The only way to stop those robots was to kill Namgung Jincheon and acquire the System Chip from him. Dozens of other methods came to Seo Jun-Ho''s mind, but they were quickly discarded. ¡®Moon Eye? No. He doesn''t have something like a cell.¡¯ ¡®Death Scythe? I''ve already failed once. It''s not strong enough to end his life.¡¯ ''W-what should I do...?¡¯ A deep sense of helplessness weighed on his shoulders. There was nothing he could do. In that case, should he just calmly ept their defeat? "Stop fucking around¡­!" Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth. Midnight Sun quickly enveloped him, and his figure scattered like smoke. ''I have to check and confirm every method...¡¯ He was good at it as well. He had to keep checking so that he would eventually discover what method would work against Namgung Jincheon. And there was only one way to find out¡ªhe had to fight with his life on the line. The first method he chose to use was a battle of speed. ''Overclocking Maximum Output.'' Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t moving as fast as light, but it was the first time Seo Jun-Ho was moving this fast. He moved slightly forward, and the scenery around him was peeled away as he arrived at his next destination. "You''re fast." Unfortunately, Namgung Jincheon easily caught up to him. Craack! Seo Jun-Ho was sent flying directly into a wall. "Give up. Humans can never stand up to a god." ¡°¡­¡± If speed didn¡¯t work, then strength. Getting up, Seo Jun-Ho ran forward. "Foolish." Crack! Namgung Jincheon casually received Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attack with the Sawtooth Sword using his fingers. The pitch ck sword aura surrounding the sword burned violently, but Namgung Jincheon seemed fine. "Heup!" Seo Jun-Ho''s arms bulged. He pushed down with all his strength to the point where blue veins started popping up all over his body, but the Sawtooth Sword remained unmoving like a mountain. Namgung Jincheon spoke indifferently, "The muscle groups of this frame are made with a Titan¡¯s Core.¡± A titan was the epitome of power. It was said that a titan could tear apart even a god with its hands. Anything modeled after their power wouldn¡¯t be something humans could ovee. ''Damn it...!" Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Strength was over 700 points, but he was trembling while trying his best to push the Sawtooth Sword down. "Is this all?¡± Namgung Jincheon asked. Seo Jun-Ho''s bloodshot eyes red at Namgung Jincheon as the Sawtooth Sword was gradually pushed back up. "If this is all you can do, then there is no need for me to spend any more time with you." Crunch! Namgung Jincheon''s fist mmed into Seo Jun-Ho''s chin. It was painful, and he felt like passing out, but he held out by burying his feet into the ground like they were nails. "If you don¡¯t give way, then you''ll end up breaking." Crack! He was struck in the jaw once again, and the world around him spun. His concentration was severed, and the Midnight Sun protecting him disappeared. Namgung Jincheon took advantage of that opening to send a kick into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s exposed abdomen. ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho was sent flying as a sharp pain that took his breath away assaulted his nerves. He couldn¡¯t even gasp due to the pain as he rolled dozens of times on the asphalt. - Partner! Get a hold of yourself! Scraaatch! Seo Jun-Ho barely managed to stop rolling by burying his nails into the ground. He staggered back up. His clothes were dirty and torn all over. His skin had peeled as well, and blood dripped freely to the ground. ¡®What, what can I do to win?¡¯ The opponent was fast, strong, and had better technical skills. If so, was there something that he could utilize to contest? ¡®¡­Mental power?¡¯ Amidst the pain, Seo Jun-Ho chuckled hollowly. He had nothing else to put forward other than something so humble and shabby. "Why aren¡¯t you using the ck Moon Martial Arts?" asked Namgung Jincheon. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t answer. ''It¡¯s not¡­ that I¡¯m not using it.'' He couldn¡¯t use it. The only thing he learned from General Cheon-Gwang was the ¡®heart method.¡¯ He actually hadn''t learned any other martial technique from the ck Moon Martial Arts. "Huh? Wait, no way! Wait, really?¡± Namgung Jincheon¡¯s smiled so wide his lips reached his cheekbones. ¡°Uahahahaha!" He burst intoughter for a long time and said as if nailing it home. "You¡­ you still haven¡¯t learned the ck Moon Martial Artspletely.¡± Otherwise, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t use it. There couldn¡¯t be any other reasons why he wasn¡¯t using it other than the fact that he still hadn¡¯t learned itpletely. Namgung Jincheon looked at the silent Seo Jun-Ho and sighed. ¡®I feel like a fool for being so nervous all this while¡­¡¯ There was only one reason why he was wary of Seo Jun-Ho more than necessary. If Seo Jun-Ho used the ck Moon Martial Arts in addition to the power of darkness he had used to cut him earlier, he would definitely be in danger. ''But¡­ this is how it turned out.¡¯ It turned out that Seo Jun-Ho only learned the ck Moon Martial Arts halfway. Namgung Jincheon looked sorrowful, as if he had lost a long-term friend. "Now, there¡¯s no one...¡± His natural enemy¡ªthe only one who could harm him had disappeared. The ck Moon Martial Arts, which he had been constantly on the lookout for even after Cheon-Gwang¡¯s death, could now be considered lost. ¡°Cheon-Gwang, that fool." If he had taught Namgung Jincheon the ck Moon Martial Arts, it wouldn¡¯t have been lost at the very least. Namgung Jincheon moved slowly toward Seo Jun-Ho. "It¡¯s too bad. It was made by an enemy, but it was a great martial art Cheon-Gwang had created. That''s why I wanted it so bad." His voice was filled with regret over the lost martial art. "It was a martial art that was as free as the wind but as sturdy as a giant tree...¡± ¡°¡­¡± While Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind was spinning in an effort to find a way to stop Namgung Jincheon, his ears suddenly trembled upon hearing thetter¡¯s words ''Wait, those words just now. I''m sure¡­¡¯ He was certain that he had heard it before. Seo Jun-Ho''s mind started shouting at him¡ªhe had to recall where he had heard those words at all costs. ¡®But where the hell...?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was still searching through his memories, but Namgung Jincheon was only ten steps away from him. Fortunately, a voice in his head screamed at him. - Partner! It''s the spar! It''s from the spar! ¡®What?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes grew wide. ¡®Spar...? No way! Was it back then?¡¯ Memories of the trial yed through his head. It was there. Cheon-Gwang had definitely left him something other than the heart method, and it definitely had something to do with those eighty-one martial artists. ¡®Cheon-Gwang¡¯s test!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had to fight eighty-one martial artists to seed in the test. ¡®The first data, Yi-Hyul¡ªa man as free as the wind¡­¡¯ ¡®Second data, Kwon-Mok¡ªa man as sturdy as a tree with deep roots¡­¡¯ The movements of the eighty-one martial artists started to ovep right in front of his eyes. "Ah." The epiphany was like a bolt of lightning out of the blue. The movements of the eighty-one martial artists werebined, and after they werepressed twenty-seven times, exactly three techniques were created. Chapter 404. Return of the Moon (3)

Chapter 404. Return of the Moon (3)

It was like a cogwheel. On its own, it was meaningless, but when engaged with other cogwheels, it would be reborn as an borate machine. ¡®Cheon-Gwang¡¯s martial arts¡­ It¡¯s still here.¡¯ He had definitely left it behind, the martial arts created due to His Majesty the Emperor''smand. A hymn of hope that would change the world had been clearly engraved in this world. ''A little more. I need to take a closer look at the three martial skills left by Cheon-Gwang.¡¯ However, there wasn¡¯t enough time. Namgung Jincheon was approaching him and was only ten steps away. ¡®Damn it. I just found a clue.¡¯ Why didn''t I find it earlier? "Just a bit. If only I had a bit more time..." Seo Jun-Ho''s frustration was about to appear in his eyes. ck, ck. "I¡¯m sure you know this already, but I won¡¯tst long." Ha In-Ho suddenly appeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho. He was d in broken armor, and he was not alone. "I came here just in case, but as expected¡­¡± Rahmadat stood next to Ha In-Ho. It wasn''t just them. ¡®Seven, eight, nine¡­ thirteen people?'' Tankers, who should have been busy defending other yers, started building a wall in front of him. "What is this? Wait! What about the others?" "Don''t worry about them," said Ha In-Ho. At the same time, a huge pir of fire suddenly rose from the road a few blocks away. "They are not people who will copse just because thirteen people aren¡¯t there to support them." "But¡­¡± "But or not, don¡¯t you need time?" Rahmadat asked. Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes widened. "How did you know?¡± "Geez. Are you actually asking me that?" Rahmadat replied. He waved his thick hands and said, "It''s not like we¡¯ve only been together for a day or two." He was arade whom Seo Jun-Ho had ovee hundreds and thousands of life-or-death crises with. Rahmadat could tell what Seo Jun-Ho wanted just by looking at his face¡ªno, his eyes from afar. "I¡¯m saying this in advance, but this is an investment. Jun-Ho, you¡¯re the only one with ws that can reach him." A stern look of trust could be seen in his friend¡¯s expression. "Time. I''ll drag it on as much as you want. However, promise me one thing." Thump, thump. Rahmadat thumped his chest with his fist and smiled lightly. "Promise me that you¡¯ll definitely blow that asshole away." ¡°¡­¡± Namgung Jincheon was strong. These tankers had strong and excellent armor, but how long could theyst? ¡®Five minutes? Ten minutes?¡¯ They would have to experience hell during those minutes. However, they were willing to walk into that hell without hesitation. This was something they could have never done if they didn¡¯t have faith in him. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho was grateful¡ªextremely grateful. He nodded. "I promise. Buy me some time, then." "Haha, it feels really nice to hear you asking for something." Rahmadat smirked and started moving slowly. He soon started running, and he tackled Namgung Jincheon. *** ¡®I can¡¯t waste this golden opportunity.¡¯ While the tankers were holding onto Namgung Jincheon, Seo Jun-Ho started recalling the postures of the martial artists in Cheon-Gwang¡¯s test. ¡®Focus, focus, focus.¡¯ He was immersed in his own thoughts, and as he delved deeper and deeper into his own thoughts, the things distracting him disappeared one by one. "You dare?! Know your ce!" Namgung Jincheon vanished as if he was never there. The noises on the battlefield disappeared, along with the towering presence of Namgung Jincheon. ¡®A trance.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s world becamepletely silent, and he was finally able to shift his full focus to the eighty-one martial artists. ¡°¡­¡± He looked, looked again, and looked once more. He crammed every movement shown by the martial artists into his head as if he was memorizing it. However, Seo Jun-Ho''s face didn¡¯t get bright like earlier. ''¡­Rather than martial skills, they seem to have no rules and are justpletely chaotic.¡¯ He thought he had gotten a clue, but could it be that he was overlooking something? He asked himself questions and repeatedly answered them. ¡®Let''s think from the beginning. What is a martial technique?'' It was something made by connecting movements together. ¡®But why does it look so messy? It doesn''t connect at all.¡¯ It was probably an intentional mess made by Cheon-Gwang so that the martial techniques of the ck Moon Martial Arts wouldn¡¯t get passed on to people who weren¡¯t good enough. ''Then, how would he differentiate the future generations?¡¯ ¡®Oh! The answer came out.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked at the martial artists using the ck Moon Heart Method. ¡®I see.¡¯ The ¡®false postures¡¯ misleading his eyes disappeared. Moreover, it had finally be noticeable that the movements were connected to each other. ¡®Now I just have to memorize them in order.¡¯ The first martial artist''s starting posture was an overhead posture. The second martial artist''s starting position was a lower defensive posture. "Then, it means that the first movement starts with a downward strike.¡± He remembered solving simr puzzles when he was young. It was a puzzle where he had to navigate through a maze from A to reach B without lifting his pen. ¡®It''s not that different.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho interpreted and memorized the movements of these martial artists as if he were putting together a puzzle. As a result, hepleted a total of three martial techniques. ¡°¡­¡± He finally found it. He finally found the martial techniques Cheon-Gwang had been hiding. But why? He should have been overjoyed, but it was the opposite. ¡®General.¡¯ He felt sour, and he had to close his eyes tightly. The feelings Cheon-Gwang felt at the time were conveyed to him while he was looking for the martial techniques. ''You were afraid as well.¡¯ He had to send his liege and subordinates off. He died alone and in a world where he couldn¡¯t trust anyone. ¡®Even someone like you were shivering in fear...¡¯ Just what were his feelings when he made this data chip? Seeing Cheon-Gwang swinging his sword, imitating the eighty-one martial artists who were his subordinates, Seo Jun-Ho felt like he finally knew. ¡®I''m sorry.¡¯ Why didn''t he notice it earlier? Now that he knew everything, he could see clearly that Cheon-Gwang was crying out loud while imitating his eighty-one subordinates. ¡®It was a silent cry, and he was hoping for me to discover the meaning behind these movements.¡¯ He realized it toote because he was stupid. It took him a long time toe back. In his mind, Seo Jun-Ho promised Cheon-Gwang one thing. It waste, but he would certainly take care of it. *** "You bugs!" Namgung Jincheon¡¯s face turned murderous. He indiscriminately hurled sword aura at the yers blocking him. "It''sing again!" "Damn it, raise your shields!¡± Boom! Boooom! The yers who took the brunt of the sword auras were pushed back. Despite being blocked by the shields of the tankers, the sword auras still contained a destructive power that made them swear. The enarmes of the shields they were holding had snapped off long ago, but they tied the enarmes around their arms so that they could still lift their shields to defend. ¡®This is bad.¡¯ Rahmadat had a gaping hole in his stomach, and he was breathing roughly as he stood there. Everyone was exhausted, and since they couldn¡¯t recover their magic in Neo City, they weren¡¯t really fighting at full strength. ''But¡­'' Despite all that, they still held their shields up. It was all to buy Seo Jun-Ho time. "I can''t lose to them" Rahmadat ran forward once again and punched Namgung Jincheon''s face. "Huryaaaaa!" ng! There was not a scratch on Namgung Jincheon¡¯s face. Rahmadat''s fist sustained injuries, and it was torn apart as the bones shattered. Blood incessantly dripped out of his hand. "Foolish. Do you really think that your attack can break through my Diamond Buddha?" "Hmm? If I just had plenty of magic, you would have already be a trash can.¡± "You sure have a boisterous mouth.¡± Crack, crack! Namgung Jincheon crushed Rahmadat''s kneecaps just then. He then started looking around in dissatisfaction. "Gasp, gasp.¡± "Haa¡­ hak." The yers were exhausted. It was obvious from their ragged breathing, their trembling legs, and their sunken eyes. They were so exhausted they looked like they would copse at any moment now. ¡®But why¡­¡¯ Why weren¡¯t they falling down? Why did they keep on standing up even after falling down? It would be morefortable for them to just stay down. Namgung Jincheon couldn¡¯t help but wonder. "Don''t you people on Earth value your lives? Just why are you going this far?¡± "Ptooey! Why else?" responded Ha In-Ho. He spat out the blood in his mouth and continued. "Because we saw it..." They had seen the back of the man who had never given up¡ªthe back of the man who always aimed to get the best results out of the worst situations. "How can I stay still after seeing something like that?" "Yeah, I can''t lie down and show my ugly side after seeing him like that." "If you''re going to raise your shield only when it''s safe, why did you even be a tanker?" A desert traveler searching for an unknown oasis would die a hundred times out of a hundred. However, travelers with clear milestones were different. "Until hees back¡­" "We cannot fall down..." They had a milestone they could trust and follow, so they could stand back up again after falling down. ¡°¡­¡± Namgung Jincheon''s eyes shook lightly. Was he scared? No, that was definitely not it. The yers before him were bugs who couldn¡¯t even properly block his attacks. ''I¡­ don''t understand. I don''t understand.¡¯ He was starting to get flustered. He had never led or chased after anyone like them in his life. "Ku, kuhuhu.¡± Rahmadatughed while mming his fist into Namgung Jincheon''s foot, despite his smashed kneecaps. "Someone like you will never understand it for the rest of your life, so just go ahead and die ignorant." "¡­Why will I never know?" "Because you''re a king in the well." "I''m a king in the well?" Namgung Jincheon stomped on Rahmadat''s neck. "Bullshit! I''m the god of this world!" "Cr, crrr...¡± Rahmada started trembling like a frog. "It¡¯s fine. That''s enough." Namgung Jincheon was still curious, but his mood had soured. He felt like there was no need for him to spend more time with these idiots. "I¡¯ll give you a clean death." Namgung Jincheon grabbed Rahmadat by the neck. "Hand over your neigong and die!" Using the Great Law of the Absorbing Star, Rahmadat started to dry up. "F-fuck, I¡¯m losing my muscles¡­" "Hoh.¡± Namgung Jincheon¡¯s eyes shone. Rahmadat was the most nutritious treat he had eaten today. His mouth started watering, and he smacked his lips in delight. ¡°...?¡± However, he suddenly looked down at his hand. ¡®What? Why did I stop?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t quite understand it. If he had absorbed a little more neigong, the monster in front of him would have perished, so why did it stop? ¡°¡­¡± Namgung Jincheon looking for the reason why he stopped absorbing Rahmadat¡¯s neigong slowly turned around. On the grave of broken shields, a man was standing there, aloof. When Namgung Jincheon saw the man, he realized it. "¡­You''re back." ck Moon Martial Arts¡­ The martial art which could ruin his world was resurrected. Chapter 405. Return of the Moon (4)

Chapter 405. Return of the Moon (4)

Upon returning to the battlefield, Seo Jun-Ho looked at the yers first rather than at Namgung Jincheon. Each and every one of them was in such a miserable state that they were having a hard time keeping their eyes open. "Ha, haaa." They had long reached their limits, and there was a high chance that they were only awake through sheer willpower. "L-let go¡­ of him." Ha In-Ho walking over to save Rahmadat tripped and fell. Catch! Seo Jun-Ho caught Ha In-Ho. ¡°¡­¡± Tremble. Ha In-Ho''s arms and legs were shaking like crazy. His left arm holding the shield had swollen to twice its size. It was only natural because the bones in his left arm were broken, and the blood vessels had burst. ¡®Despite that¡­¡¯ The purple and bruised, swollen hand still held the enarmes tightly without letting go. Upon realizing that he didn¡¯t fail his mission, Ha In-Ho turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho. His eyes were zed, and he finally let his willpower rest. "I-I got¡­ through it...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded without saying anything. If he were to open his mouth, tears would surely well up in his eyes. ''Everyone. Great job hanging in there.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho mustered his magic. He let the tankers fall asleep andid them on ice beds. "Hu, huhuhu." Namgung Jincheon hurled Rahmadat aside and slowly walked toward Seo Jun-Ho. "You¡¯re really practicing that cursed martial arts. You¡¯re practicing the ck Moon Martial Arts!" Namgung Jincheon¡¯s smiled brightly like a full moon. ck Moon Martial Arts once made him tremble in fear. ¡®It''s like a stigma of my miserable days.¡¯ He didn¡¯t think that he would ever be able to wash away the disgrace, but he couldn¡¯t have predicted this opportunity. "Today, I will finally break off this persistent ill-fated rtionship." Neigong bloomed from Namgung Jincheon¡¯s body. Words were unnecessary at this stage. ¡°Let¡¯s see how much you¡¯ve learned!" Namgung Jincheon charged like a thunderbolt, and his fist carrying as much power as a mountain couldn¡¯t be avoided. It wasn¡¯t like Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t avoid it¡ªhe had to take it because the unconscious tankersy behind him. ¡®¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and took out a shabby iron sword from his Inventory. Namgung Jincheon¡¯s attacks were strong enough that he even manage to shatter the Sword of Ambition. Since that was the case, was he being reckless here? ¡®No.¡¯ Srrrrr. ¡®This is enough.¡¯ Cheon-Gwang''s martial arts leaped through time and eras to be his own martial arts. The martial arts contained only three martial skills and the very first martial skill specialized in saving lives rather than killing enemies. "ck Moon Martial Arts First Skill: Sky¡¯s Frost." Bang! Seo Jun-Ho repelled the fist flying toward him. "Good!¡± Namgung Jincheon''s limbs constantly pressured Seo Jun-Ho. Earlier, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯tpletely deal with Namgung Jincheon¡¯s high-tier martial arts. ¡®But not anymore¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s beautiful movements made him look like he was dancing as he deflected all the iing attacks without any unnecessary movements. "Hmm? Namgung Jincheon could feel that something was strange. ¡®The moment I came close to him¡­¡¯ He slowed down significantly. At first, Namgung Jincheon thought he was imagining it, but now, he was certain. "You¡­ this is the ck Moon Martial Arts¡­?¡± Namgung Jincheon''s face crumpled like a sheet of paper. This wasn''t the ck Moon Martial Arts he knew. It was apletely different martial art, and it seemed to have been solely made by Seo Jun-Ho. "Ha! This is not the ck Moon Martial Arts!" ¡°Because you said so?" Seo Jun-Ho looked down at Namgung Jincheon. "ck Moon Martial Arts is about escaping the confines of this world.¡± It was a martial art that could develop in countless directions depending on the individual practicing it. For example, Seo Jun-Ho added Frost and the power to Freeze to the first martial skill. ¡®Sky¡¯s Frost, a snowy night.¡¯ What other name would fit so well? Namgung Jincheon¡¯s neigong was being torn apart, and they scattered slowly like snowkes of early winter. ¡°¡­¡± Namgung Jincheon stopped attacking and retreated. He attacked with all his might but didn''t expect that Seo Jun-Ho would be able to repel all his attacks without breaking a sweat. ''¡­It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter even if Seo Jun-Ho hadpletely learned the ck Moon Martial Arts because it had just been a few minutes. How could he go beyond simply learning itpletely and adding his own interpretation in just a few minutes? ¡®I see...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was his kind¡ªa so-called genius. While Namgung Jincheon was thinking about how to attack from now on, Seo Jun-Ho spoke, "That''s too bad." Too bad? Just what was too bad? Namgung Jincheon didn''t understand. He didn''t even know why Seo Jun-Ho was looking at him with an indifferent gaze. ¡®I''m strong. I''m a god. Don¡¯t give me that kind of look. Admire me a bit more and be more afraid.¡¯ "Y-you dare look down on me? A Pureblood dares to look down on me who has reached the highest level?" "¡­If you¡¯re only at this level, then you don''t even deserve to see the third martial skill." ck. Seo Jun-Ho''s iron sword was sucked into its sheath. At the same time, he lowered his posture. The second martial skill of the ck Moon Martial Arts had a purpose that waspletely different from the first martial skill. ¡®The enemy''s death.¡¯ However, he was too reverent and quiet to say that he had the eyes of a murderer. Seo Jun-Ho muttered, ¡°ck Moon Martial Arts Second Skill: Silent sh Wave.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± It was another martial skill Namgung Jincheon was hearing for the first time. He reached forward with his hand without realizing it. He just felt like he should. He felt like if he didn''t do that, the world he had built would suddenly copse. ¡®D-diamond Buddha!¡¯ Hundreds ofyers of neigong wrapped around his body, and the aura from the outstretched hand protected him. But why? Why did his heart still tremble even after this much preparation? Namgung Jincheon opened his eyes wide and focused. ''¡­It¡¯sing.'' A sticky darkness covered Seo Jun-Ho''s body. It was so dark that it seemed like it would suck one¡¯s consciousness into it with just a nce, and it stimted a primitive sense of terror. Wearing that darkness, Seo Jun-Ho meandered and approached. ¡®He''s not that fast. He doesn''t even look powerful¡­¡¯ He could stop Seo Jun-Ho. With that thought in mind, Namgung Jincheon gathered his tremendous neigong, but a sh interrupted him. ¡°¡­!¡± The hundreds ofyers of neigong and the Diamond Buddha were pierced at once. Namgung Jincheon''s eyes shone in astonishment as he stared at the ordinary iron sword in front of him. "Do you really think that a sword like that will be able to pierce a god''s body? Ha!" "If it¡¯s a shitty god like you, yes,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered right in front of Namgung Jincheon¡¯s face. He put more strength into his sword. "I''d be happy to kill you, God." Crack! The ordinary iron sword covered in darkness pierced Namgung Jincheon¡¯s chest like a lie. The nucleus parts and cores that formed his cyborg body scattered into the sky. "Kaaaaak!" Namgung Jincheon''s face was stained with shock. He couldn¡¯t believe it. He couldn''t ept it. ¡®Just one strike?¡¯ Boom! Namgung Jincheons¡¯s legs lost strength and bent, forcing his knees to touch the ground. Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips. ¡®Because of him¡­¡¯ Many people sacrificed their lives for the petty ambition of someone like him¡­ ¡°Die¡­ die for all those who died because of you." "Wait.¡± Namgung Jincheon sneered. He shook his head slowly. "I want to tell you something good before I go." "What?" "I just submitted an order to the System Chip." Namgung Jincheon pointed at the ground. "The order is to detonate the hundreds of bombs underground in five minutes." Seo Jun-Ho paused. He was strong, but there was no way he could stop so many bombs targeting the city. "¡­Is that the best lie you could make up to save your life?" "I''m not lying. I don¡¯t really care about my life anymore." Namgung Jincheon''s eyes were stained with madness. "A city where I can''t rule as a god¡­ It should just disappear with me.¡± "You crazy bastard!" Seo Jun-Ho grabbed him roughly by the cor. "Stop it right now." "Keu, keuk, kuhahahaha!" Namgung Jincheon burst intoughter. He took the System Chip out of his head and threw it at Seo Jun-Ho''s face. "Why don''t you do it yourself? However, I¡¯ll let you know that you can only stop the order if you get past the final security of the System Chip.¡± Even Namgung Jincheon failed to break through that despite seven hundred years. Namgung Jincheon grinned. "You can¡¯t do it? Then everyone will die. With me." Seo Jun-Ho saw Namgung Jincheon¡¯s sly fist. He couldn¡¯t resist the urge and punched. Crack! Seo Jun-Ho then grabbed him by the cor. He took the System Chip with him and left. ''I need to find Frost.'' The Frost Queen had to be with Wisoso. Running toward the city center, he found the Frost Queen fighting against the robots. "Stoping. I am Niflheim¡ªOh, it''s Contractor." - It''s Young Hero Seo! The two children were surprised to see Namgung Jincheon being dragged along by Seo Jun-Ho. "You said you were a god.¡± - He must have been a fool, not a god. "Soso, don''t say bad things." - Okay, I understand, so please stop hitting me. Seo Jun-Ho approached them and looked around. The situation was grim. Thousands of robots were one-sidedly pushing back the exhausted yers. "Frost, hand me Wisoso." "Here." The Frost Queen calmly handed over Wisoso. Seo Jun-Ho then plugged the chip into the groove on her head. - Ugh, I feel weird. Young Hero Seo, what chip is this? "The system chip of this city." - Huh?! Shocked, Wisoso''s LED shed. A hologram window appeared in front of their eyes. [Enter the password for the System Chip.] [The System Chip will be destroyed upon the input of an incorrect password.] "¡­Uh." Seo Jun-Ho looked a little surprised. He had been wondering why Namgung Jincheon couldn''t get past the security for seven hundred years, but to think he had only one chance. "Contractor, just what is going on?" "If we don''t solve this in four minutes and seventeen seconds, bombs beneath the city will explode.¡± The yers¡ªthe citizens¡ªeverything in the city would turn into ashes by then. Namgung Jincheon snickered at that. "Ku, kuhuhu. It''s no use. Everyone will die with me." "That¡¯s¡ªno way..." The expressions of the yers darkened. The situation was much more serious than they expected. "Shouldn¡¯t we be running away right now?" "Damn it, there''s no way that thousands of people can escape downstairs, no matter how fast we move.¡± "And there are many injured people as well...¡± To think that their efforts so far would just go up in smoke¡­ Everyone bit their lips. "Why are you all so down?¡± Tap, tap, tap. Seo Jun-Ho casually tapped the hologram keyboard. Afterward, the hologram window shed and gave off a green glow. [Password confirmed.] [Approved changes to the final administrator.] [Authority of the final administrator and Emperor of Neo City has been passed on to yer Seo Jun-Ho.] [What can I do for you?] Seo Jun-Ho said, "First, turn off the bomb timer.¡± [Affirmative, it has been turned off.] "Thank you." Blink, blink. Namgung Jincheon stared dumbly at the scene. "What? No, wait¡ªhuh? What is this? What¡­?" His words sounded dumb, and it was perfect for his dumb face. Chapter 406. Return of the Moon (5)

Chapter 406. Return of the Moon (5)

The yers around couldn''t resist their curiosity and started muttering among themselves. "No, really, I wonder how he knew?¡± "Maybe the password was simple, like 1q2w3e4r?" "Ayyy, no way." "If it isn¡¯t a simple password like that, then how did Specter-nim guess it?¡± The yers were curious, but there was one person who was dying to know the answer. It was Namgung Jincheon. He had been searching for the password for seven hundred years, so his reaction didn¡¯t reallye as a surprise. "Uh, uh¡­ Uhhh!¡± He screamed as if he had gone senile when he saw the green glow the system window was giving off. It was his first time seeing that green light despite his long life. How many times had he imagined seeing that screen in the past hundreds of years? ¡®I can''t even count how many¡­ I can''t even count the number of times I couldn''t enter the password and just closed the window!'' Failing once meant that it was all over. He had no choice but to give up repeatedly because he knew that his grand dream would copse if he failed. However, Seo Jun-Ho actually managed to solve it without even thinking about it? Namgung Jincheon roared, "What is it?! What the hell is the password?!" The suicide attack failed, but he didn¡¯t care about it anymore. It was impossible to reverse the situation since Seo Jun-Ho had already received the emperor¡¯s authority. ¡®He¡¯s going to kill me anyway¡­¡¯ However, he didn¡¯t really care about dying anymore. He simply wanted to know the password, Namgung Jincheon thought he would be able to remove the lump in his chest and cross the Styx River once he discovered the password.[1] "Hmm." Seo Jun-Ho smiled coldly, annoyed by Namgung Jincheon¡¯s arrogance in demanding something from him. "Contractor, you¡¯re not going to tell him, are you?" With her arms crossed, the Frost Queen looked like she didn''t like the idea at all. "Why are you thinking of such mercy? Just kill him.¡± "Use nicer words..." "Let him sleep¡ªforever." "That''s not bad either. But¡­" Seo Jun-Ho smiled as if he knew something. If he was right, then it would be much more fun to give Namgung Jincheon the password. "Before anything else¡­" Seo Jun-Ho snapped his fingers, and the A.I. of the System Chip came into action. [What can I do for you?] "Stop all the robots that are attacking the yers." [Understood.] Kwaaaaa! The System Chip replied kindly, and a huge wave started spreading throughout the city with Seo Jun-Ho at the center. *** The yers squeezed out the final vestiges of their strength to live or to save theirrades. However, the weapon that they could barely swing finally fell to the ground. They had thoroughly exhausted themselves. ¡®Is this the end?¡¯ ¡®Damn it, I can¡¯t even raise my weapon anymore.¡¯ They were angry and frustrated. They tried so hard to the point that they couldn''t even believe that their willpower was this strong. They fought really hard, but the fact that they couldn''t go any further because their bodies wouldn¡¯t follow them made them really furious and frustrated. Was it because of that? "This way, trashcans." Perhaps it was the reason why the Sword Saint, Kim Woo-Joong, looked more dazzling than usual. He was still wielding his sword, even though everyone around him was copsing from exhaustion one by one. His hand was torn and bleeding, and his hair was thoroughly drenched with sweat. Despite all that, he was still wielding his sword. ¡®If I had done a little more physical training.¡¯ ''I could have wielded a sword by his side.¡¯ ¡®I wouldn''t have been reduced to a mere spectator like this.¡¯ They had no idea that it was so painful to be someone else¡¯s burden. The yers on the ground closed their eyes and started urging him to escape. "Sword Saint, run while you still have the energy to escape." "You will die with us if you keep this up..." ¡°¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong looked down at his hand. Obviously, he couldn¡¯t exert that much force anymore. ¡®You''re not supposed to hold a sword like this.¡¯ He had to hold it harder and tighter so that it wouldn¡¯t tremble. He knew that fact better than anyone else, but his body didn¡¯t follow along. ''¡­I guess I''ll get scolded a lot.¡¯ He closed his eyes and recalled the face of a close childhood friend, who was like a family to him. ¡®Should I run away? I''ve already done my best, and they¡¯re telling me to run away.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong suddenly smiled. They could have told him to cheer up and save them, but they told him to run away. ¡®Is it on purpose?¡¯ Even if they uttered those words with that purpose in mind, he had no choice but to be deceived. He shook his head and shook off the weakness in his mind that had been seducing him into resting. ¡®Sorry, Son Chae-Won.¡¯ He didn¡¯t think he could leave them behind and run away. If his idol were in his shoes, he would definitely make the same decision. "Come,¡± Kim Woo-Joong coldly muttered at the robots surrounding him. However, the robots suddenly exploded in a fiery ze. "What do you mean,e? You should be telling them to go away even if it¡¯s not working." ¡°¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong thought saw a petite red-haired woman approaching him. He thought for a moment before saying, "Are you that kid from Goblin?" ¡®Ah, I made a mistake.¡¯ He was so tired that he unknowingly said his thoughts out loud. "What? Why are you suddenly picking a fight with your benefactor?" "I''m sorry. I should have kept it to myself as usual.¡± "That''s even more annoying!¡± She couldn¡¯t believe it. Gong Ju-Ha stared at him with narrowed eyes, then turned her head and asked, "How much magic do you have left?" "I used it all up." "Uh, then¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked around and revealed a tearful face. "What should we do? The skill just now used up all my magic...¡± While they were muttering to each other, the robots continued to emerge from alleyways to surround them. The yers couldn¡¯t deal with them at all. After all, they had long exhausted their magic, and they were too tired to even move. "Ah!" A yer cried out before she subsequently copsed to the ground. ¡°¡­!¡± She needed help. Kim Woo-Joong and Gong Ju-Ha started running without hesitation because they knew that she could still be saved. ¡®Damn it, why am I so slow? Why?!" They should have been able to run much faster than this. If they had just a bit of magic or stamina, they would be able to save her quite easily. Maybe if their legs were just a bit longer¡­ The robot raised its sword. "N-no! Don''t¡­!" Gong Ju-Ha kept flicking her fingers, but without mana, she was like a lighter without gas. She couldn¡¯t create even a spark. ¡°¡­!¡± However, the robot suddenly stopped halfway to its sword stroke. Crack! A beatter, Kim Woo-Joong kicked the robot to the side. He huffed and puffed to catch his breath and frowned. ¡®Was I mistaken?¡¯ The robot seemed to have stopped working at thest minute. "Hey, Mr. Swordsman." Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s trembling voice made him turn around. nk, boom, boom! Booooom¡­ The robots trying to kill them just a moment ago stopped working one by one. "I don''t know if I should say this about a robot, but they look like they¡¯re dead.¡± "¡­What?" "We¡¯re¡­ alive?" "Why did they suddenly stop? Did they run out of battery?" The copsed yers started joking around, but the robots still showed no signs of getting up. It wasn''t until ten minutester that they finally felt relieved. "Haaa, we survived! We really survived! Goddamned it! To think that we survived through all this¡­" "Haha! I¡¯m d I will be able to see my son¡¯s face." However, who stopped the robots? For some reason, there was only one person who came to their mind. *** A procession of the injured followed. A group of yers supporting each other, as well as those being carried on stretchers, started to gather in groups. They were definitely hurt and exhausted, but the smile on their faces was bright. It was all because they were alive. They could continue to shareme jokes with theirrades and go back to the arms of their families. Looking at them, Seo Jun-Ho said, "You asked for the password." ¡°¡­!¡± Namgung Jincheon hurriedly turned to look at him. "Yes, I certainly asked. What the hell is the password?" "Well? Why don''t you ask the person yourself?" "The person...?" A hologram figure manifested in front of them. The figure was His Majesty The Emperor, and he was currently a young man. The same young man Seo Jun-Ho had seen several times in his memories. His Majesty the Emperor opened his eyes slowly and said. - First of all, it is imperative that I express my gratitude first. I owe you a big debt, yer. "Don''t mention it." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head lightly. This victory didn¡¯t belong to him alone. ¡°The seed that His Majesty and the general sowed and watered eventually grew a fruit. I simply ate the fruit.¡± - It was difficult, right? As far as I know, that fruit has a lot of thorns, and it¡¯s even poisonous. "It was more or less edible. Even though it had some kick to it." - Hahaha! Really? That''s a relief. The smiling emperor turned to look at Namgung Jincheon with a wide smile. - Iya, Jincheon. You look awful. You''ve really be a fool. Ah, I shouldn¡¯t use crude words. "Y-Your Majesty¡­!" Namgung Jincheon growled. Namgung Jincheon¡¯s eyes turned red the moment His Majesty the Emperor appeared. He knew that the emperor himself had be an A.I.¡ªa part of the management system to protect the city. However, he hadn¡¯t been able to unlock the System Chip, so it was his first time meeting the emperor like this. - I told you, didn''t I? Despite what you have, you remained greedy. You should¡¯ve just been satisfied with the little things I gave you. You¡¯ve lived in vain for not just a year but seven hundred years. You¡¯re so pitiful¡­ "Shut up! If it weren¡¯t for you and Cheon-Gwang acting foolishly, the System Chip would have been mine!" - Hahahahaha! The emperor grabbed his belly andughed. - Aigo, I¡¯m dying ofughter. Oh, I¡¯m already dead, right? Ahahaha! It became clear that His Majesty the Emperor decided to be an A.I. to screw with Namgung Jincheon. It was evidenced by the fact that Namgung Jincheon couldn¡¯t stop trembling amidst his boiling anger. However, Namgung Jincheon suppressed his anger and asked, "This is thest time I''ll ask you. What was the password?" - Oh, that? The emperor smiled and looked at Seo Jun-Ho. - yer, what was the answer you typed? "I just answered HOPE." - Ah, as expected, you definitely know something. Hope! What a nice word. "¡­Hope, that was the answer?" Namgung Jincheon bit his lips as his head drooped. There was definitely ¡®hope¡¯ in his list of passwords. This was because the emperor often said that Neo City was the final hope of the minds. - I never said that it¡¯s the password. ¡°¡­?¡± Namgung Jincheon slowly raised his head. The way he stared at the emperor made it obvious that he was asking the emperor about the nonsense thetter was talking about. - Because there is no password¡­ Namgung Jincheon blinked. He couldn¡¯t understand what the emperor was saying. "W-What does that mean? What do you mean there is no password?¡± - It¡¯s as I said. "Then, if I had typed in any word, the System Chip would have been mine¡­?¡± - That''s right. Namgung Jincheon''s face started quivering. He shook his head madly and denied it. "Lie! It''s a lie! You''re a liar trying to harass me!" - Didn''t I keep telling you? You''re small-minded. Your mind is as small as a small bowl of soy sauce. The emperor looked at Namgung Jincheon with a gaze that seemed like it could see through everything. There was a slight sneer around his mouth. - I know very well about your greedy nature. The emperor didn''t just know Namgung Jincheon¡¯s shorings. He also knew of Namgung Jincheon¡¯s persistence and intelligence. - If I had set up a difficult password, you would have found the answer somehow. You have a pretty good head on your shoulders, after all. As such, the emperor decided to use Namgung Jincheon¡¯s inherent greed. It was all because the emperor knew that such greed wouldn¡¯t go away no matter what. - If I said there¡¯s only one chance to unlock the chip, I knew that you wouldn¡¯t even be able to attempt it. I knew you wouldn¡¯t risk losing the System Chip by submitting an uncertain answer. The prediction was right, and that was enough. The emperor only had to buy enough time until the seeds he sowed grew and bore fruit. "C-contractor, are you a genius? Did you predict this whole situation?" "Uh, mmm..." To be honest, he had no idea about all this. The only word that came to mind at the time was HOPE, and he tried it because he didn''t have much time. ¡®But it was weird how I randomly got the answer, so I knew that something was wrong.¡¯ Getting the right answer on the first try was a miracle that wouldn¡¯t happen that easily¡­ After contemting for a while, Seo Jun-Ho nodded boldly. "Of course. I know almost everything.¡± "Woooow! Our contractor is a great genius! A famous detective! How did you know?" The Frost Queen stared at him with respect and admiration. By the way, where was Jun-Sik? What was he even doing? 1. River that forms the boundary between Earth and the Underworld in Greek mythology - Wikipedia. ? Chapter 407. Return of the Moon (6) Chapter 407. Return of the Moon (6) In a training room, a white-haired man without a single thread of clothing was sitting cross-legged. He stared down at his palm. ¡°¡­¡± The Alpha and Beta neigong chips were shining seductively, looking as if they were telling him to eat them. ¡®They¡¯re bewitching chips. I shouldn''t get greedy.¡¯ They were wicked. They looked sweet, like candy, but it was magic. As soon as he absorbed more than his limit by being greedy, his body would definitely burst like a balloon. ''The preparations areplete.¡¯ It was time to be reborn anew. The Heavenly Demon closed his eyes and clenched his fists, shattering the two chips into powder. ¡®¡­?¡¯ Swoosh! A breeze that shouldn¡¯t have appeared in the training room made his hair flutter in the wind. Wooong! A violent magic storm manifested. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ The Heavenly Demon barely managed to hold on to his consciousness. If his concentration had been disturbed a little, his existence itself would have disappeared. ¡®How vicious.¡¯ The magic was wild, simr to a tempest, he trembled like a shabby branch, even though he had a physique simr to a peak martial artist. The Heavenly Demon clenched his teeth and concentrated. ¡®It''s fierce, so it''s worth taming¡­¡¯ He opened his magic circuits and manifested the blood-specific characteristic of a demon mimic¡¯s gluttony. Hwaaaa! At his arrogant invitation, the magic surged in at a terrifying pace. ¡®¡­!¡¯ The cycle of almost losing consciousness and desperately clinging to a strand of it was repeated thousands of times. How much time had passed like that? The Heavenly Demon¡¯s closed eyes slowly opened. "Too bad..." He was disappointed. He didn¡¯t manage to absorb all the magic contained in both the Alpha and Beta neigong chips. ¡®In terms of proportion, I only absorbed around seventy percent.¡¯ The magic that could not find a vessel soon disappeared somewhere. "Hmm." It was regrettable, but the Heavenly Demon shook his head. If he had gotten a bit greedier, everything could copse. ''No, to be precise, I¡¯m still in danger.¡¯ He couldn¡¯tpletely abandon his greed, so he absorbed magic beyond his limit at the veryst moment. Creak, creeeaaaak! As such, his blood vessels seemed like they were about to burst. ¡®That''s a bad sign.¡¯ His eyes, which had the same color as pomegranates, gleamed with light. ''However, it was worth the risk.¡¯ He felt that he had reached a new level. Now, he didn''t think he would lose even if he fought with a High demon. "Not bad." The Heavenly Demon revealed a rare smile and left the training room. "Congrattions. I can see that you have reached a new level." Outside, Isaac Dvor, Valencia Citrin, and the Chef, Roxan, were kneeling. They had been waiting for him toe out. "How long has it been?" "It has been six hours." "Six hours?" The Heavenly Demon looked slightly surprised. He didn¡¯t expect that it hadn¡¯t been that long since he went into the training room. "Report the situation first." "To start with the results, the yers won." "As expected." The Heavenly Demon nodded as if it were natural. "Without the neigong chips, Namgung Jincheon would have been only half of himself.¡± Namgung Jincheon was an overwhelming existence with martial arts powered by neigong of three thousand gapjas. However, Isaac Dvor stole his neigong chip, so he wouldn''t have been able to exert the same power. "Namgung Jincheon donned the emperor¡¯s cyborg frame and stole his subordinates¡¯ neigong, but Specter still defeated him." "Specter..." The Heavenly Demon looked as if he had been missing Specter. He had already be strong enough to devour a High demon, but his left arm still ached when he heard Specter¡¯s name. "The yers are exhausted and without magic. Should we just wipe them out?¡± Chef Roxan proposed with a servile smile. The Heavenly Demon pondered about it for a while. However, it didn¡¯t take long for him to reach a decision when he saw his swollen blood vessels. Shaking his head, he said, "It¡¯s a shame, but we have to postpone it for now." He could hunt the yers down and wipe them out quite easily despite his condition. ¡®However, if I were to force myself, the aftereffects will be too great to bear even for me.¡¯ He could suffer a bacsh that would render him forever unable to fight. The Heavenly Demon judged that there was no reason to carry out such a gamble. Now that he had reached a new level, he could just annihte the yers when he recovered. "There''s nothing more shameful than hunting a pack of weakened wolves. Let¡¯s quietly descend the floor." "Yes." "Anyway¡­" The Heavenly Demon turned to look next to them and pointed with his chin. "Who is that?" "Ugh! Ugh!" A sharp-looking man was on the floor with his limbs tied and his mouth gagged. Isaac Dvor smiled and said, "He¡¯s a rat that came in while you were in the training room, so I decided to catch him." "That''s strange. He looks like Specter to me." "It will be easier to understand if you speak to him yourself." At that, the Heavenly Demon arrived in front of Specter and bent down. ¡®It looks just like him.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon reached out and unblocked Specter¡¯s mouth. When he did that, thetter started cursing at him. "You perverted bastard! Put your fucking clothes on, or stay away from me!" The Heavenly Demon seemed indifferent as he pointed out. "He is a much more serious and solemn manpared to this man. What¡¯s going on?" "We think he¡¯s simr to the skill Avatar." "So, a clone. It seems that he had gotten himself such an interesting skill.¡± In that case, it made sense that he looked like Specter. "Here are your clothes." The Heavenly Demon took the robe from Isaac and ordered. "Release the restraint." "Yes." Isaac casually flicked his finger. Seo Jun-Sik''s abruptly vanished the moment he was released from the magic handcuffs. "Slow." The Heavenly Demon put on the robe leisurely and moved slightly to the side. Craaack! "Ack!" Seo Jun-Sik attacked first, but he got hurt first rather than the Heavenly Demon. Seo Jun-Sik started rolling on the floor in pain as blood dyed the floor red in the blink of an eye. The Heavenly Demon had just torn a chunk of Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s torso. "Valencia, what do you think?" "It was a mediocre move. The Specter who dealt with Namgung Jincheon was much faster and stronger than this." "¡­As expected." Valencia expected that the Heavenly Demon would be disappointed. However, contrary to her expectations, the Heavenly Demon was smiling brightly in delight. "Of course. It won¡¯t be fun if he''s only at this level." "¡­Kak! Tweh!" Seo Jun-Sik spat a mouthful of blood and desperately clung to his consciousness. ¡®This crazy bastard. I didn¡¯t even manage to get close to him before getting injured.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡®I better not tell the Original about this.¡¯ He knew that the fool would surelye running to avenge him as soon as he announced his situation. ¡®He must note here. This guy is dangerous.¡¯ rm bells kept ringing in his head. His instincts were shouting at him that even if he fought the Heavenly Demon hundreds of times, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to beat thetter. ¡®This bastard is a monster...¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik felt dizzy just standing in front of him, and looking at the Heavenly Demon made Seo Jun-Sik felt as if his mind were being sucked into thetter¡¯s abyss-like eyes. It felt like he was facing an entirely different being rather than a human being. The Heavenly Demon wasn¡¯t even trying, but what if he truly showed his strength? ¡®It''s dangerous. The Original had just learned the ck Moon Martial Arts, and even if he already learned itpletely, it would still be a grueling fight.'' Clench. Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s grip on his sword tightened. His original role had been to either kill or force them to stay here, but now, it was different. ¡®I have to dy my death as much as possible so that he won¡¯t receive my memories while these people are still here.'' Seo Jun-Sik made a decision to save the Original and the yers. *** "Keke¡­ kekeke!" The kneeling Namgung Jincheon wasughing like a madman. The yers were staring at him, and they couldn¡¯t find a trace of his previous domineering aura when he was wiping the floor with the yers. "So a monster like him can die as well.¡± "The 5th Floor is about to be cleared, right?" ¡°Six, seven, eight, nine, and ten¡­ We¡¯ve cleared half so far.¡± The yers were tired, but their faces were full of pride. Now, Namgung Jincheon just had to die, and the raid on the 5th Floor would finally end. "I can''t say die well, so just die." Seo Jun-Ho raised his iron sword high. The cool de reflected the bright sunlight, and Namgung Jincheon smirked at the sight. "¡­I¡¯ll wait for you in hell." "There¡¯s no reason for me to go there, so don''t wait for me." "Aha, ahahaha!" Namgung Jincheon let out a final inexplicableughter before his head went flying. At that, the messages that every yer here had been waiting for finally arrived. [Congrattions! You have defeated the Neo City Area Boss Monster, Martial God Namgung Jincheon.] [You have received the title ¡®Dignity of an Emperor¡¯.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­ [All stats has increased by 23.] [Safe zones will now appear in the Neo City area.] The system finally dered the 5th Floor as cleared and informed them of the way up ahead of them. [The 6th Floor, Trium Area will be unlocked in 100 days] [After 10 days, the ¡®Arcade Center¡¯ will open on the 5.5th Floor.] [yers, please stay strong until the final floor.] "What, the 6th Floor won¡¯t be unlocked right away?" "And the 5.5th Floor. What¡¯s with that?" The yers were confused. They couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of the situation. "This is certainly unexpected." "It''s an unnned vacation." Skaya and Cha Si-Eun murmured bitterly. They felt like the system was purposely stopping those who had been running without a break. "Mmm, I don''t have a clue what kind of ce the Arcade Center is." "Is it a game room? Arthur will love it.¡± "¡­I''m past the age to go to such ces, Father." For a moment, there was awkwardness in the air¡­ Then, the yers gathered in twos and threes to n their vacation. Since they would basically be free for the next ten days, they could finally do whatever they hadn¡¯t been able to do because they were busy. "I should go on a family trip. My wife and daughter always wanted us to go on a trip.¡± "That''s nice. Speaking of which, I should go see my parents.¡± Skaya, who was watching the scene, spoke to the party. "There¡¯s a spell I really wanted to study thoroughly, so it¡¯s good that we¡¯ll have a break.¡± "The system just gave us time to have a vacation, so I think it''s best for everyone to n it well." The party made ns one by one, and Cha Si-Eun asked, "Jun-Ho-nim, what is your schedule like? Are you nning on going on a vacation?¡± "I¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought about it for a while before shaking his head. He couldn''t figure out what to do. "I''ll have to think about it a little more." The tired yers made their own vacation ns and startedughing with each other. At the sight, Seo Jun-Ho smiled. ¡°¡­!¡± However, scenes suddenly appeared in his mind. They were memories that didn¡¯t belong to him. ¡®Jun-Sik''s memories?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho casually epted the memories, but his expression suddenly became stiff. - So, a clone. It seems that he had gotten himself such an interesting skill.¡± How could Seo Jun-Ho fail to recognize him? As soon as he heard the voice, he immediately identified the speaker without effort. ¡®The Heavenly Demon is here¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes quivered. Chapter 408. Memento Mori (1) Chapter 408. Memento Mori (1) From Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s memories, Seo Jun-Ho learned three things: the Heavenly Demon was here, the Heavenly Demon managed to absorb the two neigong chips, and the Heavenly Demon had reached a new level. ¡®However, he¡¯s in bad condition.¡¯ That was why the Heavenly Demon was trying to leave quietly without dealing with the tired yers. He had gotten greedy in the process of absorbing the neigong chips, so his body was currently unstable. ¡®Jun-Sik knew that the Heavenly Demon is in an unstable condition.¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Sik did not say even a word to him until he was killed. There could only be one reason why he did that. ¡®He thought about it in his own way and came to a conclusion.¡¯ The conclusion Seo Jun-Sik had reached was that the current Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t beat the Heavenly Demon. With his eyes closed, Seo Jun-Ho calmly analyzed their current situation. ¡®Currently, there are three of the Nine Heavens in the Heavenly Demon¡¯s group. The Chef is with them as well, and if they gathered the subordinates they had made here, they would have hundreds of people tomand.¡¯ Then, what about the yers? The number of yers was in the thousands, but they had already gone past their limits. In other words, they had been fighting for so long that their stamina, magic, and mental strength had long hit rock bottom. ''So I can''t ask for their help...¡¯ Doing that would be no different from asking them to die. What if he went there on his own because he was in a rtively normal condition? Seo Jun-Ho shook his head after running a few simtions in his head. ¡®Even if it¡¯s me, it¡¯ll be difficult.¡¯ Isaac Dvor, Valencia Citrin, and the Heavenly Demon. They were strong foes and were a part of the Nine Heavens. ¡®I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡¯ There was no path in sight, and it made Seo Jun-Ho feel suffocated. He knew that he shouldn''t just let them go like this, but he also knew that he had no choice but to let them go like this. The realization made his shoulders droop. ''...I''ll have to let them go.¡¯ He knew and understood it well in his head. He had considered many things, but he still couldn¡¯t find a way to beat them in their current situation. Gilberto saw Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s dark face, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Jun-Ho, is there something bothering you?¡± "Jun-Sik died.¡± "What? What the hell happened?¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied grimly, ¡°It¡¯s the Heavenly Demon. ¡°¡­!¡± The air froze. The party turned pale as they stared nkly at Seo Jun-Ho. The Heavenly Demon? If the Heavenly Demon were toe here with his subordinates, they would definitely get wiped out. "Don''t worry. They¡¯re trying to avoid a fight because they¡¯re also in bad condition." "Phew, phew. We survived. My hands got sweaty hearing that." "I¡¯m sure they know our situation, but if they¡¯re really stepping down despite that, then I guess they¡¯re in a bad situation as well.¡± Just in case Seo Jun-Ho felt differently, Rahmadat tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, I can see what you¡¯re thinking, but you can''t do it alone. You know that, right?" "¡­I know." There was a fine line between courage and recklessness. Unless one could properly distinguish between the two, one couldn¡¯t survive long in the world of yers. - Hmm. The silent emperor finally spoke. - That man, Heavenly Demon. He is taking his subordinates to the elevator. "You can tell even things like that?" - Of course, I''ve long be the system managing this city. The emperor had a look of great displeasure. - But I can''t believe that he has monopolized the two neigong chips that belonged to this city. I don''t like it. "I feel the same, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it." Seo Jun-Ho looked around. The yers were exhausted, so he couldn''t stop that bastard. - What if there''s a way? Seo Jun-Ho abruptly turned to look at the emperor. "What did you just say?" - I asked if you''d stop them if there¡¯s a way. The emperor''s friendly expression became stern without Seo Jun-Ho realizing it. Thetter knew that the emperor¡¯s image was just a hologram without substance, but he still felt intimidated at the sight of the emperor¡¯s serious look. "Of course, I''ll stop them." - Why? "Because that''s the right thing to do." The Alpha and Beta neigong chips weren¡¯t made to be monopolized by one person. It was a token of hope the Aeon Empire gave to Neo City so that the destroyed central districts of Neo City could be restored. - Well, that''s not a perfect answer, but... The stern emperor smiled. - It¡¯s a more or less nice answer. "Anyway, what''s the way?" - Namgung Jincheon was an idiot, but there was one thing he knew for sure. Something Namgung Jincheon knew for sure? The emperor shrugged when he saw the confused Seo Jun-Ho. - He kept on saying it, right? If you canpletely control the System Chip, then you¡¯ll be the god of this city. "I thought he was just exaggerating?" - Well, take a look at it yourself and see if he was just exaggerating. The emperor smiled and tapped in the air, and a dense amount ofmands appeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­!¡± They were systemmands that could only be used by Neo City''s Chief Administrator¡ªthe one who had received the emperor''s authority. Seo Jun-Ho''s awestruck eyes became even more intrigued as he swept his gaze at the systemmands. ¡¯If I use them properly¡­¡¯ The emperor met Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes and asked. - What do you think? "It¡¯s great." Of course, he couldn¡¯t kill three of the Nine Heavens with just the systemmands, but he could ruin their hard work to some extent, at the very least. "Thank you very much, Your Majesty." - You''ve been annoying me for a while now. You have be this city¡¯s emperor, so I¡¯m not the emperor anymore. The emperor smiled softly. - I was called Emperor Hyun-Yeon all my life, so feel free to call me Yeon. *** "Wait, are you really going?" "No, you must not!" "Jun-Ho, what''s wrong? You¡¯re acting strange." Naturally, hisrades dissuaded him with serious expressions. "It''s okay. I''m not going to go ham on them." "No, just going over to them will be too much. There are even three of the Nine Heavens there, three!¡± Skaya made sure to lower her voice so that the yers around them wouldn¡¯t hear her. "I know. I know that I¡¯ll certainly be defeated if I were to confront them directly.¡± "You idiot! Even if you nk or ambush them from behind, you will still be defeated. Anyway, we told you not to go, so don''t go!" Seo Jun-Ho couldpletely understand hisrades¡¯ feelings. To be honest, he thought it was absolutely impossible to confront the Heavenly Demon¡¯s group, but his mind changed when he saw the systemmands of the System Chip. - This is the emperor, they''re still moving. Seo Jun-Ho nodded at the urging of the founding emperor¡¯s A.I., that had just asked him tofortably call him Yeon. "In that case, let¡¯s start right away." At that, Seo Jun-Ho finally gave his first decree as the Emperor of Neo City. "Yeon, I want you to send all friendly yers down to Earth.¡± His first decree was to send all the friendly yers on the 5th Floor back to Earth. In general, it was something that couldn¡¯t happen. - I¡¯ll take your orders. However, the so-called impossible became true. Seo Jun-Ho passed down the order as the Emperor of Neo City rather than as a yer. [Themand ¡®Forced return of the yers¡¯ has been confirmed. Executing systemmand.] "What?!" "What''s this?" The yers eximed and started muttering to themselves in confusion. "Hey! Do you really have to¡ª¡± "Sorry, but don''t worry too much about me." Seo Jun-Ho waved at his friends'' angry faces. "I''ll be following you soon." With that, the noisy streets quickly became quiet. On the silent and deste street, the Frost Queen asked, "Contractor, are you doing this because you are sure that you can handle it?" "I have always been someone who never bites off more than I can chew," Seo Jun-Ho confidently replied. Afterward, Seo Jun-Ho issued his second decree. "Yeon, teleport me to where the Heavenly Demon is." - As you wish. *** The Heavenly Demon smacked his lips. ¡®It''s too bad. It''s too bad no matter how many times I think about it.¡¯ He was just a clone, but the Heavenly Demon felt as if he had killed Seo Jun-Sik too easily. His throbbing left arm seemed to be screaming at him¡ªsaying that he should have made Seo Jun-Sik suffer a more painful death. "I worked hard collecting them, but now, they have be useless,¡± Isaac muttered as he looked at the fiends behind him. Isaac was nning on using them as meatshields in case of an ambush, but there wasn¡¯t any ambush as they had expected. ¡°¡­¡± All of a sudden, the Heavenly Demon sensed something, and he slowly turned around. "Well, there are no ambushes, but someone seemed to havee here to see us off." The Heavenly Demon smiled, overjoyed. There was a man looking down at the fiends from the roof of a four-story building across the road, and he looked incredibly simr to the man he had just killed. "Issac, what do you think?" "¡­I do not think that he is a clone. I can¡¯t feel anything from him." Isaac could clearly decipher the level of the clone, but he couldn¡¯t feel even a trace of magic from the Specter who had just appeared. "Well, he must be the main body." The Heavenly Demon stepped forward. It seemed like he wasn¡¯t going to fight, but he was willing to talk at the very least. "Long time no see." "¡­Yes, it has been a while.¡± Seo Jun-Ho struggled to calm his boiling emotions. He would always be reminded of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s face every time he recalled the Thunder God¡¯s death. ¡®The guy I have always wanted to tear into pieces is now standing right in front of me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. He thought that if he looked at Heavenly Demon even more, his furiously trembling heart would lead his ns to ruin. ¡®I still have to let him go anyway.¡¯ He came here to send the Heavenly Demon off in a not-so-nice way. The Heavenly Demon said, "Just a while ago, I killed a man with the same face as you." "¡­Yes, I know." An arm and a leg. The Heavenly Demon killed Seo Jun-Sik in a simr manner to how he killed the Thunder God. "As expected, you share memories with him. Anyway, have you perhaps forgotten about it?" "No." Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes and growled. "There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll forget it." ¡°Ku, keuk.¡± The Heavenly Demon startedughing at that, and his shoulders trembled as heughed. ¡®I haven¡¯t forgotten as well.¡¯ "Likewise." The same was true for the Heavenly Demon. There was no way he would forget the Specter who had severed his left arm. They hated each other, but they couldn¡¯t move on because they couldn¡¯t forget each other. "So, what brings you here today?" "Why? Are you worried that I came here just to say goodbye? That¡¯s boring." "Then, why did youe here? Do you want to fight?" The Heavenly Demon looked behind him with bored eyes. Valencia Citrin and Isaac Dvor were ready to fight at any time. There were more than eight hundred fiends with them as well. "I have heard about how you fought a long battle thatsted an entire day. Are you confident about your chances of beating us?" "Why would I do that?" Seo Jun-Ho''s cold eyes pierced the Heavenly Demon. "You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s going to fight." Afterward, Emperor Seo Jun-Ho ordered. ¡°Yeon, today''s weather..." - The current weather is cloudy, and the temperature is cool. But... Rumble! The clear skies instantly darkened as dark clouds started to gather. - It looks like heavy rain is going to fall nonstop from now on, Your Majesty. The eyes of the fiends looking at the sky trembled ever so silently. Chapter 409. Memento Mori (2) Chapter 409. Memento Mori (2) Drip, drip. The Heavenly Demon raised his hand and brushed off the drops of water running down his cheeks. "Is it¡­ rain?" When those words left his mouth, thick raindrops started falling as if there was a waterfall in the sky. ¡®This is truly unexpected, but was he relying on this?¡¯ The Heavenly Demon was so disappointed that he couldn''t help but sigh. He looked at the insignificant water that drenched the road. ¡®Was he just relying on his Frost skill?¡¯ It was true that thebination of rain and frost was a threat. However, it was only a threat to the average fiend at best. It could be said that it wasn¡¯t that much of a threat for strong people such as himself, Isaac, Valencia, and Chef. "If I knew this would happen, I would have prepared an umbre.¡± "That wouldn''t have been necessary.¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered coldly and nced at the sky. "Because it won''t be just water...¡± Booooom! As if to prove it, a huge lightning bolt fell toward the Heavenly Demon. ¡°¡­!¡± The Heavenly Demon frowned. He raised his hand to block it. Pzzzt. He protected himself with demonic energy, but there was some soot left on his arm. ¡®A lightning bolt.¡¯ He raised his head and looked at Seo Jun-Ho on the rooftop. He felt as if someone was standing behind Seo Jun-Ho. ''He¡¯s already dead, but that old man is still annoying me.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon shook off the unpleasant feeling and said, "Get rid of him." "Yes." Isaac Dvor looked straight back. The newly recruited cyborg fiends from the 5th Floor stood behind him. There were about eight hundred of them, so they would definitely be great as meatshields. "What are you all doing? Kill him." "Y-Yes¡­!" Hundreds of fiends started ascending the building. The Frost Queen peeked at the fiends climbing up the building and said, "I see, so you do have a n, Contractor." "I told you, I only bite what I can chew." "There is no room for rebuttal. As an apology for not believing you¡­" The Frost Queen smirked and extended her beautiful hands. "I will clean them up for you." The cold energy that came out of her fingertips created a newyer of cloud just below the dark clouds. - How¡­ spectacr! The A.I. Yeon muttered with its eyes wide open. It was the same for Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Frost, she has definitely gotten a lot stronger.¡¯ The raindrops that fell into the freezing fog emerged as sharp spears of ice as they passed through the freezing fog. Hundreds of thousands of spears crashed into the ground. It was a power the child-like Frost Queen shouldn¡¯t have been able to wield. ¡°¡­!¡± "B-block it!" "ck Wolf Martial Arts!" The fiends tried their best to defend themselves while some decided to take cover. "It is fun to see them floundering." The Frost Queen smiled. Just as humans couldn¡¯t cover the sky with their palms, they couldn¡¯t avoid the pouring rain. Crack! Ahhh! The falling spears of ice mercilessly pierced them from above. "Uaaaah!" "Ugh, ugh..." Their death throes quickly filled the air, but their screams gradually died down. Looking down at the road littered with corpses, ice, and water, Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. "You''ve really gotten a lot stronger. I can still remember when you were just the size of my finger. Back then, your power was iparable to your power right now." "What is wrong with you? It is only natural that I have be more powerful after bing a Grade 3 Arch Spirit." It had to be known that the proud-looking Frost Queen was actually just a Common Spirit. Seo Jun-Ho smiled lightly and muttered, "Anyway, thanks to you, the obstructions have disappeared. Now, they are bound to show their true colors." "It will not be easy. They are different from the little ones just now." "I know¡­" As soon as he spoke, he suddenly felt weightless. Rumble! The building where he was directly crumbled, and he was now falling to the ground. - Partner, in front of you! ¡®In front?¡¯ The only thing he could see in front of him was concrete. However, Seo Jun-Ho immediately gathered his magic and swung his sword. ¡®ck Moon Martial Arts First Skill: Sky¡¯s Frost!¡¯ First, the concrete directly became dust the moment it made contact with Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword. Of course, the iing attack suffered not much of a different fate from the concrete. aang! The attack was heavy, but it couldn''t break through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s defenses. ¡®I''ll counterattack like this.¡¯ The opponent probably didn¡¯t consider the possibility of him counterattacking because he was still in mid-air. ¡®Without wings, there¡¯s no way someone can move while falling.¡¯ However, he was Seo Jun-Ho. He had the Frost skill, and it was raining, which meant¡­ Crackle! ¡®It''s possible.¡¯ Ice manifested in mid-air to support his legs, and Seo Jun-Ho kicked off of the ice to rush forward. ''ck Moon Martial Arts Second Skill: Silent sh Wave.¡¯ Crack! Seo Jun-Ho weaved through the falling rocks, kicking off of them several times while carrying a sword engulfed in darkness. ¡°¡­!¡± It was a sword that could prate everything, and it aimed to pierce the surprised woman¡¯s eye. Thud! However, Seo Jun-Ho was struck and sent flying into the opposite building. "Cia, do not let your guard down. The enemy is Specter. He knows how to hunt fiends." ¡°¡­¡± Valencia¡¯s eyes were cold as she took a step back. If it weren¡¯t for Isaac¡¯s assistance just now, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword would have pierced her eye and then her brain. "Pweh!" Seo Jun-Ho stood up. He spat the blood in his mouth and stared at them. ¡®Valencia Citrincks experience, but her movement is good.¡¯ ¡®Isaac Dvor is the troublesome type. He¡¯s a veteran at this as well.¡¯ In short, it meant that Valencia and Isaac had a synergy. "Contractor, shouldn''t you start retreating? If Heavenly Demon were toe here...¡± "No. He won''te here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was sure of it. Actually, while they were fighting here, the Heavenly Demon was still being bombarded by lightning. Rumble! Crash! "Keuk!" Dozens of lightning bolts had singled out one individual. The Heavenly Demon was in a desperate situation, and he was doing his best to block the lightning bolts. It wasn¡¯t that difficult for him to block the lightning bolts, but the damage would umte. ¡®This is bad¡­¡¯ Bzzt, bzzt! The Heavenly Demon¡¯s arms had turned numb and swollen. It looked like his arms would explode anytime soon. ¡®I¡¯ll copse at this rate...¡¯ If that happened, then he would definitely sustain damage that would take him several months to recover. ¡®Specter¡­¡¯ The Heavenly Demon stared at Specter for a moment before saying, "Isaac, take care of Specter for a while." "Understood." "Valencia, block the lightning bolts on my behalf." "Yes." The Heavenly Demon decided to go down with the help of Valencia and Isaac. It seemed that he didn¡¯t want to umte more damage by staying here and blocking the lightning bolts. "What are you going to do now, Contractor?" "That''s easy." Seo Jun-Ho''s sharp eyes stared at Isaac. With Valencia blocking the lightning bolts on the Heavenly Demon¡¯s behalf, Isaac no longer had someone who could synergize well with him. "Mmm. How scary." Isaac was momentarily overwhelmed by Seo Jun-Ho''s aura, and he couldn¡¯t help but start thinking. ¡®In this case, a solid defense is better than offense if I want to hold this monster down.¡¯ At that, dozens of magic circles manifested in the air and formed a defensive line around the Heavenly Demon, simr to an iron fortress. They were blocking all routes to the Heavenly Demon and were like handcuffs to hold down the monster named Specter. "I''m sorry, but you can''t go any further." "Oh, really?" Seo Jun-Ho looked at the Heavenly Demon, who had already arrived in front of the elevator. The Heavenly Demon was walking away leisurely as if he had no doubts that he would be able to escape intact. "Haha.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled with bright eyes, looking as if he had been waiting for this moment. "Yeon." - I am here. What was the biggest difference between a fiend and a yer? It was that a fiend would find it hard to hold in their murderous urges after absorbing demon blood. In that case, what method was the system using to distinguish fiends and yers apart? ¡®No way.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. Reiji, the Administrator of the 2nd Floor, once said¡­ ¡°Administrators don¡¯t get involved in yers'' business. No, I think it¡¯s more urate to say that we can¡¯t do that.¡± Therefore, even fiends could use the Administrator¡¯s Store without issues. It was all because the system treated them as yers. "In the system¡¯s eyes, there¡¯s no difference between a yer and a fiend." The million-dor question was this¡ªas the Emperor of Neo City, he had the authority to expel yers from the 5th Floor. If he could expel yers, did that mean he could expel fiends as well? "Let''s find out, then," Seo Jun-Ho stared at Isaac in front of him and said, "Yeon, expel all yers aside from the Heavenly Demon and me." - As you wish, Your Majesty. "W-what¡­?!¡± Isaac''s eyes abruptly widened as a band of light wrapped around the three fiends: Isaac Dvor, Valencia Citrin, and the Chef, Roxan. "Bingo!" The three fiends disappeared in the blink of an eye. The Heavenly Demon was startled at the sight. "Tsk." Crash! The lightning bolts Valencia had been working hard to block for the Heavenly Demon once again set their sights on their original target. At the sight of that, the Heavenly Demon started running while deflecting the lightning bolts. The leisurely look on his face vanished without a trace. "You sure know how to run. Unfortunately, you should have run much earlier." "Contractor, are you just going to watch him run?¡± "Of course not." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and looked at Yeon. "Yeon, what Namgung Jincheon said was true, right? Is it true that he buried bombs all over the city, not just in the central districts?" - It¡¯s true. I was actually freaking out because he actually wasn¡¯t lying. "In that case, let¡¯s blow one up." Where should they blow one up? It would be nice to blow up one in front of the elevator. Seo Jun-Ho''s lips curled up. The Heavenly Demon finally arrived in front of the elevator while deflecting the lightning bolts falling down on him. Upon arrival, he pressed the button to summon the elevator. ¡°Boom.¡± Crash! In addition to a lightning bolt on him, the Heavenly Demon and the elevator started falling. A bomb had exploded beneath the elevator, and the explosion directly created a hole, forcing the Heavenly Demon to fall underground. "It was a trap!" The flustered Heavenly Demon reached out and grabbed whatever he could. However, everything was falling around him, so there wasn¡¯t really anything helpful that he could use. ¡®He got me.¡¯ The dizzy Heavenly Demon holding onto the elevator unleashed a burst of demonic energy to soar into the air. Swoosh! However, before he could even attempt to go down once more¡ª ¡°¡­!¡± He suddenly found himself inplete darkness. Then, a low voice pierced his ears. "ck Moon Martial Arts Final Skill: Profound Righteousness." The darkness threatened to engulf the Heavenly Demon as rm bells rang loudly in his head. ¡®This attack...¡¯ If he didn¡¯t block this attack, he would be in mortal danger. The realization made him pull the trigger he didn¡¯t want to pull. Boooom!! A tremendous amount of demonic energy erupted from the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body. "Wow, you actually managed to block it." The Heavenly Demon had mustered enough strength to casually block the final skill of the ck Moon Martial Arts. However, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t look disappointed, even though the Heavenly Demon sessfully blocked his attack. In fact, there was even a handsome smile on his face, and he looked like he was trying to provoke the Heavenly Demon even more. "You, really¡­" To survive, the Heavenly Demon had to muster all his demonic energy, and as a result, his body started screaming at him. Even worse, the magic he had been barely managing to contain was now escaping through his nose, mouth, and ears. "Since you really want to die that much, then I¡¯ll grant you death." He didn''t want such ame conclusion to their rivalry, but the Heavenly Demon decided to kill Seo Jun-Ho at once. He had always hated those who dared to test his patience. "Oh, is that so? But, I¡¯m sorry..." Seo Jun-Ho slowly went down and started walking toward the city, abandoning the iron sword the Heavenly Demon had caught. "I don''t want to fight you." Seo Jun-Sik had made the right decision. Seo Jun-Ho started furiously trembling when the Heavenly Demon mustered the thousands of gapjas worth of neigong that he had absorbed from the neigong chips. ¡®Seo Jun-Sik¡­ he actually saved my life. How the hell do you even beat a monster like him?¡¯ Realizing that he truly couldn¡¯t defeat the Heavenly Demon in the meantime, he decided to just let thetter go. It didn¡¯t really matter because he had already ruined most of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s hard work on this floor. "Specter¡­!" The Heavenly Demon finally realized that Specter was just ying with him. In response, he reached out with his hand, but Seo Jun-Ho quickly dered, "The Emperor of Neo City deres¡ª" Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cold eyes stared right into the Heavenly Demon''s murderous crimson eyes. "¡ªGet out of my city." "Specter! I''m going to kill you! I will definitely kill you!¡± The crazed Heavenly Demon was about to grab Specter¡¯s face, but a band of light quickly banished him from the floor. All alone on the rooftop of a building, Seo Jun-Ho replied quietly, "You better not forget that you¡¯re going to die by my hands." He would make it happen¡ªhe would definitely make it happen. Chapter 410. City Maintenance (1)

Chapter 410. City Maintenance (1)

The cold raindrops drenched the city. Under the rain, Specter stared at the sky where the band of light that brought the Heavenly Demon away hade from. "Whoo, whoo...¡± He sank to the floor with a sigh of exhaustion. "I thought I was going to die." Relief. He had no thought other than relief. ¡®My determination to kill the Heavenly Demon with my own two hands is still there, but...¡¯ If the Heavenly Demon was expelled even a secondter, Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid a fatal wound. The Heavenly Demon had be that strong after absorbing neigong from two neigong chips. The Heavenly Demon had be an existence that could harm him in just one second. "¡­Damn it." The raw fear was still there. It was such a lethargic feeling as if he was sitting naked in front of a huge beast with its fangs exposed. "Stop trembling, Contractor. It is all over." A small hand above his shoulder patted him andforted him. Seo Jun-Ho responded by forcing his trembling body to calm down. "I¡¯m trembling because of the rain. The cold is making me shiver." "Of course, did I say something?¡± She smiled as if she knew everything. Seo Jun-Ho flipped his wet and sweaty hair back before saying, "Yeon, stop this damned rain. The cold is making me tremble.¡± - I shall bring out the sun. With that, the dark clouds disappeared, and the warm sun quickly reappeared as if there had been a timpse. While Seo Jun-Ho was squeezing his wet clothes dry, Yeon spoke up. - You made a great choice by singling out the Heavenly Demon, Your Majesty. "I know¡­" Seo Jun-Ho agreed. Actually, Seo Jun-Ho had two options earlier. ¡®One was to expel Isaac, Citrin, and Chef as previously nned and make sure to exacerbate the Heavenly Demon¡¯s condition.'' The other was to expel the Heavenly Demon and kill his subordinates. In the end, Seo Jun-Ho chose to screw with the Heavenly Demon. "In the end, it was the right answer," said the Frost Queen. "If the Heavenly Demon managed to escape with that much power intact, it would have been impossible to stop him from now on." "I guess so." Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but think that perhaps it was the reason he was shaking all over. If he had made the wrong choice, it could have really been game over for them. - Look, Your Majesty! Yeon looked up at the clear skies. There wasn¡¯t just a rainbow in the skies. - I think it is about 2,500 gapjas. ¡°¡­¡± There was arge Milky Way flowing on the rainbow. It went without saying that it was a vast amount of neigong. - All of that is what Your Majesty ripped from the body of that Heavenly Demon. At the sight of that, Seo Jun-Ho smiled. Just imagining the fury and frustration of the Heavenly Demon, who had lost the magic he had absorbed from the neigong chips, made him iparably happy. - Unfortunately, it¡¯s too bad. A.I. Yeon revealed a bitter expression. - If that neigong disappears just like that, we won¡¯t be able to maintain the city''s basic infrastructure. "Disappear? Why would it disappear?" - Hmm, it seems that you do not know. Yeon exined slowly. - Neigong and magic¡ªthese forces have the characteristic of returning to their origins. The Alpha and Beta neigong chips were the home bases of the neigong here, but¡­ "But they were destroyed.." - And as you know, the true origin of that neigong is the Aeon Empire. In other words, it meant that the neigong would eventually return to its true origin, the Aeon Empire. "What exactly do you mean by being unable to maintain the infrastructure of the city?" - Literally. Communication, transportation, production. This city was essentially using neigong as a resource. "In other words, not being able to maintain it means¡­¡± It meant the death of the city. - The people will not be able to find food and will be buried in the dark, and it will be difficult to move between zones. "Can''t we make a new chip with the floating neigong up there?" Yeon smiled bitterly and shook its head at the question. - Neigong is like the wind, and it belongs to nature. It is something that you cannot hold down. It was only being held down because of the Aeon Empire¡¯s help. ¡°¡­¡± The neigong was crammed into chips made by the Aeon Empire¡¯s overwhelming technology. In the first ce, neigong had never really been a reliable resource because one couldn¡¯t contain vast amounts of it in a container. "Then¡­" Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen''s faces darkened. Namgung Jincheon had already devastated the city, and now, itcked the neigong to maintain its basic infrastructure. ¡®The residents here will have no choice but to leave their home in search of a new home.¡¯ What would it feel like to abandon your home? The three of them looked up at the Milky Way of neigong without saying a word. Five minutes, ten minutes, and then thirty minutes eventually passed. "¡­Um, didn''t you say that it would disperse quickly?" "It¡¯s holding together persistently. Like cotton candy." - It is definitely weird. Yeon tilted its head and thought hard about it. - Their origins here have disappeared, so they should have already scattered toward their true origins... Why is it still here? "Will we be able to use them if they stay there like that?" - Ay, Your Majesty, even if that¡¯s the case, how are you going to use it when it¡¯s floating higher than the clouds? "Tsk. Is that so? It would be nice if it were floating a bit lower." As soon as his words came out, the neigong floated down. "It¡¯sing down.¡± - I-I can''t believe it. Why in the world?! The embarrassed Yeon stared at the sight, agape. Meanwhile, the silent Keen Intuition finally spoke. - Partner, this is my opinion, but... Seo Jun-Ho smiled after listening to Keen Intuition for a while, "Come on, that doesn¡¯t make sense. If what you said it¡¯s true, then it¡¯s a very ridiculous effect." - There''s no harm in checking. The two of them talked for quite a while, and it made the Frost Queen feel left out. As such, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and asked, "What are you two doing? Why are you having such a fun conversation without me?" "No¡ªlisten. Keen Intuition says it''s because of my skill.¡± "Your skill?" the Frost Queen asked with wide eyes. "Yeah, do you remember the title I got after clearing the 4th floor?" "One Who Perseveres and World Tree¡¯s Savior." "That''s right. Keen Intuition is thinking that it''sing down because of the World Tree¡¯s Savior title.¡± The effect of the World Tree¡¯s Savior title was very straightforward. [World Tree¡¯s Savior] Grade: S Description: A title given to the one favored by the World Tree. Effect: Nature is on your side. "It makes sense to some extent, so I think it won¡¯t hurt to test it.¡± "Wait, even you?" asked the Frost Queen, seemingly astonished. At that, Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and nodded. "Don''t expect too much, though." An existence that nature would blindly follow¡­ Seo Jun-Ho stretched out his hand and said, "Come closer." Swooosh. When the enormous clump of neigong approached him like a dog wagging its tail, they couldn''t deny it anymore. ¡°That is ridiculous¡­¡± It was all due to the title World Tree¡¯s Savior. *** Seo Jun-Ho put on his dried clothes. ¡®The World Tree¡¯s Savior. To be honest, I thought it was a useless title.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t have imagined that it was actually hiding such an ability, and it was even an ability that humans couldn¡¯t possibly have. ¡®I have to do more research into it.¡¯ Anyway, that would be a story forter. Seo Jun-Ho looked at Yeon and said, "Yeon, the city should be able to stay alive in the meantime with this amount of neigong, right?¡± - Hahaha, of course. Yeon smiled dumbly. It looked at Seo Jun-Ho as if he were a strange person. - I do not think that the heavens have abandoned Neo City. Otherwise, it would not have given us such a mysterious figure as the new emperor. "Stop making me ride an airne."[1] - Airne? What¡¯s that? "Ah, it means something that can go very high." - Yeah? And what is it? The conversation sounded iprehensible and dumb, so Seo Jun-Ho changed the topic and spoke while staring at the ruined city. "Yeon." - Yes. "Let''s start with the restoration of the city." - What is the scope of the restoration? Seo Jun-Ho answered, "Everything. Restore everything.¡± - Your Majesty¡¯s demands are ridiculous. "Is it impossible?" Yeon shrugged and said. - I did not say that. When a hologram window popped up, Yeon tapped on it, and the copsed buildings slowly started to restore themselves as if time was being rewound a day. - It will probably take a few days before the restoration isplete. Yeon turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho and asked. - So what will you do now? "Who knows.¡± Originally, he was going to go down to Earth and rest for a few days. However, when he witnessed the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ridiculous power, he found it hard to take a vacation. "I need need to quickly be stronger to keep the Heavenly Demon in check." - A way to quickly be stronger. There are a few things thate to mind, but. Yeon trailed off. - It''s a pity that I can''t even dream about the state of the midfield right now. "What does it mean?" - Spacecraft from many empires and ns frequented Neo City¡¯s central business district, but since the advent of the poison gas, which eventually covered the entire. The became a satellite no one has ever visited since then. If we somehow managed to clean this, then I have many ways to help you quickly be stronger. At that, Seo Jun-Ho muttered and wished that the poison gas would disappear cleanly just in case, but nothing happened. It seemed that the poison gas was too much for a mere title to resolve. "How can I get rid of the poison gas?¡± - After bing the System A.I., I have identified gas leaks in certain areas of the. However, there are mutated monsters there. "Hoh.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho heard that, his thoughts started to race. ¡®So the 5th Floor still has some use even after Namgung Jincheon¡¯s death?¡¯ If Yeon''s words were true, then this was a great opportunity. ¡®A chance to develop Neo City and be powerful at the same time.¡¯ He was strong¡ªyes, but he was just one person. The limitations of being all alone had left a deep mark on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind. ¡®I can''t go around the entire alone and get rid of the poison gas.¡¯ It was possible but inefficient... ¡®But what if I asked the yers for help?¡¯ However, if thousands of yers started operating throughout the, then the time it would take to clean the would be drastically reduced. When Yeon heard that idea, it expressed its concern. - Hmm, it is certainly a good way. The question is will they help us? "They won''t help us." Even those who hade to save him wouldn''t want to do such a troublesome task. "And that¡¯s why we have to make them help us without making them think that they are helping us." "Mmhm." The Frost Queen nodded with a pleased look. "Contractor can now imitate a pretty good monarch." - Wait, what does that mean? Don''t let them think they are helping us when we are receiving their help? Yeon repeatedly blinked. It had no idea about the yers¡¯ mindset. "yers are calctive people.¡± They were beings whose basic rule was to be rewarded for giving out help. In that case, he just had to reward them. "The 6th Floor will open in a hundred days anyway." However, the conditions to enter the 6th Floor were pretty difficult to meet. [yer level cap has increased from 250 to 300 in Trium.] [Trium''s minimum yer level for entry is 200.] Level 200. Even among the top High Rankers, only a handful of them were at Level 200 at the moment. After all, it had only been a few months since Frontier was cleared, and Frontier had a level cap of 120. "yers need a ce to level up and get to the 6th Floor.¡± In that case, he just had to provide them with a ce to level up. He would prioritize the yers who hade here to save him, and the hunting grounds would also be for free. "yers are always thirsty for new hunting grounds." If the conditions were right, then there wouldn¡¯t be any reason for them not to hunt on the 5th Floor. - I see... Hearing the story, Yeon nodded. - But there is no guarantee that the levels of the monsters here will correspond with what they want, right? "That¡¯s right. You really know what I¡¯m thinking..." And that was why he just had to investigate¡­ Seo Jun-Ho grinned. ''If the level of the monsters here isn¡¯t too low...¡¯ The 5th Floor, Neo City Area would eventually transform into a front-line floor teeming with top yers. During their time here, they would naturally spend credits to eat, drink, and sleep. And where would all those credits go? They would all go into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s pockets, of course. 1. This is an idiom that means ¡®don¡¯t tter me/boost my ego¡¯ too much. ? Chapter 411. City Maintenance (2)

Chapter 411. City Maintenance (2)

- Oh, there you are. Upon entering the Celestial Dragon Armory of the Murim Alliance, Yeon pped its hands and pointed at something. "What''s that?" - Oxygen filter device. Bite it, and you won''t have any issues breathing outside the city. ¡°I see¡­" The pebble-shaped filter was the perfect size for a human mouth. - Just one canst up to eight hours. Isn''t it amazing? "That''s good. Can we make it in bulk?" - It''s definitely possible. The people need work anyway. "Yea, as long as we havebor, then the money will be no issue." Seo Jun-Ho looked around the Celestial Dragon Armory. There were all kinds of weapons and armor, as well as credit coins piled up like mountains. - Look around the weapons, too. It all belongs to you, Your Majesty. "Hmm, the Sword of Ambition broke, so I need a new sword.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around the armory, but nothing caught his interest. "The quality is not bad, but I don''t think I want anything here.¡± - Why don''t you at least grab just something? "It¡¯s fine. It''s not that urgent." There was no need for armor because he had the Midnight Sun, and the sword was not a matter of urgency. Even now, he still had several other weapons he could use aside from the sword. ¡®Come to think of it, I still have the weapons I have been using during my Specter days.¡¯ Those weapons weren¡¯t enough to be called great weapons, but they were enough to serve as weapons. - Your Majesty, when are you nning to investigate? "Let me organize things first." Sitting on a wooden chair, Seo Jun-Ho began to organize what he had got on the 5th Floor. ¡®First, when I caught Namgung Jincheon, the nucleus didn''te out.¡¯ It was unusual. From the first to the fourth floor, every time he got rid of the floor master, he had gotten a nucleus. ''If there''s any difference...¡­ Is it that this guy was a machine?¡¯ Well, there''s no way a nucleus woulde out of his body when he wasn¡¯t even a living, breathing creature. Instead, he obtained a new title. [Dignity of an Emperor] Grade: S Description: The emperor should always be dignified no matter where he is. Effect: Consume mana to boost the emperor¡¯s all-epassing aura. "Hmm." Seo Jun-Ho read the effect again and again with eyes that seemed to be staring at a carton of milk with eight minutes left before its expiration date. ¡®The emperor''s aura. It''s ambiguous.'' He thought he wouldn''t know until he tried it himself, so he gave it a try right away. "Hmm, Frost, you don''t think I''ve changed or anything, right?¡± "¡­No, I do not think so." The Frost Queen frowned before saying, "Withdraw that skill first." When he withdrew the aura, the Frost Queen finally exhaled. "Ehew, you have gained another scary skill. During my time, I only got something like that after working hard and working hard even more¡­¡± "Yes, Ma¡¯am. So, what changed when I was using it?¡± "Your aura, Contractor," The Frost Queen replied with a sullen look. "Aura?" "Yes, I felt like I was in front of a towering existence I can¡¯t possibly resist." Seo Jun-Ho knew better than anyone about how prideful the Frost Queen was. However, someone like her actually admitted that she felt like she couldn¡¯t resist him? "That''s really impressive." "When ites to aura, Contractor was scarier than the Heavenly Demon earlier.¡± "Ooohhh¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes shone brightly. ¡®I got a really good weapon, then.¡¯ One could evaluate ¡®Dignity of an Emperor¡¯ as a useless title. However, Seo Jun-Ho, or any other yer of his level, would never think that way. ¡®It''s a skill you can¡¯t buy even with money.¡¯ Since ancient times, strong people had always made an effort toe across as even more intimidating in the eyes of their enemies. They wore nes made of their enemies¡¯ ears, put horns on their helmets, and even painted blood on their faces. It was all for the sake of crushing their enemies with their aura. ¡®But I can''t believe I got a skill like that...¡¯ Of course, it was a double-edged sword rather than an all-rounder. If he got caught using it recklessly against someone stronger than him, he would have to pay a severe price. "Status window." [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 238 Title: Bringer of Spring (+8) Strength: 757 Stamina: 768 Speed: 774 Mana: 800 He had risen by 42 levels on the 5th Floor. It was made possible by cutting down countless enemies and monopolizing the Experience Points from Namgung Jincheon¡¯s death. ¡®It would have been the icing on the cake if I got Namgung Jincheon¡¯s nucleus here.¡¯ However, it wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t gain any profit at all. After all, he had be the Emperor of Neo City as well as the rightful owner of the System Chip. "Frost, give me Soso." "Here." The Frost Queen carefully handed over Wisoso, whom she had been gently carrying. Wisoso¡¯s intellect was currently missing, and she was currently ying the role of a chip reader for the System Chip. "Yeon, is it possible for me to use the System Chip using this?" Seo Jun-Ho shook his Vita. Yeon pondered for a while before responding. - It will take some time, but it should be possible. "Then, please. I feel sorry having to leave it to Soso every time." After saying that, the System Chip was removed from Wisoso¡¯s head, and she soon woke up. - Uah, I feel dizzy. "Good job, Wisoso." -(?????) - Why are you so kind all of a sudden? I-I''m telling you, I don''t have any money. Seo Jun-Ho tapped her lightly, who was acting very wary, like a street cat. "It''s all over now. I''ll make this clean and make sure that your body will arrive here safely." - Hmm, that doesn¡¯t sound bad. "When your body arrives, I''ll give you a decent official position.¡± - ¡­ From fugitive to holding a decent office? Wisoso thought about it for a moment before shing an emoticon on her LED. - (?????) - You guys, let''s be friends from now on. *** Seo Jun-Ho left the city with an oxygen filter in his mouth. He was currently running toward his destination. - I think we are almost there. The poison gas became stronger as they approached their destination, and the filter corroded faster. Moreover¡­ "Koong, koong!" "Crrrrrr". Radioactive and poisonous creatures surrounded them. In addition to the fact that their species were quite diverse, they also had mechanical parts. "First of all, the aura they are emitting gets a pass from me." After making evaluating him, the monsters quickly charged at him. Slice! However, they couldn¡¯t get anywhere near Seo Jun-Ho. - Crrrrr. The Watchguard of Darkness didn''t allow them to approach. Seo Jun-Ho put his hands in his pockets and walked leisurely. "The level of the monsters here¡­ it seems that they¡¯ll be more useful than I thought." They were neither too strong nor too weak for yers entering the 5th Floor. ¡®They¡¯re also fast with tough exoskeletons.¡¯ In a nutshell, he liked them. He walked a bit further and eventually found a sticky green nest appeared. [You have entered a cave.] [Equipment corrodes quickly inside the cave.] "Oh." It would¡¯ve been a surprising message for a yer, but Seo Jun-Houghed. ¡®yers hunting here will have no choice but to change their equipment often, right?¡¯ He could already imagine the yers lining up in front of the equipment store in the city. "I''m not greedy for money, so why is it that I can only hear the sound of money going into my pockets?" - Save as much as you can while you can, Your Majesty. You will need a lot of credits for you to get strongerter. Stronger monsters popped out from inside the cave, but they weren¡¯t strong enough to harm Seo Jun-Ho. In the end, he killed the cave''s owner without lifting even a finger. [The cave has been destroyed.] [Caves destroyed 1/300.] [The poison covering the has be lighter ever so slightly.] "I see." There were a total of 300 caves. No, he had just destroyed one himself, so there were only 299 left. ¡®If I give priority to the people who hade here to help me...¡¯ The other yers would have to contend for the remaining 50 caves that he would allow them to use. "It sounds fun." - Are you not going to go to other caves? "Yeon, the owner of an arcade only needs to make sure that the machines are working well." If the owner sat down and yed the games instead of the customers, how could the customers enjoy the arcade? Seo Jun-Ho mumbled, biting down on a new oxygen filter. "Let''s just make sure that we¡¯re thoroughly prepared for our guests." *** Seo Jun-Ho did note down to Earth until a few more dayster. Needless to say, he first visited the President''s office of the Korean yer Association. "Oh! Jun-Ho! I¡¯ve been waiting for you all this time." Seo Jun-Ho calmed down his friend, who was making a fuss about whether to call medical staff or therapists. "My friend, I''m not hurt at all. I''m fine." "Huh? But I heard you went to see the Heavenly Demon...¡± "We met, but I just gave him a warning. I think I definitely hurt him.¡± With a smile, Seo Jun-Ho nced at today''s newspaper on the table. [November 11, 2051! World Hero Day Fair is held!] [Rewatching the history of the yers.] [What''s changed in the past 2 years since Specter¡¯s return?] "What? Today is November 11th?" "Time flies, right?" "¡­Yea." It felt like yesterday since he woke up from the ice, but it had already been two years. "I¡¯ve been pretty busy since then." "Pretty busy? I can assure you that no Earthling has been more prolific than you in thest two years," Shim Deok-Gu criticized. Sometimes Shim Deok-Gu wished his old friend would put everything down and rest, but he knew that it wouldn¡¯t happen anytime soon. "I heard the system gave you a vacation this time. Please get some rest." "If I rest and y all the time, when will I get strong?" "Hey, you''re strong enough." "Strong is rtive. Right now, the Heavenly Demon is stronger than me." Seo Jun-Ho let his friend¡¯s nagging in one ear and out the other and continued. "And I don''t intend to overdo it during this vacation.¡± He still had one unfinished business that he had to settle before entering the 5.5th Floor. ¡®Sky Soul Guild.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter whether it would be a verbal or physical altercation, unless he ended things properly with them, he wouldn¡¯t be able to climb up the floors in peace. "Hmm, Jun-Ho." Had Shim Deok-Gu read his thoughts? Shim Deok-Gu held out a few hologram articles without saying a word. "What is it?" Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s frown deepened as he quietly read the articles. "Hey, is this perhaps...¡± "Yeah. And the association and I aren¡¯t involved." "Then¡­" Reading the articles again, Seo Jun-Ho was confused. [Tenmei Ryo, director of the Sky Soul Guild, found dead at home.] [The fall of a giant. Tenmei Yugo, the Guild Master of the Sky Soul Guild, convicted of instigating murder and 15 violent crime charges, imprisoned in Rengoku prison!] [Big 6 Sky Soul has submitted a guild dissolution request. Will everyone¡¯s perception of the industry change?] "What''s going on here?" Chapter 412. Everyone鈥檚 Vacation (1) Chapter 412. Everyone¡¯s Vacation (1) Slice! A light and cheery sword sliced apart a giant troll. In no time, the troll was cut into multiple pieces. Withdrawing her sword, Tenmei Mio looked back and said, "Wrap it up." "Yes, yes!" The soldiers of the Ruben Empire hurriedly went over to pack the troll corpses. At the same time, they did not forget to look sideways at Mio with surprised eyes. "Does it make sense? How can she... with that small body?" "Even after killing dozens of trolls, she hasn¡¯t been out of breath even once. She¡¯s not one of the 5 Heroes for no reason." "Honestly, I thought the 5 Heroes were fake individuals made by the people of Earth." It took only five days for the troll tribe, which suddenly expanded in the western region, to disappear. However, despite having aplished the great feat, Mio''s expression wasn¡¯t that good. "Then I''ll be on my way,¡± she muttered as she climbed into the carriage with her tied hair fluttering in the wind. "¡­It shouldn¡¯t have been necessary for me to do this.¡± She hunted less than a hundred trolls in five days. Of course, a hundred trolls were a lot of trolls, so the residents had been living in fear. ''But yers aren¡¯t weak...¡¯ It meant that the yers would have been able to deal with the matter on their own. She was bothered by the fact that she couldn¡¯t help herrades because of this matter. ¡®How frustrating.¡¯ As usual, she went to the Community forums with a heavy heart, and her expression brightened upon seeing the articles. [Specter and the advance team cleared the 5th Floor! The spark of hope burns stronger.] [The 6th Floor will open in 100 days! Just what is the 5.5th floor?] [yers excited after getting 10 days of vacation (picture).] ¡­ "They did it." Herrades had not only rescued Specter, but they also managed to clear the 5th Floor. Mio was all smiles at the fact, but she quickly became depressed. ¡®This feeling will stick around for a while.'' She felt apologetic. She felt guilty and apologetic that she wasn¡¯t there when he needed her help, even though she had always received his help. This feeling would probably remain like a bruise in her heart for the rest of her life. ''But this is the end...¡¯ She had promised her father that this would be thest time she would do the family a favor. Even in her own opinion, she had already paid back the debt of being birthed to the point where she felt that it was sufficient¡ªif not excessive. - This is the 1st Floor. The door is opening. When she came down to Earth through Gilleon, an attendant appeared next to her. However, the questions the attendant asked were different from the usual ones. "Miss, do you want me to take you home, or... would you like to see the family head first?" Her father would be at home unless something happened, but the question was divided into two for no reason. Mio felt that something was strange as she asked, "Is he not home? That¡¯s a surprise. Did something happen?" At that, the attendant bit her lips. It seemed that Mio still hadn¡¯t heard of the news. *** Since 2031, there had been a massive ship floating around the Philippine Sea. The ship''s name was Lake Rengoku. The ship¡¯s name meant purgatory, and it existed for one reason. "It is a hell on the sea, built to trap demons wearing human masks." Serial killers, terrorists, captured fiends, etc. Countless criminals were housed here, and millions of escape attempts had been made in the past twenty years. However, not a single attempt was sessful. "It''s a prison built and operated by the World yer Association. Their capabilities cannot be doubted.¡± Tenmei Mio walked through a clean hallway while listening to the guard''s exnation. The entire prison was made up of solitary cells, but one could take a look into the cells from the outside, and Mio saw that the prisoners were tied to the bed and were looking only at the dark ceiling. "Wait, is that person perhaps¡­" "Oh! Come to think of it, Mio-nim would know." The guard nodded and said, "It''s the Moscow terrorist captured by the 5 Heroes twenty-seven years ago." ¡°¡­.¡± He wasn''t a fiend but a criminal who wanted to stir up trouble in the world. Looking at him, Mio''s gaze shook slightly. ¡®I didn¡¯t recognize him.¡¯ If the door didn''t have the prisoner''s name on it, she really wouldn''t have recognized him. It was all because the man was skinny, like a mummy. He was drooling and muttering something as well. "He doesn''t look well.¡± "It''s fine. Our medical staff is managing the prisoners every day to ensure that they won¡¯t die so easily.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was the worst kind of prison where one wouldn¡¯t be able to die even if one wanted to die. Mio shivered, and she decided to live her life in a way that wouldn¡¯tnd her in this jail. "The visit time is ten minutes." Upon arriving at the visiting room, she saw Tenmei Yugo¡ªher father¡ªthrough the ss window. "Why did you do it?" Mio directly asked upon taking her seat. Her father''s characteristic arrogant gaze turned to her. "Mio, we don''t have time. I''ll tell you what you need to do out there. First of all, the Japanese Prime Minister¡ª¡± "My questiones first. Why did you do it?" She also checked the articles on her way here. The numerous corrupt activities that her father hadmitted so far were shocking, but¡ª "Why did you order my older brother to kill Specter, Jun-Ho?" A Big 6 Guild¡¯s attempt to assassinate Specter shocked the world. "Do you really believe that?" Tenmei Yugo dodged the question, but Mio''s eyes remained steadfast. Instead of opening her mouth, she tapped her Vita. - Go up to the 5th Floor with those who are tight-lipped. - Get a grip. Do you really think that we can still retreat? - Son, be resolute. If you don''t get your act together here, the Tenmei Family will copse along with the Sky Soul Guild. If you want to inherit everything from me, you have to prove your ability. ¡°¡­!¡± Tenmei Yugo''s eyes quivered ever so slightly. Why? When? No, how? Numerous question marks popped up in his mind. "I''m not asking whether it''s true or not. I''m just asking why you did it." ¡°¡­¡± Tenmei Yugo¡¯s re subsided. He knew that the only rope he could hold onto was Mio. If he didn¡¯t manage to capture her heart here, he would have to live his entire life in this hell, where would not be able to die even if he wanted to die. "It''s all my fault, all my fault.¡± Fortunately, Tenmei Yugo knew his one and only daughter better than anyone else. She was a tender-hearted child and was weak to affection. "I was scared at the reality that everything could copse, so I made the wrong decision." Tenmei Yugo¡¯s head drooped as he shed tears of repentance. "I shouldn''t have done that¡­ I should have thought about it properly so that I will still be able to look at your face.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Mio didn¡¯t speak, Tenmei Yugo looked up. Wiping his red eyes with his sleeve, he asked, "Mio, save your father this one time. I''ll kneel down in front of Specter and apologize. Your father is doing this because he really wants to repent." ¡°¡­¡± "As for the corruption, I couldn¡¯t help it. I had to do them for the family. The fault doesn¡¯t lie with me¡ªit¡¯s this world¡¯s fault." ¡°¡­¡± "But wrong is wrong, and I have been reflecting on my mistakes since I arrived here." Unlike Tenmei Yugo, whose lips were getting dry, Mio remained expressionless. She nced at her Vita and stood up. "I think you need to reflect more." She was tired¡ªtired of her father, who only knew how to make ugly excuses until the end. "Don''t feel sorry for Jun-Ho from now on. I will apologize and take responsibility for what you did.¡± Mio¡¯s eyes remained indifferent as she stared at the old man in front of her. It was as if she were looking at aplete stranger. "Then, goodbye.¡± "M-Mio, Mio! My daughter! Please, pleasee back!¡± Tenmei Yugo banged on the window, but Mio never looked back. *** "Huh¡­" Tenmei Yugo slumped in his seat andughed dryly. It was over. Until a few days ago, he was one of the six people ruling the world. However, he had be nothing but a prisoner being monitored around the clock. He had zero personal space and privacy. ¡®I lost everything¡­¡¯ Here, there was no way he would die even if he wanted to die. In that case, how many years would he have to spend here before dying? Upon realizing that his final sanctuary¡ªTenmei Mio had abandoned him¡ªfear started to rise in his heart. ¡®But why aren¡¯t they taking me away?¡¯ The visit was over, so he would now have to go back to his hellish solitary cell, but the guards didn''te to take him away. Instead, one of the guards spoke once more, making him tremble. "Number 1748, a visitation.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Tenmei Yugo covered his mouth with both hands. He did it to stop himself fromughing. ¡®It''s Mio!¡¯ It seemed that her tender heart couldn¡¯t abandon him in the end, and she returned to listen to his story. However, Tenmei Yugo¡¯s expectations shattered in less than a second. "¡­You are?" - Hahaha, hi. The visitor was a yer with a decent suit and a ridiculous LED helmet. He was Shoot, the Guild Master of Labyrinth, one of the Big 6 Guilds. "What about Mio? Where''s Mio, and why are you here?!" - She has already left the ship, so how could she visit you again? Shoot sat down after shattering the old man¡¯s hope. "So, why did youe here?" Tenmei Yugo murderously red at Shoot. He thought that Shoot hade here to make fun of him. Shoot shrugged. - First of all, aren¡¯t we in an alliance? "¡­Alliance?" Could it be that Shoot was here to rescue him? Tenmei Yugo nodded, surprised. "T-that¡¯s right. We''re allies. I was counting on you, too.¡± - I¡¯m thinking of making an offer to you as an ally. "I''ll ept any offer. As long as you can get me out of here.¡± - Oh, really? It''ll be easy then. ^_^ Shoot''s helmet revealed a smiling emoticon. "I''m not in a position to be picky right now. What is it?" - It''s simple. Ten minutester, bite your tongue and try to kill yourself on your way back to solitary confinement. It just so happens that the prison healers are away, so they won¡¯t be able to save you from bleeding to death. ¡°¡­?¡± Tenmei Yugo frowned at that. "Do you want me to disguise my death?" - No? You said you wanted to get off this ship somehow. I just told you how. In short, the only way off this ship was to die. Bang! Tenmei Yugo mmed his fist into the ss window. Blood trickled down his torn skin. "Are you making fun of me?" - Mmm, well, I only told you the truth. Crossing one leg over the other, Shoot quietly took off his helmet. ¡°Of course, I also came here to see what kind of face you¡¯ll make in the face of death.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tenmei Yugo frowned. The face behind the helmet was marred with horrible-looking burn scars. He terrifying burn scars all over his face, and he looked so hideous he didn''t seem like a human being. "Isn¡¯t that so, Father?" "What? What nonsense are you talking about¡­?¡± Tenmei Yugo trailed off. ¡®Wait. Burns?¡¯ All of a sudden, a child''s face passed through his head. However, he quickly vanquished the idea. "¡­No, it can''t be. He''s dead. We even checked the corpse." "I¡¯m alive. I had always been alive, but my body is now of a monster¡¯s." "Then, are you really¡­?¡± Tenmei Yugo¡¯s expression darkened. He thought he was dead the whole time. He never had any doubts about it because it was his own directive. "You¡­ You shouldn¡¯t be alive. You should be dead.¡± "I suppose? So that my sister will feel guilty for the rest of her life and will not be able to refuse your orders, is that right?" ¡°¡­¡± For the first time in his life, Tenmei Yugo had no idea what expression to assume. "umted evil brings disaster. If you do a lot of evil, karma will affect your descendants. Perhaps it''s all because of you that my brothers died." ¡°¡­¡± "Oh, but don''t worry about Sister," Shoot replied, putting on his helmet again. ¡°For the sin of leaving her alone with bad brothers and an evil father, I intend to take care of her in my own way, even from afar." "Ibuki, you¡­ You have no intention of revealing your identity to Mio?" "Family had always been a burden and shackle for Mio. She will only be burdened if I were to reappear." Tenmei Yugo couldn''t say anything at that. No, it would be more urate that there was nothing for him to say. "Then, I¡¯ll be on my way." The door to the visiting room opened, and Shoot looked back onest time before leaving. The one sitting in the chair wasn''t the giant who used to rule the world anymore. Shoot could only see a stupid and shabby old man who only knew how to hurt everyone and himself. ¡®A dumbass.¡¯ If he had been a bit less greedy¡ªif he had been a bit more of a family man, he could have had happy days when he became old. He could have avoided a catastrophe, along with his children. ¡°¡­¡± Two dayster, the news about the suicide of Tenmei Yugo, the Guild Master of the Sky Soul Guild, was released. Chapter 413. Everyone鈥檚 Vacation (2) Chapter 413. Everyone¡¯s Vacation (2) Mio walked quietly. The Tenmei Main House had lost its warmth in just a week. "Haaa." She sighed as she looked around the lonely corridors and rooms. ¡®Even though everyone seemed like they would be well off for thousands of years.¡¯ Some died on the 5th Floor, and some were found dead at their homes. Her father killed himself while in Rengoku Prison. Perhaps that was why a bit of guilt made the corners of her eyes droop. ¡®Was I too harsh?¡¯ Perhaps her father made the decision to kill himself because she had spoken so coldly to him and left without hearing him out. Feeling ufortable, she soon arrived at the family head¡¯s room. ¡®¡­.¡¯ The empty space was dark, and no candles were lit, unlike usual. When she stepped into the darkness, she suddenly felt scared. Many people were saying that they were horrible, but they were still her family. ''Now¡­'' She was truly alone. Mio started shivering amidst the sense of loneliness and loss. ''Can I do it?¡¯ Mio sat in a cold chair with doubts. She had no idea if she could do it. She wondered if she could lead the historic and huge Tenmei family by herself. ¡®Fighting monsters would be easier.¡¯ After all, she was good at it, so she felt confident about it. However, it wasn''t the case for this. Even she had acknowledged that she wasn¡¯t good at talking and wasn¡¯t very good at socializing. Thump, thump, thump! All of a sudden, she heard dozens of people running from across the hall. Soon, the doors of the family head¡¯s room were flung open. "Miss Mio!" "So you were here!" "This isn¡¯t the time to be standing around like this!" They were the director of the Sky Soul Guild and the elders of the Tenmei family. With a look of urgency, they raised a mor and spoke to Mio. "At this rate, the Sky Soul Guild will disappear without a trace!" "I don''t know which crazy punk did it, but someone submitted an application to the World yer Association for the dissolution of the guild.¡± "I looked into it, and Miss should be able to prevent the guild¡¯s dissolution.¡± "First of all, we decided to make Miss the Vice Guild Master of the Sky Soul Guild..." Tenmei Mio''s eyes turned cold. She looked at the noisy old men and spoke, "Have you lot forgotten where you are?¡± "H-huh?" "This is..." There was no way they wouldn¡¯t know where they were. After all, they always talked about guild-rted matters here. ¡°Have you lot always been like this? You open these doors as you please, scream, and barge in with your feet covered in dirt?¡± "That''s not true, but¡­¡± "Hey, Mio, we¡¯re in an urgent situation." "Don''t drop the honorifics." Tenmei Mio stood up and stared at them. Despite the saying that pride would eventually lead to one¡¯s downfall, it had only been two days since her father died. "Standing in front of you is the head of the Tenmei family¡­" ¡°¡­¡± The director of the Sky Soul Guild and the elders of the Tenmei family looked at each other''s faces. Then, they smiled like sly foxes and spoke, "We know, we know. It was just a slip of the tongue. Who will lead the Tenmei family if it¡¯s not Mio-nim?" "We are all saddened by the tragedy. But now, we have to be practical and deal with the urgent issues." "The Big 6. Big 6. Mio-nim knows how much effort your father¡ªI mean the previous family head spent to ce the Sky Soul Guild in that position.¡± "The guild is about to be torn into pieces, but are you okay with that?" They spoke in soft voices as if they were coaxing a child. Unfortunately for them, Mio wasn¡¯t a fool, so there was no way she wouldn¡¯t know their intentions. ¡®They want to stop the dissolution of the Sky Soul Guild no matter what.¡¯ What would happen afterward was clear. If things went well, she would be a puppet, a nominal guild master. If things went south, they would fight over the ownership of the guild. "¡­I understand everyone¡¯s intention, but I''m not in the mood to talk right now." "As the head of the Tenmei family, Mio-nim should set aside her emotions and prioritize the family!" "We are busy with many things, and who knows when we will get the opportunity to talk again?" The old men stared at Mio with ragged breaths and distorted faces. ¡®As expected¡­ Perhaps I¡¯m really not suitable for this.¡¯ She tried to act tough, unlike herself, and take the initiative. However, she felt like a child in front of old, seasoned snakes. When she realized her limits, she felt nauseous and weak all over. ''¡­ I''m tired. I feel like throwing up.¡¯ Mio closed her eyes tightly in exhaustion. "Huh, huuuh?!" "This¡­ What is this!" "Hiiiiik!" All of a sudden, the old foxes started convulsing at once. Mio¡¯s eyes widened when she heard the fear in their voice, and she was surprised to see something else. ''That''s...'' It was a wolf¡ªa wolf made of darkness. It was a pitch-ck, familiar wolf. The beast was drooling from its mouth, and it threatened the old foxes in the room. "T-this¡­ isn''t that Watchguard of Darkness?!" "That''s right! Specter¡ªhe must be around here!" They started shouting, and the door opened silently in response. A man then walked into the room. ¡°¡­¡± It was Seo Jun-Ho with a long face. After confirming that it was truly him, the old men started pointing their fingers with red faces. "You punk! Where do you think this is? How dare youe here!" "You¡¯re Young Master Oga¡¯s killer, you¡¯re our enemy!" "Security! What the hell is the security doing?" "They¡¯re probably sleeping.¡± He put some people to sleep on the way here, and he wasn''t actually alone. "And what did you just say?" Seo Jun-Ho nodded. "You said I¡¯m your enemy?" He then pulled out a sword from his Inventory. "I always kill my enemies whenever we meet, so you all will have to die now.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± At that, the old men of the Tenmei family and the Sky Soul Guild kept their mouths shut. They were afraid of being beaten up if they were to open their mouths hastily. However, the director of the Sky Soul Guild courageously gave it a shot. "You punk! Do you really think that you can do anything just because people call you a Hero? Do you really think it¡¯s fine for you to persecute us? We¡¯re just ordinary citizens!¡± "You¡¯re correct.¡± Seo Jun-Ho narrowed his eyes and said, "It won¡¯t be fine even if you say that she¡¯s a Hero." "W-what are you¡­." "Look." Seo Jun-Ho did not say much. He simply pointed with the tip of his sword. He was pointing at a trembling girl who had lost all her family and was now alone. "Right now, she needs to beforted more than anyone else, yet you grown adults are rushing to make her do back-breaking work? "That''s right. How dare these people make our youngest cry?¡± "It seems that I will have to hit you all a few times." "And a bullet from me as well." When Mio saw them, she lowered her head and shed a few tears silently. However, the next words she said weren¡¯t words of appreciation. "Why are you so...te?" She was whining like a child. Seo Jun-Ho, Skaya, Rahmadat, and Gilberto smirked at their youngest''s childish behavior. "She¡¯s crying again. Horns will start growing on your butt if you keep that up."[1] "Rahmadat, as far as I know, you have to cry andugh to get horns on your butt." "No, I tested it myself, and it doesn¡¯t work that way. However, I can stick horns up your ass if you want.¡± The Frost Queen looked at Seo Jun-Ho pitifully. "Are they always like this?¡± "Not really¡ªwait, are they?" Honestly, Seo Jun-Ho found it hard to defend them. Sighing, he swept his gaze across the old men and said, "It¡¯s about time for you old men to grow up and stop depending on the younger generation." "A-ahem." The old men didn¡¯t know what to say, and they could only cough dryly. They started to get ashamed of how they came here in a hurry, afraid that they would lose influence and power once Mio took over. "Ahem. E-excuse me.¡± "I''ll leave for today." "Miss, let¡¯s meet again...¡± "No.¡± Mio wiped away the flowing tears and looked at them with determination before saying. "I hereby dere the dissolution of the Sky Soul Guild." "M-Miss! No¡ªFamily Head!" "Please think about it again!" "So what if Sky Soul is one of the Big 6? Anyway, if you don¡¯t want the guild, we can just sell it.¡± The Watchguard of Darkness growled at the old men, who looked like they wanted to kick up another fuss. Mio stared gratefully at Seo Jun-Ho and said, "My mind is set, no matter what you say." She felt sorry for the Sky Soul Guild members, but she had no ns of running it on her own. "Letting them go is the right thing to do." Even if she took control of the Sky Soul Guild and prevented its dissolution, it would still be incredibly difficult for the Sky Soul Guild to be widely acimed as part of the Big 6 once more. In addition, Mio didn¡¯t really have a reason to do such a thing. "I shall reform this family. It has to be reformed because it has long forgotten its duties after basking in the glory of being a part of the Big 6." The Tenmei family had always been a family of swordsmen, and they were supposed to pursue the peak of the sword. However, everything changed when the Sky Soul Guild, established by Tenmei Yugo, became a part of the Big 6. "People just learned swordsmanship to get promoted within the guild." Those who dedicated their lives to pondering and interpreting the sword style of their ancestors disappeared without a trace. Mio only wanted one thing. She wanted the family to return to what it was like during her childhood, where everyone couldugh and cry with just their swords and without any worries. ¡°¡­¡± The director and elders lost even the little hope they had due to Mio''s firm tone, so they were forced to retreat bitterly. If they really wanted a spectacreback, they would have to lift their swords once more rather than their pens. ¡°¡­¡± Once the stormy events were over, Mio stared at her friends with wide eyes. ''...No, they¡¯re my family.'' She had always been thankful for them because they always came to her aid whenever she was having a hard time, even though she had never really called for help When Mio looked like she was about to burst into tears again, Skaya was startled. "Hey, hey! Rahmadat, you idiot! She¡¯s crying again! It must be your face.¡± "What, is she a baby? But babiesugh whenever they see me!" "Oh, really? It seems that the kids know that you look like a funny dog.¡± "Haha.¡± When Mio smiled and chuckled, everyone turned to her. "It''s really nice to see you smile.¡± "It reminds me of the old days. Our youngest always cried a lot because it was hard.." "¡­When did I do that?" Mio wiped her red and swollen eyes. She quickly managed her expression and said, "Anyway, thank you all foring today. I¡¯m happy to see you here." "Oho, does our youngest only know how to be grateful in words?¡± Skaya asked and hugged her tightly. At that, Mio smiled softly. "Hmm, it has been a while since you visited my house, so I guess I will have to cook for you then. The chefs are away, anyway." "¡­What, huh?" Skaya immediately received resentful looks. "Uh. For your information, you don''t have to make mine. I have to eat chicken breasts for the gains." "Rahmadat, you seem like you¡¯re trying not to eat my food." "Well, it¡¯s because your food is bad for your body, and they taste really bad." "I hate you. I won''t serve you my food again." "Thank you so much, really.¡± In the end, everyone ate Mio''s food aside from Rahmadat. 1. To have horns growing on your butt is an idiom for those who do bad deeds since they were young and keep doing bad deeds when they are older. ? Chapter 414. Everyone鈥檚 Vacation (3) Chapter 414. Everyone¡¯s Vacation (3) ¡°¡­¡± Three heroes were standing in the yard of the Tenmei''s main house with tearful expressions. "Kuku, why do you eat it even though you know it tastes bad? You¡¯re not even stupid." "Rahmadat, cooking is ultimately about fresh ingredients." "You''re wrong. Taste is king when ites to cooking." "¡­I used only the finest ingredients." Skaya smiled awkwardly at the youngest, who was proud with her shoulders puffed. "Uh, yeah, I liked it. I liked Mio''s amazing soup with all kinds of vors...¡± "That was braised cussfish.¡± "Ah, is that so? Anyway, I think it''s time for us to say goodbye.¡± Skaya forcibly changed the subject and prepared to leave in a hurry. If they fell asleep in this house today, they would have to eat Mio''s food tomorrow morning. Seo Jun-Ho asked, "Come to think of it, we still have about a week left in our vacation, what are you guys going to do?¡± "I bought a penthouse with a panoramic view of downtown Paris. I¡¯m going to research magic there." "That''s like you. Gilbe, what about you?" "I''m thinking of going camping with Arthur." "It''s a father and son trip. That''s nice, too,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He could still remember how there would be an awkward silence between the father and son whenever they reached the end of a topic. Gilberto said with a pleased smile, ¡°I bought a special book for the trip. It¡¯s called ¡®A Hundred Questions to Ask Your Son in Puberty.¡¯ "Yeah, please throw that away." Just how old was Arthur? What did Gilberto mean by puberty? Seo Jun-Ho turned to Rahmadat and Mio. "Well, I guess you''re going to the gym." "Want to go with me?" asked Rahmadat. "I can already smell the sweat, so no. What about you, Mio?" "I n to stabilize my family as much as possible during the vacation." "¡­Really?" Seo Jun-Ho made a slightly bitter expression. He didn''t think everyone would have any ns like himself, but it was amazing that everyone had their own ns. "Seeing that you¡¯re asking, Jun-Ho, what are you going to do?" "Uh, I...¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged at Rahmadat''s question. "What''s the big deal about vacations? It''s best to just eat at home and rest well." "How boring.¡± "I don''t want to hear that from someone who just wants to just work out during vacation." Seo Jun-Ho waved lightly at the party. "Well, then, enjoy your vacation and see you all in a week." "Bye~" Then, Skaya sent everyone one by one to their desired locations. After returning to his house safely, Seo Jun-Ho sat on the sofa nkly. Seeing that, the Frost Queen asked, "Is there really nothing you want to do, Contractor?¡± "Not really." "Hmm." Frost¡¯s narrowed eyes nced at Seo Jun-Ho. "Well, it is probably good to decide on a candidate." "What?" "When it is all over, what do you want to do, and how are you going to live?" "When it''s all over¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought of a peaceful world and smiled. "I don''t even know whether such a future wille or not. Do I really have to think about it already?" "Of course," the Frost Queen answered, turning on the tablet. "That kind of dream will be the pir to support you whenever you get tired and want to give up." "Hmm." It had been a long time since the Frost Queen spoke like a true adult. ¡®A dream.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought hard. What was his major when he went to school, and what was it that he wanted to do when he became an adult? ''I have no idea¡­¡¯ It felt like he was facing something empty. Eventually, he pped his hands lightly and said, "Oh, then should I try to be a cook? I''m pretty good at cooking." "That is not bad." Perhaps she liked the answer, but the Frost Queen smiled lightly and raised her thumb. *** Deep into the night, Seo Jun-Ho frowned and started vigorously shaking his head. "Ughhh, ughhhhh." Wrapped in an enormous amount of demonic energy, the Heavenly Demon was enraged. - Since you really want to die that much, then I¡¯ll grant you death. "No..." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head as the devil-looking Heavenly Demon reached out with his hand. He seemed like he was reaching out to extract Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart. - Specter! I''m going to kill you! I will definitely kill you! "Huuk!" Terrified, Seo Jun-Ho shot up as if he had been lying on a spring. Seo Jun-Ho sensed the cold sweat drenching his back and sighed in frustration. "¡­Huuuu." Again. It was this dream again. Ever since he faced the Heavenly Demon, who unleashed the entirety of his demonic energy in Neo City, he would appear in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s dreams from time to time. Whenever he appeared, it would be a terrible nightmare for Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho was frustrated, feeling like he was reliving the fear he felt at the time. ¡°¡­¡± Flutter Seo Jun-Ho looked down at his convulsing hands and hugged his knees. After a while, he finally calmed down. "That damned Heavenly Demon." Was the Heavenly Demon trying to get revenge on him because he screwed him over? The Heavenly Demon appeared in his dreams and woke him up like this for days now. "Haaaa." The bedroom door opened. The Frost Queen came in while yawning and rubbing her sleepy eyes. "Contractor, are you sick? Why do you keep on groaning?¡± "I was groaning?" "Uh-huh. I was sleeping, but I got worried, so¡ªhaaa¡ªI got up." Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t believe that he was making the Frost Queen worry about him. He reached out and ruffled the Frost Queen¡¯s head before shaking his own head and saying, ¡°My dream was just a bit more intense than usual. Go to bed." "¡­If that is the case, then all right." As the Frost Queen quietly returned to her bed, Seo Jun-Ho made his way over to the living room. While looking out the window, he saw that Seoul during dawn was peaceful and quiet. ¡°¡­¡± However, he knew that the Heavenly Demon would eventuallye down to turn this peaceful city into a wastnd. Someone had to stop the Heavenly Demon so that this peace would be preserved. ''And that is probably my role...¡¯ He could feel it. It could probably be described as his destiny as well. After looking down at the city for a while, Seo Jun-Ho changed into workout clothes. ¡®As expected, there''s no time for me to rx.¡¯ As such, he kept on pushing himself. He wanted to stand on the edge of a cliff himself rather than let anyone else stand there. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen stared at him through the slightly ajar door. *** "I know, right?" Shim Deok-Gu said while carefully setting an expensive and sweet shaved ice on the table. "What kind of addict is he?" "A battle addict." Nom. The Frost Queen took a big spoonful of melon-shaved ice and frowned in pain. "Ugh, I am the Frost Queen, so why am I getting brain freeze whenever I eat something cold¡­!¡± "You ate so much at once, so it¡¯s only normal that you get brain freeze,¡± said Shim Deok-Gu while handing over a cup of warm tea before asking, "But Queen, isn¡¯t being a battle addict something only beginners experience?" As he said, battle addiction was an addiction only novice yers would experience. It was born from the thrill of barely surviving a battlefield and was a difficult-to-find pleasure. Of course, yers would be more adept at controlling their own emotions, so they would eventually recover from battle addiction. "Of course, what the Contractor is experiencing cannot bepared to such things," the Frost Queen answered, putting down her spoon. "It''s not just about putting his life on the line and enjoying the thrill of it. He constantly wants to fight a stronger opponent." "Fight a stronger opponent? Why would he want to keep on doing that?" "¡­Because the mountain he has to climb is just that high." The Frost Queen let out a sigh. "There were many outstanding knights who had that kind of sentiment under mymand.¡± "What happened to them?¡± "They only had two endings." "Oh." Shim Deok-Gu was delighted. Usually, if there were two endings, one would be bad while the other would be good. However, the Frost Queen quickly shattered his hopes. ¡°They either be too exhausted to continue, or they die.¡± "What?" There wasn¡¯t anything good about that at all. It was just the bad and the worse. At that, Shim Deok-Gu finally realized the seriousness of the situation. "Is there any way I can help?" "Contractor has be like that because of the Heavenly Demon. It will be difficult for him to get rid of that addiction before he kills the Heavenly Demon. That is why I am worried. He does not even know when he will fight the Heavenly Demon again, so he shouldn¡¯t work himself so much." "The Heavenly Demon¡­" Repeating the name, Shim Deok-Gu asked, "Is he that strong? To the point that even Jun-Ho is that afraid of him?¡± In Shim Deok-Gu''s mind, the Heavenly Demon was definitely strong, but he was still a fiend who didn¡¯t manage to beat the yerspletely. In fact, the yers even killed him once. "Hmm." The Frost Queen thought for a while. Eventually, she scooped up some shaved ice with her spoon and said, "Come here, baldy. Look at this, can you see the grains of the shaved ice here?" "Yes." "The grains of this shaved ice represent the skill level of the so-called High Rankers." The Frost Queen then picked up a small piece of melon. "This piece of melon represents the skill level of the so-called Nine Heavens." "Oooh!" "And this spoon represents the contractor¡¯s skill level." "Ohhh! Doesn¡¯t that mean that Jun-Ho is stronger than the Nine Heavens?" "It has been a while since he surpassed them. He grew a lot by clearing the 4th Floor." "Oooh, I can see it now." "Hmmhmm. It is only natural that you do, I¡¯m the BTS[1], after all." "Wait, then what represents the Heavenly Demon¡¯s skill level?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Cling. The Frost Queen tapped the bowl of shaved ice with the spoon she was holding without saying a word. It was a huge ss bowl that could hold all the grains of shaved ice, the melon pieces, and even the spoon. The light in her eyes dimmed. "Thest time I saw him on the 5th Floor, he was at about this level." "What¡ªno! That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡± muttered Shim Deok-Gu with an incredulous look. It was no wonder; however, since the Frost Queen said that the Heavenly Demon was strong enough to beat the best yers. "Of course, that is before the contractor made him eat a huge loss, so¡­¡± The Frost Queen picked up the remote control on the table, which was smaller than the huge ss bowl. "He will probably be at this level, even after he recovers." "Doesn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯s still several times stronger than Jun-Ho?" "That''s why the contractor is in such a hurry," said the Frost Queen. The call of duty was urging him to get stronger as soon as possible. ¡°¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu clenched his fists. "Is there anything I can do to help?¡± "Hmm. It¡¯s all psychological, so we have no choice but to let him be." "Then, should I go on a trip with him?" "I do not know... Will he really feel better if he travels with a man with such a huge belly?" The Frost Queen tilted her head and continued. "I do not like it, but there is only one way for the contractor to recover." "What is it?" "Considering the contractor''s condition right now, he needs arge enough reason to stop training. However, the contractor that I know is someone who values promises. It¡¯s just perfect, he has a promise he hasn¡¯t fulfilled for years now." "What is that?¡± asked Shim Deok-Gu. The Frost Queen seemed dissatisfied as she said, "Gong Ju-Ha, try contacting that fox." 1. It roughly stands for Best Teacher Frost. Frost in Korean is ¡®seori¡¯ which starts with ¡®s¡¯. ? Chapter 415. Everyone鈥檚 Vacation (4) Chapter 415. Everyone¡¯s Vacation (4) ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes were closed in the middle of the training room. However, he was constantly moving while holding an iron sword. - Kiek! An imaginary Janabi jumped at him at speeds he once felt were the fastest in the world. ''But it isn¡¯t that fast anymore...'' Seo Jun-Ho appeared behind Janabi and casually hurled a flower. Crackle! - Kiaaaaak! When Janabi disappeared after being struck by Moon Eye, something popped out from the other side of the training room. - You will die under these million thorns! This time, Erebo shot out a million thorns. Seo Jun-Ho let go of the iron sword without hesitation and took out the Sawtooth Sword. He looked at the thorns flying toward him. Once upon a time, he was afraid of these thorns. ¡®ck Moon Martial Arts Second Skill: Silent sh Wave.¡¯ With Overclocking on top of it, Seo Jun-Ho danced across the thorns and quickly beheaded Erebo before thetter could even take out all of the million thorns. - I will be the Martial God... When it came to Namgung Jincheon, he simply beat the former to a pulp. "Huk, huk.¡± It was an ultra-high-intensity image training where he confronted the strongest opponents he had ever encountered in chronological order. However, the end was always the same. - Speeecteeer! The moment he saw the Heavenly Demon¡¯s hand reaching over to him while being enveloped in an immense amount of demonic energy¡ª "Huk!" Seo Jun-Ho sharply exhaled and flung his eyes open. The imaginary Heavenly Demon scattered like a lie, and heid down on the floor of the training room, which had long gotten damp with his sweat. "It doesn''t work..." He could easily beat the Heavenly Demon he met in that stadium on Earth. However, he couldn¡¯t see any possibility of winning against the Heavenly Demon after thetter had absorbed the neigong chips of Neo City. ¡®Right now, he¡¯s probably in the middle of recovering¡­¡¯¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho picked up a towel and wiped the sweat off of his head. "Three hours, seventeen minutes, fifty-four seconds. It''s getting faster." "In the end, they¡¯re just images made from the data in my memory, and I have already beaten them as well." The Frost Queen was enjoying her time with her own tea table set up in the corner of the training room. Seo Jun-Ho nced at her with slightly narrowed eyes and asked, ¡°Your contractor is training so hard here, so why is it that you never think about doing something as well?¡± "Hmm." The Frost Queen looked at the ceiling for a moment before smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t?" "Yes, you don¡¯t. Good for you.¡± "Well, the whole world knows that I¡¯m good. In the first ce, I don¡¯t really need training because I¡¯m already strong." "Oh, yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He heard that line so many times now that he didn¡¯t even want to dispute it anymore. "By the way, what do you think?¡± "About what?" "What should I do to get stronger from here?" Seo Jun-Ho asked, clenching his fists. "Well. Just level up, drink elixirs, rece your equipment, and acquire new skills." "What a carefree answer¡­¡± "Actually, you¡¯re being impatient." The Frost Queen sipped her tea and replied, "In my eyes, there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll grow explosively even if you train hard.¡± ¡°I know..." Seo Jun-Ho was aware that he was being impatient here. However, he was too anxious that he had to do something about it. He felt that he should fight stronger opponents to be stronger as soon as possible. ¡®This thing and the nightmares are probably a matter of the heart, not the mind.¡¯ It was probably why Hero''s Mind (EX) did not activate. "By the way, that fox iste¡­" "Huh? What?" As soon as Seo Jun-Ho blinked and asked, his Vita vibrated. Seo Jun-Ho saw that a message had arrived, so he immediately opened it. [It''s your vacation, so you''ll keep your promise this time, right?] The sender was Gong Ju-Ha. Seo Jun-Ho muttered, "Oh, right.¡± He had been pushing back his promise to buy her a delicious meal, and it had been almost two years since then. ¡®I made that promise in Las Vegas.¡¯ He thought about it and found that he had been a bit too much. "Shoot, I''m in the middle of training." Seo Jun-Ho scratched his cheek and pondered about what he should do. The Frost Queen saw that and said, "What? Is something the matter?" "Team Leader Gong wants me to keep my promise. You know, that promise to treat her to a meal." "I absolutely hate people who do not keep their promises.¡± "I don''t like them, either.¡± "Then, what are you thinking about?" The Frost Queen got up, came close, and held out her hand. "Give me my clothes." ¡°¡­¡± It had to be known that it had been quite a while since the Frost Queen treated his Inventory as a closet. *** Badump, badump. Gong Ju-Ha looked at the hand mirror with her round eyes. ¡®I hope there''s nothing weird on my face.¡¯ When she received that call from Shim Deok-Gu, the President of the Korean yer Association, she had been wondering about what it was about. However, when she heard the whole story, she hastily nodded and agreed. ¡®I had no idea that Specter-nim was going through that kind of hardship.¡¯ She had no idea about what kind of life the 5 Heroes had been living, considering that they always put other people first before themselves. Of course, Gong Ju-Ha had gotten a glimpse of their lives by reading books about them. ¡®He needs to take a rest.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t believe that he had been training every day during every yer¡¯s golden vacation. Upon hearing the news, Gong Ju-Ha immediately sent a message to Seo Jun-Ho, saying that he should keep his promise to buy her a meal. "Oh, but why am I nervous?" It wasn¡¯t even a date. It was just keeping an old promise between friends. ''Wait, are we even friends?'' Technically, it would be more urate that they had a fan-idol rtionship, and when she thought that way, her heart started to beat wildly against her chest. ¡®Aaaahhh¡­!¡¯ To think she was about to have a meal with her long-cherished Specter. Gong Ju-Ha''s legs started trembling. She had imagined that scene a few times in the past before going to bed. She thought about what she would ask him if she could have time between just the two of them. ¡®I wanted to hear about what happened during the Moscow terrorist attacks, and I should also ask about the Battle of Egypt, as well as the operation to recapture London.¡¯ Her heart was pounding; she felt like it would be a one-on-one fan meeting. "Your friends have arrived." "Oh, yes!" Gong Ju-Ha jumped to her feet at the waiter''s words. ¡®Wait, what friends?¡¯ She tilted her head and saw two men, along with a young girl. ¡®Jun-Ho-nim''s Spirit¡­¡¯ And two Specters? *** What happened to the one-on-one fan meeting she had been imagining in her head? Of course, it vanished for quite a while now. "What¡¯s the asion? Why did you call me for something like this." "Well, you had a hard time on the 5th Floor." If it weren''t for Seo Jun-Sik, he would have jumped at the Heavenly Demon without looking back. When he thought about it like that, Seo Jun-Sik definitely saved his life. "Huhu, the Original is actually acting like a human?." "I want to order a cake, mille-feuille, and egg tarts." "What, you¡¯re going to start with dessert?" "I like cake." They were busy chatting among themselves to the point that Gong Ju-Ha found it awkward to interrupt them. ¡®Huh.¡¯ If the painting she painted in her head was a portrait, this was an abstract painting. The slightly depressed Gong Ju-Ha blinked when he realized that the three were staring at her. "Ah? W-what?" "Are you not going to order?" asked the Frost Queen. "Ah, an order! Well, then I''ll just take course A." "Are you kidding? What course A?" Seo Jun-Sik was furious. "If you¡¯re going to eat something cheap, then you shouldn¡¯t havee to such a super luxurious restaurant. Go with the most expensive special course!" "¡­I''m the one who¡¯s going to pay, so why are you showing off?" "I mean, there''s no sushi in course A. Isn''t that a loss?" Two identical-looking men quarreled, and in the midst of that, The Frost Queen was ordering eagerly with a determination to eat all the desserts in the restaurant. ¡®Haha¡­¡¯ For some reason, Gong Ju-Ha felt warm at the ridiculous scene. ¡®I''ve confirmed it many times, but he really is still the same.¡¯ In private, the Hero was just like her. Thinking about it like that, the distance she felt between the two of them seemed to have been greatly reduced. Gong Ju-Ha finally recovered her wits and raised her hand. ¡°Excuse me! Specter-nim, can I ask you about this and that?" "What is it?" "As you may know, I''m originally a fan of you, Specter-nim. I have a lot of questions I always wanted to ask you. First of all, in Moscow...¡± Whenever she asked something, Specter would recall what happened and exin the events in detail. The stories were something even the Frost Queen didn''t know, so they listened intently together with ears perked. "Oh, I''m so happy!¡± Hearing the behind-the-scenes stories of the hero she admired, Gong Ju-Ha was overwhelmed with emotions. Those stories weren¡¯t something one could hear even with money. And in a timely manner, the main dishes started arriving in front of them. "Thank you for the food!" "Thanks for the food." "Thanks for the food." The meal was excellent and delicious. The meal was about to end with no hups whatsoever, but¡­ Tak. "Hmm?" Seo Jun-Ho and Seo Jun-Sik''s chopsticks picked up the final salmon sushi at the same time. The two looked at each other with displeased eyes. "Hey, I grabbed this first.¡± "What, how can you be faster than me when you only have half of my stats?¡± "I moved earlier than you, that¡¯s why!" "Jun-Sik, do you want to eat egg sushi over there while I¡¯m being nice, or do you want to get unsummoned?" "Oh, shit¡­ You''re evil.¡± Seo Jun-Sik knelt down to absolute power and retrieved his chopsticks with drooping eyes. He stared directly at the salmon sushi without looking away even once. It was clear that he really wanted to have it. "Stop watching, my stomach is going to start hurting at this rate." The sushi eventually slid down Seo Jun-Ho''s throat, and Seo Jun-Sik''s gaze fell onto the white tablecloth. Gong Ju-Ha felt sorry seeing him like that, so she stealthily pointed at her own sushi. "Um, would you like some of mine? It''s tuna sushi, but...¡± "Oh? Can I?¡± If someone saw Seo Jun-Sik right now, they would think that he won the lottery. Seo Jun-Sik carefully brought the tuna sushi over to his ce with shining eyes. He looked as if he were holding a newborn baby. Seeing that, Seo Jun-Ho momentarily stopped chewing and said, "Miss Ju-Ha, if you keep doing that, he''ll develop bad habits." "Shut up, you scoundrel!" Seo Jun-Ho smirked. "Oh, you want me to shut up? I¡¯m a scoundrel? I guess I will have to recall my clone, then.¡± "Please, no, and I''m sorry.¡± After saying that, Seo Jun-Sik hurriedly stuffed the tuna sushi into his mouth, afraid that Seo Jun-Ho would recall him before he could do so. "Sniff! It''s so good." Drip, drip. Seo Jun-Ho sighed when he saw Seo Jun-Sik crying. "Whew, we look the same, so please don''t cry while eating sushi.¡± "I¡¯m crying because it¡¯s so delicious. What can I do?" "What does delicious food have to do with crying?" "It''s so good it¡¯s making me cry." "It¡¯s that good?" Seo Jun-Ho chewed the sushi carefully. Certainly, it was delicious. ¡®Could it be that I changed a bit too much?¡¯ thought Seo Jun-Ho. His tastes and how he handled his emotions seemed to have changed a bit too much. It was probably because he had spent such a long time on the 4th Floor. The thought of it made his appetite disappear. "Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Sik stared wide-eyed at Seo Jun-Ho. The Original, whose personality seemed to be a mixture of a dog and a demon, gave him some more sushi. At that, he became instinctively afraid. "I-if I eat this, will I get recalled?¡± "No. You find it delicious, right? I¡¯m just giving you more to eat." "¡­Thank you. You know I''m always loyal to you, right?¡± "No idea." At that, Seo Jun-Sik finally ate the sushi with a look of delight. The Frost Queen and Seo Jun-Ho smirked. "Mmm, hehe." Gong Ju-Ha also smiled at the sight. All of a sudden, she remembered the promise in Las Vegas two years ago. Seo Jun-Ho promised to take her out to eat, but she didn¡¯t expect that it would be like this. ¡®Well, this isn¡¯t bad as well.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t there a saying about the more, the merrier? As long as they were happy, it was fine. Gong Ju-Ha stared at the overjoyed Seo Jun-Sik and asked, ¡°Shall we order another te of sushi?" "Original, be nice to her from now on.¡± "You do you. I have always been nice to her.¡± "Um, can I have a parfait as well?" For the first time in a while, Seo Jun-Ho enjoyed the moment and forgot about the Heavenly Demon. Chapter 416. Arcade Center (1) Chapter 416. Arcade Center (1) ¡°Please rx. Rx...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®What is all this?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wondered as hey on his stomach. He felt like he was the most ufortable man in the world right now. When the three of them returned home after dinner, he found someone waiting for them. It was Cha Si-Eun. She then dragged him into the massage room. ¡°How is it, Contractor?!¡± the Frost Queen asked confidently while cing a hand on his lower back. ¡°How is what?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel like your heart is healing? Don¡¯t you feel a sense of tranquility?¡± ¡°How could I feel tranquil when someone¡¯s staring straight at me while I¡¯m getting a massage?¡± Needless to say, this was another part of the Frost Queen¡¯s n. Now that they were done with their ¡®happy dinner,¡¯ it was time for him to ¡®fully rx¡¯. ¡°Do you feel ufortable, by chance?¡± Cha Si-Eun asked, sounding worried as she massaged his scalp. ¡°No¡­ I have no qualms with you, Miss Si-Eun.¡± He wasn¡¯t just being nice. He did feel veryfortable under her hands. It felt like his body and soul were settling down. He felt like he was melting. ¡°It feels nice. It¡¯s making my eyes close.¡± ¡°Please tell me if it hurts. Feel free to sleep as well.¡± Cha Si-Eun smiled lightly. She was stupefied when the Frost Queen contacted her. As soon as she said that her Contractor was in pain; however, Cha Si-Eun immediately came running straight from the manhwa bang. ¡®Still, he wasn¡¯t in a state that we could just ignore.¡¯ Wounds of the heart would start eating away at one¡¯s body if they ever grew big enough. In other words, it was best to take care of them before they could grow big enough to do that. ¡°To treat anxiety, the first thing we need to do is calm the mind,¡± she said. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not really a level of anxiety that we should be worried about,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, seemingly sulking. However, the two women wouldn¡¯t have it. ¡°Still, please take a good rest. You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± ¡°Contractor, you are constantly running around despite your weak body. Take this opportunity to rest.¡± Surprisingly, Seo Jun-Sik took his side after standing around awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that serious¡­¡± ¡°Hush. Jun-Sik, do you want to eat breakfast tomorrow?¡± ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll be watching TV over there.¡± Once he left the room and picked up the remote, Seo Jun-Ho spoke to him telepathically. ¡®Don¡¯t y around and go train. Intensely.¡¯ ¡®You little shi¡ª¡¯ ¡®Watch your mouth.¡¯ ¡®You little ship.¡¯ Eventually, Seo Jun-Sik headed to the training room with a scowl. *** Time went by in the blink of an eye. Time may have passed quicker for everyone because they had been having fun and enjoying themselves. ¡°Man~ It was so fun~ It¡¯s been a while~¡± Skaya was grinning like an idiot when she returned from Paris, where she was doing her magic research. She was always short on time, but she finally had time to work on her favorite thing without being interrupted by anyone. ¡°Yeah, being locked up in my bedroom is better for a nerd like me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who would say that a penthouse is a bedroom,¡± Rahmadat said. He visibly grewrger in just a week. Well, it probably wasn¡¯t too difficult with the help of Super Regeneration (S), which restored his tissues. As such, he didn¡¯t have to rest between workouts. However, it was surprising that he was in even better shape than he was before he took in the brunt of the Great Law of the Absorbing Star. ¡°Just what kind of training did you do?¡± ¡°Oh, you wanna know my secrets? It¡¯s nothingplicated.¡± Rahmadat grinned in a way that made them ufortable. ¡°I had 20 protein-packed meals a day and did nothing but work out.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a monster¡­¡± The stupidity that drove him to sleep only four hours a day to keep exercising was surprising, but the fact that he ate twenty meals a day was even more surprising. ¡°Mio, you look good as well.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She looked much brighter than she had been a week ago. ¡°As it turns out, there were many members of the branch families who were growing tired because our n was being led astray. We decided to spend the next few years away from outside affairs to focus on stabilizing our internal affairs.¡± ¡°Good work.¡± One by one, the party members patted her head with proud faces. It felt like their youngest had finally be an adult. ¡°Why are you all touching my head?¡± she asked. ¡°Because we¡¯re proud of you...¡± ¡°People have always told me that ever since I was young, but there weren¡¯t many people willing to pat my head.¡±[1] ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Yeah, there probably weren¡¯t many people who would carelessly pat the head of the Tenmei¡¯s oldest daughter. Seo Jun-Houghed awkwardly and turned to Gilberto. ¡°Right, Gilbe. Your eyebags look heavier than usual, why is that?¡± ¡°...¡± Gilbeto¡¯s cheekbones were sunken, and he looked absolutely exhausted. As soon as Seo Jun-Ho brought it up, Gilberto¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I fought with Arthur¡­ Or rather, he yelled at me¡­¡± ¡°Wow.¡± The other members sensed that the story would get long, so they quickly prepared snacks and tea before settling on the couches in the living room. Gilberto made a sour face when he saw that. ¡°You guys look pretty excited for some reason.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not excited at all, so hurry up and tell us what happened,¡± Skaya said through a mouthful of popcorn. Eventually, Gilberto sat on the sofa and started telling his story. ¡°It was your fault.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was your fault.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s your fault, actually.¡± ¡°You are the one at fault, Gilberto.¡± Gilberto jolted. He had been hoping that at least one¡ªone person would take his side. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that you treat Arthur like a kid too much,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Not only that, it was in front of other tourists as well. You sounded like a helicopter parent.¡± ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re so cringey.¡± Gilberto rubbed his face with his hands after hearing their feedback. ¡°Since even you guys are saying that, I suppose I was wrong.¡± ¡°Try calling him and apologize.¡± ¡°...Will Arthur would ept my apology?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Surprisingly, Rahmadat was the one who said this. ¡°Blood is thicker than wine. You¡¯re family, and you¡¯re his father. Of course, Arthur will ept your apology.¡± ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± Gilberto looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He patted Rahmadat¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Thanks. I didn¡¯t think you would be the one to give me such advice.¡± ¡°Heh. That little geek thinks my brain is made of muscle, but the brain can¡¯t be trained to be muscles. It¡¯s impossible, and I speak from experience.¡± ¡°...Um, sure.¡± Gilberto stepped out to take a short call. When he returned, his eyebags had disappeared. ¡°My Arthur is the best son in the world.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re the dumbest dad in the world.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care because I have Arthur.¡± Shortly afterward, Shim Deok-Gu and Cha Si-Eun came in. ¡°Alright, alright! Contestants, are you all ready?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Seo Jun-Ho checked his Vita. The 5.5th Floor that the System had previously announced was going to open in ten minutes. The party members each started asking burning questions. ¡°But don¡¯t you think it¡¯s toote for us to start lining up?¡± ¡°Even if we go right to the Pacific, it should take at least a few hours for us to get in.¡± ¡°And it would be a little petty to try to cut the line using our reputation¡­¡± ¡°Hehe. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said. He puffed his chest in pride and exined to them, ¡°You¡¯ll take the Association¡¯s private Elevator today. It¡¯s in the basement.¡± ¡°The Association¡¯s private Elevator?¡± They were surprised to hear that. And Seo Jun-Ho was the most surprised of them all. ¡°Hey, you should¡¯ve let us use it if you had it all this time. Why did you just leave it alone?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long since we found it.¡± ¡°Found it?¡± Shim Deok-Gu cleared his throat. He had been waiting for that question. ¡°I was sure that the fiends were hiding their own Dimensional Elevator somewhere. So, the Association yers had been looking for it.¡± ¡°So they finally found it...¡± ¡°Bingo. Actually, we found thirteen Dimensional Elevators in total, and we took one for ourselves.¡± There weren¡¯t many entities with their own Dimensional Elevators. The American and the Russian governments, big Guilds like the Big 6, and a few yer Associations were the only ones with their own Dimensional Elevator. ¡°Now, right this way.¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± They headed to the basement and passed through a thickyer of security made up of Association yers and CCTVs before they reached a room. Right in the middle of the room was a Dimensional Elevator¡­ ¡°This is cool.¡± ¡°We have a private Elevator as well, but this is my first time using one.¡± ¡°Oh, can you let me inspect it sometime?¡± ¡°Of course, Skaya.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡± They couldn¡¯t admire the Dimensional Elevator for that long because a system message appeared in front of all the yers in the world. [The 5.5th Floor, ¡®Arcade Center¡¯, has opened.] [¡®Arcade Center¡¯ will be avable for two weeks.] [All yers may enter ¡®Arcade Center¡¯.] [It will be difficult, but we hope that as many people as possible would enter this Floor.] ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± The six yers went into the Dimensional Elevator and faced Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°Good luck. Don¡¯t get hurt,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Thanks for this.¡± ¡°Not bad...¡± Shim Deok-Gu met each of their eyes and nodded without saying anything. Afterward, the doors of the Dimensional Elevator started to close. ¡°What do you think the 5.5th Floor will be like?¡± Skaya said. ¡°This is the first Floor that¡¯s not a whole number. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be like some special event?¡± Gilberto suggested. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I suppose there won¡¯t be that many strong enemies,¡± Rahmadat grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s called the Arcade Center. Perhaps we¡¯ll y games and receive prizes,¡± Cha Si-Eun said. ¡°I agree with Si-Eun,¡± Mio agreed. They were brimming with excitement for the 5.5th Floor. There was just one problem. ¡°Huh. Hm. Guys?¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned around awkwardly. ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up and press the button.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s a problem.¡± He took a step backward and showed them the buttons that he was blocking from their line of sight. The party members squinted. ¡°...Now that I think about it, there were only ten buttons on the Dimensional Elevator.¡± They were numbered from 1 to 10. There was no 5.5th button anywhere. ¡°Which button do we have to press?¡± ¡°...¡± No one had the answer. *** While Seo Jun-Ho and his party were blinking with confusion, there was an uproar in a particr artificial ind in the Pacific. ¡°Hey! Why aren¡¯t they going?!¡± ¡°The line isn¡¯t moving at all!¡± ¡°What happened up there?¡± The yers in the back startedining because they had no idea what was going on. However, it wasn¡¯t like the yers in front of them knew what was going on, either. ¡°Hey, it said the Floor has opened. So, why can¡¯t we go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the 5.5th Floor. Perhaps we should press the space between the 5th and 6th Floor buttons?¡± ¡°Come on, that won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s disassemble the elevator! Maybe there¡¯s some kind of lid on the ceiling?¡± The yers tried everything to try to get the Dimensional Elevator up to the 5.5th Floor, but they failed. It was to the point that the top searches on both Community forums and the Inte rapidly changed to reflect the issue. How to go up to the 5.5th Floor What to do when the Elevator is missing a button How to summon the 1st Floor Administrator Dimensional Elevator customer service number ¡­ It was total chaos. A new Floor had opened, but they couldn¡¯t go up to it? The yers were frustrated. They could have never imagined something like this. Finally, someone spoke, ¡°Wait. Doesn¡¯t that mean that the two weeks could pass by without anyone ever going up to the 5.5th Floor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy. Is the System fucking with us?¡± The yers started burning with rage, but it quickly settled down. The gears in their heads started turning after they realized what was going on. ¡®It¡¯s a waste of time to get mad.¡¯ ¡®Finding a way to go up to the 5.5th Floor is the top priority.¡¯ ¡®No one should have gone up yet. In other words¡­¡¯ ¡®The first person to get there can take all the rewards for themselves.¡¯ A never-before-seen psychological warfare among the yers started. *** Skaya thought about it for a long time. Eventually, she spoke, ¡°We have five buttons avable right now. 1 through 5. Maybe we need to press abination to make some kind of password?¡± She pressed the buttons this way and that, but that only made them change Floors. Rahmadat, who had always been impatient, was ready to destroy the Dimensional Elevator. ¡°Can¡¯t we just rip open the floor, the ceiling, and the space between the 5th and 6th Floor buttons?¡± ¡°You idiot. Do you really think that you can just break the Elevator just because you want to?¡± Skaya scolded. ¡°Hmph.¡± Rahmadat stepped back and sulked. Honestly, they were all frustrated. Aside from Seo Jun-Ho, who was staring at something intently. ¡°An Arcade Center¡­I see.¡± It seemed that it lived up to its name. He turned to the others, looking very refreshed. ¡°Sherlock Holmes said that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the truth?¡± At that, the corner of his lip curled up. 1. The phrase used here literally trantes to ¡®You¡¯re admirablemendable¡¯, so it doesn¡¯t quite have as much emotional weight as the English phrase. ? Chapter 417. Arcade Center (2)

Chapter 417. Arcade Center (2)

When people were met with a wall, they would instinctively start inspecting the area around it, hoping to find some kind of mechanism that would make the hole passable¡ªsomething like a hole they could crawl through. However, Seo Jun-Ho threw away such foolish assumptions without a second thought and went back to the beginning. [The 5.5th Floor, ¡®Arcade Center¡¯, has opened.] [¡®Arcade Center¡¯ will be avable for two weeks.] [All yers may enter ¡®Arcade Center¡¯.] [It will be difficult, but we hope that as many people as possible would enter this Floor.] Keen Intuition had told him that the secret was hidden in the System logs. ¡®Are you sure that it¡¯s hidden in here?¡¯ - I have a strong feeling that it is there. At first, he was uncertain. However, after reading over the message logs a few times, he was finally sure about it. ¡®You were right.¡¯ Keen Intuition¡¯s words struck true. The hints were hidden in the System logs. ¡®Even entering the Floor is a game¡­ This is just like a real arcade.¡¯ When he snorted, Rahmadat knocked on his chest a few times. ¡°Stop snickering to yourself and tell us. What is the so-called truth?¡± ¡°Ah,don¡¯t be in such a rush. Just listen to me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho calmed the others down. ¡°When do you guys think the first Dimensional Elevator was made?¡± ¡°Historically, it¡¯s widely epted that Elisha Otis installed the first Dimensional Elevator ever in the Howard building back in 1857.¡± ¡°Of course, you know that, Skaya. That¡¯s the answer.¡± ¡°So what is the truth, Jun-Ho?¡± Gilberto pressed. He finally seemed interested. ¡°You still don¡¯t get it? In other words, it has been less than two hundred years since the Dimensional Elevators appeared in human society.¡± ¡°...!¡± At that, the entire party seemed to have realized something at the same time. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s possible,¡± Gilberto mused. ¡°So there was no need toplicate things. It turns out that it was just a riddle,¡± Skaya said. ¡°Oh!Then perhaps the System¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Miss Si-Eun.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. The System said so itself. [It will be difficult, but we hope that as many people as possible would enter this Floor.] ¡®It will be diffiicult¡¯ was a huge hint.[1] Without hesitation, Seo Jun-Ho pressed the Elevator¡¯s ¡®open¡¯ button. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± They went to the stairway. They ran up the stairs of the Korean yer Association all the way to the 5th Floor and passed right through the steps between the 5th and 6th floors. ¡°...I knew it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. There was a magic door waiting for them, leading to somewhere. ¡°Every building in the world should have a set of emergency stairs,¡± he said. The way to enter the 5.5th Floor was simple. All they had to do was use the stairs in any building until they were halfway through the 5th and 6th Floors. That was all. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Without further ado, the party walked into the door. When they did, a message appeared before them. [Congrattions! You are the first to enter ¡®Arcade Center¡¯.] [You have received 3,000 points as a reward.] A reward for being the first ones to enter the 5.5th Floor. That was already enough to make them happy, but an extra message appeared before Seo Jun-Ho. [Bringer of Spring¡¯s effect has been activated. All stats increased by 30.] ¡°Ooh!¡± Even though he hadn¡¯t taken the Dimensional Elevator, this was proof that he¡¯d entered the new 5.5th Floor from the 5th Floor. Otherwise, Bringer of Spring wouldn¡¯t have been activated, and his stats would have remained the same. ¡°Hm,this ce is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually an arcade.¡± The party members looked around, unable to hide their awe. It wasn¡¯t a metaphor. The 5.5th Floor¡ªArcade Center¡ªreallywasa giant arcade. ¡°Hm.Do we just need to go around and y games?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. As usual, I¡¯m pretty sure the System is about to give us a message with instructions on what to do.¡± Bingo. Right on time, system messages appeared before them. [Here are the instructions to use the Arcade Center.] [y the games installed around the arcade to set and record your records.] [The first andst yers who reach 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ce will get a big point bonus.] [You may exchange your points at any time for rewards in the shop.] [We hope you get good scores by using your Skills to the fullest extent.] [Perpetrators of assault, murder, interfering and cheating on games will be severely punished upon being caught.] [The System aims to create a happy and healthy game environment.] ¡°This reminds me of the old days,¡± Gilberto said. The brim of his cowboy hat was slightly lowered, and he had a nostalgic smile on his face. When he was a child, his parents would hold his hand and take him to game centers. Even if he yed there all day, the magical ce always made him look back at it when he had to go home. ¡°Unfortunately, Gilbe, we¡¯re adults now,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He ced a hand on Gilberto¡¯s shoulder before saying, ¡°Apparently, the first andst yers to reach 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ce will get a big point bonus.¡± ¡°I know.¡± The mood in the air changed. They were the first party to enter the Arcade Center, so it was clear what they needed to do. ¡°Okay, guys!Lesssgo!¡± Skaya eximed. They immediately separated into six different directions and started ying all kinds of games. The games were a little different from the ones on Earth. There was a game that tested how far they could throw a ball, there were ones where they had to guess which dice had a higher number, along with shooting games as well as games that tested their reflexes. Obviously, a yer would have to use their Skills in the majority of the games, but luck was also necessary. [Congrattions! You are the first one to reach 3rd ce in ¡®Ball Throw¡¯!] [You have received 100 points as a reward.] [Congrattions! You are the first one to reach 2nd ce in ¡®Ball Throw¡¯!] [You have received 250 points as a reward.] [Congrattions! You are the first one to reach 1st ce in ¡®Ball Throw¡¯!] [You have received 500 points as a reward.] Indeed, they had a monopoly here, and they just had to collect points blindly. However, the fun times ended earlier than they had expected. ¡°Hm.¡± It was all because there weren¡¯t many games that allowed them to set their own personal records. There were only about thirty of those games in total. The majority of the games required people to y against one another. ¡°In other words, we¡¯ll have to y against each other now,¡± Skaya said. She narrowed her eyes and turned to the others. ¡°If we want to rig the results, it would be very easy to do so¡­ Can you guys lose on purpose?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± ¡°If I actually try, I¡¯ll win all of them anyway.¡± ¡°Geez,I knew this would happen,¡± she sighed. All friends were like that. They would have good times together, but they would alsopete against each other. However, Skaya actually wanted them to lose on purpose? ¡°We can¡¯t have that. Come at me, Rahmadat,¡± Seo Jun-Ho taunted. ¡°Ha!Are you sure you want to challenge me?¡± Rahmadat snickered and stepped toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Are you sure you can win? I¡¯m the King of Destruction, Rahmadat.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m Specter~¡± ¡°You guys are so immature,¡± Skaya said, annoyed. It made her roll her eyes. However, she was also excited to watch the match because the game they chose was ¡®Arm Wrestling¡¯. ¡°All I know is that you can¡¯t beat me when ites to strength. Can¡¯t you see these beefy muscles?¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re all flimsy. On the other hand, my muscles were sculpted from battle.¡± They bickered like children. However, the mood abruptly changed once they sped each other¡¯s hands. Even the amused looks on the other party members¡¯ faces turned vanished as they looked on with serious expressions. ¡®Overclocking.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho mustered his magic and strengthened his body. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re using magic?¡± Rahmadat scoffed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the System message? It said to use our Skills to the fullest extent.¡± It didn¡¯t mention any kind of restrictions. In other words, Arcade Center fully supported yers using their Skills. ¡°Alright. If we use magic, there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll lose.¡± Rahmadat also mustered his magic. When he did, the pressure on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand grew unimaginably heavy. ¡®Shoot.¡¯Seo Jun-Ho maintained a straight face, but he was far from calm inside.¡®He¡¯s stupidly strong.¡¯ In an arm wrestling match, one could tell how strong one¡¯s opponent was just from how one¡¯s opponent sped one¡¯s hand. In that case, Rahmadat was like steel, not just stone. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m struggling this much even though my strength stat is 787.¡¯ What would have happened if Bringer of Spring hadn¡¯t activated when they entered the 5.5th Floor? And what if he didn¡¯t use Overclocking? Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but gulp. Afterward, he made sure to be extra focused. He could feel that he would lose the instant he let his guard down. [Before the game begins, please set the number of points you will bet.] ¡°Bet?¡± Jun-Ho said aloud. ¡°Hm.I see. It seems that people can steal each others¡¯ points when they y against each other.¡± ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°All in,¡± Rahmadat said confidently. ¡°I¡¯m betting all 7,550 points in this game.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll bet the same amount, then.¡± [The winner of this match will gain 15,100 points.] [Begin!] When the match started, the tense air between the two started heating up the area around them. ¡°Gilbe, what do you think?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°Hm.Jun-Ho is strong, but if we consider it in terms of pure strength, Rahmadat has a major advantage,¡± he muttered. He was right. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s arm was slowly tilting to the right. ¡°Hehehe. Hehehehe!¡± Rahmadat couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter when he thought about how he was going to tease Seo Jun-Ho for the rest of his life after winning this match. However, Jun-Ho didn¡¯t just stand by and watch. Crackle! ¡°...!¡± Rahmadat¡¯s arm started to freeze over. The extreme cold froze not only Rahmadat¡¯s muscles but his cells as well. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not fair to use that in a battle of strength¡­!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t recall agreeing to have a battle of strength.¡± It wasn¡¯t possible for Rahmadat¡¯s frozen arm to withstand Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s strength when the former couldn¡¯t even lift it anymore. As such, Rahmadat¡¯s hand tilted over just like that, and a message appeared in front of them. [Congrattions! You are the first one to reach 1st ce in ¡®Arm Wrestling!] [You have received 500 points as a reward.] Seo Jun-Ho shook off his tingling hand and grinned. ¡°I told you that your muscles are flimsy.¡± *** Three hours after Seo Jun-Ho and his party arrived at the Arcade Center, throngs of yers descended upon the Arcade Center as if they were in an amusement park opening. ¡°Dammit! We were toote!¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that we¡¯re not the first ones here?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± They looked at the rankings on each game and sighed. ¡°Look at that. The 5 Heroes and the Saintess swept them all up.¡± ¡°Even though we¡¯rete, let¡¯s still try.¡± ¡°Yeah. Every time someone ys a game, the scores will get higher.¡± ¡°And someone will break the record eventually.¡± They were wrong. Despite the yers¡¯ wishes, the 5 Heroes¡¯ scores were too big of a wall for them to cross. ¡°Dammit! How am I supposed to beat Gilberto Green¡¯s record in a shooting game?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same with Ball Throw. I don¡¯t think anyone can beat Rahmadat¡¯s record.¡± ¡°Is the Reflexes Test game broken? No matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t make more than half of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s score.¡± ¡°This is crazy. There¡¯s no way you can y the Healing Test game if you don¡¯t have a healing Skill!¡± In the end, the average yer only gained a trivial amount of points from the games. However, not every yer came here to collect points. ¡°This is a total scoop! Look at the arm wrestling match between the King of Destruction and Specter! Specter won!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a Swordy Test game here, too! I bet the match between the former Sword Saint Tenmei Mio and the current Sword Saint Kim Woo-Joong will be totally worth watching.¡± There were yers working as reporters among the crowd, and they came here to look for exclusive scoops rather than y games like the other yers. Those yers could only roam the 1st and 2nd Floors because of their low levels, so they were thirsty for scoopstely. For them, the 5.5th Floor was an oasis for their starving bodies. In fact, they were actually the ones who published articles about how to enter the 5th Floor. ¡°This is amazing. I will probably get promoted after this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, the public loves seeingparisons between the Heroes.¡± ¡°Yeah, this Floor is the perfect ce for that.¡± While tens of thousands of yers were enjoying the games at Arcade Center, an announcement appeared before them for the first time. [In 1 hour, yers in the 10th percentile of points will be forcefully sent to the ¡®Underground Octagon¡¯.] [If you lose in the ¡®Underground Octagon,¡¯ you will receive the Title ¡®Loser¡¯[2]and be expelled from Arcade Center.] Chapter 418. Arcade Center (3)

Chapter 418. Arcade Center (3)

Everyone immediately kicked up a fuss. ¡°The Underground Octagon? Is it gonna be like the UFC or something?¡± ¡°10th percentile... The cutoff isn¡¯t as bad as I thought.¡± ¡°I supposed it¡¯s just going to filter out the irrelevant ones.¡± ¡°What are the effects of the ¡®Loser¡¯ Title, though?¡± The yers casually checked the effects, but they were shocked to see it. ¡°Shit, what is this?!¡± ¡°Wait¡­ This changes everything!¡± [Loser] Grade: F Description: A title fitting for a loser. Effects: All stats are reduced by 10% for 365 days. The title¡¯s penalty was fatal. It would actually reduce one¡¯s stats for a whole year. Needless to say, the yers started growing antsy. However, another message appeared that saved them from panicking. [From now on, you can set up games of your own in the empty area.] [We hope you enjoy your games as much as possible.] ¡°We can set up a game of our own?¡± ¡°What in the world does that mean¡­?¡± As the yers muttered, they finally realized. This was an opportunity. ¡®The System doesn¡¯t prohibit yers from using their Skills in games.¡¯ ¡®In fact, it encourages it. No matter how much someone tries to argue with it, this ce is only essible to yers. ¡®And if I can set up a game of my own¡­¡¯ Once the yers realized what it meant, they dashed to the empty area. ¡°Everyone¡¯s in a hurry,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Yeah,¡± Skaya agreed. The two of them muttered as they watched them nkly. They didn¡¯t know about the others, but the two of them had no need to create a game of their own. ¡®There¡¯s no way we¡¯ll drop in the 10th percentile of points.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho checked his points. [Points: 31,700] These were the points he had collected by reaching 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ce in a variety of games, as well as by beating Rahmadat. Skaya also had over 20,000 points, so there was absolutely no reason for them to feel pressured. ¡°Hey, Jun-Ho. Wanna go look around the shop?¡± ¡°If you want.¡± Everyone else was too absorbed in collecting points, so there was no one in the 2-story shop. ¡°There aren¡¯t any employees as well.¡± All they could see was a variety of products disyed on the shelves,beled with price tags. ¡°Still, these prizes aren¡¯t bad,¡± Skaya said with sparkling eyes. She couldn¡¯t help but say that when she saw a few magical ingredients on disy that were normally hard to obtain otherwise. She gleefully collected all the ingredients she wanted into her arms, but she suddenly came to a halt. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± A bottle of potion caught her eye. [Potion of Youth] Grade: Rare Effects: Consume to remove wrinkles, increase stamina, and restore youth. Seo Jun-Ho peeked over her shoulder. When he saw the potion, he immediately asked, ¡°You want to give that to Deok-Gu?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, right,¡± Skaya shot back and started rambling. ¡°I just want it for myself. Appearances are important for us girls, so we always strive to maintain our beauty.¡± ¡°Yeah, right. I suppose a mere rare-grade potion wouldn¡¯t make someone¡¯s hair grow back.¡± Even though it was called the Potion of Youth, the effects weren¡¯t all that good. Seo Jun-Ho looked around the shop just in case there was an item with simr effects, but he couldn¡¯t find anything simr to it. ¡°Eek.Yeah, this one bottle costs 25,000 points.¡± ¡°I guess you won¡¯t be able to buy other magic ingredients then.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Skaya said dejectedly. Besides, if she bought this, she was sure to fall in the 10th percentile of points and be pulled into the Underground Octagon. ¡°You should just let it go. We don¡¯t have any idea what¡¯s down there, after all,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...¡± Skaya considered it for a moment. Then, she quietly put the magical ingredients in her arms back onto the shelves. ¡°I wanna buy this.¡± She had spent such a long time looking for a potion or herb that was simr to this one. If she were to miss this opportunity, she would have to wander around again for a few more years. Skaya bought the potion with no regrets and turned back to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I can just earn back my points. By grinding, of course.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s your choice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna go then! I¡¯m a busy woman!¡± She put away the potion into her Inventory and skipped out of the shop with a cheerful expression on her face. ¡°She still lingers on her adolescent love.¡± ¡°Pffft! You¡¯re probably right.¡± ¡°As I thought, reality is more entertaining than dramas.¡± The two of them looked at each other and chuckled. They knew Skaya¡¯s feelings. ¡°Are you not going to look around for now, Contractor?¡± asked the Frost Queen. ¡°The armory is on the second floor. I¡¯m going there.¡± Seo Jun-Ho skimmed the now-empty shop and headed up to the second floor. It just so happened that he was currently in the market for a sword to use. ¡°Hm?¡± He frowned the moment he stepped into the armory. ¡°Contractor, this is where they sell gears, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The second floor had weapons, armor, and other sorts of gear on disy. However, the atmosphere waspletely different from that of the lower floors. ¡°Why is the armor locked up in boxes, and what¡¯s up with these weapons¡­?¡± The armor and garments were all contained in hexagonal boxes with a ¡®?¡¯ on the front. Of course, it was impossible to tell their appearance, their names, their effects, and their grades. ¡°Taking that into consideration, choosing a weapon is a much better option,¡± the Frost Queen advised. ¡°...Are you sure?¡± They could at least see what the weapons looked like. However, they were severely rusted, and as expected, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t inspect them for more information. ¡°At this rate, I won¡¯t be able to choose anything,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Hm.Perhaps you should ask that guy.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at her in surprise. ¡°Intuition?¡± ¡°A-Ahem.They say that even a dog¡¯s urine can be used in medicine. It must be the case here.¡± - You¡¯re as noisy as always, kid. It had been a while since Keen Intuition spoke. ¡°So, what do you think? Do you think we¡¯ll be able to find something?¡± he asked. - Hm¡­ Keen Intuition took in all the hundreds of rusty weapons. - Allow me to remind you. Your intuition is built upon a foundation of your own instincts and experience. ¡°A-ha.So you are saying that you do not know either,¡± said the Frost Queen. - I never said such a thing. I simply cannot be sure. In short, even if Keen Intuition picked out a weapon for him, the chance of hitting jackpot wasn¡¯t very high. ¡°Is there anything that catches your attention?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. - There is one thing, but¡­ ¡°What is it?¡± The sword that Keen Intuition picked was in a horrible state. It was even rustier than the other swords, and the de had actually fallen off. ¡°Contractor, I believe that Intuition is no longer of use. What do you think of obtaining a new one?¡± - Kid, I am not a consumable. ¡°Hm.¡± Even Seo Jun-Ho agreed that this sword looked bad. Even if they went through all the trouble of getting rid of the rust, it couldn¡¯t possibly be a functional sword. ¡®So, what is it?¡¯ It was calling out to him. It was calling out to his heart rather than his logical mind. Keen Intuition said that he was made up of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s experiences and instincts, so it was probably why he felt a tug toward it as well. ¡°Contractor, are youactuallygoing to buy that sword?¡± The Frost Queen was a little worried because the sword cost a whopping 30,000 points. ¡°Contractor, you will be pulled down to the basement if you buy this! You may have to fight Skaya as well.¡± ¡°...¡± Finally, Seo Jun-Ho could understand what Skaya felt a few minutes ago. ¡°I can just earn back my points. By grinding, of course.¡± ¡°Sighhh.Whatever. Don¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± The Frost Queen gave up. She looked away with her arms crossed. [Transactionplete.] His points drained like water and were reced by a rusty sword. Seo Jun-Ho felt a strange sense of excitement mixed with nervousness. ¡°Item data.¡± [Rusty Sword No. 317] Grade: Unique Description: A great sword crafted by one of the Seventeen Master cksmiths of the Universe, Fafner. *Magic Affinity: This weapon can amodate an infinite amount of magic power. *Tailoring: The handle of this weapon automatically adjusts to fit the wielder¡¯s hand. *Tetanus: This item is rusty. Whoever is cut by it will catch tetanus. *Anonymous: The name of this weapon is currently hidden. *I Am Not a Weapon: This weapon cannot be used as a weapon in the meantime. ¡°What the¡­¡± Most Unique-grade weapons had three effects attached to them, but this weapon had a total of five. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if the final three traits can be called ¡®effects¡¯,¡± the Frost Queen noted. ¡°Plus, the first two traits are only useful if the sword can be used as a weapon.¡± Seo Jun-Ho infused it with the slightest bit of magic, but it seemed like it would fall apart at any time. The handle didn¡¯t change to fit his hand as well. Seo Jun-Ho blinked. ¡°...Am I screwed?¡± ¡°This is why I told you not to buy it. - Hm. Keen Intuition probably sensed the same thing as Jun-Ho. This sword was y made by one of the Seventeen Master cksmiths of the Universe, so it was made by a remarkable person. ¡®But it can¡¯t be used as a weapon right now?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and put the sword away into its sheath. ¡°You do not look very nervous,¡± the Frost Queen observed. ¡°The weapons here are rusty. I¡¯m sure they set up a way to get rid of the rust, too.¡± This ce was under the System¡¯s control, after all. There was no way that this was some kind of crazy ce that only sold rusty weapons. ¡°But even if such a solution exists, it will require points as well,¡± she warned. ¡°Then I can just earn points.¡± Seo Jun-Ho strode confidently out of the shop and went back to where the yers were located. Unfortunately, there was something he had failed to consider. He had already yed the majority of the games where he could set a record. To actually earn points, he had no other choice but to y games against other people. And that was where the problems started¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know if I can y with Specter-nim¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna lose, so why would I? I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°We¡¯re ying over here. Can you please go somewhere else?¡± They left him out. The yers knew that they would lose if they yed against him, so they turned him down every time he requested topete with them. ¡°Come on, where am I supposed to earn points then¡­?¡± To add insult to injury, the same message would appear up every ten minutes. [In 30 minutes, yers in the 10th percentile of points will be forcefully sent to the ¡®Underground Octagon¡¯.] [If you lose in the ¡®Underground Octagon¡¯, you will receive the Title ¡®Loser¡¯ and be expelled from Arcade Center.] ¡®There are only thirty minutes left?¡¯ His face fell. In the absolute worst-case scenario, he could receive the ¡®Loser¡¯ Title. ¡®The Loser Title reduces all stats by 10% for a year.¡¯ It was ridiculous. He had to kill the Heavenly Demon, so losing ten percent of his stats, even though it would be temporary, was a huge burden that he wouldn¡¯t be able to endure. ¡°I can¡¯t lose just lose ten percent of my stats for such a dumb reason.¡± He did his best to look for yers he couldpete with, but none of them wanted topete with him. ¡°Contractor! Go over there instead of doing this.¡± ¡°...The empty area?¡± The area where yers could make a game of their own. Seo Jun-Ho made his way over there and started observing the games. ¡°N-No, how could this be¡­¡± ¡°Dammit! I¡¯m telling you, this bastard is cheating! You expect me to believe that his hundred percent win rate is valid?!¡± ¡°If I reallywerecheating, the System would have already punished me. Isn¡¯t that the case?¡± The game masters had their win rates disyed above their heads. ¡®99%, 94%, 97%, 100%...¡¯ In other words, not even ten percent of the participants won in any of these games. Just then, Skaya appeared next to him. ¡°Oh,you too?¡± She asked. ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± Actually, the yers here were the strong ones the other yers decided to exclude in their games. Both the game masters and the yers were prominent yers. ¡°Skaya, this is a ce for people to use their skills to cheat.¡± ¡°I know that. If we want to survive in this jungle, we have to be smart about this.¡± She tapped on her temple and let out a small sigh. ¡°Still, we¡¯re the 5 Heroes. We can¡¯t humiliate ourselves by going to that underground fight club, can we?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed. If he wanted to keep himself from going to the Underground Octagon and return the sword to its original state, he had to do something. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The two of them walked up to the game masters. And several observers were watching the two of them through a screen¡­ ¡°Specter¡­ Do you think he will be able toe all the way here?¡± ¡°Perhaps. Based on the current situation, there is a high chance that he won¡¯t be able toe here. Personally, I would like it if he managed toe here.¡± They were wearing white suits and were sitting on a sofa, and they were looking at Specter with clear animosity in their eyes. Chapter 419. Arcade Center (4) Chapter 419. Arcade Center (4) There were only about twenty booths in total in the empty area. ¡°Isn¡¯t it weird? It would be advantageous for anyone to make their own game. I can¡¯t believe there are only twenty games,¡± Skayamented.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason for this,¡± Seo Jun-Ho agreed. The list of rules gave them the answer. 1. Any yer can create their own game after paying 3,000 points. 2. If you be a game master, you cannot refuse a game with a yer. 3. If a game master loses three games in a row, they will lose their right to be a game master. The rules were very simple. At the same time, they exined why there were so few booths. ¡®It costs 3,000 points to create a game, and you¡¯ll lose it if you lose three times in a row.¡¯ Just those two rules exined everything. In other words, the twenty people who were still brazenly running their booths were all veterans in their own games. ¡®And the game masters here can¡¯t refuse a game with us.¡¯ At the very least, they could actually y a game instead of being excluded like before. The first booth the two of them walked up to was the one boasting a 94% win rate. ¡°Alright, alright, this is an easy game. Easy. If you win, you¡¯ll gain three times the number of points you bet. Three times!¡± The game master was shuffling his cards with a friendly smile on his face. He exined the rules to the onlookers, ¡°Each yer will take a card and ce it on their forehead so their opponent can see it. You make a bet if you think your card is higher after looking at your opponent¡¯s card. That¡¯s all. Easy, right?¡± ¡°So it¡¯s Indian poker,¡± Skaya muttered. ¡°You know this game?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I yed it a few times when I was young, and it¡¯s not that hard. Since you y with a single deck of cards, you just need to memorize your card and your opponent¡¯s card at each turn. You can win easily by inferring what cards you have based on that.¡± ¡°I guess you need a good memory.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew that he had a pretty good memory, but it was nothingpared to Skaya¡¯s memory. ¡°Do you want to y, then?¡± ¡°No.¡± Surprisingly, Skaya shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m talking about regr Indian poker. There¡¯s no way that the game master has been winning so far just with his memory. If that¡¯s the case, then he wouldn¡¯t have a 94% win rate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I think it would be better if you yed this one.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Skaya looked around and grinned. ¡°She¡¯s here, isn¡¯t she? Our cute little Queen?¡± ¡°I never leave my subjects behind, such as you.¡± Just as Skaya said, the Frost Queen was there, making herself only visible to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Yeah, if Frost reads my opponent¡¯s hand and tells me, there¡¯s no way I can lose.¡¯ It was a strategy that guaranteed victory. In fact, it was a proven method, as he had already tried it once at a gambling parlor in Frontier. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll y.¡± ¡°Do you want me to lend you points? If you win though, you have to pay me back twice the amount.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho sat down confidently, the game master¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°To think that Specter woulde to my booth¡­ It¡¯s a great honor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded coolly and bet all 3,700 of his points. At that, the game master¡¯s lip curled a little. ¡°Oh, now that I think about it, your achievements on the 5th Floor were very admirable. There were so many articles about your feats as well.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s y.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. We shall. But before that¡­¡± The game master pressed a button that was on his booth. When he did, ck smoke that only the two of them could see appeared around them. ¡°It¡¯s only right for me to make my own preparations, right? I can¡¯t just y a game against a Spirit user without any precautions.¡± ¡°...¡± This meant that the game master had seen the news. Seo Jun-Ho had no other choice but to reveal the Frost Queen on the 5th Floor, so the news about him being a Spirit user became widespread. ¡°Apparently, game masters like me can use their points to upgrade their booths like this. In other words, we can take countermeasures against other yers¡¯ tricks beforehand.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The game masters couldn¡¯t reject any yer who wanted to y with them, so they had this feature for the sake of bnce. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked around, but all he saw was ck smoke. He couldn¡¯t hear nor see the Frost Queen. The only way he could win here was by relying wholly on his own skills. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m putting them in.¡± At that, the gamemaster put two decks of cards into a machine that looked like a toaster. When he did, a thwap sound could be heard as the cards were shuffled, and the machine dispensed a deck of cards in front of each yer. ¡°Let¡¯s begin. We will each get 50 chips to bet with.¡± The game master looked impatient. He hurriedly distributed the chips, drew a card, and ced it on his forehead. ¡®Hehe. I got this.¡¯ His lips were already twitching as he tried his best to hold back a smile. Specter was a Hero that many people respected. He was someone that a criminal like the game master would never get the chance to see personally. The thought of bringing such a man to his knees made him feel a strange sense of ecstasy and excitement. ¡®There will be articles calling me the man who defeated Specter, and there will definitely be a deluge of interview requests for me.¡¯ He was a third-rate human being who went around ying in illegal underground gambling parlors, but even someone like him couldpletely turn their life around. There were two reasons why he was so sure of his victory. ¡®Okay, Specter-nim. Please go ahead and read my hand.¡¯ He had a total of two Skills. One of them was Prize in the Mirror (F), and the other was Mind Reading (C). ¡®Even though it¡¯s just for a moment, Prize in the Mirror lets me see through the eyes of the target.¡¯ In other words, he could see both the hand of his opponent as well as his own. This was a game that he couldn¡¯t lose even if he wanted to lose. ¡®Of course, there are yers that are immune to this Skill.¡¯ In that case, Mind Reading (C) woulde into y. He had two ways to win, so he had an overwhelmingly high win rate. ¡°Hm.¡± After pondering over something for a long time, Specter finally ced his card on his forehead. And that was where the problems started for the game master... ¡°...?¡± The game master blinked and spoke, ¡°Um, Specter-nim? You won¡¯t be able to bet if you don¡¯t look at my card.¡± ¡°Is it against the rules?¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡± The gamemaster trembled. ¡®What kind of crazy bastard ys Indian poker with their eyes closed?!¡¯ He was taken aback by his opponent¡¯s strange behavior, but he quicklyposed himself. ¡®No, this is good.¡¯ Specter was not going to look at his cards. In other words, he couldn¡¯t count the cards. At that, the smile finally returned to his face. ¡®He¡¯s going to dig his own grave after trying to take countermeasures against my Skill.¡¯ Specter made such a stupid choice that it made the game master doubt if he truly was the world-famous hero. ¡°How many chips will you bet?¡± he asked. ¡°All in,¡± Specter replied. ¡°...!¡± The game master flinched. ¡®Dammit. There¡¯s no way he can count the cards without looking at them, but he¡¯s actually this confident despite that.¡¯ He thought for a second and sighed. ¡°I fold.¡± He didn¡¯t bet, so he only lost one chip. When Specter put down his card, the game master checked both of their cards. ¡®I had the seven of hearts, and Specter had the eight of clovers.¡¯ A small shiver ran down his spine. ¡®His luck is incredibly good.¡¯ If he had gone all in without knowing any better, he would have lost without being able to do anything. The game master let out a sigh of relief and nodded. ¡®I suppose I¡¯ll just lose a bit in the beginning.¡¯ He was the only one who could count cards anyway, so the longer this went on, his chances of winning would be higher. Certainly, that was correct in theory¡­ ¡°Good game.¡± ¡°...?¡± The ck smoke surrounding the two of them faded into nothing. It meant that the game was over. By the time the game master pulled himself together, he had already lost all fifty chips. ¡°H-How?¡± he asked. It was an innocent question. How was Specter able to make such precise calctions without looking at his card a single time? Specter scratched his cheek and shrugged. ¡°Call it intuition, I guess?¡± *** The game masters in the empty area were strong. However, they didn¡¯t have a hundred percent win rate. After all, there was no such thing as a perfect yer. ¡°Better the devil you know than the devil you don¡¯t. You two sure live up to your name.¡± ¡°Of course, we do.¡± The 5 Heroes were at the peak of yers. In other words, it would be difficult for other yers to trick Seo Jun-Ho and Skaya with Skills. Skaya and Seo Jun-Ho umted more points than what they ever owned after spending just thirty minutes among the game masters. ¡°We get three times the points we bet if we won, so it was really easy for us to earn points,¡± Skaya said. ¡°Yeah. But¡­¡± The problem was that the game masters closed their booths after thirty minutes. They were scared that the two of them would keep ying. In the end, the empty area really became an empty area. [In 5 seconds, yers in the 10th percentile of points will be forcefully sent to the ¡®Underground Octagon¡¯.] [If you lose in the ¡®Underground Octagon,¡¯ you will receive the Title ¡®Loser¡¯ and be expelled from Arcade Center.] The long-awaited ¡®thinning¡¯ finally started. When the time came, nearly all the yers stopped ying to go down to the basement. ¡°You can¡¯t even pay money to see yers fight most of the time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m excited.¡± And there were as many cynical people as there were excited ones¡­ ¡°But if they¡¯re the yers in the 10th percentile in terms of points, they¡¯re probably all weaklings, so...¡± ¡°It probably won¡¯t be fun to watch.¡± However, their assumptions couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. ¡°Come onnnnn!¡± The very first yer to step up to the octagon was a famous yer. ¡°I¡¯m sure it was number three! There was a dice in there! I saw it with my own two eyes!¡± ¡°Sigh. This is why I told you not to gamble in the empty area¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha couldn¡¯t hide her regret and frustration. Gong Ju-Ha keptining to Ha In-Ho, who was standing outside of the octagon. ¡°Okay. I forfeit.¡± Her opponent directly surrendered before she could burn them to death. The audience was disappointed that her match fell through, but it was only for a moment. It was all because another famous yer stepped up to the octagon. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that the Vice Master of Bigfoot?¡± ¡°Wait, the same Bigfoot that¡¯s aiming for a spot in the Big 6 ever since Sky Soul fell?¡± ¡°Bigfoot is aiming to be in the Big 6? The difference between them is way too big, though.¡± ¡°Shhh! Haven¡¯t you heard the rumor that members of Bigfoot have horrible personalities? They¡¯re huge lobbyists, too.¡± ¡°There are more big shots here than I expected...¡± The so-called famous yer was the Vice Guild Master of the Bigfoot Guild, Daich. He had always been bad at games, and he was annoyed about the fact that he had toe here. ¡®Dammit. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m in the 10th percentile of points with trash like these.¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha had appeared in the match before his, but he was still frustrated. ¡®She¡¯s only the Captain of Goblin¡¯s Team 1, so I can obviously beat her.¡¯ Well, if he were to fight one of the Nine Heavens like Shin Sung-Hyun, it would be a closer match. Daich didn¡¯t bother hiding his bad humor as he directly summoned sixty magic missiles. On top of that, he cast six powerful spells and put tenyers of magic on each projectile. Cheers starteding from the audience. ¡°He¡¯s multi-casting! With sixty magic missiles at that!¡± ¡°And each one has tenyers of magic. That isn¡¯t easy!¡± ¡°Hm. Even though I don¡¯t really like his personality, I admit that he¡¯s skilled. The rumors were true.¡± ¡°I heard Skaya Killnd used 128yers of magic on the 5th Floor, though.¡± ¡°Come on, that was just an exaggeration.¡± ¡®What? 128yers? Those idiots. It seems that they really believe everything they hear.¡¯ Multi-casting and magicyering were totally different. Daich could cast sixty magic missiles at a time, but his limit was actually tenyers. ¡®Even Skaya Killnd would only be able to do about fifteenyers or so. A hundred, my ass!¡¯ The rumor was so ridiculous it ignited Daich¡¯s fury, and he wanted to vent his anger as soon as possible. And just in time, his opponent stepped up to the octagon. ¡°Ugh. I wasn¡¯t able to y a single game after I lost to that bastard Jun-Ho.¡± His opponent was a giant that looked more pissed than Daich. Rahmadat Khali took a nce at Daich¡¯s spell, and he scowled darkly. ¡°Oh? It¡¯s magicyering. One, two, three, four, five, six. What, are you a sixth-grader?¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°This is nothingpared to that nerd. She¡¯s over tenth grade, you see?¡± He cracked his knuckles. ¡°I¡¯m in a really bad mood right now, so this might hurt a little.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy! Can¡¯t you see all this? You won¡¯t be able to get close to me!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± By the time the ten 10yered magic missiles shot out toward Rahmadat, he had already made his way to Daich. ¡°Grit your teeth.¡± ¡°...!¡± Crack! ¡°Guh!¡± A fist as big as a pot lid struck him in the sr plexus, and he crumpled. He fell to the ground and started twitching like a frog. He looked at Rahmadat with resentment. ¡°If you were going to hit me there¡­ Why did you tell me to grit my teeth¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right. If you hadn¡¯t done that, your spit would have gotten everywhere. It¡¯s gross.¡± The King of Destruction, Rahmadat Khali, surprisingly cared a lot about hygiene. Chapter 420. Arcade Center (5) Chapter 420. Arcade Center (5) [You have won the Underground Octagon match.] [You have received 500 points as a reward.] ¡°Nice.¡± Rahmadat nodded with a satisfied look. These were the first points he received ever since that bastard Seo Jun-Ho yed that unfair, underhanded, unmanly trick on him. ¡®Wait, 500 points from one match?¡¯ It was the same number of points that they had received from being the first ones to rank number 1 in any game at the arcade. He stroked his thick chin. ¡®I suppose they give us such high rewards because we could obtain the Loser Title by losing here.¡¯ It didn¡¯t take long for him to reach a decision. ¡®The games upstairs are so tiring because they require so much thinking. Can¡¯t I just keep fighting here?¡¯ Once the thought crossed his mind, the Underground Octagon suddenly felt asfortable as his own house. Plus, he felt like he would lose less muscle if he stayed here rather than going back up and just sitting around. The System had to have read his mind because a system message appeared. [Would you like to be a fighter of the Underground Octagon?] [Upon bing a fighter, you can fight until you are satisfied.] [Upon bing a fighter, you will not obtain the ¡®Loser¡¯ Title even if you lose a match.] [However, you cannot turn down a fight, and you cannot leave the Octagon until you copse from exertion.] It was a tempting offer for someone like him who loved a good fight. He nodded without even giving it a second thought. ¡°Deal!¡± *** While Seo Jun-Ho and Skaya were clearing out the empty area and Rahmadat was reigning as the King of the Underground Octagon, Gilberto, Cha Si-Eun, and Mio were talking to each other with serious expressions on their faces. ¡°There aren¡¯t any exits?¡± Gilberto asked. ¡°Yes. I have already checked several times,¡± Mio said. ¡°Me, too. I think I¡¯ve already checked all the areas, but I still didn¡¯t see any exits,¡± Cha Si-Eun agreed. ¡°...¡± Gilberto immediately looked up. ¡®Eagle Eye.¡¯ His vision expanded like he was looking through an expensive lens, and he scanned the entirety of the ceiling. ¡®There are too many of them that it¡¯s starting to get suspicious.¡¯ He deactivated Eagle Eye and let out a small sigh. ¡°Things are starting to seem more and more ominous.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Mio asked. ¡°There are a lot of security cameras. There are at least a few hundred of them.¡± They filled the entire ceiling as if they were refusing to give them a single blind spot. ¡°In any case, I think we have to meet up with Jun-Ho and Skaya.¡± ¡°Oh, they were in the empty area thest time I saw them,¡± Cha Si-Eun informed them. The three of them headed over to the empty area. As they did, they started hearing the grumbling of the yers who had stopped by the shop. ¡°Come on, why are the items so low-quality?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. I thought they¡¯d be at least at a simr level to the items on the 2nd Floor Administrator¡¯s Store, so I¡¯m really disappointed.¡± ¡°Not only that, the weapons and armor are junk that can¡¯t even be used in the meantime.¡± ¡°I told you. There are some rare magical ingredients, but other than that, they¡¯re just random items.¡± The moreints Gilberto heard, the more suspicious he became about all this. ¡®Is this really a ce that¡¯s meant for yers?¡¯ It was too early to say. Gilberto hurried before more yers started to grow suspicious. ¡°Wow, who¡¯s this? Gilbe, Mio, and even Miss Si-Eun?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Ooh, this is an unexpected trio. I like it~¡± Gilberto quickly spoke when he discovered the two. ¡°Jun-Ho, Skaya. Let¡¯s talk for a bit.¡± When they saw how serious he looked and sounded, the group headed to a corner, and Skaya cast several spells. ¡°No one around us can hear or see us. So just what is it that you look so serious?¡± she asked. ¡°There aren¡¯t any exits,¡± Gilberto said tly. The two of them blinked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Are you sure you looked hard enough?¡± ¡°At the very least, we¡¯re sure that there aren¡¯t any normal exits,¡± he said. ¡°...Give me a second.¡± Sensing how serious the situation was, Skaya drew a magic circle in the air. ¡°Detect. Stairs, doors, and elevators.¡± At her order, her magic shot out in all different directions. When it returned shortly after, she let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Sigh, you were right. The only door it detected was the door to the basement and the door to the shop.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s true that there aren¡¯t any exists.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes furrowed a little. At that, Gilberto turned to him. ¡°Jun-Ho, I¡¯m starting to wonder if this ce is just one giant trap.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Think about it. What can yers gain from being here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± In Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s case, he gained stat points thanks to Bringer of Spring. However, the only thing that the other yers could gain was points. And even then, there wasn¡¯t much they could do with the points because there weren¡¯t many items worth buying at the shop. ¡°But there¡¯s definitely something to lose...¡± There were tens of thousands of yers who hadnded in the 10th percentile of points out of the hundreds of thousands who hade here. They would be expelled from the area after receiving a penalty that would reduce their stats by ten percent for a year. ¡°...¡± When he thought about it that way, he finally recognized the severity of the situation. All of a sudden, it felt like this entire Floor was created for the sake of weakening the yers. ¡°Now that you say that, Gilbe, I¡¯m starting to sense that there¡¯s something malicious at work here,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Jun-Ho, who do you think would do such a thing?¡± Mio asked. ¡°It¡¯s obvious.¡± The only ones who hated the yers were the demons. However, that was the problem¡­ ¡°I had no idea that they were strong enough to manipte the System,¡± he said. If the 5.5th Floor was one giant trap, it meant that the demons had thrown the bait from the moment the yers cleared the 5th Floor. ¡®They purposefully pushed back the opening date of the 6th Floor. They gave us no other choice but toe here because the 6th Floor is still closed.¡¯ In that case, what was their true goal here? Lowering the stats of all the yers by ten percent? ¡°...No, that¡¯s only an extra perk.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes darkened. The demons weren¡¯t simpletons that merely yed tricks. Compared to the yers, they would most definitely do something that was much more shrewd and cruel. ¡°No matter what, I have a bad feeling about this.¡± His intuition told him that they had to get out of this ce as soon as possible. He got the feeling that this wasn¡¯t the end but the shy beginning of something much bigger. ¡°The problem is the other yers,¡± Cha Si-Eun spoke up. As she said, the yers had been going mad trying to earn points up until a moment ago. So, there wasn¡¯t exactly anyone who wanted to leave this ce. However, that wasn¡¯t the case anymore¡­ ¡°The yers are starting to grow tired, too,¡± Gilberto said. ¡°Yeah, because they realized that there aren¡¯t many things that are worth buying at the shop even if they earn points,¡± Skaya agreed. ¡°And I can already see what they¡¯re going to do afterward...¡± They would definitely go back, whether it be back to their home or back to the field. However, what would happen if they realized that they couldn¡¯t leave? ¡°Sigh.¡± As soon as Seo Jun-Ho massaged his wrinkled forehead, amotion started around them. ¡°Tsk. I¡¯m turning in for the day.¡± ¡°Wait, but how do we leave?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a door or an elevator somewhere.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see any. Did you?¡± ¡°No, me neither¡­¡± The yers quickly kicked up a fuss. Seo Jun-Ho saw that, and his eyes turned cold. ¡°Skaya, you¡¯re a demon now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He ignored his friends¡¯ bewildered looks as he exined, ¡°So think like a demon. What would you do in this situation, what are you going to do now that the yers have fallen into chaos?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± She closed her eyes and thought to herself. If she were a demon that hated yers and had some level of control over the System¡­ The answer was obvious. ¡°I would excite them even more in some way so that the yers would start killing each other.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Seo Jun-Ho bit his lip and prepared himself for the mayhem that would soone. ¡°In that case, what we need to do is minimize infighting as much as possible.¡± ¡°Jun-Ho, to be frank, the five of us aren¡¯t enough to cate hundreds of thousands of yers,¡± Mio said. ¡°That¡¯s why we need to get some helpers,¡± he said. Mere strength wasn¡¯t enough. The yers would only listen to someone who had great influence. Thankfully, there were many people here who could provide them with that. *** ¡°Specter¡­! Spect¡ª¡± Painful groans continued to echo throughout the sealed cave. ¡°My poor master. He has to be in so much pain,¡± Isaac Dvor muttered sympathetically. He heard something falling somewhere next to him. He turned at the sound and rejoiced. ¡°You hunted a pig today.¡± ¡°I will trim and cook it,¡± the Chef said, delighted. He dragged the pig away and disappeared. When the Chef disappeared, Valencia silently stared at Isaac and said, ¡°Isaac, when you brought back the Neigong Chip, couldn¡¯t you have brought the System Chip as well?¡± ¡°I have told you several times before. Unfortunately, my liege did not give me such an order.¡± ¡°...¡± He wasn¡¯t lying at all, but it still didn¡¯t get rid of the unpleasant feeling within her. ¡®If only he brought back the System Chip.¡¯ If he had done so, their leader wouldn¡¯t have been in such a state, and they could have even killed Specter. ¡°I think that you are very angry at me, Miss Cia.¡± Isaac smiled warmly at her when he sensed her killing intent. ¡°You always never think about the team. Your first priority is always your own amusement. I don¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°Is that why you wish to kill me?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But if our leader finds that his servant is dead when he wakes up, wouldn¡¯t that displease him?¡± ¡°...I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m leaving you alive.¡± ¡°I am grateful. Will you dine with us?¡± ¡°Eat as much as you want, you stupid magician.¡± Isaac chuckled once she left. He looked up at the sky and muttered to himself, ¡°I suppose the Colonel and the King of Corpses will start moving as well.¡± For this mission, they would inflict terror that was on a different level than everything else they had done so far. It was all because this was a part of the n that would put the Fiend Association under the demons. ¡°What a shame.¡± Isaac Dvor was truly disappointed that he wouldn¡¯t be written on the ¡®first page¡¯ of the history book that was about to be written. *** ¡°Eek! I forfeit!¡± ¡°Hm. Another forfeit.¡± Rahmadat Khali wasn¡¯t satisfied. He had decided to be a fighter in the Underground Octagon because he wanted to stretch his muscles a bit, but no one could give him a proper fight. ¡®They¡¯re too weak.¡¯ Back in his day, there had been more spirited people who would just go ahead and fight him regardless of the consequences. [You have won the Underground Octagon match.] [This is your 32nd consecutive victory. You have received 800 points as a reward.] ¡°Tsk.¡± After thinking for the first time in a while, he realized that he couldn¡¯t use his points no matter how many points he gained because he couldn¡¯t leave this ce after bing an Octagon fighter. ¡®I don¡¯t like this.¡¯ Every time he tried to leave, a System message would appear. [You are an Underground Octagon fighter.] [You cannot leave the Octagon until you copse from exertion.] ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh.¡± What, was he supposed to eat, sleep, and piss here? He snorted and shook his head. ¡°Take all my points, and do whatever you want. I¡¯m gonna leave. I¡¯m starting to get hungry as well.¡± Just as he was about to rip out the steel bars of the Octagon with his bare hands, he was interrupted by a smooth-sounding voice. ¡°Excuse me, you can¡¯t do that. Please return to the ring and continue fighting.¡± In addition, he could feel a disturbing energy. ¡°Finally. It¡¯s about time that I fight someone worth fighting.¡± Rahmadat shed a toothy grin and slowly turned around. However, Rahmadat frowned when he saw the man d in a white suit with his hands behind his back. ¡°Huh? Wait¡­ You¡¯re not a yer.¡± The aura spilling out from the man¡¯s body was clearly demonic energy. Chapter 421. Direction of Evil (1) Chapter 421. Direction of Evil (1) "God damn it? Where¡¯s the exit!?" "Tell the Administrator toe out! There must be an Administrator!" "Hey, open your eyes and get it together." "What? What a funny bastard. Do you want to die?" As the confusion intensified, the yers started showing increasingly violent tendencies. It was a situation where it seemed like a torrent would pour out if someone turned on the tap. tter. Dozens of yers started flocking over to the vacant lot. "Hey, hey, look over there." "Look at what?! We¡¯re so busy looking for an exit¡ªHuk!" "¡­ Are they going to hold a world summit or something here?" Just as sparrows couldn''t pass by a mill, the surviving journalists couldn''t just pass by this situation. Click, click! The sounds of camera shutters could be heard here and there. ¡®This is crazy! Big 5 and the Guild Masters of the major guilds are gathered together.¡¯ ¡®Even all of the Nine Heavens except Yuri Alekseyev have gathered.¡¯ ¡®If someone said that they¡¯re trying to conquer the Earth with that force, I¡¯d believe them.¡¯ ¡®To be able to force all those forces toe out at once...¡¯ ¡®It''s no exaggeration to say that Specter has regained all his past influence by now.¡¯ Receiving the attention of the crowd, Seo Jun-Ho looked quite different from usual. It was all because he was wearing a mask right now. ¡®It''s the Specter mask. He doesn¡¯t have to wear that anymore for people to know that he¡¯s Specter, so why is he wearing that all of a sudden?¡¯ ¡®It''s probably not just a performance to show off.¡¯ ¡®Is there a deeper meaning behind it?¡¯ As the Guild''s masters and the Nine Heavens started wondering, Specter finally spoke, "I''ll put it bluntly. Let us join forces." Ah! At that moment, the Guild Masters nodded without realizing it. They finally realized why Seo Jun-Ho was wearing the Specter mask. ¡®That guy speaks informally when he wears a mask.¡¯ ¡®Does he mean that it''s a waste of time to persuade people and coordinate everyone¡¯s thoughts while trying to be respectful to everyone?" ¡®That mask looksfortable. Should I get one?¡¯ Specter continued, "I think you all know roughly what''s going on, but we can''t calm if we are scattered.¡± "We were actually thinking about what to do, but thank you for taking the bullet," said Master Son Chae-Won of the Silent Moon with a smile. Those who were pretty smart had already noticed the secret of the 5.5th Floor. Of course, there were some exceptions. "Hey, Mr. Specter. I have no idea what this is about, can you exin it to me?" asked Milphage, the Mercenary King. At that, Seo Jun-Ho briefed everyone. "¡­In short, you''re saying that it''s highly likely that the demons did this, right?¡± "As of now, yes." "And they''re going to use the System to stir up chaos?" "At the moment, that has the highest chance ofing true." "Whooo. I was literally blind. I survived thanks to you." Upon learning the truth, Milphage started looking at the situation differently. ¡®...I see. So that¡¯s what the girl from Silent Moon meant by taking the bullet.¡¯ This was not a matter that would end simply by noticing the secrets of the 5.5th Floor and the looming threat. A single Guild''s power wouldn''t be able to put a stop to the disturbance that hundreds of thousands of yers were making. ¡®In the end, everyone has to work together to solve this problem.¡¯ ¡®The question is, which Guild will be the center point for other guilds to unite around?¡¯ ¡®The status of the Guild that solves this situation will rise ridiculously.¡¯ ¡®If Specter hadn''t called us to save face, we would have had a hell of a mental battle.¡¯ ''It''s certainly convenient to be able to skip such a cumbersome procedure.¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun pondered for a while and asked, "But even if we gather as many people as we can, it will only be about three thousand people. Will we be able to control hundreds of thousands?" "No." Specter nailed it home. It was the cold reality. There was a limit regardless of how strong the elites were. "Then isn¡¯t it meaningless for us to get together like this?" "It¡¯s not. If we can''t control hundreds of thousands, we just have to reduce their numbers." ¡°¡­!¡± Shin Sung-Hyun seemed nervous as he asked, "Don''t tell me that you have a dangerous idea¡ª¡± "I know what you''re thinking, but you got it wrong." Specter looked back at Skaya and said, "Skaya, it''s not hard to put the yers to sleep with magic, is it?¡± "Yeah, it¡¯s easy. Especially if they are beginners with low magic resistance, Sleep magic works well on them." "Ah!" The Guild Masters could finally see the outline of the operation. "They¡¯re novices anyway, so we¡¯re going to put them to sleep so that they won¡¯t go on a rampage.¡± "Indeed, most of the hundreds of thousands gathered here are novice yers, so magic will work well on them." "It''s a good¡ªno, it¡¯s impressive." "Then, we should quickly gather the mages who know how to use Sleep magic from each Guild.¡± The n proceeded quickly because these were people who could infer ten things when told just one thing. It was not long before the entire arcade center was covered with the sound of snoring. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a solo stage with only mages being active. There were many yers aside from them who could put someone to sleep with their skill. "Hey. Don''t you think our vision is getting kinda blurry? I think I can see something like fog." "Huh? You, too? I thought I was the only one with blurry vision¡­ Haaa, I''m suddenly sleepy." "Everyone sleep well. We will find the exit while you y in dreand.¡± In particr, Gasman of the Goblin Guild yed the biggest role. The sleeping gasing from his body could easily put the yers to sleep. Of course, not everything went smoothly. "What is this fog?! The Guild bastards are trying to put us to sleep and do something!" "Everyone, raise your weapons! We can''t just let them do what they want!" The veteran yers who sensed something strange started protesting. Milphage scratched his back with his halberd and asked, "Hmm, Mr. Specter. What should we do?¡± "We overpower them with force." The guild members moved quickly when the cold order was issued. "Put your weapons down while we¡¯re being nice!" "Swing your weapon if you''re confident, but prepare to give up your life." After a fierce mental battle, the ordinary yers caved in. They didn¡¯t think they could defeat the Big 5, major Guilds, and the 5 Heroes as enemies. "¡­Wouldn¡¯t such a coercive attitude be counterproductive?" Cha Si-Eun was worried, but Specter shook his head firmly. "Human beings are much smarter than you think. They¡¯ll respect the strong who can kill them at any time more than the weak who only know how to whisper a hundred good words." In fact, the yers didn''t dare to attack them. Of course, that was apanied by some degree of faith. ¡®It¡¯d be different if it were just the guilds, but the 5 Heroes are here.¡¯ ¡®Well, if hundreds of thousands of people make a fuss to find an exit, there will be idents, like a stampede.¡¯ Time went on, and the yer¡¯s vignce lightened up as they started to calm down. It was then that a series of messages that further encouraged confusion appeared before everyone¡¯s eyes. [If you kill three other yers, you will return to Earth.] [The time limit is three hours.] [If you can''t escape the Arcade Center in three hours, you will die.] Looking at the messages, Specter¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡®As expected¡­¡¯ Specter saw that, and he became sure of it once again. This ce was a huge ant hell to cut down the yers'' forces. "M-Master, what should we do?" "If everyone is really going to die in three hours...¡± Even those who knew that this was a trap momentarily lost their reasoning. Specter easily deduced why they were acting like that ''¡­They are being carried by the momentum.¡¯ It had been more than thirty years since the yers started obediently following the words of the System. In the end, they were captured by its words. They were stuck in the mindset that they had to unconditionally follow the System. ¡®The ones who schemed all this probably know that as well.¡¯ No one would follow along if viins who were obviously evil appeared and ordered them to kill each other. However, the story would be different if the one giving the order was the System. It had always been like that, after all. "Damn, kill someone else? But¡­ That''s murder.¡± "H-hey. But if we don''t kill, won''t we die instead?" "And the time limit is only three hours. After that, we''re all dead!" "What should we do?" The yers who had just barely calmed down started to be flustered. However, the Guild members who were prepared in advance under Specter¡¯s order approached them. This time, they persuaded them gently rather than in a high-handed manner. "Come on, don''t panic and put your weapons down." "This is all just a trap by the demons." "It''s just a shallow trick to get us to kill each other. Don''t fall for it." With their quick response, not a single murder or attack urred just yet, which surprised even the Guild Masters. Meanwhile, Son Chae-Won approached Specter. "I heard that there was a fierce fight in the Octagon. I sent Woo-Joong and some guild members in the meantime.¡± "The Underground Octagon?" He wasn''t really paying attention to that ce. It was a ce where even taking out weapons was prohibited aside from the two Octagon fighters. ¡®A fierce fight in a ce like that? What¡¯s going on?¡¯ As Specter frowned, his eyes found a man among the crowd. "Hmm?" It was Kim Woo-Joong. ¡®But I''m sure he went underground just a while ago...¡¯ Something felt strange. His hair suddenly stood on end, and blood rapidly circted through his vessels. At the same time, his heart started pounding. "Specter-nim?" Letting Son Chae-Won''s words flow past his ear, he slowly walked toward Kim Woo-Joong, pushing aside the others. As he got closer to Kim Woo-Joong¡ªthe vague sense of foreboding got clearer. What was certain above all was the energying out of Kim Woo-Joong. ¡®That''s demonic energy...!¡¯ He wasn¡¯t Kim Woo-Joong. After confirming it, Specter did not hesitate. ¡®Freeze!" Seo Jun-Ho moved fast, but before his magic could reach Kim Woo-Joong. Slice! Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s sword was faster. ¡°¡­!¡± Freeze finally engulfed the area, and it created an astounding sight. Three heads rose into the sky in slow motion, and the heads definitely still hadn¡¯t realized that they were already dead. Likewise, fountains of blood slowly bloomed from the stump of their necks. Everyone stared nkly at the surreal sight. "I killed three people as nned. Anyway, I¡¯ll be going first. You guys should hurry up and follow the n,¡± said Kim Woo-Joong. He was then engulfed in light and disappeared without a trace. The yers were furious after being betrayed. "As¡­ nned?" "The Guild bastards and the 5 Heroes... They tricked us.¡± "Sword Saint Kim Woo-Joong killed three people!" "They''re trying to sacrifice us to return to Earth!" Specter bit his lips. The cracks they had forcibly blocked were starting to grow bigger. "W-wait! That wasn¡¯t Woo-Joong! He''s in the Underground Octagon¡ª¡± "Fuck, shut up! You think we''ll be fooled twice?!¡± "You won¡¯t fool me as well! I have a family on Earth waiting for me!" The sound of weapons being drawn could be heard as chaos descended among the yers. Chapter 422. Direction of Evil (2)

Chapter 422. Direction of Evil (2)

Rahmadat stared at the man in front of him. The smell was certain, and the aura only reinforced that certainty. "That''s strange. Jun-Ho wouldn''t have left a guy like you." Seo Jun-Ho would have tracked down and taken care of the fiends until they were extinct. As such, the only fiend left should have only been the Heavenly Demon and his executives. "No way, did the demons create new fiends in the meantime?" "K-kuhu." The man in the white suit covered his mouth andughed, which made Rahmadat frown. "What are you splitting your mouth for?" "Split¡­? What does that mean?" "Why are you fuckingughing when your mouth smells?" Rahmadat growled. The man smiled at that. "Ah,I just found it funny. The real deal is in front of you, but you¡¯reparing me to a mere imitation." ¡°The real deal?" Rahmadat understood, and his eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that you''re a demon?" "Ah, finally! Nice to meet you. My name¡¯s George, a Common demon." It was the first time Rahmadat was seeing a demon. His friends had probably never seen a demon before, so he couldn¡¯t help but start asking, "Why is a demon wandering around this ce?" "Ku, keup!Just how stupid are you." George wiped the tears off of his eyes and said, "Your friends have already noticed us, but since you haven¡¯t noticed yet, you must be very dumb.¡± "Don''t beat around the bush. Tell me in a way that I will understand if you don''t want to get beaten up." "In short, it means that we designed this entire floor." "...What?" "It was pretty eventful. It was hard to interrupt the System. In the end, we couldn¡¯t get through the security of the damned elevators, so we had to invite you all in a cumbersome way.¡± "Did you mean the riddle?" "That''s right. We could have easily invited more yers if we had just broken through the elevator¡¯s security,¡± said George with deep regret. "Hmm.Are you saying that because you want to confess before you die?" "It''s the other way around." George grinned. His crimson eyes sparkled with killing intent. "Should I say that it¡¯s a gift for the old relics who are about to die?" "Hmm." "I have heard a lot of rumors about you.¡± George''s two fists were clearly enveloped with crimson demonic energy, which made him look like he was wearing gloves. "Rumor?" "Yes." George¡¯s voice suddenly echoed next to Rahmadat. Craaack! Rahmadat turned, but George¡¯s fist had already buried itself into Rahmadat¡¯s side, shattering all of the former¡¯s ribs. "The rumor says you¡¯re the best sandbag ever. Apparently, you will never break even until I get tired of punching you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s wrong, then.¡± Rahmadat''s voice was calm, even though there was a gaping hole in his left torso, which made his crushed organs and bones clearly visible. However, he quickly recovered from his wounds. "...Your regeneration is faster than what I saw in the report," George muttered bitterly. The regeneration speed was much faster than expected. ording to a report by the Fiend Association, the wound he had inflicted on Rahmadat should have taken ten seconds to regenerate. ¡°Let me ask you then: when did you receive the report?" "It''s been less than a year since I received it before the Fiend Association copsed.¡± "I see. Did the report really only say things about how I¡¯m the best sandbag?¡± "What else does it need to say?" "¡­Is that so?" Rahmadatughed, revealing his teeth. "You said you were a Common demon?" "That''s true. So what?" "In that case, there has to be someone stronger than you.¡± "High and Arch demons exist, and once a demon bes an Arch demon, they will have the right to challenge the nobles of the Underworld." "That''s interesting. I wonder how strong they are." George frowned.¡®This human, why is he so calm? What does he believe in?¡¯ Rahmadat was so slow and weak that he couldn¡¯t even react to his demon¡¯s attack. So why was Rahmadat so happy to hear that there were stronger demons than him? "You won''t be able to meet even a High demon, let alone a noble demon." It was all because Rahmadat would die here. "Well, my thoughts are a bit different from yours." Crack, crack. Rahmadat slowly turned his head. "I think I''ve heard everything I need, so I¡¯m going to start beating you up." "Kuhuhu." George sneered.¡®He is nothing without his stamina and regeneration, so why is he so confident?¡¯ He blinked behind Rahmadat and punched Rahmadat¡¯s neck. Craaack! Rahmadat¡¯s neck was broken, and his head drooped down in response. "Do you finally understand your situation?" George moved around and put his head in front of Rahmadat¡¯s head. However, he was forced when he saw a sight he didn¡¯t expect at all.¡®This crazy bastard, why is he smiling?¡¯ Hehe, hehehe. Rahmadatughed iprehensibly and set his own neck. Then, he stared at George. "You''re fast." "What nonsense are you speaking? If I want, I can keep you from even seeing my shadow." "I see. Then I should respond properly.¡± Smiling, Rahmadat started hopping in ce. It was like a boxer practicing his steps or a dancer warming up. George asked nkly, "Dancing all of a sudden? Have you gone mad, human?" "I''m fine.Oh,I''m going crazy with excitement." Rahmadat asked back, "I¡¯ll ask again. Did the report really not say anything other than how I¡¯m the best sandbag?¡± "Anything else¡­?¡± George thought about it, and he finally recalled one thing. However, it wasn¡¯t something that was included in the recent reports submitted by the Fiend Association. ¡®However, twenty-seven years ago, I could remember one line from that year¡¯s report of the Fiend Association.¡¯ George smirked when he recalled the line. ¡®This punk is the seconding of Shiva? Crazy bastards.'' Shiva, along with Brahma and Vishnu, were actual transcendents, and they were called the three major gods in Hinduism. Therefore, George cursed as soon as he read the sentence. ¡®No matter how great he looks in their eyes. Does Shiva really look like this bitch?¡¯ Shiva was a transcendent¡ªworthy of the title of the god of destruction. He was too powerful to bepared to a mere human being. "Before I became a yer, I was living in Varanasi,¡± Rahmadat spoke. In the meantime, he kept bobbing up and down. "Varanasi. It¡¯s a beautiful city that was once called the City of Light." "¡­You talk more than expected. Are you perhaps afraid to fight?" asked George. Rahmadat smiled. "It is a city of pilgrims serving the god Shiva." Hop, hop, hop, hop. George frowned. ¡®The rhythm?¡¯ It was perfectly offbeat. It was a chaotic movement that momentarily threw off George¡¯s reasoning. ¡®He¡¯s shaking my sense of bnce with just those simple movements?¡¯ Upon noticing something strange, George burst forward like lightning to stop Rahmadat from moving. ¡°When I was young, I kept on walking on the path to the temple there, and I really think that I benefited a lot from it.¡± It was Rahmadat¡¯s first time using this skill since he emerged from the ice. "I really think that way because I managed to learn Tandav.¡± Tandav was Shiva''s favorite dance of destruction. It was also known as the dance of death, and it was a dance that was still being handed down among the pilgrims of Varanasi. However, Rahmadat not only learned it, but he also turned it into a ¡®Skill.¡¯ "You talk a lot for a sandbag!" The impatient George finally stopped using honorifics. A fist covered in demonic energy aura made a beeline for Rahmadat¡¯s face. "As expected, you''re fast." Rahmadat grinned. Baaam! Rahmadat¡¯s figure blurred as his fist struck the pit of George''s stomach, sending George flying into the fence of the Octagon on the other side. "Ugh, kuk! Ugh...¡± George desperately gasped for air. George looked at Rahmadat with a look of disbelief. Was it because his opponent had caught up with his speed? Or was it because Rahmadat was stronger than he thought? It was none of them. ¡°T-th-that crazy bastard." As expected of a Common demon, he immediately figured out the secret behind Rahmadat¡¯s Tandav. "You crazy bastard! Humans are forbidden from using that technique!" "I know." Rahmadat, who ended up on the floor at some point, got up while breathing heavily. George was right. Humans were forbidden from performing the dance that the transcendent Shiva enjoyed. "This crazy¡­ bastard." George''s eyes shook. He knew that every time Rahmadat used Tandav, Rahmadat¡¯s entire body would literally get destroyed. It meant that Rahmadat¡¯s bones, muscles, and even his cells were annihted every time the technique was executed. In other words, it was a technique that forced Rahmadat to suffer an agonizing death every time he executed it. "You¡¯re a mere human, so how are you enduring the pain?¡± "I''m not just enduring it. Shiva is not a god who simply destroys." Shiva''s beliefs were simple and easy. - Destruction is just a step toward new creation. The same was true of Shiva¡¯s follower, Rahmadat. "My body is created again as it is about to be destroyedpletely. I can bear it, so I¡¯m confident about using it." "Crazy bastard, you really are a crazy bastard! You motherfucker¡­!." The pain would be tantamount to falling onto the boiler room of hell. In exchange for using a literal god¡¯s skill, Rahmadat had to endure that kind of pain? George shook his head.¡®A human being cannot possibly be enlightened about a god¡¯s skill. Well¡­ assuming that Shiva himself didn¡¯t let him learn the technique.¡¯ George gulped a mouthful of his own saliva as the cogs in his mind started to spin rapidly. If Rahmadat¡¯s technique was truly Tandav, then there was no way George would be able to defeat Rahmadat¡ªeven if Rahmadat¡¯s Tandav was a watered-down version of the original. ''¡­No, that¡¯s not it.'' Something suddenly came to George¡¯s. If that technique could be used endlessly, then the 5 Heroes wouldn¡¯t have sent Specter to fight the Frost Queen on the 1st Floor. Upon recalling that information, George deduced something. ''There''s a limit on the number of times he can use Tandav.'' George¡¯s eyes lit up. He got up and spat the blood in his mouth before saying, "To be honest, I¡¯m surprised." He had never imagined that a human being would be able to fight on an equal footing with a Common demon. However, if it was only a temporary power, then there was no reason for him to be scared. "Let''s see how many more times you can do that dance." The grinning George rushed at Rahmadat. ording to George¡¯s calctions, Rahmadat could only do it three times even with Super Regeneration (S). Rahmadat could only embody the Tandav dance three times at most. ¡°¡­¡± Craaack! Rahmadat sent George flying once again, but he also fell to the floor. As soon as the two got up, George immediately rushed in like a zombie. Rahmadat had just used Tandav, so his face distorted when he saw George rushing at him. Baaang! George could feel that his organs had been torn apart, but he stillughed like a madman. "Kuhuhu, kehehe." He was sure of his victory. When he saw Rahmadat''s ugly and distorted look, he couldn¡¯t help but harbor such thoughts. "Three times is your limit, isn¡¯t it?" Super Regeneration (S) was definitely an excellent skill. However, it couldn¡¯tpletely bear the embodiment of Tandav, which was a god¡¯s technique. ¡°¡­¡± Rahmadat was silent for a while, but he eventually spoke, "Did it feel like this?" "What?" "Jun-Ho did me dirty earlier rather than fighting like a man, but it seems that fighting dirty is fun in its own way." Rahmadat¡¯s distorted expression vanished like a lie as he stood up and started dancing once again. "Hey, once you go to hell. Make sure to tell the demons there that Rahmadat Khali''s Super Regeneration was upgraded to EX on the 5th Floor." ¡°¡­!¡± George immediately panicked upon hearing that. He hurriedly reached out and said, "W-what?! Now, hold on a second! I''ll just walk away like this, so how about¡ª¡± "I never let evil escape from me." Rahmadat''s fist seemed to have opened up a wormhole that was connected to George¡¯s abdomen. Baaaam! With a sound simr to a balloon being popped, George''s body actually burst like a balloon. "Rahmadat-nim! What''s the matter?!" "I came down after receiving reports of a fierce fight!" The Guild members of Silent Moon finally arrived. They looked wary of their surroundings as they shouted. Meanwhile, Kim Woo-Joong looked at Rahmadat and asked, "What happened?" "Ah, ah,well, I just¡­" Crack, crack. Rahmadat cracked his neck and smiled. "I just caught and punched a bastard." Chapter 423. Direction of Evil (3) Chapter 423. Direction of Evil (3) When Rahmadat had just blown up and killed the demon George in the Octagon, chaos was already spreading throughout the Arcade Center upstairs. "The Guild bastards pulled out their weapons! As expected, we were the only honest ones!" "I knew this would happen! They¡¯re cold-blooded punks who are only after money and profits." "We have to do this because you guys pulled your weapons out first!¡± "You''re all being fooled, idiots!" There was constant swearing everywhere, and the trigger was the murdermitted by the fake Kim Woo-Joong. The yers were already suspicious of everything, so there was only one way for them to have a proper conversation. "¡­Damn it." They felt like they were losing all strength. They moved so desperately to prevent this situation, but it ended up like this anyway. The Guild masters didn''t seem like they felt that much different, either. "Cold-blooded punks who are only after money and profits¡­" "Hmph, I thought we did a lot for the welfare of yers." "We did a lot. I''m a little embarrassed to say this in front of the 5 Heroes, but we created the currentw and order among yers." "But in the end, people can only see what they want to see." "Honestly, I feel betrayed." Everyone was very disappointed. The Guild Masters started thinking about how to resolve the situation when Skaya suddenly spoke, "Wait, there¡¯s something strange with all this.¡± Skaya acted like a spectator to see a wider picture. "What do you mean strange?" "The one who imitated the Sword Saint a while ago. They¡¯re probably a demon, right?¡± "Probably." Skaya was questioning why a demon would do such a low-quality performance. "Why did they do that?" "¡­What are you talking about?¡± It was certainly to stir up confusion. "You read the yer ughterer¡¯s memory and told us that demons are strong." Seo Jun-Ho saw the power of Lesser, Common, and High demons. Of course, he shared the information with hisrades. ¡°You said that the Nine Heavens and us will find it hard to fight Common demons, right?¡± "It¡¯s true back then." "In that case, was there really a need for them to do something like that earlier? I mean, if they¡¯re as strong as you said." "Hmm¡­" It certainly sounded strange for sure. The demons had gone out of their way to trap them, so wasn¡¯t it easier and faster for them to just kill them directly? If they sent a few High demons, the yers would definitely get wiped out. ''But they didn''t do that. I wonder why?'' Specter and Skaya''s eyes met in mid-air. There was usually only one reason why someone would deliberately choose a difficult, twisted path rather than take the easy one. "It''s not that they don¡¯t want to¡­" "Yeah, they can''t." Seo Jun-Ho suddenly recalled Reiji¡¯s words. ¡°Sorry, but Administrators don''t get involved in the yers¡¯ business. No, I should say that we can''t¡­¡± ¡°That''s the rule.¡± Reiji clearly said that the Administrators couldn¡¯t get involved in the yers¡¯ business. "It''s just my prediction, but I think the demons are in the same situation as the Administrators." "Well, didn¡¯t a demon take on Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s image earlier and killed three people?" "Oh, you''re right.¡± Before they were about to dive into the mystery once more, Son Chae-Won suddenly spoke, "I was confused, but I finally remember. I was familiar with one of the people the fake Kim Woo-Joong killed earlier." Son Chae-Won hastily opened her Vita and found an article from a few years ago. It contained pictures and information about some yers who died at the fiends¡¯ hands. "Oliver Finn, a yer killed by a fiend in Frontier. I was considering recruiting him to the guild.¡± "Look at that. The two people who died earlier were also victims of this case,¡± added Milphage. "In that case, the people who were killed earlier were already dead,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun said. The demons only made it seem like those people were killed here, but they were actually already dead before they were killed here. This was the conclusion they reached, and it was actually very close to the truth. Gilberto finally spoke as well, "Since it seems that no one else wants to speak, it¡¯s about time Iy down the final piece of the puzzle." "The final piece?" At the bewildered gazes of the others, Gilberto nodded. "There are demons hidden among the yers right now. There are quite a few of them as well, not just one or two demons." "¡­What?" "Wait, how do you know that?¡± "When the fake Sword Saint made his move, there were quite a few people who immediately kicked up a fuss as if they had been waiting for the former to make a move." They alienated the 5 Heroes and the Guilds without giving other yers time to think, and they even severed the only opportunity for the yers to talk to each other by pulling out their weapons first. "Who are they?¡± "I already marked them," said Gilberto as he quickly shared the mana signatures of those he had marked with the others. The others gathered magic in their eyes and saw that some yers were highlighted in green. "Don''t be like this; we have to take the initiative! Are you guys going to stay still until they start killing us like this?¡± "I''d rather swing my sword than die without doing anything!" "Actually, I heard those Guild Masters talking about how they''re going to abandon us." "You don''t have to kill all of them; you can go back home if you kill just three people.¡± The vile creatures were constantly whispering seductive words into the yers'' ears. "How vile¡­ or should I say it''s clever?" "How do we tell the yers about this, though?" It turned out that the entire situation was orchestrated by the demons. Unfortunately for the Guild Masters and the 5 Heroes, they were at the point where it wouldn¡¯t be easy for them to convince the others to have a conversation. "Then, we just have to orchestrate a situation where they will have to talk to us.¡± After saying that, Specter strode forward. When he walked past the Guild members, he saw many yers holding weapons. "S-Specter-nim...¡± "It''s Specter-nim!" The eyes of the yers who saw Specter shook subtly. For them, Specter had always been the model of good, justice, and righteousness. Step, step. While Specter was slowly walking toward them, someone from the opposing side also walked out. "Stop right there! Don''te any closer." It was Jade, a solo yer who was also known as Otma¡¯s Red Spear. He became stronger and well-renowned in the city of Otma in Frontier, and he was an old man famous for his righteousness. "Please¡­ don''t make us attack you! This old man is asking¡ª¡± Jade''s eyebrows wriggled. It was because Specter ignored what he was saying and continued walking toward them. "I warned you not toe!" Jade could see that words wouldn¡¯t work, so he immediately mustered his magic. The magic he mustered was strong enough to surprise the yers around him. However, when he blinked, Specter was already holding his spear. ¡®What speed...!¡¯ Jade gnashed his teeth. The spear that he was holding with both hands didn''t want to budge no matter how hard he tried to move it. He lost. Was he going to die like this? In the blink of an eye, many thoughts shed through his mind. However, his eyes suddenly widened. "W-what are you doing?!" "Stab me here, and I will die. I''m human, after all." The masked Specter said as he put the tip of the spear exactly in front of his heart. He was neither furious nor excited, and he sounded tired, which proved how many hardships he had to ovee to get to where he was right now. "If you really think that the 5 Heroes, the Big 5, and the Nine Heavens are capable of betraying you¡­¡± Specter¡¯s indifferent gaze swept across the crowd. "Then kill me." Better dead than dishonored¡ªJade''s eyes trembled at Specter¡¯s firm attitude. In addition, he could see it more than anyone else. ''He¡¯s not covered in magic¡­¡¯ This meant that if he really thrust his spear, Specter would die. Why? Why was Specter going out of his way just to do this for them? No matter how hard he thought, there was only one reason. ¡®Because he¡¯s confident. He¡¯s just that righteous.¡¯ Jade bit his lips and asked, "Really¡­ Are you really not going to abandon us?" ¡°¡­¡± Specter didn¡¯t answer. He simply stared at Jade. However, Specter¡¯s eyes seemed to be scolding him by saying, ¡®If you''re a yer, you can judge that much for yourself.¡¯ "Haha." Jade chuckled dryly. Did this mean that Specter wasn¡¯t going to let an old man be childish? Specter¡¯s imposing figure looked so dazzling that Jade felt like he was going to go blind if he continued staring at Specter at this rate. "I can''t¡­¡± Ashamed, Jade¡¯s red spear fell to the floor with a loud noise that reverberated throughout the open space, which had long been enveloped in silence. After a moment of silence, some people burst into anger. "¡­What are you doing?!¡± "You should have stabbed him in the heart there!" "Idiotic old man! What a waste of an opportunity that you¡¯ll never get again!¡± The ones kicking up a fuss were those highlighted in green. ¡®Nice one, Jun-Ho.¡¯ Upon noticing that the Guilds and the yers seemed like they could finally talk to each other, Skaya sent an image flying into the air. Naturally, everyone''s eyes turned to the picture. "Uh¡­ Wait a minute.¡± "I thought the Sword Saint killed that guy earlier?" "But it¡¯s an article from four years ago? What¡¯s going on?¡± At the same time, Rahmadat and Kim Woo-Joong came up from the basement. "S-sword Saint!" "Didn''t you kill three people and return to Earth?" "Huh? Return to Earth? What are you talking about? This guy was with me in the basement," said Rahmadat, blinking. At this point, even the dumbest yers finally realized what was going on. "Somebody took on the form of the Sword Saint and tried to make us fight each other." "Fuck! No wonder. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t swing my sword. Otherwise, I would have ruined my life right there and then." "Yeah. The Big 5 have some rotted parts, but I don¡¯t think they will do something as outrageous as outright murdering innocent yers." ¡°I thought something was wrong the moment the 5 Heroes walked up to us." "Wait, if everyone is innocent, who are our enemies?" "It¡¯s the demons,¡± said Specter. His cold eyes swept across the people highlighted in green. "The demons who messed with you all are among us." "Oh, fuck, that¡¯s creepy!" "Hey, you! Are you a demon? I definitely heard you swearing at the Big 5.¡± "What a terrible thing to say! I just got drunk in the atmosphere, and that¡¯s why I swore!" "¡­Doesn¡¯t that make you even worse of a bastard?" When they saw this scene, the people highlighted in green revealed twisted looks. They finally realized that the yers wouldn¡¯t fight each other even if they continued to incite them for a hundred days. "Whew... Imbecile humans." The people highlighted in green suddenly scattered like smoke to merge into one individual. The individual was a snake-eyed horned man wearing a white suit. He stared at Specter in disapproval. "You''re lucky. There could have been a pretty good fight." "Lucky?" "If it weren¡¯t luck, what was it, then? If that stupid old man just stabbed you in the heart, it would have been all over." "Ku." Specter chuckled. He only did it because he was confident of his chances. "It¡¯s a confidence born from the faith and trust that I have built up in people''s minds over the years. In other words, it¡¯s not something that will copse so easily, even with your insidious tricks." ¡°¡­¡± The snake-eyed man wanted to refute, but he had nothing else to say because he actually failed. He divided himself into thousands of people and incited the crowd until his throat started hurting, but they still didn''t pick up their weapons until the end. "That''s enough. You did enough." All of a sudden, beams of light appeared next to the snake-eyed man, and three more men in white suits appeared. Specter¡¯s eyes trembled when he saw one of them. ''One guy... has two horns.'' ording to Butcher¡¯s memory, two horns meant the demon was a High demon. A High demon was a powerful being he couldn¡¯t guarantee victory against. The two-horned man turned to the snake-eyed man and casually spoke, "Voros, George is dead." "What¡ªno, who killed him?" "Rahmadat beat him to death in the Octagon." ¡°That idiot¡­!¡± A Common demon couldn¡¯t beat a single human being? Voros sighed. He was ashamed because he was also a Common demon like George. "What should we do now, Mellis-nim?" asked Voros after recovering his wits. "Well...¡± Their n of tearing the yers apart and dividing them into two camps to eventually ignite a war had failed. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t kill the yers themselves, so they only had one option. "¡­We¡¯re going back." "Ha, we failed spectacrly.¡± "Hurry up and climb up the floors. That way, I can kill you lot without hesitation.¡± "Anyway, we still achieved one of our primary goals." A rift opened in the air, and the four demons were about to leave. "Who said you could leave?" However, Specter¡¯s voice forced them to stop. Chapter 424. Direction of Evil (4) Chapter 424. Direction of Evil (4) Demons were extremely prideful, and they regarded the members of other races as nothing but mere bugs. Once a demon became a Common demon, they would immediately be abatant in the brutalnd of demons. They could be considered seasoned veterans when it came to battles, so there was no way a provocation from mere humans would make them move. ¡°Hey, is it illegal for me to leave without asking permission from a mere bug?¡± ¡°No way. If someone dared to make that illegal, then I would have killed them long ago.¡± "Tsk, these bastards are trusting to a fault when ites to the System. I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t be able to make even eye contact with us if they were in the Underworld." "Stop." Mellis raised his hand and silenced the Common demons before speaking toward Seo Jun-Ho. "yer Specter, if you want to keep that life and honor of yours, I suggest you don''t cross the line." "Aren¡¯t you the ones who crossed the line first?¡± "Hm, does a lion have to care about a line drawn by a mere rabbit?" Mellis¡¯ eyes were filled with arrogance. He was very confident that mere bugs like the yers wouldn¡¯t be able to harm him no matter what. In response, Specter muttered, "Rahmadat." "Yeah?" Rahmadat raised his chin in confusion, seemingly asking why he was called. "He said you beat a demon named George to death.¡± "Oh, I did. He said he was a Common demon." "Did you hit him first?" From what they understood, the demons couldn¡¯t harm a yer first. "No¡­ I kept ignoring the System that was telling me not to get out of the Octagon, so he appeared and hit me first." Were the demons allowed to punish the yers if the yers ignored the rules they made? The demons were acting awfully simr to Administrators. "How strong was that Common demon?" "Hm, how strong?" Rahmadat thought about it for a moment before nodding. "They¡¯re definitely stronger than fiends. I had to use four Tandavs." "Four, you say?" Hisrades became slightly nervous at that. After all, they knew the power of Tandav. ¡®That muscr idiot did that absurd dance four times?¡¯ ¡®These guys are a bunch of monsters. They¡¯re nothing like we have ever faced before.¡¯ ¡®We have to be careful about this...¡¯ ¡®Hmm...¡¯ Three Common demons and a High demon. Specter activated the abacus in his head and started calcting. A few momentster, he got a result. ¡®With our current forces, it''s worth trying.¡¯ ording to Butcher¡¯s memories, Specter could be considered a High demon if he were a demon. In addition, Specter was confident that the Heavens and the other Heroes would be able to deal with three Common demons on their own. Therefore, their odds of winning were higher. ¡®But I''m sure they know about that as well¡­¡¯ The demons knew that if they were to fight the yers, thetter would win by andslide.That was probably the reason why they were emitting so much killing intent with their bloodshot eyes. Realizing that, Specter knew just what he needed to do. ¡®I just have to fan the mes...¡¯ The determined Specter clicked his tongue. He swept his gaze across the demons as if he found them pathetic before mocking them. "Tsk, I don¡¯t even have to take a closer look at you guys to know just how pathetic you are. After all, just one of us managed to beat one of yours up to death." Specter then waved his hands as if he were chasing away a fly. "Get lost while we¡¯re letting you go. You''d better go before I change my mind.¡± Could the demons whose pride and arrogance had long reached the summit endure such an insult? ¡®I¡¯ll bet a hundred million that they won¡¯t be able to take it.¡¯ Sure enough, the demons stared at Specter without moving. If looks could kill, then Specter would have already been torn apart hundreds of times by now. Even Mellis stared at Specter with narrowed eyes. "What happens if you change your mind?" "Those who won¡¯t run away while I¡¯m still ying nice will regret it." "Are you strong enough to do that?" "You have eyes as well, right? Not just ears? In that case, you should see it for yourself." "You¡¯re not wrong." Mellis revealed a murderous smile and said, "All right. Since you¡¯re that confident in yourself, I suggest that we y a game." Mellis flicked his finger, and System messages popped up in front of Specter. [Demon Mellis has proposed a duel game.] [Warning! The system will not protect the life of participating yers!] After reading the messages, Specter asked bluntly, "How do we do it?" "Simple. We¡¯ll fight the yer you pick." With that, it became clear to Specter that these demons truly wanted to fight them. The so-called game was just a facade. Specter turned to look at hisrades and asked, ¡°What should we do?" "Well, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Rahmadat started drooling at the thought. "It felt good to beat one of them up earlier, and I want to feel that sensation again, so I don¡¯t mind going." He leveled up a lot as well. While the yers were muttering to themselves, Voros stepped forward and spoke, "Mellis-nim." "What is it?" "Please give me a chance. Mellis-nim doesn¡¯t have to get blood on your hands; I''ll take care of everything." Specter¡¯s eyes narrowed. If Voros also had eyes, then there was no way he didn¡¯t notice the power gap between the present demons and the yers here. Voros seemed confident, so it was clear that he had something to rely on. Specter thought about it for a while before calling someone out, "Skaya." "Yeah?" "I have a bad feeling about this. I think you should go and support Rahmadat." "I don¡¯t feel good about this as well, but why me?¡± "Well¡­¡± It was all because Rahmadat and Skaya¡¯s synergy was one of the best among them. Gilberto was working on his gun, but when he heard Skaya¡¯sint, he spoke up and said, "You will have to helpter anyway, so why are youining? Are you embarrassed to be paired with Rahmadat? Do you like him or something?" "What are you even talking about, you dumbass! Are you finally senile? Jun-Ho, rather than the demons, can I just fight him instead?¡± "Of course not¡­¡± Specter sighed and decided to just push Skaya toward Rahmadat. Skaya walked over to Rahmadat in resignation. "Why are you here?" Rahmadat looked at her with a frown. "We¡¯re about to have a fierce one-on-one battle, so why are you here trying to join us when it¡¯s a one-on-one battle?" "Jun-Ho asked me to ensure that you won¡¯t die." "What? I don¡¯t think he said that.¡± ¡°Yeah, he said that without me, you¡¯d get blown away like dust. He asked me to help you just this once.¡± "Hey, Jun-Ho! Is she telling the truth?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Frost Queen had been observing the situation from the side, and she suddenly pped upon realizing something. "I got it! Those two are the ones responsible for all of the 5 Heroes'' shameful pasts!" Wait, she just found out? *** Before the battle hiding behind the facade of a game started, Specter looked around for a while before raising his hand and suggesting, "At this rate, there¡¯s a high chance that the other yers will get involved, and I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want that to happen, right?¡± The Arcade Center was still full of sleeping yers. They were more like ordinary people than yers. They were rookies who couldn¡¯t even take proper care of themselves on battlefields. "You¡¯re not wrong." Mellis nodded. He flicked his finger, and the hundreds of thousands of yers disappeared. "Is this good enough? Now, the only ones here are the ones you might select to fight.¡± "Nope, send everyone back aside from those I selected.¡± Specter only selected nine people. The 5 Heroes, Saintess Cha Si-Eun, and three members of the Nine Heavens. Naturally, the yers who didn¡¯t get selected were furious. "Hey, hey! Specter-nim! This isn¡¯t right!" ¡°I can definitely fight!¡± Milphage and Gong Ju-Ha came running over to him, but Specter revealed a grim look and said, "I know you two are strong enough, but I need people who will protect Earth in the interim. Please..." It could just be an unnecessary concern, but the demons¡¯ words earlier worried him. ¡°Anyway, we still achieved one of our primary goals.¡± There was no way they lured and kept hundreds of thousands of yers here for no reason at all. The first thing that came to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind was Nazad Hallow and Charbork. ¡®They could have attacked our cities while the yers were away.¡¯ Fortunately, Milphage and Gong Ju-Ha quickly caught on to what he was trying to say, and they nodded at the same time. "Hm, you¡¯re right. Earth needs yers who are strong enough to deal with any terrorist. I understand what you¡¯re talking about." "It can''t be helped. I''ll go back and protect Earth." With that, the hundreds of thousands of yers in the Arcade Center disappeared, leaving only nine yers remaining. "Only nine? These crazy bastards. I''ll acknowledge your courage, at the very least." The chuckling Voros turned to Rahmadat and Skaya. "I''ll let you attack me first. Attacking humans first is kind of cruel, even for me." "Oh my, really?" Skaya¡¯s eyes glimmered as she excitedly cast her spells. "Hey, musclehead. I''ll kill you if you make a mistake." ¡°Just cast your spells as usual¡­" Rahmadat coolly replied. Several magic spells quickly wrapped around Rahmadat. ¡¾Haste¡¿ ¡¾Steel skin¡¿ ¡¾Inferno¡¿ ¡¾Contact Explosion¡¿ ¡¾Poisonous Smoke¡¿ His speed was increased, his skin became as hard as steel, and his fists became enveloped in mes. In addition, magic circles spinning like cogwheels were following him as he moved. "I¡¯ll be attacking, then." "Bugs like you don¡¯t need to tell me when to attack," Voros snorted. Rahmadat abruptly disappeared. Voros'' eyes shook. He didn¡¯t expect that his opponent was capable of vanishing from his line of sight. ¡°¡­!¡± Before he realized it, a ming steel-like fist shook his skull. ¡®He¡¯s fast...!¡¯ ''I didn''t even see him move.¡¯ ¡®This is crazy¡­ How is he so fast when he¡¯s so big?¡¯ Rahmadat¡¯s speed was beyond human, and the three Heavens were both horrified and dumbfounded by Rahmadat¡¯s speed. Meanwhile, Voros¡¯ face instantly became a bloody mess the moment Rahmadat¡¯s ming steel-like fist made contact with his face. However, the attacks weren¡¯t over just yet. ¡¾Contact Explosion¡¿ ¡¾Poisonous Smoke¡¿ Boooom! A beatter, a huge explosion urred on Voros'' face. The smoke from the explosion was a deadly poison, and it quickly filled Voros'' lungs. "Is he still alive?" "Yeah, he¡¯s still alive. I guess he¡¯s definitely strong,¡± said Rahmadat while looking down at the fallen Voros. Rahmadat was sure that Voros was still alive because he didn¡¯t feel like he had severed Voros¡¯ soul. "Cough! Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­!" Voros started coughing as he trembled and breathed roughly while lying on the floor. He seemed confused as he stared at the ceiling. ¡®Ceiling... No, wait, am I on the floor? Why am I lying down? Did I fall asleep?¡¯ Rahmadat¡¯s destructive power was beyond his imagination. A single attack actually managed to inflict such severe injuries on him. It was just one attack¡ªone. Voros shook his head to clear his mind, and when he recovered his wits, he immediately widened the distance and took a closer look into his condition. ¡®Damned it, fuck!¡¯ He was on the verge of death. His skin had unknowingly turned pitch-ck, and it was clear that the poison he had inhaled was still gnawing away at his life. ¡®What an absurd attack¡­ there¡¯s no way he can use it an unlimited amount of times, right?¡¯ Rahmadat¡¯sbat ability was clearly far below his own. However, Rahmadat¡¯s explosiveness seemed to be on a whole new level. "Damn it¡­!" Voros hurriedly hid his trembling fists. He couldn''t reveal that he was fearful of humans¡ªno, bugs. Ashamed, Voros mustered his demonic energy. "Fuck, fuck!" He didn¡¯t expect that he would have to use his demon characteristic. He wanted to hide it until the end. Slice! He became enveloped in smoke before splitting into two. "Hm, is it a clone?" Rahmadat tilted his head. A clone would always be weaker than the main body. However, when the smoke cleared, an old man and a woman appeared. They lookedpletely different from Voros. ¡°¡­!¡± Specter¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot at the sight. He was incredibly familiar with the old man. Bzzt, bzzt! Specter¡¯s heart trembled as sparks started flying from the old man¡¯s wrinkled fingertips. ¡°T-the Thunder God!" "What a hateful skill. How dare he insults the deceased!¡± Shin Sung-Hyun and Wei Chun-Hak expressed their difort at the side. Specter, the disciple of the Thunder God, could barely hold in his boiling anger. ¡°I remember seeing you in an article. You¡¯re Jun-Ho¡¯s teacher, right?¡± Rahmadat stretched his shoulders and said coldly, ¡°Keep your eyes closed. I don¡¯t want to traumatize you.¡± Chapter 425. Demon Hunter (1)

Chapter 425. Demon Hunter (1)

Skaya stared alternatingly between the Thunder God and the unfamiliar woman. The two emerged after Voros split himself into two. ¡°I don¡¯t know who that girl is, but I know a little bit about the Thunder God,¡± she said. She tried to summarize everything she knew as fast as possible. ¡°They say he had one of the fastest reaction speeds out of all the yers despite being an elderly man.¡± ¡°Reaction speed? Is he in the same category as Jun-Ho?¡± Rahmadat asked. ¡°Yeah. However, his skill¡¯s attribute is lightning, so he should be able to fully utilize his speed whenever he wanted.¡± ¡°He sounds annoying to deal with, but I don¡¯t know if that guy will be the same as the original one.¡± Their enemy wasn¡¯t the Thunder God himself but merely a fake who was imitating him. Rahmadat eye¡¯s turned to the girl this time. ¡°...And who is she?¡± ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen her either.¡± As soon as the woman emerged from Voros, she had fallen to her knees and started praying with her hands pressed together. A magic dome then formed around them, and it was so big that they had to turn to see the whole thing. ¡°What do you think, nerd?¡± asked Rahmadat. ¡°The Thunder God.¡± ¡°I knew it.¡± They acknowledged that the Thunder God was definitely more dangerous than the woman. They could leave the woman alone for now because she wasn¡¯t an immediate threat. ¡°You made a wise choice.¡± The fake Thunder God cackled viciously. Theughter was theplete opposite of the old man¡¯s usually friendly, gentleugh. ¡°Her skill is exactly as it seems. All she can do is create a force field by concentrating,¡± said the fake Thunder God while knocking on the wall. ¡°Seeing how openly you¡¯re telling us about her abilities, you must be pretty confident.¡± ¡°Of course I am.¡± Voros couldn¡¯t stop cackling in the Thunder God¡¯s form. ¡°This human¡¯s skills are special to the point that it¡¯s a waste they had been bestowed upon a mere insect.¡± ¡°Is that why you¡¯re copying him?¡± ¡°Copy? I don¡¯t like that word,¡± he said tly. ¡°I am far stronger and faster than this man had been in his lifetime. And I can use his skills far more effectively than him. To put it simply, I have transcended the original.¡± ¡°Rahmadat, there¡¯s no point in talking to bastards like him,¡± Skaya said. Once again, she started casting a number of enhancement spells on him. Honestly, enhancement spells weren¡¯t always a good thing. The spells Skaya had cast on Rahmadat turned his skin as hard as steel. He also became even faster, and explosions would ur whenever he made contact with his enemy along with a cloud of poisonous smoke. Needless to say, the aftereffects were unimaginably intense. ¡°The only reason he can handle the enhancements is that he¡¯s Rahmadat Khali,¡± Shin Sung-Hyunmented. ¡°A tanker who charges in armed with so many spells¡­I wouldn¡¯t want to face that pair as an opponent,¡± Wei Chun-Hak agreed. They shivered at the mere thought of facing Skaya and Rahmadat at once. ¡°Here I go!¡± The dance of death began once again. Rahmadat charged in at the speed of light¡ªno, he charged in at speeds transcending the physical dimension. ¡®It¡¯s over with this one hit.¡¯ The world froze, and his fist flew forward to strike the fake Thunder God in the chin. But just before it couldnd, the fake Thunder God¡¯s eyes turned to Rahmadat. ¡®...He¡¯s reacting to Tandav?¡¯ It was an unfamiliar, ufortable feeling. Just as Rahmadat snapped out of it, a radiant ck flower bloomed before him. ¡®Lightning¡­!¡¯ Crack! When his fist struck its target, the lightning burst and scattered all over, grazing Rahmadat as well. He tried to follow up with another attack like usual, but he couldn¡¯t do it. Bzzt. Bzzt. ¡®Dammit, the fucking lightning made all my musclespletely contract.¡¯He was spasming. Fortunately, Cha Si-Eun saw and hurried over to heal him. But the Thunder God seized the opportunity to make a move. Now that Rahmadat was disabled, he was going to kill Skaya. ¡°Not a chance. Magic Missile¡ªa hundred and twenty-eightyers!¡± A hundred and twenty-eight magic circles filled the air andbined into one beam that shot out and made a beeline for its target. Bzzzzt! It elegantly tore through therge orb of lightning. ¡°...¡± The fake Thunder God scowled. Skayaughed coyly and gave him the middle finger. However, she was also a little shocked inside. She was surprised that their enemy was skilled enough to counteract Tandav. ¡®His reaction speed is based on his intuition, just like Jun-Ho. Not only that¡­¡¯ He held the power of lightning in his hands, which allowed him to react perfectly to every attack. With just one exchange, she instantly understood why the real Thunder God hade to be a symbol for all yers. ¡°Thanks, Doc,¡± Rahmadat said to Si-Eun. ¡°I¡¯m not a doctor; I¡¯m a healer.¡± ¡°Well, both of you guys fix people up.¡± ¡°...¡± Now that he had recovered, Rahmadat stretched his stiff body and stepped forward. His hands clenched and unclenched into fists. ¡°...I suppose your cockiness wasn¡¯t unfounded. No one has ever been able to react to Tandav¡¯s speed before.¡± The fake Thunder God had managed to create a shield right before Rahmadat¡¯s fist met his chin. It was likely that Rahmadat¡¯s punch didn¡¯t even do half the damage that it usually would. The demon spread his arms triumphantly. ¡°Ahahaha!Do you understand now? These two powers belong to me, and only I can draw out the full potential of those two bugs¡¯ abilities. It was wasted on them.¡± ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re just a copycat.¡± ¡°Can you truly call me a copycat when I have surpassed the original to this extent?¡± Voros licked his lips. ¡°Oh,I just had a good idea. I¡¯ll kill you here and take on your form to kill the rest of your friends.¡± ¡°...What a coincidence. I also just had a good idea,¡± Rahmadat said, his voice unusually cold as he jutted out his chin and continued. ¡°Skaya, give me some magic.¡± ¡°How many more times can you use it?¡± she asked bluntly. Even though the Tandav technique looked invincible, she knew that he could only use it a limited amount of times. ¡°Dunno. If I¡¯m being honest, I think this will be thest time.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I hurt myself, I¡¯ll end it here.¡± Skaya knew that it was rare for Rahmadat to be so sure, so she silently prepared her magic. ¡°...Get ready. I¡¯m casting the spells.¡± When the magic filled Rahmadat, the air around him started to burn likeva. ¡°Hot¡­! Hey! Did you¡­¡± Rahmadat stammered. Skaya had retreated all the way back, and she grinned when she heard him. ¡°How unfair. She only taught Jun-Ho the good stuff,¡± Rahmadat remarked. It was Overclocking. However, it was markedly different from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Overclocking because Rahmadat¡¯s maximum output was three hundred percent rather than a hundred. ¡®The core of this technique is the same as Jun-Ho¡¯s Overclocking, but the application is a bit different.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho consistently lowered his temperature using Frost, but Rahmadat didn¡¯t bother to get rid of the heat. His magic circuits, skin, and internal organs were constantly being melted and repaired, but he didn¡¯t care. All he had to do was endure the pain and persevere. They would regenerate anyway. It would be a little weird to call it a copy of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s technique because the physical effects of Rahmadat¡¯s Overclocking far exceeded Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Overclocking. ¡°Hey, demon. I¡¯ming for you.¡± ¡°I believe I already told you that I don¡¯t need pests like you to tell me everything.¡± ¡°...Did you? I just thought it would be a good idea to warn you this time.¡± Hot breaths emerged like smoke between Rahmadat¡¯s glossy lips. The fake Thunder God grinned. ¡®He¡¯s facing me head-on and going for my face again. Does he ever get tired?¡¯ The demon had already spread the force field all around them, and there was awork running through it. In other words, he could ¡®predict¡¯ the route and timing of every attacking toward him. ¡®An inferior human could never dream of using such a skill.¡¯ He could use it only because he was a demon from a highly esteemed n. Voros created a shield in front of him with azy flick of his hand. ¡®No matter how much these pests struggle, in the end, they will never be able to defeat¡ª¡¯ His train of thought was cut off when an incredible pain bloomed on his face. It felt like his soul itself was being ripped out of his body. ¡®...Huh?¡¯ What was this pain? What happened to the shield? aaam! The fake Thunder God¡¯s body struck the wall, but there was no explosion of lightning ¡°Haa.¡±Rahmadat let out a hot breath and suppressed the excruciating pain throughout his body. Immediately afterward, he struck the fake Thunder God¡¯s face once again. aam! ¡®Faster¡­! Stronger¡­!¡¯ And again¡­ aaaaam! Rahmadat¡¯s skin peeled offyer byyer. Rahmadat felt like he was on fire as his blood started furiously spilling out of him. ¡®Aaarghhh!¡¯ Death visited him over and over. ¡®Aaarghhh!¡¯ He had already used Tandav three times in a row, and he couldn¡¯t help but think that he mighttrulydie if he used it one more time. ¡®...Yeah? So what?¡¯ The fake Thunder God was still breathing. He was still alive. As such, Rahmadat decided to take another step no matter the cost. After all, he had made a promise to himself. ¡®Those who dare to inflict anguish on my friends¡­¡¯ They would never be forgiven. Blood started pouring out from his bloodshot eyes. SLAAAM! With an explosive sound, he extinguished the demon¡¯s life. ¡°...!¡± The demons had been leisurely watching the battle from the sidelines with their arms crossed in front of their chest, but they were forced to stand bolt upright upon witnessing Rahmadat¡¯s might. Impossible¡­ An Arch demon had created the Arcade Center, so there was no way someone could leave even a crack on it. However, the ceiling and the floor of the Arcade Center actually started to crack and catch fire like the Arcade Center had been hit by a giant meteorite. There should have been a body on the massive depression in the Arcade Center¡¯s floor, but there wasn¡¯t anything else other than pieces of broken flesh, bits of bones, and vast amounts of blood. ¡°Rahmadat!¡± Skaya sprinted forward and caught Rahmadat when he tipped over. Blood was still pouring out of him like a waterfall, and his voice was very raspy when he spoke, ¡°Hey, nerd. I told you. That I¡¯d¡­end it, here.¡± ¡°Yeah, I got it; you did well! Just close your eyes and rest! Si-Eun!¡± Cha Si-Eun quickly arrived next to him, but the excruciating pain wasn¡¯t something that could be extinguished by her healing powers alone. ¡®I think I really pushed myself a bit too hard this time.¡¯ Actually, he instinctively knew that his body had reached its limit from the moment hended the first punch. However, he actually did it again three times in a row right afterward, and now, he was paying the price for his boldness. Rahmadat felt like the pain was tearing his soul and body apart. He had never experienced such excruciating and impossible-to-replicate pain in his whole life. ¡®Tandav¡­ I guess seven times is my limit.¡¯ Even with his Super Regeneration (EX), he still couldn¡¯t use Tandav an unlimited number of times. He was still an imperfect vessel, so it didn¡¯t matter how fast he could regenerate. ¡°You did well. Really well,¡± Skaya said as she scanned the battlefield. When the fake Thunder God was killed, the woman also let out a shriek and died. It was likely that Voros also died the moment the fake Thunder God died. ¡°Rahmadat.¡± Specter¡ªno, Seo Jun-Ho stepped right up to his side and ced his fist on Rahmadat¡¯s chest. ¡°I kept my eyes closed.¡± ¡°...Good. It¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t see.¡± ¡°It would be weird to call it repayment, but it¡¯s about time you close your eyes.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± His eyes fluttered shut. A soft, warm smile appeared on his face. The man in front of him had been the one who had freed Rahmadat from his shell. If it weren¡¯t for Seo Jun-Ho, he would have remained a coward who could never even begin to dream about surpassing his limits. ¡®Thank you. All of you¡­¡¯ He only ever became this strong because he worked hard to be like those four. And because he found someone to protect... Blood dripped from his blissful face, and his hand went limp. Specter felt his heart drop. ¡°...Rahmadat. RAHMADAAAT!!!¡± he screamed. ¡°Specter-nim.¡± Cha Si-Eun looked up and shook her head slowly. ¡°The patient is asleep. Please don¡¯t be so loud.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Specter was dumbfounded. ¡°I said, the patient is sleeping. Very deeply. Stabilizing him is our top priority.¡± A few momentster, Rahmadat started snoring like an elephant. Chapter 426. Demon Hunter (2) Chapter 426. Demon Hunter (2) Specterughed awkwardly. ¡°Look at this bastard, acting like he¡¯s dying when he¡¯s just falling asleep. He almost fooled me.¡± Right before Rahmadat went asleep, he looked at them with such deeply thankful eyes, so Specter got even more confused. ¡°Miss Si-Eun, how is he?¡± he asked. ¡°His skill is very outstanding, and I¡¯m done fixing him up, so he¡¯ll be all right. However¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun sounded unsure when she spoke, ¡°Seeing how he¡¯s still in pain, I think he should recover for an extended period of time.¡± ¡°...¡± This idiot¡­ Specter was sure that Rahmadat would get worried about losing his muscles again. Specter watched as Rahmadat innocently snored away. ¡°Mr. Chun-Hak, Mr. Sung-Hyun, Woo-Joong.¡± All he did was say their names, but all of them nodded in unison. ¡°Yeah. If I were in your shoes, I would be absolutely seething.¡± ¡°It does not bother me either.¡± ¡°You should do what you want, Jun-Ho.¡± They spoke as if they already knew what he was going to say. ¡®We¡¯re yers, too. So even if we don¡¯t want him to do this, we understand.¡¯ ¡®No one can understand what it is like unless they have also experienced losing arade.¡¯ ¡®So I¡¯m the only one in the Nine Heavens whom he speaks casually toward...¡¯ Specter nodded to them to express his gratitude before turning to his friends. ¡°Skaya. Gilbe. Mio.¡± ¡°If you tell us to stay out of it, I¡¯ll beat your ass up.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t want to see two of my friends copse today.¡± ¡°When Rahmadat wakes up, I should cook for him so he would recover faster.¡± Specter wasn¡¯t the only one who was furious at Rahmadat¡¯s copse. Even though they bickered often, he liked his friends a lot. ¡®I bet he¡¯ll feel super embarrassed if he finds out.¡¯ Specter realized once more how reassuring it felt to have friends who would get angry for your sake. ¡°How could I do that?¡± he said. ¡°Right? Well then, rest up, Jun-Ho,¡± Skaya said. ¡°We will kill those two dregs,¡± Gilberto assured. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°Hey, I meant that we should fight together¡­¡± ¡°Priorities. We must decide what is more important,¡± Mio said.[1] The three of them looked at Mellis. They sensed an ominous energy and dirty maliceing from him. Even though Mellis wasn¡¯t actively releasing his demonic energy, he still emitted the air of a powerful being to the extent that it made them shrink back. ¡°I hate to admit it, but I think he might be a little too much to handle,¡± Skaya said. ¡°Conserve as much strength as you can. The only one who can go head-to-head with him is Jun-Ho,¡± Gilberto warned. Conserve strength¡­ Specter looked at Mellis for a moment and slowly nodded. ¡°Thanks for believing in me. But¡­ Are you guys okay with that?¡± Rahmadat had defeated two Common demons on his own, so they could misunderstand Common demons as weaklings. Unfortunately, Common demons were strong. It was to the point that it was doubtful if Rahmadat would have won if it hadn¡¯t been for the insanely powerful technique called Tandav. However, their answers came quickly. ¡°If you¡¯re so curious, why don¡¯t you watch?¡± Skaya replied. ¡°An image is worth a thousand words,¡± Mio said. Even though they spoke so lightly of it, Specter trusted them a lot. *** ¡°Voros, that idiot. He insisted on cleaning everything up on his own, but he ended up dying.¡± ¡°Hm. Is that man especially powerful? He killed George, too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. It was only for a moment¡­But even I couldn¡¯t see his movements.¡± ¡°...¡± Mellis thought about something for a moment before giving an order. ¡°Something feels off. Shika, Ista.¡± ¡°Yes, Mellis-nim.¡± ¡°Go there together. End it as fast as possible.¡± The two of them looked perplexed. ¡°B-But Mellis-nim¡­¡± ¡°I think sending two Common demons to take care of a mere human is a little¡­¡± ¡°A little what? George and Voros died because they remained stubborn like you two.¡± Mellis scanned both of them and said, ¡°Confidence begets haughtiness, and haughtiness begets arrogance. I am not patient enough to deal with the arrogance of demons of your caliber.¡± ¡°...My apologies. We were ignorant.¡± ¡°We will finish it as soon as possible.¡± They seemed to have realized something as they left, but they didn¡¯t bother saying anything else that was unnecessary. ¡°They failed, but¡­¡± ¡°It seems like Mellis-nim is starting to grow tired, so we should hurry up and kill them.¡± When their conversation ended, the demon called Shika started to grow immensely. She became as huge as a 4-story building. However, she looked like a fat robotic monster rather than a thin robotic monster. ¡°Hehehe. You will die by my hand¡­!¡± The fat monster swung her giant hand toward the three yers, and the three yers responded by moving in different directions. ¡°Come on! It¡¯s me again?¡± Skayaughed mischievously at the hand chasing after her before casting a spell. ¡°Do you really think that you can catch this pretty unnie when your hand is that slow? ¡¾Wind Pose¡¿ ¡¾Boiling Blood¡¿ Shraaaa! A sharp gale shredded Shika¡¯s arm, and the blood pouring from her wound started boiling, which brought her even more pain. ¡°Gahh!¡± Shika screamed and quickly drew back her hand. Skaya squinted. ¡®What¡¯s with that? She¡¯s a whole Common demon, but she¡¯s reacting like an amateur.¡¯ Shika had made the worst decision by withdrawing her hand because it created an opening Skaya could exploit. Skaya was confused, but she immediately seized the opportunity. Without hesitation, she cast her next spells. ¡¾Gravity¡¿ ¡¾Chain Bind¡¿ The gravity made Shika several times heavier while the chains bound her. ¡°Gilbe!¡± Skaya shouted. An explosion answered her call. Boooom! The exploding bullet pierced Shika¡¯s eye. ¡°Gaaah! You¡¯re all dead¡­!¡± ¡°Please die in our stead.¡±[2] Mio dashed in like a speedy squirrel and cut Shika¡¯s head off in the blink of an eye. Slice! Her thick head rolled onto the ground. Shin Sung-Hyun frowned as he watched. ¡°Wait, a Common demon died so easily?¡± ¡°Hm. Yeah, they were definitely faster. Their techniques are better as well, but something feels off.¡± Wei Chun-Hak tilted his head. The demon¡¯s decision-making and reactions were incredibly simr to a novice yer¡¯s. ¡°Kekekeke.¡± Sure enough, two hands emerged from the bleeding stump and ripped her body in half. The Shika that came out from it waspletely unscathed. The only difference was that she seemed ever so slightly smaller than the Shika from earlier. Shika grinned at the three of them. ¡°Surprise! I¡¯m sorry if I disappointed you. Unfortunately, you¡¯ll have to kill me 71 more¡ª¡± Slice! Mio¡¯s de cut her down once more. This time, she cut Shika up into tiny pieces so that she couldn¡¯te out of anywhere. ¡°Hehehe. It¡¯s useless.¡± This time, the giant emerged from the blood of the corpse on the floor. Now, she had be visibly smaller than before. ¡°I get stronger every time I die. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good idea to keep killing me like this without a n.¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes furrowed. Maybe the name ¡®Shika¡¯ was derived from ¡®matryoshka¡¯. ¡®This is more annoying and tedious than I expected.¡¯ Rather than killing her, they should observe Shika in the meantime. However, just as the thought crossed her mind, Shika¡¯s body was torn in half, and a fellow demon appeared behind her. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s always annoying how we have to activate this fucking conditional ability every time,¡± he grumbled. The energy around the new demon became stronger. ¡°I am Ista, the demon of betrayal. Every time I kill an ally, I grow stronger temporarily.¡± ¡°Hehehe. He kills, I die. If we repeat this over and over, we will be infinitely more powerful.¡± Thepatibility of their abilities was insane. The three exchanged nces. ¡®We have to get rid of Ista first.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s ignore Shika for now.¡¯ Shika giggled when she saw them looking at each other. ¡°You guys are nning to ignore me and go after Ista instead, right?¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± Ista said. Even as he spoke, he beheaded Shika once more. ¡°Shit, stop him from killing her!¡± Skaya shouted. ¡°Stop me? Me? Pfft! A bug like you?¡± Ista cackled and snatched the bullet that came flying at him in mid-air. ¡°That¡¯s impressive. Your attack makes no sound and leaves no trace? It¡¯s slow, though, so that offsets its advantages.¡± He rolled the bullet in his fingers and looked at Gilberto. ¡°Let me return your toy to you.¡± He flicked it away, and it grazed Gilberto¡¯s left shoulder. Gilberto''s brows furrowed, and he unwittingly turned to look at the injury. ¡°It must hurt a lot. Seeing as how you¡¯re looking at your wound and not your enemy.¡± ¡°...!¡± Ista¡¯s voice came from right in front of him. ¡°Die, you insect.¡± ¡°No, thanks,¡± Gilberto said coolly. He took out his revolver and shot Ista in the face. Bang! Ba-bang! While he fired the bullets, the magic circle etched in the floor started glowing. ¡¾Bolt Trap¡¿ ¡¾Emergency Escape¡¿ Gilberto¡¯s world spun, and he was suddenly next to Skaya. ¡°I saved you once, so buy me a grimoireter, m¡¯kay?¡± ¡°...I would have been more grateful if you hadn¡¯t said that.¡± When they looked up, they saw that Ista was brushing himself off as if the electricity that electrocuted him was nothing. ¡°This is so annoying. Should I just gain a bit more power and take them out at once?¡± ¡°No. I will not allow you to grow stronger,¡± Mio said. ¡°Why would I need permission from a mere insect?¡± Ista growled and moved to attack her. However, she ignored him. Mio stared silently at Shika, and her lips moved ever so slightly. ¡°I will go assassinate her.¡±[3] Suddenly, something that Ista couldn¡¯t identify pulled him backward. ¡°Urk?!¡± He scrambled up and looked at where Mio and Shika had been standing. In its ce was a giant sphere made of darkness. ¡°Contractor, that resembles Curtain of Darkness, which you enjoy using,¡± said the Frost Queen. ¡°But of course.¡± Specter nodded slowly as he looked at the huge mass of darkness. ¡°Curtain of Darkness is just a lesser copycat version of that.¡± *** ¡°...¡± The Common demon Shika quietly looked around. She was in a forest. A dusky forest lit by moonlight. ¡°A forest? Is this some kind of trap made with illusory or hallucinatory magic?¡± In that case, this ce would be destroyed if she just hit it strong enough. However, no matter what method she used, it didn¡¯t seem like there was any way to escape ¡°It is no use. You are merely wasting your energy,¡± Mio said. ¡°...So it is. This is a powerful trap.¡± Shika looked around in awe. ¡°Wow. This is such a fine technique. It¡¯s truly a shame that it belongs to a mere bug.¡± Despite being caught in such a powerful trap, Shika admired Mio¡¯s ability to create a world of her own. This wasn¡¯t someone could do just by practicing or working hard. ¡®Usually, those who can make a high-level trap like this would always make sure that the trap would be more advantageous to them.¡¯ However, it didn¡¯t matter. She still had 68 lives left. All she had to do was find this ce¡¯s weakness, and she would win. ¡®Now, what¡¯s the secret behind this ce?¡¯ Shf. Shf. Just then, strange noises came from the thick trees deep in the forest. Shika smirked. ¡°I knew it. Are those your reinforcements?¡± ¡°No. They are the oni[4] that inhabits this area. They will not help anyone.¡± Shf. Shf. Shf. Those red eyes behind the leaves were watching the two of them. ¡®What¡¯s that¡­?¡¯ Shika frowned when she noticed something. The objects hanging from their ne weren''t gems. ¡°Why do they have jars hanging from their necks?¡± ¡°You do not need to know,¡± Mio said coldly. She unsheathed her sword. ¡°This forest only has one rule. The winner of the fight will be able to leave.¡± ¡°Hehe. Are you sure you can handle me? I have¡­¡± ¡°I said, the ¡®winner¡¯ of the fight will be able to leave the forest.¡±[5] ¡°...¡± Shika¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Has my hearing gone bad? It sounds like you¡¯re saying that it doesn¡¯t matter if I have so many lives left.¡± ¡°Your hearing is perfectly fine.¡± Even if she had dozens of lives left, everything would be decided in just one fight. Shika gulped. ¡®It seems like I got caught in quite the troublesome trap.¡¯ A one-on-one battle. A single chance¡ªone winner. Mio pointed her sword at Shika. ¡°Evil spirit. Your assassination begins now.¡± 1. It has already been mentioned that Mio always speaks very formally, but another characteristic feature of her speaking style is the asional use of singr words/phrases in their hanja form. It could be a way of emphasizing the formality and terseness of her speech, but it could also be the author trying to imitate the use of kanji because she¡¯s Japanese. ? 2. Mio mixes both informal and formal here. ? 3. She phrases it like a greeting people use when they leave the house to go to school or work. ? 4. a type of demonic creature in Japanese folklore ? 5. Again, she mixes informal and formal speech. ? Chapter 427. Demon Hunter (3) Chapter 427. Demon Hunter (3) Oni. They kept an eye on the two strangers who appeared in their territory. One of the strangers was a woman who felt friendly despite being unfamiliar to them. Naturally, there wasn¡¯t a single oni willing to help her. "Kehehe." "Kehehehe." Rather, it was the opposite. They wanted her to lose because they wanted to be with her. - Kehehe, kehehehe. The eerieughter of children echoed throughout the silent, dusky forest. *** ¡°¡­¡± Shika remained vignt of her surroundings. The human woman told her that the oni here wouldn¡¯t help anyone, but there was no way she was going to trust a human¡¯s words. ¡®I shouldn''t believe her words.¡¯ Shika had to be wary and doubtful of everything in this strange ce. Besides, didn''t the woman say that she would assassinate her? Assassination in in sight¡­ Shika couldn''t help but think that there was something in the forest. "You''re distracted." "Hm, but I can still deal with someone like you." Shika had returned to her human form at some point. If she died even once, everything would be over. In that case, there was no reason for her to maintain his slow demonic form. aaang! Her wrist, strengthened with demonic energy, blocked a dagger that was thrown at her. "Eh? What¡¯s this? It''s slow." ¡°¡­¡± Mio was neither flustered nor shaken. She stared at her opponent indifferently before manipting the dagger in mid-air. Swoosh! The dagger flew toward one of Shika¡¯s eyes. "Pffft!¡± Shika burst intoughter rather than screaming in surprise. The tip of the dagger didn¡¯t even manage toe close to her eyes. She tilted her head and sneered at Mio. "Just why were you so confident to fight me one-on-one? You even brought me into such a strange ce." Shika couldn''t understand why the weak Mio wanted to fight her one-on-one. However, Shika eventually found her own conclusion, and she was furious at the conclusion she reached on his own. "It must be because of George and Voros! Did you think I was as weak as those bastards?!" At the scream, Shika made her move and started pressuring Mio. Mio¡¯s eyes darted all over the ce while her hands turned into a blur. aang! ng! ang! Mio did her best to defend herself against Shika¡¯s flurry of attacks. ¡°There¡¯s no way you can beat me unless you cooperate with those from the forest." Shika furiously attacked Mio with her sharp nails. The consecutive, heavy attacks made it look like Mio¡¯s delicate sword would snap into two at anytime soon. aaang! ¡°¡­!¡± Mio staggered at the unexpectedly strong attack. Shika didn''t miss the opportunity andshed out with her foot. Crash! She felt it. She felt her foot dig deep into Mio¡¯s stomach. "Haha! Die¡­!¡± Shika hurled a spear made of demonic energy at Mio''s defenseless head while she was flying away after being kicked. ¡°¡­?!¡± However, the spear didn¡¯t strike true as it lodged itself into the ground. Shika frowned and stared at the coughing Mio with bloodshot eyes. "I knew this would happen, even though you said that they wouldn¡¯t help anyone¡­¡± "Ptoeeey!" Mio spat the blood in her mouth and replied in a sullen voice, "I did not receive any help." "Bullshit!" Shika growled. A lie had to be believable, at the very least. If she hadn¡¯t received any help from them, then why was Shika¡¯s vision swimming? "Is it magic? A skill or a curse? It doesn¡¯t matter. As soon as I get used to this dizziness¡­!¡± Tap, tap. Mio stood up after shaking the dirt off of her clothes. She took on a stance with her delicate sword. "The oni hates humans who invade their territory." "I am not an inferior human!" "They must hate demons, too." It was the reason¡ªthe reason why the oni cursed the two. "They cursed both of us?" Not to mention getting used to the dizziness, Shika felt even worse. She started swaying like a drunkard. ¡®Bullshit. She¡¯s definitely lying¡­!¡¯ Shika couldn¡¯t believe it at all. If the oni were cursing the two of them, then why was Mio staring at her while standing bolt upright? "An inferior human like you can actually withstand the same curse they ced on me? How can an inferior human¡­" "I have the talent..." "What nonsense is that, you bug?!" Mio blinked and looked down at her hand. ¡®I¡¯m getting dizzy. Perhaps it is because it has been a while, but the curse feels stronger. I guess they are d to see me.¡¯ It had been a long time since the oni cast such a powerful curse on her. Perhaps they really wanted to ¡®y¡¯ with her this time. Of course, she didn''t have any intentions of going along with their wishes. "Everyone says it¡¯s a talent of mine." Mio had always been good at keeping herself in optimal condition. As such, she had never felt as if her level was incongruous with herself. The same was true with the kind of curse they ced on her. ¡®They can put many different curses with various effects as well.¡¯ The oni could cast a curse that would explosively increase one¡¯s strength, or they could also cast a curse that would make one¡¯s movement as slow as a snail. The oni had many different curses, and the curse they cast on them right now was just one of the curses in their repertoire. "I am able to adapt." This particr talent of hers existed even before she became a yer. She pointed her delicate sword at Shika and said, "It seems that an inferior human like me is more talented than a great demon." "What nonsense! A mere human actually dares to im that she¡¯s superior to me, Matryoshka, a noble Common demon?!" eximed the swaying Shika. All of a sudden, a ray of silver flew toward him. Shika raised her hand in response amidst her swimming vision. ¡®Another attack, but it''s very slow...¡¯ Crack! However, Shika had to revise her thoughts as a sword was lodged in her right shoulder. Amidst the dizziness, Shika was sure that there was a sword lodged in her precious right shoulder. "Ha!¡± Shika removed the sword and tightened the muscles of her right shoulder to stop the bleeding. Mio decisively abandoned her sword and stepped back. "Haha, a swordswoman actually abandoned her sword.¡± "I¡¯m an assassin as well, not just a swordswoman." Killing her target had always been her role. ''It had always been like that.¡¯ In this ce, Mio had assassinated countless enemies who dared to threaten her precious friends. ¡®They all had one thing inmon¡­¡¯ The enemies she had to drag here to assassinate¡ªall of them had one thing inmon. ¡®They were faster and stronger than me.¡¯ However, Mio had always been the one who emerged victorious every time. "And it will be the same this time." Mio avoided the flying nails and quickly retrieved four daggers stored behind her knee before sending them flying toward Shika. Thududud! "¡­Do you really think that you can kill me with such toys?" "They¡¯re good enough to kill." This was a battlefield where only thest man standing would be allowed to leave. The one who would make no mistake until the end would win, and the one who would persevere until the end would win. And the winner had always been Mio. "It''s going to get worse from now on." Get worse? What was going to get worse? Shika didn¡¯t dare ask out loud. ''Everything is inverted¡­?¡¯ Another curse was added on top of the curse of dizziness. The left became right, and the right became left. The trees were suddenly hanging from the sky, and the sky became the floor. It was an inverted world. ¡®Those small fries¡­!¡¯ Shika was furious at the oni. Meanwhile, Mio¡¯s daggers lodged themselves in Shika¡¯s heart and philtrum. "How tough. Why are you still alive? People usually die when their heart and brainstem are pierced." Shika saw that Mio seemed nonchnt about all these. ¡®She managed to adapt to these curses¡­? Perhaps she could endure the dizziness. However, how could she move normally and as usual in an inverted world? Shika couldn¡¯t even begin to wrap her head around it, so it had to be something that couldn¡¯t be done. ¡®Does that mean¡­¡¯ Didn¡¯t that mean that Mio was superior to her? Shika''s eyes quivered. Her pride as a demon was being brutally trampled on by Mio¡¯s performance in this battle. "D-don''t make meugh!" A formidable amount of demonic energy burst from the furious Shika. "I don''t need to do anything else. Yes, if I can¡¯t move, then I just have to blow everything up around me." Shika gathered her demonic energy between her palms before letting it explode in all directions. ¡°¡­!¡± Boom! Booooom! The overwhelming power behind the explosion was so strong Mio flinched at the sight of it. She was once again reminded of the power gap between her and a demon. ¡®I-I can''t pierce through this...¡¯ Mio didn¡¯t dare to try and contest the destructive power in front of her. Mio¡¯s years of experience with the way of the sword were telling her that there was no way she could pierce through all that firepower and reach her opponent with her swordsmanship alone. ¡®Ramadat actually managed to beat them?¡¯ All of a sudden, she recalled a particr scene in the past. While they were looking at the star-filled night skies, Gilberto told her this ¡°Your talents shine brilliantly like those stars, and I''m afraid that you will fly away one day.¡± ''I think I understand it now.¡¯ At the time, she thought that Gilbeto was just being worried for nothing. She replied to him and said that he should work hard and fly away with them. ¡®I was ignorant.¡¯ Atst, Mio finally understood how she could keep walking on the same path as her cherished friends. ¡®I have to be stronger.¡¯ She retrieved a sword from her Inventory. She still hadn¡¯t mastered the Bright Sky Purple Style, which was a sword style only the head of the Tenmei Family could learn. ''But I know another technique...¡¯ Squeeze. She clenched the handle of the sword. There was an ancient tradition in the Tenmei Family. The Red Sun Style would always be passed down to the sons, who would lead the family in the future, while the Blue Moon Style would be passed down to the daughters, who would be married off to other families in the future. Of course, the Tenmei Family also taught their daughters the art of self-defense. ¡®Of course, it should only bemon in that era because it¡¯s an ancient tradition.¡¯ However, the Tenmei Family remained true to their traditions. They did not change their old and outdated rules under the name of tradition. Now, Tenmei Mio knew that it was about time for them to break the traditions. ¡®I-I have to be stronger.¡¯ All for the sake of keeping pace with her precious friends rather than bing a piece of baggage that would hold them back. The de of Mio¡¯s sword turned red as the surrounding air started to heat up. "I will use the Red Sun Style, too." Mio had never been taught the Red Sun Style, but she had seen it countless times. The memories she had of the Red Sun Style being performed by other people were enough for her to replicate the sword style. "Where are you? Where are you hiding?!¡± The curse of dizziness, the curse of an inverted world, and the curse of blindness. The oni had taken away Shika¡¯s eyesight, and she furiously continued to wreak havoc on the surroundings while screaming. ¡®Is she dead? No, I can still feel her life force.¡¯ There was no way Mio was dead. As such, Shika had no choice but to increase the destructive power of her indiscriminate attacks a bit more. The amount of demonic energy between her palms gradually got bigger. Shika was channeling an attack that was so strong that a ncing blow from it would be fatal for any veteran yer. ¡®There¡¯s no way a human can survive this much destructive power¡­¡¯ In addition, Shika had already noticed that Mio¡¯s sword style was tailored more toward defense rather than offense. In that case, it would be impossible for Mio to pierce through this much demonic energy and reach her. "Die¡­!" Shika attacked indiscriminately without end amidst the darkness. All of a sudden, a ray of light slowly approached her. It was an intense, warm light that she could feel even with her eyes closed. "Red Sun Style Third Move: Bowing Cloud.¡± When the clear, crisp voice reached her ears, the curse of dizziness, the curse of an inverted world, and the curse of blindness were lifted. ¡°It¡¯s gone! The curses have been lifted¡­! Now, she was unstoppable. As soon as the thought came to her mind, the human in front of her ced her sword back into its sheath. "Yes, because the fight is over." "What...? Are you going to run away?" Now that the curses had been lifted¡ªwas she afraid of facing Shika fair and square and was now trying to run away? ¡®Hmph, she sure knows how to dream big.¡¯ Shika¡¯s killing intent burst forth, and she started walking toward Mio. ¡®What?¡¯ All of a sudden, the world in front of her started tilting. Shika fell to the ground, and she btedly realized that Mio had split her in two. "T-there¡¯s n-no way¡­!" Shika¡¯s indiscriminate attacks earlier were like rain¡ªthere was no way they could have been avoided. In that case, Mio had to have deflected each and every attack she had been sending in all directions. It was the only way Mio could have approached her. "T-this isn¡¯t real¡­ Such talent, howe¡­" Shika muttered in disbelief. Howe a human possessed such talent? Mio coldly stared at Shika on the ground. "Human beings are much greater creatures than you think.¡± "Bullshit..!" Shika stretched out her hand and picked her lower body up. "Shut up and wait¡­! The fight is not over yet." Demons had strong and persistent vitality. If Shika simply stuck her upper and lower body together like this, they would reattach soon enough. Once Shika was done fixing her body, she would then bring judgment on that arrogant human. Shika was amazed by how fast she was recovering. "Speaking of great creatures, they¡¯re great as well," said Mio. Shika turned her head. Rustle, rustle. The oni hiding in the dusky forest finally emerged one by one. "The match ended the moment you were incapacitated." "¡­What?" "Pray that you will recover the use of your legs soon because¡­¡± - Kehehe, kehehehe. - Kehe, kehehe. The giant oni cackled ominously. They were carrying bats and were wearing nes made of jars. "The game of hide-and-seek has begun." "What? What the hell are you talking¡ª¡± Shika didn¡¯t manage to recover the use of her legs in time, and one of the oni ended up capturing her. "Ah! Nooo¡­!" Shika tried her best to resist as she desperately wed at the muddy ground so that she wouldn¡¯t get dragged away. Unfortunately, the other oni quickly caught up to her, and they easily dragged her into the dusky forest. ¡°It seems that on my next visit, one of them will be wearing another jar.¡± The oni enjoyed carrying jars containing the heads of the losers in this forest. "Ah¡­!" A final miserable shriek reverberated throughout the dusky forest. Click. There was a clicking sound simr to a lock being unlocked, and the Unique Realm: Oni¡¯s Forest disappeared without a trace. Chapter 428. Demon Hunter (4) Chapter 428. Demon Hunter (4) The dark mass scattered, and Tenmei Mio emerged. With her chest puffed out, she reported. "Assassinationplete...¡± "Assassinationplete, my ass!" Smack! "Ouch!" Mio rubbed her head with both hands. "W-why did you hit me, Skaya? It hurts." "Are you asking because you don''t know?" Skaya held Mio''s arms and examined every inch of her body. "There are no cuts, no holes¡­ there are two eyes and two ears... Haaa." "Were you perhaps worried about me?¡± ¡°How could I not?!¡± Irritated, Skaya squashed Mio''s cheeks with one hand, seemingly in revenge. Mio¡¯s face was squished until she started looking like a goldfish. "Bwut I dwidn¡¯t gwet hut." "I know. That''s why I''m letting you off the hook.¡± Skaya was angry because Mio''s Unique Realm was a space that would only close once a winner was decided inside. In other words, either she or the opponent had to die before the Unique Realm would close. ¡®I thought my heart was going to stop when I saw her activate that skill against a Common demon.¡¯ What if when the dark mass scattered and the demon was the one left standing? The mere thought of it made Skaya dizzy. It would mean that a preciousrade had died on her own without being able to say goodbye. "Never again. Never use that skill recklessly again." "Wes¡­" With that, Skaya let go of Mio''s cheek and hugged her tightly. "Wee back, you stupid maknae.¡± "Skaya..." Mio smiled softly. She could see that Skaya was genuinely concerned about her. "By the way¡­" Mio asked, looking around. "Where did the other demon go? I can''t see him." "Oh, him? I killed him." The demon, Ista, would get stronger every time he betrayed his allies. However, it wasn¡¯t that great of an ability. It was a conditional ability, and the duration of the enhancement wasn¡¯t that long as well. "Perhaps because you brought the other one away, but he quickly got weak." The weakened Ista couldn¡¯t withstand Skaya and Gilberto¡¯s onught. "Oh! Then..." There was only one left. They turned toward Mellis. ¡°¡­¡± However, Mellis wasn¡¯t particrly flustered, even though his allies had died. "Those worms¡­ to think that they were so useless.¡± Mellis briefly assessed the current situation, and he was quick to me the Common demons for their ipetence, which brought on this current situation. All of a sudden, a red dot appeared on his forehead. "Is that a gun?¡± Mellis nced at Gilberto with a tired expression. ¡°¡­!¡± Specter felt a sense of foreboding, and he built a huge ice wall in front of Gilberto. "Frost!" "Leave it to me." The power to block wasid on top of it. Boooom! A deluge of demonic energy struck the ice wall, and the ice wall disappeared without a trace. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The group gulped without realizing it. If Specter had responded even a beat toote, Gilberto could have disappeared without a trace. ¡®His nce alone is that powerful?¡¯ ¡®Specter-nim''s reaction speed was unbelievable as well.¡¯ ¡®Just how strong is he...¡¯ Mellis disyed a level of strength that waspletely differentpared to what the Common demons showed just a while ago. At the time, the group members were confident that they wouldn¡¯t lose against the Common demons. But now, they were having doubts if they could even contend against Mellis. ¡®He¡¯s a High demon...¡¯ Mellis was truly a High demon. The group¡¯s confidence was dampened by the power Mellis had showcased. They couldn¡¯t help but think of many things upon witnessing such power. "Your instincts are better than I thought.¡± A demonic energy that was so thick it became tangible emerged from Mellis. Booooom! The demonic energy started weighing on their shoulders and squeezing their throats. ''This is¡­!'' It wasn¡¯t a grandiose skill. Mellis had simply mustered demonic energy that was more enormous than they could take. The group members, who could be considered the representatives of Earth, revealed sullen looks at the revtion. "Interesting." Specter took a step forward. The magic that spread like wings behind his back pushed away the demonic energy suppressing the party. ¡°Hoh¡­¡± Mellis'' eyes shone. He didn''t expect that someone would be able to push his demonic energy away. ¡®I guess the rumors weren¡¯tpletely exaggerated?¡¯ When the man named Heavenly Demon arrived at thend of the demons, he started a rumor about how Specter was the hope of the inferior creatures known as humans. The rumor also involved how Specter would eventually threaten the demons¡¯ survival. ¡®I thought it was just nonsense, so I didn¡¯t even consider it.¡¯ In the first ce, how could inferior humans destroy the demons? The idea sounded likeplete nonsense. Mellis was sure that it would never happen. "I¡¯m curious...¡± How special and amazing was this person in the Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes for him to spread such rumors? "Stand back." At Specter¡¯s warning, the group retreated quietly far away. They realized that they would only be in the way of the uing fight. After confirming that hisrades had retreated far enough, he spoke, ¡°I will ask." When he spoke, the warm mana protecting his allies changed, simr to a coin flip. The mana became fierce as it heated up even the air itself. It looked like the mana would tear apart Specter¡¯s opponent at any moment. "How many demons are stronger than you?" "Do you really want to know?" Mellis smiled before extending three fingers. "Three thousand." ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°In the Underworld, there are at least three thousand demons who are stronger than me. I think I¡¯m ranked 3015th.¡± The shocking fact horrified the group. To think that there were three thousand stronger demons than Mellis, whom they couldn¡¯t even handle. However, Specter remained nonchnt as he casually asked, "What exactly are you beings known as demons?" ording to the Manager of the 4th Floor, Han Jun-Min, the Administrators of the Floors were transcendent beings. However, he had never heard the manager mention anything about demons. "Hmm." Mellis tilted his head. "I don''t understand your question.¡± "What are your goals, and how did you hack into the System?" ¡°¡­¡± Mellis remained silent at that. The Frost Queen seemed to have noticed something as she said, "Contractor, I think that he is but a small fry." The Frost Queen seemed to have concluded that Mellis didn¡¯t know the answer, which was the reason he was keeping his silence. "Seeing that you don''t know anything, it seems that even a High demon is expendable in the Underworld." "I¡¯m expendable, you say?" Mellis¡¯ expression changed for the first time, and his demonic energy fluctuated along with the changes in his mood. "I just don''t care what the nobles want to do. I always do what I want...¡± "Then, were you the one who nned and created the 5.5th Floor?" ¡°¡­¡± Mellis pursed his lips at that. The Frost Queen smirked and said, "What a shame. Your master only knows how to give orders. It seems like he doesn¡¯t know how tomunicate with his dogs." "Shut your mouth!" Mellis shouted for the first time. However, the Frost Queen simply stared at him with a cold smile. "No. I can¡¯t do that because I finally know¡­" The Frost Queen acted like she was familiar with the personality of Mellis¡¯ master, even though she still hadn¡¯t met Mellis¡¯ master. "He has a chic personality, but he thinks that everything is beneath him. He acts omniscient, even though he is far from it." ¡°¡­!¡± "You¡¯re desperately trying to imitate him, am I right? No wonder you look so awkward¡ªyou¡¯re simply imitating your master¡¯s personality." Mellis'' eyes twitched subtly. He was ashamed, and he felt as if he were naked. ¡°How dare¡­ how dare a mere human humiliate me like this¡­! "I¡¯m sorry, but I am not a human being. I am the Queen of Niflheim." "What? The Queen of Niflheim? Are you talking about the one who freezes the world?" "Since you know me, you better speak with the proper etiquette from now on." The Frost Queen folded her arms and raised her chin. Mellis stared at her for a while before snorting. ¡°You¡¯re the Frost Queen? Don¡¯t make meugh! You haven¡¯t even reached the Star Destruction Stage yet, let alone the Transcendence Stage!¡± "You are mistaken. When I opened my eyes I was a Spirit in a weakened state¡ª" "Shut up! If you''re the dog Frost Queen, then I''m the Archduke of the Underworld!" ¡°¡­!¡± The Frost Queen had never been openly insulted like this before. Speechless, she turned to look at Specter with an aggrieved look and started vigorously shaking Specter¡¯s sleeve. ¡°@#$%^&!¡± "Transcendence Stage? Star Destruction Stage? What does that mean?" asked Specter while patting the whining Frost Queen next to him. Mellis smiled. "If the bug next to you is the real Frost Queen, then you should have known about what those words mean long ago.¡± "Her memory isn¡¯t intact.¡± "Ah, of course, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the case." Was he happy to see the Frost Queen sniffling at the injustice? Mellis regained his formerposure as if he had never been humiliated earlier. ¡°It¡¯s absurd that the Frost Queen herself actually doesn¡¯t know about the Five Stages. It is so ridiculous that it¡¯s not even funny at all.¡± "The Five Stages?" "Disaster Stage, Liberation Stage, Star Destruction Stage, Transcendence Stage, and the Absolute Stage. Creatures with sufficient power are divided into these five stages throughout the universe.¡± Specter had never heard of the Five Stages before, so he couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What stage am I at?" "Hm¡­¡± Mellis thought about it for a moment before responding, "You¡¯re barely at the Liberation Stage." Specter couldn¡¯t retort. After all, he wasn¡¯t really sure about the difference between the stages. "Well, there''s no way you''d know about it even if you heard it. It''s my fault trying to talk with inferior bugs." Mellis'' demonic energy, which had be tangible that it dyed the air itself, rapidly expanded. "I¡¯ll end it quick." Mellis focused all his attention on Specter. ¡®If you''re good enough to deflect my demonic energy¡­¡¯ Mellis didn¡¯t want to believe it, but he had to think that Specter could put up a fight. He made a sidelong nce at the Frost Queen. ¡®There is zero chance that the annoying woman is the Frost Queen.¡¯ She introduced herself as a Spirit, so she seemed to be a Spirit of ice, at the very least. After all, he could feel a Spirit''s unique energy from her. ¡®He stopped my attack earlier using ice. Should I assume that his main attribute is ice?¡¯ There were some rumors that Specter could use darkness. However, Mellis wasn''t worried about that at all. ¡®Darkness will ultimately get eaten by a greater darkness.¡¯ Perhaps Specter could deal with the fiends¡¯ demonic energy, but Mellis didn¡¯t think that he would be able to handle the demonic energy of demons. Moreover, Mellis'' demonic energy was particrly thicker than the others. ¡®Let''s take a look at your skills, then.¡¯ Mellis immediately threw a spear made of demonic energy. Swooosh! Specter avoided the spear by tilting his head slightly to the side. ¡®He avoided it.¡¯ He expected that Specter would be able to avoid it. He didn''t even hope that Specter wouldn¡¯t be able to react to that spear and die right there and then. ''Well, it was just bait. What I''m after is...¡¯ Smack! Specter grabbed the foot that flew in from his left nk with his right hand. He didn¡¯t even look at the foot as he slowly turned to Mellis. "A location swap skill?" "Tsk." Mellis couldn¡¯t believe that Specter didn''t even blink at the bait. Mellis sent his demonic energy up and disappeared once more. He was surprised to see that Specter seemed to be extremely good at fighting despite being a mere insect. ¡°¡­¡± Was Specter saying that it was his turn? Magic came out of Specter like a thread. The light in Mellis'' eyes changed at the sight. ¡®He¡¯s moving a tremendous amount of magic.¡¯ It meant that Specter was channeling an extremely powerful skill. In that case, this was both an opportunity and a crisis for Mellis. ¡®I''ll smash it open.¡¯ It was a simple but very effective way to demoralize his opponent. Ruuumble. Specter¡¯s magic abruptly expanded, and a huge clump of darkness appeared in front of Mellis. ¡°¡­¡± The darkness Specter had mustered was like a creature born in the darkest ce in the world. Mellis looked up. The snake made of darkness grew bigger and bigger the more he looked at it. At the sight, rm bells started ringing in Mellis'' head. ¡®I think it''ll be dangerous to keep staring at it.¡¯ Mellis¡¯ instincts were screaming at him to run rather than to keep staring at it. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ His pride would take a hit, but it was better than getting done in by the attack. Mellis kicked off the floor to dodge. ¡°¡­?!¡± He tried to move, but he couldn¡¯t move. His legs¡ªno, his entire body wasn¡¯t listening to him. "Toote. You won''t be able to move from now on," muttered Specter, seemingly bored. He wasn¡¯t just doing image training whenever he woke up from the nightmares rted to the Heavenly Demon. He did everything he could to be even stronger so he would finally be able to kill the Heavenly Demon when they met once again. "Basilisk." This was one of the skills he managed to create while he was madly training away. It was a monstrous darkness that contained both Scorn and Freeze. ¡®The snake petrifies you while you¡¯re looking at it.¡¯ Naturally, using Freeze on an opponent was faster than Basilisk. However, Basilisk was unique because its effects were negligible until it was toote. If the opponent were to look at the Basilisk for a while without noticing anything, then by the time they noticed that something was wrong¡­ ¡°The snake has already wrapped its tail around you." Specter flicked his finger, and the snake attacked its immobilized prey. ¡°Argh¡­!¡± Mellis staggered and grabbed his chest. The crimson liquid that dyed his palm red was definitely blood, but he couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡®I definitely strengthened my body with demonic energy, so how did I get wounded?¡¯ It felt like his thoughts couldn¡¯t keep up with reality. For the first time, Mellis was now looking at Specter as an enemy rather than just a bug. Atst, he could finally see that Specter was staring at him with bored eyes. ¡®So he¡¯s¡­¡¯ The strongest among the yers¡­ At the revtion, Mellis'' eyes quivered in apprehension. Chapter 429. Demon Hunter (5) Chapter 429. Demon Hunter (5) Mellis quickly checked his condition. There was a wound, but it wasn¡¯t that deep. ¡®Damn it. Just how the hell did he hurt me?¡¯ Satisfying the curiosity was forter. He pressed his finger at some parts of his chest to stop the bleeding. ¡°¡­!¡± He was still bleeding. ¡®Hemostasis isn¡¯t working?¡¯ An indifferent voice reached the flustered Mellis'' ears. "You won¡¯t stop bleeding." The effect of the title ¡®Demons¡¯ Foe'' was Demon¡¯s Bane. It was an energy that was basically the bane of demonic energy. Specter¡¯s attacks would always contain that energy, which was dangerous against fiends and demons. "Damn it." Mellis cursed asplicated thoughts filled his head. ''This is worse than I thought. There are a total of three options I can choose from here.'' The first was to kill the enemy and heal himself, and the second option was to flee. However, both options were difficult to do. There was no way that Specter would just stand idle and let him leave. ¡®If this drags on, I will be at a disadvantage. If the bleeding doesn¡¯t stop, I¡¯ll lose strength.¡¯ The blood of the demons symbolized power. The higher the concentration of demonic energy in the blood, the stronger a demon would be. Naturally, the more blood they bled, the weaker they would be. ¡®If I want to win, then I have to take action as soon as possible.¡¯ It would be difficult to kill the enemy, and it would be difficult to run away. In that case, he had no other choice but to choose the final option. ¡®I have figured out his skills, so as long as I don''t let my guard down¡­ It''s doable.'' Unfurl! Mellis'' back cracked, and a pair of bat wings unfolded behind him. He leaped into the air, and he broke the sound barrier as he passed by Specter. ¡®I did it! I passed by him!¡¯ Mellis only had one destination after sessfully catching his opponent off guard. He was going to target the others. ¡®I don¡¯t really know him that much, but I¡¯ve already noticed that he has a fatal weakness.¡¯ His weakness was his friends, who were weaker than him. Specter loved them a bit too much. ¡®Emotions will always get in the way of the strong.¡¯ Just like now¡­ Mellis nced behind him. Rather than thinking of chasing after him, Specter simply stood around. ''Hehe, that''s right. He doesn¡¯t have wings, so there¡¯s no way he can chase me.'' As expected, humans could be stronger than demons, but there was no way they could truly ovee the demons due to the gap between their species. Such thoughts passed through Mellis¡¯ head. "Contractor." "I know." Specter flicked his finger and muttered. "Red Thorns." Craaaaackle! The blood on Mellis'' chest erupted into hundreds of frozen thorns. ¡°¡­!¡± The pain was so excruciating that he couldn¡¯t even scream as he crashed to the floor with his eyes rolled. The pain of crashing to the floor at speeds beyond the speed of sound wasn¡¯t as painful as the pain caused by the frozen thorns. ¡°Haaak..! Haaa¡­!¡± He let out short breaths as the pain continued to gnaw away at his nerves. The tremendous pain was all thanks to Demon¡¯s Bane. ¡®What kind of battle is this?¡¯ It was so unfair that Mellis wanted to cry at the injustice. Wounds inflicted on him by his enemy couldn¡¯t be healed, and even his own blood was his enemy¡¯s weapon? What the hell was that? ¡°Haaak! Haa¡­!¡± A bitter cold started to embrace Mellis. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ He didn¡¯t even have to look at the wound. He could feel it. The frozen crimson thorns made from his own blood were tearing his organs apart. Of course, his heart was being torn apart as well. ¡®I¡¯m not going to die like this¡­! I¡¯m a ranked 3,015th demon in the Underworld!¡¯ Step, step. Hearing the approaching footsteps, Mellis squeezed the final vestiges of his strength to raise his head. ¡®Specter¡­¡¯ Mellis believed it now. He had no choice but to believe it. He was sure that Specter would definitely be a threat to the demons someday. ¡®Heh¡­¡¯ However, Mellis wasn¡¯t worried. There was no way Specter would be able to defeat the nobility of the Underworld. Mellis wasn¡¯t looking down on Specter¡ªhumans simply had their limits. Human beings had short life spans and weak bodies. In addition, their bowl of magic could only contain so much magic. ¡°¡­¡± Mellis murderously red at Specter. Mellis was proud of himself. As a High demon, he managed not to show weakness until the very end. "Kill me." Mellis growled. He was ready to die. Specter stretched out his hand and ordered. "Wait." ¡°¡­?¡± The approaching handnded on Mellis¡¯ chest. "What are you¡ª¡± Mellis started. However, his words got caught in his throat as he stared at himself in disbelief. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ leaving?¡¯ His power was leaving him. After confirming what was going on, Mellis cried out, "H-human¡­! What the hell are you doing?!" "I¡¯m absorbing it," Specter replied casually. He was indeed absorbing it. [You sense Mid-upper grade demonic energy from the target.] [Watchguard of Darkness can consume the demonic energy.] [Upon absorption, your magic stat will increase.] ¡®As expected¡­¡¯ He finally confirmed that his old hypothesis was true. The Frost Queen nodded next to him. "Hoh, you cannot absorb the demonic energy of fiends, which is mixed with impurities, but you can absorb the demonic energy of demons?" "Well, their demonic energy is a hundred percent pure." He had been thinking about it since he absorbed the demonic energy in the children''s bodies in Paradise. Those kids were injected with demonic energy, and since they couldn¡¯t wield magic, the demonic energy in them remained pure. Thus, he was able to absorb it. "T-that''s ridiculous¡­!" Mellis was appalled. The feeling of losing his strength was almost like a tower he had been building over a lifetime was copsing right in front of his eyes. ''I''ve met a lot of demons.¡¯ Some of them definitely had the ability to absorb another being¡¯s power. However, Mellis had never met someone who could absorb demonic energy like this. ¡®Does this even make sense?¡¯ Demons usually became stronger by drinking the blood of other demons. However, one¡¯s absorption rate didn¡¯t matter. If one decided to drink ten cups of blood, one would only be able to assimte power from two out of the ten cups. ¡®But this guy is different...¡¯ Mellis could feel that not a single grain of demonic energy was being wasted as Specter took them away from him. The revtion was so astonishing that he had no idea what to do. ''¡­Wait a minute. Is it an ability to absorb demonic energy itself?'' While he was on the verge of death, Mellis suddenly recalled a certain skill. Specter¡¯s skill was of the darkness attribute, it ignored defenses, and it could absorb demonic energy itself. Mellis knew just one skill that was extremely simr to Specter¡¯s skill. ¡®B-but¡­¡¯ It was a skill that could be considered the natural enemy of all demons. Mellis asked in a trembling voice, "You¡­! A-are you perhaps using the Watchguard of Darkness?" "What?" Specter was surprised, and he asked with a frown, "How did you know? Oh, did you hear it from the Heavenly Demon?" "My god¡­!" Mellis had just received the shock of his life. He couldn¡¯t even count how many times he received a simr shock today. ¡®Howe such a great skill is with such a worm?¡¯ No, this wasn''t what mattered right now. When he realized that the skill gnawing away at him was the Watchguard of Darkness, Mellis tightly gripped Specter¡¯s hand on his chest. "N-no, you can¡¯t. Ugh, unhand me! Don''t take my demonic energy¡­!¡± "You were nice and quiet, so why are you so rowdy right now?" Smack, smack! Seo Jun-Ho easily overpowered Mellis and continued absorbing thetter¡¯s demonic energy. Mellis started sobbing. "Please don''t take it away. Give me back my demonic energy. I beg you¡­ please¡­!" "Hang in there. It''s almost over." [Magic stat has increased by 10.] ¡®Not bad.¡¯ It was an excessive reward for catching just a High demon. Seo Jun-Ho frowned at the motionless Mellis, whose mouth was open and frozen. ¡®Pretending to be dead¡­?¡¯ No, it seemed that it wasn''t the case because Mellis¡¯ forehead was shining faintly. It was a sign that the Confession of the Dead could be used on him. Moreover¡­ [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­ [All stats has increased by 12.] Since Specter¡¯s level rose, it could be said that Mellis had truly perished. "What? Did he bleed to death?" "It is a death worthy of a mean and bad demon who looked down on me." Wasn''t it a vain death for a High demon? Well, Mellis was already dead, so Specter stopped thinking about it. He decided to think about another problem. ¡®This skill isn¡¯t working at all. [Soul Collector] Grade: A Effect: Collects souls. It was the skill he purchased from Reiji with points that he earned from selling the 4th Floor Guide that the Frost Queen had written. However, he still had no idea how to use the skill. ¡®I don''t know how to use it at all.¡¯ Skills weren¡¯t appliances that came with user manuals. Of course, it was up to the yers to figure out how to use their own Skills. However, it was his first time encountering such a mysterious Skill. ¡®At first, I thought it was just a Skill where you kill and collect souls.¡¯ However, Specter had killed many people since then, but the skill remained inactive. In that case, it seemed that there was another way for him to use the skill and collect souls with it. "Tsk." Specter clicked his tongue. It was foolish to keep focusing on something that he couldn¡¯t figure out in the meantime. Setting the matter aside, Specter lightly ced his hand on Mellis'' forehead. "Now, confess.¡± He was truly curious to see what kind of lives these prideful demons were living. However, he received apletely unexpected System message. [The target''s soul cannot be identified.] [Only the memories in the body will be yed.] [The Confession of the Dead has been activated.] ¡®The soul can¡¯t be identified? What does that mean?'' A hologram window floated and filled his eyes, interrupting his train of thought. *** There were tens or hundreds of thousands of demons prostrating on the red ground. Thebined demonic energy of the demons filling the world made him tremble, even though he was simply watching a yback. ¡®... What are they worshipping?¡¯ Usually, the object of worship was the only one that should be upright when it was being worshipped, so it was bound to stand out. However, nothing could be seen in the yback aside from demons prostrating on the red ground. "Hmm?" The camera flew up, and Seo Jun-Ho felt a strong sense of incongruity from the sight. ¡®I don''t think this is Mellis'' memories.¡¯ Mellis was prostrating as well and was staring at the red ground. The moment the thought passed by his head, the camera zoomed in at tremendous speeds. The camera quickly left the and showed the universe, and an existence sitting on a throne on an asteroid could be seen. The existence was a bored-looking man with his eyes closed. He slowly raised his eyelids and stared at the camera. - ¡­Human? Specter held his breath. He didn¡¯t dare to even exhale. A far greater and more primitive fear gripped him than when he saw the hundreds of thousands of demons. ¡®Is he talking to me?¡¯ No, it couldn¡¯t be. This was the video yback of the Confession of the Dead. This was a scene from the past, so there was no need for him to be afraid. He didn¡¯t have to be afraid, but even though he knew that he didn¡¯t have to be afraid¡­ - I see. So that¡¯s how you look¡­ The demon staring at him suddenly reached out. Swoosh! ¡°¡­!¡± The hologram window vanished as soon as Specter unknowingly pulled out his weapon. [For the yer¡¯s safety, the Confession of the Dead has been terminated.] [Hero''s Mind (EX) has resisted the effects of Fear.] [Hero''s Mind (EX) has resisted the effects of Overwhelm.] [Hero''s Mind (EX) has resisted the effects of Erosion.] [Hero''s Mind (EX) has resisted the effects of Madness.] ¡­ "Haaak¡­! Haaa¡­" Seo Jun-Ho finally exhaled the air he had been holding in. However, he found that his hands and back were damp with sweat. - You¡­ you should be grateful for Hero¡¯s Mind. Keen Intuition was right. He would have lost his mind if Hero''s Mind was S rather than EX. ¡®What the hell was that?¡¯ Was he a member of the Underworld¡¯s nobility whom Mellis had been putting on a pedestal? He had no idea about the identity of that man, but the man was more powerful than anyone he had ever seen in his life. He saw the man through the video yback, but when their gazes met, Seo Jun-Ho suffered a tremendous shock that made him nauseous, even though their gazes only met through the video yback. ¡®I-I have to fight someone like that someday?¡¯ Tremble¡­ The human Seo Jun-Ho looked down at his trembling hands when System messages suddenly popped up in front of him. [5.5th Floor, Arcade Center, is about to close.] [In 60 seconds, all yers will return to the ce where they came from.] The 5.5th Floor was about to close. He profited a lot on the 5.5th Floor, but whether he liked it or not, it was about time for him to leave. Chapter 430. The Frost Queen Is Tired (1)

Chapter 430. The Frost Queen Is Tired (1)

There was a square table in a huge room that was a tad bit colder than outside. For some reason, there was a war of nerves between the two men and the woman sitting in front of the table. "A few rats recently came into my Farm," said a tall man with two giant horns that made him resemble a mountain goat. A woman with purple skin and weird tattoos all over her body snorted and said, "Idiot. Are you bragging about being robbed because you can''t take care of those below you?" The tall man''s heavy gazended on her. "What are you looking at? Avert your gaze." "No matter how much I think about it, you''re the only one who has such gall." "Shit. Quit talking shit and look away. You know I don''t say things three times, right?¡± Even though the air was tense as if it were going to explode, a man with an emotionless face remained still with his eyes closed. "So what if you don''t like it? What are you going to do?¡± "Heh.I like how you¡¯re simple and straightforward.¡± The smiling tattooed woman was about to stand up¡­ Boom! However, the door was flung open by a grumbling thin man. "Sigh,I¡¯m extremely busy, so hurry up and tell me why you called me. If it¡¯s ame reason¡ªOh?What is this?¡± The thin man instantly deduced what was going on. he smiled brightly and pped his hands. "You guys are finally fighting, aren''t you? I thought I was going to die of old age waiting for that!" ¡°¡­¡± The tall man closed his eyes without saying a word, and the tattoo girl also slumped back in her seat. "The excitement is all gone. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to fight this punk for someone else to enjoy.¡± "What, you guys aren''t going to fight?¡± The thin man sat with a disappointed look. "That''s too bad. If you two fought and died, I was going to take all of yournds.¡± "If I fight, I¡¯ll definitely fight a bastard like you first." "Why are you directing your anger on me?¡± "You¡¯re making fun of us, so you deserve it." "Ah¡­ Anyway¡­¡± The thin man dismissively waved his hand. He stared at the three and asked, "So why did you call me here?" The tall man spoke, "Mellis is dead." "Oh,really?" The thin man scratched his head, seemingly confused. "Mellis? Who is that?" "The High demon we sent to manage the 5.5th Floor." ¡°Is that so? Why did you send garbage to be the manager of the 5.5th Floor?" "We wanted to gauge the yers¡¯ levels." "Hoh." It had already been discussed the other day, but the thin man seemed to havepletely forgotten about it as he nodded and said, "Since they can deal with a High demon. I guess yers¡¯ levels are higher than I thought.¡± "It wasn¡¯t the yers." "Hmm?What are you talking about?" "Only one yer got rid of Mellis, and he¡¯s the one named Specter." The tall man knocked on the table, and a video yback appeared in the air. - Red Thorns. Crackle! Dozens of crimson thorns pierced Mellis as the blood in his chest froze. The video yback ended right there and then. "What¡¯s this?" "It¡¯s the footage of Mellis¡¯ death." "I know. I¡¯m saying that since you¡¯re going to show me anyway, why not show me the whole thing rather than just two seconds of it?¡± "The data in the installed cameras on the 5.5th Floor were wiped out, and the familiars were vanquished as well." "What? How?" "How do you think? Think about it for once. Is the head between your shoulders nothing but an essory?" the tattooed woman muttered with her arms crossed in front of her chest. "The Administrators intervened. I guess we took too long." "Wait. Isn''t it theoretically impossible for Administrators to intervene on the 5.5th Floor?" ¡°Yes, but the big shot clung to me longer than I expected, so they eventually broke through,¡± said the tattooed woman. "Who''s the big shot?" The tattooed woman nced at the sunlight shining on the table without saying anything. "Ah¡­" At the sight, the thin man nodded withoutining. "It can''t be helped if it¡¯s the Sun God." "Of course, but this is not why I called you." "Then, why did you call me?" "The n has begun..." The seemingly emotionless man finally opened his eyes upon hearing that. The 5.5th Floor was designed to tie the yers¡¯ ankles up and carry out the ¡®n¡¯ they had prepared for a long time. Once the n began, they would be one step closer to achieving the grand ambition of demons. "Does the Archduke know about this?" "I did not tell him separately, but I think he knows." "I see..." If the Archduke wanted, he could even eavesdrop on their conversation right now. The tall man spoke, "This Specter guy is really bothering me. We have to do something about him in advance.¡± "Hmm?Do we need to? He only killed a High demon." "I have a bad feeling about him." "I admit that your feelings are often correct, but¡­¡± The thin man got up and shook his head before saying, "I''m out. It doesn''t sound cool to me." "Same," said the tattooed woman before leaving. The seemingly emotionless man also disappeared like smoke. ¡°¡­¡± Now alone, the tall man closed his eyes quietly. "Those idiots." Would the Sun God delete the records of a particr individual for no reason? The tall man really found it ufortable to be a part of the Four Counts with those three. He mulled over the matter for a while before standing up with a determined look. *** [Breaking news! The 5.5th Floor was a huge trap set up by the demons.] [Bottom 10% yers, 10% drop in all stats for a year. A dark future for the newbies?] [The cloudy skies after the rain. After the fiends, demons are targeting humans.] [The 5 Heroes (pictured) defeated Common demons and a High demon. Their legend continues.] ¡­ The world was in turmoil. They had been subjected to all kinds of terrorist attacks, but they had never seen such a terrorist attack on such arge scale. They couldn¡¯t have expected that the 5.5th Floor was actually a trap. The media and yer associations of many countries couldn¡¯t hide their embarrassment. Of course, they were worried about the demons as well. "It¡¯s still a relief. I thought something big happened on Earth." "I know, right?¡± The demons said that they achieved one of their primary goals, but nothing really happened on Earth in the following days since the yers¡¯ return. Atst, Seo Jun-Ho could finally take a breather. It seemed that there was a low chance that he would have to fight demons once again in the near future. "The treatment is over." "¡­Thank you." Thest few days went by like a ray of light as Seo Jun-Ho received intensive treatment from Cha Si-Eun. "Phew. I''m sorry. My skill still isn¡¯t good enough...¡± "No, it¡¯s great." Tremble. Cha Si-Eun and Seo Jun-Ho were staring at thetter¡¯s hands, and they were trembling. Seo Jun-Ho forcibly clenched his hands into fists and said, "How can this be your fault, Ms. Si-Eun? This is my problem." Cha Si-Eun''s treatment skills were so excellent that she became widely acimed as a healer. In addition, his Hero''s Mind was EX, so his trembling was unlikely to be a mental illness. Then, there was only one answer. ¡®It''s a matter of the heart.¡¯ The hornless lethargic man he had seen in that video yback greatly disturbed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart. He felt like he had no energy to do anything because he didn¡¯t want to fight that man. Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that the lethargic man was the reason his hands were incessantly trembling. "Honestly, I''m sorry for showing you such a pathetic side," Seo Jun-Ho apologized before hiding his hands behind him. "No¡­!" Cha Si-Eun eximed, seemingly furious. However, she hurriedly averted her gaze and muttered, "¡­I have never thought that Jun-Ho-nim is pathetic. Not even once did I think that you¡¯re pathetic¡­" "That''s great to hear. Thank you." Seo Jun-Ho got up with a smile. "Then, I''ll ask you for a favor once more in the afternoon." "Oh,Jun-Ho-nim." Cha Si-Eun assumed a businesslike expression as usual as she got up and said, "I talked to the association president about your condition. How about getting treatment from someone else?" "Someone else?¡± "Yes. I don''t think my treatment is very helpful to you right now." "Are they a yer who specializes in treating the heart?" She nodded. ¡®Treatment from another yer, huh.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought about it for a while before asking, "Are they tight-lipped?" The public would definitely be terrified if they were to hear about his condition. In addition, the people were still stewing in their shock when they heard about how demons were far stronger than they initially thought. Naturally, they had extremely high expectations for Seo Jun-Ho, the only one who managed to defeat a High demon so far. "You don''t have to worry about that. And you know them as well..." "I know them?¡± Who were they? Seo Jun-Ho thought about it before giving up and asking, "Who are they?" *** "Haaa¡­" The Frost Queen sighed as she paced around the room. "Haaa¡­" She sighed with a face full of worries. It was all because her one and only contractor was broken once again. "Why is my contractor so weak?" Men in Niflheim used to take off their tops and chop firewood even in the middle of winter. What kind of man would get broken every time something a bit shocking happened? "Hmm." The Frost Queen thought about how to help her contractor before revealing a look of determination. ¡®I saw it in a drama. Koreans say it''s helpful to take restorative elixirs at times like this.¡¯ The Frost Queen rummaged through her pocket. She searched meticulously in both pockets. "Ah,dust...¡± muttered the Frost Queen. She blinked and decided to open her pocket money pouch hidden between a fewpartments in the closet. "5,700 won?" Could she buy restorative elixirs with this amount of money? She thought about it hard and recalled that restorative elixirs were like potions of this world. In that case, it would definitely be more expensive than cake rather than cheaper. "Ha¡­It cannot be helped,¡± said the Frost Queen. She made up her mind and took her piggy bank named ¡®Pigster¡¯ with her before making her way toward the elevator. The elevator quietly headed to the top floor. When the elevator door opened, the secretaries at the front desk smiled kindly at her. "Frost-nim! Do you want cake?" "No, I am getting a bit tired of eating cake. I think I have been eating too much cake nowadays. Is this what they call a burnout?¡± "Really? It¡¯s a shame because I bought an ice cream cake to give you along with tea upon your next visit..." "¡­Ice cream cake?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s long ears twitched. She didn¡¯t know just what exactly was an ice cream cake, but she knew that both ice cream and cake were delicious. ¡®That delicious food and that delicious foodbined¡­!¡¯ Oh my! If it wasn¡¯t something that was really,reallytasty, then what else could it be? The Frost Queen quickly nodded and said, "Give me that so-called ice cream cake, then. I want to try it." "Oh,really?¡± "Yes." "Well, you know? Today, I also want¡ª¡± "Mmmm." The Frost Queen revealed a sulking look and pouted. However, her hesitation onlysted for a moment as she closed her eyes and said, "Just ten seconds..." "Kyaack!" "So cute¡­!" "Your hair is very soft. What shampoo do you use?" "I use what the contractor bought." "What about conditioner?" "I use what the contractor bought." The secretaries gathered around the Frost Queen. They took turns patting her head as they kicked up a fuss, saying that she was cute. "Ahem!Ten seconds are up. Stop touching me." "Ah!A bit more~" "I think I''m getting addicted because your hair is so soft¡­!" "When are youing back?" "I don''t want toe back. You lot are weird." The Frost Queen entered the Office of the Association President as if she was running away. "Oh,you¡¯re here, Frost Queen-nim?" Shim Deok-Gu was in the middle of organizing a few documents, but he got up and smiled when he saw the Frost Queen. Naturally, he quickly offered her a seat. "Phew,Baldy. Your secretaries, aren''t they a bit weird?" "Why do you think so?¡± "They keep touching my hair. And they¡¯re saying that I am cute." "Well, how is that weird?" "No¡­ In Niflheim, no one dares to talk to me in fear of my majesty..." Shim Deok-Gu couldn¡¯t help but think that the Frost Queen¡¯s assumptions were incorrect, but he didn''t bother correcting her. "What brings you here today, Frost Queen-nim?" "I came here to kill¡­ Pigster¡­" The Frost Queen answered in a sullen voice as she held Pigster out to Shim Deok-Gu. "A piggy bank?" "Pigster." "Ah,yes. So why are you suddenly killing Pigster?¡± "I want to save money and give Contractor an elixir." "¡­ An elixir?" Shim Deok-Gu seemed overjoyed, as if he were a proud parent witnessing his daughter¡¯s love for him. Right now, Shim Deok-Gu felt like he could finally understand the feelings of that son-loving fool, Gilberto. "You will not be able to buy expensive elixirs with that amount. Anyway, I will order one for you." "No." The Frost Queen shook her head resolutely. "This time, I want to help Contractor with my power alone." "Mmm." Shim Deok-Gu looked sideways at Pigster. He was sure that the amount of money in Pigster was less than a hundred thousand won. "I think you will have to work part-time." "What is that?" "It means that you will have to be an employee working on an hourly wage." "Oh~You are talking about a part-time job!"[1] The Frost Queen seemed excited upon hearing something new, and she nodded before saying, "That sounds fun. Honestly, I have never had a job." "Well, you were a queen." "I know, but my status was decided from birth, so I couldn¡¯t have done anything about it, right?" The Frost Queen clenched her tiny fists and vowed, "I will take a part-time job, but where do you think is a great ce for me to work at?" ¡°Hmm." Shim Deok-Gu thought about it for a moment before smiling. "There is no need for you to go far away. How about you try working for our association?" Chapter 431. The Frost Queen Is Tired (2) Chapter 431. The Frost Queen Is Tired (2) "Now, kimchi~"[1] ¡°Stew..." "This time, cheese~!" "Cake..." "Kyaaa! She''s so cute!" The high school girls in school uniforms, who were taking pictures, hugged the Frost Queen and made a fuss. The Frost Queen knew that they would do something like that, so she started floundering about like live fish. "L-let go of me!" "Can you please be my little sister? Why are you so cute?¡± "Do you want candy or chocte? No, I''ll buy you everything you want to eat!" "Contractor told me not to follow strangers just because they¡¯re saying that they want to buy me tasty food!" The Frost Queen puffed and huffed as she escaped from their arms. ''Scary¡­ So this is modern society.'' The Frost Queen felt like she could finally understand why office workers looked perpetually tired. She stared fearfully at the long line in front of her. "Could it be that they are all here for¡­¡± "Students! If you''re done taking pictures, please move!" "Can''t you see the line? There are people in the back as well, and they want to take pictures, too!" "Hiiiik!" The Frost Queen, who was wearing the Korean yer Association uniform, urgently blew her whistle with a frightened look. Fuweee! Fuweee! Fuweee! The staff members of the Korean yer Association immediately swarmed to rescue the Frost Queen from the clutches of the throng. ¡°Do you find it difficult to get used to it?¡± ¡°Yes, I am tired as well,¡± muttered the Frost Queen. She was now back in the Office of the Association President and was sprawled out on the sofa like a melted rice cake. ¡°I do not think that I will ever get used to interacting with people face-to-face.¡± "¡­Just how did you handle your duties as a queen?¡± At the question, The Frost Queen repeatedly struck the soft sofa with her fists in fury. ¡°No one wanted to pat my head at the time! No one wanted to hug me!¡± Such actions were tantamount to disrespect to the monarchy, so it was understandable that no one would want to do such a thing. ¡°Hm, it¡¯s a shame¡­¡± muttered Shim Deok-Gu. He wanted to give her a job that wouldn¡¯t make her too famous while taking advantage of her strengths at the same time. ¡®The Queen¡¯s biggest strength is her cuteness.¡¯ Unfortunately, Shim Deok-Gu had overestimated the people¡¯s self-restraint in the face of something extremely adorable. He even put up a sign that said ¡®No touching; only looking¡¯ two months ago, but it seemed that it hadn¡¯t been working. Shim Deok-Gu contemted for a while and said carefully, "Should I just buy Jun-Ho¡¯s restorative elixir for you?¡± "No!" cried the Frost Queen in a stubborn voice. "I have already gone through so much humiliation, so it is already toote for me to give up." "Are you going back to work, then?" asked Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°Well, Deok-Gu¡­¡± The Frost Queen wriggled her fingers and asked in a soft voice, ¡°Is there any job where I don¡¯t have to interact with other people?¡± "Jobs like that aren¡¯tmon nowadays¡ªHmm?" Now that he thought about it, there was a job like that. In addition, it was a job that existed for such a long time that it had long be ubiquitous. *** Rrrrring! The phone rang, and a tiny hand picked up the phone. "Hello?" - Huh? Is this the consultation office of the Korean yer Association? "Yes, that is correct.¡± The Frost Queen nodded. She was currently wearing the usual outfit of association employees. A few hours ago, Shim Deok-Gu sent her here to try out another job. [Inbound Consulting.] Her main task was to respond to inquiries. She studied a few manuals before immediately being sent to work. ¡°Upon answering the call, you should introduce yourself and tell them that you¡¯re from the Korean yer Association. Afterward, you should ask them about what you can do for them.¡± Recalling the advice of the consulting office manager, the Frost Queen spoke, "Ahem. Good morning, I am Frost of the Korean yer Association." - ¡­Excuse me? "Why did you call? How may I help you?¡± - Uhhh, that¡¯s. I lost my yer''s license. "Aigo, you should be careful." - I-I¡¯m sorry. "Then, I shall exin the reissuance procedure, so follow it well.¡± The other inbound consulting agents watching the scene couldn¡¯t help but start muttering with each other. "Is it really okay for her to respond like that, Manager?" "What do you think?" "What should we do?" "Hmm." The consulting office manager revealed a troubled expression. The inbound consulting office of the Korean yer Association was different from other consulting offices. This office was a battlefield where they would receive thousands of calls a day. Of course, there was no way that part-timers could be a part of this office. Honestly, every agent here were tenured agentsposed of highly educated elites. ¡®Why is such a child in such a ce¡­?¡¯ The consulting office manager thought about it, but she couldn¡¯t find an answer. The Frost Queen was a talent that Association President Shim Deok-Gu personally rmended. ¡®From what she has shown us so far, she seems like a disaster star rather than a talent¡­¡¯ The Frost Queen just had to get through the day somehow. The consulting office manager sighed lightly and prayed, hoping that an ident wouldn¡¯t happen. - Thank you! "Mmhmm. Be more careful about not losing your license from now on." The corners of the Frost Queen¡¯s mouth twitched as she ced the phone gently back into ce. She felt an indescribable sense of pride. ¡®This part-time job is more meaningful than I thought.¡¯ It was giving help to those in need. Overwhelming emotions would always fill her heart whenever the people on the other end of the line expressed their gratitude to her. The consulting office manager saw that, and she judged that the Frost Queen was adapting better than she expected. "She has a unique way of speaking, but she seems great." "More than anything, she¡¯s so cute! I want to have lunch with her." "Mmhm." The consulting office manager nodded at the remark. Rrring! Another phone call arrived, but the other agents seemed reluctant to pick it up. "I will take it." The Frost Queen was still relishing in the pride she felt after sessfully helping someone else, so she unsuspectingly picked up the call. However, before she could even start speaking ording to the manual¡­ - Hey, you dog-headed bastards! How dare you put a Gate restriction on me? Do you know who I am?! Curses pierced her ears. The Frost Queen blinked with wide eyes and asked, "Who are you?" - What, what...?! "I do not know who you are. Who are you?" - I''m the second son of the Han-Young Group¡¯s chairman, and I''m going to join the Future Guild soon. Do you understand?! "I do not understand at all," said the Frost Queen. It seemed that she had already gotten used to the hologram windows in the office as she deftly tapped and opened up the files about the caller. "You have verbally abused and even assaulted an employee of the association''s Gate management department. The employee is still in the hospital, and it would take them at least five weeks to recover. From my perspective, the punishment you received was just a p on the wrist." - What, you psycho¡­! "Please do not speak with expletives." - Oh? A grunt worker manning the phones in a consulting office doesn¡¯t like to hear curses? "I do not get a sry. My wages are hourly." - What? You¡¯re a part-timer? Ha! No wonder you sound dumb. "Dumb? Did you just say that my voice sounds dumb?" The Frost Queen''s eyelids trembled at the insult she heard for the first time in her life. Everyone had always told her that she possessed a beautiful voice reminiscent of clean jade beads. - I don¡¯t want to hear your dumb voice anymore. Just lift the Gate restrictions on me before I get mad and turn everything upside down. "Oh, really? I want to see how you¡¯re going to turn everything upside down, you childish punk who gets angry at the tiniest inconvenience." - What did you just say? Punk? Ha! God damn. Hey. What¡¯s your name? The consulting office manager rushed over upon noticing that something was wrong. She skimmed through the hologram window showing the caller¡¯s information. ''Level 23 yer. The highest skill grade is B.'' On top of that, he was the second son of the Han-Young Group and was in the process of signing a contract with the Future Guild. The Frost Queen really stepped on crap this time. The caller¡¯s specs weren¡¯t something a mere agent could handle. Therefore, the consulting office manager patted the Frost Queen on the shoulder and whispered, "Good job. I think you should take a break. I¡¯ll handle this call for you." "No." The Frost Queen shook her head stubbornly. "Who would trust and follow a monarch who only knows how to throw her burden at her subordinates?" The Frost Queen''s cheeks swelled in determination as she gripped the phone tightly and muttered, "I will take responsibility and get rid of him." "N-no, you shouldn¡¯t get rid of him¡­" muttered the consulting office manager as she started sweating while standing next to the Frost Queen. Meanwhile, the spoiled brat shouted once again. - Hey, I asked for your name! ¡°My name is Frost." - Oho, Frost? You¡­ I¡¯ming over! Let¡¯s see if you can keep that act¡ªwait, who are you?! Let go! Heuk! Beep! Beep! Beep! The phone call suddenly ended, and the Frost Queen tilted her head in confusion. The consulting office manager asked urgently, "W-what did he say? Is heing?" "No. He ran away despite acting like he was strong,¡± replied the Frost Queen. A few momentster, the Frost Queen blinked and slowly got up from her seat. She looked around the consulting room. "Heuk, Senior. I want to quit." "What did she do wrong that he¡¯s yelling curses? What the hell is so good about...¡± "H-he said he¡¯sing. Is he reallying? Will I get fired?" She took in the tearful agents one by one. "I finally understand. The people on the other end of the line aren¡¯t the only ones who needed help." She couldn¡¯t see them until now, but it turned out that there were so many people here who needed help as well. ¡®I made a mistake.¡¯ A decent monarch would have looked around themselves first before anything else. The Frost Queen stared at the consulting office manager. "Consulting Manager." "H-huh? I mean, yes?¡± The strange tone and the air around the Frost Queen made the consulting office manager use honorifics without realizing it. The Frost Queen looked at her and spoke earnestly, ¡°From now on, all calls from spoiled brats should be handed over to me to handle." "No, but¡­¡± There was no way that the consulting office manager could leave such a heavy burden to a part-timer. However, the Frost Queen¡¯s sincere and clear eyes possessed a unique power in them. It was a power that elicited trust from those looking at her. "But if you can¡¯t handle it. Is it okay if we stop right away?¡± "Of course,¡± replied the Frost Queen with clenched fists. *** A man was shouting furiously in front of a Gate. "What?! Our party definitely came first! Reservation? What are you talking about? The one whoes first is the owner. What the hell do you mean about reservation?!" The party members started frowning as the man kept on cursing while talking on the phone. All of a sudden, a man in a ck suit approached him quietly. "Mr. Choi Chul-Hyun? I''m sorry, but I need you to apany me for a while." "Fuck, what? Who are you?" The man retrieved a business card from his pocket without saying a word. [Korean yer Association, Fiend Response Team, Park Do-Hyun.] "What? The association''s¡ªah!" Those on the Fiend Response Team were veteran yers from the yer Association, who usually dealt with fiends. Theirbat prowess, which was developed while dealing with fiends, was several times above their peers. In short, it meant that the man in front of Choi Chul-Hyun was a yer he shouldn¡¯t even dare to offend. "W-why is such a high-ranking person like¡ª¡± "We should talk as we go," said Park Do-Hyun as he stared at Choi Chul-Hyun with cold eyes. Choi Chul-Hyun immediately ended the call and followed Park Do-Hyun. *** [Suppression of point Apleted.] [Point C is done as well.] [Hawk, we are moving to point F point.] Reports were pouring in from themunication channel. The woman in charge nodded briefly. "Everyone is doing great." Cha Si-Eun¡­ She used to be a member of the secretarial department of the Korean yer Association, but now, she was just a normal employee of the Korean yer Association. In addition, she only had one job at the moment. ¡®Topletely support and protect the Frost Queen.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had departed to receive treatment. Protecting the Frost Queen was an extremely daunting task for the Korean yer Association. If the Frost Queen got injured, then they wouldn¡¯t be able to say anything upon Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s return. ¡®But the scale is unbelievable...¡¯ Honestly, they wouldn¡¯t make such a fuss even if another country''s president visited them. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the Korean yer Association was currently moving for the Frost Queen¡¯s sake. "But thanks to you..." The howls and criesing from the consulting office should disappear for a while. Cha Si-Eun couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the thought. 1. Instead of cheese or smile, people say ¡®kimchi¡¯ in Korea for taking pictures. ? Chapter 432. Once Upon a Time (1) Chapter 432. Once Upon a Time (1) This was his second visit. Sweep, sweep. The two young monks sweeping the entrance of the manor bowed politely at him. "You¡¯re the man with a very clear soul! So you¡¯vee here again!" "You¡¯re the man walking on a lonely road full of hardships! So you¡¯vee here again!" "Yes, it''s been a long time.¡± Seo Jun-Ho got down at the monk¡¯s eye level and took out the chocte he had prepared in advance. "Here, a gift for you two." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Their mouths drooled as they stared nkly at the box of choctes. "You can take it.¡± "Thank you for the food, Hero of Mankind!" "Thank you for the food, Hero of Mankind!" The two young monks bowed and received the box of choctes. Then, they opened the door. "Please follow us and be careful." "The Sage is waiting for you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho went through the magic circle with the two young monks, and he was once again met with the same beautiful garden that he had seen on hisst visit. "Huh?" However, an unexpected feminine voice reached his ears. "Wow! Awesome! Were you the guest who wasing today?¡± "Hmm?" Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes widened after confirming her identity. He didn¡¯t expect to see her here¡ªno, he didn¡¯t expect to see her again. "Ms. Seo Mirae?" "Wow~ You remember my name! I thought you would havepletely forgotten about my name by now." "Well, I actually forgot about your name, but your face reminded me." "You¡¯re too mean." The woman with freckles chuckled and asked, "How have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been doing well¡­¡± Seo Mirae. As a yer from Cheong-Hae Guild, she once cleared the Wild Forest Gate together with Seo Jun-Ho. In addition, she could see the future, albeit in fragments. "I¡¯ve been reading about your performance in many articles, and you really made me feel proud. We''re stillrades of the same period. I meanrades from the Wild Forest Gate." "That''s already two years ago." "Time really flies. Don''t you think so?" Seo Jun-Ho stared at Seo Mirae ¡®Pretty good.¡¯ Seo Mirae had be a yer that was well beyond the yer she had been years ago. She was no longer giving off the vibe of a newbie. For some reason, Seo Jun-Ho felt proud staring at her. "Don¡¯t you feel hot wearing that?" "Ah, that¡¯s¡­" Seo Jun-Ho awkwardly smiled. He was wearing a long coat with long sleeves to hide his incessantly trembling hands. "I get cold easily. Rather, Ms. Mirae, what are you doing here?¡± "Uh, that¡¯s¡­" Seo Mirae awkwardly smiled as well. Fortunately, a voice rescued her by saying, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time for me to nurture a sessor?" "Ah, I told you to please walk with a cane, old man¡­¡± grumbled Seo Mirae as she approached the blind Sage of the Observatory Tower. The Sage of the Observatory approached Seo Jun-Ho. "It¡¯s been a while," said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Haha, yes, it has been a while¡­¡± the Sage trailed off. For the Sage, it had only been a year since theyst met, but it wasn¡¯t the case for Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho was meeting him for the first time in almost eighteen years. "You¡¯ve worked hard." "Thank you, but by a sessor, do you mean..." Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes turned to Seo Mirae. The Sage nodded. "She¡¯s aplete tomboy, but with a bit of training, it should be fine." "Certainly." Seo Mirae had the cheat-like ability to peek into the future. What if the Sage taught her how to use that kind of skill? It wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable to call her the Sage of the Observatory Tower¡¯s sessor. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s a bit hard for me to imagine her as the next Sage.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled softly while looking at the Sage. ¡®Could I still call him Sage?¡¯ Setting asidebat prowess, Seo Jun-Ho could feel that the Sages¡¯ breadth of mind was wide. He was living in the present, but he was always looking at the future. Even now, he was already preparing a sessor who would rece him when he died. "Shall we go on a stroll?" "Yes." The Sage gently patted the back of Seo Mirae''s hand, who was still supporting him. ¡°The two of us will go on a stroll for a while.¡± "Be careful. Don¡¯t fall¡­" "I have never fallen in my life, so why are you worrying about something like that?" Seo Jun-Ho followed the chuckling Sage and started walking in the garden. As the smell of fragrant flowers wafted over to them, the Sage shattered the ice and spoke, "A good kid like here is rare these days. I hope she¡¯ll find a decent man to date soon." ¡°I¡¯m always busy¡­¡± "Don''t count your chickens before they hatch. Even if she wants to date you, I won¡¯t ept it,¡± said the Sage. He wanted Seo Mirae to be happy. There was no way she could be happy with Seo Jun-Ho¡ªa man walking on a path full of hardships. Seo Jun-Ho went silent. He thought about something for a moment before asking carefully, "Did you know that my teacher was going to die?" ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho was obviously talking about the Thunder God. The Sage nodded without hesitation. "That''s right. I told him about his impending death, and I also told him to treat you well because you will be there in his final moments." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart twisted at the thought of it alone. Seo Jun-Ho basically considered the Thunder God as his parent. "Was there no other way? Like a way to save him?" ¡°He could have been saved, but he refused.¡± "What?!" Surprised, Seo Jun-Ho stopped walking and looked at the Sage. "He could have lived, but he gave it up? Why on earth would he make that choice?" The Sage smiled weakly and answered, "I can only say that he did it for the future.¡± "For the future? What does that mean?" "Hmm. I don''t think that he would want you to know.¡± The Thunder God wouldn¡¯t want him to know? As soon as he heard it, Seo Jun-Ho''s intuition reached a conclusion. "Janabi¡¯s core." The absorption of Janabi¡¯s core meant acquiring Cell Regeneration. It meant that given enough time, the Thunder God would have eventually recovered. If the Thunder God absorbed Janabi¡¯s core rather than himself, the Thunder God would have survived. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression distorted upon learning the horrible truth. "So he died because of me....¡± "Haaa." The Sage sighed deeply and said, "I''ll take back what I saidst time about liking smart people like you. People like you are hard to deal with." Seo Jun-Ho remained unmoving despite the Sage¡¯s lighthearted words. He couldn¡¯t believe that he was the reason why the Thunder God decided to ept his demise. ¡®Then the reason why he alone didn¡¯te even when both the Big 6 and the Nine Heavens gathered at ck Field was perhaps?¡¯ ¡®So the reason he didn¡¯t show up at ckfield along with the Big 6 and the other Heavens is¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was because the Thunder God was busy teaching Baek Geon-woo, but¡­ ¡®Was he afraid that he would be greedy if he saw the core?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt dizzy as he demanded. "The reason¡ªplease tell me the reason." ¡°What reason?" "Why couldn¡¯t he absorb Janabi¡¯s core." The Sage stared at him. "Didn''t you ovee a lot of difficulties because of that skill?¡± ¡°If he were the one who absorbed the core, then I wouldn¡¯t have encountered so many difficulties¡­¡± "Specter. Listen to me carefully." The Sage grabbed Seo Jun-Ho''s shoulders and scolded him in a stern voice. ¡°Once you start harboring that kind of thought, there will be no end to it. You shouldn¡¯t me yourself for everything untoward happening in the entire world. If you really want to know why he decided against saving himself, then I¡¯ll tell you¡­¡± The Sage stared at the tearful Seo Jun-Ho and said, "You¡¯re the only one who can do it, so it has to be you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew. He knew it deep inside. He knew that there was no way someone else could have survived the 4th Floor¡¯s regressions. If the Thunder God knew that he would have to face such hardships, then it was understandable why he decided to ept his demise. ¡®He knew that he couldn¡¯t do it because he was old¡­¡¯ As such, the Thunder God decided to hand over the role to Seo Jun-Ho. Tears fell down Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cheeks as he closed his eyes tightly. Right now, he was whining. He was whining like a child. After a while, Seo Jun-Hoposed himself and said, "I''m sorry for showing you such an ugly side." "No, it¡¯s fine." The Sage patted him gently on the shoulder. "I can say for sure that he hadplete control over his future. I¡¯m sure that he isn¡¯t holding any grudge against you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew that as well. He was there when the Thunder God departed, so he knew that the Thunder God passed away while worrying about those he would have to leave behind. As such, there was no way he would resent them. "How about you tell me your story?" the Sage asked, "Why are you here?" "¡­Did you not know that I woulde?" "I knew you''de, but I don''t know why¡­" Seo Jun-Ho thought for a while and said carefully, "I came because I heard that you could cure an illness of the heart." "Pfft!" The Sage chuckled. "Who do you think am I? A therapist? What makes you think that I can cure an illness of the heart?" "But I¡¯ve heard from people who were previously suffering from the same illness that they got a lot better after visiting you¡­¡± "Well, I told them a few words, and they got better on their own." "That''s exactly what I need right now." Seo Jun-Ho revealed a serious look. The Thunder God was definitely watching over him from the heavens, so he couldn¡¯t keep on showing the Thunder God such a pathetic side of him. "Please let me know. I¡­ Just what am I supposed to do?" ¡°¡­¡± Tremble. Seo Jun-Ho revealed his incessantly trembling arms. The Sage stood still for a while and spoke, "You''re strange. Why are you asking me about that?" "¡­Yes?" Seo Jun-Ho hade all the way here to find an answer. However, if even the Sage had no idea about the answer to his question, then where on earth could he find the answer? "What you want to do and how you want to do it. Aren¡¯t you the one who knows the best about how you should go around things?" "Do you want me to try meditation?" "Tsk. I am called the Sage, so would I say something so obvious?¡± said the Sage before looking up at the sky. "People call me a sage and a prophet. However, they¡¯re mistaken.¡± The Sage shook his head and exined, "Our tomboy is the only one who can peek into the future. An ordinary person like me can''t even begin to dream of doing that." "But¡­ haven¡¯t you been correctly predicting the future so far?" "Yes, but it wasn¡¯t because I could look into the future,¡± said the Sage as he lowered his head and smirked before whispering, "I simply drew an image of the future by looking at the past and collecting reference materials." The Sage lightly struck Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chest. "If our tomboy can see the future, then I can see the past." "Then, what you meant by I¡¯m the only one who knows best is¡­¡± "It is exactly as I said¡­" Smack. The Sage''s palmnded squarely on Seo Jun-Ho''s chest. - Ask yourself. What? The Sage opened his mouth, but no sound came out of it. No, Seo Jun-Ho heard the Sage speak, but he sounded like he was underwater. Amidst the baffling scene, Seo Jun-Ho felt like his mind was going somewhere. Chapter 433. Once Upon a Time (2) Chapter 433. Once Upon a Time (2) Seo Jun-Ho crashed to the floor. "Ugh¡­" Seo Jun-Ho covered his forehead with his palm. His head hurt as if he had been drinking the day before, but he couldn''t afford to wait for the pain to subside. "Aaaah!" "Monsters, monsters areing!" "It''s an Open Gate! Run as far as you can!" The trembling ground and screams full of fear woke him up. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shone sharply as he looked around. ¡®Open Gate? Monsters?¡¯ Upon taking in the scene around him, he quickly recalled a few pieces of information. There was a stone wall with a panoramic view of Seoul, a well-decorated walkway, and a tall tower in front of it. ¡®I¡¯m in Namsan Park, Seoul...¡¯ He was definitely talking to the Sage in Frontier just a few moments ago, but he was suddenly in Seoul? He couldn¡¯t quite grasp what was going on, but he set aside the questions in the interim. ¡°What is the association doing? Why did they let things escte to this point?¡± Seo Jun-Ho set his burning questions aside because his priority had always been to save people. "Inventory, Cruel Executioner." A man was running toward Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho retrieved a halberd without hesitation. "S-save me!" Sniff, sniff! The man was being chased by a wolf covered in red fur. ¡®Red Wolf. A monster stronger than a goblin but weaker than an orc.¡¯ Personally, it was his least favorite monster. "Who are you trying to hurt in front of me?" Seo Jun-Ho coldly swung his halberd. His attack went past the man to cut the wolf down. Crack! "Argh!" However, the man was bitten on the neck by the charging wolf, and he copsed while screaming. Seo Jun-Ho froze at the sight. "¡­What?" "Argh! Help me! Ack! Ugh. Uggh." The man¡¯s screams turned into sobbing and then silence. Seo Jun-Ho remained unmoving. ''It clearly went through...¡¯ His attack passed through the Red Wolf. The man also went right through him as if he were a ghost. "What the hell is going on?" Seo Jun-Ho looked around with a frown. Eventually, he found a shining object on the floor. "It''s a smartphone?" Wasn''t that a relic of the past that could only be seen in textbooks or museums nowadays? He stared at the smartphone screen and saw the numbers 2019-03-06 on the screen. ''...Oh, is it like that?¡¯ He finally understood what was going on. ¡°Ask yourself¡­¡± Rather than a parable, the Sage had told him to literally ask himself for an answer. ¡°This is a bit too much.¡± Seo Jun-Ho grumbled. The Sage¡¯s skill definitely allowed him to see the past for himself and let others see the past. In that case, there had to be only one reason why the Sage brought him here. Seo Jun-Ho scoured his memories and started running somewhere. As expected, there were many ambnces and association yers. "Bring more stretchers here!" "Call for additional yer support and for an ambnce! Damn it! Why did a perfectly normal Gate suddenly explode!" "Immediately search the top and rescue the survivors. You! Come with me!" There was a mountain of Red Wolf corpses on the side. However, Seo Jun-Ho''s eyesnded on the young man on the ground. "¡­Mom? Dad?" The young man¡¯s face was as pale as a sheet of paper. The young man, who just turned twenty, nkly stared at his parents covered in white cloth. While staring at the young man, the yers muttered to themselves in sympathy for the young man. "At first, I thought that they were all dead because the three of them were on top of each other. I think they died protecting their son.¡± "Wheeew¡­" "How pitiful. The conditions of the corpses aren¡¯t that great as well, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯s in shock right now." The young man clenched the white cloth with a trembling hand and said, "Please¡­ I''ll listen to you well from now on. I won''t drinkte at night, and I won¡¯t need any pocket money anymore. You don''t have to do anything for me, so please...¡± ¡°Please stay by my side¡­¡± The young man¡¯s tears fell like a waterfall, and his deep voice was trembling. Staring at the young man whose world seemed to have fallen apart, Seo Jun-Ho silently closed his eyes. *** Once again, he felt like his mind was going somewhere. Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes and looked around. ''The location has changed.¡¯ The scenery of Seoul and Namsan Mountain was nowhere to be seen. He was standing in a dark forest. He could see nts that weren¡¯t definitely endemic to Earth, and thick mana was also floating in the air. The leaves of the gigantic trees in this forest blocked every ray of sunlight. ¡°I think I¡¯m inside a Gate. Wait, no way¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho stiffened. As he passed a shoddy camp that wasn¡¯t even worth mentioning, he saw ten men and women huddled together while hiding. "Well, then, night shift people, please." "Wake us up right away when it¡¯s time for a shift change. You should get some sleep as well." "I know, so stop nagging and go to sleep." The young man, who had lost his parents and was in constant despair, had already be a yer. His eyes were lively, and his physique was robust. A few momentster, the camp became filled with not a single noise other than the even breathing of the others. "They really fall asleep the moment their headsnd on a pillow.¡± "They''re forcing themselves to act like everything¡¯s fine, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯re getting tired.¡± "Yeah. It has been a week since we¡¯ve been on the move." The young man and the young woman on the night watch with him smiled lightly. It had already been a week since they came here. Their food provisions had long vanished, their mental strength was declining, and their stamina wouldn¡¯t return even after sleeping. ¡°I hope we can get out of this disgusting Gate by tomorrow.¡± "Will it be possible?" "I think we just need to find the boss monster. The boss monster is too wicked, it¡¯s actually hiding even at this point." The night deepened as the three conversed with each other. The temperature quickly fell, and it became frighteningly cold. "Ugh, it''s cold." "Achoo! Achoo!" The bitter cold enveloped the party, and therades in the sleeping bag started trembling. The young woman bit her lips as she stared at her tremblingrades. "What do we do? They¡¯re cold." "It¡¯s only natural that they¡¯re cold. It¡¯s already cold for us even though we¡¯re awake and we keep on moving, so how could it be warm for them?" "What if they catch a cold and can''t hunt tomorrow?" In that case, what would they do? It was hard to find medicine inside a Gate, and if one of them got sick, it would take them longer to clear the Gate. The young man thought. There was a moment of silence. The young man slowly looked around before suggesting. ¡°What if we create a campfire for an hour? Let¡¯s make it small.¡± "Are you sure that it¡¯s going to be okay?" "W-wouldn''t it be dangerous?¡± "We built a camp and set up various traps around us... It shouldn¡¯t be too dangerous.¡± - No, please don¡¯t¡­ You¡¯ll regret this choice for the rest of your life. - Please don¡¯t do it, you idiot¡­! Seo Jun-Ho reached out and grabbed at the young man''s shoulder. However, his hand passed through the young man as if he were a ghost. He couldn¡¯t do anything else here other than watch. - This idiot¡­ One could sometimes bring about the worst-case scenario by making a choice based on kindness and thoughtfulness. Seo Jun-Ho¡ªthe young man learned that lesson the hard way in this Gate. Crackle! Eventually, a fire was made. "Mmm." "Oh, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re warm now." "Yeah, they aren¡¯t coughing anymore as well." "That''s a relief." The three chatted andughed happily, but the worried young man spoke, "Just in case, I''ll go and look around.¡± "All right. But be careful." "Jun-Ho, don''t forget that you''re the ace of this party. We¡¯ll be in trouble if you get hurt." ¡°Yes, yes, I know¡­¡± The young man smirked as he left hisrade for reconnaissance. Seo Jun-Ho shut his eyes tightly at the scene. ¡®First, they made a fire in a Gate¡ªin a forest where not even a single ray of sunlight could pass through the canopies of the trees.¡¯ Second, they believed in their sloppy traps that couldn¡¯t possibly catch even the weakest monster in daylight. Third, he left to scout the surrounding area, which reduced their overall firepower. They hadmitted such dumb mistakes as novice yers. ¡®If we didn¡¯t make even one of those mistakes¡­¡¯ If they had gotten lucky and there weren¡¯t a bunch of monsters wandering around when they started the fire. What could have happened? Ding! Diing! Ding! "¡­Huh?" ¡°W-what was that?¡± The trap they set was triggered, and the bell they set as an rm started ringing frantically. Surprised, the man pulled out his weapon and shouted, "Shit! Choi Eun-Rang! Go and find Jun-Ho right now!" "What? But I also need to fight¡­¡± "A magician isn''t very helpful in this kind of battle! We need him!" "G-got it!" The woman nodded and ran out of the camp as fast as she could. "Get up! It''s an ambush! It''s a monster! Mons¡ª¡± Crack! The man''s head was shattered by a goblin''s club as it jumped out of the bushes. After that, everything went smoothly for the monsters. ¡°Huh? What was that?¡± "Ambush? Did you say an ambush?" "Everyone get up and get your wea¡ªArgh!" Stab! Stab! Stab! The goblins climbed on top of the half-asleep yers and pierced their hearts with crude stone daggers. The eight yers died in just a minute. - Damn it¡­! Seo Jun-Ho covered his face with his hands as guilt surged in his heart like a deluge. "Y-you bastards¡­!" The young man quickly returned and ughtered the goblins. He was strong¡ªyes, but there was no way he could resurrect the dead. "Ahh, ahhhh¡­!" The woman who fetched him hugged a corpse and cried in despair. The corpse belonged to her lover. ¡°¡­¡± There was no need for him to see any more of this because there was no way he could ever forget this scene and the following scene. ¡®She kills herself, and I fall into despair.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked at the young man. He had changed from when he lost his parents. Back then, he couldn¡¯t even kill a single wolf. He had grown up and had be strong enough to hunt most monsters on his own. The young man had definitely be stronger, but he was still afraid. *** "I was wondering why it wasn¡¯ting out¡­" Seo Jun-Ho muttered. He looked exhausted. It couldn¡¯t be helped because he had relived two of the most tragic events of his life, and right now, he could already deduce what scenes he was about to see. ¡°Please don¡¯t rush because of us. Lie in wait until you¡¯re sure you can kill her.¡± ¡°Mio¡¯s right. It¡¯s impossible to kill her in two minutes. If you rush in just like that, you¡¯ll actually give her the upper hand.¡± Rahmadat and Skaya chimed in. ¡°You hear that? Don¡¯t be impatient, and kill her properly. That is what you have to do as the one who will go up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about the rest of us, but you can definitely do it.¡± The young man was no longer a novice yer. He had be a really great yer. ¡°...I¡¯ll see you again. I promise.¡± The young man then ran up the stairs, skipping multiple steps at a time. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t follow the young man. He remained unmoving as he watched hisrades freeze. "Ha, I guess this is the end of the line for me.¡± "What? You¡¯re such a big guy, so why are you being such a wimp about dying?¡± "What? Hey, gunman, isn¡¯t my reaction normal?" "¡­Don''t know. I miss Arthur.¡± "Please cheer up, Jun-Ho." They had always been a bunch of people who couldn¡¯t get along. Seo Jun-Ho suppressed a smile of sadness before going up the stairs. ''I was eaten up by anger at this time.¡¯ He was furious to the extent that all his hair stood on end. The adrenaline that erupted was more than enough to quell his fear of the Frost Queen. "You really don¡¯t know anything about this world." "I¡¯m only here to kill you, so why would I need to know such things?" As Seo Jun-Ho stared at the two figures, his eyes quivered when he discovered something. The Seo Jun-Ho facing the Frost Queen was definitely engulfed in an all-epassing rage that he even lost his reasoning, but¡­ Tremble. Seo Jun-Ho¡ªthe so-called Hero¡ªwas actually trembling in fear. ''I... was like that?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t remember it. At the time, all he thought about was getting rid of her as fast as he could, so he could save hisrades. "I just have to kill you and end this game." Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen shed, and he could feel his mind going somewhere once again. However, this time, he didn¡¯t feel any pain. Whooo. Seo Jun-Ho sighed lightly and said, "You''re more odious than you look." "You wanted to get an answer, and that was the only thing I could do for you.¡± The Sage tapped his shoulder with eyes shining in understanding before asking, ¡°So, did you find the answer you wanted?" ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared down at his hands. They were still trembling. He was still scared of the existence he had seen in Mellis'' memory. The existence that he would inevitably face one day was so strong that he was scared, and he wanted to hide and run away. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho clenched his fists. It couldn¡¯t be helped. He realized that he had always been living in fear of something. "I had no idea until now, but I must have been a coward all this time." When he faced his past, he finally became certain of it. However, it wasn¡¯t strange that he had always been afraid. It was a perfectly natural reaction. "It seems that you have found the answer." The Sage smiled contentedly. Denying fear was only a fleeting escape from reality. If one really wanted to ovee fear, one had to start by epting it. "Yes, I found it. And it¡¯s all thanks to you." The moment his present self acknowledged his cowardice all this time, his hands stopped trembling like a lie. Chapter 434. Connected (1) Chapter 434. Connected (1) Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind finally cleared, and before he returned to Earth, the Sage warned him. ¡°Beware of the demons. They will continue to attack you and try to corrupt your heart using all sorts of different methods.¡±[1] ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± He was sure of it. After looking back on his past, his determination had strengthened. ¡°There was only one reason why I decided to be a yer in the first ce. He wanted to exact revenge on his parents¡¯ enemies¡ªthe monsters and fiends. ¡°If you think about it, the demons are my enemies as well because they created the fiends.¡± He wouldn¡¯t get off this train until he annihted thempletely, even if there was someone among them that he feared. And even if they weren¡¯t his current goal, he had too many things to protect that he couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate. ¡°I will continue on to protect everything that I swore to protect,¡± he said. ¡°...I wish you luck.¡± The Sage ced his wrinkled hands on top of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand. ¡°No matter how weary you be, I pray that you will not abandon humankind.¡± Somehow, he said the exact same thing as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s master had, perhaps because the two were great friends. Seo Jun-Ho nodded gravely. ¡°See you next time.¡± ¡°Be healthy.¡± ¡°I think you should worry about your own health first.¡± ¡°Now that you say that, I believe you are right.¡± The Sage chuckled. After saying his farewells, Seo Jun-Ho soon returned to Earth as a wiser man. *** ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s face crumbled as if she had been pped. ¡°Hey, why do you keep making that face? Are you that blown away?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, sounding offended. He was putting on a special performance for her as a celebration of his full recovery. ¡°...Yes. It is indeed fascinating,¡± muttered the Frost Queen. Her contractor was making shadow puppets in front of themp, including a pigeon, a dog, and a rabbit. Seo Jun-Ho was being gued by his illness of the heart for so long that the Frost Queen didn¡¯t expect him to fully recover in just a day. ¡®Can I return this herbal medicine?¡¯ She retrieved a wrinkled receipt from her pocket and read it carefully. [This item cannot be exchanged or returned.] ¡°No! My money!¡± The medicine cost a whopping half a million won, but now, it was useless. She worked such a hellish job to earn that money. ¡®Those¡­ Those rude customers¡­!¡¯ The memories of handling them flickered through her head like a panorama. After making just enough money to buy a medicine rather than the restorative elixir, she was actually more excited to buy the medicine than whenever she went out to buy cakes. Seo Jun-Ho had given her a lot, and she finally had the opportunity to pay him back. ¡®But¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t believe that all her work had been for nothing. Her eyes started welling up with sorrowful tears, but she managed to tightly cover her mouth with her hands. It was all because she felt that she would start blurting out rude, hateful things. ¡°...Are you crying?¡± ¡°Sniff. I am not crying,¡± she said as she sniffled. ¡°No, you¡¯re crying.¡± ¡°I swear I¡¯m not¡ªsniff! Crying.¡± Even as she denied it, fat tears dripped down her adorable face. ¡°What are those tears, then?¡± ¡°Ugh, whatever!¡± The Frost Queen fled to her room and mmed the door behind her. Seo Jun-Ho was stupefied. He called up Seo Jun-Sik. Seo Jun-Sik looked bored when he was summoned, but his face instantly fell when he discovered why he got summoned. ¡°Ugh. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d actually bring me into this.¡± ¡°I had no other choice. I¡¯m telling you, I don¡¯t know why Frost was acting like that.¡± ¡°Excuse me, sir. I am your clone, Mr. Me. Do you think really that I would know?¡± ¡°Then, just help me figure it out.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± Seo Jun-Sik and Seo Jun-Ho put their heads together, trying to deduce why she was crying. Seo Jun-Ho proposed an idea. ¡°Perhaps someone attacked her?¡± ¡°You sure have a big imagination. That person would be a beautiful ice statue by now, don¡¯t you think? Oh! If you¡¯re saying that you think she¡¯s crying because she feels guilty about freezing them, you might be on to something.¡± ¡°Geez, then those must be crocodile tears.¡± All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Vita rang, interrupting their moronic conversation. [Deok-Gu: You¡¯re back? Did you take the herbal medicine Frost gave you? Lol, isn¡¯t she cute?] Seo Jun-Ho and Seo Jun-Sik looked at each other. ¡°Herbal medicine?¡± ¡°Original. Ask him for the details.¡± Seo Jun-Ho immediately called Shim Deok-Gu. - Hey, what¡¯s up? ¡°Herbal medicine? What was that about?¡± - Huh? She hasn¡¯t given it to you yet? ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m asking about.¡± -Well¡­ Frost made money to buy herbal medicine so you¡¯d feel better. ¡°She made money?¡± -Yeah. She took care of a lot of rude customers at the call center, and she was also a lot better than¡­¡± ¡°Got it. Bye.¡± - Wait! Hey! Hey! Why did you even call¡ª Beep! Beep! As soon as Seo Jun-Ho hung up, Seo Jun-Sik nodded. ¡°Jun-Sik¡¯s got it! Frost is cwying because she¡¯s sad.¡± ¡°You look exactly like me, so stop acting cute, or I¡¯m actually gonna get mad.¡± ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± Seo Jun-Sik sulked. ¡°Anyway, I guess she¡¯s mad because you suddenly got better even though she worked so hard to buy you medicine.¡± ¡°Dammit. What should I do, then? I already told her I¡¯m all better and even showed her those shadow puppets.¡± ¡°Heh. And what if Agent Jun-Sik enters the field?¡± Seo Jun-Sik revealed a cheesy grin, showing his teeth. ¡°What are you¡­¡± ¡°I can clear up the situation for you.¡± His face¡ªno, his expression looked really suspicious. Seo Jun-Ho thought for a second. ¡°Okay. If you sort things out, I¡¯ll let you eat anything and everything you want until you¡¯re sick.¡± ¡°Goodness me. Now we¡¯re talking.¡± Seo Jun-Sik smirked. He opened the door to the Frost Queen¡¯s room and walked inside. ¡°What troubles you, Your Majesty¡ª¡± ¡°...Based on that revolting manner of speech, you must be Jun-Sik. Leave.¡± ¡°Come on, why are you acting so cold to me? Here, wipe your tears with this for now.¡± Unbothered, Seo Jun-Sik walked up to her and offered a handkerchief. And the hand that was holding it was trembling very convincingly¡­ ¡°Oh?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes widened when she noticed it. ¡°Why is your hand trembling? I saw that Contractor was fully recovered.¡± ¡°Ahem. This is actually supposed to be a secret, but I¡¯ll make a special exception.¡± He went so far as to scan the room even though there was no one else. Then, he whispered into her ear. ¡°Original is acting like that because he doesn¡¯t want to worry you. He hasn¡¯t actually fully recovered just yet.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you telling the truth?¡± the Frost Queen asked, jolting upright. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, I will start using mean words if you¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°Geez, really? Look at the honesty in my eyes.¡± ¡°There is no honesty there¡­ They seem suspicious¡­¡± ¡°Goddammit! Hey! Do you really think that you know him better than his own clone?¡± He insisted. And that made her quiet¡­ ¡°Hm, I suppose I could not possibly know the contractor better than you do.¡± ¡°See? That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± Now that she thought about it more, it was possible. ¡®Am I an idiot? I should have paid better attention, but all I did was cry like a child.¡¯ She kicked away the covers with a flushed face. ¡®Ah, I am usually much more intelligent and discerning.¡¯ The Frost Queen had always been ufortable at times like this because it made her feel like her mind and her emotional maturity had regressed along with her body. ¡°You have given me important information. Thank you.¡± She hopped off the bed and dug out the herbal medicine she hid. Seo Jun-Sik nodded solemnly. ¡°Go. You¡¯re the only one who can cure him.¡± ¡°...Yeah!¡± When she snuck over to her contractor¡¯s room, she heard a small sighing from inside. She peeked through the crack of the door only to see that Seo Jun-Ho was in pain while sitting at the edge of the bed with clenched, trembling hands. ¡°Keuk. I managed to hide it from Frost, but the tremors just won¡¯t stop. I don¡¯t know what to do. Is there some kind of medicine I can take?¡± ¡®So Jun-Sik was not lying.¡¯ Her eyes sparkled brighter than they ever had as a spirit. She flung the door open and strut in with confidence before holding out the bundle of medicine to her contractor. ¡°Woah, what¡¯s that wonderful, amazing, and deliciously delightful smell?¡± ¡°It is herbal medicine,¡± the Frost Queen dered, smiling with a face filled with pride. ¡°It is uneptable for my contractor to be sickly. Take this so you¡¯ll get well as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t believe it. Just how did you manage to buy something this expensive when you don¡¯t have any money?¡± ¡°Ahem. Are you that curious? I suppose I have no other choice but to indulge you, then.¡± She readily took a seat next to him and described her day with eloquence. ¡°...And in the end, the employees at the call center were begging at my feet not to go.¡± ¡°Wow. that¡¯s amazing!¡± Seo Jun-Ho had an idea of how it went. Shim Deok-Gu probably intervened to take care of the rude customers personally. ¡®But still¡­¡¯ However, it couldn¡¯t be denied that she worked hard. Moreover, she refused to back down from something she had never done before because she wanted to help him feel better. ¡®That¡¯s really impressive.¡¯ He smiled as he ruffled her hair. He gulped down the medicine. ¡°Mm. It¡¯s bitter.¡± ¡°H-how do you feel? Tell me.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho held out his hands without a word. ¡°Wow, this is really effective. Look! I¡¯m not shaking anymore!¡± ¡°Ahem. But of course. That medicine was expensive.¡± The Frost Queen shrugged, but her puffy eyes were smiling brightly. *** It was said that the best way to hide a tree was to hide it in a forest, and it seemed that the demons were extremely good at concealing the truth. ¡°Dammit, are they actually gonna wait a hundred days to open the 6th Floor? I thought they were bluffing.¡± ¡°I have a feeling that things are going to be much harder starting from the 6th Floor.¡± ¡°Yeah, Otherwise, why would they ask us to wait a hundred days when we have already cleared half of the Floors.¡± It was the first time in a while that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s friends hade over to his house. They were muttering to themselves. They had eighty-four days left until the 6th Floor opened. Most yers would be training on their own until then. ¡°I should go hunting as well, so I can keep my senses sharp,¡± Rahmadat mused. ¡°Are you gonna go to the 4th Floor, then?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°Where else would I go?¡± Seo Jun-Ho suggested. ¡°The 5th Floor¡¯s not a bad option.¡± ¡°The 5th Floor? But there aren¡¯t any monsters there.¡± Rahmadat pointed out. ¡°Just take a look.¡± Seo Jun-Ho revealed a mysterious smile, and his friends turned to look at him dubiously. ¡°Hehe. You guys will be shocked when you see for yourselves. The 5th Floor isn¡¯t what it used to be,¡± Seo Jun-Sik said triumphantly, putting down his orange juice. Seo Jun-Ho gave him a dirty look. ¡°Hey, why are you trying to take the credit for yourself when I¡¯m the one who worked his ass off there?¡± ¡°We¡¯re one in body and in spirit.¡± ¡°We¡¯re neither one in body nor spirit, so watch yourself.¡± ¡°Please. I¡¯m wearing your underwear right now, you know?¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m your clone. Why does it matter?¡± The two bickered as usual. Beep! Beep! Beep! Suddenly, all their Vitas rang wildly. ¡®A disaster alert¡­!¡¯ Their faces fell in an instant as they rushed to tap on their Vitas. [The biggest Gate in history has appeared in a in at Semey, Kazakhstan.] [We ask all capable yers toe.] These two sentences shattered their peaceful lives. 1. This is the intended meaning, but it can also be read as ¡°Beware of evil¡±. ? Chapter 435. Connected (2) Chapter 435. Connected (2) Kazakhstan was a country sandwiched between Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Semey ins was usually a very quiet ce, but not today. ¡°This is H. I have arrived on the scene.¡± The Korean yer looked around, stunned. ¡®There are at least several thousand yers gathered here.¡¯ It was a rare sight. However, it didn¡¯t make him feel safe. He took off his sunsses as he stared up at the so-called Semey Gate. ¡°God¡­¡± Crackle. Crackle. How should he describe it? It was a giant circle that was so huge it epassed the skies. He was even hesitant to even call it a Gate. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that it only appeared an hour ago.¡¯ It was a bad omen. A Gate this huge had never appeared on Earth before. ¡®Something big is about to happen.¡¯ He frowned. He was often told that he had a good instinct. It felt like they were being swept by a sudden force of fate. ¡°Excuse me, can you tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± H asked. ¡°It seems that they¡¯re starting to settle down. That should mean that the Gate has stopped growing,¡± a member of the French yer Association replied. ¡°At first, it seemed like it would infinitely grow, but it has already been twenty minutes since it settled on that size.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s disturbing,¡± H muttered. The Semey Gate hadn¡¯t caused any sort of damage yet. However, its size alone sent a strange shiver down his spine. ¡°What do you make of it?¡± H asked. ¡°It¡¯s not a Gate,¡± the French yer said firmly. ¡°More urately, it¡¯s a Gate that we cannot categorize.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about the three stages of a Gate.¡± Decades ago, humans split Gates into three categories. Before someone entered, it was blue. Once they were inside, it turn would red. And as soon as they emerged, it would turn green and copse an hourter. All Gates were supposed to be like that. ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s no Gate,¡± H said with furrowed brows. The Semey Gate didn¡¯t give off any specific color. Instead, magic would make the surface ripple like water, shifting betweenndscapes. ¡°We think it¡¯s connected to somewhere, we just don¡¯t know where,¡± the French yer said. ¡°Has any yer gone inside yet?¡± ¡°What kind of crazy bastard would do that?¡± yers could only live a long life if they knew when to advance and when to retreat. And everyone¡¯s instincts were screaming that they shouldn¡¯t go inside that Gate. Just then, a Westerner with a prominent hooked nose raised his hand and said, ¡°Excuse me, can I have everyone¡¯s attention for a second? My name is Cotton, and I¡¯m a member of the American yer Association.¡±[1] ¡°Sure, Cotton. What did you want to say?¡± ¡°I have a skill that allows me to share sight, and I was thinking about using it to investigate what¡¯s inside the Gate. Does anyone oppose?¡± ¡°Share sight? How does it work?¡± ¡°Something like this.¡± He blew his whistle, and a hawk that was flying through the airnded on his forearm. As soon as it did, Cotton¡¯s eyes started to glow blue. ¡°Even though I¡¯m facing this way, I can see a man wearing a red bandana in the back.¡± ¡°Interesting. So you¡¯re looking through the hawk¡¯s eyes, using it like a drone.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± The yers nodded at the exnation. The skill would allow them to scout out what was inside without risking any human lives. Of course, there were people who raised concerns. ¡°Wait. That means you¡¯ll still be sending an organism through the Gate. That¡¯s too dangerous. ¡°What if it acts as a trigger and something happens?¡± ¡°Are you saying that we should just leave it alone forever?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been an hour since it appeared. We should wait it out for at least a few days.¡± A tense debate started between the two sides with no end in sight. ¡°S-Specter!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the 5 Heroes!¡± Many people started moving toward the Semey Gate. As soon as Seo Jun-Ho appeared, all the attention fell on him. ¡°What¡¯s with this ruckus?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± As soon as they received an exnation, Seo Jun-Ho turned to his friends and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I agree that we should just leave it alone for now. There¡¯s no need to rush in when we don¡¯t even know what it is,¡± ¡°Hm. But thousands of yers came here just because of one Gate. Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste to just keep them on standby?¡± ¡°Even if it is, it¡¯s a sacrifice we should be willing to make.¡± Even his friends were divided and started falling down into the rabbit hole of argument. Clip clop. Clip clop. ¡°...!¡± Something came out of the Gate. Everyone turned to look at it. ¡°Mooo?¡± ¡°What? Is that a cow?¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± Gilberto said, squinting. ¡°It¡¯s a cowa, to be exact. Look, it has two tails.¡± ¡°A cowa?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Wait, aren¡¯t they native to Frontier?¡± The yers stared at the Gate once more. As they did, Cotton nodded and said, ¡°I assume that no one will have anyints if I scouted the Gate.¡± Even those who were against it earlier stayed silent. After all, nothing happened even when the cowa went back and forth through the portal. In fact, the cowa itself looked greatly confused about what was going on. ¡°I¡¯m going in.¡± Cotton¡¯s eyes turned blue, and the hawk immediately flew into the Gate and disappeared. He started rying his findings in real-time. ¡°I think it¡¯s a in. It looks somewhat like a desert, too. There is no sign of civilization. I think I can see something in the distance, but¡ªWait, what?!¡± Cotton¡¯s face turned white as if he had seen a ghost. The skill was canceled, and he vomited blood. ¡°Bleghhh!¡± ¡°W-What happened?¡± ¡°Healer! We need a healer!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Cha Si-Eun made her way over with the 5 Heroes and quickly treated him. ¡°Huff. Huff. Thank you. Goddammit.¡± ¡°What happened? Were you attacked?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. It went too far, and the skill went out of range. That¡¯s all.¡± As soon as he recovered enough to speak, Seo Jun-Ho went down on one knee to meet his eye level and asked, ¡°What is it? Just what did you see in there?¡± Cotton gulped and shivered. ¡°...Ound.¡± He looked just as confused as everyone else as he muttered, ¡°the Gate leads to Frontier.¡± A deafening silence fell over Semey in. *** [Giant Gate Confirmed to Be Connected to Ound, Located at the West of Frontier.] [Breaking News! A Simrly Large Gate Has Been Discovered in East Frontier, Confirmed to Be Connected to Balbortan.] [World yer Association Sends Members on an Emergency Mission to Find a Simr Gate on the 3rd Floor.] [Will the First Four Floors Be Connected into One? If So, Why?] [World yer Association Calls for an Emergency Global Conference. Diplomats from Ruben Are Also ted to Participate.] ¡­ This was unprecedented. Floors were thought to be located in different dimensions that could only be essed through the Dimensional Elevators. But now, all you had to do was step through a giant portal. ¡°Skaya, what do you think?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. Skaya didn¡¯t answer right away. Whenever she fell deep into thought, no one could interrupt her, even if someone shouted into her ear. ¡°Geez. What¡¯s gonna happen now?¡± Rahmadat asked, scratching his head. ¡°Does that mean people won¡¯t have to take a Dimensional Elevator anymore if they¡¯re in a rush?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Gilberto replied. ¡°Before, you at least had to pass through a Dimensional Elevator to travel between Floors.¡± At most, a Dimensional Elevator could only move ten people at a time. Even on the artificial inds in the Pacific, it would take time if they wanted to transport several hundred people between Floors. ¡°That¡¯s why I managed to buy a lot of time when the Fiend Association starteding down to Earth,¡± he exined. However, that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. If some tyrant wanted to transport tens of thousands of soldiers to Earth, they could do so through the giant portal. ¡°I have no doubt that this is the doing of either the fiends or the demons,¡± Mio said with narrowed brows. The demons were the ones who stood to gain anything from this. It was unprecedented for Earth to be directly connected to other dimensions. Naturally, if the goal grew wider, the goalkeeper would have a harder time defending it. ¡°Tsk. We¡¯re gonna have a lot of things to take care of,¡± Gilberto said, sucking his teeth. Rahmadat scratched his cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t really get it. Can¡¯t we just station permanent guards at the Gate?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Skaya said atst, breaking her silence. ¡°There are clear pros and cons to the portal.¡± ¡°Wait, there are pros, too?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± With the Floors being connected to each other via the giant portal, they could now directly interact with each other. Therefore, Earth¡¯s stagnant economy, culture, and technology could explode. ¡°Huh. It doesn¡¯t seem that bad if you think about it that way.¡± ¡°The problem is that there are a lot more cons than pros.¡± Skaya started exining the three main problems she found with this kind of arrangement. ¡°First, we¡¯ll be vulnerable to attacks, like Gilbe said.¡± The only reason yers could go to the upper Floors without reservations was that Earth was safe. They were in the midst of a peaceful era, and they had safe zones. Gates weren¡¯t popping up all over like before, and even when they appeared, they had an abundance of yers who could handle it. ¡°Then, what¡¯s the second problem?¡± ¡°Chaos. Pure, unfettered chaos.¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Rahmadat, what¡¯s your opinion on Ruben?¡± ¡°They¡¯re a good ally. We help each other out, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yup. However, the only reason we have been helping each other is that we were located extremely far from each other.¡± Skaya pointed out. Neither posed a threat to the other¡ªuntil now. ¡°If one of us decides to start a war, the peace we are enjoying right now will crumble like a cookie.¡± ¡°Hmm. There¡¯s no reason either of us would do that, though,¡± Rahmadat said. ¡°No matter where you go, there will always be extremists.¡± Skaya pointed out. Earth and the Ruben Empire would be much warier of each other from now on. ¡°On top of that, there will be an uproar about the different species.¡± Unlike Earth, humans weren¡¯t the only intelligent race on Frontier. There were a number of different species that lived among each other. Elves, dwarves, orcs, lizardmen, birdmen, etc¡­ Among them, there were humanoid species that lived among the humans as well. ¡°What if some of the humanoid races want to live on Earth? What do you think would happen?¡± Skaya postted. ¡°We¡¯ll have to implementws to stop them.¡± ¡°But the portal is already there. No matter how much we try to block them with legal justifications, things are different now than they had been yesterday. We can¡¯t stop all of them.¡± Now that there was a huge chance that people from Frontier would cross over to Earth, the people of Earth had to be on high alert. ¡°But the third and biggest problem¡­¡± Skaya turned to look at the giant Gate. ¡°The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Floors are now connected. At least three dimensions ands have merged¡­¡± ¡±The 4th Floor could end up being connected to us as well. Nothing like this has ever happened all throughout human history.¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried about the aftereffects?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think it¡¯s possible that the dimension will copse in the worst-case scenario.¡± Everyone gulped. This could end up being much more serious than they expected. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ right.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say. We¡¯ll guard the Gate.¡± The yers created an impregnable blockade in front of the giant portal. However, two dayster, a shocking piece of news shook the earth. [King of Corpses Nazad Hallow Begins Invasion of the Ruben Empire.] 1. The word for ¡°hooked nose¡± is the same as ¡°eagle¡¯s beak¡±, so it¡¯s supposed to beical because he handles hawks. ? Chapter 436. Connected (3)

Chapter 436. Connected (3)

The old man made ap around the dust-covered pce. The burly man trailing behind him snorted. ¡°What, are you reminiscing about the good old days, old man?¡± ¡°There is nothing to reminisce about here.¡± ¡°Huh.Still, didn¡¯t you train a few apprentices in¡ª¡± The man¡¯s face grew a little pale as his impassive voice trailed off. The old man was looking at him with cold eyes. ¡°I-It was a slip of the tongue. I apologize if you were offended.¡± ¡°Do not speak lightly about my apprentices.¡± The man nodded and grumbled internally. ¡®People say that he has no feelings, but he loves his students a disturbing amount.¡¯ Well, that exined why he harbored so much resentment toward Specter. After all, the yer had killed all his students. The man, Colonel Charbork, wiped the thinyer of sweat that condensed on his neck. ¡°Still, we somehow managed to seed, thanks to you. To be honest, I thought it would fail,¡± he said. ¡°How amusing. Who is it that you think is capable of failure?¡± The grand n to connect the Floors was an operation decades in the making. They had received the blueprints from the demons, and the entirety of the Fiend Association worked to provide the materials. Charbork let out a bitterugh as he thought about the glory days he had spent with his subordinate. ¡°...It would have been nice if the Association hadn¡¯t copsed.¡± If it hadn¡¯t, they would have been able to wreak havoc from the 1st Floor to the 4th Floor using the giant Gates. He swallowed down his frustration when he recalled how Specter had killed all his men and then changed the subject. ¡°So, why did wee to Ound all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I have hidden something here.¡± The old man, Nazad Hallow, thumped the ground with his cane made of ck wood. When he did, the ground split perfectly apart, revealing a set of stairs. ¡°Ah,a secret chamber? I was not aware of this.¡± Even though he had been here several times before, this was Colonel Charbork¡¯s first time seeing it.¡®It seems that he hid it with magic.¡¯ He had never sensed an empty space below the ground whenever he walked around here. ¡°So, what is this ce?¡± Colonel Charbork followed Nazad Hallow down to the basement, and his jaw dropped. ¡°O-Oh my god.¡± The vast basement was lined with tens of shelves like it was a retail warehouse. And they were stocked with thousands of ck marbles... ¡°These are¡­ demon jades?¡± It was an artifact that they could force even monsters to absorb. The artifact would destroy the minds of those that absorbed it, and the artifact would make them go berserk. However, every single time they tried to advance their research on the jade, Specter would interfere without fail. Now, they hadn¡¯t been able to do much research on the demon jades. ¡°Didn¡¯t we stop researching the demon jade with the test subject Telgia?¡± Charbork asked. ¡°Hm.¡± Nazad tilted his head and looked up. As if he were actually a human with opinions. ¡°Yes, I do believe that the Heavenly Demon gave us such amand.¡± ¡°Then, how¡­¡± ¡°At the time, the Fiend Association did not have the means to continue the experiments, but I did.¡± He continued researching the demon jade by himself, in secret. And this was the result of his efforts... ¡°The Fiend Association failed, but I did not.¡± Nazad picked up a piece of demon jade and looked at it with affection as if it were his own child. Colonel Charbork leered at him, seemingly uneasy. ¡°...Is the Heavenly Demon aware of this?¡± ¡°There is no need for him to know.¡± ¡°What?¡± His eyes furrowed. The executives knew that Nazad Hallow didn¡¯t really think of the Heavenly Demon as his superior. However, withholding information from the Heavenly Demon was a bit too much in Colonel Charbork¡¯s eyes. ¡°...One of the ingredients you need to make a single piece of demon jade is a human with demonic energy,¡± Charbork said aloud. Then where had Nazad Hallow found such arge supply? His eyes grew cold. ¡°You didn¡¯t kidnap them. Did you use the members of our Association?¡± ¡°They were worthless, so it doesn¡¯t really matter whether we have them or not, no?¡± ¡°...So that¡¯s what you think,¡± He said as he pulled the full duffel bag onto his shoulder. ¡°I can¡¯t let this go, though. I¡¯m going to tell the Heavenly Demon everything.¡± ¡°Say, Charbork.¡± Intense bloodlust poured out of Nazad Hallow as he studied the demon jade. He slowly looked up at Charbork with murky eyes, and the noose tightened around the Colonel¡¯s neck. ¡°Why do you think I brought you here?¡± ¡°...Fuck!¡± He realized that he had walked right into a trap. Charbork immediately threw his duffel bag at Nazad and activated Animal Combat (S). His legs transformed into a cheetah¡¯s legs. In the blink of an eye, he had sprinted to the top of the stairs. ¡®I can escape.¡¯ His skill didn¡¯t merely transform his body parts into that of an animal. It amplified the animal¡¯s traits several times. He found his way back to the entrance and thrust himself forward into the sunlight. Crack! A hand tightened around his neck from behind and mmed him into the ground. ¡°Keuk!¡± He stared up at the giant figure of a knight wearing jet-ck armor. ¡®A death knight!¡¯ Charbork struggled under him as an indifferent voice spoke. ¡°Please, do not resist. The oue will still be the same.¡± ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± Colonel Charbork red at Nazad with bloodthirsty eyes as he emerged from the stairs. ¡°You think you can get away with this? Once the Heavenly Demon finds out¡ª¡± ¡°He will not. More importantly¡­¡± Nazad smiled coldly. ¡°Even if he does, do you really think that man would avenge you?¡± ¡°...¡± Colonel Charbork didn¡¯t know what to say. It was all because he knew¡ªHe knew that the man he had sworn his loyalty to did not think highly of him. Colonel Charbork trembled like a leaf as his eyesnded on the demon jade in Nazad Hallow¡¯s hand ¡°Do not be afraid,¡± said Nazad with a smile reminiscent of a madman. *** [King of Corpses Nazad Hallow Begins Invasion of the Ruben Empire.] [Nazad Hallow Takes Aiatz, Ogrin, Siegrant, and Guteman At Breakneck Speed.] [They Call Him a God in a Human¡¯s Body. The Necromancer Marches North With His Army of Corpses.] ¡­ Every time they blinked, a new headline would appear. Surprisingly, there was not a single piece of good news in the deluge of news. ¡°What are we even supposed to do?¡± ¡°Nazad Hallow was actually aiming for Frontier rather than Earth?¡± ¡°It could be a ruse. If we leave our station, he could change course and target Earth.¡± ¡°Yeah. We also have these giant portals that we can¡¯t close.¡± Within these past two days, they had received confirmation that the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Floors were now connected to each other. The news about Nazad Hallow¡¯s movements only added insult to injury. But despite the harrowing news, the people of Earth remained quiet. ¡°I¡¯m surprised. I thought there would be tons of people saying that we should go help them,¡± Rahmadatmented. ¡°...I told you. Earth and the Ruben Empire are no longer close allies,¡± Skaya said tersely. It had only been two days since the Floors became connected to each other. ¡°If all your friends and family are on Earth, while you¡¯re merely acquaintances with people on Frontier, which would you choose to save?¡± It was clear which of the two the yers would prioritize. ¡°Mm.I understand that logically, but it¡¯s still a shame,¡± he admitted. ¡°The problem is that leaving Frontier on their own is also a bad choice in itself.¡± Skaya let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Even if things are different now, we¡¯re still going to keep producing new yers.¡± After clearing Gates and leveling up, they would eventually have to go to the 2nd Floor. Unfortunately, a great enemy was upying the 2nd Floor. It was a great empire, to boot. ¡°The yers¡¯ growth will be severely limited,¡± Rahmadat concluded. ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t turn our backs on Frontier, or rather, the Ruben Empire,¡± Skaya said. This was likely a clever plot of the fiends and the demons. ¡°Nazad Hallow is the issue here.¡± He was forcing their hand, all while mobilizing a powerful army. ¡°He has an insane amount of corpses,¡± she continued. They estimated that Nazad Hallow had at least tens of thousands of corpses, and that was only based on what they had seen in the open so far. Of course, yers residing on the 4th and 5th Floors could easily take out several hundred corpses at a time. However, yers of that caliber were rare. ¡°On top of that¡­¡± They wanted to protect Earth, where their friends and family were living, not to mention fighting Nazad Hallow would be a huge expedition filled with danger. ¡°Huh.Is he really that strong? To the point that even elite yers are afraid of him?¡± ¡°He is,¡± Cha Si-Eun said tly. ¡°People say that the rank of a Heaven does not denote their rank in terms of power, but everyone knows that it has always been the opposite.¡± Nazad Hallow was currently the Second Heaven, trailing right behind the Heavenly Demon. ¡°The World yer Association also announced that he¡¯s just as dangerous as the Heavenly Demon,¡± she continued. They weren¡¯t overestimating him at all. He was a walking one-man army. Not only could he animate the dead and make them several times stronger than they had been while they were still alive, but he could also summon them whenever and wherever he wanted. ¡°Huh.I thought he¡¯d be fragile because he¡¯s a necromancer, but he must be pretty good.¡± ¡°He is not someone you should underestimate.¡± ¡°...¡± As he listened in on Rahmadat and Cha Si-Eun¡¯s conversation, Seo Jun-Ho fell into deep thought. ¡®The Empire is strong.¡¯Seo Jun-Ho could still remember the knights under the Emperor¡¯s directmand, the millions of soldiers, the court mages, and their allied mages from the Magic Tower. Frontier possessed the strongest force on all of the Floors so far. However, they had one big weakness. ¡®They¡¯re strong in numbers, but it would take a ton of time to gather all those people in one ce.¡¯ The most elite warriors were stationed in the borders at the north, east, south, and west. The knight orders were located at the capital, while mages from the Magic Tower were scattered throughout the empire. ¡®It would require a lot of time and money to bring them together.¡¯ However, that wasn¡¯t true for Nazad. If he were to get cornered, then he could just retreat whenever he wanted without many issues. If he wanted to, he could even use gueri tactics. ¡®He¡¯s very mobile, which is why there¡¯s such arge gap between them.¡¯ And that was the problem¡­ ¡®Smaller forces are more mobile. But¡­¡¯ Nazad had no problems transporting arge army. Thus, even if they caught up to him, they couldn¡¯t guarantee their victory in a head-on battle against the former. This was why Nazad Hallow was terrifying to face. ¡°Sigh,my head hurts. This won¡¯t be easy,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°It won¡¯t be,¡± Cha Si-Eun agreed. ¡°...!¡± Their short break was interrupted as their hair stood on end. Everyone instantly took a stance upon sensing the arrival of an unfamiliar presence. ¡°Woah, woah! Please calm down, everyone.¡± The man smiled pleasantly and took off his top hat, revealing his sharply curved eyes reminiscent of crescent moons. ¡°It has been a long time,¡± he said. ¡°...Gray?¡± The 1st Floor Administrator smiled cheerfully. ¡°Ie bearing good news.¡± Chapter 437. Connected (4) Chapter 437. Connected (4) Seo Jun-Sik whispered, ¡°Does he belong to a cult? People who talk like him usually don¡¯te bearing good news.¡± "Be quiet." Seo Jun-Ho whispered to Seo Jun-Sik before turning to Gray. "I will listen." "First of all, there was a meeting between the Administrators, and I came down as soon as the results came out." The party nodded. They were already aware that the System didn''t make that massive Gate. In addition, they also had doubts that the demons were the ones who made that massive Gate, so they expected an intervention from Administrators. "Are you here to close that Gate?" "Well, at first, I came down to do that, but¡­¡± Gray''s expression slightly stiffened as he observed the Gate. "I didn''t expect that there would be such a plot twist." "What do you mean?" "We thought the demons opened that Gate¡­" Gray followed up. "If the Gate were the work of the demons, then it would mean that they intervened in our System. Therefore, the Administrators would have the justification to take immediate action. To make it easier for you to understand, think of it as the rtionship between a hacker and a developer." "Hacker and a developer¡­¡± In other words, it meant that Administrators could only retaliate. "That¡¯s the plot twist." Gray sighed lightly. "The blueprint for that Gate came from the demons, but the fiends were the ones who made it." "Wait, you are saying that''s not the work of the demons but the fiends?" They were stupefied. Skaya looked particrly shocked as she uttered a near-scream of denial. "No way! No matter how good they are, they can¡¯t possibly connect dimensions to each other, right?!¡± "In general, that¡¯s true," Gray admitted coolly. "However, it¡¯s a different story with a blueprint in hand. Skaya Killnd, if you have enough time, the materials, and the blueprint, you could even create one like this yourself." "Mmm¡­" In short, Gray couldn¡¯t close the massive Gate by himself. "Can''t you just close it and act like you don¡¯t know?" "Yes, I can do that.¡± Gray''s calm eyes turned to Rahmadat. "However, if an Administrator were to break the ''rules'' first, then how can we ensure that the demons won¡¯t follow in our footsteps? Are you sure you can stop them from doing the same?" "Ugh." In other words, the demons wanted Grey to close the massive Gate. "It probably was in the works for decades," Gray said, looking at the massive Gate. "It¡¯s difficult to gather the necessary materials to create an artifact that connects dimensions to each other, but the most difficult and important undertaking is connecting vertices to vertices." "Vertices?" "In other words, the artifact is buried somewhere." Rahmadat frowned and said, "Wait, they must have buried it when Heavenly Demon led the fiends down to Earth.¡± Seo Jun-Ho recalled how the executives of the Fiend Association had withdrawn too easily, but to think that there was such a secret behind it. Seo Jun-Ho revealed a grim look and asked, "It means that Gray-nim can''t close that massive Gate, right?" "Yes. Instead, I will make a tempting suggestion." Gray continued with a smile. "First, all the Administrators of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Floors will work together to prevent the copse of the dimensions." "Whew." Skaya breathed a sigh of relief. Her biggest concern was the copse of the dimensions. ¡°And like how the demons gave the fiends the blueprint of an artifact that would open gates that connects dimensions, we will also give you the blueprint of an artifact that can close those Gates.¡± "Oh...!" Surely, this was the bestpromise the Administrators could afford. "What do you think?" "We''re grateful." "However, it might take you months, even decades, to close those Gates." "Hmph," Skaya grinned. "Leave that to me. The fiends had to research those gates for decades, but I will catch up to them in record time." "How dependable. All right," said Gray with a nod. It was a great relief that there was a way to close the massive Gate. With this, they would soon be able to put the fire out. Now, all they could do was damage control until those massive Gates were closed. "Skaya Killnd, listen carefully to my exnation," said Gray. At first, everyone listened intently to Gray¡¯s exnation, but in just a few minutes, they dispersed aside from Skaya. "Dimensional equations or whatever¡ªI can¡¯t understand them at all.¡± "How tragic. I also couldn¡¯t understand what they were talking about." Rahmadat and Gilberto sighed. Seo Jun-Ho also sighed, but his Vita suddenly vibrated. "Hmm?" He could already feel it even before he read the message. [yer Seo Jun-Ho, please visit the headquarters of the World yer Association as soon as possible.] His gut feeling was right. It seemed that he had gotten himself involved in something burdensome. *** Seo Jun-Ho quickly went to the Federation of Helvetia in the countrymonly known as Switzend because the headquarters of the World yer Association was there. "Wee. Mr. Seo." A middle-aged man waiting at the entrance gestured for a light handshake. "I''m Lloris, the President of the World yer Association." "Nice to meet you." Seo Jun-Ho shook hands and asked straightforwardly, "If I am right, I do not think that you¡¯re the one who wants to see me, am I right?" Lloris was momentarily flustered by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s frankness. However, he quickly recovered and said, "You truly live up to your name. Your intuition is great, and you¡¯re right. Of course, I wanted to see you as well, but I wouldn¡¯t send an emergency summons to you for a simple meet and greet.¡± "Then, I would like to have a conversation with that person right away." "Yes. I will show you to your seat right away." As Seo Jun-Ho followed Lloris deep into the headquarters of the World yer Association, he saw people from all over the world talking to other people over the phone. "What? The Three Gorges Dam Gate? The Chinese people should be able to handle that on their own!" "A yer allegedlymitted murder in the Alps? Send the inspector, pronto." "Send yers with architecture-rted skills to Semey Gate. Prioritize the creation of amodations before anything else." They were busy, but they abruptly stood up and stared at Seo Jun-Ho with wide eyes when they noticed thetter. "Oh, my god. Specter¡­?¡± "What nonsense! He was at the Semey Gate a little while ago¡­ What, he¡¯s really here?¡± "Wow! Specter! Wow! Seo Jun-Ho! I''m a real fan!" "Everyone, I know how you feel, but please focus on your work," said Lloris, interrupting them. Lloris then dragged Seo Jun-Ho into a deserted hallway amidst the disapproving looks of the workers. "I¡¯m sorry if you found them rude. I¡¯m sure they just couldn¡¯t hold in their emotions upon seeing you. After all, they had always been working with yers, so they also know how great of an existence you are among the yers.¡± "I understand." Well, it wasn¡¯t the first time that Seo Jun-Ho received such looks. Lloris and Seo Jun-Ho walked down the deserted hallway, and as soon as they stepped into a huge conference room, Seo Jun-Ho nodded at the sight. ''I knew it¡­¡¯ His gut feeling had never been wrong. "It has been a while!" Seo Jun-Ho shook hands with Count Lenny, a noble of the Ruben Empire and replied, "It¡¯s been a while." "Geez, you could have shown your face sometimes.¡± Count Lenny seemed sad. "I got too busy, so I haven¡¯t been able to pay that much attention to Frontier. Have you been well?" "I''ve been doing well, thanks to you. Ah. My wife is doing well, too.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had a pretty good rtionship with Count Lenny among Frontier''s nobility. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s connection with Count Lenny was one of the reasons His Majesty the Emperor summoned him, and through a wish, he was able to wipe the Fiend Association out using His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s might. He was also widely acimed as the ¡®Saint of the Empire¡¯ in Frontier. "I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t call me for a meet and greet, am I right?" "Hmm, yes¡­" Count Lenny stiffened. His kindhearted expression disappeared as he continued. "The empire is currently in a bad situation.¡± "Because of Nazad Hollow...¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. Count Lenny nodded and said, "Since it¡¯s you, I¡¯m going to be direct. Our empire is having a hard time keeping up with his mobility.¡± "I will be direct with you as well." Seo Jun-Ho nodded and said, "I don¡¯t have the confidence to defeat him on my own." To be more specific, he was confident that he could defeat Nazad Hallow. However, it wasn¡¯t the case against Nazad Hallow¡¯s army of corpses. ¡®There are tens of thousands of them. They¡¯re a force to be reckoned with.¡¯ If Nazad Hallow were to employ gueri tactics, then the empire would be the one that would suffer the most. Naturally, Count Lenny knew that as well. "What if you''re not alone?" "Who woulde with me?" "The Imperial Knights Order, including Sir Hart. The Tower Master of the Magic Tower, the inquisitors of the Church of the Sun, and an archbishop of the Church of Sun. All of them wille with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes widened. The line-up alone was enough for him to say that the Ruben Empire was going all-out. "Why me? There should be knights stronger than me in the empire.¡± "Well, actually, I was against yourmission. However, Sir Hart said that you have to be there. He strongly insisted on your participation." "Hmm." Sure enough, Hart had seen through him when they sparred back then. Since it had been quite a while since then, Hart definitely thought Seo Jun-Ho would be a massive help to their operation. ¡®Of course, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be caught off guard by my growth.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought about it for a while. Lloris saw that and spoke, "Mr. Seo. If possible, we would like to ask you for the same favor.¡± "Are you speaking in your capacity as the President of the World yer Association?" "Yes." Lloris nodded grimly. "For the survival of Earth and Frontier, we have no choice but to hold hands and cooperate. But at the same time, we have to be wary of each other as well." ¡°I understand.¡± In short, they needed an existence qualified to be an intermediary between them. The World yer Association and the powerhouses of Ruben were hoping that he would take on the role. Count Lenny spoke as well, ¡°Our empire will never forget your participation.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho pondered. He was from Earth, so rather than going to Frontier, he wanted to stay and protect Earth. ¡®But¡­¡¯ There were many yers on Earth who could protect Earth in his ce. The Nine Heavens were here, along with the other Heroes. ¡®However, I¡¯m the only one who can be an intermediary¡­¡¯ Above all, the crisis-stricken people of Frontier needed him. Their cries were enough motivation for him to act. "Let''s give it a try.¡± Seo Jun-Ho strongly shook Count Lenny''s hand. *** Seo Jun-Ho directly climbed up to the 2nd Floor and headed for the rendezvous location he was told in advance. ¡®I couldn¡¯t even breathe when I met Hart for the first time.¡¯ However, it was all in the past. "Wee. It has been a while...¡± Despite being under the gaze of Hart, dozens of Imperial Knights, the Tower Master of the Magic Tower, the inquisitors of the Church of Sun, and even an archbishop of the Church of Sun¡­ "My name is Seo Jun-Ho, and I¡¯m a yer who will be fighting together with you all." Seo Jun-Ho remained calm. Seeing that, Hart weed Seo Jun-Ho with a knowing smile. Chapter 438. Night of the Living Dead (1) Chapter 438. Night of the Living Dead (1) Hart looked at Seo Jun-Ho with curious eyes from top to bottom. ¡®Just what...'' Seo Jun-Ho received Hart¡¯s teachings, even if it was just a few days. Therefore, Hart should be pleased if Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s aura had be stronger since then. However, the feeling of absurdity took precedence over his pride as a teacher. ¡®What the hell has he been up to?¡¯ The aura Hart felt was much hazier than before. Did that mean that Seo Jun-Ho became weaker rather than stronger? ¡®That''s ridiculous.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s aloof eyes were like the winter snow on a mountain, and his steady torso and posture seemed like they could support the skies. Overall, Seo Jun-Ho seemed rxed and confident even amidst them all. "Oh, so he¡¯s Specter?" "Indeed, he''s a great yer with skills that don¡¯t match his age." "You said he is one of the best yers. It seems that you weren¡¯t lying.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± Hart couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the whispers around him. How could he hold it in? ¡®Everyone¡¯s thoughts are like that because this is their first time meeting him.¡¯¡¯ Honestly, if this were Hart¡¯s first time seeing Seo Jun-Ho, he would have made the same assessment as them. However, this was the third time he met Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Above all...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had already surpassed the current Hart. Yes, Seo Jun-Ho had already surpassed Frontier¡¯s best swordsman, who was also more than a hundred years old. ¡®It is evidenced by the fact that I can¡¯t even properly gauge his breadth anymore.¡¯ Hart seemed amused. Should he tell hisrades the truth? ''There¡¯s no need to do that.¡¯ If he told them the truth, it would temporarily increase morale, but there was a high chance that they would start relying on him a lot. Having made a decision, Hart simply greeted Seo Jun-Ho with his eyes. ¡®He¡¯s being considerate of me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho sent a look of gratitude at Hart. Meanwhile, an old man in a neat robe spoke, "Since it seems that every relevant individual has gathered here, it¡¯s about time we start the meeting.¡± The old man tapped the floor with his cane, and arge map that seemed to be made of gold appeared in mid-air "First, this is the extent of what he had done so far,¡± said the old man. A part of the map turned ck as if it were rotting. Looking at the map, Seo Jun-Ho muttered, "I don''t see any regrity." "At first, he mainly attacked the cities down south, but now, he is attacking everywhere.¡± Nazad Hallow¡¯s movements were quick. He appeared in the east and then in the west like he was trying to one-up Hong Gil-Dong.[1] ¡°The empire¡¯s failure must have spread by now.¡± The Frost Queen covered her mouth and giggled. Nazad Hallow seemed to be saying¡­ - I know how strong you are, and I know how you¡¯ll respond. Whenever the empire did its best to gather troops and prepare for his ambush, Nazad Hallow would reappear somewherepletely out of the empire¡¯s expectations and wreak havoc there. ¡®Naturally, the damage is extensive.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could already imagine the empire¡¯s current status. Aside from the extensive damage the many cities had suffered, it was also incredibly costly to move so many soldiers at once and in rapid session. The citizens had to be trembling with anxiety right now, and the nobles had to be kicking up a fuss as well to have troops deployed to their cities. ¡°This is bad. At this rate, there would be uprisings everywhere.¡± ¡°Uprisings? Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°Uprisings wouldn¡¯t be a surprise. Disobeying His Majesty¡¯s orders is tantamount to treason, but do you really think that only a few nobles would transfer their knights and soldiers to their estates in order to protect their territory and families?¡± It was unknown if it was because Seo Jun-Ho was an emperor himself, but his train of thought ran differently from the other nobles. ¡®Hmm. If this continues, the emperor''s dignity will fall to the bottom.¡¯ If things got that far, the empire would be a tasty piece of cake for everyone to enjoy. The Tower Master of the Magic Tower made a sidelong nce at Seo Jun-Ho and said, "In addition to his elusiveness, his troops aren¡¯t nothing to be scoffed at either." ¡°Those corpses¡­¡± ¡°When Hameln was captured this morning, a hundred thousand enemy troops were apparently deployed to the siege.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± It was a surprise to hear that there were tens of thousands of them, but it was unbelievable that the number of corpses Nazad had at his disposal had already surpassed six digits. It wasn¡¯t just Seo Jun-Ho. The others found it absurd as well. "That''s ridiculous. How can a human handle so much magic?¡± "As far as I know, only the demon king of the ancient times could wield the required magic to support the animation of so many corpses." "Is there a possibility that they used illusion magic to lower our fighting spirit?" "That''s a possibility, but at this point, we have to assume the worst¡­¡± The party¡¯s morale visibly dropped. ¡®We only have a small number of elites, there is nothing we can do against arge army of a hundred thousand.¡¯ While Seo Jun-Ho was still in Another World, he had to face enemies of more than a hundred thousand, but those were cockroaches. They couldn¡¯t possibly bepared to undead creatures. "Sir Specter, I heard that your world managed to stop this necromancer in the past. What method did they use to do so?¡± "Oh, that''s¡­" Seo Jun-Ho looked slightly troubled at the archbishop¡¯s question. He saw the reports, but apparently, hundreds of ballistic missiles were fired. ¡®As a result, Turkey became a wastnd, but we were able to send Nazad away to the 2nd Floor.¡¯ However, there was no way they could use that method here. Emperor Gauss was extremely wary of the modern era, especially modern technology. It was only natural since modern technology could easily shatter the peace of this world, which was basically a world of magic and swords. "Phew, then we have no choice but to hope that God''s protection will follow." "There is no way His Majesty will allow us to bring such a weapon.¡± "In addition, we have to know where he¡¯s going to appear as well.¡± Listening to the concerns, Seo Jun-Ho raised his hand carefully. "Wait. Are you saying that if we don¡¯t know where he¡¯s going to appear, we won¡¯t be able to chase after him?" "That''s right." Seo Jun-Ho was puzzled. "Why is that? Can¡¯t we just teleport to the city where Nazad Hallow appeared?" Of course, Teleport wasn¡¯t something anyone could use, but the Magic Tower existed in Frontier. If they worked together, they should be able to use Teleport. "We can''t do that because of the rifts." "The rifts? What''s that?" The Tower Master of the Magic Tower sighed and exined, "Teleport. How could we not think of that? The Magic Tower sent thirty mages to chase after Nazad Hallow as soon as he showed up.¡± ¡°And everyone died¡­ Their lower bodies managed to teleport over to the destination, but their upper bodies were left behind.." Seo Jun-Ho frowned. "Are you saying that he has created rifts all over space itself?" "You sure catch up quickly. That''s right. That is why we cannot recklessly use Teleport. We have no idea what¡¯s going to happen once we do so.¡± Without precise information about the locations of the rift in space, there was no way they would gamble their lives and use Teleport. ¡°In that case, why are we here?" If Nazad Hallow showed up on the other side of the continent, they wouldn¡¯t be able to chase after him. In that case, all this was just a waste of effort and time. However, the Tower Master of the Magic Tower grinned at the question. "Don''t underestimate the financial power of the empire and the stubbornness of the Magic Tower." He flicked his finger. Thousands of unremarkable scrolls appeared behind him. "What is this?" asked Seo Jun-Ho upon receiving a scroll withplicated magic forms carved on its surface. "It''s a magic scroll. We''re going to tear these and go after him.¡± "I thought you said Teleport doesn¡¯t work?¡± "Well, this isn¡¯t Teleport.¡± The Tower Master of the Magic Tower kindly exined, "These scrolls have marking, tracking, flight, fast movement, and air resistance spells carved on them." "What happens if you rip it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll fly to the node designated in advance. Of course, you¡¯re currently holding a scroll with no designated node just yet.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally nodded. ¡®So this is why we met in the middle of the continent¡­¡¯ This way, even if Nazad Hallow appeared in the east, west, south, or north. The travel time would remain roughly the same. ¡°It must have been expensive to create so many of these scrolls.¡± "As I said, you shouldn¡¯t underestimate the empire¡¯s financial capability as well as the stubbornness of our Magic Tower¡¯s mages.¡± The Tower Master of the Magic Tower swept his gaze across the scrolls with a smile and said, ¡°Of course, this method isn¡¯t perfect. If the target is nowhere near a node, it will be of no use.¡± "In other words, we can only hope that Nazad Hallow will invade a location with a nearby node.¡± "That''s right. And..." The Tower Master of the Magic Tower started. "T-Tower Master!¡± A mage interrupted. ¡°We have received a call for reinforcements! Nazad Hallow has appeared in the castle of Merhen!" "What? Merhen?" The Tower Master of the Magic Tower hurriedly looked at the map. His expression distorted at the sight of a red ¡®X¡¯ marking on Merhen. "Damn it! We don¡¯t have a node there!" "Then, we should just go to the nearest node." The archbishop''s eyes turned to Mateo, which was below the territory of Merhen. "Tower Master, distribute the scrolls connected to the node in Mateo. We shall go there." "All right." The relevant scrolls flew toward everyone like birds. Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes shone while looking at the map. "Wait, please give me a scroll connected to the node in Lacus." "What? Lacus?" It was a city above Merhen, but it was further than Mateo from Merhen. The Tower Master of the Magic Tower frowned. ¡®Does he want to strike from the rear?¡¯ No, if that were the case, then Hellen, just below Lacus, was more suitable than Lacus. It was obvious from the distance that Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t be able to participate in the battle on time if he were to appear in Lacus. "We¡¯re in an emergency. Going to Lacus means that by the time you reached Merhen, the battle would be over by then." "Still, please¡­" ¡°¡­¡± It seemed that The Tower Master of the Magic Tower interpreted Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s insistence as cowardice as he stared in disdain at thetter. He threw a scroll at Seo Jun-Ho''s feet and said, "I had no idea that Earth¡¯s Hero values his life so much." Everyone stared at Seo Jun-Ho with unkind eyes. Asking to be sent to a city that was so far away from where the battle was going on could only be interpreted as cowardice on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s end. However, Hart was different. He stared at Seo Jun-Ho with a gaze full of trust before saying, "Well, then, let''s move." Rip! Upon tearing the scroll in their hands, they soared into the night sky and disappeared into the horizon like a meteor. Seo Jun-Ho picked up the scroll on the floor. "Contractor, do you have a n?" "I always have a n." Of course, he had no idea if it would even work. "Let''s go." Rip! Weightlessness took over him as he flew up north like a meteor. *** ¡°¡­¡± The lord of Merhen¡¯s eyes quivered as he looked down at Merhen from the castle walls. Merhen was surrounded by walls that stood fifteen meters tall. The walls of Merhen were taller than the average city, so this sight was a first for him. ¡®I couldn¡¯t have known that there would be a day when I would wish that the walls were higher.¡¯ The countless corpses on the ins of Merhen made the lord of Merhen think that way. In the midst of the throng of corpses, an old man d in a ck robe swung his staff with a cold look. "Uaahhhhhh." "Gaauhhhh." The undead started running toward the wall while uttering unpleasant noises. They were running so fast that it shattered the prejudice about the undead being slow movers. The lord of Merhen bit his lips and shouted, "The dead will have to be buried! Bury them once more!" "Yes!" Swoosh! The archers sent a hail of ming arrows toward the running corpses. There were so many undead that there was no way one could miss even if they shot randomly toward the skies. The arrows struck true and started burning the corpses, but they continued running at the same pace despite their bodies melting in real-time. "T-that''s absurd¡­!¡± "Lord! The attacks aren¡¯t working!" "Damn it." The Imperial Family announced that a groupposed of the cream of the crop would reinforce cities under siege. ¡®But if they want toe here, then they¡¯ll being from Mateo.¡¯ It would take them three hours, even on the fastest horse. Three hours was also the most optimistic estimate, and it was only applicable if the reinforcements left for Merhen as soon as they received the request. ¡°¡­¡± The lord of Merhen shut his eyes tightly. He couldn¡¯t waver here. His people were depending on him, so there was no way that he would show them a pathetic side of him. With that being said, the lord of Merhen sounded like he was crying as he screamed frantically, "Reinforcements areing! Three hours! We just have to hold out for three hours!" 1. Hong Gil-Dong is like the Korean version of Robin Hood with magical powers, and he moves fast. ? Chapter 439. Night of the Living Dead (2) Chapter 439. Night of the Living Dead (2) A child walking on the street while holding his mother''s hand suddenly pointed at the sky. "Mom, there¡¯s someone flying in the sky." "Oh, child, that can''t be¡ªAh!¡± At the scream, Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. ¡®This is incredible.¡¯ Thanks to the air resistance spell, there wasn¡¯t even a scratch on him. Whoosh! ¡®Am I there?¡¯ The sense of weightlessness disappeared as hended in front of a small cabin. "Hmm? This spell¡­¡± The knight, who was acting as the node, stared at the ck-haired man with a surprised look. ¡®I think he''s part of the elite strike squad. Why is he here?¡¯ ording to the news, Nazad Hallow was currently attacking Merhen. In that case, he should have gone over to Mateo rather than Lacus since it was much closer to Merhen. At the thought, the knight frowned. ¡®Is he perhaps a deserter?¡¯ He didn¡¯t think that a member of the elite strike squad would do something so disgraceful, but one could never truly know people. Before the knight could ask any questions, the ck-haired man spoke first, "Which way is Merhen?" "Merhen?" The knight thought about it for a moment. He then turned his back on the ck-haired man and started gesturing while saying, "If you go straight this way, you will eventually find Merhen, but¡­ if you were going to go there in the first ce, why did you even here¡ªhuh?" The knight was astonished to find the ck-haired man missing. ¡°What?¡± The knight was baffled. The ck-haired man had disappeared without leaving any traces, making him feel like he was talking to a ghost. *** Merhen had never been in a battle on such a scale¡­ "Block them!" "Don¡¯t let them climb!" "Uaaahh!" "Grrrr! Craaa!¡± The undead started climbing the walls while trampling on each other''s heads and shoulders. Crack, break! They crushed each other''s heads and shoulders in the process, but as befitting of corpses, they couldn¡¯t feel any pain. "Uh, uhhhh." "They have no sense of camaraderie at all.¡± "Uwaaack!" The soldiers with weak stomachs couldn''t resist vomiting, and even those with strong stomachs trembled with fear. The corpses brutishly climbing up the wall with determination to kill were the manifestation of fear itself for the soldiers. "Wake up! Don''t just stand there and watch! We have a long night ahead of us!" "This way! Bring the pot this way! Pour the boiling oil here!" "Don¡¯t stop shooting the magic and fire arrows!" Nazad Hallow watched the fierce battle from the in. Merhen''s walls were several meters taller than the castles he had taken over so far. ¡®It''s taking quite a while.¡¯ The soldiers were better than they seemed, and they had already been blocking his corpses for an hour. In addition, he was starting to see hope on the faces of the soldiers. "It''s already been an hour!" "Just do what you''ve done so far! Twice! Just two more times!" "Persevere! We have to persevere until the reinforcements are here! They will definitelye, so just hang in there!" The lord of Merhen and his bodyguard knights boosted the morale of the soldiers. At the sight, Nazad Hallow revealed a smile. ¡®It''s about time we get started.¡¯ Nazad Hallow had many habits, but he had a particrly disgusting habit. It was the habit of trampling on the people¡¯s sweet moments of hope just as they started to get optimistic. Woooong. The pitch-ck demonic energy swirling from his wrinkled fingertips animated a creature in the proverbial blink of an eye. It was a five-meter-tall creature, and it was covered in stitches all over, as if a newyer of skin was stitched onto it. "Goliath, go and destroy the wall." "Guohh." Goliath took a step forward in response. It staggered as it kept walking, but even though it looked like it would stumble to the ground any time soon, its posture actually got better the more steps it took. Thump! Thump! Thump! Finally, it ¡®remembered¡¯ how to run, and its eyes shone crimson as it roared. "Guaaahh!" "Ugh!" "Ah!" Its roar was so loud that the eardrums of the soldiers close to it burst. The ragged giant ran forward while stepping on the corpses. Boom! Boom! Booom! After taking three steps, the giant leaped into the air. "I-it¡¯s flying?" "Uhh. It¡¯s getting closer and closer. O-oh no¡­!¡± The soldiers were ovee with fear at the realization. However, a voice filled with magic entered their ears. "Shield! Forward! Listen up!" "S-shield, to the front!" "Hold up your shields!" The soldiers came to their senses and hurriedly put their shields forward. Boom! The giant finallynded on the castle wall. When the giantnded, it created a shockwave that sent thirteen soldiers flying. The poor soldiers plummeted to the ground and died instantly. "Damn it! Attack!" "Cut its fingers off!" "S-stop him froming up!" "Drop it!" The soldiers stabbed the giant with their swords and spears. Magic spells were even hurled at the giant. "Guooohh!" However, the giant remained steadfast. It started patting the wall and throwing away the soldiers it managed to capture with its gigantic hands. "Ah!" "God¡­!" The soldiers who fell on the ins had their flesh torn by the corpses before they could even scream. The scene was so shocking that the soldiers were paralyzed with fear. ¡®W-we¡¯re gonna die.¡¯ ¡®We have to fight something like that? There¡¯s an overwhelming difference in numbers as well¡­¡¯ ¡¯Ugh! Ugh! There''s no way I¡¯ll survive this...¡¯ While the soldiers couldn¡¯t move from the fear gripping their hearts, the wicked and ragged giant finally climbed up the wall. "Keeuuuu." The giant¡¯s torn mouth seemed to mimic humanughter. ¡°This bastard of a monster¡­! The Knight Commander was furious after losing his long-time friends andrades. "I will cut your head off today and¡ª¡± Pugh! The Knight Commander¡¯s head exploded like a watermelon. His corpse remained standing for quite a while before it eventually copsed while spraying blood all over the walls. "Guhehe." Once again, the ragged giant burst intoughter and started punching the walls. Boom! Bang! Boom! "Ahhh!" "C-crouch!" "Get down!" The entire castle started trembling. The soldiers got down and fell on their stomachs, but they made the worst decision. Rumble! The walls finally copsed, and the corpses quickly jumped at the soldiers as if they had been waiting. "Uah, uaaaah!" "It hurts! It hurts! It huuuurts!" The bnce had shifted over to the enemies. ¡°Lord! Please hurry and evacuate! You must flee to the inner castle!" "The castle wall has already copsed! We cannot build a line of defense here!" ¡°You cannot stay here!¡± The vassals and the surviving knights rushed over to the lord of Merhen and pleaded. However, the lord of Merhen shook his head while staring at the unfolding strategy. ¡°The walls of the inner castle are weaker than the walls here, so do you really think that we can survive there?¡± "But¡­!" ¡°My lord, we can start all over again as long as we¡¯re still alive!¡± "¡­Why are you all being like this?" The lord of Merhen¡¯s reproachful eyes turned to the vassals. Perhaps any other lord would selfishly value their lives, the lives of their family members, and their territories higher than anyone else. ¡°Even if others can do that, I will not." The lord of Merhen was a noble. He was a noble and was tasked to govern His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s subjects on thetter¡¯s behalf. ¡°What is the raison d¡¯etre of nobles and lords?¡± Before he was an individual, he was a noble and the lord of his citizens. The lord of Merhen unsheathed his sword without hesitation. "Survivors and those who are still willing to stand up! take up your arms and build a line of defense!" Noh Ik-Jang, the lord of Merhen, screamed. Under his leadership, the chaotic battlefield became less chaotic. "Carlton! Go to the inner castle right now and evacuate the women, elderly, and children through the secret passage." "B-but¡­!" "Failure toply with orders during wartime is treason!" The youngest knight in the knight order burst into tears while biting his lips. ¡°Understood! Upon confirming Carlton¡¯s departure, Noh Ik-Jang stared up ahead. The surviving soldiers, knights, and mages stood next to him. "Please me us for our foolishness." "We havepletely forgotten what should have been natural, thanks to the peace we have been enjoying until now." "Thank you for waking us up." Hundreds of corpses flooded into the castle through the copsed walls. Noh Ik-Jang stared at the cursed beings and raised his sword high. "For Merhen!" The lord of Merhen himself and his knights ran up and tore the corpses apart. For well-trained knights, corpses were easier to deal with than training scarecrows. However, the ragged giant was an exception. p! It pped its hands and crushed a knight between its palms before turning its head. "Kuhuuu." As it drooled and smiled, its eyes saw the lord of Merhen wielding his sword as if he had gone mad. The ragged giant had long lost its intelligence, but its instincts remained. Its instincts were calling out to it. It was telling it that it had to kill that old man first before anything else. "Geuuu." It reached out to smash the head of the lord of Merhen. Boooom! There was a huge explosion on its body. "Sheesh. How mischievous. It must be pretty difficult to control." An old man floating in the air muttered with a cold expression. The lord of Merhen¡¯s eyes widened upon recognizing the old man. ¡°T-tower Master¡­!¡± The number of corpses inside the castle rapidly declined. "The Imperial Knights Order and the Church of the Sun!" The reinforcements whom they thought would never arrive in time finally arrived. The lord of Merhen burst into crying without realizing it as he shouted, "Reinforcements! His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s reinforcements to us have arrived!" "Woaaahhh!" As everyone started crying in relief, there was a fight going on outside the castle. ¡°¡­¡± Nazad Hallow swept his gaze across those who had surrounded him. "The emperor''s sword, the inquisitor from the Church of the Sun, and even an archbishop...¡± Nazad Hallow could see that the Ruben Empire really wanted to get rid of him. "This is the end of your rampage, fiend." Facing Hart''s cold eyes, Nazad Hallow answered casually, "An old monster of Frontier who has lived for hundreds of years¡­ Hm, you¡¯re definitely strong.¡± Nazad Hallow knew about Hart¡¯s power. They already had a grasp of the empire¡¯s strength long ago. ¡®And yet¡­¡¯ His skin felt tingly. It meant that there was no way he could handle Hart when they were so close to each other. ''¡­He¡¯s beyond my expectations.¡¯ In that case, was he afraid? Keuk. Nazad Hallowughed. It was theplete opposite. The Knight Commander of the Imperial Knights Order, Hart, was on his list as well. "Archbishop." "May God¡¯s protection be with you. Blessing of the Sun." A golden energy wrapped around Hart. "A slope." Hart''s powerful sword drew a line in the world. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ Nazad Hallow frowned slightly. He was prepared, but he couldn''t avoid itpletely. ¡®It consumed five barriers in one go.¡¯ It was a huge loss, but it wasn¡¯t enough for him to start panicking. ¡°To deal with a monster¡­ Hm, I guess I should use a monster as well.¡± Thick and murky demonic energy emerged out of Nazad Hallow as dozens of corpses manifested around him. The corpses belonged to various species, but this wasn¡¯t the end of it. "Guoooh." "Geu." Knights, soldiers, and mages... The ones who died fighting Nazad Hallow¡¯s army of corpses stood up. Chapter 440. Night of the Living Dead (3)

Chapter 440. Night of the Living Dead (3)

Lacus City. It was a famous tourist destination in Frontier, and its name ¡®Lacus¡¯ meant ¡®the source of water¡¯. "Earth¡¯s City of Water is Venice while Frontier¡¯s City of Water is Lacus." The Frost Queen swept her gaze across the surroundings and nodded. "Mmhm,of course, it is beautiful. Still, what are you trying to do bying to a ce like this during a war?!" She stomped and said, "The people of Merhen are suffering as we speak. Let''s hurry up and go. I am feeling impatient." "Calm down and look at the map." Seo Jun-Ho tapped on his Vita, projecting the map of Frontier before saying, "Where are we right now?" "Lacus. It¡¯s a city close to thatrge body of water there on the map." "That''s right. The water here divides into dozens of branches, but in the end...¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s finger tapped on a huge stream of water. "Here. They all merge together at the Henness River, which runs through the continent. I intend to use this stream of water." "You¡¯re going to use the water? How? Are you going to bury the corpses all at once using water?" ¡°How long will it take me to deal with a hundred thousand corpses?¡± Seo Jun-Ho could imagine how long it would take. After all, he had the luxury of dealing with hundreds of thousands of cockroaches in Another World. ''They¡¯re weak, yes, but their numbers are overwhelming.¡¯ The knights and soldiers of the empire could easily deal with those corpses, but their stamina wasn¡¯t infinite. Seo Jun-Ho judged that the key to this battle was speed. ¡°Above all, tonight''s opponent is Nazad Hallow. Despite being such a powerful man, he hasn¡¯t really been moving around in thest decade. I can''t even imagine what kind of power he has been developing in the interim." "Hoh.¡± The Frost Queen nodded in understanding. Her prideful eyesnded on Seo Jun-Ho. "Since you do not know your opponent''s strategy, you are nning on using an unconventional way to fight to catch your opponent off guard, is that right?" "It''s not a bad n, is it?" "If I must say, it is a great n. But there is a big loophole." Looking up at the map, The Frost Queen pointed at something. "The stream of the Henness River is several kilometers away from Merhen Castle. You did not miss this, did you?" "There¡¯s no way I could have missed that¡­" "Does that mean you have a way to divert all that water in that huge river?" "There''s a way.¡± "Oh!Our contractor has a n!" Seo Jun-Ho stared at the excited Frost Queen. ¡°Yes, but I need your help?¡± "Hmm? My help?¡± The Frost Queen blinked her round eyes. *** "I see,¡± said Hart in a low voice. The howling of the corpses that filled the ins of Merhen made his ears ring. "I thought perhaps he lost all his strength because he hasn¡¯t been active for quite a while now, but it turns out to be the opposite.¡± Ound. In that barren and drynd, he had been waiting eagerly. Perhaps for today¡ªfor this opportunity. "Don¡¯t they say that patience is bitter while negligence is sweet?" Nazad Hallow nodded. "Indeed, it''s quite sweet." ¡°¡­¡± The archbishop and inquisitors gathered around Hart, who was biting his lips. They had already given up on surrounding Nazad Hallow. "Hart-nim, we arepletely surrounded." "There are probably tens of thousands of corpses surrounding us." "And in addition, some of the corpses next to him look pretty strong." It turned out that they didn¡¯t manage to surround Nazad Hallow at all. Instead, Nazad Hallow lured them using his own life for the sweetest bait possible. "I have a proposal to make." Nazad Hallow lifted his staff lightly, and the noisy corpses came to a halt. While staring straight at Hart, Nazad Hallow continued. "Take your own life, and I will give up on Merhen and withdraw." "What nonsense are you spouting?!" "How far are you going to make a fool of us?" "Hart-nim, do not listen to his cursed words." The inquisitors red angrily at Nazad. They were a religious bunch with the spirit of a knight. Their respect for Hart, a living legend of knights, was beyond description. "Why, is it because you also want me to be a part of your unsightly army?" "Of course. A body as rare as yours is extremely rare toe by." If he could turn Hart into a corpse, the power of his army would rise significantly. Nazad Hallow would definitely give up on Merhen if it meant acquiring Hart. Hart swept his gaze and snorted. "I refuse. I don''t want to go around with an army with such a foul stench." "Then, the negotiations have broken down.¡± Nazad Hallow nodded as if he had expected it. He struck the ground with his staff. "Kill everyone and bring their corpses to me." "Guaah." "Guuoh!" The corpses rushed as if their leash hade undone. Slice! Hart''s sword turned into a blur as he cut down dozens of rushing corpses with a single stroke. He scanned the surroundings. "Create a path! The destination is Merhen Castle!" Right now, the best thing they could do was retreat into the castle and wait for additional support. "Inquisitors, stick behind me! Awl formation!" The inquisitors followed behind Hart''s back, reminiscent of a sharp awl. They pointed their sharp swords and spears forward as their weapons glistened coldly beneath the moonlight. "We are awls! Match our pace!" The awl formation was the most effective in breaking through multiple lines of enemy forces. Thud! The corpses were either torn apart by the swords or skewered by the spears. ¡®What? Why is it so easy?¡¯ ''I see. There are a lot of them, but they''re actually weak.¡¯ ¡®If they¡¯re only at this level, we can break through. We can do it!¡¯ In the proverbial blink of an eye, they got through a third of the army of corpses, and their morale rose as they gained confidence. The same was true for Hart. ¡®It''s been a long time since I felt this way.¡¯ Rotten blood sttered on his face as a corpse was split vertically in front of him. He then turned to the side and stuck a sword in the smelly mouth of a corpse. ¡®I''m alive.¡¯ The world had enjoyed peace for a long time¡ªa very long time. It was because of the peaceful times that he was able to continue his boring daily life in the imperial pce. ¡®Why am I alive?¡¯ What was the use of a knight who might not be able to wield his sword before he died? Why was this world fostering knights that wouldn¡¯t even be used? Hart¡¯s questions were finally answered. ¡®It''s all for moments like this...¡¯ Upon entering the battlefield, the monster inside of him slowly opened its eyes. Hart was convinced that the monster had already disappeared, but it turned out that it was still alive. ¡®I¡¯m alive.¡¯ Hart¡¯s concentration increased gradually. Every time he cut down a corpse, and every time they failed to kill him, the senses that he had forgotten started toe back to him. He could control everything, and he could feel even his blood as it flowed through his blood vessels. "This is a surprise¡­" Nazad Hallow remarked. Hart''s skills were much better than he thought. ¡®ording to Rock Blood, Hart shouldn¡¯t be this strong.¡¯ At this rate, they would truly be able to retreat and hole up in Merhen Castle despite the tens of thousands of corpses blocking them. Nazad Hallow knew that he had to do something, so he raised his hand. "Go." ¡°¡­¡± The three corpses with their heads slightly lowered next to him had a different air floating about them. They were much taller and were even wearing pitch-ck full-body armor. A sword was also sticking out of their chests. "Just a little more! Just hold out a little more!" Harts shouted and encouraged his allies. He could already feel that the inquisitors were getting exhausted as they desperately tried to follow his tempo. "Haaa¡­ Haaa!" ¡°Don¡¯t. Worry. About. Us¡­!" "Carve a path! We¡¯re retreating!" The inquisitors gnashed their teeth. No matter what, Hart and the archbishop had to survive. ¡®Five more minutes, just five more minutes, and it¡¯s over!¡¯ The inquisitors estimated in their hearts as they mustered every ounce of strength they had remaining from the deepest parts of their bodies. ¡°¡­?¡± All of a sudden, a pitch-ck head appeared behind them. The inquisitors were terrified at the sight. ¡®T-that¡¯s not human.¡¯ Those eyes were far too violent and evil for them to belong to humans. The inquisitors, who made eye contact with the death knight, started suffocating in fear. "Sir Hart! Two powerful corpses are in our rear!" "What?" Hart bit his lips. In a general formation, the most experienced knights should stand at the front and at the rear. However, that wasn¡¯t the case for the awl formation. It was an aggressive formation that only moved forward without looking back. The rear was rtively weak because the bravest and best knights had to be in the front. "Don''t fight! Keep running!" "¡­What?" Was that why? Craack! The necks of the two knights at the rear were twisted like breadsticks, and they crashed to the ground. The two knights were running so fast thatmon sense dictated that there was no way they could stand back up again. However, the knights sprang to their feet in an instant. ¡°...!¡± Hart started to be desperate. He was biting his lips so hard that they continuously bleed, and the hand holding his sword trembled ever so slightly. His survivingrades were in the same state of mind as him, and Hart would have praised them for their mental fortitude if they weren¡¯t desperately running away. He was proud of them, but... "Guooh." "Guaaah." He would forever be unable topliment those who had fallen. Forcing back his tears, Hart stared up ahead. "Those who fall behind¡ªwill be left behind! Keep running, no matter what!" However, it seemed that Lady Luck wasn¡¯t on his side. ¡°Guaaaahhhh!" An undead ogre, which was slightly smaller than the goliath that shattered the castle walls, stood in his way. "Get lost!" Hart''s sword angrily tore the ogre into pieces, but he frowned when he was done. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Speed was important if one wanted to maintain the awl formation, but he slowed down when he dealt with the ogre. Hart was right at the very front of the awl, so when he slowed down, the rear couldn¡¯t slow down in time. ¡®...¡¯ The awl formation¡¯s pros and cons were obvious. If the rear was too weak, if the rear couldn¡¯t react in time and match the pace of those at the front, and if the formation copsed even once... ¡®It bes useless¡­¡¯ "Guoooh!" "Kuuhh, Kuoohh!" The corpses quickly swarmed them like a deluge. The archbishop stuck next to Hart, who was doing his best to cut the corpses down. "I shall support you." ¡°Thank you.¡± Hart became despondent as he realized that tonight¡ªthese ins could be his grave. ¡®We have to hold out at least until dawn. The Imperial Army will need that much time.¡¯ However, the three death knights walking slowly toward them from the rear seemed like they had no intentions of prolonging this fight. "Whoo." Hart removed his helmet and threw it away. He threw his blood and sweat-soaked hair back and looked to the north before muttering, "Hurry up. You still have to pay me tuition fees, you tardy yer." *** While Hart was grumbling¡­ Boooooooom! The overflowing river was swallowing everything as it headed downstream. "Aaaaahhh!" The shaking Frost Queen clung to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back like gum as she eximed, "C-contractor! I-I do not think that we can change the direction of this river! It is too fast! I¡¯m scared!" "No, you can do it.¡± No, that was wrong. Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment and corrected his words. ¡°We can do it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the map while riding his surfboard made out of ice on the furious river. ¡®It¡¯ll take about forty minutes to arrive.¡¯ ¡®Please hang in there¡­¡¯They just had to hold out, and he would end everything. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shimmered with determination. Chapter 441. Night of the Living Dead (4) Chapter 441. Night of the Living Dead (4) Step, step. As the death knights approached Hart, they pulled out the sword sticking out of their chests. "How barbaric¡­" "They are undead, yes, but to think that they would use their own bodies as a sheath." "It is something that they can do because they do not feel pain." The inquisitors frowned at once. However, only Hart and the archbishop noticed something odd. ¡®They aren¡¯t keeping their swords in their bodies just for show.¡¯ ¡®What''s that ominous energying out of their chests...¡¯ They noticed a murky and nauseating energying out of the death knights¡¯ chests. The energy soon gathered in the death knights¡¯ swords. "It''s not the energy of the demons, but it smells disgusting, so is it perhaps death energy?" "I agree with you, Sir." The archbishop nodded. Death was sacred by nature. Whenever someone died, they would go over to the side of the god they were following, so death wasn¡¯t entirely a sad thing for religious people. ¡®But that''s¡­¡¯ How should it be described? It was stepping on divinity. The archbishop had no choice but to define it that way. "You forcefully manipted the energy of death." "Nazad Hallow. It has to be his work..." How many experiments and how many lives did he sacrifice to achieve that? A radiant glow burst out of the furious archbishop. "In the name of the Sun God! I will pass judgment upon you!" Whooooong! The wave of golden energy briefly illuminated the ins of Merhen. "¡­As expected, it''s at odds with divine power,¡± murmured Nazad Hallow. The weak corpses were instantly destroyed in the face of the archbishop¡¯s power. "Ohhh!" "As expected of the archbishop!" The inquisitors cheered, but Nazad Hallow looked rather satisfied. The miracle of destroying tens of thousands of undead at once wasn¡¯t something that could be done without a price "Uwaaaack!" Sure enough, the archbishop vomited ck blood. The inquisitors supported him, and they saw that the archbishop¡¯s face had turned as white as a sheet of paper. "A-archbishop! "Please wake up!" "I''m¡ªkeuk! I''m fine.¡± He had activated and made his divine power explode in all directions, but the undead he managed to destroy were only the regr ones. "What a shame." Tap, tap. Nazad Hallow tapped the ground with his staff, and another wave of corpses rose up. "N-no way¡­ The archbishop¡¯s miracle was meaningless...¡± "Just how many corpses does he have?" "We have never heard of a genocide in recent years, so he must have robbed tombs." Their hearts started to be enveloped with a different kind of fear. The enemies weren¡¯t strong, but the enemies were far more numerous than them. Hart clenched his sword tightly. ¡®If I use that, I¡¯d be able to kill him.¡¯ It was the result of an epiphany he had in hister years. It could cut down even a mountain, but it would take a tremendous amount of mental strength, concentration, and stamina. ¡®Seo Jun-Ho. I also told him about it¡­¡¯ He could cut down a mountain with it, but he could still lose despite using it. It was all because it wasn¡¯t really something that should be used in a real battle. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Hart couldn¡¯t help but think that he would have to jump over that wall on his own today. Otherwise, he would have to hang around with those foul corpses forever. "Protect the archbishop and cut down the corpses that dare to approach."Hart briefly said before walking forward on his own. He decided to walk away when he noticed that the death knights'' eyes were glued to him. ¡®If I stay here, the others will get implicated. ck, ck. Hart¡¯s conjecture was right. The death knights were moving along with him and pointed their swords at Frontier¡¯s best swordsman. "Interesting." Hart smiled coldly and charged at them first. *** The death knights were strong. ¡®They were probably famous knights of their own generation.¡¯ It was regrettable, but Hart would probably never know their identities. ¡®At times like this, I can''t honor the dead¡­¡¯ - ¡­ Crumble. A death knight, split by Hart''s sword, scattered like dust and disappeared. It was a difficult fight. It was proved by Hart¡¯s slightly rough breathing. ¡®It''s not a duel, but a fight for each other''s lives.¡¯ It was also three against one, along with a handicap of protecting hisrades. The conditions greatly favored his opponents, but he ended up cutting one of them down. ¡®But is this the end?¡¯ Hart quickly scanned himself. He received a few cuts while trying to cut down that death knight. ¡®It would normally be just a scratch.¡¯ However, the death knights¡¯ swords were covered in death energy, and the wounds he sustained from their swords quickly started killing the surrounding cells through necrosis. He couldn¡¯t put it off any longer. Judging so, Hart transmitted his voice to the archbishop through magic. - Archbishop, can you possibly use that move from before again? - This voice, is it Hart-nim? The archbishop smiled, wiping the blood around his mouth with his holy sleeve. - I can do it one more time. I¡¯ll do it somehow. - It should be enough. The attention would briefly fall on the archbishop the moment the archbishop activated Holy Explosion once more. ¡®And¡­.¡¯ It seemed that Nazad Hallow really wanted to get his hands on Hart¡¯s corpse tonight. It was probably the reason why he was still here and was maintaining the siege. ''There will certainly be a gap.'' Nazad Hallow would definitely make a move to summon more corpses after the archbishop had cast Holy Explosion. ¡®The gap will be there....¡¯ It would be the first and final opportunity. "Inquisitors, listen," Hart spoke in a confident voice rather than in a downtrodden voice. "As soon as the archbishop uses Holy Explosion, I want you to charge at the remaining death knights." The death knights could stand in his way, so they had to be stalled. "Understood." "We will carry out your orders." The inquisitors answered. Seeing Hart fight the death knights, they knew how strong the death knights were. However, the inquisitors weren¡¯t afraid. It had always been their job to make hold others ountable for their sins. "And where there is sin, that is where we would be..." The eighteen inquisitors were prepared to die, and they got ready to charge. "Oh, Sun Goooood!" The archbishop was exhausted, but he forcibly erupted with an energy that couldn¡¯t be ignored. The ins of Merhen were once again illuminated in a golden light. "Does he not get tired of that?" Nazad Hallow seemed annoyed as he lifted his staff once more. ¡®Now¡¯s the chance!¡¯ Hart quickly fell into his own domain. He vanquished all thoughts from his head before removing his own existence as he gripped his sword tightly. In the end, the only thing that remained in his domain was his sword. - ¡­! - ¡­! Hart¡¯s aura changed. The death knights seemed to have detected that change as they turned away from the archbishop and rushed at Hart. "Block them!" "Don''t let them take a step¡ªUgh!" "Fulfill your orders!" A death knight crushed an inquisitor''s head, while the others copsed with their guts spilling out as the death knight kicked them away. "Hold them doooown!" ¡°Uuuu, uaahhhh!" The inquisitors cried and screamed. They forcefully pushed away their fears and reached out with their limbs to stop the death knights, even if just for a moment. - ¡­! The scene was like an uprising of mere insects. Furious at the unsightly faces of the inquisitors, the death knights moved and cut them down. "Kwack, kuk, glory¡­!" "Please, win¡­ Sun God¡­ bless¡­!¡± May your future be blessed with sunshine. The inquisitors drew the holy symbol before they were torn to shreds. Finally, the freed death knights rushed to Hart, pulling out their swords. "¡­Haa." The white breath created by the cold air of dawn flowed out of Hart¡¯s mouth. However, hot tears were flowing down his eyes. "I am a sword. I am a part of the world.¡± I could reach anything and cut it down. Hart reached a state of unity with the sword. His crimson sword aura turned chaotic. It was just a sword. A weapon to harm others. Hart swung it in the direction of a small dot in the distance. He swung it in Nazad Hallow¡¯s direction. "Cut the mountain." ¡°¡­!¡± The two death knights that appeared right in front of Hart turned into dust. Nazad Hallow''s face changed for the first time. He felt a shiver down his spine. ¡®I have to avoid it.¡¯ As soon as he realized that he had to dodge it, he also realized that he couldn¡¯t possibly dodge the iing attack. Slice! There was a sharp, ear-piercing shriek, and all eyesnded on Nazad Hallow. "Hmm." His right arm holding the staff was now on the floor. He gazed at the severed arm and muttered, "I got off light.¡± An individual¡¯s mind could be as strong as steel, but a severed arm would still bring much pain to the unfortunate. However, Nazad Hallow didn¡¯t let out even a groan. It seemed that the concept of pain didn¡¯t exist for him. ¡°Now, it¡¯s my turn¡­¡± Nazad Hallow picked up the staff on the ground with his left hand. All of a sudden, a rumbling noise could be heard in the distance. Rumble! "¡­Water?" He looked behind him with a frown. He could see the ins of Merhen and the Henness River in the distance. ¡®Are my ears wrong?¡¯ Despite there being a river there, there couldn¡¯t be a sound like a tsunamiing in like this. When he thought that maybe his hearing could have received a problem as his arm was cut off - The river was so far away, so why was there sound reminiscent of a tsunamiing from the direction of the river? Nazad Hallow couldn¡¯t help but think that Hart¡¯s attack might have disturbed his hearing as well. At the thought, Nazad Hallow turned back to Hart, but the sound became clearer. Rumble! Finally, Nazad Hallow could see it clearly. "W-water?" "No, rather than water¡­¡± The surviving inquisitors stared with nk expressions. It was a tsunami. A tsunami was rare, even in the sea, so there was a sense of surrealism to see a tsunamiing from a river. ''¡­Wait, someone is on top of the tsunami.¡¯ Nazad Hallow gathered magic in his eyes, and his expression turned ugly upon confirming the identity of the individual riding the tsunami. "Seo Jun-Hoooooo!" It was his enemy who had murdered all of his disciples. It was an enemy he was determined to kill at all costs. However, Nazad Hallow hesitated at the same time. ¡®Is he perhaps just going to pass by like that?¡¯ The distance between the Henness River and this ce seemed to be at least a few kilometers long, and it was in a different direction as well. Unless Seo Jun-Ho could change the direction of the water, the tsunami wouldn¡¯t pose a threat to him. "Of course, I won¡¯t be able to do it on my own." Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t alone. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the Frost Queen. He unleashed his magic, and the two of them stretched their hands out. Craaackle! A huge slide made out of ice was created in the blink of an eye. The ferocious and furious river followed the path of the beautiful ice slide. ¡°¡­!¡± The tsunami was diverted so cleanly that it was satisfying. The water rushed down the slide and flew exactly where Nazad Hallow and his army of corpses were located. Craaaash! The tsunami struck the ins of Merhen. Chapter 442. Night of the Living Dead (5) Chapter 442. Night of the Living Dead (5) "Impossible!" Nazad Hallow screamed at the man-made disaster. However, this wasn¡¯t the time to deny reality. He had toe up with a countermeasure. ¡®Goddamned it!¡¯ He summoned his entire collection of corpses while shedding tears of blood. "Goddamned it, goddamned it, goddamned it! They shouldn¡¯t be summoned and used here!" He had been nning on using them to take revenge on Earth for driving him away. For decades, he had been hiding in the dry Ounds until the day he could take revenge. "Seo Jun-Hooooooo!" After killing his disciples, was he going to deprive him of his dreams as well? Nazad Hallow red at Seo Jun-Ho. He looked like he wanted to tear Seo Jun-Ho apart as he stared at thetter with murderous eyes. "This part is very important, Frost.¡± Betraying his words, Seo Jun-Ho''s mind was focused on something else. "Naturally as water flows." "Like building a toad house? I know," replied the Frost Queen. Craackle! He could feel his magic being drained as part of the tsunami froze over. "Hiiiik!" "I-I''m going to die!" "Ahhh... Huh?¡± The inquisitors who were prepared to die in the iing tsunami blinked. "Ice¡­ Roof?" "W-whew. I''m alive." The frozen river became a thick and strong roof so that not even a ssh of water would reach them. The tsunami only swept the army of corpses. "Guoooh!" "Aguaaaah!" Thousands of ordinary corpses and even a few special corpses Nazad Hallow personally modified were smashed apart by the tsunami. "Goddamned it! Move! Come on!" Nazad Hallow decided to sacrifice tens of thousands of corpses to form a wall of corpses at an angle in front of him. He was trying to do what Seo Jun-Ho had done¡ªdiverting the water. ''This many corpses should be enough¡­¡¯ Nazad Hallow¡¯s wall of corpses was finallyplete, and he became sure of his sess. "Frost." Seo Jun-Ho arrived in front of the wall and ordered in a cold voice. "Pierce it." "As you wish." Sway! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vision momentarily swam as the Frost Queen siphoned his mental energy. "Ice Horn." Craaackle! The river up ahead froze over, tearing the wall of corpses apart. "Uwaaack!" The bacsh made Nazad Hallow spit a mouthful of blood. "Cough, cough!" Nazad Hallow felt a tingling on his nape, and he quickly threw himself to the side. "Your instincts are better than I thought." The ce where he was standing earlier was riddled with slender, sharp spears. Whoooong! Seo Jun-Ho retrieved White Dragon and looked at Nazad Hallow. ¡°Today, you will die no matter what.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Nazad Hallow¡¯s eyes widened. Even the Heavenly Demon wouldn¡¯t dare to be so rude to him. With his pride shattered, Nazad Hallow gnashed his teeth. "All right, I admit it. You are strong." Seo Jun-Ho was so strong that Nazad Hallow was trembling at the sight of him. When did Seo Jun-Ho be so strong, and why did they let him be so strong? It was unfortunate, but it was toote for Nazad Hallow to regret it. "It shouldn¡¯t have been like this¡­!" He had around 180,000 corpses. Even if it were Seo Jun-Ho, there was no way he could have approached Nazad Hallow. In fact, if Seo Jun-Ho decided to force his way by dealing with the corpses one by one, he would have run out of stamina by the time he saw Nazad Hallow¡¯s face. ¡®But¡­¡¯ The river water¡­ It became a disaster that turned the tables on him as if he hadn¡¯t been winning earlier. His army of corpses drowned in vain, and now, he was defenseless. "Come out." Nazad Hallow said with a sigh. A burly corpse appeared. Seo Jun-Ho saw the three beads stuck in its chest and muttered, "Demon jades?¡± "Oh, you¡¯re familiar with it? Anyway, this is Colonel Charbork¡ªa former executive of the Fiend Association." Colonel Charbork was looking into the distance with nk eyes, like a puppet. "I dare say that this is my masterpiece. It greatly surpasses the death knights." The base material was great, and he himself made it with his best effort. In addition, he attached as many demon jades as he could, so it wouldn¡¯t be an overstatement to say that it was his best work so far. "And? Anything else?" Seo Jun-Ho coldly asked. Nazad Hallow snorted. "You''re arrogant. Even if it¡¯s you, you should only make that remark after you¡¯re done dealing with¡ª¡± Nazad Hallow''s expression stiffened. He froze, and his eyeballs slowly turned next to him. Plop. ¡°¡­?¡± Colonel Charbork¡¯s lower body had fallen to the ground. Nazad Hallow couldn¡¯t find Colonel Charbork¡¯s upper body. On the stump was a rough cut, as if a beast had swallowed up the colonel¡¯s upper body. ¡®J-just when?¡¯ Nazad Hallow definitely didn¡¯t take his eyes off his opponent, even for a moment. He thought that if he supported the colonel and fought two-vs-one, he would win. "Anything else? Take out everything you have." Nazad Hallow couldn¡¯t snort at Seo Jun-Ho''s cold demand. Rather than replying, his mind started spinning like mad. ¡®What are the chances of escaping?¡¯ He had one Teleport Scroll in his Inventory. What if he exhausted his magic to create a barrier so that he could buy enough time for him to rip the scroll and escape? ¡®It¡¯s doable¡­¡¯ At the thought, Nazad Hallow pretended like he was calm. With his hands behind his back, he said, "I have no choice but to admit it. You truly are much stronger than I expected." ¡°I see. That guy just now was yourst bastion.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled with his left hand up in the air. "What, are you going to run away? The ring on your disciple''s hand. I''m wearing it, but aren¡¯t you going to get it back?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nazad Hallow''s sunken cheeks trembled. Disciple, disciple, hisst disciple, Arma! Arma was a fiend who was so talented that if he hade up to the 2nd Floor, he would have be infamous. "Argh¡­! Grrr¡­!¡± Nazad Hallow bit his lips so hard that they started bleeding. He wanted to tear the man in front of him to pieces, but it was impossible. ''Today¡¯s disgrace, no matter what¡­!'' He would pay it back without fail. Shedding tears of blood, Nazad Hallow created dozens ofyers of barriers around him. Then, he opened his Inventory, retrieved the one and only Teleport Scroll he had in possession, and tore it up as fast as he could. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho seemed to have muttered something, but it didn¡¯t matter. The Teleport Scroll was torn. "Whew." Nazad Hallow didn¡¯t know what Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ''But he didn¡¯t look as flustered as I thought.¡¯ He wondered why. Frowning, Nazad Hallow shook his head. It was dawn, and he had suffered a great loss. He had lost his entire army and an arm. "¡­But, I can start all over." With his skill, Commander of Death, he could start over and over again. Nazad Hallow epted today¡¯s defeat and started walking away. ¡°¡­!¡± Tremble! However, he started trembling as if he had seen a ghost. Seo Jun-Ho, a man worse than the devil, was flying in the sky toward him. "It doesn¡¯t seem like I¡¯m wee here,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho as hended. "H-how¡­?!¡± "It¡¯s not my first time dealing with a fiend, so I can read a fiend¡¯s thoughts through their eyes." And Nazad Hallow¡¯s eyes told him that the former had given up. Usually, whenever a fiend gave up, they would always try to escape rather than ept their death. Therefore, as soon as Nazad Hallow tore the Teleport Scroll, Seo Jun-Ho also muttered. ¡°Target imprint, Nazad Hallow.¡± He designated Nazad Hallow as a node using the magic scroll¡¯s tracking spell. With the node established, he was able to follow Nazad Hallow. ¡°¡­!¡± Nazad Hallow''s mind went nk. This wasn¡¯t part of his n. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. ¡®He had thought about what he would do if he ever lost and had to run away.¡¯ However, there was no way he could have made an action n about what he would do if an opponent sessfully followed him despite moving ten kilometers away in the blink of an eye using a Teleport Scroll. Yes, there was no way he could have known that such a scenario was possible. Nazad Hallow¡¯s mind started spinning. He had to think hard ande up with a solution on the spot. ''No, no, no, no!'' The more he thought about it, the greater the sense of despair became, and it started driving him crazy. He couldn¡¯t see it. He couldn¡¯t see a way out of this. "Four." Seo Jun-Ho suddenly stuck the spear he was holding into the floor. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Was he going to let him go? Or was he saying that he could run away so that he could have fun chasing after him? Nazad Hallow thought about it for a while, and finally, he realized it. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ He finally realized the meaning of the ¡®four¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had uttered. ¡®Valencia Citrin, Isaac Dvor, Roxan, and the Heavenly Demon.'' The Fiend Association would only have four remaining members once he died. At the same time, Nazad Hallow also realized¡ªhe realized that he was already dead. *** Nazad Hallow¡¯s confession gave him a lot of useful information. Seo Jun-Ho sighed in relief. ''If it weren''t for the tsunami, there was no way I could have won.¡¯ It turned out that Nazad Hallow¡¯s entire collection of corpses numbered about two hundred thousand. If Nazad Hallow ran away and took advantage of his army of corpses, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s physical strength would definitely be exhausted before he could even see Nazad Hallow¡¯s face. ''And his rtionship with the Heavenly Demon is interesting.¡¯ Nazad Hallow followed the Heavenly Demon because thetter was the Chairman of the Fiend Association. However, Nazad Hallow didn¡¯t actually acknowledge the Heavenly Demon as his superior. In fact, he even had the ambition of defeating the Heavenly Demon by challenging him again once the opportunity was right. ¡®I''ll have to organize this separatelyter.¡¯ Again, he still couldn¡¯t activate Soul Collector. Seo Jun-Ho got up, looked down at the unsightly corpse and spat. ¡°May you not rest in peace." Those without concern about the lives of others didn¡¯t deserve to rest in peace. *** Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly regrouped with the others. The battle on the ins wasing to an end. The corpses that lost their connection to Nazad Hallow had be nothing but a ragtag group of corpses. "Sir Hart!" On the frozen ins of Merhen, Seo Jun-Ho saw that Hart was being surrounded by the inquisitor and the archbishop. He waved at them and approached. ¡°You''re here. I think I finally understand the phrase: dying of waiting." Seo Jun-Ho was about to say that Hart was exaggerating, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression stiffened when he noticed something on the helpless-looking Hart¡¯s torso. "I didn''t expect you to bring a river. I really didn''t expect that.¡± "S-sir Hart. That¡¯s¡­" "Hmm? Oh, this?" Two swords were sticking out of Hart¡¯s chest and torso. The death knights charged in at the crucial moment and drove their swords into him as they turned into dust. "It''s a shame. If it weren¡¯t for these swords, I could have split him into two rather than just severing his arm.¡± He felt that it was a shame, but he had no regrets. It was a sword stroke that represented the entire life of Knight Hart Weeper. "H-healer. Hurry up and heal!" Seo Jun-Ho shouted at the archbishop, but the archbishop shook his head in tears. The swords stuck in Hart weren¡¯t ordinary swords. They were swords covered in death energy. A sword like that could kill an ordinary person with a graze, but Hart was stabbed by not one but two swords covered in death energy. "Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± There was no chance of survival. Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly retrieved all the recovery potions in his Inventory. "You never know. I carry a lot of medicine, perhaps among these¡ª¡± "Stop. I know my body well." Hart smiled lightly and raised his hand. His body had already shut down. He was just barely holding out since he managed to cross over the wall during the crucial moment earlier. His heart stopped beating a while ago. "I wanted to tell you something, so I''ve been holding out.¡± Hart stared hard at Seo Jun-Ho. "Will you help me so I can leave myst words?" ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s clenched fists trembled as he bit his lips tightly. "If I were¡ªno, if I were just prepared to put my life on the line and fought together with you from the beginning.¡± "Ah, if that were the case, we would have died together. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what you want, right?" Hart shook his head and said, "Don''t me yourself, Young Hero.¡± Hart¡¯s hand was as cold as a corpse as he ced it on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. "You chose the best option. Your actions saved the lives of the people of Merhen, my subordinates, the archbishop, and the inquisitors. Furthermore¡ªCough! You saved the people of the Ruben Empire, who had been trembling in fear. Truly, thank you." Hart knew that Seo Jun-Ho had no time to exin his n to everyone because they were in a hurry to reinforce Merhen. The battlefield had always been a heartless ce as well. It was a ce where everyone believed in their own judgment. As such, they had to bear the consequences of their own actions. "Mmm, my eyes. Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho. Are you listening?" Hart''s eyes turned grey and cloudy. He couldn¡¯t see anything but a hazy mist. Death was imminent, but he wasn''t afraid. He would simply be meeting up with his seniors,rades, subordinates, loved ones, and family members who went ahead of him. "Yes, I''m listening. I¡¯m here. I am¡­ listening.¡± Seo Jun-Ho choked as he replied amidst the falling tears. Hart Weeper smiled at Seo Jun-Ho. "I have one thing to ask of you¡ªStop crying and take care of the world." Hart btedly realized that he asked for two favors. When his faint voice could no longer be heard, the man representing the Ruben Empire as well as Frontier¡¯s number one swordsman¡ªHart Weeper¡ªfinally closed his eyes with a light smile and died where he sat. *** [You can use Soul Collector (A).] [Will you collect the soul of Hart Weeper?] Chapter 443. Soul Collector (1) Chapter 443. Soul Collector (1) On the frozen ins, surrounded by people weeping for him, the red-haired knight closed his eyes onest time. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the surreal scene and reached out without realizing it. "Sir Hart." He knew¡­ He knew better than anyone that a blooming flower would one day wilt and wither. However, the knight¡¯s expression was so calm and warm. Seo Jun-Ho felt like if he lightly shook Hart¡¯s shoulders, the man would open his eyes immediately and say, ¡®I¡¯m sorry for dozing off¡¯. "Sir Hart¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook Hart''s shoulders lightly with his trembling fingers. However, Hart copsed toward Seo Jun-Ho like a broken doll. ¡°¡­¡± Was a person d in armor usually this heavy? He was heavy. He was so heavy that he couldn¡¯t bepared to the lightweight Thunder God. "Contractor..." The Frost Queen looked at the pale Seo Jun-Ho. "Didn¡¯t Hart say so? Do not me yourself. It is not your fault." "¡­How can I do that?" If he were just a bit faster. If he had arrived ten minutes¡ªno, five minutes earlier. ¡®I could have saved him.¡¯ Why didn''t he try harder? Why did he think that Hart wouldn''t die? With a distorted expression, Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. ¡®I always repeat my mistakes and failures.¡¯ He had made a vow as he buried the Thunder God. He had made a vow to be stronger¡ªto be strong enough that he wouldn¡¯t be able to feel the nauseating and dizzying feeling of losing someone again. ''So I became strong.¡¯ He could confidently crush his past self in just ten minutes. He umted over seventeen years ofbat experience, consumed valuable elixirs, and mastered the ck Moon Martial Arts. "But why was it not enough?¡± As Seo Jun-Ho smiled helplessly, several knights came over. With a light bow, they recovered Sir Hart''s body. "Hmm. You¡¯re walking on a different path, but you''ve always been an example," said the Tower Master of the Magic Tower. "I apologize for doubting you. I couldn''t afford to ask why you were acting separately because it was an emergency.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He nced at the tears flowing down Seo Jun-Ho''s cheek and said, "I don''t know what it''s like on Earth, but here, we believe that when a great knight dies, his soul goes over to the Knights¡¯ Corridor." "The Knights¡¯ Corridor?" "It¡¯s a heaven for those who wield the sword. Apparently, great knights could cross swords with the other great knights there every day." The Tower Master of the Magic Tower seemed to have no idea of the specifics about the Knights¡¯ Corridor as he coughed and said, "Sir Hart must have gone there. So... don''t beat yourself up too much.¡± With that, the Tower Master of the Magic Tower left. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the skies. ''The Knights¡¯ Corridor...¡¯ If the Tower Master of the Magic Tower wasn¡¯t lying to him¡­ If great knights always go to the Knights¡¯ Corridor upon dying, then¡­ [You can use Soul Collector (A).] [Will you collect the soul of Hart Weeper?] What was this? *** "Thank you very much¡­ Really, thank you very much." The lord of Merhen said again and again. Seo Jun-Ho would usually feel proud upon receiving such words, but today, he felt cold. ¡®I would very much prefer it if you start ming me for all this. Maybe this heaviness in my heart would go away...¡¯ Everyone treated him as a hero who killed Nazad Hallow and saved the empire. "You all must be very tired, so rest well in your rooms. I will see you tomorrow." Seo Jun-Ho sat on the edge of the soft bed. He was currently in a luxurious room. After rubbing his face with his hands, he chuckled dryly. ¡°They¡¯re treating me like a hero even though I¡¯m a huge part of the reason they lost a star of their empire. It¡¯s so ridiculous that it¡¯s funny, right?¡± "Uh, um..." The Frost Queen wriggled her fingers beside him. She was wondering if she should give words of constion or leave him alone for now. "Whew." Finally, Seo Jun-Ho exhaled and said, "Frost." "Uu, hmm?" the Frost Queen replied with her ears perked up. "What¡¯s a soul?" "Soul? You are asking a very random question." "Yeah." Seo Jun-Ho looked at the message in front of his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s definitely a random question. [You can use Soul Collector (A).] [Will you collect the soul of Hart Weeper?] He was still unable to ept or reject the offer. ''What happens if I collect this soul? What if I say no?¡¯ He was confused. It wasn''t that he didn''t know what a soul was, but it was his first time being confronted with such a concept. "¡­If I ept this, will I be able to apologize to Sir Hart?" Perhaps collecting his soul would be a huge disrespect to him. ''The Knights¡¯ Corridor.'' It was a glorious ce, and it was a heaven for knights. He didn''t know it well, but Hart was definitely more than qualified for that ce. ''But if I collect his soul, he may not be able to make it to the corridor.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho sighed. "Why did it activate when it has been staying quiet all this time? It has no tact." "I do not know what you are talking about." "The Soul Collector has been activated." "What?" The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes opened wide. Wasn''t that a secret that the two of them couldn''t resolve even after putting their heads together and agonizing about it for a long time? The Frost Queen came running to his side and shook his sleeve. "What is it? What was it? What did you do to activate it? I am dying of curiosity." "I don''t know." He had witnessed numerous deaths since he learned the skill. In addition to the ones he had killed himself, he had also witnessed the deaths of many yers. ''Despite that, the skill just activated for the first time.¡¯ So what was the difference between those people and Hart? Seo Jun-Ho carefully made some hypotheses. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first hypothesis was that the Soul Collector¡¯s activation condition involved the death of someone particrly close to him and that person''s strong desire to live. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s second hypothesis was that the Soul Collector needed an immacte soul who had made great achievements while they were still alive to the extent that they could be hailed as a hero. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s third hypothesis was that the owner of the soul had to be an individual strong enough to be ssified into one of the Five Stages. "Hmm, hmm. Hm." The Frost Queen nodded at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hypotheses. "Each of them is a possibility. However, there¡¯s also a chance that all three of these conditions have to be satisfied before it activates." "That would be too much," said Seo Jun-Ho with a frown. He felt cold fingers pressing down on his wrinkled brows. "Do not frown. Wrinkles will form." "¡­I don''t care." At Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sour response, the Frost Queen smiled. She felt like she was dealing with a sulking kid. Eventually, she shrugged and spoke, "Is there any reason to worry in the first ce? It should be fine if you collect his soul and release him if he does not like it." The Frost Queen was right. If Hart''s soul hated him, then there was no harm in releasing him. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and thought about it for a moment. "¡­I''ll think about it." In the end, he still couldn¡¯t decide. He still didn¡¯t have the confidence to face Hart¡¯s soul. *** "Why do you keep drinking that cigarette-vored cocktail?" Isaac Dvor, who was drinking a Choke and Smoke cocktail, smiled lightly. "Peat liquor has its own taste. It is a unique taste that children like Miss Cia cannot possiblyprehend." "You look like a fool,¡± said Valencia Citrin before leaving. Isaac stayed and continued drinking his cocktail. "Hmm?" His eyes shone. He put down the ss and put his hand in his chest pocket. A card appeared in his hand. It was one of the cards he always carried on his person. "Hoh." He burst intoughter as he stared at the card that had been cleanly cut in half. "The false king has died." He was the kind of person who firmly believed that he could be a king without realizing that he was too weak to do so. Upon learning of his longtimerade¡¯s death, Isaac immediately visited the Heavenly Demon. He bowed politely toward the entrance of the tightly closed cave. "I am sorry, but Ie bearing sad news. Following Colonel Charbork¡¯s footsteps a few days ago, Nazad Hallow has perished as well." - ¡­ The Heavenly Demon still hadn¡¯t fully recovered, but he was no longer wrapped in madness like before. A cold voice came from inside the cave. - If you bring me useless news one more time, I''ll cut your head off. This was the Heavenly Demon¡¯s reaction to the death of a man who had been by his side for decades. ''You''ll probably react the same way if I die.¡¯ For the Heavenly Demon, his subordinates were nothing more than tools that understood words and knew how to follow orders. ¡®And that¡¯s what I like about him...¡¯ Isaac liked how the Heavenly Demon treated every living creature fairly¡ªhe liked how thetter treated everyone like bugs under his feet. Isaac Dvor shivered at the lingering coldness of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s voice. "I am looking forward to the day you emerge." *** ¡°¡­¡± A pair of wary eyes scanned the surroundings. Seo Jun-Ho quickly grasped the situation. ¡®What?¡¯ He definitely had memories preceding his sleep. The issue was he had no idea what happened afterward. ¡®Did I get kidnapped? No, I didn¡¯t feel any presence approaching the bedroom.¡¯ Otherwise, he would have noticed them. Even if he somehow missed them, the Frost Queen and Keen Intuition would have warned him. ¡®Then, what¡¯s going on?'' He could see a huge temple up ahead. It was a temple of pure white stone, and there was an endless expanse of clouds behind it. ¡®It¡¯s an endless stretch of clouds¡­¡¯ In that case, he had to be high up in the sky. Was this the work of the demons? How did they kidnap him? Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head started to ache as he thought of manyplicated things. [You can use Soul Collector (A).] [Will you collect the soul of Hart Weeper?] "Get lost.¡± Seo Jun-Ho growled at the tactless System message. However, a voice rang behind him. "Are you saying that to me?" ¡®A voice!¡¯ He didn¡¯t even sense any presence, so how? Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes shook violently as he turned around in a hurry. "...Sir Hart?" No way. He was dead. Right now, the System message to collect Hart¡¯s soul was bothering him. However, the knight in front of him was obviously Hart Weeper. "Hmm, I had no idea that you could look so pathetic.¡± Hart shook his head and sighed. Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at the knight and muttered, "Is this an illusion-type spell?" No, with Hero''s Mind (EX), there was no way he could be put under an illusion Hart finally turned around. It seemed that he had gotten tired of looking at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s dumbfounded face. "I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll go dumb if I keep staring at you. Follow me. Let''s talk as we walk." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho kept his guard up and chased after Hart. Of course, he kept a certain distance between them. After a while, Hart finally said, "Your gaze is going to poke a hole in my head at this rate. If you want to say something, say it.¡± ¡°Sir Hart is dead.¡± "If I¡¯m the Sir Hart that you know, then yes, I''m dead. I''m just a soul." Indeed, the reason Seo Jun-Ho couldn''t feel Hart¡¯s presence until he spoke was that he didn¡¯t have a physical body. ¡®Wait a minute¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho started panicking at the thought, and he asked urgently, "Wait, am I dead? Did I get killed while I was asleep?¡± "Children these days sure are creative. Don''t worry. I just invited you here." Upon arriving at the entrance of the temple, Hart smiled lightly and opened the huge door of the temple. A long white corridor greeted the two. "Wee. The souls who came here first were the ones who named this ce.¡± It was the final destination every knight dreamed of reaching upon dying. It was none other than the Knights¡¯ Corridor. Chapter 444. Soul Collector (2) Chapter 444. Soul Collector (2) The Knights'' Corridor was a ce where the souls of famous knights would gather upon death. All kinds of armor and weapons were hung on both walls of the red-carpeted corridor. They were clearly luxury goods made by craftsmen from many eras. "It feels holy..." "Technically, this is heaven, you know,¡± said Hart. The two moved slowly down the corridor. Seo Jun-Ho followed closely and asked, "What do you mean you invited me?" "Literally. As the rightful inhabitant of this corridor, I invited your soul up here for a bit." Seo Jun-Ho knew the reason for the invitation without asking. Hart had told him that he shouldn¡¯t me himself for Hart¡¯s death, but he still ended up ming himself. Hart had to have called him up here out of frustration. ¡®Ah, this is embarrassing.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned his head away out of embarrassment, and he heard a chuckle from Hart. "It seems that you know what you did wrong." "It wouldn¡¯t have been weird otherwise¡­¡± "That''s true.¡± ¡®So cool¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho coughed and said, "How have you been, Sir Hart?" "I''m doing fine here, and I have already met many energetic people from the past, even though it had only been just a few hours." Energetic people from the past? Seo Jun-Ho''s stopped walking. Now that he thought of it, the Knights¡¯ Corridor was where renowned souls gathered upon death. ¡®Then, maybe Teacher, Cheon-Gwang, or the other yers I know¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was about to ask, but Hart shook his head as if he had seen through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s thoughts. ¡°This ce is exclusive only to the souls of those who had been recognized as great knights while they were still alive. Aside from me, there isn¡¯t anyone here that you¡¯re familiar with.¡± "¡­Is that so?" Seo Jun-Ho awkwardly smiled and swallowed his regret. Meanwhile, the souls of the other great knights started appearing one by one. "Hmm? A new soul is here again?" "Two in a day. Did a major war break out?" "Who knows? Perhaps someone used their authority to invite him." "Haha, if that''s true, they must care terribly for that person.¡± The souls of the great knights examined Seo Jun-Ho with interest, and thetter did the same. ¡®Interesting.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt like he was in a museum of history. The armor of the great knights looked archaic and antique. "Is there nothing else but a corridor here?" "Of course, this isn¡¯t just a corridor. There are hundreds of restaurants, amodations, private training rooms and baths, and there are also training grounds." "It really deserves to be called the heaven of knights." Wasn¡¯t it basically heaven for a knight to be able to swing their sword without worries? Moreover, the Knights¡¯ Corridor only allowed entry to rare and exceptional knights, so even if they sparred all day long, they would still have something to look forward to when tomorrow arrived. "Frontier¡¯s history is long, so there has to be a huge number of souls here." "There aren¡¯t as many as I thought. At most, there should only be five hundred." "What?" What, five hundred at most? Seo Jun-Ho was surprised. "The criteria seems to be stricter than I thought." "That''s true, but there are also souls who simply refuse to wield their swords anymore and disappear just like that." "Ah¡­ I see." It wasn¡¯t strange that a knight would want to retire. It was an exhausting lifestyle, after all. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and asked, "So, where are we going?¡± "We¡¯re going to the training grounds." "Why?" ¡°I really felt like giving you a knuckle sandwich or two while I was watching you from above. I couldn¡¯t help but invite you over here.¡± "Uh." Seo Jun-Ho had no idea what to say to that. However, Seo Jun-Ho was looking forward to their arrival at the training grounds. ''It''s been a long time since I sparred with Sir Hart.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wanted to show Hart the ck Moon Martial Arts he had learned. They soon arrived at the end of the corridor, and upon opening another huge door, an unprecedented sight appeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho. "Wow..." Floating inds dotted the skies, and each ind was connected to the other by white staircases. Seo Jun-Ho became sure of it, especially when he saw the gigantic statues of knights dotting the inds. This was a sacred utopia for knights. Slice! "Hahaha! I won!" "Oh, damn it. I wasn''t feeling well today." "Stop making excuses. With 12,023 wins and 12,021 losses, I have the advantage." The knights'' souls freely shed swords, sparred with each other, and discussed martial arts with each other. They weren¡¯t really afraid of death because they would quickly recover from any injury. After all, they were souls. "It looks fun, right?" "Yes, it does. It looks very fun." Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes sparkled brightly. There were strong people everywhere. "Sir Hart, can I train hard here for a while before leaving?¡± "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s allowed." "Oh, why?" "I''ll let you know in a while." Hart walked forward and unsheathed his sword out of the blue. The moment his sword was unsheathed, the air around him changed and became oppressive. "Oh, Hart Weeper drew his sword.¡± "He¡¯s apparently strong. Atst, I can take a look at his skills." "Wait, who is his opponent? I''ve never seen that guy before." "A new soul¡­ Or a guest?" Hart Weeper was a neer, so many knights were curious about his abilities. At the sight of Hart Weeper with his sword unsheathed, the other knights stopped what they were doing and observed both Seo Jun-Ho and Hart. "Hmm. How old did you say Hart Weeper was?" "He is over a hundred and thirty years old by the standards of the human world." "Huh, so he wasn¡¯t satisfied with just stopping the process of aging. He decided to look younger as well. Hm, he must be powerful.¡± Hart Weeper was one of the most famous knights in the Knights¡¯ Corridor. There were quite a few knights who had gone to the corridor ahead of Hart, and they kept on talking about Hart. "I¡¯ll ask one favor of you," Hart spoke. He sounded more serious than ever. "I will go all out¡ªno, beyond that. I want you to do your best as well." "¡­I will." Seo Jun-Ho nodded at the request, which he couldn''t bear to refuse. When Seo Jun-Ho unsheathed his sword, darkness emerged like a tide from his figure. The faces of the observing knights stiffened. "Hey, who the hell is Hart Weeper''s opponent?" "I-I don''t know. I¡¯m not familiar with his face.¡± "I think he also decided to regress his looks. I think he¡¯s 150¡­ No, 200 years old." Seo Jun-Ho was emitting a massive and ferocious energy that contrasted his young looks. The knights never thought that Seo Jun-Ho was as old as he looked. ¡°Take this¡­¡± With a warning, a tremendous amount of energy emerged from Hart as he took on a stance that would enable him to disy a sword stroke containing his experience as a knight. Craack! The stone floor on Hart¡¯s feet exploded, and the debris from the stone floor was suspended in the air by the fierce energy he was emitting. He was about to execute a sword stroke that was more perfect and powerful than any sword strokes he had ever executed throughout his entire life. "Cut the mountain." It was an attack that distorted the space itself. Seo Jun-Ho''s gaze turned cold. ¡®It¡¯s an attack filled with killing intent. He means it¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could still remember that Hart didn¡¯t disy even an ounce of killing intent toward him and Seo Jun-Sik when they were training on Frontier back then. But now, it was different... However, Hart was already a soul, so it didn¡¯t matter even if he suffered a mortal wound. Seo Jun-Ho smiled lightly. ''How can I not go all out facing that kind of sword strike?¡¯ Setting aside Hart¡¯s personal request, he also had his own desire as a warrior. He wanted to go all out against the best knight of Frontier. ¡®Overclock Maximum Output...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho exhaled a mouthful of hot air as the darkness around him blotted out the skies. A moon manifested overhead, but it was a ck moon devoid of any light. It was a moon that signified death. "ck Moon Martial Arts Final Skill: ck Moon[1].¡± The ck moon was a definitive death sentence for those who were unfortunate enough to face it. Seo Jun-Ho carved that moon out of the skies with his sword and swung his sword at Hart. ¡°¡­!¡± Hart¡¯s sword move, which could cut even a mountain into two, was torn apart. Hart smiled at the sight. They had only exchanged a single move, but Hart was already sure of it. ¡®He got it.¡¯ Specter had finally learned a top-level martial art, and it was evidenced by how he only used a single move to smash Hart¡¯s lifetime experience apart. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho remained calm as he stared at Hart. The ck moon covered by the darkness¡¯ power to scorn had flown noiselessly over to Hart. It didn¡¯t do anything fancy at all. It simply destroyed everything that dared to stand in its way ¡®Was it too much?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword move had destroyed the ind they were standing on, the white staircase connecting the ind to another ind, Hart, and a few dozen knights who had been standing behind Hart. "What a ridiculously destructive move¡­" Hart¡¯s soul was restored. He seemed both despondent and refreshed as he muttered, "I lost." "This is all thanks to your guidance. You told me to learn a top-level martial art." "Nice of you to say that.¡± Hart smiled. ¡°Anyway, I think it¡¯s about time I tell you why you can¡¯t spar with the other knights here,¡± said Hart. He stared at Seo Jun-Ho before continuing. ¡°A human can only be invited here through a dream, and a knight can only invite someone else once.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked with a surprised expression. Only once? Then, why did he use that precious opportunity for Seo Jun-Ho? "I think it would have been better if you had invited His Majesty or any of your family members¡­" "It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll do fine without me,¡± said Hart. However, Hart knew that his stupid junior Seo Jun-Ho would definitely live while carrying an enormous burden in the form of letting him die. Therefore, Hart had to inform Seo Jun-Ho that he was happy and that he wasn¡¯t ming him at all. "Once you wake up, you¡¯ll forget everything that happened here. Of course, you will be able to remember a few vague details." "That''s..." Seo Jun-Ho muttered. So that was the reason why the Knights¡¯ Corridor had remained a rumor even now. It meant that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s regret and self-me would disappear by the time he woke up, but he wouldn¡¯t have any idea why. ''Yes, I will have no idea why...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips and bowed deeply. He could see his torso slowly fading away. "I guess it¡¯s time for us to say goodbye," said Hart. ¡°¡­¡± Goodbye? Seo Jun-Ho raised his head. "What would you do if there¡¯s a way?" "Hmm?" Hart looked surprised. "Are you trying to make a fuss?" "No, I¡¯m not." Seo Jun-Ho had the Soul Collector (A). He had no idea about the skill¡¯s activation conditions, but he could apparently collect Hart Weeper¡¯s soul. "Please save the world with me." ¡°Those eyes¡­ Hm, you¡¯re serious.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sincere eyes contained no falsehood. Hart looked into those eyes for a moment. Then, he coldly turned his back on Seo Jun-Ho and sheathed his sword. "Ah¡­" Seo Jun-Ho lowered his head as Hart started walking away. There was no way he could stop Hart. After all, Hart had to be exhausted by now. In addition, Seo Jun-Ho was familiar with the feeling of wanting to rest forever. ¡®Besides, Sir Hart has lived for over a hundred years now¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was sure that Hart was tired, extremely tired. Seo Jun-Ho understood with his head and sympathized with his heart, so he turned around with a bitter smile. ¡°You heard him.¡± Seo Jun-Ho came to a halt when he heard Hart''s voice behind him. "Sorry, but I think I''ll have to postpone the fulfillment of my promise. I will have to take care of your swordster.¡± "Well, we have been waiting for decades, so it doesn¡¯t really matter if we have to wait a bit longer.¡± "You better tell us a ton of great stories the next time youe here." Hart said goodbye to his disciples and friends before returning to Seo Jun-Ho''s side. "Hmm, what¡¯s with that dumbfounded look?" "¡­I didn''t think that you would really ept it.¡± "Why not? Anyway, let us go." The two walked down the street toward the corridor, and every knight they met on the way saluted them with their swords over their hearts. Seo Jun-Ho was amazed to see hundreds of knights saluting them at once. ''I knew Sir Hart was great, but I didn''t expect his reputation to be so great here, either.¡¯ Hart stared at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face for a moment beforementing, "You¡¯re calmer than I thought.¡± "Oh? Well, of course, I also think that you¡¯re great." "What? Don''t tell me¡ªHaha.¡± Hart chuckled at the realization and tapped him on the shoulder with his fist. "It''s you, not me." "What do you mean?" "They¡¯re saluting you, not me." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened at that. He looked at the knights and saw that they were looking at him rather than Hart. "Why?" ¡°It¡¯s obvious. You have reached such an unprecedented level despite your young age, and¡­¡± These knights knew how hard Seo Jun-Ho had to have worked to reach his current level. They could also deduce the hardships, the pain, and the sadness he had to endure in the process. The knights saluted Seo Jun-Ho as a sign of respect for remaining steadfast in the face of such adversities. "Teacher!" A knight waiting at the end of the procession stopped the two. She handed over the red fabric she was holding to Hart. "I kept it with me." ¡°It¡¯s our first time meeting in decades, so I¡¯m sorry for leaving right away.¡± "No, I actually wanted to scold you because it¡¯s still too early for you to be here.¡± "Pffft!" Hart burst intoughter. He then stared at her for a moment before saying, "I''ll be back." Swooosh! He donned the red cloak, and it fluttered gracefully in the wind. "Shall we go, my lord?" 1. On 409, the name of this technique was Profound Righteousness. But after rification, it turns out that the technique name is ck Moon ? Chapter 445. Soul Collector (3) Chapter 445. Soul Collector (3) "Hmm." Seo Jun-Ho tossed and turned for quite a while, but he eventually opened his eyes. An unfamiliar ceiling appeared in front of him. For some reason, he could feel that there was a genuinely happy smile on his face. It was all because he just had a pleasant dream in a long time. ¡°¡­¡± Wait, a dream? Seo Jun-Ho blinked a few times before he abruptly sat bolt upright. "What the hell?" Was it really a dream? The Knights'' Corridor, the reunion with Sir Hart, the duel, and Hart¡¯s departure from the corridor with him¡­ ''Come to think of it, Sir Hart said¡­¡¯ He would lose all of his memories about the corridor, so the fact that he could still remember the events that had transpired in the Knights¡¯ Corridor meant that it was probably just¡­ "Ha, haha...¡± It was probably just a dream. Seo Jun-Ho chuckled dryly and sighed. "Oh?¡± The Frost Queen was sleeping on the sofa, and she woke up with a groan and started rubbing one of her eyes. She stumbled up with a cushion in her arms. She stared at Seo Jun-Ho and yawned. "Ha-am, Contractor, have you gotten into the hobby of collecting stones?" "What do you mean, collecting stones?" "There¡¯s a stone right there." Seo Jun-Ho followed the Frost Queen¡¯s gaze and found a stone next to his pillow. The stone was tiny and was only as huge as two fingers. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression changed when he saw the unique pattern on the stone. ''Wait, this pattern¡­!¡¯ He saw it drawn on the walls and statues of the Knights¡¯ Corridor. Seo Jun-Ho''s expression brightened. "I-it¡¯s Sir Hart." He couldn¡¯t exin it in words, but he felt it the moment he held it. This stone definitely contained Hart Weeper¡¯s soul. ''So I wasn¡¯t dreamingst night...¡¯ In that case, why were his memories intact? Seo Jun-Ho found his answer after looking through the event logs. [You are leaving the Knights'' Corridor. Your memories of everything that had transpired in the corridor will be deleted.] [Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) has disabled the effects of Memory Delete (S).] "I see¡­" Honestly, he thought that Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) wasn¡¯t that greatpared to Frost (EX), but he could have never expected that it woulde in handy here. ¡®A stone with a soul. I didn''t expect Sir Hart woulde with me in this form.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho told Hart that they would save the world together, but how could Hart contribute to saving the world when he was stuck in a stone? In addition, Seo Jun-Ho had no idea how he could make use of the soulstone in his hand. The Frost Queen smacked her lips next to him and said, "Contractor, are you holding a Spirit Crystal? May I eat it?¡± "No, you can¡¯t. I will never allow you to do that." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. He then lowered his voice as if he was to tell the Frost Queen a great secret. "This stone is Sir Hart. It¡¯s not a Spirit Crystal." ¡°What? Oh¡­ ah! Yes..." The Frost Queen stared at Seo Jun-Ho as if he was pitiful. A few momentster, she sighed lightly and said, "Whew, it seems that I must step forward once again." "Step forward?¡± "Do not mind it." The Frost Queen shook her head. She sat on the bed and smiled at the soulstone. "Oh, I see. This stone is Hart Weeper. I guess I should apologize for being ignorant, am I right?¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho revealed aplicated look. ¡°I know it sounds crazy, but this really is Sir Hart." "Oh, I see. Where is his head? Is it on this side?¡± "Hey!" Seo Jun-Ho eximed. The Frost Queen wasn¡¯t even trying to be discreet about it anymore. She was openly treating him like an asylum patient. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and smiled before exiningst night¡¯s events to her in detail. "You should have said that to me right off the bat!" "You started treating me like I¡¯m crazy before I could exin¡­¡± "Well, to be honest, I was surprised. I thought you really went crazy¡­¡± The Frost Queen was relieved to find that Seo Jun-Ho was still of sound mind. "What are you going to do with that stone" "I don''t know¡­¡± "Can you talk with it?" "Oh." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes lit up. He hadn¡¯t thought of that. Holding the stone to his ear, Seo Jun-Ho whispered, "Sir Hart, Sir Hart?" The two patiently waited for a response with their ears perked. - Um, excuse¡ª "Sir Hart?!" - No, this is Intuition. I think you can''tmunicate with this stone. "What?¡± The two revealed despondent looks. The Frost Queen was especially disappointed as she crossed her arms and scolded Keen Intuition. "How tactless. Do you not know the saying, ¡®two¡¯spany, but three¡¯s a crowd¡¯?¡± - What does that even mean? "It means that one should know when to join and butt out!" - That¡¯s a little weird. Is that really what it means? [1] The two quarreled as usual. Seo Jun-Ho ignored them and said to the soulstone in his hand, ¡°I will figure out things as soon as possible. Hang in there until then.¡± He carefully stored the soulstone in his Inventory, and once he was done, a guest knocked on the door and announced. "His Majesty has told me to escort you to the pce." "The pce¡­" Seo Jun-Ho had an idea why he was being summoned to the Imperial Pce. In response, Seo Jun-Ho nodded heavily and said, "Let''s go.¡± *** There wereplicated formalities and procedures one had to go through before entering the Imperial Pce, but Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have to go through all those, and it was probably because Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s appearance was due to His Majesty¡¯s summons. "Is this our second meeting?" The Iron Blood Emperormanded an overwhelming presence, and it felt like he wouldn¡¯t spill even a single drop of blood even if he were stabbed. ¡°Hart was with us thest time we met.¡± The emperor had an empty look as he continued while staring at the silent and kneeling Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Our rtionship was inconsistent and indefinable. Sometimes he would be like a friend, sometimes he would be like a teacher, and sometimes he would be like a loyal subordinate.¡± The emperor¡¯s expression wasplicated as he asked, "What were his final moments like?" "He remained chivalrous until the end." If Hart were on board with the water offense strategy, then he wouldn¡¯t have any issues holding out. However, Hart decided to prioritize the safety of the people of Merhen, especially when Hart saw the copse of the castle walls. He tried to kill Nazad Hallow as well, but he ultimately failed. "He was a true hero who prioritized the safety of the people before his own." "Hart would be very happy to hear that.¡± Gauss smiled faintly. "He had always been a fan of your story, Specter. He also praised you a lot for your mettle and achievements despite your young age." ¡°Sir Hart did¡­?¡± He had no idea. Sir Hart had never given off such an impression. Gauss stood from his throne and spoke, "The empire has lost a great star. The empire would have undoubtedly suffered against a necromancer who couldmand hundreds of thousands of troops no matter the distance." Gauss slowly walked down the stairs and stood in front of Seo Jun-Ho. "yer Seo Jun-Ho, raise your head." "Yes." "You have contributed greatly to the war effort, so I hereby bestow upon you the title of Count and a fief." "Thank you." Of course, this was just a formality. The fall of a brilliant star would have tremendous effects on the mental status of the empire¡¯s subjects, and the announcement of a new star¡¯s birth was the only way the citizens could be relieved of their worries. "And..." Gauss beckoned at the knight at the entrance. The knight walked over carefully with a sword in hand. "I hereby award you the national treasure, Twilight. You are an outsider, but you contributed tremendously to the safety of the empire." The sword seemed to be the perfect definition of the night sky. ''This is what Sir Hart used to use...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stared at the sword. [Twilight] Grade: Unique Description: A famed sword made in the glory days. *Concentration: The wielder¡¯s mind will remain clear. *Indefatigable: The wielder will not tire easily. *Twilight Time: The effects of the sword¡¯s options are doubled when the sun sets. The wielder¡¯s strength increases as the wielder¡¯s stamina decreases. The sword¡¯s options were great. It was a perfect match for him since he had Hunter¡¯s Night (A), which was a passive skill that only remained active during nighttime. ¡°Is it really fine for me to receive this sword?¡± "Yes," Gauss spoke in a determined voice. "It¡¯s because you¡¯re Specter that I have to give you that sword." In addition, Seo Jun-Ho was the only man whom the indifferent and stoic Hart had praised without any sugarcoating. "Soon, I¡¯m going to send a letter down to Earth." Gauss had long deployed troops to the massive gate in Ound, which was connected to Earth. Gauss stared at Seo Jun-Ho and dered. "Frontier will be an eternal ally of Earth, and when dangeres, I will be there before anyone else." *** Hart Weeper''s funeral was held as a state funeral. "Contractor, I saw on TV that a funeral can tell you about that person¡¯s life." "Then, Sir Hart lived a very great life.¡± The people on the streets wept without restraint. After a while, Seo Jun-Ho finally returned to Earth through the Semey Gate with the empire''s delegation. "You¡¯re not going to stop by your territory?" "Well¡­" Seo Jun-Ho had asked Emperor Gauss to hire an administrator for the former¡¯s territory, so the territory wouldn¡¯t run into problems. He also told Moonlight to establish their headquarters on his territory. With his backing, Moonlight should have an easier time operating there rather than somewhere else. Seo Jun-Ho returned home. He sat the Frost Queen in front of the television and headed to the Office of the President. "You''re here." As usual, Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s greetings were warm. "I heard it. You two were pretty close as well, right? If you need someone to drink with, then tell me." "You can''t drink. You get drunk off of two sses of soju." "I can still listen...¡± A drinking partner was nice to have whenever one felt blue and sad. After all, even if they couldn¡¯t handle their drink, they could still listen. "If I feel like drinking, I¡¯ll call you." With that, Seo Jun-Ho sat down and asked, "What''s going on with the Semey Gate?¡± ¡°Skaya said that it would take her five years to close the Semey Gate.¡± "Five years?" Five years was longer than what Seo Jun-Ho had in mind. It was especially long considering how the Heavenly Demon was still out there. ¡®We will be okay for a while because he¡¯s still definitely in the middle of recovering¡­¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho was sure that the Heavenly Demon would recover in the next year or so. By then, the Heavenly Demon would be a massive headache. ¡°I think only a few people shoulde up to the 6th Floor.¡± "We already came up with that idea. Earth also needs yers to protect it.¡± Still, Shim Deok-Gu remained positive. "Let''s wait and see. The Ruben Empire also said that the empire would provide full support, so we should be able to close that Gate earlier than five years." Seo Jun-Ho was the reason why the empire was kind to Earth. "Well, let''s end that topic here. Anyway, are you nning on going out for a hunt until the 6th Floor opens?" "I think I¡¯m just going to travel around." "Wait, why?" Shim Deok-Gu looked surprised. After all, Seo Jun-Ho was a battle maniac. Eventually, Shim Deok-Gu nodded in understanding and said, "Makes sense. Namgung Jincheon, the demons on the 5.5th Floor, and Nazad Hallow right afterward¡­ It would be strange if you aren¡¯t tired after dealing with them without rest." "Yes, I''m tired. How about you give me a raise." "Get lost. Most of the Korean yer Association¡¯s annual profits are already going to you." "That makes me feel bad." "Should I decrease your sry?" "Get lost." Seo Jun-Ho was nning to use all the money he had umted so far into the development of his information organization, Moonlight. Expanding Moonlight¡¯s operations meant he would soon be able to find a way to use the soulstone. Seo Jun-Ho got up from his seat, and Shim Deok-Gu also stood up. "Are you not going to see the others?" "They must be busy." It was fun to be with friends, but Seo Jun-Ho knew that the others needed time for themselves. "Is there anything I can help you with?" "¡­Oh, I almost forgot. There is one." Seo Jun-Ho finally remembered the biggest reason he came down to Earth and requested. ¡°Get me some alcohol. Give me lots." 1. The Korean ng doesn¡¯t trante well here, so it sounds normal in English. ? Chapter 446. Soul Collector (4) Chapter 446. Soul Collector (4) The northernmost part of the Frontier continent was a cold and rugged ce that even yers couldn¡¯t easily visit. However, it was the residence of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s friends who inherited a god-like dexterity in exchange for their height. "Keuuu! This strong taste makes the tip of my nose tingle... As expected, Russian vodka is the best alcohol." "Why are you drinking that strong thing? Try this makgeolli[1].¡± "Idiots, if it''s alcohol, the best is beer, of course." There was an untimely drinking party at Del Ice. The dwarves of the White Anvil Tribe spent their time drinking while discussing which type of alcohol was the best. "I don''t know, but I have no choice but to acknowledge the alcohol of humans.¡± Graham emptied a ss of buttercream beer and revealed a look of satisfaction once he was done. He stared at Seo Jun-Ho and said, "It feels good to have a good drink. Now, let''s talk.¡± "¡­About what?" "I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯te here bringing alcohol with you for nothing, right?" "Hmm, was it too obvious?¡± "I¡¯m already used to it, so it¡¯s fine. Kim Woo-Joong actually does that every time." "Haha..." Seo Jun-Ho scratched his nose with an awkward expression. He then decided to be frank about it as he said, "To be blunt, I''m here to ask you two favors." "Tell me." ¡°First of all, I want you to take a look at this stone. Seo Jun-Ho retrieved the soulstone containing Hart''s soul stone from his Inventory and showed it to Graham. Graham''s eyes narrowed as he examined the stone. "Is this really a stone? Why can¡¯t I hear it? This has never happened before. What is this?¡± "It''s a stone with a soul. I call it soulstone." "Hoh." Graham examined the stone a few more times and returned it to Seo Jun-Ho as if he had lost interest. "You''re not asking me to make a weapon out of this small stone, are you?" "I was going to ask you how to use the stone." "Hmm, sorry, but I have no knowledge when ites to souls. Isn''t dealing with souls within the realm of ck magic?" "ck magic..." Seo Jun-Ho''s expression darkened. In that case, he couldn¡¯t possibly go to the Magic Tower and ask them about how to use the soulstone. ¡®The empire is against ck magic.¡¯ The empire¡¯s national religion was the Church of the Sun, and Seo Jun-Ho was sure that the empire hated ck magic practitioners even more, especially after the war against Nazad Hallow. ¡®Then, I¡¯ll have to collect information about the soulstone through Moonlight.¡¯ Wasn''t it for times like this that he had been investing in his information organization? Seo Jun-Ho pulled out the Rusty Sword No. 317. "This is the second favor I want to ask of you. I want to get the rust off this weapon." "Hmm." Graham instantly sat bolt upright and revealed a grim look reminiscent of a true craftsman when he pped his eyes on the weapon. After looking at the weapon for a long time, he asked, ¡°There are a lot of things I''m seeing for the first time today. Where did you get this?¡± "This came from the demons." "Well, I guess we should clean it before we speak. Give me a minute." However, Graham didn¡¯t return until three hourster. "Hmm?" Seo Jun-Ho repeatedly blinked. Graham came back holding the same sword three hours ago. There wasn¡¯t any change at all. ng! Graham tossed the sword onto the table and eximed, "I can''t believe it. What the hell is this weapon? I tried everything, but I still can''t get the rust off of it.¡± "Why?" "Well, it seems that the weapon itself refuses to transform.¡± "What the hell is this sword made of¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was stupefied. The smelting furnace of Del Ice was famous as the hottest ce in Frontier, so it was shocking that even that much heat wasn¡¯t able to clean the rust off of the sword. "I could feel the energy of Mother Nature inside of it. It is probably made from the branches of a legendary tree that existed beyond a Gate during the glory days." ¡°And what is the name of that tree?¡± "I''m sure you''ve heard of it." Graham nodded and said, "The mother of all elves, the World Tree." *** [Please collect as much information about soulstones and how they are used. Literature involving ck magic could contain relevant information, which should ease your research.] Seo Jun-Ho contacted Moonlight. His next destination was the 4th Floor to meet the World Tree, but before he went up, he stopped by somewhere else for a while. ¡°¡­¡± It was a dusty t bench and house. On one side of the yard was a grave Seo Jun-Ho had made with his own hands. "Contractor, this is...¡± "There¡¯s something I want to check." Walking to the grave, he sat down and remained seated for quite a while, seemingly waiting for something. Seo Jun-Ho waited for a long time, but Soul Collector refused to activate. "It won¡¯t activate,¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho. He then smiled and said, "Well, there''s no way that old man will follow my orders considering his personality" With that being said, Seo Jun-Ho rolled his sleeves up and started pulling out the lush weeds that had grown by the grave without saying a word. *** Vines, leaves, and flowers swayed to wee Seo Jun-Ho. He walked down the road for quite a while. - It has been a while, my benefactor. The giant mother tree greeted him with a voice full of goodwill. The World Tree shook her leaves gently. - Why were you running? Were you being chased by a hunter with a shotgun? "Well, I didn¡¯t expect the lively greeting, so I had to move fast.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and sat on a stump of the World Tree. "Have you been well?" - Thanks to you, I have been well. I am happy that I got to live and take care of my children again. "That''s a relief." Seo Jun-Ho smiled and said, "I came here today to ask a favor of you." - I will help you with anything within my power. "Frost." "Mmhmm" The Frost Queen presented Rusty Sword No. 317. "I hope you will fix that sword for me.¡± - Oh, my, that''s... The World Tree murmured in a slightly surprised and loving voice. - It is a weapon made from my branch. I remember it. Where did you find it? "The demons had it." - Oh... Her voice sounded sour. - I can''t believe there was a part of me with those wicked things. I feel sick just imagining it. Thank you for getting it back. "Don''t mention it." - Is there anything you want as a reward? "I was nning to use this as my weapon, but even the dwarves couldn''t get rid of the rust surrounding it.¡± - Well, I can do that for you. A gentle energy gathered and flew toward the sword. There was an audible crack before the rust shattered, and the sword in all its glory could finally be seen. "Hmm?" Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes narrowed. "Contractor, it¡¯s only a de. It doesn¡¯t have a hilt." "Yeah, I can see it." He had been recklessly holding the sword without knowing that it had no hilt. Now, he felt like he would get cut if he were to hold it incorrectly. "Is it perhaps an unfinished sword?" - No, this sword isplete. It just does not have a hilt. "Then, how do you swing it?" - This is not a weapon you hold and wield by the hilt. The World Tree swayed ever so slightly as if she were smiling. Shooosh. The de spread like a fan and rose into the air. The lone de had unknowingly be four des. "That¡¯s¡­" - Freedom de, ranked 524th on the Weapon Rankings. It once belonged to one of my children. The de orbited Seo Jun-Ho like a satellite. At the sight, World Tree couldn¡¯t help but speak. - I usually believe in the word destiny, but this is a bit surprising. "What do you mean?" - I¡¯m sure only those loved by nature can use it. "Loved by nature¡­ World Tree¡¯s Savior?" As far as Seo Jun-Ho could remember, the title¡¯s effect was ¡®Nature is on your side.¡¯ - That could be the reason it¡¯s being obedient to you. From now on, the sword will follow your everymand telepathically. "That''s ridiculous... Isn''t that a bit overpowered?" - It''s not a Numbered Weapon for no reason. However, the de is not almighty. It will be a bit tricky to deal with, but it is not that fast or destructive. It would have been strange if it were extremely fast or destructive. Fortunately, it was still an unprecedented weapon despite its shorings. ¡®I will be able to fight using two different fighting styles at the same time¡­¡¯ Aside from cornering the enemy with the Freedom de, he could also throw a curveball by changing his fighting style in the middle of the battle without worrying about revealing a gap because the Freedom de would cover any possible gap for him. "Item data." Atst, Rusty Sword No. 317¡¯s true abilities could finally be seen. [Freedom de] Grade: Unique Description: Ranked 524 in the Weapon Rankings. A great sword crafted by one of the Seventeen Master cksmiths of the Universe, Fafner. *Magic Affinity: This weapon can amodate an infinite amount of magic power. *Tailoring: The handle of this weapon automatically adjusts to fit the wielder¡¯s hand. *Flight System: This weapon can take flight. *Autonomy: This weapon can autonomously attack, defend, and return to the owner¡¯s side. Use Requirements: Nature¡¯s beloved. ¡°Wait, I think I can still hold it if I want to.¡± - Well, it is an option that you do not need. Seo Jun-Ho carefully grabbed the de. The sharp de retracted and was reced by a handle that perfectly fit the shape of his hand. ¡®It feels nice, but she¡¯s right. I don''t really have to hold this weapon.¡¯ Honestly, holding the weapon would be a disadvantage rather than an advantage. Seo Jun-Ho released the de, and the de automatically started orbiting his head. Shiiiing! Three des popped up, and they carved a path in the air along with the original de. "Wow...." The de was following the trajectories he was imagining in his head. The weapon was so enjoyable to use that Seo Jun-Ho had fun with it until the ten-minute mark, when his head started to throb. - The sword is very powerful, but it siphons away your mana, concentration, and mental strength, so it will be tiring to use it for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, a human isn¡¯t supposed to be using that weapon. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho quietly confirmed the effects of Twilight¡ªthe sword he had received from Emperor Gauss. *Concentration: The wielder¡¯s mind will remain clear. *Indefatigable: The wielder will not tire easily. *Twilight Time: The effects of the sword¡¯s options are doubled when the sun sets. The wielder¡¯s strength increases as the wielder¡¯s stamina decreases. "Hoh." Was this how Beethoven felt whenever great music came to his mind? Seo Jun-Ho was itching for a fight. "Thank you. You gave me a great present." - Those dumb things did not realize the value of the weapon and the fact that the weapon itself can choose its master. At that, Seo Jun-Ho grinned. He was about to put the two swords away, but the World Tree seemed to have noticed something. - You¡¯re holding a sword made in the glory days. "Twilight?" The item description also said it was made during the glory days. Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the sword for a moment and asked, "The fact that they were able to create Twilight makes it clear the glory days were great." - Yes, those days were great. There were countless great knights during the glory days, and magic was also at its peak. At the time, Frontier held great power even whenpared to the other powers throughout the universe. However, what happened in the glory days didn¡¯t really matter anymore. It had been a thousand years ago since they failed to protect themselves from the Gates. "Oh, that''s right." Seo Jun-Ho put away Twilight and retrieved the soulstone. "World Tree-nim, do you know how to use this?" - It is a soulstone. I know how to use it, but I cannot tell you that because I am an Administrator. It was a shame, but there was no helping it. Seo Jun-Ho regretfully shook his head and put the soulstone away into his Inventory. At the sight of that, the World Tree couldn¡¯t help but speak. - I do not understand. Why are you asking me when you have the Frost Queen by your side? "...What?" The World Tree was clearly saying that the Frost Queen knew how to use the soulstone. Seo Jun-Ho immediately turned to look at the Frost Queen. "Uh, um, hehe...¡± The Frost Queen looked like a student who had forgotten the scope of the test. 1. Makgeolli is Korean rice wine ? Chapter 447: The Insect Farm (1) Chapter 447: The Insect Farm (1) ¡°Haha¡­¡± The Frost Queen¡¯sughter trailed off. She was going to try to brush off the situation like that, but when she saw her Contractor''s sharp eyes, she knew that it would be futile. ¡°Be honest with me. You don¡¯t know, do you?¡± ¡°You are being unfair.¡± ¡°How exactly is this unfair?¡± Seo Jun-Ho snorted. She crossed her arms and said coyly, ¡°This is no fault of mine. It is yours.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re pushing the me onto me now? You¡¯re being ridiculous.¡± ¡°I have told you from the very beginning that when I became a Spirit, I lost my memories.¡± The Frost Queen looked at Seo Jun-Ho sullenly and said, ¡°So this is your fault. Definitely yours.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh.¡± Still, it was undeniable that he had cut off her head and turned her into a Spirit. He scratched the back of his head and said, ¡°Hey, you really don¡¯t remember a thing?¡± ¡°...I do remember the basics.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better than nothing.¡± If theybined her knowledge with the information from Moonlight, they should be able to figure it out somehow. The Frost Queen turned to the World Tree and asked carefully, ¡°The first step is to prepare the vessel that will hold the soul. correct?¡± - I suppose I can at least tell you that. You are correct. Fwoosh! The Frost Queen¡¯s face brightened, and she looked like a child who had received a perfect score on their spelling test. Of course, she quickly shrugged with a smug expression, looking like she was saying that it was nothing. ¡®Look at how excited she is¡­¡¯ As the Frost Queen¡¯s guardian, Seo Jun-Ho could read her like a book. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. I¡¯m surprised to see the power of the almighty Frost Queen of Niflheim¡­¡± ¡°Please, it is not that impressive. Well, I suppose you are right.¡± The Frost Queen hummed to herself. She was definitely in a good mood because she started rambling on topics no one really asked her about. ¡°The first thing you should know is that the vessel for the soul should be durable. Once a soul settles into it, it will be hard to transfer it to another vessel¡­ ¡±And because Hart Weeper was a human, it would be best to prepare a humanoid vessel. Oh, and of course, it is taboo to use a living being as a vessel.¡± So they needed a sturdy and deceased humanoid vessel. Seo Jun-Ho instantly thought of Neo City on the 5th Floor. ¡°Maybe we should make a robot or an android¡ªactually, I don¡¯t think that works.¡± Now that he thought about it, Isaac Dvor possessed a gremlin¡¯s skill to interrupt electronics and machinery. Cyborgs were much more durable than humans, but cyborgs still had their distinct, unique weaknesses. ¡°This is hard.¡± And they couldn¡¯t use a human corpse as a vessel either¡­ While Jun-Ho was deep in thought, the Frost Queen shrugged and said, ¡°Goodness, do you really need me to tell you everything? What''s the use of having that skill if you are not going to use it?¡± ¡°...What do you mean? Are you telling me to make a vessel with the Frost Skill?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked confused. ¡°I suppose it would be very sturdy, but it won¡¯t be very mobile because the joints are made of solid ice.¡± ¡°Of course. That is why I have never seeded in creating a humanoid vessel.¡± Indeed, her bulky ice golems were far from nimble. The Frost Queen continued. ¡°But you are different. You possess another power that I do not.¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened upon realizing it. ¡°I see, so you¡¯re telling me to create the joint with the Watchguard of Darkness.¡± He finally knew what he had to do, but it didn¡¯t mean that everything was fine now. ¡°I have a funny feeling that this will be a bit too difficult.¡± ¡°But of course. Humans are moreplex and sophisticated creaturespared to any cyborg out there.¡± The most important part was to create a thick, durable outeryer. Then, he would have to add bones, cartge, ligaments, and tendons so that the vessel would have the ability to move as smoothly as a human being. However, if he wanted to make all that, he neededprehensive knowledge about the human body. ¡®Maybe I should go back to Earth and read some books.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought about it for a moment. Eventually, he shook his head and made a decision. ¡®I should go to the 5th Floor¡­¡¯ The 5th Floor definitely contained a lot more information about human physiology than any other Floor. After all, there were cyborgs on the 5th Floor. *** - We finally meet again. Your Majesty. Yeon said cheerfully in the shape of a human hologram. They were currently on the top floor of the new Imperial Pce, which was previously the headquarters of the Murim Corporation. Seo Jun-Ho looked out the window and into the city and said, ¡°I am assuming nothing much has happened in the interim.¡± - Well, let me tell you. Yeon approached Seo Jun-Ho and started talking. The gist of it was that Neo City was growing very quickly, and the main reason was the yers¡¯ existence here. [Recruiting party members for the cave in the west.] [Looking to buy an oxygen mask filter and cleaning fluid.] [Anyone wants to buy a radiation purifier for 3,000 credits?] Themunity still couldn¡¯t bepared to the 1st and 2nd Floors, but it had grown much livelier than before. Of course, it was all because of money. - Your Majesty was right. Money is bound toe flooding into the city. The homeless vagrants and the unemployed, who had been unable to find any jobs, finally had something to do. After all, the yers would always need oxygen, mask filters, and cleaning fluid. - If you haven¡¯t lowered the taxes, you could have collected more credits. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really have the desire to suck other people dry.¡± Actually, the first thing that Seo Jun-Ho had done as soon as he became the Emperor of Neo City was to lower the astronomical tax rates. - That is one of the reasons I like you, so did youe here to receive a report? ¡°Oh, I had a favor to ask of you. Can you give me the research papers on human physiology?¡± - Of course. After receiving the necessary documents, the Frost Queen and Seo Jun-Ho isted themselves in a personal training room. They stared at the holographic documents floating in the air. ¡°I believe that this will be much moreplicated than I expected¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to make kidneys or any other organs, right?¡± ¡°That is up to you, but the cartges and ligaments have to be as urate as possible.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew that he wasn¡¯t creating some kind of sculpture here but a vessel that Hart Weeper would use to charge into battle with him. Seo Jun-Hoo looked at the anatomical chart and sighed. ¡°All right, let¡¯s get started.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho gotpletely absorbed in creating a vessel to the point that he even abandoned sleeping. Finally, on his 73rd day of research on the 5th Floor, the first prototype was finallypleted. ¡°That took longer than I thought¡­¡± ¡°Still, this won¡¯t fall apart like the other ones.¡± The Frost Queen blinked. Dark circles could be seen underneath her eyes, but she still forced herself to speak, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll start recording test number 3841.¡± Hoo. Seo Jun-Ho pictured the prototype they hadpleted together in his head while focusing on the space in front of him ¡®First, I need to make the bones. They¡¯ll be the pieces that willy out the shape of the vessel.¡¯ Crackle! The vapor in the air froze, and smooth bones started to manifest, starting on the feet. ¡®The phnx, the metatarsals, the tarsus, the tibia, the fib, and the kneecap...¡¯ It took only two minutes and forty-seven seconds for him to create the bones from the phnx to the skull. It was the culmination of the many hours of research practice and effort he had put into all this. ¡®Finally, the tendons and cartge in the space between the bones.¡¯ Darkness bloomed between his hands, and he twisted it several times like dough. ¡®Concentrate, and concentrate even more¡­¡¯ Darkness wasn¡¯t a solid substance, so it would dissolve the moment he got ever so slightly distracted. Once he was done twisting and ovepping it as much as he could, the darkness had be extremely tough and durable. ¡®If I stick this between the bones, the vessel will have maximum mobility.¡¯ He started attaching them with the heart of an artist excited to see his masterpiece. Beaded sweat formed on his forehead, and sweat started dripping down his face like rain. Peak concentration, sufficient magic and mental energy were necessary to create the vessel. ¡®Lastly, I¡¯ll cover the whole thing with ice.¡¯ Crackle! Blue and white ice covered the entire frame, and it finally looked like a human being. It was 202.43 centimeters tall¡ªtaller than Sir Hart¡¯s actual height. A giant knight made of ice appeared in their eyes ¡°So this is what the prototype truly looks like...¡± ¡°It is beautiful.¡± The Frost Queen said, sounding sincere. ¡°A vessel that is nimble yet sturdy is perfect for a knight.¡± ¡°I want to add ice armor as an extrayer.¡± ¡°If you do that, his agility will decrease.¡± ¡°But he¡¯ll be stronger. Besides, I can just make it removable.¡± They quickly descended into a serious discussion. In the past two months, they seemed to have be actual researchers. ¡°I suppose removable ice armor is not such a bad idea. However, the promised day hase.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seo Jun-Ho checked his vita and nodded. It had already been a hundred days since they cleared the 5th Floor. The 6th Floor was finally going to be unlocked today. *** Skaya and Rahmadat were already in the room where the Korean yer Association¡¯s Dimensional Elevator was located. It seemed that Seo Jun-Ho arrived a bitte. ¡°Skaya, Rahmadat.¡± ¡°Yo, Specter, my man! Wee back!¡± ¡°I heard that you spent thest two months doing nothing but training. Do you really think that you¡¯re such a big shot now for you to call me like that?¡± responded Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho and Rahmadat were still acting the same as always. Seo Jun-Ho looked around and saw many familiar faces. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Oh, hi,¡± Kim Woo-Joong still found it a bit weird to speak casually to Specter. ¡°It feels like it has been a long time since we met.¡± ¡°Yeah, thest time we saw each other was when we ate with Jun-Sik.¡± Gong Ju-Ha seemed happy as she stood there with a mini fan around her neck. ¡°How¡¯s your hand?¡± ¡°The tremors have stopped. The treatment waspletely effective.¡± Even their Healer, Cha Si-Eun, was here... Seo Jun-Ho checked, and upon seeing that everyone was there, Seo Jun-Ho turned to Shim Deok-Gu and said, ¡°The group is way smaller than I had expected.¡± ¡°Well, you guys are only going to scout out the 6th Floor rather than clearing it.¡± Shim Deok-Gu quickly exined. ¡°As we progress through the Floors, the enemies we¡¯re facing have been getting increasingly stronger as well¡­¡± ¡±Unfortunately, the higher we go, the lower the number of yers who can safely navigate the higher Floors. I¡¯m sure everyone is already aware of that, so in a nutshell, I want everyone to prioritize safety over anything else.¡± This way, they could avoid their cream of the crop yers dying in vain like what happened on the 5th Floor. Not to mention, the Heavenly Demon could still attack at any time, so they needed people to stay on Earth and protect it. ¡°Anyway, the decision is to send a team of seven to scout the 6th Floor.¡± ¡°Seven? There are only six of us here, not including you...¡± ¡°Someone else isn¡¯t here yet, but it¡¯s likely that she¡¯ll fly solo.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Yuri Alekseyev, the Eighth Heaven.¡± The Eighth Heaven. She[1] was as mysterious as Mr. Shoot. No one really knew anything about her other than her nationality, which was Russian. ¡°Then, will Mio, Gilbe, Shin Sung-Hyun, and Wei Chun-Hak stay on Earth?¡± ¡°They have to stay here. If we send all of our best yers to scout, Earth will be in danger.¡± Shim Deok-Gu nced at the time and turned to the yers. ¡°Your mission is to gather information on the 6th Floor as safely as possible. If anything happens, don¡¯t take any risks. Just retreat.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. No one here wants to die.¡± The six of them crammed themselves into the elevator. ¡°Then, good luck.¡± The elevator doors finally closed. Gong Ju-Ha gulped. ¡°I¡¯m going to press six, okay? I¡¯m actually going to do it.¡± ¡°Miss Ju-Ha, please, just do it.¡± The 6th Floor button finally lit up, and they stared at it. Gong Ju-Ha carefully pressed the button. [6th Floor. Doors are opening.] The scout team carefully stepped off of the elevator ¡°We¡¯re in an alleyway?¡± ¡°So this is the 6th Floor¡­¡± While they were looking around, the Dimensional Elevator transformed into a red telephone booth. ¡°Huh, what? Why did the elevator turn into a telephone booth?¡± ¡°Look around, and you will find your answer,¡± Skaya said. At Skaya¡¯s words, Rahmadat quietly stepped out of the alleyway. ¡°Hooo.¡± He was greeted with the sight of polished streets, horses, carriages, and vintage cars. There were even Gothic buildings reminiscent of architecture from the British Victorian era. Skaya caught up with him. ¡°I have never heard thisnguage before, so this definitely isn¡¯t Earth but the architecture and the clothing styles are simr to that of 19th century Europe. Obviously, there are no elevators back then.¡± ¡°Makes sense. So it turned into a telephone booth to fit the time period¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha tilted her head while looking around the beautiful streets. ¡°This ce looks so peaceful that it¡¯s a bit unbelievable. Was there some kind of error?¡± Skya shrugged and asked, ¡°Hey, Jun-Ho, what do you think?¡± However, she received no answer. ¡°¡­Jun-Ho? Jun-Ho?¡± The scout team looked around, and they finally realized that Seo Jun-Ho had disappeared the moment Gong Ju-Ha pressed the elevator button. 1. Yuri''s gender was unclear, so now that we have found the answer, we have decided to fix it. Thanks. ? Chapter 448: The Insect Farm (2) Chapter 448: The Insect Farm (2) There was a demon sitting upright on a massive throne made of the bones and flesh of those who had fallen by his hand. The demon¡¯s eyes fluttered open as he asked, ¡°Is it done?¡± He was extremely exhausted. It couldn¡¯t be helped because he had just summoned a yer from several floors below them. The goat horns on his head trembled uncontrobly as he sat there on the throne. ¡°Blegh!¡± he vomited dead, ck blood, and his eyes grew hazy. He had to make holes in the impregnable System protecting the yers so that he could kidnap his target. He knew that he would suffer some kind of bacsh, but he didn¡¯t know that the price he would end up paying would be this huge. ¡®I have toy low and recuperate in the next six months.¡¯ He closed his eyes to make a decision.A few momentster, he opened his eyes once more and muttered into the air, ¡°Haran.¡± ¡°Yes, Gorgon.¡± Gorgon¡¯s right-hand man appeared in front of him like a ghost with his head bowed. ¡°I shall lock down the southern region for the next six months.¡± ¡°Shall I tell the demons to cease their external activities as well?¡± ¡°That would be wise.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Six months¡­¡¯ Haran fell into deep contemtion. After thinking for a while, Haran couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Forgive my impudence, but why are you willing to take on such a loss?¡± Haran couldn¡¯t understand why Gorgon had decided to throw away his life in the next six months just to kill a mere human. Gorgon had always been a calcting and scheming demon, so there was no way he wouldn¡¯t know the consequences. Gorgon stared deeply at Haran before answering, ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was just a feeling. I felt like I have to kill him no matter how expensive the price I would have to pay.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Haran lowered his head without saying anything. He had always been good at reading the emotions of others, so he could sense that Gorgon was feeling wary¡ªthreatened to be exact. ¡®Has his intuition evolved to the point of irvoyance?¡¯ Gorgon had brushed it off as a mere feeling, but his intuition was the reason he became a count in the first ce. Haran gulped and said, ¡°I suppose we should start looking for him.¡± ¡°Kill him on sight,¡± Gorgon said coldly. Haran couldn¡¯t sense any hesitation in Gorgon¡¯s words, and Gorgon¡¯s attitude made him bow even deeper. *** Reiji was lying on a sofa with a nket wrapped around her. ¡°¡­!¡± Reiji¡¯s eyes shot open when a rift in space appeared in front of her. A man in a gray suit emerged from the rift and said, ¡°Reiji.¡± ¡°Cut the crap and sit down.¡± Reiji sat up and casually ced a cigarette between her teeth. She lit it up and took a few puffs before exhaling a cloud of smoke from between her lips. Gray was seriously impressed by her steadfast and rxed attitude. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you so calm even after what happened.¡± ¡°I knew that someone would be able to poke holes in the System one day, and that day finally arrived today. Anyway, who was it?¡± ¡°We analyzed the traces, and we believe that Count Gorgon was directly involved.¡± ¡°That elusive piece of shit? Was he aiming for the World Tree again?¡± ¡°No, his target isn¡¯t one of us. However, he kidnapped a yer up to the 9th Floor.¡± ¡°Geez, you scared me.¡± Reiji snickered. She leaned back against the sofa and crossed her legs. She even ced an arm over the sofa before saying, ¡°I guess that bastard was bored.¡± To think that he would actually go that far to kidnap a yer. Reiji thought about it, but he couldn¡¯t find anyone else who would benefit from Count Gorgon¡¯s actions. After all, Count Gorgon¡¯s actions of poking holes in the System were basically akin to revealing the System¡¯s vulnerabilities, which meant that the holes could be patched up. In addition, they would be able to update the System. ¡°That¡¯s great. Analyze the holes he had made and patch them all up. Once we¡¯re done, I bet he won¡¯t be able to pull that shit again.¡± ¡°Yes, I heard that the higher-ups are already taking care of it.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Reiji nodded lightly and took a few quick puffs at her cigarette. After exhaling a massive cloud of smoke, she blinked and looked at Gray with clear suspicion in her eyes. ¡°Why did you evene here?¡± she asked. ¡°The yer who got kidnapped is Seo Jun-Ho,¡± replied Gray. Reiji furrowed her brows. She looked like she couldn¡¯t believe her own ears as she leaned forward with perked ears and asked once more, ¡°What? Who did you say they kidnapped? ¡°Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Seo Jun-Ho? Are you talking about that Seo Jun-Ho, who was born in Korea on June 6, 1999? That Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Yes, they kidnapped Specter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The cloud of smoke instantly vanished, and beyond the smoke was Reiji¡¯s face full of anger. The previous calm and collected Reiji couldn¡¯t be seen anymore. ¡°You should have told me that earlier! Do you want to die or something?!¡± eximed Reiji. ¡°You just told me to get to the point, and no, I do not wish to die,¡± replied Gray. Hooo. Reiji threw the cigarette away and covered her face with both of her hands. The smell of nicotine in the air cleared her head. ¡®I knew it! I knew that bastard wouldn¡¯t do something as crazy as poking holes in the System if there were nothing for him to gain,¡¯ Reiji said to herself. In addition, Reiji knew well why he targeted Seo Jun-Ho. Count Gorgon was famous for his intuition, after all. Count Gorgon had to have sensed some kind of danger from Seo Jun-Ho. In other words, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s existence alone threatened him. Reiji calmly put on her jacket and stood up Gray looked at her with confusion. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going up the 9th Floor.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t¡­!¡± Gray eximed. ¡°What, you want us to get on our knees and pray for his safety instead?¡± No. never. She would never do that, and she wouldn¡¯t just stand here. After all, Seo Jun-Ho was the VVIP customer who would speed up her retirement. ¡°But ording to the rules¡ª¡± ¡°A Floor Administrator cannot directly harm a demon. I know that very well.¡± Reiji¡¯s eyes shed dangerously. ¡°I will bring my customer down from that floor peacefully.¡± She wasn¡¯t even trying to hide her killing intent, so it was funny how she mentioned peacefully bringing her customer down from the 9th Floor. What about her work? ¡°I can just use my PTO[1].¡± Reiji brushed past Gray as she walked away. Gray simply watched her go. ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure that she has already exhausted her PTO,¡¯ Gray inwardlympooned. *** Cough, cough! Seo Jun-Ho violently coughed up phlegm mixed with blood as he woke up. He opened his tired eyes and saw a dark ceiling. He looked around and noticed that he was in a ce resembling a cave. His breathing was rough as he recalled what happened before he lost consciousness. ¡°I¡¯m going to press six, okay? I¡¯m actually going to do it.¡± The moment Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s trembling finger pressed the button that would take them up to the 6th Floor. A portal opened and abruptly swallowed him. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have any memories of what happened afterward, as he had lost consciousness upon being swallowed by the portal. ¡®Damn it¡­!¡¯ Before anything else, he had to figure out what was going on. He also had to figure out what happened to his friends and his location. ¡°Argh!¡± He sat up with great effort, and he looked like a corpse rising from the dead. He had sustained injuries that were so severe that he broke out into a cold sweat, even though he simply raised his torso. ¡°Huff huff!¡± He sat still for a second to catch his breath. However, the cave was suddenly illuminated with a soft light. ¡°Huh? You can¡¯t get up yet!¡± shouted a young man holding a candle. He rushed into the cave and forced Seo Jun-Ho to lie back down. The brown-haired man definitely saw the resentment in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes because he revealed an apologetic look. ¡°I could swear that your bones were fractured and dislocated all over just yesterday. I had no idea that you have such an extraordinary recovery speed. Still, you will have to stay down for the meantime.¡± ¡°¡­And you are?¡± ¡°My name is Tess. I¡¯m the doctor at this Farm.¡± ¡®That¡¯s anguage I have never heard before.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nced at the Vita on his left wrist. It seemed that the real-time trantion feature that Yeon had installed on his Vita was still working. Meanwhile, Tess carefully inspected him with his mouth agape. ¡°Your bones are set, and the fractures are gone. What are you made of? Are you a half?¡± ¡°Half?¡± ¡°A half demon half human because some demons have weird taste, you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m definitely not a half.¡± ¡°Oh, well. I suppose they aren¡¯t verymon. I guess you were just born with your extraordinary recovery speed, then. You should thank your lucky stars.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t miss the momentary look of disappointment that flickered past Tess¡¯ face. Tess peeked over his shoulder and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m telling you this out of caution, but I advise that you live here with your head down as much as possible.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The king here is a half. He¡¯s merciless. If anyone shows even the tiniest hint of rebelling, he kills them without hesitation,¡± exined Tess with a voice filled with concern. ¡°You possess an extraordinary recovery speed, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve made quite a name for yourself at your previous Farm. However, he¡¯s still a half. You¡¯re my patient, and I don¡¯t want to see you die, especially when I had just painstakingly saved you¡­¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t like it, you should live with your head down from now on,¡± said Tess. ¡°I don¡¯t understand a single word you¡¯re saying,¡± replied Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re pretending to be an amnesiac? That¡¯s cute.¡± Tess smirked. After saying that, Tess got ready to leave. However, before he could even turn around, Seo Jun-Ho stopped him by saying, ¡°By any chance, was there anyone else aside from me?¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a total of seven workers, including you, this time, but¡ª¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho abruptly shot up and grabbed the hem of Tess¡¯ sleeve. ¡°Where are they?¡± Tess turned pale, surprised by the firmness of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice. ¡°T-they¡¯reying right there, as you can see¡­¡± Tess pointed with his chin. Seo Jun-Ho scanned the people next to him. They were all dressed in rags. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen any of them before.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho let out a sigh of relief. ¡®Does that mean that I¡¯m the only one who got brought here?¡¯ He had no idea whether that was a great thing or not. The deted Seo Jun-Ho let go of Tess¡¯ sleeve and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Ahem, you did scare me a bit, but it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°And I should have said this earlier, but thank you for treating me.¡± ¡°¡­Geez, this is the first time anyone has ever thanked me for that,¡± Tess chuckled. Afterward, he told Seo Jun-Ho that he would be back in three hours and disappeared. The cave was enveloped in darkness once more. Seo Jun-Ho tried to make sense of the situation while lying down. ¡®Thanks to Cell Regeneration and the Vermillion Fruit, it would only be a matter of time until I¡¯m all better.¡± Crack, crack¡­ Even while he was contemting, his bones were moving back into their own ces and were repairing themselves. ¡®Were my injuries caused by the force of the portal?¡¯ Portals could injure people, but the force depended on how far the other end of the portal was located. ¡®Just how far did that portal take me for it to break all the bones in my body?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho opened the event logs to look for answers. [This is the 9th Floor.] [Bringer of Spring¡¯s effect has been activated. All stats increased by 30.] The answer was there. However, he couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it. The 9th Floor¡­ Seo Jun-Ho chuckled hollowly. It seemed that he had skipped the 6th, 7th, and 8th Floors to arrive directly on the 9th Floor. Even worse, he had no idea what happened and why he was here on the 9th Floor. Just in case, he opened the Community window and made a post. However, there were no other yers on the 9th Floor, so no one could really reply to him. ¡®Most importantly, I¡¯mpletely out of magic.¡¯ It seemed that the exhaustion of his magic was part of the repercussion of being forcibly transported to the 9th Floor. Seo Jun-Ho would have brushed this off. After all, his magic recovery rate was extraordinary, and he could also borrow magic from his surroundings using the ck Moon Heart Method. ¡®But I can¡¯t¡­¡¯ He closed his eyes and desperately looked around, but he couldn¡¯t find even a trace of magic around him. Since magic was non-existent, then his extraordinary magic recovery rate was useless. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart dropped. ¡®Is magic regted here like in Neo City?¡¯ The only magic he could sense wasing from the battery of his Vita. He could absorb it and gain a minuscule amount of magic, but doing that would mean that he wouldn¡¯t be able to use Vita anymore. ¡®Then, the only thing I can do right now is¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had no other choice but to recover from his injuries and find a way to restore his magic once he had recovered. Having made a decision, Seo Jun-Ho immediately grabbed his ankles and twisted them. Crack! ¡°Argh¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a subdued groan. It was painful but a bit refreshing at the same time. Most people wouldn¡¯t be able to set their bones to their correct position, but Seo Jun-Ho was an exception. ¡®I have Hero¡¯s Mind, after all¡­¡¯ Crack, crack! The sound of bones clicking into ce echoed for quite a while in the dark cave. 1. Paid Time Off ? Chapter 449: The Insect Farm (3) Chapter 449: The Insect Farm (3) ¡°Be honest, are you sure you¡¯re not a half?¡± ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not.¡± Tess returned exactly three hourster, and he started doubting Seo Jun-Ho. "What are you, them?" "Human. I¡¯m a hundred percent pure-blooded human." ¡°Listen here, patient. Ordinary human beings do not simply recover from so many injuries in just three hours." "Well, I didn¡¯t say I was an ordinary human," said Seo Jun-Ho with a shrug. He just said that he was human. Tessughed dryly. "Well¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. I''m happy to see my patient¡¯s recovery.¡± Seo Jun-Ho got up after saying that he didn¡¯t need any more treatment. "What are you going to do? If you were an ordinary patient, I would have told you not to move a single muscle in the meantime...¡± "May I walk a little?¡± "Hmm." Tess thought for a moment and nodded. "You probably do not even know theyout of the Farm yet, so I will show you around." "Thank you." Seo Jun-Ho grabbed Tess¡¯ hand to stand up. Then, he started stretching. ¡®My legs, spine, and neck are roughly aligned.¡¯ His shoulders should set on their own soon. Unfortunately, the bones that had split into two didn¡¯t manage to recover in just three hours. "I was born and raised on this Farm, so I don''t know much about the world, but I¡¯ve heard from the others that this Farm is thergest Farm that they have ever seen.¡± Upon leaving the cave, which was apparently being used as a medical ward, Seo Jun-Ho saw numerousnterns on the walls and the ceilings. Obviously, they were being used to drive out the darkness. Seo Jun-Ho grabbed onto the nearby wooden railing and looked around, starting from the bottom floor to the highest. "It seems that there are ten floors in total.¡± "Yes, it is very big, isn''t it? There are more than a thousand residents here. Come to think of it, I still haven¡¯t heard your¡ª¡± "I''m Seo Jun-Ho." "S-shuh Chu-No?" "Just call me Sonny." It seemed that Vita¡¯s trantion function couldn¡¯t handle words that were a bit difficult to pronounce. "That''s a good name! Mr. Sonny, did youe from a different Farm?¡± "Well, yes." Seo Jun-Ho roughly nodded. "What was your role on that Farm?" "I just, uh, I beat up the bad guys and protected our people." "I knew it! You were a sheriff! Indeed, it makes sense with your muscles and physique." Tess seemed to have gotten convinced by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body. With that being said, they continued their tour. ¡°The king is staying on the tenth floor. It looks shy even when staring at it from the bottom, right?¡± ¡°The nobles and knights serving the king are on the ninth floor. If you somehow end up arriving on the ninth floor, then you will have to pay your respects to them.¡± "The eighth floor is the professional space. All sorts of work are being done there, and that is why the medical ward is located there.¡± ¡°Floors 4th to 7th are the residential spaces of themoners. There¡¯s nothing for us to see here; we should hurry up and go down.¡± "This is the third floor. It is quite active, isn¡¯t it? There are exchanges, markets, and restaurants here, so this floor always has the most number of people." They eventually came down to the second floor, and Seo Jun-Ho noticed that the number ofnterns and people had decreased significantlypared to the third floor. Seo Jun-Ho approached the railing. He looked down at the vacant lot on the first floor, which seemed to be as huge as a school yground. ¡°What¡¯s that lot being used for?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. "What else are we supposed to use that huge vacant lot for? We obviously use it to pay tribute." "You¡¯re paying tribute to that king, whom you call a half?¡± "¡­Hmm, I think you will fail as aedian,¡± Tess replied. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words sounded ridiculous and absurd in his ears. Tess stepped back from the railing and said, "It¡¯s not really a decent ce, and everyone doesn¡¯t really have any good memories about that ce, so I think we should go up once again." When Seo Jun-Ho stepped on the stairs that would lead them upstairs, he could feel gazesnding on him, and they wereing from the first and second floors. Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze at the onlookers and asked, "Who are those people?" "¡­They are those who dared to defy the king and were enved." "They¡¯re ves?" Seo Jun-Ho frowned and quickly counted the number of people on the first and second floors. ''Wait. I think there are at least four hundred people here.¡¯ There were apparently 1,000 people here, but 40% of them were actually ves? Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but stare at Tess. Tess seemed confused as he spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re a sheriff, right? You should be familiar with them. Why do you care so much about the people below you?¡± "There were no ves from where I lived,¡± replied Seo Jun-Ho. "There¡¯s still a Farm like that?" Tess¡¯ eyes widened. Eventually, he shook his head and said, "Well, I guess you won¡¯t be able to quickly ept and understand the workings of this Farm." Tess seemed troubled as he scratched his face. He looked up the stairs warily and said in a low voice, "I will give you a piece of advice, then. On this Farm, do not pay even the slightest attention to the people on the lower floors. You could be used of being a rebellion group for no reason and be thrown into very." "What¡­?¡± "Not, what. I¡¯m saying this because it actually happens. Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier?¡± Tess revealed a grim look. "The king here is cruel. If he does not like someone, he will directly send them to rot on the lower floors, no matter the reason." "Why are the people here not doing anything about it?" "So what if we aren¡¯t doing anything?" Tess said coldly, "He is a half. We will never be able to defeat him and his knights, no matter our numbers. Especially in this ce where magic is basically non-existent.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho remained silent. At that, Tess asked, "Do you understand what I¡¯m saying ?¡± "Yes¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded quickly. It seemed that he would have to stay quiet until he was done recovering. *** "A cooked mole meat and two bowls of moss soup, please." The two arrived at a restaurant on the third floor. Tess sat down after ordering at the counter. Seo Jun-Ho sat in front of him. He swept his gaze at the people around him before asking, "Do they give you money here?" "No, but there are meal coupons being distributed based on your upation. We simply trade those coupons for meals." "If you''re a doctor, you must get a lot of coupons." "Well, it''s not too difficult to treat a patient," said Tess with a smile. Tess¡¯ smile widened when the moss soup finally arrived. He took a big spoonful and eximed, "Ku~ This is the taste. You should try it.¡± The moss soup honestly looked horrendous, especially because it looked like stagnant scum. Seo Jun-Ho looked around and saw that the people around them were enjoying the moss soup, so Seo Jun-Ho could only close his eyes and take a big spoonful. ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened the moment the soup made contact with his tongue. His head jerked in the direction of the kitchen. ¡®M-Mio¡­? Is Mio here?¡¯ However, the person manning the kitchen was a middle-aged man with a heavy beard. Seo Jun-Ho slowly put down the spoon in disappointment. Tess stared at him with expectations and asked, "Does it not suit your tastes?" "Yes, my body isn¡¯t taking it well yet." "That¡¯s not good. You have to eat lots because you¡¯re still recovering," said Tess with a disappointed look. He was about to munch on the mole meat, but¡ª Crash! The sound of tableware shattering into pieces interrupted Tess¡¯ meal. "I finally got you, you thief!" "Let go of me!" The restaurant owner caught a child. The child looked like he had just turned ten years old, and he looked so thin from theck of nutrients that one could vividly make out the bones beneath his skin. p! The child¡¯s lip split open and started bleeding after the p. "You thief! It¡¯s a good thing that I caught you today!" A flurry of punchesnded on the child, but no one stepped up to stop the abuse. Seo Jun-Ho was about to stand up, but¡ª Tess stopped him. He shook his head and stood up in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stead.. "I think we should stop there.¡± "What? Who the hell are you?!" The angry restaurant owner turned and red at Tess. Tess flinched and raised his hands to try and calm the restaurant owner down. "Oh, sir, the king is concerned about the decreased mining output. I¡¯m just concerned that killing the child would decrease the output even more¡­¡± "But this ve stole¡ª¡± "That ve will definitely die if you hit him more." "Ugh." All ves belonged to the king. The king didn¡¯t really care about his ves, but the king¡¯s mood had always been fickle. Therefore, no one would really try and test the king¡¯s mood if they could help it. The restaurant owner clicked his tongue and got up. "The next time I catch you, there will be no mercy," he said fiercely to the child. Afterward, he started casually cleaning up the store. After a while, some ves went over and left with the child on their backs. Tess returned to his seat and calmly bit off a chunk of the mole meat dish he had ordered. "You¡¯ll survive if you¡¯re lucky. Otherwise, you¡¯ll simply die." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t reply. He simply stared at Tess, but two men were caught in his peripheral vision. The two men had been observing the two of them, but they were finally leaving. *** Night soon arrived, and thenterns inside the massive cave where the floors were located started to extinguish one by one. The nocturnal spiders and centipedes finally emerged from their nests. Seo Jun-Ho also got up and headed out. ¡®It''s dark.¡¯ The ninth and tenth floors were still brightly lit, but the rest of the cave was enveloped withplete darkness. However, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t really having any trouble navigating through the darkness. It made sense because he had achieved body transformation and even ate a Vermillion Fruit. ¡®Now, let''s see where they¡¯re going.¡¯ While standing on the wooden railing, Seo Jun-Ho saw someone moving swiftly in the darkness. Seo Jun-Ho jumped down the railing and quietly went down the floors one by one. ¡®On the first floor?¡¯ The night was extremely terrifying on the first floor. Seo Jun-Ho could hear people talking to each other somewhere. ¡®Where is it?¡¯ ''O-over there.¡¯ ¡®Lead the way.¡¯ The conversation got clearer the nearer he got to where the conversation was happening. "Doc, my child keeps gasping like he¡¯s about to die." "... Die? Is Brother going to die?" "Uaahhh!" Amidst the cries of the children, Seo Jun-ho heard a familiar voice. "That''s why I¡¯m here. Everyone stop crying. It¡¯d be bad if other people came here.¡± ¡®Tess?¡¯ The young doctor examined the child''s condition and started feeding the child some medicine. Tess examined the child for quite a while, and he finally came to a conclusion as he said, "The fever has gone down a bit, but he will have to rest for a week." "A week..." "I brought some mole meat and bones. Please make some soup and feed him diligently." Seo Jun-Ho observed the scene while hiding in the dark. All of a sudden, he was forced to look behind him. They were approaching very quietly, but they didn¡¯t manage to escape Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s senses. A few figures were approaching while carrying weapons. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stroked his chin and contemted. *** "Apply this ointment over the wound every six hours, and make sure to hide this ointment by burying it." "Oh, thank you. Thank you very, very much for saving my baby." "This debt¡­ I''ll work really hard to be amoner, so I¡¯ll be able to repay you.¡± Small candles lit up the crying faces of children and their parents. Tess hurriedly lowered his head to hide his bitter expression. He knew that no matter how hard these people worked, there was no way that they could bemoners. "The time¡­The guards are about to switch shifts soon, so I have to go." "Oh, please head up." "Thank you very much," Tess said goodbye to them and slipped out of the cave with his hat pressed down. ¡°¡­!¡± However, his heart sank to the bottom when he saw a few figures waiting for her near the entrance. Chiiik! A man kindled the torch he was holding, and the fire illuminated the surroundings. "¡­Jupiter?" Tess ced upon recognizing the man. Jupiter was one of the king¡¯s knights. Tess realized that it would only be a matter of time before he got caught, even if he were lucky enough to escape their encirclement. ¡°The leader told me to keep an eye on you. I didn¡¯t think it was necessary, but wheeew, I really didn¡¯t expect it to be true.¡± Jupiter sighed slightly. He looked at Tess as if thetter were pathetic and clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk. Just why are you doing this? You could have lived a decent life on this Farm with your expertise.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tess bit his lips without saying anything. Jupiter illuminated Tess¡¯ face with the torch and smirked. "I guess you feel close to them because your parents were born with the disgusting blood ofmoners¡ª" "Shut up!" Tess furiously pounced on Jupiter. However, Jupiter was a knight, so he smoothly and quickly buried his elbow into Tess¡¯ face. "Argh!" Tess copsed to the floor with a bleeding nose. Jupiter stepped on his head with his military boots. Tess struggled and started thrashing around because his nose and mouth were facing the dirt and sand on the floor. Unfortunately, Jupiter¡¯s foot remained motionless no matter how hard he struggled. ¡°It¡¯s a bit unfortunate, but this dumb doctor is the only doctor here, so I can¡¯t just kill him.¡± "How about we drag him up and re-educate him?" "Hm, will it work? He was already re-educated once when he was still a child." "I think this issue stems from his bloodline. I mean, his parents rebelled against the king, and now, their child is doing the same thing. History is repeating itself!" The other knights started muttering among themselves. Jupiter suddenly eximed, "Ah! I almost forgot.¡± He looked into the cave with an amused smile. "The king told me to make an example by killing the person he treated.¡± "You can¡¯t¡­!¡± Tess was outraged. However, he couldn¡¯t even stand up, not to mention do anything else. Even if he managed to stand up somehow, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything against the three knights because the gap between their power was simply that huge. It was so unfair and frustrating that Tess started crying. "P-please! Please! Not the child¡­!" "We will receive the punishment in the child¡¯s stead! Please!" "You dare to touch me?!" A parent was kicked in the stomach, and they crumpled to the floor. A child who looked like he would die anytime soon was quickly found and was harshly dragged across the floor by a knight. "Hey! You killed that onest time, so it''s my turn today¡ªHuh?¡± The knight excitedly dragging the child across the floor abruptly stopped. The knight was sure that three people, including himself, hade down here. Since he left to drag the child from the cave, there should only be two people standing over there. ¡°W-Who is that?¡± In that case, who was that person wearing a ck mask standing next to his smilingrades? As soon as the question popped up in the knight¡¯s mind, the person who suddenly appeared without making a noise slowly raised their head. Chapter 450: The Insect Farm (4) Chapter 450: The Insect Farm (4) At first, Seo Jun-Ho had no intention of stepping up because he still hadn¡¯tpletely recovered. He was still riddled with injuries. If the knights simply gave Tess a light warning, he wouldn¡¯t have stepped up. ¡®What they¡¯re doing isn¡¯t right¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had encountered quite a few knights so far. ''The elf knight, the knights of the Winter Castle, and the knights of the Ruben Empire.'' If Neo City¡¯s martial artists could be considered knights, then even the Jinyiwei could be a Knight Order as well. They had many differencesnguage, race, and country, and there was even a chance that they were from different dimensions. Despite that, they all had one thing inmon. ''They had honor.'' They protected the weak from persecution rather than tormenting the weak with the strength they had honed for decades. The memories Seo Jun-Ho had met so far were men of honor. ''How dare they pretend to be knights¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled coldly and quietly opened his Inventory. There was nothing good about making a fuss, so he was nning on making sure that his identity would remain hidden. ¡®Fortunately, I¡¯m pretty good at stealth.¡¯ In a dark cave, all he needed to hide his identity was a mask. *** "What¡¯s the hold-up? Did you see a ghost or something?" asked Jupiter. Pagaro stopped dragging the child and broke out into a cold sweat. ¡®They didn¡¯t notice?¡¯ There was no way that it was standing there the whole time. Pagaro was sure that it wasn¡¯t there when he left to drag the child outside. ¡®Is that really a ghost?¡¯ Pagaro gulped and turned to look at Bongo, who was a knight with them and asked, "Hey, who''s that guy on your left?" "How childish. Stop with theme jokes and drag the kid here." "N-no! There''s really someone next to you!¡± "Why would someone¨C-¡± Bongo turned, annoyed. However, he was both horrified and surprised to see someone else standing next to him. ¡®Fuck, what''s up with this guy?¡¯ Since when did this guy arrive next to him? Bongo¡¯s eyes widened as goosebumps broke out all over his back. However, before he could even reach a conclusion¡­ Crunch! ¡­there was a sickening crunch, and his view abruptly changed. ¡®Huh?¡¯ He was suddenly looking at hisrades¡ªJupiter and Pagaro¡ªeven though he didn¡¯t really turn his head to look at them. Both Jupiter and Pagaro were staring at him with pale faces, looking as if they had seen a ghost. ''Hey,e here. There''s a strange punk next to me.¡¯ Bongo walked slowly toward hisrades, but rather than shortening, the distance between them only grew distant. ¡®What?¡¯ Howe he couldn¡¯t approach them? Bongo noticed something strange. He lowered his head and finally realized that his head had turned a hundred and eighty degrees. Thud! Bongo fell to the floor. He convulsed a few times, but he eventually stopped moving. From now on, he would never be able to move again. "Fuck¡­!" Jupiter and Pagaro immediately unsheathed their swords at the horrifying death of theirrade. Slide! They pointed both of their swords at Seo Jun-Ho, but thetter didn¡¯t even move. Every time the torch that Bongo had dropped to the floor flickered, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shadow would momentarily be longer. The inexplicable pattern terrified both Jupiter and Pagaro. Jupiter asked, "W-who are you? Are you a ve?" ¡°¡­¡± "Are you amoner? Take your mask off and identify yourself!" ¡°¡­¡± "Fuck! Are you deaf?! I said, take your mask off!" The agitated Jupiter repeatedly shouted at Seo Jun-Ho. However, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t give any responses. Finally, Seo Jun-Ho replied, "Idiots. Why would I even wear a mask if I¡¯m just going to take it off, anyway?¡± The cogs in Pagaro¡¯s brain were churning as he remained silent while standing there. Pagaro arrived at a conclusion and said, "He''s trying to hide his face and voice." "What use would that have? We¡¯ll immediately discover him the moment weunch a search.¡± There was only one passage from the Farm to the outside, and it was the ceiling. In addition, it was a passage that even the king himself couldn¡¯t recklessly open despite his status here, which was akin to a god. In other words, it was easy to find a criminal on the Farm. "Well, he wouldn¡¯t have killed Bongo if he hadn¡¯t thought that far,¡± said Pagaro while staring intently at Seo Jun-Ho. "We should focus on killing him in the meantime. I''ll go in first, so follow right after." "All right." Jupiter nodded. Pagaro kicked off of the floor and charged toward Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho reacted by stomping on the torch on the floor. ¡°¡­!¡± The surroundings were suddenly enveloped in darkness, but they weren¡¯t greenhorns. "Jupiter! Make a fire first!" "I''m already on it!" Jupiter searched his pocket and pulled out a box of matches. In the dark, his muscle memory enabled him to retrieve a match, and he immediately started lighting it. Jupiter was in a hurry, so he quickly managed to light the match, but the match only managed to illuminate the surroundings briefly before extinguishing. "W-w-wait¡­! Fuck! Why did it go out?!" Tap! Taap! Crackle! Jupiter finally managed to light another match after five attempts. ¡°¡­!¡± Jupiter was startled to find Seo Jun-Ho standing right in front of him. ¡®W-what about Pagaro?¡¯ His trembling eyes looked around and saw Pagaro dead with a sword sticking out of his chest. "Fuck!" Jupiter cursed and threw the match he was holding at his opponent''s face. ck. The match simply bounced off the wall and fell to the floor. ¡®S-sword! I have to pull out my sword!¡¯ Jupiter¡¯s trembling hand reached for his waist. Shwing! The sound of a sword being drawn could be heard. "¡­Huh?" However, Jupiter¡¯s trembling hand was still looking for the handle of his sword. His eyes quivered violently from fear as a cold de prated his heart. "Eup! Eup!" It was so painful that he felt like he was about to lose his mouth. He tried to scream to relieve some of the pain, but his opponent didn¡¯t allow him to scream. "Shhh¡­!" Seo Jun-Ho ced a finger over Jupiter''s lips and calmed him down like a parent soothing a noisy child. "Everyone is sleeping, so you shouldn¡¯t scream." Tremble! The fear only made his heart beat even faster, which brought him more pain. ¡®Ahhh¡­¡¯ Large amounts of blood poured from the hole in his chest, and both his mind and eyes grew hazy. He was about to die, but for some reason, Jupiter was happy to die. ¡®Actually, once I die...¡¯ He would finally be able to escape this nightmare. *** "Haaam." Seo Jun-Ho yawned and opened his eyes. The noisy surroundings seemed to have woken him up. He looked around to find some water to drink, but someone pushed a cup of water toward him. "Oh, thank you¡­¡± said Seo Jun-Ho and drank the water. Once he was done, Tess finally asked, "What did you dost night and where?" ¡°¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He returned the cup of water and replied, "I slept here." "Why?" "Because it was night?" "Hmm." Tess didn¡¯t know what to say at that. Eventually, he managed topose himself and speak once more. "Your physique really is abnormal..." "What did you say? Anyway, how did you get hurt?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. Tess coughed dryly beneath Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze. ¡°Ahem, I tumbled down the street." "You know I was a sheriff, right? Your injury looks like it¡¯s a friction injury." Flustered, Tess hurriedly made an excuse, ¡°Well, I tumbled and slid¡­¡± ¡®How is he so sharp?¡¯ Tess inwardly grumbled. Afterward, he changed the topic and said, ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s an emergency right now. Three knights went missingst night.¡± "Missing?" "Yes. It is also the first missing person case on this Farm. After all, there¡¯s really nowhere to run here,¡± added Tess. "Maybe they¡¯re just sleeping in a secluded ce?¡± "¡­No. Large amounts of blood and even their swords were found." "Oh, no¡­" Seo Jun-Ho looked genuinely sorry. "That sounds horrible. Since this is the first missing person case here, I guess they¡¯re taking it seriously?" "Of course. It has been messy since morning. The knights and soldiers furiously searched the lower floors." "We¡¯re here,¡± a voice suddenly rang out. A group of people had just entered the medical ward. Tess could recognize the one who had spoken, and he asked in a slightly nervous voice. "¡­What brings you here, Knight Captain, sir?¡± "I¡¯m here to find my missing knights," said Audrick, the Captain of the Knights. He scanned the inside of the cave and continued. "There has to be some evidence somewhere since the incident involves not one person but three people." "This is the medical ward. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find any evidence here¡­¡± "Well, I don¡¯t know,¡± Audrick replied, ¡°Even your parents ran wild, after all." With that being said, Audrick gestured with his chin, and the knights, as well as the soldiers, started inspecting the medical ward. About half an hourter, a soldier approached and reported. "Reporting to Knight Captain, sir, we didn¡¯t find anything." "Hmm..." Audrick revealed a reluctant look as he looked around. His eyes eventuallynded on Seo Jun-Ho. "I''ve never seen you before.¡± "He¡¯s my patient, and he fell from the ceiling two days ago." "He¡¯s a patient? Why does he look so healthy?¡± Audrick walked toward Seo Jun-Ho and crouched. He then snatched Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand and examined it with shining eyes. ''He has no calluses. This isn¡¯t the hand of a martial artist or someone capable of wielding weapons.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s hands became as soft as a baby¡¯s hands after the body transformation. However, there was no way Audrick would be aware of that fact. Therefore, Audrick concluded that he was barking up the wrong tree and stood up. "You have a great physique. You should visit the knights if you need a job," said Audrick. ¡°Let''s go." Audrick then led his subordinates out of the cave. Seo Jun-Ho revealed a grim look. While Audrick was examining Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s condition, thetter was also examining Audrick¡¯s condition. ''His body also contains no magic.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could only hope that the so-called king of this Farm would have magic. Otherwise¡­ "It would be the worst¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered in a gloomy voice. He really wanted to return to Earth as soon as possible. *** The king was currently eating arge steak. He turned to look at Audrick, and with a voice that sounded simr to a metal sheet being scraped, he asked, "Am I wrong, or did you just say that there were no traces whatsoever?¡± Audrick could see the king¡¯s displeasure. He hurriedly put down his fork and knife before replying, "Yes, we searched everywhere from the first floor to the ninth floor, and we found no traces." "You must have missed a few ces. Search again." "But¡­" Audrick bit his lips. He was sure that he had looked everywhere. In fact, the reason he searched the floors personally was that he couldn¡¯t trust the reports of the people below him. In addition, he had conducted the same search three times by now. ''Of course, it seems unbelievable.¡¯ He felt the same way just a few hours ago. While Audrick was thinking about how to make his report, a soldier barged into the room and interrupted their meal. "M-my king! The corpses of the knights have been found!" "Wait, what?" Audrick was so shocked by the revtion that he jumped up from his seat. With a look of disbelief, he asked, ¡°Where? Where the hell were they found?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Knight Captain Audrick was just below the king, and he was the second-inmand of the Farm. The soldier started sweating upon hearing Audrick¡¯s question. "W-well... I am sure that there has been a mistake, but...¡± "Hurry up and answer!" eximed Audrick. The soldier could only shut his eyes tightly and reply, "They were found in your cave." Chapter 451. The Insect Farm (5)

Chapter 451. The Insect Farm (5)

"Haaam." Seo Jun-Ho woke up and started stretching as if it were his daily routine. The corners of his mouth curled up smoothly after checking that his stretches were better than usual. The surroundings still had no magic, but he was recovering really fast. ''Well, it makes sense considering how much I¡¯ve invested in my body so far.¡¯ It was natural since he had taken dozens of elixirs and even gone through a body transformation. As he brushed himself off and got up, he saw Tess entering the medical room with a flushed face. "Oh,Sonny, you are up. How are you?" "I¡¯m getting better day by day. By the way, did something good happen?" "No. What, good? It¡¯s still the same, like a spinning wheel." Tess waved his hand in denial, but he eventually asked, "By the way, have you heard?¡± "Heard what?¡± "The missing knights were finally found." "Oh,where?¡± "Don''t get surprised¡­" Tess lowered his voice as if he were sharing a great secret with Seo Jun-Ho. "They were found in Audrick¡¯s house. You know Audrick, right? The Knight Captain? The missing knights were found in his cave." "That''s a surprise." "¡­Is that all? Why do you seem so dry?¡± He seemed to have expected a bigger reaction from Seo Jun-Ho, so Tess started looking like he was losing steam at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯sckluster reply. "Well, anyway. Audrick is now in a precarious situation. Serves him right, though." "Is it really okay for you to say that? What are you going to do if I go to the knights and tell them?" "Uh¡­" Tess scratched his head. "I didn''t think of that. I thought that you were not interested in bing a knight." "Now, that¡¯s shocking. Do I look weak in your eyes?¡± "No, that¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s just that I... I know just what kind of people are those who want to be knights." People like them were usually selfish troublemakers. Tess thought that all knights were like those. ¡®In that sense, Mr. Sonny is...¡¯ It hadn¡¯t been that long since Tess met Seo Jun-Ho, but Seo Jun-Ho felt like apletely different person from those people. Of course, Tess didn¡¯t really have a logical basis for his deduction. ¡®It''s just a feeling.¡¯ Tess simply felt that Seo Jun-Ho was a decent man. "You¡¯re mistaken about one thing." Seo Jun-Ho corrected Tess'' thoughts. "Knights aren''t supposed to be obnoxious and rude boors." "Well... I have heard that they used to value honor or something in the past." Unfortunately, honorable knights only existed in fairy tales here. The reality was that it would be impossible to find a single honorable knight here. Seo Jun-Ho looked at Tess'' gloomy face and sighed lightly. ''I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not just Tess who¡¯s thinking that way...'' Tess¡¯ thoughts were simr to the thoughts of those people living on the lower floors. Seo Jun-Ho was upset. It felt like his precious memories of honorable knights were being trampled on by the dirty shoes of those boors. "Oh,and while you were sleeping, an upational inspector came to see you." "upational inspector?" Tess exined with a nod, "People who fall here need to get a job once they recover to some extent. Otherwise, they will be reduced to very." "Can I choose anything?¡± ¡°Yes. However, you can¡¯t be reckless and choose an upation you¡¯re not good at. If you end up not getting a decent score from the upational aptitude inspector, you will be reduced to very all the same.¡± In that case, Seo Jun-Ho would have to choose an upation that he was fairly confident in performing. ¡®What should I do? I¡¯m most confident of my body¡­¡¯¡¯ However, he didn''t want to be a soldier or a knight here. He would feel like he would also be trampling on the people he greatly respected. Seo Jun-Ho fell into deep contemtion. Tess smiled upon seeing that. "You don¡¯t have to decide right now, so think about it more. If you have any questions, you can ask me." "What kind of work can I do using only my body?" "How many jobs like that do you think exist on a Farm? Anyway, jobs like that usually involve farming." Seo Jun-Ho suddenly realized that even though he had been hearing the word farm, he still had no idea what they were growing here. "If I be a farmer, do I only have to carry water, manure, and maybe sow thend?" "What are you talking about? Have you already forgotten what I told you about how you¡¯re not good at making jokes?¡± Tess shook his head and continued. "Demonic stones, the farmers here farm demonic stones." *** ¡°Damn¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho had to admit that he had gotten careless. ¡®I got involved with the knights, so I forgot that I still have to gather information.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho quickly organized his thoughts. ''This is a farm. A literal farm.¡¯ However, the demons owned the Farm. In exchange for their lives, the people here regrly pay tributes to the demons in the form of demonic stones. ¡®I was wondering why they¡¯re underground, but I didn¡¯t expect that it was all because of this.¡¯ The door to the outside world could only be opened by the demons. In other words, the king and his knights were the same as the others. They were all ves. ''It''s absurd for me, but it might just be natural for the people here.¡¯ The people here were much more afraid of the knights than the demons outside. "Demons¡­" Seo Jun-Ho calmly measured his current level. ¡®Without magic¡­ It¡¯ll be difficult for me to handle a Common demon.¡¯ However, he was confident that he could crush Low demons with just his physical strength, but Common demons and above were different. Fighting them without magic was like trying to punch a gun-wielding opponent. ''But there¡¯s still a way¡­¡¯ This dark underground cave still had a hole he could exploit, and it was¡ª "Hey, Sonny! Stop muttering to yourself! Come over here and carry your luggage!" ¡°Yes¡­" Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s train of thought was interrupted by the supervisor¡¯s scream. He walked over to the supervisor, and thetter shoved arge bag into his chest. Therge bag contained fist-sized stones that gave off a brilliant purple color. "Hand this over to the lord noble outside. A demonic stone will be a useless stone if it¡¯s not put in a custom-made container within six hours." "I understand." "If even one of them is missing or gets scratched, you better be ready to get punished." "Yes¡­" Seo Jun-Ho carefully carried the bag and left the mine. ''This is the hole I can exploit...¡¯ The demonic stone was an ore carrying a trace amount of demonic energy. [You sense lowest-grade demonic energy from the target.] [Watchguard of Darkness can consume the demonic energy.] [Upon absorption, your magic stat will increase.] ¡®Bingo.¡¯ This was why he decided to be a farmer, leaving all the other good jobs aside. Of course, the demonic energy in the demonic stone was as small as dust. [Magic stat has increased by 0.003.] [Magic stat has increased by 0.002.] [Magic stat has increased by 0.005.] ¡­ ¡®There are about twenty demonic stones in a bag...¡¯ He would have to repeat this chore at least twenty times to increase his magic stat by one point. However, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t disappointed at all. ''It doesn¡¯t matter how long it would take, you will eventually reach your destination as long as you¡¯re walking on the right path.'' It was a lesson he had learned from his long or perhaps short life so far. *** There was an office at the entrance of the mine. A noble was sitting in front of a clean desk. He stared at the man in front of him with a surprised look. ¡®What? It''s not even nine o''clock yet¡­¡¯ The demonic stones¡¯ courier would usually arrive around eleven. However, the newbie who had just entered the mine today actually managed to carry today¡¯s first batch here before nine. The curious noble couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Did the supervisor say something in particr? Like today''s harvest won¡¯t be that huge or something?¡± "He did not say anything." "Hmm." The noble found it strange, but he still ced the demonic stones in the custom-made container. "Here is the notarized certificate. Go back and give it to your supervisor." "I understand." Seo Jun-Ho got up with his empty bag and went back into the mine. "Dig faster like me! We must make sure that the nobles won¡¯t yell at us about our harvest anymore!¡± The supervisor sighed while looking at the slow workers. He was about to swing his pickaxe once again. "Hmm?" However, he abruptly stopped with a pale look. The new recruit he had sent away just a while ago was already here. "W-what''s wrong?! Howe you¡¯re back so early?!" "I have delivered the demonic stones,¡± replied Seo Jun-Ho. "That''s ridiculous!" The supervisor checked his watch and said furiously, "It takes two hours to get there without a backpack. You had to carry that heavy bag over your shoulder, but it only took you an hour to go there and back?!" "Here''s the notarized certificate," said Seo Jun-Ho. The supervisor snatched the document out of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands. The supervisor¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing it. The notarized document certified that there were no issues with the quality of the delivered demonic stones. "I can move fast." "Well, you¡¯re young, so I guess I expected it. I was actually as good as you when I was your age.¡± The supervisor chuckled and carried over another bag. "Rest for a while, and once you have recovered your stamina. Deliver this, and you can go home for the day." "Do I have to go home? Am I not allowed to deliver more?" At that, the supervisor looked at him as if he were crazy. "Well, you can deliver more if you want to do so, but¡­ you aren¡¯t just going to be working for a day or two, so you have to take care of your health." "If I find it too difficult, I will make sure to tell you,¡± insisted Seo Jun-Ho. "I really can¡¯t understand young people these days. All right, do as you please." After getting permission, Seo Jun-Ho delivered nine batches of demonic stones that day. 0.54¡­ His magic stat increased by 0.54 on his first day of work. *** "Hmm." The king slowly read the documents. The documents contained the personal information of this Farm¡¯s inhabitants. ¡®''I have no idea. Just who the hell is it?¡¯ Since they could kill three armed knights with their bare hands, why were they hiding? Were they saving their strength to rebel at the right time? "Interesting." The king smiled. He wasn¡¯t anxious. Actually, he wanted that person to rebel right this instant. He was merely a half, but the blood of the demons was still running through his veins. As such, he also wasn¡¯t the type to refuse a fight. Actually, he was always bloodthirsty, so if possible, he would even initiate a fight. ¡®I¡¯m getting a bit impatient just waiting here. I think it¡¯s a great idea to throw bait.¡¯ The king raised his head and spoke, "Audrick." "Argh, cough!" Tremble. There was an individual covered in blood and lying next to the king¡¯s desk. He was Audrick. His negligence resulted in him bing the target of the king¡¯s sinister hobby of torturing people. "I''ll tell you how you can save your life and keep your position at the same time." ¡°¡­¡± Audrick¡¯s swollen and bruised eyes turned to the king. Humans would rather die than lose the power that they had been enjoying for a long time. As such, Audrick crawled over to the king without hesitation, even though thetter was the one who had inflicted such wounds on him not too long ago. He then prostrated himself before the king without any hesitation. Amused at the sight, the king held his chin in his hand and spoke¡­ Chapter 452. King鈥檚 Road (1) Chapter 452. King¡¯s Road (1) It was break time at the mine. The mine was filled with the smell of dirt and sweat. The workers chewed on dried moss as a snack and started to gather in small groups to chat quietly among themselves. ¡°Thatd sure is something.¡± ¡°Really. It only took him an hour to go through that route when it usually takes three hours for most people.¡± ¡°Dammit. I thought he would fold in a day or two.¡± They were talking about the new guy, Seo Jun-Ho¡ªor rather, Sonny. He disyed such incredible speed from the very first day, so a huge betting pot was created among the workers. - How long would hest? Most of the workers had bet their ration tickets on four days or less. But would you look at that? A week had already passed in the blink of an eye. ¡°Do you really think that what he has been doing is possible because he¡¯s young¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve all been that age at some point, haven¡¯t we? That¡¯s something you¡¯re born with.¡± ¡°True. He¡¯s the spitting image of my younger self.¡± ¡°Be serious, Johnson. Be quiet and just eat your moss.¡± ¡°Sure. I bet Sonny would look like your younger self if someone were to beat Sonny¡¯s face ck and blue.¡± However, one thing was for sure. The workers¡¯ life had be easier ever since Sonny started working here. The role of a runner had always been physically grueling, so the workers here had always chosen their daily runners by drawing lots. The workers felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from their shoulders since Sonny kept on taking on the burden of being a runner. ¡°Geez, I need to buy him a meal to show our appreciation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I should give him a ration ticket, too.¡± Just as they wrapped up their praise of the strapping young man, one of the workers scanned their surroundings and spoke in a cautious voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys feel like things have been a little chaotic around the sitetely?¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯re you talking about? When has it ever been this peaceful here?¡± ¡°Exactly! Don¡¯t you think it feels like the calm before the storm?¡± ¡°Be serious, Johnson. Be quiet and just eat your moss.¡± ¡°Look at him, being all cheeky again¡­¡± Johnson sulked as his fellow workers chided him. Still, he decided to go quiet and chew on his moss in peace. Surprisingly, many people agreed with Johnson. ¡°It makes me wonder if life could have always been this easy without the higher-ups¡¯ harassment.¡± ¡°Well, maybe they finally had a wake-up call when those three knights died.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s true, I hope they keep dying off every once in a while.¡± ¡°Have some empathy. They were still people living at this Farm, just like us.¡± ¡°...Ahem. It was a slip of the tongue.¡± An inexplicable uneasiness was starting to take over themoners. The nobles should have caused a ruckus when the knights died, but they had remained suspiciously quiet. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, I feel fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. If you feel tired, don¡¯t hesitate to tell us. Your health is important. Go there and rest,¡± the team leader said kindly. Seo Jun-Ho blinked. It wasn¡¯t like he had anything else to do when there wasn¡¯t anything to deliver. ¡°Hey, Sonny! Over here!¡± "You lot, get back to work!¡± ¡°A-Ahem. Please, it¡¯s only been five minutes.¡± The workers shrunk back. When Sonny came over, they offered him some moss. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired? At least have a snack.¡± ¡°At your age, you need to eat a lot. Take as much as you wish.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled awkwardly and scratched his head. It felt strange to be treated like he was still young, considering his real age. In addition, it had already been a week since he started working here, so he wasn¡¯t a newbie anymore. ¡®I still can¡¯t get used to it.¡¯ Back on Earth, people often called him ¡®sunbae¡¯ or ¡®fossil¡¯. However, the people here were treating him like a young man in his early twenties. The treatment felt new to him. ¡®It does feel a bit weird¡­¡¯ However, it felt nice in more ways than one. Here, he wasn¡¯t receiving any special treatment, simr to how people had always been treating him as a Hero. Here, no one had any expectations of him, and no one was looking at him with reverence. ¡°Thank you for the food.¡± The workers started talking about something else. Seo Jun-Ho chewed on his moss as he checked his status window. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 260 Title: Bringer of Spring (+8 more) Strength: 845 Stamina: 857 Speed: 860 Magic: 906 His magic stat had been 872 before he came up to the 6th Floor, so that meant he gained 4 stat points here aside from the points that Bringer of Spring had given him. It had already been a week since he started farming. ¡®It kind of feels like I¡¯m putting coins into a piggy bank.¡¯ He was used to raising his magic stat by tens of points at a time with the help of potions or Titles. It felt very strange to earn a tiny amount of points over time by working consistently and honestly. ¡®I wonder if I have already recovered...¡¯ Even though he only managed to obtain four additional magic stat points until now, the presence of magic in his body alone gave him other benefits. Most importantly, Cell Regeneration (A) had be amazingly effective. ¡®When I had no magic in my body, my bones were healing very, very slowly¡­¡¯ However, his bones had recovered in just a mere few days when he had obtained the faintest amount of magic. Seo Jun-Ho closed his status window, feeling satisfied. ¡®At this rate, I should be able to fill myself up with magic once theye to collect their tribute.¡¯ ording to Tess, the demons woulde around two to three times a year to collect tributes. ¡®Until then, I¡¯ll recover as much magic as I can and kill those demons, so I can collect more stat points.¡¯ That was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s n¡­ So far, he hadn¡¯t had any problems fitting in neatly like a cog in a machine. ¡®...I hope the next two months will remain peaceful.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes grew hazy. The king still hadn¡¯t made a move even though three of his knights had inexplicably died, and Seo Jun-Ho had no idea about what was causing the hold-up. *** ¡°Mr. Sonny! Over here!¡± Tess waved his hand energetically. He had been waiting inside the restaurant, which was located in a suburb on the third floor. He started talking as soon as Seo Jun-Ho sat down. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve really been on a roll these days.¡± ¡°Says who?¡± ¡°You do know who the workers go to when they injure their backs, right?¡± Tess said, seemingly proud of his job as a doctor. ¡°They say you¡¯re the best newbie they¡¯ve ever had. Apparently, their life has gotten a lot easier thanks to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it tiring? It¡¯s a grueling job that many workers avoid. Plus, your bones still haven¡¯t fully¡ª¡± Tess¡¯s eyes grew wide as he shamelessly kneaded Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s arm. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s bones a few days ago felt soft, but now, they had be as hard as steel. ¡°T-they¡¯re fully mended? That¡¯s impossible!¡± Normally, it would take at least two months for a broken bone to heal. Tess was shocked to see that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s bone injuries had fully mended in just a week. Tess looked at Seo Jun-Ho as if he were seeing thetter for the first time. ¡°I told you. I recover from injuries pretty quickly.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a matter of recovery speed¡­¡± The doctor looked at him doubtfully, but Seo Jun-Ho just shrugged. Tess gave a lopsided smile at his nonchnt response. ¡°You have never failed to surprise me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was like an onion. No matter how manyyers he seemed to shed, there would always be anotheryer underneath. Tess decided not to think too deeply about it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if saying this makes you feel self-conscious, but things have been a lot morefortable ever since you came around.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Back then, people were always on edge because the higher-ups were constantly spying on us and whatnot.¡± However, it all stopped when those three knights died. Tess had no idea if this was only temporary, but¡­ ¡°It¡¯s been pretty nice these days.¡± Tess smiled warmly before taking a sip of water. He had never wanted anything grand. All he ever wanted was something like this. Tess only ever wanted to live a low-key life while treating patients. ¡°Though, I¡¯ll admit that I didn¡¯t really enjoy spending all day treating Audrick.¡± ¡°...Audrick? The knight captain?¡± ¡°Yes. The king definitely gave him a good beating. I mean, he was covered in blood when he came to me.¡± Tess chuckled under his breath. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s feeling a bit guilty because he has been working me hard for thest week so he¡¯ll recover as soon as possible. Actually, I just discharged him right before I came here. He has almost fully recovered,¡± added Tess. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°Now, I can give my other patients more attention.¡± Tess turned around and watched the people milling around the marketce. ¡°Can you see it? It¡¯s only been a week, but you can barely see the worry on their faces.¡± Usually, the people would constantly be watching out for the higher-ups who could kill or enve them had any time. Beneath such a tyrannical rule, just about anyone would eventually be exhausted. ¡°I want nothing else other than to keep living a life like this.¡± ¡°...¡± All this was nothing in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. In fact, it was the bare minimum. And yet, the people were happy. ¡°I hope your wishes true,¡± he said with sincerity. *** It was just like any other day¡­ Seo Jun-Ho woke up early in the morning to go to the mine and did the same work he had been doing for the past week. He realized that something was wrong after delivering the day¡¯s first batch of demonic stones. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was standing outside the office while staring a thousand yards away. ¡°What are you doing? Come in,¡± said the nobleman inside the office. He stepped inside and ced therge bag on the floor. ¡°What are all those soldiers for?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. There were at least ten times more soldiers than usual at the mine on the 2nd floor. The nobleman inspected the demonic stones and said dismissively, ¡°I don¡¯t know. The upper floor has been especially fussy today.¡± ¡°...The upper floor?¡± The nobles resided on the 9th floor, so there was only one level above them. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®The king is finally making a move.¡¯ It was long overdue. ording to Tess, the king was an extremely ruthless man. Since he decided to wait patiently for over a week, it could only mean that the king was nning something¡ªfor better or for worse. ¡®But¡­ What exactly is he nning?¡¯ The king hadn¡¯t been able to find any leads, and it was the reason why the king had been patiently biding his time. Of course, the reason the king couldn¡¯t find any leads was that Seo Jun-Ho had erased all traces that could lead to him. ¡®He shouldn¡¯t have any grounds to do anything.¡¯ The king hadn¡¯t found the culprit just yet, so there was nothing he would gain even if he made a move. In fact, if he acted recklessly, his authority would only go down. ¡®But something¡¯s making me nervous...¡¯ He could feel it. His instincts were screaming at him¡ªsomething was going to happen today. ¡°Here, I¡¯ve stamped it. Be on your way.¡± ¡°Um. Is it okay if I take the rest of the day off?¡± ¡°What? No!¡± The nobleman¡¯s face flushed red. ¡°We don¡¯t have anyone as fast as you. Our harvest rate has been going up thanks to¡ª¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed at the ceiling, and the nobleman looked up. ¡°Huh? Nothing¡¯s¡ª¡± Jun-Ho pressed his magic-imbued finger onto the pressure point behind the nobleman¡¯s ear, and thetter crumbled to the floor. He had learned this technique on the 5th Floor, and his knowledge of physiology had also increased while he was trying to create Hart¡¯s vessel. ¡°Man, I was nning toy low and slowly increase my magic stat.¡± Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t really anything that he could do in the face of the unexpected. He retrieved the demonic stones from their custom-made container. He had to use them, so he would be prepared for the worst-case scenario. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with taking a shortcut every once in a while.¡± The room became filled with a brilliant purple light as Seo Jun-Ho simultaneously absorbed the demonic energy of hundreds of demonic stones. *** ¡°This spot will do.¡± At the king¡¯s order, his subjects put together his extravagant throne. Here, he would have a full view of the 2nd and 3rd floors. Once his throne was done, the soldiers and knights lined up. In an instant, the peaceful camp was thrown into chaos. The scared people started running away to hide. ¡°They run away as soon as they see others who are stronger than them. They¡¯re like cockroaches afraid of predators,¡± he mused and smiled as people started running all over the ce. The king turned to look at someone next to him. Audrick had received intense treatment over the week, so he had already recovered. Actually, he had never felt better than before. ¡°Are you ready?¡± asked the king. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Bloodlust raged in Audrick¡¯s eyes. He was wearing steel-ted armor that only knight captains could wear. There was only one way for him to salvage his honor and his own life. ¡°Go ahead and kill them, then.¡± He had to indiscriminately ughter the insects until their so-called Hero showed up. Chapter 453: King鈥檚 Road (2) Chapter 453: King¡¯s Road (2) Everyone on the third floor and higher went to hide in their caves. Unfortunately, the ves on the first and second floors couldn¡¯t do the same. Even if they were to hide, it would be in vain because the king and his subordinates were targeting them. ¡°Um¡­ ain¡¯t he targeting us?¡± ¡°Is he here to get revenge for the knights who died?¡± ¡°Damn it all! It¡¯s not toote yet! We have to tell them what we saw that night!¡± ¡°You cannot do that,¡± said an old man. When the old man with a cane stepped into the za, the ves bowed their heads in respect. He was the oldest person on the Farm, and he was also known to be the wisest. People would usually be stubborn and self-centered as they grew older, but he was an exception. Therefore, the old man had be an unofficial arbitrator among the ves. The ves would go over to them for his wisdom and knowledge. Naturally, many people admired him. ¡°Elder, what does that mean?¡± The man who had been insisting that they should go and report hit his own chest with frustration. ¡°Can¡¯t you see them up there? They¡¯re armed and prepared to massacre us.¡± ¡°As humans, we must repay the kindness we were shown.¡± The old man looked at the other with his deep eyes. ¡°We are not being treated like humans here, but that doesn¡¯t mean that we should abandon our own humanity.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Think about it. Do you really think that he didn¡¯t agonize over the decision to help us?¡± The Farm belonged to the king, and the king¡¯s power was absolute. Those withmon sense would definitely choose not to cross him. ¡°And despite all that, he didn¡¯t hesitate to help us.¡± If they were to repay his kindness with betrayal, who would help the ves again? If they were to abandon their humanity to ovee an immediate crisis, there was no way they could regain their humanity. The man bit his lip at Elder Savio¡¯s gentle rebuke. ¡°And despite his cruelty, he is still the nominal king of this Farm,¡± added Elder Savio. He was trying to say that there was no way the king would kill them without reason or enough justification. Facing the king above them, Elder Savio straightened his back as much as possible. It looked as though his back was hunched over from all the hardships he had endured so far, and he was only pulling himself up with his sheer integrity. ¡°...He''s right.¡± ¡°Why do we have to cower? What exactly did we do wrong? Is it a crime to be a ve?¡± ¡°We can''t just run away. Let''s show them our dignity!¡± ¡°I don''t want to backstab our savior either.¡± Inspired by the sight, the other ves started to square their hunched shoulders, and they looked up proudly. Theirbined will was so powerful that even the soldiers wavered. The king propped up his chin on his hand, looking bored. He was watching them closely, so he didn¡¯t miss a thing. ¡®I knew it.¡¯ Once again, he was proven correct. ¡®Fear eventually fades.¡¯ Humans were arrogant yet adaptable beings. They could easily recall what happened today, yesterday, or evenst week. So what would happen if they were to experience the same thing for a year or five? ¡®They would stop being scared.¡¯ The king found their nature to be more annoying rather than the humans themselves. It was all because his job was to routinely instill fear in them¡ªhe had to instill fear that was stronger than the previous round. ¡®I suppose it was about time.¡¯ Sentencing civilians into very was nothing because such a thing had already been happening for decades. Of course, the victim would suffer, but it wasn''t nearly enough to instill fear in others. ¡®I wonder how far I''ll have to go this time¡­¡¯ His goal was to kill two birds with one stone by luring the insects¡¯ so-called hero while instilling fear in them at the same time. ¡°...Audrick.¡± The king¡¯s voice echoed in the silent cave. m! Something heavy struck the first floor all of a sudden. Cough! Cough! ¡°Ugh, there''s so much dust! What is this?!¡± ¡°Did something fall?¡± When the thick clouds of dust settled, a knight wearing shining red armor appeared. Vrrr. vrrr. The red magic circuits etched all over the armor let out a resonant hum. ¡°...A knight?¡± ¡°Hey, Look at that sword.¡± It was the sword that Knight Captain Audrick would always hold in his hand. Unbeknownst to the ves, the sword was the king¡¯s favorite sword because it symbolized fear. The ve closest to him spoke up and asked with concern, ¡±U-um, did you fall from the third floor? Are you all right?¡± At that, Audrick slowly lifted his head. Huh? By the time the ve saw the bloodthirsty eyes behind the helmet, Knight Captain Audrick had already shed the ve¡¯s chest with his sword. ¡°¡­¡± Silence quickly spread like a gue, and it seemed as if time itself had stopped. ¡°He killed him¡­!¡± Knight Captain Audrick had just killed a ve with no reason nor justification. Audrick simply swung his sword, and the ve fell to the ground right there and then. Unprecedented terror filled the hearts of the people on the first and second floors. ¡°R-run.¡± ¡°Run to the upper flooorsss!¡± Audrick started his massacre as the shouts of the ves filled the air. Yes, it was a massacre. Nothing more, nothing less. Every time Audrick moved his sword, arms, legs, and heads would go flying as the corpses started to pile up. ¡°Finally¡­.¡± The king enjoyed the entertaining sight, looking satisfied. A scream came from nearby. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± He turned his head ever so slightly and saw a familiar face. It was Tess, the Farm¡¯s doctor. ¡°Answer me. What the hell are you doing?! Stop Audrick at once!¡±[1] Veins popped from Tess¡¯ forehead as he yelled. However, the guards quickly overpowered him and forced him onto his knees. The king stared at Tess and replied, ¡°It''s entertainment.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Tess trembled. Entertainment? He was ughtering people like animals for entertainment? Tess felt something inside him snap as he let out a great roar and cried. ¡°You piece of shit! They are your people! They''re the people of your Farm, you bastard!¡± ¡°...¡± At that, the king tilted his head to the side. He looks at Tess with a face full of innocence and curiosity. ¡° I simply do not understand what you are trying to say here. Can someone else other than the king do something like this?¡± ¡°...¡± His shamelessness shocked Tess into silence. With great effort, Tess forced himself to speak. ¡°Are you fucking serious?¡± ¡°Every fight has a victor and a loser. I was victorious while you all were defeated. That is all.¡± The king curled his fingerzily. ¡°Everything on this Farm belongs to me, so I can do whatever I want with it.¡± ¡°...¡± Tess didn¡¯t know what to say. His vision grew blurry. He tried to hold back his tears, but the pain of betrayal was too great for him to endure. ¡®¡­I believed in you.¡¯ Even if he was a tyrannical king, half of him was human, just like Tess. Therefore, Tess thought that the king would change as long as they tried. Tess had firmly believed that a day woulde when his voice and the people''s voice would reach the king''s ears. ¡®Tess, you idiot.¡¯ Little did they know, their voices had reached him long ago. However, the king simply ignored their cries. It was Tess'' fault for thinking that the other half of the king was human. ¡°...Damn you, demons.¡± Even though he was only half, the king was clearly a demon. Why couldn¡¯t he see the obvious? Why had he been naively clinging to hope, only to be struck down like this? ¡®I never should have had hope in the first ce.¡¯ If he had only abandoned hope long ago, then he wouldn''t have to feel this miserable. All the strength left his body, and Tess sat there as if he had given uppletely. Even though people could ovee many trials, most people would outright give up if they knew that there was no end to the trials that they would have to ovee. What would be the point of working hard if there was no light at the end of the tunnel? ¡®It''s over¡­ it''s all over.¡¯ From now on, the people on the lower floors would have to live like insects under the tomb of a monster. Tess¡¯ head drooped in defeat. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t lower your head,¡± said a firm voice next to him. The person who spoke then lifted him up and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± ¡°¡­ Mr. Sonny?¡± Tess stared at him in shock. ¡°W-why are you here?¡± Tess hurriedly looked around, and his eyes widened. He didn¡¯t notice Sonny¡¯s approach at all, and he was astonished to find the soldiers copsed on the ground. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The king¡¯s eyes filled with interest. He lifted his chin and sat up straight. ¡°So it¡¯s you. The hero of these insects¡­¡± ¡°Tell me,¡± Seo Jun-Ho ignored the king and spoke to Tess. Tess was confused. ¡°Tell you, what?¡± ¡°Tell me what you want,¡± rified Seo Jun-Ho. The way he spoke made it seem like he could grant whatever Tess wanted. The temptation was hard to resist, but Tess couldn¡¯t reply right away. ¡®Dreams can bring a great deal of pain.¡¯ Didn¡¯t he just learn that lesson the hard way not too long ago? The king actually stood up from his seat. With an amused look, he said, ¡°Funny. You speak as if you are some god who can do anything¡ª¡± ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sharp eyes pierced the king. ¡°Wait your turn.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tess¡¯ heart rose up to his throat upon seeing the stiff look on the king¡¯s face. He tugged Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sleeve and asked. ¡°W-why are you doing this?¡± ¡°I want you to give me an answer first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tess went silent. However, he started trembling when he met Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s clear and sincere eyes. ¡®Those eyes¡­¡¯ Finally, Tess realized why Seo Jun-Ho felt so familiar to him. ¡°Tess, you¡¯ll have to help the people from now on.¡± His parents were sentenced to very simply because they rightfully spoke against the king. Back then, his parents would often leave in the morning to be the knights¡¯ sparring partners, but they would stumble their way home every night while covered in blood. ¡°I am sorry for leaving you with such a heavy burden.¡± Despite coughing up blood, they forced their worn bodies to stand up and pass their medical techniques onto Tess. They wanted to make sure that their son would survive once they were gone. ¡®Mother¡­ Father¡­¡¯ Fat tears spilled from Tess¡¯ eyes. What did he want? He could go on for days about everything he wanted. But right now, he could only think of one answer to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s question. ¡°The people. Save them. I beg you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded at the young doctor¡¯s emotional plea. Meanwhile, the king started stretching. ¡°Are you done ying?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯ll be done soon enough.¡± Unlike the way he looked at Tess, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze at the king was colder than a thousand-year-old icy cavern. ¡°Heh, are you going to be like that fool and tell me that a king should treasure his people?¡± asked the king. ¡°A true ruler leads their people forward rather than perching at the top. They inspire admiration rather than fear.¡± These were the words of the former ruler of Niflheim, so Seo Jun-Ho believed that they were true. ¡°You naive fool. Don¡¯t you know that your words are the mere delusions ofmoners?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A king is a king. A king is an absolute being that rules over everything, and everyone should bow to them and obey them.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes closed. He suddenly recalled a conversation he had with the Frost Queen. It had only been a few days, but he was already missing her dearly. ¡°Contractor. Do you know what a ruler needs the most?¡± ¡°Royal blood?¡± ¡°No, wrong! You¡¯re absolutely wrong! A ruler needsprehension the most.¡± ¡°Why would they need that for?¡± ¡°They have toprehend the hearts of their people.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be a ruler, then. How am I supposed to do that?¡± ¡°Heh, quite the contrary. You will make a fine ruler.¡± Back then, he couldn¡¯t understand it at all. But now, he finally realized what the Frost Queen was talking about. ¡®Why was it that I couldn¡¯t understand until now?¡¯ Were his ears covered? Was that why words couldn¡¯t reach him? An oppressive power spilled out of him like a deluge. ¡°¡­!¡± The air around them abruptly changed. The king looked down at his trembling hands with disbelief. ¡®I-I¡¯m afraid of him?¡¯ Even the demon inspectors that would sometimes visit the cave couldn¡¯t intimidate him anymore, so why was he trembling right now? ¡°The Emperor of Neo Citymands¡­¡± [Dignity of an Emperor (S) has been activated to boost the emperor¡¯s all-epassing aura.] [The emperor should always be dignified no matter where he is.] [You are temporarily at the Transcendence Stage.] [You have temporarily met the conditions to handle a soulstone.] Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes once more, and they were shining in an otherworldly luster. ¡°Hart Weeper. My knight.¡± Whoosh! Seo Jun-Ho clenched his fist powerfully, and the air itself whistled in response. ¡°Arise.¡± And show them what it meant to be a true knight¡­ 1. He speaks very respectfully at first and switches in the middle. The final sentence is formal, but he speaks disrespectfully/casually from here on out. ? Chapter 454. King鈥檚 Road (3) Chapter 454. King¡¯s Road (3) [Dignity of an Emperor (S) has been activated to boost the emperor¡¯s all-epassing aura.] [The emperor should always be dignified no matter where he is.] [You are temporarily at the Transcendence Stage.] [You have temporarily met the conditions to handle a soulstone.] Seo Jun-Ho felt like his mind had opened, and he felt like his thoughts had expanded. It felt surreal, and it felt like everything was in his grasp. ¡®Was the world always like this?¡¯ The world had temporarily stopped, and a small ripple urred in Seo Jun-Ho''s mind. He suddenly recalled the pushover Gray, hysterical Reiji, and the World Tree. ''Have they always been living in such a world?'' He was sure of it. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t obtain this strength through enlightenment or because he had be even stronger. It was all because of a fluke. The power he was wielding right now would dissipate the moment the Dignity of an Emperor (S) was deactivated. ¡®But even if it¡¯s not mine¡­¡¯ He could feel this space, the surroundings, and the world itself. Even more astounding was that he felt as if everything were lying next to his feet. ''It¡¯s not arrogance, nor an illusion.¡¯ It was literally true rather than a metaphor. Seo Jun-Ho was now observing everything in his surroundings. It was proved by how he could now see what wasn¡¯t visible earlier, and he could now hear what couldn¡¯t be heard before. - This is¡­ a surprise. Seo Jun-Ho turned and saw Hart Weeper¡¯s blurry figure. Hart Weeper smiled faintly and spoke. - I had no idea that I would be able to talk with my lord so soon. ''This is just a fluke...¡¯ - Look at you being so modest. A fluke doesn''t just fall from the sky one day, you know? All this is the amalgamation of the numerous paths you have crossed so far. Hart Weeper then looked up after he was doneplimenting his lord. - However, it seems that we will have to postpone the celebration. ¡®¡­¡¯ Yes, he still had something to do before anything else. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and stretched his hand out. - From now on, I¡¯ll be supporting my lord from behind the scenes. Hart Weeper¡¯s noble soul filled the soulstone to the brim. Seo Jun-Ho clenched his fist tightly and said, "Arise." *** The intermingling of darkness and ice in the air created a beautiful work of art. Hart Weeper¡¯s soulstone had appeared where the heart should be located in a humanoid body. ¡®Yes, this is it¡­¡¯ This was the humanoid frame that he and the Frost Queen had created. - Frost Knight. The giant knight made out of ice stood 202.43 centimeters tall. "Hart." Seo Jun-Homanded Hart. "Kill the trash who dares to pretend like he¡¯s a knight." Psssh! The blue eyes shone behind the Frost Knight¡¯s helmet, and the knight vanished like a lie. "I won¡¯t die. I¡¯m the knight captain! I won''t give my position to anyone...¡± Audrick muttered crazily. The demonic armor he was wearing increased his stats exponentially across the board, but in exchange, it had taken over his mind. "Kill, kill, kill¡­!¡± "Hiiik!" He strode toward another group of ves. The man hugging his wife and children closed his eyes tightly as a sword fell toward him like a guillotine. However, the pain he was expecting did not arrive. ¡®Did I die before I could feel pain?¡¯ The man gently opened his eyes and was surprised. "H-huhh?" He could see a back. It was the back of a huge knight wearing armor made out of ice. For some reason, the knight¡¯s back reminded the man of a mountain. The knight had stopped Audrick''s sword from falling toward them. ¡°¡­¡± The knight nced and lightly gestured with his chin. The man felt that the knight was telling him to leave, so the man hurriedly nodded. "T-thank you. Thank you so much for saving us!" The man said frantically before running away with his family. Once he was sure that the man was far enough, the knight in icy armor looked up. "What? Who are you? What are you?¡± Audrick muttered. Behind the helmet, the knight in icy armor could see Audrick''s bloodshot eyes. Audrick had obviously lost his mind long ago, and his condition was getting worse by the minute. "How¡­?! Ugh, h-h-how dare you b-block me?!¡± Audrick had never felt this way before. He felt omnipotent, and he felt like he could now beat the king whom he had always been afraid to even face. ''Huh, should I really kill him? The king will die! Wait, why am I even following that guy¡¯s orders? Oh, blood! I see¡­! It¡¯s because I want to drink blood!'' Audrick¡¯s thoughts were long-winded, but what ultimately came out of his mouth was the growling of a beast. ¡°Grr, grr¡­!¡± Audrick¡¯s mind was in the middle of a copse, so it was only understandable that he couldn¡¯t speak anymore. "Grauuu!" Audrick charged while groaning and drooling. He swung his sword, but his movement contained not a single trace of conviction a knight should have with their every movement. There wasn¡¯t anything else other than killing intent. ¡°¡­¡± The Frost Knight extended his hand in response. Craackle! The air froze, and a sword was created. The Frost Knight snatched it in mid-air and moved, passing by the crazed Audrick. "¡­Grrr, graaawl!¡± Audrick roared like an animal as if he were proud of receiving no damage at all. However, before he could walk seven steps, he copsed and split into four perfectly symmetrical pieces. ¡°¡­¡± The shocked residents stared with their eyes wide, and they eventually muttered one by one. ¡°W-we won¡­?" "That monster was cut down in one stroke?¡± They turned to the victorious knight. He was a knight d in icy armor while wielding a sword made out of ice. They had no idea why he decided to help them, but they knew one thing for sure. "T-Thank you¡­!" "Thank you for helping us!" "Sniff! Sniff! I''m alive, damn it! I¡¯m alive!" They knew that the knight¡¯s heart was warmer and kinder than anyone else here, betraying his cold and cool appearance. The residents realized by then that the knight in icy armor was the perfect definition of the knight in their dreams. *** Craack! The wooden railing shattered under the king¡¯s grip. ¡®How pathetic¡­¡¯ He died in just one blow, and it was such an ugly death at that. The king¡¯s mood turned sour, and he slowly turned around. He had no idea why but both his mind and body were trembling, even though he was simply staring at his opponent. His mind was crying that he shouldn¡¯t resist the existence in front of him, but he ignored those cries. Crunch! He bit his tongue lightly, and the fishy scent of blood spread all over his mouth. The trembling subsided as a result. At the same time, his right eye turned bloodshot. He had finally revealed his ability as a half. "Whew, that feels better.¡± His opponent was strong, sure, but he couldn¡¯t just run away without a fight. Moreover, hadn¡¯t he been longing to fight the strong? The king got excited at the thought. "I will bring you two to your knees and let everyone remember thew of this Farm." "There¡¯s aw here?" "Yes. It is a simple and absolutew." The king spoke as he slowly spread his arms. "On this Farm, my words are thew." "Then, I will change thatw.¡± "Hmph, what a ridiculous pipe dream." Demonic energy flooded out of the king like a deluge. His cold demonic energy instilled primal fear in those unfortunate enough to be in its vicinity, and it was like a spray of cold water on the hot Farm. ''Ah, it has been such a long time since I felt this way.¡¯ He got thirsty the moment he mustered his demonic energy. ''They¡¯re strong.¡¯ The knight d in icy armor was particrly strong. He was a powerhouse that should have never appeared on this farm. The king found it hard to suppress his excitement, and he couldn¡¯t really be med. After all, it had been ten years since he had a good fight. ¡°I¡¯ll crush you right here and now. Then, I¡¯ll lock you up in prison, and I will only let you out whenever I want to fight,¡± said the king with bared teeth. Immediately afterward, he flew toward the knight on the first floor. He moved faster than sound and gripped the Frost Knight¡¯s face. ¡®I¡¯m curious¡­¡¯ Would the Frost Knight die if his head was shattered? The king just had to check, and with that being said, the king mmed the Frost Knight¡¯s head into the ground. Then, he continued pushing the Frost Knight¡¯s head into the ground with all his might. ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡®How is he alive?¡¯ He moved faster than sound earlier, and with the help of gravity, along with the king¡¯s own strength, the Frost Knight should have died when his head made contact with the ground. So why was he still alive? The king¡¯s eyes filled with shock as he quickly retreated. ¡°¡­¡± The Frost Knight didn¡¯t move at all, but the king had already grasped thetter¡¯s prowess. ''I made a mistake. There is no way I can defeat him without going all out.¡¯ He wanted to hide it until his fight with the arrogant human up there, but there was no helping it. Whoosh! All of a sudden, a fierce gust of wind swept past the windless Farm. When the wind swept past the residents, blood started pouring out of their noses. "Huk, huk¡­ I can¡¯t breathe.¡± "W-why do I feel dizzy¡­?¡± The residents¡¯ skin dried up, and their cheeks quickly sunk. However, the king¡¯s appearance changed drastically. "Aaah¡­!" There was a pair of wings on his back, and a slightlyrge bump could be seen on his forehead. The king seemed satisfied with the sense of fullness that filled his entire body. ¡®This characteristic reduces the lifespan of the insects, so I didn¡¯t really want to use it, but¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help it. Wait, actually, he regretted not using it a bit earlier. Tess got worried at the sight. "M-Mr. Sonny. Isn''t that a bit dangerous? Don''t you need help?" "Yes, it¡¯s a bit dangerous." Veins bulged on the back of Seo Jun-Ho''s hand as he tightly gripped the railing. It was probably the king¡¯s demon characteristic, and the effect was to forcibly absorb the life force of the nearby living beings. The kingughed. His enhanced hearing allowed him to hear their conversation. "A bit dangerous?" How ignorant. He was indeed ignorant to give such an evaluation at the sight of this supreme power. Shaking his head, the king gently gestured with his hand. A wall on the first floor was abruptly torn open. The residents groaned and trembled at the sight. "No, you''re wrong. It¡¯s very dangerous." The riled-up king waved his hand. Booom! The massive wall as big as a house flew and crushed the Frost Knight. "Hey, you¡¯re still alive, right?" the kingughed. A few momentster, something emerged from the cloud of dust. ¡°I knew it! There¡¯s no way a mere wall could have killed you!¡± The Frost Knight started running toward the king, and the king responded in kind. The Frost Knight got a head start, but the king had already calcted it. ¡®It¡¯s my win¡­¡¯ His fist would crush the Frost Knight first before thetter could do anything. Boooom! Arge explosion urred at the moment of collision, sending shockwaves throughout the entire Farm. The residentsmented. "Sir Knight!" "Ah!" There was no way someone could survive such a horrendously powerful punch. The punch was too destructive and strong. "Mr. Sonny! Is Sir Knight¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the first floor without saying a word. All of a sudden, he recalled the Frost Queen¡¯s first homework[1]. ¡®Back then, I didn¡¯t sleep for days. The only thing I did was make swords.¡¯ The homework was to produce the perfect and strongest ice. "I hate to admit it, but¡­" The foundation he had built from the Frost Queen¡¯s grueling homework was the foundation of the Frost Knight. ¡°¡­!¡± The king''s eyes widened at the sight. The Frost Knight was still alive? The king could swear that his punch hadnded squarely. "Ridiculous¡­!¡± the king eximed. He wasparable to a High demon, and if it weren¡¯t for the dirty human blood running through his veins, he would have long be a member of the Underworld rather than rotting in a ce like this. ¡°Your arrogance will destroy you someday.¡± The words of a demon whom he had forgotten long ago suddenly rang in his ears. Grit¡­! "Nonsense!" The king gnashed his teeth and sent another punch. This time, he would smash his opponent apart and prove his strength. "It¡¯s toote." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cold words echoed, and the Frost Knight drew his sword. "What I said earlier was for you," said Seo Jun-Ho to the king. Hart was furious at how the king had sacrificed his people to gain power, so he didn¡¯t hold back as he performed a fully concentrated strike. Cut the Mountain. The sword ki created from the concentrated strike struck the king and sent him flying into the air. "Aaaaargh!" The king desperately tried to use his demonic energy and resist the sword ki, but it was useless. The sword ki shredded the demonic energy as if it were a piece of paper, and the sword ki soon wounded him. "Aaaargh!¡± Screaming, the king''s back struck a wall. He abruptly stopped screaming, and as the dust cleared, the king realized that the Frost Knight¡¯s sword technique had sent him flying all the way up the ceiling. "N-no... No...!" The king spread his wings and tried to go down with a fearful look. However, the Frost Knight took his stance once again without saying anything. ¡°No, no, no, no¡­! W-w-wait¡­!¡± The king reached out his hand toward the knight he had been mocking earlier. Unfortunately, there was no way that his hand could reach the knight. Perhaps it was all because he had always made sure to keep everyone away from him, but he felt that there was no way he could ever reach the knight. "Aaaaahhh!¡± The same sword technique struck the king and sent him flying toward the ceiling once more. Upon colliding with the ceiling, the king¡¯s consciousness blurred, but he was forcefully awakened by a tremendous pain that threatened to overwhelm him. Boooooom! The ceiling crumbled into pieces. 1. for those who have already forgotten, the homework is to make swords out of clear ice ? Chapter 455. King鈥檚 Road (4) Chapter 455. King¡¯s Road (4) Boooom! The residents gasped as they stared through the hole in the ceiling. ¡°¡­¡± It was such a beautiful sight. The sun was shining through the hole in the ceiling and created a beautiful scene as it pierced through the cloud of dust and illuminated the dark cavern. No words were necessary. The residents, who had long gotten ustomed to the darkness of the caverns, were momentarily blinded by the light. However, none of them closed their eyes. While shedding tears, they kept on staring at the sky. ¡°Sniff! Sniff!¡± Tess tried to hold his tears back by biting his lips, but he couldn¡¯t stop his tears from flowing down his cheeks. He wasn''t crying because the sun was too bright and was painful to look at. ''Mother, Father.'' It was all because the sky that they really wanted to show him turned out to be even more beautiful than what they had described. It waste, but he could finally understand their feelings. "Aaaargh!" Boooom! Gravity finally brought the king down. The king opened his eyes with difficulty, and he instantly realized his oue. ¡®It''s... It''s over.¡¯ Most of his bones had shattered, and the sword technique hadcerated his flesh, causing an incessant flow of blood from his body. He was still alive because of his willpower, but it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to die any time soon. "Cough!" The king spat a mouthful of blood and forced himself to stand up. "My goodness... He¡¯s still trying to get up?" "He¡¯s a cockroach!" "You scum! Bring my father back!" Tap, tap. Crack. The residents started throwing stones at him. The stones struck him all over, including his head. In response, the king red at the residents, but the only response he received from them was a slight flinch. ¡°Haha¡­" The people who previously wouldn¡¯t dare to even look at his feet were now making eye contact with him. The king chuckled hollowly because it seemed that his end would be a miserable and bitter one. "If you people dared to look me in the eyes like this before, then there was no way that things would havee¡ª¡± "Bullshit,¡± someone interrupted him. "I¡¯m sure the people here are thinking that I¡¯m the viin, and I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what you think as well, right?" the king calmly stared at Seo Jun-Ho, who was slowly approaching him and said, "¡­I¡¯m a mutant, so I have never felt weed or epted anywhere." "So what?" "The world that rejected me first." No one wanted him, and no one would ept him. He was shunned the moment he was born. The king revealed an anguished look and cried out. "Who would dare to me me for what I had done?!" When his words fell, a stone struck his forehead. The stone was a hundred times more than the stones that struck him earlier. The king felt like his forehead had shattered. "I will.¡± Seo Jun-Ho, who had thrown the stone, responded as he started looking for another shiny stone. "It¡¯s been a long time since someone yed the victim card in front of me, but it seems that it never gets old." Of course, this wasn¡¯t Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first time encountering someone who was prepared to y the victim card. After all, he had dealt with tens of thousands of fiends before, and there were quite a few of them who had yed the same card in front of him. "The world abandoned me first. The world shunned me. The world left me alone." Those fiends had their own reasons, but no justification would be enough for them to be pardoned for the sins that they hadmitted. "The sadness you¡¯re experiencing¡ªcould it be heavier than the lives you have taken so far?" ¡°¡­¡± "The sadness you¡¯re experiencing¡ªcould it be heavier than the sadness of those whose rtives and friends died at your hands?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The king couldn''t answer, but his anguished expression disappeared and was reced by calmness. At the sight, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but remark. "I know guys like you well." They were a selfish bunch, and they were too self-centered that they would trample on others for their benefit. ¡°You were born to be shunned.¡± And Seo Jun-Ho was born to be the reaper who would reap their lives. The king stared indifferently at Seo Jun-Ho and asked, "That''s strange. Humans should be vulnerable to this kind of emotion." "I''ve seen worse trash than you." The king stared at the open ceiling. "¡­Do you know what you have done?" "I simply took out the trash." "So you really don''t know anything.¡± The king sighed and went on. ¡°I tried to go up there once. Only once." It was when he thought that his true family was the demons. "The first ones that appeared were the demonic creatures." Kieek! The residents stared at the ceiling. Hideous monsters that they had never seen before flooded in through the gap in the ceiling. "Hart." Hart stepped onto the wooden railings and made his way up to cut the demonic creatures down. The king grinned at the sight and said, "Once you¡¯re done killing those Lesser demonic creatures, the demons would appear next¡ªLow, Common, and High. They will appear in that order.¡± Of course, Hart and Seo Jun-Ho would be able to beat those demons. "And do you want to know what will happen if you somehow managed to defeat those demons? Of course, an Arch demon will show up." "I''ll cut them down, then." "And that wouldn¡¯t be the end of it. Cutting down an Arch demon is tantamount to summoning the nobles of the Underworld." "Then, I¡¯ll cut them down as well." The king frowned at Seo Jun-Ho''s resolute answer. ¡°Just what do you believe in for you to have so much confidence?¡± The king couldn¡¯t help but think that Seo Jun-Ho was just bluffing. After all, he had done the same as well back then. ¡®Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t be an Arch demon.¡¯ He had oncee face-to-face with an Arch demon, but he directly abandoned his arrogance and crawled like a worm. He immediately started begging for his life. It couldn¡¯t be helped. An Arch demon was simply too strongpared to a High demon. ¡°I''ll rot in a cave for the rest of my life. So please spare my life.¡± "It''s not because I believe in something." Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. The king was right. He knew nothing. ¡®He¡¯s definitely not lying. The Lesser demonic creatures are the first wave of enemies, and the demons wille next.¡¯¡¯ Low, Common, and High demons. If he sessfully cut those demons down, then Arch demons would appear. He had never seen even a single Arch demon before, so it would definitely be an unprecedented fight. If he managed to beat the Arch demons, then the Underworld nobility woulde next. ¡®I have to do it. Otherwise, everyone here will die.¡¯ Therefore, it wasn''t a question of whether he could do it or not. "I just have to do it, no matter what." ¡°Do not betray those who trust and follow you. That is how every monarch should be.¡± The Frost Queen kept on saying those words to him. ¡°¡­¡± The king shut his mouth. He couldn''t understand it at all. However, there was still one thing that he managed to grasp from their conversation. "You''re¡­ not like me.¡± "I am not like you." The king and Seo Jun-Ho weren¡¯t simr at all. With that being said, Seo Jun-Ho approached the king. "Ugh?!¡± The king¡¯s demonic energy slipped out of him. Once he was done absorbing the king¡¯s demonic energy, Seo Jun-Ho whispered into the king¡¯s ear. "I''ll give your Farm back to you." Craackle! A huge round staircase manifested, and it was high enough to reach the ceiling. Seo Jun-Ho was the first to get on the stairs. "I think this kind of death suits you the best," said Seo Jun-Ho to the king onest time. The residents of the Farm started following Seo Jun-Ho up to the ground one by one. The king couldn¡¯t move, so he was forced to watch the entire process. ¡°¡­¡± The Farm and the home that the king had built up from scratch felt small and insignificant upon the residents¡¯ departure. ¡®Was my imaginationcking?¡¯ He was about to die¡ªyes, but it was in a way that he could have never expected. It wouldn¡¯t be a death amidst a glorious battle, nor would it be a miserable death that came to be after betrayal. Ruuumble. The cave vibrated, and the ceiling seemed like it could no longer hold on. Boom, boom! The king slowly closed his eyes. He was about to die a lonesome death. "How cruel..." Smash! Those were the king¡¯sst words before he was crushed to death by the rocks. *** "Oh, wow¡­!¡± "So this is the outside world." "It''s grass! The grass is growing so thick on the ground! I think we can eat it!¡± "I-it definitely tastes much better than moss!" The residents frolicked on the grass like children. It wasn¡¯t really strange because it was their first time seeing the outside world. Of course, there were others who felt too awkward to do anything. "Khmm." "Uh, ahem." They were the nobles, soldiers, and knights who had long be trash by borrowing the king¡¯s power. "Sonny-nim, what are you going to do about them?¡± Tess asked carefully. Seo Jun-Ho nced at them and said, ¡°Nothing." ¡°I see¡­¡± Tess and the residents had suffered a lot under the tyranny of those unscrupulous people, but they didn''t say anything. Seo Jun-Ho had just rescued them from the Farm and brought them outside, so how could they beg for more? "So he really wasn¡¯t lying¡­¡± murmured Seo Jun-Ho while looking somewhere. The others couldn¡¯t feel it, but there was no way that they could escape Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s detection. ''They¡¯reing...¡¯ There were only three Low demons, so it seemed that the king also wasn¡¯t lying about how the demons woulde sequentially in ascending order rather than at once. ''Good for me.¡¯ He had to consume them all and restore his magic. However, he had to do something first before anything else. ¡®Yeon¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho injected magic into his Vita and sent a message. If there were spaceships or civilizations in the nearby universe that could receive his signal, he should get a reply sooner rather thanter. "S-Sonny-nim! Look over there!" Tess pointed at the sky in surprise. The three Low demons had finally arrived. They frowned upon seeing people outside the Farm. "What? Wasn''t this Farm that¡¯s being ruled by that half?" "I don¡¯t see him. Did the humans kill him, perhaps?" "No way. He¡¯s a Half, but I heard that he is apparentlyparable to a Common demon.¡± They started muttering to themselves as questions filled their minds, but what they had to do remained the same. They descended and started hunting the humans down. "Hart.¡± Sir Hart wasfortable with fighting demons, so Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t even have to exin as the former moved as though he could read thetter¡¯s thoughts. "Ugh! Wh-what¡¯s up with that hunk of ice?!¡± One of the three Low demons suffered a horrible death, causing the other two demons to flee into the sky. "I think that guy killed the half." "Damn it! If that''s the case, then a High demon has toe here.¡± "I''ll send a message, but running away...¡± "No way. They will still kill you for cowardice." They would die if they ran away, and they would also die if they remained. Since both options had the same oue, the demons decided to take action. With dark faces, they mustered as much demonic energy as they could and hurled them at the humans. "Aaaah!" "S-save me!" The demonic energy that descended like a deluge killed many people, but Seo Jun-Ho didn''t even blink at the sight of it. "H-help me¡­!¡± someone eximed and waved at Seo Jun-Ho, asking for help. Their eyes definitely met, but Seo Jun-Ho decide to ignore them. "D-don''t tell me...¡± Tess trembled upon realizing it. ¡°What are you going to do about them?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Tess had just realized what Seo Jun-Ho meant when he said that he would do nothing for the unscrupulous bunch of people who managed to escape from the cave with them. Once more, Tess was reminded that Seo Jun-Ho was necessary for their survival. "Argh!" "Why, why aren¡¯t you helping? We¡¯re like you! We¡¯re humans, too!" "Fuck! We''re not even a half! We¡¯re a hundred percent human!" "Well..." Seo Jun-Ho muttered while looking at the dissatisfied nobles, knights, and soldiers. "I''m not sure if there¡¯s any difference between you and those demons up there. I mean, you joined hands with a demon.¡± They joined hands with a demon and had been abusing the Farm¡¯s ves and residents as if thetter were mere animals. They hadn¡¯t drunk the blood of the demons, but they could already be considered fully-fledged fiends. Seo Jun-Ho had no ns of getting their blood on his hands, but he had no intentions of helping them in their moment of crisis. ¡°¡­¡± When the fiends finally died, Seo Jun-Ho whistled. Whistle~ ''Freedom de.¡¯ The Freedom de¡¯s four des neatly disposed of the two remaining demons. "Hoh. It seems like you got yourself a pretty good weapon while I wasn¡¯t looking at you.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shot wide open at the voice that suddenly came from behind him. Strangely enough, despite being a pseudo-transcendent, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t notice the presence behind him until they spoke. ¡®They¡¯re a true transcendent!¡¯ They were definitely a real transcendent rather than the pseudo kind. He hurriedly turned around, and Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned odd at the sight. "¡­Reiji?" Why was he hallucinating all of a sudden? Chapter 456. Butler Seo Jun-Ho (1) Chapter 456. Butler Seo Jun-Ho (1) "Amazing¡­" Reiji praised. She didn¡¯t expect that Seo Jun-Ho would be bold enough to talk to her informally. She had gone through all sorts of hardships before eventually arriving here, so she wasn¡¯t willing to ept Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s discourtesy. Smack! "Ah!" Seo Jun-Ho covered his forehead with both hands and closed his eyes tightly. It hurt so much that he felt like crying. Seo Jun-Ho rubbed his head and groaned, "Ah, that hurts." "So what if it hurts? I dare you to speak informally once more." "Uh¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho decisively changed the topic. ¡°What brings you here, Reiji-nim?" "What do you think? Do you think I woulde here for a stroll?" asked Reiji. Seo Jun-Ho smiled awkwardly when he saw her fierce re. "You¡¯re here because of me?¡± "Yep. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, but¡­¡± Reiji muttered, looking around with a frown. "It seems that you picked up some stuff with you." "What do you mean, pick up? They¡¯re people, you know." They were human beings rather than cats on the street. Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across the Farm residents and asked carefully, "Can we bring them with us?" "No way." Reiji cut him off. She sighed lightly before continuing. "I would have insisted on not letting them go with us if things were as per usual, but..." Absent without official leave, insubordination, vition of the System rules. Taking these people with them sounded cute inparison to what she had already done. Reiji nodded a few times with a look of resignation. "Do as you please. I feel like you¡¯ll annoy me a lot if I said now." "Mmhm." Seo Jun-Ho simply smiled and nodded. It seemed that Reiji knew him well. Reiji saw that and scolded. ¡°Is there something funny? Do you really think that this is a good thing?" "What? How can this be a bad thing when everything went well?¡± "Hoh? Everything went well?" The corner of Reiji¡¯s mouth curled up. "Say that again after withdrawing that.¡± "What do you mean, withdraw?¡± "Withdraw your half-assed transcendent energy," added Reiji. "Oh." Was she talking about Dignity of an Emperor? Seo Jun-Ho nodded and stopped using the skill. ''See you next time, Sir Hart.'' The Frost Knight''s blue eyes turned dark. ¡°¡­?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho copsed to the floor. He felt as if a giant hammer had struck his entire body, shattering all his bones. He looked up and stared at Reiji with an anguished and distorted look. ¡°Use your brain. You were still considered a transcendent being, albeit temporarily. Do you really think that humans will be just fine bing a pseudo-transcendent with their weak fleshly bodies?¡± ¡°¡­¡± One would have to sacrifice something to obtain something. Seo Jun-Ho was once again reminded of that fact. Reiji approached Seo Jun-Ho and said, "Swallow it." Upon swallowing the small pill that Reiji had handed over to him, the dizziness and the pain disappeared immediately. ¡°What was that? I¡¯m all better now,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. "What do you mean, all better? It was just a painkiller." In other words, Seo Jun-Ho was still injured. Thanks to the painkiller, Seo Jun-Ho could finally breathe properly. He stood up and said, "Thank you. It feels like I¡¯m always in your care, Reiji-nim." "Hm, don¡¯t say thank you." Reiji¡¯s eyes turned sharp as if she were staring at her prey. "I will have you pay me back with interest." At the sight, Seo Jun-Ho felt a shiver down his spine. *** The former residents of the Farm expressed their gratitude to Seo Jun-Ho. "Sniff! Thank you! I can only say thank you¡­!¡± "We know how to be grateful, so¡­." "We¡¯ll do our best to be sessful, so we can repay you someday!" Seo Jun-Ho wondered if he should take them to the 5th Floor or the 2nd Floor. After a moment of consideration, Seo Jun-Ho chose to bring them over to the 2nd Floor. ¡®They¡¯ll suffer if their environment drastically changed.¡¯ These people had been living in a cave their entire life, so if they were suddenly thrown into a futuristic city, they would surely suffer a lot. Having made his decision, Seo Jun-Ho sent them over to Sirin. It was the city within the territory that he had received from Emperor Gauss. "I¡¯ll leave it to you, Chief Jung." "I actually want to have more residents here, so this is great." Chief Jung, the leader of Moonlight, had sessfully settled in Sirin. Seo Jun-Ho judged that it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for the former Farm residents to adapt here as long as Chief Jung helped them with all his heart. "Sonny-nim..." Tess walked over to Seo Jun-Ho and bowed before saying, "I will never forget the kindness you have shown me." "It¡¯s fine even if you were to forget it. I just want you to live well. I¡¯ll be happy if you¡¯re living the life you have always wanted to live," said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°No, I won¡¯t forget,¡± said Tess. How stubborn. Smiling, Seo Jun-Ho lightly tapped Tess¡¯ shoulder before turning around. "I will never forget it!" eximed Tess. "I will pray for you every day!¡± "Thank you!" One by one, the former Farm residents spoke words that warmed his heart. Seo Jun-Ho was all smiles as he left the castle town of Sirin. He eventually found Reiji, who was leaning against the wall. Reiji saw him and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time we talk about the favors I had done for you so far?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho. He was a bit nervous. After all, Reiji was the Administrator of the 2nd Floor, and the fact that she came up to the 9th Floor to save him told wonders about the sacrifice she had made to do such a thing. ''I don''t know the details, but Administrators aren¡¯t really allowed to intervene in matters between yers and go down the Floors.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s knowledge about the scope of an Administrator¡¯s work mostly came from Reiji, but it had to be pretty urate. It was supported by the fact that they didn¡¯t really react when the fiends or even the demons made a ruckus on the Floors. Even worse, Reiji came up to a Floor as high as the 9th Floor. ¡®I can¡¯t even imagine just how severe the punishment she will receive...¡¯ In that case, the issue was why. Why did the incarnation ofziness save him? Was she hoping to get something out of him? Seo Jun-Ho thought hard about it, but he couldn¡¯t find the answer. ¡°I will do it as long as I can do it,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. "As long as you can do it? Don¡¯t give me that bullshit," Reiji replied coldly. "You have to do it, even if you can¡¯t. That is the only way you can possibly repay me." "I understand. What do I have to do?" "Before that, let me tell you what¡¯s going on,¡± said Reiji while scratching her head. ¡®Damn, I''m pretty sure I still had two days left on my PTO.¡¯ Reiji thought she still had some days on her PTO, but she had actually exhausted her PTO long ago. She didn¡¯t take Gray¡¯s warning seriously, and she climbed up a higher Floor just because the demons had done something unscrupulous first. Reiji wasn¡¯t really worried about her insubordination. Disobeying her superiors was already second nature to her. ¡®The problem is the absence without official leave..¡¯ Reiji would have been able to avoid being punished by using her PTO as an excuse, but unfortunately, she had already exhausted her PTO. She naturally received a heavy punishment from those up above. "In a nutshell, I got hit by a detention." And it was a year-long detention at that. In addition, it would be in a ce called the Hole of Repentance. "I see¡­" It seemed that he truly got her in trouble. Seo Jun-Ho looked at her as if she was pitiful and said, "Please take care, and I¡¯ll make sure to see you again once your detention period is done." "Huh? What bullshit are you spouting?" Reiji frowned and continued. "It¡¯s your fault that I got in this mess in the first ce, so you¡¯reing with me." ¡°I¡¯ming with you?¡± "Yeah." ¡°Where?" "We¡¯re going to the Hole of Repentance." ¡°We¡­¡± Why? Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at Reiji. Reiji¡¯s expression changed, and she looked greatly annoyed by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s actions as she said, "This is all your fault, so you should take responsibility. What, are you going to try and run away?" "No, you said it¡¯s the Hole of Repentance, right? You should go there on your own and repent," said Seo Jun-Ho. Why would she even drag him there? Seo Jun-Ho felt aggrieved. Reiji patted him on the shoulder as if she understood everything and said, "Don''t be too scared. It¡¯s not my first time going there, and it¡¯s not really that scary of a ce. It¡¯s a huge ce with basically nothing in it, so it¡¯s boring to be alone there." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what to say. He wasn¡¯t dumb, so he quickly realized what she wanted him to do. She obviously wanted him to attend to her. Seo Jun-Hoposed himself and asked, "Reiji-nim, shouldn''t I clear the Floors as soon as possible?" "I wouldn¡¯t have done this if things were as per usual, but it¡¯s not, so I have no choice but to do this," Reiji said cidly, "But think about it. Do you really think that they will be willing to lock up a high-quality worker like me for a year?" ¡°Does that mean that even though they said you¡¯ll be detained for a year, it would actually only be for ten days at most?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. "No. It will be for a year. It¡¯s just that the flow of time inside that hole and outside is vastly different from each other," replied Reiji. Hearing that, Seo Jun-Ho recalled something and unknowingly muttered, "Goshiwon?" "Huh? No, it¡¯s not that small.¡± "No, I mean, I¡¯ve been in a ce like that Hole of Repentance before," exined Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho was talking about Gu Shi-On¡¯s skill, Goshiwon Landlord (A). Seo Jun-Ho had to live there for a year before he coulde out, but a year inside Gu Shi-On¡¯s goshiwon was only a few minutes outside. ¡°How long would we be absent outside if we spent a year there?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. Reiji smiled and said, "A week." It was settled, then. *** The Hole of Repentance was surprisingly massive. "¡­Is this really a ce built for repentance?" "Yep," Reiji replied and dove into a sofa. She looked like a hermit crab that had found a new shell. "Really? So why is it so luxurious?¡± "Uh¡­" Reiji trailed off, not knowing how to exin it. This was originally a deste ce, but it all changed when Reiji started bringing her own personal items after bing a frequent patron of the Hole of Repentance for her repeated disobedience. "I don''t know. The earlier detainees must have decorated this ce." "Oh, geez. You¡¯re supposed to repent here, so you should probably do that obediently. Why is there a sofa and even a bed here?" grumbled Seo Jun-Ho. "What do you even know?!" yelled Reiji. ¡®This ce¡¯s too boring!¡¯ Reiji almost shouted that as well, but she managed to recover her wits in time and change the topic. "Anyway, cook something for me. I¡¯m getting hungry." "Already?" grumbled Seo Jun-Ho. "That''s why I brought you here. Is there a problem?" asked Reiji with narrowed eyes. ¡°N-no¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho had to repay the favors he had received, so he obediently walked over to the kitchen, put on an apron, and rolled up his sleeves. He swept his gaze across the kitchen and said, "There are enough cooking utensils, but what about the ingredients?¡± ¡°I brought everything you might need,¡± shouted Reiji from the living room. ¡®She¡¯s awfully prepared¡­¡¯ Reiji started taking out everything she had prepared beforehand from her subspace. While organizing the ingredients, Seo Jun-Ho asked, "What do you want to eat?" "Just make sure there are spicy, salty, and sweet dishes.¡± ¡®So she actually has such a childish pte¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho decided to make sausage stir fry, vegetables, and soybean paste stew. "Korean food?" "Well, this is what I usually cook and eat." "Damn, I may have made a mistake bringing you here," grumbled Reiji. With a frown, she took a sip of the soybean paste stew. ¡°Oh?¡± "Is it too hot?" "No. I''m a transcendent. There¡¯s no way a mere dish can burn my tongue." After saying that, Reiji ate in silence. She even went for seconds. "Not bad.¡± It seemed that there was no way that she would go hungry while she was here. ¡°All right.¡± Reiji stood up. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? If you want to repay me, you will have to do something you can¡¯t do.¡± Reiji took off her coat and revealed her light sportswear underneath before continuing. ¡°You won¡¯t seed right now, but who knows by the end of the year?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was also looking forward to his own sess, but hearing someone else¡¯s expectations of him made him feel invigorated and motivated. With that being said, he got up with sparkling eyes. "I won''t disappoint you, investor-nim." *** Crunch! There was a horrible crunch as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s waist shattered under Reiji¡¯s attack. "Again!" Reiji coldly looked down at Seo Jun-Ho lying on the ground. ¡°Just because your opponent managed to shatter one of your vertebrae doesn¡¯t mean that you should let your stance shatter as well. If this were a real battle, I would have already killed you ten times over by taking advantage of that brief opening.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho eventually recovered from his injuries thanks to Cell Regeneration (A). After recovering, he took a stance once more. ¡®She¡¯s strong...¡¯ Reiji was strong. She was stronger than anyone else he hade face-to-face with so far. ''Well, she¡¯s a transcendent, so it should only be natural, but...¡¯ It was frightening how she was still holding back. Seo Jun-Ho suddenly became curious. Reiji was holding back as if she were ying with a child, but what if she fought seriously? ''¡­No, I shouldn¡¯t even think of that.'' Seo Jun-Ho felt like he would get seriously hurt if he were to let his curiosity get the better of him. "Hmm. Wait." Reiji tilted her head while staring at Seo Jun-Ho. "Don''t you have Cell Regeneration? I¡¯m sure you have it." "Yes, I do." "In that case, why are your bones so soft?" ¡°Well, even rebar will bend if you hit it strong enough¡­¡± "That¡¯s the point. Your bones should be harder than rebar¡ªwait." Reiji looked at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s status window, and her expression abruptly turned ugly. "What is this? You actually don¡¯t have Fracture Resistance?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. So far, Reiji was the only one strong enough to shatter his bones, and Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that his bones were only soft because Reiji was his opponent. It wasn¡¯t that his bones were flimsy¡ªReiji was simply too strong. "Dumbass¡­" Reijie seemed genuinely offended as she said, "You¡¯re actually letting a treasure like this rot. Now that I¡¯ve seen it, there¡¯s no way that I¡¯m just going to ignore it." Reiji sat down and tapped the ground in front of her. ¡°Sit here. Seo Jun-Ho obediently sat down. Reiji held out her hand and said, "Hand." "Here¡ªArgh!" Craack. There was a horrifying sound as Reiji simultaneously crushed his fingers. Seo Jun-Ho looked up and stared at her in both bewilderment and shock. Reiji stared at him as well, unashamed. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± "W-well¡­ why did you break my bones without warning¡­¡± "I¡¯m not going to let that treasure rot under my watch," Reiji replied with a shrug before shattering the remaining bones in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand. "Highest-level Fracture Resistance. What do you think about getting that first before we start?" asked Reiji. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho went silent. He couldn¡¯t help but think that he was abnormal because the idea actually appealed to him as he replied, "That sounds nice." "Right?" "Yes, please start,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. "Sure. I mean, it¡¯s actually pretty difficult for someone to shatter every bone in their body without outside help,¡± replied Reiji. Crack, crack! Goosebump-inducing cracks could be heard as Reiji shattered Seo Jun-Ho''s bones. Chapter 457. Butler Seo Jun-Ho (2) Chapter 457. Butler Seo Jun-Ho (2) ¡°She has departed,¡± Haran spoke and asked carefully, "Was it really okay that we let her go just like that?" ¡°You¡¯re barking up the wrong tree.¡± Whoo. Gorgon exhaled. It was unknown whether he was sighing in relief or regret. "It¡¯s great that she left us alone.¡± "Is she really that strong?" "We wouldn''t prevail even if the four Counts, including me, attacked her at once." ¡°¡­!¡± Haran gulped. The four Counts were demons that could even destroy an entire. ¡°Are transcendents really that strong?¡± "They are¡­" Gorgon''s gaze deepened. "And Reiji''s reputation is well-known even among transcendents." She was a disaster that they could never afford to provoke. However, Gorgon was caught off guard by Reiji¡¯s arrival on the 9th Floor. ¡®Is that human really worth that much?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was nothing but an annoying pest for Gorgon. No, more urately, Seo Jun-Ho would be annoying for Gorgon if the former managed to be strong enough. ¡®That''s why I tried to get rid of him as soon as possible, even if I had to push the envelope.¡¯ Gorgon became curious. Just who exactly was Seo Jun-Ho, and why was he being protected by the Administrators? "I don''t know.¡± Gorgon still had no idea, but whether he liked it or not¡ªas long as his time and Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s time were flowing at the same rate, he would discover the answer to his question one day. *** Crunch! A sound reminiscent of a cracker being split into two could be heard, and a message popped up in front of Seo Jun-Ho. [Crush Resistance has increased to mid-level.] "Oh, it went up. It¡¯s mid-level now." ¡°It just went up to mid-level? It took us a thousand times for it to reach mid-level, so I guess we have to crush your bones about ten thousand times more if we want to reach high-level. I didn¡¯t expect it to be this annoying,¡± Reiji remarked. "Mid-level is good enough. If it weren¡¯t for you, I would have had a hard time leveling it up,¡± replied Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t dreaming of reaching the highest-level resistance, but he thought it would be possible for him to reach the high-level by the end of his stay here. "Hmm. No. This is too slowpared to what I have in mind.¡± Reiji frowned in dissatisfaction. She stared right at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Is she looking at my status window again?¡¯ thought Seo Jun-Ho. Whenever Reiji stared at him with a thousand-yard stare, it was usually because she was looking at his status window. "Aren¡¯t you being too tactless by looking at someone else¡¯s status window like that?¡± "Don¡¯t like it? Why not you be an Administrator yourself?" "Ugh. Are you not going to sleep, Reiji-nim?¡± "I''m going to sleep¡ªafter this,¡± replied Reiji with shining eyes while looking at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s status window. "Great. I should''ve done this earlier. Hey, bring that one out." ¡°By one, are you talking about Frost, perhaps?¡± "No. I¡¯m talking about that guy who cleaned my Store.¡± Oh, she was talking about Seo Jun-Sik. Seo Jun-Ho was about to summon Seo Jun-Sik, but he paused and asked, "May I know why you want me to summon Jun-Sik?" "You¡¯ll absorb the experiences, feelings, and memories of your clone once you recall him, and you share thoughts as well. There''s no reason to let him just y around." "Oh! I see!" Seo Jun-Ho''s face brightened up as he said, "I can see it now. While I''m sleeping, you can crush Jun-Sik¡¯s bones instead of mine." Theoretically, it meant that his resistances and his skill proficiency with Cloning (S) would increase around the clock. However, Reiji red at him and said, "What are you talking about? That¡¯s so inefficient." ¡°What? Then, why do you want me to summon Jun-Sik?¡± "The rate of improvement will double if both of you get beaten up at the same time." For some reason, Seo Jun-Ho felt that something was off. Soon, he discovered the reason behind the incongruity and asked, "Um, didn''t you say that you were going to sleep soon?¡± "Oh, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m going to sleep soon." Why did she emphasize and said the word I¡¯m rather than we? "Then, let''s call it a day and tomorrow¡ª¡± "Pfft, what are you talking about? You¡¯re hrious." Reiji chuckled as if what she had heard was incredibly funny. Then, she turned serious all of a sudden and stared at Seo Jun-Ho grimly. "You¡¯re going to sleep? Can you really afford to sleep at your level?" He could sleep. Seo Jun-Ho was confident that he would fall asleep the moment his head made contact with a pillow. However, Reiji¡¯s words made Seo Jun-Ho feel depressed as he scratched his cheek awkwardly and asked, "You¡¯re very strict and hardcore. Anyway, how often will I get to sleep?¡± "Where do you think we are?" "We¡¯re in the Hole of Repentance." "That¡¯s right. You¡¯re supposed to reflect and repent here. You¡¯re not supposed to have fun here." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what to say. He wasn¡¯t the one who had decorated the entire ce. Most importantly, he wasn¡¯t the one who was supposed to repent and reflect here. Yes, he was currently her butler, but Reiji was the one who was supposed to repent and reflect here rather than him. ¡°What about the person who is supposed to reflect and repent here? Are they allowed to sleep?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°They aren¡¯t allowed to sleep here. Of course, you don¡¯t have anything to worry about because you won¡¯t die even if you have to stay awake for a year," replied Reiji. ¡°Huh? What do you mean, Reiji-nim?¡± He had to stay awake for a year? Was this a hardcore version of the Cave of Trials? Reiji shrugged at the astonished Seo Jun-Ho. "What¡¯s up with that look? You¡¯re not going to die, anyway. You have a skill that won¡¯t allow you to copse and break, so it¡¯s going to be fine.¡± "I believe you, Reiji-nim. However, I think staying awake for an entire year would seriously affect my mind¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho trailed off upon noticing something strange. "Wait. If the one who is supposed to reflect and repent here isn¡¯t allowed to sleep, then what did you mean when you said that you¡¯ll be going to sleep soon?" "Oh, that? Well, If you''re a transcendent like me, you can easily bypass the restrictions of the Hole of Repentance," Reiji said casually. ¡°¡­¡± She was going to use her power as a transcendent to sleep? Seo Jun-Ho started staring at Reiji as if she were a spoiled brat as he asked, "Do really you have to go that far just to sleep?" "For some reason, I get stressed and irritable whenever I¡¯m sleep deprived." ¡®It¡¯s not just you¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho inwardlympooned with puffed cheeks. "Have you already forgotten what you said yesterday? I thought you said you would do anything?¡± ¡°I did¡­¡± ¡°So what now? Can you do it?¡± If he had to answer that question with a yes or no, he would answer yes. He should be able to stay awake for an entire year without sleeping because Hero¡¯s Mind was there to protect him from going crazy. As long as there weren¡¯t any external factors, he should be fine. "Are we going to hit each other while you¡¯re asleep?" ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not that cruel,¡± replied Reiji. She tapped the ground lightly with her index finger, and a humanoid figure manifested. The figure made out of magic looked exactly like Reiji. "This is a dummy, and I gave it enough magic, so it shouldn¡¯t disperse while I¡¯m asleep." "Is it strong?" "Stronger than you." Reiji stood up and yawned. "I¡¯m going to sleep now, so good luck with the beatings.¡± ¡°All right.¡± When Reiji finally disappeared, Seo Jun-Ho summoned Seo Jun-Sik. Grab! Upon being summoned, Seo Jun-Sik immediately grabbed Seo Jun-Ho by the cor and eximed, "Are you crazy?! You actually summoned me to get beaten up with you?!" Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s brows were furrowed as he replied, ¡°She said that I should summon you, so I did.¡± "No, that¡¯s¡ªOriginal, don¡¯t you have even a tinge of conscience? Perhaps a sense of duty to protect your clone?" ¡°Nope.¡± What, could he eat that? Seo Jun-Ho sighed and crushed Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s hand. Craack! "Argh! That fucking hurts, goddamned it!" "You¡¯re already here, so let''s just enjoy the beating." ¡°How am I supposed to enjoy this, you madman?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho truly felt a bit sorry for the crying Seo Jun-Sik, but Reiji was right. This was the fastest and most efficient method to increase his resistances and skill proficiency at the same time. ¡®Howe I didn¡¯t think of this method earlier?¡¯ thought Seo Jun-Ho while staring at Seo Jun-Sik. Once he got back to Earth, he would tell Seo Jun-Sik to increase his skill proficiencies. Burrr! "It''s a little cold here. Are there any heaters here?" Seo Jun-Sik started trembling. However, it was unknown if he was trembling at the idea of getting beaten up alongside Seo Jun-Ho or if he was trembling because of the cold surroundings. *** "Hump!" Reiji was stretching in the training hall. She turned to look at the exhausted Seo Jun-Ho and asked, "Hey, where¡¯s breakfast?" ¡°¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho raised his limp arm and said, "My bones never managed to stay unbroken for more than three seconds sincest night.¡± "Hmm. Take a short break to make breakfast, then,¡± Reiji said chicly. She then retrieved a book and proceed to lie down on a sofa in the training hall. Upon arriving at the kitchen, Seo Jun-Sik started whispering, "Should we get back at her by pouring vinegar on her food?" "No.¡± He had thought of that before, but doing that would make his remaining days here incredibly painful to endure. He prepared a light breakfast of a Caesar sd and a ham and egg sandwich. "Not bad,¡± Reiji remarked. She was once again convinced that she had made the right decision to bring a butler here. While eating her breakfast, Reiji made a decision and said, ¡°Let¡¯s set seven in the morning, high noon, and five in the afternoon as meal times from now on.¡± "Do I have to prepare meals at those times?" "That''s right. And from now on, you can wake me up at five in the morning. I''ll guide you until breakfast." "What do I have to do for the rest of the day?" asked Seo Jun-Ho. He was convinced that he wouldn¡¯t just eat and get beaten up until his time here was up. Reiji shrugged and replied, "That''s all for the time being. We have to make sure your Cell Regeneration has enough resistances, and they¡¯re at a certain level. After that, we can finally start training." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik sighed deeply. It seemed that the only time they had without the beatings was whenever they were in the middle of cooking meals. "Tell me what resistances you have,¡± said Reiji. ¡°Cold Resistance[1], Fire Resistance, Crush Resistance, Bruise Resistance, Laceration Resistance, Addiction Resistance, Magic Resistance, Prating Wound Resistance, Blunt Force Resistance, Poison Resistance¡­¡± There was one more thing. Seo Jun-Sik helped and added, "He also has the lowest-level Death Resistance." "Oh, you got a pretty rare resistance. I guess you got it from the 4th Floor.¡± The two gulped as Seo Jun-Ho asked nervously, "By any chance... The Hole of Repentance can¡¯t resurrect someone if someone were to die here, right?¡± "Unfortunately, yes." It wasn¡¯t unfortunate at all. The two breathed a sigh of relief. "But you have more resistances than I thought. It would be time-consuming to raise your resistances one by one,¡± Reiji remarked. ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± He was anxious. It had only been a day, but Seo Jun-Ho had already confirmed that Reiji was crazier than he could have ever imagined. She was crazy and hardcore to the extent that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart would sink whenever she said even a single word. "Let''s tie what we can tie up together. Let''s see...¡± Reiji leisurely read through his status window while lying on the sofa as if she were looking at the catalog of a department store. "Crush, Bruise, Blunt Force, and Laceration. Let''s improve these four at the same time from now on." ¡°¡­¡± Sweat flowed down Seo Jun-Ho and Seo Jun-Sik''s faces like rain. The representative of the two, Seo Jun-Ho, spoke, ¡°So you¡¯re going to crush my bones, beat me up, andcerate me at the same time?¡± "It¡¯ll be a lot more efficient to do them at the same time.¡± "But it will hurt a lot more¡­" Seo Jun-Sik couldn¡¯t help but speak. Reiji smiled brightly at Seo Jun-Sik and said, "I¡¯m pleasantly surprised that you managed to raise your Hero''s Mind to EX. This way, I won¡¯t feel any guilt at all because you¡¯ll be fine, anyway.¡± "Can you feel a bit guilty?" asked Seo Jun-Sik. "Do you really think that I¡¯m doing all this for myself? All this is for your sake.¡± Seo Jun-Sik pouted and retorted. "What a load of bullshit. You''re just trying to retire early¡­¡± "Oh, now that I think of it, it¡¯s inefficient to let two people cook at the same time. From now on, Seo Jun-Ho will be the only one who¡¯s going to prepare the meals.¡± "Ah! I''m sorry!" Seo Jun-Sik directly kneeled. Seo Jun-Ho made a sidelong nce at the kneeling Seo Jun-Sik. He revealed a thoughtful look before asking, "I¡¯m convinced that you¡¯re in a hurry, but is there a reason why you¡¯re in a hurry?" "It¡¯s all because this opportunity will nevere again," Reiji said. She crossed her legs and added, "Let me ask you while we¡¯re at it. I¡¯m sure you know that all this wasn¡¯t supposed to happen, right?¡± "Yes." "This is clearly a vition of the rules right now. Administrators¡­ aren¡¯t kind school teachers, you know." A teacher would keep an eye on the students and lead them to the right path. However, an Administrator was supposed to just watch. It didn¡¯t matter whether the people they were watching were going down the wrong path or not¡ªan Administrator had no reason nor the authority to lead people down a path. "In short, I vited the rules, and I take it¡¯ll only take them a week at the longest.¡± Reiji was talking about the time it would take for it to be known that she had brought Seo Jun-Ho to the Hole of Repentance. Even if her superiors discovered what she had done by then, it would already be toote. In addition, there was no way for them to turn back time. "With that being said, think of this as a priceless opportunity to learn. I''m going to teach you everything, so there will be no regrets,¡± said Reiji. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s gaze deepened. The teachings of a transcendent herself. This meant that he was currently in a ss that one couldn¡¯t possibly find anywhere else in the entire universe. However, Seo Jun-Ho was still curious about one thing. "What¡¯s the reason behind the exclusive special treatment? I¡¯m sure there are many other talented yers out there aside from me." "You must find the answer on your own," replied Reiji. Reiji didn¡¯t just tell him to look for the answer¡ªshe told him that he must find the answer. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intuition was telling him that he would find the answer on his own sooner orter. 1. previously named Cold Tolerance ? Chapter 458. Butler Seo Jun-Ho (3) Chapter 458. Butler Seo Jun-Ho (3) Hero¡¯s Mind didn¡¯t allow his mind to copse. Sometimes, it would make strange decisions on its own, but right now, it wasn¡¯t doing anything strange. ¡®It¡¯s a great thing that it¡¯s not doing anything strange¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that he would have gone crazy long ago if it weren¡¯t for Hero¡¯s Mind. Slice! Crunch! "Argh! Hup!" Seo Jun-Ho saw how Seo Jun-Sik barely managed to suppress a scream. The floor of the training hall was littered with bloodstains that couldn¡¯t be erased despite vigorous daily cleaning. ¡°Cough!¡± They werecerated, bludgeoned, and their bones were crushed as well. Even more shocking was that all this urred at the same time every second. The duo had to endure unimaginable pain throughout the day, aside from whenever they had to cook meals. ¡°Damn¡­ I just can¡¯t get used to this¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly. Hero''s Mind protected his mind, but it didn¡¯t eliminate the pain. It had already been fifteen days since he entered the Hole of Repentance, and he hadn¡¯t been able to catch even a wink of sleep. The effects of umted fatigue were starting to appear. ¡®She said I won¡¯t die, and she¡¯s right.'' Fatigue would still umte, but the Hole of Repentance wouldn¡¯t allow sinners to die while they were reflecting and repenting. Any form of death wasn¡¯t allowed, and Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body would always recover miraculously despite the severity of his injuries. ¡®This will be easier if I could develop Fatigue Resistance or even Pain Resistance¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t develop any of those. Cell Regeneration gave him Death Resistance, so Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t expect that there were actually some resistances that it couldn¡¯t give thetter. "Ugh, Original¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik called out. He was currently sprawled out on the floor of the training hall. "What?" ¡°I did the math.¡± At this rate, it would take Seo Jun-Ho at least fifteen days to increase all of his current resistances to high-level. ¡®It¡¯ll only take a month at most¡­¡¯ In that case, what would they learn in the next eleven months? Seo Jun-Ho could only close his eyes and endure the tremendous pain. *** "You worked hard." It was a monotonous and tpliment. If Seo Jun-Sik were here, he would have said something, but he had already been recalled. Seo Jun-Ho briefly read through his status window, where the results he had obtained over the month were recorded. [High-level Crush Resistance.] [High-level Laceration Resistance.] [High-level Bruise Resistance.] [High-level Poison Resistance.] [High-level Magic Resistance.] [High-level Prating Wound Resistance.] ¡­ Among his resistances, he only failed to increase his Death Resistance. His Death Resistance was still at the lowest-level while his other resistances had all be high-level. "Congrattions. Your physical ability has far exceeded the limits of humanity. To be honest, I¡¯ve never seen anything like you before." ¡°Should I be happy about that¡­?¡± "I guess to see is to believe. Stand up." Seo Jun-Ho stood up in response. Reiji mustered her magic and filled her fist with an energy that was so formidable that Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but have second thoughts if he would be fine if he received that punch. "Wait¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho shouted. Thump! Reiji buried her fist into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stomach. "Ugh!" Seo Jun-Ho took a few steps back and frowned slightly. Then, he looked down at his stomach, surprised. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad¡­?¡± The amount of magic that Reiji had gathered in her fist was too strong for the punch to be this weak. Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that Reiji had done either of these two. ¡®Either she rxed when the punch was about to connect, or my body is too sturdy.¡¯ From what Seo Jun-Ho had seen so far, Reiji was far from kind. She was ruthless, strict, and brutal. In other words, it had to be thetter. His body had to have be too sturdy, and the realization made Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sparkle. "It didn¡¯t hurt as much as I thought." ¡°I held back, but I¡¯m still annoyed to hear that.¡± Reiji grinned. She could still remember how every bone in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body shattered when she punched him with a punch that was way weaker than her punch just now. ¡®I held back, but it¡¯s a bit unbelievable that he managed to withstand that.¡¯ Reiji smiled, seemingly determined. "All right. There¡¯s no reason for me to feel burdened anymore, so I guess we can start." "Start?" "What¡¯s with that look? I¡¯m obviously talking about the training that you will have to do in the next eleven months,¡± replied Reiji. Goosebumps broke out all over Seo Jun-Ho as a kind of fear that he hadn¡¯t felt in recent years reared its ugly head. "Combat sense and skills. Those are useless, especially for someone like you.¡± Reiji''s yful eyes turned to him as she said indifferently, "I¡¯ve heard about how teachers are often kind to their students. But I told you, right? I''m not a teacher." Reiji¡¯s magic erupted and filled the entire Hole of Repentance to the brim. "I believe that talent is everything, and I became a transcendent on my own¡ªwithout someone else guiding me.¡± In other words, if Seo Jun-Ho were a flower, then he had to bloom on his own. ''You better bloom before I get tired of you...¡¯ Boom! A heavy punchnded on Seo Jun-Ho''s chest. It was a punch that was on apletely different level than before, and it shook Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s soul. ¡°You died,¡± said Reiji. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s broken body started recovering at a frightening speed. His hands gripped the floor of the training hall tightly as he trembled incessantly. "Haaa! Haaap!" ¡®I would have died if we were outside¡­¡¯ The foundations he had built over the years meant nothing in the face of overwhelming strength. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes quivered. ''I-I...¡¯ He was a lot weaker than he thought. Reiji stared at him as he forced himself to stand up. ¡®Impressive.¡¯ Reiji inwardly remarked. Of course, she still had no idea whether Seo Jun-Ho would eventually give up or endure until the end. After all, they were just getting started. ¡°I¡¯llpliment you again¡­¡± Reiji muttered. Hero¡¯s Mind¡ªit was a good thing that he had it. *** As usual, the dim streets were covered in a red fog that was so thick that it was impossible to see the moon hanging overhead. It was cold and raining, but the conditions didn¡¯t deter a gentleman from walking down the cold and dim street. ¡°This is a great night.¡± The gentleman was returning home from an academic conference. He left his car at the repair shop earlier in the day, so he had no choice but to walk back home. ''I should have epted Mayor Deva¡¯s rmendation to hail a carriage.¡¯ The gentleman regretted saying that he would just walk back home. He thought it would be okay to just walk back home because there were street lights and the academic reference was held only thirty minutes away from his home. However, he didn¡¯t expect that it would be so dark outside despite the street lights. ¡°This damned red fog.¡± It was unknown when it started, but every night, the city would always be enveloped in a red fog. The red fog was so thick that it caused a lot of traffic idents. In the end, the authorities had to stop people from going out at night. ¡®And there¡¯s apparently a madman on the loose¡­¡¯ He could still remember seeing many articles about missing people in the Trium Times. A repeat offender was apparently out theremitting crimes, and the authorities still hadn¡¯t caught them. "What are the authorities doing? Why did they let the city regress to this state?¡± And all this happened in just over half a year. The city wasn''t like this before. The gentleman entered an alley while clicking his tongue. The alley was darker than the main street, but it was a shortcut to his home. ¡°¡­¡± Bzzt, bzzt. The old streetmp in the narrow alley flickered incessantly. Whenever it flickered, the inside of the dirty alley would be momentarily revealed. ¡®There¡¯s someone¡­¡¯ They were a man covered in a thick robe. He also wasn¡¯t holding an umbre despite the rain. The gentleman gulped and turned away. The city was terrible, so he didn¡¯t want to take any risks. ''I should go around.¡¯ He turned around and was about to exit the alley. Grab! However, someone grabbed his arm. "Hi-hiik!" It was the madman in a thick robe. The gentleman could swear that the madman was standing in the middle of the alley just a few moments ago. The gentleman panicked. He was about to burst into a scream, but a cold hand covered his mouth. "It¡¯ll be nice if you juste with me quietly.¡± When the gentleman fainted out of fear, the mysterious man chuckled and carried the gentleman over his shoulder. "Hm, by any chance, are you the rumored serial abductor?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The mysterious man abruptly turned toward the voice he heard behind him. Boom! There was a dull thud as a fist buried itself into the mysterious man¡¯s stomach. ¡°Uh¡­ Ahh." The mysterious man collided against the wall, and he struggled to get up amidst the trash around him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re pretty tough.¡± Drip, drip, drip. The mysterious man looked up and saw arge-framed man. No, it would be an understatement to say that the man wasrge. He was definitely more thanrge because therge-framed man was as huge as three adult malesbined. "¡­Who are you?" "Rahmadat Khali. Do you have any other questions?¡± "Why¡ªugh! Why did you attack me?" "Because you were trying to abduct that gentleman." "I don''t know what you''re talking about,¡± said the mysterious man, feigning ignorance. "He suddenly copsed, and I was only helping him." "Hm, really?" Rahmadat scratched his head and asked. "Why were you carrying him over your shoulder, then?" "How was I supposed to move him? He fainted, so there was no other way." ¡°¡­¡± Rahmadat went silent. The mysterious man¡¯s words seemed like they made sense. "Tsk, I really need that nerd next to me in times like this.¡± She was smart, so the mysterious man¡¯s words wouldn¡¯t stump her. Rahmadat beckoned at the mysterious man. "If you¡¯re innocent, follow me." "All right." The mysterious man approached without hesitation. Rahmadat nodded. He crouched to pick the gentleman off the floor. However, the mysterious man suddenly lunged at Rahmadat and bit his neck. Crack! "Are you one of those dogs?!" shouted the mysterious man. Rahmadat frowned and punched. "Argh!" The mysterious man cried out in pain as he flew backward. When he stood up, he wiped the blood off of his mouth andughed. ¡°Pffft! What an idiot. You''re done for. Still, you¡¯re a bit strong, so I¡¯m sure that you will be loved." "What are you¡ª¡± Badump, badump. Rahmadat''s expression stiffened. After cing the gentleman over his shoulder, he ced his hand on his neck. ¡®It''s hot.¡¯ His blood vessels felt like they were burning up. His heart was beating faster, his vision was swimming, and he felt like vomiting. The mysterious man chuckled upon seeing that. "What I gave you is worse than any poison out there. It¡¯ll all be over for you once you¡¯re on our side¡ª¡± Riip! The mysterious man was stupefied. The crazy lump of muscle had just ripped a chunk of his neck and shoulders. "Y-you madman¡­!" "Whew... That feels a lot better.¡± Rahmadat¡¯s condition returned to normal. His vision no longer swam, and he no longer felt like he wanted to vomit. In addition, his neck and shoulders had also recovered by the time he let out a sigh of relief. "W-what nonsense?!" The mysterious man cried out in disbelief. The crazy lump of muscle¡¯s rate of regeneration wasn¡¯t humanly possible. "Hmph. I don''t think you¡¯re one of those dogs. Does that mean we belong to the same kind?¡± In that case, why was Rahamadat bothering him? Most importantly, shouldn¡¯t Rahmadat be a True Vampire rather than someone at the bottom of thedder like himself, considering the former¡¯s regenerative ability? "I-if I did something wrong¡ª¡± "Finally, you¡¯re starting to repent.¡± With a smile, Rahmadat abruptly appeared in front of the mysterious man. "Sleep for now." Craaack! It was a clean uppercut. The mysterious man¡¯s eyes zed over as he fell to the ground. *** "So, you found the alleged culprit?" "Yep." "So, you caught and brought him here?" "Yep." Rahmadat nodded while sitting on the creaky sofa of an old apartment, and the others huddled around him. "Whew.¡± Skaya sighed while staring at the table. It was an empty table, and there was a thick rope on it. "You tied him up properly and ced him on the table, but he suddenly disappeared?" "How many times do I have to say it? He didn¡¯t disappear," Rahmadat said. He pointed at the window in the kitchen and exined, "When the sun broke out, he became like that, so he didn¡¯t just disappear." There was ck ash amidst the thick rope. The inspectors nced at each other. "Lump, tell me what happened to youst night,¡± said the Frost Queen. She was wearing a beret and was sitting with her legs crossed. Chapter 459. Fog and City (1) Chapter 459. Fog and City (1) ¡°My vision started swimming as soon as I got bitten. My heart started beating faster, and there was also this burning thirst that made me feel like vomiting.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The Frost Queen closed her eyes tightly and nodded a couple of times with a serious look on her face as if everything was exactly as she had expected. She gestured with her hand, signaling Rahmadat to go on. ¡°Go on, Watson.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Rahmadat.¡± ¡°...Whatever. Just continue.¡± ¡°What do you think I could have done? I just ripped off a chunk of my neck where I was bitten, and I also tore a chunk of my shoulder for good measure. I figured that I shouldn¡¯t let that blood spread all over my body.¡± ¡°Hm. That was smart of you.¡± ¡°So, kiddo. What do you think he is?¡± The Frost Queen slightly raised her chin at Rahmadat¡¯s question before turning to look at someone else. ¡°Inspector Lestrade. What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry? I¡¯m Gong Ju-Ha.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s excitement disappeared when she realized that no one was willing to y along with her. Skaya stared at the Frost Queen beside her, seemingly waiting for the Frost Queen to offer her the role of Watson after Rahmadat refused to take on the role. Unfortunately, the Frost Queen simply ignored her. With that being said, the Frost Queen stopped ying detective and took off her beret. ¡°It¡¯s a vampire.¡± ¡°A vampire?¡± ¡°Are you talking about those bloodsuckers?¡± Everyone¡¯s expression turned grim. ¡°This is bad. If those vampires are the same vampires we know from those tales, it¡¯ll be the end for us the moment we get bitten.¡± ¡°Will Si-Eun¡¯s Breath of Restoration work on their bites?¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t know for sure until I get to try.¡± Everything seemed uncertain, but one thing was clear¡ªthey were in danger. Setting aside Rahmadat, there was a huge chance that anyone else would turn into one of those vampires once they were bitten. ¡°In the worst-case scenario, we¡¯ll end up turning against each other.¡± ¡°Which means that we have to avoid getting bitten at all costs.¡± ¡°I think we don¡¯t have to worry that much. That guy wasn¡¯t that strong,¡± Rahmadat said while scratching his trapezius muscle. ¡°No. I wouldn¡¯t say so,¡± The Frost Queen said with a serious look, ¡°If there really are vampires in this city, then there must be a True Vampire as well.¡± ¡°A True Vampire? What is that?¡± ¡°Let me show it to you so it¡¯s easier to understand,¡± said the Frost Queen as she retrieved a sketchbook and started drawing something with crayons. ¡°There, it¡¯s all done. What do you think this drawing is depicting?¡± Skaya raised her hand and replied, ¡°A multi-level metric?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s drawing was easy to understand. She drew a typical pyramid with one humanoid figure on the very top, then two below that, and so on. The number of humans on each level increased the lower they were on the pyramid. Kim Woo-Joong carefully examined the Frost Queen¡¯s drawing and said, ¡°Does this mean that the one on the very top of the pyramid is a True Vampire?¡± ¡°Exactly. They¡¯re very strong.¡± ¡°Do you meanpared to normal vampires?¡± ¡°It would be convenient to think that the difference between their strength is simr to the difference in strength between fiends and demons.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Everyone looked grim at the Frost Queen¡¯s exnation. ¡°This is the worst.¡± Skaya clicked her tongue. Rahmadat asked, ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s the worst? I think we stand a chance no matter how strong a True Vampire is...¡± ¡°You idiot. He didn¡¯t recognize you.¡± ¡°Of course. He has never seen me before, so how could he recognize me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as that. You said that his attitude immediately changed when he saw your regeneration skill, didn''t you?¡± ¡°Oh! Are you trying to say that¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun trailed off and covered her mouth with her hand. She shivered and continued. ¡°...there might be more than one True Vampire?¡± Skaya nodded as the eyes of the party all turned toward her at once. ¡°I think so, but for now, it¡¯s just one of the many possibilities.¡± Skaya figured that Rahmadat¡¯s opponent would have recognized the True Vampire¡¯s face if there were only one True Vampire in this city. ¡°I think he simply noticed that Rahmadat is extraordinary. Of course, there¡¯s also the extremely rare chance that a True Vampire out there looks exactly like Rahmadat.¡± Rahmadat could still recall how the vampire became humble and started asking about what mistake he hadmitted. ¡°He was probably thinking that Rahmadat was probably one of the many True Vampires that he doesn¡¯t recognize.¡± They were thinking out of the box here. It was necessary to think out of the box because simply thinking along the lines of what they knew would limit their imagination and thoughts within that box. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s going too far? Maybe he just backed away because he recognized that Rahmadat is stronger than him?¡± ¡°Maybe. That¡¯s why I said that it¡¯s just one of the possibilities.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The party sighed briefly. They hoped Skaya¡¯s hypothesis would end up being nothing more than just a hypothesis. The difficulty of clearing the quest would go up exponentially if there really were more than one True Vampire. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not get too scared. I mean, we still have no idea what True Vampires can do and just how strong they really are.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Skaya sighed and went on. ¡°Anyway, I have good news that I¡¯m sure will lighten the mood here.¡± ¡°Good news? What is it?¡± Everyone stared at Skaya with anticipation. Skaya swept his gaze across the others and grinned. ¡°Jun-Ho is back, and he¡¯s in great condition.¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± The group clenched their fists in joy. They had always believed that Seo Jun-Ho would return one day without even a single scratch on him. ¡°Did they say where he had been?¡± Rahmadat asked. ¡°They said he was abducted to the 9th Floor.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°The perpetrator is apparently a count of Underworld¡¯s nobility. They set up a trap to bring Jun-Ho over to the 9th Floor after judging that Jun-Ho is a threat.¡± ¡°And he managed toe back alive?¡± ¡°He got lucky because the Administrator of the 2nd Floor brought him back personally.¡± Skaya¡¯s news was a piece of extremely good news for the group. The group heaved sighs of relief and revealed warm smiles. Skaya tilted her head, seemingly baffled. ¡°Hm?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes twinkling eyes were staring up at her. She looked cuter and more adorable than usual, but the look in her eyes made Skaya feel anxious for some reason. ¡°Um, why is our queen looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Did Contractor leave any message for me?¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya wanted to tell the Frost Queen that Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t leave any message for her, but she hesitated because she knew that the Frost Queen would be sad and disappointed if she heard that. ¡®Oh, no. What should I say?¡¯ Skaya started looking around for help. Rahmadat saw that and spoke, ¡°Looking at Skaya¡¯s face, It seems that he didn¡¯t leave any message for you. I¡¯m sorry, kiddo.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Skaya eximed. The Frost Queen crouched with a downcast look. Skaya hurriedly tried toe up with an excuse. ¡°T-that¡¯s not true! Jun-Ho said that he wants toe back here as soon as possible because he¡¯s missing you, but¡­¡± ¡°...But?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Skaya bit her lips. Obviously, she was lying. After announcing that he was still alive, the troublemaker, Seo Jun-Ho, disappeared once again. ¡®Couldn¡¯t he tell us personally that he¡¯s going to leave? Our queen looks so sad and disappointed here¡­!¡¯ Skaya gently patted the Frost Queen¡¯s head. ¡°Let¡¯s just wait a few more days. I¡¯m sure Jun-Ho will return after a hundred days.¡± ¡°A hundred days? Hah! Do you really think that I¡¯m a kid or something?¡± The Frost Queen puffed her cheeks and red at Skaya before continuing. ¡°A hundred days is too long!¡± ¡°Then, ten days.¡± ¡°Okay, fine. Ten days.¡± When the negotiations were done, Skaya sighed in relief. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Skaya turned toward the man staring at her without saying anything. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°...Nothing.¡± Kim Woo-Joong couldn¡¯t bear to ask the same question as the Frost Queen. *** ¡°I¡¯m done gathering the information we need...¡± A holographic disy unsuitable for an old stale room appeared in mid-air. The presenter was Skaya Killnd. She summed up the information she had gathered over the past few days. ¡°We¡¯re currently in the city of Trium. Trium is currently in an era simr to that of London during the Industrial Revolution.¡± Trium¡¯s society was strange, but it had social sses as well. Wagons and cars coexisted, and an unpleasant red fog would sweep over the city every night. The strange phenomenon apparently started half a year ago. ¡°Everyone here agrees that one of the True Vampires is the Floor Master of the 6th Floor, right?¡± Everyone nodded in response. ¡°Then, where do you think we should start tracking them down?¡± ¡°Hmm. To be honest, I have no idea where to start. This city is just too big.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just continue what we have been doing?¡± ¡°We can try and make connections with government officials to dig for more information with their help.¡± ¡°No, that will be too inefficient, and it¡¯s going to take too much time as well,¡± Skaya responded in a firm voice. She then flipped over to the next page of her report. ¡°I¡¯m suspicious about Foggyism. It¡¯s a religion that emerged six months ago, and it¡¯s enjoying a meteoric rise as we speak.¡± ¡°Foggyism? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of such a religion before.¡± ¡°They were evangelizing on the shopping street. I listened to them for a bit out of curiosity, and I noticed something strange.¡± ording to Skaya¡¯s exnation, Foggyism was indeed a suspicious religion. Their doctrine was simple and brief¡ªthe red fog came from God, so it had to be worshiped. Rahmadatughed as if he found it both hrious and absurd. ¡°...Does anyone actually believe in such a thing?¡± ¡°To your surprise, many do believe in it. I also saw many people being swayed by Foggyism in the rallies.¡± The eyes of everyone in the group started shining. ¡°That¡¯s definitely suspicious..¡± ¡°Maybe the people in the rallies are already vampires?¡± ¡°Goodness¡­! If that¡¯s true, then everyone in this world would soon be vampires.¡± ¡°That is very much possible if those bastards are given enough time.¡± Trium had a poption of 7.2 million people. The group frowned at the thought of having to deal with 7.2 million vampires. ¡°We will fail the quest. We can brute force our way to questpletion, but we¡­¡± ¡°We will have to prepare for a much bigger war than on the 5th Floor.¡± ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t even want to imagine it. I almost died on the 5th Floor.¡± ¡°So, are you suggesting that all of us should participate in the rally?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked. She looked like she was fed up with everything. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s safer for us to move as a group rather than to scatter. After all, we have no idea what the enemies are up to.¡± The group decided to stay together and participate in a Foggyism rally. This way, it would be easier for them to mark their enemies, especially if the entire religion was really created by the vampires. After a few days of investigation, the scout team finally came up with a n. *** ¡°We¡¯re giving out free bread to those who will participate in the Foggyism rally!¡± ¡°There will be job offers to the jobless at the rally!¡± ¡°Those with no dating experience can even get married upon joining us!¡± The missionaries of Foggyism were working hard to preach. Rahmadat couldn¡¯t help butugh upon seeing them. ¡°What are they doing? They¡¯re literally offering the best possible offers out there.¡± In addition to offering free food and jobs, the missionaries of Foggyism even promised to help people find their significant others. The missionaries made many sweet offers that would make people nce their way at least once. ¡°I¡¯m actually getting curious. Let¡¯s go.¡± The missionaries flinched as a group of five approached them. ¡°What, what is it?¡± the missionary asked. ¡°We¡¯d like to participate in the rally that you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°...¡± The missionary swept his gaze across them. His mood seemed sour, but he still nodded and replied, ¡°All right. Then,e to the Follow Church by seven this evening. Refer to this map for the location of the church.¡± The group then headed to the church on time. ¡°There are more people here than I thought¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re offering a lot, after all.¡± As the group sat on a worship bench, people d in priest uniforms appeared one by one on the tform. ¡°First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the citizens of Trium for participating in this rally¡­This meaningful gathering is also led by the red fog to¡­¡± Rahmadat yawned as the boring speech of one of the priests continued. After a while, the priest finally concluded his speech by drawing the sign of the cross over his chest. ¡°I would like to thank the Holy Father for providing us with our bread today.¡± ¡°Oh, are they giving us food now?¡± Bang! There was a loud noise as the thick doors of the church were forcibly closed. Then, someone locked the doors tightly with a thick woodentch to prevent people from escaping. It seemed that there would be no food for the people here tonight. ¡°...Hm,¡± Rahmadat crossed his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m the only one who feels this way, but¡­¡± Rahmadat briefly nced around and said, ¡°I think we¡¯re the food.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re wrong.¡± Gong Ju-Ha sighed and snapped her fingers as if she were striking a flint to make a fire. ¡°It seems that the purpose of this rally is far from what we had in mind¡­¡± The group thought the purpose of the rally was to turn the participants into vampires, but they were mistaken. ¡°I guess the rallies are a way for vampires to gather and feed on unsuspecting participants like us.¡± The group finally noticed that everyone else around them was staring at them, and one by one, long canines protruded between the lips of everyone else. Chapter 460. Fog and City (2) Chapter 460. Fog and City (2) ¡°Hmm. Is every bastard around me a vampire?¡± Rahmadat asked with both his hands holding a nearby worship bench. ¡°Probably not all of them. The guys who brought us here were humans.¡± It was a convincing assumption because there was no way that vampires who would turn into ashes under sunlight could evangelize during the day. ¡°Um, would it be too strange if this church burned down all of a sudden?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked carefully. ¡°Not really. The church can catch fire if a candlestick falls over, and there¡¯s no one to extinguish the mes.¡± When Skaya answered Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s question, one of the priests nodded and allowed the vampires to make a move. ¡°Go ahead and drink up, my brothers and sisters!¡± ¡°Blood¡­ blood! Blood!¡± ¡°Their necks are mine!¡± Dozens of vampires charged in like zombies, but the others didn¡¯t even budge. They hadplete faith in Gong Ju-Ha. Tic. Tic. Gong Ju-Ha snapped her fingers and said, ¡°It won¡¯t hurt.¡± Snap! Gong Ju-Ha wasn¡¯t lying because she was nning to turn the vampires into mere ashes in the proverbial blink of an eye. Fwoosh! A white me rose like a wave and inundated the church. ¡°Wow!¡± Skaya eximed, seemingly impressed by the beautiful sight. People were usually cremated at around a thousand Celsius, but it would still take two hours to turn someone into ashes at those temperatures. ¡®But her white me is¡­¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s white me was at least seven thousand and five hundred degrees Celsius. ¡°...¡± The vampires didn¡¯t even manage to groan, not to mention scream. Their ashes were soon scattered all over the burning church. ¡°What, but how¡­?¡± the priest who gave the signal earlier was dumbfounded. ¡®Is this a dream? Am I dreaming right now?¡¯ It only took about two seconds for the tsunami of fire to get rid of dozens of his fellow n members. This was something that couldn¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t have happened, ording to the priest¡¯smon sense. ¡°That was so clean!¡± ¡°She¡¯s so much better than you, nerd.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Gong Ju-Ha shyly scratched her head upon receiving the praises of the Heroes. ¡°Oh, no, you don¡¯t. You can¡¯t escape~¡± Skaya muttered sweetly. ¡¾Bind¡¿ St! A thick rope manifested and quickly tied up the surviving humans and vampires. ¡°Please, please spare our lives!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not vampires! All we did was do as we were told¡­!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that worse?¡± Kim Woo-Joong muttered in a cold voice and knocked them out. Rahmadat approached the remaining vampire priest. ¡°Hmm. Torturing him here probably isn¡¯t the best idea, right?¡± ¡°The building will copse in a few seconds. Let¡¯s just go home and do it there.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± The vampire priest red at them and warned. ¡°...Do you really think that all of you will be fine after messing with our n?¡± p! Rahmadat knocked out the priest with a p in the face. Then, he muttered, ¡°There was a mosquito buzzing around.¡± *** ¡°...¡± The vampire priest slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in a dark and damp ce. ¡®Am I in a bathroom¡­?¡¯ Squeak. Squeak. The vampire priest¡¯s body was tightly bound to an old chair. He could easily tear an ordinary rope apart, but an unknown force was suppressing him. ¡°It¡¯s a rope developed exclusively for the purpose of torture. You won¡¯t be able to tear it apart, so don¡¯t even try.¡± ¡°...¡± The vampire priest looked up and identified the speaker sitting on the chair opposite from him. The speaker was a woman, and she was restraining him with a strange power. There was also a muscr man leaning against a wall. ¡°Sniff! You¡­ you¡¯re not vampires,¡± the vampire priest said after sniffing the air. ¡°Of course not. We are humans.¡± ¡°Humans¡­¡± ¡®How are they so powerful if they are mere humans? For hundreds of years, humans have always been nothing but our prey.¡¯ ¡°Shall we start with an easy question? What¡¯s your name?¡± Spat! The vampire priest spat rather than answering. Humans were nothing but livestock, and he had no intentions of leaking information about the n to mere livestock. ¡°Just kill me.¡± ¡°...So you want to do this the hard way?¡± asked Skaya. ¡°I told you.¡± Rahmada grabbed both of the priest¡¯s hands. ¡°Violence is the best way if we want information from people like this guy.¡± ¡°...?¡± the vampire priest was dumbfounded, and he stared at Rahmadat with narrowed eyes. However, before he could even do anything, Rahmadat smashed his fingers, hand, wrist, and arms at the same time. ¡°Ugh, argh¡ªaaarggghhh!¡± The vampire priest¡¯s head trembled. He started drooling from the terrible pain. The woman opened the exit of the bathroom and clicked her tongue as if she found the vampire priest pitiful. ¡°You should have just answered right away when I was still asking nicely. Anyway, good luck hanging in there~¡± ¡®...Is she leaving? She¡¯s going to leave me alone with this beast?!¡¯ The vampire priest bit his lips. He trembled in fear and started praying. ¡°Our gracious Ghost! Please give courage to your servant! Please bestow upon a strong heart to your servant, so he will not yield in the face of this crisis¡­!¡± ¡°A prayer, huh? That¡¯s very priest-like of you.¡± Rahmadat grinned. His white teeth seemed like they were illuminating the dark bathroom. Then, he seemed excited as he whispered to the vampire priest. ¡°Wanna bet? Which is stronger¡ªyour faith or my fist?¡± *** ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Heh¡­ heugh¡­¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Skaya red at Rahmadat, seemingly disappointed. ¡°You turned him into aplete idiot. What can we even do with him now that he¡¯s in that state?¡± ¡°Hm. Give me a second. Let me fix him up a little.¡± Tap! Tap! Rahmadat gave the vampire priest¡¯s back a few taps, and the vampire priest tearfully cried out. ¡°I-I will tell you¡­! I will tell you everything! No, please let me tell you!¡± ¡°Haha! See? You can fix everything out there with just a few taps.¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya clicked her tongue with a fed-up look before asking, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°P-Potra. It¡¯s Potra Penny.¡± ¡°All right, Potra. Tell me how many True Vampires are in this city.¡± Flinch. Potra hesitated, even after going through so much torture. Skaya immediately raised her hand and eximed, ¡°Rahmadat! I think he¡¯s broken again. Can you fix him once more?¡± ¡°Four! As far as I know, there are a total of four True Vampires in Trium!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it! See? You actually know the answer. Why didn¡¯t you answer earlier?¡± ¡®Because I had no idea that you would beat me up earlier¡­¡¯ Potra smiled awkwardly. ¡°All right. Then give me the names, characteristics, and abilities of those True Vampires.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Potra had already spoken once, so it wasn¡¯t too difficult for him to speak anymore. Potra closed his eyes tightly and started exining as if he had no other choice but to do so. ¡°True Vampire Tepes. He is the first True Vampire and also the king of vampires. The other True Vampires aren¡¯t his match.¡± ¡°The next one is True Vampire Paradox. He has unknown mysterious abilities.¡± ¡°The next one is True Vampire Stigma. He is notorious for his bad temper, and he should be avoided as much as possible.¡± ¡°Thest one is True Vampire Ghost. He is the head of the n where I belong, and his abilities involve manipting space.¡± Skaya frowned at Potra¡¯s words. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know much about them.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s because it¡¯s rare for True Vampires to make a move,¡± Potra answered. ¡°Fair enough.¡± It seemed that the four True Vampires were the four leaders of all vampires. Skaya thought it was only natural for them to keep their powers hidden. Skaya nodded and asked another question, ¡°How many vampires are out there?¡± ¡°Well¡­ the number of vampires out there is increasing every day, so I¡¯m not sure of the exact number. I think there are at least fifty thousand of us out there.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t as many vampires as I thought¡­¡± Skaya remarked. ¡°Yes. The supply of blood won¡¯t be able to keep up the more vampires there are.¡± ¡°Ah, indeed.¡± Skaya nodded in agreement. It meant that turning everyone into vampires would ultimately destroy the vampire race. ¡°Those things don¡¯t really matter.¡± Rahmadat could no longer sit back and watch, so he asked, ¡°Where do we have to go if we want to meet those True Vampires?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to search for me.¡± ¡°...!¡± Rahmadat and Skaya quickly turned toward the voice. There was a tall man standing on the bathtub in the corner of the bathroom, which was definitely empty just a few moments ago. The man standing with his hands behind his back was giving off an intimidating aura. ¡°I am nowhere, but I am also everywhere at the same time.¡± ¡°D-dear Ghost!¡± Potra was overjoyed upon seeing Ghost. However, his face instantly split into thousands of pieces as if his face had been thrown into a shredder. Potra still had no idea that he was dead because he was still looking at Ghost with joy. ¡°I don¡¯t need a loose-lipped weakling of a subordinate,¡± said Ghost with a shrug. A valuable informant had just died in front of Skaya¡¯s eyes, but she remained unmoving. ¡®This is¡­ dangerous. He¡¯ll attack me right away the moment I make a move.¡¯ The thought of a quick retaliation seemed to have frozen Skaya over. The pressure that wasing from Ghost was heavier than the pressure she had to endure when she confronted the demons from the 5.5th Floor. ¡°Stop thinking too much, nerd. Your overthinking can be a great disadvantage, you know.¡± Rahmadat stretched his limbs and clenched his fists. ¡°Raising your fist first upon encountering an enemy is what a yer should always do before anything else.¡± Rahmadat abruptly vanished. Tandav. Rahmadat momentarily became light itself as he charged toward Ghost. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ghost seemed to be impressed by Rahmadat¡¯s speed. ¡°Unfortunately, you chose the wrong opponent.¡± ¡°...!¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes widened. She covered her mouth with her hand as she stared in disbelief at the headless Rahmadat. ¡°...Did Tepes get it wrong? They are no ordinary dogs,¡± muttered Ghost. Bang! The bathroom door was flung open as both Gong Ju-Ha and Kim Woo-Joong entered. ¡°What happened?! I felt a burst of magic¡ª¡± Gong Ju-Ha and Kim Woo-Joong immediately attacked upon noticing the enemy. ¡°White me!¡± Fwooosh! Gong Ju-Ha hurled an extremely hot wisp of me toward Ghost. However, a rift in space appeared and swallowed the me before it could evene close to Ghost. Ghost turned toward Kim Woo-Joong. Thetter was charging toward him by running along the walls. ¡°This one is pretty fast as well.¡± Ghost figured that Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s movement was sharper than therge-framed man earlier. Ghost casually snapped his fingers. ¡°Here, take it.¡± Fwooosh! Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s White me emerged from another rift in space and flew toward Kim Woo-Joong. Boom! ¡°S-Sword Saint¡­!¡± screamed Gong Ju-Ha. However, Kim Woo-Joong seemed unscathed as he emerged from the mes. He quickly swung his sword at Ghost, who was looking in the opposite direction. Bang! ¡°Argh!¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s sword couldn¡¯t go any further. There wasn¡¯t any visible obstacle blocking his sword from reaching Ghost, but Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s sword couldn¡¯t go any further forward as if a wall was blocking it. ¡®I just need an inch¡ªan inch, and I can cut his head off!¡¯ Ghost slowly turned toward Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°How annoying. Get lost.¡± Bang! An unknown power sent Kim Woo-Joong flying toward the bathroom wall. The wall broke upon impact, and Kim Woo-Joong was sent flying down the hallway. Fortunately, Skaya was finally done channeling her spells. ¡¾Reverse Gravity¡¿ ¡¾Bind¡¿ ¡¾Magic Prison¡¿ ¡¾Lightning Spear¡¿ ¡°Hmm.¡± Ghost looked at his restrained limbs and waved his hand. Crackle! Multiple rifts in space manifested, and they swallowed the lightning bolts flying toward him. However, by the time Ghost looked up, the enemies, including the corpse, could no longer be seen. ¡°She¡¯s fast...¡± *** ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Skaya levitated the Frost Queen, Rahmadat¡¯s torso and head, and the unconscious Kim Woo-Joong as she ran along the roof. Gong Ju-Ha running by Skaya¡¯s side shouted, ¡°There!¡± Skayanded on the balcony of a building and quickly hid inside. It turned out that the building was their second hideout. Cha Si-Eun gathered her magic. ¡°Please ce Mr. Rahmadat on this side first, and ce Mr. Sword Saint over there!¡± ¡°...I¡¯m fine.¡± Rahmadat¡¯s body fumbled around the floor. When he finally found his head, he attached it to the stump between his shoulders. He turned his head a few times to confirm that it was fine. Rahmadat finally said, ¡°That was one of the True Vampires, huh? He was strong.¡± ¡°He¡¯s beyond strong.¡± Ghost had overwhelmed all of them on his own. Even though the terrain was unsuitable for a group battle, and the group was caught off guard by Ghost¡¯s sudden appearance, there was no doubt that True Vampires were stronger than they had expected. ¡®Shit. I didn¡¯t expect that there would be a monster like that here¡­¡¯ Skaya couldn¡¯t guarantee their victory if they faced that True Vampire again. She bit her lips hard as she inwardlymented. ¡®There are at least four of them...¡¯ Even worse, the first True Vampire, Tepes, was apparently so strong that the other three True Vampires wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat him, even if they attacked the former at the same time. ¡®How the heck are we supposed to clear this Floor, then?¡¯ Skaya shook her head and muttered, ¡°Haaa. Let¡¯s go down for now ande back up after we¡¯re done organizing the information we have gathered so far.¡± Unfortunately, there was a huge problem that they had to tackle as a group, and the problem reared its ugly head when they went over to the phone booth and tried to go back down to Earth. [A member of the party has been infected. Unable to go down as a group.] The blood of each and every one of them turned cold upon seeing the system prompt. Chapter 461. Fog and City (3) Chapter 461. Fog and City (3) Awkwardness enveloped the group. Rahmadat scratched his biceps indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s probably because of me.¡± They could still remember that Rahmadat got bitten by a vampire on the street the other day. He immediately removed the flesh where he was bitten and regenerated it, but it seemed that the System still judged him unclean. ¡°...Rahmadat. Step out,¡± said Skaya. Rahmadat nodded and stepped out of the elevator. Skaya¡¯s trembling finger pressed the button for the 1st Floor. [This is the 1st Floor. The door is opening.] Skaya¡¯s forehead ached, and she held it as she said grimly, ¡°Is it okay if you wait for us on the 1st Floor? I have to go and talk to that idiot.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you go alone,¡± said Kim Woo-Joong. He still looked drowsy, as if he had just woken up. The others seemed like they didn¡¯t want to get out of the elevator either. ¡°Let¡¯s go together, Miss Skaya. A True Vampire might show up once again while you¡¯re talking to him.¡± ¡°I will protect you this time,¡± said the Frost Queen. ¡°Thanks, everyone¡­¡± Skaya muttered. Then, she pressed the button to the 6th Floor and immediately ran out. ¡°Hey, you idiot! Where are you going!?¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s going on?¡± Rahmadat was about to leave. His eyes widened when he saw the others. ¡°Why did you guyse back up?¡± ¡°We should at least talk about what we should do from now on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like we cane up with an answer even if we decide to talk about it right now.¡± Rahmadat nced at the damp and dark street before continuing. ¡°We can only hunt the vampires down. We have no choice but to do that if we want to know how to break this curse.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ Before anything else, I¡¯ll go and look for a yer who can remove curses.¡± Even Skaya herself was doubtful that a yer could remove a curse that would change one¡¯s race, but Skaya had no choice but to try anything at this point. ¡°Anyway, just stay still and lie low until we return.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to make any promises.¡± ¡°Hey! What if you run into a True Vampire again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll win next time. I just got caught off guard.¡± ¡®This musclehead¡­!¡¯ Skaya walked over and lightly punched Rahamadat¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯m being serious right now. Can you please lie low and wait for us?¡± ¡°Can you really call yourself a yer if you¡¯re going to run away just because you lost to a strong enemy?¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya didn¡¯t know what to say. She suddenly recalled the judgment she had made the moment she met Rahmadat. Back then, she judged that she would never be able to truly get along with Rahmadat. Right now, Skaya was once again convinced that it would forever remain true. ¡®This idiot¡­!¡¯ Skaya could only stare at her friend in frustration. She knew changing Rahmadat¡¯s mind at this point would be incredibly difficult. Rahmadat sighed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about me. I¡¯m not an idiot, you know? I¡¯ll try to avoid the True Vampires as much as possible.¡± ¡®I¡¯m worried because you¡¯re an idiot!¡¯ Skaya stared at Rahmadat as if she were looking at a dumb younger brother. Eventually, she sighed and spoke in a serious voice, ¡°I intend to enter the Magic Tower as soon as I go down. I can¡¯t think of any other way to be even stronger at this point.¡± Skaya was nning to pass all of the Magic Tower¡¯s tests and be acknowledged as a mage of the Magic Tower. She would then have ess to high-ranked and powerful magic spells. Skaya was convinced that it wouldn¡¯t be too dangerous for them to meet Ghost once again by then. At the very least, they wouldn¡¯t have as much trouble as they did earlier. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad n.¡± ¡°So don¡¯t die until wee back. I¡¯m going to kill you if you die before we¡¯re back.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t die. You know I¡¯m the Immortal Rahmadat Khali, right?¡± Rahmadat grinned with his teeth showing and saw off his colleagues. *** ¡°What the heck is going on?¡± Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyes narrowed. The scout team returned earlier than expected. ¡°We found some clues about the 6th Floor¡¯s Floor Master,¡± Skaya said. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good news. But¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu swept his gaze across the scout team members. ¡°Where did Rahmadat go? Did he go to the bathroom or something?¡± ¡°That idiot couldn¡¯te down with us.¡± ¡°What? Tell me more.¡± They quickly informed Shim Deok-Gu of the current situation, and once they were done, Shim Deok-Gu tapped on his Vita and called the secretary¡¯s office right away. ¡°Contact the World yer Association and the Big 5. The goal is to search for a yer capable of removing a curse. A high-level yer is preferred, and make sure that their skill grade is the highest among the candidates as well.¡± Shim Deok-Gu quickly sorted out everything necessary. Skaya was relieved to see him sort things out. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll leave everything to you since I have to leave right away as well.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To the Magic Tower.¡± Shim Deok-Gu could see the determination in Skaya¡¯s eyes. He looked around and saw the anger on everyone¡¯s faces. Even the famous Sword Saint was fiddling with the handle of his sword with a dissatisfied look. ¡°...I failed to cut the enemy down at the most crucial moment. I should have cut him down,¡± Kim Woo-Joong said. He seemed to be deeply regretting what had happened as he continued. ¡°Excuse me. Ick training and mental discipline.¡± Gong Ju-Ha and Cha Si-Eun also bowed and left not long after Kim Woo-Joong left. ¡°Should we tell Mio and Gilbe about this?¡± Shim Deok-Gu asked carefully. ¡°...Yeah, we should tell them the truth. They deserve to know it,¡± replied Skaya. With that being said, Skaya went over to the Magic Tower on the 2nd Floor right away. There was an old man sitting in a room that smelled of old books. It was only natural because the room was full of ancient books and magic scrolls. The old man was reading an official letter. He noticed Skaya¡¯s arrival and nced at her. ¡°Your eyes are full of anger.¡± ¡°Well, something very upsetting happened to me.¡± If one were to ask Skaya to list down the names of the people whom she thought to be the most important to her, she would immediately list down the names of four people. It wasn¡¯t strange that she was angry. After all, she had just left one of them in a ce that was no different from hell. ¡°But I¡¯m the most upset with myself¡­¡± Skaya could still remember how often she boasted about her prowess, so she was ashamed that she wasn¡¯t able to move, let alone do anything at all in that crucial moment. On the other hand, the constant target of her teasing, Rahmadat, bravely charged toward the opponent while she was frozen stiff from the sheer pressure their opponent was emitting back then. Skaya briefly closed her eyes topose herself. Eventually, she opened her eyes once again and said, ¡°Teach me the thing you mentionedst time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I already told you that you need to be qualified if you want to take my ss.¡± On the day of the seventh-floor upancy test, Skaya left the Magic Tower to meet Seo Jun-Ho. Skaya didn¡¯t really think much of her actions back then, so she had no idea that there was a hugemotion within the Magic Tower over her sudden departure. ¡°The senate members were saying that your right to live on the sixth floor should be forfeited, and you should be expelled from the academic world as well.¡± ¡°Hmph. What did I even expect from those boomers¡­¡± ¡°And I partially agree with those boomers.¡± ¡°...¡± The old man was Marcus Asir, the owner of the City of Magic, Magino Novilis, where the Magic Tower was established. He was famous as a genius among geniuses and an incredibly strong mage whose prowess was apparently as high as the heavens itself. He was also familiar with Seo Jun-Ho because of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s contribution to defeating Nazad Hallow. ¡°You told me that I had to be a resident of the ninth floor at the very least before I can receive your teachings,¡± Skaya said. ¡°Correct.¡± Marcus had a very high opinion of Skaya. Therefore, he felt betrayed when she left the Magic Tower without even a single word to him. ¡®She¡¯s back.¡¯ She came back because she needed strength, so she would definitely stay here for quite a while. ¡®And it will be tremendously difficult as well¡­¡¯ Bing a resident of the Magic Tower¡¯s ninth floor meant bing one of the strongest people of Frontier, and only those who had done the following could be a resident of the ninth floor¡ªdeveloping an unprecedented theory, defending their theses, passing a test, writing essays on magic, and eradicating certain monster species. ¡®To do all those, she would have to stay in the Magic Tower for the next few years. It doesn¡¯t matter how hard she tries and how much effort she puts in.¡¯ However, it seemed that Skaya thought otherwise. ¡°I¡¯ll be up there in fifteen days.¡± ¡°Hah! That is not funny at all. You shouldn¡¯t underestimate the Magic Tower.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten that I¡¯m an unprecedented genius? Let¡¯s make a bet if you don¡¯t believe me. Promise me that you¡¯ll teach me your magic as soon as possible if I managed to climb up to the ninth floor in fifteen days.¡± ¡°You got yourself a deal.¡± Marcus willingly nodded. Climbing up to the ninth floor within fifteen days was simply impossible. Actually, Marcus thought that fifteen days wouldn¡¯t be enough for Skaya to gain enough inspiration to start working her way up the floors. ¡°If you somehow became a resident of the ninth floor in just fifteen days, then I will teach you the essence of my magic as the Archmage of the Magic Tower.¡± *** ¡°Hmm.¡± Rahmadat was using his brain for the first time in a while. Squeak! Squeak! Squeak! He could even hear the squeaky sound of his brain spinning against his skull as he pondered. ¡®I did say with confidence that I will be fine on my own, but I have no idea where and how to begin.¡¯ The first thing Rahmadat did was to rule out the option to raid churches likest time. Considering that Ghost appeared right after the raid, True Vampires seemed to be capable of locating the other members of their race. ¡®Then where should I go? Should I just get a decent job to disguise myself and live a quiet life?¡¯ ¡°Ah!¡± While Rahmadat was grumbling at his sad plight under the rain, a woman limped into the alley. ¡®Torn clothes, bare feet, and bloodstains here and there¡­¡¯ The woman was obviously in bad condition, and her eyes widened upon noticing Rahmadat. ¡°A-a human? Why is there a human here?¡± Rahmadat turned toward the sound of many footsteps approaching the alley. ¡®There are twelve of them.¡¯ Rahmadat quickly figured out that there were four people blocking each end of the alley, and there were four people on the roof of the buildings around them. The woman closed her eyes tightly and apologized. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± Rahmadat clicked his tongue. He chose this alley because he didn¡¯t think that anyone woulde to such a quiet back alley. ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± asked Rahmadat. However, the woman wasn¡¯t the one who answered his question. ¡°Probably because she got you involved.¡± The voice came from one of the people blocking the alley, and their eyes were fixed on the woman. ¡°So you decided to run here?¡± ¡°A dirty back alley¡­ huh? Haha, I must admit that this is a suitable burial ce for a dog.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame that you didn¡¯t lead us to your home base, but you¡¯ll soon end up telling us where it is, anyway.¡± ¡°Yes, you will surely tell us once you be one of us.¡± The pursuersughed. Then, they turned toward Rahmadat. ¡°There¡¯s even a decent meal here. Thank goodness. I was getting tired from all the running.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯ll taste good, but I¡¯m toozy to hunt another one.¡± Rahmadat quietly listened to their conversation. Eventually, he opened his mouth and asked, ¡°Are you all vampires?¡± ¡°...¡± The pursuers abruptly closed their mouths. Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, pitter-patter¡­ Aside from the sound of raindrops hitting the ground, no other noises could be heard in the alley. ¡°Hmm, this is bad.¡± The man who seemed to be the leader scratched his nose. He looked at the others and asked, ¡°Since when did our existence be known to the general public?¡± ¡°I-I have no idea¡­¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ it seems like I have a lot of homework to finish tonight. Anyway, overpower that woman first.¡± When the order was given, the vampires immediately jumped at the woman. The woman looked at Rahmadat and urgently shouted, ¡°Run! Now!¡± Awoooo! The woman let out a bestial cry and faced her pursuers head-on. ¡®She¡¯s fast¡­¡¯ It was a fact that vampires were superhumans, but the woman seemed like she wasn¡¯t ordinary as well. Rahmadat¡¯s eyes tracked the woman as she charged toward the vampires. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down! She¡¯s considered one of the strongest among those dogs!¡± ¡°She is the daughter of their chief. You can cut her limbs off, but we need to keep her alive. I¡¯m sure she knows a lot.¡± The woman was physically stronger than the vampires, but the vampires were better than her tactically. They took advantage of their numbers to corner her. ¡°Let¡¯s stop messing around.¡± ¡°Argh!¡± The leader of the pursuers tripped the woman over and mmed her head into the ground. The woman struggled under the leader, but she couldn¡¯t do anything against multiple vampires restraining her at once. ¡°Let¡¯s start by giving you a medicine that will make you listen...¡± said the leader of the pursuers as a white canine protruded from his lips. He moved his head over to the woman¡¯s neck. Seeing that, Rahmadat finally spoke, ¡°I think we¡¯re the same.¡± Crack. Crack. Rahmadat stretched his shoulders lightly and added, ¡°I also have a lot of homework to finish tonight.¡± ¡°What bullshit are you spouting? It¡¯s not your turn yet, so you better wait.¡± The leader gestured, and four vampires started walking over to Rahmadat. ¡°Hey, I know you¡¯re a bit big, but you better stop pretending that you¡¯re hot shit. You need to learn your ce.¡± ¡°How dare a mere human speak in front of¡ª¡± Pop! With a sound simr to a balloon being popped, the heads of the surrounding vampires actually burst like balloons. ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°Tandav,¡± Rahmadat remarked casually. The eyes of the surviving vampires widened at the unbelievable sight. However, another burst of light briefly illuminated the alleyway. ¡°Fuck!¡± The leader of the pursuers cursed without realizing it. He couldn¡¯t really be med because when the burst of light vanished, he saw that every vampire in the alley, even the ones on the roof of the nearby buildings, had died inexplicably. ¡®I chose the wrong opponent. Who the hell is he? Did the dogs manage to develop a way to hide their smell or something?¡¯ His train of thought was interrupted when Rahmadat grabbed his head. ¡°I have many questions for you...¡± Crack! Rahmadat¡¯s fingers slowly dug into the leader of the pursuer¡¯s skull. ¡°So, sleep for now...¡± ¡°...!¡± The leader of the pursuers directly fainted from the pain and shock. The woman hurriedly stood up, and she was confused as she stared at Rahmadat. ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ like me, are you? Just who are you?¡± asked the woman. Therge-framed Rahmadat was far stronger than she could have ever imagined. Rahmadat turned to look at her and replied, ¡°I¡¯m Rahmadat Khali, a yer.¡± Chapter 462. Fog and City (4) Chapter 462. Fog and City (4) ¡°Earth? India? I¡¯ve never heard of those ces before.¡± The woman who introduced herself as Mone was curious about lots of things. ¡°Are the people living in those ces as strong as you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Fair enough¡­¡± Mone nodded. If all the people there were as strong as the man in front of him, then they would have unified the world a long time ago. However, Mone got curious again. ¡°Why do you hate vampires, Rahmadat?¡± ¡°Because those bastards abduct and suck people¡¯s blood like it¡¯s not a big deal,¡± said Rahmadat. He momentarily paused as if he recalled something before continuing. ¡°And one of them even bit me.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Mone freaked out and ran to the corner of the alley. She observed Rahmadat with only half of her face sticking out of the corner like a frightened cat. ¡°Y-you were bitten? When? Which part of your body did they bite?¡± ¡°They bit me two days ago near my neck on my shoulder.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s already been two days since you were bitten, but you aren¡¯t infected yet?¡± ¡°I ripped out the flesh on my neck and shoulders as soon as I was bitten.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. Humans die if you do that! You¡¯re going to get in trouble if you continue lying, you know!¡± Mone retorted. Action spoke louder than words, so Rahmadat tore a chunk of his own shoulder on the spot to prove that he was speaking the truth. ¡°See? I didn¡¯t die.¡± ¡°T-this doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± Mone quickly approached Rahmadat and groped his shoulder for something. She even sniffed Rahmadat as if she was trying to confirm something. ¡°That¡¯s weird. I can¡¯t smell our blood from you...¡± ¡°What do you mean, our blood?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Mone fell into contemtion. A few momentster, she revealed a determined look and said, ¡°Please follow me for a while.¡± *** The carriage stopped on a quiet road outside the city. The bright moon overhead could be seen unobstructed. ¡°Are you really going to alight here? It¡¯s rare to find carriages around here,¡± asked the coachman. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Here¡¯s our fare.¡± Mone paid the coachman and gestured at Rahmadat to follow her. Three hourster, the pair finally arrived at a rugged mountain range. Rahmadat had remained silent all this while, but he finally spoke, ¡°Hey, you told me to follow you for a while. I don¡¯t think seven hours is for a while.¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost there. We¡¯re already in our territory.¡± ¡°And who are you referring to when you say our?¡± asked Rahmadat. His eyes abruptly narrowed when arge number of people suddenly surrounded him. ¡°Do they belong to your group?¡± ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re just wary, that¡¯s all.¡± Mone waved her arms. ¡°It¡¯s okay, everyone! He¡¯s my guest!¡± ¡°...What the heck are you thinking, Mone?¡± A man walked out from behind a tree. The man with a long scar on his face red at Mone and scolded. ¡°How dare you recklessly bring a human into our territory?¡± ¡°Orca, he¡¯s not just a human,¡± replied Mone. ¡°That¡¯s not a matter for you to judge,¡± Orca said. He gestured at the people surrounding Rahmadat. ¡°Restrain him. We need to take care of him.¡± ¡°W-wait! I told you. He¡¯s my guest!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the daughter of the chief, but you have no authority to recklessly bring outsiders into our territory.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Rahmadat swept his gaze across the people surrounding him and spoke, ¡°Is this how your people repay favors, Mone?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rahmadat. Please leave this to me,¡± said Mone. She then stood in front of Orca with a determined look. ¡°Orca, please step aside.¡± ¡°I have to do my job,¡± Orca answered. ¡°It¡¯s an order. I will take responsibility for everything that might happen, so move out of the way.¡± ¡°...¡± Orca stared at Mone for a while and sighed. ¡°You better keep your word.¡± When the decision was made, the killing intent of the people around Rahmadat vanished. ¡®They¡¯re well trained. They¡¯re at least much better than the vampires I ran into earlier.¡¯ Rahmadat followed Mone, and they soon found themselves in front of a huge stone wall. ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­!¡± Creaaak! After struggling to push the stone wall, Mone turned around and wiped the sweat off of her forehead. ¡°Rahmadat. Wee to the Twilight w Tribe!¡± Beyond the massive stone wall were several unique-looking buildings. Most of the buildings were houses made out of stones and were built in a way to mimic human houses while still preserving their wild looks. ¡°Mone!¡± A group of people walked up to Mone and Rahmadat. Therge-framed middle-aged man standing at the lead had a physiqueparable to Rahmadat. A man with a long gray beard turned his sharp eyes toward Rahmadat. ¡°How dare you bring a human into our territory without my permission?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my benefactor! He killed dozens of vampires and saved me.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Therge-framed middle-aged man took a few steps forward and stood in front of Rahmadat. Rahmadat felt as if he were standing in front of a massive mountain, but he remained unmoving and unblinking. ¡°He¡¯s pretty good. Does one of your ancestors have our blood?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been saying the same thing over and over again,¡± Rahmadat said with a rarely-seen exhausted look, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by the word our.¡± ¡°It seems like Mone didn¡¯t tell you anything. All right, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Therge-framed middle-aged man wrapped his arm around Rahmadat¡¯s shoulders. ¡°My name is Arnold Osman. I¡¯m Mone¡¯s father and the chief of the Twilight w Tribe, and¡­¡± Squeeze! The weight on Rahmadat¡¯s shoulder became heavier as time went on. Rahmadat looked up. ¡®¡¯He¡¯s growing¡­ taller?¡¯ Therge-framed middle-aged man grew in size as gray fur covered his body. His nose and mouth projected, his ears became pointy, and his eyes also shone in a glint one could only see in the eyes of beasts. When his transformation was finally done, Arnold continued. ¡°I¡¯m a werewolf.¡± ¡°...¡± Rahmadat looked up at Arnold in silence. It was understandable because he had never seen a werewolf before. A few momentster, Rahmadat raised his hand and gripped the furry beast¡¯s hand on his shoulder. ¡°All right, Arnold. I get that you¡¯re excited to meet me¡­¡± ¡°...!¡± Squeeze! Arnold¡¯s seemingly unmoving hand was slowly being lifted off of Rahmadat¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But I don¡¯t really like it when people other than my friends put their hand on my shoulder.¡± Arnold¡¯s eyes widened. *** Rahmadat was assigned a house, and the interior of the stone house was much cleaner and morefortable than he thought. ¡°You were amazing! I¡¯ve never seen anyone as strong as my father!¡± Mone eximed. ¡°Is that so?¡± Rahmadat nodded, seemingly convinced. Arnold¡¯s strength was so great that Rahmadat had to circte his magic at full throttle. ¡°I have a question,¡± asked Rahmadat all of a sudden. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Who is stronger? Arnold or True Vampire Ghost?¡± ¡°...!¡± Mone¡¯s face turned pale as if the name alone struck fear into her heart. She bit her lips tightly and asked, ¡°Where did you hear that name from?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I didn¡¯t really hear his name from anyone. Actually, I met him in person.¡± ¡°You what?!¡± Mone stared wide-eyed at Rahmadat. ¡°H-How did you survive?¡± ¡°It was difficult. He even chopped my head off.¡± Of course, Rahmadat really never had any trouble recovering from decapitation, even when his Super Regeneration was still S. Naturally, it had be even easier and quicker for him to recover from such an injury with Super Regeneration (EX). ¡®But I do wonder...¡¯ Rahmadat used to believe that he would die if his heart or brain were destroyed, but now, he was no longer convinced that he would actually die from those injuries. ¡°You can survive being decapitated, Rahmadat?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of funny to say this as a werewolf, but you really are a monster.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you guys do it?¡± ¡°Only Arch Warriors can do that.¡± ¡°I see. So what¡¯s the answer to my question?¡± Mone contemted for a moment before answering carefully, ¡°If it¡¯s during the full moon, my father is at an advantage. Otherwise, Ghost will definitely beat my father.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit unbelievable.¡± Rahmadat was surprised. The intense pressure he had felt from Ghost was much stronger than what he had felt from Arnold. Mone smiled and said, ¡°Do you really think that the power my father showed you earlier was his true strength?¡± ¡°Was it not?¡± ¡°Of course not. Our prowess can be divided into three stages.¡± Mone stretched out her thin arm. ¡°The first stage involves maintaining our human appearances while using the power of the werewolves.¡± ¡°So you were at the first stage when you fought those vampires earlier¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. As for the second stage¡­¡± Mone blushed slightly. She lowered her head, and her arm was soon covered in beautiful silvery hair. ¡°It involves transforming into a werewolf.¡± ¡°Then, what¡¯s the third stage?¡± ¡°Emancipation is the third stage.¡± ¡°Emancipation? From what?¡± Mone lowered her arm and smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s an emancipation from everything that is keeping us restrained.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand it at all,¡± said Rahmadat. ¡°Hm, let me ask you this¡ªdo you really think that you can handle all of your power¡ªthe entire one hundred percent, Rahmadat?¡± asked Mone. ¡°Of course, I can.¡± Rahmadat thought that it would be impossible to reach a higher level of power if he couldn¡¯t even control his current power. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Mone said firmly, ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re simply using all the power you have built up until now.¡± ¡°...Isn¡¯t that all of my strength?¡± asked Rahmadat, seemingly confused. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± Mone shook her head and said, ¡°Your strength includes your potential and the underlying power of your unconsciousness. You can only say that you¡¯re using all of your power¡ªthe entire one hundred percent¡ªwhen you¡¯re using everything intentionally.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no way that¡¯s possible¡­¡± Rahmadat muttered. ¡°It is possible. My father can do it,¡± replied Rahmadat. ¡°Hm.¡± Rahmadat was convinced of the confidence in Mone¡¯s eyes. ¡®I¡¯ll have to ask him to show me tomorrow,¡¯ thought Rahmadat. *** When the sun rose the next morning, Mone visited Rahmadat¡¯s stone house. ¡°Rahmadat. My father is looking for you.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Rahmadat followed Mone, and they eventually arrived at an open space where hundreds of men and women were sitting close to each other on the ground. ¡®It seems like there are less than three hundred of them.¡¯ It was a considerably small number whenpared to the fifty thousand vampires out there. Upon seeing Rahmadat, Arnold spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about what happened. First of all, I would like to thank you as both the father of a child and the chief of the tribe.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Rahmadat answered. ¡°But I want to ask you something...¡± ¡°And what is that?¡± asked Rahmadat. When Rahmadat¡¯s words fell, a sharp energy burst from Arnold. The energy formed an invisible needle that seemed to be prodding Rahmadat. ¡°Are you an enemy of the vampires?¡± asked Arnold. ¡°...¡± Rahmadat pondered for a moment and answered, ¡°Yes. I am an enemy of the vampires.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The sharp energy vanished. Arnold rose from his seat and bowed. ¡°The enemy of my enemies is my friend. Forgive me for the disrespect this early in the morning.¡± ¡°C-chief!¡± ¡°Why would you bow to a trivial human¡­¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± Arnold sat back down as if bowing wasn¡¯t a big deal for him. ¡°The other party has a different status, position, and origin, but that doesn¡¯t mean that he doesn¡¯t deserve an apology from me. After all, I had been rude to him.¡± ¡°But the werewolf¡¯s pride is¡ª¡± ¡°Pride? Did we still have such a noble thing in us?¡± Arnold snorted and tilted his chin. ¡°The country we have been defending for hundreds of years was piged by those bats, and we were eventually driven out to a corner of a rugged mountain range¡­¡± ¡±Even worse, the moon doesn¡¯t even rise in the city anymore.¡± The red fog covering the moon every night was the reason why the moon no longer rose in the city of Trium. The remnant moonlight from the moon during the day wasn¡¯t enough to serve as fuel for the werewolves¡¯ transformation. ¡°It¡¯s just a shame that all this happened during my generation, and does each and every one of you still have integrity in you?¡± Arnold swept his gaze across the werewolves before continuing. ¡°If you do, then don¡¯t throw it away. We¡¯re¡­ losers who couldn¡¯t protect the humans who had been serving us, so that is the least we can do.¡± ¡°...¡± A deafening silence descended on the open space. It couldn¡¯t be helped because the werewolves had always found it hard to face the harsh reality that they had always been trying to avoid. All of a sudden, Rahmadat raised his hand. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Yes. What is it?¡± ¡°I heard from Monest night that the werewolves¡¯ prowess is divided into three stages in total, and thest stage is apparently emancipation.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re bringing that up right now, but you¡¯re right.¡± Arnold nodded. Rahmadat requested. ¡°Really? I can¡¯t really imagine it no matter how hard I try, so can you show me what emancipation looks like?¡± ¡°...¡± A silence that was even more deafening than the earlier silence enveloped the open space. Mone crossed both of her arms to form an ¡®X¡¯ while staring at Rahmadat with a pale face. ¡®Bad idea! That was a bad idea! In the first ce, it¡¯s an awfully rude request!¡¯ Arnold¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Do you even understand what you said?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, of course, I do.¡± ¡®I just want you to show me what emancipation looks like...¡¯ However, the words that came out of Arnold¡¯s mouth were a bit different from what Rahmadat had been expecting. ¡°This is the first time. I couldn¡¯t have known that a human would challenge me for a duel someday.¡± ¡°Chief! This is ridiculous! I¡¯ll deal with that arrogant human!¡± eximed Orca as he stared angrily at Rahmadat. ¡°No, no, no. There¡¯s no need. Refusing a duel is a disgrace for us werewolves.¡± Arnold shook his head and stood up. He then red at Rahmadat and said, ¡°You better stand up, you reckless human.¡± Chapter 463. Beast鈥檚 Road (1) Chapter 463. Beast¡¯s Road (1) ¡°Did you say something?¡± asked the man as he jumped out of his seat. Shin Sung-Hyun momentarily paused what he was doing. He had been signing documents to approve them, and the man¡¯s question interrupted him. Shin Sung-Hyun nced at the man and replied, ¡°...No, I didn¡¯t. More importantly, didn¡¯t I ask you not to interrupt me until I¡¯m done approving these documents?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I must have heard wrongly,¡± said the man as he quietly sat back down. Shin Sung-Hyun sighed. The man¡ªSword Saint Kim Woo-Joong¡ªwhom Shin Sung-Hyun considered his rival visited him out of nowhere a few hours ago. ¡®And what did he say to me?¡¯ "I will swing my sword, and I want you to stop it." Shin Sung-Hyun shook his head. He could still recall how shocked he was upon hearing that. Shin Sung-Hyun wanted to ask Kim Woo-Joong what thetter meant by what he said. ¡®But now is not the time...¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun was the Guild Master of one of the Big Five Guilds, so he always had mountains of documents to process on his desk, and his time throughout the day was even divided and managed into minutes. ¡®If I manage to finish these remaining documents in eighteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds, skip dinner, and skip ptes today. I might be able to squeeze some time to deal with him.¡¯ When Shin Sung-Hyun finally put down his fountain pen, Kim Woo-Joong jumped up like a meerkat. ¡°Are you done working?¡± ¡°...¡± Shin Sung-Hyun wanted to tell Kim Woo-Joong that his work was never-ending, but he didn¡¯t say that. Instead, he turned to look at thetter with a tired look and said, ¡°Yes, but it doesn¡¯t mean that I have time to deal with you. I have my own life, you know.¡± ¡°...I can¡¯t really say anything because I visited you without an appointment.¡± ¡®At least he knows that much...¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun sat on the couch directly opposite Kim Woo-Joong and said, ¡°Well then. How about you exin to me what¡¯s going on first? I don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Kim Woo-Joong then exined everything with a serious face. Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s head started aching when Kim Woo-Joong was finally done with his exposition. ¡°To sum it all up¡­you fought a True Vampire on the 6th Floor, and he was very strong?¡± Kim Woo-Joong nodded. ¡°You swung your sword as hard as you could, but your opponent directly froze your sword using space?¡± Kim Woo-Joong nodded again. ¡°Therefore, you came to me because you thought I would be a good training partner because my ability is simr to that True Vampire. Is that right?¡± p! p! p! Kim Woo-Joong pped. ¡°That¡¯s an excellent summary. You definitely deserve to be the Guild Master of the Goblin Guild.¡± ¡°...Hmph.¡± ¡®He¡¯s clueless most of the time, but at least he knows ttery.¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun checked the time. He was about to open his mouth, but someone knocked on the door. Knock! Knock! Knock! ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Ju-Ha.¡± Gong Ju-Ha stuck her head from behind the slightly ajar door, and her eyes widened at the sight as she asked, ¡°Huh? Why is the Sword Saint here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for him to finish signing those documents there,¡± replied Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Yes, but why?¡± Gong Ju-Ha entered the room and took a seat. Shin Sung-Hyun spoke to Gong Ju-Ha. ¡°Team Leader Gong.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Let me exin.¡± Gong Ju-Ha started exining with a grim look. When Gong Ju-Ha was finally done with her exposition, Shin Sung-Hyun covered his face with both hands. ¡°To sum it all up¡­you fought a True Vampire on the 6th Floor, and he was very strong?¡± Gong Ju-Ha nodded. ¡°You used the strongest mes you can use, but your opponent swallowed your mes and even sent them back to you?¡± Gong Ju-Ha nodded again. ¡°Therefore, you came to me because you thought that I may be capable of doing the same thing as what your opponent had done because our abilities are simr. Is that right?¡± p! p! p! Gong Ju-Ha pped. ¡°As expected! You¡¯re really quick on the uptake, Master!¡± ¡°He¡¯s also really good at making summaries,¡± Kim Woo-Joong added from the side. ¡°...¡± Shin Sung-Hyun felt a strong urge to kick the two of them out of the room. Shin Sung-Hyun rubbed his temples and asked, ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°The Conductor of Space,¡± Kim Woo-Joong answered. ¡°You¡¯re great at manipting space,¡± Gong Ju-Ha replied. ¡®Should I just tell them to piss off?¡¯ ¡°Help me train,¡± said Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°When should we start?¡± asked Gong Ju-Ha. Shin Sung-Hyun felt like smacking the two in the head when he saw how brazen they were to ask him to help him train as if it were the most natural thing in the world. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun exhaled deeply. He then tapped on his Vita and called Jang Kyung-Hoon. - Yes, Master. How may I help you? ¡°Empty my schedule.¡± - Your afternoon schedule? ¡°No. All of them. I have no idea when I¡¯ll return.¡± - What?! No, you can¡¯t do that, Master! The Guild will be paralyzed without you, and¡ª ¡°That¡¯s actually weird¡­¡± In the end, Shin Sung-Hyun was a yer. He became a yer to eradicate monsters and protect the people. ¡°I didn¡¯t be a yer just to scribble on some documents in a room with a nice view.¡± - Then, what should I do with the piled-up documents? ¡°I think it¡¯s time for me to start going out there and do something. You should look for a professional assistant, or you can even do it yourself.¡± With that, Shin Sung-Hyun ended the call. He then got up from his seat and removed his tie, which was starting to make him feel suffocated for some reason. ¡°Follow me, unwee guests. I will show you the terrors of space.¡± *** ¡°...Huh?¡± Rahmadat opened his eyes. Mone was fanning him using a big leaf. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Uh, umm¡­¡± Rahmadat repeatedly blinked. When he tried to raise his upper body, a terrible headache struck him. Smack! Smack! He pped his head a few times before asking, ¡°What am I doing here?¡± ¡°My father hit you once, and you passed out.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing that, Rahmadat finally remembered what happened. He could have never imagined that requesting to see a werewolf¡¯s emancipation was the same as asking them for a duel. ¡®I followed him because he told me that he would show me his emancipation, and I did see it.¡¯ Rahmadat felt a shiver down his spine upon recalling the terrible energy that Arnold had emitted back then. ¡°Does he get even stronger than that at night?¡± Rahmadat asked. ¡°Yes¡ªespecially during a full moon,¡± Mone answered. ¡°So you weren¡¯t lying¡­¡± It seemed that Mone¡¯s remark about how Arnold was stronger than True Vampire Ghost beneath the moonlight was true. Rahmadat didn¡¯t believe her in the beginning, but now, he had no choice but to acknowledge it. ¡®He¡¯s definitely a strong man.¡¯ Arnold was incredibly strong. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± ¡°...Are you alright? Is your head okay?¡± Mone was concerned to see Rahmadatughing for no reason. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine. Actually, I¡¯d like to ask for some guidance.¡± ¡°Guidance? Oh, do you want me to give you a tour of this ce?¡± ¡°No.¡± Rahmadat grinned. ¡°I want to fight Arnold again.¡± *** ¡°...It is courageous to challenge a being you can ovee.¡± However, it was impudence to challenge an insurmountable being without any preparations. Arnold frowned at Rahmadat. In Arnold¡¯s eyes, thetter definitely looked like he hadn¡¯t prepared anything at all. ¡°Go back. I think highly of your resiliency, but you are not ready just yet.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not toote to judge me after we have properly confronted each other.¡± ¡°That¡¯s funny. Are you trying to tell me that our previous duel wasn¡¯t a proper confrontation?¡± ¡°This sounds a bit petty, but yes¡ªI simply let my guard down.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than a bit petty,¡± Arnold smirked. He was currently training with the other werewolves. ¡°Then prove yourself. Show me why I should confront you again.¡± Arnold nced at someone else, and a man strode out. Rahmadat didn¡¯t even spare the man a nce as he said to Arnold, ¡°I already fought you once, so I already know how strong you are. I¡¯m nning on fighting you with all my might this time, so you might get a bit hurt in the fight. Will that be fine?¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Arnold boisterouslyughed. ¡°He¡¯s looking down on you, Back.¡± ¡°...The taste of my toenails will bring that arrogant bastard to his senses. For the wolves!¡± Thump! Thump! Back thumped his own chest twice and red at Rahmadat. Rahmadat turned to look at Back and asked, ¡°The energy you¡¯re using is definitely not magic. What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re arrogant enough to fight a werewolf without knowing what Lunar Force is?¡± ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s the power of the moon?¡± ¡®Interesting¡­¡¯ Rahmadat repositioned and turned to Arnold. ¡°You showed me something interesting earlier, so I¡¯ll show you something good as well in return.¡± ¡°Look at me, you idiot,¡± Back said derisively, ¡°How dare you look the other way when there¡¯s a werewolf in front of you!¡± With that being said, Back rushed at Rahmadat. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ Humans couldn¡¯t possibly react to Back¡¯s speed. ¡®Was he nothing but an ordinary human¡ªan all bark but no bite type of human? I thought I felt something burning inside of him, even though he¡¯s just a human.¡¯ Arnold was about to sigh in disappointment. However, his train of thought was interrupted by a loud bang. ¡°...Tandav.¡± Boom! Back flew and was buried into the stone wall on the other side of the training hall. He had flown three times faster than the speed he used to rush at Rahmadat. ¡°...¡± Arnold¡¯s expression stiffened as silence descended on the training hall. ¡®I¡¯m in human form right now, but that doesn¡¯t exin how my eyes lost him for a moment¡­¡¯¡¯ Rahmadat¡¯s brief disappearance meant that he had momentarily be light itself. ¡°Hmm. That was refreshing.¡± Steam could be seen rising from Rahmadat¡¯s torn flesh as they regenerated. Rahmadat stood up and turned his head a few times. He looked satisfied as if he found it refreshing to have his cells restored after dying. ¡°So? Was that enough proof?¡± Rahmadat asked. ¡°What was your name again?¡± ¡°Rahmadat Khali.¡± ¡°All right, Rahmadat. You have proven your brilliance.¡± Arnold nced at the other werewolves. ¡°Enough training for today, and everyone should leave the training hall right now.¡± ¡°Yes, Chief!¡± The werewolves carried Back away and disappeared. Once the other werewolves were gone, Arnold finally muttered, ¡°Emancipation.¡± Fwooosh! A formidable force flowed out of Arnold as he was quickly enveloped in gray fur. ¡®This is my second time seeing it, but it still looks so cool¡­¡¯ The presence of someone more powerful than him made Rahmadat¡¯s skin tingle. Arnold stared at Rahamdat. ¡°Rahmadat. What is it that you want to gain from challenging me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I want to learn that emancipation or something to be stronger.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there aren¡¯t any humans out there who can match your prowess, so why do you want to be even stronger? Just what are you chasing?¡± ¡°What do you mean, what I¡¯m chasing? Of course, I¡¯m chasing strength to defeat that True Vampire and¡ª¡± Rahmadat abruptly stopped speaking. Defeating that True Vampire was a short-term goal. Arnold¡¯s question was deeper than that. ¡®What¡­ what was the reason I wanted to keep getting stronger?¡¯ Rahmadat had never really thought about it before. ¡®A Gate opened one day. My family, friends, and neighbors were killed.¡¯ Rahmadat¡¯s instinct was to protect them. What he had done contained neither sublime nor heroic meanings behind them. ¡®Isn¡¯t protecting others something that anyone would do? The strong should protect the weak and reach out to those who are in need. Isn¡¯t that how the world should be?¡¯ ¡°...Wolf. Thank you for that good question.¡± Rahmadat¡¯s eyes turned clear, and his thoughts had be firmer than ever. ¡°I¡¯m stupid, so I can¡¯t really think deeply, but I will get stronger to beat the stronger and worse bastards out there¡­¡± "For me, it¡¯s really fun to beat evil bastards.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Arnold answered in a cold voice and slowly closed his eyes. ¡®Did he not like my answer?¡¯ Rahmadat gulped. Arnold smiled. ¡®This vibration and heartbeat¡­¡¯ They could only be made by hearts that spoke only the truth, without even a tinge of falsehood. ¡®Has there ever been someone else with such a heart among humans?¡¯ ¡°Oh, and if I need to give another reason, I do have one more,¡± Rahmadat said. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What you said about how there aren¡¯t any humans out there who can match me is wrong.¡± Rahmadat only blinked once, but that friend of his was suddenly well ahead of them. ¡°I¡¯m a bit sad chasing after my friend¡¯s back. I¡­ want to walk side by side with him. I want to walk side by side with them.¡± ¡°Ah, excellent!¡± Arnold grinned, seemingly overwhelmed with joy. He could feel a true warrior¡¯s passion and zeal from Rahmadat. ¡®Rahmadat. You do not have the blood of the wolves, but you¡¯re a beast of a man with a wolf¡¯s heart.¡¯ ¡°It seems that I won¡¯t be bored for a while,¡± Arnold muttered. It was always fun to teach someone. Chapter 464. Beast鈥檚 Road (2) Chapter 464. Beast¡¯s Road (2) Arnold¡¯s teachings were simple and easy to understand. The problem was that it was extremely difficult to put into practice. ¡°Throw all those misceneous thoughts away. Stop thinking! Shatter all your beliefs!¡± Arnold was basically telling Rahmadat to stop doing what every human being had always been doing. At that, Rahmadat couldn¡¯t help butin. ¡°You know it¡¯s hard to find people who rarely use their brain like me, right? How am I supposed to stop thinking when I¡¯m not even thinking?¡± ¡°You still have too many thoughts inside of you. Misceneous thoughts are nothing but chains binding your body. You must cut them off.¡± ¡°...It sounds like you¡¯re trying to turn me into a madman.¡± Arnold spent the entire day teaching Rahmadat. One day, Rahmadat asked out of pure curiosity, ¡°Arnold. Is it okay for you to teach me exclusively? I mean, you¡¯re the chief of this tribe.¡± ¡°...Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m doing this for my own benefit as well.¡± ¡°Huh. So you have a motive for teaching me.¡± Arnold nodded. ¡®Perhaps we might be able to take the first step against those bats the day this guy learns to emancipate...¡¯ Arnold¡¯s gaze headed to the distant city. The red fog, which covered the entire city, was still expanding every day. ¡®...Time is not in our favor.¡¯ Rahmadat Khali was like a ray of hope. Unlike the werewolves, Rahmadat would be able to exert the entire one hundred percent of his power even within the red fog. ¡°I don¡¯t want too much from you. I¡¯m not even nning on asking you to kill the True Vampires.¡± ¡°Then, what is it that you want from me?¡± ¡°The red fog.¡± Arnold wanted Rahmadat to find and destroy the facilities producing the red fog, nothing more, nothing less. The ws of the werewolves had to be the ones that should end this war. *** It had been a week since Arnold started teaching Rahmadat, and the members of the Twilight w Tribe gathered at the open space of the tribe¡¯spound once again. ¡°Have you heard the rumors?¡± ¡°...I think it¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°But the chief announced it himself.¡± The gathered werewolves whispered among themselves, but they only had one topic. ¡°A human will take on the trial of bing an Arch Warrior!¡± They couldn¡¯t believe it at all. After all, it was hard to find someone capable enough of challenging the Arch Warrior trial, even among the werewolves. ¡°Chief used to turn us away all the time even if we applied because he thought we weren¡¯t qualified¡­¡± ¡°I want to know what Chief Arnold is thinking. I thought he valued that human a lot?¡± Failure in the trial meant sustaining severe injuries, and in the worst-case scenario, failure would mean death. Therefore, Arnold often ignored the trial challenge requests of the unprepared werewolves. ¡°Is he thinking that we¡¯re worse than that human?¡± ¡°Who knows? We can¡¯t say much because we haven¡¯t really seen his skills personally.¡± ¡°What about the other Arch Warriors? Have they said anything yet?¡± ¡°You know that they¡¯re not fond of speaking, so we haven¡¯t really heard anything from them.¡± Boom. Boom. Boom. All of a sudden, the unique drums of the Twilight w Tribe were sounded as Arnold stepped into the open space. Arnold sat down in his chair and spoke, ¡°Rahmadat Khali. Step forward.¡± ¡°...¡± Rahmadat stepped forward and looked up at Arnold. ¡°Passing the Arch Warrior Trial requires the achievement of bing one in both mind and body. Those daring enough but unprepared would only suffer terrible pain as the consequences of their impudence,¡± said Arnold. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°...To be honest, I¡¯m still hesitating at this moment.¡± The Chief of the Twilight w Tribe had always been confident in his decision-making, but right now, he was actually agonizing over a decision. He had no idea if it was right for him to ept this human¡¯s request. ¡®Rahmadat¡¯s growth is remarkable.¡¯ He was truly talented in that department. Rahmadat had instinctively understood and learned concepts that even werewolves with warrior¡¯s blood would find hard to understand, which was why Arnold felt even more hesitant. ¡®...Am I just being selfish?¡¯ Most werewolves would prepare for the Arch Warrior Trial from early childhood until adulthood, which was a period of more than thirteen years. ¡®But he managed to catch up to all the sses in just a week¡­¡¯ It was only possible because he was a warrior who was already close to perfection. Rahmadat still couldn¡¯t quite grasp the concept of throwing his misceneous thoughts away and emptying his mind, but Arnold was convinced that it was only a matter of time. To put it bluntly, Rahmadat¡¯s chance of passing the trial was fifty percent. ¡®I want him to take a bit more time to prepare before he takes the trial, but¡­¡¯ Rahmadat was both confident and stubborn. He often said that he would never be able to reach the summit if he were to stick to the safe path. ¡®If he really ends up passing this trial, then I will have to admit it.¡¯ He would have to admit the fact that he had developed a habit of avoiding challenges and beingcent without realizing it. However, it couldn¡¯t really be helped. After all, It had been quite a while since he became the Chief of the Twilight w Tribe, and he had nothing else to be worried about other than the tribe¡¯s future since then. ¡°...Let the trial begin,¡± Arnold announced and beckoned. Mone walked out with a wooden bowl in her hand. The wooden bowl was filled with a dark purple liquid. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Rahmadat asked. ¡°It¡¯s an alcohol brewed using the arcane technology of the tribe,¡± Arnold issued a stern warning. ¡°The moment you drink it, you¡¯ll forget everything and be locked up in a prison of your own mind.¡± ¡°Does escaping that prison mean passing the trial?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as it sounds. You have to be enlightened on emancipation to get out of that prison.¡± ¡°And what happens if I didn¡¯t manage toe out?¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t manage to escape the prison on your own within a week, the other Arch Warriors and I will forcibly pull you out.¡± It was clear that Rahmadat would get seriously injured in the process. ¡°Is that so?¡± Rahmadat grinned. He took the wooden bowl from Mone¡¯s hands and downed the entire thing. ¡°...!¡± Arnold was dumbfounded. He blinked a few times before erupting in anger. ¡°Y-you idiot¡­! You should have waited until I was done speaking! You¡¯re supposed to only take a sip!¡± ¡°Goodness! What if he dies before he can even take the trial? W-what should we do?!¡± ¡®Uh¡­ did I do¡­ something¡­wrong¡­¡¯ Rahmadat saw how Arnold had arrived in front of him in the proverbial blink of an eye and started shaking his shoulders. However, Rahmadat¡¯s ears were ringing, and Arnold¡¯s voice was growing distant from him. ¡°Restraints many times more difficult and strong¡­ the prison¡­ death¡­ fight! You¡¯re the only one¡­!¡± The world was moving away from Rahmadat. ¡®Or am I moving away from the world?¡¯ The world stretched infinitely until they disappeared. ¡°Hm. Is this the prison of my own consciousness?¡± Rahmadat figured that this deste and empty space had to be his inner world. He thought he heard Arnold say something to him before he lost consciousness, but he didn¡¯t take it too seriously because he sessfully entered his inner world. Rahmadat sat cross-legged and started meditating. *** ¡°Hmm?¡± Reiji couldn¡¯t help but lift a corner of her lips when she saw how the two men dodged her attack with ease. ¡®Now we¡¯re talking¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho used to be like a child with the power of an adult. He had no idea just how valuable his power was, nor he had any idea of the concepts he should have been using to efficiently use that power. However, he changed a lot after a year of training with Reiji. Reiji loosened her clenched fist. ¡°I must admit that you have be quitepetent now.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho remained focused despite thepliment. This meant that Seo Jun-Ho had reached the state of imperturbable mind. Reiji smiled bitterly. ¡®It¡¯s a shame that I can¡¯tplete him with my own hands.¡¯ Reiji was holding the final piece of the puzzle, but she held back. She knew that Seo Jun-Ho should be the only one who shouldplete himself. ¡®As a human, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s growth is already at the limit.¡¯ In fact, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s physical body had long reached its growth limit. But now, his mind had finally reached its growth limit as well, but it had apletely different meaningpared to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s physical body reaching its growth limit. ¡®It means that he has finally arrived at the door.¡¯ Many people had ended up dying without ever being able to open the door, and there was an overwhelming number of people who had died trying to open that door than those who actually managed to open it. ¡®But I¡¯m sure that this guy¡­ he¡¯ll definitely be able to open that door someday.¡¯ However, Reiji couldn¡¯t be happy about it because she had no idea what kind of result Seo Jun-Ho would bring in the future after being molded by her own hands. ¡°It¡¯s about time we get out.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho checked the time and exhaled. ¡°The end is near, but I still haven¡¯tnded a direct blow on you.¡± ¡°Hey, you punk! Do you know how arrogant you sound right now?¡± Reiji was outraged by the audacity of a mere peak Liberation Stage to a Transcendent, and any other transcendents out there would have turned him into ashes on the spot for being disrespectful. ¡°Thank you,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°...At least you know how to say thanks.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was truly grateful to Reiji. The skills and techniques she had taught him over the year couldn¡¯t be bought, even if one had all the money in the world. ¡°It wasn¡¯t much, but you did learn from me. You better not embarrass me. Make sure that you don¡¯t get beaten up somewhere.¡± ¡°I will try my best.¡± ¡°Well, I highly doubt that someone out there can beat you. Anyway, you¡¯re going to clear the 6th Floor, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Reiji thought about it for a moment before continuing. ¡°Let me correct myself. Someone on the 6th Floor is capable of beating you up¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes sank. ¡°Did Administrator¡ªno, did Miss Reiji¡¯s superiors really think that we¡ªthe yers¡ªcould clear the floors against such beings?¡± ¡°Of course not. We didn¡¯t create those beings for the yers to beat.¡± If Reiji¡¯s memories were serving her correctly, the yers had to support the werewolves so that they would have a chance of clearing the 6th Floor. However, the appearance of that damned Archduke changed everything. ¡°Honestly, there were certain tactics to clear every Floor.¡± However, those tactics were no longer usable because of the changes. ¡°In other words, even I, an Administrator, have no idea what the future has in store for the yers.¡± ¡°That sounds irresponsible.¡± ¡°...I know, and I¡¯m sorry,¡± Reiji muttered. Seo Jun-Ho was genuinely surprised. He didn¡¯t expect such words toe out of Reiji¡¯s mouth. ¡°Clear the Floors, and everything will be clear by then.¡± Until then, Reiji had no choice but to ask for the yers¡¯ understanding. Reiji tapped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to say goodbye.¡± ¡°Wait, Miss Reiji! I still have many questions¡ª¡± ¡°Time¡¯s up. Your request for extension is declined.¡± Swoosh! A rift in space swallowed Seo Jun-Ho. Thest thing he saw was the kitchen and the training hall where he had spent most of his time over the year and Reiji¡¯s bitter expression. ¡®I hope I didn¡¯t make the wrong choice.¡¯ *** Shim Deok-Gu was currently facing a huge dilemma. Should he wee his friend first or express his anger first? ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Unfortunately, it seemed that Shim Deok-Gu just couldn¡¯t bear to express his fury without weing his friend first. Tap! Tap! Shim Deok-Gu gave Seo Jun-Ho a tight hug. ¡°I¡¯m a bit upset that you didn¡¯t contact me as soon as you got back, but I guess you definitely have your own reasons,¡± said Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m always grateful to you,¡± replied Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡®Well, this is kind of overwhelming. This isn¡¯t like him.¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu sat on a couch and spoke, ¡°So tell me. Where the heck have you been this week?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit far¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡®Come to think of it, I should be a year older now, even though it had only been a week here.¡¯ ¡°What happened to the others? What happened to the 6th Floor scout team?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho with a sullen face. ¡°They continued without you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. As expected, they weren¡¯t the type of people to kick up a fuss and get anxious to the point of not being able to function just because he had disappeared. ¡°Skaya strongly insisted on continuing the reconnaissance. She said that she had no idea know where you went, but you will definitelye back on your own one day, so she told everyone to proceed as usual.¡± ¡°Aw,e on.¡± ¡®They could have been a bit more worried, couldn¡¯t they?¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu handed over a report made by the scout team. ¡°Read it. Miss Si-Eun made it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes deepened as he read the report. ¡®True Vampire Ghost¡­¡¯ Ghost managed to overpower Skaya, Rahmadat, Kim Woo-Joong, and Gong Ju-Ha¡¯sbined force. Upon reading the report, Reiji¡¯s words suddenly came to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind. ¡°Someone on the 6th Floor is capable of beating you up¡­¡± ¡®So it¡¯s one of them¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho figured that the True Vampires had to be as powerful as True Vampire Ghost at the very least. ¡®There are four True Vampires, huh? This Tepes is apparently stronger than the other three.¡¯ The True Vampires were overwhelmingly strongerpared to the yers¡¯ current forces. ¡°I¡¯ll have to go up right away. You said Rahmadat was in danger, right?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s up to you whether you want to go up right away or not, but are you sure you¡¯re not forgetting something here?¡± ¡°What did I forget?¡± ¡°...Well, you¡¯re in trouble, but that¡¯s none of my business.¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked. He had no idea what Shim Deok-Gu was talking about. Tap! Tap! Tap! All of a sudden, a person¡¯s tread echoed just beyond the door. Chapter 465. Beast鈥檚 Road (3) Chapter 465. Beast¡¯s Road (3) Tap! Tap! Tap! ¡®What is that cute-sounding noise?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ears perked up at the approaching sound, and he stared at the door. ¡°...!¡± Atst, he finally remembered what he had forgotten. A drop of cold sweat dripped down Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck as the door to the Office of the Association President was flung open. Bang! ¡°Frost¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho tried to greet the Frost Queen warmly upon seeing her, but he was forced to stop speaking. Swoosh! Swoosh! The Frost Queen scanned the room as if she were a beast searching for prey. It didn¡¯t take long until her fierce gazended on Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You, you¡­!¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she breathed heavily out of anger. ¡®What is she holding in her hand?¡¯ ¡°Is that an iron mace?¡± The Frost Queen was holding an iron mace riddled with nails. ¡®Is she going to hit me with that thing?¡¯ ¡°You¡ªbad! You meanie!¡± ¡®Wow, I guessed that right.¡¯ The Frost Queen charged toward Seo Jun-Ho with the iron mace in tow. Seo Jun-Ho got a bit nervous at her charge, and he instinctively summoned Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°Huh? Ahhh!¡± Seo Jun-Sik was struck by the iron mace as soon as he was summoned, and he copsed to the floor with a scream of agony. Seo Jun-Ho quickly appeared next to the Frost Queen. He took her iron mace away and lifted it above his head. Hop! Hop! The Frost Queen stretched both her arms out and jumped. ¡°You punk! Give me back my iron mace!¡± ¡°Tsk. This thing is dangerous, you know? You can¡¯t just swing this recklessly,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said in a firm voice as he pointed at Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°Look. Can¡¯t you see that Jun-Sik is in pain?¡± ¡°It should have been you, you bastard!¡± Seo Jun-Sik kicked Seo Jun-Ho in the butt and grumbled. ¡°It should have been you, not me! What did you even summon me?¡± ¡°...Shared pain is half the pain.¡± ¡°Yes, but why does it have to be me?! Besides, I wasn¡¯t going to mention this because I didn¡¯t want to look petty, but when you were still in the Hole of Repentance¡­!¡± ¡°Bad Contractor! How dare you disappear without telling me! And when you finally returned, you didn¡¯t even tell me right away.¡± Seo Jun-Sik and the Frost Queen nked Seo Jun-Ho as theyined. ¡®My head¡¯s starting to hurt¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho massaged his temple and said, ¡°All right. Jun-Sik, you can go back in now.¡± ¡°What¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Sik disappeared like smoke. He didn¡¯t even manage toplete his sentence. ¡°Frost, I¡¯ll give you a cake sprinkled with Spirit Crystals, so please don¡¯t be mad at me anymore.¡± ¡°No, thanks! Do you think I¡¯m a kid or something? You have always been like this, Contractor!¡± ¡®The cake card isn¡¯t working anymore?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was a bit surprised. ¡®Come to think of it¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could see that the Frost Queen had grown a lot taller than before. ¡®When we first met, she was as small as my palm¡­¡¯ Now, the Frost Queen looked like she was in her second year of middle school, so she had definitely grown a lot biggerpared to when they first met. ¡®She¡¯ll be even bigger when she evolves once more¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly. The Frost Queen saw that and stopped kicking up a fuss. ¡°...¡± Flinch! ¡®Gasp, why does he look like he¡¯s about to cry?¡¯ The Frost Queen was genuinely surprised to see Seo Jun-Ho looking like he had lost something precious. She pondered for a while before eventually deciding to calm down. ¡°Hm, well, I guess this is enough. I¡¯m sure you already know what you shouldn¡¯t do. I wasn¡¯t yelling at you because I was mad at you. It¡¯s just that¡ª¡± the Frost Queen said in a panic. The Frost Queen was trying her best to console him so that he wouldn¡¯t cry, and the sight convinced Seo Jun-Ho once more that she was truly adorable. He wanted to tease her more as a smile unknowingly appeared on his lips. ¡°Huh? You just smiled, didn¡¯t you?! I saw you smile, Contractor! I saw it!¡± The Frost Queen finally sighed in relief as she muttered, ¡°Sigh, I feel like raising an adult child,¡± ¡®Look who¡¯s talking¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho and Shim Deok-Gu nced at each other and chuckled. In the end, the Frost Queen and Seo Jun-Ho reconciled, and they promised to keep in touch with each other from now on. *** ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get going now.¡± Seo Jun-Ho got into the Association¡¯s Dimensional Elevator after sessfully making up with the Frost Queen. Shim Deok-Gu saw them off. ¡°Take care. At my age, I could get a heart attack if I hear bad news, you know?¡± ¡°What? What about age? What¡¯s wrong with my age?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked frantically. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Oh, never mind.¡± ¡®These days, the mention of age sets me off for some reason. I just have to remember that I¡¯m twenty-eight years old¡ªI am a twenty-eight-year-old young man.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho repeated the sentence in his head a couple of times. ¡°You said it will take some time for the rest of the party to prepare themselves, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but it shouldn¡¯t take them that long,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said with a smile. Apparently, Kim Woo-Joong and Gong Ju-Ha were currently training with Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡®And Skaya¡­¡¯ Meanwhile, Skaya was currently carving her own name in the history books of Frontier and the Magic Tower as a talent that was even greater than the Archmage who had created ckfield. In fact, rumors had already spread about her unprecedented talent. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry too much about them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried¡­¡± ¡°Jun-Ho. What do I always tell you?¡± ¡°Goodness. Are you my mother? I feel like you¡¯re checking my homework here.¡± ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu stared at Seo Jun-Ho with narrowed eyes. Seeing that, Seo Jun-Ho sighed and eventually answered, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t try to carry all the burden on my own. Is that good enough?¡± ¡°Good. d to hear that you did your homework.¡± Shim Deok-Gu smiled and waved his hand dismissively. ¡°All right, go on now. Go up.¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯re so cringey,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He then closed the elevator door and pressed the button for the 6th Floor. ¡°I won¡¯t be abducted again, will I?¡± ¡°No way. Something like that won¡¯t happen twice,¡± the Frost Queen answered. A message popped up and eased Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s worries. [This is the 6th Floor. The door is opening.] [Bringer of Spring¡¯s effect has been activated. All stats increased by 30.] ¡°Nice.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally saw what the 6th Floor looked like. As they exited the phone booth, the Frost Queen started exining. ¡°You probably already know this from the report, but there are dangerous beings lurking in this city.¡± ¡°Are you talking about those so-called True Vampires?¡± A True Vampire was a monster who managed to remain unscathed despite facing most of the scout team at once. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and looked up. ¡°So that¡¯s the red fog¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked stared at the strange red fog that would always envelop the city whenever the sun went down. Skaya and Cha Si-Eun seem to have done their research, and they discovered that the red fog couldn¡¯t harm yers. ¡®So why does that red fog exist?¡¯¡¯ It was hard to imagine that red-colored fog was a natural phenomenon. It had to be a man-made fog. ¡®I need to figure out who made it and for what purpose. These two questions have to be answered.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho walked with purpose after making his decision. ¡°Contractor. Where are you going?¡± ¡°I have an implicit promise with the others.¡± Seo Jun-Ho scoured the alleys and the walls of the buildings. ¡°We promised to do it in case the five of us were separated by unfortunate events.¡± It was a magical mark that only five people in the entire world would recognize. ¡°...I found it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shone upon discovering the mark that Rahmadat left. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡± *** ¡°Orca, What do you think?¡± ¡°What do you mean out of the blue?¡± asked Orca. As usual, he was guarding the entrance of their tribe in the rugged mountain range. ¡°I mean that guy Rahmadat. He drank so much of that alcohol. What do you think? Will he wake up?¡± ¡°I made a bet that he won¡¯t be able to even open his eyes.¡± ¡°...¡± Ordinary werewolves would usually only take a sip of that special alcohol whenever they were about to take on the Arch Warrior Trial. In addition to the fact that the tribe couldn¡¯t produce much of it, it was also because their body wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. ¡®But that human poured the entire thing down his throat¡­¡¯ Orca tried to imagine what would happen if he were in Rahmadat¡¯s shoes. ¡®I would have died the moment I drank that much.¡¯ It was only natural that Orca thought that way. After all, that alcohol was strong enough to melt his organs in the blink of an eye, not to mention hurting his throat. ¡®But that human managed to survive through it.¡¯ It had been several days since Rahmadat fell asleep. If he managed to enlighten himself on emancipation and opened his eyes once more, he would surely be a warrior that Orca wouldn¡¯t even dare to fight. ¡®However, if he fails to open his eyes on his own, and we have to wake him up¡­¡¯ The bacsh would be dozens of times more horrible than usual. ¡®And if that happens¡­¡¯ ¡°It¡¯ll be merciful to end his life with our own hands.¡± Orca figured that dying would be better for Rahmadat than spending the rest of his life in terrible pain. ¡°You guys are talking about something interesting.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Who''s there?!¡± The startled werewolves instantly sprouted fur all over their bodies. ¡°Who are you?¡± Orca asked the silhouette standing not too far away. They didn¡¯t discover the stranger at all until it was already toote. Even worse, the stranger was emitting overwhelming energy that Orca didn¡¯t even dare to face. ¡®His energy is too strong¡­!¡¯ Orca gulped upon realizing that the opponent was stronger than him. ¡®Is he a vampire? Mone, that punk! I thought she said she erased her tracespletely!¡¯ Orca immediately transformed into a werewolf and shouted, ¡°Attack!¡¯ ¡°Awoooo!¡± A dozen werewolves scattered while howling loudly. The way they moved as they scattered throughout the woods of the base of the mountain clearly showed that they had been training together for a long time. ¡°I thought the 6th Floor is the world of vampires¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. Unfortunately, the werewolves chose the wrong opponent. ¡°Dark Pole.¡± Fwooosh! A wave of darkness rose and crushed the escaping werewolves at once. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that kind of attack before¡­ h-he must be one of the True Vampires!¡± ¡°Howl louder! We need to let the rest of the tribe know about this!¡± Crackle! The werewolves¡¯ long snouts abruptly froze. Seo Jun-Ho warned coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t remember allowing you to open your mouths.¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho was strong. He was overwhelmingly strong that the werewolves couldn¡¯t even touch him. Orca furiously red at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good, so you must be the leader of this group.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knelt and looked down at Orca. ¡°I would like to know a bit more about the human you were talking about earlier.¡± ¡°Piss off! Bats like you don¡¯t deserve to know anything.¡± ¡°All right. Then, I guess I¡¯ll have to figure it out on my own.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood up and closed his eyes. ¡®Dignity of an Emperor.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s five senses expanded and soon covered the entire mountain. A few momentster, he captured and memorized the auras of hundreds of werewolves. Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes and said, ¡°Found it. It¡¯s that way.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was now capable of maintaining Dignity of an Emperor (S) for a much longer time than before, and it was all thanks to the training in the Hole of Repentance. Of course, he still couldn¡¯t maintain the emperor¡¯s all-epassing aura for a long time, and the bacsh of overusing Dignity of an Emperor (S) was still there. ¡°What, but how¡­!¡± Orca¡¯s eyes were stained with fear. ¡°W-what is that energy? Don¡¯t tell me that y-you¡¯re the legendary True Vampire Tepes¡­?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m human.¡± ¡°...What? If you¡¯re human, then why are you attacking us?¡± ¡°Because you were talking about my friend¡­¡± ¡°Wait. Rahmadat Khali is your friend?¡± ¡°And what if he is?¡± Orca let out a sigh of relief. Then, he looked up at the ridiculously strong human and said, ¡°Release us. I¡¯ll guide you myself. We¡¯re not Rahmadat¡¯s enemies.¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought about it for a while before replying, ¡°Sure. Lead the way. However, I won¡¯t release your restraints.¡± Chapter 466. Beast鈥檚 Road (4) Chapter 466. Beast¡¯s Road (4) Thump! The stone wall opened noisily. Seo Jun-Ho slowly walked inside and ahead of the werewolves he took hostage. ¡°...¡± As expected, there was pure chaos beyond the stone wall. The werewolves were showing their hostility toward Seo Jun-Ho, who had taken their family and friends hostage. ¡®But the only threat here is¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes turned toward the werewolf standing on the highest rock. Arnold made eye contact with Seo Jun-Ho and spoke, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you just walked into our territory while holding our kind hostage. Should I say your courageous, or should I say you¡¯re impudent?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was neither. At this point, what Seo Jun-Ho felt about his skills was beyond pride. Orca was still being restrained by chains of darkness as he cried out. ¡°Chief Arnold!¡± ¡°Hang in there, Orca. I¡¯ll save you soon.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it! This human isn¡¯t an enemy.¡± ¡°...?¡± Arnold frowned and shifted his gaze to Orca¡¯s wrists. ¡®All of them are being held hostage, but he¡¯s saying that the man who took them hostage isn¡¯t an enemy?¡¯ Orca seemed ashamed to remain under Arnold¡¯s gaze any longer, so he quickly exined, ¡°He¡¯s Rahmadat Khali¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°...Hm?¡± Arnold¡¯s eyes softened upon hearing Orca¡¯s exnation. ¡®He must be the one.¡¯ Arnold nodded. He recalled Rahmadat mentioning that he had a friend he had always been chasing after. Rahmadat also said that he wanted to stand next to his friend. ¡®Rahmadat, that punk. He¡¯s going to have a hard time.¡¯ It would still take Rahmadat a long time before he could properly handle the power that emancipation would grant him if he managed to seed in the trial. Swoosh. The gray fur covering Arnold vanished. ¡°Is your name Seo Jun-Ho by chance?¡± ¡°...How do you know my name?¡± ¡°Rahmadat often told me about his friends.¡± Arnold gestured, and the werewolves¡¯ killing intent vanished. They reverted to their human forms one by one. In response, Seo Jun-Ho slowly put down the chain he was holding. As far as Seo Jun-Ho knew, Rahmadat wasn¡¯t the kind of guy who would tell the enemies about his friends even if they threatened to kill him. ¡°...¡± Swish. When the chain of darkness disappeared, Arnold turned around and said, ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll bring you to your friend.¡± *** Rahmadat was lying t on a stone bed. ¡°...Why is he unconscious?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho in a low voice. Arnold raised both of his hands. ¡°First of all, let¡¯s all calm down. I¡¯ll exin everything to you step by step from a to z.¡± Arnold really did exin everything, including Rahmadat saving Mone, Mone bringing him to the Twilight w Tribe, Arnold teaching Rahmadat himself, and Rahmadat taking on the Arch Warrior Trial. Once Arnold was done speaking, Seo Jun-Ho said, ¡°...I heard that this punk drank too much alcohol.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny that,¡± Arnold nodded. ¡°And that wasn¡¯t our fault.¡± ¡®It¡¯s this idiot¡¯s fault for downing it before I could say that he just needs to take a sip.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho massaged his aching temples. ¡°Do you guys also call him an idiot?¡± ¡°Well, some of us even call him a dumbass.¡± ¡°He does deserve to be called a dumbass.¡± The air around Seo Jun-Ho and Arnold lightened. Seo Jun-Ho noticed that and quickly apologized. ¡°I apologize for attacking your family out of nowhere. I thought that they abducted my friend.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s all right. It¡¯s only natural for you to misunderstand without hearing the full story. I understand.¡± With that, the misunderstanding was resolved. Seo Jun-Ho looked at Rahmadat and asked, ¡°When do you think this guy will wake up?¡± ¡°I also want to know that¡­¡± Bing enlightened on emancipation was purely up to one¡¯s capabilities... ¡°However, I¡¯ll have to consider the test a failure and wake him up forcefully if he doesn¡¯t wake up on his own within the next four days.¡± ¡°I heard that there is a bacsh.¡± ¡°There is a bacsh, but that¡¯s not the main problem. If he wanders for more than a week in the prison of his own mind, then he will emerge from it as a ruined man. He will be nothing more than a shell of his previous self.¡± ¡°...¡± The bacsh was usually not that severe, but they figured that the bacsh would be much greater for Rahmadat because he downed the special alcohol rather than taking a small sip. ¡°So I guess it¡¯s all up to this idiot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all up to this idiot indeed.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed and got up. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here. I don¡¯t think there is much I can do for him here.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re more cold-hearted than I thought,¡± Arnold said with a surprised expression. Seo Jun-Ho seemed a little different from what Arnold had heard from Rahmadat. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m cold-hearted¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s actually the other way around.¡± There was a reason why he didn¡¯t show any concern about Rahmadat despite his current condition. ¡°It¡¯s because I believe in him. I believe in this idiot.¡± ¡°...¡± Arnold looked slightly moved by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words which were full of trust. ¡°I knew it, your heart burns hot as well.¡± ¡°My heart burns hot? Yes, I mean, the average temperature of the heart is forty degrees, you know?¡± ¡°...¡± Arnold didn¡¯t know what to say. In his eyes, he seemed to have judged Seo Jun-Ho as a bit humorless aside from his overflowing trust and loyalty in his friends. *** Arnold sat on a huge rock and took a sip of steaming hot tea. ¡°Did you say you want to know about this world?¡± Arnold asked. ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t just wait here and do nothing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wanted to know a lot about this world, and he also had many questions, such as the identity of the Floor Master and the reason behind the red fog¡¯s appearance. ¡°Hmm. The history of this world¡­ where should I begin?¡± Arnold stared at the distant city covered in red fog. ¡°...We used to be humanity¡¯s gods nine hundred years ago.¡± ¡°Gods?¡± ¡°To be exact, humans used to serve us. Have you ever heard of Totemism?¡± ¡°Yes, I have.¡± Totemism was a culture of worshiping animals or nts while considering them sacred. Seo Jun-Ho recalled learning about it in Korean history ss when he was still in middle school. ¡°So humans here used to serve the wolves.¡± ¡°Yes. Our ancestors were wolves. At that time, the king of humans married our ancestors and¡­¡± Arnold briefly exined a story about the birth of a werewolf. ¡°Then, human society developed rapidly over the years.¡± Humans who couldn¡¯t even cross over to the next vige started crossing not only continents and the sea, but they even conquered the sky. It was all thanks to the so-called Industrial Revolution. ¡°Humans no longer believe in us.¡± This was an expected and natural oue since the idea of werewolves in the midst of remarkable advancements in technology and science was a story that would only appear in old fairy tales. The werewolves naturally disappeared from the minds of humans over the years. ¡°But we continued on protecting the humans from the shadows¡­¡± ¡°Protecting the humans¡­ you mean from the vampires?¡± ¡°Yes. Those bats are from another continent. They drink human blood and could turn other people into their servants, which resulted in their massive poption boom.¡± This wasn¡¯t a huge problem in the beginning because even those True Vampires couldn¡¯t match the werewolves. ¡°Wait. Did you say that the True Vampires are weaker than the werewolves?¡± ¡°That was how it used to be back then,¡± Arnold said proudly as he strengthened his back. ¡°You know the Twilight w Tribe isn¡¯t the only werewolf tribe, right?¡± ¡°So there were reinforcements...¡± ¡°The Fierce Nail Tribe, the Blue Mane Tribe, and the Sharp Tooth Tribe. There are four tribes in total, and it was all thanks to the chiefs representing each tribe that we managed to stop the True Vampires. Yes¡­ It was all thanks to the Four Legendary Wolves.¡± ¡°Pffft!¡± The Frost Queen sitting next to Seo Jun-Ho suddenly spat the tea that she was drinking. She closed her mouth tightly with both hands as if what she had done surprised her as well, but her eyes betrayed her. The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes were tearing up as she desperately held herughter back. ¡°Haha¡­ hahaha¡­¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s shoulders quivered. She tried her best to stay quiet, but herughter still leaked out of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you this, but who the heck is this girl?¡± ¡°She is the Frost Queen, and she¡¯s the queen of a nation covered in snow.¡± ¡°A queen? A little girl like her is the queen of a nation?¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The Frost Queen couldn¡¯t hold herughter back enough. She directly burst into a boisterous peal ofughter as she bent over and held her stomach, which was already starting to hurt. ¡®I have to admit that it¡¯s kind of funny because the name is a bit childish, but it¡¯s rude tough in front of the one who just told you about them.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho scolded the Frost Queen. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s rude.¡± ¡°I-I know! B-but¡­ the Four Legendary Wolves are just¡ªhaha!¡± ¡°Stopughing. If you keepughing, I might¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lips were twitching as he chided the Frost Queen. Arnold looked a bit ufortable as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind a childughing about it, but yourughter is a bit different.¡± ¡°What¡¯s different about it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Rahmadat said that you and he are famous as the 5 Heroes. You aren¡¯t that different from us, so yourughter is a bit painful to hear,¡± said Arnold. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The Frost Queen rolled around the rock they were sitting on whileughing. ¡°Hmm...¡± Arnold sighed. He truly looked ufortable as he said, ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. I mean, I also think that the name is a bit strange.¡± ¡°Ahem. Please forgive our rudeness. Anyway, let¡¯s go back to what we were talking about.¡± Arnold and Seo Jun-Ho left theughing Frost Queen and continued their conversation. ¡°Where was I? Ah, yes. One day, the bats suddenly became strong.¡± ¡°Were there no omens?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Arnold pondered for a moment. He seemed to have recalled something as he said, ¡°A few days before they became strong, I felt a strange energy like the one I felt today.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You know. I felt a strange energy before you climbed up the mountain. It almost felt like something was watching us and¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression became serious. Arnold might be talking about his Dignity of an Emperor. In that case, Arnold may have felt the energy of a transcendent back then. ¡®A demon at the Star Destruction Stage, at the very least, must have intervened. It fits perfectly, ording to what Miss Reiji had said.¡¯ There was a huge chance that the matter involved one of Underworld¡¯s counts. ¡°Those bats became ridiculously strong since that day. I can understand the strength of the other True Vampires, but Tepes is just¡­¡± Arnold trailed off and shook his head. ¡°I encountered him only once at a distance of a few kilometers, but even though we¡¯re far away, I could still feel that I wasn¡¯t his match.¡± ¡°I think I finally understand what¡¯s going on here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho deduced that the vampires had to have been converted into stronger beings, simr to how the demons turned humans into fiends. ¡°So that¡¯s how you were driven out of the city by the vampires.¡± ¡°Well, it is true that the vampires eventually managed to drive us out, but it¡¯s mostly because of the fog.¡± ¡°Fog? You mean that red fog over there, which is covering the entire city?¡± Arnold nodded. ¡°We can only harness our full strength beneath the moonlight, but that red fog does not allow even a single ray of moonlight to descend upon the city.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes. It means that all we can do is fill up our Lunar Force reservoir outside the red fog like what we are doing right now.¡± In short, not only was it questionable if the werewolves could still defeat the vampires even if they were at full strength, but the werewolves could only exert less than half of their true power, thanks to the red fog. Even worse, the enemies would only be stronger over time, while the allies would only be weaker as the red fog expanded even more. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll have to find a way to get rid of that fog before anything else.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a great insight.¡± Arnold¡¯s eyes sparkled as he retrieved a map from his clothes. Woosh! The mapid out on the rock was extremely detailed to the extent that it felt like every nook and cranny of Trium was recorded on the map. ¡°This is the map of Trium. Not even the Queen of Trium has a map that is as detailed as this.¡± ¡°The city is huge.¡± At first nce, Trium was a circr city that looked slightly bigger than Seoul. ¡°What are these circles on the map?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Those ces are called factories,¡± Arnold said in a grim voice. ¡°They must belong to the vampires, I suppose?¡± ¡°Yes. Those circles are what the bats built to satisfy their greed, and they were made at the expense of our warriors¡¯ lives.¡± ¡°...What are they producing from those factories?¡± Arnold stared at Seo Jun-Ho without saying anything. He stared at thetter for quite a while before muttering, ¡°Blood.¡± Arnold¡¯s anguished eyes remained on Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°The humans they kidnap are sent over to those factories to be treated as livestock they could draw blood from for the vampires to drink.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°We¡¯re also assuming that the red fog is being produced in one of those factories,¡± Arnold added. The disturbing revtion almost shook Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s imperturbable mind, and in a cold voice filled with fury, he told Arnold, ¡°If there are any missions rted to the factories, let me join them.¡± Chapter 467. The Pharmaceutical Company (1) Chapter 467. The Pharmaceutical Company (1) Before Seo Jun-Ho left for the mission at the factory, Arnold filled him in on the details of the situation. ¡°The vampires keep to a very strict hierarchy. Obviously, the True Vampires are the strongest. Do you know them?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard that there are four of them.¡± ¡°Indeed. However, there are also what we call apostles. The apostles are what the True Vampires had bitten personally to turn into vampires.¡± ¡°Are they strong?¡± ¡°If we were topare them to an ordinary vampire, they are vastly stronger.¡± The apostles could use special abilities like the True Vampires, but they had clear limits. ¡°And there is only one way for them to surpass those limits. They have to drink the blood of another vampire.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it is fratricide. Tepes prohibits it, but because there are four True Vampires, there are four factions. They are apparently killing and cannibalizing each other in secret.¡± In other words, even though the vampires seemed to be under the same alliance. There was actually a rivalry among them. ¡°In other words, an apostle has to be stopped from drinking the blood of another vampire,¡± Seo Jun-Ho concluded ¡°Just to be safe...¡± ¡°Yes, just to be safe.¡± After finishing his brief exnation, Arnold let out a small sigh. ¡° I did not tell you earlier, but our tribe was nning to sit out of this mission.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°A few days ago, my daughter, along with other warriors, encountered an apostle while they were gathering information in the city.¡± Ah, it had to be the incident that happened involving Rahmadat. Arnold told him that Mone was alone and was running away from something. The presence of an apostle would exin why she had to run away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± ¡°They were great warriors. I swear, I will avenge them. I swear it,¡± Arnold said with conviction. ¡°Hoo. Anyway, I sent a notice that I will train more warriors because we lost many warriors in that incident.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± It was understandable why they had been nning to stay out of this mission. ¡°Wait. Then, did Rahmadat kill an apostle that day?¡± ¡°ording to Mone, there weren¡¯t any apostles. Apparently, only the subordinates were chasing after her.¡± In that case, an apostle¡¯s strength was still unclear. Seo Jun-Ho thought about it for a moment before speaking, ¡°Have you ever met an apostle?¡± ¡°Hm? Of course. I¡¯ve met them many times before.¡± ¡°Then, can you tell me approximately how strong they are?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°It is quite difficult to put it in words¡ª¡± Arnold said, looking disconcerted. However, his eyes suddenly widened. ¡°Are they this strong?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. Arnold had to stop speaking because Seo Jun-Ho suddenly exploded in power. ¡°I see¡­¡± He should be able to urately tell Seo Jun-Ho about the power of the apostles he had met so far using this kind of method. Arnold briefly smiled before concentrating hard. He evaluated the power that Seo Jun-Ho was emitting before shaking his head. ¡°They were stronger than that.¡± ¡°How about this? ¡°I have faced three apostles so far, and I believe that the weakest of them is roughly that strong.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Seo Jun-Ho withdrew his power and nodded. ¡°I think I have a good idea of their strength now.¡± ¡°The apostles shouldn¡¯t be of concern for you.¡± Arnold believed that the human in front of him was as strong as him. Arnold then turned around and tapped on a part of the map. ¡°This is the rendezvous point before the mission. Tomorrow, at 11 p.m.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a human, so will they ept me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I will tell you the secret code. Take this as well, just in case.¡± He pulled out a few hairs from his mane and gave it to the yer. ¡°I suppose it is a little too soon to say this, but I apologize and thank you for going in our stead.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. He wasn¡¯t doing this to help them save face. He simply wanted to clear the 6th Floor, and that was it. *** Werewolves could be seen walking down a shabby hallway. They soon arrived in front of a certain apartment¡¯s door and knocked. A low voice could be heard from beyond the door. - Winter hase. ¡°The weather is growing colder and colder.¡± Click. The door opened when the secret code was spoken. Upon walking inside the apartment, they were met with a chorus of friendly voices. ¡°Hey, Nails! How long has it been since west met?¡± ¡°Pfft, it¡¯s good to see that the Sharp Teeth are still alive and well.¡± ¡°How have you been? ¡°We were living in a warm andfortable city before, but now, we¡¯re living in the middle of nowhere. How do you think I have been doing?¡± ¡°Ahahaha!¡± It was a pleasant reunion because it had been a few months since they had such a gathering. Bigal, a member of the Sharp Tooth tribe, swept his gaze across the room and said. ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone from the Twilight w Tribe. I wonder why.¡± ¡°I think none of them will being here today..¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t hear?¡± One of the werewolves looked up from the map to look at him. ¡°A few days ago, they encountered apostles while doing reconnaissance in the city. Apparently, they lost thirteen warriors.¡± ¡°Shit¡­¡± Even though they weren¡¯t part of the same tribe, they were still fellow werewolves. In addition, the Twilight w Tribe warriors were taken out by the bats that they hated a lot. Silence descended upon the apartment. ¡°Let us have a moment of silence for the fallen warriors.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°May their souls arrive at the Twilight Hill¡­¡± After a short moment of silence, the briefing finally started. ¡°Nelson?¡± ¡°Mm. Since we¡¯re all here, let¡¯s get started.¡± Nelson gathered their attention and stepped forward. He was a werewolf from the Blue Mane tribe, and he had all the information they needed about the factory where they would conduct their mission tonight. ¡°Tonight, we¡¯re going to raid a factory under the pharmaceuticalpany Astaneca¡ª¡± Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door, and the faces of the werewolves stiffened. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ ¡®The participating tribes are already here.¡¯ ¡®Let me check.¡¯ Bigal slowly approached the door and focused on the presence beyond it. ¡°Winter hase. - The weather is growing colder and colder. ¡°¡­¡± He turned around and nodded to the others. The other party had given the correct answer. ¡®Did the Twilight w Tribe end up sending someone here?¡¯ He slowly unlocked the door and stepped back. A man then entered the apartment. The noses of the werewolves twitched at the same time. ¡°This smell¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a werewolf. He¡¯s a human!¡± ¡°Why does a human know our secret code?¡± The werewolves were confused, so they raised their guards up in response. Meanwhile, the man quietly pulled something out of his pocket. ¡°Chief Arnold said that you would believe me if I showed you this.¡± ¡°Give it to me.¡± Bigal epted the wooden box. He checked its contents and stared deeply at the man¡¯s face. ¡°He gave this to you?¡± ¡°He plucked them right in front of me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s an ally¡­¡± Bigal announced after checking Arnold¡¯s fur. However, the werewolves still had doubts. ¡°Shit. I can¡¯t believe that they sent a human in their ce.¡± ¡°Just what is Chief Arnold thinking?¡± The werewolves reacted negatively. It wasn¡¯t really strange because the majority of the humans whom they were familiar with were both weak and fickle. ¡°Did he tell you what we¡¯re about to do today?¡± ¡°I heard that there will be a raid at a factory somewhere.¡± ¡°Huuuu¡­¡± So it was true. Arnold had really sent him over here for the mission. Bigal scratched his forehead and warned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this sounds cold, but if you weigh us down, we will have no other choice but to throw you away. We¡¯re not your nannies, after all.¡± ¡°Fine with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bigal didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Just think of me as a hired mercenary. The name¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho,¡± added Seo Jun-Ho. Ridiculous. Who would hire a human mercenary? Bigal wanted to test Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s, but Nelson pressed him. ¡°Hey, we don¡¯t have time for this. We have to kill all the guards and leave before they change shifts.¡± Bigal gnashed his teeth and turned around. ¡°Start with the briefing, then. Hurry up.¡± ¡°As I said, we will be raiding a factory owned by the pharmaceuticalpany Astaneca,¡± Nelson said ¡°What do they make there?¡± ¡°Overall, our tribe noticed two suspicious points.¡± Nelson held up two fingers. ¡°First, humans would asionally go into the factory, but they would nevere out.¡± ¡°They must be harvesting their blood¡­¡± ¡°The second suspicious point is that once a week, they would send out a truck full of drugs.¡± ¡°Wait, drugs?¡± Bigal was confused. ¡°Why is it suspicious for a pharmaceuticalpany to send out drugs?¡± ¡°Astaneca is a pharmaceuticalpany, but they aren¡¯t redited to sell drugs yet.¡± ¡°I see. So the drugs that they are developing aren¡¯t for human consumption?¡± ¡°I think the drugs have something to do with the red fog.¡± ¡°Hold on. Is the CEO a vampire?¡± Nelson smiled bitterly and shook his head. ¡°As far as we know, the CEO is a human. He¡¯s likely a puppet of the vampires¡± ¡°What a son of a bitch.¡± The werewolves growled in anger. Their fury was justified because bing a puppet of vampires meant that one had sold out their fellow humans. Bigal turned to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Will you be able to kill another human?¡± ¡°Pffft!¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter. The werewolf had no idea just how many times he had killed humans who didn¡¯t act like they were humans. ¡°No need to worry. I can kill those kinds of bastards without an ounce of regret.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll choose to believe you.¡± Nelson took out the map and exined the two main routes. ¡°We¡¯ll split into two teams. Team A will go in through the back entrance and retrieve anything that¡¯s possibly rted to the red fog. Team B will go through the front gate and rescue any humans they find. If they are beyond saving¡­¡± Nelson didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but everyone knew what he meant. ¡®Give them a painless death¡­¡¯ The werewolves gathered their equipment and walked out of the apartment. Seo Jun-Ho was assigned to rescue the humans with Nelson and the Blue Mane tribe¡¯s team. ¡°Okay, everyone. To the factory.¡± The werewolves slipped out of the building and melted into the darkness of the city. *** Nelson was surprised. He peeked at Seo Jun-Ho as they raced across the rooftops. ¡®I did hear that humans have been developing well because they have more resources¡­¡¯ But were all of them as physically fit as the man next to him? The man named Seo Jun-Ho had no trouble keeping up with their speed. ¡®No. Based on his even breathing, he could be even stronger than us¡­¡¯ Nelson couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡®I think I¡¯m overestimating him.¡¯ He raised his hand, and the werewolves slowed down and stared down at something. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± There were multiple chimneys sticking out of the giant factory, and the chimneys were incessantly puffing out white smoke. The property was surrounded by three-meter-tall wire fences, which made making it difficult for outsiders to trespass. ¡°Nelson. There are three bats at the entrance.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± he said tersely. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Moonlight couldn¡¯t fall upon the city due to the red fog, so Nelson had no choice but to transform using the Lunar Force he had saved up. Without moonlight, they would soon run out of Lunar Force, so they would have to take turns transforming and fighting for efficiency¡¯s sake. ¡°Follow up as soon as I¡¯m done taking care of them,¡± muttered Nelson. He then jumped down the building, and fur sprouted all over him as he fell. m! ¡°Huh? What was that?¡± ¡°Shit! It¡¯s a dog! Shoot!¡± Bang! Bang! Bang! Warrior Werewolves could easily overpower ten Common vampires. Nelson didn¡¯t even bother to dodge the bullets and directly charged at them. ¡°Guh!¡± ¡°Urk¡­¡± He made quick work of three vampires. Nelson plucked out the bullets in his chest and flicked them away. Then, he threw his head back and howled. ¡°Awoooooo!¡± His howl ripped through the air and shook the surroundings. Chapter 468. The Pharmaceutical Company (2) Chapter 468. The Pharmaceutical Company (2) ¡±Awooooo!¡± Nelson¡¯s howl ripped through the air as if it were a gunshot signaling the start of a race. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡®I see...¡¯ He had been thinking that it was a brazen move to involve in the n, considering that they were nning tounch a surprise attack. However, the System messages in front of his eyes erased his doubts. [A Werewolf¡¯s howl was heard.] [You have been struck by an inexplicable fear and anxiety.] [Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) has resisted the effects of Howling.] A werewolf¡¯s howl had an astounding effect even on Seo Jun-Ho, so there was no need to mention what kind of effect it would have on the vampires. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Nelson tore the barbed wire fence apart, and the werewolves on the rooftops rushed inside. At the same time, the door to the rooftop of the factory was flung open, and dozens of vampires flooded out.s ¡°S-shit! The dogs are here! What should we do?¡± ¡°I-I think we should call the apostle¡ª¡± ¡°You idiots! Do you really want to call the apostle for something as trivial as this? You would be lucky if you managed to get away with your life,¡± the vampire supervisor replied coolly with a cigarette between his teeth. He took a moment to look at the werewolves running toward them. ¡°Only one of them has transformed¡­¡± They probably didn¡¯t want to waste their Lunar Force. The vampire supervisor smirked and said, ¡°Stop freaking out. Light ¡®em up.¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir!¡± The vampires shouted courageously. They retrieved something and carried it on the rooftop. ¡®Is that¡­?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. Ratatatat! Bullets fell upon the werewolves like rain¡­ ¡°W¨Cwhat?!¡± ¡°Scatter!¡± The werewolves dispersed in all four directions and waited for the hail of bullets to pass. Their expressions turned ugly as they scrambled to take cover behind the nearby vehicles and sturdy pirs. ¡°Shit! Is this a pharmaceuticalpany or a military base?! Why the hell do they have Gatling guns here?!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that there¡¯s a mole among us.¡± In other words, there was only one exnation. There was something here that they wanted to protect badly enough that they were willing to go to extreme lengths just to protect it. ¡°What are we supposed to do? There¡¯s no way we can withstand a Gatling gun, even if we transform.¡± ¡°How about three of us transform and carve a path in different directions?¡± someone suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± Nelson shouted from a short distance away. He was holding up a b of concrete and was using it as a shied. ¡°I¡¯ll rush and distract them. Then, three of you will transform and start ripping them apart.¡± ¡°I like that. I¡¯m in.¡± ¡°Me, too. Aftering up with a n, Nelson lifted the giant b of concrete in his hands. ¡°Hup¡­! Eat this!¡± He spun around a few times and threw it like a discus. ¡°H-he¡¯s a lunatic!¡± ¡°Here ites!¡± ¡°Shoot it! Shoot it down!¡± Ratatatat! The vampires aimed their guns at the giant b of concrete flying toward them, but the concrete ended up being much thicker than they expected. m! It flew urately to the rooftop of the factory, and it crushed a couple of vampires uponnding. At the same time, Nelson charged forward. Grrrr! He moved as fast as lightning. However, the vampire supervisor merely smirked at the sight. ¡°Shoot.¡± Ratatatat! The rain of bullets continued. However, the vampire supervisor¡¯smand was for someone who knew what they were doing. Bang! ¡°¡­! A bullet ripped through the air. Nelson¡¯s glorious charge was interrupted, and he fell to the ground face first. ¡°Nelson! ¡°Shit, there¡¯s a sniper!¡± The werewolves were furious at the death of theirrade. However, before they could transform out of fury, someone interrupted them. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry,¡± said the human mercenary. One of the werewolves grabbed Seo Jun-Ho by the cor. ¡°What the fuck did you just say?! Is it because you¡¯re not one of us that you don¡¯t care, huh?! Is that it?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. Look at Nelson.¡± The werewolf turned to look at Nelson, and his expression changed. ¡°Ku¡­ so this is how I die? It¡¯s a fitting death for a werewolf. It¡¯s not bad at¡ªhuh?¡± They were sure that Nelson should have at least been gravely wounded by the sniper just now, but he ended up being perfectly fine somehow. Even Nelson himself was surprised as he rubbed the part where he got shot. ¡°Wow. I had no idea that Nelson¡¯s hide had always been that thick.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s definitely not the case.¡± ¡°Was it a warning shot?¡± ¡°Of course not¡­¡± A decent sniper¡¯s location would only be revealed upon pulling the trigger. ¡°Hey, you. Exin.¡± ¡°Let go of me first,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho as he looked down at the hand holding him by the cor. The werewolf took his hand away with an embarrassed look. ¡°A-ahem. M-my apologies. I thought you were saying that my brother is expendable, so¡­¡± ¡°I get it, but don¡¯t let it happen again.¡± Seo Jun-Ho said coldly. He slowly lifted his head. The bullet came from a tall chimney about a kilometer away. ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be necessary to go all the way there¡­¡¯ He retrieved a bow from his Inventory. The werewolves tilted their heads at the sight. ¡°A bow?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think a human would be even more stuck in the past than we are.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ignored them and poured magic into his eyes, sharpening his vision. ¡°Hm.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyesnded on the sniper, the sniper¡¯s eyes alsonded on him. Seo Jun-Ho had no idea whether it was a coincidence or not, but the important part was that he was the sniper¡¯s new target. ¡®This should be fun¡­¡¯ Darkness bloomed and transformed into an arrow that flew toward the bowstring. Seo Jun-Ho pulled the bowstring as far as possible. Twing! Bang! He let go of the bowstring as soon as he heard the gunshot. ¡°Shit!¡± One of the werewolves sprinted to protect Seo Jun-Ho. He was sure that a fragile human body wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand a bullet. However, nothing happened. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ The bullet and the arrow collided with each other. However, there was only one exnation for this astonishing feat. ¡®¡­Why is the bullet so slow?¡¯ thought the werewolves. Freeze! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s power to freeze slowed the bullet down to a snail¡¯s pace. Rrrip! The arrow tore through the bullet, and it didn¡¯t lose any speed or strength as it buried itself into the sniper¡¯s face. Seo Jun-Ho spoke, ¡°Sniper down. Move out.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The werewolves stared agape at the human right in front of them. The human remained unperturbed, and he looked as if sniping someone a kilometer away was a daily urrence to him. ¡°Hot damn! I don¡¯t know who you are, but you¡¯ve got some skills!¡± ¡°If there¡¯s another sniper, we¡¯ll count on you to take them down!¡± The sniper was dead, and with a mysterious reliable human watching their back, the werewolves knew that there was only one thing left for them to do. ¡°Wolves¡­!¡± The werewolves swept their gazes across the rooftop. ¡°Chaaaaaarge!¡± Nelson made a move and ran forward, attracting the vampires¡¯ eyes. Ratatatat! ¡°Hehe, mere guns aren¡¯t enough to stop me!¡± Nelson eagerly started scaling the rooftop. ¡°Shit! Shoot him!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let him get up here!¡± ¡°Aim for his eyes!¡± ¡°Awooooo!¡± The vampires trembled upon being struck by Nelson¡¯s Howling. They whiffed and sprayed bullets everywhere. Nelson took advantage of the chaos to finally climb up the rooftop. Then, he started tearing the vampires apart with his ws. ¡°R-run!¡± ¡°Run away!¡± The vampire supervisor crushed his cigarette and tossed it aside. ¡°Hey! Who said you can run?!¡± The vampires were too scared for them to listen to the vampire supervisor¡¯s words. Unfortunately, there was nowhere for them to go. ¡°Good work, Nelson.¡± While Nelson caused havoc among the vampires, the other werewolves transformed and scaled up the rooftop. Upon arriving, they immediately surrounded the vampires in all directions. ¡°I-impossible¡­¡± The vampire supervisor was finally scared. Astaneca was more well-armed than a military base, so how did the werewolves overpower them? Team B, missionplete. Fifty-two vampires dead, zero allied casualties. *** ¡°Human, that was awesome!¡± ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for you, we would have taken a lot of damage while trying to take over the rooftop.¡± Upon arriving inside the factory, the werewolves didn¡¯t hold back in praising Seo Jun-Ho. They even stroke Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back as a way of showing that they had fully epted Seo Jun-Ho in their team. ¡°All right, all right. That¡¯s enough talking.¡± Nelson looked down at the hallway. ¡°Team A should have reached the production line by now. However, our mission is to save the humans here.¡± ¡°How much time do we have left?¡± ¡°We still have around forty minutes before they change shifts.¡± ¡°Shit. We¡¯re cutting it close.¡± The werewolves licked their lips and started sniffing the air. Sniff! Sniff! Sniff! They inspected the walls and the ground for a while, and their eyes eventually lit up. ¡°The basement.¡± ¡°They¡¯re in the basement¡­¡± They managed to locate the humans using their enhanced sense of smell. ¡°Move out!¡± The werewolves made their move. They didn¡¯t bother looking for a set of stairs that would lead to the basement. They directly broke the ground with their feet and jumped down the hole they had made all the way to the basement. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho dropped down as well. And his face fell instantly uponnding. The air was thick with the smell of blood. He had long gotten familiar with the smell of blood, but the stench of blood in this basement was so strong that he felt dizzy. He even felt like vomiting. He looked up and saw the werewolves standing still in silence. Seo Jun-Ho tried to move past them, but Nelson held his hand out in front of him. ¡°I-I think it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°¡­I appreciate your concern, but I have to see it with my own eyes.¡± He had to see why the stench of blood was so thick and strong. Seo Jun-Ho stepped forward and moved past the werewolves. ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook uncontrobly at the horrible sight. There were naked human corpses suspended upside down by meat hooks as if they were meat in a butcher shop. Even more horrifying was that every human¡¯s head was split open in the middle, and their blood dripped into the buckets beneath them. Once the buckets were full, the assembly line would then divide the blood into packs that would eventuallynd neatly into the boxes further down the assembly line. ¡®Holy shit¡­¡¯ The sight almost shattered Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s imperturbable mind. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and whispered, ¡°I guess there aren¡¯t any humans for us to rescue.¡± The number of corpses hanging by the meat hooks had to be over a few hundred corpses, and there were also hundreds of corpses sealed in airtight containers, waiting to be discarded. The werewolves felt somber. ¡° I¡ªum. I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± ¡°Why?¡± They weren¡¯t the ones who had done all this. The culprits were the ones who should say those words. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have nothing to do here.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± The werewolves probably hadn¡¯t noticed it because the smell of blood in the air was too overwhelming and thick. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s senses had picked up on something. ¡°There¡¯s a rat.¡± After saying that, Seo Jun-Ho mustered his magic. Watchguard of Darkness bloomed and transformed into several wolves. The wolves of darkness then ran away, seemingly in search of something. A few momentster, they came back dragging a man. ¡°Ah! S-save me! Save me!¡± The man was trembling like a leaf as he looked up at Seo Jun-Ho and the werewolves. The man was wearing a neat suit. His hair and even his eyebrows were neat. His outfit and grooming were enough evidence of his status. ¡°This bastard¡­¡± Nelson started. ¡°Do you know him?¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s the CEO.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but wonder why someone as important as the CEO was at one of his factories in the middle of the night. Seo Jun-Ho coldly looked down at the man in front of him. ¡°P-please spare me!¡± the young businessman begged and grabbed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s feet. ¡°I-I¡¯m human. I¡¯m not a vampire!¡± He then rambled on about why they should save him. Seo Jun-Ho remained silent as he stared at the hanging corpses. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder which of the two resembled vampires more¡ªa literal vampire or this man? ¡°You...¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°You also suck the blood of your fellow humans. Doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re a vampire as well?¡± ¡°What are you¡­¡± What was this man talking about? The CEO became filled with unfathomable fear. He let go of Seo Jun-Ho''s foot and hurriedly crawled away. ¡°Go eat.¡± ¡®Eat? Eat what?¡¯ As soon as the question popped into the CEO¡¯s head, the wolves of darkness started ripping his flesh away. ¡°Guahhhh!¡± In mere seconds, he was ripped to shreds, but Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t even blink an eye. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°A-ahem.¡± In contrast, the werewolves seemed disturbed by the brutal sight. Nelson sighed. ¡°I understand why you did that, but that was a bit reckless.¡± Why was the CEO here in the middle of the night? What was going on with the vampires? What was the red fog? They had a mountain of questions that they wanted to ask the CEO. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± He pulled over a meat hook and hung the dying man by his ankles. ¡°I have many things I would like to ask you, so hurry up and die,¡± Seo Jun-Ho spat coldly. Fortunately, the night was still young. Chapter 469. The Pharmaceutical Company (3) Chapter 469. The Pharmaceutical Company (3) Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. The CEO¡¯s name was Allen Schneiker. He was an up-anding businessman of Trium and had been a loyal servant to the vampires for the past two years. The total number of humans he had handed over to the vampires until today was a whopping twenty-seven thousand. ¡°I let him off too easily.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was dismayed. Bastards like this Allen Schneiker deserved to die a painful death that would make them regret every single evil deed that they had done throughout their life. ¡°Got it,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. The werewolves finally stood up. It hadn¡¯t been that long since they started waiting for Seo Jun-Ho. They had been waiting for five minutes at most. ¡°Really? You found what we need?¡± ¡°How fascinating. How can you extract memories from the dead?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just something I can do,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Then, he started sharing what he had found from Allen Schneiker¡¯s confession. ¡°First of all, the drugs that Astaneca are producing have nothing to do with the red fog.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°I guess we were wrong.¡± ¡°But I found something even bigger¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. This factory was serving as a hub for one of the ingredients necessary to create Astaneca¡¯s drugs. The drug that Astaneca was producing for the vampires was like a stimnt for vampires. ¡°So a vampire temporarily bes even stronger upon consuming it?¡± ¡°In that case, why didn''t those vampires earlier take the drug?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too expensive for them to take,¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined. Not even vampire supervisors could take the expensive drug. ording to Allen¡¯s memories, the effects of the drug were also incredibly dangerous. ¡°The drug numbs them to pain and greatly enhances their physical prowess? Hm, why does that sound familiar?¡± ¡°Geez. It¡¯s simr to our transformation.¡± ¡°Yes, and I saw it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across them and said, ¡°Blood is one of the ingredients to create the drug.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us. We can see those human corpses¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°Human blood is nothing but food for the vampires.¡± ¡°Are you trying to say that¡­¡± The werewolves¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­¡± The werewolves erupted in fury. ¡°Are you saying that they¡¯re using the blood of our warriors?!¡± ¡°Those evil bastards¡­!¡± It was for toomon for them to lose fellow werewolves, who went to the city to gather information. And the vampires had been disappointed that the blood of the dead wolves had gone to waste. The vampires had always been disappointed about not being able to put the blood of the dead werewolves to use. ¡®They said that they don¡¯t drink the blood of werewolves because it¡¯s disgusting¡­¡¯ However, they couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was a way for them to make use of the werewolves¡¯ blood. It had already been a year since Allen was put in charge of the research. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho. Where are those drugs? We have to tell Team A about this,¡± Nelson growled with bloodlust in his eyes. He wanted to destroy those drugs as well as the documents containing the method to produce them as fast as possible. ¡°Good question.¡± Nelson¡¯s question was connected to Allen¡¯s midnight visit to the factory. ¡°Today¡¯s the shipment day. ¡°The shipment day? They¡¯re sending them out today?¡± ¡°Yes. Allen knows the importance of those drugs, so he would alwayse here to supervise the shipment of those drugs.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes darkened. If his presumption was correct, then Team A was in grave danger right now. *** While Team B was in the middle of breaking through the front entrance of the factory, Team A was currently taking a leisurely walk around the factory. Their mission objectives weren¡¯t that difficult to find, after all. ¡°Bigal! They¡¯re over here!¡± ¡°I thought that they would be using trucks, but it seems that wouldn¡¯t be the case considering how there aren¡¯t as many of them as I expected.¡± ¡°The packaging is fancy, are you sure they¡¯re rted to the red fog?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early to say for sure, but grab as many of them as you can,¡± said Bigal. The werewolves then picked up a few expensive-looking briefcases, and just like that, their mission wasplete. It was uneventful, so the werewolves couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected. Bigal noticed that and spoke, ¡°Let¡¯s meet up with Team B. They might need backup.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just go to the front entrance.¡± When they exited the building, something unexpected happened. ¡°Hm?¡± A man with slick-backed hair stepped out of what was clearly an expensive car. He scowled upon seeing the werewolves. ¡°Geez, is the factory hiring dogs now?¡± ¡°Oh, well, uh¡­¡± The factory workers were flustered as they stared at the werewolves. ¡°Hm. I suppose not.¡± The man smirked. He seemed amused as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. ¡°All right, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had a good workout. Hey, dogs. You better start running.¡± ¡°What?¡± one of the werewolves asked nervously. ¡°Are you deaf? I am saying that I¡¯ll let you run until I¡¯m done with this cigarette.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling us to run away?¡± ¡°So you finally understand. Yes. Run with your tail between your legs. Keep running while you can.¡± The man cackled, and he made sure to consume his cigarette as slowly as possible. The werewolves were furious. ¡°You little¡ª¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Bigal stopped them. ¡®He¡¯s too calm.¡¯ Moreover, the man had alighted from a limited-production car. Bigal was sure that there were only a hundred of those cars in all of Trium. ¡®He has to be an apostle, at the very least. It¡¯s either that, or he¡¯s as strong as an apostle.¡¯ Bigal made his decision and turned to the others. ¡°We¡¯re not going to meet up with Team B. Grab those briefcases and scatter.¡± ¡°What, we¡¯re actually going to run away?¡± ¡°Come on, man! He¡¯s alone!¡± ¡°Even if he¡¯s an apostle, as long as we work together¡ª¡± ¡°No, you guys should get it together!¡± Bigal yelled. It was only one time, but Bigal had encountered an apostle before. He started trembling when the memories he had buried in the deepest recesses of his mind surfaced one by one. ¡°I¡¯m telling you guys, we can¡¯t beat him. He can only be beaten if our strongest warriors are here...¡± Bigal muttered. The werewolves gulped nervously. ¡°If you insist, you must be right¡­¡± ¡°Damn it. A warrior shouldn¡¯t do this...¡± Theyined, but they still transformed to follow Bigal¡¯s orders. The werewolves then looked at each other and nodded. Step! They kicked off of the ground and scattered in all different directions. The vampire would definitely manage to catch some of them, but a few of them were bound to survive as well. ¡°Aw, you¡¯re making me cry. Oh, wait, I¡¯m a vampire, so I can¡¯t cry.¡± He cackled and waved the remaining half of the cigarette in his hand. ¡°Run, run as fast as you can!¡± The werewolves sprinted without looking back. *** Bigal suddenly came to a stop after running madly. He turned around. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± He could smell blood¡ªhe could smell his brothers¡¯ blood. ¡°Son of a¡­!¡± He squeezed the handles of the briefcases and trembled. ¡®At this rate, I¡¯m going to die as well.¡¯ The smell of blood grew stronger as time went on, and Bigal had no idea how many of his brothers had died at that man¡¯s hands so far. ¡®If one of us has to buy time¡­¡¯ Having made up his mind, Bigal threw his head back and howled. ¡°Awoooo!¡± His howl ripped through the air, and the other werewolves howled as well. ¡°What are those idiots doing?!¡± Bigal was sure that they knew what he was trying to do here, so why weren¡¯t they running away? Why did they copy him? Of course, Bigal knew the answer. He smiled¡ªtouched by their loyalty¡ªand slowly turned around. ¡®He¡¯sing.¡¯ Someone else heard him and was rapidly approaching him. The man with slicked-back hair jumped down a building andnded gracefully in front of Bigal. ¡°Ah, it was you. The one with the best chance of survival.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bigal silently put down the briefcases and prepared for battle. ¡°Can I ask why you lured me here? I¡¯m curious.¡± The answer was simple. Bigal was the strongest werewolf in Team A, so if someone had to buy time, he was the best candidate. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel resentful? The others ran away and left you to die on your own.¡± ¡°Wolves travel in packs,¡± said Bigal. Even if he had to give up his life, it would be worth it if it was for the sake of his pack. ¡°¡­How boring.¡± The man lost interest and slowly held out his hand. ¡°Hand them over.¡± ¡°Never!¡± Bigal gnashed his teeth. However, he was suddenly struck with a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. He looked down at his hands. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Somehow, the man managed to take all the briefcases away from him. ¡°It¡¯s time to die. How about your rip your own heart and crush it?¡± ¡°What kind of bullshit¡ª¡± Beeeeep! Bigal¡¯s words were interrupted by his ringing ears, and he broke out into a cold sweat. His right hand was moving toward his chest on its own. ¡°Pffft! Ah, this is really fun.¡± The man chuckled and reveled at the sight. Mind Control. He became an apostle and earned the ability to take over someone¡¯s mind and control them. ¡°Guh¡­¡± Bigal gnashed his teeth as his breath grew rough and short. No matter how much he tried, his hand wouldn¡¯t listen to him. His sharp ws dug into his own chest and grabbed his heart. ¡®N-no¡­!¡¯ He had never held his own heart before. ¡®I had no idea that¡­ a heart is this warm.¡¯ Was this how he was going to die? Was he going to die by crushing his own heart? ¡®I-I won¡¯t¡­!¡¯ He refused to die in this manner. He had thought and had imagined his own death many times before, but he hadn¡¯t imagined that he would die in this manner. He thought that he would breathe hisst in a valorous battle as a warrior¡ªlike a true descendant of the wolves. ¡°Fuck you. Fuck you all!¡± he cursed. The man grinned at the sight and snapped his fingers. ¡°Bang.¡± Baaaang! A loud sound rang in the man¡¯s ears. He staggered backward. ¡®Huh..?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t the one whose heart had just exploded, so why was he the one who was staggering? He copsed andnded on his buttocks. ¡°What is this?¡± he muttered after touching his head. He could feel that about half of his head had exploded, and he could also feel a gaping exit wound from what remained of his head. ¡®A sniper?¡¯ ¡°Ha. Haha.¡° He was so dumbfounded that he couldn¡¯t help butugh. An apostle like him failed to dodge a bullet? Theughter quickly turned into rage. ¡°Which one of you fucking bastards¡ª¡± Baaaang! He was shot once again. This time, he no longer had a head. ¡°¡­¡± However, he was an apostle, so he could easily regenerate his head. ¡°Bigal! Are you okay?!¡± ¡°Shit, take his hand out of his chest! We have to stop the bleeding!¡± Bigal stared at the wolves running toward him. ¡°Team¡­ B?¡± They were the ones who had gone to save the humans. However, as far as he knew, none of them knew how to shoot a gun. ¡®No, there¡¯s a stranger among them.¡¯ Bigal unwittingly turned his head. ¡°This one¡¯s pretty hard to kill.¡± Click. It was the human mercenary. Seo Jun-Ho reloaded his gun with an emotionless face and walked toward the apostle. ¡°W-wait! He¡¯s dangerous! His voice can control you!¡± Bigal hurriedly shouted. At the same time, the vampire apostle looked up and yelled through his partially regenerated head. ¡°Put a bullet in your head!¡± Baaaang! There was a loud gunshot, and the vampire apostle was sent rolling away. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± He had definitely given the order. He had activated his ability. So, why did that lunatic shoot him? Seo Jun-Ho walked over until he was standing right in front of the vampire apostle. He then looked down at the vampire apostle and coolly said, ¡°Sorry, but you messed with the wrong person.¡± He had a hero¡¯s mind, after all. Click. The barrel of the long rifle pressed against the roof of the vampire apostle¡¯s mouth. The cold barrel of the long rifle made the vampire apostle feel a shiver down his spine. ¡°W-wait¡­I¡¯m an apostle, so I know a lot. I-i¡¯w tewl you ev¡¯ything¡­!¡± ¡°I appreciate the offer¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled warmly. ¡°But I think your memories will tell me more.¡± He then pulled the trigger without hesitation. Baaaaaang! For the first time in eleven years, a vampire apostle died that night. Chapter 470. Secret Social Club (1) Chapter 470. Secret Social Club (1) Ta-ta-tap, ta-tap. A man and a woman were staring at the scorched ruins of a factory. ¡°What a headache this early in the morning¡­¡± ¡°The werewolves were the ones who did this, right?¡± "Who else could it be? There¡¯s no way one of the ns will attack a pharmaceutical facility.¡± They searched all over the factory, but every medicine and manufacturing blueprint had turned into ashes. Unless the higher-ups made a separate copy of the manufacturing blueprints, they wouldn¡¯t be able to make Wolf Wine anymore. They continued walking, and they eventually arrived in front of a disfigured corpse. "Obi, he suffered a lot.¡± ¡°We should avenge him. After all, we¡¯re from the same n.¡± The woman took off her gloves and touched Obi''s disfigured corpse. Her eyes zed over. A few minutester, her eyes returned to normal, and she slowly got up. "This is crazy¡­¡± Noticing that there was something strange, the man next to her asked, "What''s the matter, Tria? Did they encounter one of the werewolves¡¯ chiefs?¡± "It''s not like that." Tria reached out. "Take my hand and see for yourself." "Um. It doesn''t really feel good to be connected to you. Your inner world is too gloomy.¡± "Shut up and watch. You have to see it for yourself to understand." ¡°Hearing you say that makes me really want to see it now.¡± The man took Tria¡¯s hand, and his face soon crumpled. "Wait, the culprit is human?" "What do you think?¡± "¡­I think it''s ridiculous." How could a human easily defeat a vampire apostle? "What¡¯s ridiculous?" A familiar voice echoed. The two vampires immediately fell to their knees. "Y-you¡¯re here, n Master." "Greetings, n Master." ¡°Don¡¯t be so stiff. Anyway, what¡¯s ridiculous?" "Well.." Tria exined what she had seen. "Hmm, a human hunting down an apostle?" The n master reached out with a smile, seemingly interested in the matter. "Let me see that memory." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Gulp!¡± Tria gulped, but she still reached out. "I-I will do as you say¡­" When her trembling hand touched the cold fingertips of the n master, Tria started trembling. ¡°Ah!¡± Her skill could read the memories of ces and targets and convey them to others. The only downside was that whenever Tria shared the memories of a certain target with someone else, she would have to connect to thetter¡¯s inner world. ¡®T-this is¡­!¡¯ Tria found herself standing in an endless crimson world. It was the most violent and devastated inner world that Tria had ever seen. Tria started bleeding from her orifices, and she tilted sideways before falling to the floor. "Hmm." The n master closed his eyes and ruminated on the memories he had seen. "A human¡­ Is it one of the humans that Ghost had recently encountered?" The n master had heard that those humans possessed amazing abilities. However, he didn¡¯t expect that one of them could easily defeat an apostle. The n master smiled softly. "How interesting." It was an unusual discovery, and it had been quite a while now since he wanted to y with a human. ¡®Perhaps that was him¡­ A few days ago, he sensed a wave of powerful energy outside the city. If the human he had seen in Obi¡¯s memories was the owner of that energy, then there was no way that he would allow others to snatch that human away from him. "We must make haste.¡± He turned around and was about to leave. However, his apostle barely managed to muster the courage to ask, "P-Paradox-nim, how should we exin this?¡± True Vampire Paradox thought about it for a while before revealing a bright smile. "Astaneca Pharmaceuticals Inc. was destroyed in an explosion after a botched experiment. That should be enough." The next day, the newspapers announced what Paradox had said. *** "And then that human suddenly took out his bow! I thought he was a real nut job then." "Bow? Are we thinking about the same bow?¡± "Yes, but what''s more surprising is¡ª¡± There was an untimely festival in the Twilight w Tribe. It was because some werewolves from the other ns returned with Seo Jun-Ho. They drank and ate happily with each other rather than thinking about missions. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho watched them for a while before quietly leaving his seat and entering a deserted cave. "Are you still asleep?" ¡°¡­¡± There was no answer. Seo Jun-Ho looked at his friend. "It feels weird to see you not snoring." Rahmadat had always been the type to snore loudly whenever he was sleeping, and Seo Jun-Ho could still remember how Skaya would surround Rahmadat with soundproofing magic just to silence Rahmadat¡¯s snores in Gates. "I saw the report and heard that you got decapitated like an idiot." The report even said that he got infected after being bitten by a vampire in an alley. Why was it that Rahmadat always seemed eager to get hurt? It was upsetting. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t speak anymore. He started thinking about something else. "How can the main character be missing from the party?" said a familiar voice. "¡­Arnold-nim." He came with a bottle of alcohol and looked around before asking, "Where is that girl who kept on sticking to you like gum?¡± "She¡¯s tired, so I sent her home." While he was on the 9th Floor, the Frost Queen was forced to remain on the 6th Floor. When Seo Jun-Ho returned, the Frost Queen seemed tired, so he decided to recall her. Right now, she was probably sleeping soundly in the Spirit World. "She¡¯ll be back in a few days." "Is that so?¡± Arnold sat on the floor and nced at Seo Jun-Ho. "You look like you have a lot of worries. Fortunately, you have a mouth, and I have an ear." He was saying that he would be willing to listen to Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho looked at Rahmadat and said, "¡­Have you heard of who we are?" "Well, you''re yers, you''re from Earth, and you''re climbing floors?" "That''s enough." Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to exin everything from the very beginning. Seo Jun-Ho started. "I''m strong." "I know. You¡¯re probably on par with me or even stronger." "I¡¯m strong, so my enemies are strong as well." "I¡¯ve heard that as well. It¡¯s the reason why Rahmadat really wants to catch up to you" Of course, Seo Jun-Ho knew that¡ªhe knew that his stupid friends had always felt sorry that he had to suffer on his own all this while. "The problem is that their feelings are making it hard for me to climb,¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally said it. There wasn¡¯t a trace of any lies in his words as he continued. "In the entire world, my friends are the most precious to me. Of course, that includes this guy.¡± They were precious to the point that he wouldn¡¯t know what to do if something were to happen to them. ¡°Recently, I¡¯m starting to think about what if they just stayed downstairs?¡± "...Hmm." Arnold''s eyes deepened. He could roughly guess the feelings of the man in front of him. "Are you saying that you don¡¯t want them to be even stronger because they¡¯re precious to you, and you don¡¯t want them to get hurt?" "Yes. If they be stronger, they are bound to fight even stronger enemies." "How are you so sure?" "Because that is how the Floors work¡­" It was inevitable because the will of the Floors had always been to make the strong fight the strong. "When did you start having those thoughts?¡± Arnold asked in a grave voice. As far as Arnold was concerned, the Seo Jun-Ho he had heard from Rahmadat¡¯s description wasn¡¯t the type of person who would have that kind of thought. "When¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho pondered. When did he start thinking that way? It was probably when his Imperturbable Mind was shaken. ¡°To be honest, I really like my current state.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was confident of taking on just about anyone out there, and nothing could make him tremble anymore. As long as he maintained his state, he would eventually be invincible. Reiji knew that more than anyone else, and that was why she decided to awaken his Imperturbable Mind. "But¡­" His Imperturbable Mind was shaken as soon as he heard what had happened to Rahmadat. The remark about how it would be better for his friend to die rather than to remain a cripple all his life shook Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Imperturbable Mind. ¡°I reckon that my Imperturbable Mind will shatter like ss the moment I hear that something untoward happened to one of my precious friends." He would never recover his Imperturbable mind, which meant losing his near-perfect state. ¡°They don¡¯t have to get strong and suffer." They pitied him because he would have to carry all the burden on his own, but they didn''t really have to feel that way at all because he was fine, and he would be fine thanks to his Imperturbable Mind. "Pain and sadness do not bother me anymore." Therefore, he wanted to protect them. He wanted to maintain the status quo and protect his friends. He wanted them to live happily downstairs. ¡°¡­¡± Arnold closed his eyes. He found it hard to say anything in response. In the end, Seo Jun-Ho and his friends were working hard for each other¡¯s sake. ¡®As expected, it''s hard to be young.¡¯ Arnold smiled lightly and said, "Personally, I agree with your thoughts." "¡­Really?" "However, I also agree with Rahmadat and your friends." "What do you mean?" "What I¡¯m trying to say is that why don¡¯t you give them some time?" Arnold''s solution was simple. "Give your friends a grace period." ¡°What if they fail to meet my expectations by then?¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯m sure that you would be able to do as you please.¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be too much of a pity if he wouldn¡¯t even allow his friends to attempt to stay with him? Seo Jun-Ho pondered for a while and nodded. "I think that''s a great idea." ¡°Anyway, now that the issue is settled. You should smile like a young man now. The way you look right now makes me feel like I¡¯m dealing with an old man.¡± "¡­I am not an old man. I am a young man," Seo Jun-Ho replied, pouting. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Imperturbable Mind couldn¡¯t easily be turned off, and its effects included a cold personality. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but think that it was a w rather than an advantage. "You¡¯re a young man? Will a young man even say that they¡¯re a young man?" asked Arnold while tilting his head. Seo Jun-Ho suddenly got up and said, "I have to get going.¡± "Where are you going?" "¡­There''s something I need to find out." Seo Jun-Ho had seen a secret social club in the memories of the vampire he had killed. ¡®It¡¯s a club that is only essible to the apostles.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was nning to walk into that club and beat everyone up inside. The only issue was that the club would always be held in different locations each time, but Seo Jun-Ho was lucky because it wouldn¡¯t be a huge issue for him to find the club. ¡®Obi, the vampire apostle I killed, should have already received an invitation.¡¯ Arnold stood up as well. He stared at Seo Jun-Ho before saying, "You really like to do everything by yourself. What a good child¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re calling me a child?¡± "Why, do you not like it?" "I don''t like it,¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded firmly and said, "Oh, I have a question." "What is it?" ¡°The werewolves'' sense of smell allows them to distinguish vampires from humans, but how do vampires distinguish werewolves from humans?¡± "That''s a good question.¡± Arnold nodded and said, "They basically use their sense of smell as well because we have a distinct¡­ body odor." Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but pity them. The werewolves could take on human forms, but they would still smell like dogs. "Does that mean you¡¯ll be undetectable as long as you¡¯re capable of hiding your odor?¡± "No, they also keep an eye on body temperature.¡± "Body temperature?" "Those bats are like corpses without blood flowing in their veins, so they¡¯re always ice cold.¡± Body temperature¡­ Seo Jun-Ho smiled brightly uponing up with an idea. ¡°That sounds great.¡± "Um, I think I can finally understand your friends'' concern now. Do you want me to lend you a few of our warriors?¡± "No. My n will definitely fail if I were to go with the werewolves." There was no way that they would let a werewolf into the secret social club. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll be back. Hopefully, once I return¡­¡± "Hm, your friend should be awake by then if you¡¯re lucky.¡± Little did Seo Jun-Ho know that he would have to make a decision today. *** Seo Jun-Ho murmured, "The Watchguard of Darkness is invincible, which means I¡¯m also invincible when ites to something like this¡­" When it came to sneaking into someone else¡¯s house, Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that if he were to im that he was second, no one would dare to im that they were first. He rummaged through the random letters on the table in the living room. "Found it." The ck letter was distinct from the others, especially the red seal on the letter that was emzoned with a luxurious intaglio. ¡°It¡¯s funny how those bloodsuckers pretend like they¡¯re nobles.¡± Seo Jun-Ho opened the letter and read it. [We hope that Obi-nim will once again grace us with your presence at Eden''s gathering this month.] "Eden." It was ridiculous, but the name of the secret social club was Eden. Seo Jun-Ho skipped through the pleasantries and read only the necessary parts. "The location is a mansion on 7th Street in District 34. This month¡¯s theme is¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s lips curled up. "A masquerade." It was his forte. Chapter 471. Secret Social Club (2) Chapter 471. Secret Social Club (2) District 34 was a high-endmercial district close to the center of Trium. It wasparable to Beverly Hills on Earth. ¡®So this is District 34¡­¡¯ Leisure and romance overflowed on the streets, and everyone in the district was all smiles as they shopped and engaged in small talk with each other. The atmosphere waspletely different from the atmosphere of District 57. ¡®They look happy.¡¯ In Trium, sessful people were affiliated with vampires in one way or another and whether they liked it or not. In other words, the peopleughing and chatting here were either servants of vampires or their entire household was under a vampire. ¡®¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked at them silently. From now on, he was going to impersonate a vampire apostle. The hot sun was shining overhead, but it didn''t matter. Vampires who couldn''t ovee the sun couldn''t even be treated as apostles. It was a tailor shop, and it was a particrly expensive tailor shop that the vampire apostles frequented. ¡®It¡¯s the perfect ce to test things out¡­¡¯ The doorkeeper opened the door, and the clerk inside greeted Seo Jun-Ho with a smile. "Wee, Sir." "Call Zhang." What emerged from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mouth wasn¡¯t his voice. "I-I will ry your message." The Art of Voice Changing was one of the basic martial arts skills that Seo Jun-Ho had seen in the Sect Record Chip. Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was both easy to learn and useful, so he decided to learn it. Seo Jun-Ho was satisfied with its effects. ¡®This would have been perfect if I learned Transfiguration to change my face and physique¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, he decided not to learn Transfiguration because it would take a lot of time and effort. "D-did you call me...?¡± Zhang, the owner of the tailor shop, walked up with an awkward smile. He was a tailor who had made several clothes for the vampire apostles before. There was a reason why Seo Jun-Ho visited Zhang today. ''If I can''t even deceive this guy, there¡¯s no way I can deceive the other apostles.'' Seo Jun-Ho wanted to see if Zhang would be suspicious of him. Seo Jun-Ho spoke, "I need a suit. Make me one." "Y-yes." Zhang didn''t know who he was, but Zhang took out the tape measure without hesitation. People with such high-handed attitudes were usually difficult to treat recklessly. ¡®Who is he? Is he a noble? A politician? Maybe he''s a budding entrepreneur¡­¡¯ Zhang''s eyes trembled as he measured Seo Jun-Ho without thinking. ''H-he¡¯s cold...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skin was as cold as ice. Zhang¡¯s eyes quickly became dyed with fear as he looked at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®H-he¡¯s a vampire. He can walk outside in broad daylight, so he must be...¡¯ Tremble. His hands holding the tape measure started trembling. Having tailored for other vampire apostles over and over again, he was sure that Seo Jun-Ho had to be a vampire apostle, at the very least. "Is there a problem?" asked Seo Jun-Ho with anguid look. Zhang shook his head. "N-no! There is no problem¡­!" He took Seo Jun-Ho''s measurement like lightning and wiped away the sweat dripping down his face. ¡°Is there a style that you want?¡± "You figure it out yourself." "I-I understand." Seo Jun-Ho then handed over a bunch of bills that he had gotten from Obi''s house. Zhang hurriedly waved his hand. "Please, you don¡¯t have to..." "Just take it. I picked them up on the way.¡± "Hahaha. Then, I will receive them with gratitude." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s polite attitude only made Zhang even more convinced that Seo Jun-Ho was a vampire apostle. Seo Jun-Ho nced at the clock on the wall and asked, "How long will it take?" "I-it should be done in eight hours." "Good." Seo Jun-Ho muttered. He sat on the sofa in the inner waiting room and added, "Call me once you''re done." "Yes, yes¡­" Zhang muttered meekly. He closed the ck curtains of the waiting room before walking out. At the sight, Seo Jun-Ho smiled. ''It seems that imitating a vampire isn¡¯t as hard as I thought...¡¯ It seemed that he wouldn¡¯t have a hard time imitating the vampires. He had roughly dropped his body temperature using Frost, but even someone like Zhang, who had measured the bodies of many apostles before, didn¡¯t manage to find something off. It seemed that infiltrating Eden wouldn¡¯t be a huge problem. ¡®I''m looking forward to it.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how many vampire apostles would be there. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes in anticipation of the uing gathering. *** Zhangpleted the suit in seven hours and twenty minutes. He even prepared a pair of shoes thatpletely matched the suit. "You did well. I like it." "T-thank you!" Zhang sped his hands tightly and answered with a deeply touched expression. He was d to know another vampire apostle because vampire apostles were one of the most influential figures in this city. "Pleasee again!" "I''ll think about it." Seo Jun-Ho departed the tailor shop and raised his head. The setting sky was slowly turning red. ¡®It said that I will have to go to number seven.¡¯ He walked straight to the mansion ording to the instructions. While walking, Seo Jun-Ho took out Specter¡¯s mask from his Inventory and attached some colorful feathers to it. ¡®I can use this at a masquerade, right?¡¯ Why not? This was a mask as well. Seo Jun-Ho was proud of his mask, and he even decorated it because he liked it. When he arrived at the mansion, two guard vampires greeted him at the entrance. "Wee." "Can you please show us your invitation?" ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho shed the ck envelope that contained the invitation, and that should have been enough. However, the two vampires looked at each other for a moment before speaking. "Um... Is that perhaps the only mask you have?" "We also provide rentals." "Is there something wrong with my mask?" The guards hesitated. Eventually, they took out a mask and showed it to him. "You have to wear a mask that covers only the area around your eyes. It¡¯s like this." Seo Jun-Ho saw that the mask was a typical masquerade mask that one would find on the Inte if one were to look up masquerade masks. Seo Jun-Ho tried his best to hide the awkwardness he was feeling as he reached out and said, "Give it to me. I''ll wear it on the way." "T-thank you!" The guards seemed relieved as they opened the door for him. As Seo Jun-Ho walked down the long hallway, he couldn¡¯t help but mutter, "Is there something wrong with my mask?" He even decorated it with red, blue, and pink feathers. His mask was also a popr item on Earth. ¡®These people are ignorant of what looks cool. If I were on Earth, taking out this mask alone will¡­¡¯ As he reminisced, Seo Jun-Ho changed his mask with a sullen face. He eventually arrived at a door at the end of the long hallway, and upon entering the door, he saw a hall illuminated by colorful chandeliers. ¡ª ??? There was a sweet melody in the air, and Seo Jun-Ho could hear conversations around him. "Have you heard? Astaneca went bustst night." "It apparently burned down because of an ident, but was it really an ident?" "No way. I¡¯m sure those dogs are the culprit." Vampires with wine sses were talking while wearing colorful masks. Seo Jun-Ho took a wine ss from a servant carrying a tray and walked slowly throughout the hall, and his eyes scanned his surroundings. ¡®Seventy-two...¡¯ He counted seventy-two people. Aside from the servants, musicians, and the small fries, there were a total of forty-six vampire apostles in the hall. ¡®ording to Obi''s memory, there should be a hundred apostles in Trium.¡¯ There were only a hundred apostles because Tepes had purposely limited the number of apostles a n could have to twenty-five. It was all to prevent the rapid increase in the number of apostles. Of course, the official numbers were a hundred, but the True Vampires could be rearing more than twenty-five apostles each. ¡®Assuming that the official numbers are real¡­¡¯ The number of vampire apostles here was nearly half of the entire vampire apostle poption of Trium. If he were to exaggerate, most of the city''s core power had gathered in this hall. Seo Jun-Ho pondered. ''...Can I do it?¡¯ Honestly, he didn¡¯t expect that there would be this many vampire apostles. In Obi''s memory, at most, there should have been only around twenty vampire apostles here. However, it seemed that more vampire apostles attended than usual because they wanted to learn more information about what happened to Astaneca. ''I can think about it slowly.¡¯ He would deal with them if possible. Otherwise, he would just retreat. With a frown, Seo Jun-Ho tried to moisten his throat with the wine in his hand. ¡®Wait¡­¡¯ It was not wine but blood¡ªhuman blood. He returned the wine ss to a servant who was passing by. "Does it not suit your taste?¡± "I saw a buging out of the ss.¡± "Oh, my! I will get you another ss." "It¡¯s fine. I lost my appetite, so put it away.¡± "I-I understand,¡± said the servant before nervously walking away. Seo Jun-Ho crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He closely observed the vampire apostles. ''They¡¯re not much different from Obi.¡¯ However, the vampire apostles each had their own unique ability. If their unique ability were to bepared to the yers, the vampire apostles'' unique ability would be in between B-Grade and A-Grade. ¡®Tsk, Obi''s memory isn¡¯t that useful because everyone¡¯s eyes are covered here.¡¯ If he could see their faces, he would be able to find their unique ability using Obi¡¯s memory, which would allow him to n ordingly. While Seo Jun-Ho was in the middle of deep contemtion, a man wearing a butterfly mask appeared on the second floor. - Clink, cliink! ~? He tapped the wine ss lightly with a teaspoon, and the music abruptly stopped. Upon receiving everyone¡¯s attention, the man in the butterfly mask smiled softly and said, "Nice to meet you, apostles. I¡¯m d to see that everyone is having fun.¡± The vampires nodded and agreed. The man in the butterfly mask continued. "It''s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen this many people here, and the reason you¡¯ve gathered here is probably because something unfortunate happenedst night.¡± Yes, Astaneca burned down. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the man as well, looking forward to what the man had to say. "ording to the investigation, a few wild dogs managed to crawl into the city." "I knew it!" "Tsk, to think that we would lose a pharmaceuticalpany to the dogs. How frustrating." "If I had been there, I would have ughtered them all." The vampire apostles were furious because Astaneca¡¯s Wolf Wine was valuable to them as well. Seeing the furious vampire apostles, the man in the butterfly mask smiled. "But you don''t have to worry¡­¡± the man in the butterfly mask beckoned. A low-ranking vampire appeared with two briefcases. "Astaneca is gone, but the production of Wolf Wine will continue." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly loosened his arms upon hearing that. His brows hidden beneath the mask were furrowed. ¡®No way¡­¡¯ He was sure that he had destroyed every blueprint and production method that he had seen along with the werewolves. There was also no copy of the Wolf Wine production method ording to what he had seen in Obi and Allen Schneiker¡¯s memories. In other words, the firest night should have burned everything down. "Come here." The man in the butterfly mask beckoned his subordinate. He took a bottle out of a briefcase, and a crimson liquid could be seen swirling within the bottle. "It¡¯s Wolf Wine." "Oh!" "I thought the production method was lost?" "That''s a relief. As expected, the true Vampire-nims wouldn¡¯t be so careless." The vampire apostles were relieved. The man in the butterfly mask spoke once again, "This is a much more effective and fast-acting version of what Astaneca used to make." The vampire next to the man in the butterfly mask opened another briefcase. There was a syringe inside the briefcase. "If you inject this syringe into those wild dogs, their blood will be Wolf Wine." ¡°I-is it true?¡± "Yes, it is. That¡¯s why it¡¯s revolutionary." The man in the butterfly mask smiled and continued. "He couldn''t be here today, but let''s give a round of apuse to Chef for developing the revolutionary method of acquiring Wolf Wine." p! p! p! The hall soon became filled with apuse, but Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes turned cold. ¡®Chef?¡¯ If the man in the butterfly mask and Seo Jun-Ho were thinking of the same Chef, then that Chef was definitely capable of making Wolf Wine. After all, he was the one who made Paradise on Earth and attempted to create Watchguard of Darkness. He had also attempted something simr to this on the 2nd Floor. ¡®So he¡¯s here on the 6th Floor.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s blood started boiling. Unlike his cold eyes, however, Seo Jun-Ho was smiling. ''I''ll see you soon.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was sure that he would find some information about the Heavenly Demon upon killing Chef. Meanwhile, one of the apostles raised their hand. "Wait, is the new Wolf Wine really effective?" "Yes, of course." "How can we believe that?¡± "Since you¡¯re in doubt, let us do a demonstration. If I use this on myself, then it wouldn¡¯t be credible enough, so let¡¯s have someone...¡± The man in the butterfly mask scanned the vampire apostles with a smile, and his eyes met Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze. Chapter 472. Secret Social Club (3) Chapter 472. Secret Social Club (3) Seo Jun-Ho felt bothered, but he didn¡¯t show it. ¡®I don¡¯t like this feeling.¡¯ It was all because whenever his gut feeling was bothering him¡ª "How about that gentleman by the wall over there? Would you please step forward for a moment?" ¡ªit would always end up being correct. The vampire apostles followed the gaze of the man in the butterfly mask. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought and sighed. ¡®Walk over, get rid of the four apostles on the left side with Watchguard of Darkness, then deal with the five apostles on the right with Moon Eye. Then, I¡¯ll summon Hart to create a disturbance on the rear.¡¯ He imagined what the battle would be like. ¡®The best way is still¡­¡¯ The best option was to not fight. There were simply too many enemies. If he refused to drink it, they probably wouldn¡¯t force him to drink it. The others would get suspicious, but it was better than fighting them head-on, considering their numbers advantage. "Gentleman?" urged the man in the butterfly mask. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned cold, and he felt as if he were a tiny boat in stormy seas. "I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho started. Thud! However, a guard flung the doors open and hurriedly ran over to the man in the butterfly mask. "What? Just what were they doing?!¡± The man in the butterfly mask was furious. The vampire apostles had no idea what was going on, so the man in the butterfly mask quickly exined, "An urgent business came up, so I will be away for a moment. We will talk about the wine upon my return." The man in the butterfly mask hurriedly walked away. Seo Jun-Ho withdrew his eyes as well, and the vampire apostles started muttering among themselves. "What do you guys think?" "You mean about the wine? Well¡­ if he wasn¡¯t lying, then it¡¯s the best." "But I have some doubts about the efficacy. He said it¡¯s better than the original.¡± Naturally, they started talking about the revolutionary Wolf Wine. The vampire apostles talked to each other for about ten minutes before the man in the butterfly mask returned. "I''m sorry. My dog suddenly left the house." The man in the butterfly mask seemed to have freshened up as he smiled and grabbed a bottle once again before looking at Seo Jun-Ho. "I choose that gentleman earlier, right?" Seo Jun-Ho was about to clearly express his intention to refuse. "Wait." However, a red-faced woman with a seemingly impatient personality raised her hand and interrupted. She stared alternatingly between the man in the butterfly mask and Seo Jun-Ho before raising a few suspicious points that she had discovered. "It''s a bit suspicious how you keep on insisting on letting him test the new Wolf Wine. I must ask, but you didn¡¯t nt him here, right?" "Hmm, that does make sense...¡± "He pointed at that guy without hesitation as well.¡± The public¡¯s opinion started going against the man in the butterfly mask, who was frowning. Seeing that, the red-faced woman continued. "How about you let me try it? This way, everyone will be at ease, and I won¡¯t be suspicious of you anymore." Seo Jun-Ho was impressed. Things had turned for the better because an idiot was trying to act as if she were smart. The man in the butterfly mask nced at Seo Jun-Ho before nodding slowly. "Well... I don''t really care who drinks it, as long as the effectiveness gets proven. Then, pleasee up." The red-faced woman then walked up to the second floor. She opened the bottle and smelled it. "Hnng, it smells stronger." "The original Wolf Wine wasn¡¯t very pure. However, this is different. Its purity is unprecedented." The man in the butterfly mask smiled and held his ss high before saying, "Everyone, please apud thisdy''s courage." The vampire apostles started pping, and the red-faced woman poured the wine into her mouth without hesitation. "Mmm..." The red-faced woman¡¯s face wrinkled as she savored the wine¡¯s taste. nk! The ss in her hand fell to the floor and broke, and she started staggering. "Haaa¡­ haaaa!" The vampire apostles¡¯ eyes narrowed when they saw her gasping for air. "Wait, is something wrong?" "She doesn''t look very well." "Is she really okay?" "Ah, please calm down." The man in the butterfly mask reassured the vampire apostles and asked the red-faced woman, "How do you feel?" "Haaa! Ha¡ªhaha! Ahahaha!" The red-faced woman¡¯s breathing gradually returned to normal, and she startedughing as she stared at her hands. "This is the best feeling ever...! The ecstasy fills me up to the brim! This has to be at least two times more effective than the original version! It¡¯s refreshing!" The red-faced woman¡¯s words caused a stir. "Ohhh! So Wolf Wine is still alive?" "It¡¯s alive, and it¡¯s even more effective!¡± "And with the new manufacturing method, we should be able to produce lots of it!¡± The vampire apostles were relieved and delighted. The fact that it was more effective and could be mass-produced was great news for those who still couldn¡¯t forget Wolf Wine¡¯s taste after tasting it once before. "Now, now, this is just the beginning of the show." The atmosphere in the hall finally reached its climax, and the man in the butterfly mask knew that it was time for him to continue the show. "This should be enough proof of the wine¡¯s effectiveness. Now, I want to show you how to make it." ¡°What?¡± "Didn''t you say earlier that we just have to inject the syringe into the dogs?" "You got it right." p, p! He pped his hands twice, and the door opened. A steel cage covered with cloth was dragged over to the second floor. Seo Jun-Ho''s face stiffened. ¡®This smell... This can¡¯t be...¡¯ He clenched his fists unknowingly. The man in the butterfly mask finally removed the cloth. "Right now, I will show you how to make this new and revolutionary Wolf Wine." There was a woman in the cage. Her head and limbs were chained, and she was obviously a werewolf. "Sniff! It¡¯s a dog." "Hahaha! I can''t believe that I will have the honor of witnessing a live demonstration." "As expected of the Paradox n. Their prowess in marketing and pharmaceutical really is top-notch.¡± The vampire apostles pped in delight. Today, they weren¡¯t really expecting that much from this social club, but the rare live demonstration brought them a pleasant surprise. ¡°All right, let''s produce the wine right away." The man in the butterfly mask retrieved a syringe. He was about to stick it into the chained woman¡¯s neck when a voice interrupted him. "Wait." A heavy silence filled the hall. The man in the butterfly mask and the vampire apostles turned to where the voice hade from. The voice hade from Seo Jun-Ho, who had raised his hand in the air. He then quickly exined, "It was regrettable that I lost my chance earlier, so may I try using that syringe?" "Well..." The man in the butterfly mask thought about it for a moment before nodding. It wasn¡¯t a difficult task at all; he just had to insert the syringe into the dog''s body. "Well, sure. This will be more interesting." If Seo Jun-Ho were the one to use the syringe, it would prove that just about anyone could make Wolf Wine with the special liquid in the syringe. Step, step. Seo Jun-Ho climbed up the stairs to the second floor with the demeanor of a gentleman. "Take it." ¡°¡­¡± The man in the butterfly mask smiled upon making physical contact with Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®I was just worried for nothing.¡¯ The reason the man in the butterfly mask chose Seo Jun-Ho earlier was that he felt that there was something foreign about Seo Jun-Ho. However, the slight physical contact made the man in the butterfly mask certain that Seo Jun-Ho was an apostle. ¡®I¡¯m sorry that I was suspicious of you¡­¡¯ The man in the butterfly mask decided to exin with unprecedented goodwill out of guilt. "Stick the syringe into that dog''s body and then inject the liquid inside the syringe into that dog¡¯s body." "Is that really it?" "Yes, it''s so simple that it¡¯s a bit unbelievable, no?¡± The man in the butterfly mask looked down at the apostles with a smile. The vampire apostles were obviously full of expectations. ''Hehe. It¡¯s the end once you¡¯ve seen how easy it is to make Wolf Wine.¡¯ The man in the butterfly mask decided that he would sell the syringes at a much higher price than he originally intended. Despite the high prices, he was sure that the syringes would constantly be flying off the shelves. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho approached the cage. He reached out and ced the tip of the needle on the chained woman¡¯s neck. Flutter. The chained woman trembled ever so lightly. ¡®Sadness, anger and¡­ fear.'' Seo Jun-Ho could feel the chained woman¡¯splex emotions through the needle, and he asked, "Are you a wild dog of the Twilight w Tribe?" "S-shut up¡­! Don''t speak of my family with that filthy mouth of yours!" The chained woman eximed with a trembling voice. She was crying, but she still red at him with clear killing intent. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly closed his eyes. His thoughts tilted to the other side of the scale. ''I have a debt to repay them.¡¯ He had also left his precious friend with them. Having made his decision, Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes and withdrew his hand. He held up the syringe and looked at the shining liquid inside of it before asking, "Hey, host." "Yes?" "What happens if a dog manages to get their hands on one of these syringes, and they somehow managed to stick it into our bodies?¡± "Uh¡­" The sudden question flustered the man in the butterfly mask. He pondered for a moment before revealing an awkward smile. "That won¡¯t happen. Our n is very thorough when ites to storage.¡± "Considering the attack on Astaneca, I think it¡¯s within the realm of possibility." "Hmm." The man in the butterfly mask sighed. He couldn¡¯t help but think that the recent attack could have lowered the vampire apostles¡¯ trust in their n. "From now on, we, the apostles of the Paradox n, will work even harder to prevent that from happening." "I apud you for that. So, what''s the answer to my question?" "Oh, you mean what will happen if the dogs somehow managed to stick the syringe into one of us?" asked the man in the butterfly mask. Honestly, he had never even considered the possibility of that happening because he was convinced that the wild dogs weren¡¯t strong enough to steal from their n. The man in the butterfly mask smiled and finally said, "Well, if you think about the ingredients that were used to create the special liquid inside the syringes¡ªOh, honestly, I don''t even want to imagine it.¡± "Is that so?" Seo Jun-Ho nodded lightly and slowly turned to the man in the butterfly mask. The man in the butterfly mask stiffened upon seeing the light in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. ''...What''s with those eyes?'' There was a thick fury contained in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. "What should I do, then?" Seo Jun-Ho seemed apologetic because he had no idea what to do as he said, "I¡¯ve always been someone who can¡¯t hold back from satisfying my curiosity." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lips curled up eerily. The man in the butterfly mask frantically looked around for his subordinates. "H-hey! I think there¡¯s something wrong¡ª¡± Poke! ¡®Huh?¡¯ The needle prated the man in the butterfly mask¡¯s neck and even reached his skull. The man in the butterfly mask stared at Seo Jun-Ho with trembling eyes. "D-don''t¡­ Don''t do it. T-this isn¡¯t a joke..." ¡®Please don''t inject the medicine¡­¡¯ the man in the butterfly mask fervently prayed. "Nope, this is all a joke." "Ack, aaaack! Ahhh!¡± The man in the butterfly mask started screaming in horror when he felt the cold liquid flowing out of the syringe and into his skull. Terrified, the man in the butterfly mask scrambled away from Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a step back and calmly watched. Bubble! The man in the butterfly mask started melting as if he were a bath bomb in a bathtub. "Uaahh, arrrgh!" the man in the butterfly mask let out one final scream before copsing to the floor. ¡°¡­¡± The vampire apostles could feel it¡ªthis wasn''t a show anymore. Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across the dozens of vampire apostles, and while leaning over the railing of the second floor, he said, "This is a joke, yes. However, I only y this kind of joke to scums like you lot¡­" Boom! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body temperature abruptly returned to normal, and there was a burst of energy as he violently unleashed his magic. Chapter 473. Secret Social Club (4) Chapter 473. Secret Social Club (4) ¡°¡­¡± The vampire apostles stared at the existence who was looking down at them from the second floor. He was neither a vampire nor a werewolf but a human being. ¡®How can a human being have that much power?¡¯ ''Judging from the energying out of him, he¡¯s stronger than a vampire apostle.¡¯ His appearance here was unexpected, but they weren¡¯t worried. There were forty-six vampire apostles here. One of them had died just now, but it meant that there were still forty-five vampire apostles. ¡®Got him!¡¯ The red-faced woman from earlier moved as fast as lightning to ambush Seo Jun-Ho from behind. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, she extended her fangs and bit her opponent¡¯s neck. "Huh?" There was no feedback. She could swear that she had grabbed his shoulder and bit his neck, but she didn¡¯t feel like she had bitten anything. "How wasteful,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. Reiji had told Seo Jun-Ho that the way he was using his magic was too wasteful, so she taught him how to use his magic properly and more efficiently. "Before I left the Hole of Repentance, she told me this¡­" Reiji said that Seo Jun-Ho was finally capable of utilizing his magic to the fullest. "W-what is that?¡± The red-faced woman finally saw the patch of darkness on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck. It was a surreal sight because it looked like only that part of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body was painted ck. "And she also said that if an ambush fails, then you should hurry up and...¡± Seo Jun-Ho trailed off. He made a sidelong nce at the vampire apostle before finallypleting his sentence. "Get lost." Baaang! The red-faced woman literally exploded. Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t used any of his skills, he simply emitted a condensed wave of magic. "Shoot him! Stall for time!" The vampire apostles frantically ordered, and the ordinary vampires responded by turning their guns toward Seo Jun-Ho. In that brief moment, the vampire apostles took retrieved Wolf Wine from their pockets and poured it into their mouths. "Wolf Wine? Are those the ones they bought before the factory copsed?" Seo Jun-Ho muttered. He didn¡¯t even spare a nce at the bullets flying toward him and simply waved his hand. Crackle! ¡°¡­!¡± An unbelievable scene unfolded as hundreds of bullets froze in mid-air. The power to freeze¡­ Seo Jun-Ho could still remember being scolded and mocked by Reiji about how bold he had been to call it the power to freeze when it could only slow things down. ¡®I trained like crazy¡­¡¯ He had improved to the point that he could nowfortably call it the power to freeze. Seo Jun-Ho''s gaze turned to the dumbfounded vampire apostles. ¡°The punishment for not even taking a basic stance in front of me is¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho flicked his finger. "...Death." Booom! Darkness bloomed from his fingertips, and it split into hundreds of shrapnel that flew toward the vampire apostles. In the blink of an eye, the hall became filled with the vampire apostles¡¯ screams. "Aaargh!" ¡°Damn it! Let¡¯s attack him at the same time!" The furious vampire apostles started climbing up the stairs to the second floor. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho suddenly felt heavy. He couldn¡¯t move at all. ¡®Telekinesis?¡¯ He barely managed to move his eyeballs and saw that one of the vampire apostles in the corner of the first floor was restraining his body. "He¡¯s immobilized!" "Now¡¯s the chance! Kill him!" The vampire apostles finally reached the second floor, and they all pounced at him. Seo Jun-Ho smirked. ¡®This is more fun than I thought. He tightly closed one of his eyes. Drip. The tear that he had forcibly squeezed out of his eyes turned into a blooming flower that scattered its petals into the air. "A flower¡­?" "Why did he summon a flower?" The vampire apostles stared at Seo Jun-Ho as if he were a madman. In response, Seo Jun-Ho said, "The flower is my gift to you." The vampire apostles heard that, but that was it. The beautiful flower distracted them, and they met a miserable end. They froze in mid-air, and there was no hope for recovery because even their cells were frozen solid. "M-my god¡­!" "Damn it! Don''t touch the petals! You¡¯ll freeze!" The vampire apostles, who were lucky enough to be a bit distant from the flower, retreated in a panic. However, Seo Jun-Ho didn''t miss the chance. Craackle! A spear made out of ice flew toward the telekinesis user. Shwik! "Argh!" The ice spear struck the vampire apostle and sent him flying toward the wall. Seo Jun-Ho could finally move once again. "That was a pretty useful skill." Unfortunately for the vampire apostle, he encountered the wrong opponent. Seo Jun-Ho clenched his fist. Crackle! The ice spear exploded and killed the telekinesis user. ¡°¡­¡± The battle suddenly lulled. No one wanted to step forward and fight Seo Jun-Ho after he killed twenty vampire apostles in the blink of an eye. ¡°I¡¯ll attack, then.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stomped lightly, and darkness bloomed from his feet. "D-don''t step on it!" The vampire apostles retreated in the face of the blooming darkness. However, the darkness was much faster than them. "Up! We have to go to the ceiling!" "Hang on to the chandeliers!" The vampire apostles clung to thergest chandelier on the ceiling so that they wouldn¡¯t step on the darkness beneath them. However, just how many vampire apostles could arge chandelier support? "It¡¯s only going to be six of them at most," muttered Seo Jun-Ho. The chandelier broke when more than twenty people tried to reach for it at once. "Argh!" "N-no! No!" The vampire apostles struggled upon falling into the swamp of darkness. However, the more they struggled, the deeper they sank. At the terrible sight, the remaining vampire apostles desperately ran toward the hallway. "Haaa! Haaa¡­!" "He¡¯s a monster! A monster!" Their desperation only allowed them to have one thought¡ªthey had to leave this mansion as soon as possible. However, their eyes were quickly dyed with despair when they opened the front doors of the mansion. "W-what...?" The whole mansion was covered in a massive ck curtain. A voice echoed behind them and exined, "It¡¯s the Curtain of Darkness. You have to kill me to get out of here.¡± This was Specter¡¯s stage. The vampire apostles bit their lips and slowly turned around. They finally realized it¡ªthis nightmare wouldn¡¯t end until their opponent was dead. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho was standing at the end of the hallway. However, the vampire apostles were afraid¡ªthey were so afraid of him that they looked like they were about to go crazy. "Are those thest remaining apostles here?" He had already killed thirty-three, so the twelve over there had to be thest remaining vampire apostles in the mansion. Seo Jun-Ho gestured with his hand and spoke, "Path of Flowers." The hallway became filled with beautiful flowers. The flowers were beautiful, but they had no scent, so thest thing that the vampire apostles smelled was the stench of their rotten organs. ¡°¡­¡± The battle ended in a way that seemed a bit too easy for Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I didn¡¯t even have to exert that much effort into defending myself earlier¡­" Just what kind of monster did she turn him into? He initially thought that he would be at a disadvantage if he fought so many vampire apostles at once, but the battle ended in his overwhelming victory. "Now, then, what shall I do?" First of all, the memories. He had to read the vampire apostles¡¯ memories. *** It was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first time using Confession of the Dead on so many people at once. Memory projections floated all around Seo Jun-Ho, and he spent hours exploring their memories. He felt a bit dizzy when he was finally done, but he still approached the werewolf he had released earlier. "Did you wait long?¡± "Oh, n-no." The werewolf, who was resting under a nket while drinking a cup of warm tea, answered almost immediately. Seo Jun-Ho found it a bit funny that she was extremely respectful to him. Seo Jun-Ho looked around the bloodied hall. The hall was full of corpses, and there were limbs everywhere, creating an incredibly gory sight. However, Seo Jun-Ho simply shrugged and said, "All right, let¡¯s go back." *** "This is¡­¡± Tria gulped and got lost in the horrible sight in front of her. The voice of the n Master of the Paradox n brought her back to reality. "What an interesting guy..." Paradox smiled. He knew it the moment he saw the scene¡ªthe culprit had to be the human who razed Astaneca to the ground. "It hasn¡¯t even been two days since thest incident, and he already caused another major incident?" "Does n Master think that the culprit here is the same human who razed Astaneca to the ground?¡± asked Tria. "It can¡¯t be anyone else other than him. Read the memory.¡± "Yes." Tria¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing the scenes in the corpses¡¯ memories. The horrible sight that she had seen instilled a newfound fear in her. "P-Paradox-nim¡­" "No chit-chat, memories first." Tria obliged. Paradox boisterouslyughed upon witnessing the scene for himself. "Hahahaha! Wow, I didn¡¯t think that it would be like this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was a lot more aggressive than Paradox initially thought. However, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t a reckless fool. A reckless fool couldn''t fight like him. "Beautiful...¡± Paradox muttered as he reviewed the scenes over and over again. Attacking, dodging, countering, and even attacking with just his gaze. Each and every move was calcted, and Paradox felt as if he was looking at a great mathematician¡¯s form. "It''s really beautiful. How can a human fight so gracefully?¡± Even Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skill was beautiful¡ªhe could even conjure deadly flowers. The flowers were so gorgeous that Paradox really wanted to touch them. "Oh, damn it...¡± All of a sudden, he felt terrified¡ªterrified that another True Vampire would snatch it away before he could taste it. With a grim look, Paradox started talking, ¡°The fact that he managed to find Eden¡¯s location means that he also has the ability to read memories; that is probably the case, right?¡± "I think so..." "Okay, so his next destination is definitely...¡± Paradox thought long and hard, but he could onlye up with one ce. *** Rahmadat opened his eyes slowly. He still couldn¡¯t get out of this strange space. ''I have a feeling¡­¡¯ Emancipation. It was an unprecedented technique that activated one''s own cells to allow one to use their entire strength¡ªthe entire one hundred percent. Rahmadat¡¯s knowledge of the technique wasn¡¯t that great. ¡°If I do this roughly¡­¡± His cells reacted to his thoughts. His thoughts expanded, and his physical abilities, as well as his senses, were amplified beyond belief. "Hmm. I¡¯m still here, so there¡¯s definitely a reason why I can¡¯t get out." Arnold said that he would naturally be able to leave this ce upon being enlightened on emancipation. ''What else do I need to do here?¡¯ Rahmadat struggled with his arms crossed. Once again, he looked back on Arnold''s teachings. ¡°Throw all those misceneous thoughts away. Stop thinking! Shatter all your beliefs!¡± Arnold was basically telling Rahmadat to stop doing what every human being had always been doing, and no matter how many times Rahmadat thought about it, he felt that it was a bit too much of a request. How could a person live without all those? ¡®Come to think of it, it''s simr to the teaching I received when I was young.¡¯ He could recall the teaching called Tathata. It said that the essence of all things was free from thoughts and self. There was a saying that if one dug deep into thisw, one could reach thews of nature, which was the truth of the universe, and get a glimpse of the absolute world beyond transcendence. ¡®I remember snorting and saying that it¡¯s a bunch of nonsense...¡¯ This so-called emancipation was simr to that. Wasn''t the goal of emancipation throwing away everything and emptying oneself? ¡®So, emancipation is no different from Samadhi?¡¯ In Buddhism, Samadhi referred to the deep stage of meditation, which was referred to as Sammae in Buddhism. Samadhi''s basic goal was Turiya¡ªan extreme state of concentration. ''Samadhi isrgely divided into three stages.'' There was a Savikalpa Samadhi that required constant effort to maintain the Turiya state. There was also a Temporary Nirvikalpa Samadhi where one could maintain Turiya without much effort. Finally, there was the stage of Nirvikalpa Samadhi, where one would have long extinguished oneself to be a distinct existence. ¡®If emancipation is the same as Hinduism''s will...¡¯ Rahmadat slowly closed his eyes, and his cells awakened at once. ''I see¡­ I¡¯m not supposed to do anything more here.¡¯ He had to do the opposite. Rahmadat started abandoning the cell awakening method that he had learned in this ce. ¡°¡­¡±. His improved senses and physical prowess regressed along with his thoughts. However, Rahmadat was still emptying himself. ¡®My thoughts. My reason...¡¯ He had to abandon them all to reach Turiya and emancipate. ¡°¡­¡± It was a strange sensation. Rahmadat realized that as a human, he had always been free. His freedom was simply being restricted by the masks that humans wore to function as humans. Atst, Rahmadat opened his eyes slowly. Open! And when his golden eyes saw the void in front of him¡­ ¡°Aum.¡± The sacred sound reverberated, and the prison of his own consciousness crumbled around him. *** "¡­Ah." He felt like he had a pleasant dream. He raised his upper body and saw his friend sitting in a portable chair while reading aic. "Are you awake?" "Yeah, I''m awake." When did you arrive? Why did youe? He didn''t bother asking because they were friends. Seo Jun-Ho nced at him and asked, "Did you get what you wanted?" "I think..." He had mastered the Savikalpa Sammadhi. As for Turiya, he couldn¡¯t maintain it for long, but that was good enough. Rahmadat scratched his head and said, "...Hey. I think at this rate, I might really turn into a god like the Great Trinity or Buddha." "What? You¡­?" Seo Jun-Houghed. It would be funny if Rahmadat truly ended up realizing the truth of all things and became a god. Seo Jun-Ho wiped the tears flowing from his eyes out ofughter before saying, "Come to think of it, you and I were supposed to spar.¡± "Huh? Oh, right." When did they make that promise again? Was it when he had just woken up from the ice statue? Rahmadat blinked, unsure. However, Seo Jun-Ho had already gotten up and was now leaving the cave. "¡­Come out here, Rahmadat," said Seo Jun-Ho. Chapter 474. Side By Side (1) Chapter 474. Side By Side (1) When Rahmadat came out, Seo Jun-Ho was already waiting outside in the vacant lot. "Oh, he¡¯s awake?¡± said Arnold as he approached Seo Jun-Ho. He saw Rahmadat and said to him, ¡°I heard you two are about to fight. Anyway, it¡¯s been quite a while since you¡¯ve eaten something, so I think you should eat first." "Hmm, how many days has it been?¡± asked Rahmadat. "Eight days." Rahmadat stared at Arnold. Rahmadat was sure that Arnold said that they would wake him up if he still weren¡¯t awake even after a week. Arnold chuckled softly at the sight. "Your friend stopped me." Arnold made a sidelong nce at Seo Jun-Ho, recalling what thetter had said to him a few days ago. ¡°Don''t wake him up.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood in front of the cave and even circted his power to stop Arnold. ¡°He can do it.¡± Arnold agreed, but the extension would only be a day. If it weren¡¯t for Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intervention, then Rahmadat would have been forcefully removed from the prison of his own consciousness without learning emancipation. "I almost made a big mistake because I didn¡¯t trust you." "Rules are rules, so you weren¡¯t doing anything wrong. It''s my fault for waking up toote." Had he understood? Arnold smiled at Rahmadat¡¯s words before asking, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m your teacher, so why are you speaking informally to me?¡± "Indra, Shiva, and Vishnu are the only ones above me. Oh, I''ll let Buddha squeeze in." ¡®This punk...¡¯ Arnold shook his head and tapped him on the back. ¡°Go on, then.¡± Arnold was curious. What would emancipation look like if a human used it rather than a werewolf? ¡°¡­¡± Rahmadat slowly walked over to Seo Jun-Ho. Thetter¡¯s cold and wary expression was unfamiliar to him. Seo Jun-Ho was wearing the same expression he had worn when they first met many years ago. "Jun-Ho." Seo Jun-Ho raised his hand to stop Rahmadat. Rahmadat could see hostility in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. The light in those pair of eyes was something he had never seen before. "I¡¯m sorry, but I''ll consider you an enemy for now. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to go all out." ¡°Is that so?¡± Rahmadat nodded slowly. He finally understood why his friend was suddenly cold and forlorn. ¡®No, this isn¡¯t the first time¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had always been alone since he woke up after defeating the Frost Queen. ¡®Friend.¡¯ Yes, friend. The word made their rtionship seem beautiful. ¡®But in reality, the word friend has always been a burden to him since he woke up.¡¯ Skaya, Gilberto, Mio, himself, and anyone else. No one had been able to stand side by side with him since they emerged from the ice statues. They couldn¡¯t walk next to him. ¡®I have always been feeling sorry for that, but¡­¡¯ Rahmadat felt like he would go crazy with frustration. Therefore, he immediately epted Arnold¡¯s offer for him to undergo the Arch Warrior Trial. "I understand.¡± Rahmadat could understand Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s feelings, so he wasn¡¯t nning on taking this spar lightly. "I''ll attack with the resolve to kill you." Seo Jun-Ho warned Rahmadat. ¡°However, I think you won¡¯t die. Probably¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho could confidently attack Rahmadat with all his might because of thetter¡¯s Super Regeneration (EX). "Shall Ie? Or do you want to go first?" Rahmadat closed his eyes and replied, "Let me go first." He wanted tounch the first attack because he still had to emancipate. Hooo¡­ Haaa¡­ Rahmadat abandoned everything and opened his eyes. ''Golden eyes...?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes narrowed. Rahmadat¡¯s eyes looked like they could see the truth behind the universe. However, Rahmadat¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t the only change. ¡®I feel tingly¡­¡¯ Rahmadat¡¯s aura made Seo Jun-Ho feel tingly all over. He was convinced that he would die if he were to let his guard down. At the revtion, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned grim. "Wow..." "All right. Here Ie." Rahmadat took on a stance. It was his first time fighting while emancipated. ¡®I have no idea what¡¯s going to happen if I use that while I¡¯m in this state¡­¡¯ Rahmadat prepared to execute Tandav. Seo Jun-Ho''s Keen Intuition cried for the first time in a while. - Partner! It¡¯s dangerous! Keen Intuition had shouted desperately, even though he had remained silent during Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s recent battle against dozens of vampire apostles. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic erupted. ''I know it¡¯s dangerous¡­'' However, it was unavoidable. To be exact, he didn''t want to avoid it. ¡®Prove it¡­¡¯ ¡®Prove that you can walk next to me¡­¡¯ ¡®Prove that I can leave my back to you¡­'' ¡®Prove it to me¡­!¡¯ Rahmadat abruptly disappeared as he vanished at unbelievable speeds. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho''s magic pervaded the surroundings. ¡®Freeze!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho briefly lost track of Rahmadat, but he soon found Rahmadat because thetter reappeared behind him. Rahmadat sent a fist flying toward him, and in response, Seo Jun-Ho scattered flowers of darkness and ice toward the flying fist. Craackle! Moon Eye instantly turned Rahmadat into an ice statue. An ordinary person would have immediately died upon colliding with Moon Eye. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could feel a tingling on his nape. Crack! The ice statue exploded, and Rahmadat¡¯s fist continued flying toward him. "Ah!¡± Seo Jun-Ho flew backward upon being hit in the abdomen. It was only a punch, but Rahmadat¡¯s fist shattered his bones and disturbed his organs. "Haaa¡­ hooo¡­¡± Rahmadat breathed roughly out of exhaustion. ¡®This¡­ this is hard¡­¡¯ Rahmadat couldn¡¯t have expected that maintaining Turiya, executing Tandav, and taking the brunt of Moon Eye¡¯s firepower would exhaust a ton of his stamina. ''How many times did I die?¡¯ Rahmadat started to feel dizzy from the extreme exertion. However, Rahmadat forced himself to remain steadfast. ¡®Not yet¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t enough. He had to show Seo Jun-Ho that he was Rahmadat Khali¡ªIndia¡¯s hero, Shiva¡¯s descendant, and Specter¡¯srade. "...Come, Rahmadat." "I''ming!" Rahmadat didn¡¯t choose to execute Tandav. He stomped his way over to Seo Jun-Ho, and the sheer force behind his steps was so strong that his every step created a sonic boom. ''I can see it.'' Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes deduced Rahmadat¡¯s movements. Rahmadat¡¯s first was heading for¡­ ¡®My stomach¡­¡¯ Boom! There was a loud noise as Rahmadat¡¯s fist collided against the darkness on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stomach. At the same time, Seo Jun-Ho reached for Rahmadat¡¯s arm and snapped it. "Argh!" The sudden pain made Rahmadat exim unknowingly, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s action was of no use. "I''m Rahmadat Khali!" Super Regeneration (EX) made quick work of the injury, and Rahmadat swiped at Seo Jun-Ho next to him. However, Seo Jun-Ho turned into darkness and reappeared a few meters away from Rahmadat. The former didn¡¯t take any damage at all. "Tsk." ¡®It feels like I¡¯m dealing with a ghost.¡¯ Rahmadat grinned, showing his teeth. He was sure that the people who were unlucky enough to face Specter had to have thought the same as him today. He looked at the expressionless Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®You¡¯re already there?¡¯ While Rahmadat was sleeping, Seo Jun-Ho was already many steps ahead of him. Rahmadat finally realized that, but he wasn¡¯t discouraged at all. Why? It was all because fighting the strong had always been enjoyable for him. Thump! Thump! Rahmadat thumped on his chest. "Here Ie!" ¡°¡­¡± He was on fire. Seo Jun-Ho sighed and smiled softly. ¡®He really is a genius¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t think that he was a genius. Compared to his friends, he wasn¡¯t a genius at all. His friends were the real geniuses. They were geniuses who could derive a dozen other things from one thing. "But¡­" They had a long way ahead of them if they wanted to catch up to him. ¡°Eight days is still too short¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho had been grinding for decades. He felt something swell in his chest. Rahmadat''s kick was flying toward his abdomen. ¡°Wheeew¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho exhaled all the breath he had collected. King¡¯s Breath. The vacant lot instantly transformed into a snowfield after being subjected to the harsh cold of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s breath, which was reminiscent of the north winds. ¡°¡­¡± The battle ended right there and then. Seo Jun-Ho nced at Arnold and said, "Please get him out." "Uh, uh...?" The bewildered Arnold stammered without realizing it. ¡®I-Is he really human?¡¯ If he was still human, then Arnold wasn¡¯t sure how he would handle the idea that humans could be strong enough to turn everything around them into a snowfield with just their breaths. In addition, it was spring, so winter was still many months away. "A-All right¡­" Arnold had to emancipate to rip the thick statue apart and rescue Rahmadat. "Cough! Cough!" Rahmadat shivered in the cold. His frostbitten figure gave off a ghastly bluish sheen. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly walked up to Rahmadat. Rahmadat stared at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®D-did I fail¡­?¡¯ Rahmadat¡¯s face started to turn anxious, which was unlike his usual demeanor. Seo Jun-Ho scowled and chided. "Hey, you punk. Why did you keep aiming for my abdomen?" "Because it¡¯s only natural to keep hitting where it hurts the most?¡± "Geez, your attacks were so strong that I almost cried from the pain earlier.¡± Seo Jun-Ho reached out while grumbling. Rahmadat stared alternatingly between Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face and his hand before smiling softly. Pa! Rahmadat quickly pped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s palm. "It was a good match, my friend." ¡°Yeah, it was a great match, you genius punk." Seo Jun-Ho sighed, and he couldn¡¯t help but get worried. ¡®What if Skaya alsoes back as a monster like him?¡¯ If Skaya were to im second among them in terms of talent, then none of them would dare to im first. ¡°This world is so unfair¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho grumbled. *** "A-a wise choice!" The elders of the Magic Tower stood up and pped. Their facade of pretentiousness couldn¡¯t hold a candle against a real genius. "Hahahaha! Indeed! What a wise choice! You¡¯ve made a very wise." The Tower Master of the Magic Tower, Marcus Asir,ughed while stroking his beard. It wasn¡¯t just him. Everyone else in the council of elders had fatherly smiles. ¡°Yes, His Majesty the Emperor is the ruler of this continent, but how dare he try to take our tower¡¯s fortune?" "Khmm. Sir Hart has passed away, so I understand his desire to acquire talents. But this child isn¡¯t an ordinary talent at all!" ¡°I won''t let her go, no matter what! Hmph!¡± The elders were staring at a lovely woman sitting in a chair. The lovely woman had a yful look as she sat there with her pastel sky-blue hair. The lovely woman was none other than Skaya Killnd, and she finally spoke, "I¡¯m really grateful for this weing. I was worried because I had heard that I was about to get kicked out of the Magic Tower.¡± "A-Ahem¡­¡± "Who said that?! Who said something about kicking her out?!" "Well, at the time, we thought she was looking down on the Magic Tower because she didn¡¯t even consider taking our entrance exam.¡± It was a bit unbelievable, but the Seven Elders of the Magic Tower were clearly trying their best to cling to a woman who was young enough to be their granddaughter. It was so unbelievable that anyone wouldn¡¯t believe that it actually happened. After all, the Seven Elders of the Magic Tower were famous for their strictness and strict adherence to their principles. "Anyway, our Skaya declined His Majesty¡¯s offer, didn¡¯t she?" Marcus chuckled. "With that being said, no one should ever mention that this child does not value the Magic Tower again¡ªespecially in front of me.¡± "Hmph. If someone is bold enough to say something like that, I¡¯ll sew their mouth shut!¡± "Who would dare to doubt her loyalty when even His Majesty failed to pouch her from us?" ¡°Hahaha, hahaha!¡± For the first time in a while, the Seven Elders wereughing together. Marcus turned to look at Skaya and asked, "What are you doing, Skaya?¡± Skaya was suddenly storing items in her bag, so he couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°I¡¯m packing up.¡± "Huh-huh, yes, yes. You¡¯re packing up." Marcus repeatedly nodded. However, he felt that there was something wrong, so he couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Wait, why are you packing up?¡± Wouldn¡¯t someone usually pack their things up whenever they wanted to move somewhere else? Some of the irritable elders spoke up. "Geez, Tower Master, why are you so dense?¡± "Isn¡¯t it obvious? She¡¯s obviously asking for a better room. Let¡¯s cover an empty room with pink wallpaper. I heard pink is a popr color these days.." "That¡¯s a great idea. I''ll fill the bookshelves with my books and magic scrolls.¡± "No, I don''t need a new room.¡± Skaya was finally done packing up. She smiled brightly after shouldering her backpack. "You can also clear the room I was using. Give it to someone else.¡± "Hmm, are you nning on bing a minimalist?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m an anti-minimalist¡­¡± It didn¡¯t matter whether it was money, treasures, fans, or fame¡ªthe more, the merrier! The Seven Elders didn¡¯t know what to say. Skaya then stuck her tongue out and eximed, "Uh, I learned a lot, so it¡¯s about time I say goodbye. Goodbye, teachers!¡± Skaya performed a two-finger salute before falling backward. A rift in space abruptly opened, and it swallowed Skaya Killnd whole. ¡°¡­¡± A strange rumor eventually started making the rounds in Magino Novilis. Marcus and the Seven Elders were apparently suffering from aphasia. Chapter 475. Side By Side (2) Chapter 475. Side By Side (2) Rahmadat swallowed the meat and potatoes in his mouth before asking, "So, you¡¯re saying that Chef is here?" "Yeah." Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He had obtained information about Chef¡ªRoxan Imir¡ªfrom the memories of the vampire apostles. The memories he had obtained from the man in the butterfly mask were especially bountiful. ¡°He immediately established an alliance with the vampires as soon as he came up to the 6th Floor. This time, he finally managed to prove his worth.¡± It was funny, but Seo Jun-Ho ended up helping Chef. Astaneca¡¯s copse meant that they would have to rely on Chef¡¯s Wolf Wine. "His value must have shot up.¡± "That''s right. Actually, he¡¯s due to move somewhere else." "Is he moving to the center?" "No, north." Arnold stroked his beard and replied, "The north? He must be going to Paradox''s castle.¡± "Yes..." "But as far as I know, you can only go there by train.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± There was an old castle situated in the middle of a steep mountain at the northernmost tip of Trium. True Vampire Paradox had taken residence in that castle. ¡°Tomorrow night, seven o¡¯clock¡­ He will be on the first car of the train bound for the north.¡± Chef would be in a luxurious train car only vampires could ess. Rahmadat was finally done eating. He tapped his full stomach and asked, "Will he move ording to schedule? I''m sure he''s wary of you." "¡­I''m worried about that, too." "No, he will probably move as nned.¡± Arnold stared alternatingly between Seo Jun-Ho and Rahmadat before saying, "However, I expect some changes." "What do you mean?" "They¡¯re probably going to use Chef as bait.¡± Those prideful bats wouldn¡¯t cancel an operation just because it would be dangerous, especially when they nned the operation long ago. Arnold grinned and added, "This is great. Anyway, you should take the werewolves with you." "But if they¡¯re with us, the vampires will notice...¡± "It should be fine as long as you scatter.¡± Arnold spread out a map on the table and pointed at a particr location. "The Twin Cliffs. The northbound train has to pass through here. It''s a perfect ce for an ambush." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho imagined it¡ªthe werewolves would ambush the train from above, and he would make his move on the train while disguised as a passenger. "That''s a great idea." It was much better than doing all this on their own. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and said firmly, "Tomorrow, I shall subdue Chef beneath the Twin Cliffs." "Ah, we should ask the other ns for reinforcements." Dozens of werewolves should be enough to ovee anything by force. It didn¡¯t matter what kind of trap the vampires had in mind against them nor how many vampires were on the train, ready to intercept their ambush. "That sounds nice." "It¡¯s because of you guys that I feel great about all this." Arnold grinned, showing his teeth. Knock! Knock! Knock! Someone knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± said Arnold. A werewolf opened the door and stammered, "C-Chief, I think you shoulde out for a moment." "What''s going on?" asked Arnold with a frown. The werewolf scratched his head and said, "A human woman suddenly appeared." "A human?" Arnold turned to Rahmadat and Seo Jun-Ho. Rahmadat blinked and asked, "Is her hair sky blue?" "T-that''s right!" "So, she¡¯s here...¡± Rahmadat smiled and stood up. "Jun-Ho, let''s go." "Why do you look like you really want to meet her?" asked Seo Jun-Ho. "Hehehe." Rahmadat thumped on his own chest and said, "You better not stop me. I¡¯m going to let that nerd realize that I¡¯m her senior.¡± "Oh..." Seo Jun-Ho nodded. Rahmadat¡¯s exnation convinced him because the two would always quarrel every time they talked to each other. Rahmadat was like a dog, while Skaya was like a cat, and they would always fight whenever it was possible. However, there had never been a single match between them. ¡®It¡¯ll be a fight between an unstoppable spear and an imprable shield¡­¡¯ However, Rahmadat had emancipation up his sleeves, so the odds were in his favor. This was probably why Rahmadat was overjoyed to hear that Skaya hade here. "Hurry up. Why are you so slow?" "¡­I¡¯ming,ing." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and walked over to the vacant lot of the Twilight w Tribe along with Rahmadat and Arnold. As expected, a familiar woman was standing there. She was wearing sunsses, and she seemed calm under everyone¡¯s gaze. "Oh, my, you''re here?" Skaya smiled brightly and lowered her sunsses slightly. She greeted Seo Jun-Ho with her eyes before staring at Rahmadat. ¡°As expected, you still look like a dumbass.¡± "Hohoho¡­" Rahmadat would have exploded at that remark, but he simplyughed and said, "You better look down on me as much as you can while you still can¡­¡± "What are you talking about?¡± Skaya frowned and nced at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Did he eat something wrong?¡± "No, he just ate well.¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied before asking, "I heard you went to the Magic Tower. How did it go?¡± "Oh, you want to hear about what happened?¡± Skaya smiled. She took off her sunsses and looked at Rahmadat. "Well, what do you think? Aren¡¯t you curious about what happened, Lump?¡± "Why should I know that? You probably only read a few books with your fellow nerds.¡± ¡°Hoho¡­¡± Skaya chuckled. The two walked slowly toward each other. The vacant lot was a huge open space, but the two looked like they were walking on a narrow bridge. "Your noona here is the strongest among us right now, so you better speak nicely if you don¡¯t want to get spanked,¡± Skaya warned. "Pffft! If you''re the strongest, then I guess I¡¯m stronger than the strongest." What a childish argument¡­ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t bear to keep watching it. He sighed deeply and walked between them. "Guys, wait a minute." "Don''t stop me today." "Yeah, I''m sorry, but Jun-Ho, you better stay out of this today.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged at Rahmadat and Skaya¡¯s sharp response. "I¡¯m not going to stop you guys. It''s not like that." Arguments between Rahmadat and Skaya had always been fun to watch, so why would he stop them? Rahmadat and Skaya made a sidelong nce at him. They were obviously curious about what he was trying to do here. ¡°Then, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Why did you step in?¡± "I want to show your fight to Frost, so wait.¡± Seo Jun-Ho snapped his fingers. Whooo! A harsh cold breeze blew across the vacant lot as the Frost Queen manifested with an arrogant look. ¡°Boom, I¡¯m here.¡± It was clear that she had learned something weird from somewhere again. "Kyaaa! She¡¯s so cute! Did she just say that?¡± "Eeek! Go away!" It seemed that the Frost Queen was still a lethal temptation to Skaya because she immediately captured the former. Upon being captured by her natural enemy, the Frost Queen cried out. ¡°Contractor! Help me!¡± "Oh, sorry." For the sake of witnessing the battle of the century, Seo Jun-Ho had to make sure that the condition of the people involved was at its peak. ''Be a sacrifice, Frost...'' Skaya had rubbed the Frost Queen¡¯s cheeks so many times by now that Seo Jun-Ho was sure that the Frost Queen had long gotten used to it. "I hate you, Contractor." The Frost Queen trembled from the sense of betrayal welling up in her heart. Before she became more upset, Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly summarized what was going on. ¡°They¡¯re going to fight?¡± "Yeah, that''s why I called you." ¡°Oh, so you knew I was curious?¡± Skaya and Rahmadat¡ªRahmadat and Skaya. Who was stronger between the two had always been a mystery. The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes twinkled like stars. "Shall we move somewhere else? I don''t want to damage this ce." "Sure,¡± Skaya said confidently. "Wait a minute." Arnold interrupted with a grave look before Skaya could use Teleport. He stepped between the two and spoke while looking at Rahmadat, "I think it¡¯s better if you take a rain check." "What are you talking about?" Rahmadat frowned. Arnold exined, "It hasn¡¯t been that long since you learned to emancipate. Your stamina isn¡¯t that great with it, right? In addition, I can see that you can only use it once a day in the meantime.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rahmadat¡¯s expression turned grim. He closed his eyes and abandoned everything once again to enter the realm of Turiya. "Damn it." He quickly emerged from Turiya not even two secondster. Rahmadat stared at Arnold, seemingly dissatisfied. "What''s the issue?" "Your soul had just faced the emptiness of the other side, so it¡¯s currently in shock." Only those whose souls and flesh were strong enough could emancipate freely. Arnold suggested, "For the time being, I¡¯ll teach you how to use emancipation efficiently." ¡°¡­¡± Rahmadat went silent. Eventually, he made a sidelong nce at Skaya and said, ¡°I guess we should do that. I really wanted to instill manners in this nerd, but I don¡¯t feel like doing that anymore.¡± "What? It¡¯s over just like that?" Skaya also lost the will to fight. She smacked her lips and said, "Come at me when you''re ready. Your noona here is always ready." "Hmph, I¡¯ll let you brag for a few days more.¡± How childish¡­ Seo Jun-Ho sighed deeply when he saw the werewolves in the area. These two were dragging the 5 Heroes¡¯ reputation through the mud. ¡®I miss Gilbe¡­¡¯ Wait, that son-loving fool wasn''t normal as well. Once again, Seo Jun-Ho thought he was the only normal person in their party. *** It had only been a day since Skaya arrived at Trium, but she had already expressed her intentions of joining them in this operation. ¡®I don¡¯t know what she got from the Magic Tower, but¡­¡¯ It had been a long time since Skaya showed this level of confidence. If Rahmadat hadn¡¯t spoken first, then Seo Jun-Ho would have sparred with her. He was that curious about her growth. "Here, drink it all." Skaya handed over a ss bottle. The green liquid in the ss bottle was familiar to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Transformation Potion...¡¯ He was the one who asked Skaya to make a transformation potion for him because Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that the vampires already knew his face from the previous attacks. ''But with this, I don¡¯t have to worry anymore.'' Tonight, he would be someone else. In addition, he had already confirmed the effectiveness of lowering his body temperature using Frost to masquerade as a vampire. He had verified it with the many vampire apostles that day. Even the man in the butterfly mask didn¡¯t suspect him despite making physical contact with him. ¡°How long will itst?¡± "I made it in a hurry, but it shouldst for at least a day.¡± "You''ve improved a lot," said Seo Jun-Ho. Back then, Skaya could only extend the duration for up to six hours. Seo Jun-Ho drank the potion without even an ounce of hesitation. Crack, crack! "Let''s move,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said as his bones and muscles twisted. Eventually, his appearancepletely changed. *** St. Cross station, south of Trium¡­ As usual, the station was crowded today as well. - Jun-Ho, can you hear me? "Yeah¡­" Seo Jun-Ho whispered quietly. They were in a privatemunication channel in Community. With this, they wouldn¡¯t have any issuesmunicating with each other, even if they were in different train cars. - The target? "Well, I don¡¯t see him yet¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho abruptly stopped mid-way through his sentence upon finding their target today. "Found him." He finally saw Chef, and thetter walked into the first train car while carrying a small briefcase. ¡®Are there about ten escorts?¡¯ No, there was no way that there would only be ten escorts. Seo Jun-Ho surreptitiously looked around. There was a man who kept ncing around, a man with a steady stride, and a man with a deep gaze. ¡®If I include the escorts pretending to be ordinary citizens, he has forty vampires escorting him.¡¯ There were probably a few vampire apostles among them. Upon confirming his target, Seo Jun-Ho also stood up and wore a fedora. "Let''s go." Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen walked over to the first car of the train. An inspector blocked them and reached out. ¡°Show me your boarding ticket. ¡°¡­¡± After confirming Seo Jun-Ho''s ticket, the inspector smiled brightly. "Enjoy the ride." Upon getting on the first car of the train, Seo Jun-Ho saw a gold-rimmed chair and wall, as well as a carper that looked as soft as a cloud. The luxurious first car of this train could only be essed by vampires. ¡®If only Skaya had been able to lower her body temperature, she would havee in together.¡¯ Unfortunately, Skaya couldn¡¯t tolerate the cold for a long time, and they had to make sure that their body temperature was low enough for at least a few hours straight today. "Cough." Seo Jun-Ho, who took on the appearance of a middle-aged man, sat in his seat and opened the newspaper with an indifferent look. He could see the back of Chef''s head behind his newspaper. He really wanted to catch Chef right now, but he couldn''t afford to do that because of a certain someone. ¡®The guy sitting next to Chef is an apostle...'' His name was Dryer. He could teleport everything as long as there was physical contact. He couldn¡¯t teleport things far¡ªjust about three kilometers away. Therefore, Dryer couldn¡¯t send Chef directly to Paradox¡¯s castle, but if he sent Chef somewhere else, it would be troublesome. ''And the enemy''s reinforcements will appear while I¡¯m chasing the missing Chef...¡¯ Once the werewolves¡¯ ambush at the Twin Cliffs started, Seo Jun-Ho had to cut Dryer down before anyone else. He would then subdue Chef and leave the scene as soon as possible. ¡ª Bzzt, bzzt. Shortly after Seo Jun-Ho started pretending that he was reading the newspaper, an announcement rang throughout the entire train. ¡ª The train will depart soon. All passengers, please take your seats... After the usual greeting, the train started moving. At this rate, the operation should be a sess. ''Chef, I¡¯m sure there are lots of scenes I can pull out of your memories...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho tried his best not to look at Chef. ¡ª Ah, ah, mic check, mic check. This is an announcement for the passengers of the firstpartment. An announcement rang once more. Seo Jun-Ho felt that something was wrong, so he immediately asked Skaya. - Hey, Skaya, are you listening to the announcement? - Huh? Announcement? I don¡¯t hear any announcements, though? It seemed that the announcement could only be heard in this firstpartment. Seo Jun-Ho felt a sense of foreboding as he listened intently. ¡ª We have received a report that someone who isn¡¯t a vampire is in the firstpartment. Therefore, all passengers in the firstpartment must wound their own arms to prove that blood isn¡¯t flowing through their veins. ¡®What?¡¯ The Frost Queen and Seo Jun-Ho looked at each other upon hearing the sudden request. However, before the two could even start thinking about what they should do, the vampires started proving their innocence by wounding their arms with a dagger Slice! Slice! Slice! "Hmm, did we receive the wrong report?" muttered the vampire apostle. He was moving around and checking everyone¡¯s wounds. He eventually arrived in front of Seo Jun-Ho and handed over a dagger. ¡°It''s your turn.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho received the sharp dagger, but instead of immediately wounding his arm, he stared at it without saying anything. Chapter 476. Bloody Train (1) Chapter 476. Bloody Train (1) ¡°...¡± ¡®Is this his way of checking whether I¡¯m in disguise or not?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho immediately froze the blood vessels in his left arm. Swish! The vampire apostle was surprised when Seo Jun-Ho made a deep cut on his forearm using the dagger, which was lightly infused with magic. ¡°Oh, my, you didn¡¯t have to cut that deeply.¡± The vampire apostle closely examined the wound on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°I can see that there are still blood clots in your blood vessels. It seems that it hasn¡¯t been long since you became part of the n.¡± ¡°Yes. It has only been a few days since I received the favor.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The vampire apostle seemed like he had no doubts about Seo Jun-Ho. After all, it wasmon for first-ss citizens of Trium to offer their own necks to extend their lifespans. ¡°And next to you is¡­¡± The vampire apostle turned to look at the Frost Queen before continuing. ¡°There¡¯s no one next to you. Hmm, the information must have been wrong.¡± With that being said, the vampire apostle left. He couldn¡¯t see the Frost Queen. The Frost Queen made a sidelong nce at Seo Jun-Ho and asked, ¡°Are you enduring the pain, or can you not feel it at all?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thatter. We need to focus on our task at hand.¡± ¡°...I grant you royal permission to do so. I¡¯m sure we can talk about it some other day.¡± The Frost Queen turned her gaze beyond the window, but what she said earlier echoed in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. ¡°By the way, Contractor. What are you going to do with the ordinary citizens sitting on the rear cars of the train when the battle begins?¡± ¡°Skaya said that she would take care of that part.¡± Seo Jun Ho trusted Skaya. Skaya had never failed in her task before. ¡®We have six hours left until we arrive at Twin Cliff¡­¡¯ So Jun-Ho also turned to look beyond the window. The train running on the outer rail of the giant city of Trium was soon to pass through the Twin Cliff in six hours. *** Two hourster, Seo Jun-Ho felt an unknown sense of disharmony. ¡®...What is this? Why am I feeling this way?¡¯ The emptiness in the back of his mind made Seo Jun-Ho have a strong hunch that he was missing something important. To find out why he was feeling this way, Seo Jun-Ho looked around. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Contractor? Are you looking for something?¡± asked the Frost Queen. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± The Frost Queen seemed to be doing fine. She looked bored, but she was calm. ¡®Is it a problem on Skaya¡¯s side?¡¯ - Skaya. Skaya? - Huh? What is it? - Is everything okay on your side? - Yeah, there¡¯s nothing much going on. Ah! The passengers in front of me are snoring too loudly. ¡®What? That¡¯s not helpful at all.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. ¡®...Am I being too sensitive?¡¯ Indeed, Hero¡¯s Mind(EX) would have already protected him somehow if he were under any form of illusion. The fact that no system prompt had appeared to notify him of that meant that the situation was normal. Gilberto heard Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sigh and asked, ¡°Jun-Ho. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I must have been mistaken.¡± ¡°You¡¯re silly.¡± Gilberto smiled and handed over the pamphlet he was holding to Seo-Jun Ho. ¡°Let¡¯s go grab a beer when we arrive at our destination. It looks like there¡¯s a decent bar right there.¡± ¡°Sounds good. I mean, it¡¯s been a while since we went on a trip together¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked and asked, ¡°We¡¯re on a trip?¡± ¡°You certainly look a bit strange today,¡± said Gilberto with a worried look. Seo Jun-Ho kneaded his forehead and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I keep zoning out for some reason. I must be tired.¡± ¡°Haha. You¡¯re still young, so you should be more energetic,¡± said the Thunder God in front of Seo Jun-Ho. The Thunder God was smiling as he stared at Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho revealed an awkward look as he said hurriedly, ¡°W-well, I do feel like this sometimes.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re tired, get some sleep. I¡¯ll wake you up when we get there,¡± said Baek Geon-Woo from the side. Seo Jun-Ho nodded at Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s kind words. ¡°Yeah, I think I should do that.¡± ¡°Eat this hearty lunch before sleeping¡­¡± Mio appeared and handed over a lunch box to him. ¡°Um¡­ you bought this from the train station, right?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Lunch boxes require sincerity for them to be delicious, so I made this lunch earlier,¡± said Mio. ¡°Honestly, my stomach has been hurting since we were at the station,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho, politely refusing before closing his eyes. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll just take a short nap,¡± he said. Seo Jun-Ho thought that he should take a nap so that he would have more fun the moment they arrived at their destination. After all, he was on an overdue, pleasant trip with the people he loved. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho started to feel drowsy. At the same time, many different thoughts popped up in his head. ¡®Going on a trip is always fun¡­ trip¡­ trip? Wait. I thought I was supposed to catch the Chef?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho abruptly opened his eyes and sharply exhaled. ¡°Haaaa¡­!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? I¡¯ve been trying to wake you up for quite a while now!¡± The Frost Queen scolded him the moment he woke up. However, the first thing Seo Jun-Ho was looking ahead of him with a perplexed look. ¡®He¡¯s there¡­ the Chef is still there. When did I fall asleep? It¡¯s not like me to make such a terrible mistake.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wiped the sweat off of his forehead with his sleeve. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. How many hours has it been?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Five hours and forty minutes. I pped you several times, but you won¡¯t wake up.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®So that¡¯s why my face hurts...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shuddered. ¡®I fell asleep during the operation? I actually fell asleep?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt like dying of shame. Atst, the terrain that Arnold had told him about appeared beyond the window. ¡®Twin Cliff.¡¯ The Twin Cliffs belonged to two different mountain peaks, but they earned the name Twin Cliffs before they were facing each other. Twenty minutester, the train would arrive at the Twin Cliff, and the operation would begin. ¡®There must be no mistakes. I must cut him down at once.¡¯ The first casualty of this operation had to be Dryer. p! p! Seo Jun-Ho pped his cheeks lightly toe back to his senses. - Jun-Ho, get ready. We¡¯re almost there. - I know. With Skaya¡¯s reminder, Seo Jun-Ho got ready to make a move. The distance between Seo Jun-Ho and Dryer was about thirty meters. He could easily cover that gap in the blink of an eye. ¡®The entire first car of the train is within my attack range.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho calmed down as he got ready to attack. After he was done simting the uing attack with his Imperturbable Mind, the train was now close to the Twin Cliffs. ¡®Soon¡­ We¡¯re almost there¡­!¡¯ Crash! ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s the dogs!¡± Shouts erupted all over as the train shook powerfully. The Chef tightly gripped the armrest while Seo Jun-Ho retrieved a dagger from his Inventory. ¡®Now!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho hurled the dagger in his hand, even though the train was shaking as if it were in a blender. ¡°Argh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s dagger struck Dryer¡¯s nape, and thetter died instantly. The vampire apostles turned and red at Seo Jun-Ho. *** ¡°...¡± ¡°They¡¯re here¡­¡± Twenty men and women were standing on the Twin Cliff. They looked down at the train in the distance. ¡°You all know what to do, right?¡± asked a man. ¡°Tear the bats apart while protecting the citizens?¡± ¡°I guess, you know¡­¡± the man replied with a smile as he slowly grewrger. ¡°We have to stop the train first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to the engine room.¡± Choo-Choo! Chug-Chug! The werewolves measured the train¡¯s speed, and then they decided to throw themselves down the cliff with impable timing. Bang! One of the werewolves ripped open the locked doors of the engine room. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°A human¡­ Anyway, I¡¯m sorry, but we will have to stop this train.¡± Squeakkkk! A werewolf pulled the lever to stop the train. Then, they rushed over to the firstpartment of the train. There were many werewolves standing inside thepartment, and the corpse of the vampires piled up like a mountain. ¡°What happened here?¡± A werewolf asked upon seeing the concern on their colleague¡¯s face. The colleague answered, ¡°We missed the guy called Chef.¡± ¡°What? How did we miss him?!¡± ¡°He vanished with a vampire apostle as soon as we broke the doors and barged in,¡± replied the colleague. He shook his head as he swept his gaze across thepartment. ¡°But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s important right now...¡± The reason they missed the Chef was that someone who should have been here wasn¡¯t here. The werewolf revealed a grim look and said, ¡°Seo Jun-Ho isn¡¯t here.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho thrust his sword into a vampire¡¯s mouth. As expected, the firstpartment quickly became chaotic. ¡°I can see that you really want to protect him by any means necessary.¡± However, there was no way they could stop Seo Jun-Ho. After all, not even dozens of vampire apostles could stop him. ¡®It¡¯s no use¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho snapped his fingers. ¡°ck Ball.¡± Plonk! Plonk! The balls made out of darkness bounced off of the walls, floors, and ceiling of the train. The balls contained so much power that upon being struck, the vampire apostles would literally explode. ¡°Ah!¡± The vampires were annihted in the blink of an eye. Now, there was only one left¡ªthe Chef. Seo Jun-Ho calmly approached the Chef. ¡°D-don¡¯t¡­! Don¡¯te here!¡¯ The Chef shouted. He got up from his seat and mustered his magic. Seo Jun-Ho remained indifferent as he stared at the Chef. ¡°Now, only three remain¡­¡± ¡®The Heavenly Demon, Isaac Dvor, and Valencia Citrin.¡¯ The world only had three fiends remaining¡­ ¡°...!¡± The Chef¡¯s head abruptly flew and struck the ceiling. Then, his head helplessly fell to the floor. It was a rather vain death for an Executive of the Fiend Association. Seo Jun-Ho slowly walked over to the corpse and reached out. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned. The memory projection didn¡¯t pop up. He opened his mouth once more. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± The memory projection still wouldn¡¯t pop up. Atst, Seo Jun-Ho realized that there was something strange as he slowly got up. ¡®Where are the werewolves¡­?¡¯ All of a sudden, an unfamiliar voice prated his ears. ¡°Hmm. Confession of the Dead, huh? That must be the name of the ability you¡¯ve been using to peek into other people¡¯s memories.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned around. A man giving off an ominous energy was standing in the middle of the bloody hallway. The man was smiling, but the man¡¯s smile reminded Seo Jun-Ho of a doll. The bloody hallway also seemed to fit the man perfectly. ¡°Nice to meet you. I have been wanting to meet you so bad.¡± The man was obviously happy. He looked like this encounter was too pleasant for him to bear. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was familiar with the man. It was only natural because the man had been in the memories of the many vampire apostles he had killed so far. ¡°True Vampire¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho trailed off. The man was the head of the Paradox n and one of the absolute beings of Trium. ¡°True Vampire Paradox.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze turnedplicated as he stared at Paradox. ¡®What¡­ what is going on?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was confused. ¡®Wasn¡¯t he supposed to protect the Chef? Why did he wait until the Chef died? And what was wrong with Confession of the Dead earlier?¡¯¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed as he asked, ¡°Am I in a dream by any chance?¡± ¡°Wrong. Unfortunately, the skill I used on you isn¡¯t as simple as a dream.¡± Paradox smiled slightly and shrugged before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you would understand, but let me exin anyway. You¡¯re currently in my Unique Realm.¡± ¡°...Unique Realm?¡± ¡®Unique Realm? Like Mio¡¯s Unique Realm?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze deepened. ¡®When did I get dragged into his Unique Realm? Does it have anything to do with the dream I had earlier? Why did Hero¡¯s Mind remain quiet?¡¯ When Hero¡¯s Mind reached EX-grade, it became capable of invalidating abilities that would affect his mind. Therefore, this could only mean one thing. Seo Jun-Ho was dragged into this Unique Realm without Hero¡¯s Mind noticing it. ¡°Why? Are you bothered that I managed to break into your mind with such ease?¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho raised his guard. Paradoxughed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be surprised. I saw how Obi¡¯s hypnosis didn¡¯t work on you when you broke into Astaneca.¡± ¡°Sigh. It doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was right. It didn¡¯t matter whether he was in a Unique Realm or not. His hand blurred as he decapitated Paradox in the blink of an eye. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because everything will end when you die.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s indifferent voice filled the bloody train. However, a voice unexpectedly answered him. ¡°You¡¯re right. This Unique Realm will disappear if I die...¡± ¡°...¡± Paradox casually picked up his smiling head and attached it to his body. ¡°But do you really think that you can kill me and¡ª¡± Crash! Bang! A minor moon eyended on Paradox before he could even finish speaking. Darkness then swallowed his figure as a follow-up, shredding him into thousands of pieces in the proverbial blink of an eye. ¡®If his regenerative ability is the same as Rahmadat, I can just shred his cells.¡¯ Flinch. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression abruptly distorted when a voice echoed behind him. ¡°It¡¯s not nice to interrupt someone who is talking, and I wasn¡¯t expecting this kind of fight with you.¡± ¡°...¡± Paradox stood behind Seo Jun-Ho with a grin. ¡°Oh, right. I still haven¡¯t told you the name of this Unique Realm.¡± Paradox casually extended his hand as if he were a host of a y. He pointed at the bloody train and spoke, ¡°The Land of God.¡± In this Unique Realm, Paradox was an omnipotent god. Chapter 477. Bloody Train (2) Chapter 477. Bloody Train (2) ¡°Land of God¡­ huh?¡± Seo Jun-Ho dismissed Paradox¡¯s remark with a single word. ¡°Bullshit.¡± ¡°Hmm? As expected, you do not trust others that easily,¡± Paradox shrugged. ¡°If you¡¯re omnipotent, then why are you weaker than Tepes?¡± Paradox smiled slightly and said, ¡°In other words, you are doubting my power.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doubting your power because you¡¯re truly weaker than Tepes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was sure that there was some kind of trick inside this Unique Realm. ¡®Of course¡­ I don¡¯t have a single clue right now.¡¯ He had no idea when he got dragged into this Unique Realm, how long it wouldst, and the Unique Realm¡¯s effects. There was only one thing Seo Jun-Ho knew about a Unique Realm¡ªeverything in the Unique Realm favored its owner. ¡°What should I do if I ever get trapped in a Unique Realm?¡± Seo Jun-Ho could still remember asking Mio what he should do if he were to get trapped in a Unique Realm. At the time, Mio answered without hesitation. ¡°Survive. You must survive.¡± The Unique Realm was a bloody battlefield that existed to exterminate the opponent of the Unique Realm¡¯s owner. The trapped party should prioritize their survival in the Unique Realm above anything else. ¡®I must survive. That¡¯s the first thing I should do.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s body temperature quickly rose as he activated Overclocking. ¡°...Well, I understand. It must be hard to acknowledge that an omnipotent being is standing right in front of you.¡± Paradox nodded. He retrieved a handkerchief from his chest pocket and hurled it into the air. ¡°...!¡± The handkerchief quickly grew massive, and it started filling up the entire train as it rushed toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Tear it apart.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho inwardlymanded, and the four des of the Freedom de spun like a top. Rip! As the giant handkerchief was torn into pieces, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡®...I don¡¯t see him.¡¯ Paradox disappeared as if he had never been here. Seo Jun-Ho uttered, ¡°Dignity of an Emperor.¡± Dignity of an Emperor (S) was a ridiculously powerful ability that allowed him to use a transcendent¡¯s senses for a short period of time. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s pupils quivered as he looked around. ¡°What? This doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t fully use the transcendent¡¯s energy, but it was still a transcendent energy. Despite that, he couldn¡¯t find Paradox. ¡®This means that Paradox is also transcendent.¡¯ However, that was absolute nonsense. There was no way that Paradox was a transcendent being when he wasn¡¯t even the Floor Master of the 6th Floor. ¡®...¡¯ Atst, Seo Jun-Ho finally had an idea of what Paradox meant when he said that he was an omnipotent god of this Unique Realm. Rattle. Rattle. The cold breeze brushed past him through the broken windows. Seo Jun-Ho heard a voice that sounded as cold as the cold breeze outside. ¡°A Unique Realm, huh? It¡¯s an interesting ability.¡± ¡®Frost?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression sank. ¡®...Is she real?¡¯ There was a high chance that she was a fake Frost Queen that Paradox had created. ¡®How do I check if she¡¯s real? Should I ask her a question that only she could answer?¡¯ Unfortunately, doing something like that was dangerous. When he recalled that dream earlier, there was a chance that Paradox had ess to his memories. ¡®In that case, there is only one way to check.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho revealed a determined look as he uttered, ¡°Recall.¡± Seo Jun-Ho decided to send the Frost Queen back to the Spirit World. However, an unexpected message popped up before his eyes. [A Spirit cannot be recalled from this space.] ¡°...¡± The message made another question pop up in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind. ¡®Are all Unique Realms like this? Wait, what if this message is a fake message that Paradox had created to fool me?¡¯ More and more questions started to fill Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind. ¡°Wait, are you doubting me right now?¡± the Frost Queen asked with a stupefied look. ¡°Is it because you cannot trust me that you¡¯re staring at me with such a distant look?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered without trying to hide. He wasn¡¯t really sure if the Frost Queen standing in front of him was real. The Unique Realm instantly destroyed the bond he had made with the Frost Queen throughout the years. To make matters worse, the door to the secondpartment burst open. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m a littlete.¡± Skaya apologized as soon as she arrived. ¡°It took me a while to sort out the vampires hiding here and there among the citizens. Anyway, what happened to the Chef?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho hesitated to answer. However, he soon shared what was going on, hoping that Skaya might be able to shed some light and perhaps even clear his doubts. ¡°Hm.¡± Skaya nodded with a frown. ¡°So that¡¯s why you were so wary when I came in.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t trust you or the Frost Queen at the moment.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Skaya nodded and sighed. ¡°This is a difficult conundrum. Even if I say something to prove my identity¡­¡± the Frost Queen trailed off. ¡°Yes, I still can¡¯t rule out the possibility that Paradox has ess to my mind and memories right now.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Skaya fell into deep contemtion and said, ¡°Anyway, there are two possibilities.¡± ¡°Tell me,¡± replied Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°The first possibility is that all three of us are real, and we got trapped in this Unique Realm at the same time.¡± In that case, there would be no issue. They just had to kill Paradox, and the Unique Realm would disappear. ¡°But the main issue is in the second possibility¡ªwhat if some of us are fake?¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes slowly turned to the Frost Queen and Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You guys. Have you guys doubted yourselves?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Have you ever thought about whether you¡¯re real or not? I¡¯ve actually been thinking about this¡­¡± Skaya¡¯s question was so absurd that Seo Jun-Ho had to think about it for a while. Crash! The moment he was about to say something, dozens of spears flew toward them and split them into two parties. ¡°Wow, you guys are smart.¡± Paradox spread hisrge wings outside. He was flying at the same speed as the running train, and he boisterouslyughed before saying, ¡°What she said sounds quite logical. Why don¡¯t you suspect yourself? Who knows? You might be a fake.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I feel like it¡¯s faster and easier to just kill you.¡± The Freedom des¡¯ four des flew and severed Paradox¡¯s wings, causing thetter to plummet to the ground. ¡°Um¡­ Are you daft? At this point, you should know that it is impossible for you to kill me.¡± Paradox flew back up with hisrge wings, and he descended toward Seo Jun-Ho. He reached out with his hand and said, ¡°I expect more from you. You better bring me¡­ bring me more joy¡­!¡± ¡°...!¡± Bang! There was a loud roar, and Seo Jun-Ho suddenly felt weightless. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ The train had derailed and was now falling off the rugged mountain range. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vision continuously shook. He curled into a ball as he flew and mmed against the floor, walls, and ceiling. Skaya immediately cast a spell. ¡¾Reverse Gravity¡¿ Screech! The falling train stopped in mid-air. Skaya quickly cast more spells. ¡¾Levitate¡¿ ¡¾elerate¡¿ Seo Jun-Ho, the Frost Queen, and Skaya bounced out of the broken window. When they were finally out of the train, the train continued falling, and a huge explosion urred when it finally fell to the ground. Boom! ¡°Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho revealed aplicated look. ¡®If she were fake, then why did she save us?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho would have gotten caught in the explosion just now if it hadn¡¯t been for Skaya. He would have avoided death with his superhuman physique and regenerative ability, but severe injuries wouldn¡¯t have been avoided. ¡®Perhaps this is also part of Paradox¡¯s n so that I would trust her¡­¡¯¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head started to ache. He kneaded his forehead and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°...Of course I would save you, silly,¡± Skaya answered while pouting. ¡°Watch out!¡± the Frost Queen suddenly shouted. Thud! Thud! Thud! Hundreds of bloodied spears poured like rain toward them¡­ ¡¾Barrier¡¿ A huge wall of magic appeared over their heads and blocked the spears. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Paradox eximed. He looked like he hadn¡¯t expected that they were capable of blocking those bloodied spears. He fluttered his wings and flew toward the three at the speed of lightning. Paradox had said that he was omnipotent, but Seo Jun-Ho had already killed him three times in his own Unique Realm. ¡®He¡¯s not that¡ª¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was forced to halt his train of thought as Paradox shattered the four des of the Freedom de. ¡°Come on. Did you really think that I¡¯ll let you mess with me?¡± A sharp dagger was lodged in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eye. ¡°...!¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t even scream. He retrieved White Dragon from his Inventory and stabbed Paradox. ¡°Huh? Can you not feel pain?¡± Crack! There was a horrible noise as Paradox bent Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s arm broke. Paradox snatched White Dragon and stabbed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stomach with it. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Seo Jun-Ho copsed and held onto the steel tracks while vomiting blood and pieces of his organs. Crackle! The Frost Queen froze Paradox¡¯s legs, immobilizing him. ¡°Keep him steady!¡± shouted Skaya as a tremendous amount of magic gathered in her right hand. A kaleidoscope of purple lights manifested in the surroundings as a frightening amalgamation of chaotic energy was aimed at Paradox. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s a bit¡ª¡± ¡¾Destruction Ray¡¿ sh! There was a sh and a deafening explosion. ¡°...!¡± The destructive power of Skaya¡¯s Destruction Ray just now couldn¡¯t even bepared to the 128yers of Magic Missile she had cast on the 5th Floor. ¡®T-that was crazy¡­¡¯ The ray of light born from the amalgamation of chaotic energy annihted everything in its way. Paradox was obliterated without managing to put up a resistance, and three mountains directly behind Paradox were wiped off the map as well. ¡°Does the Magic Tower really teach such horrifying magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called Chaos Magic. I¡¯m still not used to it, and I can only use it a few times before running out of magic." ¡°Cough! That¡¯s weird. I¡¯m pretty sure the Tower Master wasn¡¯t using that kind of magic when we were fighting Nazad Hallow.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not weird. The old man is just a talent, nothing more.¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but think that Skaya was the only one who would think that the Tower Master of the Magic Tower was just a talent. After all, the Tower Master was an Archmage as well, in addition to his status. ¡°Cough! Keugh!¡± The Frost Queen and Skaya ran over to Seo Jun-Ho, who was still coughing up blood. ¡°Contractor! Breathe! Inhale and exhale!¡± ¡°If Si-Eun were here¡­!¡± Skaya couldn¡¯t cure such a deep wound. All she could do was perform first-aid on Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t die¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that his wounds would eventually heal as long as Cell Regeneration was active. After inhaling and exhaling ording to what the Frost Queen had said, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression suddenly turned ugly. ¡°Damn it. Is he not tired ofing back to life?¡± Skaya¡¯s attack had definitely obliterated Paradox just now, but he was slowlying back to life as if a tape was being rewound. Uponing back to life, Paradox stared at his own body with a strange look and eximed, ¡°Wow, that was such a novel experience. Annihtion¡­ it was my first time experiencing it.¡± His gazended on Skaya. He stared at her with a look of interest. ¡°You¡¯re just as interesting as Seo Jun-Ho.¡± Of course, she was also as dangerous as Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Skaya!¡± Crackle! The Frost Queen built severalyers of thick ice walls upon noticing something strange. ¡°It¡¯s no use,¡± Paradox said with a smile. A bloodied spear pierced the Frost Queen¡¯s ice walls as if they were pieces of paper and prated Skaya¡¯s thigh. ¡°...!¡± Skaya¡¯s distorted in pain. However, Paradox wasn¡¯t done just yet. ¡°Damn it!¡± Seo Jun-Ho squeezed his magic out while vomiting blood. ¡®Moon Eye!¡¯ Flower petals manifested in the surroundings. The petals wrapped around Paradox, but the petals weren¡¯t there to kill him. The flower petals were there to protect Skaya by momentarily stopping Paradox. ¡°I was amazed when I first saw that flower, but a flower is nothing but a flower,¡± Paradox muttered, seemingly annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m sick of it now.¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho was astonished. He had never seen anyone who could tantly ignore Moon Eye. Paradox grabbed Skaya¡¯s neck. ¡°Keuk! Kagh!¡± Paradox started squeezing Skaya¡¯s slender neck. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened, and his pupils quivered at the sight. ¡®...Is Skaya going to die?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could smell the familiar smell of death from Skaya struggling in the air. Then what Reiji told him suddenly came to his mind. Seo Jun-Ho could both feel and smell it¡ªSkaya was dying. All of a sudden, he remembered what Reiji had told him. - Well, I highly doubt that someone out there can beat you. Anyway, you¡¯re going to clear the 6th Floor, right? - Let me correct myself. Someone on the 6th Floor is capable of beating you up¡­ He thought that Reiji was referring to Tepes because Tepes was not only the strongest but was the king of vampires as well. ¡®However, if Reiji knew about this bastard¡¯s Unique Realm and the fact that he¡¯s a god in his Unique Realm, she must have been referring to this bastard...¡¯ ¡°Let her go! Let her go¡­!¡± the Frost Queen shouted. ¡°The result is the same. I¡¯m a real god in this Unique Realm, you know. I wasn¡¯t lying when I said that.¡± ¡°Let go! Let go of her!¡± The Frost Queen used many different attacks. Dozens of ice spears prated Paradox, but he simplyughed as if he didn¡¯t care about the spears stuck in his body. ¡°I told you. It¡¯s no use.¡± ¡°C-contractor! Watchguard of Darkness! Use the power to scorn¡ª¡± However, the Frost Queen couldn¡¯t finish her words. It was all because Seo Jun-Ho wasughing as if he had gone crazy. ¡°Hahahahaha¡­!¡± Once again, he could feel the deep sense of disharmony he felt on the train earlier. This situation itself was unnatural, but that wasn¡¯t because of how Paradox defeated both Skaya and him, even though they were both powerful yers. Of course, it also wasn¡¯t because he thought that Paradox was lying. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was calm, even though his beloved friend was dying before his eyes. He was fine. His head was telling him that he was sad, but his heart remained unmoving. It was such a heart-wrenching sight, but his heart didn¡¯t even tremble. All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Ho suddenly recalled Skaya¡¯s words. - You guys. Have you guys doubted yourselves? - Have you ever thought about whether you¡¯re real or not? I¡¯ve actually been thinking about this¡­ ¡®So that was she was talking about. It¡¯s me all along. I¡¯m fake.¡¯ Upon realizing that, Seo Jun-Ho said, ¡°Me¡­¡± ¡°What? What did you say?¡± ¡°Kill me! Now!¡± Seo Jun-Ho shouted at the confused Frost Queen. Paradox¡¯s expression stiffened as if he heard something absurd. The Frost Queen tightly bit her lips and punched Seo Jun-Ho. Crackle! When the Frost Queen¡¯s tears fell to the ground, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s brain and heart froze over. ¡®It was a paradox...¡¯ A paradox was the key to exiting this Unique Realm. ¡®A ridiculous paradox is the key to escaping this Unique Realm. I have to take my own life to survive¡ªIt¡¯s a paradox.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho epted his death with a smile. His vision was bing hazier by the second because death was about to take him away, but Seo Jun-Ho still managed to witness the copse of the world around him. Chapter 478. Bloody Train (3) Chapter 478. Bloody Train (3) Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes and found himself on a chair in the dark train station. It was currently deep in the night, and the cold floor of the train station covered in darkness appeared in his eyes. ¡°...¡± At the same time, memories began to flow into his head like waves. ¡°So I got trapped in Paradox¡¯s Unique Realm the moment I entered the train station.¡± Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue at Paradox¡¯s n. ¡®Paradox ced the entire train station within his Unique Realm because he had no idea who among the people is going after the Chef.¡¯ Paradox had to have thought about what would happen if the train were to depart without any incidents. ¡®Which means¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho finally realized how Paradox managed to identify him despite his disguise. - We have received a report that someone who isn¡¯t a vampire is in the firstpartment. - Therefore, all passengers in the firstpartment must wound their own arms to prove that blood isn¡¯t flowing through their veins. Seo Jun-Ho thought that he had perfectly fooled everyone by acquiescing to the request, but it seemed that Paradox saw through his disguise the moment he wounded his arm because the train was already within thetter¡¯s Unique Realm. After all, there was no way Paradox would have failed to notice even the tiniest undtion of magic within his Unique Realm. ¡°Hah, hahaha.¡± Paradox, who was sitting on a chair on the opposite side of the tform, shook his head as heughed, seemingly dumbfounded. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± Paradox¡¯s Land of God was a powerful skill. Paradox had never lost in his Unique Realm because he was an omnipotent god in his realm. ¡®There is only one way to escape from my realm...¡¯ The opponent had to kill the fake that Paradox had constructed inside them. ¡°How did you figure it out?¡± The skin was nearer than the shirt. In other words, most people wouldn¡¯t usually think that they were the illusion itself amidst the illusions around them. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t feel anything¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered with his hand over his heart. He had always been viewing things objectively. Therefore, he had always known instinctively that there was something wrong. - I reckon that my Imperturbable Mind will shatter like ss the moment I hear that something untoward happened to one of my precious friends. Skaya was on the brink of dying earlier, but his Imperturbable Mind remained calm. He felt neither sadness nor fear of losing a friend. And that was when he became sure of it¡­ ¡°So I became sure that I was a fake.¡± ¡°...¡± Paradox remained silent. He still couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡°But how¡­ how were you able to readily give up your life for someone else? You didn¡¯t even hesitate,¡± Paradox asked, seemingly confused. ¡°Because that fool has always been that kind of person¡­¡± Skaya replied while exiting the nearby ticket booth. There was a huge purple bruise on Skaya¡¯s neck. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been here if Jun-Ho hesitated for even a few seconds earlier.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was a fake earlier, so everyone else aside from him and Paradox would have died in reality if they had died in the Unique Realm. ¡°Honestly, I was caught off guard. Personally, I think that it was a good experience,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°You¡¯re right. What doesn¡¯t kill you makes you stronger,¡± the Frost Queen agreed with a nod. Seo Jun-Ho had been thinking that he was invincible against all kinds of psychic attacks because of Hero¡¯s Mind. Today, he had learned the hard way that a powerful ability like Paradox¡¯s Unique Realm could still bypass his Hero¡¯s Mind. ¡°...¡± Paradox looked around without saying anything. ¡®Three versus one.¡¯ He was obviously at a disadvantage. ¡®Tsk. I should stop here tonight.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho and Skaya standing in front of him were strong opponents beyond imagination. Paradox figured that he would have to risk suffering severe injuries if he really wanted to deal with them. ¡®There¡¯s no reason to go that far. Let¡¯s run away at the right time.¡¯ ¡°Running away at the right time¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. Paradox¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re probably thinking, right?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. Specter had dealt with so many opponents like Paradox that he could already read them like a book. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s only natural for you to have your own ns...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice trailed off. ¡°...!¡± Paradox¡¯s wide eyes turned next to him. ¡°And if you¡¯re going to ask me if you¡¯re capable of carrying out your n. Then, I would say that it¡¯s¡­ questionable,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®When did he¡­?¡¯ Paradox could swear that the seat next to him was empty just a few moments ago, but Seo Jun-Ho was now sitting on that chair. ¡®He¡¯s too fast¡­!¡¯ He could easily track Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s movement in his Unique Realm, but Paradox couldn¡¯t do the same in reality. Naturally, it was all because he wasn¡¯t an omnipotent god in reality, unlike in his own Unique Realm. ¡®But at this distance, I might be able to¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was sitting so close to him that he could easily wrap his hand around the former¡¯s shoulder. ¡®I might be able to trap him again.¡¯ The biggest reason Paradox managed to be one of the True Vampires was definitely because of his Unique Realm. He had trained himself intensively and had figured out endless ways to activate his Unique Realm. Swoosh! Paradox swiped with his sharp nails toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...?!¡± However, all he could see was darkness. Seo Jun-Ho scattered like a fleeting fog and stared at Paradox like a ghost in the middle of the night. ¡°Tsk. That was a failure,¡± Paradox muttered. ¡°I expected that you would be more scared,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Scared? Me? Scared of you?¡± Paradox crossed his legs and burst intoughter. Of course, Paradox was caught off guard. He didn¡¯t expect that a trivial human being could be this strong. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you can kill me¡­¡± Paradox grinned and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about why Tepes decided to keep a man of great ability like me alive?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t really choose to keep me alive. He actually tried to kill me dozens of times, but he failed every time.¡± Paradox lifted his index finger and muttered, ¡°Unique Realm.¡± Then, he lightly tapped his chest with the same finger. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the absurd range of my Unique Realm, so I think you should have also thought about the possibility that I could do the exact opposite as well, am I right?¡± ¡°...What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean that my body has now be a Realm itself.¡± Of course, Paradox couldn¡¯t exercise the power of omnipotence as if he was within his Unique Realm. However, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to defend himself. ¡°Is that so?¡± Seo Jun-Ho snapped his fingers. Paradox instantly turned into an ice statue. Paradox smiled mockingly despite being frozen. Crack! The ice imprisoning him was shattered as Paradox emerged from the ice. ¡°I¡¯ve said this earlier, but you really aren¡¯t the type to trust others easily.¡± Paradox brushed off the dust from hisp and said, ¡°Well, then. Let¡¯s call today¡¯s brawl a draw and call it a day.¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Skaya frowned and mustered her magic. ¡°Who said that we¡¯re going to let you go?¡¯ ¡°If you¡¯re not gonna let me go, then you better kill me before the other True Vampires arrive here. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Fwoosh! An arrow made out of chaos pierced Paradox¡¯s heart. ¡°Keuk¡­! Arghhhh!¡± It was extremely painful, but there was no way that Paradox would die from such an attack. Paradox writhed in pain for a while, but he soon stood up with a grin. ¡°Haha, that hurt like crazy. You guys are very strong. I¡¯m even doubtful if you two are humans.¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya¡¯s expression darkened. She thought that Paradox was only bluffing, but it seemed that he wasn¡¯t lying when he said that he wouldn¡¯t die. ¡®That attack was strong enough to stop Rahmadat from regenerating for at least a few minutes¡­¡¯ Skaya turned to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°What are we going to do? Are we just going to let him go?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered. A flower blossomed over his hand. Moon Eye. Seo Jun-Ho held the flower by its stalk and swirled it around. ¡°This is actually perfect. I¡¯ve been curious about something for a long time now, and this is the perfect time to test it. What do you think will happen if a spear that can pierce anything collides with a shield that can block anything?¡± The effectiveness of either one of the two was bound to bepletely disproven. ¡°I see what you¡¯re trying to do here,¡± Paradox nodded at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s question. Paradox¡¯s Unique Realm was now his entire body; in other words, he had be the strongest shield that could block anything in the world. ¡°The spear will break for sure. I just can¡¯t imagine myself dying,¡± Paradox affirmed. ¡°...Are you sure about that? It seems that youck creativity,¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled slightly and stared intently at Paradox. ¡°Then, what do you think will happen if the irresistible spear had a special ability?¡± ¡°What kind of ability are you talking about?¡± ¡°The scornful ability to disregard any defenses.¡± ¡°...¡± Paradox¡¯s lips quivered momentarily. With a stiff look, he spoke, ¡°That¡¯s a ridiculous ability. If the spear has such an ability, then the shield should have a simr ability as well.¡± ¡°Then, you should give yourself that kind of ability,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He then casually hurled the flower that he was holding toward Paradox. ¡°Feel free to do so¡ªif you¡¯re capable of doing that, of course.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could remember Paradox saying that he had gotten sick of his flowers. ¡°I infused it with more power to scorn than usual, so it¡¯s an extra special flower.¡± ¡°...!¡± Paradox¡¯s pupils widened. The flower blossomed and scattered its scornful petals everywhere. The sight was just as beautiful as the first time he had seen it using Tria¡¯s ability. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ The petals looked as soft as silk. However, every single petal falling on his skin was more terrifying than any ghost stories he had ever heard in his life. ¡°Ah, ahhh¡­!¡± The petals shredded his Unique Realm into nothingness. Paradox held his tightening heart as he copsed to the cold floor once again. However, this time, he couldn¡¯t get up anymore. [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [All stats has increased by 12.] [... received from Limit Breaker¡¯s effect.] After a quick nce at the system messages, Seo Jun-Ho turned to look at Paradox and said, ¡°See? The spear wins.¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought that he should tell Rahmadat about this. He could still remember that they had discussed this topic before. With that being said, Seo Jun-Ho gentlyid his hand on Paradox¡¯s corpse. ¡°Give me your memory. All of it.¡± *** Rattle. A simple, rugged casket slowly opened, and a man raised himself up. ¡°...Paradox.¡± He had tried to kill the man countless times before, but he had always failed. Today, Paradox finally died. ¡°The time hase.¡± The man¡¯s ambition had always been restrained due to the existence of the strongest shield called Paradox. After all, Paradox had always been wary of the man getting stronger than he should be. ¡°But you ended up dying first¡­¡± The man slowly donned a purple cloak. His eyes turned red as he stared at the moon beyond the window. ¡°Nothing can stop me now¡­¡± It was time to establish a brand new world. *** ¡°The spear wins.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Rahmadat asked while blinking his huge eyes. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°When the irresistible spear collides with the immovable shield, the spear wins.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. The shield would definitely win.¡± ¡°Nope. I tested it myself.¡± ¡°That means your opponent wasn¡¯t the strongest shield.¡± Seo Jun-Ho, Skaya, and the Frost Queen returned to the vige of the Twilight w tribe. Arnold stared at the three with a stiff look. ¡°Are you all right? I heard that you went missing,¡± he asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°We¡¯re fine. We just ran into an annoying enemy, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°An annoying enemy?¡± Arnold asked, perplexed. Skaya shrugged at the curious eyes and eximed, ¡°Let me give everyone here a quiz! What walked on four legs yesterday and walked on three legs today?¡± The confident Orca standing next to her eximed, ¡°I know the answer! The answer is human! Yesterday refers to a baby crawling on all limbs, and today refers to a senior who has to walk with a cane. I found the answer in a quiz book.¡± ¡®Wow, he¡¯s good.¡¯ However, Skaya shook her head. ¡°Wrong! It was a great answer, but it¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°What? Then, what¡¯s the answer?¡± ¡°The answer is a True Vampire!¡± Skaya eximed. ¡°...¡± The Arch Warriors staring at her repeatedly blinked. They were obviously confused. Arnold picked his ears and asked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think there was something in my ears. Can you say that again?¡± ¡°True Vampire, True Vampire, and True Vampire! We killed Paradox!¡± Skaya eximed. ¡®True Vampire Paradox is dead? Are they talking about that notorious monster who has been reigning half of the city of Trium for the past few decades? Is he really dead?¡¯ The werewolves turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho. Their expressions seemed like they were saying that Skaya was talking nonsense. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho nodded and confirmed Skaya¡¯s words. ¡°True Vampire Paradox is dead.¡± Chapter 479. Operation Recapture Trium (1) Chapter 479. Operation Recapture Trium (1) ¡°This is an opportunity,¡± Arnold said with a glimmer of determination on his face. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho. How many apostles do they have left?¡± ¡°There should only be around sixty apostles left...¡± The number included the unofficial apostles as well. ¡°Sixty, huh¡­¡± Arnold rubbed his chin and slowly nodded. ¡°It¡¯s doable. Yes, we definitely have a chance.¡± Thebined poption of the werewolf tribes was roughly one thousand and four hundred, and there were roughly a thousand warriors and about fifty Arch Warriors. ¡°There are a lot more warriors than I thought¡­¡± ¡°Well, it is necessary.¡± Regardless of age or gender, a healthy werewolf had to be a warrior. They had to fight to recover their hometown and save as many humans as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll contact the chiefs of each tribe soon...¡± ¡°For what?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. Arnold¡¯s eyes shone intensely as he said, ¡°It¡¯s about time we face our destiny that has remained but a pipe dream until now¡­¡± He turned to stare at Trium, which looked as tiny as a dot in the distance. ¡°It¡¯s about time we recapture Trium.¡± *** The vige got busy as the werewolves discuss the operation to recapture Trium. They also diligently trained to improve their skills for the uing operation. The adult warriors were the only ones who would participate in the operation, so a group of werewolves was naturally excluded from all the hustle and bustle. ¡°I¡¯m bored...¡± ¡°I wanna y¡­¡± It was the group of young werewolves. Their mom, dad, uncles, and even their aunts could no longer y with them. However, the young werewolves didn¡¯t bother to nag the adults because they also noticed that the situation this time was too serious for them to start whining about it. ¡°Do you still remember where we went yesterday/ Let¡¯s go there again today!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡± The young werewolves rushed toward somewhere else with excited expressions. ¡°Sis! Let¡¯s y!¡± ¡°Yes! y with us, sis!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The Frost Queen pulled a long face. She was currently rolling on a stone bed in herfortable sweatpants and was rxing by watching TV shows on her tablet, but the uninvited guests interrupted her. ¡®I¡¯m so annoyed.¡¯ The young werewolves visited the Frost Queen for the toys she had created for them yesterday. The young werewolves were impressed, and they started following the Frost Queen with twinkling eyes. For them, the Frost Queen was a great being who would relieve their boredom. The Frost Queen sighed and tried to negotiate with the children. ¡°I am currently enjoying my rest, so why don¡¯t you go somewhere else to y?¡± ¡°We came here to rest, too!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s rest and y together! Just like yesterday!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®I have never experienced a job that is tougher than ying with you lot¡­¡¯ The Frost Queen raised her upper body and cried out at the passing by Skaya. ¡°Skaya! Help me!¡± ¡°Ah! Your Majesty! Did you just call out to me first?¡± Skaya gasped and joyfully made a beeline for the Frost Queen, but she took a sharp U-turn the moment she saw the young werewolves jumping around the Frost Queen. ¡°Oh, my apologies, but I totally forgot that I still have matters to handle¡­¡± Skaya said awkwardly. ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not good at Korean. I love you. Kimchi, kimchi,¡± said Skaya in broken Korean before immediately running away. ¡®That traitor...!¡¯ The Frost Queen clenched her fists and swore to take revenge. The children started urging the Frost Queen. ¡°Can you make us a slide made out of ice, please?¡± ¡°I want a doll¡­!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m annoyed¡ªso annoyed.¡¯ However, the children would obviously continue to bother the Frost Queen until she started ying with them. ¡®I guess I can only reveal my identity...¡¯ The Frost Queen sighed lightly. With a determined look, she spoke, ¡°Do you lot know what a queen is?¡± ¡°We do¡­!¡± ¡°A queen is an amazing person!¡± ¡°So you know¡­¡± The Frost Queen was relieved that she didn¡¯t have to exin everything from the start. She smiled and gracefully introduced herself. ¡°I am the Queen of Ice Kingdom Niflheim, and I am very busy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing! You¡¯re a queen, sis?¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen froze. The moring children reminded her of her servants whenever she walked around with them. It was a strange feeling that she had long forgotten, so she couldn¡¯t help but pause upon recalling it. The Frost Queen cleared her throat and emerged from her thoughts. ¡°Ahem. You shouldn¡¯t call a queen ¡®sis¡¯.¡± ¡°Then, what should we call you?¡± ¡°You have to call me ¡®Your Majesty¡¯.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The children started calling the Frost Queen ¡®Your Majesty,¡¯ so she wasn¡¯t that annoyed anymore. ¡°Hm.¡± The Frost Queen swept her gaze across the werewolves. She couldn¡¯t help but think that they were a bit cuter than she initially thought. The Frost Queen spoke once more, ¡°All right. What do you want to y?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s y hide-and-seek!¡± someone suggested. ¡°No, my legs will hurt from all the running! Let¡¯s y with your doll house, Your Majesty!¡± someone protested. The children were at odds with each other. They couldn¡¯t make up their mind about what game they should y, so they started pulling the Frost Queen from both sides. The Frost Queen said solemnly, ¡°Do not pull on the queen¡¯s sweatpants, lest you be punished.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a sweatpants?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a type of clothing. And you have to speak formally¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± The children were quick on the uptake, and they would always do what the Frost Queen would tell them. It wasn¡¯t really strange because they were young and innocent children. They were so cute as well that the Frost Queen couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡®All right. A monarch should always take care of their people.¡¯ The Frost Queen stood up. She figured that it should be fine to run around and y with them for a while. *** ¡°As we all know, the main problem here is the red fog,¡± said Arnold, ¡°The number of apostles has dwindled, and True Vampire Paradox has died. This is a golden opportunity to strike, and I¡¯m afraid that it won¡¯te twice.¡± Arnold didn¡¯t want to miss this golden opportunity. He wanted to strike and end everything before the True Vampires could create more vampire apostles. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho. Are you sure you don¡¯t know where they are producing the red fog?¡± ¡°I have no idea,¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. Even True Vampire Paradox didn¡¯t know anything about where the red fog wasing from. ¡®It means that Tepes really cares about security...¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho was suspicious of a particr location. Thump! Seo Jun-Ho ced a chess piece made out of ice in the middle of the map. ¡°Paradox is suspicious of this ce¡ªthe basement of the royal pce.¡± ¡°...The royal pce?¡± Aplicated light shed by Arnold¡¯s eyes. The members of the royal family were descendants of the people who used to serve them. ¡°The royal ce is no different from Tepes¡¯ front yard...¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why Paradox never dared to search the royal pce,¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered, ¡°It would be best if everything ended before nightfall.¡± The werewolves still had one advantage over the vampires. ¡°We just need to deal with the vampire apostles and the three remaining True Vampires before the sun goes down.¡± The werewolves had no problem being active during the day, but ordinary vampires couldn¡¯t do the same. ¡°Hmm.¡± Arnold fell into deep thought. These days, the sun rose around six in the morning and settled at around four forty in the afternoon. ¡°That¡¯s more time than I thought¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Ten hours and forty minutes is enough time,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°We can do this!¡± The Arch Warriors nodded and actively agreed with Seo Jun-Ho. Their morale had increased drastically after the death of a True Vampire. ¡°The Four Legendary Wolves will join forces with Seo Jun-Ho, Rahmadat, and Skaya to fight the True Vampires, Then, the Arch Warriors and warriors will deal with the vampire apostles.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Arnold nodded and said, ¡°The other chiefs told me to set a date.¡± Once a date was set, the war would be inevitable by then. ¡°Let¡¯s observe the weather in the next few days before setting a date. We¡¯ll have to make sure that the sun will stay up for as long as possible on the day of our attack.¡± Their meeting finally ended, and they finally heard theughsing from somewhere. ¡°...They¡¯re having such a good time.¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t let those children experience the same hunger and sorrow we had to go through in the past.¡± Seo Jun-Ho froze while staring at the ying children. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡®What¡¯s Frost doing over there?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho blinked and made eye contact with the smiling Frost Queen. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s cheeks turned as red as a tomato as she stammered, ¡°I-I was just fulfilling my duty as a monarch. They begged me to y with them, so I¡ª¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. The Frost Queen¡¯s cheeks looked so red that they looked like they would explode if he were to poke them. He didn¡¯t dare to even try poking her cheeks because he was afraid that they would actually explode. *** Fwoosh! While Rahmadat was still stuck in the prison of his own consciousness, Shin Sung-Hyun was busy with his own training. ¡®Left¡­ no, is it a feint?¡¯ A sharp sword barely missed Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s throat. He stepped backward and swung his baton. Crash! The space in front of him distorted, forcing Kim Woo-Joong to take a step backward. ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong stared down at his sword. He looked indifferent, but he was clearly disappointed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°This isn¡¯t good enough. You¡¯re too weak to bepared to that bastard.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun was surprised by Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s harsh evaluation. ¡°Is that True Vampire really that strong?¡± asked Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°Of course. Hmm¡­ how should I exin it¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong contemted for a while before drawing a massive circle with his sword. ¡°This is True Vampire Ghost.¡± Kim Woo-Joong proceeded to draw a small dot on the ground. ¡°And this is you...¡± ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s crappy metaphor upset Shin Sung-Hyun, but he was even more furious by what Kim Woo-Joong was trying to say. Shin Sung-Hyun turned and asked, ¡°What do you think, Team Leader Gong?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha was quietly drinking her iced tea in a corner. She carefully put down her cup upon being addressed and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if the difference in power is that huge, but True Vampire Ghost¡¯s firepower was definitely stronger than yours, Master.¡± ¡°Firepower?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m talking about his ability to fold, distort, and manipte space, Master.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡®Firepower, huh¡­ so that is what has been holding me back.¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun realized it when he faced Namgung Jincheon on the 5th Floor. ¡®My ability to manipte space is extremely powerful and weak at the same time¡­¡¯ Of course, Shin Sung-Hyun had no issues crushing monsters and fiends to death with space, but he couldn¡¯t do the same against powerful yers and enemies. ¡®Firepower.¡¯ Actually, Shin Sung-Hyun knew a way to increase his firepower greatly. He had to abandon his baton. ¡®I honestly couldn¡¯t handle my ability to manipte space back then¡­¡¯ Space couldn¡¯t be seen, so he found it difficult to manipte space despite his innate ability. Shin Sung-Hyun had no choice but to use his senses to feel space. In the end, Shin Sung-Hyun decided to use a baton so that he could be more intimate with space. ¡®I started manipting space as if I were conducting an orchestra¡­¡¯ It was a massive sess, and Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s ability to manipte space greatly improved as a result. Shin Sung-Hyun also became confident that he could manipte space into any form as long as the baton was in his hand. ¡®But at some point, I started thinking that perhaps this baton is the chain that is holding me back from progressing¡­ Shin Sung-Hyun couldn¡¯t help but think that the baton had be an obstacle to his improvement. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t let go of the baton because he didn¡¯t want to be a pathetic yer once more. He felt like everything he had built so far would copse if he abandoned the baton. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun turned to the swordsman in front of him. He had always regarded Kim Woo-Joong as his rival, so he couldn¡¯t allow the man to shun him just like this. ¡°I¡¯ll get going, then. Thank you for your help so far,¡± said Kim Woo-Joong. Kim Woo-Joong turned around to leave. Shin Sung-Hyun stared at Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s back. ¡°Stop for a moment,¡± said Shin Sung-Hyun while biting his lips. He decisively abandoned his baton and hurled it into a rift in space before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s change the method and try again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you this, but you¡¯re not strong enough to help me prepare against Ghost¡ª¡± Bang! A huge chunk of the training hall disappeared with a loud noise. The walls of the training hall had also been dyed in darkness as if they had been swallowed by something that couldn¡¯t be seen. ¡°I still haven¡¯t shown you this¡­ Honestly, I¡¯m still having trouble controlling my ability without the baton, so you better retreat if you don¡¯t want to die.¡± Kim Woo-Joong silently stared at the space surrounding him before smiling for the first time. ¡°Nice.¡± Rather than a dot, Kim Woo-Joong thought that Shin Sung-Hyun was now as huge as a basketball. Chapter 480. Operation Recapture Trium (2) Chapter 480. Operation Recapture Trium (2) It was winter, but the indoor flower garden of the royal pce was filled with flowers in full bloom. Tepes was currently basking in the warm sun. After a while, he said, ¡°Paradox is dead.¡± ¡°Yes, I went there and saw it myself! I thought Paradox was just fooling around as usual, but he actually died,¡± replied True Vampire Stigma. He was currently in the form of a child. True Vampire Stigma chewed on a raisin cookie and asked, ¡°Why did you call us?¡± Tepes replied, ¡°I called you all here to announce the start of the n I had mentioned long ago.¡± True Vampire Ghost snorted at Tepes¡¯ words. ¡°The start of that n? If my memory is serving me correctly, what you mentioned before was just a suggestion rather than a n.¡± ¡°Well, Paradox was still alive back then.¡± The immortal Paradox was dead, so Tepes could finally do whatever he wanted. True Vampire Ghost stared at Tepes¡¯ back and said, ¡°So you really want to execute that ridiculous n of yours?¡± Tepes turned around and asked. ¡°My n is ridiculous?¡± True Vampire Ghost didn¡¯t shy away from Tepes¡¯ gaze as he said, ¡°Killing all living beings aside from the True Vampires to ovee the thirst. That is the funniest n I¡¯ve ever heard in my life.¡± ¡°There is plenty of blood to drink, so we depend on blood. If our food disappears, we will evolve. We will lose our thirst.¡± ¡°That is a dangerous hypothesis. What if we fail to evolve? What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Then, we will have to acknowledge our limits. True Vampire Ghost shook his head and said, ¡°You¡¯re crazy¡­¡± Well, the True Vampires were somewhat messed up, but True Vampire Ghost had never seen someone as crazy as Tepes. ¡°I am not crazy, Ghost.¡± Tepes¡¯ expression turned grim. ¡°Why can¡¯t you understand? Can¡¯t you hear this voice? The gods have given us a test. If we managed to ovee this burning thirst, we can be one of the gods¡­!¡± ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is¡ª¡± ¡®Why should the rest of us go along with your crazy pseudotheory?¡¯ However, True Vampire Ghost abruptly closed his mouth. He knew that it would be meaningless to question Tepes. ¡®Paradox is dead, so there¡¯s no way that we can dissuade him from doing what he wants. Tsk.¡¯ True Vampire Ghost and True Vampire Paradox had always been opposed to Tepes¡¯ ideas. Tepes¡¯ n was so absurd because it involved practically destroying the world. True Vampire Paradox loved the world, so he had always been opposed to Tepes¡¯ n, while True Vampire Ghost was somewhat satisfied with the world¡¯s status quo. ¡®There¡¯s no way this crazed cult leader will listen to me...¡¯ True Vampire Ghost looked at True Vampire Stigma with a gaze filled with hope. ¡®If this punk changes his mind and opposes Tepes¡¯ n with me, then maybe¡ª¡¯ ¡°I agree! I totally agree!¡± True Vampire Stigma raised his hands and smiled brightly. ¡°I want to evolve and be one of the gods!¡± ¡°Have you been listening to me? If the n fails, we¡¯re all going to die.¡± ¡°So what? I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s going to die, anyway.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®This punk¡­!¡¯ True Vampire Ghost closed his eyes. ¡®I guess I don¡¯t have a choice.¡¯ Unlike True Vampire Paradox, True Vampire Ghost didn¡¯t want to protect this world by turning his back on True Vampire Tepes and True Vampire Stigma. ¡°Do as you please.¡± ¡°You have made a smart choice¡ªhm.¡± Tepes frowned out of the blue. ¡°Stigma.¡± ¡°Yeah? What is it?¡± ¡°There''s a rat in the basement. Take care of it.¡± *** The library in the royal pce¡¯s basement was Tepes¡¯ private office. The library was filled with books containing Tepes¡¯ thoughts, future ns, and even entries of his daily life. ¡°I¡¯m d I mastered thenguage here, the man muttered in a low voice as he quickly scanned the books. The man had long forgotten how many weeks he had to spend just to sneak into this library. ¡®Let¡¯s ignore the stories that are too old. The story of his life on a different continent isn¡¯t important either. I just have to find the entries that were written when the vampires started invading Trium.¡¯ The man found a diary with entries written thirteen years ago. [February 2nd, 1842] We finally arrived at the ce called Trium. I have heard a lot about this city, but it turned out to be an interesting ce. It¡¯s more interesting than I expected. The entire city stinks, which is not interesting at all. [February 5th, 1842] We have identified the source of the stink. The unpleasant smell came from the werewolves. They are lurking in the city and can transform into wolves using the power of the moon. We need to find a way to survive. [May 23rd, 1842] Those who refer to themselves as demons visited us. They gave us blood sweeter than anything else I have ever tasted, and I emptied my ss as if I were possessed. [June 3rd, 1842] Our power is finally on par with the werewolves, and it is all because the power of the apostles we create has be dramatically stronger than before. But it¡¯s still not enough. Let¡¯s think of something¡­ something to suffocate them. [June 12th, 1842] We have decided to steal the moon from the werewolves. ¡°Steal the moon?¡± muttered the man before eventually nodding. He was reminded of the red fog that would always envelop the city upon nightfall. The man continued reading, and this time, he decided to read the entries faster. [September 4th, 1842] We have finally driven all the wolves out of the city. I thought I would finally achieve my will, but an unexpected variable got in my way. Paradox is against my n. This is really difficult because I can¡¯t kill him. The man¡¯s eyes upon reading the entry. ¡®Wait, what does he mean he can¡¯t kill Paradox¡­ Isn¡¯t Paradox the True Vampire who died recently? Was he actually acting as Tepes¡¯ suppressor all this time?¡¯ The man felt a sense of foreboding as he flipped the pages until he arrived at the most recent diary entry. [December 18th, 1853] Paradox is dead. I can finally start my n to exterminate humans. ¡°Exterminate the humans?¡± The sentence was so ominous that the man felt a shiver down his spine. He flipped through more documents to find more details about Tepes¡¯ n, but he didn¡¯t find any diary entry rted to Tepes¡¯ n. In the end, the man decided to take a look at the older diary entries from hundreds of years ago. [February 26th, 1689] Iid waste to a city I disliked, and the humans started calling me a god. I asked them what a god was, and they said that it was an omnipotent being. I suddenly became curious. Am I a god? [March 2nd, 1689] My long agony is over. In conclusion, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a god or whatever they think I am. I never managed to ovee my thirst for blood. My power wanes without consuming human blood. If a god was an omnipotent being, then they should be able to easily ovee this thirst. [July 3rd, 1689] While I was wandering the world to find a way to be a god, I stumbled upon a book written by a biologist. It was said that life is capable of evolving depending on its environment. My mind cleared up as soon as I read that sentence. Let¡¯s get rid of all the human beings in the world. If their blood doesn¡¯t exist, then I¡¯ll eventually evolve to the point that I will not need human blood anymore. [April 5th, 1702] This isn¡¯t the first time I felt this way while killing human beings, but this method is too inefficient. I have to find a way to kill all humans on this continent at once. [May 13th, 1702] I have a good idea. What if I turn all the humans on the continent into vampires? They¡¯ll disappear on their own if I turn them all into vampires and expose them to sunlight. [September 2nd, 1702] It was a huge sess. I managed to annihte every human on this continent. Now, it¡¯s time I move on to another continent. The man trembled and unknowingly dropped the diary. ¡°He¡¯s crazy¡­ he¡¯s totally messed up¡­!¡± The man had always found it suspicious how the True Vampires came to Trium at the same time, even though they came from different continents. ¡®So this is why...¡¯ It turned out that there were no more living humans outside Trium. True Vampires had to periodically drink human blood to survive, so they had no choice but toe to Trium. ¡°We have to stop him,¡± the man gulped. The man wasn¡¯t a denizen of this world, but this city still had a precious human poption of 7.2 million. He had to save them before Tepes became even stronger. Otherwise, they would never be able to clear this Floor. ¡®I need to go back down to Earth.¡¯ A few elite yers weren¡¯t enough to defeat Tepes. He had to bring in an army of yers to face Tepes. The man made a decision and stored the book that he was holding in his Inventory. Crack¡­! A strange sound made the man freeze. ¡°What? He said it¡¯s a rat, so why is it a human?¡± The man turned around and saw a boy chewing on a cookie ¡°My name is Stigma. Who are you, bro?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®I¡¯m too weak to even imagine fighting that boy¡­¡¯ The man unsheathed a dagger instead of answering. He could feel that he was no match for the boy. The boy giggled at the sight, and his excited giggle filled the library. ¡°So you want to y with me?¡± Stigma¡¯s eyes bent like crescent moons. However, the sight looked unsettling rather than cute because no emotion could be seen in the boy¡¯s eyes. ¡°All right! Let¡¯s y, bro.¡± ¡°Who would want to y with a monster like you?!¡± The man hurled a smoke bomb and left the library as fast as he could. The man had perfectly memorized the path leading up to the library, but when he exited the building, the boy was already waiting for him outside. ¡°It has been ten seconds, but you¡¯ve only gotten this far?¡± asked the boy. He pointed a finger gun at the man and smiled. ¡°Bang.¡± Bang! The man¡¯s head exploded. Stigma¡¯s smile brightened at the sight, but he suddenly froze and turned to look somewhere else. ¡°Huh? This is getting interesting.¡± *** ¡°Haaa¡­! Haaa¡­¡± A woman was breathing roughly while lying on a bed. She touched her own trembling cheeks without realizing it. ¡°W-what a monster...¡± Of course, she knew that True Vampires were strong, but she didn¡¯t expect them to be so strong that she almost failed to escape just now. The woman shook her head and checked her Inventory. ¡®It¡¯s okay. I got all the necessary documents...¡¯ The woman[1]was Yuri Alekseyev¡ªthe Eighth Heaven. Yuri had always loved to move independently, and she had also decided to operate independently on the 6th Floor. Naturally, she had a reason to move on her own, and it was all because of her skill Golden Trophy (S). Yuri could copy a maximum of five abilities from the opponents she had killed with her own hands, so Golden Trophy (S) was a perfect skill for infiltration and espionage. ¡®There¡¯s no way I can fight a true vampire with my current slot configuration¡­¡¯ Yuri¡¯s skill slots were currently filled up with utility skills such as Messenger (B) and A Thousand Faces (A). ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs¡­¡± The advance party was created to collect information on the 6th Floor. Yuri was sure that she had gathered more information about the 6th Floor than anyone else, so she decided to pack up afterpleting her mission. ¡°Huh?¡± Yuri frowned. She identally saw herself in the mirror just as she was about to leave. ¡®What is this?¡¯ There was a strange symbol on her forehead. Yuri thought that it was rted to the System, but the symbol didn¡¯t disappear no matter how many yermands she typed in the Community terminal. ¡®This is ominous.¡¯ Knock! Knock! Knock! Someone knocked on the door. Yuri instinctively hid her presence and slowly walked over to the door. Knock! Knock! Knock! If the other party was a staffer of the inn, then they should leave after knocking on the door a few more times. Yuri breathed a sigh of relief when the knocking eventually stopped. ¡®Wait, are they leaving? Why aren¡¯t there any footsteps?¡¯ Yuri¡¯s eyes abruptly widened. Bang! Bang! Bang! The other party frantically knocked on the door. Yuri retreated reflexively and bit her lips tightly. ¡®That monster¡­¡¯ - Sis, aren¡¯t we going to y? Why won¡¯t you open the door? True Vampire Stigma¡¯s voice rang ominously from behind the door. 1. Apparently, Yuri was a woman all along. We have edited the previous chapters to reflect the changes. ? Chapter 481. Operation Recapture Trium (3) Chapter 481. Operation Recapture Trium (3) Yuri immediately pulled up her Trophy Slot. 1. Blessing Strengthening (S) 2. A Thousand Faces (A) 3. Runner of the Night (A) 4. Messenger (B) 5. Lucky Day (A) Her current slot configuration was truly not suitable forbat, especially when the opponent was a True Vampire. ¡®I need to run away.¡¯ Yuri immediately threw herself out the window. Crash! ¡°Ahhhh!¡± ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± The startled citizens screamed upon seeing someone suddenly falling from the third floor. Yuri disregarded the citizens¡¯ reactions and immediately stood up to activate Runner of the Night (A). Swoosh! Yuri¡¯s figure blurred until she becamepletely transparent. ¡°She disappeared!¡± ¡°Ah! She¡¯s a ghost!¡± The people started running away in panic, and Yuri blended in with them. ¡®I have to run as fast as I can.¡¯ Yuri¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t too grand. The nearest Dimensional Elevator was located only three blocks away, and that was actually the reason she stayed here. She wanted to make sure that her escape route downstairs was nearby. ¡®I¡¯ll win as long as I reach the elevator¡ª¡¯ However, Yuri had to stop moving upon entering an alleyway. A familiar boy was waiting for her in the alley. ¡°You run much faster than you did earlier, sis,¡± Stigma said as he looked directly into Yuri¡¯s eyes. ¡®Is he irvoyant?¡¯ The boyughed upon seeing Yuri¡¯s stern look. ¡°Hahaha! You look funny. Anyway, do you have anything else to show me?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Of course, I do.¡¯ Yuri opened her Inventory and pondered. ¡®I don¡¯t think a gun would work against that monster.¡¯ Yuri just had to break through Stigma once, and she would be safe as long as she managed to get into the elevator located behind Stigma. It didn¡¯t matter even if she had to sacrifice some of her limbs. Yuri eventually decided that a spear was the best weapon to use in an alleyway, especially when she only had to charge forward. Stigma pped upon seeing Yuri pulling a weapon out of nowhere. ¡°Wow! Was that magic? Where the heck have you been hiding that long thing?¡± Yuri bit her lips. ¡°Blessing Strengthening.¡± Fwoosh! Yuri¡¯s silver-colored magic engulfed the spear in her hands, and an unexpected message popped up in front of her eyes. [Lucky Day (A) has been activated. Blessing Strengthening¡¯s effects are tripled.] Yuri¡¯s gloomy expression brightened upon seeing the system message. ¡®Lucky Day works here? Then, I might be able to¡­¡¯ A True Vampire was strong, but Yuri was still a Heaven. ¡®I can get through him.¡¯ In addition, Yuri didn¡¯t have to kill Stigma. She simply had to go past him once. Having made up her mind, her spear felt more reliable than usual today. ¡°Kekeke¡­!¡¯ Stigma simplyughed out loud at the sight. *** If a third party were here, then they would say that Yuri Alekseyev was in a mess. Yuri was just one step away from the elevator, but she couldn¡¯t make it. ¡°Ah, it was pretty fun.¡± Stigmaughed and squatted in front of Yuri. Yuri¡¯s limbs were bent in strange directions, and she could only look at Stigma helplessly. ¡°Hey, sis. Are all humans in your world as strong as you? Are you the one who killed Paradox?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re not Paradox¡¯s killer based on your expression. In other words, there are people who are stronger than you, am I right?¡± Stigma retrieved a lollipop from his pocket. He peeled off the wrapper and stuck the lollipop in his mouth. ¡°It would be a shame if you die here. I really had fun ying with you, sis.¡± Grab! Stigma grabbed Yuri by the ankle and dragged her away. ¡°There¡¯s this guy called Chef, and he¡¯s apparently good at healing. I¡¯ll tell him to fix you up, then we¡¯ll y again, sis.¡± ¡°...¡± Yuri closed her eyes without saying anything. Right now, she wasn¡¯t even concerned about herself. Her mind was filled with nothing but the details of Tepes¡¯ goal. ¡®I have to let people know about Tepes¡¯ n no matter what.¡¯ Yuri gnashed her teeth. She forcibly lifted her fractured wrist and tapped on a hologram window with her trembling fingers. [9, 12, 362, 26, 52, 17, 141, 5.] ¡°Huh?¡± Stigma turned and let go of Yuri¡¯s ankle. He approached her with puffed cheeks and grumbled. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t make any unnecessary movements, and I also didn¡¯t give you permission to move, did I?¡± Crack! Crack! ¡°...!¡± Yuri¡¯s eyes widened as Stigma broke all her fingers one by one. Stigma then patted her head and said gently, ¡°You need to behave well and be nice. Can you do that for me, sis?¡± ¡®T-this madman¡­!¡¯ Yuri¡¯s eyes quivered ever so slightly as she red at Stigma. *** ¡°Huh?¡± Skaya repeatedly blinked. She was floating around the room when something caught her attention. Snap! Skaya snapped her fingers, and Seo Jun-Ho instantly appeared in front of her. Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth. He turned to Skaya with a face covered in soap bubbles and asked, sounding slightly resentful, ¡°Why did you Teleport me here?¡± ¡°Wait, calm down! I didn¡¯t call you to ask for ice,¡± Skaya hastily answered, ¡°Have you already seen that post in Community?¡± ¡°Post? What post?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He immediately realized that Skaya didn¡¯t Teleport him here for fun, so he quickly logged in to Community. [9, 12, 362, 26, 52, 17, 141, 5.] Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed when he saw the post. It was posted by Thousand Faces just a few minutes ago. ¡°Thousand Faces?¡± ¡°Yes. Have you seen this ID before?¡± The advance party members were the only yers on the 6th Floor right now, aside from Chef. In other words, if Chef wasn¡¯t the one who had posted it, there could only be one person who could have posted it. ¡°Yuri Alekseyev¡­¡± ¡°I think so, too. They¡¯re the only one whoes to mind...¡± Yuri Alekseyev was a Heaven with a penchant for working alone. Therefore, everything about her was shrouded in mystery, and it included her skills as well as her age. ¡°You have no idea what these numbers mean?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Yep, no idea. I used a few different cryptographic hermeneutics, but it still doesn¡¯t really make sense. I think there¡¯s a codebook for it.¡± ¡°A codebook?¡± ¡°Something like the twelfth word on page nine and the twenty-sixth word on page three hundred and sixty-two. It¡¯s a type of cipher.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded and memorized the numbers. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to visit the Russian yer Association to find out what the numbers mean.¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± ¡°...Can you get me some water?¡± Seo Jun-Ho washed his face and told her. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho came down to Earth and immediately requested a Teleporter. ¡°A Teleporter? Where are you going?¡± ¡°Russia.¡± Shim Deok-Gu frowned upon hearing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s exnation. ¡°That¡¯s not good. Yuri Alekseyev has never left a trace like that before.¡± ¡°Which means that her situation is dire...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t bother mentioning it, but there was a possibility that Yuri Alekseyev was already dead. A Heaven could easily deal with a vampire apostle, so¡­ ¡®Yuri Alekseyev must have stumbled upon a True Vampire.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t even have to think deeply about it to know the result. After all, he had faced a True Vampire before, so he knew that a Heaven would struggle against a True Vampire. ¡°Did you call me?¡± said a Teleport as they entered the room. Seo Jun-Ho reached out his hand for a handshake and said, ¡°To the Russian yer Association, please.¡± *** ¡°I-it is such an honor to meet you like this¡­¡± The President of the Russian yer Association was deeply moved to hear that Specter had visited him in person. However, his expression quickly turned grim upon hearing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s reason for his visit. ¡°Are you sure? Is it really Yuri who left that message?¡± ¡°I came here to confirm that.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Do you know what these numbers mean?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. The confused president finally recovered, and he retrieved four books from a nearby bookshelf. ¡°You can check it. It¡¯s from left to right¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s check it together.¡± Seo Jun-Ho opened the books and organized the words. The twelfth word on page nine¡ªHuman. The twenty-sixth word on page three hundred and sixty-two¡ªExtermination. The seventeenth word on page fifty-two¡ªWar. The fifth word on page one hundred and forty-one¡ªReady. Seo Jun-Ho muttered, ¡°Extermination of humans and get ready for war?¡± ¡°My god¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho nced at the pale president. ¡°Y-Yuri told me that she would focus on the enemies¡¯ ultimate goal.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the four words once again. ¡®This is Tepes¡¯ ultimate goal?¡¯ Yuri Alekseyev was clearly telling them to prepare for war because Tepes was nning to exterminate humankind. ¡°But this is strange...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was aware that humans needed human blood to exert their full strength, simr to how the werewolves needed moonlight. ¡°So why are they trying to exterminate humankind?¡± ¡°I-I have no clue.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®I¡¯ll have to watch Paradox¡¯s memories again.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He actually hadn¡¯t gone through the entirety of Paradox¡¯s memories. He only watched the important parts because Paradox was hundreds of years old, which meant that he was bound to have a ton of memories. However, Seo Jun-Ho figured that there had to be some information rted to Tepes¡¯ n within Paradox¡¯s memories. Seo Jun-Ho got up from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll get going then.¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± The President of the Russian yer Association hurriedly took out a transparent green jewel from a drawer. ¡°This item is called Jade of Life, and it was created by a yer in Mongol.¡± ¡°Jade of Life?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an item that indicates the condition of the individual connected to it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the jewel and said, ¡°The light is off...¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡± The President of the Russian yer Association looked like he was about to cry as he said hurriedly, ¡°The Mongolian yers aren¡¯t strong enough, so¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± In other words, the Jade of Life couldn¡¯t detect the life force of the individual it had established a connection with if the individual in question was too far away. Unfortunately, the Mongolian yers weren¡¯t strong enough to climb up to the 6th Floor, so the President of the Russian yer Association could only ask Seo Jun-Ho for help. The President of the Russian yer Association hurriedly handed over the Jade of Life to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Could you please check if Yuri is still alive on the 6th Floor?¡± he asked desperately, ¡°She has been by my side since she was young, and I already consider her my child, so please¡­ please help me find out if she¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared alternatingly between the Jade of Life and the president. Eventually, Seo Jun-Ho sighed and said, ¡°Sigh, Mr. President¡ª¡± ¡°I-I will give you anything! If you want, I can give you money, items, or even territory in Frontier¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wrapped his hands around the president¡¯s trembling hand. ¡°I¡¯ve never met her before, but Yuri Alekseyev is a member of the same advance party as me, so you don¡¯t have to worry because¡ª¡± The president¡¯s hands eventually stopped trembling. Seo Jun-Ho pulled the Jade of Life out of the president¡¯s hands and stared at thetter¡¯s face before continuing. ¡°¡ªSpecter does not abandon his colleagues.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho checked the Jade of Life as soon as he came up to the 6th Floor. ¡®The light is on.¡¯ However, the light was faint and the interval between flickers was long. ¡®He said that the light will tell me a lot about Yuri¡¯s condition¡­¡± Yuri Alekseyev was in terrible condition based on the light. Even worse, she might actually be on the brink of death right now. ¡®Which direction is it¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho moved the Jade of Life around. ¡®East?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intuition was telling him that he had to go east. In addition, Paradox¡¯s memories had also told him that the Vampire¡¯s House was located east of Trium. Seo Jun-Ho fell into deep contemtion. ¡®As long as there isn¡¯t any True Vampire there, I should have no trouble getting past security by myself¡­¡¯ The light¡¯s flickering interval was long, and the light was dim as well. This meant that if Seo Jun-Ho wanted to save Yuri, he had to go there as soon as possible. However, he still had to watch Paradox¡¯s memories once more. In the end, Seo Jun-Ho decided to book a nearby hotel room first. As soon as he stepped into the hotel room, hemanded. ¡°Recall Frost Queen; Summon Frost Queen.¡± Pong! The Frost Queen holding a fork in her hand abruptly appeared in front of him. ¡°...¡± She stared at Seo Jun-Ho without saying anything, but one could see the anguish in her expression. It looked like she was just about to eat a cake but was abruptly teleported here. Surprisingly, the Frost Queen didn¡¯t kick up a fuss. She put down her fork and asked, ¡°Sigh, what¡¯s going on? What¡¯s with that grave look?¡± ¡°Wait,¡± replied Seo Jun-Ho. He then summoned Seo Jun-Sik and finally exined, ¡°I need you guys to go through Paradox¡¯s memories. ¡°And what is it that we need to find out?¡± asked the Frost Queen. ¡°You want us to find out how exactly is he going to exterminate humankind, is that right?¡± said Seo Jun-Sik. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. In the meantime, I¡¯ll be looking for Yuri Alekseyev.¡± The Frost Queen and Seo Jun-Sik would go through Paradox¡¯s memories while he would rescue Yuri Alekseyev. This was the best n that Seo Jun-Ho eventually came up with at short notice. ¡°We have to hurry up. This is a race against time.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt as if a clock was ticking in his head. Chapter 482. Operation Recapture Trium (4) Chapter 482. Operation Recapture Trium (4) The Vampire¡¯s House located east of Trium was a hideout used by vampires to carry out secret tasks. ¡®There are apparently torture facilities here.¡¯ Fortunately, the torture that was being conducted here wasn¡¯t the kind of torture that Seo Jun-Ho was worried about. ¡®I hope I¡¯m not toote.¡¯ As long as Yuri Alekseyev was still breathing, Seo Jun-Ho would still be able to save her life. It didn¡¯t matter even if she no longer had any limbs. However, the story would change if she was no longer human. ¡®If she got bitten and became a vampire¡­ I¡¯ll have no choice but to kill her with mercy.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho approached the Vampire¡¯s House. ¡°I really feel like I¡¯m walking on thin ice these days¡­ am I the only one who feels that way?¡± ¡°I bet everyone feels the same. From the apostles to even Paradox¡­ it feels like something is going to happen.¡± ¡°And who was that human that Stigma brought back with him?¡± ¡°Who knows? No one really knows what he¡¯s thinking.¡± A few ordinary vampires were ying card games inside the Vampire¡¯s House, and not a single one of them was standing guard outside. Naturally, it was all because of the sunlight. ¡°Well, I guess there¡¯s no need for us to worry about that¡ªhmm?¡± One of the vampires stood up when he noticed a clump of darkness on the ceiling while raising his head to drink his alcohol. ¡°Is that dust?¡± He instinctively reached out his hand for the ceiling, but the clump of darkness fell on top of the table and turned into a human. ¡°W-what?!¡± ¡°An intruder!¡± Crack! The vampires froze before they could even make a move. ¡®Paradox¡¯s memories were right. The security here is pathetic.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho reached out to read the memory of the vampire on the left. - Hey, I locked a human in a room. Tell the therapist about it when he gets hereter. - Yes, sir. - Well, I gotta get going because Tepes is looking for me. I¡¯ll be back before it¡¯s toote. The memory projection of a short conversation appeared in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. ¡®True Vampire Stigma.¡¯ A devil in the form of a little boy. The fact that Stigma wasn¡¯t around here at the moment was certainly motivating. ¡®Let¡¯s rescue her as soon as possible and leave right away.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned into a clump of darkness that quickly flew away. *** The bound Yuri red at the man in front of her. ¡®Chef.¡¯ Chef was one of the executives of the Fiend Association. He was currently a wanted criminal traveling the world with the Heavenly Demon. ¡°Haha. What¡¯s up with that hateful look?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember having done anything that deserves such a gaze from you.¡± Chef shrugged and asked, ¡°Did one of your family members or friends disappear many years ago?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no. Then, why do you hate me so much?¡± ¡®Is he being serious right now?¡¯ Yuri¡¯s re didn¡¯t abate despite Chef¡¯s words. ¡®The official numbers say that this bastard has killed a thousand and four hundred twenty-seven yers, while the number of civilians who died by his hands¡­¡¯ The poor children who died in Rome¡¯s Paradise were certainly more than just a few thousand. Yuri couldn¡¯t believe that such a degenerate was asking her why she hated him. ¡°Do you like cooking?¡± Chef asked. He put a few assorted balls inside the pot and continued. ¡°I love cooking. I was a chef before I became a fiend, and everyone loved my cooking back then.¡± Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡­ Chef stirred the pot with adle. He tasted the soup and smiled. ¡°A chef will never feel sorry for their meat.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°After bing a fiend, the only thing that changed is that my source of meat has be humans rather than pigs, cows, and poultry. I¡¯m just a chef, so I have no idea why everyone wants to kill me.¡± Hearing that, Yuri spoke for the first time with a sneer. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because youck empathy that your parents treated you like shit and abandoned you.¡± ¡°...¡± Chef¡¯s smile vanished. He made a sidelong nce at Yuri and stared at thetter with an expressionless face. ¡°You know my past?¡± ¡°I know you very well, Roxan Imir. You¡¯re a psychopath who got expelled from the kitchen. You have never been a chef!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t expelled!¡± Bang! Chef jumped up from his seat and roared. ¡°The position should have belonged to me! A bastard stole it from me!¡± ¡°Wake up,¡± Yuri mocked. Chef was a kitchen assistant whose job was to chop onions, ording to Russian intelligence records. In other words, he had the lowest position in the kitchen, and his food had never even been served in the restaurant. He was far from being a chef. ¡°You have been introducing yourself as a chef, but you haven¡¯t even held a knife in a proper kitchen!¡± ¡°Shut up! Shut up!¡± The furious Chef started punching Yuri in the face. ¡°Shut up! Shut your trap! Shut up!¡± Yuri spat blood and fragments of her broken teeth beforeughing. ¡°If you¡¯re that angry, why don''t you kill me?¡± ¡°Why, you¡­!¡± Squeeze. Chef gnashed his teeth while squeezing Yuri¡¯s throat. He wanted to rip her apart, but he didn¡¯t dare to do so. ¡®True Vampire Stigma¡­¡¯ His ego was hurt, but it wouldn¡¯t make sense for him to turn Stigma into his enemy just to recover his ego. ¡°Aaahhh!¡± Chef let go of Yuri¡¯s throat and mmed a chair against the wall. Yuri clicked her tongue as she stared at the furious Chef. ¡®That¡¯s too bad.¡¯ Yuri wanted to die in Chef¡¯s hands. It was better than bing Stigma¡¯s toy. ¡°That¡¯s it. Open up!¡± Chef approached Yuri with a distorted expression and stuffed a ball he had taken out of his Inventory into her mouth. ¡°...!¡± Yuri¡¯s eyes widened. She started groaning at the terrible pain that made her feel as if she were being torn apart into countless pieces. ¡°Kehehe, do you really think that you can get off scot-free after provoking me?¡± Chef checked his watch and muttered, ¡°Rx, we still have an hour. I¡¯ll show you what hell feels like until our time together is up. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill you.¡± Crack! ¡°A¡ªaaarghhh!¡± Yuri screamed as her bones were shattered at once. Chef boisterouslyughed as he stuffed a gag bite in her mouth. ¡°You should be quiet while eating. It seems that you weren¡¯t taught proper table manners when you were still young.¡± ¡°Ah! Ugh¡­!¡± Yuri let out a groan as the waves of pain abated. It hadn¡¯t even been that long, but Yuri¡¯s eyes already resembled a dead fish. She was exhausted, and her voice had long gone hoarse from the screaming. She was incessantly trembling as well. ¡°What¡¯s up with that relieved look? It¡¯s only been ten minutes.¡± Chef shoved another ball into Yuri¡¯s mouth. ¡°...!¡± Yuri was terrified. She had already gotten a taste of how painful Chef¡¯s torture could be, so she knew that she was about to experience the same or even worse pain. ¡°Ugh, Uuuufff¡­!¡± ¡°Enjoy your meal~¡± Chef picked up the chair from the floor and casually sat down. Yuri¡¯s suffering made Chef smile softly once again. ¡°Now¡­ what other dishes should I make for you?¡± Chef retrieved a few more balls from his Inventory, and he started cooking them while humming. He still had four more balls, and he was nning on letting Yuri experience a pain that would make her wish that she was dead. ¡°Oh, I know! How about an electrifying vor? You¡¯ll feel like worms are crawling all over you,¡± eximed Chef. Ten minutester, Yuri¡¯s head helplessly drooped to her chest. She couldn¡¯t move anymore. At the sight, Chef grinned. ¡°Are you already full? I still haven¡¯t served you the main course.¡± He approached Yuri with another ball, but the door was smashed open. Bang! ¡°Argh!¡± Chef reflexively mustered his magic, but he was helplessly thrown against the wall. The man who entered the room didn¡¯t even nce at Chef. He examined the figure whose head was drooping to her chest. ¡®She¡¯s still alive, and she must be Yuri Alekseyev...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was a little surprised to see that Yuri was female. He thought that Yuri was a man, especially when he recalled the rumors about her. She was in terrible condition, but her energy certainly belonged to a human being. ¡®Thankfully, I made it in time¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho breathed a sigh of relief before finally turning to look at Chef. Chef was not only the being that Seo Jun-Ho had encountered in the memories of many fiends, but he was also the founder of Paradise in Rome. ¡°Chef.¡± ¡°Ke¡­ kekeke!¡± Chef staggered to his feet. He waved his hand with a look of joy upon recognizing Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Look who came here! It¡¯s Specter¡ªa hero of mankind!¡± ¡°You better get ready...¡± ¡°As far as I remember, you¡¯ve ruined my Paradise both times¡ª¡± Crack! Seo Jun-Ho punched with all his might. Chef¡¯s head was forcibly turned in the other direction before he could even finish speaking. However, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t done just yet¡­ He grabbed Chef¡¯s hair with his other hand and crushed Chef¡¯s face with his elbow. Crack! A horrible sound echoed. Chef¡¯s face caved in upon taking the brunt of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attack. ¡°Ugh¡­ughh¡­¡± Chef groaned while covered in his own blood. Seo Jun-Ho coldly spat, ¡°Get up. I haven¡¯t even used my magic yet.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t nning on giving Chef a painless death. He had to avenge the children and the yers who had suffered greatly from Chef¡¯s torture before they were allowed to perish. Seo Jun-Ho had to give Chef a taste of his own medicine. ¡°Keke¡­ kehehe!¡± Chefughed as he retrieved a green ball from his Inventory. He barely managed to open his mouth, and he swallowed the ball without chewing on it. The green ball quickly took effect and healed him. ¡°You¡¯re a hero of mankind, right? You¡¯re supposed to protect humans, so why are you so merciless to me?¡± ¡°I only protect humans, and¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied coldly. He swung his knee and shattered Chef¡¯s nose. Then, he leaped into the air and stomped on Chef¡¯s face. ¡°A bastard like you isn¡¯t human based on my standards.¡± ¡°A¡ªaaarghhh!¡± The agonizing pain made Chef scream, and he desperately searched his Inventory for a way to survive this ordeal. ¡®A-a dish¡­! I need a dish that can deal with Specter¡­!¡¯ Chef had made countless dishes using his Perfect Taste (S). However, he was more of a researcher rather than abatant. He quickly examined his arsenal of dishes, but none of them could deal with Specter. ¡°If you want to take something out of your Inventory, then you better take it out now¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cold voice reminded Chef of someone else. ¡®The Heavenly Demon¡­?¡¯ It was often said that rivals would eventually resemble each other, and it seemed that the saying was true because Chef had caught a glimpse of a ruthlessness that was even more ruthless than anything he had seen so far from within Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cold eyes. ¡°Kehehe.¡± At the thought that Specter might end up being his life¡¯s greatest work, Chef startedughing without realizing it. ¡°Just kill me¡­¡± Chef stretched his head toward Seo Jun-Ho. He no longer had any regrets, and he had already aplished his goal on the 6th Floor. However, Seo Jun-Ho only stared at Chef. ¡°I thought about it dozens¡ªno, hundreds of times.¡± ¡®I thought about the best way to kill this hopeless scum so that the poor souls of the hapless people he had killed would be satisfied upstairs.¡¯ ¡°You should look forward to what I have prepared for you. It¡¯s a kind of death that perfectly suits you,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He beckoned, and two vampires surrounded by four flying des entered the room. Once they were in the room, Seo Jun-Ho immediately ordered. ¡°Bite this bastard.¡± ¡°What, I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The vampires hesitated and started alternatingly between Chef and Seo Jun-Ho. Chef snorted at the sight and said, ¡°Do you really think that they¡¯ll bite me just because you said so? I¡¯m here as True Vampire Stigma¡¯s guest.¡± Bang! Seo Jun-Ho pulled the trigger of a gun he had pulled out without anyone realizing it. A headless vampire copsed to the floor, and thest remaining vampire in the room screamed. Seo Jun-Ho pointed the gun at thest remaining vampire and ordered. ¡°Bite him.¡± ¡°Hey, once again. I¡¯m True Vampire Stigma¡¯s¡ª¡± Chef started. However, thest remaining vampire pounced at Chef with his eyes tightly closed. ¡°A-aaargh¡­!¡± Upon being bitten, Chef started convulsing. Blood started flowing out of his orifices, but he didn¡¯t really need his own blood anymore to survive. ¡°...¡± Bang! Seo Jun-Ho shot down thest remaining vampire and bent down to whisper into Chef¡¯s ears. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°...¡± Chef closed his mouth tightly, and his eyes gradually widened as the puzzle pieces slowly came together to form a picture. Why did Specter turn him into a vampire? Upon realizing that, he opened his Inventory and started pulling his dishes out as if he had gone mad. ¡°No! There¡¯s no way! This can¡¯t be¡­!¡± Munch! Munch! Munch! Chef quickly swallowed a few balls, but his face became paler the more balls he swallowed. ¡®I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t taste anything¡­!¡¯ The dishes he was proud of had be tasteless to the point that they were now more disgusting than anything else he had ever eaten throughout his entire life. ¡°Bleeeck!¡± Chef vomited and emptied his stomach several times. ¡°It is said that vampires only drink human blood. I guess even water tastes disgusting to vampires.¡± ¡°...¡± Chef wordlessly stared eyes at the dirty floor. The floor was covered with his own blood. ¡®I-It¡¯s so filthy¡­ it¡¯s so filthy, but¡­!'' Blood was neither a dish nor an ingredient. However, he was already licking the floor before he even realized it. ¡°Ah! Ugh¡­ ah¡­!¡± ¡®It¡¯s delicious!¡¯ The dirty blood on the floor had be a thousand times tastier than any of the dishes he had made, including the ones he had been treating as his masterpieces. However, Chef insisted on denying it¡ªhe couldn¡¯t possibly admit it. ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± Seo Jun-Ho flung his magic toward the ceiling, poking a massive hole in it. Chef raised his head and looked up. The bright sunlight pervaded the room through the hole in the ceiling. ¡°No, no¡­!¡± Chef desperately shouted as his skin started to melt beneath the sunlight, sending waves of terrible pain all over him. He copsed and started trashing around on the floor as the sun incinerated him. In the end, Chef turned into ashes, leaving only his frozen head behind. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes tightly after confirming Chef¡¯s demise. He had promised to kill Chef in the most painful way possible. ¡®And I finally fulfilled that promise¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho prayed earnestly¡ªhe prayed that the souls of the children and the people whom Chef had sacrificed would finally rest in peace. Chapter 483. Operation Recapture Trium (5) Chapter 483. Operation Recapture Trium (5) Yuri slowly opened her eyes and realized that she was on someone else¡¯s back. ¡®...It feels stable.¡¯ The person carrying her was running at a fairly high speed, but she couldn¡¯t feel even a single tremor from the high-speed movement. The person¡¯s stride was consistent as well. Upon seeing the side profile of the person carrying her, Yuri muttered unknowingly, ¡°Specter?¡± ¡®Am I dreaming?¡¯ ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finally awake.¡± ¡®So, this isn¡¯t a dream¡­¡¯ ¡°Where am I¡ª¡± Yuri¡¯s expression abruptly distorted when she remembered what happened to her. She could remember how Stigma defeated her and the subsequent torture she suffered at Chef''s hands. Yuri started trembling upon recalling those harrowing scenes. Seo Jun-Ho saw Yuri biting her lips tightly, and he reassured her. ¡°You¡¯re fine now. I took care of them.¡± ¡°But, Chef was there as well...¡± ¡°I took care of him, too.¡± ¡°...I owe you. Thank you.¡± Yuri nodded and tapped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back. ¡°I can walk on my own now. Please put me down.¡± Yuri immediately examined herself as soon as she got off Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back. It seemed that she had recovered greatly after receiving treatment from Specter. ¡°What happened?¡± Yuri asked. ¡°I saw your post on Community. You¡¯re Yuri Alekseyev, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yes, I¡¯m known by that name,¡± Yuri nodded. She felt uneasy for some reason. Seo Jun-Ho exined what had happened in a nutshell. Afterward, he stared at her with a serious look on his face and asked, ¡°What exactly did you mean by human extermination and prepare for war?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Yuri stiffened, but she quickly exined, ¡°Tepes wants to exterminate the human beings of this world.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t he run out of human blood? I mean, vampires need human blood to survive, right?¡± ¡°Tepes¡¯ n involves oveing the thirst for blood and eventually bing a god through evolution.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was speechless. It wasn¡¯t really strange because Tepes¡¯ idea was so absurd that a sane individual couldn¡¯t havee up with it. ¡°Paradox has been holding Tepes back by opposing his n until now, but Paradox is already¡­¡± Yuri nced at Seo Jun-Ho before continuing. ¡°Anyway, Paradox is dead, so he no longer has the chains that have been holding him back all this time.¡± ¡°Do you know more details of his n?¡± ¡°No. True Vampire Stigma started chasing me soon after I found out what I told you just now, so¡­¡± Yuri trailed off. Seo Jun-Ho could only hope that Seo Jun-Sik and the Frost Queen would be able to find more details about Tepes¡¯ n. ¡°You should go down to Earth. We¡¯re going to need the yers¡¯ support.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Yuri didn¡¯t bother to insist on staying and fighting. She wasn¡¯t in a condition to fight, and her slot configuration wasn¡¯t suitable forbat as well. In addition, someone had to go down to Earth to bring reinforcements up here. ¡°I wish you the best of luck.¡± Yuri bade farewell and disappeared from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s view into a carriage. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the carriage for a while. All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s voice rang in his head. ¡®Hey, Original. I think we found it...¡¯ *** Upon entering the hotel room he had booked earlier in the day, Seo Jun-Ho saw two figures staring at a video projection with serious looks. ¡°What is it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Here,¡± the Frost Queen said as she yed the video. The city in the video wasn¡¯t Trium. ¡°Where is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small city called Ferris located on a continent directly next to this continent where we are right now. Paradox used to live here.¡± The city in the video was covered in red fog. However, the red fog looked thicker and stickier than Trium¡¯s red fog. - Aaaahhh! - Mom! Mom! The red fog in the sky seemed to have be a massive vacuum cleaner that sucked everything on the ground toward it. The tornado of red fogsted for about thirty minutes. ¡°Is that it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s the other way around¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik answered grimly, ¡°This is just the beginning.¡± ¡°What do you¡ª¡± The video answered Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s question. The people who got sucked into the red fog fell to the ground, and their demeanors were now different. After falling to the ground, they thrashed around for a few seconds, and they immediately started running after getting up. ¡°...!¡± They pounced and bit the people hiding in the buildings. ¡°Did they get infected when they got sucked into the red fog?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Perhaps, but they¡¯re different from ordinary vampires because it seems like they have lost their minds,¡± Jun-Sik answered. ¡°Yes. It appears that they have be beasts whose sole purpose in life is to bite human beings¡ªlike zombies¡ªfor example,¡± said the Frost Queen with a nod. The video was fast-forwarded, showing Ferris¡¯ demise. Overnight, a city with a poption of thirty thousand was infected. The citizens of Ferris were reduced to ashes when the sun rose by daybreak. ¡°Is that¡­ Tepes¡¯ n to exterminate humans?¡± ¡°It¡¯s much more convenient and faster than killing humans one by one.¡± It was truly an efficient way to kill arge number of humans in the shortest time possible. Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips. ¡°We have to be prepared.¡± ¡°How do we even prepare for that?¡± Seo Jun-Sik shook his head. ¡°You saw it in the video, and there¡¯s no way we can prepare for that kind of attack.¡± The red fog had already grownrge enough to cover the entire city of Trium. No matter how determined they were and how desperate they wanted to protect the citizens of Trium¡ªthere was no way they could protect every corner of Trium from the red fog. ¡°...First, let¡¯s go back.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally obtained the information he needed, but his worries weren¡¯t assuaged at all. *** The vige was already busy even before Seo Jun-Ho got back from his mission, but the entire vige was thrown into an uproar when they heard the horrifying news that Seo Jun-Ho had brought back with him. An emergency meeting was conducted, and Skaya reassured the werewolves. ¡°It is unnecessary to panic. Even if Jun-Ho¡¯s words are true, our goal is still the same.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true.¡± Arnold and the other werewolves nodded. Their goal had always been the red fog. ¡°But we do have to execute our n ahead of schedule.¡± ¡°I agree. Tepes can carry out his n at any time, after all.¡± Actually, Tepes¡¯ n to exterminate all human beings could even be carried out tonight. The werewolves gulped and rose from their seats. ¡°I¡¯ll get in touch with the other tribes as soon as possible, and I will tell them to get here with as many warriors as they can bring.¡± ¡°That would be nice.¡± Arnold nodded and looked at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Jun-Ho. How many reinforcements will being from your world?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought about it for a moment before replying, ¡°I¡¯m thinking around twenty thousand people.¡± Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that things would be different from what had happened on the 5th Floor. The eight thousand people on the 5th Floor volunteered to rescue Seo Jun-Ho. However, he reckoned that it would be different this time because¡­ ¡®Climb has already copsed, so there should be more participants this time.¡¯ ¡°Twenty thousand people?!¡± Arnold was stupefied. ¡°A-are they all as strong as you by chance?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Rahmadat snorted. He shook his head and said, ¡°You overestimate the yers. However, the majority of them should be on par with your warriors. Of course, the stronger one will be more powerful than the vampire apostles.¡± ¡°That is a pleasant surprise¡­¡± Arnold clenched his fists. They truly had a chance of winning against the vampires if they had that many powerful allies. ¡°This time, we should be able to get rid of the red fog and drive out the vampires from Trium for good. Of course, we will also stop Tepes from achieving his goal.¡± The werewolves had consistently been on a disadvantageous all this while, and they had lost more than their honor. Therefore, there was no way that Arnold would retreat in the face of the golden opportunity that would allow him to recover their honor as wolves. ¡°In two days at daybreak, we shallmence Operation Recapture Trium.¡± *** Rahmadat asked as soon as the party returned to their residence after the emergency meeting. The party returned to their residence after the emergency meeting. As soon as they arrived at their residence, Rahmadat asked, ¡°Jun-Ho. Did you read Chef¡¯s memories?¡± ¡°I did.¡± The reason he froze Chef¡¯s head at thest minute was that there was a huge chance that he wouldn¡¯t be able to read Chef¡¯s memories once thetter was incinerated by the sunlight. ¡°Where is the Heavenly Demon right now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on the 3rd Floor.¡± ¡°Damn it. I knew it.¡± Rahmadat sighed. Seo Jun-Ho added, ¡°It¡¯s the best Floor if you want to hide. The 3rd Floor is ava field, after all.¡± ¡°Is he still recovering?¡± ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know whether he has recovered or if he¡¯s still recovering. Chef came up to the 6th Floor to develop a drug. ¡°He came here to develop a drug simr to Wolf Wine.¡± The drug required the blood of werewolves, whose vitality and regeneration rate were high. Chef managed to create the drug, and he gave it to the Heavenly Demon. Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that the Heavenly Demon¡¯s recovery rate had to have increased after taking Chef¡¯s drug. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt his intuition telling him that there was a high chance that the Heavenly Demon would show up on the next Floor. ¡®When we meet again, I¡¯ll make sure to put an end to our ill-fated rtionship¡­¡¯ It was also the reason Seo Jun-Ho kept on training to be even stronger. ¡°So, Contractor. What was Yuri Alekseyev like? Was he like a three-meter-tall giant?¡± asked the Frost Queen. ¡°No, she was an ordinarydy,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Skaya tilted her head. ¡°Wait. Yuri is a woman?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s unexpected, isn¡¯t it?¡± It wasn¡¯t really strange for people to assume that Yuri was a male because herst name was Alekseyev, and it was a masculinest name. Since Yuri was female, then her realst name had to be Alekseyeva rather than Alekseyev. ¡°She must be using a fake name. I guess she doesn¡¯t want people to discover her true identity.¡± ¡°But why would she do that when she¡¯s a Heaven?¡± ¡°Well, everyone has their reasons for their own actions,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho, ending the topic right there and then as he got up from his seat. As usual, the red fog enveloped Trium once again because it was already night. ¡®We will advance into the city at daybreak the day after tomorrow.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned to Rahmadat. ¡°How is your training going so far?¡± ¡°...Heh, I would have been quite disappointed if you didn¡¯t ask.¡± Rahmadat smiled. He gently tapped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will protect you from the back until you fall.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You should be Jun-Ho¡¯s meatshield, so why would you hide behind him?¡± ¡°Tsk. I really feel sorry for you¡ªyou¡¯re ignorant of the beautiful and burning friendship of men.¡± ¡°Yeah? Well, I don¡¯t like hot things in the first ce, and I only drink iced coffee as well.¡± The Frost Queen saw them quarrel like elementary school students once again. She sighed and muttered to herself, ¡°Sigh. They really are a childish bunch.¡± ¡®Says the few hundred years old Spirit whose face is covered in whipped cream¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho quietly handed over a handkerchief to the Frost Queen. *** On the afternoon of the next day, many people started climbing up the mountain to the Twilight w Tribe¡¯s vige. ¡°Those people are¡­¡± ¡°Mmhmm. They are our allies. We can leave our sides and backs to them on tomorrow¡¯s war,¡± Arnold replied with a smile. It had been ten years since the warriors of the four tribes had gathered in one ce. Until now, they had been hiding and could only cautiously contact each other. ¡°Kehaha! Nice to see you again, you punk!¡± ¡°Wee. Grigor, Mekenbo, and Charlotte.¡± ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°How long has it been since we got together like this?¡± The chiefs dly hugged each other as if they were family members who were finally reunited after a long time of parting. ¡°Are the chiefs really that close to each other, even though they belong to different tribes?¡± Rahmadat asked Mone. ¡°No way,¡± Mone smiled slightly and shook her head. ¡°It has been a while since they reunited, so they naturally have to be friendly for now. Wait ten minutes, and something should change.¡± Unfortunately, Mone seemed to have overestimated the chief. It had only been two minutes, but Arnold was already frowning. ¡°Grigor, you¡¯re still growing that beard? It makes you look like a beggar. Wait, didn¡¯t I tell you about that before?¡± ¡°What? Can¡¯t you see that the young wolves of my tribe are growing the same beard?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ no wonder why they looked so ugly. It¡¯s actually all your fault, huh?¡± ¡°Shut up, Mekenbo. I¡¯m still taller than you, you shortie.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to mention my height?¡± Skaya saw the chefs quarreling with each other. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we stop them? We¡¯re going to war tomorrow.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to stop them. What they¡¯re doing is a kind of confirmation.¡± ¡°What are they confirming?¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re picking on each other because they¡¯re embarrassed to ask their friends about how strong they had be in the meantime.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s dumb. I thought only Rahmadat would do that. Shouldn¡¯t it be better if they just ask each other?¡± said Skaya. She started shaking her head when the chefs¡¯ quarrel intensified. ¡°They¡¯re not bad at all,¡± Rahamadat muttered while staring at the chefs. The chiefs of each tribe were slightly inferior to Arnold, but the Arch Warriors and warriors of each tribe seemed to be on a simr skill level to each other. ¡°There should only be around sixty vampire apostles at most, so this might be easier than we think¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be so sure of that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said and firmly shook his head. If Seo Jun-Ho were in Tepes¡¯ shoes, there was no way he would just sit back and do nothing when he could finally aplish the goal that he had been wanting to achieve for a long time. ¡°Right now, he could be creating more vampire apostles to keep the werewolves in check once he kick-started his n of exterminating all human beings.¡± ¡°That makes sense...¡± Rahmadat nodded and clenched his fists. Atst, the dawn of Operation Recapture Trium¡¯smencement had arrived. Chapter 484. Deja Vu (1) Chapter 484. Deja Vu (1) Arnold and the three chiefs stared down at the thousands of warriors on the in. The sight made Arnold¡¯s heart beat even faster because it was a sight that he couldn¡¯t have imagined that he would see once more since they were driven out of the city. ¡°The time hase¡­¡± The benevolent moon had given the werewolves an opportunity. It was a bit funny, but the werewolves, who had been driven out of the city by the same humans they had been protecting for generations, sought help to recapture Trium from the humans. ¡°Today, we shall reim our homnd in honor of ourrades who have gone to meet our ancestors at the Twilight Hill!¡± The werewolves howled and cried when the chiefs raised their clenched fists. ¡°Awooo!¡± ¡°Awooo! Awooo!¡± The chiefs didn¡¯t need to ask any more questions, because the werewolves¡¯ determination to reim theirnd was clear from their howls. ¡°Forwaaard!¡± A roar tore through the air, and the werewolves rushed forward, roaring in reply. The chiefs of each tribe were ahead of the lines, and they shouted, ¡°Our destination is the royal pce of Trium!¡± ¡°Get rid of the red fog and take down the True Vampires!¡± ¡°Maintain the line!¡± The sight of more than one thousand people running on the in at full speed was spectacr. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s message window was constantly shing with lights as he ran along with the wolves. [This is group A-2. On standby on the square in front of the royal pce.] [This is group B-7. En route to ambush enemies in the sewers.] [This is group H-10. Ready to raid the Vampire¡¯s House.] All 21,745 yers who had gone up to the 6th Floor the previous night had already surrounded the royal pce of Trium. The key to this operation was definitely speed. ¡®We need to storm in and end everything as fast as possible.¡¯ Their n was to get rid of the red fog and kill the True Vampires before the True Vampires could even react. With their numbers and the strength of each individual yer in this operation, the n had a high chance of seeding. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho! How far away are we from the meeting ce?¡± Arnold asked. ¡°Three kilometers!¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered. Seo Jun-Ho had no intention of running along the in all day to get to the royal pce of Trium. He approached Arnold and raised his hand. ¡°Tell everyone to narrow the lines and form two ranks!¡± ¡°Narrow the formation and form two ranks!¡± The werewolves immediately repositioned themselves into two lines in response to Arnold¡¯s shout. A man d in a suit standing by himself on the vast in weed them from afar. ¡°This way!¡± The man was none other than Shin Sung-Hyun. Shin Sung-Hyun was skilled at manipting space, and his ability to connect ces to each other was convenient, especially when it came to movingrge numbers of people. Shin Sung-Hyun mustered as much magic power as he could and concentrated as hard as he could to create arge rift in space. Buzz! Arge rift in space manifested, connected to the space above the royal pce of Trium. Seo Jun-Ho nced at Shin Sung-Hyun and said, ¡°Great work.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun nodded lightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll follow you right away as well.¡± Mekenbo, the Chief of the Sharp Tooth Tribe, shouted, ¡°Everyone! Infiltrate the royal pce!¡± Bang! Crash! The werewolves transformed in mid-air and broke through the royal pce¡¯s ceiling. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°Damn it, the dogs are here!¡± ¡°Awooo!¡± The vampire apostles standing guard used their abilities to resist, but to no avail. A thousand werewolves overwhelmed them like a deluge. Tap, tap. Arnold gently patted Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho. We will go and search the underground, so you should stay here and protect everyone here.¡± Arnold hadplete faith in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s abilities. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have told Seo Jun-Ho to stay here and deal with the True Vampires if they appeared. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Go ahead.¡± Trium was soon filled with explosions all over as the werewolves infiltrated the city¡¯s underground using many different routes. In other words, the werewolves and the yers were now fighting against the vampire apostles all over the city. ¡®Everything is going ording to n so far. It¡¯s perfect, and there are no problems.¡¯ They believed that the red fog was being generated beneath the royal pce, so the game would end once they managed to get rid of the red fog generator. The werewolves and the yers would emerge victorious with the perfect checkmate. ¡®There¡¯s no way the vampires would have expected the war to end this quickly.¡¯ Arnold and the werewolves soon emerged from the basement of the royal pce with bright expressions. ¡°We found it! This thing has been generating the red fog!¡± ¡°What is that, a heart?¡± Arnold was holding a heart. It was beating slowly, even though it wasn¡¯t connected to any blood vessels and had no blood flowing through. ¡°It smells like Tepes¡¯ heart.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡®He pulled his own heart out and stored it away from his body?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head in disbelief. All of a sudden, a series of reports popped up on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s message window. [This is Skaya! The musclehead and I sessfully got rid of True Vampire Stigma!] [Mr. Specter! This is Ju-Ha. The Heavens and I managed to dispose of Ghost!] The True Vampires were powerful, but they couldn¡¯t withstand the ambush of so many yers and werewolves. Arnold smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go and see Tepes, shall we?¡± ¡°...Let¡¯s go.¡± Arnold and Seo Jun-Ho proudly walked down the luxurious corridors of the royal pce before finally entering the throne room. Instead of a throne, however, they found a dull-looking coffin inside the massive hall. Tepes was sitting on the lid of the dull-looking coffin, staring at a map with a pensive look. ¡°It¡¯s over now, Tepes.¡± Tepes nodded slowly at Arnold¡¯s words. He looked as if he truly hadn¡¯t expected all this as he swept his gaze across everyone in the throne room. ¡°The werewolves and the humans. Ah, yes¡­ you guys must be the so-called yers of Earth. The demons told me about you guys,¡± Tepes said casually, seemingly epting his defeat with ease. ¡°I could have never expected an ambush like this. There were no warning signs, so I guess it¡¯s myplete defeat.¡± ¡°...¡± The silent Seo Jun-Ho remained silent as his heart was gripped by a peculiar feeling. It wasn¡¯t the first time he encountered this feeling, and it was a kind of anxiety that he would only feel whenever things had gone a bit too well. ¡®Why is he so obedient? Is he really going to ept his defeat just like that?¡¯ Tepes¡¯rades¡ªTrue Vampire Stigma and True Vampire Ghost¡ªhad perished. The vampire apostles near the royal pce had been killed, and the heart generating the red fog had also been destroyed. In other words, the game was over. The vampires lost, while the alliance of werewolves and humans emerged victorious. Seo Jun-Ho suddenly recalled something and asked, ¡°By any chance, are there still any demons in this city?¡± ¡°Demons?¡± Tepes shook his head at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s question. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them even once since they gave me their blood.¡± ¡®So, why is he so rxed?¡¯ Tepes slowly rose from his seat and stared at the wolves and yers. ¡°I must concede defeat. You have emerged victorious this time.¡± ¡°...This time?¡± Hearing that, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡®What is Tepes¡¯ ability?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho managed to discover the abilities of the other True Vampires, thanks to Paradox¡¯s memories. True Vampire Stigma¡¯s ability allowed him to track down any marked opponent for eternity, while True Vampire Ghost could manipte space. However, Paradox had no clue about Tepes¡¯ ability, so Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t managed to find any information about Tepes¡¯ ability. ¡°Mark my words¡ªI won¡¯t let you down next time.¡± ¡°Next time? Wait, don¡¯t tell me?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly sent the four des of his Freedom de toward Tepes. Shwik! The four des buried themselves into Tepes. Tepes staggered backward, but he was smiling. Snap! The first True Vampire, Tepes, snapped his fingers. *** The cold breeze of dawn tickled Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cheeks. Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across the chefs standing ahead of their own line. ¡°Today, we shall reim our homnd in honor of ourrades who have gone to meet our ancestors at the Twilight Hill!¡± The werewolves howled and cried when the chiefs raised their clenched fists. ¡°Awooo!¡± ¡°Awooo! Awooo!¡± The scene in front of him was indeed heartwarming, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart didn¡¯t feel warm at all. Instead, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart was gripped by a peculiar feeling. ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯ This was definitely his first time seeing this heartwarming scene, but he felt like he had already seen this scene before. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho knew what he was feeling, and it was none other than a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡®I think I¡¯m just nervous for the first time in a while¡­¡¯ For Seo Jun-Ho, nervousness wasn¡¯t bad. It was a thousand times better to be nervous than to be careless. A system window popped up, and Seo Jun-Ho inadvertently looked at it. [Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) is ready for possible side effects.] ¡®What? Why did Hero¡¯s Mind activate just now?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho blinked out of confusion. However, his train of thought was cut short. He had to run with the werewolves and into the rift in space that Shin Sung-Hyun had created. ¡°Forwaaard!¡± The werewolves transformed in mid-air and broke through the royal pce¡¯s ceiling. They then tore the vampire apostles apart. Tap, tap. Arnold gently patted Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho. We will go and search the underground, so you should stay here and protect everyone here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Go ahead.¡± The werewolves proceeded to infiltrate the city¡¯s underground using many different routes. However, it hadn¡¯t even been that long since their infiltration started, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s message window was already shing like crazy as if it were on fire. [Argh! This is the group at the square in front of the royal pce! We have been ambushed! We¡¯re retreating!] [This is group B-7. The drain has copsed over the yers! Reinforcements necessary!] [T-this is group H-10! We fell into a trap! There was a bomb in the Vampire¡¯s House and¡ª] Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes quivered. He felt overwhelmed, but his Imperturbable Mind and Hero¡¯s Mind stabilized him before he could feel dizzy. ¡®A trap and an ambush? How is that possible¡­¡¯ The yers didn¡¯t even know each other¡¯s location throughout the operation, and it was to prevent enemy espionage via brainwashing and hypnosis. Seo Jun-Ho was the only one who knew the locations of every single group because he was the leader of the operation. ¡®There¡¯s no way I can get hypnotized or brainwashed. Wait, does this mean¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head swung back to the stairs leading to the underground. After a while, the wolves quickly rushed out of the stairs with an enormous bang. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head jerked toward the stairs leading to the basement of the royal pce. ¡°A-a trap¡­ a bomb¡­!¡± ¡°Damn it all! Chief Charlotte and Grigor have been killed in action!¡± ¡°Chief Arnold is in aa! He¡¯s bleeding heavily!¡± Everything had turned into aplete mess. ¡®How is this possible? How did the enemy find out about our ns?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shivered, but a voice in his head interrupted his thoughts. - Partner! Wake up! Keen Intuition spoke for the first time in a while. - You need to kill Tepes first. ¡®What? What do you mean¡­¡¯ - For some reason, I feel like that¡¯s the only way. It was a baseless assumption, but it came from Keen Intuition. Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips. In the end, he leaped into the air and tapped furiously on his message window. [Skaya, Rahmadat! Join me right now! We¡¯re going to attack Tepes!] [Wait, what?! We¡¯re in the middle of dealing with Stigma right now!] [Jun-Ho. If we leave, the yers here will¡ª] [I know! But I need you! Please juste here! Please¡­!] Seo Jun-Ho knew that he was being unreasonable here, but he wanted his friends to trust in him. Bang! Seo Jun-Ho kicked open the door to the throne room. Tepes was sitting on the lid of a coffin with a calm look. He looked away from the map and stared at Seo Jun-Ho before saying, ¡°What do you think? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not disappointed this time, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡®What is he talking about?¡¯ There was a burst of magic as Skaya and Rahmadat appeared next to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho apologized and retrieved White Dragon from his Inventory. ¡°I¡¯ll exin everythingter. But¡­ but I need you guys to just trust me for now.¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya and Rahmadat nodded without saying anything. They simply turned toward Tepes. ¡°Hm.¡± Tepes stood up, scratching his head. *** Seo Jun-Ho swayed, breathing heavily. He was in a terrible condition. He had lost everything beneath his right knee, and blood kept on flowing out of his left eye. ¡®Skaya, Rahmadat¡­¡¯ Skaya and Rahmadat were on the floor, and their conditions were worse. They looked like they could die at any moment. However, he had obtained a clear answer to his burning question. ¡°...I can¡¯t believe I lost again,¡± Tepes murmured. Half of his head was missing, and he was currently on the floor. Hecked the strength to stand up, so he painstakingly turned his head to Seo Jun-Ho and said, ¡°You possess such unbelievable power, yer. By any chance, are you also capable of hearing God¡¯s voice?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s thoughts didn¡¯t allow him toprehend what Tepes was saying. He simply stood there and gripped the spear in his hand tightly. ¡®It¡¯s time¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had discovered Tepes¡¯ ability while he was fighting thetter. He was sure of it. Tepes¡¯ ability was definitely time maniption. Otherwise, Tepes wouldn¡¯t have been able to time his attacks just slightly off, and he wouldn¡¯t have been able to read Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attacks as well. ¡®Tepes¡¯ ability is to manipte time.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho knew the terrors of time more than anyone else. After all, he had been forced to fight Erebo with the power to go back in time on the 4th Floor. Without the power to go back in time, he wouldn''t have been able to take down such a ridiculously strong monster. He had finally managed to win after many regressions. Still, the fight hadsted over seventeen years. ¡°Let me ask you one thing,¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked in a trembling voice, ¡°How many times has it been?¡± ¡°Hmm, you truly are outstanding. To think that you would notice the trick...¡± Tepes was genuinely surprised, prompting him to answer in a voice full of respect. ¡°Rest assured. We have only met twice so far.¡± The tip of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s spear trembled. Seo Jun-Ho finally realized how scary it was to face an enemy who could regress. ¡®Is this how Erebo felt while he was fighting me?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t sure of what Erebo had felt, but one thing was for sure¡ªit felt miserable to face an enemy who could regress, especially when one was aware of their enemy¡¯s ability. ¡°I will try harder on the third time.¡± Snap! *** ¡°Today, we shall reim our homnd in honor of ourrades who have gone to meet our ancestors at the Twilight Hill!¡± The werewolves howled and cried when the chiefs raised their clenched fists. ¡°Awooo!¡± ¡°Awooo! Awooo!¡± While watching the werewolves howl, Seo Jun-Ho was suddenly struck by a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. [Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) is ready for possible side effects.] ¡®What? Why did Hero¡¯s Mind activate just now?¡¯ While Seo Jun-Ho was agonizing over the reason why Hero¡¯s Mind had activated all of a sudden, Keen Intuition spoke for the first time in a while. - Partner. ¡°Intuition?¡± ¡®I thought this guy was sleeping, and that¡¯s why he hasn¡¯t been answering my calls. So why is he suddenly talking to me? Hero¡¯s Mind activated for some reason as well, and with Keen Intuition speaking up all of a sudden¡­ just what the hell is going on?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was baffled, and he stood there with wide eyes as many thoughts shed across his mind. Eventually, Keen Intuition spoke once more. - Listen carefully, partner. It seems that we¡¯re in a¡­ very difficult situation right now. Chapter 485. Deja Vu (2) Chapter 485. Deja Vu (2) Seo Jun-Ho frowned at Keen Intuition¡¯s words. ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± - We don¡¯t have much time, so I won¡¯t bear around the bush. Partner, have you ever had a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu? Don¡¯t you feel like we¡¯ve encountered this situation before? ¡°Well, now that you¡¯ve mentioned¡­¡± ¡®All this does sound familiar. I mean, isn¡¯t that what d¨¦j¨¤ vu is supposed to be?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°This scene does feel familiar to me, but what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Meanwhile, the werewolves next to him started running. ¡°What are you doing, Seo Jun-Ho? Run!¡± ¡°It seems that you aren¡¯t as fast as us!¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but let¡¯s start running before anything else.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s figure blurred. He arrived ahead of the werewolves in the blink of an eye. - Have you really forgotten everything, or are you just running away from the truth? ¡°...¡± Keen Intuition¡¯s chiding cooled Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind, and the emotions that had unknowingly been buried in a corner of his heart started to surface like bubbles rising to the surface of the water. Seo Jun-Ho asked in a low voice, ¡°Is it what I think it is?¡± - It seems to be exactly what you think it is. The answer is obvious¡ªjust take a look at how frustrated you are. Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips and demanded. ¡°Exin everything to me. How is this d¨¦j¨¤ vu and the current situation rted?¡± - The System never lies. Do you really think that Hero¡¯s Mind would activate for no reason at all? ¡°...Damn it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed as his brain made sense of the chaotic series of events. ¡®A d¨¦j¨¤ vu, Hero¡¯s Mind sudden activation, and Keen Intuition¡¯s warning¡­¡¯ It seemed chaotic at first nce, but the answer that Seo Jun-Ho had received after extrapting was clearly saying that¡­ ¡°Did we go back in time?¡± - I reached the same conclusion after experiencing a deluge of emotions from you, partner. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and pondered. ¡®This time, I¡¯m not the one who is turning back time¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked around. If an ally turned back time, then something had definitely gone wrong. ¡®In that case, then they would have already told us what had happened.¡¯ However, the werewolves weren¡¯t acting strange and were focused only on running. In other words, the regressor wasn¡¯t one of his allies¡ªat least, he wasn¡¯t familiar with them. ¡®What do you think about the possibility that there¡¯s a yer who can turn back time among us?¡¯ - The chances are very low. In addition, a yer with that kind of skill doesn¡¯t just appear out of nowhere. ¡®So it¡¯s neither the werewolves nor the humans.¡¯ In other words, there could only be one answer. ¡®It¡¯s that True Vampire¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shone sharply. Meanwhile, Shin Sung-Hyun started waving his hands. ¡°Here! This way!¡± ¡°Everyone! Jump into the rift!¡± ¡°For the werewolves¡­!¡± Arnold cried out. The werewolves picked up their pace, but a huge wall of ice suddenly appeared on the in. The werewolves couldn¡¯t slow down in time, and they collided against the wall of ice. ¡°Argh! My knee is fucked!¡± ¡°My forehead hurts¡­!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? It hurts! It stings! Awooo!¡± The werewolves blew on their wounds with tears in their eyes. Skaya turned to Seo Jun-Ho and asked, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for killing the mood, and forgive me because I¡¯m going to do it again¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho then proceeded to send a message to everyone¡¯s message window. [This is Specter. I repeat. This is Specter.] Seo Jun-Ho calmly faced the doubtful eyes of everyone on the in. [Operation Recapture Trium is canceled. All yers evacuate the city.] *** Swoosh! A man in a gray suit was looking up at a tree that was so massive that it seemed as though it was supporting the entire world. The man in a gray suit was in a forest filled with the pleasant breeze of spring. ¡°It¡¯s been a while...¡± - How have you been, Gray? ¡°Nothing much has changed. Anyway, I should have told you earlier, but I¡¯m sorry for the difficult time you had to go through.¡± -Thank you. The World Tree gently waved her branches. - So, what brings you here today? ¡°I came here to ask you something. Do you have a minute?¡± - I have enough time. Go ahead. Gray nodded and got straight to the point. ¡°Is it really okay to leave the 6th Floor as it is?¡± - Yes. It¡¯s okay. Gray didn¡¯t know what to say in response to the World Tree¡¯s firm and decisive reply. - I think I know why you are here. It seems that the demons had granted them too much power. ¡°Their ability is much more powerful than we have presumed. Are you sure the yers will get through it?¡± - It is amusing to see you show interest in a ce that isn¡¯t even in your jurisdiction. For a moment, Gray felt as if the World Tree was scrutinizing him. However, he only smiled gently in response. ¡°Well, you already know why...¡± - I do know very well. I¡¯m just surprised to see you this proactive. ¡°Well, Reiji isn¡¯t the only one who wants to retire.¡± - Will they manage to get through it? ¡°How would I know that?¡± Gray shrugged. ¡°But I must admit, it is within my expectations.¡± - I concur. The World Tree truly felt the same as Gray. - If you¡¯re here because you¡¯re worried about the 6th Floor, then I am telling you that you do not have to worry about it. ¡°You looked that far into the future?¡± - Yup. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to make arrangements for yer Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡®As expected. She is indeed the mighty World Tree.¡¯ Gray nodded and said, ¡°I guess my worries were unfounded. Some of the yers are definitely¡­ growing at a rate that exceeds our expectations.¡± - They are part of nature as well. It is only natural for them to assimte into the surrounding environment. People would inevitably go toward a source of light¡­ Gray breathed a sigh of relief. The World Tree¡¯s words had truly relieved him of his worries. ¡°I feel a little relieved, thanks to you.¡± - Don¡¯t mention it. The Tree of Wisdom, the World Tree, was confident of the yers¡¯ chances, so Gray didn¡¯t have to worry about them. ¡®She probably gave some of her power to Seo Jun-Ho¡­¡¯ The higher-ups would definitely discuss it once they discovered it, but it was better than the yers¡¯ annihtion. Gray repeatedly nodded. However, he seemed to have remembered something as he spoke, ¡°By the way¡­¡± - Yes? Go ahead. ¡°Hypothetically speaking, what if Seo Jun-Ho ends up clearing the 6th Floor without taking advantage of your arrangement?¡± -... The massive World Tree remained silent for a while. When a cold dew dripped down one of her branches andnded on the ground, the World Tree finally spoke. - No, no way. There is no way they could get through the 6th Floor without taking advantage of my arrangement. ¡°The yers have always defiedmon sense, you know...¡± ¡®That won¡¯t be good. The arrangement I had prepared was only suitable for the 6th Floor, and it was only possible because I looked into that future¡­¡¯ The World Tree¡¯s branched drooped as she spoke. - I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s rare, but if it happens, then perhaps the flow of fate that has always been inscrutable to me would turn and twist once more. It would be impossible to know whether the changes would be beneficial to the yers or not. The World Tree could only earnestly pray that she hadn¡¯t made the wrong choice. *** ¡°Exin!¡± Bang! Mekenbo mmed the desk of the barracks made out of ice that Seo Jun-Ho had made on the spot in the middle of the ins. He red at Seo Jun-Ho and said, ¡°What¡¯s the reason? Did you get scared of the uing war?¡± ¡°Watch your mouth, Mekenbo,¡± Arnold warned in a low voice. He turned toward Seo Jun-Ho and asked, ¡°Why did you do it?¡± In Arnold¡¯s eyes, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t afraid of going to war. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to get rid of Paradox. Seo Jun-Ho said calmly, ¡°Keen Intuition said that we shouldn¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Do you really think that I¡¯ll be satisfied with that?!¡± Mekenbo went on a rampage once again. However, Skaya and Rahmadat¡¯s reactions were different. ¡°Keen Intuition?¡± ¡°It seems that there¡¯s definitely something off here.¡± Skaya and Rahmadat knew that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Keen Intuition was reliable. Seo Jun-Ho turned to the werewolves and asked, ¡°Do you happen to know the word ¡®regression¡¯?¡± ¡°...¡± The chiefs and Arch Warriors stared at each other, confused. ¡®Regression? What is that?¡¯ ¡®I-is it something delicious?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s food¡­.¡¯ ¡®I think I¡¯ve heard of it in the city. Is it a religion?¡¯ The unfamiliar word stumped the werewolves and chiefs. Arnold spoke on behalf of everyone. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it. What is it?¡± ¡°Skaya.¡± Skaya was a native English speaker and an engineer as well. Therefore, she could exin theories better than anyone else here. Skaya then exined the meaning of the word to the werewolves. ¡°In other words, it¡¯s a power to repeat an event over and over again?¡± Arnold asked. ¡°It¡¯s like that¡­¡± ¡°Stop it with thoseplicated words! You¡¯re giving me a headache!¡± Mekenbo eximed and thumped on his chest to show that he was frustrated. ¡°We¡¯re here to ask you why you canceled the operation, so why are you suddenly talking about something else?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re rted¡­¡± In Another World, Seo Jun-Ho had experienced hundreds of regressions in a span of seventeen years. Therefore, it was no exaggeration to say that he was the most familiar with the feeling of going back in time. ¡°It was definitely the same feeling as back then.¡± ¡°So you went back in time because you failed?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°My ability to regress was only temporary. I don¡¯t have it anymore..¡± Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across the individuals in the barracks and asked, ¡°I asked the yers who came up here just in case, but none of them could regress. So, let me all of you here. Is there anyone here who can regress?¡± ¡°Do you seriously think that one of us can regress?!¡± ¡°If that unbelievable ability doesn¡¯t exist, then this situation wouldn¡¯t have unfolded.¡± ¡°Exactly. The fact that no one among the werewolves or the humans can regress means¡­¡± ¡°It means that one of the enemies has the ability to regress,¡± Arnold said with a frown. He quickly caught on to what Seo Jun-Ho was trying to say. ¡°Yes, and I think that it is True Vampire Tepes¡¯ ability.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡± ¡°H-how are we supposed to defeat him if he can go back in time?¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± The werewolves vented their anger by pping the floor and the wall made out of ice. It couldn¡¯t be helped, and they couldn¡¯t be med. The werewolves thought that they could finally reim their homnd, but the presence of an enemy with such a powerful ability shattered their hopes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­ Seo Jun-Ho regressed hundreds of times, right? He¡¯s an expert in the field.¡± ¡°What does that even mean?¡± ¡°How are we supposed to defeat an enemy who just goes back in time whenever he gets defeated?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible to win,¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered in a firm voice, ¡°To be honest, I was frustrated when I realized that Tepes could regress, but we still have a huge chance of winning.¡± Hearing that, Skaya grinned and turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho with an expression that seemed to be saying ¡®I knew you would say that, you idiot!¡¯ Rahamadat blinked and scratched his head. ¡°Huh? How?¡± ¡°Let me exin¡­¡± Skaya proudly stepped forward and exined, ¡°There is a difference between Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ability to regress and Tepes¡¯ ability to regress. The biggest difference is the level of the existence that handed over the ability to them.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ability to regress came from the World Tree, a transcendent being. However, it seemed that True Vampire Tepes¡¯ ability was innate. ¡°There¡¯s no way he could have gotten that ability from a transcendent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I think he only drank blood that strengthened his ability to regress.¡± In other words, there was a difference in level between Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ability to regress and Tepes¡¯ ability to regress. Seo Jun-Ho nced at the time on his Vita and asked, ¡°Chief Arnold, how long was the operation supposed to take?¡± ¡°Speed is the key to the operation, so the operation is supposed to end in just two hours. ¡°That¡¯s it. I think Tepes¡¯ limit is two hours¡­¡± Today¡¯s dawn had to be the checkpoint, which meant that it was the limit of Tepes¡¯ ability. ¡°And the biggest reason why our chance of winning is huge¡­¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes shone brightly as she said, ¡°An audience will no longer be excited about the magician¡¯s trick if the trick has already been revealed.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had discovered Tepes¡¯ ability to regress. If Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s assumption was true, then the allies only had one thing to do. ¡°Let¡¯s start moving once again.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood up. His message window started shing once again. [This is group B-7. As you said, the sewers have copsed.] [This is group H-10. There was indeed a bomb in the Vampire¡¯s House.] ¡°From now on, this will be a battle of brains.¡± The winner of this war would be the one who was always one step ahead. ¡®And if it¡¯s a battle of brains¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho slowly turned to someone. ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡®Skaya Killnd is more dependable than anyone else...¡¯ Chapter 486. Deja Vu (3) Chapter 486. Deja Vu (3) Tick, tock, tick¡­ Tepes frowned while staring at the pocket watch in his hand. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ The enemies were runningte on schedule. The ignorant yers of Earth should have already appeared seventeen minutes ago, but they were still nowhere to be seen. ¡°...¡± The future Tepes was aware of had changed, and the unfamiliar feeling was unpleasant to him. ¡®Did I make a mistake somewhere?¡¯ Tepes carefully examined the map of Trium. He wondered if the stupid vampire apostles got caught by the enemies while setting up the traps. ¡®No, that can¡¯t be the case...¡¯ There was no way the vampire apostles would suddenly make a mistake when they were doing well in the previous regressions. ¡®Then, what is it? What am I missing?¡¯ A vampire apostle opening the throne room broke Tepes¡¯ train of thought. ¡°Tepes-nim! The bomb we installed in the fountain was discovered by the enemies! The humans are defusing the bomb right now!¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡®No way¡­¡¯ Tepes¡¯ eyes shed with profound disbelief, but that wasn¡¯t the end of it. More vampire apostles rushed into the throne room as if they previously agreed to do so at the same time. ¡°Reporting to Tepes-nim! We copsed the sewers as ordered, but there were no enemies in the sewers.¡± ¡°We conducted the specified ambush, but we only found traces of enemies upon arriving..¡± ¡°The traps we set near the shops were destroyed and¡­¡± ¡®This is absurd¡­!¡¯ Tepes¡¯ expression turned ugly. ¡°You bastards must have made some mistakes.¡± There was no way the humans could have known what he was about to do when his knowledge came from the future. All of a sudden, a rift in space opened, and a familiar being emerged from the rift. ¡°...Ghost?¡± Tepes made sure that the locations where True Vampire Ghost and True Vampire Stigma were stationed had more traps than the other locations. ¡®So, why is he bleeding?¡¯ Tepes stood up from the coffin and asked, ¡°What happened? How did they get you?¡± ¡°Keuk, it¡¯s the chiefs¡­¡± True Vampire Ghost seemed exhausted as he stared at Tepes. ¡°The chiefs of the werewolf tribes and dozens of humans attacked me.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± In the previous regressions, True Vampire Ghost didn¡¯t have to deal with the chiefs of the werewolf tribes because most of the werewolves were supposed to be already dead at this point in the basement of the royal pce. ¡®They did not fall for the trap this time¡­ That is the change that led to this situation.¡¯ Tepes wordlessly sat on the lid of his coffin. ¡®Defeat, defeat, and defeat¡­¡¯ The only news that he had heard were reports of their defeat from all over the city. ¡°We lost in all locations?¡± The traps that they had installed all over the city also failed to get rid of a single enemy. ¡®How is this possible?¡¯ Tepes stared at the map when the door was suddenly flung open. ¡°There are more of them thanst time¡­¡± Tepes saw more werewolves and yers than in the previous regression. In addition, they were mostly unscathed. They wore triumphant faces as they strode into the throne room. ¡°This is interesting. Very interesting¡­!¡± Tepes was defeated multiple times despite having the ability to turn back time, and it was a fresh experience for him. ¡°It¡¯s over, Tepes.¡± Snap! Upon hearing that, Tepes didn¡¯t hesitate to snap his fingers. It didn¡¯t really matter because the oue was obvious. ¡°Tepes, over It¡¯s¡­¡± Time began to flow backward in ordance with Tepes¡¯ will. *** When the rowdy royal pce finally became quiet once again, Tepes took out his pocket watch Tick, tock, tick! ¡®It¡¯s 6:12 a.m¡­¡¯ It was currently dawn. Tepes gathered the vampire apostles and True Vampires to give them orders. ¡°I am aware of the yers and werewolves¡¯ n. From now on, do as Imand.¡± Tepes ordered the vampire apostles to set up a trap once again. Of course, he knew that the traps were useless. ¡®They¡¯ll just find the traps again¡­¡¯ Tepes thought hard and long, and he eventually reached an answer that was ridiculously simple than he expected. ¡®There¡¯s another one¡­¡¯ Someone else could manipte time like himself. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for the humans and werewolves to be cognizant of his ns. If there were someone else who could manipte time, then everything would make sense. ¡®Now that I know your tricks, it¡¯s the end of the road for you¡­¡¯ A trivial battle of the brains had never been right up Tepes¡¯ alley. However, it seemed that the enemy had a remarkable strategist on their side. ¡®There¡¯s no reason to let the enemy stack the deck...¡¯ Tepes could simply shuffle the deck and stack it again himself. The ability to manipte time was an invincible ability that had never disappointed him. ¡°There must be yers searching for the traps as we speak. Kill them all.¡± Then, Tepes looked at Ghost. ¡°Ghost. You take all the apostles with you.¡± ¡°...Isn¡¯t that too much of an investment?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡®It¡¯s rathercking¡­¡¯ After all, the chiefs of the werewolf tribes and dozens of elite yers were going to attack Ghost. Tepes pointed at one of the vampire apostles. ¡°Hey, you. Go to the basement and bring me my heart.¡± The vampire apostle obliged, and he eventually returned with a chest containing Tepes¡¯ heart. An ominous stream of energy flowed out of Tepes when he held the beating heart in his hand. ¡®Beat faster¡­¡¯ Lub, dub, lub..! As Tepes fast-forwarded the heart¡¯s time, the heart started to beat faster as if it were having a seizure. The vampire apostles were stupefied to discover that the world outside had dimmed. ¡°T-Tepes-nim. The red fog is¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s daytime, but the red fog has appeared!¡± ¡°I should have done this from the start. I have never really been a fan of using my brain; I still find this more enjoyable than a battle of brains.¡± ¡®And as always, I will emerge victorious¡­¡¯ Tepes clenched his heart and muttered in a cold voice, ¡°Members of the n of the night¡ªwake up and participate in the banquet of blood.¡± *** ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°They¡¯re tougher than I expected.¡± ¡°There are more apostles than we thought as well.¡± The chiefs grumbled while facing True Vampire Ghost. They thought they would be able to easily overpower True Vampire Ghost, but things were tougher than they initially thought. ¡°...¡± Rahmadat fell into deep thought upon suddenly recalling Skaya¡¯s words. - Hey, musclehead. If you end up struggling, unlike what we had discussed, then you should assume that the enemy has turned back time once again. ¡®Skaya said that he can¡¯t regress forever¡­¡¯ Things had changed, but the changes were signs that they were doing well. Rahmadat clenched his fists, convinced that they would seed. All of a sudden, Arnold looked up. The other werewolves and yers looked up as well, and they were looking at the same thing. ¡°...The red fog?¡± ¡°W-wait, this doesn¡¯t make sense. It¡¯s morning.¡± The red fog was also higher in the sky than usual, and there were countless dots flying in the sky. Grind! Arnold gnashed his teeth and roared, ¡°It¡¯s the bats!¡± ¡°Those crazy bastards! They¡¯re randomly biting people!¡± Trium was plunged intoplete chaos. The scared citizens were running away, and the vampires would suck their blood after catching them. The citizens¡¯ eyes turned red not long after being bitten, and they also started biting the people around them. It wasplete pandemonium. The werewolves were also plunged into chaos. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°W-wait, why is this¡­¡± The Arch Warriors slowly returned to their human forms. They frantically tried to transform once again, but none of them seeded. ¡°Goodness¡­!¡± Arnold eximed in distress as the fur all over him disappeared. He stared at the red fog, looking helpless. ¡°They have been hiding that ability all this time?¡± It turned out that the red fog could not only block them from receiving moonlight but the red fog could also absorb their Lunar Force. It was a devastating ability against the werewolves, who had to recharge their Lunar Force overnight. The werewolves fell into despair uponing face-to-face with the red fog¡¯s true power. ¡°Damn it.¡± Rahmadat swept his gaze across the werewolves and inadvertently recalled Skaya¡¯s warning. - Don¡¯t panic even if the worst-case scenario unfolds. Just stick to your task. ¡®True Vampire Tepes¡­¡¯ Tepes would definitely turn back time once he was on the brink of death. ¡°It¡¯s up to you now, friend...¡± Fortunately, the task belonged to someone who had never and would never fail his task. *** Bang! The luxurious door of the royal pce was flung open as hundreds of yers barged in as if they were on fire. ¡°I never expected that I would get to experience a fight like this again.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the fight we had with those cockroaches? This is even worse! These bastards are increasing in numbers even at this moment!¡± The yers under the leadership of Wei Chun-Hak and Milphage made way, but that was it. Thousands of vampires shattered the windows of the corridor and surrounded the yers. ¡°I must admit¡ªI¡¯m really surprised.¡± A little boy greeted them with his hands behind his back. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there could be so many strong humans.¡± ¡°Judging from the annoying way he talks, that brat must be True Vampire Stigma.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a child? That¡¯s even better. He actually reminds me of my six-year-old nephew, whom I had been wanting to spank.¡± The two Heavens then looked back. ¡°It seems like our role ends here.¡± ¡°Specter-nim. We¡¯ll take care of him, so please go ahead.¡± ¡°Wei Chun-Hak, Milphage...¡± Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips and nodded. Wei Chun-Hak and Milphage contributed greatly to the invasion of the royal pce beneath the red fog. Their contributions couldn¡¯t be described with any other word other than ¡®great¡¯ because more than seventy percent of the Celestial Dragon Guild and Hallem Guild¡¯s elite yers perished on the way here. ¡°They¡¯ll alle back to life once time is turned back, right?¡± ¡°What a dumb question. Have you ever seen Seo Jun-Ho lie before?¡± ¡°They will alle back to life for sure. I am sure of that,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said firmly. Meanwhile, Kim Woo-Joong and Gong Ju-Ha walked out from behind him. ¡°I will stay and support them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here, too.¡± Judging from the number of enemies, the remaining yers wouldn¡¯tst long, even with two Heavens supporting them. Therefore, Kim Woo-Joong and Gong Ju-Ha decided to stay here Kim Woo-Joong flung his bloodied hair back and stared at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Once he¡¯s dead, we will be able to start all over again, right?¡± ¡°...To be exact, we just have to beat him up until he¡¯s on the brink of death.¡± ¡°This is interesting. I¡¯ve always been wondering about what will happen to the people in the present if the regressor goes back in time.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had been wondering about the answer to that question as well. He nodded heavily and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave this to you two.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Shwing! Kim Woo-Joong unsheathed his sword and stared darkly at his enemies. ¡°I won¡¯t let even a single one of these vampires go past me while you¡¯re fighting him.¡± *** Tepes stood up when Seo Jun-Ho finally arrived at the throne room. - Partner. ¡®Ah, yes¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was suddenly struck with a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. He figured that he had to have already fought Tepes like this before. ¡®I wonder if I won back then...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho presumed that he won because Tepes had turned back time again. However, he still had one burning question. ¡®Am I the only one who dealt with him?¡¯ The situation had to have turned out in a different way in every regression, so the yers and werewolves who were still alive right now might have already died in the previous regressions by the time he had gotten here. Tepes spoke slowly, ¡°Are you the one who has been standing in my way again and again?¡± ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡± ¡°Pffft! Kekeke¡­!¡± Tepes boisterouslyughed and revealed a triumphant smile. ¡°It just urred to me that I will never lose to you guys.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯re wrong.¡± The yers had suffered immense damage, the citizens of Trium had died, and many werewolves and yers had died as well. In addition¡­ ¡®I also promised...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had promised that he would beat Tepes to the brink of death so that thetter would have no choice but to turn back time to survive, which meant that those who had died woulde back to life. ¡°You¡¯re looking for a way to kill me with minimal damage to your side or something simr like that, am I right?¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes trembled. Tepes saw through his thoughts. Tepes smiled slightly at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s reaction. ¡°And that is why you humans are so insignificant¡­¡± The moment when one would have to choose what to give up and throw away would eventually arrive in one¡¯s life, but many humans would refuse to even face such a moment. ¡°Your heart is greedy and weak. You also refuse to give up anything.¡± Tepes was convinced that humans would never be able to beat him with such greed and mindset. Tepes tore his own chest apart and returned his heart to its original ce. ¡°Let me tell you one thing¡­¡± Tepes cacked wickedly before saying, ¡°Even if you win this fight, I will not turn back time again.¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes quivered violently at Tepes¡¯ words. At the same time, a message popped up. [You have encountered the boss monster of Trium, True Vampire Tepes.] [Once defeated, safe zones will appear in Trium.] Chapter 487. Deja Vu (4) Chapter 487. Deja Vu (4) ¡®He won¡¯t turn back time again?¡¯ It only meant one thing¡ªTepes wouldn¡¯t give Seo Jun-Ho any more chances. Keen Intuition hastily spoke. - Partner. Don¡¯t let his words get to you. ¡®I know¡­ I know he¡¯s speaking nonsense.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought that Tepes¡¯ words were likely nonsense to make him nervous. In fact, Seo Jun-Ho would have been greatly shaken by Tepes¡¯ words if it hadn¡¯t been for his Imperturbable Mind. Just in case, Seo Jun-Ho asked Keen Intuition. ¡®Intuition. Give me a sitrep.¡¯ - As far as I know, more than four thousand yers have died, and the werewolves have already been annihted. The citizens of Trium are¡­ Keen Intuition trailed off. Seo Jun-Ho instantly understood that even Keen Intuition couldn¡¯t estimate how many citizens of Trium had died so far. Honestly, the remaining citizens of Trium were probably dying at this moment. Seo Jun-Ho revealed a determined look. ¡®I need to turn back time no matter what.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had to win this battle so that Tepes would be forced to turn back time. ¡°I can hear your thoughts all the way here,¡± Tepes said. Then, Tepes¡¯ figure stretched out like toffee. Seo Jun-Ho felt like he was staring at a video with FPS[1] drops. ¡®What is that¡­?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. Keen Intuition cried out. - Iing! ¡°...!¡± ng! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand instinctively lifted White Dragon, and he barely managed to stop Tepes¡¯ fingernails from piercing his neck. ¡°I knew it...¡± Tepes curved like crescents as he lightly stabbed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck. ¡°You really are strong¡­¡± ¡°What are you¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho had to stop talking because Tepes disappeared from his view. To be exact, it would be more appropriate to say that he couldn¡¯t see Tepes¡¯ movements at all. ¡®This is strange.¡¯ Tepes¡¯ aura was intense, and he was the strongest enemy Seo Jun-Ho had ever fought so far. ¡®But¡­¡¯ There wasn¡¯t that much difference between their level of prowess. Seo Jun-Ho even thought that he had a high chance of winning, so the fact that he couldn¡¯t see Tepes¡¯ movements at all meant only one thing¡­ ¡®He can also fast-forward time¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt a shiver down his spine. Fwoosh! Tepes appeared behind Seo Jun-Ho, and he swiped at thetter¡¯s neck with his sharp fingernails. However, Seo Jun-Ho scattered into an ink-ck smoke reminiscent of an afterimage rather than dying. ¡°Tsk,¡± Tepes clicked his tongue. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ability to be darkness itself saved his life once again. ¡®I just can¡¯t get used to that annoying ability¡­¡¯ ¡®But I got a clear picture of him now¡­¡¯ Tepes grinned. This wasn¡¯t the first time that he was fighting Seo Jun-Ho, and from their previous fights, Tepes had extrapted enough information about thetter¡¯s abilities and prowess. ¡®If two beings with simr skills were to fight¡­¡¯ It was imperative to know more about the opponent, even if the information was trivial. ¡®Not to mention¡­¡¯ Tepes¡¯ eyes emitted a brilliant sh. Swoosh! White Dragon approached Tepes just in time. ¡®...My eyes.¡¯ Tepes dodged the spear thrust with a slight turn of his head. ¡®Losing is impossible with my eyes that allow me to see three seconds into the future. I don¡¯t have to turn back time to win.¡± Tepes revealed a triumphant smile and swiped his sharp fingernails toward Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart. ¡®He will cover the flesh above his heart with darkness in 0.2 seconds¡­¡¯ Tepes briefly nced into the future and twisted his arm at an abnormal angle, sending his sharp fingernails toward Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chin exactly 0.17 secondster. St! Tepes¡¯ sharp fingernails tore Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chin apart. Seo Jun-Ho staggered backward after taking the brunt of the attack. - Partner! Seo Jun-Ho was momentarily delirious due to the extreme pain. Blood poured out of his chin as if it were a broken faucet. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho quicklyposed himself, thanks to his Imperturbable Mind. He took on a stance once more and clenched his spear. ¡®He¡¯s reading my moves¡­¡¯ At first, Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was just a simple coincidence, but it wasn¡¯t just a coincidence. Tepes was capable ofpletely reading his movements. ¡®Is he really looking into the future? How am I supposed to beat him?¡¯ If Seo Jun-Ho had known that Tepes had the ability to look into the future, then he wouldn¡¯t have chosen to confront thetter by himself. ¡®I need at least two, no¡ªthree or more people to constantly pressure him so that he won¡¯t be able to stop me even if he knows my next move.¡¯ Of course, Seo Jun-Ho did have an ally in this ce. He turned slightly, and his gaze met his ally¡¯s gaze. ¡°I-I¡¯m rooting for you¡­¡± said the Frost Queen. The Frost Queen was hiding behind the coffin and was looking for the right time to catch Tepes off guard. Seo Jun-Ho could also summon Seo Jun-Sik and Hart if necessary. ¡®I would have threerades by my side if I summoned them all.¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho was worried about if Tepes already knew everything about him. ¡®Did I summon the Frost Queen in front of Tepes in the past? What about Jun-Sik?¡¯ The cogs in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind madly turned, but his mind was gradually driving him into a corner because he couldn¡¯t think of an idea that would work against Tepes. - Partner. I advise against having pessimistic thoughts during the battle. ¡®I know, I know¡­!¡¯ It was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face that was injured, but for some reason, he felt like his head was hurting more than his face. Cell Regeneration (A) got to work and quickly healed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s injury. Tepes smirked at the sight and said, ¡°16.32 seconds. Your recovery time this time is consistent with the previous times.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what to say. Tepes really knew a lot about him, but he barely had any information about Tepes. ¡®Still¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had to win. He had to win for those who believed in him and sacrificed themselves to carve a path for him. Magic abruptly burst out of Seo Jun-Ho, forming a flower. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s that flower again.¡± Tepes nodded while staring at the flower in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand. ¡°I heard about your fragrant flower with thorns, but it ended up being much more powerful than I expected.¡± However, Tepes didn¡¯t seem particrly afraid of Moon Eye. ¡®He can see the future, so it¡¯s only natural for him to be unafraid¡­¡¯ After all, Tepes could simply read the trajectory of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attack and dodge it. Seo Jun-Ho muttered, ¡°Now that I¡¯m fighting you by myself, I guess I can finally say that you¡¯re strong.¡± ¡°You just realized that? It¡¯s toote. The annoying woman and that tough guy won¡¯t be able to help you this time.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®He fell for it.¡¯ It seemed that Tepes had fought Skaya and Rahmadat as well. ¡®That¡¯s all I need to know¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed. He was about to unleash a skill that he couldn¡¯t have unleashed if Skaya and Rahmadat were here with him. ¡°Dignity of an Emperor¡­¡± Bang! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic instantly went through a qualitative change. If his magic had been a fierce river, it was now a furious ocean swell. Seo Jun-Ho squeezed out every ounce of his magic. ¡°Argh!¡± His magic circuits screamed upon being subjected to the deluge of an overwhelming amount of mana. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vision swam as blood started flowing out of all his orifices. ¡°...!¡± Tepes¡¯ eyes widened. He had unknowingly made contact with a snake that seemed to be made out of darkness itself. Tepes could swear that the snake wasn¡¯t there just a few moments ago. The snake was Basilisk. ¡®Yikes¡­!¡¯ Tepes immediately looked away. Seo Jun-Ho had also used the Basilisk in their previous fights, and he knew that it was capable of immobilizing him. ¡®I can see what he¡¯s trying to do here. He¡¯s going to block my line of sight, and then he¡¯s going to sprinkle the petals of that flower. Hm, he¡¯s going too hard on his body.¡¯ Tepes smirked at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s adorable and cheeky idea. Tepes could still read the future, even without using his eyes. In other words, it wasn¡¯t that difficult for Tepes to predict the trajectory of the flower petals. ¡°Deflect them...¡± Tepes¡¯ eyes emitted a brilliant sh once again, and scenes that would happen in the next three seconds appeared in his mind. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­¡¯ Tepes was expecting to see the trajectory of the flower petals, but his expression stiffened. ¡®What?¡¯ He looked in every possible direction, but he couldn¡¯t find a way to survive Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s next attack. Tepes quickly looked up and saw a scene that he had expected but couldn¡¯tprehend. ¡°This is ridiculous!¡± There was a storm of petals in the throne room. The petals froze and destroyed the cells of everything they touched. It was a storm that didn¡¯t allow anyone to escape, including Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Are you trying to die together with me?!¡± ¡°You told me¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. Half of his body was already covered in ck petals. ¡°You told me that I won¡¯t be able to beat you with a greedy and weak heart that doesn¡¯t want to give up anything.¡± Therefore, Seo Jun-Ho decided to give up his life. If Tepes refused to turn back time, the two of them would die here, which would end everything. ¡®I will be breaking my promise of bringing thete yers back to life, but I think they¡¯ll take my sacrifice as repayment for the debt I owe them¡­¡¯ For the first time in a while, Tepes lost his temper and shouted furiously, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯repletely out of your mind!¡± There was only one reason why Tepes had been so sure of his victory until now. ¡®I definitely know everything about him!¡¯ Tepes was aware and familiar with all of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skills, attack patterns, and habits. ¡®But, but¡­!¡¯ However, Tepes failed toprehend and grasp Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s selflessness for humanity. He had no idea that Seo Jun-Ho would readily give up his life for humanity if necessary. Gnash! Tepes gnashed his teeth and looked down at his own body. The ck flower petals had already frozen about seventy percent of his body. ¡®If I waste more time here¡­¡¯ Once his arms froze over, he wouldn¡¯t be able to snap his fingers and turn back time. ¡°Damn it, damn it, damn it all¡­!¡± Tepes had no choice but to take back the words that he had uttered himself¡ªthat he wouldn¡¯t turn back time even if Seo Jun-Ho won the fight. ¡®I will definitely get him next time! Next time¡­!¡¯ Tepes finally learned that Seo Jun-Ho was capable of giving up his own life once he was driven to a corner. In the end, Tepes could only swear to himself that he wouldn¡¯t fail anymore. The humiliation of defeat and having to swallow his words made Tepes¡¯ face turn as ugly as a devil. He raised two fingers and snapped. Snap! *** Seo Jun-Ho had to use Dignity of an Emperor (S) to control the vast amount of magic he had forcibly squeezed out of himself. This wasn¡¯t really the most efficient way to control magic, but it was great at controlling a tremendous amount of magic in the shortest time possible. ¡°Damn it, damn it, damn it all¡­!¡± Tepes cursed and snapped his fingers. Snap! ¡®Ah, I think that action is the trigger to turn back time. Unfortunately, this memory will disappear once time has been turned back¡­¡¯ The spinning flower petals momentarily stopped, and they soon started spinning the other way around. It was clear that time was now being rewound like a tape. Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at the sight. ¡®Please¡­ may the memory of recognizing the trigger be passed onto myself a few hours ago¡­¡¯ With that thought in mind, Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. Crash! Bang! However, the noises were still there. It was odd, so Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes. ¡°Strong you''re that say finally can I guess I, myself by you fighting I''m that now.¡± ¡°Time this you help to able be won''t guy tough that and woman annoying The.te too It''s ?that realized just you.¡± His conversation with Tepes earlier started reying in reverse. He was seeing the earlier battle in his head, and it was definitely a strange yet interesting experience. ¡®What is going on? Why am I still conscious?¡¯ His memories were supposed to disappear because Tepes had turned back time. ¡®But why¡­?¡¯ Time didn¡¯t pay any attention to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s confusion as it continued to flow in reverse until it was 6:12 a.m. [The yer¡¯s Stage has gone up temporarily due to Dignity of an Emperor (S)] [Hero¡¯s Mind(EX) has resisted the side effect of Time Reversal.] ¡®I see¡­¡¯ Dignity of an Emperor (S) allowed him to be a pseudo-transcendent, but even though he wasn¡¯t a real transcendent. Tepes still couldn¡¯t ovee Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s transcendence. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡®This feeling¡­¡¯ It was different from the deja v¨²s that he only recognized thanks to Keen Intuition. ¡®I have experienced this feeling so many times on the 4th Floor, and it made me sick to the point that I wanted to turn into dust and disappear into the wind¡­¡¯ It was none other than the feeling of regressing. 1. frames per second ? Chapter 488. We Are (1) Chapter 488. We Are (1) ¡°Mmhm. I got it,¡± said Skaya after Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s three-minute-long summary. ¡°Jun-Ho. What do you think was the reason for our failure?¡± ¡°The red fog,¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered immediately. If it hadn¡¯t been for the red fog, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out the way they did. ¡°The red fog quickly drained the werewolves¡¯ Lunar Force, and it increased the number of enemies as well.¡± The sharp increase in the number of enemies caught the yers off guard. ¡°We had to save the citizens of Trium and protect the werewolves while killing the enemies at the same time. It was chaotic.¡± ¡°Hm, I¡¯m sorry. I kind of feel bad,¡± Arnold said awkwardly as he scratched his beard. The werewolves seemed to have be nothing more than a nuisance judging from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words. ¡°Oh, by the way. What time did you say the red fog covered the sky?¡± ¡°It should happen in twenty-one minutes¡­¡± ¡°Twenty-one minutes¡­ twenty-one minutes, huh? Our schedule is tight, then.¡± Skaya pursed her lips. It was a habit that she often showed whenever she was in deep contemtion. ¡°All right. We don¡¯t have much time left, so listen carefully.¡± Commander Skaya came to a conclusion and said, ¡°This n can only be executed once.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Tepes will immediately stop us from using this n again, even if your memories remain intact despite going back in time.¡± This n would be rendered useless once Tepes learned that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s memories would remain intact even after he had turned back time. Skaya swept her gaze across everyone before continuing. *** It was finally 6:12 AM. Tepes closed his pocket watch and got up. He relieved his anxiety by walking around the vast throne room. ¡®His name was Seo Jun-Ho, huh? He¡¯s a madman.¡¯ Tepes felt like he had pushed Seo Jun-Ho too hard. Even a rat would bare its teeth when driven into a corner. He couldn¡¯t have expected that Seo Jun-Ho would go down the mutually assured destruction route. ¡®Everything was going ording to my n...¡¯ Tepes clicked his tongue. He remembered that everything had gone perfectly. The werewolves had been wiped out, and the n to exterminate mankind was also going smoothly. Things would have been perfect if it hadn¡¯t been for his potential death. The annoying woman and the tough guy were missing as well. ¡®All right. I¡¯m going to use the same strategy.¡¯ Tepes looked up at the ceiling. ¡®But I will have to change the battlefield¡­¡¯ Tepes came to the conclusion that he had to avoid fighting Seo Jun-Ho in an enclosed space. He was sure that once cornered, Seo Jun-Ho would create that nightmarish storm of petals once again. ¡®I¡¯ll win as long as I don¡¯t get caught up in hisst stand.¡¯ Tepes revealed a determined look and started arranging things. *** ¡°Father, is this really fine?¡± said an anxious voice from inside a nket. Gilberto was currently cleaning his gun. He turned toward the voice and replied, ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°What kind of irresponsible answer is that?!¡± ¡°Just trust him. That¡¯ll put you at ease.¡± Actually, even Gilberto was confused by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s unreasonable request. ¡®But there has to be a reason behind it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had never been the type of person who would ask someone to do an impossible task. Gilberto checked the time and said, ¡°It¡¯s time. Let¡¯s get started.¡± Gilberto lifted the nket and pointed his gun toward the sky. The red fog was expanding so fast that its expansion was visible to the naked eye. ¡®Jun-Ho was right¡­¡¯ The werewolves should have lost all their power by now. Gilberto was right because winged creatures started flying toward the sky. ¡°The vampires!¡± There were so many vampires that it would be a daunting task to count them. At first nce, there seemed to be at least ten thousand vampires. ¡®It was said that there are more than fifty thousand vampires in this city.¡¯ There was no way that the yers could stop them all. After all, the vampires were scattered all over Trium. Click! Gilberto loaded his gun and aimed. ¡®You better keep your word, Jun-Ho.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had said that he would take care of everything as long as Gilberto managed to buy him fifteen minutes. ¡°How are we supposed to stop them?!¡± Arthur made a long face, but he still reached for the weapons piled up on the rooftop. Arthur¡¯s Invisible Hand (B) lifted the weapons off of the roof and suspended them in mid-air. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure about this, but here goes nothing!¡± Fwooosh! The many weapons pierced the vampires in mid-air, and the vampires plummeting to the ground served as the signal for the twenty-thousand yers toe out of hiding. The twenty-thousand yers proceeded to shoot the flying vampires down and disperse the red fog. *** ¡°...¡± Tepes was in the middle of looking for a new battlefield. At the suddenmotion, he took off his fedora and looked up. Hundreds of vampires were plucked out of the sky every second. The red fog also failed to expand. In fact, it was actually dispersing as the yers poured all their skills into dispersing the red fog. ¡®I see. So this is your strategy, huh?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was definitely thinking that his previous failure was due to the red fog. Tepes grinned at the sight. ¡°Great.¡± If the red fog managed to expand, the yers¡¯ chance of victory would plummet to negative zero. Once the red fog covered the entire city, it would be a utopia for vampires. ¡®It¡¯s a shame. How long does he think they can stop the red fog from expanding?¡¯ The red fog was not something that anyone could stop even if they tried. The red fog was kind of like a natural disaster, and even Tepes himself couldn¡¯t get rid of it once it had expanded to a certain extent. ¡®You people will copse first...¡¯ Tepes wore his fedora again. He took a step forward, but once his footnded on the ground ahead of him, an unknown chill crept up his spine. ¡°...!¡± There was no way he could forget this feeling. It was the same feeling he felt just before he was forced to turn back time. An overwhelming presence from the other side of the city grabbed Tepes¡¯ attention. ¡®It wasn¡¯t an illusion.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was capable of raising his Stage to the extent of rivaling a demon count. ¡®It¡¯s not real¡­ It''s just an imitation.¡¯ If Seo Jun-Ho were a transcendent being, Tepes would have already run away. Therefore, Tepes quickly came to a conclusion. ¡®It¡¯s temporary, but he¡¯s capable of raising his Stage.¡¯ Tepes thought that it was impossible at first, but he couldn¡¯t find any other exnation for Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sudden increase in strength. Many thoughts popped up in Tepes¡¯ mind. ¡®A human being won¡¯t be able to stay in that Stage for too long.¡¯ He was the first True Vampire, but even he wasn¡¯t a transcendent. Seo Jun-Ho was indeed an extraordinary human being, but forcefully bing a transcendent; albeit temporarily was bound to injure his body and soul. ¡®I thought he would only use that power in front of me. What is he thinking?¡¯ Tepes was confused. However, one thing was clear¡ªTepes couldn¡¯t leave Seo Jun-Ho alone. - Ghost, Stigma. The red fog delivered Tepes¡¯ voice into Ghost and Stigma¡¯s heads. - Stop whatever you are doing right now and kill Seo Jun-Ho first. That is our priority. *** ¡°The target is leaving the location! He is headed toward Specter-nim!¡± Gong Ju-Ha shouted as she lowered the handheld telescope. At that, Skaya spoke, ¡°All right. It is exactly as expected. Now, the group will be divided into two.¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes scanned the yers around her. ¡°Gong Ju-Ha, Shin Sung-Hyun, and Kim Woo-Joong will be in Group A. Wei Chun-Hak, Milphage, and I will be in Group B.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement. They were satisfied with their group members. ¡°Group A will stop True Vampire Ghost, and Group B will stop True Vampire Stigma.¡± They had only one purpose¡­ ¡°Do not let either of the True Vampires disturb Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun answered and lightly pped his hands together. The space was immediately split in half. ¡°Kim Woo-Joong and Team Leader Gong. Come this way.¡± Group A disappeared into the rift in space. Milphage blinked and stared at Skaya before asking, ¡°How are we going to get there?¡± ¡°We have the Archmage with us, so why are you even worried about that?¡± Wei Chun-Hak said. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m no longer the Archmage.¡± Skaya corrected as she pulled up her magic. Their surroundings changed in the blink of an eye. ¡°Huh?¡± The first thing that filled everyone¡¯s sight was a bloody fountain in the royal square. Stigma was looking at the fountain, and he turned around with a perplexed look. ¡°Are you here to make things difficult for me? I¡¯m in a hurry, so can you just step aside?¡± ¡°No can do.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± asked Stigma. Wei Chun-Hak was smoking a cigarette. At Stigma¡¯s question, he exhaled a cloud of white smoke and exined, ¡°Let¡¯s just say that kids are not allowed to go where you are headed.¡± *** A tall man emerged from a rift in space. ¡®Is that the ce?¡¯ The overwhelming presence was inside the building in front of him. Ghost stepped into the building. However, the space in front of him suddenly split open like the mouth of a beast, devouring him. ¡°Haaa¡­ haaa¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun desperately tried to catch his breath. ¡°Nice! I knew you could do it, Master!¡± ¡°...¡± Ghost inspected himself briefly before saying, ¡°I see. I had no idea that someone among the humans has the same ability as me¡± ¡®I didn¡¯t think that they¡¯ll abduct me like this.¡¯ Ghost looked at the alley and murmured to himself. ¡®I¡¯m sure they couldn¡¯t drag me that far, and their motive is obvious as well; they¡¯re trying to keep me away from Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ Ghost¡¯s red eyes scanned the three. ¡°Is it just the three of you?¡± ¡°Do you have a problem with that? If you do¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong took the initiative and unsheathed his sword. ¡°You should speak after you¡¯re done taking us down.¡± ¡°...I like how straightforward you are,¡± Ghost said with a light nod. It was Ghost¡¯s first time seeing his abductor, but the other two were familiar to him. ¡®I¡¯ve met those two before¡­¡¯ As far as he could remember, the woman was capable of spitting out fire, while the man was a swordsman. ¡®And they were terrible....¡¯ The woman¡¯s fire was scorching hot, but her mes couldn¡¯t reach him. The man¡¯s sword was fierce, but his sword couldn¡¯t reach him as well. ¡®And the one who brought me here is already gasping for breath after abducting me to a nearby alley.¡¯ The fact that he was already tired after a simple abduction meant that he wasn¡¯t that great of a talent as well. ¡°Come at me,¡± said Ghost. He had no time to waste. After all, Tepes had given them the order to prioritize killing Seo Jun-Ho. Kim Woo-Joong charged at Ghost. ¡®I¡¯ve had enough practice.¡¯ A blue aura coated his sword. It was the perfect application of sword ki¡ªthe aura was neither too much nor too little. Kim Woo-Joong swung his sword confidently. ¡°...!¡± Ghost didn¡¯t even bother blocking Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s sword strike. He was confident that things would remain unchanging from their previous encounter. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Ghost flinched in surprise. He was surrounded by an armor of space, and there was no way that someone could inflict a single wound on him. In addition, his armor could reflect damage proportional to the attack that it received. ¡°...¡± Ghost groped around his neck. There was no blood, but he could feel the wound. ¡®He broke through my armor?¡¯ Ghost¡¯s eyes quivered ever so slightly. Until now, only his fellow True Vampires were capable of prating his armor of space. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡®How did he grow so much in such a short period of time?¡¯ Ghost¡¯s curiosity got the better of him. He was about to ask a question, but a pir of white me fell toward him from the sky. Ghost hurriedly raised his head. ¡°Ah!¡± Ghost hurriedly flicked his finger toward it. Fortunately, the oue was the same as the previous encounter. A rift in space opened and contained the woman¡¯s scorching hot mes. ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°...?¡± Ghost frowned when Gong Ju-Ha chuckled. ¡®What is sheughing about when her attack failed to reach me?¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha simply shrugged. ¡°I have to admit, our master is ruthless because he¡¯s not that considerate, and he refuses to send us on vacations. Anyway, he¡¯s weaker than you when ites to firepower.¡± Gong Ju-Ha made a sidelong nce at Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°However, I respect him next to the 5 Heroes.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun had always taken the initiative to do things without losing sight of his goals. It seemed that Shin Sung-Hyun had proven his consistency this time as well. ¡°Our hardworking master can¡¯t possibly lose against an arrogant, prideful genius who thinks that he¡¯s better than anyone else.¡± ¡°Be quiet, Team Leader Gong,¡± said Shin Sung-Hyun, seemingly annoyed. He ced both of his palms on the ground. Ghost¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Wait, could it be¡­¡¯ Ghost finally realized that he had fallen into their trap. His space wasn¡¯t the one that had contained the woman¡¯s scorching hot mes. ¡®He ced ayer of his space in front of my space?!¡¯ For the first time ever, Ghost became wary of a human being. However, Shin Sung-Hyun was one step ahead. ¡°You have no idea how much these two idiots bothered me, and I had to entertain them for more than ten days. You have no idea, but it¡¯s all because of you.¡± ¡®This is my revenge¡­¡¯ ¡°I hope you¡¯ll enjoy it.¡± Crash! A rift in space opened behind Ghost and poured a pir of white me over him. ¡°A-aaarghhhh!¡± The scorching hot mes wrapped around Ghost and delivered extreme pain that prated even his bones. It wasn¡¯t strange because Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s white mes had an average temperature of 1,400 Celsius. The arrogant Ghost was forced to start rolling on the ground while screaming. ¡°Haaa¡­ haaa¡­!¡± Ghost eventually managed to contain the mes into his space. He looked down at his hands and saw that they were still boiling. Ghost red at Gong Ju-Ha. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you¡­ I¡¯m going to tear you apart¡­!¡± ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re scaring me! I¡¯m so scared¡­!¡± Gong Ju-Ha trembled. However, the huge amount of magic flowing out of her tiny body betrayed her words. ¡°I-I still have a bright future ahead of me, and I don¡¯t want to die yet, so¡­¡± Seven pirs of white mes descended, instantly creating an inferno in the narrow alleyway. ¡°So you should die in my stead!¡± ¡°Team Leader Gong!¡± Shin Sung-Hyun dragged Gong Ju-Ha away and into a rift in space. ¡®They ran away?¡¯ Ghost looked around with furious eyes. This time, he was definitely using his own space to absorb the scorching hot mes. ¡®I will follow you even to the depths of hell once I¡¯m done absorbing these mes, and I will kill you in the most terrible way possible.¡¯ Ghost was determined to make them pay for causing him such tremendous pain. ¡°...!¡± All of a sudden, Ghost felt a shiver down his spine. ¡®Wait. That bastard only took the woman away with him. What about the swordsman? Did he leave his ally to die in this inferno?¡¯ Ghost shook his head. ¡®There¡¯s no way they would do that.¡¯ Ghost swept his gaze across the pir of scorching hot mes. As expected, Kim Woo-Joong emerged from one of the pirs. Swoosh! - Yes. I received a Title called Cutter of mes. Its effect is resistance to mes. Kim Woo-Joong earned the Title Cutter of mes by eliminating Phanactos, the Floor Master of the 3rd Floor. The Title¡¯s effect meant that mes could never have a profound impact on Kim Woo-Joong. Kim Woo-Joong chuckled at Ghost¡¯s dumbfounded face. ¡°What a shame.¡± Ghost quickly realized what was going on, but Kim Woo-Joong was even faster. Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s sword was swung at the speed of a lightning bolt. Sword Saint Style Third Sword: World Split. ¡®Split the world into two¡­¡¯ The beautiful sword move literally split the world into two. Crack! Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s sword move split the buildings, the ground, and even the red fog into two. Ghost took the brunt of Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s World Split, so his oue was a foregone conclusion. ¡°Argh¡­!¡± True Vampire Ghost staggered backward and wrapped his arms around his body, but he wasn¡¯t trying to embrace himself. ¡®I-If I let go¡­¡¯ Ghost felt like he would split into two if he didn¡¯t hold himself together. Kim Woo-Joong looked at Ghost and said, ¡°How annoying. Get lost.¡± Kim Woo-Joong said what Ghost had said to him fifteen days ago, and the moment his words fell, Ghost¡¯s head flew into the air. At the same time, Ghost¡¯s body was vertically split into two. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Ghost¡¯s severed head looked up at the sky. He wanted to see the blue skies before he died, but he couldn¡¯t see anything else other than the red fog. ¡®Tepes, that useless bastard¡­¡¯ Ghost¡¯s eyes dimmed, and he med Tepes as he took hisst breath. Chapter 489. We Are (2) Chapter 489. We Are (2) True Vampire Stigma sharpened his senses and looked around. ¡®I don¡¯t feel the presence of anyone else other than them.¡¯ The dumbfounded Stigma turned to look at them and asked, ¡°Hey, bro and sis. Is it just the three of you?¡± ¡°Any problem with that?¡± ¡°Do you seriously think that you can beat me with just three people?¡± ¡°God, that punk talks too much,¡± Milphage exhaled through his nose and muttered, ¡°The annoying brat reminds me of my six-year-old nephew. I¡¯ve always wanted to spank him.¡± ¡°Are you going to spank me?¡± ¡°No way. I¡¯m going to beat the crap out of you.¡± ¡°...¡± As a True Vampire, Stigma had never received such treatment from anyone else. Stigma red at Milphage with narrowed eyes. ¡°Guys, look at him ring at me. Hey, you! You shouldn¡¯t be so rude to an adult.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ve lived much longer than you, bro.¡± ¡°What? So, you¡¯re a dumbass, then?¡± Milphage shook his head and teased. ¡°Why are you calling me a bro when you¡¯re older than me?¡± Stigma trembled in fury. Wei Chun-Hak took another puff on his cigarette. ¡°What can I even say? Congrats? Should I congratte you because you finally met an enemy of a simr mental age as you?¡± ¡°God. I didn¡¯t think that there would be another guy like Rahmadat in this world.¡± The Mercenary King, Milphage, rubbed his hands together. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s stop talking. We¡¯re about to kill each other, and I don¡¯t want to be fond of you.¡± Stigma¡¯s bloodshot eyes red at Milphage. ¡°Congrattions. I have decided to kill you first.¡± ¡°Hahahaha! Should I thank you for that?¡± Milphage boisterouslyughed and gantly stepped forward. He pped his chest with his palm and shouted, ¡°Come here, hit me!¡± ¡°...?¡± Stigma stared alternatingly between Skaya and Wei Chun-Hak, obviously confused. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± asked Wei Chun-Hak. ¡°We also have no idea what¡¯s going on inside his head,¡± said Skaya. ¡°But, bro and sis. Isn¡¯t he your colleague?¡± ¡°To be exact, we¡¯re not colleagues. We just happen to be working in the same field.¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t lump me in with him.¡± ¡®What are these people? They¡¯re weird.¡¯ Stigma bit his lips. He was still confused. ¡°...These humans are strange.¡± ¡®I¡¯m just going to kill them as soon as possible, so I can go ahead and look for Seo Jun-Ho. He must be normalpared to these guys.¡¯ Stigma made a decision and raised his index finger. He pointed at a few parts of Milphage¡¯s body and said, ¡°Engrave.¡± Strange patterns were engraved on Milphage¡¯s limbs. Stigma grinned. ¡°All right. You can¡¯t run away anymore.¡± ¡°Who says I¡¯m gonna run away?¡± Stigma mimicked a gun with his finger and shouted, ¡°Bang!¡± There was a loud explosion in one of the patterns engraved on Milphage¡¯s arm. ¡°Argh?!¡± Milphage lifted his tattered arm and said with a dumbfounded look. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± ¡°Hehe, I told you. You can¡¯t run away anymore.¡± Stigmaughed boisterously and lifted both of his hands to mimic guns. ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡± Crash! Bang! Crash! Milphage was quickly turned into a bloodied, tattered rag. ¡°This is why I had to ask why you only brought three people to confront me¡­!¡± Stigma giggled and shrugged. ¡°You will never be able to run away as long as my symbol is engraved on you.¡± Milphage wouldn¡¯t be able to escape Stigma¡¯s attack even if he ran to the depths of hell. Wei Chun-Hak¡¯s expression seemed stiff as he asked, ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°...I have no idea. How does such an ability even exist?¡± Skaya seemed confused as well as she said, ¡°He¡¯ll win just by engraving his symbol on his opponent? That doesn¡¯t even make sense.¡± ¡°What do you mean it doesn¡¯t make sense, sis? You can see it right now, right?¡± Stigma giggled and fired his finger gun once again. ¡°Bang! Bang!¡± The symbols on Milphage exploded. ¡°Kearghhh!¡± The furious Milphage got bigger. Milphage¡¯s anger level had reached Berserk, and an overwhelming amount of energy could be felt from him as he ballooned in size. ¡°Argh¡­!¡± Veins bulged all over Milphage, and his sharp eyes resembled a beast¡¯s eyes. Milphage instantly grew taller, and he was now two hundred and thirty centimeters tall. He red at Stigma as he towered over thetter. ¡°Congrattions. You are the second person to have made me this angry.¡± ¡°So what? What can you do when you¡¯re angry?¡± Stigma smirked. Bang! Bang! Two violent explosions urred on the symbols engraved on Milphage, but Milphage refused to just stand there and endure the pain. He started running. ¡°...Huh?¡± Stigma¡¯s expression turned slightly pale. ¡®Humans usually die after a few explosions. Aren¡¯t all humans weak?¡¯ ¡°Get ready...¡± The Angry Man¡¯s fist struck the crown of Stigma¡¯s head. Thump! Stigma forcefully collided against the floor, and the force of the punch even made him bounce off the floor into the air. Milphage didn¡¯t miss his chance to kick Stigma away. Crash! Stigma flew into one of the buildings, which immediately copsed upon impact. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Milphage looked down at himself. His entire body was filled with the perfect muscles of his dreams. ¡°Hehe, I guess my body bes this beautiful once I go Berserk.¡± Milphage smiled, but he inexplicably started to shrink. ¡°Huh?¡± The confused Milphage hurriedly focused his anger and hatred on the opponent, but his fury was cooling down. ¡°Hm...¡± Stigma emerged from the rubble and walked out just in time. He looked rtively unharmed despite receiving Milphage¡¯s attacks head-on. ¡°You surprised me. I didn¡¯t expect you to run wild.¡± ¡°You can still stand up?¡± ¡°Daydream when you¡¯re asleep¡ªwho would faint after receiving such a weak attack?¡± mocked Stigma. There was a familiar symbol on Stigma¡¯s forehead. ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯ Skaya nced at the symbols engraved on Milphage. ¡°It¡¯s the same symbol.¡± ¡°Why did he engrave the same symbol on himself?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I think it has something to do with how he didn¡¯t get hurt by Milphage¡¯s attack?¡± ¡°So we will only find out what it means by fighting him¡­¡± However, this didn¡¯t mean that everything had been in vain. They learned one thing from the fight just now. Wei Chun-Hak nced at Milphage. ¡®I¡¯m d we have him.¡¯ They had to avoid being engraved with Stigma¡¯s symbol, so it was fortunate that Milphage was here to take on Stigma¡¯s symbol. Wei Chun-Hak threw away his cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke. ¡°Come out, one-legged ghost.¡± The cloud of smoke that should have scattered into nothingness took on the shape of a ghost. The weeping ghost seemed like it was made out of liquid because its body was continuously flowing down like sticky liquid, and its back was curled like a hunchback. Overall, it was a bizarre sight. Skaya was startled and eximed, ¡°What? I heard you¡¯re a Taoist but doesn¡¯t the fact that you can handle ghost means that you¡¯re a necromancer?¡± ¡°Taoists can not only control winds and rain, but we can also handle ghosts,¡± Wei Chun Hak exined. He lit another cigarette before saying to the one-legged ghost, ¡°You can go ahead and kill him.¡± ¡°Heughhh¡­!¡± The one-legged ghost cried out and vanished after receiving an order. ¡°W-w-what is this?!¡± Stigma was startled. The grotesque face of the one-legged ghost appeared in front of him from out of nowhere. He quickly engraved his symbol all over the one-legged ghost and fired his finger gun. ¡°Die!¡± Bang! Bang! Bang! Many explosions took ce on symbols engraved on the one-legged ghost. ¡°Heugh¡­ Heughh!¡± the one-legged ghost cried out. Its body exploded into a cloud of purple dust thatnded on Stigma. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Stigma staggered. ¡®It¡¯s poison!¡¯ The effects were worse than he had expected. He started to feel dizzy, and his eyes started swimming. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can¡¯t tell what¡¯s in front of you right now, right? You won¡¯t be able to engrave your symbol on us,¡± Wei Chun-Hak said indifferently. ¡°You¡­ you inferior bastard!¡± Stigma haphazardly fired his finger gun, but every time he fired, an explosion would ur on one of the symbols engraved on Milphage. ¡°Argh¡­!¡± ¡°...We¡¯ll have to wrap it up as soon as possible. We can¡¯t let that idiot die.¡± Wei Chun-Hak pulled out four amulets from his sleeves and hurled them at Stigma. ¡°Lightning Seal.¡± Crackle! The amuletsnded close to Stigma¡¯s feet, and they spat lightning bolts. ¡°Hm. Humans sure can use all kinds of strange skills.¡± Stigma grinned. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be fine? You should be careful about using skills like this when you have no idea of your opponent¡¯s capabilities.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Stigma muttered. Crackle! A lightning bolt struck Milphage. ¡°Keuakkkkk!¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± Skaya hurriedly shouted, ¡°umtion and release!¡± ¡°What? Exin it in a way that I¡¯ll understand!¡± Wei Chun-Hak hurriedly retrieved more amulets. He hurled them at Milphage, and the amulets healed Milphage. ¡°He can absorb the damage that he receives, and he can inflict the absorbed damage on his marked target,¡± exined Skaya. ¡°What? That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡± Wei Chun-Hak¡¯s eyes trembled. If Skaya¡¯s words were true, then there was no way he could deal any damage to Stigma. In other words, it was impossible for them to win. ¡°Wow. You are super smart, sis!¡± Stigma eximed. He pped and said, ¡°Even Tepes had to look at it twice to get the gist of it.¡± The reason he was so rxed was that he was confident that he would never be defeated. ¡°Now that you know my ability, you should know that there is no way you can beat me.¡± Stigma¡¯s true ability was the ability to absorb damage into the symbol he had engraved on himself and unleash the absorbed damage on a marked opponent. The number of times Stigma felt pain throughout his entire life could only be counted on one hand. ¡°...I don¡¯t know about that. Why does it feel like we can win?¡± ¡°Hmm. Then, let me take back what I said. You are not smart at all. You¡¯re dumb.¡± ¡°Sigh. This is why I hate kids.¡± Skaya¡¯s hair fluttered. Her magic made the surroundings tremble as a dark orb formed at her fingertips. ¡°At least be as cute as Her Majesty.¡± Bang! The walls and the tiles of the surrounding buildings vanished upon making contact with the dark energy forming at Skaya¡¯s fingertips. Wei Chun-Hak was already running away with Milphage on his back. Stigma¡¯s eyes trembled. ¡°...Hey, mage. What are you doing right now?¡± asked Stigma. In life, there were things that one would immediately understand with just a single nce. One of them was the dark orb forming on Skaya¡¯s fingertips. ¡°I¡¯m no ordinary mage,¡± Skaya replied with a smile. The people had been worshiping her as a Hero, and they referred to her as the Archmage. However, she had already be one step above an archmage. ¡°I¡¯ve be a Grandmaster Mage.¡± The title of a Grandmaster was the most glorious title that a mage could only receive after bing capable enough of establishing their own school of magic. Skaya had be the Tower Master of the ck Tower and the sessor of Chaos Magic. Magic Tower Grandmaster and ck Tower Master¡ªSkaya Killnd stretched her finger out. ¡¾Destruction Ray¡¿ ¡°T-that¡¯s nothing¡­! I can take that!¡± Stigma eximed. If he managed to absorb Skaya¡¯s attack, he would be able to wipe them all with his symbols. Zing! Stigma red at the iing Destruction Ray and spread his arms open. However, the ringing sound in his ears as the Destruction Ray approached him made him realize one thing. ¡®T-t-there¡¯s no way¡­ there¡¯s no way I can take this¡­!¡¯ The power within Skaya¡¯s Destruction Ray was well beyond Stigma¡¯s absorption limit. ¡°Ah¡­! Aaaaahhhh!¡± Stigma let out a gut-wrenching scream as his world faded into white. The Destruction Ray annihted everything on its path before eventually disappearing. ¡°Haaa.¡± Skayay on the ground, exhausted after unleashing one of her strongest spells. She looked in a particr direction while wiping the sweat off of her forehead. ¡°...I¡¯ve done so much for you. I¡¯m going to kill you if you fail...¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho kept his eyes closed as he maintained Dignity of an Emperor (S). Keen Intuition cried out. - Partner! You¡¯ll be in danger if you keep this up. Have you forgotten what Reiji said? Of course, Seo Jun-Ho could still remember Reiji¡¯s warning. She said that his soul would be torn apart if he were to maintain Dignity of an Emperor (S) for too long. However, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t back down. ¡®The red fog.¡¯ No matter what, he had to get rid of the red fog. Dignity of an Emperor (S) was a prerequisite for his n. ¡®Tepes¡¯ Time Reversal couldn¡¯t erase my memory.¡¯ More urately, Tepes¡¯ Time Reversal couldn¡¯t ovee Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s pseudo transcendence while he was using Dignity of an Emperor (S). The n was created with that fact as the basis. ¡°...Frost.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I am right here,¡± said the Frost Queen with clenched fists. Seo Jun-Ho was covered in sweat as he slowly opened his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll end everything this time. There won¡¯t be any next time.¡± ¡°Hah, unbelievable. Do you know who you are talking to?¡± The Frost Queen snorted, but her voice sounded concerned as she asked, ¡°But, Contractor. Are you really going to be okay? Are you confident that you can hold out? ¡°I told you I¡¯ll be fine. You can go ahead.¡± The Frost Queen nodded at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s firm answer. ¡°...Okay!¡± ¡°Aaaarghhh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho groaned as a sharp pain assaulted his head, making him feel as if his head was going to explode. The pain was so terrible that Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t suppress a groan despite his Imperturbable Mind. The Frost Queen bit her lips at the sight and elerated the process. ¡°Argh!¡± Whenever a Spirit used magic, they would exhaust their contractor¡¯s mental strength rather than their magic. Seo Jun-Ho possessed Hero¡¯s Mind (EX), so he was the strongest when it came to mental strength. ¡®Hang in there, Contractor¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s groans pained the Frost Queen, but she still reached for the skies with her arms stretched out in front of her. ¡°Freeze! Freeze! Freeze!¡± Crackle! The Frost Queen directly froze the red fog over the entire city of Trium. Once she was done, she immediately turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho and shouted, ¡°Contractor!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes had rolled to the back of his head, revealing only the whites of his eyes. Twenty thousand yers were desperately trying to stop the expansion of the red fog, but the red fog still spanned twenty kilometers. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho staggered up. He managed to hold on to his consciousness as he desperately tried to catch his breath. ¡°Huff, huff¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho held Twilight tightly and opened his magic circuit using the ck Moon Heart Method. The magic in the surroundings gathered at Twilight¡¯s tip and rushed into Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Ughhh!¡± A shiver ran up Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s spine to the crown of his head. Dignity of an Emperor (S) allowed him to once again look at the world in the eyes of a transcendent, and right now, he was looking at the world from a god¡¯s point of view. Seo Jun-Ho broke the silence. ¡°ck Moon Martial Arts Final Skill: ck Moon.¡± Seo Jun-Ho swung once, and the darkness that had gathered at the tip of the sword flew toward the frozen fog, splitting it into two. ¡°...¡± At the sight, Arnold was overwhelmed by emotions. ¡®Seo Jun-Ho¡­ the ray of hope you have given us by risking your life. My burning heart has received and heard it loud and clear...¡¯ Arnold raised his head and screamed, ¡°Wolves! Howl!¡± - Awooo! The howls of the werewolves inundated the royal pce of Trium as the suppressed werewolves woke up and transformed once more. Chapter 490. We Are (3) Chapter 490. We Are (3) ¡°Screech!¡± ¡°P-please. Spare my daughter¡ªAh!¡± ¡°Daddy! Nooo!¡± Tepes casually walked down the chaotic streets. ¡®This is bad¡­¡¯ Tepes hadn¡¯t been able to feel Ghost and Stigma¡¯s energy for a while now. He couldn¡¯t help but think that the two True Vampires had already breathed theirst. ¡°Haaa, damn it.¡± ¡®How did this even happen?¡¯ Tepes pondered to think of other solutions, but he soon lifted his finger without hesitation. He had already reached the conclusion that there was no way he could turn this around, so he had no choice but to turn back time again. ¡®I will definitely win the next time around.¡¯ Tepes firmly said to himself. This wasn¡¯t the first time that he thought he would win the next time, but it didn¡¯t matter because he could turn back time. He was about to turn back time once more when he noticed that the red fog over the city had dimmed. ¡®No, it¡¯s not an illusion.¡¯ Tepes looked up without realizing it, and his eyes quivered at the sight. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ frozen?¡¯ ¡®The fog spans twenty kilometers, and they managed to freeze it?¡¯ Tepes had never considered it because he thought that it was impossible. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense¡­¡± Tepes muttered nkly. A shiver suddenly ran down his spine. An overwhelmingly powerful energy shot toward the skies from the other end of Trium. ¡®It¡¯s Seo Jun-Ho¡­! He¡¯s attacking the fog¡­!¡¯ The pitch-ck energy tore Tepes¡¯ red fog as if it were a piece of paper. Stter! Thousands of ice fragments containing the red fog fell like rain, and the rays of the sun finally descended upon Trium as well. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What is that¡­? Is that the sun?¡± The vampires were having fun ughtering the citizens of Trium, but they simultaneously looked up. The rays of the sun were reflected in their eyes as they were quickly reduced to ashes. Grit! Tepes gnashed his teeth furiously. The red fog¡¯s destruction meant the destruction of his heart as well. ¡°Keuk¡­ Keuaghhh¡­!¡± Unsurprisingly, a terrible pain inundated him like a deluge. Tepes copsed on the street and wed at the ground in pain. Right now, there was only one thought in his mind. ¡®I-I need to recover¡­¡¯ He had to run away and recover so he could turn back time. ¡°Huff, huff¡­!¡± Tepes desperately tried to catch his breath as he hurriedly departed. However, his sensitive ears caught faint noisesing from afar, prompting him to turn around. Thud! Thud! Thud! The noises were footstepsing from the roofs of the surrounding buildings. Tepes¡¯ eyes widened in fury upon discovering the identities of the approaching figures. ¡°The werewolves¡­!¡± *** The werewolves could still remember what Seo Jun-Ho had told them. - Just remember one thing: never let Tepes turn back time again. Seo Jun-Ho had told them to stop Tepes from turning back time at all costs. - Once I¡¯ve gotten rid of the fog, I won¡¯t be able to immediately join the fight. Once the fog disappears, start running after him and don¡¯t look back. The werewolves faithfully carried out their duties. ¡°Tepes¡­!¡± Arnold was the fastest among the werewolves, so he was the first one to throw himself on Tepes. Crackle! He emancipated and charged at Tepes like a shooting star. ¡°Argh!¡± Tepes¡¯ expression turned ugly. He was forced to lift his injured arm to block Arnold¡¯s attack. He surreptitiously looked around. ¡®The chiefs of the werewolf tribes.¡¯ Tepes had never really managed to beat the Four Legendary Wolves before the demons granted him power. Even worse, the chiefs brought their warriors with them, and they started to appear on the streets and on the roofs of the nearby buildings. ¡®There are a thousand of them¡­?¡¯ The werewolves¡¯ morale was high. However, Tepes wasn¡¯t afraid. Rather, he was anxious. ¡®I don¡¯t care about these wolves.¡¯ Tepes was warier of the strong yers. He knew that he had to escape before they arrived here. Fortunately, he only needed five or perhaps ten minutes to recover enough energy so he could turn back time. ¡°Tepes. We¡¯re here to recover our homnd.¡± ¡°It¡¯s yours, so piss off.¡± Mekenbo snorted and said, ¡°I hate to break it to you, but we need your head as well.¡± ¡°Yes. We promised to offer your head to the souls of our fallenrades.¡± ¡°...¡± Tepes gnashed his teeth. ¡°You puny bastards¡­! You¡¯ve been hiding with your tails tucked between your legs¡­!¡± Tepes wasn¡¯t in his best condition, but he was confident that he could easily deal with the werewolves. Swoosh! Tepes vanished. He reappeared in front of Mekenbo and swung his nails. St! ¡°Argh!¡± Tepes¡¯ fingernails dug into Mekenbo¡¯s chest. However, Mekenbo simply stretched his arms out in an attempt to hold Tepes down. ¡°How stupid. Do you seriously think that you can stop me?¡± Tepes saw the future and avoided Mekenbo¡¯s grab with half a step backward. ¡®All right. One down.¡¯ Tepes swept his gaze across the other chiefs and said, ¡°You don¡¯t mind sacrificing your colleague just to stop me?¡± ¡°Kehehe, I suggested it myself. As long as I can bring you down with me, I don¡¯t mind sacrificing myself,¡± said Mekenbo. Tepes clicked his tongue. If he hadn¡¯t retreated, the werewolves would have managed to punch at least one hole in his body. ¡®These ignorant dogs¡­!¡¯ Tepes wanted to run away while conserving his strength, but the werewolves were trying to hold him down while risking their own lives. ¡®If I fight with all my might, I will win this easily...¡¯ However, killing all one thousand werewolves would still take at least eight minutes, even for him. ¡®...That¡¯s risky. The yers will definitely catch up to me here if I take that long.¡¯ Tepes bit his lips. ¡®I¡¯ll have to retreat here.¡¯ The fact that he had to run away from the werewolves hurt his ego and pride, but Tepes tried his best to rationalize his decision to run away. ¡®This dishonor will disappear once I turn back time again. I have to survive before anything else.¡¯ Having made up his mind, he created a blood vortex that swept everything away. ¡°Keuk!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see!¡± The blood vessels of the werewolves¡¯ eyes burst open, but they refused to close their eyes as they desperately looked for Tepes. ¡°That way! It¡¯s that way!¡± shouted Grigor, the chief of the Blue Mane Tribe. He then threw himself on Tepes, who was trying to sneak away. Tepes¡¯ face turned as ugly as an evil spirit when Grigor threw himself on him within the swirling blood vortex. ¡°You persistent little¡­!¡± The werewolves were like leeches, and they kept on throwing themselves on him, even though they knew that they weren¡¯t his match. Tepes mustered his strength out of rage. ¡°Piss off!¡± Crashhh! Tepes¡¯ demonic energy exploded like a bomb, devouring Grigor. Grigor immediately lost both of his arms, but he didn¡¯t give up. ¡°I¡­ will¡­ never¡­ let you go!¡± Tepes looked down at the drooling Grigor biting his ankle. ¡®A weak and pathetic inferior creature dares to¡­!¡¯ ¡°Die.¡± Crush! Tepes stomped on Grigor¡¯s head. Grigor¡¯s head was dented by Tepes¡¯ stomp, but he refused to let go. He actually bit even harder. ¡°Argh¡­!¡± Tepes¡¯ face became even uglier. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the werewolves were so persistent. ¡®Is it for the sake of their deceased friends and family? But those people are already dead, so why are they giving up their lives for the dead?¡¯ ¡°Pathetic¡­! You lot are a terribly pathetic bunch!¡± Tepes lifted his arm to sever Grigor¡¯s head. However, the three chiefs arrived and threw themselves on Tepes. Fwoosh! ¡°Argh¡­!¡± Tepes was starting to receive deep wounds all over him, but the pain didn¡¯t really matter to him. He was more irritated than in agony. ¡°You puny bastards¡­ I don¡¯t have time to waste on you, you bastards¡­!¡± Bang! Tepes unleashed his demonic energy once more, pushing everything away from him. The chiefs received serious injuries after taking the brunt of the impact, and they looked no better than a tattered rag. It was a bit absurd, but their severe injuries were just the result of Tepes injecting a bit of his emotions into his attack. ¡°The Four Legendary Wolves? Friends and family, you say? What nonsense¡­!¡± In Tepes¡¯ eyes, friends and family weren¡¯t important. They were ssified into two categories¡ªeither they were already dead or were about to die. ¡®They¡¯re throwing away their lives for such pathetic beings? Are they out of their minds?¡¯ Afterying waste to the surroundings, Tepes turned around and tidied his clothes. However, someone suddenlyughed before he could walk far. ¡°Ke¡­ keke¡­!¡± Tepes stopped walking and turned around. Arnold was coughing up blood, but he wasughing. Tepes couldn''t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡± ¡°You¡­ have be very strong indeed¡­¡± Arnold didn¡¯t expect that the difference between their strength would be so great. The Four Legendary Wolves joined forces and simultaneously threw themselves on Tepes, but they couldn¡¯t even stop him from walking away. ¡°But¡­¡± However, the werewolves had sessfully carried out their duties. Arnold smiled, revealing his teeth. ¡°My best disciple has arrived.¡± ¡°Hu, who¡¯s your disciple?¡± someone shouted from afar. Thud! Thud! Thud! Loud footsteps were fast approaching. ¡®That voice¡­! It¡¯s that tough guy!¡¯ Tepes unknowingly turned, and his head was forcibly turned fifteen times in the blink of an eye. ¡°...!¡± Tepes was thrown into the air, and the excited Rahmadat chased after him. ¡°...¡± ¡°He¡¯s a monster.¡± ¡°¡®...I think he is on par¡ªno, I think he¡¯s stronger than me.¡± The chiefs muttered nkly. Arnold chuckled and said, ¡°He is definitely much stronger than us.¡± *** Crash! Bang! Thud! Tepes went through multiple buildings, and he rolled on the ground before eventually stopping on a curb. ¡°Argh¡­! ugh¡­¡± Tepes was in a daze after receiving multiple punches from Rahmadat¡¯s boulder-like fists. Tepes eventually came to his senses, and he staggered up. He looked around and saw stained ss windows depicting angels descending from the heavens. An angel iparablyrger than the ones depicted in the stained ss windows went through one of the windows, shattering the window into a thousand pieces in the process. ¡°Kehehe! So you¡¯re here¡­!¡± A powerful energy swirled around Rahmadat. ¡®Turiya.¡¯ Turiya was an extreme technique that allowed Rahmadat to use a hundred percent of his strength. It was his own version of emancipation. After sparring with Seo Jun-Ho, Rahmadat realized that both his body and soul weren¡¯t strong enough for him to activate Tandav while using Turiya. Fortunately, Seo Jun-Ho guided Rahmadat on what he should do to resolve his shorings. ¡°Tandav.¡± Rahmadat¡¯s cells awakened, and they divided into a multitude of cells ahead of time as if they already knew that they would die. ¡°...Trish,¡± muttered Rahmadat. In the blink of an eye, he made three movements and arrived in front of Tepes. ¡°...!¡± Tepes flinched in surprise, and he nkly looked down at himself. However, he couldn¡¯t feel any pain. Tepes couldn¡¯t help but think if Rahmadat was messing with him. Rahmadat exined in a low voice, ¡°Trish is a trident, and it¡¯s Shiva¡¯s symbol.¡± Tepes was confused. He was about to ask what Rahmadat was talking about when a powerful energy exploded in his body,cerating his cells. ¡°...Keuk, Kiek?!¡± Tepes trembled and knelt without realizing it. It wasn¡¯t his fault. He simply lost the strength to stand up. ¡°Bleck!¡± Rahmadat vomited a mouthful of blood. He was in a bad condition as well, but it wasn¡¯t strange because Rahmadat had gone beyond his limits to execute an attack that would incapacitate Tepes before thetter could turn back time. ¡®Blood¡­! I need to drink blood¡­ to recover¡­¡¯ Tepes abandoned his pride and lowered his head to lick Rahmadat¡¯s blood on the ground. Rahmadat stared indifferently at Tepes and said, ¡°Hm. Jun-Ho told me to remove all his fingers first.¡± The words that came from Rahmadat¡¯s mouth were terrifying, but the emotion that filled Tepes¡¯ eyes upon hearing them was joy rather than fear. *** ¡°Haaa¡­ haaa¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho regrouped with the werewolves with the help of Shin Sung-Hyun and Kim Woo-Joong. He was covered in cold sweat, and he asked as soon as he arrived. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s right there,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun gestured in a particr direction. Seo Jun-Ho turned and saw Rahmadat walking toward them with a tattered gift. ¡°...Is that Tepes?¡± asked Skaya. She had never seen Tepes before. Rahmadat nodded in response. ¡°Wow, great job¡­¡± Thest remaining True Vampire looked like a tattered rag. His fingers were missing, along with his limbs. His chin looked like it was torn apart, and his eyeballs were missing, presumably plucked out. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Tepes?¡± ¡°Our arch nemesis and the murderer of our family¡­!¡± The werewolves gnashed their teeth at the sight. Their beating hearts were telling them that they could finally take revenge. ¡°Well, then¡­¡± Skaya pped her hands and said, ¡°I think we¡¯ve seen enough; let¡¯s finish him off.¡± Tepes could manipte time, so they had to make sure to kill him thoroughly. ¡°All right,¡± Rahmadat nodded. Kim Woo-Joong then handed over his sword to Rahmadat. Rahmadat took the sword and looked at it for a while before smiling. ¡°Farewell, Tepes.¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Rahmadat was about to swing the sword, but a voice interrupted him. Everyone turned toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Haaa¡­ haaa¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho was drenched in sweat, and he looked like he wasn¡¯t in great condition. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you? Are you okay?¡± asked Skaya. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± asked Gong Ju-Ha. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a problem. It¡¯s a huge one.¡± Seo Jun-Ho desperately tried to stay awake amidst his swimming vision to exin, ¡°Why¡­ why do you think I¡ªwhy do you think I still haven¡¯t deactivated my skill?¡± The title effect of Dignity of an Emperor (S) was so ridiculous, and it allowed him to be a transcendent while it was active. Their original n stated that Seo Jun-Ho would deactivate Dignity of an Emperor (S) once the red fog was gone. It was all for the sake of minimizing the side effects. However, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t deactivate Dignity of an Emperor (S) even after getting rid of the red fog. ¡°I was¡­ suspicious.¡± Transcendents were the only ones who could escape the effects of Tepes¡¯ time maniption ability. In other words, Seo Jun-Ho would only be able to see through Tepes¡¯ tricks if Dignity of an Emperor (S) was active. ¡°I was doubtful if this is enough¡­ enough to end everything.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was highly doubtful that a shrewd man like Tepes hadn¡¯t prepared anyst resort, so he had been keeping Dignity of an Emperor (S) active despite the suffering that he would have to go through to do so. The pain was so terrible that he felt like crying, but he gnashed his teeth and endured. ¡®It¡¯s all so that I can see it¡­¡¯ It was all for the sake of seeing what only the eyes and senses of a transcendent could see. It didn¡¯t matter even if Dignity of an Emperor (S) only allowed him to be a pseudo-transcendent because he would still be able to see it. ¡°And yes, I can see it¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned toward the enemy. However, he was staring at Rahmadat rather than Tepes. ¡°I have always been doubting you, and it is finally my victory.¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± Rahmadat froze. However, he quickly rolled his eyes and pursed his lips before looking around him for help. ¡°Help me. This punk is out of his mind right now. You can tell just by looking at his face, can¡¯t you? He¡¯s so exhausted that he has lost his mind.¡± ¡°...¡± However, the people around Rahmadat stared at him with cold gazes. Skaya and Gilberto¡¯s gazes were particrly cold as they nodded. ¡°You are certainly not Rahmadat.¡± ¡°I saw it from how you reacted just now.¡± The tough guy they knew would have already ripped his own chest without saying a word just to prove himself the moment Seo Jun-Ho expressed his doubts about him. ¡°He would have immediately told us to stab him in the heart.¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s the type who would rather die than be doubted by his friends.¡± ¡°W-what¡­? H-how could there be a lunatic like that?!¡± Rahmadat screamed. Tepes suddenly raised his head at Rahmadat¡¯s words as if he were saying ¡®that¡¯s me.¡¯ ¡°Release my friend.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gathered thest vestiges of his strength to deliver a powerful blow. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s palms struck Rahmadat¡¯s chest, but he pushed away not Rahmadat¡¯s body but the soul inside of it. ¡°Piss off, bat.¡± ¡°Noooooo¡­!¡± Tepes screamed as his soul was torn apart. He had never expected¡ªeven in his wildest dreams¡ªthat someone would see through his ability to swap souls with an infected being. After all, it was an ability exclusive only to the very first True Vampire. ¡®But why did they go this far for their friends and family? Why are friends and family¡­ important?¡¯ Tepes died without knowing the answer. [Congrattions! You have defeated the Trium Area Boss Monster, True Vampire Tepes.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­ [All stats has increased by 22.] [Safe zones will now appear in the Trium Area.] A few momentster, Seo Jun-Ho heard Rahmadat¡¯s grumbling. ¡°Ugh, I really thought I was going to die.¡± Rahmadat gave his dizzy head a few times before smiling and walking toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°How did you know? That bastard plucked out my eyes, cut off my tongue, and severed my limbs, so I couldn¡¯t have given you any hints. So, how did you know?¡± ¡°What do¡­ you mean¡­¡± ¡®I know because we¡¯re friends...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes without answering Rahmadat. ¡°Huh? Hey! Jun-Ho! Jun¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally lost consciousness and copsed. Chapter 491. Fourth Time (1) Chapter 491. Fourth Time (1) The doctor shook his head. "Whew, there¡¯s no hope for him. It¡¯ll be better if you prepare your hearts." "That''s..." The people in the hospital room wore miserable looks. Bang! The door was flung open, and a woman covered in stately luxury goods and jewels from head to toe appeared. She lowered her sunsses and said, "Save him. No matter the cost, I¡¯ll pay it." "I feel insulted. Are you trying to buy me with money?" "I''ll give you 300 billion." "¡­I will do my best,¡± the doctor immediately said and reached out for a handshake. - Cause~ You''re my girl ? A cheerful song could be heard, and a sponsored banner filled the screen. Rahmadat peeked and clicked his tongue before saying, "What a ridiculous drama. Is it fun?" The Frost Queen holding the tablet immediately nodded. "It is fun. My hands are sweating, and I am looking forward to the next episode." "Uh... y the next episode. I want to see how ridiculous it is.¡± "Do not speak informally." It was a boring afternoon, and Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s friends were gathered in the hospital room of a Korean hospital. Click. Skaya put down the coffee cup and looked at the sickbed with a bitter expression. "It has already been a year, but he still hasn¡¯t opened his eyes." A reply was heard almost immediately. "What nonsense¡­" Seo Jun-Ho on the bed seriously considered throwing a pillow at her. "It hasn¡¯t even been ten days, let alone a year.¡± "Wow, good for you. Do you want me to hang a banner for you outside?¡± Everyone''s sharp re struck Seo Jun-Ho, and their res definitely hurt. "I''m the one who got hurt...¡± So, why was he being scolded? The aggrieved Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulders drooped. Fortunately, the hospital room¡¯s doors opened just in time. "Si-Eun, hi!" "Hello." Cha Si-Eun was d in her saintess outfit, and she bowed lightly toward the others. The Korean hospital had hired her to take care of the injured from the 6th Floor. "You have a weak pulse. Can you put some strength in your fist?¡± "¡­I can¡¯t muster my strength yet..." "Just take your time recovering, and you will be fine.¡± Cha Si-Eun was finally done with the brief examination. She cast her Breath of Restoration (S) and asked, "Are you ufortable anywhere else?" "Yes, I still feel ufortable." Seo Jun-Ho looked around the hospital room. He heard that absolutefort was best for the patient, but those people were making him feel ufortable. "The next episode is starting." "Oh. It just started, but it¡¯s already this spicy.¡± There were two people loudly discussing the drama that they were watching. "A tablespoon of soy sauce." "Mio, that¡¯s adle, not a tablespoon.¡± "Then, a proper tablespoon." "You already put adle of soy sauce, so a tablespoon won¡¯t fix it." Mio was trying to improve her cooking in the hospital room, and Gilberto was teaching her sincerely. "Hmm, I think I think this form should be used here...¡± Skaya was researching magic on her own, but she would bother him whenever she got bored. Seo Jun-Ho sighed and said, "What''s wrong with them?" "Pffft!" "¡­Why are youughing?" Cha Si-Eun quicklyposed herself and replied, "I didn''tugh." "No, youughed." "You must have misunderstood my cough.¡± "Then, let me change the question. Why did you cough?" After a moment of hesitation, Cha Si-Eun said, "It''s good to see that you¡¯re beloved." "¡­Are you serious?" Seo Jun-Ho chuckled dryly. Where did she get the courage to say that after seeing what they were doing? Cha Si-Eun shrugged at his confused look. They¡¯re doing that because they¡¯re worried about Jun-Ho-nim," she said. "No way. Why are they bothering me if they¡¯re worried?" "That¡¯s..." His reactions were funny, so they kept on teasing him. Cha Si-Eun couldn¡¯t bring herself to say that, so she swallowed her words and smiled awkwardly. At the sight, Seo Jun-Ho pouted and grumbled, ¡°You said that I¡¯m beloved, but they didn¡¯t even greet me when I opened my eyes.¡± They acted as if he had only taken a two-hour nap. Cha Si-Eun smiled softly and said, "That is not true. When Jun-Ho-nim was still unconscious, the atmosphere felt like we were at a funeral house.¡± "...Really?¡± "Give me a moment. There are cameras here, and the medical staffers had turned them on when you arrived, so there should be a recording of what happened.¡± Cha Si-Eun repeatedly tapped on her Vita. She projected a holographic disy, and the screen depicted his friends surrounding the unconscious Seo Jun-Ho. - Sniff! Contractor¡­! The Frost Queen was weeping. - I believe in him. He won¡¯t die like this. He said that he¡¯ll go on a world muscle tour with me. Meanwhile, Rahmadat was spreading false information. What in the world was a world muscle tour? - W-what do we do? If Jun-Ho never opens his eyes again¡­ - Calm down, Mio. Calm down, Mio. Calm down, Mio. Calm down, Mio¡­ - First of all, you should calm down first, Skaya. Both of you take a deep breath in and exhale... that''s right. Mio and Skaya were freaking out while Gilberto worked hard to calm them down by making them take deep breaths. ¡®What is this?¡¯ They looked like they had some screws loose. They whimpered like puppies who had to go to the restroom, and it was such a refreshing sight for Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Pffft!¡± Seo Jun-Houghed without realizing it. ¡®You guys were actually trying your best to control your facial expressions when I woke up. You guys were actually acting like nothing happened.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could understand their actions. After all, even he would do the same thing to avoid being teased about itter down the road. Cha Si-Eun started changing his bandages and said, "Everyone is still worried. You¡¯re like a child by the riverside in their eyes; I¡¯m sure they aren¡¯t willing to take their eyes off of you for even a second.¡± "I actually want them to back off and calm down. I''m an adult, after all." Cha Si-Eun narrowed her eyes at Seo Jun-Ho. "Adults are good at taking care of themselves." "I''m good at that, too.¡± "No, Jun-Ho-nim, you aren¡¯t good at it at all. You suck at it." And that was why he would always receive such severe injuries at every major expedition. He would always faint and would always get carried away. ¡®Come to think of it, it was a Korean hospital back then as well.¡¯ The day Seo Jun-Ho dealt with the Cinder Fox, Cha Si-Eun saw him on the sickbed for the first time. At the time, Cha Si-Eun thought, ¡®So he¡¯s another yer who rushes ahead of everyone else. There are always yers like him every year.¡¯ Cha Si-Eun didn¡¯t have many expectations because she reckoned that Seo Jun-Ho would soon lose his fervor and cool down. ¡®It has long be a well-known fact that everyone will eventually get tired of this industry, no matter how great their dreams were¡­¡¯ The harsh reality and the primal fear of death would quickly shatter a yer¡¯s dreams and mind. Cha Si-Eun thought that Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t be an exception¡ªshe thought that he would eventually behave like an ordinary yer or outright retire. After all, she had done the same because she was weak like the others. ''But...'' Seo Jun-Ho ended up being different. His heart was like a furnace that would never run out of mes. He became more passionate the more levels he earned and the more Floors he cleared. Eventually, his passion became too solid to break. ¡®When I found out that Jun-Ho-nim was Specter-nim all along, I also realized¡­¡¯ Ah, so a Hero was like this. Upon realizing that, Cha Si-Eun also became aware of a sad fact. ¡®I had no idea¡­¡¯ The books depicted only the Heroes¡¯ achievements but never the pain they had to go through. ¡®So they had to suffer this much pain and endure these kinds of injuries behind their brilliant achievements¡­¡¯ Cha Si-Eun realized that she had been admiring them like an ignorant child. She had no idea that her admiration would put a tremendous amount of pressure on the Heroes, which made their journey more difficult. Cha Si-Eun smiled lightly and said, "From now on, I will work harder to be a yer capable of reattaching your head if it ever gets severed from your body.¡± "¡­Your choice of words is a bit¡­ scary." Seo Jun-Ho trembled. *** "Jun-Ho, we will be going now!" "We¡¯lle again!" "Don''te back." His friends got ready to leave the hospital room. Gilberto tapped on his shoulder and said, "Once you recover, let''s look at Tepes¡¯ memories together." "Sure." Tepes still hadn¡¯t confessed. Seo Jun-Ho was afraid that he would die if the Archduke appeared in Tepes¡¯ memories. "Queen, hold on to this, and if Jun-Ho says that he¡¯s going to train, call me right away, okay?" "Oh¡­ Got it!" The Frost Queen nodded and received a Vita from Skaya. The others left, and the hospital room seemed to have gotten a bit deste. However, the silence made Seo Jun-Ho feelfortable enough to rest. ¡°¡­¡± The Frost Queeny on the sofa and started ying with the Vita she got from Skaya. ¡®I can finally rx¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho sighed lightly. He raised his trembling hand and tapped on his Vita. Many articles flooded his vision. [6th Floor Cleared! Specter, an Undying Myth.] [World yer Association: The 7th Floor Clearing Schedule Will Be Announced Later.] [I Want to Be a Hero like Specter When I Grow Up. A Letter from Elementary School Students, a Wave of Emotions.] ¡­ The articles looked the same as usual. Seo Jun-Ho had seen so many articles like these that he didn¡¯t even have to read them anymore to know their contents. Ring! Seo Jun-Ho''s Vita suddenly rang. ¡®An unknown sender?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho frowned and opened the message. - Contractor, can I eat the chocte cake in the fridge? He turned slightly and saw the Frost Queen staring at him from the sofa with bright eyes. ¡®So you texted me right away because you got your own Vita...¡¯ - You can eat it. Upon receiving the reply, the Frost Queen excitedly ran over to the refrigerator. This time, Seo Jun-Ho checked the system messages. ¡®My level went up by 22 to 302. My stats went up evenly, too.¡¯ His level rose significantly after hunting down so many vampires on the 6th Floor. He reckoned that he was overwhelmingly ahead in terms of levelpared to the other yers. ¡®Now, where is the next Floor?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho finally saw the relevant system messages. [The 7th Floor, Adonia Area has opened.] [yers, please stay strong until the final floor.] ¡°Adonia...¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho. Adonia was the name of the new Floor that they had to clear. - Contractor, can I eat the strawberry ice cream in the refrigerator? - You can eat it. She really liked eating. He had just given the Frost Queen permission to eat the strawberry ice cream, but someone else was already contacting him. This time, it was Shim Deok-Gu. - Jun-Ho. I''ll be at the hospital soon, and I have a present for you. - A present? Anyway, sure. He tried to get up to greet Shim Deok-Gu, but he saw the Frost Queen staring at him. It was clear that she had already eaten the strawberry ice cream and was asking permission to eat another vor of ice cream. Seo Jun-Ho said, "Go ahead...¡± The Frost Queen immediately ran over to the refrigerator. Seo Jun-Ho grinned and looked at the system messages to turn it off and paused. [The 7th Floor, Adonia Area, has closed.] [yers, please wait for further notice from the Administrator.] [Please do not press the button for the 7th Floor in the Dimensional Elevators.] "¡­What¡¯s this?¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho with a stiff look. This was an unprecedented event. *** Static. A giant burst into mes, but no sound could be heard, which made the scene even more eerie. ¡°¡­¡± The people watching the video wordlessly stared at the unfolding scene. Gray shattered the ice and spoke, ¡°As you can see, the 7th Floor Adonia Area is gone. It exploded eleven minutes ago.¡± "I know it''s a meaningless question, but who did it?¡± "The Archduke¡­" "That bastard. I knew it...¡± Reiji sighed and looked at the other Administrators. "Are you all mute and dumb? We have to take action." "Quiet. We can¡¯t resolve this using just our heads,¡± a woman said coldly. Gray nodded and said, "Yes, the higher-ups have already issued an order to designate another area as the 7th Floor." "Where?" ¡°¡­¡± Gray put up a picture without saying a word. Bang! Reiji stared at the picture and mmed her fist on the desk. "Don''t make meugh! There¡¯s a limit to our patience as well. We can¡¯t just let them drag us along!" "It has been decided." The woman stood up. She looked like she didn¡¯t want to stay here any longer. Reiji said fiercely, "Sit down. The meeting is still ongoing.¡± "Meeting?" The woman chuckled and looked around the meeting room. "Is this really a meeting of Administrators? Howe only the six of us attended? How pathetic.¡± The woman¡¯s cold voice made even the World Tree shrink into her pot. Until recently, she couldn¡¯t take part in the Administrator meetings. ¡°It¡¯s all over, anyway.¡± The woman smiled bitterly and shook her head before disappearing. The remaining five transcendents remained silent for a long time. Chapter 492. Fourth Time (2) Chapter 492. Fourth Time (2) The 7th Floor was already open, but it was suddenly closed. The entire world was paying attention to the unprecedented turn of events. [There Was, but Now, There Isn¡¯t. The 7th Floor, Adonia Area, Has Closed.] [The Big 5 Says: Follow the Instructions of the System.] [The World yer Association Announces Its Position: We Are Investigating.] ¡­ ''It''s definitely weird.¡¯ The opening of the 6th Floor Trium Area was dyed, but this was the first time that an opened Floor was closed. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze deepened. ¡®Is this also rted to what Reiji-nim said about the demon¡¯s influence?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart felt like it was clogged. The feeling was even more pronounced because he was currently injured and couldn¡¯t control his body properly. ''Yeah, it¡¯s not like something will change.¡¯ They would kill monsters, get stronger, and then eventually kill the Floor Master once the 7th Floor was opened. They just had to repeat that process until the 10th Floor. The Frost Queen approached and said, "Contractor." "You can eat it." "What? Do you really think that I am some kind of glutton?!" ¡®Isn¡¯t that true?¡¯ thought Seo Jun-Ho. However, his thoughts disappeared upon seeing the Frost Queen¡¯s re. "Then, why did you call me¡ªAh." Seo Jun-Ho nodded upon hearing familiar footsteps outside the hospital room. "Can you help me up?¡± "All right,¡± replied the Frost Queen. She raised Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s upper body using the remote control for the bed. The door to the hospital room was opened. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s old friend, Shim Deok-Gu, appeared and said, "You look better than I thought." "It¡¯s just on the surface" Seo Jun-Ho smiled awkwardly and asked, "Deok-Gu, do you know anything about the current situation?¡± "Aigo. Let me take a seat first, why are you so impatient?" grumbled Shim Deok-Gu as he sat down. He seemed calm because he even greeted the Frost Queen. When Shim Deok-Gu was done settling in his seat, Seo Jun-Ho asked, "I''m dying of curiosity, so hurry up and tell me if you have any news." "First of all, the World yer Association sent yers to Frontier." "Frontier? Why?" asked Seo Jun-Ho with wide eyes. They were talking about the 7th Floor, so why was he talking about Frontier? Shim Deok-Gu exined, "What¡¯s the number one religion in Frontier?" "The Church of the Sun." "Yes. Apparently, the popes of Frontier are capable of receiving revtions directly from their god." "Hoh..." In short, they were nning on asking the God of Frontier if they knew anything about the current situation. Seo Jun-Ho seemed confused upon hearing that. "Why ask the God of the 2nd Floor about what is happening on the 7th Floor? I don''t think they¡¯ll know." "Who knows? I think the World yer Association simply felt that they had to do something, so they ended up sending yers to Frontier.¡± "Hm." In the end, it meant that the World yer Association also had no idea what was going on. "However, this is an unprecedented situation, so we will take extra care once the 7th Floor is reopened.¡± "How are you going to do that?" "We¡¯ll formally implement the scouting system." The scouting system was first used on Trium when the Association sent an advance party to investigate the 6th Floor. They had to learn more information about the 7th Floor by sending a party with Heavens as leaders. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. "It makes sense. The results were great, after all.¡± The casualties on the 6th Floor were extremely fewpared to the casualties on the 5th Floor. Thirty-nine yers died on the 6th Floor, but the media outlets were already saying that it was yet again another great victory for mankind. ¡°It is expected that the operation involving the 7th Floor will start in three months orter.¡± "I didn¡¯t expect that it¡¯ll take that long." "There¡¯s a reason for that." Shim Deok-Gu pointed at Seo Jun-Ho. "You¡­" "Me?" "Yes..." The core of the yers was definitely Specter. The World yer Association judged that Specter was the strongest yer in existence. His inability to join the battle meant that the yers wouldn¡¯t be able to disy their full strength. "The World yer Association will do its best to help you recover.¡± "Words can''t do anything¡­" "If they only knew how to bark, then I wouldn¡¯t have told you what they said." Shim Deok-Gu gestured at the door, and a few men walked into the room with boxes. "What are those? The holidays are still a long way to go." "Gifts from the World yer Association¡­ No, is it more appropriate to say tribute?¡± In the blink of an eye, dozens of boxes were piled up next to the bed. "The gifts contain medicine. They¡¯re really sincere when they said that they want you to recover quickly." "Yeah, they want me to recover quickly, so I can start working as soon as possible,¡± grumbled Seo Jun-Ho. However, the World yer Association¡¯s gifts didn¡¯t upset him. Seo Jun-Ho smiled and said, "Tell them that I¡¯ll use their gifts. No, I''ll just write them a letter myself." "All right. I¡¯m sure your letter will be disyed on the wall of the President¡¯s Office.¡± The Frost Queen started rummaging through the boxes, and she found that every medicine was at the highest level. "Where did they get all those things?" "They took advantage of their influence and reach. They definitely collected all those from the 1st Floor all the way to the 5th Floor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was sure that he wouldn¡¯t fully recover after absorbing the gifts, but he should have no issues walking around afterward. "There¡¯s more¡­" ¡°¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared curiously at Shim Deok-Gu. Thetter retrieved a luxurious box out of his pocket. "Tepes left this behind when he died..." Seo Jun-Ho''s expression changed. Aside from that tin can on the 5th Floor, the other Floor Masters had left something behind when they died. "The nucleus¡­" "That¡¯s right." Shim Deok-Gu smiled brightly and held out the box to him. "It has been formally acknowledged that you own this item.¡± "Hmm..." Seo Jun-Ho hesitated for a while. He didn''t think that he was just the only one who led them to victory this time. Shim Deok-Gu saw Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hesitation and said, "Skaya and Rahmadat have already agreed. They said that you should eat it.¡± "What? Really?" "Skaya said it didn¡¯t look tasty, and Rahmadat said that you almost paid with your life for it." "Those guys...¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt like crying. He couldn¡¯t believe that they had decided to give up something that any High Ranker out there would happily take for themselves. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho worldlessly received the box from Shim Deok-Gu. He opened it and saw a transparent nucleus. [Tepes¡¯ Nucleus] Grade: Legendary Description: The nucleus that came from killing Tepes, the first True Vampire. Effect: Forced sleep for 6,205 days when taken. Acquisition of Wheel of Time (S). ¡®It¡¯s definitely a Skill rted to time.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He had expected that Tepes¡¯ nucleus would bestow a Skill rted to time. ¡®I expected either a blood-rted Skill or time-rted Skill.¡¯ However, the issue this time wasn¡¯t with the Skill itself. ¡®6,205 days... That¡¯s seventeen years, right?¡¯ It had taken him twenty-five years to absorb the Frost Queen¡¯s nucleus, and seventeen years was definitely better than twenty-five years. However, the issue was that he had grown a lotpared to when he fought the Frost Queen. ¡®I have be much stronger than when I absorbed the Frost Queen¡¯s nucleus, so why do I have to spend seventeen years absorbing this nucleus? Does it mean that it¡¯s a better skill than Frost?¡¯ It seemed unlikely that Wheel of Time (S) was stronger than Frost (EX). After all, there was a difference in grades. The most important issue was that Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t want to waste seventeen years absorbing a nucleus. ¡®I think I¡¯ll have to use that method.¡¯ He had absorbed Erebo¡¯s nucleus in Reiji¡¯s Store. The Administrator¡¯s Store was a ce where time flowed differentlypared to the outside world. ¡®The problem is Reiji¡­¡¯ He had already fooled her once, so Seo Jun-Ho was sure that she wouldn¡¯t meet up with him. In addition, if they somehow managed to meet, Reiji would certainly beat him up once she heard his request. ''I need another Administrator.¡¯ He thought Gray would say no with a pleasant smile, but he wasn¡¯t sure about how the World Tree would react to his request. If the World Tree reacted negatively, then he would have no choice but to look for Ignis¡ªthe 3rd Floor Administrator. Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across the boxes of medicine in front of him ''Let''s eat those first.'' *** Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s routine in the next few days was simple. Upon waking up, he would eat breakfast and undergo a few simple tests before receiving treatment. Afterward, he would then elerate his recovery by consuming medicine from the World yer Association. [You have consumed a Heavenly Acorn.] [All stats has increased by 3.] [You have used Gaso Huarumyang.] [All stats has increased by 5.] ¡­ Seo Jun-Ho could feel that he was recovering at a rapid pace. Suddenly, the Frost Queen approached him and said, "Contractor." "You can eat it." "No! Why do you keep saying that whenever I say something nowadays?" "I thought you were going to ask me what else you could eat again. Did you note here to ask me what you can eat?¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. The Frost Queen puffed her cheeks as her eyes filled with dissatisfaction. "Why did youe here, then?¡± "I¡¯m here to tell you that you have visitors!" eximed the Frost Queen. Creak. The door to the hospital room was opened slightly. Seo Jun-Ho saw a familiar face. "Hello..." "Oh, hello." The visitor was Kim Woo-Joong of Silent Moon. Seo Jun-Ho thought that he came alone, but Son Chae-Won followed him into the room. The two greeted Seo Jun-Ho. Kim Woo-Joong was carrying a grape basket, while Son Chae-Won was carrying a kiwi basket. "How are you feeling?" "I¡¯m recovering faster than I thought." Seo Jun-Ho raised his upper body up. Kim Woo-Joong held out a grape basket and said, "You don''t have to peel this fruit, and they have been washed, so you just have to eat them directly." "Thank you," replied Seo Jun-Ho. "Hm, that sounded like a personal attack," said Son Chae-Won. She stared at Kim Woo-Joong with a strange smile. Her reaction wasn¡¯t strange because she had prepared a kiwi basket. However, Kim Woo-Joong remained steadfast as he looked into her eyes. "So you can hear just fine. I really didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯ll visit a patient with a kiwi basket.¡± "What''s wrong with kiwis? Kiwis are refreshing and delicious.¡± "But the kiwis...¡± Kim Woo-Joong abruptly stopped speaking and shook his head before saying, "No. I can''t say that in front of a patient." ¡°¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at Son Chae-Won. What was wrong? Wasn¡¯t a kiwi basket one of the gifts people often brought with them whenever they were going to visit a patient? Son Chae-Won shrugged. "I hope for your understanding. He looks fine, but he can be a bit weird sometimes." "I''m really curious. What''s wrong with kiwis?" asked Seo Jun-Ho while opening the basket. Kim Woo-Joong was surprised. "Jun-Ho, you¡ªso you don''t know..." "I don''t know what the hell you''re talking about," replied Seo Jun-Ho. Kim Woo-Joong hesitated for quite a while before asking, "It can be a bit shocking for a patient, but do you still want to hear it?" "Tell me. Just what¡¯s wrong with kiwis that you¡¯re acting like this? Are kiwis filled with carcinogens?" "It''s not such a simple matter." Kim Woo-Joong shook his head. His expression turned grave as if he was about to reveal a great secret. "The kiwis we eat... They¡¯re actually birds rather than fruits. Kiwis are actually processed meat.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was dumbfounded. "Huh?!" The Frost Queen eximed with her eyes wide open. She had been ying with a kiwi all this while, and she immediately put it down after hearing Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s revtion. "A-are you sure? Are kiwis really birds?" "Yeah. So you didn''t know it either..." Kim Woo-Joong nodded grimly. The Frost covered her mouth with both of her hands. "I-I even the ate kiwis that the granny in the next room gave me yesterday¡­ I ate two..." "Get tested right away. Perhaps you got infected with an unknown parasite.¡± "Y-yes! I will get tested." Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Ms. Son Chae-Won, what the hell is he talking about?¡± Son Chae-Won was desperately trying to stop herself fromughing as she said, "Well, that''s¡ªPffft!" Unfortunately, Son Chae-Won failed to hold in herughter as she startedughing with tears in her eyes and while holding her belly. "Hahahahaha! Was it when we were middle schoolers? I told him that a kiwi is actually the body of a kiwi bird.¡± "He still believes in something as ridiculous as that?¡± "I was actually confused when he said that just now. Wait, so how many years has it been? Pffft! Hahahahahaha!¡± Son Chae-Won boisterouslyughed. Kim Woo-Joong saw that and said, "I did my own research and looked it up on the Inte. I saw that what you said was true. I even saw pictures." "Are you stupid? Those pictures were photoshopped! Hahaha!¡± Son Chae-Won¡¯s boisterousughter intensified, and it looked like she would copse and start rolling on the floor from theughter. The ashamed Kim Woo-Joong tapped his Vita and said, "N-no way they¡¯re fake. Look¡­! If you look at this picture of a kiwi bird with its belly cut open, you can see that...¡± Kim Woo-Joong looked up the words Kiwi Bird, and he proudly showed some photos of it. However, his pupils shook violently when he saw the caption of one of the pictures. "I reckon that no one out there believes in the Kiwi Bird rumor, right? Anyway, that is it for today¡¯s post¡­?¡± "Ahahahaha!" Son Chae-Won finally copsed fromughing, and she even started rolling on the ground. Kim Woo-Joong froze and stiffened like a stone statue. "Phew, then it seems that I do not have to get tested.¡± The Frost Queen breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off of her forehead. Chapter 493. Fourth Time (3) Chapter 493. Fourth Time (3) It had been ten days since Kim Woo-Joong and Son Chae-Won¡¯s visit. "Status window." [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 302 Title: Bringer of Spring (8+ more) Strength: 921 Stamina: 912 Speed: 934 Magic: 978 Seo Jun-Ho had already consumed every single medicine that the World yer Association had sent over to him. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stats were the highest they had ever been, but he looked gloomy. ''I still can''t put all my strength into my fist.¡¯ His body had long recovered, but he reckoned that the incongruity had to have been because he ended up injuring his soul out of overexertion. It was especially troublesome because he had no idea if there was a medicine out there that would treat the soul. ¡®I guess only time will heal it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho got up. At the sight, the Frost Queen asked, "Are you going to meet the big tree?" "Yeah." Before anything else, he had to find a way to absorb Tepes¡¯ nucleus without spending seventeen years in the real world. He reckoned that he had to go to the World Tree for that. - Wee, Specter. It was easy to meet the World Tree. She immediately summoned him to the Forest of the World Tree upon arriving at the 4th Floor. "Have you been well?¡± - Yes, I feel great. The World Tree wasn¡¯t lying. She truly looked great; her branches and leaves looked shiny and glossy. Seo Jun-Ho looked up at her and said, "That''s a relief. I came here today because¡­ I apologize, but I would like to ask you for a favor." - I know why you¡¯re here. As expected of the tree of wisdom, he still hadn¡¯t said anything, but she already knew why he came here. - It is impossible. "Hmm." - It¡¯s impossible because I do not have the authority to open the Administrator''s Store. Could it only be done in the Administrator''s Store? ¡®I guess I have no other choice but to coax Reiji again.'' He had already used the retirement card against Reiji, so Seo Jun-Ho was doubtful if it would even work again. Seo Jun-Ho groaned as he thought about how to coax Reiji into opening the Administrator¡¯s Store for him. The World Tree seemed like she had seen through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s thoughts. - For your information, Reiji won¡¯t be opening the Store anytime soon. "What? When is she going to open it?" - Hmm, she¡¯s probably going to open it once you¡¯re done absorbing that nucleus. "What? That''s too mean...¡± Didn¡¯t that mean that she was avoiding him? Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulders drooped, feeling hurt. The Frost Queen tilted her head and said, "Contractor, Contractor!" "You can eat¡ª" "No, do not joke around. This is serious, and I have a serious question for you." "What is it?" "Now, listen well." She opened her palms and said, "Gray is the Administrator of the 1st Floor, right?" "That''s right," replied Seo Jun-Ho. The Frost Queen folded one of her fingers and said, "The Administrator of the 2nd Floor is Reiji, and the Administrator of the 3rd Floor is Ignis." "And the Administrator of the 4th Floor is in front of us...¡± the Frost Queen trailed off. Rustle! The World Tree responded by waving one of her branches. - Yes, it¡¯s me. "Yes, then who is the Administrator of the 5th Floor?" "The emperor?" The Chief Administrator of the 5th Floor was the Emperor of Neo City. And he was the current Emperor of Neo City... ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho was silent. The Frost Queen stared at him and asked, ¡°You cannot do it?" ¡°W-what?¡± "Can you not open the Administrator''s Store or something like that?" said the Frost Queen. The way she looked at Seo Jun-Ho made thetter¡¯s heart sting. The Frost Queen stared at him as if she were a child who thought of her parents as the best in the entire world¡ªonly to be disappointed by the cold reality. "I probably can''t¡­?¡± He had no idea how to do it, so how could he do it? Seo Jun-Ho looked at the World Tree, asking for an answer. - Hmm. The World Tree thought about it for a while, but she ended up admitting it casually. - As expected of the Frostbringer of Worlds[1]¡ªyour insight is great. "Ah! I-I got it!" "You got it, Frost!" Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen jumped around in joy while holding and shaking each other¡¯s hands. However, the World Tree decided to pour a bucket of cold water on them. - However, the Administrator of the 5th Floor does not have the authority to open the Administrator¡¯s Store. "Oh..." "Boo¡­!" Their expressions darkened. The World Tree hurriedly added. - The emperor of the 5th Floor does not have the authority to open the Administrator¡¯s Store, but the Frost Queen''s presumption was not entirely incorrect. "¡­What do you mean?" asked Seo Jun-Ho. - The emperor has his own unique authority. Unique authority? Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intuition tugged at him. That unique authority¡ªit was the key to what he had been looking for. "What is it?" - Of course, I will not tell you myself. "Not even if I ask you in the sincerest way possible?" - E-even if you do that, what is not allowed is not allowed¡­ The World Tree could feel her heart weakening at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s pleading, so she immediately added. - Just look for it on your own¡ªfind out what exactly you are capable of doing. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a great experience. Once the World Tree¡¯s warm voice reached their ears, the two suddenly found themselves in a Dimensional Elevator. "We got kicked out..." "It seems so." However, it wasn¡¯t like they hadn¡¯t gained anything. "We can¡¯t be too disappointed. We got a clue, after all.¡± "And it was all because of me." "Yes, yes¡­ You are the best detective of this era.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled lightly and pressed the button for the 5th Floor. *** Seo Jun-Ho headed straight to the former Murim Alliance building. Right now, the building was the temporary Imperial Pce. "Uh, are we done organizing the data here?" - Well done. Now, let''s get back and sort out the appeals. In thete Namgung Jincheon¡¯s office, work was in full swing. "You''re working hard¡­¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. The eyes of the two people in the office went round. - Oh? Your Majesty! "Seo Jun-Ho!" Seo Jun-Ho blinked. He knew Yeon because he was the previous emperor of Neo City, but it was his first time seeing the energetic girl next to Yeon. "Who are you?" "What? Y-you¡¯ve already forgotten me...?¡± The girl with braided hair sitting on her left shoulder was dumbfounded. All of a sudden, the Frost Queen opened her arms and ran toward the girl. "Wiso!" "Frost!" The girls locked hands and excitedly greeted each other. Seo Jun-Ho approached Yeon and asked, "So, who is she?" - Huh, I am a little disappointed in you. "What? Why are you disappointed? Who is she?" Seo Jun-Ho was sure that on the 5th Floor, he was only close to Yeon and Wisoso¡­ "Huh?" Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened. He recalled how the Frost Queen had shouted Wiso just now and asked in a surprised voice, "She''s Wisoso?" - You really have no idea? "How could I have known that she¡¯s Wisoso when it¡¯s my first time seeing her?!" Wisoso was originally a ball. To be exact, Wisoso was a ball-shaped robot with a soul. If his memory was serving him correctly, it was all because her body was terminally ill. ¡°Come to think of it, I remember that her body was in the Aeon Empire for a procedure.¡± - Yes, and the procedure was sessful. Her soul was transferred over to her body from the ball, and it went well, too. "Well¡­" So, Wisoso actually looked like that? She was a head taller than Frost. ¡®Interesting.¡¯ It seemed that it was possible for one¡¯s body to heal without a soul in it. Seo Jun-Ho watched the Frost Queen and Wisoso¡¯s tearjerking reunion. "You have be really pretty. You¡¯re not a ball anymore,"plimented the Frost Queen. "Yep, the treatment was a sess, so I can even learn martial arts now." Wisoso smiled bitterly for a moment before continuing. "If my father is here, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be happy.¡± "He is watching you from heaven." "Is he?" "Of course. You can trust this unni." "¡­Unni?" Wisoso¡¯s eyes scanned the Frost Queen. The Frost Queen was shorter and with a younger face. The Frost Queen¡¯s cheeks were also as white as snow, and they seemed like they would melt if one squeezed her cheeks hard enough. Therefore, Wisoso couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Aren''t I older than you?" "Phew¡­ I guess we need to talk for a long time." The Frost Queen led Wisoso and disappeared somewhere with her. - It seems that they are having fun. "Well, they¡¯re roughly the same age, so they¡¯re bound to have fun in each other¡¯spany¡ªwait, do they really not have that much of an age gap?" Seo Jun-Ho thought before abandoning the thought and nodding. "Anyway, everything''s fine, right?" - Yes, everything is fine, but we just have a lot of work. Please help us take care of them while you are here. "Haha. I made you the Prime Minister so that you¡¯ll have sufficient authority to do those work. Why are you even saying something like that? It makes me feel sad.¡± - Shouldn¡¯t I be the one feeling sad? Yeon sounded dumbfounded. - Anyway, why are you here? "I¡¯m looking for something." Seo Jun-Ho stared at the bustling city beyond the ss windows before continuing. "Yeon. What authority do I have?¡± - Authority? Yeon thought about it for a moment before replying. - Hmm, Your Majesty can raise the tax rate of the country, createws... "No. I¡¯m not talking about those." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and said, "I''m not talking about my authority as the Emperor of Neo City, but my authority as the Administrator of the 5th Floor.¡± - I am sorry, but I do not understand. It seemed that Yeon had no idea about it. In that case, he had no choice but to find out on his own. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡®What the hell is an Administrator?¡¯ There was no way he would know because he had never seen them on the job before. Technically, he had seen one of the Administrators on the job. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly remembered Reiji¡¯s annoyed and sleepy visage while standing behind the counter of the Administrator¡¯s Store. ¡®I don''t think that''s right¡­¡¯ His sample size was small; only one. In addition, he was sure that Reiji wasn¡¯t a normal Administrator. "Hmm." Seo Jun-Ho pondered deeply about the Administrators¡¯ raison d''etre. Yeon approached him and interrupted his train of thought. - Take a look at the development report, at the least. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be surprised. "No, I¡¯m thinking about something¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho casually read the holographic image in front of him and said, "Wait. What are these numbers?¡± The report said that the city was receiving hundreds of millions of credits every month. It was a huge figurepared to his previous visit. "Why is there so much taxing in? What¡¯s in this city?" - It is developing in a spectacr way. We¡¯ll earn even more in the future. Yeon spread out a hand fan. He covered his mouth with the fan and chuckled. - It is all thanks to the yers. They¡¯re crazy about work. They take every work we throw at them withoutints. "Well, that¡¯s not surprising because they¡¯ll level up whenever they work...¡± There were many articles on Earth about Neo City, so Seo Jun-Ho knew that the number of yers here was bound to increase. However, it seemed that there were more yers here than he thought. "What should we do with all this money?" - The n is to reconstruct the devastated areas as well as the Imperial Pce. We¡¯ll also create jobs for people without specific talents, so it¡¯s a win-win situation overall. Yeon folded the hand fan and tapped it on his palm. - Oh, yes, I was nning on calling you soon. "Why?" - I think it¡¯s about time we wee those whom Namgung Jincheon had cut off. There is news that Overflow will be visiting us in the next few days. "Overflow? Who are they?" - They are merchants. They roam the universe, and they sell various items. Merchants from the universe¡­ Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes sparkled in anticipation. "That sounds fun. Do we only need to prepare enough money?" - Well, there is something else we need to prepare. Yeon''s serious gazended on him. - Your Majesty, you just have to stay still¡ªvery still. *** "Damn it¡­" Seo Jun-Ho muttered. He looked like he got deceived. After all, he didn''t expect that this was what Yeon meant when he said that he should stay very still. "How are you, Your Majesty?" "Ba¡ªNo, I¡¯m good." ¡°Hmm, there are still some wrinkles on the sides of your imperial attire. I think I¡¯ll have you change into another one." "No, it''s annoying, so let¡¯s just stick with this." It had been a few hours since Yeon started trimming his hair and eyebrows. Yeon also changed his clothes and ced a crown on his head. Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t able to do anything because Yeon had said that he had to show his dignity as an emperor. After all, the uing meeting was an important meeting that would decide whether the merchants would start frequenting Neo City again or not. ¡®In a word, he¡¯s saying that I should dress up so that they won¡¯t look down on me.¡¯ The emperor was the face of Neo City. Yeon thought that if Seo Jun-Ho looked shabby, the merchants might look down on the entire Neo City. "It''s annoying, so I''ll just go like this." "Your Majesty, please ept our requests!¡± The subjects he was seeing for the first time kneeled and shouted at once. At this point, it seemed like they would cry if he said that he wouldn¡¯t do it. ¡®Phew. It¡¯s not even like I¡¯m an idol going on some music show.¡¯ ¡®Yeon, that punk must be doing this on purpose because I hadn¡¯t been helping him with work.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes tightly and decided to oblige with their request. "Bring me a new imperial attire." "Your Majesty¡¯s favor is immeasurable!" After another grueling hour, Seo Jun-Ho was finally released. Upon leaving the room, he found Yeon ying with the Frost Queen. - Hoh, so you¡¯re a queen? "Yes, I am. I am the Queen of Niflheim. I have many servants." - No wonder you seem to be full of grace. "Hm, I am kind of like that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho made his presence known by pping his hands. Yeon abruptly turned and saw Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s fierce re. - Oh, Your Majesty! You look stunning! "I don''t know about that. Anyway, I thought my bones would copse. I had to change into so many clothes." - Hahaha! Your Majesty¡¯s humor is the best. ¡°¡­¡± Yeon was just a hologram, so it should be okay to tear him apart. Sinister thoughts filled Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind, but before he could act on any of them, Yeon nodded and interrupted his train of thought once again. - Then, let''s take our leave. I¡¯ve heard that the merchants are about to descend. Seo Jun-Ho obliged and started walking down the corridor with the Frost Queen and Yeon. However, the Frost Queen kept ncing at him. ¡°Why do you keep looking at me?¡± "No¡­ I just think that it looks pretty good." What looks pretty good? The imperial garb he was wearing and the crown on his head felt cumbersome and heavy. In the end, Seo Jun-Ho could only sigh and mutter, "I hope I won¡¯t be aughingstock." 1. There was a lengthy discussion about the Frost Queen¡¯s sobriquet. The first suggestion was changing her sobriquet from One Who Freezes the World to Freezer of Worlds, but freezer sounds like freezers. In the end, our beautiful manager came up with a great title: Frostbringer of Worlds. It ended up being the winner. ? Chapter 494. Fourth Time (4) Chapter 494. Fourth Time (4) Rumble! Loud rumbling noises could be heard as a massive spaceship streaked through space. However, the rumbling noises were even louder inside. "Damn, the engine is getting weaker! What are those engineer bastards doing!?" "What? The output is unstable because your control is shit!¡± "That''s enough, just hang in there! We need tond safely, at the very least!" Themander sighed at the mess and muttered, "Phew, we have to get a contract somehow this time¡ª¡± Themander abruptly stopped speaking with an oops upon realizing his mistake. ¡°¡­¡± Themander saw the sadness on the boy¡¯s face and hurriedly added, "O-of course, this isn¡¯t the only ce for us to conduct our business, so you do not have to feel too much pressure, Young Master." "... Commander Seol, I''m not a young master anymore. I¡¯m a representative now," the boy muttered and clenched his fists. "I am the representative of my father¡ªthe owner of Overflow." ¡°...¡± Themander felt proud of the boy, but he found the boy pitiful at the same time. It was all because themander thought that this business would be difficult. ¡®It¡¯s great that ZY-410 has opened up its borders once more, but the timing isn¡¯t great.¡¯ It had been seventy years since Overflow was founded, and they had been active merchants throughout the gxy since then. The founder had taught them that trust came before money. Fifteen years ago, however, the foundation of the Overflow Merchant Group was shaken. ¡®Those dirty Flower Willow Merchants¡­¡¯ The Flower Willow Merchants coveted Overflow¡¯s business, and thetter¡¯s influence sharply plummeted. The Flower Willow Merchants were part of the Five Gxy Merchants¡ªthe fivergest merchants group in the gxy. The Overflow Merchant Group was rtively young, so the Flower Willow Merchants had to have considered Overflow as a tasty snack that they could devour using their power as one of the Five Gxy Merchants. Themander¡¯s expression turnedplicated. ¡®If we fail to secure this contract, it¡¯ll be extremely hard for us to stage aeback.; Most of the business rights in the gxy had already been eaten up by manyrge merchant groups. ZY-410 had just opened up its borders after a long time, and ZY-410¡¯s potential was judged as infinite¡ªway before it closed its borders. ''I really hope that things will work out...'' Commander Seol prayed earnestly. *** - You have to keep these in mind. The first priority is authority, the second priority is authority, and the third priority is¡ª "Is it authority? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s authority.¡± - No. I guess the third priority is to be considerate. You have to be considerate while showing your authority. "Okay, I got it, so stop nagging." ¡®Yeon, this guy¡­ he¡¯s starting to sound like the Deok-Gu of the 5th Floor.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho, the Frost Queen, and Yeon were the only ones in the great hall. The great hall was previously the hall of Alliance Leader Namgung Jincheon. Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across the cold hall and asked, "Why is the ce empty? If we want to show our authority, don¡¯t we need supporting characters?" "We do not need any of them," the Frost Queen said sternly, "Contractor, do you really think that the dignity and presence of a monarche from their subjects?" "That''s not it, but I think it¡¯ll be nice to have some people here." ¡°You¡¯ve only met a handful of officials so far, so what do you think will happen if you let them gather here? It¡¯ll simply be an act, nothing more, nothing less.¡± "Hm." Indeed. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and said, "You''re right." "Hmph. Am I not an authority in this field? I am the Queen of Niflheim, after all." "That''s right. Even though you have been reduced to nothing but my follower...¡± "I am not your follower!" Seo Jun-Ho teased the Frost Queen. They eventually received a report; the merchants would arrive soon. Yeon seemed worried as he stared at Seo Jun-Ho. - Your Majesty, authority... "I told you I got it." Seo Jun-Ho smiled and closed his eyes for a moment. He wasn¡¯t that knowledgeable about the inner workings of this field, but he was pretty confident in exuding authority. ¡®I have an extensive experience in that kind of field...¡¯ Hadn¡¯t he pretended to be charismatic in front of the reporters during his days as Specter when Gates could still be found everywhere? The public responded positively to his charade, and the pictures of that era could still be found on the Inte. Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes slowly; the look in his eyes was reced with solemnity. - Hoh... Yeon seemed slightly surprised as he covered his mouth with his hand fan. Soon, the door was opened, and two people walked in with their heads down. Thews of the Imperial Pce dictated that the emperor was the Sun of the Empire, and one shouldn¡¯t recklessly stare at the sun. "It is an honor to meet Your Majesty. I am An, the representative of Overflow." "I am Seol Ji-Ryang, the Commander of Overflow." "Raise your heads." The voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it was heard loud and clear. It seemed to be a voice that was above all. An unknowingly raised his head and met the emperor''s indifferent eyes. "I am the Emperor of Neo City¡ªSeo Jun-Ho." "¡­I-it is an honor to meet you." An had only heard of Neo City¡¯s Emperor, and thetter¡¯s face turned out to be younger than he had expected. However, An could see a maturity in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes that seemed incongruous with his age. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s maturity became dignity, and his dignity became an authority that pervaded the great hall. ¡®I see. It''s a small, but the emperor isn¡¯t who can be trifled with.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho possessed a steadfastness that could never be achieved by walking on a thorny path for only a day or two. In addition, Seo Jun-Ho himself seemed to have achieved a state of stability that every monarch should possess. In other words¡­ ¡®He is a good and virtuous monarch.¡¯ An gulped and pushed himself. He thought he could easily secure a trade deal with a small on the periphery, and it seemed that he had been doing what the people he resented often did¡ªjudging people by their appearances. "Please excuse me for a moment..." p! He pped both of his cheeks and came to his senses. "I had too many misceneous thoughts despite being under Your Majesty¡¯s presence. I apologize." "You are forgiven. Anyway, Prime Minister, what kind of position is a representative of a merchant group?" - They represent the authority of the merchant group, Your Majesty. ¡°Hoh." Seo Jun-Ho nodded and asked, "How old are you?" "I am fifteen this year." "¡­You''re young." An bit his lips. His young age could be considered a fatal disadvantage when dealing withrge amounts of money. However, An remained steadfast and spoke, "I am young, but I am confident that I am superior to other merchants." "Certainly, one¡¯s ability is more important than age." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s reaction was milder than An expected. An¡¯s expression brightened, and he started reciting the lines he had prepared beforehand. "Our Overflow merchant group is smaller than any otherrge merchant group, but we prioritize trust between our customers. If you choose to make a deal with us¡ª.¡± An ended up biting his tongue out of impatience and excitement, which interrupted his speech as he teared up in pain. An''s face turned white upon realizing his mistake. An couldn¡¯t speak anymore, so Commander Seol hurriedly spoke on behalf of him, "If you choose to make a deal with us¡ª¡± "Wait." Seo Jun-Ho raised his hand and cut him off. Then, he smiled and said, "Come to think of it, we have guests, but we haven¡¯t served them a cup of tea. Yeon." - Yes, Your Majesty. "Give the guests a cup of tea. I¡¯m sure they came from afar, so they must be thirsty.¡± - I understand Yeon grinned. Seo Jun-Ho had shown enough consideration for his opponent¡¯s rookie mistake. "T-thank you." An recovered after drinking a cup of cool tea. Then, he continued. "Our Overflow merchant group is smaller than any otherrge merchant group, but we prioritize trust between our customers. If you choose to make a deal with us, we will not let you down. The items we deal with are...¡± It was a great briefing for a fifteen-year-old. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart became filled with warmth at the sight. Yeon whispered. - The conditions are a bit disappointing, but it is not bad. "Disappointing? Can we not get another one?" - I do not know. Unfortunately, we do not have any cards to negotiate the conditions. "Well, then¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho was about to say something. However, the door was suddenly opened. A group of men walked into the hall. - What is going on? Yeon red at the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper bowed in confusion. "I-I apologize! I told them that they are not allowed to go in, but¡­!" "They¡¯re..." Commander Seol bit his lips. ¡®Geum Hak-Do!¡¯ Geum Hak-Do was the owner of the Flower Willow Merchants, and he was famous for using money as if it were water. It was impossible to find any cheap article of clothing or essory on his body. Seo Jun-Ho put his chin on one hand. He stared coldly at the helm of the group and asked, "¡­Who are you?" Geum Hak-Do smiled softly at the cold gaze and kneeled before saying, "I greet His Majesty the Emperor of Neo City¡ªI greet the Sun of Neo City. My name is Geum Hak-Do, and I am the owner of the Flower Willow Merchants¡ªone of the Five Gxy Merchants." "Who told you that it¡¯s okay for you to walk in here?¡± "I apologize. Even if I had ten mouths, I would still have nothing to say. I knew it would be rude of me to do so, but I had no choice but to walk in. I was worried that Your Majesty would be deceived by these scammers." "Scammers?" asked Seo Jun-Ho. Geum Hak-Do surreptitiously nced at the two figures next to him. However, there was no way his surreptitious nce could avoid Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s detection. An and Seol Ji-Ryang felt his gaze, and they simultaneously shouted. "That is a lie! What do you mean we¡¯re scammers?!" "That is nder. He is simply on bad terms with us, Your Majesty." "Is that so?" Geum Hak-Do raised his head slowly. He smiled while staring at the two and said, ¡°First, let me tell you the terms of our merchant group." Geum Hak-Do spat massive numbers. An and Seol Ji-Ryang¡¯s faces turned dark. Once Geum Hak-Do was done, Yeon whispered with his mouth covered with a fan. - Hm, there is certainly a big difference. The Flower Willow Merchants'' offer was at least five times¡ªno, ten times better than Overflow¡¯s offer. - What will you do? Seo Jun-Ho replied, "You nagged me so much, so why is it that you forgot it first?" - Yes? "The first priority is authority, the second priority is authority, and the third priority is authority.¡± - No, I definitely said that the third priority is to be considerate. "Anyway¡­." It was forbidden to visit the emperor of any empire without asking for permission. Seo Jun-Ho asked, ¡°An, Seol Ji-Ryang." "Yes, Your Majesty." "Yes, Your Majesty?" Seo Jun-Ho stared alternatingly between the two before saying, "Their offer is far too greatpared to your offer." "That¡¯s¡­" An bowed as if he were a puppy that had been abandoned in the rain. Unfortunately, they were not capable of matching Geum Hak-Do¡¯s ridiculous offer. Geum Hak-Do saw that and spoke, "I told you. They¡¯re scammers." "Geum Hak-Do." "Yes, Your Majesty." "Open that mouth of yours once more without permission and..." Rumble. The great hall trembled ever so slightly as darkness burst and swirled around Seo Jun-Ho. "...I will personally close that big mouth of yours." ¡°...!¡± Geum Hak-Do¡¯s eyes fluttered in panic. Seo Jun-Ho turned to stare at An and Seol Ji-Ryang. "Earlier, you said that you prioritize trust between yourself and your customers even though your merchant group needs a lot of money to expand and grow.¡± "Y-yes." "I do not think that trust is a one-way street." Trust could only be established if the other party was willing to return the corresponding gesture in kind. "An. You have shown your trust in me with your honesty in your excellent briefing. It is undeniable that your mettle does not match your age." Their merchant group was small, and the terms were poor, but An had never promised what they were not capable of delivering. An was also confident that he could deliver his promises. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have offered those poor conditions. ¡°I¡ªthe Emperor of Neo City¡ªdere that this¡¯s business rights will belong exclusively to the Overflow Merchant Group in the next three years.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± An and Seol Ji-Ryang''s eyes widened at the unexpected deration. Geum Hak-Do cried out. "Why! Our terms are much better!¡± "Firstly¡­" Seo Jun-Ho''s gaze toward Geum Hak-Do was no longer cold. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze seemed to be as hot as boiling magma that was about to erupt. "You entered the great hall without my permission." "W-well¡­ As I said before, I was afraid that Your Majesty might get deceived...¡± "Secondly, you ndered innocent merchants and said that they¡¯re scammers¡ª" ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious judging on their terms?!¡± "Lastly, you keep on interrupting me." Seo Jun-Ho despised being interrupted. He flicked his finger gently. Crackle! Geum Hak-Do¡¯s mouth froze over. Horrified, he groped around his mouth and noticed that it was sealed with ice. ¡°It does not matter what you¡¯re going to do; the ice that is sealing your mouth will not melt until next month. You will have to live with your mouth shut until then.¡± The Frost Queen had been observing the situation from the side, and she raised both of her thumbs at what Seo Jun-Ho had done. ¡°Great job.¡± Chapter 495. Fourth Time (5) Chapter 495. Fourth Time (5) "Ueup! Ueup!" Geum Hak-Do ran out of the great hall with his frozen mouth, and no one stopped him. Yeon couldn¡¯t help but speak. - You were a bit heavy-handed. Geum Hak-Do is rumored to be petty, so there¡¯s a chance that he¡¯ll hold a grudge. "Well, I¡¯m sure that mypetent Prime Minister will take care of it." - Is there perhaps someone like me in Your Majesty¡¯s world? Yeon asked with squinted eyes. "Someone like you, what do you mean?" - Someone who cleans after your mess. Shim Deok-Gu''s face came to Seo Jun Ho¡¯s mind, and Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what to say. At the sight, Yeon smirked. - No wonder. I knew that your habit of creating trouble without cleaning up after yourself couldn¡¯t be a habit that you developed in just a day or two. "¡­Ahem." Seo Jun-Ho looked at An to change the subject. "An." "Yes? Yes, Your Majesty." "I was so disgusted with him that I ended up handing over the exclusive rights to you, but will you be fine with it?" "I do not understand what Your Majesty means..." "Hm." Seo Jun-Ho felt a bit awkward, so he nced at Yeon. Yeon instantly saw through his thoughts. - I¡¯m sure you have already seen it on the way here, but thisnd does not have many natural resources. In addition, our usefulnd is just Neo City and its periphery. The yers were still diligently clearing the caves, so the gas was slowly getting pushed back. ''But their efforts probably aren¡¯t enough...¡¯ The was invaded by demons in the distant past, and the was now ny-nine percent enveloped in poison gas. What value could a barrennd provide? Seo Jun-Ho was worried about that. ''I might have to take my personal assets from Earth and Frontier to trade with Neo City.¡¯ He had an astronomical amount of money, jewelry, and items both on Earth and Frontier. "Uh, um..." An seemed flustered. He fell into deep contemtion before sighing and saying, "It seems that we should pretend that the deal did not happen.¡± "...Let¡¯s do that, then." "Young Master!" Commander Seol shouted; he seemed to have forgotten that he was in the presence of Neo City¡¯s Emperor. However, An shook his head. "Calling me stupid is useless¡ªit appears that His Majesty does not know anything, so we cannot take advantage of His Majesty." "Wait." Seo Jun-Ho chimed in. "If my ears aren¡¯t broken, you sounded like this is worth a fortune.¡± - I heard the same, Your Majesty. An replied, "I apologize. I didn¡¯t expect that Your Majesty is unaware of this¡¯s specialty product.¡± "¡­Specialty product?" This barrennd had a specialty product? Seo Jun-Ho nced at Yeon, but he shook his head. - Why are you looking at me? I am unaware as well. Why was he unaware? He was the previous Emperor of Neo City. Seo Jun-Ho and Yeon stared nkly at An. "An, what is the specialty product of this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Star¡¯s Scream.¡± ¡°Star¡¯s Scream¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. By any chance, how much does Your Majesty know about the green gas surrounding this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew that the gas was made by the demons, and it started spreading hundreds of years ago upon the demons¡¯ invasion. Eventually, the entire became enveloped in the poison gas. "A poison that kills living creatures if you breathe it in long enough. That is the limit of my knowledge." "Your Majesty is correct. The green gas is poison." However, it wasn¡¯t really that toxic for powerful beings. In fact, Seo Jun-Ho managed to survive for quite a while in the green gas using the ck Moon Heart Method of the ck Moon Martial Arts. ¡°There are many different alchemy techniques throughout the universe, and the same is true for crafting.¡± ¡°Crafting?¡± Seo Jun-Ho had a hunch. He had heard that scientists on Earth used methane gas to create diamonds for their research. ¡°Are you saying that the gas Star¡¯s Scream can bepressed until it bes a jewel?¡± ¡°Yes, the resulting jewel is a jade-colored jewel known as the Star¡¯s Voice throughout the vast expanse of the universe.¡± "I see¡­¡± It was his first time hearing such a secret behind this. Yeon finally spoke. - The terms of the deal now look a bit better after hearing that, Your Majesty. Yeon was ignorant of the¡¯s specialty product, so he thought that the Flower Willow Merchants¡¯ conditions were much better than the conditions that Overflow had offered. However, it seemed that the Flower Willow Merchants¡¯ terms were only valuable in the short term. - A rare treasure like Star¡¯s Voice must be expensive. Overflow had stated that they would only take ten percent, while the Flower Willow Merchants had stated that they would take sixty percent. In the bigger picture, it was clear which of the two offered a sweeter deal. - In other words, they had intended to pay a huge amount of money in advance so that they could bathe in moneyter down the road. Overflow wanted to live in harmony with Neo City by choosing to propose terms tantamount to symbiosis. However, the Flower Willow Merchants wanted to monopolize Neo City¡¯s resources for the sake of reaping massive profits. ¡®Well, I guess there are people who¡¯ll prefer the Flower Willow Merchants¡¯ terms.¡¯ Someone in dire need of money would most likely ept the Flower Willow Merchants¡¯ offer. Overflow¡¯s terms didn¡¯t allow immediate profits. However, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t really need anything right now, so Overflow¡¯s conditions were much more attractive to him. - Geum Hak-Do is famous for being a man of wisdom, so I thought it was odd that he was so rude. "I guess he was nervous about losing the business rights." Seo Jun-Ho looked at An in a new light. Seo Jun-Ho had already said that he would hand over the exclusive business rights to him. In other words, An could have pretended that nothing was wrong and absconded with most of the profits. Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t be able toin because he had no idea that Neo City had an expensive specialty product. ¡®But he willingly offered to cancel the contract...¡¯ The corner of Seo Jun-Ho''s mouth curled up. For Seo Jun-Ho, An was an admirable and cool individual. After all, it was very difficult to decisively let go of the treasure one was already holding in their hand. "Then, Your Majesty, shall we go?" "Well, isn¡¯t it a bit too early for that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho said after checking the time. "If we want to work together in the future, then we have to get to know each other more. Let¡¯s have lunch together today." "Your Majesty, are you saying¡­¡± Seol stammered. An¡¯s eyes widened as he stood there, frozen. Seo Jun-Ho smiled at their looks of disbelief and nodded. "I dere once again¡ªNeo City¡¯s business rights will belong exclusively to the Overflow Merchant Group in the next three years." *** There were no issues in the contract signing. "I will hire mercenaries and send them here right away. It is a bit difficult to collect the poison gas." "Oh, by the way, can you let us take care of that?" ¡°Yes?¡± An seemed dumbfounded. His Majesty of Neo City was basically saying that he wanted to use his own money and manpower to collect the gas, even though he could easily save money by letting An collect the gas. ¡°We will take Your Majesty¡¯s offer if you are willing, but may I ask why?¡± "Well, there are many unemployed people who need work.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was talking about the yers. If Seo Jun-Ho had to answer what lesson he had learned on the 5th Floor and 6th Floor, he would say that he learned how to rely on more and more yers rather than just the other Heroes. ¡®I used to think that everyone else wasn¡¯t that helpful aside from my four friends, but¡­¡¯ His excursion on the 5th Floor and 6th Floor made him realize that there were many talented yers in this era. ¡®If it hadn¡¯t been for them, we would have had a harder time clearing the 5th Floor and the 6th Floor.¡¯ In other words, Seo Jun-Ho wanted them to be even stronger. The thought led Seo Jun-Ho to create an event dedicated to collecting Star¡¯s Scream. ¡®The event will give the yers a strong enough reason to stay here and hunt.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s n didn¡¯t end there. He was nning on giving points to yers for collecting Star¡¯s Scream. ¡®We¡¯ll create a system that will allow them to purchase martial arts using their points.¡¯ The Sect Record Chip contained every martial art that had ever existed throughout Neo City¡¯s long history. In other words, he could take advantage of the chip to lure yers into working in exchange for martial arts. This n could even lead to the rapid development of Neo City. ¡®Of course, the yers won¡¯t suffer a loss.¡¯ They would be able to collect more points the more talented they were. They could then use those points to be more powerful by purchasing whatever martial art they liked. Basically, it was a win-win situation for both sides. - That''s a pretty good n, Your Majesty. Yeon saw through Seo Jun-Ho''s intentions and chuckled. "I think it''s pretty good, too. I think I¡¯m starting to be a wise monarch¡­¡± "Yes?" "Nothing. Anyway, An..." "Yes, Your Majesty!" "By any chance, do you...¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly remembered a particr individual. He scratched his cheek, and he sounded very embarrassed as he asked, "Do you perhaps know any medicine for hair loss? If you know some, can you get me some?" ¡°¡­¡± An''s eyes instinctively turned to the crown on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. "Where are you looking at? It¡¯s not for me. It¡¯s a gift for a friend.¡± "Oh, yes¡­ I see¡­¡± An seemed to have been enlightened. It couldn¡¯t be helped because the words for my friend usually meant that the item was actually for the speaker. It had always been like that since time immemorial. An nodded heavily with a renewed sense of duty. "I will find the medicine and offer it to you as soon as possible, Your Majesty." *** The rumor from the 5th Floor quickly spread to Earth in the form of news articles. [The Mysterious Emperor of Neo City Turned Out to Be Specter.] [The Imperial Family of Neo City Announces a yer-Only Event.] [You Can Purchase a Strong Martial Art Depending on the Number of Points You Possess? More and More yers Are Visiting Neo City Every Day.] [Our True Hero Specter Sympathizes with the Growth of Other yers.] ¡­ "Deok-Gu¡¯s doing it again¡­" Seo Jun-Ho was furious. The cringy article about sympathizing with the growth of other yers was published by a mediapany that belonged to Shim Deok-Gu''s friend. Seo Jun-Ho had long noticed a pattern¡ªwhenever there was a cringy article about him, the publisher would always be thatpany. "Will it be fine, Contractor?" "What do you mean?" "Your friends were the only ones who knew that you¡¯re Neo City¡¯s Emperor until now.¡± "Ah." After bing the Emperor of Neo City, Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t really been visiting the 5th Floor, and he also didn¡¯t actively spread any rumors. Therefore, there were some spections about how Neo City didn¡¯t have an emperor. ¡®And I decided to announce that I was the Emperor of Neo City all this while¡­¡¯ The effect was great. The media pounced on the news as if they were hungry wolves, and the Inte became filled with nothing but stories involving Neo City and Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s status as the emperor. "It¡¯s great. The number of yers in Neo City has increased by several folds. They''ll probably go around collecting Star¡¯s Scream.¡± "Um¡­ I think some people will go there with a different motive in mind¡­" The Frost Queen nced at the tablet in her hands. - The emperor on the 5th Floor is Specter-nim? Am I the only one who didn''t know? ©¸I didn''t know either. There was noment on the fan cafe, either T-T. ©¸I suppose that¡¯s why he has never shown his face despite the rumors about how there¡¯s a new emperor on the 5th Floor. ©¸Wait. If I go up to the 5th Floor right now, will be able to film Specter-nim wearing imperial attire? ©¸LOL, you are very smart, and your IQ is ten million. Anyway, I''m packing up right now. Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t sure how he should describe it. It seemed that not every yer had gone up to the 5th Floor to participate in the event. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the tablet for a moment before pping his hands. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it! Great job! You actually found it!¡± If those yers really wanted to see him in imperial garb, couldn¡¯t he just satisfy their desires? Seo Jun-Ho immediately summoned Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t want to,¡± said Seo Jun-Sik upon being summoned. He immediately ran away as if he were a scared cat. Seo Jun-Ho revealed a gentle smile and coaxed the wild cat¡ªSeo Jun-Sik. "What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you want to get summoned?¡± "I do want to get summoned, but I want to y around. I don¡¯t want to work for the rest of my life,¡± replied Seo Jun-Sik. Seo Jun-Ho stared at Seo Jun-Sik for a moment before saying, "Anyway, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Walk around the city during those times and thene back. I''ll give you a meal coupon every time as a reward.¡± "¡­What can I eat with that meal coupon?" "Everything." He could eat whatever he wanted¡­ "Pfft! Do you really think that you can buy my heart with food?!¡± However, it was too tempting to refuse, and the contract was quickly signed. Chapter 496. Fourth Time (6) Chapter 496. Fourth Time (6) Seo Jun-Ho came out to see Seo Jun-Sik off. He couldn¡¯t help but warn once more. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t cause trouble. Seriously, this is the seventh time I¡¯ve told you, but you better not cause trouble.¡± "Ah, I understand! What are you, my mom?! Stop nagging..." "I¡¯m not your mom, but I can be considered your older brother." Seo Jun-Sik snorted and chuckled. "I''m your clone, you know? What are you talking about?¡± "Think about it. It has only been¡ªAnyway, it has been a while, but you''re only two years old." "Is that how it works?" Seo Jun-Sik stared wide-eyed at Seo Jun-Ho. He tilted his head, and thetter¡¯s words did make sense. "Anyway, never open your mouth while you¡¯re walking. If you''re not confident that you can do that, how about you wear a muzzle?¡± "Ah, this is annoying. I don''t need anything," Seo Jun-Sik walked out of the great hall and grumbled, "I hate this shitty home!¡± Seo Jun-Ho was already worried while staring at Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s back. "Contractor, you look worried. Why don''t you follow him secretly?" "No, I believe in Jun-Sik.¡± Seo Jun-Sik was his clone, so he should be able to do it right¡­ "We also have a lot of work to do, so¡­¡± The World Tree said that the Emperor of the 5th Floor had a unique authority. "We need to find out what authority she was talking about.¡± Seo Jun-Ho opened the city management window and started looking through the stored items. *** While Seo Jun-Ho was busy with his investigation, a parade was taking ce on the streets of Neo City. - Thump ? Ppiriri ? The energetic tones of drums and flutes could be heard as a huge pnquin being carried by robots passed through the streets. Seo Jun-Sik was sitting in the pnquin with a displeased look. He looked down at the street and grumbled, "What is this? An amusement park?" On the street, they sold churros and cotton candy, as well as animal ear headbands. And there was an endless crowd who came out to see him. Hawkers were selling churros and cotton candy on the street, along with animal ear headbands. The crowd was endless, and it seemed that the entirety of Neo City hade here to see Seo Jun-Sik. "Specter-nim, over here!¡± "Look this way!" "Smile! Smile!" "Haaa¡­" Seo Jun-Sik didn¡¯t know what to say. The scene was so shocking that it dumbfounded him. Still, the camera shes continued as if they were ignorant of his feelings. "Well, let''s move on to the next point. Let''s take it from the left this time.¡± "Yes!" The members of Specter¡¯s fan club moved as a group as if they were on a tourist tour. ¡®They really like him¡­¡¯ ¡®If only they know that Original is a cold-blooded individual who never sheds tears or blood. Even worse, he neverplies withborws¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik turned slightly. "Wow! I made eye contact with His Majesty the Emperor...¡± "I-It¡¯s my first time seeing His Majesty, too!" The children were excited to see His Majesty the Emperor for the first time, and they kept on following the pnquin. The children were so cute that Seo Jun-Sik couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly and pay more attention to them. That was when he heard their conversation. "My mother said His Majesty can do anything!" "That''s right. They said His Majesty can make it rain or snow!" "Really? But why can''t His Majesty get rid of the gas outside the city?¡± The child¡¯s question contained no malice. ¡®Well, the emperor¡¯s rule is only limited to the city...¡¯ thought Seo Jun-Sik. However, his expression quickly turned stiff. ¡®Wait, but why is the scope of the emperor¡¯s rule only limited to Neo City?¡¯ He could only manipte the settings of the city. Seo Jun-Sik thought about it casually, but he felt that there was something more to it. "C¡¯mere." "Yes, Your Majesty." "Give those children lots of food as a gift, and turn the pnquin around. We¡¯ll return to the pce." Seo Jun-Ho sighed. Seo Jun-Sik canceled the scheduled parade and returned early. ¡°What¡¯s the issue? Why did you stop the parade without consulting me¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho abruptly stopped talking. Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s expression was pensive, and it seemed that he was pondering something serious. Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s usual yful demeanor was missing. "What? What happened? Did someone bully you? Do you want me to scold them?" "Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Do you really think that someone can bully me?¡± Seo Jun-Sik gave a quick summary of his thoughts during the parade. ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange? Original, if the Administrator of the 5th Floor is the Emperor of Neo City, then why is it that your power is only applicable to the city rather than to the entire Floor?¡± "That¡¯s¡ªMmhm, that¡¯s true." In other words, he was the Administrator of Neo City rather than the Administrator of the 5th Floor. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned serious as he said, "In other words, you¡¯re saying that the 5th Floor has an actual Administrator?¡± "That''s right. Actually, no one told us that we¡¯re the 5th Floor¡¯s Administrator.¡± "That''s true." It was just their assumption. The Neo City Area was the 5th Floor, and he was the Emperor and Administrator of Neo City. In other words, he was the Administrator of the 5th Floor as well. ¡°It was a syllogistic facy..." "That''s it!" The premise that they had been taking for granted copsed, and they finally saw a brand-new fact. "So there¡¯s another Administrator on the 5th Floor?" "Probably. I did think it was a bit strange. After all, the Administrators we have encountered so far were transcendents.¡± So how could they assign that kind of role to a yer? It was indeed strange in retrospect. Seo Jun-Ho started assembling the puzzle pieces he had acquired so far, and he suddenly remembered a particr detail. - The emperor of the 5th Floor does not have the authority to open the Administrator¡¯s Store, but the Frost Queen''s presumption was not entirely incorrect. - The emperor has his own unique authority. ¡°She fooled me¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho could still remember how the World Tree called him the emperor of the 5th Floor. However, she never called him Administrator. "Ugh." Seo Jun-Ho suddenly felt embarrassed. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what thoughts were going through the World Tree¡¯s head while she was staring at a yer who seemed confident that he was an Administrator in front of the real Administrator. Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s expression turned red as well, and he couldn¡¯t help but grumble, "Damn it, you''re the one who jumped to that conclusion, so why do I have to feel ashamed as well?¡± "I don¡¯t care. Just stay quiet so I can think,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho as he organized his thoughts. ''In other words, I''m just the Administrator of Neo City rather than the Administrator of the 5th Floor.¡¯ The World Tree said that he had his own unique authority. ''She even praised Frost Queen''s insight¡­¡¯ In other words, his own unique authority would help him absorb Tepes¡¯ nucleus. Finally, Seo Jun-Ho reached a conclusion. "Wait, I have an idea, too!¡± Seo Jun-Sik eximed with bright eyes. "How about we tell each other our ideas at the same time on the count of three?" "Do we even have to do that?" said Seo Jun-Ho with an indifferent expression. "It''s simple. Doesn¡¯t the emperor have the right to meet the Administrator of the 5th Floor?¡± "Ah, yes! I was going to say the same thing!" Seo Jun-Sik eximed, but he seemed dissatisfied. Seo Jun-Ho tapped his shoulder and said, "You really did a great job this time. If it hadn¡¯t been for you, we would have suffered for a long time without any solutions." "Uh¡­ Huh? No, well. I think you would have done well on your own...¡± They had finally arrived at a conclusion, so Seo Jun-Ho immediately opened the city setting window to look up the term. "Call Administrator." He was unsure if it truly existed, but there was a result after a few moments. [Call Administrator] "...Do you want to press this button together?" "Well, it¡¯s already toote for us to back out,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho before gently reaching out with his hand. The two pressed the button at the same time, and their surroundings abruptly distorted. ¡°T-This is¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho found himself standing on a ground made out of steel. There was a massive void in front of him, and it seemed to be expanding infinitely. He was staring at the universe. The scene was so surreal that Seo Jun-Ho muttered nkly, ¡°What is this?¡± No one answered him. He looked around and saw that Seo Jun-Sik had disappeared. In addition, he couldn¡¯t feel any magic in his body. It was like he was a normal human being rather than a yer. ¡®Is this a trap?¡¯ He raised his guard and looked around warily. - Don''t panic. The mechanical sound of churning cogs could be heard as something massive loomed over Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho quickly turned around, and the sight in front of him struck him with awe. Creak, creak, creaaak¡­ The ground made out of steel was torn apart, and a massive humanoid figure made out of steel rose to loom over Seo Jun-Ho. - My name is Deus Ex Machina, and I¡¯m the God of Machines. The giant humanoid figure made out of steel spoke loudly. - I am the Administrator of the 5th Floor, so you do not have to be afraid. "I¡¯m not afraid... ¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He btedly realized that his voice was trembling along with his body. - This is my own world, and magic cannot exist here. Your feeling of dread is natural because you are a human being on the verge of transcension. The steel giant lowered himself carefully. - Now, can you tell me why you wanted to see me? The steel giant was as huge as a skyscraper, but he was surprisingly polite. Seo Jun-Ho thought for a while before answering, "I have a favor to ask of you, Deus-nim." - A favor¡­ It has been a long time since I heard such a request. What kind of favor? ¡°Does Deus-nim know that a yer can obtain a nucleus after getting rid of a Floor Master?¡± - Of course. The nuclei are safety devices in ce. They are given to yers so that the yers can continue to challenge the more difficult Floors. The steel giant¡¯s eyes shone blue, and he stared intently at Seo Jun-Ho. - As far as I know, you have already absorbed a few of those nuclei. "Yes, and I luckily obtained another nucleus,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He retrieved Tepes¡¯ nucleus from his Inventory and showed it to Deus. Deus nodded. - It seems that the nucleus of that vampire fell into your hands. "Yes, but it says that it will take me seventeen years to absorb it. I think there¡¯s something wrong with it." - Specter, there is nothing wrong with the system¡¯s description. The Floors were created in a way that yers would need hundreds of years to clear them. "Hundreds of years¡­?¡± It was a ridiculously long time. If Deus wasn¡¯t lying, then their clear speed was abnormally fast. After all, they had already cleared the 6th Floor in just twenty-eight years. - Seven years¡­ Deus looked at Seo Jun-Ho. - The yers cleared the 6th Floor in just seven years after you stepped up. "That is an overestimation. It is too much to say that it is entirely due to my ability¡­¡± - You are indeed humble. However, think about it¡ªwhat happened while you were gone? What happened in those twenty-five years? ¡°¡­¡± The yers couldn¡¯t clear even a single Floor while he was gone. Reiji was considerate enough to allow them ess to the 3rd Floor, but they couldn¡¯t even find Janabi, not to mention kill him. - I have already heard about what happened between you and the Administrator of the 2nd Floor. I heard you absorbed a nucleus in her store. Perhaps the favor you¡¯re asking is simr to that. Seo Jun-Ho didn''t find it strange that Deus knew about it. Now that he thought about it, Reiji got punished and was sent to the Hole of Repentance after she had allowed him to absorb the nucleus in the Administrator¡¯s Store. With that thought in mind, Seo Jun-Ho realized that the other Administrators probably wouldn¡¯t help him do the same. ¡®I got too impatient¡­ I should have thought about it more.¡¯ Was it too much of a favor to ask? Seo Jun-Ho''s face darkened. The steel giant closed his eyes and agonized. - Hm, If you do me a favor first, I am also willing to do you a favor. "Are you sure?" - I swear on my existence. An Oath of Existence. The Frost Queen had done the same. If the oath were vited, the oath-taker¡¯s existence would disappear. ''And the oath-taker is a transcendent being...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had every reason to trust Deus. In addition, Deus wouldn¡¯t really gain anything from lying to him. "All right. What kind of favor can I do for you?" - Can I get a closer look into what kind of person you are? "Will this be some kind of psychological counseling?" - Simr, but it is much more sophisticated. I will look deep into your heart. Seo Jun-Ho contemted for a moment before nodding. "All right. What should I do?" - You just have to stay still. ¡®Oh, that line, I think I heard that before...¡¯ - Let''s get started. Hundreds of iron wires flowed like a river from Deus and headed for Seo Jun-Ho. - Please... Prove it to me. ''Prove what?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wanted to ask, but the iron wires prated him. At the same time, his consciousness was sent somewhere else. Chapter 497. Fourth Time (7) Chapter 497. Fourth Time (7) Pat, pat, pat. Seo Jun-Ho groped around his own body. He could still remember being prated by hundreds of iron wires. ''But there aren¡¯t any wounds..?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked around and saw Deus, who had be a small toy robot. - This is a virtual reality world made of zeros and ones. We are not in the real world. "We¡¯re not in the real¡­ world?¡± Was this world made from a mental-type skill? He didn¡¯t voice out his thoughts, but Deus answered him. - It is a bit different from that. I¡¯m sending electrical signals to your brain and nerves. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡®He can read thoughts, but he¡¯s not using a mind-type skill.¡¯ - Humans emit electrical signals every time they think, and I¡¯m simply reading those signals. Seo Jun-Ho felt goosebumps breaking out all over him. Deus¡¯ words meant that he couldn¡¯t even have his own thoughts here. Seo Jun-Ho made sure not to think too much as he looked around. He was still in the same ce. ''He definitely said it. He wanted me to prove something to him.'' ¡®So, do I have to fight for my life here? What¡¯s the point when I¡¯m not going to die here?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho asked inwardly. - You¡¯re getting used to it faster than I thought. However, I will not be fighting you. ''Then, how do I prove myself?¡¯ - You will find out when you face it. All right, let''s move on. When Deus¡¯ words fell, the stars in the universe stretched out like taffy as Seo Jun-Ho flew somewhere at a tremendous speed. "Ah!¡± Seo Jun-Ho tried to catch his breath. - You will not die even if you don¡¯t breathe. You can breathefortably out of habit. Was that really the case? Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart was madly pounding against his chest, but when he held his breath, he didn¡¯t feel suffocated. However, it still felt strange. - Now, look over there. Seo Jun-Ho turned and saw a kindergarten. It was a familiar kindergarten. - It can''t be helped since we¡¯ve arrived here. You frequented this ce before. "Oh, it seems so...¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally remembered. However, the kindergarten had been reduced to nothing but a page within his memories. Seo Jun-Ho looked back at Deus. - Go inside. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what Deus was trying to do, but he obliged and walked through the main door. He saw a hallway decorated with deer and giraffe stickers. "Okay, next~" He peeked at the ss in session through the window and saw children huddled together like chicks. ¡®Cute¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled without realizing it, but his eyes suddenly quivered. "Jun-Ho, will you tell us?" "Um... Yes...¡± The child who wobbled up was familiar. It wasn¡¯t strange because the child was him. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face darkened. He stared alternatingly between the child version of himself and Deus. - Watch quietly. Don¡¯t do anything violent. "B-but¡­!" Seo Jun-Ho cringed, and the cringe was even more pronounced because the sight was clearer than any video out there. "Hehe." What was up with that dumb look? Seo Jun-Ho visibly cringed and clenched his fists. "What does Jun-Ho want to be when he grows up?" "A firefighter...¡± Baby Jun-Ho spoke shyly. The teacher grinned and eximed, "Oh? I''m so proud of you! Do you want to save people? Is that why you want to be a firefighter?" However, Baby Jun-Ho shook his head and said, "I like to spray water¡­¡± "Ah¡­ I-is that so?" Deus nced at Seo Jun-Ho. - It seems that you were abnormal even back then. "Please stop bothering me..." - All right. The scenery changed once more. It seemed that they had traveled even further into the past because Seo Jun-Ho saw himself in a stroller. "Oooop, oo-ah!" Baby Jun-Ho was focused on sucking his pacifier. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned pale, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Just what is this supposed to prove? Isn¡¯t this harassment?" - Hmm. Deus hummed as if he was agonizing over something. - Certainly, I do not think that it is bad, but it is ambiguous. "I do not know what you are talking about, Deus-nim." - I need to be certain. "Certain about what exactly?¡± - I have to be certain that you won¡¯t be tainted with evil. "If that is the case, just the activities I have shown so far..." - Even a mountain will change shape given enough years; won¡¯t people¡¯s hearts change as well? Tap, tap, tap! Deus crossed his arms. - We¡¯re done exploring your childhood, so it¡¯s about time for us to take a look at the more grown-up version of you. The scenery turned green as zeroes and ones filled the world. Eventually, a brand-new scenery appeared. It was a drowsy afternoon. Seo Jun-Ho could feel the gentle breeze of the wind passing by his ears. ¡°We¡¯re in a high school?" - It is a stormy period, and people often develop vile hearts during this time period. ¡°By any chance, are you trying to find fault with me no matter what?¡± - I thought you had already caught on to it. I have to find fault with you so that I won¡¯t have to help you. ¡®That''s so mean¡­¡¯ High schooler Seo Jun-Ho was messing around with High schooler Shim Deok-Gu. ¡®Deok-Gu, he looks so young.¡¯ ¡°I can¡¯t believe that he once looked like that. He has an M-shaped hairline, so this is unexpected.¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho was d that Shim Deok-Gu was aging gracefully. Personally, he thought that Shim Deok-Gu looked like Mads Mikkelsen but with a pot belly. - Hmm. "How about this time?" - ¡­ Deus didn¡¯t say anything. He eventually spoke, but he sounded confused. - I cannot understand. "What do you mean?" - You couldn¡¯t be farther from what I was worried about¡ªNo, rather than words, you should be able to understand it properly if I do it like this. A system window appeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho. [Seo Jun-Ho] Alignment: Line/Neutral Characteristics: ¢Ù Stubborn - If he thinks he is right, he will never back down. ¢Ú Self-sacrifice - He is willing to sacrifice himself for others, even if it means risking his life. ¢Û Poetic Justice - He will not hesitate to draw the sword of punishment against evil. ¢Ü Life of Hardships - He is living a life of suffering. "Hm." It was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first time being evaluated by a transcendent being. Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly at the Life of Hardships and asked, "I think this is a pretty good evaluation, is it not?¡± Deus silently stared at Seo Jun-Ho for a moment. - Yes, this is probably right because this result was obtained after taking a deep dive into your psyche. Yes, it has to be right. Deus had scoured even the bottom of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart, but he couldn¡¯t find even a single seed of evil. Seo Jun-Ho was trustworthy¡ªthe result he had obtained was telling Deus that Seo Jun-Ho could be trusted. ¡®But¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡¯ Helping Seo Jun-Ho be even more powerful would have an iparably profound impact. Perhaps Reiji felt the same when she thought about whether she should help Seo Jun-Ho or not. Deus felt like he was stuck in a quagmire. He had no idea if he was about to make the right choice or if he was about to make a choice that he would regretter down the road. - I have no choice but to trust you. At least, Seo Jun-Ho¡ªyer Specter¡ªwas a man worthy of trust. Deus ended his long contemtion and made a decision. - You said it¡¯d take you seventeen years to absorb Tepes¡¯ Nucleus? I can solve that problem for you. *** The solution ended up being so simple that Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know if he shouldugh or cry. "Do you want me to put this in that container?" - Yes. You cannot wait seventeen years, right? Then, we have no choice but to modify the item. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor. He stared at the jar and asked, "Will the item be weaker once you¡¯ve modified it?¡± - It is probably going to be like that at first. You will have to use it more often so that it will be as powerful as it was before it was modified. In short, it was like kimchi. Kimchi¡¯s taste would improve as it aged. Seo Jun-Ho dropped Tepes¡¯ Nucleus into the jar. Deus lifted the jar and shook it furiously. Once he was done, he pulled out the nucleus with his hand made out of machinery and held it out to Seo Jun-Ho. - Here. [Modified Tepes¡¯ Nucleus] Grade: Legendary Description: The nucleus that came from killing Tepes, the first True Vampire. Modified by Deus Ex Machina. Effect: Forced sleep for 10 days when taken. Acquisition of Wheel of Time (S). ¡®It¡¯s still S. There''s no difference...¡¯ However, Deus had said that the Skill would be weaker, so Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that the Skill would be simr to an A-Grade Skill in performance. "Thank you." - It is nothing. Please¡ªyour strength¡ªthe strength you¡¯ll obtain in the future. Please use it in a good way. "Of course¡­" Seo Jun-Ho smiled. Deus nodded. - Then, I will send you back to where you were... "I will visit you again next time." - Sure. And once again, I will ask, but please¡­ Deus trailed off and shook his head. - This old man¡¯s nagging will be too much for you to bear. Forget it. When Deus¡¯ words fell, Seo Jun-Ho''s consciousness was sent somewhere else. "...actor? Contractor?" Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes snapped open, and the first scene he saw was the Frost Queen staring at him with wide eyes while shaking her hand in front of his eyes. Seo Jun-Ho took a while topose herself. The Frost Queen remarked to Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°This is troublesome. Our contractor has lost his mind.¡± "I''m sure he¡¯s with the Administrator right now. Come to think of it¡ªthat was ridiculous. We definitely pressed the button at the same time, so why did the Administrator discriminate against me?" ¡°I¡¯m d you couldn¡¯te with me,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Sik would receive his memories once he was recalled, but in the meantime, Seo Jun-Ho was safe from the former¡¯s teasing. Seo Jun-Ho finally came to his senses. The Frost Queen sighed in relief. "You should have told us if you¡¯re going somewhere. You could have left a note, at the very least." "I had no idea what would happen, so I couldn¡¯t leave a note. I¡¯ll make sure to leave one next time," said Seo Jun-Ho. He had just told them about what had happened between him and Deus Ex Machina. ¡°Anyway, I''m going to sleep for the next ten days.¡± "That means..." Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen turned to Seo Jun-Sik. "Me? Why me?" "Do it properly while I''m gone." "Are you talking about the three amusement park parades a day? Don''t worry about it. I¡¯ve already gotten used to it, and it was pretty easy." Seo Jun-Sik revealed a stoic expression and said, "Don''t I just have to remain seated while looking like this?¡± "Nice. Keep doing that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho handed over his Vita to Seo Jun-Sik before entering his bedroom. "What did I say you should do if someone calls me?" "There is a ten-day wait before a decision is made." "Good job. Help yourself to as much food as you like while I''m gone." "What about the meal coupons?" "You''re acting as my representative, so I won¡¯t be stingy." "Thank you so much. I''m really going to try my best!¡± Seo Jun-Sik hugged his precious meal coupons and repeatedly thanked Seo Jun-Ho. "The two of you better not cause any trouble. Be good while I¡¯m gone.¡± "Contractor, geez, I am also a queen. I will watch over Jun-Sik, so sleep tight.¡± "If Frost tries to make trouble, I''ll do my best to stop her." ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Why can''t I trust either of them?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt ufortable. He sent a message to Yeon and Shim Deok-Gu before entering his bedroom. "Now, let''s get started." He was about to absorb Tepes¡¯ Nucleus, which was his fourth nucleus after the Frost Queen, Janabi, and Erebo¡¯s nucleus. Seo Jun-Hoyfortably on the bed and clenched the Modified Tepes¡¯ Nucleus. *** When Seo Jun-Ho finally fell asleep, Seo Jun-Sik muttered, "What should I say¡­ it feels like the parents are out on a trip, leaving their children at home?¡± "What could happen in ten days?" "You¡¯re right. I guess we can just live life as usual." Buzz. The Vita on Seo Jun-Sik''s left arm suddenly vibrated. Chapter 498. Frost and Jun-Sik (1) Chapter 498. Frost and Jun-Sik (1) A call came from Yeon. Seo Jun-Sik held his Vita to his ear. ¡°Hello?¡± - Your Majesty! I mean, Clone Majesty! It¡¯s an emergency! ¡°Ugh¡­¡±Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s nose crinkled. it hadn¡¯t even been five minutes since Original fell asleep. ¡°How serious is it? Is it serious enough that I can¡¯t pretend like I didn¡¯t hear you?¡± he asked carefully. - It is very serious. ¡°Um, well¡­ that¡¯s pretty subjective, you know.¡± - Geum Hak-Do is on his way with mercenaries from the Flower Willow Merchants. ¡°Damn.¡± It was serious. Seo Jun-Sik rubbed his forehead. ¡°Can¡¯t you stop them?¡± - Even if we tell them to stop, it seems they¡¯re willing toe brute force their way in. ¡°I guess it won¡¯t be easy to do that...¡± Damn Original. Why did he have to go and gag that guy? He had caused him trouble. ¡°You know, it¡¯s pretty unfair when I think about it¡­¡± he muttered. He started at the bedroom door and scoffed, thinking of Seo Jun-Ho. - Of course, there is a way to resolve this peacefully if you so wish. Geum Hak-Do is a merchant, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll fall back if we agree to share Star¡¯s Voice. ¡°Hm. That would be a waste.¡± This had a bright future. And once the Star¡¯s Voice went up for sale, its future would be so dazzling it would be blinding. ¡®And if I hand it over just because I was toozy to fight, I¡¯ll never hear the end of it from Original.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik thought for a moment and turned to the Frost Queen. ¡°Perhaps the two of us should take care of it.¡± ¡°...You and I?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think we can do it.¡± He could use about seventy percent of Original¡¯s power. In short, he wasn¡¯t someone people could just mess with. It was the other way around. ¡°Hm.¡± The Frost Queen seemed conflicted. She stuck out her lower lip, looking frustrated. ¡°Contractor is asleep, so I cannot use my powers at the moment.¡± ¡°Huh? Shouldn¡¯t it be the opposite?¡± Seo Jun-Sik blinked, seemingly confused. ¡°He¡¯s already asleep, so I guess it doesn¡¯t matter how much mental energy you use. Actually, wouldn¡¯t it be a good thing if you used a lot of mental energy? He¡¯ll sleep even better.¡± What in the world was he talking about? The Frost Queen tilted her head. She fell into deep contemtion and eventually muttered, ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Now that she thought about it, it sounded right. She swallowed nervously like a child about to board a ne. ¡°B-But what if it hurts so much that he scolds uster?¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s face grew serious. ¡°Who are you? You¡¯re the Queen of Niflheim, the Frostbringer of Worlds. Most importantly, you¡¯re a High¡­ I mean, a Grade 3 Arch Spirit and the genius agent of the yer Association.¡± ¡°You are correct indeed.¡± ¡°So, why did you think of that first?¡± ¡°...!¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes widened. He was right. When did she start being scared of getting in trouble? ¡°Goodness. I do not remember thest time Contractor scolded me. In the beginning, I was the one scolding him.¡± It was a shocking revtion. ¡°Tsk, tsk. You just realized that?¡± Seo Jun-Sik said, ¡°We¡¯ll resolve this perfectly, and we will restore the regal and charisma from your days as the ruling Frost Queen.¡± ¡°Regal¡­ charisma¡­¡± The Frost Queen muttered as if she were daydreaming. She squeezed her hands into tight fists. ¡°I will bring them back.¡± ¡°Now, we¡¯re talking,¡± Seo Jun-Sik smiled in satisfaction and said, ¡°This operation¡¯s name is Frost and Jun-Sik.¡± It sounded like a name straight out of a fairy tale.[1] *** - Is this truly all right? Yeon looked at the two of them nervously. He was well aware of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s power, but he wasn¡¯t sure about Clone Majesty¡¯s strength. ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t even worry about it.¡± Seo Jun-Sikughed, trying to calm him down. ¡°I¡¯m seventy percent as strong as him.¡± ¡°I am weaker than my glory days, but I am more powerful than most Spirits,¡± added the Frost Queen. - ...You¡¯re treating this like a math problem. Yeon felt even more nervous now. - I believe using that is also a great option. Yeon gently coaxed. ¡°No,¡± Seo Jun-Sik said tly and asked, ¡°If I use that without even asking, do you really think that Original will let me off?¡± There was no doubt in his mind that he would lose all the meal coupons he had worked so hard to collect. What Yeon had was an extremely powerful weapon, but it was extremely risky to use as well. - You could also take an army of cyborg soldiers¡­ ¡°Look here, Mister Prime Minister.¡± Seo Jun-Sik grinned. ¡°I told you to stop worrying. Just watch.¡± - ...Hoo. Seo Jun-Sik had that same haughty smile as His Majesty. In fact, he seemed even more arrogant. The sight made Yeon feel better. A few momentster, the door to the throne room was flung open. A hoard of mercenaries came rushing in. ¡°Mmph! Mmph!¡± Geum Hak-Do tried to say something through his ice gag. A mechanical voice could be heard behind Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s ears. ¡°Your Majesty. They arrived much faster than we expected.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Seo Jun-Sik held his chinzily with his legs crossed. ¡°Why did youe here? And why did you bring all those small fries?¡± ¡°Hahaha! The elite forces of the Flower Willow Merchants are small fries in your eyes? Such big words!¡± ¡°Hooo. Let¡¯s skip the small talk,¡± Seo Jun-Sik sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to remove the ice from your lips; will you go away without kicking up a fuss?¡± ¡°...¡± Geum Hak-Do thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°My apologies, Your Majesty. Considering the emotional pain and damage I went through, I don¡¯t think that would be enough.¡± ¡°Really? Then, what is it that you want?¡± ¡°I wish to have half of the rights to the Star¡¯s Scream.¡± ¡°Pffft!¡± Seo Jun-Sik smirked and sat upright. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re good at calctions. Do you really think that¡¯s the answer? Try again.¡± This was Geum Hak-Do¡¯sst chance. Seo Jun-Sik wouldn¡¯t give him any more chances. Geum Hak-Do pretended to consider it for a moment before saying, ¡°I suppose I will only take forty percent. I have to consider your dignity as well.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m touched. You¡¯re so considerate.¡± Seo Jun-Sik stood from his seat and started down the stairs. ¡°But you know, you¡¯re still way off,¡± said Seo Jun-Sik while walking down the steps. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You see, my dignity is pretty expensive. You wouldn¡¯t be able to buy it even if you sold your business.¡± ¡°...¡± Geum Hak-Do¡¯s eyes grew venomous as he spat coldly, ¡°I offered you wine, but you chose to drink poison.¡± ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a line I¡¯ve read in Wuxia novels.¡± Seo Jun-Sik had never seen someone use that line until now. And most importantly¡­ ¡°So you¡¯re no longer going to respect me, is that it?¡± ¡°You only have one territory, and you¡¯re ruling over a tiny city. Why would I respect you? If it hadn¡¯t been for the Star¡¯s Voice, you wouldn¡¯t even have the honor of meeting me.¡± Geum Hak-Do finally showed his true colors. He puffed his chest out and said haughtily, ¡°Kill him.¡± At that, the elites of the Flower Willow Merchants pulled out their weapons. Geum Hak-Do looked totally rxed as he watched. ¡®They¡¯re powerful warriors at the Liberation Stage.¡¯ Geum Hak-Do closed his eyes. He already knew the gory oue, and he wasn¡¯t really a fan of such a sight, so he chose to close his eyes. Crackle! ¡°Is it over?¡± he asked. There was no reply. The sound of metal shing against metal continued after a brief lull. ¡°Huh?¡± What was that sound just now? Geum Hak-Do couldn¡¯t help but open his eyes, and he reeled in shock. There was a headless corpse and two bodies that had been split in half. In addition, the fight was still ongoing. ¡®He¡¯s strong enough to handle several dozen elite fighters?¡¯ The Emperor of Neo City was like a wolf tearing through a flock of sheep, and he was dominating the battle while d in imperial garb emzoned with the emblem of a yellow dragon. Geum Hak-Do¡¯s face crumpled in confusion. The white-haired man standing next to him spoke, ¡°He¡¯s pretty good.¡± ¡°Hooo, yes. We still have you.¡± Gilburt was a warrior at the Star Destruction Stage, and Geum Hak-Do had hired him for the price of an entire. ¡°In any case, I¡¯ll order them to fall back. They¡¯re no match for him,¡± said Geum Hak-Do. ¡°No. Leave them be...¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯ll wear him down¡­¡± Geum Hak-Do was taken aback by his heartless suggestion, and he gnashed his teeth. ¡®Do you even know how much money I spent training the elite forces?¡¯ Unfortunately, Geum Hak-Do knew how dangerous it was to stand against someone at the Star Destruction Stage. Geum Hak-Do was Gilburt¡¯s employer, but he had no choice but to nod to indulge Gilburt¡¯s request. ¡°If that helps, we¡¯ll do that then.¡± Meanwhile, the ongoing battle was about to reach its climax. Seo Jun-Sik was trying to catch his breath ¡°Looks like they¡¯re all around the Liberation Stage,¡± he muttered. He had taken out nearly twenty of them so far, so it wasn¡¯t strange that he was out of breath. ¡®Of course, Original would be perfectly fine if he were here.¡¯ A man in the back caught Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eye. ¡®The problem is him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik couldn¡¯t see through the man¡¯s aura. In other words, he was a powerful warrior that was a step above these Flower Willow Merchants¡¯ elite forces. ¡®But we have a secret weapon, too...¡¯ ¡°All right, kids. It¡¯s time to go home.¡± Seo Jun-Sik gripped White Dragon tightly as he turned into a ray of light. ''ck Moon Martial Arts Second Skill: Silent sh Wave.¡¯ He swept past the remaining elite forces like a tornado. Afterward, he started wiping away the blood on his cheek. ¡°That¡¯s all¡­?¡± Geum Hak-Do growled. His expensive subordinates were dead. He turned to the mercenary and said, ¡°Gilburt, kill that wicked man.¡± ¡°I will. However, I think you¡¯ll have to give me a generous bonus once we¡¯re done here.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± The heinous mercenary was more money-hungry than a merchant. Geum Hak-Do inwardly clicked his tongue, but he had already made the calctions beforehand. ¡®If I can take the and obtain its Star¡¯s Scream to convert into Star¡¯s Voice, the amount of money I will have to spend on paying him will be nothing.¡¯ Gilburt just had to kill that self-proimed emperor. Gilburt wore an indifferent look as he stepped forward to Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°How strange. I cannot detect any trace of your thoughts¡­¡± Warriors would always think and ponder. They spent forever contemting their skills, deciding what to do, testing things out, and refining their techniques until they mastered them. They had to go through this process tens¡ªno, hundreds of times before they could call themselves a true warrior. ¡®But this man has been showing no signs of thought.¡¯ He was a clean te. He was as clean as the peak of a snowy mountain, and it seemed as if he had just randomly fallen from the sky. Gilburt became wary about Seo Jun-Sik. However, he still pulled his swords out. ¡®I¡¯ll definitely know his strength once we sh.¡¯¡¯ He dashed forward with a sword in each hand. He flew across the slick, blood-soaked floor and instantly narrowed the distance between them. ¡°Keuk¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Sik instinctively predicted the trajectory of the attack, and he barely managed to dodge it. Unfortunately, his opponent had two swords. ¡®Herees the other¡­!¡¯ There was nowhere to dodge. Seo Jun-Sik lifted his left hand and froze the weapon. Crackle! The sword abruptly slowed down after it was enveloped in ice. ¡®The ice is thicker than I expected.¡¯ Gilburt also felt like he was slowing down the closer he got to Seo Jun-Sik. ¡®I have a good idea of how strong you are now...¡¯ He calcted in his head and decided to retreat. ¡°...?¡± Gilburt couldn¡¯t move. The sword in his hand was stuck to Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s left hand because of the ice. He tried to pull it out, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°You fool. Do you really think that this can hinder me?¡± Crack! Gilburt shattered the ice into thousands of fragments using his magic. However, Seo Jun-Sik only smiled at the sight. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± It was already toote. He pointed a finger gun at Gilburt¡¯s forehead. ¡°Spirit Summon.¡± ¡°...!¡± A tiny figure manifested. Gilburt¡¯s eyes reflected the figure¡¯s silver hair, which was like melted silver, and her pair of blinking eyes. ¡°A child¡­?¡± ¡°A child? How rude.¡± The Frost Queen moved her finger ever so slightly. ¡°Address me as your queen.¡± Craaaaackle! A giant pir of ice abruptly shot up from the ground, piercing Gilburt and sending him toward the ceiling. 1. This is how many Korean folktales are titled. Eg Hongbu and Nolbu, the Sun and the Moon, the Tiger and the Persimmon. ? Chapter 499. Frost and Jun-Sik (2) Chapter 499. Frost and Jun-Sik (2) Seo Jun-Sik stared vacantly up at the wrecked walls, pirs, and ceiling. ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, I didn¡¯t do that. You¡¯re the one who demolished everything,¡± he said. ¡°W-What? You were the one who came up with the n!¡± the Frost Queen protested. ¡°I told you to hit him hard, not to destroy the building.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s expression darkened at the thought of Contractor scolding her. She had trusted Seo Jun-Sik, but he stabbed her in the back. ¡°...You are a terrible person.¡± She choked up from the sorrow and the sense of betrayal. She had never felt something like this throughout all her time as a monarch. Her tears threatened to spill over at any moment as she looked up at the ceiling with innocent eyes. ¡°Are you having fun?¡± m! Gilburt broke through the ceiling andnded with his clothes torn all over. ¡°...Huh. He¡¯s alive.¡± How did he survive? Seo Jun-Sik was stupefied. The Frost Queen¡¯s attack just now was so powerful that even he felt a chill down his spine when he saw it. ¡°Ahahaha!¡± Geum Hak-Doughed triumphantly as if he hadn¡¯t just hidden behind the giant ice pir in fear. ¡°Gilburt is actually at the Star Destruction Stage! There¡¯s no way he would be defeated by the likes of you!¡± ¡°The Star Destruction Stage?¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s face distorted and darkened. ¡®That¡¯s insane. Not even Original is at that Stage.¡¯ At the Star Destruction Stage, the individual was capable of annihting a if given enough time. Needless to say, even if Seo Jun-Ho were here with them, they would still be unable to defeat Gilburt. ¡°Just a sec. Time out.¡± Seo Jun-Sik held up his hands and turned to Geum Hak-Do. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the Star¡¯s Scream. What percentage did you want again?¡± ¡°You idiot. You¡¯ve already crossed that bridge.¡± ¡°Hey, are you really going to give up without negotiating? I¡¯ll get you a ship, too.¡± ¡°Heh. You sound like you¡¯re panicking, but it¡¯s toote...¡± Geum Hak-Do only grew more confident once he knew that Seo Jun-Sik would be facing a warrior at the Star Destruction Stage. ¡®We¡¯ll just go ahead and kill him, and then I¡¯ll take over the.¡¯ He made up his mind¡ªhe would have his cake and eat it, too. ¡°Hey, Gilburt. Enough with the games. Just finish them.¡± ¡°Whatever you want.¡± Gilburt walked over to Seo Jun-Sik and the Frost Queen with a sword in each hand. Seo Jun-Sik bit down on his lip as he watched. ¡°...Shit. Why is everything going wrong today?¡± To be blunt, it didn¡¯t matter if he or the Frost Queen died. He would feel like shit, but the two of them could simply be summoned back. ¡®The problem is Seo Jun-Ho. The original body¡­¡¯ At this rate, Seo Jun-Ho would die while sleepingfortably in his bed. They had to prevent that no matter what. Seo Jun-Sik began to brainstorm ways to kill Gilburt. ¡®I have two advantages over him.¡¯ The first was that he had the Frost Queen. He reckoned that her power was limitless because Original was asleep. ¡®And the other advantage is that we¡¯re in Neo City...¡¯ Neo City belonged to the Emperor, so it was his territory. ¡®But those aren¡¯t enough...¡¯ It wasn¡¯t nearly enough. They all knew that. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re working hard to find a way out. But it¡¯s useless.¡± Gilburt lifted his hand and spoke, ¡°There¡¯s no way out. Come forth, me Drake.¡± Fwoosh! A ball of fire surged from the ruins and transformed into a bipedal dinosaur in the blink of an eye. - Kraooooo! It simply roared, but its roar melted the walls and pirs in the surroundings. Boom! Boom! The me Drake burned red, and it stood behind Gilburt. ¡°He¡¯s a Spirit user?¡± Seo Jun-Sik gnashed his teeth. No wonder he acted like he could see the Frost Queen. ¡°As a fellow Spirit user, allow me to introduce the me Drake to you. The me Drake produces hellfire that can never be extinguished until the target is reduced to ashes.¡± The me Drake was the reason he was at the Star Destruction Stage. He wasn¡¯t that great atbat, but his true power was immeasurable as a Spirit user. ¡°Finish them.¡± - ... However, something was wrong with the me Drake. It huffed and puffed to create fire, but it could only generate a tiny amount of fire. It kept trembling as if it looked troubled. ¡°Drake? What are you doing? Unleash your hellfire.¡± The red dinosaur nervously bowed. Gilburt couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. ¡®...It¡¯s scared? The one and only me Drake?¡¯ Impossible. Even among Spirits, the me Drake¡¯s arrogance was unmatched. Though he was the Spirit¡¯s master, even Gilburt would feel like the me Drake was too much to handle every now and then. ¡®What in the world is it scared of¡­?¡¯ He followed the me Drake¡¯s surreptitious gaze. ¡®...?¡¯ His eyesnded on his opponent¡¯s Spirit. The silver-haired girl was staring at the me Drake as if the me Drake was a zoo exhibit. Gilburt¡¯s own haughty spirit was clearly scared of her. ¡°F-Frost, why aren¡¯t you attacking?¡± ¡°I do not know. It is my first time seeing another Spirit, you see.¡± It was true. Every time Seo Jun-Ho released her into the Spirit World, she would find herself in a room that was made just for her rather than finding herself in a brand new world. ¡®...The room has no doors either. The Spirit World is quite boring.¡¯ The Spirit World was just a room for her to kill time. ¡°Jun-Sik, do all other Spirits look like that?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah. ording to Original¡¯s memories, that¡¯s what most Spirits look like.¡± Meanwhile, Gilburt started scolding his own Spirit. ¡°What the hell is your problem?! Just attack them like you always do!¡± - Groo. The me Drake looked down at its feet and shook its head furiously. It looked patheticpared to its usual, valiant demeanor. Gilburt gritted his teeth. ¡°Sigh. What are you so afraid of? Tell me.¡± -... The red dinosaur was silent for a long time before it hesitantly lifted its head. - I do not wish to die just yet. That is the reason I do not want to fight. Gilburt was shocked by the simple answer. He stared at Frost in disbelief and asked the me Drake, ¡°You¡¯re going to die if you fight¡­? Is it because of that little kid over there?¡± - I do not know why she is parading around in such a form, but she is the Frostbringer of Worlds, and I do not wish to fight her. With that being said, the me Drake unceremoniously returned to the Spirit World. Seo Jun-Sik repeatedly blinked. ¡°Hm. So his Spirit was scared of our little Frost?¡± ¡°H-hehe. He must have a good eye,¡± she said. However, her trembling voice and eyes made it obvious that she had no idea why the me Drake was scared of her. In fact, she looked confused. Was she really that powerful? ¡®I don¡¯t really know what just happened, but all that matters is that it¡¯s gone.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik whipped his head around and grinned at Geum Hak-Do. Geum Hak-Doughed awkwardly. ¡°...By any chance, may I take the ship you promised me, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Oh, that?¡± Shadows slithered out until the entire room became enveloped in darkness. Seo Jun-Sik revealed a sinister smile and shook his head. ¡°Oh no, what can I do? The ship has just capsized[1].¡± *** The cleaning robots started scrubbing away the bloodstains. Yeon sighed as he approached. - Clone Majesty, was it really necessary to kill him? ¡°Of course it was.¡± Seo Jun-Sik didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°If I spared Hak-Do, do you really think that he would feel indebted to me?¡± - I suppose not... If he had let Geum Hak-Do go home safe and sound, the merchant would have hired a mercenary that was even stronger than Gilburt before returning to Neo City. Seo Jun-Sik was familiar with cunning people like Geum Hak-Do. - Goodness, to think that the owner of the Flower Willow Merchants would die at a ce like this¡­ Truly, life is unpredictable. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this to happen, but this is actually a good opportunity.¡± The owner of the Flower Willow Merchants had been lying in wait to take over Overflow, but he was already dead. Unfortunately, the Flower Willow Merchants weren¡¯t part of the Five Gxy Merchants in vain. Seo Jun-Sik was convinced that the death of their owner wouldn¡¯t be enough to bring them down. ¡°However, it¡¯ll take some time for them to sort things out internally and pick a sessor.¡± After digging through Geum Hak-Do¡¯s memories using Confession of the Dead, Seo Jun-Sik found that Geum Hak-Do didn¡¯t have any family. He was so greedy that he didn¡¯t want to share his wealth with a wife and children. It was ridiculous. ¡°Thank goodness. In other words, no one wille after us to get revenge.¡± Seo Jun-Sik had also seen how Geum Hak-Do treated people in general, so Seo Jun-Sik was convinced that no third party woulde and avenge Geum Hak-Do. ¡°Send a message to Overflow. The Flower Willow Merchants are unstable right now, so they should take advantage of that and go on the offensive for the sake of expansion.¡± - Understood. If we build more connections through them, we¡¯ll have more options once we start selling Star¡¯s Voice. Yeon then left to take care of business. Seo Jun-Sik retrieved a crimson crystal. He had found it while looting Geum Hak-Do¡¯s corpse. ¡°Item data.¡± [Fire¡¯s Whisper] Grade: Unique Description: A rare item that can be found in between this dimension and the Spirit World. It is liked by Fire Spirits. Effect: Boosts a Spirit¡¯s power by arge amount. ¡®It¡¯s pretty obvious what this is...¡¯ A better version of a Spirit Crystal. And lo and behold, the Frost Queen was staring at it from the sidelines, drooling... ¡®Hak-Do probably carried this around so he could give it to Gilburt in case he needed to him to do more than what was agreed¡­¡¯ Whenever Seo Jun-Sik moved the crystal around, The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes would follow it as if she were a cat staring at aser dot. Seo Jun-Sik yed around with it a bit more before holding it out to the Frost Queen. ¡°Here,¡± he said. ¡°Y-You are giving this to me?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°With no conditions?¡± ¡°Well, I would¡¯ve died back there if it hadn¡¯t been for you.¡± ¡°Jun-Sik, you are not like the Contractor at all¡­¡± Her contractor always made her do certain things before giving her a reward. He would tell her to foldundry, do the dishes¡ªwithout using the dishwasher¡ªas well as many other tasks. Seo Jun-Sik grinned and said, ¡°Well, you looked cute while you were staring at it earlier. It was fun watching you stare at it. But to be honest, it¡¯s only because I almost made you cry when I made fun of you for breaking the building. Otherwise, I would have yed around more with this thing.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Now give it to me. I¡¯m hungry.¡± The Frost Queen snatched it away and stared at the crystal with sparkling eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± ¡°Yes. It does look quite delicious.¡± ¡°...¡± Was she even paying attention? Seo Jun-Sik was finally starting to understand why Original would always give her Spirit Crystals in shavings rather than give her the entire crystal. ¡°Hey, Frost, the crystal looks pretty hard. How are you gonna eat it?¡± In response, the Frost Queen stuffed the entire thing in her mouth. ¡°Wike dis. I can simpwy suck on it like candy.¡± ¡°...What does it taste like? I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°It tastes hot and spicy, like fire. It¡¯s delicious,¡± she replied. The description said that fire Spirits apparently liked the crystal, so it was clear that the Frost Queen wasn¡¯t a picky eater. ¡°Jun-Sik, my mouth is starting to burn. And my jaw is aching...¡± ¡°Duh. Look at the size of that. I gotta clean things up, so let¡¯s go.¡± The Frost Queen followed Seo Jun-Sik out of the throne room. However, she abruptly came to a halt. ¡°Huh? Huuuh?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes grew wide. 1. The word used is a synonym for overthrow, presumably referring to how Hak-Do was trying to take over Neo City. ? Chapter 500. Frost and Jun-Sik Chapter 500. Frost and Jun-Sik ¡°Huh? Huuuh?¡± Seo Jun-Sik whipped around upon hearing the Frost Queen¡¯s muttering. ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡ª¡± Shoop. The Frost Queen lost strength, and she suddenly copsed to the ground. ¡°Stop it. It¡¯s not funny at all,¡± he said, pretending to be mad. He walked over to the Frost Queen and put his hand on her forehead. ¡°...!¡± He found that she was as hot as fire. Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s face fell. He picked her up and ran to the infirmary. *** It had already been a few days since the Frost Quen copsed. ¡°What did Overflow say?¡± Seo Jun-Sik asked Yeon. - They informed me that they would send me their entire inventory of items that are good for a Spirit¡¯s health. On top of that, they are also in the midst of researching the potential side effects of Fire¡¯s Whisper. ¡°Good¡­¡± They had already brought in doctors and healers. However, they couldn¡¯t give a proper diagnosis. ¡®It¡¯s probably because they¡¯re dealing with a Spirit.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik himself had gone down to the lower Floors to dig through books and documents regarding Spirits. Still, he couldn''t find any records of a Spirit falling ill in the past few decades. ¡®Not just in the past few decades. Frontier has records about spirits that date back centuries ago, but I couldn¡¯t find anything there, either.¡¯ At their core, Spirits were a part of nature itself. In other words, they shouldn¡¯t fall ill like living organisms. ¡°...Our little princess always manages to find trouble no matter where she goes,¡± he muttered. They could always count on her to make them feel worried. After all, she was the best in that field. Seo Jun-Sik sighed and nced at his watch. ¡°It¡¯s today?¡± he asked. - Yes. His Majesty will awaken today. ¡°Good. She might start feeling better once Original wakes up.¡± A few hourster, Seo Jun-Ho woke up as expected. [Absorption rate 99.9999%...] [Absorption rate 100%.] [Congrattions. You havepletely absorbed the Modified Tepes¡¯ Nucleus.] [You have obtained the new skill Wheel of Time (S).] Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes and sat up. He rolled his stiff neck a few times. Then, he saw the concern stered all over Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re acting like I caught a disease or something. What¡¯s up with that look?¡± ¡°...Original, there¡¯s something you need to know.¡± Seo Jun-Sik exined the situation. Seo Jun-Ho leaped out of bed and headed over to the Frost Queen¡¯s room. She was as still and quiet as a mouse. Seo Jun-Ho looked at her closely and asked, ¡°You¡¯re saying that she just copsed?¡± ¡°At first, I thought it was because she pushed herself too hard while fighting,¡± Seo Jun-Sik said. However, it wasn¡¯t possible. If anything, Seo Jun-Ho would have been the one who should have fallen ill, not the Frost Queen. ¡°So there¡¯s only one possible answer¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed out. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s because of the Fire¡¯s Whisper.¡± So, it was because of an item that boosts a Spirit¡¯s power by arge amount. Seo Jun-Ho sat by the bed. ¡°Sigh. In that case, she¡¯s probably fighting it off right now.¡± ¡°...Fighting what?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just how it is with these types of items. Just because you take them doesn¡¯t mean that that they¡¯ll help you readily,¡± he exined. Sometimes, they weren¡¯tpatible with the consumer. It was likely the same with the Frost Queen and the Fire¡¯s Whisper. ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious once you think about it,¡± Seo Jun-Ho added. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that far. She just gobbled it up¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik grew glum. He was definitely thinking that the Frost Queen fell ill because he gave Fire¡¯s Whisper to her. ¡°Just send me away.¡± ¡°You just want to disappear? Is that it?¡± ¡°I just gave it to her without even thinking, you know?¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled. Surprisingly, Seo Jun-Sik was pretty spineless. However, he remembered that Seo Jun-Sik was his clone and pursed his lips. ¡°Well, I would have done the same, so don¡¯t me yourself. It¡¯s not your fault that your original is like this.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Stop worrying, you little twerp. She¡¯s stronger than you think, so she¡¯ll be all better in a few days,¡± Seo Jun-Ho reassured. In fact, it was likely that she would be even more energetic and cause even more trouble. Seo Jun-Sik looked at him with vacant eyes and muttered, ¡°...You may be right.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± They were technically the same person, but Seo Jun-Ho would always make him feel reassured at times like this¡ªlike he was an older brother. ¡°All right, then. We¡¯ll leave Frost here for now, but I heard that there¡¯s another thing we have to handle,¡± Jun-Ho said. Seo Jun-Sik realized what he was saying and nodded. ¡°Follow me.¡± *** The room waspletely empty aside from a single chair. A man was sitting on a chain¡ªtight magic chains were binding him. ¡°Is this the guy?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s the Spirit user at the Star Destruction Stage. He was working under Hak-Do.¡± The man was none other than Gilburt¡ªthe Contractor of the me Drake. He was still alive. More precisely, he couldn¡¯t be killed. Seo Jun-Sik couldn¡¯t kill him. ¡°Ooh, are you twin brothers?¡± Gilburt snorted as he stared alternatingly between Seo Jun-Ho and Seo Jun-Sik. Gilburt was tied up, but he looked like he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Just because there are two of you doesn¡¯t mean you can kill me, you know¡­¡± ¡°Tsk. It pisses me off, but he¡¯s right,¡± Seo Jun-Sik muttered. A few days ago, the Frost Queen and Seo Jun-Sik had tried to kill Gilburt after taking care of Geum Hak-Do. However, they failed. The me Drake avoided fighting, but it didn¡¯t leave its contractor to die. ¡°There¡¯s a spell covering his entire body,¡± Jun-Sik exined. ¡°And you couldn¡¯t break through it?¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t even make a dent...¡± ¡°My Elemental Shield can¡¯t be broken by the likes of you. Now that you know that, how about you let me go?¡± Gilburt said coolly while staring at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...We have a few questions we want to ask you regarding the Fire¡¯s Whisper that Hak-Do was carrying with him,¡± Seo Jun-Sik said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you let me go.¡± ¡°Answer me first.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to let me go first, then just break through my shield. I have all the time in the world, you see. I¡¯m unemployed now, and it¡¯s all because of you.¡± ¡°God, you little¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik scowled at the audacity. He looked at Original with helpless eyes. ¡°What are we gonna do?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d like some answers first.¡± [Dignity of an Emperor (S) has been activated.] The air around Seo Jun-Ho abruptly changed. Seo Jun-Ho made a chair of ice and sat in front of Gilburt. ¡®What is he doing¡­?¡¯ Had he been using an ability to hide his power? He was actually at a higher Stage than his brother. rm bells went off inside Gilburt¡¯s head. ¡®If he¡¯s that strong¡­¡¯ Then, he could easily break the Elemental Shield whenever he wanted. Gilburt gulped. In the meantime, he decided to uncross his legs and sit properly. ¡°Are you ready to talk now? If not, I could always just break your shield, just as you wanted,¡± Seo Jun-Ho bluffed. Even though he could intimidate Gilburt with Dignity of an Emperor (S), breaking an Elemental Shield was a different story. Fortunately, it worked. ¡°...Well, I was starting to get lonely out here. I suppose it¡¯ll be nice to have someone to talk to,¡± Gilburt said. He decided to give in. ¡°I think you said you wanted to know about the Fire¡¯s Whisper, right?¡± ¡°Tell me everything you know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a really valuable item. I became Hak-Do¡¯s escort because I wanted it.¡± If Gilburt had to save Geum Hak-Do¡¯s life, then Geum Hak-Do would give him the Fire¡¯s Whisper in exchange. That was their agreement. ¡°It¡¯s a dream item for a fire spirit user like me. If me Drake had taken it, I bet he would have be an Arch spirit instantly,¡± he said. ¡°Does it have any side effects?¡± Seo Jun-Ho pressed. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I guess it¡¯ll take a while to absorb it because of how powerful it is...¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought the same. He nodded and moved on to the next question. ¡°I heard that your me Drake refused to fight with my Spirit. Why?¡± ¡°Hell, if I know.¡± Gilburt scowled, but he quicklyposed himself and continued. ¡°...I swear, I¡¯m more curious than you are.¡± ¡°Bring him here,¡± he said tersely as he undid the magic bindings. Seo Jun-Sik grew shocked as he watched. ¡°Hey, are you sure it¡¯s okay to do that?¡± he whispered. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Gilburt gulped under Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s emotionless gaze. He thought for a moment and sighed. ¡°Come, me Drake.¡± The fiery dinosaur was summoned. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the spirit. ¡°I heard you refused to fight Frost. Why is that?¡± he asked. - ...You are referring to the Frostbringer of Worlds. Then, I have a question for you. What are your real intentions for asking that?¡¯ ¡°Answer me first.¡± - Hm. Must I need a reason for avoiding her? I simply do not wish to die. ¡°She¡¯s not that strong. Are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken? - Ha! me Drake snorted. - I do not know if you are mocking me or if you are the one being mocked. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Jun-Ho asked. - Are you blind? My eyes will never fool me. I definitely saw the ruler of Niflheim, the Frostbringer of Worlds. Of course, I would fear for my life. ¡°...¡± Indeed, the Frost Queen was the ruler of Niflheim, and she did freeze worlds. She had been bragging about it herself, and several Administrators had verified her identity as well. ¡®But I didn¡¯t expect that even a powerful High spirit would be afraid of her...¡¯ The Frost Queen was only a Common spirit at the moment. She imed that she was a Grade 3 Arch Spirit, but it was a ridiculous im¡ª Seo Jun-Ho ended his train of thought and asked quickly, ¡°Is there a Grade 3 Arch ranking for Spirits, by any chance?¡± - What foolishness is that? ¡°...¡± Yeah, there wasn¡¯t¡­ Seo Jun-Ho hid his bright red face and stood up. ¡°Fuck off.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re sparing me?¡± ¡°I can kill you as well if that¡¯s what you want.¡± Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to kill Gilburt. However, there was no way Gilburt would know. He bowed slightly and said, ¡°...I, Gilburt¡ªthe Wanderer of Roads¡ªwill remember your mercy. I will repay your generosity, I swear it.¡± With that, he left Neo City with his tail between his legs. Seo Jun-Sik finally let out the breath that he had been holding back and started scolding Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You idiot. What were you gonna do if he decided to fight once you untied him?¡± ¡°If that happened, I was nning on testing out my new skill.¡± Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t happen. Seo Jun-Ho had to find another way to test it. ¡°Oh, Wheel of Time? What does it do?¡± Seo Jun-Sik asked carefully. ¡°Well¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho grinned. *** The Frost Queen¡¯s longshes slowly opened. She blinked and stared at the ceiling before turning her head. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡± ¡°...Jun-Sik. How many days was I asleep for?¡± ¡°Many days¡­.¡± ¡°Eugh.¡± The Frost Queen looked like she wanted to cry as she muttered, ¡°Do not tell Contractor. I do not wish to cause him unnecessary worry,¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Who¡¯s worried about who now? Seo Jun-Ho scoffed and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been out for ten days. I woke up a long time ago.¡± ¡°...!¡± The Frost Queen was stupefied. She looked like she had woken up in another world as she eximed, ¡°Y-You¡¯re Contractor?!¡± ¡°Yes. Your Contractor.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen hurriedly pulled the covers up to her nose and muttered, ¡°Let me tell you now. Cough, cough. Ah, I feel sick.¡± ¡°Can Spirits catch a cold nowadays? Even the great Frost Queen?¡± ¡°Who knows? I feel ill.¡± ¡°Well, get better soon. We haven¡¯t been able to go up to the 7th Floor because of you¡­¡± ¡°...Is that all that matters to you?¡± Was he too harsh? Seo Jun-Ho held up the stic bag he was holding and said, ¡°Ahem. I went all the way to the 1st Floor to get you medicine because I was worried, you know. Are you hungry? I bought some congee, too¡­¡± ¡°I have no appetite because I feel sick. I do not know where it went.¡± ¡°Then, just take this.¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho hesitated once he had taken out the medicine he had bought from the pharmacy downstairs. ¡®Wait. Do they even work on Spirits?¡¯ They were probably made with humans in mind. He thought for a moment and checked the description on the back. - For ages 7 to 18. Oops. He had bought medicine for children. The Frost Queen had been growing steadily, but she was still acting like a child, so he kept on treating her as a kid. Seo Jun-Ho blinked and asked, ¡°Hey, how old are you?¡± ¡°One hundred and f¡ª¡± One hundred and what? Seo Jun-Ho whipped around and stared at her. She made a hm sound, looking all groggy. However, her eyes abruptly grew wide as she jerked her head toward him and eximed, ¡°W-What did I say just now?¡± ¡°H-Huh? I asked how old you were, and you said one hundred and¡­ something. A hundred and five? Wait... Are you actually a hundred and fifty¡­ ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°No!¡± The Frost Queen turned beet red and hurriedly improvised. ¡°O-One hundred horses! I simply meant to say that I am so hungry I could eat one hundred horses!¡± ¡°You just said you weren¡¯t going to eat because you feel sick. I¡¯m sure you said you didn¡¯t have an appetite¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, whatever! I¡¯m hungry now, so bring me the congee!¡± The Frost Queen then quickly chased Seo Jun-Ho out of her room. Seo Jun-Ho scratched his head outside the room. ¡°She definitely said one hundred and fi¡ªsomething.¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk. You should be ashamed of yourself, Original.¡± Seo Jun-Sik leaned on the wall and clicked his tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s rude to ask a woman her age?¡± ¡°A woman? Does Frost look like a woman to you?¡± ¡°Then, is she a man?¡± Seo Jun-Sik said tly. Then, he fell deep into thought. ¡°Wait. Since she¡¯s a Spirit, does she even have a gender?¡± ¡°I guess not.¡± ¡°Then, I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be rude to ask her for her age.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Okay, I take back what I said about how you should be ashamed of yourself,¡± Seo Jun-Sik quickly apologized. ¡°Okay, I take back what I said about you eating dinner tonight.¡± ¡°Oh,e onnnnnn! I have meal coupons!¡± eximed Seo Jun-Sik. He proceeded to cling to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s leg and begged for forgiveness. However, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t even spare him a nce as he heated up the Frost Queen¡¯s congee. The idiot should have known better than to insult his great Original. Castor & Sangwoo''s Thoughts Ve: It¡¯s our 500th Chapter! Happy 500th Chapter to us! Thank you for following Jun-Ho¡¯s journey so far, and I hope to see you at the end! Chapter 501. Maze of Exiles (1) Chapter 501. Maze of Exiles (1) "...Hmm." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heavy eyelids slowly opened. It seemed that he had fallen asleep on the chair while reading a book to the Frost Queen. A familiar voice woke him up. "Are you awake?" "Sorry, I fell asleep.¡± He slept well for ten days, so why was he so tired? It could also be from the Frost Queen using too much of his mental strength. Seo Jun-Ho looked up. "How much of my mental strength did you use¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho stopped talking as his eyes quivered slightly. The Frost Queen chuckled as if his shocked face was amusing to behold. ¡°You look funny.¡± "You¡ªwhat?" The person in front of him was definitely the Frost Queen. The problem was that she looked much too different from the Frost Queen he knew. "Did you evolve again?" ¡°Can you not see it?¡± A figure with inconceivable majesty stood by the bed. In the past¡ªno, just a few days ago, the Frost Queen was cute because she looked just like a kid. Seo Jun-Ho turned gloomy. "Why do you keep evolving¡­¡± "What is that reaction? Are you not d that I have be stronger?" "No, bing stronger is good, but¡­" Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart became filled with regret, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. "I should have taken more pictures..." "Contractor, will you stop being so disgusting?" "Oh no¡­" What did she mean by disgusting? Seo Jun-Ho suddenly felt like he could finally understand the feelings of fathers with adolescent daughters. Seo Jun-Ho remained gloomy. At the sight, the Frost Queen sighed and said, "Wheeew. Anyway, you should get out, Contractor.¡± The Frost Queen unceremoniously kicked him out. *** ¡°The first thing I do every morning is to grind Spirit Crystals and then sprinkle them on her cakes and meals¡­¡± "I know¡­ I know you worked hard. I know that more than anyone else.¡± "Ha¡­ I really worked hard to raise her¡­¡± Pat, pat, pat. Seo Jun-Sik patted his shoulder, which made Seo Jun-Ho feel a bit better. ¡°You already knew that this day woulde. Frost won¡¯t remain small forever." ¡°I¡¯m not saying that she should remain small forever. Maybe for just a hundred years?¡± "She has grown, but Frost is still Frost. Nothing changed." Seo Jun-Ho thought that Seo Jun-Sik was saying that because he had no idea what kind of changes the Frost Queen had gone through this time. Seo Jun-Ho had only talked to the Frost Queen for a brief moment, but he immediately noticed that she had matured mentally as well. "I actually think that it¡¯s a good thing. You will have to fight stronger enemies in the future, so she¡¯ll be of great help because she has gotten stronger." "I could just fight harder..." ¡°Ha¡­¡± sighed Seo Jun-Sik before shaking his head. The Frost Queen¡¯s sudden evolution was shocking, but it was annoying how Seo Jun-Ho kept onining. ''What is this? Is this like thew of mental age exchange?¡¯ The other became a bit more mature, while the other became a bit more like a child. In the end, Seo Jun-Sik could only change the topic. "How did it go?¡± "What do you mean?" "You went to dreand after absorbing the nucleus. I''m asking if you absorbed it properly.¡± "Ah." Seo Jun-Ho looked sad, but he still nodded and replied. "Well, more or less." [Wheel of Time] Grade: S Effect: You can exert influence over time. Seo Jun-Sik repeatedly blinked at the system window in front of Seo Jun-Ho. "Exert influence over time? What does that mean?" "How would I know?" Seo Jun-Ho had been nning on researching Wheel of Time (S) after absorbing it, but hepletely forgot about it after hearing that the Frost Queen had copsed. Right now, Seo Jun-Ho was seriously considering taking his time to research the skill in depth. ¡°If I manage to be good enough at wielding this skill, does that mean I can reverse Frost¡¯s evolution?¡± "You talk like a crazy scientist.¡± Seo Jun-Sik clicked his tongue and said, "Anyway, just use it. I¡¯m curious about what it means to exert influence over time.¡± "Hmm. Wait a minute." Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and focused. One by one, details about the skill came to his mind. ¡®Hm, it''s vague.¡¯ The Wheel of Time allowed him to exert influence over time. The problem was the length... "It''s like a buffet." "Hoh, that sounds great. Exin." "There are lots of food, but once you¡¯ve ced everything you wanted on the te, they aren¡¯t appetizing anymore.¡± It should be possible for him to turn back time and even fast-forward it using Wheel of Time (S). He hadn¡¯t tried it yet, but Seo Jun-Ho was sure that he would be able to use it as proficiently as Tepes. "Isn''t that totally awesome?" "The length of time I can manipte at the moment isn¡¯t that long..¡± Right now, Seo Jun-Ho could only manipte a moment¡¯s worth of time. It was said that a moment was crucial in a fight between masters, but a moment was much too short. "Let''s try it for now. Let¡¯s try it first, and then we¡¯ll talk about it." Seo Jun-Sik clenched his fists and said, "How about I punch you?" "Uh, go ahead." When Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words fell, Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s fist flew toward him like lightning. ''Wheel of Time.'' Creak, creak. A golden wheel manifested in front of Seo Jun-Ho, and it turned slightly to the left. Seo Jun-Sik''s approaching fist moved in reverse as if a tape was being rewound. Then, Seo Jun-Sik asked, ¡°How about I punch you?¡± "Bleck!" Seo Jun-Ho dry-heaved. He felt a bewildering pain that was akin to someone smashing a hammer into his torso, head, and soul. "Wheeew, I knew it.¡± One had to sacrifice something to activate a skill, but the sacrifice to activate Wheel of Time (S) seemed a bit too much. "Wait, what happened?¡± asked the confused Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°I turned back time for 0.3 seconds the moment you threw a punch, but it took me four seconds to recover just now.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that he would have an easier time using the skill in the future as long as he used it often, but right now, it couldn¡¯t be used in an actual battle. Seo Jun-Sik asked, "If it¡¯s too difficult for you to turn back time, then why don''t you try seeing into the future like what Tepes could do?" ¡°Yeah. Let''s try everything while we¡¯re at it." They spent the next few hours researching Wheel of Time (S) before reaching a conclusion. "Time reversal limit is 0.3 seconds, the future prediction limit is 0.2 seconds, while the time stop limit is 0.1 seconds...¡± "Hm. It seems that I have to train hard as well in addition to more research.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wanted at least a second in all categories. A meaningful result could only be produced if he could manipte time to that extent. Having made up his mind, Seo Jun-Ho turned to look at Seo Jun-Sik and said, "I think it¡¯ll be a bit overwhelming by myself." "Tsk, it can¡¯t be helped. Recall me." Seo Jun-Ho recalled Seo Jun-Sik to update thetter¡¯s memory before summoning him again. Seo Jun-Sik nodded upon being summoned. "I see, so this how you use it. It seems that it¡¯ll take some time to master." "It should be faster if we do it together." It meant that the skill proficiency would increase if the two of them trained at the same time. Seo Jun-Sik stared intently at Seo Jun-Ho, obviously asking for something in exchange. "Okay, I''ll give you a meal coupon.¡± "No, I don¡¯t want that." After being deceived, Seo Jun-Sik wanted something else. "You can¡¯t cancel my meals on a whim." ¡°Fine¡­¡± The Frost Queen and Seo Jun-Sik. It seemed that he soon wouldn¡¯t be able to rein them in with food anymore. *** "Rewind,¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho. He groaned once the time was rewound, but he quickly pulled himself together and reached out. Grab! "Ah!" Seo Jun-Ho grabbed Seo Jun-Sik''s arm and flipped him upside down. "Ugh, you saw through me." Seo Jun-Sik wobbled back up and asked, "How''s it? Is it usable now?" ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± It had already been fifteen days since the Frost Queen became a High Spirit or, in her words¡ªa Grade 4 Arch Spirit. The Frost Queen had also locked herself in a training room, saying that she would train in her own way. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho and Seo Jun-Sik had been working together to practice Wheel of Time (S). "I think I can turn back time for a second now, but... it¡¯s hard." The ck Moon Heart Method resolved the magic consumption issue, but the mental strength and power consumption were too great. Most importantly, Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that it would take him a long time to adapt to the information overload that always greeted him whenever he turned back time. "I think it¡¯ll be better if we strive to acquire a rted resistance through Cell Regeneration, but why is it not happening?" ¡°My soul feels like it¡¯s trembling every time I go back in time, and souls don¡¯t have cells, so I don¡¯t think we can build a resistance to it through Cell Regeneration.¡± "If you put it that way, then your Death Resistance doesn''t make sense.¡± ¡°Well, dying involves the body more than the soul, doesn¡¯t it?¡± It seemed to be the case. Anyway, the good thing was that raising the skill proficiency of the Wheel of Time (S) wasn¡¯t that difficult. The rate of growth was fast as well. "Deus Ex Machina was right. Right now, I think it¡¯s not as powerful as it should have been if I had just absorbed it for seventeen years.¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that the skill would rapidly be even stronger as long as he raised his skill proficiency. It was proven by the fact that he had grown to this extent in just fifteen days of training. "I would like to train with you for even a few months, Original, but... I don¡¯t think we can do that, am I right?¡± "You¡¯re right." This morning, a system message appeared in front of every yer''s eyes. [The 7th Floor, Maze of Exiles, has opened.] [yers, please stay strong until the final floor.] The 7th Floor was finally reopened. "But the Floor¡¯s name has changed..." Seo Jun-Ho was sure that the 7th Floor was previously called Adonia. Now, it was called Maze of Exiles. The name was suspicious as well. "Earth, Frontier, Balbortan, Another World, Neo City, and Trium." From what he had seen so far, the name of each Floor was the name of that world, or at least it was the name of a city in that world. This time; however, the word maze was included in the Floor name. Seo Jun-Ho was ufortable about it. "Don''t worry about it too much. The maze might be bigger than we can imagine.¡± ¡°Well, I hope that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Right now, Seo Jun-Ho felt like there was something wrong. "Well, I''ll find out when I go." Before going down to Earth, Seo Jun-Ho decided to say goodbye to Yeon. Wisoso came to see him as well. "Hero Seo." "Yes, Soso?" Wisoso proceeded to hand over the bag on her shoulder. "Take these; these are for you.¡± "For me? Who sent these?¡± "The Overflow Merchants." At that, Seo Jun-Ho instantly saw through what it contained. He nodded and checked the list of items. "As expected, most of them are items that will boost a Spirit¡¯s power.¡± "Then, those are for me." The Frost Queen took the bag and smiled in joy. After evolving once more, the Frost Queen now looked like a girl in herte teenage years. "Wait." Seo Jun-Ho took the bag from the Frost Queen and rummaged through the items inside of it. He smiled upon finding a small bottle of medicine. ¡°This isn¡¯t for you.¡± "What is that?" "It¡¯s something." The tiny bottle of medicine contained every man¡¯s dreams. *** More than a hundred yers had gathered in the briefing room of the Korean yer Association. There were familiar faces, but there were also faces that Seo Jun-Ho had never seen before. ¡°Let me exin the situation before we start,¡± said Shim Deok-Gu. He seemed to have be even more charismatic. Shim Deok-Gu proceeded to put up a holographic slide in the air. "First of all, the advance party system, which was first introduced on Trium, was finally adopted as a formal system in recognition of its excellent performance. I believe that I don¡¯t have to say what happened, but the advance party system is why you¡¯re here.¡± The yers nodded. The previous advance party was too small, so they were nning on increasing the number of advance party members from the 7th Floor onwards. "Your goal is simple." The purpose of the investigation team itself had not changed much from the sixth floor. "Collection as much information as you can about the new Floor. Find out clues about the Floor Master. Finally, if there is civilization on the Floor, find out if there is an intelligent authority that we can establishmunications with." A yer raised his hand and asked, ¡°What should we do if we encounter an alleged enemy?¡± "Should we kill them and hide their corpse?" "No. Run away. You should never forget that survival is the top priority of the advance party." "Hoh." In other words, there was no need for them to go out of their way to fight. The revtion made a few yers happy. ¡°The investigation length will be a week. However, if you think that you cannot continue your mission in the meantime, then you cane back anytime. A 24-hour rescue team will keep tabs on the elevator." "Nice." The mission itself wasn¡¯t too difficult, and the members were the cream of the crop. The elites of the Big Five, a few Heavens, and the 5 Heroes would go up the Floor together. Aside from those who had to protect Earth, this was the strongest team that Earth could possibly muster. ¡®I can''t believe that I¡¯ll be working with the Heroes I''ve only ever seen in books.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sure this will be a part of history textbooks in the future¡­¡¯ Everyone¡¯s eyes shone, and they were clearly excited about the uing mission. Shim Deok-Gu wordlessly swept his gaze across everyone and nodded before saying, "The day after tomorrow at seven in the morning, all of you will climb up the 7th Floor¡ªMaze of Exiles." Chapter 502. Maze of Exiles (2) Chapter 502. Maze of Exiles (2) When the meeting ended, Seo Jun-Ho immediately ran up to Shim Deok-Gu. The operation to investigate the 7th Floor was important, but right now, he wanted to see Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s tearful and joyful expression, and it was more important to him than anything else. ¡®He¡¯ll like it, right?¡¯ There was no way he would hate it. As far as he knew, Shim Deok-Gu had been sending monthly donations to pharmaceuticalpanies to develop hair loss treatments, and he had been doing that for decades. "Deok-Gu...!" Seo Jun-Ho opened the door to Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s office and immediately shouted, ¡°Deok-Gu¡­!¡± However, his expression turned awkward. Skaya was in the office with Shim Deok-Gu, and there was a cold air swirling around the two of them. ¡°Uh, I guess my timing is a little off.¡± "It''s not like that, soe on in,¡± Shim Deok-Gu said calmly. "Don''te in," said Skaya with a re. Seo Jun-Ho gulped. "Jun-Ho, what are you doing standing there?¡± "Hmm? Is that nerd ring at you?" "Frost, you have grown a lot. I¡¯m so proud of you." "Hmph, it is not just my height that has be even higher. My existence has been elevated as well." The others pushed Seo Jun-Ho into the office. Skaya sighed and said, "Whew, do as you please." She kneaded her be and turned to Shim Deok-Gu before asking, "Why can¡¯t we?" "Let''s stop here. A kid is watching." "Answer me." Seo Jun-Ho had an inkling about what was going on. Skaya was both stubborn and unashamed, so everyone walked into the office and sat on the sofa without saying anything. A lover¡¯s quarrel couldn¡¯t be witnessed, even if one paid money to see it. The Frost Queen decided to hide behind the sofa, but her eyes that were peeking over the sofa were shining brighter than ever. "C-contractor. I¡¯m nervous, but I¡¯m having so much fun right now, what do I do?" "Shhh¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho zipped the Frost Queen¡¯s mouth by pressing his index finger on her lips. He looked up and stared at the two. Honestly, it was a fun sight to watch. "Sometimes, I get curious about what¡¯s in your head, Skaya." Shim Deok-Gu sighed deeply and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s been decades. It''s time we go our separate ways." "Why do we have to do that?" Skaya looked like she genuinely couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Is it because I''m young and pretty, but you¡¯re a balding middle-aged man?" "No, why are you talking about balding here¡ªWhew, yes. Now, you know why..." It was a romance between a man in his 40s and a Hero with a bright future. Wasn¡¯t that strange? "Hmm. Yeah, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s a bit of a waste because I¡¯m pretty~" Skaya nodded. She felt better at the mention of that part. Then, she asked, "Then, what if you could be young?¡± "Are you an elementary schooler? What nonsense¡ª..¡± Shim Deok-Gu was forced to shut his mouth. He frowned because Skaya was shaking a small bottle of something. "I wouldn¡¯t even have brought it up if it were nonsense.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Honestly, she knew that he would like it. However, Shim Deok-Gu sounded furious as he said, "Skaya, stop kicking up a fuss. There won¡¯t be any difference even if I be young again. We¡¯re done." "A fuss...?" Skaya''s eyes trembled. She didn¡¯t expect that she would receive such a quick rejection. "I¡¯m kicking up a fuss¡­?" All of a sudden, the hardships she had to endure to create the bottle of medicine shed into her mind. She recalled the many ancient books she had to research and the many nights she had spent researching and experimenting. There was even one time when she went to a remote area by herself and slept in the open for a few days just to acquire rare magic materials. The fool in front of her had no idea what she felt during those times and how much she had suffered. ''You don''t know anything...'' Skaya bit her lips. Mio couldn¡¯t take it anymore and spoke from the sidelines. ¡°You¡¯re too much, Deok-Gu." "Hmm, I also think that it was a bit too much, no matter how I look at it." "Skaya tried her best to treat you, and we know how much effort she had put into it." "To treat me? Is my hair loss a disease?¡± Shim Deok-Gu seemed aggrieved, but no one took his side. Even his best friend, Seo Jun-Ho, shrugged and said, "I''m sorry, but I''m on Skaya''s side as well. I also know how hard she worked just to help you." "That''s..." "Let me ask you one thing¡ªwhy do you keep on rejecting her?¡± "Are you asking because you don''t know?" Shim Deok-Gu thumped on his chest with frustration and eximed, "Have you forgotten? Have you forgotten how much she suffered from those nderousments back then?!" Indeed. At the time, Shim Deok-Gu was merely an employee of the Korean yer Association. Meanwhile, Skaya was already the pride and jewel of Ennd when they first met each other. "I still remember it. In other words, you¡¯re rejecting her because you don¡¯t want her to be ndered by other people?" "It''s not like that, but...¡± Shim Deok-Gu sighed. He looked like he didn¡¯t want to respond, but he still responded. "It¡¯s just that¡­ it doesn''t have to be me, right?¡± He had always been sorry for Skaya whenever the public ndered her for being together with him. She was more than capable enough of meeting someone better than him, and if she were to do that, then she would easily receive the public¡¯s blessing. Shim Deok-Gu believed that someone like Skaya should find someone who could shine as brilliantly as her. "So¡ª¡± "You idiot!" Whack! Skaya stretched out her slim legs and kicked Shim Deok-Gu''s butt. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. "Who cares about the public¡¯s opinion? Have you ever seen me get sad after being ndered and cursed at by other people?¡± Skaya Killnd had never been the type to care about other people. She believed that life was too short for her to care about the opinions of other people and that people should live doing whatever they wanted to do in life. "I want you. I feel at ease next to you. You have always been treating me like an ordinary person, and you¡¯ve never tried to use me like those assholes.¡± ¡°Oh, my¡­!¡± eximed the Frost Queen while blinking and covering her mouth with her hand. It seemed that dramas in real-life brought her so much fun that she was momentarily unable to control herself. ¡°Have you already forgotten the promise you made before we went to the Frost Queen¡¯s nest? Didn¡¯t you promise to take care of me for the rest of my life, even if I lost all my limbs? When are you going to keep that promise?¡± "What? Deok-Gu said that? So cringey¡­" "So he has that side as well¡­¡± "Skaya is right. A man should keep their promises. You promised, so you should keep it.¡± Shim Deok-Gu''s face and even his ears turned red upon hearing his friends¡¯ mutterings. "No, that was back then¡ª¡± "That''s enough. Don¡¯t even worry about those small fries or anything; I''ll handle everything." Skaya dered and extended the bottle of medicine over to Shim Deok-Gu before continuing. "Take this medicine, and just think about you and me. If you still don''t like me by then, then go ahead and throw this medicine into the trash can." ¡°¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu''s eyes shook powerfully. How could he hate her? How could he hate someone as lovely as her? ¡®But¡­¡¯ He had been pushing her away because he was convinced that he wasn¡¯t in her league. He thought that it would be nice for her to meet someone who was in the same league as her. ¡®¡­¡¯ The public might criticize them. Perhaps the authority that he had built as the President of the Korean yer Association so far woulde crumbling down. "Wheeeww." Shim Deok-Gu sighed and asked himself about what he thought of her¡ªSkaya Killnd. He looked up, and when he saw her cat-like eyes, he immediately found the answer to his question. ¡°You have always been like this¡­¡± In addition, the loser had always been him, while the winner had always been her. However, he had never felt unhappy about losing to her. ¡®It¡¯s because she¡¯s just that precious to me.¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu stared momentarily at the bottle of medicine before downing it. "Ooooh! Contractor! Contractor! Contractor!" "Hey, it hurts¡­!" The Frost Queen repeatedly pped Seo Jun-Ho, and she also started jumping up and down out of excitement. Seo Jun-Ho calmed her down before looking at Shim Deok-Gu. "Wow¡­" He was really getting younger. His wrinkles disappeared, and his skin became firm. He even grew a bit taller. The Frost Queen was staring in amazement, but she suddenly tilted her head and asked, "Contractor, but why is his hair not growing?" "I-I don''t know..." It was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first time seeing someone get younger, so he had no idea how to answer the Frost Queen¡¯s question. Shim Deok-Gu felt that he had returned to his twenties, and he looked around with confidence. However, there was a strange silence in the room. Shim Deok-Gu was confused. "What¡¯s up with that look?" he asked. Seo Jun-Ho and his friends wordlessly stared at each other. Shim Deok-Gu frowned and turned to look into the mirror. ¡°I¡¯ve really gotten younger." Shim Deok-Gu became emotional at the sight. He carefully removed his wig, but his M-shaped hairline remained empty. "What¡­? N-no way¡­! Where¡¯s my hair? When I was still young, I had hair on this side!" "D-Deok-Gu. Calm down! You should cool your head before¡ª¡± "Don''t talk about my head!" It didn¡¯t work. Shim Deok-Gu quickly became downcast and went silent. "Huh?" eximed the Frost Queen. She had found something, so she approached Shim Deok-Gu. The Frost Queen stared wide-eyed at Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s head before saying, ¡°Baldy¡ªno, Deok-Gu. There¡¯s a strand of hair here.¡± "A strand..." "Let''s start chanting for it to grow, just in case!" "I don¡¯t think chanting will make me grow hair...¡± "Ahem." The Frost Queen cleared her throat before revealing a stern look. "I do not see any desperation in you. Do you actually want to have hair?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu went silent. A few momentster, thick droplets streamed down Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s cheeks. "Queen, hair¡­! I want it!" "Then, chant along with me. Hair, hair, grow!" "¡­H-hair, hair, grow¡­!" The Frost Queen and Shim Deok-Gu threw their arms into the air and started chanting as if they were Amazonians. All of a sudden, Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s hair actually started growing. "It¡¯s growing¡­! It is growing!" "Sniff! Sniff!" Shim Deok-Gu sniffled. He looked like he had suffered for ten years¡ªno, a hundred years. Skaya breathed a sigh of relief at the sight and walked up to him. "You look happy.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­" "Are you happy because you finally have hair?¡± "Well, of course¡ª¡± Properly¡­ answer properly. Everyone¡¯s gazes at Shim Deok-Gu seemed to contain those words. Shim Deok-Gu abruptly closed his mouth upon realizing that. He thought of something for a moment before staring intently at Skaya. "¡ªof course not. There¡¯s another reason I¡¯m happy.¡± "What is it?" "Phew, Skaya. I¡­" "Y-yes¡­?" Skaya seemed embarrassed as she twirled her hair with her finger. Skaya had never been the type to feel embarrassed, so it was a brand-new sight. Ramadat suddenly whispered to Seo Jun-Ho, "Hey, Jun-Ho. I¡¯m getting annoyed watching them. How about we go to the gym?" "No, this is too fun to miss." ¡®Go ahead and have fun with your weights by yourself. Somebody get me some popcorn! Anyway, Shim Deok-Gu, you punk! Hurry up and confess!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho inwardlympooned. "I¡¯m..." "Mmhmm." Skaya nodded. ¡°N-no matter how hard I think about it, I¡¯m not qualified¡ª¡± "ARGH!" Skaya had been acting like an innocent maiden, but she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and exploded after hearing Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s response. She grabbed Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s thick hair and asked, "This hair right here is all because of me¡ªam I right, or am I wrong?¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re right¡­¡± "Are you happy about your hair?" "Well, of course... I''m so happy that I don¡¯t even know what to say." ¡°Your feelings right now can¡¯tpare to how much I like you, so you better listen to me in the future.¡± Skaya decisively dered. Shhim Deok-Gu nodded nkly. "Awesome..." "Well, it seems that nothing has changed.¡± "Deok-Gu pretends to be very mature just because of his old age, but he reverts to his original attitude whenever he¡¯s in front of Skaya." "I told you guys long ago¡ªI told you he¡¯s going to be henpecked.¡± The other heroes started talking among themselves. Meanwhile, the Frost Queen turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho with twinkling eyes. ¡°Contractor, I suddenly feel like watching a teen drama. I want to watch a sweet drama.¡± "Yes, yes, go ahead and watch. We should make room for them." Seo Jun-Ho turned around to leave. Just before leaving the room, he nced behind him and grinned. ''They still look good together.¡¯ It seemed that not even the passage of time could sever their bond. He sincerely hoped that they would be happy ever after this time. ¡®Wait, I still have that medicine on me¡­¡¯ Where the hell was he going to use that hair-loss medicine? Chapter 503. Maze of Exiles (3) Chapter 503. Maze of Exiles (3) The day of the raid¡ªD-1. The advance party members were busy spending time with their families. Of course, there were others who had decided to spend time on their own. A text message arrived in Seo Jun-Ho''s Vita. "Hmm?" The sender was Kim Woo-Joong. [There¡¯s something I want to share with you before the 7th Floor reconnaissance, do you have time?] [What''s going on?] [I''ll tell you when once you¡¯ve arrived. Try to be as inconspicuous as possible.] Kim Woo-Joong was saying that Seo Jun-Ho should go to the designated location on his own. What the hell was going on¡ª "No, wait a minute." Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes became filled with doubts. ¡®He''s not tech-savvy, so he''s usually really slow at texting.¡¯ [Who are you?] [I''m Woo-Joong.] [That¡¯s a lie. He''s not this fast at typing.] [For this conversation, I pre-written messages to use as a reply depending on what you would say.] A screenshot arrived as evidence. There were roughly a hundred pre-written sentences. [Chae-Won told me to write my replies in advance. For your information, this is also a pre-written sentence.] [What? Then, why are you the one contacting me?] [It¡¯s because I¡¯m closer to you.] Well, Kim Woo-Joong was not wrong, but it was a bit strange. It couldn¡¯t be helped because his personality had always been odd and unique. Seo Jun-Ho immediately packed up and left. *** Silent Moon Guild¡¯s office building was located in Gwanghwamun. Seo Jun-Ho sneaked in there and moved to the designated location. ¡®Is it this room?¡¯ Upon entering the conference room, he saw Kim Woo-Joong and Son Chae-Won sitting a few chairs apart from each other. "Hmm, you¡¯re really capable of sneaking in wherever. The security level is at maximum, but you still slipped past our security." "I told you; you can¡¯t stop him." "Whew, that triggers me a bit. Do you know how much money I spent on this office building?" Son Chae-Won frowned. Afterward, she stood up and offered Seo Jun-Ho a seat. "Please take a seat here." Seo Jun-Ho sat down and asked directly, "I''m sure you didn¡¯t call me here to see my skills, so why did you call me here?" "I have something to tell you about the members of the advance party." Beep- A hologram window appeared in the air, and the portraits of the members of the advance party were disyed on the hologram window. "The 7th Floor advance party has grown significantlypared to the 6th Floor advance party.¡± "That¡¯s true." The advance party only had nine people for the 6th Floor, but the advance party for the 7th Floor had a hundred people. The team was sorge that it should have been called a raid team rather than an advance party. "Do you know why there are so many members this time?" ¡°Is there something going on internally?¡± Son Chae-Won nodded and tapped her Vita. The hologram window flickered, and it became full of clipped articles that had been collected in the past. "As you can see, these are the casesmitted by the defunct Fiend Association." "You said it yourself, the Fiend Association is no more.." "Yes, and that is why it is more dangerous.¡± ¡°More dangerous?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed upon hearing that. "What do you mean?" "Would you like to take a look at these cases?¡± At that, Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly started reading the summary of the cases. Every single one of them was both terrible and horrible. Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that he had to hunt these people down because they were the remnants of the Fiend Association. "But..." It was strange. There was something off about these cases. Especially when Seo Jun-Hopared the official articles and the report that Son Chae-Won had gathered using her influence. "You seem to have noticed it somewhat." Son Chae-Won nodded and said, "At first, I thought the Fiend Association becamepetent. I actually got curious. Just what kind of horrible lives those brilliant minds had been living to the point that they wouldmit such atrocities against other people? "They were smart, but their intelligence isn¡¯t enough.¡± Hearing that, Seo Jun-Ho slowly spoke, "So there¡¯s a traitor...¡± ¡°Yes, and they have to be a part of the Big 5..." "Are there any clues?" "Not yet¡­" Those words were a bit scary to hear. Silent Moon knew that there was a traitor, but they couldn¡¯t find them despite their in-depth investigation. "It¡¯s even worse because you destroyed the Fiend Association. Oh, I am not ming you for that." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho remained silent and pondered. He had made tens of thousands of fiends confess while he was in the middle of destroying the Fiend Association. ''That''s not all. I even read the memories of top executives like Chef and Nazad Hallow.¡¯ However, their memories didn¡¯t contain any information about a traitor. In other words¡­ "The traitor has a direct connection with the Heavenly Demon?" ¡°It¡¯s most likely the case. At the very least, the traitor has a connection with Isaac Dvor. I mean, Isaac is considered the Heavenly Demon¡¯s brain." "Hm." Seo Jun-Ho seemed baffled as he asked, "What do they stand to gain by helping the fiends?¡± "I¡¯m not sure. Perhaps they consider it a business rather than a betrayal." However, the slightest connection with the fiends meant the destruction of a guild in modern society. Fame and image were important for Guilds, which meant that cooperating with the fiends was basically staking their Guild¡¯s existence. Therefore, if a Guild were cooperating with the fiends, they would hide the fact as thoroughly as possible. "It¡¯ll be a great weakness.¡± The Heavenly Demon has always been decisive about using his cards, so there is no reason for us to avoid threatening them." "Are you saying that you have a few people in mind?" "Yes." Son Chae-Won flicked her finger, and the hologram window flickered. The pictures that appeared were all familiar faces. Seo Jun-Ho carefully examined their faces before saying, ¡°These people are at least team leaders of one of the Big 5, and even the entire Nine Heavens are included aside from Kim Woo-Joong and me.¡± These people were big names of this era. They were so powerful that even the leaders of the most powerful countries couldn¡¯t treat them recklessly. "This report was made after a year of investigation. Only people as powerful as them are capable of essing key information.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Indeed. The issue was that most of them were people who had onceughed and chatted with him on the battlefield. ''The 6th Floor has been cleared, and mankind is about to go up to the 7th Floor.¡¯ In addition, no one else had any idea aside from his friends and him, but the Heavenly Demon was about to fully recover. If the traitor had received an order from the Heavenly Demon that was rted to the 7th Floor, then they would have to join the advance party to aplish it. Seo Jun-Ho held his chin. "There are many people to monitor." "I¡¯m sorry to bother you, but I think it¡¯s better to know the perpetrator before getting backstabbed than not knowing anything before getting backstabbed." "I agree." It would be awful to keel over and die without knowing the perpetrator. ¡°Your determination to bring down the fiends and your hatred toward them led us to the conclusion that you¡¯re not the traitor. You¡¯ve sacrificed a lot to clear the Floors as well, so we decided to share this information with you.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I should hide this information.¡± "Please.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. "All right, but I will tell my friends. I¡¯ll tell them to be careful, too." Son Chae-Won didn¡¯t say anything against it, which made it clear that she already knew that Seo Jun-Ho would do such a thing. "I will ask you one more question. Who is the most suspicious among them?" "I didn¡¯t tell you that because I was afraid that you¡¯ll be biased." "I will listen. I¡¯ll let you be the judge.¡± Son Chae-Won agonized about it for a while before zooming in on one of the photos. "Christin[1] Lewis, The Guild Master of the Silver Constetion. Silver Constetion is a religious guild that believes in the Sun God." "And why are you suspicious of him?" "I¡¯m sure you already know, but it¡¯s the same case with the Schumern Saintess. Their Guild looks clean, but there are more rotten parts than we thought." In other words, there was a vast difference between their public image and what they really were inside. Seo Jun-Ho nodded while staring at the picture floating in the air. The young man with tinum hair was smiling gently in the picture. "I¡¯ll keep an eye out." *** Step, step, step. A few dull footsteps echoed before the boulder¡ªwhich was as huge as a house¡ªflew into the skies as if it were a bullet. With that, the boulder that had been blocking the entrance of the cave was no more. "Congrattions on your recovery, Heavenly Demon." "Congrattions." ¡°¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon looked at Isaac and Valencia before closing his eyes. He took a deep breath and exhaled before opening his eyes once more. "Only the two of you are left?" "Yes, are you perhaps lonely?" "Nonsense." The Heavenly Demon emitted a tinge of his demonic energy. Flinch! Isaac flinched and broke out into a cold sweat. He smiled bitterly and said, "Congrattions. It appears that you havepletely absorbed the neigong you have obtained from the 5th Floor.¡± "Not everything." He had lost a lot of neigong because of his archnemesis, Seo Jun-Ho. "If I hadpletely absorbed all those neigong, I wouldn¡¯t even think twice about doing it.¡± He would have immediately gone down to Earth and destroyed everything in his way. The Heavenly Demon flicked his fingers lightly. Isaac and Valencia knelt subconsciously. "...I was nning on destroying you two, but it seems that you two have be a bit stronger than before." "Please be merciful." ¡°We are strong, and that is how we are able to remain by your side." "I suppose." The weak had died long ago. ''Only two, but they¡¯re useful. Not bad.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon clenched and rxed his fist before saying, "Were there any messages from the demons?" "Yes. They said that they would visit you once you have recovered.¡± "Hm." The Heavenly Demon still had no idea what they wanted from him and why they were supporting him. However, one thing was for sure¡ªhe was still a useful tool in their eyes. ''I will have to use you, too.'' The Heavenly Demon looked up at the red skies of Balbortan and muttered, "A red sky¡­ That''s good." The Heavenly Demon smiled uponing up with a great n. "Once more, let¡¯s go out and have fun with the yers." *** The next day, Seo Jun-Ho summoned his friends and told them what Son Chae-Won had revealed to him. "Hm. In other words, you¡¯re telling us to be careful about getting backstabbed?" "I will keep an eye on the others." With this, Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that his friends would be fine. Afterward, they headed to the artificial ind in the Pacific Ocean. "It''s spectacr.¡± "Haha, their auras are great." Thebined aura of a hundred elites was indescribable. It felt like theirbined auras had enveloped the entire ind. The reporters who hade here to report on the advance party¡¯s progress were impressed. "I think each of them isparable to a thousand yers¡­¡± "They¡¯re the cream of the crop¡­¡± "If they fail, progress on the 7th Floor will be postponed for at least a few months." Yes, and there was a traitor among them. Seo Jun-Ho examined the yers while walking. "Frost, what time is it now?¡± "10:28 A.M. There are two minutes left." "Two minutes..." 10:30 A.M. At 10:30 A.M., the advance party would enter the 7th Floor. Their first goal upon arriving at the 7th Floor was to build a camp and a stronghold. ¡°It''s Specter." "It''s Seo Jun-Ho-nim!" The reporters quickly showered the Heroes with camera shes. Seo Jun-Ho calmly walked past them and arrived in front of the Dimensional Elevator. They were greeted by the other yers who had arrived before them. ¡®There are people I know, and there are people whose faces are the only thing that¡¯s familiar to me.¡¯ Upon arriving at the 7th Floor, some of them could turn into enemies who would stab him in the back. ''You better stab me properly if you¡¯re going to do it.¡¯ If they went about it clumsily, then his sword would tear them apart first. 10:30 A.M. The yers started entering the Dimensional Elevator in groups of twos and threes. Seo Jun-Ho pressed the button for the 7th Floor with his friends surrounding him. [This is the 7th Floor. The door is opening.] [Bringer of Spring¡¯s effect has been activated. All stats increased by 30.] Fortunately, he arrived safely on the 7th Floor, unlike when he attempted to enter the 6th Floor for the very first time. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression immediately stiffened. "H-huh? Specter-nim?" "Where did you¡ªNo, why are there other people here?" "What the hell is going on?" There were four other people for a total of five, including himself. Seo Jun-Ho was sure that he walked into the Dimensional Elevator with his friends, but he found himself with strangers upon arriving on the 7th Floor. There were only five of them in the empty circr clearing. ¡°I think¡­¡± They were surrounded by walls that were so high that one couldn¡¯t see their summits. While staring at the walls, Seo Jun-Ho continued. ¡°I think this maze isn¡¯t going to be easy to clear.¡± They walked into the Dimensional Elevator with their friends whom they trusted and whom they synchronized with, but the Maze of Exiles tore them apart from theirrades. 1. Original name is Christine Lewis, but she¡¯s actually a he. Christin has never been referred to with a pronoun before until recently, and since his name is usually a girl¡¯s name, the trantor presumed that Christine is a girl, but it has been proven incorrect today. We have decided to rename Christine to Christin and change his pronouns ordingly. Thank you for your understanding ? Chapter 504. Maze of Exiles (4) Chapter 504. Maze of Exiles (4) The four yers gathered around Seo Jun-Ho because he was the strongest among them. "My name is Oh Dae-Yang. It is an honor to meet you!" "¡­Nilbas Perry." "I''m Alba Mils.¡± "I¡¯m Halgi Goodrickson!" There was a Korean and two Americans, respectively. The man with a long beard¡ªwho introduced himself as Halgi Goodrickson¡ªwas a Norwegian Viking. ¡®At least I know everyone here¡­¡¯ Apart from their fame, he had already looked at the profiles of the advance party members. The Silent Moon had given him a warning, so he had felt like he had to know the faces of the advance party members at the very least. "Hep!" Halgi slung his big ax over his shoulder and said, "It seems that the people are in groups of five." "I-I didn''t expect anything like this." "An istion¡­ Will there be a hunt afterward? Huhuhu, interesting.¡± However, it seemed that the Viking was the only one who found this interesting. The other three didn''t look that happy. "Hmm, Contractor," said the Frost Queen. She was currently invisible to the others. She looked up at the wall and said, "How about you try going up the wall?" ¡°¡­¡± Indeed. A maze wouldn¡¯t be an obstacle if one could scale its walls. Seo Jun-Ho started moving. At the sight, Alba asked, "Where are you going?" "I need to check something." He ran across the circr clearing before jumping as high as he could toward the wall. Crackle! The Frost Queen created a wall of ice that jutted out of the wall. ¡®Good timing.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stepped on the frozen wall and started running upward using small ice tforms as his foothold. "Oh! He¡¯s trying to go over the wall?" "I see¡­" "P-please be careful!" The team members¡¯ eyes shone as they watched Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho imbued magic into both of his feet before jumping into the air. He looked down and saw his pursuers. ¡®Do I have to deal with more of those things the closer I get to the summit?¡¯¡¯ The thorns and bushes from the vine wall were chasing after him. "Take care of them." The Freedom de¡¯s four des carried out the order. Slice, slice, slice! They severed the thorns chasing after Seo Jun-Ho. ''It''s doable...¡¯ He ran as fast as he could because he could already see the clouds. The summit of the wall was way beyond the clouds, so Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that he would arrive at the summit as long as he went beyond those clouds. Seo Jun-Ho took one final leap toward the clouds. Smack! "...Huh?" However, his face crashed against a transparent wall. [You cannot escape the Maze of Exiles. Please go down.] Was it saying that it wouldn¡¯t allow tricks like these? Seo Jun-Ho sighed and started plummeting to the ground. "Oh, ohhh! He¡¯s falling!" "Should we help him?" ¡°Guys, who do you think he is?¡± Nilbas clicked his tongue. Seo Jun-Ho abruptly disappeared. "It doesn¡¯t work. The System won¡¯t allow it." A clump of darkness on the ground behind them quickly took on Specter¡¯s figure. Halgi turned around andughed boisterously. "Hahaha! How novel. Specter. You are indeed as great as the rumors!" "A-anyway, the fact that the system won¡¯t allow any shortcut means¡­¡± Oh Dae-Yang trailed off with a frown. He looked ahead of them, and the maze seemed to be weing them. A cold wind was flowing out of the maze. "I-It means that we have to go in there, after all." "Hmm. How about we try breaking down the wall?" "Move." Nilbas moved ahead of the others and manifested a mana javelin. Without any hesitation, he gripped the javelin tightly and started running. ¡®Is he going to throw the javelin?¡¯ The javelin throw had existed since ancient times. It was a technique that allowed humans to show off their superiority over other species. ¡®Nilbas Perry''s javelin throwbined with his unique skill¡­¡¯ Nilbas was known as the Javelin Master, and he had three skills that allowed him to im the title for himself. ¡®A skill rted to the mastery of weapons, a skill that strengthens his physical prowess, and finally¡­¡¯ A skill that allowed him to detonate magic. Booom! The javelin collided against the wall of the maze, and the javelin exploded the moment it made contact with the wall, creating a huge explosion that also generated a deafening boom. The others were dozens of meters away, but they could still feel the earth vibrating beneath them. ¡°Tsk.¡± Nilbas clicked his tongue and shook his head. "The wall is being protected by the system as well." The vines, thorns, and bushes immediately regenerated the damaged wall. ¡°Give me a minute¡­¡± Alba muttered before closing her eyes. When she opened her eyes once more, her eyes were shining in white as she stared into the maze. Alba was a support-type yer who managed to get into the advance party because of her excellent reconnaissance and scout skills. A few momentster, Alba staggered backward and said, ¡°Ugh, I can¡¯t see anything. It feels like a thick fog is obscuring the way ahead.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. In fact, he had been trying to get a glimpse of the surroundings using his magic, but he failed spectacrly. He had been doing that in hopes of regrouping with his friends. ¡®But something is blocking it¡­¡¯¡¯ The wavelength of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic distorted the moment it entered the maze. It felt like the maze was telling him to just experience the maze himself rather than trying to take a peek. ¡°I-I think we have no choice but to be careful and explore the maze,¡± said Oh Dae-Yang. A system message appeared in front of them. [Wee to the Maze of Exiles.] [The yers have been divided fairly into 30 teams, and the yers must escape within the next 24 hours.] [The goal of this evil maze is to kill intruders by misleading them, so please keep that in mind.] [There are hints hidden in multiple ces; please use them wisely.] "What¡¯s this? It¡¯s not even funny.¡± Halgi snorted in displeasure. "Is that goddamned system trying to make us participate in a treasure hunt?¡± "There are thirty teams. It seems that the number of people in a party isn¡¯t uniform." "T-then, I guess we got lucky." "Yes, because there are five of us here." While the others were talking to each other, Seo Jun-Ho fell into deep contemtion. ¡®It¡¯s strangely nice¡­¡¯ This was the first time the system gave them advice. ''Perhaps it has something to do with the sudden change of the designated 7th Floor.¡¯ It made sense for them to be kinder and nicer to the yers, who had to explore a ce that they had to prepare in a hurry. If that was the case, then this warning contained more than just advice. Seo Jun-Ho read the message over and over again. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ He noticed more and more strange things the more he read through it. He only had doubts earlier, but his doubts were starting to be certainty as time went on. "Interesting." "Hmm, this is interesting? I guess a hero''s way of thinking is unique,¡± muttered Halgi. Shwik! The four des of the Freedom de suddenly flew toward him. aaang! Halgi¡¯s Hidden Armor (A) defended him from the des. "A-a traitor¡­!" "What are you doing?!" Surprised, the yers quickly widened the gap between them and Seo Jun-Ho. Halgi stared calmly at Seo Jun-Ho with an ax in hand. ¡°You¡¯re strong¡ªstronger than what I''ve heard in rumors.¡± "Specter! You better tell us what you¡¯re trying to do here!" The four yers became wary of Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho withdrew his Freedom de and apologized. "My apologies. I had to check something." "Hey! Do you really think that what you¡¯ve done can be resolved with just an apology?!¡± "Halgi Goodrickson. I heard you''re a yer capable of protecting yourself using an intangible armor.¡± ¡°Since you know that, why did you attack me?¡± "It''s the other way around¡ªI attacked because I knew that..." That way, he would be able to find answers to his questions without hurting anyone. "I told you. I had to check something." "All right. I''ll listen. What the hell did you want to know that you had to attack me?" Seo Jun-Ho remained steadfast beneath Halgi¡¯s hostile look. Instead of replying, he asked everyone, "Does anyone here know the exact number of advance party members?" ¡°A hundred and twenty people. I think that¡¯s it,¡± replied Alba. "Yes, a hundred and twenty people, but the teams are split into thirty groups." ¡°Everyone already knows that so what are you trying to say here?¡± "I guess you didn¡¯t think deeply into it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across the others and said, "Think about it. Why are a hundred and twenty yers divided into thirty teams?¡± "Because it¡¯s the rule¡­?" ¡°Correct.¡± It was the rule, the key, and a hint. "Our team has five people, so how many members do you think will the other teams have?¡± "I think the number of people in the other teams isn¡¯t consistent." "If a team has to have five members, then a few teams will have fewer members." "No, that¡¯s wrong. Read the message once more," Seo Jun-Ho said firmly, "The system said that it divided the yers into thirty teams fairly." "Yeah. I think it¡¯s referring to the power level of the members of the team." "Well, how can it be fair when you can¡¯t really quantify that?" ¡°¡­¡± Everyone revealed thoughtful expressions while reading the system messages once more. The system had said that it had divided the yers fairly. In other words, it had to have used a clear standard in dividing the yers. "I think the standard is the number of people..." Dividing 120 yers into 30 teams meant that each team would have 4 people. No one would argue that it was unfair if the number of people in the team was the standard of being fair. "But there are five¡ª¡± Halgi abruptly stopped talking. The others seemed to have realized something as well as they started walking away from someone. "This is a relief. I guess the others can think as well," said the Frost Queen. The others walked away from a particr yer. "W-wait. What''s wrong with you all?" Oh Dae-Yang hurriedly spoke. "W- why are you all moving away from me? Isn¡¯t it weird? S-Specter-nim attacked Mr. Halgi. I-it wasn¡¯t me¡­!¡± "You''re the only one who hasn¡¯t used it yet." Nilbas pointed a mana javelin at Oh Dae-Yang and said, "Specter has shown us his ice and darkness elemental abilities. I showed everyone my skills. Alba used her scout skills, and we¡¯ve also seen Halgi¡¯s Hidden Armor. In other words, everyone here has already showcased the skills that made them famous." ¡°Aside from you..." Alba and Halgi directed their suspicious gaze at Oh Dae-Yang. Seo Jun-Ho suddenly spoke, "Oh Dae-Yang. A yer of the Silent Moon Guild. Your bread and butter skill is Singer (A)." Singer (A) allowed Oh Dae-Yang to attack enemies by generating powerful sound waves. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sharp gaze examined Oh Dae-Yang from head to toe. "Use it. Prove to us that you¡¯re a yer. Otherwise, I''ll cut you down." "D-don''t¡­!¡± Terrified, Oh Dae-Yang started walking toward them. Halgi shouted, "Hey! Don''te here. Just stay there and use your skill!" "I-I''m just anxious¡­ I''m scared¡­!¡± "Damn it! Don''te any closer!" Nilbas shouted. He looked like he would throw the mana javelin in his hand at any moment. The Frost Queen couldn¡¯t help but mutter, "Theyck courage." Yes, they weren¡¯t courageous enough. The answer had already presented itself, so why were they hesitating? "...Silent sh Wave.¡± Seo Jun-Ho vanished and reappeared behind Oh Dae-Yang. The ink-like line that he had carved in the air showed how clean and determined the sword stroke that he had just executed. "Grrr! Ack! Ack!¡± Bubbles appeared on Oh Dae-Yang¡¯s decapitated body. The grotesque-looking bubbles boiled and grew bigger and bigger until they took on the shape of an equally grotesque-looking monster. "Grrr¡­ scared¡­ don¡¯t... kill¡­ me... Aaaahhh!" The monster screamed and attacked Seo Jun-Ho. However, it never managed to touch even the hem of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s clothes. Booom! "Haaa¡­ Haaa." Nilbas'' javelin pierced the monster and caused it to explode. Seo Jun-Ho faced the seemingly exhausted yers despite the short encounter and muttered, "You lot better be prepared.¡± He turned to look at the gaze before continuing. "We¡¯ll encounter more troublesome things than that monster just now." He was sure of it; his gut feeling was telling him that he was right. Chapter 505. Maze of Exiles (5) Chapter 505. Maze of Exiles (5) Seo Jun-Ho approached Oh Dae-Yang¡¯s corpse¡ªno, the corpse of the monster that had been imitating him. ¡®Confession of the Dead.¡¯ A memory projection manifested, but the video was strange. "Contractor, I cannot see anything. Is it the same for you?" ¡°Yes, it is the same for me.¡± There weren¡¯t any memories to see. There wasn¡¯t anything else other than pitch-dark darkness. Seo Jun-Ho fell into contemtion. ¡®This is the first time that something like this happened.¡¯ Of course, this wasn¡¯t the first time that Confession of the Dead malfunctioned. For example, the cockroaches on the 4th Floor, which were members of Erebo¡¯s hivemind, were empty shells, so his skill couldn¡¯t even be cast on them. However, the skill had activated sessfully, so it was odd that they couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°How about you try fast-forwarding or rewinding it?¡± ¡°Sounds great.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tried to fast-forward. Blub, blub, blub! "C-Contractor! It¡¯s boiling! It¡¯s boiling like water with ramen in it!" The corpse started boiling before melting into nothingness. At the sight, Keen Intuition spoke up. - Partner, that wasn¡¯t natural. Someone intervened. ¡®I think so, too.¡¯ What remained of the corpse suddenly melted away. In other words, someone was trying to stop him from seeing the corpse¡¯s memories. ¡®Keen Intuition is right; someone intervened.¡¯ In other words, someone was watching them. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t look around like a rookie. Since Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t detect anyone with his magic, there was no way he could find the perpetrator with his naked eye. ''The first clue is this¡ªsomeone is watching us. Should I be satisfied with that clue?'' After drawing his own conclusion, Seo Jun-Ho approached the yers. "Oh, My apologies for getting too excited earlier. We¡¯re in a maze, so it¡¯s impossible to know when you¡¯ll get backstabbed.¡± "Well, I attacked you without any exnation." "Hahaha!¡± Halgi boisterouslyughed. He nced at the other two yers and eximed, ¡°I¡¯m starting to like him!¡± "The team was made haphazardly, but I think we¡¯ll be more efficient if we have a leader. What do you guys think? Anyway, I think Specter should be our leader." Seo Jun-Ho had just shown them that he was capable of critical-thinking and quick action in the middle of a crisis. He was more courageous than them as well. In addition, he was once the leader of all yers a long time ago, so he was the perfect leader. "I''m fine with that. We¡¯ve ovee that crisis thanks to you.¡± "I won''t object either. We trust you." The other two agreed. Seo Jun-Ho was now the leader of the team. Before leaving, he decided to talk to them. "I''ve read your profiles. However, we¡¯re in a special situation, so I want to hear what you can do in detail from your own mouth." "All right, I''ll tell you first." Halgi Goodrickson was a typical tanker. "My Hidden Armor is invisible. The moment the opponent thinks that their attack will go through my defenses, my Hidden Armor will stop their attack." "What other skills do you have?" "Physical Enhancement¡­ Hm, I have my proud Viking¡¯s Soul as well.¡± Aside from Hidden Armour (A), Halgi¡¯s skills weren¡¯t that useful in a maze. The unexpected harvest was Alba Mils. "In addition to finding roads and traps, I can see through enemy weaknesses.¡± "Hm, won¡¯t you be able to see through the weaknesses of enemies as you fight?" Alba snorted at Halgi''s words before saying, "We will have an advantage if we know the enemies¡¯ weaknesses before we fight them. Besides, it doesn¡¯t end there. Attacking the weaknesses that I had identified will cause the weak spot to explode." ¡°That¡¯s a great match for me.¡± Nilbas'' javelins exploded on contact. In other words, two explosions would ur if Nilbas struck a weakness that Alba had identified. "Thank you for sharing...¡± Seo Jun-Ho mulled over their skills for a while before deciding on the formation. "Halgi will be the vanguard, Alba and Nilbas will be the rearguard, and I will go around the battlefield to help Halgi or dispose of the enemies on the rear." It was a pretty standard formation. However, Alba Mils tilted her head. "Won¡¯t it be better if I take the lead and search for traps while there are no monsters?" ¡°We have no time.¡± They had about 23 hours and 52 minutes left. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intuition was telling him that going through the maze wouldn¡¯t be a leisurely stroll. Seo Jun-Ho stood up and spoke. "We''ll leave in fifteen; get ready by then.¡± *** The maze was wide enough for ten men to stand next to each other on a T-pose. The four members of the team explored the wind amidst the cold winds. ''It''s not an ordinary maze.'' This wasn¡¯t Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first time entering a maze-type Dungeon. A few years ago, he even entered a maze with the fiends. At that time, the entire maze was filled with parasitic monsters called Wall Mantis. ''But I don''t see that kind of monster here¡­¡¯ However, there was something else. Tadadadak! "Tra¡ª" Alba¡¯s warning was cut short by a wave of darkness that crushed the hundreds of arrows flying toward them. Seo Jun-Ho said calmly, "Keep running." "Y-yes¡­!" ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I still can¡¯t get used to it.¡± The traps were filled with traps that would attempt to kill the intruders. If it hadn¡¯t been for Seo Jun-Ho, the team wouldn¡¯t have been able to walk through the maze at this speed. Alba reckoned that their clear speed would decrease dramatically. "At this rate, we¡¯ll reach the end of this maze soon! It doesn¡¯t matter how big it is¡ª" Scratch! A sharp w scratched Halgi¡¯s Hidden Armor (A). "Ambush! I-It¡¯s a monster!" The goblins managed to hide from the team until the ambush. ''There are three of them. I''ve never seen goblins like them before.¡¯ The goblins looked bizarre. They were walking on two legs, but they had four arms that were as sharp as a mantis¡¯ scythe. In addition, their faces were missing and had been reced by rows of sharp teeth. "Alba! What are their weaknesses?" "I''m looking for it!" Alba stared at the monsters with her eyes shining brightly in white. A few momentster, the monsters¡¯ bellies started shining in the same white light. "Their stomach! Their weak point is their stomach!" "Kiaaack!" The monsters opened their arms and rushed at Halgi at breakneck speeds. ''These guys, they''re fast¡­!¡¯ He thought that he only got hit earlier because it was an ambush, but he was astonished to find that the goblins were extremely fast. Halgi took a deep breath. He swung his ax, but he only managed to hit one. "Get down!" At themand, Halgi immediately crouched. Boom! A javelin struck one of the goblins in the stomach, and the javelin also exploded upon contact. However, that wasn¡¯t the end of it; Nilbas managed to hit the monster¡¯s weak point, causing another explosion that sent it flying toward a wall. Nilbas created a new javelin and shouted, "I''ll support you from the back, so keep it up!" ¡°Well, that¡¯s reassuring¡­" Halgi took a breath and charged with his ax. Whack! The ax struck the monster¡¯s kneecap, directly severing its leg. "Huhu, you can''t move as fast as you could earlier now, can you?" Halgi avoided the ws by a hair¡¯s breadth and performed an overhead strike with his ax. Whack! Whack! Crunch! "Kiaaack!" The monster screamed in pain and started haphazardly swinging its ws. However, it seemed that Halgi¡¯s Hidden Armor (A) was stronger than its ws. Scratch! The unpleasant high-pitched scratching noise echoed throughout the maze. "One more!" A javelin flying from the back struck another monster that was charging at Halgi. The monster¡¯s blood spurted like a fountain. Seo Jun-Ho clenched his fist right away. "Red Thorns." Craaackle! The remaining two goblins were instantly killed after their blood turned into frozen thorns. "Hahaha! Our teamwork is better than I thought!" eximed Halgi with a red face. It wasn¡¯t that strange that he was happy. After all, the team didn¡¯t really suffer any damage from the battle just now. Seo Jun-Ho nodded before staring at the corpses. ¡®They¡¯re melting again¡­ The corpses of the goblins melted faster than the corpse of that monster earlier. Perhaps the mastermind was trying to make it impossible for him to use Confession of the Dead. ¡®In other words, they have a lot to hide¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was sure that the mastermind was melting the corpses faster to prevent him from cheesing the maze using the monster¡¯s memories. ¡°All right, let¡¯s start moving again¡ªwhat?¡± Alba Mils¡¯ eyes abruptly widened. She looked in the direction where they hade from and asked, "We definitely came from that road, right?" "It hasn¡¯t been that long, so howe you¡¯ve already forgotten it?" ¡®Really? That¡¯s strange¡­¡± Alba held up the map that she had been drawing along the way. "We got ambushed as soon as we turned a corner. Have you already forgotten what happened?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho, Halgi, and Nilbas turned to look behind Alba and found a path that led somewhere far away. Halgi gulped. "In other words¡­¡± "Yes, the left-hand rule has been rendered useless.¡± The left-hand rule or the right-hand rule was one of the mostmon and effective methods to traverse mazes. By keeping one hand on the wall and moving only along that wall, the solvers were guaranteed not to get lost, and they would eventually reach the exit as long as the maze wasn¡¯t enclosed into a square or a circle. ¡°But the path has changed¡­¡± ¡°It means that we have to change our method of traversing the maze¡­¡± Unfortunately, doing that was only slightly better than doing nothing in a maze with an ever-changing structure. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the remaining time. [23:31:07] They still had enough time because they were quick. [23:19:06] [23:07:05] Blink, blink. Seo Jun-Ho blinked twice, but the remaining time was reduced by twenty-four minutes. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned ugly. "Specter, what¡¯s wrong?" "Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°The time¡­¡± The team members eximed upon realizing what Seo Jun-Ho was talking about. "Hmm? We used up that much time to get this far?¡± "No. There¡¯s a ten minutes gap between the system timer and the timer on Vita.¡± "Ah! It just went down by twelve minutes! Did you guys see it?¡± [22:54:53] This was the third time. Seo Jun-Ho fell into contemtion. ¡®There has to be a reason behind it.¡¯ The time reduction was always twelve minutes. Since it was a pattern, there had to be a reason behind it. ¡°Ah!¡± eximed the former detective of Trium, the Frost Queen. She smiled with confidence while staring at Seo Jun-Ho, who was still in the middle of deep contemtion. "Well, it is a cheap trick. It wasn¡¯t that difficult for me.¡± "Twelve minutes¡­ twelve minutes¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered to himself, ignoring her. The Frost Queen stomped and shouted, "Ah, I¡¯m serious this time! I really got it!" ¡°Yeah? Let¡¯s hear it, then.¡± Seo Jun-Ho casually said without much expectation. The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes sparkled. "Are there not a hundred and twenty yers on the 7th Floor?" Seo Jun-Ho''s expression stiffened upon hearing that. "No, that''s... ridiculous." "Huh? Were my calctions wrong?¡± The Frost Queen was astonished. She started folding her fingers to calcte once more. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression didn¡¯t stiffen because the Frost Queen had made a mistake. ¡®When did she be so smart?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t even multiply and divide, but she was already capable of such a deduction? ¡®I-is this the power of a Grade 4 Arch Spirit?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was surprised that the Frost Queen managed to beat him this time. Heposed himself for a moment before saying, "No, your calctions were correct." There were 120 yers on the 7th Floor. The answer was that the remaining time would decrease by twelve minutes every time a yer died. ¡®There¡¯s also a monster in disguise in every team.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho suddenly recalled the system¡¯s advice. - The goal of this evil maze is to kill intruders by misleading them, so please keep that in mind. In other words, this maze was basically an execution ground dedicated to killing the yers. It wasn¡¯t a fair stage at all, unlike the Gates or the Dungeons that the yers had entered throughout their lives. Seo Jun-Ho''s expression turned cold. He initially thought that their rate of progress was fast enough, but it turned out that they were ridiculously slow. "I think I made a mistake,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho while thinking of the yers who were dying somewhere in the maze even at this moment. Chapter 506. Maze of Exiles (6) Chapter 506. Maze of Exiles (6) "We¡¯re speeding up." No matter how much he thought, this was the only way. He couldn''t just watch the yers die. However, the others immediately protested. "Wait. We¡¯re going to speed up?" "We¡¯re already fast...¡± "Just how fast do you want us to go?" "Three times faster than this," replied Seo Jun-Ho. "Three times¡­?" The team members groaned softly. The team was already traversing the maze at breakneck speeds. If they were to speed up even further, they would definitely be unable to keep up. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho understood where they wereing from. "I won''t force it, so I have two suggestions.¡± They could either traverse the maze at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s pace, or Seo Jun-Ho could leave Seo Jun-Sik with them, and they could traverse the maze with Seo Jun-Sik. "¡­ Can we discuss it for a moment?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. The three shared their opinions with each other. After a while, they wore brand-new expressions on their faces. "We''ll follow you." "All three of you?" Seo Jun-Ho was slightly surprised to see them nodding firmly. To be honest, an ordinary person wouldn¡¯t follow him. Most people would choose a safe method of traversing this mage because one mistake could easily cost them their lives. "It''s funny since I suggested it, but can I hear why?" ¡°I am not as powerful as you, but I¡ªHalgi Goodrickson¡ªis still a Hero of Norway. I reckon that many people in this maze need my help as well.¡± ¡°Reaching out to those in need¡ªIsn''t that what a yer should do?" ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho lowered his head and smiled faintly. ¡®It reminds me of the old days.¡¯ The first-generation yers had that stupid mindset as well. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and said, "All right. Then, here¡¯s what you guys have to do." ¡°We¡¯ll do anything.¡± Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across their nervous faces before saying, "Do nothing. Just chase after me. Focus on chasing after me." "¡­What?" "Is that it?¡± "Are you serious?" Everyone looked disappointed because they had been looking forward to a great mission. Seo Jun-Ho was sure that it wouldn¡¯t take long for their disappointment to disappear. "Just chasing after me is enough." Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that it would be difficult for them to keep up with him. *** "Haaa¡­! Ha¡­" Sweat constantly flowed down Halgi Goodrickson¡¯s face as he took short breaths while running. Alba and Nilbas behind him were in the same situation as him. Running. They thought that running wasn¡¯t that difficult, but it seemed that they were wrong all this time. It was evidenced by the fact that they felt like copsing just from running. They stared at the back of the man ahead of them. They were looking at him as if he were a terrifying monster. ¡®Is he really a monster?¡¯ Specter flew across the maze while literally crushing every trap and monster that dared to block his way. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s actions ensured that the rest of his team members behind him wouldn¡¯t have any reason to slow down. However, it ended up bing the main reason why the three were struggling. ¡®I¡¯m a warrior, so I honestly thought that I was stronger than him physically. I thought it was the case, even if he¡¯s Specter.¡¯ ¡®What the hell''s wrong with him?!¡¯ ¡®I''ve been thinking about it, but he¡¯s not just fast and strong. His reaction speed is superhuman as well.¡¯ In Nilbas¡¯ eyes, Seo Jun-Ho looked like he was living in a different timeline from them. Nilbas had no idea, but he actually got it right. ''It definitely feels great.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho acquired Wheel of Time (S) from Tepes¡¯ Nucleus, and he had been studying it with Seo Jun-Sik. In the end, they reached one conclusion. ¡®Turning back time and peeking into the future is a ridiculous ability¡­¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skill proficiency was low, so the effect was less than satisfactory. In the end, the two decided to focus on what they called Thought eleration ¡®I remember a certainic calling it Clock Up.¡¯ In other words, Seo Jun-Ho was elerating his cognitive abilities by elerating his mind. For example, the iron spikes moving up and down from beneath the floor looked¡­ ¡®...Slow.¡¯ The iron spikes looked slow, which made Seo Jun-Ho feel like he was watching a movie in slow motion. In other words, Thought eleration allowed Seo Jun-Ho to be a few steps ahead of most people. Craaackle! The floor froze, and the trap stopped working. Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes quickly scanned ahead of him. ¡®There¡¯s a monster in the front. And the right wall has arrows¡­?¡¯ The interval between traps and monsters had be strangely short. At first, Seo Jun-Ho was sure that the interval between traps and monsters was around ten minutes, but now, Seo Jun-Ho was encountering two to three traps or monsters in a minute. ''It feels like they¡¯re throwing a tantrum to stop me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho signaled to the others. ''That''s...'' ''It''s the signal to stay in ce.'' The team members wordlessly stopped running. "Kiaaack!" "Krrr¡­!" Seven unknown monsters ran toward Seo Jun-Ho from the far end of a wall. Seo Jun-Ho responded by jumping toward the left wall. Whistle! Swoosh! Uponnding on the left wall, a thorn popped out as if it had been waiting for him. Then, it chased after him. ¡®I knew it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes shone as he looked around while running on the wall. Shwip! Every single arrow that flew from the wall on the right struck his previous location. ''Not a single arrow was aiming at mypanions...¡¯ The monsters on the path were also looking at him exclusively. In other words¡­ ''They¡¯re targeting me.¡¯ The maze had determined that Seo Jun-Ho was dangerous, and he had to be removed. Rumble. The wall up ahead started rising. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking that it¡¯s strange¡­¡± They had been running at full speed for about an hour now, but they hadn''t met anyone. Seo Jun-Ho finally knew why¡­ ''They¡¯re changing the structure of the maze so that I won¡¯t run into anyone else.¡¯ The mastermind was ying dirty, so Seo Jun-Ho had no choice but to y dirty as well and break the rules. Seo Jun-Ho shouted, "Frost!" "Yes! I will hold my breath!" The Frost Queen stopped moving and took a huge breath. After a moment, she exhaled, creating a terrible cold wave that spread throughout the maze. "K-kkrrr?¡± "Grrrr!" The monsters felt that there was something strange, so they hurriedly ran away. "Do you really think that you run away?" Craackle! The walls of the maze and the monsters were frozen by the breath. Seo Jun-Ho frowned while watching the scene. ¡®It reminds me of when I was fighting the Frost Queen at her Nest.¡¯ It was a really terrible time that he didn¡¯t want to remember. Seo Jun-Ho shook his thoughts off and shouted, "Move before the wall closes! Hurry!" "G-got it¡­!" They quickly ran past the frozen wall, and they immediately heard noises up ahead upon arriving on the other side. - ang! ng! - Boom! The sound of metal shing against metal echoed along with multiple explosions. "I¡¯m going ahead." Seo Jun-Ho melted into darkness, leaving behind nothing but his faint words. *** "I¡¯m sure of it! It''s him!" "Don''t make meugh! You''re the suspicious one!" "Shut up, both of you!" "¡­Wait, you¡¯re going to stop the fight? You''re a little suspicious, too.¡± "Hey, you idiot! Look at what¡¯s going on!¡± There were four parties gathered in a clearing. There were eighteen peoplebined, and there was a palpable tension between them. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ ¡®Who''s the impostor¡­¡¯ It was easy to deduce how this started. A party had to have run into another party and told the other party that one of them was a monster that knew how to imitate humans. "Everyone stay still. From our perspective, all five of you are suspicious." "If I were a monster, would I be the leader?" "Who knows? You may have made sure that you¡¯re the leader to avoid being doubted." "I already told you that it¡¯s this guy! He hasn¡¯t been keeping an eye out, and he has been walking around me like some kind of stalker. He¡¯s very suspicious!¡± "How many times do I have to tell you for you to understand? You''re just being too sensitive!" They had to be suspicious of theirrades, whom they were supposed to trust. Of course, it couldn¡¯t really be helped that they couldn¡¯t trust each other. After all, it was their first time being in a team together, so the trust between them was bound to be shallow. "All right. Then, I''ll prove it myself." "Erickson, lower your weapon!" "Move, and I¡¯ll shoot you! I¡¯ll shoooot!" The tense stalemate continued, but it felt like it was only a matter of time until all the tension exploded. ¡®It¡¯ll be chaotic the moment one of us makes the first move¡­¡¯ ''And the one who makes the first move will die first¡­¡¯ Everyone broke out into a cold sweat as they stood in the clearing and stared at each other warily. Shwik! "Ugh!" Someone groaned and stumbled. He reflexively reached out for the arrow in his neck. "Y-you really shot me¡­!¡± "The arrow flew from there! It''s him!" "What? Don''t make meugh! My arrow is right here! It''s not me!" "Take him down first!" The tension finally exploded into a cacophony of deafening explosions and harsh, high-pitched collision of metal against metal. "He''s suspicious, too! He doesn''t even use that kind of sword technique!" "It¡¯s just your first time seeing it! I¡¯ve been collecting gas from the 5th Floor, and I saved up enough money to learn a new technique!" The fight intensified, and it became bloodier as time went on. "Stop fighting!" a loud voice swept past the chaotic battlefield. However, it quickly dissipated after being ignored. The Frost Queen cried out. "Contractor... I got ignored..." "Their eyes have turned white from rage. Do you really think that they can hear you?¡± With that being said, Seo Jun-Ho unraveled his magic like a thread. Seo Jun-Ho infused mana into his voice and spoke in a heavy voice. "Stop." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s low and overbearing voice sent tremors not to their spines but to their souls. However, the yers, whose eyes had turned white from fury, couldn¡¯t possibly be stopped with just a mere shout. ¡®This is...¡­ What the hell?¡¯ ''I-I can''t move.'' Seo Jun-Ho knew that, so he stopped the yers from moving using Freeze. ¡®I think I¡¯m not toote.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho sighed in relief. He saw a yer on the floor, and he pointed at the yer before shouting, "Is there a healer here? Take care of him first." "Oh, yes, yes!" The healer identified Specter, and he quickly treated the yer who got shot with an arrow earlier. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho looked around. ¡®Four parties havee together.¡¯ It couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. He hadn¡¯t been able to see even the shadow of another human being while he was busy traversing the maze. ''The maze probably ensured that they would meet.¡¯ The maze¡¯s goal was probably division and confusion. Seo Jun-Ho emerged from his thoughts and asked, "What¡¯s going on?" ¡°There¡¯s a monster among us.¡± A yer from Hallem exined. Once he was done exining, Seo Jun-Ho finally had aplete grasp of the situation. At the same time, Halgi and the rest of his party members finally arrived. "Haaa¡­ haaa. Wasn¡¯t there a fight?¡± "It''s in a lull." "I can see it. They¡¯re obviously trying to find the imposter among them, am I right?¡± Alba wiped the sweat off of her face with a towel and asked, "Isn¡¯t it easy to find the imposter? The one who can¡¯t use their skills is the monster." "¡­What? There''s a monster that can''t use skills?¡± "No¡­! We definitely killed a monster in our party, but that monster can cause skills." The faces of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s party members stiffened. "Hey, Specter. This¡­" "Yeah." The maze learned. It had made sure that the imposter it had nted wouldn¡¯t get caught so easily. ¡®A monster that can imitate even a yer''s skill. This is tricky.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho momentarily activated Dignity of an Emperor (S), but he couldn''t find anything strange. "Damn it, this is bad." "It¡¯s not like we can just walk around the maze with an imposter among us.¡± "But we won¡¯t be able to clear the maze fast enough if we traverse the maze while we¡¯re worried about the possibility of getting backstabbed." They were in a quandary in which one or the other couldn¡¯t be done. Seo Jun-Ho finally emerged from his contemtion and said, "Since there are only eighteen people here¡­ it should be doable." "Huh? What did you say?" asked Halgi. Everyone''s eyesnded on Seo Jun-Ho. Specter was the Hero of mankind, so they believed that he was capable of resolving this conundrum somehow. ¡°I found a good solution,¡± replied Seo Jun-Ho with a confident nod. He unsheathed Twilight and¡ª Slice! ¡ªthe head of a nearby yer fell to the ground with a dull thud. Chapter 507. Rule Breaker (1) Chapter 507. Rule Breaker (1) Spuuurt! Seo Jun-Ho decapitated five yers in an instant. Their blood spurted wildly into the air as if they were broken water pipes. ¡°Found you...¡± ¡®One is down.¡¯ The skin of one of the five yers started bubbling. At the sight, Seo Jun-Ho muttered into the air, ¡°Rewind.¡± The world abruptly stopped. The blood that fell like raindrops, the five heads in the air, and even the yers who were about to scream came to a halt. ¡®I really can¡¯t get used to this sight...¡¯ A bizarre scene urred afterward. The blood on the ground and in the air defied gravity and flew toward the decapitated yers. In addition, the five heads in the air settled on the stumps before the fine cut on their necks healed in the blink of an eye. The yers started to get rowdy once more, and Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. ¡®I can just kill them and turn back time.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had no time to suspect the yers one by one and find clues. It was much faster and more efficient to find the monsters through Wheel of Time (S). ¡®It¡¯s inhumane, but it¡¯s okay.¡¯ No one had to know about the ufortable truth other than Seo Jun-Ho himself. The yers let their guards down and started muttering among themselves. ¡°Hm. Since Specter-nim has spoken, then we should trust him. He is definitely trustworthy and reliable.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Specter-nim? Have you found a method to figure out which one of us is the monster?¡± Seo Jun-Ho raised his sword and aimed it at a yer. The yer was the monster whom Seo Jun-Ho had identified by killing the entire party. ¡°Long story short, that¡¯s the first monster.¡± ¡°Huh, what? No! I¡¯m not¡­!¡± The monster jumped up, startled. ¡°You got the wrong person. What makes you think that I¡¯m a monster? Do you have evidence?¡± ¡°None, it¡¯s just my intuition,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. The monster was rendered speechless. The other yers spoke one by one. ¡°Um¡­ I know how capable you are, Specter-nim, but don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too hasty of a judgment?¡± ¡°Yes. This is a matter of human life, so you can¡¯t just rely on your intuition. We should be more careful.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew that there was no way he could persuade them. In the first ce, he didn¡¯t feel the need to persuade them, nor was he nning on telling them that he discovered the monster by killing the entire party and turning back time. Rustle. A light breeze tickled the yers¡¯ faces. Ssh! Blood sshed the yers¡¯ faces. ¡°I-I told you¡­I¡¯m¡­not¡­a m-monster¡­keuk¡­!¡± The decapitated monster¡¯s skin started bubbling, and it began to grow in size. The surprised yers quicklyposed themselves and raised their weapons. ¡°I-it¡¯s a monster!¡± ¡°Specter-nim was right!¡± The yers made quick work of the monster, turning it into a lump of meat. Once they were done, the yers turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho with profound surprise. ¡°How did you know that he was the monster?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? It¡¯s just my intuition.¡± ¡°I knew it. I remember reading it from a book. It was said that Specter-nim¡¯s intuition is so keen that the other Heroes have never doubted Specter-nim¡¯s intuition.¡± ¡®This is why a good impression is important¡ªpeople will believe me no matter what I say as long as I give a usible exnation.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°Yes, I suppose.¡± ¡°Then, we only have one left! Who is the other monster?¡± ¡°I think¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho swung his sword once again. This time, he cut down the five members of another party. ¡°Kweghhh!¡± ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± After discovering the identity of the monster, Seo Jun-Ho cast Wheel of Time (S) once more. Then, he calmly pointed out the remaining monster. ¡°I think it¡¯s that guy.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s ridiculous! It¡¯s not me. I swear!¡± St! ¡°Liar...¡± The decapitated monster quickly showed its true colors. ¡°But¡­! My acting was perfect¡­¡± The monster died with bitter resentment. The yers finally breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Sigh. You are as great as I expected, Specter-nim!¡± ¡°Thank you so much. We were suspecting the wrong person all along.¡± ¡°I told you, man! I told you I¡¯m not a monster!¡± The atmosphere turned lukewarm as everyoneughed and teased each other. However, Seo Jun-Ho poured a bucket of cold water over them by saying, ¡°It¡¯s too early to be relieved. We¡¯re not done with the verification just yet.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry?¡± The yers blinked, confused. ¡°We heard that each party would only have one human-imitating monster¡­¡± ¡°We already caught two, so there are no more monsters here, right¡­?¡± ¡°If the circumstances were normal, then it would have been the case.¡± Seo Jun-Ho coldly looked at the two teams consisting of four members. This maze purposely brought the four teams together. ¡®Why did they do that? Did they fail to consider the possibility of yers exchanging information to find the monsters more easily? Did they really take such a risk just to disrupt the yers?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡®It can¡¯t be.¡¯ If one possibility were taken into ount, then it would make sense why the maze purposely brought four teams together. ¡°It¡¯s a whole different story if the two teams that imed to have already eliminated the monsters are made up of nothing but monsters.¡± ¡°...!¡± The yers who had already been verified felt a shiver down their spines after hearing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hypothesis. The two teams in question quickly protested against Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s a false usation! If you¡¯re speaking the truth, then why would we tell them about the monsters?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If the eight of us are monsters, it means that the number of monsters, including the two that died earlier, exceeds the number of humans. It would have been much more efficient for us to just attack them in the first ce.¡± ¡®That also makes sense...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded and answered, ¡°I¡¯m hoping that my intuition is wrong.¡± A pitch-ck wave of darkness burst from the tip of Twilight, instantly decapitating eight yers and leaving behind an S-shaped ink-like line in the air. Those who had imed to have killed the monsters before grouping up with the other teams were killed instantly. ¡®Now. The number of monsters among them is¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s indifferent gaze swept across the headless corpses. Four men had proven their innocence by dying, while four monsters had proven their impurity in the same way. ¡°Rewind.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could only reverse time by a second, but it had proven more useful than he thought. Of course, the magic consumption of the skill was greater than any other skill in his arsenal. ¡°Hmm.¡± Feeling a little dizzy, Seo Jun-Ho managed to speak. ¡°Prepare for battle.¡± ¡°...Pardon me?¡± The yers asked in a daze. Halgi and Nilbas grabbed their weapons, proving that they truly trusted Seo Jun-Ho. Shwik! The four des of the Freedom de flew toward the four monsters. sh! ¡°Geuk, Geuagh¡­¡± ¡°H-human¡­ I¡¯m¡­ also¡­ a human¡­¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, what the heck!¡± The yers freaked out. Their reactions weren¡¯t strange. After all, the people whom they believed to be humans suddenly turned into monsters. ¡°Get out of the way, you idiots!¡± Halgi¡¯s ax and Nilbas¡¯ javelin destroyed the monsters. It hadn¡¯t even been five minutes since Seo Jun-Ho arrived, but he had already found six monsters. ¡°Specter-nim was right.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe that there was an entire team with nothing but monsters¡­¡± The yers turned to Seo Jun-Ho in awe. Then, the yers pointed at another team and asked, ¡°By any chance, are they monsters as well?¡± ¡°Should we kill them?¡± ¡°W-what? I¡¯m a human! Human!¡± ¡°Hmph. The monsters we killed earlier also said that they were humans.¡± Seo Jun-Ho calmed the yers down and shook his head. ¡°No. There are no more monsters here. Everyone is human here.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The chaotic situation was finally over, and the yers were furious. ¡°Those bastards. The monsters would have killed all of us if it wasn¡¯t for Specter-nim.¡± ¡°We almost traversed the maze with a dagger being pointed at our backs.¡± ¡°Thank you, Specter-nim. We will repay you today¡¯s favor in the future.¡± Seo Jun-Ho quietly received their words of gratitude before turning around to leave. ¡®I bet the same situation is happening all over the maze.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had to move as fast as possible, so he could save even one more person ¡°Ah-ha. So that¡¯s what happened.¡± The Frost Queen nodded. She finally figured out how Seo Jun-Ho discovered the monsters. She crossed her arms and started nagging at him. ¡°That was very unlike you, Contractor.¡± ¡°...I know, but it¡¯s the most efficient way.¡± The Frost Queen shrugged lightly. ¡°I have to admit that it was a very efficient way, but if you keep on shaving off your humanity just to efficiently find out the truth, then you¡¯ll soon exhaust your humanity.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have an Imperturbable Mind.¡± ¡°Have you already forgotten how badly you were ruined by your blind faith in Hero''s Mind?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t retort. If it hadn¡¯t been for his friend¡¯s help, then he would have lost everything. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the Frost Queen and asked, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that I understand you. I know that you made that decision to save more people, and I also know that it must have been a painful decision.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t really painful, though¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± The Frost Queen answered in a firm voice. She was confident because she had solid evidence. ¡°Jun-Sik¡ªthat dumb guy¡ªis the reflection of your true nature.¡± ¡°Well, I agree that he¡¯s dumb.¡± ¡°No matter how much you deny it, Jun-Sik is the contractor¡¯s reflection in the mirror.¡± After all, Seo Jun-Sik was basically the juvenile version of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Keep in mind that a monarch with no humanity will be a tyrant.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I want you to stay the same. If you change¡­ I¡¯ll be a bit upset.¡± ¡®It seems that she has truly matured after evolving. She has be thoughtful, too.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled lightly and patted the Frost Queen on the head. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m really proud to see that you¡¯ve matured. I promise; I¡¯ll keep it in mind around the clock.¡± One had to be a monster to defeat a monster. However, once the fight was over, the monster wouldn¡¯t be able to live among people. ¡®It¡¯s a difficult conundrum¡ªwhat is right and what is wrong?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho decided to postpone his answer. ¡°G-get your hands off my head! You¡¯re messing my hair up! Hey! Stop it!¡± ¡°Stop it~ You¡¯re messing my hair up!¡± ¡°I hate you, Contractor!¡± The Frost Queen was currently in puberty, and she red hatefully at Seo Jun-Ho when thetter made fun of her. ¡®If you were going to get angry, then you shouldn¡¯t have pretended like you¡¯re an adult...¡¯ *** ¡°...I¡¯ll be rooting for you.¡± Halgi and his team members didn¡¯t bother saying that they would follow Seo Jun-Ho. However, it wasn¡¯t because they were safe among the other yers and that they were afraid of following Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Their eyes are literally on fire.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could tell from their eyes that they wanted to follow him. They simply couldn¡¯t bear to say it out loud because they knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything other than hold him back. ¡°I¡¯ll get going, then.¡± There were a total of fifteen yers between multiple teams, so Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that they wouldn¡¯t be in any significant danger. In the end, Seo Jun-Ho decided to leave on his own. The yers stared at his back until he turned a corner and disappeared. ¡®ck Moon Heart Method.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho quickly breathed ording to the Heart Method upon turning a corner, and the magic in the air filled him up. ¡®I¡¯ll have to borrow some magic.¡¯ If he wanted to move without wasting the magic in his reservoir, then this was the best way to do so. He had to borrow nature¡¯s magic and use it without sparing even a single drop. ¡°Contractor! Watch out!¡± Crash! Dozens of walls sprung in all directions to try and trap Seo Jun-Ho to no avail¡­ ¡®I wouldn¡¯t even have to freeze the walls if I¡¯m moving at this speed.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho jumped off the walls and ground to slip between the gaps in the closing walls. He was moving at a speed that he didn¡¯t even dare to imagine doing while he was still with his other party members. - Partner, go right. ¡®Right?¡¯ Keen Intuition suddenly spoke when Seo Jun-Ho was about to reach a crossroads. Seo Jun-Ho turned right, and a firecracker exploded in front of his eyes. A few system messages appeared in front of him. [Wee to the road of hidden hints.] [Every party has a monster hiding among the party members.] [The maze is ever-changing.] [Every time a yer dies, the remaining time will decrease by twelve minutes.] [Once time is up, the remaining yers in the maze are expelled downstairs.] The Frost Queen grumbled after reading the hints. ¡°They call these hints? How absurd.¡± ¡°...¡± Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho felt a great sense of incongruity after reading the hints. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, Contractor? We already know all these.¡± ¡°No, we weren¡¯t really sure about the others until now. The only information we knew for sure was the first three.¡± There was a monster hidden in each party, the maze was ever-changing, and a yer¡¯s death would reduce the time remaining by twelve minutes¡ªThese were the rules that Seo Jun-Ho had figured out by himself. He was unaware of the fact that they would be expelled downstairs once the time was up. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a relief? I thought running out of time meant death. That is what happens in most movies.¡± - Partner. Ignore that kid and review the system messages that appeared when you first stepped foot into this maze. ¡°This punk is so rude. I¡¯m not a kid anymore, you know?¡± ¡°Give me a minute.¡± Seo Jun-Ho searched the system log on the advice of Keen Intuition. [Wee to the Maze of Exiles.] [The yers have been divided fairly into 30 teams, and the yers must escape within the next 24 hours.] [The goal of this evil maze is to kill intruders by misleading them, so please keep that in mind.] [There are hints hidden in multiple ces; please use them wisely.] ¡°...¡± ¡®Goodness, I¡¯ve made such a dumb mistake. Seo Jun-Ho pped his own forehead and asked, ¡°Intuition, Is this what I think it is?¡± - I was also confused at first, but when I saw those hints, I became sure of it. Keen Intuition confirmed in a firm voice. - The System messages you¡¯ve read ever since you entered the maze were fake. In other words, this is a huge scam. Chapter 508. Rule Breaker (2) Chapter 508. Rule Breaker (2) ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen pouted at her contractor. It was all because he left her out and was only talking with Keen Intuition. They were talking about a scam, but the Frost Queen couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡®What is a scam¡­? I know what spam is, and it¡¯s super delicious.¡¯ The Frost Queen recalled having spam a few times when the contractor made her rice, spam, and Korean egg roll for a meal. However, she had a feeling that what the contractor and Keen Intuition were talking about wasn¡¯t food. ¡°Keen Intuition. When did you notice?¡± - I felt that something was off when I read the hints earlier. ¡°Ah. You, too?¡± ¡®Why are they only talking to each other? They¡¯re so rude.¡¯ The Frost Queen red at her contractor with narrowed eyes. Finally, Seo Jun-Ho turned to the Frost Queen and said, ¡°Oh, we should exin this to Frost as well.¡± ¡°Hmph, hmm!¡± The Frost Queen harumphed with a look that seemed to convey that she wasn¡¯t interested in their conversation at all. She looked like she wouldn¡¯t listen even if he willingly exined. ¡°Well, as you wish.¡± ¡°First of all, look at these messages.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pulled up the system log. [Wee to the Maze of Exiles.] [The yers have been divided fairly into 30 teams, and the yers must escape within the next 24 hours.] [The goal of this evil maze is to kill intruders by misleading them, so please keep that in mind.] [There are hints hidden in multiple ces; please use them wisely.] The Frost Queen read the messages and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t these the messages that popped up when you first entered the maze?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t you think something is strange?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t see anything weird at all.¡¯ However, the Frost Queen didn¡¯t want to lose her face in front of Keen Intuition. The Frost Queen gasped lightly and eximed, ¡°Oh, that? That¡¯s what you were talking about all along?¡± ¡°You noticed it, too?¡± ¡°Hah. I¡¯ve lost track of how many times I told you this, but I am a graduate of the imperial academy at the top of my ss and¡ªsigh. I don¡¯t need to exin longer, do I?¡± The Frost Queen raised her chin. ¡°I¡¯ve already noticed, but everyone may have different views and interpretations. So tell me how you interpreted this, Contractor.¡± - You¡¯re making meugh. You know absolutely nothing. Keen Intuition snorted and continued. - Read the first sentence again. ¡°The first sentence? That¡¯s¡­ wee to the maze of exiles?¡± - That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t think much of it when I first read it, but it feels very strange now that I¡¯m reading it again.¡± First of all, there was no reason for the System to wee the yers to the maze. Seo Jun-Ho himself had never been weed by the system even once throughout his long career as a yer. It was his first time receiving a wee message from the System. ¡°Hang on. Then, what did you mean by this is a huge scam?¡± - By scam, I¡¯m not talking about phishing scams. It¡¯s more like fraud, to be urate. In other words, the maze has been impersonating the System. ¡°...Give me a second. But don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird?¡± The Frost Queen pointed out. ¡°The yers have been divided fairly into thirty teams, and the yers must escape within the next twenty-four hours. Contractor, you found out that there¡¯s an imposter in every team after reading that sentence, am I right?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°If the maze is impersonating the System, then why would it even bother revealing that fact¡­?¡± - Tsk, tsk. Keen Intuition clicked his tongue. - You are shallow-minded, Spirit. ¡°Excuse me? What did you say?¡± - The best ce to hide a tree is in a forest, and you should cover your lies with truths if you want your lie to seed. ¡°...Are you saying that they hid lies among the truths?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded at the Frost Queen¡¯s question. ¡°Intuition is right. In fact, I didn¡¯t even think about doubting the System messages because they revealed the existence of monsters among the teams.¡± It was only natural for Seo Jun-Ho to think so because he believed that the System messages were on the yer¡¯s side. ¡°However, the maze had made a critical mistake. The hint showed only the facts I already knew.¡± - And that was when we felt a sense of incongruity. ¡°...They gave you lots of truths so that you won¡¯t think that the hints are lies.¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± The maze had thoroughly nned everything out, but it also became the impetus for the maze¡¯s defeat. Seo Jun-Ho had always been the type of man to be overly suspicious about things, not to mention he had Keen Intuition on his side. The twobined their prowess and found the truth. ¡°In other words, the maze wanted us to believe that we would just be expelled and given another chance even if we failed to clear the maze in time.¡± The goal of the evil maze was to kill all intruders. Therefore, the yers would initially try their best to clear the maze. However, what would the yers do upon receiving a hint that they would simply be expelled downstairs if they were to fail the mission? Naturally, the exhausted yers would have enough justification to give up on clearing the maze. ¡°So if time runs out, the yers won¡¯t be expelled downstairs. Is that what you believe, Contractor?¡± ¡°I believe so. I think that they¡¯ll just die,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said frankly, ¡°After all, the maze has prepared many things to distract the yers.¡± The maze was ever-changing, and there was even an imposter among the teams. In addition, there was also a rule that would reduce the remaining time by twelve minutes every time a yer perished. ¡°The yers will definitely get impatient upon seeing the diminishing time.¡± Impatience could lead to mistakes, which would then lead to irreversible situations. ¡°Upon realizing that they don¡¯t have much time left, they¡¯ll just give up.¡± After all, they had another chance, ording to what the System message had told them from one of the hints. It was a type of insurance for the yers. With that insurance in mind, there was a high chance that the hardworking yers would just give up clearing the maze because the System had told them that they would simply be expelled. ¡°Hmm. Well, that¡¯s bad. We¡¯re in big trouble.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in big trouble because the messages have deluded us.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could still remember how the maze managed to distract him by making sure that he would focus on helping the yers by identifying the monsters among the many teams. ¡°If you really think about it, it¡¯s impossible to escape this maze.¡± The maze was ever-changing, so the maze could just constantly move to prevent the yers from escaping for as long as it wanted. ¡°In short, this maze was designed to make sure that yers won¡¯t be able to escape from it.¡± ¡°...Then, what are we supposed to do?¡± ¡°What do you mean? We already know that the System messages are fake.¡± In other words, they just had to doubt the other System messages that they had seen so far in this maze. ¡°The walls of the maze¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho retrieved White Dragon and looked around. ¡°...Is it really impossible to destroy them?!¡± Thumpppp! When Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words fell, the walls suddenly converged from both sides to crush Seo Jun-Ho. *** [You cannot escape the Maze of Exiles. Please go down.] Seo Jun-Ho had already confirmed that he couldn¡¯t go beyond the clouds because a transparent wall was blocking the way, along with a System message. ¡°Nilbas Perry attacked the wall, and he said that it¡¯s being protected by the System.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The Frost Queen shouted upon realizing something. ¡°A scam! That was a fraud!¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± After confirming that the maze had been impersonating the System, the other System messages that he had seen so far also lost their credibility. ¡°I think that was the maze¡¯s desperate act.¡± ¡®It was a desperate act to prevent the yers from doubting the maze and to keep them away from the truth.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought that perhaps it was for a simr reason that the maze kept on trying to keep him away from the walls. ¡°ck Moon Martial Arts...¡± Crashhhh! The walls on both sides rushed at breakneck speeds to Seo Jun-Ho, and it was clear that they were determined to crush thetter. Seo Jun-Ho took a stance with White Dragon and muttered, ¡°ck Moon Martial Arts Final Skill: ck Moon.¡± The darkness which burst from the spearhead devoured the world, and the walls were no exception. Bangggg! The walls dramatically slowed down as System messages constantly popped up in front of Seo Jun-Ho. [The walls of the maze cannot be destroyed. Please stop the attack.] [The walls of the maze cannot be destroyed. Please stop the attack.] [The walls of the maze cannot be destroyed. Please stop the attack.] ¡­ Seo Jun-Ho smiled and ignored the messages. ¡°You¡¯ve deceived me once, but I can still call that a mistake, but I¡¯ll be stupid if I get deceived twice.¡± Seo Jun-Ho confidently unleashed even more magic. He looked like he was trying to break the entire world. Crashhhhh! Crack! A sound simr to breaking ss echoed, and the fraudulent messages that filled Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sight also shattered into countless fragments. ¡°Contractor! The walls are¡­!¡± Crumble! The huge walls shattered, and as the thick cloud of dust rose from what remained of the walls, a loud roar shook the world. - Grrrrrrrrr! ¡°Ughhh, my ears!¡± The Frost Queen started trembling as the loud noise hurt her ears. When she could finally open her eyes, she was surprised at the sight in front of her. ¡°Huh?¡± The walls of the maze were floating, and they started flying somewhere. The walls eventually converged to create a giant. [Gatekeeper Plutus the Exiled has appeared.] ¡®I knew it, the maze itself is a monster. Wait, he¡¯s not a Floor Master?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had never seen a gatekeeper before, but he decided to set aside the questions for now. The massive walls had disappeared, so the yers could finally see each other. Seo Jun-Ho saw many yers in groups of twos and threes. ¡°Jun-Ho! Hey!¡± Skaya was jumping up and down from afar, but she suddenly appeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho before thetter could react. ¡°Who is that big guy? Do you know him?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°...I do know something, but it¡¯s a long story. I think we should kill him first,¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered. ¡°Hm. Then, let¡¯s go say hello, shall we?¡± Skaya revealed a yful, viinous smile before pointing her finger gun at the giant. ¡°You know, I actually wanted to ask you something.¡± ¡°Do you really have to ask right now?¡± ¡°Yes, but you have to see it first, and then you be the judge.¡± A purple energy gathered at the tip of Skaya¡¯s finger. It was the signature color of Chaos Magic, and it seemed to be throwing a tantrum as if it were annoyed. However, Skaya didn¡¯t mind it as she asked shyly, ¡°If I were to shoot that musclehead with this, who do you think will win?¡± ¡°What kind of irrelevant¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Skaya¡¯s Destruction Ray flew and instantly bore a hole in the giant¡¯s neck. Crashhhh! The walls that made up the giant¡¯s neck were destroyed in a blink of an eye, and Plutus staggered backward. Plutus couldn¡¯t maintain his bnce and copsed on his butt. His enormous size created a huge cloud of dust that swallowed the yers. ¡°Keuk!¡± The cloud of dust was so thick that no one could open their eyes and speak. However, Skaya shouted, ¡°What do you think will win? I¡¯ll win, right? Right?!¡± ¡®She¡¯s talking even when all the dirt and dust are getting into her mouth? How relentless. Why aren¡¯t there any normal people around me?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth and opened his eyes slightly. Then, he sent his thoughts to Skaya through magic. - I¡¯ll answer your questionter, so shoot your ray a few more times. It¡¯s working very well against that monster. - Huh? I can¡¯t shoot it consecutively. It wouldn¡¯t be called an ultimate move if I could do that, would it? I need a few more minutes before I can shoot it again. When the cloud of dust finally vanished, Skaya said, ¡°Huh? Jun-Ho. That guy recovered fast.¡± The wall around Plutus¡¯ neck, which had been dangling, had recovered without anyone realizing it. It wasn¡¯t really strange because Plutus was capable of constantly moving around the walls with ease. Crash! Thump! The yers came to their senses and started attacking the giant. ¡®But it¡¯s not enough¡­¡¯ The yers couldn¡¯t deal any significant damage to Plutus, even though they were attacking Plutus at the same time. ¡®I think we have to get rid of him in a single blow. It should be possible if Skaya attacked his weakness.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was sure that Plutus couldn¡¯t possibly remain intact after taking the brunt of Skaya¡¯s Destruction Ray or Hydro Pump, especially if those ultimate moves struck his weakness. ¡®But how are we supposed to find his weakness?¡¯ ¡°...Alba Mils.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°Skaya. There should be a yer named Alba Mils here. Please bring her here.¡± ¡°What does she look like?¡± ¡°She¡¯s African-American with red curly hair. She¡¯s wearing ck leather armor.¡± ¡°Oh, I think I found her.¡± Alba Mils suddenly appeared and fell on her bottom in front of them. ¡°What?! What just happened?!¡± Alba Mils looked around in confusion. It couldn¡¯t be helped. After all, Skaya had abducted her without warning. ¡°Where the heck am I¡ªhuh? Specter-nim?¡± ¡°Alba Mils. Listen carefully¡­.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared with a serious look at Alba before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s do business together.¡± Chapter 509. Rule Breaker (3) Chapter 509. Rule Breaker (3) Alba¡¯s eyes widened. It was obvious what kind of business transaction Specter wanted to do together with her. ¡°Um¡­¡± Her expression stiffened as she answered, ¡°Thank you for the offer, but I don¡¯t think I will be of much help.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°I checked, and it turns out that he has equal strength distributed in all parts of his body.¡± In other words, Plutus had no weakness. However, Seo Jun-Ho looked like he didn¡¯t care. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s important is your ability to illuminate certain parts of his body. Do you think you can do it?¡± ¡°Yes, I think I can do it. The fact that he has equal strength in all parts of his body also means that his body is equally weak.¡± ¡®That¡¯s good enough.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded and looked back at Skaya. ¡°Huh? What is it? Do you need my magic?¡± ¡°I sure do.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the battlefield for a while before muttering, ¡°I¡¯ll need to make a voice to bring everyone together for this battle.¡± *** Crashhhh! When Plutus stomped, a sandstorm urred and blew the yers away. ¡°Spat! Spat! I got sand in my mouth! Damn it!¡± ¡°Damn it! I can¡¯t get close to him!¡± ¡°What the heck are those long-rangedbatants doing?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Do you really think we¡¯re just sitting around and doing nothing?¡± The long-rangedbatants immediately protested against theints of the close-rangedbatants. The long-rangedbatants weren¡¯t at fault because they were constantly attacking Plutus. Bang! Crash! The yers managed to break Plutus¡¯ walls, but Plutus casually reced those with more walls. ¡°We can¡¯t even get close to him, and the ranged attacks aren¡¯t strong enough to do any significant damage to him.¡± ¡°Plutus is a god, and his regeneration rate is impossible to ovee¡ªis that what the System is trying to tell us?¡± ¡°This is ridiculous. There¡¯s no way we can beat a monster like that.¡± On the contrary, the yer casualties were increasing. The yers¡¯ attacks on Plutus weren¡¯t working on Plutus, but Plutus¡¯ attacks were strong enough to inflict serious damage on any unfortunate yer. ¡°Move the wounded to the back!¡± ¡°Healer! Are there any healers here? My friend is seriously injured!¡± The battlefield quickly became filled with screams and cries. - Ahem, hmm. A voice echoed. To be more specific, the voice didn¡¯t echo right next to the yers¡¯ ears. Instead, itpletely pervaded the battlefield. The yers looked up to find the source of the sound. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Specter-nim and Skaya-nim?¡± ¡°It¡¯s magic! His voice is amplified by magic!¡± Beneath the yers¡¯ gazes, Seo Jun-Ho calmly spoke, - From now on, certain parts of Plutus¡¯ body will shine. Focus your attacks on those areas and follow my lead. The yers were dumbfounded by the sudden demand, but none of them protested. In fact, a few yers who noticed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intentions trembled. ¡®...He¡¯s going tomand us.¡¯ ¡®Goodness. Did Specter seriously just say that he¡¯ll lead us himself?¡¯ Specter had one characteristic that would always get mentioned in the modern books rted to him. It was one of his less highlighted characteristics because of his overwhelming power as an individual yer. It was his ability to lead people as amander. He had won many miraculous victories in the many wars against the fiends many decades ago. ¡°I never imagined that I would one day be under Specter¡¯smand.¡± ¡°Perhaps this will be a battle that will go down in history¡ªa battle that will be recorded in the history books.¡± ¡®Just like how the first-generation yers followed Specter and created their own pages in history.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho spoke in a firm voice, ¡°Alba Mils. You are my brush from now on. You have to paint exactly where I tell you to paint.¡± ¡°O-okay¡­I mean, yes, sir!¡± Alba hurriedly mustered her magic and looked at Seo Jun-Ho, waiting for his order. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s indifferent eyes scanned the battlefield. The yers¡¯ positions and their abilities quickly came to his mind. He used those data to calcte what kind of attack would hurt Plutus the most. ¡°We will start with his eye.¡± ¡°W-we¡¯ll start with his eye¡­!¡± Alba recited Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s order without realizing it. She directed her shining eyes toward Plutus¡¯ eye. sh! Plutus¡¯ left eye shone brilliantly, and a bullet quickly prated Plutus¡¯ eye. ¡°...¡± The shooter, Gilberto Green, wasn¡¯t thrilled afternding a sessful attack. He clenched his fists and heightened his concentration. ¡®I should be able to save time as long as I follow Jun-Ho¡¯smands.¡¯ Gilberto¡¯s thoughts quickly came true. ¡°Right vicle, sr plexus, heart, neck, and then his forehead.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s speedymands made Alba feel dizzy. She bit her lips and made sure to keep up with Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s orders. Crash! Crashhh! The focus fire under Seo Jun-Ho¡¯smand was certainly more effective against Plutus. ¡°It¡¯s working. The attacks are working!¡± ¡°...But it¡¯s not enough. We still can¡¯t kill that bastard...¡± The frantic attacks disturbed Plutus, but that was all. Plutus simply wrapped himself up with his walls as if he were an armadillo. Crack! Plutus built more walls over his skin to defend the parts of his body that the yers were focusing down. At the sight, Seo Jun-Ho spoke. ¡°Now. Both of his popliteus and hamstrings.¡± Popliteus was the back of the knee. If the popliteus and the hamstrings were attacked at the same time, strength wouldn¡¯t matter because everyone would show the same reaction upon being attacked in those locations at the same time. ¡®Especially if the weight is on his upper body¡­¡¯ ¡°H-he¡¯s falling over!¡± ¡°Wait¡­ he is still holding out?¡± Stomppp! Plutus reflexively stepped on one knee and barely stopped himself from falling. However, Seo Jun-Ho had been waiting for that. ¡°Mio.¡± That was it. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t need to give her additional orders because they had been fighting together for so long. ¡°Understood.¡± Mio held two swords in both hands and soared into the air. Swoosh! Plutus reached out with his hand toward Mio. ¡°Destroy him.¡± Mio lightlynded on the back of Plutus¡¯ hand, and as if she had heard Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s muttering from afar, she immediately charged forward. sh! Mio spun like a top while dual wielding. Sparks flew everywhere as Mio mutted Plutus¡¯ arm in the proverbial blink of an eye. Upon reaching Plutus¡¯ shoulder, Mio kicked off of the shoulder and leaped into the air. [...!] Plutus¡¯ eyes pped on a tiny and trivial life the size of a bug. Plutus hurriedly swung his other arm toward Mio. ¡°Woo-Joong,¡± Seo Jun-Ho spat. Fwooosh! A sword flew toward Plutus at the speed of light and cleanly severed Plutus¡¯ massive arm. ¡®It¡¯s your time to shine, Mio.¡¯ A heavy sense of responsibility weighed down on her shoulders. However, Mio had long gotten used to that, so she was fine. ¡®I still haven¡¯t mastered the Purple Dawn Style...¡¯ She had read the technique countless times now, but she still couldn¡¯t quite grasp it. It wasn¡¯t really strange because the head of the Tenmei Family was the one who was supposed to pass it down to his sessor. ¡°...¡± Mio had no one to teach her the Purple Dawn Style, so she felt like she was walking on a foggy read with no end in sight. Still, Mio remained adamant about continuing the journey. She had to get stronger; she had to catch up to her friends. ¡°Blue Moon Style Second Move: Sword of the Swallow. Red Sun Style Third Move: Bowing Cloud.¡± A sharp yet ndestine energy swirled around the sword on Mio¡¯s left hand, while a vigorous, fierce energy surrounded the sword on her right hand. The two sword styles pursued different goals, but they blossomed in Mio¡¯s hands. The essences of the two sword styles were different from each other, but right now, they had the same goal. ¡°Die.¡± Mio gracefully rotated in mid-air like a fluttering butterfly, and the contrasting energy swirling around the two swordsbined. Fwooosh! The walls covering Plutus¡¯ face were quickly torn apart. [...!] Plutus felt a sense of crisis. He came to the conclusion that he couldn¡¯t allow himself to take more damage, so he started retreating. However, he started shining once more. ¡°His entire body¡­?¡± ¡°His entire body is shining!¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± The yers fired their most powerful attacks as if they had been waiting for this moment. Plutus grew frustrated by thebined damage that he was suffering from taking the brunt of a hundred people¡¯s attacks at once. Plutus decided to curl up to try and rebuild the walls over his skin. At the sight, Seo Jun-Ho ordered. ¡°Now.¡± The time to end this had arrived. ¡°Hm. I personally think that letting you recover will be more fun, and I want to y more as well.¡± Sparks surrounded Rahmadat as he approached Plutus with steady steps. ¡°But my friends will get mad at me if I dy, so I¡¯m sorry. I have no choice but to do this.¡± ¡®Emancipation¡­!¡¯ Rahmadat entered Turiya and charged toward Plutus like a meteor. Plutus had suffered enough damage that he couldn¡¯t recover as quickly anymore, so he decided to focus his on his chin. [...!] Boom! Rahmadat¡¯s fist ruthlessly sent an uppercut on Plutus¡¯ chin. The force behind Rahmadat¡¯s punch was so enormous that Plutus¡¯ massive body momentarily levitated from the attack. Seo Jun-Ho saw the ridiculous sight and quickly gave another order. ¡°Skaya.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Fire...¡± Plutus was in a vulnerable state. Skaya Killnd didn¡¯t miss the opportunity and gathered as much magic as she could to fire another ray of destruction. ¡°Destruction Ray!¡± A kaleidoscope of purple lights manifested from afar, and the lights were so bright that Plutus unknowingly turned toward it [¡­????.] There was a sh as the beam of chaos arrived in front of Plutus¡¯ nose in the proverbial blink of an eye, and the ray bore a hole in Plutus¡¯ face. Crash! Plutus¡¯ head was melted by the beam, and his huge body copsed. The yers held their breaths and gulped. Plutus wasn¡¯t moving after copsing to the floor. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I-is he dead?¡± someone muttered. ¡°Hey! Someone shut his mouth!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it!¡± There was a briefmotion, but everyone soon turned their attention to the System message that popped up in front of their eyes. [Congrattions! Gatekeeper Plutus the Exiled has been defeated.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­ [All stats increased by 8.] [The tightly shut door opens.] ¡°So he¡¯s dead for good...¡± ¡®He¡¯s capable of impersonating the System, but he can¡¯t possibly fake the yers¡¯ levels and stats.¡¯ The yers¡¯ confirmed Plutus¡¯ death by checking their status windows. ¡°You were great. Thanks to you, the battle ended rather quickly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the yers still would have defeated Plutus somehow, even without me.¡± Of course, the number of casualties would be huge, and it would take them a long time. ¡°Great work, Skaya and Alba.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you!¡± Seo Jun-Ho calmly took in everyone¡¯s gaze that was filled with admiration toward him. Afterward, he turned to look at what had been created next to Plutus¡¯ corpse. ¡°...It looks simr, don¡¯t you think?¡± he said. ¡°Yeah. It certainly looks simr.¡± The portal emitting blue light resembled those things on Earth. The only difference was that the portal in front of their eyes was unusually huge in size. ¡°He¡¯s apparently a gatekeeper, so I think this is the gate.¡± ¡°...¡± Gates were doors that appeared out of nowhere one day. Seo Jun-Ho suddenly remembered how he kept on clearing Gates back then, even though he had no idea of the bigger picture behind those gates. ¡®Does this mean that I¡¯m getting closer?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intuition was telling him that he was finally approaching the truth about why they had to fight and why the people precious to them had to die. Chapter 510. Difference of Opinion (1) Chapter 510. Difference of Opinion (1) ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Skaya seemed to be contemting something for a moment, but she soon shook her head. ¡°Oh, it can¡¯t be. Anyway, Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°All right.¡± While Skaya and Seo Jun-Ho walked down the battlefield, the yers showed their appreciation from all sides. ¡®It¡¯s been a long time since I felt this way.¡¯ Come to think of it, it had been a long time since Seo Jun-Ho felt shy due to people praising him like this. Feeling slightly awkward, Seo Jun-Ho turned toward Mio, who was approaching him and said, ¡°Great work, everyone. Especially Mio.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re dual wielding?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Mio nodded with an expressionless face. She seemed heartless and indifferent on the outside, but her current expression meant that she was incredibly happy that Seo Jun-Ho noticed her new style. ¡°Hmm. By the way, isn¡¯t that totally simr to a Gate?¡± Rahmadat muttered while scratching his chin. Gilberto agreed with Rahmadat''s opinion. ¡°It looks about the same size as the Semey Gate.¡± ¡°What the heck? Does that mean the fiends have a hand in this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ªwe can¡¯t tell until we go inside and check.¡± No one knew where the Gate would lead those who were courageous enough to cross it. Everyone looked up at the Gate and remained. ¡°...I¡¯ll cross first.¡± Seo Jun-Ho expanded his senses and slowly crossed the Gate. Upon crossing the Gate, a familiar and nostalgic sensation surrounded him. ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wondered if he had visited this ce before. ¡®...I don¡¯t remember.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was in front of an ordinary path inside an ordinary forest. Soon, the rest of the yers crossed the Gate. ¡°Wow, the air here is refreshing.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you think this ce feels familiar for some reason?¡± ¡°Hm, does it? Well, forests are pretty simr to each other, anyway.¡± The yers seemed rxed as they conversed. They felt like they were on vacation after being stuck inside a suffocating maze. ¡°Specter-nim. What do we do from now on?¡± asked Shin Sung-Hyun. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head, ¡°I did lead the battle earlier because I had to do so, but I think it would be best for the advance party to maintain the status quo.¡± ¡°...I see. I understand.¡± The yers managed to survive the crisis under Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lead, but they were bound to inevitably develop a sense of antipathy toward him if he didn¡¯t let go of the power. ¡®There¡¯s a reason why people will tell you to leave while you¡¯re being apuded.¡¯ ¡°All right. I¡¯ll pass that on to the other yers and divide the regions ording to the existing n.¡± The basic guideline of the advance party was to create a base camp, divide the mapped regions by teams, and explore each region ordingly. Seo Jun-Ho nodded at Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s words. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s look for a suitable clearing to set up camp.¡± ¡°I already found one!¡± Skaya eximed cheerfully with a smile while pointing in a direction. It seemed that she used Eye in the Sky to scout. ¡°What¡¯s around here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure because there are so many trees, but there was a stream over there.¡± ¡®A stream?¡¯ Clean water was definitely necessary for survival. Shin Sung-Hyun met Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes and nodded. ¡°First of all, let¡¯s gather the leaders of each team for a meeting.¡± *** The meeting ended in a unanimous decision. The yers started clearing the area around the stream, and they started setting up camps for their own teams. ¡°Is this building supposed to be a shared cafeteria?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. I thought it would be good for everyone to eat together and exchange information.¡± ¡°That¡¯s certainly a good idea.¡± The man who was examining the blueprint of the floor n nodded. Then, he looked toward the yers before saying, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please step back for a moment.¡± The people backed away, and the man¡¯s explorer¡¯s hat started wobbling. After a few moments, an animal the size of a ser ball stuck its head out from underneath the explorer¡¯s hat. ¡°It¡¯s a mole.¡± The man was a Spirit user capable ofmanding a Spirit of earth. He was the same man who made the castle walls of the humans¡¯ stronghold on the 4th Floor. ¡®I wanted to talk to him back then, but I wasn¡¯t really able to do so. This time, I really want to talk to him.¡¯ Rumble! The ground trembled as stone structures emerged from the ground. Seo Jun-Ho stared in admiration. He looked at the Frost Queen, seemingly curious. The Frost Queen noticed that. She seemed annoyed as she replied, ¡°What. What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Can you do something like that as well?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? Of course, I can. You know what? The Imperial Pce of Niflheim was built by my progenitor. It is an ice castle that monarchs had been trying to repair for generations.¡± ¡°Really? I had no idea.¡± There was no way that Seo Jun-Ho could have known since the Frost Queen had never told him about it before. ¡®Well, she did make the Queen¡¯s Nest on her own.¡¯ ¡°...Moles aren¡¯t rodents.¡± ¡°Goodness, you scared me!¡± Seo Jun-Ho was startled. Kim Woo-Joong approached him without making any noise. Upon receiving Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze, Kim Woo-Joong revealed a grim look and said, ¡°Many people get confused, but moles are not rodents. Do not be confused like them.¡± ¡°I-is that so?¡± ¡®He¡¯s got more animal knowledge now...¡¯ Now that he thought about it, Kim Woo-Joong could see Spirits as well. ¡°Thanks for letting me know. By the way, you¡¯ve done a great job earlier,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said out of courtesy. Seo Jun-Ho was sincere when he said that. He honestly didn¡¯t think that Kim Woo-Joong would be able to sever Plutus¡¯ arm in a single sword strike. A corner of Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s lips went up slightly as if he was very proud of himself. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but I¡¯ve been training with Shin Sung-Hyun to face True Vampire Ghost on the 6th Floor. Anyway, how should I exin this¡­ When I started to think about what I could cut and what I couldn¡¯t cut, I was forced to think deeply about what it means to cut. After that, I¡­¡± ¡®He¡¯s got more swordsmanship knowledge now.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong inundated Seo Jun-Ho with words to the extent that thetter couldn¡¯t help but think that he shouldn¡¯t have talked to Kim Woo-Joong in the first ce. Fortunately, Son Chae-Won approached him with a smile. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. You must be busy, but he¡¯s bothering you again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not bothering him. We are talking in depth about swordsmanship right now, and¡ª¡± ¡°You must have been talking to yourself. Can¡¯t you see that Specter-nim is regretting talking to you?¡± Kim Woo-Joong looked at Seo Jun-Ho as if he was asking if what Son Chae-Won¡¯s words were true. Seo Jun-Ho smiled awkwardly and avoided Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s gaze. At the sight, Son Chae-Won smiled and dragged Kim Woo-Joong away. ¡°See? I was right, wasn¡¯t I? Then, we¡¯ll get going now, Specter-nim.¡± ¡°I¡­ was talking to¡­ myself¡­?¡± ¡®Thank you so much for taking him away.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked at the map in the clearing and headed to the building assigned to him. ¡°Hey, what took you so long?¡± ¡°We thought you got lost.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a little kid...¡± Seo Jun-Ho figured that perhaps his own team was the smallest team here. Aside from the 5 Heroes, he only had the Frost Queen and Cha Si-Eun. Atst, Seo Jun-Ho could finally sit down. He sat in front of the circr table to rx. Mio jumped up from her seat and announced. ¡°I made a dish for everyone. I¡¯ll serve it, so let¡¯s eat it while we¡¯re in the middle of our meeting.¡± ¡°No, no. It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Mio. We should prioritize the meeting rather than eating.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m also full right now.¡± Mio looked sad, but she still sat down. Finally, the meeting started. Skaya brought up a hologram map. ¡°First of all, we have to explore this area, which is east of the base camp. It¡¯s beyond the stream.¡± ¡°I like that ce.¡± Gilberto nodded, seemingly satisfied. The terrain on the east was perfect for snipers because of the ample cover. ¡°Our goal is to leave at eight in the morning and be back by seven in the evening.¡± ¡°And how far are we nning to go?¡± Skaya pinned a spot on the map at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s question. ¡°Right here. We don¡¯t want to overdo it on our first day, so why don¡¯t we just travel about three hundred kilometers?¡± ¡°...Did you say three hundred kilometers?¡± Cha Si-Eun was taking notes in her hologram notebook, but she was forced to stop and ask. She couldn¡¯t help but doubt if she heard Skaya correctly. ¡°Yes, three hundred kilometers. Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°I mean¡­¡± The distance between Seoul and Busan in a straight line was about three hundred kilometers. ¡®She wants us to travel that far and explore it as well¡ªall in just eleven hours?¡¯ When Cha Si-Eun¡¯s confusion grew more pronounced, Gilberto exined, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. It won¡¯t be as tough as you think.¡± ¡°Have you already forgotten? The best thing about having a magic nerd in your party is that you won¡¯t have to worry about traveling.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Cha Si-Eun eximed upon realizing it. Skaya Killnd¡¯s Teleport had the longest range in the world, so the party could actually return to base camp at any time. ¡°Of course, you need the minimum amount of stamina to keep up with us. If you think that you can¡¯t keep up, then you can stay here and rest.¡± ¡°...No. I¡¯ll tag along,¡± Cha Si-Eun answered with a determined face. Cha Si-Eun was a pure healer, so she wasn¡¯t as powerful as the others in the party. ¡®In other words, the bare minimum is keeping up with their stamina.¡¯ Cha Si-Eun had been trying her best to build up her stamina since they cleared the 4th Floor. Thest thing she wanted to do was hold the 5 Heroes back. Cha Si-Eun thought that perhaps she would finally find out tomorrow if what she had been doing so far was enough for her to keep up with them, stamina wise ¡°All right then. The destination and timings are both set; shall we call it a day?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything else to prepare, anyway. Let¡¯s end the meeting.¡± Rahmadat and Gilberto got up from their seats. Mio raised her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll prepare tomorrow¡¯s meal then.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The party tried to look for a good enough reason to refuse while making sure that the youngest member of the 5 Heroes wouldn¡¯t get hurt. However, it seemed that someone had a different idea. ¡°No way! My stomach will hurt if I eat your food.¡± ¡°You dumbass!¡± Skaya flicked her hand and blew Rahmadat away with her magic. Rahmadat went through the ceiling and flew into the horizon. At the sight, Seo Jun-Ho sighed and snapped his fingers. ¡®Rewind.¡¯ The ceiling sprang back together as if it were a tape being rewound. Seo Jun-Ho stood up and said, ¡°If you¡¯re going to fight, take it outside. Don¡¯t break the building.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll make sure to right that lump¡¯s insensitiveness today!¡± ¡°Good luck.¡± Gilberto and Seo Jun-Ho were supposed to appease Mio in times like these. ¡°Mio, don¡¯t worry about what that guy said and¡ª¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho only saw Gilberto. Gilberto sighed and shook his head. ¡°She ran out with lunch boxes stacked up high in her arms. I think she made those lunch boxes in advance and kept them with her.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue and looked at the open door. *** Ripple. Tenmei Mio stared at the water flowing down the stream for a long time. The lunch boxes with fifteen different dishes next to her took her three days toplete. Sourcing the ingredients took a lot of time, but she managed toplete the lunch boxes in just three days. ¡®And they actually taste good this time¡­¡¯ Mio was aware that her cooking skills were slightly below average. ¡®But the more you cook, the better you get¡­¡¯ Mio recalled her mother telling her that no matter how bad the rtionship was between two people. They would surely be happy and reconcile after eating delicious food together. In fact, the happiest times of Mio¡¯s own childhood were during mealtimes. ¡®My scary father and brothers be quiet during mealtimes, and I think it¡¯s because Mom¡¯s food is delicious¡­¡¯ It was the reason why Mio had been trying her best to create great food. It was all for the sake of strengthening the bond of the people around her. ¡°Sigh.¡± ¡®Rahmadat and Skaya will probably start getting along as well.¡¯ Rustle! Mio heard rustling from behind her, and she abruptly turned in response. ¡°...?¡± The person standing behind her was someone she didn¡¯t expect to see at all. - Did I interrupt you? ¡°What brings you here?¡± Mio asked warily. She was as wary as a wild cat. ¡®He¡¯s always wearing a suit along with that funny-looking helmet, and¡­ he used to be my father¡¯s ally.¡¯ It was Mr. Shoot. Mr. Shoot didn¡¯te any closer to Mio. He remained standing in a spot that was a bit distant from her. The letters on his helmet changed as they moved from left to right. - I came here for no particr reason. I stumbled upon you, and you looked sad, which got me curious. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± - Ouch, that hurts. I thought we were allies. Mio¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I thought I rejected your offer?¡± - Did you? I thought my offer was pretty good. Why did you reject it? ¡°Because it¡¯s suspicious¡­¡± Mr. Shoot was right. The offer wasn¡¯t bad, but Mr. Shoot¡¯s motives were unknown. ¡°My family no longer operates guilds.¡± When Mio disbanded the Sky Soul Guild, the Tenmei Family became nothing more than just an ordinary family of swordsmen. However, Labyrinth of the Big Five sent an alliance request out of the blue. Mio became suspicious because the offer was close to a sponsorship rather than an alliance. - Hmm. Suspicious, huh¡­ Mr. Shoot nodded. Indeed, his offer was suspicious. ¡®Was I too hasty?¡¯ He figured that Mio would have had no choice but to feel that way. After all, he was giving off the impression that he was trying to take care of her. ¡®I didn¡¯t really want to do this, but¡­¡¯ Mr. Shoot remained silent as he organized his thoughts. Eventually, the letters on his helmet were refreshed. - To be honest, your mother helped me a lot when I was still young. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. I¡¯m not an idiot.¡± - Your mother was the kindest person I¡¯ve ever met, and she always smelled like yuzu. ¡°...¡± Mio was speechless. Her mother had never really gone out to engage in activities outside the family house, so her smell would only be known by people who had been in close contact with her. - I established an alliance with the Sky Soul Guild because of my promise to her. It¡¯s the same reason behind the alliance offer. ¡°The conditions you offered are better than when my father was still the leader of the Sky Soul Guild.¡± - It was only an alliance between guilds back then. Right now, I want to sponsor you, Tenmei Mio. ¡°I am not in need of a sponsor.¡± - I know. Anyway, just think of it as a request from someone who doesn¡¯t want to be a lying scumbag. ¡°...I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Mio stood up. Mr. Shoot asked. - Aren¡¯t you going to take those lunch boxes with you? ¡°...I don¡¯t need them anymore.¡± ¡®No one wants to eat them, anyway.¡¯ Mr. Shoot stared at the lunch boxes for a moment before asking. - Then, can I eat them? ¡°Do as you please.¡± When Mio finally left, Mr. Shoot was left alone. He sat down by the stream and opened one of the lunch boxes. He picked up pieces of food with chopsticks and ate them by sticking his chopsticks into the slight gap in his helmet. ¡°Hahaha.¡± Mr. Shoot couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter at Mio¡¯s terrible cooking. Her cooking was still poor, and she couldn¡¯t even season food properly. However, Mr. Shoot continued eating Mio¡¯s food. ¡°...¡± The taste was certainly unique, but the food was made with sincerity, and it reminded him of his childhood days. Chapter 511. Difference of Opinion (2) Chapter 511. Difference of Opinion (2) The yers gathered and observed their first sunrise at base camp. Seo Jun-Ho had attended the morning meeting just now. He looked around and asked, ¡°I don¡¯t see Mr. Shoot anywhere.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could still remember how Mr. Shoot had helped him on the 5th Floor, but he still had no idea why Mr. Shoot had decided to help him. ¡®Deok-Gu seemed to know something, but¡­¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu had already told him that he didn¡¯t know much, so Seo Jun-Ho found it difficult to probe for more details. Shim Deok-Gu was also refusing to tell him more. Son Chae-Won next to Seo Jun-Ho smiled and answered, ¡°I heard that he got a bad stomachache. The Vice Master of Labyrinth decided to attend the meeting in his stead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite unexpected.¡± Mr. Shoot had always been a strict man. ¡®Just what did he eat in this forest that it gave him a stomachache bad enough for him to be absent at the meeting?¡¯ ¡°Come to think of it, which direction will your team go, Specter-nim?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going east.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s disappointing. We¡¯re going in the exact opposite direction; we¡¯re going west.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. It was only natural for her team to go in the opposite direction. The Silent Moon¡¯s team was known to be quite powerful as well, so it was only right to maintain the bnce of power on both sides. ¡°All right. Join themunication channel and call for reinforcements if anything goes wrong.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way. Please don¡¯t forget to activate your action cams, everyone.¡± When the meeting finally ended, Seo Jun-Ho went straight back to his team. The team members were done with their preparations, and they were waiting outside the building. ¡°Shall we get going right away?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded in response. At that, Skaya reached out with her hand. When Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand touched Skaya¡¯s hand, the scenery around them changed in the blink of an eye. ¡°I only moved us about thirty kilometers away since we¡¯re just getting started.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check the surroundings¡± Gilberto climbed up a tree and scanned the surroundings with his Hawk Eye. Then, he descended the tree and shook his head. ¡°It seems that this forest is muchrger than we had expected. The trees are way too dense, and they¡¯re covering the horizon.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ what should we do, Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move a bit further.¡± At the very least, the team needed a clue about what kind of world they were in. Skaya used Teleport once again, but the scenery remained roughly the same. ¡°Gilbe, how does it look?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the exact same view.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s strange. I moved fifty kilometers this time, which means that we have moved eighty kilometers in total. How could the scenery remain exactly the same?¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s just how big this forest is!¡± Rahmadat eximed and looked back at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Hey, Jun-Ho. Isn¡¯t that worth trying? I mean, we¡¯re already eighty kilometers away.¡± ¡°That? What is that?¡± asked Cha Si-Eun with wide eyes. Mio answered, ¡°It refers to the act of Rahmadat screaming as loud as he can while we hide nearby.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Any other team wouldn¡¯t allow drawing attention to themselves, but this team had Rahmadat, so it should be fine. ¡°That idiot won¡¯t die.¡± Skaya shrugged. ¡°He can be reliable at times like this,¡± Mio said. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m always reliable, you know?¡± Rahmadat grumbled. He waved his hand at the others before saying, ¡°Make sure you guys hide properly. Ready or not, here I go¡­ Hehe.¡± ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s go up that tree.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood on a thick branch of a tree along with the rest of the team. ¡°Night Walking.¡± The darkness on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s feet wrapped around the team. From now on, no one would notice their presence unless Seo Jun-Ho allowed it. ¡°Rahmadat. You can start now.¡± ¡°Hehehe. Everyone better plug your ears.¡± ¡°Plug our ears?¡± ¡°Here. Put this on.¡± Cha Si-Eun obediently wore the earplugs that Seo Jun-Ho had handed over to her. She looked at the rest of the 5 Heroes and saw that in addition to the earplugs, they were also covering their ears with both hands. ¡®Isn¡¯t that a little too much?¡¯ Cha Si-Eun decided to ask after everything was over, but before she could evenpose herself to prepare for Rahmadat¡¯s shout, Rahmadat¡¯s shout prated her earplugs and rendered her dizzy. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!¡± Mio quickly grabbed and stabilized Cha Si-Eun, who almost fell off the tree. Skaya shouted at Cha Si-Eun, ¡°Hang in there! Just a little bit! If I use soundproofing magic! It might leak! Through Night Walking!¡± In other words, they had no other choice but to cover both of their ears and hold out. After a minute, Rahmadat finally stopped shouting to catch his breath. ¡°Hmm. Has my lung capacity decreased?¡± ¡®I used to be able to scream for a minute and a quarter before...¡¯ Rahmadat clicked his tongue andy down to look up at the sky between the leaves. ¡°We¡¯ve sprinkled the bait. Now, we can just rx and wait.¡± Time flew by, and an hour passed in the blink of an eye. Rahmadat raised his upper body. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± There was no sign or presence of any living creatures. Rahmadat quietly stared up at the tree. Seo Jun-Ho jumped down first. ¡°Well, that was a waste of time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s no one else here or if they¡¯re just wary of us.¡± ¡°None of us can see any signs of people here, so I think there simply aren¡¯t any people around here.¡± Skaya appeared next to Seo Jun-Ho and asked, ¡°What should we do? Should we set up a few magic traps and move on for now?¡± ¡°Perhaps we should do that...¡± It would be bad if they encountered nothing on their first day of scouting. The advance party would eventually have to move the base camp if there wasn¡¯t anything in the area. ¡®We will get further away from the Gate.¡¯ In other words, it would be incredibly hard for them to go back to the Gate if they had to return to Earth as ast resort in an emergency. ¡°All right, the traps are set.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move on, then¡± The team repeated the same routine every time they teleported away. Eventually, the forest started to get dark. ¡°It is gettingte, but I think we should be able to teleport once more before we call it a day.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it, then. Can we go a bit further this time?¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll move us a hundred kilometers away.¡± The scenery abruptly changed as Skaya cast her Teleport. The moment they arrived at their destination, they quickly hid their presence and grabbed their weapons. Seo Jun-Ho gestured at the rest of the team. ¡®A few unidentified creatures up ahead. Scatter...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho activated Night Walking before climbing up a tree and looking up ahead. However, the pitch-ck forest was silent. ¡®They know how to hide their presence as well.¡¯ And it seemed that they were experts at it because they immediately hid their presence upon detecting the team¡¯s arrival. Seo Jun-Ho took a stance with White Dragon before charging forward. However, thorns soared from the ground and bound Rahmadat. Fwoosh! ¡°That idiot¡­!¡± Skaya bit her lips and cast multiple balls of fire. Mio hid behind one of the fireballs and charged at the target. ¡°I¡¯ve found the enemy. I will get rid of them.¡± ng! The other party flew toward Mio and swung their sword, breaking Mio¡¯s posture. The other party then took advantage of that opening to thrust their sword toward Mio¡¯s chest. However, a red dot shed and settled on their forehead. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Gilberto was ready to put a bullet in the other party¡¯s head. ¡°Stand by!¡± Seo Jun-Ho eximed. He deactivated Night Walking and descended from one of the trees. He approached Skaya with an ugly look before asking, ¡°Skaya. Give us some lights.¡± sh! Skaya¡¯s spell instantly illuminated the entire forest, and her light immediately revealed the identities of the enemies. ¡°...Jun-Ho?¡± The swordsman who shed swords with Mio was perplexed to see Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°What the heck are you guys doing here?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°They¡¯re fake!¡± Son Chae-Won eximed and emerged behind a tree. ¡°They went north, so there¡¯s no way they¡¯re here!¡± ¡°What do you mean, north, Son Chae-Won? We¡¯re not falling for that. You told me earlier that Silent Moon will be heading west.¡± ¡°...!¡± Son Chae-Won¡¯s eyes widened at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words. She bit her lips and asked. ¡°Then, why are you here?¡± ¡°We want to know the answer to that as well.¡± Silent Moon moved west, while Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s team moved east. However, the fact that the two teams stumbled upon each other here meant that one side was lying. ¡®No. But if we¡¯re both speaking the truth, then¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho and Son Chae-Won¡¯s gazes momentarily met in mid-air, and they both spoke at the same time. ¡°Mobius band¡­¡± *** The two teams stored their weapons away and checked each other¡¯s action cams. Upon confirming that neither of them was lying, they decided to exchange information. ¡°So you¡¯ve been using Teleport to move east?¡± ¡°Exactly. Skaya, how far have we traveled today?¡± ¡°We covered about four hundred and sixty-five kilometers...¡± ¡°We were already on our way back, and this ce is about thirty kilometers away from the base camp. In other words, the total is roughly five hundred kilometers.¡± In other words, this endlessnd was five hundred kilometers long. Son Chae-Won spoke, ¡°We better hurry back to the base camp.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure the teams that went north and south are experiencing the same issues. Skaya?¡± ¡°Ugh, there are too many people, but it should be doable,¡± Skaya grumbled. A magic circle appeared beneath everyone¡¯s feet. The magic circle¡¯s light intensified to the extent that everyone had to close their eyes, and when they could finally open their eyes, they found themselves in the base camp. ¡°...?¡± There was an unusual atmosphere surrounding the base camp, confounding everyone. The yers looked like they were sad, anxious, and regretful at the same time. Seo Jun-Ho called out to one of the yers. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°A few yers were attacked by the enemies. I think about seven yers were attacked.¡± ¡°Enemies? Are you talking about monsters?¡± ¡°Obviously¡ªwait, did you not run into enemies, Specter-nim?¡± ¡°No, we didn¡¯t run into anything. Can you let us see your action cam?¡± The downcast and exhausted yer nodded listlessly. After delivering the video that Seo Jun-Ho had requested, he immediately left. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s team and Silent Moon''s team gathered to watch the footage within the action cam. ¡®Horizon Guild¡­ I remember that they headed south.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t anything noteworthy until the Horizon Guild¡¯s team traveled thirty kilometers away. Of course, they didn¡¯t let their guard down on the way. [Never let your guard down. You¡¯ll never know what¡¯s going to pop out from somewhere.] [Yes, sir. But I can¡¯t sense anything¡­] The yer who answered was Shawn McHill, a British yer with Sensory Extension (A). It was a great ability that allowed him to identify all living creatures within a diameter of five kilometers. [Shawn. Once you¡¯ve sensed the presence of unknown creatures; don¡¯t hesitate. I want you to report immediately.] [Yes, sir. I¡ª] Crack! A monster appeared out of the blue, and the monster immediately tore Shawn¡¯s head from his shoulders. [???¡­¡­!] [????] There were only two monsters. The monster that killed Shawn was about four meters tall, while the remaining monster standing behind the four-meter-tall monster was about eight meters tall. The monster was smiling brightly while holding Shawn¡¯s severed head and headless corpse. However, the most uncanny and disturbing fact was that the monster looked very much like a human being. [Shawn¡­!] The furious yers attacked the monsters with all their might. The monsters weren¡¯t as tough as the yers expected, and they died quite easily. The footage in the action cam ended when the Horizon Guild¡¯s team decided to retreat to base camp. ¡°Were those really monsters? They look like human beings.¡± ¡°Were they talking to each other? If that¡¯s the case, then they¡¯re intelligent to some extent.¡± The members of Silent Moon exchanged opinions with each other. Seo Jun-Ho nced at Skaya. ¡°Skaya? Skaya!¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook Skaya¡¯s shoulders and eximed. Skaya¡¯s face had gone beyond pallid. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen that look on her face before. Why does she look so pale?¡¯ ¡°I wasn¡¯t hallucinating¡­¡± Skaya murmured. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°When the gatekeeper died, he muttered something. Have you already forgotten what the gatekeeper said?¡± asked Skaya. Seo Jun-Ho paused to think about it. [¡­????.] ¡®He did say something...¡¯ However, the gatekeeper had spoken in anguage that he couldn¡¯t understand, even though Yeon had already upgraded his Vita. ¡°Yeah, he said something, but I couldn¡¯t understand it.¡± ¡°I understood what he said, but I thought I was just hallucinating.¡± ¡°What?¡± Everyone turned to Skaya. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned serious as he asked, ¡°What was thatnguage, and where is it being used?¡± ¡°No one uses it anymore, but it was a ubiquitousnguage in the distant past.¡± Skaya pulled a book out of her Inventory. The book was from the Magic Tower, and it contained the records of Chaos Magic. It was also written by the very first mage. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the book was written in thenguage at the time. ¡°The Splendid History of Frontier, the Age of Glory.¡± Chapter 512. Difference of Opinion (3) Chapter 512. Difference of Opinion (3) ¡°...¡± Silence descended upon the clearing¡­ Scratch, scratch! Rahmadat scratched his shoulder and asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t know about the Age of Glory?¡± Skaya asked. ¡°Nope. I haven¡¯t even watched the show called The Wild Ages or whatever that frost kid keeps on rmending to me.¡± ¡°Wrong. It¡¯s not the Wild Ages, it¡¯s the Age of Barbarians,¡± the Frost Queenined. ¡°This is absurd¡­¡± Skaya sighed and started her lecture on the Age of Glory. ¡°All right. The Age of Glory is a brilliant ultra-ancient civilization. It is the foundation of today¡¯s Ruben Empire.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of it before,¡± said Son Chae-Won with a nod. It wasn¡¯t strange that she had heard of it because she was an intellectual as well. ¡°I heard that the magic circuit techniques and arts that the people of Frontier are currently using have been greatly influenced by the records made during the Age of Glory¡­¡± ¡°Yep! Now, we¡¯re talking! You all know about the very first archmage, right? I¡¯m talking about the archmage who built the Magic Tower hundreds of years ago and the one who established ckfield.¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°He¡¯s not technically the very first archmage,¡± Skaya said. She shook the book of Chaos Magic in her hand before continuing. ¡°His knowledge of magic actually came from this book.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ did magic truly develop to that extent back then?¡± ¡°Yes. Magic at the time had developed enough for them to start dreaming of bing gods.¡± Everyone smirked at Skaya¡¯s words. They all thought that she was merely exaggerating. A yer raised his hand and asked, ¡°Skaya-nim. If people during the Age of Glory were that smart, how did they get wiped out?¡± ¡°There are two main theories about that¡­¡± The first theory was that a furious god manifested a Gate containing extremely powerful monsters to punish the arrogant humans at the time. The second theory was that they ended up destroying themselves for some reason. ¡°Isn¡¯t the first one the widely epted theory in Ruben? The Ruben Empire has also acknowledged that the first theory is correct, and they have been insisting that it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Think about Frontier¡¯s current ecosystem.¡± ¡®The ecosystem?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho naturally thought of beings like orcs, kobolds, dwarfs, and elves. They were definitely powerfulpared to humans. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that their magic at the time had developed enough for them to start dreaming of bing gods? In other words, the members of the other races should be no match for them.¡± ¡°Exactly. And that is why I personally support the second theory...¡± ¡®Humans ended up destroying themselves for some reason¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded and asked, ¡°Let¡¯s take a deep dive into this, then. First of all, the giant in the action cam was using anguage that was ubiquitous during the Age of Glory, is that correct?¡± ¡°Correct. It still exists in Frontier, but it is considered an ancientnguage.¡± ¡°Ancientnguage¡­ I wonder what happened.¡± They fell into deep contemtion upon recalling the unbelievable incident of yers encountering a monster that could talk in the ancientnguage of Frontier, even though they were on the 7th Floor. ¡°In that case, there are two main hypotheses, then.¡± Mio¡¯s expression turned grim as she said, ¡°The first one is that the survivors left the universe before the copse of the Age of Glory.¡± If the survivors had ended up settling on the 7th Floor, then everything would make sense. However, everything would change if Mio¡¯s second hypothesis ended up being correct. ¡°...the second hypothesis is that we have time traveled to the Age of Glory.¡± It would be an unprecedented situation for the yers. *** Every single yer was summoned to participate in the meeting the next morning. The leaders of every team nodded upon hearing the information that Seo Jun-Ho and Silent Moon¡¯s team had gatheredst night. ¡°Everything makes sense now. I do recall feeling like they were talking to each other.¡± ¡°So that was an ancientnguage, huh¡­¡± ¡°Now that we know the identity of our enemies, we should be able to clear this Floor without that many issues.¡± The yers muttered to themselves. ¡°Clearing this Floor? I think we need to think twice about doing that,¡± someone protested. It was Christin Lewis, the Guild Master of Silver Constetion. He was wearing a pristine white cassock. Rahmadat crossed his arms and frowned before asking, ¡°What bullshit are you spouting? What do you mean, think twice?¡± ¡°Hey! You¡¯re a Hero, but don¡¯t be so rude to Master!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Christin stretched his hand out to calm his guild members down. Then, he smiled at Rahmadat before saying, ¡°The fact that they canmunicate and speak anguage means that they¡¯re intelligent. If we hunt them down, wouldn¡¯t we be like the monsters who had invaded Earth through the Gates back then?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to clear the Floor.¡± ¡°If those giants are truly the ancestors of the people of Frontier, then they¡¯re probably humans like us.¡± ¡°Humans? Hah.¡± Rahmadat snorted. ¡°You¡¯re more imaginative than you look. I really can¡¯t think of those giants as human beings.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m sure we can have a conversation with them. In short, we have the option of negotiating with them.¡± ¡°Negotiate? Are you going to ask the giants to give up their Floor Master?¡± ¡°If it means less bloodshed, then yes.¡± Christin Lewis¡¯ words appealed to the yers as well. Otherwise, the yers would have dismissed his words as a mere opinion rather than a suggestion. ¡°Hm. If they are intelligent, then we can try and have a conversation with them. Is it possible?¡± ¡°There is already a precedent in Frontier and Neo City.¡± ¡°I actually feel like an invader. I don¡¯t like this feeling.¡± Many yers were shaken by the option of peace which could be achieved through a simple conversation. Of course, the majority of the yers were crying out for battle. ¡°Has everyone gone mad? We¡¯re talking about those monsters!¡± ¡°They killed my friend¡ªright in front of my eyes!¡± ¡°The enemies definitely want to kill us, but you want to talk to them? What nonsense is that?!¡± The advance party was immediately split into two factions, and the air between the two factions quickly grew heated. At the sight, Son Chae-Won hurriedly spoke, ¡°We should give it a try. If we end up seeding, then it would be great. Otherwise, we can just hunt them without feeling guilty. What do you all think? It¡¯s pretty reasonable, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I agree!¡± Skaya raised her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll try talking to them. I think I¡¯m the only one who knows how to speak that ancientnguage, anyway.¡± The public¡¯s opinion quickly tilted in favor of Skaya. The decision to try andmunicate with the giants first before hunting them down if the attempt failed was a win-win situation. After all, if they could really talk to those giants like what had happened when they first stumbled upon the denizens of Frontier, then they would have a lot to gain. Seo Jun-Ho stood up and said, ¡°It seems that we havee to a conclusion. My team will visit those giants today.¡± Honestly, Seo Jun-Ho had no expectations at all. Actually, he hoped that they couldn¡¯tmunicate with them. ¡®Because¡­¡¯ It was all because he would feel less guilty about killing them. *** ¡°Do not look directly at him,¡± a demon firmly warned before walking ahead of the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon felt indifferent about his death at the hands of Specter back then, but he felt nervous at the moment. ¡®This is making me anxious.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon felt like he would disappear into nothingness the moment he got close enough to the existence just up ahead. The Heavenly Demon gulped and gnashed his teeth before following after the demon. Eventually, they arrived in front of a throne facing away from them. The demon bowed with utmost respect before reporting, ¡°I have brought the Heavenly Demon.¡± The throne slowly turned around. And there was a man sitting on the throne with his eyes closed. ¡®So he¡¯s the Archduke of the Underworld¡­!¡¯ The Heavenly Demon abruptly copsed to the floor. He had forgotten the demon¡¯s warning earlier about how he should not look directly at the Archduke. ¡°Keuk, keakkkk¡­!¡± The Heavenly Demon screamed for a while as he writhed while desperately trying to catch his breath. The Archduke hadn¡¯t even done anything; the Heavenly Demon simply looked at the Archduke directly, but the Heavenly Demon immediately copsed. He felt as if his fleshly body and soul were being torn apart. ¡°Did you not warn him?¡± ¡°I-I certainly did...¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Archduke nodded. He turned his throne around and stared at the universe unfolding in front of his eyes. ¡°Human. Whates to your mind when you look at that universe?¡± asked the Archduke. The Heavenly Demon raised his head slightly to look straight ahead. He saw a universe packed with dense stars. The universe he was looking at was so vast that it made the Heavenly Demon feel as though his efforts so far and even his mere existence were insignificantpared to the universe in front of him. ¡°Emptiness.¡± ¡°Is that so? That sounds about right.¡± The Archduke nodded and said, ¡°The yers have gone up to the 7th Floor, and it means that the end of this story is nigh.¡± ¡°What is it that you want from me?¡± ¡°How dare you talk like that to His Grace! Know your ce!¡± The demon next to the Heavenly Demon red at thetter. ¡°Stop it,¡± the Archduke said calmly. He turned his throne around and asked, ¡°Human. Do you know the difference between fate and destiny?¡± ¡°One¡¯s fate is decided upon birth, and it cannot be changed. However, enough effort can change one¡¯s destiny,¡± replied the Heavenly Demon. ¡°Then, let me ask you!¡± The Archduke opened his eyes. At the same time, the vast universe expanded even more, creating a kaleidoscope of lights that were brighter than any other stars in the universe. A rumble echoed throughout the vast universe. ¡°Are you the fate or the destiny of this world?¡± asked the Archduke. ¡°I-I am¡­¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know. I have no idea. I don¡¯t know the reason behind that question...¡¯ The Heavenly Demon instinctively lowered his head and trembled. He strongly felt that he would die if he were to look at the Archduke. ¡®No¡­ it¡¯ll definitely be something worse than death.¡¯ ¡°P-please forgive me¡­ I have no idea¡­¡± ¡°Then, you should go and find out for yourself.¡± said the Archduke. ¡°The answer is on the 7th Floor.¡± With that, the Archduke closed his eyes. The trembling of the entire universe stopped at once as if it had never trembled at all. As the rumbling died down, the Archduke turned his throne once again. ¡°Kill Seo Jun-Ho by any means necessary.¡± The Heavenly Demon went silent many questions popped up in his head, but he didn¡¯t dare to ask any questions. He wanted to ask why the Archduke couldn¡¯t kill Seo Jun-Ho by himself, but the Heavenly Demon knew that he could only give one answer. ¡°Yes, Your Grace...¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho had to repeatedly watch the videos that the ambushed yers had submitted to them before finallying to a conclusion. ¡°They definitely know how to hide their presence, and in a very clever way, too.¡± The yers whom the giants had sessfully ambushed were either killed or severely injured. However, the giants weren¡¯t particrly strong if they were caught in the open. In fact, they hadn¡¯t been able to do anything other than die once the furious yers had surrounded them. ¡°They¡¯re intelligent.¡± The giants knew that they could only hunt the weak, so that was what they were doing. As proof, the teams of the Big 5 or the teams with a Heaven had not stumbled upon even a single giant. ¡°So¡­ are you really okay with this?¡± ¡°Y-yes. I¡¯m fine,¡± Cha Si-Eun answered, but she quickly gulped a mouthful of her own saliva. It wasn¡¯t strange that she was nervous. After all, she had just volunteered to be Rahmadat¡¯s bait. ¡°I¡¯m sure the giants will attack me rather than Rahmadat-nim.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s too dangerous¡­¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I ced manyyers of Defensive Shield over her,¡± Skaya said. ¡°How manyyers?¡± ¡°Twelveyers.¡± ¡®That¡¯s a lot¡­¡¯ Cha Si-Eun smiled, feeling slightly relieved. ¡°It¡¯s fine, really. Besides, all of you will protect me as soon as the giants appear, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Anyway, fine. We¡¯ll leave it up to you.¡± The rest of the team left Cha Si-Eun alone in the forest and concealed themselves in the nearby trees or branches. In addition to using their own skills and techniques to hide, Seo Jun-Ho also cast Night Walking on them. ¡°Ugh, Uaaaaahhh¡­!¡± Cha Si-Eun shouted, copying what Rahmadat had done yesterday. If there were any giants around, they would definitely run like crazy toward her. ¡®The most important variable here is speed.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gulped. He was as nervous as Cha Si-Eun. He wouldn¡¯t be worried if Rahmadat were the bait, but Cha Si-Eun was the bait. ¡®She can easily get seriously injured if something goes wrong.¡¯ The 5 Heroes and the Frost Queen didn¡¯t dare to look away from Cha Si-Eun. Rustle. ¡°Hm?¡± A shadow suddenly loomed over Cha Si-Eun. She turned around and was met with a giant grinning at her. Grin. Chapter 513. Difference of Opinion (4) Chapter 513. Difference of Opinion (4) The giant reached out with both hands, but his hands couldn¡¯t reach Cha Si-Eun. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± m! Rahmadat appeared out of the blue and mmed the giant against the ground. ¡°Ah, ahhh¡­!¡± ¡°Mio, take care of Si-Eun,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered to Mio. He approached the giant, who was struggling beneath Rahmadat. ¡°Skaya, are you sure you can have a conversation with him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He doesn¡¯t seem to be in the right condition to talk, but I guess I have no choice but to give it a try.¡± Skaya squatted in front of the giant and waved her hand. [Hello. My name is Skaya Killnd.] Thump. The giant abruptly stopped resisting. He looked up at Skaya and spoke. [...How do you know ournguage?] ¡°Skaya. What did this guy say?¡± ¡°He asked about how I know hisnguage.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡®Does that mean that we can actually have a conversation with them?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho urged. ¡°Ask him what he is and why he attacked us.¡± ¡°Okay. Leave it to me,¡± replied Skaya. She proceeded to talk with the giant in the ancientnguage. Their conversationsted for quite a while. In the end, Skaya gestured for the others toe with her behind a nearby tree. ¡°Our conversation is over for now.¡± ¡°Well? What is he?¡± ¡°He says he¡¯s human.¡± ¡°...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho and the rest of the team looked at Skaya with puzzled looks. They looked like they couldn¡¯t understand what Skaya was talking about. However, Skaya simply shrugged and said, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know. But he said he¡¯s human.¡± ¡°What nonsense is that? He¡¯s definitely not human. Look at him.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nced at the giant. The giant looked extremely simr to humans that it was uncanny, but he was ridiculously tall with thick skin resembling tree bark. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯re just prejudiced. What if the humans in this world are tall?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that he¡¯s indeed human, but why did he attack us?¡± ¡°It sounds ridiculous, but he said it¡¯s because we¡¯re monsters who emerged from the Gate.¡± Gilberto¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Monsters? They think we¡¯re monsters?¡± ¡°We¡¯re monsters from the giants¡¯ point of view.¡± ¡°...Mio is right.¡± The yers hade across the gate after defeating Plutus. If the giants really were the humans in this world, then it was only natural for them to think of the yers as monsters. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll have to clear up the misunderstanding before anything else.¡± ¡°Of course. I already told him that we¡¯re yers from another world.¡± ¡°And? What did he say?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t believe me. He thinks we¡¯re monsters imitating humans, but he wants to confirm whether I¡¯m lying or not.¡± ¡°...¡± The team members looked at Seo Jun-Ho. The decision he would make here would determine the future of the advance party. Seo Jun-Ho thought about it for a while before saying, ¡°How about we do this?¡± *** [...Is it really that necessary to blindfold me?] The giant grumbled in a low voice. In addition to a blindfold, Skaya also covered his eyes using Blind. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s Specter-nim.¡± ¡°Specter-nim¡¯s team has returned!¡± Amotion was heard up ahead of them. Soon, a low rumble echoed as the stone wall opened. Son Chae-Won approached Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s team and asked, ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°The conversation n worked.¡± The sound of everyone¡¯s gap echoed throughout the base camp. ¡°No way. Does that mean that there was no need for us to fight them?¡± ¡°Screw that. What did Houston die for, then?¡± The yers were relieved and furious at the same time. In the face of the yers¡¯ mixed feelings, Seo Jun-Ho remained calm as he slowly unwrapped the cloth that had been obscuring the giant¡¯s eyes. ¡°Skaya. Deactivate your magic.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Skaya obliged. The giant shook his head a couple of times and scanned the camp. The modernnterns and instruments that were capable of driving out the darkness instantly caught his eye. [What do you think? Do you have a different lifestyle than we do?] [...It¡¯s pretty simr, but there are a few things I have never seen before.] The giant sat on the clearing while the yers stood around him. Christin Lewis stepped forward with a smile. ¡°What did I tell you? I told you a conversation would work.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded, albeit unwilling. He turned his attention to Skaya and asked, ¡°Skaya. Please be the interpreter so the two of them can have a conversation.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± Christin and the giant started talking while Skaya interpreted from the side. The giant¡¯s eyes shone, seemingly interested. [Wow. So you¡¯re the one who suggested trying to have a conversation with us?] ¡°Yes. The Sun God is merciful to every living creature, after all.¡± [First of all¡­ I would like to apologize for what we did to your colleagues. We thought that you guys were monsters because you came out of the Gate.] ¡°What happened was very unfortunate. However, ourte colleagues prevented further sacrifices. The merciful Sun God will bless their proud souls and keep them by his side.¡± Gilberto and Rahmadat listening to their conversation couldn¡¯t help but remark. ¡°Yikes, that¡¯s too much¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s too much.¡± Christin was truly a devout believer in the Sun God, and it was to the point that people would think that he was born and raised on Frontier rather than on Earth. Christin and the giant continued their amicable conversation. ¡°Pardon me? You weren¡¯t this huge before?¡± [Yes. We are the so-called failure.] ¡°Failure?¡± [Hm, how should I exin this? By any chance, have you seen a guy named Plutus from inside the Gate?] ¡°Yes, we saw him.¡± [He¡¯s a failure, just like us. However, he had be so powerful that he was exiled from this world and was assigned the task of being the gatekeeper of the Gate.] ¡°What exactly do you mean by failure?¡± [...First of all, I¡¯ll have to exin to you the history of this world.] Every word that came out of the giant¡¯s mouth was shocking. [This world¡¯s name is Frontier. Every human in this world used to look the same as you¡ªin size and everything. However, everything changed when Gates started appearing all over the world.] ¡®The Gates¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shone. As far as he knew, the copse of Frontier¡¯s Age of Glory was all thanks to the Gates. [...Our magic was highly advanced and sophisticated. Not only were we capable of changing the weather, but we could also tten mountains. The monsters pouring out of the Gates weren¡¯t a big deal to us.] ¡°Are you saying that you easily cleared the Gates?¡± [Well, I didn¡¯t say that it was easy. There were many people who had no idea how to wield magic, so lots of blood were spilled until every Gate was cleared.] In the end, they seeded in clearing every single Gate. [We thought that there was no guarantee that the Gates won¡¯t reappear.] ¡°So what did you do?¡± [Before anything else, we decided to make sure that every Gate would appear in a single, fixed location. To do that, we cast an extremely powerful spell.] Seo Jun-Ho turned slightly to look back. He figured that the maze that was under the protection of Plutus the Exiled was one of the Gates that the giant was talking about. [Of course, that wasn¡¯t enough. We would still have to go to war if monsters emerged from the Gates once more. However, the issue was that the humans who knew how to wield magic were extremely strong, but those who couldn¡¯t wield magic were too weak.] ¡°So you started teaching them magic to make them stronger?¡± [We conducted two major research. The subject of the first research was to convert magic into a type of alternative energy so that even those who didn¡¯t have the innate talent to wield magic could wield it.] ¡°No way!¡± Skaya shouted. ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s possible.¡± [I told you. Our magic was highly advanced and sophisticated.] ¡°Wait, are you saying that your ridiculous research bore fruit?¡± [Have you seen me use magic?] Skaya was rendered speechless. Seo Jun-Ho fell into deep contemtion. When he emerged from his thoughts, he nodded and said, ¡°I see. So that was why we couldn¡¯t feel his presence¡­¡± [We have moved away from magic. Now, we¡¯re using Force, which we developed independently.] ¡°Force¡­¡± Skaya muttered. Then, she asked urgently. ¡°What was the other research?¡± [The mages of the world put their heads together for the research. The research was about transcendence. It was about transcending the limits of the human species.] ¡°Perhaps that research was¡­.¡± [Ah, yes.] The giant looked down at his own body. [The ultimate goal was to extract the dominant and desirable genes from the monsters of the Gates to transnt them into humans. For your information, Antman¡¯s dominant genes were imnted into me.] ¡°And the research was¡­¡± [As you can see. It wasn¡¯t entirely sessful.] There were definitely a few people who managed to seed rather than fail and be failures. Those people were humans in both size and appearance, and they could probably manifest the characteristics of many monsters as well as wielding Force. [Those who seeded gained tremendous strength, and they started referring to themselves as Overmind. The issue was with the failures like myself.] The failures came in various sizes with hideous appearances. In short, they weren¡¯t humans anymore. Therefore, it was only natural for them to be exiled. ¡°W-wait, wait a minute¡­¡± Skaya shook her head, seemingly baffled. ¡°What year is this exactly?¡± [You wouldn¡¯t know even if I told you.] ¡°Just say it!¡± [...The standard for counting the years was changed since the first Overmind Emperor¡¯s reign. The current year is the transcendence year of 1037.] ¡°Goodness¡­¡± Skaya muttered with her mouth agape. ¡°...I waspletely mistaken.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the two hypotheses we talked about earlier.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we alreadye to a conclusion? He said this is Frontier.¡± ¡°That is only applicable if we came back in time to Frontier¡¯s Age of Glory...¡± Skaya thought that they had time traveled. However, Skaya finally realized what was going on after listening to the giant¡¯s story. ¡°Apletely separate history has been unfolding without our intervention for more than a thousand years. Do you know what that means?¡± asked Skaya. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re not just in Frontier of the distant past¡­¡± Skaya put her hand on her throbbing forehead This was apletely separate Frontier that coexisted with the Frontier on the 2nd Floor, and it only meant one thing. ¡°We¡¯re in a parallel universe. We crossed dimensions as we climbed up the 7th Floor.¡± *** The next morning, the giant slowly opened his eyes. [Are you leaving?] ¡°Yes. We have to visit your vige. You said I can take this ne with me, right?¡± [They won¡¯t be hostile as long as you have that ne.] ¡°Okay¡­ but are you sure you don¡¯t want toe with us?¡± [Trust isn¡¯t easy to obtain, so I¡¯ll let you hold me hostage until the misunderstanding is cleared.] ¡°Wow. That¡¯s so thoughtful of you.¡± Skaya smiled and nodded. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll be back around lunch at thetest. Feel free to sleep until wee back.¡± [It¡¯s okay. I got a lot of sleepst night.] ¡°Do as you wish~¡± Skaya and the yers prepared to leave the base camp. Their n today was to visit the vige of failures and talk with them. ¡°Have a safe trip.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ I can¡¯t believe that I have to be a watchdog aftering all the way here.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that nice, though? You don¡¯t have to do much.¡± Forty-two yers were left in the base camp. Some of them were ring at the giant, looking like they really wanted to kill him. Some yers leaving for the vige warned the remaining yers at the base camp. ¡°Hey. I¡¯m saying this just in case, but don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry that your colleague died, but¡­ there¡¯s no reason to shed more blood.¡± ¡°...¡± Those who had lost their subordinates and colleagues red at the giant. Then, they turned around to return to their amodations. [I¡¯m sorry.] ¡°Don¡¯t be. You¡¯re not the one who killed them, anyway. It would have been nice if we managed to talk it out from the very beginning¡ª¡± The yer flinched and hurriedly turned around. ¡®Did we just talk? How? I don¡¯t know how to speak Frontier¡¯s ancientnguage¡ª¡¯¡¯ The yer¡¯s thoughts abruptly stopped when his head was forcefully twisted. [I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m not doing this because I want to do it.] The giant tore the rope that had been restraining him and got up. [I just don¡¯t want to continue living life as a failure.] The failures could undergo treatment if they were to bring ten corpses of the monsters from the Gate that suddenly reappeared. If they wanted to leave this wilderness and live in a city along with the Overminds, then this was their only way. ¡°K-kill him!¡± ¡°That bastard¡­! It doesn¡¯t matter; he¡¯s weak!¡± [Sorry to break it to you, but I¡¯m different from those ordinary failures.] Crack! There was a grotesque sound as the heads of the surrounding yers were forcefully twisted, which ended their lives in the blink of an eye. [Ten bodies. I¡¯ve finally collected them all.] The giant only picked up ten corpses out of the dozens of corpses in the area. However, the moment he walked out of the camp, the scenery around him suddenly melted away as if it were a rain-soaked mural. ¡°I should be the one who should say sorry¡­¡± The giant suddenly found himself in the forest where he met Seo Jun-Ho and his teamst night. [W-what is going on?!] [N-no way¡­! Was everything just an illusion? That¡¯s ridiculous¡­!] ¡°You deceived us as well, so...¡± Seo Jun-Ho sitting at the bottom of a tree muttered indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s call it even.¡± Bang! A gunshot ripped through the dark forest as Gilberto¡¯s gun spat fire. Chapter 514. Difference of Opinion (5) Chapter 514. Difference of Opinion (5) ¡°Ugh¡­ my head feels like it¡¯s gonna break.¡± Skaya groaned. She felt hungover. Cha Si-Eun was diligently blowing her Breath of Restoration (A) toward Skaya. ¡°Is it this side that feels stiff?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, yeah¡­ it¡¯s there¡­! Ugh, this feels nice.¡± Skaya was groaning like an old man in the middle of the battlefield, but no one could really me her because everything was thanks to Skaya. ¡°Hmm, it seems that the nerd has learned an interesting trick from somewhere.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t call her that anymore. Skaya has be one of the masters of the Magic Tower.¡± Skaya became one of the masters of the Magic Tower by bing the Tower Master of the ck Tower. She had also learned Chaos Magic, and she used the same magic to imprison the giant in an illusion. ¡°It was my first time using that spell for such a long time. Ugh, this headache is the worst.¡± ¡°You did great.¡± Skaya didn¡¯t let her guard down and maintained the spell for more than ten hours so that the giant wouldn¡¯t be suspicious. However, Skaya was only a human being in the end, so it wasn¡¯t really strange that she was having a terrible headache. In fact, it was even a miracle that she was only having a headache. ¡°I guess it¡¯s Jun-Ho¡¯s turn now,¡± said Gilberto. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and walked up to the giant. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± *** ¡°He didn¡¯t lie at all.¡± The giant¡¯s words were true. ¡®Thisnd is indeed Frontier, and they really did manage to clear every Gate.¡¯ It had been about 1100 years since then, and it was now the transcendence year of 1037. ¡°But there are things that he decided not to mention...¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°A world where life cannot be born, huh¡­¡± The Overminds were living in the Empire of Babe, and their poption had never exceeded 242,738. They lost the blessing of giving birth to life, but in exchange, they obtained tremendous power. Gilberto¡¯s expression seemed grim as he said, ¡°Jun-Ho. Things are going to getplicated if the empire discovers us.¡± ¡°I think so, too.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. Unlike the failures, the empire wouldn¡¯t simply just try to kill the yers. After all, the yers possessed something that the Overminds had lost long ago. ¡°They¡¯re going to capture us alive to conduct experiments on us.¡± ¡°Is it for the sake of finding out how they could reproduce?¡± ¡°Correct...¡± The Overminds needed an abundance of poption. ¡°Mr. Jun-Ho. How powerful is the Emperor of the Overminds?¡± Cha Si-Eun asked. ¡°Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho rewound the video projection. A man was walking down the street, basking in everyone¡¯s awe. ¡®Kineos Mullibach; he¡¯s the emperor of this continent¡­¡¯ He was on a simr level as Gilburt, who was a Spirit user at the Star Destruction Stage. ¡°This memory is from fifty years ago, so I¡¯m sure that he must have gotten much stronger by now.¡± ¡°In other words, we don¡¯t stand any chance against him?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded heavily and got up. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Earth. Right now, we¡¯re not strong enough to kill all of the Overminds and defeat their emperor.¡± ¡°So we have to get stronger...¡± ¡°It will take something more than just getting stronger.¡± The Star Destruction Stage was ssified as strong in the universe¡ªand it was impossible to kill Kineos unless they were at that stage as well. ¡°Rahmadat. Give Skaya a piggyback ride, will you? We need to go back to base camp.¡± ¡°Ugh. Okay...¡± ¡°And Gilberto, please erase all of our traces here. Let¡¯s get out before they notice us.¡± Seo Jun-Ho picked up the pace. *** The team returned to base camp and shared the information that they had gathered from the giant through the action cam. Son Chae-Won nodded. ¡°So, a conversation is possible, but the oue isn¡¯t necessarily great.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re nothing but guinea pigs for them since they already have a goal.¡± In other words, it was impossible to resolve all this diplomatically. Seo Jun-Ho persuaded the yers by extracting some parts of the memory video. ¡°Right now, there is no way that we can defeat the enemies. I think we should retreat.¡± ¡°Um, isn¡¯t that too hasty of a judgment?¡± Christin Lewis said. He smiled slightly before continuing. ¡°Of course, I agree that the information you found is useful. And we are fully aware that our enemies are strong. But isn''t the empire extremely far from here, Specter-nim?¡± ¡°There¡¯s quite a distance, yes, but we should go back while we can for the sake of everyone¡¯s safety.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I think it¡¯ll be convenient for us to take care of the failures here before we leave. Things will be easier for us upon our return in the future.¡± Several yers nodded at Christin¡¯s opinion. ¡°That certainly makes sense¡­¡± ¡°The failures might set up lots of traps around the gate if we just go back to Earth like this...¡± ¡°We should be able to annihte a lone vige in just a day.¡± Christin¡¯s words seemed to have convinced most of the yers. It wasn¡¯t really strange that the yers wanted to follow Christin¡¯s words over Seo Jun-Ho. After all, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s decision was born looking at just the worst-case scenario. ¡°The subjects of the empire will definitely not allow us to escape unscathed once they discover our existence,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I agree with that.¡± ¡°Then, why are you¡ª¡± Christin Lewis interrupted with a firm look. ¡°We can¡¯t risk the chance of incurring more damage in the future just because it¡¯s the easier path to take in the present. Anyway, the Silver Constetion will retreat once we¡¯re done clearing up the vige of those failures.¡± ¡°Hm. A day should be enough, right? We will join.¡± ¡°I doubt something bad will happen in just a day¡­¡± The members of the Silver Constetion and about thirty yers dered their intentions to stay behind. At the sight, the other yers felt uneasy. ¡®I feel bad just going back like this.¡¯ ¡®I feel like they¡¯ll start treating us like cowards once they go back to Earth a dayter.¡¯ ¡®Damn it. Should our team just stay with them to help and returnter with them?¡¯ The yers fell into deep contemtion. It couldn¡¯t be helped because it would be hard for them to avoid criticism. However, Seo Jun-Ho was serious about his decision as he spoke firmly, ¡°Good luck then.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had taken the lead, so Son Chae-Won hurriedly spoke, ¡°Woo-Joong. Tell the guild members to get their luggage and gather in front of the Gate in thirty minutes.¡± Since Seo Jun-Ho had decided to take the brunt of the criticisms, the other teams no longer hesitated. ¡°T-then we will also¡­¡± ¡°Aloys team will be going back to Earth!¡± ¡°Everyone! Pack your belongings!¡± The yers dered their retreat one after another. The surroundings grew rowdy, but Christin Lewis was only looking at Seo Jun-Ho with an ambiguous gaze. ¡°Are you really going to be okay? It will be hard to avoid the public¡¯s criticism. You know how much they love to judge and how quickly they jump to conclusions,¡± said Christin. ¡°They¡¯ll criticize me, but I really don¡¯t care...¡± Seo Jun-Ho had made the decision to leave to prioritize his safety and the safety of his colleagues. He really didn¡¯t care about what the public thought of him. ¡°...I see. I¡¯d expect nothing less. Then Specter-nim, I will see you again on Earth,¡± said Christin Lewis with a smile. Seo Jun-Ho seemed uneasy as he looked at Christin, but he eventually nodded. *** ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly looked around upon arriving at a huge clearing. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this the ce?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Yes, this is the ce, and it should have been here.¡± They were sure that they had seen the massive Gate that was about the same size as the Semey Gate yesterday, but it had inexplicably disappeared. ¡°Contractor. I think we were one step behind,¡± said the Frost Queen. ¡°How did they do it? How did they get rid of such a big Gate¡­?¡± ¡°Wait, I think¡ªno way¡­!¡± Skaya bit her lips. She seemed to have realized something as she said, ¡°Do you still remember what the giant said? He said that they used an extremely powerful spell to make sure that the Gates would appear in a fixed location.¡± ¡°Yeah, I remember that.¡± ¡°If they can do that, what¡¯s stopping them from moving a single Gate to another location? Howe I didn¡¯t think of that?¡± ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re suggesting that the subjects of the empire moved the gate to another location?¡± ¡°Yes. Otherwise, this wouldn¡¯t make sense...¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned ugly. Their retreat route had disappeared, and it wasn¡¯t like the subjects of the empire simply blocked the Gate ¡®There¡¯s only one reason they moved that Gate...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°They noticed us...¡± ¡°Yes, they probably moved the Gate to another location so that we won¡¯t be able to retreat.¡± Some yers noticed the severity of the situation, and they started speaking. ¡°Specter-nim. What should we do?¡± ¡°Should we go back to base camp?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho put down his luggage and started into the horizon¡ªin a particr direction. ¡°Those who had decided to head to the vige of the failures are in danger.¡± *** Christin Lewis muttered, ¡°The failures do not wield magic. It is difficult to detect their presence because they are using a different kind of energy called Force. Be wary of your surroundings and make sure you¡¯re ready to defend yourselves.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Christin nodded. He looked at the map and climbed up the hill. ¡°There it is¡­.¡± The vige was surrounded by a wooden fence, and it was muchrger than expected. ¡®Something¡¯s strange. I understand that they don¡¯t use magic, but are they really capable of extinguishing their presence to this extent?¡¯¡¯ Not even a single failure could be seen beyond the wooden fence¡­ ¡°Christin-nim. What shall we do?¡± ¡°...¡± After a moment of contemtion, Christin spoke, ¡°We will move ording to n.¡± With that being said, the yers started moving. ¡®The n is perfect.¡¯ Christin thought that perhaps the failures were simply inside their buildings rather than outside. In that case, it would be for the better. ¡°But we can¡¯t rule out the possibility of this being a trap. Don¡¯t use the doors of the buildings. Attack them from the roof.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The yers were finally done with their preparations. At the sight, Christin ordered. ¡°...Now!¡± Roughly thirty yers jumped over the wooden fence at once and entered the vige. Their eyes darted around, scanning the surroundings. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that there isn¡¯t a single one of them outside. I guess they¡¯re inside the buildings.¡¯ Not a single failure could be found on the streets¡­ Christin quietly climbed up a roof and scanned the surroundings. Every yer was standing on a roof, quietly waiting for Christin¡¯s signal. ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯ Christin nodded, and divine power gathered around his fist. Crashhh! With a punch, the roof copsed, and Christin fell to the ground. ¡®On the left!¡¯ He made a quick turn upon sensing a huge presence. Bang! His kick¡ªimbued with divine power¡ªstruck the jaw of the failure. ¡°...¡± However, the feedback was a bit unusual. Christin Lewis frowned. He knew exactly what that feedback meant. ¡°What is this...?¡± The failure was fixed to the wall with nails all over him. The failure¡¯s head was drooping, and the reason Christin Lewis found the feedback odd was that the failure was dead. Christin eventually left the building with a strange feeling in his heart. The other yers also emerged out of the other buildings one by one. Then, they ran over to Christin to report. ¡°We found a deceased failure there!¡± ¡°What? You found one there as well? There¡¯s one on this side, too.¡± ¡°Wait, does that mean that someone got here before us?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®But who?¡¯ Specter¡¯s face momentarily came to Christin¡¯s mind, but he shook his head. ¡®There¡¯s no reason for him to do this secretly...¡¯ Christin decided to hop on themunication channel just in case, and he immediately heard Specter¡¯s voice. [...Tin, can you hear me? Chris¡­ Right now¡­ Get out of there¡­!] An unknown fear gripped Christin Lewis¡¯ heart. Chapter 515. Doll鈥檚 Casket (1) Chapter 515. Doll¡¯s Casket (1) Cold sweat ran down Christin Lewis¡¯ back. ¡°Hehe, hehehe.¡± A creepy voice echoed from somewhere in the vige. The yers stiffened after hearing the sound, and they slowly turned toward where it hade from. ¡°Hehehe!¡± The pallid and bloodied head of a woman was peeking out of the well in the middle of the vige. The woman¡¯s demeanor resembled that of a ghost, which was an eerie sight to behold. Christin Lewis immediately reached a conclusion at the sight. ¡®T-there is no way we can win against that thing¡­¡¯ ¡°Hehe.¡± The woman looked at the yers one by one before hiding in the well. Christin used themunication channel to speak. [Everyone. Retreat¡­ right now¡­!] Bzzz! The yers were close to each other, but themunication channel was malfunctioning. ¡®This is ridiculous. Is it not working because of that woman¡¯s Force?¡¯ Christin bit his lips. Nothing good woulde out if he created amotion here, but he had no other choice but to shout, ¡°Retreat! We have to retreat¡ªright now¡­!¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir!¡± The yers nodded like crazy. However, they hadn¡¯t even taken a single step yet, but the residents of the vige started to emerge from the nearby buildings. ¡°W-what is going on?!¡± ¡°T-those people are¡­¡± The yers¡¯ faces distorted upon seeing the residents trudging out of the buildings. ¡°Weren¡¯t they dead?¡± ¡°How are they even moving?¡± The failures were calmly walking toward the yers, even though they were supposed to be deceased. Christin¡¯s eyes shone in gold, and he looked at the failures with his Holy Eye. ¡°Surprisingly, they aren¡¯t undead creatures,¡± said Christine. ¡°Pardon? Then, how are they moving¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably the ability of the woman we saw earlier,¡± Shim Tae-Soo chimed in. He was the Vice Master of Silver Constetion. He approached Christin and retrieved both his sword and shield from his Inventory. ¡°Master, we¡¯ll take care of them, so you should stay out of this.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± Christin shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m the one who gave the suggestion about going to this vige, so I have an obligation to fight.¡± The divine power flowing out of Christin swirled around the nearby yers. ¡°...My body feels as light as a feather.¡± ¡°I feel really energetic as well.¡± ¡®Sun¡¯s Blessing is this strong when it¡¯s used by the Master of Silver Constetion?¡¯ Christin Lewis smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s fight together.¡± Christin didn¡¯t waste more words. He rushed toward the enemies before anyone else. The yers¡¯ morale increased when they saw Christin running ahead of them. Of course, they quickly chased after him. ¡°Impure beings shall¡­¡± The pulses of lighting from Christin were so strong that every failure struck by them had exploded into bloody mists. ¡°Return to earth¡­!¡± The yers were awestruck at the sight. ¡®...Has Christin Lewis always been that strong?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s my first time seeing his skills, but he is basically as strong as the Heavens.¡¯ It was often said that the Silver Constetion only managed to be one of the Big 5 because of their connection to the nobles of Frontier through their devotion as devotees of the Church of Sun. ¡®But if their Master is this strong¡­¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll survive! We can survive!¡¯ The yers started seeing hope. The yers became fiercer than ever, and they managed to defeat the failures in just twenty minutes. ¡°Haaa¡­. haaa¡­¡± ¡°Not bad...¡± The yers were relieved, but they did not let their guard down. The woman in the well was still around, so the battle hadn¡¯t ended just yet. ¡°...¡± Christin red at the well for a while and quietly opened his mouth. ¡°She hasn¡¯t done anything in thest twenty minutes, so I think she won¡¯t emerge from the well.¡± ¡°In that case, we should take this opportunity to retreat.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± There was no need to provoke the enemy and risk casualties. After making their decision, the yer warily retreated. However, they had to stop moving because the woman¡¯sughter echoed throughout the vige once again. ¡°He, yehehe! W-where are you going? Hehe!¡± The woman¡¯s upper body had already crawled out of the well without anyone realizing it. At the sight, Christin Lewis shouted, ¡°Run!¡± The yers immediately ran toward the wooden fence. Fortunately, they weren¡¯t that far from the wooden fence. ¡®It must be thirty meters away at most¡­¡¯ ¡®We can definitely jump over it.¡¯ ¡®This is nothing.¡¯ The distance of thirty meters couldn¡¯t bepared to the hardships that they had endured so far. ¡°Y-yehehe! Ahahaha! Kehehehe!¡± Scratch! Scratch! An unpleasant voice loudly echoed like thunder, and the sound of huge nails scratching the ground and buildings could be heard from right behind the yers¡¯ backs. ¡°Damn it!¡± The yers scrambled toward the wooden fence. Some of them stumbled, but they recovered by rolling on the ground and jumping up to stand. ¡°Juuump!¡± The yers jumped over the wooden fence with all their might. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± ¡°Are we safe now?¡± The yers who managed to safely jump over the wooden fence looked around with nervous eyes. ¡°Wait. I-it¡¯s just the two of us?¡± Unfortunately, only two yers managed to jump over the wooden fence. ¡°Then, the rest of us are¡­¡± a yer stared beyond the wooden fence and gulped. ¡®Should we go back? Can we kill that woman if we join forces?¡¯ The other yer grabbed the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°R-reinforcements¡­! We need to call for reinforcements. That¡¯s our role.¡± The two yers rationalized their decision to escape on their own. It couldn¡¯t be helped; they subconsciously didn¡¯t want to go back to the vige. ¡°...Let¡¯s head to the Gate.¡± ¡°W-we should be able to catch up to them¡­¡± They quickly fled the scene. *** Seo Jun-Ho was running down a path filled with thick bushes and tree branches. Skaya was running next to him, and she startedining. ¡°What¡¯s up with that space there?¡± Skaya had tried to use Teleport, but she had failed because the space over the vige was distorted for some reason. ¡°Hey, nerd. Can¡¯t you just Teleport us somewhere close to that vige¡± ¡°What if we get caught up in a distortion in space? Our upper bodies might arrive there while our lower bodies will remain here if that were to happen.¡± The risk was too great that they had no choice but to run along the forest path toward the vige. ¡°...!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho sensed something, and he raised his fist slightly in response. The entire procession running through the forest path came to a stop, and each yer hid behind the nearby trees and bushes. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± ¡°That way¡­ it was that way¡­!¡± Two yers were running in their direction. Seo Jun-Ho quickly stepped out in front of them. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°S-Specter-nim!¡± ¡°Thank goodness¡­! We¡¯re safe now¡­¡± The yers were relieved, but Seo Jun-Ho grabbed one of them by the cor and shook them before asking, ¡°Let me ask you again¡ªwhat happened?¡± ¡°I-it was a trap. We barely escaped...¡± ¡°T-there was a ghost! There was a ghost living in a well; she wouldn¡¯t let us go and¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned ugly. ¡°Thirty-two yers, including Christin Lewis, couldn¡¯t escape, but the two of you managed to do so?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. That¡¯s it¡­!¡± ¡°Does that make sense?¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°How pathetic.¡± Skaya sighed and emerged from behind a tree. ¡°You still don¡¯t get it? She purposely let you go...¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s just¡ªwhy?¡± ¡°Goodness¡­! Jun-Ho, do I have to exin?¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly shoved the two yers aside and red up ahead. ¡°Do note any closer,¡± he warned fiercely. ¡°Kehehe, yehehe.¡± A woman¡¯sughter echoed from behind the tree branches, and herughter grew louder and louder with every passing second. ¡°Ahehehe! E-everyone. Was. Here. All of you¡­!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly red. The pitch-ck ghost pounced at great speed, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Freedom de was faster. ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you?¡± The pitch-ck ghost was instantly cut into dozens of pieces. It wriggled for a while, but it soon stopped moving. Skaya carefully approached the pieces and said, ¡°It¡¯s a soul.¡± ¡°A soul?¡± ¡°Yes. She took a part of her soul and sent it to us. It¡¯s usually done to deliver messages.¡± ¡°Can they get any weirder than this?¡± Rahmadat said and snorted. Seo Jun-Ho contemted for a while before looking at the two yers. ¡°You two. Listen carefully.¡± ¡°W-we really didn¡¯t know!¡± ¡°He¡¯s right! We really had no idea that the ghost was following¡ª¡± ¡°Silence. I don¡¯t like to talk twice on the battlefield, so listen closely to what I¡¯m about to say.¡± Seo Jun-Ho unfolded a hologram map. ¡°There will be yers if you head here. They¡¯re kind of like the main force, and upon grouping up, tell them this.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had dealt with a tiny fragment of an entire soul that was probably even less than 1 part out of the 10,111 total fragments that would make up an entire soul. However, Seo Jun-Ho had already figured out that the opponent wasn¡¯t any weaker than him. ¡°If we don¡¯t return in an hour, run as far as you can from this forest.¡± *** At 11:27 a.m., Seo Jun-Ho and the yers arrived in front of the vige of failures. The vige was surrounded by a wooden fence and a pitch-ck curved curtain. ¡°There¡¯s definitely something wrong with this ce.¡± The curtain wasn¡¯t made with ordinary magic. ¡°This is¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned and approached the curtain. - Heugh, heughhh¡­! A groaning human face briefly appeared on the surface of the curtain. ¡°The entire vige is in a disgusting space; this curtain is the amalgamation of negative emotions.¡± A few yers flinched at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words. ¡°T-There¡¯s really a ghost here?¡± said Gong Ju-Han. ¡°Ghosts¡­ c-can ghosts be frozen¡­?¡± asked the Frost Queen. The two were greatly taken aback, but it wasn¡¯t strange because they had always been afraid of ghosts. However, Seo Jun-Ho fell into deep thought rather than answering. ¡®Who could it be?¡¯ The woman was strong, so she couldn¡¯t be a failure. However, it didn¡¯t make sense for someone as strong as her to be in the vige of failures. ¡®In other words, she¡¯s an agent of the Babe Empire...¡¯ The main issue was that they had no idea of her exact strength. ¡®The giant¡¯s memory didn¡¯t really contain that much information about the strong figures of Babe¡­¡¯ In fact, the giant barely had any information about the empire because all the failures had been kicked out to the periphery long before the empire was founded. ¡°Rahmadat, Skaya, Kim Woo-Joong, and Team Leader Gong.¡± Seo Jun-Ho called out and said, ¡°Only you guys will go inside with me. Of course, you don¡¯t have to go with me if you don¡¯t want to do so.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t ept that!¡± Mio eximed and blocked Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s way. Her slightly raised brows showed that she was a bit angry. ¡°I aming with you. I want to.¡± ¡°No,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said firmly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I won¡¯t be able to take care of you once we¡¯re inside.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to take care of me!¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve said so much¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stern and cold gazended on Mio as he said, ¡°You better be strong enough to back those words up.¡± ¡°...¡± Mio bit her lips. ¡®So he knew that my swordsmanship is still iplete.¡¯ Above all, Mio still hadn¡¯t reached the first star of the Purple Dawn Style.[1] ¡®He knew it all along¡­¡¯ Mio thought that Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t pay any attention to her because he was too busy, but it was clear that he had been keeping an eye on everything. Mio felt grateful but bitter at the same time. ¡°...Okay.¡± Mio stepped backward in dismay. Skaya and Rahmadat looked at her with sympathy, while Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s gaze turned indescribablyplicated. ¡°We¡¯ll stand guard here,¡± Gilberto said as he lowered his cowboy hat. He knew better than anyone that he wasn¡¯t strong enough to go with Seo Jun-Ho and the others. ¡°...¡± Others would think that Seo Jun-Ho was cruel, but Seo Jun-Ho simply had no choice. In the end, the decision he had made wasn¡¯t for himself but for Mio and Gilberto. ¡®You two have to get strong enough that I can entrust you with any task.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt uneasy about leaving behind his old colleagues. However, he steeled his heart and turned around to look at those he had called out. ¡°Does any of you want to stay out and stand guard?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. However, not a single person raised their hands in response. After a moment of silence, Seo Jun-Ho got ready as the four des of the Freedom de orbited Seo Jun-Ho, acting as his bodyguards. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took the lead and walked toward the gate of the vige. The gate was wide open, and it seemed to be inviting them to hurry up and go inside. - Yehehehe, hehehehe! A peal of hideousughter greeted them. 1. This is also known as the Bright Sky Purple Style. ? Chapter 516. Doll鈥檚 Casket (2) Chapter 516. Doll¡¯s Casket (2) The vige was deathly silent and still; there wasn¡¯t even a single breeze. - Yehehe, hehe, yehe! A peal of hideousughter echoed throughout the vige, seemingly teasing the team. Seo Jun-Ho spoke, ¡°Team Leader Gong.¡± ¡°Yes, Specter-nim?¡± ¡°Burn those buildings down.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Gong Ju-Ha answered gantly, and scorching mes poured out of her hands. Fwoosh! The mes roamed the vige to burn down the buildings. The buildings were made out of wood, so it would only be a matter of time before they were razed to the ground. Seo Jun-Ho retrieved White Dragon and held it tightly. The rest of the team also looked around warily. Crackle! Crackle! Crash! The buildings copsed and turned into ashes one by one, and the beings that had been hiding in the buildings emerged. ¡°T-the¡­ ¡°The failures¡­!¡± The failures had already died twice, so they fearlessly ran toward the team. St! A failure¡¯s head was instantly separated from their shoulders upon receiving Rahmadat¡¯s punch. ¡°...Huh?¡± However, the sharp fingernails of the failure pierced Rahmadat¡¯s chest. The failure was still moving, even though they no longer had a head. ¡°They¡¯re annoying¡­¡± Rahmadat grumbled. He grabbed the failure¡¯s shoulder and pressed them down. Crackkk! The failure¡¯s every bone was shattered as Rahmadat forcefully squeezed them down. ¡°Hey! me brat!¡± Gong Ju-Ha pointed at herself and asked, ¡°...Are you talking about me? Rahmadat nodded and gestured with his chin at the failure wriggling beneath his feet. ¡°Can you cremate this punk?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I mean, it is possible.¡± ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we do this?¡± Skaya cast Gravity and easily crushed the remaining failures. ¡°From now on, we will immobilize the failures, and you¡¯ll cremate them. Got it?¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked up at Skaya with shining eyes. She was honored to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with the Heroes whom she had always admired. Gong Ju-Ha clenched her fists and eximed, ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho was eagerly looking around the vige. ¡®Where are they?¡¯ The buildings had already been razed to the ground, but the yers were still missing. ¡®Have they already been abducted somewhere else?¡¯ At the thought, Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. He reckoned that the enemy had to be nearby, and it was evidenced by the hideousughter that was still echoing throughout the vige. ¡°...They said the woman stuck her head out of that well, right?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Kim Woo-Joong made quick work of a failure before turning to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You should go ahead. I¡¯ll follow you as soon as I¡¯m done here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, then.¡± The best move would be to go down the well because they were running out of time. Time was of the essence, but they still had no idea where the yers were being held and if the yers were still alive. Seo Jun-Ho started moving once more, and the failures reached out toward him. ¡°Leave him alone. He¡¯s busy.¡± Slice! Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s sword aura ruthlessly severed the failures¡¯ wrists. Kim Woo-Joong smiled faintly and muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll y with you all on behalf of him.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho looked down into the well. ¡°...¡± The well was so deep that he couldn¡¯t see the bottom at all. Seo Jun-Ho gathered magic in his eyes. ¡®No¡­¡¯ The well wasn¡¯t deep. He simply couldn¡¯t see its bottom because the disgusting, unknown energy was hiding it. ¡®Disgusting...¡¯ The well was so impure and disgusting that it was nauseating to look at. - Hehe! However, one thing was certain¡ªthe annoyingughter wasing from the bottom of the well, and it was luring Seo Jun-Ho toe down. ¡°...All right. I¡¯ll bite.¡± Seo Jun-Ho decisively jumped into the well. Ssh! The water was shallow, and it only came up to his ankles. ¡®But it¡¯s surprisingly wide down here¡­ It was so wide that Seo Jun-Ho wondered whether he was actually at the bottom of the well or not. Seo Jun-Ho slowly walked down the path he found after looking around. ¡°Hehe.¡± The hideousughter grew louder and closer. As Seo Jun-Ho walked down the path, the surroundings widened and brightened. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho came to a halt upon seeing a workshop filled with hundreds of dolls. The workshop also had various needles, threads, nails, and hammers. ¡°Hehehe, hehe¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho saw a woman¡¯s back in the distance. The woman was sitting next to a pool of water, and she was diligently sewing something while humming. Seo Jun-Ho decisively snapped his fingers. Crackle! The pool of water instantly turned into sharp awls that flew toward the woman. ¡°Ah!¡± The woman flew into the air and turned around upon being struck. Atst, Seo Jun-Ho could finally see the woman¡¯s visage. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho shivered upon seeing various negative emotions crawling out like bugs from the woman¡¯s empty eye sockets. The woman raised her hand and said, ¡°Ta¡­ ta-da¡­!¡± She was holding a grotesque-looking humanoid doll in her hand. ¡°I-it¡¯s my doll¡­ hehe.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡®Wait. She¡¯s speaking Korean?¡¯ The woman grinned upon seeing the surprise in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. ¡°S-surprise¡­! hehehehe, human¡­¡± The sentence structure wasn¡¯t quite right, but she was definitely speaking Korean. ¡®She¡¯s dangerous...¡¯ This meant that the woman was intelligent enough to quickly graspnguages. - Partner, she¡¯s more than just dangerous. I feel like she¡¯s more dangerous than Tepes. ¡®That doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho refuted almost immediately. ¡®Tepes was the Floor Master of the 6th Floor. Are you telling me that an enemy near the entrance of the 7th Floor is on the same level as Tepes?¡¯ If Keen Intuition¡¯s words were true, then this floor wasn¡¯t made to be cleared. ¡°Where are the yers?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°P-yer, yer¡­? Oh! Kehehe!¡± The womanughed as if she understood before pointing at a wall. There were dozens of bizarre-looking dolls haphazardly lying around on a desk in front of the wall. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the dolls, but he quickly felt disgusted. He turned to the woman again and asked in a cold voice, ¡°Let me ask you again. Where are the yers?¡± ¡°T-this! This¡­!¡± The woman shook the doll in her hand. Seo Jun-Ho took a closer look at the doll and saw that the doll¡¯s outfit was exceptionally familiar. The doll was wearing a white cassock. ¡®Christin Lewis?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho immediately dismissed the thought. He just couldn¡¯t believe that a human could be a doll. ¡°D-don¡¯t trust, why¡­? T-trust¡­¡± The woman frowned, and she proceeded to rip off the doll¡¯s arm in her hand. A scream of agony quickly filled the entire workshop. - Aaaarrrggghhh! ¡°That voice belongs to¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned ugly. The voice definitely belonged to Christin Lewis. ¡®Then, those dolls are really¡­¡¯ His gaze toward the dolls changed, and the workshop felt even creepier when he realized that there were hundreds of dirty dolls here. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally realized why he felt disgusted staring at the dolls. It was all because the dolls were humans. The four des orbiting Seo Jun-Ho pointed at the woman. ¡°I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t listen to me even if I tell you to turn them back, so I have no choice but to kill you.¡± ¡°Kekehe! M-me. Kill me? Ahehehe!¡± The woman boisterouslyughed as if she had just heard the most hrious joke she had heard after a long while. She stood there trembling whileughing, even though awls made out of ice were still sticking out of her. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t watch any longer. He snapped his fingers. Swoosh! However, the des flying toward the woman abruptly came to a halt. ¡°...¡± Dozens of people suddenly appeared between the woman and him. ¡®And I know them all¡­¡¯ ¡°Specter-nim?¡± ¡°What is going on?¡± ¡°W-what is this feeling¡­ I-I can¡¯t control my own body¡­!¡± The yers gripped their weapons and approached Seo Jun-Ho with confused looks. ¡°Yehehehe! Yehehehehehe!¡± The woman stood behind the yers andughed boisterously while twisting her limbs at impossible angles. The awls dug deeper into her. She was bleeding, and her erratic movements worsened her bleeding, but it seemed that she didn¡¯t care at all. ¡®She¡¯s insane...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was calm on the surface, but he was genuinely disturbed. ¡®What should I do here?¡¯ The people approaching him were the yers whom he had spent time talking with until yesterday. ¡°P-please don¡¯t kill us!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t me¡­! I¡¯m not the one holding this sword!¡± The yers charged at Seo Jun-Ho with tears in their eyes. ¡°...!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression distorted, but he eventually put down his weapon. He deflected the weaponsing toward him and pressed the pressure points of the yers. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had just pressed on their sleep pressure points, but they were still standing. Now, he had no choice but to use a rougher method. Crack! Seo Jun-Ho broke the yers¡¯ limbs, immobilizing them. ¡°Yehehehe!¡± The woman pped excitedly at the scene. She turned toward the other dolls scattered throughout the workshop and ordered, ¡°C-catch human¡­ my dolls¡­!¡± The dolls instantly grew huge, and they pounced on Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Damn it!¡± Seo Jun-Ho tried to get out of the workshop, but the yers had already blocked his exit route. They had climbed over each other to block the path. ¡°Please¡­ please don¡¯t kill us!¡¯ ¡°Aaaah¡­!¡± The yers'' begging faces were stained with fear. ¡®If I cut them down, I will be able to get out of this workshop. But they¡¯re living people, do I really have to cut them down?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t find an answer to the conundrum. Eventually, he turned around and ran in a different direction. ¡°Ughhhhh!¡± ¡°Awgh¡­!¡± Fortunately, the dolls that weren¡¯t yers had lost their intelligence long ago. Seo Jun-Ho cut them down without hesitation. St! St! However, the dolls regenerated their limbs in the blink of an eye. Their regeneration speed was simr to the failures. ¡°Watchguard.¡± Seo Jun-Ho called out. Darkness gathered and took on the shape of dozens of wolves. ¡°Eat the immobilized dolls,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He reckoned that the power to disregard would be able to eliminate the dolls, and he ended up being correct. ¡°Hehehehe¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had never taken his eyes off of the woman, even while he was fighting the dolls. ¡®What is she doing right now?¡¯ The woman started sewing something. The Keen Intuition hurriedly cried out. - Partner! I don¡¯t feel so good about this. You have to stop her! ¡®How am I supposed to do that¡­¡¯ The hundreds of dolls chasing after him were troublesome enough, and he also had to be careful about restraining the dolls containing the yers rather than killing him. In other words, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands were already full. ¡°Damn it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had no choice but to activate Dignity of an Emperor (S). The woman sensed the change in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s energy, prompting her to look up. ¡°S-strong doll¡­ Me want¡­¡± ¡°You bettere to your senses. I will never be one of your dolls.¡± Seo Jun-Ho growled before shouting, ¡°Hart Weeper!¡± Darkness and ice intertwined in the air, and they quickly took on the shape of a humanoid figure. In the blink of an eye, a towering knight made out of ice was made. The knight abruptly opened his blue eyes. ¡°Take this!¡± Seo Jun-Ho hurled Twilight Sword toward Hart, and Hart snatched it out of mid-air before quickly taking on a stance. Swoosh! Hart swung once, beheading dozens of dolls at once. ¡°There are yers among the dolls! Don¡¯t kill them, just overpower them!¡± Hart nodded and started pushing away the dolls with his towering height alone. ¡®It¡¯s open¡­!¡¯ Hart had carved a path to the woman. Seo Jun-Ho immediately took advantage of that opportunity. ¡®I need to kill her instantly.¡¯ A flower bloomed at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s fingertip. ¡°...?¡± The woman was so engrossed in her sewing that she had just noticed Seo Jun-Ho. Unfortunately for her, it was already toote. ¡°This is my gift for you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho hurled a flower at the woman. ¡®She¡¯s going to look good with that flower on her head¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had thrown Moon Eye[1] at such close proximity to his opponent. ¡®There we go. There¡¯s no way she can dodge this attack.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was right, the woman couldn¡¯t dodge Moon Eye. Crackle! The woman¡¯s eyes widened as she turned into an ice statue. ¡®It ended much easier than I thought¡­.¡¯ However, a question popped up in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind. Crashhhh! ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was disturbed to see that the dolls were still rushing toward Hart. ¡®Wait, the main body is dead, so why are the dolls still moving?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intuition immediately gave him an answer. ¡®Wait, the main body?¡¯ Crash! The human pyramid blocking the path to the workshop crumbled, and someone walked into the workshop. Ssh, ssh, ssh. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt suffocated. The woman he had just turned into an ice statue just a few moments ago was standing near the entrance to the workshop. However, there was a stark difference between the two women. ¡°Ahehehe!¡± The woman standing near the entrance to the workshop was holding dolls that looked just like Rahmadat and Gong Ju-Ha. 1. You may have seen this one tranted as Primrose on the 6th Floor arc. There has been some confusion, and Primrose is actually Moon Eye, while Little Primroses is Minor Moon Eye. After some deliberation, we decided to keep Moon Eye, so we¡¯re changing them back to Moon Eye/Minor Moon Eye ? Chapter 517. Doll鈥檚 Casket (3) Chapter 517. Doll¡¯s Casket (3) ¡°No, this is impossible¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head in an effort to deny the reality in front of him. His Imperturbable Mind disappeared like a mirage, and he became out of breath. ¡°Ahehe!¡± The woman cackled. She seemed excited as she pulled out two more dolls that looked like Skaya and Kim Woo-Joong out of her pocket. ¡°All¡­ all¡­dolls!¡± ¡°...Everyone was defeated?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head started to ache. He found it difficult to form a coherent thought. ¡®What is going on¡­?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho presumed that the woman in front of him was the main body. ¡®She must have fought the rest of the party outside the well while I was fighting the doll here, which ended up being just a clone.¡¯ However, what he couldn¡¯t understand was how the woman managed to defeat the four elite yers with ease by herself. Seo Jun-Ho nced behind him and confirmed that the woman who took the brunt of Moon Eye was dead. ¡®That doll¡­¡¯ The deceased woman was holding an iplete doll. The ck-haired doll was smiling slightly, and there was an eerie air around it. It was a doll of Seo Jun-Ho¡­ ¡°You were trying to turn me into a doll as well¡­¡± ¡°Yehe, all¡­ all¡­ strong humans, doll¡­¡± The woman threw the dolls in her hand into the air as if she were a magician letting go of her doves. The dolls transformed into familiar figures in front of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...Damn it, I¡¯m ashamed of myself.¡± ¡°Jun-Ho, you need to run!¡± ¡°Specter-nim!¡± ¡°My body is moving on its own. I¡¯m not doing this¡­¡± ¡®Their familiar faces and voices¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands trembled while facing them. Clench. Seo Jun-Ho clenched his fists as hard as he could, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from trembling. ¡°...What am I supposed to do?¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt weak and fatigued. ¡°I got stronger, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡®I trained hard, I survived countless life-and-death crises, I had to go through a lot of pain, and I even lost a friend. I went through absolutely everything imaginable, but how is it that I¡¯m struggling against that¡¯s not even the Floor Master of the 7th Floor?¡¯ ¡®Where did all my effort go?¡¯ ¡°And what was all of it for? What am I supposed to do?¡± Seo Jun-Ho screamed, but his question was destined to receive not a single answer. He wanted to cry, and he felt like all his effort so far had been in vain. Above all, he no longer had the confidence to go through the remaining Floors that were bound to contain stronger enemies. - Specter, there is nothing wrong with the system¡¯s description. The Floors were created in a way that yers would need hundreds of years to clear them. Seo Jun-Ho inadvertently recalled Deus¡¯ words. The Floors were designed in a way that yers would need hundreds of years to clear them. ¡®Perhaps I¡¯m the one who¡¯s mistaken here? Did I try to go against providence when I wasn¡¯t even qualified in the first ce?¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho felt such an idea was even more unfair. ¡°...Then what did the people die for?¡± ¡®Why did they even fight so desperately? Was it to protect? To protect what?¡¯ The fury in the deepest recesses of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s started to burn so hot that he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had always been this furious. ¡°F-fight¡­¡± said the woman. At the order, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s friends immediately jumped toward him. Seo Jun-Ho saw their unfocused eyes, and he muttered unknowingly, ¡°I should just die....¡± He had uttered such words without realizing it. Seo Jun-Ho thought it would be better for him to die if this conundrum continued, even if he somehow managed to clear this Floor. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, It¡¯ll be better if I end everything here, and¡ª¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s train of thought was cut short. Rahmadat interrupted him. ¡°Let us rest in peace, then.¡± ¡°...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho came to a halt as a sense of incongruity filled his heart. Seo Jun-Ho melted and became darkness itself as he moved away from the dolls. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly scanned the dolls. The dolls bore the likeness of his friends, and they wore expressions of grief and sadness. At the sight, Seo Jun-Ho became filled with doubts. ¡°Did Rahmadat just say that? He¡¯d be thest person to say something like that.¡± Rahmadat would have scolded Seo Jun-Ho, telling him toe to his senses. ¡®There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll suggest that we rest in peace...¡¯ At Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s growing doubts, Rahmadat shook his head and exined, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I made you upset. I said it unknowingly when I heard that you should just die¡­¡± ¡°How are you shaking your head? Didn¡¯t you say that you can¡¯t control your body?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡®I¡¯m a fucking idiot.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was ashamed. He was embarrassed for iming that he had gone through everything. Above all, he was mortified and in disbelief by the fact that he had almost given up his life in the face of such a sloppy trick. ¡°Damn it all¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho was furious at his own inadequacy. However, Seo Jun-Ho was relieved after discovering the truth. ¡°Recall Spirit. Summon spirit.¡± The Frost Queen abruptly appeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho. She looked around briefly in shock. When she saw Seo Jun-Ho, she frowned and shouted furiously, ¡°Your timing is the worst! I was busy fighting with the others!¡± ¡°Who were you fighting?¡± ¡°Who could it be other than Contractor¡¯s doll¡ªhuh?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s face turned beyond pallid upon realizing it. ¡°A-are you a ghost¡­?!¡± ¡°You think I am?¡± Thwack! Seo Jun-Ho flicked the Frost Queen¡¯s forehead. ¡°Ouch!¡± the Frost Queen eximed, ¡°It hurts! What was that for?!¡± She rubbed her forehead with her hand. ¡°Calm down and look.¡± ¡°Look?¡± The Frost Queen turned and saw her friends¡¯ dolls. ¡°What is going on¡­? They were just fighting with me outside¡­¡± the Frost Queen muttered, seemingly confused. ¡°I knew it¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho said, looking more relieved than ever. ¡®She showed my friends my doll, and she showed me their dolls¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho finally realized that the woman¡¯s sloppy trick involved taking advantage of the fact that the well waspletely cut off from the outside world. ¡°I think I finally know your ability...¡± ¡®I think her ability is to make dolls out of people she had seen.¡¯ ¡°Unfortunately, you need more practice.¡± Now that he thought about it, the dolls¡¯ manner of speech was awkward, and the dolls of the yers had never used any skills that belonged to the yer of their likeness. ¡°And that¡¯s because you¡¯re controlling the dolls.¡± ¡°...Ah, hehe!¡± the woman cackled with a ferocious look. Boom! Seo Jun-Ho abruptly unleashed his magic. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± ¡®...for making me realize that I still have a long way to go.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shone brilliantly in gold as he activated Dignity of an Emperor (S). ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is good enough for a reward, but¡­¡± The four des of the Freedom de moved at the speed of light. Swish! sh! Swish! Slice! The first de pierced the woman¡¯s heart, the second de shed the woman¡¯s waist sideways, and the third de severed the woman¡¯s limbs. Finally, the fourth and final de split the woman into two vertical slices. The four des of the Freedom de had moved so fast and so urately that the woman seemed like she hadn¡¯t realized that she was already dead. In addition, the cuts were so neat that they seemed like they had been measured with a protractor. The flurry of attacks instantly killed the woman. ¡°Your death should be painless.¡± Seo Jun-Ho concluded. There was a dull thud, and the dolls stopped moving at once. The life-sized dolls distorted before quickly returning to their original sizes. ¡°Contractor! What happened to the yers? Where are they?¡± ¡°They¡¯re probably¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen found a path that led beyond the workshop. They followed the path and eventually arrived in front of a door. Upon opening the door, they saw the gagged and restrained yers on the floor. ¡°Oof! Oooff!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± *** ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya, Rahmadat, Gong Ju-Ha, and Kim Woo-Joong were rendered speechless from the shock of seeing their opponent bing a cute doll. ¡°What¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong seemed sad as he stared at the doll that had a striking resemnce to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Jun-Ho is now a doll,¡± said Rahmadat. ¡°Are you stupid? That¡¯s impossible,¡± Skaya said bluntly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you taking the piss? You can¡¯t be serious. Are you still not aware that it was all a trick?¡± ¡°Wait, a trick? Which part of it was the trick?¡± asked Rahmadat. Skaya was shocked. ¡°Goodness. You guys really didn¡¯t notice it? How could that doll be Jun-Ho when it couldn¡¯t even use any of his skills?¡± ¡°Well, his skills could have also been sealed after bing a doll!¡± Gong Ju-Ha retorted. ¡°Its manner of speech didn¡¯t resemble Jun-Ho at all. Otherwise, I could have fallen for it as well,¡± said Skaya. ¡°Well, his manner of speech could have changed after bing a doll!¡± Gong Ju-Ha retorted once again. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll just stop talking.¡± ¡®Am I the only one who isn¡¯t an idiot here?¡¯ thought Skaya. She sighed and acted like an unfortunate genius. Boom! There was a loud noise as the well was destroyed. Seo Jun-Ho carved a path and emerged from the debris. The rescued yers soon followed him one by one. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around. He then approached Rahmadat and Skaya without saying a word. ¡°Hey, so you didn¡¯t turn into a doll,¡± said Rahmadat. ¡°Jun-Ho. These guys are idiots. They actually believed that¡ª¡± Skaya started. Squeeze! However, Skaya was forced to shut her mouth when Seo Jun-Ho hugged her tightly along with Rahmadat. Rahmadat stiffened. He awkwardly looked straight ahead as he asked Skaya, ¡°Hey, nerd. Jun-Ho is acting out of character. Is he a doll?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m trying to figure that out right now.¡± ¡°...Thank goodness,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. ¡®I thought I lost them, but I¡¯m d it wasn¡¯t real.¡¯ Skaya and Rahmadat¡¯s eyes frantically darted around. Eventually, Seo Jun-Ho let go of them with a smile. ¡°...¡± Gong Ju-Ha and Kim Woo-Joong seemed jealous of the sight. ¡°A-anyway! Did you get rid of the enemy for good?¡± ¡°Of course I did,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said with a nod. Soon, the yers approached them with the woman¡¯s corpse. ¡°Um, thank you so much for saving us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even want to imagine what could have happened if it weren¡¯t for you guys.¡± ¡°We could have be a real doll.¡± The members of Silver Constetion also approached them, seemingly embarrassed. Christin Lewis stared at Seo Jun-Ho for a while. Eventually, he bowed and said, ¡°Thank you, and I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For ignoring your advice and moving on our own,¡± replied Christin. However, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t really me him. The result was bad, but Christin Lewis¡¯ words at the time were reasonable. ¡°Let¡¯s set that aside. We have a bigger problem to face¡­¡± ¡°Pardon? What do you mean by that, Specter-nim?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡®Right. They still don¡¯t know that the Gate has disappeared.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned toward them and was about to exin, but his eyes drifted toward the sky. ¡°...¡± ¡°Why are you looking at the sky?¡± The sky directly above the vige was still covered with pitch-ck murky energy, even though the puppeteer¡ªthe woman¡ªhad already died. This could only mean one thing. ¡®That energy doesn¡¯t belong to the woman in the well; there¡¯s at least one more enemy here¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned to look at the yers. He was about to warn them of the hidden danger, but an unfamiliar voice echoed from the entrance of the vige. ¡°Ah, humans from another world certainly are strong. Wait, did I say it right?¡± The voice belonged to a man wearing a clean uniform. He was twisting his bobbed wavy hair with his finger. ¡°I was sure that Sherid was enough to deal with you all, but I guess she wasn¡¯t good enough.¡± ¡°...¡± The bobbed-haired man emitted not a single magic signature or presence, making him seem as though he wasn¡¯t a living being. However, Keen Intuition¡¯s warnings made it clear to Seo Jun-Ho that the man was alive and was a force to be reckoned with. ¡°...Jun-Ho. Listen carefully,¡± Skaya muttered, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he possesses the power to distort.¡± ¡°To distort what? What does that mean?¡± ¡°Remember when I told you that I couldn¡¯t use Teleport when we were on our way here?¡± ¡°To distort space?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. He could still remember Skaya¡¯s words about how they could potentially lose their limbs or die outright if they were to Teleport while the space at their destination was distorted. ¡°Anyway, we only have one enemy left,¡± said Rahmadat. He clenched his fists before continuing. ¡°Can¡¯t we just kill him?¡± ¡°Already. Knew it. Prepared¡­¡± muttered the bobbed-haired man. ¡°...?¡± the yers stared at him in confusion. ¡°I guess English has a different word orderpared to Korean. Yournguages are quite interesting.¡± The bobbed-haired manughed boisterously, seemingly excited about the idea of obtaining new knowledge. ¡°Well, it was nice meeting you all, but unfortunately, this is the end. My father, the emperor, desperately wants you all.¡± ¡°...Father?¡± ¡®His father is the emperor? Does that mean that he¡¯s a prince? I thought new lives can¡¯t be born in this world?¡¯ Many questions popped up in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind, but he ended up asking only a single question. ¡°...Does he want to have a conversation with us?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. The bobbed-haired man thought about it for a while. ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but no...¡± replied the bobbed-haired man with a smile. ¡°Then, I refuse to meet him.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ that is not how it works.¡± Snap! The man snapped his fingers. ¡°He even gave me reinforcements just to secure you guys.¡± ¡°...!¡± The murky curtain above the vige was peeled off as many pirs of light descended from the sky. The pirs of light disappeared as soon as theynded on the ground, revealing the humans that they had been carrying. ¡®...There are more than a hundred of them¡­¡¯ To make matters worse, each one of them was unbelievably strong. In other words, there was no way that the yers here could handle them. ¡°Skaya! Send everyone away!¡± Seo Jun-Ho shouted urgently. Skaya didn¡¯t even reply as hundreds of magic circles manifested beneath their feet. ¡°No, you don¡¯t¡­¡± The bobbed-haired man snorted and snapped his fingers again. The magic circles distorted under his influence. ¡°Damn it! The magic circles are malfunctioning!¡± Skaya eximed. ¡°...Hey, Jun-Ho.¡± Rahmadat stood in front of Seo Jun-Ho with a determined look. Seo Jun-Ho felt a sense of foreboding; he hurriedly reached out with his hand. However, his hand only brushed against the hem of Rahmadat¡¯s clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you,¡± said Rahmadat. He looked like he was leaving hisst words before transforming into a beam of light that flew toward the bobbed-haired man. Rahmadat disrupted the bobbed-haired man¡¯s influence over space, and the malfunctioning magic circles finally shone brightly. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s surroundings rapidly peeled away. ¡°...Ugh. Bleeeeck!¡± Seo Jun-Ho vomited upon being overwhelmed by vertigo. The teleport was so unstable that it was a bit unbelievable to say that it was cast by a powerful and skilled mage like Skaya. ¡°Haaa, haaa¡­!¡± ¡®Rahmadat, Rahmadat, Rahmadat¡­! Where are you¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly looked around. ¡°...¡± However, there was absolutely no one around him. Chapter 518. Radio Tower (1) Chapter 518. Radio Tower (1) ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± With those two words, Rahmadat courageously charged at Digor. Bang! He threw a punch, but it was blocked. His Highness Digor had distorted space to create a wall. ¡°...Tsh.¡± However, His Highness Digor was the one who got annoyed. ¡°God. I¡¯m pathetic.¡± It was the first time he was struck with this unfamiliar feeling in centuries, and it weighed heavy on his shoulders. He had to take a moment to block an attack, which ended up almost hitting him. The mage didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to escape with the other humans. ¡®And the magic that she used is¡­¡¯ ¡°Looks like you got lucky. Don¡¯t get distracted!¡± Once again, a fist the size of a pan flew toward Digor like lightning. It was much faster than the previous punch, and it even shattered the distorted wall of space. ¡°Simply pathetic¡­¡± he muttered. Crack, crack, crack! The space around Rahmadat¡¯s body distorted, and his fingers were forcibly twisted, along with his wrists, arms, shoulders, and the rest of his body. ¡°Keuk!¡± Digor sped his hands behind him and squinted as he looked down at Rahmadat sprawled on the ground. Digor¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°Hm? Wait. You¡¯re still trying to stand up? Really? Despite all those injuries?¡± Every bone, vein, and piece of his tissue should have gotten distorted. The man in front of him should have been on the brink of death. However, he managed to stand up despite his broken body. He even charged at Digor once again. ¡°...How are you so tenacious?¡± Digor couldn¡¯t help but admire the human. Hisckeys charged at Rahmadat to suppress him, and Digor couldn¡¯t help but praise Rahmadat for his tenacity. ¡°You were very impressive. I¡¯m happy that I decided toe here in person.¡± ¡°...¡± Despite being bound and restrained, Rahmadat was still ring at him. The fire in Rahmadat¡¯s eyes still burned bright, unfaltering. The prince chuckled lightly. ¡°My presence here must feel like a nightmare to you, but please understand. I am just as tired as you are. You see, my distinguished father is the type of person who will use the finest knife to ughter a chicken.¡± And he was the finest knife of the empire¡ªthe Crown Prince. Digor Myulivaf jutted out his chin and said, ¡°Let us return to the pce.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± In the end, he only managed to catch one of them. He ended up missing so many fish because of his carelessness. ¡®He¡¯s going to throw a fit.¡¯ He sighed. He was extremely familiar with his father¡¯s temperament. All of a sudden, his eyes narrowed upon spotting something. ¡®Wait, there¡¯s a human who didn¡¯t escape?¡¯ Someone was walking toward him, but he was sure that this was his first time seeing her. It was a teenage girl with long silver hair. She stared grimly at Rahmadat, seemingly disturbed by his predicament. ¡°Are you truly okay with this?¡± she asked. ¡°This voice¡­ Heh, is it you, kid?¡±[1] It belonged to the Frost Queen. Rahmadat grinned upon hearing her. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± ¡°It was no mistake of mine. Skaya did not take me with her.¡± She was in her Spirit state, and the others couldn¡¯t see her, so the mage had forgotten her in the heat of the moment. The Frost Quen sighed lightly and continued. ¡°Anyway, I have witnessed your willpower and determination with my own eyes. Is there anything you would like me to ry to my Contractor?¡± ¡°...Tell him not to overdo it.¡± ¡°I shall¡­¡± Digot snorted at their conversation. ¡°Hey, you. Has anyone ever told you that you can¡¯t take a hint?¡± ¡°Never. I am very perceptive, you see. And do not speak to me like that.¡± ¡°Then, you shouldn¡¯t be so rxed in this situation.¡± Digor gestured lightly, and his subordinates surrounded the Frost Queen. She swept her gaze across them, and a corner of her lip curled into a sneer. ¡°You wish to capture me? Is that it?¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re pretty perceptive after all.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh.¡± The Overminds dashed toward her, but the Frost Queen simply stomped with her left foot. Crackle! Hundreds of icicles burst from the ground around her, blocking their path. A few Overminds were struck, and they started bleeding. ¡°How dare you! Just who do you think you''re trying to touch? Impudent creature,¡± she rebuked. ¡°...¡± Digor wordlessly scratched his head before asking, ¡°Are you of a high status in the world where you came from?¡± ¡°I am the Queen of Niflheim. The likes of you should not even dare toy eyes on me.¡± ¡°Wow, a queen? I finally understand why you¡¯re so bold.¡± Digor stepped forward and said, ¡°But why are you so confident? Why is it that you keep on provoking me? Are you stronger than me?¡± ¡°You just soured my mood. Of course, I am much stronger than you.¡± ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯m stronger than you.¡± Digot paused. ¡°...That¡¯s enough. This is good for me.¡± Digor now had another person to take away. He lifted his handzily, seemingly tried. Crack, crack, crack! The space in front of him distorted, and the distortion rapidly approached the Frost Queen. However, the Frost Queen merely nced at it before turning to look at Rahmadat. ¡°...Hey, lump. Hold out as best as you can[2].¡± With that, the temperature abruptly dropped. Crackle! Azure and lucent ice quickly enveloped her. ¡°What kind of¡ª¡± Digor¡¯s face distorted, and he ordered hisckeys. ¡°Take her out. Right now.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The Overminds tried to break through the ice with their abilities, but the ice was covered with the power to block. None of them could even scratch the ice. *** In the end, Digor only managed to capture one man and a girl encased in ice. His spoils were not worthy of mentioning. Upon returning to the Imperial Pce, he immediately looked for a certain someone. ¡°Goodness. This ce never changes; the ce always reeks like old books.¡± ¡°...That is because it is a library,¡± an old man said gently. He stood up from his seat and asked, ¡°What brings you to my humble abode, Your Highness?¡± ¡°There was something I wanted to ask you. Sir, do you happen to have an apprentice in another world?¡± ¡°...What do you mean?¡± asked the old man, looking perplexed. ¡°My old head cannot understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°You must have heard that a Gate has recently opened,¡± Digor said. ¡°Indeed. I heard that humans came out of¡ªWait. Are you saying¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Digor was all smiles. ¡°One of them used the same magic as yours.¡± ¡°Hoh, indeed, that is quite interesting.¡± Was there actually another world where his magic¡ªChaos Magic¡ªexisted? The old man stroked his long beard and chuckled softly. ¡°Haha. So they are my students that I have never met. I am looking forward to meeting them. Can I see them in the testb?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, they got away¡­¡± ¡°They avoided your attacks and escaped¡­? Their skillful, then.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ll be busy for a while. I don¡¯t know where they went, you see.¡± ¡°You mentioned that first, so you could put me to work.¡± ¡°That way, you¡¯ll be motivated, won¡¯t you?¡± The old man sighed. This little roon was cunning, but he was right. He truly wanted to know more about the individual who could wield his Chaos Magic. His curiosity was so bad that it made him feel like going mad. ¡°You know me too well, Your Highness.¡± With a thump, he closed the book that he was reading. *** ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes to a vast meadow. There was no one and nothing in sight. He felt totally exhausted from the effects of Teleport. He lifted a hand, tiredly and opened Community. [Is anyone¡­There¡­? If anyone¡­Can hear me¡­] Bzzt. He was cut off, and the message was sent automatically. Seo Jun-Ho closed the Community window and stood up. How many of them had survived? How many did Skaya manage to send away? ¡®If I¡¯m the only one who got out¡­¡¯ What would happen to the others? Would they be carted off to aboratory to be used asb rats? He could only think of cynical thoughts. ¡°...¡± And yet, his will was unbroken. No, it would be more urate to say that he wouldn¡¯t let his will be broken. ¡®I really have to get it together.¡¯ He had no idea how many survivors were there, and he couldn¡¯t go back to Earth as well. The only thing he could count on was himself. Therefore, he had to be the one to do it. ¡®So, I have no time to break down¡­¡¯ Jun-Ho began to go through the things he could do one by one. ¡°First¡­ Spirit summon.¡± The first thing he did was summon the Frost Queen. In situations like these, it was essential to have someone he could talk to and brainstorm with. ¡°...?¡± However, the Frost Queen looked a little off. She was frozen solid in a giant lump of ice, and her eyes were closed. Knock, knock, knock! Jun-Ho knocked gently on the ice, and sure enough, a voice echoed. - Who are you? ¡°It¡¯s your Contractor, miss.¡± -... The Frost Queen opened an eye to look at him. After a moment of silence, she dissolved the ice. She stepped out and looked around. ¡°Are you alone here?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know where the hell I am either.¡± He then exined the situation to her, and the Frost Queen gave him shocking news in return. ¡°Rahmadat got captured, and he was the only one.¡± ¡°What? How do you know that?¡± ¡°I saw it with my own eyes.¡± She started rambling on about how awesome she was back there. ¡°...So I stabbed them with icicles just like that and warned them. I also told that lump to hold out for as long as he could.¡± ¡°You did well.¡± ¡°He told me to tell you not to overdo it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled. That idiot. Who was worried about who now? ¡°What are you going to do?¡± asked the Frost Queen. ¡°I¡¯ll brute-force my way through this unfamiliar world so I can adapt¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s idiotic!¡± ¡°Hey. In Korean, you have to hear the full sentence. If I do something that stupid, it¡¯ll only be a matter of time until they catch me,¡± Seo Jun-Ho retorted. He took out something from his Inventory. It was a warm corpse. ¡°First of all, we have to find out who we¡¯re dealing with.¡± He had to know the Overminds¡¯ weaknesses, and he had to know how their society functioned, where their capital was located, and the strength, as well as the size of their army. He ced his hand on the puppeteer¡¯s forehead, and his lips moved ever so slightly. ¡°Spit it out.¡± *** Mio had said that the people here might see them as monsters because they had emerged from a Gate. ¡®She¡¯s right.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho saw the lives of the people of this world¡ªthe Overminds¡ªthrough the use of Confession of the Dead. ¡°It¡¯s too ordinary,¡± the Frost Queen remarked. ¡°...Yeah.¡± The Overminds were no different from the people of Earth. They wouldugh whenever they were happy, they would cry whenever they were sad, and they would yell whenever they were mad. They were intelligent beings with human feelings, so they naturally had their own problems to handle. ¡®242,738...¡¯ When it was founded, the Babe Empire had a poption of 242,738. However, their numbers only decreased. ¡°They cannot endure it, I see,¡± said the Frost Queen. ¡°Because their life is just that meaningless,¡± remarked Seo Jun-Ho. Babe¡¯s suicide rate would increase every year. The Overminds were immortal, and they were iparably more powerful and more intelligent than when they were human, but they kept on killing themselves for some reason. ¡°Over the past thousand years, their numbers have dwindled to a little over 90,000,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°And I assume that their poption will continue to decline,¡± said the Frost Queen. The empire could finally see that its light was fading. If they couldn¡¯t find a way to increase their poption, then the people of this would die. ¡®Perhaps that was why they attacked us as soon as they saw us.¡¯ Perhaps they were desperate¡ªso desperate that they didn¡¯t even consider a conversation. - This is Kodon Schumaver, the Archmage of Babe. An old man¡¯s voice echoed in everyone¡¯s ears. - Arge number of monsters have crossed over a Gate and have infiltrated the empire. - They look very simr to us humans on the outside, but they cannot use the Force. - If we simply capture them, we might be able to conduct research and find a way to create our descendants. ¡°This is¡­¡± The old man had used Babe¡¯s signature device. The device would allow anyone to send a message to all the people in thend as long as they had ess to the device. Seo Jun-Ho listened to the Radio and opened his eyes slowly. - This is a message to all the citizens of the empire. If you see someone who cannot use the Force, capture them alive. ¡°...What a shame.¡± The Overminds had already made a decision. They had chosen violence and control over negotiation and cooperation. ¡®It takes two to tango.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stood up. ¡°What will you do now?¡± Frost asked. ¡°If it¡¯s war, they want¡­¡± He stared into the endless in and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s war they¡¯ll get.¡± ¡°But¡­ How can we give them a war with just the two of us?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to gather all the yers. Duh.¡± ¡°But you do not even know where they are.¡± The Frost Queen wilted. Seo Jun-Ho made a sidelong nce at her and smiled slyly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The imperial Archmage had just offered him a very good solution. 1. The sound he makes can either be augh or a grunt of pain. ? 2. She¡¯s saying it in an encouraging way. ? Chapter 519. Radio Tower (2) Chapter 519. Radio Tower (2) It had already been two weeks since Archmage Kodone Schumaver¡¯s voice had echoed across the empire. It seemed like they were about to break out into war at any second, but the empire was rtively peaceful. Vrrr. ¡°Make a left there. Oh, right. Mr. Levins, have you read the morning paper?¡± ¡°I was in a rush, so I didn¡¯t. Why? Was there something interesting?¡± A conversation started in the passenger seats of the car that was making a smooth turn. ¡°Apparently, there was a terrorist attack in Vrium, the southern port city,¡± Levins¡¯ secretary said. ¡°A terrorist attack? Was it orchestrated by the monsters who had crossed over from the Gate?¡± ¡°Yes. They said there were thirty-seven casualties.¡± ¡°Goodness¡­¡± Levins shook his head and watched the world pass by out the window. The streets were neat and tidy, and civilians were walking to work. This was the province he loved dearly¡ªJaxen. ¡°Those bastards can¡¯t get in here¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about it. His Majesty had sent knights to help us.¡± It was because Jaxen was a very important ce. Levins thought for a moment. ¡°Do we have any documents about it? I want to talk about it in today¡¯s broadcast.¡± ¡°Yes. I brought them because I thought you might need them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always so proactive.¡± He took the documents from his assistant and skimmed through them. Suddenly, he let out a small gasp. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be able to do this much damage with just a one-off terrorist attack.¡± ¡°Yes. They say that the monsters from the Gate are much stronger than we initially thought.¡± ¡°Even then, how could a mere human do that to Overminds¡­?¡± Levins shook his head, seemingly ashamed. They were Overminds. The survivors¡ªthe ones chosen by thisnd. ¡°There was a time when we were humans as well.¡± ¡°Indeed, there was a time like that.¡± ¡°But once I became an Overmind, I realized how insignificant of a life I was leading back then. I felt regretful about the life I had been living before I became an Overmind,¡± said Levins. The difference was just that big. It felt like he was born again. With the Force, he was able to do things that were impossible with magic. ¡°No matter how much I think about it, I have to warn the people about this today.¡± Levins decided. ¡°...Is that okay? I¡¯m concerned that it will only make them more nervous.¡± ¡°We¡¯re reporters, and we have the duty to share the truth,¡± Levins said. ¡°This is the inspection point,¡± the driver announced. With that, the car slowly rolled to a stop. The window in the back seat rolled down. ¡°You¡¯re all hard at work, I see. Bright and early.¡± ¡°Good morning to you too, Director. Is there anything else we should be aware of?¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Okay. Please, head on in.¡± The inspection ended; they simply checked his face. As the car started up again, the driver looked into the back mirror. ¡°The inspections seem to have gotten stricter these days. If it weren¡¯t for you, Director, they wouldn¡¯t have let me in.¡± ¡°Oh please, they wouldn¡¯t go that far. Though¡­ I¡¯ll admit that they are meticulous.¡± The knights that the emperor had sent were protecting the Radio Tower like an iron wall to prevent suspicious people froming in. If the Radio Tower fell into the hands of their enemies, the people would be ovee with terror. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± the driver announced. Once the car came to aplete stop, the secretary took off their seat belt andplimented the driver. ¡°Your driving skills are impressive. You said you¡¯re from Giran, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Giran¡­ Where is that again? Do you know, Director?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of it either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small vige by the mountains,¡± the driver exined. ¡°I see. Is that why your pronunciation is a bit off? Anyway, have a good day,¡± Levins said. And that was as far as their curiosity went¡­ Levins and his secretary were busy, so they swiftly stepped out of the car and went inside the Radio Tower. ¡°...¡± The man took off his driver¡¯s cap and smoothly stepped out of the car. The girl in the passenger seat did the same. ¡°You passed the inspection quite smoothly, somehow. Completely unscathed, at that,¡± she said. ¡°I wasted too much time, though.¡± If he had followed his original n, he would have already arrived at the Radio Tower and had already sent his message by now. However, the emperor strengthened the security around the region by a crazy amount. It felt as though the emperor knew the man¡¯s n. The checkpoints had devices that could detect magic energy, so the man had to be creative. ¡®I can¡¯t believe it took two weeks just to get to this point.¡¯ It had been exactly ten days since he arrived in Jaxen. Fortunately, he still managed to get something out of it. ¡®This is much smoother than if I had followed the original n.¡¯ He lifted his head and saw a tower filling his vision. A voice could be broadcasted throughout the entire world through that tower. It was the pride and joy of the empire¡ªthe Radio Tower. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Dressed in a driver¡¯s uniform, Seo Jun-Ho made his move. *** Seo Jun-Ho flickered in and out of existence as he traversed the building. ¡®I can use Night Walking as much as I want here because¡­¡¯ By hiding his traces, he wouldn¡¯t be visible to his enemies. The reason for that was simple. ¡®They¡¯ve abandoned magic.¡¯ Upon developing the Force, the Overminds no longer had any use for magic power. However, magic was a natural phenomenon. Seo Jun-Ho was confident that unless there was someone as strong as His Highness Digor here, no one should be able to sense him and the Frost Queen. ¡°Look up a vige called Giran. Check the driver¡¯s background and see if he has any criminal record,¡± Levins said. ¡°Pardon? Did you notice something suspicious about him?¡± his secretary asked. ¡°Well, not exactly. But we can never be too careful, can we?¡± The two of them continued talking without realizing that Jun-Ho was standing in the same elevator as them. ¡°And be especially careful with the script today. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve gone on.¡± Levins continued. ¡°What?! You¡¯re going to be in the broadcast?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t wise to fade too far into the background. The people will start forgetting me, you see.¡± ¡°T-Then, I¡¯ll get ready.¡± When the two of them stepped out of the elevator, Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen followed them. The room was rowdy. ¡°Hey, Dennis. Where are the field notes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m finishing them off right now!¡± ¡°Move it! We don¡¯t have much time left!¡± ¡°What? Another attack? Where was it this time? And how many deaths were there?¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt like he was at an office back on Earth¡ªwhere everyone was too busy to notice even an intruder. The Frost Queen observed them for a moment before whispering, ¡°...If this is too difficult, we can find another solution.¡± ¡°...No.¡± Throughout his stay in the big city of Jaxen, Seo Jun-Ho realized that the Overminds were very simr to humans. However, that was all. ¡°What? They actually killed three monsters this time? Wow. That¡¯s the imperial knights for you. That¡¯s really impressive.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a shame that they couldn¡¯t capture any alive. If I was there¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha! Good one. Hasn¡¯t it been centuries since youst held a weapon?¡± The Overminds weren¡¯t humans. They had confidently crossed the line first, so Seo Jun-Ho could let go of his reservations. ¡®And even now¡­¡¯ Rahmadat was definitely trapped in aboratory somewhere and was going through cruel experiments. ¡®The more I hesitate, the more he¡¯ll suffer.¡¯ Therefore, he didn¡¯t hesitate. Seo Jun-Ho took in the faces of each and every Overmind that was running about in the room. They were about to die, so he wanted to remember what they looked like in their final moments. That was the least he could do for them¡­ *** [On-Air] A simr message shed overhead in the ancientnguage of Frontier, and the broadcast started. Director Levins was about to go on for the first time in a while, so there were more staffers than usual. ¡°Hello, citizens of Babe. My name is Levins Omori, and I¡¯ll be reporting to you this morning.¡± His words weren¡¯t being broadcast over the whole world like Kodone Schumaver¡¯sst time. However, anyone in the empire could hear him right now as long as they had tuned in to the right channel. ¡°First, I¡¯d like to address the tragedy that urredst night. The vicious monsters that had crossed over the Gate carried out a horrible terrorist attack at the southern port city, Vrum¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho watched him for a moment before slipping into the broadcasting booth. The secretary was directing the broadcast themselves. ¡°Raise his voice a little. How is the reception for each region?¡± ¡°The weather is quite nice today, so it¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Good. Note down the ratings for each region as well.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood still and watched the person working on the Radio. He wasn¡¯t exactly an expert on machines, so he looked confused as he worked on it. This was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first time seeing the device, and it looked quiteplex to him. ¡®I don¡¯t think I can do this by myself.¡¯ In that case, there was only one thing he could do¡­ Click. He closed the door to the booth, and all eyes turned to him. The secretary¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°The driver? Hey, you¡¯re not supposed to be¡ª¡± Slice! With a single cut, the staffers in the broadcasting booth were beheaded at once. ¡°...¡± The booth instantly became silent. Seo Jun-Ho walked over to the severed head of the individual who had been working on the Radio. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± He skimmed through their memories and quickly learned how to use the Radio. ¡°Contractor. I do not understand it at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, I do.¡± Click. Click. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed coldly as he turned up the dial. *** ¡°And next up¡ª¡± Levins paused. He seemed to have forgotten what he was about to say. He had many years of experience in the broadcasting industry, so he noticed it before anyone else. ¡®Wait. This frequency isn¡¯t on the regional level¡­.¡¯ Levins¡¯ voice echoed ever so slightly. This frequency would only be used if His Majesty the Emperor wanted to broadcast something to the entire world. In other words, it could only be used with His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s permission. ¡®Those idiots. They¡¯ve been working here forever, so how could they make a mistake like this?¡¯ He broke out into a cold sweat. He urgently gestured with his hands at the booth, telling them that the Radio was using the incorrect frequency. Click. Eventually, he stood up and walked into the booth. However, the individual he saw in the booth was the individual he least expected to see. ¡°...The driver?¡± He spoke before he could stop himself, and it echoed across the world. Levins red at his staff. With his eyes, he told them to kick out the bastard right this moment. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Bring him here!¡± The staff members spoke as quietly as they could as they dashed to Jun-Ho and grabbed his shoulders and arms. Or rather, tried to. Crackle! A chill was released from his fingertips, and in an instant, it prated into their heart. ¡°...What?¡± Levins stared at his now-frozen staff members. ¡°No. Is he a monster from the Gate?¡± he whispered unwittingly. rm bells started going off in his head, and he immediately channeled the Force. As an Overmind who had received the dominant genes of a hobgoblin, he could wield magic as well as Force. In an instant, dozens of bolts of lightning manifested and flew toward Jun-Ho. The number of lightning bolts could easily overwhelm anyone else and electrocute them. ¡°...Too slow.¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho nonchntly struck them aside before stabbing Levins¡¯s heart. The breath was knocked out of Levins, and he died with wide eyes. The room grew silent. Seo Jun-Ho quietly slid into the now-empty seat. The Frost Queen was looking out the window, and she frantically yelled, ¡°The knights from the checkpoints areing, hurry up!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a moment to sort his thoughts before speaking, ¡°My name is Seo Jun-Ho, and this is a message for all the yers out there.¡± He had thought long and hard about how he should gather the yers in a way that the Overminds wouldn¡¯t be able to decipher. He had to inform them of a rendezvous point that only yers would recognize. ¡°If you¡¯re still alive¡­¡± The affectionate visage of a certain someone momentarily shed through his mind. ¡°Go to where the thunder sleeps within five days.¡± The rendezvous point was the Thunder God¡¯s grave, and it was a ce that no yer could ever forget. Most importantly, it was a ce that only yers would know where to find. *** ¡°That lunatic¡­!¡± The Overmind knights blocked off the elevators and sprinted up the stairs. They couldn¡¯t believe that a monster had actually infiltrated the Radio Tower. ¡®And he came all alone. He¡¯s out of his mind.¡¯ ¡®His Majesty will be so angry¡­ Dammit.¡¯ Now that things had turned out like this, they had to capture him if they wanted to quell His Majesty¡¯s fury. Nearly one hundred knights readied their Force before busting through the broadcasting booth¡¯s door. Amidst the strange midst, someone was someone sitting on a chair with their back facing the knights. ¡°Director Levins is dead¡­! Just how many were killed?¡± ¡°You crazy bastard. Do you really think that you can get away with this?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll torture you forever. We won¡¯t even let you die.¡± Each and every one of them cursed and insulted, but the man only picked at his ear. ¡°Ah, fuck¡­ Why do I always get stuck with these roles?¡± said the man, sounding annoyed. The knights growled and approached the man. The ones who had received certain gic transnts even transformed into monsters. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of bullshit you¡¯re spewing, but there¡¯s nowhere for you to run.¡± ¡°Um, well. It¡¯s not like I can run away in the first ce.¡± ¡°...What?¡± The chair creaked as it turned around, revealing the speaker. The man¡¯s body was covered with something. ¡°Yeah. How could he drag me into this when he was the one who started all this?¡± Seo Jun-Sik muttered. He was covered in the leftover Dwarf Special Bombs from head to toe. ¡°Just die, you morons.¡± The bombs simultaneously went off, and the broadcasting booth was instantly inundated with a dazzling light. Booooom! The empire¡¯s pride and joy¡ªthe Radio Tower¡ªhad copsed. Chapter 520. Where the Thunder Sleeps (1) Chapter 520. Where the Thunder Sleeps (1) - If you¡¯re still alive, go to where the thunder sleeps within five days. The message echoed across the world, and it was in anguage that the majority of Overminds couldn¡¯tprehend. However, every yer instantly understood the message. ¡°Specter is calling us.¡± ¡°To go to¡­¡± ¡°The Wailing Mountains.¡± The yers scattered throughout the world looked up at the clear skies and started moving with one destination in mind. *** The massive throne room felt cold and empty. It was so quiet that it was hard to believe that there were over a hundred people in the throne room. ¡°...¡± The emperor was sitting with his legs crossed and his chin in his hand. His face was expressionless. He looked more arrogant than regal. However, the haughty air about him made everyone hold their breath as if he was a valuable artifact that they couldn¡¯t afford to touch. ¡°The ce where the thunder sleeps. Have you found where it is?¡± His vassals did not dare to lift their heads because they still hadn¡¯t found it. ¡°Dungeon Master.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, Your Majesty,¡± replied Bart in a shaky voice. He was the Dungeon Master of the empire. ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°W-Well¡­¡± Bart started trembling like a leaf as he held the piece of paper in his hands. When the emperor¡¯s cold eyesnded on him, his shaking intensified. Prince Digor stepped up to him and snatched the paper. ¡°You¡¯re all idiots, morons, dummies, and even dumber than that nerd. Do you really think that the thunder can sleep? You sterile bastards¡­¡± He read off of it with a t voice. The paper was covered with insults and nothing else. Prince Digor shrugged. "I knew he was no ordinary man. It seems that he can withstand heavy torture.¡± ¡°...¡± The emperor quietly closed his eyes. When he did, the dungeon master¡¯s skin peeled, and his body parts were slowly shredded into minute pieces. ¡°Ahhh! Your Majesty! P-Please¡­! Please, just give me another¡ªAhhhhh!¡± Bart couldn¡¯t obtain any useful information even though it had already been two weeks. In addition, he dared to disturb the emperor¡¯s peace. That was why he deserved to die¡­ ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Prince Digor pursed his lips as he looked down at the bloodstained floor. ¡°Uh, we don¡¯t have many people left. You should have been a bit more merciful.¡± He knew that this would happen, though. The little shit who called himself Seo Jun-Ho had destroyed the one and only Radio Tower, after all. It was a move to provoke the emperor and shock the citizens. ¡®It¡¯s already been two days, but we still haven¡¯t even cracked the code.¡¯ Everyone heard him that day. Therefore, everyone knew how the monster had destroyed the Radio Tower. ¡®It was a big hit to his pride.¡¯ That was why the emperor was in such a horrible mood. ¡°Kodone.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± the Archmage replied with a bow. ¡°Do you not know anything either?¡± ¡°...Forgive me.¡± ¡°How is Ceylonso¡¯s progress?¡± ¡°The general is still searching, but the monster didn¡¯t leave any traces, so he is at an impasse.¡± They couldn¡¯t find even the shadow of the man who had dered war on the empire. Was this the limit of the Overminds? ¡°Go home, everyone,¡± the emperor ordered, deeply disappointed. His vassals trickled out of the throne room. He sat there for a long time, all alone. All of a sudden, he spoke. ¡°I can smell you, little rat. Get out before I rip you apart.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m surprised.¡± There shouldn¡¯t have been anyone else in the throne room, but a voice responded. ¡°Are you Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Haha. Of course not.¡± The disguise lifted, revealing a man dressed in a purple suit. He bowed elegantly at the hip and greeted the emperor. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Isaac Dvor.¡± ¡°...¡± The emperor fixed his cold eyes on him. ¡°Do you know where the thunder sleeps?¡± Isaac reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He folded it into the shape of a bird, and it flew toward the emperor. ¡°I do not know what you call it here, but there is a ce in our world called the Wailing Mountains.¡± ¡°And why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°An enemy of an enemy is a friend. Please just think of it like that.¡± ¡°...¡± The emperor studied him for a moment. ¡°I find it difficult to trust someone with a deceptive appearance.¡± ¡°Haha. Please forgive me. I don¡¯t have enough nerve to approach you with my real body.¡± Isaac¡¯s figure flickered as if it were a hologram that was running out of battery. ¡°Until next time.¡± ¡°...¡± All alone, the emperor sat there for a long time, studying the map. Eventually, he summoned his vassals. ¡°Send a message to Ceylonso.¡± A few hourster, the imperial general headed north to search for Seo Jun-Ho. *** This ce was Frontier, but it wasn¡¯t Frontier at the same time. Therefore, a fewndmarks here had the same names as thendmarks on the 2nd Floor¡¯s Frontier, while the others had different names. ¡°That is why I thought it would be difficult to gather the yers, but you came up with such a clever solution,¡± said the Frost Queen from next to Seo Jun-Ho. Every yer knew where the thunder slept. They knew where the Thunder God¡¯s grave was located. ¡°...It just came to me¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. It woulde and go in a sh, but just when one was about to forget it, it woulde back. It was the nature of thunder. ¡°But is it all right?¡± the Frost Queen asked. ¡°What is?¡± ¡°If the imperial forces figured it out, it would give them an opportunity to round everyone up.¡± Indeed, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t exclude that possibility. He had no idea how many yers were still out there. ¡°...That¡¯s why I said within five days. Once that time passes, we¡¯ll start moving right away.¡± If someone arrived after five days, he had no other choice but to leave them behind¡ªeven if they were his own friend. ¡°Hm. I see.¡± The Frost Queen nodded and looked around. ¡°This path is very nostalgic.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± They were all too familiar with this road, as they hade and gone through it countless times. However, their feelings about the road differed from each other. ¡°I remember how my ice golem sprinted up through this path, cradling you in its arms.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t remember that.¡± ¡°Do not lie to me. I know you remember.¡± ¡°Oh, wait, I do. Was that the time you cried and begged for Geon-Woo hyung to save me? ¡°...I do not recall that.¡± They joked around as they climbed up the mountain. Eventually, a familiar clearing came into sight. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew that the Thunder God wouldn¡¯t be there, but for some reason, he hoped that he would be there. He closed his eyes and hoped that he would hear that good-natured ent any moment now. ¡°It really is a different world from Frontier.¡± His master¡¯s hut wasn¡¯t there. However, the giant boulder was still in the same ce. ¡°He would always sit there.¡± He stewed in his memories for a moment, but then he grinned. Magic shot out from his foot and spread out. ¡°You¡¯ve seen who I am. Why don¡¯t youe out now? When his words fell, the invisibility spell was lifted, and familiar faces came into sight. ¡°Come on, what is this? How could a host arriveter than the guests he had invited?¡± ¡°...Because you used Teleport and got here faster than me.¡± Skaya Killnd was standing in front of him with a few dozen yers. *** ¡°But is this really all right?¡± Isaac Dvor asked. The Heavenly Demon looked at him out of the corner of his eye. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I am referring to Specter. If I recall correctly, you mentioned that you wished to kill him yourself.¡± ¡°Of course I do. And that will happen.¡± ¡°...Even though we had informed the emperor of the Wailing Mountains?¡± The Heavenly Demon chuckled softly. ¡°His opponent is Specter.¡± It sounded a bit strange for him to say it, but he believed in Specter. That was why he had handed over the information without any qualms. ¡°That man will not fall at the hands of the likes of them.¡± ¡°Of course, he is stronger than most Overminds, but the ones at the top are at a different scale,¡± Isaac said. Especially the emperor. He couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the memory. ¡°He is a frightening being.¡± ¡°Are you afraid?¡± The Heavenly Demon asked. Isaac bowed. ¡°...Please forget what I said.¡± ¡°Even if you are, it only benefits me. Do not forget that.¡± ¡°Yes, my liege.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± another voice interjected. There were two others with them. One was Valencia Citrin, and the other was a mysterious demon. ¡°When can I go back?¡± ¡°Soon enough,¡± the Heavenly Demon said tersely. He had brought along the mysterious demon after a personal request to the Archduke. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you dragged me out here, but I¡¯m only gonna help you once,¡± he said. ¡°Once is enough.¡± ¡°...You¡¯ve forgotten yourself.¡± The Viscount of the Underworld, Fahm Vert, growled. ¡°You should be grateful to the Archduke. You should keep in mind the number of times he saved you.¡± ¡°I will do that.¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Fahm shook his head and stared at the mountain in the distance. ¡°So, what exactly are you nning? And why do you need me?¡± ¡°...Hm. How shall I put this.¡± The corner of his lip curled up in a rare disy of emotion. ¡°To taunt Specter. I will leave it at that.¡± *** While the yers headed for the Wailing Mountains, the yer Associations on Earth were holding a global conference. ¡°We must send more people.¡± ¡°How many times must we say this? We can¡¯t just send valuable high-ranked yers without knowing what¡¯s going on up there.¡± The air in the conference room was hot, and the tension was palpable. It had already been a few days since the conference started, but it was still ongoing. ¡°The name of the 7th Floor changed from Maze of Exiles to Frontier-23. Something definitely went wrong up there.¡± ¡°Oh, please, who doesn¡¯t know that? The problem is we have no idea about what¡¯s going on upstairs.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why we need to send more people¡­!¡± ¡°Let me be frank with you. What will you do if we send more elite yers, but they end upnding somewhere else?¡± ¡°Frontier-23 is probably apletely separate ce from the Maze of Exiles. We must wait for the System announcement.¡± ¡°And just how long will we wait, exactly? And what about the advance party that¡¯s already up there? They¡¯re elite yers, too, are they not? The 5 Heroes and the majority of the Heavens are there! We have to be bolder about this!¡± A few days ago, the 7th Floor¡¯s name suddenly changed from Maze of Exiles to Frontier-23. The change was so sudden that they ended up arguing over the pros and cons of sending more yers. ¡°We cannot send more yers until we figure out why the name suddenly changed to Frontier-23.¡± ¡°That¡¯s preposterous. The advance party definitely needs our help.¡± ¡°If they needed help, or if they decided that they couldn¡¯t find anything, they would have alreadye down by now! Isn¡¯t that the fundamental rule of reconnaissance?¡± ¡°And I¡¯m talking about the possibility that they can¡¯te down!¡± The debate kept going around and around until it returned to the beginning. ¡°...Then what about this?¡± Shim Deok-Gu muttered. He had been silently listening until now. The Association Presidents from all over the world looked at him, seemingly a bit embarrassed. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that youngd is Mr. Shim himself.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m jealous¡­¡¯ ¡®Did that little bastard actually get hair loss treatment by himself? Where is his loyalty to his fellow baldies?¡¯ To say that Shim Deok-Gu had been rejuvenated would be an understatement. President Shim Deok-Gu had returned to his youth, and everyone was talking about it. ¡°Well, what exactly are you suggesting?¡± ¡°We should send a second advance party. However, it will be a small group made up of only those who will voluntarily apply for it.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ A second scouting party¡­¡± ¡°And we¡¯ll only send volunteers¡­¡± ¡°Even if something goes wrong, I suppose we won¡¯t be held liable.¡± Actually, this was a big issue when they sent the first advance party. Many peopleined that they were left out. ¡°Hm. But don¡¯t you think we¡¯d still need a cutoff?¡± ¡°We should start brainstorming the criteria.¡± ¡°And we¡¯ll make it an open recruitment so people won¡¯tin about yer Associations being too exclusionary.¡± With that, the applicants wouldn¡¯t be able toin even if they weren¡¯t selected. Opinions were tossed back and forth, and a guideline was designed in the blink of an eye. *** ¡°...¡± A man stared at the windows in front of him with tranquil eyes. Ironically, his regret was stronger than the joy of being liberated. [Congrattions! You have cleared the 4th Floor at the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty!] [yer Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s score has been calcted.] [Clear time: 60 years, 5 months, 21 days, 2 hours, 12 seconds.] [Number ofmon cockroaches killed: 7,562,910.] [Number of special entities killed: 34,321.] ¡­ [Achievement unlocked: 1,094 deaths] [Achievement unlocked: Defeating Floor Master ¡®Erebo¡¯ solo.] [Achievement unlocked: Most number of deaths.] [Achievement unlocked: Laggard.] [Achievement unlocked: Peak of Persistence.] [Achievement unlocked: Perfectionist.] ¡­ [Your total score rating is EX.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­ [All stats increased by 120.] Chapter 521. Where the Thunder Sleeps (2) Chapter 521. Where the Thunder Sleeps (2) On an artificial ind in the Pacific¡­ ¡°...¡± The security guards made their way over toward a man who was slowly walking out of a Dimensional Elevator. ¡°We¡¯ll take you through the inspection over here.¡± ¡°Please show me your yer license.¡± He quietly took out his license, and the security guards blinked. ¡°Huh? Baek Geon-Woo¡­ Baek Geon-Woo? I know I¡¯ve heard that name somewhere¡­¡± ¡°H-Hey.¡± Another yer approached their co-worker and whispered into their ear. ¡®What? He¡¯s the Thunder God¡¯s¡­?¡¯ ¡®Hush! Lower your voice, you idiot.¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo swiftly lifted his head. ¡°Is the inspectionplete?¡± ¡°Oh, yes!¡± The security guard handed back his yer license and shivered. ¡®His eyes¡­¡¯ All people had life in their eyes. However, this man¡¯s eyes were lifeless. His eyes looked as dark as fresh charcoal, devoid of anything. ¡°Thank you. Good day.¡± He made his way over to a bench and tapped on his Vita. ¡®Okay. It seems like it has been around eight months here.¡¯ He didn¡¯t think it was that long. After all, he had spent 60 whole years on the 4th Floor. ¡®The Seo Jun-Ho difficulty allows three attempts in total.¡¯ And each attempt would give you a diary with 365 pages. In other words, one could die up to 1,095 times. And he had died 1,094 times¡­ Was it because he wasn¡¯t strong enough to kill Erebo? No. ¡®...Master.¡¯ It was to finish the assignment that the once-great yer had given to him. ¡°It seems that he has gone up to the 7th Floor,¡± Baek Geon-Woo muttered as he skimmed through the news. Things weren¡¯t looking too good for the advance party. ¡°And he told me to stay by his side...¡± At first, Geon-Woo didn¡¯t think that he could do it. He wasn¡¯t confident in himself. After all, he was a hero that countless people admired, while he was just a normal person. No, he was even worse¡ªHe was just a fool. ¡°...But.¡± Not anymore. Baek Geon-Woo closed his eyes. ¡°I am a fool of a disciple. And I¡¯mte, yes, but I will follow your words.¡± Crackle. Lightning briefly crackled, and the bench became empty once more, waiting for a new visitor. *** ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I thought I was gonna die. I was teleported to a swamp.¡± ¡°Pffft! I wish I were there to watch.¡± ¡°I fell into a volcano. I would have died if it were active.¡± The yers around the campfire seemed rxed. They felt safe knowing that their fellow team members were with them. ¡°...Is it true?¡± ¡°So what if it is? Huh?¡± Skaya said, pouting. ¡°I already told you. That little bitch of a prince was really strong.¡± ¡°You said he distorted space?¡± ¡°He twisted the literal axis of space, so I couldn¡¯t make the spell more specific. And I was in a rush.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Rahmadat¡¯s sacrifice, they would have failed to escape. Skaya stared down at her mug of coffee. ¡°...Hey. He¡¯ll be okay, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said firmly. ¡°He¡¯s Rahmadat. That bastard will hold out until we get there. I know it.¡± Skaya¡¯s face softened as if his words were a spell. She looked around at their temporary camp. ¡°You know, people aren¡¯ting as fast as I thought. Perhaps a bunch of them got caught.¡± ¡°No.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. Before he infiltrated the Radio Tower, he had gathered information in Jaxen. During that time, he hadn¡¯t heard a single word about another yer being captured. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that they were either teleported to the other side of the empire, or they¡¯re too close and can¡¯t afford to move that much.¡± Including him, there were a total of 42 yers here right now. There were 103 surviving members of the advance party, so not even half of them were here. ¡°If they don¡¯te by the fifth day, what are you gonna do?¡± ¡°...We¡¯ll leave. We have no other choice.¡± Not even he knew what had and would happen after leaving Jaxen. They had to move as soon as possible to mitigate the risk of a yer revealing their location after being caught. ¡°We¡¯ll have to leave before they can catch us,¡± he said. ¡°But Mio and Gilberto aren¡¯t here yet¡­¡± And it wasn¡¯t just the two of them¡­ Kim Woo-Joong, Gong Ju-Ha, Shin Sung-Hyun, Wei Chun-Hak, Milphage, Mr. Shoot, Yuri Alekseyev, and many others still hadn¡¯t arrived here. Of course, there was also the possibility that they had already arrived but were simply hiding. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. There¡¯s still more than enough time left.¡± Yes, there was more than enough time. They had plenty of time. He repeated it to himself over and over again, trying to convince himself. ¡°Well, then. Let¡¯s see how far along they are,¡± Skaya said. ¡°Huh? How?¡± Skaya created a map out of magic. ¡°Ehehe. You got me! I set a sensing spell on my way up!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the range?¡± ¡°From here...¡± Skaya pointed down at her feet and then pointed all the way to the distance. ¡°...to there.¡± ¡°...Of course.¡± He wasn¡¯t exactly sure where there was, but he could make a rough estimate based on the map. ¡®From here to the bottom of the mountain, I think...¡¯ If a yer stepped into the Wailing Mountains, Skaya¡¯s radar would detect them. She cheered as she looked at the map. ¡°Ooh! Jun-Ho, look! There should be twelve peopleing up the mountain right now!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Twelve dots were blinking on the map like stars, and each one of them seemed to represent a yer. ¡°...Huh?¡± However, their smiles quickly vanished as they furrowed their brows. ¡°Skaya¡­ What¡¯s the scale of the map?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. The lights were blinking in the same position. ¡°It¡¯s only 1:500. Why would they just stand in one ce?¡± she asked. Something was wrong. He could feel it. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell. ¡°Skaya. Can your spell detect Overminds?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t know.¡± Magic and Force werepletely different energies. In addition, Overminds had a technique that couldpletely hide their presence. ¡°Wake everyone up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll use the rm spell.¡± Riiiing~ Riiiiiiiiiing~ A loud siren inundated the camp. The yers woke up and dashed out of their tents. ¡°W-What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Is it an ambush? Are we being ambushed?¡± ¡°But how would those guys know where we are?¡± Seo Jun-Ho exined the situation to the confused yers. ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t exclude the possibility that one of them is injured or that they¡¯re tired and taking a break,¡± he finished. ¡°...¡± The yers¡¯ expressions turned grim. Everyone knew that the possibility that Seo Jun-Ho had said was highly unlikely. ¡°Now that we know they¡¯re alive, we should go down and save¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho abruptly closed his mouth. Two lights had gone out. ¡°Shit. We¡¯ve been had¡­¡± ¡°Which bastard snitched on us?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s Rahmadat, do you?¡± ¡°He would never.¡± The yers were agitated. They picked up their weapons and armor without hesitation. Seo Jun-Ho looked down the Wailing Mountains despite the darkness of the night. ¡°They don¡¯t know that we know they¡¯re here, so we¡¯ll take them out with a blitzkrieg.¡± *** ¡°M-Monster¡­¡± Alba Mils¡¯ voice trembled. The monster tilted his head and said, ¡°You see me as a monster, but I was once human." ¡°You speak English?! How do you¡ª¡± ¡°I learned it. If I have to kill someone, I can at least listen to theirst words.¡± He was not a human by any Earthly standards. He was built like a giant and was four meters tall. He had seven eyes, but he only had three fingers on his hands. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Halgi Goodrickson used his broken ax like a cane to pull himself up. ¡°How¡­ How did you know that we¡¯re here?¡± He would most likely die today, but he wanted to hear the name of the traitor before dying, at the very least. Halgi stared at the monster with determined eyes. The monster spoke, ¡°I am merely following His Majesty¡¯s orders. I have no interest in such trifling matters.¡± He looked around at the humans he had cut down and called for the knights waiting in the back. ¡°Take them. We will offer them as prisoners to His Majesty.¡± ¡°Yes, General.¡± He was Ceylonso Bestard. He was a general of the imperial army, and he was also known as the greatest swordsman of the empire. ¡°And¡­¡± He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. ¡°This is Kodone¡¯s ball. He made something quite useful.¡± The Archmage had made him a magic detector, and it had been immensely helpful. ¡°Normally, you cannot sense us. And in turn, we cannot sense you either.¡± However, the device in his hand revealed yers who were using magic in the vicinity. Beep. Beep. ¡°We have another guest.¡± Ceylonso looked down the mountain. When his pair of eyes met the eyes of another yer, he couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°My, how remarkable.¡± How had the man reached such a level of skill with the flimsy human body? While Ceylonso was processing his surprise, the opponent closed the distance between them and swung his sword toward thetter¡¯s neck. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Ceylonso chuckled and unsheathed his sword in a sh. ng! ¡°...!¡± The human was flung back. He was ignorant of the Three Fingers¡¯ strength. The human struck a boulder, breaking his fall. However, he jumped back up as if he wasn¡¯t injured. ¡°Woo-Joong!¡± Son Chae-Won finally caught up. She saw Ceylonso and the hundreds of Overminds with him. Son Chae-Won¡¯s voice grew quiet. ¡°You dumb, stupid idiot. There are so many of them here, so why did you engage them?¡± ¡°...Reinforcements will be here soon, so I just need to protect them until then.¡± The other yers in the mountain¡ªwho were normal and weren¡¯t dumb¡ªshould have already known by now that he was here. He was purposely emanating waves of magic to catch their attention. ¡°How strong is he? Can you beat him?¡± she asked. ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong went silent. He red at the other swordsman. ¡®His physique is enormous, but he only has three fingers...¡¯ His appearance was bizarre, but Kim Woo-Joong could tell from just one blow. ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯ And that wasn¡¯t all. He was several levels above him as a swordsman. ¡°...I can¡¯t do it alone. I can only buy time.¡± ¡°Then, we¡¯ll have to wait for Specter.¡± Ceylonso waited for their conversation to finish. ¡°Are you done?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Ceylonso chuckled and gripped his sword with one hand. ¡°I wish to see it. Show me how great your swordy¡ªno, the swordy of humans is¡­!¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes flickered sharply. A near-perfect sword stroke¡ªthe sword stroke that he had been trying to master¡ªdescended on him. Chapter 522. Where the Thunder Sleeps (3) Chapter 522. Where the Thunder Sleeps (3) Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes flickered sharply. ¡®I¡¯ll be defeated if I face his sword head-on.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong was Earth¡¯s Sword Saint, but even he had judged the sword stroke to be too strong to handle. ¡®It¡¯s a mistake if I fall for it just once, but if I fall for it twice, then it¡¯s a skill issue.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong lowered himself as much as he could to put as much weight as he could on his lower body. ng! Sparks flew as the two swords shed against each other. ¡®I need to parry it.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong tilted his wrist to parry the opponent¡¯s sword move. The move deflected most of the power behind Ceylonso¡¯s attack. ¡°Subduing strength with tenderness, huh? That is a textbook maneuver, but¡­¡± Ceylonso looked like he was watching a child performing in a talent show. He smirked and put more strength into his sword. ¡°...it makes it easy to read your next move.¡± ¡°...!¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s expression changed. He could parry a falling rock, but he couldn¡¯t do the same to an entire mountain. ¡°Argh!¡± Kim Woo-Joong coughed up blood as he was helplessly pushed away. He was fortunate enough to avoid severe injuries because he had put most of his weight on his lower body. However, his joints were screaming at him. ¡°Son Chae-Won!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°We are running out of time! Hurry!¡± Kim Woo-Joong shouted. Son Chae-Won bit her lips. After a moment of hesitation, Son Chae-Won unwittingly eximed, ¡°Fine, but only three times!¡± Magic was as diverse as the ocean¡¯s marine life. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t strange that yers had unique skills and were talented in their own specific fields. Son Chae-Won was particrly talented in Strengthening, and she was capable of instantly boosting the ability of her target by virtue of a buff. ¡°Strengthening, Strengthening, Strengthening!¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s figure shone three times, and his aura changed abruptly. ¡°...Hmm?¡± Ceylonso was surprised. His soldiers took the initiative to stand between Ceylonso and Kim Woo-Joong with their weapons in hand. ¡°How dare you reveal your teeth to the general?¡± ¡°You need to know your ce, hybrid.¡± sh! The heads of the two soldiers flew into the air. Ceylonso raised his hand, signaling a retreat to the rest of the soldiers. ¡°You aren¡¯t his match. Just watch from the back.¡± Fwoosh! The tip of Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s sword suddenly appeared right under Ceylonso¡¯s nose. sh! Ceylonso instinctively blocked the opponent''s sword and nodded. ¡®I see...¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong suddenly got stronger, and it didn¡¯t make sense to Ceylonso. ¡°How interesting¡­¡± Ceylonso had a rough guess about what the woman had done to bring about such a change in Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°All flows will eventually converge into one path, and we are the pioneers of the path.¡± ng! ng! ng! The two sword masters exchanged moves without giving each other time to breathe. Halgi stared at the scene with his mouth agape. ¡°I had no idea that Silent Moon Guild Master¡¯s Strengthening is that good. I¡¯ve heard some rumors about it, but I didn¡¯t expect that it would be to that extent.¡± Alba nodded and eximed in awe, ¡°A-amazing¡­ there would be nothing for them to be afraid of as long as they¡¯re together.¡± Alba didn¡¯t expect that Son Chae-Won was capable of raising the Sword Saint¡¯s stats until he could stand toe to toe with that monster. ¡®They¡¯re an invincible duo.¡¯ However, Son Chae-Won shook her head.¡®No, the only reason they¡¯re thinking that way is that they have no idea what exactly my skill does...¡¯ Son Chae-Won¡¯s skill wasn¡¯t a great skill with no consequences. One had to pay a price to enjoy it. ¡®Strengthening will reduce the target¡¯s durability, but if the target is a living creature, especially a human being¡­¡¯ Son Chae-Won still couldn¡¯t say for sure because their sample sizes hadn¡¯t been that huge, but they had discovered that her skill demanded life force from its living targets as the price to pay for it. Son Chae-Won was sure that Kim Woo-Joong would sustain severe injuries. ¡°Haha! This is great¡­!¡± Ceylonsoughed boisterously. The Babe Empire had many powerful figures, but an individual as powerful as Kim Woo-Joong with the sword was extremely rare, even throughout the vast Babe Empire. Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s expression turned ugly upon seeing Ceylonsoughing while fighting him. ¡®This monster¡­¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong could see that Ceylonso had already gotten bored of him despite being strengthened three times by Son Chae-Won. He could also see that Ceylonso wanted to see more. ¡®He wants to see more?¡¯ It seemed that Ceylonso also wanted to see Son Chae-Won¡¯s limits. ng! Kim Woo-Joong staggered upon impact. ¡®Damn it, this is dangerous¡­!¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong inwardly eximed. However, Ceylonso only nced at Kim Woo-Joong without taking advantage of the opening to attack. Kim Woo-Joong widened the distance between him and Ceylonso. ¡°...Why?¡± asked Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°It¡¯s all because it has been a long time since I¡¯ve had such an enjoyable fight. Anyway,e here, let¡¯s keep going.¡± The second part of Ceylonso¡¯s sentence was for Son Chae-Won. Son Chae-Won shook her head. ¡°We promised. It¡¯ll only be three times, remember?¡± ¡°...¡± Three times of Strengthening had always been enough¡ªit had always been enough on Earth, on Frontier, and even against Phanactos, the Floor Master of Balbortan. ¡®But not this time¡­¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong was thirsty. ¡®I need more strength.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong had to satisfy the monster in front of him at the expense of his life. ¡°Chae-Won.¡± Son Chae-Won was annoyed upon hearing Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s indifferent voice. ¡®Why won¡¯t he take care of himself before anyone else?¡¯ Son Chae-Won was about to nag at Kim Woo-Joong, but the injured yers came into her sight. There were twelve injured yers in total, and they were the reason why Kim Woo-Joong drew his sword against that monster. ¡®I know¡­ we can¡¯t abandon them.¡¯ Honestly, Son Chae-Won could abandon them. However, she knew better than anyone that Kim Woo-Joong would never do that. In the end, Son Chae-Won could only mutter helplessly, ¡°What am I supposed to do¡­?¡± ¡°Three more times, please...¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± Son Chae-Won¡¯s skill was extremely dangerous, even if one only received a single Strengthening from her. Kim Woo-Joong had long gotten used to being strengthened by Son Chae-Won¡¯s skill, so he could take it, but a total of six times would be too much. ¡°You could die, you know.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s determined and clear eyes reminded Son Chae-Won of someone. Son Chae-Won was reminded of a little boy who was an avid fan of a certain hero. She could still remember how the little boy kept on reading that hero¡¯s biography until the words on it became illegible. Right now, the little boy had the same eyes as the hero he had always admired. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Son Chae-Won ced a palm on her forehead. Her head was starting to ache. The little boy¡¯s zeal for chasing after a certain hero was the reason why Son Chae-Won admired that same hero and hated him at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m confident¡­ I can take it. I¡¯ll fight this monster and hold out until Jun-Ho gets here.¡± ¡°...Then, promise me.¡± Son Chae-Won stared intently at Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Son Chae-Won raised her hand helplessly. Once again, the thoughts that she had thought of at least a hundred times appeared in her mind once again. ¡®I wish I didn¡¯t have this skill. If I didn¡¯t have this skill, then he wouldn¡¯t have any reasons to push himself to such lengths¡­¡¯ Son Chae-Won muttered to herself. ¡°Strengthening.¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s figure shone in the same dazzling light for the fourth time. He was immediately inundated with a terrible pain that he had never felt before, but he remained indifferent andposed. ¡°Strengthening.¡± Tremble¡­! Kim Woo-Joong trembled slightly from the pain. His veins bulged and turned blue, looking like they would explode at any moment. ¡°...How are you feeling?¡± Son Chae-Won asked carefully, hoping that Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s mind would change. She was hoping that the pain would convince Kim Woo-Joong to stop receiving any more buff. However, Son Chae-Won was familiar enough with Kim Woo-Joong to know his answer. ¡°One more¡­¡± Son Chae-Won knew that Kim Woo-Joong was extremely stubborn. He would never change his mind once he had made a decision, and Son Chae-Won knew that she could never refuse him. It had always been the case since they were children. ¡°Strengthening¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s figure shone for the sixth time. ¡°Argh¡­ Aaaargh¡­!¡± Kim Woo-Joong groaned with bloodshot eyes. He was determined to keep his mouth shut, but he failed to suppress his pained groans. Ceylonso smiled in satisfaction at the sight. ¡°You must be having a hard time. It¡¯s not really strange with that weak human body.¡± Ceylonso stared at Kim Woo-Joong in glee, looking like he had found a new toy to y with. He slowly raised his sword and muttered, ¡°Hm¡­¡± The energy that Kim Woo-Joong was emitting had grown too enormous for him to disregard. In other words, he couldn¡¯t y with his food anymore. ¡°I¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong was trembling, but he gripped his sword tightly. Blood was running down his shoulder, drenching his sword. ¡°...I am Kim Woo-Joong¡ªthe Sword Saint.¡± ¡°I am Ceylonso Bestard¡ªthe first sword of the Babe Empire.¡± Their first and final proper conversation was an acknowledgment of each other. No further words were exchanged as the two vanished from where they stood and exchanged moves. The sound of metal shing against each other echoed throughout the battlefield. *** Bang! There was a loud explosion from the base of the mountain. ¡®What a huge amount of magic¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nced in the direction where the explosion hade from. ¡°Go ahead!¡± Skaya shouted from the side. ¡°...What?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the situation here, so you go ahead and help them!¡± Hundreds of Overminds had climbed up the mountain to stop the forty-two yers from descending. The Overminds were under themand of General Ceylonso, and they were climbing the mountain with Heaven¡¯s Net formation. ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? I¡¯m an engineer, you know!¡± ¡°...What does that have to do with this?¡± ¡°It means that I¡¯m super good at calctions, and ording to my calctions, we¡¯re going to be just fine without you!¡± Skaya wasn¡¯t underestimating the Overminds, but she was certainly confident. Skaya¡¯s eyes narrowed as she said, ¡°You still don¡¯t trust me?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around once more before storing his sword away. ¡°I can always leave my back to you.¡± ¡°Hmph. Toote!¡± Skaya grumbled, but the dimples on her cheeks could be seen as she stood there with a grin. ¡®Skaya has be extremely powerful, so she should be fine even against hundreds of Overminds. In addition, so many yers are with her...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He had faith in Skaya. ¡°Go ahead. You better hurry. That whirlwind of magic is weird...¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s weird¡­.¡± The massive whirlwind of magic was a phenomenon that would only happen whenever two powerful individuals were duking it out. In other words, Kim Woo-Joong was fighting an incredibly powerful individual. Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the dark sky. Soon, he melted into the darkness and disappeared. *** ¡°You are truly incredible for a mere human. Anyway, are you done now?¡± Kim Woo-Joong couldn¡¯t answer Ceylonso¡¯s question. Drip, drip, drip¡­ Blood dripped down his chin and to the ground¡­ ¡®I¡¯m dizzy. Did he just say something?¡¯ The world around Kim Woo-Joong was spinning. He couldn¡¯t even remember how long they had been fighting. Drag¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± Ceylonso eximed when he saw Kim Woo-Joong walking toward him while dragging his sword. Ceylonso was impressed by Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s willpower. ¡°Hmm. What do you think about awakening yourself to the truth and bing an Overmind? I¡¯m sure His Majesty will acknowledge you, considering your strength.¡± ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong couldn¡¯t hear anything other than static noise. His vision was swimming and blurry, but he could tell that his enemy was in front of him. ¡®It¡¯s this way¡­¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong helplessly swung his sword. Swoosh. ng! Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s sword struck Ceylonso¡¯s neck, but he failed to prate Ceylonso¡¯s tough skin. ¡°I see¡­¡± It was clear that Kim Woo-Joong still wanted to fight. In the end, Ceylonso had no choice but to end the battle himself. Ceylonso lifted his sword high into the air and said, ¡°Goodbye, then. Sword Saint Kim Woo-Joong. I will remember your name.¡± Tap! Ceylonso was about to swing his sword, but an ax flew from somewhere and struck his leg. Ceylonso turned around. ¡°Huff, huff¡­ you better kill me first if you want to kill him.¡± The ax came from Halgi Goodrickson. He managed to briefly shake off the soldiers and throw his ax at Ceylonso before he could decapitate Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Hm, is that so?¡± Ceylonso nodded as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll do as you wish.¡± He slowly walked over to Halgi, and the soldiers forced Halgi to kneel in front of him. ¡°Do you have anyst words?¡± ¡°Go to hell, you son of a bitch.¡± ¡°... Goodbye, then.¡± sh! Roll¡­ Halgi¡¯s eyes remained fixed on Ceylonso as his head rolled down the mountain. ¡°Go to hell, you son of a bitch.¡± Ceylonso felt strange. However, he had experienced this phenomenon before while he was still human. If his memories were serving him correctly, then the phenomenon was called deja vu. However, he never experienced that phenomenon again upon bing an Overmind. ¡®Did the Sword Saint manage to exhaust me? Fair enough, I must admit¡ªhe¡¯s an impressive human being.¡¯ Ceylonso raised his sword once again. ¡°Goodbye, then¡­?¡± However, he abruptly froze upon hearing footstepsing from behind him. The footsteps were too loud, and it was clear that the person behind him had no intentions of hiding their presence. ¡®This doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯ The magic detector that Kodone had handed over to him was still silent, which meant that there should have been no intruders. ¡®Then, who is it?¡¯ Ceylonso frowned and hastily turned around. ¡®Who is it? Who is that man standing in front of Kim Woo-Joong?¡¯ ¡°I see¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He immediately understood what was going on. Son Chae-Won raised her head and stared at Seo Jun-Ho with swollen eyes. ¡°Sniff! S-Specter-nim¡­! Sniff¡­!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly took off his coat and wrapped it around Son Chae-Won¡¯s shoulders. Then, he looked at Kim Woo-Joong. Kim Woo-Joong was motionless as he leaned against his sword. Seo Jun-Ho could see why he was still leaning against his sword rather than lying on the ground. ¡®He couldn¡¯t allow himself to copse...¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong fainted while standing up because there were people relying on him. Seo Jun-Hoid Kim Woo-Joong on the ground and slowly stood up. ¡°W-Who¡­ are you?¡± asked Ceylonso in a trembling voice. ¡°Me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered before unleashing all of his magic at once. Beep! Beep! Beep! Ceylonso¡¯s magic detector frantically beeped before exploding. The magic detector couldn¡¯t handle the typhoon of magic that suddenly engulfed the battlefield. Seo Jun-Ho turned to look at Ceylonso and spat coldly, ¡°I¡¯m his friend...¡± Chapter 523. Where the Thunder Sleeps (4) Chapter 523. Where the Thunder Sleeps (4) ¡°Friend, huh¡­¡± Ceylonso stared at Seo Jun-Ho for a while. He rolled three of his eyes to look up at the sky. The typhoon of magic was so overwhelmingly powerful that even his eyes, which could no longer feel magic, were trembling while staring at it. ¡°Interesting.¡± Ceylonso raised his hand slightly and called out. ¡°Harty.¡± ¡°Yes, General.¡± A man of average build approached Ceylonso and bowed. The man was ring at Seo Jun-Ho with deep-seated hostility. ¡°Take the soldiers down the mountain. Deliver this order to the other units as well.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry?¡± Deputy Harty looked at Ceylonso in surprise upon hearing the order to retreat. ¡°Please withdraw your order, General,¡± Harty protested at once. ¡°Can you not see what¡¯s above our heads?¡± The typhoon of magic hovering over their heads looked like it would devour them at any moment. The moment Ceylonso saw the typhoon, he immediately realized that this mountain would be his grave. ¡°All of you will die a horrible death if you decide to stay here¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t care. We will stay and die with you, General.¡± ¡°I do not approve of that,¡± Ceylonso answered firmly, ¡°All of you were His Majesty¡¯s subjects before you became my subordinates. The subjects of His Majesty must move for His Majesty¡¯s benefit. Staying here will result in everyone¡¯s death, so a tactical retreat is necessary.¡± ¡°...¡± Harty bit his lips. He could also see that the human being in front of them was a monster that they wouldn¡¯t be able to beat. ¡®General is trying to save us by sacrificing himself¡­¡¯ Harty feltplicated. He was grateful for Ceylonso¡¯s consideration, but he also didn¡¯t want to leave Ceylonso here. Ceylonso seemed to have seen through Harty¡¯s thoughts as he spoke softly, ¡°Return safely and deliver my message to His Majesty.¡± ¡°...What message shall I deliver to His Majesty?¡± ¡°Tell His Majesty that his unfaithful servant Ceylonso Bestard is asking for forgiveness for leaving without witnessing the end of the great task with His Majesty.¡± Harty bit his lips until they bled. However, the general¡¯s orders were absolute on the battlefield. ¡°Yes, General.¡± ¡°Well, then. You may go.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally spoke, ¡°How delusional. I don¡¯t remember allowing any of you to escape.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Ceylonsoughed boisterously with his seven eyes narrowed. ¡°Young enemy. Your strength has indeed reached the skies, but do you seriously think that you can get past me and harm my men?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°If you really think so, then¡­¡± Ceylonso opened his seven eyes. ¡°You might die here, you know?¡± Swoosh! mes abruptly rushed toward Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho stared indifferently at the fire giant in front of him. ¡°Deputy Harty! Go¡­!¡± ¡°...It was an honor to have been under yourmand, General.¡± Harty was bleeding from his eyes and mouth, and he red murderously at Seo Jun-Ho before shouting, ¡°Everyone, retreat! Share the same order with the other units!¡± The orders were quickly disseminated, and the Overminds immediately abandoned the yers to retreat. Seo Jun-Ho turned to look at the Overminds. He was about to freeze them, but Ceylonso¡¯s sword strikes bored down on him. ¡°You should focus on me.¡± ¡®Tsk.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue. He had no choice but to admit that the swordsman in front of him was strong enough to demand his full attention. ¡°Hahaha! This old man has never been this happy until today¡­!¡± Ceylonso¡¯s attacks aimed at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vital points, and they were strong enough to be fatal. ¡®His swordsmanship is perfect¡­¡¯¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could finally see why Kim Woo-Joong was defeated. It wasn¡¯t because Ceylonso got lucky nor did he y dirty. ¡®He won using his swordsmanship alone.¡¯ The monster was powerful enough to the world with his sword alone. ¡®...What a shame. If I were a swordsman, I would have reaped a ton of profit from this battle¡­¡¯ ¡°Freeze.¡± The temperature dropped abruptly, and Ceylonso was slowed down. However, that wasn¡¯t the end of it¡­ ¡®Overclock¡ªtwo hundred percent...¡¯ In addition to slowing down his enemy, Seo Jun-Ho also decided to activate Overclock to be even faster. ¡®Clock Up.¡¯ To make matters worse for the opponent, Seo Jun-Ho elerated his own mind using Wheel of Time (S). Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s figure scattered like smoke. ¡°...!¡± Ceylonso was confused. His seven eyes frantically darted around to look for Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®I have seven eyes, but I still can¡¯t find him?¡¯ Shiver. Ceylonso felt a shiver down his spine, and he instinctively tilted to the side. Ssh! Blood spurted haphazardly as Ceylonso¡¯s severed arm fell to the ground. ¡°Argh¡­! Why are you moving like a ghost?!¡± Ceylonso jumped backward and stuck his sword into the ground. He kneeled and stopped himself from bleeding out before asking, ¡°Are you really Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°And what if I am?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just asking. Your personality is more twisted than I thought.¡± ¡°Only to my enemies¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho had no reason to give any quarter to his enemy. ¡°Haha¡­ yes, you are correct. We are enemies.¡± Ceylonso slightly nodded and grabbed his sword again. ¡°Then, I guess we both have our own people to protect...¡± When Ceylonso¡¯s words fell, his seven eyes divided and doubled to fourteen. ¡°This is the power of the Lord of the Deep Sea¡ªa monster with numerous eyes.¡± ¡°...¡± Brrr, brrrr! Ceylonso¡¯s eyes divided once again. His fourteen eyes abruptly divided into twenty-eight eyes. ¡°The Lord of the Deep Sea¡¯s strength and speed depends on the number of its avable eyes. The number of eyes is fixed at birth, but the researchers back then used the dominant traits of the Lizardmen to give me the ability to divide my eyes.¡± Brrrr! Fifty-six eyes riddled Ceylonso¡¯s massive face¡­ The sight was so bizarre and disgusting that even Seo Jun-Ho was repulsed despite his many years of experience fighting many different types of monsters. ¡°Is it that ugly?¡± asked Ceylonso. ¡°Is that even a question?¡± Celyonso smiled. ¡°Haha, I know. Even my son hates this look.¡± ¡°Anyst words?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°The empire is boundless...¡± Ceylonso trailed off. Brr¡­brrr¡­ The eyes divided once more and encroached on Ceylonso¡¯s shoulders beforeing down his arms. For some reason, Seo Jun-Ho felt pressured while under the gazes of a hundred and twelve eyes. ¡®Is this what Force feels like?¡¯ It was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first time encountering the unknown energy that Ceylonso was giving off. ¡°...And there are lots of strong people in this vast empire. Do you truly believe that you can beat them all and achieve what you want?¡± Ceylonso continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± The issue wasn¡¯t whether he could do it or not¡­ ¡®It has to be done, and I will do it¡­¡¯ One hundred and twelve eyes met Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cold eyes. Ceylonso smiled. ¡°...I see.¡± Ceylonso took a stance with his sword and said, ¡°I hope you¡¯ll fail.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t even bother to answer. He absorbed as much magic as he could from the atmosphere using the ck Moon Heart Method. ¡°I will put the trivial essence of my swordsmanship that I had been honing for a thousand years in this single blow.¡± Ceylonso had referred to his swordsmanship as trivial, but the energying from him certainly wasn¡¯t trivial. His Force was capable of standing toe to toe with Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s typhoon of magic, but it was quiet rather than fierce¡ªjust like Ceylonso¡¯s sword. ¡°Starry Ocean¡­¡± Ceylonso muttered solemnly. Seo Jun-Ho heard a noise that shouldn¡¯t be here¡­ Swoosh! He could hear the waves of the ocean encroaching on the sandy shores of the beach. Ceylonso¡¯s sword aura had be an ocean of stars. ¡°S-Specter-nim!¡± Son Chae-Won screamed. The starry ocean of sword auras seemed like they were capable of tearing Seo Jun-Ho apart. However, Seo Jun-Ho simply sighed in front of it. ¡®What a shame¡­ really...¡¯ This was the first time that Seo Jun-Ho felt extremely regretful that he wasn¡¯t a swordsman. ¡®It¡¯s beautiful¡­ I can¡¯t believe that it¡¯s the only thing I can say because Ick the knowledge to analyze his sword in-depth¡­¡¯¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho found it a bit of a pity that he couldn¡¯t face Ceylonso¡¯s sword with his sword. ¡°...Path of Flowers.¡± The magic that Seo Jun-Ho had managed to stuff inside of him using the ck Moon Heart Method burst out softly, scattering flowers that froze the approaching stars. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ceylonso eximed. He watched the frozen stars with one hundred and twelve eyes, then admitted. ¡°Subduing strength with tenderness, huh? That is a textbook maneuver, but¡­¡± ¡®...I can¡¯t read his next move.¡¯ The flowers finally engulfed Ceylonso. ¡°...Cough!¡± Ceylonso fell on one knee and smiled sadly at Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho was looking down at him. ¡®Wow. His existence itself is against thew¡­.¡¯ Force was an energy that was supposed to be more powerful than magic. The Overminds had firmly believed that it was the case for over the past thousand years. However, Ceylonso started doubting the Force in the face of death. ¡°What in the¡­ what was that power¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the power of nature¡­¡± ¡°Kekehehehe¡­ Argh!¡± Ceylonso pressed both palms to the ground and coughed a mouthful of ck blood. His figure was riddled with wounds, and his cells were dying upon being frozen. ¡°Nature¡­ Nature, you say¡­¡± Ceylonso thought of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s advent as nature¡¯s revenge. the Overminds had abandoned both nature and magic for being useless, and now, both nature and magic had returned with vengeance. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡®Perhaps we were wrong¡ªperhaps the reason we couldn¡¯t untangle our shackles for more than a thousand years now is that we have sinned for choosing the wrong answer to our conundrum.¡¯ Ceylonso¡¯s eyes stared at the moon in the night sky, and they eventually closed one by one. ¡°But please¡­¡± ¡®Achieve your goal...¡¯ Ceylonso¡¯s eyes were finally engulfed by darkness, and his breathing came to a halt. [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­ [All stats has increased by 14.] [Under Limit Breaker¡¯s effect, Strength has increased by 5, Stamina has increased by 4, Speed has increased by 3, and Magic has increased by 2.] ¡°Cough!¡± Seo Jun-Ho coughed a small amount of blood. It was the aftereffect of storing every magic in the surroundings in a fragile human body. ¡°Jun-Ho!¡± Skaya eximed. She had descended the mountain with the other yers. ¡°What happened here?¡± asked Skaya while looking around. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s final blow was so strong that the surrounding trees fell in the opposite direction. ¡°I killed their leader...¡± ¡°No wonder. The enemies suddenly ran away. Are you hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, so take care of them first.¡± Seo Jun-Ho called for a healer and watched him treat Kim Woo-Joong and the rest of the injured. Son Chae-Won bowed. She expressed her gratitude with swollen eyes. ¡°Thank you very much¡­ I owe you...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Silent Moon has helped me numerous times before.¡± The yers cleaned up the surroundings while Seo Jun-Ho decided to walk over to Ceylonso¡¯s body. ¡®I¡¯m really curious about your mindset and perspective. Weren¡¯t all of you simply trying to do research to resolve your poption crisis?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was about to ce his hand on Ceylonso¡¯s forehead, but two of Celylonso¡¯s many eyes abruptly opened. sh! ¡°...What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was shocked. Ceylonso had definitely perished, and it was evidenced by the fact that he leveled up. Seo Jun-Ho was about to retrieve White Dragon from his Inventory. However, Ceylonso interrupted him by slowly raising his upper body. He looked down at his own body and muttered, ¡°So this is for real... Ceylonso is dead.¡± Ceylonso had spoken as if he was referring to himself as someone else. He turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho and said, ¡°The Radio Tower and now Ceylonso? You have brought me two surprises in a short amount of time.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re not Ceylonso.¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned and pressed White Dragon¡¯s spearhead against Ceylonso¡¯s neck. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°How disappointing. You still haven¡¯t figured it out?¡± Nonchnt eyes stared at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°My name is Kineos Mullibach¡­¡± ¡®Is a corpse capable of emitting such energy?¡¯ The domineering aura that Ceylonso¡¯s body was emitting weighed heavily on the yers¡¯ shoulders without mercy. ¡°... and I¡¯m the usurper of this world.¡± Chapter 524. Corrupt Star (1) Chapter 524. Corrupt Star (1) The aura was withdrawn. The yers stopped what they were doing and stared at Ceylonso in front of them. "Ugh¡­" a few yers groaned. Seo Jun-Ho asked in a low voice. "Are you the emperor of this world?" "Yes." Crunch! Seo Jun-Ho trampled on his chest and growled. "Where¡¯s Rahmadat?¡± "¡­Ah. Are you talking about that human with great vitality? Do not worry. He is still alive..." The deste-faced Ceylonso trailed off before saying, "...For now." "You bastard...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho thrust his White Dragon toward Ceylonso''s neck, but Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes shot open. His arm wouldn¡¯t move. He felt like he was trying to attach two mas on the same pole. No, Seo Jun-Ho was being repelled. "You are rude and undignified." Seo Jun-Ho mustered all his remaining magic, but he couldn¡¯t push the emperor''s Force away. The emperor raised his upper body and stared at Seo Jun-Ho. Those eyes definitely belonged to Ceylonso, but they gave off apletely different light. ¡®It''s violent and... vicious.¡¯ The calm exterior was a mask. Seo Jun-Ho could see that there were many emotions behind the mask, and the most pronounced one was fury. "I saw you through Sherid''s memory. You have an interesting talent." "Sherid¡­?" Sherid was the name of the puppeteer that Seo Jun-Ho had killed in the vige of failures. However, how did the emperor see him through Sherid¡¯s memory? "Was it called the Confession of the Dead?" ¡°¡­!¡± It was a skill that would make things difficult if it were discovered, and the emperor knew its existence. Atst, Seo Jun-Ho could finally see why he borrowed Ceylonso''s body toe here. "Perhaps you came here because¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho trailed off. "Ceylonso was a fine subject, but s..." Scatter! Ceylonso''s body slowly turned into dust that scattered into the air. "He knows too much, including information that our enemies shouldn¡¯t know¡­¡± "Damn it!" Seo Jun-Ho cursed and hurriedly used Rewind. However, it was a mistake. "You can even interfere with time?" ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened. He took a few steps back without realizing it. The emperor¡¯s eyes on him were starting to make him feel ufortable. He felt nauseous while under the scrutiny of those eyes. ¡®He can see through¡­ everything?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt like the emperor¡¯s gaze was peeling him like an onion. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned ugly. He was struggling to keep his emotions under wraps. Fortunately, the emperor spoke once more, "Well, I am looking forward to seeing you again, Outsider." When Ceylons finally turned into ashes and disappeared into the wind, Seo Jun-Ho could finally exhale the breath that he had been holding. "Haaa¡­ ha¡­" The shock was still there. ¡®He saw through everything¡­¡¯ The emperor saw through his thoughts and the skills he could use. The emperor knew everything, while Seo Jun-Ho knew nothing. They were at a disadvantage. They had to turn the tables if they wanted to win. "What a troublesome opponent..." Skaya walked over to Seo Jun-Ho and said grimly, "It''s going to take a lot of time.¡± "A lot of time?" "I¡¯m saying that we can¡¯t use the same method we used in Trium. We¡¯ll have to grind outside and umte enough information before we should attempt to clear this Floor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho was silent. He was doubtful. Could they really defeat that monster, even with enough information? Chomp! Seo Jun-Ho bit his tongue, and the sharp pain woke him up. "Bleck!" He spat the blood in his mouth. He couldn¡¯t afford to think like a loser. He had to win somehow. "Jun-Ho." Skaya looked around and sighed before saying, "We have to move; nothing good wille out of staying here for too long.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Skaya was right. An outsider couldn¡¯t rx in this world. *** Brrr¡­! Tenmei Mio''s belly let out a loud cry. She was hungry, but it wasn¡¯t like there wasn¡¯t any food. There was a huge fish in front of her, and it had been grilled to perfection. However, Mio didn¡¯t do anything other than just stare at it. She was acting like the grilled fish was an expensive gem in a disy case - Are you not going to eat it? It¡¯s delicious. The individual in front of Mio was wearing a helmet, and the LED disy of his helmet disyed words for him. Mio replied coldly, "Martial arts practitioners are trained to maintain theirposure, even if they have been starving for ten days. I was trained like that as well." - But... Mr. Shoot trailed off and nced at her abdomen. Brrr¡­ brrr¡­! Mio¡¯s tactless belly kept on crying and crying. It seemed like it wasining about why she wasn¡¯t eating such a delicious-looking fish. - You can eat it, really. Didn''t you see me cook it in front of you? I didn¡¯t put anything weird into it. ¡°¡­¡± Mio remained silent. She knew that Mr. Shoot couldn¡¯t have added anything weird while cooking the fish, but there was a reason why she didn¡¯t want to eat the fish. She simply didn¡¯t want to be indebted to someone who could be her enemy. ''He was my father¡¯s ally. Caution is necessary.¡¯ Mr. Shoot had told her why he was helping her, and he said that he was simply trying to repay her mother¡¯s kindness, but Mr. Shoot¡¯s words didn¡¯t exin everything. Above all, he was rather suspicious of him because he was extremely kind and considerate to her. - Are you sure you don''t want it? "¡­I can just eat what I catch." There were a few grilled anchovies next to the huge fish. Mio reached out for them and ate them, but they disappeared in just a few seconds. ¡°¡­¡± Brrr¡­! Mio kept on ncing at the big fish. - I¡¯m already full. If the fish gets cold, it won¡¯t be that tasty anymore. ¡°¡­¡± - This is not a charity act. I will suffer if my party member can¡¯t use her full strength due to hunger. Mio''s ears perked up at the exnation. "You need my help, but if I¡¯m hungry, I won¡¯t be able to use my full strength. Therefore, you want me to eat the fish. Am I correct?¡± - That¡¯s right. "Hm." It looked like Mio was slowly getting convinced, so Mr. Shoot hurriedly showed more words on his LED disy. - Please eat not for yourself but for ours. "¡­Well, I see. Indeed, eating is necessary if that¡¯s the case." Mio nodded lightly. He reached out with her slender hand and picked up the skewered fish. She took a bite, and her eyes widened. ¡®It¡¯s delicious¡­!¡¯ With that, Mio made quick work of the fish, and she cleaned her oily lips with her arm. - How was it? "It was fine. I think our cooking skills are roughly the same." - I am d you liked it. Anyway, let''s n our route this afternoon. With that being said, the two put their heads together and started nning their afternoon route. It had already been twenty days since Mr. Shoot and Mio appeared on the eastern side of the continent. Mio heard Seo Jun-Ho''s voice, but the rendezvous point was too far for her. ''Perhaps they have grouped up by now...¡¯ Mio felt ufortable at the thought of finding a way to meet them again on this vast continent. She exhaled at length without realizing it. Mr. Shoot''s helmet shone. - Everything will be fine. ¡°¡­¡± Mio wordlessly nodded. Afterward, she retrieved an old booklet from her Inventory. The booklet¡¯s cover said¡ªPurple Dawn Style. ¡®Only the head of the Tenmei Family is supposed to learn this sword style¡­¡¯ She gripped the booklet tightly. She was vexed; she had a book with a sword style in it, but she was struggling to learn it. "Ha¡­" The booklet contained nothing but the vague form of the sword style. In other words, it only depicted what the sword style was supposed to look like. The meticulous and careful ancestors of the Tenmei Family feared an information leak, so they decided to create a safety mechanism. ¡®The former head of the family is supposed to teach the new head of the family; that is how the sword style was passed down¡­¡¯ The head of the family would end his duties prior to retirement by teaching the sword style to the new head of the family. However, Tenmei Yugo died withoutpleting his duties. In other words, the method was now lost. ¡®I keep getting stuck¡­¡¯ Mio had been trying to restore the method somehow, but it was an extremely difficult task. This was one of the reasons she had been dual-wielding recently rather than using only one sword. ''Until I restore the Purple Dawn Style, I have no choice but to rely on the Red Sun Style and the Blue Moon Style¡­¡¯ Of course, dual-wielding in itself was extremely difficult. An ordinary person would have struggled to wield two swords effectively in a short period of time, but Mio was a genius. "Ha¡­" Mio sighed once more. Mr. Shoot nced at her. - Is there something bothering you? "Do not mind it. It is personal." - I see. Let me know if you wish to talk. Pat, pat. Mr. Shoot got up and erased all of their traces. - We should get going... They had to go to the middle of the continent for a chance to meet a yer or an Overmind, and they still had a long way to go. *** Seo Jun-Ho and the yers arrived at the Brahms Snowfield, where dwarves could be found in Frontier. "This ce is nice. It reminds me of my hometown." The Frost Queen was excited to see a snowstorm. However, the yers weren¡¯t happy at all. "I-it''s cold...¡± "Do we really have to hide in a ce like this¡­?¡± "I''m going to freeze to death rather than die in the hands of an Overmind.¡± "There¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around before calling out. ¡°Frost." "...Huh?" "We need a ce to hide.¡± "Hmm. Would the Queen''s Nest be fine?" "That¡¯d be perfect." The Frost Queen nodded. "Well, it is not that difficult." "You¡¯re the best.¡± Shrug. The Frost Queen shrugged, but she was clearly pleased by thepliment. She promptly flicked her fingers. Rumble! Rumbling noises echoed as arge ice castle emerged from the ground. The castle was surprisingly warm because it was almost airtight. "Skaya, please handle the interior..." "No problem,¡± Skaya replied. In the blink of an eye, simple beds and furniture made from her magic filled the castle. Seo Jun-Ho looked around and nodded. "It¡¯s been hard on you guys. You should go ahead and rest." The yers could finally take a breather, and they quickly copsed to their own beds in their own rooms. The yers hadn¡¯t been saying anything, but they were obviously tired from their exhausting journey from the Wailing Mountains to the Brahms Snowfield. "And here...¡± Skaya was standing in the hall on the first floor. Seo Jun-Ho approached her and asked, "What are you doing?" "Huh? Weren''t you going to use this ce as your headquarters?" "Headquarters¡­ Well, if I had to say, then I guess so..." The enemies would definitely have issues finding them here, considering that this ce was extremely hostile to life and was enveloped in a blizzard all day long. Skaya rubbed her hands to warm them up. ¡°Anyway, I''m thinking of turning this ce into a kind of hub." "A hub?" "You''ll know when you see it," said Skaya. A few momentster, dozens of magic circles appeared in the air. The magic circles looked extremelyplex, and when they converged, a small portal was created. ¡°What is that?¡± "I created a node in the Wailing Mountains before we left, and I¡¯m currently connected to that node.¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes shone, and he hurriedly said, ¡°Are you saying that if I step into that portal, I¡¯ll arrive in the Wailing Mountains?¡± "What are you talking about? That¡¯s impossible." Skaya replied sharply. However, her frowning visage was reced with a sunny demeanor as she continued. "It¡¯s indeed impossible for an ordinary mage, but I''m not normal, am I?¡± "That''s true. You¡¯re a genius." If Rahmadat were here, he would have been rendered speechless by the portal. Seo Jun-Ho noticed something and asked, "Wait, what happened to the rm magic you ced in the rendezvous point?¡± "It still works. Once a yer arrives therete, then we can bring them here.¡± ¡°Ho¡­ I¡¯m surprised¡­¡± Even the Frost Queen was nodding in awe, and she would always avoid Skaya if she could help it. Seo Jun-Ho asked, "Skaya, how many of these portals can you install?¡± "Five. However, I can do up to eight if I don¡¯t do anything else¡­" "What do you need to install them? Are there any conditions?" "Well, I need to install the nodes myself, so I have to be there...¡± "Hm..." Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes, troubled. Running eight portals around the clock meant that the powerful card¡ªSkaya Killnd¡ªwould be out ofmission. ¡®However, it would be a waste for her to be abatant right now¡­¡¯ What if he created eight portals throughout the continent and disturbed the peace of the empire? Seo Jun-Ho made a decision and nodded. "Skaya, I''ll assign all twelve mages here to you...¡± "Oho~" Skaya looked like she had an idea about what Seo Jun-Ho wanted to do. Skaya nodded and asked, "Are you telling me to focus on this ce?¡± "Yeah. Make sure that the Overminds will never be able to find this castle.¡± "That shouldn¡¯t be an issue. In the first ce, they can''t even detect magic¡ªoh, am I wrong?" "Yeah. I think the empire has its own archmage as well. The empire¡¯s archmage created a magic detector.¡± "Hm. I guess we can add ayer of wavelength distortion around the castle and a stealth spell on top of it for further obfuscation. Then¡­¡± Skaya fell into her own world once again. The Frost Queen turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho and asked, "Contractor, won¡¯t gueri tactics be insufficient, considering theck of numbers here?¡± "That''s right. We need to solve that, too." Seo Jun-Ho shook his Vita. The Vitas of the other yers were dead here, but his Vita was functioning thanks to Yeon¡¯s modifications. "Aha! You¡¯re going to contact Yeon and ask him to send a message to Earth!" "That¡¯s right¡­" However, there was still an issue. The empire had moved the 7th Floor¡¯s Gate somewhere. "If they somehow manage to move the Gate to the middle of the empire, the yers will get caught the moment theye up here." "Ah¡­!¡± the Frost Queen eximed, ¡°What do we do then?" Seo Jun-Ho tapped on his Vita and said, ¡°What else? We should use every card we have in times like these." Chapter 525. Corrupt Star (2) Chapter 525. Corrupt Star (2) Seo Jun-Ho''s Vita became special thanks to Yeon¡¯s modifications. It could connect to every satellite all over the universe, not just on Earth. - Oh, Your Majesty! How can I help you? Therefore, Seo Jun-Ho could contact Neo City virtually anywhere. ¡°Yeon, have you been well?¡± - I¡¯m fine, as usual. How is the new world? ¡°It¡¯s bad¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho told Yeon about their status. - In other words, you¡¯re trapped. ¡°That¡¯s right. We need reinforcements. Can you ry my message to Earth?¡± Yeon wrote down the request and replied. - You¡¯re in a troublesome situation. However, is there a reason why you want to bring reinforcements only from Earth? ¡°What do you mean?¡± - What I mean is, why won¡¯t you take a backup from Neo City? ¡°What can I¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho abruptly closed his mouth. ¡±Wait a minute. Are you saying that you can send that all the way here? That thing?¡± - Interestingly, everything in this vast universe is connected to each other. Yeon was confident. - Then, my present will be on its way to you soon, Your Majesty, so please stay in good health until then. *** The world conference on Earth finally ended. Shim Deok-Gu rubbed his eyes tiredly because the meeting had been a grueling seventeen hours. "Jun-Ho, you punk... You¡¯re really just moving straight ahead." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s requests that Earth had received from the 5th Floor were exorbitant and heavy. The faces of the presidents and association presidents of several countries and associations went white when they heard Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s requests. However, each and every single request that Seo Jun-Ho had given to them received a positive response. It would have been impossible if the request hadn¡¯te from Specter himself. ¡®And that¡¯s why I¡¯m worried...¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that softie could handle the burden. Shim Deok-Gu sighed deeply and rang someone up. "Yes, it¡¯s me. The opportunity for you to take an active part has arrived." The person on the other end of the line was none other than Baek Geon-Woo. *** Gt was a metropolis with a poption of more than 12,000 Overminds. It was one of the three richest cities of the Babe Empire. "Hm." Duke Schalke was Gt¡¯s city lord, and his monotonous daily routine that had remained unchanging for so many years finally changed. "What''s the situation at the Gate?" "We have detected no abnormalities with the Gate." "That''s a relief." Managing the Gate that the empire had moved near his city had be part of his daily routine. His Majesty the Emperor himself had entrusted him with the task of managing the Gate, so he couldn¡¯t allow even a single mistake to happen. "Even if an ant crosses over, report it to me as soon as possible." "Yes, Father. However, please do not worry too much," replied his son, Hertha. Hertha was confident as he said, "The Gate is surrounded by severalyers of magic detectors that had been installed by the Great Mage Kodone himself. A hundred knights are keeping tabs on the Gate as well, and they are on duty around the clock." "Hm? I believe I told you that conceit can lead to carelessness.¡± Duke Schalke''s eyes grew fierce as he said, "Carelessness was the very thing that led to the copse of the Radio Tower. The enemies are sly, clever, and powerful. Have you already forgotten that General Ceylonso died in their hands just over a month ago?¡± "Please forgive my slip of the tongue..." "Go about your business." Hertha bowed. He clicked his tongue as he left the room. ¡®Geez, Father''s strict temper is still there even after a thousand years.¡¯ He thought that his father was simply being overdramatic. Of course, he had to admit that the demons from beyond the Gate were stronger than he expected. ¡®However, we are fully prepared...¡¯ They had installed hundreds of autonomous weapons, and there were around a hundred knights observing the Gate around the clock. Hertha was confident that even if hundreds¡ªno, even if thousands of demons emerged from the Gate¡ªhe was confident that he could turn them into dust. ¡°No, I actually want them toe here¡­¡± Hertha muttered while staring at the castle gate. It had already been a thousand years since he became an Overmind. At first, he was just happy about his immortality, but he quickly discovered the hardships of being an Overmind. ¡®Damn it, my friends have already inheritednds or businesses from their families hundreds of years ago.¡¯ Duke Schalke was still active despite many years, and it was clear that Duke Schalke had no thoughts of retiring anytime soon. Hertha wanted to be the city lord, but it didn¡¯t mean that he couldmit an immoral act to achieve his goal. ¡®There¡¯s no other way. The only way I can take over the City Lord position is to umte achievements.¡¯ Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to receive a piece ofnd from His Majesty. Hertha soon arrived at a makeshift post near the Gate, and he noticed that everyone seemed frantic. "Did anything happen while I was away?¡± "Ah, loyalty[1]!" "Loyalty. Anyway, what happened?" "Well¡­ this thing emerged from beyond the Gate." "What?" Hertha stared at the item on the desk with a frown. He observed it for a while before asking, "What''s that?" "We don¡¯t know, but the magic detectors made noises as soon as it arrived from beyond the Gate.¡± "Give me the charts¡­¡± Hertha sat down and read the report. "The magic detectors went up to the fourth rm when this thing arrived?¡± "Yes, but the magic detectors immediately went silent after that thing was destroyed by the autonomous weapons." The magic detectors could go up to the tenth rm, so the fourth rm wasn¡¯t that scary. However, Hertha felt ufortable at the thought of it. ¡°I don¡¯t feel good about this. Send this report over to my father and ask for additional troops." "Understood!" replied the knight before walking away. Hertha rubbed his chin, and he seemed confused as he stared at the object. ''I thought that only their reinforcements would emerge from that Gate¡­¡± Hertha thought that even if the enemies¡¯ allies decided to send supplies, it would have been food or something else rather than the weird item on the table. In other words, it didn¡¯t make sense for a fragile item to emerge from the Gate, spewing out magic. Hertha fell into deep contemtion. After a while, he muttered without realizing it, "¡­A transmitter." He sprang up from his seat and eximed, "Yes, it''s a transmitter!" If the trapped enemies were capable ofmunicating with their hometown somehow, then they would want to know the current location of the Gate with the help of the people from their hometown. "They have to know where the Gate is located so they can create ns to take it for themselves!" If the Gate were to fall into their hands, they would acquire an unlimited amount of supplies and reinforcement. ''And we have no idea just how many of those demons exist beyond the Gate...¡¯ What if they could overwhelm the Overminds through their numbers alone? Hertha shouted impatiently, "Prepare the car! I have to see my father right now¡ª¡± "There¡¯s no need." Duke Schalke''s solemn voice echoed throughout the makeshift post. The surrounding knights quickly saluted. Hertha turned to look at where the voice hade from. "Father?" "Yes, why were you looking for me?" After hearing that, Hertha then told Duke Schalke his train of thought. Duke Schalke listened with closed eyes, and he revealed a pleased look once Hertha was done with his exnation. ¡°Ha¡­ you''ve grown up." Hertha''s eyes widened. His strict and domineering father had just tapped his shoulder and was staring at him with a look of pride. "You have be capable enough to lead a city...¡± "Father..." "Handle this well, and I''ll give you my seat." Hearing that, Hertha clenched his fists. He had done it. His fastidious and strict father had finally recognized him, and he was now qualified to be the City Lord of Gt. He shed tears at the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. ¡°You¡¯re a grown man, so why are you crying?¡± asked Duke Schalke with a smirk. After a while, he raised his hand andmanded. "Surround the Gate. Don¡¯t let even an ant escape the encirclement." "Yes!" "The enemy will attack this ce from both directions¡ªfrom beyond the Gate and from here¡­" Duke Schalke reached the same conclusion as Hertha. ''There¡¯s a high chance that the item is a transmitter. Their goal is to find the Gate and capture it.¡¯ Duke Schalke smiled lightly. "They¡¯re indeed mere humans.¡± Their operation was too sloppy and crude to bepared to their thousand years of rued intelligence. Duke Schalke satfortably in a field chair and said, "Capture as many of them as you can, do you understand?" "Yes!" If they managed to capture the humans and dedicate them to His Majesty, then Duke Schalke reckoned that their time would start flowing once again. By then, it wouldn¡¯t be an issue for them to be gods. "I have a good feeling about this¡­¡± Duke Schalke¡¯s heart pounded madly against his chest, which was out of his expectations because he had never thought that his cold heart would beat wildly once again. He could barely wait to see the enemies because he was sure that this was his family¡¯s lucky break. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to wait that long. Beep! Beep! Beeeeeeeep! The magic detectors frantically beeped. At the same time, something emerged from the Gate. "Hm?" It wasn¡¯t a human being. It looked like a tiny glossy ball. "What¡¯s that?" Everyone muttered to themselves. Click! The detonator was triggered, and the ball emitted a burst of dazzling light that instantly pervaded the surroundings. *** ¡°It exploded¡­¡± Skaya said after seeing the massive cloud of magic. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and turned around. A total of eighty-two yers were standing in front of him with determined expressions. The yers were the members of the scout team whom Seo Jun-Ho managed to gather over the past month. "All right...¡± Seo Jun-Ho started. The magic bomb had exploded as nned, and everything within a ten-kilometer radius had probably disappeared without a trace. A storm of dust had enveloped the city as well. "Let''s get started..." They were about to attack Gt amidst the chaos. "However, never forget¡­" Seo Jun-Ho said, "Never forget that you only have one life¡­" Seo Jun-Ho had basically told them not to go beyond their limits if possible. The yers nodded and tapped their chests before jumping into the portal. "May good luck be with you, Specter-nim." "Good luck be with you¡­!" The ice castle quickly became empty. ¡°I apologize for being unable to stand by your side at a time like this¡­¡± said Kim Woo-Joong, looking remorseful. However, it couldn¡¯t be helped because he still hadn¡¯t recovered from his injuries. "You¡¯ll have to move independently, anyway. Are you sure you¡¯ll be okay? Gt will be a bit difficult to attack,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. "I should be fine as long as I don¡¯t go beyond my limits. Of course, I have no other choice but to swing my sword moderately to recover quickly,¡± replied Kim Woo-Joong. Someone wearing a cast on one of their arms shouldn¡¯t say that they would swing their sword moderately, but it made sense because the patient was none other than the Sword Saint. "Just don''t overdo it..." "¡­I wish you the best of luck." Kim Woo-Joong nodded and left for Gt. Skaya handed ten teleport scrolls to Seo Jun-Ho. "I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you this before, but do you feel like dying whenever you can¡¯t do something crazy?¡± "¡­I know it''s crazy, but I have to do it today.¡± "Well, I suppose so. What we have done today is basically the same as a deration of war, anyway." A single magic bomb would melt at least hundreds of Overminds, and the outskirts of Gt were within the st range, so thousands of them were definitely affected by the attack. "Are you sure you don''t want me to go with you?" Skaya asked worriedly. "It¡¯ll be better for me to go alone," replied Seo Jun-Ho. Skaya bit her lips and said, ¡°All right, but you better not die.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded and walked over to another portal. "I''ll be back." Seo Jun-Ho jumped into the portal, and the scenery abruptly changed. He immediately activated Night Walking the moment he emerged from the portal. He used magic on both of his eyes and saw a huge fortress on the horizon ¡°Babylon¡­¡± It was the capital of the Babe Empire, and Rahmadat was held captive somewhere in that city. Seo Jun-Ho was nning to rescue Rahmadat while everyone was focused on the chaos in Gt. 1. it¡¯s a salute ? Chapter 526. Corrupt Star (3) Chapter 526. Corrupt Star (3) "Hah..." Digor groaned while looking at the map. It had already been a month since General Ceylonso''s siege failed, and the empire had only managed to capture six yers over the past month. "It''s definitely difficult." He tapped on the desk. The empire¡¯s issue was the size of the continent. ''The empire isrge¡­'' Digor couldn¡¯t have known that the size of the empire, which had always been the source of their pride, would hold them down like this one day. There were only a hundred people hiding throughout the vast empire. ¡°If they really want to hide, then there¡¯s no way we can find them." Archmage Kodone was working on a method to find them, but it was uncertain when he would be done with his research. ''And the enemies are quick¡­¡¯ They could attack from anywhere. In fact, they had been causing chaos throughout the empire over the past month. ''What they want is likely information.'' They had been raiding viges and the cities on the outskirts. They had been robbing houses to steal sources of information such as books. They had to have thought that they needed more information about the empire. Digor sighed deeply and leaned against his seat. "We have no choice but to be at their mercy for the time being..." The yers were hiding, so chasing after them would be futile. However, the empire also got lucky. ''They couldn¡¯t deal that much damage to us.¡¯ They werending steady jabs, but there had been no heavy damage so far. Digor had no choice but to overlook the minor damage and aim for an opportunity. ''Once Kodone finishes his research, the tides will turn...¡¯ After all, time was on the side of the empire¡ªthe master and owner of this continent. Digor was convinced that they could never be defeated. "Y-your Highness¡­!" The door was flung open, and an imperial guard rushed into the office. Digor frowned. "How rude. What''s going on? Why didn¡¯t you even knock?" "T-the human has attacked us once again!" "Ha... again?" As usual, Digor expected nothing but minor damage. He looked at the map and asked, "Where is it this time? I¡¯m sure they attacked one of the towns on the periphery. Was it Gardin? Sovia? Or was it Nargo?" The imperial guard shook his head and replied, "Gt. They attacked Gt." "What?" Digor¡¯s expression turned strange. Gt was one of the three most important cities in the empire, considering its poption and economy. ¡®And that is why it''s hard to attack it with gueri tactics...¡¯ The demons from beyond the Gate were strong, but the tinum Knights Order under Duke Schalke was strong as well. In addition, Gt itself had a poption of more than ten thousand Overminds. "Ha¡­ those madmen. I guess they¡¯ve finally lost their minds.¡± The enemies finally got tired of waiting for an opportunity, so they decided to create one for themselves. Digor reckoned that it was the case. "How¡¯s the damage? No, I guess it¡¯ll be faster to ask how many did they capture?" "That''s..." The imperial guard didn¡¯t reply. He even started trembling as if he had made a huge mistake. Digor felt that something was strange. "Why won¡¯t you answer? I just asked you a question.¡± "It''s¡­" "I can''t hear you well¡ªspeak louder." "At least three thousand...¡± Digor was momentarily confused. ¡®3,000 people?¡¯ Their enemies were only a hundred people, so what the hell did that number mean? The answer quickly became clear to Digor. "Are you saying that we lost three thousand of our troops?" ¡°Yes, that is correct¡­¡± the imperial guard answered grimly as he finally let out the breath that he had been holding in his lungs. Speechless, Digor slumped into his chair. "Were they poisoned?¡± The imperial guard closed his eyes tightly. "No¡­ The three thousand are just the casualties¡­" "How¡­!" Bang! Digor mmed his palm into his desk. "How could that be? What the hell were Duke Schalke and the tinum Knights Order doing?!" ¡°¡­¡± The imperial guard remained silent, which made it even more frightening. "Why¡­. why are you silent¡ªWait, no way...¡± "The entire tinum Knights Order and Duke Schalke were silenced." Silenced¡­ It was an euphemism that meant that they could never open their mouths again. In other words, they had perished. "Haha, hahaha." Digor chuckled hollowly. ¡®Does that even make sense?¡¯ There were only a hundred people¡ªno, Digor was sure that their camp didn¡¯t have even a hundred people right now after being scattered all over the continent. There could only be dozens of them at most. However, mere dozens of yers actually killed three thousand Overminds, including the elites of the empire? "What the hell happened? Tell me..." "ording to the message we have received, it seems that the demons from beyond the Gate had set off some kind of bomb." "A bomb?" Digor''s eyebrows frowned. He knew what a bomb was, but the bomb he knew could never produce such power. ¡°¡­¡± It seemed that the humans from beyond the Gate had a more advanced civilizationpared to the Overminds. Digor sprang up from his seat. "What did His Majesty say?" "His Majesty has ordered the mobilization of the Capital Defense Guards." The mobilization order of the Capital Defense Guards meant that the empire was in a dire situation. Digor hurriedly put on his overcoat. "I''lle with you." "His Majesty has left you a message." The imperial guard gulped and said, "He said that Your Highness should keep the pce safe." "¡­What?" Digor was baffled. Did the emperor really send that kind of order? The same emperor who had always loved to use Digor? ¡®But this time, why is he¡­¡¯ Digor trailed off, and his eyes deepened. "I will see His Majesty." *** Constant screams and wails filled the surroundings. The yers frowned at the pandemonium in front of them. "M-mom... Mom¡­!¡± "Dream¡­. This must be a dream...¡± "Why? Why¡­?¡± The yers saw Overminds hugging their parents, brothers, and lovers while crying. They couldn¡¯t help but think that the Overminds were human-like. "Don''t falter¡­" Nilbas Perry made the first move. Slice! The head of a crying father hugging his son¡¯s corpse rolled on the floor. ¡°Do we really have time to sympathize with these things?" The yers bit their lips at Nilbas¡¯ scathing reprimand. "¡­That''s right, they started it first.¡± "We''re just paying them back in their own coin.¡± One by one, the yers drew their weapons and started hunting the Overminds down. And it was then that they finally realized¡­ "Human beings! You bastards! How dare you!" "I''ll kill you. I''ll kill you!" They finally realized that the beings in front of them were just monsters imitating humans. The Overminds transformed into many different types of monsters before rushing at them while crying tears of blood. "Kill as many of them as you can!" "Spare even a droplet of sweat, and yourrade will spill a bucket of blood!" "Don''t be deceived by their appearances! They¡¯re monsters in human skin!" The yers who had the upper hand. The Overminds were strong, but only those who had been training their entire lives could stand toe-to-toe against the yers. Those who had been enjoying their lives as ordinary citizens and couldn¡¯t handle the swords of the trained yers. "The eastern sector has been cleared!" ¡°We¡¯re going north!" The best yers moved neatly as if they had been working together for years. The fleeing Overminds, the fighting Overminds, and the scared stiff Overminds¡ªthe blood of the Overminds and their screams pervaded the streets. "Wheeew¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong looked down, seemingly dissatisfied. His sword felt heavy, as if it were a cotton ball soaked in water. "That¡¯s why I told you that you should rest for today," Son Chae-Won said next to him. "You''re still a patient, you know?" "¡­I know, but I have to buy time." Seo Jun-Ho was in much more danger than them, considering that he would be going to the capital of the empire to rescue Rahmadat. The yers were here to distract the Overminds while Seo Jun-Ho was in the middle of his mission. "Oh? Woo-Joong." "I can see it, too." Kim Woo-Joong''s eyes narrowed slightly. "Reinforcements." Dense columns of light descend all over the city. As expected, the enemy reinforcements appeared to defend the city. "R-reinforcements¡­!" "His Majesty has sent reinforcements!" "Kill the demons¡ªkill the demons from beyond the Gate!" The Overminds cheered and started their counterattack. "You guys aren¡¯t the only ones with reinforcements,¡± Kim Woo-Joong muttered while looking in the direction of the Gate. *** Tap, tap, tap¡­ "Who¡¯s there?!" A guard pointed his spearhead toward where the noise hade from. "What''s wrong?" "No, I heard something, so I looked, but...¡± "It¡¯s just a leaf? Come on, man, your ears are so sensitive." The guard stared at the swaying leaf and turned away awkwardly. If he had a more meticulous mind, then he would have thought about why there was a swaying leaf in mid-air when there was no wind here. ¡®Great.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had snuck in by moving between the shadows. The shadows coalesced to form a person in a back alley. Seo Jun-Ho had sessfully infiltrated the capital. ''But this is just the beginning...¡¯ After all, he had no idea where Rahmadat was held captive. Seo Jun-Ho took a ss vial out of his Inventory. "I hope this works¡­¡± The ss vial contained a potion that Skaya had made herself. It had the effect of temporarily increasing his ability to detect magic. Unfortunately, he had to pay a great price upon consuming the potion. ¡®Skaya said that I could lose a few magic stat points once the potion wears off¡­¡¯ However, it didn¡¯t really matter to Seo Jun-Ho. The ck Moon Heart Method had quenched his thirst for magic. Click, gulp, gulp. He downed the potion, and his magic circuits turned hot. ¡®Where are you?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. A thread of magic enveloped the capital like a web. - Hey, can you get in touch with Gt? The line¡¯s been dead all day. - Hmm, the knights at the pub paid their bills and rushed out without even finishing their meals. Do you think that it has something to do with what¡¯s going on at Gt? - The weather is so nice today. Shall we go to West Park for tea? - Kodone-nim will be going to Gt soon. We''re about to move as well, so everyone should be prepared to move as soon as possible. The web of magic allowed Seo Jun-Ho to hear all sorts of conversations throughout the city. ''There are so many useless conversations...¡¯ He decided to ignore every noise outside the pce. - The pce is busy today. Is there something wrong? - What? You still haven¡¯t heard yet? Gt is in chaos right now. - It¡¯s really scary. Listen, the demons from beyond the Gate... He ignored every sound from above ground. Sweat flowed down Seo Jun-Ho''s face like rain. It was extremely difficult to urately maneuver and maintain a web of magic throughout the capital. ''To a deeper ce¡­ to a ce of greater darkness¡­ to a deserted ce...'' Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic prated the basement of the Imperial Pce, and it went down for a long time until his ears finally picked up the noise that he had been looking for this whole time. - Cough¡­! There was a cough followed by the grotesque noise of liquid hitting the floor. It seemed that the individual had just coughed a mouthful of blood. The cough sounded extremely familiar to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ears, and his eyes opened wide. "...Found you." The cough definitely came from Rahmadat. There was no way he was mistaken. After all, he had spent many years with Rahmadat. ''The innermost cell on the basement¡¯s 11th floor...'' Seo Jun-Ho looked at his Vita. "I¡¯m sure the emperor has already noticed my presence..." He didn¡¯t bother hiding his thread of mana when he was poking around the pce, so the magic detectors of the empire¡¯s archmage had definitely detected his presence. ''I have no other choice; I have to find Rahmadat as soon as possible.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho left the back alley and stared at the Imperial Pce. He couldn¡¯t see through obstacles, but he could guess what was going on in the Imperial Pce right now. ''The troops stationed at the Imperial Pce are probably going down to the 11th floor right now¡­¡¯ There was one surefire method to defeat a multitude of enemies, and it was a method that had endured the passage of time. "And it¡¯s to make them dance in the palm of my hand¡­¡± They had already seeded in executing the very first step of the n. Chapter 527. Corrupt Star (4) Chapter 527. Corrupt Star (4) "Why?" It was a rather severe tone to take while speaking to the ruler of the continent. ¡°¡­¡± Was it too much of a bother to deal with it? The emperor simply nced at Digor before closing his eyes. "Did you not understand?" "There is no way I would understand¡­!" Digor eximed. "The minimum death toll is estimated to be at least four thousand¡­ four thousand!" Every news they had received from Gt so far was bad news, so Digor found it hard to ept the emperor¡¯s orders to stand by in the Imperial Pce. "You usually send me to respond whenever something happens." "It''s the same..." "Yes?" "It¡¯s the same this time. If something happens, I''ll send you first." "What does that...¡± Digor trailed off. Gt had already been attacked by the demons, and the Capital Defense Guards were currently fighting to stop them. However, the emperor said that he would send Digor if something were to happen. What did that mean? "Please enlighten me¡­" said Gidor. "Their actions are iprehensible, so they must be hiding something." "What do you mean by hiding something?" "Does it make sense for only a hundred humans to attack such arge city?" Digor couldn¡¯t answer immediately. When he heard the news, he thought it was a bad joke or a prank at first. "Then, Father, are you saying that they have other ns?¡± "I¡¯ll tell you one thing¡ªSeo Jun-Ho is not in Gt." ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡­ He was the man who destroyed the Radio Tower and General Ceylonso¡¯s murderer. ¡®The guy we think is the leader of the humans isn''t in Gt?¡¯ Digor¡¯s head quickly cooled down, and he came back to his senses. Digor nodded and organized the situation in his head. "I admit. If he isn¡¯t on the battlefield, then there¡¯s something else going on.¡± "In that case, what do you think it is?" What was the reason behind Seo Jun-Ho staying away from the main unit at the risk of suffering more casualties? "It is probably because of that human in the underground prison..." "Correct." The emperor finally opened his eyes. "That is why I didn¡¯t send you over to Gt. You have to stay here and protect this ce." "But¡­" Digor seemed confused. "You¡¯re here, Father." If Digor were asked about who was the strongest in the empire, then it would definitely be the emperor. If Digor were asked about who was the strongest man in the world, then it would also be the emperor. The emperor was invincible, so why would he need to borrow Digor¡¯s hand? "I believe I have told you again and again." The emperor''s eyes turned to Digor. However, it didn¡¯t feel like he was looking at Digor. He seemed like he was looking somewhere else. "I am the emperor, and I have to keep an eye out on so many things." ¡°Yes, I know¡­¡± It was the truth. It had been a thousand years since the emperor rose to the throne, but Digor had never seen the emperor sleep. ''He has been watching over everything on the continent from that seat¡­¡¯ He had been watching over the continent through the eyes and ears of the Overminds, and it was his duty as the Emperor of Babe. "Can you really not make a move once Seo Jun-Ho infiltrates the pce?" "I cannot make a move,¡± the emperor said indifferently. "The moment I make a move, God will make a move as well." ¡°Is God still here?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure¡­¡± However, just over a month ago, the emperor felt God¡¯s presence while he was in Ceylonso¡¯s body. "But it seems that the old and persistent specter still hasn¡¯t given up on this world, and I reckon that He is only looking for a chance." Obviously, His goal was to recover what the emperor had usurped. His presence was the reason why the emperor had never been able to get even a wink of sleep over the past millennium. Beep! Beep! Beep! All of a sudden, the magic detectors in the pce simultaneously beeped like cicadas. "He''s here." "I will make quick work of him." "Hand¡­." the emperor raised his hand and said, "Don¡¯t forget to think that you are dancing in the palm of his hand, and move ordingly with that thought in mind.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Digor bit his lips at the acrimonious assessment. It seemed that the emperor thought more highly of Seo Jun-Ho than Digor. "I will show you the result." *** ¡°Be vignt!" "Install magic detectors in all entrances, windows, and even in the vents!" The 11th basement floor to the west of the Imperial Pce was abuzz. The hallway was filled with knights, even though it would usually have only a handful of guards. Digor crossed his arms and observed. ''There¡¯s no problem. Yes. There''s no way that he¡¯s going to be an issue.¡¯ The knights from one of the three most powerful knight orders of the empire were here, and a whopping hundred knights at that. Digor was also simting the uing battle in his head. ¡®What if it was me?¡¯ If he were to stand against these knights and himself, would he be able to rescue the hostage? Digor shook his head. ''It''s impossible. It can¡¯t be done, no matter what.¡¯ Regardless of how powerful Seo Jun-Ho was, he would fail and get caught here today. nk, nk, nk! The sound of chains being dragged across the floor echoed as the knights dragged someone along with them. ¡°¡­¡± The chained giant wordlessly stared at Digor. A de was sticking out of him from between the gap in his restraints. The de was interrupting his recovery, but the chained giant seemed indifferent. Digor said, "First of all, congrattions. Your friend hase to see you.¡± "¡­Friend?" "I think his name is Seo Jun-Ho. He¡¯s your friend, right?" ¡°¡­¡± Rahmadat lowered his head, seemingly speechless. ¡°I dare you to rebel tomorrow. We¡¯ll definitely capture him today, so whenever you rebel, we will torture your friend.¡± The chained giant in front of Digor was locked up in a prison, not in a research institute. And the reason was simple¡ªthe chained giant couldn¡¯t be controlled. ¡®What a monster.¡¯ They had tried the strongest paralytic drugs and barbiturates, but Rahmadat had remained unaffected. Whenever they attempted to do some research on him, he would run wild, so they couldn¡¯t conduct any research on him at all. ''But you have no choice but to be a quiet dog by tomorrow...¡¯ He had sacrificed himself to let his friends escape. In other words, he valued his friends more than himself, so he would have no choice but to obey them if he didn¡¯t want his friend to get hurt. "Pfft¡­!" Rahmadat startedughing with his head lowered. His figure trembled as heughed, and his wounds opened up with each trembling, but he didn¡¯t stopughing. "Pffft¡­! Hahaha, hahaha¡­!" Digor smirked at the sight. "Yes. Laugh as much as you can while you can. Things won¡¯t be funny anymore once we¡¯ve captured your friend.¡± "Pffft¡­! Sorry. I just couldn¡¯t help butugh in joy about how I¡¯m going to be free soon." "Ha, do you really think that you¡¯ll be free? Do you really think that your friend will seed?¡± Digor chuckled and shrugged. He swept his eyes across the knights in the prison. "Is he blind? Can he not see me and these knights?¡± "Pffft¡­! Hahahaha¡­" Rahmadat was stillughing. He couldn¡¯t help it; the situation was just that relieving and amusing for him. ¡°¡­¡± "I¡¯m his friend, but he¡¯s honestly scary, even to me¡­¡± "What?" "It¡¯s scary how he has consistently done the impossible. He¡¯s the kind of person who would seed, no matter the adversity,¡± exined Rahmadat. ¡°¡­¡± Digor remained silent. Just what was up with Rahmadat¡¯s confidence¡ªno, his crazed belief in Seo Jun-Ho that was closer to faith than belief? Digor¡¯s mood soured. He wordlessly stared at Rahmadat with a frown. Beep! Beep! Beep! All of a sudden, the magic detectors were triggered, but they weren¡¯t that noisy. The surrounding knights were startled. "What? Is it broken?" "No." Digor shook his head and said, "Kodone said that the fainter the magic, the lower the volume of the magic detectors." In other words, it wouldn¡¯t be strange that the magic detectors weren¡¯t that loud if Seo Jun-Ho was currently in stealth and was hiding his magic. Digor¡¯s eyes scanned the prison. "He''s nearby. He¡¯s probably already here." Digor put his index finger to his lip and looked around warily. The prison was quickly enveloped with a deafening silence. Everyone held their breaths and looked around. ¡®Now, where are you?¡¯ The prison felt gloomier than usual. Beep! Beep! Beep! The magic detectors beeped once more! ¡®Left to right!¡¯ Digor stretched out his hand and swiped. Twist! Space distorted, and everything in the direction where Digor had swiped his hand toward disintegrated into nothingness. ¡®Did I miss him?¡¯ He didn¡¯t feel any feedback. However, it seemed that he had scared Seo Jun-Ho enough for him to retreat because the magic detectors went silent. ¡°¡­¡± The strange confrontation thatsted over half an hour finally ended. Digor snorted and turned to look at Rahmadat. "What a shame. I think your friend ran away after seeing the level of security here." "You¡­ you¡¯re a prince of this empire, right?¡± "Yes, so what?" ¡°Pffft¡­!¡± Rahmadat¡¯s head was still lowered as his lips curled up. "You''re so dense. The empire¡¯s future is bleak.¡± "What are you¡ª" Digor started with a frown. Ruuumble! However, the prison suddenly trembled, interrupting Digor. Their surroundings shook, and the floor they were standing on soared into the sky. "Oh, ohhhhh!" "A-an earthquake?!¡± "Your Highness! Please stay down!" ¡°No¡­¡± Digor shook his head. There was no way an earthquake would push an entire floor upward. Digor turned to look at the floor and yelled, "Below! He''s downstairs!" Immediately afterward, Digor swiped at the floor. Twist! The floor twisted and shattered, revealing what was underneath. ¡®Ice¡­?¡¯ The air on the floor beneath them was as cold as a snowfield. No, it looked like there was a huge sheet of ice that was directly taken from a snowfield. Upon seeing it, Digor immediately realized what Seo Jun-Ho was trying to do. "You... you crazy bastard¡­!" Seo Jun-Ho was going to push the entire prison on the 11th basement floor to the ground. It seemed that Seo Jun-Ho was aware that he had no chance of winning if he were to fight them inside the prison. "Pffft¡­! Who could have known that you¡¯d be this dumb?!" Rahmadat threw his head back andughed. Digor was furious, but he didn¡¯t have the luxury to punish Rahmadat. ¡®The ceiling¡­!¡¯ As the 11th floor flew upward, the ceiling became their enemy¡¯s deadly weapon. "Argh! My legs¡­!" "Use Force to protect yourselves!" "Don''t get crushed¡­!" "Argh¡­! Ah!¡± The knights who failed to respond in time were sandwiched to death by the ceiling and the floor. The prison finally merged with the 10th basement floor. The dusty Digor emerged from the rubble and shouted, "You fools! Aim for the bottom, not the top! Break the ice sheet!" The remaining knights pulled out their weapons and attacked the ice sheet. At the sight, Rahmadat smirked and said, ¡°Do you seriously think that you can shatter that ice? It seems that you¡¯re not only dense, but you also don¡¯t know how to learn from your mistakes. Have you already forgotten about how you¡¯ve already failed once?¡± "What? I failed? What are you¡ª¡± Digor finally remembered it. - How dare you! Just who do you think you''re trying to touch? Impudent creature. She finally remembered the girl who seemed to be in herte teenage years but was daring enough to introduce herself as a queen. The ice she had made was incredibly sturdy, and he hadn¡¯t been able to find a way to shatter it. "No way¡­" Was Rahmadat saying that the ice sheet beneath them was made by her? Cold beaded sweat fell from Digor¡¯s temples. Perhaps Rahmadat was lying? However, Digor was suddenly overwhelmed with fear, and his fear quickly turned real. "Aaargh!" "Argh!" The knights started screaming. The ice beneath their teeth protruded into sharp stgmites, piercing their feet. "Y-your Highness!" "Your Highness, please¡­ please get out of here¡ªUgh!" Stctites and stgmites made out of ice sandwiched them. Digor bit his lips. ¡®You¡¯re going this far just to save one person?¡¯ Digor closed his eyes. He agonized for quite a while before eventually snapping his fingers. Snap! The only individual he could move with his Torsion was himself. Digor was quickly overwhelmed with a deep sense of defeat after being forced to abandon his knights and teleporting above ground by himself. ¡°Damn it, damn it, damn it¡­!¡± Digor¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot. "Don''t you even dare to think of living after what you have done in the heart of the empire¡­!¡± Digor swore to get revenge. Ruumble! The western building of the Imperial Pce copsed. Seo Jun-Ho had finally pushed the 11th basement floor to above ground. ¡®Where is he?¡¯ Digor scanned the thick cloud of dust. If Seo Jun-Ho and Rahmadat managed to escape, there would be no greater disgrace. ''I can¡¯t let them escape, no matter what.¡¯ Momentster, Digor saw a figure running away with a sack wrapped in darkness. Digor chased after him, but someone stood in his way. "Hey, where are you going?" ¡°¡­¡± It was Seo Jun-Ho. Digor''s face became frighteningly cold as he faced his smiling opponent. "You look more normal than I thought. Didn''t you want to kill me? Come at me." ¡°¡­¡± Digor raised his hand and stared at Seo Jun-Ho. "You have certainly exceeded my expectations, but you have overestimated yourself." "¡­ What?" Seo Jun-Ho asked, seemingly confused. "My father is watching over the entire world, and he is likely listening to me right now." In other words, they had seen how the Radio Tower had copsed through the eyes of one of the knights. "I heard that you destroyed the Radio Tower at the expense of your clone. Were you trying to do the same today?" asked Digor. ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned pale. Seeing that, Digor shouted at the imperial knights and magicians who were runningte. "Fifty knights pursue Seo Jun-Ho with me. As for the rest¡­ kill him!" "Yes!" "No, wait¡­! I''m Seo Jun-Ho! I said I¡¯m Seo Jun-Ho! Hey, wait! Don''t go¡­!" The clone desperately cried out, but the enemies stood in his way. Digor nced at the clone and saw his desperation. Then, he looked away and finally led fifty knights to chase Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Oh, no¡­! Don¡¯t go!¡± The clone eximed and thumped on his chest in frustration. Meanwhile, dozens of imperial knights surrounded him. "It''s a clone, so just kill him,¡± said the knight captain. "Yes!" The knights simultaneously responded and stared at the clone fiercely. The clone in front of them resembled the most powerful demon from beyond the Gate. The demon had just topped the Western Pce as well, so there was no way the imperial knights would look at him kindly. "Whew..." The clone finally swept his gaze across the knights. ¡°¡­?¡± The knight captain noticed something strange when he made eye contact with the clone. ¡®What¡¯s with his aura? Is that aura supposed to belong to a clone?¡¯ His Majesty himself had told them that Seo Jun-Ho''s clone only had a bit more than half of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s power. So, what the hell was going on? The cid killing intent of the existence in front of them made even the knight captain feel fearful. ¡®It¡¯s either we have grossly underestimated the original¡¯s power or¡­¡¯ Flinch! The knight captain¡¯s eyes quivered violently uponing up with an assumption that he didn¡¯t want to believe. "You¡­ who the hell are you?" he muttered. The demon smiled gently. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you guys earlier?¡± Slice! The heads of the twenty magicians behind the knights flew into the air. "I''m Seo Jun-Ho." Chapter 528. Corrupt Star (5) Chapter 528. Corrupt Star (5) Five minutes ago, the Frost Queen had just created an ice sheet to push the underground prison up to ground level. "I''m upset," said Seo Jun-Sik upon being summoned to the 12th basement floor. He kicked a random stone away and pouted. "You want me to self-destruct again, am I right? It wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience at all. Dying hurts, you know." "No." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and exined, "This time, I have a role for you that will allow you to run away and escape with your life.¡± "...Really? I get to live?" Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s ears perked as he eagerly asked, "What role is it? What do I have to do?¡± "It¡¯s easy. You just have to run away by yourself." ¡°Huh? You¡¯re trying to trick me again, are you? You liar! It can¡¯t be that easy!" Seo Jun-Sik eximed. He couldn¡¯t believe that the Original who had made him clean the entire Administrator¡¯s Store by himself¡ªthe Original who had forced him to sacrifice himself¡ªwas saying such things. It was simply unbelievable. Seo Jun-Sik put his hand on Seo Jun-Ho''s forehead and asked, "Are you sick? What¡¯s going on?¡± "What do you think?" Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly and tapped Seo Jun-Sik''s shoulder. "I actually feel bad about what I have done to you so far.¡± "Hm," Seo Jun-Sik muttered. He didn¡¯t expect to hear an apology from his Original. For some reason, he felt awkward, so he stepped backward and coughed dryly. "Nah, it''s better for me to die than for you to die. You''re the Original, anyway." "I¡¯m not nning on dying. Just lure the enemies away, so I¡¯ll have a bit more chance to survive," said Seo Jun-Ho. "Are you sure about that? Where in the Imperial Pce, you know?" ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t say anything in response. However, his expression was clearly saying that it didn¡¯t matter because he was Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Sik smirked at the sight. "Well, why am I even concerned about you?" Seo Jun-Sik could imagine himself dying in many ways, but he couldn¡¯t imagine Seo Jun-Ho dying. Seo Jun-Sik warmed up by stretching. "Ah, I¡¯m worried. I¡¯m a fast runner, so what are you going to do if they give up on chasing me ande after you?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± "Pffft! I know! I should hold back, right? Anyway, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t run that fast," said Seo Jun-Sik. His mood seemed to have improved. Seeing that, Seo Jun-Ho handed something over to Seo Jun-Sik. It was arge sack made out of darkness. "I want you to run while carrying this." "What is this? Did you put a bomb inside?" Seo Jun-Sik checked the sack with a frown, but the sack was empty. "There''s nothing in here, but it''s bulky, so it''s annoying to carry it while running..." "If you manage to hold on to it until we group up, then I''ll give you a hundred meal coupons for it.¡± "A-a hundred?" Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes widened. He hurriedly embraced the sack as if it were a priceless treasure. "I''ll protect it with my life. When do I start running?" "Once we¡¯re above ground, I want you to immediately start running.¡± "Where do I go?" "It doesn''t matter. Just don¡¯t get caught." ¡°Pffft! That''s easy." Seo Jun-Sik smiled brightly and tapped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder. "I knew you could do it, Original. This is how you do it; this is how to be nice. I want you to make me do something like this more often." "Should I?" "Yeah, I would do a mission like this a thousand times over without anyints¡ªhey, what are you doing?¡± "Nothing,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho with a faint smile and closed his Vita¡¯s camera. *** Seo Jun-Sik was extremely obedient. When the prison burst out of the ground, he immediately ran away without looking back. "Hahaha, this is too easy!¡± The cool breeze hitting his face made himugh. He thought that perhaps he would get along with his Original better if thetter were to give him more missions like this. ''Well, shall I adjust my speed?¡¯ If he ran too fast, the enemies would give up. Seo Jun-Sik was surprised when he looked back. ¡®What?¡¯ Digor Myulivaf. The Imperial Prince was chasing after him, seemingly pleased. Flustered, Seo Jun-Sik yelled, "Hey! Get lost!" ¡°A provocation. Are you angry because your n didn''t work out?¡± "What are you talking about? Get lost!" asked Seo Jun-Sik. However, Digor sent a wave of Force to Seo Jun-Sik rather than responding with words. "Argh!" The roof copsed. Seo Jun-Sik lost his footing and crashed to the ground. "Cough! Cough! Ptoooey!" he coughed and spat the dust he inadvertently caught in his mouth before hurriedly standing up. ¡®I''m in trouble.¡¯ Digor was chasing after him, and it was a turn of events that Seo Jun-Sik hadn¡¯t expected at all. Right now, Seo Jun-Sik reckoned that Seo Jun-Ho was panicking right now. ¡°Would he really be?¡± muttered Seo Jun-Sik. Wouldn¡¯t he conduct a ughter, considering that Digor wasn¡¯t nearby? Bang! Digor broke through the walls andnded. He stared at Seo Jun-Sik. "I¡¯m disappointed. I didn¡¯t expect that you would try to distract me with that clone.¡± "Who cares, dumbass!" Seo Jun-Sik snapped. Seo Jun-Sik was furious. It seemed that Seo Jun-Ho had fooled him and Digor. However, the difference between him and Digor was that Digor still had no idea that he had been fooled. "Subdue him. You can cut one or two of his limbs." The imperial knights pounced on Seo Jun-Sik at Digor''smand. "Ah, no¡­!" Seo Jun-Sik eximed and embraced the sack in his arms as if it were a treasure that was more precious than any other treasure in the world. Seeing that, Digor was convinced. ¡®I was right; he¡¯s the original...¡¯ However, the misunderstanding only deepened. *** "Seo... Jun-Ho?" muttered the bleeding knight captain. ''Does that mean that His Highness...¡¯ In other words, Digor was chasing after the wrong guy. Seo Jun-Ho was devious. He had made sure that Digor would misunderstand. ¡®He took advantage of His Highness'' brilliance to fool His Highness.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had gambled with his life on the line. The knight captain shivered slightly. ''It¡¯s treason to even think of this, but His Highness isn¡¯t his match.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was as devious and domineering as the Emperor of Babe. ¡°Haaa, haaa¡ªContractor!" A young woman was dragging Rahmadat over to Seo Jun-Ho. "Help me. He¡¯s too heavy!" "Give me a moment,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He turned to look at the knights and took a stance. "Spread out! Call for reinforcements!" eximed the knight captain. It seemed that his instincts didn¡¯t want him to waste any more time. "Oh?" ng! Seo Jun-Ho inwardly praised the knight captain. ¡®I didn''t expect him to respond.¡¯ Unfortunately, their fate was already set in stone. Swoosh! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s darkness consumed everything in its path. "C-captain!" "You devil¡­!" The surrounding imperial knights rushed at Seo Jun-Ho in fury. "You should have ignored your superior¡¯s orders," said Seo Jun-Ho. With that, the imperial knights near Seo Jun-Ho horizontally in half by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword move. It was such a pitiful death, considering that an imperial knight was strong enough to take on elite yers. Seo Jun-Ho walked through the bloodied tiles and carried Rahmadat on his back. "Are you sure you¡¯re not overdoing it? You can just leave me here. These guys don¡¯t know how to torture people, anyway," said Rahmadat. "You¡¯re the one who¡¯s overdoing it," Seo Jun-Ho said coldly. Rahmadat wasn¡¯t recovering from his injuries because he had already run out of magic. "Contractor," said the Frost Queen. "I know." A cacophony of footsteps reverberated throughout the Imperial Pce, and those footsteps belonged to at least a few hundred people. Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that every troop in the Imperial Pce was going over here to capture him. ''¡­Should I say that I¡¯m relieved?'' Seo Jun-Ho was prepared to fight the Emperor of Babe. However, it seemed that the emperor was adamant about hiding Rip! Seo Jun-Ho ripped a teleport scroll. "It¡¯s not working." "I knew it." Seo Jun-Ho presumed that a teleport scroll couldn¡¯t be used in Babylon. After all, Digor was in Babylon as well, and he had to have distorted the surrounding space to prevent escape by Teleport. ¡®I have to get out of the capital and run as far as I can away from Digor¡­¡± Unfortunately, it was a difficult endeavor. After all, Seo Jun-Ho had to avoid being caught by the imperial knights, and he also had to make sure that Rahmadat would remain safe on his back. The Frost Queen looked worried as she said, "From now on, everything depends on how much time Jun-Sik can buy." "He shouldst at least half an hour." "Half an hour? His opponent is an imperial prince, you know?" "He can do it,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho as he proceeded to tie Rahmadat to himself. "After all, he¡¯s my one and only clone." *** Creaaak! Space distorted, and Seo Jun-Sik was repelled. He flew backward and had to roll a few times before stopping. He barely managed to lift his upper body as he desperately tried to catch his breath. ¡°Haaa¡­ haaa¡­¡± His legs felt like they were made out of lead, and his vision was swimming. He could also feel a hot liquid dripping down his face, which meant that he was suffering from a head injury. "Fuck, there are too many of them,¡± remarked Seo Jun-Sik. Digor was an overwhelming opponent alone, but he also had fifty imperial knights. "I can see that you¡¯re a bit angry at me.¡± Seo Jun-Sik chuckled dryly. Seo Jun-Sik had killed thirty-seven imperial knights so far. The imperial knights'' gaze toward him had changed subtlypared to the first time they cornered him. "What¡¯s up with that look? Are you already tired of me? Come on, it hasn''t even been that long since we met." The imperial knights were tired, and they stared at Seo Jun-Sik as if he were a monster. Seo Jun-Sik forced himself to stand up, ignoring his injuries and fatigue. "Well, I¡¯m still not quite done yet. I¡¯m not even that injured. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Hm? I can see that only that mouth of yours is fine,¡± muttered Digor with his hands behind him. He had already cornered his enemy, but he wasn¡¯t happy at all. ¡®This is weird. There¡¯s no way he could have defeated General Ceylonso when he¡¯s this weak...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s true power was the reason why Digor had only been sending attacks from the rearguard. He had to be extremely careful when dealing with the former. After all, Seo Jun-Ho had killed General Ceylonso. "Pffft! You shouldn¡¯t think too deeply about it. Your dumb face won¡¯t change, anyway." ¡°¡­¡± Digor wordlessly bit his lips. The anxiety that had been brewing in him since he left the capital to chase after Seo Jun-Ho was starting to snowball. ¡®On the off chance that he¡¯s a clone...¡¯ Digor would aplish basically nothing, and it would be even more shameful because it meant that he had fallen for his own genius. - Don¡¯t forget to think that you are dancing in the palm of his hand, and move ordingly with that thought in mind. Digor¡¯s mood worsened upon recalling the emperor¡¯s words. "There¡¯s no way..." Digor pushed past the knights and said firmly, "I¡¯ll check for myself. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re the clone." "Pffft!" Seo Jun-Sik chuckled before pushing his bloody and sweaty hair back and sticking out his tongue at Digor. "Sorry, but I¡¯m the clone!" "Your trickery truly knows no bounds¡­" said Digor. "My trickery? Well, you¡¯re kind of correct," replied Seo Jun-Sik. Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s trickery was talking nonstop to buy time because he had already reached his limits. ¡®My mouth isn''t fine, actually.¡¯ His mouth was injured, so speaking was painful. However, there wasn¡¯t really anything he could do here aside from struggling until the end. ¡®I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯re paying so much attention to my words¡­ Anyway, I wonder how far he is right now?¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik smiled and took out his weapon. "Look at this thing, do you want to know its name? Its previous name was Cold Spear, but I took it to a fortune teller and¡ª¡± "I¡¯m not wrong..." Creaaak! Space was abruptly distorted along with Seo Jun-Sik''s left arm. "Argh!¡± Seo Jun-Sik eximed and staggered. "I''m not wrong. You¡¯re the original, right? Am I right?" "Aaargh!" Creaaak! Space distorted once more, and it twisted Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s leg into a weird angle. With one of his feet out ofmission, Seo Jun-Sik fell to the ground. Digor grabbed him by the cor. "Look me in the eye and say it." Digor¡¯s cold eyes were filled with a terrifying madness. However, Seo Jun-Sik simply smiled at the sight of it. "Aren¡¯t you curious? Why don¡¯t you check it for yourself?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Digor wordlessly hurled Seo Jun-Sik away before walking over to the sack wrapped in darkness. He momentarily hesitated before decisively tearing the sack apart. "What¡­?" Digor''s eyes shook violently. The sack was empty. ¡°Haaap!¡± Seo Jun-Sik roared and hurled White Dragon with all of his might. ng! Digor pped White Dragon away before extending his hand toward Seo Jun-Sik. Arge distortion in space appeared directly on Seo Jun-Sik, tearing him apart. ¡°Aaaargh!" Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s consciousness swam and darkened. He squeezed the final vestiges of his strength and smiled as he raised his middle finger at Digor. ¡°Pffft!¡± ¡°Aaaaaahhhhhh¡­!¡± Digor shouted furiously and stomped at Seo Jun-Sik. However, Seo Jun-Sik disappeared right before his eyes, and his foot only ended up hitting the floor. Chapter 529. Corrupt Star (6) Chapter 529. Corrupt Star (6) A stream of memories and emotions struck Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Jun-Sik has perished.¡¯ Hested fifty-six minutes, well over the half an hour Seo Jun-Ho expected him tost. He had done a great job. If he were next to Seo Jun-Ho, Seo Jun-Ho would have patted him on the shoulder for his hard work. ''But...'' Seo Jun-Sik had sacrificed himself, but he was still in a bad situation. "Heup!" Seo Jun-Ho swung Cruel Executioner. aang! The approaching swords were cut cleanly like tofu. "Idiots! Don''t try to block his weapon! Avoid it!" "Just stop him from running away!" "Keep in mind that our goal here is to stop him from running away until the generals arrive!¡¯ The Overminds roared and jumped away. Seo Jun-Ho frowned at the encirclement. ''¡­I''m getting tired of it.¡¯ There were at least three thousand of them¡ªthree thousand Overminds hade to surround him. He tore two teleport scrolls while he was running away, but none of them worked. ''I have topletely shake these guys off before I can escape.¡¯ He knew that it would be difficult, but it turned out to be much more difficult than he had expected. Perhaps the emperor had done something. He still had no idea what the emperor looked like, but Seo Jun-Ho was confident that the emperor had ns. ¡®The empire¡¯s generals will soon be here.¡¯ They were likely as strong as Ceylonso, and it would be impossible for him to escape once they got here. ¡°Just leave me here.¡± "Hush. Let me concentrate,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. His eyes turned cold as he said, "Frost, get ready. We¡¯re going to kill them all and carve a way out of here.¡± ¡°Can your mind handle it?" "I''ll do my best." The Frost Queen hesitated. "Y-you¡¯ve consumed a lot of mental strength to push the prison above ground earlier..." The Frost Queen was sure that Seo Jun-Ho was exhausted, so she asked, "Are you sure you¡¯ll have enough energy to run away if I were to go wild?" - I''ll help you with that. Keen Intuition spoke. - Right now, Partner''s current mental strength as a percentage is about 64%. If you leave him with about 6%, it should be good enough for him to escape. ¡°Hm¡­" The Frost Queen was doubtful. "Are you sure?" - How cheeky. I know my partner better than you. "Ha, how absurd. I know my contractor¡¯s limits because I even had to give him medicine.¡± "All right,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He interrupted before their argument intensified. ¡°Intuition, give me updates about my mental strength, and I''ll be the judge." - Got it. The Goddess of Time was smiling at the enemies rather than at them. ''I can''t afford to waste any more time here...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shone golden. "...Dignity of an Emperor." His senses were instantly sharpened as he became a pseudo-transcendent, and his senses expanded to envelop the surroundings. ¡®I can see it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could see everything from a bird¡¯s-eye view, making him feel as though he was ying a game, "The encirclement is the thinnest in the south. Let¡¯s go and carve a path," said Seo Jun-Ho before making his move. "South! They¡¯re moving to the south!" "Surround them! Don''t let them get away!" The knight captain shouted, and the troops moved together as if they were parts of a living creature. The troops in the south weed Seo Jun-Ho. "How daring of you to try and move past us. Soldiers! Be as sturdy as a boulder!" The soldiers abruptly transformed, bing rock giants that were three stories high. ''¡­It doesn¡¯t matter. I just have to cut through them.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho moved even faster. Darkness wrapped around Cruel Executioner as Seo Jun-Ho swung through them as though he was painting a nk canvas. aang! ¡®It''s working¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was relieved. Their skin was tougher than he thought, but they still couldn¡¯t withstand his power to scorn. However, he immediately found himself between a rock and a hard ce. "Gotcha!" "We possess the regenerative abilities of trolls, and we are the best shields of the empire." "No one can go through us!" The enemies recovered in the blink of an eye. "¡­What?" muttered Seo Jun-Ho as a huge hand loomed over him. Unfortunately, it was toote for him to dodge. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips and rolled into a ball. Then, he encased himself in ice. Boom! There was a loud noise as Seo Jun-Ho flew backward from the impact. "Ugh! Cough!" Seo Jun-Ho rolled a few times before he recovered and stood up. Whoosh! However, it was clear that his opponents didn¡¯t want to give him time to breathe as a shadow loomed over him once again. Seo Jun-Ho looked up and saw dozens of wyverns in the sky. "Damn it!" He moved away, and a wyvern''s w struck the ground where he had been standing. Boom! Unfortunately, the wyvern w carried with it so much force that the ground exploded the moment the wyvern w made contact with it, sending debris flying toward Seo Jun-Ho. ''Cold weapons are a no-go; I won¡¯t be able to reach those wyverns if I were to use those.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho opened his Inventory to change weapons. "Die!" a wyvern roared and attacked him. Seo Jun-Ho immediately pulled the trigger. Bang! There was a spray of blood as the wyvern crashed to the ground upon taking the brunt of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shotgun. "Contractor! There are monsters everywhere! They transformed¡­!" "Shit..." Overminds were capable of transforming into monsters, and their transformation allowed them to use a hundred percent of their strength. Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across the monsters and shouted, "Frost! Freeze as many of them as you can!" ¡°Got it! Just give me a moment!¡± The Frost Queen started channeling while Seo Jun-Ho focused on the wyverns. ''I¡¯ll leave everything on the ground to Frost. I have to get rid of the flying monsters by myself.¡¯ Bang! Bang! Bang! Seo Jun-Ho killed seven wyverns in the blink of an eye. ¡®There are only seventeen of them left.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes shone. The scared flying monsters started to fly even higher. ¡®Shadow Movement.¡¯ Swoosh! Seo Jun-Ho instantly arrived on a clump of darkness that he had attached to a wyvern¡¯s neck. "Hmm¡­? Ah! he''s on my back!" "What?" "Drop him!" The wyvern trashed in mid-air, but Seo Jun-Ho grabbed onto one of its scales and pointed his shotgun at the trembling wyvern. "You, you devil¡­! Even in the afterlife, I will never¡ª¡± "Don''t forgive me..." Baaaang! The wyvern¡¯s head exploded like a watermelon, and it fell almost immediately to the ground. However, Seo Jun-Ho was nowhere to be found. He had already appeared in the shadow of another wyvern. "H-He¡¯s moving onto our backs by bing a shadow!" "Run away!" "It''s toote." Seo Jun-Ho had already attached a clump of darkness to each and every wyvern here, so if they wanted to escape from him, they had to go up to the stratosphere at the very least. ¡°I¡¯ll kill all of you first before running away.¡± Seo Jun-Ho glued his legs to the wyvern he was riding and started shooting at the other wyverns. "You bastard¡­!" the wyvern quickly realized what Seo Jun-Ho was trying to do, so it immediately started spinning like crazy. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s world spun madly, but Seo Jun-Ho was glued to the wyvern, so he remained calm. ''Slowly¡­ just like he taught me.'' A certain gunslinger had told him to hold his breath and take his time aiming for his target before shooting¡ªthat was exactly what Seo Jun-Ho did. Bang! Bang! Bang! A wyvern fell with every shot. "Aaaaaaaargh!¡± The wyvern that Seo Jun-Ho was riding shed tears of blood, and it finally reverted to its human form. "You should have done that sooner, you could have saved some of your friends," said Seo Jun-Ho. "Shut up!" The soldier embraced Seo Jun-Ho tightly while they were falling and growled. "You¡¯ll die here with me! Go to hell¡­!" "Oh, hell? Many people have nominated me to go to hell, but...¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, "I don''t want to go.¡± Swoosh! Seo Jun-Ho turned into darkness. "...Huh? Huuuuh?!" Crunch! There was a grotesque sound as the knight crashed to the ground. Meanwhile, the darkness coalesced to form the figure of a certain individual. "He''s on the ground!" "Kill him!" The Overminds charged toward him. The Frost Queen eximed, "Contractor!" "Yeah.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He took a deep breath before saying, ¡±Do it.". Craaackle! A deafening crackle echoed, and the world itself seemed to have frozen over. Ring! Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t hear anything aside from a ringing noise, and his vision abruptly swam. ¡®Ugh, t-the impact is stronger than I thought¡­!¡¯ It took Seo Jun-Ho a few seconds to realize that he was on all fours. After a while, he could finally hear Keen Intuition¡¯s voice. - Eight percent! Seven! Six¡­! Stop it, Spirit! We¡¯ve reached the threshold! "Haaa, haaa¡­! Contractor! Are you okay!? Did I go overboard?" ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho said with a pallid look. He looked up and saw that the in had be a graveyard of spears. There was nothing else aside from spears as far as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes could see. Perhaps there were hundreds of thousands of them on this in. "Perhaps some of them are alive, but they have definitely been immobilized.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded at the Frost Queen¡¯s words and forced himself to stand up. He leaned against the Frost Queen¡¯s shoulders, but he stumbled and copsed to the ground after only a few steps. "Ugh¡­!" "Contractor! Come on! We¡¯re so close!" Of course, Seo Jun-Ho knew that they were close. He reckoned that they only had to run a few hundred meters, and they would finally be able to use a teleport scroll. He knew it, but he couldn¡¯t move¡­ ''I have to stand up.¡¯ ¡®How do I stand up?¡¯ Riiip! A tearing noise echoed, and Seo Jun-Ho felt weightless. "Haaa¡ªw-what is it?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho while gasping for breath. Rahmadat had gotten off Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back, and he shook his head at thetter¡¯s question. "Jun-Ho, I think this is it." "Stop the nonsense. Just get on my back. We don''t have time," said Seo Jun-Ho before asking, "How many?" Rahmadat stretched out a few fingers. Maybe two... No, was it four? Rahmadat heard Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sigh. "Your injuries are too severe. I think it¡¯s a miracle that we can even talk like this,¡± Rahmadat remarked. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly closed his eyes. He knew the extent of his injuries. "Still, I came all the way here to save you, so we have to leave together." "If I could walk, I would have gone with you somehow," replied Rahmadat. Tremble. Rahmadat raised his hand with difficulty, and he ced it on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder. Seo Jun-Ho could feel Rahmadat¡¯s trembling through his shoulder. "You¡¯ve done your best. You can¡¯t escape with me." "I told you not to speak¡­ nonsense¡­" "Look." Rahmadat pointed. Seo Jun-Ho turned and saw a cloud of dust. "I¡¯m sure they¡¯re reinforcements, and the generals are probably with them,¡± said Rahmadat. "And that¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you that we have to run away now!" "I can''t¡­!" Rahmadat shouted and coughed a mouthful of ck blood. His visage rapidly paled as he exined, "They poisoned me, and I won¡¯t be able to absorb it anytime soon. I don''t want to be your burden, so go..." ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes quivered violently. The cloud of dust was so huge that there were probably a thousand approaching Overminds. There was no way that Seo Jun-Ho could deal with so many Overminds considering his current condition. ¡®W-what do I do¡­?¡¯ ¡®God¡­ if you exist and you¡¯re looking at me, then please¡ªplease help me.¡¯ Drip. Water dripped down Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cheeks, but it wasn¡¯t because he was crying. It was all because it was raining¡­ "Oh? Tsk, tsk¡­" A man clicked his tongue and said, "Does this even make sense? Did they do it together?" "No, he did it by himself. The big guy there can''t even walk because he¡¯s poisoned." "Wait, really? He defeated two divisions on his own?" the man asked in disbelief. He quickly turned hostile as he said, "We definitely can¡¯t let him live." "His Majesty told us to bring him alive.¡± "How can you say that when you can see all these? We ought to tackle a problem at its roots. Since we cannot possibly control him, then we have to destroy him." There was silence between the two men, but they didn¡¯t argue anymore. ¡°Just remember that I tried to stop you¡­." "I know. I¡¯m doing this arbitrarily. I''ll just offer my own head to His Majesty if he tells you to take responsibility." It was raining cats and dogs, but Seo Jun-Ho could still make out the sshing footsteps of the two men. "You¡¯re an enemy, but I''ll listen to yourst words. Do you have any?" asked the man. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vision was still swimming. He had to get up and fight, but he couldn¡¯t even think straight anymore. He felt like his brain had been fried. "I¡¯ll take your silence as no." Schwing. A sword was unsheathed, but a deafening noise interrupted the man. Rumble! It was the enraged rumble of thunder. Chapter 530. Corrupt Star (7) Chapter 530. Corrupt Star (7) Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vision was blurry, but he could vaguely make out someone¡¯s shimmering back profile. ¡®Rahmadat¡­?¡¯ Rahmadat¡¯s back wasn¡¯t that small. So why? Why was he excited and emotional to see that not-so-wide back? ''Is it because of the smell?¡¯ There was a faint metallic smell in the air, and Seo Jun-Ho was familiar with that smell. It was the smell of the man he had been missing and had permanently upied a corner of his heart and mind. "Master?" Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hesitant and trembling voice echoed as tears welled up in his eyes. The man in front of him smelled like his master. "Is it really you, Master¡­?" As far as he could remember, his master¡ªthe Thunder God¡ªhad given him as much as he could give, but the Thunder God had passed on before he could repay him. The figure turned around and smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, junior brother.¡± Seo Jun-Ho forgot his physical condition and sprang up. "Geon-woo hyung?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho forgot his injuries and sprang up. ¡°Argh!" Bzzzt! Baek Geon-Woo inexplicably appeared next to him and stopped him from falling. "Don¡¯t overdo it, just sit down." "¡­Is it really you, Geon-woo hyung?" "Yes. It''s really nice to see you again," replied Baek Geon-Woo. Seo Jun-Ho took in Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s entire figure. Now that he was seeing him up close, Seo Jun-Ho became sure of it. The man in front of him was Baek Geon-Woo, his one and only senior brother. He had shared the joys and sorrows of life with theirte master. "Where in the world¡­? Just where in the world have you been¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho became sorrowful. To avenge his master, Seo Jun-Ho had killed a myriad of fiends, but until now, Baek Geon-Woo had been missing. "I-I thought you made a wrong decision..." Seo Jun-Ho thought that Baek Geon-Woo might have embarked on a suicide mission to avenge their master. Therefore, Seo Jun-Ho also looked for traces of Baek Geon-Woo from the fiends¡¯ memories. "It¡¯s a long story." Baek Geon-Woo scratched his cheek and smiled bitterly. "And it¡¯s a much longer story than you can imagine..." ¡°Just what have you been doing¡­?¡± "I was trying my best." Baek Geon-Woo stared at his hands longingly. "I wanted to carry Master¡¯s legacy." Seo Jun-Ho blinked. However, he couldn¡¯t ask any more questions after recalling their current situation. "Did youe here by yourself? Those guys are strong¡ªthey are the generals of this empire." "Don''t worry," said Baek Geon-Woo. He sounded so confident that Seo Jun-Ho had to take a closer look at him, and he saw it¡ªBaek Geon-Woo was covered with scars. The time, patience, and pain he had to have experienced to sustain those scars were conveyed to Seo Jun-Ho. "Go rest.¡± Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s voice sounded warm, and it made Seo Jun-Ho feel as though he had returned to his mother¡¯s arms. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyelids closed as the umted fatigue finally caught up to him. *** Upon confirming that Seo Jun-Ho was fast asleep, Baek Geon-Woo stood up. Bocello¡ªa general of Babe¡ªspoke, "Are you done talking?" "You speak Korean?" "I have mastered yournguage. Overminds are more than capable of doing that." Bocello put his halberd on his shoulder and raised his chin. "I don¡¯t really like to get interrupted while I¡¯m fighting, so if there are other people hiding, then you should tell them toe out.¡± "Rx. I''m here by myself,¡± replied Baek Geon-Woo. "Really?" Baek Geon-Woo nodded. ¡®He¡¯s fast, but I¡¯ve never seen him in any of the reports...¡¯ In other words, he shouldn¡¯t be that strong. All of a sudden, a fellow general¡ªBamon¡ªwalked up to him. "Let''s work together." "What? Together?" Bocello frowned. They only had one opponent, and their opponent wasn¡¯t even in the reports, but Bamon actually wanted to fight two versus one? Bocello expressed his displeasure. "Hey, turtle. I know you like to y it safe, but this is going too far." "What has gone too far is your conceit." Bamon retorted. "His speed is dangerous." "Sure, but if you¡¯re wrong, then I will hold you ountable for this humiliation," Bocello growled and abruptly swung his halberd. Baek Geon-Woo muttered, "Thunder Body." It was a skill that allowed him to transform his body into a physique capable of housing an element beyond the five elements. - Y¡¯re going to wield lightning, so ya have to maintain this even when yer asleep, got it? ''I finally understand.¡¯ The disciple was dumb and aggard, so it took him a long time. However, the disciple finally understood. Bzzt, bzzzzt! Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s lightning burst out. "Aargh!" "Bocello!" Bamon screamed. Bocello stiffened and melted into liquid upon being struck by lightning. ¡®Slime?¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo scanned the ground coldly. It was raining, so it was impossible to distinguish between slime and water. "¡­I don''t have to know the difference,¡± he muttered indifferently before putting his palms. "The dragon of thunder shakes the world¡­¡± A vast amount of magic and thunder energy burst out of him. Roooarr! A huge thunderbolt in the shape of a dragon rose. The dragon was so overwhelmingly massive that it would easily instill fear into all living creatures. Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s gaze decided the dragon¡¯s path. "Thunder Dragon Shakes the Heavens¡­¡± Rumble! There was a sh of lightning as the dragon collided with the ground. Boom! "Aaargh!" Bamon screamed upon being electrocuted. The marching troops of the two generals abruptly came to a halt as well. ¡®I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll chase us...¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo had been protecting Rahmadat and Seo Jun-Ho with his magic, and he finally picked them up when he confirmed that the troops were intimidated enough. His lengthy training had strengthened him, but he still wasn¡¯t confident that he could defeat thousands of troops, considering that each of them wasparable to an elite yer. ¡®To think that he¡¯s strong enough to deal with two army divisions by himself¡ªit¡¯s really unbelievable.¡¯ Of course, Seo Jun-Ho had always been capable of aplishing the impossible. Baek Geon-Woo smiled while looking at his junior brother. Bzzt! He turned into a bolt of lightning that quickly disappeared into the horizon. *** Seo Jun-Ho felt weightless as he opened his eyes slowly. ¡®Where am I?¡¯ When Seo Jun-Ho came to his senses, the tform he was standing on plummeted. He reacted instinctively, but he froze when he realized where he was standing. ¡®The clouds?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho found himself standing on an ind high in the sky. He was surrounded by clouds that he usually had to look up to see. Seo Jun-Ho was confused, but he hurriedly started shouting, "Frost? Frost¡­! Intuition? Geon-Woo hyung! Rahmadat!" He couldn''t see anyone else, but he suddenly felt someone¡¯s presence behind him. "Oh, It¡¯s me. Don¡¯t be surprised. I¡¯m just d to see you." "...Sir Hart, how are you¡ª" Seo Jun-Ho trailed off upon seeing that Hart¡¯s figure seemed to be translucent. Hart scratched his cheek, seemingly embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m confused as well. I didn¡¯t expect that I¡¯d get to talk to you like this, my lord.¡± "But, Sir Hart, aren¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡®Dead?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud. However, Hart nodded as if he had seen through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s thoughts. "Of course, I''m dead. Do I look alive?" Hart¡¯s figure was certainly translucent. Hart said, "I have no idea why, but you¡¯re translucent as well¡­" "Yeah¡­ why am I¡ªwait, could it be that...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes quivered violently, and he examined himself to find that his figure was also translucent. Seo Jun-Ho was devastated as he asked, "Sir Hart... did I die in my sleep?¡± "No, as far as I know, you should still be alive." "But, why...?¡± "Well, won¡¯t it be faster for us to just ask the owner of this ce?¡± replied Hart. The owner? Now that he thought about it, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t familiar with this ce. He looked around and saw stars everywhere. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly made eye contact with Hart, and he nodded before moving over to the nearby staircase. His bare feet could feel solid feedback from the dusty stone steps. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho climbed up the stairs and saw a small fountain and a garden. "It looks like it has been abandoned for a long time." "Indeed, there¡¯s too much dust, and it seems that everything has been corroded by time.¡± The fountain was dry, and the flowers in the garden were dead. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know why, but he felt sad at the sight. Hart stood there and pointed at a new staircase up ahead. "This is as far as I¡¯m allowed to go. You should climb those stairs on your own." ¡°Thank you." "It¡¯s fine, I enjoyed our meeting after such a long time." With that, Seo Jun-Ho left Hart and slowly climbed up the stairs. There was a temple simr to the Parthenon beyond the stairs. "That¡¯s enough." A cold and crisp voice interrupted him. Seo Jun-Ho looked up and saw someone at the top of the stairs. ¡®Why is her skin glowing¡­?¡¯ The individual at the top of the stairs was a woman in a ck suit. Her blonde hair was so long that ity on the floor, and there was a halo behind her head. "Don''te up. I feel like my temple will get desecrated." ck, ck. The blonde-haired woman with a dignified bearing came down the stairs, and she stared deeply at Seo Jun-Ho as if she were evaluating a product. "Hmm¡­ Tsk.¡± The blonde-haired woman clicked her tongue, seemingly dissatisfied with something. However, her expression soon turned grave. "Excuse me, but who are you?" asked Seo Jun-Ho. "ording to the words of your people, I am what you call an Administrator." The Administrator of the 7th Floor! Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t even digested the reveal just yet, but the blonde-haired woman continued. "I''ll keep it short because there¡¯s not enough time. I''m currently in an extremely bad situation. The desecrator is keeping tabs on me, so I could only call your soul here.¡± "What? Who dares to keep tabs on an Administrator?" "The emperor,¡± said the blonde-haired woman. Afterward, she took out a map and added. "I have no choice but to leave this up to you because my apostle is busy. You better prioritize what I am about to say.¡± "Oh, okay..." The map depicted the entire continent, and there were three ¡®X¡¯ marks on the map. "The foul thing actually took away my holy relics. Without my holy relics, I am nothing more than a scarecrow.¡± ¡°Even though you are an Administrator?" asked Seo Jun-Ho, seemingly doubtful. The blonde-haired woman frowned. "If it hadn¡¯t been for those demons, I would have been the one running Frontier." "Frontier? Isn''t Reiji in charge of Frontier?" "No, she¡¯s my r-r-re¡­" the blonde-haired woman stuttered. "Recement?" concluded Seo Jun-Ho. "Yes, she¡¯s my recement. I was supposed to be in charge of that ce." Was that why Reiji was always talking about her retirement? Seo Jun-Ho stared at the map and asked, "What exactly should I do at these marked ces?¡± "I want you to destroy all their crucial facilities and retrieve the holy relics. Once you¡¯vepleted that, I¡¯ll finally be able to use my authority as an Administrator. Come to think of it, you destroyed one of their crucial facilities.¡± "I did?" "Yes, the Radio Tower. Unfortunately, the holy relic there disappeared before it could be recovered...¡± That made sense. Even Skaya had no idea how one could ensure that everyone throughout such a vast continent would hear one¡¯s voice, but now, it seemed that the holy relic had been powering the Radio Tower. Seo Jun-Ho was curious, so he asked, "Do the other Administrators have their own holy relics?" "What? The reason I have holy relics is that I am a higher existence than them. I even have three holy relics,¡± replied the blonde-haired woman. She suddenly started looking around before she finally said, "Anyway, just remember what I said. We¡¯re running out of time, so you¡¯re dismissed." "O-okay, ah¡­." Seo Jun-Ho was startled to see himself scattering into innumerable light crystals. "Administrator-nim, may I know your name?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The blonde-haired woman at the top of the stairs stared begrudgingly at Seo Jun-Ho before responding, "Helic. I am the Sun God Helic¡ªthe master of all light." *** ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes and saw a dull and damp gray ceiling. ¡®Where¡­ am I?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could still remember how the Frost Queen created a grave of Overminds, but what happened afterward? Oh, he somehow met the Administrator of the 7th Floor. Seo Jun-Ho scoured his memories, and he abruptly sprung up. "Geon-Woo hyung!" His senior brother had definitely appeared on the battlefield, but what happened afterward? "Damn it!" ck! ck! rk! The handcuffs on his limbs and the bars in front of him made it clear where he was. ¡®Did I end up getting caught?¡¯ No, that couldn¡¯t be¡­ Otherwise, why did the Administrator give such a heavy duty to someone who had already been captured? Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips as the cogs in his mind churned to think of a way out. "Oh, you¡¯re up?¡± said Skaya. She opened the doors to the jail cell and walked inside. Seo Jun-Ho was flustered. "What? They caught you, too?¡± "Huh? Caught? We¡¯re in the headquarters.¡± "The headquarters?" He pointed at the handcuffs and the bars with his chin. "What are these, then?" "I made them. This is an illusion I made with my spells.¡± Skaya pped her hands lightly, and the jail cell peeled away into an ordinary-looking room. She walked over to Seo Jun-Ho and uncuffed him before staring at him cheekily. "Did your heart sink? You could have gotten captured, you know?" she said. Seo Jun-Ho shut his mouth. He had nothing to say. It was true that he had copsed from exhaustion, and it seemed that he had been asleep for a long time. "I''m not taking the piss here. If it hadn¡¯t been for our Deok-Gu, the emperor would have dissected you by now.¡± ¡°Deok-Gu?" "Deok-Gu sent your senior brother here.¡± ¡®I see¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded and said, "I did tell Yeon to ask for reinforcements.¡± The original n was to detonate a bomb in Gt and sweep through the city with reinforcements. Seo Jun-Ho asked, "What happened in Gt?" ¡°If we consider just the results, then we won by andslide. After all, the whole city has been devastated. However, the counterattack of the Capital Defense Guards and the Archmage is a bit fiercer than expected, so the yers are retreating as we speak.¡± "A retreat... Will it be fine?" ¡°More than ny percent of the yers have already retreated sessfully, so the rest should being back soon.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. If that was the case, then it was a relief. "The entire city has actually been devastated? Just how many reinforcements did we receive?¡± "We received about 2,800 people." ¡°2,800?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected number. He expected to receive a thousand reinforcements at most. "I didn¡¯t know that we had so many yers on the 7th Floor?" "Well, it¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± "Thanks to me?" "The yers broke through their bottlenecks using the martial arts that you have been selling on the 5th Floor,¡± exined Skaya. "Ah!" Seo Jun-Ho nodded. It made sense. Skaya smiled brightly. "I thought I was already familiar with you, but it seems that I was mistaken. Anyway, Jun-Ho, were you always looking that far ahead?¡± "No, well... I guess," said Seo Jun-Ho. He couldn¡¯t say that he had decided to pay the yers with martial arts rather than credits because he wanted to earn as many credits as he could on the 5th Floor. However, Seo Jun-Ho still felt guilty, so he decided to change the subject. "How much damage did we sustain?" ¡°Well, we did suffer a lot,¡± said Skaya. They lost a total of 128 yers in the Battle of Gt. It was a great loss that couldn¡¯t be glossed over byparing the number of casualties on the enemy¡¯s side. "Anyway, I''m d that you¡¯re already awake. Meanwhile, the idiot lump of meat has already eaten four meals.¡± "How is he?" "Well, he¡¯s all smiles, and he¡¯s trying to rx after going through so much torture. However, I actually don''t know what he feels inside,¡± Skaya said. She was saying that even though Rahmadat looked fine on the outside, he was probably suffering inside. "Anyway, I have one more piece of good news.¡± Skaya grinned and said, "A group of yers on their way to the headquarters found Si-Eun, and they came here together. Isn¡¯t that great? "Oh, no wonder." Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He had been feeling like he had received Cha Si-Eun¡¯s treatment, and it seemed that it was truly the case. After all, he wasn¡¯t suffering as much as he expected, so Cha Si-Eun had definitely fixed him up. "...What about Gilberto and Mio?" "We still haven¡¯t received any news about those two, but I''m sure they¡¯re safe. Anyway, I¡¯m sure that the empire cannot treat us lightly anymore. In other words, they¡¯ll take the initiative to look for us.¡± There were still many yers out there, but Seo Jun-Ho decided to be satisfied with the results that they had achieved so far. "Yeah, everything will be fine." However, it seemed that Seo Jun-Ho was mistaken because an invasion disguised as a hospital visit was conducted with Rahmadat at the helm. ¡°I guess I can say that their friendship is solid. I was honestly moved." "Did you cry?" "Hmm? I didn¡¯t cry because my tear nds were dry,¡± said the Frost Queen. ¡°However, I definitely looked like I wanted to cry because this lump¡¯s expression was so pitiful, especially when he said¡ªJun-Ho, I think this is it.¡± "Brat, stop talking nonsense," protested Rahmadat. Seo Jun-Ho had no idea why they were talking in his room, but Seo Jun-Ho didn''t dislike it. They had always been chasing after him, so it was nice that they had a space where they couldugh while talking to each other without any burdens on their shoulders. "Ms. Chae-Won." ¡°¡­¡± "Ms. Son Chae-Won?" "...Oh, yes? Did you call me?¡± Son Chae-Won emerged from her reverie and looked up. She smiled apologetically and said, "I''m sorry. I''m just worried about Woo-Joong." "He still hasn¡¯t returned?¡± "No¡ªWell, he''s probably helping the others retreat. He wants to be like a certain someone," said Son Chae-Won. ¡°¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho repeatedly blinked, seemingly confused. However, Son Chae-Won found even Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s blinking to be a bit too simr to Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s confused blinking. Son Chae-Won shrugged and said, "I think we did great, so what''s the next n?¡± "First of all, we will gather the scattered yers.¡± The moment they all got together would be the moment they would raise their banners andy siege to the empire. "And it won''t take long¡­" Seo Jun-Ho muttered with bright eyes. *** The air was ghastly in the graveyard, and the thick fog of dawn made it feel even eerier. The Heavenly Demon¡¯s hands were behind him as he said, "I just want to teach him a lesson." ¡°...¡± A kneeling man wordlessly red at the Heavenly Demon. Hisrades, who were supposed to return to the headquarters with him and celebrate, had be headless ghosts of the graveyard. "He has so many people he considers precious. In other words, he has so many people to protect.¡± Perhaps¡ªno, the Heavenly Demon was sure of it. He was sure that the harsh lesson he was about to teach Seo Jun-Ho would make thetter cry. The corners of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s mouth curled up as he imagined such a scene. ¡°Do you really think that my death will cause him to copse?¡± "I don''t think so, but I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll be furious.¡± The Heavenly Demon walked over to the kneeling man. He took out a small pocket knife from his pocket and shed his palm open. Grab! The Heavenly Demon forcibly opened the kneeling man¡¯s mouth. "And don''t you think he¡¯ll be quite sad about killing a fallen friend with his own hands?" "U-ugh! Uaaahhh!¡± The kneeling man struggled to no avail. Drip, drip, drip¡­ The Heavenly Demon¡¯s bloodnded on the kneeling man¡¯s tongue before going down his throat. "Kuk, ugh, ahhh!" screamed the kneeling man as his eyes turned bloodshot. The Heavenly Demon smiled at the sight. ¡°It seems that the title Sword Demon has be more apropos for you rather than Sword Saint.¡± - End of Season 2 - *Author¡¯s Note* Hello, I''m Jerry M. The Frozen yer Returns. The second part of ¡®FPR" has beenpleted as of April 23. The remaining episodes include finishing the seventh floor and the eighth, ninth and tenth floors. There are still human rtionships and the finale that needs to be solved, so I''m going to take some time to organize and reflect on it. I¡¯m not just ying around and resting. It is to refine the plot that had only been set up and run continuously until thepletion. Another purpose is to regain my physical strength and mental strength that had recently fallen to the bottom. Once again, I would like to thank the readers who have read the first and second parts of ¡®FPR¡¯ so far. Then I''ll try toe back around June with higher quality, more interesting stories, and more thrilling covers and illustrations. Take care of your health, readers! From Jerry M. Chapter 531. Sword Demon (1) Chapter 531. Sword Demon (1) Crackle, Crackle! There was a huge campfire in the outdoor training ground of the ice castle in the snowfields of Brahms. ¡°This fire is burning pretty well. I think it¡¯s because the me is from the Crimson Princess¡­¡± ¡°This ice castle that Specter-nim built is more surprising to me.¡± ¡°Oh, fair enough. This fire is scorching, but the ice isn¡¯t melting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who built this ice castle,¡± the Frost Queen grumbled. The yers were currently holding a small celebration. There wasn¡¯t enough food and alcohol, but everyone was all smiles. ¡°...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho inadvertently looked up. One of the most eye-catching stars among the multitude of stars in the night sky plummeted and drew a long line in the sky. The star caught his eyes, and Seo Jun-Ho eventually ended up staring at the shooting star in silence for a long time until it disappeared. ¡°Do you know that star, junior brother?¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned and saw Baek Geon-Woo staring at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t take your eyes off of that star, so I thought you knew it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit ridiculous, you know?¡± said Seo Jun-Ho with a smile. Baek Geon-Woo handed over a can of beer to Seo Jun-Ho and said, ¡°Our master liked stargazing.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­.¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly remembered the nights he had spent lying on the ground and staring at the stars in the night sky after a day of extreme training. ¡°How are you?¡± Baek Geon-Woo asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Seo Jun-Ho rotated his shoulders a couple of times and added, ¡°See?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was still exhausted, but his recovery rate was a bit astonishing, thanks to the Vermillion Fruit he had consumed from Reiji¡¯s store. ¡°By the way¡­¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho while examining Baek Geon-Woo. He didn¡¯t notice it the first time he met Baek Geon-Woo after a while because they met on a chaotic battlefield, but now, he could finally see it. ¡®He changed a lot...¡¯ The biggest change was Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s ck hair had turned gray, but the color looked natural rather than artificial. ¡°What happened to your hair?¡± ¡°Oh, this?¡± Baek Geon-Woo twirled his hair and smiled bitterly before saying, ¡°Who knows? It suddenly became like this; I have no idea when it changed.¡± ¡°...Is that even normal? Where the heck have you been, and what have you been up to?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be a really long story.¡± ¡°Well, the timing¡¯s perfect; I don¡¯t have much to do today,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Baek Geon-Woo nodded and muttered, ¡°Okay. Then, let¡¯s talk about what I did when I heard the news about our master¡¯s passing.¡± Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s talked for a long time. ¡°And that was how I came up to the 7th Floor to save you¡ªI¡¯m d I wasn¡¯tte.¡± ¡°...¡± Baek Geon-Woo seemed relieved after he was done telling his story. He looked like a heavy load on his chest was removed. However, Seo Jun-Ho was beyond pallid. ¡°Geon-Woo. Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked in a trembling voice. Baek Geon-Woo apparently had to stay on the 4th Floor for sixty years, trying to kill Erebo at Seo Jun-Ho difficulty. ¡®I spent a grueling seventeen years there, and I had a hard time even though I had Hero¡¯s Mind¡­¡¯ As far as Seo Jun-Ho knew, Baek Geon-Woo didn¡¯t have a skill simr to Hero¡¯s Mind. Baek Geon-Woo hurriedly exined, ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. The World Tree helped me remain sane.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it any better¡­¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho. Sixty years was a very long time, and it would feel even longer if one decided to spend sixty years training by themselves. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom it. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you get some rest and see a shrink or something?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t rest until that bastard¡¯s dead,¡± said Baek Geon-Woo. His voice sounded extremely determined. It seemed that there was no way that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words could reach Baek Geon-Woo. Seo Jun-Ho sighed lightly. ¡°I had no idea that you¡¯re quite stubborn.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothingpared to yours, junior brother.¡± Baek Geon-Woo smiled and changed the topic. ¡°By the way, it seems like it will take quite a long time to clear the 7th Floor this time.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s story was so long that it was already daybreak by the time he was done with his exposition. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the rising sun and continued. ¡°It won¡¯t be that long until we clear this Floor.¡± *** ¡°Jun-Ho. How are you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line, Rahmadat.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head, seemingly dumbfounded by Rahmadat¡¯s question. He turned to look at someone else and said, ¡°Thank you for the treatment, Miss Si-Eun.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it; I just did my job,¡± said Cha Si-Eun. The room was filled by the members of the 5 Heroes and their party members, Baek Geon-Woo, and a few members of the Big 5, who were rather close to the 5 Heroes. Son Chae-Won raised her hand slightly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of this secret meeting?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to discuss our future ns.¡± ¡°Future ns¡­¡± Everyone nodded. It was a topic that they had to talk about sooner rather thanter. ¡°First of all, how many yers are in this castle, Skaya?¡± ¡°2548 yers are here¡­¡± ¡°How about their level of skill?¡± ¡°For now, I¡¯ll say that they¡¯re not bad,¡± replied Skaya. Seo Jun-Ho turned his gaze to Skaya and asked, ¡°What do you mean, for now?¡± ¡°Not every Overmind is strong...¡± They had already verified that fact in Gt. The Overmind residents who had been living peaceful lives in the city were so weak that Seo Jun-Ho wanted tough at how ridiculously weak they were. However, the residents were still Overminds. Their potential was higher than humans. ¡°They probably thought that the soldiers and imperial knights could easily handle us, but we just showed them that they were mistaken,¡± exined Skaya. They had killed as many as four thousand Overminds. Skaya was sure that the number of casualties had to have wounded the empire¡¯s pride. ¡°If I were the emperor, I would demand a minimum level of strength from the residents,¡± added Skaya. ¡°I see, so that¡¯s what you¡¯re talking about,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho with a nod. If Skaya¡¯s words were true, then the number of enemies they had to fight would increase from mere thousands to tens of thousands. In other words, a long, drawn-out battle would be in their enemies¡¯ favor because those Overminds would be even stronger over time. However, they had no reason to be afraid of such a change. ¡°We already knew that something like that would happen¡­¡± They would have to face the entire empire at some point if they wanted to defeat the emperor, whom they believed was the Floor Master of the 7th Floor. ¡°The difference in power was much bigger than I thought,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun said with a groan, which was a rare sight to behold. ¡°And we also have something else to worry about¡­¡± ¡°...Are you talking about the traitor who is in cahoots with the Heavenly Demon?¡± Traitors among the ranks were like ticking time bombs, and they had to be eliminated at some point. ¡°Skaya is looking into that issue,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°Yes, but no one has made any suspicious remarks or actions so far,¡± said Skaya. Skaya knew the ice castle as if it were the back of her hand. She had also surrounded it with many different spells, so there was no way she wouldn¡¯t know if someone was doing anything suspicious in the castle. ¡°Hm. I guess there is no need to worry if Miss Skaya is looking into it.¡± Son Chae-Won nodded and said, ¡°So I guess we should focus on gathering the scattered yers for now?¡± ¡°Yes, but I think we should pay attention to clearing the Floor at the same time. As I said before, time isn¡¯t in our favor,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He then proceeded to share his encounter with Helic, the 7th Floor Administrator. ¡°The Sun God? Isn¡¯t that the god of the Ruben Empire¡¯s national religion?¡± ¡°Hm. So the emperor is powerful enough to keep tabs on such a great being.¡± ¡°In other words, we just have to destroy the facilities she had pointed out, and she¡¯ll eventually help us by using her authority as the Administrator of this Floor, is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± It would be an understatement to say that everyone was surprised by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words. They couldn¡¯t have expected that the 7th Floor Administrator would end up being a literal god. The people in the conference room ruminated over Helic¡¯s words. ¡°The Radio Tower has already been destroyed, so where are the other two facilities?¡± ¡°I looked through the memories of the enemies and found out that one of the two facilities is the Float Force Power nt while the other is the Chronos Laboratory,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°A Force power nt? What is that, Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a facility that serves as a prison for both the failures and the Overminds who havemitted serious crimes,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. It was probably called a power nt because the empire was most likely extracting the Force they needed to support the infrastructures of the empire from the failures and Overminds imprisoned in that facility. ¡°It¡¯s an important facility, so I bet there are military personnel stationed all over that power nt.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, and I think the security of the Chronos Laboratory is stronger than the Float Force Power nt,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Theboratory was more mysterious than the power nt. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t find any information about it, even after taking a look at the memories of many Overminds. Gong Ju-Ha gulped and said, ¡°Are we really going to attack those ces? They sound way too scarier than I expected.¡± There was an overwhelming difference in numbers, so their possibility of sess was closer to zero than a hundred percent. ¡°We have to do it if we want to clear the 7th Floor,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He swept his gaze across the faces of everyone in the conference room and added, ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re busy repairing Gt and the capital, so I¡¯m nning on attacking those facilities while taking advantage of the chaos.¡± *** The meeting was soon adjourned, and they left the conference with grim expressions. It wasn¡¯t really strange. After all, they had to ruminate over things properly and ensure that the n was even possible in the first ce. In addition, they also had to think about the things they had to prepare if the n was doable. ¡°It must be hard being Specter.¡± ¡°...What do you mean?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. Son Chae-Won shrugged and exined, ¡°I can feel it as well just by standing next to you¡ªthe pressure, I mean¡­¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯ve already gotten used to the pressure; you¡¯re the Guild Master of Silent Moon, after all.¡± ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t really get used to the pressure of being a leader. I think that missing brat is better at handling pressure than me.¡± ¡®Missing brat¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho figured that Son Chae-Won had to be referring to the missing Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Have you still not heard anything from him?¡± ¡°Community is dead here, so I won¡¯t really be able to hear anything from him.¡± Son Chae-Won sighed, but her expression was bright for some reason as she said, ¡°But I¡¯m not really that worried. It¡¯s not like this is the first time. He has done this a couple of times already, and he has always managed toe back intact.¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯ll be fine wherever he goes with those skills.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to p him hard once he gets back. I¡¯m actually getting pissed just thinking about him going missing without any warning. Anyway, I¡¯m off,¡± said Son Chae-Won before leaving the room with a smile. Seo Jun-Ho slowly turned around and said, ¡°What is it? What do you want to tell me?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something you should know.¡± Skaya Killnd¡¯s expression was grim, which was a rare sight. ¡°Do you still remember what we talked aboutst time? I told you that we crossed dimensions, and we¡¯re in a parallel universe, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I remember,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho with a nod. The 2nd Floor¡¯s Frontier had experienced a societal copse during their Age of Glory, but the 7th Floor¡¯s Frontier didn¡¯t experience that copse. Their Age of Glory was still ongoing. ¡°You still don¡¯t get it?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange how you can get in touch with the 5th Floor using your Vita? Deok-Gu even sent us troops. I found it weird the moment I heard the news,¡± said Skaya. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®She¡¯s right¡­!¡¯ If they were in a parallel universe, then had Seo Jun-Ho been talking to a parallel universe Yeon? ¡°Wait, what does that mean? Could it be that Yeon has modified my Vita in a way that would allow me to contact worlds from other dimensions?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Skaya bit her lips and asked, ¡°You know that I have been studying the forms necessary to close the Semey Gate, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Gray taught you those forms, right?¡± ¡°Gray¡¯s teachings are telling me that this phenomenon doesn¡¯t make sense at all. Itpletely goes against the establishedws of physics,¡± said Skaya before staring deeply at Seo Jun-Ho and muttering, ¡°Keep this to yourself for now. Nothing good wille out if the others discover it, and there haven¡¯t been any problems so far.¡± ¡°So why did you tell me about it?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I just want you to keep that in mind¡­¡± Skaya wanted him to keep in mind that there was something wrong with the universe. Chapter 532. Sword Demon (2) Chapter 532. Sword Demon (2) ¡°Ugh, argh!¡± The man helplessly rolling on the ground was panting as though he was on fire. ¡°Keuk! Aaaaaarghhhh!¡± The man¡¯s fingers¡ªcovered with callus from training¡ªdesperately scratched the ground. The man stubbornly endured the excruciating pain for the sake of one thing¡ªhe simply didn¡¯t want to turn into one of those he absolutely despised. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Isaac and Valencia stared at him in admiration. ¡°He is the Sword Saint indeed. Resisting demonic energy is easier said than done.¡± ¡°He¡¯s our enemy, but I have to admit that I respect him. He deserves my respect.¡± ¡°Haha, yes, but he is dumb. He wouldn¡¯t have to suffer if he simply epted his fate.¡± Unfortunately, the man finally reached his limits. ¡°Keugh! Ke¡ªaaaaargh!¡± Kim Woo-Joong cried out sharply before fainting. The Heavenly Demon finally turned his arrogant gaze away from Kim Woo-Joong and turned to look at someone else. ¡°Fahm Vert, it¡¯s time to keep your promise.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ all right. It¡¯s about time we end our absurd cooperation,¡± said Fahm Vert. He looked at the Heavenly Demon with displeasure and asked, ¡°What is it that you want?¡± ¡°What else would I want from the Demon of Prohibition?¡± ¡°Hm, I knew it.¡± The demon¡¯s gaze turned toward Kim Woo-Joong. A condition had to be fulfilled before he could cast his ability, and it was finally fulfilled. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need to prepare anything based on his condition. However, I can only engrave two prohibitions on him,¡± said Fahm Vert. ¡°That¡¯s good enough.¡± The Heavenly Demon crouched and looked into Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes. Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, but the Heavenly Demon could still see the indelible resentment and fury in thetter¡¯s eyes. The Heavenly Demon nced at a pair of red jewels and said, ¡°He is prohibited from harming himself by any means.¡± ¡°And the other one?¡± ¡°He is not allowed to love and like the yers. I want him to absolutely hate and despite them,¡± emphasized the Heavenly Demon. Fahm Vert nodded. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult for him to engrave those prohibitions. With that, he dragged Kim Woo-Joong to the corner of the graveyard and started engraving the prohibitions on him. ¡°AAAARRRGH!¡± ¡°How pleasant his screams are¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon closed his eyes and smiled. The screams wereing from the Sword Saint¡ªa Hero of mankind. His screams sounded sweet to Heavenly Demon¡¯s ears, and they were far better than any ssical music out there. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s done.¡± The Heavenly Demon emerged from his thoughts and opened his eyes slowly. ¡°All right. Our business is done, so go ahead and piss off.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± Fahm Vert¡¯s expression turned ugly at the Heavenly Demon¡¯s arrogant remark. He was cooperating with the Heavenly Demon under the orders of the Archduke, Fahm Vert was still a Viscount of the Underworld. The Archduke¡¯s order ended the moment he had fulfilled the Heavenly Demon¡¯s request. In other words, he could finally teach the arrogant human a lesson. ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times before, but it seems that you are incapable of learning. Haven¡¯t I told you to watch your mouth?¡± Fahm Vert¡¯s eyes filled with killing intent bored down on the Heavenly Demon. His terrifying eyes made Isaac and Valencia instinctively move in front of the Heavenly Demon. ¡°It''s fine. You two can step back.¡± The two bowed slightly and retreated. However, the sight made Fahm Vert even more furious. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Are you under the impression that His Grace will protect you? Is that why you¡¯re being reckless?¡± he asked. ¡°Do you want to know? Come here, then,¡± the Heavenly Demon said. He was still crouched, so it could be said that he was full of openings. Fahm Vert was convinced that he could kill the Heavenly Demon while thetter was crouched. ¡°...¡± ¡®But why¡­¡¯ However, Fahm Vert seemed reluctant to approach the Heavenly Demon for some reason. ¡®Impossible. I¡¯m reluctant to confront a mere human?¡¯ The realization hurt his pride as a nobleman of the Underworld. He was ashamed of the cold beaded sweat running down his clenched fists. ¡®Have I beencent for too long?¡¯ Fahm Vert was in dismay. It seemed that he had been tooid back for the past hundreds of years after bing a Viscount of the Underworld. It was clear that his hesitation just now was born from hiscency. ¡°...I learned a good lesson.¡± Fahm Vert nodded slowly. The process was a bit humiliating, but he had learned something from the Heavenly Demon. The lesson was enough for him to be merciful to the Heavenly Demon. ¡°Rather than your head, I will only take one of your arms.¡± ¡°Hah, how generous of you,¡± said the Heavenly Demon with a smirk. Fahm Vert reached out to rip one of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s arms. ¡°Unfortunately, I am not as generous as you.¡± And those were thest words that entered Fahm Vert¡¯s ears¡­ The Heavenly Demon stared indifferently at Fahm Vert¡¯s head in his hands. He threw the head away and stood up. ¡°People who keep their words short always have their own reasons for doing so, Issac.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a new toy, what do you think I should do to extract as much fun from it as possible?¡± asked the Heavenly Demon. Issac Dvor¡¯s gaze turned toward the Sword Saint¡ªno, the Sword Demon. Soon, Isaac¡¯s lips curved into a wicked smile. *** ¡°Leroy team reporting! We have returned with Raul Del Toro, a Mexican yer.¡± ¡°Oh, you did great! Well done!¡± There were yers with search and rescue skills, so the advance party wasn¡¯t having a difficult time bringing the yers to the ice castle, which they were now using as their headquarters. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to them that I have time to eat this delicious cake.¡± The Frost Queen was sitting in a room and was eating a slice of cake with a delighted look. ¡°Our queen is cute as always,¡± Skaya smiled at the Frost Queen before turning to look at Seo Jun-Ho and asking, ¡°Jun-Ho. I think it¡¯s only a matter of time before we find Mio, Gilberto, and Arthur. What do you think?¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded and snapped his fingers. The flowing air in the room rewound like tape. ¡°Arthur¡­ what do you think?¡± ¡®And one more time here.¡¯ Snap! Seo Jun-Ho was struck with a wave of nausea the moment he snapped his fingers. The magic that flowed out of him was greater than the amount of magic that he had to use to Rewind earlier. However, it was clear that the result was better this time. ¡°Jun-Ho. I think it¡¯s only a matter of time before we find Mio, Gilberto, and Arthur. What do you think?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. He still needed more practice, but he could finally say that he had gotten a bit more efficient and proficient when it came to using Wheel of Time (S). ¡®Back then, I could only rewind time for a second, but my limit is now three seconds¡­¡¯ He could rewind time for a total of five seconds if he were to immediately use Rewind once more after using it once. ¡®But I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s usable duringbat¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t really a skill that was suitable forbat, so Seo Jun-Ho still felt that he wasn¡¯t using the skill effectively. In addition, it seemed that he still wasn¡¯t strong enough to use the skill as well because he felt extremely exhausted after using it consecutively. Rahmadat was sitting on the couch doing dumbbell bicep curls. He suddenly looked up and said, ¡°Hm? Why does it feel like I¡¯ve seen this scene before?¡± Skaya chided Rahmadat. ¡°It¡¯s a phenomenon called deja vu, dumbass. Deja vu usually¡ª¡± Deja vu would usually happen whenever someone interfered with time. Skaya red at Seo Jun-Ho, looking like a furious cat. ¡°Hey, Seo Jun-Ho. Have you been training while I was talking to you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve heard enough of what you¡¯ve been saying.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Swoosh! ¡°Wait!¡± The Frost Queen suddenly raised her head as if she were an adventurer that had discovered a new continent. ¡°That¡¯s beneficial to me, then!¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I must have eaten this cake a few times while you were rewinding time. I must have eaten the same amount as well!¡± ¡°...I mean, you¡¯re not wrong, but¡­¡± ¡®But what¡¯s the point of that when you can¡¯t even remember eating it?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled as if the idea itself was absurd. ¡°Anyway, Skaya. I think you¡¯re right. It¡¯s only a matter of time before we meet Mio, Gilberto, and Arthur once more.¡± It had already been a week since their victory celebration started, but there were still quite a few yers out there.¡± ¡®Mr. Shoot, Christin Lewis, and Mercenary King Milphage are still out there¡­¡¯ Those who would certainly be of great help were still missing. Seo Jun-Ho was also worried because Christin Lewis¡ªthe individual they were suspecting as the traitor¡ªwas still missing. The saying¡ªkeep your friends close; keep your enemies closer¡ªwas popr for a reason. ¡®¡¯It¡¯s a good thing that I already told Mio and Gilberto about what we think of Christin.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was sure that they wouldn¡¯t readily trust Christin even if they ran into him. Seo Jun-Ho was in the middle of organizing his thoughts when he suddenly looked at the door. He could hear Son Chae-Won¡¯s light footsteps from beyond the door. Knock, knock, knock! ¡°Come in.¡± Son Chae-Won¡¯s grim expression came into view. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned grim as well as he stood up and asked, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°...I think you need toe and see it yourself.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s throat turned dry as he felt a sense of foreboding. ¡°One of our search parties was wiped out.¡± And his sense of foreboding came true¡­ *** Seo Jun-Ho soon arrived at the infirmary, and he was greeted by three corpses covered in white cloth on the beds. Cha Si-Eun walked over to Seo Jun-Ho and told him the result of the autopsy. ¡°The shape and size of their wound are consistent with each other. They died instantly, and the murder weapon was a sword. Since they were killed in a single blow, the murderer is definitely an expert.¡± ¡°Is it an Overmind?¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought about the possibility that a swordsmanparable to Ceylonso Bestard had appeared to hunt them down. ¡°Um, well¡­¡± Cha Si-Eun hesitated. Seo Jun-Ho stared at her with narrowed eyes. ¡°What? The murder isn¡¯t an Overmind?¡± ¡°...You should see it for yourself.¡± Cha Si-Eun sighed and showed him the bodies. Seo Jun-Ho approached the corpses and examined them closely. ¡®Miss Si-Eun¡¯s autopsy is urate. They died from a single sh.¡¯ The cut was clean, and it made Seo Jun-Ho think that the murderer had to have killed a myriad of creatures throughout their lives. ¡®The wounds are tight, so the sword probably doesn¡¯t belong to an Overmind. So a human probably¡ª¡¯ Flinch. Seo Jun-Ho froze while examining the wounds with his fingertips. Tremble. His hands started trembling. ¡°Jun-Ho. This is¡­¡± ¡°Ugh. This is bad.¡± Skaya and Rahmadat groaned and gulped while examining the bodies next to Seo Jun-Ho. The disgusting energy floating about the wound like cigarette smoke was none other than demonic energy. ¡°A fiend?¡± ¡®No way. That¡¯s impossible¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head without realizing it. However, it wasn¡¯t really strange because Seo Jun-Ho had eliminated all fiends aside from three. ¡®The Heavenly Demon, Valencia Citrin, and Isaac Dvor.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was sure that he had wiped every fiend off the face of the world. ¡®There¡¯s actually another fiend aside from those three?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho fell into deep contemtion. ¡®Isaac is a mage, and Valencia only uses her own unique skill to fight. What about the Heavenly Demon?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had never seen the Heavenly Demon use a weapon before, but it wouldn¡¯t be strange if the Heavenly Demon turned out to be an expert swordsman. ¡®...But no. That''s not it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head, denying his own thoughts. The Heavenly Demon was very familiar with Seo Jun-Ho, but Seo Jun-Ho was very familiar with the Heavenly Demon as well. ¡®That arrogant bastard would neither use a weapon nor use his own hands to kill.¡¯ In addition, he still had twopetent subordinates who seemed to have established themselves as his hands and feet. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and contemted for a long time before opening his eyes. ¡°From now on¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across everyone in the infirmary before saying, ¡°We will temporarily stop the search for the remaining yers out there.¡± He had no choice but to admit it and be prepared¡ªthey had to be prepared to face an enemy that they had never seen before¡ªan enemy that had suddenly appeared by the Heavenly Demon¡¯s side. They had to be prepared to face the Sword Demon. Chapter 533. Sword Demon (3) Chapter 533. Sword Demon (3) Seo Jun-Ho prohibited the yers from leaving the ice castle. He bit his lips lightly while staring at the corpses. ¡®The Heavenly Demon¡­ just what are you up to?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t understand why the Heavenly Demon decided to create a fiend. ¡®I guess there is only one way to find out.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho walked over to one of the corpses and ced his hand on their forehead. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± A memory projection appeared in mid-air, and everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on it. *** ¡°Hey, Jane¡­ are you sure this is the right way?¡± asked Abraham, the leader of the party. It was only natural for him to be suspicious because the party had been going deeper into the forest where not even a single living creature could be seen. ¡°Goodness, you¡¯re such a coward. You¡¯ve been asking me the same question every five minutes, you know that?¡± Jane grumbled, seemingly annoyed. She shook the thread connected to her own stomach and said, ¡°You can see this thread, can¡¯t you? So why don¡¯t you just shut up and follow me?¡± Jane¡¯s Thread of Guidance(A) allowed her to create a thread that would connect her to a living being that fulfilled her conditions. There weren¡¯t many creatures that could escape her pursuit as long as they were within ten kilometers of her. ¡°Perhaps you set the wrong condition¡­ It feels like a monster will pop out to attack us any time soon.¡± ¡°Are you actually a fucking moron all this while? That¡¯s probably the reason you were abandoned. The thread will only connect me to a yer from Earth; that¡¯s the only condition I set,¡± said Jane. She sighed at length and stared at Abraham as if he was pathetic. Abraham flinched and turned away slightly from her harsh gaze, but he stillined while avoiding Jane¡¯s gaze. ¡°Well, hm, if the condition is a yer from Earth, won¡¯t a fiend be included in that list?¡± ¡°Godness¡­! Guys, did you hear what he just said? Fiend, he said. God, he¡¯s really driving me nuts.¡± ¡°Can you guys just please stop fighting? Do you guys don¡¯t get tired of fighting over the same thing all the time?¡± said Hudson. A quarrel between Abraham and Jane wasn¡¯t new, and he had been looking at the same time for fifteen years now. Hudson clicked his tongue and turned toward Jane. ¡°How far are we from the survivor?¡± he asked. ¡°We¡¯re about two thousand yards away from them.¡± ¡°Can you get any more English? Speak metric.¡± ¡°Um, I think that¡¯s about 1.8 kilometers¡ª¡± Jane¡¯s words were cut short when the red thread connected to her started trembling like crazy. Everyone closed their mouths and stared at the thread. It was their first time seeing it tremble like crazy. Fwoosh! ¡°Ah!¡± Jane screamed. The thread tightened and dragged her somewhere. Hudson was confused, but he still shouted, ¡°Abraham!¡± Abraham unsheathed his sword and responded, ¡°Formation C-2! I¡¯ll go after Jane. You should go hide and attack the enemy from behind.¡± Abraham chased after Jane while Hudson hurriedly climbed up a tree. ¡°Jane!¡± Abraham picked up his pace and severed the red thread connected to Jane. ¡°Ah!¡± Jane eximed as she crashed to the ground and rolled. She coughed a few times and dusted herself after stopping, but she was still covered in dust. ¡°Ugh, damn it. What¡¯s wrong with them? Did they my thread?¡± Jane was wounded all over, and her eyes were filled with tears. She hade here to save the survivor out of goodwill, so she didn¡¯t expect that they would treat her like this. Abraham handed over a healing potion and said, ¡°Drink up. There¡¯s something wrong with that survivor.¡± They had been consistently sending out waves of magic to let the nearby yers detect their presence, and they had been using the international signal to inform isted people to stay put and wait for rescue. ¡®I¡¯m sure they saw our signals¡­¡¯ Abraham¡¯s expression stiffened. Abraham knew that there were only two possibilities here¡ªthe survivor had already been brainwashed by the Overminds, or they were a fiend. ¡°...I really hope we¡¯re wrong.¡± Abraham mustered his magic and stared at the nearby clearing. ¡°Jane. Try to hop into Community and contact the nearby yers.¡± Jane obliged, but she soon clicked her tongue and said, ¡°Bloody hell, that prince is really annoying. Community is still dead.¡± ¡°All right, then we have to retreat,¡± said Abraham. Hudson was behind them, so if the survivor showed up without any warning, Hudson¡¯s bullets would surely pierce their heart. ¡®I wish we could retreat safely like this¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, Abraham¡¯s wish didn¡¯te true. ¡°A-Abraham. Look¡­!¡± Jane was pointing at something with wide eyes. A figure was standing on one side of the foggy clearing. ¡°...¡± Abraham gulped nervously. He didn¡¯t manage to detect the other party¡¯s presence at all. In addition, the other party¡¯s aura seemed haphazard and abnormal. ¡®Are they even a living human being¡­?¡¯ The sword held in the other party¡¯s hand was being helplessly dragged across the ground. The other party was also wearing a blue robe which made it difficult to ascertain his body shape, age, and even gender. The strangest thing was the mask that the other party was wearing. ¡°Specter¡¯s mask¡­?¡± Abraham¡¯s eyes narrowed. He had no idea what the other party was trying to do. ¡®Is he nning on hiding his identity until the end? I think he¡¯s a man based on the height.¡¯ The hilt of Abraham¡¯s sword was slick with sweat, but he still pointed his sword at the other party and said, ¡°My name is Abraham Kettlebel, and I¡¯m an international mercenary. Identify yourself.¡± ¡°...¡± The other party remained silent, and Abraham couldn¡¯t feel anything from the other party other than his killing intent. ¡®Of course, there¡¯s no way someone who has decided to ensure that they would never be identified would expose their voice.¡¯ It was meaningless to try and speak with the other party, but Abraham had one purpose for doing it. ¡®I have to make sure that his eyes are on me.¡¯ Abraham anxiously waited for Hudson¡ªthe sniper of the party¡ªto line up his shot at the opponent¡¯s heart. *** Click! There was a clicking noise as Hudson closed the breechblock of his gun. ¡®All right.¡¯ Hudson was sitting on a rtively wide tree branch with his scope aimed at his target. ¡®Stay right where you are...¡¯ The wind was steady, and the target was barely moving. Abraham was also distracting the target. ¡®I have no idea what you¡¯re trying to do here, but we tried to talk to you.¡¯ They had already done everything that they were supposed to do. Abraham adjusted the scope and zoomed in, which made the target¡¯s defenseless back appear evenrger than before. ¡®Good night¡­¡¯ Hudson was about to pull the trigger, but the other party disappeared like a ghost. He frowned upon losing his target. ¡®This is bad.¡¯ He had no idea how the other party disappeared, but he knew what a sniper should do after failing to take their shot. ¡®I need to move away.¡±¡¯ Hudson¡¯s figure turned transparent thanks to his Transparency (B). It was one of the useful skills that had kept him alive until now. ¡®I just have to find him again.¡¯ Hudson figured that Abraham and Jane could buy him some time since they were still in the clearing. Hudson quickly found a safer position and took a moment to line up his shot once again. ¡®I¡¯ll finish him for good this time¡ªwait, what?!¡¯ He saw the corpses of his colleagues upon zooming in with his scope. Hudson was stupefied. He was sure that it had only taken him eleven seconds to move away. ¡®No way. Abraham and Jane couldn¡¯t evenst eleven seconds?¡¯ The other party was a monster¡ªthere was no better word to describe him. As soon as the word came to his mind, Hudson immediately cast Transparency (B) Rustle! The other party¡¯s robe rustled as he walked toward where Hudson was located. Hudson broke out into a cold sweat. The other party looked around, and Hudson saw that the former¡¯s sword was drenched in blood. The blood definitely belonged to his colleagues. ¡®Please turn around and show me your back¡­¡¯ muttered Hudson while looking at his colleagues¡¯ corpses. Fortunately, his earnest prayer came true. Rustle! The other party sheathed his sword and walked away. ¡®Perfect. Time to die¡­.¡¯ Hudson hurriedly but carefully aimed his rifle at the other party¡¯s head. However, the memory projection ended right there and then. *** There was a moment of silence in the infirmary. Everyone seemed to be in deep thought, trying to deduce the identity of the Sword Demon. Shin Sung-Hyun spoke carefully, ¡°...Hudson probably died without realizing it..¡± ¡°Hm. It certainly is a better deathpared to the other two, but I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s a good thing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared deeply at the bodies before turning to look at the others. ¡°Ms. Son Chae-Won. Are you familiar with these three?¡± ¡°As far as I know, they¡¯re a party of mercenaries with decent reputations and skills. They have been in the mercenary industry for over fifteen years now.¡± In other words, they were veterans. However, they were killed as if they were helpless children. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly examined Abraham and Jane¡¯s memories. ¡°Mr. Shin Sung-Hyun, what do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing that swordsmanship,¡± replied Shin Sung-Hyun. Seo Jun-Ho decided to ask him because he was familiar with many famous yers as the Guild Master of the Goblin Guild. ¡°The swordsmanship he used against Abraham looked quite different from that of humans.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Seo Jun-Ho presumed that the Sword Demon was exclusively trained by the demons, so he nodded and turned to look at someone else. ¡°Rahmadat, what do you think?¡± he asked. ¡°Hm. It''s hard to say,¡± Rahmadat scratched his cheek with aplicated expression, which was a rare sight. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll lose against him, but I can¡¯t really say for sure. Where the heck did that guy evene from?¡± Rahmadat had always been confident of himself, but to think that he would choose to say such words after witnessing the Sword Demon¡¯s movements from the memory projection alone. In other words, the Sword Demon was indeed strong. ¡°What do you think, Jun-Ho? Can you beat him?¡± asked Rahmadat. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought about it for a while before saying, ¡°I¡¯m confident of my chances if he went all-out in the video we saw just now.¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho was actually confident of his chances, even if the Sword Demon had hidden tricks up his sleeves. With that, Seo Jun-Ho made a decision. ¡°Rahmadat, I think you should go and participate in the reconnaissance mission of the Chronos Laboratory rather than me.¡± ¡°Are you going to hunt him down?¡± ¡°I should hunt him down,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. The operation to gather the scattered yers wouldn¡¯t be able to continue under the threat of the Sword Demon. ¡°If Mio and Gilberto stumble upon that guy¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s faces stiffened. If Rahmadat wasn¡¯t even sure if he could defeat the Sword Demon, then Mio and Gilberto would be in danger. ¡°Indeed. The most pressing problem is that guy. Anyway, I¡¯ll have to reshuffle the roster of people who are going to investigate the Chronos Laboratory. After all, Rahmadat will be going there rather than you,¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the details in the conference room.¡± With that, they left the infirmary and revised their ns in the conference room. ¡°...¡± Son Chae-Won stared at the wound on the corpses for a long time before leaving the conference room. *** The meetingsted deep into the night, but they managed to create the mostpatible roster of yers for each mission. Seo Jun-Ho, the Frost Queen, Baek Geon-Woo, and Skaya were the ones who would contact Operation Sword Demon Hunt. The four decided to leave the ice castle upon daybreak. ¡°I¡¯m going as well,¡± said Son Chae-Won. Her request came as a surprise. Seo Jun-Ho looked at her and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but the operation will be too dangerous at your skill level.¡± ¡°I know, but I won¡¯t hold you back. I¡¯m definitely going to be helpful,¡± said Son Chae-Won. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what to say. However, he knew that Son Chae-Won¡¯s bread and butter¡ªStrengthening¡ªwould certainly boost the team¡¯s strength. ¡®If the Sword Demon is the Heavenly Demon¡¯s bait¡­¡¯ It was highly likely that just the four of them wouldn¡¯t be enough against the Heavenly Demon, Valencia, Isaac, and the Sword Demon. If Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s assumption ended up being the truth, then Son Chae-Won¡¯s bread and butter could save their lives. ¡®I guess I can take a bit of a risk in exchange for insurance,¡¯ thought Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and said, ¡°Okay, but you must listen to my orders under any circumstances.¡± ¡°Of course, I promise I¡¯ll listen.¡± ¡°All right. Pack up and meet us at the gate.¡± When daybreak finally arrived, the five-member team left the ice castle. Chapter 534. Sword Demon (4) Chapter 534. Sword Demon (4) Two dayster, Seo Jun-Ho and the party arrived at the forest where the Sword Demon had appeared. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed while looking at the clear footsteps that the Sword Demon had left behind. The Frost Queen was crouched next to Seo Jun-Ho, and she said, ¡°Hm, I have a bad feeling about this, Contractor.¡± ¡°...Me, too.¡± The Sword Demon seemed like he had no intentions of hiding his traces. ¡°There is a high chance this is a trap, as you expected, Specter-nim.¡± ¡°What should we do, junior brother?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if it¡¯s a trap.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew that the Sword Demon would try to entrap him. If this was indeed his trap to catch Seo Jun-Ho, Seo Jun-Ho was more than willing to fall into his trap on purpose. ¡°It seems like that¡¯s what you want as well, Geon-Woo. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Well¡­I can¡¯t say you¡¯re wrong,¡± Baek Geon-Woo answered with a cold smile. Mouse traps would have delicious cheese to attract mice. If they could discover the whereabouts of the Heavenly Demon by chasing after the Sword Demon, it was certainly worth the risk. ¡®And we don¡¯t have to be afraid of him based on the strength of this party...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho made a decision and said, ¡°Skaya. Track him down using these footprints and the demonic energy in the air.¡± *** The Heavenly Demon muttered, ¡°What a shame.¡± Such words came out of his mouth unknowingly. The Heavenly Demon himself was slightly surprised by what he said, but he didn¡¯t bother thinking deeply about it because he wanted to have fun. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I felt this way¡ªno, perhaps this is the first time.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon couldn¡¯t help but think if this was what a child who had lost their toy would feel. The deep sense of loss left a bitter taste in his mouth. ¡®But at least I should be able to end him with my own hands.¡¯ For him, that alone was enough. The Heavenly Demon closed his eyes and waited. After a while, he heard dozens of distinct footsteps as a group of people approached him. ¡°Please¡­ follow me.¡± The hesitant voice belonged to Digor Myulivaf. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said the Heavenly Demon before following Digor Myulivaf leisurely. They walked for a while, but the Heavenly Demon stopped and flinched upon entering a certain corridor. ¡®I knew it...¡¯ His skin tingled as he approached the being ahead of him. His instinct was warning him of the danger that the being posed to him. ¡®So a Star Destruction Stage individual emits this much pressure?¡¯ The enormous pressure bored down on him, but the Heavenly Demon remained steadfast. ¡°He¡¯s here, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Let him in.¡± The massive doors to the Imperial Pce¡¯s throne room swung open. The Heavenly Demon stepped onto the soft carpet and walked into the throne room by himself. ¡®He¡¯s¡ª¡¯¡¯ Brrr! The Heavenly Demon looked up, but his gaze was interrupted by an enormous amount of Force that threatened to engulf him. His demonic energy barely managed to block the Force that was trying to crush him. ¡°Is this how this empire treats their guests?¡± ¡°Well, you are an uninvited guest,¡± said the being on the throne as he looked down at the Heavenly Demon. ¡°What brings you here? I will kill you on the spot if you speak of something trivial.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t kill me,¡± The Heavenly Demon answered calmly before adding, ¡°You can¡¯t kill me. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able toe here and talk to you like this. You¡¯re wee to deny it.¡± ¡°...¡± The Overmind Emperor red murderously at the Heavenly Demon. However, he could only re because the Heavenly Demon was right. The emperor couldn¡¯t kill him. ¡°I guess the Archduke is more influential than I thought.¡± ¡°...You better watch your manners.¡¯ The Overmind Emperor could tear apart the human being in front of him at any time, but he had to keep in mind that the human was the Archduke¡¯s messenger. He couldn¡¯t afford to offend the Archduke because thetter was a being who regarded the power the emperor had been pursuing all his life as insignificant as a speck of dust. ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. The Archduke does not want the humans to climb up the Floors. They have to be stopped here.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, either.¡± The Overmind Emperor fell into contemtion at the Heavenly Demon¡¯s words. ¡®...I just don¡¯t get it.¡¯ The current universe didn¡¯t have a god, and the Archduke was the closest to that seat more than anyone else. Therefore, the emperor couldn¡¯t understand why such a powerful being was paying attention to the trivial yers. ¡®I really don¡¯t understand.¡¯ However, the Archduke¡¯s proposal wasn¡¯t bad for the emperor. The yers had been disturbing his empire, after all. The Overmind Emperor raised his head and asked, ¡°What exactly is it that you want?¡± ¡°An army,¡± the Heavenly Demon answered, ¡°I know where the yers are hiding. Allow me to borrow the empire¡¯s army, and I¡¯ll wipe the yers out with them.¡± ¡°...¡± Brrr! The Overmind Emperor¡¯s yellow eyes suddenly turned vertical, simr to the eyes of reptiles. He stared at the Heavenly Demon for a long time before returning to his original form. ¡°I can see that you¡¯re not lying,¡± he said. ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon couldn¡¯t answer the Overmind Emperor. The enormous pressure that the Overmind Emperor had emitted just now had been a bit too much for him to endure. ¡®...Hah, this is just ridiculous. How is this monster the Floor Master of the 7th Floor?¡¯ The Heavenly Demon couldn¡¯t help but think about just how strong the Floor Masters of the 8th and 9th Floors were. The Overmind Emperor nonchntly gazed at the Heavenly Demon and said, ¡°I will allow you to order the prince and the imperial army, including the two generals.¡± And what the Overmind Emperor wanted in return was simple... ¡°Annihte the yers on thisnd...¡± *** The moon in the cloudy sky was particrly brighter than usual. Rustle! The Sword Demon¡¯s sword was drooping in his hand as he wandered around the vacant lot where the moonlight was shining down on him. ¡°...¡± ¡®I hate¡­. I despise everything.¡¯ Upressed fury was dominating his mind and heart. ¡°...!¡± Swoosh! The Sword Demon¡¯s bloodshot eyes shed, and he turned to look at the side. He could see fear-stained eyes staring at him from inside a bush. ¡°...yer.¡± A hoarse voice emerged from his mouth. - You hate and despise the yers. The Sword Demon growled upon finding a yer, which he hated the most. He moved quickly, thinking that killing the yer would subdue the fury in his heart. ¡°Die¡­!¡± St! The Sword Demon¡¯s sword pierced the yer¡¯s head, killing thetter instantaneously. ¡°Marco!¡± ¡°Damn it! Kill him!¡± The yers in the bushes jumped out and attacked the Sword Demon. ¡®yers. So many yers¡­¡¯ ¡°Kill¡­ them all¡­¡± The Sword Demon swung his sword. The way he wielded his sword looked as if he were a swordsmanship rookie. ¡°Keheuk!¡± Unfortunately, not a single yer could withstand his sword for longer than a second. ¡°Damn it, damn it all!¡± The yers trembled in fear upon looking at the vacant lot stained with blood. The monster that they could not kill instilled fear in their hearts. The Sword Demon got ready to kill his next target, but before he could take a step forward, a bolt of lightning from out of the blue flew toward his head. Boom! ¡°Wow. He blocked that? Be careful, junior brother. His reflexes are great.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± The surviving yers turned toward the familiar voice. ¡°Sorry, we¡¯rete...¡± ¡°Ah, ah¡­ thank goodness!¡± The yers let out sighs of relief after identifying the yers who were walking toward them. The sense of relief and the resentment and sorrow for their deceased colleagues engulfed the hearts of the surviving yers at once. Seo Jun-Ho said, ¡°Miss Chae-Won. Evacuate the survivors to the back.¡± ¡°I got it,¡± said Son Chae-Won before moving toward the surviving yers. However, the Sword Demon charged at her to intercept. Screech! However, an unavoidable spear flew toward him. He had to raise his sword to block the attack, but he ended up flying away from the impact. ¡°...?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you pass.¡± ¡°...¡± The Sword Demon wordlessly stared at Seo Jun-Ho before swinging his sword haphazardly. ¡®So this is what it feels like, huh?¡¯ ng! Crash! ng! The Sword Demon¡¯s swordsmanship was quite familiar to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®This swordsmanship ¡­ it¡¯s certainly¡­¡¯ The Sword Demon¡¯s swordsmanship was definitely simr to that of Ceylonso Bestard, the best swordsman of the empire whom Seo Jun-Ho had killed just a while ago. ¡®But something¡¯s different¡­¡¯ However, it seemed like something more fundamental had been added artificially to his swordsmanship. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t identify it, but he couldn¡¯t care less. After all, he could still see traces of the Sword Demon¡¯s massacre. ¡°Yes, there is no need for me to know.¡± The Sword Demon was a fiend, and it was enough for Seo Jun-Ho to kill him. ¡°yer¡­ die¡­!¡± ¡°Go ahead. Try and kill me.¡± Fwoosh! The air screeched as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s spear flew toward the Sword Demon. sh! The Sword Demon parried the spear thrust before getting closer to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I can see that you¡¯ve done some research about me.¡± The opponent had a surprisingly urate grasp of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s spear arts. ¡®But there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll know this...¡¯ ¡°Rewind.¡± Time itself was rewound, and the distance between them grew wider once more. Seo Jun-Ho thrust his White Dragon in the same direction. ¡°...?!¡± The Sword Demon flinched when his attempted parry failed. White Dragon had be as flexible as a snake and grazed the Sword Demon¡¯s shoulder. ¡®Too shallow.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had tried to injure the Sword Demon¡¯s shoulder to incapacitate thetter, but the Sword Demon managed to dodge by virtue of his unbelievable reflexes. ¡®...Wow. He¡¯s a monster.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue in fury. ¡®He¡¯s blessed with such great skills, but he actually chose to be a fiend? If he had been a yer¡­¡¯ The Sword Demon would have be one of the best swordsmen in the history of yers. ¡®He would have been a great rival of Kim Woo-Joong, but I guess it¡¯s just an assumption of mine.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned cold as darkness blossomed at White Dragon¡¯s tip. ¡°Let¡¯s wrap this up.¡± ¡®This attack will take his life...¡¯ It was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s form of atonement and apology for the yers who perished because they didn¡¯t make it in time. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze changed slightly before he could make his move. ¡®...What is going on?¡¯ The Sword Demon¡¯s explosive demonic energy died down, and it soon became as calm as ake. The demonic energy had be so gentle, cid, and organized that Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t believe that the Sword Demon was a fiend. ¡°You arrogant bastard¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice was stiff as he said, ¡°The likes of you actually want to be remembered as a swordsman? How dare a disgusting fiend demand to be remembered as an honorable swordsman?¡± ¡°...¡± The Sword Demon didn¡¯t answer. However, his red eyes behind the Specter¡¯s mask looked anguished for some reason. ¡®What¡¯s up with that look? Isn¡¯t he a fiend? Fiends don¡¯t have the right to feel sad.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gulped the words he almost spoke out loud. He bit his lips and growled. ¡°Come at me.¡± ¡°...¡± The Sword Demon kicked off of the ground. His sword moved softly in the air, and its trajectory resembled the moon in the sky. sh! The fight ended right there and then. ¡°...¡± The Sword Demon¡¯s sword disintegrated into hundreds of pieces, and the Sword Demon himself staggered backward as blood blossomed from all over his body. Thud! There was a dull thud as he fell helplessly to his knees. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes wereplicated as he stared at the Sword Demon. ¡®That sword move just now¡­¡¯ The Sword Demon¡¯s sword move looked as cold as the moon, but it was warmer than any sword move that Seo Jun-Ho had encountered so far. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t even help but doubt if a fiend could even perform such a sword move. ¡°You... Who the hell are you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho swung his spear, and the Sword Demon¡¯s mask shattered. ¡°...¡± The Sword Demon lowered his head. His visage couldn¡¯t be seen because of the sweat and blood. ¡°...?¡± ¡®What is this sense of familiarity?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt a shiver down his spine. ¡®No way...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes quivered anxiously. ¡°R-raise your head¡­¡± he said in a trembling voice. ¡®There¡¯s no way¡­ It doesn¡¯t make sense. That¡¯s impossible. It can¡¯t be...¡¯ The Sword Demon raised his head, and a deafening silence enveloped the vacant lot. Son Chae-Won¡¯s voice was trembling as she muttered, ¡°Woo¡­ Joong?¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes tightly upon seeing the Sword Demon¡¯s face. Chapter 535. Sword Demon (5) Chapter 535. Sword Demon (5) Kim Woo-Joong and Son Chae-Won first met when they were in kindergarten. ¡°Hello, are you drawing something?¡± ¡°...¡± The little boy nodded. He was on the floor and was quietly drawing something by himself. The other children at the kindergarten were afraid of the boy¡¯s indifferent demeanor, but the little girl was different. ¡°What are you drawing?¡± ¡°...A tiger.¡± ¡°Can I see?¡± Son Chae-Won looked at the drawing for a moment before giving an honest review. ¡°You¡¯re really bad at drawing. And this is a lion, by the way. It has a mane.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s a tiger with a scarf.¡± ¡°Then, where are the stripes?¡± The little boy was visibly perplexed. He avoided Son Chae-Won¡¯s gaze and murmured, ¡°...I was just about to draw it.¡± It wasn¡¯t a remarkable first meeting, but they became friends afterward. Son Chae-Won needed a friend because she just moved to the city, and the little boy seemed to be in need of a friend as well. ¡°Hey. Do you want to be my friend?¡± ¡°My mom told me to always turn down any offers from strangers.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s be friends starting from tomorrow on. It will be our second meeting, so it should be fine, right?¡± ¡®Is it fine?¡¯ The little boy contemted for a very long time before eventually going home by himself that day. The next day, Son Chae-Won was surprised to find the little boy in front of her. ¡°I asked my mom.¡± ¡°What did you ask her?¡± ¡°...She said I can be friends with someone I met at the kindergarten even if it¡¯s our first meeting.¡± ¡°Wow, does that mean we¡¯re friends now?¡± The little boy nodded timidly at Son Chae-Won¡¯s smiling face. ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t heard your name. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°...Kim Woo-Joong.¡± From that day on, the two stuck to each other like glue. ¡°Hey, Woo-Joong. What do you like? A tiger with a scarf?¡± Kim Woo-Joog shook his head, which was very rare. He retrieved a sketchbook from his backpack. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Son Chae-Won had never seen the sketchbook before. Kim Woo-Joong shyly handed over the sketchbook to Son Chae-Won. ¡°...It¡¯s a sketchbook of the 5 Heroes.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Son Chae-Won knew the 5 Heroes as well. After all, the 5 Heroes were the most respected yers in the entire world. ¡®His drawing is much worse than usual. Is it because he drew humans?¡¯ Son Chae-Won smirked and flipped the pages. She thought that it was only natural for Kim Woo-Joong to be bad at drawing humans since he couldn¡¯t even properly draw a tiger. The sketchbook was filled with drawings of the 5 Heroes. Son Chae-Won was just a little girl, but even she could see the sincerity and passion in Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s drawings. ¡°You must be a huge fan of them, Woo-Joong.¡± ¡°I am. They¡¯re really cool,¡± Kim Woo-Joong shyly confessed with sparkling eyes. It was Son Chae-Won¡¯s first time seeing that look on him. ¡°I really like the yers¡­¡± said Kim Woo-Joong. It had been twenty years since then, but Son Chae-Won could still remember those scenes as clear as day, and they would asionally pop up in her mind as well. ¡°Kill the yers¡­¡± Therefore, Son Chae-Won couldn¡¯t believe Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s hatred toward yers. ¡°...This isn¡¯t real, right? Something¡¯s wrong...¡± Son Chae-Won¡¯s face was beyond pallid as she staggered toward Kim Woo-Joong. ¡®He just looks like Woo-Joong. There¡¯s no way they¡¯re the same person.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°Let me go¡­¡± Son Chae-Won shook off Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s hand and approached the kneeling fiend. Son Chae-Won found it difficult to breathe as the distance between her and the kneeling fiend narrowed. Her eyes were starting to fill with tears. ¡°No, no¡­¡± There was no way Son Chae-Won couldn¡¯t recognize Kim Woo-Joong when they had spent decades together. Kim Woo-Joong was the most valuable person that Son Chae-Won had in her life, and it was the same for Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Ugh, Heugh¡­¡± Son Chae-Won sobbed upon confirming that the kneeling fiend was indeed Kim Woo-Joong. The rest of the party couldn¡¯t even dare tofort her as the grief she had to be feeling right now had to be beyond their reckoning. Skaya quietly approached Seo Jun-Ho and asked, ¡°Jun-Ho. Can you do something about this¡­ I mean, with Watchguard of Darkness?¡± ¡°No...¡± If Kim Woo-Joong was an ordinary citizen, Seo Jun-Ho was confident that he could turn him back to human somehow. After all, he did have experience treating the orphans of Paradise, who were forced to drink the diluted blood of demons. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong was a yer. As far as Seo Jun-Ho knew, there had never been a case of a yer bing human once more after bing a fiend. Frost Queen clenched her fists tightly and trembled in fury. ¡°Ugh, I hate that Heavenly Demon!¡± Skaya sighed and asked, ¡°Then¡­ what are we supposed to do now?¡± Skaya was the most knowledgeable of the yers here, but even she had no idea what to do as she stared at Kim Woo-Joong withplicated eyes. It couldn¡¯t be helped because the so-called Sword Demon turned out to be the well-respected Sword Saint. Furthermore, he had even taken the lives of many yers. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly bit his lips. The thought of killing Kim Woo-Joong because he was a fiend and the thought of turning Kim Woo-Joong back to human by any means necessary collided in his head. Seo Jun-Ho contemted for a long time before making a decision. ¡°For now, let¡¯s bring him back. We¡¯ll decide what we¡¯re going to do with himter.¡± Seo Jun-Ho decided to put off making the final decision for the time being because he didn¡¯t know what to do either. *** The party was weed with a round of apuse upon returning to the ice castle with the survivors. ¡°I knew it! A fiend is no match for Specter-nim.¡± ¡°The Sword Demon killed thirteen yers. I hope he¡¯s rotting in hell.¡± The Sword Demon had already been subdued, so the yers¡¯ fear was vanquished as well. The yers could finally resume their regr activities. ¡°Are you okay, Specter-nim? You don¡¯t look good,¡± Cha Si-Eun asked worriedly.. ¡°...No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just a little tired,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho with a shake of his head. Seo Jun-Ho headed to his training ground. He made sure to look around before sighing and walking inside. nk, nk, nk! ¡°yer¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong muttered in a corner of the training ground. He couldn¡¯t move because Skaya¡¯s magic was restraining his limbs. Seo Jun-Ho still hadn¡¯t revealed Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s condition to the other yers. ¡®How am I supposed to tell them about this?¡¯ A yer would immediately be the enemy of mankind as soon as they turned into a fiend. The yers had been educated that way as well, and that was how they were supposed to behave toward the fiends. ¡°...And it¡¯s because of me...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was the one who taught the yers how to treat the fiends. Therefore, his feelings got even moreplicated. ¡®Let¡¯s say that I managed to treat him, what am I supposed to do about the yers who died by his hands while he was still the Sword Demon?¡¯ thought Seo Jun-Ho with a sigh. ¡°Watchguard of Darkness.¡± Seo Jun-Ho snapped his fingers, and the training ground became engulfed in ink-like darkness as wolves made out of darkness emerged from the floor. ¡°Consume every demonic energy in him.¡± The wolves of darkness rushed toward Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Keugh! Aaaaarghhh!¡± Kim Woo-Joong screamed miserably. Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips as if he could also feel Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s pain. ¡°Aaargggghhhh!¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stopped the wolves. He could see that Kim Woo-Joong would die without bing human once more if the wolves were to consume any more demonic energy from him. ¡®Extracting only the demonic energy in him won¡¯t work, but what if I rewind his time?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho pulled out a little dagger and apologized in advance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± With that, he made a small slit in Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s arm. After thirty minutes, he made another slit. Seo Jun-Ho wounded Kim Woo-Joong every thirty minutes. Six hourster, Seo Jun-Ho finally snapped his fingers. ¡°Rewind.¡± The time reversal was limited only to Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s time rather than the whole world. Swoosh. ¡®One, two¡­¡¯ The wounds healed one by one, but Seo Jun-Ho was devastated. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ too slow.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho cast Rewind three times, but only six wounds disappeared. In other words, he could only rewind an hour per Rewind. ¡®The Sword Demon first appeared five days ago...¡¯ The Battle of Gt was ten days ago, so Seo Jun-Ho had to rewind time for approximately two hundred and forty hours. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression grew grim as he made calctions in his head. ¡®This is also impossible.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic and mental strength couldn¡¯t handle that consumption. In other words, Seo Jun-Ho would never be able to turn Kim Woo-Joong back to human using the Time Reversal method, even if he were to spend an entire year increasing his skill proficiency. ¡°Should I just kill him¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at Kim Woo-Joong with aplex look. Meanwhile, Son Chae-Won entered the training ground. ¡°Is it possible?¡± she asked nervously. It couldn¡¯t be helped. If Seo Jun-Ho judged that he couldn¡¯t turn Kim Woo-Joong back to human, then Kim Woo-Joong would have to die. ¡°...No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°B-but¡­!¡± Son Chae-Won hastily spoke. She grew urgent and desperate at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words. ¡°H-he has gotten less aggressive, isn¡¯t he? He¡¯s not attacking us anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re restraining him with magic, and fiends also get exhausted without food.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± Son Chae-Won¡¯s voice was trembling as she shouted, ¡°Woo-Joong is less aggressive when you¡¯re around!¡± ¡®That¡¯s probably because of Demon¡¯s Bane effect¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stared deeply at Son Chae-Won. ¡°Ms. Son Chae-Won. You¡¯re still calling him Woo-Joong.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ he¡¯s Woo-Joong.¡± Son Chae-Won¡¯s nails dug deep into her palm, but she couldn¡¯t even feel the pain as she said, ¡°Please¡­ please give him a bit more time. We have to try everything, right?¡± Drip, drip. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly looked at the blood dripping down her hand before walking past her. ¡°Go to the infirmary once you¡¯re done here,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho as he walked out of the training ground. When the doors to the training ground were closed, Son Chae-Won finally copsed. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho seemed to have made a decision to some extent. Son Chae-Won wasn¡¯t really ming him because Seo Jun-Ho had been trying his best to turn Kim Woo-Joong back into a human being over the past few days. ¡°But I¡¯m not ready. I-I¡­¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be ready for the rest of my life.¡¯ Son Chae-Won sat on the ground and cried for a very long time. However, Kim Woo-Joong only growled at her. *** ¡°Skaya.¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. He looked out the window for quite a while before asking, ¡°Am I too cruel?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Skaya without any hesitation. She stared at Seo Jun-Ho before adding, ¡°Do you still remember our promise? About what we would do if one of us became a fiend?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho could still remember it. ¡°Yes, I still remember.¡± ¡®If one of us a fiend¡­¡¯ ¡°We would kill them with no mercy.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve never asked Kim Woo-Joong about it, but I think he¡¯ll give the same answer.¡± ¡®Because he is also a Hero...¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong hated fiends more than anyone else. ¡°Yes. I suppose so.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded with difficulty, and he barely managed to speak after making up his mind. ¡°W-we¡¯ll cut the Sword Demon down tomorrow.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho felt as if his body was made out of lead the moment he woke up in the morning. However, it wasn¡¯t really strange because he knew that he would have to kill his friend today. ¡°...Damn it.¡± The weather looked gloomy as well. ¡®Wait, it looks like a huge shadow has been cast on us rather than a dense cloud¡­¡¯ ¡°Wait, what? A shadow?¡± Seo Jun-Ho narrowed his eyes. Boom! There was a loud explosion as it started raining transformed, giant Overminds. Chapter 536. Sword Demon (6) Chapter 536. Sword Demon (6) The Frost Queen¡¯s ice castle was a fortress, and it could handle a siege pretty well. The castle walls were strong, and the ice was also covered in the power to block. ¡°...!¡± However, the ice castle¡¯s walls couldn¡¯t defend against enemies falling from the sky. Bang! The giant Overmindsnded on the magic circles above the castle with a loud explosion. ¡°Jun-Ho!¡± Skaya eximed as she emerged from a rift in space. She looked at the magic circle that covered the sky above the ice castle and spoke urgently, ¡°The castle is still holding out, thanks to the pre-installed defense spells, but our situation is bad!¡± ¡°How long do you think the castle willst?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ maybe ten minutes at most.¡± ¡°How many enemies are out there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen at least ten thousand¡­¡± In other words, there would be more than ten thousand enemies. Still, ten thousand was a number that was four times more than the current number of yers. ¡°It¡¯s toote to retreat,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. They would be able to retreat if there were only a few dozen yers here, but there were at least two thousand yers in the ice castle. The retreat was bound to be slow with so many yers. ¡°We need to get it together and fight back.¡± Between the unprepared and prepared, one didn¡¯t have to be a genius to know who would be at a disadvantage. However, Seo Jun-Ho knew what he had to do in a situation like this. ¡°Skaya, amplify my voice.¡± *** The yers crowded the outdoor training ground of the ice castle. Boom! They gulped as they nervously looked up at the giant Overminds banging against the magic circle above them. ¡°Damn it! What the hell were the patrols doing? How did those bastardse near us?!¡± ¡°What? How were we supposed to find them when they¡¯re moving above the clouds?¡± The yers started ying the me game, and the air between them heated up. It was clear that chaos was imminent. However, a loud voice rang in their ears, attracting their attention. - Mages and long-ranged fighters. Climb up the wall right now. ¡°...!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The voice sounded as steady as a boulder, and it calmed the yers down. It was hard to find even a little sign of hesitation in the voice echoing throughout the training ground. - First of all, get rid of the Overminds falling from the sky one by one. The close-quartersbatants should gather at the snowfield. The voice brought the yers back to their senses. The sudden rain took them by surprise, but they were veterans. ¡°The Cheong-Hae Guild will obey Specter-nim¡¯smand.¡± ¡°What are you doing? Gather the mages of each party and send them up the walls!¡± ¡°Hamel Mercenaries! Advance toward the snowfield outside the castle! Specter-nim must have a n!¡± The yers had no idea about Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s n, but not a single one of them doubted him. ¡°Specter-nim has led countless battles to victory! Trust him and follow hismand!¡± ¡°This is a precious opportunity to take up a page in history, so focus! Don¡¯t die!¡± The guilds and parties followed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯smand at once as if they had received a holy revtion, and it only took them seven minutes to move to their respective positions. Seo Jun-Ho ced both of his hands on the window frame and asked, ¡°Skaya. How much magic do you have left?¡± ¡°I still have quite a bit, why?¡± ¡°I thought that we should be in tandem for the first time in a while.¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes shed at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words. ¡°Oh? Do you have a good idea?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s a good or a reckless idea, but¡­ I do have one.¡± Boom! Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the thousand Overminds punching the magic circle and murmured, ¡°It¡¯s a bit unfair for them to be at an advantage on our home, don¡¯t you think so?¡± *** Swoosh! A supermassive airship the size of a few cities hovered above the clouds. ¡°Hm.¡± Digor was in the cockpit, and he was observing the situation on the ground through one of the monitors. Two generals¡ªBocello and Bamon¡ªwere standing next to him. ¡°They seem quite perplexed.¡± ¡°Of course, they would be. I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t expect this.¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± Digor nodded. Digor was sure that they would be able to annihte the enemies this time. Of course, it wasn¡¯t really strange because the enemies had no idea that their hideout had already been exposed. In addition, they had to have been taken aback by the sudden attack from the skies. ¡®In other words¡­¡¯ Digor¡¯s eyes narrowed as he nced at the door of the cockpit. He suddenly remembered two men and a woman who should be on standby right now. ¡®They¡¯re humans, but why are they trying to wipe the yers out?¡¯ He found it difficult to understand their intentions, but it didn¡¯t matter. He cared a lot more about the result rather than the process. ¡°Huh? Your Highness,¡± said Bocello with a frown as he pointed at the screen. ¡°The humans suddenly became organized¡­¡± ¡°Hm. You¡¯re right.¡± The movements of the panicking humans had changed. ¡®Is it that cheeky human who invaded the capital by himself to rescue his colleague?¡¯ Digor¡¯s eyes grew fierce as he recalled Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face. ¡°General Bocello. What do you think is the reason why the humans are moving out of the castle?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Bocello closed his mouth at a question that was a bit difficult to answer. Bamon saw that, and he opened his mouth. He considered this as an opportunity for him to rise up the ranks as he said, ¡°I think they¡¯re going to sacrifice the minority for the majority.¡± ¡°Oh? You think they¡¯re going to save the rest at the expense of the others?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. There are many times more people leaving the gate rather than those who are on the wall.¡± There were about five hundred humans on the wall, but there were about two thousand humans leaving through the gate. ¡®If General Bamon¡¯s assumption is true¡­¡¯ Digor would be slightly disappointed by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ipetence. ¡®I guess I won¡¯t have to worry about humans from now on.¡¯ Even if they survived today¡¯s ambush, they would never be able to unite once more. ¡®There¡¯s nothing less reliable than a superior who abandons his subordinates in times of crisis.¡¯ Digor was relieved. He then gave an order. ¡°The defense magic circle is about to break. Get ready to deploy the troops.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Thousands of Overminds would descend on the ice castle the moment the magic circle broke. Digor thought that there would be no more reason for him to continue watching the operation by then. He was convinced that there was no way the humans could still turn the tables around at that point. ¡®Everything is going perfectly ording to n.¡¯ However, Digor¡¯s look of satisfaction turned strange. ¡°...General Bamon,¡± he called out. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think those humans are running away.¡± The two thousand yers weren¡¯t running away. They drew their weapons, seemingly determined to fight. ¡°Hah. How are they so confident?¡± The snowfield was huge, and there was nowhere to hide. In other words, those with more troops would be at an advantage if they were to fight here. ¡®Even if they take advantage of the ice castle, they will be at a disadvantage¡­¡¯ Digor¡¯s confusion grew at the nonsensical decision of the humans. However, his train of thought was interrupted by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s appearance. ¡°Seo Jun-Ho!¡± Seo Jun-Ho walked toward the outdoor training ground of the empty ice castle. Then, he slowly raised his head. ¡°...!¡± ¡®What? What was that?¡¯¡¯ Digor knew that it was impossible, but it felt like he had made eye contact with Seo Jun-Ho. Digor felt a shiver down his spine, and his instincts forced him to speak, ¡°Up...¡± ¡°Pardon me, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Go up!¡± *** ¡°He¡¯s more quick-witted than I thought.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smirked upon looking at the supermassive airship. ¡°However, he noticed it a bit toote.¡± Seo Jun-Ho awakened all the magic inside him, and the magic circted rapidly through his magic circuit to answer Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s call. ¡°You should have fought me with all you might from the very beginning.¡± ¡®Why did he only send a thousand when he brought ten thousand troops with him?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes focused on the supermassive airship, which was frantically trying to raise its altitude. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for your arrogance and carelessness.¡± Crackle! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic froze the clouds. Buzz! The supermassive airship tried its best to raise its altitude, but the frozen clouds held it in ce. ¡°Skaya!¡± Seo Jun-Ho shouted while holding his aching head. Skaya¡¯s yful voice echoed. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to shout. I¡¯m not deaf, you know? And I¡¯m ready since a while ago.¡± A vast amount of magic burst out from behind Seo Jun-Ho. Boom! Skaya¡¯s Destruction Ray illuminated the night as it pierced the clouds and struck the supermassive airship. ¡°Y-Your Highness! There is severe damage to the engine! T-the airship is falling!¡± ¡°...Damn it!¡± Digor gnashed his teeth with bloodshot eyes. ¡°The transport ships! Send out every transport ship we have in this airship! We¡¯ll win an all-out war anyway, so don¡¯t hesitate!¡± ¡®We¡¯re fine.¡¯ The destruction of a supermassive airship was heartbreaking, but this wasn¡¯t enough for the humans to turn the tables around. ¡®Nothing changes. I just have to send the troops safely down to the ground.¡¯ The Overminds who couldn¡¯t fly were already on standby in the hundreds of transport ships. They would win as long as the troopsnded safely on the ground. General Bocello was staring at the monitors and saw a figure through the static. ¡°T-that bastard¡­!¡± A gray-haired man was standing on the castle wall. ¡°This is a bit overwhelming, but what can I do? It¡¯s my junior brother¡¯s request.¡± The gray-haired man looked up at the sky as bright yellow sparks burst out of him. ¡°You can go ahead and try toe down, but¡­ it won¡¯t be that easy.¡± Boom! The transport ships barely managed to break through the frozen clouds, but they exploded like fireworks upon being greeted by powerful lightning bolts and attacks. *** ¡°Keep attacking! Give them no quarter! Drop as many of them as you can!¡± ¡°Seven, eight, nine¡­ haha! I got two at once! That was my eleventh transport ship!¡± The yers on top of the walls destroyed the transport ships with ease. There were so many transport ships that the yers could hit one of them even without aiming properly. ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s going to be hard to destroy them all!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! Just damaging them is good enough¡± ¡°Make sure they won¡¯t fall on the ice castle! Get them to crash on the snowfield!¡± Shin Sung-Hyun shouted at the top of his lungs as he swept his gaze across the snowfield with eyes shining in admiration and awe. ¡®No way. Did Specter-nim know about all this?¡¯¡¯ The operation¡¯s outline wasn¡¯t so great. In fact, it was an operation that relied on the empire¡¯s carelessness. If the empire hadn¡¯t been careless, then the operation wouldn¡¯t have been impactful. ¡®The most important part is that he seemed to have looked this far into the future...¡¯ Even Shin Sung-Hyun himself was taken aback by the sudden night raid. However, Seo Jun-Ho calmly came up with a n, and he even spearheaded the operation. ¡®...And the results are clear as day...¡¯ Boom! The enemy transport ships crashed everywhere on the snowfield. ¡°Keugh¡­¡± ¡°Damn it, what¡¯s going on¡­¡± There were a few surviving Overminds, but they were greeted by the furious yers whose attacks were even colder than the snowfield. ¡®We can do this.¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun clenched his fists. Of course, he still wasn¡¯t expecting that they would win because there were simply too many enemies. ¡®However, what looked impossible now looks doable¡­¡¯ And it was enough... In addition, Specter would be fighting with the yers. ¡°Specter-nim¡­? Where did he go?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun tilted his head in wonder while staring at the outdoor training ground. Shin Sung-Hyun could swear that Specter was standing in the outdoor training ground just now, but he suddenly disappeared. Chapter 537. Sword Demon (7) Chapter 537. Sword Demon (7) Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. Sometimes, it was better to feel the world through one¡¯s other senses aside from the eyes, and right now, it would be better for him to feel the world with his eyes closed. ¡®ck Moon Heart Method.¡¯ Fwoosh! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ck Moon Heart Method ced all the magic in the surroundings under his control. The ck Moon Heart Method engulfed every single particle of magic in the air and scattered like a spiderweb. ¡°Argh!¡± A terrible headache struck Seo Jun-Ho as an enormous amount of information flowed into his head. It was no exaggeration to say that all the information on the battlefield was inside Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head at this moment. ¡®The number of surviving Overminds are¡­ about 5,296 Overminds.¡¯ Five thousand Overminds perished before they could even wield their weapons, but the number of surviving Overminds was still too manypared to the number of yers. ¡®The yers¡¯ morale is high, but that won¡¯tst long.¡¯ The enemies weren¡¯t dumb. The surviving Overminds would be a huge headache once they grouped up. ¡®And the yers know that as well...¡¯ It was the reason why the yers were fighting with all their might. They had to eliminate as many enemies as they could before the surviving Overminds recovered and grouped up. ¡®Then my job here is to¡­¡¯ Swoosh! The map which had spread out inside Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head reflected the sky. The supermassive airship was slowly crashing on the eastern side of the snowfield. ¡®I must stop theirmander from grouping up with them.¡¯ The difference between having amander on the battlefield and not having one wasn¡¯t just a simple matter of difference in number. In fact, Seo Jun-Ho hadmanded the panicking yers into an organized group just now. ¡®Geon-Woo¡¯s wide range is necessary to this battlefield. The same is true of Shin Sung-Hyun and Miss Ju-Ha.¡¯ Right now, Seo Jun-Ho could only bring a few people with him, and he immediately contacted them. ¡°Why are you calling me? I¡¯m busy!¡± ¡°Hehe, why do you think he called us? He probably wants to do something fun with us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s going to be fun or not, but there¡¯s something I need you guys to do with me,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He turned to look at Skaya and said, ¡°Skaya, can we get inside that airship?¡± ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s too high for Flight Magic, and we¡¯ll be too exposed in mid-air.¡± ¡°Can you teleport us there, then?¡± ¡°No, the annoying bastard is definitely in that airship. He¡¯s the only one who can constantly distort the space in that airship.¡± ¡°Annoying bastard? Are you talking about that prince?¡± Rahmadat asked with a grin before adding, ¡°If so, then that¡¯s great news. I still haven¡¯t repaid him.¡± ¡°But what can we do? I just told you that there¡¯s no realistic way to get up to that height,¡± said Skaya with a sour look. ¡°What do you think? Can you do it?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked once again. ¡°Huh? I already told you that it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking to Rahmadat.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Rahmadat blinked his massive eyes a couple of times, but he soon startedughing. ¡°Kehahaha! I can see what you¡¯re trying to do here, and it¡¯s definitely going to be fun! I knew it, you¡¯re the best! All right. I can do it!¡± ¡°...?¡± Skaya stared alternatingly between Seo Jun-Ho and Rahmadat before shaking her head. ¡°I have no idea what you guys are talking about, but count me out on this one. You guys are probably nning on doing something dumb and reckless again.¡± ¡°Hey, nerd. You must walk through life with a burning heart and soul.¡± ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time, so don¡¯t even start arguing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly intervened to stop Rahmadat and Skaya from arguing with each other as always. ¡°Anyway, I want you to get ready, Rahmadat.¡± ¡°Got it. You get ready as well.¡± ¡®One, two. One, two...¡¯ Rahmadat got ready by stretching. ¡°Inventory.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pulled out a thick rope from his Inventory and wrapped it around his waist. He handed the other end of the rope to Skaya. ¡°Here, take this.¡± ¡°?¡± Skaya instinctively epted the rope, and she asked as if she were unaware of what they were trying to do here. ¡°What is this for? You want to y tug-of-war or something?¡± ¡°Wrap it around your waist. You better tie it tightly and make sure that it won¡¯te loose.¡± ¡°...What? Wait! No¡­ this isn¡¯t what I¡¯m thinking, right?¡± Skaya turned pallid upon guessing Seo Jun-Ho and Rahmadat¡¯s n. ¡°No way! I¡¯m not doing this! I refuse! I already feel dizzy just thinking about it¡± ¡°Tsk. Skaya Killnd,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho in a solemn voice. He looked like a parent scolding his child as he said, ¡°I told you that we don¡¯t have time for any argument.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Skaya frowned and looked down at the rope in her hand. The yers out there were fighting with their lives on the line, so a well-respected Hero like her shouldn¡¯t refuse to participate just because she would feel dizzy. ¡°Sigh¡­ fine. I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll join.¡± Skaya deeply regretted following Seo Jun-Ho for fun. ¡°Skaya Killnd, you idiot,¡± Skaya muttered under her breath. ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re a genius, not an idiot.¡± ¡°...I can¡¯t deny that,¡± said Skaya. ¡°All right! Now hand over the rope.¡± Rahmadat was finally done with his stretching, and he smiled as he reached out with his hand. Skaya carefully handed over the rope to Rahmadat. ¡°Make sure to jump as gently as you can, okay?¡± she requested. ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯tugh! Tell me that you¡¯ll do it gently!¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Skaya was infuriated. Rahmadatughed like a madman as he wrapped the rope tightly around his right arm. He looked up for a moment before muttering, ¡°The distance is¡­ far.¡± ¡°God, no¡­ Are you out of your mind?! Calcte it properly, you dumbass!¡± ¡°My experience and instincts will take care of the calctions.¡± ¡°Experience and instincts, my ass! Hey, let me do it! Let me do the calctions for you! Please!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡®I just have to jump as high as I can while looking super cool.¡¯ Rahmadat grinned. Soon, an overwhelming aura burst out of him. ¡°Emancipation.¡± Rahmadat¡¯s magic circuit opened, and the cells in his body divided at once as they became thousands of times more active than usual. His cells seemed to be getting ready to die because they were dividing faster than usual as well. ¡°Kehehe.¡± Rahmadat cackled upon sensing the overwhelming energy that pervaded him. Momentster, he became light itself. Boom! The sound barrier was shattered with a loud noise. ¡®Keuk¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression distorted as the extreme wind resistance crashed into him. ¡®Is this Rahmadat¡¯s world?¡¯ The people, the objects, and the scenery peeled into a line and disappeared behind him. Everything happened so fast that Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that the entire experience was only 0.3 seconds long. However, it was long enough for Seo Jun-Ho to experience the true speed of Tandav, Shiva¡¯s dance Rahmadat sounded delighted as he muttered, ¡°Wow, it actually worked...¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho, Skaya, and Rahmadat found themselves on the airship¡¯s deck. ¡°How was it, Jun-Ho?¡± asked Rahmadat. ¡°It was the worst.¡± The terrible headache was one thing, but the rope brought pain to his waist and back. ¡°Skaya, how was it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me right now¡ªBleck!¡± Skaya had alwayscked stamina, and she looked unprecedentedly pallid as she red at Rahmadat. ¡°You¡­ I asked you to jump gently¡­¡± ¡°I was afraid that we won¡¯t make it to the airship, so I simply jumped as high as I could. Wait, shouldn¡¯t you beplimenting me?¡± replied Rahmadat. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely kill you after this¡­¡± ¡°Enough. Stop arguing, you two,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said as he removed the rope from his waist. He could feel Overminds approaching them. ¡°You guys can feel it, too, right? There are three strong Overminds here.¡± ¡°Hm. Am I mistaken? They feel familiar for some reason.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not mistaken. I feel the same.¡± It seemed that the two people next to Prince Digor right now were the two generals who had pursued them that day. Rahmadat grinned. ¡°All right, I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯ll pay off all the debts I owe them today.¡± ¡°Lower your voice¡ªbleck!¡± Seo Jun-Ho only had two allies, and there were a few hundred Overminds converging on their location, but he remained surprisingly calm. *** Meanwhile, the battle on the ground was looking dire for the yers. ¡°Ju-Ha-nim! The left front line has copsed!¡± ¡°Stop them by any means! We must hold out until the yers have evacuated into the castle!¡± Gong Ju-Ha cried out. The front line in the snowfield was pushed all the way to the walls before anyone could understand what was going on. It seemed that the Overminds managed to overwhelm the lines that the yers had established, forcing thetter to move back. Crackle! Huge pirs of fire rose up in the snowfield. Gong Ju-Ha wiped the sweat off of her forehead and looked around momentarily. ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m getting sick of this. There are too many of them!¡± The pressure was also overwhelming, and it was all because each Overmind here was either stronger than the yers or as strong as them. ¡®Of course, the enemies won¡¯t just stand back and do nothing aftering back to their senses.¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha figured that the enemies would go on a rampage like madmen for revenge, and the yers didn¡¯t have that many options to choose from. ¡°It¡¯s either flight or fight.¡± ¡°...We must hold out,¡± Ha In-Ho answered as he looked around. Too many yers had been injured for them to retreat. ¡°Sigh. Where did Specter-nim go?¡± ¡°Rahmadat-nim dragged¡ªno, took Specter-nim and Miss Skaya up to the sky earlier.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun looked down at the base of the wall and said, ¡°He probably made the decision to prevent theirmanders from joining the battle. He had made an impressive decision.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s decision allowed the yers to retreat to the Ice Castle without much damage. The yers would have been engulfed by the enemies if the enemy¡¯smanders were here. ¡°Will they be fine on their own? They don¡¯t even know how many enemies are in that airship¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s funny, Team Leader Gong,¡± said Shin Sung-Hyun with a smirk. ¡°Who do you think Specter-nim is? Will he really make that decision without making the proper calctions?¡¯ ¡°...¡± ¡®I highly doubt that he calcted things¡­¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha swallowed her words with difficulty before replying, ¡°What do you think, Master? Can we hold out?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun calcted in his head before nodding. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hehe, that was a confident answer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident, and it¡¯s all thanks to you and Kim Woo-Joong.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun could still remember the training he had done with Gong Ju-Ha and Kim Woo-Joong in an effort to clear the 6th Floor. The enlightenment he had received raised his prowess to another level. ¡®Come to think of it, I don¡¯t remember saying thank you to them.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t have been more annoyed by them back then, but in the end, he became grateful to them. Shin Sung-Hyun stared at Gong Ju-Ha and said, ¡°...Thanks, Team Leader Gong.¡± ¡°Huh? Am I getting a sry cut?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun clicked his tongue. ¡®And Kim Woo-Joong¡­yes. I¡¯ll say thank you to him once he¡¯s back.¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun smiled faintly, but his expression suddenly turned stiff. ¡°You look like you¡¯re doing well.¡± ¡°...!¡± A familiar voice echoed next to him, and the voice sent a shiver down his spine. ¡®Why am I hearing his voice on this battlefield¡­?¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s eyelid trembled as he slowly turned his head. ¡°This will take some time if I don¡¯t help them out¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s eyes reflected the white-haired man¡¯s side profile. The white-haired man was looking down at the base of the wall with an indifferent expression. He looked as if he didn¡¯t care about Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s existence at all. ¡°Heavenly¡­ Demon¡­?¡± muttered Shin Sung-Hyun. He barely managed to squeeze such words out of his throat. The Heavenly Demon slowly turned to him. ¡°Come to think of it, I remember him saying¡­¡± ¡®...that we should put an end to this long war.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon recalled hearing those words from Kim Woo-Joong at the baseball stadium. The Heavenly Demon nodded as he recalled the memories of that fateful day. ¡°Tonight, let''s put an end to this long war.¡± ¡°Master! Nooooo!¡± sh! The walls were abruptly stained with blood. Chapter 538. Re:wind (1) Chapter 538. Re:wind (1) The rusty smell of blood quickly spread throughout the battlefield as silence descended upon the castle walls. ¡°...Wow.¡± The Heavenly Demon broke the silence with a surprised look. ¡°You dodged it?¡± he said. ¡°Master!¡± Ha In-Ho and Gong Ju-Ha hastily stepped in front of Shin Sung-Hyun. Gong Ju-Ha went beyond pallid upon checking Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s condition. ¡®He managed to avoid instant death, but the wound is too severe.¡¯ Blood was still pouring out of the long cut on Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s chest. If he hadn¡¯t twisted the space in front of him in time, then he would have been split into two by the attack. ¡°Huff, huff¡­ Team Leader Gong.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s expression was ugly as cold sweat broke out all over him. His vision started to blur. He bled too much in a short period of time, and there were two Gong Ju-Ha in his eyes. ¡°Yes, yes! Master¡­¡± ¡°The fact that¡­ the Heavenly Demon¡­is here means that Isaac Dvor and Valencia Citrin are nearby¡ªKeugh!¡± ¡°Just please keep your mouth closed! You¡¯re bleeding!¡± ¡°This is mymand¡­ as the Guild Master of Goblin¡­.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s eyes suddenly became as vigorous as a burning candle just before it was extinguished. ¡°Do not let the fiends go¡­ no matter what!¡± ¡°Master¡­!¡± Gong Ju-Ha bit her lips and nodded, looking aggrieved. However, Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s wounds suddenly healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. ¡°...!¡± Gong Ju-Ha and Shin Sung-Hyun looked at each other with wide eyes. ¡°You avoided instant death, so I should be able to keep you alive somehow. Just don¡¯t die on us,¡± said the Schumern Saintess, Cha Si-Eun. ¡°Okay, stop crying,¡± said Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°Hmm, kehem.¡± Gong Ju-Ha wiped the tears off of her eyes with an awkward expression and looked down at Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°I guess I got worried about you for no reason. Get up if you¡¯vee to your senses.¡± ¡°...Okay.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun stood up by himself and red murderously at the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon was looking at them with a look of amusement. ¡°What an amalgamation of killing intent¡­ it feels like home.¡± The Heavenly Demon was by himself on the wall, but he wasughing, even though he only had enemies as far as his eye could see. ¡°Well, I can just bring them with me.¡± He manifested a tiny amount of demonic energy, but the air itself trembled when it manifested. ¡°Bleck!¡± ¡°Ah! Bleck!¡± The nearby yers vomited upon being struck by the Heavenly Demon¡¯s demonic energy. It couldn¡¯t be helped because the Heavenly Demon¡¯s demonic energy seemed like it was the most nauseating energy in the world. ¡°Heavenly Demooon!¡± a loud and fierce voice echoed. The Heavenly Demon¡¯s demonic energy was shattered. Boom! The part of the wall where the Heavenly Demon was standing had copsed. ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon leisurely floated in the air, and he looked down at his hands. He didn¡¯t expect that he would be forced to use his hands against an opponent who was neither Seo Jun-Ho nor Kim Woo-Joong. He looked up and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before¡­ who are you?¡± However, the other party only red at him with eyes filled with anger, joy, and an unknown sense of longing. ¡®I¡¯ve seen angry gazes, but¡­ it¡¯s my first time seeing someone looking at me with a sense of longing?¡¯ The Heavenly Demon grew more and more curious about the other party. ¡°...I missed you.¡± The other party¡¯s gaze was so sharp that if gazes could kill, then the Heavenly Demon would have already been torn apart by at least a dozen times by now. ¡°And I mean it. I really missed you like crazy.¡± ¡°You¡¯reing on a bit too strong. Do you know me?¡± ¡°Of course I do. I know you very well.¡± Crackle! Sparks emerged from the gray-haired man. The Heavenly Demon grinned at the sight. ¡°I see. Are you perhaps Baek Geon-Woo, the Thunder God¡¯s disciple?¡± ¡°...¡± The gray-haired man¡¯s face stiffened. Boom! A lightning bolt passed by the Heavenly Demon and struck the ground. ¡®He¡¯s better than I thought...¡¯ The Heavenly Demon surrounded himself with his demonic energy before nodding and saying, ¡°I guess I¡¯m correct, looking at your reaction.¡± ¡°Do not mention my master¡¯s name with that filthy mouth of yours.¡± The Heavenly Demon finally remembered why the man was so hostile toward him. He brought up his memories regarding the Thunder God before saying, ¡°He was a decent martial artist, but he met a miserable end.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Baek Geon-Woo roared. Crackle! Boom! Lightning was a natural disaster, and it was determined to tear the Heavenly Demon apart. ¡°You¡¯re fast.¡± The Heavenly Demon smiled. ¡°However, you¡¯re only as good as your master.¡± *** ¡°Rahmadat!¡± ¡°Yeah, I know!¡± Rahmadat shouted and turned around. As soon as he turned around, a sword pierced his torso. ¡°Since you knew, you should have dodged.¡± ¡°Hm, I didn¡¯t feel like dodging.¡± Bang! Rahmadat headbutted the sword-wielding opponent, and thetter crumpled to the floor. Seo Jun-Ho shrugged at the sight. ¡°...Do as you please.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± It had already been four hours since the battle on the deck started, and the battle was about to end. The hundreds of Overminds couldn¡¯t handle the three of them. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze wordlessly turned to one ce. New challengers had emerged to greet them. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Grrr¡­¡± Rahmadat grinned before throwing away the Overmind that he was beating up to a pulp. ¡°Atst, the owners havee out. I¡¯m fed up beating their dogs.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call them the owners. Aren¡¯t they just managers at most?¡± The Imperial Generals¡ªBocello and Bamon¡ªwere finally here. ¡°What a shame. I should have killed you by any means back then.¡± ¡°Whatever, you won¡¯t be so lucky today.¡± The Imperial Generals seemed confident. However, Seo Jun-Ho ignored them and lowered his voice to ask, ¡°Skaya, Rahmadat. The two of you can handle them, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care, but¡­¡± Skaya trailed off. ¡°Are you going to fight that prince by yourself? Will you be fine?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let him run away.¡± Skaya and Rahmadat would definitely have an easier time dealing with the generals if Seo Jun-Ho were to stay with them. However, there was no way Prince Digor would help his generals unless he lost his mind. ¡®He¡¯ll definitely run away.¡¯ Unfortunately, they had no way to stop the prince from running away. ¡®His ability is really tricky to deal with.¡¯ The yers would be at a huge advantage if Seo Jun-Ho allowed the prince to do as he pleased. After all, Prince Digor was capable of disabling their Vitas and distorting space. ¡®I have to get rid of him here, considering the uingboratory and power nt operations.¡¯ Having read Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind, Skaya and Rahmadat nodded. ¡°If you really must¡­ okay. I¡¯ll carry him somehow.¡± ¡°Bullshit. I can deal with those two by myself.¡± ¡°Hah, that¡¯s funny.¡± ¡®I can trust those two.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned around to leave the deck, but Bamon raised his eyebrows. ¡°Hey, I did not give you the permission to leave.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nced at him wordlessly before ignoring him and walking away. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t have any manners, so here¡¯s your manners!¡± Bamon hurled a spear at Seo Jun-Ho. Zing! However, the spear froze in mid-air. Skaya crossed her arms and lightly clicked her tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t be so desperate to cling onto someone who wants to leave. We¡¯ll y with you.¡± ¡°...What an arrogant woman.¡± ¡°Why are you even answering her?¡± Bocello muttered and drew out his weapon. ¡°We just have to beat these two to death, and we can pursue him afterward.¡± ¡°Wow, what a coincidence,¡± said Rahmadat. Crack, Crack! Rahmadat cracked his neck and approached them with a smile. ¡°You guys have the same n as us.¡± *** Digor was sitting in his chair in front of the monitors when Seo Jun-Ho walked into the cockpit. ¡°...Seriously. I¡¯m so sick of this,¡± Digor muttered in a slightly tired voice before turning around in his chair. He stared at Seo Jun-Ho and asked, ¡°Do you have any idea how much we¡¯ve suffered because of trivial humans like you?¡± ¡°Of course, I have an idea,¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled, but he was dumbfounded as well. ¡®Do you have any idea how hard we had to work just to give you that much damage?¡¯ ¡°You killed ten thousand of our subjects, and you also destroyed the one and only supermassive airship of the empire. We have indeed suffered a great loss.¡± ¡°Why? Were you fond of this airship?¡± Seo Jun-Ho mocked to get on Digor¡¯s nerves. However, Digor only smirked at him. ¡°Ah, all right. It seems like you still have the time to crack a joke despite your situation.¡± ¡°I can also crack a joke whenever I want in the future, and¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho trailed off upon seeing scenes that he couldn¡¯t quite grasp when he inadvertently looked at the monitors. ¡°And what? You should finish what you were saying,¡± Digo said sarcastically. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes were fixated on the screen. ¡°How?¡± The walls should have been clear because it was created by the Frost Queen¡¯s ice, but it was currently dyed with the crimson blood of the yers. ¡°But how¡­?¡± The walls that had been built for the yers to walk on were full of their corpses. ¡°Haha. I guess you have no idea what¡¯s going on out there because of my interference. You must have been unable to feel their energy, no?¡± Digor shrugged. Based on the scenes being depicted by the monitors, the battle on the ground had already ended. ¡°I have already achieved my goal, as you can see...¡± Digor finally got up from his seat and smirked. ¡°In other words, there¡¯s no reason for me to stay here and fight you.¡± Digor created a rift in space and disappeared into it before Seo Jun-Ho could react. *** Seo Jun-Ho jumped off the airship. ¡®There¡¯s no way this is real. He must have lied to confuse me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that the scenes he had seen on the monitor were forged because there was no way that the yers in the ice castle would die so soon, considering that they werepetent veterans and were the cream of the crop. ¡°...¡± However, those with high expectations were bound to feel greater disappointment when those expectations weren¡¯t met. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression dried up like a desert uponnding on the crimson castle walls. ¡°...¡± He looked around and saw Gong Ju-Ha, Shin Sung-Hyun, and Cha Si-Eun. ¡°Team Leader Gong, Shin Sung-Hyun¡­ Miss Si Eun¡­?¡± They perished with their eyes wide open while staring at the sunrise. Seo Jun-Ho forced down the urge to vomit. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s a human.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still a human left?¡± Banggggg! The Overminds who rushed at Seo Jun-Ho were torn into thousands of pieces by the furious darkness that blossomed from him. Seo Jun-Ho picked up his face. ¡®No. This can¡¯t be real.¡¯ His Imperturbable Mind shattered when he was faced with the uneptable reality in front of him. Seo Jun-Ho desperately wished for his Hero¡¯s Mind(EX) to activate. ¡®Please tell me that I¡¯m in an illusion. Tell me that all of this is a lie.¡¯ However, there wasn¡¯t any system prompt rted to Hero¡¯s Mind. ¡°Frost Queen! Geon-Woo! Son Chae-Won!¡± Seo Jun-Ho frantically ran and searched the castle for a survivor hoping that he would see at least one survivor. ¡®This familiar energy belongs to¡­!¡¯ Bang! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes trembled. He ran toward the familiar energy and opened the door to his personal training ground. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± The Heavenly Demon greeted Seo Jun-Ho with a grin. Baek Geon-Wooy dead at his feet with his limbs severed. He had met an end simr to his master. ¡°It was an interesting experience. I felt like I was killing the same man twice because he had the exact same habits as his master,¡± The Heavenly Demon said. He looked as excited as a child who was telling his parents about what he had done in school. ¡°Hey, look here as well.¡± The Heavenly Demon pointed at where Kim Woo-Joong and Son Chae-Won¡¯s corpses were located. A sword was sticking out of Son Chae-Won¡¯s stomach, and Kim Woo-Joong was kneeling in front of her. He hadpletely lost his mind. ¡°I ordered him to kill that woman, and hepletely lost his mind afterward. If I had known that making him kill that woman would ruin him, then I would have killed that woman myself.¡± ¡°HEAVENLY DEMOOON!¡± Seo Jun-Ho roared as tears fell from his eyes. ¡°...You¡¯re finally crying.¡± The Heavenly Demon smiled. Momentster, he erupted into raucousughter. ¡°Hahaha! Atst! I finally made you cry!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho remained silent. A deep sense of lethargy and despondency engulfed him as his gaze helplessly turned to the ground. ¡®If everything was eventually going to end up like this, then what was I even fighting for? Was it to protect¡ª¡¯¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes tightly, interrupting his train of thought. Everything was over, and in the end, he couldn¡¯t protect anything. The mere thought of trying to protect everything precious to him sounded absurd to him now. ¡°Pffft! Hahahaha!¡± Seo Jun-Ho alsoughed along with the Heavenly Demon because the situation was indeed absurd. Heughed for a long time until someone spoke to him. ¡°Jun¡­ Ho¡­¡± It was Kim Woo-Joong. Seo Jun-Ho could see blood-stained tears beneath Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes. Then, Kim Woo-Joong begged. ¡°Kill¡­me.¡± Kim Woo-Joong hadmitted a terrible crime. He became a fiend and killed many yers. In the end, he even ended up killing the woman who was the most precious to him in this world with his own hands. Kim Woo-Joong desperately wanted to die, but the prohibition didn¡¯t allow him to hurt himself. ¡°Please, kill me. Please¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly took the sword that Kim Woo-Joong had extended over to him while shedding tears of blood. When Seo Jun-Ho raised his head and looked into Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes, he finally realized that Kim Woo-Joong had truly broken down. The virtuous Sword Saint nor the heartless Sword Demon was no longer there. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t understand how things hade to this point. ¡®If I had known that the Heavenly Demon would be here¡­ if I had been more careful¡­¡¯ Great regret overwhelmed Seo Jun-Ho. The weight of the lives that had perished tonight was too much for Seo Jun-Ho to bear on his shoulders. ¡®Wait. Regret?¡¯ - When you are at the lowest, the most painful point in your life, and when you regret something so much that you want to die, use this. The World Tree¡¯s words inadvertently appeared in his mind. Seo Jun-Ho retrieved a small wooden box from his Inventory. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared wordlessly at the box. He was afraid of opening it because he had already learned the hard way that the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. ¡°Please¡­ give me death.¡± Kim Woo-Joong begged. Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips. Nothing would change if he didn¡¯t move forward despite the adversity. Click. The wooden box opened, and Seo Jun-Ho saw a crumpled paper and a note inside. -I¡¯m sorry. The very first sentence on the note was the World Tree¡¯s apology. - My power as an Administrator drops drastically outside of the 4th Floor, so the full capacity won¡¯t be exercised. - However, many things will change depending on how you use it. - I wish you all the best for your future. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s trembling hand reached for the crumpled paper, and he opened it slowly only to find that it was empty. ¡°This is¡­¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho instantly recognized the paper just by touching it alone. ¡®How could I not know¡­?¡¯ ¡°Item Data.¡± [Jun-Ho¡¯s Diary, Final Page] Grade: Legendary Description: The final page of Jun-Ho¡¯s diary. It was a page of the diary he carried around for seventeen years. Crumple! Seo Jun-Ho held the paper tightly in his hand. ¡®The World Tree said that I won¡¯t be able to utilize all of its ability.¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho was prepared to pay any price as long as he could change this terrible reality. ¡°Kim Woo-Joong.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s dead eyes lit up with the light of hope. ¡°Do not give up.¡± ¡°...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho put his hand on Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s shoulder and promised in a firm voice. ¡°I will protect everything.¡± Kim Woo-Joong was still shedding tears of blood, but he was now smiling. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ - Do not give up. I will protect everyone. Kim Woo-Joong could still vividly remember seeing Seo Jun-Ho on the television, and the current Seo Jun-Ho had changed so muchpared to when Kim Woo-Joong was still a child who could only admire his Hero on the television. St! Seo Jun-Ho stabbed himself in the heart. Chapter 539. Re:wind (2) Chapter 539. Re:wind (2) A few men and women were gathered at the round table of a conference room, and they were looking at the hologram window in front of them. - I will protect everything. When Seo Jun-Ho stabbed himself in the heart, the hologram window turned ck. ¡°...¡± The group remained silent, seemingly lost in thought. The man in a gray suit broke the ice. ¡°This must be the twist of fate you¡¯ve mentioned, World Tree.¡± - Yes, but the twist is much greater in magnitude than I expected. The World Tree answered; she seemed to be at a loss as well. ¡°Let me ask¡­¡± Reiji had been shaking her legs beneath the table. She turned to look at the World Tree and asked, ¡°What exactly do you mean by the full capacity won¡¯t be exercised?¡± - I wanted to give him a perfect return as a gift. The World Tree¡¯s sigh shook the air gently. - After all, I have seen how much he struggled during his regressions. The World Tree had put a lot of thought into her arrangement upon taking a glimpse of the future. - I tried to include the ability to protect his mind and humanity, the ability to choose the time of return by himself, and finally, the ability to preserve his memories. However, she failed. - The 7th Floor isn¡¯t in my jurisdiction, so I couldn¡¯t do it. - Wait. Deus Ex Machina chimed in. - It sounds like you had to remove one of the abilities you wanted to include. - You¡¯re right. The World Tree had thought long and hard about which one of those three abilities would be the most helpful to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Reiji slumped in her chair, and her forehead struck the table when she sprang up and said, ¡°You excluded the ability to protect his mind and humanity.¡± - His Hero¡¯s Mind was EX, so I decided to exclude it. ¡°You¡¯ve made a reasonable judgment, but¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho ended up using The World Tree¡¯s arrangement on the 7th Floor rather than on the 6th Floor. The yers were unaware, but the dimension of the 7th Floor was suffering from a twisted time axis for some reason. And it resulted in the World Tree making a critical error in her arrangement. - I did not expect that the error in the dimension would affect the diary. - Sigh. This is bad. Deus put up Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s information in the air. - Stubbornness, Self-sacrifice, Poetic Justice, and Life of Hardships. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s characteristics happened to be the worst characteristics one could have in a situation like this. The Administrators groaned. ¡°What a disaster¡­¡± Gray quickly summarized everything. ¡°He¡¯ll take advantage of this opportunity because he is stubborn, and he has a strong sense of self-sacrifice as well.¡± - Most importantly, the World Tree¡¯s save point was erased. The Administrators couldn¡¯t be sure, but Seo Jun-Ho would probably travel a lot further back in time than what the Administrators were expecting. They all felt sorry for Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°He¡¯s a fool who will do his best to make a better future for everyone without realizing that he is incapable of changing anything with his own hands alone.¡± A man couldn¡¯t go against his fate, and it would remain true no matter how many times he repeated the scenario. ¡°Fate is like a water bottle with holes in it.¡± The issue would appear to have been resolved if one were to block the holes, but the water inside the bottle would eventually find its way out given enough time. Attempting to change one¡¯s fate would always cause a massive bacsh. ¡°He¡¯ll only be able to change a single fate at most¡­¡± ¡°How many times does he have to regress for him to realize that¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho would eventually notice that something was wrong, but he would definitely have no choice but to continue living until he reached the point where he would receive the World Tree¡¯s arrangement once again. - I see. I finally understand why the Life of Hardships is there... Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s characteristics meant that he was fated to go down the road of agony, and not even the Administrators knew when his agony would end or if it would even end. ¡°I guess there¡¯s nothing we can do for him right now.¡± The Administrators could only pray for him. ¡®May he realize the limits of humanity as soon as possible, and may his stubbornness shatter sooner rather thanter. May he remain human throughout his journey¡­¡¯ ¡°Please¡­¡± The Administrators desperately prayed¡ªthey prayed that Seo Jun-Ho would not go down the worst path the Administrators had in mind. *** [ERROR: 404 NOT FOUND.] [Jun-Ho¡¯s diary save point could not be found.] [The save point has been deleted.] [Please set the year, date, and time of return.] [Your memory will be preserved.] [Your mind will not be protected.] Seo Jun-Ho stared at the system windows. ¡®What¡­? I can choose the year, date, and time?¡¯ The unbelievable system messages made Seo Jun-Ho feelplicated. Seo Jun-Ho had been nning on turning back time by a few days at best to ensure that everyone would survive the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ambush. However, he changed his mind upon seeing the system windows. ¡®...I can change everything.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could revive the people he considered precious to him¡ªhis parents, friends, and those whom he failed to protect¡ªhe could even revive his master. When the possibility crossed his mind, Seo Jun-Ho made a decision. In the end, he decided to return ten years before the Gates appeared. ¡°...January 1st, 2009 at 00:00.¡± ¡®I can change everything.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed in determination. He promised himself to bring out the best results based on his future knowledge and experience. And it took many years before the determination in his eyes faded¡­ *** ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho remained silent at Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s question. They were currently within the Imperial Pce Grounds of the Babe Empire on the 7th Floor. They were here to rescue Rahmadat ¡®What did I do here again?¡¯ It had been a very long time since then, so Seo Jun-Ho found it difficult to recall what happened back then. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡®I remember it now.¡¯ He had asked Seo Jun-Sik to pretend like he was Seo Jun-Ho in order to lure Digor away from the Imperial Pce. ¡°However, I won¡¯t be able to rescue Woo-Joong in time if I were to do that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s change the roles this time. I¡¯ll lure Prince Digor and you run away with Rahmadat. You don¡¯t need to push yourself too hard because you just need to hold out until Geon-Woo arrives.¡± Seo Jun-Sik nodded and said indifferently, ¡°Got it.¡± ¡®Has he always been like that?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho contemted for a while, but he soon shook his head. ¡®Probably not. Jun-Sik¡¯s personality must have changed a lot as well since he¡¯s my clone, and we share thoughts and feelings.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could still recall Seo Jun-Sik having a livelier personality back then. ¡°Well, good luck.¡± ¡°You, too,¡± said Seo Jun-Sik. He paused and went on. ¡°I¡¯m rooting for you. For real.¡± ¡°...I know.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled and carried a sack made out of darkness on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll get going, then.¡± Boom! When the underground prison finally emerged from the ground, Seo Jun-Ho ran away without looking back even once. ¡®And there should be fifty knights chasing after me, excluding Prince Digor.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t remember exactly how many knights had been chasing after Seo Jun-Sik, but he figured that it shouldn¡¯t be too different. ¡®I had been repeating everything in the same order and in exactly the same way.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had repeated the past exactly as he remembered, and it included his rtionships, conversations, actions, and every single facial expression. However, he still couldn¡¯t be certain if what he had been doing would be effective. After all, he was merely imitating his past; he could never be the same as his past. ¡®Oh.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho suddenly came to a halt upon realizing something. ¡®Jun-Sik got surrounded here...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked back and saw Prince Digor and the knights diligently chasing after him. Seo Jun-Ho fell into deep thought at the sight. ¡®I¡¯m already out of the capital.¡¯ If he wanted to save Kim Woo-Joong in time, then he had to shake Prince Digor off. ¡°What is it? Giving up already?¡± Digor asked as he red at Seo Jun-Ho. The fifty Overminds descended and surrounded Seo Jun-Ho in the blink of an eye. ¡°...Let¡¯s make a deal,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He wanted to avoid changing the future so early. ¡°I want you to leave me alone, and in exchange, you will live,¡± he added. ¡°Pffft! Hahahahaha!¡± Prince Digor boisterouslyughed. ¡°You¡¯re right. Of course, no one will die if we were to leave you alone, but you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s going to die if we attack you. You sure know how to bluff despite bing a cornered rat, huh? Funny.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t really expecting much from Prince Digor, so he wasn¡¯t disappointed at all. ¡®I just don¡¯t feel like killing if they¡¯ll ept thepromise.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stared indifferently at Prince Digor as he said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you onest time. Are you really not going to leave me alone?¡± Prince Digor¡¯s eyes trembled slightly upon meeting Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze. ¡®...What is this feeling?¡¯ Prince Digor grew perplexed at the fear that gripped his heart. He could still remember that Seo Jun-Ho was one of the yers who had run away from him with their tails tucked between their legs just a few days ago. ¡®So why am I feeling this way?¡¯ Prince Digor bit his lips. ¡®I must be mistaken.¡¯ Prince Digor was convinced that he was mistaken because he had a conversation with His Majesty the Emperor before leaving the Imperial Pce. ¡®His Majesty¡¯s pressure must still be lingering on me. I think that¡¯s why I¡¯m still afraid.¡¯ ¡°What are you doing? Kill him.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± The fifty Imperial Knights drew their weapons at Prince Digor¡¯s orders. Shwing! The sound was loud and uniform, even though fifty people had drawn their weapons out at the same time. Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across the Imperial Knights, and he instantly saw through just how hard they had been working their entire lives. ¡°So you guys have been living a difficult life as well¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt sorry for the knights. Sympathy was one of the feelings Seo Jun-Ho often felt throughout his journey. They were his enemies¡ªyes, but they had also been living diligent lives. Unfortunately, Seo Jun-Ho was about to snuff their lives out with a wave of his sleeves. ¡°I know this is unfair, but¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho swore to never forget the fact they had lived diligently. ¡°I will remember the diligent life you¡¯ve lived¡­¡± ¡®I will embrace your memories and move forward.¡¯ Boom! Prince Digor froze, and he stared at the shocking sight with quivering eyes. ¡°...What?¡± Dozens of ck balls rained down on the knights and killed them instantly. Soon, the blood from the fifty Imperial Knights formed a pool beneath Prince Digor and Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s feet. ¡°You¡­! How¡­?¡± The harrowing sight finally convinced Prince Digor that the pressure he had felt earlier had trulye from Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...What the hell are you?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Seo Jun-Ho sounded uncertain. He truly had no idea what he was at this point. ¡°Once I find the answer to that question, I¡¯ll let you know once we meet in Hell.¡± ¡°N-no!¡± Prince Digor felt a sense of crisis, so he hurriedly cast his power to distort. It was a power that allowed him to distort space itself, and it should be enough to disrupt Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s aim. ¡®I have to run¡­¡¯ His Majesty the Emperor was the only one who could handle the monster named Seo Jun-Ho. Terrified, Prince Digor turned around and ran away. ¡°...¡± At the sight. Seo Jun-Ho sighed lightly. It seemed that he had one more piece of information to remember. ¡°Prince Digor of the Babe Empire¡ªhe¡¯s a man who values his life a lot.¡± Fwoosh! The massive wave of darkness that flowed out of Seo Jun-Ho enveloped the entire world in the proverbial blink of an eye. Digor¡¯s power to distort was useless because Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s darkness had also engulfed space itself. ¡°...¡± Once he was done, Seo Jun-Ho turned to look at the Imperial Pce. ¡®He can probably feel me as well.¡¯ *** ¡°...¡± Kineos Mullibach, the Overmind Emperor, sprang up from his seat. It was a rare sight because he would usually spend most of his days sitting on his throat unless he had to visit the Chronos Laboratory. ¡°I¡¯m confused,¡± He had to stand up, but it wasn¡¯t because he had to visit the Chronos Laboratory. He simply had no choice but to stand up. ¡°What is going on?¡± Kineos Mullibach¡¯s shock didn¡¯te as a surprise because he had just discovered the presence of another Star Destruction Stage creature in hisnd. Chapter 540. Re:wind (3) Chapter 540. Re:wind (3) The Archduke opened his eyes. The fact that he opened his eyes meant that a situation interesting enough to grab his attention had urred. ¡°...¡± Fwoosh! A constetion of great magnitude rose before his eyes. The stars that made up the constetion looked rtively simr to each other, but if one were to take a closer look at it, one would find that the stars were distinct. ¡°Humans always repeat their mistakes.¡± The constetion in front of the Archduke was created by only one individual. However, the constetion was going down a path that didn¡¯t contain the oasis that it had been looking for. ¡°His struggle will not change anything.¡± It had always been that way, and it would always be that way. Specter was an interesting, foolish human being. However, he was fated to die like a hamster running on a wheel. ¡°...¡± ¡®But why did I open my eyes even though I already know his fate?¡¯ The Archduke already knew the end of Specter¡¯s path. ¡®Yes, I already know. But¡­¡¯ The Archduke found it hard to look away. *** ¡°H-human¡­! My colleagues will never forgive you¡ª¡± St! The sword pierced the amor and the Overmind at the same time. The swordsman confirmed his target¡¯s death and sheathed his sword. ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t matter even if you don¡¯t forgive me. I¡¯ve never asked for your forgiveness, anyway.¡± The swordsman¡¯s exhausted eyes scanned the battlefield. ¡°Retreat! Everyone retreat!¡± ¡°Take care of the wounded! Retreat all the way to B-3!¡± ¡®Is it finally over?¡¯ Operation Gt was a sess. Now, Kim Woo-Joong simply had to retreat before the reinforcements caught up to him. However, Kim Woo-Joong suddenly came to a halt while retreating. ¡®A human being?¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s excellent hearing allowed him to notice someone¡¯s faint groan. He looked around before turning into the alley. ¡°...¡± The groan wasing from beneath the debris of a copsed three-story building. ¡°Please¡­ anyone¡­ I don¡¯t want to die here¡­¡± The voice sounded familiar, and it didn¡¯t take long for Kim Woo-Joong to realize that the voice belonged to a member of his Guild. ¡°Stay still.¡± Kim Woo-Joong swung his sword. sh! The debris slid sideways. ¡°V-Vice Master¡­!¡± the Guild member eximed and revealed a look of relief. Kim Woo-Joong pushed the remaining debris away and asked, ¡°Can you walk?¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± The Guild member¡¯s anxious eyes turned to his own legs. His left leg was crushed under the weight of the debris. ¡°I-I can¡¯t feel my leg¡­¡± The Guild member spoke with teary eyes. He was afraid that Kim Woo-Joong would abandon him. After all, he would be nothing more than a burden if he couldn¡¯t even walk properly. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Kim Woo-Joong asked. ¡°I-I¡¯m B-Bailey Miller from Team Seven.¡± ¡°All right, Bailey Miller. The healers of our Guild arepetent. Chae-Won spent a lot of money on them, after all,¡± said Kim Woo-Joong as he pulled the Guild member out of the debris as if thetter were a radish sticking out of the ground. He carried the injured Guild member on his back before continuing. ¡°If you get lucky, you should be able to live a normal life. If a miracle urs, you could even return to your duties.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re trying tofort me, right?¡± ¡°Is this not how youfort someone?¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Bailey chuckled as tears filled his eyes. It seemed that the current Kim Woo-Joong was still the same Kim Woo-Joong he had known a long time ago. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. I feel much better now¡­¡± ¡°Close your mouth and wrap your arms around my neck. Hold on tight, or you¡¯ll fall.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± With that, Kim Woo-Joong started running toward the rendezvous point. All of a sudden, Bailey Miller urgently shouted, ¡°V-Vice Master! Cavalries are chasing after you!¡± ¡°...Cavalries?¡± Kim Woo-Joong turned slightly and clicked his tongue at the sight. Overminds riding on huge horses were racing through the ruined streets. ¡®They¡¯re too fast.¡¯ It would only be a matter of time before they caught up to Kim Woo-Joong. ¡®Should I cut them down before I go? No, I will end up being surrounded by the army behind them if I were to do that.¡¯ While Kim Woo-Joong was thinking about what he should do, he saw someone waving at him in the alley up ahead. ¡°Here! Come this way!¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes shed, and he immediately entered the alley. A few yers were gathered in the alley. ¡°Phew. I was so nervous! I¡¯m d you made it in time!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talkter! We need to get out of here first!¡± One of the yers retrieved a magic scroll. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡± ¡°...I thought we couldn¡¯t use Teleport Scrolls because of the prince¡¯s ability?¡± Kim Woo-Joong asked, perplexed. Prince Digor¡¯s ability was the reason they had to use Skaya¡¯s portals. The yer shook his head at Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s question. ¡°We can¡¯t set a destination, but we can get out of here,¡± he said. ¡°Is it safe enough?¡± asked Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Do you not want toe with us?¡± ¡°...My apologies.¡± Kim Woo-Joong apologized. He realized that he had been asking too much when the yers waited for him with good intentions. ¡°All right, then. Everyone¡ªput your hands on my shoulder.¡± Clip clop! The clip-clop of the pursuers¡¯ horses was already starting to get louder in Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s ears. Kim Woo-Joong hurriedly put his hand on the yer¡¯s shoulder. The scenery peeled away, and the yer crashed to the ground. ¡°Keuk!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that was safe enough¡ª¡± Kim Woo-Joong couldn¡¯t finish his words. He paused in the middle of patting himself clean upon noticing the surroundings and stared grimly up ahead. ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong found himself at a shady graveyard surrounded by the thick fog of dawn. However, the eerie location wasn¡¯t the only reason why his expression turned grim. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Good work.¡± His expression turned grim upon identifying the individual in front of him. Kim Woo-Joong gulped. ¡°The Heavenly Demon¡­¡± To make matters worse, Valencia Citrin was next to the Heavenly Demon. ¡®Which means¡­¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong nced at the yer who teleported them here. ¡°Hahaha. I guess I¡¯m sorry for deceiving you?¡± The yer¡¯s face melted like paint, revealing a face that Kim Woo-Joong could never forget. Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°...Isaac Dvor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m Isaac!¡± Thest remaining three fiends of this world were standing in front of Kim Woo-Joong. Kim Woo-Joong looked behind him. ¡°W-wait¡­! What¡¯s going on¡­?¡± ¡°I thought we were going back to the headquarters!¡± ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s the fiends! They tricked us!¡± The yers tried to pull their weapons out in panic. Kim Woo-Joong urgently shouted, ¡°Stay still! Don¡¯t be reck¡ª¡± sh! Something simr to a whip split the air... ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless¡­¡± The yers¡¯ heads fell to the ground before Kim Woo-Joong could finish speaking. Kim Woo-Joong and Bailey Miller were the only ones left. ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong unsheathed his sword and stared coldly at the fiends. Fiends were hopeless garbage that only knew how to harm the world, and they all deserved to be annihted. ¡°This is great. I can wipe you all out in one fell swoop,¡± Kim Woo-Joong spat coldly. ¡°...Heavenly Demon. Please give me an order,¡± Valencia Citrin said coldly. However, the Heavenly Demon shook his head and said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll personally take care of the Sword Saint.¡± The Heavenly Demon had been sitting on someone¡¯s tombstone, but he finally stood up and started walking toward the Sword Saint. ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether you¡¯re aware or not, but I personally think very highly of you.¡± The Heavenly Demon had made the same evaluation upon invading Seoul. ¡°I was sure that your sword would eventually reach me.¡± However, it had been too long since he had made that evaluation. ¡®What about today?¡¯ The corners of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s lips raised slightly. ¡°Come.¡± *** Cough! Kim Woo-Joong coughed. He had no idea how long he had been wielding his sword against the Heavenly Demon. ¡®Has it been a few days?¡¯ His stamina was running out, along with his mental strength. ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong was extremely exhausted, but he was still ring at the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon was like a wall¡ªa wall of an impregnable iron fortress. ¡®Has he always been this powerful?¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong was well aware that Heavenly Demon was strong, but he thought that he could ovee the Heavenly Demon given enough time. Kim Woo-Joong had the talent to match his confidence, and he had been working hard. He had also gotten plenty of time since the Heavenly Demon¡¯s invasion of Seoul. ¡°Haaa¡­ haaa¡­¡± However, it seemed that he had been mistaken all this while. He wasn¡¯t the only one who had gotten plenty of time. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got?¡± grumbled the Heavenly Demon. The disappointment was palpable on his face. ¡°Specter was a much more interesting opponent than you, even though he was much weaker than you at the time.¡± ¡®Of course, he would be a more interesting opponent. It¡¯s a bit ridiculous that he¡¯sparing me to Jun-Ho.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong caught his breath. ¡°V-Vice Master¡­¡± muttered Bailey Miler. ¡°Hush. You have to be quiet in the middle of a battle.¡± Bailey Miller was dying because no one was here to treat him. He stared apologetically at Kim Woo-Joong and smiled bitterly as he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I shouldn''t have asked you to save me¡­¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong gulped to moisten his throat and said. ¡°I haven¡¯t given up, so you shouldn¡¯t give up as well.¡± ¡®I will these fiends down and take Bailey Miller to the healers.¡¯ ¡°If you get lucky, you should be able to live a normal life.¡± ¡°Pffft! Haha.¡± Bailey Miller chuckled with teary eyes. ¡°You¡¯re trying tofort me, right?¡± ¡°I am. So¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes burned once more. ¡°Don¡¯t give up.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± The Heavenly Demon smiled upon seeing the fire burning in Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes once more. ¡°Come.¡± Kim Woo-Joong took a deep breath. He stared at the Heavenly Demon for a while before closing his eyes. ¡°...¡± The swordsmanship that he had been pursuing appeared in his mind. He still hadn¡¯t caught up to the swordsmanship that he had been pursuing, but he had seen an individual whose swordsmanship perfectly embodied the swordsmanship in the Sword Saint¡¯s mind. ¡®Ceylonso Bestard.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong could still remember his life-or-death battle against Ceylonso Bestard. It sounded ridiculous, but Kim Woo-Joong thought that he had been mixing words with thetter during the process. ¡®Ceylonso was at the end of the path I¡¯m still walking down¡­¡¯ Ceylonso¡¯s sword move came to Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s mind. The trajectory of Ceylonso¡¯s sword inspired Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°...I¡¯ve been a fool.¡± Kim Woo-Joong smiled. He suddenly felt exhausted. ¡®How foolish¡­¡¯ He had witnessed the swordsmanship of someone at the summit of the swordsmanship that he had been pursuing. In other words, he simply had to take Ceylonso¡¯s swordsmanship for himself, but he was instinctively refusing to do so. ¡®Was it because it¡¯ll hurt pride?¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong had just realized why he had been refusing it. All of a sudden, he felt weightless. ¡°...¡± Walking down the path of one¡¯s predecessor wasn¡¯t a shameful thing to do. In fact, a swordsman should be embarrassed to be trapped in his own world. ¡°...¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes narrowed, and then the sword in his hand hung loosely from his hand. It was a strange sight because he had always been holding his sword as tightly as he could as if he wanted to crush it in his hand. ¡°Hm?¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s expression changed as he stared incredulously at the Sword Saint. ¡°How is he¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong was evolving in the face of death. He was taking the crucial step to be apletely new being. ¡°Well, I seemed to have forgotten that you¡¯re a genius as well,¡± said the Heavenly Demon. When the Heavenly Demon¡¯s words fell, Kim Woo-Joong abruptly vanished. ¡®There was no need to obsess over light movement. I didn¡¯t have to be stubborn about pursuing speed.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s priority was to forget his obsession. He knew that if he managed to do so, he would be able to move faster than ever before. ¡®I see it!¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes shed blue. He could finally see the path that he couldn¡¯t see until just a few moments ago. ¡®I can cut him now. I can cut him down. I can do it. I can do it¡­!¡¯ The Sword Saint executed his final sword move with hope in his eyes. ¡°...¡± A deafening silence enveloped the graveyard. The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes trembled ever so slightly. Thud! Kim Woo-Joong fell to his knees. ¡°...What a shame,¡± the Heavenly Demon said, sympathizing with him. Everything was perfect, but Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s stamina ended up being the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. ¡°If you had been enlightened a few days ago, then our match would have been interesting.¡± ¡°...Just kill me,¡± Kim Woo-Joong muttered and closed his eyes. The Heavenly Demon was right. It was a shame that his sword didn¡¯t manage to reach the Heavenly Demon, but Kim Woo-Joong had no regrets. ¡®I tried my best. I executed the best move I have ever executed...¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong knew that he would have no regrets in the afterlife because he knew for sure that even his best sword move couldn¡¯t reach the Heavenly Demon. In other words, he would die without any what-ifs. However, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s words surprised Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°You won¡¯t die here. You still have a role to y.¡± ¡°...What do you mean?¡± ¡°I just want to teach Specter a lesson.¡± Kim Woo-Joong red at the Heavenly Demon. ¡°He has so many people he considers precious. In other words, he has so many people to protect.¡± ¡°Do you really think that my death will cause him to copse?¡± "I don''t think so, but I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll be furious.¡± The Heavenly Demon slowly walked over to Kim Woo-Joong. He took out a dagger and shed his palm open. Grab! ¡°Keuk!¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s mouth was forced open by an irresistibly strong grip, and his eyes trembled ever so slightly upon realizing what was about to happen to him. "And don''t you think he¡¯ll be quite sad about killing a fallen friend with his own hands?" Bing a fiend was scarier than dying to Kim Woo-Joong. Kim Woo-Joong struggled fearfully, but he couldn¡¯t escape the Heavenly Demon¡¯s grip. ¡°Here. Drink my blood.¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s mad eyes shed insidiously. The Heavenly Demon¡¯s blood was about to fall into Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s mouth, but the droplets of blood were suddenly suspended in mid-air, looking as though they had been nailed into the empty space. ¡°You¡¯re correct.¡± The Heavenly Demon frowned. ¡®The time in the point of space where my blood is located has stopped?¡¯ The Heavenly Demon turned to look at where the voice hade from. ¡®Who is strong enough to do such a thing?¡¯ The crisp noise of shoes stepping on the weeds on the ground echoed, and an individual walked into the eerie graveyard. ¡°I was devastated, and I cried a lot.¡± ¡®Seo Jun-Ho?¡¯ The Heavenly Demon doubted his own eyes. ¡°...How are you here? The Overminds should have been chasing after you right now.¡± ¡°Yes, there was indeed a time like that.¡± The Heavenly Demon couldn¡¯t quite grasp what Seo Jun-Ho was talking about. ¡®Is that his clone?¡¯ The Heavenly Demon stared at Seo Jun-Ho for a while before shaking his head. He could distinguish between Seo Jun-Ho and his clone, and he confirmed that the man in front of him was certainly Seo Jun-Ho himself. ¡®The problem is¡­¡¯ The Seo Jun-Ho in front of him wasn¡¯t the Seo Jun-Ho he knew. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt like he had been hearing the same question a lot in the past few days. He couldn¡¯t answer Prince Digor¡¯s question just a few days ago, but he thought he could answer the Heavenly Demon¡¯s question. Seo Jun-Ho stared coldly at the Heavenly Demon. ¡°I¡¯m someone who has killed you hundreds of times before.¡± Chapter 541. Re:wind (4) Chapter 541. Re:wind (4) ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s expression distorted. The man in front of him looked utterly unfamiliar to him. ¡®It could also be because I haven¡¯t seen him in a long time, but is he really the Specter I know?¡¯ The Heavenly Demon saw Specter twice in Seoul and Neo City. ¡®But he¡¯s different from those two¡­¡¯ The Heavenly Demon felt that the Specter in front of him was a different person from the Specter he was familiar with. ¡°What do you mean by you¡¯re someone who has killed me hundreds of times before?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t bother to answer. He simply stared at the Heavenly Demon. In fact, Seo Jun-Ho had killed the Heavenly Demon about a hundred and forty times at the Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. ¡®And I¡¯ve also killed him ny times on the 5th Floor.¡¯ Each time wasn¡¯t an easy task, and he fought desperately for his life every time he fought the Heavenly Demon. Seo Jun-Ho firmly believed that the Heavenly Demon had to be eliminated in advance to change the future. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Nothing changed. In fact, he even experienced the worst-case scenario. Seo Jun-Ho had no choice but to admit that he had beenmitting a grave mistake during his regressions. ¡°I got too greedy.¡± It was impossible to create a future where everyone, including his parents, colleagues, and his master, would live happily ever after. Seo Jun-Ho had to dig through his painful wounds hundreds of times before realizing the truth. ¡®At most, I can only do it to one¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho finally realized that he could only twist a single fate. ¡°My parents died in a car ident.¡± ¡°...?¡± The Heavenly Demon frowned at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sudden monologue. As far as he knew, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s parents were killed by the monsters of the Gate that the fiends had opened. ¡°They also died of a serious illness, and they were also killed by a fiend they stumbled upon while walking on the streets.¡± Seo Jun-Ho eventually managed to ensure his parents¡¯ survival, but tragedy struck during the conquest of the 5th Floor. Most yers on the 5th Floor died, seemingly as the price to pay for saving his parents¡¯ lives. ¡®The future worsens the more you interfere with the past, and the more distant the past you¡¯re trying to interfere with¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho still couldn¡¯t forget the despair he felt after realizing such a grim truth after his countless attempts to save everyone. Seo Jun-Ho looked down at his own hands. ¡°...Humans only have two hands.¡± He had to let go of something he was holding to hold something new. Seo Jun-Ho was aware of the future, but it seemed that he couldn¡¯t have his cake and eat it too. ¡°The reason I¡¯m here is that I finally realized that humans only have two hands.¡± Seo Jun-Ho decided not to change anything during this regression. ¡°Like the first time, I had no choice but to watch my parents die. Like the first time, I had to let you defeat me at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. Like the first time, I epted my master¡¯s death. Like the first time, I ended up letting you escape from Neo City.¡± The urge to change the past surged into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind many times during his current regression, but he gnashed his teeth and held back. ¡°And it was all for this moment...¡± It was all to prevent the most recent tragedy that happened before his regressions. He could only twist one fate, so he decided to twist the fate of the yers on the 7th Floor. ¡°I¡­ have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± The Heavenly Demon shook his head. He couldn¡¯t understand what Seo Jun-Ho was talking about. ¡®His parents died several times for different reasons? He lost to me on purpose, and he even let me go on purpose? Has he gone mad?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t tell why, but the Specter in front of him was abnormal. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was exuding an energy that was at least twice as strongpared to the Heavenly Demon¡¯s expectations. ¡®I managed to absorb the neigong from that chip, so I thought I won¡¯t have any issues winning¡­¡¯ The Heavenly Demon could see that this battle would be difficult, so he slowly unfolded his arm. The demonic energy in him had been like a coiled-up snake, but it finally awakened and got ready to strike. ¡°Goodness¡­!¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes quivered as he kneeled by the Heavenly Demon¡¯s feet. The powerful demonic energy made his skin feel numb. Kim Woo-Joong was aware that the Heavenly Demon had to be hiding his true power to some extent, but he didn¡¯t expect the Heavenly Demon to be this strong. ¡°...!¡± Kim Woo-Joong trembled once more. ¡®This is¡­ Jun-Ho¡¯s aura?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic was on par or rather even stronger than the Heavenly Demon¡¯s demonic energy. The powerful magic was like a furious tempest, and it pushed out the Heavenly Demon¡¯s demonic energy as if it was showing off its presence. ¡°...Hm.¡± The Heavenly Demon examined Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic and said, ¡°Isaac, Valencia.¡± ¡°Yes, my liege.¡± ¡°Please give us your orders.¡± ¡°No matter what, do not intervene. It doesn¡¯t matter if I die.¡± ¡°...!¡± Isaac and Valencia were taken aback. Valencia immediately refused. ¡°No, my liege! Please take your order back!¡± ¡°No, I will not do that.¡± The Heavenly Demon grinned. ¡°I can feel it. I can strongly feel that I have been living for this moment.¡± Indeed, Specter was an opponent that the Heavenly Demon could fight without any reservations. ¡®How much stronger I¡¯ll be if I were to eat Specter up with the power to devour?¡¯ ¡°I will cut down anyone who interferes.¡± Isaac and Valencia shut their mouths at the Heavenly Demon¡¯s firm warning. They didn¡¯t think that the Heavenly Demon would lose, but they found it hard to imagine Specter¡¯s defeat either. Isaac Dvor¡¯s eyes slowly turned to someone else. ¡®I should keep Kim Woo-Joong hostage just in case¡­¡¯ If he were to take Kim Woo-Joong hostage, Seo Jun-Ho wouldn¡¯t be able to move recklessly. ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± said the Frost Queen. Crackle! ¡°...!¡± Isaac was just about to cast a spell, but an icy wall suddenly sprung up between the fiends and Kim Woo-Joong. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t miss the opportunity. He moved over to Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s side and handed over a teleport scroll before saying, ¡°Here, use this.¡± Kim Woo-Joong stared nkly at the teleport scroll. ¡°I took care of Prince Digor, so you won¡¯t have to worry about the distortion anymore.¡± ¡°...No. Jun-Ho. Come with me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled faintly at Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s stubbornness and shook his head. ¡°I knew you would say that, but I have to keep my promise,¡± he said. ¡°Promise?¡± ¡®What promise did he make with whom?¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong stared curiously at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°It¡¯s a promise I made with you, Kim Woo-Joong.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡®What promise did he make with me?¡¯ The confused Kim Woo-Joong was about to ask. ¡°Was it this spot right here?¡± Squeeze! However, someone pressed on his sleep acupoint. Kim Woo-Joong hurriedly looked at Seo Jun-Sik, who was staring at him with a cheeky look. ¡°What are you looking at? It¡¯s your fault for not listening to the Original.¡± ¡°W-wait¡­!¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s voice helplessly scattered as his vision darkened. ¡°Sleep tight. This time¡­ no one will die.¡± Thest scene Kim Woo-Joong saw before his vision darkened was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mncholic smile. For some reason, Seo Jun-Ho looked like he had given up on something precious. *** After sending Kim Woo-Joong away, Seo Jun-Ho slowly stood up. ¡°Frost.¡± ¡°I know!¡± The Frost Queen stood next to Seo Jun-Ho with her arms akimbo. She was about to do a very important task today. ¡°No matter what, don¡¯t let those two escape.¡± The Frost Queen had to deal with both Isaac Dvor and Valencia Citrin at the same time. Of course, it was practically impossible for her to defeat them, but she wouldn¡¯t have any issues holding them back. ¡°Okay, but...¡± The Frost Queen stared deeply at Seo Jun-Ho, but her eyes eventually narrowed as her deep gaze turned into a re. ¡°You better exin to me what¡¯s going on with you once we¡¯re done here. Do you have anyints?¡± ¡°I¡¯mzy. Can I just give you cake instead?¡± ¡°Cake? Hmmm¡­ n-no way!¡± The Frost Queen shook her head vigorously as if she was trying to resist the temptation. Seo Jun-Ho nodded, acknowledging her strong will. ¡°Well, all right. I¡¯m not sure about anyone else, but I¡¯d better exin it to you.¡± ¡®Frost is mypanion, so she deserves to know.¡¯ p! The Frost Queen lightly pped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back. ¡°Then, go! My contractor should be strong enough to defeat that wicked Heavenly Demon.¡± ¡°...All right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled faintly and turned to look at the fiends. When his smile disappeared and when the Heavenly Demon filled his sight, Seo Jun-Ho was already holding the Heavenly Demon by the cor. ¡°...!?¡± The scenery rapidly peeled away. A single dash was enough for Seo Jun-Ho to leave the graveyard and the forest where it was located. He hurled the Heavenly Demon at the red boulder in the wilderness. Boom! The red boulder exploded, and the Heavenly Demon was buried in the debris. ¡°Come out.¡± There was no way that kind of attack would kill the Heavenly Demon. As expected, the Heavenly Demon emerged from the debris unscathed. ¡°Hm, you¡¯reing on too strong.¡± ¡°What? Gonna cry? We¡¯re just getting started.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon smiled contemptuously. ¡°What more do I need to say?¡± They didn¡¯t have to talk to each other. Seo Jun-Ho spat coldly. ¡°Overclocking.¡± Vrrr! His magic circuit screeched. The repeated regression allowed Seo Jun-Ho to develop his Overclocking beyond its design limits. ¡°Five hundred percent.¡± The magic circuit of anyone else out there would have imploded under the pressure of the tempestuous amount of magic that Seo Jun-Ho was circting throughout his magic circuit. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic circuit miraculously managed to maintain thanks to Cell Regeneration (A). ¡®It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡¯ It was both false and true. ¡®The pain in my heart hurts way more than this.¡¯ Seo jun-Ho lightly kicked off of the ground. Boom! ¡°Keugh!¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s chin turned ny degrees. Seo Jun-Ho wanted to break the Heavenly Demon¡¯s neck in an instant, but the Heavenly Demon¡¯s neck managed to survive such a powerful punch. On the contrary, the Heavenly Demon seemed to be thrilled upon being struck. Swish! The Heavenly Demon¡¯s demonic energy devastated the surroundings. ¡®Wall of Ice.¡¯ Ten huge pristine walls made out of ice rose sprung up on the red wilderness. ¡°Useless tricks!¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s demonic energy went out of control in an effort to destroy the massive walls that threatened to crush him. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes swept across the ice fragments in the air. ¡®124,537¡­¡¯ Frost (EX) engulfed every ice fragment that hade loose after being struck by the Heavenly Demon¡¯s energy. ¡°Fragments¡­ converge.¡± The ice fragments turned into sharp daggers that inundated the Heavenly Demon. In response, the Heavenly Demon responded by unleashing as much demonic energy as he could to create an impregnable wall of demonic energy against the ice fragments. However, the ice fragments still managed to poke holes in the Heavenly Demon¡¯s robe. ¡®My demonic energy¡­ has it really been this fragile?¡¯ Something was off. Specter was definitely powerful, but the difference shouldn¡¯t be this overwhelming. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand it yet.¡± Four lively des emerged from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s inventory. Seo Jun-Ho saw the frustration on the Heavenly Demon¡¯s face. ¡°And perhaps you won¡¯t understand even in death¡­¡± ¡°What are you¡­!¡± Fwoosh! The four des of the Freedom de flew toward the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon gnashed his teeth and deflected the swords with ease. ¡®He really thinks that he can beat me with these four des alone¡­?¡¯ However, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes quivered violently when he realized that Seo Jun-Ho was pulling him out of his rhythm. ¡®What is going on?¡¯ The Heavenly Demon felt like a ghost had possessed him. ¡®He¡¯s reading my thoughts and movements as if I¡¯m an open book. This is bad.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon immediately made twelve changes to his martial arts, but the four des of the Freedom de changed ordingly as if they already knew what the Heavenly Demon would do. ¡°This is absurd!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know me very well?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. The Heavenly Demon knew Seo Jun-Ho frighteningly well, and it was the reason why Seo Jun-Ho had always had a hard time while fighting the former. ¡°It took me 146 hours, 42 minutes, and 28 seconds to kill you for the very first time.¡± Seo Jun-Ho managed to decapitate the Heavenly Demon after a grueling six days of battle. The next time he killed the Heavenly Demon, it took him 146 hours, 42 minutes, and 22 seconds. It was 6 seconds fasterpared to the first time. ¡°I finally understood you somewhat after I had cut you down the fiftieth time around.¡± He was finally starting to understand the Heavenly Demon¡¯s breathing, thoughts, and habits. Therefore, it only took him 98 hours and 20 minutes to kill the Heavenly Demon the next time around. ¡®And I had to repeat that sickening battle exactly two hundred and thirty-seven times.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned his gaze to the Heavenly Demon. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze was so sharp that the Heavenly Demon felt as if there was a sharp sword sticking out of him. ¡°I probably know you better than yourself.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew everything about the Heavenly Demon from A to Z. However, that wasn¡¯t the end of it... ¡®He¡¯s going to block the first and fourth de, and then he¡¯s going to leap in the air.¡¯ Flick! Seo Jun-Ho snapped his fingers, and the world turned upside down. ¡°...!¡± As scheduled, the Heavenly Demon flinched after blocking the first and fourth des of the Freedom de. The second sword was waiting for him in mid-air. sh! ¡°Keugh!¡± A long cut was made on the Heavenly Demon¡¯s arm as he rolled on the ground, leaving a trail of blood. The Heavenly Demon was visibly perplexed when he finally recovered and stood up. ¡°...No.¡± This wasn¡¯t the fight that the Heavenly Demon wanted¡ªhe wanted a more intense and passionate fight to the death. ¡®What¡¯s with this ridiculous one-sided battle?¡¯ The Heavenly Demon shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t ept this.¡± He was the Heavenly Demon¡ªhe had defied even the heavens. ¡®I decided to put even the heavens beneath my feet.¡¯ He had always made sure to obtain whatever he wanted and destroyed whatever he couldn¡¯t obtain. It was his way of life as the Heavenly Demon. ¡°You were born with good fortune, and you¡¯re ignorant of that fortune.¡± ¡®He will never understand why I had to take such an oath, why I had to be a fiend, why I had to step on the heavens, and why I loathe humans.¡¯ ¡°I am¡ª¡± sh! St! There was a grotesque noise¡ªit was a noise that one would often hear in a butcher shop. The Heavenly Demon slowly looked down and saw that his legs had been severed. ¡°I am¡ª¡± sh! sh! His shoulders were severed, and the Heavenly Demon finally realized it. He turned to look at Specter. ¡°You bastard¡­ you¡¯re not going to listen to me at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your ridiculous story.¡± ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes trembled. The shadows of heartless and emotionless swords loomed over him. ¡®I don¡¯t want to get killed by those swords¡­¡¯ The Heavenly Demon wanted to greet death and be killed by a sword full of hatred¡ªa sword overwhelmed with evil. ¡°Fight, fight, fight! Fight with all your might! Hate me more and be more enraged!¡± roared the Heavenly Demon. ¡°Why should I?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked nonchntly. With that, the looming four swords fell and pierced the Heavenly Demon¡¯s head and heart. *** ¡°Cough, cough!¡± The Heavenly Demon opened his eyes and emerged from the hole he had made in the wilderness. ¡®That was close¡­¡¯ Specter ended up being much stronger than he expected. It seemed that he had to recreate his ns from scratch. ¡®How fortunate, it seems that he still doesn¡¯t know Isaac¡¯s ability and¡ª¡¯ The Heavenly Demon''s train of thought was interrupted when his expression stiffened. He slowly turned and saw a ghost sitting in the wilderness. The ghost was casually holding two human heads. ¡°Oh, this?¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s gaze turned toward the heads, and Seo Jun-Ho threw them away before saying, ¡°I took care of them while you were dead.¡± The heads belonged to the Magician of Death and the Queen of Thorns. ¡°You¡¯re going to die for good this time.¡± The Heavenly Demon was speechless. He still couldn¡¯t quite understand what was going on. ¡°Am I dreaming¡­?¡± asked the Heavenly Demon. ¡®Is this a bad nightmare?¡¯ Tap, tap, tap¡­ Seo Jun-Ho stood up and dusted himself. ¡°No. This is reality,¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s answer was like a bucket of cold water that was poured over the Heavenly Demon¡¯s head. Tremble. The Heavenly Demon chuckled hollowly upon realizing that his hands were trembling. ¡°Ha¡­ hahaha¡­!¡± ¡®I had no idea, but I think I have always been afraid of death.¡¯ He had simply forgotten his fear because of Isaac. ¡°Then¡­ what happens to me now?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°Where do I go after I die?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Seo Jun-Ho tried to think of a ce where a sinful fiend would spend their afterlife, but he ended up giving up before answering, ¡°Even hell is too good for you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho hurled the beautiful flower that he was holding at the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon¡¯s cells immediately started to freeze. ¡®Ah. It¡¯s cold. It¡¯s freezing cold¡­! This is thousands¡ªno, tens of thousands of times colder than the scornful gaze of the people, which I thought was the coldest¡­¡¯ ¡°Geuh, Geughhh¡­!¡± The freezing cold went on. However, the Heavenly Demon didn¡¯t lose consciousness or die. The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes rolled into the back of his head. He forced them back with great difficulty and begged with his eyes. ¡®Isn¡¯t this enough? Just kill me already¡­¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s too early for you to die. You should try to live for as long as you can,¡± Seo Jun-Ho murmured while sitting next to the Heavenly Demon. ¡®A quick death is a blessing for him¡­¡¯ Their ill-fated rtionship was finallying to an end. Seo Jun-Ho stayed next to the Heavenly Demon for ten whole days until the final page of the book was written. Chapter 542. Re:wind (5) Chapter 542. Re:wind (5) The Archduke looked away from the constetion. He seemed no longer intrigued. ¡®Was I expecting too much from him?¡¯ The Archduke truly had high expectations of Seo Jun-Ho because he was walking on the constetion of regression. Unfortunately, the Archduke was aware that there was no way Seo Jun-Ho could escape his destiny. ¡®He made a mistake by revealing his true strength too early. His action instilled a sense of crisis in Kineos.¡¯ Kineos had been minimizing his movement, as he was keeping Helic in check, but now, he would definitely lead an army to the ice castle. The death of the yers was inevitable. ¡®In other words, Specter¡¯s effort and regression this time is useless.¡¯ The Archduke finally closed his eyes afterpletely losing interest in the constetion. *** The Heavenly Demon was finally dead, but Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t really feel anything. He felt neither excited nor bitter at the futility of his revenge. ¡®That was my 238th time killing the Heavenly Demon.¡¯ All of a sudden, he was struck by both an epiphany and extreme exhaustion. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. ¡®I¡¯ve finallye this far.¡¯ He had arrived here by choosing only the same options as he did before he obtained the final page¡ªsuch was all to prevent the ughter of the yers on the 7th Floor and to finally move forward. ¡°So it¡¯s finally over,¡± the Frost Queen muttered in a voice filled withplex emotions. ¡°You¡¯ve finally driven the fiends to extinction.¡± ¡°It was about time,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. The Frost Queen smiled. She made an ice chair and sat on it with her legs crossed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s time for you to tell me.¡± ¡°...Tell you what?¡± ¡°You promised me, remember? You need to tell me what happened to you.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded upon recalling the promise. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should tell everyone else, but he knew that he had to tell the Frost Queen at the very least. ¡®It¡¯s the right thing to do. Yes, it certainly is...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho started talking about his regression. The Frost Queen¡¯s expression kept on changing as she listened. ¡°Wait, wait! Stop talking¡­¡± The Frost Queen raised her hand to stop Seo Jun-Ho before asking in a trembling voice, ¡°...How many times did you say you¡¯ve regressed so far?¡± ¡°Three hundred and eighteen times.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen couldn¡¯t find any words to say. ¡°I thought I could ensure everyone¡¯s happiness, but it was an illusion. When I realized that it was impossible to create that kind of world, I decided to go back to the very beginning.¡± ¡°While wearing that mask¡­?¡± asked the Frost Queen. ¡°Yes,¡± Seo Jun-Ho calmly admitted. He was currently wearing the mask called Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I have been imitating the actions, manner of speech, and the mindsets that I had back then.¡± He had to do it because the moment he stopped imitating the version of himself before his regressions, then he would no longer have anything to do with Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...Since when? Since when have you been like that?¡± ¡®Since when was it?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho dug deep into his memories. ¡°I think it started on the twelfth regression?¡± That was when he felt something crumble from inside of him, and it took him a bit longer to realize what had crumbled inside of him¡ªIt was none other than his mind and humanity. ¡°...Contractor. Don¡¯t you think things will get a bit better for you if you swallow that poison once again?¡± ¡°Poison? Are you talking about the Mania Snake Poison?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. However, he shook his head and said, ¡°I tried it on the 4th Floor on this regression, but it had no effect.¡± Mania Snake Poison was a poison that amplified the object¡¯s emotions and senses by bypassing the brain¡¯s safety limits. However, Mania Snake Poison was of no use to Seo Jun-Ho, and Seo Jun-Ho had a rough guess as to why it didn¡¯t work for him. Tap, tap. Seo Jun-Ho tapped his left chest with his finger. ¡°This is empty. What does not exist cannot be amplified.¡± The human emotions inside Seo Jun-Ho had dried up a long time ago. Seo Jun-Ho had long acknowledged and epted it. ¡°I decided to consider it as the price for the regressions, and I think it was a pretty good deal,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. The ability to regress allowed him to fix his mistakes. He thought that the price in exchange for such an ability was rather cheap since he only had to pay for it with his humanity. The Frost Queen barely managed to speak, ¡°Contractor¡­ what are you doing this for?¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t answer the question outright because he had also promised someone else. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could only smile bitterly, and it was a smile that the Seo Jun-Ho of the past would reveal as well. ¡°Contractor, you don¡¯t have to wear that mask in front of me.¡± Pat, pat. A small and cold hand patted Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head over and over again. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you. You¡¯ve suffered a lot, and I know that.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly stared at the Frost Queen. The Frost Queen didn¡¯t mind that andforted Seo Jun-Ho for a long time. *** After reading the memories of the deceased fiends, Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen headed for the ice castle. ¡°I should have killed Fahm Vert as well. He¡¯s the one who brainwashed Kim Woo-Joong.¡± ¡°Just forget him. He must be in the Underworld by now.¡± A strong snowstorm blocked the Frost Queen and Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s view as they entered the snowfield. However, the Frost Queen strode forward with no hesitation. ¡°I know the way,¡± said the Frost Queen. She was familiar with the surroundings because she was the one who built the ice castle. ¡°We should see the castle once we exit the canyon up ahead.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Step, step¡­! Seo Jun-Ho abruptly came to a halt. ¡®...What is this feeling?¡¯ He felt something strange for the first time in a long while. Seo Jun-Ho pondered over the identity of the strange feeling. Keen Intuition eventually spoke. - It¡¯s a sense of foreboding, partner. ¡°Is that so? Then, why am I feeling a sense of foreboding?¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded out loud. The Frost Queen heard that, and she said, ¡°This is bad¡­ Let¡¯s speed up.¡± Swoosh! The Frost Queen made a break for the exit of the canyon. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that Contractor is feeling a sense of foreboding when he has already lost his humanity. Could it be that¡ªno, it can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ The Frost Queen finally exited the canyon. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The strong smell of rust assaulted her nose. The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes quivered as she nced at her contractor. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly stared at the ice castle. Then, he started moving at a pace that was neither slow nor fast. He walked into the gate and looked around. ¡°There are so many corpses¡­¡± ¡°Contractor, don¡¯t give up just yet! The battle isn¡¯t over!¡± The Frost Queen shouted upon hearing metal shing against metal from inside the castle. Seo Jun-Ho muttered, ¡°You¡¯re right. I haven¡¯t received an influx of memories just yet, so Jun-Sik is still alive.¡± ¡®But what¡¯s the point in that?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho read the memory of the corpse rolling around. ¡°...As expected.¡± The variable in this regression was Kineos Mullibach, the Overmind Emperor. ¡®Did he lead the army himself after feeling a sense of crisis upon realizing that I¡¯m at the Star Destruction Stage as well?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stoked his chin in agony. ¡°This is a bit difficult.¡± The Overmind Emperor would invade the Ice Castle if Seo Jun-Ho revealed his strength. However, Kim Woo-Joong would be a fiend, and the Heavenly Demon would invade the ice castle if he didn¡¯t reveal his strength. ¡°Should I rescue Kim Woo-Joong without revealing my strength and kill the Heavenly Demon on top of that?¡¯ It was a difficult task. ¡®But I guess I just have to try and try until I seed...¡¯ ¡°Inventory.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took out the final page of his diary and ordered his Freedom de to stab him in the heart. Boom! However, the castle wall next to him copsed, and the eyes of a massive dragon appeared in front of him. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho inadvertently stared into the vertical eyes of the dragon. A system window popped up in front of him. [You have encountered the boss monster of Frontier-23, Kineos Mullibach.] [Once defeated, safe zones will appear in Frontier-23.] ¡®Oh, he¡¯s the Overmind Emperor¡­¡¯ Boom! The world itself trembled as a deafening explosion assaulted his ears. The disoriented Seo Jun-Ho found himself buried in the rubble of a castle wall, and he opened his eyes slowly. ¡®Is it¡­ an air raid?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought that he spoke out loud, but not a single word came out of his mouth. What emerged from his mouth weren¡¯t words but a hissing noise simr to a balloon being deted. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down and found a gaping hole in his chest. He managed to avoid instant death thanks to Cell Regeneration (A), but he suffered a wound that would kill him faster than his regeneration rate. ¡®Wow, did he just poke a hole in me in just a single blow?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho acknowledged the Overmind Emperor¡¯s power. It seemed that at the Star Destruction Stage, the first one tond an attack would be at a tremendous advantage. ¡®Diary. I need to get my diary first.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze turned to the pool of blood in front of him. The final page of his diary was floating on the pool of his own blood. ¡®Haaa¡­ haaa...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho reached out with his hand. ¡®It¡¯s too far. I can¡¯t reach it.¡¯ ¡°No¡­¡± The diary¡¯s activation condition was dying while holding it. Seo Jun-Ho stubbornly clung to his consciousness and wed at the ground with his fingernails. The diary was getting closer. ¡®A bit more. Just a bit more¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was dying. His heart had been annihted, his eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and his vision was swimming as well. ¡®Come on¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stretched out his hand with all his might, and he finally touched the page. However, someone walked over and snatched it away from him. ¡®Thank goodness¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was relieved. The Frost Queen was the one who snatched the page from him. ¡°Frost, hurry up! Give it to me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho reached out with his hand. However, the Frost Queen simply nced at him before looking away. She looked down at the paper and said, ¡°Contractor. I¡¯ve been thinking about it.¡± ¡°...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand was trembling in mid-air. ¡®Come on, give me the paper! I¡¯m about to die!¡¯ ¡°After much consideration, I reached the conclusion that I should not let you regress anymore.¡± ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ ¡°...The contractor I used to know was¡­ very kind and warm.¡± The Frost Queen could still remember making the decision that she would live in his warm light for the rest of her life. However, the current Seo Jun-Ho had long lost his humanity and his warmth throughout the hundreds of regressions. ¡°I¡¯m sure your warmth won¡¯t return even after thousands of regressions.¡± Seo Jun-Ho would only get worse and worse. Eventually, he would forget his identity altogether. Ssh, ssh. The Frost Queen walked up to the dying Seo Jun-Ho. She bent over and gently stroked Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s bloody face. ¡°Contractor. The weight on your shoulders is too heavy, and I don¡¯t think I can keep on just observing you from the side.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally realized what the Frost Queen was about to do. She was going to rewind everything back to when Seo Jun-Ho had yet to go down the cursed road of regressions. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the Frost Queen smiled and said, ¡°I am the Frostbringer of Worlds, after all. I can¡¯t be a hundred percent sure, but I¡¯m definitely better at handling timepared to you.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Don¡¯t do it. Please stop¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shouted with his eyes. He knew better than anyone else just how painful the path that the Frost Queen was about to take. The Frost Queen¡¯s heart was soft, so Seo Jun-Ho could already deduce just how many tears she would shed while walking down that cursed path. ¡°Contractor.¡± A giant dragon emerged from behind the Frost Queen. A vast amount of Force converged at the dragon¡¯s mouth. ¡°...Goodbye.¡± ¡°...!¡± Kineos Mullibach¡¯s Breath instantly engulfed the two. *** The Archduke¡¯s eyes shot wide open. He lowered his hand that had been resting on his chin and leaned forward to stare at the constetion that was shining brighter than everything else. ¡°...Frost Queen.¡± The tiny change she made created a path that even the Archduke had never seen before. *** The Frost Queen found herself in a space filled with absolutely nothing. It was a world of emptiness where not even light existed. The Frost Queen sat down. ¡°...Is this what regression is supposed to be?¡± She had no idea how much time she had spent in this space so far because she decided to stop keeping track of time after the hundredth day. ¡°Did I make a mistake?¡± ¡®This is definitely not the time I set before I returned. Did I make a mistake when I chose the date?¡¯ The Frost Queen was terrified. ¡®How long do I have to endure this stifling darkness?¡¯ The Frost Queen held back her tears. She became proud of herself for not crying so far. ¡®Contractor had to have gone through harder hardships than this. I told him not to worry, so I can¡¯t cry just yet.¡¯ The Frost Queen opened her eyes wide to hold back her tears and prayed. ¡®Contractor. If I meet you again, I won''t let you experience this again.¡¯ The Frost Queen was determined to prevent Seo Jun-Ho from regressing. Crack! ¡°...?¡± The Frost Queen heard a strange but familiar sound. Crack, crack, crack! The Frost Queen hurriedly looked up. ¡°Contractor¡¯s egg rolls!¡± The noise could only be made by cracking eggs, and it was a noise that she would hear whenever Seo Jun-Ho was making breakfast for her in the kitchen. Fwoosh! The void copsed, and the face of her young contractor filled her sight. The Frost Queen felt like crying because she was so happy to see Seo Jun-Ho. However, she held back her tears and greeted him with a grin. ¡°Hello there, Contractor. I really missed you.¡± Chapter 543. Re:wind (6) Chapter 543. Re:wind (6) The Frost Queen found everything interesting abouting back to the past. Her contractor was particrly interesting to her. ¡®Hmm¡­ Contractor is kind of cute right now.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was ring at the Frost Queen as if she was his arch nemesis, and his expression reminded her of a cute stray cat. However, she found him pitiful at the same time. ¡®Poor Contractor. He has no idea of the path that is waiting for him in the future¡­¡¯ The Frost Queen felt a sharp pain in the corner of her heart as if someone had poked her heart with a toothpick, but she clenched her tiny fists and vowed to herself. ¡®I will change everything.¡¯ She was determined to help Seo Jun-Ho walk on the right path without straying too far away from his destiny. This was the rtionship between a Spirit and their contractor who shared souls. ¡°...What do you think? It¡¯s actually perfect this time,¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho as he handed over a sword made out of ice to the Frost Queen. ¡°Hmm¡­what should I say? I kind of don¡¯t like it. Make it again,¡± the Frost Queen smiled and teased Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°No way. Stop evaluating my skills with your feelings!¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Seo Jun-Hoined for a while, but he eventually started making another sword. The Frost Queen¡¯s gaze deepened at the sight. ¡®Contractor. All of these times and moments will pile up one after another¡ªI promise that all these trivial moments wille together and be your strongest asset when you are in need of help the most.¡¯ Of course, the Frost Queen wasn¡¯t just making fun of her innocent and young contractor. ¡®I¡¯m not lying.¡¯ *** Time flew, and the moment that the Frost Queen had been waiting for finally arrived on the 2nd Floor. ¡°I brought your favorite tea for you. I bought this cake from the most famous bakery around here. Do you want to eat?¡± The Frost Queen looked at the strawberry shortcake and freshly brewed ck tea. The Frost Queen assumed that the cake and tea had Spirit Crystal shavings mixed into them. ¡®You have no idea how badly I wanted to eat this..!¡¯ The Frost Queen almost nodded in agreement when Seo Jun-Ho told her to eat a Spirit Crystal yesterday. However, she held back. She couldn¡¯t risk changing the future by not being able to hold back her appetite. ¡®I overcame the temptation for this moment.¡¯ ¡°...W-what¡¯s wrong? Does it taste bad?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. The Frost Queen furiously shook her head while eating the cake. ¡°No, it¡¯s super delicious!¡± she eximed. The Frost Queen emptied the te and the cup in a heartbeat, and then she closed her eyes with the fork still in her mouth. ¡®Ahem. Come to think of it, I need to focus on my growth as well, not just on Contractor¡¯s growth. I should keep eating Spirit Crystals for my development so that I can be of greater help to Contractor in the future.¡¯ With that thought in mind, the Frost Queen raised her hand. ¡°Contractor, give me another slice! I want another cup of tea as well!¡± Of course, the Frost Queen wasn¡¯t just asking for more Spirit Crystal shavings because she wanted to eat more. ¡®This is really for Contractor¡¯s sake¡­!¡¯ *** A long time passed, and Seo Jun-Ho was finally on the 4th Floor. [Congrattions! You have defeated the Another World Area Boss Monster, Erebo.] [You have received the title ¡®One Who Perseveres¡¯.] ¡®Hm. It¡¯s four years earlier...¡¯ The Frost Queen was concerned. She had no idea how much impact this would have in the future. ¡®But it won¡¯t be that long until we find out just how this change will impact the future...¡¯ The Frost Queen smiled. She decided to enjoy the moment for now. ¡°Well done, Contractor.¡± ¡°I-is it really over?¡± ¡°It is. It really is over. You have defeated Erebo.¡± The scenery peeled away, and the World Tree appeared to express her sincere gratitude. - May nature bless both of your futures. Eventually, it was time for them to leave. ¡°...¡± However, the Frost Queen stood still, hesitating. Seo Jun-Ho poked her and asked, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Frost. What are you doing standing there?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ well¡­¡± ¡®This isn¡¯t right. He¡¯s supposed to receive the World Tree¡¯s arrangement here.¡¯ The Frost Queen¡¯s expression wasplicated as she asked, ¡°Hey, big tree. Did you forget something by any chance?¡± - Pardon me? The World Tree contemted for a while, but she soon shook her skinny branches. - No¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten anything. ¡°Come on. Think harder. You know, perhaps some sort of an arrangement for the future¡­¡± - Oh! The World Tree eximed and chuckled. - Yes, I do remember an arrangement. ¡°See? I told you so.¡± -Yes. In fact, I had an arrangement for yer Specter while he was clearing the 4th Floor. ¡®That¡¯s right. It¡¯s only right that she prepares something for Contractor¡­¡¯¡¯ The Frost Queen nodded in satisfaction. However, her joy soon turned into shock. - But I decided not to give it to him after much consideration¡­ ¡°...Huh?¡± The Frost Queen blinked and asked, ¡°W-why did youe up with such a bad idea?¡± - Because yer Specter already has you next to him¡­ The World Tree¡¯s warm voice tickled Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen¡¯s ears. - Seeing the two of you relying on each other, caring for each other, and trusting each other was a heartwarming sight. Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen werepanions, and their souls were tied together. The World Tree¡¯s mind changed upon witnessing the strength of their bond. -...I don¡¯t know why, but it suddenly urred to me that the rtionship between you two would change significantly if I gave yer Specter what I had prepared for him. Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen¡¯s rtionship convinced the World Tree that the two would aplish something great one day, which would be greater than what Seo Jun-Ho would achieve with her arrangement. - I¡¯m sure the two of you will get through any difficulties just fine, even without it ¡°...But you might be wrong¡­ Just give it to him.¡± - Nope. I¡¯ve already gotten rid of it. The Frost Queen¡¯s ears drooped at the World Tree¡¯s firm answer. ¡®W-we¡¯re doomed.¡¯ In the end, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t receive the final page of his diary. ¡®Is this the butterfly effect of clearing the 4th Floor four years early? B-but it¡¯s too big to be called a butterfly¡­!¡¯ The Frost Queen¡¯s face turned pale as she inwardly panicked. However, Seo Jun-Ho only smiled as he gazed at the Frost Queen¡¯s pallid face. ¡°What are you so afraid of?¡± ¡°...You have no idea.¡± ¡°Sure, but there¡¯s something you need to know...¡± Pat, pat. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand patted the Frost Queen¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m confident that I can ovee even worse enemies than Erebo as long as I have you with me.¡± ¡°...Hmph. Let¡¯s see how long your confidence willst¡­!¡± ¡®How arrogant. I had no idea that I had such a cheeky Contractor.¡¯ ¡®...¡¯ The Frost Queen grumbled inwardly, but she couldn¡¯t hide her smile. She was overjoyed to know that Seo Jun-Ho trusted her so much. *** Time flew by, and the duo consistently encountered adversity after adversity, but they faced them without retreating. They overcame hardship after hardship until they finally got to the 7th Floor. ¡°Contractor!¡± shouted the Frost Queen. She had been keeping an eye out the window. ¡°The knights areing; hurry up!¡± ¡°...¡± The duo was currently at the Radio Tower on the 7th Floor. Of course, they were here to bring the Radio Tower down. ¡®And we have one more goal...¡¯ Boom! The Frost Queen moved quickly when the Radio Tower copsed. ¡°Ugh! Come on!¡± She dug furiously into the debris with shining eyes. ¡®Found it!¡¯ The Frost Queen opened the luxurious golden box that she had just found buried in the debris, revealing a white cassock that gave off a pure and sacred aura. The Frost Queen tilted her head in curiosity. ¡®This is a holy relic?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had told the Frost Queen about the relics that the 7th Floor Administrator, Helic, had told him about in his dream. - We had no idea, but the Radio Tower was created using the power of a holy relic. The Frost Queen had no idea how to make use of the item in her hand, but she decided to keep it with her just in case, since she had been unable to acquire it in her previous regressions. ¡®The Overminds would just take it away and make use of it if I were to leave it here.¡¯ The Frost Queen wrapped the holy relic with her clothes and left the Radio Tower. *** On the same night, the Frost Queen had a dream. ¡°Where am I?¡± The Frost Queen found herself on the floating ind where Seo Jun-Ho apparently met Helic in his dream. ¡®Why am I here? Did the future change again?¡¯ Thud! The Frost Queen heard footsteps behind her, prompting her to turn around. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes met with the woman in a ck suit standing at the top stairs. The Frost Queen presumed that the woman was Helic¡ªthe 7th Floor Administrator. ¡®She gives off a different vibe from what I heard from Contractor. I thought he said that she seemed sassy.¡¯ The Frost Queen could still remember Seo Jun-Ho saying that Helic seemed to have been looking at him with contempt. However, the Helic that was standing in front of the Frost Queen didn¡¯t seem to be looking at her with contempt. ¡°Frost Queen,¡± muttered Helic while staring at the Frost Queen with longing. ¡°Do you know me?¡± Helic shook her head. ¡°You seem to know me, but I have no idea who you are,¡± the Frost Queen said. ¡°My name is Helic. I¡¯m the Sun God, the Administrator of the 7th Floor, and¡­¡± Helic trailed off. She walked down the stairs and smiled softly. ¡°Nevermind. That¡¯s all you need to know for now.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Hmm.¡¯ The Frost Queen looked doubtful. She crossed her arms and said, ¡°Well, fine. Then, let me ask¡ªwhy did you wake me up, and why did you bring me here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you did it on purpose or not, but you did something great today.¡± Snap! Helic snapped her fingers, and the white cassock that the Frost Queen had put away into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Inventory appeared in mid-air. ¡°This is called the Holy Garment Nike, it¡¯s one of the Sun God¡¯s holy relics, and it¡¯s used to carry the voices of angels to the people,¡± exined Helic. However, the Babe Empire seized the Nike and turned it into a keyponent of their Radio Tower. ¡°I¡¯ve recovered a bit of my authority as the Administrator because you recovered one of my holy relics.¡± ¡°Holy relics? Authority? What are you talking about?¡± asked the Frost Queen. She made sure to look like she truly had no idea what Helic was talking about. ¡°...I am both resentful and ashamed to admit this, but I have lost most of my authority as the Administrator of this Floor,¡± Helic said. ¡°Oh, my¡­¡± ¡°The other holy relics of the Sun God were taken away as well; it wasn¡¯t just the Nike,¡± added Helic. ¡°I see. So you¡¯re saying that I retrieved one of your holy relics today?¡± asked the Frost Queen. Helic nodded. ¡°Exactly. If the remaining holy relics are retrieved, I will be able to help the yers with my authority as the Administrator.¡± In other words, Helic was asking the Frost Queen to destroy the facilities that the empire had created using the Sun God¡¯s holy relics and retrieve the holy relics. It was the same offer that Contractor had received back then. ¡°Help, huh¡­? Then, what will you do for me in exchange if I bring the remaining two holy relics to you?¡± ¡°...¡± Helic lowered her head and smiled slightly. She had never mentioned that she had a total of three holy relics. ¡°Is it her nature to be so bad at lying?¡± Helic muttered. ¡°What did you say? I couldn¡¯t hear you¡­¡± ¡®She knows information that I haven¡¯t told her yet¡­¡¯ There was only one reason why the Frost Queen was aware of things that she was supposed to be unaware of. Helic handed over a map to the Frost Queen and asked, ¡°So, how do you find your regressions so far?¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s okay. It was fun in the beginning, but my head has been aching recently, and¡­ wait! What?!¡± the Frost Queen eximed. She looked at Helic with a startled look while still holding the map that Helic had handed her. ¡°Hmmm.¡± Helic crossed her arms and stared at the Frost Queen, and her eyes shone sharply as if she were a cat that had just spotted its prey. ¡°It seems that you and I have to talk.¡± Chapter 544. Never More (1) Chapter 544. Never More (1) Once the interrogation¡ªno, the conversation¡ªwas over, Helic sounded uncertain as she muttered, ¡°...So it has already eroded this far. Things have derailed more than I expected." ¡°D-Derailed? Did I do something wrong? Is that it?¡± said the Frost Queen, looking frightened. She confessed inadvertently. ¡°Of course, I did eat one or two slices of cake in secret at dawn¡­ But can fate really be twisted due to that?¡± ¡°No, of course not. That makes no difference at all. When I say things have derailed, I am referring to the current situation.¡± ¡°The current situation?¡± Helic nodded. ¡°I think it will be easier to understand if I just showed you.¡± Helic ced a few pebbles on her desk and picked up one of them. ¡°Here. Think of this dull, ugly rock as Seo Jun-Ho. ¡° ¡°...Contractor is not that ugly. Could you please rece it with that pretty stone over there?¡± ¡°No,¡± Helic said indifferently. She picked up the pretty rock. ¡°This one is a transcendent.¡± ¡°A transcendent? Then, what does the ugly rock represent?¡± ¡°It represents all beings who are beneath a transcendent, including Seo Jun-Ho.¡± Woosh! The pebbles on the table flew into a ss box before floating in mid-air. ¡°Now, let¡¯s say that Seo Jun-Ho regressed.¡± When Helic¡¯s words fell, the ss box duplicated itself. Now, there were two identical boxes. ¡°You are referring to the concept of parallel worlds, simr to what I heard from Skaya, but¡­¡± the Frost Queen noticed something and blinked. ¡°Helic. The entirety of the box was duplicated, so why is the transcendent stone not there?¡± The two ss boxes had the exact same pebbles within them. However, the pretty, shiny stone didn¡¯t duplicate. ¡°You are as observant as always,¡± Helic said gently. ¡°Transcendents are those who are superior to everything else. Even if a new timeline and dimension are created, there can only be one of a Transcendent across all worlds.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s head started to hurt. She had to check if her understanding was correct. ¡°So, even if I go back in time and eat two slices of cake, there will only be one strawberry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a peculiar analogy¡­ But yes, that¡¯s the gist of it.¡± ¡°Huh? Wait just a second. So when Contractor or I regressed¡­ the transcendents knew about it, correct?¡± Because no matter how many times time was turned back, it had no effect on them. Helic nodded. ¡°Exactly that. A transcendent will notice it.¡± ¡°Then, you, the big tree, and everyone else are just acting?¡± They gave no indication that they knew about the Frost Queen¡¯s regression, which meant that they were feigning ignorance. ¡°...I wish that were true. The problem is that it¡¯s not.¡± Helic let out a small sigh. ¡°Frost Queen, you¡¯re right. We should be aware of your regression, but¡­¡± Helic¡¯s mouth fluttered open as she tried to figure out how to exin it, but in the end, she merely sighed. ¡°I cannot tell you the details at the moment. Because not even I know how it will affect the future.¡± Helic looked deep into Frost¡¯s eyes. ¡°However, I can tell you one thing. The current situation was likely orchestrated by the Archduke.¡± ¡°The Archduke¡­¡± The demons worshipped him like a god. The Frost Queen gulped, and her voice trembled as she asked, ¡°If someone so powerful nned this, does that mean that what Contractor and I had been doing and will do are meaningless? ¡± ¡°I assure you, that¡¯s not true,¡± Helic said firmly, ¡°You have no idea¡ªyou have no idea how many people¡ª¡± ¡ªshe gave hope¡­ Helic cut herself off. The discussion brought back old memories that stirred emotions inside of her. ¡°Anyway, just do your best.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t need to tell me that,¡± said the Frost Queen with a nod. ¡°Anyway, do you have any good ideas?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Helic fell into thought. She knew why the Frost Queen regressed, and she also knew why Seo Jun-Ho decided to regress. ¡°Ultimately, the yers¡¯ shared goal is to save that man named Kim Woo-Joong, correct?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Now that I have heard the story, there is one thing I am sure of.¡± She knew why Seo Jun-Ho failed. ¡°That man is too ambitious, and it makes him continuously attempt to do things that are beyond him.¡± It was definitely one of his strengths, but it was a massive weakness in a situation like this. ¡°Do not speak ill of my contractor¡­¡± ¡°...Anyway, allow me to exin the strategy.¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes grew wide as she listened to Helic¡¯s proposal. ¡°Hm. Mm.¡± The Frost Queen thought for a long time, looking troubled. Finally, she spoke. ¡°I apologize, but I believe this is not something that I can decide on my own.¡± ¡°Then, we can just ask him directly.¡± Thud! There was a dull thud as something fell next to them. ¡°Ow. What is this?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was suddenly summoned. He rubbed his tailbone as he stood. He swept his gaze across the Frost Queen and the unfamiliar woman. ¡°...Frost, who is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the 7th Floor Administrator, Helic.¡± ¡°An Administrator?¡± ¡°Stop looking at me with such suspicion. Just take a seat.¡± Helic made him take a seat and looked into his eyes. Then, she started speaking. *** ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho rubbed his aching temples. His head was hurting from trying toprehend what the 7th Floor Administrator was saying. ¡°So, if I¡¯m understanding correctly, I regressed three hundred and eighteen times and failed every time. Correct?¡± Helic and the Frost Queen nodded in sync. ¡°And because I was in such bad shape, you decided to regress, Frost.¡± ¡°Yes. You were an utter,plete mess,¡± the Frost Queen grumbled while recalling the memory. ¡°You were ten times¡ªno, a hundred times worse than when you were on the 4th Floor.¡± ¡°...I guess I really was that bad.¡± He had a general grasp on the situation now. He had regressed three hundred and eighteen times. Just imagining it alone made him dizzy. ¡°First of all¡­Thank you,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. He knew how difficult and arduous it was to repeat a timeline after going through countless regressions on the 4th Floor. However, the Frost Queen decisively went back just to save him. ¡°It must have been a difficult choice,¡± he said. ¡°I know you very well. If you were in my position, you would have made the same choice, Contractor,¡± she replied primly, avoiding his eyes a little. She was embarrassed. ¡°But you know, I¡¯m surprised.¡± Seo Jun-Ho rubbed his chin. ¡°ording to Frost, Woo-Joong will lose to the Heavenly Demon and be a fiend.¡±[1] ¡®And that¡¯s not all. To think that other yers will be massacred, too.¡¯ Just thinking about it made him dizzy. However, he understood why he had recklessly chosen to regress. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Helic said. Her cool voice brought over his attention. Seo Jun-Ho lifted his head. ¡°To be honest, I have a bit of¡­ no, I have many problems with this.¡± ¡°Do you not understand that you have failed three hundred and eighteen times with your methods?¡± ¡°I do. But while I understand it in my head¡­¡± His heart didn¡¯t follow. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can just let Woo-Joong be a fiend¡­¡± ¡°I told you. He will be a fiend, not a demon. I can undo that.¡± Helic¡¯s golden eyes glinted. ¡°But of course, you will have to find the two other holy relics for me if you want me to do that.¡± ¡°...¡± This mission would be heavy and grueling. ¡°If we make even one small mistake, everything will topple over like dominos.¡± Kim Woo-Joong would be a fiend and attack the yers. On top of that, the yers would lose their lives to the Heavenly Demon and the army of Overminds. He couldn¡¯t afford to make even a single mistake if he wanted to stop this dark future from happening. ¡°If you do not think that you can do it, then walk away. But in my opinion, this has the greatest chance of seeding.¡± ¡°...¡± He knew. Seo Jun-Ho could feel the truth of her words with Keen Intuition. ¡®I also have to make sure Woo-Joong doesn¡¯t kill a single yer when he bes a fiend.¡¯ If he did, he would never forgive himself, even if everyone else would. ¡°...This is a heavy.¡± His shoulders felt especially heavy today, as if he were a sponge soaking up water. Seo Jun-Ho let out a heavy sigh and eventually spoke, ¡°There¡¯s no helping it. I¡¯ll do it.¡± He had no choice but to attempt the impossible. *** Jun-Ho felt like he was living his life using a cheat code. ¡°You¡¯re the one who regressed, but somehow I feel like I regressed as well,¡± he said to the Frost Queen. ¡°Well¡­ Isn¡¯t it because I shared all the information I have with you?¡± As nned, they rallied the yers at the ce where the thunder slept. They yed General Ceylonso Bestard, headed north, and created the ice castle. Seo Jun-Ho gulped. ¡®And today¡­¡¯ It was the first day of the operation to attack Gt. He knew for a fact that he wouldn¡¯t sleep for at least ten days from now on. ¡®But it doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡¯ He watched the yers prepare for battle. If he could save them, then his sleep didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Jun-Ho.¡± Seo Jun-Ho froze upon hearing the familiar voice. He turned around with a conflicted look. ¡°...Hey.¡± ¡°You looked worried. Don¡¯t tell me the great Specter is nervous,¡± Kim Woo-Joong said, looking concerned.[2] Seo Jun-Ho took in his face and stopped himself just as the words were about to slip out. ¡®It¡¯s because of you, you bastard.¡¯ His arm was still injured from the battle with Ceylonso. Why did this guy insist on joining the battle? ¡®...Dark brown.¡¯ Like other Koreans, Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes were dark brown. And if Seo Jun-Ho made any mistake, he would never be able to see those eyes again. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m a little nervous, actually.¡± Honestly, he was very nervous. *** Baaam! Baek Geon-Woo appeared. ¡°Long time no see, Junior Brother.¡± ¡°Haa. Haa. I¡¯ve been waiting so long for you.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Baek Geon-Woo stopped in his steps, looking a little nervous. He then realized and muttered, ¡°Oh, if you can¡¯t recognize me because of my hair, I¡¯m Baek Geon¡ª¡± ¡°I know. You¡¯re Geon-Woo hyung.¡± ¡°...¡± How to put it? This wasn¡¯t what Baek Geon-Woo imagined for their reunion. Baek Geon-Woo left behind the two generals he had quashed. He sounded bitter as he spoke, ¡°East?¡± ¡°Yes, east.¡± Seo Jun-Ho desperately clung to his consciousness. ¡°Please take me eastward. Now.¡± Baek Geon-Woo had just met his junior brother after sixty years of parting, but instead of a touching reunion, Baek Geon-Woo became his junior brother¡¯s taxi. 1. He refers to Woo-Joong with an affectionate term. ? 2. Can also be read as scared but with a weaker connotation. ? Chapter 545. Never More (2) Chapter 545. Never More (2) ¡°L-Let¡¯s rest here for a bit.¡± Baek Geon-Woo stopped in the middle of the mountain path to catch his breath. He sat down on a nearby boulder and rummaged for water in his Inventory. Seo Jun-Ho btedly felt sorry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, hyung. This must have been a lot to process.¡± ¡°A little, I suppose. But there¡¯s no need to apologize for that,¡± said Baek Geon-Woo while wiping the sweat from his brow after quenching his thirst. ¡°By the way. Were you waiting for me, or am I wrong?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯repletely right. I was waiting for you.¡± Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s eyes grew serious. ¡°...How is that possible? The president shouldn¡¯t have been able to tell you, considering the timing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but I suppose it would be better to tell you before we leave.¡± It would be easier to just tell him because Seo Jun-Ho would need Baek Geon-Woo and Rahmadat¡¯s help with his n. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Rahmadat when he wakes up, so I¡¯ll just tell you first.¡± ¡°I shall be the one to exin. That way, it will be faster and more urate,¡± Frost interjected. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Huh? This is Frost, of course¡­Oh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho eximed as he remembered. He thought that they would know each other because the three of them had lived together in the Wailing Mountains. ¡®But Frost was invisible back then.¡¯ So, even though they had spent time together for several months, this was Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s first time meeting the Frost Queen. Seo Jun-Ho exined, ¡°This is my Spirit. It¡¯s your first time meeting her.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, perhaps¡­¡± Baek Geon-Woo smiled slightly as he looked at the Frost Queen. ¡°I see. So you are Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s invisible guardian.¡± ¡°...You know me?¡± ¡°I had a vague idea.¡± When he found Seo Jun-Ho unconscious on the mountain path, he heard the voice of a child. However, he didn¡¯t see anyone, so he thought he simply imagined it. ¡°You see, Master once told me this.¡± He sensed some kind of soul nearby. ¡°He told me there was someone watching over you.¡± ¡°A-ha¡­¡± The Frost Queen nodded. Indeed, when her Contractor passed the Thunder God¡¯s test, she had protected him with her power to block. ¡°Oh, and I also saw your video.¡± ¡°Eek!¡± The Frost Queen shrieked as a shiver ran down her spine. Recreating that had been the hardest part of her regression. It was a bad memory she wanted to erase. ¡°When I watched it, I thought that you were surely a child, but you¡¯ve grown a lot,¡± he added. ¡°Stop talking about that! I forbid it!¡± She almost sounded like she was about to cry. Baek Geon-Woo held up his hands in surrender. ¡°Oh, I truly apologize if I was being insensitive. I¡¯ll stop.¡± ¡°Sob¡­ Contractooorrr¡­¡± She buried her face into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back, and then she whined for a long time. ¡®I should change my clothester.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back felt wet. ¡°...Well, anyway, I guess I¡¯ll be the one to tell you like we originally nned.¡± *** Once Seo Jun-Ho was done exining, Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s face grew dark. ¡°This is more serious than I thought,¡± he said. ¡°Yes. And ording to Frost¡­¡± ¡°Okay.¡± In a sh, his eyes filled with firm determination. ¡°So you¡¯re saying the Heavenly Demon is on the 7th Floor right now.¡± And he must be plotting something big andmitting other evil acts at the moment¡­ Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s hands instinctively curled into fists, ¡°...I will not let him kill anyone again. Never.¡± ¡°Me, too. I¡¯m going to do everything I can to stop him.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you were in such a hurry.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°Woo-Joong will be the Sword Demon five days after our attack at Gt.¡± In other words, five dayster. ¡°Within that time, we must raid the Chronos Laboratory.¡± ¡°...A holy relic is there...¡± ¡°Yes. Once we retrieve it from there, we¡¯ll go find him before he can kill any of the yers.¡± And they would have to bind him tightly so he couldn¡¯t hurt anyone. ¡°That¡¯s going to be hard.¡± ¡°I know, but we have to do this,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said firmly. Baek Geon-Woo studied him for a moment and smiled. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll do this, whatever it takes. I swear on my life.¡±[1] ¡°You don¡¯t have to go that far¡­¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll help you no matter what it takes.¡± He hadn¡¯t understood it back then, but this was part of their master¡¯sst will and testament. He said that Seo Jun-Ho was the saddest and loneliest person in the world, and he told him to be Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s strength. ¡°...Thank you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho saw Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s feelings and intentions, and he revealed a bittersweet smile. ¡°Now then. Let¡¯s start moving again after about ten more minutes. We don¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Baek Geon-Woo stood up to prepare. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho sat on the edge of the boulder. The Frost Queen sat next to him, and her cheeks were still wet from the tears she had shed. ¡°...Is it really that big of a deal?¡± ¡°Sniffle.¡± She blew her nose into her handkerchief and red at him through bleary eyes. ¡°You do not understand. I felt so humiliated I wanted to die.¡± ¡°Yeah? I don¡¯t think so¡± ¡°Frankly, I never wanted to broadcast it in the first ce. But I had no other choice because the future might have changed.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s supposed to be my fault?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was dumbfounded. He scoffed. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re amazing. Amazing at ming others.¡± ¡°That is not what I am doing. It is the truth.¡± The Frost Queen giggled, and it seemed that she felt better now. Seo Jun-Ho studied her for a moment before saying, ¡°...Honestly, I don¡¯t know what to think.¡± ¡°Oh, do not take it so seriously. If I am honest, I am aware that it was my¡­¡± ¡°Not that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the ground and said, ¡°You said I was super strong before you regressed, right?¡± ¡°Yes indeed. You had actually reached the Star Destruction stage.¡± ¡°But now, I¡¯m weaker than I was back then.¡± He was pathetic inparison, but he was as strong as he had been when he still hadn¡¯t started his regressions on the 7th Floor. ¡°You said I failed.¡± Kim Woo-Joong turned into the Sword Demon and went wild. The Heavenly Demon also killed the yers using the Overminds. He was scared that such a future was awaiting him. ¡°I already failed. Do you really think that I can do it?¡± He kept doubting himself because he knew that he couldn¡¯t regress. ¡°Hmm.¡± The Frost Queen strained her neck and observed him from over Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How strange. You look quite weak today. Were you always like this?¡± ¡°...Are you my teacher or something?¡± ¡°Contractor.¡± A small, cool hand settled on his hand. He knew it was cold, but it made him feel warm inside. ¡°Ease your worries.¡± When he saw her smiling face, his doubt slowly melted away. ¡°I know that you are strong. I was with you, after all.¡± ¡°...Even though I¡¯m a lot weaker than I was then?¡± ¡°I have be just as powerful, so it is all right. Besides, I know the events that are toe.¡± She let out a small sigh. ¡°I will confess that it felt strange when you were at the Star Destruction Stage.¡± He had never held so much power until he saved Kim Woo-Joong. Besides, he had been living only as an imitation of his old self. ¡°It was like night and day. You were so awkward after you changed, I thought I would die.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And, you know, well. Sometimes people get that dead look in their eyes, like a dead fish¡­ Ah, I want grilled fish now.¡± She always strayed from the topic. Seo Jun-Ho chuckled. ¡°Yeah, freshly-cooked fish with white rice is the best. All right. If we return to Earth, I promise¡ª¡± ¡°Ah! Stop!¡± The Frost Queen cut him off. ¡°In dramas, the character who says something like that always dies in the next scene. I forbid you from saying that, as your queen.¡± ¡°Yeesh.¡± He shook his head and looked up at the sky. He didn¡¯t know what the future held for him, but at least the sky was clear today. ¡°All right, let¡¯s do this.¡± The very same Seo Jun-Ho had already failed once. ¡®...But I¡¯ll seed this time, no matter what.¡¯ He refused to let himself fail. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes became filled with cold determination. *** Two Overmind imperial knights stood guard at the hefty barbed-wire fence. ¡°Hey, did you hear the news before you came here?¡± ¡°News? What news.¡± ¡°Apparently, those damn humans raided Gt just a few hours ago.¡± ¡°Ha. They really must be mad.¡± ¡°Um¡­ They said that Duke Schalke and his men have perished.¡± It was hard to believe. It was already unbelievable that those humans had attacked first, but to think that Duke Schalke and his knights would die. The knight gulped to hide his fear and spoke, ¡°Hey, do you think they¡¯lle all the way here? Should we be on guard for that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic. We have these, so nothing will happen.¡± They were both holding magic detectors in their hands, and the magid detectors hadn¡¯t gone off since they received them. The knight studied the device. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Look, it¡¯s the same as always¡­¡± Bang! His fellow knight was sent flying away by something, and he hit the barbed-wire fence. ¡°A surprise attack? It¡¯s the humans!¡± His fellow knight died instantly. He turned his back to the corpse and quickly hid behind a boulder. His face had never been this pale. ¡®Right before he was attacked, the detector went off for just a moment.¡¯ However, there was something wrong. ording to the researchers, the magic detectors¡¯ range was three kilometers. In other words, if the humans actually did ambush them, the detector should have gone off a long while ago. ¡°Those good-for-nothing scoundrels. How dare they lie to us¡ª¡± Beep! Just then, the magic detector went off again. ¡®...It only went off once, and the target disappeared?¡± Not only did they lie about its capabilities, but it was also defective. Once he went back, he would give them a piece of his mind. The knight chewed on his lip and watched the detector intensely. If he at least knew where his opponent was, he could fight them. However, he still had no idea where his enemies were located. ¡®Wait, then that means¡­ Are they attacking from more than three kilometers away?¡¯ Impossible. The knight¡¯s eyes became filled with fear. Beep! And the magic detector went off again. *** Click. Gilberto lowered his gun and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Move out!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Arthur nodded and followed behind him. They had been constantly moving for the past few days. - Go to where the thunder sleeps. They could only trust Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°How many are tailing us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still fifteen¡­ Shit, there are more now. Seventeen!¡± ¡°...¡± Gilberto¡¯s face darkened at Arthur¡¯s report. ¡®I should get ready.¡¯ He had to prepare himself mentally. If the worst-case scenario happened, he would ensure Arthur¡¯s survival at the very least. ¡°Father, this is¡­¡± Arthur trailed off. The fence that the knights they had sniped had been guarding had a warning sign posted written in anguage that they couldn¡¯t read. ¡°Is it really okay to go in here? If this is some important military base, we¡¯ll be walking right into the lion¡¯s den,¡± asked Arthur. ¡°We have no choice,¡± Gilberto said. The Overminds were chasing after them, so it would only be a matter of time before they were captured if they decided not to enter the facility in front of them. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With that, the two men opened the gates and ran inside. Momentster, their pursuers arrived and came to a halt. ¡°Oh no. What should we do?¡± asked an Overmind. ¡°...¡± The leader was silent for quite a while before they spoke, ¡°This is a forbidden area that His Majesty himself had dered forbidden. We do not have the authority to go beyond this point. We have no other choice but to report this to our superiors.¡± 1. Can also be read as¡°I¡¯ll put my life on the line¡±, but I thought that was already implied. ? Chapter 546. Late Blooming Flower (1) Chapter 546. Late Blooming Flower (1) "Huff¡­ puff...¡± Arthur finally slowed down. "I can''t feel their presence anymore. I think they¡¯ve given up on the chase." ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± Gilberto turned around and focused magic on his eyes. ¡®Snake Eye.¡¯ The world turned ck, and Gilberto¡¯s eyes seemed to have be thermal cameras. ¡®Eagle Eye.¡¯ Swoosh. Gilberto¡¯s field of view expanded, and he saw the Overminds that had been chasing after them. "They¡¯re standing by the iron fence. What the hell are they doing?" "Are we on a dead-end?" "Nope.¡± It didn¡¯t make sense for the Overminds to stay by the iron fence and suck on their thumbs, even if Arthur and Gilberto were on their way to a dead-end. ¡°If we¡¯re not on our way to a dead-end, then there¡¯s definitely another reason why they aren¡¯t going over the fence.¡± Gilberto looked ufortable. ''Is this a good situation or not?'' There were no signs of life here, and they had no idea when the enemies would pursue them once more. "Let''s take this opportunity to run as far away as we can from them.¡± "All right." The two ran diligently through the forest with no trail. After many hours of running, they stumbled upon a wall. "A wall?" "Yeah, it¡¯s a wall." The wall was so high that one had to crane their neck to see the end of it. Obviously, the wall was blocking their way. "Father, is this the wall of the imperial capital?" "Hmm. I don''t think so." Gilberto shook his head. The Overminds¡¯ civilization was advanced, so it wouldn¡¯t make sense for them to build such ugly walls for their capital. "And look at this..." Gilberto rubbed the vines on the wall with his leather sleeves. "This wall isn¡¯t being maintained. It hasn¡¯t been cleaned for at least a dozen¡ªno, for at least hundreds of years." "Makes sense, so this wall can¡¯t be the wall of the imperial capital¡­" Arthur trailed off and asked, "What is this wall, then?" Gilberto was silent. He also had many questions in mind. ¡®What do we do?¡¯ The wall seemed endless, and there was no other way. ''It¡¯ll be better to go up and check the inside.¡¯ Gilberto decided. He retrieved a long wire from his Inventory. Doubt painted Arthur¡¯s expression as he asked, "You¡¯re not going to climb the wall with that, right? Dad?¡± "Give me a minute." Gilberto smiled at his son and sent the wire flying. There was a hook at the end of the wire. The flying hook coiled around the vines of the wall. "Heup!" Gilberto jumped and ran up the wall like a squirrel. "Wow..." Arthur pped his hands like a seal. Gilberto soon reached the top of the wall. He looked around beyond the wall as the strong breeze brushed past him. ¡°¡­¡± There was a tropical jungle beyond the wall. ''What¡¯s up with this wall? Is it for their green belt?¡¯ Gilberto couldn¡¯t see any buildings or traces of people. ''¡­ It doesn''t look particrly dangerous.¡¯ Gilberto was leaning toward going beyond the wall because they couldn¡¯t really go back to the iron fence. However, the wall was so tall that it intimidated Gilberto. Still, Gilberto had to make a decision, and he soon made up his mind. "Arthur!" Gilberto shouted and threw the wire down. "Come up here." "Okay," Arthur answered. He climbed up the wall and soon arrived next to Gilberto. "What¡¯s up with this wall? Is it for their green belt?" "Hm, you really are my son." "What?" "Nothing. Anyway, we need to know what we¡¯re looking at.¡± Gilberto retrieved a rope from his Inventory and handed it over to Arthur. ¡°Here, use this." "What? How?¡± "I''ll show you." Gilberto found a crack in the wall and established an anchor. After making sure that it could hold his weight, Gilberto rappelled down the wall. ¡°¡­¡± Arthur looked like he wanted to cry. *** "Sorry, I had no idea that you¡¯re afraid of heights. You weren¡¯t afraid of heights when you were still a baby¡­¡± muttered Gilberto. ¡°¡­¡± Arthur red at his father with resentment. However, he was still astonished by the fact that he managed to rappel down such a tall wall by himself. If he told River about it, Arthur was sure that the former would snort and tell him to stop spouting bullshit. "Anyway, night is upon us, so we should set up camp.¡± Gilberto retrieved a machete from his Inventory and trimmed the grass to make a clearing. He set up a tent, surrounded their camp with an early warning system, and boiled mushroom soup for them to eat. "Here, this should warm you up." Arthur received the soup and drank it. He revealed a look of satisfaction and said, ¡°It¡¯s good. I really think that you can do everything, Father.¡± ¡°There you go, exaggerating things again¡­¡± "I¡¯m being honest. I would have died long ago if you weren¡¯t with me.¡± Gilberto had been constantly predicting the Overminds¡¯ paths, and he had assassinated quite a few Overminds before they were discovered. Gilberto hadn¡¯t done anything unnecessary to their survival. "You¡¯re like Superman.¡± "Pffft!" Gilberto chuckled. He looked up at the stars that could be seen between the tree leaves and said, "I¡¯m not Superman. However, your uncles and aunts are a different story." "You¡¯re strong, too, Father. I mean, you''re the best sniper in the world," Arthur replied, seemingly pouting. He really didn¡¯t like to hear his father talking about himself in a self-deprecating way. "The best sniper in the world...¡± Gilberto muttered. ''I didn¡¯t expect that I''d feel those emotions again¡­¡¯ Gilberto could still remember how he had been hiding in a trash can because he was garbage. Seo Jun-Ho took him out of the trash can and called him a gem in the rough. Seo Jun-Ho was also the one who turned him into the best sniper on Earth. Gilberto became Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s wingman from then on, and they broke through many fronts together. They depended on each other, and they were learning from each other. ¡®But at some point¡­¡¯ Gilberto woke up and found that Seo Jun-Ho was already out of his reach, and it wasn¡¯t just him. ''Mio, Skaya, and Rahmadat.'' The next thing he knew, he could only chase after their silhouettes. ¡®And I can feel that I¡¯m already at my limit, it¡¯s getting overwhelming to chase after them.¡¯ He felt it strongly on the 6th Floor. Rahmadat learned Emancipation, while Skaya became the Tower Master of the Magic Tower¡¯s ck Tower. Gilberto¡¯s light was fading, but his friends were still shining brightly. ¡®I think this will be myst raid with them¡­¡¯ He became sure of it while he was fighting the Overminds. In the future, an antique like himself would lose his ce next to his friends. Gilberto smiled wryly at the thought, and he unknowingly crushed the can of mushroom soup in his hand. *** The forest was silent at dawn. There were no ripples in river streams, and the birds were still sleeping. Rustle, rustle! And that was why the rustling noises sounded particrly louder than usual¡­ ¡°¡­¡± A few creatures looked at each other and gestured with their eyes. They immediately surrounded Gilberto and Arthur¡¯s camp. Rustle, rustle! They moved even closer, but before they could approach the campsite¡­ Beep! Beep! Beep! Gilberto''s early warning system let out a shrill cry. The intruders were startled, and they hurriedly looked at each other. A monster rushed into the tent and said something iprehensible. "Cargalish!" Bang! Bang! The monster was immediately sent flying away from the campsite. ¡°¡­¡± A double-barreled shotgun was slung over Gilberto¡¯s shoulder as he looked around Gilberto. His eyes trembled as he came back to his senses and muttered, "The failures?" The attackers were the Overminds, but they resembled the failures more than the Overminds. "Roctu! Bimiros!" The Overmind in the shape of a frog opened its mouth wide. Swoosh! A long tongue shot out and wrapped around Gilberto''s shotgun. ¡°Ah!¡± The barrel broke like straw. Gilberto let go of the handle without hesitation and moved his hand to the holster on his waist. Bang! Baang! His revolver sent three bullets into the frog''s forehead. "What? No way!" Gilberto was shocked. The frog shook off the bullets andughed. "Is he actuallyughing?" "Kirrk?" Crack! The frog suddenly grabbed its neck in agony. Arthur had cast his Telekinesis (B) against the frog while walking out of the tent. "It¡¯s still too early for us to entertain visitors." "Indeed, but they came here uninvited." There were a total of five failures. Gilberto had sent one of them flying with his double-barreled shotgun, so there were only four failures remaining. Gilberto swept his gaze across them. ''They came here together, but it seems that they¡¯re not too friendly with each other.¡¯ It was evidenced by the fact that the other failures didn¡¯t bother helping the dying frog. They took a step back and observed the father and son. ¡®They¡¯re looking at us as if we¡¯re prey¡­¡¯ The failures seemed to be thinking if Arthur and Gilberto were even edible. They didn¡¯t seem worried about the lives of theirrades. "Arthur, how many of them can you suppress?" "Uh¡­ One, but I should manage two somehow since they¡¯re not that strong..." "All right. On the count of three, suppress two of them." Gilberto Green licked his lips. They had to catch these failures off guard. "One, two, three!" "Uaaahhh!" Arthur raised his other hand and cast his Telekinesis (B) at another failure. The octopus-looking failure at the back trembled. "Kirrr!" "Graw!" The rest of the failures finally moved and rushed at Arthur. It seemed that they were aware that they would be in danger if Arthur managed to suppress two of them. "Ah, Father!" Arthur screamed nervously. "Don''t worry. Whenever I set up a camp, I always...¡± Gilberto coldly scanned the approaching enemies. "I always prioritize safety." Click! Gilberto Green pressed the detonator, and the ymores in the ground exploded at once. Boooom! Two failures got caught up in the explosion and disappeared without a trace. "Uuuh, now! Die!" Crack! Crack! Arthur finally crushed the necks of the two failures that he had been suppressing. "Huff¡­ puff¡­" Arthur copsed to the ground to catch his breath. However, Gilberto started moving without resting. He decisively stuffed their items into his Inventory. "We¡¯re leaving," he said. "¡­ Where are we going?¡± asked Arthur. "We¡¯re going back to where we came from..." Gilberto clicked his tongue. They had made a mistake. ''I was sure that there weren¡¯t any living creatures here aside from small animals and insects.¡¯ However, they ended up getting ambushed by the failures. In other words¡­ ¡®They can conceal their body temperature as well, not just their presence.¡¯ ¡°We have to hurry up,¡± urged Gilberto. After all, they had no idea just how many failures were in this tropical jungle. In addition, the fight just now had been pretty shy and noisy. ¡°I don''t know how many of them wille here, but we just have to get out of here before theye¡ª¡± Gilberto¡¯s words got stuck in his throat. A crocodile-looking failure that was five times bigger than Gilberto emerged from the nearby river. "Krrrrr." The crocodile-looking failure growled, and the noise shattered the two men¡¯s spirits. The crocodile-looking failure was strong, and their skin tingled as the former approached them. ¡°Arthur." Gilberto barely managed to squeeze such words out of his trembling throat. ¡°I want you to run away without looking back once I give you the signal.¡± "Hahaha! Crocodile meat this early in the morning? Lucky me!¡± Squelch! A massive foot crushed the crocodile-looking failure. The failure was crushed by a giant who was at least twenty meters tall. The giant crouched and picked up the crocodile beneath his foot. "Hmm?" The giant¡¯s eyes met with Gilberto and Arthur¡¯s gazes. Arthur trembled. He was suffocating beneath the pressure that the giant was giving off. Click. "¡­Arthur, run away the moment I shoot him." Gilberto aimed his sniper at the giant¡¯s eye. They were in a dire situation. Gilberto¡¯s hand was covered in sweat as he tried to pull the trigger. "Hu¡­ mans? Are you guys humans?" Gilberto couldn¡¯t pull the trigger because the giant suddenly started talking to them. Chapter 547. Late Blooming Flower (2) Chapter 547. Late Blooming Flower (2) ''...We canmunicate?¡¯ Gilberto''s eyes narrowed. It was because it was strange that he understood what the giant said. ''The giant wasn¡¯t speaking anynguage from Earth¡­¡¯ However, he understood the giant¡¯s words. It felt like the words were delivered directly to his brain rather than to his ears. "You got it right. This isn¡¯t that difficult to do if you can wield Force." ''...Mind reading?!¡¯ Gilberto''s vignce shot through the roof. Rumble! The giant sat on the floor. "Why don''t you lower your weapon? Can¡¯t you see that you won¡¯t be able to do anything to me using that kind of toy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gilberto contemted for a moment before lowering his gun. Indeed, the giant in front of him seemed to be made out of rocks, so it wouldn¡¯t make sense if Gilberto could harm the giant with a gun. Gilberto asked, "Who are you?" "My name is Stony. As you can see, I¡¯m... a monster." The face made out of rock revealed a bitter smile. "Well, I wasn''t born a monster. The emperor turned me into a monster." "By emperor, are you talking about the Overmind Emperor?¡± asked Arthur. Stony snorted. "Ha! He¡¯s called the transcendent emperor?[1] That¡¯s hrious, considering how he hasn¡¯t really transcended anything." "What do you mean?¡± "You don''t know? The emperor and the other Overminds haven¡¯t transcended anything." "That''s strange." Gilberto shook his head and said, "Aren¡¯t they immortal beings? In that case, they have clearly transcended humanity.¡± "No," Stony snapped. "Just because you got a few gold coins after taking out a loan doesn''t mean you''ve transcended money for the rest of your life." "Are you saying that the Overminds are living on borrowed time?¡± "It''s like that. Anyway, immortality can only be achieved by bing a transcendent. In other words, bing a god.¡± Arthur was confused, and he refuted, "The Overminds have been living for over a thousand years already, and isn¡¯t it the same for you?" "That¡¯s true, but they had to sacrifice millions of lives in exchange for it.¡± "Millions of lives...?¡± "The reigning emperor is a genius, but he¡¯s crazy. He believes that those who aren¡¯t good enough don¡¯t deserve to even breathe.¡± ¡°Wait, could it be that¡­¡± Gilberto trailed off and shuddered. Stony''s zed eyesnded on Gilberto. "Your conjecture is correct. He is indeed a madman.¡± Gilberto felt dizzy. He felt as if he had finally figured out the disgusting truth of this world. "What is it, Father?¡± asked Arthur. "¡­It''s the failures," Gilberto said afterposing himself. "The failures aren¡¯t the products of coincidence caused by the failure of the Transcend Project." "Correct, the creation of the failures was the goal of the project." Stony nodded and said, "The reigning emperor used his genius to create Force, and then he proceeded to create the Transcend Project." The emperor decided to dispose of those who were worthless in his eyes. "He turned them into failures and put them in this vast prison." "So the failures in the Forest of Exiles weren¡¯t the only failures in this world¡­¡± "Yes. Those failures were made for show. The real failures are here." ¡°¡­¡± Gilberto and Arthur suddenly remembered the tall wall they had encountered yesterday. They had been wondering why someone would erect a wall in the middle of nowhere, but it turned out that there was such a horrifying secret behind the wall. However, the father and son were still confused. "Why is he keeping the failures alive? Since he hates them, shouldn¡¯t he annihte them already?¡± "Have you already forgotten what I told you about taking out a loan?¡± Stony picked up the crocodile-looking failure he had crushed beneath his foot earlier. ¡°Take a good look,¡± said Stony. Momentster, the corpse of the crocodile-looking failure shrank like a mummy. ¡°Whew.¡± Stony exhaled. "Hm, it wasn¡¯t as long as I thought. Anyway, my lifespan has been extended by seventeen years.¡± ¡°...!¡± Gilberto and Arthur''s eyes widened. They finally understood. "Now, do you understand why this vast prison exists?" "The failures¡¯ lifespan¡­ Are the Overminds hunting them to extend their own lifespan?" "Indeed. The emperor thinks that our lives belong to those who are better than us. Hees here asionally to hunt down the failures, and then he would distribute the lifespan he obtained to the other Overminds." And that was why the Overminds managed to live for over a thousand years. "How is this possible?" "It''s because of a holy relic..." "A holy relic?" "The Holy Ring Petra. It¡¯s the relic of the Sun God, and it has the ability of repose." Rumble. Stony raised his hand and pointed. "Go straight, and you will find the temple where the holy relic is stored. The temple is now called Chronos Laboratory. The emperor can only do what he has been doing because of the holy relics he had seized from a god.¡± "How absurd..." Arthur bit his lips. He looked furious as he said, "Who is he to define the values of others?" "I told you he¡¯s a madman¡­" The emperor had been determining the value of his subjects¡¯ lives, and he had obtained the ability to do so by seizing the holy relics of a god. "Is that why they haven¡¯t been able to transcend?" Gilberto nodded. He seemed to have significantly calmed down. "They¡¯re definitely not immortal,¡± added Gilberto. The failures couldn¡¯t reproduce, and their poption was on a steep decline. In other words, the Overminds would eventually run out of lives. "So that''s why the poption of the Overminds has been decreasing as well..." The truth was that only a few Overminds had taken their own lives to escape their boring and monotonous lives. Most of them would die in idents, or their deaths were made to look like they had taken their own lives. ¡°Why are you not doing anything about it?¡± Gilberto asked, confused. The emperor and the Overminds were strong, but Gilberto couldn¡¯t understand why the failures were letting the emperor ughter them as he pleased. "Once you¡¯ve learned the Force that he has been propagating, you will never be able to escape his clutches,¡± said Stony with a wry smile. The emperor could take over the body and mind of any Overmind or failure if he wanted to do so. Gilberto murmured, "A perfect dictatorship..." The Babe Empire was under a perfect dictatorship that many dictators throughout history could only dream of establishing. In other words, no one could disobey him. "That''s why I was so surprised when I saw you." Stony sounded serious. He looked down at the two humans and said, "Untainted human beings like you two are the only ones who can fulfill our wishes¡­¡± Gilberto didn''t bother asking what Stony meant by our wishes. He was obviously talking about the failures who died in despair within the confines of this prison. Gilberto asked, "What''s that wish?" "The emperor¡¯s death," said Stony. His reply was short, but one could feel the boundless anger contained in his voice. He put down the crocodile-looking Overmind and continued. "I¡¯ve been wanting to die for a long time now, but I can¡¯t afford to die. I would be ashamed to see my family and friends who had to leave before me if I didn¡¯t get to witness the emperor¡¯s death with my own two eyes.¡± Gilberto¡¯s eyes shone in aplicated glimmer. He knew that feeling better than anyone else, which was why it was even more unfortunate. "I understand your feelings and will, but... I''m sorry." "What? Why?!" Stony shouted and mmed his fist on the ground. Boom! "Didn''t you see it with your own eyes? If you hadn''te here, the crocodile there would have killed us.¡± In other words, they were weak. Gilberto¡¯s weakness became apparent when he couldn¡¯t kill even a single Overmind by himself. "We¡¯re not strong enough to kill the emperor..." ¡°¡­¡± Stony wordlessly looked down at Gilberto. Eventually, he smirked and said, "That was funny. Do you really think that I¡¯ll ask a human to kill the emperor?¡± "What do you mean?" "It has been a thousand years since I was imprisoned here." Natural selection had already killed the weak failures, but it didn¡¯t mean that the surviving failures were safe. "We survive by killing those who are on the same boat as us. We¡¯re living the lives of worms,¡± said Stony with a self-deprecating smile. ¡°It¡¯s a wretched way, but it allowed us to survive, and I have been researching how to kill the emperor.¡± They managed to conduct their research because the emperor was too arrogant. If he had even just a bit of interest in the failures¡¯ lives, then the emperor would have discovered their research long ago. Fortunately, the emperor had been treating the failures as inferior beings who didn¡¯t deserve to live. ¡°We tried to change the nature of Force to escape the emperor¡¯s shadow.¡± It was a very difficult task. Tens of thousands of failures put their heads together, but they failed to destroy the technique that a lone genius had created by himself. "We were met by despair and frustration,¡± Stony added. ¡°It''s funny, but we understand the emperor¡¯s feelings. If you''re smart enough to make such a technique, then it¡¯s not strange that you¡¯ll view us as inferior beings. ¡°However, we couldn''t give up. The mountain of corpses kept on reminding us to push forward and dedicate our souls to the research." And just like that, a thousand years passed. Arthur¡¯s voice trembled as he asked, "Did you¡­ seed?" ¡°¡­¡± Stony nodded slowly. "We seeded, but notpletely." The theory was perfect, but they couldn¡¯t use it. "Force was born from the confluence of mind and heart, but we''ve been using the emperor''s Force for too long. The concept of the Emperor¡¯s Force was already imprinted on our souls, and it¡¯s impossible to make any changes to it." The failures despaired. They had created the perfect theory after a thousand years of research, but they couldn¡¯t even use it. "We needed a new soul." An untainted soul. "We needed a human." ¡°¡­¡± Gilberto''s eyes quivered slightly. He was silent for quite a while before asking, "Are you saying that we should learn the Force that you have created?" "That''s right." "Hm, I¡¯m worried about the stability. It¡¯s an untested technique, right?¡± "Well¡­¡± Stony trailed off. The failures considered the theory perfect, but it was still just a theory. No one had any idea what would happen once it was tested. "Human, you¡¯re correct. The theory wasn¡¯t made with humans in mind.¡± The failures were the ones who were supposed to use the technique, but they despaired upon realizing that they couldn¡¯t use it. However, a human being suddenly appeared one day. "Let me ask you one thing; can it kill me?" ¡°¡­¡± Sometimes, silence was as good of an answer as words. Gilberto had quit smoking long ago, but he decided to smoke one this time. Fwoosh. Gilberto¡¯s mind cleared up at the surge of nicotine. "Whew." Gilberto exhaled the acrid smoke and ignited the cigarette with his magic. He could feel Arthur¡¯s uneasy gaze piercing him from behind. However, Gilberto had already made up his mind. "I ept your offer." "Father!" Arthur screamed. 1. The Chinese characters used for the Overmind emperor here are different and mean transcended emperor. ? Chapter 548. Late Blooming Flower (3) Chapter 548. Late Blooming Flower (3) Arthur¡¯s scream sent the nearby birds flying. Stony stared alternatingly between Arthur and Gilberto. "He¡¯s your son? I thought you two were friends¡­" he muttered. "Thanks. I''ve always wanted to be a father who¡¯s like his friend at the same time.¡± "¡­I didn''t mean it that way,¡± replied Stony. He stared at the two with interest. Meanwhile, Arthur approached Gilberto and started scolding thetter. "You¡¯re going to do what?! Are you out of your mind? He didn¡¯t say anything, but silence basically means yes to your question earlier!" "Arthur¡­" "I''m against it. It hasn¡¯t been that long since you came back to life, but you¡¯re already trying to do such a dangerous thing...!¡± "Arthur..." Arthurposed himself at his father''s subdued voice. ¡°Why¡­?¡± Arthur bit his lips and red at his father with a stubborn glint in his eyes. Gilberto chuckled at the rebellious Arthur. "You¡¯reughing? What¡¯s funny?" Arthur''s expression turned icy cold. "Are you enjoying this, Father?" "Oh, sorry I upset you." Gilberto shook his head. His voice was full of longing as he exined, "You looked very simr to your mother just now, and I couldn¡¯t help butugh.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Arthur''s anger faded considerably. "I can still remember how she kept on driving me into a corner with her stubborn eyes whenever I was about to do something she didn¡¯t want me to do. Back then, I really couldn¡¯t resist her. Her eyes were scary, but they were very lovely." ¡°¡­¡± Arthur didn¡¯t know what to say. "Arthur." Gilberto stared deeply at his son. Arthur¡¯s mother possessed a pair of eyes that he couldn¡¯t defeat, but this time, he had to be stubborn at all costs. "I¡¯m not sure if you know, but this is as far as I can go as a yer.¡± "That''s...!" "You¡¯re a smart kid, so I¡¯m sure you noticed it as well." ¡°¡­¡± Arthur''s face crumpled. Gilberto was right. He had that burning question in his mind, and Gilberto had just answered it for him. ¡°I never thought that you¡¯re weak, Father...¡± "Yeah, I¡¯m strong." Gilberto acknowledged that he was strong. How could he be considered weak if he could kill an Overmind in a single blow as long as it was an ambush? "But I can feel it¡­ This is my limit as a yer¡ªthis is Gilberto Green¡¯s limit." "How can you know for sure until you try?!" Arthur cried out. Arthur felt a bit wronged. After all, Gilberto had taught him the importance of effort. "Arthur," Gilberto looked despondent as he said, "I''ve tried everything." He had done everything he could to avoid being a burden on his friends and to keep on protecting the people he considered precious. In order to not be a burden to his friends. To protect precious people. "Unfortunately, there¡¯s something that can¡¯t be ovee with effort alone." Gilberto¡¯s physique was excellent, and hisprehension was at the summit. However, there was something that he just couldn¡¯t ovee. Talent¡­ It was impossible to ovee it. "There are only two ways I can be even stronger..." One was to level up, while the other was to obtain new skills. "However, I¡¯m sure you already know about it, Arthur, but stats be less effective the higher your level.¡± The difference between a Level 5 yer and a Level 6 yer was huge, but what about the difference between a Level 200 yer and a Level 201 yer? The stat gain was constant at every level, so there was bound to be diminishing returns. "However, another option was just presented to me." He had to seed or be culled. ¡°¡­¡± Arthur shut his mouth and looked down. He trembled as if he were feeling cold. "Arthur..." Gilberto was at a loss for words. He had no idea what to do. ''Come to think of it, this is the first time I argued with Arthur like this.¡¯ In the end, Gilberto wordlessly hugged his son and patted thetter¡¯s back again and again. Soon, Gilberto felt his chest getting wet. "I¡¯ve always been proud of you, Arthur." ¡°¡­¡± "I didn¡¯t say that to make you feel good." Gilberto smiled. "You have no idea how proud I was when I emerged from the ice and saw you for the first time." Arthur had be a man worthy of being followed. He had be a resilient and determined man with his own principles and ideas. "I was so proud of you that I cried." The Arthur that Gilberto had seen for the very first time was the ideal Arthur that Gilberto wanted to see. "You had no parents to raise you up, but you grew up well. I¡¯ve always been grateful and sorry because I couldn¡¯t be with you when you were still young.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gilberto trembled because Arthur was quivering in his arms while crying. Gilberto hugged him even tighter and said, "And didn¡¯t you just say that there¡¯s no way to know for sure until we try?" And that was why he was trying¡­ He couldn¡¯t allow himself to be culled here, and he didn¡¯t want to be culled. ¡°I want to keep being a father that you¡¯re proud of until the end, and I know that I¡¯m being a bit selfish here.¡± "I¡¯m more than proud of you, Father¡­¡± Arthur pushed Gilberto away. He was ashamed that he ended up crying, so he turned away and looked at the sky before continuing. "I¡¯m proud of you, Father." "Does that mean that you¡¯re letting me do it?" asked Gilberto. "No." Arthur turned and red stubbornly at his father with his bloodshot eyes. "I can¡¯t let you¡ªNo, even if I can, I won¡¯t let you..." ¡°¡­¡± "And that¡¯s why you have toe back safely if you want to convince me otherwise." Gilberto smiled faintly. Arthur really couldn¡¯t be honest about his feelings, and perhaps it was a trait that he had inherited from Gilberto. "Got it, brat." Gilberto ruffled Arthur''s hair and looked up at Stony. "My son is really cute right?" "Dunno, my standard of beauty isn¡¯t human anymore,¡± Stony said with a shrug before continuing. "Now, then, get on my shoulder. We¡¯re going to the vige." "Will it take a long time?" "It won¡¯t be that long." Stony''s eyes shone sharply as he nced in the direction of the temple. "It¡¯s a blink of an eyepared to the time I spent waiting for you." *** The vige wasrger than what Arthur and Gilberto expected. However, they were stunned when they realized that not every resident of the vige was a giant like Stony. "¡­I thought everyone would be as big as you." "Hahaha! I¡¯m got a titan''s gene, so I¡¯m big. Not everyone is like me." The failures came out of their houses one by one and gathered in the vacant lot. "No way, are they humans?" "Nah, I don¡¯t think so. There¡¯s no way there are human beings here." "No, I can¡¯t feel Force from them, and I don¡¯t think they¡¯re transcendents.¡± Gilberto swept his gaze across the failures in the vacant lot. ''It didn¡¯t take that long for them to gather, so...¡¯ It seemed that there were only less than a thousand failures left. ''That''s bad. I heard that there were seventy thousand of them when they started theorizing their own Force.¡¯ Obviously, the other failures had already be sacrifices for the Overminds outside. "The emperor..." Just why did he sacrifice so many people? Fury burned within Gilberto''s eyes. "What¡¯s the fuss all about?¡± The crowd split, and a turtle-looking Overmind appeared. The shell of the turtle-looking Overmind was broken, and he slowly walked over to the vacant lot using a cane. "Chief!" Stony knelt on one knee. "I found hope!" "Hope?" "Can you not see them? They¡¯re humans! Humans!" The vige chief finally looked at Gilberto and Arthur. "...Is that so? Humans?" "Yes! The technique we have developed against the emperor can finally¡ª¡± "It¡¯s useless." The vige chief shook his head while staring intently at Stony. "Stony, you silly rock. It seems that you still haven''t given up on your foolishness.¡± "How can I give up?!" Boom! Stony mmed his fist on the ground. "We finally stumbled upon humans in this prison, so how can I give it up?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just being greedy¡­¡± The vige chief continued without blinking. "The technique we had created was a technique that would change us.¡± However, the emperor''s Force had already taken root in their souls, so they failed to change themselves. "I know, but if it¡¯s a human being¡­ if it¡¯s a pure human being...!¡± ¡°Overminds are superior to humans. It''s the same for us, who are called failures." The vige chief''s gazended on Gilberto and Arthur. "Were you trying to give these humans power that we¡¯re not even sure if we can endure?" ¡°I told them that there¡¯s a risk of dying¡­¡± "I think you missed an important detail. Listen carefully, humans." The vige chief sighed and went on. "It¡¯s not just a risk. There¡¯s an extremely high chance that you¡¯ll die.¡± "What¡­?¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes widened. If the vige chief wasn¡¯t lying, then he truly couldn¡¯t allow his father to learn the failures¡¯ Force. "So he lied to us?¡± "Let me ask you¡­¡± the vige chief said, ¡°What did you think is the probability of sess?¡± "Fifty percent!¡± Arthur eximed. The vige chief smirked. "That¡¯s too high. I would say it¡¯s one percent at most.¡± ¡°One percent¡­?¡± A one percent probability of winning was basically considered a guaranteed loss in gambling, and Gilberto had to gamble his life for a one percent chance of sess. "Father! I definitely can¡¯t let you do it.¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes burned with determination. Gilberto was shocked. He stared deeply at Stony and asked, "Did you deceive us?¡± "¡­I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t exin it in detail, but I didn¡¯t deceive you!" Sony looked at the chief and said, "Chief! I¡¯m sure we both know that the probability isn¡¯t fixed!" "That''s true." The vige chief nodded nonchntly. "Unfortunately, it¡¯s a technique that requires enormous patience and concentration to learn. A human is inherently weaker than an Overmind, so I said that there¡¯s a ny-nine percent chance of failure.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gilberto''s eyes deepened. He was silent for quite a while before asking, "In other words, the one percent chance of sess is all because I¡¯m a human being rather than an Overmind?" "Indeed." Yes, it was indeed because he was a human. A human could never ovee an Overmind or even a failure in every aspect. Therefore, the vige chief thought that the ny-nine percent chance of failure made sense. Gilberto chuckled. "I¡¯ve made up my mind. We just have topete.¡± "¡­Compete?" "If my patience and concentration are inferior to yours, then I¡¯ll walk away from here without any regrets. After all, I don¡¯t want to die.¡± The bold proposal made the vige chief silent. He thought about it for a moment before staring at Gilberto with his eyes half open. "We will be grateful if you walk away after you¡¯ve lost, but how will wepete? And who are you going topete against?¡± asked the vige chief. "Thepetition is breaking the targets. My son will throw the targets." ¡®What? Me?¡¯ Arthur blinked. The vige chief nodded and asked, "Sure, but who will be your opponent?" "My opponent¡­¡± Gilberto swept his gaze across the failures and said, "It will be all of you¡ªall of you will be my opponents." Chapter 549. Late Blooming Flower (4) Chapter 549. Late Blooming Flower (4) Arthur sighed deeply while staring at the busy vige. "I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on anymore." He couldn''t understand it. Even if Gilberto managed to defeat the failures, a more terrifying challenge was waiting for him. It was a challenge that he could only do once, and failure meant death. "I was nning on giving up when I heard about how I only have a one percent chance of seeding¡­¡± Gilberto trailed off and looked at the ground. ¡®nning?¡¯ Arthur asked carefully, ¡°Father¡­ are you doing this because the vige chief looked down on you? That¡¯s not it, right?¡± ¡®One, two¡­¡¯ Gilberto was inwardly counting the ants on the ground, but he eventually spoke, "Arthur, they provoked me¡ª¡± "Wait, really? Wow!" Arthur facepalmed and scoffed. "Was that really the reason? That was such a dumb move, Father! I¡¯m sure the people back on Earth won¡¯t believe it if I told them that you¡¯ve risked your life because you were looked down on.¡± The Gray Envoy¡ªGilberto Green¡ªwas the epitome ofposure, but to think that he could be so immature. Arthur was right. The people back on Earth would never believe it, even if Arthur told them about it. "Arthur¡­" Gilberto looked up and smiled slightly before speaking, "Sometimes, a yer must throw away everything they have to uphold their pride.¡± "¡­I''m sorry, but that¡¯s not cool at all." "Hm¡­" Gilberto looked down and resumed counting the ants on the ground. Meanwhile, the vige chief approached him and asked, ¡°We¡¯re ready; how about you?¡± "We¡¯re¡­ well¡­¡± Arthur''s gaze nced at his immature father. "I¡¯m always ready," replied Gilberto with sharp eyes. It looked as if his previous sullen appearance had been an illusion. The vige chief nodded and said, ¡°A human is going to make targets, so I''ll calcte the score for the sake of fairness." "Sure," said Gilberto. "Your name is Gilberto, right? You have a total of 783 opponents." Seven hundred and eighty-three¡­ Gilberto pondered over the number and muttered, ¡°It seems that it¡¯ll be a bit overwhelming.¡± "Well, we have many convenient abilities." "Are you not going to participate?" "Hm?¡± The vige chief grinned and said, "I¡¯m struggling to even walk because of my old age, so I won¡¯t participate. There¡¯s also no reason for me to do so. I¡¯ll just count the scores.¡± "¡­Is that so?" Gilberto nodded and started moving. His opponents¡ªthe 783 failures¡ªwere already prepared. "I¡¯ll hurl pebbles into the skies on the count of ten!" Arthur¡¯s voice echoed throughout the vige under the amplification of magic. The reason Arthur decided to use pebbles rather thanrger stones was simple. ''Anything heavier than pebbles will be too much for me to handle¡­¡¯ There were many participants, so Arthur had to throw at least a hundred thousand stones for a meaningful result. To do that at once, Arthur had to use pebbles. "The rules are simple: destroy as many targets as you can.¡± The failures nodded and muttered to themselves. "Oh, that¡¯s easy." "Yeah, I don''t think it''s particrly difficult¡­ I think we¡¯ll win.¡± "It''s so easy it¡¯s like taking candy from a baby¡­¡± ¡°Ten!¡± Arthur started counting, and the failures started to feel a bit nervous. It couldn¡¯t be helped because it was apetition. ¡°Four, three, two, one¡­!¡± Arthur abruptly sent pebbles flying into the skies. "Wait, what?!" "Hey, what are those?! Why are they so small? I can¡¯t even see them from here!¡± Some of the failures screamed in indignation. Thergest stone Arthur had sent flying into the air was only the size of a ping-pong ball. They were thrown so high that they looked like tiny dots from the ground. The failures kicked up a fuss, but someone emptied his mind and concentrated. Bang, bang, bang! The failures were startled by the gunshots, and they inadvertently turned to where the noises hade from. Gilberto wielded two revolvers and was constantly pulling their triggers. His eyes were steady rather than darting around because he was looking not at every single pebble but at everything above him. Bang, bang, bang! A magic bullet was fired every time Gilberto¡¯s gaze grazed a pebble. He looked like he was haphazardly firing his revolvers, but each bullet struck true. ''And it¡¯s because my body knows...¡¯ He instinctively knew the trajectory of each and every pebble, even if they were under the influence of the wind. Every information he needed to deliver a bullet to his target had long been memorized by his body, which had fired millions of bullets. Bang! Ba-ba-bang! Ba-bang! ¡°¡­¡± "D-damn it! We can¡¯t just stand here and watch!" "Destroy them, no matter what!" "We can''t let a human beat us!" The failures activated their unique abilities to destroy the pebbles. Gilberto quickly captured vital information that he had to take advantage of. ¡®The failures are destroying the pebbles on the right side.¡¯ Gilberto immediately focused his shots on the left side. However, the failures quickly caught on. "Hey, spread out! Don¡¯t ovep!" "He¡¯s hogging the left side. Keep him in check, you idiots!" The unique abilities of the failures created a kaleidoscope of lights that pervaded the sky above the vige. Gilberto¡¯s bullets started missing their targets because the failures would get to the pebbles first before Gilberto¡¯s bullets could. ¡®Is it too much to keep up with them using just a revolver?¡¯ Gilberto quickly made up his mind and holstered his revolvers. He retrieved a weapon from his Inventory, and it was a weapon that was muchrger than a revolver. "It''s been a while since I brought this out." M61 Vulcan. It was an American Gatling-style rotary cannon named after Vulcan, the god of fire, metalworking, and the forge. ¡®It''s not very useful against strong enemies, but it¡¯s a different story against pebbles.¡¯ It was a weapon that was weak against the strong and strong against the weak. In short, it was the best weapon to deal with arge number of weak enemies. However, it was an extremely difficult weapon to wield, especially if one wanted to use it urately. ¡®My concentration has to be at its peak while I¡¯m wielding this...¡¯ Gilberto''s eyes sank coldly. He knew that if his concentration dropped even just a bit, his bullets would start missing their targets. ''This is at least two times more difficult than during those days.¡¯ The reason Gilberto was a crucial member of the 5 Heroes during their heydays was that he was unrivaled at wiping the weaker monsters. In other words, Gilberto was the best at cleaning up battlefields. ck, ck! Gilberto wielded two custom-made M61 Vulcans and looked up. His cold eyes immediately captured the radiance of the pebbles in the sky. ¡®All right.¡¯ Gilberto gnashed his teeth. The moment he pulled the triggers of the two Gatling-style rotary cannons, a tremendous vibration coursed through him. Brrrrrt! Gilberto unleashed a hellfire of 6,600 rounds per minute or 13,200 rounds per minutebined. "Argh¡­!¡± Gilberto''s eyes turned bloodshot, and the extreme concentration required to allow every bullet to strike true made his head feel so hot that it felt like it was about to explode. ¡®Damn, it¡¯s worse than I thought...!¡¯ Gilbert had to calcte, aim, generate the magic bullets, and then fire them¡ªall within a blink of an eye. It was a grueling process that he had to repeat many times over. "Argh!" Gilberto groaned. He almost fell to the temptation of rest, but he persisted and focus on his goal. The failures who had lost their fighting spirits muttered to themselves. "Hey, why are we just standing around in the middle of apetition?¡± "Huh? Wait, how can we even beat that? It''s impossible." "Our opponent is doing his best, you know?! We should do our best as well!" The failures knew that the tenacious human had already won thepetition, and they were sure that thetter knew that as well. However, the tenacious human was still doing his best, and it seemed that he would keep on doing that until the end. The sight ignited the hearts of the failures. "Hey, punks! Get a move on and do your best!" "Stop those damn bullets! Do everything!" "Are we a bunch of weak-hearted fools? Show me the iron will we have cultivated for over a thousand years!" A kaleidoscope of colors filled the skies once more. The match ended when Arthur finally exhausted his magic. "Huff¡­ puff¡­!" Arthur sat down and checked the time. ''47 minutes and 14 seconds.'' He was sure of it. This was the longest time he had ever used Telekinesis (B) in recent months. Meanwhile, the failures ran straight to the vige chief. They were curious about their own scores. They were sure that the human was the winner of thepetition, so there was no point asking for thetter¡¯s score. "Chief!" "What¡¯s the score? How many stones did I break?" "Hmm. Let me see¡­ It¡¯d be better to do it all at once.¡± The vige chief used Force to carve words in the air. "Oh! I¡¯m so close!" "Damn it, I lost to you?" "What did I tell you? When I¡¯m focused, I¡¯m always better than you¡­¡± The Failures who had done their best didn¡¯t seem to be regretful. The vige chief clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk. What¡¯s good about losing?" "Did you really expect us to win against that, Chief?¡± "Yeah, that weapon was disgusting as well.¡± The failures approached Gilberto, who was quietly catching his breath. "Hey, congrats." "Congrats. I knew you would win. I became sure of it in the middle of thepetition." Gilberto opened his eyes at their words, and he couldn¡¯t see anything through his bloodshot eyes other than red. ¡°My¡­¡± "Huh? What?" Gilberto swept his gaze across the failures and said, "My opponents¡­ are all of you." ¡°¡­¡± The failures were confused by his words, but Gilberto soon drove it home. ¡°Compare the number of pebbles I destroyed to the sum of all the pebbles you have destroyed. I want to keep my word.¡± "¡­What?" The atmosphere turned ugly. It seemed that Gilberto really thought that he was fighting them all. "Chief, who won?" ¡°Give me a moment,¡± said the vige chief, evidently startled by Gilberto¡¯s bloodshot gaze. He calcted and soon arrived at the sum of the pebbles that each and every failure had destroyed by themselves. "Gilberto, you destroyed a total of 520,706 stones." Meanwhile, the failures destroyed a total of¡­ "What a shame; it¡¯s only 519,102.¡± "What?!" The failures were dismayed. The difference was less than two thousand. They were even more dismayed when they recalled that they had decided to rest in the middle of thepetition. "Ah, if I had known that the difference wouldn¡¯t be so huge, I wouldn¡¯t have rested.¡± "Yeah. If we hadn''t taken a break, we could have won it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The vige chief stared wordlessly at the failures¡¯ reaction before turning to look at Gilberto. ¡°Human, are you willing to ept a rematch if they want a rematch? Of course, you can refuse." Gilberto grinned at the question and said, "I don¡¯t mind a rematch." "Ooooh!" The failures were thrilled upon hearing Gilberto¡¯s answer. "Pffft! Hahahaha!" The vige chief startedughing. Stony blinked at the sight and asked, "Chief, why are youughing?" "Hahaha. Do you still not understand it, Stony?¡± He stared deeply at Gilberto, and he looked like he was appreciating something greater than him. "He has answered my question." "Well, you just asked him for a rematch." "Not that." Gilberto had just told everyone that his patience and concentration were superior to theirs. The vige chief chuckled. "Concentration. Indeed, your concentration is better than ours from what I saw in thepetition. The answer you gave me just now has also told me that your patience is extraordinary.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The vige chief sounded remorseful for his earlier prejudice. "Human. No, Gilberto." "Yes." "Your concentration and patience are greater than the failures¡ªNo, perhaps even greater than the Overminds out there." ¡°Does that mean¡­¡± Gilberto trailed off. The vige chief sped his hands and continued. ¡°Are you willing to ept the fruit of the research that 72,392 failures started a thousand years ago and were justpleted by 784 failures?¡± The failures¡¯ eyes widened. The vige chief¡¯s words meant that he would leave everything to the human in front of him. "Well, it should be fine if it¡¯s him..." "Yeah, I mean we fought him..." "He knows how to ignite a heart that has cooled down long ago." No one opposed the vige chief¡¯s decision. The 784 failures bowed with their hands sped together. Gilberto took in the sight and nodded. "I will make sure not to disappoint those who have already gone to heaven.¡± *** Meanwhile, in the Imperial Pce of the Babe Empire... "Y-Your Majesty!" A knight opened the door to the throne room and entered. He fell on his knee and reported, "A-a huge flow of Force was detected from beyond the wall!" ¡°The wall?¡± "Yes! Theb is also asking for support!" Kineos'' eyes narrowed. He had locked up the failures beyond a massive wall, and he had been farming them for many years now. ¡®And that is why I¡¯m concerned. What are they trying to do when they have been quiet for a thousand years now?¡¯ Kineos didn¡¯t really care about anything else aside from the failures. He couldn¡¯t allow them to disappear because their existence was necessary for his lifespan. ¡®Theb is asking for support as well. Do I have to make a move myself?¡¯ Kineos¡¯ brows frowned for the first time in a really long time. He was in a dilemma because it hadn¡¯t been that long since the holy relic that had been powering up the Radio Tower was just taken away from him. ''She must have recovered slightly after recovering one of her holy relics. If she sees a gap, she''ll definitely take the rest of her holy relics¡­'' Kineon was stuck between a rock and a hard ce. All of a sudden, Prince Digor spoke. "I¡¯ll go there, Your Majesty." ¡°Are you confident?¡± "Of course, I am aware of its importance as well, so I will definitely take care of it." Kineos nodded at Prince Digor¡¯s confident response. "All right. Do whatever is necessary to stabilize it." "Understood, Your Majesty," said Prince Digor. However, his eyes¡ªhidden from His Majesty the Emperor¡ªshone in a bleak light. Chapter 550. Late Blooming Flower (5) Chapter 550. Late Blooming Flower (5) "Whew¡­" Gilberto was nervous. How could he not be nervous when 784 failures had surrounded him? "Are you ready?" asked the vige chief. Gilberto shook his head awkwardly. "From now on, we will engrave the fruit of our research on your body and soul." "Can you be gentle¡­?" "We can, but we can¡¯t," the vige chief said tly. "That''s contradictory. Why?" "It transcends human senses." It seemed that it surpassed even the so-called sixth sense. ¡°If we want to be gentle, then it will take you hundreds of years to be enlightened to it. I think even an unprecedented genius will need a hundred years at the least if they were to learn this the gentle way,¡± added the vige chief. ¡°I guess I just have to learn it the hard way¡­¡± The failures chose the method of engraving. They would engrave their research on Gilberto¡¯s body and soul. "Be steadfast and focused." The vige chief warned sternly, "Feel it and ept it. Lose focus even for a moment, and everything will fall apart.¡± The vige chief tried his best not to frighten Gilberto, but thetter could tell that he would die if the engraving failed. Gilberto nced at Arthur, and he saw that the young man looked terrified but was hiding it beneath the facade of calmness. "Arthur." "Yes..." "I''ll be back," Gilberto said and chuckled without realizing it. Arthur was furious. "What¡¯s funny? Did you think of Mother again?" "No, I was thinking of you." This wasn¡¯t the first time that Gilberto had to tell his son that he would be back. "I¡¯m not sure if you still remember, but I once told you that I¡¯ll be back while you were staring at me with those huge, clear eyes of yours.¡± Gilberto could still vividly remember that he said those words before leaving for the Frost Queen''s nest. He kissed Arthur¡¯s forehead and promised that he would be back. "I''ll be back for sure." It had taken a long time, but Gilberto managed to keep his word. Gilberto''s eyes curved like a crescent moon. "I¡¯ll keep my word once more., so don''t be afraid and wait for me.¡± ¡°Why would I be afraid?¡± Arthur grumbled. However, hisplexion looked visibly better as he said, "Come back safely." Arthur was then escorted out of the vacant lot. The vacant lot was silent. The vige chief finally broke the ice. "Tell me when you''re ready.¡± "No need to drag it out. Let''s go." The vige chief nodded and said, "Well, I wish you the best of luck." Mutter, mutter, mutter¡­ The failures started chanting in an unknownnguage. ¡°¡­¡± Gilberto¡¯s eyes and senses didn¡¯t detect anything, but Gilberto could feel it. ¡®It''sing.¡¯ Something huge wasing. Gilberto gnashed his teeth and braced for impact. Boom! ¡°¡­!¡± Gilberto almost copsed at the inexplicable pain that prated him, and his blood vessels exploded at the same time. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ He had no idea how to scream. His mouth opened unknowingly from the pain, and he had no idea how to close it. However, Gilberto quicklyposed himself. ''I have to¡­ capture it¡­!'' He had to capture the energy that had inundated him like a deluge. He had to capture it to live. ¡®But¡­¡¯ The iron walls he had established to protect his mind abruptly copsed upon being struck by the tsunami of energy, and Gilberto''s eyes turned white. *** The Frost Queen''s face peeked out of the bushes. Her eyes narrowed, and she red somewhere. "What is it?" "Did you find an enemy?" Seo Jun-Ho and Baek Geon-Woo immediately took on a stance. The Frost Queen returned to the bushes and rubbed her eyes with her fists. "Dust got in my eyes¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Baek Geon-Woo didn¡¯t know what to say. They were about tough, but the Frost Queen beat them to the punch. "Contractor, I think that¡¯s the entrance to the Chronos Laboratory,¡± she said. "I guess we arrived safely," said Seo Jun-Ho with a light sigh. Helic had marked the location of the facilities where her holy relics could be found. ¡°We found it thanks to the map.¡± "And it¡¯s thanks to Frost as well¡­¡± The Frost Queen could be invisible to others if she wanted to do so. In other words, the Frost Queen was the strongest among them when it came to reconnaissance. Thanks to her, they managed to avoid encountering any Overminds as they made their way toward the Chronos Laboratory. "The emperor probably has no idea that our target is the Chronos Laboratory.¡± "I guess that¡¯s true since we have been avoiding any skirmishes.¡± "Will there be any fight soon?" asked Rahmadat. He sounded feeble because he hadn¡¯t really received any proper treatment, so his condition wasn¡¯t that great. "Ugh, I''ll tell you in advance, but I may not be that helpful,¡± added Rahmadat. "Don¡¯t worry; I just have to fight even harder for your sake," said Baek Geon-Woo. "...You said you¡¯re Jun-Ho''s senior brother, right? Are you sure it''s okay?¡± Rahmadat asked. However, Baek Geon-Woo only smiled confidently without saying anything. Seo Jun-Ho answered Rahmadat¡¯s question, "The two of us are strong enough to kill even an Imperial Knight Division, so don¡¯t worry about us.¡± "Hey, you forgot me,¡± the Frost Queen chimed in. "The three of us are strong enough to kill even an Imperial Knight Division, so don¡¯t worry about us,¡± Seo Jun-Ho repeated and emphasized. "Yup, that¡¯s correct." The Frost Queen nodded with a satisfied look. "Contractor, I have been thinking about it, but I¡¯m really convinced that this is going to be a race against time.¡± ¡°I think so, too.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He was convinced that the emperor would instantly discover them the moment they attacked the Chronos Laboratory. ¡°But he won¡¯t be able to do anything¡­¡± By then, Helic would keep the emperor in check. "Jun-Ho, what are you going to do if the emperor ignores Helic?" asked Rahmadat. "What do you think I can do? I''ll run away, of course." If the emperor ignored Helic toe here, then it meant that the Float Force Power n was without any defenses. Helic would definitely take advantage of that opening to recover her holy relic by herself. "In other words, it¡¯ll be a checkmate." "It¡¯s most likely that the reinforcements that will arrive at the Chronos Laboratory will be the generals and their men whom we met yesterday.¡± "And Prince Digor..." Predicting their movements was one thing, while the sess of the operation was another. "Frost, be honest.¡± "What is it?" "If Digor and I fought, who do you think will win?¡± added Seo Jun-Ho. He had heard from the Frost Queen that Seo Jun-Ho managed to reach the Star Destruction Stage in one of his regressions and that he literally tore Digor apart. ¡®But I can''t do that right now...¡¯ He had fought Digor many times in his head, but he still found thetter a difficult opponent to defeat. "Huh¡­? I have no idea.¡± "What? What do you mean?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. The Frost Queen was flustered, and she hurriedly exined, ¡°W-when you got rid of Digor, you tore him apart so quickly that he couldn¡¯t even fight back¡­¡± Therefore, the Frost Queen didn¡¯t get to witness Digor¡¯s true strength. In other words, it was impossible to deduce who was stronger between the two. ¡°I guess we won¡¯t know until we try¡­¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho with a sigh. He swept his gaze across the group members and said, "All right. I will eventually have to deal with him, so I don¡¯t mind even if I have to deal with him sooner rather thanter.¡± "Isn¡¯t our goal the recovery of a holy relic?¡± "Yes. It is presumed that the holy relic is somewhere in that temple." A holy relic was found in the basement of the Radio Tower, so there had to be a holy relic in the Chronos Laboratory as well. "Secure the holy relic and go straight to Point C,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho before handing out emergency res to the group members. "There are three colors. Red, blue... and green?" "Oh, I know these res. Our party has been using these color-coded res for the longest time, and each color has its own meaning.¡± Red meant the failure of the operation, and the next action the party members had to take was to retreat. Blue meant the sess of the operation, and the party members would then group up at where the re was fired. However, green was different. One had to put down whatever they were doing and rush toward where the re was fired. "Hm." Baek Geon-Woo turned to the green re. "I guess shooting this guy means that there¡¯s a huge issue.¡± "Yes, and it indicates the catastrophic failure of the operation, and it¡¯s even more terrifying because it also means that the party members are in danger.¡± In other words, even the rearguards were in danger. Rahmadat looked exhausted upon being reminded of those dangerous days. ¡°Whenever I see a green light in the sky, I always have to ovee a life-or-death crisis or survive an extremely dangerous predicament.¡± "...Aren¡¯t those the same?" "Yeah, but in a nutshell, those days were hard,¡± said Rahmadat. The green re was the harbinger of despair. The Frost Queen and Baek Geon-Woo gulped while staring at the green re. "No, you can''t throw it away just because you''re scared¡­" said Seo Jun-Ho. "..." The Frost Queen was about to secretly throw the green re in her hand away, but Seo Jun-Ho saw through her intentions. Seo Jun-Ho checked the time on his Vita and said, "We¡¯ll start in three minutes. I¡¯ll go ahead with Night Walking.¡± Momentster, the Watchguard of Darkness devoured their presence. *** The Chronos Laboratory didn¡¯t look like aboratory at all. It looked more like Angkor Wat in Cambodia. It was more like a historical site rather than aboratory filled with state-of-the-art facilities. Beep! Beep! Beep! However, it seemed that the group had been too greedy to think that theboratory wouldn¡¯t have any modern equipment because the moment they got close enough to the temple, rms started ringing. ¡°Did we trigger the rms?¡± "What do you think?¡± "Well, maybe it¡¯s just a mistake?" "Do you really think so?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. The Frost Queen looked like she wanted to cry, and she prayed that the rm rang because of a false rm, but her prayer wasn¡¯t heard. "An intruder! An intruder!" "A human? Wait, the intruder is a human!" The Overminds emerged from the temple with weapons in hand. Rahmadat started stretching to warm up despite his injuries. "I think there are about five hundred of them? Ah, I really haven¡¯t recovered yet,¡± he muttered. Bzzt, bzzt. "Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier?" Lightning danced around Baek Geon-Woo. "I¡¯ll just have to fight even harder for your sake!" Rumble! Thunder rumbled as lightning bolts fell toward the Overminds like rain. "Arrrgh!" "I-I can¡¯t feel my body!¡± The Overminds were electrocuted, destroying their formation. "The Overminds here sure are sturdy. I wanted to kill them instantly¡­" muttered Baek Geon-Woo with a smile. He could already see that tonight would be a long night. *** A rift in space opened, and hundreds of figures emerged from the rift. "W-wee!" The Laboratory Director of the Chronos Laboratory saluted the figures. He had no choice but to be respectful because two of the empire¡¯s four-star generals had arrived at theboratory. ''Above all...'' Prince Digor was at the helm of the group, and he was only below one individual but above ten thousand. He was a man whose power was second only to His Majesty the Emperor. Prince Digor asked with a grin, "So, there''s an intruder?" "Yes! It¡¯s a human!" "A human... Humans have really be a real problem these days." Prince Digor nodded and said, "Generals, lead your men and crush those rats." "Yes, Your Highness." "Let''s go!" The two generals led their men out of the temple. Left alone with Prince Digor, the Laboratory Director felt awkward, so he ended up saying something out of the line. "Ah! Fortunately, we¡¯re holding those enemies back, so the holy relic is safe. Please rest assured.¡± "Are you sure?" "...What?" "I''m asking if you''re sure about it. Are you willing to put your life on the line?¡± The Laboratory Director was at a loss for words. He was confident, but he couldn¡¯t help but start doubting himself because the question hade from Prince Digor. "The fact that you are hesitating makes me nervous. Guide me there. I''ll see for myself." "Yes? Ah, no! I cannot do that, Your Highness." The Laboratory Director shook his head, but it wasn¡¯t an issue of clearance. Even he¡ªthe Laboratory Director¡ªcould only see the holy relic through the monitors. "Only His Majesty can approach the holy relic, but you may confirm its status on the monitors," said the Laboratory Director. "What if the image in the monitor had been tampered with?¡± asked Prince Digor. "What? I don¡¯t think¡ª¡± "Listen here, Director. I dismissed the news about how the humans killed a gatekeeper as well as how the humans killed General Ceylonso as mere rumors. However, the horrors I witnessed in Gt made me change my mind. I have to take those humans more seriously.¡± The Laboratory Director stood there, rooted in ce. He was soaked in his own sweat because he couldn¡¯t refute Prince Digor¡¯s remark. "Haaa." Prince Digor sighed and asked, "How long has it been since you became the director of thisb?" "T-thirty-seven years, Your Highness." "Wow, really? I''m sure your father¡¯s death allowed you to take over the position. Yes, I think that¡¯s it. I can still remember attending your inauguration.¡± "It is my honor, Your Highness!" The Laboratory Director was moved. He hadn¡¯t expected that His Highness could still remember him despite thetter¡¯s busy schedule. It was even more unexpected because the Laboratory Director was a researcher who had to spend his days locked up in aboratory. Prince Digor gently tapped his shoulder. "You know, I¡¯m really proud of you. You have been faithful to theboratory over the past thirty-seven years.¡± "Thank you!" "What I¡¯m trying to say is that we should be flexible and adapt to changes in the situation. If the holy relic here disappeared, then it had to be known immediately. I think a good researcher has to be flexible¡­¡± "B-but, Your Highness! It¡¯s fine! There¡¯s no way it¡¯ll disappear¡ª¡± "Oh, really?" Prince Digor''s hand stopped patting the Laboratory Director¡¯s shoulder, and his eyes turned cold. "Remember that I will not be able to protect you if things were to go awry¡­" "That''s¡­" The Laboratory Director bit his lips, looking aggrieved. His Majesty was a cruel emperor, so the Laboratory Director could already imagine his fate if something were to go wrong here. "T-then¡­" The Laboratory Director gulped and muttered, "I-I¡¯ll show the holy relic to your Your Highness, but this matter¡ª¡± "Hahaha, Director! Come on, aren¡¯t we familiar with each other?" Prince Digor beamed and started patting him once more. "This is beyond my authority as well, I just asked you for a favor because I was worried about the holy relic. I''m not going to tell Father about it." "I-is that so?" "Yep! It''s our secret. It¡¯s a secret that we will carry to our graves~" said Prince Digor with a chuckle. The Laboratory Director could only smile awkwardly. Chapter 551. Late Blooming Flower (6) Chapter 551. Late Blooming Flower (6) Prince Digor followed the Laboratory Director for a long time. Prince Digor was the Crown Prince of the Babe Empire, but there were many items in the Chronos Laboratory that he had seen for the very first time. "It must be hard to manage all these artifacts.¡± "They aren¡¯t that difficult to manage. What¡¯s harder is inventing¡­¡± remarked the Laboratory Director. These researchers¡¯ raison d''etre was inventing. "From here on out, you have to follow my steps precisely¡­" "The holy relic is enshrined here?" Prince Digor asked while looking at an ordinary-looking door that was randomly attached to the corridor. "It looks ordinary, but it¡¯s different inside. Please follow me." The Laboratory Director unlocked the door and swung it open. Prince Digor memorized the Laboratory Director¡¯s footsteps and looked around the room. "What is this?" "Isn¡¯t it dizzying? I got really dizzy here the first time I came here..." The space in the room was distorted, and it looked like several dimensions had been stitched together in the room. The room looked like it had no ceiling, floor, or walls. He couldn¡¯t even say for sure whether he was standing or lying down. "What happens if we get lost here?¡± "Once you get lost in the gap, it¡¯s over. The main reason why we use monitors to observe the holy relic is that most of them have gotten lost in the gap. The so-called gap I¡¯m talking about is what we call a dimensional gap.¡± Prince Digor gulped, and he became more meticulous in following the Laboratory Director¡¯s steps. "Is this the world that my father has embodied?" "Indeed, but not quite. His Majesty said that he managed to embody this world using the power of the holy relics,¡± said the Laboratory Director. They soon arrived at anding, and the Laboratory Director muttered, ¡°We¡¯ll go up here, and we¡¯re going to open this door. Then, we¡¯re going to climb up thedder.¡± Prince Digor moved silently in the dizzying space. He was about to break out into a cold sweat out of nausea when the Laboratory Director finally opened a new door. "Whew! We''re here." They arrived at an ordinary room that contained a chest. ¡°¡­¡± Prince Digor wiped the sweat off of his face and looked around. Force crystal tools were installed in every corner of the room. Those tools were probably the reason why they could look at the holy relic through the monitors outside. "Is the holy relic in that box?" "Yes, but as I told you, it¡¯s fine..." The Laboratory Director sighed. He looked like he had lost ten years of his life on their journey here. "Yes, it should be fine,¡± muttered Prince Digor. ¡°¡­?¡± The Laboratory Director turned around, sensing that something was off. However, he was met with a rift in space that abruptly swallowed him. "Y-Your Highness..!. S-save¡ª¡± The Laboratory Director¡¯s desperate scream was abruptly cut off. The Laboratory Director would surely get lost in the dimensional gap and live the rest of his life in a maze. ¡°¡­¡± Prince Digor walked over to the box. His hand was trembling as he reached out and wiped the dust off of the chest. ¡®Finally¡­¡¯ He was finally standing in front of it. No one had any idea just how long he had been waiting for this moment. ''I feel like I¡¯m starting to like those humans.¡¯ The humans had driven his father into a corner, which allowed him to seize this opportunity. Prince Digor had been living his life as a mere scarecrow over the past thousand years. It was about time he shattered the chains that had been holding him down. "I will correct everything¡­¡± muttered Prince Digor with thick greed in his eyes, and then he decisively opened the chest. *** It had been an hour since the battle in front of the Chronos Laboratory began... Ruuumble! How many times had it been? General Bocello frowned. "Fool. Can¡¯t you see that it doesn''t work against me?" "My master told me that a door will open if you keep on knocking." "How foolish.¡± General Bocello snorted and instantly narrowed the distance between him and Baek Geon-Woo. "Lightning attacks. You definitely caught me off guard, but¡­¡± Bzzt. General Bocello pped the lightning bolt away with his halberd. "I think I already know how to deal with your lightning.¡± Baek Geon-Woo examined the general. He was indeed a troublesome opponent. ''Teacher was right. The world is big. There is always a higher mountain¡­¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo initially felt like he could take on everything after defeating Erebo by himself, but it seemed that Seo Jun-Ho had been living in a world of monsters that were far stronger than Erebo. Boom! Arge-framed man crashed to the ground not too far away from Baek Geon-Woo. "Cough, ugh." "Are you okay?" asked Baek Geon-Woo. ¡°Not really¡­¡± Rahmadat muttered. He stood up with Baek Geon-Woo''s assistance and red at the ground. "How¡¯s your opponent, Bocello? My choice was a bust. He¡¯s huge, but he¡¯s much weaker than he looks." "¡­Bamon." The slime on the ground quickly took on the shape of a human. The slime¡¯s identity was Bamon¡ªone of the two remaining generals of the empire. "If I wasn¡¯t injured, then a punk like you¡ªUgh!¡± Rahmadat grabbed his chest as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. ¡°Are you still not going to admit it? The fight is over. I can kill you anytime I want." Bamon''s ability was slime transformation, and he had created a small slime that managed to enter Rahmadat¡¯s blood vessel. His slime had already wrapped around Rahmadat¡¯s heart. ¡°How annoying¡­¡± Rahmadat''s thoughts becameplicated. He wanted to open his chest and take his heart out and crush it to crush the slime as well. ¡®But can I endure that?¡¯ The Babe Empire¡¯s torture methods had thoroughly exhausted him. He had only been taking potions to recover, and only a healer like Cha Si-Eun could truly heal him. ''Is there no other way?¡¯ Rahmadat gnashed his teeth. Baek Geon-Woo asked, "Can¡¯t you do something with your Super Regeneration?¡± ¡°I can, but not right now. Perhaps in a few hours¡­" His Super Regeneration (EX) was working, but he still needed another six hours or so to reach optimal condition. "A few hours...¡± Baek Geon-Woo said after much thought. The two powerful generals started walking toward them. "I''ll try to endure for a few hours." ¡°¡­Are you serious?" "Yes. So step back and focus on recovering," replied Baek Geon-Woo. ¡°¡­¡± Rahmadat stared intently at Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s face. He thought about it for a while, but he eventually bumped Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s chest with his fist "You look serious, so I¡¯ll ept your offer, Jun-Ho''s senior brother." "Please go ahead¡­" "Uh, can you not be so polite when talking to me?¡± ¡°O-okay¡­¡± Rahmadat smiled lightly and left the battlefield. He sat down cross-legged and meditated. He cut off his senses and devoted all of his energy to recovering. "You''re going to deal with both of us by yourself? Aren''t you being too greedy?¡± "I thought the same, but¡­¡± Baek Geon-Woo looked up. "It seems that I¡¯m not alone." ¡°¡­!¡± The two generals instinctively looked up, but they could only see darkness. "Hmm?" ¡®Was the sky always this dark?¡¯ The moment the question crossed the two generals¡¯ minds, the darkness split open. "Silent sh Wave!" A wave of darkness struck the two generals. "Argh!" They hastily defended themselves, but the attack shattered their defenses. Seo Jun-Honded deftly next to Baek Geon-Woo with White Dragon in hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte.¡± "No, your timing was perfect,¡± said Baek Geon-Woo with a grin. Bocello recovered and looked around. "¡­How the hell are you here?¡± They had ordered all of their men to surround Seo Jun-Ho¡ªa thousand of them. There was no way Seo Jun-Ho defeated or shook all of them off in just an hour. "I left that side to someone trustworthy." ¡°Hm?¡± "Ah, are you talking about your clone?¡± Baek Geon-Woo asked, "Is that true? Did you leave Frost and the clone to fend for themselves against the army?¡± "No, I left Frost and Sir Hart to deal with the army." The Frost Queen had boasted that she could take on the army after evolving once more. Of course, she exined that it was impossible for her to annihte them, but she could definitely hold them back. ¡°So what is your clone doing?¡± asked Baek Geon-Woo. Seo Jun-Ho only smiled at him. *** ¡°Wow¡­¡± Prince Digor muttered in admiration. The sacred-looking ring in the chest contained an indescribable power. "This is it! This will do! I can do it by borrowing its power!" He wouldn¡¯t live as a scarecrow anymore. Most importantly, Prince Digor was already aware of the emperor''s goal. ¡®He¡¯s the only one who¡¯s going to survive.¡¯ The emperor had long be a monster, and would he give Prince Digor special treatment once he had achieved his goal? ''Absolutely not.¡¯ The emperor would eventually take Prince Digor¡¯s life to extend his own life. It wasn¡¯t strange that Prince Digor already knew his inevitable oue. After all, he had cultivated the emperor¡¯s Force. Rebelling was also impossible¡­ In other words¡­ ''There''s only one way to set it all right.¡¯ He had to absorb the holy relic¡¯s power and escape the emperor¡¯s influence. Then, he would usurp the throne, simr to how the emperor had usurped this world. "One by one, I''ll take everything away...¡± He would live as Emperor Digor rather than as Scarecrow Digor. His trembling hands reached out toward the holy relic. Creeak. However, someone else suddenly opened the door. Prince Digor turned around in surprise, and his eyes quivered. ¡®No one¡¯s there?¡¯ The door was definitely closed just now. Prince Digor¡¯s surprise soon turned into fury. "Show yourself!" His Force swept through the room and distorted space. The culprit had to use magic to avoid the wave of Force, which deactivated Night Walking as a consequence. "¡­Seo Jun-Ho?" "Hehe." Prince Digor frowned at the sleazy grin. Why was it that just looking at that sleazy grin made him feel ufortable and angry? "You¡¯re the bloody clone." Prince Digor gnashed his teeth upon recalling a shameful memory. He could still remember following the clone, thinking that it was Seo Jun-Ho. In the end, he discovered that he had been following the clone, and Seo Jun-Ho had already escaped by the time he returned to the Imperial Pce. "Oh, you got it right this time." Seo Jun-Sik chuckled. Prince Digor¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°I''m afraid I don¡¯t have time to y with you today." "I''m not here to y as well. I''m here to carry out the order to stop you." "Stop me? You¡¯re going to stop me?" Digor sneered, and his gaze turned to the holy relic. Yes, there was no reason for him to waste time on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s clone. "Try and stop me, then!" "No, hey! I¡¯m in front of you! Stop!" Seo Jun-Sik screamed and rushed toward Digor, but Digor was faster. Booom! A huge explosion urred, sending Seo Jun-Sik flying toward the wall. His back started to hurt, but his task to stop Prince Digor was more important than minding his pain. "Uh¡­ Was I toote? Am I screwed?¡± Seo Jun-Sik gulped. Prince Digor exuded a boundless amount of energy after cing the holy ring on his forehead. The energy was so strong and overwhelming that Seo Jun-Sik felt like he would get overwhelmed by it if he were to let his guard down for even a moment. "Ku, krrrr¡­¡± Prince Digor was trembling as if he were being electrocuted, and only the whites could be seen in his eyes. It seemed that he wasn¡¯t strong enough to contain the power that the holy relic contained. ¡®A chance!¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik reached out for the holy relic. The operation would be sessful if he managed to put that ring into his Inventory. It didn''t really matter if he died because he was just a clone. ¡®Touch it!¡¯ When his finger finally touched the ring, Prince Digor¡¯s eyes rolled and red at him. "T-this strength belongs to me!" "You crazy basta¡ª" An unprecedented wave of energy engulfed Seo Jun-Sik. *** "¡­Jun-Sik?" Seo Jun-Ho muttered in shock. Seo Jun-Sik was his clone, so he could feel it. ¡®My connection with him has been severed?¡¯ It didn¡¯t feel like Seo Jun-Sik managed to return to him because there was no influx of memories. Seo Jun-Ho retreated and anxiously opened his status window without letting his guard down. ¡®Where is it?¡¯ Cloning (S) was missing from the list of his skills. Seo Jun-Sik had died many times before, but this was the first time that the skill disappeared outright from his status window. Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes quivered. ¡®What the hell happened?¡¯ *** "Ugh¡­" Seo Jun-Sik felt hungover. ¡®Digor? Where''s that idiot?¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik barely managed to stand up. He looked around, and his jaw dropped. ¡°What? Where am I?¡± He was surrounded by lines that seemed to continue on endlessly. He had seen this before while he was following the Laboratory Director and Prince Digor. "No, it''s different¡­" There was a clear path to take back then, but there was none of that here. Seo Jun-Sik suddenly recalled what the Laboratory Director had said to Prince Digor. - Once you get lost in the gap, it¡¯s over. ¡°Shit, this is crazy¡­ I think I got lost in the gap. Great job, Jun-Sik..." Seo Jun-Sik sighed. He took out his sword and was about to drive it into his heart. ¡°¡­!?¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes abruptly shot open. "My connection to him has been¡­ severed?¡± He couldn¡¯t feel Seo Jun-Ho anymore. In other words, he wouldn¡¯t be able to return to Seo Jun-Ho even if he died. ¡®What¡¯s going to happen to me?¡¯ Fear slowly gripped Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s heart. ¡°¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Sik kicked up the sword by his feet, snatched it out of mid-air, and swung it backward. aang! ¡®An ambush!¡¯ There were monsters in the dimensional gap? Seo Jun-Sik nervously looked up to examine his opponent, but his expression stiffened upon seeing his opponent¡¯s face. "You¡­ what? Why are you here?¡± "I see..." The man¡¯s eyes resembled a dead fish. He had a gaunt face, and his left arm was missing. The man waspletely different from the man Seo Jun-Sik was more familiar with than anyone else. "You''re Seo Jun-Sik¡­¡± said the man¡ªno, Seo Jun-Ho. Chapter 552. Player of the Fallen World (1) Chapter 552. yer of the Fallen World (1) Seo Jun-Sik stared nervously at the utterly unfamiliar Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®What the heck is going on right now?¡¯ Not only did Seo Jun-Sik get lost in a different dimension and lose his connection to his original, but there was another original giving off a strange vibe in front of him. Seo Jun-Sik gulped and asked, ¡°I¡¯m Jun-Sik, but¡­ who are you?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around coldly. ¡°This is not exactly the most suitable ce to talk.¡± The unfamiliar Seo Jun-Ho split the world apart. ¡°ck Moon.¡± The boiling dimension immediately calmed down. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Sik didn¡¯t know what to say, but one thing was for sure. ¡®No, seriously. What is this guy? Why is he so strong? He¡¯s not the original I know.¡¯ The Seo Jun-Ho in front of him was strong enough to silence a dimension in one move. The power he was exuding was telling Seo Jun-Sik that he was at least a Star Destruction Stage creature. ¡®Hang on. Star Destruction Stage?¡¯ The light bulb in Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s head lit up. ¡°Are you¡­the Star Destruction Stage Jun-Ho by chance?¡± Seo Jun-Sik asked. ¡°...The Star Destruction Stage Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Yes, Frost was saying that the Seo Jun-Ho of the world she hade from was already a Star Destruction Stage creature.¡± Seo Jun-Ho remained silent for a long time, and his voice was filled with longing when he finally spoke and asked, ¡°...Is that so? Did she make it back safely?¡± ¡°So it¡¯s you I knew it!¡± Seo Jun-Sik pped, but another question popped up in his mind. ¡°Wait. Then, why are you in front of me? Frost was the one who regressed rather than you, so the world you have been living in should have already disappeared.¡± ¡°...It didn¡¯t disappear.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice was cold and bitter, simr to the smell of cigarettes during Winter. ¡°This world isn¡¯t a game, after all.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Jun-Sik. What do you think regression is?¡± ¡°Regression is just regression. You¡¯re going back to the past.¡± In Seo Jun-Sik, Seo Jun-Ho, and the Frost Queen¡¯s eyes, regression was returning to the past to change the unwanted present and the future. ¡°...There was a time when I also thought that way...¡± ¡®And that was why I kept on regressing. I was ignorant to the pain of those who were left behind.¡¯ ¡°The one returning to the past can leave everything behind and start over, but those who are in the present will remain in the present,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Those who were left behind had no choice but to continue living in a world without the time traveler. The same was true of the current Seo Jun-Ho standing in front of Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°Wait, wait! What the¡­.. what the hell are you talking about right now?¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes trembled. The man in front of him was trying to change the definition of regression he had long acknowledged. ¡°Are you saying that¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°I turned back time to protect the people who are precious to me, but I have actually abandoned them hundreds of times before.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had abandoned the world three hundred and fifty times on the 4th Floor and three hundred and eighteen times on the 7th Floor. ¡°The people I abandoned¡­ I¡¯m sure they resent me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought about what he looked like in the eyes of those people he had left behind. ¡®A hero? Can I truly be considered a hero if I always escape to a parallel world whenever things go wrong?¡¯ ¡°I was no hero. I was nothing more than just a greedy and selfish yer.¡± ¡°...No way.¡± Seo Jun-Sik shook his head in disbelief. ¡°No, that can¡¯t be¡­ the Administrators and the transcendents won¡¯t let that happen...¡± ¡°They had no other choice but to allow it¡­¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°The weight of the scale has already tilted to one side...¡± The Administrators and the transcendents only had one way to face the Archduke. ¡°The Archduke cannot recklessly interfere with the Floors and the System¡­¡± In other words, only a yer could pierce the Archduke¡¯s heart. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Sik couldn¡¯t say anything. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s exposition was simply too shocking for him to process. Eventually, Seo Jun-Sik organized his thoughts and asked, ¡°Are you here because you¡¯re dead? I heard that you got hit by Kineos Mullibach¡¯s Breath.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I certainly did die at the time.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°But I resisted death.¡± ¡°...Are you messing with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking. The lowest-level Death Resistance activated somehow, and it saved me from death.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Seo Jun-Sik nodded. ¡°Right, you did have that.¡± ¡°I got extremely lucky that it activated, and I managed to catch Kineos off guard.¡± Seo Jun-Ho easily cleared the 7th Floor after catching Kineos off guard, simr to how the emperor had caught him off guard by attacking the ice castle outright. ¡°We¡¯re both at the Star Destruction Stage, so our battle ended in the blink of an eye.¡± Seo Jun-Ho managed tond a devastating blow to the emperor, which turned the tables around. Kineos Mullibach was the Floor Master of the 7th Floor, so his death meant that the 7th Floor was cleared. ¡°Then, that means¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik clenched his fists. ¡®The 8th Floor.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik was thrilled that Seo Jun-Ho managed to clear the 7th Floor, but he suddenly recalled something and asked excitedly, ¡°Ah, I almost forgot! Did you manage to clear all the Floors?¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes shed. He expected a touching story, such as Seo Jun-Ho saving them btedly. However, Seo Jun-Ho shook his head mechanically. ¡°No, I only reached the 9th Floor.¡± ¡°...You did not manage to get to the 10th Floor?¡± Seo Jun-Sik was stupefied. He didn¡¯t expect that not even a Star Destruction Stage creature could reach the 10th Floor. Seo Jun-Ho said, ¡°Listen to me carefully. The Floors above the 7th Floor are not functional at all.¡± ¡°I have no clue what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t mind that and continued. ¡°From the 8th Floor onward, the Floors¡­ can¡¯t function as a Floor. You¡¯ll get a rough idea of what I¡¯m saying since you¡¯ve experienced the 9th Floor, albeit for just a short moment.¡± Seo Jun-Sik could still remember that the demons had already upied the 9th Floor. ¡°I know, but is the 9th Floor the same as the 8th Floor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still somehow holding out, but it won¡¯t be that long until it copses.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes momentarily revealed sadness and frustration. ¡°...You¡¯ll soon know the details once you¡¯ve reached the upper Floors.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell me right now?¡± ¡°No. You should know better than anyone else the consequences of having too much information about the future.¡± In addition, Seo Jun-Ho could no longer regress, so he couldn¡¯t pass on something so burdensome to the current Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Then, tell me what you can tell me.¡± ¡°I cleared the 7th and the 8th Floor, and then I went up to the 9th Floor to fight the Floor Master there.¡± ¡®And I failed¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nced at his empty left arm, and Seo Jun-Sik saw a glimpse of fear in the former¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s when I lost my left arm,¡± added Seo Jun-Ho while biting his lips. ¡°You have Cell Regeneration, how is it that you still haven¡¯t recovered your arm?¡± ¡°The Floor Master¡¯s ability nullifies regeneration.¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and looked down to recall the painful memories of the past. ¡°I¡­ crawled underground like a worm, and I ran with my tail tucked between my legs just to survive.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was in charge of the front lines, so it was only a matter of time before it copsed without Seo Jun-Ho at the helm. ¡°The front line that started on the 8th Floor was destroyed, and the demons sped up their invasion of the Floors.¡± The defensive lines on the 7th and 8th floors were destroyed, and it didn¡¯t take long for Trium to be destroyed. Neo City¡¯s destruction followed suit, and Frontier was also destroyed. ¡°Daily life was suffocating. I couldn¡¯t even sleep because I was afraid. I had no idea when the world would end. Was it today, or was it tomorrow? No one knew, including me. Humanity lived in fear of the impending destruction of the world.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could still remember seeing peopleughing in joy upon seeing the demons. They wereughing because they no longer had to be afraid and could finally die. ¡°But I fought back...¡± Seo Jun-Ho fought not only for a day, a week, or a month but for an entire year. ¡°I cut down every demon I saw on Earth.¡± However, there was only one thing he managed to protect. ¡°The only thing I managed to protect¡­ was my own life.¡± The demons didn¡¯t hesitate to kill every single human they saw. ¡°And that was when I realized that there was no way I could deal with them by myself.¡± Therefore, Seo Jun-Ho took a gamble. ¡°I squeezed every ounce of power I had to tear space apart. Then, I threw myself into a dimensional gap.¡± ¡°You threw yourself into a dimensional gap? Why on earth did you do that?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked up at Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s question and said, ¡°I was hoping that I could go into a parallel world through a dimensional gap. I couldn¡¯t regress anymore, so I had no other choice.¡± However, he failed. Those who had gotten lost in the dimension could never escape on their own. Unfortunately, Seo Jun-Ho btedly learned such a harsh lesson. ¡°No way¡­ then¡­ how many years have you spent here¡­?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lifeless eyes were starting to look different in Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes now that he had heard of the former¡¯s story. ¡°Anyway, the past is water under the bridge.¡± ¡°What do you mean, water under the bridge? Are you mad?!¡± ¡°Stop screaming¡­¡± ¡®This Seo Jun-Sik in front of me is the Seo Jun-Sik of the past. In other words, I can deliver something to myself in the past through him.¡¯ ¡°I can¡¯t give you much information about the future, but¡­¡± ¡®Passing on the experience and skills that I learned should be fine¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho picked up his broken sword and said, ¡°Raise your sword, Jun-Sik.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®There will be no more fallen worlds¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho needed a ray of hope that would change the regretful ending of his world. ¡°I will hand over my everything.¡± ¡®To you and to myself in the past...¡¯ *** Crashhhh! Seo Jun-Sik crashed to the ground and looked up. ¡°Ugh. It¡¯s doing that again.¡± The dimensional gap was chaotic, and every time it divided to reveal a disorderly space, Seo Jun-Ho would calm it down with a flick of his sword. ¡°Don¡¯t let it distract you. Focus on your training.¡± ¡°...Damn it.¡± The Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho was much stricter than the original who only prohibited Seo Jun-Sik from eating sushi to his heart¡¯s content. It had already been a week since they started training here. ¡°Hey, can you really consider this training?¡± Seo Jun-Sik lowered his sword andined. ¡±You¡¯re not doing anything other than beating me up. Yes, my endurance is improving through the beatings, but I¡¯m not really learning anything, you know?¡± Seo Jun-Sik thought that Seo Jun-Ho would enlighten him about some powerful techniques. After all, thetter said that he would pass on everything to him. However, the unfortunate reality was that Se Jun-Sik had only received beatings, nothing else. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re not good enough. Don¡¯t just sit there and ept the beatings. Think about why I¡¯m beating you up while you¡¯re getting beaten up,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied firmly. ¡°...Are you actually fucking insane?¡± ¡®Did he just tell me to think about the reason why he¡¯s beating me up while he¡¯s beating me up?¡¯ It had to be known that there was a huge power gap between Seo Jun-Sik and the Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You¡¯re overwhelmingly stronger than me in magic, strength, stamina, speed, and experience. I can only use seventy percent of the original body¡¯s strength since I¡¯m a clone, but I feel like you can easily beat even Original.¡± ¡°Trust me. We¡¯re on the same level right now.¡± ¡°Hah! Same level, my ass!¡± Seo Jun-Sik snorted. If Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t lying, Seo Jun-Sik should have managed to win in strength and speed. However, Seo Jun-Ho was always one step ahead of Seo Jun-Sik. ¡®This bastard¡¯s not only ruthless, but he¡¯s also a liar...¡¯ ¡°...Does he only have seventy percent of his Original¡¯s intelligence?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered and shook his head. ¡°This is bad. I don¡¯t think we have much time left.¡± ¡°Time? What time? Is someone going to kick us out? We¡¯re not in a karaoke room with a time limit, you know? It¡¯s not like someone owns this dimensional gap, so we¡¯re not squatters by all means.¡± ¡°The dimensional gap has a parasite, and it¡¯s a monster that consumes those who are unfortunate enough to get lost in a dimensional gap.¡± ¡°Huh, is that so?¡± Seo Jun-Sik nodded as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. However, he blinked and stared at Seo Jun-Ho in doubt. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me that you can¡¯t beat that monster.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ve been running away from it. He¡¯s my archnemesis.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t call him your archnemesis if all you do is run from him! You are basically his punching bag! And you call yourself a Star Destruction Stage creature?¡± retorted Seo Jun-Sik. ¡®Come to think of it, I remember the Original messing with a Spirit-user, who was also a Star Destruction Stage creature using his Dignity of an Emperor.¡¯ ¡°Can you even feel its approach?¡± ¡°The dimension¡¯s getting more chaotic than usual, so it¡¯s getting closer to us.¡± ¡°T-then, should we make a break for it right now?¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed and turned to Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°It¡¯s very difficult to cross over into another dimension. I can endure it, but your existence will be erased.¡± ¡°Really? Then, what should I do?¡± ¡°What kind of dumb question is that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned and said, ¡°The only thing that you can do is learn as much as you can from me as fast as you can, so hurry up and lift that sword again.¡± ¡°...Damn it! You damn originals are the worst regardless of which dimension you¡¯vee frooooom!¡± Seo Jun-Sik looked like he wanted to cry as he raised his sword once more and started swinging. Chapter 553. Player of the Fallen World (2) Chapter 553. yer of the Fallen World (2) Swoosh! Swoosh! Seo Jun-Ho observed Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s sword aiming for his vital points. ¡®It¡¯s a sword that has ovee many life-or-death situations.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was impressed, but he also felt a sense of longing at the same time. ¡®Unfortunately, he still needs more practice.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho twisted his wrist slightly and gently swung his broken sword as if it were a table tennis racket. Thwack! ¡°Ah!¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s elbow was struck, and he ended up dropping his sword. He red at Seo Jun-Ho with teary eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so mean. Did you really have to hit me in the funny bone?¡± ¡°I will aim for your head next time if you want.¡± ¡°...Ugh.¡± Seo Jun-Sik pouted and picked up his sword once more. Their training continued until it was already ten days since it began. ¡°You¡¯re already extremely strong, so howe you became a punching bag for that guy? What kind of ridiculous world are we in?¡± The Star Destruction Stage Jun-Ho was unbelievably strong, so it wasn¡¯t strange that Seo Jun-Sik was questioning the logic of the world itself. Seo Jun-Sik was stronger than most elite yers, but he was like a child in front of Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho was beyond superior to Seo Jun-Sik. Seo Jun-Sik couldn¡¯t even find a gap to attack Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®But¡­¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Sik learned something by facing Seo Jun-Ho in thest ten days. Seo Jun-Sik felt like he finally understood why he was slower than Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Sik red at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°What? Do you have something to say?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I finally discovered your secret!¡± Seo Jun-Sik pointed at Seo Jun-Ho with his index finger and acted like he was awyer in a court trial. ¡°First of all, let¡¯s talk about Overclocking! Your Overclocking output is beyond a hundred percent, right?¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re using Wheel of Time on top of that...¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Um¡­ there are more?¡± asked Seo Jun-Sik, looking uncertain. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and remarked, ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re not too bad, even though you¡¯re just Jun-Sik.¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m just Jun-Sik?! What¡¯s that supposed to mean?!¡± Seo Jun-Ho ignored Seo Jun-Sik¡¯sint and continued. ¡°There are two main reasons why I¡¯m faster than you.¡± The first reason was Overclocking. ¡°Skaya¡¯s advice led to the creation of Overclocking; I¡¯m sure you already know that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s physique was superior to most yers, but his physique was inferior to physical reinforcement yers. It wasn¡¯t strange at all, but Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t ept that because he had too many fiends to kill. ¡°Overclocking is basically strengthening one¡¯s body using magic by running it down the magic circuit at full throttle.¡± Under normal circumstances, the magic circuit would melt due to the heat. However, Seo Jun-Ho had a cooler called Frost (EX). ¡°Your Original should be capable of using Overclocking at a hundred percent output.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°But you know that¡¯s not Overclocking¡¯s limit, right?¡± ¡°Well, the output can be raised infinitely¡­¡± It was possible, but it could only be done if one¡¯s magic circuit and body could endure the burden. ¡°So how much is output?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I just show you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho swung his sword lightly, and it left a clean silver line in the air. ¡°That was two hundred percent.¡± ¡°Wow, that was fast.¡± ¡°This is five hundred percent.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Boom! This time, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword left a vivid afterimage, and there was a loud explosion afterward as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s movement shattered the sound barrier. ¡°And this is¡­¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes widened. He suddenly felt like Seo Jun-Ho was sucking him in, but it wasn¡¯t actually an illusion because Seo Jun-Ho had just circted the ck Moon Heart Method to absorb every magic particle in the air. ¡°That was a thousand percent.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Seo Jun-Sik asked with a dazed look. He didn¡¯t even see Seo Jun-Ho move. ¡°Did you even move¡­?¡± Rip! There was a ripping sound, prompting Seo Jun-Sik to look up. It turned out that Seo Jun-Ho had split a dimension into two. ¡°...¡± ¡®W-what a monster¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik couldn¡¯t describe what Seo Jun-Ho had just done in front of him. ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t maintain a thousand percent output for a long time. I can only do it in bursts whenever I¡¯m attacking or dodging attacks.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s crazy enough¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik muttered and started calcting in his head about what he and his Original could do to imitate what the Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho had just done in front of him. ¡°Step one¡ªabsorb every particle of magic in the surroundings using ck Moon Heart Method. Step two:press that magic into the magic circuit, and then wrap the magic circuit in dozens ofyers of fine ice¡­ ¡±Wait, is your Circuit Strengthening at S grade?¡± asked Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°Yes, it has to be S grade, and there¡¯s one more on top of that. You need to use Wheel of Time to hasten the cooling process while slowing down the heat.¡± ¡°Goodness¡­¡± In other words, Seo Jun-Ho used four abilities on Overclocking to reach a thousand percent output. Needless to say, it could only be done by practicing for a long time. Seo Jun-Ho ignored Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s shocked face and continued speaking. ¡°The second reason why I¡¯m faster than you is because of Wheel of Time..¡± ¡°Hey, so I was right! I got the reasons right!¡± ¡°Not so fast. There¡¯s more,¡± Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue. ¡°Wheel of Time can be used in many ways. I think you already know that, right?¡± ¡°I remember the Original saying something like that, but he¡¯s still not used to using it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve discovered a total of four ways to use Wheel of Time.¡± Seo Jun-Ho spread four of his fingers and said, ¡°Predicting the future, returning to the past, self-eleration and slowing down a target.¡± ¡°Oh? What you¡¯ve discovered isn¡¯t too far from what we have discovered. We just couldn¡¯t really practice it because we were not strong enough to keep on using it.¡± ¡°You must be good enough at using those four abilities until you can use them with the same ease as breathing.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry?¡± Seo Jun-Sik asked. He thought that he had misheard as he said, ¡°Are you saying that I have to be good enough at using those four abilities as if they were passive skills rather than active skills?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good way to put it.¡± Seo Jun-Sik didn¡¯t know what to say. He felt frustrated because the Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s patterns and techniques were on apletely different levelpared to his and his Original¡¯s. ¡°But¡­ my head will explode with that much exertion.¡± ¡°Mine didn¡¯t explode.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Sik shut his mouth tightly. He had no idea what to say in response to that. ¡°Oh, of course. I did get terrible headaches at first.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? I think you just got lucky that your head didn¡¯t explode.¡± ¡°I was regretful.¡± Seo Jun-Ho suddenly looked down. ¡°I regretted not mastering these techniques when I fought the 9th Floor¡¯s Floor Master. Perhaps the result would have been different if I had mastered these techniques a bit earlier. I¡¯m ming myself at least a few hundred times a day.¡± ¡°Um, why are you saying that¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik trailed off. ¡®Great. Now I feel like the biggest trash in the world if I were to give up because it¡¯s too hard.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re my past, so you can do it. No, you must do it even if you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so unreasonable!¡± eximed Seo Jun-Sik. The guilt abruptly disappeared as he suddenly thought of a question that had to be answered. ¡°Won¡¯t I need a lot of time to master those techniques?¡± There was no way anyone could master Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s techniques in just a few days or weeks. However, Seo Jun-Ho nodded as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°You¡¯re right, but it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m willing to spare you my time.¡± ¡°...Okay. You seriously don¡¯t care about me¡­¡± ¡®Is he treating me harshly because I¡¯m not his own clone or what?¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik sighed deeply and lifted his sword. The Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho stared at him with an expectant look. ¡°What, why are you looking at me like that? I already know that you¡¯re going to tell me to raise my sword so you can beat me up again!¡± Seo Jun-Sik said. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly lifted his sword. Seo Jun-Sik couldn¡¯t have been more urate. *** It had been half a year since Seo Jun-Sik entered a dimensional gap. ¡°Keuk¡­!¡± ¡°Come on! Just a little more! Just one more percent!¡± ¡°Keuakkkkk!¡± ¡°Good. It seems like you have room for more. Then, let¡¯s do one more percent.¡± Seo Jun-Sik was drenched in sweat. His face was red as he trembled at the exertion, but he soon copsed to the ground. ¡°Huff, puff!¡± Seo Jun-Siky on the ground and closed his eyes. His world was spinning. ¡°Two hundred and seven percent, huh? Not bad.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood next to Seo Jun-Sik and was meticulously writing down Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s progress in his notebook as if he were thetter¡¯s personal trainer at the gym. Seo Jun-Sik was furious. ¡°Hey, you punk! Why do you keep raising the output by one percent? I was about to die, you dumbass! Are you blind?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s the fastest way to increase your Overclocking output. You don¡¯t have forever to reach a thousand percent, you know,¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered firmly and gave Seo Jun-Sik a ten-minute break. Huff, puff¡­ Seo Jun-Sik caught his breath and asked, ¡°...Are you sure that the time outside the gap has stopped?¡± ¡°How many times have you asked me that question?¡± A dimensional gap was like a bug in aputer program. It was born from the haphazard confluence of dimensions. ¡°Time and space do not exist here.¡± Therefore, the ground they were standing on would sometimes be rock, grave, grass, and even nothing. Seo Jun-Sik groaned and grumbled. ¡°Ugh. The Original should have been the one here rather than me. Why am I the one who¡¯s suffering?¡± ¡°Does that even matter? Your memories will be shared with him once you¡¯ve returned to him, anyway.¡± ¡°Do you not have even an ounce of empathy?¡± ¡®Suffering and sharing a memory are two different things¡­¡¯ ¡°Originals really are the worst¡­ tsk, tsk.¡± Seo Jun-Sik clicked his tongue and shook his head before standing up. Seo Jun-Ho was busy wiping down his sword with an indifferent expression. Seo Jun-Sik didn¡¯t mind that and asked, ¡°...But seriously, are you really not going to give it to me?¡± ¡°Are you not tired of asking that yet?¡± Seo Jun-Sik had been constantly requesting something for the past half a year, and it was none other than the Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s memories. ¡°Your Confession of the Dead is EX grade, so you should be capable of sharing your memories with other people.¡± However, the Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t do that. Seo Jun-Ho continued wiping down his sword in silence, but he soon said, ¡°...I can, but I won¡¯t. There is no reason for me to do that.¡± ¡°What do you mean, no reason? Your memories and experiences will be a great help to me and my Original.¡± ¡°Receiving contaminated memories will do more harm than good¡­¡± ¡°Contaminated¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, just like this cloth.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the cloth which he had been using to clean his sword. The cloth was so dirty that one couldn¡¯t even see its original color anymore. ¡°A sword can never be cleaned by a dirty cloth. It will only get dirtier.¡± ¡°...Are you saying that we¡¯ll be just like you if we receive your memories?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure the Frost Queen has already told you that I¡¯m broken.¡± And that was when Seo Jun-Ho was still on the 7th Floor. It had been a long time since then, and Seo Jun-Ho had suffered a lot since then. ¡°Do you know how my Confession of the Dead reached EX grade?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Sik didn¡¯t know, but he had his guesses. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the exact number, but I¡¯ve made billions of lives confess.¡± He had done it to assuage his guilt somewhat, and it was also a desperate move to shake off the loneliness after everyone else had departed his world. Seo Jun-Ho looked up and stared into the void. ¡°I have a duty to remember everyone.¡± The people he had abandoned would never forget him, and Seo Jun-Ho had ensured not to forget them. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes slowly. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s why I can see them and hear their screams whenever I close my eyes.¡± ¡®So that¡¯s what he means by contaminated¡­¡¯ ¡°My memories will contaminate you both..¡± ¡°...What about the Hero''s Mind? Original¡¯s Hero¡¯s Mind is EX, so it should be capable of preventing us from bing contaminated, right?¡± ¡°Of course, Hero¡¯s Mind is a great skill. I think the reason why I¡¯m still sane is all thanks to Hero¡¯s Mind and my Imperturbable Mind.¡± However, there was a limit to everything. ¡°I think I have already exceeded Hero¡¯s Mind and Imperturbable Mind¡¯s limit because I keep on seeing and hearing things.¡± ¡°What if I only receive the important parts of your memory? Will it still be dangerous?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. And I¡¯m not going to try because I don¡¯t know...¡± Seo Jun-Ho started wiping down his sword once more. ¡°You have three minutes of rest left until we resume training.¡± ¡°...Okay.¡± As usual, Seo Jun-Sik wasn¡¯t gutsy enough to ask for five more minutes of rest. Chapter 554. Player of the Fallen World (3) Chapter 554. yer of the Fallen World (3) Rumble! The dimensions trembled. ¡°Sung-Jun. Didn¡¯t that happen five days ago? The cycle¡¯s getting shorter and shorter.¡± It had been five years since Seo Jun-Sik and the Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho met in the dimensional gap. Seo Jun-Sik had gotten so close to the Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho that he started calling him Sung-Jun[1] at some point. However, the two hadn¡¯t really grown that close despite the many years they had spent together. ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted. Focus on the training. Your goal today is to reach three hundred and fifty-eight percent.¡± ¡°Sigh. That¡¯s a lot.¡± Seo Jun-Sik had gotten significantly stronger over the past five years, and it was all because he didn¡¯t need to sleep or eat. Seo Jun-Ho said coldly, ¡°Absorb.¡± Seo Jun-Sik closed his eyes and focused. The magic in the air was instantly absorbed by Seo Jun-Sik using the ck Moon Heart Method. ¡°Protect.¡± In the blink of an eye, dozens ofyers of shields enveloped Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s magic circuit. However, the heat was so strong that it was overpowering theyers of shieldsced in Frost. ¡°Cool it down¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik could still remember how he thought that learning the Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s techniques was impossible. However, Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s mind started changing over the years, and he could now use Wheel of Time (S) as naturally as breathing. ¡°Phew¡­¡± The soaring temperature cooled down. Seo Jun-Sik looked down at his own hand and clenched his fists. ¡°Hm, this is nice.¡± Seo Jun-Sik was confident that he would be able to beat his Original at this rate. ¡°All right. Raise your sword.¡± Seo Jun-Sik raised his sword and looked at the man standing in front of him. ¡°Here Ie.¡± Seo Jun-Sik and Seo Jun-Ho abruptly moved. Rumble! The rumbling of the dimensions btedly reached their ears. ¡°Hmph!¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s sword drew a splendid arc as it aimed for Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vitals. ng! Seo Jun-Ho calmly parried Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s powerful blow. ¡®His movements are always too simple.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho seemed like he had an obsessivepulsive disorder when it came to making concise and linear movements. ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s weird. Is that some kind of an epiphany as well? Will my Original move just like you once he reaches the Star Destruction Stage?¡± asked Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho lowered his sword and muttered, ¡°Not exactly. But¡­¡± ¡°But¡­?¡± ¡°Nevermind. You don¡¯t need to know that for now.¡± ¡°Oh,e on. You¡¯re always like this¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho had often acted like he would tell Seo Jun-Sik something, but he would shut his mouth in the end. Seo Jun-Sik shook his head and puffed his chest out. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯ve improved a lotpared to the first time we met?¡± ¡°I guess so. You¡¯re not bad.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing that thing again. Can¡¯t you just give me apliment? You remind me of my Original whenever you do that.¡± ¡°...We¡¯re the same person¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.¡± Seo Jun-Sik smiled like a fool and put away his sword. ¡°If I train for five more years, will I reach the Star Destruction Stage as well?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡®Not bad. If he reaches the Star Destruction Stage¡­¡¯ If Seo Jun-Sik reached the Star Destruction Stage, the Seo Jun-Ho from another world in the past would definitely be stronger beyond imagination. ¡°Hm. Hey, Sung-Jun. I¡¯m a clone, so will my Original be capable of using Overclocking at five hundred and twelve percent output once I go back to him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Why not? I can only use seventy percent of my Original¡¯s ability, you know¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out upon your return.¡± ¡°...Wow. You¡¯re so cold. I¡¯ll catch a cold at this rate!¡± Seo Jun-Sik grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m getting sick of hearing the words; you¡¯ll find out when you go back; you¡¯ll understand what I¡¯m talking about in the future; everything will make sense once you¡¯ve arrived at the upper Floors. I¡¯m getting tired of hearing those¡­¡± ¡°I keep on saying those because they¡¯re true.¡± ¡°Sure, I bet they¡¯re true.¡± ¡°...¡± Smack! Seo Jun-Sik stopped talking after being smacked in the mouth. *** Time passed, and Seo Jun-Ho was particrly gung ho about Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s training today. Seo Jun-Sik also set a new record of three hundred and sixty-five percent Overclocking output. ¡°Keep going! Just a bit more! One more percent!¡± ¡°Argh¡± Seo Jun-Sik copsed to the ground and gasped for air. ¡°Huff, huff. Hey, why are you pushing me so hard today?¡± he asked. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t answer. However, Seo Jun-Sik could see that Seo Jun-Ho was tenser than usual. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Listen carefully. I¡¯m going to tell you some information about the future.¡± ¡°What? Seriously?¡± Seo Jun-Sik was surprised. ¡®What¡¯s up with the sudden change of heart? I¡¯ve been whining to him for so long, but this is the first time that he¡¯s willing to tell me something about the future¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded and started speaking. Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, are you serious¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s essential information because you can¡¯t return to the past anymore.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave Seo Jun-Sik information that would be helpful to Seo Jun-Sik and his Original rather than information about the upper Floors and the Floor Masters of those Floors. ¡°It will definitely be helpful. We would have been in big trouble if you hadn¡¯t told me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think revealing that information to you will have much of a side effect.¡± ¡°I suppose not.¡± Seo Jun-Sik nodded and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Haha, but¡­ why does it feel like we¡¯re about to bid farewell and part ways?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho remained silent. Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes trembled. Seo Jun-Ho would have told him to stop talking nonsense and raise his sword, but Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t saying anything. ¡°No, wait. Seriously? But it¡¯s too sudden!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve spent such a long time together that I¡¯m starting to feel grateful to God.¡± Rumble! The dimension above them trembled. The trembling was much more powerful than usual. ¡°No way. Is that¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s here...¡± The monster that had been parasitizing the dimensional gap and devouring every life that was unfortunate enough to wander into the gap finally arrived. Seo Jun-Ho took a stance with his sword. ¡°It¡¯s time to keep my promise.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had promised that he would return Seo Jun-Sik to the world where he hade from as long as he was diligent in his training. ¡°No, wait! I¡¯m so confused. I¡¯m not prepared¡ª-¡± Crackle! A shiver ran down Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s spine as the dimension above them shattered. Seo Jun-Sik slowly raised his stiff head and looked up. ¡®That¡¯s¡­ the predator?¡¯ The so-called monster¡ªthe predator¡ªresembled a worm. Eggs were embedded in its lengthy body with seemingly no end, and hundreds of sharp teeth were densely packed in its mouth. ¡°...¡± The monster had a fragment of a dimension in its mouth. ¡°Roarrrrrrr!¡± Pop! Pop! The monster roared, and the eggs embedded in its body burst out, sending hundreds of baby worms plummeting toward Seo Jun-Ho and Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°ck Moon.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s broken sword split the dimension in half, and Prince Digor¡¯s back could be seen beyond the split dimension. Seo Jun-Sik stared at Seo Jun-Ho with trembling eyes. ¡°...Hey. Come with me,¡± he said and held out his hand to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay and die here, right? Come with me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a persistent monster, and it will track its marked prey until it kills them.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had done everything he could to escape the predator. He had tried to shake it off by running toward the farthest end of the dimensional gap. ¡°The dimension where your world is located will be attacked by the predator if I were toe with you. It¡¯ll definitely pierce through the dimension of your world. It¡¯s that strong¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s just¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes glimmered in aplicated light. He didn¡¯t expect that he would be forced to part ways with Seo Jun-Ho like this. Of course, they would eventually have to part ways, but he didn¡¯t expect that it would be this early. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Sik wanted to have more conversations with Seo Jun-Ho to tell him many encouraging words. He wanted to see the dreary guy smile at least once. ¡°It was a pleasure to meet you¡­ Seo Jun-Sik.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words surprisingly contained much more emotions than he was capable of feeling, and it was perhaps because his clone was destroyed by the Floor Master of the 9th Floor. ¡°The three of you will definitely make it¡ªI¡¯m sure of it. You won¡¯t have to wander in the void like me.¡± ¡®My faith was shaken, and I eventually lost it, but I¡¯m sure that you won¡¯t...¡¯ Thud! There was a dull noise as Seo Jun-Ho ruthlessly mmed his palm into Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s chest, and Seo Jun-Sik immediately felt that he was being absorbed by the dimension behind him. ¡°Go.¡± ¡°Wait¡­!¡± The Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho revealed a bitter but relieved smile on his thin face. ¡°I must admit¡­ you were a pretty good student.¡± ¡°Roaaaarrrr!¡± Thud! Thest scene that Seo Jun-Sik saw before the dimension swallowed him was Seo Jun-Ho being surrounded by the predator and its babies. *** Seo Jun-Ho looked up. He wanted to see the sky, but only the void was above him. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho found it surprising that he still had some feelings left in him. He was convinced that he had long abandoned his feelings. ¡®What a shame.¡¯ He still had more to teach Seo Jun-Sik, and he still had to tell thetter more information about the future because thetter was about to embark on a path that was literally hell. ¡°Well¡­ I wish you the best of luck.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gripped the broken sword tightly. His original n was to end his own life without any regrets after sending Seo Jun-Sik back to his world. ¡®But the predator saw Jun-Sik¡­¡¯ If the predator was still hungry even after eating Seo Jun-Ho, it might track Seo Jun-Sik down and ruin the dimension of his world. ¡°I can¡¯t let that happen.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed coldly as he swung his sword, sending a disdainful curtain of darkness and wave of ice soaring toward the predator. ¡°Roaaar!¡± The predator possessed an infinite number of babies, and they charged at Seo Jun-Ho. However, the Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho was capable of destroying a star, and he squeezed all of his magic to form an impregnable wall. ¡°None of you shall get past me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho conducted a massacre, but the number of enemies seemed endless to the point that he was starting to get tired of cutting, freezing, and slicing the enemies. He was covered in the green fluids of the worms, and he was starting to slow down. ¡®I think I¡¯ve slowed down because I only have one arm.¡¯ ¡°Haha.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chuckled hollowly as he cut down another enemy, and a mountain of worm corpses was beneath his feet. However, the predator simply had too many babies. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Seo Jun-Sik managed to return to his own world. He wondered if Seo Jun-Sik had finally met his Original and if he was already talking to the Seo Jun-Ho of that world about what he had gone through. He was also curious about the Frost Queen¡¯s reaction to what happened after her departure. ¡®No, I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t think Jun-Sik and my past self will tell Frost about that.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik and Seo Jun-Ho were kind people who would never allow the Frost Queen to suffer under the weight of such news. ¡®If Frost had been by my side¡­ if she hadn¡¯t decided to leave me¡­ I wonder if I could have had a different future¡­ Perhaps I wouldn¡¯t have drifted like a ghost ship.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Right now, only one thought was going through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. ¡®I want to see Frost onest time.¡¯ sh! ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho tore apart the hundreds of worms on his right nk, but the predator that had been quietly biding its time finally made a move and rushed toward Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s left torso with its mouth open. Seo Jun-Ho instinctively tried to raise his left hand to block the iing attack. ¡°Oh,¡± he muttered nkly and btedly realized that he had lost his left arm long ago. Chomp! *** [You have acquired a new skill: Cloning (EX).] ¡°What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was currently cutting down the Overminds, but he stopped and frowned at the system prompt. He was sure that Cloning (S) had disappeared from his skill list, but it actually reappeared and became Cloning (EX). ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was perplexed, but his expression changed when his heart was suddenly struck by a dull pain. The sense of loss remained for quite a while. 1. Star Destruction Stage is read as ¡®Sung Myeol¡¯ in Korean; therefore Sung-Jun is the abbreviation for Star Destruction Stage Jun-Ho ? Chapter 555. Player of the Fallen World (4) Chapter 555. yer of the Fallen World (4) ¡°Huff, huff¡­ keuk!¡± Prince Digor groaned in pain as he looked down at his bulging veins. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ He was aware that the holy relic contained a powerful energy. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have entertained the idea of a rebellion in the first ce. ¡®But I didn¡¯t think that it would be this strong...¡¯ Prince Digor thought that he would be able to control the power of the holy relic without any issues, but the reality was harsh. ¡®It¡¯s okay. Time is in my favor, anyway.¡¯ There were only two people in this world who could make their way toward where he was currently located, and he had already killed one of them. ¡®The emperor can¡¯t afford toe here right now, and I even sent Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s clone to a rift in space, so I should be safe here.¡¯ Prince Digor decided to calm the surging power in his veins, but he suddenly felt the presence of someone else behind him. ¡°...!¡± Prince Digor was stupefied to find Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s clone standing behind him with his head lowered. ¡®What¡¯s going on? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be in the rift of space?¡¯ Prince Digor raised his hand to open another rift in space. ¡°Huh?¡± However, his hand fell to the ground. Prince Digor¡¯s brain couldn¡¯t ept what his eyes were seeing. ¡°...This is too unfair,¡± Seo Jun-Sik muttered while staring at the floor. Drip, drip. His tears fell to the ground. ¡°A bastard like you is still alive, but¡­ but he¡¯s¡­!¡± Prince Digor¡¯s eyes trembled. He had no idea what Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s clone was talking about, and he didn¡¯t want to know as well. There was only one thing that mattered to him at the moment. ¡®Did he¡­ actually just cut me? With that sword?¡¯ The cogwheels in Prince Digor¡¯s mind turned, and he soon came up with two options. ¡®Well, it seems like I can¡¯t run away.¡¯ The opponent managed to cut off Prince Digor¡¯s hand before he even realized it. In other words, his opponent could cut his head off in the blink of an eye. ¡®I need to kill him.¡¯ Prince Digor¡¯s expression was grim as he said, ¡°Calm down. The space here will copse if we fight here. So why don¡¯t we¡ª¡± Flick. Prince Digor¡¯s left index finger flicked ever so slightly, distorting the space around Seo Jun-Sik. The attack happened so quickly that there was no way Seo Jun-Sik could respond to it. ¡®What an idiot. How dare he look down on me?¡¯ Thud! However, there was a dull thud as Prince Digor copsed to the floor with a contemptuous smile. The Crown Prince of the Babe Empire died while thinking that he had sessfully ambushed his target. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Sik shook off Prince Digor¡¯s blood on his sword. The lingering feeling of parting with the Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho still hadn¡¯t disappeared. Honestly, Seo Jun-Sik had no idea if it would even disappear. ¡°Sigh.¡± Seo Jun-Sik slowly turned around and looked back. The dimensional gap wasn¡¯t there anymore, and he couldn¡¯t see anything other than the ugly walls of this underground chamber. ¡°...Goodbye.¡± ¡®It¡¯ll be difficult, but I will move forward without forgetting the time we spent. I will bear the weight of the future you have entrusted to me.¡¯ With that, Seo Jun-Sik turned around and left the room. *** - You¡¯re currently in the Chronos Laboratory? That¡¯s great. You need to retrieve something from thatboratory. Seo Jun-Sik picked up a pair of white gloves on his way out. ¡°A pair of white gloves? Sung-Jun told me to retrieve this no matter what, but why?¡± However, the pair of white gloves wasn¡¯t for himself nor for his Original. ¡®It¡¯s the final opportunity.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had emphasized many times over the past five years that it would be their final chance. ¡®The future Seo Jun-Ho told me the important events that cannot be undone if we were to miss this opportunity, so I have to follow his advice.¡¯ ¡°I have to hurry.¡± The warm air of the battlefield tickled Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s face outside theboratory. ¡°...¡± Baek Geon-Woo, Rahmadat, and Seo Jun-Ho were currently driving the generals to a corner. ¡®Then, I should go and support Frost.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik soon found the Frost Queen surrounded by a thousand Overminds¡ªno, the Overminds were surrounded by the Frost Queen. ¡°Stay still. Do not take even a single step.¡± The Frost Queen created a massive prison of ice with towering walls covered in the power to block. The Overminds were diligently attacking the ice to shatter the walls. ¡°Damn it! Why won¡¯t this break?¡± ¡°You coward! A martial artist should fight fair and square!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a martial artist. I¡¯m a monarch.¡± The Frost Queen looked down at the Overminds as if she were observing fish in a fish bowl. All of a sudden, she turned upon sensing a familiar presence. ¡°Huh? Jun-Sik?¡± The Frost Queen was about to give him a warm greeting, but she flinched upon seeing his face. ¡°...Did you cry?¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes were red and swollen. Seo Jun-Sik looked away and answered, ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not a baby, you know¡­¡± ¡°Prince Digor, that bastard¡­! I¡¯ll kill him! Did he make you cry? I¡¯ll take care of him!¡± ¡°Ugh, I told you it¡¯s not like that. I already won the fight,¡± Seo Jun-Sikined. Then, he looked down at the Overminds and changed the topic. ¡°Can you let me in? I have to go inside.¡± ¡°What? Why would you go inside?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡®Come to think of it, I don¡¯t know how to exin it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik scratched the back of his head and used his Original as an excuse. ¡°I have no idea as well. Original just told me to go inside.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not very nice of you, Contractor! Jun-Sik, you¡¯re going to die. You¡¯re too weak¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t die. He got struck by an epiphany during the fight, so I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Seo Jun-Sik kept on insisting, so the Frost Queen could only allow it. ¡°Don¡¯t me me if they beat you up and you end up getting recalled...¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± Seo Jun-Sik confidently walked into the prison, and he was immediately faced with a thousand weapons. ¡°Yikes, they¡¯re mad.¡± However, Seo Jun-Sik wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡°...A yer from a fallen world overwhelmed me with a broken sword.¡± Seo Jun-Sik had been training against that monster over thest five years, and he didn¡¯t manage to beat that monster even once. Compared to Sung-Jun, these Overminds were like children trying to attack an adult. ¡°Boring.¡± - Raise your sword, Jun-Sik. Seo Jun-Sik felt like he heard a familiar voice as he raised his sword. *** ¡°Phew. That felt great,¡± Rahmadat muttered, looking refreshed. The two generals of the Babe Empire were strong, but they didn¡¯t stand a chance against Rahmadat, Baek Geon-Woo, and Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°We got our revenge, so we just have to clean up the small fries, right?¡± ¡°Wait, I remember sensing an enormous wave of magic from where the Frost Queen is located¡­ I hope she¡¯s okay,¡± said Baek Geon-Woo. Rahmadat replied, ¡°I felt that, too, but the magic signature resembled Jun-Ho. It does, right?¡± ¡°...It does.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He was also curious. The wave of magic was simply too powerful for it to belong to Seo Jun-Sik. Seo Jun-Ho wanted answers. ¡®Like how Cloning suddenly became EX¡­¡¯ The three of them hurriedly ran toward the Frost Queen¡¯s location, and they were astonished to find a huge box made out of ice. ¡°Hey, Is that Jun-Sik?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was as confused as Rahmadat. ¡®Jun-Sik?¡¯ Hundreds of bodies piled up next to Seo Jun-Sik, but he was still fighting hundreds of Overminds. ¡°How¡­¡± Howe Seo Jun-Sik was winning? Seo Jun-Sik was like a wolf in a sheep enclosure. ¡°Hm, I like that. Let me help! Hey, ice baby! Let me in!¡± Rahmadatughed boisterously and joined the fray. Seo Jun-Ho and Baek Geon-Woo followed closely after him. ¡°Wait¡­ the generals lost?!¡± ¡°Damn it! We can¡¯t retreat because of this damned ice!¡± ¡°ck Moon Martial Arts Second Skill: Silent sh Wave.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sent a wave of darkness flying toward the Overminds, and he cut the heads of dozens of Overminds in the blink of an eye. After doing that, he ran toward Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°Hello there, Original.¡± ¡°What happened? And did you¡­ cry?¡± ¡°Argh, no! I didn¡¯t cry!¡± Seo Jun-Sik roared and ferociously hunted the Overminds down as if he was venting his anger. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed as he observed Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s movements. ¡®What are those movements¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s explosiveness and speed were unprecedented. ¡°This¡­ can¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°Glory to the Empire!¡± The Overminds were helpless, and a thousand corpses soon littered the temple grounds. ¡°Haaah. It¡¯s been a while since I had such a great warm-up.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you injured?¡± ¡°Hehe. The more you move, the faster you heal.¡± The battle was over, so Seo Jun-Sik approached Seo Jun-Ho. He handed the chest containing a holy relic and a pair of white gloves to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Original. Can you recall me so I can get some rest?¡± ¡°What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was astonished. This was the first time that Seo Jun-Sik voluntarily asked to be recalled. Seo Jun-Ho looked worried as he stared at Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°Is everything all right? What happened to you?¡± he asked. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Tap, tap. Seo Jun-Sik lightly tapped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder. ¡°...Original. Stay strong.¡± ¡®You¡¯ll receive a ton of memories, and every scene will be shocking.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stared at Seo Jun-Sik for quite a while before nodding. ¡°All right. Take a good rest. You did great,¡± he said. Seo Jun-Sik smiled bitterly as he scattered into innumerable light crystals. At the same time, memories flooded Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind like a deluge. *** ¡°Hey, Sung-Jun,¡± asked Seo Jun-Sik while lying on the floor. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s thin face turned to Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± said Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°You¡¯re going to ask me even if I say no,¡± Seo Jun-Ho retorted. ¡°You know me too well¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sikughed and turned to face Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hollow face. ¡°If we turn back time with the Wheel of Time, will we end up creating a parallel world?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a great skill, but it¡¯s not capable of doing that. In addition, the skill can only turn back the time of the where it was used.¡± ¡°Phew. That¡¯s a relief.¡± Seo Jun-Sik let out a sigh of relief. He decided to ask because he got worried upon recalling the fact that his Original had used Rewind quite a few times to practice. ¡°You know, it¡¯s kind of amazing that there¡¯s a being who has an answer to all of my questions. You¡¯re kind of like our milestone.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. His expression turned subtly deste as he said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t treat me as your milestone. What was waiting for me at the end of my path was destruction.¡± Seo Jun-Sik asked carefully, ¡°Hey, is there anything you want to say to my Original body? He¡¯s basically your past self.¡± ¡°True.¡± Once Seo Jun-Sik was recalled, his original would receive his memories along with the techniques, theories, and information that Seo Jun-Sik had learned while he was summoned. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at Seo Jun-Sik in silence. However, he was looking at his past self rather than Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°I understand you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t understand why, but tears filled up his eyes as soon as the Seo Jun-Ho of the future¡¯s hoarse voice reached his ears. Perhaps it was because of the conviction in the future Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice. ¡°You must have gone through lots of hardships and pain. I know because I went through a lot as well. I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t tell you that you are about to walk down a bright and happy path. I¡¯m sorry, but I have no choice but to ask you¡ªor myself¡ªfor a favor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho momentarily felt like his gaze met with the future Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Don¡¯t lose faith¡­¡± said the future Seo Jun-Ho to his past Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Please do not give up on mankind, the world, clearing the Floors, andstly¡­ please do not give up on Frost.¡± Chapter 556. Blooming Flower (1) Chapter 556. Blooming Flower (1) ¡°Your lightning was great. If it weren¡¯t for it, we wouldn¡¯t have caught that punk who can turn into slime.¡± ¡°Physical attacks were certainly ineffective against that guy, but we wouldn¡¯t have defeated the other guy if it weren¡¯t for your attacks.¡± ¡°Hm, I think we should just talk casually.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little older than I look...¡± ¡°Hehe, does that even matter? We¡¯re friends after fighting shoulder-to-shoulder.¡± Rahmadat and Baek Geon-Woo were enjoying their victory. ¡°Hm, indeed¡­¡± The Frost Queen decided to join their conversation. ¡°You two did a great job today. Well done.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s unlike you topliment me.¡± ¡°...¡± The two smiled softly at the Frost Queen¡¯s unexpectedment. The Frost Queen stared at the two for a few seconds and asked, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Hmm? I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t carry around a lollipop or a slice of cake with me. You should go find Jun-Ho if that¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for,¡± said Rahmadat. The Frost Queen puffed her cheeks. ¡®Contractor is a liar. He told me that give and take is important in this world. Didn¡¯t he say that if I say nice things, the other party will return the gesture in kind? Iplimented them, but why aren¡¯t theyplimenting me back?¡¯ The Frost Queen revealed an ufortable look upon recalling the number of enemies she had to fight today. ¡®I trapped a thousand Overminds!¡¯ ¡°Hmph! You guys are still a long way off. I would have spanked both of you if I had met you guys in my prime,¡± said the Frost Queen before turning around to leave and look for someone. ¡®Where is he? He¡¯ll definitelypliment me.¡¯ If there was a World Compliment Competition, the Frost Queen was sure that Seo Jun-Ho would win. ¡®There he is...¡¯ the Frost Queen hurriedly walked over to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Contractor! What did you think of my performance¡ª¡± The Frost Queen immediately grew perplexed upon seeing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face. ¡°Huh? Why are you crying?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Jun-Sik was crying earlier, and now it¡¯s Contractor¡¯s turn?¡¯ The Frost Queen quickly rummaged through her pockets. ¡°Oh, no.¡± She couldn¡¯t find any candy or chocte in her pockets. The Frost Queen was flustered, and she stammered, ¡°P-please stop crying¡­¡± ¡°Sniff¡­!¡± ¡°Are you hurt? I can put a bandage on it¡­¡± the Frost Queen muttered. She truly had no idea how to deal with a crying adult. Seo Jun-Ho cried for quite a while before he eventually wiped away his tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I showed you an embarrassing side of me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You can cry as much as you want and¡ªah!¡± The Frost Queen suddenly covered her mouth with both of her hands, and she stared at Seo Jun-Ho as if he were the most pitiful person in the world. ¡°This is bad, Contractor. Santa us won¡¯t give you a present this year¡­¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t give presents to adults¡­¡± ¡°What? W-what about to an Arch Spirit? Does that mean that I won¡¯t get any presents from him this year as well?¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ll get a present.¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes shone with the ambition to capture Santa and hog all the gifts. Sung-Jun and Seo Jun-Ho had been trying particrly hard to protect the Frost Queen¡¯s innocence despite the numerous regressions they had gone through together. ¡®...So what did he mean when he said that I shouldn¡¯t give up on her¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had never thought about abandoning the Frost Queen¡ªnot even once. It was said that parting ways with a pet was extremely hard, but Seo Jun-Ho loved the Frost Queen more than any pet lover would love their pet. The Frost Queen asked carefully, ¡°Contractor, can you tell me why you were crying? Jun-Sik was crying earlier as well.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said and shook his head. The Frost Queen was thest person he could tell why he cried. ¡®I can¡¯t tell her.¡¯ The Frost Queen would definitely cry much harder than he did, and she might even refuse to eat anything, including her favorite cake. ¡®If she finds out the truth behind the regressions and if she finds out that Sung-Jun ended up failing after climbing up the Floors by himself¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could already feel his head throb just imagining it alone. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in the future.¡± ¡°...You can be super mean at times, you know. You and Jun-Sik don¡¯t share your secrets with me. I hate you guys.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled helplessly. He couldn¡¯t do anything because he wanted to protect her. Seo Jun-Ho gently patted the Frost Queen¡¯s head and said, ¡°Frost. I¡¯m sorry, but can you take care of Rahmadat and Senior Brother?¡± ¡°Huh? Are you going somewhere?¡± ¡°Yes. Just for a moment.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the pair of gloves in his hand. ¡°I have to go somewhere.¡± *** The Heavenly Demon frowned and asked, ¡°The emperor refused?¡± ¡°Yes, my liege.¡± Isaac Dvor kneeled in front of the Heavenly Demon with his head drooping, looking like he was ashamed of himself. He didn¡¯t expect that the emperor would refuse to meet them, even though they had already mentioned the Archduke. ¡°That¡¯s a surprise.¡± ¡°The emperor seemed to be on edge, and the pce looked very busy as well. I wonder if something happened.¡± ¡°He seemed to be on edge, huh?¡± ¡°He was fine thest time I told him where the thunder sleeps.¡± ¡®Something must have happened, and it made the emperor nervous...¡¯ The Heavenly Demon nodded and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not too difficult to guess. It¡¯s definitely because of Specter.¡± Specter was the only one capable of making the emperor feel nervous. The Heavenly Demon paced around with his hands behind his back. ¡°My ns are ruined¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s original n was to borrow the emperor¡¯s army by talking to the emperor using the Archduke¡¯s name. ¡®My n is to attack the yers¡¯ headquarters with his army, but¡­¡¯ The emperor had refused to meet him. In other words, the Heavenly Demon had no choice but toe up with a new n. ¡°What a shame. I could have finally stopped the yers from clearing the Floors here.¡± ¡°What shall we do, my lord?¡± ¡°...Hm.¡± Kim Woo-Joong would definitely stumble upon the yers soon. The Heavenly Demon had to prepare a new n before that. ¡°Where is the owl right now?¡± ¡°It is chasing after Tenmei Mio and Mr. Shoot.¡± ¡®Tenmei Mio and Mr. Shoot, huh?¡¯ Tenmei Mio wasn¡¯t as strong as the emperor¡¯s army, but she was still a decent card to y because she was capable of shaking Seo Jun-Ho better than Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have killed Fahm Vert.¡± The Heavenly Demon started regretting killing Fahm Vert. Unfortunately, he had too much trust in his n, so now he was paying the price for its failure. ¡°Isaac, Citrin.¡± The two bowed even deeper. The Heavenly Demon said, ¡°Go toward the owl and bring Tenmei Mio before me.¡± The Heavenly Demon didn¡¯t mention anything about what they would do about Mr. Shoot, which only meant one thing. ¡°Yes, my liege.¡± They were allowed to kill him. *** Gilberto looked around the gray space. ¡°Hello? Is anyone here?¡± However, he could only hear his own voice. Gilberto¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡®No, it can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ Thest thing Gilberto could remember was being handed over the technique that the failures had created over a thousand years. ¡°Did I fail?¡± Gilberto recalled being told that he had to stay conscious at all costs. However, he seemed to have fainted due to the unbearable pain. ¡®Does that mean that I¡¯m in my afterlife?¡¯ Gilberto fell into a daze. Eventually, he decided to pinch his thigh. ¡°Ah!¡± It was painful, so it meant that his senses were still alive. ¡®I guess I have to figure out how to deal with hunger and thirst.¡¯ Gilberto checked his Inventory and sighed. ¡°Oh, no.¡± ¡®Right. I left all my food and water to Arthur just in case.¡¯ His Inventory contained nothing but a bag of biscuits and a 500mL bottle of water. Brrr! All of a sudden, a hazy image appeared in front of Gilberto. ¡°Gil¡­ berto, human¡­¡± Gilberto stared intently at the image with narrow eyes, and he soon realized that the image was depicting the face of the turtle-looking vige chief. ¡°Chief, what is going on? Why did this happen?¡± ¡°We had no idea¡­ the emperor¡­ safety device¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Get rid of¡­ only way¡­ survive¡­¡± The chief¡¯s image disappeared. Gilberto quickly organized his thoughts. ¡®Safety device¡­ does that mean that the emperor hid a safety device out of concern that someone will mutate with the Force?¡¯ In that case, Gilberto had to get rid of the safety device to survive. ¡®But what is the safety device, and where is it?¡¯ ¡°...Damn it.¡± His questions were answered by a four-legged monster running toward him. Click! Gilberto quickly pulled a gun out of his Inventory. ¡°I can¡¯t die here.¡± Gilberto had a promise to keep with his son. *** Rustle. Gilberto¡¯s fingers dug into the bag of biscuits, but he found nothing but crumbs. He poured the crumbs into his mouth. ¡°...Sigh.¡± Gilberto let out a deep sigh. ¡®All I have left is a sip of water.¡¯ Gilberto drank the final sip of water after much thought and contemtion. He licked even thest drop of water running down the water bottle, but his thirst was yet to be quenched. ¡°...¡± It had already been twenty-four days since Gilberto arrived at this unknown gray space. He had long reached his limits physically, but his hunger and thirst were driving him into a corner as well. The footprints left by his stumbling steps resembled those of a drunkard. ¡°Grrrr.¡± The beast that had been struggling against Gilberto for weeks maintained a certain distance for several days and didn¡¯te near him anymore. Perhaps it had realized that Gilberto would die soon. Gilberto¡¯s magic and bullets couldn¡¯t leave much damage to the beast. The most the Repeating Covenant Revolver could do was leave a scratch on its skin. ¡®I¡¯m about to die.¡¯ Gilberto slumped to the ground. ¡®I¡¯m about to die a death that is very different from what I had imagined.¡¯ Gilberto had always thought that he would die by sacrificing his life for his friends. ¡®Hah. I was arrogant.¡¯ Death was just around the corner, so Gilberto¡¯s mind suddenly cleared up. His senses sharpened and heightened as well. ¡®This is interesting.¡¯ Gilberto could feel absolutely everything as hey on the ground. He could vividly feel the blood flowing through his blood vessels and the shape of his heart that was struggling to beat just to keep him alive. Gilberto felt like each detail about him had beenid out in extreme detail in his mind. ¡®This feels nostalgic.¡¯ His industry referred to this sensation as Bullet Time. Bullet Time was a state that allowed snipers to perceive every minute changes in time. It was difficult to achieve, and most snipers would never experience Bullet Time even once in their lifetime. ¡®This is my third time entering Bullet Time.¡¯ Gilberto had entered Bullet Time twice in his lifetime, and he had done something heroic that he would never forget, even in his afterlife. However, he had never entered Bullet Time again since he woke up from the ice until today. ¡®I thought I¡¯ll never be able to enter it again, but I didn¡¯t expect to enter it just as I¡¯m about to die...¡¯ However, Gilberto felt hope rather than despair. ¡°...I¡¯m going to beat those who told me that knowledge is power. Ignorance is certainly bliss.¡± Gilberto could feel an enormous energy brewing in him. ¡®This must be the fruit of the failures¡¯ research, but what¡¯s the point? I can¡¯t even use it.¡¯ The fruit of the failures¡¯ research was a power that was extremely difficult to usepared to magic. The power wouldn¡¯t budge no matter how hard Gilberto tried to make it move. ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± The beast approached Gilberto upon sensing thetter¡¯s imminent death. The monster lowered its posture as much as possible to hunt the prey that it had been wanting to consume over the past few weeks. ¡°Roarrr!¡± The monster charged at Gilberto. Gilberto aimed his gun at the monster¡¯s be, but there was no way a naked bullet could pierce the monster¡¯s skin, not to mention kill it. ¡®Arthur¡­¡¯ Gilberto felt like he would break his promise to his son for the very first time. Gilberto smiled bitterly. Crackleee! A pair of white gloves suddenly enveloped his hand holding the revolver. Chapter 557. Blooming Flower (2) Chapter 557. Blooming Flower (2) ¡®What is this pair of gloves? Is this one of the monster¡¯s skills?¡¯ Gilberto frowned and gnashed his teeth. He was about to make a move when a stream of information filled his head. ¡°...!¡± The stream of information contained instructions on how he could use Force. ¡®But how? This is totally out of the blue.¡¯ Gilberto¡¯s confused gaze turned toward the gloves. ¡®Is it perhaps because of these gloves?¡¯ He had no idea how and why these gloves appeared, but he knew exactly what he had to do with them at the moment. Gilberto muttered, ¡°Particle Development.¡± The energy in his body unfolded as if it had been waiting. Gilberto pressed down his excitement and calmly continued. ¡°Structure Registration.¡± The particles in front of Gilberto converged to form a sniper rifle with impable detail, ording to Gilberto¡¯s memory. Gilberto scanned the sniper rifle. ¡°Effect Verification.¡± The particles scanned the sniper rifle, and its corresponding parts turned green as the wave of particles passed by them. ¡°Production Authorization.¡± The entire sniper rifle momentarily turned green, and the fine sniper rifle was finallyplete. Gilberto put down the revolver he was holding and held the sniper rifle. ¡°Grrr¡­ Krrr!¡± The monster saw what happened, and it charged at Gilberto. However, Gilberto was currently in Bullet Time, so the monster was as slow as a beetle in his eyes. nk! ¡®I like it.¡¯ The crisp noise of the bolt and the heaviness of the sniper were perfect. Gilberto aimed the barrel of the sniper rifle at the monster¡¯s be. ¡°Piss off.¡± ¡®Silent Assassin.¡¯ Bang! A bullet made out of Force instantly tore the monster¡¯s head apart. Gilberto immediately felt dizzy, and the world around him crumbled. ¡°Father, father¡­!¡± Gilberto woke up drenched in a lukewarm liquid. He opened his eyes and saw his son¡¯s face looming over him. Arthur was crying, and he looked heartbroken as he stared at his father. ¡°Your eyes are swollen,¡± said Gilberto with a smile. ¡°Damn it. This is your fault!¡± Arthur cried out and punched Gilberto¡¯s chest. Gilberto grinned at the sight, but he noticed a familiar face behind his son. ¡°A ghost?¡± ¡°That¡¯s rude. I¡¯m still alive, man,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho before holding out his hand to Gilberto. Gilberto used Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand to stand up, and that was when he noticed that he was wearing a pair of white gloves. The vige chief exined, ¡°Those gloves belong to your friend. You would have died if it weren¡¯t for those gloves.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Is that so?¡¯ Gilberto smiled slightly. ¡°So it¡¯s you again.¡± ¡°Again? I¡¯m pretty sure this is my first time giving you a pair of gloves.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about these gloves.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was the one who helped Gilberto be the world¡¯s best sniper. ¡®And he helped me again¡­ he helped me use the Force that I couldn¡¯t use at all.¡¯ Gilberto owed Seo Jun-Ho a lot. After all, thetter was the one who turned the garbage called Gilberto into a valuable figure. ¡°You¡¯re the most eco-friendly person that I know, Jun-Ho,¡± Gilberto said with a grin. ¡°What is that even supposed to mean?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know,¡± said Gilberto. He couldn¡¯t allow Seo Jun-Ho to know what he meant. Meanwhile, Gilberto looked around and frowned. ¡°Huh?¡± Gilberto couldn¡¯t feel any Force from the surrounding failures. Those who noticed Gilberto¡¯s confusion spoke one after another. ¡°Our Force is useless if we can¡¯t even scratch the emperor.¡± ¡°We will have no regrets as long as that bastard falls.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all up to you now. Make good use of it, okay?¡± The vige chief spoke once more, ¡°We decided to call the fruit of our research Ether, which means the clear sky beyond the clouds.¡± ¡°Ether¡­¡± Gilberto muttered. ¡°Ether¡¯s foundation is simr to Force, but it takes a different approach.¡± Gilberto nodded. Force was a domineering power that sought to dominate those weaker than the wielder, while Ether was pursuing coexistence rather than domination. ¡°Go to the Float Force Power nt if you can¡­¡± ¡°Float Force Power nt? Why should I¡ªwait, is it because¡­?¡± ¡°The energy loss is terrible when converting Force to Ether, but the Float Force Power nt contains an enormous amount of Force.¡± In other words, Gilberto would be stronger if he managed to get his hands on the Float Force Power nt¡¯s Force. ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡± The failures would find it hard to survive here without Force. ¡°Hehe. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been going around hunting,¡± Stony answered with a chuckle before exining, ¡°Nothing can threaten our vige. I¡¯ve already hunted them down.¡± ¡°Yes, so don¡¯t worry about that part. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve carried the heavy weight of someone else¡¯s dreams.¡¯ Gilberto made eye contact with each and every failure before saying, ¡°I promise to make a world where you can roam around wherever, anywhere, and anytime you want.¡± ¡°Indeed, that is our dream.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious if there¡¯s an ocean in the west. I would love to see the ocean once I¡¯m out of here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sick of this jungle. I want to head north. It¡¯s apparently cold there.¡± Gilberto wordlessly listened to the failure¡¯s dreams. ¡°I promise.¡± ¡®I promise to give you back your freedom with the power you have entrusted to me.¡¯ *** ¡°Today¡¯s dinner is grilled mushrooms.¡± - All right. Thank you for the meal. The helmet¡¯s LED disy sparkled. Mr. Shoot nodded while munching on the mushrooms that Mio had handed over to him. - This tastes much better than the dishes in the lunch boxes you gave mest time. ¡°...That¡¯s impossible. I did not season these mushrooms.¡± - And that¡¯s why it tastes better. It had already been ten days since Mio started traveling with Mr. Shoot. She had already analyzed Mr. Shoot. ¡®He¡¯s not as suspicious as I thought, but his taste in food is weird.¡¯¡¯ Mr. Shoot was more polite than she thought, and she had never felt ufortable around him so far. ¡®It feels like I¡¯m with the others, even though I¡¯m with him.¡¯¡¯ Setting aside Mr. Shoot¡¯s unexpected kindness, Mio was actually frustrated these days. It was all because she hadn¡¯t been able to make any significant progress toward mastering the Purple Dawn Style. ¡°Sigh.¡± - You¡¯re sighing a lot today. Is there any problem? ¡°I can¡¯t share it with a stranger.¡± - Hmm. Is it because of that booklet? Mio hurriedly hid the old booklet behind her. ¡±I won¡¯t show it to you even if you ask.¡± - I don¡¯t really want to see it either. I mean it. Mr. Shoot¡¯s voice sounded modted, but one could still feel the sincerity in it. - But I do rmend asking other people for advice in the face of a bottleneck. The opinion of a third party might prove helpful because they can see the bigger picture. ¡°...I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Mio said, sounding helpless. She looked up at the night sky and added, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see them again.¡± - I¡¯m sorry about the change of ns. The two should have reached the Wailing Mountains five days ago, but they saw too many Overminds on their path, so they had to take a detour and move along the eastern coastline. - Hmm. Mr. Shoot seemed to have recalled something. - Are you going to train today as well? ¡°I train every day, and I have never skipped a day,¡± said Mio. She tapped her bloated stomach and continued. ¡°I should probably get going.¡± Mio was a widely acimed genius, and it was true that she was a genius. However, even geniuses had to put in the effort to achieve greatness. - I admire you. It¡¯s difficult to train for three hours a day consistently. ¡°My routine is not strange for a child born in a martial arts family,¡± Mio got up and said, ¡°I will stand guard while training. You should go to bed early.¡± - You¡¯re very sweet. ¡°...Sweet? Like candy?¡± Mio blinked, confused. Mr. Shoot smiled and tucked himself into his sleeping bag. - Nevermind. Anyway, please wake me up once you¡¯re done training. ¡°All right.¡± Mio nodded and headed for the nearby beach with two swords in her hands. She pulled out her magic and stretched it until it was as thin as a thread. Then, she attached them to her immediate surroundings. ¡®With this, I¡¯ll notice anyone¡¯s approach.¡¯¡¯ ¡°Sigh.¡± Mio took a stance with the swords and started dancing. The sword dance she was performing beneath the bright moonlight was breathtakingly beautiful and graceful. However, Mio soon frowned and stopped moving. ¡°This isn¡¯t it¡­¡± ¡®I can¡¯t get past this part.¡¯ Mio had already performed the dance of the Purple Dawn Style at least a thousand times by now, but her sword dance was still not as neat as it looked. Mio could still see tiny openings here and there while she was performing the sword dance. ¡®I don¡¯t understand...¡¯ Mio red at the old booklet in her hand. ¡®I¡¯m doing it with adherence to every detail.¡¯ ¡°Lift sword at shoulder height; strike like a mantis with a foot forward.¡± sh! The two swords tore the air apart, but Mio couldn¡¯t get past the next part. ¡°Be a tempest; attack in all directions. Be a towering tree, stomp with both feet.¡± Mio turned into a blur as she sent a flurry of attacks from all directions at her imaginary enemy. ¡®Faster. I have to be even faster¡­!¡¯¡¯ There was a loud noise as Mio shattered the sound barrier, and her attacks rained down on her opponent from all directions. Unfortunately, Mio was still dissatisfied with what she had done. She looked down at her tiny feet. ¡°They¡¯re nowhere near a towering tree.¡± Mio¡¯s feet couldn¡¯t be a towering tree. They were too fast and as light as a dandelion. ¡°How do I stomp like a towering tree?¡± ¡®Is this booklet lying to me? Is it fake?¡¯ Mio flipped through the old booklet with doubt, but the seal on the old booklet made it clear that it was legitimate. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s an unfinished sword technique?¡± Mio was starting to think that the Purple Dawn Style was an iplete sword technique. ¡®Come to think of it, I have never seen my father use it.¡¯ The reason Mio¡¯s father had never used the sword technique in front of Mio was that he was afraid that Mio would copy the sword technique upon seeing it. ¡°Sigh.¡± Mio let out a sigh as she looked up at the bright moon. Ping! ¡°...!¡± Mio abruptly turned around. She grabbed her swords and red at the forest connected to the beach. ¡°Show yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me¡­.¡± A man walked out from behind a tree. Mio¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Mr. Christin Lewis¡­?¡± ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t mean to peek. I noticed the undtions of magic, so I decided toe here.¡± Christin Lewis¡¯ signature white cassock was torn here and there. Christin Lewis¡¯ current appearance was the exact opposite of his usual tidy appearance, and he was even blushing as he walked over to Mio. ¡°Um, I am ashamed to ask you this, but¡­ do you happen to have some food?¡± Chapter 558. Night of the Owl (1) Chapter 558. Night of the Owl (1) ¡°Phew. I feel so much better now.¡± Christin Lewis smiled after eating Mio¡¯s food. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the Tenmei Family¡¯s wless education, but I did not expect your cooking skills to be excellent as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ttered,¡± said Mio. She shook her head nonchntly and continued. ¡°It is true that I took my family¡¯s cooking ss, but all you ate today was nothing but roasted mushrooms. I did not cook it by my standards.¡± ¡°Wow. You sure do have a high standard when ites to cooking.¡± ¡°Indeed. I am passionate and serious about cooking, and it is one of my talents.¡± Christin Lewis pped in awe without realizing it. ¡°You must be a master of cooking. I believe you. You¡¯ve only roasted mushrooms, but they¡¯re already this good, so I¡¯m curious about just how tasty your proper dish is¡­¡± ¡°My friends did say that my dishes are breathtaking.¡± ¡°Huh, are you talking about the 5 Heroes?¡± asked Christin Lewis. ¡°Indeed,¡± said Mio. However, she recalled one person who had always said that her dishes tasted bad, so she hurriedly added, ¡°Except for Rahmadat. He has a weird taste in food. My food apparently doesn¡¯t taste good for him.¡± ¡°Well, it is not hard to imagine that someone like him would have a unique taste in food.¡± ¡°I would say so.¡± Mio nodded and lowered her guard. ¡®He¡¯s not a bad man.¡¯ Christin Lewis could recognize the true value of her cooking, so Mio came to the conclusion that he had to havee from a harmonious family. Mio examined Christin Lewis¡¯s torn outfit and asked, ¡°I can see that you went through a lot.¡± ¡°Yes. To be honest, I thought I was going to die. I managed to escape the crisis thanks to Miss Skaya¡¯s Teleport, but I couldn¡¯t find anyone else. It¡¯s a miracle that I am still alive after being pursued by those Overminds.¡± Christin Lewis drew the holy sign of the Sun God on his chest. ¡°The Sun God must have been looking after me.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Mio replied indifferently because she wasn¡¯t particrly religious. ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t believe me, but it¡¯s true. I feel like my divine power has strengthened for some reason,¡± Christin Lewis said with twinkling eyes. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Mio and Christin Lewis looked back at the same time. - Oh, a visitor. Mr. Shoot was leaning against a tree with his arm and was looking at the two. ¡°I had no idea you hadpany.¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s Mr. Shoot.¡± ¡°I know him. How could I not know him?¡± Christin Lewis smiled awkwardly upon thinking that they were a strangebination. ¡®Two Guild Masters of the Big Five and the Guild Master of the Sky Soul Guild. I think this can¡¯t get any weirder¡­¡¯ Christin Lewis greeted Mr. Shoot. ¡°I¡¯m d to see that you¡¯re safe, Mr. Shoot.¡± - Likewise. ¡°Haha. Do you have any otherpany? Leave the injured to me.¡± - No, it¡¯s just the two of us. ¡°I see.¡± Christin Lewis nodded. He hesitated for quite a while before saying, ¡°I¡¯m assuming that you two are headed for where the thunder sleeps. Can I stay with you? Our meeting must have been divinely preordained.¡± Mio and Mr. Shoot exchanged looks. - Why not? ¡°Indeed,¡± said Mio. - Let¡¯s stay together, then. ¡°Thank you¡ªthank you so much!¡± Christin Lewis let out a sigh of relief after acquiring reliable colleagues. He had always been the type of person who preferredpany during dangerous times. ¡°I will be the healer and the rearguard,¡± Christin Lewis said. ¡°That is reassuring,¡± said Mio with a smile. She was convinced that it was only a matter of time before they arrived at their destination. ¡°...!¡± Mio abruptly looked up. Mr. Shoot saw that and asked. - What¡¯s wrong? ¡°Someone is approaching.¡± Mio¡¯s gaze turned to the magic threads she had scattered earlier. The magic threads were quivering. Mr. Shoot turned to Christine. - Christin. Are you being pursued? ¡°N-No. I don¡¯t think so.¡± Christin Lewis shook his head, but his face was beyond pallid. ¡°I have shaken them off, and I have been running away for three days afterward just to make sure.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± Shiver! The magic threads quivered vigorously, prompting the group to stare nervously into the forest. Soon, a woman and a man appeared in their sight. ¡°Ugh, damn it! We¡¯re at a beach! I told you it¡¯s a dead end¡ªhuh?¡± ¡°See? I told you I was right!¡± ¡°Sigh. It was you guys. I was nervous because I thought you were either a monster or overmind,¡± said Christin Lewis with a sigh. The duo were none other than Milphage and Kiora, the number two of the mercenary group. ¡°Not yet¡­¡± Mio took a stance with her swords and said, ¡°They¡¯reing.¡± Snap! Mio¡¯s magic threads snapped, and Milphage nodded. ¡°Oh, right! We¡¯re being pursued right now!¡± ¡°Please help! Dozens of those damned Overminds are¡ª¡± A hand stretched out of the forest and interrupted Kiora. ¡°Tsk!¡± Kiora clicked her tongue and swung her sword. ng! Kiora definitely shed an arm away, but the sound of metal shing against metal rang out. ¡°So you¡¯ve decided to die on a beach?¡± ¡°This is a dead-end. How foolish.¡± ¡®One, two¡­¡¯ Overminds in their human forms emerged from the forest one by one. ¡®There are thirty-two of them.¡¯ Mio asked, ¡°Milphage. Are they all here?¡± ¡°One, two, three¡ªif there are thirty-two of them here, then that¡¯s all of them.¡± ¡°Then, I guess there¡¯s no need for a conversation.¡± Christin Lewis closed his eyes and drew the holy sign of the Sun God on his chest. ¡°Overminds who have abandoned your humanity¡­ I beseech you to go back¡­¡± The divine power that flowed out of Christin Lewis illuminated the dark beach. ¡°...to the ground!¡± A massive sword made up of divine power plummeted toward the Overminds. The leader of the Overminds shouted, ¡°Dodge! And hunt them down!¡± ¡°These damn cockroaches! There are three of them now!¡± The Overminds attacked Mr. Shoot because he was the closest. - No, thanks. Mr. Shoot opened his Inventory. Thousands of weapons manifested in the blink of an eye, and they gathered together to form a huge ring. - Weapon Hell. Wooong! The ring started spinning like a merry-go-round, and its sharp edges instantly tore two Overminds into pieces. ¡°Damn it! He¡¯s using a strange skill!¡± ¡°Get out of the way! I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± An Overmind pushed his colleague away and walked toward Mr. Shoot. Crack, crack, crack! The Overmind¡¯s bones cracked, and his figure twisted until he grew to a height of seven meters. Then, he jumped toward Mr. Shoot¡¯s Weapon Hell without any hesitation. Brrrrrrr! The Overmind¡¯s flesh was torn apart by Mr. Shoot¡¯s Weapon Hell, but the Overmind only grinned at Mr. Shoot. ¡°Kekeke! Do you even know how our body works?¡± The Overmind¡¯s flesh regenerated at a rate visible to the naked eye. This wasn¡¯t really strange because Overminds were monsters that had received the dominant genes of monsters. ¡°I have received the dominant genes of a troll.¡± Weapon Hell eventually stopped spinning and helplessly fell to the ground. The Overmind was drenched in blood, and he red fiercely at Mr. Shoot. - ...! Mr. Shoot¡¯s Monarch of Steel (S) allowed him to handle metal freely, but his signature ability¡ªWeapon Hell¡ªrequired a powerful rotational force for it to be effective. - This is bad. Mr. Shoot¡¯s response was a step behind. He didn¡¯t expect his Weapon Hell to copse in the face of such a straightforward method. The Overmind took advantage of the opening and reached out to Mr. Shoot. - ...! The Overmind¡¯s massive palm loomed over Mr. Shoot. However, Mio¡¯s firm voice reached his ears before he could even do anything. ¡°Red Sun Style Third Move...¡± sh! ¡°Bowing Cloud.¡± The Overmind was instantly sliced into thousands of pieces. Mio chided Mr. Shoot. ¡°Get it together. You¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t focus.¡± - I-I¡¯m sorry¡ª Mr. Shoot apologized without realizing it. ¡°Look out!¡± Mr. Shoot shouted upon seeing what was behind Mio. The scream that he barely managed to squeeze out of his melted vocal cords sounded hoarse and terrible, but it was enough to warn Mio. ¡°Die!¡± The Overmind¡¯s palm had recovered in the blink of an eye. Boom! ¡°Tsk.¡± The Overmind clicked his tongue when his palm strike failed to hit anything but the sandy beach. Mr. Shoot was frustrated. - He has the regeneration rate of a troll. We can¡¯t kill him. ¡°No, we can kill him¡­¡± Mio muttered. She dusted off the sand that stuck to her clothes before continuing. ¡°And it¡¯s not that hard because he¡¯s not Rahmadat.¡± - What do you mean? ¡°Rahmadat and trolls are simr at first nce, but they¡¯re very different.¡± The one thing that Rahmadat and trolls had inmon was their ridiculous regeneration rate. However, Rahmadat¡¯s Super Regeneration (EX) required magic to function. ¡°Trolls do not need magic to regenerate.¡± Their blood was the source of their regenerative power, and that was the reason why troll blood was often used in alchemy. ¡°Rahmadat will not die even if he is decapitated or even if his heart is gouged out. He will live as long as he has enough magic.¡± Meanwhile, a troll¡¯s heart would beat dozens of times faster than usual whenever they suffer a fatal wound. ¡°And that is to supply arge amount of blood for the sake of quick recovery.¡± In other words, a troll¡¯s weakness was clear. ¡°It¡¯s their heart.¡± A troll would die without their heart¡ªthat was the difference between them and Rahmadat. ¡°You¡¯re more knowledgeable than I thought for a mere human,¡± said the Overmind. ¡°I am sorry to tell you this, but I am an Overmind. I have ovee the weaknesses of trolls.¡± nk! nk! The overmind tapped his chest. ¡°The skin on my chest and back is harder than any metal. Can your sword pierce it?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Mio nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a relief, then.¡± ¡°...What¡¯s a relief?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve prepared something in advance.¡± Mio took a finger-sized bottle out of her pocket and shook it in front of the Overmind¡¯s eyes. ¡°This is what we call Noble Powder, and it is a poison of nobles.¡± However, it wasn¡¯t that effective. It was almost embarrassing to call it poison. ¡°Its effect is drowsiness.¡± One would get drowsy, fall into a daze, and one¡¯s heart rate would slow down as well. It was a powder that was more simr to an anesthetic rather than a poison. ¡®What if it¡¯s used against a troll that requires a fast heart rate to regenerate?¡¯ ¡°You will be in danger.¡± ¡°...!¡¯ The Overmind¡¯s eyes widened, and he suddenly felt the urge to sit down and sleep when Mio scattered the powder toward him. ¡°You dirty little¡­¡± ¡°Is this supposed to be dirty? I¡¯m not sure. The Tenmei Family¡¯s children are taught to win by any means necessary at an early age.¡± In other words, Mio didn¡¯t mind using poison as long as it would secure her victory. Mio could still remember the battlefield that changed her mind. ¡°One should save not their face on the battlefield¡­¡± Mio vanished and instantly reappeared behind the Overmind. She leaped toward the Overmind¡¯s head and shed. ¡°But theirrade¡¯s life...¡± Thud! A dull thud echoed as the Overmind¡¯s head fell to the ground and started rolling on the sand. The Overmind failed to regenerate and died. Chapter 559. Night of the Owl (2) Chapter 559. Night of the Owl (2) ¡°All right. It¡¯s time for you to go with your friends!¡± Crack! Milphage broke an Overmind¡¯s neck and stood up. He walked over to the others and said, ¡°Hahaha! I don¡¯t know whether I should say I¡¯m sorry or thank you. Anyway, thanks for the help!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about dragging you guys into this. It¡¯s all because of our stupid master.¡± Kiora let out a sigh and handed over small pieces of paper to Mio, Mr. Shoot, and Christin Lewis. ¡°Please take one as thanks.¡± Mio¡¯s curiosity seemed to have been piqued by the pieces of paper. Christin Lewis muttered, ¡°So this is the famous golden ticket...¡± - It¡¯s my first time seeing it in person. Christin Lewis and Mr. Shoot seemed to be aware of the paper¡¯s identity. ¡°What¡¯s a golden ticket?¡± - You can use a golden ticket to request the Hallem Guild¡¯s aid at any time. ¡°Mercenaries are very clear about their grudges and debts.¡± ¡°It¡¯s necessary to survive in this industry, and there¡¯s even a popr saying about how a mercenary should return both favor and spite ten times,¡± Kiora exined. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Mio nodded and carefully stored the golden ticket in her Inventory. ¡°I¡¯ll make good use of it when the timees.¡± ¡°Now that we¡¯re done showing our appreciation, let¡¯s get some sleep! We haven¡¯t been able to sleep for the past few days. Oh, can you protect us while we sleep? I¡¯ll give you three more tickets,¡± said Milphage. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that we have a dumbass for a master! Even restaurants won¡¯t distribute their VIP cards so easily!¡± The night became noisy with the addition of three more people to apany Mio and Mr. Shoot. Mio looked up at the sky and blinked. ¡°Dark clouds¡­¡± ¡®It looks like it¡¯s going to rain.¡¯ *** Mio rubbed her eyes upon waking up and said, ¡°Mr. Shoot.¡± Mr. Shoot turned. ¡°Yawn. Good morning,¡± said Mio. - Yes. Good morning. Mio woke up an hourter than usual. Perhaps it was due to the fierce battlest night. Fwoosh! Mr. Shoot picked up the weapons he had deployed near the camp and disyed words on his helmet. - Thank you. ¡°What do you¡ªoh.¡± ¡®Right. I saved his life.¡¯ Mio stared at Mr. Shoot in silence. ¡°You would have done the same if you were in my shoesst night, right?¡± - Of course, I would save you. ¡®I¡¯m always prepared to risk my life for your survival.¡¯ The words that Mr. Shoot couldn¡¯t disy on his helmet hovered in his throat. ¡°You do not have to thank me, then. Return the favor by saving my life one day,¡± Mio said with a smile. - But isn¡¯t that harder than saying thank you? ¡°Indeed. Don¡¯t save me, then.¡± - I never said that I wouldn''t save you. Mr. Shoot stood up, ending their silly conversation. - Well. I¡¯ll get going and hunt something for breakfast. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be the cook, then.¡± - Maybe not today. I don¡¯t think you should spoil them when it¡¯s their first day with us, and it¡¯s also not a good thing to do because they¡¯ll expect you to cook every day. ¡°Mmhm.¡± Mio nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Then, should I go and hunt something as well?¡± - Why don¡¯t you rest today? You must be tired fromst night¡¯s battle. With that, Mr. Shoot left the camp to hunt. Mio took out the old booklet to start training. ¡®Where did I leave off yesterday?¡¯ ¡°Ah, right,¡± said Mio. She could still remember how she thought about the possibility that the Purple Dawn Style was an unfinished sword technique because it didn¡¯t make much sense to her. ¡®I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s unfinished. The chapters before I got stuck had a high level ofpletion, and I could perform them quite smoothly as well.¡¯ And that was why Mio couldn¡¯t give up the Purple Dawn Style¡­ ¡®If only I have a suitable cultivation method to go along with this sword technique¡­¡¯ Mio was sure that she would surely be even stronger if she had a cultivation method that waspatible with Purple Dawn Style. She could easily extrapte the right way to perform the sword technique from apatible cultivation method. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Mio sighed and concentrated on studying the sword technique Meanwhile, Christin Lewis finally woke up. He looked around and saw that Milphage and Kiora were still asleep while Mr. Shoot was missing. Mio¡¯s defenseless back filled Christin Lewis¡¯ eyes. He stared at her defenseless back for quite a while before sneaking up to her. Swoosh! His divine power gathered at his fingertips. ¡®It has to be instant.¡¯ Christin Lewis reached out for Mio¡¯s neck. ¡°You dirty little bastard!¡± A shout echoed throughout the camp. Christian was startled, and he hurriedly hid his hands behind him. Mio also turned around at the sound. ¡°You can¡¯t eat all that delicious food by yourself¡­!¡± ¡°That startled me. Was that Milphage?¡± asked Mio. ¡°Tsk,¡± Christin Lewis clicked his tongue and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that he talks in his sleep.¡± ¡°Mr. Christin Lewis?¡± asked Mio. ¡°Yes, Miss Mio?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that you¡¯re awake. By the way, why are you standing behind me?¡± Mio¡¯s voice sounded doubtful. Christin Lewis hurriedly exined, ¡°Oh, I saw a bug. I was trying to catch it.¡± ¡°...A bug?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of bugs. I wish Jun-Ho were here with us.¡± ¡®Jun-Ho¡¯s Exterminator (A) will ensure that no bugs will dare toe near us.¡¯ ¡°Anyway, please make a sound whenever you approach me from now on. I might misunderstand you if you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Sure, I will be more careful in the future. - Today¡¯s hunt was a huge sess! Just then, Mr. Shoot appeared with a few birds and rabbits in his hand. He expertly put on an apron over his suit. - Breakfast will be ready soon. Can you guys wake the others up? *** A woman was on a cliff overlooking the forest, the sea, and a sandy beach. ¡°What do we do? How about we attack them right now?¡± she asked. ¡°Hm, that sounds disrespectful,¡± said the man next to the woman. He pressed down his hat to suppress his fluttering purple hair before saying, ¡°Three Guild Masters of the Big Five and a gold-rank mercenary, along with Tenmei Mio. We should respect their firepower.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I¡¯m sure the two of us can take care of them with our eyes closed,¡± said the woman. Judging from her expression, it seemed that she even believed that she could take care of those five people by herself. ¡°The owl¡¯s there as well, so we can just attack them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea considering Specter¡¯s ability.¡± Specter could read the memories of the deceased. The owl making a move first meant that they could be killed quickly under thebined assault of Tenmei Mio¡¯s group. ¡°Let¡¯s hide the owl¡¯s identity until the very end.¡± ¡°...¡± Valencia Citrin frowned. She would always frown whenever she was dissatisfied with something. ¡°Fighting them directly and using the owl is a no-go. What do you actually want?¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not exactly opposed to the idea of a head-on fight,¡± Isaac Dvor smiled and said, ¡°Unfortunately, they aren¡¯t small fries.¡± Isaac Dvor looked up and saw dark clouds. ¡°Let¡¯s wait. The weather seems to be in our favor as well,¡± he said. Soon, Valencia Citrin¡¯s ability would be a thousand percent more powerful. *** Pitter-patter! The rain was quite loud, and it filled the entire forest. ¡°Geez. I don¡¯t think that this is just a passing shower,¡± Kiora grumbled upon being struck by a heavy raindrop in the face. ¡°I think the rain willst at least three or four days. We¡¯re not nning on staying here until then, are we?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Christin Lewis asked, ¡°It¡¯s not like we can catch a cold.¡± - Above all, we¡¯ve also set up many early warning devices near our camp. I think this camp is safer than anywhere else. ¡°Hm.¡± Milphage contemted for a while before asking, ¡°The Archmage said that this world is just like Frontier, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Skaya said that we¡¯re in a parallel universe of Frontier.¡± ¡°In that case...¡± Milphage unfurled a map and pointed at one location. ¡°This is Gamel Mountain. It¡¯s about three hours from here, and there¡¯s a huge natural cave called M Cave in Frontier. I don¡¯t know if this world would have the same cave as Frontier on the 2nd Floor, but¡­ I think it¡¯s worth checking out.¡± ¡°This is quite unusual of you, Master. M Cave will be big enough for us to stay,¡± Kiora said. - Hmm. As expected of the Mercenary King. Your knowledge of Frontier is indeed very deep. ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m ttered. Do you want another ticket?¡± - I don¡¯t think Miss Kiora will like that, so thank you, but now. Anyway, shall we make a decision? Mr. Shoot looked at Mio, and the others turned to Mio as well. Mio became the implicit leader of the party just like that, and it was perhaps due to her performance inst night¡¯s battle. ¡°Three hours isn¡¯t too bad. Let¡¯s move,¡± said Mio with a nod. The party cleaned up the camp uponing to a conclusion. Milphage tapped his chest and shouted, ¡°All right! I¡¯ll take the lead! Kiora will be in charge of the rear.¡± The party assumed their respective roles and started running. ¡®It¡¯s a little awkward to move around with strangers.¡¯ Whenever Mio and her friends were on the move, she would either be on a tree or way ahead of the others. ¡°...?¡± Mio suddenly tilted her head in wonder. If her senses weren¡¯t deceiving her, then their altitude was gradually increasing. ¡®Should I let them know?¡¯ Mio contemted for a moment, but she soon shook her head. Their destination was a mountain, so an altitude increase wasn¡¯t strange. Meanwhile, the bushes drenched in water started growing at an rming rate. *** ¡°Has the forest always been like this?¡± said Mio. He stopped and looked around. It had already been two hours since the party left their camp. It was about time they started seeing their destination, but the forest seemed to have gotten a bit strange. ¡°It is certainly a bit too foggy, even if we consider the heavy rain¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. The forest is dim because of the dark clouds, but the visibility is so low that it¡¯s actually weird.¡± The party looked around, but it was impossible to see even ten meters ahead due to the fog. The incessant noise of rainfall and the dark clouds made traversing the forest even more difficult. ¡°Wait,¡± said Mio. She seemed to have noticed something as she stared at a tree with narrowed eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this tree before. I think we went past this tree earlier.¡± ¡°Huh? No way,¡± Kiora shook her head and said, ¡°We decided to run straight to Gamel Mountain, remember? We didn¡¯t go back, so there¡¯s no way we¡¯ve seen this tree before.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true.¡± ¡®Am I mistaken?¡¯ Mio thought. However, she still felt ufortable, so she decided to draw out her sword. Scratch, scratch, scratch. Mio carved ¡®X¡¯ on the tree. ¡°We should hurry up. I have a bad feeling about this,¡± she said. The party picked up the pace and ran for another thirty minutes. They ran so fast that they arrived thirty minutes earlier. ¡°...¡± However, a tree was at the party¡¯s destination rather than a mountain. - X. The party went silent. - Miss Mio? Mio walked to the side rather than forward, so Mr. Shoot followed her out of concern. ¡®Why is it so foggy?¡¯ Mr. Shoot walked through the fog, which seemed to have gotten worse, and found Mio. Mio was staring nkly at her feet. - What are you looking at¡ª Mr. Shoot¡¯s LED disy abruptly turned off. Fwoooosh! A strong wind struck Mr. Shoot¡¯s helmet. ¡°We¡¯re in a trap.¡± Mio was looking down at the sea below her. Mr. Shoot looked down as well and saw massive bushes extending from the ground to support the ind that they had been standing on all this while. ¡°So this fog isn¡¯t fog...¡± What they thought was fog was actually clouds... ¡°It is said that geniuses are immune to being blindsided, but I waspletely deceived this time. They managed to deceive even my senses,¡± said Mio. The party was trapped on a huge ind that was at least ten kilometers in the sky. Mr. Shoot bit his lips. He had just confirmed that the ind was made up of countlessyers of bushes. - I know the culprit. Mr. Shoot was convinced that the culprit was none other than Valencia Citrin¡ªan infamous Heaven who was also known as the Queen of Thorns. Chapter 560: The Magician and the Thorns (1)

Chapter 560 : The Magician and the Thorns (1)

"The Queen of Thorns¡­ is it that Heaven?¡± Mr. Shoot nodded. - She is the left hand of the Heavenly Demon. She defeated hundreds of yers by herself and became a Heaven. "Is she strong?" - Yes, she¡¯s strong. Mr. Shoot was there when the Heavenly Demon and Valencia Citrin defeated hundreds of yers. - Her bushes are tricky to handle because they distort one¡¯s senses. ¡°I see. I guess that is the reason why I did not notice the bushes until it was toote,¡± said Mio. She examined the bushes and asked, "Can these bushes conjure illusions?" - No, the bushes aren¡¯t strong enough to do that. "That is a relief, then.¡± - We should regroup first and think about what we should do. "Indeed." Mio turned around, and her eyes widened because the road they had gone down to reach here had be a dead-end. "T-there is no path?" - Give me some space. Mio retreated behind Mr. Shoot. Dozens of weapons poured out of Mr. Shoot¡¯s Inventory. - Weapon Hell. Brrr! A circle made out of sharp weapons struck the bushes, but Mr. Shoot was forced to withdraw his skill after a few moments. - This is bad. The wet bushes were much tougher than when they were dry, and they regenerated as fast as they were destroyed. Mio realized that they were in a much more serious situation than she initially thought, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. ¡°I wonder if they¡¯re going to be okay¡­¡± - They won¡¯t die that easily, but¡­ Mr. Shoot trailed off. He stored his weapons away in his Inventory and continued. - We better hurry, just in case. They were surrounded by bushes in all directions, and one couldn¡¯t tell when they would be ambushed *** "Brava!" Isaac Dvor pped without restraint. He truly admired Valencia¡¯s skill. ¡°It seems that your training in the Underworld has paid off. I did not expect you to grow so much." ¡°I don¡¯t like how you sound,¡± said Valencia with a frown. Isaac sounded like Valencia was his subordinate. Isaac sighed and said, "Phew,?you are as sensitive as always. You make me feel like I am talking to a girl in puberty.¡± "Stop talking nonsense and do your job, Isaac,¡± Valencia said with a re. Isaac shrugged at the cold rebuke. "All right, but do you really want me to leave?" he asked. They were currently on the top floor of Valencia¡¯s Bush Castle. If he left to hunt the yers, Valencia would be defenseless. "I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a hard time maintaining this castle and summoning bush monsters at the same time.¡± "It does not matter. I am an absolute in my castle,¡± said Valencia. "Go." "All right, if you say so," Isaac grinned. He bowed toward Valencia and said, "Let the show begin." Swoosh! A burst of me engulfed Isaac, and he disappeared like a magician. *** The fog was so thick that one couldn¡¯t see what was below one¡¯s knee. ¡®Caution is imperative.¡¯?Mio made sure that her senses were razor-sharp, but she could only see half of what she could usually see. It was probably because of the bushes'' ability to distort one¡¯s senses. ¡®Wait¡­¡¯ Mio suddenly got worried about herpanion. "Mr. Shoot, Mr. Shoot? Where are you?¡± she asked. She waited for quite a while, but she received no answer. ¡®He would have already responded if he could hear me.¡¯ Mio initially thought that Mr. Shoot was mute, butst night¡¯s battle proved that it wasn¡¯t the case at all. Hadn¡¯t he warned her verbally while they were fighting the Overminds? ''His voice was strange¡­¡¯ Mr. Shoot¡¯s voice was hoarse. It sounded like he had forcefully squeezed those words out of his vocal cords, and Mio feltfortable hearing his voice, which was even stranger. ''This isn¡¯t the time to think about that.'' Mio picked up her pace. The fog finally cleared, and arge clearing appeared. ¡°Ah!¡± Mio waved her hand at the familiar figure in the clearing. "Mr. Shoot! You were here?" - So you were fine. I was getting worried. Mr. Shoot walked over to Mio. "Watch out!" However, a familiar voice interrupted the two, along with a stream of weapons. Mio turned, and her mind went nk. The weapons belonged to Mr. Shoot. - Mio-nim, stay away from him. The new Mr. Shoot warned. The old Mr. Shoot unleashed his weapons as well. - That''s weird. I told you earlier that you won¡¯t see illusions. "Earlier?¡± Mio stared deeply at the old Mr. Shoot. ¡®I think this Mr. Shoot is real...¡¯ However, words also appeared on the new Mr. Shoot¡¯s helmet. - You asked me if the bushes can conjure illusions, and I told you that they aren¡¯t strong enough to do so. "Uh¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± Mio¡¯s eyes trembled. The two could still remember the same conversation, there was no difference in their appearances, and the two used Mr. Shoot¡¯s Monarch of Steel (S) tounch weapons. ¡®Just who is¡­ the real Mr. Shoot?¡¯ Mio was wary of both sides because she had no idea who was real. - I was just starting to wonder because the Queen of Thorns is here... It seems that bad predictions will often turn out to be correct. - This is likely the work of the Magician of Death¡ªIsaac Dvor¡¯s work. The two Mr. Shoots red at each other. Mio deduced that Isaac Dvor¡¯s goal was to create chaos by imitating Mr. Shoot, but the issue was that Mio couldn¡¯t tell which of the two was the real Mr. Shoot. The old Mr. Shoot cast his signature skill. - I''ll take that mask off. - Mio-nim, please step back. Whooong! The incessant noise of spinning weapons was twice as loud as usual. - Weapon Hell - Weapon Hell Shrieeek! The two Weapon Hells collided with each other, and a shrill noise echoed. "Ugh." Mio covered her ears and examined the two. ¡®I need to find out.¡¯ Mio had to find out the real Mr. Shoot between the two. Boom! The old Mr. Shoot¡¯s Weapon Hell copsed. He was sent flying toward a wall. - Argh! The old Mr. Shoot curled up in pain, and his shirt was stained with blood. - Don''t fall for it. The new Mr. Shoot advised. - He¡¯s just acting. - Nonsense! The old Mr. Shoot gasped and stared at Mio. - I don¡¯t want to reveal my identity, but I can only do it¡­ Pwooosh. The old Mr. Shoot removed his helmet, revealing the face of a sweaty, middle-aged Caucasian. ¡°¡­!¡± Mio''s eyes widened. "John Maverick?" "It''s been a while." The old Mr. Shoot¡¯s voice sounded simr to what Mio had heardst night. "Has it been twenty-nine years?" "Why are you...¡± John Maverick was a yer who had been active with Mio many years ago. Mio thought that the fiends had killed him, but to think that he was still alive and was hiding his identity by wearing a helmet. "Why are you wearing a helmet¡ªah!"?Mio covered her mouth in shock. John Maverick¡¯s eye was red, and he smiled bitterly at her as he exined, "They forced me to drink a few drops of their blood. I didn¡¯t be a fiend, but one of my eyes became like a fiend¡¯s eye, and I can¡¯t just go around with this eye, right?¡± "So that¡¯s why you¡¯re wearing a mask¡­¡± Mio nodded. ¡®Jun-Ho told me¡­¡¯ Shim Deok-Gu had apparently seen Mr. Shoot''s face, and he was instantly convinced that Mr. Shoot couldn¡¯t be anything else but an ally. "In that case¡­" Mio''s cold eyes turned to the new Mr. Shoot. "You are the fake." - No, I¡¯m not... The new Mr. Shoot shook his head, feeling wronged. However, Mio ignored his feelings. She pointed one of her swords at him and said, "If you¡¯re real, then prove your innocence by showing your face." - ¡­ "Are you going to do it or not?" Mio asked. The new Mr. Shoot clenched his fists. His innocence would surely be proven if he removed his mask here. ''This isn¡¯t the best situation to do that¡­¡¯ If he were in Mio¡¯s shoes, even he wouldn¡¯t believe that he was Tenmei Ibuki. Mr. Shoot was certain that Mio would suffer massive mental damage if she were to learn of his true identity. ''It¡¯ll be difficult for us to deal with Isaac Dvor if Mio is out ofmission.¡¯ Mr. Shoot was in a dilemma, but he knew that there was only one answer. ¡®I can¡¯t allow my sister to kill me¡­¡¯?Mr. Shoot¡¯s trembling hand slowly reached for his helmet. He was afraid¡ªafraid that his sister would reject him and afraid about how his sister would look at him. ''I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯ll look at me with the same eyes as those bastards.¡¯ Mr. Shoot shut his eyes tightly. "Oh!?You''re here!" Christin Lewis suddenly appeared in the clearing, and his condition looked much worse than his conditionst night. "Whew, I was worried because a ridiculous number of monsters made out of bushes ambushed¡ªHmm?¡± Christin Lewis was confused to see two Mr. Shoots¡ªone without a helmet and one wearing a helmet. "Mio-nim, what is going on here?¡± "Isaac Dvor has created an illusion of Mr. Shoot. That one there is much more suspicious to me." "Hoh,?I see." Christin Lewis smiled. He instantly understood the dilemma. "Then, my arrival is God¡¯s grace.¡± "¡­What do you mean?" "The Sun God is omnipotent, and He is impartial to all." The holy symbol of the Sun God appeared behind Christin Lewis, and his eyes turned golden. "My eyes can see through all lies. I will see through their innocence and deceit with my Holy Eye." ¡°...!¡± Mio was overjoyed. Christin Lewis¡¯ skill would allow them to verify if the helmet-wearing Mr. Shoot was lying. "Take a look at that Mr. Shoot first!" "Yes, leave it to me,¡± Christin Lewis answered in a confident voice. He turned to look at the helmet-wearing Mr. Shoot and asked, "Are you sure you''re the Mr. Shoot that we know?" - W-wait! The helmet-wearing Mr. Shoot hurriedly revealed words on his LED disy. Christin Lewis was currently under suspicion of being a traitor. How could Mr. Shoot let someone who was under suspicion decide his innocence? ''I can¡¯t answer him...¡¯ Mr. Shoot started to panic. "How troublesome,¡± said Milphage. He entered the clearing while scratching the back of his head. Christin Lewis nced at him and nodded. "Oh,?you''re here? This is indeed troublesome, but God¡¯s grace will allow us to see the truth.¡± "Yes, that¡¯s it. That¡¯s why it¡¯s troublesome." ¡°Yes?¡± Christin Lewis doubted his ears and turned to look at Milphage. Crack! Milphage¡¯s big and powerful hand instantly crushed Christin¡¯s neck. "Whew.?Those fiends are sloppy as always,¡± Milphage muttered, seemingly annoyed. Chapter 561: The Magician and the Thorns (2) Chapter 561. The Magician and the Thorns (2) Thud! Christin Lewis¡¯ corpse fell to the ground with a dull thud, silencing everyone. ¡°¡­¡± Mio came to her senses first and asked, "Just what did you do¡­?¡± "Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re confused, but please listen to me. I had no choice but to do it," Milphage spoke. He pointed to the path where he hade from and said, "I overheard him talking to Isaac Dvor.¡± "Is that true?" "I know it¡¯s hard to believe, but what can I do when it¡¯s the truth? I decided to kill him right before he started talking nonsense.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mio wordlessly stared at Milphage. It didn¡¯t matter whether Milphage¡¯s story was true or false, there was one issue that would never be resolved because of what he had done. "Don''t you think that it would have been better to let him speak?¡± If Christin Lewis was the traitor, he would have protected the fake Mr. Shoot. They would have managed to uncover the real Mr. Shoot. "Uh¡­¡± Milphage pped his forehead and said, "I didn''t think that far, damn it...¡± ¡°¡­¡± Milphage had always given off the impression that he was dumb, but Mio didn¡¯t think that he was dumb at all. There was no way the Mercenary King and the Guild Master of Hallem would be a fool. ¡®It''s very suspicious.¡¯ Milphage¡¯s recent actions made Mio doubt Milphage. The possibility that Milphage was the traitor had opened up in her mind, and it made her feel a headache. ''I can¡¯t trust anyone.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t trust Milphage and either of the two Mr. Shoots. Of course, she couldn¡¯t trust Kiora as well because she was with Milphage. ¡®It reminds me of fiends¡­¡¯ Mio was reminded of the fiends¡¯ dirty tricks to make others distrustful of others. In addition, it hadn¡¯t been that long since they met, so the others had no choice but to stick out to avoid suspicion. Rumble! The clearing suddenly trembled, and it felt as if the ground would cave in. "Cough, Mio! Hurry! This way!" John Maverick gestured at her, but she ignored it. ''I can¡¯t trust anyone here, so it¡¯s best for me to move by myself.'' Swoosh! The ground vanished, and a sense of weightlessness inundated Mio. *** Tenmei Mio and Mr. Shoot were nowhere to be seen after they fell into the hole. John Maverick stopped writhing in agony. The wound on his torso could no longer be seen by the time he stood up. "Tenmei Mio¡­ I didn¡¯t expect her to be so difficult to deceive," muttered John Maverick. "What¡¯s up with the way you handle things?!" Milphage growled. "We almost got caught! The whole thing almost went up in mes!" "Whoa, whoa. Calm down," said John Maverick¡ªno, Isaac Dvor. He grinned at Milphage and exined, "I was a mercenary myself, so I thought I did a great job. Did I fail to imitate a decent mercenary?¡± "What are you talking about? Have you already forgotten? Seo Jun-Ho¡ªhe can read the memories of the dead!¡± Milphage eximed. It would be the end of him if the truth about how he had been colluding with the fiends came to light. His wealth, honor, friends, and even his family would abandon him. His empire would copse in the blink of an eye. "Don¡¯t be too worried. Do you really think that he cane here?¡± "That monster is unpredictable. Anyway, didn¡¯t you promise? You promised that you would hide and protect me." "Yes, I promised. I¡¯m holding up my end of the bargain by giving you insurance." Isaac was sure that even if Seo Jun-Ho managed to make his way here, there was no way he would doubt Milphage. "Ta-da!" Isaac gestured exaggeratedly at Christin Lewis¡¯ corpse. "He would have no reason to doubt you because the so-called traitor is already dead. You just have to dispose of that corpse, and he will have nothing to read.¡± Isaac grinned and tapped Milphage¡¯s shoulder. "You should rx." "Whew." Milphage sighed. He scratched his head asplicated thoughts filled his mind. "I guess we have to wrap everything up properly." "I¡¯m an expert at wrapping things up, so don¡¯t worry about it. Ah! What about your subordinate?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Milphage fell into deep contemtion upon recalling Kiora. Kiora had always been by his side even before the Hallem Guild became a part of the Big 6 and now Big 5. He had always treated her like family, and he reckoned that thetter thought the same. Milphage gnashed his teeth and said, "If possible... I¡¯d like you to spare her." "Oh, are you sure about taking that much risk? It seems that you really love your subordinate. I wish my liege knew how to love us, too¡­¡± "Stop talking nonsense. Just make sure that Mr. Shoot and Mio are dead.¡± "Yes, I¡¯m¡ª¡± Isaac stopped speaking and peeked over Milphage¡¯s shoulder with a look of amusement. ¡°Hm, I think you¡¯re the one who should make sure that he¡¯s dead.¡± "What?" Crack! A cracking noise echoed from behind Milphage. Milphage turned around and saw the dead Christin Lewis cracking his neck. Crack, crack, crack! Christin Lewis tilted his head upon putting his bones back in ce. "Ah, I felt like I died and came back to life. Wait, I actually died¡­" Christin Lewis¡¯ golden eyes turned to Milphage. "I wish it weren¡¯t you, but it seems that you¡¯re the traitor all along, Milphage." ¡°¡­¡± Milphage''s eyes quivered as he stared at Christin Lewis. "What, what? How...?¡± Milphage muttered nkly. "I saw something strange while we were at camp.¡± A small invisible insect was attached to Tenmei Mio''s neck. His Holy Eye could barely see the insect because of its stealth. ¡°It was a tracking gu that the Dark Moon Pavilion of the Fiend Association often used for special missions. I wasn¡¯t actually sure because I only saw it being described on a document,¡± said Christin Lewis. The tracking gu could be attached to the target by brushing past them. Afterward, one could keep track of the target by using the bug as a GPS. "When I saw that bug, I instantly realized that the traitor¡¯s target was Mio-nim.¡± Christin Lewis suspected everyone else aside from Mio. "I honestly let my guard down. I didn''t expect that you''d kill me without hesitation.¡± However, the unfortunate death ended up being an unexpected boon. Milphage¡¯s actions made Christin Lewis sure that the former was the traitor. ¡°¡­¡± Milphage red murderously at Christin Lewis. He wanted to kill thetter to shut his mouth. He wanted to tear thetter apart along with his memories. ¡°Now that I think about it, you¡¯ve done a few suspicious things. Howe I didn¡¯t think much of them until now?¡± Christin Lewis muttered. He turned to look at Milphage and continued. "You tried to take off Specter-nim¡¯s mask when he copsed after killing the Heavenly Demon. When did you be a traitor?¡± "... Isaac Dvor. Are you going to keep listening?" "I don¡¯t know. This is so interesting that I can¡¯t keep my eyes off it. Anyway, I''ll take care of it. I¡¯m a good owner who takes good care of my customers.¡± Isaac waved his hands, and dozens of ying cards appeared between his fingers. ¡°It hasn''t been that long since you revived, but I¡¯m afraid that I will have to make you leave for the afterlife once more, Mr. Saint,¡± said Isaac. Shwik! The ying cards flew toward Christin Lewis. Thunk! A golden dome unfolded in front of Christin Lewis and deflected the flying cards. "It seems that the God I serve has no intentions of calling me to His side just yet." ¡°Hoh.¡± Isaac Dvor''s expression turned strange. The bunch of ying cards he had thrown at Christin Lewis weren¡¯t ordinary attacks. Those ying cards would make even Valencia quite nervous while facing them. "This is unexpected. You should not be this strong based on our investigations." ¡°I guess you weren¡¯t lying when you said that, you fanatic,¡± said Milphage. He could still remember Christin Lewis¡¯ words about how his divine power had be dramatically stronger for some reason on the 7th Floor. "Well, I talked big, but I am not strong enough to beat you two into submission." Christin Lewis knelt on one knee and sped his hands together. "I will not move even a single step from here until Mio-nim and Mr. Shoot¡¯s return." Would His shield shatter first, or would the others find him first? "All things are ording to His will." Christin Lewis solemnly drew the holy sign on his chest. *** Swoosh! A thorny bush emerged from the ground and wrapped around Mio¡¯s legs. The monsters made out of bushes and covered in thorns took that as a sign to attack, and they immediately charged at Mio. "Blue Moon Style Second Move: Sword of the Swallow." Mio lowered her stance and ran as if she were sliding on the ground to cut the bush monsters into dozens of pieces. Mio severed the thorny bush around her leg and looked around. ¡®It does not seem like there¡¯s an end to this¡­¡¯ She had already cut down more than a hundred bush monsters, but she could still see dozens of them in the distance. Mio was starting to feel nervous, but she forcefully suppressed her nerves. ''Serene as still water. I have to be calm.¡¯ The bush monsters weren¡¯t that strong, so she was steadily climbing the castle. At this rate, she would reach the top floor of the castle in two hours. ''I need to cut down the Queen of Thorns.¡¯ She had to get rid of the thick fog as soon as possible. Mio stepped forward and danced with her two swords. Slice! The bush monsters reached out for her like zombies, but she cut them all down. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ Mio twisted herself in mid-air to swing her two swords in a circle. Slice! The bush monsters copsed, but her swords had also inadvertently cut down the wall made out of thorny bushes at the end of her current path. ¡°¡­!¡± A vast clearing could be seen between the hole in the wall, but the thorny bushes quickly filled the hole. ''That''s definitely...¡¯ Mio stepped forward with both her swords in tow. Swoosh! She gouged arger hole in the wall, and she immediately jumped into the hole. ¡°¡­¡± Mio wordlessly red at the regenerating wall. The bush monsters seemed like they were afraid to chase after Mio, and they melted into the walls, ceiling, and the floor "Haaa¡­" Mio got up and looked around. She saw a thick pir of thorny bushes that seemed to be holding up the entire castle. Rustle! ¡°¡­!¡± Mio was startled to see a woman¡¯s figure emerge from the bushes in the pir. It was her first time seeing the woman, but Mio¡¯s grip on her swords tightened upon seeing thetter. "Valencia Citrin,¡± she said. "I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d find this ce," said Valencia. Half of her body was still in the pir, but it seemed that she had no issues with it as she continued. "Your luck is abysmal. I can¡¯t allow this castle to copse just yet." ¡°Does that mean that this castle will copse if I cut that pir down?¡± ¡°Yes, it will,¡± replied Valencia. It was the only reason she urgently came down from the top floor. However, Valencia was right. Mio¡¯s luck was abysmal. ¡®Ugh¡­¡¯ Mio¡¯s legs were trembling¡ªno, her entire body was trembling as if she were a young deer facing the headlights of a careening car. She was trying her best to stay calm, but Valencia was too strong for her to stay calm. "Give up. You¡¯re not my match.¡± Valencia flicked her hand, and hundreds of thorny bushes emerged from the floor. "Ugh¡­" Mio momentarily felt like she was standing in front of Erebo at Seo Jun-Ho difficulty on Another World. ''No, s-she¡¯s stronger than Erebo...¡¯ The trajectory of the thorny bushes was diverse, and it was extremely difficult to detect where they would appear next. Mio became faster and faster as she deflected the thorny bushes, and it was all because she knew that her speed would fall if she got hit. ¡®I have to block everything. Everything, everything, everything¡­!¡¯ It had only been three minutes since their encounter, but Mio had already cut down more than a thousand thorny bushes. "You fight well." Valencia looked somewhat impressed by Mio¡¯s prowess. "Unfortunately, there is no way you can avoid this one,¡± said Valencia. She raised her hands and started moving them as if she were ying the Cat¡¯s Cradle game. At the same time, innumerable thorny bushes emerged from the floor, the walls, and the ceiling. "Cage of Thorny Death." The thick thorns made Mio¡¯s mind go white. How could she avoid so many thorns? She looked around, but she couldn¡¯t see anything else other than thorny bushes. Her hands were busy cutting down the approaching thorny bushes, but it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Mio suddenly felt a shiver down her spine. She could feel it; her death was imminent. She pursed her lips and was about to burn everything she could to make ast stand. Boooooom! However, a massive ring made out of weapons fell from the ceiling and sliced the thorny bushes apart. "Weapon Hell? Mr. Shoot!" Mio¡¯s expression instantly sank. ¡®No, no...'' Mr. Shoot wasn¡¯t here to help her, and it was evidenced by the fact that Mr. Shoot¡¯s Weapon Hell was flying straight toward her rather than Valencia. ¡°¡­¡± Mio¡¯s outstanding vision captured the figure behind the spinning ring. The slender figure wearing a helmet was none other than Mr. Shoot. - Die. Tenmei Mio. Mio¡¯s heart became filled with pain upon seeing the words on Mr. Shoot¡¯s LED disy, but Mr. Shoot¡¯s arrival meant that she could finally see a way for her to survive this entire ordeal for the meantime. ¡°If that¡¯s your wish¡­" Shwaaah! A wave of darkness abruptly emerged and engulfed both Mio and Mr. Shoot. "Wee¡­" ¡­to Oni¡¯s Forest. Chapter 562. The Magician and the Thorns (3) Chapter 562. The Magician and the Thorns (3) Two figures were standing on an open field illuminated by the pale light of the bright full moon, and they were surrounded by a forest filled with lush trees and vegetation. "The rule of this forest is simple¡ªonly thest man standing is allowed to leave," said Mio. She lifted her sword and aimed it at Mr. Shoot. ¡°Please answer me honestly." Her voice carried both resentment and fragile hope as she asked, "Are you Isaac Dvor?" If the man in front of her were Isaac Dvor, Mio would have no qualms fighting him because he would be just a mere fiend mimicking Mr. Shoot''s appearance. ¡®And¡­¡¯ If the man in front of her turned out to be Mr. Shoot, her memories of John Maverick, who had already revealed himself earlier, wouldn¡¯t be trampled on. - ¡­ However, Mr. Shoot remained silent. Nothing could be heard aside from the rustling leaves. "...I see." There was no reason for Isaac to lie here. In other words, the man in front of her was indeed the Mr. Shoot she knew¡ªherpanion over the past ten days in the wilderness. ¡°Keeheehee, keeheeheehee.¡± ¡°Keehee, keeheehee.¡± The eerieughter of the hiding oni sounded likeughing children, and they were encouraging the two to fight. They were giddy with excitement. They wanted to witness them duke it out for supremacy. Mio took a stance with her sword and said, "Raise your weapon. I will strike you down." - I will not be an easy opponent. Mr. Shoot flicked his hand, and thousands of sharp weapons poured out of his Inventory to form four small rings instead of one massive ring. "Let me confirm one thing. Did you attack me because you¡¯re a fiend?" A brief pause ensued. Mr. Shoot eventually nodded - You just have to know that I had a deal with them." "I see." Mio''s eyes lost all trace of hesitation. She felt relieved as she said, "Your answer has allowed me to strike you down without hesitation." - Strike me down if you can. Tap! Mio lightly tapped the ground, and the distance between her and Mr. Shoot narrowed in an instant. "Die!" she eximed as she swung her sword with all her might. The air shrieked as it was torn apart by the force behind Mio¡¯s attack. Naturally, her target was Mr. Shoot¡¯s head. ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯ A master swordsman could tell whether their sword move would strike true or not the moment they swung their sword, and Mio could feel it. ¡®My sword can¡¯t be avoided,¡¯ she thought. Mr. Shoot raised a finger. -Too bad. ng! The sword abruptly stopped in mid-air. "...!" - Metals are ineffective against me. Mr. Shoot¡¯s Monarch of Steel (S) was the bane of all swordsmen. Mio unhesitantly stored her two swords in her Inventory. - Hoh, are you giving up? "Not at all!" - Then, go ahead and struggle Brrr! Mr. Shoot¡¯s four rings rotated and flew toward Mio. Mio retreated and hurriedly pulled something out of her inventory. It was the wooden sword that she had been using during her childhood. She wasn¡¯t allowed to wield a real sword at the time, so she had been using a wooden sword as a substitute. - ... Was it a misunderstanding? Mr. Shoot¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t be seen because of his helmet, but Mio somehow felt that Mr. Shoot¡¯s gaze was fixed on her wooden sword. "It¡¯ll be an expensive mistake to underestimate a wooden sword just because it is made out of wood,¡± said Mio. ¡°I know¡­¡± Mr. Shoot muttered, and he lifted his hand once more. - Can you really face my Weapon Hell with a mere wooden sword? "Indomitable," Mio dered. Mio would never waver, bend, or break once she had set her mind on something. "A steadfast and strong enough determination is enough for my sword to cut through anything.¡± A vibrant blue sword aura enveloped Mio¡¯s wooden sword. Brrrr! The wooden sword shrieked upon being subjected to the sharpness of Mr. Shoot¡¯s Weapon Hell. ¡®No! Hold on a bit longer, please¡­¡¯ Mio pleaded as she charged at Mr. Shoot. Mio was aware that time was on her side. - How reckless... Brrr! Mr. Shoot¡¯s four Weapon Hells spun like crazy and shot toward her. ¡®Focus.¡¯ Most swordsmen would need about a month to adapt to new swords. It was a phenomenonmonly referred to as breaking in. ¡®Focus.¡¯ However, Mio¡¯s talent allowed her to stay in optimal condition at all times, so she didn¡¯t need to break in a new sword. She would instinctively know how to wield it. ¡®I¡¯ming.¡¯ Mio¡¯s eyes shed. The first ring was flying toward her head, while the others were flying toward her limbs. "Blue Moon Style Fifth Move: Moon Reversal." aaaang! Sparks flew as Mio¡¯s sword aura parried one of Mr. Shoot¡¯s Weapon Hells. ¡®First one down.¡¯ Moon Reversal was a sword move that allowed the swordsman to parry the opponent''s attack. The first Weapon Hell crashed to the ground and shattered, but there were still more Weapon Hells toe. "Red Sun Style Seventh move: Red Rainbow." The vibrant blue color of Mio¡¯s sword aura abruptly changed to red. The process was seamless. It didn¡¯t look jarring at all, and it was as natural as it could get. Mio¡¯s sword technique changed from The Blue Moon Style to the Red Sun Style. ang! ng! Seven collisions echoed throughout the battlefield. - Hoh... A single color illuminated the dark forest as Mio¡¯s swordsmanship destroyed not only the second Weapon Hell but Mr. Shoot¡¯s third Weapon Hell as well. ¡®One left...¡¯ Mio became even faster. ¡®I can hear it.¡¯ A swordsman who had spent a long timemuning with the sword could hear its voice. Perhaps that was why the agonizing scream that the wooden sword was emitting resonated in her heart. The wooden sword had surpassed its limits and had gone well beyond it. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be strange if it broke at any moment.¡¯ She had to move faster, faster, and even faster. She had to end Mr. Shoot¡¯s life while the wooden sword was still alive. Mio swung her wooden sword with determination, shattering the sound barrier. "Red Sun Style Final Move: Red sh under the Moon." Would a red light twinkle beneath the moonlight? The light could cut and prate anything. Booom! The fourth Weapon Hell exploded like a bomb, sending shrapnel flying everywhere. "..." - ... A deafening silence descended on the battlefield. Crack! There was an audible crack as Mio¡¯s wooden sword exploded into a cloud of dust. "..." Mio stared in confusion at her hand. ¡®I couldn¡¯t reach him...¡¯ Mio wasn¡¯t sure, but it seemed like Mr. Shoot had stepped forward at the apex of her sword move. "Cough!" Mr. Shoot copsed. Mio¡¯s wooden sword didn¡¯t destroy his heart instantly, but it bore a hole in his chest. ¡°How poignant¡­¡± Mr. Shoot muttered something iprehensible and took something out of his Inventory. It was a clean booklet that seemed to have been made recently. - This is yours. "What is it?" Mio was wary. Why was her opponent suddenly handing over something to her? ¡®It¡¯s a trap. Perhaps it¡¯s a bomb that will explode the moment I take it.¡¯ She was certain that it had to be some kind of trick. - I told you¡ªI owe your mother a huge debt. "..." Mio could still remember his words back then, and the fact that Mr. Shoot could still remember her mother was the reason Mio felt like they had known each other for a long time. - She asked me one favor¡ªshe asked me to deliver this to you. "...My mother?" Mio was astonished, but she soon shook her head. Her path so far had not been so smooth that she would trust her enemy¡¯s words so easily. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to taunt me, you can stop now. I will not let my guard down.¡± - The duel is over. I lost, and the oni will take me away soon." Mr. Shoot was right. The oni behind the trees were licking their lips while staring at Mr. Shoot. - Hurry up and take it. It contains the cultivation method of the Purple Dawn Style." "Nonsense!" Mio retorted sharply and snatched the booklet. She quickly scanned the contents while remaining wary of Mr. Shoot. ¡®Of course, he must have written something usible¡­¡¯ However, her doubts started to vanish as she read the booklet. She had mastered the sword techniques of the Tenmei Family, so there was no way she would be fooled so easily. "Why... is this real?" Mio asked. The cultivation method strongly resembled the teachings and principles of the Tenmei Family. ¡®And these passages aren¡¯t just random passages.¡¯ The profound passages made Mio realize a few things, and she also instinctively realized that she would reach another level if she learned this cultivation method. ¡®But it doesn¡¯t make sense¡­!¡¯ And that was why the entire thing was so confusing to her¡­ "What exactly is going on here? My mother should not be aware of the Purple Dawn Style¡¯s cultivation method.¡± The Purple Dawn Style cultivation method was a secret that only the head of the family would know, and even if her mother somehow learned about it, there was no way she would have shared it with an outsider. - I am unaware of the details. I am an outsider, after all. Mr. Shoot¡¯s helmet seemed to be staring intently at her. - I was simply asked to deliver that booklet to you. How could I know what it contains? "..." Mio didn¡¯t know what to say as she stared intently at Mr. Shoot¡¯s helmet. She suddenly became curious about Mr. Shoot¡¯s current thoughts and expression. "Cough, cough!" Blood started to drip down Mr. Shoot¡¯s helmet. Mio mustered her magic as Mr. Shoot stood up. - Don¡¯t worry about me. Memorize the cultivation method as quickly as you can. "What are you¡­ talking about?" -You seem to have forgotten, but you will have to face Valencia Citrin outside. The current Mio was too weak to defeat Valencia, and there was no way she could beat thetter after studying the Purple Dawn Style for a few minutes. - I¡¯ll buy as much time as you can until you¡¯ve grasped everything in that booklet. ¡°Kihihi, kihihihi!¡± The oni finally emerged. It seemed that they had marked Mr. Shoot as the loser of the duel, and they hade out to add him to their collection. Mr. Shoot remained steadfast. He gathered his weapons to form a ring. - Please hurry. "..." Mio stared at Mr. Shoot in total iprehension. Why was he buying time for his enemy who had basically sealed his fate? Who in the world would do something so foolish? - I understand that you don¡¯t believe me. Mr. Shoot urgently disyed words on his helmet¡¯s LED disy. - Just think of it as repayment of my debt to your mother. "What... what debt do you owe my mother?" Mr. Shoot fell silent. Swoosh! An oni reached out with its hand toward him. Brrr! Mr. Shoot¡¯s Weapon Hell rotated to resist the oni. - It is a debt that I will not be able to repay even for a lifetime. If it hadn¡¯t been for your mother, I would not be alive right now. - She asked me to take care of you. He didn¡¯t lie, but he decided to exclude a phrase. @@-Listen carefully, Ibuki.@@ Mother sat him down and said¡­ @@-You have to take good care of your sister. You are the only one who can be your sister''s shield.@@ Mio was a rare genius. Aside from him, everyone in the family was both wary and jealous of her. He was the only one who liked her and kept on following her. - I haven¡¯t been able to keep my promise. He was young, he was ipetent, and he was a coward¡ªit was all because of these that his sister had to stay in a cold prison for twenty-five years. - I regret every single waking moment of my life that led to that moment. Mr. Shoot wiped away the blood that was flowing down his helmet, and his Weapon Hell spun violently. - It is time I keep my promise. Even at the expense of his own life... Chapter 563. Pieces (1) Chapter 563. Pieces (1) Mio¡¯s eyes fluttered open and shut for quite a while, but she still couldn¡¯t find the words to speak. ¡®I don¡¯t understand.¡¯ She had no idea why Mr. Shoot was suddenly acting like what he was doing right now. She had no idea how she was supposed to react. Most importantly, she was totally confused. ¡®Learn it?¡¯ If her mother had truly asked him to deliver the Purple Dawn Style¡¯s cultivation method to her, why did he try to kill her? ¡®Wait. Could it be that he wanted to give me some time to grasp the cultivation method?¡¯ Mio shook her head. She was jumping to conclusions in an effort to rationalize things positively. ¡®Why am I hesitating when he just tried to kill me?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t understand. She truly couldn¡¯t understand. Mio gripped the booklet tightly and mustered the courage to speak. ¡°Shoo¡ª¡± ¡°Kihihi.¡± ¡°Kih? Hihi.¡± However, the oni interrupted her. They stepped out of the trees one by one to bask in the moonlight. nk, nk, nk! The jars hanging from their necks made loud noises as they collided with each other. ¡°Urk.¡± The phantom energy of the oni enveloped Mr. Shoot. Mr. Shoot kept his eyes on the monsters because he couldn¡¯t afford to look away. ¡°They¡¯re strong,¡± he said. ¡°...Yes, they are powerful.¡± The oni had been able to take down a Common demon. It was hard to tell how long Mr. Shoot wouldst against the oni. ¡°Thirty minutes,¡± said Mr. Shoot. ¡°I promise to buy you thirty minutes.¡± ¡°But why¡­¡± ¡°Is that still important? The Tenmei Mio I know would have already made the right decision.¡± ¡°...¡± Mio went silent. She knew that he was right, and she also didn¡¯t have any other choice right now. ¡®The oni will catch him soon.¡¯ The Unique Realm would disappear upon his death, and Mio would have to face the Queen of Thorns. ¡®I cannot possibly beat the oni as well¡­¡¯ Mio had no idea what kind of amazing teachings the booklet contained, but¡­ ¡®I have nothing else to rely on but this¡­¡¯ Mio bit her lip and swallowed the truth. She retreated to try and grasp the cultivation method as soon as possible. Mr. Shoot smiled faintly when he could no longer sense her. ¡®You¡¯ve always had a good heart, Sister.¡¯ And that was why he had always loved and looked up to her. Her demeanor and speech were brusque, but she was a warm person who cared about others. ¡®I pray that you will find something in that cultivation method.¡¯ The cultivation method was created by the renowned swordmaster Tenmei Kaisei of ancient times. Honestly, Mr. Shoot wasn¡¯t sure if the booklet would be useful because the information it contained was from an era without magic. However, he still had to give it to her. ¡®...I pray that your prophecy wille true.¡¯ The seer of the Observatory Tower, Seo Mi-Rae, had told him as such. - All right, then¡­ It¡¯s time to y. Mr. Shoot grinned. Japanese characters appeared on his helmet¡¯s LED disy. The oni couldn¡¯t read them, but they swarmed him like wasps. *** Boom! Mio whipped around upon hearing the loud explosion. Mr. Shoot was currently fighting at least a dozen oni by himself. ¡°...¡± Mio couldn¡¯t read him at all. She still didn¡¯t understand his thoughts or feelings, but one thing was for sure¡ªhe had given her a vital opportunity. ¡®I can¡¯t waste this opportunity.¡¯ Mio opened the booklet. - It is not honor nor poise that a sword must have. It is the heart of a swordsman.[1] The text was written in an elegant script, and Mio¡¯s eyes shone upon reading the first sentence properly. ¡®This is it.¡¯ She finally understood why Mr. Shoot thought that the cultivation technique would make her stronger. ¡®My forefather may have made it to the end of the road I am currently walking on.¡¯ She had been seeking enlightenment while braving the battlefield, but what she had been looking for had beenpressed into a sentence. Mio excitedly flipped the page. ¡®It¡¯s a cultivation method.¡¯ It used ki, which was now known as magic, to show her a new path. She flipped the pages frantically, but she froze. Her hand holding the booklet gripped it tightly. ¡®Wait. This is¡­¡¯ The more she read, the more familiar it became. Of course, it would be familiar. After all, it was just like her family¡¯s core Blue Moon and Red Sun Styles. ¡°Oh.¡± In other words, the Blue Moon Style had always been old and worn rather than supreme. ¡®Our n put effort into honing the styles and their corresponding cultivation method when the Gates appeared.¡¯ However, the Tenmei Family¡¯s core styles and cultivation methods had be a suitable weapon against monsters only in recent years. Back when there were no Gates nor magic, the Tenmei Family¡¯s core styles and cultivation methods were only being used to prevent diseases and stay healthy. ¡°...¡± Mio¡¯s mind went nk. It was all because the cultivation method that Mr. Shoot had handed over to him didn¡¯t contain anything better than what she already had on hand. ¡®Was I chasing after nothing?¡¯ She thought that it would give her some kind of breakthrough. After all, the booklet contained the cultivation method that the founder of her n had left behind. She thought that it would contain some great secrets. Bang! Boom! Boom! The explosions behind her were heartless. ¡®I have to¡­¡¯ She had to be stronger here if she wanted to defeat Valencia once she emerged from her Unique Realm. She had to do something because Mr. Shoot¡¯s time was limited. She flipped the page, and her eyes darkened. ¡®No¡­¡¯ - Once I finalized these two martial arts styles in myter years, I called them ¡®form¡¯ and ¡®heart¡¯. He was likely referring to the Purple Dawn Sword¡¯s skills and techniques as well as the Purple Dawn cultivation method. - I do not doubt the perfectness of this cultivation method. I believe that is why they call me the Sword Master, undeserving the name may be. Mio knew that it was possible for there to be such techniques even back in ancient times. After all, schrs were always debating the benefits and drawbacks of the ki that martial artists wield. - However, I cannot quite say the same about the techniques that this book contains. ¡®What?¡¯ Mio¡¯s eyes narrowed. She had a feeling that she knew what the book was talking about. -The good thing is that I have recorded these sword techniques, and I wish that my descendants learn them. I am confident that they will be useful regardless of the generation. However, the problem is that these skills are merely a product of my delusions. The page wrinkled under her grip when she realized that she was right. ¡®So those extraordinary martial arts moves¡­ were they fake all this time?¡¯ Mio felt a pang of pain in her heart, and she decided to close the book. However, a sentence caught her eye. - I wish to reach the sky with my sword. Mio was unsure, but her heart as a swordsman ached upon reading those words. Her eyes darted to the next sentence, enraptured. - The clear sky, the cold moon, the lonely red sunset, and the birds that soar through the heavens. - They stir my heart. I wish to channel them through my sword. She was extremely familiar with those words. The Tenmei Family¡¯s core sword styles were called the Red Sun and Blue Moon. - Like a fool, I could never tear my eyes away from the sky. - Others will think that the sky is unchanging, but it is ever-changing to me. - I did not want to miss a single form. I could not miss it. So I could never look away. Mio started to understand him. He had loved the sky more than anyone else had ever had. - I would look at the sky and swing my sword. - I would swing my sword and look back at the sky. - The flowers bloomed, the cicadas cried, the leaves turned red, and snow fell. - The sun would rise, and the sun would set. The moon would rise, and the moon would set. - Once my thick beard grew until it reached my stomach. - They started calling me the Sword Master, and I could finally reach the sky with my sword. Mio¡¯s heart started to pound madly against her chest. She suddenly had the urge to start swinging her sword, but she forced it down and started reading as fast as she could. - If there are one million swords in the world, I have no doubt that they will also possess one million hearts. - It is not honor nor poise that a sword must have. It is the heart of a swordsman. ¡°Heart¡­¡± She already knew that¡ªno, she thought she knew that, but the truth was that she had been unaware of it. - If a descendant of mine is reading this in despair, allow me to tell you this. Letter by letter, the ancient words inspired and set Mio¡¯s emotions aze. - You must not follow in the footsteps of others. You must train with the intention of leaving your own mark. - Never stop asking yourself what you wish for your sword to convey. - Never stop asking yourself what kind of sword lies deep within your heart. - And when you have be certain of your answer¡­ Was she imagining things? The words suddenly became dazzling for some reason. -You will be a Grandmaster. Mio¡¯s ears started ringing. She didn¡¯t even notice that she had unsheathed her sword. ¡®The sword¡­ within my heart.¡¯ Swish! Swish! Her sword sliced the wind apart, and then she realized... ¡®Chains. They are chains.¡¯ There was a time when she didn¡¯t think of it that way, but as she continued training in her family¡¯s sword techniques and following their orders, the chains grew heavier and heavier. Eventually, they started binding her freedom and her heart. She asked herself, ¡®Do I wish for my sword to be made out of chains?¡¯ As soon as the question popped up in her head, she felt so repulsed by the idea that even she was surprised by her reaction. ¡®No.¡¯ She wanted something more liberating. She didn¡¯t want to swing such a suffocating sword. ¡®More¡­¡¯ She wanted something freer. ¡®More¡­¡¯ She wanted something that could reach greater heights. ¡®More! More! More!¡¯ If the founder of her family wanted to reach the sky, she yearned for something that would allow her to soar through that very sky without any chains binding her. ¡°...¡± The sword grew lighter in her hand. Woosh! However, her swings had somehow be more powerful. She swung her sword as if she were possessed, and the chains within her heart started falling away, one after another. Until what was inside was finally revealed¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± She stopped and burst into a brilliant smile. A windchime was hanging from the handle of the sword within her. ¡°...Wind.¡± It could go anywhere it wanted, and it could reach greater heights. ¡®I finally remember.¡¯ She longed to be as free as the wind. And upon realizing that, a blinding array of System messages appeared in front of her. [Swordmaster (S) has evolved to High Swordmaster (EX).] [Optimization (A) has evolved to Optimization (S).] [Red Moon Style (A) and Blue Moon Style (A) havebined to form Sky Wanderer Style (S).] [You have received the Title: Grandmaster.] [You have received the Title: Sword Empress.] ¡°...¡± Mio closed her eyes. She finally understood that the chains that once held her down were of her own making. Now that she was free, she and her sword could finally go anywhere they wanted to go in the world. Mio ced the booklet on the ground and kowtowed to express her gratitude. ¡°I am the current family head, Tenmei Mio, and I give you my thanks.¡± She smiled brightly as she greeted her fellow genius from hundreds of years ago. ¡°I will not forget what you¡¯ve taught me, venerable ancestor.¡± A cool breeze ruffled her hair as if her ancestor was replying to her. 1. The word for ¡®honor¡¯ is simr to ¡®reputation¡¯, so it doesn¡¯t have the same implications that it does in English. ? Chapter 564: Pieces (2) Chapter 564. Pieces (2) A figure was moving busily in a forest on the other side of the continent where Mio became the Sword Empress. Swoosh, swoosh. ¡°...¡± The man had been moving around without any destination, but he suddenly stopped and looked around with his bloodshot eyes. ¡°yer¡­¡± muttered the man. Rumble! A bolt of lightning struck his head. Boom! The trees around the man copsed, and a thick cloud of dust enveloped the forest. ¡°That was my first time hitting someone with a lightning bolt that strong¡­ are you sure he¡¯s going to be fine?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not too sure as well. However, if he¡¯s the Kim Woo-Joong I know¡­¡± Rahmadat trailed off. He scratched his chin and muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to die from that.¡± sh! Red eyes shed amidst the cloud of dust. The Sword Demon flew toward Rahmadat like a beast. ¡°Hey, calm down. It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve always wanted to fight you, but¡­¡± St! The Sword Demon¡¯s sword pierced Rahmadat¡¯s arm. The Sword Demon tried to remove his sword from Rahmadat¡¯s arm. ¡°I do not want this kind of fight.¡± Rahmadat squeezed his muscles to hold the sword in ce. Rahmadat swung his other arm toward the Sword Demon, and thetter had no choice but to give up on retrieving his sword to retreat. ¡°All right. His weapon is gone.¡± Rahmadat pulled out the sword and thrust it into the ground. He looked behind him and asked, ¡°Hey, we just have to tie him up, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± a man¡¯s voice echoed from the darkness. He emerged to bask in the moonlight and squeezed his fist. ¡°Shadow Bind.¡± The Sword Demon¡¯s shadow rose and wrapped around its owner like a snake. ¡°Frost!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The Frost Queen came out of a boulder upon being called out. She tapped the bound Sword Demon¡¯s forehead with her palm. ¡°y¡­er¡­¡± ¡°Go to sleep. It¡¯s going to be a bit cold, but¡­¡± Crackle! The cold air rising from her fingertips engulfed the Sword Demon. ¡°It¡¯ll be over when you wake up.¡± An ice statue appeared in front of the Frost Queen. The others walked over to the Frost Queen. ¡°That was easier than I expected¡­¡± ¡°Should we head back to the Ice Castle?¡± ¡°Yes, and let¡¯s pick up the pace. I don¡¯t want to run into another Overmind on our way.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He looked toward the east and muttered, ¡°...I¡¯m sure they¡¯re doing fine.¡± *** Fwoosh! Mr. Shoot hurriedly ducked, and he barely avoided the oni¡¯s giant club. However, another club was flying toward his chest. ¡°Tsk.¡± Mr. Shoot clicked his tongue and snapped his finger. A shied made out of steel unfolded and protected him. ¡®Now!¡¯ Mr. Shoot¡¯s eyes shed. There was a momentary lull in the attacks, and Mr. Shoot took advantage of that. He instantly dismantled his Weapon Hell and sent the weapons flying into the air. - A downpour of weapons. Boom! Mr. Shoot¡¯s weapons struck the oni like raindrops. ¡°Kiekkkk!¡± ¡°Kiheuk, Kiekkkkkkk!¡± A few of the oni shrieked and disappeared into a cloud of smoke. ¡°Huff, puff...¡± Mr. Shoot took a moment to catch his breath. ¡®They¡¯re much stronger than I thought.¡¯ Mr. Shoot had been fighting for well over twenty minutes now, but he only managed to vanquish eight of them. He had counted their numbers and saw at least twenty remaining oni. ¡®And the worst part is¡­¡¯ Mr. Shoot¡¯s helmet turned toward the dark forest. ¡®Their leader hasn¡¯t stepped up just yet.¡¯ Mr. Shoot discovered that the oni had a leader while he was fighting them. ¡®They seemed like a chaotic crowd at first, but their movements are systematic.¡¯ In other words, the oni had a clear hierarchy. It made sense for there to be a powerful existence to mediate disputes between such powerful creatures. ¡®And the mediator has to be their leader¡­¡¯ The cogs in Mr. Shoot¡¯s mind turned and turned, but the result of every calction he had made was his death. It was very unlikely that he would survive this ordeal. ¡®I¡¯ll probably die before Sisteres back, and this realm will close by then. No, perhaps she won¡¯t evene back to see me¡­¡¯ Mr. Shoot smiled bitterly, thinking that he would die as nothing but a dirty fiend in his sister¡¯s eyes. ¡®But I have no regrets¡­¡¯ Mr. Shoot would have no regrets as long as Mio ended up bing even just a bit stronger. He thought that he was rather fortunate that he managed to do something for her, unlike her family. ¡®I have nothing left to wish for, but I really didn¡¯t expect that Sister would end up defeating me with her wooden sword, even though I¡¯m no longer a child¡­¡¯ Mr. Shoot smiled. His weapons rose and created a line of defense in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m about to hit my limit.¡± Mr. Shoot had researched his Monarch of Steel (S) extensively, so he managed to eliminate its weakness of low offensive power. However, he ended up creating another weakness. ¡®I think I can hold out for another thirty minutes.¡¯ Mr. Shoot¡¯s Monarch of Steel (S) consumed a tremendous amount of magic to rotate thousands of weapons at the same time. ¡®I would have already retreated at this point, but I¡¯m not going to do that today.¡¯ Mr. Shoot¡¯s magic circuit heated up to fuel his Monarch of Steel (S). ¡®Consume as much as you want, and go wild once you¡¯re done.¡¯ Fwoosh! Mr. Shoot¡¯s weapons unfolded and ran rampant. ¡°Kehehehe.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Mr. Shoot struggled and fought with all his might. He ended up killing another two oni before his weapons started to fall to the ground one by one. Thud, thud, thud! ¡°Not yet¡­¡± Mr. Shoot bent down and picked up a sword on the ground. He had vowed never to use his family¡¯s swordsmanship again, but he had to hold out for even a second longer by any means necessary. ¡°I can¡¯t die yet...¡± A minute of resistance against the oni meant an additional minute for his sister. Mr. Shoot gnashed his teeth and started swinging his sword like crazy. ¡°Kehehe.¡± ¡°Kehet.¡± The Oniughed at Mr. Shoot¡¯s swordsmanship, but Mr. Shoot didn¡¯t get angry because he also knew that his swordsmanship was pathetic. nk, nk. ¡°Kehet?¡± ¡°Kiek.¡± The faces of the oni abruptly stiffened upon hearing the resonant footsteps from deep within the forest. Soon, the leader of the oni emerged, and its appearance was revealed beneath the bright moonlight. ¡°Het.¡± The leader was at least three times taller than the other oni, and it had many more jars hanging from its neckpared to the other oni. Mr. Shoot trembled as the Oni Leader loomed over and cast its massive shadow on him. ¡°Kehehet.¡± The Oni Leader raised its massive hand. ¡®Dodge¡­ I have to dodge¡­!¡¯ The thought came to Mr. Shoot¡¯s mind, but an excruciating pain struck him before he could even move. Crack! A grotesque sound echoed as the Oni Leader shattered every single one of his bones. ¡®...Ah.¡¯ Mr. Shoot¡¯s vision blurred. ¡®I have to get up. Come on¡­ stand up¡­!¡¯ Unfortunately, he no longer had any strength to stand up. Mr. Shoot gnashed his teeth. He could feel his hot blood running down his forehead. ¡°Kehet, kehehehet!¡± ¡°Ke, kehehe.¡± ¡°Kehehehe!¡± The surrounding oni burst intoughter, and they startedughing at Mr. Shoot¡¯s plight. Theyughed for quite a while until the Oni Leader kicked Mr. Shoot in the stomach. ¡°Argh!¡± Mr. Shoot flew into the air, and he rolled on the ground until his back struck a tree. Clink, clink, clink¡­ The broken pieces of Mr. Shoot¡¯s helmet fell to the ground. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ The bright moon overhead was extremely beautiful. He was looking at it for the first time with his eyes rather than his helmet¡¯s cameras. ¡®It¡¯s an excellent sight to see before I die¡­¡¯ ¡°Cough!¡± Mr. Shoot coughed a mouthful of blood and closed his eyes slowly. ¡°Mr. Shoot?¡± A crisp voice that shouldn¡¯t have been there pierced his ears. *** Mio blinked and stared at Mr. Shoot¡¯s face. Mr. Shoot¡¯s face was hideous. He was covered with burn scars, and it extended all the way from his forehead to his neck. It seemed that he had survived a serious incident but was left disfigured. ¡®So that¡¯s why he has been wearing a helmet¡­¡¯ Mio found Mr. Shoot pitiful upon discovering the reason he had been wearing a helmet. However, an inexplicable feeling suddenly struck her. ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯ Mio was confused. She couldn¡¯t quite understand nor describe the feeling that gripped her heart. ¡®I don¡¯t know him, but why does he feel so familiar? Why¡­ why do I feel like crying?¡¯ Mio was an ice statue for twenty-five years, so the middle-aged man in front of her was roughly the same age as her. ¡®Is he perhaps a childhood friend of mine? No, that doesn¡¯t make sense. A childhood friend shouldn¡¯t be capable of invoking this feeling. Those who have moved me this much so far are only my friends and some of my family¡ª¡¯. ¡°...Ibuki?¡± Mio muttered absentmindedly. Mr. Shoot closed his eyes and replied, ¡°You must be exhausted. You¡¯re talking nonsense.¡± ¡°I know that I¡¯m talking nonsense, but¡­¡± Everything else about the man had changed aside from one thing¡ªhis eyes. ¡°I¡¯m right...¡± Mio¡¯s voice was trembling as she asked, ¡°Why? Why did you not tell me?¡± ¡°...¡± Mr. Shoot remained quiet for a long time, but he soon smiled to himself. ¡®She¡¯s not even trying to confirm it. She¡¯s asking why I did not tell her.¡¯ Mio was convinced of his identity. ¡®This is just¡­¡¯ Mr. Shoot shivered. However, he wasn¡¯t trembling out of happiness after reuniting with his sister. He was afraid. Mio noticed Mr. Shoot¡¯s trembling and asked, ¡°Are you afraid? Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid of everything¡­¡± Mr. Shoot was afraid of the inevitable changes once his identity came to light. ¡°I did not want to be remembered for my hideous appearance.¡± Mr. Shoot wanted to stay as that cute little boy who used to follow Mio everywhere. ¡°I¡¯m scared that you¡¯ll look at me like they looked at me...¡± Mr. Shoot was afraid that she would consider him a part of the family that he also hated. However, he was the most afraid of bing Mio¡¯s target of resentment. ¡®Because of me, you were¡­¡¯ Mio had never been able to ovee the guilt of identally setting their house on fire, and the same guilt was the weapon that her father had used against her to manipte her into doing his bidding. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m really scared that you¡¯ll resent me for ruining your life.¡± ¡°...¡± Mio wordlessly stared at Mr. Shoot. It had truly been a long time since that incident, and her cute younger brother had be an adult with a physique that was even bigger than her own physique. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed...¡± However, it seemed that the passage of time had not affected Mr. Shoot¡¯s fear of being scolded¡ªnot even in the slightest. Mio patted Mr. Shoot¡¯s head and said, ¡°You dummy. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll resent my baby brother.¡± ¡°...¡± Mr. Shoot looked down and started crying. Mio gently patted Mr. Shoot¡¯s shoulders, which were trembling ever so slightly as he cried profusely. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to talk about the detailster,¡± said Mio. The Oni had surrounded them. Mr. Shoot came back to his senses. He wiped the tears off of his face and tried to stand up. ¡°Sniff! Please step back. I¡¯m happy that the misunderstanding between us was resolved while I¡¯m still alive.¡± ¡°Be quiet. You¡¯re the one who should step back. Leave this to your sister.¡± Mio pushed Mr. Shoot back down before staring at the Oni Leader. ¡°Hey, Oni. I won¡¯t get revenge on you for hurting my brother if you let us go.¡± ¡°Ket?¡± The Oni Leader blinked, seemingly confused. Chapter 565. Pieces (3) Chapter 565. Pieces (3) ¡°If you¡¯re really hungry, I will cook for you. However, I¡¯m not sure if human food will be to your liking,¡± said Mio. ¡°They might understand that as a deration of war,¡± said Mr. Shoot. He was well aware of Mio¡¯s cooking skills. However, Mio directed a cold re at him, causing him to lower his head. ¡°Kehehe? Kehet.¡± The Oni Leader ced its club on its shoulder and drew a circle with its finger next to its temple. ¡°Kehehet!¡± ¡°Kehahahaha!¡± The oni boisterouslyughed. Mio blinked, confused. ¡°Ibuki. The Oni Leader just drew a circle with its finger next to its temple. Was that a sign of its consent?¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think so,¡± Mr. Shoot muttered. However, he didn¡¯t dare to say that the Oni Leader¡¯s gesture was a popr gesture among humans. It was used to ask if the other party was crazy. In the end, Mr. Shoot decided to exin the meaning of the gesture. Mio¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°I see, so that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s best that you give up, Sister.¡± Mr. Shoot sighed deeply and dissuaded. ¡°The Oni are strong, but I¡¯m sure that you can already feel that the Oni Leader there is markedly stronger than the others.¡± Mio had to fight Valencia Citrin right away upon exiting this Unique Realm. In other words, she had to be in top condition if she wanted to defeat Valencia. She couldn¡¯t exhaust her stamina here. Mr. Shoot bit his lips. ¡°This is why I did not want to reveal my identity. Please don¡¯t waste your precious life for me.¡± ¡°I think you are misunderstanding something here, Ibuki.¡± Mio smiled gently and closed her eyes. The magic flowing inside her was moving in a slightly different path than usual. ¡®It¡¯s probably because of my breathing style...¡¯ The Sky Wanderer Style was Mio¡¯s own unique technique, and it was created bybining the family¡¯s core styles into one. Mio didn¡¯t refuse to walk on the unfamiliar path. She decided to run through the unmarked path like an adventurer. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who is wasting my precious life here.¡± Mio¡¯s purple-colored magic bloomed from her delicate hand, driving away the darkness of the forest. ¡°They¡¯re the ones who have decided to waste their precious lives by refusing my cooking.¡± Mio drew her two swords, but she didn¡¯t use her hand to do so. ¡®Lift sword at shoulder height; strike like a mantis with a foot forward.¡¯ Swoosh! Mio¡¯s two swords descended on the Oni Leader. ¡°Keet?¡± The Onis¡¯ boss parried the swords with a ridiculously fast reflex, but Mio¡¯s move was not over just yet. ¡®Be a tempest; attack in all directions. Be a towering tree, stomp with both feet.¡¯ Mio red with wide eyes. ¡°Kieeek!¡± Mio¡¯s two swords attacked the Oni Leader like a tempest. The number of wounds on the Oni Leader increased as time passed. Mio was moving in a way that Tenmei Kaisei could only vaguely imagine. ¡°Sword Kinesis: Sword Dance[1].¡± The Oni Leader was perplexed. It wanted to shout at the other oni, but it was abruptly torn into pieces, sending blood flying all over the dark forest. Mio came to a halt and swept her gaze across the terrified oni. ¡°You have one choice: face my swords or let us go.¡± *** ¡°...¡± Valencia Citrin looked up as the dome of darkness in front of her vanished. ¡°Hmm?¡± She frowned upon seeing that both Mio and Mr. Shoot were alive. ¡®What? They both survived?¡¯ If her memories were serving her correctly, only one person could escape Mio¡¯s Unique Realm. It would either be her or her target. The sight of both Mio and her target surviving Mio¡¯s Unique Realm was unprecedented. ¡®...It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Valencia Citrin had no intentions of letting the two of them live, anyway. She looked down at Mio and Mr. Shoot with her red eyes. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for you two to die.¡± Fwoosh! Valencia Citrin cast her Cage of Thorny Death once more, and innumerable thorny bushes emerged from the walls, ceiling, and floor. They instantly surrounded both Mio and Mr. Shoot. However, Mio¡¯s mind as she looked at the thorns flying toward her was markedly different from before. ¡®How should I describe this feeling? It feels serene¡­?¡¯ It seemed like it had only been a few minutes ago when she was terribly afraid of Valencia Citrin''s attack, but now, she wasn¡¯t trembling anymore. In addition, her mind was clear as she faced Valencia Citrin¡¯s thorny bushes. Mio smiled softly. ¡°They do say that everything is made with the heart.¡± In other words, mind over body. Mio thought that she would be able to deal with the opponent¡¯s thorny bushes with her current level of skill now, and the thought drove away the fear that had settled in her mind before. ¡°Sword Kinesis: Sword Dance.¡± Swoosh! Two swords emitting a purple light sliced the thorny bushes apart. Valencia Citrin¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®She¡­got stronger? Nonsense. It was just an hour ago when she couldn¡¯t face my attack at all.¡¯ Mio¡¯s dramatic change didn¡¯t make sense at all. ¡®I see...¡¯ Mio managed to learn something in just an hour and assimte that lesson to be even stronger. Valencia Citrin felt like she could finally understand why the fiends warned her to watch out for the 5 Heroes. ¡®But¡­¡¯ However, Valencia Citrin had never once doubted her own genius as well. The time and effort that she had spent training in the Underworld wasn¡¯t something that anyone could easily overtake. Valencia Citrin¡¯s demonic energy made the surrounding air tremble. ¡°Your struggle will not change anything.¡± ¡®She won¡¯t be able to do anything other than defend herself, anyway.¡¯ In addition, Valencia Citrin had an ally who was annoying but powerful. ¡®Isaac Dvor.¡¯ Once Isaac Dvor regrouped with her, Valencia Citrin reckoned that they could easily take Mio and Mr. Shoot¡¯s lives. ¡°Do your best to hold out for as long as you can...¡± Valencia Citrin lifted her hand to attack both Mio and Mr. Shoot when a perplexed expression overcame her. She turned to look behind her, confused. ¡°...!¡± ¡®Who is that?¡¯ A powerful being was approaching them with a tempest of magic. *** ¡°Hmm.¡± Isaac Dvor sighed nonchntly and shrugged. He was still using John Maverick¡¯s figure as he asked, ¡°Hey, you. What¡¯s the name of your God again?¡± ¡°The Sun God.¡± ¡°I¡¯m an atheist, but I must admit that your God is not too bad.¡± Tap, tap. Isaac Dvor knocked on the golden shield surrounding Christin Lewis. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect my attack to fail at leaving even a little scratch on it.¡¯ Christin Lewis¡¯ skill was annoying in Isaac Dvor¡¯s eyes. Christin Lewis couldn¡¯t harm him, but he couldn¡¯t harm Christin Lewis as well. ¡®Christin Lewis is known as the weakest Master of the Big 5 along with Son Chae-Won.¡¯ Tap, tap. Isaac Dvor didn¡¯t bother paying attention to Christin Lewis because thetter rarely appeared on battlefields, unlike Son Chae-Won. And that was why Christin Lewis¡¯ golden shield caught him off guard. ¡°I think we have to approach this with a different method.¡± Isaac Dvor closed his eyes, and thick demonic energy flowed out of him. The demonic energy was so thick and powerful that it could be seen by the naked eye. ¡°Mmhm. Is he going to use a powerful skill?¡± Milphage nodded. He wasn¡¯t exactlyfortable with his current situation. ¡®My cover has been blown, but I can¡¯t silence the witness.¡¯ Milphage paced about anxiously. ¡°How pathetic of you. Why did you even hold hands with a fiend if you¡¯re afraid of being discovered?¡± asked Christin Lewis. ¡°...¡± Milphage didn¡¯t bother to reply. ¡°Now that I think of it, you have a wife and a daughter on Earth, right? I wonder if they know what you have been doing.¡± Boom! Milphage¡¯s fist struck Christin Lewis¡¯ golden shield, but not even a scratch could be seen on the shield. Christin Lewis was startled, and he unknowingly took a step backward. ¡°Do not speak of them with that mouth of yours. I¡¯m warning you.¡± Milphage growled and red at Christin Lewis. Christin Lewis looked away and muttered, ¡°Your words make it sound like I¡¯m the bad guy here. You know you¡¯re the bad guy, right?¡± ¡°Shut up, you dumbass! I¡¯m sure an idiot like you has no idea that everyone suspects you the most.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll suspect me. I¡¯m a devout believer in the Sun God. Who would doubt me?¡± ¡°Pffft!¡± Milphage snorted. He shook his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s hrious. I guess you would have managed your guild properly if you were smart.¡± ¡°...What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°It means that not everyone is as dumb as you.¡± The Church of the Sun was the Ruben Empire¡¯s national religion, so it was powerful, with the highest number of believerspared to the other religions. ¡°Money gathers where people gather, and flies gather where money gathers.¡± If Silver Constetion were a fruit, it would never be sold because it was rotten inside. ¡°I think you are mistaken. Our guild only epts yers with integrity and those who have passed the church¡¯s verification.¡± ¡°Integrity, huh? Kekeke. By verification, are you talking about the same verification that allows even dogs to pass as long as they pay up?¡± Milphage smirked and retrieved a pendant with the symbol of the Church of the Sun from his pocket. ¡°Here, look at this. I¡¯ve been verified as well. I decided to get one because everyone told me that life as a mercenary in Frontier would be easier with this pendant.¡± ¡°N-no¡­! That¡¯s impossible.¡± Christin Lewis¡¯ eyes quivered ever so slightly. ¡®I studied hard and made sure I was clean before the verification so that I would pass it in one go.¡¯ ¡°There are many people like me in your guild and in the Church of the Sun.¡± The crimes of those men would naturally go unreported. ¡°I¡¯d love to ask you to go back and find out what your guild is up to, but¡­¡± Milphage shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that because you have to die here.¡± ¡°Sigh. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re done talking here.¡± Isaac Dvor interrupted and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s showtime.¡± ¡°Showtime?¡± Milphage asked. However, he immediately had to take a few steps backward. ¡®...Has Isaac Dvor always been this strong?¡¯ Milphage felt a shiver running down his spine. Isaac Dvor¡¯s demonic energy stimted terror even in Milphage¡¯s heart. p, p! Isaac Dvor pped, and a ck pouch appeared in mid-air. Isaac snatched the pouch out of mid-air and showed it to Milphage. ¡°Take a look. There¡¯s nothing inside it, right?¡± ¡°...What does that have to do with that punk¡¯s shield?¡± ¡°Your temper really is short. Just wait. I¡¯m about to show you some magic.¡± Isaac licked his lips. Isaac grinned and ced his arm into the pouch. The pouch was small, but it seemed bottomless as it engulfed Isaac¡¯s arm all the way to his shoulder. ¡°Ta-da! Surprise!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Christin Lewis eximed as Isaac¡¯s hand appeared inside the former¡¯s golden shield and grabbed Christin Lewis by the throat. ¡°What do you think, Milphage? If you¡¯re impressed, give me a round of apuse, please.¡± ¡°...How did you do that? Your arm is inside the shield?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rude to ask a magician the secret behind their tricks.¡± Isaac smiled. He pulled out his arm and pulled out Christin Lewis from the pouch. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Christin Lewis coughed uponnding on the ground. ¡®How did he drag me out of my shield?¡¯ Isaac Dvor¡¯s attack just now was beyondmon sense. ¡°All right. Nothing can protect you now,¡± said Isaac Dvor. Spades ying cards appeared between his fingers. He looked down at Christin Lewis on the ground and said, ¡°I guess this is it. Goodbye.¡± Isaac smiled and hurled the ying cards at Christin Lewis. ¡°...!¡± ¡°...?¡± The expressions of the three turned strange when the ying cards froze in mid-air. Milphage¡¯s expression turned ugly as he said, ¡°Hey, are you really taking this seriously? If you¡¯re going to just mess around, I¡¯ll finish him off myself.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not messing around¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Isaac Dvor¡¯s grin slowly faded away. The ying cards he had thrown to kill Christin Lewis wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡®No¡­¡¯ Isaac Dvor examined the ying cards closely. ¡®The cards are still moving, but they¡¯re extremely slow.¡¯ Isaac Dvor was extremely familiar with the one and only person capable of freezing objects and just about anything. ¡°Specter...¡± Isaac Dvor muttered. The temperature abruptly fell as if in response to Isaac Dvor¡¯s words, and their breath condensed as they exhaled. 1. Controlling Sword with Qi: ÒÔšâñS„¦ ? Chapter 566. Pieces (4) Chapter 566. Pieces (4) ¡°H-hey. This is¡­¡± ¡°Why are you such a scaredy cat? Your actions do not suit yourrge frame at all. Tsk.¡± Isaac clicked his tongue at Milphage¡¯s reaction. ¡°Audience interruption is not that rare.¡± There was one reason Isaac was calm. ¡®We have the home advantage.¡¯ The castle of thorny bushes was basically Valencia¡¯s home. ¡®But I must admit...¡¯ Isaac licked his lips. A tremendous pressure weighed on his shoulder. Isaac stared tensely at the monster whose existence alone was enough to crush his opponents. ¡®Specter.¡¯ Crackle! The frozen wall of thorny bushes shattered, and someone¡¯s silhouette appeared. It was none other than Specter. He was wearing his signature ck mask as he swept his gaze across everyone. John Maverick¡ªno, Isaac broke the ice. ¡°Specter, do you still remember me? I know this is shocking, but I¡¯m Shoot.¡± ¡°...¡± The ck mask wordlessly turned toward Isaac. Specter¡¯s cold eyes behind the mask scanned Is. ¡°John Maverick,¡± said Specter. ¡°Thank god you still remember me. I¡¯m sure you already know, but¡ª¡± ¡°It seems that you have be filthy.¡± interrupted Specter. The golden light in his eyes vanished upon confirming the presence of filthy demonic energy in John Maverick using Dignity of an Emperor (S). ¡°Cut the pathetic act out, Isaac.¡± ¡°...Was it that obvious?¡± Isaac didn¡¯t even bother defending himself, and it was all because Specter¡¯s voice was filled with conviction. Isaac knew that no excuse would fool Specter at that point, so he simply decided to tell the truth. ¡°What¡¯s with that mask? Everyone already knows who you are...¡± asked Isaac. ¡°It¡¯s a show of determination.¡± Specter¡¯s mask was to show everyone that he was determined to annihte the fiends for good today. ¡°Where is the Heavenly Demon?¡± Specter asked. ¡°My liege isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Your re is useless because I¡¯m not lying,¡± Isaac added. Specter clicked his tongue and shrugged. ¡®Is he really not here?¡¯ ¡°What a shame.¡± ¡®I guess I have no choice but to get rid of that bastard¡¯s subordinates.¡¯ Crackle! The thorny bushes on the ground froze over. ¡°Disappear, you trash.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Christin Lewis raised his hand. ¡°I-I¡¯m not one of them. Milphage is the traitor. I¡¯m innocent.¡± ¡°...¡± Specter fell into deep thought. Sung-Jun had told him that Milphage was the traitor. ¡®And he also said that Mio and Mr. Shoot had fallen for Milphage¡¯s trap.¡¯ Specter recalled Sung-Jun telling him that thetter had scoured the entire eastern coastline of the continent until he found Valencia¡¯s tower of bushes. ¡®Then, what about Christin Lewis? What¡¯s this guy up to?¡¯ Specter contemted for a while, but he eventually waved his hand. ¡°Step back,¡± he said. ¡®Sung-Jun didn¡¯t mention anything about Christin. If Christine were the traitor, Sung-Jun would have told me.¡¯ Specter came to the conclusion that Christin Lewis was probably not that important in the grand scheme of things. Otherwise, Sung-Jun would have told him about Christin Lewis. ¡°Thank you so much! May the Sun God¡¯s blessing be with you!¡± Christin eximed before hurriedly running away behind Specter. Milphage gnashed his teeth at the sight. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± ¡®This isn¡¯t right...¡¯ The worst-case scenario was currently unfolding in front of him. ¡®It¡¯s over. Specter has discovered my involvement with the fiends. He¡¯s definitely going to kill me.¡¯ In other words, Milphage had no choice but to cooperate with Isaac. ¡°Damn it.¡± This wasn¡¯t what he wanted. ¡°I-I¡ª¡± Milphage wanted to say something. ¡°Milphage.¡± However, Specter¡¯s cold voice interrupted him. ¡°Keep your mouth shut.¡± ¡°Damn it! How dare you say that to me when you don¡¯t know anything about me! What gives you the right to judge me?!¡± Milphage exploded in fury. ¡°There¡¯s a reason behind every action, and everyone is fighting their own demons! Anyone would have made the same decision if they were in the same shoes as me!¡± ¡°Sure, whatever you say,¡± Specter said coldly. ¡®Bastards who have done bad things would always justify their actions with that shitty logic¡ªsaying that others would have made the same choice as them.¡¯ ¡°Keuk. Well, well, well. I guess Mr. Specter here cannot imagine being in the same shoes as me,¡± mocked Milphage. ¡°I would never choose to work with the fiends, even if I were in your shoes,¡± Specter retorted. He would rather bite his tongue and bleed to death than cooperate with the fiends. Specter red coldly at Milphage. ¡°Human beings are faced with choices in their every waking moment.¡± From minor to major choices, humans would have to make decisions throughout their entire lives. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you have been influenced to make a certain choice. You¡¯re the one who would make that decision in the end.¡± Therefore, one had to face the consequences of their actions. ¡°You ensured your survival by cooperating with the fiends, and you sold them information that led to the deaths of many yers¡­ ¡°That is why you will die today.¡± Milphage didn¡¯t know what to say. He hated to admit it, but Specter was right. ¡°Fine. I didn¡¯t expect that you would understand me, anyway,¡± Milphage muttered and clenched his fists. His face turned red as his expression crumbled while he red furiously at Specter. ¡°I guess I should thank you for your infuriating words,¡± said Milphage. ¡°Ah.¡± Specter finally recalled Milphage¡¯s bread-and-butter skill. ¡®He gets stronger the angrier he gets.¡¯¡¯ ¡°Isaac. Are you just going to stand there and watch?¡± Milphage asked. ¡°Of course, I will help you fight. Specter is¡­ well, I honestly do not want to fight him one-on-one,¡± said Isaac with a smile. While Milphage was talking to Specter, Isaac discreetly scanned the area with his demonic energy. ¡°It¡¯s great that Specter came by himself. In other words, he let his guard down.¡± The fight would be a one-versus-two battle. If Valencia regrouped with them, it would be a one-versus-three battle. ¡°If you died at my hands, would my liege be disappointed or sad? I¡¯m excited to know the answer,¡± Isaac said. ¡°He will be sad because two of his beloved dogs will die today,¡± replied Specter. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Isaac boisterouslyughed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you looking down on me? I¡¯m a Heaven as well, you know?¡± ¡°No.¡± Specter had never once looked down on Isaac Dvor or Valencia Citrin. He had always taken them seriously because he was well aware of their strength and capabilities. ¡°You¡¯re the one looking down on me.¡± Isaac assumed that Specter hade here by himself because his arrogance got to his head, which led him to let his guard down. ¡°You made that assumption all by yourself.¡± ¡°...?¡± Isaac¡¯s blood turned cold. A sense of foreboding filled him, and he instantly unfolded his demonic energy. He scanned the area once more, but he found not a single trace of magic. ¡®I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any yer out there aside from Specter who can avoid my senses. In that case, is he just bluffing? No, Specter has never been the type of person to bluff. I must be missing here¡ªwait!¡¯ A shiver ran down Isaac¡¯s spine. ¡°Oh, no.¡± A strange sense of deja vu swept Isaac. He recalled feeling the same way many years ago, and it was when he paid Shim Deok-Gu a visit after invading Seoul. ¡®A sniper¡­¡¯ Boom! A tremendous power struck Isaac, sending him flying away. The wall of thorny bushes shattered, and Isaac soon found himself swimming in the sea. ¡°Argh!¡± The salty water exacerbated the pain. Isaac looked around and realized that the sea had turned dark. ¡®Blood? I¡¯m bleeding?¡¯ Isaac could still vividly remember his magic barrier protecting him from Gilberto¡¯s bullet, but today¡¯s result was different. Gilberto¡¯s bullet pierced through Isaac¡¯s magic barrier, even though the former¡¯s magic barrier had be much thicker than before. ¡®Yes, it is definitely much thicker, but he still managed to pierce it?¡¯ His demonic energy didn¡¯t detect Gilberto¡¯s presence, so thetter had to be at least five kilometers away. In other words, Gilberto had not only pierced his thicker magic barrier, but he had also sessfully sniped him farther away than back then. ¡°This is absurd¡­ Gilberto Green¡­ I didn¡¯t expect that talentless sniper to be so strong.¡± Isaac chuckled hollowly. He couldn¡¯t help butugh because he had never once thought that he would feel threatened by anyone else other than Specter. And to think that it would be Gilberto Green! Isaac cast flight magic and levitated. ¡®Fortunately, the wound isn¡¯t too deep.¡¯ Isaac fell into deep contemtion¡ªshould he return to the castle or get rid of Gilberto Green? ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± Isaac would have ignored Gilberto Green, but thetter had be so much stronger. He couldn¡¯t afford to let Gilberto snipe them because it would only be a matter of time before thetter annihted them from afar. ¡®The bullet came from¡­¡¯ Isaac pondered over the bullet¡¯s trajectory and turned his head. ¡°That way¡­ it came from that way.¡± Boom! There was an explosion as Isaac flew toward where Gilberto¡¯s bullet hade from. *** Meanwhile, the thorny bushes of the castle filled the gaping hole that Gilberto¡¯s bullet had made. Milphage¡¯s eyes trembled. ¡®The fiends really are unreliable¡­¡¯ Milphage had never expected that he would one day fight Specter by himself. ¡®Damn it. I wouldn¡¯t have participated in this operation if I had known that this would happen.¡¯ Everything had gone wrong. Milphage¡¯s decision to cooperate with the fiends was wrong, but Milphage was past caring about his decision. Right now, what was important was the fact that things had gone wrong, and his cover was blown. ¡°Why¡­¡± ¡®Why is it that I¡¯m the only one unfortunate enough to be in this ordeal? I hate this. I hate this world¡­!¡¯ Milphage¡¯s power soared as Milphage started to hate the world itself. ¡°What? What is going on with him?¡± Christine was astonished. He stopped hiding behind Specter when Isaac was sent flying away, but he returned to hiding behind Specter upon seeing Milphage¡¯s changes. ¡®Yikes. I feel like Milphage can actually beat Specte-nim¡­¡¯ Specter¡¯s existence alone was a source of tremendous pressure, but he looked objectively weaker than Milphage. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t take this personally,¡± Milphage said. He repositioned himself and continued. ¡°I simply have no choice. I have to survive this ordeal, and it¡¯s already toote for us to go back to our original positions.¡± Boom! There was a loud noise as Milphage¡¯s figure disappeared and reappeared in front of Specter. Milphage¡¯s fist was only a few inches away from Specter¡¯s nose. ¡®He definitely had a reason for such a decision.¡¯ Specter had no idea why Milphage decided to cooperate with the fiends, but there had to be a reason behind it. ¡®However...¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t have to know.¡± Boom! The castle of thorny bushes trembled as Milphage¡¯s fist shattered its walls. However, Milphage¡¯s fist failed to hit its target. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to know¡­¡± ¡°...!¡± Milphage¡¯s eyes widened. Specter¡¯s figure had scattered into an ink-like fog, and hepletely avoided Milphage¡¯s punch. Milphage could feel the touch of cold steel against his neck. ¡°Deathscythe.¡± Specter decisively swung his scythe. Spurt! Milphage¡¯s blood soaked the thorny bushes. ¡°Argh! Krrr¡­!¡± Milphage tightly gripped his injured neck. ¡®I don¡¯t want to die. I can¡¯t die like this.¡¯ Specter saw through Milphage¡¯s desperation and asked, ¡°Do you want to live?¡± Nod, nod, nod! Specter stared into Milphage¡¯s desperate eyes and closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure the yers whom you killed indirectly wanted to live as well.¡± Crackle! The blood flowing through Milphage abruptly froze. Chapter 567: Pieces (5)

Chapter 567: Pieces (5)

nk. A hand wearing a white glove pulled the trigger. Gilberto actually didn¡¯t have to pull the trigger anymore because the gun and its bullets were made out of Ether. However, he feltfortable pulling the trigger as if it had be some kind of ritual to him. ¡°He truly is a magician¡­¡± Gilberto murmured. It wasmonly said that magicians were always prepared. An unprepared magician was bound to fall behind others and die. ¡®Sniping is simr to magicians in that sense.¡¯ Snipers had to be prepared as well. Sniping locations, escape routes, and traps¡ªsnipers had to have all of those prepared, and they also had to use their brains. They had to make sure that their bullets would hit the target, and only then would they pull the trigger. ¡°I wonder¡­.¡± Gilberto calmly stared at the approaching Isaac. ¡®Isaac¡ªa Heaven and the Heavenly Demon¡¯s right-hand man.¡¯ ¡°I wonder who is more prepared between us?¡± *** Swoosh! Isaac flew across the sea and toward Gilberto. ¡°You managed to hit me twice, but there won¡¯t be a third time.¡± Isaac avoided Gilbert¡¯s bullets while flying toward thetter, but Gilberto¡¯s bullets carried enough destructive power to create a massive wave upon hitting the sea surface. ¡®He has definitely be even stronger than before.¡¯ Isaac had no idea what Gilberto had been doing, but it was undeniable that Gilberto had be ridiculously stronger than before. ¡®The closer I get to him, the more destructive his bullets will be.¡¯ Isaac acknowledged that he could not allow himself to get hit by Gilberto¡¯s bullets. ¡®You should have killed me with that bullet earlier.¡¯ Isaac had taken two bullets from Gilberto so far, and he was determined that it would be thest time he would get hit. ¡®I will not allow any of your bullets to hit me anymore.¡¯ Isaac picked up the pace. Bang! Gilberto tried to keep Isaac at bay with his attacks. However, Isaac easily avoided Gilberto¡¯s bullets by simply moving left and right. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to what a gun can achieve¡­¡± Guns were powerful, but their attacks were projectiles that could be easily avoided by those who were strong enough. ¡®That¡¯s why guns and bows have never be mainstream...¡¯ In short, one could be a master marksman, but they would still be using the same bullets as novices. ¡®However, magicians are different.¡¯ Magicians could perform a variety of attacks with endless variations, and a dedicated magician could easily overwhelm anyone with their flurry of attacks. ¡°All right. I¡¯m here.¡± Isaac saw Gilberto in a prone position on a beachside hill. ¡°...I don¡¯t know if I should say he¡¯s stubborn or confident.¡± Gilberto was getting ready to shoot, even though Isaac was already so close to him. Impressed, Isaac summoned a few massive ying cards. ¡°This is my gift for your resilience.¡± The massive ying cards flew toward Gilberto like missiles. Boom! The entire hill was ttened in the blink of an eye. Isaac was disappointed. ¡®I did not expect it to be this boring.¡¯ He descended and walked on the ttened hill to confirm Gilberto¡¯s death. ¡°Oh, no. Was that too much?¡± Isaac shrugged upon seeing Gilberto¡¯s horrible condition. He bent one knee to put his hand on Gilberto¡¯s chest. Lub dub, lub dub. ¡°Huh?¡± Gilberto''s heart was beating fast, but his eyes resembled a dead fish. ¡°...¡± The contradiction filled Isaac¡¯s heart with a sense of incongruity. Gilberto¡¯s heart started to beat even faster. Lub dub lub dub lub dub! ¡°What?¡± Isaac hurriedly retreated. ¡°What is that?¡± Dozens of magic barriers engulfed his figure, but before he could even start thinking about what was going on, Gilberto¡¯s figure shone and exploded. Boom! ¡°Argh!¡± Isaac screamed. The explosion struck him, sending him flying and rolling on the beach until he struck a boulder. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Isaac¡¯s ears were ringing, and his eyes were swimming as he forced himself to stand up. ¡®Self-destruction? Did he just sacrifice himself just to kill me?¡¯ Many burning questions popped up in Isaac¡¯s mind, but he couldn¡¯t help but think that he was missing something important here. ¡®No, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯ A shiver ran down Isaac¡¯s spine, and he threw himself to the ground. Whizz! Argh!¡± Isaac¡¯s left foot exploded into a bloody mist. If he hadn¡¯t thrown himself to the ground, his lower body would have exploded into a bloody mist rather than just his left foot. ¡°Argh. An illusion, huh? You learned an interesting trick.¡± In other words, Isaac had fallen into Gilberto¡¯s trap the moment he arrived on the beach. ¡®Where is he, then?¡¯ ¡°Magic Box!¡± Thud! Four boxes manifested on the beach. Isaac hurriedly entered one of the four boxes, and the boxes started shuffling themselves. Bang! Bang! Two of the four magic boxes exploded upon being hit by Gilberto¡¯s bullets. ¡°This is bad¡­¡± Isaac emerged from out of the boxes with a frown. He was frowning because Gilberto¡¯s bullets hade from both east and west. ¡®In other words, one of those two bullets came from the wrong¡ªno, perhaps those two bullets didn¡¯te from where Gilberto really is located¡­¡¯ Isaac grinned. His left foot was still regenerating, so it felt itchy. ¡®It feels nice to use my brain after such a long time.¡¯ ¡°Scan.¡± A magic circle manifested beneath Isaac¡¯s feet, and it started looking for vestiges of magic. ¡°...Huh?¡± Isaac frowned. ¡®Why can¡¯t I feel even a trace of magic?¡¯ Magic would always leave traces, and one could obtain a lot of information from those traces. Gilberto had been sniping Isaac, so there had to be traces of magic somewhere. ¡®Why are his attacks so destructive if he¡¯s not using magic?¡¯ thought Isaac. He was convinced that Gilberto had to have been using magic all this while, but he couldn¡¯t detect even a single trace of magic. ¡®Wait, perhaps¡­¡¯ Isaac extrapted from missing data and found that things would make sense if Gilberto had been using Force all this while rather than magic. ¡°Oh,?wow.¡± Isaac was shocked. ¡®When did he learn to wield Force?¡¯ Isaac wasn¡¯t exactly sure if Gilberto was really using Force because its pattern was a bit strange. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter...¡± Isaac reckoned that it would only be a matter of time before he found Gilberto because he had already identified the pattern of Gilberto¡¯s Force. Isaac startedparing the traces of Force he had discovered from both east and west to the traces he had seen from the illusion he had killed earlier. ¡®They¡¯re exactly the same.¡¯ In other words, Gilberto¡¯s attacks from both east and the west were both smokescreens. ¡®It¡¯s going to take me a while to find him.¡¯ Fwoosh. Isaac¡¯s demonic energy spread like a fog. ¡®There has to be a few fake Gilbertos here. They won¡¯t deceive me. I¡¯m only going to look for the real Gilberto.¡¯ Isaac pulled out a ck cloth and wrapped it around the bleeding stump of his left foot. Momentster, he unwrapped the stump, and a healthy foot appeared. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯re capable of entertaining me like this¡­¡± Isaac smiled as he started looking around. *** ¡°Tsk.¡± Gilberto clicked his tongue. ¡®Did he already figure out that they¡¯re illusions?¡¯ Isaac was right. Gilberto had created illusions made out of Ether. ¡®There¡¯s nothing wrong with them¡­¡¯ Gilberto thought that the illusions would buy him a lot of time, but Isaac saw through his trick after dealing with just a single illusion. ¡®What a monster¡­ I guess there¡¯s a reason he¡¯s infamous.¡¯ Gilberto agonized over his options. ¡®I can still retreat. I can let him look for me here while I head to the castle.¡¯ However, he reckoned that he would be a burden for both Mio and Seo Jun-Ho if he were to return to the castle. After all, Isaac would surely discover that he had been tricked, which meant that he would inevitably return to the castle. Gilberto fell into deep contemtion. ¡®Should I just give it a try?¡¯ It had been four days since Gilberto learned to wield Ether, but he had never really tested its limits because he was busy moving along the coastline and saving his strength for the uing battle. ¡®If I pour everything into a single shot¡­¡¯ Gilberto was confident of killing Isaac. ¡°Father! He¡¯sing!¡± Arthur screamed, pulling Gilberto out of his thoughts. ¡°...!¡± Gilberto came to his senses and peeked at Isaac through his scope. ¡°Damn it.¡± Isaac was making a beeline for them. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you some time,¡± said Arthur. ¡°What?¡± Gilberto was astonished. He was about to say something, but he saw Arthur¡¯s determined and firm eyes. Thetter¡¯s eyes were telling him to trust him. ¡°The two of us will die if we fight him in closebat,¡± said Arthur. ¡°...¡± Gilberto didn¡¯t know what to say. Arthur was right. A sniper had to be distant from their target if they wanted to be effective. Snipers were weak in closebat quarters, so it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that they would lose the moment their target got close to them. ¡°...Thirty seconds,¡± Gilberto muttered. ¡°Just buy me thirty seconds.¡± ¡°...Yes, Father!¡± Arthur responded enthusiastically to his father, who had chosen to believe him. Gilberto stared at Arthur¡¯s departing figure. ¡®I¡¯m counting on you.¡¯ Arthur was a yer capable of taking care of himself while Gilberto was absent. In other words, he was a trustworthy yer whom Gilberto could trust, and he had made a rational decision by trusting his son. ¡°Withdraw illusions,¡± Gilberto muttered, recovering the illusions and the Ether he had expended to create them. Gilberto closed his eyes. ¡°Particle Development.¡± If Gilberto wanted to kill Isaac in a single blow. He needed a weapon that would allow him to generate a destructive force capable of annihting Isaac¡¯s soul in the proverbial blink of an eye. ¡®A regr sniper rifle isn¡¯t good enough.¡¯ Bullets were too slow to hit Isaac. Gilberto fell into deep contemtion, but he soon emerged from his thoughts with a weapon in mind.¡± ¡°Structure Registration. Effect Verification.¡± A gigantic weapon manifested on the hill where Gilberto was located. *** Swish. Arthur¡¯s sword was unsheathed as he waited for Isaac¡¯s arrival. However, his heart was beating like crazy. ¡®Calm down, Arthur. Calm down¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t strange that he was nervous. After all, he was about to face a Heaven. In all honesty, Isaac could chop his head off in the blink of an eye. ¡°Haaa¡­ calm down¡­ Calm down, me¡­¡± Arthur muttered. Isaac finally arrived. Arthur gripped his sword tightly. ¡°Hmm?¡± Isaac descended upon confirming Arthur¡¯s identity. He looked around with a smile before asking, ¡°Arthur Green, right? Where¡¯s your father?¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe he¡¯s in your hair?¡± ¡°Pffft!¡± Isaac chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re confident, but it¡¯s heartbreaking to see that your confidence is unfounded.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll soon find out whether I¡¯m just bluffing or not.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Isaac¡¯s eyes narrowed at the remark. Arthur Green was indeed standing in front of him. He was real rather than just an illusion. ¡®There is no way Gilberto will choose to abandon his son.¡¯ Isaac concluded that Gilberto was somewhere preparing something lethal while Arthur was here to buy him time. Isaac ran a number of simtions in his head. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ However, Isaac was the Magician of Death¡ªlethality was meaningless before him. Isaac grinned and muttered, ¡°...Equation of Death.¡± A repulsive energy wrapped around him, but it was death energy rather than demonic energy. Chapter 568: Pieces (6)

Chapter 568: Pieces (6)

Arthur looked around warily as the waves of the sea collided against his shoes. He was nervous. ¡®Damn it¡­ this is nerve-wracking.¡¯ Arthur couldn¡¯t quite shake off the anxiety in his heart. He was scared that Isaac Dvor would appear out of the blue and chop his head off. ¡®Above all¡­¡¯ An approaching repulsive energy made his skin tingle. The source of the disgusting energy was none other than Isaac Dvor. ¡°Haaa.¡± The fine sand of the beach turned into mud and stuck to Arthur¡¯s ankle. Arthur felt as if a mountain were weighing on his shoulder, but he didn¡¯t lose courage. ¡°...¡± Arthur felt like he had be a sharp sword. ¡®I can do this. I just have to cut him down as soon as he approaches me.¡¯ His keen senses captured his opponent¡¯s breathing. ¡°Hmm. It seems you¡¯re more talented than your father,¡± Isaac remarked. Isaac thought highly of the young yer in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re impressive,¡± added Isaac. He meant it. Arthur was indeed qualified to be the next Hero who would take care of humanity in the future. ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re impressive for your age.¡± Arthur was a flower that hadn¡¯t bloomed just yet. Isaac smiled. His eyes sparkled as he said, ¡°Be distrustful of everything in front of a fiend¡ªI thought I heard that saying in Specter¡¯s biography.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°The same goes for when your opponent is a magician.¡± What if one¡¯s opponent was both a fiend and a mage? ¡°Everything has to be doubted if that¡¯s the case,¡± Isaac spoke as if he were a teacher telling his student an answer. ¡°Against an opponent who is both a fiend and a mage, you must question your senses and every phenomenon in front of you.¡± ¡°What are you¡ª¡± Arthur finally discovered it. The mud that stuck to his ankle had climbed up to his knee and was making its way over to his thigh. ¡°Sand does not turn into mud by adding water¡­¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°A grain of sand is too huge for it to be the primary constituent of¡ªI guess that doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± Isaac interrupted himself and smiled. ¡°How unfortunate. I¡¯m sure you would have known that if your parents had brought you to the beach even once while you were still young.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use. You can only escape if your magic somehow surpasses my demonic energy,¡± said Isaac. Arthur¡¯s face turned pale. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I lost before I even got the chance to fight him properly.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t hate me. It won¡¯t be long until you are reunited with your mother and father.¡± ¡°...Damn it. I didn¡¯t want to use it so early.¡± Arthur bit his lips and red at Isaac. ¡°I want to tell you something.¡± ¡°Oh??Is it yourst words?¡± ¡°No.¡± Arthur mustered his magic. He cast Telekinesis before continuing. ¡°Specter¡¯s biography also says that one should also be wary of yers, and it¡¯s all because yers are oftentimes prepared for anything.¡± ¡°...!¡± Isaac was startled. He looked down and saw that Arthur wasn¡¯t moving him with his Telekinesis but the entire sandy beach. ¡°What?!¡± Boom! A powerful explosion engulfed Isaac. The explosion was so powerful that it sent both sand and seawater soaring into the sky. ¡°Huff, puff...¡± Arthur¡¯s breathing became ragged, and there was a throbbing pain in his temples. He had just simultaneously triggered the explosion of thirty ymore mines buried in the sand while moving the sandy beach to point the ymore mines¡¯ kill zone at Isaac. The explosion was so powerful that ny-nine percent of yers would die if they were subjected to such an explosion. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, Isaac Dvor was in the top one percent of yers. The sand soon settled, and Arthur finally saw Isaac. Thetter was in terrible shape. Isaac shook the grains of sand off of his shoulders and head. ¡°...Well, that was a good wake-up call,¡± Isaac muttered. He didn¡¯t suffer any severe injuries because of his magic barrier, but he ended up consuming a ton of demonic energy to protect himself. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have let my guard down.¡¯ Isaac thought that he didn¡¯t have to worry about falling for modern traps and weapons because he was capable of disabling them, thanks to his unique characteristic as a fiend who had consumed the blood of a gremlin. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect that he would use ancient traps like ymores.¡¯ Isaac flicked his wet hair andughed. ¡°I guess you did some research about me.¡± ¡°Yes. My dad never took me to the beach, but he taught me how to kill a bastard.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± ¡®How cheeky of him.¡¯ Isaac took a brief moment to measure how much demonic energy he had consumed by defending himself. ¡®Tsk.¡¯ Equation of Death was a spell capable of reviving even the dead, so its cast conditions were extremelyplicated and stringent. ¡°I guess I have to change my n.¡± Isaac¡¯s original n was to bait Gilberto out by using Arthur as a hostage, but he needed a change of n. ¡®I can¡¯t afford to waste that much time.¡¯ Isaac had already consumed more demonic energy than he had been nning on using against Arthur. He had to deal with Specter once he was done with Gilberto and Arthur, so he had to ensure that he would have enough demonic energy by then. ¡°You could have lived a bit longer. You made your bed, now lie in it.¡± Isaac snapped his fingers, and a deck of cards fell like rain on Arthur. ¡°What?!¡± nk! nk! nk! Arthur swung his swords to send the cards flying, but they were heavier than he expected. ¡®Damn it! Why are these cards so heavy¡­?!¡¯ The falling cards consumed Arthur¡¯s strength and stamina like crazy. Snap! Arthur¡¯s sword shattered upon colliding with a card. His eyes inadvertently turned toward the fragment of his sword on the sandy beach. ¡®Has thirty seconds always been this long?¡¯ Arthur had never expected that he would one day think that thirty seconds was a long time. Shwik! A card pierced Arthur¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°Argh!¡± Arthur had just screamed in agony, but another card had already fallen and pierced his right thigh. Arthur was forced to his knees, and he looked up to try and defend himself. His eyes reflected hundreds of ying cards falling toward him. ¡®Ah¡­ I¡¯m gonna die.¡¯ Crackle! A loud rumble echoed, and the ying cards vanished without a trace. ¡°...!¡± Arthur and Isaac¡¯s gaze turned toward where the attack hade from. ¡°Gilberto?¡± Isaac¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®What an idiot.¡¯ His son had managed to buy him a few seconds by risking his life, but Gilberto chose to save his son with the lethal move he had prepared instead of using it to try and kill Isaac. ¡®He wasted it.¡¯ Now, Isaac could leisurely kill them. ¡®Let¡¯s deal with the scarier one.¡¯ Isaac flicked his sleeve. ¡°Lord of Cards!¡± Thud! A massive cardnded in front of Isaac. Thud! Thud! Thud! Dozens of cardsnded on the sandy beach all the way to where Gilberto was located. ¡°You should have shot me, not my cards.¡± The cards fell forward like a domino, and they were terrifyingly fast as they rushed at Gilberto. ¡°...¡± Gilberto wordlessly aimed at his target. ¡®I¡¯m not quite used to this yet.¡¯ Gilberto had failed to create the weapon he wanted because he was still not used to controlling Ethe. His fingernded on the trigger, and he muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll have to reduce the output the next time I use this...¡± Click. The trigger was pulled, and Gilberto felt the Ether inside of him rushing toward the barrel of his weapon. Crackleeeee! A railgun was a weapon that used electromaic force tounch projectiles at high velocity, but Gilberto wasn¡¯t using a simple projectile here. He wasn¡¯t using a bullet made out of magic or lead. ¡®Ether is stronger than any other projectile out there.¡¯ Boom! Gilberto¡¯s Ether condensed to form an azure bullet that shot toward Isaac ¡°This is absurd¡­¡± muttered Gilberto. The bullet he had fired through the railgun he had made ignored thews of physics. The wind was strong, and it was raining, but the Ether bullet ignored all those and made a beeline for its target without even the slightest trajectory deviation. ¡°What?¡± Isaac was appalled upon seeing his ying cards disappear like bubbles. ¡®My cards are¡­ being annihted on contact?¡¯ Isaac instinctively mustered the full extent of his demonic energy to cast the Equation of Death. Boom! Isaac exploded into a bloody mist upon being struck by Gilberto¡¯s Ether bullet. ¡°Huh?¡± Arthur was drenched in Isaac¡¯s blood, and he blinked nkly while staring at where Isaac had been standing just a few seconds ago. ¡®Isaac is dead? It did take Father a long time to prepare it, but to think it would?kill a Heaven?instantly¡­¡¯ Arthur turned to look at his father in shock. He couldn¡¯t believe that such an attack hade from the same man who had been whining about retiring just until recently. ¡°God...¡± Arthur said. He chuckled hollowly in shock before walking toward his father. However, he flinched and came to a halt when the death energy hovering over the sandy beach swept past him. ¡°Argh! Keheuk!¡± Isaac spat a mouthful of blood as he regenerated. He was disoriented¡ªperhaps it was because his brain was still regenerating. ¡®I¡¯m dying? No, did I die? I died once?¡¯?Isaac¡¯s pupils constricted upon realizing that he could have died if he had been even a beat toote in casting his Equation of Death. Isaac Dvor staggered up. ¡°Huff, puff¡­¡± His organs and bones regenerated and returned to their original ces. ¡°Y-y-y-your¡­ your father. Got ridiculously strongerpared to back in Seoul,¡± said Isaac. ¡®But I-I¡¯m the winner because I came back to life¡­¡¯ Isaac felt that Gilberto¡¯s fearsome attack had a cooldown. ¡°I-I am g-going to take a break.¡± Isaac could only abandon his n of assisting Valencia, as facing Specter in his current condition would be no different frommitting suicide. He truly liked Valencia as a colleague, but he didn¡¯t like her enough for him to risk his life just to save her. ¡®I have to leave.¡¯ Isaac¡¯s brain finally recovered. He was running low on demonic energy, but he still had enough demonic energy to escape. Fwoosh! Isaac covered himself with a ck cloth. ¡°Arthur Green. Please tell your father that his bullet finally reached me.¡± ¡®But there won¡¯t be a next time...¡¯ Fwoosh! ¡°Damn it! Wait!¡± Arthur hurriedly tore the ck cloth apart, but Isaac Dvor was gone. *** ¡°I¡¯m sorry to break it to you, but I¡¯m not nning on letting you go,¡± Gilberto murmured. Isaac was right. . Gilberto had used up most of his Ether and magic, so he couldn¡¯t afford to fire his railgun again. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Gilberto¡¯s eyes turned to the forest in the west. He saw Isaac reappear a kilometer deep in that forest. ¡°It seems that you¡¯re running on empty as well.¡± Isaac had perished, after all. Sure, he hade back to life, but there was no way he would have enough demonic energy to stage a perfect escape. Gilberto also reckoned that Isaac was having trouble moving because he was still recovering. ¡®I¡¯m running on empty as well, but¡­ I don¡¯t have to use magic to pull a trigger.¡¯ Gilberto stared at the running Isaac through the scope of his sniper rifle. The leaves and branches of trees were blocking Isaac¡¯s figure, and thetter was getting farther and farther away as well. Gilberto¡¯s head started to throb as he ran many simtions in his head. Gilberto forced himself to remain calm and focused on his target. Drizzle¡­ The incessant noise of the rain and the whistling of air vanished. Gilberto couldn¡¯t perceive anything else aside from his target. ¡®Distance, wind speed, wind direction, wind strength, bullet drop, spindrift, and obstacle influence¡­¡¯ Gilberto took all those variables into ount and simted what would happen once he pulled the trigger as if his mind were a ballisticputer. It would be unreasonable to say that Gilberto¡¯s prowess was born because of his talent. It would have been nice if he were a talented yer in the first ce, but Gilberto had never been a talent. His calctions were a result of countless repetitions, theorizing, and practice. His prowess was a product of the data he had engraved on his fingertips, mind, and heart. ¡°Isaac Dvor¡­¡± The noises, colors, and obstacles disappeared, and Gilberto couldn¡¯t see anything else aside from his target. Gilberto finally pulled the trigger. ¡°You¡¯re done.¡± Boom! Gilberto put his gun down and retrieved a re from his Inventory. He aimed at the sky and pulled the trigger. Boom! A blue light painted the gloomy skies, and it shone brilliantly despite the heavy rain. 1. Yes, he speaks like this in this sentence, probably because his brain is still in the middle of regenerating Chapter 569: Pieces (7)

Chapter 569: Pieces (7)

¡°Hm.¡± Christin Lewis was casually standing next to Specter. He heard a loud explosion and turned to look toward it. ¡°A blue re... did ite from an ally?¡± ¡°Blue means sess.¡± ¡°Oh, so they managed to lure Isaac Dvor away from here?¡± ¡°No.¡± Specter was well aware of Gilberto¡¯s personality and knew that he would only use a blue re if he hadpleted everything. ¡°It means Isaac Dvor is dead.¡± ¡°What? Who killed him?¡± Christin Lewis turned to look at Specter in surprise. Isaac Dvor was a Heaven and the right arm of the Heavenly Demon. He seemed like he had an outgoing personality because he was always all smiles, but he was an infamous fiend who had killed an innumerable number of yers. ¡°He died at the hands of the world¡¯s best wingman,¡± said Specter. Rumble! The castle made out of thorny bushes, rumbled. ¡°Here we go again. There¡¯s a fight going on down there, but it seems that it¡¯s impossible for us to make our way there,¡± said Christin Lewis. He was right. They hadn¡¯t been able to find a way down. And it was all because¡­ ¡°The owner doesn¡¯t want us to go down.¡± The thorny bushes were holding them back. In other words, Valencia was dealing with all of them by herself. Specter gestured with his chin. ¡°Look.¡± ¡°Huh? If you¡¯re talking about the re, it¡¯s already¡ª¡± Christin Lewis¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Ah. I see.¡± The re was now below them, which meant¡­ ¡°She¡¯s raising our altitude.¡± ¡°It seems that the saying about how one¡¯s senses would be distorted while they¡¯re around Valencia is true.¡± Valencia had been pushing the two higher and higher to prevent them from getting close to her. ¡°Sigh. She¡¯s more annoying than I thought,¡± Christin Lewis said. He crushed an encroaching thorny bush with his divine power before asking, ¡°It will be difficult for us to go down because these bushes regenerate too fast. Can¡¯t you just freeze and cut them all like what you did to enter this castle?¡± ¡°These bushes are nothing in front of my power to disregard.¡± However, going down the castle was apletely different story. Valencia¡¯s thorny bushes regenerated at the same speed at which it was cut down. ¡°Wait, how did youe in here, then?¡± asked Christin Lewis. ¡°That was a different story...¡± Specter froze the bushes and cut them down at once to enter the castle. ¡°However, I only managed to do that because Valencia and I reached apromise.¡± Valencia didn¡¯t want Specter to attack her from the outside, while Specter wanted to go inside the castle. In the end, Valenciapromised and allowed Specter to enter her castle. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Things were different now¡­ Valencia was desperately keeping Specter at bay. ¡®Mio¡¯s holding out better than I expected.¡¯ Specter figured that Valencia was probably thinking that she would lose if Specter managed to group up with Mio. ¡®Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason for her to be so desperate to stop me from joining Mio. Isaac¡¯s death probably made her more desperate.¡¯ ¡°Hm.¡± However, it also meant that Mio wasn¡¯t exactly in a great situation. ¡®She''s stalling for time because she¡¯s confident of beating Mio as long as Mio does not receive any reinforcement.¡¯ If Mio were overwhelming her, Valencia wouldn¡¯t have the luxury to keep Specter at bay. Specter opened his Inventory and asked, ¡°The Sun God is omniscient, right?¡± ¡°Of course, wait, are you interested in the Sun God?¡± ¡°Not exactly, but¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m interested in those who can handle the Sun God¡¯s divine power.¡¯ Christin Lewis blinked nkly at Specter. He had no idea what Specter had in mind. *** ¡°Huff, puff...¡± Mio tried to catch her breath. ¡®I can¡¯t approach her...¡¯ Valencia¡¯s attacks were innumerable, incessant, and unpredictable. Herbat style was reminiscent of Specter, which didn¡¯t allow his opponent even a moment to breathe. ¡°Cough!¡± Mr. Shoot¡¯s condition was getting worse and worse as time went on. He was covered in cold sweat because of his wounds. ¡°Ibuki! Are you okay?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m okay¡­¡± Mr. Shoot didn¡¯t sound okay at all. Mr. Shoot very much wanted to sleep, but he couldn¡¯t allow himself to copse. ¡®I can¡¯t be a burden¡­¡¯ However, Mr. Shoot¡¯s lethargic body was betraying his burning determination. Eventually, he copsed to his knees. ¡°Ibuki!¡± Mio screamed. Valencia saw that and took advantage of the opening. ¡°You let your guard down.¡± Spears made out of thorny bushes flew toward Mio. ¡°Heup!¡± Mio raised both her swords and cut the thorns down. Slice, slice, slice! ¡°Huff, puff!¡± Slice, slice, slice! Unfortunately, there were simply too many thorns for Mio to handle. The thorny bushes carved bloody lines on Mio¡¯s pristine figure. ¡°You still want to keep going?¡± Valencia sighed lightly. She wanted to end this pointless fight as soon as possible. ¡®The weather is on my side, too.¡¯ The weather was gloomy, and rain had been incessantly falling, bolstering her thorny bushes¡¯ regeneration rate to its limit. ¡®She¡¯s more durable than I thought. I can¡¯t waste any more time on her. I have to end this soon.¡¯ Isaac¡¯s presence had disappeared, so she had to finish this fight to find out whether he was still alive or not. ¡°I¡¯m busy, so hurry up and die.¡± Valencia flicked her sleeve, and a tsunami of thorny bushes loomed over Mio. ¡°Huff¡­ puff¡­¡± Mio gestured and retrieved her flying swords. She gripped them tightly in her hands, but her swords trembled ever so slightly due to the influence of fatigue. ¡®This skill consumes too much magic, stamina, and mental strength. It eats more than a pig.¡¯ Mio had been using Sword Kinesis to move her swords without touching them, and it allowed Mio ess to an endless variation of attacks from just about any angle. It was a ridiculously powerful technique, but its magic, stamina, and mental strength consumption were enormous. ¡®Just once and for a moment¡­ my sword will pierce her heart as long as her bushes are stopped just once and for a moment. Unfortunately, I do not think that a miracle will happen here¡­¡¯? Mio had been swinging her sword all her life with the mindset that if she sweated one more drop of sweat during her training, she and her friends would shed one less drop of blood on the battlefield. ¡®I trust myself.¡¯ Mio decided to believe in the time and effort she had spent while walking on her path. She gripped her two swords tightly, and a purple me engulfed her swords. Mio turned toward the tsunami of thorns and shouted, ¡°Come!¡± ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to rush me,¡± Valencia said coldly. ¡°I¡¯m still going to kill you, anyway.¡± Valencia flicked her sleeve, creating hundreds of monsters made out of bushes. ¡®You have nowhere to hide.¡¯ Valencia gave Mio two options. Thetter could only cut all her thorny bushes down or die. ¡®Even if she cuts them all down, she will still lose. I can just make more thorns.¡¯ Valencia could theoretically create an endless amount of thorns during a downpour. ¡°...!¡± Valencia abruptly turned her head. Shwik! She heard a faint noiseing from the other side of her walls. Something was trying to enter the battlefield¡­ ¡®Specter? No, it can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ Valencia could clearly tell that the intruder wasn¡¯t Specter. ¡®Christin Lewis and Specter are still above me. Who is it, then?¡¯ Valencia frowned. Boom! However, the intruder finally broke through her thorny bushes and entered the battlefield. ¡®A sword?¡¯ Valencia saw a flying sword simr to Tenmei Mio¡¯s flying swords earlier. ¡®Wait, there are four of them¡­¡¯ Valencia¡¯s eyes quivered. ¡®It¡¯s Specter...¡¯ Valencia could clearly recognize the four swords, and they were none other than the parts of Specter¡¯s Freedom de. Valencia flicked her sleeve to restrain the swords. ¡®He probably sent these swords in a hurry to support Tenmei Mio because he¡¯s still trapped.¡¯ Valencia was relieved. ¡®Thank goodness. I don¡¯t think he will be able to do anything here when he can¡¯t see us from up there.¡¯¡¯ The distance between her and Specter was more than a kilometer, and she was still raising the altitude of the castle, so the distance between them would only increase as time went on. ¡®This is an opportunity.¡¯ Valencia smiled, thinking that Specter had made a big mistake. Specter¡¯s Freedom de was tricky to handle because Specter was manipting them through Sword Kinesis, just like Mio. ¡°I¡¯ll throw them into the sea.¡± Valencia¡¯s thorny bushes engulfed Specter¡¯s flying swords. Slice! However, the flying swords sliced them all. ¡°...!¡± Valencia¡¯s expression turned ugly. ¡®What was that? A coincidence? It must be a coincidence because he can¡¯t see what¡¯s going on down here.¡¯ Specter was strong, but there was no way he could see what was going on here unless he were a god. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Slice! Slice! Slice! The flying swords moved nonstop and incessantly sliced the surrounding thorny bushes and monsters. ¡®How? How can he see what¡¯s going on here?¡¯ Valencia was baffled. *** ¡°What do you think? This is the power of the omnipotent Sun God. Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Specter said, annoyed. However, he had to admit that the Sun God¡¯s divine power was indeed useful. ¡°The Sun God¡¯s eyes are sunlight itself. Anyway, what about it? Do you want to be a follower?¡± asked Christin Lewis. ¡°No, and can you shut up, please? You¡¯re making it hard for me to focus.¡± ¡°...¡± A golden hologram was reflected in Specter¡¯s eyes, and it showed him a three-dimensional space a few kilometers away from them. Specter was currently using Christin Lewis¡¯ God¡¯s Eye to intervene in the battle between Mio and Valencia. ¡°...¡± His flying swords protected Mio and Mr. Shoot, and they cut down every single thorny bush that dared to encroach on them. However, Specter was well aware that what he was doing was just a band-aid solution. He wasn¡¯t hoping that this would be enough to kill Valencia. ¡®It has to be you, Mio.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t do anything else aside from helping Mio from afar with his flying swords. Mio was the only one who could kill Valencia. ¡®And she only has one chance.¡¯ Specter closed his eyes and focused. Chapter 570: Pieces (8)

Chapter 570: Pieces (8)

Mio couldn¡¯t even take a moment to breathe under Valencia¡¯s incessant assault, so the appearance of the Freedom de was like salvation for Mio. ¡®Freedom de¡­ Jun-Ho?¡¯ Mio smiled sweetly upon seeing the flying swords. The Freedom de granted Mio a moment of freedom. ¡®These flying swords are here, so Jun-Ho must be nearby.¡¯ Mio grew lively with anticipation. She was exhausted from the sessive battles, and she was running out of magic. However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s impending arrival vanquished the despair in her heart and filled it with hope. ¡®I can hold out just a bit longer¡­.¡¯ Mio held her swords tightly and bravely cut down the thorns along with the flying swords. However, her expression darkened thirty minutester. ¡®Howe¡­?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho still hadn¡¯t arrived. The me of resistance she had ignited was waning in front of Valencia¡¯s fierce and endless attacks. Slice! Slice! Slice! Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s flying swords wordlessly protected Mio and Mr. Shoot. Mio stared deeply at the flying swords, and her eyes abruptly widened. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡®Why am I such a fool? I can¡¯t believe that I did not notice it right away¡­ I wasted half an hour.¡¯ Mio finally realized that the flying swords had only been defending them. ¡®This is¡­ the best that he can do...¡¯ Mio bit her lips. ¡®I¡¯m an idiot.¡¯ She thought she knew better than anyone else that Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t an omnipotent god who could take care of everyone. ¡®I¡¯m ashamed.¡¯ Mio was ashamed that she thought of leaning on Seo Jun-Ho rather than handling the situation by herself, just like those people she disliked. Mio blushed from the shame. ¡®Jun-Ho is strong enough to freeze the entire castle and shatter it at once.¡¯¡¯ Mio presumed that the reason he hadn¡¯t done that was that Mr. Shoot and her would also die if he were to kill Valencia that way. ¡®Then, why? Why on earth did he send these flying swords to me?¡¯ At first, Mio thought that the flying swords were Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s message to her, saying that she should wait because he wasing. However, she had already realized that she was mistaken. ¡®To say that he sent these swords just to support me¡­¡¯ The flying swords were too passive to be considered support. Mio observed the way the swords were moving and finally saw through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intentions. ¡®He¡¯s buying me time while protecting us. Jun-Ho wants me to do something.¡¯ The swords were waiting for Mio. They had been anxiously waiting for something. ¡®But¡­ what are they waiting for?¡¯ Mio was exhausted and was running low on magic. ¡®Do these swords want me to kill Valencia by myself?¡¯ Mio would have done that long ago if she could do it herself. Unfortunately, there was an endless amount of thorny bushes, and their regeneration rate was absurd as well. ¡®It¡¯s impossible.¡¯ There was no way Mio could break through the thorns, considering her current physical condition. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s impossible by myself.¡± Mio examined herself and soon reached a conclusion. ¡®I might be able toe up with one more attack if I pour out everything I have with all my might.¡¯ Unfortunately, she no longer had enough magic to use Sword Kinesis. ¡®I have to do it myself.¡¯ In other words, Mio would die if she failed, but she wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡®And it¡¯s all because I¡¯m actually not alone, even though I¡¯m alone.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was supporting her. ¡°It is said that there is no heaven for a coward.¡± In other words, one had to be brave to reach heaven. Mio lifted her swords. ¡°Heup!¡± Mio inhaled sharply, and her figure blurred as she squeezed out every single magic particle floating about in her magic circuit. Mio¡¯s voice was filled with determination as she said, ¡°Tenmei Mio, you got this!¡± *** ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Um¡­ this?¡± Christin was drinking water using a water canteen. ¡±Are you thirsty?¡± He held out the water canteen to Specter. ¡°Sigh.¡± Specter shook his head with a light sigh and closed his eyes. ¡®Finally, Mio has shown me her determination.¡¯ It was a difficult decision to make because she was basically gambling with her life. However, Mio had made that decision because she hadplete trust in him. ¡®I guess I have to respond to her faith.¡¯ Specter urged his magic circuits, and a tempest of magic emerged from him. Christin was horrified at the sight. ¡®W-what is that¡­?¡¯ The amount of magic that Specter had squeezed out of his magic circuits seemed like it was enough for Specter to dominate the world. Seo Jun-Sik learned many different techniques under Sung-Jun¡¯s tutge, but Seo Jun-Sik prioritized learning the intricacies of Overclocking more than anything else. ¡®Overclock is effective in amplifying my power itself, but¡­¡¯ However, Sung-Jun¡¯s Overclocking focused on the bigger picture than just amplifying his power. He had been using it in tandem with the ck Moon Heart Method. Specter took a deep breath. The ck Moon Heart Method allowed Specter ess to an infinite amount of magic, but the human vessel could only contain so much magic. In other words, there was a limit to how much magic Specter could amodate. ¡®However, Overclocking briefly breaks that limit.¡¯ The magic in the air gleefully responded to Specter¡¯s call. ¡®I usually don¡¯t amodate this much magic, but I have to do it today.¡¯ Overclocking had strengthened his magic circuit, so he could amodate arger amount of magic than usual. ¡®It¡¯s okay, even if it¡¯s just for a moment. Even a second is fine. It will be fine, so let me embrace the world for a moment.¡¯ Specter¡¯s eyelids opened, revealing a pair of golden eyes underneath. ¡°Dignity of an Emperor.¡± Dignity of an Emperor (S) raised his Stage and allowed him to embrace the world. ¡®I see it.¡¯ Specter¡¯s naked eyes took in the whirlwind of magic that had surrounded him. Christin went beyond pallid at the terrifying sight. He reckoned that Specter could even destroy the world if he were to make so much magic explode. ¡°...¡± Specter¡¯s golden eyes wordlessly looked down, and his eyes captured the figure of a petite woman. ¡®Mio.¡¯ Mio had shown that she hadplete faith in Specter, and it was Specter¡¯s turn to return the gesture in kind. Boom! The air itself exploded as Specter clenched his fist. ¡°Freeze. Absolute Zero.¡± Crackle! The surrounding thorny bushes abruptly froze, but Specter wasn¡¯t moved. His goal was more than just freezing the surrounding thorny bushes. *** ¡®Finally!¡¯ Valencia¡¯s eyes shed. Mio was about to make her tragic and heroicst stand. ¡®And?Specter?is supporting her?¡¯ Crackle! The temperature abruptly fell as the entire castle was abruptly frozen. However, Valencia wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡®What a relief.¡¯ She smiled in relief after realizing that her opponents could only do this much. ¡®Freezing the castle is useless.¡¯ Rumble! The thorny bushes regenerated and shattered the ice from the inside. ¡®The weather is on my side.¡¯ She was unstoppable while it was raining. She reckoned that even the Heavenly Demon would struggle against her while it was raining. ¡°How boring, let¡¯s end this,¡± said Valencia. She raised her hand and stared deeply at Mio. She couldn¡¯t help but admit that Mio had fought well against her. ¡®And that is why I¡¯ll let you rest in peace...¡¯ Fwoosh! A tsunami of thorny bushes emerged from behind Valencia and fell toward Mio. ¡®Her pale skin will soon be stained with blood, and her sparkling eyes will soon lose their light.¡¯ Valencia smiled just imagining it, but her figure quivered in shock. ¡°What?¡± Valencia¡¯s stupefied gazended on the ceiling. *** ¡°Huff, puff!¡± Mio staggered. Optimization (S) allowed her senses to be at the optimal condition at all times along with erasing the need to limatize to every stat increase, but the issue here was exhaustion. ¡®Just a bit longer. I have to hold out just a bit longer.¡¯ She was roughly a hundred meters away from Valencia. All she had to do was run and swing her sword once. ¡®Come on. Please hang in there just a little longer.¡¯ Mio begged herself and hurriedly narrowed the distance between her and Valencia. ¡°Huff, puff!¡± Unfortunately, the closer she got to Valencia, the more thorny bushes got in her way. Thud! A thick thorn tripped Mio, and she copsed to the ground with a dull thud. ¡®I have to move¡­¡¯ A terrible wave of pain would fill her head whenever she took a step forward. However, Mio didn¡¯t stop even for a moment. At this point, she was trying her best not to fall while taking advantage of inertia to move rather than actually using her energy to run at Valencia. ¡®Jun-Ho is going to give me an opportunity.¡¯ And she had to make full use of it, or it would be herst opportunity¡­ Soon, Mio finally saw Valencia¡¯s bored expression. ¡°Stay away,¡± Valencia spat indifferently. Dozens of thorny bushes rushed at Mio. Thwik! ¡°Ah!¡± Mio¡¯s shoulder, torso, and thigh were pierced, but she didn¡¯t slice them apart. She had to preserve her strength for that fateful attack. She had to reach Valencia with minimal movements. ¡®I can¡¯t waste my strength on these thorns.¡¯ Her next swing had to chop Valencia¡¯s head off rather than these thorns. ¡°You¡¯re annoying,¡± said Valencia with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m getting tired; let¡¯s end this.¡± Valencia swung her hand down, and a myriad of thorny bushes rushed at Mio. ¡®I have to run¡­¡¯?Mio momentarily hesitated at the terrifying sight. ¡°No.¡± However, she took a step forward rather than backward. ¡®I¡¯m not running away.¡¯ The blind faith she had in Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t something that was built in just one day. ¡®Jun-Ho will seem reckless at first nce, but he¡¯ll always have a n.¡¯ The issue was that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ns had always been borderline impossible, but his ns had always seeded somehow. In that case, Mio simply had to follow in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s footsteps and seed somehow. ¡®Five steps.¡¯ Valencia Citrin was just five steps ahead. Mio started imbuing her sword with as much magic as she could squeeze from her magic circuit. ¡®Four steps¡­¡¯ The thorny bushes flying toward Mio froze over, but Valencia remained calm. ¡®Three steps¡­¡¯ The frozen thorny bushes remained frozen for some reason, causing confusion to appear on Valencia¡¯s face. ¡®Two steps.¡¯ The fiend¡¯s bewildered and frustrated face was just around the corner. And that was when Mio finally figured out what was going on. ¡®A step...¡¯ Valencia was invincible while it was raining, but¡­ ¡®It stopped raining.¡¯ Mio¡¯s eyes shed coldly. Seo Jun-Ho had to have been waiting for this moment. ¡®Seriously¡­ you¡¯re amazing me.¡¯ There was only one way to stop the rain. ¡°No way¡­ h-he¡¯s a monster¡­¡± Valencia muttered nkly. She finally understood why the fiends that Specter had killed all said that he was a monster. ¡®A monster¡­¡¯ Valencia couldn¡¯t find a better word to describe Specter. Specter froze a vast expanse of clouds to stop even a drop of rain from falling on Valencia¡¯s castle. ¡°Haaa.¡± Mio¡¯s breathing style condensed her breath into a white mist. Mio arrived in front of Valencia and swung her sword without any hesitation. ¡°W-wait¡­!¡± The surrounding thorny bushes couldn¡¯t emerge from the ice after losing the support of the rain. Slice! Valencia¡¯s head flew into the air ¡°I did not swing that sword by myself.¡± Mio had swung her sword with the pieces of the many evils that the fiends had scattered throughout the world, and it was a sword move to vanquish each and every piece of the fiends¡¯ evils. Thud! Valencia¡¯s frantic look was frozen in time as her head fell to the ground with a dull thud before rolling down the mountain of frozen thorny bushes. It was the end of the Queen of Thorns. Chapter 571. White Lies (1) Chapter 571. White Lies (1) ¡°Haa. Haa.¡± Mio¡¯s vision grew misty as she kept herself upright using her sword as a cane. She had exhausted everyst drop of magic and energy she had remaining to cut down Valencia. ¡®I must¡­ pull myself together.¡¯ Her willpower was fierce, but she had already reached her limits, so she started falling forward. However, she fell into someone¡¯s arms rather than on the hard ground. ¡°...Ah?¡± ¡°You did well.¡± A familiar mask came into view. Seo Jun-Ho gently supported his party¡¯s youngest member with his shoulder. ¡°Go ahead and sleep. We¡¯ll be at the ice castle by the time you wake up.¡± ¡°You always¡­ thank¡­¡± For some reason, his warm,forting arms reminded Mio of her mother¡¯s arms. Mio let the exhaustion take over her, and she closed her eyes in peace. Seo Jun-Ho slung the sleeping Mio over his shoulder and slung Mr. Shoot on his other shoulder. ¡°I guess we can call it a sess.¡± He stared at the beach. He had saved his precious friends from dying, thanks to Sung-Jun¡¯s instructions. ¡®I had no idea that Isaac and Valencia would be here, but thankfully, it all worked out in the end.¡¯ There was a simple reason behind the unexpected change. The fiends in Sung-Jun¡¯s world had died by his hand the moment they had tried to corrupt Kim Woo-Joong. ¡®And he said that Mio died at the Overminds¡¯ hands after falling into Milphage¡¯s trap.¡¯ A small change urred, but the oue was great. In the end, Gilberto and Mio were still alive, while the Heavenly Demon lost both of his two hands. Seo Jun-Ho chuckled coldly. ¡°You...¡± He was the one and only enemy who had been following him throughout all the seven Floors. He was the incarnation of evil and was once revered as the king of countless fiends. ¡°You¡¯re the only one left.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wondered about what kind of face the Heavenly Demon would make upon realizing that he was now all alone. *** ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon came to a halt and quietly ced his hand over his heart. ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡± Isaac¡¯s Equation of Death¡ªhis safety measure¡ªhad vanished. In other words, Isaac was dead. ¡°Isaac.¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°You useless thing.¡± If he had known that Isaac would go and die in a ditch like this, he would have locked him up somewhere rather than waste such great insurance. In addition, Isaac¡¯s death meant that Valencia was dead as well. ¡°Those weaklings.¡± They had spoken as if they would serve him forever. They said that they would follow him until they had established a world filled with nothing but fiends. However, they perished and failed to keep the promise that they had made. ¡°...¡± It was all because they were weak that the hunter had be the hunted. ¡°But I¡¯m different.¡± He was strong, and he would be even stronger until he was invincible. The Heavenly Demon closed his eyes. He could hear their presumptuous reminders echoing in his head. - My liege, sometimes, you must step back; haste makes waste. - We have an endless amount of enemies, so we must increase our numbers. They were weak and naive. ¡°...You two were mistaken.¡± In the end, he was left all alone. The Overminds wouldn¡¯t spare him even a second nce. Most importantly, the weaklings had gotten themselves killed, hadn¡¯t they? ¡°A predator does not demonstrate its strength by training.¡± It simply hunted prey. The Heavenly Demon opened his eyes and stepped forward, looking bored. From now on, every living creature was his prey. *** Clink. Clink. The morning sunlight shone down on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face, and the ttering of dishes reached his ears. ¡°Do you know how hard I had it here while you guys were gone?¡± ¡°You said that like a hundred times already...¡± ¡°Hmph. Nonsense. I¡¯ve only said it fourteen times so far.¡± ¡°And yet you decided to bring it up again? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s that? I don¡¯t want to hear that from the idiot who got captured by the enemies.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wondered what he had done to deserve being woken up by their bickering. He got up and scratched. ¡°You guys are so loud¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Good morning~¡± No, it wasn¡¯t a good morning. Seo Jun-Ho looked with tired eyes. Sure enough, his friends were crowded around his table and eating breakfast. ¡°Hoo.¡± He let out a small sigh and raised his hand. ¡°Gilbe, can you make me a cup of coffee as well?¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho breathed in the thick scent of freshly brewed coffee. Still bundled in his nket, Seo Jun-Ho walked over to the table and grumbled, ¡°Who gave you guys the right to just barge into someone¡¯s room and eat breakfast?¡± ¡°Huh? We were invited,¡± Skaya said, chewing on toast. She pointed at someone else. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face turned sour upon finding Seo Jun-Sik on the couch, flipping a page of his manhwa. ¡°Yup. I let them in.¡± ¡°Wow. Really, now¡­ And what right do you have to do that?¡± ¡°What, right?¡± Seo Jun-Sik lowered his book, looking hurt. ¡°See, this is all I get for taking care of you. Do you know what I had to go through¡ª¡± ¡°Ugh, fine. Just forget it and go back to reading your book.¡± Seo Jun-Ho waved him off. He had a feeling that pushing him even further would only make him even more annoyed. ¡®It¡¯s hard to be tough on him like I used to be.¡¯ It was probably because he felt sorry for what Seo Jun-Sik had gone through. He probably didn¡¯t do it willingly, but Seo Jun-Sik had been following his orders all these years. ¡®But that ends this week.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had already absorbed all the memories that Seo Jun-Sik had of his training. In other words, it would be like he was the one who had gone through all that training. Seo Jun-Sik would probably throw a fit if he heard his thoughts, so Seo Jun-Ho looked away from him. ¡°Mio, how are you feeling?¡± he asked. Mio quietly put down her cup of tea and looked up. ¡°Valencia nearly pushed me over the edge, but you saved me. I need not anything more.¡± ¡°Pushover¡­? What?¡±[1] ¡°It means that I escaped certain death.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s good.¡± It had already been two days since they arrived at the ice castle. Seo Jun-Ho had done nothing but sleep in the past two days. ¡°On the contrary, we¡¯re concerned about you, Jun-Ho,¡± Mio said. ¡°For real. These three went through a lot, but you look more tired than them,¡± Skaya added. ¡°...Yeah, you¡¯re right. I guess I¡¯m just a bit tired.¡± It had been the longest ten days of his life. To be fair, he had done a lot of things in those ten days. ¡®I saved Rahmadat, fought the Overmind army, and went right to theb afterward.¡¯ And then he met him¡­ Sung-Jun. ¡®And I immediately got busy afterward.¡¯ He had saved Gilbert and had gone right to Mio without even catching his breath. ¡°Hoo.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed. Recalling the past ten days brought back another wave of fatigue. Gilberto put down a cup in front of him. ¡°Drink. It¡¯ll wake up.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Seo Jun-Ho blew on the hot coffee and gulped it. Gilberto was right; it woke him right up. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s apparently going to be a meeting in the evening,¡± Rahmadat said, munching on ten pieces of bacon at once. ¡°A meeting? What meeting?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the yers¡¯ de facto leader. They said they want to discuss uing ns with you.¡± ¡°ns¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho had ns, but he had to confirm a few things before executing any of his ns. ¡°Where¡¯s Woo-Joong?¡± he asked. ¡°The little runt stuck him on the wall of your training room.¡± ¡°Good.¡± They couldn¡¯t let anyone discover what happened to Kim Woo-Joong until they destroyed the Float Force Power nt. ¡®Especially Son Chae-Won¡­ They couldn¡¯t allow her to discover Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s status. She¡¯s the Guild Master of Silent Moon, after all.¡¯ Sung-Jun had told him that they had fallen into a great panic upon discovering the Sword Demon¡¯s identity. ¡®I feel bad, but I can¡¯t tell the others right now.¡¯ The problem was that Kim Woo-Joong had been missing for over ten days now. ¡°Skaya, how is Son Chae-Won?¡± he asked. ¡°She was just waiting patiently for the first few days, but she¡¯s a bit restlesstely.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Her best friend had gone missing, after all. Seo Jun-Ho thought about it for a moment before asking, ¡°What do you guys think? Will it be better to keep it a secret? Or¡­¡± ¡°White lies?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± A few lies were no big deal as long as they would maintain the peace of the ice castle. In addition, Seo Jun-Ho himself was observing Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can convince them with just a few words,¡± Skaya said. ¡°...Yeah.¡± Every single member of Silent Moon here was a veteran yer. They would easily see through flimsy lies, and there would be chaos by then. ¡°All right, then. I¡¯ll leave that part to you, Skaya. You can do it, right?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Sure, I guess. I¡¯lle up with something before the meeting.¡± ¡°Thanks. And what about Kiora?¡± ¡°We heard that she woke up this morning.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Kiora had passed out after exhausting herself fighting the monsters of Valencia¡¯s castle. It was fortunate that she didn¡¯t die, but she had to rest for at least a week. ¡°The second thing we need to take care of is¡­ yeah, it¡¯s the issue about Milphage,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. The traitor ended up being Milphage, and an uproar would definitely ur if they were to tell everyone about that at the uing meeting. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and made a decision. ¡°...We¡¯ll keep this under wraps for now, but we should tell Sung-Hyun and Chae-Won because they have been actively looking for the traitor all these years.¡± ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t want them to panic?¡± Gilberto asked. ¡°Yes.¡± The battle was fast approaching. The Overminds would definitely make their move soon after the yers had stolen two holy relics from them. The yers had to be united to face the Overminds. ¡°We need to trust each other. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be difficult for us to work together,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Hallem¡¯s members were formidable. Kiora had to recover as fast as possible for her to lead Hallem in Milphage¡¯s absence. ¡°Jun-Ho, by any chance, is there¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, Gilbe. No one else was involved.¡± Seo Jun-Ho interrupted. He was confident because he had dug deep into Milphage memories. ¡°He didn¡¯t tell a single soul what he did.¡± In other words, he had personally handed over the necessary information to the fiends. Seo Jun-Ho sighed lightly. ¡°Those are the only things we should keep in mind for now.¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be on my way then,¡± Skaya said. She went off to craft their story. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m going to the gym to work out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to wake Arthur up.¡± ¡°Gilberto, Arthur is a fully-grown adult. I believe he should be dining with the other Watchguards at the moment,¡± Mio said. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not that obsessed with him. I¡¯m just going to check to see if he¡¯s getting all his nutrients from his food, that¡¯s all.¡± Wasn¡¯t that basically an obsession? ¡°Hm. I am feeling a bit hungry,¡± muttered the Frost Queen from the sofa after the others finally left Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s residence. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho met Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes and scratched his head. ¡°I¡ªuh. Do you want some cookies? Cake? There should be some in the cafeteria.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make you some tea while he brings it up, then.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The Frost Queen swept a suspicious gaze at the two men. ¡°What is this? What¡¯s up with this excellent treatment? Is there a reason behind this?¡± ¡°Of course not, why would we need a reason to treat you properly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sho shad. Are you saying that we were treating you badly?¡± Seo Jun-Sik whined. ¡°Hm¡­ no, but¡­ you usually treat me like this whenever you have done something wrong.¡± ¡°Wow. What are you trying to say? Do you have any proof?¡± ¡°I¡­suppose not.¡± The Frost Queen crossed her arms and pondered. However, her curiosity would never be satisfied. It was all because Seo Jun-Ho and Seo Jun-Sik were the only two people on earth who knew Sung-Jun¡¯s secret, and they were nning on taking their secrets with them to the grave. ¡°So you don¡¯t want any snacks?¡± ¡°...I did not say that,¡± said the Frost Queen. She felt a strange sense of defeat as she added, ¡°Give me a lot, all right?¡± 1. Mio uses a fancy 4-character hanja phrase. The first two characters can be read as ¡°pushover¡± ? Chapter 572. White Lies (2) Chapter 572. White Lies (2) ¡°Ah¡­ Mm¡­¡± the Frost Queen started nodding off after eating her snack. She soon fell asleep. ¡°Hey, Original. Did you put sleeping pills in her tea or something?¡± Seo Jun-Sik asked. ¡°Nah. She just feels drowsy after eating,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied. ¡°Why does she sleep so much when she¡¯s a Spirit?¡± Seo Jun-Sik looked at the Frost queen in awe and turned around. ¡°Huh? Where are you going?¡± ¡°Training room.¡± ¡°I wanna go, too. I don¡¯t have anything to do, anyway, so I guess I¡¯ll just train.¡± ¡°Sounds good. Follow me.¡± They still hadn¡¯t mastered all the things that Sung-Jun had told them. They had to train if they wanted to face the battle that was up ahead. The two of them entered their personal training room, and their eyes were drawn to the same ce. ¡°...Anyway, our dear Frost has some peculiar tastes,¡± Jun-Sik said. ¡°That¡¯s just who she is,¡± Jun-Ho said jokingly as he headed over to one side of the hall. There stood a giant statue of a slice of cake that wasn¡¯t originally there. Anyone would think that it was cute andugh upon seeing it. ¡°I think he was around here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wiped the strawberry topping with his sleeve, revealing Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°...Am I the only one who finds this weird?¡± asked Seo Jun-said. ¡°Shit, I do, too. I feel like some psychopath from a horror movie who collects bodies or something,¡± Seo Jun-Sik muttered. After all, a human trapped in ice inside a cake was in his own personal training room. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression was grim as he took in Kim Woo-Joong. Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes were closed. ¡°...I know how cold it is in there, but I need you to hold out for just a little bit more.¡± Seo Jun-Ho would recover the three holy relics, no matter what. By then, Helic would turn him back. That was all Seo Jun-Ho could tell him for now. ¡°Geez, now I feel all sad. Let¡¯s just train,¡± Seo Jun-Sik grumbled. He created distance between them. ¡°Hey, you got all the Overclocking theories from my memories, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Right now, Seo Jun-Ho could raise his output to 365%. It was insane, but it was all because magic wasn¡¯t the only prerequisite. ¡°I need really good magic control, the Frost Skill, the ck Moon Heart Method, and even Wheel of Time¡­ there are so many things I need to keep an eye on,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. ¡°There¡¯s also the risk of injuries while using it on the battlefield.¡± The two of them had to figure out how to use it effectively. Seo Jun-Sik beckoned at him with his finger. ¡°Well, I guess we can just train until we die. Come at me.¡± ¡°...Aw, you¡¯re all grown up.¡± ¡°Hmph! Of course, I am. I¡¯m an EX now!¡± There were a few changes when Cloning became EX. The most noticeable change was that it took more magic to summon Seo Jun-Sik. ¡®It does consume more magic, but I can offset that with the ck Moon Heart method.¡¯ It was almost like he had an unlimited amount of magic. He didn¡¯t have to use a single drop of his own magic if he just absorbed the surrounding magic. Of course, it required using ck Moon Heart Method around the clock, which was exhausting. ¡°The cooldown time has gone from seventy-two hours to twelve, but the biggest change is¡­¡± ¡°Heh!¡± Seo Jun-Sik could now use 95% of Jun-Ho¡¯s stats instead of 70%. Seo Jun-Sik flipped his hair and said, ¡°You know, I¡¯m pretty strong now. Who knows? Perhaps the great Seo Jun-Sik here might take you down, Original.¡± ¡°Where did you learn to be so annoying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m self-taught~¡± ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re pissing me off.¡± Seo Jun-Ho repressed his anger and quietly prepared his magic energy. He hated to admit it, but that punk wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. ¡®There¡¯s only a five percent difference between us. He can beat me if I let my guard down.¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t afraid. On the contrary, he was pleased. ¡°...Hey, why are you smirking all of a sudden, you pervert? Are you not scared of me?¡± Seo Jun-Sik asked with a frown. He felt that something was off. ¡°Why would I be scared? I was getting tired of going easy on you, but I don¡¯t have to do that anymore. I¡¯m happy about all this.¡± ¡°...If you really think that way, don¡¯t you think there could be a reason to keep doing that?¡± ¡°Nope. You said it yourself. We¡¯ll train until we die,¡± Jun-Houghed. ¡°I do not consent to dying...¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯re not gonna die,¡± Seo Jun-Ho reassured. He approached Seo Jun-Sik step by step with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s just gonna sting for a moment because there¡¯s a bit of a dy when I unsummon you, you know? That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s even scarier! You¡¯re just gonna beat me up when you summon me again!¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said and smiled sweetly. ¡°We¡¯ll be together forever.¡± ¡°N-Nooooo!¡± Somehow, this was even scarier than Sung-Jun¡¯s training. *** ¡°Sniff! You brute¡­!¡± Jun-Sik sobbed pitifully as he quivered in the fetal position. Cell Regeneration (S) was currently healing his injuries. ¡°Hm. It looks like I can only use a 365% output for one minute,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said while pressing two eggs against his ck eye. He was going over what he had learned today. Seo Jun-Sik managed to hit him with a few good hits, so he felt a bit out of it. ¡°Realistically, I think using 300% output would be the most optimal. I canst thirty minutes with it rather than one.¡± Three hundred percent Overclocking output was fine. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t level up, but he felt even stronger than before. ¡°Hey, Jun-Sik.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seo Jun-Sik asked tly. He raised his head just a bit because his Original sounded pretty serious. ¡°Sung-Jun managed to raise his Overclocking output to 1000%, right?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s why he was able to cut a dimension.¡± ¡°Yeah, he was amazing¡­ And yet he lost on the 9th Floor.¡± And it wasn¡¯t a close call¡ªhe apparently got crushed. Sung-Jun also said that he wasn¡¯t sure if he could beat the Floor Master of the 9th Floor, even if he could still regress. ¡°That means we have to get even stronger...¡± Their enemies in the future were powerful that it was hard for the two of them toprehend it. Seo Jun-Ho and Seo Jun-Sik had to train nonstop so they could reach Sung-Jun¡¯s level, but even then, their victory was still up in the air. ¡°We have to get as strong as¡ªno, we have to get a lot stronger than Sung-Jun,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. Seo Jun-Ho became filled with fierce determination upon seeing what Seo Jun-Sik had to go through upon meeting Sung-Jun. Seo Jun-Sik could feel his determination as well. Surprisingly, the little brat nodded seriously. ¡°Yeah. There are things that we need to do,¡± said Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°Yup. There are many things we need to do.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled lopsidedly and closed his eyes. First of all, they had to clear the 7th Floor. They had to empty their mind and focus on clearing the 7th Floor in the meantime. *** Seo Jun-Ho showered and returned to the living room of his residence. Someone was waiting for them¡­ ¡°Huh? Mio?¡± ¡°Huh. What¡¯re you doing here?¡± Seo Jun-Sik added. Mio nodded at them and said, ¡°I have been waiting for you, Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°I thought there was still some time left until our meeting.¡± ¡°Oh, that is not why I am here¡­¡± Mio blushed slightly and became as quiet as a mouse. ¡°I-I wanted your advice on some personal matters¡­¡± ¡°Something personal?¡± ¡°Ooh, our youngest is asking for advice. That¡¯s rare.¡± Seo Jun-Sik chimed in. As far as Seo Jun-Ho could remember, this was the first time she came to him for advice. Meanwhile, Rahmadat had asked him many times before about what routines would be the best for certain muscle groups. ¡°Come in,¡± he said. He guided her inside and made tea. ¡°What kind of advice are you asking for? What¡¯s got you so shy?¡± ¡°Ah, is this about romance?¡± ¡°The gods frown upon such outrageous actions. I find romance humiliating.¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Seo Jun-Sik looked at each other. ¡°Then, what is it?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s about my family.¡± ¡°Your family?¡± ¡°Wait, why would you need advice about your fam¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Sik vanished into innumerable light particles. ¡°Sorry about that. He said he¡¯s going somewhere,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said with a grin. ¡°So. What¡¯s this about your family?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh, I have told the others, but this is about Shoot.¡± Mr. Shoot? Cha Si-Eun had treated him, but as far as Seo Jun-Ho knew, he was still in aa. ¡°Mr. Shoot? What about him?¡± he asked and started drinking water. ¡°He¡¯s actually my younger brother Ibuki.¡± ¡°Pfff!¡± Seo Jun-Ho spat the water he was drinking. He couldn¡¯t believe his ears, so he asked her once more, ¡°Can you say that again?¡± ¡°Shoot is my brother.¡± Seo Jun-Ho chose his words carefully. ¡°So Mr. Shoot¡¯s true identity is your brother who died decades ago in a fire¡­ Tenmei Ibuki?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± He never would have guessed it. Sung-Jun probably didn¡¯t know as well because he hadn¡¯t said anything about it. ¡®I see.¡¯ Mr. Shoot¡¯s identity answered a huge burning question. Seo Jun-Ho had always been wondering why Mr. Shoot saved him in Neo City. ¡°I got the vibe that Deok-Gu knew his identity, but I finally understand why he never told me,¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho. Tenmei Ibuki was a name that carried too much weight to go around telling people. He finally understood now. ¡°So, what advice do you want to ask?¡± ¡°...Ibuki is currently older than me,¡± Mio started. ¡°Right.¡± Time doesn¡¯t wait for anyone. And they had been frozen for twenty-five years. ¡°Hm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho immediately picked up on what she was trying to say. And in the same moment, he discovered a question of his own. ¡°This isn¡¯t rted to your situation at all, but can I ask why you came to me specifically?¡± ¡°Hm? Why? It¡¯s because I thought your opinion would be helpful,¡± she replied. ¡°Hey, Gilbe has a son¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho trailed off and paused. ¡®Wait.¡¯ His eyes widened. Now that he thought about it, he had always been thinking about Mio¡¯s conundrum as well. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m the most sensible out of the five of us?¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, neither Gilbe, Skaya, nor Rahmadat has any idea of how this stuff works. They don¡¯t know anything.¡± ¡°Gilbe is not so bad,¡± Mio said. She didn¡¯t even try to defend the other two. ¡°True. But he¡¯s still an idiot despite knowing how to deal with family.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± Mio nodded. ¡°You see, you¡¯re the only one who is nearly rational among the people I know¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like that you said nearly, but I¡¯m d.¡± Seo Jun-Ho calmed down after confirming that he was correct. The counseling session finally started. ¡°What exactly are you struggling with?¡± ¡°Ibuki is my younger brother, and yet he is older than me. You know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Should I¡­ speak to him formally[1]?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I think that will hurt Ibuki¡¯s feelings.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could still remember the few times they had met. ¡°He has been following you around everywhere saying, ¡®Big Sis, Big Sis!¡¯ ¡±In other words, if you suddenly started speaking formally to him, Ibuki might misunderstand and think that you¡¯re distancing[2] yourself from him¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mio¡¯s eyes widened. She gave him two thumbs up and said, ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Jun-Ho. I could have ended up hurting Ibuki deeply without realizing it.¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s not that big of a deal. It has been a long time since then, but you will always be Ibuki¡¯s Big Sis, and he will always be your younger brother. That¡¯s just how family works,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Thank you. I shall repay you by cooking you a five-course meal next time.¡± ¡°Mio, we¡¯re friends. You don¡¯t really have to give me anything for something like this.¡± ¡°No. My mother told me that I must be even more prudent to my friends...¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Your mother¡¯s pretty wise.¡± Seo Jun-Houghed awkwardly. He looked down at his watch and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s get going,¡± he muttered. ¡°It¡¯s time for the meeting.¡± In other words, it was about time for them to spread lies. 1. People have to speak formally to those that are older than them, regardless of age. It¡¯s disrespectful not to do so unless they give permission. ? 2. Usually, people only speak informally to those they¡¯re close with. It implies some level of connection. It¡¯s the same dilemma that Woo-Joong experienced. ? Chapter 573. White Lies (3) Chapter 573. White Lies (3) ¡°He¡¯s been gone for 10 days¡­? He must¡¯ve been quite busy,¡± Gong Ju-Ha said as she rubbed her cheek on the ice conference table, looking content. Shin Sung-Hyun flipped through his documents from beside her. ¡°It must be some great undertaking.¡± ¡°I feel bad for some reason. Unlike him, all we¡¯ve been doing is resting.¡± ¡°We, you say?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun raised a brow ever so slightly and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t say that. I was busy. Unlike Team Leader Gong, I have work to do.¡± He had been working diligently as a teleporter with Skaya to transport yers. Reconnaissance was crucial, after all. ¡°Eh? I¡¯ll let you know that I¡¯ve already finished my work.¡± Not only were they in the cold northern region, but they were also in a fortress made out of ice. It was cold, and if she didn¡¯t spend time every day warming every corner, people would have long gotten frostbite. ¡®She says that, but she just lights a fire once in the morning. Afterward, she would basically have nothing to do¡­¡¯ However, since Shin Sung-Hyun was a Guild Master, so there was no reason for him to be petty. He simply nodded and praised her. ¡°Yes, good work. I¡¯d expect nothing less from you.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Gong Ju-Ha finally beamed. She suddenly spotted someone and lowered her voice. ¡°¡­Master Son Chae-Won is still acting like that. It has already been a few days.¡± ¡°She must be waiting for the Sword Saint to contact her,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun said. A few days ago, Community¡¯s systems had started running smoothly once again, and it was probably because Specter had defeated Prince Digor. ¡®But it seems like there is still no word from him.¡¯ It was obvious because Son Chae-Won had done nothing but bore a hole into her messaging window for the past few days. ¡°Do you think Specter has brought back any news about the Sword Saint?¡± Gong Ju-Ha asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun said, sounding doubtful. If they ran into Kim Woo-Joong during the mission, there was no reason for him not toe back with the rest of them. ¡°All we can do is hope that hees back safe and sound.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯d be sad if the Crazy Training Gang broke up like this.¡± ¡°...The what now?¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you remember how hard the three of us trained together on the 6th Floor?¡± Training? It would be more urate to say the two had pestered him. Shin Sung-Hyun smiled bitterly at the memory. ¡®¡­Well, as long as hees back safely, I don¡¯t mind indulging him like that a few times.¡¯ He would feel disturbed if Kim Woo-Joong died here. After all, he considered the man his rival. He shook off the thoughts and stood up. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± Sure enough, the door to the conference room opened, and several people stepped inside. Those who were sitting down instinctively stood up. ¡°Please, take a seat,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said as he smoothly sat down at the head of the table. Once the other yers were seated, he spoke, ¡°I know it¡¯ste, but I sincerely congratte you on the Gt mission.¡± After that, he started telling them about his turbulent ten days that they had only heard about in rumors, and people gasped at every detail ¡°Wow. You defeated a whole army all by yourself?¡± ¡°The fact that you defeated an entire army by yourself is impressive, but I can¡¯t believe you went to theboratory immediately afterward¡­¡± ¡°It was the perfect way to ambush them. The Overminds couldn¡¯t have seen thating.¡± And to think that he killed Prince Digor on top of all that... However, someone made a sharpment when he told them how he met up with Mio as soon as he saved Gilberto. ¡°Why did you decide to split the party in two?¡± Son Chae-Won asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be cost-effective to concentrate all our manpower into one group. And there was a chance that the Overminds would strike the military base since they lost theboratory,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied coolly. ¡°¡­I see.¡± He continued and told them about how they killed Isaac and Valencia, eliciting a round of apuse from everyone. ¡°Wow! Those scoundrels are finally¡­¡± ¡°They had always been on our backs, but they¡¯re finally gone.¡± ¡°What a job well done. To be honest, I think that was the best thing we got out of this.¡± ¡°I agree. Anyway¡­¡± Just as Jun-Ho was about to wrap up, a bandaged arm shot into the air. ¡°How¡­ how did our Guild Master go?¡± The person who spoke was Kiora, the Vice Master of Hallem. She bit her lips hard, looking very troubled. She was ashamed of not having been able to do anything, and her Master died as well, even though she was with him. ¡°...¡± Her question prompted a short memory to flicker through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. ¡®He wanted to live.¡¯ That was the only reason Milphage betrayed humanity and cooperated with the fiends. There had once been a time when his mercenary group was nearly annihted while carrying out amission in Ound back when Milphage was still an honorable mercenary. ¡®They said that the reason they failed was because they ran out of rations and Ound was too barren¡­¡¯ However, it seemed that it hadn¡¯t been the case. They had fallen right into the fiends¡¯ traps. ¡®And then¡­¡¯ Milphage was given a choice. He could either join histe teammates in the afterlife¡­ Or he could serve the fiends and live¡­ ¡°Please tell me. Tell me how that idiot¡­ tell me what Milphage was like in his final moments,¡± Kiora urged. The room grew solemn. Everyone¡¯s eyesnded on Seo Jun-Ho. Eventually, he said, ¡°He¡­ fought Isaac Dvor to the bitter end.¡± He was lying. Milphage had decided to cooperate with Isaac. ¡°He had shown us the tenacity of Frontier¡¯s Mercenary King.¡± He had surrendered to a greater power. He had shamelessly betrayed hisrades to survive. One could even say that he had betrayed humankind. ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for his fighting spirit, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to save Christin Lewis.¡± ¡°...¡± Christin nced at Seo Jun-Ho out of the corner of his eyes. He looked very rueful, seeing how Jun-Ho was currently defending the traitorous defector who had sided with the wicket fiends. ¡®But we have no other choice¡­¡¯ Christin understood where Jun-Ho wasing from, and he could only close his eyes. ¡®It is a delicate issue.¡¯ Lying was sinful ording to the doctrines of the Sun God, and he couldn¡¯t condone lies as a devotee of the Sun God. However, he logically understood that Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t doing all this for himself. ¡®He chose to carry the burden of the sin¡­ Being a hero must be tiresome.¡¯ He prayed that God would be merciful to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...Thank you.¡± Kiora bowed her head as tears welled up in her eyes. Eventually, once the air grew lighter, Shin Sung-Hyun spoke up. ¡°Then, should we start preparing for battle against the Overminds now?¡± He asked. ¡°No. Once our preparations areplete, we will attack the Float Force Power nt,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. The yers were confused. ¡°Is there a particr reason for that?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun asked. ¡°Yes. I haven¡¯t mentioned this before, but the Administrator asked us to do so.¡± ¡°The Administrator?!¡± ¡°Does that mean you met the 7th Floor Administrator?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°Yes. That is also why I attacked the Radio Tower and snuck into theboratory immediately afterward.¡± He told them the story about the Administrator and her three holy relics. Christin muttered to himself, ¡°The Holy Ring, the Holy Garment, and the Holy Sword. What a coincidence. Those are the same relics mentioned in our scripture.¡± ¡°Of course, the Administrator is Helic, after all.¡± ¡°Yes, as expec¡ªsorry?¡± Christin whipped around. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I said the 7th Floor Administrator is the Sun God Helic,¡± Seo Jun-Ho repeated. ¡°W-what¡­?!¡± Christin shot up from his seat, stunned. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡®Of course, he¡¯s shocked. After all, the god he has been worshiping ended up being a Floor Administrator.¡¯ However, it seemed that Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t quite correct. ¡°But why?!¡± Christin cried, choking with grief. ¡°I¡¯m right here! How could He impart His holy message to you?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t know, either,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied nonchntly. ¡°Well, obviously, Specter is more trustworthy. Maybe that¡¯s why?¡± Gong Ju-Ha interjected. ¡°Curses!¡± Christin shouted. He sat back down and brought his hands together in prayer. ¡°My Lord, as your humble servant, I implore you¡­¡± ¡°Skaya.¡± ¡°Gotcha.¡± Skaya immediately understood and snapped her fingers. Christin vanished, likely teleported to his room. With the heckler gone, Seo Jun-Ho continued. ¡°Anyway, let me tell you more about the Float Force Power nt mission. ording to the memories I read¡­¡± Once the lengthy briefing was finished, Son Chae-Won raised her hand. ¡°Your n sounds very difficult to pull off with the amount of troops we have,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re right, but we have reinforcements.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. ¡°Reinforcements?¡± ¡°Are you saying that the associations on Earth will send more yers here?¡± ¡°Oh, they won¡¯t being from Earth. They¡¯re¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho was interrupted by someone flinging the doors open. ¡°W-we¡¯re under attack! The Overmind army is here!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The Overmind army?¡± ¡°Shit! Move!¡± The yers grew pale and dashed out of the conference room. The room was emptied out in an instant. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim, didn¡¯t you hear them? We¡¯re under attack,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun asked while walking toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°It¡¯s them.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°They¡¯re our reinforcements. Not our enemy.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should stop them before a fight breaks out.¡± *** Hundreds of Overminds stood outside of the fortress under the snowstorm. The air was tense between them and the yers. Seo Jun-Ho climbed up the wall. ¡°Senior Brother!¡± ¡°Oh, Junior Brother.¡± Baek Geon-Woo stood at the head of the army, looking flustered. ¡°I assume you haven¡¯t told them yet?¡± ¡°I was just about to do that.¡± ¡°Tell us what? What is all this?¡± ¡°I told you all that reinforcements areing.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Seo Jun-Ho confirmed, nodding. They hated the Overminds more than anyone else, and they also wanted to ughter them more than anyone else. ¡°These are our support troops. 784 failures.¡± *** The yers watched the failures enter the ice castle with caution and unease. The turtle-looking vige chief looked around and pointed out. ¡°I suppose we are not wee here. Well, I expected as much.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll get used to it in no time,¡± Seo Jun-Ho reassured. Of course, the yers were suspicious. The failures didn¡¯t look much different from the enemies they had been fighting against with their lives on the line. ¡°I¡¯ll give them the full story, so just do what you need to do, Jun-Ho,¡± Gilberto said. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± He turned around to face two particr yers. The two blinked at him. ¡°Is there something you¡¯d like to tell us¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Jun-Ho studied Son Chae-Won and Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°Can you two spare me a moment?¡± Chapter 574. White Lies (4) Chapter 574. White Lies (4) Seo Jun-Ho was about to take Son Chae-Won and Shin Sung-Hyun into a conference room when Skaya beckoned at him from the end of the hallway. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll meet you inside.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho approached Skaya and asked, ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes. But¡­¡± Skaya was about to hand over the hologram file to Seo Jun-Ho, but she hesitated and said, ¡°I¡¯m not really sure about all this. Are we really going in the right direction?¡± ¡°This is the best that we can do for now. I don¡¯t know about Shin Sung-Hyun, but Son Chae-Won will definitely copse once she discovers the truth.¡± ¡°And how do you know that?¡± ¡°I saw it.¡± To be exact, Sung-Jun saw it, but there was no way Sung-Jun would lie. ¡°Huh? When did you regress again? It seems like you¡¯re doing that too much.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that part. I can¡¯t do it anymore, anyway.¡± Skaya¡¯s eyes widened. She retracted her hand and said, ¡°Huh? What is that supposed to mean? Can you please borate?¡± ¡°What do you mean? It is what it is. I literally can¡¯t regress anymore.¡± Skaya was unaware, but Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t regress like Sung-Jun. ¡°Do you finally understand why I am so obsessed and stubborn about getting the best results by choosing the best options?¡± ¡°...¡± Skaya contemted with a serious look. ¡°I trust you, Jun-Ho. However, the path you¡¯re walking is really worrisome.¡± ¡°What path? The path I¡¯m walking right now?¡± ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m d you know that. You¡¯re the only one who can decide which path you¡¯re going to take, anyway,¡± said Skaya before handing over the hologram file. Seo Jun-Ho received the file and examined it. A photo of Kim Woo-Joong and a voice recording that Skaya had fabricated using magic was inside the hologram file. ¡°This should exin why Kim Woo-Joong cannot be reached.¡± The alibi Skaya created was that the Sword Saint had achieved enlightenment after pondering over Ceylonso¡¯s sword, and he was currently in the midst of assimting his learnings. ¡°Kim Woo-Joong has always been hard to reach whenever he¡¯s training, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to have any doubts,¡± said Skaya. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Wait, I want you to remember one thing,¡± Skaya interrupted Seo Jun-Ho and said, ¡°The best options won¡¯t necessarily lead you to the right path.¡± ¡°...I know,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He knew because Sung-Jun had already done it and failed. However, humans would always strive to make the best choice possible. ¡®And the same is true of me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t fail because Sung-Jun¡¯s legacy was on his shoulders. ¡®I must not fail.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho entered the conference room with a heavy weight on his shoulders. ¡°I invited you two here because I want to tell you something,¡± he said. ¡°I think I know. Is it about Christin Lewis?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun asked with shining eyes. ¡®We have been suspecting Christin Lewis as the traitor who had been working with the fiends all this while. Since Specter-nim has pulled us here, he must have clear evidence about Christin Lewis¡¯ cooperation with the fiends.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stared alternatingly at Son Chae-Won and Shin Sung-Hyunn. ¡°I guess it¡¯s rted to him, but you don¡¯t have to worry about the traitor anymore.¡± ¡°Anymore? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Christin Lewis wasn¡¯t the traitor.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun and Son Chae-Won were surprised, and they looked as if they had been struck by a thunderbolt out of the blue. ¡°The traitor was Mercenary King Milphage.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Goodness!¡± Son Chae-Won and Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Please keep it a secret. I¡¯m sure you know why I want you to keep this a secret.¡± ¡°...Is it for the sake of the yers¡¯ morale?¡± ¡°Yes, and the Hallem Guild will definitely be ostracized the moment the word gets out.¡± Humans were herd animals, and herds would always ostracize those who were ever so slightly different from them. ¡°Discrimination starts when others feel that a certain person is different from them.¡± It would inevitably lead to amunication and morale breakdown. Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t nning on letting that happen. ¡°...I guess we have no choice. We will follow you.¡± ¡°Hmm. I do feel uneasy about it, but I think your point is valid.¡± The two nodded in agreement. ¡°Thank you for your understanding. Then, let¡¯s talk about the n to attack the Float Force Power nt at tomorrow¡¯s meeting.¡± ¡°Sure. By the way¡­¡± Son Chae-Won asked carefully, ¡°Have you heard anything about Woo-Joong?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho froze. It was about time for him to lie. Still, he felt bad and nervous about spitting out fabricated lies. ¡®I¡¯m not sure how I look right now. Do I look like I¡¯m acting? Let¡¯s just answer as calmly as possible and hand over the file.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gulped and opened his mouth to speak. - Partner! ¡°Ah!¡± Seo Jun-Ho flinched and muttered, ¡°That scared me¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun and Son Chae-Won directed strange gazes at Seo Jun-Ho, prompting him to smile awkwardly and turn around. ¡®What is going on? Is it you, Keen Intuition?¡¯ - Long time no talk, partner. ¡®What is it all of a sudden? You never bothered to answer me when I was calling you.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought that Keen Intuition had fallen into a deep sleep because he had been quiet all this while. He didn¡¯t even answer Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s calls or questions. - I was busy looking back on your life, partner. ¡®...Looking back on my life?¡¯ - Yes. I was looking back on your long life, partner. I¡¯ve been looking back since we got together. ¡®I see. I guess that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been quiet. But why are you doing that?¡¯ - You no longer have any more chances, partner. I have to be extra cautious. ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s regret about raising Keen Intuition¡¯s grade disappeared at once. ¡®I indeed regretted raising your grade.¡¯ -That¡¯s rude. Anyway, I found something while I was looking back on your life. I call it crossroads. ¡®Crossroads?¡¯ - Yes. Keen Intuition sounded more serious than ever. - I would always feel this strange feeling whenever you¡¯re standing at a crossroads, partner. I mean, whenever you¡¯re about to make an important decision. Keen Intuition started listing the moments he felt what he called a strange feeling. - When you decide to attack the Queen¡¯s nest. When you bought the suspicious egg at a Las Vegas auction. When you refused the Saintess¡¯ treatment and went to see the Thunder God. When you fought the Heavenly Demon at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, even though you knew you would lose, and when you first faced Erebo¡­ Keen Intuition listed the crucial choices Seo Jun-Ho had before continuing. - I felt that strange feeling during those moments, and I can feel it again right now. ¡®In other words, are you saying that my future will change drastically depending on which decision I make? Then¡­ what¡¯s the right choice here?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt like the path in front of him had suddenly disappeared while he was bravely rushing to the end of the path. Seo Jun-Ho suddenly became filled with fear, knowing that the wrong choice would ruin everything. ¡®Tell me. What do you think I should do?¡¯ - I¡­ don¡¯t know. Keen Intuition sounded calm as he continued. - All I know is that you¡¯re standing at a crossroads again. I don¡¯t know which path you should take. ¡®That¡¯s not helpful at all¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was about to chide Keen Intuition for being too irresponsible, but the surrounding scenery suddenly peeled away. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened. This wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar sensation at all. He turned and muttered, ¡°Helic?¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Helic clicked her tongue with a frown. *** ¡°Why did you summon me?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked while following Helic, who was climbing the stairs ahead of him. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect her to summon me here like this without any notice, especially in reality rather than in a dream.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho figured that Helic had to have recovered to a certain extent after they recovered two of her holy relics. Helic gestured with her chin and said, ¡°Sit down, we have to talk.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sat down on a chair in the deste garden. ¡°First of all, you¡¯ve done a decent job,¡± said Helic. ¡°Oh, is that apliment?¡± ¡°Consider it an honor,¡± Helic responded bluntly and continued. ¡°I¡¯ve recovered to a certain extent thanks to your efforts. I¡¯m sure you already know because I wouldn¡¯t have been able to summon you here like this otherwise.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°I was watching you because I was bored, but I heard something I couldn¡¯t ignore.¡± ¡°You heard something you couldn¡¯t ignore? What is it?¡± ¡°Keen Intuition, huh?¡± Helic¡¯s eyes turned golden, and he seemed to be staring at Seo Jun-Ho and something else at the same time. ¡°Tell me honestly. Were you speaking the truth?¡± Keen Intuition was silent for quite a while before he responded. - Yes, I was not lying. ¡°Tsk.¡± Helic clicked her tongue. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho was surprised to hear Keen Intuition speak formally for the first time. Helic looked troubled, looking like a child who was about to be scolded by her parents. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong. It would be no exaggeration to say that the fate of the universe depends on what you¡¯re about to say to them.¡± ¡°Pardon me? Isn¡¯t that too much of an exaggeration?¡± ¡®How can a white lie decide the fate of the universe?¡¯ However, Helic shook her head and exined, ¡°The Archduke has a certain hobby.¡± ¡°The Archduke?¡± ¡°Yes. He throws in choices and mixes traps among those choices. The same was true of every decision you have made so far. You¡¯ve actually failed a lot, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...What happens if I trigger a trap?¡± ¡°Things are going to get ugly.¡± The situation was bound to worsen to the point that it could only be fixed by regressing. The issue was that Seo Jun-Ho could no longer regress. ¡°...Sigh. My head hurts. I need some sugar.¡± ¡°Do you want some chocte?¡± ¡°What? Chocte?¡± Helic seemed dumbfounded at the response. She stared deeply at Seo Jun-Ho before holding out her hand and saying, ¡°...Give it to me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho handed over the chocte that he was supposed to give to the Frost Queen. Helic unwrapped the chocte and took a big bite. Then, she crossed her legs and fell into deep contemtion for a long time before saying, ¡°First of all, give me back my holy relics. They¡¯re mine.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Give me a moment.¡± Seo Jun-Ho obliged and ced the holy relics on the table in front of them. Momentster, they started floating. Helic examined them and muttered, ¡°Hmm. I knew they would be enough¡­¡± Helic nodded, and a wave of holy light burst out of her. Fwoosh! The holy light pervaded the world. Helic stared at the light for quite a while before standing up. ¡°Get ready.¡± ¡°Get ready for what?¡± ¡°Get ready to go down.¡± Helic gestured, and her divine power coalesced to form a door. Helic stood in front of the door and gestured at Seo Jun-Ho with her chin. ¡°Wait, what are you going to do down there?¡± ¡°Did you not understand what I said? What is it that the Archduke wants?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m guessing he wants me to fall into his traps.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, so what¡¯s the best decision we can make here?¡± ¡°Not lying?¡± ¡°Wrong, you foolish human.¡± Helic snorted and folded her arms before saying, ¡°The best decision to make is to erase the crossroads. If you don¡¯t have to make any decision, you won¡¯t have to take any risks.¡± ¡°But¡­ Is that even possible?¡± ¡°Of course it is. Why do you think people call me omnipotent?¡± Helic boasted, but her expression abruptly turned serious as she continued. ¡°I will lift the curse on your friend, and you will no longer have any reason to lie.¡± ¡°You said you needed three holy relics to lift the curse...¡± ¡°Well, not exactly, but it¡¯ll be great if I have all three holy relics. I can still lift the curse with only two holy relics, but I will end up losing my strength for quite a while as a side effect of the exertion,¡± exined Helic. However, there was a reason why she had decided to invest despite the possible losses. Helic¡¯s dissatisfied gaze turned toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...You¡¯re an annoying human, but you are the only key.¡± ¡°The only key?¡± ¡°Ugh, whatever. I don¡¯t want to answer. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re close friends.¡± Helic shrugged before turning around to enter the door. Chapter 575. White Lies (5) Chapter 575. White Lies (5) Seo Jun-Ho had vanished right in front of them in the conference room, but both Shin Sung-Hyun and Son Chae-Won didn¡¯t seem perplexed at all. Shin Sung-Hyun calmly logged into Community and contacted someone. ¡°Team Leader Gong, Specter-nim suddenly disappeared. No, we¡¯re not ying hide and seek. Can you tell Miss Skaya, so she can track him down?¡± Silence enveloped the conference room once again. ¡®Well, this is awkward.¡¯ Son Chae-Won was quietly sitting on the opposite side and was staring nkly into space with dark circles under her eyes. There were some rumors that Son Chae-Won hadn¡¯t been sleeping to avoid missing any messages from Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°...¡± Shin Sung-Hyun thought about consoling her, but he decided not to do that. It felt like it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to be so nosy, and he wasn¡¯t really close to her in the first ce. ¡°Master Sung-Hyun.¡± Perhaps that was the reason he was surprised to hear her talk to him first. ¡°What is it? Master Chae-Won.¡± ¡°What do you think about Woo-Joong¡¯s disappearance?¡± ¡°Perhaps he left to train?¡± Everyone knew that it would always be difficult to reach the Sword Saint whenever he was in the middle of his training. However, Son Chae-Won shook her head. ¡°He would always ask me for my permission before he leaves for training.¡± ¡®Huh? That¡¯s news to me,¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun was surprised to hear that, but heposed himself and said, ¡°Perhaps he simply couldn¡¯t ask for your permission this time?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. He¡¯s not that irresponsible of a person.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun felt like he could finally understand why she was so worried. ¡°Are you thinking that perhaps he has been abducted? Master Chae-Won?¡± ¡°...I¡¯d be relieved if that were the case. We could just rescue him after all.¡± Son Chae-Won trembled. ¡°However, if something worse happened¡­ I don¡¯t think I can ever forgive myself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be your fault.¡± ¡°It is...¡± Son Chae-Won shook her head. ¡°That idiot would always take care of other people even when retreating. I know him too well, and I know that he would always do that.¡± Son Chae-Won thought that Kim Woo-Joong would be fine on his own. Honestly, she hadn¡¯t been able to pay much attention to him because she was busy with other matters. ¡°In the end, mycency led to all this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you should think that way,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun said coldly, ¡°The Sword Saint has always been an outstanding yer since his debut.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun didn¡¯t even hesitate to offer the best conditions he could at the time just to recruit the Sword Saint. ¡°He is also an impressive all-rounder. If he¡¯s in a situation where he couldn¡¯t get in touch with anyone, then you shouldn¡¯t me yourself for it. It means that he was simply unlucky.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Guild masters should remain steadfast at times like this. Otherwise, how can you expect your guild members to follow you calmly?¡± said Shin Sung-Hyun. Guild Masters should trust their guild members and do their jobs silently. Son Chae-Won smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I got scolded like this.¡± ¡°Pardon me for the offense,¡± said Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°...No, I would like to thank you for dragging me back to my senses,¡± said Son Chae-Won. She finally logged out of Community and leaned against the chair. ¡°I¡¯m sure Woo-Joong would be disappointed if he saw me like this.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re really ruthless.¡± Son Chae-Won smiled and stood up. ¡°I guess I¡¯m off. I have to wash my face and all.¡± ¡°Master Chae-Won,¡± said Shin Sung-Hyun. Son Chae-Won came to a halt. ¡°I¡¯m an atheist, and I don¡¯t really know how to pray nor who should I pray to, but I will pray for the Sword Saint¡¯s safe return.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sure Woo-Joong will be happy to hear once hees back,¡± said Son Chae-Won with a smile. Shin Sung-Hyun smiled as well. sh! A burst of golden light suddenly pervaded the conference room. ¡°...!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun and Son Chae-Won stared with narrowed eyes at the door that suddenly appeared in the conference room. A blonde-haired woman soon emerged from the door. The blonde-haired woman looked around and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I came here¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun and Son Chae-Won¡¯s eyes shed coldly. ¡®She¡¯s not a yer.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s an enemy.¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun had memorized the faces of every single yer here, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to attack. ¡°Prestissimo.¡± Rumble! The space around the blonde-haired woman abruptly distorted. ¡°Hmm?¡± However, Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s attack didn¡¯t leave even a single scratch on the blonde-haired woman. She turned to Shin Sung-Hyun and said, ¡°I see. I guess I¡¯ll let you off the hook since I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know me. ¡±However, there won¡¯t be a next time, got it?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun stared nkly as the blonde-haired woman forgave him. For some reason, his eyes became filled with tears, and he suddenly felt like kneeling and worshiping the woman. Shin Sung-Hyun and Son Chae-Won stared at each other with a perplexed look. Someone else emerged from the door... ¡°Specter-nim!¡± eximed Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°Huh? You guys are still here?¡± Seo Jun-Ho noticed Shin Sung-Hyun and Son Chae-Won¡¯s nervousness, so he asked, ¡°Wait, what¡¯s going on?¡± Helic exined, ¡°That human just attacked me.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°Oh, well, um. I had no idea that you were acquainted with him. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun apologized with a troubled look. Helic nced at Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve already forgiven you. Anyway, Seo Jun-Ho? Hurry up and guide me to where I need to be.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Anyway, I¡¯ll see you twoter.¡± Seo Jun-Ho left the conference room and led Helic to his training room. *** Helic snorted at the giant statue of a slice of cake. ¡°A cake? How old are you, five?¡± ¡°Frost made that, not me.¡± ¡°Oh, she did a wonderful job.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what to say upon hearing that. Seo Jun-Ho had noticed long ago that there seemed to be a huge difference in the way Helic was treating the Frost Queenpared to him. ¡®That¡¯s why I thought she hated humans.¡¯ However, it seemed that she didn¡¯t really hate humans, considering how she easily forgave Shin Sung-Hyun for attacking her. ¡®I feel like she¡¯s only ruthless to me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s curiosity was piqued, and he decided to speak, ¡°Helic, may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°No. Bring me the ice statue with your friend in it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Seo Jun-Ho obliged and shattered the strawberry topping of the cake. Helic approached the strawberry statue and said, ¡°Melt it.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re going to be okay being that close to him? He¡¯s still¡­¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? Ridiculous. You should worry about yourself, not me.¡± The omnipotent Helic red at Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho could only melt the ice statue in a hurry. Thud! Kim Woo-Joong fell to the ground and trembled. ¡°Keuk¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong lifted his head. ¡®It¡¯s red.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face darkened at Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s bloodshot eyes. ¡®He looks so unfamiliar with those bloodshot eyes on his face.¡¯ The Frost Queen and Sung-Jun had told Seo Jun-Ho numerous times about the Sword Demon, but there was a big difference between hearing it from other people and seeing it with his own eyes. ¡°...Helic. Can you really cure him?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Helic replied sinctly before walking toward the Sword Demon. ¡°You better keep your head down.¡± Boom! Helic¡¯s divine power forced Kim Woo-Joong to kneel. ¡°yer¡­ human¡­ I will kill¡­¡± ¡°You poor thing. Unfortunately for you, I am neither a yer nor human,¡± said Helic while staring at Kim Woo-Joong with a sympathetic look. Momentster, a ball of divine power formed at the tip of her fingers. ¡°I am the omnipotent Sun God.¡± ¡°Argh, aaaah!¡± Quiver! Kim Woo-Joong mustered as much demonic energy as he could to defend himself. Helic muttered, ¡°Angel¡¯s Praise.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Feathers?¡¯ Cherubs manifested in the air above the training room. Their white and sacred feathers fell and fluttered throughout the training room. ¡°Argh! Ah!¡± The cherubs smiled brightly and hugged Kim Woo-Joong tightly while pping their wings. Helic stepped confidently toward the restrained Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Human, your heart is pure, and it has remained pure despite the dirty blood¡¯s curse.¡± Helic¡¯s divine power pervaded the training room, and it made even Seo Jun-Ho feel like kneeling and worshiping her. ¡°Expel thy false skin...¡± Helic ced her finger on Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s forehead. ¡°And wake up.¡± Boom! ¡®Argh!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gasped and closed his eyes. The golden light had be too dazzling for him to look at, and he couldn¡¯t look away as well because it had engulfed the entire training room. Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes after a while, and he saw Kim Woo-Joong kneeling in silence with his head down. Seo Jun-Ho asked carefully, ¡°...Did it work?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you check it out for yourself?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded and approached Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°Are you back, Woo-Joong?¡± he asked. Kim Woo-Joong slowly raised his head. ¡®It¡¯s clear.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips at the sight upon seeing Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s clear eyes. ¡°Jun-Ho¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes with both hands. ¡°Why am I crying¡­?¡± ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I feel drowsy. It feels like I had just woken up from a very long dream.¡± ¡°What kind of dream was it?¡± Flinch. Kim Woo-Joong broke out in cold sweat. He felt like vomiting, but he still spoke in a tone that made him sound like he was jeering at himself. ¡°It was a bad dream. It was a very bad and unpleasant¡­ dream.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly patted Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s shoulder. ¡®Yes, all this is indeed a long dream.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho also felt like he had just woken up from a long and unpleasant nightmare. ¡°It was just a nightmare. You should forget it.¡± ¡°Yes, it feels like I just woke up, so¡­¡± ¡®But why do I feel so sleepy?¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong tried his best to stay awake. ¡°Jun-Ho¡­¡± ¡®Thank you for waking me up from such a terrible nightmare.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong didn¡¯t manage to continue his sentence as he copsed and slept. Seo Jun-Ho held Kim Woo-Joong in his arms and muttered, ¡°Wee back, Sword Saint.¡± He carried Kim Woo-Joong on his back and approached Helic. ¡°Thank you so much, Helic.¡± ¡°...Don¡¯t be mistaken. We had a deal.¡± ¡°Of course, I promise to secure the holy relic in the power nt by any means.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Helic snorted. She repeatedly clenched and opened her fist. She already knew that it would happen, but she didn¡¯t expect to consume so much divine power just to expel the demonic energy in Kim Woo-Joong. ¡®I will have to keep a low profile until I recover.¡¯ Helic thought. She looked away from Seo Jun-Ho and asked, ¡°The Frost Queen¡­ what does she usually do during these hours?¡± ¡°Oh, Frost?¡± Seo Jun-Ho checked the time before saying, ¡°She usually sleeps during these hours.¡± ¡°...¡± Helic red coldly at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°If you don¡¯t know what she¡¯s up to, just say so. Why would you lie to me? There¡¯s no way a Spirit would sleep.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not lying. She sleeps a lot,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He frowned and added, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you check it out?¡± ¡°...Check it out?¡± Helic¡¯s twitching ears made it obvious that she was interested. Soon, she crossed her arms and nodded as if she had no other choice. ¡°Since you want me to check it out so badly, I guess I can only oblige. Well, should we go ahead and take a look, then?¡± Chapter 576. Devil of the Power Plant (1) Chapter 576. Devil of the Power nt (1) There was something else they had to do before visiting the Frost Queen. They had to drop off the man on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back. The Silent Moon Guild members greeted Seo Jun-Ho upon seeing hime up to their floor. ¡°Oh, Specter-nim. Have you had lunch¡ªhuh?¡± ¡°No way¡­ are you carrying¡­¡± a guild member muttered in a daze. He inadvertently dropped the cigarette that he was smoking. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and answered, ¡°Call a healer and let Master Chae-Won know that the Sword Saint is here.¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir! Healer! We need a healer here!¡± ¡°By the way, where is this guy¡¯s room?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the way! It¡¯s here!¡± Seo Jun-Ho followed the guild member to Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s room. Once they were there, he carefullyid Kim Woo-Joong on the bed. The healers of the Silent Moon Guild soon arrived to check Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s condition, and they eventually started healing him. The door was flung open. ¡°Woo-Joong!¡± shouted Son Chae-Won as she hurriedly went into the room. The healers bowed at Son Chae-Won before reporting Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s condition. ¡°He¡¯s sleeping due to extreme fatigue. There¡¯s nothing wrong with him aside from fatigue.¡± ¡°...Sigh.¡± Son Chae-Won let out a sigh of relief and slumped to the floor. ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Are you okay, Master?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Sorry, I suddenly felt weak.¡± Son Chae-Won barely managed to get up with the help of her guild members. She looked at Seo Jun-Ho with trembling eyes. It was clear that she had many questions as well. ¡°Thank you. Thank you so, so much. This is all I can say for now.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes. I do have many questions, but¡­¡± Son Chae-Won didn¡¯t think that she would understand Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s exnation right now. Son Chae-Won bowed to Helic, who was leaning against a wall. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but you helped Woo-Joong, right? I appreciate it.¡± ¡°...Well, we did have a deal,¡± said Helic. She avoided Son Chae-Won¡¯s gaze and urged Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°When are we going to see the Frost Queen?¡± ¡°Ah, we can go there right now,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho as he led Helic away. Before leaving the room, Seo Jun-Ho nced at Kim Woo-Joong. Thetter was surrounded by the guild members of Silent Moon. ¡®A warm room full of people definitely suits him better than cold ice.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll let you know once he¡¯s awake.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be waiting. Oh, you don¡¯t have to see me off,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He turned and was surprised to see the members of the Silent Moon Guild standing in the hallway of their floor with their heads lowered toward him. ¡°Thank you for saving our Vice Master.¡± ¡°Everyone was just hiding it; we were all worried about him.¡± ¡°Please call us anytime if you need any help. We¡¯ll be there right away!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho could tell how much they cherished and respected Kim Woo-Joong. It always felt good to receive the sincere appreciation of people. Seo Jun-Ho smiled faintly and said, ¡°I just did what I had to do, that¡¯s all.¡± *** ¡°Is that so?¡± asked Helic while they were on their way to the Frost Queen¡¯s room. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you really think that protecting others is your obligation?¡± ¡°Well, I mean¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho contemted for a while, but he soon nodded and said, ¡°If I can afford to help, why not?¡± ¡°Let me change the question, then. What would you do if you couldn¡¯t afford to help?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll feel bad if that happened,¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered in all honesty. ¡°I¡¯ve seen so many people die, and they weren¡¯t just my friends and family. I¡¯ve witnessed the deaths of so many colleagues as well.¡± Perhaps that was the reason Seo Jun-Ho had always been striving to save as many people as possible if he could afford to do so. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to help them if I¡¯m not strong enough to do so,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. However, his response betrayed the actions that he had done many times before. ¡°I know I look pathetic and insincere in your eyes,¡± he said. It wasn¡¯t strange that his actions would look insincere and pathetic in the eyes of the Sun of God and Mercy, Helic. However, Helic¡¯s response was unexpected. ¡°Not really. You don¡¯t really believe in me, and I can¡¯t force my ideas on you.¡± ¡°I see. I guess you¡¯re indeed a goddess of mercy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too friendly. Anyway, if that¡¯s your will¡­¡± Helic trailed off. Her cold gaze scanned Seo Jun-Ho before she continued. ¡°At least do your best until the end.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Hmph, words are meaningless, and you have a way with words.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged. They then made their way down the hallway. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim! I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡± ¡°Christin Lewis?¡± Seo Jun-Ho inadvertently nced at Helic. He was curious about her reaction. Christin was Helic¡¯s fan beyond an ardent believer. ¡®Don¡¯t superstars usually sign autographs upon meeting their fans?¡¯ ¡°...Ugh.¡± Helic groaned, seemingly annoyed. Christin approached them with a bright grin and said excitedly, ¡°This is amazing! I¡¯ve been praying to Helic, and I think He granted my wish!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes! Wait, let me show you. Watch this!¡± Christin eximed. He put his palms together, and divine power flowed out of him. ¡°Haaa.¡± Christin grinned and exined, ¡°My divine power has be purer and deeper. I¡¯m sure Helic heard my voice, and He has grown fond of me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­.¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t that just because Helic is nearby?¡¯ Christin revealed a proud look as he turned to the woman next to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Who is thisdy?¡± ¡®Will he recognize Her?¡¯ Christin blinked and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before, but your energy is familiar. Are you a member of my guild?¡± ¡°...What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered nkly. ¡®Why can¡¯t he recognize Her?¡¯ Christin nodded. ¡°Hm, your divine power is weak, but it¡¯s very pure. I suggest you keep training; you have a bright future ahead of you.¡± Helic¡¯s expression turned ugly at the remark. In the end, she sighed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°...Okay,¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered. ¡®A god is ignoring Her believers?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook off Christin, who was trying to chase after him. ¡°Why did he fail to recognize you? Did you cast some kind of spell on him?¡± ¡°No. My believers think of me as arge-framed bearded man. I use that form whenever I have to give revtion to them,¡± exined Helic. ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°...¡± Helic examined herself with a dissatisfied look before muttering, ¡°This form isn¡¯t exactly dignified and intimidating.¡± ¡®Intimidating? I guess that¡¯s why she chose to appear as arge-framed bearded man to her followers.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho made a sidelong nce at her and said, ¡°I kind of pity him. He said he wishes to see you at least once in his lifetime.¡± ¡°Hmph. A fool who can¡¯t manage his own guild dares to dream about meeting me? The Church of the Sun¡¯s reputation plummeted because of his guild or whatever¡¯s shady dealings. I can¡¯t even obtain as much divine power as I couldpared to many years ago.¡± ¡®Guild management¡­¡¯ It seemed that corruption was rampant within the Silver Constetion Guild. ¡®My n was to take care of that guy who dared to try and assassinate Miss Cha Si-Eun after we¡¯re done clearing this Floor. Wait, hm?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho emerged from his thoughts as a lightbulb suddenly lit up in his head. ¡°You obtain more divine power the more faith people have in you?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not just applicable to me. It¡¯s applicable to every god out there as well. In fact, divinity itself depends on how many people believe and follow the god¡¯s ideas and existence.¡± ¡®I can work with that.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho made a decision and said, ¡°I think I can help you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Helic¡¯s eyes narrowed as she stared at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Help me with what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about your reputation. I can help you recover your reputation. You know how hard it is to recover a ruined reputation, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was right. Many powerful guilds andpanies would spend an exorbitant amount of money every year just to build a good reputation and maintain it, and it was all because they knew better than anyone else just how difficult it was to recover a ruined reputation. ¡°A moment can ruin a reputation, and it takes an eternity to recover it.¡± ¡°...¡± Helic went silent. Seo Jun-Ho was right. ¡°How are you going to help me?¡± ¡°Once we¡¯ve cleared the 7th Floor, I will go straight down to Earth and reform the Silver Constetion Guild.¡± The Silver Constetion Guild had to be reformed rather than reorganized. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intention was to uproot the corrupted members of the guild and leave only members like Christin Lewis. Helic was slightly interested in the idea. ¡°Can you even do that?¡± she asked. ¡°No, not yet.¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho was the legendary Specter. ¡°But I can just hold a World Conference and ask them to give me the authority to do such a thing.¡± ¡°Will they even do that?¡± ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t be easy. However, I¡¯ll ensure that they¡¯ll have no other choice but to give me the authority I need.¡± Moonlight was still in the midst of investigating Cheon Hye-Joo¡¯s death[1]. ¡°It¡¯s about time I do that, anyway.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was nning on punishing only the criminals who killed Cheon Hye-Joo, but his mind changed upon hearing Helic¡¯sment. ¡®I¡¯m going to remove the cancerous tumors of Silver Constetion.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho also believed that such an endeavor would be beneficial for the yers in the long run. It was also a golden opportunity to make Sun God Helic owe him a favor. ¡®Reiji and the World Tree gave me something great; Sun God Helic is stronger than them, so I can only imagine what she would give me in return for my efforts. Wait, what if I¡¯m being too hasty here?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had no idea what Helic had to offer, but one thing was for sure. Her rewards would be greater than what Reiji and the World Tree had bestowed upon him. ¡°Hm.¡± Helic sighed lightly. ¡°You know I can read your mind, right? It¡¯s a win-win deal, and it¡¯s exactly why I feel upset about it for some reason.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a win-win, right?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho with a grin. Helic clicked her tongue and said, ¡°Fine. Give it a try. I want you to recover the Church of the Sun¡¯s reputation and pluck out the seeds of corruption within Silver Constetion.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He seemed confident, but he knew that it was easier said than done. ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho started. However, Helic saw through his thoughts once again. ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± Helic revealed her signature look of superiority and arrogance to Seo Jun-Ho before saying, ¡°I am the God of the Sun, Helic, I won¡¯t disappoint you with the rewards. Just make sure to get the job done.¡± ¡°All right!¡± Seo Jun-Ho eximed with confidence and grinned. *** Seo Jun-Ho and Helic soon found themselves in the living room of the former¡¯s residence within the ice castle. Seo Jun-Siky next to the Frost Queen, and the two were drooling in their sleep. ¡°Move this thing away. It looks disturbing.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly recalled Seo Jun-Sik. Helic stared at the sleeping Frost Queen for a long time. ¡°She sure knows how to sleep.¡± ¡°Right? She¡¯s an expert at sleeping.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Helic chuckled and smiled for the first time in a long while. Her gaze softened as she stared at the sleeping Frost Queen. Eventually, she turned around and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way, then.¡± ¡°Huh? So soon? Why don¡¯t you wake her up and talk to her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ for now,¡± Helic said bitterly. She flicked her sleeve and created a door with her divine power. She opened the door and nced at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her that I came here,¡± she said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know why.¡± ¡®I think you¡¯re just shy,¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho inwardlympooned. However, he nodded on the outside as if he were unaware of Helic¡¯s feelings. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll focus on recovering, so you better hurry up and give me my third holy relic,¡± said Helic. She stared at the Frost Queen for a few moments before turning around and finally leaving through the door. ¡°...Hm.¡± Left alone, Seo Jun-Ho stared at the Frost Queen. He had burning questions he wanted to ask Helic, but he was aware that Helic wouldn¡¯t give him an answer. ¡°It seems that she knows you, huh?¡± However, it seemed that the Frost Queen wasn¡¯t familiar with Helic. Seo Jun-Ho was curious about their rtionship. ¡®Helic seems like she really likes Frost...¡¯ The Frost Queen was in deep sleep and waspletely unaware of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯splicated thoughts. Squeeze! Seo Jun-Ho lightly pinched her nose. ¡°Ughhh.¡± The Frost Queen groaned and frowned. Seo Jun-Ho almost chuckled at her reaction. ¡®I¡¯m going to me Jun-Sik if she gets mad.¡¯ 1. If you¡¯re interested to read about Cheon Hye-Joo, she¡¯s in chapter 305 ? Chapter 577: Devil of the Power Plant (2)

Chapter 577: Devil of the Power nt (2)

¡°Yes, and a huge marshmallow fell on my face.¡± The Frost Queen stretched her arms as far as possible to describe the size of the marshmallow. She approached Seo Jun-Ho, who was busy cooking breakfast and said, ¡°Contractor. Interpret my dream for me.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®What is there to interpret about a dream about a marshmallow? She probably had that dream when I pinched her nose in her sleep.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a random dream. I bet it¡¯s meaningless.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ I thought it had a meaning¡­¡± muttered the Frost Queen, looking sad. Seo Jun-Ho held out a te to her and said, ¡°Stop the nonsense. Let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°Oh, a bunny!¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes sparkled upon seeing the bunny-shaped toast. ¡°Thanks for the meal. I already know that it¡¯s going to taste as good as it looks. Can you hand me the strawberry jam?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s your jam. Jun-Sik, help yourself as well.¡± ¡°Thanks, Original. Wait¡­ Huh?¡± Jun-Sik blinked upon looking at the dish in front of him. He stared alternatingly between his dish and the Frost Queen¡¯s dish. ¡°What is this?¡± asked Seo Jun-Sik while staring at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°What do you mean?¡± nk, nk! Seo Jun-Sik tapped his te with a fork. His te contained nothing but the leftovers of the Frost Queen¡¯s bread after Seo Jun-Ho cut it into a specific shape. ¡°Where¡¯s my bunny toast? I don¡¯t really eat this part of the bread, you know¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you want a bunny, too? Are you sure?¡± Seo Jun-Sik closed his mouth upon seeing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s re with a butter knife in his hand. Seo Jun-Sik smiled awkwardly and shook his head. ¡°Hahaha. No, I actually love this part. It tastes great when dipped in coffee.¡± The peaceful?breakfastmenced and soon ended. Just in time, Rahmadat¡¯s voice echoed outside the door. ¡°Jun-Ho, are you still asleep? Wake up! It¡¯s time for a meeting!¡± ¡°I¡¯m already awake. All right, let¡¯s go.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho entered the conference room with his friends and swept his gaze across the participants. Kim Woo-Joong was absent because he was still asleep. However, there was a new participant. ¡®A failure.¡¯ The new participant was the turtle-looking vige chief. The yers surreptitiously ncing at the turtle-looking vige chief made it clear that the vige chief wasn¡¯t exactly wee here. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze deepened. ¡®Gilberto told me that they are truly angry at the emperor, but¡­ it does not necessarily prove that they¡¯re allies.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho decided to take this meeting as an opportunity to figure out the failures¡¯ intentions. ¡°Hmm?¡± Seo Jun-Ho noticed that the yers¡¯ gazes on him seemed warmer than usual. Seo Jun-Ho turned to look at Skaya and asked, ¡°Did something happen? Everyone¡¯s morale is high for some reason.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up with that?¡± Skaya seemed disgusted as she said, ¡°Are you asking me topliment you?¡± However, it seemed that Seo Jun-Ho was truly clueless, so she exined, ¡°You brought the Sword Saint back, and everyone is grateful to you for that.¡± The yers were worried that Kim Woo-Joong had perished during Operation Gt, so it wasn¡¯t strange that their morale shot through the roof upon hearing that Specter had brought an intact Kim Woo-Joong back to the ice castle. ¡°These people were also not that willing to go out there and look for the Sword Saint.¡± ¡°Hm, is that so?¡± ¡®This is an unexpected boon. The yers¡¯ morale has been consistently plummeting since we arrived here, so it¡¯s rare to see them so happy.¡¯ ¡°Jun-Ho-nim. Are we going to talk about the power nt today?¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded at Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s question. ¡°That¡¯s right. The man over there will¡ª¡± ¡°Please call me turtle chief.¡± ¡°Yes, Turtle Chief over there will help us,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Everyone¡¯s eyesnded on the vige chief. ¡°The official name of the power nt is Float Force Power nt. I¡¯m sure you already know from the name, but it produces Force for the stability of this continent.¡± ¡°How is Force even made,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun asked. Power nts on Earth used thermal energy, wind energy, hydroelectric energy, and nuclear energy to produce power. However, Shin Sung-Hyun didn¡¯t think that those natural resources were capable of producing Force. The vige chief exined, ¡°It¡¯s a facility that converts magic in the air into Force, but I heard that criminals are forced to work there.¡± ¡°Does that mean that it also serves as a kind of prison?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. It would be more correct to consider it an independent area.¡± ¡°An independent area?¡± The vige chief nodded at Gilberto¡¯s question. ¡°Float City is the secondrgest city of the empire.¡± ¡°The secondrgest city?¡± The yers were surprised. Of course, cities near power nts weremon, but they didn¡¯t expect Float City to be the secondrgest city of the empire. ¡°Babylon, Float, and Gt. Ny percent of the Overminds reside in these three cities.¡± ¡°How many Overminds live in Float City?¡± ¡°I think it should be roughly fifteen thousand, but it should be more than that if we take into ount the imperial knights stationed in Float City.¡± ¡®That¡¯s a lot.¡¯ The enemies were more numerous than the yers expected, and their expressions grew dim at the thought of fighting so many enemies. ¡°You have to be wary of the Devil of the Power nt.¡± ¡°The Devil of the Power nt? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about the details either,¡± the vige chief shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of many rumors about a monster called the Devil, and it¡¯s a monster that is apparently protecting the Float Force Power nt.¡± ¡°Hm, I see¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun nodded twice before staring deeply at the vige chief. ¡°I thought you were trapped over the past thousand years. Why is it that you seem awfully familiar with the power nt when it¡¯s on the other side of the continent?¡± The atmosphere in the conference room changed dramatically. The vige chief remained calm, despite the pressure boring down on him. ¡°Everyone knows what a horse is, even if they haven¡¯t seen one, you know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as simple as that.¡± ¡®Good job, Sung-Hyun. Keep pushing him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly observed the two with crossed arms. ¡°Hm¡­¡± The vige chief swept his gaze across the yers before staring at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I walked all the way here upon hearing that you needed information and an ally.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I think the question is valid.¡± ¡°I agree. I guess honesty is the foundation of trust.¡± The vige chief put his cane down and put his palms facing up on the desk. ¡°If you want to know that bad, then let me show you this strange trick of mine.¡± ¡°...¡± The yers¡¯ eyes sharpened. They got ready to cut the vige chief down if he did something reckless. Ssh! ¡°...!¡± ¡°Jun-Ho-nim!¡± The yers jumped out of their seats when two beams of water emerged from the vige chief¡¯s opened palms. They waited for Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s order, but thetter remained calm. ¡°Calm down.¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t feel any hostility from the vige chief. Soon, the two beams of water coalesced into a single ball of water that floated about in front of them. ¡°This is my ability¡ªMagical Spring Water.¡± ¡°What does it do?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you check it out for yourself?¡± The yers warily stared at the ball of water, and they soon noticed an image in the water. ¡°A city?¡± They saw a city with a grayishndscape. The entire city resembled a steel mill, and white smoke rose from all over the city. Workers in their coveralls were roaming the streets. ¡°You are looking at Float City, the City of Iron and Force.¡± ¡°...So your ability is long-distance surveince?¡± Seo Jun-Ho let his guard down and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I doubted you.¡± ¡°I apologize for using you as well.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I would have been disappointed if you hadn¡¯t doubted me.¡± The vige chief smiled. He thought that a strict butpetent group was better as an ally rather than a kind but ipetent group. ¡°Let me tell you another strange rumor that¡¯s been floating around the city recently.¡± ¡°A strange rumor? What is it?¡± ¡°Apart from the Devil, the residents of Float are apparently going missing these days.¡± ¡°Hm??Missing?¡± Rahmadat leaned against his chair and said casually, ¡°The crazy emperor must have been converting everyone he hates asbor for the power nt.¡± . ¡°Perhaps, but the rumor has made everyone on edge in the city.¡± ¡°I guess the security has been tightened.¡± The fastest way to quell the anxiety of a city¡¯s residents was to increase the number of patrols. Skaya had been wordlessly staring at the city for quite a while now, and she finally spoke, ¡°What should we do? Since the power nt is the entire city, it will be difficult for us tounch an all-out attack. It also hasn¡¯t been that long since we attacked Gt, so they are definitely still wary about us.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho also didn¡¯t expect the power nt¡¯s scale. The Overminds he had encountered so far had no detailed information about the power nt. ¡®...Perhaps the Overmind emperor did something...¡¯ The Overmind emperor had possessed Ceylonso to talk to Seo Jun-Ho. In other words, it shouldn¡¯t be that difficult for him to erase a few memories. After all, he could even possess a corpse. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim, what are your ns?¡± asked Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°It will indeed be difficult to go all-out. However, the city¡¯s scale will allow us to conduct a certain operation.¡± ¡°Is it what I think it is?¡± Rahmadat grinned. The yers got anxious upon seeing Rahmadat¡¯s grin. ¡°Um, Jun-Ho-nim. Can you please borate?¡± ¡°All right. It¡¯s not that difficult as well.¡± ¡®The best ce to hide a tree is in a forest, while the best ce to hide humans is in a city.¡¯ ¡°I will select a few elites. We¡¯ll infiltrate the city while disguising as Overminds.¡± ¡°Hmm. Wouldn¡¯t that be too dangerous?¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s a given. However, this is the best course of action considering our current situation.¡± Someone had to attract the Overmind emperor¡¯s attention. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s n was to leave such roles to the other yers and failures. ¡°Pleaseunch attacks through gueri warfare once we start.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯se up with a strategy.¡± The conference room soon grew busy. *** Kineos sat on his throne while listening to his vassal¡¯s reports. ¡°The next item on the agenda is¡­¡± He was finding it difficult to focus today for some reason. ¡®Why can¡¯t I focus?¡¯ Kineos swept his gaze across the throne room. His bored eyes soon discovered why he couldn¡¯t focus. ¡°There aren¡¯t many of them left.¡± ¡°The people¡¯s repeated¡ªI¡¯m sorry?¡± The old man who was reporting to the Overmind emperor asked back with a surprised face. As far as he remembered, this was the first time the Overmind emperor stopped him from reporting. ¡°Most of them have gone¡­¡± ¡°What is¡ªoh, I see.¡± The old man smiled bitterly. Fifteen days ago, the throne room was filled with many vassals. ¡®But there aren¡¯t many vassals remaining...¡¯ They obviously died at the hands of the yers. ¡®Perhaps that¡¯s why therge throne room feels bigger than it really is¡­.¡¯ The voices were louder, and the huge gap between the kneeling vassals made the throne room look even more deste. ¡°You can stop now. I don¡¯t really think that your report is important.¡± ¡°But, Your Majesty! The people are requesting¡ª¡± ¡°Do you really think that I care about such things?¡± Flinch. The old man trembled when Kineos took off his mask for the first time in a thousand years. ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of those. What I want to know is if you have already discovered where the yers are located.¡± ¡°...Not yet, Your Majesty. However, we are done searching the west, south, and east.¡± ¡®So they must be in the north...¡¯ Kineos stared at the huge map in the throne room and said, ¡°I think I know where those filthy rats are hiding.¡± Kineos presumed that they had to be hiding somewhere in the snowfield. ¡®Things will get annoying once they start moving. I have to get rid of them at once.¡¯ Kineos decisively spoke, ¡°ck Tower Master Pilgrim Gaunessia.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Pilgrim Gaunessia eximed with his head lowered. Kineos¡¯ eyes shed golden as he stared at the huge map. ¡°I order you to install the ultra-wide blockade magic¡ªck Coffin. Iste the snowfields and the mountain ranges up north.¡± ck Coffin was none other than ckfield. Chapter 578: Devil of the Power Plant (3)

Chapter 578: Devil of the Power nt (3)

¡®ckfield? It seems that His Majesty is pulling out the big guns.¡¯ Filgrim''s thoughts wereplicated. He was the only one who could remove ck Coffin once it was installed. ¡®Of course, His Majesty can break it forcefully, but there¡¯s no way those yers are strong enough to do so.¡¯ The yers would be mice in a trap. ck Coffin was created for the purpose of trapping and isting enemies of the state. However, Filgrim highly doubted that the emperor simply wanted to trap the enemies and let them starve to death by themselves. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. How many entrances should I make?¡± ¡°One entrance should be enough.¡± Filgrim was already drawing the picture in his head. The yers would still do their best to escape the Overmind army without knowing that they were already contained. ¡®Well, I guess the troublesome yers are no more.¡¯ Filgrim slowly raised his head and asked, ¡°Your Majesty, what about Float City?¡± ¡°Float City?¡± The yers managed to destroy the Radio Tower and Chronos Laboratory. Kineos had already deduced the identity of the yers¡¯ helper. ¡°It must be that annoying bastard, Helic.¡± Kineos¡¯ control over the continent had weakened because two out of the three holy relics were taken away. ¡®...I can¡¯t see anything.¡¯ Kineos¡¯ omnipresent eyes were one of the reasons he dominated the continent. His senses had basically be his own intelligencework. ¡®I can¡¯t see anything anymore after Holy Ring Petra was taken away.¡¯ Kineos would lose more control over the continent and face Helic¡¯s anger if the yers managed to seize even the Holy Sword. ¡°...¡± Kineos contemted for a long time about how many troops were necessary to protect the holy relic. He soon reached a conclusion and said, ¡°The Imperial Guards will protect Float City.¡± ¡°But, Your Majesty! The Imperial Guards are¡­¡± The Imperial guards were the swords that protected only His Majesty the Emperor. In fact, they had never left the capital since the empire was founded because they existed solely to secure His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s safety. ¡°I won¡¯t ept any forms of objection. Do you really think that I need protection?¡± ¡°...¡± Filgrim closed his mouth. He knew better than anyone that the Imperial Guards were nothing more than just a remnant of their days when they were still lowly human beings. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Will it only be the Imperial Guards, or should I mobilize the troops?¡± ¡°Station troops inside Float City, and she¡¯s going to be there as well.¡± ¡®The precocious imperial princess is strong enough to protect the Holy Sword.¡¯ ¡°Filgrim, I want you to take the army with you and head north.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± The imperial capital grew busier than ever on the same afternoon. *** ¡°Hm. I think I¡¯ll need him¡­¡± It took two days of careful selection to choose the elites who would infiltrate Float City. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Vita suddenly rang. - Your Majesty! The call came from Yeon, the Prime Minister of Neo City. Seo Jun-Ho was startled. ¡°Yeon? What¡¯s up?¡± -What do you mean what¡¯s up? Why did you not call me? ¡®Huh? Why would I call him?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought about it for a moment before shouting, ¡°Ah! You¡¯re talking about the reinforcements! - We¡¯re prepared, Your Majesty. We have been waiting for your call. How can you be so careless? ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really busy these days.¡± Seo Jun-Ho recalled asking Yeon for help before Operation Gt. His request back then was to prepare reinforcements from Neo City, as it was hard to expect any more volunteers on Earth. ¡°Can you send me reinforcements whenever I need them?¡± - Yes, just give me a call. They should arrive within thirty minutes. ¡°Thank you; that sounds reassuring.¡± Thousands of yers from Earth were here, but their numbers were iparably smallerpared to the empire¡¯s numbers. Seo Jun-Ho was hoping that Neo City¡¯s reinforcements would give them a breather. - Should I send them right now? ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho contemted for a moment, but he soon shook his head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t need them right now. I¡¯ll ask you to send them whenever I need them since you said it¡¯ll only take them half an hour to arrive.¡± Neo City¡¯s reinforcements would be like a lightning bolt on a sunny day to the Overminds, and Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t nning on wasting such a trump card. ¡°But I think I¡¯ll need them soon. I¡¯ll tell you by then.¡± - All right. Approximately how soon you¡¯ll need them? ¡°I think I¡¯ll call you next week.¡± - So, a week? All right. The call soon ended, and Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the paper he was holding. The names on the paper were the members of the uing Operation Float City. - Seo Jun-Ho. - Shin Sung-Hyun. - Baek Geon-Woo. - Stony. - Gilberto Green. - Jonathan Jenkins. - Francisco Sancho. ¡°Are you sure about those members?¡± the Frost Queen asked, ¡°I feel like you¡¯re leaving too many yers here in our headquarters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for the best.¡± Seo Jun-Ho and the yers hade to the same conclusion. ¡°Can you tell me why you¡¯re leaving so many yers here?¡± ¡°Those bastards aren¡¯t dumb. They¡¯re probably thinking that our next target is the Float Force Power nt.¡± In other words, both sides considered Float City as their next battlefield. ¡°The issue here is that the Overmind emperor has many chess pieces¡ªway too many.¡± The Overmind emperor had so many troops that he couldn¡¯t only thoroughly defend the Float Force Power nt but also destroy their headquarters in the north at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s no longer going to hold back.¡± After all, they had already recovered two holy relics. There was no way Kineos would still underestimate them. ¡°If the Overmind emperor were that dumb, we wouldn¡¯t have to go through this hardship.¡± Seo Jun-Ho and the yers were confident that the Overminds would invade the ice castle, as there was nothing more appetizing than the ice castle while the elite yers were out to infiltrate the Float Force Power nt. ¡°I see,¡± said the Frost Queen. She raised her chin and continued. ¡°If theye here withcency, we will easily destroy them.¡± Of course, it would be a good thing if Kineos decided not to send any yers here. The yers would then be free to wreak havoc on their cities as a distraction for Operation Float City. ¡°I¡¯m leaving for Float City tonight. Please protect the headquarters with Jun-Sik.¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± the Frost Queen replied confidently. *** ¡°All right, we¡¯re done.¡± Skaya turned to the vige chief and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± The vige chief took a closer look at the faces of the forty people in front of him. He was amazed, and he muttered in disbelief, ¡°This is¡­ quite amazing. I had no idea that humans could do something like this.¡± ¡°Haha, magic¡¯s raison d¡¯etre is to do the impossible, after all.¡± The most important part of their n to infiltrate the Float Force Power nt was their disguise. In addition to their auras, their appearance had to change as well. ¡°You won¡¯t fall under any suspicion as long as you don¡¯t use your skills.¡± ¡°How long will itst?¡± ¡°Fifteen days, but it mightst shorter than fifteen days if you get into a fierce battle.¡± ¡®Fifteen days is enough for us to infiltrate Float City.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned and asked, ¡°Are you all right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was talking to a man with an unfamiliar face. He looked up, and Seo Jun-Ho saw that the man was crying. The man then turned to the vige chief and said, ¡°Chief¡­ can you see this?¡± ¡°I can see you, Stony.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a body! A human¡­ body!¡± The golem, Stony, wiped his tears with his sleeves. He had lost his human body and became as huge as a hill after bing a failure, and Skaya¡¯s magic allowed him to possess a human body once more. ¡°Thank you. I really appreciate it. Although I know that it is temporary, like a midsummer night¡¯s dream¡­¡± ¡°It was difficult to transform you, so I¡¯m d to see that you like it.¡± Skaya smiled and shrugged before saying, ¡°All right. Please bring back some good news.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us here. If you think you''re in danger, just drop the holy relic and run away,¡± said Rahmadat. Seo Jun-Ho smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. All right, let¡¯s go, Sung-Hyun.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun reached out with his hand and tore a rift in the space in front of him. The rift couldn¡¯t directly teleport them to Float City, but it was good enough. The forty yers and two hundred failures bomb squad members walked into the portal. *** The vige chief¡¯s Magical Spring Water allowed Shin Sung-Hyun to see theirnding location, but the vige chief¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t strong enough to see what was going on inside the power nt. ¡®It must be isted in a powerful domain¡­¡¯ The bomb squad¡¯s mission was simple. They had to gather as much information as possible. ¡°Well, we¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°Yes, but we didn¡¯t enter through the main gate.¡± Of course, the bomb squad members didn¡¯t enter the city through the main gate because the army would immediately take notice and interrogate them. After all, it was rare to see so many people moving in a group during a delicate time like this. Therefore, they decided to infiltrate the city by jumping over the city walls. ¡°How¡¯s Community doing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s doing good so far.¡± ¡°All right, that¡¯s great.¡± The ability tomunicate freely with each other brought flexibility to their movements. ¡®We gave the failures walkie-talkies, so it won¡¯t be that difficult to contact them.¡¯ ¡°Jun-Ho-nim. Where are we going to stay?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s look around the city first and decide where to stayter.¡± Float City was the secondrgest city of the empire, so the addition of two hundred and forty people wasn¡¯t that obvious. However, such a huge group wandering the streets at night would definitely be suspicious. ¡°It would be nice if we could find a ce to hide, but¡­ there are too many of us.¡± ¡°A city this huge definitely has sewage. How about we use that?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡®It¡¯ll smell bad, so it should be ourst resort.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was about to nod, but a voice interrupted them. [Buzzzz. Hmm, Hm. Hello? Do you hear me?] The voice echoed in everyone¡¯s ears. However, the voice was from a local channel rather than the private channel that the bomb squad members were using tomunicate with each other. Shin Sung-Hyun lowered his voice and warned. ¡°It might be a trap. Perhaps the enemies can intercept Community¡¯s frequencies.¡± ¡°Or¡­¡± ¡®The voice belongs to a yer who was inadvertently teleported here.¡¯ [Who are you? What¡¯s your name and affiliation?] [This voice¡­ Are you Specter? Are you really Specter?] It was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first time hearing the middle-aged man¡¯s voice, but the middle-aged man seemed to be familiar with him. [Let me ask you again: give me your name and affiliation.] [I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t trust you...] The voice left one final message before vanishing. [Walk down the twenty-fourth street of district fifty-one. If you¡¯re truly Specter, I will contact you again.] *** ¡°Haaa.¡± An old man¡¯s breath condensed into a white mist. He nced at the snow on his thick robe and muttered, ¡°This ce is really cold as always.¡± ¡°Should I make some warm tea?¡± The old man nodded at his disciple¡¯s offer. ¡°Sure. I¡¯m going to work while the water boils.¡± Tap. With that, the old man stabbed his cane into the snow, and a massive hexagram appeared in the sky. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± The Overminds trembled as pitch-ck walls soared and isted the snowfields up ahead. ck Coffin was soon installed, and Filgrim turned around. ¡°We should warm up before we go in,¡± he said to the army. Chapter 579: Devil of the Power Plant (4)

Chapter 579: Devil of the Power nt (4)

Shin Sung-Hyun was hiding in an alley and was flipping over the pages of a newspaper. ¡°Everyone is in position,¡± said Shin Sung-Hyun. His mouth moved, but his voice didn¡¯t echo out of the alley because he wasmunicating through a private channel of Community. [Jonathan here; on standby.] [I¡¯m sitting on a patio. I¡¯ll keep an eye on the streets.] [On my way.] ¡®...Where is he?¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s eyes scanned the streets. ¡®An old man drinking tea on the patio of a cafe, the woman on the roof watering a pot, and a boy giving out leaflets on the street¡­¡¯ They looked suspicious in his eyes. ¡®The voice seemed to belong to a middle-aged man, but anyone can easily fake their voice. I have to doubt absolutely everyone, regardless of their age or gender.¡¯ If this were indeed a trap that their enemies had created for them, there would be nothing strange about Seo Jun-Ho getting attacked at any time while walking side by side with dozens of Overminds right now. ¡®When the timees¡­¡¯ Crush! Shin Sung-Hyun unknowingly crumpled the newspaper in his hands. He barely managed to hold himself back from mustering his magic. Seo Jun-Ho had told Shin Sung-Hyun to run away if things went wrong, but Shin Sung-Hyun wasn¡¯t sure if he could follow Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s orders. ¡®Where are you? Someone suspicious¡­¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun focused on his surroundings. ¡°Are you looking for someone suspicious?¡± ¡°...!¡± Shin Sung-Hyun hastily turned around, but a hand covered his mouth. He was pushed with his back against the wall. ¡°Heup!¡± A plump middle-aged man was standing in front of Shin Sung-Hyun, and thetter could swear that he had never seen the former before. The plump middle-aged man frowned. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Why are you recklessly mustering your magic here?¡± ¡°...¡± Shin Sung-Hyun finally realized that he had instinctively mustered his magic. Fortunately, it was just a small amount of magic. Shin Sung-Hyun looked around and realized that no one seemed to have noticed the strange movements in the alley. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go, so can you please stay quiet?¡± The plump middle-aged man slowly let Shin Sung-Hyun go and took a step back. Swoosh! The yers finally noticed what was going on, and they appeared to discreetly block the plump middle-aged man¡¯s escape routes. ¡°Master Shin Sung-Hyun.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°...Ah,?yes.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun nodded at the yers. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, so I didn¡¯t immediately recognize you,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Do you know him, Specter-nim?¡± The plump middle-aged man boisterouslyughed and turned to Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°I thought you would immediately recognize me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I think this is my first time meeting you. Where did I¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun trailed off. It seemed that Seo Jun-Ho had reached the same conclusion as Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°A thousand faces?¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho. The plump middle-aged man¡ªno, Yuri Alekseyev, who was also known as the one with a thousand faces nodded with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Before anything else, please follow me.¡± *** Yuri led Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s group to a huge factory. Screech! Bang! Screech! The factory¡¯s machinery incessantly screeched. Seo Jun-Ho and Shin Sung-Hyun soon found themselves in an office. ¡°Make yourself at home,¡± said Yuri. Seo Jun-Ho and Shin Sung-Hyun sat down. The rest of the yers and the failures were waiting outside the factory. ¡°What are you doing here, Yuri?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun asked with a frown. ¡°I guess you have a short fuse,¡± said Yuri. She leaned on her chair and said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story; are you willing to listen?¡± ¡°Summarize it, please,¡± replied Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best, but I¡¯m still waiting for¡ªspeak of the devil. He¡¯s here.¡± ¡®Huh? Who is she talking about?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho and Shin Sung-Hyun turned to the footsteps outside the door. ¡°Hmm? Wow,?look who we have here.¡± A middle-aged man with a cigarette between his lips grinned upon seeing Seo Jun-Ho and Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°I thought you were going to nag me again because you told me toe here as quickly as possible. I didn¡¯t expect that you would have such a pleasant gift for me.¡± ¡°Chun-Hak?¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Long time no see, Specter-nim. It¡¯s been a while as well, nerd.¡± ¡°My name is Shin Sung-Hyun.¡± ¡°You seriously think I called you that because I don¡¯t know your name?¡± Wei Chun-Hak casually sat across the two and crossed his legs. He threw his cigarette to the ashtray and said, ¡°Did youe here after hearing what we sent out?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Hm, I guess you two didn¡¯t hear what we sent out.¡± Wei Chun-Hak shrugged and looked at Yuri. ¡°This is really an unexpected gift. I¡¯m convinced that our n will work with these two here.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± Yuri nodded. She turned to Seo Jun-Ho and Shin Sung-Hyun and asked the two about just how many yers hade here. ¡°Hm.?Forty yers and two hundred failures¡­¡± Yuri muttered, seemingly hesitating. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the other Heavens aren¡¯t there. It would have been great if the Sword Saint were here." ¡°He¡¯s still recovering from his injuries,¡± said Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°Injuries? That monster got injured? You have to tell me more about that.¡± ¡°Before that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho cut Wei Chun-Hak off and said, ¡°I want to know why you guys are here first.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that interesting of a story.¡± Yuri Alekseyev and Wei Chun-Hak¡¯s arrival in the city was a work of fate. They simply decided toe here and hide from the Overmind army. ¡°We heard your voice, so we were nning to head to where the thunder is sleeping.¡± ¡°We were going to leave the city as soon as the Overmind army let their guards down, but¡­¡± However, their minds changed after staying in the city for the next few days. ¡°We thought that we shouldn¡¯t leave without destroying the Float Force Power nt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time until we¡¯ll lose hope of clearing this Floor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed as he asked, ¡°What do you mean, lose hope?¡± It seemed that the power nt had something more than what the eyes could see. ¡°Specter-nim, what do you think is the role of that power nt?¡± ¡°The power nt exists to create Force.¡± However, Yuri shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you thirty points for your answer, but it¡¯s thirty out of a hundred points. Anyway, do you know what energy they convert to Force?¡± ¡°I heard they use magic.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you thirty more points, so that¡¯s sixty out of a hundred.¡± Yuri pulled out a document from a drawer and handed it over to Seo Jun-Ho and Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°This factory creates and delivers consumables necessary to turn magic into Force.¡± ¡°...What is this?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun was reading the document. He asked, ¡°Delivery has been suspended, and more news wille in two weeks? Did you do something to upset the power nt?¡± Wei Chun-Hak shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not our fault. They simply don¡¯t need any consumables anymore.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. This world will run out of magic in two weeks.¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Shin Sung-Hyun looked at Wei Chun-Hak with surprised faces. ¡°What? The magic in this world will disappear?¡± ¡°Yeah, the power nt was created with that purpose in mind.¡± The power nt¡¯s raison d¡¯etre was to turn all the magic on the into Force to grant the emperor infinite power and lifespan. ¡°Can they really do that in just two weeks? We¡¯re talking about an entire here.¡± ¡°They¡¯re done with the preparations,¡± said Yuri. She flipped the pages of the document and pointed at a picture. ¡°I took this guy¡¯s face, and it turns out that he¡¯s a senior researcher of the power nt. ¡±Take a look at this part, the conversion rate between magic and Force seemed to have already reached ny-nine percent.¡± ¡°I see, and since they suspended the consumables delivery¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho trailed off and said, ¡°I guess the Overmind emperor must have judged that they have done enough research.¡± ¡°He¡¯s already satisfied with the conversion rate as well. Now, he¡¯s nning on getting rid of magic altogether.¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a sigh at their terrible future. ¡°This Floor will be impossible to clear by then.¡± It was impossible to defeat an opponent with infinite energy, not to mention the fact that their enemies¡¯ numbers were overwhelming. ¡°And that is why we have been using Community to send out messages¡­ we have been hoping that a yer will hear us.¡± ¡°Oh,?so that¡¯s what you meant¡­.¡± The timing was perfect; something terrible would have happened if they hadn¡¯t encountered each other. ¡°Will we avoid the worst-case scenario if the power nt is destroyed?¡± ¡°Yes, I can guarantee it.¡± Wei Chun-Hak nodded. ¡°The Overmind emperor is strong, but he can¡¯t turn magic into Force without the power nt. The power nt took decades to build, by the way.¡± In other words, the Overmind emperor¡¯s foolish ambitions would beid to rest if they managed to destroy the power nt. Shin Sung-Hyun turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho and said, ¡°This is great since we¡¯re here to destroy the power nt as well.¡± It was great that there were already yers who had been thinking of ways to destroy the power nt while they still had no idea that the power nt even existed. ¡°I guess things will be easier for us.¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°Can you show us your n to destroy the power nt?¡± Yuri didn¡¯t say anything while Wei Chun-Hak wordlessly lit another cigarette. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed as he continued. ¡°You two still haven¡¯t made any ns?¡± ¡°Well, we do have a n¡­¡± Yuri hurriedly said, ¡°But it¡¯s a bit¡­¡± ¡°We spent many sleepless nights trying toe up with a n, but¡­¡± Wei Chun-Hak exhaled a cloud of smoke before continuing. ¡°We had to abandon those ns because of the harsh reality.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t be done,¡± exined Wei Chun-Hak. He leaned against his seat and tilted his head backward. He made a sidelong nce at the power nt beyond the nearby window and said, ¡°It¡¯s a forbidden area.¡± ¡°Are you saying that there¡¯s no other way aside from a direct confrontation?¡± ¡°No,¡± Yuri chimed in and shook her head. ¡°We found a way to get inside, but it¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°What is it? Tell us.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun urged. Yuri let out a sigh and said, ¡°Do you happen to know the beings working there?¡± ¡°We heard that they¡¯re notorious prisoners¡ªwait, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± A sense of foreboding swept past Seo Jun-Ho as he muttered, ¡°Were you guys nning to disguise yourselves as prisoners to infiltrate the power nt?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the only way to enter the power nt,¡± Yuri said with a nod. ¡°It sounds ridiculous, but she¡¯s right¡ªthat¡¯s the only way,¡± Wei Chun-Hak chimed in. ¡°No, we can¡¯t do that.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun jumped up and objected. ¡°Are you seriously telling us to go beyond enemy lines while disguised as prisoners?¡± ¡°It¡¯s either that or a direct confrontation. I honestly don¡¯t know which n is better.¡± They had to either confront the enemies directly or infiltrate the power nt while disguised as prisoners. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t an easy decision to make. Seo Jun-Ho fell into deep contemtion. ¡®A direct confrontation is a no-go.¡¯ The whole city would be alerted the moment they kicked up a fuss at the power nt. It would only be a matter of time before the army would mobilize, and Seo Jun-Ho also reckoned that even the residents would join the fight. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡®It¡¯s basically suicide. What about the other n?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head once again. ¡®It¡¯s extremely risky. If we get caught, we¡¯ll suffer a worse fate than dying in a direct confrontation.¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho had no time to waste mulling over their options. Seo Jun-Ho kneaded his temples and said, ¡°Tell us more about your n first.¡± Chapter 580: Devil of the Power Plant (5)

Chapter 580: Devil of the Power nt (5)

¡°The Shupigel Company.¡± Yuri knocked on the desk and said, ¡°Shupigel Hathaway owns thepany, and Shupigel Hathaway owns the body I¡¯m currently using.¡± ¡°Hmm??Does that have anything to do with the n?¡± asked Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°Company? That word bothers me a bit,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...What do you mean?¡± ¡°We saw a simple production facility on our way here,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He could still remember the machinery and the numerous workers he had seen earlier. ¡°Since it¡¯s called apany rather than a factory, it definitely has other departments, right?¡± Yuri nodded and said, ¡°Correct. This factory is just a part of what thepany does.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned to Yuri and urged her to continue with his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know everything there is to know about thispany, Specter-nim, but thispany has a department that is crucial to our n.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the prisoner supply department.¡± ¡°A prisoner supply department?¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought about it, but it didn¡¯t take him that long to deduce the department¡¯s job. ¡°Does the prisoner supply department catch prisoners and turn them over to the power nt?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± said Yuri. ¡°We thought about it hard and long, but we couldn¡¯t find any other way to infiltrate the power nt aside from using that department,¡± Wei Chun-Hak chimed in as he lit his third cigarette. ¡°I didn¡¯t proceed with the n because I was alone, it would have been meaningless if I had done so.¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Yuri said with a nod. She couldn¡¯t join Wei Chun-Hak because she had to hand over prisoners to the power nt using Shupigel¡¯s body. ¡®Wei?Chun-Hak couldn¡¯t have done anything by himself even if he had seeded in infiltrating the power nt.¡¯ It was impossible for anyone to destroy such a huge power nt by themselves, and it was probably the reason why they had been crying out in Community¡¯s public channels. The n they had in mind couldn¡¯t seed with just one or two people. ¡°I have a question,¡± Shin Sung-Hyun asked, ¡°What crimes do you have to do to be a prisoner of the power nt?¡± ¡°I want to know that as well,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Every Overmind was precious because of their low poption. It seemed wasteful to use Overminds asbor rather than failures. ¡°The prisoners of the power nt all had one crime inmon.¡± ¡°...Is it murder?¡± Yuri and Wei Chun-Hak nodded. ¡°An Overmind murdering another Overmind meant that their lengthy lifespan had gotten to them. In other words, you can say that they have gone mad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird. Can you really entrustbor to a madman?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but considering how they have a strict demand for prisoners¡­¡± ¡°It must be no ordinarybor.¡± ¡°I think they¡¯re doing some experiments on those Overminds.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. An Overmind prisoner was a precious test subject. ¡°Hm,?how many Overminds can we use to enter the power nt?¡± ¡°We located nine Overminds with a bounty on their heads.¡± ¡°Nine? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s good enough,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Shin Sung-Hyun emerged from his contemtion and asked, ¡°Jun-Ho-nim, do you still have the bombs you used to destroy the Radio Tower?¡± ¡°No.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and said, ¡°I used them up to destroy the Radio Tower.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had already run out of Dwarf Special Bombs after using them to destroy the Imperial Pce of Neo City and the Radio Tower of Babe. ¡°So we have to destroy the power nt with only nine people.¡± ¡°I think we can fit one more person if we try,¡± said Yuri. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Shin Sung-Hyun. Wei Chun-Hak answered, ¡°Overminds are going missing in this city recently. There isn¡¯t a bounty on the perpetrator just yet, but rumor has it that a bounty will be announced on their head soon.¡± ¡°A bounty? Howe when it isn¡¯t even a murder?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much of a difference.¡± ¡°I guess, so we can infiltrate the power nt with ten people by impersonating the perpetrator behind the recent missing persons'' case.¡± ¡°Yes, but we have to capture those criminals first.¡± Wei Chun-Hak ced several wanted posters on the desk and said, ¡°I could easily find them using my ghosts, but we can¡¯t use magic here.¡± In addition, they had to catch such criminals without using even a drop of magic. ¡®When was thest time I fought without magic?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t remember it at all. He had never cked in his training, but the Overminds were simply too powerful to fight without using magic. ¡°This is going to be difficult¡­¡± ¡°Well, I guess all we can do is try our best.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho got up from his seat and said, ¡°Do you guys happen to know the Devil?¡± ¡°The Devil? Hm¡­ I¡¯ve certainly heard of the Devil of the Power nt before, but¡­¡± ¡°We looked into it, but it seemed like it was nothing more than just a rumor.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± There was a high chance that the Devil of the Power nt was just a rumor made to deter people. After all, even the vige chief couldn¡¯t confirm whether the Devil of the Power nt truly existed or not. ¡°Do I just incapacitate them and bring them back here?¡± ¡°Yes, and if anyone asks about what you¡¯re doing. Just say that you¡¯re from the Shupigel Company¡¯s tracking team,¡± said Yuri. ¡°Is there anything else I should know before I leave?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Ah, yeah!¡± Yuri eximed, ¡°You might run into anotherpany¡¯s tracking team. The power nt¡¯spensation in exchange for criminals is quite impressive, so manypanies have also created their own tracking team to track criminals.¡± ¡°What should I do then?¡± ¡°That really depends on what you want to do, Specter-nim, but¡­¡± Yuri shrugged and said, ¡°If you allow them to take one criminal away, it would be one less criminal we could use to infiltrate the power nt.¡± ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t let them take any of the criminals away,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho with a nod. He could still remember the districts he had seen on the map earlier, so he turned around and walked away to begin the operation. ¡°Let¡¯s start,¡± he said. *** It was nighttime, and forty-three yers¡ªas well as two hundred failures¡ªwere wandering the streets of Float City. Seo Jun-Ho was in charge of District 24th¡¯s 7th Street north of Float City. - Beep. - The next stop is District 24th¡¯s 7th Street. Se Jun-Ho got off the bus and looked around. ¡®How can the atmosphere of this street be so different from the other streets when it¡¯s in the same city?¡¯ The bus ride took three hours, but Seo Jun-Ho was finally at one of the ces that Wei Chun-Hak had marked on the map. ¡®...It¡¯s old.¡¯ District 24 was certainly different from District 51, which was filled with healthy workers. District 24 was a deste district with streets filled with nothing but mice and empty liquor bottles. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly worked down the street, and he could feel the shady and vignt eyes of the residents in the district. Seo Jun-Ho heard that District 24 was an isted district that the residents of Float often avoided visiting. Seo Jun-Ho entered the biggest-looking bar in town, and the noises in the bar abruptly vanished. An awkward air pervaded the bar, but Seo Jun-Ho calmly walked in front of the bartender and sat down before asking, ¡°I want something smooth and weak.¡± ¡°...¡± The young bartender wordlessly poured him a ss of white wine. He started cleaning the other sses with a yellow rag before asking, ¡°Are you an outsider?¡± ¡°...From Gt, yes.¡± ¡°Yikes.¡± The young bartender clicked his tongue and asked, ¡°I heard about the tragedy that unfolded there. Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can say that I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. This one¡¯s on me.¡± ¡°Thanks; I appreciate it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a sip and looked around. ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone. Can you help me?¡± ¡°No. You better give up.¡± The young bartender raised the ss toward the light and said nonchntly, ¡°Outsiders can¡¯t be reckless in this ce.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give up. I recently got a job, and I need to do my work.¡± ¡°What job?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard of it, but I¡¯m working for the Shupigel Company.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± The young bartender put the ss down and red at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You¡¯re a part of the Shupigel tracking team?¡± ¡°Are you mad at the tracking team?¡± ¡°Those who get involved with the tracking team always end up suffering a terrible fate,¡± replied the young bartender. Eventually, he sighed and asked, ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± ¡°Jodi Arkson¡ªthousand and twenty-eight years old. He has red hair and a long scar on his left cheek,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. The young bartender pondered over it before shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize that person, and there¡¯s no way I would fail to remember such distinct traits.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡®That¡¯s fair. There¡¯s no way a criminal could juste and go to a bar like this.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho held out the currency he had received from Yuri and asked, ¡°Let me ask you another question, then. I heard that there are many abandoned factories up north. Are they all empty?¡± ¡°...¡± The young bartender shut his mouth tightly and looked around carefully. He covered the money with the yellow rag he was using to clean the sses before muttering, ¡°You better not go there.¡± ¡°So there¡¯s something going on there?¡± ¡°...Is Shupigel going to conduct a major raid or something?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m on my own.¡± The young bartender did a double take at Seo Jun-Ho, and his gaze made it obvious that he felt like he was staring at a madman. ¡°Those Shupigel bastards probably didn¡¯t bother to exin things to you since you¡¯re an outsider, but the abandoned factories up north are being illegally upied by those whom even Float City Hall had decided to give up on prosecuting.¡± ¡°How about the army and the city enforcers?¡± ¡°Hah. there¡¯s no way the army would make a move against a local gang. The enforcers ignore them because the gang shuts them up with bribes, and it¡¯s not like the enforcers can handle them even if they want to.¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked and asked, ¡°Wait, Then, those on the wanted posters are¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Those who had made mistakes would get thrown under the bus. It¡¯s called sending them to school,¡± said the young bartender. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± If the young bartender¡¯s story were true, the abandoned factories up north were sanctuaries for criminals. ¡®Wait, if I catch those guys¡­ the biggest Gate in Float¡¯s history might open.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho downed his alcohol and got up. ¡°Thanks for the information.¡± ¡°Are you still going?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t think I can handle this by myself. I¡¯ll have to go to work tomorrow and ask for reinforcements.¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless. A mere tracking team of apany cannot handle them. Besides, the reason no one has done anything about the gang is that leaving the gang alone is more profitable in the long run.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled and thought, ¡®I guess the emperor¡¯s words about how Babe is a paradise of integrity is a bunch of bullshit.¡¯ ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± ¡°Tsk. Are the citizens of Gt as stubborn as you?¡± said the young bartender while shaking his head. Seo Jun-Ho ignored the young bartender¡¯s remark and turned around to leave the bar. ¡®I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure since I can¡¯t use magic to confirm it, but¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could feel the eyes on him getting more intense. Seo Jun-Ho looked around a couple of times before decisively running away. ¡°Damn it. Get him!¡± Several men screamed and chased after him. Seo Jun-Ho nced at them with a perplexed face. He panicked and entered an alley only to stumble upon a dead end. ¡°Hah. You¡¯re done for you, ugly Gt rat.¡± ¡°You actually came here by yourself? I guess those Shupigel bastards are cruel.¡± ¡®There are two of them¡­ one¡¯s big, and one¡¯s slender.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across the two and said, ¡°I¡¯m a member of the Shupigel Company¡¯s tracking team, so if you mess with me¡ª¡± ¡°Nothing will happen even if we mess with you,¡± said the slender man with a sinister smile. Therge-framed man chimed in. ¡°Kekeke. Do you have any idea how much we pay your boss?¡± ¡°That¡¯s news to me,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s going to be news to you, you dumbass. Why would he tell you about it?¡± ¡®No, I really haven¡¯t heard of it. Yuri didn¡¯t tell me anything about bribes.¡¯ It seemed that Yuri couldn¡¯t read the memories of the dead. ¡°Well, at least one thing is clear.¡± The two men had to have chased after him to nip him in the bud before he could cause trouble for the gang. After taking a closer look at the two, Seo Jun-Ho recalled seeing them on the wanted posters. . ¡®I guess they¡¯re wanted because they¡¯re still atrge.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that more yers and failures could infiltrate the power nt if he managed to capture the gang members up north alive. ¡°Everyone,¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho, ¡°District 24th¡¯s 7th Street.¡± ¡°Why are you talking to yourself?¡± ¡°Oh, you heard that? Yes, I wasn¡¯t talking to you guys.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and grinned. ¡°Well, then. Shall we have fun until they arrive?¡± Chapter 581: Devil of the Power Plant (6)

Chapter 581: Devil of the Power nt (6)

¡°I thought you were in trouble because you told everyone to gather, but¡­¡± Shin Sung-Hyun took a nce at the two Overminds kneeling with their hands raised as if they were being punished by their teachers. ¡°Who are these guys?¡± ¡°They¡¯re my sparring partners.¡± Tremble The wounded Overminds trembled. Gilberto looked around and asked, ¡°I¡¯m assuming you didn¡¯t call all of us over just because of these guys.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shared the information he had gotten from the young bartender in the northern area. After hearing his story, Yuri and Wei Chun-Hak nodded. ¡°It seems like we missed that part. We had no idea that a gang like that existed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not strange that you guys were unaware. I wasn¡¯t sure of it either until these bastards told me the truth with their own mouths.¡± ¡°But the scale is much bigger than I thought. Sixty-four, huh¡­¡± The gang which took over the abandoned factories consisted of sixty-four members. ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll be okay? It seems that they are bribing the security here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be that big of a deal. I think the power nt would dly ept more prisoners.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The Overminds hastily sprawled on the ground and desperately grabbed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s feet. ¡°P-please¡­! Don¡¯t hand us over to the power nt!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do anything. The power nt swallows everyone who enters it without spitting them out!¡± ¡®Of course, they wouldn¡¯t let anyone out. After all, they must have been using them for experiments.¡¯¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho crouched and nodded. ¡°Rx. I won¡¯t send you to the power nt.¡± ¡°...?¡± The Overminds looked up with confused expressions. Thud! There was a dull thud as Seo Jun-Ho knocked out the two Overminds. ¡°However, we have to sacrifice you two because we need as many spots as possible.¡± ¡®If sixty-four of us manage to infiltrate the power nt, it should be possible for us to destroy it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was determined to take over the gang at all costs. He had to do it to increase the operation¡¯s sess rate. ¡°Let¡¯s get it over with before sunrise.¡± *** Forty-three yers walked toward an abandoned factory. The deste streets slowly got filled with more and more figures as they approached the abandoned factory. ¡°Can we really handle sixty-four Overminds without using magic?¡± Baek Geon-Woo asked with a concerned look. ¡°It¡¯s not that too hard to deal with them without magic. Just don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± The Overminds had many different abilities, and the Overminds in the gang definitely had nothing to lose. In other words, they would do anything to kill the yers, and the yers could die if they let their guard down. ¡°I¡¯ll go in first,¡± said Shin Sung-Hyun. He led his guild members toward the factory. The rest of the yers soon rushed toward the factory, and the gang members emerged from the factory one by one. ¡°Yikes, they look scary.¡± The Overminds holding knives, axes, and clubs red at the yers with murderous eyes. ¡°Oh, I forgot,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Kill them if you want.¡± After all, they only needed the Overminds¡¯ faces. ¡°You bastards! How dare youe here!¡± ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡± The gang members roared and rushed at the yers. Unfortunately for them, these yers were veteran and elite yers of Earth. They easily incapacitated the Overminds with their bare hands. ¡®If we keep this up¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought the yers would easily wipe the floor with the Overminds without suffering any heavy injuries or casualties. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho suddenly frowned. He saw ten Overminds dressed neatly and in suits walking toward the factory with practiced and disciplined steps. ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°...They belong to Ryan Company; they¡¯re members of Ryan Company¡¯s tracking team.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± A troubled expression flitted across Seo Jun-Ho''s face. If they hade here to deal with the gang as well, things would get quiteplicated. ¡°You people must be members of the Shupigel Company¡¯s tracking team. I hate to admit this, but you¡¯re great.¡± ¡°Are you trying to get onestpensation from the power nt now that the power nt has stopped ordering consumables?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t let you guys hog all the fun.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± It was clear that they were here to take some credit. ¡°I¡¯ll share the reward with you guys, so how about you go back and leave this ce to us?¡± Seo Jun-Ho suggested. ¡°Bullshit. We¡¯ll obtain the city hall¡¯s honor and trust if we turn those guys in, and the city hall¡¯s honor and trust are priceless.¡± ¡®Is that so, then why did you leave them unattended until now?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho sighed lightly and asked, ¡°Are you going to participate no matter what?¡± ¡°Looking at how things are going, I can see that you¡¯ve put in a lot of effort to catch these guys. Why don''t you just give us twenty of them?¡± Giving up twenty gang members meant reducing the members of the power nt infiltration team to a mere forty-four. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t ept that.¡± ¡°So you want to shed blood?¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re confident because of your mercenaries, but don¡¯t you know that there¡¯s nothing good about turning us into your enemy?¡± Unfortunately for them, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t really care about them. His priority was to bring the maximum number of people to the power nt for the highest sess rate. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s stubborn look made the opposing tracking team raise their guard. ¡®This is really a terrible ce to live. Imagine killing your neighbors right away just because you don¡¯t agree with them.¡¯ However, the culture here made Seo Jun-Ho feel at ease. ¡°...I guess I don¡¯t have to treat them like they¡¯re humans¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered. Boom! A loud noise echoed as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s figure blurred. The pupils of the Overminds constricted, but before they could even do anything, Seo Jun-Ho had already shed out with his dagger, slicing the throat of an Overmind at the helm of the opposing tracking team. ¡°Ah! Aaah¡­¡± The eyes of another Overmind quivered upon seeing his colleague stagger while desperately holding his bleeding throat. ¡®You should have kept your eyes on me.¡¯ Swoosh! Seo Jun-Ho swung his dagger upward. An Overmind copsed to the ground. He was split into two from the top of his head down to his crotch. ¡°Dorati! Guson!¡± An Overmind cried out. His eyes shed murderously. A fierce and foreign energy flowed out of him as he pulled out his weapon. ¡®Is that Force?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know the Overmind¡¯s ability, but he didn¡¯t feel the need to know. Swoosh! Seo Jun-Ho hurled his dagger with all his might, and it pierced the Overmind¡¯s skull. ¡°...¡± Thud! Three Overminds were killed in the blink of an eye, but there were still seven Overminds from Ryan Company. ¡®They only raised their guard after I killed three of them?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho chuckled upon seeing the Overminds¡¯ hesitation to approach him. ¡°You guys have good potential, but¡­¡± ¡®Youck the basics.¡¯ However, it wasn¡¯t strange because the tracking team members had only ever fought criminals, who were considered third-rate even among Overminds. ¡®They¡¯re not good enough to face me.¡¯ These Overminds were nowhere near strong enough to deal with Seo Jun-Ho, who had gone through countless hardships. ¡°Surround him! Do not give him room to run wild!¡± ¡°Tendo! Tie him up!¡± ¡®I can¡¯t let them surround me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cold eyes turned to Tendo. A system message appeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho. [Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) perfectly resists Image Bond.] ¡®Image Bond?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had never heard of such an ability before, but he figured that it was a mind-type ability because it triggered Hero¡¯s Mind. Seo Jun-Ho abruptly came to a halt. His eyes zed over, and his breathing immediately evened out. ¡°Phew. What a troublesome asshole, but at least we got him now.¡± ¡°Hurry up and kill him! We have no idea when he¡¯lle to his senses!¡± shouted their leader. The six Overminds responded by raising their weapons and charging at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Sorry to break it to you, but¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s dazed eyes sparkled stars upon choosing a spear-wielding Overmind as his target. ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡± The Overminds all had one thought upon seeing the light in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. ¡®We¡¯ve been had!¡¯ they screamed inwardly. Slice! A sword appeared out of nowhere and sliced the spear-wielding Overmind¡¯s spear in half. ¡°Huh?¡± muttered the spear-wielding Overmind. It turned out that his mind only managed to register his spear being split into two. His mind couldn¡¯t register Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s swordcerating his chest. Ssh! Warm blood drenched the ground and the six remaining Overminds from Ryan Company, but before they could even make a move, Seo Jun-Ho was already on the move. ¡®That¡¯s nine.¡¯ Swoosh!? The heads of the remaining Overminds flew into the air. ¡®And there¡¯s only one left.¡¯ He didn¡¯t hesitate. He didn¡¯t even bother to give thest remaining Overmind time to catch his breath. ¡°W-wait!¡± the leader raised his hands in surrender and hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll run away, so please¡ª¡± sh! His expression distorted in pain and shock when Seo Jun-Ho sliced his fingers as if they were tofu. ¡°Arghhhhh!¡± ¡°I told you. It¡¯s toote.¡± Sqwelp! Seo Jun-Ho thrust his sword into the leader¡¯s heart. Overall, Seo Jun-Ho only used forty seconds to annihte the Overminds from Ryan Company without mustering even a single particle of magic. ¡®I¡¯m getting the feel of it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had be more proficient in handling his strength. ¡®I can¡¯t use magic until the golden opportunityes.¡¯ ¡°This is good enough,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered to himself before turning toward the other yers. It seemed that the timing was perfect; the yers had just incapacitated the Overminds in the factory. *** ¡°We can choose one of the three locations here, and we have to decide by the end of the day and leave by tomorrow lunch at thetest,¡± Son Chae-Won said while looking around the conference room. They had to distract the emperor so that the power nt bomb squad could carry out their duty with ease. ¡°Hmm. This is difficult. We can¡¯t choose a low-difficulty location because it¡¯s probably not important enough to grab his attention.¡± ¡°On the other hand, a location worthy of his attention will be difficult to conquer.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait. There¡¯s something wrong with your thoughts here,¡± said Seo Jun-Sik. He had been listening silently to their conversation, but he finally couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and spoke, ¡°What is our mission?¡± ¡°Our mission is to distract the emperor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but I feel like we¡¯re too obsessed with that part. I think we¡¯ve overlooked something more important.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve overlooked something more important? Like what?¡± Jun-Sik reached out for the hologram map floating in the middle of the air. Scribble, scribble, scribble. He made a line by connecting several dots and went on. ¡°Our main goal is to grab the emperor¡¯s attention, but that¡¯s not the only thing we should do.¡± Their n would most likely work if the opponent were an ordinary human being, but their opponent was the Emperor of the Overminds. There was no way they would catch his eyes with half-measures. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if destroying a few cities is enough to attract his attention.¡± Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s words sounded cruel and inhumane, but he had a point. ¡°Ah!¡± Son Chae-Won eximed upon realizing her mistake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems that I¡¯m still prioritizing our safety above anything else.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. I understand where you¡¯reing from.¡± The Silent Moon Guild¡¯s track record ofpleting most of their missions without any serious injuries or casualties had made them famous. ¡°I think it¡¯s okay to proceed with this order in mind. Just keep in mind that this will draw a lot of attention.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what we¡¯re trying to do?.¡± . The Overmind emperor was a callous and ruthless ruler, but he would have no choice but to investigate what was happening once the yers executed their n. ¡°I hope Woo-Joong wakes up soon, he¡¯ll be really helpful,¡± said Seo Jun-Sik. Son Chae-Won nodded and said, ¡°I know. I wonder when he¡¯s going to wake up...¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, but there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. Let¡¯s just focus on the task at hand¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Sik suddenly stopped talking. The people in the conference room trembled at once. ¡°Goodness!¡± Skaya jumped up from her seat and walked over to the window. ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± Skaya shook her head as if she couldn¡¯t believe the scene unfolding in front of her. The horizon had be tainted with an ink-like color. Even Rahmadat¡ªthe epitome of indifference¡ªfrowned at the strange scene. ¡°What is that, Skaya?¡± he asked. Skaya could still remember analyzing a wall that was giving off the same energy as the ck wall in front of them. Skaya bit her lips and said, ¡°That¡¯s ckfield. It¡¯s the same ckfield as the one on the 2nd Floor.¡± ¡®No, it was just installed, so it must be stronger and much more resilient than the ckfield on the 2nd Floor.¡¯ ckfield¡¯s appearance meant that the yers were trapped in a ck box. ¡°I think we can no longer distract the emperor¡­¡± ¡®We have to defend ourselves.¡¯ They had to stop the enemies from invading the castle. Chapter 582. Devil of the Power Plant (7) Chapter 582. Devil of the Power nt (7) ¡°Did we get them all?¡± asked Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°I think we got them all,¡± replied Wei Chun-Hak. The gang members were strong, but they were no match for the cream of the crop yers of Earth. A few yers still suffered some minor injuries because of the many different abilities that the Overminds possessed, but the result was still andslide victory. ¡°Jun-Ho-nim. What should we do with them?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at the gang members with a cold gaze and said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to kill them.¡± His cold reply made even his allies gulp nervously. However, no one opposed his decision, as they weren¡¯t foolish enough to show mercy to their enemies. ¡°Wait, what?! You¡¯re gonna kill us? I thought you were just going to turn us over to the power nt?!¡± ¡°You lunatics! Do you not have any idea who our backers are? You won¡¯t get away with killing us!¡± ¡°Too loud,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered coldly. sh! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cold dagger shed, and the Overminds copsed, dead. Seo Jun-Ho walked past them and read their memories one by one. ¡°Write down everything I say from now on.¡± Seo Jun-Ho calmly summarized the crimes and atrocities that the gang members hadmitted. He also revealed the identity of their backers. Shin Sung-Hyun groaned. ¡°Hmm¡­ will this really work? These guys are involved with Float¡¯s ck market.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if these gang members¡¯ backers were to mobilize and avenge the deceased gang members. ¡°We¡¯re going to destroy the power nt the moment we get inside.¡± Time wasn¡¯t on their side because no one had any idea about just what kind of safety measures the emperor had installed in the power nt. ¡°Speed is the key to sess in this operation,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. *** It wasn¡¯t difficult for them to take on the appearances of the gang members because Skaya had prepared an extra potion for each of them. ¡°All right. Have you memorized the background and basic information of the Overmind whose faces you¡¯re wearing right now?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Yes.¡± Aside from the yers, the failures seemed determined as well as they nodded. Yuri seemed apologetic as she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It feels like I¡¯m leaving all the hard work to you guys.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re not doing anything.¡± Yuri¡¯s job was to dy reinforcements. ¡°The security and the army will mobilize the moment the power nt is under attack.¡± And Yuri¡¯s job was to stop them until the power nt was razed to the ground. ¡°I wish you the best of luck.¡± With that, the yers and the failures got ready. Someone made a sidelong nce at Seo Jun-Ho, who was disguising himself as a thin-faced man. ¡°You said the gang isn¡¯t behind the weird disappearances. You sure about ignoring the recent disappearances?¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned and figured that the unfamiliar individual had to be Wei Chun-Hak because of his manner of speech. ¡°It should be fine. I¡¯m sure the mastermind will be happy.¡± The denizens¡¯ hatred would shift to the gang. The mastermind behind the recent disappearances was still unknown, but Seo Jun-Ho thought that they had to be pping and jumping for joy. ¡°All right, let¡¯s move out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but please bear with me.¡± The remaining failures disguised aspany¡¯s staff members surrounded the yers and pushed forward with bats. ¡°Damn it! Stop pushing me!¡± ¡°How dare you! Do you know who our backers are? Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good friends with the Mayor! You should know your ce, trash!¡± The yers were soon pushed out of the door, and they were immediately inundated with camera shes. The reporters of Floatpeted to ask questions. ¡°Mr. Shupigel! How do you feel after opening the greatest Gate in Float¡¯s history overnight?¡± ¡°Many people are saying that they knew about the gang¡¯s existence. What are your thoughts about this?¡± ¡°Is it true that the gang lobbied the mayor and the city security?¡± ¡°My job is to catch criminals and hand them over to the power nt. The power nt will handle these criminals, not me.¡± The criminals growled as they walked down the streets, but they collectively went silent upon reaching the tightly shut doors of the power nt. ¡°...¡± ¡®The power nt is just behind that huge door.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho signaled to Yuri with his eyes before walking into the power nt. *** A man was casually flipping over the pages of a newspaper. He was munching on a slice of fruit, but he stopped chewing upon seeing a few news titles. [Shupigel Company arrests sixty-four gang members.] [Mayor of Float denies all allegations rted to the gang¡¯s bribery.] [Mayor of Float says¡ªI¡¯ve never heard of them!] ¡°Hm? ¡®Oh, the culprits of the recent disappearances in the city have been captured, and it turns out to be a massive operation done by a huge gangposed of sixty-plus members, huh?¡¯ The man smirked. ¡°Interesting.¡± The man was aware that the articles were way off the mark because he was the culprit behind the recent disappearances in Float. Thud! There was a dull thud. The man turned and saw an Overmind crawling on the floor. The Overmind looked as thin as a mummy. ¡°...You¡¯re still alive?¡± The man stared at the Overmind, seemingly amused by thetter¡¯s struggle for survival. Eventually, he got bored and stood up. Crack! He stomped on the Overmind¡¯s spine, killing the Overmind instantaneously. The man muttered, ¡°This is rubbing me the wrong way.¡± It was indeed strange. The average number of prisoners that the power nt would receive every month was two prisoners, and it was all because there weren¡¯t many criminals throughout the continent. ¡°But sixty-four criminals at once¡­ especially in a time like this?¡± The man was also keeping an eye out on the power nt, so he instinctively deduced that the arrest of the gang members was a well-yed scheme that someone had cooked up. ¡°I only know one person who¡¯s daring enough to do such a thing.¡± ¡®Specter. It must be him.¡¯ ¡°I might be able to get something out of this.¡± The man¡ªthe Heavenly Demon¡ªgrinned as he flicked his white hair backward. *** The soldiers of the power nt moved Seo Jun-Ho and the group. The prisoners soon found themselves in a massive empty room. Seo Jun-Ho saw researchers in white gowns busily moving about behind the rectangr window on one of the walls. An unfamiliar man walked over to Seo Jun-Ho and said, ¡°A room like this is often used for interrogation purposes.¡± ¡°In that case, why are they interrogating us at once? Calling us one by one would have been more effective in scaring us.¡± ¡®But things are going pretty well so far¡­¡¯ A total of sixty-four members managed to infiltrate the power nt. They were given the orders to raze the power nt to the ground with bombs the moment they were given free time. ¡®Why does it seem like there isn¡¯t much security here¡­ did the emperor make a mistake?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked around in confusion, and his eyesnded on one of the researchers. The researcher met his gaze and asked through the microphone. - What is it? Do you have any questions? ¡°...No. We¡¯re not going to give you shit.¡± - Hehe. It doesn¡¯t matter. We are not going to ask you any questions, anyway. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®They¡¯re not going to ask us any questions? Why did they even bring us here?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was about to ask a question, but the researcher smirked. - Dirty criminals like you only have one role to y here¡ªyou¡¯ll be one of Her Imperial Highness¡¯ toys. ¡°Her Imperial Highness?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho, Crackle! A wave of lightning manifested out of the blue, and it swept across everyone. ¡°Keuk!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± They all shuddered and copsed. [Thunder Resistance (C) has resisted the lightning attack.] Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Thunder Resistance (C) only made his muscles cramp for a few seconds. ¡®Why are these guys trying to kill us? Wait, if they wanted to kill us, there are many easier ways to go about it. Have they discovered that we¡¯re yers?¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem to be the case judging from how the researcher addressed them. ¡®What is going on, then?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought, but his train of thought was interrupted by a sense of weightlessness. ¡®Where did the floor¡­¡¯ The floor had disappeared, prompting Seo Jun-Ho to curl up into a ball. Crash! ¡°Argh!¡± Fortunately, the fall wasn¡¯t that high, and it wasn¡¯t enough to injure Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Is everyone okay? Are you guys okay?¡± ¡°Damn it¡­¡± ¡°I-I think my arm broke.¡± Unfortunately, the yers without resistance to lightning suffered a lot. The lightning had paralyzed them, so their bones broke uponnding. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around, and then he flinched in surprise. He thought that he was standing on white stones, but his eyes soon adapted to the darkness, and he was horrified to find that he was standing on a myriad of bones. ¡°Bones?¡± The bones had piled up and created a mountain of bones. The rm bells in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head went off. ¡®No way¡­ do these bones belong to the prisoners of the power nt?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gulped and looked around warily. ¡®The researcher definitely said that our role is to be Her Imperial Highness¡¯ toys.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had never heard of Her Imperial Highness¡¯ existence, and even Digor¡¯s memories didn¡¯t contain any information about her. ¡®Did the emperor erase his memories?¡¯ If Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s assumption was true, it wasn¡¯t strange that Digor had no idea that an imperial princess existed. ¡®Just whose genes did she get that she¡¯s consuming the members of her own race?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips. An unscathed figure approached Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Are you all right, Junior Brother?¡± asked the man. ¡°Geon-Woo hyung?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. His demeanor brightened upon recognizing Baek Geon-Woo. Thetter waspletely unscathed. Baek Geon-Woo looked around and said, ¡°So? What do you think about the so-called Her Imperial Highness?¡± ¡°I think she obtained the dominant gene of something sinister, and I think¡­ no, I honestly don¡¯t know.¡± ¡®Cannibalism, cannibalism¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had heard of some monsters in Ound with the tendency to prey on their own kind. However, he couldn¡¯t make a hasty judgment because their lives were at stake here. Rumble. A heavy rumbling suddenly echoed along with the noisy nging of chains. ¡°...¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned toward where the voice hade from. Tap, tap. A figure slowly emerged from the heavy doors that had the one and only light bulb in the room. ¡°Hello.¡± The figure was a beautiful woman. ¡°Ah!¡± Goosebumps suddenly broke out all over Seo Jun-Ho the moment he saw her, and it was all because her figure reminded him of a certain being. Seo Jun-Ho trembled. ¡°...I remember it now.¡± ¡°Pardon? What did you say, Junior Brother?¡± asked Baek Geon-Woo. He gulped when his gazended on the beautiful woman. Seo Jun-Ho dazedly muttered, ¡°They had alsoe from beyond a Gate.¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bee.¡± ¡°Damn it,¡± Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips and muttered, ¡°An Atonic Bee¡­¡¯¡¯ Atonic Bee was an endangered species that produced Janabi. However, there was a difference between Janabi and the beautiful woman in front of them. ¡®I managed to beat Janabi because it had just been born.¡¯ However, the beautiful woman in front of them was different. ¡®She¡¯s a queen.¡¯ The Atonic Bees were capable of evolving infinitely as long as there were genes to absorb. The beautiful woman in front of them had to have received the Queen of the Atonic Bee¡¯s dominant genes. ¡®It seems that the security here wasn¡¯tcking at all.¡¯ The emperor had simply decided not to station that many troops in the power nt because he had infinite trust in the imperial princess¡ªno, he had infinite trust in the Devil of the Power nt. Chapter 583. Two Wars (1) Chapter 583. Two Wars (1) "...¡± Skaya, who was examining the wall of darkness, slowly lifted her head. The pitch-ck wall rose to a towering height, and it was impossible to see the top even if she strained her neck to the fullest. "How can we get past it?" In response to Son Chae-Won''s question, Skaya shook her head slowly. "It''s impossible." As soon as she touched it, she knew for sure. This was the same type of magic as the ckfield she had investigated on the Frontier, on the second floor. ¡®That means¡­¡¯ Her gaze turned serious. It was likely that¡­ the person who had created this wall was the first archmage. "What a headache." The first archmage was also the first ck Tower Master. In other words, the creator of this wall was also the creator of the Chaos magic that she was currently learning. ¡®I know best how amazing of a mage he is.¡¯ She knew that well because she followed his footsteps through various spell books and records. And now, this formidable being had appeared as an enemy. Skaya slowly closed her eyes. "Eye in the Sky." As soon as she closed her eyes, a vastndscape unfolded before her. It was the result of looking at the world through the magic satellitework she had spread across the entire northern sky¡ªthe Eye in the Sky. ¡®...As expected.¡¯ At the northern edge, a long procession could be seen from the south. ¡®An army of Overminds.¡¯ The army¡¯s purpose was not merely to capture them, but to kill them. There were also several vehicles that didn''t seem to belong on a battlefield near the center of the formation. ¡®The ones riding inside are probably¡­¡¯ Just as she was thinking that far¡­ "Ah!" A dizzying pain surged through her head, and her vision went ck. "H-hey! Are you okay?" "Skaya, are you alright?" Rahmadat and Mio asked her with concern. She pressed her throbbing forehead and replied, "Ugh... The Eye in the Sky has been destroyed." It wasn''t just the satellite that she had connected to earlier. She could sense that all the Eye in the Sky pieces scattered in the sky were being shot down. "You old fart..." Skaya gritted her teeth. "Queen!" "U-uh, yes?" Startled by the sudden call, Frost pointed to her small face with her finger. "You called for me?" "Yep." Her face showed a more serious expression than ever before. "Queen, let''s work together on something." *** "Haha." The Archmage, Filgrim Gaunessia,ughed genially. He looked at his disciples who were riding in the same car as him. "Did you feel it?" "Yes?" "What are you referring to..." "Tsk, tsk. Never mind." Filgrim clicked his tongue at his dim-witted disciples. It would be a cold day in Hell before they figured out what had been installed in the high skies. ¡®They use interesting magic.¡¯ From flight magic to invisibility and expanding the field of view, a wide range of spells were scattered throughout the sky. It was probably surveince magic installed to detect the approaching forces. ¡®An adept user of the same magic as me.¡¯ Filgrim smiled unconsciously. It had been a while since he felt anticipation. "I want to meet them soon." His wish was soon fulfilled. "Filgrim-nim." "What''s the matter?" Themander who was at the forefront approached in a vehicle and saluted. "There is a castle up front." "Hmm? Already?" Surprised, Filgrim lowered the window and leaned out. Just as themander said, a massive ice castle was adorning the field right ahead of them. "..." It didn''t make sense. This wasn''t a favorable location for the enemy to upy. ¡®I thought we would encounter their castle in the snowy wilderness farther north.¡¯ Filgrim¡¯s eyes narrowed as he examined the castle. The intricately constructed and sturdy ice castle was not something that could be built in a haste. "Wait a moment, is there something strange with my eyes? It looks like the castle gates... are open?" "Yes." Themander nodded with an awkward expression. "The gates in all four directions, north, south, east, and west, are wide open. It looks as if they are weing us. And that is not all." White gs were stuck all over the castle walls, and cheerful singing could be heard from inside the castle. "What is this? A festival?" "I-I am not sure..." "Hmm." If he didn''t know, he could find out for himself. Filgrim lightly produced some magic. In the form of a bird, his aura swiftly crossed the snowy field and reached the castle. "Hmm." However, as soon as it approached the castle walls, the bird disappeared like smoke. ¡®They don''t want to show me the inside, huh?¡¯ He wanted to figure out if there were humans inside, and if so, how many. Unfortunately, that did not seem to be possible. "How troublesome." It was undoubtedly a trap, but it was also the kind of situation where they could not retreat. Filgrim pondered for a moment. "Send twenty soldiers." "Understood." Themander immediately dispatched twenty soldiers who had excellent mobility. In case something went wrong, they had to be able to escape and report. "..." Thirty minutes passed as the soldiers cautiously entered the inner castle. Although there was no noise from the inside, the soldiers did not return. Filgrim spoke up. "Hmm. That should be enough." "Yes?" "You may not have noticed, but I felt the distinctive energy waves of magic." It was an energy that he hadn''t felt in a thousand years, like an old friend. "I''m certain there are people inside." "Does that mean..." "We can''t easily conquer this castle like we did before, just by testing the waters." Filgrim gave a firm order. "Surround the castle. Attack from all sides." Even if they had prepared some kind of trap, there was no reason for them to lose if they approached conventionally. After all, the ten-thousand-strong imperial army was an existence that no one could challenge. "The encirclement isplete. Now, not even a rat will be able to get through the siege.¡± Receiving the report, Filgrim nodded. ¡°Then, enter through all the gates and kill the enemy on sight." "Understood." At first nce, it seemed like a simple tactic, to the point that it would have seemed boring to a strategist. But precisely because of that, there was no room for variables to intervene. For those who held the initiative on the battlefield, it was an essential factor. ¡®Hmm. Perhaps I overestimated the humans?¡¯ He recalled the assault on Gt and thought they were not an opponent to be taken lightly. However, the sight they were showing now was nothing short of disappointing. "F-Filgrim-nim!" A little tired of hearing themander¡¯s voice, Filgrim retorted irritably. "What now?" "Inside¡­inside, it¡¯s empty. Only the corpses of the soldiers we sent earlier were left there." "... What?" Stunned by the unexpected report, Filgrim''s face went nk. That meant¡­the enemy had abandoned the castle and fled? ¡®Could it be that the fluctuation of magic power I felt earlier was fromrge-scale teleportation?¡¯ Haha. A hollowugh echoed from Filgrim as he buried his back in the backrest. "Foolish... So, it means they intend to face us in the harsh northern blizzard." It was pathetic. Incredibly pathetic. To think they chose to abandon this castle and run away only to confront his army in the brutal blizzard of the north. Humans needed to fight with the castle, whether it meant living or dying. Only in that way could one more Overmind be turned into arade on the path to the afterlife. ¡®It may take a little longer... but it''s a fortunate turn of events for us.¡¯ Tracking down those who escaped from the encirclement was much easier than sieging a castle full of people ready to defend it. Filgrim flicked his wrist as if chasing away a fly. "Let''s switch to pursuit formation and chase their main force." "Understood. What about you, Filgrim-nim?" "Hmm..." He pondered for a moment. In his mind, the war had already ended. There were too many favorable conditions for his side. ¡®Those Overminds who have only gathered the best genes from each race won''t feel the cold, nor will it affect their activities.¡¯ Humans were different. ¡®When the temperature drops, their feeble bodies slow down, starting with a decrease in heart rate. This leads to a slowdown in blood cirction and, ultimately, weakening of the body.¡¯ In other words, fighting humans in this snowy blizzard would ensure their victory. In a way, he had no reason to join with his main force to fight. However, His Majesty the Emperor had personally entrusted him with themand for this particr battlefield. "Even if the odds are one in ten thousand, we must not let our guard down. I will go with the main force." "Excellent decision, sir." "And thoroughly destroy the castle so that the enemy cannot return. How many personnel are currently deployed in the castle?" "We have deployed 500 in each direction." "Then that makes it 2,000." Even if they were excluded, the main force still had a staggering 8,000 troops. After finishing his calctions, Filgrim gave them his orders. "I will assign ten disciples to you, so destroy the castle together with them. The main force will pursue the enemy." "Understood." The main force swiftly assumed a pursuit formation and began searching for human traces toward the north. "Move faster!" Whenever themander urged them on, the speed of the main force increased. Imperial soldiers'' footprints were stamped everywhere throughout the snowy white in. "..." But why? Even as he was sitting in hisfortable car, Filgrim couldn''t shake off an inexplicable sense of unease. *** "Destroy it more thoroughly! Make sure the enemy cannot use it even if they return!" The 2,000 Overminds separated from the main forcepletely destroyed the castle. Themander of a thousand-man unit looked around before muttering to himself, "Hmm, this is strange." "What do you mean by strange?" hisrade asked. "This castle. If you think of its size, don¡¯t you feel that it¡¯s rathercking human warmth?" "That¡¯s obvious. Even if you light a fire, in a cold region like this, there won''t be any warmth remaining once it¡¯s put out." "... Is that so?" His sharp eye, which had elevated him to the position ofmander of a thousand, saw something that he couldn¡¯t quite define. "What you¡¯re saying makes sense, but then, why am I so uneasy? Is everything going smoothly?" "Filgrim-nim''s disciples helped us, and all the internal buildings have been demolished." "Then we just need to break down the castle walls and join the main force." It was an easy task. It was even to the point to think they were fortunate to be assigned to this side rather than the main force, which had to engage in bloody battles. "But why did the humans abandon the castle and flee?" "They''re probably just foolish. They''re humans, after all." "... Is that so?" As themander silently nodded in agreement¡­ Boooom! Boom! The wide-open castle gates closed with a loud noise. Simultaneously, an unknown energy began to condense at the center of the castle. In an instant, there was a massive amount of energy gathered there, swelling as if it would burst at any moment. "A mage! Huron-nim!" Themander immediately found the most skilled among the ten disciples of Filgrim that were in the castle. "W-What is happening?" "What else could it be? It''s the enemy''s trap," Huron replied calmly. "But don''t worry. Our master anticipated this situation, that¡¯s why he left us here." "Ah... As expected of ck Tower Master Filgrim." Themander asked with a weathered face, "Then, can you handle that bomb-like thing?" "Of course." Huron chuckled lightly. Not only he, but also the remaining nine disciples of Filgrim had rxed expressions. "That''s one of the chaos spells created by our master, Glorious Death." "Glorious Death?" "It¡¯s a spell that turns everything within a ten-kilometer radius into dust the moment it explodes. It''s named that way because whoever is in range won¡¯t even have time to feel pain." "T-then, is this not an extremely dangerous situation?" "Haha. Why would we be so rxed if it were?" They were Filgrim''s disciples. Naturally, they were also capable of handling Glorious Death. That meant, in other words, they also knew how to stop the magic bomb. "Okay, let''s quickly undo it." The ten magestched onto the orb that seemed to contain chaos, immediately and without hesitation. Seeing the orb shrinking under their skillful touch, the soldiers let out relieved sighs. "Whew. Those human bastards. They prepared a terrifying trap." "I thought it was strange. There was no reason for them to abandon the stronghold, was there?" Themander also had a relieved expression, and his unease disappeared. A trap was most frightening when its existence was unknown. As long as it was revealed and a solution existed, there was nothing to fear. "... Huh?" At that moment, one of the mages who was working on the spell suddenly let out a surprised exmation. Simultaneously, the size of the orb grew noticeably. The anxiousmander asked with a worried voice, "H-Huron-nim, why did it suddenly...?" "Shut up! You''re too agitated!" Cold sweat dripped down Huron''s face after giving him a rebuke. ''What is this?'' They had undone Glorious Death hundreds of times by this point. All the ten people here could do it with their eyes closed; it was that easy of a task. So what was that? ''The form... is different?'' The deeper they delved, the more the sequence of the process diverged from the Glorious Death they had learned. It was much more intricate and sophisticated than that. It was as if it were a vicious sequence designed to trick whoever tampered with it into making mistakes. ''It''s unbelievable.'' The form was entirely different, but the magical energy emitted by the spell was exactly the same as Glorious Death. And that meant only one thing. ''A spell that can produce the same effect as our master''s Glorious Death with an entirely different form...'' The creator was capable of creating magic at a level that they couldn''t even reach, even if the ten of them joined forces. "Uh, uuuh... Uah!" The panicked mages'' faces filled with terror. They knew it well because they had learned it. They knew better than anyone else what would happen when this spell exploded. ¡®W-we have to cancel it. We have to undo it no matter what¡­!¡¯ However, the ridiculouslyplex form that spread out like a sophisticated web did not allow this. Eventually, the Glorious Death left their hands and grew to a terrifying size. "Ah, ahhhh!" "Uaahhhh!¡± The terrified mages shook their heads, shedding tears. The expanding orb, which spewed out a radiant purple light, bestowed the glorious death that its name promised upon everything on a ten-kilometer radius. Chapter 584: Two Wars (2) Chapter 584. Two Wars (2) Wiiiiing. As the window lowered, cold air from the North rushed in, cooling his head. Filgrim Gaunessia gazed at the snowy ins in silence. ''The life signals have been cut off.'' His disciples were dead. Most likely, the 2,000 soldiers who were with them were also dead. ''In the end, was it a trap?'' Even if it was a trap, he had thought that leaving ten disciples behind would be enough to prepare for such a situation. Now that they had failed, he had to find out the reason. ¡°Scan.¡± With closed eyes, Filgrim examined the area near the enemy''s castle through magic. ''It''s clean.'' An area of about 10 kilometers had been neatly erased. ''But magic always leaves traces.'' After he carefully surveyed the area, he slowly opened his eyes. ¡°I see. Was it Glorious Death?¡± He nodded without even realizing it. He had a very good idea as to why his disciples had died. ''They must have thought they could cancel it.'' But the enemy mage''s level was probably higher. If it were him, he would have twisted the crucial parts of the magic. Undoubtedly, the method that the enemy used wasn¡¯t much different. ''Interesting.'' Filgrim dropped his head, mourning the dead disciples for a brief moment. Then, he noticed that his vehicle was slowing down. ¡°Hoho¡­¡± In the distance, a huge castle came into view. It appeared much sturdier than the castle they had found a few hours before. ¡°The defenses are well prepared.¡± There were huge moats dug around it, all the way apart from the main gate. In other words, there was only one path leading to the castle. As Filgrim got out of the vehicle, themander approached him. ¡°The path is not that narrow, but it cannot amodate 8,000 people. Is there no alternative?¡± ¡°There are many alternatives.¡± He could use flight magic to send the allies flying. He could also use those with the flight attribute genes to infiltrate the airspace. There was also the option of widening the path with his own magic. ''But...'' One had to p their hands to make a sound. All of these methods required the other party''s permission, so to say. ¡°I wouldn''t allow it if I were them.¡± It went without saying that the enemy mage wasn¡¯t going to let them do as they pleased. Their temperament didn''t seem very friendly. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Filgrim''s field of view expanded. He nced at the yers waiting on the castle walls. ''There are many of them.'' But his gaze was fixed on one woman. She had the purest and deepest magical power among all. ¡°You must be that mage.¡± Amplification magic transmitted his light murmur throughout the snowy in. The answer came back immediately. ¡°That¡¯s right. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Not really. I was just a bit surprised to see that you were a woman, and even more surprised at your age.¡± Forget about ¡°young¡±; to him, she was basically a child. To think that she had such skill at her age, surpassing all his disciples! ¡°Haha.¡± From what he¡¯d seen before, he had thought that it would be a mage of the same age as himself. Furthermore, next to her was Seo Jun-Ho, whom the emperor had warned him about. ¡°Hmm?¡± No, upon closer inspection, it wasn''t Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°... That person next to you is Seo Jun-Ho''s clone. Then the real one must be near the power nt.¡± ¡°Huh? What? No, I¡¯m the real one,¡± Seo Jun-Sik responded with a bewildered face. Filgrim¡¯s words had caused him to visibly shiver. Unfortunately, Filgrim¡¯s strange conviction could not be shaken. ¡°Sorry, but your hairstyle doesn''t look the same.¡± ording to the report from Prince Digor, the one who had his hair up was the clone, and the one who had his hair down was the real one. And the guy in front of him was sporting a confident high hairdo. ¡°Jun-Sik,e here. Put your hair down.¡± ¡°Damn it. The old man has a good eye for random stuff.¡± Frost hurriedly helped Seo Jun-Sik fix his hair, but the tea was already spilled. ¡°Well, I don''t have to worry about the power nt.¡± Filgrim thought of the princess and focused all his attention on this battlefield. ¡°Commander.¡± ¡°Yes, Filgrim-nim.¡± ¡°Advance.¡± ¡°... Will that be all right?¡± The width of the path leading to the castle was at most 15 meters. It was a narrow passage that would be filled if dozens of people marched at once. ¡°If those humans bombard us from the castle walls while we are passing through there, there is no way we can avoid it.¡± ¡°Isn''t that what the mages are for?¡± The remaining twelve disciples lined up behind Filgrim. ¡°Certainly, those humans won''t go easy on us.¡± His gaze shifted to some of the people on the castle walls. Seo Jun-Sik, Skaya Killnd, Mio, Gong Ju-Ha, Mister Shoot, and many other individuals whose power made them appear superhuman. Moreover, there were over 4,000 weaker humans with them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My disciples and I will block their long-range attacks.¡± It was a somewhat arrogant statement, but themander had no doubt. There was no mage in history more powerful than the old man in front of him. ¡°Thank you. Then we will break through and destroy the castle gate.¡± Once they gained entry into the castle, the situation wouldpletely reverse. The concept of defense and offense would disappear, and once the melee began, they¡¯d have the advantage not only in numbers but also in the level of the soldiers. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Of course, the enemy would try to block the path by any means. ¡°... Hmm?¡± At that moment, Filgrim''s expression hardened as he looked at the castle gate. ¡°Commander.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Is my eyesight deteriorating due to old age, or is something strange about this situation?¡± ¡°It is thetter,¡± themander replied immediately. Even in his eyes, there was only one human standing on the path leading to the castle. ¡°Moreover, that guy¡­¡± Themander chuckled. ''I remember. He is the one my subordinates tortured in our castle.¡± ¡°Oh, the human who was captured by His Highness the Prince?¡± ¡°Yes. He is nothing special.¡± They said he had strong willpower. But no matter how strong his willpower was, he couldn''t stop hundreds of Overminds rushing towards him alone. ¡°We will destroy the castle gate within thirty minutes,¡± themander dered confidently. *** "..." Rahmadat Khali silently stared ahead. The fluffy white snow falling sharpened his senses with every ke that touched his skin. "That fake-ass smartie. She asks for the impossible." There was just one thing she demanded of him. It was to hold this passage as long as possible. ''Did she say the longer I hold, the exponentially higher the chances of our allies winning or something?¡¯ Rahmadat smirked. To be honest, it was a lie to call her a fake smartie. Skaya was a clever individual beyondparison with himself. ¡®I shoot first and ask questionster. She¡¯s¡­not that.¡¯ Before starting any project, she would calcte first, and if she judged the odds to be low, she would try a different approach. With that in mind, Skaya assigning a role to Rahmadat meant that Rahmadat had the highest probability of fulfilling the role. "That¡¯s why I¡¯m following the orders." There was one reason he took on this role without hesitation: even though they bickered a lot, they trusted each other with their lives without any doubt. Skaya Killnd was hisrade. Thump, thump! "Come on!" Rahmadat Khali roared like a beast. At the same time, a power that he had never felt before surged within his body. ¡®So this is it. Son Chae-Won''s Skill.¡¯ The blessing magic ¡®Strengthening.¡¯ It was a formidable spell that raised all the physical abilities of the target by one level. Of course, there were drawbacks as well. ¡®She said it reduces lifespan.¡¯ To be precise, the cells in the body were disintegrated permanently. Rahmadat chuckled. "It''s a blessing magic made for me." He gestured towards the back. "Hey, Master of the Silent Moon, keep casting without any worries." "... Is that really okay? It took even Woo-Joong a long time to adapt in the beginning." "Of course, I acknowledge the Sword Saint¡¯s talent." But that talent was limited to wielding a sword. "Among humans, there is no one with a burning heart like mine, much less a superior physique. Don¡¯tin and just cast!" As he roared once more, the blood in the vessels began to flow faster. At the same time, thousands of Overminds started rushing toward the castle. Cra-crack. Rahmadat slowly turned his head. "Indeed, Overminds are strong. They are more formidable than any of the enemies on the lower levels." He knew this well from being captured by them and fighting them directly. He definitely didn¡¯t underestimate them. "But I know you." A fourth Enhancement was cast unto him, and a fifth Enhancement followed. His heightened senses even captured the sensation of cells dying within his body. "But you don''t know me." Rahmadat''s face twisted like a demon¡¯s. He ecstatically transformed the pain he felt throughout his body into pleasure and muttered, "... Emancipation." The dying cells started proliferating at a terrifying speed. Magic power surged, creating sparks near his skin. In that state, he slowly pulled his right hand back. His waist slightly twisted as well. "So remember from now on." His right hand swung gently, extending toward the approaching Overminds. Booom! His ridiculously slow punch generated a massive explosion in front of him. Dozens of Overminds died on the spot, and the few who barely survived let out groans as they crawled on broken limbs. The momentum of the charging Overminds faltered. Seeing their state, Rahmadat murmured lightly, "Rahmadat Khali. That is my name." *** Mountain. Filgrim Gaunessia felt that the burly human blocking the passage was like a mountain. "Commander, thirty minutes have already passed." "..." Themander was pale and speechless. He had never expected that the elite soldiers of the empire would struggle to break through a path blocked by just one person. "I apologize. There is no excuse for this." "I am not ming you." That was a kind of natural disaster. ming a person for being affected by a natural disaster was unreasonable. Filgrim Gaunessia surveyed the situation with a heavy gaze. ¡®While he is holding up well, that guy is still human.¡¯ Compared to the beginning, he seemed to be breathing heavier. The reason was probably the powerful enhancement magic that had been cast on him. ¡®The more powerful the strength he borrows, the greater the physical exhaustion.¡¯ In other words, that mountain would soon copse. With that, Filgrim''s gaze turned to the top of the castle wall. ¡®But that mage... I don''t know what tricks she has up her sleeve.¡¯ She was relentlessly attacking the empire¡¯s forces together with the other humans. Of course, all those attacks were blocked by the defensive barrier set up by himself and his disciples. ¡®She must know that her actions are meaningless.¡¯ In fact, it was a one-sided loss for them, and it consumed an enormous amount of magical power. So¡­was their aim to simply wear down their own stamina? ¡®No, that''s not it.¡¯ Filgrim shook his head. He had already tasted the bitterness of such careless judgment. "Commander." "Yes, Filgrim-nim." "It seems that the enemy is having a bit too good a time deciding the pace of the battle. We need to change the atmosphere on the battlefield." Themander was startled. "Does that mean¡­?" "Haha." Filgrim chuckled and nodded. "I might be an old dog, but I still have some tricks to show off.¡± Chapter 585. Two Wars (3) Chapter 585. Two Wars (3) Filgrim floated gently toward the sky. It was the flight magic that any skilled mage could use. "..." However, Skaya, who had been cautious of him since the beginning of the battle, clicked her tongue when she saw his appearance. Magic was the manifestation of will. The easiest way for a person to express their will was to express it innguage. In other words, the difficulty of casting magic without chanting was several times higher. ¡®I can also use flight magic without chanting, but¡­¡¯ It was difficult for her to reach that height and speed. Filgrim quickly rose to the sky, attracting the attention of the yers. "It¡¯s cold and I¡¯m pretty old, so I¡¯d like to leave early. Please excuse me." Words that seemed like incantations flowed out of his mouth. At the same time, dozens of magic circles appeared above his head. "..." Even the main gate, covered in the Rahmadat¡¯s and the Overminds¡¯ blood, fell into silence. When everyone''s gaze instinctively turned toward the sky, purple lines fell down from the magic circles. "Fall." "Apocalyptic Rain." They weren¡¯t particrly fast, so they didn¡¯t look all that strong either. "... Block it." But Skaya''s face became more desperate than ever. Each of those seemingly inoffensive beams of light falling to the ground was as powerful as a Destruction Ray. "What are you doing!? Deploy the protective barrier!" A sharp voice resembling a scream came out of Skaya''s mouth. The mages on the yers¡¯ side quickly unfoldedyers of defensive barriers, enveloping the ice castle in a dome shape. On top of that, the priests and healers, including Christin, cast holy barriers. ¡®Huh, this should be enough¡­¡¯ ¡®... to block even a copsing mountain.¡¯ Just as the yers breathed a sigh of relief at the sturdy and majestic appearance of the defensive barriers, the beams of light falling from the sky struck the barriers. Booom! "W-what...?" "This can''t be!" It was wholly insufficient. The holy barriers were easily pierced, and the bacsh struck the priests. "Uwaaack!" "Ugh!" The mages trembled as they watched the fallen priests spitting out blood. Thud! Thud! Dozens of destructive rays fiercely shattered the dozens ofyers of defensive barriers beneath them. "U-uggh!" "Damn it! Magic power...!" The defensive barriers that could even block cannonballs were easily prated, as if they were made of ss. The mages staggered, and their faces paled from exhaustion. Seo Jun-Sik, who was observing the situation, bit his lip. "Damn, he''s aplete monster. But we want to take care of him first?" "We have to capture him first, no matter what." The main gate was still being blocked by Rahmadat and Son Chae-Won like an iron wall. Skaya looked at Filgrim, who was floating leisurely in the air, and said, "We at least have to make him leave this battlefield. Otherwise, there''s no chance of winning this war." "... Hoh?" Filgrim smiled lightly. It was an excellent answer that would deserve a perfect score if she were his disciple. "Great, but¡­" War was reality. Finding the right answer wasn¡¯t the end of it. You had to also put that answer into reality. The magic power gathered in Skaya''s hands generated a magic circle. "Mio!" "Yes." Mio approached nonchntly and didn''t say a word. There was no need for such words anymore. She forcefully struck the ground andunched herself toward Skaya. "Go!" Twang! Like a volleyball yer catching a spike, she caught Mio and shot her up into the air. "...!" In an instant, Mio''s eye level matched Filgrim¡¯s. Who would have thought Skaya could send a person flying like a stone from a sling? "Die." The sword shot out like lightning, right at Filgrim''s heart. For a moment, a fleeting look of surprise passed across his wrinkled face. "Haha." He immediately twisted his left hand. Whoosh! The sword cut through the empty air. Their two bodies repelled each other like mas. ''That was a bit dangerous.'' Filgrim manipted Mio¡¯s position using gravity magic. However, even in that situation, she managed to maintain her posture and swing her de at him. ¡°...?¡± Why would she try to cut him from that distance? The moment he thought that, Mio¡¯s lips moved lightly. "¡­The fierce wind will cut down even the moon in the sky.¡± Enlightened martial arts, Purple Dawn Style, first move. Moon-Cutting Fierce Gale. ¡°¡­!¡± Filgrim''s eyes opened wide. The two swords left Mio¡¯s hands and flew toward him, spinning like crazy. ''This must be dodged.¡¯ The intuition of a mage who had lived for many years warned him: if he tried to block those des, he would die. It felt as if the scythe of the grim reaper was hovering around his neck. Shoosh! Filgrim sparkled once and soon disappeared. "Teleport..." Cutting through the clouds, the des returned to Mio''s sheath. Slowly falling down, she murmured with a hint of regret, "As expected of Skaya." Up to this point, everything had worked as nned. *** "..." Filgrim slowly looked around. Five men and women surrounded him. He quickly assessed the situation. "Hmm, I see. Magic to change my coordinates." "Don''t feel so aggrieved. If you hadn''t used Teleport, Mio would have killed you,¡± Skaya muttered. The ce they were currently in was the training ground inside the ice castle. It was a little away from where the battle was taking ce. At the same time, it was a ce where they could receive immediate assistance once the fight at the main gate was over. "Mio will join us soon." When facing an opponent as strong as Filgrim, a few elitebatants were bound to do a much better job than hundreds of mediocre ones. What Skaya needed was to make sure he used Teleport at least once. "..." Filgrim''s gaze turned to the sky. An invisible force blocked the entire castle. "Even spatial distortion magic?" "You won''t be able to use Teleport." With such a huge distortion, it was clear that all human mages were involved. Filgrim chuckled. "Thorough, indeed. Just to catch an old man." "It''s not an excessive investment if it means being able to take you down." "... Agreed." Unconsciously, he nodded. If they could kill him here, the bnce would definitely tip. "But isn¡¯t that a story for when you¡¯ve actually taken me down?" A faint smile appeared on Filgrim''s lips. "It won''t be easy." "I never thought it would be. That''s why I made thorough preparations." There were the Frost Queen, Seo Jun-Sik, Shoot, the master of Labyrinth, and soon Mio would join. Lastly, Gong Ju-Ha, the strongest fire-attribute yer, would alsoe. ¡®With this much power, it''s worth a try.¡¯ Skaya sincerely believed so. She believed that even if the opponent was an exceptional genius mage, he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle this team. "Hmm. A junior from a parallel world has prepared this much for me. I should enjoy it." "Who is your junior!?" In the moment Skaya burst out angrily, Mr. Shootunched the first attack. - Weapon Hell! Three rings formed by weapons rotated fiercely and rushed toward Filgrim. It hadn''t been long since he got up from the infirmary, but his condition today was at its best. "Hoh, is this a type of ability that maniptes metal?" Filgrim''s quick-witted eyes instantly grasped the principle of Mr. Shoot¡¯s Skill. "Then I could just change the characteristics of that material." - O_O? Mr. Shoot''s LED showed a bewildered expression. ck! ck! ck! At the same time, the weapons that were rotating fiercely in the air fell to the ground like a bunch of toys. "I changed the nature of the weapons to wood. What do you think?" - ...! Mr. Shoot stiffened up. He seemed devoid of his Skills and felt as if he had lost all strength. Furthermore, Filgrim''s attack didn''t end there. "Was it¡­ like this?" Weapons with their material properties changed to wood floated in the air, forming a massive ring. An instantter, the rings fiercely rotated and flew back right at him. "Get back!" Standing in front of Mr. Shoot, Gong Ju-Ha gathered her magic power. Whoosh! The massive pir of fire that emerged from the ground engulfed the approaching ring. "The humans from that world are quite fascinating. Can they freely control fire as well?" Filgrim flicked his finger with an expression of interest, as if he were a college student on a field trip. "In that case, I''ll have to prohibit that as well." "...!" At the same time, the faces of the five people contorted. They realized what the monster in front of them had done. ¡®He''s crazy. He just removed all the oxygen in the area.¡¯ ¡®I-If there''s no oxygen, we can''t ignite it, right?¡¯ Of course, all of them could hold their breath for 30 minutes. But with the measures Filgrim had taken, even if Gong Ju-Ha and Mr. Shoot used their full power, that full power was pretty much halved. "Now, what else will you show me?" Filgrim chuckled and spoke. At this point, hisughter sent chills down their spines. "Both of you, move back as far as possible!" Seo Jun-Sik shouted. Since they couldn''t protect themselves, they were nothing more than burdens at the moment. It was a cruel thing to say, but facts were facts. The two knew their situation better than anyone else and quickly moved backward, in spite of their frustration. - Jun-Sik. Skaya''s voice resounded in his mind. Realizing that it was magic, Seo Jun-Sik didn''t show any signs and only red at Filgrim. - I need time. They couldn''t defeat the monster in front of them with small attacks. Skaya, who realized that with just two exchanges, made a decision. - I''ll prepare the strongest magic I can unleash, so buy me at least 10 minutes somehow. ¡®10 minutes¡­¡¯ The thought of whether it was possible or not crossed his mind first, but there was only one answer. They had to do it. "Frost, I''m counting on your support." "Leave it to me," the Frost Queen replied cheerfully. As Seo Jun-Sik dashed forward, Skaya moved to the back. At the same time, Filgrim''s gaze deepened. ¡®She''s preparing a powerful spell.¡¯ It was a ssic technique. While the warrior stalled for time in the front, the mage prepared the spell from behind. "In that case, I can only finish you off as quickly as possible." ¡°Try it, if you can." Seo Jun-Sik''s White Dragon instantly split into five. It was incredibly fast, but Filgrim didn''t panic and flicked his fingers. Crack! A magic whip tightly coiled around the five dragons. ¡®Damn it, I can''t get it out!¡¯ As Seo Jun-Sik tried to step back and let go of the spear, his eyes suddenly lit up. He tightened his grip on the spear. "..." For some reason, Filgrim felt some difort looking at his opponent. He immediately flicked his other hand¡¯s fingers. Crack! ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°...¡± In an instant, Mio, who had been approaching silently, came to a sudden stop. Since time itself had stopped, she couldn''t even perceive that she had stopped. "Jun-Sik!" Crack! Ice rose from the ground and trapped Filgrim''s body. But his face remained calm. "Even if my body is bound, as long as my mind is free, I am still fine." Filgrim''s eyes focused straight ahead. He ignored the spear entwined with the magic whip and focused on Seo Jun-Sik who was running forward with a sword in hand. "... Chaos Magic, Mental Copse." Kwoong! Seo Jun-Sik, who had been rushing forward, froze in an instant. [Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) resists ¡®Mental Copse¡¯.] If the main body didn''t have Hero¡¯s Mind, or if it wasn''t an EX-grade, he would have been annihted on the spot. But ultimately, he managed to withstand the attack. "Hoho. So you have a mental protection ability. That''s valuable information." Filgrim''s voice echoed not from the front, but from the side. "But it seems like you haven''t resisted itpletely." "... Huh?" Crack! An irresistible force twisted his arms and legs in a grotesque manner. ''When did he¡­ escape from Frost''s barrier?'' Before the question could even fully form, his vision began to blur. He couldn¡¯t let Filgrim go. If he let Filgrim approach Skaya, it''d be all over. "Curtain of Darkness." "Hmm?" Filgrim muttered in an inquisitive tone as pitch-ck darkness surrounded him. "Not yet, I have no intention of letting you go just yet." "Even after your arms and legs have been broken?" "If you wanted to stop me, you should have broken my neck." "¡­ All right." Filgrim nodded and flicked his fingers. "Ugh!" Thanks to Cell Regeneration (S), the arms and legs that had been bent in a bizarre manner were reattached. Seo Jun-Sik barely threw himself away in time and touched the ground with both hands. "Basilisk!" A snake made of darkness raised its head. Filgrim slightly stiffened when his eyes met the snake¡¯s. ¡®It worked.¡¯ The basilisk froze in ce whoever met its eyes. Seo Jun-Sik did not hesitate and gathered his magic. "Deathscythe¡­ Ugh!" He felt a cold wind on his chest. He btedly understood that something had prated his chest. "Phew, that was a little dangerous." Filgrim breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn¡¯t expected an attack that would cause his body to harden when he made eye contact, and its power was quite decent. "If it were me in my human days, I would have been done in.¡± However, after struggling to live somehow, he had be an Overmind. He had several genes specialized in getting rid of abnormalities. "You said I should break your neck.¡± As soon as Filgrim flicked his fingers, a sound akin to wood cracking filled the darkness. Crack! ¡®Goodbye.¡¯ The Curtain of Darkness flowed down, and the training grounds reappeared. However, Filgrim¡¯s face hardened at the same time. ¡®When¡­¡¯ A woman was using chaos magic. Magic was gathering like a storm around her, on an extraordinary scale. ¡®Is she going to blow up the whole area?¡¯ He didn''t know what magic she was preparing, but it was unquestionably dangerous. rm bells ringing in his head, Filgrim extended his arm urgently. Craaackle! A fewyers of ice went up in front of him. "Destruction Ray." No matter how much defensive power was imbued into the wall, it still wouldn¡¯tst in front of overwhelming destructive power. The ice walls quickly began to copse. ¡°¡­¡± Thest wall fell, and the figure of Skaya Killnd appeared before him once more. Filgrim flicked his fingers. "It''s my victory." Once again, the Destruction Ray shot at her. "¡­ Phew." At that moment, Skaya Killnd''s golden eyes shed. "This technique is... Were you preparing a Destruction Ray?" It was a magic that he had devised, and he prided himself on it being a spear that could prate any shield in the world. Furthermore, when it came to the perfection of the technique, he would win by andslide. How could a young human reach that level? "You don''t know what my specialty is, do you?" Skaya asked. ¡®Specialty?¡¯ He wondered what the point was of saying such a thing in this situation. However, Skaya pointed her index finger at the frowning Filgrim without a moment of hesitation. "Destruction Ray." A brilliant purple ray shot from her fingertips. The ray was so huge that it simply swallowed the Destruction Rays that he was shooting. "¡­ Fivefold." "W-what?" Filgrim''s eyes widened. The Destruction Ray was different from simple magic like a magic missile. Considering what aplicated spell it was, how could she ovep it five times? ¡®The direction she pursues is different from mine.¡¯ If his Apocalyptic Rain could turn arge area into a wastnd, the purpose of this woman''s Destruction Ray was clear. It was a special Destruction Ray produced with the express purpose and determination to bring down a single powerhouse. ¡°¡­!¡± It announced a fair death sentence for everything that stood in its way. Line of Death. ''Pushed¡­ back.¡¯ His own Destruction Rays, which had been polished andpleted after a thousand years, were extinguished. The moment he realized that fact, Filgrim Gaunessia''s mind turned nk. "Arghhh!¡± A terrible scream came out of his mouth, which had always been calm and rxed. His right arm and arge chunk of his torso had vanished, as if they never existed. "What, no way¡­!¡± He, who had practiced magic all his life, had lost against magic that he himself had created? The only reason he was still alive was that he was an Overmind. If he had been still a human, he would have died immediately the moment he got hit by that. ¡®She''s outstanding.¡¯ Such aplishments at that age¡­. It was an ugly feeling, but she was outstanding to the point he felt jealous. Filgrim pointed his left hand at Skaya, who had exhausted all her magic and fallen down. "Amazing. I acknowledge you, I truly do. However, the winner is always thest one standing." "Really? Well, that¡­makes me¡­the winner." Filgrim frowned as the exhausted Skaya smiled weakly. "What? How does that make you¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, his vision shook. A momentter, he saw his own headless body somewhere in the distance. "Come on¡­people are still sleeping here¡­ You¡¯re too noisy." Thest thing Filgrim heard was a sleepy voiceing from behind him. Kim Woo-Joong yawned, shaking off the blood on his de. Chapter 586. Two Wars (4) Chapter 586. Two Wars (4) "Hnng." Was it because she was excited at the thought of satisfying her hunger soon? The princess hummed a melodious tune. ¡®Not good¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho continued his thoughts without taking his eyes off her. At the moment, the only people who could participate in the battle were himself and Geon-Woo. The rest of the yers were still electroshocked and they needed time to recover. "..." Even at a nce, he could tell there were thousands of skeletal remains on the floor. The queen of the bees that had devoured all those Overminds seemed incredibly rxed. "Now that the power nt is closed, it will be difficult to find prey... Should I go on a diet?" She seemed as if she didn''t even consider the idea of fighting against them. Her gaze, which had been scanning around for her prey, fell upon Seo Jun-Ho. "... Ah?" A transparent tear trickled down from one of the princess''s eyes. She wiped away the tear with her finger and looked at it nkly, then lifted her head. "Could it be that you are also a bee?" "...What?" "What, are you not? But if so, what is this longing...?" She was taken aback by theplicated emotions she felt when looking at Seo Jun-Ho. Perhaps it was an emotion imprinted in the absorbed genes. ¡®That must be it.¡¯ She was not aware of it, but Seo Jun-Ho had absorbed the nucleus that had appeared after defeating Janabi. In other words, the emotions she was feeling amounted to nothing more than longing for a dead child. ¡®Of course, such things wouldn''t mean anything in the current situation.¡¯ No, if she really thought about it, it was a disaster. The princess''s face stiffened. "What is this? Why is anger suddenly boiling up...? I hate it. Just looking at your face." It was a natural anger felt toward someone who killed her child. The princess''s back split open, and a pair of wings sprouted out. Flutter! - Partner! Dodge! "...!" Seo Jun-Ho bit his lip. Despite the warning of Intuition, instead of evading, he crossed his arms to protect his upper body and head. Crack! The flying kick that came swiftly and forcefully shattered both his arms instantly. "Ugh!" As his weakened arms dropped down, Seo Jun-Ho''s chest was left wide open. At that moment when the second flying kick from the princess, spinning in the air, was about to strike his defenseless chest¡­ "Lightning-ss, first move. Lightning Speed." Crackle! ¡­Baek Geon-Woo sprung up from the side and struck the princess''s side with a lightning-like attack. Booom! Seeing her buried in a pile of bones, Baek Geon-Woo gave him a reproachful look. "Why didn''t you dodge the follow-up attack?" "Because I saw you move." "What if I was even slightlyte...?" "There was no way you would bete." Baek Geon-Woo was the fastest yer in the world. Seeing that level of expectation in someone''s eyes was something he was not ustomed to, so Baek Geon-Woo had a puzzled expression on his face. "Jun-Ho-nim!" "Are you alright?" The yers standing behind Seo Jun-Ho couldn''t hide their guilt. Unless they were idiots, they could see that the reason he didn''t dodge the attack and instead blocked it was that they were behind him. "Take a moment to recover your strength." Seo Jun-Ho''s gaze made it clear that it was an order. The princess slowly stood up from the pile of bones. "...?" Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes narrowed as he briefly nced at her. ¡®No injuries?¡¯ Lightning itself was destructive enough to instantly kill most creatures upon contact. Moreover, the lightning energy that Baek Geon-Woo had just emitted was quite powerful. "How unsightly." The princess, with her disheveled hair tied back, murmured. "To every creature in this world, there is a duty assigned to them. You are no exception." Her cold gaze turned toward them. "Bringing me pleasure by allowing me to devour you. That is your duty." "Then why don''t you give it a try," Baek Geon-Woo retorted as he gathered his lightning energy. "I''ll roast your throat as I go down." "Hehe." The princess giggled as if she found it adorable. "Foolish and ignorant. It''s almost cute." She proudly disyed her beautiful, pristine arm, which didn¡¯t have a single scratch. "Do you still not understand? I am practically a god." "Nonsense." "If you doubt it, try confirming it for yourself. I will not strike back." The princess chuckled and spread her arms wide. It was an exposed posture that anyone could see as defenseless. Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s face hardened as he looked at her. "... Don''t regret it." Rumble! His fist shot out like a lightning bolt and struck the princess''s face. Booom! ¡®It''s a direct hit.¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo''s face brightened. The moment he hit her, he felt a sensation in his hand. He didn''t know what scheme she was pulling, but he had cracked her skull. She had to be dead. But the next moment, Baek Geon-Woo''s face froze. "How is it? Have you confirmed it?" The princess gazed at him with a provocative look in her eyes,pletely unharmed. "Hehe, what a foolish face." The princessughed, covering her mouth. As she approached slowly, Baek Geon-Woo unconsciously stepped back. "How... I clearly cracked your skull." "I told you already. I am practically a god." Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡®If she could really wield the power of a god, there would be no reason for her to be beneath the Overminds.¡¯ Naturally, the Overminds wouldn''t have allowed her to grow so strong. In other words, her absurd strength had some fatal ws. - Power nt. "...!" Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes widened slightly at the hint from Intuition. As he said, this ce was the most power-abundant location on the continent. Moreover, what was imprinted in her body was the gic code of the Atonic Bees. ¡®That''s right. Janabi was the same.¡¯ His ability to restore his body using magic was exceptional. As an Overmind, she would be able to infinitely restore herself in this ce overflowing with power, just like before. "Oh? It seems I¡¯m regaining feeling in my body..." "Jun-Ho-nim, from now on, we will fight together!" "That damn daughter of the emperor! We won''t stand by idly!" The yers and Failures whose senses had returned stood up one by one, looking at the princess with determined eyes. However, Seo Jun-Homanded, "No. All of you, leave this ce." "Yes! Of course... Wait, what?" Shin Sung-Hyun blinked at the unexpected order. "I believe that we can''t kill her unless we destroy the power nt." "... Are you saying that the power produced by the nt is the source of her vitality?" "It¡¯s nice that you catch on quickly." Shin Sung-Hyun sighed deeply after immediately getting to the core of the matter. "But... you are not saying that you will stay here alone, right?" "I won''t be left alone." No matter how he thought about it, that would be too reckless. Seo Jun-Ho looked at Baek Geon-Woo, who was facing the princess. "Geon-Woo hyung and I will try to buy as much time as possible. Please destroy the power nt during that time." "Are you sure about this?" Gilberto stretched his stiff body as he approached. He didn''t distrust the two of them, but he couldn''t help but worry because the opponent was too strong. "... Honestly, it¡¯d be a lie if I said it was okay.¡± If Skaya were here, she would have chosen the same method. She always preferred the option with the highest sess rate. "And now is not the time to worry about us." Seo Jun-Ho''s gaze turned toward them. "If you think destroying the power nt will be easy¡­forget about that idea." In a sense, the outside might be even harsher. They might have to move forward without even having time to collect the bodies of their allies. "..." Gilberto tapped his shoulder without saying a word. "Don''t die." "You''re not telling me not to get hurt." "That should be enough. For you." Seo Jun-Ho smirked and tapped Gilberto¡¯s shoulder. And when he looked at Shin Sung-Hyun''s face, he nodded with a determined expression. "Then... good luck!" As Shin Sung-Hyun reached out his hand, a crack appeared in space. He gestured toward the yers. "This way! We will destroy the power nt!" With his natural leadership, the yers and the Failures crossed the dimensional door. When Shin Sung-Hyun went through and closed the door behind him, only three beings remained in the basement. "Hmm. It''s a pretty clever n. You¡¯re going to try to destroy the power nt since you can''t kill me?" The princess nodded as if she found it interesting. "But isn''t there one important thing you¡¯re missing?" Zzzt! An unpleasant vibrating sound filled the basement. "Can you stop me from killing you and chasing after them?" "... I always leave the possibility open." Four swords floated behind Seo Jun-Ho. "Who knows, maybe we¡¯ll kill you and go help them instead." "Interesting. Truly interesting." Zzzt! The unpleasant sound abruptly stopped. The princess''s mouth curled up, and half an instantter, she appeared right in front of Seo Jun-Ho. "So interesting that it would be a shame to kill you." "...!" Without thinking or hesitating, his body moved. That saved Seo Jun-Ho''s life. "Hoh." The princess looked at the arm she had torn off with an unexpected expression. "It was supposed to be a killing blow... but you''re quite strong. Strong enough to kill Digor." "Jun-Ho!" Baek Geon-Woo''s entire body was covered in lightning, and his eyes glowed with determination. "Thunder Body!" By transforming the very particles that made up his body, he became pure lightning. As a bolt of lightning, Baek Geon-Woo struck the princess with his fist. "You''re fast, just like a fly." The princess murmured, her voice filled with disdain. With a casual swing of her arm, she easily deflected Baek Geon-Woo''s attack, sending him crashing into the wall. "..." She was strong. Much stronger than when they faced Janabi. ''Even without the power nt...she''s stronger than Digor.'' Seo Jun-Ho looked at his slowly recovering arm and bit his lip. Despite his optimistic words, all he hoped was to buy as much time as possible. ''But it seems she won''t allow that.'' She was unlike the brutes that were simply rampaging with power. He could understand why she had been allowed this much power by the emperor, and also why she had been entrusted with the power nt. ''She''s a clever one. It''s not a situation where I can afford to conserve power.'' Seo Jun-Ho wanted to keep in reserve the Enhanced Overclocking he had learned from Sung-Joon. The iplete technique would turn him into a candle as soon as he used it. ''A candle that will burn up quickly and leave only ashes¡­'' But if he didn''t use it now, he would undoubtedly die. Keenly aware of that fact, Seo Jun-Ho slowly closed his eyes. "Phew..." He opened all the magic circuits installed throughout his body and drew in all the nearby magic power with his ck Moon Heart Method. The intense magic filled his body, causing pain and a surge of heat in every part of him. ''Frost.'' Layers of ice covered the magic circuits, forcibly lowering the temperature while using the Wheel of Time (S) to elerate the cooling and slow down the rise of heat. From here on, it was up to his mindset. "Hmm?" The princess, who had been watching Seo Jun-Ho, showed a puzzled expression. It felt as if something had changed, but she didn''t sense any difference in his aura. "100%." After all, machines were like that. If you suddenly increased the output, they¡¯d easily break down. To prevent that, he had to do some ''preheating.'' "150%." "Oh?" The princess let out a small exmation. She felt that the human in front of her had be even stronger than before. "It''s fascinating. How can a human''s aura expand like a rubber ball?" Seo Jun-Ho didn''t respond. Rather than him ignoring her, it was more urate to say that her voice didn''t even reach his ears. "200%." Like a firewood furnace suddenly bursting with massive mes, the magic circuits, which were being forcefully pushed open with magic power, emitted intense heat with each push. He suppressed that heat. He kept a cool head. "300%." "Hmm? Another increase from there?" The princess''s eyes widened slightly. Compared to the beginning, his aura had grown nearly twice as strong, and now it had increased even more. ''Should I attack?'' She hesitated for a moment. It was due to her pride and the sheer weight of her status as a princess. "350%." "..." That weight suddenly became insignificant. Her wariness toward the opponent surpassed her pride. "Leave him alone." A bolt of lightning lit the room. Lightning-ss second move, Lightning Domain. The whole basement was covered with lightning, which tied up the princess. ¡°I¡¯ve been too lenient with you!¡± The nonchnt princess lightly swung her arm, tearing through the lightning that covered her body. It took her a mere moment to get rid of the bindings¡ªor so it would have seemed to an uninvolved observer. To the people in that basement, that fleeting moment felt like an eternity. "400%." Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes. Chapter 587. Two Wars (5) Chapter 587. Two Wars (5) "400%." The moment that number escaped his mouth, the gazes of the Princess and Baek Geon-Woo turned toward Seo Jun-Ho at the same time. No, it would be more urate to say that Seo Jun-Ho had "stolen" their attention. The energy flowing from his body was so strong that they couldn''t help but give him their attention. "... Phew." His body felt heavy. This was Seo Jun-Ho''s first impression upon entering the world of 400% Overclocking. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s probably too much at this point.¡¯ Pushing the Overclocking to 400% was a lot for his current level. It was premature. ¡®But there''s no other way.¡¯ To restrain someone as powerful as the princess, this was the only method avable. That was a hard fact in his mind. Of course, forcing the Overclocking to such extreme levels was already resulting in side effects. ¡®It hurts.¡¯ The frost-covered magic circuits screamed, and the heat struggling to break free scorched his magic circuits and flesh. It felt as if a giant nuclear reactor inside him was copsing, causing his whole body to tremble. "How surprising," the princess sincerely admired. Seeing a human instantly increase their power five times was truly astonishing. "Indeed impressive... but..." Her gaze fell upon Seo Jun-Ho''s trembling hand. He was clearlycking control. ¡®Indeed, sometimes, pushing yourself too much is worse than not being up to the task.¡¯ He had pushed himself to an extreme state, and the reason was obvious¡ªto hold her back. However, she was not bothered by that fact. ¡®That power is dangerous. Even though he''s just a mere human and it¡¯s unlikely, if he gets even stronger¡­¡¯ If he got even stronger from that point, he¡¯d be troublesome to deal with. ¡®I better deal with him now.¡¯ Decisively putting aside her pride, the princess rushed toward Seo Jun-Ho. Bzzt! Despite Baek Geon-Woo''s attempt to strike her down with the Lightning Domain, she broke through it and attacked Seo Jun-Ho directly. "...." A whip-like leg filled Seo Jun-Ho''s vision. In literally the blink of an eye, she was in front of him. ¡®Is it the same attack?¡¯ It was the same attack that had instantly shattered his defenses and both his arms before. Seo Jun-Ho couldn''t help but smirk. ¡®Jeez.¡¯ It seemed that he had been underestimated. Between the princess''s shoe and his own pupils, a brief message appeared in his mind. [The Vermillion Fruit has erased the sense of disharmony from a difference in stats.] [The body''s condition has been set to its best state through the effect of the Vermillion Fruit.] Thud. The moment that the relentless shivers that tormented him disappeared, the basement room echoed with a loud noise. Boom! "... Huh?" Confusion spread across the princess''s face. Blinking in surprise, she straightened up. Her foot had been millimeters away from smashing the man''s head. But that very moment, a hand had lightly grabbed her ankle and thrown her at the wall. "...." She looked down, and her eyes met a pool of bright red blood spreading on her dress. ¡®Shattering my leg wasn¡¯t enough, so you even shattered my heart?¡¯ It had happened in an instant. The princessughed lightly as she stood up. ¡°Were you pretending, or was it pure luck?" "Neither." "Then?" Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s reply was t and nonchnt as he looked at her. "Results." Her eyes opened wide and her shoulders shook withughter. ¡°Ha, hahaha! Ah, indeed.¡± Not an act, and not luck either. There was no result without a process in this world. She didn¡¯t know much about this man¡¯s life, but she knew one thing. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re not a very normal human being.¡± For a normal person, it would have been nearly impossible to stay sane through the hellish process that would yield such impressive results. ¡°Perhaps.¡± The princess stoppedughing. In her eyes, filled with both tion and greed, there was no denying that this man before her was an equal, even though he was a human. The fact excited her. He was the same level of existence as her¡­and she was thrilled. "My father always said I was half a step short." Half a step. Despite working relentlessly to take that small step, she had made no remarkable progress. "Just half a step short. That''s probably true for you right now too." The man in front of her was indeed an equal, an opponent topete with. That was what excited her. "Don¡¯t you find it intriguing? The winner of this battle might be able to take that step." The broken ankle and even the crushed heart quickly recovered. "You and I. One of us may open the door to a new world today." ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew it was not a favorable situation. The princess seemed very eager for power, and her greedy eyes confirmed it. ¡®From now on, she''ll probably use any means necessary to kill me.¡¯ On the other hand, as long as the power nt kept running, she was virtually immortal, and he couldn¡¯t kill her. ¡®The only thing I can do is to buy time.¡¯ He could only hope that the main force would destroy the power nt within that time. Enduring the stinging pain in his fingers that even the Vermillion Fruit¡¯s effect couldn¡¯t alleviate, he calcted something quickly. ¡®33¡­no, 32 minutes.¡¯ That was how long he could maintain this state. Once that time passed, he would be forced to deactivate Overclocking, and facing the princess would be impossible. ¡°... So, I''m counting on you." He left those few words for the main force that wasn¡¯t able to hear him. But as he turned away, the figure of the princess in front of him disappeared. ¡®Inventory!¡¯ He quickly took out the Twilight Sword from his inventory. [Concentration is active.] [Indefatigable is active.] While holding this sword, one''s fatigue would disappear, and one¡¯s concentration would be sharper than ever. But that wasn¡¯t all. [Twilight Time is active.] During twilight time, when the sun set, the sword''s power would double, and the more depleted one''s stamina, the stronger they would get. Seo Jun-Ho''s focus was clearer than ever. ¡®To the left.¡¯ aaang! As the sword shed with a fist, sparks flew. It was an abnormal speed, such that even at 350%, he would¡¯ve been just a bit too slow to react. ¡®However¡­.¡¯ Now he could react perfectly to the opponent''s speed. With a swift turn of his palm, the princess''s center of gravity was directed toward him. "Ice Spears." Stab! Stab! Stab! Dozens of ice spears shot up from the ground, piercing her body and immobilizing her. "Ugh!" At the moment she coughed up blood, an obsidian scythe formed in Seo Jun-Ho''s left hand. He shed from the side to her heart, inflicting a long wound. ¡®Even if she''s a princess, recovering from this level of injury will take some time,¡¯ he thought. But he was wrong. In just 1.3 seconds, the princess fully healed all her wounds and opened her mouth wide. What emerged from her mouth was a snake-like long tongue. "Ugh!" Crack! Crack! In an instant, twelve exchanges of blows urred, and their positions were swapped. "..." Watching the two fighters, Baek Geon-Woo tightly clenched his fists. Sweat dripped from his fists onto the floor. ¡®Indeed. Now I understand why Junior Brother left me.¡¯ The reason was simple. No one else beside him could keep up with that speed. Theirbat was at a ridiculously high level, and their exchanges were blindingly fast. ¡®... Even if we join forces now, we probably can''t kill the princess.¡¯ Since the battle began, they hadn''t exchanged a single word, but he felt that he could tell when Seo Jun-Ho would need him. *** "Fireworks first!" With Shin Sung-Hyun''s shout, several yers set off fireworks into the sky. The colorful disy illuminated the night sky, visible even from the opposite side of the city. He immediately divided the group. "The Cami Party and the Shohei Party, head to the entrance of the power nt right now." The n was to open the power nt doors from the inside, letting in the waiting Failures and Yuri. Having confirmed their movement toward the entrance, Shin Sung-Hyun said, "We''ll infiltrate the power nt as is." "Any instructions or requirements?" "Blow it up. That''s it." "... But it seems they''re already done with their preparations over there." Gilberto pointed toward the interior. An army of Overminds, numbering around three to five thousand, was neatly assembled, waiting for them. Wei-Chun Hak said nonchntly, "Can''t be helped. We''ll have to fight our way through. There wouldn''t be any idiots here who thought they could destroy the power nt without fighting, right?" "That''s also true... but what are you doing right now?" Shin Sung-Hyun shot a threatening nce at Wei-Chun Hak as he was lighting a cigarette, seemingly oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. "Put out the cigarette while I¡¯m telling you nicely." "..." Wei-Chun Hak calmly ignored the threat and took a final drag on his cigarette before holding it like a piece of chalk. Then he drew something in the air with the glowing cigarette¡ªa fiery talisman. "I think I won¡¯t put out anything." Talisman Art 46. Congration. He flicked the cigarette butt toward the talisman, turning it into a massive fireball that covered the army of Overminds. "Aaargh!" "T-the fire won''t go out!" "Damn it! Those immune to fire, go to the front!" Wei-Chun Hak looked at the enemy running around in panic and said, "Let them put out the fire if they want to." "..." Shin Sung-Hyun had nothing to say in response. He turned his head and shouted, "All troops! Charge!" *** "Grrr, grrr..." Several monster corpses were lying on the ground. They were all Overmind researchers who had failed to take down a single man even after transforming. "Phew..." As the man released his grip on a throat, a dead researcher''s body fell limply to the ground. The Heavenly Demon was savoring the fulfilling power he hadn''t felt in a while as he picked up the pace. ¡®Thanks to those yer bastards, things have be much smoother.¡¯ The Float Power nt was the ce with the greatest power umtion on the continent. It had been his target even before the yers came into the picture. ¡®I couldn''t take on the army alone, so I was just looking for a way... but¡­¡¯ Obviously, he had never expected those sworn enemies of his to wage a war against the Overmind army in his stead. Thanks to that, all the ns he had made became futile, but it was actually better this way. His tasks now required fewer steps. "Is this the ce?" The Heavenly Demon looked at the massive generator in front of him. It was said that humans found it difficult to sense Force, but when it was this amount, it was a different story. "Frightening." It was so much power, massive to the point that it made him shiver. It was not only because of the fear that came naturally to living beings, but also because of excitement. If he could consume all this Force, reaching the Star Destruction stage wouldn''t be a dream. ¡®Revenge is not far off.¡¯ Today, the phantom pain in his left arm bothered him again. Specter. "My enemy. My archenemy." A hero of mankind who took away everything he had and pushed him to the end of the world. "I''ll pay you back in kind." He¡¯d take away everything and drive him to the end of the world and make him cry. His smile turned bright. The moment the Heavenly Demon reached out toward the generator of the power nt, however, the demonic energy that arose naturally protected him. At the same time, his face hardened. ¡¯... What is this... Am I dead?¡¯ If the demonic energy hadn''t protected him, he definitely would have died. He put his hand down and looked around. ¡®It''s not an Overmind.¡¯ Since he had killed everyone around, there was no way Overminds could be here, and yers couldn''t have reached this ce already. They were busy fighting the Overmind army outside, after all. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes flushed red. He looked toward the direction where the attack hade from. 2x, 4x, 16x... His magnified field of view caught sight of a small dot. "Tch, just trash." White gloves, long blonde hair fluttering in the rough wind and a massive gun longer than a normal person¡¯s height. The world''s greatest sniper ced a red dot on the Heavenly Demon¡¯s forehead. Chapter 588. Two Wars (6) Chapter 588. Two Wars (6) "Indeed. Is an old eagle better than a young crow?" If he had been hit by that attack without any preparation, he could have suffered fatal damage. The Heavenly Demon acknowledged that fact. ¡®But it''s a meaningless ¡°if.¡±¡¯ His demonic energy waspressed andpressed again, reaching a level that could rival that of a demon''s. When his life was deemed in danger, his automatic defensive aura would activate just like it had moments ago. ¡®Perhaps if it had been Specter¡¯s Watchguard of Darkness instead¡­ There is no way mere bullets can prate it.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon pondered for a moment. Could Gilberto Trashcan Green kill him? The conclusion came straight away. ¡®No.¡¯ He judged that it was absolutely impossible. After reaching his conclusion, the Heavenly Demon immediately reached out his hand toward the generator. Shiiik! "Hmm." He frowned as his hand was about to be burned from the heat. Then, his demon characteristic, the Mimic''s Gluttony, began to greedily absorb the Force from the power nt. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ The Heavenly Demon''s body trembled. A thrill ran through him from his toes to the top of his head. It was a gratifying feeling that made him feel alive. It was a different sensation from when he absorbed the neigong chips on the fifth floor. ¡®Back then, I stuffed the overflowing magical power in my mouth just to absorb a little more¡­¡¯ But now, it was different. He felt like a connoisseur visiting a high-ss restaurant, elegantly savoring the deep and rich taste of the Force. The Heavenly Demon waspletely immersed in the bliss of the moment. Right now, he didn''t want to be disturbed by anyone. *** "Damn it! We¡¯re getting pushed on the left!" "Leave it to us!" "Push the center! Push harder!" yers and Failures gathered together, pushing back the Overmind legion. Their desperate cries even reached Gilberto, who stood on the watchtower. "...." Unfortunately, he didn''t have the luxury of helping them. While scouting the power nt, he identally discovered the Heavenly Demon as thetter was approaching the generator. ¡®We need to be particrly cautious of the Heavenly Demon.¡¯ He possessed the ability to absorb the power of others. He wouldn''t have entered the power nt without any purpose. The moment Gilberto found him, he instinctively realized it. ¡®Is he trying to absorb the Force here?¡¯ Just imagining that future made him tremble with fear. The amount of Force here far surpassed the neigong chips that the Heavenly Demon had absorbed on the fifth floor. "If the Heavenly Demon were to absorb all that Force..." It would be a catastrophic disaster. Not only would the clearing of the seventh floor bepromised, but it would also be a cmity that blocked the path of yers. ¡®I have to stop him.¡¯ Gilberto Green immediately sniped the Heavenly Demon. ¡®A defensive barrier... Is it simr to Skaya''s?¡¯ No, it was a little different. Skaya usually deployed dozens ofyers of defensive barriers, but this guy had only oneyer. ¡®However, it''s much stronger than Skaya''s.¡¯ As Gilberto reflected, the Heavenly Demon reached out with his hand toward the generator. "....!" At the same time, the light from themp hanging on the watchtower flickered several times. ¡®Is he in the middle of absorption?¡¯ He was simply ignoring Gilberto''s existence. But instead of feeling upset, impatience welled up within him. "Particle deployment. Construction in progress." The weapon had alreadypleted its structural registration and feasibility verification. It was a railgun, the powerful weapon that he had used against Isaac Dvor, who toyed with one of the Nine Heavens as if they were a child. ¡®If it¡¯s this, then even him¡­¡¯ Gilberto pointed the gun at the Heavenly Demon and pulled the trigger. Baaang! A loud explosion urred, but looking at the aftermath, he felt like cursing rather than cheering. "Damn it!" The Heavenly Demon was fine. He even continued to absorb without even giving Gilberto a nce. His attitude screamed that Gilberto was a negligible existence. ¡®¡­ Just shrouding himself with demonic energy makes him that strong?'' With this power, Gilberto thought he could proudly stand next to Seo Jun-Ho and his friends. ¡®How stupid.¡¯ How could he be so damn conceited? Whether it was Seo Jun-Ho''s Watchguard of Darkness, Skaya''s Destructive Ray, Rahmadat''s power, or Mio''s de, he was sure any of them could break through that barrier that protected Heavenly Demon. One way or another, they would have made the Heavenly Demon look at them. ¡°¡­¡± If he wanted to stand by them asrades, not just friends, he had to be able to do the same. ¡®What weapon is stronger than a sniper or a rail gun?¡¯ His thoughts becameplicated. Nuclear? Could he make a nuclear weapon from ether? "Particle deployment, structural registration¡­ Damn it." He failed. In the first ce, it was impossible to imitate an atomic explosion with ether. "Then a stronger weapon...¡± Gilberto trailed off. Then, he closed his eyes. ¡°¡­Idiot." It was a rebuke to himself. ¡®After gaining power that I never hoped for, all I¡¯m doing is rely on it for everything.¡¯ It wasn''t really his personal ability that had killed Isaac Dvor. Just a new power called ¡®ether¡¯ that had allowed him to create the railgun. It was only the result of relying on the overwhelming output of this power. ¡®This is no different from the people I used to think of as fools.¡¯ Those who forget the most basic things after getting drunk on power made the mistake of confusing that power for one¡¯s own ability. p! Gilberto hit himself in the face with both hands. As he suddenly came to his senses, Seo Jun-Ho''s advice came to mind. - Wow, 300 times? But it didn''t work out? - Then do it 500 times. - If that''s not enough? Then do it 1000 times. ¡®If that''s not enough, bounce it 100 times.¡¯ That was the advice given to him when he was on the fourth floor, dealing with the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty. ¡®... Don''t doubt yourself.¡¯ Ether was not a power that he could rely on and becent; it was a weapon that he had to control. What he could trust was not the new weapon he had gained, but the path he had always walked. "Particle deployment." As Gilberto slowly opened his eyes, his gaze showed no sign of wavering. "Structural registration, feasibility verification." Authorization for construction. After confirming the results, Gilberto poured all the ether into making it. What appeared before him was astonishingly not a gun. "...." The new products of his imagination filled the high sky, shining like stars. Well, rather than saying they were shining, it was more urate to say they were reflecting light¡ªthey were disc-shaped reflectors. "Inventory." Gilberto took out a revolver from his inventory. It was a small single-handed weapon, the Repeating Covenant Revolver. Using this revolver was basically shooting oneself in the foot at the same time as shooting the enemy, as it drained the user''s magic, mental power, and stamina to create bullets. Every time something bounced off the special reflector, its destructive power, pration, and speed doubled. "..." He wasn''t sure. He still didn''t know. Was it the right choice to invest all the ether into a thousand mirror-like reflectors? "But it doesn¡¯t matter." There was one thing he knew. Even if this attack failed and he lost his life to the Heavenly Demon¡­there would be no regrets. Because this was who he was. He was Gilberto Green, the hard worker who had given his all toe this far. He gazed at the thousand reflectors floating gracefully in the night sky of the power nt. "Phew." Exhaling a trembling breath, he aimed the gun at the night sky, and his eyes focused on the thousand reflectors. "..." He thought about which reflector to hit first. He thought about which trajectory to shoot so that he could connect all those stars and create 999 lines. No, on second thought¡­thinking was meaningless. ¡®I''m not Skaya.¡¯ He didn''t have a brain brilliant enough to calcte such things at a nce. What he needed now was the experience and instinct honed by pulling the trigger countless times. "Ah." Suddenly, a little gasp escaped his lips, though he did not realize it. It felt as if he had be one with those stars. Click. "....!" Had he pulled the trigger? As he felt his strength leaving his body, the Repeating Covenant Revolver spewed out light. The light reached the stars in an instant, bouncing between them. "..." Now everything was out of his hands. Gilberto silently watched the light. With each connection between the stars, the light he had shot became even more intense. With each new star, its power and brilliance increased. "..." Bullet Time. Even in slow motion, that light lost none of its brightness. ¡®...Is this what you really are?¡¯ His skill was so fast that he hadn''t even seen its true form yet, nor been able to give it a name. But now, it was clear. He wasn¡¯t confident in his vocabry skills, but one phrase instantly struck him as the right one. "Shooting Star." A sharp beam of light cut through the night sky, heading unswervingly toward its target. At that moment, the whole night sky seemed to revolve around that single line. "That name suits you better than anything else." As if answering its call, the relentlessly approaching Shooting Star finally struck the thousandth reflector and fell to the ground. "....!" The Heavenly Demon raised his head as an unknown sense of danger struck him. At the same time, a ridiculous amount of demonic energy swirled around before he could even think about it, coalescing into severalyers of barrier around him. "Ah." It went through. The light went through that neigh-imprable defensive aura as if it were made of paper. It was an unwanted ending for the Heavenly Demon. It was an unexpected ending. "Damn." The Heavenly Demon could only utter a single word in surprise before the falling star hit him in the head. *** The densely packed generators in the area were reced by a giant crater, as if a meteor had truly fallen from the sky. Naturally, the power nt was destroyed, releasing an enormous mass of Force into the world. ¡®It feels like I''m absorbing ether just by breathing.¡¯ Gilberto carefully gathered the energy while taking slow steps. In the center of the crater, there were puddles of blood and some torn fabric. "... Did he still have enough strength to move after taking that attack?" Gilberto let out a low groan. In his heart, he wanted to keep pursuing the Heavenly Demon, but his own physical condition wasn''t all that good either. ¡®I don¡¯t have any magic left after using the Repeating Covenant Revolver.¡¯ Both his stamina and strength were at their limit. Gilberto put down his gun and let out a sigh. "... Well, at least I managed to stop him." He had prevented the Heavenly Demon from absorbing all the Force from the power nt. That alone was a significant aplishment. ¡®Although I lost him.¡¯ Gilberto sat down on the floor, feeling a bit frustrated. The Force released when the power nt was destroyed was truly enormous. Since he was here anyway, he had to absorb that Force and expand his ether capacity. ¡®The Heavenly Demon¡­¡¯ Although he regretted missing the opportunity, the situation was still fortunate. If he had faced the Heavenly Demon head-on, he would have been defeated without a shadow of a doubt. There was no scenario where he could win against such an opponent. ¡®His arrogance was his undoing.¡¯ Gilberto let out a sigh filled with mixed feelings. However, something in the back of his mind kept nagging him. ¡®... What is it?¡¯ Thinking hard about what it could be, Gilberto got up. ¡°Ugh!¡± Gilberto dragged his screaming body and moved around the crater. ¡®It''s not here.¡¯ He couldn''t find it. The Church of the Sun¡¯s holy relic, which was presumed to be the fundamental reason why Overminds could convert magic into Force. "... Where¡¯s the damn Holy Sword?" It wasn''t hard to guess who had it now. Gilberto''s expression was twisted. A bitter wind blew, caressing the face of the sniper¡ªthe only being left among the ruins. Chapter 589: Star Destroyer (1) Chapter 589: Star Destroyer (1) Buzzzzzz! The sound of an insect''s wings filled the space, making those within feel irritated and messing with their nerves. ¡°...¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho did not even blink at the irksome sound. ¡®On the left.¡¯ As soon as he confirmed the location of the princess, who had just disappeared from his sight, Seo Jun-Ho lightly stomped the ground. ¡°Ice Wall.¡± An opaque wall of ice rose like a mountain from the ground, separating Seo Jun-Ho and the princess in an instant. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Crashhhh! The princess let out a fierce shout and easily sted apart the wall with her fist. ¡°...Huh?¡± But what was waiting for her as she broke through the ice wall was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand. Seo Jun-Ho calmly grabbed the princess¡¯ wrist and tugged. Crack! The princessnded on the floor head-first and broke her neck. This would¡¯ve instantly killed most people, but that was not the case with her; even from that awkward position, she twisted her hips and kicked him. ¡°Hmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho blocked the attack with the back of his hand and took a step back with a frown. The princess stumbled to get up and popped her dislodged vertebrae back into ce. ¡°Hmm. I must admit you have more experience than I do, human. You are a veteran.¡± Seo Jun-Ho did not fall behind the princess in terms of speed because he had entered the world of 400% Overclocking. Furthermore, he was ahead of her in terms of diversity and utilization ofbat skills. ¡®But I shouldn¡¯t be relieved about that. It¡¯s only natural that I am more experienced than her.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho hade all the way here by crossing the line between life and death numerous times. On the other hand, the princess had only dealt with terrified Overmind criminals at best; it was only natural that there was an experience gap between the two. Seo Jun-Ho let out a light sigh. ¡®Above all, the fact that she is basically immortal is much more annoying than I expected.¡¯ The princess was not afraid to lose her life. Rather, if she could give Seo Jun-Ho a solid strike like just now, she would not hesitate to risk her life at all. ¡®...It almost feels like I¡¯m fighting against Rahmadat. She is a tricky enemy.¡¯ Thanks to this, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but feelplicated. After all, he was ultimately bound to lose if he fought simply to kill the enemy as he had done until now. ¡®But it¡¯s not like I can do anything about it.¡¯ The reason was speed. Seo Jun-Ho and the princess were exchanging dozens of attacks in the blink of an eye. For that reason, it was only natural that the speed of instinctive actions exceeded the speed of his conscious thought process. ¡®I can¡¯t help but attack her out of sheer instinct whenever I see an opening.¡¯ That was the way Seo Jun-Ho had been living until now. He did not hesitate to stab and kill the enemy whenever he saw a gap in their defense, because that was usually the answer. After all, the battle was bound to end if he killed the opponent. ¡®But¡­¡¯ But against the bloody immortal monster, his answers were wrong and his ways rather put him at a disadvantage. ¡°I¡¯ve already died seventeen times. It would have been really dangerous if it wasn¡¯t for the power nt,¡± the princess said with a grin. The princess was clearly being pushed back in every aspect, but the expression on her face seemed to speak otherwise. ¡°I wonder how many more times you¡¯ll be able to kill me.¡± Once he used a method to kill her, that method did not work a second time. In other words, the more they fought, the less of a chance Seo Jun-Ho had of winning. ¡®This is just like when I fought Janabi.¡¯ In other words, the enemy umted experience at a speed far exceedingmon sense. Seo Jun-Ho clenched and opened his fist again and again. ¡®...Do the guys need more time?¡¯ There was no sign that the power nt would be destroyed any time soon. On the contrary, thirty minutes had already passed since the battle between Seo Jun-Ho and the princess began. Soon, it would be impossible for Seo Jun-Ho to maintain the state of 400% Overclocking. ¡°Damn it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tightly closed his eyes. The time he had left was a little over two minutes at the most. In this frustrating situation, he had no choice but to fight with all his might and burn thest bit of gas he had in the tank. ¡°Hmm?¡± The princess noticed that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression had changed. ¡°Hey, you. Seems like something happe¡ª¡± sh! Before she could finish her sentence, her face was marred by a long, bleeding gash left by a sword. ¡®Ah?¡¯ The princess was not given the time to open her wings and dodge. Seo Jun-Ho had not only limited her movement but also sped up his own movement by using the Wheel of Time(S) to elerate. ¡®Right now, with things being as they are¡­this princess still has no idea about my skills, and she can¡¯t escape death no matter how much she struggles.¡¯ Like an office worker single-mindedly doing his regr job, Seo Jun-Ho silently burst the princess¡¯ heart, shed her throat, froze her body, and cut her apart with his de of darkness. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cruel methods left even Baek Geon-Woo surprised as the scale which he thought was bnced was unexpectedly tilting to one side. ¡®More, more, more. If I kill her more rapidly, she might not be able to regenerate.¡¯ The princess might not be able to regenerate if her cells and particles were eliminated as a whole. With that thought in mind, Seo Jun-Ho tightly clenched his teeth and frantically erased every bit of the princess like crazy. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Seo Jun-Ho managed to kill the princess four hundred and twenty-six times in just two minutes. In front of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s brutal attacks, the cells which made up the princess could notst. ¡°...¡± Gulp. Baek Geon-Woo only swallowed dry, unable to say anything. Although everything seemed to be over at first nce, he felt that he would jinx it if he said so out loud. Thus, he just carefully looked around in silence. ¡®It¡¯s quiet. Wouldn¡¯t she have revived by now if she could?¡¯ After struggling with himself for a few seconds, Baek Geon-Woo slowly opened his mouth to call out to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Phew!¡± At that moment, a strand of hair that was floating in the air expanded and formed a human shape. A woman wearing absolutely nothing stepped on the ground and breathed out a sigh of relief. ¡°You are much more stubborn than you look. I was worried that I would actually die for real this time.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt all the strength in his body draining out at the sight. But that wasn¡¯t just due to the disappointment which came from not being able to kill her for good. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ He was now in such an exhausted state that he could no longer maintain the 400% Overclocking. The princess¡¯ expression changed in an instant. ¡°Hmm?¡± She scanned Seo Jun-Ho from head to toe with a sharp look and confirmed that the amount of energy he was emitting had dramatically decreased. ¡®Is this some sort of a trap?¡¯ Of course, there was no reason for the princess to contemte, as she could easily find out by attacking him. ¡®He killed me a few hundred times anyway. Might as well vent a little.¡¯ The princess licked her lips in satisfaction. Then something long and sharp popped out of her hip bone¡ªsomething that resembled a scorpion¡¯s tail stinger rather than the stinger of a bee. ¡°This will sting a little.¡± Fwoosh! The stinger stretched out in an instant, aiming for Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart. ¡®...!¡¯ The Overclocking Seo Jun-Ho could currently maintain was 150% at best. That aside, Seo Jun-Ho still had his vision, and he was clearly aware of the oing attack. This was possible because he had fully prepared himself with Wheel of Time and the Power to Freeze. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ However, no matter how clearly he saw the attack, the difference in sheer speed meant he had no chance of dodging. Banggggg! ¡°Keuk!¡± Seo Jun-Ho slumped to the ground when he was helplessly thrown away like a bowling ball. He quickly fumbled his chest, but neither was there any wound nor did he feel pain. When he raised his head, he could see a wide back in front of him. ¡°Geon-Woo-hyung¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve fought well. Good job. I appreciate it.¡± Baek Geon-Woo showed a trustworthy smile and nodded. ¡°Leave the rest to me now.¡± ¡°...Be careful. She is very strong.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could not hide the look of concern on his face. ¡®I feel bad about saying this¡­but Geon-Woo-hyung is no match for the princess.¡¯ Having fought the princess himself, Seo Jun-Ho could tell that Baek Geon-Woo would be pushed back as time passed¡ªand his prediction was spot on. ¡°I thought you got something special because you were just watching from behind all this time, but¡­there¡¯s nothing much to see about you.¡± The princess quickly lost her interest in Baek Geon-Woo. Even during the fight, her eyes were fixated on Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®That guy is a much tastier enemy than this one. He is a stronger enemy.¡¯ The desire to prey on the stronger, unique to the Atonic Bee, was making her crave Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho took cover, then quickly opened his inventory and poured the highest-level potion over his head. Ssh! Then he immediately iced his magic circuits by using the Frost skill to cool off. ¡®The torn circuits and musclesare slowly recovering now, so¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho figured that he might be able to use the 400% Overclocking once more if Geon-Woo could hold out for ten more minutes. ¡®Of course, I won¡¯t be able to use it as long as I did earlier.¡¯ Rather, the time he could maintain the Overclocking would be ridiculously short. Chances were that the time wouldn¡¯t be measured in minutes but seconds. ¡®But even that is enough if the main army destroys the power nt and we can make sure that she will never be resurrected again. I will be the one to kill her.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho curled up and red at the princess in silence. In spite of his incredible exhaustion, his eyes were burning fiercely more than ever. ¡°Ptui! Damn it!¡± Baek Geon-Woo spat out curses. The battle feltpletely different from when he was watching Seo Jun-Ho and the princess. ¡®...Was Jun-Ho really at an advantage over this monster?¡¯ The monster in front of him ignored his lightning even if it hit her in the face. She seemed like an insurmountable wall. ¡®Damn it. Master. Are you sure I can help? Well, buying him some time is kind of a help, I guess.¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo snapped his fingers. He was feeling rather insignificant. ¡®If I am not evenpetent enough to fight and I can only buy some time at best¡­the least I can do is buy enough time.¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo released the entire lightning energy inside him at once. ¡°Let the dragon of lightning shake the world.¡± ¡®Lightning-ss, Final Skill, Thunder Dragon Shakes the Heavens.¡¯ ¡°...!¡± The princess opened her eyes wide for the first time since the battle with Baek Geon-Woo started. The giant golden dragon that filled the entire basement was threatening even in her eyes. The princess nodded. ¡°I see. So this is what you¡¯ve been hiding.¡± The golden dragon rushed toward the princess, caught her in its jaws, and threw her against the basement wall. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Baek Geon-Woo breathed heavily. He was a mess, and he knew that there was no way an enemy who did not even die from her whole body being shredded down to cellr level would die from this attack. ¡®But if I can slow down her recovery¡­¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s gaze turned to the opposite wall where the dust rose from. When the cloud of dust slowly cleared, a silhouette appeared on the ground. ¡®What¡¯s going on? Did she recover already¡­? Wait. That¡¯s not it.¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo hurriedly threw himself back after confirming what the silhouette was. Buzz! His retreat had been fast, but an instantter, he felt the left side of his body burning. ¡°Well you¡¯re quick witted, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Baek Geon-Woo fell down on the spot and grabbed the side of his abdomen. Blood and guts flowed out from the grievous wound. ¡°...Did you use that as a lightning rod?¡± The princess no longer had a scorpion tail¡ªthe tail was now lying down somewhere in the distance. ¡°I see¡­you have the genes that allow you to absorb electricity.¡± Baek Geon-Woo understood that the princess had simply cut off her tail and thrown it as bait to the golden dragon, then attacked him before he even realized it. ¡®...I lost.¡¯ It was his perfect defeat, both in strategy and in skill. However, he felt more resentment and regret than fear. ¡®I should have done everything to buy some more time¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had managed to drag on the fight for thirty-two minutes. On the other hand, Baek Geon-Woo had only dragged the time by about nine minutes at most. Tap, tap. The barefoot princess approached Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®If only I can eat this guy¡­I can take that half-step I¡¯ve been looking forward to so much.¡¯ The sense of exaltation made the princess¡¯ heart beat for the first time in hundreds of years. ¡°I won¡¯t¡­let you¡­¡± ¡°...¡± For some reason, the princess felt extremely bothered and annoyed by the random human holding onto her ankle even as he was dying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is not the time for a brat like you to step in.¡± The princess clicked her tongue and stomped on Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s wrist. ¡°Aaarrrrrghhhh!¡± The wrist was instantly shattered, and the hand naturally let go of her ankle. However, Baek Geon-Woo let go of his deep wound and grabbed her ankle with his other hand. ¡°...Hah.¡± Beyond being irritated, the princess was simply dumbfounded. With a cold gaze, the princess looked down at the worm-like human crawling at her feet. ¡°It seems that you really wish to die. I can grant you that wish.¡± She slowly raised her leg. The moment she was about to stomp on Baek Geon-Woo and crush his head to pieces, however, she flinched and suddenly came to a stop. ¡°...!¡± The reason was simple. ¡®The¡­power nt¡­?¡¯ The power nt, which had been connected to her and provided her with endless force, had just been destroyed. In other words, the immortality she had boasted about was no more. ¡®Those damn ipetent bastards! I can¡¯t believe they couldn¡¯t protect the power nt!¡¯ The princess clicked her tongue and immediately turned around. She no longer had the time to waste on killing Baek Geon-Woo. ¡®I need to eat the stronger one.¡¯ The princess¡¯ anxiety would only be resolved by eating Seo Jun-Ho and reaching the Star Destruction Stage. Buzz! The princess¡¯ wings fluttered wildly. Breaking through the speed of light in an instant, the princess flew toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...¡± Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho was picking himself up. ¡®No, I¡¯m still the one who has the advantage.¡¯ Not only was the opponent¡¯s posture awkward, but he also did not feel as strong as he used to. ¡°Just stay down and let me eat you!¡± Swoosh! In an instant, the princess¡¯ fingernails crossed the space between them and dug deeply into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s chest. ¡®I finally killed him.¡¯ The princess¡¯ eyes shed with joy. The opponent had raised his hand to prevent the attack, but it was already toote. No matter what he did, there was no way he could stop her fingernails that had already dug into his flesh. The princess was certain that she had won as she confirmed that the opponent hadn¡¯t regained the strength he had used before. ¡®Ah. Finally, I can take thest step to¡ª¡¯ Just as a bright smile illuminated the princess¡¯ face, her hand passed through the opponent¡¯s body as if it was made of air, and Seo Jun-Ho dissolved into darkness. ¡°...?¡± ¡®Darkness?¡¯ At the same time, she sensed the same strong energy she had felt earlier, but from behind her back. ¡°You said you wanted to know, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho snatched the Twilight Sword that had just taken shape in the air. ¡°It was four hundred and forty-four times.¡± sh! ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ The world began to spin like crazy. And among the whirlpool of images that flooded her eyes, the princess could see her own headless body falling on the floor. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s how many times I killed you.¡± Roooaarrr! The Watchguards of Darkness soared up from the darkness, mercilessly consuming her without leaving a single strand of hair behind. Chapter 590: Star Destroyer (2)

Chapter 590: Star Destroyer (2)

Even if humans couldn¡¯t feel it, they grew every moment from the day they were born. Not only did they talk, walk, run, fall, get hurt, and cry, but they also built friendships and shared love. They would get heartbroken because of a break up, and the wound might not heal for a longer time than they thought. All of that was growth. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho could feel that now was the time for him to face another growth spurt in his life. ¡®So this is what that half a step was supposed to mean?¡¯ In the battle between the two beings who were only half a step away from reaching the Star Destruction Stage, the princess had lost and Seo Jun-Ho had won. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly closed his eyes. To his surprise, there was no dramatic change in his body as he expected. Neither did he radiate some kind of sacred light, nor did he feel a tremendous amount of magic sweeping through his body. ¡®I feel calm.¡¯ He felt a pleasantnguor, as if he was on a vacation at a summer resort, enjoying a cool breeze. Just as the calm feeling of immersing his whole body and soul in a warm bath slowly began to fade away, a sparkling coldness like a fresh ss of coke struck his soul. ¡°...¡± Awakened from his reverie by this cool and fresh feeling, Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. ¡®What was that? Did I¡­reach the Star Destruction Stage?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was confused¡ªthere was no feeling or awareness that he had be a great being or anything like that. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡®Geon-Woo-hyung got seriously injured.¡¯ Having btedly recalled Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s condition, Seo Jun-Ho stepped in his direction¡ªand before he even felt his foot touch the ground, he was already in front of his senior brother. ¡°Cough. Huh?¡± Baek Geon-Woo, who was just thinking that Seo Jun-Ho was giving off an unusual atmosphere, had a surprised look on his face. He hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off Seo Jun-Ho, but for an instant, the man had simply vanished. ¡°Hyung, are you okay?¡± ¡°When did you get here¡­? No, more than that¡­¡± Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s face was drenched in sweat due to the constant, terrible pain. ¡°Junior brother¡­no, Jun-Ho.¡± A trembling voice came out of Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s mouth as he felt death slowly approaching him. He was afraid of what would follow, but he was also sorry for Seo Jun-Ho at the same time. ¡®Jun-Ho must be familiar with this kind of situation.¡¯ Everyone knew how manypanions¡¯ death Specter had witnessed. However, no matter how hardened he was, he was human too. To let someone go, to not be able to see them ever again, and to live alone with the memories built and shared together was sad even for someone like Specter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Baek Geon-Woo felt that it was bad manners for him to force Seo Jun-Ho, who had already seen their master dead, to watch him die as well. ¡°But you¡­you will brilliantly¡­¡± ¡®You will be able to end this war that everyone has been fighting for.¡¯ Baek Geon-Woo smiled wryly. ¡°I¡¯m rooting for you¡­¡± ¡°Hyung,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied in a calm voice, ¡°why are you speaking like you¡¯re going to die?¡± Surely, his fellow student was feeling rather under the weather. ¡®Not only is he bleeding excessively, but he¡¯s also missing his pancreas, stomach, a kidney, and about half the intestines.¡¯ That said¡­he was not dead just yet, was he? ¡°You can live, hyung.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how things work¡­¡± Baek Geon-Woo smiled bitterly. Seo Jun-Ho was trying his best to console him, but Baek Geon-Woo knew his own condition better than anyone else. ¡°No matter how good the potion is and howpetent the healer is, it would be hard for me to live.¡± Above all, the pain was unimaginable. The only reason Baek Geon-Woo wasn¡¯t screaming in pain was that he was trying his best to save his face in front of his junior. ¡°I¡¯m telling you. You can live.¡± Seo Jun-Ho lightly reached out his hand. ¡®Freeze. Wheel of Time.¡¯ When the two abilities were activated at the same time, Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s body virtually stopped in time. In practical terms, that meant his hemorrhagepletely ceased. ¡°There. You won¡¯t be dying for a while.¡± Ssh! Then he poured the potion over the wound as if it were water. The wounds began to heal so fast that the regeneration was visible to the naked eye. ¡°Now all you have to do is go outside and get some help from the healers at the headquarters.¡± Baek Geon-Woo fell into serious agony upon looking at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s nonchnt expression. His face screamed, ¡°are you even serious?!¡± ¡®Well¡­It¡¯s good to hear that I can live¡­I¡¯m surely happy and grateful, but¡­why am I so pissed?¡¯ *** Seo Jun-Ho immediately took Baek Geon-Woo out of the basement. As expected, the yers had the upper hand in the sh outside. ¡°Mr. Specter!¡± ¡°First of all, please give him some treatment.¡± ¡°Pardon me? Oh, no. This wound is¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Send us more healers this way! We need at least three more to treat him!¡± While Baek Geon-Woo was surrounded by the healers and underwent intensive treatment, Seo Jun-Ho just clenched and opened his fist in silence. ¡®What is this feeling? I don¡¯t think anything has really changed, but¡­¡¯ But when he was walking toward Baek Geon-Woo earlier, he felt something different than usual. ¡®It feels like the way I perceive walking itself has changed a little.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt more frustrated because he couldn¡¯t exin what was different himself. But what was clear was that the things he had been doing normally until now, and they had felt as natural as breathing, were now somewhat unfamiliar and awkward. ¡®Wait. Breathing? How did I even breathe normally?¡¯ This thought made Seo Jun-Ho feel even moreplicated. ¡°...Hm.¡± Everything in his sight felt intrusive and ufortable. He wished he could ask someone who had walked on the same path ahead of him, but there was no one. ¡®If there was someone like that, it would be Sung-Jun. But he didn¡¯t say anything about something like this happening.¡¯ In any case, he had to make things work. Thus, he focused on the way he inhaled and exhaled. After trying different ways to breathe several times, he could feel his mind calming down and his breathing bing natural. ¡®Ah, I see. It seems I can now pursue the optimal method for everything I was doing blindly until now.¡¯ If so, Seo Jun-Ho thought he could see why Sung-Jun hadn¡¯t bothered to exin anything about this part. ¡®He probably didn¡¯t want to enclose me in his own framework, since there might be differences in perspective here and there.¡¯ ¡°Hmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around the surroundings. Now that he had fixed the way he breathed, other things began to bother him. ¡®Looking at things, moving my arms, walking, and holding the sword.¡¯ He had a strong feeling that he had to learn everything from scratch. Of course, he didn¡¯t think it would take that long. ¡®That¡¯s a relief.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought that he would helplessly lose if he had to fight someone in this state. How could he possibly fight properly when he found it awkward even to simply hold a sword? *** The emperor rose from his throne. ¡®The princess is dead.¡¯ But this wasn¡¯t very important news to him. After all, both the princess and the prince weren¡¯t real blood rtives of his, but rather figures putting on a show. ¡°...¡± There was only one important piece of news for him at the moment. ¡®The number went up.¡¯ In addition to himself, another person had reached the Star Destruction Stage on this little. This fact greatly disturbed the emperor. ¡°Is it him?¡± ¡®That yer named Seo Jun-Ho. He is the only one. It must be him.¡¯ After a brief moment of contemtion, the emperor made up his mind. ¡°I need to get going.¡± If Seo Jun-Ho had just risen to the Star Destruction Stage, there was a high chance he was¡­confused. Like a baby bird that just opened its eyes, Seo Jun-Ho was bound to find everything strange and intrusive. . ¡®This is rather a good thing.¡¯ Just as Seo Jun-Ho killed the princess and took a half step forward, the emperor himself could kill Seo Jun-Ho, who had reached the Star Destruction Stage, and move up to the next stage of Transcendence that he had wished for his entire life. Fwoosh! Force arose like wildfire, tearing up space in front of him. This was the first time he was going out in nearly a thousand years, except for the asional visits he paid to theboratory. However, to his surprise, the widely open space was forcefully closed. ¡°...¡± The emperor frowned and slowly turned his head. Thud. Thud. The heavy sound of footsteps rang throughout the emperor¡¯s room. ¡°You surprise me everytime I see you.¡± Helic stared at the emperor with a cold gaze. ¡°You never fail to piss me off every time I see you.¡± ¡°What is a God who was abandoned by us doing here¡­No, I guess there is no point in asking.¡± The emperor figured that there was only one reason why Helic would visit him, considering that she had closed the space rift behind her. ¡°You¡¯re really going to stop me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not intelligent enough to listen to my words, so I have no choice but to stop you by force.¡± ¡°Hah!¡± The Overmind emperorughed deridingly. The woman in front of him was God¡ªand not just a low-level god, but the god of the sun, a being that carried both great power and great meaning even within the entire universe. ¡®If I met her outside, I probably would have died in a blink of an eye without even realizing it.¡¯ By contrast, this floor imposed a number of restrictions on them, and the one most affected by these restrictions was not the emperor, but this woman. ¡°You know what will happen, yet you still dare to stop me. There¡¯s no way you don¡¯t know what will happen.¡± ¡°Of course I know it. I know it better than anyone else.¡± Helic didn¡¯t bother to deny the emperor¡¯s words. She was the administrator of Frontier-23, the seventh floor. The moment she abused her influence, not only would her authority as administrator be revoked, but she would also lose part of her divine power. ¡°...You¡¯re going to stop me even though you know that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand you.¡± The emperor shook his head. It was somewhat understandable that she was willing to give up the authority, but there was no way that the woman standing in front of him didn¡¯t know what it meant for her to lose divine power. ¡°Are you going to bear the risk of falling from the seat of God? Just because of a human?¡± ¡°...¡± With loss of divine power came a decrease in influence, which in turn led to a decrease in the divine power used by the believers as well. If the divine power provided by a god was insufficient, the believers¡¯ faith also naturally diminished. If such a situation happened again, maintaining the status of deity became more and more difficult. In the worst case scenario, she could be a forgotten god, an ending feared by all divine beings. ¡°Huh. You seem pretty serious¡­¡± The emperor could no longer hold back his curiosity. ¡®Why is a being who doesn¡¯t have to worry about anything unless she chooses to disappear on her own risking everything like this?¡¯ ¡°Why? What is your reason for doing this?¡± ¡°...Ipetent administrator,¡± Helic murmured. ¡°Someone called me that.¡± ¡°Bullshit,¡± snapped the emperor. ¡®She is giving up the position of god just because someone called her an ipetent administrator? That¡¯s nonsense.¡¯ ¡°You just don¡¯t want to answer me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite stupid to ask even though you know I won¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡®...Of course, I¡¯m also stupid to choose this option,¡¯?she thought. ¡°If you don¡¯t intend to talk to me, I also don¡¯t intend to drag time either.¡± The emperor clenched his teeth as he thought that Seo Jun-Ho was probably adapting to a new world like a child and establishing his own ¡®world¡¯ even as they were speaking. ¡°Come.¡± Streams of Force flowed out of the emperor as he gazed coldly at Helic. However, thetter just dropped down the arms she had previously crossed. ¡°Oh, you must be under the wrong impression.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°I did say that I¡¯m going to stop you, but did you really expect me to fight against you myself? You can¡¯t possibly think I¡¯d stoop so low.¡± ¡°Then why are you even here?¡± ¡°I came here to watch.¡± Helic smirked. ¡°I want a first-row seat so I can see your stupid face when you get your ass handed to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s funny. Do you really think a trivial human being can beat me?¡± The emperor felt that Helic was being ridiculous. ¡°Just because he reached the Star Destruction Stage doesn¡¯t mean he is on the same level as me.¡± ¡°Of course, I know that. But as I said, I, the sun god Helic, will personally help him.¡± Helic lightly reached out, radiating divine power for the world to see. The Overmind emperor frowned at the sight. It was certainly a threatening energy. However, a few momentster, his worries disappeared. ¡°I was expecting something great, but¡­you need to do better. That power is too great for a human being to endure.¡± ¡°You keep stating the obvious.¡± Helic knew better than anyone else because it was her own power. This power, which was usually granted to a god¡¯s believer, was too much for a human. ¡®No matter how powerful Seo Jun-Ho is, he will be obliterated as soon as he embraces this power.¡¯ This fact remained unchanged even though he had reached the Star Destruction Stage. Actually, anyone who could withstand the power of this light would be strong enough to surpass the Star Destruction Stage in an instant. ¡°But I never said I¡¯d give this power to a human being, did I?¡± ¡°...What? Are you messing with me right now?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one, you know?¡± ¡®There is actually one being on this who can endure this power.¡¯ Helic snapped her fingers. ¡°You better be prepared.¡± The light shot into the sky in a blink of an eye and flew north, toward the ice castle. Helic looked at the distant light. In a sympathetic tone, she gave the emperor onest warning. ¡°That kid is not as kind as I am.¡± Chapter 591: Star Destroyer (3) Chapter 591: Star Destroyer (3) ¡°It¡¯s too hot! I can¡¯t fight anymore!¡± Gong Ju-Ha rolled around on the ground as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead. She smiled at the pleasant feeling of cold snow cooling off her cheeks. ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m getting sleepy¡­I just want to fall asleep like this¡­¡± ¡°People who fall asleep like that usually die in movies.¡± ¡°Hey, In-Ho. Can you not kill the vibe like that, please?¡± Ha In-Ho approached Gong Ju-Ha. ¡°May I report?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Go ahead.¡± Gong Ju-Ha sat down and shook off the white snow on her hair and cheeks. ¡°Among the Goblin guild, a hundred twenty-seven are slightly wounded and twenty-nine are severely wounded. The number of deaths is¡­¡± ¡°...The number of deaths is?¡± Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s nervous eyes turned to Ha In-Ho. With his superior¡¯s full attention, Ha In-Ho smiled brightly. ¡°Zero.¡± ¡°Do you have a death wish? Why did you take so long to say that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just joking around because the battle turned out so good.¡± Ha In-Ho calmly continued to report the achievements. ¡°We won a huge victory. Of course¡­I can¡¯t say that there were no deaths overall, but still¡­¡± ¡°...Well, that¡¯s war.¡± No matter how well and how hard they fought, there was no war where only the enemies died. The past few decades had engraved that piece of wisdom deeply into the yers¡¯ very bones. ¡°Someone might be angry if they heard me say this, but I think it¡¯s good that we could wrap things up with only this much damage.¡± Gong Ju-Ha nodded as she agreed with Ha In-Ho. Even if the yers were to fight again on the same terms, she wasn¡¯t confident that they would achieve a better result. ¡°Mr.Rahmadat especially had a hard time.¡± Gong Ju-Ha and Ha In-Ho¡¯s gaze turned toward a giant drenched in blood sitting against the wall. Rahmadat¡¯s appearance resembled a demon from hell. He looked so terrifying that enemies¡¯ legs would tremble upon seeing him, but to his allies, he was the most reliable wall. ¡°If he hadn¡¯t blocked the front gate alone by himself, the oue of the war itself would have been different regardless of how much damage we got.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t he look like a guardian angel? He is so cool.¡± Ha In-Ho¡¯s eyes looking at Rahmadat were full of admiration. ¡®Admiration, huh¡­¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha smiled as she thought Ha In-Ho was looking at Rahmadat the same way she looked at someone else. ¡°The battle on this side is over. I wonder how the other side is doing?¡± ¡°Are you talking about Master¡¯s side? Of course, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s doing great. You worry too much.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ve seen him act humane one too many times not to worry.¡± ¡°...Huh? Master being humane?¡± ¡°Sigh. What do I expect? I can never have a conversation with you.¡± Gong Ju-Ha got up and shook the snow off, then looked up at the blue sky where the ck wall had lifted. ¡®I don¡¯t care if he acts inhumane this time. I just hope he cane back without any injuries.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯d like to help him as much as I can, but¡­I know that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Hmm. Then why don¡¯t you ask her for help?¡± Gong Ju-Ha looked toward the top of the wall where Ha In-Ho pointed with his finger. Standing there was an exhausted-looking mage, quietly feeling the fluttering snow falling over her. ¡°Oh.¡± It was Skaya Killnd. *** ¡°Nope. I¡¯m not doing it.¡± Skaya had a weary expression on her face. ¡°I have no magic left. I used it all up to deal with that old ass monster.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha nodded with a disappointed look on her face. ¡®Indeed. Killing that monstrous mage would have consumed an enormous amount of magic for sure.¡¯ In fact, Skaya¡¯s final attack, which had gravely injured the old mage, had such a tremendous amount of energy that it was visible to the naked eye. ¡°But that is very considerate of you. You are an adult on the inside,¡± Kim Woo-Joong said. ¡°I¡¯m an adult on the outside as well!¡± Gong Ju-Ha shouted back, ring at Kim Woo-Joong. ¡°If you keep teasing me about my height, I¡¯ll tell the master and kick you out of the training trio!¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t remember joining such an organization,¡± Kim Woo-Joong answered nonchntly. He looked around the battlefield. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I came out onto the battlefield as soon as I came to my senses.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong was still in a daze, as if he was drunk. ¡®I just have no idea what happened.¡¯ The first thing he had done after waking up was to look in the mirror, because in his dream, he had drunk the Heavenly Demon¡¯s blood and be a fiend. ¡®Was it just a simple dream?¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong asked Son Chae-Won about it, but she only teased him for being imaginative. In order to solve his curiosity, he had no choice but to meet Specter, the one who had woken him up from that long sleep. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone wants to help Jun-Ho. But all we can do is pray since there¡¯s no other way to help him.¡± ¡°Pray? That''s my specialty.¡± Christin Lewis came out of nowhere, making the sign of the cross on his chest. ¡°Dear Sun God Helic. Please help Mr. Specter and the yers return safely, and¡­¡± As he began to recite a fairly long prayer, Frost Queen yawned as if she was bored. ¡®This is boring. Why are all prayers so boring like this? ¡­It doesn¡¯t mean anything anyway.¡¯ Frost Queen thought that if simple prayers could make one¡¯s wishe true, Niflheim wouldn¡¯t have fallen so easily. Then she slightly opened her eyes to look at the surroundings. Everyone had formally lowered their heads and closed their eyes as they listened to the prayer. ¡®The sky is so clear.¡¯ In the blindingly clear sky, a small orb of brilliant light was falling toward them. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t that divine power? What¡¯s going on? Is it falling over here?¡¯ Frost Queen hurriedly pped her hands and pulled on Skaya¡¯s sleeve. ¡°S-Skaya. Hey.¡± ¡°Shhh, Your Highness. You must not chat while people are praying. Of course, it¡¯s not like I believe that crazy priest, but¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­Are the yers given divine power like that whenever they pray?¡± ¡°Huh? No way. What are you talking about?¡± Hearing the Frost Queen¡¯s words, people opened their eyes one by one and looked up at the sky. ¡°What!? It¡¯s divine power! It¡¯s really divine power!¡± Christin eximed with an emotional face as he spread his arms wide open. ¡°The mighty Helic finally responded my prayer!¡± ¡°No way. God has actually responded to such a crude prayer for real?¡± ¡°...But why is divine powering this way? Shouldn¡¯t it be going toward the party at the power nt?¡± ¡°Haha. I¡¯m sure the Sun God has his own will and meaning.¡± Christin reverently knelt down on the cold snow and put his hands together. However, just as he trembled in excitement as he waited for the tremendous divine power to fall on him, the orb¡¯s trajectory changed. ¡°Huh?¡± The orb was now heading for the Frost Queen. ¡°W-what is going on? Don¡¯te near me. Go away.¡± Frightened, Frost darted away from the orb, iling her arms in panic. However, the orb was fast beyond imagination and instantly merged with Frost as it touched her¡ªand then, the world stopped. -I see that you are still easily scared by everything. The Frost Queen turned around in haste upon hearing a familiar voiceing from the back. ¡°...Helic? Aren¡¯t you the administrator of the seventh floor?¡± -That¡¯s right. To be exact, it¡¯s just an image of myself that I added to the power I lent you. ¡°But why me?¡± Frost turned her head and nced at Christin with a disappointed expression. ¡°There¡¯s your believer right there.¡± -Because no humans can handle that power. Only you can absorb the power and stay in one piece. ¡°...¡± In other words, Helic had granted a power to the Frost Queen that even those veteran yers couldn¡¯t handle. The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes turned serious. ¡°Something must be going on with my contractor.¡± -The Overmind emperor will soon pay him a visit. Actually, they might have already met by now. ¡°...!¡± -Your contractor defeated the princess and reached the same stage as the emperor, but that¡¯s only half the job done. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± -He needs time, and it¡¯s the power to buy him some time that I left to you. Helic¡¯s silhouette and voice began to gradually fade away. ¡°W-wait. But I don¡¯t know how to use this power. Besides, the contractor is on the other side of the continent right now/¡± -You and the human you chose can do it. You are truly strongly connected to each other. The Frost Queen felt a throbbing headache. -Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said that. But anyway, everything¡­depends¡­on¡­you guys¡­ When Helic¡¯s tracespletely disappeared, time began to flow again and Skaya appeared. ¡°Hey! Hey! Are you all right? Frost Queen!¡± Skaya¡¯s concerned face filled the Frost Queen¡¯s sight. ¡®I can definitely feel it, but¡­¡¯ Frost Queen could feel a tremendous amount of divine power in her body. However, she had no idea how to utilize such a power since she had never experienced anything like it in her life. ¡°ording to Helic, the contractor seems to be in danger. I think the Overmind emperor is after him.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± The party¡¯s expressions turned dark at once. It was a well known fact that the Overmind emperor had reached a level they could not evenpare to. It was only natural for them to be concerned about such a being going after Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°And Helic left me some power¡­¡± Frost Queen shook her head and tightly clenched her tiny fists. ¡°But I have no idea how to use this power.¡± ¡°Please describe your condition and mood in detail,¡± Christin said with a serious look on his face. ¡°Hmm. I feel full as if I ate five fresh buns¡­. I feel warm inside.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how people usually feel when they first embrace the divine power of the Sun God. Then next is to visualize.¡± ¡°Visualize?¡± Christin nodded and raised his index finger. ¡°All churches that serve a god use visualization to build a clear image of what they want in their heads in order to use divine power.¡± ¡°Build a clear image in my head¡­¡± The Frost Queen slowly closed her eyes. In the darkness, she desperately wished for only one thing. ¡®I want to go where the contractor is.¡¯ Her desperate wish was to leap across the continent to be with Seo Jun-Ho. Ping! ¡®Huh?¡¯ Suddenly, a door appeared in front of her, inside her head. She pulled the handle in a hurry, but the door did not even budge. Frost Queen opened her eyes and asked Christin, ¡°I created a door, but it won¡¯t open. What am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Um, I¡­I have no idea.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a matter of coordinates,¡± Skaya added. ¡°Perhaps the reason why the door won¡¯t open is that we don¡¯t know the exact location of Jun-Ho on the other side of the door.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°We need to figure out Jun-Ho¡¯s location first.¡± ¡°I tried using themunity just in case, but it¡¯s not working. It¡¯s not working at all.¡± She didn¡¯t know whether it was because of the Overmind emperor or the power nt, but she couldn¡¯t reach themunity at all. As a look of concern appeared on everyone¡¯s faces, Frost Queen slowly closed her eyes again. ¡®Helic said that the contractor and I are strongly connected.¡¯ Frost Queen figured that Helic was talking about the spirit contract between the two which allowed them to share each other¡¯s soul. ¡®I¡¯m ready. So¡­¡¯ Frost Queen eagerly shouted inside. ¡®Hurry up and call me. There are so many people here who want to help you, contractor!¡¯ *** ¡°...What do you think?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really want to think.¡± Wei Chun-Hak replied apathetically to Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s question. The two were staring at Seo Jun-Ho, who slowly sat down and stood up again with a bright smile on his face. ¡°What a shame. Did he hit his head or something?¡± ¡°Be quiet. I¡¯m sure there must be a profound meaning behind his actions.¡± Certainly, Seo Jun-Ho seemed to be a little strange from the others¡¯ perspective. However, he was more passionate than ever. ¡®Ah. So this is what it feels like to sit down and stand up.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was busy reestablishing his own self. While he was at it, he decided to take out his sword to learn how to hold and wield it again. ¡°Um. Mr. Specter?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Mr. Specter.¡± After attempting and failing to start a conversation with Seo Jun-Ho, Shin Sung-Hyun returned to Wei Chun-Hak with a tired expression. ¡°What should I say to him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything. I don¡¯t think he can hear you anyway.¡± ¡°Huh. That¡¯s a relief though. At least he¡¯s not crazy.¡± The yers, who had finished cleaning up, approached them just then. ¡°We¡¯re done cleaning up the scene.¡± ¡°What about Mr.Gilberto?¡± ¡°He is still absorbing the power nt¡¯s Force and he said that he needs time to convert Force into something called ether? He said half an hour is enough.¡± ¡°Great. Then those who are ready to go can start moving to the headquarters.¡± Shin Sung-Hyun nodded and opened a portal with the intention to move straight to the ice castle in the north. ¡°...?¡± However, something felt wrong. The air flowing out of the space rift was far from the cold in the north. ¡®Someone changed the location of the other side of the portal¡­?¡¯ The very idea of an ability like this was so far-fetched that he couldn¡¯t even guess how it would work. His eyes narrowed as he felt the intense killing intenting from the other side of the portal. ¡°...Get ready.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°Get ready for battle!¡± He barely had time to shout before an invisible force folded him in half and threw him back. ¡°Kweekkk!¡± Coughing up blood and pieces of organs, Shin Sung-Hyun looked at the portal he had opened, his vision slowly blurring. ¡®I-I need to close it¡­¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun tried to close the portal with all his might, but the space did not move a single inch. Only then did he realize that the situation was already out of his hands. ¡°...¡± The being who came across the portal in a confident and graceful manner looked around the area. A momentter, he seemed to find something. ¡°I see. I understand.¡± The pupils of his yellow eyes widened vertically like those of a reptile upon noticing Seo Jun-Ho swinging his sword in the distance. ¡°He is a fruit yet to be ripe.¡± But this didn¡¯t matter to him. He rather thought it was fortunate as he thought he would be a step closer to reaching the transcendence stage by eating Seo Jun-Ho who did not seem to be a harm at all. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± With the unexpected appearance of a powerful enemy, Wei Chun-Hak quickly pulled up his magic. He immediately summoned an army of beasts, but the next moment, two words from the enemy made sure his army was of no concern. ¡°Get lost.¡± Fwoosh! In an instant, the army had been wiped off the face of the. ¡°All I want is that human¡ªso all the irrelevant trifles better get lost.¡± Thus dering his intention, the emperor slowly walked past Wei Chun-Hak, who was frozen with fear. His hands were trembling and he couldn¡¯t control the sheer terror he felt from the bottom of his soul. ¡®This is bad.¡¯ His instinct was telling him that the man was the Overmind emperor, the ruler of this empire. Wei Chun-Hak could never be a match for such a great being. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Then he recalled Seo Jun-Ho, who was swinging his sword, clearly in ¡°the zone.¡± ¡®He is probably looking for something.¡¯ Every warrior could be blessed with a moment of enlightenment. And if that moment was interrupted, the enlightenment would scatter like smoke. ¡®...I need to buy him time.¡¯ The only person who could face the emperor here¡ªand among all yers¡ªwas Specter. With that thought in mind, Wei Chun-Hak immediately pulled out a dagger and cut his own palm. ¡°This guy will be able to buy ten minutes¡­or at least five minutes of time.¡± Drip, drip. The blood from his palm did not fall to the ground but instead flowed upward, inscribing a talisman in the air. ¡°y with him for the time being.¡± -Kiekkkkkkkkk! A momentter, a nine-headed dragon appeared with an ear-piercing scream. Chapter 592: Star Destroyer (4)

Chapter 592: Star Destroyer (4)

The nine-headed ck dragon, a legendary beast, was the one of the four divine beasts that once ruled over the Frontier. The so-called Western ck Dragon was the protector of the West, and Wei Chun-Hak had barely managed to sign a contract with it after tracking it down for twenty-one months without sleep. ¡®The hardships I went through back then still wake me up at night¡­¡¯ But never once did Wei Chun-Hak regret making a contract with the dragon, because its strength was great enough to fight a war alone against most countries. Unfortunately, there was one problem with summoning the dragon¡ªa great price had to be paid in order to summon such a strong divine beast. -Contractor¡­what is your purpose for summoning me and what are you willing to offer? -Is it magic again? That¡¯s not enough¡­ -Magic alone won¡¯t fill me up¡­ ¡°Fortunately for you, it¡¯s a pretty big trade this time. The request is to exterminate that bastard. What I¡¯m willing to offer in return is¡­¡± Wei Chun-Hak lightly tapped himself on his heart. ¡°All of my magic and half of my remaining lifespan.¡± There was no need to offer such a high-stakes trade every time he summoned the nine-headed ck dragon. There was only one reason why Wei Chun-Hak was paying this ridiculous price: the price paid when summoning the dragon was directly proportional to the dragon¡¯s strength. -Oh¡­ -If you are willing to give me that much¡­ -It is good enough¡­ ¡°Keuk!¡± Wei Chun-Hak frowned and coughed. He felt a terrible pain in his chest, as if someone was squeezing his heart with the intention to crush it. ¡®But even this¡­is worth it if it can give us even the slightest bit of hope.¡¯ In fact, the emperor¡¯s eyes were full of interest as he looked up at the dragon confidently raising its nine heads. ¡°...The Western ck Dragon, huh?¡± -Do you know us? ¡°Of course I do,¡± the emperor smirked. ¡°You were killed after desperately struggling until the veryst moment of your life.¡± The emperor nodded as he recalled the past for a moment. ¡°You, human over there. You won. I must admit you¡¯ve prepared something quite interesting.¡± The emperor decided to put off attacking Seo Jun-Ho, since the human wouldn¡¯t be able to wake up from that state for at least a few days anyway. ¡°I¡¯ll y with you first.¡± At the same time he finished speaking, one of the nine heads fell over him like a meteorite. Crashhh! Bang! -...! The head stopped. The enormous head that crushed everything in its path to reach its target had been simply blocked by something. -That is¡­ -No way, it can¡¯t be! -But they?abandoned the and left!? ¡°Is that what happened on the other side of the world?¡± the emperor murmured calmly. His right hand had grown grotesquely huge, and it was now gripping the head of the Western ck Dragon. ¡°But that¡¯s not what happened here.¡± Crackkk! The dragon¡¯s head was crushed like a watermelon and exploded to bits. ¡°Keuk!¡± Once again, Wei Chun-Hak spat out a painful groan and rolled on the ground. However, he did not take his eyes off of the opponent even in that state. ¡®Is that¡­a w?¡¯ The emperor¡¯s right hand had turned into something like that of a dragon¡¯s w. The only difference was that it was muchrger than the nine-headed ck dragon¡¯s own ws. -It¡¯s a dragon! -The coordinator of the world! -This ferocious energy¡­it¡¯s the Red Dragon! ¡°You are quite quick witted.¡± The emperor smirked and took a nce at Wei Chun-Hak. ¡°This will be thest moment of your life, so make sure you take a good look.¡± With this remark, the emperor suddenly grew explosively, and in an instant, he reached the towering height of forty meters. He no longer looked human by any standards; he sported a huge pair of wings and a slowly moving tail, while the glossy red scales covering his body looked like overwhelmingly mighty armor. Finally, the emperor¡¯s bright-yellow reptilian eyes opened. ¡°This is what a dragon really looks like. Inparison¡­¡± His gaze turned toward the nine-headed ck dragon. ¡°...You¡¯re just a little lizard.¡± -I won¡¯t let you get away with saying that. -I will avenge the dead head. Thud! Thud! Thud! The Western ck Dragon charged at its opponent. Each of the remaining eight heads shot out dragon breath andshed forward to bite the opponent. ¡°How useless.¡± Bang! The emperor lightly swung his heavy tail. The nearest head was struck by the tail and exploded on the spot, while two of the other heads managed to bite the emperor¡¯s long neck. -...! At the same time, however, the heads felt tremendous danger. The emperor¡¯s scales were so thick that they could not be pierced even by a dragon¡¯s sharp fangs. ¡°You inferior beings just don¡¯t learn anything until you experience it yourself, do you?¡± Spitting out this scathing piece of criticism, the emperor opened his mouth wide and ripped one of the heads off its neck. Then he instantly summoned his Force and burned the head to ashes. -Keaghhhh! -Third! Fourth! In the blink of an eye, only five heads were left. Looking at the wry dragon heads, the emperor smiled coldly. *** The emperor returned to human form, strolling with his hands behind his back along the burning streets. ¡°It¡¯s clear that excellence is determined from the moment of birth.¡± The Western ck Dragon¡¯s body, devoid of all nine heads, was lying somewhere charred ck after a ridiculously short fight. ¡°Huff, huff. Cough.¡± Helplessly lying against the wall, Wei Chun-Hak couldn¡¯t help butugh. He felt dumbfounded rather than terrified when he faced such ridiculous strength. With a blood-soaked hand, he grabbed a lighter and lit his cigarette. ¡°How can there be such a huge difference in strength even though you are both the same kind of dragon?¡± ¡°...The same dragons?¡± The emperor distorted his expression. ¡°How dare you say that when you saw the difference with your own two eyes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you this, but to my own two eyes, you look no different from each other¡­you little lizard.¡± ¡°...¡± The emperor red at Wei Chun-Hak with cold eyes. ¡°Is that all you have to say before you die?¡± ¡°Well, what can I say. I did sacrifice half of my remaining lifespan to summon the dragon¡­¡± Swoosh. Wei Chun-Hak shook his head as he exhaled the cigarette smoke. ¡°But I don¡¯t think I¡¯m old enough to leave ast will.¡± ¡°...?¡± Something felt strange. The emperor slowly turned around and discovered that Seo Jun-Ho, who had been swinging his sword for quite a long time now, had stopped moving. ¡®Has he already established his new self? No way. There¡¯s no way he can finish learning so soon.¡¯ The emperor recalled taking two days to master the new concepts of existence after reaching the Star Destruction Stage. ¡®He¡¯s human, so it should take at least three or four days.¡¯ The emperor wasn¡¯tpletely wrong. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Actually, he was half right and half wrong. Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. He had recognized the emergence of the emperor even as he was swinging his sword. However, he could not stop. The enlightenment, the process of re-establishing his proprioception, was not something that could be paused and restarted. Of course, lots of things still felt awkward, and his every movement made him utterly ufortable. In all fairness, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t think he could fight as usual in this state. ¡®Well, I guess I took care of the most urgent problems at least.¡¯ To put it simply, Seo Jun-Ho had learned and re-established only the minimum basis necessary to fight as soon as possible. Unless he re-learned how to breathe, walk, run, sit, stand up, hold a sword, cut, and stab, there was no way he could ever fight against the emperor. Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly for a moment, then spoke to Wei Chun-Hak first. ¡°Thank you.¡± If Wei Chun-Hak hadn¡¯t bought him time, he wouldn¡¯t even have been able to establish these basic concepts. No matter what anyone said, the MVP of this battlefield was Wei Chun-Hak. ¡°What an honor. So¡­do you think you stand a chance against him?¡± ¡°...¡± There was no change in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression, but he felt uncertain. ¡®There¡¯s a difference.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho and the emperor were both at the same Star Destruction Stage. However, the energy radiating from the emperor was much stronger and more fearsome than Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s. The difference in power was simply far too great to say that it was simply due to the difference in the period of time they spent in the Star Destruction Stage. ¡®I think I know why.¡¯ The emperor was in his natural state. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho could only use the same amount of energy as the emperor if he deployed the 400% Overclock. ¡®In other words, right now, I am not actually at the Star Destruction Stage.¡¯ Although Seo Jun-Ho would have had a clear chance of winning if he was given a little more time, in his current state, he wasn¡¯t sure that he could even match the emperor. ¡®Oh well, it¡¯s not like contemting any longer will buy me more time.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho held the sword in a calm manner. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Mr. Specter! Please let us help and¡­¡± ¡°No. Please stay back.¡± Seo Jun-Ho firmly shook his head. ¡®I feel bad about this, but they won¡¯t be of any help.¡¯ If anything, there was a high possibility that the emperor would brutally kill them first to shake Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind. ¡°Pull Mr. Shin Sung-Hyun and Mr. Wei Chun-Hak out and give them treatment first. You need to hurry.¡± ¡°...Yes, sir.¡± ¡°I wish you the best of luck!¡± They were well aware of the harsh reality that they would be nothing but a burden. The yers and Failures stepped back, biting their lips. ¡°That was a smart choice. But you will regret not taking advantage of them,¡± the emperor snorted. If Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t woken up from his trance, the emperor would have killed the random yers around him first, because he expected Seo Jun-Ho to take at least a few days to wake up. ¡°If you had taken your time to re-establish your concepts while I butchered them, you would have been much stronger.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew that the yers and Failures would have dly sacrificed their lives for him if he decided that it was necessary. ¡°But I just didn¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°...What a fool.¡± ¡°Unlike you, I refuse to have others die for my own selfish purposes.¡± ¡°I know. And that¡¯s the proof you are an inferior creature swayed by emotions.¡± The emperor raised his hands. ¡°I gained strength at the expense of others. And with this power, I created a world that no one could even dare to dream of.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I will continue to sacrifice others in the future to fulfill my purpose. And the day I step up to thest stage, they will finally be rewarded for their sacrifice.¡± ¡°Reward them for their sacrifice? How are you going to do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. I can just revive them. The Transcendent can do anything.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smirked at the emperor¡¯s remark. ¡°So you¡¯re going to use them like a consumable item now because you can revive themter anyway?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­do you not understand the way of this solitary emperor?¡± No. There was no way Seo Jun-Ho could understand the emperor, and neither did he want to understand. ¡°My life was rather shortpared to yours, but I definitely learned one important thing. That is, no one can predict the future.¡± No matter how perfect a n was, it was bound to go wrong as soon as the smallest variable was off. This t held far more weight when it came to the actual future; predicting it was such aplex endeavor that no one in the world could embark on it in earnest. ¡°People spend each day with faith because they know that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what a loser would think. If they leave their life to me, they can live in a more perfect and happy world. They can live in a utopia where only the superior ones exist. They won¡¯t even have to put in the effort.¡± ¡°Have you¡­ever thought that you might fail yourself?¡± ¡°...¡± The emperor shut his mouth. ¡°What if you fail? How will you reward the people then?¡± ¡°...There is no room for failure in my n.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, there isn¡¯t. That is the blind spot of your n. That is also the reason why your ¡®perfect¡¯ n is nothing but a delusion.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze was cold ¡°I will make sure that your delusion ends the way it¡¯s destined. In failure.¡± ¡°How arrogant of you.¡± The emperor¡¯s body radiated light as he frowned. Once again, he turned into his Red Dragon form, tens of meters tall, and replied in a fervent voice, ¡°No matter what you say, I will eat you and take a step closer to the Transcendence Stage.¡± ¡°You can try it.¡± The energy flowing out of Seo Jun-Ho was abruptly amplified. ¡®Overclock, 405%.¡¯ ¡°If you can, that is.¡± The energy that Seo Jun-Ho emitted was not any less than that of the emperor¡¯s. Chapter 593. Star Destroyer (5) Chapter 593. Star Destroyer (5) ¡®Argh!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho tried with all his might to maintain a cool andposed expression. However, the pain he had forgotten about for a moment, thanks to a brief rest, had engulfed him once again. He still hadn¡¯t gotten used to using 400% Overclocking, and the battle against the imperial princess had turned his magic circuit into a mess. He wanted to stimte himself, so he decided to use 405% Overclocking. ¡®Get it together, Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ He was getting weaker and weaker, so he needed a powerful stimulus to whip himself into action. Seo Jun-Ho briefly examined himself. ¡®I have two minutes and forty-one seconds max.¡¯ Every minute and second was precious, so even thinking was a waste of time here. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with. Today, only one of us will live to see another day.¡± ¡°The oue has already been decided.¡± Kineos opened his mouth as wide as he could and shouted, ¡°ept your death!¡± A hellfire capable of razing everything to the ground rushed toward Seo Jun-Ho like a deluge. - Partner! ¡®I know.¡¯ Keen Intuition was telling Seo Jun-Ho that he would die if the fire managed to hit him. Seo Jun-Ho possessed Fire Immunity (S), but the oing fire was strong enough to ignore his immunity to fire. It wasn¡¯t strange. After all, it was capable of incinerating even the nine-headed Western ck Dragon into charcoal. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes rolled at an incredible speed. Seo Jun-Ho reached out with his hand and wrapped the oing ball of fire with ayer of darkness before sealing it with ayer of ice. As a result, Seo Jun-Ho was struck by a ball of ice rather than a ball of fire. The ball of ice quickly melted, but it didn¡¯t matter. The fire grew too weak to pose any danger to Seo Jun-Ho by the time it emerged from the darkness and ice. ¡°Hm, you¡¯re pretty clever.¡± The Red Dragon frowned upon seeing Seo Jun-Ho nullify his attack using his wit alone. ¡°Unfortunately, your actions are meaningless.¡± ¡®I am the strongest creature of the empire, the continent, and on this.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m strong enough to usurp Her throne. Do you really think that you stand a chance against me?¡± Kineos gestured with his w. Rumble! Seo Jun-Ho was dragged away by the sudden shift in gravity and collided against a wall. ¡°Argh!¡± Kineos then swiped at Seo Jun-Ho with his w. ¡°Argh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho briefly became darkness itself, but Kineos was a Star Destruction Stage Red Dragon. The aftershock of Kineos¡¯ attack sent shockwaves that rattled Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s organs and injured his magic circuit. Seo Jun-Ho was buried in the rubble. He gnashed his teeth and clenched his fist. ¡°Wake up!¡± he shouted. A ball of ice appeared in mid-air and took on the form of arge-framed knight made out of ice. Hart, the Frost Knight, briefly nced at his liege before emerging from the rubble and flying away. ¡°Where are you going?!¡± Kineos¡¯ eyes were unwittingly fixed on the figure that had emerged from the rubble. ¡®He¡¯s not¡­ Seo Jun-Ho?¡¯ He momentarily nced at the rubble. Hart saw that and took advantage of the opportunity to take on the unique stance of his ultimate move¡ªCut the Mountain. sh! A ray of sword light made a beeline for Kineos. ¡°Ah!¡± Kineos eximed and reflexively swung his tail at the sword light. Boom! The sword light disintegrated, but Kineos¡¯ scales plummeted to the ground, revealing a bleeding wound. ¡°My scales are harder than mithril, but you actually managed to prate me?¡± ¡®He¡¯s just a creation. He¡¯s not a Star Destruction Stage creature!¡¯ Kineos was furious upon realizing that a mere creation had injured him. ¡°Get lost!¡± Fwoosh! A massive congration abruptly swept across the ruins, dispersing the surrounding clouds. Brrrrt! A loud mechanical noise echoed beneath Kineos¡¯ w. ¡°...That¡¯s good enough, Hart.¡± ¡®Sawtooth Sword.¡¯ It was a three-meter-long sword with thirty-two saw-toothed wheels embedded along its body. It was made to ughter monsters with thick hides, and it started rotating the moment Seo Jun-Ho injected it with magic. ¡®Cover it with Watchguard of Darkness¡¯ scornful power to disregard...¡¯ Brrrrt! The Sawtooth Sword spun furiously, spilling darkness into the air. ¡°Your scales are harder than mithril, but.¡± The Sawtooth Sword had be a powerful weapon capable of slicing apart mithril. ¡°Let¡¯s start with one leg.¡± Brrrr! The Sawtooth Sword ravenously dug into the Red Dragon¡¯s left hind w. The cut was obviously not clean, but it amplified the pain. ¡°AAAARGH!¡± Kineos screamed at the terrible pain. He could feel his flesh getting torn apart. ¡®When was thest time I felt this kind of pain? Was it a few decades ago? Hundreds of years ago? No¡­ has it been a thousand years ago?¡¯ Kineos lost his bnce and started tilting to one side. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing a massive shadow looming over him. ¡®The tail!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth. ¡®I can¡¯t waste any more time.¡¯ He only had about a minute and forty seconds left. Seo Jun-Ho took off into the sky and ran along Kineos¡¯ tail. Brrr¡ª The Sawtooth Sword abruptly stopped while it wascerating Kineos¡¯ tail. ¡°Damn it!¡± Seo Jun-Ho cursed. ¡®Is it because his tail is thicker than his leg?¡¯ ¡°It must be done.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed. He had to achieve the impossible by any means. ¡°I have to keep going!¡± Seo Jun-Ho tasted blood as he squeezed as much magic as he could into the Sawtooth Sword. Brrrrr! The Sawtooth Sword ravenously dug into the scales of Kineos¡¯ tail. ¡°AAARGH!¡± Kineos let out a miserable scream as blood, scales, and flesh drenched Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face. Boom! Soon, the Red Dragon¡¯s tail fell to the ground. The Sawtooth Sword couldn¡¯t spin anymore. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that it died to sever the Red Dragon¡¯s tail. ¡°Well done,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho to the weapon that had fulfilled its role. Afterward, he took out the Twilight Sword and the Freedom de. He gripped the Twilight Sword tightly and ran on the Red Dragon¡¯s back. ¡®I can reach it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho just had to run straight, and he would soon find the Red Dragon¡¯s nape. ¡®I can reach it.¡¯ If he ran for another second or even half a second, he could chop off the Red Dragon¡¯s head. Seo Jun-Ho got engrossed in the idea, and it stimted him, making him run even faster. ¡®I can cut him down.¡¯ He invested all of his magic into his Twilight Sword, the Freedom de, and his legs. There was a burst of speed as he briefly reached a new record of 410% Overclocking. ¡®I can cut him down.¡¯ Momentster, Seo Jun-Ho appeared in front of the Red Dragon¡¯s nape. He raised his sword up high. ¡®I just have to bring this down, and his head will fall down.¡¯ ¡°Hmph.¡± the Red Dragon snorted. Seo Jun-Ho was about to make a move, but the scenery peeled away as he was sent flying away. ¡®Ah! Ha¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t even breathe, let alone groan. The intense pain seemed capable of boring a hole in his soul, and Seo Jun-Ho felt like a kite that had lost its strings. ¡®H-how?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s vision blurred. He had no idea how he got hit. ¡°You fool. You were engrossed in a sweet moment of hope upon reaching my nape, weren¡¯t you?¡± The Red Dragon turned around and twanged a thin thread in mid-air using his ws. ¡°You must have been in a hurry seeing that you failed to notice such a simple trap.¡± ¡°...A thread?¡± Seo Jun-Ho narrowed his eyes, and he finally saw dozens of threads made out of Force suspended in mid-air. It looked abrupt, but Kineos had installed the threads while he was thrashing around in pain. He made sure to show Seo Jun-Ho that he was in pain so that thetter wouldn¡¯t get suspicious. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was defeated, and he had zero excuses for his defeat. He was intoxicated with the thought of victory, and he was basking in the fact that he had severed the Red Dragon¡¯s tail andcerated one of its legs. ¡°How arrogant of you.¡± Kineos¡¯ words before their battle started echoed in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ears. ¡®Is that it? Am I too arrogant?¡¯ A deluge of fatigue overwhelmed Seo Jun-Ho. Soon, his magic circuit copsed; he had run out of time. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡®It¡¯s my defeat. I lost.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have even a handful of magic, and even if he had more magic left in his reservoirs, it would be useless without a magic circuit to harness it. ¡°You¡¯re desperate,¡± said Kineos. Seo Jun-Ho forced himself to stand up, even though he was aware that he no longer stood a chance. Kineos flicked Seo Jun-Ho away with his ws. Boom! Seo Jun-Ho flew away as if he were a pebble, and he cut a sorry figure as he rolled a few times on the ground before stopping. ¡°Your weakness is saddening.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ argh¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s left arm and ribs were broken, and a sharp pain in his spine was making him feel dizzy. However, Seo Jun-Ho still forced himself to stand up despite the excruciating pain ¡°Just why on earth are you so desperate?¡± asked Kineos. ¡°...¡± Unfortunately, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t answer him. The former couldn¡¯t even think straight, much less form a coherent sentence. ¡°It seems that you cannot talk anymore,¡± said Kineos, sounding disappointed. He opened his mouth wide and said, ¡°Then, I shall cease the questions. It is about time I devour both your body and soulpletely.¡± Seo Jun-Ho saw a beam of fire making its way to him amidst his blurry vision. ¡®Ah¡­ it¡¯s hot.¡¯ The beam of fire burned Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skin off of his body. ¡®Perhaps I might no longer be in pain if I let myself be engulfed by that me.¡¯ ¡°...Bullshit.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth and reached out with his trembling hand. He circted the ck Moon Heart Method to use magic without his magic circuit. Crackle! Seo Jun-Ho created a wall of ice to protect him. ¡°It¡¯s weak¡­¡± The beam of fire soon melted the wall of ice away. ¡°...¡± At the sight, Seo Jun-Ho finally closed his eyes. He was already aware of his oue. ¡®If she were here¡­ if Frost were here¡­ if that arrogant and brazen queen who calls herself the Frostbringer of Worlds were here¡­ could she freeze this oing me?¡¯ It was a question born from pure curiosity in his final moments, so he wasn¡¯t expecting any answer. ¡°You ask stupid questions sometimes.¡± Perhaps that was why Seo Jun-Ho unknowingly lifted his head upon hearing that cheeky, shameless, and naive-sounding voice. ¡°...Frost?¡± ¡°I am the Frostbringer of Worlds. I can freeze even worlds, so do you really think that there¡¯s something out there that I cannot freeze?¡± She was shorter than him, so he could see the top of her head. ¡®But how did she get here? When?¡¯ He was curious, but he was too tired to ask. ¡®...No.¡¯ Even if he weren¡¯t tired, he wouldn¡¯t have said those words out loud. The Frost Queen¡¯s back looked bigger and more reliable than ever, and it wasn¡¯t appropriate to question her any longer. ¡°That is nothing but just a bonfire to me. Take a good look,¡± said the Frost Queen with a light smile. She stretched her tiny hand and muttered, ¡°The Queen of Niflheim demands¡ª¡± A flower cold enough to wake Seo Jun-Ho up bloomed at her fingertips and quickly grew in size. ¡°¡ªFreeze, world.¡± Chapter 594. Star Destroyer (6) Chapter 594. Star Destroyer (6) The sudden drop in temperature turned Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s breaths into white mists. Goosebumps had broken out all over him, and his heart was palpitating, perhaps due to the abrupt drop in temperature. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly looked around in a daze. ¡®Wow...¡¯ Everything¡ªas far as he could see¡ªwas covered in azure ice. The street lights, the buildings, and the me that was flying toward him had frozen splendidly as if they were works of art that a stubborn craftsman had crafted with all his might. ¡®No, the mes have been temporarily trapped inside the ice.¡¯ The mes were still trembling, looking for a way to escape. ¡°Hm.¡± The Frost Queen breathed out and lowered her hand. ¡°So this is how you use it.¡± She had failed to freeze the entire world, but she finally understood how to use the divine power that Helic had granted to her. She turned around gracefully and walked toward her contractor. ¡°Contractor.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen in front of him felt unfamiliar, rendering him speechless. ¡°Let¡¯s get you patched up first. It¡¯ll be quick with this power.¡± The Frost Queen split the divine power within her and injected the other half into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho recovered at breakneck speeds. He recovered so quickly that his regeneration rate had to have surpassed Cell Regeneration (S) or even Rahmadat¡¯s Super Regeneration (EX). Seo Jun-Ho examined himself and asked carefully, ¡°This power¡­ did you evolve while I was away?¡± ¡°Of course not. The Sun God lent me this power.¡± ¡°Helic lent you her power?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t recall an Administrator helping a yer to this extent../¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho revealed a puzzled look and looked over the Frost Queen¡¯s shoulder. He could see a crack forming on the ice that had sealed Kineos. ¡°He¡¯s about toe out. You¡¯ve be extremely powerful, but can you fight him without me?¡± ¡°Who knows? I can do it until I¡¯ve exhausted this power, but¡­¡± the Frost Queen smiled and said, ¡°I did note here by myself, so you do not have to worry about me.¡± ¡®She¡¯s not alone?¡¯ The thought had just popped up in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind when pirs of light descended upon the ruins. The first ones to emerge from the pirs of light were Mio and Mr. Shoot. ¡°Jun-Ho. You did great holding out by yourself.¡± - It seems that I can finally repay the debt I owe you. The figures who emerged from the pirs of light after the Tenmei siblings were also familiar to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°This is a Holy War led by the Sun God Himself. How can we stay back and not participate?¡± ¡°Holy War? No, I¡¯m here because I¡¯m Specter-nim¡¯s fan.¡± The priests and the Knight Order of the Church of the Sun under the leadership of Christin Lewis, as well as the members of the Goblin Guild under Gong Ju-Ha¡¯s leadership, emerged from the pirs of light. Momentster, a familiar swordsman also emerged from a pir of light. The members of Silent Moon stood behind him. ¡°All troops. Get ready for battle.¡± Kim Woo-Joong turned and looked at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...Let¡¯s talk once we¡¯re done here, Jun-Ho.¡± ¡®So he¡¯s awake...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt like one of the weights that had been pressing down on his shoulders disappeared. Meanwhile, the yers and the failures hiding in the city finally emerged upon realizing that the battle was about to reach its climax. ¡°Woo-Joong, the emperor is strong. I know you just woke up, but you should focus if you don¡¯t want toy on a sickbed once more,¡± said Shin Sung-Hyun. ¡°Hm, is that so? Why do you look like you need toy on a sickbed the most?¡± Kim Woo-Joong retorted. Indeed, Shin Sung-Hyun looked so exhausted that he needed toy on a sickbed more than anyone else here. However, Shin Sung-Hyun shook his head and drank a potion. ¡°I can¡¯t let my subordinates go into battle without me.¡± Crackle! The ice that had been sealing Kineos finally shattered. ¡°You inferior creatures¡­¡± Kineos looked around and growled. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯ve assembled here! I can just wipe all of you out at once!¡± The Frost Queen stomped, signaling the start of the battle. Crackle! A small igloo enveloped Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Focus on your recovery! Do not enter the battle until you¡¯vepletely recovered!¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s loud voice pierced Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ears, and thest scene he saw before the igloo was shut close was the sight of humans and failures fighting together against a massive Red Dragon. ¡®Frost is right¡­¡¯ The overwhelming power that Helic had bestowed upon the Frost Queen would eventually run out, and the scales of the battlefield would surely tip in Kineos¡¯ direction once the Frost Queen was exhausted. ¡®I can only trust them.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho set aside his concerns because the yers had the same goal as him. ¡°Kill the Overmind emperor and clear the 7th Floor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and soon descended upon the world that he had briefly stopped establishing. *** ¡°Ah!¡± Gong Ju-Ha unknowingly eximed. Her mes were definitely hitting the Red Dragon, but they weren¡¯t causing that much damage. ¡®And it¡¯s so hot out here!¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha would have run away without looking back if she were fighting alone, but she couldn¡¯t retreat here. If she retreated, the yers¡¯ burden would be even heavier. ¡°Argh Just! Die! Already!¡± Gong Ju-Ha roared. Fwoosh! She hurled a massive pir of fire at the emperor. ¡°Learn your ce.¡± The emperor blinked, and the massive pir of fire disappeared. Afterward, he stomped, and an earthquake shook the city. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Damn it, he really is a monster¡­¡± mes exploded like firecrackers in the skies before raining down on the yers. ¡°Holy Shield!¡± Christin Lewis hastily raised his hand. A golden dome instantly manifested to protect the yers from the mes. The priests also injected their divine power into the shield. ¡°Tsk!¡± The emperor clicked his tongue. ¡®This is annoying.¡¯ He was annoyed, nothing else. ¡®These dirty bugs.¡¯ And then he started to get angry at their persistence¡­ ¡®Are they really thinking they can beat me? Is that why they¡¯re holding out with all their might?¡¯ The Overmind emperor roared. ¡°Roarrrrrrr!¡± The shockwaves swept past the city, destroying any buildings in its path and bursting the eardrums of the unfortunate yers who couldn¡¯t react in time. ¡°Ah! M-my ears¡­!¡± ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t see clearly!¡± The emperor looked down at the humans struggling in pain. ¡®This is the difference between Stages.¡¯ ¡°You insects can¡¯t withstand even a single roar of mine.¡± The emperor snorted in disdain at the yers¡¯ pathetic efforts to hunt him down. ¡®If I need to keep my eye on someone, it would be¡­¡¯ The emperor¡¯s gaze turned to a certain someone. ¡®I have to keep an eye on that woman over there.¡¯ The Frost Queen was looking for the perfect opportunity to use Helic¡¯s power because she didn¡¯t want to waste the power that Helic had entrusted to her. ¡®The opportunity¡­ It¡¯sing, but I don¡¯t know when...¡¯ The Frost Queen was frustrated. ¡®If the contractor were here by my side, I think he would have somehow made an opportunity for me to take.¡¯ ¡°Are you perhaps looking for an opportunity to attack me?¡± asked the emperor with a contemptuous smirk. He easily saw through the Frost Queen¡¯s thoughts, and it wasn¡¯t that difficult because he could feel Helic¡¯s divine power from her. ¡®Unfortunately, that opportunity won¡¯te at all.¡¯ Things would be different if Seo Jun-Ho were here, but he wasn¡¯t here, and no one on the battlefield could hurt him. ¡®There is no de sharper than Seo Jun-Ho here.¡¯ The Frost Queen thought the same. ¡°...!¡± The emperor felt a shiver down his spine, and his eyes shot wide open. ¡®I see, there¡¯s another one.¡¯ He finally realized that there was another de sharp enough to harm him. sh! The scales on his nape were abruptly torn apart. *** ¡°I still don¡¯t know whether I¡¯m dreaming or not¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong muttered. He looked down at the sword in his head. Everything was hazy, but one thing was certain. ¡®The line.¡¯ He had gone beyond the limits of the sword path that he had been walking down all his life, and the line he vaguely felt when he saw Ceylonso¡¯s swordsmanship was already behind him. ¡®Maybe this is nothing more than just a delusion.¡® Perhaps he wanted to see a miracle amidst his desperation. ¡®But it¡¯s worth a try; it¡¯s just death, anyway.¡¯ ¡°Sigh.¡± Kim Woo-Joong lowered his sword. The sword in his hand felt unnatural, and he felt like he had been holding the sword a different way from the way he had done all throughout his life. ¡®Was I holding it like this? No, was it like this?¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong felt like he was in a foggy forest with a blindfold as he scoured through his memories. He carefully pieced together the fragments of memories he found within the deepest recesses of his mind. ¡°A forest? No, a cemetery?¡± muttered Kim Woo-Joong after piecing together a scene. The scene depicted him fighting against someone in a life-or-death battle. ¡®I went beyond the line during that fight¡­¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong started running. ¡®I think I remember it now. Yes. It was exactly like this.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong jumped onto a street light and onto a three-story building before soaring into the skies. ¡°Ah.¡± Kim Woo-Joong swept his gaze across the ruined city, the yers, and the emperor. Soon, he was convinced. Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes shot wide open, and he no longer felt like he was wearing a blindfold in a foggy forest. ¡®This feeling is just¡­¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong couldn¡¯t abandon the scene that he had witnessed because it was closest to the sword art that he had been pursuing all his life. ¡°Sword Saint Style Seventh Sword¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong gripped his sword as usual. He wielded it the way he had been wielding the sword since he became a yer. He had made many mistakes in the interim, and he had even doubted himself numerous times. ¡®But I finally understand.¡¯ He finally understood that he had been walking on the right path all this while, albeit it was a crooked path. ¡®It¡¯s crooked, but it belongs to me. It¡¯s my path.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong thrust his sword sword. ¡°Heavenly Road.¡± There had always been only one path. *** The scales protecting the emperor¡¯s nape were abruptly torn off, eliciting a sharp pain as well as injuring the emperor¡¯s pride. ¡®This is the second time! This is the second time an inferior human has harmed me today, and I was harmed by a human who hasn¡¯t even reached the Star Destruction Stage?!¡¯ ¡°Roaaarrr!¡± The emperor¡¯s massive figure suddenly tilted. And Tenmei Mio didn¡¯t miss the opportunity... ¡°Sword Kinesis: Sword Dance.¡± Swoosh! Two swords pierced the emperor¡¯s left eye. ¡°Aargh!¡± ¡°...!¡± Thud! The Red Dragon pped his wings to temporarily escape the onught, destroying several buildings in the process. However, the Frost Queen had been desperately waiting for him to take flight. ¡°Now!¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s unexpected performance and Mio¡¯s help gave the Frost Queen enough courage to attack. ¡®Perhaps we can defeat him without the contractor.¡¯ The Frost Queen imagined the best-case scenario as she activated every particle of divine power within her. Crackle! A giant sword of ice appeared upside down from a hundred meters above the sky. ¡°...Fragarach, kill my enemy.¡± Fragarach was an invincible sword, and it had never failed to destroy the enemy, so the meaning behind the sword¡¯s name was the Answerer. ¡°Get lost, lizard,¡± the Frost Queen spat coldly, and the giant sword plummeted toward the Red Dragon. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Stop him!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let him fly!¡± ¡°Restrain him with all your might, even at the cost of your lives!¡± The yers and failures shouted at the same time. ¡®He¡¯ll die the moment that sword hits him!¡¯ ¡®Die! Die! Die!¡¯ The giant sword of ice seemed to be carrying the hopes and dreams of both yers and failures as it descended on the emperor¡¯s head. Chapter 595. Star Destroyer (7) Chapter 595. Star Destroyer (7) ¡®Damn it, damn it, damn it all!¡¯ The emperor panicked, but he soon reached a conclusion. He clicked his tongue and red fiercely at the yers before looking up at the giant sword of ice descending toward him. ¡°Damn it! Come at me!¡± A huge explosion rocked the entire city, and a burst of cold wind battered the yers. ¡°...¡± When they opened their eyes, they gulped while staring nervously at the cloud of dust. ¡®Please, let this be the end. Please be dead¡­!¡¯ ¡°Ah¡­¡± However, a massive silhouette emerged from the cloud of dust, eliciting gasps of despair from the crowd. ¡°I have to admit, that attack was dangerous even for me,¡± the emperor said. His voice wasn¡¯t calm anymore. He sounded listless as if he had lost something precious. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on using them like this¡­¡± ¡°Haaa¡­ haaa¡­¡± The exhausted Frost Queen was leaning against a streetmp. She stared at the Red Dragon in disbelief. ¡°No way¡­ this is absurd! Howe you¡¯re still alive after getting hit by Fragarach¡­?¡± The Frost Queen had judged that the divine power she possessed was enough to kill the emperor using Fragarach, and she had alsounched the attack at the perfect opportunity. In other words, it didn¡¯t make sense that the emperor was still alive. ¡°You bastard¡­ what have you done?!¡± the Frost Queen shouted upon realizing that something was off. ¡°Ha...¡± The emperor sighed lightly. The Frost Queen¡¯s attack was so strong that he could only sacrifice them to withstand the Frost Queen¡¯s Fragarach. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that big of a deal.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°I simply used my spare lives ahead of time,¡± said the emperor. The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes quivered. She knew exactly what he meant. ¡°No way. Don¡¯t tell me that you¡­¡± ¡°Tsk! I was nning on using them to take the final step to Transcendence.¡± ¡°You¡­ you sacrificed the lives of all the Overminds and failures on this¡­?¡± ¡°So what?!¡± The Red Dragon roared. ¡°I will sacrifice them in the end, anyway!¡± ¡°You monster¡­ How brazen of you to call yourself the emperor of an empire¡­¡± muttered the Frost Queen while covering her mouth with both of her hands. The emperor chuckled and jeered, ¡°You must be pretty upset that you couldn''t kill me.¡± The emperor looked around. He had also sacrificed a ton of Force to block Fragarach, but there was still enough Force in the air for him to use. ¡°Unfortunately, this is your harsh reality. It is over, and it is your defeat.¡± The emperor¡¯s words weighed heavily on the Frost Queen¡¯s shoulders. The yers were so exhausted that they could no longer stand up, while the emperor looked more energetic than ever after devouring the Force of every Overmind on the continent. ¡°I will devour all of you, and I¡¯ll also head downstairs to devour your friends and families.¡± The emperor was serious. He couldn¡¯t allow the yers to rest in peace, even in the afterlife. ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen.¡± ¡°...Contractor?¡± the Frost Queen eximed, but her expression abruptly darkened. ¡®He will have to fight the emperor by himself¡­ the yers are too exhausted to continue.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said the Frost Queen with a sad look. ¡°What¡¯s up with that apology?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked before saying ndly, ¡°Anyway, I should thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m apologizing because I ruined the n¡­ I got too impatient and made a mistake¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Frost,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. The Frost Queen looked up, and her anxiousness seemed to melt at the sight of her trusty contractor. ¡°I¡¯ll wrap it up for you and for everyone.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± the Frost Queen caught herself. ¡®How?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had recovered, and he seemed to be at his peak condition. ¡®But the emperor has recovered as well...¡¯ In fact, the emperor¡¯s Force had gotten even stronger than before. ¡°Intuition is telling me that he¡¯s at his limits as well.¡± ¡®I can feel it.¡¯ The emperor looked like he was fine, but he was exhausted as well. He even suffered a serious injury that would require him to rest for several months at the very least just to recover from it. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. ¡®I have to end this in one blow. We¡¯re going to attack each other with our strongest attacks, and the loser is the one who breaks first.¡¯ ¡°Overclocking.¡± Rumble! A rumbling noise echoed from within Seo Jun-Ho as he instantly raised Overclocking¡¯s output to 405%. An intense pain engulfed him at once, but he had long gotten used to it. ¡®Unfortunately, this isn¡¯t enough to defeat him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was aware of the emperor¡¯s true strength. ¡®Sung-Jun only managed to kill him in an ambush.¡¯ However, he had to fight the emperor in a direct confrontation. ¡®I have to be determined. I need to be prepared¡­ to lose everything.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze shone firm and fiercely. He opened his mouth slowly and spat, ¡°Dignity of an Emperor.¡± Rumble! Seo Jun-Ho was now a pseudo-transcendent. ¡®Now, I can win.¡¯ ¡°I think I can do it once.¡± Seo Jun-Ho squeezed as much magic as he could into his magic circuit. ¡°Argh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face turned ugly as a terrible pain washed over him. He bit his tongue lightly to remain steadfast against the pain. ¡®Just once¡­ not one more, not one less. Just once¡­ it should be enough.¡¯ ¡°Hm?¡± The emperor frowned at the appalling energy. ¡®I think I know what he¡¯s trying to do here.¡¯ The emperor figured that Seo Jun-Ho was nning to end everything in one blow. ¡®Should I dodge it?¡¯ The emperor contemted it briefly before shaking his head, but it wasn¡¯t because he felt like his pride would get hurt if he were to dodge Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attack. ¡®I don¡¯t know if I can dodge it. If I attempt to dodge it, I might get annihted. I have to take this seriously.¡¯ Indeed, the energy that Seo Jun-Ho was emitting was so overwhelming that the emperor decided to take Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s next attack seriously. The emperor asked, ¡°Human, do you know the ramifications of what you¡¯re trying to do here? You¡¯ll lose everything if you do that.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°...¡± The emperor nodded. Seo Jun-Ho was an enemy, but he couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge him. ¡®Unfortunately, victory belongs to me.¡¯ It was inevitable. The emperor nodded once more and beckoned. ¡°Come, my enemy.¡± Boom! A typhoon of Force manifested, and the Red Dragon stood in the eye of the storm. ¡°...All right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡°Sigh.¡± Seo Jun-Ho exhaled and took a step forward. Swoosh! His figure abruptly vanished, and before anyone couldprehend what was going on, Seo Jun-Ho reappeared right under the Red Dragon¡¯s nose. ¡®Overclocking: 1000%¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth and threw all caution to the wind in a gamble that would finish the battle once and for all, consequences be damned. As a result, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword move briefly reached the same level as Sung-Jun¡¯s. ¡°...!¡± A typhoon of Force and magic collided with each other. Hundreds of yers stared nervously at the battle, but all they could see were the typhoon of Force and magic. They failed to witness the pivotal sword move that would decide the oue of the battle. In the blink of an eye, the legendary exchange of moves ended. ¡°Ah¡­ argh!¡± The emperor coughed up a mouthful of blood. Momentster, his massive figure split in half and copsed to the ground. Boom! ¡°...¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t any better. In fact, he was in the worst condition he had ever been. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ The emperor was right, He had ended up losing everything. His muscles had been torn apart, and his magic circuit was horribly mangled. He would never be able to wield a sword or circte even a particle of magic ever again. Seo Jun-Ho lost everything in just one sword move. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s condition was so bad that the yers couldn¡¯t bring themselves to cheer. ¡°W-w-where is the message?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead, right?¡± The yers panicked. The emperor had clearly perished, but the System still hadn¡¯t announced their victory. However, they soon discovered why¡­ - This is why my victory is inevitable. A gray sphere appeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®The emperor?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho instinctively realized that the gray sphere was the emperor¡¯s true body. [You have encountered the boss monster of Frontier-23, Kineos Mullibach.] [Once defeated, safe zones will appear in Frontier-23.] - I am the epitome of excellence. It¡¯s been a long time since I abandoned my fleshly body. ¡°This is unfair!¡± the Frost Queen roared. ¡®This is absurd¡­! What did my contractor sacrifice his everything for?!¡¯ - You are indeed a trifling human being. You are easily swayed by useless things such as feelings and affection. However, I must admit you fought well. I acknowledge you. St! A sharp spear emerged from the gray sphere and pierced Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s life shed briefly in his mind like a panorama. ¡°...¡± Blood spurted out of his orifices, but Seo Jun-Ho remained standing. He felt cold; death was approaching. ¡®Is this what dying feels like?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was scared. However, he couldn¡¯t embrace death just yet. ¡°...I know.¡± - What? ¡°I finally know¡­ why I¡¯m¡­ so¡­ desperate.¡± The answer was simple. ¡°...Everything.¡± Everything that had led him all the way here was what had made him so desperate. His parents, histe colleagues, and his admirers, whom he wanted to protect at all costs. They were the impetus for his desperation. - Is that so? The emperor sounded calm. He was no longer interested in Seo Jun-Ho. - Howme. ¡°And that¡¯s why...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s dull eyes suddenly shone fiercely like a candle me, desperately trying to withstand the darkness amidst the tempest until the winds no longer blew. ¡°And that is why I can¡¯t stop here¡­¡± -...No way! This is absurd! A dying¡ªno, a corpse was trying to kill him. The emperor couldn¡¯t quiteprehend just how strong was the will that was driving Seo Jun-Ho into wielding his sword, even though he had already perished. However, one thing was for sure¡ªhis will transcended both mind and the mortal coil. -... The emperor was briefly overwhelmed by the desperation of the corpse in front of him. ¡°I¡­ cannot¡­ die.¡± And simr to Sung-Jun, the System responded to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s transcendent will. [The lowest-level Death Resistance has been activated.] [You have resisted death.] [You¡¯ve recovered from some of your injuries.] - ...! Kineos Mullibach was horrified. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, but it seems that¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes burned even fiercer than ever as he hurled White Dragon at the gray sphere. ¡°The world doesn¡¯t want me to die just yet.¡± White Dragon carried not even a single particle of magic as it pierced the gray sphere, but the emperor had abandoned his fleshly body, and his true body had zero defense, so it exploded like a water balloon upon being hit by White Dragon. [Congrattions! You have defeated Frontier-23¡¯s Boss Monster, Kineos Mullibach.] [You¡¯ve obtained the title: Death¡¯s Phobia (S).] [Safe zones will now appear in the Frontier-23 area.] [Star Destruction¡­] [...] Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes upon seeing the System messages. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ It took a terribly long time, but the 7th Floor was finally cleared. Chapter 596. Screening Test (1) Chapter 596. Screening Test (1) Munch, munch, munch! Chewing noises were the first thing that Seo Jun-Ho heard upon waking up. ¡°...¡± He opened his and saw a familiar ceiling. He was also lying on a soft bed. ¡®It¡¯s my room.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho deduced that he was in his home in the Korean yers Association. He turned, and his eyes met with the Frost Queen, who was munching an apple beside him. ¡°Oh¡­?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes widened as if she had been caught red-handed, and then she asked awkwardly, ¡°D-do you want one, too?¡± ¡°...No. I have no appetite right now.¡± ¡®I need to examine myself first.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho raised his stiff body and closed his eyes to examine himself. ¡°Huh, what is this? I feel much better than I thought.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember anything?¡± ¡°Remember what?¡± ¡°You were a total mess, Contractor.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°How should I exin this? What was it called? Like when you reconstructed your physique or something. Uh¡­ what was it again¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho searched through his memories for a while before answering, ¡°Body transformation?¡± ¡°Ah! Yes, that¡¯s it. You did that again.¡± ¡°I did?¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked and looked down and saw that the scars he had sustained after his first body transformation had disappeared. ¡®I feel much lighter as well, but howe I went through another body transformation?¡¯ The Frost Queen seemed to have seen through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s thoughts and said, ¡°You should read the System¡¯s event log before anything else.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded and opened the System¡¯s event log. Dozens of messages flooded his vision at once. Fwoosh! [Congrattions! You have defeated Frontier-23¡¯s Boss Monster, Kineos Mullibach.] [You¡¯ve obtained the title: Death¡¯s Phobia (S).] [Safe zones will now appear in the Frontier-23 area.] [You¡¯re the first yer to have reached the Star Destruction Stage.] [You¡¯ve obtained the title: Pioneer (S).] [You¡¯ve obtained the title: Star Destroyer (S).] [Your fleshly body and your magic circuit have been reformed as a result of reaching the Star Destruction Stage.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­ [All stats have increased by 40.] ¡°I see...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡®I guess I really wasn¡¯t a Star Destruction Stage creature until I defeated the emperor.¡¯ However, he really didn¡¯t find it strange because he couldn¡¯t maintain Overclocking at 400% for a long time. ¡°Hold on. Does that mean¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho mustered his magic, and he was surprised to see magic traveling around his body at breakneck speeds. ¡°...¡± Despite his high Overclocking output, his body temperature remained stable. Seo Jun-Ho smiled lightly. ¡°I guess I¡¯m now a true Star Destruction Stage creature.¡± He could only maintain Overclocking at 400% output for a few minutes back then, and he also had to try his best not to make any mistakes, but now, Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that he could maintain 400% Overclocking output with no issues for even a few hours. ¡®...I had no idea that the Star Destruction Stage would be this awesome.¡¯ Actually, Seo Jun-Ho still had no idea what the Star Destruction Stage meant. He only thought of it as nothing more than a way to measure one¡¯s strength against others in the universe. ¡®I thought it¡¯s just something simr to levels among yers¡­¡¯ However, the difference between the Stages was so big that Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that there had to be something deeper about the Star Destruction Stage. ¡®I need more information. I wish I could ask someone about it. Is there even anyone like that?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho contemted, and he soon turned to the Frost Queen. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡®Unfortunately, Frost won¡¯t be that much of a help.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could still remember how a demon had ridiculed the Frost Queen for not knowing the Five Stages. ¡®But it has been a long time since then, so perhaps she had already recovered some of her memories.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho asked, ¡°Frost, are you familiar with the Stages?¡± ¡°Stages?¡± Munch, munch, munch! The Frost Queen nodded while munching on an apple like a rabbit. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m familiar with them! What do you think of me, Contractor? An idiot?¡± The Frost Queen cleared her throat and shouted, ¡°Disaster! Liberation! Star Destruction! Transcendence! Absolute!¡± The Frost Queen revealed a proud look, and she looked like a kindergarten student who had just counted her numbers correctly in front of her teacher. ¡°Yes, I know their names as well,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho with a nod before continuing. ¡±A demon told us that, remember? What I meant is that if you¡¯re familiar with the details.¡± ¡°T-the details?¡± the Frost Queen stammered before looking down at the ground. ¡®All right, she has no idea.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head, but he didn¡¯t look disappointed as he said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about it. You can keep eating those apples.¡± ¡°All right. This apple tastes really good¡­¡± Munch, munch, munch! The Frost Queen proceeded to devour the apples. Seo Jun-Ho turned his attention to his new titles. ¡®Let¡¯s start with Death¡¯s Phobia.¡¯ [Title: Death¡¯s Phobia.] Grade: S Description: Even death could not defeat you. Effect: You be stronger as death approaches. Seo Jun-Ho frowned. ¡®It¡¯s not telling me anything.¡¯ And Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t really check the title¡¯s effect. ¡°...Oh, wait.¡± ¡®I can check it.¡¯¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho pped his hands and said, ¡°Summon Jun-Sik.¡± ¡°Jun-Sik is here!¡± Seo Jun-Sik manifested in a corner of the room and raised his hand excitedly, but tears welled up in his eyes the moment he met Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze. ¡°Okay, you can kill me.¡± ¡°Are you okay? Howe you¡¯re so obedient today?¡± ¡°Nothing will change even if disobey. You¡¯re going to kill me to check the title¡¯s effect, right? You¡¯re going to kill me like I¡¯m nothing but a mere guinea pig.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The Frost Queen gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. ¡°That¡¯s so mean of you, Contractor!¡± Seo Jun-Sik kneeled and looked up at the Frost Queen with a sad gaze. ¡°Frost. It was a short reunion, but it was nice to see you again.¡± ¡°...Jun-Sik, noooooo!¡± ¡°Are you guys done yet?¡± Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue and let out a sigh. ¡°Do you seriously think that I¡¯ll kill you just to check the title¡¯s effect?¡± ¡°...You won¡¯t?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and added, ¡°But it¡¯s going to hurt a lot because I have to put you on the brink of death. It can¡¯t be helped; it¡¯s the only way to check¡± ¡°What?! Then, how¡¯s that any different from actually killing me?¡± Seo Jun-Sik eximed before sighing. ¡°At least let me do it myself.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to hurt yourself? That¡¯s scarier, actually,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho, who had killed himself dozens of times on the 4th Floor. ¡°I still want to do it myself. I¡¯m scared that you¡¯ll stab me with no mercy, Original.¡± ¡°Well, how am I supposed to put you to the brink of death, then?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. In the end, he nodded and said, ¡°All right, do as you wish. Hurry up.¡± ¡°Huff¡­ puff¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Sik took a few deep breaths to prepare himself. Momentster, he sent a palm strike to his heart. Boom! Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s expression distorted in pain as his heart abruptly stopped upon impact. ¡°AH!¡± Seo Jun-Sik inhaled sharply as his heart started beating once again. He crumpled to the floor to catch his breath. Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Did it work?¡± ¡°Can someone even get meaner than you? And you actually call yourself human?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡®Was I too heartless?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho awkwardly scratched his head. ¡°Are you okay? Anyway, did it work?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Sik stood up with an annoyed look and said, ¡°Yes, it worked. I got stronger.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I literally got stronger while I was dying.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded at Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s exnation. ¡°I see.¡± Seo Jun-Sik expounded, and it seemed that his stats weren¡¯t the only parts that had gotten stronger while he was dying¡ªmental strength, skills, et cetera also increased while he was on the brink of death. ¡®But it¡¯s kind of weak for an S-grade title. Well, I guess it¡¯s better than nothing.¡¯ Howe Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t get the title on the 4th Floor? He figured that it was all because those deaths were a part of the regression. Seo Jun-Ho moved on to the next title. [Title: Pioneer] Grade: S Description: You¡¯re the first yer to have reached the Star Destruction Stage. Effect: Level + 50 while your level is the highest among yers. ¡°Wait, this is¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was a decent title because it basically meant that Seo Jun-Ho possessed an additional two hundred and fifty stat points as long as he had the highest level among yers. ¡®It¡¯s a permanent level increase as long as I make sure that I have the highest level.¡¯ The title was priceless, considering how difficult it was to level up the higher one¡¯s level. Seo Jun-Ho was thrilled. Pioneer (S) was such a great title, so he was excited to see if the next title couldpare to it or perhaps even surpass it. [Title: Star Destroyer.] Grade: S Description: You¡¯ve reached the Star Destruction Stage. Effect: Your fleshly body and magic circuit are reformed. ¡®I knew it.¡¯ It was clear that Star Destroyer (S) was the reason behind his second body transformation. ¡®I profited a lot.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho checked his status window for the first time in a long while. [Seo Jun-Ho] Level: 372 Title: Bringer of Spring (+11 more) Strength: 1009 Stamina: 1003 Speed: 1013 Magic: 1024 ¡°Wow.¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s stats reached four digits upon clearing the 7th Floor, and his massive stats clearly yed a huge part in why he felt much lighter than before. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. He examined his status window closely, and he discovered that Pioneer (S) wasn¡¯t active. ¡®I¡¯m not the yer with the highest level?¡¯ He had wiped out tens of thousands of fiends and vanquished Floor Masters after Floor Masters, so howe Pioneer (S) wasn¡¯t active? ¡°...¡± ¡®There¡¯s only one reason why it¡¯s inactive.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho said, ¡°Frost. Do you have any idea what happened to the Heavenly Demon? He was on the 7th Floor as well.¡± ¡°No one knows his current status. He probably died after getting hit by the shockwaves from your battle with the emperor because he was around the area.¡± ¡°...No. He¡¯s still alive. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± ¡®I¡¯ve already killed every fiend out there aside from the Heavenly Demon.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was certain that the Heavenly Demon was still alive because thetter was the only yer that could possibly exceed the former¡¯s level. After all, the Heavenly Demon had ess to the entire Underworld, which was definitely teeming with demonic creatures for him to hunt. ¡°Wait, he was around the area?¡± ¡°Yeah, he stole the Holy Sword, Contractor.¡± ¡°The Holy Sword?¡± Seo Jun-Ho instantly guessed why the Heavenly Demon decided to take it for himself. ¡°He must be absorbing the power within the Holy Relic right now.¡± ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was confident that he could protect everything precious to him. ¡°I¡¯m just d that he didn¡¯t attack me while I was asleep.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s going to reach the Star Destruction Stage as well once he¡¯s done absorbing the Holy Sword¡¯s power.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m waiting for him to reach the same Stage as me.¡± The Heavenly Demon had been running away like a cockroach because he was weak. He wasn¡¯t confident enough to defeat so many yers, including Seo Jun-Ho. However, it would be a different story once he reached the Star Destruction Stage. ¡°He would have nothing to fear.¡± ¡®Aside from me, of course.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho concluded that the Heavenly Demon woulde out on his own once he reached the Star Destruction Stage. ¡°Are you sure that he¡¯s going toe out on his own?¡± ¡°The Heavenly Demon is prideful, Frost.¡± He was prouder than everyone whom Seo Jun-Ho had met before. ¡°And he hates humans as well¡­.¡± The prideful Heavenly Demon had to be stewing in humiliation at the harsh reality that he couldn¡¯t afford to confront the humans whom he detested so much because he was too weak to do so. ¡°That bastard wille down to exterminate us once he bes strong enough.¡± ¡®And when that dayes, only one of us will survive to see another day.¡± ¡°I think the Heavenly Demon wille down to attack us soon, so we should get ready for that rather than get ready to clear the 8th Floor.¡± ¡°I see, but we can¡¯t really clear the 8th Floor,¡± said the Frost Queen. ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°I thought you read the event log?¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned and checked the event log once more, and his eyes narrowed at a certain message. [Safe zones will now appear in the Frontier-23 area.] [yer level cap has increased from 400 to 450.] [An Administrator has locked the 8th Floor. Please contact an Administrator for more information.] ¡°...What is this?¡± Chapter 597. Screening Test (2) Chapter 597. Screening Test (2) ¡°The Floor is¡­ locked?¡± A Floor being locked by an Administrator was unprecedented. It had never happened while he was asleep, and it had also never happened while he was clearing the 1st Floor up to the 7th Floor. The Frost Queen nodded and said, ¡°People had been talking a lot about that over the past month.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡ªwait, did you just say a month? I¡¯ve been asleep for a month?¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°No, you did not.¡± ¡®You haven¡¯t done anything other than munching on that apple since I woke up.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho asked, ¡°So what happened?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It says here to contact an Administrator.¡± A month was more than enough time to ask an Administrator and receive a response. However, the Frost Queen shook her head and said, ¡°As far as I know, no one has seeded in asking questions.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. That¡¯s why everyone¡¯s in panic, don¡¯t you think?¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned on Vita and essed the Inte. Soon, the articles from the portal site came into his sight. [Where are the Administrators? An unfriendly Floor system causes panic.] [8th Floor still tightly locked. Where should the yers go?] [Winter ising. After the lost 25 years, could this be another era of stagnation?] [Is the clue downstairs? yers scattered across seven Floors are investigating. (picture attached.)] Everyone was talking about what was going on with the 8th Floor, so Seo Jun-Ho figured that everyone was indeed panicking. Seo Jun-Ho stood up and got ready to go outside. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To Deok-Gu.¡± ¡®He must have way more information about this situationpared to the Inte.¡¯ *** ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s talk more about it once we get more information.¡± Shim Deok-Gu turned off the Vita and sighed deeply. ¡°This is exhausting.¡± ¡®Things must be much more difficult for the yers who are investigating on the front line.¡¯ He sipped the coffee that had gone cold and started researching some old documents. ¡°I¡¯ll have to find a clue before he opens his eyes. Otherwise, he¡¯s going to nag me until I die.¡± ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t think I nag that much.¡± Shim Deok-Gu was surprised. He turned and saw the back of a familiar man staring at Seoul¡¯s night view. ¡°W-w-when did you get here?¡± ¡°Hmm. Maybe about ten minutes ago? I used Night Walking.¡± ¡°Hey! We¡¯re close, but you still have to respect my privacy, you know!¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared intently at Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°Privacy? Are you talking about you and Skaya texting each other earlier?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Seo Jun-Ho casually sat down on the couch and said, ¡°So, how is it?¡± ¡°To be honest, I have no idea what¡¯s going on,¡± Shim Deok-Gu shook his head and said, ¡°Starting from Gray on the 1st Floor and Reiji on the 2nd Floor¡­ the Administrators cannot be contacted at all.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± There was only one way a yer could get in touch with an Administrator. It was by using the customer service function in Community. ¡°So the yers have scattered throughout the 7th Floors to look for clues...¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho held his chin with a serious look. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong. They would have already shut everyone up, considering how many inquiries they must be receiving every day.¡± ¡°Are you saying that they¡¯re not answering us on purpose?¡± ¡°I think there are three possible exnations for it,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Shim Deok-Gu stared wide-eyed at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®It has only been a few hours since he woke up, but he has already grasped the situation to this extent?¡¯ ¡°Indeed, the World yer Association and the Guilds around the globe have deduced two possible exnations behind this unprecedented event, but I see that you came up with another one,¡± said Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°Two?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked, obviously curious. ¡°Let me hear it. Let¡¯s see if you guys came up with the same possible exnations as me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be much different, but fine,¡± said Shim Deok-Gu. He wet his lips with his tongue before saying, ¡°The first possible exnation is that the Heavenly Demon must have done something using the Holy Sword that he stole.¡± ¡°Oh, you guys did great. Indeed, we should never forget that.¡± ¡°And that is why the yers investigating the Floors are also looking for the Heavenly Demon,¡± said Shim Deok-Gu. ¡°Sounds great. What¡¯s the second possible exnation?¡± ¡°The second possible exnation was suggested by the yers who had participated in the 7th Floor conquest rather than the World yer Association¡­¡± Shim Deok-Gu nced briefly at Seo Jun-Ho and went on. ¡°They¡¯re wondering if the Administrators decided to lock the 8th Floor on purpose because the yers¡¯ levels are way too low to conquer the 8th Floor.¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. It seemed that they reached the same conclusion as him as well. ¡°Indeed, Kineos was already extremely strong and was a Star Destruction Stage creature despite being just the Floor Master of the 7th Floor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that the 7th Floor conquest would have failed if it hadn¡¯t been for him. ¡®The 7th Floor was just that difficult.¡¯ ¡°The enemies on the 8th Floor will definitely be much stronger than the Overminds.¡± ¡®In other words, the 8th Floor is too dangerous for most yers.¡¯ ¡°Reiji once told me that we¡¯re clearing the Floors too quickly.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I guess the yers are weaker than what the Administrators expected.¡± After all, even an elite yer could still die against the monsters on the 2nd and 3rd Floors. ¡°If the Administrators locked the 8th Floor because the yers are too weak to even attempt clearing it, then it would take a very long time before the 8th Floor is unlocked.¡± ¡°How long?¡± ¡°Who knows? I can¡¯t be too sure, but it¡¯ll be more than a year or two.¡± Honestly, Seo Jun-Ho thought that even the cream of the crop yers who had helped him clear the 7th Floor would need at least five years of grinding and training to attempt the 8th Floor. ¡°Ugh. There¡¯s a massive issue that we have to handle if that¡¯s the case.¡± Shim Deok-Gu pulled up a hologram image of the Dimensional Elevator buttons. ¡°And that is the absence of prey¡­¡± The lights on the buttons that indicated Balbortan, Frontier-23, and Trium were off, which meant that those Floors had no enemies that the yers could fight to grind and train. ¡°The low-level yers will be fine because they can train on the Gates here and hunt on the 2nd Floor, which has never really run out of monsters. ¡±Afterward, they can go to the 4th Floor and challenge Another World at Seo Jun-Ho difficulty. The issue is the hunting grounds of the high-level yers.¡± They had nowhere to go other than Neo City. ¡°However, thirty-three percent of the contaminated caves had already been purified, and the purification rate has increased massively over the past month. ¡±In other words, the high-level yers would soon have no ce to grind once the contaminated caves of Neo City are purified.¡± At this rate, the above Level 300 elite yers would have no choice but to hunt orcs on the 2nd Floor. ¡°The worst thing is that there¡¯s nothing much we can do about this because it¡¯s a structural w of the Floors.¡± ¡°No, the Floors have no structural ws.¡± ¡°Have you been listening to me?¡± ¡°The Administrators aren¡¯t stupid, and the being who created the Floors and the System must be much smarter than them. I think they have taken into ount the possibility that we might face this conundrum down the road.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes deepened as he said, ¡°It seems that the only viable exnation is the exnation I came up with by myself.¡± ¡°Wait, are you saying that there¡¯s a way to take care of the high-level yers¡¯ hunting grounds and the locked 8th Floor at the same time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I think the answer to our question is in¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho pointed at the shining button for the 5th Floor on the hologram. ¡°Neo City.¡± ¡°I already told you that the contaminated caves¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the cave.¡± ¡°Then what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Neo City is the most advanced Floor out of the seven Floors we have conquered.¡± ¡°Yes. Everyone knows that, but¡ª¡± Shim Deok-Gu abruptly stopped talking. He stared wide-eyed at Seo Jun-Ho and stammered, ¡°W-w-wait! Are you serious? Is that actually possible?¡± ¡°In theory, yes.¡± ¡°I thought Neo City has been isted from the outside world?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Namgung Jincheon did something like that.¡± Namgung Jincheon had not only isted the from the others, but he also banned all exchanges andmunications with the outside world. He was afraid that the outside world would threaten his position as Neo City¡¯s emperor once the previous emperor¡¯s death came to light. ¡°Have you already forgotten that I lifted the ban that Namgung Jincheon had imposed?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s actions allowed the Overflow Merchants to visit them, and they had even agreed to a business deal. ¡°Since it¡¯s possible to enter the, it¡¯s definitely possible to exit the as well. I think it¡¯s worth a try,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu fell into deep contemtion after hearing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s unprecedented solution. ¡°The issue about the hunting grounds will definitely be resolved if what you¡¯re saying ends up being the truth.¡± ¡°The universe is huge, and there are a multitudinous amount of monsters out there. I can just issue the yers with a space mercenary certificate or something and send them out to outer space. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that difficult.¡± ¡°What about the 8th Floor? How is that rted to this?¡± ¡°Well, the Administrators aren¡¯t simply programs.¡± In other words, they existed somewhere in the universe. Seo Jun-Ho believed that it was possible to visit them in person as long as they could traverse space. ¡°I don¡¯t know why they decided to lock the 8th Floor, but since they¡¯re refusing to answer our questions.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and got up. ¡°I guess we have no choice but to visit their headquarters. What do you think?¡± ¡°Wait, do you even know where to go?¡± ¡°I have a rough idea.¡± ¡°Huh? Where?¡± ¡°They keep on mentioning this one ce whenever I talk to them.¡± ¡®They all said that their higher-ups live there¡­¡¯ ¡°The empire.¡± The Aeon Empire... *** Seo Jun-Ho saw familiar faces upon returning to his room. It seemed that they had rushed here upon hearing that he had already awakened. Skaya was the first to open her mouth. ¡°I heard from Deok-Gu. You said we can go to outer space?¡± ¡°...There really is no secret between you two, is there?¡± ¡°Of course not. Lovers don¡¯t keep secrets from each other.¡± ¡°Ugh, stop it.¡± Rahmadat jeered, ¡°I feel like throwing up the chicken breast I ate earlier.¡± Skaya didn¡¯t mind Rahmadat¡¯s remark. Her eyes were unwittingly transfixed on Seo Jun-Ho as she said, ¡°Take me with you.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Honestly, Seo Jun-Ho was nning to go by himself. It was a dangerous mission, after all. ¡®The empire may not feelfortable about our visit.¡¯ In the worst-case scenario, they could shoot Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s spaceship down. With that possibility in mind, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t feelfortable taking someone else with him. ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, but things could turn out the other way around.¡± ¡°Other way around? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You know, you might end up in a situation where you need a friend to help you.¡± Skaya certainly had a point. ¡°Of course, I have to prove myself first.¡± ¡°Prove yourself? How?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll fight Jun-Sik, and you should judge me. If I¡¯m good enough by your standards, you should let me go with you. What do you say?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Sik eximed. He had been reading aic book on the couch, so he was surprised to hear his name being mentioned from out of the blue. He sat up straight and made a long face. ¡°Why me? You can just fight the Original. I mean, he¡¯s the Original. I¡¯m just a clone,¡± Seo Jun-Sikined. ¡°Well, Jun-Ho¡¯s going to be busy preparing things on the 5th Floor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho agreed that Skaya¡¯s idea wasn¡¯t too bad, and she wasn¡¯t just whining. She was willing to go through a screening test. ¡®Now that I think about it, I actually don¡¯t know just how strong these guys are right now.¡¯ They had certainly changedpared to when they were with Seo Jun-Ho around the clock. Seo Jun-Ho thought about it and soon nodded. It was a pretty great way to see just how strong his friends had be. ¡°That sounds great. All right, everyone. Take turns fighting Jun-Sik. Remember to record the fight, so I can watch it and judge you guyster.¡± ¡°All right. When should we start?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte today, so let¡¯s start tomorrow,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. His friends expressed their desire to win and left excitedly to prepare for tomorrow¡¯s screening test. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Sik walked over to Seo Jun-Ho and asked, ¡°Hey, Original. Do I fight them with all my might, or do I go somewhat easy on them?¡± ¡°Hm, with your current strength¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik could now use ny-five percent of his Original¡¯s prowess, but Seo Jun-Ho believed that Seo Jun-Sik still had to train so that he wouldn¡¯t get rusty. ¡°I guess you should just use about seventy percent of your power, and you should also take this opportunity to increase your Overclocking¡¯s maximum output.¡± ¡°Ugh, but I¡¯m reading aic book¡­¡± ¡°Here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho handed over a card that his Vita had printed out to Seo Jun-Sik and said, ¡°Buy whatever you want to eat with this card. Of course, you¡¯re free to read moreic books or do whatever you want once the screening test is done.¡± ¡°I, Seo Jun-Sik, do solemnly swear to bark like a dog when needed and work like a cow when necessary for you, boss!¡± Seo Jun-Sik eximed and bowed deeply before epting the card with both hands. Seo Jun-Ho walked away to grab his coat, but he came to a halt upon recalling something. ¡°Oh, Frost. Did Kineos have a nucleus?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡®I guess it makes sense. I mean, Namgung Jincheon didn¡¯t drop a nucleus when he died because he was wearing a tin can. Of course, Kineos wouldn¡¯t drop a nucleus because his true body was basically a gray sphere of light.¡¯ ¡°All right. Take good care of the house while I¡¯m gone. Don¡¯t make a mess.¡± ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± ¡°Who are you calling your mother, you punk?!¡± ¡°What should I call you, then? Papa?¡± Seo Jun-Ho''s re remained fixed on Seo Jun-Sik until he closed the door behind him. Chapter 598. Screening Test (3) Chapter 598. Screening Test (3) Seo Jun-Ho headed straight for the Imperial Pce of Neo City. He entered the throne room under the greetings and reverent gazes of his officials. - Your Majesty! Yeon shouted energetically. - It¡¯s been a while! ¡°It has indeed been a while.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded and said, ¡°The atmosphere of the city seemed to have changed a lotpared to thest time I was here.¡± - Isn¡¯t it just so energetic now? ¡°Yes. It looked good.¡± The unique atmosphere of Neo City¡¯s cold and gloomy streets had mellowed down a lot, and Seo Jun-Ho assumed that it was probably due to the influx of yers and astronauts. ¡°There aren¡¯t any problems, are there?¡± - There was no problem except that someone told me to prepare reinforcements but suddenly cut off contact with me. ¡°Let me off the hook just this one time. I wasn¡¯t in the situation to reach out to you.¡± - Well, I¡¯m just d that you are safe and sound, Your Majesty. Yeon pulled up the hologram and started reporting. - As you can see here, the toxic gas on the has decreased significantly. ¡°Is it all because the contaminated caves have decreased significantly as well?¡± - That¡¯s right! The yers are certainly very diligent, as Your Majesty said. How can they be more diligent than cyborgs? The yers were working diligently because they were desperately trying to level up. - Thanks to them, It has been easier for us to make Star¡¯s Voice, and our coffers have be stable. I feel like we can do anything we want now because we¡¯ve gotten so rich. ¡°Really? Anything?¡± - Let me correct what I just said. I feel like we can do anything we want except for the things that we cannot do. ¡®He¡¯s so quick-witted.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled and said, ¡°I need a spacecraft capable of traversing the vast expanse outside.¡± - Hmm? Well, this is another unexpected order, but no problem. I¡¯ll get it ready. ¡°...That was way easier than I thought. Isn¡¯t a spacecraft like that usually expensive?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was surprised to see the thrifty Yeon agree to his request so easily. Yeon chuckled upon seeing through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s thoughts. - I can¡¯t stand wasting money on unnecessary things, but I don¡¯t spare money when it is necessary to spend. ¡°That¡¯s a very good attitude.¡± - And most of all, there¡¯s no need to buy a new spacecraft. We already have one. Seo Jun-Ho nodded, looking like he expected it. ¡°I knew it. So that¡¯s why you were so willing to agree, but how do we already have one?¡± - Your Majesty, please be more aware of your position. Your Majesty is the emperor. Your Majesty owns this, even though it¡¯s as tiny as a rat¡¯s shit. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether I should take that as apliment or not¡ªanyway, you¡¯re saying that the emperor has a spacecraft, right?¡± -Yes. It is a little old, but¡­ I don¡¯t think there¡¯s going to be a big issue. ¡®Does that mean that there might be small problems?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho got anxious and asked, ¡°Will it not be dangerous if it¡¯s that old? Why don¡¯t we just buy a new one and¡ª¡± - No way, Your Majesty! Do you know how expensive a spacecraft is? They aren¡¯t as cheap as children¡¯s toys, you know? We can just fix it ourselves and then use it! Monarchs should always be frugal if possible. ¡°Okay, fine. Then, please make sure to fix it perfectly.¡± - Yes, Your Majesty. But where are you going? I need to know the destination to prepare the entry ticket in advance. ¡°Entry ticket?¡± - To put it simply in the words of Earthlings, it¡¯s the same as a visa. ¡®Oh, a visa¡­ that surely is important. I had no idea that something like that is important here as well.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded and said, ¡°It''s the Aeon Empire.¡± - Uh¡­ Yeon walking next to Seo Jun-Ho while chattering abruptly came to a sudden stop. Seo Jun-Ho turned around and saw a confused-looking Yeon. ¡°What is it? Is something wrong with that?¡± - There¡¯s nothing wrong with it, but¡­ hmm. I¡¯ll make a request, but I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll give me permission. ¡°You need permission just to visit them?¡± - Your Majesty. The Aeon Empire is the most powerful, wealthiest, andrgest empire in the universe. They get billions of daily visitors. ¡°...What if we beg them to let me in?¡± - I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll look nothing better than a pebble on the ground in the empire¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s unfair. I understand that they have a prestige to uphold, but they should be fair.¡± There was a gap between the rich and the poor in some of the nations of Earth as well, but there were only a few cases in recent years where they refused to ept visitors. - Yes, but it can¡¯t be helped. We don¡¯t even have a single Transcendent on our as of now. ¡°...I did reach the Star Destruction Stage this time. Is that not good enough?¡± - Wow, that''s good news. Say that to the immigration officer of the Aeon Empire, and they¡¯ll probablyugh at your face. ¡°Why?¡± - The Aeon Empire has more than a hundred Transcendents. ¡°W-what?! A hundred?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shot wide open. ¡®Does that mean that they have more than a hundred powerful beings like Helic and Reiji?¡¯ Yeon decided to exin upon seeing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s reaction. - Ah, of course, the Administrators of the Floors are much stronger than ordinary Transcendents. They¡¯re famous for a reason. ¡°But if there are that many Transcendents, does that mean that Star Destruction Stage creatures are¡­¡± - Yes, there are a ton of them. Oh, of course, I think there have only been a handful of people who had be Star Destruction Stage in a short period of time like you did, Your Majesty. At this point, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t bother asking how many Liberation and Disaster experts the Aeon Empire had. ¡®That¡¯s just¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt somber. ¡°I feel like a piece of dust in the vast universe.¡± - I wouldn¡¯t. Star Destruction Stage creatures receive the best treatment anywhere else. The Aeon Empire is the exception. ¡°...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned. ¡°They¡¯re so powerful, why did they do this to us?¡± - Hmm. I also don¡¯t know, Your Majesty. Even if the yers somehow cleared all ten Floors, most of them wouldn¡¯t be Transcendents by the end of the road. ¡®And what¡¯s the point of bing a Transcendent when they¡¯re dime a dozen in the Aeon Empire?¡¯ ¡°...I¡¯d like to ask.¡± Seo Jun-Ho wanted to ask the Emperor of the Aeon Empire the reason they created the Floors, and just what were the yers risking their lives for. - Then, I¡¯ll apply for a visa, and¡ªhuh? Yeon¡¯s pupils quivered upon tapping on the apply button. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s going on? Did you get rejected?¡± - I-it¡¯s the other way around. ¡°What do you mean?¡± - A visa was issued as soon as I pressed the button. I¡¯ve never heard of this before. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s glistened. ¡®The permission was given as soon as Yeon pressed the button. It seems that they¡¯ve been waiting for us to apply.¡¯ This could only mean one thing¡ªthe Aeon Empire wanted to see Seo Jun-Ho. *** Seo Jun-Ho prepared a few more things before returning back to Earth. The Frost Queen was rolling on the couch and was watching something on her tablet, but she abruptly sprang up the moment she saw Seo Jun-Ho enter the room. ¡°You¡¯re here! Did it go well?¡± ¡°Things went so well that I actually find it weird. How did things go on your side?¡± ¡°Jun-Sik and Mio sparred. It was lit. Do you want to check it out?¡± ¡°...The battle was lit? What are you talking about?¡± ¡®Were they fighting with mes?¡¯ The Frost Queen stared at Seo Jun-Ho as if he were a boomer and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know what lit means, Contractor? It means that the spar between Jun-Sik and Mio was great and exciting.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with it being lit.¡± ¡°They were on fire.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Did you learn that from Community?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°All right, got it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tapped on his Vita and set up parental controls for every electronic device that the Frost Queen often used. ¡°Huh? Who are these children?¡± The Frost Queen blinked and stared intently at the tablet in her hand. The screen had refreshed, revealing children running around with bright smiles. ¡°Contractor, my tablet is broken. Can you fix it for me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not broken. I just set up parental controls.¡± ¡°Parental controls? What is that?¡± asked the Frost Queen with her eyes wide open. ¡°It allows parents to restrict their children¡¯s ess to the Inte, like limited hours. It also only allows ess to certain content.¡± ¡°No!¡± The Frost Queen eximed and urgently shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid! I¡¯ve be a Grade 4 Arch Spirit, and I saved your life as well, Contractor!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really grateful for that, but I want you to follow the rules of the parental controls for the time being.¡± ¡°Ugh, no! I hate you, Contractor! You¡¯re the worst!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho understood that the Frost Queen truly wanted to browse the Inte because it had been quite a while since shest essed the Inte. However, he couldn¡¯t just watch the Frost Queen be an Inte addict. ¡®And did she just say that I¡¯m the worst?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°It is what it is. Besides, I¡¯m not the worst.¡± ¡°Ugh. You¡¯re too mean, Contractor!¡± The Frost Queen stormed out. ¡°Jun-Sik!¡± she shouted at Seo Jun-Sik, who was peacefully drinking an orange juice. Seo Jun-Sik stared wide-eyed upon seeing the tears welling up in the Frost Queen¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you crying?¡± ¡°Sniff, sniff! The Inte! Contractor did¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik tilted his head after hearing the Frost Queen¡¯s story. ¡°I think he did the right thing. I can¡¯t understand the words that kids these days use.¡± ¡°...!¡± The Frost Queen stared in disbelief at Seo Jun-Sik. She looked like she had just gotten betrayed by her most trusted confidante. Seo Jun-Ho btedly arrived in the kitchen. He leaned against the wall and said, ¡°Have you already forgotten that he¡¯s still me, even though he has a different personality?¡± ¡°Ugh, you¡­ you guys are the worst!¡± The Frost Queen shouted and ran out of the house. ¡°Where do you think she¡¯s gonna go?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Hmm. Maybe she¡¯s going to Gilberto?¡± ¡®I guess; he¡¯s fond of children, after all.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho figured that the Frost Queen was going to Gilberto because of thetter¡¯s trait. ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± Gilberto had always been a very strict man when it came to educating children. *** Seo Jun-Ho watched the video yback of Seo Jun-Sik and Mio¡¯s spar. ¡°This is your seventy percent?¡± ¡°Yes. Why?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you this, but this isn¡¯t seventy percent of my current power. I think it¡¯s about twenty or thirty percent at most.¡± ¡°What? Seriously?¡± ¡°To be exact, I think your power is based on my power before I reached the Star Destruction Stage.¡± ¡°Damn it! No wonder I lost!¡± Seo Jun-Sik cursed. However, it also meant that Seo Jun-Sik would still be stronger. ¡°Well, you should already know since we¡¯ve been through it before. Anyway, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll take too long because you just have to increase your synchronization rate with me.¡± ¡°Ugh, but I still have to train.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Seo Jun-Sik was capable of disying ny-five percent of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s prowess, which meant that he would be incredibly strong as long as he put in a bit of effort. ¡®It¡¯ll be a waste of potential if he doesn¡¯t train¡­¡¯ ¡°I need you to disy at least sixty percent of my current power.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ when did you say you¡¯d leave?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you fifteen days.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho reached the Star Destruction Stage, the gap between him and Seo Jun-Sik widened. However, it wouldn¡¯t take Seo Jun-Sik that long to catch up to Seo Jun-Ho as long as he trained diligently. ¡°I guess I could figure things out within fifteen days.¡± ¡°Oh, the timing is perfect as well. You should spar with the others often. Hit two birds with one stone.¡± ¡°Okay, but what do we do with Mio? She defeated me, but it¡¯s not like she won against your seventy percent.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes glistened while staring at Mio in the video. ¡®Wow. I can actually see it now.¡¯ Those at the summit could clearly see everything beneath them. Seo Jun-Ho felt ashamed to say that he was at the summit when he was just a Star Destruction Stage creature, but it was undeniable that he could see more things than before. ¡®Mio is currently at middle-stage Liberation.¡¯ She still had a long way to go until she became ate-stage Liberation creature. Seo Jun-Ho pondered with a serious look before saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that they had to beat you. I¡¯ll take them with me if they¡¯re good enough by my standards.¡± ¡°So¡­?¡± ¡°Mio is strong enough.¡± ¡®So it¡¯s a pass.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik nodded and said, ¡°Are you only going to take your friends with you? The Heavens are pretty strong as well.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take them all because of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s threat.¡± If he showed up earlier than expected, there would be a literal hell on Earth if the Heavens weren¡¯t here to keep him at bay. ¡°Okay. Then, what are you going to do for the next fifteen days?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m going to stop by Africa to do some training.¡± ¡°Why would you go all the way to Africa to train?¡± Seo Jun-Ho had gone through a second Body Transformation after reaching the Star Destruction Stage, but he had never really tested the depths of his power. ¡°I¡¯m going to do some tests to figure out what exactly am I capable of doing.¡± The fifteen days passed by in a sh. Chapter 599. Screening Test (4) Chapter 599. Screening Test (4) A man d in a ck suit alighted from the helicopter and muttered, ¡°I see many familiar faces.¡± These people were agents from the yer Associations of many countries around the world as well as reporters from global media outlets. ¡ª ?? A jingle echoed from the man¡¯s Vita, and he promptly answered the call. ¡°Yes, Mr. President.¡± ¡°Have you arrived? In that case, can you tell me what he meant by cleaning up the mess?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I think I understand what he meant,¡± said the man. He was the agent of the Egyptian yer Association. He looked perplexed as he stared at the scene in front of him. The man was currently in the Sahara on the African continent, but¡­ ¡®I have no idea what to say.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t the man¡¯s first time visiting the Sahara, but this was his first time stumbling upon such a scene. ¡°Mr. President. Do you happen to like winter?¡± ¡ª What? What does that mean? ¡°Well¡­ winter hase to the desert.¡± The vast desert was frozen, creating an exotic scenery that couldn¡¯t be seen anywhere in the world. The ice on the surface of the desert wasn¡¯t melting at all despite the scorching sun overhead. ¡ª Goodness¡­! The President of the Egyptian yer Association finally understood what that man meant by cleaning up the mess. *** ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here,¡± said Seo Jun-Sik on the couch. Seo Jun-Ho had just returned home Seo Jun-Sik didn¡¯t take his eyes off of the TV as he asked, ¡°How was your training?¡± ¡°It was fine,¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered while taking off his shoes. To be honest, he couldn¡¯t say that he was a hundred percent satisfied with the training. ¡®I wonder what¡¯s going to happen if I use the full extent of my power.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho dared not to do so. He didn¡¯t want to destroy Earth. ¡®I can do it somewhere, but I¡¯ll definitely cause a huge disturbance.¡¯ ¡°Oh, by the way. I emailed you the report.¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll check.¡± Seo Jun-Ho entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. He tapped on his Vita, and an organized report unfolded before his eyes. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ The report was summarized, so it was easy to understand. Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ¡®As expected, Mio grew the fastest.¡¯ Mio¡¯s rapid growth graph was eye-catching. It looked like it would go to the moon. ¡®I think Mio and Gilbe profited the most on the 7th Floor.¡¯ In Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s opinion, the most powerful person between Mio and Gilberto was thetter. Seo Jun-Ho thought that Gilberto¡¯s attack was stronger than Skaya¡¯s Destruction Ray when it came to pure destructiveness. ¡®He absorbed a ton of Force from the power nt, after all¡­¡¯ However, Mio was catching up to Gilberto at a scary speed. ¡°There¡¯s a cheetah running after you, man,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Mio was still in the middle of tempering what she had obtained from the 7th Floor, which was her own cultivation method. She was getting stronger day by day, and she was now almost on par with Seo Jun-Sik, who could already handle fifty percent of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s prowess as a Star Destruction Stage creature. And Mio still hadn¡¯t exhausted her potential¡­. ¡®She¡¯s on the cusp of reachingte-stage Liberation.¡¯ It was a terrifying revtion when Mio had just reached middle-stage Liberation fifteen days ago. Of course, there were several reasons behind Mio¡¯s massive growth spurt. ¡®First of all, the environment.¡¯ The training environment was great because of Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s existence. He was basically Seo Jun-Ho himself, so he had a lot of things to teach the others. In addition, Mio need not hold back against Seo Jun-Sik. Mio¡¯spetitive spirit was also at an all-time high, as she considered herself the weakest among the 5 Heroes. ¡°However, the most important factor here is talent¡­¡± Mio¡¯s talent and hard work allowed her to grow so much in just fifteen days. ¡°Hmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho seriously contemted whether or not he should train with his friends for about a year before going on his way to clear the 8th Floor. ¡®If they train hard for about a year, they might reach the Star Destruction Stage¡­¡¯ Skaya and Rahmadat were already atte-stage Liberation, so Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that they simply needed an opportunity to make a breakthrough into the Star Destruction Stage. The same should be true of Kim Woo-Joong and the other Heavens. ¡®I have to think about this seriously after my visit to the Aeon Empire.¡¯ Seo Jun-H emerged from the shower and dried his hair. ¡°Where did Frost go?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I think she¡¯s ying in her room by herself.¡± ¡®Wait, I forgot to turn off the parental controls.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt sorry, thinking that the Frost Queen hadn¡¯t been able to watch her favorite shows and movies over the past fifteen days. ¡°Is she still upset?¡± ¡°Not really. She seemed fine.¡± ¡°Seriously? I thought she¡¯d be angry.¡± ¡°Gilbe did a good jobforting her. As expected of a professional father, I guess.¡± ¡®Hmm. I see.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt relieved and knocked on the Frost Queen¡¯s door. - Come on in. He opened the door carefully and saw the Frost Queen eagerly picking up something from the floor. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ying gonggi.¡± Swoosh! Swoosh! Snatch! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze shone in nostalgia as he watched the Frost Queen y gonggi[1]. ¡°Ah, yes. I yed that a lot when I was in elementary school.¡± ¡°Do you want to y, Contractor?¡± ¡°No. I actually forgot all the rules¡­¡± ¡°I can teach you,¡± the Frost Queen grinned and said, ¡°Because we¡¯re gganbu[2].¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®What? Did Gilbe let Frost watch Squid Game? Otherwise, how does he know that word? Isn¡¯t he American?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho ended up ying gonggi with the Frost Queen for the whole day. *** The next morning, Seo Jun-Ho dressed up and left his room. He saw familiar people in the living room. ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± ¡°As you can see,¡± Rahmadat answered with a smile. Seo Jun-Ho looked around and confirmed that everyone was ready. His expression turned grim as he said, ¡°We might die.¡± ¡°...¡± The four Heroes, the Frost Queen, and Seo Jun-Sik, listened intently to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°And it might be because we inadvertently offended someone rather than during a grand battle for humanity¡­¡± The Aeon Empire was an unknown ce filled with people whom Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t sure he could defeat, despite being a Star Destruction Stage creature himself. ¡°What we achieved throughout our entire lives might copse in an instant.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wanted to intimidate them a bit, but their eyes remained firm. Seo Jun-Ho smiled. ¡®It seems that no one cares about such a thing.¡¯ He could understand their feelings, as he would have reacted the same if he were in their shoes. ¡°Thank you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew how hard they trained just to stand next to him, and it was exactly because he was aware of their hard work that he couldn¡¯t say anything else aside from thank you. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Jun-Ho. I¡¯m d that you kept your speech short today.¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve improved a lot.¡± ¡°I would have nagged you if you had talked a bit longer. You did great today.¡± ¡°Hey, you should nag Deok-Gu, not me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho led his friends to the basement of the Korean yer Association. Shim Deok-Gu had been waiting for them in the basement. ¡°I guess you really are going to leave¡­¡± ¡°I have to go. There¡¯s no other way.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had been trying to contact the Administrators over the past fifteen days, but every Administrator was out of reach as if they had agreed not to respond to any inquiries. ¡°And the Aeon Empire has already given me permission to visit them.¡± In other words, Seo Jun-Ho was going in the right direction. ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu wordlessly swept his gaze across the Heroes and hugged them one by one. ¡°Have a safe trip. Don¡¯t worry about us here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried because you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°...This guy. You¡¯re so cheesy today,¡± said Shim Deok-Gu with a smile. He proceeded to hug Skaya much longer and much tighter than the others before stepping back. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you back some gifts,¡± said Skaya. ¡°...You don¡¯t need to bring me back anything, so just stay out of trouble. Follow Jun-Ho¡¯s instructions and make sure you don¡¯t get lost, okay?¡± ¡°How old do you think I am? I¡¯m not a child.¡± Skaya rolled her eyes. Soon, they walked into the elevator, with Skaya being thest one. It didn¡¯t take them long to arrive at Neo City. Yeon was already waiting for the party in front of the Dimensional Elevator. - Your Majesty and His Majesty¡¯s friends, please follow me. The party soon found themselves staring at a splendid spaceship painted in gold. Seo Jun-Ho looked devastated. ¡°...Are you telling me to ride this cringe-looking thing?¡± - I¡¯m sorry? Cringe? You are looking at Golden Dragon. She¡¯s the proud spaceship of the Emperor. Even the spaceship¡¯s name couldn¡¯t exceed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expectations. ¡®What¡¯s up with the generic name?¡¯ ¡°Why is the name so generic?¡± - Oh,e on. It could have been better, but it¡¯s still a spaceship that was made for the emperor¡¯s use. Oh, by the way, please change your clothes, Your Majesty. ¡°No way. Never.¡± Seo Jun-Ho refused. Yeon would definitely force him to wear the heavy and ufortable imperial garb. - Tsk. Fine. I¡¯ll let you wear whatever you want this time. Then, please board the spaceship. The group curiously looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s the pilot?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. - Oh, the pilot? Well¡­ tada! Yeon proudly pointed his finger at himself. - I am your pilot. ¡°You can fly this thing?¡± -Of course, I can. I¡¯m an AI, after all. ¡°Who¡¯s going to take care of Neo City while you¡¯re gone?¡± - Once again, I am an AI. I can just divide myself into two for the time being. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s very convenient¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around the interior of the spaceship and found that it was muchrger than it seemed. Soon, he arrived at the control room. Skaya was excitedly tapping on the buttons. ¡°Wait. Is this a magic stone by chance? Is it actually a magic stone?¡± - It sure is. ¡°Goodness! This is my first time seeing a magic stone this big! Wait, let me check¡­ oh my, it has gravity control and eleration magic carved in it!¡± - P-please don¡¯t take it off. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Skaya sat down, looking disappointed. Rumble! The spaceship started moving. - The destination is the Aeon Empire. ETA in two hours. ¡°...Wait, two hours? Really?¡± - Yes, and it¡¯s all because we¡¯re going to warp jump to the nearest warp node. Thanks to the visa, we don¡¯t have to take the long route. By the way, without a visa and without using warp jump, it¡¯ll take us at least a few months to reach the Aeon Empire. Rumble! The spaceship floated away and was soon in space. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered in awe. He had seen many beautiful sceneries through the many Gates and Floors he had explored before, but he was still captivated by the beauty of the in front of him. ¡°It looks like a pretty bead.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared and appreciated the view for quite a while. Then, he found something floating outside the. ¡°Yeon. Are they what you were talking about¡­?¡± -Yes, they were the reinforcements that I was going to send to Your Majesty. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the reinforcements with deep eyes. ¡°Yeon. How do you show respect and appreciation in Neo City?¡± - You put your hands together and lower your head, but Your Majesty is the Emperor, so you can just¡­ Yeon trailed off. Seo Jun-Ho was already bowing with his hands sped together. ¡®Those with high statuses usually show their appreciation with words.¡¯ However, Yeon didn¡¯t bother stopping Seo Jun-Ho because thetter¡¯s attitude was the reason he had entrusted Neo City to thetter. - Then, please enjoy your flight. Yeon smiled softly. *** Fwoosh! A golden spaceship emerged from a massive rift in space. ¡°...Ugh.¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned at the nauseating sensation. ¡®It feels like Teleport.¡¯ - You feel a little nauseous and dizzy, don¡¯t you? You get used to it. ¡°Is it normal?¡± - No. The nausea would have been worse if we were using a worse spacecraft. It¡¯s a good thing this spacecraft is decent. ¡°Horray to Capitalism, I guess?¡± said Seo Jun-Ho with a shake of his head. The party drank potions to recover before approaching the windows. ¡°Yeon. Is that¡­¡± - Yes. Yeon nodded. Seo Jun-Ho looked out of the window once again. ¡®...It¡¯s smaller than I thought.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought that the most powerful nation in the universe would be a huge iparable to Earth. However, the blue and beautiful in front of him looked only double the size of Earth. ¡°That¡¯s the Aeon Empire.¡± ¡°I never thought I¡¯d get to visit others in my lifetime.¡± ¡°If you think about it, going up the Floors isn¡¯t too different from visiting another.¡± ¡°Well, this is different because we actually used a spaceship.¡± Everyone gathered around the windows and excitedly chattered like children. ¡°Jun-Ho, do you feel it?¡± ¡°Feel what? Ah...¡± Seo Jun-Ho flinched. He turned and was now seeing the in a new light. ¡°It¡¯s covered with magic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just covered with magic. The entire is being protected by a spell that I can¡¯t even quite grasp,¡± said Skaya. The party members were shaken by Skaya¡¯s remark. ¡°A spell capable of protecting a that big?¡± ¡°Just what kind of monster is capable of doing such a thing?¡± ¡°Wait, is it God? Does God actually exist?¡± The party members muttered to each other, sounding both respectful and fearful. Meanwhile, Yeon approached them with a hologram window. -Your Majesty. Seo Jun-Ho turned, and a familiar voice echoed from the hologram. - Please confirm your identity. Visitors are Seo Jun-Ho and five other individuals affiliated with ZY-410. Correct? ¡°Huh? This voice¡­¡± The party members stared at each other with wide eyes. The familiar voice sounded the same as the System. ¡®It feels nice to hear a familiar voice in a ce like this.¡¯ ¡°Correct.¡± - Your identity has been verified. You are now allowed to enter the. With that, the spaceship slowly approached the, and the party members¡¯ hearts quivered in excitement as they got closer and closer to it. 1. A children¡¯s game. More info here: ? 2. It¡¯s at the core of Korean values, but it was shown in Squid Game as well. More information here: ? Chapter 600: Screening Test (5) Chapter 600: Screening Test (5) - I¡¯ll stay here and maintain the spacecraft. ¡°It might take us quite a long time to return. Are you going to be okay?¡± - Not a problem. I can just disconnect and pay more attention to Neo City upon your return. ¡°Wow, Artificial intelligence really is the best.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gently tapped Yeon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, then.¡± - Don¡¯t worry, and please return safely. The same goes for His Majesty¡¯s friends. Seo Jun-Ho got off the spacecraft and saw a busy station filled with many spacecraft of all shapes. There were also mechanics moving around busily to maintain the spacecrafts. ¡°This ce is bustling. Jun-Ho, where are we going?¡± asked Gilberto. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know what to say. He hade here to meet the Administrators, but he actually had no idea where to go. ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s get out of the station first.¡± The party left the station, and they soon found themselves in a city filled with vibrance and life. The streets were clean and tidy without a grain of dust, and the people were walking around with carefree smiles. It was a scene out of a fairytale, and the party could see people of all ages with smiles on their faces walking about as far as their eyes could see. ¡°This city has such a nice atmosphere.¡± ¡°Well, this is the richest in the universe, so it¡¯s not strange that everyone here is happy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the denizens of Neo City call the Aeon Empire a utopia. They weren¡¯t lying at all.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around with a smile, but he suddenly frowned. ¡°Huh? Jun-Ho. What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°Hm, I¡¯m not sure. My eyes suddenly hurt.¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and rubbed his eyelids to ease the throbbing pain. ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s a side effect of traveling in space. It¡¯s my first time, after all.¡¯ He took a brief rest and asked his friends, ¡°Are you guys feeling okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. What about you, Mio?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing fine as well.¡± ¡°Hmm. Perhaps you¡¯re just too nervous, Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You have us with you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged at his friends¡¯ words. ¡°Thanks, guys. I think I still haven¡¯tpletely limatized to my new fleshly body.¡± ¡®I mean, it has only been about fifteen days since I woke up after another Body Transformation.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho asked, ¡°What are you guys going to do? I¡¯m thinking of visiting the Imperial Pce.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that every empire would have an Imperial Pce. The Imperial Pce of the Aeon Empire would definitely know about the Administrators¡¯ whereabouts. Seo Jun-Sik raised his hand at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s question. ¡°Hey, Original. Can I go and take a look around? This ce is fascinating. I wanna explore.¡± ¡°Of course. The more information we have, the better, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you go ahead and explore the ce.¡± Seo Jun-Ho checked the time and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys move around freely for three hours? I¡¯m sure there are ces here that will pique your interest. It¡¯ll be hitting two birds with one stone as well, as we can each gather information from those ces.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree,¡± Mio said with a nod. The others nodded as well. ¡°Let¡¯s meet up in front of that fountain over there in three hours. I¡¯ll see you guys in a bit,¡± said Rahmadat before walking away. Gilberto wordlessly walked away as well. Seo Jun-Sik and Mio also left. Seo Jun-Ho turned to Skaya. ¡°What about you, Skaya? Are you not interested in what we¡¯re seeing here?¡± ¡°I mean, I¡¯m more interested in the Imperial Pce than anything else.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The Imperial Pce was definitely the most important ce in the city, so it would have a ton of interesting spells protecting it. Seo Jun-Ho understood Skaya¡¯s feelings to discover the unknown, especially when it came to magic. Seo Jun-Ho turned to the Frost Queen, who was staring nkly at the city. ¡°Frost. Is this your first time here?¡± ¡°Umm¡­? I¡¯m not sure.¡± The Frost Queen tilted her head and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t remember. I think I¡¯ve been here before, but all these are unfamiliar to me for some reason.¡± ¡°Just when will you recover your memories?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± the Frost Queen awkwardly cleared her throat. In the end, Seo Jun-Ho, Skaya, and the Frost Queen departed together for the Imperial Pce. ¡®That must be it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho figured that the cleanest and most sophisticated-looking skyscraper in the middle of the city had to be the Imperial Pce of the Aeon Empire, so he didn¡¯t bother asking the passersby. It didn¡¯t take them that long to arrive in front of the skyscraper¡¯s gates. However, the gatekeepers stood in their way. ¡°Stop.¡± The gatekeepers¡¯ cold eyes made Seo Jun-Ho feel a shiver down his space. ¡®Liberation?¡¯ A mere gatekeeper was equal in strength to Skaya. ¡®These two gatekeepers would be one of the strongest people on Earth if they were on Earth.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly and said, ¡°My name is Seo Jun-Ho, and I¡¯m a yer from Earth. Do I have to book an appointment to visit the Imperial Pce?¡± ¡°...Earth?¡± The gatekeepers nced at each other. Momentster, they drew out their weapons and red at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Bullshit!¡± ¡°You bastard! Reveal your identity this instant!¡± Seo Jun-Ho was astonished by the sudden hostility. He was starting to feel troubled, but a voice silenced the gatekeepers. ¡°Please stop. They¡¯re not enemies.¡± The gray man who walked out from behind the gatekeepers smiled softly. ¡°Fancy meeting you here, yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°Gray-nim?¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt like a lightning bolt had struck him from out of the blue. It was true that he hade here to find the Administrators, but he didn¡¯t expect that he would run into one of them so soon. ¡°You must be tired from such a long journey.¡± ¡°I have many questions, but first of all, why did the Administrators¡ª¡± Gray interrupted and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is not the appropriate ce to discuss such matters. Let¡¯s go inside and talk about it, shall we? Please follow me.¡± With that, Gray turned around and walked away. The Imperial Pce¡¯s interior was indescribable. ¡®It looks simr to the Imperial Pce of the Ruben Empire, but it doesn¡¯t look that simr at the same time.¡¯ The skyscraper¡ªwhich looked more like a castle¡ªhad a refined interior that was a mixture of medieval and modern. Seo Jun-Ho felt like he had entered a futuristic skyscraper rather than the Imperial Pce of a nation. - This is an announcement. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s that voice again. It¡¯s the same voice as the System.¡± A voice echoed from the speakers throughout the Imperial Pce. - The 7542nd Magic Demonstration will begin shortly in the White Lotus Pce. We look forward to your attendance. ¡°Magic Demonstration?¡± Skaya abruptly stopped, and her expression brightened up in excitement upon hearing the announcement. She then turned to Gray and asked, ¡°May I know where the White Lotus Pce is located?¡± ¡°Walk straight down that way, and it¡¯s the first pce¡ª¡± ¡°See you at the fountainter, Jun-Ho!¡± Skaya ran down the hallway while waving her hand at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°She¡¯s so childish,¡± the Frost Queen murmured while staring at Skaya¡¯s back. ¡°It¡¯s kind of funny to hear that from you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve be an adult. I am no longer a child, so it¡¯s about time you remove the parental controls and¡ª¡± - The space cake contest will begin shortly in the Cosmos Pce. We look forward to your attendance. ¡°Wait,¡± said the Frost Queen with wide eyes. She grabbed Gray¡¯s sleeves and asked, ¡°Where is the Cosmos Pce?¡± ¡°Just go there and walk straight down¡­¡± ¡°Contractor! I¡¯m going¡ª¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. The Frost Queen grinned and skipped down the hallway with a spring in her steps. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t do that hallway!¡± Seo Jun-Ho shouted. The Frost Queen abruptly came to a halt. Momentster, she walked down the hallway in an elegant manner, but she began to skip down the hallway once more upon turning the corner. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been five seconds since she called Skaya childish, and she¡¯s already skipping down a hallway for a cake contest?¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. He looked up and saw Gray smiling at him. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s the room right up ahead,¡± said Gray. ¡°Okay¡ªah!¡± Seo Jun-Ho abruptly frowned. The pain in his eyes had intensified, making him feel as if his eyes were burning. ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°My eyes have been hurting since I arrived here.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯ll pressurize the room just in case, then.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± The two walked into the room, and Seo Jun-Ho found that every piece of furniture was gray-colored. They were quite apropos for Gray. Seo Jun-Ho sat down at Gray¡¯s offer and asked, ¡°So, why did you want to talk to me alone?¡± ¡°...Haha, was it that obvious?¡± ¡°How could I fail to notice it when I was right beside you?¡± Skaya and the Frost Queen didn¡¯t doubt the announcements, as the two had always been crazy about magic and cake, respectively. Seo Jun-Ho found the announcements¡¯ impable timing suspicious. ¡°Magic Demonstration is somewhat reasonable, but a space cake contest? Seriously?¡± ¡°Hm, I¡¯ll do better next time.¡± Gray smiled awkwardly and put his fedora down on the table. ¡°As you said, it is true that I made up the announcements because I wanted to have a conversation between just the two of us. I also have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at Gray, urging him to continue speaking. ¡°First of all, let me exin why the Administrators are absent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯m the most curious about that.¡± ¡°To put it bluntly, I can tell you that it¡¯s all ording to n.¡± ¡®All ording to n?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho pondered briefly before asking, ¡°Is the 7th Floor¡¯s conquest rted to it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a brand-new rule.¡± ¡®A brand-new rule? So they had no choice but to create a new rule...¡¯ In other words, something had forced them to create a brand-new rule. ¡°It must be rted to the Archduke.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Gray was a bit impressed. ¡°You¡¯re quick-witted. I also didn¡¯t expect that you would extrapte so much information with just a few words from me.¡± ¡°Thanks for thepliment, but I would like to know what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Frontier-23 wasn¡¯t the original 7th Floor.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was supposed to be Adonia or something, right?¡± Seo Jun-Ho could still remember the System announcing the opening of Adonia, but entry was prohibited for some reason, and the 7th Floor¡¯s name ended up changing. ¡°Yes, but the Archduke destroyed Adonia.¡± ¡°Destroyed?¡± ¡®So the Archduke destroyed the Administrators¡¯ ns.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned grim. ¡°Since the Archduke could do such a thing, what¡¯s stopping him from influencing the upper Floors? Has he be more influential on the Upper Floors?¡± ¡°I wish I could deny it, but¡­ unfortunately, you are correct.¡± Tap, tap. Gray tapped on the table. ¡°And that was why we had no choice but to make a brand-new rule. The 7th Floor alone had already exceeded our expectations.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it did,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Kineos Mullibach was a ridiculously strong Floor Master. The generals, His Imperial Prince Digor, and His Imperial Princess were extremely powerful as well. ¡°The enemies on the 7th Floor were tremendously more powerfulpared to the enemies on the 6th Floor.¡± ¡°Yes, and we concluded that the yers aren¡¯t strong enough to clear the upper Floors just yet.¡± ¡°Are you saying that the brand-new rule that the Administrators have made involves strengthening the yers first before they can ess the upper Floors?¡± ¡°You got it perfectly.¡± Gray smiled softly and said, ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho. Your journey here was a screening test.¡± ¡°Is that so? Howe it was too easy?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was the Emperor of Neo City, so he was more than capable of bringing every single yer from Earth to the Aeon Empire if he wished to do so. Gray shook his head and exined, ¡°Oh, the yers will earn the qualification to participate in the real test if they somehow arrive here safely.¡± ¡°I see.¡± In other words, the authority to select who could take the real screening test was in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands. ¡°I believe that you¡¯ll select the yers objectively.¡± ¡°I will try my best. Anyway. What test are we talking about here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Gray tapped on the hologram window in the air and exined, ¡°The Administrators are currently away and are standing by on the front lines of the universe. ¡±Those sessful in the screening test would be sent toward the front lines to train and be even stronger in a safe and controlled manner under the Administrators¡¯ supervision. ¡±Once the yers have sessfully passed every stage we have prepared for them, they¡¯ll be more than qualified to challenge the 9th Floor. I predict every sessful yer will be at the Liberation stage by then.¡± ¡°So the Administrators are willing to help the yers be stronger, and the yers don¡¯t have to risk their lives for power?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Gray nodded. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned somber as he asked, ¡°Why now?¡± Gray¡¯s fingers were furiously tapping on a hologram window, but they abruptly stopped the moment Gray heard Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words. ¡°So many yers would have survived if you had done this earlier¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°I just arrived here, but the peace and the smiles of the Aeon Empire¡¯s denizens made me think¡­ I wonder if they know that their peace was built upon the many lives that have been sacrificed on a somewhere in the corner of this vast universe.¡± ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding here,¡± Gray spoke up and said, ¡°I forgot to tell you a few things.¡± ¡°First of all, yers must be above Level 300 to join the front line.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And believe it or not, we¡¯re not really in a great situation.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Seo Jun-Ho found it difficult to believe Gray. The Aeon Empire was surprisingly peaceful as if the yers¡¯ struggles had nothing to do with them at all. ¡°Look out the window. Look at those happy faces on the street, and¡ªAH!¡± ¡°Mr. Jun-Ho!¡± Seo Jun-Ho covered both of his eyes with his hands to suppress the intense pain. The pain was so excruciating that Seo Jun-Ho likened it to getting stabbed in the eyeballs. ¡°Haaa¡­¡± The pain soon passed, and Seo Jun-Ho exhaled the breath that he had been holding. He slowly raised his head to look out of the window. ¡°And the denizens are also¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t finish his words. The cogs in his brain hade to a halt at the incongruous and uncanny sight. ¡°The denizens¡­¡± The clean streets with not a single speck of dust had vanished. The smiling denizens could no longer be seen as well. The world outside had be a deste ruin, and the red skies overhead created an even bleaker scene. [Hero''s Mind (EX) has dispelled the effects of Ideal World (EX)] Seo Jun-Ho felt like the blindfold over his eyes had been removed. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Gray¡¯s sigh of self-mockery echoed behind him. Seo Jun-Ho turned and stared at Gray in disbelief. ¡°What¡­ what is this?¡± ¡°It is what it is.¡± Gray smiled bitterly. ¡°You are staring at the true face of the Aeon Empire, the most powerful nation in the entire universe and the so-called utopia.¡± Chapter 601. Screening Test (6) Chapter 601. Screening Test (6) Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at the deste scene outside for quite a while. In the end, he shut his eyes tightly as deep disappointment filled his heart. ¡°...¡± ¡®No, I think I feel betrayed rather than disappointed.¡¯ ¡°I understand that things aren¡¯t looking good, but the Aeon Empire. How could this happen to the Aeon Empire?¡± Earlier, Seo Jun-Ho hoped the people of Earth would be able to smile like the denizens of the Aeon Empire once all Floors were cleared. He was determined to bring peace to Earth with his own hands. ¡°But, why¡­¡± ¡®The empire should have been the most brilliant civilization of the universe, so what is this?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned around and cast a resentful nce at Gray. ¡°Hmm. I guess power can also be detrimental. This is why I didn¡¯t want to show you the truth.¡± ¡°Is that why you showed me a fantasy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gray shamelessly nodded his head. ¡°However, please believe me that I had no bad intentions at all. I just didn¡¯t want the yers to copse upon seeing these deste ruins.¡± ¡°Do you really expect us to seed when even the powerful Aeon Empire failed?¡± ¡°...¡± Gray pursed his lips and stayed silent for quite a while before answering, ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± He slumped in his chair helplessly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a seat? You must have many questions.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sat down and asked, ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long story¡­¡± Gray trailed off. He cleared his throat before continuing. ¡°Once upon a time, the Aeon Empire was extremely powerful. Humans still hadn¡¯t existed back then, and the Aeon Empire had more than twenty thousand Transcendents living under its banner. ¡°The Emperor of the Aeon Empire during those distant, ancient days was Rompel, one of the only three Absolute beings at the time.¡± It would be an understatement to say that the Aeon Empire was the most brilliant civilization at the time. The Aeon Empire was simply that strong and prosperous back then. ¡°However, the emperor had lived for far too long even by Transcendents¡¯ standards.¡± Rompel had gotten tired of the monotonous work and fights. His fleshly body and mind went ill, so he had no choice but to make a decision. ¡°He was worried about going crazy and destroying everything.¡± Rompel was a man who led the peace of the universe more than anyone else, and what he was the most afraid of was ruining what he and his subordinates had achieved with their own hands. ¡°So he made a decision just in case he went mad.¡± He had decided to separate all the evil from his body and soul. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gray nodded. ¡°The evil which was incinerated in the biggest star of the universe managed to survive.¡± It had also be even more vicious and powerful, which gave birth to its ego. ¡°The evil at the time has be what we call the Archduke.¡± The Archduke was born from the evils of the Absolute and defied providence to live. ¡°The issue was that no one noticed his birth.¡± The Archduke hid from everyone¡¯s eyes and kept a low profile until he gained enough strength. ¡°He was invincible the moment he showed up.¡± ¡°...What about the emperor?¡± ¡°The emperor was terrified of the horrifying existence he had created, so he tried to kill the Archduke.¡± Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes at that. The winner was obvious. ¡°The weakened and old Absolute was not a match for the young Archduke.¡± ¡°So, how is the empire still intact?¡± ¡°This is because of Chaos¡¯ intervention. Chaos is the ruler of the universe.¡± Chaos governed the universe to keep everything in bnce. He didn¡¯t bother to eliminate the evil who had defied providence to stay alive, but he also didn¡¯t want the universe to die. ¡°Therefore, Chaos locked the Archduke in the prison called the Floors.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho blinked and asked, ¡°Did you just say the Floors?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the Floors that humankind is clearing at the moment?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho managed to hold himself back from cursing. He rubbed his throbbing temples and said, ¡°Why did that guy called Chaos leave the burden of the Archduke to us?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Gray hesitated. Seo Jun-Ho urged. ¡°It¡¯s okay, so please tell me the truth. I really want to know.¡± ¡°If you say so, okay¡­ Honestly, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at Gray. Gray hurriedly said, ¡°I-I mean, it doesn¡¯t make sense, right? How can the powerless humankind stop the monster who had killed tens of thousands of Transcendents?¡± ¡°I see. In other words, humankind¡¯s job is to buy time.¡± The only interpretation Seo Jun-Ho could get out of Gray¡¯s story was that the Floors were chosen as the prisons to lock up the Archduke for the time being, and humans were just prisoners unlucky enough to get locked up with that monster. ¡°...I don¡¯t know what else to say other than that I¡¯m ashamed.¡± ¡°You should be ashamed,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said coldly. He stared nkly at the ceiling for a while before asking, ¡°What are we supposed to do now?¡± Seo Jun-Ho was the only Star Destruction Stage existence among the yers. The majority of the yers hadn¡¯t even reached the Disaster Stage, not to mention the Liberation Stage. ¡®And they expect us to stop Archduke who had defeated an Absolute? No way. There¡¯s no way we can do that.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a matter of will or determination. It was literally impossible. Gray carefully said, ¡°Chaos¡¯ actions are always meaningful, so¡ª¡± ¡°So just shut up and give it a try because we could probably defeat the Archduke if we raise our levels and be even stronger?¡± Seo Jun-Ho interrupted. ¡°...¡± Gray was too ashamed to speak. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and muttered.¡°How long were you going to deceive us like this?¡± ¡°Trust me. I don¡¯t know about the others, but I was definitely going to tell you the truth today.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know if I can still believe you,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho in a somber tone. Gray hurriedly said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier that I have a favor to ask of you?¡± ¡°You did, but I don¡¯t really want to do anything for you now that I¡¯ve heard of the truth.¡± ¡°The 8th Floor!¡± Gray shouted urgently, ¡°I was going to ask you to enter the 8th Floor today, Mr. Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°What kind of ridiculous favor is that? I refuse,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. Even if the 8th Floor was open, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t nning on challenging it anytime soon. He would only challenge it once he was certain that his friends were ready. ¡°I promise you that the 8th Floor conquest won¡¯t be that difficult. You could clear it in just a few hours if you¡¯re fast enough.¡± ¡°What?¡± They had cleared the 6th Floor the fastest among the other Floors, but even the 6th Floor took them about a month to clear. ¡®But the 8th Floor will only take a few hours?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re in a hurry, but you should think before you speak. Lying will only attract my ire.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡± ¡°Then, how can a Floor be cleared in just a few hours?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Gray hesitated. Eventually, Gray said, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. You just have to trust us and enter the 8th Floor.¡± ¡°Sigh. I really don¡¯t know if I can even trust the Administrators at this point.¡± The Administrators had already tried to deceive the yers using Ideal World (EX). In other words, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that they were lying to the yers once more. ¡°I have no idea why Chaos entrusted such a heavy burden to humanity.¡± ¡°You¡¯re filthy honest, you know that?¡± ¡°I know, and I also know one thing for sure.¡± Gray stared intently at Seo Jun-Ho with an unprecedentedly serious expression. ¡°If Chaos had truly made an arrangement involving humanity, then his arrangement has to be you, yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°...Why do you think so?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out once you¡¯ve arrived on the 8th Floor. You¡¯ll understand why you¡¯re special, why we have been paying so much attention to you, and why we¡¯re expecting so much from you.¡± ¡°...¡± Keen Intuition was telling Seo Jun-Ho that Gray wasn¡¯t lying. ¡®But he¡¯s a Transcendent¡­¡¯ In addition, he was an illusion-type Transcendent. He could easily deceive Keen Intuition. ¡°I need you to take an Oath of Existence.¡± ¡®He can deceive my senses, but the Oath of Existence cannot be deceived.¡¯ ¡°I understand.¡± Gray nodded and said, ¡°I would have a difficult time believing myself if I were in your shoes.¡± Gray circted his magic and said, ¡°I am the Aeon Empire¡¯s head of assassins and a dagger hidden in the dark, ready to reap the lives of those evil. I swear on my existence that I have spoken and will speak only the truth.¡± ¡®He really did it...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho could feel Gray¡¯s words resonating with the magic in the air. It felt the same as when the Frost Queen took her Oath of Existence. ¡°...So you weren¡¯t lying.¡± ¡°I will hide things from you, but I will not lie. I am an information broker myself, so I don¡¯t really like lying.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at Gray as if he was strange. ¡°Were you not lying about the 8th Floor?¡± ¡°Yes, I wasn¡¯t lying.¡± ¡°Can I really clear the 8th Floor in just a few hours?¡± ¡°Yes. Actually, the 8th Floor¡­ is so easy that it feels like an insult to the word clear.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes shed once again. He had noticed the fluctuations in Gray¡¯s emotions the moment thetter mentioned the 8th Floor. ¡®Was it both distress and pity? Just what is on the 8th Floor that it disturbs even the emotions of a Transcendent?¡¯ In the end, Seo Jun-Ho said, ¡°I see. I will ept your request.¡± Seo Jun-Ho said that he would ept the request rather than say that he would clear the 8th Floor. Gray noticed the meaning behind Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words, but he still bowed and said, ¡°I really have to thank you this time. Thank you so much. We will prepare amplepensation for this unofficial quest.¡± ¡°Sounds good. What about the rest of the party¡­?¡± ¡°They¡¯re having fun right now. Do you want to take a look?¡± A mirror manifested in front of Gray. Seo Jun-Ho looked up and saw his friends scattered throughout the empire, exploring the fantastic, ideal world of Aeon. - The winner of this year¡¯s cooking contest is Tenmei Mio from Earth! - This potion can distinguish every Royder in the world. I¡¯ll give it to you for free. - This cake right over here is made with the rarest Spirit Crystal in the universe! ¡°...¡± ¡®Okay, that¡¯s enough.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was relieved to see everyone having fun. ¡°Do I have to go there by myself?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re the only one who can freely move there, anyway. However, the Frost Queen must apany you no matter what.¡± ¡°Is there any special reason for that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find out once I get there. Is that what you were going to say?¡± Seo Jun-Ho sighed and stood up. He nced at Gray and saw that thetter truly looked both apologetic and ashamed. ¡°Please prepare what¡¯s necessary as soon as possible. I¡¯ll go to the 8th Floor once you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding. I¡¯ll take you to the Elevator.¡± *** The Imperial Pce had be vastly different after Ideal World (EX) was dispelled. The dust here and there made it obvious that it had been a while since the Imperial Pce wasst cleaned. Gray blushed and exined, ¡°We¡¯re too busy to hire cleaners¡­¡± ¡°I understand. I guess the Administrators are truly busy.¡± ¡°The Floors were designed and built by Chaos, but the maintenance and repair of the Floors were entrusted to the hands of the Aeon Empire¡¯s officials.¡± The officials¡¯ job was to scour for bugs and patch them up, no matter how tiny. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Gray found themselves standing in front of an ordinary-looking door. The Aeon Empire¡¯s Dimensional Elevators didn¡¯t look that much different from the Dimensional Elevators back on Earth. ¡°Recall Spirit; Summon Spirit.¡± ¡°This really tastes great! Ah¡­ it¡¯s super delicious! I think it¡¯s the most delicious cake in the entire universe¡ªwait, what?¡± The Frost Queen blinked upon seeing Seo Jun-Ho. Momentster, she looked down and stared nkly at her empty hand. ¡°Um, Contractor? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here, but I was in the middle of a very important business. Please send me back.¡± ¡°Eating cake is a very important business?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen puffed her cheeks and red resentfully at Seo Jun-Ho. However, Seo Jun-Ho ignored the Frost Queen¡¯s re and turned to look at Gray. ¡°I¡¯m going, then,¡± he said. ¡°All right. Have a safe trip.¡± ¡®I¡¯m definitely the first yer to have received a ny-degree bow from a Transcendent.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho entered the Dimensional elevator and swept his gaze across the shing buttons. [Administrator Gray has granted yer Seo Jun-Ho ess to the 8th Floor.] As always, Seo Jun-Ho saw familiar System messages the moment he pressed the button for the 8th Floor. [This is the 8th Floor. The doors will open shortly.] [Bringer of Spring¡¯s effect has been activated. All stats increased by 30.] ¡°Ugh, seriously! I was eating cake, and why are we suddenly attempting the 8th Floor?¡± ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on, but it¡¯ll only take us a few hours to clear this Floor, so just endure it for now.¡± ¡°But that cake doesn¡¯t exist on Earth, I have to¡ª¡± The Frost Queen abruptly stopped talking. The extremely cold air of the outside world filled the Dimensional Elevator as it slowly opened its doors. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes quivered as she stared beyond the doors. [You have arrived at Niflheim.] [Cold Tolerance (B) is keeping you warm.] A frozen world was beyond the Elevator doors. Chapter 602. Winter Song (1) Chapter 602. Winter Song (1) It was so cold that Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s breathing condensed into tiny, misty clouds. Seo Jun-Ho nced at the Frost Queen standing next to him. ¡®Wasn¡¯t Frost the Queen of Niflheim? I wonder what she feels seeing that the nation she once ruled had be a Floor.¡¯ The Frost Queen used the Elevator doors to drag herself out and onto the frozen world. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes swept across the familiar frozen world. Yes, familiar. The freezing cold felt vivid, and the air she was inhaling filled her with an intense sense of nostalgia. ¡°Why¡­ ah¡­¡± muttered the Frost Queen as she staggered. Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly helped her up. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked. ¡°Haaa¡­ huff¡­¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s face turned red as she tried to catch her breath. ¡°Contractor¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you sick?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face stiffened upon facing his hand on the Frost Queen¡¯s forehead. The Frost Queen was having a high fever. Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly said, ¡°Here. Take this potion and rest in the Spirit World.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Seo Jun-Ho handed over a bottle of potion to the Frost Queen. ¡°Recall Spirit,¡± he said. [Spirits cannot be recalled at the moment.] ¡°What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®I can¡¯t recall her? What does that mean? This has never happened to me before. Wait¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked down and saw that the Frost Queen had fallen unconscious with her hand drooping down. ¡°Frost! Frost, wake up!¡± he shouted, but the Frost Queen never answered. Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth and approached the Dimensional Elevator to go downstairs. [The Dimensional Elevator cannot be used at the moment.] [The Dimensional Elevator cannot be used at the moment.] ¡°Damn it!¡± Seo Jun-Ho mmed his fist on the wall of the Dimensional Elevator out of frustration. He pressed every button, but the Dimensional Elevator wouldn¡¯t budge an inch. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ The Frost Queen¡¯s temperature was too high to say that she was just shell-shocked to see Niflheim¡¯s current state. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the Frost Queen worriedly and carried her on his back. ¡°...Hang in there, Frost.¡± Seo Jun-Ho recalled Gray telling him that it would only take him a few hours to clear the 8th Floor if he did his best. Right now, he couldn¡¯t do anything else other than clear the Floor as soon as possible to bring the Frost Queen downstairs the soonest. - Partner. Look over there. Seo Jun-Ho turned and saw that Keen Intuition was referring to a castle in the distance that could barely be seen from where they were. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly started moving toward the castle. He looked around as he approached the castle and saw many figures on the snowfield. ¡®Ice statues?¡¯ The ice statues were like Seo Jun-Ho while he was still frozen himself. Seo Jun-Ho carefully approached one of the ice statues and wiped the piled-up snow on it. Squeak, squeak. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face fell upon seeing the countenance of the figure encased in ice. ¡®They¡¯re not human.¡¯ The figure encased in ice was a demon. The horn on the figure¡¯s forehead made it evident that it was a demon. In addition, the demon¡¯s corpse still contained a considerable amount of demonic energy, even though it had been a long time since they passed away. ¡®What happened here?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and picked up the pace. The huge gate of the castle was half broken, and there were ice statues scattered everywhere beyond the castle gates. - Partner, this is¡­ ¡°...Yeah.¡± There was a knight, and a demon encased together in one single ice. The knight¡¯s sword was buried deep in the demon¡¯s neck, but the demon¡¯s hand had prated the knight¡¯s chest. There was also a mage holding a broken cane with a determined look on their face. There were also those who looked like ordinary denizens of Niflheim, and they were all frozen with everyone else. There were no exceptions. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho walked past them and entered the castle. Swoosh! A cold breeze much colder than the breeze outside struck him. [Cold Tolerance (B) grade has increased to Cold Tolerance (A).] Cold Tolerance¡¯s level up was just in time, so the cold freeze didn¡¯t feel that ufortable to Seo Jun-Ho. However, he slowed down, looking around warily. Ripped carpets and scratched portraits were scattered on the floor. Seo Jun-Ho walked past the mess and entered the vast throne room. He saw a throne on the very top of the stairs at the end of the long carpet. A woman sat with her eyes closed on the frozen throne. ¡°...¡± ¡®She¡¯s¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho trailed off, feeling more confused than ever because the woman sitting on the frozen throne was none other than. ¡®Frost...¡¯ The woman sitting on the frozen throne was the Frost Queen and the young woman on his back was the Frost Queen as well. ¡®No. She¡¯s a bit bigger than Frost.¡¯ The Frost Queen on the throne looked extremely simr to the Frost Queen whom Seo Jun-Ho had seen in the portrait within the Winter Castle Gate. Seo Jun-Ho stared deeply at the Frost Queen without letting his guard down. ¡®First of all¡­ she¡¯s not the Floor Master.¡¯ A System message would have appeared the moment Seo Jun-Ho saw her if she were the Floor Master. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. His low voice echoed vividly throughout the frozen throne room, but no one answered him. ¡°...¡± After a moment of contemtion, Seo Jun-Ho slowly approached the Frost Queen on the throne. Soon, the two were just a meter away from each other, but the Frost Queen¡¯s eyes were still shut tightly as if she were a doll. Swoosh! Seo Jun-Ho drew out his sword and aimed it at the Frost Queen. ¡°You better answer me if you want to live,¡± Seo Jun-Ho growled. However, the Frost Queen didn¡¯t respond nor move, even though Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword was just a few inches away from her forehead. She sat silently on her frozen throne, seemingly pondering something. sh! The sharp sword wounded her cheek, but she remained unmoving. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho frowned. He retracted his sword and reached out with his hand to shake her shoulder. ¡°Hey,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. His handnded on the Frost Queen¡¯s shoulder, and everything went ck. *** ¡®Ah!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho soon recovered his vision. He was disoriented, but it only took him a moment to recover and realize that he was breathing heavily. ¡®No¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t breathe voluntarily as if he had lost control of his own body. He fell into deep contemtion, trying to understand what was going on, but a clear voice tickled his ears, interrupting him. ¡°Are you not feeling well, Sir?¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the familiar voice. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen was sitting at the very end of the long table. She tilted her head while staring at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I asked if you weren¡¯t feeling well,¡± the Frost Queen asked once again. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Your Majesty.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t say that. His mouth moved as if it was under someone else¡¯s control. The Frost Queen nodded. ¡°You should pay more attention to your physical condition and take good care of yourself in times like this. Don¡¯t forget that the lives of many people are on our shoulders.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Your Majesty.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tried his best to figure out what was going on. ¡®Am I under some sort of a curse?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡®No. This isn¡¯t even my own body.¡¯ This body was not only much taller than Seo Jun-Ho, but it also had thicker bones and more muscle mass. The body¡¯s voice also sounded markedly different from his own voice. ¡®I must be looking at someone else¡¯s memory, then¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was sure that this wasn¡¯t caused by Confession of the Dead. The Frost Queen was still alive, after all. ¡®In other words, she¡¯s showing me her memories. I have no idea whether this is a trap or not, but I should find out soon.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t even his finger, but he was trying his best to move. ¡°Begin the report,¡± the Frost Queen said and gestured with her head. It was such a mundane gesture, but the Frost Queen made it look graceful and a sight to behold. She was indeed a monarch and was overflowing with dignity. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. This war report is based on thetest information that we have.¡± A subordinate started his report. The atmosphere in the conference room got heavier and heavier as time went on. ¡°How many survived?¡± ¡°We have found no survivors so far.¡± No one could speak at the terrible news. However, the Frost Queen broke the silence and asked, ¡°The enemy¡¯s forces are just around the corner, am I right?¡± Their enemies had shattered through their fronts from all cardinal directions and were now moving toward the capital. The subordinate couldn¡¯t lift his head at the Frost Queen¡¯s question, but his silence was a confirmation in itself. The Frost Queen fell silent, but she soon dered, ¡°Today¡¯s meeting ends here. Everybody out.¡± The subordinates scrambled up and left the conference room at the Frost Queen¡¯s order. The subordinates¡¯ footsteps were heavy, and they looked like they were pigs being dragged to the ughterhouse. ¡°...Sir Kis.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally learned the name of the person whose memories he was seeing. ¡®Kis, the Knight of the Mist.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had once faced him at Winter Castle. ¡°Were my preparationscking?¡± ¡°No, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Did I underestimate them?¡± ¡°No, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Then why? Why are we facing such a horrible situation?¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s indifferent facade finally shattered. She looked to be in pain as she stared at Kis. ¡°It is not Your Majesty¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°Then, whose fault is it?!¡± she shouted. ¡°I am the monarch of this nation, and it is my duty to protect my people no matter what.¡± ¡°You did your best, Your Majesty. I¡¯m sure the people are well aware.¡± ¡°Do not try to console me with meaningless words!¡± ¡°Please forgive me, Your Majesty. However, I am speaking the truth. It is not a mere constion.¡± Kis reached out and picked up the report on the table. He looked down at the report and started reading it. ¡°Everfall, Weeden, Terrasia, and Henness¡­ they reported the ongoing situation to us in this order.¡± Kis put down the report on the table and stared intently at the Frost Queen. ¡°During wartime, the job of reporting the ongoing situation is given to a low-level recruit.¡± It was a way to protect the low-level recruits by putting them in a heavily protected location. After all, they were still recruits, so they wouldn¡¯t be of much help on the battlefield. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen stared at Kis with tears in her eyes. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± she asked. ¡°Do you still not understand, Your Majesty?¡± The Frost Queen had always been soft inside, but she had developed the habit of acting tough in front of her subjects. Kis was aware of her true nature, so he made sure to sound gentle as he said, ¡°No one ran away¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the recruits were afraid because it was their first battle, but they didn¡¯t run away. Everfall, Weeden, Terrasia, and Henness did the same.¡± Kis¡¯ eyes shone brightly as he continued. ¡°The reports were immediately shared with the other cities, but even though the denizens of those cities knew that they were the next city to be destroyed, not a single one of them ran away. ¡°They stayed and fought valiantly until the end. Do you know why, Your Majesty?¡± Tears rolled down the Frost Queen¡¯s cheeks. She was a smart monarch, so she instantly realized why those people had made such a decision. ¡°They decided to sacrifice their lives to protect Your Majesty.¡± The denizens of Niflheim had sacrificed themselves to slow down the enemy for their Queen. They had sacrificed themselves to bring down at least one more enemy with them so that the Frost Queen would face one less enemy on the battlefield. ¡°They knew that they would die, but they did not run away.¡± And the word annihted on the reports proved that they had indeed fought until the bitter end¡­ ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen sobbed for a long time. The Frost Queen eventuallyposed herself and said, ¡°Take what you saw today to your grave. No, erase it from your memories.¡± ¡°...Yes, Your Majesty.¡± - You do not need to act tough, Your Majesty. - We already know that you¡¯re the strongest and toughest monarch out there. Seo Jun-Ho felt that Kis wanted to say such words to the Frost Queen. ¡°From thetest information we have gathered, it seems that we only have three days left.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, Your Majesty.¡± In three days, the most powerful invader in Niflheim¡¯s history¡ªthe demon¡¯s army¡ªwould arrive at the capital of Niflheim. ¡°You are dismissed.¡± Kis bowed at themand and exited the conference room. ¡°Three days¡­¡± The skies beyond the window looked gloomy. To put it bluntly, the capital was too weak to repel the demon¡¯s army. ¡°...¡± Kis organized his thoughts and headed to where the knights of the Winter Order were located. He had to go there and talk to them because he was the Knight Commander of the Winter Order. Chapter 603. Winter Song (2) Chapter 603. Winter Song (2) The Frost Queen was a valuable individual in this frozen nation, but it wasn¡¯t just because she was the monarch but also because she was an entire army herself. In fact, many people had been wondering about the purpose of a Knight Order in Niflheim¡ªin their eyes, a Knight Order was redundant. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you guys already know what they call you outside,¡± said Kis as he stood on the podium in front of the training ground. The one hundred knights of the Winter Order were standing before him, and they hade here to follow their Knight Commander and Lord. ¡°They call us sugar.¡± The others called the Knights of the Winter Order sugar because their existence was not necessary to Niflheim. It was sweet to have them by one¡¯s side, but Niflheim could make do without them. ¡°It¡¯s not really an infuriating form of address!¡± ¡°I mean, Her Majesty likes sugar, right?¡± ¡°Wait, I think that¡¯s the reason Her Majesty trusts us a lot¡­¡± The knights of the Winter Order startedughing. Kis smiled upon realizing that his soldiers were energetic as usual. ¡°Knights speak with their weapons and move with loyalty. The same is true of not just me but you as well. A knight shouldn¡¯t care about other people¡¯s evaluation or words.¡± Kis made eye contact with every single knight before him. ¡°Soon, we will have to go out there and fight.¡± The training ground instantly fell silent, and the knights¡¯ expressions made it seem as though they had never beenughing. Their sky-high morale melted away like snowkes melting before plummeting to the ground. ¡°We definitely have a chance,¡± said Kis. The knights¡¯ expressions brightened in pride and hope. The Lord of Winter Castle had always been a man of his word. ¡°...I understand,¡± a knight stepped forward. ¡®Ah!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gasped. ¡®I know him.¡¯ The knight was one of the knights Seo Jun-Ho had met during his proof of knighthood at Winter Castle. The knight unsheathed his sword, cut off his dog tag, and tossed it to the ground. ¡°Knight Captain of the Winter Order, Horun Simus, has perished here.¡± Soon, the other knights cut off their dog tags as well and tossed them to the ground. ¡°Knight of the Winter Order, Phil, has perished here.¡± ¡°Knight of the Winter Order, Segio, has perished here.¡± ¡­ It took quite a while before every knight was done dering their deaths. The meaning behind their action was simple and clear¡ªit was to announce their determination to fight as ghosts with their life at stake. Kis looked at the dog tags fallen on the ground and closed his eyes. ¡°The Lord of the Winter Castle, Kis Bremen¡ª¡± sh. Kis Bremen didn¡¯t have a dog tag, so he cut off a handful of his hair and tossed it away. ¡°¡ªhas perished with his knights.¡± *** Three dayster, the demon army appeared on the frozen snowfield near the capital. ¡®There are too many of them¡­¡¯ The horizon was filled with nothing but demonic creatures as far as the eye could see. The capital was surrounded, and it seemed that the demon army would attack all gates¡ªnorth, south, east, west¡ªat once. ¡®I¡¯m just a bystander, but I already feel suffocated just looking at them. I wonder how these people are feeling.¡¯ ¡°Do they wish to have a meaningless war of attrition?¡± muttered the Frost Queen as she stood on the walls. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Crackle! ¡®...!¡¯ A terrifying burst of magic abruptly froze and reaped the lives of the demon army on the distant horizon. ¡®Is this¡­ her true power?¡¯ The Frost Queen was overwhelmingly powerful. ¡®She kept on telling me just how strong she truly is, but I didn¡¯t expect her strength to be this absurd.¡¯ A multitudinous number of enemies froze in the blink of an eye, but no one celebrated and assumed that they had won ¡°Of course, there are more of them,¡± muttered the Frost Queen. Indeed, the demon army shattered the ice statues and stepped over the corpses of their fellow demonic creatures. ¡°Sir Kiro.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± An old mage bowed deeply. ¡°How many enemies did you say there are? ¡°So far, the confirmed number of enemies are¡­¡± the old mage gulped before saying, ¡°A little over three hundred million.¡± It was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first time hearing such a massive number of enemies on the battlefield. ¡®I remember fighting so many cockroaches on the 4th Floor.¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho could still remember that he had only dealt with about a hundred thousand cockroaches. ¡®But three hundred million?¡¯ Those disgusting cockroaches were everywhere as far as the eyes could see, but there were only about a hundred thousand of them. Whereas three hundred million demonic creatures were approaching Niflheim¡¯s capital. ¡®Three thousand times more enemies than I faced on the 4th Floor¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head started to ache at the thought of fighting so many enemies. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of scarecrows,¡± said the Frost Queen. She sounded uncaring as if the number of enemies didn¡¯t matter to her. In fact, Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that the Frost Queen would still sound the same even if there were three hundred billion enemies. ¡°How about the enemymanders? Are there any changes?¡± ¡°No, Your Majesty. The Seven Counts of the Underworld are still under Kimaris¡¯ lead.¡± Kimaris was one of the evil Transcendents of the universe. The Seven Counts were definitely Star Destruction Stage creatures because one had to be a Star Destruction Stage creature to be a Count in the Underworld. ¡°Well, it seems that the Archduke thinks highly of me.¡± A Transcendent was the only being capable of dealing with a Transcendent. Even a thousand Star Destruction Stage would lose against a Transcendent. The Archduke had made a pretty big investment, especially the decision to send Kimaris, an infamous Transcendent, throughout the vast expanse of the universe. ¡°And he¡¯s too afraid to show himself?¡± the Frost Queen smiled in disdain. Kimaris was currently engaging in a meaningless war of attrition with the Frost Queen to exhaust thetter. ¡°He does not deserve to be a monarch.¡± The Frost Queen didn¡¯t hesitate to freeze every enemy as far as her eye could see. It was truly a divine sight, and it felt like the entire world was supporting her will. ¡°...¡± It was definitely a great war, but it was silent. It was unprecedentedly silent, but itsted more than thirteen hours. Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that the Frost Queen had frozen close to three hundred million demonic creatures at this point. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Kis shouted upon noticing the change in the enemy camp. ¡°Ah. It is time.¡± The snowfields were filled with the corpses of demonic creatures, but the Frost Queen and the demons in the enemy camp paid them no heed, as they had no interest in the corpses that would soon be buried in the uing snowstorm. ¡°They¡¯reing,¡± said Kis. A separate detachment filled with nothing but demons started running across the snowfield at breakneck speeds, and the demonic energy they were radiating was iparable to the demonic creatures that the Frost Queen had frozen so far. Seo Jun-Ho gulped. He was sure that there had to be half a million demons in the detachment. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen frowned. These demons were certainly stronger than the demonic creatures, but there was no rhyme nor reason to their charge. In other words, the Frost Queen just had to snap her fingers, and these demons would be reduced to nothing but ice statues. ¡°But why¡­¡± ¡®Did they not see me freeze demonic creatures over the past thirteen hours?¡¯ The Frost Queen pondered briefly, and her eyes abruptly shot wide open. ¡°No!¡± she screamed. Boom! A figure d in darkness struck the sturdy walls of the capital. ¡°Ah!¡± A cacophony of screams filled the air in an instant, and the medics moved busily to rescue and treat those who were injured. ¡°...!¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s expression turned ugly, and she gnashed her teeth in fury. She looked up and saw what looked like a mass of demonic energy approaching them. It was then that the Frost Queen finally understood what Kimaris had been doing. ¡°He was waiting for someone else?!¡± Kimaris had been acting as if he wanted a war of attrition, but it turned out that he had been waiting for another Transcendent. Otherwise, the Frost Queen would have risked her life to end his life if she had known that he was alone all this while. The Frost Queen urgently shouted, ¡°Sir Kis!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°The situation has changed. I have to go,¡± said the Frost Queen. She knew that there was no way she could protect the capital while fighting two Transcendents. A battle between Transcendents would be certainly destructive, so the Frost Queen knew what she had to do. ¡°I¡¯ll lure those two Transcendents away. In the meantime, you must¡­¡± The Frost Queen stared intently at Kis. ¡°...protect.¡± The Frost Queen didn¡¯t say anything about what Kis had to protect, but Kis didn¡¯t ask for any exnation. He simply put his fist over his heart and bowed deeply. ¡°Understood, Your Majesty.¡± With that, the Frost Queen took off and disappeared. Kis Bremen nced at Kimaris as thette chased after the Frost Queen. Kis turned his gaze to the soldiers and knights. ¡°Prepare for battle!¡± he shouted. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The knights and soldiers immediately got busy. None of them asked what they had to protect. - We have to protect everything. Kis¡¯ thoughts and feelings were clearly conveyed to everyone else. The tension of the uing battle filled even Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s soul. - Thisnd, the people, and ourselves¡­ The Frost Queen didn¡¯t care about the castle at all, as it could be rebuilt. However, the remaining people of thisnd had to be protected at all costs. ¡°All the knights, gather at the North gate!¡± The army led by the Seven Counts of the Underworld gathered at the North gate with the intention to break through the castle at once. It wasn¡¯t strange that they had made that decision because Kimaris had attacked the walls of the North gate, causing it to copse. ¡°We will lose grip of the battle if we allow the enemies to enter the castle through the gap.¡± Kis was nning on taking care of the North gate. Mage Kiro asked, ¡°Are you really going to go out there, Lord Bremen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only way.¡± The Seven Counts of the Underworld were Star Destruction Stage creatures, while the Winter Order only had three Star Destruction Stage creatures. In other words, it wouldn¡¯t be an issue for the demon army to enter the castle vicinity if the Counts worked together. ¡°I have to join the battle to maintain the bnce of the fight.¡± ¡°Then, leave the other gates to us. I will stop the enemies no matter what, even if I have to sacrifice my old life.¡± ¡°Did you not hear what Her Majesty said? Do not give up your life so recklessly.¡± ¡°Haha. It seems like I can¡¯t even die whenever I want¡­¡± Kiro approached Kis and blessed thetter. ¡°May Justice be wherever the white snow falls.¡± Kis responded by bowing to the old mage. ¡°May you pass by winter and greet spring once again.¡± The two blessed each other and went their separate ways, Kis approached the copsed North gate. By the time he arrived, the North gate was already crowded with knights and soldiers. ¡°...¡± Everyone wordlessly stared at the Lord of Winter Castle. Kis Bremen wasn¡¯t only a knight among knights who had been fighting demonic creatures in silence for a long time in the coldest and most hostilend on the, but he would also fight with them as the Knight Commander of the Winter Order. ¡°...¡± Kis wordlessly stared up ahead. The demons that had tainted this were approaching them. Thend trembled, and everyone felt as though they had gone deaf from the enemies¡¯ cacophony of curses and shouts. Kis unsheathed his sword and raised it high above his head. ¡°To protect what Her Majesty has entrusted to us!¡± ¡°For the Queen!¡± 400 knights and 1,200 soldiers charged at the hundreds of thousands of enemies approaching the North gate¡­ Chapter 604. Winter Song (3) Chapter 604. Winter Song (3) Kimaris was riding a huge ck horse across the snowy in. He looked down at his horse¡¯s feet and found that the snow had reached up to its calves. ¡°What an annoying ce,¡± he muttered. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen didn¡¯t bother to reply. She looked up and saw a figure enveloped in the dark mes of hell flying toward her. Thud! ¡°You¡¯rete, Bak.¡± ¡°I went out as soon as possible.¡± The two Transcendents greeted each other before turning toward the Frost Queen. ¡°Is she the famous Frost Queen?¡± ¡°Indeed. I guess rumors are truly often exaggerated,¡± said Kimaris. He wielded his spear and continued. ¡°If those rumors are true, why is she confined to such a remote?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to be confident, but you better not let your guard down. Keep in mind that the Archduke sent the both of us here.¡± A rumor had spread throughout the universe, and it said that there was a powerful being living on a small called Niflheim, somewhere in the periphery of the universe. It was said that any Transcendent was no match for her. ¡°Frostbringer of Worlds.¡± The rumors said that the Frostbringer of Worlds was a monster who had defeated a total of three Transcendents who had attempted to conquer Niflheim. ¡®But¡­¡¯ ¡®Hmm. I don¡¯t know about that.¡¯ The Frost Queen emitted an inscrutable and indescribably contradictory air. She looked wless but full of openings. Bak couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°The benevolent Archduke said that the door is always open for you if you¡¯re willing to change your mind.¡± ¡°Benevolent?¡± the Frost Queen scoffed. ¡°It seems that the word benevolent has a different meaning in the dictionaries outside this.¡± ¡°...So you refuse. I must admit I think highly of your confidence.¡± The Frost Queen stood unblinking and steadfast in the face of two Transcendents. She seemed to be the epitome of poise and confidence, which betrayed her delicate appearance. ¡°It bes funnier the more I think about it,¡± said the Frost Queen. She swept her gaze across the two Transcendents, and the two Transcendents felt that the world had gotten colder under the Frost Queen¡¯s gaze. ¡°How many of my people do you think you¡¯ve killed?¡± she asked. ¡°Kimaris,¡± Bak turned to Kimaris and asked, ¡°How many have we killed so far?¡± Kimaris shook his head. It had been a long time since Kimaris reached the Transcendent Stage, so everything was meaningless to him. He didn¡¯t have the hobby of counting how many ants below the Star Destruction Stage he had killed so far. ¡°Why would I know how many of those things I¡¯ve killed?¡± ¡°Things?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes turned freezing cold. ¡°Get your knees and end your lives. That is the greatest mercy I can show you two.¡± Kimaris nced at Bak and shrugged at the Frost Queen¡¯s ruthless words. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m riding a horse right now. The ground is too far for my knees to reach.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Flinch! An unknown chill climbed up the spine of the two Transcendents. ¡°Come down.¡± ¡°...!¡± Even the sound waves that carried the Frost Queen¡¯s voice were cold, and it made them feel as if their eardrums would freeze. Kimaris jumped off his horse and frowned. ¡®When did she¡­?¡¯ His horse had survived even the fiery pits of hell, but it had unknowingly frozen solid. Kimaris fell into deep thought upon seeing that even his horse¡¯s soul had frozen as well. ¡®I guess it wasn¡¯t just aplete rumor.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s a tricky opponent. Can she freeze anything with her thoughts alone? Aren¡¯t there any prerequisites?¡¯ The two Transcendents shivered. They had to be wary at all times. A moment of neglect meant that they would be ice statues. ¡°The people of this nation regard their monarch as their parents,¡± said the Frost Queen. The two Transcendents frowned. The Frost Queen continued. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it make sense for me to consider them my children?¡± The Frost Queen had lost many of her children, so she was understandably angry. ¡°And that is why you should not be angry at me for what I am about to do.¡± Bak narrowed his eyes upon noticing the subtle change in the Frost Queen¡¯s aura. ¡°How cheeky. It has been only a few decades since you became a Transcendent.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that? Every single one of your children will perish the moment you express your fury.¡± The Frost Queen shook her head. ¡°How funny. You only fight when you¡¯re confident, you lower your heads when you aren¡¯t confident of winning? Ah¡­ I see. That must be why you two knelt down and lowered your heads to the Archduke. How pathetic.¡± ¡°...¡± The pride of the two Transcendents was injured by the Frost Queen¡¯s biting words. ¡°Well, I guess it is indeed impossible to resolve this by words.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made your bed, so you better lie in it.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll take responsibility, even at the risk of losing everything.¡¯ *** The Seven Counts[1] looked down at the battlefield from the peak of a snowy mountain. ¡°They¡¯re doing pretty well,¡± said one of the Counts. The enemies were doing pretty well even against demons. They had noticed the presence of a hundred knights ruthlessly tearing apart every demon that ran up to them. The Counts fell into deep contemtion at the sight. ¡®They¡¯re holding out much better than I thought.¡¯ ¡®This is annoying. Should we start moving?¡¯ ¡®I guess this is great. It would have been boring if they had copsed so easily.¡¯ The surefire win to victory was using their demon subordinates as consumables along with a ton of demonic creatures to exhaust their enemies¡¯ stamina and strength. It was a dirty method to win a battle like this, but they didn¡¯t feel any guilt. The Archduke only acknowledged those who brought him results as well. ¡®A single drop of blood from the Archduke will give me enough power to beat these bastards sitting next to me.¡¯ ¡®Seven Counts to share the underworld¡­ there are too many of us.¡¯ ¡®These bastards next to me are more dangerous than the enemies here.¡¯ No one said it out loud, but everyone was well aware that the Counts wouldn¡¯t hesitate to point their swords at each other if they were given the opportunity to do so. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go ahead. Sit down and rest,¡± said Gorgon. He stood up, and the other Counts stood up right away as well. ¡°As if we¡¯re going to let you take all the credit.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± ¡°Do what you want,¡± said Gorgon. The Counts had no intention of conceding even a bit to each other, so they immediately jumped into the battlefield. This was just a game for the Counts, but it was a reality heavier than anything else for the Niflheim soldiers. ¡°Arh!¡± ¡°The enemymanders! The enemymanders are here!¡± ¡°Let the lines retreat! The mages on top of the walls should buy¡ªah!¡± The Niflheim soldiers burst like balloons and disappeared into the snowy wind. The three gates, which had been somehow holding out pretty well until now, copsed in an instant as soon as the Counts joined the battle. ¡°Lord!¡± The knights looked back and shouted in a loud voice. They had been risking their lives to break through the enemy¡¯s lines, but their base was now copsing. ¡°We have to go back!¡± Kis came to a halt. He looked back for a moment and then looked forward again. ¡°...¡± ¡®A bit more¡­ just a bit more.¡¯ He needed just a bit more time, and he would soon destroy the enemy¡¯s core forces. ¡®But if I do that¡­¡¯ The lives of Niflheim¡¯s people would be the price to pay. ¡°Protect¡­¡± A voice echoed in Kis¡¯ head. He gave up his greed to advance and shouted, ¡°Maintain the line and retreat!¡± Kis ran away to take a shortcut. The castle lookedpletely different from what it looked like when Kis left. The soldiers along the walls had scattered away, and those who had been shouting in one brave voice as one were screaming in pain. mes could be seen everywhere, and the snow beneath his feet had turned crimson. ¡°...¡± Kis¡¯ heart was wrapped in fury. He scaled one of the walls and shouted, ¡°Scatter! Spring, Summer, and Autumn face the Counts and leave two of them for me!¡± The Winter Order had three Star Destruction Stage knights. Kis knew that the Counts of the Underworld were strong, but he and his knights should be perfectly capable of taking them on. Kis¡¯ eyes scanned the battlefield. ¡®There are seven of them in total.¡¯ Kis¡¯ job was to fight two Counts at once. Kis¡¯ fierce eyes abruptly stopped scanning the area. ¡°Human beings are so pitiful. They age like a disgrace, and their lifespans are short,¡± ¡°...Ah, argh!¡± An old man was struggling in the air as a demon seized him by the neck. ¡°May Justice be wherever the white snow falls.¡± The old man would always keep his robe tidy and without stains, but the blood pouring out of his orifices had dyed his robe crimson. His zed eyes also spoke volumes that he was on the brink of death. ¡°Sir Kiro!¡± ¡°Sir¡­ Kis¡­¡± Kiro reached out with his wrinkled hand toward Kis. ¡°Run¡ª¡± Crack! A crisp and grotesque noise echoed as Kiro¡¯s head turned in an unnatural direction. He immediately went limp and silent. ¡°Was he really the finest mage of this nation? How pathetic.¡± The demon hurled Kiro¡¯s corpse away and turned, but his eyes shot wide open. ¡°...!¡± ¡®Star Destruction?¡¯ The demon was aware that there were a total of eight Star Destruction Stage creatures on this. ¡®One of them is the old man I just killed.¡¯ However, the demon couldn¡¯t quite believe that the old man was a Star Destruction Stage creature like himself, as thetter died so easily. ¡®There are still seven of them, and the strongest among them must be¡­¡¯ Kis Bremen, the Lord of the Winter Castle. He was a Star Destruction knight and was famous as the Knight of the Mist. ¡°What a coincidence. I was looking for you.¡± ¡®He¡¯s the golden ticket of this battlefield.¡¯ Killing Kis was no doubt a tremendous achievement for any of them. Azos hurriedly looked around. ¡®There¡¯s no one else here.¡¯ The other Counts were busy dealing with the others. Azos barely managed to hold himself back from bursting intoughter. ¡®I just have to kill this knight before me, and none of those bastards can deny that I was the leader of this battlefield.¡¯ Azos¡¯ demonic energy emerged from his feet. ¡®But¡­¡¯ He looked up the moment he realized that his surroundings had gone dark, even though it was daytime. ¡°Mist?¡± Azos was surrounded by a thick mist. It was so thick that he could barely see an inch ahead of him. ¡®Knight of the Mist¡­¡¯ It was annoying, but all it did was disturb his vision. Azos protected himself with demonic energy as he slowly moved forward. ¡®Where is he? Which direction is iting?¡¯ Swoosh! A sword suddenly flew toward him from behind. Azos whipped around and parried the sword with his hands wrapped with demonic energy. ¡®Found him!¡¯ However, his joy didn¡¯tst long because another sword flew toward him from the side. ¡°...?!¡± Azos was confused. It was an odd move, even if his enemy was fast. ¡®It feels like I¡¯m fighting several Kis Bremens at the same time.¡¯ However, Azos would soon find himself utterly confused. ¡°What?!¡± Multiple swords hacked, sliced, and thrust toward him from all cardinal directions and angles. To make matters worse, every attack was fatal. ¡°Argh! Damn it!¡± Azos roared in fury upon losing one of his arms. ¡°This damned mist! Come out! Come out here and fight me!¡± Azos¡¯ voice didn¡¯t get far as it was absorbed by the mist. ¡°...¡± ¡®This is weird. We¡¯re still on a battlefield, so why is there nothing around me?¡¯ There were no corpses, no screams. There was only a nk space. ¡®No way. Am I in a Unique Realm?¡¯ Azos¡¯ face stiffed upon thinking of such a possibility. He immediately started running away without looking back even once. ¡®Damn it! When did he pull me into his Unique Realm? I need to find a way out.¡¯ Azos was aware that it would be suicide to fight a Star Destruction Stage creature inside thetter¡¯s Unique Realm. That was exactly why he had decided to run away. He had been running for quite a while now, but the mist was still as thick as always. ¡°I don¡¯t want much from you.¡± Azos turned around at the speed of lightning at the voice from behind him. His sharp fingernails wed at his opponent. Swoosh. However, Kis¡¯ figure scattered away like mist upon being hit. Shwik! ¡°...!¡± Azos felt a shiver down his spine the moment a sword pierced his heart from behind. ¡°Just die. Pay for your sin with your death.¡± ¡°N, no¡­!¡± The sword ruthlessly split Azos¡¯ heart and emerged from his shoulder. ¡°Perish in the Castle in the Mist.¡± sh! The sword shed down and split Azos¡¯ figure into two. 1. previously tranted as Earl in the previous chapter ? Chapter 605. Winter Song (4) Chapter 605. Winter Song (4) ¡°...¡± Horun looked down at the spear that had pierced his heart withplicated eyes. The opponent was certainly on the same Star Destruction Stage as himself, but they were on apletely different level from each other. ¡°Just because we¡¯re both Star Destruction doesn¡¯t mean we are on the same level,¡± said Gorgon. His voice sounded indifferent, as if he were a civil worker who was just about to go home after a long day at work. ¡°Drink my blood and dere your intentions of bing a demon. Do that, and I will spare your life.¡± Gorgon had two reasons for suggesting such a deal. One was that if Horun was made an ally, Gorgon would gain an advantage inter disputes with the other Counts. The other reason was due to his anticipation that the Archduke would think highly of him for recruiting a powerful enemy to their side. Shwing! ¡°...¡± Gorgon raised his hand slightly and looked at the sword aimed at his neck. No word or sentence could return a more definite answer than Horun¡¯s action. ¡°You¡¯ve made a dumb choice,¡± Gorgon said dryly. Momentster, he mustered his demonic energy and dozens of ck spears thrust toward Horun at once, riddling him with wounds. ¡®One, two, three¡­¡¯ Horun finally kneeled upon being hit by thirteen spears. Gorgon wordlessly looked down at the knight who had perished with his eyes wide open. ¡®Just what is it? Just what had driven him to fight so hard? I don¡¯t get it.¡¯ Gorgon figured that he would never be able to understand the feelings of his enemies for the rest of his life. After all, he was a special being and was above anyone else. Gorgon set his thoughts aside and turned. The other Counts were wary of their surroundings after killing their enemies. Gorgon¡¯s gaze scanned the other Counts. ¡®Orpheus is¡­ still showing no gap as always. He¡¯s a tricky fellow. Lavie, that bitch is obviously showing an opening on purpose to urge the others to start something. Horizon doesn¡¯t seem to be in good shape. Perhaps I can kill him.¡¯ Just as Gorgon evaluated the other Counts, the other Counts evaluated him as well. It would be difficult, but getting rid of the other Counts would put them at an advantage, which would allow them to secure their positions in the Underworld. ¡°...No one¡¯s gonna attack? Ugh. Everyone¡¯s too damned smart. Tsk,¡± Lavie clicked her tongue after seeing that no one had fallen for her trap. At the same time, the openings she had deliberately shown disappeared in the blink of an eye. ¡°One, two, three, four¡­ six? Wait. We¡¯re short on one,¡± said Lavie. However, the other Counts remained indifferent. They knew that some of the enemies had reached the Star Destruction Stage, but they never felt threatened at all. ¡®They¡¯re small fries that had just entered the Star Destruction Stage.¡¯ They were surely strong for human beings, but they weren¡¯t strong enough to harm the Counts who had been dancing around the gap between life and death in the Underworld. ¡°Azos is missing?¡± ¡°It seems like he¡¯s in there.¡± The Counts¡¯ gazes turned toward a gray cloud that appeared in the middle of the battlefield. They were right; Azos was indeed within the gray cloud, but the result of the fight astonished them. ¡°...¡± The figure walking out of the scattering gray cloud wasn¡¯t Azos but a knight d in white armor. Azos¡¯ corpsey behind him. The knight calmly looked around. ¡®Jeffrey, Gordon¡­ Rainford.¡¯ The Knight Captains of Summer and Autumn¡ªthew enforcers of Niflheim¡ªhad perished. The Knight Captain of Spring¡ªthe Queen¡¯s bodyguard¡ªhad perished as well. Horun¡ªthe Knight Captain of Winter, Kis¡¯ sidekick, and the epitome of a knight¡ªhad perished as well. However, the Knight Captains weren¡¯t the only ones who had lost their lives. ¡°...¡± The snowy in beyond Winter Castle¡¯s walls used to be white, but it had be darker than the sunset after it had absorbed the blood of the soldiers and knights. ¡°Segio, Mte, Daniel, Laiya, E¡­¡± Kis saw familiar faces everywhere and as far as his eyes could see. However, they weren¡¯t smiling at him as usual. They were staring nkly at somewhere else as if they had lost something precious. ¡°...¡± Something hot dripped down Kis¡¯ eyes, and it flowed down his cheeks before falling to the snow beneath him, dying it a shade even darker. Kis cried tears of blood. %@%@!!! A shrill and furious cry resembling a beast that had just lost its child pierced Gorgon¡¯s ears. Gorgon gulped. ¡®Someone like him is on a remote like this? And he killed one of us as well¡­ what a monster.¡¯ If the Seven Counts were ranked from one to seven, Azos would hover somewhere around five. In other words, Azos wasn¡¯t an enemy that one could underestimate, but Kis seemed unscathed despite killing the former. ¡®He¡¯s strong. He¡¯s definitely strong.¡¯ To make matters worse, such a powerful enemy was furious. He had devoured a Count of the Underworld, but he was obviously hungry for more. It was a terrifying sight that disturbed even the hearts of the Counts. ¡®However, his killer will receive the most credit.¡¯ ¡®Even if I can¡¯t kill him...¡¯ ¡®I have to ensure that he won¡¯t die at the hands of these bastards.¡¯ The Counts wordlessly came to an agreement. They had no intention of conceding such a prey to anyone else. Orpheus spoke, ¡°Was that gray cloud a Unique Realm?¡± Orpheus had no idea about its effects, but it had to have been the key to the knight¡¯s victory against Azos. It was a pretty decent presumption, as the knight was unscathed. ¡°I have no choice but to take countermeasures.¡± Orpheus stomped, and his demonic energy erased all the colors of the world, turning everything monochrome. ¡°Insane.¡± ¡°How ignorant.¡± The Counts of the Underworld grumbled. They were now under the influence of Orpheus¡¯ ability. Orpheus had used his overwhelming demonic energy to construct a world of futility. As a result, the space had be a world of vain where nothing else could blossom aside from the space itself. It was an ability that made Orpheus deserving of his title¡ªOrpheus of Vain. ¡°Come,¡± Orpheus said. He didn¡¯t even nce at the other Counts as he warned. ¡°Of course, you guys can attack me as well, but you better think it through.¡± ¡°...¡± The battle soon began. *** Kis couldn¡¯t tell how many hours had passed since the battle started. There was only one thing he could remember¡ªhe managed to kill another Count. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± He had achieved a marvelous achievement, considering how he had killed another Count despite the encirclement. Unfortunately, even stars would eventually perish, and it didn¡¯t take that long for Kis¡¯ light to fade away. sh! Kis¡¯ left leg was severed. ¡°...!¡± A brief opening appeared, and the Counts didn¡¯t miss their opportunity. sh! Kis felt a searing pain shoot up his shoulders up to his brain. ¡°Argh¡­!¡± Blood spurted haphazardly into the air along with his severed arms. His sword helplessly flew away as well. ¡°Heup!¡± However, Kis wasn¡¯t done just yet. He red at the sword and snatched it from out of mid-air with his mouth. He bit the sword hard until his teeth creaked, and he swung his head fiercely. ng! ¡°Ah!¡± Yuria¡ªa Count of the Underworld¡ªlet out a shrill scream. However, Kis didn¡¯t hesitate to swing his head once again. sh! Yuria¡¯s head flew into the air and rolled on the snow. Yuria¡¯s headless corpse fell backward, and the battlefield was enveloped in a deathly silence ¡°...¡± Gorgon shut his mouth. The knight was standing with only one leg. He was riddled with wounds and was drenched in his own blood. He looked like he would die anytime soon, but he also looked like he wouldst the longest among everyone else on the battlefield. The knight emitted an intimidating aura that made the Counts hesitate. ¡®There are only four of us left.¡¯ The knight had killed three of the Seven Counts on the same. ¡®Orpheus has only been watching with his hands behind his back from the sidelines, but the knight is undeniably strong.¡¯ Gorgon felt that the saying about how Star Destruction Stage creatures wouldn¡¯t necessarily be on the same level was indeed true and applicable to him as well. ¡°Only four left, huh?¡± Orpheus nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a decent number, and I don¡¯t think anyone is still willing to step forward, anyway.¡± The Counts turned passive after seeing two Counts die before their eyes. Orpheus retrieved his demonic energy, and the monochrome world became filled with colors once more. ¡°Let¡¯s share the Underworld between the four of us for the time being.¡± The three Counts nodded at Orpheus¡¯ suggestion. It was a very generous offer. ¡°Now¡­¡± Orpheus turned to the knight. Niflheim was bound to disappear into the background of history the moment the knight in front of them perished in battle. Orpheus mustered his demonic energy and took a step forward to the knight, but he turned to the west at the same time as the other COunts. ¡°...!¡± There was nothing in the sky, but the Counts¡¯ constricted pupils were unwittingly transfixed at something in the sky. ¡°This has been a ridiculous day filled with nonsense.¡± Orpheus shook his head and swung his hand, creating a rift in space that he immediately entered. The Counts hurriedly departed as well as if they were running away. ¡°W-where are they going?¡± ¡°Where are the Counts going?¡± The demons that had been abandoned had no idea why the Counts left in haste. However, it didn¡¯t take that long for them to receive an answer. Boom! Aet crashed to the ground, revealing the figure of a woman breathing heavily. The demons raised their weapons, and the Frost Queen snapped her fingers. ¡°Silence.¡± The world abruptly froze. ¡°Haaa, haaa¡­¡± The Frost Queen took a moment to catch her breath, and her eyes shone in sadness as she looked around. ¡°Ah¡­ No¡­ no, no, no.¡± The Frost Queen managed to kill the Transcendent Kimaris and Bak with her own hands, but the people of Niflheim perished. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± the Frost Queen eximed, devastated. She didn¡¯t cry¡ªno, she had forgotten how to cry since she became a monarch. ¡°...Your Majesty,¡± Kis muttered as he stood under the falling snowkes. His voice sounded hoarse and utterly exhausted. The Frost Queen shook her head and approached him. ¡°Sir Kis. You look¡ªlet¡¯s get you treated first.¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°The former monarch left behind a powerful medicine, so just give me a minute. I¡¯ll bring it to you in a minute, so¡ª¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Kis¡¯ voice suddenly sounded crisp and clear. The Frost Queen bit her lips. It was a moment of rity before death. Kis could no longer be saved. Kis looked down at his young Queen and said, ¡°Please forgive me for looking down at Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°I¡­ could not protect¡­ anything. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°Sir Kis. This is an order! Do not die!¡± The Frost Queen would lose everything if she lost Kis, and the idea of losing everything terrified her, even though she wasn¡¯t the least afraid of facing two Transcendents by herself. ¡°Losing you¡­ would mean losing everything to me¡­ What am I going to do by myself?¡± The delicate demeanor of the Frost Queen distorted in agony, and her face looked hazier by the second. However, Kis couldn¡¯t tell if it was his blood blocking his vision or if it was the falling snow. ¡°If¡­ I am given a next life¡­ I will fulfill Your Majesty¡¯s order. I¡­ failed to fulfill Your Majesty¡¯s orders¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°So, please¡­¡± ¡®Don¡¯t be sad.¡¯ Kis¡¯ did not get toplete his sentence. *** Everything went ck upon Kis¡¯ death. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt that he was no longer in Kis¡¯ body. ¡®This is my own body.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho still felt disoriented by the whirlwind of emotions he had just experienced. ¡°Sigh.¡± He took a few deep breaths and wiped the tears off his eyelids. Soon, Seo Jun-Ho came to his senses. ¡®Where am I?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho found himself in a familiar ce. He dug deep into his memories as he started walking down the path. ¡°Oh, this is¡­¡± He had visited this training ground many times before. Seo Jun-Ho finally realized that he was in the Winter Castle. This was where the members of the Winter Order fought each other to train andughed with each other during breaks. However, the training ground was deste aside from a hundred weapons sticking out of the training ground. The warmth andughter that once filled this training ground seemed to have frozen in time. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho passed by the training ground and soon found himself walking down a familiar corridor. The chair of the lord was at the end of the corridor and someone was sitting there. The person in the chair slowly stood up. ¡°...Kis Bremen.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze turnedplicated. The Lord of the Winter Castle said, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to meet you.¡± Chapter 606. Winter Song (5) Chapter 606. Winter Song (5) Seo Jun-Ho looked at Kis with aplicated gaze, concerned that he might have to fight thetter. ¡®I had zero knowledge about him when we fought back then, but now¡­¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho had been experiencing the world through Kis¡¯ eyes, ears, and skin until just a few minutes ago. His thoughts and emotions were vividly shared with Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho was aware of Kis¡¯ desperate and determined loyalty better than anyone else. He found it difficult to raise his sword against Kis Bremen. ¡°Rx. You and I won¡¯t be fighting.¡± Kis lightly shook his head. He slowly stepped forward and walked past Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a walk?¡± ¡°...¡± An awkward atmosphere filled the cold corridor as the two silently walked next to each other. The awkwardness was palpable, and Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°What do you mean when you said that you¡¯ve been wanting to meet me?¡± ¡°It is exactly as I said. I¡¯ve wanted to meet you at least once.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t we met before?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. Kis shook his head. ¡°The Kis Bremen you met¡­ he was like an illusion made on the day I died.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho pondered over Kis¡¯ words for a moment and asked. ¡°Is she like that, too?¡± There was a Frost Queen Spirit, and there was another Frost Queen on the 8th Floor. In other words, one of them had to be like the Kis that Seo Jun-Ho had encountered at the Winter Castle Gate. However, Kis shook his head. ¡°No. Her Majesty¡¯s case is a little special.¡± Kis came to a halt upon arriving at their destination. He watched the snow falling down on the training ground filled with weapons. ¡°It seems like you have many questions.¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Feel free to ask me one by one.¡± With that, Seo Jun-Ho asked, ¡°If you say so, then I¡¯ll ask. First of all, where am I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in my mind sea.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho fell silent for quite a while before asking, ¡°I thought people who died bravely and valiantly go to the Knights¡¯ Corridor?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Kis nodded. ¡°Warriors of Niflheim who died bravely and valiantly go to the Knights¡¯ Corridor of Niflheim.¡± Seo Jun-Ho pondered while looking around. The deste and lonely space was far from the warm space of the Knights¡¯ Corridor. Seo Jun-Ho made a sidelong nce at Kis. Kis seemed hesitant, but he eventually admitted. ¡°...I gave up the right to enter the Knights¡¯ Corridor.¡± ¡°What? Why did you do that?¡± It was the honor and goal of all warriors and knights to set foot in a glorious ce after death. There were many people who had decided to hang on to their weapons for their entire lives just to go to the Knights¡¯ Corridor after death. ¡°Do you have any other questions?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡®He doesn¡¯t want to talk about it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded and asked, ¡°As far as I know, one can only drag someone else into their mind sea if they have a strong bond between them. Of course, a Transcendent is an exception.¡± Seo Jun-Ho vaguely recalled Hart¡¯s words. In other words, Seo Jun-Ho was asking how Kis managed to invite him into Kis¡¯ mind sea when they weren¡¯t close to each other. Tap, tap. Kis tapped his finger on the emblem on his cape. ¡°Do you still remember this?¡± ¡°...?¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the emblem that Kis had pointed out and blinked. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡®I remember that emblem in the shape of mist.¡¯ [1] Seo Jun-Ho searched his Inventory and whipped out an emblem that looked exactly like the emblem on Kis¡¯ cape. ¡°Are you talking about this?¡± he asked. The emblem was one of the rewards that Seo Jun-Ho had gotten after proving his knighthood at the Winter Castle Gate. Kis nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the biggest reason I managed to call you here.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could still remember Captain Horun telling him that a knight who had proven their knighthood could meet the Lord of the Winter Castle. ¡°Next question. Why did you call me here?¡± ¡°...¡± Kis shut his mouth at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s question. He slowly turned toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Did you take a good look at the memory I showed you?¡± he asked. ¡°I knew it, you willingly showed me your memories.¡± ¡®It was strange how the point of view was Kis rather than Frost.¡¯ ¡°Do you mind me asking how you felt after seeing my memories?¡± ¡°What do you mean how did I feel¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down as sadness shed in his eyes. Kis turned to look at the training ground again. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Wait. I haven¡¯t said anything yet.¡± ¡°Your face said everything.¡± Kis fell silent for quite a while. Eventually, he nced at Seo Jun-Ho and said, ¡°...Thank you.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For making that expression for Her Majesty¡¯s sake.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face flushed, and he looked at the training ground before changing the topic. ¡°I¡¯m not really the type to beat around the bush.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like beating around the bush as well.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯d like you to tell me the true reason you called me here.¡± Kis arranged his thoughts for a moment before saying, ¡°...I have served Her Majesty all my life right beside her, but it was the first time I saw Her Majesty shed tears.¡± Kis had perished, but his soul saw the Frost Queen cry in anguish as she sat by herself next to his corpse in the middle of the frozen and deste battlefield. ¡°I¡¯m dead, so I can¡¯t serve Her Majesty even if I want to do so.¡± The light was beckoning at him toe. However, Kis couldn¡¯t bear to leave Her Majesty crying by herself, surrounded by the corpses of Niflheim¡¯s people. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Is that why you gave up the right to enter the Knights¡¯ Corridor?¡± ¡°...¡± Kis didn¡¯t say anything in response. However, Kis¡¯ expression was a good enough answer in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes, just like his own had been for Kis. ¡°She¡¯ll be mad at you once she finds out what you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°I know.¡± There was no way the Frost Queen would be happy to hear that her precious subordinate had given up what every knight had been dreaming of reaching in the afterlife just for her sake. Kis was no longer the soul of a glorious knight. He had be nothing but an unnamed soul wandering between the Nine Heavens. ¡°I have no regrets. I managed to take care of Her Majesty, after all, even though I¡¯ve be nothing but a soul.¡± However, a soul couldn¡¯t have done anything else other than silently watch over the Frost Queen. Seo Jun-Ho asked, ¡°What did she do after the battle?¡± ¡°The moment she came to her senses, she went out to look for a certain being.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Chaos.¡± Gray had told Seo Jun-Ho that Chaos was the ruler of the universe. Chaos was also the one responsible for locking up the Archduke in the Floors. ¡°Why did she do that?¡± ¡°To get a chance.¡± ¡°A chance¡­?¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned, and he met eyes with Kis. Kis¡¯ eyes were so sincere and transparent that Seo Jun-Ho felt like he was looking right through Kis¡¯ mind. ¡°Yes, a chance. A chance to turn everything back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s silly¡­ that¡¯s impossible.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly. He had turned back time many times before, and he had thought that what he had been doing was turning everything back, but he couldn¡¯t have been more mistaken. Now, he knew better than anyone that turning everything back was impossible. ¡°You¡¯re right. Chaos made it very clear that it was impossible, but Her Majesty¡¯s visit to Chaos wasn¡¯t necessarily a waste of time.¡± ¡°Are you saying that she gained something?¡± ¡°Yes. Her Majesty was the one who suggested the creation of the Floors that you are climbing at the moment.¡± ¡°...Huh? What did you just say?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered nkly. His brain briefly stopped operating. Seo Jun-Ho tried his best to understand what Kis said by assembling the words inside his head. ¡°Frost¡­ suggested the creation of the Floors?¡± ¡°To be exact, Her Majesty wanted to get a chance to turn everything back, so Chaos made the Floors at her suggestion.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt dizzy, and his lips went dry for some reason. ¡°Are you saying that Frost¡­ she has been deceiving me all this while?¡± ¡°Pffft!¡± Kis chuckled and smiled. ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho with a re. ¡°Oh, pardon me. It¡¯s just that¡­ it seems that I know Her Majesty better than you do.¡± ¡°...What do you mean?¡± ¡°Her Majesty cannot deceive someone for an extended period of time, and she¡¯s only capable of deceiving herself,¡± said Kis in a bitter-sounding voice. He picked up a wooden stick and ced it in a corner of the training ground. Squeak, squeak. Kis drew something on the snow. ¡°This is Her Majesty.¡± ¡°...You suck at drawing.¡± ¡°This is Her Majesty.¡± ¡°Okay, fine.¡± Kis drew something else next to the so-called Frost Queen. ¡°Her Majesty begged Chaos to leave the 8th Floor to her.¡± ¡°For what reason?¡± ¡°If she can¡¯t turn everything back, then she wanted to make sure that the same tragedy that happened to her wouldn¡¯t happen to someone else.¡± Kis drew another image. The drawing was still terrible, but it was slightly better than before. ¡°Floors? Are these the Floors?¡± ¡°They sure are. The Floors were made to nurture a powerful yer that would be something like a counterweight to bring bnce to the universe¡¯s scales.¡± Squeak, squeak. Kis drew something strange once again. ¡°This is the Archduke.¡± ¡°...If you say so. What about him?¡± ¡°The Archduke waited leisurely at first. He was confident that no one could possibly harm him by any means, no matter how many people climbed up the Floors.¡± Seo Jun-Ho agreed with Kis¡¯ words. He also didn¡¯t think that he would be strong enough to deal with the Archduke, even if he had cleared all ten Floors. ¡°But the Archduke soon realized that something was wrong.¡± ¡°...What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know, but Her Majesty can be as stubborn as a bull.¡± Kis pointed at the 1st Floor and said, ¡°Her Majesty realized that it was impossible for people to clear the Floors, so she boldly decided to freeze every Floor.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared wide-eyed at Kis, bewildered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but do you even know what you¡¯re talking about? She froze every Floor? I don¡¯t think that has happened before.¡± ¡°Of course, it still hasn¡¯t happened.¡± Kis made a sidelong nce at Seo Jun-Ho and said, ¡°It still hasn¡¯t happened in your world, I mean.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°However, Her Majesty has already frozen 13,729 worlds.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression fell. ¡°It was a serious issue for the Archduke. The yers had to climb up the Floors for his release, but Her Majesty had frozen every Floor.¡± ¡°...What happens if a Floor is frozen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. It¡¯s impossible to clear a Floor where even time is frozen.¡± Eventually, the Archduke made a decision. ¡°The Archduke didn¡¯t want to live in a ce where even time is frozen.¡± Therefore, the Archduke would create a parallel world every time the Frost Queen froze every Floor and resumed the quests for the sake of his release. ¡°In a way, the Archduke gave us a chance, and I think Her Majesty knew that the Archduke would make such a decision.¡± Otherwise, the Archduke would have gotten stuck in a world where even time was frozen. However, the creation of the parallel words meant that the yers could try again after failing over and over. Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s vicious¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s smart, wise, and intelligent.¡± Kis continued. ¡°The process was repeated hundreds or perhaps even thousands of times. Her Majesty thought that what she had been doing was meaningless.¡± ¡°Did she give up?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the opposite. She actively intervened with the Floors.¡± Tap, tap. Kis tapped the drawing of the 1st Floor using the wooden stick. ¡°Her Majesty decided to divide herself into two. She sent the other down to be the Floor Master of the 1st Floor for the sake of picking a human with enough potential. The human would eventually deal with the Archduke with her.¡± ¡°...No way.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kis pointed at Seo Jun-Ho using the wooden stick. ¡°That¡¯s you, yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± 1. The raws really say ¡°fog/mist-shaped emblem.¡± What¡¯s the shape of mist, you ask? Who knows, not me. It refers back to ch 85, Knight of the Mist ? Chapter 607. Winter Song (6) Chapter 607. Winter Song (6) ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the tip of the wooden stick in a daze. Kis¡¯ exposition made him feel as if his head was going to explode. The cold wind chilled Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s forehead as he raised his hand and swept up his hair. A momentter, he came to his senses. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I have the potential to kill the Archduke?¡± Kis nodded. ¡°...I¡¯m not sure about that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice was as weak as a deted balloon as he briefly pictured the future in his head. ¡®Even the Transcendents couldn¡¯t do anything about the Archduke.¡¯ Such meant that the Archduke was at least a Transcendent, and there was a very high chance that he had reached the Absolute Stage by now. ¡°And I¡¯ll be the one to kill him? How am I supposed to do that?¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t hold back an embarrassedugh. ¡°What if¡­ what if Frost chose the wrong person?¡± he asked in a diffident voice. ¡°Her Majesty is never wrong.¡± ¡°Everyone makes mistakes.¡± ¡°Her Majesty makes no mistakes.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked at Kis with a frustrated gaze. Kis stared back at Seo Jun-Ho, but the look on his face was confident. ¡°I¡¯m not just saying this out of blind faith. There¡¯s a basis for my trust.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°...I¡¯ve been watching by the side all along.¡± Kis reached out his palm into the empty air. Soon, the scattered snowball piled up on his palm. ¡°What are you saying out of the blue¡­¡± At that moment, Seo Jun-Ho trailed off and turned his head. The surroundings were changing. The snowstorm had stopped before he knew it, and warm sunshine shone through the clouds. ¡°Even the snow that seems to remain freezing cold forever¡­¡± As spring came, the dried trees blossomed beautiful flowers. Time flew by and the leaves began to change color. ¡°¡­and even the leaves that seem to remain fresh forever¡­¡± Tap, tap. Then the leaves hardened by the cold fell to the ground one by one. ¡°¡­they all disappear when the time given to them is over. That¡¯s thew of nature.¡± ¡°...¡± It was winter again. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the snow falling down from the sky and asked. ¡°What is it that you¡¯re trying to say?¡± ¡°People also belong to nature. Nothingsts forever.¡± ¡°...Are you saying that The Frost Queen also changed?¡± Kis slowly closed his eyes. ¡°That would have been better.¡± A small voice scattered away in the snowstorm. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Her Majesty did not change.¡± ¡®I must be the only one who knows she hasn¡¯t changed. Only this part of me trapped in this frozen world with Her Majesty remembers everything. My young monarch has walked alone on a long journey through thirteen thousand, seven hundred and twenty-nine worlds.¡¯ ¡°...¡± Just as long as she had been holding back the Archduke, the Archduke had also been holding her back as he thought that if she remembered everything, she was bound to give up and let the Archduke go. ¡°Her Majesty did not give up on anything.¡± The Frost Queen believed that there would be someone somewhere on Earth. She firmly believed that Chaos would never ask a question with no answer. ¡°...¡± Kis slowly opened his eyes. Through the drifting snowstorm, he saw a face that he could never forget and shouldn¡¯t forget. ¡°You are the fruit of Her Majesty¡¯s agony. You are the only hope that Her Majesty has been searching for.¡± There was no mistake in The Frost Queen¡¯s choice. Kis could be sure because he had watched everything from the beginning beside her. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t easily open his mouth. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was because he was in Kis¡¯ mind space or because the connection with him had not beenpletely cut off yet. However, an unknown mournful emotion kept pounding on his heart. ¡°Do you still not get it?¡± Squeeze. The blunt wooden stick gently pressed against Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s left chest. Kis rebuked Seo Jun-Ho in a slightly angrier voice than before. ¡°Her Majesty trusts you more than she even trusts herself. The only one who doesn¡¯t trust you is yourself.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart ached¡ªperhaps due to the wooden stick poking him in the chest. It felt like it was not a blunt stick but a sharp skewer piercing his flesh. ¡°Sigh.¡± Seo Jun-Ho let out a deep sigh and nodded. ¡°All right. I¡¯m the one chosen by the Frost Queen, who does not make mistakes. I understand so far.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Kis lowered the wooden stick and went on. ¡°To be honest, I was unsure when Her Majesty first chose you.¡± ¡°...Did I look that untrustworthy?¡± ¡°Of course. But as time went by, I could understand the reason why Her Majesty chose you out of everyone else.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to hear the reason.¡± Kis closed his mouth at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s question. He took a long time to answer, and when he did, his answer was anything but one. ¡°You will find out the reason pretty soon.¡± Seo Jun-Ho did not bother to ask any further because he didn¡¯t think Kis would give him a proper answer anyway. ¡°Do you have any other questions?¡± ¡°Oh. Um¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho hesitated for a while and asked in a careful voice. ¡°The Frost Queen got sick as soon as she came to the eighth floor. Do you know why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably because of synchronization.¡± ¡°What do you mean by synchronization?¡± ¡°She forcefully divided herself into two. It¡¯s only natural that there is a bacsh since the divided are trying to be one again.¡± Kis¡¯ words shocked Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°What? Then what happens to The Frost Queen?¡± To Seo Jun-Ho, the Frost Queen was not the Frost Queen of the 8th floor. She was a precious spirit who spent a long time together with him. Kis calmed Seo Jun-Ho down. ¡°I know what you are worried about. You must be afraid that Her Majesty you knew might disappear.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. What you¡¯re worried about won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°You mean¡­I don¡¯t have to worry about The Frost Queen bing apletely different being?¡± ¡°...¡± Kis nodded heavily, then looked up at the sky for a while. ¡°It seems that the time allowed to me will end soon.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I am nothing but an ordinary soul now. It was against providence to bring the living person to the space of mind at my own will.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face hardened. ¡°You know what?¡± asked Kis. ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°You and I have a slight resemnce.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Seo Jun-Hopared himself to Kis. No matter how much he looked, however, he could not find the slightest resemnce. ¡°What resemnce are you talking about?¡± ¡°I deal with mist and you deal with darkness.¡± ¡°So? What does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°Niflheim means a world of darkness or a world of mist.¡±[1] Darkness and mist. These were Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s and Kis¡¯ emblematic abilities. ¡°Just as Her Majesty thought dearly of me, she probably thinks dearly of you as well. She must be attracted to abilities like ours.¡± ¡°...The Frost Queen is my spirit.¡± ¡®I¡¯m the superior one here, not her.¡¯ Kis smiled at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cute argument. ¡°I¡¯ll let you do me a favor,¡± he said. ¡°You sure are impertinent for someone asking for a favor. I¡¯ll hear you out and decideter.¡± ¡°Whatever you want.¡± Fwoosh! Kis threw his cape backward and fell on one knee all of a sudden. ¡°Will you take my soul and let me protect Her Majesty until the end?¡± ¡°...That means?¡± ¡°You can use me like a chess piece on a chessboard. You can simply regard me as a consumable.¡± Kis was ready to sacrifice his soul as long as he could protect the Frost Queen and keep his oath even after death. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked down at the top of the confident knight¡¯s head. Kis was kneeling down, but he looked huge for some reason. ¡°Even if you make a contract with me and be a knight, you won¡¯t be able to talk to the Frost Queen.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The mist in front of Seo Jun-Ho felt even harder than steel, and Kis¡¯ determination only made Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s own determination stronger. ¡°All right. Then, Sir Kis. From now on, please lend us your strength and¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little disappointed. Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°A little disappointed? I¡¯m he disappointed.¡± ¡°This is betrayal.¡± Surprised by the voicesing from behind, Seo Jun-Ho and Kis turned their heads at the same time. ¡®Kis definitely said this was a space inside his mind, didn¡¯t he?¡¯ This was a cold ce where only the lost souls who gave up all honor coulde. ¡°You guys are¡­¡± Kis¡¯ expression turned intense for the first time. He opened his eyes wide as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing on the training grounds. ¡°Come on. You¡¯re always ying the coolest role, but not this time.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do this together.¡± ¡°WHYYY!?¡± Kis broke out in a roar. It was an incredibly fierce voice, so much so that it was hard to believe it was produced by a soul. ¡°Why would you guys give up everything ande here! Why!?¡± Kis¡¯ voice was full of grief and reproach. Seo Jun-Ho nced at the people upying the previously empty training ground. ¡°...¡± ¡®It¡¯s winter.¡¯ It was winter that filled the training ground. Swoosh! Horun, the captain of the Order of Winter, pulled out the sword stuck in the ground and approached Kis. ¡°I am winter. We are where winter is. Wasn¡¯t that our slogan?¡± Fwoosh! Segio also pulled out his spear from the ground and followed. ¡°My lord, did you know that the Knights¡¯ Corridor serves fantastic meals three times a day?¡± Labona, Hawk, Schwartz, and every knight Kis knew approached him as they drew out their own weapons. ¡°It¡¯s not as cold as this ce.¡± ¡°It was literally a paradise. We could train all morning, eat, and train all afternoon.¡± ¡°But you know what?¡± ¡°For some strange reason, I think I liked it better when I was by your side.¡± ¡°Why do you think we trained so hard in the Knights¡¯ Corridor? It was all for a moment like this.¡± ¡°...¡± Horun stood in front of the knights neatly standing in line with their weapons drawn. Then he knelt down on one knee and shouted, ¡°Captain Horun and the ny-nine knights of the Order of Winter. Ready?¡± ¡°READY!¡± A huge roar reverberated across the training ground. The sight made Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes tear up. ¡®...They are pretty cool.¡¯ They sure knew how to warm up someone¡¯s heart. And it did not end there. ¡°Although we belong in a different knight order¡­¡± ¡°...there is only one ce where our loyalty is headed.¡± The Orders of Spring, Summer, and Autumn each appeared and filled the empty space. ¡°Wherever Her Majesty goes, we will follow!¡± ¡°For the Queen!¡± ¡°...You guys.¡± Kis bit his lip and lowered his head. Seo Jun-Ho looked around without saying a single word. ¡°...¡± Four hundred knights knelt down and formed a circle surrounding Seo Jun-Ho and Kis. It was an overwhelmingly touching sight. Behind each knight order, their respective seasons were clearly showing their presence. ¡°Four Seasons.¡± Seo Jun-Ho murmured to himself. Then he turned his head and looked down at Kis. ¡°Sir Kis. I think you were right earlier.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°What you said about nature consisting of finite things.¡± When spring left, summer came. When summer left, autumn came. When autumn left, winter came. ¡°There is no winter thatsts forever.¡± ¡°...¡± Seasons woulde and go, and the following seasons would take their ce. Such was nature. ¡®...So he is enlightened.¡¯ Kis proudly lifted his head and chuckled lightly. It was winter. *** Seo Jun-Ho slowly came to his senses. In front of him was the Frost Queen. She was sitting on her throne like a doll, and his hand was on her shoulder. ¡®It seems like that wasn¡¯t a dream.¡¯ ng! ng! ng! About four hundred soul stones pouring down from behind proved that what had just happened wasn¡¯t a dream. After looking back on the soul stones behind him, Seo Jun-Ho finally cast his eyes on the woman in front of him. ¡°Frost.¡± ¡°...¡± As if she came to her senses due to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s call, the Frost Queen¡¯s eyes, in which any trace of emotion seemed to have frozen, slowly moved toward him. 1. The word ¡°nifl¡± in Old Norse means ¡°mist¡± and is a cognate of Old English ¡°nifol¡± which means ¡°darkness¡±. Did the author know this and n the characters ordingly? Who knows, not me. ? Chapter 608: Winter Song (7) Chapter 608: Winter Song (7) Two pairs of eyes met in the air. The two did not say a single word for a moment but only looked into each other¡¯s eyes in silence. A little more time went by and Seo Jun-Ho began to feel awkward about the long silence. Just then, the Frost Queen¡¯s gaze slowly turned downward. ¡°The¡­soul¡­stones.¡± She looked at the four hundred soul stones scattered on the floor of the room and murmured softly. The Frost Queen¡¯s voice caused Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression to instantly distort. ¡°You¡­how long have you been¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho could tell from her low tone, broken sentences, and hoarse voice that she hadn¡¯t made a sound, much less had a conversation, in a very long time. The Frost Queen in front of him looked and felt like a soulless doll. Sadly, she simply went on as if she wasn¡¯t aware of this fact. ¡°The¡­Season¡­Knights¡­must¡­have¡­decided¡­to¡­follow¡­you.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho tightly bit his lips and calmed his emotions by taking a deep breath. Then he slowly opened his mouth and tried to speak in a natural manner as much as possible, just like a normal person having a normal conversation. ¡°Well, to be exact, they didn¡¯t decide to follow me. You¡¯re the one they follow.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. They only gave me their souls because they wanted to protect you even after their death.¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for the Frost Queen, the Season Knights wouldn¡¯t have sworn their allegiance to Seo Jun-Ho. But the Frost Queen shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s¡­the¡­first¡­time¡­they¡­follow¡­you.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s the first time?¡± Seo Jun-Ho paused and asked back. Kis had told Seo Jun-Ho that the Frost Queen had been sitting on the narrow throne in the same ce all along, watching the world repeat itself over and over again. This meant that Sung-Jun had also passed by this ce as well. ¡°But Sung-Jun¡ªI mean, the past Seo Jun-Ho who reached the Star Destruction Stage must have passed by this ce.¡± ¡°The¡­Season¡­Knights¡­did¡­not¡­follow¡­him.¡± ¡®Huh? But why?¡¯ Not only was Sung-Jun at the Star Destruction Stage just like Seo Jun-Ho, but he had likely been much stronger than Seo Jun-Ho was now. ¡®The only difference between us is¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho inadvertently looked back at the Frost he was carrying on his back. - Please do not give up on mankind, the world, clearing the Floors, andstly¡­ please do not give up on Frost. Sung-Jun¡¯s advice passed through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind. ¡®No way. Could it be that the Season Knights refused to swear their allegiance to Sung-Jun because he did note together with Frost? Is that why he made that desperate request not to abandon her?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression changed as he pondered the matter. ¡®But that¡¯s also kind of strange. There¡¯s a Frost Queen on the eighth floor. If Sung-Jun couldn¡¯te up with the Frost Queen from down the tower, couldn¡¯t he have just gone up with the Frost Queen in front of me to¡­¡¯ ¡°Oh.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s thoughts reached that far, a small sound of surprise escaped his lips. At the same time, his eyes turned sad. ¡®Is that what Kis meant when he said I don¡¯t have to worry about it?¡¯ When Seo Jun-Ho expressed his concern about two Frost Queens bing one again, Kis assured him that he didn¡¯t have to worry about it. However, Kis¡¯ expression as he said that was ratherplicated. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt like he could finally understand what Kis meant. The Frost Queen in front of his eyes was not in a state to continue the quest with anyone. ¡®I cannot be sure of it because I¡¯m not a Transcendent, but¡­¡¯ Whether they were a Transcendent or not,mon sense dictated that nobody could remain unchanged after experiencing the same world ten thousand times over. ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen remained alone in a frozen world and waited for the yers toe up. If they failed to defeat the Archduke, she froze the world again. Rinse and repeat. She did this more than ten thousand times, all over again, in the dry and cold world, all by herself. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho could feel an emotion on the face of the Frost Queen, who had appeared nothing but cold until a moment ago. ¡®No. Maybe I already felt it when she first spat out her first word to me.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re exhausted¡­¡± The Frost Queen was so exhausted that she wanted to hand over everything to her half that she had sent down to the first floor and disappear from this world. ¡°Then what happens to you now? Can you finally rest after sending us to the upper floor?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I¡­must¡­wait.¡± The Frost Queen had to wait again, as always. All she could do was open the way for the yers and sit down on her throne, ready to freeze the world again in case Seo Jun-Ho of this episode failed. ¡°But how long are you going to wait?¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen did not answer Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s question. ¡®How¡­long?¡¯ The Frost Queen did not know how long she had to wait, because all she had was a vague idea that she would be waiting until she and Seo Jun-Ho defeated the Archduke. ¡°It¡¯s hard on you. Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Hard on me?¡¯ The Frost Queen had lost any such feelings a long while back. If she had entertained them instead, she would have been incapable of seeing this through for so long. Drip, drip. But for some reason, tears formed in her eyes and slowly flowed down her cheeks. ¡°I understand.¡± Seo Jun-Ho slowly reached out his hand and patted her on the head. The Frost Queen tensed up like a scared cat. She seemed to be afraid of the unfamiliar touch and emotions. ¡°I understand you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho meant what he said. Although it was iparable to what the Frost Queen had gone through, Seo Jun-Ho was also exhausted because of his numerous returns to the past. All he wanted was to disappear from the world without leaving any trace of him. Therefore, he truly did understand. ¡°You tried your best. You did a great job.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho knew the Frost Queen¡¯s personality better than anyone else. He could tell how many scars had to be left on her heart for her to turn out so cold and dry. ¡°You can rest now.¡± The Frost Queen deserved a fair retirement more than anyone else. She no longer had to be tied up in her throne like a prisoner. ¡°...I¡­cannot¡­rest.¡± The Frost Queen shook her head. If she took a rest and the Seo Jun-Ho in front of her failed the quest, the whole universe would be plunged into tragedy. And this time, there would be no turning back. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Quietly listening to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s soft and warm voice, the Frost Queen felt like she could really give in to the illusion that everything would be okay. Seo Jun-Ho gently patted her on the head. ¡°If the peace is only barely maintained by sacrificing someone, it¡¯s fake and only meant to break in the first ce.¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought that he was perhaps too well synchronized with Kis¡¯ emotions. However, he was being serious. The peace created by throwing everything onto the Frost Queen was not true peace, and it was only natural for it to disappear. ¡°...I.¡± The Frost Queen shivered. Seo Jun-Ho did not rush her but only waited for her to go on in silence. ¡°Can¡­I¡­¡± Frost Queen slowly raised her head. On her face, a sea of sadness unfolded. ¡°Can¡­I¡­really¡­take¡­a rest?¡± ¡°...¡± A momentter, the Frost Queen began to cry miserably, like a child. The emotions she had forcefully suppressed for a ridiculously long time finally exploded in front of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I¡¯m no match for you, but I¡¯m also carrying a lot on my shoulders.¡± Pat, pat. Seo Jun-Ho continued to pat the Frost Queen¡¯s shoulder as she sobbed. ¡°My burden won¡¯t be any heavier if I carry you as well. So don¡¯t worry and take a rest.¡± ¡°Sob¡­sob.¡± As she kept crying for a while, the silhouette of the Frost Queen gradually began to blur like a ghost. Only then did she calm down and look up at Seo Jun-Ho with sadness in her eyes. ¡°Contractor.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Contractor¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Contractor, my contractor¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here for you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho tightly held the Frost Queen¡¯s hand that reached out toward him. The Frost Queen whispered onest word to him, then disappeared with a brighter smile than ever. [Congrattions! You have cleared the eighth floor.] [From now on, you have ess to the ninth floor¡ªthe Underworld area.] [You have cleared the hidden quest ¡®Season Knights.¡¯] [You have received the title ¡®Master of the Four Seasons¡¯ as a reward.] [You have cleared the hidden quest ¡®Frozen Queen.¡¯] [You have received the title ¡®My Contractor¡¯ as a reward.] ¡°...¡± The feeling in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hand was still vivid. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes upon recalling the Frost Queen¡¯sst words. ¡°So that was her name.¡± Indeed, Seo Jun-Ho had just learned Frost¡¯s actual name. ck, ck. At that moment, footsteps echoed from behind him, and Seo Jun-Ho turned around. ¡°You are¡­¡± The person behind him passed by him and looked down at the throne without saying a single word. After staring for a long time, she asked, ¡°Was she happy?¡± ¡°...Well, she disappeared with a smile on her face.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The woman slowly turned around, showing Seo Jun-Ho the weary smile on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t like you because you¡¯re the one who hurt my precious friend. That doesn¡¯t change even at this moment.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Is that the reason she hates me even though she cherishes Frost so much?¡¯ While Seo Jun-Ho nervously swallowed a gulp, Helic stood in front of him. ¡°With that said¡­.¡± She lowered her eyes. ¡°Thank you so much¡ªand I mean it, from the bottom of my heart. You released her from the curse she put on herself.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt awkward to be thanked by a god. However, just as he contemted what to say in response, Helic returned to her usual self. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I forgave you, so don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, human.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°And hurry up and bring me back my Holy Relic.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Helic passed by Seo Jun-Ho with a snort. ¡°...¡± She approached Frost, whose head drooped on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s shoulder, and gently stroked her cheeks a couple of times. Then, she walked out the room with yet another snort. ¡°Hmph.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nkly stared at the figure and murmured to himself in the empty room, ¡°Shall we go back?¡± *** When Seo Jun-Ho walked out of the dimensional elevator, Gray, who had been waiting for him in front of the door, smiled. ¡°How was your trip?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you already know how it went?¡± ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re right.¡± Gray walked forward to guide Seo Jun-Ho with an exaggerated smile. His steps seemed much lighter than before. ¡°Although no one said it out loud, I¡¯m sure everyone is grateful to you, yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°About the Frost Queen?¡± ¡°Yes. It was a curse that no one could lift.¡± ¡°...But they must have at least tried it.¡± Gray made a sad expression as if he were hurt by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s surprised voice. ¡°We care about our colleagues too. Of course, we tried to stop her.¡± ording to Gray, the other administrators had not only tried to convince her with kind words but also scolded her, trying to persuade her to stop. Despite their efforts, she had stubbornly carried out what she thought was her responsibility. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is the right judgment or not, but at least I feel much better. It definitely lifted the weight off of my chest.¡± ¡°...Same here.¡± Of course, everything would be meaningless if he failed to get rid of the Archduke. Seo Jun-Ho could end up destroying everything that the Frost Queen had protected by repeating the past ten thousand times over. ¡°...¡± ¡®Yes. Just like the imperialndscape out of the window.¡¯ As Seo Jun-Ho stopped and looked out the window, Gray approached him. ¡°Please don¡¯t feel too pressured.¡± ¡°But how can I not? On my shoulders, I¡¯m carrying¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m carrying the fate of the universe.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho did not say thest words out loud because he was too embarrassed. ¡°Hahaha! Indeed. You are a hero of mankind!¡± Grayughed broadly and advised Seo Jun-Ho with a soft smile. ¡°It¡¯s good to be responsible for what you¡¯re doing, but too much concern and responsibility can be poison. I hope you can keep a good bnce.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡®Yes. That''s good advice. Let¡¯s keep it in mind.¡¯ ¡°Now. Let me show you where toy the Frost Queen down.¡± Seo Jun-Ho let the Frost Queen rest in a clean hospital room, then inquired about his friends. ¡°What are the others up to right now?¡± ¡°Oh. I heard that they¡¯ve adapted well. I was actually thinking about starting their training soon.¡± From what Seo Jun-Ho had heard earlier, his friends would reach at least thete Liberation stage if theypleted the training. ¡°But do my friends need training, though? Some of them will soon reach the Star Destruction Stage anyway.¡± ¡°Huh? Your friends will reach the Star Destruction Stage¡­soon?¡± Gray tilted his head as if Seo Jun-Ho was talking nonsense. Chapter 609: My Meaning (1)

Chapter 609: My Meaning (1)

"Yes, my friends." Gray pondered for a moment in response to Seo Jun-Ho''s confident answer. "Hmm... There seems to be a big misunderstanding here." "A misunderstanding?" "Yes. It seems like you need to grasp and understand the concept of Stages in a new way. First, you should already know what the five stages are, right?" "Yes." "Do you know the criteria that determine the stages?" "Criteria¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho pondered for a moment then shook his head. ¡°I am not sure. Is it not just about strength?" "Strength¡­ In a way, yes, but then how would you exin the World Tree?" "Uh..." Seo Jun-Ho was at a loss for words. As far as he knew, wasn''t it just a big tree? Although the World Tree had an incredible ability to influence time, it was hard to imagine it possessing the power to destroy someone. "The Disaster Stage is simple. It¡¯s a level that can be reached by anyone simply based on the logic of increasing one¡¯s strength, like you said." More training, more magic, more experience, more wisdom¡ªanyone could reach the Disaster stage with enough effort and umtion of these qualities. "Even the legendary heroes recorded in Earth''s history could be considered to be at the Disaster Stage." "Oh..." The exnation was straightforward enough. "However, it''s different from the Liberation Stage onward. From there on, enlightenment bes not just a choice but a necessity." "What kind of enlightenment?" He wondered if he had experienced something like that. "Think about it carefully. Jun-Ho-nim, you definitely had a significant bout of enlightenment when you reached the Liberation Stage." Gray added a hint. "We believe that you reached the Liberation Stage around the 5th Floor." "Ah!" At that moment, he felt like he knew when it had happened¡ªit was the moment he fully grasped the ck Moon Martial Arts left behind by the Great General Cheon-Gwang. ¡®Just because there¡¯s a wall doesn¡¯t mean that it has to block you. If you change your perspective, that wall can protect your back instead.¡¯? That was the only time he had gained enlightenment on the 5th Floor. "Now that I think about it, the demon I met on Floor 5.5 mentioned something like that." Seo Jun-Ho considered himself to be only at the early stages of the Liberation Stage. The timing seemed to match perfectly. "Yes. And to achieve the Star Destruction Stage..." Gray''s long finger lightly tapped Seo Jun-Ho''s left chest. "You need to harbor something here." "Harbor something? What do you mean?" "Different people in different ces have different names for it, but I call it ''Star.''" "Star?" Seo Jun-Ho lowered his gaze and looked down at his chest. There was nothing visibly different from before. It wasn''t shining or anything like that. "Of course, it''s not something that can be identified by the naked eye." "Ah, I see..." Seo Jun-Ho had a puzzled expression as he asked, "Then, what does this Star represent? I do not quite understand." "Simply put, you can think of it as the ideal each person harbors within themselves." "The ideal each person harbors..." He pondered for a moment, and Gray smiled warmly. "Each person''s Star could represent freedom, peace, or things like that. What is essential is that you establish your own sense of existence and goal to pursue in this vast universe. That is the first step toward the Star Destruction Stage." "Then what Star do I harbor inside me?" "No one knows. Even a Transcendent cannot know." Tap, tap. Gray''s finger gently tapped his chest once again. "Only you yourself know." "..." The Star he harbored¡­what could it be? Seo Jun-Ho was curious about it, but he couldn¡¯t figure it out on the spot. He then asked, "So¡­do you need something like that to reach the Transcendent Stage, too?" "Of course. But you wouldn''t understand even if I exined it." "Still, please tell me. I''m curious." "Well, if you insist." Gray shrugged his shoulders and gave a wry smile. "Boom. You need to explode yourself." "... what?¡± "Exactly as it sounds. You need to st yourself to pieces. Shatter the small Star that resides within you and imprint your existence¡ªwho you are and what you pursue¡ªonto the entire universe." "..." Gray was right. Even though he had just exined it to Seo Jun-Ho, thetter couldn''t fullyprehend it. ¡°If I had just met you on the streets, I would have thought you were some kind of cultist.¡± ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s only natural that you don¡¯t understand right now.¡± Laughing cheerfully, Gray gave him a small piece of advice. "Well, you don''t need to rush or be anxious. You are doing well as you are now." "Thank you." "Anyways, your friends are just at the early Liberation Stage. The Star Destruction Stage is still far away." "So, will they be immediately deployed to the battlefield?" "Yes. Because we have high expectations for some yers, including your friends¡­ we''ll guide them and help them grow a bit more." If those guys could be stronger, they¡¯d follow without anyints. Seo Jun-Ho asked, "How long do you think it will take?" "Well, it depends on each star¡¯s flow of time, but in Earth time, about one or two years." "One or two years..." He couldn''t wait for that entire duration. Seo Jun-Ho smiled gently and said, "Please tell them toe back stronger. And that if they''re toote, I''ll go ahead." "All right. Well, Jun-Ho-nim, what is your n moving forward?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The goal he hading here had already been exceeded. Originally, he had juste to meet the administrator and inquire about how to enter the 8th Floor. However, now, he had already conquered the 8th Floor and even opened up the way to the 9th Floor. "How do you feel about me going up to the 9th Floor alone?" "Hmmmm~ That''s a bit iffy," Grey slightly wrinkled his nose. "If it were someone else, I would have stopped them with all my might, but... I''m not sure about you, Jun-Ho-nim." "Even though I reached the Star Destruction Stage?" "Yes. All four Counts residing on the 9th Floor are at the Star Destruction Stage." Four Counts at the Star Destruction Stage were indeed a formidable lineup. In addition, although it would require further experimentation to know for sure, Seo Jun-Ho didn''t expect the Seasonal Knights to fully exhibit their former strength. "Demons are very sensitive about their territories and don''t easily intrude on each other''snds. So, in normal circumstances, you wouldn''t have to face more than two Counts at once. However..." "However, there¡¯s that very small possibility they might join forces and make it dangerous." "Exactly. They might do that if they feel you are a threat to their lives..¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. Even though they were holding each other in check normally, they might join forces when facing a formidable enemy. "I will have to think about going up immediately." "Yes, I also think it''s best for you to take some more time. Both physically and mentally." "Thank you for the advice." It wasn''t just empty words; Seo Jun-Ho was indeed considering it to some extent. For yers, rest and recovery were crucial aspects of their activity. "Then restfortably," Gray said and left the room. Seo Jun-Ho approached the bed where Frost was peacefully sleeping, covered her up, and then headed toward the sofa. Sitting down, he checked the system logs. ¡®I got two new titles.¡¯ ¡®Master of Four Seasons¡¯ and ¡®My Contractor.¡¯ He received these as rewards for hidden aplishments. ¡®I think this is the first hidden aplishment since I received the Helper of Ascension.¡¯ The first new titles since the conquest of the East Sea Gate! He took a deep breath and examined the titles. [Master of Four Seasons] Grade: S Description: A title given to the one who leads the Season Knights. Effect: All attributes of subordinate knights are increased by 30%. Magic consumption is refunded upon every sessful summon. "Huh?" Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes widened in surprise. The first title was amazing even by itself. ¡®Since the Frost Knights are technically my subordinates, this will apply to all of them. That¡¯s good, and¡­¡¯ And what was even more impressive was the fact that he would get back the magic consumed when summoning knights. "Phew, that saved me.¡± He let out a sigh of relief. He had been struggling to figure out how to handle the Season Knights. ¡®Even with the ck Moon Heart Method to replenish magic, 402 Frost Knights are a whole lot to handle.¡¯? Even if he summoned only a portion of them, it still required a significant amount of magic. "But with this title..." The situation changed entirely. If he prepared the framework beforehand, he could instantly summon the entire knight corps. ¡®For the time being, I better get to the training room and start working on the Frost Knights.¡¯ If he managed to create bodies for all of them, he could ascend to the 9th Floor by himself without any problems. He imagined a bright future where he fought alone but was not alone in battle. Then he checked the second title. [My Contractor] Grade: S Description: A title given to the one recognized by the Frost Queen, the Frostbringer of Worlds, as her contractor. Effect: When the Frost Queen shouts ¡®My Contractor!¡¯ the stats of both parties increase. Seo Jun-Ho''s eyes clouded over as if they were covered with dark clouds. This was the first time he had seen such a crazy effect for a title. ¡®The increase in stats is good, really good... but¡­¡¯ The phrase ''My Contractor'' felt rather cringy. ¡®Why did I even find it moving earlier? I probably got swept into all that emotional stuff.¡¯? Well, with that increase in stats, he could even listen to it a hundred or a thousand times no problem. He wasn¡¯t sure if Frost¡¯s body had recovered properly, and as for her memories¡­ "Nggggg~~" Just as he finished checking the titles, a faint whimpering came from the bed; it was as if a small puppy was crying. "What''s wrong? Already awake?" "Hwaaaaaah..." Frost opened her mouth slightly and let out a sigh. She looked at the ceiling, then turned her gaze toward Seo Jun-Ho. "..." It would be a lie to say he wasn¡¯t afraid. He was afraid to confirm whether she had changed and, if so, how?she had changed. Frost slowly opened her mouth and said, "Confess." "What?" "Confess what you did to me." "I¡­haven''t done anything?" "Really? You seemed so nervous, like a guilty puppy." "What are you saying? How''s your body?" "Hmph." Frost sat up abruptly and reached out her hand. After staring at it for a moment, she said, "I am not sure. My body is fine. No, I even feel more energetic than usual." "Then... what about your memories?" "They are still there." "Ah..." It seemed that the Frost he knew had disappeared. Just as he was unconsciously biting his lip, however... "They''re still there¡­ but in bits and pieces." Frost smiled, with a hint of bitterness in her expression. "It seems that I... I did not want to burden myself." She had left behind not a single memory of the days she spent guarding the throne. Being with Seo Jun-Ho with iplete memories was enough for her. She didn''t need to share the sadness and pain she had experienced. "I probably judged that they were not necessary for the current me." Her hand fell onto the nket with a soft thud. "I feel like the half of me that was always empty, indescribably empty, has been filled." "..." Well, she probably didn''t feel all too happy about it. Seo Jun-Ho patted her head gently. As she looked up and clumsily stared at his hand, Frost asked, "Huh? What is this? It feels familiar." "Ahem." It seemed that the 8th Floor Frost had not shared any of their conversations or memories with her. Perhaps, for that short time, she wanted to keep it all to herself. ¡®That means this Frost probably doesn''t have any memories of Sung-Jun either.¡¯ It was both a relief and a bit of a shame at the same time. Seo Jun-Ho patted her head gently and said, "Oh right, I obtained a new title and want to try something. Can you cooperate?" "Tell me." "Can you say ''My Contractor'' to me once?" "..." Then Frost looked at him with the same cloudy eyes he had when he read the title''s description. "I do not wish to." Chapter 610. My Meaning (2) Chapter 610. My Meaning (2) - ... Yeon looked at the scene in front of him with a very peculiar expression. "I just want to see the effect. Just once is enough, okay? Just once." "How many times do I have to say it? I do not want to!" "But it¡¯s not even something hard!" "Staaaaahp! I said nooo!" Seo Jun-Ho chased after Frost, who was running away while grumbling andining. Of course, there was no ce to escape to on the spaceship, so the two of them were just running around in circles. Yeon sighed; it felt as if he was watching a si. - Now, both of you, please sit down. It is rather chaotic." "No, she keeps refusing my request." "Maybe it is because the Contractor keeps asking me to do weird things." In the end, Seo Jun-Ho was the first to raise the white g. "Fine. I''ll back off for now. But someday, we''ll have to do it." "I will absolutely not do it." They weren''t even kids, yet¡­ Yeon shook his head. - We will be arriving soon, so sit down and put on your seatbelts." When the spaceshipnded safely at the station, Yeon followed after Seo Jun-Ho. - Your Majesty, do you have to go down right away? There is still a ton of work left¡­ ¡°Sorry, but I have to go. I''m a little busy." Seo Jun-Ho flicked his fingers absentmindedly. "In return, I''ll leave this kid here, so if you need anything, ask him." "Huh?" Seo Jun-Sik had been summoned without warning, but he quickly agreed. "Oh, well, I guess I wasn''t surprised, considering it''s what I expected." "Great. Then you and Yeon can handle the work together." "When youe back, bring sushi." "I''ll prepare the absolute best for you." Once he returned to the yers Association, he headed for his personal training ground without even changing his clothes. "Let''s see¡­" He threw his coat in one corner and folded up his sleeves. ¡®I should start making Frost Knights from now on if I want to summon a full four hundred of them.¡¯ He already knew the process and the method, as he had made one before. But it was an enormous task¡ªit had taken him an entire 80 days to make just five. Not to mention that he didn''t n to make them hastily. He wanted to customize each one individually, just like he had done for Sir Hart. "I need to create bodies that can crank up each person''s abilities to a hundred twenty percent." First, he put the knights who had reached the Star Destruction stage in their lifetime to the back of the line. Since they would take more time and effort, he wanted to gain a bit more experience before he worked on them. Summoning the darkness, Seo Jun-Ho started kneading it like dough. "Are you just going to watch?" "...." Frost had been watching him silently from the entrance, but now pouted at his question. "Promise not to ask for weird things, and I will help you." "Alright, alright. I won''t until this task is done." "You have to promise." Frost approached with a wary expression and held out her pinky finger. "You have to sign." ¡°Let¡¯s do a fingerprint sign.¡± Once he firmly pressed his thumb on her palm, the production of the knights began. * * * "Brr, it''s so cold." Even though it was the season of cicadas and scorching heat, Shim Deok-Gu wore a padded jacket as he entered the training ground. Seo Jun-Ho''s personal training ground was a winter wondend. "Hmm¡­." He mumbled as he looked around the entire floor of the building used as a training ground. "There¡¯s more of them again..." It had been six months since Seo Jun-Ho returned from space. During that time, he hadn''t shown his face to the media even once and spent almost twenty-four hours a day here. "I''m here." "Oh, hey!" A voice rang out from behind an ice statue with slender yet muscr arms. ¡°Why¡¯d you ask me toe?¡± ¡°Why do you think? It¡¯s because I wanted to show you first.¡± Seo Jun-Ho walked out from behind the ice statue and smirked. "Ta-da! How is it? I finallypleted Sir Kis." "What do you mean how...?" Shim Deok-Gu looked at the ice statue for a moment and shrugged. "They all look simr to me." "Tsk, you have no eye for detail, huh, yer Association President." Seo Jun-Ho lightly clicked his tongue. "Assistant Frost, please exin." "Yea, Professor Jun-Ho." "¡¯Yea¡¯ is informal speech¡­" Frost was dressed in a work overcoat. Ignoring theint, she began to exin. "Look carefully. The body of Sir Kis is made of thinner icepared to the other knights. Despite the reduced weight, it has simr strength. Furthermore, its long arms and legs will make it difficult for the enemies to read its tempo due to its quick movement. Not only that, but the rotational engraving on its limbs is optimized for long-range attacks. Oh, oh, also, by using twice the amount of darkness inside, we have increased its joints¡¯ range of motion. Therefore, we believe that it will show an amazing performance on the battlefield." "... I''m sorry, but I have no idea what you''re talking about." Shim Deok-Gu looked at the ice statue with a genuinely apologetic expression. "I don''t know much about sculpting figures." "It¡¯s not a figure!" "It is not a figure!" "Even if you say it''s not..." Shim Deok-Gu couldn¡¯t help but think that his friend and Frost Queen had holed themselves up in the training grounds for three months, chipping away at some blocks of ice. ¡®At first, I thought they found a hobby to cool their heads down, so I liked it.¡¯ But they were way too absorbed in making Frost Knights for it to be a hobby. They even seemed a bit deranged as they cut down their sleep and meal times. Shim Deok-Gu found it a bit difficult to believe them. ¡°So, does this thing really have any use? Isn''t it just an Ice Golem or something?" "Pfft." A snort ofughter involuntarily escaped Seo Jun-Ho at his friend''s ignorant remark. "If these were only at the level of Ice Golems, I wouldn''t have even thought of going up to the 9th Floor with these guys." "... Did you make up your mind after all?" Seo Jun-Ho nodded confidently. "Yea. I''m going up." "..." At that statement, the look in Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyes changed as he stared at the ice figures behind his friend. For Seo Jun-Ho to be so confident, they had to be quite impressive. ¡®Is this guy capable of waging war against the world alone or something?¡¯ Shim Deok-Guughed at the ridiculous thought and shook his head. "Okay, so when do you n to go up?" "It''ll probably be next month. I need to prepare for it... Hm?" ¡®Prepare, prepare.¡¯ As he mulled over those words for a moment, Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head. He felt as if he had forgotten something. * * * "Original, you bastard, are you out on the sea catching the fish to make sushi or something?!" A pile of documents flew through the air. The anger that had been suppressed for three months was now erupting once a day. "No, even if he literally hatched the fish from eggs and raised them, it wouldn¡¯t take him so damn long! Nowadays, fish farms are well developed." - I do not know. However... Yeon let out a sigh as he gathered the scattered documents. - You never said when you wanted it. You just told him to bring it when hees back. "Still, there are unspoken rules. I thought it would¡¯ve been a month at most." - It seems His Majesty did not think the same. "No way¡­" Seo Jun-Sik started stamping the documents again with a gloomy expression. - Hmm? Yeon had been reviewing the documents to hand over to Seo Jun-Sik, but he suddenly frowned slightly. "Why? What''s wrong? Is there something interesting?" Having found a reason to take a break, Seo Jun-Sik approached from behind and read the report over Yeon''s shoulder. "Hmm? Tomb raider?" - Yes... I heard there have been some troublestely, but it seems more serious than I thought. "With people gathering from all over the universe, it seems like some strange characters are involved too." - .... Contrary to Seo Jun-Sik''s subdued reaction, Yeon was deeply engrossed in the contents of the report. - Something is strange, isn''t it?" "Hmm? What is?" - Aren¡¯t tomb raiders usually people who steal valuable items from other people''s tombs to gain profit? "That''s right." - But look at the tombs that have been excavated. Seo Jun-Sik shrugged after he browsed through the data and photos attached to the report. "There doesn''t seem to be anything particrly strange. They were all powerful warriors." - Yes. That is the strange part. Yeon adjusted his posture and spoke with a serious expression. - Why would they only dig up tombs of warriors that do not yield any particr financial gains? "Uh... Maybe because those tombs of powerful warriors have weapons buried with them from their lifetime?" - Is that the case on Earth? "No, but in martial arts novels, they usually bury the deceased with their weapons." - In the Central District, when a warrior dies, their family or close friends take the warrior¡¯s favorite weapon as a memento to remember them forever. The deceased is buried only with an old weapon. There is no way to make money by digging up a tomb. Upon hearing that, Seo Jun-Sik''s eyes narrowed too. "If that''s true, even if the tomb raiders were aliens who didn''t know about this tradition or were from Earth..." - Over 72 tombs have been excavated. Unless they areplete idiots, they should have realized it much sooner. And yet, they continued to excavate only tombs of warriors. Moreover, they only targeted the tombs of the powerful. When Seo Jun-Sik''s thoughts reached that point, he also realized that something was strange. "Wait a minute. Tomb raiders usually don''t take the deceased''s body, do they?" - No. If the body has expensive prostheses and other such, they might take them, but they usually don''t take the entire body like this. They had taken the bodies from all 72 excavated tombs. This meant that the purpose of the tomb raiding was in fact rted to the bodies of the deceased. Seo Jun-Sik said, "Yeon, show me the list of all the yers who have purchased the Transformation Art using their points." -Yes, Your Majesty¡¯s representative. Yeon immediately disyed a hologram with the data on the screen. Looking at the screen, Seo Jun-Sik made another request. "Show the top 100 yers with the highest points, and then disy the skills they bought with their points in order from the highest rank." As Yeon typed quickly, the 100 skills of the top yers appeared one after another. A momentter, as if on cue, the gazes of the two were fixed on a specific point. "Oh, damn it." - Oh my. Seventy-Two Corpses Resurrection. It was a cursed skill that resurrected the dead and turned them into powerful zombies. * * * "Ssp. Haaaah." It wasplete darkness in the underground room, with not even a single speck of light. A man breathed his energy into the cold body lying there. Creak! Then the body began to move. "It''s done." The man stored the body in his inventory and slowly flipped his hood over his head. ¡®The preparations areplete.¡¯ The long wait hade to an end. With a smirk on his face, the man slowly trod forward. Ssh. Ssh He walked along an edge with the waterpping at his feet then he climbed up adder. ng! "Shit, that scared me." "What''s this, was he doing sewer maintenance?" "No way, who would close the manhole and work alone?" "Then why is someoneing up from there..." The passersby''s attention shifted to the person who emerged from the manhole. "..." Under normal circumstances, their gaze would have made him feel awkward. After all, he had a clear purpose and had been cautious in his actions to achieve it. "But not anymore." His purpose had already been aplished. From now on, he would only move forward to achieve that purpose. "So step aside." Swooosh! One casual move, while muttering something to himself, and the heads of dozens of bystanders flew into the air. As the rain of blood poured down, the man calmly walked forward, stepping on the ground stained with blood as if it was the red carpet. He was heading toward the Dimensional Elevator. "Specter... Specter..." "Why are you looking for the Original?" A familiar voice came from behind and stopped the man''s steps. He slowly turned around with half-closed eyes, looking at the person in front of him. "Oh. Are you the clone from back then?" ¡°Yea, that¡¯s me. Good timing." Seo Jun-Sik, who owed a little debt to the other person, nonchntly drew his weapon. "Heavenly Demon, you bastard. I don''t know why you exposed yourself in the city, but... you made a huge mistake." "Did I make a mistake?" "Yes, a very big one." Seo Jun-Sik was not weak anymore. Moreover, now that his main body had reached the Star Destruction Stage, he was even stronger. ¡®He probably wants to go down to Earth and cause a ruckus.¡¯ Just for that purpose, he wouldn¡¯t even let the dead rest in peace. ¡°But I won''t let you go down." A chilly air flowed from Seo Jun-Sik''s blue eyes as he took out a blue spear. "Today, you will die." "... I don¡¯t think so." "Ah, sorry, you¡¯re right." A voice suddenly rang out from right beside the Heavenly Demon. As he turned his head, his eyes met Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s¡ªthe clone was already next to him. "It''s not ¡®today.¡¯ You''ll die here and now." Swoooosh! Blood sttered on the wall next to them. Chapter 611. My Meaning (3) Chapter 611. My Meaning (3) Kim Woo-Joong stood under the eaves and looked up at the sky from the wooden floor. Clear. The sky was perfectly clear, without a single cloud. The only clouded thing was his own heart. Swoosh. As he drew his sword, the well-polished de reflected his face. For a moment, he stared at the de in silence. "¡­!" Startled, Kim Woo-Joong ran straight to the pond and looked at his face reflected in the water. His eyes were clear. Without the slightest hint of redness, they were clear and untainted. "¡­" He felt relief¡­and, at the same time, unease. His emotions surged, and he tightly closed his eyes. ¡®This isn''t a simple dream.¡¯ Every day, he dreamed. A dream where the whole world appeared in shades of red. In that dream, he despised and resented everything to the extent that he surprised himself. "¡­" Was that the reason? The anger that had once been ignited hadn''tpletely disappeared even now. At times, it felt like that anger wanted to consume everything he had, as if it wanted to set everything on fire. ¡®Go away.¡¯ He struggled desperately to suppress the urge to ignite the fire within himself. That was the reason he hade to this ce today. "Come this way~" "Come this way~" The Sage of the Observatory Tower. Surely, he would provide appropriate advice. Kim Woo-Joong followed the two attendants. "The guest has arrived." "The guest has arrived." "Again? Can''t we take a break? Does being a sage not involve WLB?" The woman seated gracefully in front of the grand table turned her head and widened her eyes. "Oh? Aren''t you the Sword Saint?" Without saying a word, Kim Woo-Joong merely nodded his head. He stared intently at the woman in front of him. ¡®Is it¡­ her?¡¯ He had heard the rumors that the sage had recently taken on a disciple. ¡®Seo Mi-Rae.¡¯ A yer with the rare Skill called Future Sight. She stood up unsteadily and asked, "Uhm¡­ What can I see for you?" "No need to look. He is someone who needs to focus on the present and the past, not the future." Kim Woo-Joong turned as he heard a voice from the side. He respectfully bowed to the elderly man emerging from the mist. "Have you been well, Elder?" "I''m well, but it seems you''re not." Despite not being able to see properly, the old man saw right through his condition instantly. Kim Woo-Joong raised his head and said, "The reason I came to see you today is because of that." "Let¡¯s take a walk." The surrounding mist cleared, revealing a garden. As the sage walked silently, he asked, "Seems like you''re quite troubled. Is your lover causing you a lot of problems?" "I don''t have a lover." "Don''t you have a kid always tagging along?" "That¡¯s a friend." "Huhu." The sage let out a crypticugh, then stood in ce. He looked up at the sky. "Considering the pleasant sunshine and the cool breeze, it seems the sky is clear." "Yes, it is very clear." "But even so, judging by the fact that it can¡¯t melt your heart, you''ve been keeping a lot inside." "It has been about three months." Kim Woo-Joong employed every word in his vocabry to exin the events on the seventh floor. "Hmm." The sage, after listening to the story, finally opened his mouth with a sigh. "You truly do not have a way with words." "I apologize." "I''m not ming you. At least, you¡¯re pretty good with a sword, aren¡¯t you?" "Thank you." Kim Woo-Joong looked at the sage and asked, "So, what should I do to get rid of this anger?" "Don''t." "Pardon?" He wondered if he had misheard. The sage walked past him. "I said, don''t get rid of it. Is there a need to eliminate it? Joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure are natural emotions that people feel." "But¡­" "Don''t be afraid." Kim Woo-Joong''s brows furrowed. "Are you saying that I''m afraid? Me?" "Do you remember what I said when I first met you?" "¡¯Huhu, how troublesome. I can see a person''s future, but not a de''s future.¡¯ That is what you told me." The sage stopped walking once again, raising his eyebrows with a slightly regretful expression. "Your imitation of me is quitecking." "I apologize." "I''ll ept your apology this time. It wasn¡¯t the same at all." The sage lightly chuckled and continued walking. "I thought there was a sword in front of me. It looked like a person, but it was actually a de. A de crafted with utmost care by a true master, a de that had no ws. It was sharp, sturdy, and it bore an unwavering spirit. ¡°You were a sword of legend." Kim Woo-Joong listened attentively. "But it didn''t feel like a person. Do you know why?" "I do not know." "That de was just too immacte. Not a speck of dust on it." Was it praise or reproach? "Isn''t it good if a sword is immacte?" Kim Woo-Joong asked as he followed the sage. "Of course, it''s good for a sword. But are you truly a sword?" "¡­" Kim Woo-Joong vaguely understood what the sage was trying to convey. "Although I''ve never seen you with my own eyes, I''ve heard the rumors. They say the sword of the Sword Saint is close to perfection, a wless sword. I¡¯m sure an incredible amount of effort, talent, and time must have gone into it." Unconsciously, Kim Woo-Joong nodded. "Have you heard of the phrase ''too much can be as bad as too little¡¯?" "Yes. It means that excess can be just as bad as inadequacy." "Right. Then do you know about deficiency being worse than excess?" "Yes it means the opposite." "Exactly. Everything has its degree." Kim Woo-Joong fully understood the sage''s words. "I¡¯ve stripped away too much." "So you do know. Of course, I understand why you did that." So joy wouldn''t rattle his sword. So anger wouldn''t disrupt his form. So sorrow wouldn''t interfere with his breathing. So pleasure wouldn''t disturb his thoughts. Kim Woo-Joong had, step by step, emptied himself of the joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, thus perfecting his sword. "If you were someone easily swayed by diverse emotions, you wouldn''t have made it this far." He wouldn''t have been able to create the Emotionless Sword. "But even after emptying, you must know how to fill. That''s the natural order and human way." "¡­" Kim Woo-Joong fell into thought without speaking. ''Instead of erasing the anger, I''m being told to fill it.'' He was afraid. If the anger he was barely suppressing were to be released, what would be of him? Would he be an entric who hated everything like he did in his dreams? With a voicecking confidence, he asked, "What if I lose control of myself?" "Surely, you haven''t been so afraid all this time that you didn''t realize?" Pity appeared on the sage''s face. "You''re more foolish than I thought. A true simpleton." "Sir?" "Among the people I know, nobody is as strict with themselves as you are. Maybe Specter, at most." "Oh, thank you. Thank you." "Hmm? Why thank me twice¡­ Anyway, if even you were a person who couldn''t regte their emotions, the world would be full of entrics by now." "Do you really think so?" "I really do." The sage''s serious face turned toward him. "Trust yourself. Not this old man, but the years and effort you''ve put in." "The years I have put in¡­" Kim Woo-Joong''s voice trailed off, and after a while, a faint smile appeared on his lips. Not too long ago, his chest had felt constricted, but now, his breathing had be much easier. "I understand. Thank you. You always provide me with the right answers." "In life, there are no right answers. It''s just the advice of an old man who''s walked a few more steps." "That is more than enough." Having emptied, it was time to fill again. He felt a strong premonition that he would reach a new level with just a little more effort. "Starting today, I will try to fill it. Step by step." At that, the sage''s face took on an odd expression. "Well, I don''t know about that¡­it might end up as a sprint rather than a walk." In response to those words, Kim Woo-Joong lowered his head. "I''ll keep that in mind, Elder." "Then, you should head down now." "Yes." When he returned to the main hall, Seo Mi-Rae asked, "Oh, is it over already?" He nodded. As he was about to pass by, he turned and asked, "What''s WLB?" "Work-life bnce. Bncing work and life. Haven''t you heard of it?" Kim Woo-Joong shook his head and asked, "Is it good to prioritize that?" "Well... I guess so? We''re not machines meant for work only. We should live like humans." "I see. Mkay, work-life bnce. I¡¯ll try some of that, I guess." "Do as you please¡­. Wait, why are you talking to me so casually?" Pretending as if he hadn¡¯t heard, Kim Woo-Joong''s steps were light and brisk as he left the Observatory Tower. His face was brighter than ever before. *** Kim Woo-Joong thought to himself, ¡®I''m in a good mood.¡¯ On days when he conversed with the Sage of the Observatory Tower, he usually had a lot to think about, but today was different. ¡®I just need to ept things as they are.¡¯ It was easy. If you''re happy, smile. If you''re sad, cry. If you''re angry, get angry. If you''re joyful, maybe even dance? "Heh." A soft chuckle escaped his lips. With his heart now light, he wanted to swing his sword. [First Floor.] However, as the Dimensional Elevator doors opened and a familiar scent pierced his nostrils, the good mood vanished like a lie. It was as if cold water had been poured onto a birthday cake. "..." The smell of blood. Corpses scattered everywhere. Kim Woo-Joong drew his sword reflexively and rushed out. "Ugh..." He held in his arms a groaning, dying guild agent, and asked, "Hey, are you okay? Who on earth would do such a thing..." "The He... Hea... Heavenly Demon." A young man¡¯s voice rang in his ear. Only now did Kim Woo-Joong properly see the agent¡¯s face. "..." No, it was a stretch to even call him a young man. He was perhaps just recently graduated from high school. In the eyes of this budding future that should¡¯ve been overflowing with potential, there was fear. He knew what that fear was directed toward. ¡®Death.¡¯ The young man, or rather, the boy, trembled in fear of impending death. Kim Woo-Joong instinctively offered some awkward constion. "It''s okay. I''ll call a healer¡ªno, a priest right away." He actually used his Vita and ced a call to the guild. But Kim Woo-Joong sensed it instinctively. Perhaps the boy sensed the same thing. "Family... Mom... Little sister..." With those words, the boy coughed up a sound that resembled a sob, then copsed. Dead. - Vice-master? Where are you now? Master said that as soon as we could reach you, to¡­ "Where is he?" - Yes? Bzzt, bzzt. He could hear it again. A voice within, the urge to set himself on fire. Kim Woo-Joong closed his eyes. This time, he didn''t suppress it. He let it out. "That bastard. I asked, where. is. he." Whooooosh! The me that rose at hismand instantly engulfed that emotion, swallowing it whole. His veins heated up, and his heart pounded faster. Were his eyes turning red? "...." Kim Woo-Joong slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were as white as the full moon in the September night sky. [Title: ''Cutter of mes (S)''pletely devours the heart fire.] The me that had targeted him disappeared. But the fire still burned inside him. - Seoul! The Heavenly Demon''s current location is Jamsil. The moment he heard that. Kim Woo-Joong''s figure disappeared like a ghost. *** "It''s quiet," the Heavenly Demon murmured, walking down the street filled with abandoned cars. "Very quiet." "Are you an idiot?" cursed Seo Jun-Sik, who had lost his arms and legs and was being carried by the Heavenly Demon. "You really expect people to walk around like everything¡¯s OK when a lunatic like you is on the loose?" "..." The Heavenly Demon nced down at Seo Jun-Sik, then looked ahead again. "That''s a shame. I wanted to walk on an ordinary street at least once." "Only those who have lived an ordinary life have the right to enjoy ordinariness. Not a bastard like you." "I see. Well, I definitely can''t enjoy it then." He was someone who rejected all forms of mundanity and regtions of this world. He stopped walking as he crossed the fourne road. Red spots started appearing all over his body. "So pathetic." The upper floors and rooftops of the surrounding buildings were packed with snipers, and some were even hiding behind the cars around him. "I have long passed the level where you could have done something with just bullets.¡± ¡°Eh, no worries. We have some other stuff too." yers streamed out from the alleys between buildings. Their number easily exceeded five hundred. They were all elite yers who had participated in the clearing of the seventh floor. The Heavenly Demon looked at them and shrugged. "What I want..." "Shoot." Following themand of the Gong Ju-Ha, snipers rained down magic-infused bullets. Tadadadada!! A cacophony as loud as a swarm of cicadas filled the area for a few moments. However, at the end of it, the Heavenly Demon was perfectly unscathed. "I said it¡¯s useless, didn''t it?" "It wasn''t entirely useless." Shin Sung-Hyun spoke. His eyes were focused on Seo Jun-Sik, whom the Heavenly Demon had grabbed by the hair. "Since I''ve realized that you want to save this Specter-nim¡¯s clone." "..." The Heavenly Demon extended his hand without a word. Then, without hesitation, he plucked out Seo Jun-Sik''s tongue. "Kuh, kuhhh..." Seo Jun-Sik''s face contorted in a pain he had never experienced before. The Heavenly Demon spoke. "You got it right. I don''t want this thing to die." If the clone died, its memories would be transferred intact to Specter, as he knew from his experience on the fifth floor. That was not a good course of action. Specter couldn¡¯t be allowed to find out how he had easily defeated the clone. "Over there." The Heavenly Demon''s gaze shifted to one side. Coincidentally, at the end of his line of sight was the Jamsil Baseball Stadium. "A significant amount of energy is gathering there. A significant number of insignificant energies, I mean." "..." The yers tightly shut their lips. They had urgently evacuated the citizens in the streets to that location. Wei Chun-Hak said, "Don''t pay it any mind. You won''t be setting foot there today anyway." "Why''s that?" "We''re not nning to let you." "How amusing." The Heavenly Demon shook his head. He was slightly annoyed. What he wanted right now was only Specter. "Get out of my way,ckeys. Where is Specter? Bring him in front of me." Today, he would kill Specter and perfect the Arhat. That would signify the birth of the Demon Path Dominion that he had longed for. "I''m sure once he hears the news, he''lle willingly to meet me soon." "As long as your life is still hanging by a thread until then, that is," Shin Sung-Hyun added coldly. "If that''s the case, it won''t be difficult." The corners of The Heavenly Demon''s mouth slowly rose. The dense demonic energy that flowed from his body instantly covered the sky, dyeing the world red. "Don''t think of this as a light skirmish." The Heavenly Demon''s eyes were pure white. Chapter 612. My Meaning (4) Chapter 612. My Meaning (4) The Heavenly Demon took a step forward. He wasn¡¯t moving any faster than he had before the yers obstructed his path. "Ugh..." "The difort has escted to the point of making my skin crawl." As he approached, the pressure that yers felt from him only grew stronger. Those whose skills were a bitcking had already begun to vomit. "Captain Gong." Shin Sung-Hyun, who was observing the surrounding atmosphere, whispered to Gong Ju-Ha. "Look at his irises." At those words, Gong Ju-Ha checked the Heavenly Demon''s eyes and nodded. "They''re red. It''s because of albinism, right?" "That''s right. Since the whites of his eyes aren''t red, it seems that he hasn''t exerted his full power yet. But even with just that..." "Uwaack!" As the Heavenly Demon drew closer, the number of yers who were vomiting from the pressure increased. His presence alone¡ªand the toxic demonic energy that he radiated¡ªwas a natural poison they couldn''t withstand. "Our goal isn''t to kill him. It''s to stall until Specter-nim arrives." "Understood." "The same goes for all of you! Hold him back and don¡¯t die. That''s our goal." yers nodded their heads at Shin Sung-Hyun''s plea. They had faith. They had faith that Specter would arrive if they waited a little longer. Undoubtedly, that time wouldn''t be too long. ¡®At most, he will arrive within ten minutes.¡¯ In other words, either they held out for ten minutes, or he broke through the blockade and did what he wanted. "Like turtles." The Heavenly Demon evaluated the yers. They really were like turtles, tightly poised in their defensive stances without considering any offense. "In that case, let''s break that shell first." He lightly stomped one foot. As a result, the concrete road split apart, and the fracture headed toward the yers. "Damn it, dodge!" "Disperse!" yers who were blocking the road to the baseball stadium were thrown in all directions. Booom! Then, thend they stood on was sted apart by a massive explosion. The Heavenly Demon''s eyes glinted as he destroyed their formation. "You guys can''t stop me." They hadn¡¯t even been able to stop him before, much less now. With his training in the Land of the Demons and the power of the Holy Sword, there was only one enemy for him. "Quietly wait until Specter arrives." There was nothing else to consider. "He wille. But before that¡­." Screech! A tall Westerner charged at the Heavenly Demon, dragging his greatsword along the ground. "I''ll take revenge for my wife!" The man''s eyes brimmed with anger as he charged swiftly. Booom! "..." The Heavenly Demon looked calmly at the sword in front of him. The demonic energy he released naturally had stopped the de in its tracks and was now gripping it tightly. "Go meet your wife." Without batting an eye, the Heavenly Demon pronounced a death sentence. At the same time, the tall Westerner was cleaved in half. "Adam! Damn it! That bastard!" "Fire at will!" "He''s a human too! If you stab him, he¡¯ll bleed and die!" "A human?" The Heavenly Demon smirked. Even those fiends treated him as something other than human, and even more so himself. Ironically, his enemies were actually treating him like a person. "How amusing." The Heavenly Demon''s steps were steady. His expression was gentle, and his free hand was tucked behind his back. He appeared as if he were on a leisurely stroll, except for the blood stains all over him and the hand holding Seo Jun-Sik. "Step back!" Gong Ju-Ha issued a warning and took a deep breath. Simultaneously, the surrounding air became intensely hot. "Scorching Hell!" Whooosh! A massive pir of fire fell from the sky onto the Heavenly Demon''s head. The fourne road, traffic lights, buildings, and more exposed to the heat melted instantly. For about fifteen seconds, the pir of mes turned the world into a hell of fire. Gradually, the mes receded. "...!" "...!" The eyes of the yers looking down at the melted road widened in shock. Once more, the Heavenly Demon waspletely unscathed. There wasn''t even a hint of singeing on his clothes. "How?" A helpless question naturally flowed from Gong Ju-Ha''s lips. To this, the Heavenly Demon retorted, "There¡¯s a fellow with quite an appetite. However..." As his eyes fell on the gathered yers, his gaze turned a bit ominous. "Seems the taste wasn''t quite to his liking. I¡¯ll return it." Several mouths sprouted all over the Heavenly Demon''s right arm. The moment they all opened, a tremendous ze engulfed the yers. "Captain Gong!" Shin Sung-Hyun shouted, a cry almost like a scream, and immediately created a portal. Some of the mes were absorbed by the portal and shot back up into the sky. The problem was the mes he hadn''t managed to absorb in time. "I''ll try to stop it!" Gong Ju-Ha summoned her magic power to the limit, sending forth a wall of fire. Whooosh! A storm of ze ensued, pushing back the Heavenly Demon¡¯s mes like a raging bull pushing back its opponent. Even allies staggered backward in front of the fierce and searing battle. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ The intense struggle rapidly depleted her magical power. ¡®It''s fine. There''s no problem blocking it.¡¯ As she reached this conclusion, her gaze turned toward the Heavenly Demon. "He¡¯s¡­smiling?" Beyond the mes, the corners of the Heavenly Demon''s mouth seemed to twitch slightly upward. A creeping sensation that something wrong came over her. He then dispersed the mes he was emitting. "Ah! No!" In an instant, Gong Ju-Ha''s face contorted in realization of her opponent''s intent. She hastily pulled back her magic power to disperse her own mes. ¡°Cough!¡± "Princess!" In the process, her magical circuit twisted, causing her to vomit blood. However, she had only been able to scatter half of the mes. The other half continued unabated, heading straight for the Heavenly Demon. "Better than before." The Heavenly Demon, once again absorbing the mes, smiled softly. "But I¡¯ll return these too." The wave of mes, fiercer than before, surged toward the yers. "Captain Gong!" "..." Looking at Gong Ju-Ha shivering in silence,Ha In-Ho shouted, "It''s impossible! She''s trying to fix her damaged circuit!" "Damn it!" Feeling a sense of impending danger, Shin Sung-Hyun also raised his magic power to its limit. "Allegro Assai (Very Fast)!" A gap in space opened wide, rapidly absorbing the surging mes. "Protect Shin Sung-Hyun until the mes subside!" Wei Chun-Hak spat out the cigarette he had been biting and scattered talismans around. But as he threw them, the talismans shredded into pieces and fell to the ground. "Disappointing. You guys haven''t changed much from the past." The demonic energy filling the red sky began moving. The Heavenly Demon muttered, "My enthusiasm has waned." This statement was essentially a death sentence. The yers lifted their heads, as if recalling a promise, sensing that it was over. "Oh, crap..." "Is that all?" Their fields of view were full of demonic energy beams falling down like shooting stars. Their number was too great to count, and they weren¡¯t just little jabs, but actual straight punches.[1] The yers had an almost palpable feeling that they would be instantly killed upon impact. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The yers finally remembered. Hidden behind the shadow of Specter, they¡¯d growncent. They had forgotten the terror that was the Heavenly Demon. "Rapid Growth!" "Holy Barrier!" "Spell Interruption!" Trees grew tall and thick, creating a canopy above their heads. Layer afteryer of defensive barriers erected by priests and wizards reinforced the shield of greenery. "Futile." Boooom! Struck by the demonic energy meteorites, the barriers shattered one after the other. Each time this happened, priests and wizards spewed blood and fell. The Heavenly Demon casually strolled along the now-clear path. "Damn it! Damn it!" In the yers'' eyes, a sense of helplessness grew. They had trained so much and faced the battlefield risking their lives countless times. There were seasoned veterans, they were numbering in the hundreds, and yet¡­why? Why couldn''t they just cut down that one viin? Some of them were even shedding tears in frustration and anger. "Weaklings crying..." In the Heavenly Demon''s indifferent eyes, a sense of disdain arose. "Pathetic." But it was alright. He could erase all these pathetic things from the world and tidy it up. Whoosh! At that moment, the Heavenly Demon''s head turned slightly to one side, sensing an unexpected heat. "...?" His narrowed eyes fell upon Gong Ju-Ha. She was still preupied with restoring her magic circuit, not moving a finger. ¡®Then just what could this heat be from?¡¯ Just as the question surfaced, the mes that tormented Shin Sung-Hyun disappeared. "Oh, so it''s you." The Heavenly Demon chuckled lightly. He recognized the one who had cleared out the mes all too well. He nced at the stiff-faced Kim Woo-Joong and extended a greeting. "It seems you¡¯ve fully recovered, Sword Demon." "..." Flicking aside the mes remaining around him, Kim Woo-Joong retorted, "I''m the Sword Saint." "Sure, whatever the name...you''ve gotten stronger." The Heavenly Demon extended his hand softly. "If you were to take my blood and be a fiend once more, you might stand beside Specter, whom you so admire." "..." Kim Woo-Joong stared unflinchingly at the Heavenly Demon. As their eyes met, the Heavenly Demon withdrew his hand. "It seems I''ve done something unnecessary." He wasn¡¯t thinking about the proposal, but rather about what he had done earlier¡ªtransforming the Sword Saint into a fiend. ¡®Perhaps that was the final piece missing from his puzzle.¡¯ Rage was visible in Kim Woo-Joong''s eyes, but it was very much unlike before. It was a controlled rage¡ªnot one that blindly thrashed against its owner, but a rage fully under the owner''smand. "How amusing." "It''s going to get even funnier." The moment Kim Woo-Joong''s sword pointed downward, the Heavenly Demon had no choice but to use his free hand for the first time. "You never fail to surprise me every time we meet, unlike those bugs over there. Imend you," whispered the Heavenly Demon, pinching Kim Woo-Joong''s sword with his thumb and index finger. Crack! Kim Woo-Joong poured more strength into the sword and red at his opponent. "Such a shame. I wanted to chop your head off on my own." "I look forward to next time then." "No. Don''t look forward to it." Whoosh! Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s aura intensified, and he muttered, "You''ll die at the hands of the yers today." "That too, I look forward to it." The Heavenly Demon lightly waved the hand wrapped in demonic energy. Kim Woo-Joong blocked the strike with his sword, but he was pushed back considerably. "Even as you are, you can''t stop me by yourself..." "Here, you''re the only one alone." Rumble! The Heavenly Demon''s gaze shifted slightly behind him. A man appeared like a bolt of lightning, ring at him while breathing through his teeth. "Atst¡­I get to meet the Heavenly Demon." "...What''s this about?" "Atst¡­today, I can cut off your limbs, then cut your head off to offer it at my master''s grave." The Heavenly Demon burst into a dryugh. "Oh, could you be one of the Thunder God¡¯s disciples?" "What''s so funny?" "What isn¡¯t? The Thunder God was quite a fun toy." As the Heavenly Demon reminisced about killing Thunder God, a wistful glint appeared in his eyes. "Unlike you lot, that old man knew he couldn''t defeat me. He just pranced about, trying to at least tear off an arm or a leg. Howughable..." The Heavenly Demon''s smiling gaze turned toward Baek Geon-Woo. "And pathetic." Rumble! Baek Geon-Woo transformed into lightning, rushing at the Heavenly Demon with his fist outstretched. The Heavenly Demon seemed to have been waiting and deftly sidestepped the attack. ¡®It''s done.¡¯ Speed and precision. When two individuals possessed both attributes, a joint attack could indeed be difficult to deal with. However, if one of them was eliminated first, there would be no threat left. The Heavenly Demon was just about to tear Baek Geon-Woo''s throat in one go, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Sword Saint Technique Third Form. Dividing the World into Two. A sword brimming with an eerie aura descended upon both him and Baek Geon-Woo with unstoppable force. In front of this power, the Heavenly Demon was forced to let go of Baek Geon-Woo and pull back. "... Does it not matter if we both die?" "Only you will die. He might lose an arm or two at most." "I don''t mind." Baek Geon-Woo rose from his position and looked at Kim Woo-Joong. "If the same situation arises, just strike. I don''t mind dying.¡± If it meant being able to kill the Heavenly Demon, he truly didn¡¯t mind. His eyes and tone clearly conveyed his indomitable resolution to destroy his enemy. "Hmm..." The Heavenly Demon exhaled softly. He realized that the two men in front of him were as insane as he was. 1. A straight is more powerful than a jab. ? Chapter 613: My Meaning (5) Chapter 613: My Meaning (5) Kim Woo-Joong took a nce at Jun-Sik, who was caught by the Heavenly Demon¡¯s hand. ¡®He¡¯s protecting Jun-Sik.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong recalled the Heavenly Demon protecting Jun-Sik from his sword and Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s fist. ¡®Does that mean there¡¯s a reason he must keep Jun-Sik alive?¡¯ This meant that Kim Woo-Joong had to act the opposite way¡ªkilling Jun-Sik would likely cause some issues to the Heavenly Demon. ¡°I¡¯ll let you rest soon. Hang in there for just a little longer.¡± Jun-Sik smiled lightly at Kim Woo-Joong as if he would wait. Kim Woo-Joong slowly lowered his sword. ¡®The Heavenly Demon is stronger. At least for now.¡¯ Just by swinging his sword once, Kim Woo-Joong had been able to realize that he had yet to catch up to the Heavenly Demon. ¡®But Jun-Ho will arrive soon. He will be able to deal with the Heavenly Demon with no problem.¡¯ However, the other yers, including Kim Woo-Joong himself, would not be able to intervene in the fight between the two. Getting involved recklessly in a fight on that level would result in many unnecessary casualties. Then, there was only one thing Kim Woo-Joong could do right now. ¡®Rather than just dragging the fight, it¡¯s best to do whatever we can to the Heavenly Demon at least once.¡¯ This was a judgment that could be made thanks to the yers who arrived earlier to buy him enough time . Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s gaze turned to the Heavenly Demon¡¯s hand that was clutching Jun-Sik¡¯s hair. ¡®One arm.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong set his goal with a determined face¡ªif he couldn¡¯t take the Heavenly Demon¡¯s head, he would have to do with one arm. ¡°Hey, disciple of the Thunder God.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You are fast enough to avoid getting caught up in my attacks, no?¡± Realizing Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s intention at once, Baek Geon-Woo nodded. ¡°Alright. You can run wild as much as you want.¡± As soon as Baek Geon-Woo gave his permission, tremendous magic exploded out of Kim Woo-Joong, as if this was hisst moment and as if he didn¡¯t care about what came next. ¡°Hmm.¡± The Heavenly Demon made a strange expression. He had always thought highly of Kim Woo-Joong. After all, he had always thought Kim Woo-Joong would be the most threatening obstacle to him before Specter returned. ¡°But you¡­always tend to make misjudgments at important moments.¡± The Heavenly Demon could feel Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s urge¡ªthe sword aura blooming like the morning haze conveyed the swordsman¡¯s intent to cut the Heavenly Demon down with all his might. The Heavenly Demon shook his head as he looked at the Jamsil Baseball Stadium. ¡°You would have died there if Specter had not cut off my arm.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If you had run away with all your might, you would not have turned into a Sword Demon.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And yet you are repeating the same mistake over and over and over again.¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes were fixed on the Heavenly Demon. His gaze was firm and upright, with no sign of hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of it as a mistake.¡± The sword aura, which was always restrained and well organized, began to overflow like a fire with oil poured on top. ¡°Even if the same situationes, I will make the same judgment.¡± He slowly raised his sword, pointing it at the Heavenly Demon. ¡°I will cut down any evil as soon as I see it. There is no exception to any evil.¡± ¡°How pathetic of you. Don¡¯t you know that nning for the future is also a skill?¡± ¡°Oh, is that why you were running away like a rat?¡± ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes turned cold at the unpleasant truth. ¡°Oh, stop it. You¡¯re going to make him cry.¡± Baek Geon-Woo was clearly pouring gasoline on the fire. ¡°...¡± After ring at Baek Geon-Woo with fierce eyes, the Heavenly Demon took a deep breath. ¡°You useless pieces of shit. Stop babbling bullshit and juste at me.¡± No response came back, because Kim Woo-Joong and Baek Geon-Woo were already prepared to take action the moment the Heavenly Demon lost his cool. ¡°You have no idea how long I¡¯ve been waiting for this day toe.¡± Massive thunder energy broke out from Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s body. He entered the Thunder Body state in an instant, imbuing every bit of himself with magic. Some of the red clouds that filled the sky were pushed out and ck clouds took their ce. The man in front of the Heavenly Demon had be lightning itself, ready to light the sky in all directions. ¡°This is a thunderbolt that my master prepared just for you.¡± This was a technique the Thunder God had devised in his lifetime to defeat the Heavenly Demon. However, he was not able to use it even once due to the worsening of his physical condition¡ªand also because he knew that the Heavenly Demon would see right through the technique¡¯s principle if he saw it once. It was a technique the Thunder God refused to use even as he died because he trusted his disciple to use it sessfully in the future. Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s thunder-like cold gaze pierced through the Heavenly Demon. ¡°...!¡± In response, the Heavenly Demon unwittingly swung his free hand. Rumble! The Heavenly Demon barely managed to parry away the thunderbolt, but his gaze then turned to his hand. ¡®My finger.¡¯ He had tried to parry away the attack with the back of his hand, but it was actually his finger which had been struck by the attack. This meant that the opponent¡¯s thunderbolt was a beat or two faster than his expectation. ¡®But there¡¯s barely any damage. If the attack only has speed¡­¡¯ Fwoosh! At that moment, a strange and ominous feeling engulfed him. As his instincts warned him of the danger, the Heavenly Demon immediately jumped to the side to doge the attack. Rumbleeeee! Judgment from heaven struck the ce where the Heavenly Demon had been standing. ¡®That attack just now was¡­?¡¯ The Heavenly Demon?s eyes narrowed. What the lightning bolt was aiming for was precisely his finger. ¡®No way. Is this¡­¡¯ For a moment, the Heavenly Demon contemted whether to cut off his own fingers or not. And this momentary hesitation was exactly what came back to haunt him. Rumbleeeeee! Dozens of lighting bolts struck the Heavenly Demon in session. Although there was no damage thanks to the demonic energy wrapped around him, the Heavenly Demon bit his lips. ¡®If my prediction is right, the purpose of this lightning bolt isn¡¯t to actually hurt me.¡¯ Rumbleeee! The dark clouds burst into ominousughter. The Heavenly Demon could almost see the Thunder God deridinglyughing at him. ¡®...He¡¯s leaving a mark on me.¡¯ There were a total of seven marks engraved on his body. And now that the marks had been set, the sky began to pour out lightning. Bang! Bangggg! Rumbleeeeee! The Heavenly Demon moved all over the ce to avoid the constant rain of lightning striking down on him. ¡°Ugh!¡± Dozens of lightning bolts fell down every second, not allowing the Heavenly Demon to stop moving even for a moment. Rumbleeeeee! The lightning pouring down as if to destroy the entirend eventually restricted the Heavenly Demon¡¯s movement. Feeling like the perfect time hade, Baek Geon-Woo slowly opened his mouth. ¡°...Lightning ss, final skill.¡± Despite the battlefield being drowned in thunder, Baek Geon-Woo¡¯s quiet murmur was clearly heard by everyone. ¡°Thunder God.¡± A violent lightning bolt fell to the ground and onto the Heavenly Demon¡¯s head. Thunder only sounded a while after the lightning fell. ¡°Keuk!¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s face distorted. He pulled up his demonic energy as much as he could to protect himself, but the wild lightning squeezed through his shield little by little. Since ancient times, lightning had been a symbol of purifying all kinds of corruption. ¡®...Power of purifying energy!¡¯ The demonic energy, corruption itself, could not hold out against the purity of lightning. All it could do was barely block it by sheer mass. However, the end came despite the Heavenly Demon¡¯s efforts to hold out. ¡°That was excellent.¡± The Sword Saint¡¯s sword was ready. Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes only saw the enemy in front of him. ¡°Sword Saint Style, the Seventh Sword.¡± ¡®The reason why I hold my sword. The reason why I cut down evil and the reason why I always walk on one path and one path alone, withoutpromise¡­¡¯ ¡°Heavenly Road.¡± Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s sword had always been splendid, and this strike was even more splendid. It was not just a meaningless cut, but one imbued with emotion. ¡°...!¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes widened as he recalled the time he had faced Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s sword not that far back. ¡®I didn¡¯t think he could grow this much in such a short amount of time.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon could not hide his frustration¡ªto think that people like Kim Woo-Joong and Baek Geon-Woo managed to push him to this extent¡­ ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon closed his eyes tightly, with a troubled look on his face. This was neither because he was in pain, nor because he was afraid of the approaching death. ¡°Why, you trivial bastards¡­¡± No¡­it was because he felt ufortable disclosing the gift he had been preparing specially for Specter to Kim Woo-Joong and Baek Geon-Woo. He felt almost disgusted by his own weakness. Crack. At that moment, all the yers on the battlefield heard the sound of something breaking off. At the same time, an indescribable sense of loss surged into everyone¡¯s heart. ¡°This is¡­¡± It felt as if they had lost something very precious to them¡ªand there was no one who didn¡¯t know what it was they lost. It was only natural for them to realize it right away, because it was something that had stuck with them ever since they had first stepped on a yer¡¯s path. ¡°Magic.¡± Everyone¡¯s magic was gone. The yers looked at each other in disbelief. They felt weird¡ªnaked, even. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one like this, am I?¡± ¡°You too?¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Does that mean that the entire area¡­?¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze turned in one direction. ¡°You trivial and useless beings.¡± The Heavenly Demon let out a faint sigh, holding the tip of Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s sword with one hand. Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s hand helplessly trembled on the sword. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning to use this on you bugs.¡± But the Heavenly Demon had no choice. If he was to fight Specterter, even losing one arm to these fools was too much. ¡®Moreover, I need to be careful of a crazy dog running wild at the risk of its life.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong and Baek Geon-Woo were precisely that crazy kind. If they managed to cut off one of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s arms, then even if they ended up dying, they¡¯d dieughing. ¡°Fuck off.¡± The Heavenly Demon lightly flicked the sword he was holding. The movement was almost negligible, but the demonic energy it contained was anything but. ¡°Cough!¡± Kim Woo-Joong was forced back more than five steps, vomiting ck blood. He red at the Heavenly Demon with disbelieving eyes. ¡°But¡­how?¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Are you surprised that I can use demonic energy when none of you can use magic?¡± The Heavenly Demon smirked and took a sword out of his inventory¡ªit was the Holy Sword that he had stolen from the power nt on the 7th Floor. ¡°The emperor on the 7th Floor was doing something quite interesting with this sword.¡± What they did on the 7th Floor was experimenting with turning magic into Force. As soon as the Heavenly Demon witnessed that and read through the records, he decided to steal the Holy Sword from them. ¡°It took me quite a long time to absorb the power of the sword.¡± In fact, it had been more than three months, but he was yet to absorb all the power of the sword. It was not that he didn¡¯t want it, but he simply could not take it all in. ¡®I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have an upset stomach if I forcibly shove it down.¡¯ Unfortunately, he was only able to take in what he could at the moment. But that alone was full and overflowing enough. ¡°I found out this sword has a will of freedom.¡± The power of freedom was endless. ¡°For example¡­it allows me to erase all the magic in the area and make it possible to use only demonic energy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­just¡­ridiculous,¡± Baek Geon-Woo murmured helplessly. If what the Heavenly Demon just said was true, there was no way yers could kill him even if hundreds of thousands joined forces. Only then did the yers realize why the Heavenly Demon hade down to Earth with such confidence. ¡®Of course, most of the demonic energy I have will also be unavable when I use this skill, but¡­¡¯ But the Heavenly Demon didn¡¯t feel the need to go into such detail and exin. He slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Anyway, this was originally a gift prepared for Specter, but¡­¡± ¡®The trivial bugs in front of me dared to annoy me.¡¯ ¡°...the sight of bloodshed when he arrives won¡¯t be bad either.¡± When the Heavenly Demon snapped his fingers, his inventory spat out seventy-two bodies with mechanical parts attached, using his demonic energy to activate their demonic neigong. The seventy-two bodies lying across the ground slowly rose up. ¡°Well then. Try your best to run away¡ªlike a rat.¡± nk. Kim Woo-Joong picked up the sword from the ground with his magic-less hand. ¡°...If there is evil in front of me.¡± ¡®I vowed I would never run away and show my back even if the opponent is someone I can¡¯t cut.¡¯ ¡°...I won¡¯t run away.¡± Kim Woo-Joong only ran forward, not backward. Even if he couldn¡¯t use magic, he still had his own body, which he had trained by spilling blood, sweat, and tears for decades. Swoosh! The arm of the corpse in front of him opened and a de protruded from it. ¡°...!¡± The moment Kim Woo-Joong tightly clenched his teeth and swung his sword with all his might, a single gunshot tore through the silence of the battlefield. Bang! ¡°Keikkk!¡± The corpse avoided the bullet by simply tilting its head, then took a few steps back. ¡°It seems like guns don¡¯t work on them either.¡± The man threw away the gun without hesitation. He walked across the battlefield and approached the Heavenly Demon. Thud, thud. As the man got closer, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s lips twisted into an evil smile. ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± Specter, the main character of this festival, had finally appeared. Chapter 614: My Meaning (6)

Chapter 614: My Meaning (6)

Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze turned to one direction as he entered the battlefield. ¡°Heh¡­¡± Jun-Sik, who could barely control his own body without being able to use magic, was smiling at Seo Jun-Ho as if tofort him. ¡®Jun-Sik, you idiot. What are you smiling about¡­was this the reason why I couldn¡¯t recall him?¡¯ The connection between Seo Jun-Ho and Jun-Sik had beenpletely severed. Only aftering to the battlefield did Seo Jun-Ho understand the reason. ¡®Heavenly Demon, that sly fox imitating a tiger! He has quite a brain. I never thought he would freeze the magic of the entire area.¡¯ ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around for a moment and nodded. ¡®At least he didn¡¯t actually get rid of the magic.¡¯ He was basing his assumption on the fact that magic still existed in his and the yers'' bodies. Yet this was something only he could very vaguely feel, considering that he was the only one who reached the Star Destruction Stage. Seo Jun-Ho checked his physical condition for a moment and nodded. ¡®But I won¡¯t be able to use magic anyway.¡¯ Magic refused to move ording to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s will. It was as if his river of magic had frozen. In other words, all of his abilities requiring magic couldn¡¯t be used either. ¡°Why did youe in?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun approached Seo Jun-Ho from the side and whispered in a small voice. ¡°No one can use magic in this space. Only that bastard can use his demonic energy.¡± ¡°No,¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°Magic and demonic energy have different evolutionary processes, but their roots are the same.¡± In the first ce, demonic energy was nothing more than energy resulting from transforming magic into a destructive force. Therefore, a space where magic could not be used while demonic energy could was an impossibility. ¡°But that bastard certainly used demonic energy earlier to¡­¡± ¡°Even if he can use demonic energy, he can probably only do it once or twice at most.¡± The Heavenly Demon smiled upon hearing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice full of conviction. ¡°How can you be so confident?¡± ¡°Because I can hear you think all the way from here.¡± The Heavenly Demon was a clever man. If he had been able to use demonic energy without restriction, there were only two courses of action he would have chosen. ¡°You would have either hidden the fact that you can use demonic energy in order to deceive us, or you would¡¯ve gone for a show of force and toyed with everyone here.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°But you purposely showed us that you can still use demonic energy to prove your strength. Since when have you been so kind to let us know that?¡± The Heavenly Demon simply shrugged at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sharp question. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, there is only one way to find out the truth. Check it out yourself.¡± ¡°Thene at me.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll y with you if you manage to get to me.¡± At the Heavenly Demon¡¯s words, Seo Jun-Ho looked over at the enemies who stood in front of him. ¡®There¡¯s lots of these cyborg guys. Were they all brought from Neo City?¡¯ However, he couldn¡¯t feel any life in them¡­were they corpses? Seo Jun-Ho felt like he could understand why Jun-Sik was defeated. ¡®If his magic was suddenly sealed and he got surrounded by those guys¡­no wonder he was defeated.¡¯ Shin Sung-Hyun red at the enemies in front of them and murmured. ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Is there any other way?¡± As soon as they took a step back, tens of thousands of citizens evacuated to the baseball stadium behind them were bound to be hostages. If this was going to happen anyway, it made more sense to fight for their lives here. ¡°I will break through them.¡± Swoosh. Seo Jun-Ho drew out the White Dragon, and Shin Sung-Hyun nodded without hesitation. ¡°All right. I will help.¡± ¡°But you won¡¯t be able to use magic. Are you sure you¡¯re going to be okay?¡± ¡°I might not be as good as you, Mr. Specter, but I¡¯m pretty good with weapons too.¡± Tension rose on Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s face as he grabbed a short club from the inventory. Seo Jun-Ho took a nce at the club and asked. ¡°...A club? Really?¡± ¡°I found this is perfect for me. Also, the sensation of smacking enemies with this club is pretty decent.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt awkward to see Shin Sung-Hyun holding a club in his hand rather than his usual baton. ¡°Well, then. I wish you the best of luck.¡± With those words, Seo Jun-Ho jumped forward right away. The corpses approached Seo Jun-Ho, narrowing the distance significantly with each step they took. ¡®I need to aim for their faces.¡¯ Perhaps because Seo Jun-Ho had reached the Star Destruction Stage, his speed was enough to keep up with the corpses even without magic. Seo Jun-Ho blocked twelve attacks in a row and thrust his spear forward. sh! The corpse¡¯s arms were cut off in one move, but there was no emotion on its face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to go through this, corpse.¡± Seo Jun-Ho urately cut off the corpse¡¯s head and searched for the next prey. At the same time, the yers in the back also drew their weapons. ¡°There¡¯s more of us than the enemies! Keep pushing!¡± ¡°Only those who can fight even without magic should step forward!¡± Close-quarters fighters pompously stepped forward. After going against the corpses a couple of times to test the waters, the yers naturally formed groups of five to deal with each corpse. ¡®This is a good flow.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho scanned the battlefield and nodded. At that moment, a bored voice reached his ears. ¡°I heard that there is a saying on Earth about putting out fires¡­¡± When Seo Jun-Ho turned his head, he saw the Heavenly Demon shaking his head with a smile on his face. ¡°...make sure you really drown everyst ember.¡± ¡°...?¡± Doubts and suspicions passed through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head for a moment, then his eyes opened wide and he turned around in a haste. ¡°The corpses!¡± Seo Jun-Ho shouted. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry! This guy is still moving. I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± St! One of the yers stabbed a headless corpse through the chest. ¡°No, get away from the corpse right NOW!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Seo Jun-Ho tightly clenched his teeth and ran toward the yer without thinking about the oue. However, at that moment, the corpse emitted a blinding light and exploded on the spot. BOOM! The shockwave sted Seo Jun-Ho away. ¡°Jun-Ho!¡± Kim Woo-Joong, shocked by the sudden explosion, ran to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Cough!¡± Seo Jun-Ho had rolled on the ground several times. He made a gesture that he was okay and stood up. His face was twisted as he spat out the sand and dust that filled his mouth. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± The force and extent of the explosion were well above Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expectation. The yer who had stabbed the corpse had been sted apart, with not even a single bone left, and three yers standing around him had also been swept into the explosion as well. ¡®I know them. Gustave, Kenichi, Louis, and Flores¡­¡¯ All four of the yers were people Seo Jun-Ho knew. He closed his eyes as he recalled eating a meal with them while clearing the 7th Floor. ¡°Damn it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know when it had be like this, but the death of those with whom he fought shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield was more painful to him than having his own limbs cut off. ¡°Jun-Ho, Jun-Ho!¡± Seo Jun-Ho focused again as a rough hand shook him awake. When Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes, Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s intense gaze met his. ¡°You need to get it together. Things are going bad around here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Only then did Seo Jun-Ho scan the battlefield. ¡®Wait. What¡¯s going on¡­?¡¯ As Kim Woo-Joong said, things were looking bad on the battlefield. The yers¡¯ movements had be hesitant as they realized that the corpses exploded. ¡°Guns don''t work against them, and we can''t use magic. So the only way we can deal with them is to chop them to pieces. But¡­¡± ¡°But they explode like a bomb the moment you stab them.¡± All the yers could do was parry away the corpses¡¯ fierce attacks as they had no idea how to solve this difficult problem. In the process, they were slowly being covered inrge and small wounds. Seo Jun-Ho watched the scene with calm eyes. ¡°Kim Woo-Joong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± ¡°Listen carefully to what I¡¯m about to say.¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned his head and looked directly into Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s eyes. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re an assassin.¡± ¡°An assassin?¡± ¡°Yes. Taking down the corpses one by one by yourself is too slow, so while they¡¯re fighting the other yers, attack them from behind.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Kim Woo-Joong nodded without any doubt because he didn¡¯t think Seo Jun-Ho would ask him to y such a dangerous role without an alternative n. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going.¡± Kim Woo-Joong immediately left, not waiting for any further exnations. Seo Jun-Ho looked at Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s back and snapped his fingers. There was one single skill that he had which did not consume magic. ¡°Frost.¡± The monarch of ice bloomed on the battlefield like a flower. Seo Jun-Ho had only one request for her. ¡°The enemies explode the moment they die. The explosion¡¯s destructive power and damage are beyond imagination.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The Frost Queen nodded, understanding the situation at once. ¡°You want me to freeze them at the right time, right?¡± ¡°Right. As frozen as possible.¡± ¡°Okay. As frozen as possible.¡± The Frost Queen closed her eyes. *** ¡®I am an assassin. I am an assassin. I am an assassin.¡¯ Kim Woo-Joong murmured to himself in his head to convince himself that he was an assassin right now. And he was faithfully immersed in his role. ¡®I can see the opening.¡¯ He charged forward with his stance as low as possible and suddenly rose from behind the corpses who were busy facing the yers. ¡®I am an assassin.¡¯ Although he had no magic to work with, Kim Woo-Joong¡¯s muscles all bulged up. This was the fruit of his blood and sweat which the Sage of the Astrologers¡¯ Tower had told him to trust. ¡®My body, my experience, and my swordsmanship.¡¯ The sword without a speck of magic cut the world more beautifully than ever. The corpse was split in half by the surprise attack, and a blinding light forced Kim Woo-Joong to squint. sh! ¡°...¡± However, the pain that he had prepared himself for never came. The yers in front of Kim Woo-Joong, who were holding their breath in shock, also managed to exhale. ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s frozen.¡± ¡°Ice¡­? That means¡­it¡¯s a spirit! It¡¯s Mr. Specter¡¯s spirit!¡± ¡°Oh my goodness! We can cut them down as much as we want as long as his spirit can freeze them before they explode!¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Sword Saint!¡± Kim Woo-Joong slightly nodded at the yers. ¡°I am an assassin.¡± *** The corpses began to fall one by one under the yers¡¯ coboration. However, the process was extremely slow; Kim Woo-Joong could only deal with only one corpse at a time, and there were not many yers there adept at close-quartersbat. ¡°Hmmm.¡± The Heavenly Demon, who was watching the battlefield with his hands behind him, could not hide his displeasure. The situation was not exactly going ording to his n. ¡°He, he, hehe.¡± As if to tease him, Jun-Sik continued to chuckle. The Heavenly Demon nced down at Jun-Sik and murmured, ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re no longer useful now. Die.¡± ¡®Specter found out all about my ns and tricks anyway.¡¯ Jun-Sik dissipated into fine particles as his head was ripped off. ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon began to calmly calcte the odds he had against Specter. ¡®I can still use demonic energy three more times. Maybe even five times if I really try my best.¡¯ In terms of probability, the Heavenly Demon was confident that he had a more than ny-five percent chance of winning. It was only natural for him to think so, because there was bound to be a huge gap between those who could use magic and those who could not. ¡®There¡¯s no need for me to think about what will happen next.¡¯ As long as Specter was gone, the Heavenly Demon was confident that he would win even if he fought against the entire Earth. ¡®Everything will be over once I kill that guy.¡¯ Those who reached the Star Destruction Stage had the ability to destroy stars, hence the name. The Heavenly Demon was well aware of how powerful they were. ¡®Lots of people reached the Star Destruction Stage beside the archduke.¡¯ For this reason, he felt both fear and excitement at the same time about the fact that Specter was on par with them. ¡®All I have to do is to beat him at all costs. All I have to do is kill him¡­ Then I can reach the Star Destruction Stage after absorbing his power.¡¯ ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon exhaled a nervous breath and looked ahead. Specter wasing for him. Chapter 615: My Meaning (7)

Chapter 615: My Meaning (7)

Seo Jun-Ho walked forward, only looking at the Heavenly Demon. The corpses gathered like a pack of dogs from all sides, but they could not make Seo Jun-Ho take his eyes off of the Heavenly Demon. ¡®It¡¯s a strange feeling.¡¯ With every twist of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s wrist, the arms and legs of the corpses were cut off like twigs. Seo Jun-Ho could not feel much joy even as he saw the enemies as fragile as paper in front of him. ¡®I used to feel something hot boiling inside me before.¡¯ As far as Seo Jun-Ho could remember, he used to feel much more angry whenever he saw the Heavenly Demon. This was especially true when he lost the Thunder God and went out to look for the fiends to ughter them. ¡®I wanted to rip them into pieces as soon as I saw them.¡¯ However, he didn¡¯t feel much emotion right now, even though the greatest of them was right in front of his eyes. ¡°...¡± Neither had his emotions faded away, nor had his desire for revenge disappeared. As for forgiving them, he entertained no such stupid thoughts. It was simply just that, as far as Seo Jun-Ho was concerned, the meaning and importance of the fiends and the Heavenly Demon had diminished considerably. sh! White Dragon cut down another corpse. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t tell how many corpses he had killed so far because he did not bother to count. ¡°...¡± However, he realized that there were no more corpses attacking him. Seo Jun-Ho looked at the enemy standing alone in front of him. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°What else did you prepare for me? Don¡¯t tell me this is it.¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyebrow twitched. Indeed, this was all he had prepared, because he had thought that seventy-two corpses would be enough to deal with a bunch of yers who lost their magic. ¡®But just one man managed to¡­¡¯ More than thirty corpses had been cut down with ease, like bundles of straws, under Specter¡¯s hand alone. It hadn¡¯t even taken much effort for Seo Jun-Ho to take care of the corpses. All he had done was walk toward the Heavenly Demon and lightly swing his spear as if sweeping falling leaves. ¡°...¡± Unconsciously, the Heavenly Demon took a defensive stance. The fear of not knowing exactly when the opponent would charge toward him kept poking at him. ¡®He can¡¯t use magic, but he is still fast.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon realized that underestimating the physical ability of a being who reached the Star Destruction Stage had been a huge mistake. Yet he was still confident that Seo Jun-Ho was no match for him power-wise because he could still use demonic energy, although only a few more times. ¡°You¡­you¡¯re running¡­out of breath?¡± Seo Jun-Ho murmured as he looked at the Heavenly Demon. ¡°Your muscles are tensed up because you are nervous, and you¡¯re shaking.¡± He started chuckling, and soon, he could not stop hisughter. He couldn¡¯t believe that he had lost so much because of such an insignificant little man. ¡°Do you realize that you are afraid of me right now?¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± the Heavenly Demon yelled. The yers took a few steps back, blocking their ears¡ªthe Heavenly Demon¡¯s voice contained demonic energy. However, this disy only brought more confidence to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You don¡¯t even have much demonic energy left. I wouldn¡¯t waste it on protecting your pride if I were you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt like he could finally understand what kind of person the Heavenly Demon was. ¡°Even the moment you die, you want to be feared by someone.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could understand it, because there were lots of people like the Heavenly Demon. ¡°Children who are called geniuses when they are young often can¡¯t stand themselves bing more and more normal as they grow up.¡± ¡®They pretend to still be a genius and different from others. They not only deceive others but deceive themselves.¡¯ And the Heavenly Demon looked the same as those people in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. ¡°Certainly, you were strong.¡± The Heavenly Demon was such an unconventional being that he had shocked humankind from his first appearance. He was so strong that all the best yers couldn¡¯t stop him despite joining forces. He was the one who had created the title ¡®Heaven,¡¯ and he was also the one who had made the yers who were fighting each other over limited resources hold hands to some extent. ¡°But time has gone by.¡± While the Heavenly Demon had strolled around looking at the world under his feet, Seo Jun-Ho had risked his life every day. It hadn¡¯t been easy. Every day had been torture, to the extent that even he often felt like he just wanted to quit, lie down, and cry. But now that Seo Jun-Ho had finally ovee all those hardships and gotten through the pain, the time hade for the man who had terrorized humankind for decades to step aside and disappear from history. ¡°No matter how much you struggle, you can¡¯t beat me now.¡± And the reason why was none other than the Heavenly Demon¡¯s arrogance and carelessness. ¡°Shut up.¡± The Heavenly Demon red at Seo Jun-Ho. He was disgusted by Seo Jun-Ho pretending to understand everything about him. ¡°Don¡¯t you babble bullshit when you know nothing about me.¡± ¡°I think I know quite a bit,¡± Seo Jun-Ho spat out in a dull voice. He looked at the Heavenly Demon with dark eyes. ¡°I also know that your name is Erratum.¡± ¡°...!¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s breath suddenly stopped. He was shivering more than ever. ¡°You are one of the Frontier Kids. Your parents were both fiends.¡± ¡°How did you¡­¡± ¡°You thought Erratum, the word that your parents always called you, was a name. But it turned out that it meant¡­¡± ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± ¡°It turned out that it meant ¡®mistake¡¯ in Latin. Only then did you realize the reason why they abandoned you.¡± ¡°I said shut your mouth!¡± The Heavenly Demon couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and jumped off the ground. The demonic energy wrapped around his hand fell toward the top of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head. Crashhhhh! ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you forgot about me.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen raised one hand and blocked the Heavenly Demon¡¯s attack with ease. Seo Jun-Ho continued to speak without even blinking. ¡°I know why you hate the yers so much and why you treat the fiends like consumables.¡± ¡°Shut your mouth before I tear it apart¡­¡± ¡°But that can¡¯t be an excuse for what you¡¯ve done.¡± Erathum¡ªthe Heavenly Demon¡ªwas born with a natural talent. He was not only able to grasp the principles of everything he saw even once and copy it perfectly, but he also had the persistence of putting in effort until he made whatever he learned one hundred percent his own. ¡°If only you had been in your right mind, you could have lived a happy life and been loved, just like you wanted. People might have even called you a hero.¡± ¡°Shut up! Shut up! I said shut up!¡± The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes turned red. He pushed away the Frost Queen in an instant and charged toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You hate us and despise us.¡± And there was only one reason for that. ¡°Because even if we kill people like you do, we get love and respect when you don¡¯t.¡± The moment the White Dragon blocked the Heavenly Demon¡¯s attack, Seo Jun-Ho instantly shifted his weight and let the power of the attack flow to his side, at the same time tripping the Heavenly Demon.. ¡°Keuk!¡± The Heavenly Demon pathetically rolled on the ground a couple of times and immediately sprang up. Seo Jun-Ho had a bored look on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± ¡°...¡± The Heavenly Demon looked around. He felt nauseous and had a strong urge to vomit as he saw the yers surrounding him. ¡°...Keuk.¡± But he could not show them such an unsightly face of him, because he was the Heavenly Demon. He was the savior who opened up a new era, the pioneer bearing the hopes and expectations of all fiends. ¡®Then what kind of end suits me the most?¡¯ The eyes of the Heavenly Demon, which had always been murky, shone brighter than ever. At the same time, he radiated a strong demonic energy that made everyone¡¯s body ache. ¡°You¡¯re right. I hate you all. It is disgusting to see you revered for being on the side of justice when we are both devoted to killing. I can¡¯t stand it.¡± Therefore, he had tried to open a new era. He had tried to create an instinctual world, where power was justice and there was no distinction between right and wrong. The Heavenly Demon gathered all the condensed demonic energy into his one palm and stretched out his hand. ¡°Mortal.¡± This was a skill he had created based solely on the belief that he would destroy anything that got in his way. As his hand reached forward, a violent storm broke out and all the surrounding buildings and roads were destroyed. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Everyone get back! Retreat all the way back!¡± ¡°Damn it. If this continues, even the baseball stadium will be caught in it!¡± ¡°Jun-Ho! You need to step back as well!¡± The yers encircling the Heavenly Demon stepped back and screamed. The attack contained all the demonic energy left in the Heavenly Demon, and it was at a level that they simply could not handle. ¡°...¡± But Seo Jun-Ho only stared at the Heavenly Demon¡¯s palm approaching him. There had once been a time when Seo Jun-Ho felt it burdensome to be called a hero. There had been a time when people¡¯s expectations felt too heavy and scary. There had been a time when the fear of not being able to protect them weighed too heavy on his shoulders, crushing him day by day. ¡®But it¡¯s different now.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure when it had started, but he had actually begun to enjoy the burden. ¡®I think it was after I lost a lot of my precious people and felt the pain of loss.¡¯ Then Seo Jun-Ho inadvertently recalled Helic¡¯s question. -What will you do if you¡¯re in a situation where you can¡¯t help? Back then, Seo Jun-Ho had answered that he wouldn¡¯t be able to help. If he couldn¡¯t help, then he couldn¡¯t help, and that was that. But now that this possibility had turned into reality, he felt like he knew the answer to Helic¡¯s question. He was confident that he could give the right answer now. ¡°This is the kind of a person I am.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was the kind of person who couldn¡¯t run away if something like this happened in front of him. ¡°Frost, I need your help.¡± The Frost Queen nodded without any hesitation. The smile on her face seemed to say that she already knew Seo Jun-Ho would act this way. ¡°I will do whatever it takes to help you.¡± The de of White Dragon was covered with cold ice. Seo Jun-Ho tightly held the White Dragon in his hand, without a single speck of magic running through it, and stared at the Heavenly Demon approaching him. What he was doing was no different from a normal human trying to stop a speeding truck with his bare hands. ¡®But I can do it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was confident. As the Heavenly Demon¡¯s attack approached, this conviction only became stronger. No¡ªhe instinctively felt that he would regret it for the rest of his life if he ran away. The Heavenly Demon harrumphed. ¡°You are picking the dumbest option even now.¡± But his voice was scattered even before it could reach Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ears. The Heavenly Demon¡¯s attack destroyed the space and shed with Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s White Dragon. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!! The deafening silence canceled out every sound in the world for a few moments. Then, with his hands behind his back, the Heavenly Demon asked, ¡°What¡¯s the name of this skill?¡± ¡°...There is no name. I just thrust the spear forward, that¡¯s all.¡± At Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s dry answer, the Heavenly Demon closed his eyes. ¡°Is that so?¡± He looked down at his body slowly scattering away, starting from his fingertips. ¡°What¡¯s the name of the star?¡± What was the star that shone brilliantly inside the Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho, so brilliantly that it even eclipsed the attack of the Heavenly Demon? Seo Jun-Ho hesitated to answer the Heavenly Demon¡¯s question because even he himself couldn¡¯t define his own star. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s a star that desires to save at least one more person even at the expense of my own life.¡± ¡°Then the name of that star is¡­¡± murmured the Heavenly Demon, looking up at the sky slowly turning blue again. ¡°...A hero.¡± With most of his body scattered, the Heavenly Demon asked once again, ¡°Specter. Do you think I¡¯m a devil?¡± ¡°No.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. ¡°You are nothing more than a pitiful criminal. You are a pathetic and miserable third-rate criminal who doesn''t even know how to distinguish between right and wrong.¡± ¡°...Is that so?¡± The Heavenly Demon, whose very life had been invalidated by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words,ughed dryly. ¡°But you¡­will¡­soon¡­face the true¡­devil¡­¡± ¡°You talk too much. Just fuck off already, will you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t sure if the Heavenly Demon heard thest words, because his entire body had turned into fine particles andpletely disappeared. Seeing that his stats had increased, it was certain that the Heavenly Demon was gone for good. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho picked up the sword left on the ground where the Heavenly Demon had stood. ¡®This must be the holy sword I need to give back to Helic.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the blue sky and murmured, ¡°I¡¯ll have to go visit the old man with a good liquor.¡± ¡®And tell him that the long quest for revenge is finally over.¡¯ Chapter 616: One By One (1)

Chapter 616: One By One (1)

The area ruined by the battle was blocked by the yers of the Association, police, and even the military. Not only was the ce so barren that everything had to be redeveloped from scratch, but there was also a chance that the remaining demonic energy left in the area could cause lingering damage. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Sniff, sniff. It smells good.¡± When Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen returned home, the scent of coffee stimted their senses of smell. It was Shim Deok-Gu who walked out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°...What are you doing at my house?¡± ¡°I thought you might feel lonely now that your revenge is finally over. I figured no one woulde visit you, since you¡¯re single, so I came.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to. Can you grab me some coffee too?¡± ¡°I want hot chocte,¡± the Frost Queen said. Seo Jun-Hoy down on the couch in the living room and stared nkly at the ceiling. The fact that the revenge was over hadn¡¯t felt real to him until just a moment ago, but after hearing Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s words, he was starting to acknowledge it. ¡°Then¡­is it all over now? The revenge.¡± ¡°It is over.¡± Shim Deok-Gu put down a cup of coffee and hot chocte on the table and said in a firm voice, ¡°Your parents¡¯ revenge, your colleagues¡¯ revenge, and the Thunder God¡¯s revenge are all over.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡± The fact that he could now focus on the quests and the fact that fiends no longer existed in this world began to feel more and more real. As his thoughts reached that far, Seo Jun-Ho suddenly stood up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s just that I feel like I can¡¯t stay still.¡± ¡°How old are you? Five?¡± Shim Deok-Gu smirked and took a sip of his coffee. ¡°How do you feel now that you¡¯re done with your revenge?¡± ¡°Hmm. Hey, Shim Deok-Gu. You know how people say that the only thing that¡¯s left at the end of revenge is emptiness?¡± ¡°Yeah. People say that.¡± ¡°But I feel like that¡¯s bullshit.¡± Shim Deok-Gu looked at Seo Jun-Ho with a strange gaze. ¡°Why do you say that? Do you not feel empty at all?¡± ¡°Nope, not at all. It just feels¡­refreshing. I used to feel a tickling sensation all the time before, but that¡¯s gone now.¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought that if he hadn¡¯t finished his revenge, he would have always felt anxious somewhere deep down in his heart, a sensation rooted in his concerns about the Heavenly Demoning down to Earth again and somehow creating more subordinates. ¡°That¡¯s great. You¡¯ve done a great job.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a sip of coffee brewed by Shim Deok-Gu. It was warm and delicious. ¡°And thank you.¡± ¡°Ah, about what? Getting rid of the fiends?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shim Deok-Gu shook his head and looked at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I¡¯ve been worried a lot about how you would feel¡­you know, once the revenge was over. I was concerned that you might feel all kinds of empty uselessness in the world and be a living corpse.¡± ¡°You worry too much. It¡¯s been a long time since I stopped caring about the fiends.¡± ¡°It sure seems like it. I worried for nothing.¡± Shim Deok-Gu felt relieved that the fiends did not seem to mean much to Seo Jun-Ho, unlike before. ¡°Hmm. But now that you said that, I¡¯m worried about something else.¡± ¡°Are you serious? Can you stop worrying for a minute? What is it now?¡± ¡°The fact that you don¡¯t care about the fiends as much as you used to means that some other being is eating up on your attention.¡± ¡®This is why I get scared sometimes when I talk to him. How does he read my mind so urately? Are all best friends like this?¡¯ ¡°...Come to think of it, I¡¯m kind of pissed off. Hey, Woo-Joong¡¯s best friend is Master Son Chae-Won. Howe I¡¯m stuck with you?¡± ¡°What are you gonna do about it? Huh?¡± ¡°Sigh. Whatever.¡± Seo Jun-Ho lightly clicked his tongue and leaned against the backrest. ¡°As you just said, my current focus is on the floor master of the 9th Floor and the Archduke.¡± ¡°They¡­ must be strong, right? They must be much stronger than the fiends.¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming that the fiends are nothing but antspared to them. It¡¯s likeparing an ant to abat ne.¡± ¡°Well. They sound like filthy strong beings.¡± ¡°They are filthy strong beings.¡± Shim Deok-Gu let out a deep sigh. ¡°But is it even possible to face people that strong?¡± ¡°Facing the Archduke is impossible for now. But¡­I think I¡¯ll be able to deal with the Floor Master of the 9th Floor.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had be much more confident after finding the name of his star through the battle against the Heavenly Demon. He smiled and relieved his friend¡¯s worries. ¡°In case you forgot, I¡¯m one of those filthy strong beings.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s your judgment, so I won¡¯t doubt it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of just a few things and go up to the 9th Floor right away.¡± ¡°A few things?¡± ¡°First of all, now that the threat of the Heavenly Demon haspletely disappeared, I will send the elite yers, including the Nine Heavens, to the Aeon Empire.¡± Seo Jun-Ho figured that the yers would be much stronger once they trained under the Transcendents. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that part for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it a lot, thanks. I¡¯ll let Yeon know about it then. And you know about what happened to the Silver Constetion and Miss Si-Eun. Right?¡± ¡°I did receive the information about it through the moonlight. But I¡¯ve just been collecting the data because I didn¡¯t know what you wanted to do.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± Fortunately, Shim Deok-Gu seemed to have made all the preparations to some extent. Seo Jun-Ho nodded his head. ¡°Let¡¯s release the articles then. You can sell my name to your heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the purpose?¡± ¡°The fall of the corrupt yers in Silver Constetion, and the reformation of the Church of the Sun as a bonus.¡± ¡°I understand the downfall of corrupt yers, but what¡¯s up with the Church of the Sun?¡± ¡°Oh, I made a deal with the Sun God that I¡¯ll help her get some more believers.¡± ¡°...¡± Shim Deok-Gu stared at Seo Jun-Ho with a dumbfounded look on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve been hanging out with a god recently?¡± ¡°It was unintentional, but yes. Just think of it as a business rtionship.¡± ¡°Oh, my goodness.¡± Shim Deok-Gu continued tough and nod, dumbfounded. ¡°That¡¯s rather good. The heads ofpanies, heads of associations, and even the presidents kept bothering me to schedule a meeting with you. I¡¯ll just tell them Mr. Specter is busy talking to a god.¡± ¡°...But wouldn¡¯t that make me too deified again?¡± ¡°Probably. But I¡¯ll be free of stress in return.¡± ¡®This punk¡­.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho decided to remain silent upon seeing the dark circles beneath Shim Deok-Gu¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to buy a bottle of good liquor and go up to the second floor.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Shim Deok-Gu nodded. He instantly understood Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intention. ¡°Yes. You should.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go up early tomorrow morning. I might go straight up to the 9th Floor from there if I feel like it.¡± ¡°Then, I came at a perfect time. What a relief.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a relief?¡± When Seo Jun-Ho asked, Shim Deok-Gu pulled out a briefcase that wouldn''t have been out of ce in a James Bond movie and ced it on the table. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to give this to you if I didn¡¯te today.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Click. Seo Jun-Ho saw five colorful medicine bottles inside the suitcase. ¡°These are the potions made by processing the elixir collected based on the information collected by Moonlight. It was a bit difficult to find and convince Miss Shasha Alkheni, but she made it for us in the end.¡± ¡°Wow, Shasha? I haven¡¯t heard that name in a while. How was she doing?¡± ¡°She was having some trouble restoring her family, so I helped her a little.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice of you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t expected such a gift. Looking at the effects of the potions, they all seemed to be recovery medicines equivalent to an elixir. ¡°She said that the yers above a certain level will need recovery medicine rather than whatever elixirs.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very smart judgment.¡± As Shasha said, whether a couple of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s abilities improved to some extent or not, it made no significant difference. However, recovery medicines like the ones in the briefcase were like an extra life and could save him in a crisis. Seo Jun-Ho carefully received the briefcase. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll make a good use out of it. Tell Moonlight and Shasha that I appreciate them.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯m giving this to you not to die. So¡­don¡¯t die.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled softly at his friend¡¯s worried nagging. ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink the next time Ie down.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like that line. It sounds like ominous foreshadowing.¡± *** There was someone waiting for Seo Jun-Ho at the entrance of the Wailing Mountain. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°You could have gone up first without me.¡± Baek Geon-Woo shook his head at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯d prefer to see us together.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded his head as he agreed. He recalled the Thunder God sitting on the rock in the yard with a smile on his face and watching theme up together when training. ¡°...Let¡¯s go.¡± The Wailing Mountain, which used to feel so steep before, was no longer a problem for the two. Seo Jun-Ho and Baek Geon-Woo ran along the familiar path in an instant and reached the top, neither of them shedding a single drop of sweat. ¡°Master, we are here.¡± Baek Geon-Woo bowed deeply in front of the tomb and sat in front of it. Seo Jun-Ho also sat down after bowing and put down three bottles of liquor. ¡°...I couldn¡¯t bring his head with me.¡± Seo Jun-Hoined as if he was disappointed. ¡°That cheap bastard scattered away like dust when he died.¡± ¡°Yeah. I should have hit him a little more gently.¡± The two had a light conversation and whined about the things they wanted to tell the Thunder God all along. They felt like they had gone back to the past. Even back then, the old man used to quietly listen to the conversation between the two disciples rather than talking too much. Sometimes, he would just click his tongue and yell some warm words of encouragement. ¡°...Today¡¯s a day I want to be yelled at.¡± ¡°Wow. You and I must have been thinking the exact same thing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho and Baek Geon-Woo smiled bitterly. Revenge had been taken, but the avenged one had not returned. Such was death. Seo Jun-Ho btedly felt the emptiness that he had not felt the day before. *** Seo Jun-Ho said his goodbye to Baek Geon-Woo in front of the dimensional elevator. ¡°I¡¯ll head over to the Aeon Empire.¡± ¡°All right. Take care.¡± ¡°You should be more careful than me, Jun-Ho.¡± Baek Geon-Woo smiled faintly and advised Seo Jun-Ho with a serious look on his face. ¡°If it¡¯s too hard to get through on your own, just run away. You don¡¯t have to overdo it until we arrive. Got it?¡± ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t intend to overdo it and risk my life, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Seo Jun-Ho saw off Baek Geon-Woo, who was going up to the 5th Floor. Just as he was about to take the next elevator, the scene in front of his eyes suddenly changed. ¡°...Ah.¡± When the messy room came into sight, Seo Jun-Ho let out a deep sigh. ¡°Is this a pigsty or what?¡± ¡°Excuse me? You¡¯ve be pretty arrogant since I¡¯vest seen you.¡± Reiji was standing in the middle of the room, hips cocked. She red at Seo Jun-Ho and snapped her fingers. ¡°Hey, you,e here right now.¡± ¡°...Why?¡± ¡°Juste here when I tell you toe, you punk.¡± ¡®But I¡¯m scared.¡¯ As Seo Jun-Ho flinched and approached Reiji, she reached out her hand. ¡°First of all, hand over the Holy Sword.¡± ¡°...But that belongs to Helic.¡± ¡°She told me to take it for her. She said she¡¯s busy right now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not lying, are you?¡± ¡°Why, you little punk¡­¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± Seo Jun-Ho quickly handed over the Holy Sword, and Reiji took the sword and threw it to the corner of the sofa. Then she nodded as she gestured for him to follow. Seo Jun-Ho quickly followed her as she stomped away. ¡°Where are you going now? You brought me here out of the blue.¡± ¡°I heard from Gray that you¡¯re going to clear the 9th Floor.¡± ¡°Well, rather than clearing the quest, I¡¯m just going there casually to¡ª¡± Swoosh! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes opened wide at the sight of a fist flying at him all of a sudden. Reiji¡¯s fist stopped right next to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s temple and gently tapped him. ¡°Did you just say ¡®casually¡¯? If you were on the 9th Floor, you¡¯d be dead by now, you fucking moron.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho swallowed dryly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re really something right now, don¡¯t you? Because you reached the Star Destruction Stage and found the name of your star?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho could not deny it; he truly did feel that he had be strong enough to think that he was on the right track to some extent. But Reiji¡¯s words were like a cold shower. ¡°This is the most dangerous time. It¡¯s the time when those who reached the Star Destruction Stage die the most. You understand?¡± Now was a time when everyone acknowledged that Seo Jun-Ho was strong. In fact, it was true that most people were no match for Seo Jun-Ho. The Star Destruction Stage was not something easily dismissed. ¡°It seems like you aren¡¯t aware, but the energy you are radiating right now is enormous.¡± ¡°...Oh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked as if he had been struck in the back of the head. At the same time, both shame and enlightenment swept him. ¡°I¡¯m going to stand out too much.¡± ¡°Exactly. If you go up to the 9th Floor right now as you are, it would be no different from asking the Counts to join forces to kill you right away.¡± ¡°...But they¡¯re all Counts. Would they really join forces to kill just me? I feel like they¡¯d look down on me.¡± ¡°Sigh. You really don¡¯t know anything, do you? The demons don¡¯t care about anything else other than victory. Theyugh and hold hands with those who had betrayed them yesterday for the benefit of today.¡± Furthermore, Seo Jun-Ho was not only a yer who had reached the Star Destruction Stage, but also a yer the Archduke was keeping an eye on; it was only natural that he would draw the demons¡¯ attention. Reiji let out a deep sigh. ¡°So let¡¯s first learn how to be humble, okay? I¡¯ll beat that piece of wisdom right into you, and then you can go.¡± ¡°...Please go easy on me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sounded gloomy. Chapter 617: One By One (2)

Chapter 617: One By One (2)

¡°Get up.¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked up and slowly stood up upon hearing Reiji¡¯s words. Reiji walked around Seo Jun-Ho as if she were a trainer examining her students and said, ¡°How many days has it been since you got here?¡± ¡°Ten days.¡± ¡°...Well. You¡¯ve improved somewhat. It¡¯s probably because you have an excellent teacher.¡± ¡°Does that mean¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho trailed off, sounding expectant. Reiji nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re starting to get the hang of hiding your ws, so let¡¯s end your training here.¡± ¡°Thank you so much! But¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho trailed off. He had realized something while he was learning how to suppress the enormous energy he was emitting as a creature of the Star Destruction Stage. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be okay with this? I¡¯m not capable ofpletely hiding my power yet.¡± ¡°You really do have high hopes, don¡¯t you? You already want to learn how to fly when you¡¯ve just learned how to crawl?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°What do you think I¡¯m about to say to you?¡± ¡°...Don¡¯t be cocky?¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you know. It¡¯s only been a few days since you reached the Star Destruction Stage, and you¡¯re already thinking of hiding your powerpletely. How cheeky. Only those on the cusp of reaching the Transcendent Stage could do such a thing.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡®I didn¡¯t know that it would be that difficult. I must have looked very arrogant then.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho nodded with a disappointed look. ¡°I understand. Still, I learned a lot, and it¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Here, take this.¡± Reiji threw something toward Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho quickly snatched it out of mid-air and found that it was a small ring. ¡°What is this ring?¡± ¡°Wear it, and you¡¯ll find out¡± Seo Jun-Ho put the ring on his middle finger, and his eyes widened. ¡°Huh? Wait. This is¡­¡± ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s barely noticeable, isn¡¯t it?¡± Reiji grinned. Just like she said, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s power as a Star Destruction Stage creature vanished the moment he put on the ring. However, it had a ring disadvantage; it was also acting as a limiter for his magic. He could only wield a portion of his magic. ¡°Is this a gift?¡± he asked. ¡°Take it. I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± ¡°Thank you, but¡ªno, never mind.¡± ¡®I would have saved at least ten days if she had given this to me earlier¡­¡¯ Reiji lifted an eyebrow after seeing through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You ungrateful bastard. I saved you from drowning, but you¡¯re asking me to pay for your medical fees as well?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean. It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°A mere ring isn¡¯t enough to contain all that power in you. What are you going to do if your upressed power destroys that ring?¡± ¡°You are absolutely right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly nodded and apologized with a deep bow. ¡°It¡¯s not good topletely rely on external tools.¡± ¡°Fuck off now, you¡¯re pissing me off.¡± ¡°Thank you. Really¡­¡± ¡°I told you to fuck off. You want more knuckle sandwiches?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m leaving, but the exit¡ª¡± Reiji threw an annoyed look at Seo Jun-Ho before interrupting him with a wave of her hand. Seo Jun-Ho disappeared into thin air. Left alone in the training ground, Reiji lit her cigarette. ¡°Is it really going to be okay?¡± said Gray as he emerged from a rift in space. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Reiji. ¡°The ring you gave yer Seo Jun-Ho. Wasn¡¯t that Dark Leap¡ªranked 899th in the Weapon Rankings?¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°The higher-ups will scold you for what you¡¯ve done; they¡¯ll think that you¡¯ve done too much for him. They still frown at the mention of your name, Miss Reiji. It seems that they¡¯re still holding a grudge from the Hole of Repentance incident,¡± said Gray. ¡°Those damned boomers. We¡¯re about to die, so howe they¡¯re still being a stickler for the rules?¡± Reiji clicked her tongue. She breathed out a white mist before saying, ¡°I will be fine. Don¡¯t worry because it wasn¡¯t for free.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It was more like a trade, but I earned more than he did.¡± Gray tilted his head out of curiosity at Reiji¡¯s confident remark and asked, ¡°Did yer Seo Jun-Ho have something so valuable that it was worth trading with Dark Leap?¡± ¡°He did.¡± Snap!? Reiji snapped her fingers, and an unassuming sword on the couch stood up. ¡°What do you think? I earned more, right?¡± ¡°But¡­ isn¡¯t that Helic¡¯s holy relic? I thought she told yer Seo Jun-Ho to collect it and return it to her.¡± ¡°And what is she gonna do about it? I own it now, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give it back to herter.¡± Reiji had basically avoided being scolded by the higher-ups by trading Dark Leap for Helic¡¯s Holy Sword. ¡°I think Helic will get in trouble for what you¡¯ve done, Miss.Reiji.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Reiji smiled as if that was none of her business. ¡°I don¡¯t care as long as I don¡¯t get in trouble.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho hesitated in the Dimensional Elevator. He had been on the 9th Floor, but he hadn¡¯t gone there voluntarily. This was the first time he would press the button for the 9th Floor himself. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°To be honest, yeah. I¡¯m pretty nervous.¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s arms were crossed in front of her chest, and she was leaning against the elevator. She smiled upon hearing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s response. ¡°Do not be afraid. You¡¯ve grown up enough, and¡­ the same is true of myself.¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s strength had grown beyond imagination after she had be one with the 8th Floor¡¯s Frost Queen. In fact, the Frost Queen¡¯s massive growth was the biggest reason Seo Jun-Ho had decided to clear the 9th Floor. ¡°You won¡¯t need me for a while, right?¡± ¡°It might be best to keep a low profile.¡± Reiji said that there were quite a few demons capable of seeing Spirits on the 9th Floor, and the demons would definitely get suspicious of him the moment they noticed that he had a Spirit. The Frost Queen nodded and said, ¡°All right. I will be resting for a while, then. Summon me when you¡¯re in danger.¡± ¡°Take a good rest. I¡¯ll do my best so that I won¡¯t have to summon you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho recalled the Frost Queen, and she dissipated into innumerable light particles, leaving Seo Jun-Ho all by himself. - I¡¯m with you, Partner. ¡°...¡± ¡®Right. I have Intuition with me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled slightly and finally pressed the button for the 9th Floor. [You¡¯ve arrived on the 9th Floor.] Seo Jun-Ho had already visited the 9th Floor, so the Bringer of Spring title didn¡¯t activate. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. Pioneer is active because the Heavenly Demon is dead.¡¯ Pioneer (S) would bestow him an additional two hundred and fifty stat points as long as he had the highest level among the yers. Seo Jun-Ho had to be diligent and hard-working, as he wasn¡¯t the only yer who was grinding throughout the universe. ¡°...The air is so murky here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stepped out of the elevator, and a red wilderness filled his eyes. ¡®Where should I go?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho contemted for a while and asked, ¡°Intuition. Which direction should I go?¡± - Go south. ¡°All right.¡± The destination was decided at Keen Intuition¡¯s answer. ¡®Conquering the 9th Floor starts from the south.¡¯ *** The gatekeeper looked up at the sky. He had been working as the gatekeeper of this city for many decades now, and he often looked up at the sky to spend time whenever he was bored. ¡°The skies are clear. No wonder we are getting so many tourists,¡± he muttered. The Underworld¡¯s skies were generally cloudy, so tourists would flock to territories where the skies were clear. In fact, tworge merchant groups had already arrived at the city this morning. ¡®Ah, speak of the demons. There¡¯s another oneing.¡¯ The gatekeeper saw a man approaching from the far end of the red wilderness. The gatekeeper squinted his eyes and tilted his head. ¡®He¡¯s not riding on anything, and he doesn¡¯t have any luggage.¡¯ This was very strange and unusual. The nearest city from the city of Verman was at least fifteen days away using a carriage. ¡°Halt,¡± said the gatekeeper. Identify yourself and tell me the purpose of your visit¡ª¡± The gatekeeper shut his mouth upon making eye contact with the man whose smooth hair came all the way down to his waist. The man¡¯s hair was pitch-ck in color, looking as if it were made out of darkness itself. The quick-witted gatekeeper fell into deep contemtion. ¡®Damn it. What¡¯s going on?¡¯ The man hade from the wilderness, but his clothes were clean with nary a sign of dust or dirt. However, a horn wasn¡¯t sticking out of his head, aside from a tiny bump on his forehead. In other words, the man was barely a Low demon. ¡®But why¡­ why can¡¯t I feel his energy at all?¡¯ The gatekeeper¡¯s instincts were screaming at him, and he quickly bowed. ¡°My apologies, sir. You do not have to tell me the purpose of your visit. Shall I let the lord know that you¡¯vee here to visit?¡± ¡°No, I will only stay here for a few days,¡± said the man. He was fluent in themonnguage of demons, and his ent was both refined and elegant. The gatekeeper was finally convinced that the man couldn¡¯t possibly be a lowly demon from the outskirts. He had to be at least a High demon working in the capital. ¡®I knew it! Perhaps he¡¯s a Noble hiding his strength.¡¯ The gatekeeper recalled the rumors about how High and Noble demons would often hide their strength and horns for fun while traveling around the Underworld. The gatekeeper let out a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that he hadn¡¯t made things difficult for the man in front of him. ¡°P-please go on in,¡± he stammered. The man nodded once and walked into the city. His eyes scanned the streets. ¡°...¡± ¡®I thought things would be a lot different here since this is a city of demons, but it¡¯s not too differentpared to the cities of humans.¡¯ The man could feel the demons¡¯ piercing gazes. Perhaps it was all because he was an outsider. ¡®I need more information,¡¯ thought the man¡ªSeo Jun-Ho¡ªas he casually walked down the streets. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have that much information about the Underworld. The reason he was fluent in themonnguage of demons, as well as how he discovered Verman, was all thanks to Mellis, the High demon he had encountered at the Arcade Center. ¡®His memories aren¡¯t good enough. I need more information, and it has to be thetest ones.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had chosen Verman to get more information, as it was the easiest city to extract information. ¡®Was it that way?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho walked down the streets ording to Mellis¡¯ memory and headed for thergest and highest building in the city. ¡°Stop right there.¡± The gatekeeper stopped Seo Jun-Ho. He looked much stricter than the gatekeeper of the city gates. He scanned Seo Jun-Ho from head to toe and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you around here before. Are you a Noble from another city?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hmm. So you¡¯re just an ordinary visitor. What¡¯s the purpose of your visit?¡± ¡°I¡¯vee to see the lord.¡± ¡°...¡± The gatekeeper went silent. He hesitated because Seo Jun-Ho was strangely confident. ¡°Are you an acquaintance of the lord?¡± ¡°No, but I brought news that must be delivered to him in person,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Tell him that I¡¯vee bearing Mellis¡¯st will.¡± ¡°Mr. Mellis¡¯st will?¡± The gatekeeper¡¯s eyes widened. Mellis was the pride of Verman. He had be a High demon in just a few years, and he had also be one of the top 3000 demons in the Underworld. The Lord of Verman treated Mellis as if thetter were his younger brother, even though they weren¡¯t rted by blood. ¡®The lord was upset that Mellis had stoppedmunicating with him the moment thetter left for the capital. It is unusual that he left a will for the lord.¡¯ The gatekeeper hurriedly said, ¡°Ce in¡ªno, pleasee in.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was guided to the parlor, and it didn¡¯t take him that long to see a man from Mellis¡¯ memories. The man hade with a few of his subordinates. ¡°Oh,?wow. Are you the one who came to deliver Mellis¡¯st will?¡± ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± ¡°...Ha, haha.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s informal speech bothered the lord, but he simplyughed it off as he sat in front of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I heard the news of Mellis¡¯ death, so I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯vee thiste to deliver his will. ¡±Anyway, go ahead and tell me. I am the lord of this city.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho said the lines he had prepared in advance. ¡°Thank you for taking good care of me when I was young.¡± ¡°Haha, that guy. I didn¡¯t really do much for him¡­¡± ¡°You truly are a humble man, my lord. It is no wonder Mr. Mellis left you ast will.¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a great honor to serve you, my lord.¡± ¡°Oh, stop it. You are making me blush in front of a guest.¡± The lord shook his hand to the subordinates¡¯ ttery and looked at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°And? And what else did he say?¡± Seo Jun-Ho saw greed in the lord¡¯s eyes. Perhaps because he was the lord of such a remote city, but he seemed to have high expectations for what Mellis had left for him. It wasn¡¯t really strange; Mellis was a High demon, after all. However, Seo Jun-Ho simply shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°That was all. He said thank you for taking good care of me when I was young. Stay healthy. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°...¡± The lord¡¯s smile abruptly vanished. His subordinates saw the displeasure on their lord¡¯s face, and they promptly mustered their demonic energy. ¡°Sigh.¡± The lord leaned against his chair and red at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Did you waste my precious time to speak bullshit to me?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t seem that busy. You came here running in less than a minute.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± The lord¡¯s face turned ugly. He stood up and ordered his subordinates. ¡°Cut off his tongue, beat him to your heart¡¯s content, and kick him out. What a fucking lunatic.¡± ¡°Mellis will be sad.¡± ¡°...What?¡± asked the lord, seemingly baffled. Seo Jun-Ho took a sip of the unknown bitter tea and murmured. ¡°He told you to stay healthy, but you¡¯re trying to get yourself killed." ¡°You crazy bastard! Your horns are still growing; how dare you speak to me like that!¡± screamed the lord. The lord¡¯s subordinates rushed at Seo Jun-Ho with fierce looks as Seo Jun-Ho slowly took off the ring on his middle finger. Chapter 618: One By One (3)

Chapter 618: One By One (3)

Thepressed magic slowly unfolded as Seo Jun-Ho took off the ring on his middle finger. ¡°For your information, what¡¯s on my forehead isn¡¯t a horn¡­¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho. Shwaaa! Dozens of des made out of darkness manifested and orbited him, causing even the space itself to tremble. ¡°It¡¯s a lump, you asshole,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. The lump on his forehead hade from Reiji, and it would serve as the restraint that would keep his arrogance in check. Slice! The des vanished and reappeared in the proverbial blink of an eye. The demons copsed to the floor into hundreds of tiny pieces of flesh, and the room quickly grew humid as their blood inundated the parlor. ¡°Hup!¡± The lord huped and copsed at the grotesque sight. ¡°Please spare my life. I¡¯ll give you anything you want.¡± ¡°...Wow.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was surprised to see such a quick surrender. Seo Jun-Ho smiled helplessly and nodded. ¡°Well, what did I expect from the denizens of The Underworld? Anyway, it finally feels like I¡¯m truly in the Underworld.¡± The survival of the fittest was thew of the Underworld, and the denizens of the Underworld had to constantly prove that they were fit enough to survive here. They would only stop proving themselves when they no longer had any challengers. ¡°A cunning bastard like you will definitely survive in this world.¡± The quick-witted ones who could readily abandon their pride to kneel in front of the strong would live longer lives by acting like parasites. The lord smiled awkwardly at Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s acrimonious criticism. ¡°Y-you¡¯re right. Haha.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, lord. I still haven¡¯t even heard your name yet.¡± ¡°Ah, my apologies. I still haven¡¯t introduced myself yet. My name is¡ª¡± sh! A trail of darkness was left suspended in the air as the lord¡¯s head flew into the air. Seo Jun-Ho stood up with an indifferent look and walked over to the lord¡¯s head. The lord¡¯s face still depicted awkwardness, and it seemed that he still had no idea that he had already perished. ¡°I don¡¯t really care.¡± ¡®I can just read his memory anyway.¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho hesitated briefly. - Partner. ¡°I know. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡®I thought I¡¯d shaken it all off, but it seems I was wrong.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho took a deep breath. He had briefly recalled his experience of seeing the Archduke through Mellis¡¯ memories. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± Multiple memory projections appeared before Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. He scanned the memory projections and nodded. ¡°I knew it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He could only extract a few fragmented memories from the lord¡¯s corpse. The same was true when he had made Mellis confess. Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was just an isted case, but now, things had finally be clear. ¡®It¡¯s because I consumed all of his demonic energy.¡¯ It was the only difference when he killed Mellis and the lord. - That¡¯s too bad. ¡°I know.¡± Seo Jun-Ho cast Watchguard of Darkness and absorbed the demonic energy in the air. ¡°Hm, it seems that I really have to think things through from now on,¡± Seo Jun-Ho smacked his lips. The amount of demonic energy he had just absorbed in the air was ridiculously low. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect much from the subordinates because they¡¯re barely Low demons, but¡­ the lord¡­ he was still the lord of an entire city.¡¯ However, the demonic energy that Seo Jun-Ho had absorbed from the lord was only a few drops of waterpared to his demonic energy, which resembled ake. Fortunately, Seo Jun-Ho was aware of the reason behind the insufficiency. ¡°So I need to choose between reading their memories or absorbing their demonic energy.¡± - I think it¡¯s for the best for you to give up on absorbing the demonic energy. You¡¯ll benefit more by reading their memories for the time being. ¡°I think so, too.¡± The lord¡¯s memories had told Seo Jun-Ho that the former¡¯s position in the Underworld was too low. He was just a Low demon on the cusp of bing a Common demon, and he was a mere city lord of a remote city at the tip of the continent right next to the Sea of Death. ¡®I need to find a stronger demon.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho put the ring back on his middle finger and walked away. The lord¡¯s fragmented memories had told him where he could meet High demons. ¡®What an absurd dilemma¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes swept across the city. The demons looked virtually no different from humans, which made Seo Jun-Ho feel conflicted if it was truly fine for him to kill all of them just because they were demons. ¡°Ah.?Are you done with your business?¡± said the gatekeeper at the entrance of the mansion. He was very polite, perhaps because he thought Seo Jun-Ho was a special guest who hade to bring Mellis¡¯st will. Seo Jun-Ho nced at the gatekeeper and said, ¡°Let me ask you one thing.¡± ¡°Please go ahead.¡± ¡°Why are those young demons training so hard?¡± Seo Jun-Ho used to run around the yground covered in dirt at their age, but the young demons here were already training hard with their weapon of choice. The gatekeeper¡¯s eyes widened as he asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that only natural? We¡¯re in the Underworld.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sure they all have their own dreams, but at that age, it¡¯s easy to deduce what they¡¯re thinking,¡± said the gatekeeper. He lifted his hand and folded his fingers one by one as he spoke. ¡°Some want to go to the capital to be a noble, some want to serve the lord, while the ambitious ones dream of killing the lord to rece him.¡± ¡°...That makes sense.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was already aware of such facts because the lord¡¯s memories told him a lot about the culture of the Underworld. However, he felt that he still had to hear someone else¡¯s words to confirm if what he had seen through the lord¡¯s memories was truly correct. ¡°Then, what does the lord do? Does he just watch those kids until they grow up?¡± ¡°No way. The lord is keeping tabs on those kids to see which of them are the ambitious ones. On the day he finds evidence, the ambitious ones will get decapitated, and their heads will be hung up at the city square.¡± The demons killed their kind with no mercy as soon as they discovered that the other party was a potential rival. Seo Jun-Ho was indeed in the Underworld¡ªa world where the strong preyed on the weak and where violence was logical. ¡°...Let me ask you onest thing.¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned to look at the gatekeeper. ¡°Are there any demons who want to coexist with humans?¡± ¡°Ah, you mean the Moderates.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes glistened with slight expectation. ¡®There really are demons who want to coexist with humans?¡¯ ¡°Well, those idiots were killed when the Four Counts unified the Underworld.¡± Seo Jun-Ho fell silent, and he felt only one thing upon hearing the gatekeeper¡¯s words. ¡°...Thank you,¡± he said. He was truly thankful for the gatekeeper, as thetter had given him a reason and the justification to kill every demon in sight. ¡°I knew it. The only good demons are dead demons.¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± The gatekeeper stared nkly at Seo Jun-Ho as a crimson line inexplicably appeared on his forehead. Momentster, he split into two pieces and copsed to the floor. The gatekeeper had perished without being able to scream. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll look like the Devil in your eyes¡­¡± he muttered. However, Seo Jun-Ho was more than willing to be the Devil to protect those precious to him. On that day, the small city of Verman vanished from the map, and its poption of 257 demons inexplicably disappeared along with it. *** ¡°...?¡± Count Gorgon abruptly looked up. Count Gorgon was the Count of the South, and his status meant that his subordinates were sensitive to his actions. The meeting was paused when they noticed Gorgon staring somewhere. ¡°My lord, was there something wrong with the report?¡± ¡°Am I the only one who felt it?¡± The subordinates blinked nkly at Gorgon¡¯s question. Gorgon shook his head. ¡°Never mind, it must have been nothing.¡± He briefly felt the energy of a Star Destruction Stage creature, but his subordinates were powerful demons in their own right. It didn¡¯t make sense that he was the only one who felt such a powerful demonic energy. After all, there were only three others with such a powerful energy in the Underworld. ¡®I must have been mistaken; it was so faint as well.¡¯ Gorgon raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired today, so go straight to the point.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord. Count Horizon of the West has expanded the borders of his territory.¡± ¡°...Tsk.¡± Gorgon clicked his tongue. Gorgon was a powerful demon, so he had been the one expanding the borders of his territory, but he was currently recuperating from his injuries. ¡®If only I did not overdo it back then.¡¯ Gorgon recalled yer Seo Jun-Ho, who made him feel an unknown sense of trepidation. He had suffered a massive bacsh by going against the System to forcefully abduct the yer to the 9th Floor. ¡®Did they finally notice? It actually took him a long time to realize what happened to me.¡¯ There were barely any exchanges between the four Counts, but the Counts had to have gotten suspicious about Gorgon¡¯s silence over the past six months. Count Horizon of the West had finally decided to test the waters. ¡°How should we respond?¡± ¡°...What do you think it is that they want?¡± ¡°It seems that they are targeting the Karshut Mine. It is the second biggest producer of demonic stones in ournd, after all.¡± Gorgon frowned. ¡®I can¡¯t let them take Karshut away.¡¯ The bnce of power would copse if Karshut Mine was taken away from his hands. He had to do something. If he were to offer no resistance, the other Counts would take it as a sign of weakness. Gorgon let out a sigh and said, ¡°Haran, Fricks. I will assign you thirty High demons and an army. Protect the mine.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t let them take a single step onto the mine.¡± Gorgon swept his gaze across his subordinates before saying, ¡°See yourself out, everyone. I have a few things to think about.¡± When the demons left the room, Gorgon slowly closed his eyes. ¡®This is bad¡­¡¯ His problem wasn¡¯t just his enemies. He was also concerned about his subordinates. If he showed even the smallest hint of weakness, his subordinates would mobilize to kill him. ¡°This is difficult. Too difficult.¡± Gorgon sighed lightly. ¡®If only I had at least one reliable demon.¡¯ The fact that they could not trust anyone was nothing short of a curse that demons had to carry for the rest of their lives. *** ¡°The Karshut Mine¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho murmured. A corpse was by his feet, and he was the vige chief of a vige called Velmarion. ¡°This is interesting. What do you think?¡± - I¡¯m conflicted. Seo Jun-Ho was surprised. ¡°What do you mean? Exin.¡± - I¡¯m saying that there is no need for you to go out of your way to go where two Counts are fighting a war of attrition. It¡¯s too dangerous. ¡°So why are you conflicted?¡± - Well, it¡¯s because if you go there and do your best; you¡¯ll be able to move more easilyter down the road. Keen Intuition was right. Demonis stone mines were that valuable in the Underworld. ¡°The Karshut mine is the secondrgest deposit of demonic stones in the South.¡± - There are definitely powerful demons there, and they must be at least High demons. I think we might even meet noble demons there. ¡°High risk, high return.¡± Seo Jun-Ho briefly calcted before making a decision. ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡± -Are you sure? If things go wrong, two Counts may appear at the same time to fight you. Reiji said that you¡¯re still not strong enough to fight two Star Destruction Stage creatures at the same time, Partner. ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t think that things will go that far.¡± ¡®I¡¯ve already decided to be the Devil to these demons, so I have to make sure that I will truly be the Devil in their eyes.¡¯ ¡°Intuition, what do you think is the demons¡¯ biggest weakness?¡± - Hm, their pride? ¡°Their pride is indeed one of their weaknesses, but that is not their biggest weakness.¡± - What is it, then? Fwoosh! Seo Jun-Ho promptly absorbed all the demonic energy in the air and turned around to leave the ruined vige. ¡°It¡¯s the fact that they would never trust another demon.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had discovered that weakness by himself while traveling the Underworld. It had been exactly twenty days since Seo Jun-Ho entered the Underworld. Chapter 619. Karshut Mine (1) Chapter 619. Karshut Mine (1) A huge army walked into the mine. The army consisted of two Arch demons, thirty High demons, and three thousand soldiers. One of the two Arch demons at the helm of the army spoke, ¡°My name is Haran. Give me a report.¡± The demon in charge of the mine replied, ¡°It is my honor to meet you, sir! Reporting, there is an ongoing tension between the two forces. ¡±Viscount Malcolm and Viscount Devue are at the helm of the enemy¡¯s front line, and they have twenty-five High demons with them!¡± ¡°Malcolm and Duvue, huh¡­¡± Haran contemted for a while before turning his head and asking, ¡°Fricks. Can you handle Malcolm?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve had the upper hand against that slow-ass punk several times before.¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± Haran nodded. He also thought that themander of his army was of a higher qualitypared to their enemies. They also had more High demons. ¡°With me and you protecting this ce, they won¡¯t even dare about crossing the front line unless they¡¯re mad.¡± Crossing the front line meant dering an all-out war. It had been quite a long time since an all-out war had been waged on thisnd, as no one really wanted to start a fight first since the Four Counts had established themselves in the Underworld. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll go to war. It will probably end with the enemies retreating after a skirmish as always.¡± ¡°As always, indeed.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t let your guard down, just in case.¡± ¡°All right. Call me when something happens.¡± Fricks departed for his room while Haran entered the temporary barracks and examined the map of the front line. The Western enemies had truly created a lengthy line. ¡®The hiatus of six months must have made them look down on us.¡¯ Haran was the only demon who knew the reason why the South had banned outside activities for the past half a year because Count Gorgon himself had instructed Haran to lock up the South. ¡®All that for just one human?¡¯ Haran had been serving the count for decades, but he had always felt disappointed by Gorgon¡¯s judgment. Gorgon had sacrificed a lot, but he still didn¡¯t manage to kill a puny human. Haran was furious at the thought that the puny Westerners and a mere human were making them feel such a powerful pressure. ¡°Tsk.¡± He would have to stay here for at least two weeks or two months at most for the sake of protecting the mine. ¡®This is going to be boring.¡¯ There was no more boring than a battlefield where no one was actually nning on going all-out. However, Haran was mistaken this time. *** ¡°Sir, the supply has vanished.¡± Haran frowned at the news that hade from the manager of the mine. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°T-the supplies that were supposed to be delivered to us disappeared out of nowhere.¡± ¡®The supplies disappeared?¡¯ The report instantly chilled the air in the barracks. ¡°So what?¡± said Fricks. ¡°Just ask for another batch.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll receive more¡­¡± ¡°Is there ack of food?¡± ¡°We have enough tost a week.¡± ¡°Only a week?¡± Haran frowned. ¡°Why do we only have that much left?¡± ¡°The supplies that were supposed to arrive today were enough to feed the soldiers, but¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Haran¡¯s voice sounded furious. He ignored the demons who were looking at him with nervous eyes and tapped on the desk. ¡®So this is what they¡¯ve been nning.¡¯ The most important factor in the war was neither the soldiers nor themander but food. No soldiers could perform to the full extent of their abilities when they were hungry. ¡°I guess we have no choice.¡± Haran let out a sigh and said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you take the soldiers, so plunder some food from the nearby viges.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The denizens of the plundered viges were bound to starve to death because the harvest season had already ended. Everyone was aware of such a fact, but everyone immediately agreed to such a suggestion. ¡°However, I want you to ask for more supplies. Take five High demons with you and escort the supply caravan.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Haran was convinced that the issue was finally resolved. However, a piece of news that he couldn¡¯t quiteprehend reached his ears two dayster. ¡°T-they¡¯re gone!¡± ¡°What do you mean?!¡± ¡°There is neither a vige nor food! The viges are empty!¡± Haran and Fricks looked at each other with grim looks. ¡®The buildings and the people¡¯s belongings are still there, but the people and the food are gone?¡¯ ¡°Any traces of battle?¡± Haran asked. ¡°No, sir. There was nothing.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± All Haran could think of was that the viges were annihted by an overwhelmingly powerful army. ¡°Fricks, what do you think?¡± asked Haran in a low voice. ¡°Those Westerners did it, obviously. We¡¯re fighting each other at the moment, so who else could it be?¡± Haran stared nkly at Fricks at the response. Fricks shrugged and stared at Haran as if thetter were pathetic. ¡°What? Why are you looking at me like that? You¡¯re pissing me off.¡± ¡°Think about it. A total of more than a thousand demons disappeared like ghosts without any disturbance at all. Do you really think that demons can do something like that?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s difficult, but demons like myself are capable of¡ªoh, wait!¡± Frick¡¯s expression stiffened upon realizing what Haran was trying to say. ¡°Unless those bastards have gone crazy, there¡¯s no reason for one of them toe over here by themselves to annihte a few viges.¡± ¡°Exactly. We would have also noticed if someone capable of doing such a thing were here.¡± ¡°Does that mean¡­¡± ¡°It means that there¡¯s a traitor in our midst.¡± Count Gorgon had a total of thirty-one Arch demons. The Underworld¡¯s culture meant that those Arch demons weren¡¯t just colleagues; they were enemies as well. ¡°Damn it! Are you saying that one of those bastards is the one behind all this?!¡± Frick roared in fury. He looked like he was prepared to chop off the head of the bastard who had plundered their supplies and annihted the nearby viges. ¡°Haran. We have to inform my lord about this at once. At this rate, that bastard will swallow everything up,¡± said Fricks. ¡°I agree.¡± Haran nodded and looked at Fricks before saying, ¡°However, it seems that they have made up their mind. They¡¯re determined to bury us all here.¡± ¡®Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have done something like this, knowing how easy it would be to track their identity. They¡¯re obviously trying to get us killed in this mine somehow. I bet they already knew that we would ask the lord for help.¡¯ ¡°...We won¡¯t be able to reach the lord by sending just the run-off-the-mill troops.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Haran and Fricks nodded at the same time. ¡°Fricks, I want you to leave the mine at night. Go to the lord and tell him what¡¯s happening here.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll get to the bottom of this case as well.¡± ¡®They¡¯re trying to sacrifice the Karshut Mine for the sake of burying two of their rivals.¡¯ Haran was sure that Count Gorgon¡¯s fury would pierce the clouds the moment he heard of such a preposterous n. In other words, the traitor would definitely die beneath Count Gorgon¡¯s deluge-like anger. ¡°Give me a week, and I¡¯ll be back with supplies.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± The twomanders nodded at each other. *** Night came, and Fricks quietly left the mine. He hid from the sentries and ran across the wilderness at a frightening speed. ¡®Just you wait, you bastard!¡¯¡¯ Fricks gnashed his teeth. He couldn¡¯t even take a nap because he was dying to know the identity of the bastard who had made him go through such hardship. Fricks swore to ask Count Gorgon for permission to chop off the head of the bastard with his own hands. ¡®Has it already been five hours? I just need thirty more hours, then.¡¯ Fricks¡¯ eyes abruptly widened, and he came to a halt upon seeing someone in the wilderness. Fricks¡¯ eyes narrowed as he asked, ¡°Are you that bastard?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯re that bastard. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have been standing here thiste at night while wearing such a strange mask.¡± Fricks took off his cloak. He couldn¡¯t tell whether or not the man in front of him was an Arch demon, but he was clearly an enemy. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to speak, I¡¯ll tear your mouth open and make you speak!¡± Fricks abruptly vanished and made a beeline for the masked man. The masked man casually stepped forward. Crackle! ¡®Huh? Ice?¡¯ A pir of ice suddenly popped out of the ground in front of Fricks. The masked man grabbed the pir with both hands and swung it toward Fricks. ¡°You dumbass!¡± ¡®Who¡¯s going to get hit by such a slow attack?¡¯ Fricks specialized in speed as well. In fact, the demons referred to him as the sh. ¡°...?!¡± Something was strange. Fricks had definitely dodged the masked man¡¯s attack by figuring out the range of the attack and using that information to dodge, but he felt much slower than usual. ¡®Why am I so slow today?¡¯ Boom! A cold and heavy pir of ice ruthlessly struck his temple. ¡°Argh!¡± Fricks was sent flying away. Blood dripped down the wound on his temple. He had definitely slowed down just now; no, it wasn¡¯t just him that had slowed down¡ªeven his thoughts had inexplicably slowed down. Fricks stood up with difficulty. ¡®I¡¯ll die if I stay still.¡¯ Half of his head had be a mangled mess, but Fricks¡¯ survival instincts were strong. Fortunately, he had the fastest recovery rate among Gorgon¡¯s Arch demons. ¡®My head will recover in about two minutes.¡¯ In other words, Fricks just had to avoid an all-out confrontation in the next two minutes. ¡®I¡¯ll have to distance myself from the enemy first. Let¡¯s turn around and run.¡¯ Fricks whipped around and ran away without looking back. ¡°...?!¡± However, he soon came to a halt. The vast wilderness seemed to have been contained in a pitch-ck container. ¡°Rank 73 Arch demon¡ªFricks of the sh.¡± Fricks looked up. For some reason, he felt ashamed of having received the moniker the sh. ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± The masked man stuck the ice pir in his hand into the ground. Crackle! Fricks felt like the entire world froze right before his eyes. And it was the final scene that Fricks saw before darkness consumed him. *** Things went much better than Seo Jun-Ho expected. He took off his mask and approached Fricks¡¯ corpse. - He¡¯s weaker than we thought. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m quite disappointed. I can¡¯t believe that he¡¯s an Arch demon.¡± It wasn¡¯t really strange as Lord Gorgon, whom these demons were so afraid of, was only on the same level as Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± Seo Jun-Ho consumed Fricks¡¯ memories and nodded. ¡°Haran¡­ he¡¯s definitely smarter than this guy.¡± - That¡¯s a relief. ¡°It sure is a relief.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s n was bing more and more refined. ¡®It is the demon¡¯s nature to doubt their allies behind them first rather than doubting the enemies in front of them.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that it wouldn¡¯t be that difficult for him to defeat two armies by himself as long as he took advantage of the demon¡¯s distrustful nature. - Partner, can¡¯t you just kill them all without going through all the trouble? I mean, it doesn¡¯t seem like an Arch demon is that strongpared to you. ¡°I can just kill them all, but that is not my goal.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s goal was more than just killing the demons. ¡°My goal is to plunge the entire Underworld into war.¡± Seo Jun-Ho just had to destroy the delicate bnce between the Four Counts, and war was bound to envelop the entire Underworld. ¡®By then, a gap will open in the solid fortresses of the Counts.¡¯ Chapter 620. Karshut Mine (2) Chapter 620. Karshut Mine (2) On the tenth day of the confrontation between the Western and the Southern Army, Malcolm and Duvue¡ªthemanders of the Western Army¡ªfinally realized what was something amiss. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Fricks for the past few days.¡± It had been more than a week since Fricks appeared on the battlefield, but that was not the only suspicious part. ¡°Those bastards also looked a bit down these past few days. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Certainly. They were dying to eat us alive until justst week.¡± The Southern Army was so passive and calm that themanders wondered if the Southern Army would remain that way until the skirmish ended. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll deliberately show to their enemies that they¡¯ve gotten weaker. I think they¡¯re employing a psychological tactic here.¡± ¡°I think so, too. It also bothers me that Fricks is still missing.¡± The twomanders put their heads together. They were about to agree on a wait-and-see n, but a demon interrupted them by rushing into the barracks. ¡°Reporting! We found this near our front linest night!¡± ¡°What is that?¡± The demon brought with him a wooden box. The box was extremely cold. ¡°There¡¯s a head inside of it.¡± ¡°A head?¡± Duvue opened the box and fell speechless along with Malcolm. ¡°...Hmm.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± The head of the missing Fricks was in the box. The twomanders frowned deeply. ¡®This isn¡¯t fake. I can still feel Frick¡¯s demonic energy from this head.¡¯ ¡®This is definitely Frick¡¯s demonic energy signature, but the problem is¡­ why and how?¡¯ Fricks¡¯ inexplicable death was suspicious, as it meant that their ns would go smoother. The twomanders fell into deep contemtion as they looked at Fricks¡¯ head. ¡°Oh, by the way,¡± said the demon who had brought the wooden box. ¡°We found this letter next to the box.¡± ¡°What? You dumbass! Why did you not show us the letter as soon as possible?!¡± Duvue roared and snatched the letter while ring fiercely at the demon. ¡°Duvue. Calm down. Let¡¯s read the letter first.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Duvue clicked his tongue and opened the letter. The letter contained paragraph after paragraph of purple prose. The letter was also filled with obscure vocabry, which made the twomanders nod at the same time. ¡°A noble wrote it.¡¯ ¡®A noble definitely wrote it.¡¯ There was no way an ordinary demon couldpose such a letter. The vocabry, the formality, and the structure of the sentences were so pretentious that it was only natural for the two to think that an Arch demon had written the letter. The twomanders read the letter and exchanged looks. ¡°Malcolm, what do you think?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Isn¡¯t it clear?¡± The writer was apparently one of the South¡¯s Arch demons, and the information they had given was pretty valuable. ¡°They cut off the supplies of the Southern Army and killed Fricks, who was heading for the capital of the South to resolve the issue. Count Gorgon¡¯s health has apparently declined.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we¡¯ve been suspecting.¡± Their demands were clear as well. ¡°Once war breaks out, he wants us to protect him and his subordinates in return for this information. He also wants us to treat him as a noble of the West. He¡¯s apparently going to approach us by mentioning the contents of the letter.¡± ¡°It seems like this guy has no ns on going down with a doomed ship.¡± ¡°I guess he¡¯s smart. He couldn¡¯t have be a noble demon if we were dumb.¡± The demands, information, and evidence were clear. ¡®The more obvious their demands, the easier it is to read their mind.¡¯ The twomanders were overjoyed. Duvue smiled and said, ¡°We should go ahead and send a report to Lord Horizon.¡± ¡°...Wait.¡± Malcolm stopped Duvue. Malcolm turned to the demons standing in the barracks. ¡°Everyone, see yourselves out. I have something to discuss with Duvue.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The demons left the barracks, and Duvue stared at Malcolm with narrowed eyes. ¡°What do we need to discuss when everything is so clear?¡± ¡°Is it really a great thing for us to report this to Lord Horizon?¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Malcolm sighed at hisrade¡¯s dullness and exined, ¡°Have you thought about what will happen if we tell Lord Horizon about this?¡± ¡°Of course, our lord is going to send reinforcements for us as soon as he sees the report.¡± In other words, Lord Horizon would go all-out to take advantage of Count Gorgon¡¯s mdy. Malcolm nodded. ¡°I think so, too. And I¡¯m sure more Arch demons wille here.¡± Duvue froze before muttering, ¡°...Which means we¡¯ll have to share the credit with them.¡± ¡°We might not even receive the credit we deserve to receive.¡± The other Arch demons would definitely fight over them for credit. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we¡¯ll be fine? We¡¯re the ones who are going to send the report.¡± ¡°Are you still sleeping, Duvue? We haven¡¯t done anything.¡± Malcolm tapped the wooden box and the letter before continuing. ¡°The information we have is from the Arch demon of the South. We simply received the information.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°In other words, the Arch demon of the South will take the most credit, not us.¡± ¡®He¡¯s right. We¡¯re going to do all the hard work, but we won¡¯t receive any credit for it.¡¯ ¡°So what are we going to do?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s send a report, but let¡¯s send it as slowly as possible.¡± ¡°As slowly as possible?¡± ¡°Yes. It would be wonderful if our lord only receives the report three dayster.¡± ¡°Three days¡­ I guess we¡¯ll have to take over the mine in the next three days.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± They couldn¡¯t just sit back and let someone else take their credit away from them. They had to do something to avoid lest they be branded as ipetent. Duvue nodded and added, ¡°Fricks is dead, and they need supplies. It should not be too hard to take over the mine.¡± ¡°Haran is Rank 15 among demons, but the two of us should be enough to handle him.¡± The twomanders immediately summoned their subordinates to the barracks. *** ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Haran¡¯s eyes scanned the battlefield. Battlefields had always been unchanging, but there was something strange. ¡®The air they¡¯re giving off has changed.¡¯ As usual, the enemies were forming a front line, but the emotions in their eyes had markedly changed. Haran bit his lips. ¡®Has it been too long since Fricks¡¯ absence?¡¯ Haran couldn¡¯t imagine that Fricks¡¯ head had alreadynded in the hands of the enemies. Haran looked around and took in the many different pieces of information rted to the battlefield. They were at a huge disadvantage, even if Fricks were here. ¡®If only we had enough food¡­¡¯ The battlefield made Haran feel regretful in more ways than one. He vowed to take revenge on the nobles who made him go through such hardships. ¡°Spend all the leftover food and make sure that the stomach of the entire army is full.¡± ¡°Pardon me, sir? If we do that, we won¡¯t have any food left to feed the army for supper and¡ª¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The enemies have already made up their minds.¡± Haran let out a light sigh as he stared at the enemies in the distance. ¡°I have a feeling that today¡¯s going to be a very long day.¡± The only way he could win the uing battle was to face Malcolm and Duvue by himself. ¡®I¡¯m stronger than them, but it¡¯s still difficult to block two hands with only one hand.¡¯ Haran felt a sense of foreboding. The feeling was so intense that he secretly summoned five Arch demons to his room. ¡°Once the battle begins, I want you all to go straight to Lord Gorgon without looking back.¡± Haran handed out a letter to each Arch demon and ordered with firm eyes. ¡°You must not trust anyone. I want you to show this letter only to the lord.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The Arch demons with nervous faces left without looking back even once. Perhaps they were happy that they wouldn¡¯t have to fight in the uing battle. *** Crackle! ¡°Were they thest one?¡± - Haran sent five Arch demons in total, so they¡¯re thest one. A corpsey in the wilderness. Seo Jun-Ho absorbed the demonic energy of the demon next to his feet and said, ¡°I¡¯ve made sure to prevent any delivery of information to Count Gorgon. The West is also moving exactly as I expected.¡± - This is great. Everything is going ording to n, Partner. ¡°It wasn¡¯t too difficult.¡± Fwoosh! The letter he was holding was reduced to ashes in the blink of an eye. ¡°It is easy to take advantage of them using their desires,¡± he said. Seo Jun-Ho had seen right through the dark desires of the nobles of the underworld. If they had truly sworn allegiance to the counts and wished for their master¡¯s victory, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s operation would have failed long ago. ¡°But Malcolm and Duvue had chosen to monopolize the credit for taking over the mine.¡± And the two still had no idea about the consequences of their actions. - Regardless of the oue, they¡¯re the ones who will take responsibility. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho checked the time on his Vita. ¡°They have to take responsibility for their own decision,¡± he said. ¡®Regardless of whether they like it or not¡­¡¯ *** A battle soon broke out between the two armies. The Western Army decisively went past the front lines under the orders of their twomanders. ¡°Keep pushing!¡± ¡°They¡¯re weak! They¡¯re weak, so push them even harder!¡± The Southern Army was helpless against the fierce Western Army. The huge gap in the performance between the two armies mostly stemmed from the condition of their troops. The demons of the Western Army were in their best condition, while the demons of the Southern Army were stressed and hungry. The battle was predetermined. ¡°Surrender, and I will spare the lives of your remaining soldiers.¡± Haran looked at Malcolm and asked, ¡°Does that mean anything?¡± ¡°Good point. It¡¯s a suggestion that has never worked against demons. Why is that even in the manual in the first ce?¡± Malcolm and Duvue shrugged. They worked together and deftly surrounded Haran. Haran swept his gaze across the two demons orbiting him like hungry sharks. ¡°I am the hero of the South, the second-inmand of the South, and I have been serving Lord Gorgon for decades.¡± Haran¡¯s demonic energy enveloped the entire mine. ¡°I¡¯m ready to die here today.¡± Haran spread his wings and red at Malcolm and Duvue. ¡°So you two better get ready to die as well.¡± *** Seo Jun-Ho was looking down at the battlefield from the top of the mine. He was wearing the ring that Reiji gave him, and he even activated Night Walking. In other words, he wasn¡¯t worried that someone would notice him. - His name is Haran? He fights pretty well. Seo Jun-Ho nodded at Keen Intuition¡¯s words. ¡°He could easily defeat any yer out there, perhaps aside from me.¡± Haran was definitely strong enough to receive such an evaluation from Seo Jun-Ho. Haran was an Arch demon like Malcolm, Duvue, and Fricks, but he was significantly stronger than the three despite being in the same tier. - He¡¯s a tough guy. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± It had already been about two days since the Southern Army was annihted, but Haran was still fighting. He was standing his ground against two Arch demons and the entire Western Army. - It seems that it¡¯ll be over soon. ¡°Yes, I think so, too.¡± One side was extremely exhausted, but incredibly, the two Arch demons were the ones struggling to stand their ground against Haran. Boom! ¡°Duvue! You moron!¡± Malcolm¡¯s expression darkened upon seeing Duvue¡¯s head explode like a watermelon. Malcolm hurriedly examined Haran¡¯s condition. ¡®Great. Duvue managed to take away his left eye and arm.¡¯ Haran¡¯s regeneration rate had visibly and significantly slowed down. Malcolm didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately ordered his subordinates. ¡°All troops, attack! Attack him with all your might!¡¯ The demons stirred upon Malcolm¡¯s order, and the demonic energy they had unleashed at once struck Haran like a deluge. Ten minutester, Haran finally knelt with his bloodshot eyes. The shield that he had painstakingly made by squeezing every ounce of demonic energy in his body finally shattered. ¡°Argh!¡± Haran supported himself as his blood dripped to the ground. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Haran barely managed to raise his head. He saw Malcolm and discovered that thetter¡¯s condition was rtively great. He then started crawling toward Malcolm. ¡°You filthy bug!¡± Thud! Malcolm stomped on Haran¡¯s head, and Haran helplessly copsed. However, he soon looked up and stared at Malcolm with cloudy eyes. ¡°H-help¡­help me¡­¡± ¡°What? Hahaha!¡± Malcolm boisterouslyughed and squatted in front of Haran. ¡°Hero of the South, my ass. Where¡¯s the loyal demon who has been serving Gorgon for the past decades? Huh?¡± ¡°Sp-spare my life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how you ask someone to spare your life, you bastard. What¡¯s the magic word?¡± ¡°...Please spare my life.¡± Haran burst into tears and started banging his head on the ground. Malcolm sighed and said, ¡°All right. We¡¯re all demons, after all. I just have no idea why you¡¯ve been pretending to be so different, elegant, and loyal than the rest of us. What was all the fuss for?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do that ever again. Please spare my life just this once.¡± Malcolm grinned. He thought it would be fun to record Haran¡¯s pathetic look with a crystal ball and show it to the Southerners. He reached out with his hand and shouted, ¡°Bring me a crystal ball!¡± Malcolm was nning on killing Haran after making thetter beg for his life. ¡®If I spare this punk, the West will surely rise. However, he¡¯s way too strong for me to handle. I have to kill him to secure my position.¡¯ ¡°Does no one have any crystal balls?!¡± Malcolm roared and whipped around, but the sight he saw made his pupils quiver violently. ¡°W-w-what¡­? What is this?¡± Malcolm could swear that he still had a few hundred soldiers, and they were definitely standing behind him not too long ago, so how did they disappear? ¡°Ah, you finally noticed?¡± A familiar-looking man appeared in front of Malcolm. ¡°...!¡± ¡®I failed to notice him? Wait, why can¡¯t I sense even a tinge of demonic energy from him?¡¯ The man was certainly standing right in front of Malcolm, but the man¡¯s presence was absent, making him seem as if he were a ghost. ¡°N-no way¡­! This is just a-absurd. How and why are you here?¡± ¡°...The long-standing peace is over.¡± Boom! Malcolm stomped and ran without looking back. Thwack! A grotesque noise echoed in his ears. ¡°N, no¡­!¡± ¡°P, please. Spare me¡­!¡± Malcolm and Haran¡¯s screams soon disappeared. Step, step. The man looked around the quiet mine. He took out a purple demonic stone and left right away. - Great job, partner. I actually almost fell for it. Crack, crack! The man¡¯s face and physique changed and instantly returned to that of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s. ¡°Sigh. Do you think they¡¯ll fall for it?¡± - It¡¯s hard, but there''s clear evidence for now, so they have no choice but to believe it. It is a great thing for us if they misunderstand each other. While reading Fricks¡¯ memories, Seo Jun-Ho discovered the perfect person to end this war¡ªit was none other than Orpheus of Vain, a demon whose demonic energy would destroy everything that it touched. He was also the Count of the North. ¡°I buried the crystal ball in the ground, but I made sure that it¡¯ll look hastily buried. I think things are really going to be interesting once someone finds it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled. He wondered what the counts would do the moment they saw the scene that the crystal ball had recorded. Chapter 621. Karshut Mine (3) Chapter 621. Karshut Mine (3) ¡°Why did they do something I didn¡¯t tell them to do¡­¡± Fwoosh! Count Horizon burned the report while expressing his difort. The report was interesting, but he wasn¡¯t impressed with the way they had decided to handle the situation. ¡®I understand that they¡¯re worried about the others taking their credit, but¡­¡¯ Their actions meant that their sess was much more important than their lord¡¯s will. Count Horizon also felt uneasy since he still hadn¡¯t received any report about the sessful takeover of Karshut Mine. ¡°Hm.¡± Of course, Count Horizon was willing to forgive their impudence if they seeded. ¡®If the report is true, the South must be chaotic at the moment.¡¯ There had been a rumor about how Count Gorgon had fallen ill, and Count Horizon had been pushing the envelope to confirm whether the rumor was true or not. ¡®So it¡¯s true¡­¡¯¡¯ Count Horizon briefly calcted to figure out just how much time it would take him to conquer the South if he were to invade. ¡®To be honest, I don¡¯t care about the troops.¡¯ Battles in the Underworld were often won by killing the leader of the enemies. If the leader perished, the rest would be easily absorbed by the winner. ¡®I have about seventy percent chance of winning against Gorgon.¡¯ It was a conclusion he had drawn based on the presumption that Count Gorgon was sick. ¡®It¡¯s definitely worth trying.¡¯ Count Horizon pondered for quite a while before standing up. ¡®If I¡¯m going to fight Gorgon anyway, I need to do it as quickly as possible. I have to take over the South without giving the North and the East time to intervene.¡¯ Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door of his office¡­ ¡°Brother, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Come on in.¡± A demon who looked like Horizon walked in and said, ¡°Brother, did you get into trouble again?¡± ¡°What? What kind of bullshit are you talking about?¡± Count Horizon frowned. Vista shook the box in his hand and shrugged. ¡°I thought something must have happened because Gorgon sent something here.¡± ¡°...Wait a minute. Gorgon sent something?¡± Count Horizon¡¯s expression changed. He opened the box and saw a crystal ball. ¡°Get out. I¡¯ll take a look at this.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just watch it together?¡± ¡°I just told you to fuck off.¡± Vista grumbled and obliged. Count Horizon infused his demonic energy into the crystal ball, and he gnashed his teeth at the scene that unfolded before his eyes. ¡°Ah, damn it.¡± The corpses of the Southern Army littered the vicinity of the Karshut Mine. Count Horizon fell into deep thought. ¡®Did they die because those morons were defeated?¡¯ Count Horizon¡¯s expression turned ugly at the thought of it. Meanwhile, the scene in the crystal ball changed. The background of the next short video was still the Karshut Mine. ¡°Malcolm?¡± A messy-looking Malcolm was on the screen, and he was shaking his head with an incredulous look. - N-no way¡­! This is just a-absurd. How and why are you here?¡± - ...The long-standing peace is over.¡± Count Horizon frowned at the familiar voice. ¡®Hold on. Just where did I hear that voice?¡¯ Count Horizon wasn¡¯t familiar with many demons, but the voice he heard sounded incredibly familiar to him. Fortunately, he soon received an answer to his question. Malcolm was killed, and the video panned over someone else. ¡°What the¡­?¡± Count Horizon abruptly stood up. ¡®What the hell is that bastard doing there?¡¯ Malcolm¡¯s murderer turned out to be Count Orpheus of the North. The man¡¯s physique, face, and voice definitely belonged to Count Orpheus. ¡®No, let¡¯s not jump to conclusions here. This must be Gorgon¡¯s machinations.¡¯ It was a reasonable suspicion, as there were many demons capable of imitating someone in the Underworld. The crystal ball changed scenes, and a calm voice echoed. - Long time no see, Horizon. ¡°...Gorgon.¡± Count Horizon instinctively realized that this was a live feed rather than a recording, so he sat back down. ¡°What the hell are you up to?¡± he asked. - How absurd. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been up to some shit, you bastard. You invaded mynd first. Count Horizon had no excuse, so he hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°So? What was that video all about? What are you trying to do with such a crude trick?¡± - It¡¯s not a trick. ¡°Hah! Are you telling me that asshole actually went all the way down to the South to kill everyone by himself?¡± - I don¡¯t know why he did that, but I¡¯m not lying to you. Count Gorgon grabbed his own horns and continued. - I swear on my horns. ¡°...¡± Count Horizon¡¯s expression turned grim upon seeing the red hue that Gorgon¡¯s horns were emitting. The horns of demons didn¡¯t just indicate the demons¡¯ strength but their status and honor as well. In other words, no demon would swear on their horns and lie. ¡°Is it really Orpheus?¡± - I¡¯m not sure about that. There¡¯s also a chance that someone has imitated him to confuse us both, but¡­ ¡°But?¡± - 4 Arch demons, 78 High demons, and ten thousand soldiers were annihted. There were also no traces of their presence in the vicinity. It was certainly an umon situation because there weren¡¯t many demons capable of doing such a thing by themselves. A demon had to be at least on the same level as the Counts¡ªa Star Destruction Stage creature¡ªfor them to do such ughter. ¡°But there¡¯s something strange about this¡­¡± Count Horizon trailed off before saying, ¡°We both know that Orpheus isn¡¯t an idiot. He must be aware that he would be used the moment he used the Power of Vain.¡± - Yes, but I don¡¯t think Orpheus really cares about that. ¡°...¡± Count Horizon couldn¡¯t deny Count Gorgon¡¯s remarks. The strongest out of the four Counts was Count Orpheus, and he had always been thirsty for a fight. The only reason the bnce between the four Counts still existed was because the three Counts had agreed to join forces for the sake of keeping Orpheus in check. ¡°That bastard is strong, but he can¡¯t deal with the rest of us at the same time.¡± - But what if he had already made a deal with the East? ¡°...No way.¡± Count Horizon shook his head and said, ¡°She¡¯s a dumb birch, but there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll fail to recognize that she¡¯s the next target after the fall of the South and the West.¡± - ...What if Orpheus promised her that he would hand over the entire Underworld to her? ¡°Are you out of your mind? Why would he do that?¡± - It is possible. Orpheus is convinced that he¡¯s going to be a Transcendent. ¡°...!¡± Count Horizon''s eyes widened. ¡®Damn it. That¡¯s¡­ definitely a possibility. With that thought in mind, the puzzle fits perfectly. It finally makes sense why Orpheus had done such a thing.¡¯ Orpheus would lose all reason to stay in the Underworld upon bing a Transcendent, so he would be more than willing to sacrifice the Underworld for the sake of killing Count Horizon and Count Gorgon. ¡®There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll stick down here.¡¯ It would be easy for Orpheus to conquer a few gxies as a Transcendent. Count Horizon gnashed his teeth. ¡®So they¡¯re really out to kill me, huh?¡¯ They were trying to kill the leaders of the West and the South. Count Horizon pondered briefly before asking, ¡°Why do you think Orpheus has a chance of bing a Transcendent?¡± - Did you recognize the purple demonic stone that he took at the end of the video? ¡°It wasn¡¯t just an ordinary demonic stone?¡± - I call it the Flower of Evil.¡¯ ¡°Flower of Evil?¡± - The reason behind Karshut Mine¡¯s bountiful demonic stones deposit was the existence of the Flower of Evil. The Flower of Evil is capable of converting the surrounding rocks into demonic stones. - The announcement about how Karshut Mine is the secondrgest demonic stone deposit is not true. Karshut Mine actually holds an infinite number of demonic stones, and it¡¯s all thanks to the Flower of Evil. It¡¯s the biggest demonic stone mine. ¡°...No way.¡± - The Flower of Evil¡¯s existence is unprecedented throughout the history of the Underworld. The only demons who know about it are me, Haran, and Fricks. The cogs in Count Horizon¡¯s brain turned violently. He didn¡¯t tell Count Gorgon, but he was already aware of the dissatisfaction that Count Gorgon¡¯s subordinates harbored toward him. In fact, a subordinate had already betrayed Count Gorgon. ¡®If he¡¯s not lying¡­ those traitors may have already contacted the North just like they contacted me.¡¯ There was a high chance that Count Gorgon¡¯s subordinates had contacted Orpheus as their n B in case Count Horizon refused their offer. ¡®Maybe they contacted Orpheus first and chose me as their n B.¡¯ ¡°...In other words, Orpheus needs a lot of demonic energy.¡± - Yes. I personally think it¡¯s because he¡¯s preparing to make a breakthrough into the Transcendent Stage. ¡®Everything adds up, then. It all makes sense now.¡¯ Count Horizon organized his thoughts and said, ¡°All right then. There have been some unpleasant incidents between us recently, but let¡¯s cooperate for the time being.¡± - How brazen of you. ¡°How is it any different from you personally reaching out to me?¡± -...Fair enough. Count Gorgon also had no choice but to cooperate with Count Horizon to survive. ¡°But...¡± Count Horizon red at the crystal ball with shing eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to send my brother to Karshut Mine to check the scene. If you¡¯re not lying, there¡¯s no reason for you to say no. Is there?¡± - I find your suggestion unpleasant, but I guess I have no choice if I want you to trust me. However, I will also deploy my troops just in case. ¡°Do as you please. My brother will arrive there in a week.¡± Themunication between the two soon ended, but both Count Gorgon and Count Horizon remained in their seats for quite a while, seemingly lost in their own thoughts. *** There were too many demons in Karshut Mine, which made the tension shoot through the roof. ¡°Vista, sir. Are you sure we¡¯re going to be okay?¡± Vista burst intoughter at his subordinate¡¯s worry. ¡°Why? Are you scared?¡± ¡°...There are too many troops here.¡± The South had dispatched thirty-thousand Low to Common demons, more than a hundred High demons, and ten Arch demons. It would be no exaggeration to say that the South had dispatched ny percent of their armed forces here. If the Southern Army were to head West with so many troops, an all-out war would definitely break out between the South and the West. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re here for the final check before the alliance is made.¡± Vista confidently crossed the front line and walked toward Karshut Mine. He looked around the mine under the gazes of many demons. ¡°So this is Karshut Mine¡­¡± he muttered. Karshut Mine truly had too many demonic stones. Vista and Count Horizon had been coveting the mine for a long time, so it wasn¡¯t strange that Vista was awed by the sight in front of him. He walked into the mine under the res of the South¡¯s Arch demons. ¡°Go ahead and check this ce out.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The demonic stone specialists he had brought from the West started walking around the mine. A few hourster, the specialists returned and reported. ¡°The story about the so-called Flower of Evil is most likely true, sir.¡± ¡°The quality of the demonic stones here has fallen sharply. It feels like the mine has suddenly lost all of its vitality.¡± ¡°This mine has be no different from the demonic stone mines we have in the West.¡± ¡°...Is that so?¡± Vista nodded and left the mine. He approached the southern nobles who were gathered on one side. ¡°I¡¯m done checking everything.¡± ¡°So? What¡¯s your decision?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± The alliance between the West and the South was formed right there and then. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho was currently in disguise with the help of the Transformation Art. He was approaching a certain city with the physique, face, and aura of a southern noble. - Partner, the barracks are vacant. I think things went much better than we thought. ¡°For sure. It¡¯s finally worth a try now.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was heading to Count Gorgon¡¯s castle. Chapter 622. The Underworld鈥檚 Public Enemy (1) Chapter 622. The Underworld¡¯s Public Enemy (1) tter, tter. The knife that was slowly cutting the steak stopped moving. ¡°Sigh.¡± Count Gorgon, who let out a faint sigh, put down the cutlery and shook the little bell. He called over the chef and started sorting out theplicated thoughts in his head. ¡®This is hard.¡¯ Count Orpheus was giving Count Gorgon a headache. Count Gorgon couldn¡¯t quite understand his strange behavior. ¡®I managed to form an alliance between the South and the West by getting Horizon involved, but¡­¡¯ To be honest, there were many loopholes in his own logic. Count Gorgon thought that Count Horizon must have realized the ws in his logic by now, but he didn¡¯t think that Count Horizon would go out of his way to break the alliance since both sides were thinking of each other as insurance. ¡®If Count Orpheus really made some sort of a deal with the East because he¡¯s about to attempt a breakthrough into the Transcendent Stage, there would be no reason for him to drag things on.¡¯ It was a reasonable assumption because Count Orpheus could simply push into either the West or the South using his superior power. ¡®But he didn¡¯t do that... In that case, perhaps a third party made that crystal ball?¡¯ The traces on the crystal ball definitely belonged to a Star Destruction Stage creature. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Star Destruction?¡± A certain thought briefly appeared in Count Gorgon¡¯s mind. ¡®What if the perpetrator is a yer who has reached the Star Destruction Stage?¡¯ ¡°How absurd.¡± Count Gorgon shook his head and returned to square one. Meanwhile, the chef finally arrived. ¡°I lost my appetite,¡± said Count Gorgon with a sigh. ¡°Clean the table.¡± However, the chef pulled out a chair and sat down. Count Gorgon looked up in astonishment and was astonished to find that the individual in front of him wasn¡¯t the chef. In addition, the individual didn¡¯t have any horns. ¡®Wait, is he human?¡¯ Count Gorgon frowned and was about to muster his demonic energy. However, he froze upon realizing that he hadn¡¯t been able to feel the individual¡¯s presence until he reached the restaurant. ¡°...¡± An unfamiliar feeling that he hadn¡¯t felt for a long time washed over him. ¡®I¡¯m nervous? Really?¡¯ The Underworld was vast, but there were only a few beings capable of making him feel nervous. ¡°Hah.¡± Count Gorgon chuckled bitterly without realizing it. The fact that he was nervous meant that the individual in front of him was on par with him. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know my face?¡± ¡°How would I¡­¡± Count Gorgon trailed off. He remembered something and nodded slightly. ¡°I see. So you¡¯re yer Seo Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°You got it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got guts. Do you even know where you are?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly stared at Count Gorgon. The distance between the two was about ten meters, and it was a distance that a Star Destruction Stage creature could cross in the proverbial blink of an eye. In other words, the two could mortally wound each other if they decided to do so. ¡°I came here knowing more things than you expect. For example¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho picked up a knife on the table and pointed it at Count Gorgon. ¡°I know that you¡¯re severely injured, and it¡¯s all thanks to your abduction.¡± ¡°...¡± Count Gorgon remained calm as he nodded. ¡®The fact that he knows about my injuries means¡­¡¯ ¡°The Karshut Mine. That was you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Pfft. The counts of the Underworld were actually deceived by a mere human?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to deal with those honest to their desires.¡± Count Gorgon was relieved to find that Count Orpheus wasn¡¯t the culprit. His position would remain secure as long as he managed to somehow get rid of the human in front of him right now. ¡°You must be thinking along the lines of securing your position by getting rid of me somehow.¡± ¡°...Can you read thoughts?¡± ¡°No, but I just told you that it¡¯s easy to deal with those who are honest to their desires.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled upon seeing through Count Gorgon¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Let me ask you a question: why do you think I showed up in front of you?¡± ¡°...¡± It was an easy question to answer. Seo Jun-Ho was openly encouraging Count Gorgon to give him the obvious answer. ¡®But I don¡¯t want to give him the answer that he wants.¡¯ Count Gorgon narrowed his eyes. ¡®Is he suggesting that he is stronger than me?¡¯ It was true that Count Gorgon was still recovering from a severe injury, but the thought of losing to a human had never crossed his mind. ¡®...¡¯ Count Gorgon looked at the human in front of him. A warm smile was on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s lips, but his eyes were terrifyingly cold. ¡®Those cold eyes¡­ Can a living being truly possess such cold eyes?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was staring straight into Count Gorgon¡¯s eyes with a gaze so cold it reminded Count Gorgon of a thousand-year-old icy cavern. ¡°How arrogant of you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Someone had beaten me up for the sake of instilling humility and manners into me not too long ago.¡± A deafening silence descended upon the two. - My lord, may Ie in? Knock, knock, knock! The chef knocked on the door, and the third knock signaled the beginning of everything. Boom! Count Gorgon struck the table with his palm, and the lifted table obstructed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. ¡°...¡± Darkness instantly devoured the table. Seo Jun-Ho turned and saw Count Gorgon¡¯s hand reaching out toward him from the side. Count Gorgon¡¯s hand was reaching out for Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck. Squeeze! Count Gorgon¡¯s head reached Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s neck. ¡°Too slow.¡± However, Seo Jun-Ho was a beat faster, and he squeezed Count Gorgon¡¯s neck before throwing thetter to the ground. Boom! The floor copsed, and the two fell to the kitchen down below. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡± ¡°My lord?¡± The demons who were cooking in the hot kitchen with frying pans in their hands stared wide-eyed at Count Gorgon. They quickly realized what was going on and wielded their kitchen knives as weapons. Unfortunately, four des pierced their heads before they could even do anything. ¡°Argh!¡± Count Gorgon chopped off his own head using his hand, and by the time his corpse collided with the floor, his head had already recovered. ¡°Your regeneration rate seems to be as fast as Rahmadat¡¯s.¡± ¡°Keuk. You reckless and dumb piece of shit. I hope you¡¯ll have no regrets about what you¡¯ve done today.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho could feel many demons converging toward their location. However, those demons were too weak to intervene in the fight between Seo Jun-Ho and Count Gorgon. ¡®I just have to worry about the Counts.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be that difficult for the other Counts to discover Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s presence if he were to make even the slightest mistake. ¡°Twenty-three minutes.¡± The other Counts would arrive in just twenty-three minutes if they were to rush here at their fastest speed. ¡°I just have to kill you, then hide in the next twenty-three minutes.¡± ¡°Pfft! Hahaha!¡± Count Gorgon boisterouslyughed and red at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Do you really think that you can kill me¡ªthe ruler of the Underworld¡¯s southern region¡ªin just twenty-three minutes? You think too highly of yourself.¡± ¡°I have no time for banter,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He pulled out Twilight from his Inventory and charged at Count Gorgon. Count Gorgon gracefully raised his hand. ¡°We¡¯ve had a pleasant conversation,¡± he said. Boom! Count Gorgon unleashed the full extent of his demonic energy, and the city was engulfed by the terrifying might of a Star Destruction Stage creature. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s breathing briefly halted upon being struck by such an overwhelming demonic energy. It was his first time fighting someone with such a horrifying demonic energy. The demonic energy was so overbearing that Seo Jun-Ho felt suffocated. ¡°me Shower.¡± Fwoosh! A burning heat iparable to that of Team Leader Gong¡¯s mes descended upon Seo Jun-Ho. The mes melted the surroundings and made a beeline for Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®A rain isn¡¯t that difficult to dodge.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho recalled dodging a million thorns while facing Erebo, and he had gotten even stronger since then. ¡®Gorgon¡¯s me Shower is a bit faster, more powerful, and there are more of them as wellpared to Erebo¡¯s thorns.¡¯ In addition, the biggest difference between Erebo and Gorgon was the fact that¡­ ¡®I¡¯m stronger than my opponent this time.¡¯ Boom! A cataclysmic burst of energy capable of annihting stars erupted from Seo Jun-Ho and pushed Gorgon¡¯s demonic energy away. Seo Jun-Ho took one more step forward and muttered, ¡°Dignity of an Emperor.¡± The others had to have already noticed his existence, so Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t possibly hold back anymore. He figured that Lavue or Horizon, whose tempers were short, were already flying this way. ¡®I have to kill him fast, then leave.¡¯ Dignity of an Emperor (S) allowed Seo Jun-Ho to be a pseudo-transcendent. His field of view expanded exponentially, and he captured everything around him. The massive stream of information was processed smoothly, and Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t miss even the smallest detail. ¡®3,743,286.¡¯ It was the number of fireballs falling down on him, and there were another 6,256,814 fireballs blocking all of his escape routes. A total of ten million fireballs surrounded Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®But¡­¡¯ A problem would always have a solution, and Seo Jun-Ho could see the solution to this conundrum. Seo Jun-Ho took a step toward the fireballs and muttered, ¡°Path of Flowers.¡± A massive path made out of ice was created in front of him. However, humans would eventually have to take a turn in their lives. ¡°Crossroads.¡± Crackle! Crossroads was a terrifying technique capable of freezing and destroying everything that it touched. Dozens of paths surrounded by Moon Eyes were created in an instant, destroying the fireballs blocking Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s path. ¡®It¡¯s open.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho saw an opening amidst the multitudinous fireballs. ¡°...!¡± Count Gorgon frowned deeply. He didn¡¯t expect that a mere human would one day deal with his ability. ¡®I thought Count Orpheus was the only one capable of doing such a thing.¡¯ The fact that a mere human managed to deal with his attack head-on hurt Count Gorgon¡¯s pride. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good. Let¡¯s see if you can take this, then.¡± Count Gorgon circted his demonic energy once again. ¡®If he can block ten million fireballs made out of hellfire, I can just make twenty million fireballs.¡¯ ¡°Did I not tell you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho swung Twilight. sh! Twilight carved a path amidst the mes, and the path led straight to Count Gorgon. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this.¡± ¡°...!¡± Count Gorgon instinctively took a step back. However, Seo Jun-Ho had already arrived right in front of his nose the moment he raised his foot to retreat. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± sh! Count Gorgon¡¯s head flew into the air, and the head was quickly reduced to ashes the moment it made contact with the fireballs. At the same time, Count Gorgon¡¯s headless body started running away. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t even bother chasing after Count Gorgon. He had infused Watchguard of Darkness into his Twilight the moment he decapitated Count Gorgon. ¡°No matter how much demonic energy you use and whatever means you use¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s scornful darkness would disregard all his efforts. It didn¡¯t take long for Count Gorgon to copse. Count Gorgon managed to regenerate his mouth and nose, and he gasped for air as he tried his best to regenerate the remainder of his head. ¡°Haaa¡­ huff¡­ puff¡­!¡± The white mes of hellfire started to wane. ¡°This doesn¡¯t count! This is unfair! If I weren¡¯t injured¡­!¡± Count Gorgon eximed as if he couldn¡¯t ept the result. ¡°If you weren¡¯t injured, I wouldn¡¯t havee here to fight you.¡± However, Haran¡¯s memories had told Seo Jun-Ho that Count Gorgon was injured. He had decided to attack Count Gorgon because killing Count Gorgon would be immensely helpful to him down the road. ¡°Pffft! Kekekeke!¡± Count Gorgon boisterouslyughed. ¡°I knew it! I wasn¡¯t wrong! I should have¡­ killed you back then!¡± ¡°You really should have killed me.¡± However, Count Gorgon failed to kill Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho ended up bing an extremely powerful creature, and Count Gorgon¡¯s failure to kill Seo Jun-Ho would be the reason behind Count Gorgon¡¯s death today. Count Gorgon started to freeze as his cells had be necrotic. ¡°Kekekeke!¡± ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°How can I¡­ notugh¡­ when it is so absurd?¡± The cold was terrible, and Count Gorgon incessantly trembled, but he remained steadfast as he continued. ¡°Let me. Tell you. Just one thing. Hell is. Waiting. For¡­ you.¡± ¡°...¡± Count Gorgon¡¯s remarks were ominous, akin to a curse, but Seo Jun-Ho was unimpressed. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡®I¡¯ve been through hell and back a couple of times.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho put his hand on the forehead of Count Gorgon¡¯s frozen head. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have the time to read through Count Gorgon¡¯s memories right now. His priority was to run and hide, as he could just watch the memoriester. ¡®Has it been seventeen minutes?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho still had five minutes left to run away. He turned around and ran toward the escape route he had set up in advance. ¡°Night Walking.¡± Seo Jun-Ho erased his presence. Count Gorgon was severely injured to the extent that he didn¡¯t notice Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s presence until thetter was in the same room as him. Seo Jun-Ho figured that the other Counts shouldn¡¯t be able to detect him if he used Night Walking on top of his other stealth abilities ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho whipped around at the prickling sensation. ¡°...¡± There was no one behind him. However, he could clearly feel a gaze on him. ¡®It¡¯s from there?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt someone staring at him from the North, but the being soon took their eyes off of Seo Jun-Ho as if they weren¡¯t interested in him anymore. ¡°Haaa¡­ haaa¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho realized that he was covered in sweat. ¡®Who was that? Was it Count Orpheus? Is there really such a huge gap between the Counts? Could it be that I only managed to defeat Count Gorgon because of his injuries?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stood rooted for quite a while as he asked himself questions that were bound to receive no replies. *** The man withdrew his gaze. ¡°...¡± ¡®yer Seo Jun-Ho,¡¯ the man muttered to himself and slowly closed his eyes as if he wasn¡¯t interested in the death of one of the Underworld¡¯s Counts. He acted as if what had transpired had nothing to do with him. Chapter 623. The Underworld鈥檚 Public Enemy (2) Chapter 623. The Underworld¡¯s Public Enemy (2) Horizon saw two remarkable things after btedly arriving at the scene. The city was engulfed in a pitch-ck darkness, and a purple-skinned woman was staring at the scene with a jubnt look. The woman asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± Horizon directed a wary gaze at the woman¡¯s tattoos before saying, ¡°Stop the nonsense. What happened to Gorgon?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead. Can¡¯t you see that?¡± Horizon turned and stared nkly at the city. The pitch-ck darkness seemed to be gnawing away at the city, and it seemed that it wouldn¡¯t stop until it had devoured everything. ¡°Did hee down?¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? Gorgon is dumb, but he¡¯s not dumb enough to do something that would make hime down.¡± Horizon nodded in agreement. He knew the answer, but he asked anyway, as the darkness that had enveloped the city looked familiar to him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Watchguard of Darkness?¡± ¡°Yes, it is Watchguard of Darkness.¡± Watchguard of Darkness was a power that held a special meaning to the Counts of the Underworld. The question here was why an ally¡¯s power had engulfed Gorgon. It was an ability that was a type of reassurance to the demons, but it had devoured Gorgon. ¡°Let me ask you one thing,¡± said Horizon with apletely different look. A stern look that one could see in a determined warrior had painted his face. ¡°Gorgon told me a few days ago that you and Orpheus are in an alliance. Is it true?¡± ¡°Ha.¡± The woman snorted coldly and turned to Horizon. ¡°If that were true, either Orpheus or I would have already been beating the shit out of you.¡± ¡°...Hmm.¡± ¡°A yer did this,¡± added the woman. ¡°A yer defeated Gorgon? Can you even hear what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that far-fetched since Gorgon was still recovering from his injuries.¡± They had discovered just a few days ago that Gorgon was indeed recovering from his injuries. ¡°So you knew?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why did you not do anything about it?¡± ¡°Why would I bother doing that when a dumbass like you would soon make a move once the news reached your ears?¡± ¡°...¡± Horizon frowned upon being called a dumbass. However, he wordlessly looked behind him and changed the topic. ¡°Are there any traces?¡± ¡°None. The traces were gone by the time I arrived, and I couldn¡¯t feel anything, either.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± In other words, the enemy was both smart and powerful. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s already on the lower Floors by now.¡± ¡°No, he can¡¯t leave,¡± said Lavue with a smirk. She turned to Horizon and asked, ¡°Have you forgotten what Gorgon said when we were talking about Floor 5.5?¡± ¡°I remember he said something about a yer bothering him¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He was talking about yer Seo Jun-Ho.¡± Gorgon had insisted on killing Seo Jun-Ho at the time, but no one agreed. ¡°Ah! Perhaps he was in such bad shape because¡­¡± ¡°Yes. He must have forcibly continued the n by himself.¡± ¡®The puzzle isplete, then.¡¯ Horizon thought before saying, ¡°Does that mean that yer Seo Jun-Ho has be a Star Destruction Stage Creature? Wait, the timing doesn¡¯t check out.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was barely at the Liberation Stage at the time. It hadn¡¯t been that long since then, so it didn¡¯t make sense for him to be at the Star Destruction Stage at the moment. ¡°Well, geniuses like him do exist.¡± ¡°No way. How can a mere human reach the Star Destruction Stage so quickly?¡± Even if the culprit wasn¡¯t Seo Jun-Ho, the culprit had to be one of the yers. ¡°Wait, what do you mean earlier when you said that he can¡¯t leave?¡± ¡°I did something back then, but I did it in a clever way, unlike that dumbass Gorgon.¡± Lavue chuckled with a mysterious smile on her lips. *** Seo Jun-Ho stared in confusion in front of the Dimensional Elevator. [You have killed a Count of the Underworld. You have to kill another Count to ess the Dimensional Elevator.] ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s wrong with the elevator?¡± This was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first time seeing a Dimensional Elevator refusing to open. - The demons did something to the Elevator. ¡°What do you mean they did something to the Elevator? Are you saying that they tampered with a Dimensional Elevator? Is that even possible?¡± The Administrators and Sung-Jun said that the Floors havepletely lost their functions and purpose from the 9th Floor onward. Have you already forgotten what they said? ¡°No, I still remember, but¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t expect that the demons could still stop him from leaving. Seo Jun-Ho stood rooted for quite a while after realizing that he had to rewrite his ns. ¡°I can¡¯t use the Elevator until I get rid of another Count? They¡¯ve locked me up here.¡± - They made a much more thorough move than we thought. I bet they¡¯re already looking for you, Partner. Seo Jun-Ho nodded in agreement. Unfortunately, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t sure if he could even hide for an extended period of time from the demons. - Partner. You need to get out of here before anything else. ¡°I know.¡± ¡®But where should I go?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head turned nk upon asking himself a question. He looked back at the path he walked past and sat on a nearby rock. ¡°I should have enough time to look through Gorgon¡¯s memories.¡± Multiple memory projections appeared in the air in front of him. ¡°Multi-screen, zoom in, fast forward¡­¡± Dozens of screens popped up, and the cacophony of noises that burst out of them made Seo Jun-Ho feel dizzy, but he managed to understand each and every word. Seo Jun-Ho looked nonchnt as he swept his gaze across the screens, but it was a job easier said than done. ¡®I have to know how strong they are, their abilities, and their weaknesses.¡¯ An hourter, Seo Jun-Ho finally dismissed the memory projections. - Orpheus is the strongest among the Counts, while Lavue is the second strongest, and Horizon is the weakest among the three. It looked like the Counts stood on equal footing, but the reality was that the three Counts had been following Orpheus, the strongest among them. ¡®Horizon of the West¡¯s ability is broken...¡¯ Horizon¡¯s ability allowed him to dodge any attack he had seen for the first time, so ambushes and attacks containing a ton of burst damage were ineffective against Horizon. ¡°I have to fight Horizon head-on and defeat him with overwhelming force rather than fight him in the shadows.¡± ¡®In other words, he can¡¯t be my next target.¡¯¡¯ Gorgon¡¯s severe injuries allowed Seo Jun-Ho to defeat the former. Seo Jun-Ho was still not confident enough to say that he was stronger than the Counts of the Underworld. - Orpheus of the North. That guy is a monster¡­ ¡°Yes. He can destroy and erase the existence of others just by looking at them.¡± - I guess it¡¯s been decided. ¡®The East.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stood the highest chance of defeating Lavuepared to the other Counts. - Hmm, interesting. They¡¯ve fought each other before. Gorgon had a history of fighting Lavue, and it seemed that there was bad blood between the two, judging by how they kept on fighting each other despite that huge battle on that fateful day. ¡°She¡¯s a tattooist.¡± Every tattoo on Lavue¡¯s body was a high-level magic spell. - Skaya will be really impressed. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I feel like she might freak out.¡± Certain spells required magic circles to cast, and magic circles were drawn ording to a specific form. Once drawn, one could simply infuse the magic circle with their magic, and the spell would be cast. ¡°However, she skipped that lengthy process.¡± Her tattoos were like magic circles. In other words, Lavue could cast spells by simply infusing magic into a specific tattoo on her body. ¡°Her way of casting magic is tremendously betterpared to the current system.¡± She didn¡¯t have to chant, and her casting speed was incredibly fast. - Unfortunately, there¡¯s a disadvantage. ¡°She overheats.¡± Lavue¡¯s way of casting magic was so crazy that only a demon could do it. If a human being were to follow in her footsteps, it would only be a matter of time before their tattooed body parts exploded into pieces. ¡°And that is the fatal w of her method; she might explode out of exertion.¡± - Yes. She won''t be able to use a tattoo for a while after using it. It was the only weakness that they had discovered from Gorgon¡¯s memories. The problem was that the huge battle between the two happened more than a decade ago. ¡°I¡¯m sure she has a few more tattoos since then.¡± In other words, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t say for sure that he had aplete grasp of Lavue¡¯s true power. However, it was definitely worth fighting her firstpared to fighting the other Counts. - You should absorb her demonic energy rather than her memories. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had already received the confession of one of the Counts, so there was no need for him to read the memories of the other Counts. He reckoned that he wouldn¡¯t obtain that much information from their memories. - There were quite a few locked memories. I wonder why. ¡°Those memories probably had information about the Archduke.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s set that aside for now and do what we can do right now.¡± Seo Jun-Ho studied the battle between Gorgon and Lavue as he headed to the eastern region of the Underworld. *** A man and a woman were standing in the red wilderness. The man was Gorgon. He was already dead, but a nonchnt look was pasted on his face as he waved his hand casually. - me Shower. Five million fireballs made out of hellfire manifested in the proverbial blink of an eye, and they all flew toward Lavue. Lavue unfolded her arms, and two of her tattoos shone in an eerie red light. Crash! A massive tsunami engulfed Gorgon¡¯s mes. ¡°The dolphin tattoo on her left elbow allows her to use water.¡± - That unique pattern on her right arm seems to be a reinforcement spell. Seo Jun-Ho and Keen Intuition would watch the fight between Gorgon and Lavue whenever they were resting from their journey. It was boring to keep watching the same video over and over again, but they had to do this. This would determine the oue of the uing battle, after all. ¡°I think I discovered another weakness.¡± - Me, too. ¡°Shall we say it at the same time?¡± - Sure. Let¡¯s count to three. Keen Intuition counted, and the two spoke at the same time. ¡°First encounter.¡± - Experience. Seo Jun-Ho smiled. Both words meant the same thing. ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s the most powerful against opponents she had no experience fighting before.¡± It wasn¡¯t really strange that it was the case. After all, how could her enemy know what kind of spells her tattoos contained if they had never fought her before? Seo Jun-Ho smiled at the fact, as it meant that Lavue¡¯s win rate against a certain opponent would drop sharply the next time she fought them. - Exactly. We¡¯ve already figured out at least forty of her spells. ¡°I guess that¡¯s why Lavue didn¡¯t dare to mess around with Gorgon anymore after their first battle.¡± Gorgon was weaker than Lavue. ¡®Lavue may have been afraid of fighting Gorgon again because Gorgon already knows what spells her tattoos contain.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho figured that the reason the two Counts hadn¡¯t attacked Gorgon had to be because Gorgon had been keeping Lavue in check. - That makes things much more interesting, but the problem is her army of demons. ¡°Right. How annoying.¡± They had managed toe up with strategies against Lavue, but they were still deliberating about how they would handle Lavue¡¯s army of demons. Her army of demons was filled with Disaster and Liberation Stage demons, after all. ¡°So I can¡¯t just invade the East like I did with Gorgon.¡± - What are you going to do? ¡°I¡¯m going to make here to me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the city at the end of the red wilderness. ¡®That¡¯s the secondrgest city in the East aside from the city where Lavue resides.¡¯ ¡°Cologio¡ªthe city of fighters.¡± Most of the humans in the Underworld also resided in Cologio¡­ Chapter 624. The Underworld鈥檚 Public Enemy (3) Chapter 624. The Underworld¡¯s Public Enemy (3) Cologio was one of the top five metropolitan cities in the vast underworld, and the reason was simple¡ªstrong demons from all over the country visited the city every single day. ¡°Hey, man. You¡¯re addicted to gambling, you know that? Don¡¯t you think it would be for the best to restrain yourself a little bit?¡± ¡°Hah! Addicted, my ass. I¡¯ll bet you a hundred demonic stones that I¡¯m not a gambling addict.¡± ¡®Gambling.¡¯ ¡°Hey, can I fight strong individuals here?¡± ¡°Hehehe, you came to the right ce.¡± ¡®Fighting.¡¯ ¡°This is the most recent drug around here. You¡¯ll definitely be satisfied.¡± ¡°Hmm. It better be good or else¡­¡± ¡®And drugs.¡¯ Cologio was a city that had everything that demons loved. It was like a holiday gift set, so the city was always teeming with demons. ¡°...It¡¯s huge,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said. The city looked even bigger than the city where Gorgon resided. - It seems like each city reflects their Count¡¯s personality. Gorgon and Orpheus did not particrly enjoy gambling, fighting, and drugs. However, Lavue and Horizon were the opposite. For such a reason, it was only natural thatrge cities in the West and the East were muchrger and had more entertainment facilities for the visitors to enjoy. - Partner. The city is bigger than we expected. Can we really carry out the n? ¡®It¡¯s definitely possible.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho actually thought it would be easier to achieve his goal using such a big city. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was running out of time, as the Counts were definitely tracking him down at the moment. Seo Jun-Ho down the streets filled with demons. ¡°Hey, did you hear about the rumor? Count Gorgon of the South was murdered.¡± ¡°Wait, what? Who killed him?¡± ¡°Who knows? The counts had dered the culprit as the public enemy of the Underworld, and they put a bounty on his head.¡± ¡°Yikes. Then it¡¯s not just a simple rumor at this point.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we look out for the culprit just in case? They say that the culprit deals with darkness.¡± The news had already spread in the Underworld. Seo Jun-Ho knew that everyone would eventually discover Gorgon¡¯s death, but the news had spread much faster than he thought. ¡®I have to hurry.¡¯ He had to achieve his goal before the Counts arrived at this city. Seo Jun-Ho entered a luxury residentialplex located by the road, which looked fancierpared to other buildings on the streets. His destination was the most splendid and enormous mansion among them. ng! Seo Jun-Ho rang the bell at the front door, and someone appeared a momentter. ¡°I apologize for the inconvenience, but my master has given me instructions to refuse all visitors in the next few days. Pleasee backter,¡± said a man who looked like a butler of the mansion. ¡°Deliver this message to your master¡ªI have brought a worm to soothe the crying cuckoo.¡± ¡°...Pleasee in,¡± said the butler. He led Seo Jun-Ho down a long corridor. ¡°Are you a guest from the South?¡± asked the butler. How do you know?¡± ¡°I am Chavez, the butler of this mansion. I share my master¡¯s will, but of course, I¡¯m still not good enough to truly represent my master.¡± The butler led Seo Jun-Ho in front of a room and bowed. ¡°I hope that good news is waiting for mymenting master.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be bad news. That¡¯s for sure.¡± Seo Jun-Ho opened the door and entered the room. He frowned at the strong smell of alcohol and drugs. ¡°Heh¡­he.¡± A good-looking young man was lying on a sofa made out of demonic beast hide. Seo Jun-Ho stood in front of the man and said, ¡°Cannell Weiner.¡± ¡°Kehe, hehet!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The young man was obviously not in the condition to chat. Seo Jun-Ho froze his palm slightly and pped the young man¡¯s cheek. p! ¡°Ah!¡± The young man fell to the ground. He looked up at Seo Jun-Ho in a daze and started shouting, ¡°What the¡­ who are you?! Chavez! Chavez!¡± Seo Jun-Ho sat down on the sofa across from the young man. ¡°Take a seat; stop such pathetic antics,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho with his leg crossed over the other. ¡°Who do you think you are, huh?! Wait, who are you?¡± ¡°Cannell Weiner, the Liberation Army¡¯s cash cow. Sit down.¡± ¡°...!¡± The young man¡¯s unfocused eyes abruptly became clear. His aura instantly changed, and his eyes shot wide open as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. Click! Pushing the button on the table at the speed of lightning, the man pulled out a gun-like weapon and aimed it at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Who are you? Identify yourself.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you.¡± ¡°Where is Chavez? Did you kill him?¡± ¡°Who knows? Why don¡¯t you ask him yourself?¡± replied Seo Jun-Ho with a smile. Boom! Cannell had pulled the trigger without hesitation, but the spinning demonic energy had stopped right in front of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have done that if I were you.¡± ¡°What is going on¡­¡± Cannell gnashed his teeth out of frustration. The weapon he was holding was called Demon yer, and it was capable of killing High demons in an instant. He barely managed to purchase it by spending two hundred thousand demonic stones at an auction. ¡°Sit down,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho while gesturing at the sofa with his chin. ¡°I hate repeating myself twice, and I certainly won¡¯t repeat myself thrice.¡± Incredibly, the young man pointed the gun at his own temple and raised his middle finger at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Fuck you, I won¡¯t let¡ª¡± ¡°...Master?¡± Chavez¡¯ surprised voice echoed in the room. Cannell turned to look at Chavez and asked incredulously, ¡°Chavez. You¡¯re still alive?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certainly old, but I¡¯m not old enough to die of a natural death just yet.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± Cannell stared at Seo Jun-Ho with confused eyes. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°Well, you told me to ask him myself. So I thought you were telling me to ask him in the afterlife¡­¡± ¡°You have an active imagination.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a sip of the tea that Chavez had brought and said, ¡°You made me repeat myself thrice. Sit down.¡± ¡°...¡± Cannell politely sat down, but he was still confused. He had let his guard down, but his eyes were still full of suspicion as he stared at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Sigh. Why is it so hard to have a normal conversation?¡± ¡°Where are you from? Seventh Division of the Eastern Army? Or are you an executioner directly under the Count¡¯smand?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯d be for the best if you cut back on thinking. You really have an active imagination.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gave Cannell serious advice and went on. ¡°Cannell Weiner. I¡¯m assuming you already heard about what happened in the South.¡± ¡°...I heard Count Gorgon died.¡± ¡°Yes, but nothing changes. You can continue what you¡¯ve been doing.¡± ¡°What? But Gorgon is dead¡­¡± ¡°Does that matter?¡± Cannell puffed his lips and muttered, ¡°I mean, what if¡­¡± ¡°But what if¡­what? Did you really think that Gorgon would have protected you if you had gotten caught while he was still alive?¡± Seo Jun-Ho snorted and flicked his finger. A transparent window manifested, and it revealed the figures of Haran and Gorgon. - My lord. Will the Liberation Army really seed? - Those bugs don¡¯t matter at all to me. - Pardon? But if Count Lavue finds out that you¡¯ve provided them with information¡­ - I¡¯ve made my own preparations against that. Gorgon¡¯s cold eyes turned to Haran. - I can just kill them all before they get caught. The transparent window disappeared. Cannell was trembling in anger. ¡°Gorgon¡­!¡± ¡°You fool. Did you really think that he had decided to help you because he was impressed by your will?¡± Cannell couldn¡¯t retort at all. ¡°But it¡¯s all over now¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over. Keep doing what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°How can I keep working without someone protecting me?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly stared at Cannell for quite a while before standing up. ¡°So that¡¯s the extent of your determination? All right, stop what you¡¯ve been doing, then.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stood up and started walking toward the door. ¡°What am I supposed to do, then?!¡± roared Cannell. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho came to a halt. ¡°I¡¯m just a weak merchant! I have no power! And what can I do even if I join forces with those humans who are being treated as nothing more than ves?¡± ¡°Why did you even decide to take revenge?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. He turned around to stare at Cannell before continuing. ¡°Isn¡¯t it for the sake of discovering why they were killed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Cannell bit his lips. His family and friends belonged to the so-called moderates. When the Underworld was reorganized into the Four Counts system, the moderates were ughtered overnight. Cannell managed to survive because he was away from his family and friends at the time by bing a merchant. ¡°Your parents, brothers, sisters, and your friends. Did you not want to take revenge on Lavue? She murdered them all, right?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Listen carefully, merchant. Revenge is not like a deal where you lose one and gain one in return. It¡¯s a path only those who are determined to either gain everything or lose everything can walk on.¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a step toward Cannell and asked, ¡°Decide now. Will you trust me and continue taking revenge? Or will you live a normal life as the owner of a merchant group?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Cannell looked around. The luxurious room was filled with expensive items. Even if he gave up on taking revenge, he would be able to live a life of opulence until his death. ¡®But¡­¡¯ However, Cannell had long realized that there was no pleasure in such a life. He hadn¡¯t been able to get rid of the emptiness in his heart after losing everyone close to him. ¡°...Let me ask you one thing.¡± Cannell looked at Seo Jun-Ho with a look of determination. ¡°I don¡¯t care about losing everything. All that matters is revenge. I don¡¯t even care if I end up dying, so tell me¡ªcan it really be done?¡± ¡°It will be done.¡± ¡°How can you say for sure?¡± ¡°I killed Gorgon. I killed the man whose death you were grieving by getting high on drugs.¡± ¡°...!¡± Cannell¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Y-you¡¯re Underworld¡¯s public enemy?!¡± ¡°They did put a few pennies on my head. Why? Do you covet the bounty?¡± ¡°No, I have a lot of money, but are you really¡­¡± Cannell trailed off. He was having a hard time believing the fact that Seo Jun-Ho was the public enemy of the Underworld, as the Counts were no different than gods to the demons. ¡°What I want is a one-on-one match against Lavue, and that is why I need you and the Liberation Army.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± Cannell¡¯s eyes shone. His hunch as a merchant that he had honed for decades was telling him to invest everything in the man in front of him. ¡°What should I¡ªno, what should we do first?¡± ¡°First of all¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and said, ¡°Let¡¯s spend some money.¡± *** A few dayster, an unbelievable rumor spread throughout Cologio. ¡°Hey, have you heard? The Cannell Merchant Group opened up their safe.¡± ¡°I heard, but are they preparing for some kind of war or what? Apparently, they¡¯ve been signing contracts with all the demons in the Colosseum.¡± ¡°I heard that they''ve already signed thousands of contracts.¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard that they¡¯re going on arge-scale ve trading expedition to the West. They¡¯ll earn a ton of money if they seed.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. I guess that¡¯s why they need so many guards.¡± ¡°I envy those strong enough to participate in the Colosseum fights. The Cannell Merchant Group has offered them double their original pay.¡± The Cannell Merchant Group¡¯s move created a huge aftereffect. The Colosseum had to close down because their yers had joined the merchant group. In just a few days, the Cannell Merchant Group had signed a contract with all thepetent demons in the city, and they immediately headed to the West. The crowded Cologio quickly became empty, making it appear as though the entire city was in the eye of a storm. Chapter 625. The Underworld鈥檚 Public Enemy (4) Chapter 625. The Underworld¡¯s Public Enemy (4) ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The Lord of Cologion, Viscount Astol, was visibly displeased. The city¡¯s profits had plummeted because the Cannell Merchant Group had taken away the yers of the city¡¯s Colosseum. ¡®At this rate, I¡¯m going to have an issue with the tribute for Count Lavue this month.¡¯ Cologio was one of thergest cities not only in the East but also in the entire Underworld. For such a reason, it was only natural for Cologio to have an enormous amount of demonic stonespared to other cities. In other words, their demonic stones tribute to Count Lavue was significantly higherpared to the other cities. ¡°Tsk.¡± The city¡¯s profits were rock bottom over the past few days due to theck of demons in the Colosseum. The news about how there were no games worth watching in Cologio was starting to circte throughout the Underworld, which caused a decline in the number of tourists visiting Cologio. ¡®I wish there was a way to make a huge amount of money in a short amount of time¡­¡¯ ¡°My lord, why don¡¯t you try provoking the demons¡¯ desires?¡± said Monchi¡ªViscount Astol¡¯s confidant. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Please take a look at this,¡± said Monchi as he handed over a report. The report contained an interesting rumor that had been circting in the city. The public enemy of the Underworld is a member of the Liberation Army. He is nning on liberating the ves using the Cannell Merchant Group. Surprised by the unexpected news, Viscount Astol asked, ¡°Is this true? The public enemy of the Underworld is a member of the Liberation Army?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. I think it¡¯s just a rumor made by the enemies of Cannell Merchant Group using the public enemy of the Underworld.¡± It was nothing more than a tiny rumor. Astol wouldn¡¯t have been interested in such a rumor. ¡®But what if I spread this rumor?¡¯ ¡°...It will take only two days at most for all the nearby demons to hear about this rumor.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord. The demons thirsty for the bounty will flock to our city like bees to get as much information as they can get.¡± The public enemy of the Underworld had thergest bounty in the history of the demon race on his head, which was a whopping one hundred thousand demonic stones. Any demon would covet such an amount. However, Viscount Astol shook his head. ¡°Oh,e on. It¡¯s true that demons are a lump of desires, but I highly doubt that they woulde here because of a mere rumor. The target is also none other than the public enemy of the Underworld.¡± The public enemy of the Underworld had killed Count Gorgon and survived despite the deed, so any demon would be fearful of him. ¡°Who is crazy enough to try and take the head of a monster even Count Gorgon couldn¡¯t handle?¡± ¡°The reporting system exists, my lord.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re right. Why did I not think of that?¡± The reporting system was simple. It paid five percent of the total bounty to the reporter if the report was credible with concrete evidence. ¡°Five of the best demonic stones would be more than enough for me to rest and go on a vacation for at least a few years.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, my lord. We have to include that in the rumors as well.¡± Viscount Astol grinned and nodded. Viscount Astol understood the desires of demons better than anyone else, so he could already see demons flocking to the city like moths to a bonfire. ¡°Monchi,¡± said Viscount Astol. ¡°Spread the rumor as quickly as you can.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± *** Cologio¡¯s atmosphere changed dramatically in just two days. The deste city had regained its former vitality. - Partner. Don¡¯t you think this is strange? ¡°...Definitely.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded and muttered, ¡°The rumor has spread far too fast than I thought.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was the one who had spread the rumor that the public enemy of the Underworld was a member of the Liberation Army and that he was nning on taking advantage of the Cannell Merchant Group to liberate the ves. ¡®I spread that rumor to direct the lord¡¯s interest to the Cannell Merchant Group, but¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was caught off guard by the speed at which the rumor had spread. However, it wasn¡¯t bad news at all. ¡°It¡¯s great news.¡± Things were developing better than Seo Jun-Ho had expected. *** The demonic stones of Cologio were primarily kept in two ces: the private safe of the lord and beneath the Colosseum. ¡°Tsk. This is getting boring. No one¡¯s really visiting the Colosseum.¡± grumbled the safekeeper of the Colosseum. His job was boring, but he used to have fun counting and holding money in his hands. However, he hadn¡¯t been able to have fun for the past few days because the rowdy Colosseum had inexplicably gone quiet. ¡®I can¡¯t even pilfer a few demonic stones because the earnings are so small¡­¡¯ Pilfering a few demonic stones wasn¡¯t that big of a deal when they were earning thousands of demonic stones every day, but he had to be careful during this special day. He had to take his job seriously today because they would move the demonic stones beneath the Colosseum to the safe in the lord¡¯s castle today. Fortunately, he had long gotten used to it because the move was usually done every month without fail. ¡°Hmm?¡± The safekeeper was startled to see a familiar face walking toward him. ¡®Monchi? What is he doing here?¡¯ Rank 102 Arch demon¡ªMonchi was Viscount Astol¡¯s confidant, so he rarely left the lord¡¯s castle. Monchi¡¯s face was indifferent as he approached the safekeeper. ¡°Open it,¡± he said ndly. ¡°I-If you don¡¯t mind me asking, sir. Is there something going on?¡± ¡°Rumor has it that the public enemy of the Underworld is lurking in the city. The Viscount is worried, so he left the transportation of the demonic stones to me.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± The safekeeper nodded. He had heard of the rumor as well. ¡°He¡¯s apparently going to use the Cannell Merchant Group.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the rumor says, yes. However, we cannot really say for sure because the waters are muddy. In addition, we¡¯re talking about the public enemy of the Underworld here.¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m terrified just imagining it. I can¡¯t believe he managed to kill Count Gorgon¡ªah, my bad. I¡¯ll get to work.¡± The safekeeper held a key in each of his six hands, and he inserted them at once. He turned the keys one by one in a certain order. Click! A crisp noise echoed as the huge safe was finally open. ¡°Wait here.¡± Monchi walked into the safe and came out just a few secondster. ¡°I-Is there something wrong?¡± the safekeeper asked, sounding scared. ¡°Not really. I¡¯m delivering everything to the lord right away,¡± said Monchi before walking away. The safekeeper¡¯s eyes widened upon entering the safe. ¡°Goodness!¡± he eximed. The safe was definitely full of demonic stones, but now, not even a single grain of dust could be seen. ¡°So an Arch demon is that strong¡ªwait¡­¡± The safekeeper tilted his head in wonder. He thought that it would be much more efficient for Monchi to move the demonic stones by himself rather than leaving them to low-ranking demons. ¡®Well, what the superiors do is none of my business. I just have to enjoy my life here, pilfering a few demonic stones every day.¡¯ The safekeeper got ready to call it a day. The safe no longer had any demonic stones, so it didn¡¯t make sense for him to stay here. The settlement day was the most important and the busiest day of the month, but he actually looked forward to it, as it meant that he could call it a day earlier than usual. ¡°Hm?¡± the safekeeper raised an eyebrow. Dozens of demons carrying huge boxes were approaching him from the other side of the hallway. The man at the helm bowed slightly toward the safekeeper. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Sirok. We¡¯re here to move the demonic stones to the lord¡¯s castle.¡± ¡°What do you mean? You haven¡¯t heard yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°Mr. Monchi came here and took the demonic stones away with him. He said he¡¯d move the demonic stones himself today because the public enemy of the Underworld is lurking in the city.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± The man sighed, seemingly annoyed by how he had walked all the way here for nothing. He shook his head and said, ¡°All right, I just need to check with the lord¡¯s castle, then. Give me a moment, please.¡± ¡°All right.¡± The safekeeper sat down again. He seemed at peace as he thought about what to eat for dinner, but his peace soon copsed. Monchi appeared once again ¡°Mr. Monchi.¡± The safekeeper and the porters bowed politely toward Monchi. Monchi nced at them before staring at the safekeeper. ¡°You said I took the demonic stones away?¡± ¡°Pardon me? You¡­ definitely took the demonic stones from the safe.¡± ¡°How could that be? I¡¯ve been in the lord¡¯s castle all day today.¡± ¡°...?¡± The safekeeper was baffled. He hurriedly pointed in one direction upon realizing that he was in big trouble. ¡°T-the crystal ball! There¡¯s a crystal ball right there!¡± The safekeeper pointed to the crystal ball installed at the corner of one ceiling. ¡°Every visitor is bound to be recorded in that crystal ball. There¡¯s also another crystal ball in the safe.¡± ¡°Bring them both.¡± The safekeeper hurriedly brought the two crystal balls over. Monchi quietly infused his demonic energy into the crystal ball. - Open it. - I-If you don¡¯t mind me asking, sir. Is there something going on? - Rumor has it that the public enemy of the Underworld is lurking in the city. The Viscount is worried, so he left the transportation of the demonic stones to me. The culprit had the same face, the same voice, and the same ent as Monchi. The culprit entered the safe briefly and brazenly walked away. Monchi asked with a frown, ¡°Wait. Was there a cut in the middle of this video?¡± ¡°Pardon? No, sir. There are no cuts.¡± ¡°Then, why did hee out of the safe in 3.14 seconds?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we watch the video recorded in the crystal ball inside the safe?¡± The second crystal ball depicted the inside of the safe. Monchi waved his hand lightly upon entering the safe, and the demonic stones disappeared in the blink of an eye as if they had been sucked away somewhere. Then, Monchi left the safe without looking back. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know who that is, but we¡¯ve been had.¡¯ Monchi red at the safekeeper and growled. ¡°You better pray that the lord will have mercy on you. You won¡¯t be able to pay back what you¡¯ve lost us today even if you work for the rest of your life.¡± While Monchi was taking his anger out on the innocent safekeeper, Monchi had already returned to the lord¡¯s castle. *** ¡°Monchi!¡± shouted Viscount Astol upon seeing Monchi. He had been nervously pacing about the room. He had been waiting so desperately that a sense of longing could be felt in his voice. ¡°What happened? Where are the demonic stones?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve brought them back.¡± nk! Monchi poured out all of the demonic stones to one corner of the room and reported, ¡°It turns out that the safekeeper and some Arch demons from outside the city were nning to steal the demonic stones.¡± ¡°Those filthy bastards!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to chase them down to the end because I thought returning with the demonic stones was the priority, my lord.¡± ¡°Well done. You¡¯ve made the right decision!¡± Viscount Astol called in his men and roared, ¡°Send all the Arch demons of the castle to the safe in the Colosseum! Follow those bastards¡¯ tracks and bring them in front of me as soon as possible. Don¡¯t let even a single rat escape!¡± Soon, the owners of the powerful demonic energies in the castle departed for the Colosseum. Monchi was staring outside the window. ¡°Sigh. It¡¯s a good thing that there¡¯s nothing wrong with the demonic stones¡¯ quality.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re relieved, my lord.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Viscount Astol¡¯s expression changed upon being struck by a sharp pain in his spine. Drip, drip, drip. Viscount Astol looked down at his own blood falling onto the expensive carpet. He looked up and stammered, ¡°M-Monchi. W-w-why? You¡­¡± ¡°The Monchi that you know is probably on his way back to the castle.¡± Crack, crack! Monchi¡¯s figure twisted and turned along with a grotesque noise until he soon became someone else. The man created a dagger made out of ice and pierced Viscount Astol¡¯s heart. ¡°Ah! Argh¡­¡± eximed Viscount Astol. He was terrified to see his demonic energy draining away somewhere. Viscount Astol was Rank 19 among the demons, and he was a peak Liberation Stage demon. His strength was the exact reason he couldn¡¯t believe that he was about to die without being able to raise his sword against his enemy. ¡°Don¡¯t be so upset. I would have still won even if I hadn¡¯t ambushed you. I just didn¡¯t want to make a fuss.¡± Crack, crack! The man¡¯s body contorted once more, and he soon took on Viscount Astol¡¯s appearance. ¡°Y-y-you bastard¡­ who are you? What do you¡­ want?¡± Viscount Astol copsed to the floor while staring at the man holding a dagger made out of fice. ¡°I am what you call the public enemy of the Underworld, and what I want is¡­¡± Viscount Astol stared into Viscount Astol¡¯s eyes and said ndly, ¡°....the extinction of all evil and demons.¡± It had only been two days since the Cannell Merchant Group departed Cologio, but Cologio already had a new lord. Chapter 626: The Underworld鈥檚 Public Enemy (5)

Chapter 626: The Underworld¡¯s Public Enemy (5)

Monchi returned to the lord¡¯s castle and headed straight to Viscount Astol¡¯s room. Even as he walked down the corridor at a fast pace, he constantly thought about the possibility of being suspected. ¡®Viscount Astol might suspect me if I don¡¯t exin things well enough.¡¯ Monchi had never left the lord¡¯s castle sincest night, but he had no particr alibi to prove his innocence because he had been staying in the training ground since lunch. ¡®That¡¯s the problem. His suspicions are reasonable and valid.¡¯ Monchi thought that he had built a massive rapport with Viscount Astol, but too many demonic stones had gone missing. The missing demonic stones wereparable to a year¡¯s worth of taxes in a few small and even a few medium-sized cities. ¡®First of all, I¡¯ll have to prove my innocence.¡¯ To be honest, Monchi didn¡¯t care about not being able to catch the culprit as long as his safety was guaranteed and his innocence was proven. Monchi took a deep breath and tapped on the Viscount¡¯s door. Knock knock. ¡°My lord. It¡¯s Monchi.¡± - Come on in. Monchi entered the room with a nervous expression. He entered the room and saw Viscount Astol¡¯s back looking out the window with a wine ss in one hand. Monchi knew exactly what that meant. ¡®He¡¯s seriously thinking about something.¡¯ Monchi unknowingly gulped out of nervousness and froze. Dead silence hovered in the room, and Monchi didn¡¯t dare to even exhale. Sip. Viscount Astol took a sip of his wine and said slowly, ¡°Monchi, how long has it been since you started working for me?¡± ¡°It has been twelve years, my lord,¡± Monchi answered without hesitation. ¡°Twelve years, huh¡­haha. Has it really been that long? Indeed, it has been.¡± Viscount Astol nodded and slowly turned around. ¡°I was informed about the situation. They say someone took on your form and stole all the demonic stones in the safe. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord. We totally fell for the trap.¡± Monchi put down two crystal balls he brought from the scene on Viscount Astol¡¯s desk. ¡°This is a video of the culprit at the time of the incident. Please check it out.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Viscount Astol put down his wine ss and approached Monchi. He watched the video until the end. ¡°He certainly looks exactly like you. Not only his face but also his physique and even his voice is the same as yours.¡± ¡°My lord, I am innocent! Please trust me!¡± Monchi looked aggrieved, and he obviously sounded frustrated. ¡°If you¡¯re suspecting me, my lord, I¡¯ll take any kind of test to prove my innocence. You can even bring in a mare and dive into my sea of consciousness to see whether I¡¯m lying or not.¡± ¡°...¡± Viscount Astol stared at Monchi for a while and soon shook his head. ¡°Rx. You and I have spent so much time together, so why would I suspect you? Above all, you¡¯re not bold enough tomit such a huge crime and be so brazen in front of me afterward.¡± ¡°Y-you are right, my lord.¡± Viscount Astol¡¯s evaluation made Monchi feel ufortable, but it was much better than being falsely used. ¡°The important thing here is to catch the culprit, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Please leave it to me, my lord. I will find the culprit at all costs.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you. I don¡¯t want to lose a subordinate who has been serving me for a long time.¡± Viscount Astol¡¯s words sounded ambiguous as he gently shook his wine ss. ¡°I¡¯vepletely restricted entry and exit to the city, so he¡¯s definitely still here.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a trapped mouse, then.¡± ¡°Put a bounty on him and search the private houses andmercial districts first.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord. Oh, then what should we do about the Cannell Merchant Group?¡± Viscount Astol had sent his men to the Cannell Merchant Group, as they had hired so many demons that it started to threaten the city. ¡°Leave them be, It¡¯s already been two days since they left, anyway.¡± ¡°But if they end up having a conflict with another city, there¡¯s a chance that we might get involved in a dispute for no reason and¡ª¡± ¡°I said let them be. They¡¯re nothing more than money-hired junkies. Above all, you¡­¡± Viscount Astol¡¯s reproachful gaze was directed at Monchi. ¡°Are you that free? Don¡¯t you have something better to do?¡± ¡°...Please forgive me, my lord.¡± Monchi gulped and bowed deeply. Viscount Astol was right. Monchi¡¯s priority was to catch the culprit to regain Viscount Astol¡¯splete trust. He had no time to spare because the opponent was the worst thief capable of imitating everything about his opponent. ¡®Wait a minute. Aren¡¯t I the first one to report here? How did the Viscount know that someone had imitated me to steal the demonic stones?¡¯ Monchi saw a terrifying possibility, and he couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°My lord.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What should we do about the Servie Mine? Should we take ownership at all costs like you saidst time?¡± ¡°...¡± A brief silence enveloped the room. Monchi was about to muster his demonic energy with his hands behind his back, but Viscount Astol turned toward him with a frown. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± said Viscount Astol. ¡±Have you already forgotten that we¡¯ve decided to lease the Servie Mine for twenty years in exchange for the development rights of Lake Renzas?¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re right, my lord.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve changed. Anyway, don¡¯t forget that I¡¯ve got my eyes on you.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll keep that in mind, my lord.¡± After leaving Viscount Astol¡¯s room, Monchi felt cold sweat running down his back. ¡®How stupid of me. What the hell was I thinking?¡¯ Monchi inwardlympooned. If the culprit were stronger than Viscount Astol, he would have no need to imitate Viscount Astol because he could simply kill everyone and be the new city lord. ¡®Damn it. I only got myself in more trouble. He¡¯s Viscount Astol, so it¡¯s not strange that he has eyes and ears everywhere in this city.¡¯ Monchi shook his head and picked up the pace. He had to hurry up and catch the culprit as soon as possible to regain his master¡¯s trust. *** ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the door for a long time, even after Monchi¡¯s departure. Keen Intuition spoke to Seo Jun-Ho. - Everything went as we nned. ¡°Phew. What a relief.¡± ¡®That was dangerous.¡¯ However, he had won because he had achieved everything he wanted. - It¡¯s much better to get rid of all suspicions rather than to wait until it bites you. ¡°Certainly. That¡¯s why I gave him reason to suspect me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was relieved to know that he didn¡¯t have to worry about Monchi suspecting him anymore. ¡®He probably has no doubt that the culprit is weaker than Viscount Astol.¡¯ Furthermore, Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have to worry about getting caught in his lies, as he had read Viscount Astol¡¯s memories. - Well. You took one more step forward with this, Partner. ¡°I sure did.¡± Seo Jun-Ho only had to take one more step to get to Lavue, the owner of the East. - Is it really possible? ¡°Trust me. It¡¯s possible.¡± Now that Seo Jun-Ho had all of Viscount Astol¡¯s memories, it was no exaggeration to say that he knew all the historical and geographical information about the East as if they were the back of his hand. ¡°The next settlement is in ten days.¡± Viscount Astol was a meticulous man, so he had always offered demonic stones to Lavue personally rather than leaving the task to someone else. The settlement day was the perfect opportunity to wrap up Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s n. ¡°But there¡¯s a problem that needs to be dealt with before that.¡± Seo Jun-Ho approached the window where the wine ss was located. After a while, the soft breeze of the cool afternoon shook the curtains. *** There was a long and endless procession in the dry and deste wilderness. Cannell was riding in the most luxurious and biggest carriage. ¡®Damn it. I have a bad feeling about this.¡¯ Cannell couldn¡¯t hide his anxiety upon looking out the window. There were way more people in the procession than he initially expected. ¡°Hey! Is anyone there?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Is something wrong?¡± Cannell asked a mercenary who had approached the window on a hell horse. ¡°Why are those damned things following us from that ridge over there? Are they thieves or something?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think you have to worry about them, ¡°said the tactless mercenary with a grin. ¡°We asked them why they were here since we were also worried, but they said they¡®re just following us because of the Underworld¡¯s public enemy.¡± Cannell made sure to conceal his trembling voice as he asked, ¡°T-The public enemy of the Underworld? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Apparently, the public enemy of the Underworld is a member of the Liberation Army, and he¡¯s nning something against this procession of ves.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a member of the Liberation Army? That¡¯s just ridiculous¡­¡± ¡°Well, all rumors are ridiculous. However, it seems that they¡¯re following us like leeches just in case the rumor turns out to be true. It¡¯s all for the sake of receiving a part of the bounty.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± Cannell closed the window and leaned on the fluffy backrest. Then, he cursed inwardly. ¡®Fuck! Damn it! A merchant¡¯s hunch, my ass!¡¯ He was basically gambling with his life by cooperating with the Underworld¡¯s public enemy. His revenge would end up being sessful if he were to seed, but he would lose everything if the n failed. ¡®I don¡¯t care about dying or losing money, but¡­¡¯ What was important to Cannell was whether or not he could get revenge. Cannell was convinced that the n would fail at this rate. ¡°Damn it. How many of them are following us?¡± Cannell had hired 3,100 demons, but there were a few thousand demons following him, which meant that there were a total of roughly five thousand demons in the procession. Cannell knew that the public enemy of the Underworld was strong; it was the reason he had decided to cooperate with thetter. ¡®He killed Count Gorgon, the ruler of the South. But¡­ can he even handle more than five thousand demons on his own?¡¯ As far as the demons knew, the Counts of the underworld had reached the Star Destruction Stage. However, there were only rumors about just how strong Star Destruction Stage demons were. ¡®He¡¯s strong, but I just can¡¯t imagine one man fighting against five thousand demons¡­¡¯ Theplicated thoughts made a mess in Cannell¡¯s head. Meanwhile, a mercenary at the front of the procession approached him. ¡°Sir, are you sure it¡¯s okay to go down this route? There¡¯s a vortex zone up ahead.¡± A vortex zone was a natural phenomenon in the Underworld, and the schrs of the Underworld were still researching them. No one still had any idea how they were formed, but vortex zones were filled with demonic energy tornadoes. ¡®He told me to enter a vortex zone.¡¯ The public enemy of the Underworld had told him to lead the demons into a vortex zone. Cannell agonized for a while. He gnashed his teeth and said, ¡°Let¡¯s enter the vortex. It¡¯ll take too much time and supplies to go around it at this point.¡± ¡°...All right.¡± The mercenary didn¡¯t seem to like the idea, but he still went back to his spot. ¡®He probably judged that it wouldn''t be too dangerous to enter the vortex zone, as there are too many of us.¡¯ ¡°Phew.¡± The die was cast. *** ¡°Do a headcount once we¡¯ve entered the vortex zone, do you understand?¡± - Yes, sir. The Simba Crew was one of the most powerful armed groups in Cologio. After all, the crew wasposed of only the top rankers, even in the notorious Colosseum. In addition, this procession was extremely tempting to them. ¡®If things go well, I don¡¯t have to risk my life at the Colosseum anymore.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll make huge money out of this procession, and¡­ I¡¯ll kill the lord of a remote vige and have fun there.¡¯ ¡®Hmm. Should I buy demonic stones with all the money I make out of this and try to get a position in the capital?¡¯ Each demon had a different motive in mind for joining the procession, but one thing was clear to all of them. ¡®This procession must end in sess.¡¯ Simba, the leader of the crew, was currently standing at the very front of the procession. ¡®A vortex zone is just as expected. It¡¯s my first time entering a vortex zone, and the rumors are true. I really can¡¯t see even an inch ahead.¡¯ The dense demonic energy between heaven and earth disturbed everyone¡¯s senses. Simba gulped and picked up amunication crystal ball. ¡°Start reporting.¡± - Here¡­this¡­I¡­ ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡®Good thing I had zero expectations.¡¯¡¯ Communication crystal balls seldom worked properly in areas filled with unstable demonic energy. Simba turned to the others at the back and shouted, ¡°It takes only five hours at most to get out of a vortex zone! Just look ahead and keep moving!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± There was no reason for them to be afraid of a mere vortex zone when there were too many of them. Moreover, even powerful demonic beasts wouldn¡¯t dare to approach such arge procession of demons. ¡°Hm.¡± Simba felt uneasy for some reason. However, he ignored his feelings and continued moving. ¡°...¡± Once every demon in the procession had vanished into the vortex zone, a man wordlessly followed after them. Chapter 627: One Man Army (1)

Chapter 627: One Man Army (1)

No one knew how vortex zones were created, but they would appear throughout the Underworld and distort the senses of travelers daring enough to enter it. Therefore, vortex zones had always been popr sites for ambushes and robberies. Even friends could not be trusted here, let alone foes. "Phew..." Cannell, who had been stealing nces outside the window, let out a deep sigh. "Tighten the formation!" "Endure it! It''s better than being ambushed and killed!" "If we advance together like this, no bandit will dare to target us!" The issue was that everyone already knew how vortex zones worked. Naturally, everyone already knew that vortex zones were the favorite spots of bandits. ¡®I have a general idea of the Underworld''s politics.¡¯ The reason he was told to enter this ce was undoubtedly for an ambush. It would be easy to ambush and eliminate the demons one by one in a vortex zone. ¡®But¡­¡¯ The mercenaries'' tactics were wless. They weren''t small fries who¡¯d fall for such simple tricks in the first ce. ¡®Perhaps I should have stopped them more forcefully back then?¡¯ He had pointed out the weakness in the n, but faced with the lightly smiling face of confidence, he found himself nodding in agreement. Anyone would have reacted the same as him if they were in his shoes at the time. ¡®Damn it, but things will be reallyplicated at this rate.¡¯ While Cannell was quickly reorganizing the n after leaving the vortex zones, a voice echoed from beside him. "What are you thinking about so diligently?" "I''m calcting whether we can enter other vortexes on our way to the West¡ª" Cannell drew a dagger from his sheath, but the other party¡¯s dagger was already a few inches away from his throat. "You said you were a merchant, so I thought you were a softie. You''re feistier than I thought." "The public enemy of the Underworld?" Surprised, Cannell quickly closed the window curtains, lowering his voice. "What''s going on? What happened to the city? Have you always been here?" "Of course not. I''ve been chasing after you. I¡¯m done with the business in the city." "The city¡ª" "Viscount Astol is dead, and I''m currently impersonating him." Cannell gulped. The public enemy of the Underworld was both mysterious and terrifying to the extent that Cannell felt reassured knowing that the former was on the same side as him. Cannell asked, "How did you get in here?" "Like this." The public enemy of the Underworld vanished right in front of Cannell. It was a concealment technique so unbelievable that he could hardly believe it even though he saw it with his own eyes. "Wow¡­ Wait, are you still here?" "As you can see." Once again, the public enemy of the Underworld appeared, and he spoke, "It''s a technique called Night Walking. I¡¯m sure there''s no need for a detailed exnation." "Hmm,?by any chance... Can I learn it? It seems useful." "You can¡¯t learn it. It''s a technique rted to my ability." Watchguard of Darkness was necessary to use Night Walking. Cannell was visibly disappointed, but he changed the subject. "I guess it can''t be helped. So, what should we do from now on?" "We have to kill them all, of course." "... Do you even know how many demons are outside?" "I counted whileing here. There were 5,329." ¡°And how are you going to kill them all?" Seo Jun-Ho blinked and retorted, "Didn''t I say it before? I killed Gorgon." "I know. That''s why I joined forces with you. But there are over 5,000 of them." "...Ah." Seo Jun-Ho''s expression changed to one of understanding. "I see what the problem is. You don¡¯t know how strong the counts are, do you?" "Most of us in this era have never seen their true strength with our own eyes." The Four Counts system was established decades ago. Since then, the counts hadn''t really engaged in a proper fight in public. "Well, I guess then it¡¯s natural that you wouldn¡¯t know. I understand." "What are you talking about? What do I not know?" "It means you don''t know how strong Star Destruction Stage creatures are." "... Of course, I know that they are strong. However, are they really strong enough to handle five thousand demons?¡± Seo Jun-Ho smirked. It was an adorable question. "Want me to tell you a secret? Every Count can wipe out all life on this continent." "That''s an absurd im. If that were true, why had they bothered to keep the demons alive?" ¡°...Do you want to know?¡± Cannell briefly stopped breathing upon meeting Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze. For some reason, he felt as if he were peering into the abyss while staring into Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. However, his curiosity had gotten too strong for him to endure, and he eventually nodded. "Tell me. If they truly possess the power to annihte us all, why are we still alive?" "...Because it''s a hassle." "... What?" Seo Jun-Ho sounded nonchnt as he was speaking of a well-known fact. "It is exactly as I said. It¡¯s a hassle, so they let you guys live." "A hassle?" "If they were to kill all the human ves, who would mine the demonic stones? And if they exterminated all the demons, who would manage the ves?" The Counts disliked the idea of dealing with such inconvenience. It was a thought that Seo Jun-Ho had learned from Gorgon''s memories, so he was confident of its uracy. "The Counts could kill you all at any time, but they decided to spare your lives simply because it¡¯s going to be a hassle to deal with the aftermath." "..." Cannell stared agape at Seo Jun-Ho. ''Because it was a hassle? Really?¡¯ The reason he¡ªhimself, was breathing and living¡ªthe reason why demons had developed and had been living all this time was all because they felt that it was a hassle to kill every demon? "Haha." Cannell chuckled hollowly. If it were true, it meant his existence was worth less than dust. Cannell asked, "Can you prove it?" "It''s fine for me... but I''m not sure if it''s going to be fine for you." Cannell was still shocked, so Seo Jun-Ho couldn''t predict what would happen if the truth was revealed. However, Cannell shook his head and insisted. "The truth will definitely shock me, but it won''t change anything." "Well, in that case. Can you open the roof for me?" "Sure." Click. The ceiling of the carriage opened smoothly. The gazes of the nearby demons turned toward the two of them. "Who''s that?" "I don''t know. Probably a friend of the employer." The demons disyed rather indifferent reactions and turned their attention back to the front. Watching their responses carefully, Seo Jun-Ho muttered under his breath, "Then, let''s begin." Slowly raising his fist, Seo Jun-Ho summoned his magic. ¡®10%... 20%... 30%...¡¯ ¡®This should be enough.¡¯ Exactly 38%. He had squeezed out exactly thirty-eight percent of his entire magic reservoir, and a pitch-ck darkness began to envelop his arm. Cannell gazed at the lethal beauty with entranced eyes. "Watch closely." Seo Jun-Ho opened his fist, and the magic abruptly erased the tornadoes of demonic energy. "Huh? My vision..." "What''s going on? Are we out of the vortex zone?" "No, my senses are still distorted. I think it¡¯s just the dirt and dust. They¡¯ve vanished for some reason." "Hey, look at that," someone said while pointing at the sky. A ck line had shot up into the sky. The line ascended coolly like an ascending dragon until it reached a certain height; then, it exploded and turned into a dome before transforming into hundreds of tiny lines that plummeted under gravity¡¯s influence. "Is that... rain?" "There¡¯s rain in vortex zones?" "I think we¡¯re just seeing things." "Well, I don¡¯t know, but the raindrops look beautiful." The falling pitch-ck rain had a fierce charm in the demon¡¯s eyes. Cannell asked in a bewildered voice, "Rain?" "You''ll see soon." Seo Jun-Ho created an umbrerge enough to cover both of them. "..." There was silence in the area as the demons were captivated by the pitch-ck rain. However, screams soon shattered the silence. Shwik! "...Hmm?" A demon looked down at his palm. The raindrops didn¡¯t form a puddle in his hand. They went through his hand and pierced the ground as if they were hot knives slicing through butter. "Huh?" It took a moment before the demon¡¯s mind could process what his eyes had just witnessed. Momentster, everything finally became clear. "Huh?" The demon was disappearing¡ªthe pitch-ck rain was literally melting him into nothingness. It wasn¡¯t painful, but the scene his brain was processing from his senses and eyes made him feel an artificial fear and agony beyond what he could perceive. "Argh, aaargh!" "It hurts! It hurts!" "Run!!!" The bewildered demons started fleeing in all directions. Unfortunately, it was impossible to escape the rain. "..." Cannell stared nkly at the scene until it ended. Five thousand demons had vanished into nothingness after just a light drizzle, and they left neither blood nor bones behind. It all ended in less than three minutes. "Phew..." Seo Jun-Ho inhaled to absorb the demonic energy in the air. [Your magic stat has increased by 0.1.] [Your magic stat has increased by 0.2.] [Your magic stat has increased by 0.1.] [Your magic stat has increased by 0.1.] ¡­ His magic stat increased by a whopping 666 points in the blink of an eye. He felt full, even though he hadn¡¯t eaten anything. "Huh, jeez." Cannell looked around the deste wilderness and chuckled hollowly. ¡°So you didn¡¯t make us enter a vortex zone to ambush us?¡± "Yeah. Vortex zones are a clump of unstable demonic energy, so the Counts won¡¯t notice even if a Star Destruction Stage creature were to use a decent amount of strength here.¡± Seo Jun-Ho got up and folded the umbre. "I guess I should go back for now. You should go West and hide for a while.¡± ¡°All right. What are you going to do?" "The settlement day is soon upon us." The two red moons were the reddest on the settlement day, and demons from all over the Underworld would offer their tributes to their masters on that day. "We¡¯ll hit Lavue the day the tributes are offered." And Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s tribute to her was death. *** It was the dawn of the fateful day. Seo Jun-Ho entered a luxuriously decorated hall as Viscount Astol. "Herees Viscount Astol of the Cologio!" shouted the herald. A few demons approached Seo Jun-Ho with a smile. "Long time no see, Lord Astol." "You seem to have be even more handsome since west met." "Did you receive some good news?" These people were present in his memories. Seo Jun-Ho smiled at them and shook his head. "What good news? Today is just a good day," he said. A servant passing by brought a ss of wine on a tray. Seo Jun-Ho picked it up and took a sip. "By the way, I don''t see Lady Lavue around." "That''s right. She''s runningte today." "She¡¯s usually here earlier than anyone else." "..." Unlike a stern ruler, Lavue enjoyed parties and reveling in her own spotlight. She had the habit of arriving early and leavingter than anyone else on the Day of Tribute. The fact that she was missing made Seo Jun-Ho feel uneasy as he drank his wine absentmindedly. A servant approached Seo Jun-Ho with a smile. "Master Astol, Countess Lavue has invited you to the backyard." "..." Seo Jun-Ho put down the wine ss and spoke without hesitation. "Lead the way." Chapter 628: One Man Army (2)

Chapter 628: One Man Army (2)

Following the demons through a long corridor, Seo Jun-Ho nced down at his hand. ¡®The ring is still on.¡¯ The ring that Reiji had given him was still on his finger. If the ring was working properly, there was no way his identity would get exposed. However, he couldn''t be entirely at ease since he had been so active recently. ¡®Should I call her?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho briefly pondered something but refrained. If what was going to unfold in the courtyard wasn''t a fight but a conversation, he wouldn''t need it. "Viscount Astol, please go down this path. You will eventually reach the courtyard." After giving a slight nod to the bowing demon, Seo Jun-Ho walked alone into the courtyard, where the thick flowers of the Underworld were blooming. ¡®Lavue.¡¯ A purple-skinned woman was seated on a bench, one leg crossed over the other, with her arms resting on the backrest. Sensing his presence, she turned her head slightly toward him. "Oh, you''re here?" Her eyes sparkling with mischief were fixated on him. For a moment, Seo Jun-Ho felt like insects were crawling all over him. Lavue seemed indifferent as she scrutinized Seo Jun-Ho. "..." A brief silence followed, but he couldn''t greet her for now. He had to make sure that he was perfectly Viscount Astol. Seo Jun-Ho put on a slightly awkward smile and waved. "Hmm? Ahh." Lavue seemed to have recalled something and nodded. "Did I tell you to keep quiet until I permitted itst time? Well, you can speak now." "Phew,?thank you very much. I thought I was going to suffocate from frustration." Seo Jun-Ho nodded with a relieved smile. "Enough with the pleasantries. I called you here because I have something to tell you." "Please, go ahead." "You¡¯re leasing out the Servie Mine?" "...Yes." Seo Jun-Ho''s expression seemed to question why this topic was being brought up here, and he coupled this with a slightly disinterested tone. "Viscount Toube must have been a difficult opponent. How did you manage to persuade him?" "I paid for the rights to develop andmercially use Lake Renzas." "Oh, that''s clever. Very clever." Lavue nodded slightly and revealed a knowing smile. She withdrew her arms from the bench''s backrest, uncrossed her legs, and leaned forward. ¡°Hmm. It seems you can do more than just take on appearances. You seem to possess the ability to read memories, too." "..." Seo Jun-Ho''s smile that had just been there disappeared in an instant. He clicked his tongue softly as if he were annoyed. "How did you figure it out?" "I''ve cast some kind of spell on those who serve me. I¡¯ll immediately know if someone has searched their memories. Of course, I¡¯ll know if they¡¯ve perished as well." ¡°Is that so?" Viscount Astol probably hadn¡¯t realized it, so it wasn¡¯t strange that Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t learned that from Viscount Astol¡¯s memories. "I thought perhaps there was a generational shift since Astol had died all of a sudden. But when I sent some underlings to check, oh my, he was alive and active. At first, I thought my spell was malfunctioning." "..." "But even after several checks, the spell was working fine. I knew it back then. Ah, you¡¯re that guy." The public enemy of the Underworld was in her territory. Lavue''s eyes glinted with a crafty light. "Don''t get too worked up. I called you here today because I have a proposal." ]. "..." "A proposal?" "Yes. It won''t be a bad one for you either. Listen." She spread out four fingers. "For the past few decades, Four counts have ruled over the Underworld. But this time, that bnce has been broken." She folded a finger and continued. "You defeated Gorgon, so there are three of us left." "What''s your point?" "Willing to join hands with me? If so, I¡¯ll be able to fold two more fingers." "..." The unexpected proposal left Seo Jun-Ho speechless. ¡®I thought all demons were the Archduke¡¯s subjects?¡¯ Strictly speaking, the demons thought of the Archduke as a deity. Killing the Archduke¡¯s enemies had to be one of their missions as well. With a perplexed expression, Seo Jun-Ho asked, "You¡¯re making such a proposal even though you know I''m an enemy of the archduke?" "Pfft!" Lavue burst outughing. She smiled as if she found Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s remarks incredibly amusing. "You? His enemy?" Lavue waved her hand in dismissal and said, "Not a single demon here thinks of you as his enemy. Not even close. You can''t even be considered enemies of us, Counts." "You know I defeated Gorgon, right?" "What, do you really think that you¡¯re some kind of hotshot after killing Gorgon?" Seo Jun-Ho remained silent. Lavue continued. "Gorgon was an idiot. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know, but Horizon confirmed it." Seo Jun-Ho was still silent. Lavue thought that she had taken control of the conversation, so she folded her arms and said, "Kill Horizon ande back to me. I''ll wee you as arade by then. Let''s join forces and take down Orpheus." "Pfft!" Seo Jun-Ho burst outughing. He tried to suppress it, but he found Lavue¡¯s words too funny for him to resistughing. "Puhahaha!?Ah, sorry, I¡¯m so sorry." "...What''s funny?" Lavue''s brows furrowed. "It¡¯s funny because it¡¯s amusing." "borate. What''s funny?" "Everything. From your proposal to your intimidating demeanor, they¡¯re amusing." Seo Jun-Houghed heartily. "And the funniest thing is that you¡¯re actually going to wee me as yourrade once I¡¯ve killed Horizon? Why would I be yourrade?" "...Tsk.?Are all humans as dense as you? Have you already forgotten where you are?" "I know where I am. The eastern region of the Underworld, the domain of Countess Lavue." And today was the Day of Tribute. The nobles of the eastern region hade personally carrying demonic stones to offer as a tribute for the sake of licking her boots. Of course, thebined forces of the demons here were something that couldn¡¯t be ignored. "Hm." Scratch, scratch. Lavue scratched her neck, annoyed. "It seems I¡¯ve gotten too courteous." The air abruptly changed. The air had thickened as it enveloped Seo Jun-Ho and pressed down on him. "It seems that you¡¯ve gotten the wrong idea here just because I gave you a proposal. ¡°It¡¯s a proposal that you are not allowed to reject. Reject it, and you¡¯ll die today.¡± "I''m aware." Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s opponent wasn¡¯t just a demon but the ruler of the Underworld¡¯s eastern region. He had never once thought that he could decline her proposal and walk away unscathed. "So what?" Seo Jun-Ho jutted his chin defiantly. "I think you¡¯ve gotten the wrong idea here as well, so let me make it clear." Crack, crack. His bones contorted as he returned to his original appearance. "I¡¯ve resolved to fight the entire East the moment I stepped into this city." "..." Lavue''s eyes widened in shock. Then, she startedughing. "Pfft! What an insane bastard! Really? You¡¯re nning on fighting the entire East? What do you think of yourself? A Transcendent?" "Gorgon reacted the same way as you." "Ha,?that''s just like him." Lavue shook her head with an amused smile. Her expression was reminiscent of a scientist who couldn¡¯t find answers no matter how much they pondered. "You¡¯re a mere insect, but you¡¯ve climbed up so high that I thought I couldmunicate with you, but in the end, an insect is still an insect." Lavue leaned against the bench; she looked as if she had lost all interest. "What a waste of time. Kill him." "..." Seo Jun-Ho''s gaze swept the surroundings. Demons revealed themselves one by one and stepped into the courtyard. "Arch, Arch, High, Arch, High..." Each one of them was undoubtedly an influential figure and an elite of the East. There were quite a few of them as well. ¡®524.¡¯ It was a suffocating number. He would find it agonizing to face them by himself. Lavue chuckled and asked, "How about it? I¡¯ll let you go if you ept my proposal and head West this instant." "..." Seo Jun-Ho slowly raised his hand as he observed the hostile expressions of the demons around him. He casually took off the ring on his middle finger while saying, ¡°Once fate grows in size as it rolls, like a snowball.¡± "...?" "The funny thing is, the consequences of your demons'' actions and fates have grown bigger than the snowball I mentioned." "What bullshit are you spouting?" Lavue furrowed her brows. She couldn''tprehend the insect¡¯s words. However, Seo Jun-Ho continued without hesitation. "I realized something the moment I cleared the 7th Floor.¡± He realized that the 7th Floor was needlessly difficult, as he couldn¡¯tmunicate with the lower Floors. He couldn¡¯t convey the need for reinforcements and supplies, so they had truly struggled on the 7th Floor. "I thought that the 9th Floor¡ªthe Underworld¡ªwould be even more challenging than the 7th Floor." And he was right¡­ The Vita that Yeon had modified couldn¡¯t even function here, and it was most likely due to the dense demonic energy around the. "So I thought about it from a different angle. You can call it a change of perspective." Rather than trying tomunicate with the outside world to no avail, what if he destroyed the jammer? "I can''t listen to your nonsense anymore... Hey, you bastards! How long do you expect me to endure this insect¡¯s bullshit?" With Lavue''s urging, the demons slowly closed in on Seo Jun-Ho. He looked at the enemies closing in on him and smiled. "Clone." The ring on his middle finger was finally removed as he muttered, "Recall." *** "... Phew." The prime minister of a certain nation let out a deep sigh. He covered his embarrassed face with his folding fan. - Your Little Highness, are you not getting ready?" "Huh? Ready for what?" asked Seo Jun-Sik. He was lying on a spacious jade bed and was munching on a snack while reading aic book. - Your Little Highness, it is unknown when His Majesty will summon you, so it is better for you not to be in such a vulnerable state." "Yeon. I know it looks like that in your eyes, but I¡¯m not in a vulnerable state at all." - In my eyes, your posture reeks of indifference. "Ugh,?shut up." Tap, tap. Seo Jun-Sik thumped on his belly and retorted, "Besides, the important thing is when the Original needs help. All I can do is wait for his call." - True, but... Will you be able to fight if you¡¯re dragged away while lying down, eating snacks, and readingics?" "Oh? Are you underestimating me?" - Very much so. "Don''t you have quite a bit of trust in the Original?" - Well, Your Majesty is the type of person who can achieve things¡­ "So, why not just trust me, too, then? After all, I''m about 95% of Original." "..." Yeon had many words to use to retort, but he didn''t want to bother. ¡°Ah!¡± Seo Jun-Sik suddenly eximed. His expression changed upon seeing his finger fading into light particles. "Yeon." "Yes, yes?" Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s voice was so cold that Yeon couldn¡¯t believe that such coldness hade from the nonchnt Seo Jun-Sik just a few moments ago. "Get ready. Original has summoned me." - That means¡­ "Yeah." Most of Seo Jun-Sik''s body had disappeared, leaving only his head, but he still managed to smirk at Yeon. "It''s war." *** "Recall." The demons paused and exchanged nces. However, nothing happened, so their faces flushed red in fury. "You... What was that nonsense?!" "He¡¯s buying time." After letting their words flow in one ear and out the other, Seo Jun-Ho said, "Summon." A man identical to him appeared next to him. The man looked around and mumbled, "Wow, the atmosphere¡¯s pretty scary here." "...Were you snacking on chocte cookies by any chance?" "Ahem. Now is not the time to nitpick on such trivial things." Seo Jun-Sik hastily changed the subject and took out White Dragon from his Inventory. The demons watching burst intoughter at the sight. "Hahaha! It''s just a clone?" "And it¡¯s just one clone... I guess our expectations were too high." Despite the mockery andughter pouring from all sides, the two remained unperturbed. Lavue''s eyebrows twitched slightly. ''What''s going on?'' Her side clearly held the numbers advantage. Thebined power of their side had to be stronger than those two, especially if she were to participate in the fight as well. In addition, the clone wasn¡¯t even a Star Destruction Stage creature, so what was going on? Why were they so calm? ¡®Do they have... more reinforcements?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho''s voice shook the courtyard once more. "I call upon the Knights of the Snowfields whom demons had robbed off of everything and had not been able to rest in peace¡­¡± Rustle. Four hundred soul stones flowed out from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Inventory and hummed in resonance with his magic. The soul stones quivered as if they had been waiting for this moment. "It is time for you to wield your cold swords and seize revenge." Seo Jun-Ho clenched his fist. Crackle! Ice abruptly enveloped the soul stones, and four hundred Frost Knights were born. "What, what are those?!" ¡°Damn it, call for reinforcements!¡± "If you''re nobles, act like nobles and don''t waver. We have the numbers advantage¡ª" Boom! The head of a demon abruptly exploded, but the attack hadn¡¯te from Seo Jun-Ho. It hade from the sky. "What...?" "Meteors?" "Are those enemy reinforcements?" The demons¡¯ eyes were unwittingly transfixed on the meteor shower. "..." Lavue was staring intently at what had made the demon¡¯s head explode. ¡®I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve seen that before¡­ but where?'' A sword had struck the demon, and it was an exquisite-looking sword with a hilt featuring a thick, engraved dragon. It made everyone looking at it feel inexplicably calm The sword quivered and flew toward Seo Jun-Ho''s hand. "Once darkness has pervaded the skies, the emperor will draw his sword and pierce the sky covered in darkness." It was a sword capable of piercing the skies¡ªit was the Sky''s Will. "Heed the Emperor¡¯smand..." Seo Jun-Ho grasped the Sky¡¯s Will and swept his gaze across the demons. Boom! The meteors finally struck the ground, but they weren¡¯t rocks. They were capsules made out of metal, and beings covered in steel walked out of them one by one. "Frost Knights and the Jinyiwei¡­" The Jinyiwei were the emperor''s sword and shadow. They were legendary people whom people thought had fallen along with Neo City, but the people were mistaken. The Jinyiwei had simply taken refuge outside the, and they had been waiting for the true emperor of Neo City ¡®Thank you, Yeon.¡¯ This was Yeon¡¯s inheritance. The previous emperor of Neo City had ensured that the core power of Neo City wouldn¡¯t fall into the hands of viins like Namgung Jincheon. [Master of the Four Seasons has been activated.] [All stats of subordinate knights are increased by 30%. Magic consumption has been refunded.] The Frost Knights and the Jinyiwei were reliable allies who would follow him on his way to purge all evil. Clink, nk.? The heroes of the past, who had willingly sealed their souls into mechanical bodies for the emperor¡¯s sake, wielded their weapons once more. Cheon-Gwang stood at the helm of the Jinyiwei. Seo Jun-Ho nced at him and smiled before saying, ¡°Wipe them out." [For His Majesty the Emperor!] [For Her Highness the Queen!] The four hundred Frost Knights and a hundred Jinyiwei Guards roared and charged at the enemies. Chapter 629: One Man Army (3) Chapter 629. One Man Army (3) The frozen sword tore through the demons'' faces, and the mysterious martial arts ended their lives. However, it wasn''t a one-sided massacre. The demons also managed to bring down the Frost Knights and break the Jinyiwei Guards, causing them to cease their actions. However, this entire situation was far from the picture Lavue had envisioned. "¡­" As she directly observed the war unfolding before her, Lavue¡¯s face distorted in fury. In the midst of this chaotic battlefield, the figure of Seo Jun-Ho approaching her stood out vividly. Amidst the noise and confusion, he appeared more distinct than anything else. "T-this is ridiculous..." The reason was simple; she just didn''t want to acknowledge it. Her Star Destruction instincts were moring that she had to focus on him right now, or she would be in danger. Her eyebrows and even her cells trembled wildly, telling her that the approaching human was dangerous. "H-he''s nothing but a mere human!" Lavue''s tattoo on her left neck shone red. Seo Jun-Ho''s gaze deepened. "Twelfth Tattoo Art: Flowing Wrath of Fire." A fire erupted and flowed like water. It became a tidal wave of fire that loomed over Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Extinguish the mesing from the left first, then deal with the me up above.¡¯ It was funny, but Count Gorgon¡¯s memories had be a priceless legacy empowering him in his Count Hunt. ¡®Ignore the mesing from the right.¡¯ With a slight twist, Seo Jun-Ho avoided the fire demon and turned around. Swoosh! The silent and deadly ze that had approached from behind abruptly vanished. "What!? How¡­!" Lavue was utterly astonished, and she tightly clenched the bench with both hands. Lavue was sure that it was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s first time facing her Tattoo Art, so she found it difficult to believe that he had easily dodged her attack. Her eyelids trembled momentarily, and she found the answer to her own question. ¡®Yes. It''s all thanks to his skill that absorbs memories.¡¯ The human before her could absorb the memories of others. This was proven by the fact that he knew even the insignificant words that she had exchanged with Viscount Astol. He had to have also absorbed the memories of Count Gorgon. "Argh! Gorgon, you¡¯re still a useless bastard even in death!" Lavue screamed hysterically, then pressed her lips tightly together as she pondered. She debated if she should rise from the bench right away and face the approaching human inbat. ¡®But my pride as a Count of the Underworld¡­¡¯ The idea of standing up to face a mere human was something her pride wouldn''t allow. The one who ultimately resolved her foolish dilemma was Seo Jun-Ho. "Let''s go somewhere else," he said. Thud! She felt a massive palm holding her by her face, and she felt weightless. She looked around and found herself flying across the skies. "Urgh! Let go of me, you bastard!" Seo Jun-Ho hurled her to the ground upon seeing a glowing tattoo on her left hand. A fierce gust of wind swirled around Lavue. If he had thrown her slightlyter, his entire right arm would have been shredded to pieces. "Tsk!" Lavuended safely in the deste wilderness. She looked around, and her gaze grew increasingly venomous. "Ha, you really want to do this properly, don''t you?" "It¡¯s better if we hide from prying eyes. I¡¯m sure you also don¡¯t want others to know that we¡¯ve fought, right?" Seo Jun-Ho''s chosen arena was a vortex zone, and it was simply the best arena for them to fight if they wanted to hide from prying eyes. "Arrogant bastard. You probably don¡¯t know since you¡¯ve just arrived in the Underworld, so I¡¯ll be kind and tell you." Lavue took off her outer robe, revealing just a single workout outfit; a few tattoos on her left arm shone at the same time. "I¡¯ve met many arrogant brats like you before, but they¡¯re all gone." Whoooosh! A massive amount of demonic energy erupted from her, causing the vortex zone to momentarilye to a lull. The fearsome disy of demonic energy made Seo Jun-Ho feel as if he were facing a furious, ancient beast. "They¡¯re dead! They died at the hands of the Underworld¡¯s greatest mage!¡± The voice hade from his right, but Lavue was still standing in front of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®An afterimage.¡¯ His eyes couldn¡¯t keep up with his movement, but he had already calcted her path based on her glowing tattoos. ¡®She used three tattoos: number 7, 21, and 36.¡¯ Each one granted her a brief speed boost, strength enhancement, and finally... "Physical transformation." Screech! Her legs had be as sharp as knives as sheshed out at Seo Jun-Ho with a kick. ng! A crisp and clear noise echoed throughout the vortex zone. It sounded like the noise only echoed once, but if one had keen ears, one would have heard that the seemingly one loud noise was born from thirty-four collisions done in the blink of an eye. "Tsk!" With a light click of her tongue, Lavue retreated. One of her glowing tattoos had darkened, and her legs reverted to their normal state. The tattoos that she had already used had gone on cooldown, and they wouldn¡¯t go off cooldown until the fight was over. ¡®How frustrating.¡¯ Lavue suppressed the boiling anger rising from deep within her chest. She had looked down on him because he was human, and she intended to show that there was a difference between humans and demons, even if the two were on the same Star Destruction Stage. ¡®And that¡¯s why I used abination that¡¯s too fast to block¡­¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho still managed to defend himself, even though she had attacked a beat faster than him. This only meant one thing. ¡®Is this guy really faster than me? Is that even possible?¡¯ She was a demon, after all. She had lived significantly longer than humans, whose life spans were short. In other words, she was a member of a superior species. She was perfectly fine. It wasn''t like she was severely injured like Gorgon. Moreover, she had been briefly as fast as Horizon. ¡®However, he still managed to block my attack. The turmoil in her heart gradually settled. She didn''t want to acknowledge a mere human, but this was already the second time. ¡®The first time can be dismissed as luck, and the second as an underestimation on my part¡­¡¯ However, a third time meant that the human was indeed powerful and skilled. Crack! She gnashed her teeth so hard that one could hear her teeth tter. At the same time, the patterns of her glowing tattoos changed. "Hmm." Seo Jun-Ho sounded troubled. ¡®I wish she looked down on me once more.¡¯ If she had underestimated him just once more, he was confident that he would have been able to end her life. The first two times were tests to see if the tattoo positions and effects were the same as in Gorgon¡¯s memories. ¡®She acknowledged me faster than I thought.¡¯ Perhaps that was natural to survive in the rapidly changing Underworld. She¡ªwho initially thought of him as a mere insect¡ªhad acknowledged him as her peer. As a result, she got ready to use tattoos that Gorgon didn''t even know about. ¡®Those tattoos didn¡¯t exist during her battle with Gorgon.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t know the effects of those tattoos were unknown, but one thing was certain. ¡®I have the advantage.¡¯ His opponent knew nothing about him, but he knew more than half of her spells. If he was so foolish as to not exploit this difference in his favor, he deserved to lose. ¡®As Reiji said, fights between those of Star Destruction Stage and above are a form of a calction battle.¡¯ In other words, it was like a game of Go. If the difference in physical prowess weren''t overwhelming, then eventually, the battle would be decided by the difference in techniques. Seo Jun-Ho had ced the first stone on the board. "Darkroom." Darkness bloomed and enveloped Lavue. The Curtain of Darkness isted both himself and the opponent from the outside world, but the Darkroom isted only the opponent. Booom! Boom! "Is this all you can do?!" Lavue¡¯s barely audible voice echoed through a crack in Darkroom. Darkroom soon copsed, but it was fine. "¡­!" She found an eye staring at her the moment she emerged from the Darkroom. "Basilisk." The massive snake eye contained the power to freeze. She felt herself go stiff, so she immediately activated the tattoo of a teardrop under her left eye. "Dammit!" Craackle! Dozens of spears made out of ice sprouted from where she was standing, but they all missed. However, Seo Jun-Ho seemed rather satisfied as he nodded. "Sixty-first Tattoo Art: Daydream. It¡¯s a cheap price to pay." Daydream was a single-use, non-standard magic, and it invalidated a single event that had already urred. Among all the spells engraved on her body, Daydream was one of the trickiest to handle. ¡°Damn it! Damn it!¡± The Basilisk¡¯s gaze had petrified Lavue, but she cast Daydream and invalidated that event before retreating. However, she didn¡¯t feel happy upon escaping. She felt defeated by the fact that she had been forced to use such a powerful spell too early into the battle. The feeling of defeat was reced by the urge to avenge herself. "Since you took Daydream, you should at least give me an arm or leg!" The tattoo on the back of her hand shone. "Thirty-ninth Tattoo Art: Giant''s Hand!" Lavue thrust her erged left hand deep into the ground before lifting the ground itself. Rumble! The ground easily crumbled beneath her colossal strength. "¡­" Seo Jun-Ho took off into the air and nimbly avoided the debris. He jumped onto debris after debris to avoid Lavue¡¯s erged hand. "Come down here, little rat!" roared Lavue as one of her tattoos shone. Thousands of threads manifested in mid-air, and they all made a beeline for Seo Jun-Ho. "Forty-fourth Tattoo Art: Hex." Hex would immobilize the captured target for a few minutes, leaving them helpless. In addition, the threads¡¯ attack pattern would change every time Hex was cast, making it practically impossible to dodge. Seo Jun-Ho was soon caught in the thousands of threads, and Lavue¡¯s erged hand flew toward him. "¡­" Seo Jun-Ho stared calmly at the erged hand and muttered, "Rewind." A vast amount of magic power flowed out of him as he turned back time by five seconds. "Come down here, little rat!" roared Lavue as one of her tattoos shone. Thousands of threads manifested in mid-air, and they all made a beeline for Seo Jun-Ho. However, Seo Jun-Ho simply used his memories of Hex¡¯s attack pattern to dodge every thread. "What the hell was that?! That¡¯s cheating, you fucker!" Lavue cursed in astonishment. The human in front of her had surpassed her expectations several times today alone. He was proving to be more formidable than any other enemies she had faced before. "Silent sh Wave." Seo Jun-Ho turned into a streak of light. He curved like flowing water in mid-air and abruptly appeared in front of Lavue. "¡­!" Her eyes, still full of astonishment, caught up to him a beatter. One of her tattoos lit up, and it covered her vital spots in the form of a solid shield. However, Seo Jun-Ho smoothly altered the trajectory of his sword. "The greatest weakness of a tattooist..." Slice! Lavue''s right arm, severed at the wrist, shot into the air. It was instantly carried away by the tornadoes of the vortex zone. "The more flesh I carve out of you, the fewer spells you can use.¡± "G-G-Get away from meeee!" Lavue screamed in horror, but her figure had long vanished. She had just activated her 2nd Tattoo Art: Blink to run away. Seo Jun-Ho remainedposed as he started tracking his fleeing prey. Lavue hadn''t gone that far yet. *** "Haaa¡­ haaa¡­! You bastard, crazy human bastard, you cheating piece of shit!" Lavue kept on cursing as she sprinted across the wastnd. The memories of their brief battle tormented her. ¡®Is he even human?¡¯ He was on a different level from the insignificant humans she knew. She had never met a human like him before. ¡®Moreover, the power he was using was like¡­¡¯ Lavue shuddered upon recalling a certain someone. ¡®S-shoot¡­¡¯ The massive clump of energy behind him had intensified. It meant that the monstrous presence was rapidly approaching her. The thoughts quickly racing through Lavue¡¯s head made her panic. ¡®W-which way should I go?¡¯ Right now, she had to go to where she would have the highest chance of survival. The thought of returning to her city came to her mind, but she quickly shook her head. ¡®That ce is a war zone. Our chances of winning are low.¡¯ Should she rely on the West or the North? The demons there would definitelyugh at her. They would definitely sneer at her and mock her for running away after losing an arm. ¡®But hiding in the ownerless south¡­¡¯ It was a decision that didn¡¯t make sense. The South was behind her, and the monster was behind her, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to go that far before he caught up to her. ¡®Then, the only remaining option is¡­¡¯ Gulp. She gulped and turned in one direction¡ªthe West. However, she wasn¡¯t thinking of Horizon. ¡°Damn it..." Lavue gnashed her teeth. The monster was fast approaching, so she had to make a decision soon lest it would be toote by the time she made up her mind. Left with no other choice, Lavue started moving while praying fervently that she had made the right decision. Chapter 630: Specter (1) Chapter 630. Specter (1) Seo Jun-Sik prayed as he swung White Dragon. ¡®I still have chocte cookies left in the bag. I really hope he didn¡¯t throw them away, and the best part of those cookies is the crumbs, so what was he even talking about? ¡°Tsk.¡± The sweet and smooth taste of chocte cookies still lingered in Seo Jun-Sik''s mouth. ¡°Ah. I want to have some more¡­¡± Boom! It was a strange thought to have while literally piercing a demon¡¯s head, causing it to explode like a watermelon. However, his nonchnt demeanor had a positive effect of inflicting terror on the demons. ¡°W-what the hell¡­¡± ¡°I-Is he not tired yet? He has already killed dozens of us by himself¡­¡± Seo Jun-Sik looked nothing more than a bloodthirsty maniac in the demon¡¯s eyes. Not only did the terrified demons avoid making eye contact with Seo Jun-Sik, but they also refused toe near him. ¡®This is much easier than I thought.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik managed to catch his breath. He even had the time to look around the battlefield with White Dragon on his shoulder, and it was all thanks to the demons actively avoiding him. ¡°Wow. Everyone is fighting so well.¡± The Season Knights, elites of Niflheim, didn¡¯t hesitate to kill their enemies. The Jinyiwei Guards of Neo City¡¯s Emperor swung their weapons diligently as if they werepeting against the Season Knights. ¡°Sir Hart is doing great as well.¡± Themotion attracted more demons, but they were the weak subordinate demons of the High demons. They were too weak to affect the flow of the battlefield. ¡®The problem is¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s gaze turned toward the West, then the North. Seo Jun-Ho was fighting in a vortex zone to hide from the other Counts, but Seo Jun-Sik and the knights were fighting in an open space. ¡®The Counts mighte here...¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik highly doubted that the Counts of the Underworld woulde over to the battlefield themselves, but he still thought that they might send additional troops to find out what was going on. ¡®Well. I guess all I need to do is to drag things out until Original returns if that were to happen.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik could use ny-five percent of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s power, but he was too weak to fight the Counts. ¡®I¡¯m probably at Liberation Stage at best.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll have to get in touch with him.¡± Seo Jun-Sik slowly closed his eyes. ¡®Original, where are you right now?¡¯ *** Lavue kept ncing back while running non-stop. Fwoosh, fwoosh! The color of the wilderness and the light of daybreak made the red wilderness look even spookier, but Lavue was scared of something else. ¡®What a monster.¡¯ Lavue no longer had the will or strength to curse. The human had crushed her will to fight as well as her pride. Fortunately, she was getting close to her destination. Lavue got herself together by taking deep breaths. ¡°Haaa¡­¡± Lavue¡¯s eyes widened when her breath turned into mist. She instinctively looked back. ¡°T-that monster¡­!¡± Goosebumps broke out all over upon sensing that the monster behind her was getting closer and closer. ¡°Fuck off!¡± Lavue used three of her tattoos near her calves to keep her rear in check. The spells she cast were high-rank spells powerful enough to destroy stars, but they were effortlessly dismantled and destroyed by the monster. The monster approached Lavue in silence. She reached out with her remaining arm and started begging without realizing it. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry I told you to fuck off! I didn¡¯t mean it! No, I¡¯m sorry for everything I said to you today!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s change the n! I-I¡¯ll go and get rid of Horizon myself. How does that sound? If you give me some time to recover, I will take care of everything¡ªah! How about this?! I¡¯ll help you attack the North after we¡¯re done dealing with the West. Your final goal is to deal with the Archduke, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°...¡± Lavue could tell that the monster wasn¡¯t buying her words at all, as his eyes were empty with no sign of interest. Seo Jun-Ho was looking at her as if he were staring at a broken toy. ¡°Ugh, you devil! Go to hell!¡± ¡°What an interesting remark.¡± ¡®I can¡¯t believe a demon called me a devil.¡¯ Lavue left Seo Jun-Ho behind and started running away once more. ¡®I¡¯m almost there.¡¯ The destination was just around the corner. Lavue thought that no matter how strong Seo Jun-Ho was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to run wild like this anymore at her destination, which was a dome of deformed space. ¡®I¡¯m almost there. Just a little more¡­!¡¯ Swoosh! Lavue hurriedly dodged with only five steps left to the deformed space. She avoided a sword by a hair¡¯s breadth. ¡°Argh!¡± However, a hand gripped her by the neck. Lavue desperately kicked her opponent in the stomach and chest with her two legs while helplessly hanging dangling in the air. ¡°...¡± However, the monster stared at her with a dry gaze as if her attacks weren¡¯t even ticklish to him. ¡°Hrrk! Eech!¡± Lavue couldn¡¯t breathe at all, and she slowly lost her strength. In the end, she had no choice but to pull out a trump card. ¡°Bleh.¡± Lavue stuck her tongue out, revealing a tattoo of a me. It shone brightly, and the monster had no choice but to throw her to the ground. For the first time ever throughout their battle, the monster frowned. Boom! A massive explosion urred, sending Lavue flying toward her destination. She didn¡¯t miss her chance and crawled into the dome of deformed space. ¡°Tsk. I didn¡¯t expect her to have a tattoo on her tongue as well.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shook off the dust on his clothes. He was unscathed. He stared at the deformed dome of space in front of him. - Parner. Keen Intuition broke the silence and spoke to Seo Jun-Ho. - This feels familiar. I guess I¡¯m not the only one who feels that way, right? ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He had seen this before. ¡°It¡¯s a dimensional gap.¡± Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t been the one who had entered one. It was Seo Jun-Sik, and he stumbled upon Sung-Jun there, who trained him extensively. ¡®To think that there¡¯s a dimensional gap in the Underworld.¡¯ ¡°Hmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho unfolded a map. ¡®Where am I? Am I roughly around the center?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s current location was near the center of the East, West, North, and South, which was divided exactly into four pieces. There was no information on why there was a dimensional gap here or what was inside of it. - Partner. There wasn¡¯t any information about this dimensional gap in the memories you¡¯ve seen so far, right? ¡°No.¡± Both Seo Jun-Ho and Keen Intuition had no idea that there was a dimensional gap in the middle of the Underworld. Seo Jun-Ho quickly scanned through Gorgon¡¯s memories. ¡°Search keyword. Central region of the Underworld. Dimensional Gap.¡± Several video clips that met the keywords popped up, but they were pitch-ck. [The skill level is too low to y the selected clip.] ¡®It¡¯s locked.¡¯ It seemed that Seo Jun-Ho had to raise the Confession of the Dead¡¯s Grade to perhaps even EX before he could watch these clips. ¡°Hmm.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was lost in thought while staring at the ck screen. He knew of only one reason behind a locked memory clip. ¡®It probably has something to do with the Archduke.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho hesitated. He knew that he still wasn¡¯t strong enough to face the Archduke. However, he thought that it would be a pity to just let Lavue go, considering how he had already inflicted severe injuries on her. ¡°Keen Intuition. Is the Archduke here?¡± - Hmm. Keen Intuition contemted for a moment. - I don¡¯t think so. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± - Let¡¯s express danger levels in numbers from one to ten; the Archduke¡¯s danger level is definitely ten or even above ten. It¡¯s a number based on the memory clips we¡¯ve watched so far. The dimensional gap¡¯s danger level feels like it¡¯s a six or seven at most. ¡°How about Lavue?¡± - She¡¯s four or five at most. Lavue¡¯s danger level was low, even though she was a Star Destruction Stage creature, and it was all because Seo Jun-Ho had be a powerhouse among those capable of destroying stars. - For reference, Administrators like Reiji and Helic are assumed to be around nine. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± In other words, it seemed that he could clear the dimensional gap. Seo Jun-Ho was also in great condition because his fight against Lavue had gone perfectly ording to his n. ¡®It¡¯s difficult. Should I take the risk and go into the dimensional gap to finish Lavue off, or should I just go back and take care of the East and leave Lavue alone?¡¯ ¡®Original, where are you right now?¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s voice echoed in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s head at impable timing. ¡®We¡¯re almost done here. How are things going on your side?¡¯ Upon hearing that, Seo Jun-Ho figured that there was no need for him to rush back. Seo Jun-Ho stared intently at the dimensional gap. ¡®I¡¯ll go back once I¡¯m done with Lavue.¡¯ ¡®How long do you think it¡¯ll take you?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not exactly sure, but it won¡¯t take too long. Head over to the West and join Cannell if I end up beingte.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho bid goodbye to Seo Jun-Sik and slowly walked into the dimensional gap. *** Seo Jun-Ho entered the dimensional gap and looked back. - It¡¯s still open. ¡°...¡± The dimensional gap was still open, which made Seo Jun-Ho feel curious and ufortable at the same time. ¡®Sung-Jun used Overclocking at a thousand percent output, and he even used ck Moon on top of that, but he only managed to cut the dimensions briefly.¡¯ The cut also recovered at breakneck speeds, but the dimensional gap that Seo Jun-Ho had just entered seemed to have sustained a permanent wound. ¡®Someone much stronger than Sung-Jun must have done this. N-no way. Am I wrong?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes narrowed the moment he thought of the possibility that Orpheus might not be the Floor Master of the 9th Floor. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Seo Jun-Ho started walking down the dimensional gap, and he saw something unexpected five minutester. -P-partner. The epitome ofposure¡ªKeen Intuition¡ªstammered. - I was wrong. This ce¡¯s danger level is seven to eight. I personally rmend getting out of here right now. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around without saying a word. There were numerous paths around him, and they were simr to the path he was on at the moment. They all converged on the same dimensional gap. Seo Jun-Ho saw Lavue not too far away from him. After a brief moment of contemtion, Seo Jun-Ho gripped his sword tightly. ¡°...I just need ten seconds.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ran toward Lavue. ¡°Open the door! Please open the door! A madman ising after me!¡± Lavue roared and knocked on the door made out of skulls. However, the door remained silent as Seo Jun-Ho approached Lavue. ¡°D-don¡¯te near me! Please! Someone help me!¡± Lavue begged. ¡°...¡± A cold glint reflected in her eyes as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sword split Lavue¡¯s hand into two. sh! Lavue was quickly shredded into tiny pieces. - Partner! There¡¯s no time! Keen Intuition urged. ¡°Just give me a moment,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He cast Confession of the Dead on Lavue¡¯s remains and absorbed her demonic energy. He then stood up and turned around. He had alreadypleted his objective, so there was no need for him to take any more risks. Seo Jun-Ho started walking away. Creak! A creaking sound echoed in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ears. His back was facing the door, but he was sure that the tightly shut door had just opened, even though it had remained shut despite Lavue¡¯s begging. Flinch! The terrifying energy that licked his back made Seo Jun-Ho feel a shiver down his spine. - Partner! Run and don¡¯t look back! Keen Intuition roared, but Seo Jun-Ho instinctively turned around as his heart beat violently against his chest. ¡°...¡± An eerie scene unfolded in front of Seo Jun-Ho. There was a mountain of bones beyond the door made out of bones. ¡®Ribs, scap, humerus, and femur¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho realized a disturbing fact as he examined the bones¡ªthey were all the same size and shape. The size and shape of a human being¡¯s bones were bound to differpared to other human beings, so howe there was a mountain of bones that had the same size and shape? There was only one answer to that question. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked up and finally made eye contact with the individual sitting nonchntly on a chair made out of skulls at the summit of the mountain made out of bones. The man¡¯s hand was resting on his chin. He was wearing a familiar pitch-ck mask, but his eyes were bloodshot. [You have encountered the boss monster of the Underworld, Specter.] [Once defeated, safe zones will appear in the Underworld.] Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s question was finally answered. The bones had the same shape and size because they all belonged to him. Chapter 631: Specter (2)

Chapter 631: Specter (2)

¡®Well¡­ what should I say?¡¯ Surprisingly, Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t agitated. He knew that there had to be a fiend version of himself somewhere on the higher Floors. ¡®First of all, Sung-Jun.¡¯ The information Sung-Jun gave Seo Jun-Ho made him aware of the existence of parallel worlds, and Seo Jun-Ho had be suspicious of many things by then. ¡®Then the Administrators...¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho recalled how the Administrators were always expecting something from him. He was grateful in the beginning, but he couldn¡¯t help but doubt the reason behind their expectations over time. ¡®I¡¯ve always wondered if they already knew who I was. I figured the reason they¡¯re so wary of me while expecting something from me at the same time was probably because they know something that I don¡¯t know.¡¯ All the thoughts soon led to a reasonable assumption. ¡®Fiend.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought there could be a fiend version of himself born from the many parallel worlds. The answer to his hypothesis was standing in front of his eyes right now. ¡°So you actually exist.¡± The eyes Seo Jun-Ho could see through the mask were as red as red jade. Specter¡¯s eyes were redder than any other fiends Seo Jun-Ho had ever met so far, including the Heavenly Demon. Seo Jun-Ho said, ¡°I must admit this is a bit unexpected. I thought the Archduke was the corrupted Seo Jun-Ho of another world.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re delusional,¡± Specter said ndly, ¡°You can¡¯t reach him nor surpass him. You will never be able to defeat the Archduke.¡± ¡°I suppose the Archduke¡¯s dog will think that way, of course,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. He gestured toward the mountain of bones beneath Specter¡¯s feet and asked, ¡°How many Seo Jun-Hos have you met before me?¡± ¡°Who knows? I stopped counting after ten thousand.¡± ¡°Ten thousand¡­¡± ¡®He killed so many.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that the fiend in front of his eyes was the one who had severed Sung-Jun¡¯s arm and killed Sung-Jun¡¯s Seo Jun-Sik. ¡®Makes sense if he used Watchguard of Darkness. The scornful power of darkness is capable of erasing an existence, after all.¡¯ ¡°Let me ask you a question.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the fiend with firm eyes before asking, ¡°Where is your Frost?¡± ¡°My Frost? It¡¯s been a while since I heard that name.¡± ¡°Just answer my question,¡± urged Seo Jun-Ho. Specter directed a strange gaze at Seo Jun-Ho before saying, ¡°That is a strange question to ask; did you not meet her on your way up here?¡± Specter¡¯s voice was nd and without a single ounce of emotion, and his voice made Seo Jun-Ho feel as if he were listening to static. ¡°I abandoned her on the 8th Floor. You must have seen her on your way here.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s quivered, and he clenched his fists without realizing it. - Calm down, Partner. Seo Jun-Ho knew that he had to stay calm. However, Seo Jun-Ho felt like his Imperturbable Mind would break at any moment upon seeing Specter¡¯s look of superiority and arrogance. - Contractor. - Contractor¡­ - My Contractor¡­ A mournful cry he had heard on the 8th Floor echoed in his ears. The Frost Queen he held in his arms disappeared while looking for her contractor like a child until the moment she died. Back then, Seo Jun-Ho knew that the Frost Queen was calling out to someone else. ¡°...Why?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s voice trembled. Specter tilted his head in wonder as if he didn¡¯t understand the question. ¡°What is the intent of your question?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m asking why you abandoned her.¡± ¡°Oh, what ame question.¡± Specter raised his hand, and a cloud of darkness swayed above his hand. ¡°...¡± Specter¡¯s Watchguard of Darkness was much darker and deeper than that of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Watchguard of Darkness. They had the same ability, but Specter¡¯s Watchguard of Darkness made Seo Jun-Ho feel stifled and afraid. ¡°No one has ever raised both Frost and Watchguard of Darkness to EX.¡± ¡°...So what?¡± ¡°Is it too hard for you to understand?¡± The cloud of darkness hovering above Specter¡¯s palm took on a crimson hue as he infused his demonic energy into it. ¡°I had to make a decision, and I could only choose one between the two to reach the next Stage.¡± ¡°...So?¡± ¡°Do you still not understand? I chose to wield the darkness as the sword to kill the Archduke, but she vehemently opposed the idea. So I abandoned the Frost Queen and Frost, that¡¯s all.¡± Seo Jun-Ho sharply inhaled as he trembled. ¡°She was looking for you until the end¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°What a fool,¡± said Specter. Their conversation was brief, but it made everything clear. ¡°As expected. You are unlike me.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not like you. I¡¯m different from you, pathetic beings.¡± ¡°Hah. So, did you manage to beat the Archduke with that so-called great power of yours?¡± ¡°I failed, but I was right.¡± Crack! Specter stepped on one of the skulls under his foot. ¡°The bones of the Seo Jun-Hos whom I had killed with my own hands are proof that I was right. I failed, yes, but I was right.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And this is thest time that I will ever have to prove that.¡± The Frost Queen protecting the 8th Floor had vanished, so the world could no longer be frozen even if Seo Jun-Ho ended up dying. However, Seo Jun-Ho was prepared for such a consequence, as he had decided to lift the weight off of the Frost Queen¡¯s shoulders to let her rest in peace. ¡°What did he promise you?¡± He was curious. Specter¡¯s way of thinking had to be not too different from Sung-Jun''s. ¡®And the same must be true of all Seo Jun-Ho who died in his hands.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought that there had to be a reason why Specter¡ªthe very first Seo Jun-Ho¡ªhad chosen to stand on the Archduke¡¯s side. ¡°...¡± Specter was silent. He organized his thoughts and asked, ¡°Have you ever felt that this world is unfair?¡± ¡°...?¡± Specter stood up before continuing. ¡°Someone out there was born with the right privilege to chase their dreams¡ªbing a doctor, for example. However, someone else cannot chase their dreams due to a congenital disorder or whatnot. ¡°You and I had obtained the Watchguard of Darkness and Frost, while someone out there had perished after failing to obtain even the mostmon F-grade skill.¡± Specter¡¯s red eyes turned to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Can you tell me why is that?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t answer because he didn¡¯t know why. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have no idea because there¡¯s no reason behind it.¡± Specter continued. ¡°It is what it is.¡± ¡°...Are you saying that everything has been predetermined?¡± ¡°Indeed. Fate is unfair...¡± Specter started walking down the mountain of bones. ¡°And fate cannot be defied.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho groaned and said, ¡°So he didn¡¯t promise you anything¡­¡± ¡°Certainly, the Archduke¡¯s ways aren¡¯t perfect, but the results are always fair and perfect,¡± said Specter. The mass of madness behind Specter¡¯s mask was palpable, and it made Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s skin prickle with horror. ¡°We will soon wee a world where everything is possible through effort. The people will soon be able to obtain whatever they want through their effort rather than just their luck and talent.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Seo Jun-Ho burst outughing at Specter¡¯s absurd delusion before asking, ¡°Are you serious? Do you really think that¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°The Archduke can make it a reality.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t question the Archduke¡¯s prowess. I¡¯m asking if that kind of society is even possible.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at Specter and pointed out. ¡°What if someone boughtnd with the money they diligently saved, but someone else wants to buy the samend? Would thetter have to pay more for the samend?¡± ¡°If that were the case, the people will eventually have to work even harder to acquire what they want. Is that even a fair world where nothing else matters but effort?¡± ¡°Do you really think that we haven¡¯t thought of that?¡± Specter was finally at the bottom of the mountain of bones. Specter and Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes were now at eye level. However, Seo Jun-Ho could feel that Specter was looking down on him. ¡°The solution is simple. The lives living under the Archduke¡¯s rule will live in their own personal paradise where they¡¯re the main characters. Of course, they won¡¯t be aware of that fact.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°We¡¯ve decided to add some variations such as random parents and birth location, but they will eventually achieve the life of their dreams through hard work alone.¡± ¡°...What happens when they die?¡± ¡°Their world will disappear with them.¡± Seo Jun-Ho gasped. Specter was basically saying that those people would have no legacy to leave behind, as their own personal worlds would disappear the moment they perished. ¡°Can you even call that being alive?¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving too much meaning to being alive.¡± Specter seemed greatly disappointed in Seo Jun-Ho for not understanding his thoughts. ¡°You need to have a life to be alive.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure many people would want to live in the world that the Archduke wants to make.¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t retort. Perhaps Specter was right. ¡°The Archduke¡¯s will is fair and righteous, and his ways are better than allowing people to suffer under the unfairness of the world.¡± Specter slowly walked toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Let me ask you a question. If a miracle happens and you somehow manage to kill the Archduke, how sure are you of creating a better world than the world the Archduke wants to make?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t reply because he wouldn¡¯t change. The world would be exactly as it was at the moment, and there was something great to that kind of world. ¡°It will continue.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Not everyone will die after living a happy and long life, but the legacies of those who have perished will lead those who are still alive.¡± ¡°How absurd. Is that even relevant?¡± ¡°The Archduke wants to end the universe. He wants the extinction of living beings.¡± ¡°So what? It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll realize that they¡¯re going to disappear. They¡¯ll remain happy until they die.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®So that is the Archduke¡¯s goal. Should I say he¡¯s kind or cruel?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt an indivisible distance of value from himself in the other world. He thought it would be impossible to persuade Specter even if they had a long conversation. ¡°The look on your face shows that you have the same thoughts as the Seo Jun-Hos from the many parallel worlds,¡± Specter murmured. He kicked one of the skulls by his feet before continuing. ¡°Every Seo Jun-Ho I¡¯ve met all had the same gaze¡ªnone of them understood me at all.¡± ¡°I think I know why they couldn¡¯t understand you.¡± ¡°Exin.¡± The reason was simple. ¡°You¡¯ve already be a son of a bitch the moment you abandoned Frost and drank the Archduke¡¯s dirty blood. Meanwhile, we were still humans.¡± ¡°...Is that so?¡± Specter said dryly as he pulled up his demonic energy. ¡°In that case, use your strength to prove to me that you¡¯re right¡ªfinal Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°This is a bit unexpected.¡± ¡®He¡¯s simr to me in that respect¡ªwanting to prove things by strength.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho instantly raised Overclocking to a thousand percent as soon as the battle started. ¡®Not even Sung-Jun managed to beat this monster.¡¯ The power radiating from Specter was certainly superior to himself. However, Specter wasn¡¯t a Transcendent. ¡®Then it¡¯s worth a try,¡¯ thought Seo Jun-Ho. Meanwhile, the cloud of darkness created by Specter flew toward him like wildfire. ¡°Ice Barrier and Wall of Darkness? Can you get anymer than that?¡± Specter muttered indifferently as his darkness tore Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s apart defenses like paper. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho was astounded. He didn¡¯t think that there would be such a huge difference in power between them. Specter saw Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s confusion. ¡°I told you. I made the right decision by abandoning Frost,¡± he said. ¡°No way. Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Your Watchguard of Darkness is no match for my Darkness.¡± ¡®Darkness?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was struck by an epiphany after hearing Specter¡¯s words. ¡°...EX?¡± ¡°Did you really think I abandoned Frost for no reason?¡± Specter wrapped himself in darkness before vanishing without a trace. ¡°Night Walking!¡± Seo Jun-Ho eximed. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sharpened six sense couldn¡¯t detect Specter, not to mention his five senses. ¡°You¡¯re like the other Seo Jun-Hos from those parallel worlds. You can¡¯t beat me, but it¡¯s not a surprise. After all¡­¡± An indifferent voice reverberated throughout the hall filled with bones. ¡°I am the true Specter.¡± Chapter 632: Specter (3) Chapter 632. Specter (3) Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly used his own Night Walking. ¡°...¡± A deafening silence descended upon the hall filled with bones, but it was no exaggeration to say that Seo Jun-Ho had never been this nervous before throughout his life. Seo Jun-Ho anxiously looked around. He didn¡¯t dare to even wipe the sweat dripping down his face. ¡®Where is he? Has Night Walking always been such an overpowered skill in the eyes of my enemies?¡¯ The skill thatpletely concealed everything made Seo Jun-Ho feel primal fear. ¡°I can hear you.¡± Specter¡¯s voice echoed. ¡®Nonsense. I¡¯m not making any noise right now¡­¡¯ ¡°I can clearly hear your fear.¡± ¡°...!¡± The clump of darkness fell exactly where Seo Jun-Ho was standing. Seo Jun-Ho summoned his own clump of darkness and shed out. ¡°Argh!¡± He instantly learned of one thing upon the collision between them. ¡®Damn it¡­ I can¡¯t fight him head-to-head.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Watchguard of Darkness was helplessly pushed back by Specter¡¯s Darkness, and it was probably because of the huge difference between the two skills. Seo Jun-Ho snapped his fingers as he stared at the darkness looming over him. ¡®Rewind.¡¯ The world was rewound for a few seconds, but another tidal wave of darkness came from somewhere else. ¡°Ah!¡± Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly pulled up his magic to block the attack, but he was sent flying upon impact. Boom! Seo Jun-Ho was stuck in the mountain of bones. Specter approached him and said, ¡°Fighting back is meaningless. I can do what you can do, and I am better than you at everything you can do.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho rubbed his aching ribs. ¡®He knew I¡¯d use Rewind, so he used it at the same time as me.¡¯ Otherwise, the attack just now would have been impossible. ¡®He uses the exact same skills as I do, and he¡¯s way more skilled in using them.¡¯ Specter was also a pro at dealing with Seo Jun-Ho. He had killed more than ten thousand Seo Jun-Hos, after all. ¡®How am I supposed to defeat him? Can this monster even be defeated?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was starting to panic. - Partner! Watch out! Seo Jun-Ho came back to his senses at Keen Intuition¡¯s roar, and he hurriedly jumped away. He managed to roll away, but the mountain of bones where he got stuck earlier had vanished as if they had never even existed in the first ce. ¡°Neen minutes and fifty-seven seconds.¡± The entire hall was filled with Specter¡¯s crimson darkness as he said, ¡°The Seo Jun-Ho I met right before yousted the longest against me, and that¡¯s how long hested.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®He¡¯s talking about Sung-Jun. Sung-Jun didn¡¯t evenst twenty minutes?¡¯ ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho was so shocked that he unknowingly clicked his tongue. Sung-Jun had definitely reached the Star Destruction Stage just like him and Specter, so Seo Jun-Ho found it hard to believe that there was still such a huge power gap between the two. ¡°You¡¯re the second Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho I¡¯ve ever met. I wonder how long you¡¯llst.¡± Instead of answering, Seo Jun-Ho inhaled. His magic enveloped him. He still had one more advantage over Specter. ¡®The reason he¡¯s hiding using Night Walking is simple.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that Specter was too weak to actually fight him head-on, and he was convinced that it was all because of Overclocking. ¡®Overclocking overloads the magic circuit in exchange for power.¡¯ It was a technique that generated a tremendous amount of heat. Seo Jun-Ho and Sung-Jun had only been able to quench the heat through Frost (EX). ¡®But he can¡¯t do that...¡¯ Specter had abandoned his Frost (EX) for the sake of raising Watchguard of Darkness to EX. In other words, Specter couldn¡¯t use Overclocking. ¡®Come at me.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho thought that he just had to hit Specter once and keep on hitting him. ¡®I¡¯m faster and stronger than him because of Overclocking.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho exhaled slowly and let go of every unnecessary tension in his body. ¡°...¡± His heart became as calm as a cidke, and his head became as cool as the gentle winter breeze. Having entered the most optimal state for battle, Seo Jun-Ho waited for Specter¡¯s attack. ¡°...¡± The silence in the hall was deafening, but the tension in the air was palpable. The two fighters seemed to be asking each other how they would respond to each other¡¯s attacks. ¡°...This is meaningless,¡± said Specter. It wasn¡¯t his first time facing Seo Jun-Ho in a war of nerves. ¡°I agree,¡± Seo Jun-Ho responded as he prepared himself for the uing battle. ¡°So just bring it on.¡± Boom! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic abruptly pervaded the entire hall. He was confident that he would be able to defend himself from Specter¡¯s attack no matter when and where thetter appeared. ¡®Come on. Show yourself so I can turn the tables around.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s pupils shone coldly. ¡°Pfft!¡± Specter chuckled and appeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Wait, why did he show up? Is he bluffing, or is this a trap?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was still thinking, but his body was already moving. He sent multiple strikes at Specter¡¯s torso before grabbing Specter by his neck. ¡®Got him.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho tightened his grip as he raised his other hand and covered it with a tremendous amount of power capable of annihting a star. ¡®There¡¯s no way he can avoid this.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was stronger and faster. In the blink of an eye, a fist that would end the fight flew toward Specter¡¯s face. ¡®...Huh?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho muttered nkly to himself. ¡®His eyes¡­ why are they shining in joy?¡¯ ¡°As expected. This is really fun.¡± ¡°...!¡± Tremble. Seo Jun-Ho looked down at his own fist in disbelief. His fist was in Specter¡¯s palm, and it wouldn¡¯t budge an inch. ¡°You¡¯re moving ording to my script, so how can I not enjoy it? I¡¯m sure you thought I couldn¡¯t use Overclocking because I no longer have Frost, right?¡± Specter¡¯s voice was bothnguid and nonchnt. He sounded as if he knew Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s thoughts and what he would think. Crack, crunch! ¡°Argh!¡± Specter proceeded to crush every joint in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s right hand, one after another. - Partner! Calm down! Melt into the shadows and retreat! Keen Intuition roared at Seo Jun-Ho to Darken, but Seo Jun-Ho was too shocked to hear Keen Intuition. Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly let go of Specter¡¯s neck and started swinging his fist like crazy. However, Specter easily avoided Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s punches by tilting his head a few times. ¡°This is absurd¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes quivered. His punches were definitely packing the power of a thousand percent Overclocking output. In theory, he was ten times faster and stronger than Specter. ¡°Your expression is the same as those Seo Jun-Hos, but it never gets old.¡± Specter grabbed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s left hand. Crack! ¡°Argh!¡± The bones in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands were reduced to fine powder, and Specter even squeezed the blood out of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands as if he were squeezing a sponge. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s survival instincts allowed him to melt into the shadows. Seo Jun-Ho retreated far away and looked down at his hands. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ His hands had be a bloody mess that wouldn¡¯t heal, and it was all thanks to Specter¡¯s Darkness flowing through his veins, preventing him from recovering. ¡®I don¡¯t think my hands will heal by normal means. Perhaps this is why Sung-Jun failed to heal his left arm.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho stared at Specter standing in the distance and organized his thoughts. ¡®How is he doing this? Is there a gap between us that can¡¯t be filled even with Overclocking?¡¯ Specter wasn¡¯t a Transcendent. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ It was ridiculous and unbelievable, but it was the only exnation. ¡°You¡¯re using Overclocking as well.¡± ¡®But how is he using Overclocking without Frost?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho found another question. ¡®I can¡¯t feel Overclocking¡¯s unique heat from him, so¡­¡¯ ¡°Wait. Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened. Specter pointed out in amusement. ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re the fastest Seo Jun-Ho to have ever noticed it.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was finally convinced. - Partner. What¡¯s going on? How is he using Overclocking? ¡°He¡¯s using the Wheel of Time to suspend the heat while getting rid of them at once using his darkness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Specter nodded and stuck out his arm. ¡°Darkness is flowing in my magic circuit, and I¡¯m eliminating the heat the moment it appears.¡± Specter¡¯s way of using Overclocking was different from the way Seo Jun-Ho had been using Overclocking with the help of Skaya and Frost, but both ways led to the same effect. ¡®But isn¡¯t it dangerous to use darkness inside one¡¯s magic circuit? One single mistake, and he¡¯ll end up killing himself.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho figured that Specter was only daring enough to do such a thing because he was out of his mind. Seo Jun-Ho took a deep breath. He constricted his blood vessels and forced the darkness flowing through his veins to his forearms. Then, he chopped off his forearms using the Freedom de. The darkness vanished, and Cell Regeneration quickly jumped into action. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s arms grew from the stump. Seo Jun-Ho nodded as he stared at his healed arms. ¡®I knew it, Sung-Jun was strong enough to recover his left arm, but¡­¡¯ Sung-Jun had decided against recovering his left arm as a form of atonement. He had done it so that he wouldn¡¯t forget the fact that he had run away from Specter as well as how he had failed to protect those precious to him. ¡°...You¡¯re abnormal,¡± Specter murmured. A normal person couldn¡¯t possibly chop their arms off without hesitation. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re both abnormal.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stretched his arms before continuing. ¡°I think we¡¯re both done probing each other, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± Specter mustered his crimson darkness. ¡°You¡¯re the best Seo Jun-Ho among the Seo Jun-Hos I¡¯ve ever met, but you¡¯re still too weak to beat me. Anyway, what are yourst words?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho remained silent. ¡°All right, then.¡± Snap! Specter snapped his fingers, and a crimson darkness pervaded the entire hall, bringing with them the power of extinction. The scene was horrifying, but Seo Jun-Ho remained calm. ¡°Summon Spirit¡­¡± He had something that neither Sung-Jun nor Specter had. ¡°The Frost Queen.¡± The cold winter breeze swept past Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s cheeks. Chapter 633: Specter (4) Chapter 633. Specter (4) The darkness surging toward Seo Jun-Ho suddenly stopped. It stopped not because Specter was suddenly merciful nor because he changed his mind. The Frost Queen¡¯s cold energy had instantly suppressed the tidal wave of darkness. ¡°Whose contractor do you think you¡¯re messing with right now?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Specter sounded amused as he said, ¡°You speak as if you know me. Am I mistaken?¡± The Frost Queen wordlessly snorted. However, Specter chuckled upon realizing something. ¡°Pfft! I see. Did she perhaps give you her memory before she disappeared?¡± ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny because do you really think she gave you her memories for no reason at all?¡± Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen fell silent. That was indeed what they thought. Specter stared alternatingly between Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen. ¡°You fools. She¡¯s using you. The only reason she gave you her memories is to get back at me for abandoning her. She wants you to kill me.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen looked at each other in silence. Soon, the Frost Queen turned toward Specter and said, ¡°How pitiful. I feel sorry for you.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Specter stared with narrowed eyes at the Frost Queen. ¡°What did you just say to me?¡± ¡°I said I feel sorry for you. It¡¯s a shame how twisted you¡¯ve be. It is to the extent that your eyes have be full of distrust.¡± ¡°I¡¯m twisted?¡± Specter put his fingers together and mockingly made shapes while saying, ¡°Is it like this? Or like this?¡± Specter soon stopped smiling. ¡°If I¡¯m twisted in your eyes, you two are also twisted in my eyes. In other words, what you think of me and what I think of you two is just a difference in perspective.¡± ¡°Pure sophistry. You will never be understood bymon sense.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Specter red hatefully at the Frost Queen and said, ¡°Things wouldn¡¯t have turned out like this if she had decided to trust and help me until the end.¡± ¡°...No. The Frost Queen on the 8th Floor believed in you until the end. I wanted to help you, and that¡¯s why I vehemently dissuaded you so that you wouldn''t go down the wrong path.¡± ¡°Is that so? Wasn¡¯t she just forcing her beliefs onto me?¡± Specter took off his mask. The face exposed underneath the mask was the exact same as Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face, but his eyes were so red that no one would be able to imitate him. Seo Jun-Ho inadvertently thought, ¡®Those eyes don¡¯t suit me.¡¯ Specter¡¯s bloodshot eyes looked out of ce on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face. ¡°Contractor,¡± the Frost Queen said while keeping her eye on Specter. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°He insisted that to defeat the Archduke, Watchguard of Darkness¡ªthe strongest spear¡ªshould also be EX.¡± ¡°...He¡¯s right.¡± In fact, the destructive power of Specter¡¯s darkness was beyond imagination. ¡°However, the method he chose was so crazy that I vehemently opposed it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that crazy of a method?¡± ¡®Just how messed up that method was for the Frost Queen to say such things?¡¯ ¡°It wasn¡¯t difficult,¡± said Specter. ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know, but darkness-attributed skills are extremely rare, so it¡¯s difficult to raise the grades of such skills.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°It was the most efficient, fastest, and the easiest way.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡®Really?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned to the Frost Queen with a puzzled look. The Frost Queen muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the lunatic.¡± ¡°Do you still not get it?¡± Specter said and pointed to his eyes. ¡°I just had to be a fiend and consume the demons¡¯ demonic energy. I was able to absorb more demonic energy by bing a fiend rather than just absorbing them using Watchguard of Darkness.¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho went beyond pallid. Specter stared at the pale Seo Jun-Ho and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up with that look? Do you not understand me as well?¡± ¡°You lunatic. Absolutely no one will understand you¡­¡± ¡°...Yes. That¡¯s how everyone reacted, but I thought it was a great discovery.¡± Specter sounded lonely as he said, ¡°But as I already said numerous times, I was right. My clever idea allowed me to raise Watchguard of Darkness to EX.¡± He red hatefully at the Frost Queen and said, ¡°If she had just trusted me, I wouldn¡¯t have abandoned her. I would have defeated the Archduke.¡± ¡°It would have been a meaningless victory, as you would simply be the second Archduke even if you had defeated him.¡± Demonic energy was an energy that cursed its wielders to crave destruction and ughter. ¡°The stronger the power, the greater the consequence¡ªjust like how all of this happened because of the Archduke.¡± ¡°Your words are proof that you didn¡¯t trust me until the end.¡± Buzz! Specter¡¯s fierce demonic energy soared up, but it soon became as calm as a cidke. ¡°...You need to wake up. That energy is not the kind of energy that an individual can control.¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s square one again. The result of this battle will tell us who is right.¡± The conversation was over, but the Frost Queen was still staring at Specter. ¡°Look.¡± The Frost Queen sighed. Her gaze became filled with pity toward Specter as she exined, ¡°The Seo Jun-Ho I know isn¡¯t the type of a person who¡¯ll smile so brightly at the thought of murder.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Specter flinched and touched the corners of his mouth. As soon as he realized that he had been grinning from ear to ear, he boisterouslyughed. ¡°Puhahaha! All right¡­ perhaps you guys were right all along.¡± Specter¡¯s demonic energy started boiling like hot water in a pot. ¡°So what?¡± Specter was long past the point of no return, and he could no longer see the path that he had once taken/. ¡°Bring it on. The result will tell us everything.¡± Specter was right; they were back to square one. ¡®Perhaps this situation was decided the moment he drank a demon¡¯s blood.¡¯ ¡°Frost,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°All of his abilities are stronger than mine. Do you know what that means?¡± ¡°...All of his abilities are stronger than yours?¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho briefly forgot about the situation and stared at the Frost Queen as if she were pathetic. ¡°What¡¯s up with that look?!¡± the Frost Queen roared. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, you know!¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s conscience was hurt upon realizing that the Frost Queen had seen through his thoughts. He turned to look at Specter before continuing. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re the only variable of this battle.¡± ¡°That is not strange. He can¡¯t possibly handle me.¡± ¡°Can you use your power to block to block his attacks?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Specter¡¯s Darkness and Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Frost were both EX, so they had to be on par. ¡°I guess the only way to find out is to give it a try.¡± ¡°All right. Focus on defense. Block as many attacks as you can.¡± Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen got ready for battle. Specter finally spoke, ¡°The issues will disappear so long as you two disappear.¡± Specter seemed ready to destroy the world just to prove that he was right. The darkness that soared into the sky began to scatter and pour down like rain. ¡®Rain of Destruction¡­!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was shocked to see Specter use the skill he had just created not too long ago. ¡®Doesn¡¯t that mean he can use skills that I¡¯ll create in the future?¡¯ ¡°Ice Castle!¡± Crackle! The ice that sprouted from the ground turned into an igloo. Seo Jun-Ho briefly felt dizzy. The huge igloo of ice seemed to have been enveloped with the power to block. ¡°Hmm.¡± Specter muttered, ¡°I¡¯ve always been wondering.¡± The power to scorn could ignore all defense, while the power to block could block all elements. ¡®Who would win if they were to collide?¡¯ ¡°I will finally have my answer today.¡± Crash! A tidal wave of crimson darkness soared from within the igloo. At the same time, the heavy rain of darkness pelted down on the igloo. ¡°Argh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho groaned as his vision swam. ¡®What kind of fight are they having?¡¯ [Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) has protected your mind from further mental damage.] Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind abruptly cleared up. He turned around and saw the Frost Queen skillfully wielding ice to block Specter¡¯s attacks. ¡®She¡¯s still using my mental strength.¡¯ However, Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) didn¡¯t allow Seo Jun-Ho to feel the pain. ¡®I¡¯m going to lose consciousness in an instant without any warning if I continue to zone out like this.¡¯ ¡°Frost! Open the door!¡± Seo Jun-Ho shouted. ¡°Oh, right.¡± A small hole appeared on one side of the igloo. Seo Jun-Ho crawled through the hole and gasped. ¡®What?¡¯ An endless rain of darkness struck theyer of ice like missiles. However, the Frost Queen was relentless as she created more and more ice. ¡®Things are looking great right now, but we¡¯ll surely be at a disadvantage in the long run.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho understood why Specter was so desperate to raise the Watchguard of Darkness to EX. And it was all because Watchguard of Darkness was literally the best spear¡­ ¡®But I have the best spear as well.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho melted into the shadows and used Shadow Step. ¡°Hmph, you rat.¡± ¡°...!¡± The Rain of Destruction started falling toward Seo Jun-Ho as well. Seo Jun-Ho dodged and ran away from the rain using Overclocking. Every drop of rain created by the Rain of Destruction was so strong that each drop literally distorted the space as it collided against the ground. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho managed to avoid the rain, but the Rain of Destruction was driving him away. ¡®I can¡¯t even get close to him.¡¯ Time wasn¡¯t on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s side, as he was consuming both magic and mental strength at breakneck speeds due to the addition of the Frost Queen. ¡®What he wants is for me to avoid his attacks like this forever.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho came to the conclusion that he had to confront Specter head-on. In other words, he had to be ready to take some damage, as he couldn¡¯t use the power to block like the Frost Queen. ¡®I need to parry his attacks.¡¯ Specter¡¯s crimson darkness was powerful, but Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that he wouldn¡¯t die as long as he avoided taking the brunt of a dozen raindrops at once. Swoosh! Seo Jun-Ho turned around and took out Twilight from his Inventory. He gripped the sword tightly and took a deep breath. He swept his gaze across the raindrops and muttered to himself, ¡®Domain Expansion.¡¯ The power to freeze instantly unfolded around Seo Jun-Ho. The raindrops of destruction were still falling at breakneck speeds, but they weren¡¯t that fast anymore. ¡®Wheel of Time.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho amplified the power to freeze¡¯s effects. The raindrops of the Rain of Destruction had slowed down to the speed of a flying baseball. ¡®ck Moon Martial Arts First Skill: Sky¡¯s Frost.¡¯ Sky¡¯s Frost was usually used to block the opponent¡¯s attack, but he had to use it creatively this time. His goal was to parry the raindrops, so he had to hit them using the right amount of strength and away from him. Seo Jun-Ho swung his sword toward the raindrops. Boom! A massive explosion urred, followed by a chain of smaller explosions. Specter turned to look in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s direction. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡®I wasn¡¯t paying attention to him because he has done nothing but dodge the rain, so what just happened? Did he die?¡¯ Specter shook his head. ¡®The Frost Queen¡¯s still here¡­¡¯ Indeed, the Frost Queen was still creating ice. ¡®Then what¡¯s going on?¡¯ Specter frowned and narrowed his eyes. He red in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s direction and saw a mist. ¡®The mist is getting closer¡­¡¯ Specter finally realized what was going on, and he stopped attacking the Frost Queen. ¡®Enough with the games.¡¯ It has been proved that the power to scorn had a slight advantage over the power to block. Now, it was time to put an end to this annoying game. ¡°Die.¡± Specter redirected his attack toward the Frost Queen onto Seo Jun-Ho. Specter thought that Seo Jun-Ho would disappear into nothingness at the indiscriminate bombing. However, he was mistaken. Boom! The smaller explosions had gotten more frequent within the mist. ¡®No way. Is he parrying the raindrops¡­?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had achieved the impossible by throwing all caution to the wind. ¡°Hah.¡± ¡®How arrogant.¡¯ Specter was annoyed by the fact that Seo Jun-Ho still had everything he had lost long ago, and to quell his irritation, Specter decided to summon a spear made out of crimson darkness. He red hatefully at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡®Die.¡¯ He was about to throw the spear, but extreme cold struck his feet. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ It had only been about two seconds since Specter looked away from the Frost Queen, but she had already consolidated her power and was now attacking him. Specter had to make a choice. ¡®Should I risk it to kill Seo Jun-Ho? Or should I block the Frost Queen¡¯s attack first?¡¯ Specter grinned brightly. ¡°Die.¡± He hurled the spear toward Seo Jun-Ho. At the same time, a spear made out of ice prated his torso all the way to his left arm. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Nothing mattered more than killing Seo Jun-Ho and proving that he was right. ¡°You know what?¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s calm voice tickled his ears. ¡°My Contractor isn¡¯t as weak as you think.¡± Shrieeek! A shrill noise pierced Specter¡¯s eardrums as space itself was torn open ahead of him. Chapter 634. Specter (5) Chapter 634. Specter (5) Seo Jun-Ho was in a trance. His mind was calm, but he was moving at a speed invisible to the naked eye. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was gasping for air. He would die if he were to falter for even a second. There were simply too many raindrops for him to rx. He was exhausted, but he endured it and kept on moving forward. ¡®When will this end¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had already parried away thousands or perhaps tens of thousands of raindrops. However, the Rain of Darkness poured down with no sign of stopping any time soon. Seo Jun-Ho was fighting a desperate battle on his own. His body screamed at him as he maintained a thousand percent Overclocking output. ¡®How long has it been?¡¯ Many questions came to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind. ¡®Frost must still be fighting Specter outside this downpour. How much of my mental strength did she use? What if my mental strength suddenly runs out, and I end up fainting?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t help but have bad thoughts one after another out of exhaustion. Snap! To make matters even worse, Twilight¡ªSir Hart¡¯s favorite sword and Frontier¡¯s national treasure¡ªsnapped in half. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t have the luxury to mourn the weapon, as he had to immediately look for another weapon to use. ¡®I should use¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, there was no suitable weapon for him to use. The Sky¡¯s Will was more of a decorative sword the emperor used tomand Neo City¡¯s armed forces, so it was practically useless here. ¡®Cruel Executioner.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho gripped an ink-colored halberd. Cruel Executioner was suitable for cutting down arge number of monsters, considering that it had the Lightweight option, but it wasn¡¯t very efficient against raindrops. Crack! Cruel Executioner only managed to parry a few hundred raindrops before shattering. For a moment, the memory of the battlefields and crises Seo Jun-Ho had ovee with Cruel Executioner passed through his mind like a panorama. He decisively took White Dragon out of his Inventory. ¡®I only have two left¡­¡¯ The only weapon he had left other than White Dragon was the Freedom de. ¡®Please¡­ I need to reach Specter before White Dragon sumbs to its injuries.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho prayed desperately as he slowly moved forward toward Specter while thrusting White Dragon toward each and every raindrop ahead of him. ¡°Gasp, huff.¡± The umted fatigue engulfed Seo Jun-Ho at once due to the disappearance of Indefatigable and Concentration¡ªTwilight¡¯s special options. Seo Jun-Ho wanted to copse and forget about everything. He wanted to lie on the ground and catch his breath, but he knew better than anyone else that he couldn¡¯t. ¡°...¡± He could give up on everything and lift the burden off of his mind if he thought of no one else but himself. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± However, he knew that mankind¡¯s future depended on each and every difficult step he took toward Specter. As such, he couldn¡¯t stop moving just to put himself at ease. Boom! The raindrops slightly abated. ¡®Light¡­?¡¯ He could see the world outside from within the dimensional gap. Upon seeing the light, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s figure erupted into mes. ¡®I don¡¯t care even if I burn to ashes.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had long lost control of his temperature, and Cell Regeneration was the reason he was still alive. It had been desperately regenerating his organs and blood vessels every time they were destroyed by the heat from Overclocking. Swoosh! ¡®It¡¯sing.¡¯ A powerful attack was making a beeline for him. Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t stop parrying the raindrops as he squeezed every ounce of power he had left. All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Ho remembered the deste and anguished teardrops that the Frost Queen had shed on the 8th Floor. Fwoooosh! Atst, Seo Jun-Ho finally saw the oing attack. ¡®The Spear of Darkness.¡¯ The Spear of Darkness contained so much demonic energy that Seo Jun-Ho doubted if he could block it even if he were in his best condition. In addition, the spear was flying in a trajectory that didn¡¯t allow Seo Jun-Ho to escape. ¡®It¡¯s either I break that spear or I break.¡¯ Crunch! Seo Jun-Ho stomped powerfully and lowered his knees slightly before looking up. ¡°ck Moon Martial Arts Final Skill¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s magic receded like a tide as he prepared to perform ck Moon, but¡­ ¡®...Damn it.¡¯ He realized that he was too weak to break the oing spear. Fwoosh! The Spear of Darkness ruthlessly parted the raindrops as it filled Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. Just as Seo Jun-Ho started regretting his decision to face the Spear of Darkness head-on, several System messages popped up in front of him. [My Contractor (S) has been activated.] [The number of blessings varies depending on the bond level.] [The current bond level is Soulmate. Every blessing has been granted.] [For 10 minutes, all stats are increased by 50.] [For 10 minutes, the Frost Queen will not consume mental strength.] [For 10 minutes, Seo Jun-Ho can use the power to block.] Seo Jun-Ho feltfortable all over as the ability increase made him even stronger. ¡®With this¡­ I stand a chance.¡¯ White Dragon turned pitch-ck in his hands. ¡®The scornful power of darkness.¡¯ A terrifying cold enveloped the White Dragon as well. Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t been able to use the Frost Queen¡¯s power to block, but now, he was wielding both the strongest spear and the strongest shield at the same time. He took a stance with his spear. ¡°Haha¡­¡± He chuckled dryly upon sensing the absurd power within White Dragon. ¡®The power to ignore all defenses and withstand all attacks at the same time, huh?¡¯ Thebination of the two powers created a power strong enough to be called the power to deny¡ªdeny the existence of every obstacle standing in the spear¡¯s path. Seo Jun-Ho slowly thrust White Dragon toward the Spear of Darkness. ¡°...ck Moon.¡± ¡ª!!! White Dragon roared, and a monochrome power engulfed everything. It didn¡¯t spare even light. The raindrops of destruction were torn apart, and even a chunk of the dimensions copsed. ¡°...!¡± The monochrome worldsted for quite a while, and the first thing Seo Jun-Ho saw after was Specter¡¯s red eyes colored with frustration and shock. ¡°This is ridiculous¡­ how?¡± Specter muttered. The attack he had sent at the expense of giving up his left arm wasn¡¯t weak. It was a deadly attack made with the determination to kill Seo Jun-Ho at all costs. The attack contained more than half of his total demonic energy. ¡®But he blocked it¡­?¡¯ No, Seo Jun-Ho hadn¡¯t just blocked the attack; he annihted it. Crackle! The Frost Queen took advantage of Specter¡¯s confusion to restrain thetter. ¡°Contractor! Now!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho charged at Specter, and he soon found himself standing in front of thetter. His cold and firm gaze met Specter¡¯s eyes filled with hatred. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. You were wrong all this while.¡± ¡°...¡± Red tears began to flow down Specter¡¯s bloodshot eyes. ¡°...This can¡¯t be! I can¡¯t be wrong!¡± Specter screamed. ¡°Ugh! Just stay still so we can kill you!¡± Crackle! Specter¡¯s tempestuous demonic energy erupted. Cracks started to appear on the ice chains restraining him. ¡°I can¡¯t be wrong! I must be right! You two are wrong! I have to be right even at the expense of everyone¡¯s lives!¡± Specter struggled like crazy. The Frost Queen used all of her might to maintain the ice chains. She red at the restrained Specter and scolded, ¡°Just admit it. You were wrong, and I was right.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing but obey you!¡± Boom! The ice chain on his right arm shattered, and Specter started thrashing around like a madman. ¡°Everyone begged me to save the world and clear the Floors! I did what they wanted me to do, and this is what I get in return?!¡± ¡°You fool! Do you still not understand? We¡¯re saying that your methods were wrong!¡± ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m a human, too! I¡¯m just a human! I¡¯m nothing but¡­ a measly human!¡± screamed Specter. His trembling voice made it seem as though his words just now hade from the bottom of his heart. ¡°You want me to bring down the Archduke without abandoning my humanity? That¡¯s bullshit! That¡¯s impossible! A human can¡¯t possibly defeat the Archduke! I-I was just trying to end this damned quest by any means necessary¡­!¡± ¡®Why can¡¯t anyone understand me? Why is the world ming me when all I¡¯ve done is for its sake?!¡¯ Specter raised his upper body at the injustice digging into his bones and grabbed the Frost Queen by her neck. ¡°Ah! L-Let me go! I can¡¯t breathe¡­!¡± ¡°I am not wrong. I offered a clear and certain path. How dare you bastards question my ways when you have no alternative way to offer! You bastards just don¡¯t want to admit that I was right all along!¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and she went beyond pallid at Specter¡¯s crazed expression and trembling voice. Seo Jun-Ho finally arrived, and he thrust White Dragon toward Specter¡¯s heart. ¡°The same goes for you.¡± Shwik! The spear pierced Specter¡¯s heart. Specter looked up at Seo Jun-Ho in a daze and asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°You just don¡¯t want to admit that you¡¯re wrong. Didn¡¯t we just show you an alternative way to defeat the Archduke without abandoning one¡¯s humanity?¡± ¡°...¡± Specter tried to open his mouth, but no words woulde out of his mouth. Eventually, he fell silent and remained quiet for quite a while. In the end, Specter sounded helpless as he asked, ¡°...Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Specter¡¯s red eyes zed over as he slowly let go of the Frost Queen. ¡°Well¡­¡± He gently patted the Frost Queen¡¯s cheek and paused. ¡®What more can I say?¡¯ Specter smiled faintly at Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen. His smile seemed like a smile of relief as he muttered, ¡°Good luck¡­¡± He then copsed onto the mountain of bones. [Congrattions! You have defeated the Underworld Area Boss Monster, Specter.] [You¡¯ve obtained the title: Specter.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ¡­ [All stats has increased by 27.] [Safe zones will now appear in the Underworld Area.] ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly dismissed the System messages. ¡°Cough!¡± the Frost Queen coughed. ¡°...Do you want some water?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho while staring at the Frost Queen¡¯s tear-stricken face. ¡°Mmhm. sniff!¡± The Frost Queen nodded as she sobbed. *** The battle had already ended, and the fatigue finally caught up to both Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen. Seo Jun-Ho finally achieved his dream of lying on the ground and rxing. However, he abruptly raised his upper body. ¡°I thought a lot about it.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About which of the two should I absorb¡ªthis punk¡¯s demonic energy or his memories?¡± ¡°What? The answer¡¯s obvious, you stupid Contractor. It¡¯s obviously his demonic energy!¡± Seo Jun-Ho recalled Specter saying that the reason he became a fiend was to consume demonic energy more efficiently. ¡®The amount of demonic energy he had umted had to be beyond imagination.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho would definitely be ridiculously stronger if he were to absorb Specter¡¯s demonic energy. ¡°But if I read his memory, I will be able to master the Watchguard of Darkness and learn why he actually became like that. Plus, I might even be able to get some information about the Archduke. They¡¯re too valuable to forgo.¡± Wriggle. The Frost Queen¡¯s long ears wriggled, intrigued by Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words. ¡°Hmm. That makes sense. Any information about the Archduke is priceless.¡± ¡°I mean, the best thing would be to have both his demonic energy and his memories. It¡¯s a shame, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible, and¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes widened the moment he ced his palm on Specter¡¯s head. [You can use Confession of the Dead on the target.] [You sense the highest-level of demonic energy from the target.] [Watchguard of Darkness can consume the demonic energy.] [Upon absorption, your magic will increase.] [The selected target is yourself. You can absorb both memories and demonic energy.] ¡°What a relief.¡± ¡®I guess there¡¯s no need to choose between the two.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho decided to read Specter¡¯s memories first. ¡°Well, show me everything.¡± ¡®What kind of life did the very first Seo Jun-Ho live before the parallel worlds appeared?¡¯ Chapter 635: Specter (6) Chapter 635. Specter (6) ¡°Specter!¡± ¡°Specter!¡± ¡°Specter!¡± Seo Jun-Ho was surprised by the loud shouts piercing his eardrums. He tried to acknowledge everyone by nodding, but he couldn¡¯t move at all. ¡®This is simr to what happened with Sir Kis.¡¯ This was not just an ordinary memory projection. He was watching Specter¡¯s life in Specter¡¯s body. Seo Jun-Ho figured that the reason probably had to be because the target of Confession of the Dead was none other than himself. ¡®Well, I guess I don¡¯t have any control, so I¡¯ll just chill.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho decided to enjoy the scenes as if he were watching a movie. ¡°Specter!¡± ¡°Specter!¡± ¡°Specter!¡± The citizens who filled the streets shouted Specter¡¯s name like fanatics. ¡®Looking at the statue¡­ this must be around the third year after he became a yer.¡¯ The statue that was built in Gwanghwamun after Sejong the Great and Admiral Yi Sun-Sin was of Specter. Specter¡¯s feelings flooded Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind. ¡®The pressure is getting too much for him to bear.¡¯ Specter was trembling. Seo Jun-Ho could empathize with Specter, as he had gone through the same experience. ¡®To live up to their wishes¡­¡¯ Clench. The young Specter clenched his fists. ¡®I need to work even harder.¡¯ The scene peeled away. *** - The death of Kim Woo-Joong and Shin-Sung Hyun, the representatives of the Republic of Korea among the Nine Heavens, caused a wave of mourning thatsted for several days¡­ - The President of India visited the Republic of Korea this afternoon. The president expressed deep sorrow over Rahmadat Khali¡¯s death and announced that India¡¯s rtionship with the Republic of Korea will continue in the future¡­ Beep. The hologram screen disappeared, and the room was plunged intoplete darkness. ¡°...¡± Specter curled up on his bed with his face between his knees. They had seeded in clearing Adonia, but the party suffered a massive loss. Creak. The Frost Queen carefully opened the door. Her head peeked out from behind the door as she asked carefully, ¡°...Contractor. Are you sleeping?¡± ¡°I want to be alone for now.¡± ¡°Ah, okay. Rest well.¡± The Frost Queen quickly closed the door. Specter slowly raised his head in the dark. He had been saying from the moment that they cleared the 6th Floor that the party would suffer a lot on the 7th Floor if they were to try and clear it without any major improvement in their prowess. The vampires and werewolves on the 6th Floor were just that strong. ¡°If they had just listened to me¡­¡± Specter recalled telling the party that he would drink a demon¡¯s blood to be even stronger. To no one¡¯s surprise, everyone vehemently opposed the idea. Of course, Specter knew why they were so against it. ¡°The hope of mankind should never betray mankind? Hah.¡± Specter shook his head. ¡®Do I really have to care about the opinions of other people when the safety of the world is at stake?¡¯ - Stop talking nonsense. I will cut you down with my own hands if you be a fiend. Kim Woo-Joong red at Specter with a warning, but he was no more. - Jun-Ho, you are not just an ordinary yer. You are mankind¡¯s hope. Please don¡¯t let them down. Mio¡¯s life after emerging from the ice was brief. She took her own life after getting caught in her family¡¯s internal strife. ¡°...¡± Specter¡¯s eyes turned clear. ¡®I¡¯ve decided. I don¡¯t care what everyone says, I¡¯ll drink the cursed blood of demons and be a fiend.¡¯ It was the only way he knew that would surely improve his strength. In addition, he possessed Watchguard of Darkness, which meant he could increase his Magic stat by absorbing demonic energy. ¡®I¡¯m confident. With that power, I will be able to bring peace to the world.¡¯ Specter was confident that he would be able to ignore the temptations of demonic energy. Specter silently made up his mind. The yers soon went up to the 8th Floor, but he headed to the 5th Floor by himself. *** ¡°Argh!¡± A sword pierced the Heavenly Demon¡¯s abdomen. He smirked as he wiped the blood off of his mouth with his sleeve. ¡°Look who we have here? The hero of mankind! What brings you all the way here?¡± Specter had no ill feelings against the Heavenly Demon. It was a pity that he killed the Thunder God, but the Thunder God had perished because he was weak. Swoosh. Specter brought his sword near the Heavenly Demon¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯m here to receive your blood. Give it to me,¡± Specter said in a cold voice. ¡°...What?¡± the Heavenly Demon asked in astonishment. ¡®A yer is voluntarily demanding the blood of a fiend? And the yer is none other than Specter himself, hahaha! This is too funny!¡¯ ¡°Pfft! Puhaha!¡± The Heavenly Demon boisterouslyughed. His wound worsened as a result, and more blood oozed out, but he didn¡¯t mind. ¡°That¡¯s the greatest joke I¡¯ve ever heard¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon was overwhelmed with joy. He seriously thought that he had lived a long and boring life just for this moment. sh! The Heavenly Demon cut his own palm and reached his hand out to Specter. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m more than happy to give you my blood, but¡­ will you really drink my blood and be a fiend?¡± the Heavenly Demon asked. ¡°...¡± Specter wordlessly stared at the Heavenly Demon¡¯s blood dripping to the ground. Many different thoughts popped up in Specter¡¯s mind in the blink of an eye. sh! ¡°AH!¡± the Heavenly Demon screamed. Specter severed the Heavenly Demon¡¯s hand and drank the blood dripping from it. Specter¡¯s heart throbbed violently. Veins bulged all over him, and his eyes widened. His eyes were so painful that he felt like they would burst at any moment. Specter trembled with his eyes closed. ¡°Ha¡­.¡± he groaned. A white mist tainted with demonic energy emerged from his mouth. The Heavenly Demon went wild with joy at the sight. ¡°Hahaha! It worked! You¡¯re actually a fiend now!¡± Specter¡ªhis biggest obstacle to annihting the yers¡ªwas now a fiend. The Heavenly Demon jeered inwardly, ¡®What a foolish punk.¡¯ Fiends followed thew of the jungle. In other words, strength was the fiend¡¯s absolute good andw. ¡®And fiends can exert slight control over those who have consumed their blood¡­¡¯ The contract required the consent of both parties, and that was exactly what happened here. In other words, Specter was bound to be friendly to the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon smiled and said, ¡°Specter. I want you to get rid of this disgusting energy crawling around the wounds on my abdomen and wrist.¡± ¡°...¡± Specter slowly opened his eyes at the Heavenly Demon¡¯s words. ¡®It¡¯s red.¡¯ The Heavenly Demon flinched upon seeing Specter¡¯s ruby-like eyes, which resembled the Archduke¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why would I do that?¡± Specter answered indifferently. The Heavenly Demon felt nervous, so he urged, ¡°Wh-what do you mean why? I¡¯m having a difficult time recovering because of this disgusting energy.¡± ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve misunderstood something here.¡± Clench! Specter clenched his fist. Boom! The darkness coursing through the Heavenly Demon¡¯s veins exploded. A rain of flesh and blood pelted down Specter, but he didn¡¯t mind it. ¡°I needed your blood, not you,¡± he muttered coldly. After all, he already had great friends. *** ¡°What have you done?! I warned you many times not to do such a foolish thing!¡± ¡°G-give me a minute! I¡¯ll exin! I¡¯m really confident about this. It¡¯s the most efficient method as well!¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s done. It¡¯s all over. It ended the moment you drank the demon¡¯s cursed blood!¡± Specter quarreled with the Frost Queen. [The Frost Queen has unterally ended the Spirit Contract.] [Skill: Summon Spirit has disappeared.] [Your connection with the Frost Queen has been severed.] The quarrel was so bad that the rtionship between the two went past the point of no return. The Frost Queen couldn¡¯t understand Specter¡¯s decision, and she no longer trusted Specter, who had be a fiend. The Frost Queen¡¯s hateful and disgusted eyes wouldn¡¯t disappear from Specter¡¯s memories. ¡°...¡± At first, Specter was furious at the Frost Queen. He didn¡¯t be a fiend for his own sake. He had made such a monumental decision to protect everyone and clear the Floors. ¡®I can really do it with this power.¡¯ He had be a fiend, but the fiend¡¯s instincts to destroy and ughter couldn¡¯t sway him. [Hero¡¯s Mind (S) has resisted the majority of Death Drive¡¯s effects.] [Hero¡¯s Mind (S) has resisted the majority of Mental Pollution¡¯s effects.] Specter was right. ¡®I¡¯m sure I can resist them perfectly if Hero¡¯s Mind were EX.¡¯ Unfortunately, Specter had no choice but to be satisfied with what he had. [Apostasy of the hero of mankind. Specter bes a fiend.] [Specter killed the Heavenly Demon and drank his blood. Why?] [The hero of mankind has forgotten the most important thing in his quest for more power.] The media outlets around the world criticized him every day. ¡°Fucking morons.¡± ¡®What¡¯s the most important thing? Isn¡¯t it clearing the Floors?¡¯ Specter¡¯s heart burned with fury upon seeing so many people criticizing him despite knowing nothing. ¡°...¡± ¡®Am I always this irritable?¡¯ Specter felt slightly afraid, so he made sure to suppress his anger as much as possible. ¡®...I¡¯ll have to move on my own for the time being. I won¡¯t be able to join the advance party in this state, anyway.¡¯ The yers who once fought with Specter on the front lines had ceased all contact with him. ¡®I can prove it by myself.¡¯ Specter wished to prove that the demonic energy couldn¡¯t consume him. He was convinced that the moment they realized that he was still working hard for humanity as he had always done, his friends and the Frost Queen would reach out to him again. ¡®Until then¡­ I¡¯ll have to be a bit lonely.¡¯ Specter skipped the 8th Floor that didn¡¯t have a Floor Master. He packed his luggage and headed for the 9th Floor by himself. *** There was a clear social division in the Underworld, and the most powerful demons were the Counts. There were a total of seventy-two Counts throughout the Underworld. ¡°S-s-stay away!¡± Count Marmon quivered violently as he retreated. He eventually found himself cornered with his back against the wall. ¡°I-I said stay away! Get out of my city!¡± ¡°...¡± The Count Hunter wordlessly showed his tempestuous demonic energy. His demonic energy was so powerful that Marmon lost his will to fight upon seeing it. ¡°Ah, ah¡­ah¡­¡± Marmon¡¯s fearful eyes reflected the looming darkness, and he was quickly shredded to pieces. [You¡¯ve defeated Count Marmon of the Underworld.] [Count Hunter¡¯s effect has been activated. All stats has increased by 10.] ¡°...¡± Specter was neither pleased nor tired. He acted like a public official as he absorbed Marmon¡¯s demonic energy. ¡®This is the 65th one.¡¯ Specter had be a monster after devouring the Counts of the Underworld. He was already a Star Destruction Stage creature, so it wasn¡¯t that difficult for him to kill the Underworld¡¯s Counts, who were at Liberation Stage at most. ¡®...¡¯ It had already been two years since he came up to the 9th floor, but he was still alive. The yers had attempted to clear the 9th Floor, but they never came back again after the demons vanquished them. ¡®Perhaps they need more time. It takes a lot of money and time to nurture elite yers.¡¯ Specter would sometimes go back to Earth whenever he wanted to see humans and got tired of fighting. However, he wasn¡¯t wee anywhere. The citizens were afraid of him, and the staffers of the World yer Association would follow him everywhere. ¡°...¡± This wasn¡¯t the future that he had envisioned. The most frightening thing was that he would always feel this strong urge to ughter whenever he felt annoyed. ¡°Damn it. What the fuck are you looking at?!¡± ¡°...¡± The citizens simultaneously looked away. At that, Specter finally realized that something was wrong. ¡®I-I have to go before it¡¯s toote¡­ while I¡¯m still sane¡­¡¯ Specter had to kill the Archduke soon. *** ¡°Huff, huff.¡± The Archduke was strong. Specter had been fighting the Archduke for many days now, but the Archduke still hadn¡¯t lifted even a finger against him. ¡°You know what?¡± the Archduke suddenly said. Perhaps it was because the fight had gotten too boring for him. ¡°No one has ever owned two EX elemental skills just yet.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°To be honest, I really want to see that happen. I was sure you¡¯d do it.¡± The Archduke shook his head and said, ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s clear that I was mistaken.¡± There¡¯s no need for me to drag this meaningless fight on any longer,¡¯ the Archduke murmured to himself. The stars in the universe above the Archduke sparkled. Swoosh! Dozens of stars made a beeline for Specter. ¡°...¡± ¡®No one has ever owned two EX elemental skills? Does that mean that Frost is the reason my Watchguard of Darkness has been sitting at S all this while? The only useful thing abut Frost (EX) is the power to freeze. It¡¯s a half-baked EX skill.¡¯ Specter was furious at the thought that he had been fighting with a handicap all this while, and it was all because of the garbage power to freeze. Indeed, the power to freeze was garbagepared to Watchguard of Darkness¡¯ scornful power. ¡®Then I don''t need this useless power.¡¯ Specter put his hand over his heart and muttered, ¡°Watchguard. Absorb the Frost skill.¡± The nonsense that he wanted to do was supposed to be impossible, but he drank the Heavenly Demon¡¯s blood, who had inherited a Mimic¡¯s gluttony. [Watchguard of Darkness has absorbed Frost (EX).] [Frost (EX) has disappeared.] [Watchguard of Darkness (S) has evolved to Darkness (EX).] [The Watchguards departs.] An overwhelming power burst out of Specter. Specter was nothing more than a bugpared to Archduke. He was like the dumb David trying to fight the mighty Goliath. ¡®But I can feel it.¡¯ He could feel that the scornful power of Darkness (EX) was capable of shredding the defenses of the monster in front of him. He just had to hit the monster. ¡°Deathscythe.¡± Specter swung the scythe with all his might, and the dozens of stars vanished. ¡°...Hmm?¡± The Archduke¡¯s eyes sparkled with interest. As evidence, he sat up straight for the first time since the battle started. ¡°I guess I wasn¡¯tpletely wrong,¡± the Archduke muttered with interest. The deluge of darkness loomed over the Archduke. ¡°Curtain of Darkness!¡± Specter sealed off everything to prevent the Archduke from escaping. The old iron sword in Specter¡¯s hand was emboldened by a titanicyer of demonic energy. ¡®Things will go back to normal once you¡¯re dead.¡¯ Specter was convinced that the fearful gazes toward him would turn warm once again, and he was convinced he would be able to get along with his friends once again. ¡®So, please¡­! Please die so I can get my life back.¡¯ Boom! The mighty congration of demonic energy seemingly capable of destroying gxies drew a beautiful arc as it struck the Archduke. ¡°...¡± The Archduke¡¯s chair shattered, and the where they fought was split in half. The dimensions struck by the attack werecerated, and space itself was shattered. ¡°Hmm.¡± The Archduke¡¯s voice echoed behind Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I can still move, you know.¡± In other words, the Archduke was implying that Specter¡¯s attack would have been dangerous if he hadn¡¯t dodged it. ¡°You were just one step short.¡± Only one person came to Specter¡¯s mind as he copsed out of exhaustion. ¡®Frost¡­ if only I had her with me¡­ perhaps I would have seeded. Perhaps she could have stopped him from moving. If only¡­ if only¡­¡¯ Specter¡¯s assumptions eroded his mind. [Hero¡¯s Mind (S) has failed to resist Death Drive¡¯s effects.] [Hero¡¯s Mind (S) has failed to resist Mental Pollution¡¯s effects.] ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± The hero finally became a true fiend at the copse of his mental barrier. The Archduke smiled and offered him something sweet and irresistible. *** Specter was living in a dimensional gap, but he would always go out to hunt the Counts of the Underworld whenever it opened. Whenever he did, Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen of a parallel world would always visit him soon afterward. Of course, he devoured them as well. ¡°...¡± He was getting tired of everything, and his encounters with the fake Frost Queen who couldn¡¯t even remember him were more annoying than exciting. ¡®Once this is all over¡­¡¯ Yes, the world that the Administrators, his friends, the Frost Queen, and mankind had been wanting to see would definitelye. ¡°A peaceful world where everyone is happy¡­ yes, it wille.¡± It would be a world that wouldst for as long as the universe. ¡®The peace and happiness that all of you have been wanting so badly ising.¡¯ There was only one step left. Specter patiently waited for the final Seo Jun-Ho. *** Specter was defeated. Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen told him he was wrong. It was even more shocking to hear that because it was said by Seo Jun-Ho, who had received the memories of his Frost Queen on the 8th Floor. ¡°You just don¡¯t want to admit that you¡¯re wrong. Didn¡¯t we just show you an alternative way to defeat the Archduke without abandoning one¡¯s humanity?¡± The final Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s words were strange, but Specter wasn¡¯t annoyed for some reason. ¡®Does it really exist? I couldn¡¯t find an alternative way to defeat the Archduke without abandoning my humanity, no matter how long I agonized and thought about it. To think that there¡¯s actually a way¡­¡¯ Specter¡¯s gaze went nk. ¡®If I had chosen that path¡­ could I have stayed with Frost and my friends? Could I have avoided living a painful and lonely life? ¡¯If that¡¯s true¡­ if such a path really exists¡­ I have no choice but to root for these two, even though it means I¡¯ll be denying everything that I¡¯ve done so far.¡¯ Specter slowly let go of Frost¡¯s neck and gently patted her on the cheek. The Frost Queen¡¯s eyes widened like a surprised rabbit. Specter¡¯s hand felt warm, and it was simr to what her contractor had always done to cheer her up. ¡°...Good luck.¡± The two slowly faded away from his vision, and Specter soon found himself staring at the Seo Jun-Hos he had killed. They were reaching out toward him, and their faces were telling him that he shoulde with them. ¡°...¡± Specter epted their offer and closed his eyes as hey on the mountain of bones. *** ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was abruptly pulled out of Specter¡¯s memories. He had already returned, but he was still staring nkly into space. The Frost Queen saw that, and she muttered, ¡°I guess I have no choice¡­¡± She stretched and swung her fist as if she were preparing herself. ¡°I have to wake him up by beating him u¡ª¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m awake,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said in a hurry. He didn¡¯t want to raise Blunt Force Resistance to the highest level. ¡°Hmm. Well¡­ was there any useful information?¡± ¡°Yes, there was more useful information than I thought.¡± Seo Jun-Ho could finally understand why Specter had made such a decision. However, it didn¡¯t mean that he empathized with Specter. ¡°His experience was very much different from mine.¡± ¡°It sure was. He failed to get the diary on the 4th Floor, and he also failed to learn the ck Moon Martial Arts on the 5th Floor. To make matters worse, he made an enemy out of the werewolves on the 6th Floor rather than turning them into friends.¡± ¡°His life was in hell mode.¡± Seo Jun-Ho felt grateful that he had been lucky enough to have chosen only the right answers throughout his journey so far. ¡°...No.¡± ¡®Perhaps the reason I managed to choose only the right answers was that the Seo Jun-Hos from the parallel worlds who have perished before me had engraved some hints in my soul.¡¯ ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho bowed lightly before the mountain of bones before looking down at Specter¡¯s corpse. ¡°It¡¯s going to look a bit different from the world you¡¯ve been wishing to see, but¡­I¡¯ll try my best to make your wishe true.¡± Seo Jun-Ho ced his hand on Specter¡¯s forehead and started absorbing thetter¡¯s demonic energy. ¡°Argh!¡± The absorption process was painful due to the overwhelming amount of demonic energy contained in Specter¡¯s corpse. However, Seo Jun-Ho was determined to endure the pain, as this opportunity would nevere again. ¡®Be strong, Seo Jun-Ho.¡¯ For the sake of picking up where Specter had left off, Seo Jun-Ho forcefully endured the excruciating pain and continued on absorbing Specter¡¯s demonic energy. The Frost Queen stood silently next to him¡ªall she could do was trust and wait for him. ¡°...¡± It took Seo Jun-Ho sixty-two hours to absorb every ounce of demonic energy in Specter¡¯s corpse, and digesting them took 114 hours. Seo Jun-Ho experienced his third Body Transformation once he was done absorbing Specter¡¯s demonic energy. [Watchguard of Darkness (S) has evolved to Watchguard of Darkness (EX).] [The Watchguards has be more ruthless when biting enemies.] Chapter 636: Happy Ending of the End (1)

Chapter 636: Happy Ending of the End (1)

Seo Jun-Ho stared at the System message in front of him. ¡®It¡¯s EX, but something is different.¡¯ The skill name remained the same. Seo Jun-Ho reyed Specter¡¯s memories just in case. ¡°I knew it.¡± ¡®I was right.¡¯ Specter¡¯s Watchguard of Darkness (S) became Darkness (EX) when he gave up Frost (EX) to evolve the former to EX. ¡®It also says that the Watchguards departed¡­¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s case was the opposite. The Watchguards remained, and they had be more ruthless. ¡°Frost, do you know anything about this?¡± ¡°No.¡± Seo Jun-Ho figured that there was no way of finding out what this meant for the time being if the Frost Queen had no idea about it. However, he was sure of one thing¡ªhe had gotten even stronger. ¡°Well. I guess I¡¯ll find out as I use the skill. Title open.¡± The new title sparkled as if it were telling Seo Jun-Ho to take a closer look at it. [Title: Specter] Grade: EX Description: This title proves that you are Specter. Effect: You are the master of darkness. ¡°So an EX title actually exists¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered nkly. He had acquired many titles so far, but it was his first time seeing an EX title. Seo Jun-Ho had many S titles, but he only had one EX title. Seo Jun-Ho even thought that S was the highest grade a title could reach. ¡°I want to see it too. Hmm¡­?the effect seems quite simr to World Tree¡¯s Savior.¡± ¡°Nature is on your side. You are the master of darkness. Wow,?you¡¯re right. They¡¯re simr.¡± ¡®But the keyword here is the word?master. There must be a difference.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho circted his magic and created darkness. He experimented a few times, and the Frost Queen asked him excitedly, ¡°Did anything change, Contractor? Does it feel different from before? How is it?¡± ¡°To be really honest with you¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Be honest and tell me.¡± ¡°I have no idea what changed.¡± It felt like the only change was the direct improvement in the strength of the darkness he could manifest. However, it wasn¡¯t really a strange improvement, as the Watchguard of Darkness had be EX. It didn¡¯t seem rted to the title. ¡°Then¡­ well. I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Don¡¯t be too disappointed. You still gained a lot from defeating Specter, right?¡± ¡°Yes, and I still have a lot more to gain.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes turned to one side toward the mountain of bones. The Frost Queen suddenly flinched upon realizing something. ¡°No way. You¡¯re not thinking what I¡¯m thinking, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯m thinking exactly what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Apparently, no one had ever owned two EX elemental skills. ¡®Perhaps I¡¯m the first one, but I received no reward for the achievement.¡¯ The System would award titles to yers who had either aplished the impossible or who had done something before anyone else. Seo Jun-Ho was clearly the very first person to have two EX elemental skills, but the fact that he hadn¡¯t received any rewards meant only one thing. ¡°It means I¡¯mcking something.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had two EX skills, but the System judged that they weren¡¯tplete. It was unknown whether what he wascking was experience, skillprehension, or proficiency. ¡°Fortunately, there are many of us here.¡± There were more than ten thousand Seo Jun-Hos in front of him. Most of those experiences were wrong answers, but humans knew how to deduce things by looking at hints. ¡°Contractor. Listen carefully,¡± the Frost Queen gestured as if she were a kindergarten teacher. ¡°Those memories aren¡¯t ordinary memories. Perhaps every time you use the Confession of the Dead, you will relive their lives just like what happened with Specter.¡± In other words, he would clearly feel the emotions of every Seo Jun-Ho, which was risky, as the current Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s emotions might get overwhelmed. ¡°I really think that it¡¯s too dangerous. I mean, just look at you right now,¡± the Frost Queen said as she pointed to Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes. The tears he had shed after observing Specter¡¯s memories had yet to dry up. ¡°...It¡¯s fine,¡± Seo Jun-Ho replied in a firm voice. ¡°And maybe this is thest chance.¡± ¡°Last chance? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I can feel it. I¡¯m about to meet the Archduke.¡± ¡®Maybe this is thest chance for me to grow before I face the Archduke.¡¯ ¡°Moreover, a dimensional gap is an aberrant space unaffected by time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s more dangerous. You don¡¯t know how much time has passed outside.¡± Seo Jun-Sik had spent five years in a dimensional gap, but only an hour had passed outside. ¡®But this isn¡¯t an ordinary dimensional gap.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho raised his head. He was at a dimensional gap connected to more than ten thousand dimensions. In other words, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if time here was twisted, simr to wired earphones in one¡¯s pocket. ¡°Everything might be over by the time you get out of here. You might be toote.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®That¡¯s the worst-case scenario, but it can happen.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho hesitated, but Keen Intuition spoke. - It¡¯s okay, Partner. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I feel like I should tell you that it¡¯s okay.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had heard Keen Intuition¡¯s voice numerous times, but this was his first time hearing such an intense longing in Keen Intuition¡¯s voice. ¡®What is it longing for so badly¡­?¡¯ Even before Seo Jun-Ho could finish his question, he had the illusion that Keen Intuition¡¯s gaze¡ªwhich there was no way it existed¡ªwas directed at the pile of bones. Its gaze contained an anguish and longing that shook Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s heart. ¡°Ah.¡± Seo Jun-Ho finally realized the reason why Keen Intuition suddenly appeared to him one day and why Keen Intuition wasn¡¯t in Specter¡¯s memories. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho sometimes thought that it was strange how Keen Intuition had the perfect answer to the dilemmas he had never encountered before. ¡°I understand. Intuition, you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡®You are the legacy¡­ the legacy of the Seo Jun-Hos who died regretting their choices.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled gently and patted the Frost Queen¡¯s head. She was looking at him with worried eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°...Don¡¯t take too long.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Take too long, and I¡¯m going to go back to the Spirit World.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Queen looked like she had a lot she wanted to say, but she swallowed her words and raised her hand to pat Seo Jun-Ho on the head. ¡°Come back safe and sound. Take care of your health.¡± ¡°...What are you, my mom?¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled and slowly turned around to face the bones of ten thousand Seo Jun-Hos. He took a moment topose himself before taking a deep breath. ¡°Confession of the Dead.¡± *** The Archduke opened his eyes. Specter was dead. ¡°...No.¡± He shook his head and corrected his thoughts. The old Specter had simply been reced by the new Specter. ¡®But this is the end of it¡­¡¯ The Frost Queen on the 8th Floor had perished as well, even though he thought that she would forever be his obstacle. In other words, she could never freeze the world again, and the Archduke no longer had any reason to create more parallel worlds. ¡°Great.¡± The Archduke smiled in satisfaction. He had been waiting for quite a long time for everything to end. Indeed, a long time, even by his own standards. ¡®Specter¡­ I promised him.¡¯ The Archduke had promised Specter that he would bestow upon the happiest death to the universe the day he destroyed the Floors and escaped the System. ¡®It¡¯s a bit unfortunate that he can¡¯t witness that sight.¡¯ Specter was one of the few beings who understood the Archduke¡¯s will more urately than anyone else. The Archduke recalled Specter¡¯s figure before muttering, ¡°Rest in peace. I¡¯ll make sure to create the peaceful world you¡¯ve been wanting to see.¡± The Archduke raised his hand slightly, and his subordinates immediately appeared in front of him. ¡°Your Grace.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you three years. I want you to gather all the demons throughout the universe in three years.¡± ¡°Does that mean¡­¡± ¡°From now on, we¡¯ll go down the Floors and start destroying the System cores.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll recover a portion of my power every time a System core is destroyed. The System cores are the foundation of the Floors, after all.¡¯?The 10th Floor¡¯s System core had already been destroyed. ¡®Once the System cores on every Floor are destroyed, nothing can hold me back anymore.¡¯ It would mark the end of the universe''s peace and happiness ¡®It¡¯ll be an inescapable but fair and happy ending¡­¡¯ ¡°Understood, Your Grace. What should we do about those disturbing our will?¡± ¡°Kill them all. Ignore those who are not disturbing our will.¡± The Archduke ordered and closed his eyes once more. ¡®The promise I made with Specter about taking as many lives as I can to paradise will soon be fulfilled.¡¯ *** Skaya Killnd frowned. [Congrattions! Specter has been defeated.] [Safe zones will appear in the Underworld Area.] Skaya¡¯s smart brain couldn¡¯t quite grasp the message that had appeared in front of her. She walked out and found others who hade out of their lodgings with the same concern in mind. ¡°Hey, nerd. What is this supposed to mean?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯d know?¡± ¡°D-did something happen to Jun-Ho?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s friends and the yers, who were on their way to the many front lines of the universe, walked out of their lodgings while muttering to each other. ¡°Sword Saint-nim, what do you think is going on?¡± ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± replied Kim Woo-Joong. He acted like the question wasn¡¯t even worthy of ruminating over. Meanwhile, Shin Sung-Hyun burst into anger. ¡°Specter-nim has been defeated? Why does this message sound like he¡¯s the Floor Master?¡± Everyone couldn¡¯t quite understand what was going on, but they knew that something was wrong here. Skaya turned toward a certain someone. ¡°I think you know something. Do you mind telling us?¡± she asked. ¡°...¡± Gray was the supervisor responsible for the yers¡¯ training on the front lines. He groaned upon hearing Skaya, but he soon replied, ¡°Well, it seems the 9th Floor has been cleared.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my question. What does the 9th Floor have to do with Jun-Ho¡¯s defeat?¡± Gray looked around and saw hundreds of yers staring at him. ¡°All right. Gray sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s something you should know, anyway¡­¡± Gray¡¯s lengthy exnation started. Skaya staggered upon hearing Gray¡¯s exnation. ¡°W-what nonsense is that¡­?¡± If Gray were someone else, Skaya would have snorted and walked away. However, an Administrator had no reason to lie to them. Skayaposed herself and asked, ¡°Why Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Why is Jun-Ho the only one carrying such a heavy burden?¡± ¡°...¡± Gray shut his mouth tightly. The gazes of hundreds of yers pierced Gray, and he eventually opened his eyes and said calmly, ¡°We had no other choice.¡± ¡°You better exin.¡± ¡°In a short time of only a dozen years, Specter showed more definite results than anyone else.¡± Despite the poor conditions, Specter eventually grew to the point of threatening the Archduke. ¡°However, his speedy growth became a big problem. He got too strong for the yers to defeat.¡± The higher-ups of the Aeon Empire, including the Administrators, had run millions of simtions, but they had discovered that it was nigh impossible to defeat the Floor Master of the 9th Floor¡ªSpecter. ¡°In the end, the higher-ups found out that the only person who could kill Specter was Specter himself.¡± And that was why Seo Jun-Ho had lived so many lives and perished so many times. That was the reason the being named Seo Jun-Ho had to go through all sorts of hardships. ¡°Are you serious?!¡± Boom! Gray¡¯s face turned sideways at Rahmadat¡¯s punch. He could have avoided it, but he didn¡¯t avoid it. ¡°Hmph. At least you still have a bit of conscience.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll believe me, but it was the choice we had to make for everyone¡¯s sake,¡± said Gray. He stretched his stiff neck before continuing. ¡°All of you and the Administrators¡ªno, the entire universe, are beneath fate. We had to do something to stop the universe¡¯s destruction.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone went silent. It felt surreal, but they were aware that the universe¡¯s destruction had to be stopped at all costs. ¡°But why¡­¡± However, they couldn¡¯t understand why one person was forced to make such a terrible sacrifice for the peace of the universe. Everyone had the same question in mind, but it was a question that no one could answer. ¡°...Then what happens now?¡± Gray turned to Gilberto. ¡°If I were the Archduke, I would start preparing for a major invasion.¡± ¡°Invasion? But there are safe zones.¡± ¡°The Archduke has pilfered a certain amount of the System¡¯s power, so I think¡ª¡± Gray couldn¡¯t finish speaking as numerous System messages popped up before everyone. [The safe zones on the 10th Floor has been destroyed.] [The 10th Floor is no longer safe.] [The safe zones on the 9th Floor has been destroyed.] [The 9th Floor is no longer safe.] [The safe zones on the 8th Floor has been destroyed.] ¡­ ¡°Sigh.¡± Gray sighed heavily. ¡°To think that he can already destroy safe zones.¡± It meant that the safety of yers and themon people was no longer guaranteed. Everyone was silent while processing the harsh reality. ¡°We don¡¯t have that much time left, ¡°Gray said, ¡°We have two years or three years at most.¡± ¡°...Are you talking about the time left until the invasion?¡± ¡°Yes, and all of you have to be as strong as possible in the meantime.¡± It was theirst chance to be even stronger. Mio slightly raised her hand and asked, ¡°Is Jun-Ho safe?¡± ¡°His clone is on the 9th Floor, but I¡¯m not sure about the original.¡± The dimensional gap where Specter resided was one of the most abstruse ces throughout the entire universe. Gray was powerful, but he couldn¡¯t quite prate that dimensional gap. ¡°We should consider that Mr. Specter died along Floor Master Specter on the 9th Floor.¡± ¡°No. The Jun-Ho I know wille back for sure,¡± Rahmadat answered in a firm voice. Skaya added, ¡°He¡¯ll make us worry to death for him first beforeing back as if nothing had happened.¡± ¡°In other words, there¡¯s only one thing we have to do.¡± ¡°Indeed. We have to be even stronger. I¡¯m scared just imagining just how heartbroken he¡¯ll feel once he returns and sees a destroyed Earth.¡± Five yearster, Seo Jun-Ho was still missing. Chapter 637: Happy Ending of the End (2) Chapter 637. Happy Ending of the End (2) The Floor was quiet. The people from the Floors, including Earth, refrained from going out altogether. Only the various media outlets informed them of the current situation. [7th Floor defensive line copsed, demon army retreated to the 6th Floor.] [Humanity is still going strong. Ruben Empire''s mercenaries join the fight on the 6th Floor inrge numbers.] [Sword Saint Kim Woo-Joong deres with his life on the line¡ªI will defend this ce at all costs.] [World yer Association deres a prohibition on novice yers ascending to the sixth Floor.] [Did Specter truly vanish? The void left by him is especially prominent.] It had been two years since the demon invasion. "Everyone," a weary voice spoke in an abandoned building on Trium. There were familiar faces gathered in the abandoned building, and the one who spoke was Skaya Killnd. "We need to evacuate the denizens downstairs. We can''t hold out anymore." "Is a retreat going to change anything?" Kim Woo-Joong directly opposed the suggestion of the esteemed hero he respected deeply. "The 9th Floor, the 8th Floor, the 7th Floor. We''ve faced defeat for the past two years, but it¡¯s different on the 6th Floor." The 6th Floor had a significant human poptionpared to the upper Floors. A proper civilization actually existed here. "A defeat here would mean a lot. It would engrave the word defeat in people''s minds." "I understand what you''re saying," said Son Chae-Won. She presented data to persuade him. "However, humanity has only produced two Star Destruction Stage yers over the past five years, and they are Skaya and Rahmadat. ¡±Of course, we have quite a few Liberation Stage yers, but the majority of the yers haven¡¯t even reached the Disaster Stage yet." Meanwhile, the demons were powerful. "Let''s set aside the increasing numbers of demons in battles. The main issue is Orpheus and Horizon..." Son Chae-Won''s gaze turned toward Skaya. With a bitter smile, Skaya shook her head and said, "Horizon might be possible, but Orpheus is tough." Orpheus was so strong that they had no choice but to flee every time Orpheus appeared on the battlefield. Tap, tap. Rahmadat tapped on the table and spoke, "That''s why I''ve been saying this: let''sbine our strengths and defeat Horizon first, then we¡¯ll get Orpheus once we¡¯re done with Horizon." "Do you really think that the demons are fools? Do you really think that they''ll just stand back and watch as we deal with Horizon?" "What do you suggest, then? It''s the only solution." "Right. That¡¯s why we should retreat until we find a solution.¡± "Have you all forgotten what the Administrators said? The Archduke¡¯s power increases the more Floors we lose.¡± "So what? Are you saying that we should just stay here and die?" There were factions even in the resistance party. The hardliners wanted to defend the 6th Floor and counterattack, but the moderates had acknowledged their weakness and suggested a retreat. However, they were all subconsciously aware. ''Fighting here won''t yield any chance of victory.'' ''But even if we retreat and buy a little time... it will only be extending the grace period.'' ¡®Damn it. What are we supposed to do?¡¯ The options avable to them weren¡¯t great. "Let''s fight, then." Creak. The door opened with a creak, and everyone stood up the moment they saw the intruder¡¯s face. "J-Jun-Ho?" "Specter-nim!" The man blinked and muttered, "Oh, right. Need to fix my hair." He hurriedly smoothed his hair, eliciting sighs from everyone. "Why''d you have to confuse people like that..." "Oh, Jun-Sik-nim." As yers settled into their seats like deting c cans, Mio asked, "Jun-Sik, how did it go?" "...It didn''t go well," said Seo Jun-Sik as he sat down. He had a habit of periodically checking if the Original was still alive and where he was, and he had been asking the Observatory Tower for help. "Even the Sage isn¡¯t strong enough?¡± ¡°And the same goes for Seo Mirae-nim. She ims that she can see the future, but she can¡¯t even see him¡­ "Hey, that''s enough,¡± Gong Ju-Ha chimed in and said, "Why do you think we need to fight?" "Just a hunch? I just feel that way." The yers were intrigued, but the 4 Heroes reacted differently. "Seo Jun-Sik, you can use all of Jun-Ho''s Skills, right?" asked Skaya. "Everything. There''s a slight differencepared to the original, of course..." The 4 Heroes exchanged nces. They weren¡¯t sure about the rest, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intuition had always proved useful at critical moments. "Hmm¡­" Skaya shut her eyes tightly. It had always been like this. Even if she had logical reasoning, urate data, and precise figures¡­ Seo Jun-Ho''s intuition during crises was often the more urate answer than her predictions. Actually, that was the primary reason Rahmadat started calling her a fake nerd¡­ ¡°It¡¯s fine even if humanity perishes¡­¡± In the end, Skaya surrendered. She effectively represented the moderates faction, so her decision made everyone unite. "Based on the pattern so far, the Counts will likely appear in the next attack." "For both us and those bastards, that battle will be the turning point." Two Star Destruction Stage yers, twelve Liberation Stage yers, and multiple Disaster Stage allies from each Floor¡ªthere were a total of one million yers in the resistance army. It was humanity¡¯s strongest army throughout history, and it had mobilized to face the demon army. *** "...They''reing," said someone. The night sky split open, and demons emerged from the rift in the sky. "It''s an invasion!" "Damn, there are way more demons than before!" "Gilbe! Fire!" shouted Skaya. Gilberto halted his breathing. His finger pulled the trigger of the massive railgun made from Ether. Boooom! The beam of Ether obliterated the demons. The crowd erupted into cheers upon witnessing the breathtaking spectacle. "That''s it!" ¡°I think we have a great chance of winning as long as Gilberto-nim manages to obliterate each and every one of those demonsing out of the dimensional rift!¡± The morale of the army surged as the beam of Ether dissipated. "Haaa¡­ huff¡­" A sweaty Gilberto got ready for the next attack. "We have exactly 1 minute and 33 seconds until the next beam!" "We have to stop them until then! Stay focused!" yers below the Disaster Stage, knights, mages, mercenaries of the Ruben Empire, and even the cyborgs of Neo City had gathered for the single purpose of defeating the demons as they emerged from the dimensional rift. "Fire!" They united and attacked as one. The night sky was pervaded by a multitude of colors, and nighttime briefly became as bright as daytime. "It¡¯s working! Working!" "Gilberto-nim''s attack is ready! Retreat!" The second beam of Ether painted the night sky, and the demons pouring out of the dimensional rift were reduced to ashes. "Damn! Nice!" "Do it again! We just need to keep on doing this!" The strategy was working, so the soldiers excitedly poured out their next attack in unison. Gilberto fired the third Ether beam, but¡­ "...It''s them." Kim Woo-Joong said. The Ether beam seemed to have met an immovable obstacle as it was cut short. "The Counts of the Underworld are here!" "Soldiers, don''t engage them! Leave them to us! Fight the other demons!" Orpheus of Vain was the mastermind who had driven humanity to the brink of extinction. He stepped out of the dimensional rift and casually stretched his hand out. Boom! The Ether beam disappeared as if it didn¡¯t exist, eroded by the power of vain. "Is it my turn?" "Horizon, hold your position." "What? So only you can have fun? No way I¡¯ll let that happen," said Horizon. He stepped forward and abruptly reappeared in front of Gilberto. "...!" "Father!" Arthur rushed forward, but the traces of Horizon¡¯s demonic energy sent him flying away. Horizon smiled and said, "You''ve been pretty annoying to me. You¡¯re too weak to eveny a hand on me, but you''re great at handling weaker crowds. If it hadn¡¯t been for you, these boring times would have been a few months shorter." Gilberto responded with a wry smile at his opponent''spliment before drawing his revolver like lightning. Bang, bang, bang! Three bullets were fired at Horizon''s face. "Ha, a mere toy can''t put a scratch on me." "I know." Gilberto acquiesced. No matter how many bullets he fired, he was too weak to defeat a Count of the Underworld by himself. He was well aware of that, and his opponent was definitely aware of it as well. "And that¡¯s why I never thought about attacking you myself." "...What?" Horizon furrowed his brows. sh! The three bullets in Horizon¡¯s hand emitted powerful Ether. "Ugh?!" "I have a very clever friend¡­¡± Gilberto¡¯s friend had been studying their enemies over the past two years, even amidst numerous defeats. As a result, she managed toe up with a way to deal with Horizon, at the very least. ¡°We already know how to deal with you.¡± Bzzzt! ¡°Arrghh!¡± The restraints made out of Ether restricted the cirction of demonic energy throughout Horizon''s body. In human terms, it was equivalent to hitting a vital spot. Even if one were a strong martial artist, they couldn''t possibly strengthen all of their vital spots. "You¡¯ll be immobilized for exactly two seconds." Two seconds was extremely short, but¡­ "Rahmadat is on our side." "Well done, Gilbe!" Rahmadat approached at lightning speed. Horizon''s eyes widened. "Pfft!" He burst outughing as the Ether restraints on him fell to the ground and vanished. "Immobilizing me for exactly two seconds? Don¡¯t make meugh! You better research me again!" Horizon reached out for Gilberto''s heart. Did these maggots really think that the prowess he had shown them on the upper Floors was his limit? ¡®Idiots. What I''ve shown them so far is roughly only seventy percent of my full strength.¡¯ If they had used that as his limit, then tonight''s winner would be the demons once again. Horizon was thrilled to see the look of astonishment on Gilberto''s face. "I don¡¯t have to research you again." Horizon''s figure abruptly came to a halt. He wanted to turn around and face the voiceing from behind him, but he couldn''t move. "Mages are always doubtful, doubtful, and doubtful." Click. An audible click echoed as Skaya allowed time to flow once more. [1:27] [1.49] [1.72] ... [2.00] Exactly two secondster, Horizon¡¯s expression darkened. The oing attack from behind him was too fast for him to react, and he couldn¡¯te up with any way for him to take the brunt of the attack safely. "Oh, and¡­" Boom! Rahmadat''srge fist bore a gaping hole in Horizon''s chest. Skaya ced her hand back into the pocket of her robe. "I absolutely abhor researching things I¡¯ve already researched." "Ugh¡­ what... hell..." Why? Lavue¡¯s words suddenly echoed in his ears. - Your arrogance will one day be your undoing, you bastard. Horizon looked down and saw an arm sticking out of his chest. He closed his eyes, and he never opened them again. Chapter 638: Happy Ending of the End (3)

Chapter 638: Happy Ending of the End (3)

Horizon was dead, but none of the yers could say that they had already won. The strongest Count of the Underworld, Orpheus, was still standing, after all. "A useless fool till the end." Horizon would have exploded in fury if he had heard Orpheus¡¯ words. ¡®Things went off track, but... it doesn''t matter.¡¯ He never had any expectations to begin with, so the disappointment wasn''t that great. Actually, Horizon¡¯s death wouldn''t significantly affect the overall situation. Orpheus was convinced that even if he were to die, the situation wouldn¡¯t change that much. ¡®We''ve already taken over the 7th Floor, the 8th Floor, and the 9th Floor. Those Floors have nothing but demons.¡¯ They were demons from all over the universe, and they had responded to the Archduke¡¯s call. Orpheus couldn¡¯t even count just how many demons had gathered under the Archduke¡¯s banner, and those demons were waiting for their turn to enter the lower Floors. ¡®They¡¯ve decided to throw themselves into battle where they virtually have zero chances of winning.¡¯ Orpheus swept his contemptuous gaze across the humans. "Kill everything that isn''t a demon," he said coldly. *** "Oh, damn..." "Get your act together and move quickly! We''ll all die at this rate!" "Move to your designated positions!" The yers moved in a frenzy. Their role was to deal with the demons while the elite yers confronted Orpheus. ¡®But... c-can we even face them?¡¯ Gong Ju-Ha absentmindedly looked up at the massive dimensional rift. Demons poured out endlessly from the rift, and it was no longer possible to count just how many Demons had arrived. Gong Ju-Ha felt like he was witnessing the end of the world. "Hmm." Her eyebrows trembled. For a moment, she thought it was fortunate that they weren¡¯t on Earth. "¡ªcess, Princess!" She was jolted awake by someone shaking her shoulders. "We have to hurry and move now!" "Oh, yeah." She nodded and looked back at the members of Goblin Guild¡¯s Team 2. She reckoned that what she was feeling at the moment had to be simr to what parents felt whenever they had to send their child to a battlefield. The way they looked at her made Gong Ju-Ha feel as if she were their mother hen, and the overwhelming emotions made her feel a dull ache in her heart. Perhaps that was why she talked more than usual. ¡°Wait for me there, and don¡¯t die.¡± "Yes." "If you die, I¡¯ll deduct your wages, and you¡¯ll have to listen to my nagging for three years." "Understood." "And..." "What? There¡¯s still more? What kind of evil team is this?" "I still have to listen to your nagging in the afterlife? Geez. I don¡¯t wanna die." "..." Their grumblings made her feel sad. Was it because she might never see them again? Gong Ju-Ha bit her lips and held back the tears forming in her eyes as she nodded with determination. "Go ahead and joke around all you want from now on. You won''t hear any nagging from me. Just don¡¯t die." It seemed that her will managed to reach them as they nodded heavily. "Please be careful as well, Princess." "He¡¯s a true monster, just like the rumors said. Please don''t be careful." "If I survive, I''ll definitely mess around more than usual. Don''t nag me by then." Booom! As screams began to echo from all over the city, Ha In-ho raised his hand. "All right! From now on, I¡¯m the leader of Team 2! Follow me, everyone! Move out!" He calmly led the team away. He was aware that he couldn''t stay lost in the mood forever. "Where the heck is our Ju-Ha... Ah,?there she is." Gong Ju-Ha saw familiar faces at their rendezvous point. "Sorry for beingte." "No, it¡¯s okay. It''s fine. We have to wait until the yers are done making space for us, anyway." Skaya lifted the blinds on the window. The city was on fire, and there was absolute pandemonium within its confines. Gong Ju-Ha carved the harrowing sight into the retina of her eye. "The number of surviving yers will increase the quicker we dispatch Orpheus,¡± said Skaya. ¡°Can we even kill him?" asked Shin Sung-Hyun. Skaya nodded and swept her gaze across everyone. ¡°It¡¯s doable." Skaya and Rahmadat. Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun. Finally, Gong Ju-Ha and Seo Jun-Sik. The team was made up of just six yers, but they were unstoppable. "Thisbination is something I carefully thought out. There''s no betterbination than this." If these six yers failed to kill Orpheus, the situation would remain hopeless, even if a few Star Destruction Stage yers were to join the battle from somewhere. In addition, yers like Baek Geon-Woo, Gilberto, and Wei Chun-Hak were more powerful against a crowd of enemies rather than fighting a single enemy. "Uh... What about me?" Gong Ju-Ha pointed to her own face. Her Ruler of mes (S) was also great when dealing with multiple opponents. "Princess, you have great synergy with Woo-Joong and Sung-Hyun, so we picked you." "Aha." Ruler of mes truly had excellent synergy with Cutter of mes. Simrly, the Controller of Space, who could twist the trajectory of mes in many different ways, synergized greatly with the Ruler of mes as well. Of course, the reason these things were possible was due to the training the trio had done together. "We''ll have to wait at least thirty more minutes." Orpheus had entered the city¡¯s old castle, where True Vampire Tepes used to live. "The entry phase has been decided, so please make sure to remember it." Skaya suspended a hologram in the air. The team members nodded. "I¡¯ve memorized it." "Me, too." "I''ve been there once, so it won''t be difficult." "...All right, let''s all get our nerves in order." With that, the team members dispersed throughout the hotel room. Skaya sat down and stored her spells into catalysts for the uing battle while Rahmadaty on the bed to rest. Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun were talking to each other about something. ¡®Pheeew¡­¡¯ The nervous Gong Ju-Ha washed her face several times in the bathroom. Her pallid visage made it obvious that she was incredibly nervous. "What''s wrong? Nervous?" "...You scared me." Gong Ju-Ha nodded slightly to Seo Jun-Sik leaning on the bathroom wall. "Of course, I''m nervous. It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to say this, but the future of humanity is in our hands." "Why say it like it¡¯s something new? It has always been like that." "... It''s a different kind of pressure¡ªdifferent kind of pressure." The uing battle would most likely decide everything, so the pressure felt different to Gong Ju-Ha. She looked at him with drooping shoulders. "Why do you sound like you¡¯re fine with it? Is it because you¡¯re Seo Jun-Ho''s clone?" "Well, if I were the Original, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll make sure he¡¯s calm during something like this." Seo Jun-Sik smiled softly and added, "But I bet he wouldn¡¯t be able to smile like me. He¡¯s more serious and meticulous than you think." ¡°What about you, Jun-Sik? Howe you¡¯re so calm and casual? You should be more serious,¡± said Gong Ju-Ha. She was worried that Seo Jun-Sik might take the uing battle seriously. "Hmm, I should be more serious, huh?" Seo Jun-Sik pondered briefly before shaking his head. "Nah, I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t think that attitude fits me.¡± "Is that so?" Gong Ju-Ha frowned and left the bathroom. She sat down on the sofa and took several deep breaths to calm herself down. For some reason, Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s presence always made her feel nervous. "It''s about time." Thirty minutester, the team got up. "It should take us 2 minutes and 31 seconds to reach Orpheus. No one should fall behind, but if someone falls behind¡­¡± They would be left behind. Those words were left unsaid, but everyone nodded in agreement. *** Orpheus of Vain. The yers had fought him numerous times over the past two years, and they had long understood his power and ws. ¡®His power is clear. He is capable of using the power of vain, and his power of vain annihtes everything it touches.¡¯ To be more precise, the power of vain reduced everything it touched to nothingness. The target would cease to exist. ¡®As for his weaknesses, I¡¯m not sure...¡¯ However, Skaya eventually learned something about him. ¡®Is he really omnipotent?¡¯ If Orpheus were omnipotent, why couldn¡¯t he conquer the 9th Floor? Why had he settled as one of the four Counts without defeating Horizon, Gorgon, and Lavue to be the one and only ruler of the Underworld? Why had he given up the Floor Master position to Specter? ¡®It doesn¡¯t make sense, so he definitely has ws.¡¯ Skaya had fought Orpheus dozens of times before, and she had witnessed hundreds of lives turn into nothingness by his hands. ¡®He''s always so nonchnt.¡¯ The ferocity of the battle didn¡¯t matter, Orpheus had always never pursued those retreating from the battle. He would simply stare at them for a moment before looking away. ¡®If I¡¯m correct¡­¡¯ Orpheus¡¯ power of vain had a massive w. "Ju-Ha!" "Yes!" A massive pir of fire rose toward Orpheus. Orpheus reached out with his hand to stop it, but a rift in space opened and swallowed the entire pir of fire. ¡®It¡¯sing from behind.¡¯ A rift in space opened behind Orpheus. Fwoosh! However, the rift spat out not one but six divided pirs of fire. At the same time, Kim Woo-Joong and Rahmadat rushed toward him from both nks. "..." Not a single sound echoed¡­ The power of vain turned every attack into nothingness, but it was fine. "...You were right, Skaya!" shouted Seo Jun-Sik. He had just used Wheel of Time to observe the moment of collision. "Hands! He can only wield the power of vain using his hands! And he can¡¯t move his legs while using the power of vain!¡± Orpheus looked like he could freely wield the power of vain, but it wasn¡¯t the case. He was simply too fast for people to see his movements clearly. In other words, Orpheus would simply move his arms at breakneck speeds to defend himself using the power of vain His arms moved so fast, and his movements were so fluid that Seo Jun-Sik had to use Wheel of Time dozens of times over the past two years in tandem with the power to freeze just to capture Orpheus¡¯ minute movements. "...Well done, Jun-Sik." Skaya bit her lip upon recalling the many lives that perished without leaving even a corpse under Orpheus¡¯ cursed power. No, perhaps everyone present here could still remember them. ¡®The puzzle you¡¯ve sacrificed your lives toplete is finallyplete.¡¯ The sacrifice of hundreds of yers had finally paid off. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Orpheus let out a sigh. He despised and held humans in contempt, but he couldn''t quite look down on them. ¡®Annoying pests.¡¯ Humans inflicted the greatest harm on each otherpared to many other races, but they would always unite in the face of amon enemy. They would gather like a massive swarm of ants or hos toward a single goal. "I¡¯m sure they¡¯re not aware of it, but they¡¯re advancing their fates¡­¡± Orpheus took a stance as the power of vain enveloped his hands. It seemed that the battle this time wouldst for quite a while. *** Seventeen hourster, the conditions of the team members were indescribable. However, Orpheus wasn¡¯t exactly in the best shape either. "Haaa, puff¡­" Orpheus¡¯ visage was hidden by his blood-soaked hair draping over his face. He swept his gaze across the yers as he sat on the stone steps of the old castle ruins. His legs had been severed, and he had lost one eye. In other words, the battle was practically over. However, everyone was aware that a battle wasn¡¯t over until the enemy was dead. Unfortunately, there was one single obstacle to the yer¡¯s victory. "I think he¡¯s nning to stay there until the demons outside im victory." "Yeah, I think he¡¯s waiting for the demons topletely wipe out the resistance army." Orpheus¡¯ hands were still intact, and he remained resolute as he sat quietly on the stone steps. The yers had been attacking him from afar, but Orpheus¡¯ power of vain was still as potent as when the battle had just started. ¡°He¡¯s determined to take at least one of us down with him." Orpheus¡¯ remaining eye shone in a determined light. It was clear that he wouldn¡¯t allow himself to die without taking one of the yers with him. It was a strange standoff, indeed, and Seo Jun-Sik finally made his move. "I''ll go." All eyes turned toward him; Seo Jun-Sik smiled wryly and said, "Why so serious, everyone? I''m just a clone, you know?" "..." Everyone remained silent. They knew he was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s clone, but they had been fighting together on the battlefield for more than two years now. "His power of vain may erase your very existence." "Well, yeah. I suppose that could happen." Seo Jun-Sik nodded. After all, even Sung-Jun''s clone had apparently disappeared in a simr manner, so it was possible. "But still, once Originales back and..." His gaze swept over the team before continuing. ¡°And if he finds out that one of you died while he was gone, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to be sad¡ªreally sad.¡± "If we''re talking about the Seo Jun-Ho that we know, I think he¡¯s going to be sad as well if you disappear" "Well, that''s true. We always bicker, but he took care of me pretty well." Seo Jun-Sik, who was thinking about the Original while looking up, turned to Gong Ju-Ha. "You asked earlier, right? Ah,?was it yesterday? Why I¡¯m so calm and casual?" "T-that¡¯s¡­" "No need to exin. You¡¯re not exactly wrong." But there was a reason behind it¡­ "Original¡­ his personality¡¯s really nasty." "...?" "He knows I love sushi, but he rarely buys it for me, and he has a ton of money, you know!" His Original also knew that he liked orange juice, but the fridge was filled with nothing but cold brew coffee and ck tea. "Why are you bringing that up?" "I¡¯m saying that guy is like my hometown. I eventually have to look back at him and return to him." Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s calm and casual personality belonged to Seo Jun-Ho. He had been exactly like Seo Jun-Sik before he became a yer¡ªback when he still trusted people without doubting them. "So I can''t be serious..." Otherwise, he might forget what he was like before the demon army¡¯s invasion. Seo Jun-Sik had to avoid that at all costs. Seo Jun-Sik pulled out a blue spear from his Inventory. "Let''s go, Fake Dragon." The original White Dragon was with his Original. The White Dragon in his hand was just an imitation of the original, so he named it Fake Dragon¡ªfake like himself. "Heh." Seo Jun-Sik''s lips curled up. He aimed the tip of his spear at Orpheus and spoke, "Here Ie." Seo Jun-Sik took the lead. The scornful power of darkness enveloped him as he tore through space and reappeared in front of Orpheus. "Ugh!" Orpheus quickly enveloped his hand with the power of vain. ''It doesn¡¯t feel good that I can only take a clone down with me, but...'' It was better than nothing. He caught White Dragon with one hand. Crack! The power to scorn was reduced to nothingness. ''Damn.'' Seo Jun-Sik reckoned that his Original would havested longer than him¡ªno, the tables would have turned, and his scornful darkness would have devoured Orpheus¡¯ power of vain. However, Seo Jun-Sik was simply too weak to resist Orpheus¡¯ power of vain. ¡°Now!¡± Seo Jun-Sik roared. Meanwhile, Orpheus grabbed Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s hand. "Let''s hold hands and go down this stage together¡­" said Seo Jun-Sik with a snicker. Orpheus grinned wryly. The idea of dying with this bastard was hardly appealing, but he smiled at Seo Jun-Sik and asked, "What are you talking about?" How could they go down the stage together when Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s figure was already starting to disappear into nothingness? However, two figures quickly appeared behind Orpheus and punched him. "Argh!" Orpheus spat a mouthful of pitch-ck blood. Slice!? A dazzling sword light severed both of his arms from his shoulders. He copsed and stared at the burning ceiling in a daze. "You all... are still going to die" "Just shut up and die. Stop talking nonsense,¡± growled Rahmadat. However, Orpheus¡¯ smile hung on his lips as he muttered, ¡°Fools. Do you really think that there are only two Star Destruction Stage demons left throughout the universe?¡± Everyone''s gaze was drawn to the hole in the burning ceiling. The dawn parted, giving way to the rising sun as the world was enveloped by a terrifying amount of energy. "Damn it, t-this can''t..." "No way. Are they all...?" More than a hundred Star Destruction Stage demons were approaching them. Orpheus nced at the astonished yers and chuckled. "The Archduke... is impartial." The Archduke gave him and Horizon the chance to seize the glory of conquering the lower Floors. "But Horizon is dead, and I... I¡¯m dying." The Star Destruction Stage demons who had been waiting on the upper Floors no longer had any reason to wait. From now on, they would descend and wreak havoc like rampaging bulls. "..." "..." Everyone''s mouths were tightly sealed at the harsh and cold reality. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Sik''s arm was finally reduced to nothingness. He smiled bitterly and bid farewell to them. "Damn it. It doesn¡¯t feel good leaving you guys just like this. Please¡­ stay strong, you guys." The power of vain rushed toward Seo Jun-Sik, and he closed his eyes to greet death. Booom! The ceiling abruptly copsed, and a beam of darknessnded on the ground. "Are you really going to leave them with the burden just to rest in peace?¡± The darkness took the shape of a certain individual, and he approached Seo Jun-Sik. "I don¡¯t remember teaching you that." "Huh? You, you... you!" "Nice to see you, Jun-Sik." Seo Jun-Ho grinned upon seeing Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s eyes that had gone as wide as saucer tes. He then ced his hand on Seo Jun-Sik''s forehead and muttered, "Wheel of Time." Chapter 639: Happy Ending of the End (4)

Chapter 639: Happy Ending of the End (4)

No one had ever managed to defy the power of vain over the past two years. However, it was clear that time itself was capable of defying even such a powerful ability. Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s injuries quickly vanished as if a tape were rewound. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Sik looked down at his own body and looked up. The familiar face of his Original whom he had been wanting to see so badly was there. ¡®But something is strange.¡¯ The Original in front of him seemed different from the original he knew. He had also said something about teaching him. ¡®Someone who taught me something¡­¡¯ Flinch! The lightbulb in Seo Jun-Sik¡¯s head lit up, and he shouted, ¡°I know! You¡¯re Sung-Jun, aren¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m Seo Jun-Ho.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®No way...¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik narrowed his eyes and raised an objection. ¡°The only thing you¡¯ve ever taught me was the pain and anguish of working under a terrible boss, Original.¡± ¡°At least I taught you something.¡± ¡°...I mean, I guess?¡± Seo Jun-Sik tilted his head and fell into deep contemtion. The members of the resistance army¡¯s main team slowly approached Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Jun-Ho? Are you really Jun-Ho?¡± ¡°Did you guys get scammed by a fake Seo Jun-Ho or what? What are these reactions?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, huh? Why do you think we¡¯re so surprised to see you?!¡± Skaya pped Seo Jun-Ho on the back and shouted, ¡°You disappeared for five years without telling us anything!¡± ¡°...Five years? Is that how long it¡¯s been?¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled slightly. He knew that quite a lot of time would pass until he was done with his business in the dimensional gap, but he didn¡¯t expect that it would take him five whole years to emerge. Seo Jun-Ho looked at his friends one by one. ¡°It¡¯s been five years, but no one got old. You guys still look the same.¡± The aging process was slowed down once one reached the Liberation Stage, so it wasn¡¯t strange that they didn¡¯t have even a single wrinkle on their face, they were reached beyond the Liberation Stage. ¡°On the contrary, Jun-Ho¡ªyou look¡­¡± Kim Woo-Joong trailed off while staring intently at Seo Jun-Ho. He felt like he could understand why Seo Jun-Sik mistook him for someone else. ¡°You seemed to have changed.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡®What should I say¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes used to shine brightly before, as if his eyes contained the entire universe. However, Kim Woo-Joong couldn¡¯t deduce Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s emotions anymore. ¡°Yes¡­ something is certainly different.¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve been liberated from something¡ªoh,?of course, you¡¯ve long gone past the Liberation Stage, but¡­¡± Gong Ju-Ha and Shin Sung-Hyun fell into deep contemtion, trying to figure out what part of Seo Jun-Ho had changed. Boom! However, the explosions from the city center brought them out of their contemtion. ¡°What took you so long, Jun-Ho¡­¡± Skaya muttered, sounding depressed. She was d to have an old friend back, and she weed him from the bottom of her heart. ¡°...But it¡¯s toote.¡± The Star Destruction Stage demons were descending upon them from the gates of hell above them. The yers only had two choices left: flee to the 1st Floor and die there eventually, or stay here and bring down at least one more demon with them to death. ¡°It¡¯s not toote,¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered amidst the inferno. All eyesnded on him, and he smiled softly before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t reach out to you guys in the past five years, but I really mean it. It¡¯s not toote.¡± ¡°...Yikes, this is bad. He must have really hurt his brain while he was gone somewhere.¡± Seo Jun-Sik looked sad. However, Seo Jun-Ho simply ignored Seo Jun-Sik and said, ¡°I¡¯ll make it short since we don¡¯t have much time left. I¡¯ll take care of the Star Destruction Stage demons, so you guys just take care of the demons on the ground.¡± ¡°Specter-nim. Do you even know how many Star Destruction Stage demons are up there?¡± ¡°146 Star Destruction Stage demons,¡± Seo Jun-Ho answered as if Shin Sung-Hyun¡¯s question was the sum of one plus one. His expression then turned serious as he continued. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. I¡¯ll be responsible for taking care of the Star Destruction Stage demons, but you guys will have to be responsible for the demons that have alreadye out of that dimensional rift. Do you guys think you can handle it?¡± ¡°As long as there aren¡¯t any Star Destruction Stage demons¡­ we can do it.¡± ¡°We promise. We can stop the rest of the demons as long as we join forces with the other yers.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded upon hearing the confidence in Rahmadat¡¯s voice. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°But, Original. What are you going to do with the Star Destruction Stage demons? For your information, they aren¡¯t the type who¡¯ll go back to where they came from with just a conversation.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled and raised his hand. ¡°White Flower of Chaos.¡± He tapped on the demons plummeting from the sky with his index and middle finger, and hundreds of beautiful white flowers bloomed all over the sky next to the demons, taking them away somewhere where they would rest forever. ¡°...¡± And that was it¡ªthe Star Destruction Stage demons were gone. Everyone was rendered speechless at the surreal sight that had unfolded before them. Rahmadat was the first person toe to his senses. ¡°...Huh. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll ever be able to catch up to you now,¡± he grumbled, sounding both disappointed and relieved. Rahmadat had risen to the Star Destruction Stage by training and fighting like crazy for the past five years, but his friend had transcended the Stages. Seo Jun-Ho had be his own universe, and nothing could stop him anymore. ¡°Transcendent.¡± Rahmadat waved his huge hand and said, ¡°Go. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡± ¡°Yeah, hurry up and go!¡± It was a huge waste of manpower to let a Transcendent deal with Liberation Stage demons. Seo Jun-Ho smiled softly at his friends pushing him away. He nodded at them and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get going, then.¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned into darkness itself and soared into the sky. When he entered the dimensional rift where the demons wereing from, he pulled up his magic and carved a beautiful, pitch-ck line. ¡°ck Moon.¡± The demons on the 7th Floor, the 8th Floor, and the 9th Floor were killed. Seo Jun-Ho soon found himself on the 10th Floor, and that was when he restrained his magic. [This is the 10th Floor.] [Bringer of Spring¡¯s effect has been activated. All stats increased by 30.] ¡®What is this energy?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho still hadn¡¯t ced his foot on the ground on the 10th Floor, but he could already feel a massive amalgamation of energy on one side of the. Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly headed to where the energy wasing from, and he soon found hundreds of people staring at each other. They seemed to be divided into two groups. ¡°...Hmm?¡± A few people noticed Seo Jun-Ho, and they directed their killing intent at Seo Jun-Ho. The energy within them was so intense that Seo Jun-Ho felt nervous facing them, even though he was already a Transcendent creature. ¡®They¡¯re?Transcendents¡­ but howe there are so many of them?¡± A Transcendent approached Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°You¡¯re still alive, you punk?!¡± It was Reiji. She greeted Seo Jun-Ho, but she quickly scolded him without letting his guard down against the other group. ¡°You crazy punk! Why are you here? Do you even know where you are right now?¡± ¡°I still haven¡¯t done anything crazy yet.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? The fact that you came here in the first ce is already troublesome¡ª¡± Reiji abruptly shut her mouth upon realizing something. ¡°Wait, you¡­ When on earth did you¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. It just kind of happened.¡± Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and nced at the other group. He assumed that Reiji¡¯s group were the remaining Transcendents of the Aeon Empire and its allies, while the other group was filled with Transcendents standing on the Archduke¡¯s side. ¡°I thought you guys have been doing absolutely nothing useful, but it turns out that you have been fighting in your own way.¡± ¡°Wow, you always know how to piss me off.¡± ¡®I can¡¯t beat him up anymore.¡¯ Reiji let out a frustrated sigh and checked Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s power level again. ¡®Yeah, he¡¯s really a Transcendent like me.¡¯ Of course, two Transcendents wouldn¡¯t have the same level of prowess just because they were both Transcendents. Reiji knew that fact better than anyone else. ¡°Hah.¡± And that was exactly why she acknowledged Seo Jun-Ho¡ªthetter had be more powerful than her. ¡°You madman¡­ it¡¯s good to see you back,¡± said Reiji. She then turned around and continued. ¡°Go up! We¡¯ll take care of this ce.¡± ¡°It looks like you guys need help, though. Are you sure you¡¯re going to be okay?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? They¡¯re Transcendents, but it doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re as strong as us.¡± Indeed, it seemed that the Transcendents of the Aeon Empire were more powerful than the Transcendents standing on the Archduke¡¯s side. - Take this. A massive humanoid figure made out of steel moved and approached Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Take it away from him!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let him take that away!¡± The Transcendent demons went mad and rushed toward Seo Jun-Ho, but the Transcendents of the Aeon Empire formed a wall to block them. ¡°...What is this?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. Deus Ex Machina had just handed over a small mechanical device to him. It was a spherical object made up of countless cogs. - It¡¯s proof that we haven¡¯t been ying around over the years. ¡°What does that mean? I¡ª¡± BOOM! Seo Jun-Ho trembled as a massive fight between Transcendents broke out. He couldn¡¯t help but tremble at the intensity of the fight. The 10th Floor was reduced to ashes in an instant, and the surrounding stars also exploded like fireworks. - Hurry up! You have to get out of here! ¡°Wait, what is this thing?¡± asked Seo Jun-Ho. - It¡¯s a ray of hope made with our wishes, and only you can use it! Deus Ex Machina shouted and opened a dimensional rift. Seo Jun-Ho stared at the demons running toward him before jumping into the dimensional rift. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho found himself in an empty portion of the starry skies. He had gotten so far away from the 10th Floor that he could no longer feel the Transcendents. He examined the mechanical device he had received from Deus Ex Machina. [Edit Core] Grade: EX Description: Mechanical device made by the Transcendents of the Aeon Empire at the risk of their lives Effect: One can perform modifications to the System with this device. ¡°...?¡± ¡®I can modify the System?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho immediately said, ¡°Kill the Archduke.¡± A familiar System message popped up along with a familiar mechanical voice. [It is an order that cannot be carried out.] ¡®Well,?makes?sense that it can¡¯t carry that order out.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho cleared his throat and said, ¡°Raise the level of every yer by a hundred.¡± [It is an order that cannot be carried out.] ¡°Raise all my stats by a hundred points.¡± [It is an order that cannot be carried out.] ¡°...Can you raise my Strength just by one?¡± [It is an order that cannot be carried out.] ¡®This is useless,¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho inwardlympooned with a crestfallen expression. ¡°What am I supposed to use this for?¡± Seo Jun-Ho had a few guesses. ¡®They probably made this device to counter the Archduke. He has been bing more powerful by nibbling on the System. They did say that they couldn¡¯t interfere with the System even if they were Administrators.¡¯ However, Seo Jun-Ho had no idea how to use the device in his hand, as it couldn¡¯t carry out any of hismands. ¡®What¡¯s the point of this device when it can¡¯t even raise my stats by one?¡¯ Rumble! A rift in space abruptly manifested ahead of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes turned cold as he wordlessly stared at the dimensional rift. The energy from within the dimensional rift was definitely demonic energy, and it was the most powerful demonic energy Seo Jun-Ho had ever felt. ¡®It¡¯s the Archduke.¡¯ The Archduke was calling for Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho slowly walked into the dimensional rift. ¡°...¡± The space beyond the dimensional rift contained a deste riddled with craters, making it look like the moon. The space up above was deste as well, with neither stars nor meteoroids. On the was absolutely nothing but only one throne. ¡°yer Seo Jun-Ho,¡± said the Archduke as he sat on his throne. It had been a long time since Seo Jun-Ho saw the Archduke in Specter¡¯s memories, but the Archduke still looked exactly the same as back then. ¡®And he¡¯s not even in a dimensional gap. Is he really an Absolute?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho felt like even a god would be a mere ant in front of the Archduke. ¡°Let me ask you a question,¡± asked the Archduke. ¡°What do you think about my n?¡± ¡°Are you talking about that absurd n to drag all living beings into paradise?¡± ¡°...I see. It seems that my n is absurd to you,¡± said the Archduke. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Specter died. He was my friend, and he understood me perfectly.¡± ¡°He decided to understand you somehow, as he knew that he couldn¡¯t beat you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an interesting interpretation.¡± The Archduke looked at Seo Jun-Ho with amused eyes and asked, ¡°Does that mean you can beat me, unlike him?¡± ¡°...Why not?¡± The reason Seo Jun-Ho hade here was to fight the absolute ruler in front of him. It was to pull out the root cause of everything he had been through. ¡°Summon Spirit¡ªthe Frost Queen.¡± ¡°I would have been disappointed if you hadn¡¯t summoned me.¡± The Frost Queen stood next to Seo Jun-Ho with her arms crossed. She had be much taller and more mature than before, as she had grown up on her own while Seo Jun-Ho was going through lifetimes¡¯ worth of memories. ¡°A visit from two people whose fates are intertwined with mine...¡± The Archduke had a hunch that perhaps today would be the grand finale. Chapter 640: Happy Ending of the End (5) Chapter 640. Happy Ending of the End (5) The concept of Stages wasmon sense in the universe. Just as it was natural for 160 cm to be longer than 158 cm and 70 kg to be heavier than 50 kg, it wasmon sense and a strict rule that no one could beat the Absolute. ¡°...¡± A mere human being was challengingmon sense as if it weren¡¯t a big deal. ¡®How arrogant.¡¯ The Archduke looked at Seo Jun-Ho with interested eyes. If Seo Jun-Ho were a brave and arrogant lunatic, the Archduke wouldn¡¯t have paid much attention to him. However, Seo Jun-Ho truly had the ability to challenge the universe¡¯smon sense. He had even made the Archduke stand up from his seat, even though he was just a Star Destruction Stage creature back then. ¡®His power is certainly dangerous. He must be even more dangerous now that he has risen to the Transcendent Stage.¡¯ The Archduke put his hand on his chest. ¡°...I see. Is this what being tense and nervous feels like?¡± This was the first time the Archduke would fight for his life. In fact, he had never even imagined that he would get hurt. However, Specter made him feel in danger for the first time. ¡°I appreciate it,¡± said the Archduke with sincerity. ¡°You made me learn many different emotions. With this, I will be able to make an even more perfect paradise.¡± ¡°...Is that so? Then, let me teach you one more thing on top of that.¡± ¡°What would that be?¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned into darkness instead of answering. However, his human form was perfectly maintained, unlike before, as he had already taken Darken to the next level. Seo Jun-Ho¡ªno, the amalgamation of darkness flickered like a bonfire as he said, ¡°I¡¯m sure this will be educational...¡± ¡®Because I¡¯m about to teach you death...¡¯ Shwik! A thin line of darkness caused the throne beneath the Archduke to explode. ¡°...¡± The Archduke reflexively parried the attack. He nced at his throbbing hand. He felt that the Watchguard of Darkness was a much more dangerous skill than he thought. Meanwhile, a huge wave of snow manifested from out of nowhere and loomed over him. ¡°Avnche!¡± Boom! The Archduke disappeared from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s sight in an instant upon being struck by Avnche. ¡°Contractor!¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded and mustered all of his magic without hesitation. ¡®Distributing my power or controlling the pace?¡¯ None of those were important when a Transcendent was attempting to deal with an Absolute. Every single attack had to be extremely powerful in an attempt to kill the Absolute in one fell swoop. ¡°Hmph!¡± Seo Jun-Ho unleashed the power that he had been suppressing all this while. A burst of darkness enveloped the small they were standing on, and it gripped the tightly as if it were an anaconda. Boom! The exploded, and the shockwaves spread across the universe. The Archduke¡¯s head was floating about in space among what was left of the. The Archduke¡¯s eyes were zed over; he was dead. ¡°C-contractor! Did we just kill the¡ª¡± eximed the Frost Queen with clenched fists. ¡°No,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho with a shake of his head. [Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) has resisted Land of Illusion (EX)] [Watchguard of Darkness (EX) bites Land of Illusion (EX)] [Mirror World: Land of Illusion has been destroyed.] The world shattered like ss. Seo Jun-Ho looked up and saw the Archduke sitting on the throne with his chin resting on his hand. He was staring at Seo Jun-Ho with an indifferent expression. ¡°Hero¡¯s Mind, huh? ¡­How annoying.¡± ¡°Did you really think that you can avoid this fight with an obvious trick?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± the Archduke answered before turning his gaze to the Frost Queen. The Frost Queen¡¯s resistance to mental-type skills was low, so it took her quite a while to realize what was going on. ¡°T-that was an illusion? Since when?!¡± screamed the Frost Queen upon realizing it. ¡°From the moment you two attacked me,¡± said the Archduke before turning to look at Seo Jun-Ho once again. ¡°And I¡¯m gonna have to politely decline your teaching. Chaos is the only one who has observed as many deaths as I have.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too bad to experience death at least once.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that on my own when the timees.¡± Tap, tap. The Archduke tapped the armrest of his throne with his index finger. ¡°I enjoyed our short conversation, but let¡¯s wrap it up here,¡± the Archduke said. Seo Jun-Ho opened his mouth as he felt the Archduke¡¯s indifferent eyes staring at him. ¡°Frost, get ready. We¡¯re about to get into a real fight from now on.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Frost?¡± He heard no answers. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression turned ugly. He nced at the Frost Queen next to him and saw that thetter¡¯s expression was nk. She was here, but she was staring into the depths of the deste universe in a daze. ¡°She¡¯s noting back,¡± said the Archduke. In just a single sh, the Archduke was able to identify that the Frost Queen was vulnerable to mental-type skill, so it wasn¡¯t strange that he had decided to exploit her weakness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. She¡¯s living the best life possible.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly bit his lips. ¡®If he had locked me and Frost at the same time like earlier, Hero¡¯s Mind would have easily shattered the illusion.¡¯ However, the Archduke had taken an intelligent approach. He knew that his attack would only work against the Frost Queen. ¡®Now I know¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho finally realized the reason many Transcendents lost against the Archduke¡ªthey couldn¡¯t ovee his mind-type skills along with his skill to create a parallel world. ¡°Recall Spirit,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. [The Spirit cannot be recalled at the moment.] Seo Jun-Ho tried to break the illusion by recalling the Frost Queen and summoning her again, but it didn¡¯t work. ¡°...She¡¯lle back,¡± Seo Jun-Ho said with clenched fists. ¡°That is impossible.¡± The Archduke shook his head and said dryly, ¡°All life is bound to pursue a happy life, and she is not an exception to that constant.¡± No one in the world wished to live a miserable life. Just like how people would curse their bad luck, but no one would curse their good luck. The Archduke pointed at Seo Jun-Ho and said, ¡°And that must be true of you as well. Why are you trying to go against me? I can make everything you wishe true.¡± ¡°...You think giving the greatest happiness to the majority will make the perfect world?¡± ¡°Are you talking about utilitarianism? That¡¯s funny. My idea is different and unique.¡± The Archduke wanted all life to be absolutely happy, and he was willing to be impartial to anyone and bestow upon them happiness so long as they wouldn¡¯t go against him. It didn¡¯t matter if the end was an inevitable destruction, as no one but himself would disappear. No one would learn of his disappearance as well. ¡°...Then, what will you have if you go that far?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± The Archduke shook his head. ¡°I have lived a very, very long life¡ªone that you can¡¯t even imagine. I started as a fragment of evil, but I¡¯m already at the point where I have no idea whether I¡¯m evil or good.¡± The Archduke felt terrible vanity radiating from the universe. ¡°The history of the universe repeats itself. As long as life exists, the meaningless battles will repeat.¡± The Archduke saw many different fights regardless of one¡¯s status, nationality, religion, race, sex, and ideology¡ªand he had be exhausted of all of it. He had also realized its ephemerality. ¡°So you¡¯re going to destroy the universe to stop all that fighting? That¡¯s no different from burning the entire house just to catch bed bugs.¡± ¡°Do you have a better way to stop all that fighting?¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho went silent. The Archduke¡¯s question was a question that couldn¡¯t be answered. ¡°Your question itself is wrong. Why are you trying to stop everyone from fighting?¡± ¡°So you think those pathetic quarrels are fine? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something the hero of mankind should say.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying that it¡¯s right or wrong. I¡¯m asking why you¡¯re trying to control it.¡± The Archduke said that there was no need for people to fight and struggle. In other words, even though someone would inevitably think that love was meaningless in this world, no madman had ever stopped every love from blooming throughout the universe. The reason was simple. ¡°Neither does one deserve to control such a thing, nor do they have the right to do so.¡± The Archduke smirked. ¡°Why do you think I don¡¯t have the right to do so?¡± ¡°...You think you have the right?¡± ¡°Of course I do. Thew of the jungle has existed since time immemorial. The weak follow the orders of the strong.¡± Snap! The Archduke snapped his fingers, causing countless texts and pictures to appear. ¡°These are the beings that have been called tyrants in history. Some of them are humans on Earth. They trampled, vited, and controlled the ideas and freedoms of everyone else to their heart¡¯s content because they were strong enough. ¡±On the contrary, those below them were weak. They were so weak that they didn¡¯t dare to raise their voice, as they were worried about the consequences.¡± The Archduke flung the texts away, and they eventually disappeared. ¡°I¡¯m strong¡ªstrong enough to fight the entire universe. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to seize control.¡± ¡°...I finally understand,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho with a nod. ¡°Really?¡± The Archduke was delighted. ¡°Do you finally understand me?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. But I will never agree with you.¡± The Archduke had never cared about whether he was right or wrong. He was simply doing what he wanted because he was strong. ¡°And my answer remains unchanged. I have to stop your ridiculous n.¡± ¡°Only death awaits you if you don¡¯t submit to my world.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather die¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡ªno, the darkness¡ªquivered violently. ¡°...than to live in such an absurd world just to be someone else¡¯s smiling doll.¡± ¡°...I respect your decision.¡± The Archduke snapped his fingers. ¡°Come.¡± Seo Jun-Ho turned into a ray of darkness that flew toward the Archduke. The Archduke cast a total of seventeen mental-type skills onto Seo Jun-Ho in the proverbial blink of an eye. [Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) has resisted Land of Illusion (EX)] [Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) has resisted Land of Illusion (EX)] [Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) has resisted Land of Illusion (EX)] Hero¡¯s Mind (EX) shredded the Archduke¡¯s mental-type attacks into pieces. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho exhaled at length. His breathing was calm, and he was breathing as if he were a man who had juste out of his house to take a stroll around the neighborhood. ¡®Faster.¡¯ His fists ruthlessly struck the Archduke¡¯s indifferent face like rain. ¡®Sharper.¡¯ No noise could be heard, as the two were faster than sound itself. By the time the noises of their shes were generated, the two were already on a different side of the. ¡®Stronger!¡¯ Each of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attacks was capable of parting seas and copsing mountains, and his attacks struck the Archduke with every step he took. His fists moved smoothly, akin to snakes, as they struck the Archduke¡¯s stomach, chest, corbone, and throat. ¡°Is this what pain feels like?¡± The Archduke wiped the blood flowing down his neck. For some reason, he didn¡¯t block Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s attack to his throat. ¡°It¡¯s red.¡± The Archduke finally learned that his blood had the same color as humanity¡¯s blood. He looked up and stared at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°It¡¯s about time we wrap this up,¡± said the Archduke. Snap! Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s left arm disappeared. ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth and mustered his magic. ¡®Rewind.¡¯ He had just turned back time when a huge hole appeared on the right side of his torso. ¡®Rewind!¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho turned back time dozens of times, but he never seeded in dodging the Archduke¡¯s attacks. ¡°It¡¯s all meaningless.¡± Fwoosh! Another hole was made in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s torso, this time on his abdomen. ¡°...Huff, huff.¡± Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t use Rewind, as it was pointless to turn back time. ¡®I need to manage my magic.¡¯ He had no ns on controlling the pace of the fight between him and the Archduke; he was still going to go all-out. However, he had to leave enough magic to use the Watchguard of Darkness at least once the moment the Frost Queen came back. ¡°Seriously?¡± the Archduke smirked upon seeing through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Do you still believe that she¡¯lle back?¡± ¡°...Frost wille back.¡± Seo Jun-Ho raised his fists. A gaping hole was in his stomach, and he was losing a lot of blood. The wound was healing in a snail¡¯s space, and the pain was excruciating. However, pain couldn¡¯t destroy his faith and pride. ¡°I promised.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had promised the 8th Floor¡¯s Frost Queen and Sung-Jun that he would end this fight no matter what. ¡°You¡¯re so stupid that even I feel sorry for you. You¡¯re still trying to keep a promise?¡± ¡°...I never break my promises.¡± ¡®Promises are made to be kept. I even made a pinky swear.¡¯ ¡°...¡± The Archduke frowned and went silent. He didn¡¯t feel this way even when Seo Jun-Ho was ruthlessly punching him and when Seo Jun-Ho destroyed his Land of Illusion. ¡®But I guess I¡¯m displeased now¡­¡¯ The Archduke couldn¡¯t quite grasp Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s faith, and he couldn¡¯t stand the sight of it. He felt disgusted and displeased, so he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s about time you disappear.¡± ¡®Meteor Strike.¡¯ Multiple rifts appeared in the space above the two, and the dimensional rifts spat out hundreds of meteoroids. ¡°Haaa¡­ huff.¡± Seo Jun-Ho was gasping for air, and he looked up to see the space above him packed to the brim with hundreds of meteors. The meteors shone brightly like shooting stars as they made a beeline for him. Chapter 641: Happy Ending of the End (6) Chapter 641. Happy Ending of the End (6) A girl was running around the hallway like an excited little puppy. She stopped running upon seeing a man standing in front of her. The man¡¯s expression was indifferent and cold as he said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, Duchess Olive must have taught you that you shouldn¡¯t run around in hallways. It¡¯s part of etiquette, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t running. I just happen to walk a little faster than everyone else.¡± ¡°...You shouldn¡¯t lie either.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± The man¡¯s cold expression melted when the girl smiled awkwardly at him. He quickly managed to put his straight face on again, and he straightened the girl¡¯s tilted hairpin. ¡°Oh, thank you, Kis.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Kis found it difficult to maintain a straight face of a dignified knight whenever the girl looked up at him with such adorable eyes. However, Kis still took out his notebook to perform his duty as a knight. ¡°First of all, I¡¯ll have to double the time for your etiquette sses since you¡¯ve been running around the hallway.¡± ¡°What! C-can you let me off the hook just this once? Please?¡± Kis looked down at the girl, who looked like she was about to cry. He looked around and sighed deeply. ¡°...Then just this once. No exceptions next time.¡± He lied. Kis knew better than anyone that he would let her off the hook hundreds and thousands more times in the future. The cute princess in front of him was simply too adorable to resist. ¡°Oh, by the way, Kis! May the snow relieve your worries!¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a greeting for the snow day. May Your Royal Highness¡¯ worries also be washed away by the snow.¡± The snow day was special even in Niflheim, where it snowed all year round. ording to history, snow fell for the very first time on thisnd today. Today was a public holiday, and there was a festive atmosphere throughout the kingdom. Kis figured that perhaps it was because of the snow day that the young treasure of the kingdom was more excited than usual. ¡°It¡¯s just another ordinary day for me since it happens every year¡­ are you really that excited for today?¡± ¡°No shit. It goes without saying.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Did you just say shit? Who in the world taught you that word?¡± ¡°I heard the winter knights say it when I secretly visited the training grounds.¡± ¡°...All right. I¡¯ll teach them a lesson.¡± ¡°Huh? What lesson?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll have to make sure that they¡¯ll watch what they say,¡¯ Kis muttered coldly to himself before escorting the princess to her destination. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The princess ran into the queen¡¯s arms as soon as she entered the room. The beautiful scene looked like a painting¡ªif it weren¡¯t for the king standing beside the queen with a forlorn expression. ¡°Why is the princess liking you more and more than me as the days go by? This is unfair.¡± ¡°Of course, she likes me better. She¡¯s my daughter.¡± ¡°...But she¡¯s my daughter as well.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± The queen hugged the princess tightly and grinned. The king smiled and said, ¡°You look particrly happy today.¡± ¡°No s¡ª¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Frost turned to Sir Kis clearing his throat. She smiled and continued. ¡°It goes without saying, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Is there a specific gift you want this year?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m expecting something else.¡± The princess stretched out her small hand. Snowkes bloomed over her fingertip and floated about in the air. ¡°Today¡¯s the day I finally catch Santa.¡± ¡°Oh? Santa? It¡¯s not that easy to catch that speedy fellow.¡± The king and queen looked at each other and smiled softly. It was said that Santa visited only the good children through the chimneys of their houses to give out gifts every snow day. Of course, Santa¡¯s identity was the children¡¯s parents. ¡°I failed to catch himst year, but I¡¯m confident this year. I¡¯ve frozen all the chimneys in the castle, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll slip as hees in. I can just catch him once he gets hurt.¡± The three hardened their expressions at the princess¡¯ words. The king¡¯s expression turned stern as he asked, ¡°Why do you want to catch Santa so badly? To get more gifts?¡± The princess shook her head and exined, ¡°No. I heard that children who haven¡¯t cried for a year and have done a lot of good things often don¡¯t get presents from Santa. ¡°However, I think that Santa must have forgotten about them because he had too many houses to visit. I¡¯m going to catch him and let him rest in the royal pce this year. I¡¯m going to make the knights give out the gifts to every child this year instead of Santa.¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The king burst intoughter at the princess¡¯ words, and he beckoned to her. The princess timidly approached the king. The king patted her head as if he was proud of her. ¡°I am very proud and touched by your thoughtfulness. Don¡¯t you agree, Kis?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I agree.¡± ¡°There are many people in this world who don¡¯t care about others, but it is the virtue of the monarch to not only care about the surroundings but also to look over the ces out of reach. I think the princess is going to be a perfect monarch.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± The princess chuckled and grinned. Every day was a joyful day, and she felt like she was in a dream. ¡®Nothing has really changed, but every day feels refreshing and heartwarming.¡¯ The peaceful days that she had always been enjoying felt more precious to her for some reason over these past few days. ¡°...¡± However, she had recently been feeling this emptiness in her heart for some reason. ¡°Hm? You look pale. Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yes. Everything is fine.¡± The princess shook her head and put her hand on her chest. ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯ She had been eating delicious food and taking fun sses. She felt that everything was going well, but there were times when she would feel like she had lost something precious, like right now. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s time to head over to the banquet hall.¡± The princess¡¯ parents walked toward the door and beckoned to her. ¡°Princess, let¡¯s go to the banquet hall together.¡± ¡°Come to Mother.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The princess walked toward her parents without thinking much, but she suddenly came to a halt. Her eyes were unwittingly transfixed on the potted nt ced by the window. ¡°Your Royal Highness?¡± Kis stared at her with curious eyes as she walked toward the window and stared at the flower in the pot without saying a word. ¡°...Kis, look at this. The flower is withering,¡± she said. ¡°Moonlight flowers don¡¯t bloom during the day. If youe back at night after the banquet, you¡¯ll be able to see it in full bloom. Now, let me escort you to the banquet hall.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®But why do I feel this way?¡¯ The turmoil in her heart got even stronger as she stared at the flower. The princess was afraid of facing the feeling of mncholy and longing. She was convinced that if she turned around and ran to her parents, she would be able to forget such feelings and live happily for the rest of her life. ¡®But a monarch shouldn¡¯t run away even if everyone else turns around and runs away.¡¯ The princess was taught that way, and that was how she had been living her life. ¡°...¡± The princess closed her eyes and faced the suffocating emotions. She opened her eyes a long timeter, and the air about her had changed drastically. Her eyes gave off not the innocence of a child anymore but the poise and dignity of a monarch. ¡°...Your Royal Highness. We still have plenty of time for the banquet. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°No.¡± The princess slowly turned around and smiled sadly at her parents waiting for her. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can go with you.¡± ¡°Princess? What do you mean? Hurry up ande to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I need to go back to where I belong.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? This is where you belong¡ªnext to us.¡± The princess shook her head slowly despite her parent¡¯s earnest words. ¡°Dad, Mom, and Kis.¡± The princess called out to her precious people and bit her lips. She held back her tears and said, ¡°It was a short time, but I was happy to see you again.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The king and queen looked at each other at the princess¡¯ words and smiled sadly but proudly. ¡°They do say there are no parents who can defeat their child. It seems that our princess has grown up.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t be more happy. Our baby looks so brave...¡± ¡®Perhaps their words are from the Archduke, who must still be trying to mess with me, but those words might have alsoe from the bottom of their heart, even though this world is nothing but just an illusion.¡¯ ¡°It was a short time, but it was an honor to serve you again.¡± ¡°...Take care, Kis.¡± Frost said her final goodbye to her parents and Kis before reaching out for the ceiling. The world froze and copsed like ss. *** Seo Jun-Ho was struggling to keep himself awake. If it hadn¡¯t been for Hero¡¯s Mind, he would have copsed long ago. ¡°...How stubborn,¡± said the Archduke. He sounded sick and tired of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s resistance, which hadsted for more than ten hours. ¡°I must say, you must be proud of yourself. Even Rompel couldn¡¯tst at least ten hours against me, and he was an Absolute.¡± ¡°...¡± The Archduke¡¯s meaningless praise couldn¡¯t reach Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s ears. He was gasping for air, and he felt like his heart would burst at any moment. His severe injuries meant that if he were to keep this up, he would eventually die standing up. ¡°But it all ends here¡­¡± The Archduke snapped his fingers once more. Multiple rifts in space manifested in the space above them, and another cataclysmic Meteor Shower poured down on Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho squeezed as much magic as he could, and he forced his magic into the four des of the Freedom de, which quickly flew into the sky to meet the meteors. The four des sliced every single meteor before copsing to the ground. They went still and quiet as if they had already fulfilled their goals. ¡°Your attack just now must have consumed all of your remaining magic.¡± The Archduke was right. Seo Jun-Ho desperately tried to gather more magic, but he couldn¡¯t gather even a single particle of magic as the surrounding was filled with the Archduke¡¯s powerful demonic energy. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t even make use of nature¡¯s magic through the ck Moon Heart Method, as he needed magic to execute the method in the first ce ¡°Let me ask you onest time,¡± said the Archduke. He sounded impressed¡ªhe was truly in awe of the miracle that a mere human had achieved despite the human¡¯s short life span. ¡°Agree with my n, and I will send you to the paradise that I will create.¡± The Archduke¡¯s words were tempting. ¡°Just once. You only have to nod just once. You will be at ease, and your mind and spirit will live happily in the world where you are the main character.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s hands trembled. He was currently on the verge of a cliff and was slowly falling down into it. He couldn¡¯t think straight anymore, so his body answered the sweet suggestion. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho raised his hands and clenched them into fists. ¡°Is that so?¡± The Archduke lost all interest as his eyes turned cold and indifferent upon seeing Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s answer. The Archduke was truly disappointed in Seo Jun-Ho, and he said, ¡°Then, disappear.¡± The Archduke stomped lightly, and the demonic energy in the surroundings surged toward Seo Jun-Ho like a deluge. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho was left with neither strength nor magic, so there was no way he could withstand such an attack. ¡®Finally...¡¯ The long battle was finally over. Catharsis was about to strike the Archduke, but¡­ Crackle! A massive wall of ice abruptly manifested and protected Seo Jun-Ho. Boom! The deluge of demonic energy failed to break the ice, and it helplessly bounced away. ¡°What?¡± The Archduke''s pupils constricted. He shook his head and eximed, ¡°What nonsense is this?! She has no resistance to mental-type skills!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The massive wall of ice shattered, revealing a woman supporting Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already aware that nonsense happens and exists everywhere.¡± ¡°...How did you escape the illusion?¡± ¡°Contractor called me.¡± ¡°Nonsense. You couldn¡¯t have heard his voice.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying that I actually heard his voice, but¡­¡± Her contractor and soulmate¡¯s exhaustion and pain reached her. ¡°Contractor, I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°...¡± Blood flowed down from Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mouth as he forcibly smiled. However, he soon shook his head in disappointment. He was happy that the Frost Queen had returned, but it was already toote. He had exhausted his magic, and he could no longer fight the Archduke, even with the Frost Queen¡¯s help. ¡°It¡¯s not toote,¡± said the Frost Queen. Seo Jun-Ho stared in confusion at the Frost Queen. ¡°The culmination of the Administrator¡¯s hopes and dreams is in your hands, Contractor. Only you can use it.¡± ¡®Is she talking about the Edit Core?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho trembled as he recalled the strange device. ¡°Are you¡­ are you telling me to turn back time with that? It couldn¡¯t even give me a single stat point, so how can it possibly do such a thing?¡± The System that Chaos had created didn¡¯t allow an artificial rise in the prowess or level of a particr being. It was a restriction that had been troubling the Administrators for a long time, and it was all because they had to support Seo Jun-Ho without viting the System¡¯sws. ¡°There¡¯s a way.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the Frost Queen in a daze, and she stared at him in return. Seo Jun-Ho was about to ask her to borate, but he shut his mouth. ¡°...Ah.¡± Seo Jun-Ho smiled hollowly. ¡®The Administrators, including Frost, did not let go of their hopes all for the sake of this one moment, even though they had experienced so many defeats against the Archduke? Is that why they have such high expectations of me?¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. A crude mechanical device appeared in his hand. ¡°Everything was decided from the first time you and I met. To be exact, it was when I decided to end this eternal fight with you by my side,¡± said the Frost Queen. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho tightly gripped the mechanical device in his hand before saying, ¡°Frost, freeze it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to say that!¡± The Frost Queen let go of Seo Jun-Ho and stretched out both of her hands. ¡°Absolute Zero!¡± The world froze over. The Archduke was frozen thoroughly, and even his blood vessels were frozen. However, his eyes remained calm. His gaze seemed to be asking Seo Jun-Ho about what he could do when he had already run out of magic. In response, Seo Jun-Ho muttered, ¡°Edit Core.¡± The mechanical device shone brightly. Seo Jun-Ho gave his very first andstmand to the Edit Core. ¡°I only need one thing from you.¡± ¡®There¡¯s only one way to use the Edit Core without viting the System¡¯sws.¡¯ ¡°From now on, this ce is the 11th Floor.¡± ¡°...?¡± The Archduke blinked rapidly in confusion. [This is the 11th Floor.] [Bringer of Spring¡¯s effect has been activated. All stats increased by 30.] Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s dried-up magic circuits began to fill with magic. Chapter 642: Happy Ending of the End (7) [Bonus Image] Chapter 642. Happy Ending of the End (7) [Bonus Image] Seo Jun-Ho nced at the Edit Core. The Edit Core emitted gray smoke and copsed after fulfilling its role. ¡®It¡¯s a shame that I can only use it once, but it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯ll be too much if I can use it an infinite number of times.¡¯ As soon as the Edit Core hit the floor, the Frost Queen shouted, ¡°Go! My Contractor!¡± The Frost Queen¡¯s shout was the signal, and Seo Jun-Ho started running upon hearing it. [My Contractor (S) has been activated.] [The number of blessings varies depending on the bond level.] [The current bond level is Soulmate. Every blessing has been granted.] [For 10 minutes, all stats are increased by 50.] [For 10 minutes, the Frost Queen will not consume mental strength.] [For 10 minutes, Seo Jun-Ho can use the power to block.] Seo Jun-Ho was just about to give up earlier, but Bringer of Spring and My Contractor granted him 80 Stamina, allowing him to move once more. ¡®I can¡¯t use Overclocking.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Magic was at 80. It was but a drop in the bucketpared to a thousand magic points he once had. He would immediately exhaust his magic if he were to use Overclocking, even for a short moment. ¡®I only have one chance.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had to create nothing but darkness. However, he couldn¡¯t afford to use a long-range attack. ¡®I might not be able to kill the Archduke with skills since I don¡¯t have enough magic to use them.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho had to kill the Archduke with his own hands. ¡®Here I go.¡¯ The devastated scenery of the peeled away. He wasn¡¯t using his magic, but his body had already reached the Transcendence Stage, so the distance between Seo Jun-Ho and the Archduke was quickly narrowed. ¡°Ugh!¡± The Frost Queen groaned and shouted, ¡°T-this is too much¡­ Contractor! Hurry!¡± The Archduke¡¯s red eyes red at Seo Jun-Ho. He wasn¡¯t idle while trying to escape from Absolute Zero; he controlled his demonic energy to keep Seo Jun-Ho in check. Eventually, parts of the frozen world shattered, and the Archduke¡¯s demonic energy seeped out of the ice and flew toward Seo Jun-Ho. Boom! ¡°Argh!¡± Seo Jun-Ho parried the demonic energy rushing toward him at incredible speed with White Dragon. However, White Dragon was torn to pieces as a result, and Seo Jun-Ho was sent flying away. ¡°...¡± However, he remained relentless. His legs were starting to cramp, but heposed himself and started running. ¡°C-contractor! I can¡¯t¡­!¡± ¡°No! At least make sure that he won¡¯t escape!¡± shouted Seo Jun-Ho. The Frost Queen bit her lips tightly. In the end, she decided to thaw the ice that had immobilized the Archduke¡¯s demonic energy and focused all of her attention on making sure that the Archduke wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the ice. Swoosh! The released demonic energy charged toward Seo Jun-Ho like crazy. ¡®I can¡¯t use magic, so I can¡¯t dodge them.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho began to calcte. ¡®I have to give up what I can give up.¡¯ He only needed two legs to run, a head, and an arm to hold his sword. Seo Jun-Ho decided to give up every part of his body aside from what he needed to kill the Archduke. ¡®Run.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was supposed to retreat, but he remained steadfast and rushed at the oing attacks. Shwik! Arge hole appeared on his side, revealing his stomach, but he did not stop. ¡®...Keep running.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho raised one of his arms to attract the demonic energy. Boom! The collision destroyed Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s arm all the way to his elbows, but he remained steadfast. ¡°...!¡± The Archduke was starting to panic. He stared nervously at the human charging toward him in a straight line. ¡®What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s wrong with him? Is he not afraid of death? Has he gone mad after turning back time so many times earlier?¡¯ ¡°Why are you not running?¡± The Archduke couldn¡¯tprehend it. He couldn¡¯t quiteprehend everything from how the Frost Queen escaped his Land of Illusion to how a Transcendent was managing to stand toe-to-toe against him and fight him. ¡°Do you seriously think that you can kill me with just a handful of magic?¡± the Archduke asked Seo Jun-Ho, but he answered his question himself. ¡®It feels like he can do it.¡¯ If Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t sure of his chances, he wouldn¡¯t have decided to run in such a reckless manner toward the Archduke. ¡°...¡± The Archduke contemted something for a while before biting his lips. Swoosh! The demonic energy in the air dug into the ground at once. sh! A dazzling light briefly shed as the entire copsed like a sandcastle. The space where the once stood was filled with nothing but meteoroids, but that wasn¡¯t the end of it. The Archduke¡¯s demonic energy extinguished the one and only star in the middle of this part of the universe, causingplete darkness to envelop the nearby starry skies. Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t see or hear anything. ¡°But it¡¯s no use.¡± Darkness would never cover his eyes nor block his ears. Seo Jun-Ho had been acknowledged as the master of darkness. ¡°Open the way,¡± muttered the master of darkness. The darkness split open, creating a path that led to the Archduke. ¡°...So you dare.¡± The Archduke frowned and forced his right hand out of the ice. The universe started to twist as a towering deluge of demonic energy loomed over Seo Jun-Ho. Fwoosh! However, Seo Jun-Ho was unfazed. He charged into the tidal wave of darkness without any hesitation. ¡°Protect me,¡± he muttered. The darkness responded to its master¡¯s call and stopped the approaching wave of demonic energy. The collision between the two generated a force so powerful that it could destroy hundreds of stars at the same time. ¡®Is this not good enough?¡¯ The Archdukeughed in disbelief. His opponent started out as a mere human being and eventually climbed up the ranks to be a Transcendent. The Archduke admired him for that fact alone. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho was clearly showing him that he still hadn¡¯t reached his limits. ¡°Seriously¡­humans are so stubborn.¡± ¡®Or is it just you who is particrly stubborn?¡¯ Boom! The ice that bound the Archduke shattered, and he stepped outside. ¡°I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m made of, then." The Archduke waved his hand lightly. Rumble! Hundreds of thousands of dimensional rifts opened at the same time and each of them spat out a waterfall of demonic energy. The sum of demonic energy from all dimensional rifts seemed capable of destroying the entire universe. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s every particle of demonic energy throughout the universe.¡± Demonic energy was born from sinful feelings like greed, jealousy, anger, lust,ziness, gluttony, and arrogance that pervaded the entire universe. The Archduke stared at the massive clump of demonic energy in disappointment. ¡°Its size has never once decreased since the conception of the universe.¡± And it was exactly why people had always been fighting each other, and the Archduke reckoned that they would fight forever unless someone intervened and put an end to everything. The Archduke¡¯s red eyes shed coldly. ¡°This is my true power. If you still think that you can stop me after seeing this,e.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho silently trembled. Hero¡¯s Mind was frantically warning him of the danger, and the giant clump of demonic energy made Seo Jun-Ho feel nauseous even though he was just looking at it. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho forced his trembling legs to move. ¡°You dare to continue even after seeing this amalgamation of malice?¡± Seo Jun-Ho called upon the darkness rather than answering. The darkness reced his left arm and enveloped his trembling body. ¡°Your meaningless human emotions must be the reason you can¡¯t give up.¡± In the end, humans were still easily swayed by useless affection and feelings. The Archduke waved his hand again. In response, the giant clump of demonic energy charged toward Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Contractor¡­!¡± the Frost Queen roared. BOOM! A massive explosion urred, but Seo Jun-Ho was still alive, and a chunk of the giant clump of demonic energy had vanished like a lie. The Archduke¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What nonsense!¡± Demonic energy represented the evil that had always prevailed in the entire universe. ¡®But he destroyed that¡­ energy? Is that even possible?¡¯ The Archduke¡¯s eyes turned to Seo Jun-Ho. A pitch-ck wolf as big as a was standing next to him. ¡°Wherever there is light, there is also shadow. The police exist to catch criminals, while good exists because bad exists.¡± Seo Jun-Ho raised his head to stare at the Archduke before saying, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much malice there is in this universe and whether it¡¯ll continue growing or not.¡± ¡®It¡¯s going to be fine as long as an existence is constantly observing the universe and protecting it from evil, and the existence who shall keep an eye on the evil at the bottom of the abyss deeper than darkness is none other than...¡¯ ¡°The Watchguard of Darkness¡­ I will be the Watchguard of Darkness.¡± ¡°How foolish! Do you really think that one person can keep an eye on all evil throughout the universe and stop it from propagating?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes turned cold at the Archduke¡¯s remark. ¡°Have you ever tried it?¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Have you ever tried it? Have you ever failed after trying it, or were you too scared to even give it a try?¡± The Archduke frowned. ¡®Was I¡­ scared? Was I scared that I wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain a leash on the growing demonic energy?¡¯ The Archduke chuckled in disbelief without realizing it. ¡°Prove it to me, then,¡± said the Archduke with a cold gaze. ¡®Show me that you have the power and ability to keep an eye on all the malice throughout the universe as well as putting a leash on evil itself.¡¯ ¡°Show it to me right now!¡± roared the Archduke. The swirling ck hole created by the demonic energy greedily consumed everything; the dimensions copsed, and a chunk of the universe was destroyed. ¡°Watchguard of Darkness.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes remained fixated on the Archduke. ¡°Eat it up.¡± The Watchguard of Darkness let out a low, guttural growl as it bit off chunks of the oing demonic energy and steadily moved closer to the Archduke. The Archduke trembled. For the first time in his life, he felt something that only a trivial human being would feel. Indeed, he was afraid. However, he wasn¡¯t afraid of death but of something else. ¡®Does that mean¡­ that I might be wrong?¡¯ The Archduke¡¯s faith had remained steadfast over the years. He was confident that his method was the only way to save the universe and end the eternal fighting. However, the Archduke was starting to doubt his method, and his belief slowly fell apart. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho became a ray of darkness and rushed toward the Archduke. He didn¡¯t even bother ncing at the oing demonic energy¡ªhis eyes were on no one else but the Archduke. ¡°...Cough!¡± The Archduke copsed. He looked down at the de of darkness that had pierced his heart. He could feel the darkness consuming him from the inside. The Archduke slowly raised his head and saw Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s firm and determined gaze. ¡°Why did you not block it?¡± ¡°...Who knows?¡± ¡®I think it¡¯s because I started doubting my belief. Our different beliefs collided, and he managed to shake mine¡­¡¯¡¯ The Archduke asked, ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t regret your choice?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps I¡¯ll regret it one day.¡± ¡®But for that single possibility, I will move on from this world with everyone.¡¯ ¡°How irresponsible¡­¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± The Archduke¡¯s body slowly scattered away into innumerable fine particles. He closed his eyes and burst outughing. ¡°Pfft! Is that so?¡± Seo Jun-Ho wasn¡¯t sure, but he risked everything for a chance to seed, while the Archduke couldn¡¯t do the same, even though he was sure of his own method. ¡°...I see.¡± The Archduke sounded somewhat relieved as he finally disappeared. [Congrattions! All the Floors have been cleared!] ¡®I¡¯ve been running nonstop just to see that one short sentence.¡¯ ¡°Cough!¡± Seo Jun-Ho coughed violently and keeled over. The Frost Queen rushed to support him, but she could feel him slowly turning cold in the vast expanse of the universe. ¡°Contractor!¡± the Frost Queen cried out. She tore open a dimensional rift that led to a nearby. She put her hand over her mouth upon taking a closer look at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°W-w-what should I do¡­¡± she stammered. Seo Jun-Ho barely looked human after burning everything he had in that final exchange against the Archduke. He had Cell Regeneration, but not even the miraculous Cell Regeneration could save him from his terrible injuries. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ cry.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared at the Frost Queen through his blurry vision. The Frost Queen sobbed and cried; her tears pelted down on Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ ¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ okay¡­¡± ¡®Seeing you cry hurts more than anything.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho still wanted to say something, but his eyelids had be too heavy. ¡®Yes. Let¡¯s take a short break. Just a short break¡­¡¯ His eyes finally closed. *** ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho looked around. He was surrounded by clouds tinted with twilight. ¡°I¡¯m actually in heaven.¡± Seo Jun-Ho burst outughing. ¡®Those damn fiends told me that they would be waiting for me in hell. Unfortunately for them, I¡¯m in heaven.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho tried to summon Seo Jun-Sik and the Frost Queen just in case, but he received no response. In the end, Seo Jun-Ho slowly walked toward a temple built on a cloud. The temple had no one else other than a man. The man looked stoic and scary at first impression. He looked like a man who wouldn¡¯t shed even a single drop of blood, even if he were stabbed with a needle. ¡°Jade Emperor of Heaven?¡± ¡°I guess you can call me that as well. It¡¯s still going to make sense,¡± said the man. ¡°But my name is Chaos.¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Seo Jun-Ho gasped. It turned out that the man in front of him was the one and only god¡ªthe ruler of the universe. ¡°Am I dead?¡± ¡°No, but you were dying. I brought you here, so you¡¯re still alive for now,¡± said Chaos. He sounded cold, but his next words expressed his appreciation. ¡°Of course, what I¡¯ve done isn¡¯t enough reward for what you¡¯ve done. You¡¯ve prevented the destruction of the universe, after all.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m d you know. Anyway, why did you not take care of it yourself?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m an observer¡ªI don¡¯t intervene. I also gave you enough chances by creating the Floors.¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared into Chaos¡¯ eyes and nodded. ¡°So you knew that I¡¯d make it.¡± ¡°The Archduke was only a Quasi-Absolute. He was nothing more than an emotion born out of malice.¡± ¡°Someone as strong as him is only Quasi-Absolute?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say that he was a ridiculously strong Quasi-Absolute.¡± Chaos¡¯ voice sounded stiff and cold, and Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t really find it pleasant to talk to him. ¡°So why did you bring me here? To say thank you?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked. ¡°I have a suggestion.¡± ¡°A suggestion?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you for a long time¡ªyour purity, your warmth, and your personality.¡± Chaos stared at Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°I think you¡¯re a suitable sessor to my seat. What do you think of it?¡± ¡°...Your seat?¡± Seo Jun-Ho took a moment to understand Chaos¡¯ remark, and he soonughed in disbelief. Chaos¡¯ was the one and only god¡ªruler of the universe. In other words, Seo Jun-Ho would have full control over the universe by epting Chaos¡¯ offer. ¡°I¡¯m not going to force you to follow my principles. You don¡¯t have to be on the sidelines like me, either. I¡¯ll borrow your words and say that you can be the Watchguard keeping an eye on the malice and evil of this universe. Of course, you can cull them yourself.¡± ¡°What if I end up ruining the universe?¡± ¡°I guess it would be the fate of the universe.¡± ¡°The way you run the universe is really¡­ half-assed.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m getting paid for it,¡± said Chaos with a shrug. ¡°Pfft! Puhahaha!¡± Seo Jun-Ho burst outughing at the remark, but he soon fell into deep contemtion. Chaos was dumbfounded to see that. ¡°Really? You¡¯re contemting over epting such a great offer?¡± They were talking about the seat of the one and only god here. Chaos had seen humans fight each other just to upy a dust-sizednd on a as big as a fingernail. However, the human in front of Chaos was actually contemting over his ridiculously great offer. However, the result of Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s contemtion surprised Chaos even more. ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It looks like it¡¯s too much work. I have things to do as well.¡± ¡°Things to do¡­? Ah, I see.¡± Chaos¡¯ eyes briefly turned gray, and he soon nodded as if he understood. Of course, he definitely understood what Seo Jun-Ho was talking about. He was a god, after all. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you if that¡¯s what you truly want, but I personally rmendplete annihtion.¡± ¡°...Thank you for the rmendation, but I¡¯m not going to do that.¡± ¡°Do as you please. I¡¯m asking just in case, but will you be willing to seed me once everything is over?¡± ¡®He definitely likes me much more than I thought.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled lightly and shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m going to rest when that timees.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of time to rest once you be a god.¡± ¡°You should really get to work.¡± ¡°...Whatever. It¡¯s a shame.¡± Chaos shrugged and nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve done a great job, and¡­ keep working hard.¡± The scenery before Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes peeled away. *** When Seo Jun-Ho came back to Earth, there were festivities everywhere. [The great victory of mankind.] [What failed to kill us made us stronger.] [Representatives of the Ruben Empire, Neo City, and Trium have visited the World yers Association to celebrate.] [World yers Association announces Humanity Liberation Day as a global holiday.] After a few short press conferences, Seo Jun-Ho was finally able to enjoy the peace that he had been longing for. ¡°Ah¡­ this is nice.¡± Seo Jun-Ho enjoyed an aromatic cup of coffee on anguid afternoon. ¡°Let¡¯s order some chicken.¡± ¡°Fried chicken?¡± ¡°Not the fried one. I¡¯m talking about chicken breast.¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? If you want chicken breast, get out of here and eat it yourself.¡± For some reason, there was a party being held in Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s apartment. ¡°Why?¡± Seo Jun-Ho muttered, sounding displeased. Kim Woo-Joong stopped decorating the ceiling with balloons and asked, ¡°What do you mean why?¡± ¡°Why is everyone doing this in my house?¡± Shin Sung-Hyun decorating the ceiling next to Kim Woo-Joong answered, ¡°To celebrate the end of the Floors, of course.¡± It was quite funny to see the two wearing cone hats. ¡°Are you guys not tired? If I could, I¡¯d like to take a good rest for about a month without seeing anyone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that. There¡¯s a reason why soldiers from battlefields get PTSD.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to worry about that part because I have Hero¡¯s Mind.¡± ¡°Ah-ha. But we don¡¯t have it, so¡­¡± ¡®This is ridiculous.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s gaze turned to the corner of the living room. ¡°Does it look good enough?!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It seemed Gong Ju-Ha had no idea what a Christmas tree was, and it was evidenced by the fact that she was decorating a Christmas tree in the living room when it wasn¡¯t even December yet. The tree was so big that it bent sideways. ¡°All right. Then please light this up right away.¡± ¡°...Is this good enough?¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so pretty!¡± Baek Geon-Woo supplied electricity to the decorations on the tree because the Christmas tree¡¯s power cord was too short to reach the nearest electrical outlet. ¡°What a mess¡­¡± muttered Seo Jun-Ho. Mio walked out of the kitchen with a slight smile. ¡°I baked some apple pie. If anyone¡¯s hungry,e here and help yourself.¡± ¡°...¡± Silence descended upon the living room. Everyone avoided making eye contact with Mio, but the clueless Arthur raised his hand. ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll have a piece and¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Gilberto grabbed and lowered his son¡¯s hand. He then shook his head with a solemn expression. ¡°I¡¯m still not ready to let you go.¡± ¡°Huh? I mean, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to war or anything¡­ I¡¯m just going to the kitchen to eat a piece of apple pie.¡± ¡°The kitchen is sometimes a warzone,¡± said Gilberto. He managed to push Arthur into the bathroom before walking over to Mio. ¡°Mio. If you must, feed me, not my son.¡± ¡°Gilbe, are you hungry, too? I did prepare a generous amount.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat all of it, so let Arthur go.¡± - Come on. You¡¯re so mean. Mr. Shoot¡¯s LED disy shed as he approached Mio. - My sister worked hard to bake the pie, but you¡¯re talking as if it¡¯s some kind of poison. ¡°Eat it, then, Ibuki.¡± - Come to think of it, I can¡¯t take my helmet off. It¡¯s broken, haha. ¡°I¡¯ll help you take it off.¡± - S-stay away from me! Everyone desperately tried to avoid eating Mio¡¯s apple pie as if it were a bomb. Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and said, ¡°Jun-Sik. You go and eat it.¡± ¡°What? Why? Did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°I feel sorry for Mio. She worked so hard to bake the pie, but no one wants to eat it.¡± ¡°What the heck? If you feel bad, why don¡¯t you go and eat it yourself, Original?¡± ¡°Why would I? I have you, so I¡¯m going to make you eat it for me.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Sik went silent. Eventually, he ate Mio¡¯s apple pie while crying. The party soon ended, and the visitors left Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s apartment. ¡°Pleasee and help us with our training.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll see if I can make the time.¡± ¡°All right, it¡¯s a promise, then!¡± The trio finally left. ¡°I¡¯m d I don¡¯t have to worry about anyone getting hurt now. It¡¯s all thanks to you, Jun-Ho-nim.¡± ¡°I¡¯m always grateful to you, Miss Si-Eun.¡± ¡°No, you helped me more than I helped you¡­ that¡¯s for sure.¡± Cha Si-Eun smiled softly and left Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s apartment. Seo Jun-Ho shook hands with every person leaving his apartment. ¡°You did great.¡± - Says you. You did most of the work. Mr. Shoot bowed deeply and turned around to leave. Seo Jun-Ho returned to the living room with a slight smile. ¡°...They¡¯re sleeping so well.¡± His friends were sleeping soundly all over the living room; they truly drank and ate well tonight. ¡°...¡± ¡®I think this is my first time seeing them sleep so soundly. I guess it makes sense since they no longer have to be ready to fight at any moment.¡¯ Seo Jun-Sik walked over to Seo Jun-Ho while wearing a hiking backpack. ¡°Shall we get going, then?¡± ¡°...Where?¡± ¡°Come on. Were you nning on leaving me?¡± Seo Jun-Sik asked with a disappointed look. Seo Jun-Ho sighed deeply and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine by myself, you know.¡± ¡°So what? You want me to stay here alone and live as your recement?¡± ¡°Perhaps that would be for the best.¡± ¡°No way. If you¡¯re Frodo, I¡¯m Bilbo. We should always be together.¡± Seo Jun-Sik pouted and turned to someone else. ¡°I¡¯m sure Frost feels the same way. Right, Frost?¡± ¡°Of course. That¡¯s a given. But I want to be Bilbo. You can be Gollum, Jun-Sik.¡± ¡°What nonsense¡­ How can I be Gollum when I¡¯m so handsome?¡± Seo Jun-Ho stared deeply at the pair. As always, they would quarrel whenever the opportunity presented itself. Seo Jun-Ho covered his face with the hood of his jacket and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The three quietly disappeared. *** Thest page. Frozen yer, Return. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± A man was swinging his sword nonstop. The broken sword incessantly tore apart the worms rushing toward him. ¡®I wonder if he got back safe.¡¯ The man smiled as he nced behind him. ¡®How pathetic of me. I should worry about myself before anyone else?¡¯ ¡°And¡­ they¡¯ll do hundreds of times better than I did.¡± ¡®Jun-Ho, Jun-Sik, and Frost. Those three might be able to clear the Floors. Please¡­ please cut this endless chain of repetitions in your own world.¡¯ The man smiled wryly and swung his broken sword powerfully, annihting hundreds of baby worms at once. ¡°...!¡± The predator that had been quietly biding its time finally made a move and rushed toward the man¡¯s left torso with its mouth open. The man instinctively tried to raise his left hand to block the iing attack. ¡°Oh,¡± he muttered nkly and btedly realized that he had lost his left arm long ago. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that I made such a stupid mistake. Perhaps this is my friends¡¯ final punishment to me for being such a pathetic coward. I couldn¡¯t¡­ even protect my star.¡¯ The Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes as he stared at the predator¡¯s open mouth. He felt endless relief as he prepared to embrace death. ¡®Finally¡­ I can finally go and see you guys.¡¯ Chomp! A crisp noise pierced his ears, but he felt no pain. He opened his eyes upon realizing that something was wrong, and he saw an arm sticking out of his left nk. It was an arm that wasn¡¯t supposed to be there, as he had lost his left arm long ago. ¡°You¡¯re still as clumsy as ever.¡± However, the arm was thin, and the familiar voice that echoed in his ears clearly belonged to a woman. It belonged to the woman he had been missing every single day. ¡°Absolute Zero.¡± Crackle! The predator and its baby worms froze over and shattered into innumerable ice fragments. ¡°...¡± The Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that the freezing cold was the reason he couldn¡¯t move even an inch. ¡°Look at this guy. He¡¯s like a stone statue.¡± ¡°Of course, my entrance was touching, after all.¡± The Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho stared at the smiling man walking toward him. ¡°...Jun-Sik?¡± ¡°Long time no see, Sung-Jun. No, this must be right after I left for you.¡± Seo Jun-Sik had just left him, but he had already gotten so powerful that he had to be stronger or at least stronger than Sung-Jun himself. ¡°...¡± Sung-Jun slowly turned around. He bit his lips upon seeing the woman. ¡°What¡¯s up with that funny look? If you¡¯re so touched to see me, you can just cry. Why hold it in?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®I thought I¡¯d never see her again. I had no idea that I would hear her voice again.¡¯ Sung-Jun bit his lips hard enough for them to bleed. Eventually, he looked around upon recalling something. ¡®The fact that these guys are here¡ªI knew it.¡¯ A man was standing a bit farther away from them. ¡°You guys¡­ did it.¡± ¡°Yes, we did.¡± ¡°You guys really¡­ you guys really did it.¡± ¡®They really managed to clear all the Floors and defeat the Archduke.¡¯ ¡°But then¡­¡± Sung-Jun¡¯s doubtful gazended on Seo Jun-Ho. He presumed that Seo Jun-Ho had to be a Transcendent being based on his aura. ¡°Why am I still here? When there can only be one of us now that you¡¯ve be a Transcendent?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m a resident of a parallel world that was created before I became a Transcendent.¡± Of course, Sung-Jun would have disappeared without a trace if Seo Jun-Ho denied the former¡¯s existence, but Seo Jun-Ho didn¡¯t want that to happen. Sung-Jun¡¯s eyes widened with realization. ¡°No way. Did you¡­?¡± Confusion and pity filled his eyes as he stared at Seo Jun-Ho. Sung-Jun saw through Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s intentions. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. Probably not as much as you, but I¡¯ve read a lot of memories, too,¡± said Seo Jun-Ho. And most of the memories belonged to one person¡ªSeo Jun-Ho. He had read more than ten thousand memories of himself, so he felt sorry and responsible for the worlds he had abandoned. ¡°I just want to fix the mistakes that you and I have made.¡± He wanted to give hope to the people of the world that they had abandoned. He wanted to save them all and give them a happy ending. That was Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s wish¡­ ¡°...It¡¯s not going to be easy.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°It will take countless hours, and you will walk on a lonely path with no one to remember your journey.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Once everything is over, no one will wee you upon your return because they¡¯ll all be dead by then.¡± ¡°...I know.¡± And that was exactly why Chaos rmended theplete annihtion of all parallel worlds. However, Seo Jun-Ho couldn¡¯t do it, as the Seo Jun-Hos who had lived in those worlds were him, and they were all living inside of him. ¡°I¡¯m sure you would do the same if you were in my shoes.¡± ¡°...Probably.¡± Sung-Jun smiled upon recalling something. They were selfless heroes who were always ready to make sacrifices. ¡°You¡¯re trying to do something stupid.¡± ¡°It really is something stupid.¡± Seo Jun-Ho reached out to Sung-Jun. ¡°But do you want toe with us and do this stupid thing together?¡± Perhaps people would say that what Seo Jun-Ho was about to do was a pointless and dumb act, but it was fine. After all, Seo Jun-Ho was the only one who could understand what he was trying to do, and it was all because he was Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°...You¡¯re too kind to the point of foolishness.¡± ¡°You say that, but you¡¯re not too different from me.¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s soft eyes turned to Sung-Jun. ¡°Why are you smiling and crying at the same time?¡± ¡°...¡± The Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho shut his mouth tightly. He lowered his head to hide his tears, but his trembling shoulders and groans proved that he was crying. He had always been hoping to save the world that he had abandoned, and it had been an absurd andplete pipe dream until now. ¡°...Thank you.¡± The Star Destruction Stage Jun-Ho seized the opportunity to make things right. *** It took them thirteen years and two months to clear their first parallel world. The Archduke was no more, so the Floors were cleared the moment they cleared the 10th Floor. ¡®This is easier than I thought.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s parents were still alive in this parallel world, so Seo Jun-Ho managed to ovee everything with a smile, even though he was exhausted and tired. ¡°...Original. It¡¯s over; we should leave now.¡± ¡°Yeah, we should.¡± The Seo Jun-Ho of this parallel world had perished long ago, but his memories and legacy would live forever in Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°It¡¯s time for the fake uninvited guests to leave.¡± ¡°All right. Let¡¯s move on to the next world right away.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re starting to get the hang of it, and we¡¯ll only get better as time goes by.¡± The Frost Queen was right. Clearing the Floors got easier for them as time went on. It was annoying that he couldn¡¯t exert the full extent of his ability as a Transcendent, but it was all worth the hassle to see the happy ending of each parallel world. ¡°...I think this is it for me,¡± said Sung-Jun. He had just saved a parallel world by himself, and he finally visited the trio when the trio finally cleared their 208th parallel world. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s just to satisfy myself, but thanks to you guys¡­ I no longer have any regrets. I no longer hold myself in contempt as well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just self-satisfaction. I¡¯m sure the people you saved are grateful to you.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­for saying that. And I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m leaving you guys first. It feels like I¡¯ve always been¡­¡± ¡®...a burden to you guys.¡¯ Thetter part of Sung-Jun¡¯s sentence remained unsaid as he faded away with a bright smile on his face. Seo Jun-Ho stared nkly at where Sung-Jun once stood. ¡°...Sung-Jun¡¯s left arm¡­ he recovered it, right?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes. He wasn¡¯t lying when he said that he no longer has any regrets nor contempt for himself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Sung-Jun¡¯s memories were absorbed by Seo Jun-Ho. Sung-Jun¡¯s disappearance meant that they would have to clear more parallel worlds. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°...All right.¡± The Frost Queen smiled slightly as she stared at where Sung-Jun disappeared. ¡®Rest in peace, my contractor.¡¯ With that, the three cleared every parallel world in silence. A thousand years passed, but Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s mind didn¡¯t copse, all thanks to the protection of Hero¡¯s Mind and the fact that his mind had transcended along with his Stage. The three continued on saving parallel worlds in silence, and they repeated the same actions over and over again until they forgot the passage of time. *** A rift in space opened, and a man walked out of it. He quietly looked around and found that he was in a dense, primeval forest. The man wordlessly walked through the forest. Rumble! A rift in space opened in front of him, and a man d in gray walked out of it. ¡°So you¡¯ve returned, Mr. Specter.¡± ¡°...Gray?¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s tired eyes blinked upon recognizing Gray. ¡°You are still alive?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s really difficult to die once you be a Transcendent. Realistically, you can¡¯t really die unless you really want to die.¡± ¡°...It feels like it¡¯s been a very long time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a very long time. If I were to measure the passage of time using Earth¡¯s standards¡­ it has been 21,759 years, 4 months, and 22 days.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded weakly. He had expected it, but he had spent a much longer time than he thought. ¡°Were they happy when they left?¡± ¡°Yes. Everyone left with a smile, and they all said that they missed you.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± Seo Jun-Ho nodded and continued walking down the forest. Gray followed him closely. ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡± ¡°Who knows? Perhaps I should just die.¡± Seo Jun-Ho had already aplished all of his ns. He managed to clear all ten thousand parallel worlds, and the residents of those worlds would live happily ever after. Sung-Jun was perhaps right when he said that he had been doing it to satisfy himself, but Seo Jun-Ho truly had no regrets. ¡®The Seo Jun-Ho whom they know won¡¯t be there, but I guess that doesn¡¯t really matter, as it¡¯s the same as the world where I¡¯m from.¡¯ Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly. ¡°Where is the Frost Queen?¡± Gray asked. ¡°I put her to sleep for about two months because she said that she was tired. Anyway, it¡¯s about time I wake her up.¡± ¡°I see. What about Mr. Jun-Sik?¡± ¡°He died after getting stabbed. I¡¯m not gonna summon him for a while so he can rest. I¡¯m about to clear this world, anyway.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± replied Gray. He then asked another question, ¡°Have you ever thought about the feelings of those you¡¯ve left behind? You didn¡¯t even tell them anything, after all.¡± ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho stopped walking. Gray had just brought up the topic he had always been afraid to talk about. ¡°Do they hate me¡­?¡± ¡°Surely, you jest. Of course, they hate you. They really hate you.¡± ¡°I knew it¡­¡± Seo Jun-Ho had no idea what to say, as he had truly done something hateworthy. ¡®But I wanted to hear them say that they hate me while they¡¯re still alive.¡¯ Gray saw Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s bitter look, and he took it as a sign to continue. ¡°You have no idea how angry they were, and that was why everyone trained so hard.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Some of them reached the Star Destruction Stage, and they visited us every single day, begging to meet Chaos.¡± ¡°...Why would they want to meet Chaos?¡± Seo Jun-Ho asked with a frown. ¡°Who knows? Anyway, they came back after talking to everyone else¡­ and they approached us again after voting for something interesting.¡± ¡°Voting for something interesting?¡± ¡°Yes. It was a universal vote including Earth, Frontier, Neo City, and Trium.¡± Snap! Gray snapped his fingers, and a hologram window appeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°What? What did they vote for?¡± He had no idea what they had voted for, but one thing was for sure¡ªone side won by andslide victory of 93.86% Seo Jun-Ho turned to look at Gray. Gray smiled at him. ¡°What do you think they voted for, Mr. Specter?¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho abruptly stopped talking, and he looked as if he had been struck by a hammer. He was certain that his world no longer had any life, but lives suddenly bloomed all over the world¡ªlike flowers blooming in the spring after the harsh winter. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s Transcendent Intuition was screaming at him. ¡®Humans! Not just tens of thousands, but¡­¡¯ 9,273,191,149 human lives appeared all over the in the blink of an eye. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s eyes trembled for the very first time. His quivering eyes turned to Gray. ¡°Gray! What happened?!¡± he screamed, ¡°I thought everyone died here?¡± ¡°No, they didn¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Then, what¡¯s wrong with this forest? I can¡¯t find any traces of civilization here.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, so this scenery isn¡¯t really strange.¡± ¡°Your friends asked Chaos to stop time,¡± said Gray with a smile. He pointed at Seo Jun-Ho before continuing. ¡°They told Chaos to stop time until your return, Mr. Specter. They voted for and against freezing time for the entire universe.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And as you saw earlier, most of them agreed to stop time.¡± ¡°How foolish! Howe they¡¯ve decided to do such a thing when they have no idea how long it¡¯ll take me?!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. For them, it¡¯ll be like blinking their eyes once. It¡¯s all thanks to Chaos¡¯ kind consideration.¡± ¡°...But what if things went wrong, and I died? What if I failed to return?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why don¡¯t you ask the stupid people who started it all?¡± ¡°...!¡± Seo Jun-Ho quivered upon sensing familiar auras behind him. He had spent such a long time clearing the parallel worlds to the extent that he had long forgotten the passage of time, but he could still remember their auras. He turned around slowly, and the sunlight that came through the leaves shone on familiar faces. ¡°...¡± Seo Jun-Ho thought that he could no longer cry after shedding so much tears, but he still teared up upon seeing them. He hurriedly lowered his head so that they wouldn¡¯t see his tears. ¡°Hahahaha! Hey, he¡¯s actually crying? Hahaha!¡± ¡°Goodness, are you serious? Pretend like you didn¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°Jun-Ho, I saw nothing. But here, take this handkerchief.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m so proud of you.¡± Seo Jun-Ho cried harder when his friends approached him and patted his shoulders. His heart beat wildly against his chest. If this were all a dream, he didn¡¯t want to wake up. ¡°Frost, Jun-Sik.¡± Seo Jun-Ho summoned the two and said, ¡°p my cheek.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about your cheek, but I¡¯ll p you on the back.¡± p! The Frost Queen pped Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s back. Seo Jun-Sik tried to p Seo Jun-Ho, but thetter shook his head. ¡°Yeah, it hurts. So this isn¡¯t a dream...¡± ¡°...But don¡¯t you think you should confirm it once more? How about another p?¡± ¡°Go easy on him.¡± Rahmadat shook his head and stopped Seo Jun-Sik. ¡°We still have to scold him, after all.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s take it slow since we have a lot of time now. Let¡¯s give him some break for the time being since he just came back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thirsty. Are there any cafes around us?¡± ¡°Give me a second.¡± Skaya calmly cast Teleport, and they quickly found themselves in a familiar cafe. ¡°This ce is nice and quiet. Order whatever you want¡ªit¡¯s on me today. I¡¯ll have an Americano.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Americano considered sewage water in your country?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t live in Italy, you idiot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have a beer.¡± ¡°ck tea for me, please.¡± Once they had ordered what they wanted to drink, they all turned to Seo Jun-Ho. ¡°Jun-Ho. What do you want to drink?¡± ¡°As always, I¡¯ll have¡ª¡± Seo Jun-Ho paused just as he was about to order an Espresso. ¡°...No.¡± He swept his gaze across his friends¡¯ faces and grinned. He could finally put down the massive weight on his shoulders. Seo Jun-Ho¡¯s expression was that of relief as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll have an orange juice.¡± Afterword Afterword Hi everyone, How time flies! It¡¯s been a long journey and I thank you all for sticking with us to the end. This would not have been possible without your support. To be honest, I sometimes cringe when I see my old trantions, but I hope we were able to do the story justice. I was still fairly new to tranting when I started working on it, so it has also been a wonderful learning experience. I had to drop out near the end due to medical issues (how I wish I had Cell Regeneration) but it has been an honor to work with my team. Thank you Sangwoo for being such a great co-trantor, thank you Penguin for helping us with your extensive wuxia knowledge, thank you Ve for catching all my mistakes, thank you Ristretto for helping us make it to the end, and most of all thank you to Yojj for being the best manager/person ever! It feels strange knowing that there are no more chapters to trante and no more deadlines to meet¡­but I hope I¡¯ll see you again in another series. Castor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi fans of FPR, It¡¯s been an awesome long journey with you all. This was a long novel, but I enjoyed getting to trante it and read it with everyone through all the emotional ups and downs the heroes gave us. Now that this novel is finished, it is sadly time for me to retire as well. Unfortunately, life is getting too busy for me to be able to fairly devote enough time to trante in the future. Instead, I will be taking a step back and will be joining everyone on the audience side! That being said, it¡¯s been great working with the team and getting to enjoy the novel with everyone. Sangwoo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello everyone! I¡¯m Ristretto and I helped to trante ? of FPR near the end! Although I joined the team a lotter and only spent a short amount of time tranting this novel, I immediately got immersed in the story and really enjoyed my time working on this novel! No wonder you guys are fans :) I want to say thank you to Castor, Sangwoo, Ve, Yoji, and Penguin for being amazing and helping me throughout! I¡¯m d I had the honor to hop on your journeys and hope to see you guys again in different series! Goodbye until then :) Ristretto ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A message from our amazing editor Ve, who juggled three talented trantors: Hello guys, Ve here~ All things muste to an end, including good things. It was a fun time, and my time with Frozen yer has been nothing short of great. I''ve encountered many readers with various opinions in thements (yes I peek at thements); some overjoyed, some annoyed, some thrilled, while some are just happy to see our cutie Frost Queen. No matter who you are among the readers I''ve seen, I''ll miss you guys a lot, and I really appreciate all thements. Yeah. It has really been a fun time. My heart feels empty knowing that the journey has ended, but I feel happy that I could contribute, even though I''mcking. Of course, this journey would have been impossible without my amazing team; Castor, Sangwoo, Ristretto, and shout out to Yojj as well! I love you so much, Yojj! Thank you so much for your patience and understanding. I''ll make it up to you once I''ve gotten a better grip on myself. fingers crossed! Anyway, I''m not really a fan of a drawn-out farewell, so I''ll end it here or I''ll cry and waste time when I''m supposed to be working XDDDD So long! ?? I''ll miss frozen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rmendations withments from the teams Damn Reincarnation OBW: A man''s second chance at bing the hero he was always meant to be. Yojj: A potty mouthes back to life to finish what he started. Momo: When dying is just the beginning. And swearing is life. Dan: A morones back to life to prove everyone wrong. The Neb¡¯s Civilization House: A civilization building story withpelling characters. What is this witchcraft. Greenfrog: I never imagined I would get so attached to animal people. Where did the onion ninjase from and why am I crying for them? Yojj: Never thought I''d get so attached to a bunch of lizards, yet here we are. Penguin: if this novel ain''t proof that the world is ruled by reptilian overlords, I don''t know what is. Debuff Master Tokkiyanolja: Can''t beat them? Debuff and beat them to a pulp! Pukeok! Ve: A talentless man''s journey through invincibility through a domineering disy of cataclysmic, extreme power-wait, debuffs?! Shrouded Seascape Cosy: MC explores the seas to find the way home with the help of his sidekicks(and/or sidechicks)¡ªa woman with tentacles, a sexy giantess, and a cute little mouse. Engimatic Living Relic: A man''s crazy journey to his home on the surface. Is it the journey alone that is crazy or has he... gone crazy? Regressor Instruction Manual Hikari: Females with different types of dere fall in love with the scummy MC. Ve: Keep your friends close... the regressor closer. Yojj: An absolutely scummy MC you can''t help but be in awe of... for all the wrong reasons. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!